בראשית, פרק מ״ה, פסוק ה׳

In the dramatic moment of revealing his identity, Joseph faces his brothers not with accusations or a desire for revenge, but with profound forgiveness. He transforms their overwhelming shame and guilt into an opportunity to recognize Divine providence, illustrating how God works through the tangled web of human actions to bring about salvation.

To comfort them, Joseph speaks to two distinct layers of their psyche, addressing two opposing emotional reactions. The primary approach among commentators is that he first targets their heartbreak and moral regret over having harmed him [אור החיים, העמק דבר, מלבי״ם]. Beyond easing their immediate pain, this serves as a timeless lesson to avoid sadness, a destructive emotion that hinders personal growth, joy, and the proper service of God [פרדס יוסף].

He then addresses their feelings of anger, frustration, and wounded pride. Joseph recognizes that his brothers might be furious with themselves for their tactical mistake. They had originally sold him to prevent his childhood dreams from coming true, yet it was precisely this act of sending him to Egypt that orchestrated his rise to power and ultimately caused them to bow before him [אור החיים, מלבי״ם, קונטרס חיבה יתירה]. Alternatively, he is calming their frustration over not having killed him when they had the chance. In those days, selling someone as a slave in Egypt was considered a final, irreversible fate. Therefore, his ascent to royalty was a complete Divine miracle entirely out of their hands, meaning they had no reason to dwell on the fact that they did not choose a crueler, more permanent path [אדרת אליהו].

While Joseph does not ignore their original harmful intentions, his righteousness and deep desire for family unity drive him to forgive them completely and help them shed their guilt [ביאור יש״ר]. He offers them a new intellectual perspective: even if they have moral reasons to feel terrible about their past actions, they must look at the bigger picture and not allow the mistakes of the past to destroy the joy of the present [רש ר הירש, שטיינזלץ]. By doing so, he shifts the focus away from their flawed human choices and redirects it toward the overarching Divine plan [רלב״ג, צרור המור].

Joseph explains that the ultimate purpose of this grand plan was to provide them with sustenance. The commentators agree that while Joseph became the great provider who saved all of Egypt and the surrounding nations from starvation, God directed these events first and foremost to ensure the survival of Jacob's family [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה, דברי דוד]. Knowing that the family was destined to eventually relocate to Egypt, God sent Joseph ahead of them to prepare the way, ensuring they would have wealth and provision when the time came [ביאור יש״ר, נתינה לגר].