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“VaYar Yosef Et Achiv VaYaKirem VaYitnaker Aleihem VaYedaber Etam Kashot VaYomer Aleihem Mei’ayin Batem VaYomru MeEretz Cnaan Lishbor Ochel,” “When Joseph saw his brothers, he recognized them; but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke harshly to them. He asked them, ‘Where do you come from?’ And they said, ‘From the land of Canaan, to procure food’” (BeReishit 42:7).
Many Mefarshim wonder- Why does Yosef choose not to recognize his brothers in this Pasuk? After 22 years without any interaction with his family, he is expected to greet them, or at the very least rebuke them for what they had done to him. How could Yosef HaTzaddik, a role model for all future generations, have been so cold and unwelcoming to his brothers?
Rashi gives us a basic approach - He wanted to test his brothers: Have they changed or not? Sometimes the best way to prove someone’s worth is not to judge their past, but to notice their steps in the right direction.
The Ramban pushes us farther. He goes back to Parashat VaYeishev, quoting Yosef’s dreams, which are interpreted as signs of his brothers bowing to him. According to Ramban, Yosef believes the plan of the dreams was about destiny, not his own ego. If he reveals himself now, they will obviously not bow down to him, as they already demonstrated their hatred for Yosef being in power by throwing him into the pit. However, they will bow down to the second-in-command of Egypt. Yosef is hiding his true identity, not for his own benefit, but to fulfill Hashem’s plan.
However, the Malbim reframes everything we assumed. He says Yosef had no complex plan to test his brothers or to fulfill a prophecy, but to reunite his family at last. This explanation in itself is contradictory - how could acting like this to your family bring them together? The Malbim elaborates: Under the guise of the “Sar Mishneh Paroh”, he could properly guide his brothers back to reunite with him, eliminating the factor of their bias against Yosef.
Combining these Mefarshim, there is a common theme. Yosef’s actions are not about hiding his identity or deception for selfish reasons. Instead, every word and gesture is meant to reveal his brothers’ true character, to test whether they have grown, changed, and learned from the mistakes of the past. In this way, Yosef is not concealing himself, but revealing who they really are.
By revealing who his brothers truly are, Yosef teaches an even bigger lesson about human growth. Sometimes people don’t change inside, they need a situation to show it. Just like Yosef waited to see how his brothers would act, we see that real character is revealed in the choices we make when we’re tested. This shows that teshuvah aren’t about promises, it is about action. Yosef’s example reminds us that wisdom can bring out the best in others, even after many years of conflict. May we all be Zocheh to follow in Yosef HaTzaddik’s example.