One possible answer is that Yosef’s question was to rebuke his brothers. The Talmud (Chagigah 4B, also see Bereshit Rabbah 93:10) quotes that when R. Eliezer learned the verse 45:3 he began to cry since he noted that the brothers could not respond to the rebuke of Yosef a fellow human being, and hence so much more so is a person unable to respond to the rebuke of G-d.
The Netziv (1817-1893, also see Torah Temimah, and Nachshoni, 1987, p. 174 quotes this idea from the Malbim and the Beit ha-Levi) questions where is there any hint in 45:3 that Yosef rebuked his brothers? He answers that the question “is my father still alive?” is the rebuke, that Yosef was telling the brothers that even if you thought that you had a right to sell me (Yosef) still you should have thought of the suffering the sale caused to Yaakov. Apparently, the idea is that Yehuda had just stated that he was so worried about the suffering to his father if he did not return with Binyamin, but then Yosef challenges him why were you not worried about this suffering when you sold me. The Netziv explain that the brothers’ inability to answer Yosef’s question was not concerning the issue of whether Yosef was alive, but rather that they could not answer Yosef’s rebuke. While this approach is possible, I doubt that Yosef was really intending to rebuke his brothers at that moment since the goal was to reconcile the family, as the following verses (45:5-8) record that Yosef told them that they should not be distressed about the sale.
A second approach to understanding the question “is my father still alive?” is that Yosef doubted that Yehuda was telling him the truth. The Keli Yakar (Ephraim Solomon ben Chayyim of Luntshitz, 1550-1619, also see Torah Temimah and Robert Altar, 2004, p. 260) suggests that Yosef was worried that maybe Yehuda had only told him that Yaakov was alive to accentuate his plea of mercy. This was not the first time the brothers had told Yosef that Yaakov was alive on this trip to Egypt, as when they first met Yosef in his house, Yosef had inquired about Yaakov and they told him that Yaakov was alive, 43;27,28. Thus, this approach would have to maintain that Yosef was worried that their earlier statements concerning Yaakov, even when Binyamin was not in danger, were also not true. However, this approach is problematic, since if Yosef was really worried that they had not spoken truthfully, then he should have repeated the question when the brothers had calmed down, but the Torah does not record that the issue was raised again.
Abravanel (1437-1508, p. 414:A) offers a third answer, that Yosef’s question was an attempt to make conversation with the brothers after their long separation, as it was logical for the brothers to discuss what had become of the family in the intervening years. Abravanel explains that Yosef did not want to speak to them about the sale, but rather he intended to ask them about their wives and their children. However, when the brothers could not respond to Yosef, he realized that he had to deal with the issue of the sale, and he told them not to be troubled about the sale. This approach explains the flow of the narrative of 45:3-8, but it is hard to accept that the question “is my father still alive?” was an opening statement to make conversation with the brothers.
Nahum Sarna (1989, p. 308) offers a fourth approach to understanding the question “is my father still alive?” Sarna explains that after Yehuda repeatedly referred to Yaakov in his speech, it was “no wonder that Yosef’s first thought was for the welfare of his father. True he had already sought and obtained this information, yet the terrifying picture Yehuda had painted made Yosef cry out in such a way that his words were more of an exclamation than an inquiry. That is why there is no reply and Yosef does not press the point.” This makes sense, but what was Yosef’s trying to exclaim? Maybe the answer is from the Seforno (1475-1550), who writes, that the question was to express Yosef’s amazement that Yaakov did not die from his worry about Yosef.
My guess is that the question “is my father still alive?” can be understood both as an exclamation and as a rhetorical question. After hearing from Yehuda that Yaakov was so concerned about Binyamin, Yosef was worried whether Yaakov was still alive. Yosef believed the brothers when they told him that Yaakov was alive, but that information was only accurate up to the time when the brothers left the land of Israel to go to Egypt. Yosef was scared that maybe Yaakov had died when the brothers were in Egypt, and this possibility actually increased due to Yosef’s actions, since he was delaying the brothers’ return home with his false accusation that Binyamin stole the goblet. The brothers could not answer this question, and instead, the only thing that could be done was for the brothers to return home as soon as possible. . Thus, after Yosef attempted to calm his brothers that they should not be scared of him (45:4-8), 45:9 records that Yosef told them to “make haste and return to my father.” Furthermore, his last words to them as they left were “not to quarrel on the way” (45:24) since he was concerned that quarreling would slow down their return to Yaakov.
