Miketz

The Real King 

The Mishnah in Avot says Eizehu Guibor Hakovesh Et Yitssro .

Who is called almighty person? One who subdues his passions . 

Why Did Yossef Not Inform Ya’akov?
The Ohr Hachayim Hakadosh asks (Perek 45, Passuk 26) why did Yossef not once send a message and tell Ya’akov that he was alive and well in Mitzrayim? Why did Yossef allow his father to suffer so much unnecessary pain and anguish for so many years? True, we can suggest that when Yossef was a slave in Mitzrayim he did not have the ability to contact his father, but after he was appointed as viceroy and was the second most powerful person in Mitzrayim, why did he not find some way to contact his father Yaakov Avinu and tell him that he was still alive? And finally, when his own brothers came to Mitzrayim to buy food, how could Yossef allow himself not to send a reassuring message back with them to his father? How could he justify allowing his father to suffer unnecessarily for so many years?

Preventing Embarrassment
The Ohr Hachayim answers this question with a fundamental concept and idea: Even when Yossef was in a position of power and authority in Mitzrayim, he chose not to inform Yaakov as to his whereabouts, because this would inevitably cause his sale, by his own brothers, to become known, and this revelation would cause his brothers major embarrassment. Therefore, Yossef decided that it was preferable that Yaakov should continue to grieve and suffer, rather than to cause his brothers extreme embarrassment.

This idea is powerful. According to the Ohr Hachayim, Yossef had the ability to contact Yaakov, but consciously decided that it was better that Ya’akov continue to suffer than to cause his brothers to be disgraced. 

Yaakov Never Knew

In fact, the Ramban (in Parshat Vayigash) writes that Yaakov was never informed that Yossef was sold by his brothers as a slave to Mitzrayim but thought that Yossef was found wandering and sold as a slave to Mitzrayim by other people. Yossef’s brothers certainly did not want Yaakov to know about their misdeed, because they were scared of incurring the wrath of Yaakov, and Yossef Hatzadik did not want to slander his brothers and tell Yaakov how he ended up in Mitzrayim. 

Therefore every time Yossef went to visit his father , he would bring his two sons with him , so his father would not ask him how he ended up in Mitzrayim .   

 We see from these mefarshim the greatness of Yossef Hatzadik, and how ultimately Yossef merited being the ruler over Mitzrayim and over his brothers. Only one who is self-controlled, and is able to rule supreme over himself, and control his tendencies is worthy of kingship and ruling over others.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Gad Bouskila