Parshas Vayigash 5777

Who Told Jacob that Joseph was Alive?

The Torah writes (Genesis 45:26-27):

And they told him, “Joseph is still alive; yes, he is ruler over the whole land of Egypt.” His heart went numb, for he did not believe them. But when they recounted all that Joseph had said to them, and when he saw the wagons that Joseph had sent to transport him, the spirit of their father Jacob revived.

Targum Jonathan (46:17) has one opinion:

and Serach their sister, who was carried away while alive into the Garden (of Eden), because she had announced to Jakob that Joseph still lived.

However, Targum Jonathan (49:21) cites another opinion as well:

Naphatali is a swift messenger, like a hind that runneth on the tops of the mountains, bringing good tidings: he it was who announced that Joseph was living;

Daas Zekeinim (45:26) cites another opinion:

And if you ask who permitted them the ban [of not telling Jacob about Joseph] in which G-d was joined, and how did they tell their father? The answer must be that Benjamin told him initially for he did not participate in the sale

Another opinion (Avos deRabbi Nosson 30):

And some say that the Holy Spirit that left Jacob before rested on him at that time [and told him]

Why Didn't Joseph Tell His Father Before?

The Daas Zekeinim (42:1) gives two answers:

Furthermore, why did Joseph not communicate with his father during all these years which would have spared his father a great deal of grief? The answer is that they all had sworn a sacred oath not to reveal to their father that he was in Egypt. They had made G’d a partner to their oath, so that He too could not reveal their secret to him. All this can be proved from Scripture, when before revealing himself to his brothers (Genesis 45:1) he commanded that all the people around him remove themselves before he would have that conversation with his brothers. He did not want that anyone would ever hear about that oath which had now expired.

and:

Other commentators offer a different reason for why Joseph had not communicated with his father for 22 years. As long as he had been a slave (13 years) he did not want to increase his father’s grief by informing him of his sorry condition. If he were to end a message that in the meantime he had become a king, his father would not believe him; he was right as his father did not even believe this when all his sons told that they had seen it with their own eyes. (Genesis 45:26) In addition, he was afraid that if his father were to leak his new found knowledge to someone, the brothers would each flee in all directions out of fear of his vengeance. As a result, his father would experience additional grief. This is why he waited until the time would be ripe for him to reveal himself, so that he would first reveal himself to his brothers before informing his father of his survival and the good fortune which had befallen him.