Why does Joseph plant the silver cup? What is the ultimate aim of such a move? How does this relate to his status as the beloved son? Appeal explicitly to the story as a whole (i.e. Gen 37-50) and to article from Anderson in your answer?
When you look at the complete story of Joseph, planting the cup all comes down to forgiveness and the notion of being the “Elect One of Israel.” Much like Abraham was randomly chosen to be God’s elect, Joseph became Jacob’s elect for no apparent reason causing the jealousy of his brothers. His brothers then plot to kill him and end up selling into slavery to the Ishmaelites. This represents the metaphorical death of Joseph. He loses his brothers, his father, all of his possessions, and even his freedom. The only thing he has is his life. However, if the stories we have seen thus far is any indication, we can predict that Joseph will rise out of this position, and rise out he does. With God’s favor, he essentially becomes the ruler of Egypt and is the provider of food for the entire world. This is when he meets his brothers again, except this time he has all the power, and they are dependent on him. He could very easily have them killed or worse, but instead treats them favorably in the grand scheme of things. The brothers express their regret for losing Joseph, and to determine if they do truly regret their actions and changed, he plants the cup.
The reason he chooses Benjamin is because he is favored by Jacob like he was. Since the cup is found in his possession, the brothers have the choice of leaving him to face the consequences on his own or all of them accepting responsibility. Unlike how they left Joseph alone in the past, the brothers unite around Benjamin and face their punishment together, demonstrating that they have, in fact, changed since they sold Joseph. At this point, Joseph forgives his brothers completely.
One thing I found interesting from Anderson’s article is that the brothers most likely still doubted Joseph’s forgiveness, attributing it to keeping good relations with Jacob. So when Jacob dies, the brothers fear for their lives now that Joseph doesn’t have to worry about keeping good relations. This is the point that makes it clear that Joseph is worthy of the title of the Elect One. It is his “miraculous” forgiveness of his brothers, as it is often repeated in the Elect Ones that makes him stand out in the eyes of God.
Theology 
What I really liked about your response came in your last paragraph. You mention that Joseph’s unconditional forgiveness is what makes him stand out as Elect to God, “It is his “miraculous” forgiveness of his brothers, as it is often repeated in the Elect Ones that makes him stand out in the eyes of God.” The one question I have is do you think God called Joseph into becoming the man worthy of being Elect in anyway? For example, God called Abraham into being a man worthy of blessing by asking him to sacrifice Isaac. Do you see an example of this in the Joseph story?
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To me, it seems that Joseph is the elect of Jacob not randomly, but because he is the eldest son of Jacob’s favorite wife. This could explain why Benjamin became his father’s elect after Joseph’s departure. I agree with you that Joseph’s complete forgiveness is inspiring and even does seem irrational, as the brothers must’ve thought. This forgiveness, however, does come from being in the eyes of God, as you point out. It takes a person who mimics the mercy of God to become one of the Elect.
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Brendan, I think the most interesting point you make in your analysis of Genesis is how you compare the misfortune of Joseph to a metaphorical death in a sense. I completely agree and think the “death” Joseph undergoes only leads to his resurrection (as mentioned in Anderson) and rising from the ashes to fulfill his duty as the beloved son. I think Joseph could have very well killed his brothers when encountering them again, but as a divine agent of God, that is simply not his purpose. The role he serves as the beloved son is to act as God does and show merciful love and forgiveness. As you said, only one who comes directly from God is able to forgive as Joseph does.
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Brendan, I liked when you said, “This is the point that makes it clear that Joseph is worthy of the title of the Elect One.” You then go on to talk about his miraculous forgiveness he shows his brothers when Jacob dies and he no longer has to act kindly in order to keep good relations with his father. You also point out that Joseph’s brothers most likely thought that his generosity wasn’t genuine when Jacob was alive, which was another interesting point.
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You make a good observation about the validity of Joseph’s forgiveness after Jacob’s death. Certainly there was worry by his brothers that once their father died, they would face Joseph’s wrath for the years of torture and abuse. Yet, Joseph resembles the mercy and forgiveness that G-d bestows on His own creation. Could this parallel demonstrate the ideal behavior that G-d seeks for man? Could it indicate we are coming closer to the reconciliation of the isolation incurred in the creation account?
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