By Rabbi Yitzchok A. Breitowitz. Provided by the Orthodox Union, the central coordinating agency for North American Orthodox congregations for MyJewishLearning.com
Preparing For Exile
Joseph used his position of rulership to help his brothers develop coping skills for their upcoming exile.
Joseph's interaction with his brothers is one of the most perplexing stories in the Torah, one that has puzzled generations of readers for thousands of years.
Why does Joseph conceal his identity? Why did he wait so long to tell his father that he was in Egypt?
Even if one follows the view of the Abarbanel (15th century Spanish/Portuguese commentator), that, as a slave, Joseph had no means of informing Jacob and, after his ascension to political power, he still could not do so lest he be accused of disloyalty, questions abound.
Explaining His Actions
How do we explain his demand that the brothers bring his younger brother Benjamin down from Israel? Why did he falsely accuse Benjamin of being a thief and sentence him to slavery, when he knew the news would devastate Jacob and perhaps kill him? In Joseph, we are not simply dealing with a victim who finds himself in a position to take revenge.
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