There are multiple moments in the book of Genesis when characters reunite after a long absence from each other. In my opinion, there is perhaps no more emotional reunion than that of Joseph and his brothers, when Joseph reveals himself after they’ve returned to buy more food in Egypt.

What’s striking to me, though, is the question that Joseph asks his brothers in the same breath as his revealing himself to them. The Torah teaches:

וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֤ף אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֲנִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֤וּ אֶחָיו֙ לַעֲנ֣וֹת אֹת֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִבְהֲל֖וּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃

“Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph. Is my father still well?’ But his brothers could not answer him, so dumbfounded were they on account of him.”

Our Etz Hayim chumash translates Joseph’s question הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י as “Is my father still well?”, but a more literal translation of the Hebrew would be “Is my father still alive?”.

It’s striking to me that the very first thing Joseph says to his brothers after he reveals his identity to them doesn’t concern them, but their father. We know that Joseph and Jacob share a special father-son relationship. We learn at the start of parshat Vayeishev that Jacob makes a ketonet pasim– an ornamental tunic- for Joseph, and that Joseph is entrusted to bring news of his older brothers back to Jacob when they’ve gone to graze their cattle. Furthermore, Joseph’s brothers have been nothing but hurtful to him, even going so far as to sell him to a caravan of Ishmaelites going down to Egypt. It’s only when they don’t recognize Joseph, with Joseph recognizing them, that they are........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)