 | | In this week’s parsha, Parshat Mikeitz, Yosef, the grand vizier of Egypt, deliberately does not reveal his true identity to his brothers who journeyed to Egypt in search of provisions due to the famine, as it says, “Yosef saw his brothers and recognized them, but he made himself a stranger to them and spoke roughly to them” (Bereshit 42:7). Why does Yosef, who now looks and acts like an Egyptian prince, not disclose his identity to his brothers upon seeing them? To help answer this question, I would like to turn to the words of the Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch, who writes, “We would have thought that, if only for his father’s sake, he would make himself known to his brothers at once, especially since he had already recognized the hand of God in all that had befallen him and had learned to appreciate all his misfortunes – including his brothers’ transgression against him – as Divine instruments for shaping his ultimate happiness…Only considerations of absolute necessity could have brought Yosef to follow a course of action that otherwise would appear to be senseless harassment, of which one cannot suspect Yosef, not only because of his moral character but also because of his intelligence, which no one can deny. If we place ourselves in his position, we arrive at the following explanation…It was only natural that Yosef bore resentment toward his brothers, and that he remembered the callousness in which they had ignored his entreaties from the pit and disregarded the pain they would be bringing their father. These feelings could be erased only by proof that his brothers had undergone a complete change of heart. It was therefore necessary to test his brothers, to see whether they would again be capable of depriving their father of a son – and this time for real and compelling reasons. The real possibility of life imprisonment and the specter of their families starving at home would perhaps weigh more heavily upon them than any imagined threat from Yosef’s supposed thirst for power. This test was of vital import for Yosef’s own feelings. Only if his brothers passed this test would he be able to banish from his heart the bitterness that remained” (Commentary on Bereshit 42:9). According to Rav Hirsch, Yosef’s behavior should not be interpreted as cruel and unfeeling. Rather, Yosef’s actions were purposeful and clever, aimed at ultimately rebuilding family harmony, allowing him to re-enter the family circle.
Ultimately, Yosef wished to be reunited with his whole family. However, before he could do so, he first needed to see if his brothers would again be willing to sacrifice a brother, in this case Binyamin, or, if they would resist and do all they could to save him. By witnessing his brothers’ sincere attempts to save their youngest brother, especially when the risk of starvation and death was so real, Yosef’s own bad feelings towards his brothers would be appeased, and based upon seeing the change in his brothers’ view of family, upon seeing their love for each other, he could finally reveal himself to them and once again, take his place in his house of Yaakov.
By testing his brothers in this way, extreme as it might have been, Yosef assured himself that his brothers had indeed changed, and that they finally learned that family is the most important thing. This Shabbat, let us consider the important role family plays in our lives. Yosef loved his family, but he needed to know that his family could be capable of loving him. May we always tell our family members how important they are to us, how much we love and care for them, so that they always know how indispensible they truly are to our happiness. If we can do that, then our homes, like the house of Yaakov, can be made whole and complete, united by bonds of love, and strengthened by the presence of each and every member.
Shabbat Shalom!
-Rabbi Dan
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