Bereishit Ch. 43

Chapter 43 sharpens the mystery: why does Joseph prolong his brothers’ torment instead of revealing himself? Some read it as vengeance or the literal fulfillment of his dreams, but neither fits the Joseph who later forgives so fully. More plausibly, Joseph engineers a reenactment of his sale—not to punish, but to test. By placing Benjamin, the new favored son, in danger, he creates the same moral crossroads as before: abandon the brother or defend him. When Judah steps forward to protect Benjamin, the test is complete—the family’s moral order has been repaired.

A deeper layer, however, touches Joseph’s own uncertainty. Perhaps he does not know whether Jacob was complicit in his disappearance. Each staged moment—each plea, each tear—draws him closer to the truth. Only when he hears of his father’s enduring grief does Joseph finally weep openly, realizing that love never left him. His elaborate disguise thus becomes the path through which both sides rediscover trust, transforming deception into the groundwork of reconciliation.