Bibliography:
Alter, Robert, 2004, The five books of Moses: A translation and commentary, New York: W. W. Norton and Company
Leibowitz, Nehama (1905-1997), 1976, Studies in Bereshit, translated by Aryeh Newman, Jerusalem: The World Zionist Organization.
Nachshoni, Yehuda, 1987, Notes on the parshot of the Torah, Tel Aviv: Sifrati.
Sarna, Nahum (1923-2005), 1989, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.
A second approach to understanding the question “is my father still alive?” is that Yosef doubted that Yehuda was telling him the truth. The Keli Yakar (Ephraim Solomon ben Chayyim of Luntshitz, 1550-1619, also see Torah Temimah and Robert Altar, 2004, p. 260) suggests that Yosef was worried that maybe Yehuda had only told him that Yaakov was alive to accentuate his plea of mercy. This was not the first time the brothers had told Yosef that Yaakov was alive on this trip to Egypt, as when they first met Yosef in his house, Yosef had inquired about Yaakov and they told him that Yaakov was alive, 43;27,28. Thus, this approach would have to maintain that Yosef was worried that their earlier statements concerning Yaakov, even when Binyamin was not in danger, were also not true. However, this approach is problematic, since if Yosef was really worried that they had not spoken truthfully, then he should have repeated the question when the brothers had calmed down, but the Torah does not record that the issue was raised again.
Abravanel (1437-1508, p. 414:A) offers a third answer, that Yosef’s question was an attempt to make conversation with the brothers after their long separation, as it was logical for the brothers to discuss what had become of the family in the intervening years. Abravanel explains that Yosef did not want to speak to them about the sale, but rather he intended to ask them about their wives and their children. However, when the brothers could not respond to Yosef, he realized that he had to deal with the issue of the sale, and he told them not to be troubled about the sale. This approach explains the flow of the narrative of 45:3-8, but it is hard to accept that the question “is my father still alive?” was an opening statement to make conversation with the brothers.
Nahum Sarna (1989, p. 308) offers a fourth approach to understanding the question “is my father still alive?” Sarna explains that after Yehuda repeatedly referred to Yaakov in his speech, it was “no wonder that Yosef’s first thought was for the welfare of his father. True he had already sought and obtained this information, yet the terrifying picture Yehuda had painted made Yosef cry out in such a way that his words were more of an exclamation than an inquiry. That is why there is no reply and Yosef does not press the point.” This makes sense, but what was Yosef’s trying to exclaim? Maybe the answer is from the Seforno (1475-1550), who writes, that the question was to express Yosef’s amazement that Yaakov did not die from his worry about Yosef.
My guess is that the question “is my father still alive?” can be understood both as an exclamation and as a rhetorical question. After hearing from Yehuda that Yaakov was so concerned about Binyamin, Yosef was worried whether Yaakov was still alive. Yosef believed the brothers when they told him that Yaakov was alive, but that information was only accurate up to the time when the brothers left the land of Israel to go to Egypt. Yosef was scared that maybe Yaakov had died when the brothers were in Egypt, and this possibility actually increased due to Yosef’s actions, since he was delaying the brothers’ return home with his false accusation that Binyamin stole the goblet. The brothers could not answer this question, and instead, the only thing that could be done was for the brothers to return home as soon as possible. . Thus, after Yosef attempted to calm his brothers that they should not be scared of him (45:4-8), 45:9 records that Yosef told them to “make haste and return to my father.” Furthermore, his last words to them as they left were “not to quarrel on the way” (45:24) since he was concerned that quarreling would slow down their return to Yaakov.
Alter, Robert, 2004, The five books of Moses: A translation and commentary, New York: W. W. Norton and Company
Leibowitz, Nehama (1905-1997), 1976, Studies in Bereshit, translated by Aryeh Newman, Jerusalem: The World Zionist Organization.
Nachshoni, Yehuda, 1987, Notes on the parshot of the Torah, Tel Aviv: Sifrati.
Sarna, Nahum (1923-2005), 1989, The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis, Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society.
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