Vayigash: 5786 - "And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him." The Midrash: "Woe to us from the day of judgment and rebuke." Where is it written that Yosef rebuked them?…

00:01 Speaker 1 In the weekly parsha, the drama of Yosef’s sale—the story of Yosef—comes to its conclusion. After Yosef stretches things to the limit, and he feels that he is in danger and all of Egypt is in danger, he reveals himself to his brothers. He says, “I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?” The question is asked: Why does he ask, “Is my father still alive?” They have been talking about their father the whole time. Yehudah’s entire argument is that he must take Binyamin home, because if he comes back without the lad, without Binyamin, his father will hear and die. They keep talking about their father. So why does Yosef ask them, “Is my father still alive?” There is another question we need to understand. On the verse “His brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed before him,” the Midrash says: Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah said, “Woe to a person on the day of judgment; woe to a person on the day of rebuke. If Yosef’s brothers could not withstand his rebuke, though Yosef was flesh and blood, what will a person answer when he stands before Hakadosh Boruch Hu, seated on the throne of judgment, on the day of judgment?” But where does it say that Yosef rebuked them? It says nothing about Yosef rebuking his brothers. On the contrary, he tells them, “Do not be distressed that you sold me here, for G-d sent me ahead of you to preserve life.” Where does it say that he rebuked them? The explanation lies in Yehudah’s argument. He comes to Yosef and says, “Listen, I took responsibility for Binyamin. I have to bring him back to my father, because if I don’t bring him back, my father will hear and die, and I will have sinned against my father for all time.” He has to bring him back. Yosef says to him, “Tell me: I am Yosef. When you sold me, did you also consider whether my father would hear

02:30 Speaker 1 and die?” After all, Yosef was the son of his old age, whom their father loved more than any of them. Did you consider that then, too? You did not consider it then, and he remained alive. So he will remain alive now as well. And his brothers could not answer him. They had no answer to that argument; his brothers could not answer him. There is something else, too. Yehudah tells Yosef, “His brother is dead, and he alone remains.” What does he mean, “His brother is dead”? Rashi explains that he lied out of fear. Yosef says to him, “I am Yosef. I am alive. Maybe you also—

03:23 Speaker 2 lied about Father.

03:23 Speaker 1 You lied about Father. What—‘Is my father still alive?’ Perhaps you are also lying about what happened to him, and Father is no longer alive?” Faced with this rebuke, his brothers could not answer him. That is the rebuke in what Yosef said to his brothers. Have a good Shabbos, and may we hear good news.

03:44 Speaker 2 Amen.