My father is converting all of our childhood videos to DVD format to preserve them. I remember that there was one scene where my father recorded my little brother making funny faces. In the background, at the other end of the room, I was bullying my other little brother. It was funny to see the video so many years later. I couldn't deny it. I was caught on tape doing what many older brothers do to their younger siblings, bully them.

Many siblings fight amongst themselves and try to get back at and outdo the other. Yosef’s older brothers bullied him because he was Ya’akov’s favorite child. Therefore, one could understand why Yosef would try to get back at his brothers, except that Yosef is called Yosef Hatzaddik. You can't say that Yosef was trying to "get back" at his brothers out of sibling rivalry. A tzaddik would not act in such a trivial manor. Then why did Yosef act this way to his brothers in this week's parsha?

The brothers went down to Egypt and bowed before Yosef. In return, Yosef spoke to them with harsh words. The brothers did not recognize Yosef when they down to Egypt, but Yosef recognized them. Rashi says that this is because Yosef was young the last time the brothers saw him, and that he had since grown a beard that changed his appearance. The following pasuk says that "Yosef remembered the dream he dreamt and called them spies" (Gen 42:9).

Ramban writes that at this moment all of the brothers bowed down to Yosef because he was the ruler. This did not fulfill any of Yosef’s dreams because only ten brothers were there. In order for the first dream to be fulfilled, all of the brothers needed to be present. Therefore Yosef accused them of being spies, and forced them to bring Binyamin to Egypt to fulfill his dream (ibid).

Why is Yosef so concerned about the dreams? Why doesn't he tell his father that he is alive and well? Ramban answers that it was not Yosef's intention to cause extra anguish to his father by not informing him that he was alive or by jailing Shimon. "Everything in its proper time" (Ecc 3:11). Yosef knew that the dreams would be fulfilled and acted in a way that would cause the dreams to be realized.

Why is it so important that the dreams become fulfilled? Sforno writes that there was a hidden message in Yosef’s first dream. The pasuk says, "Behold my sheaf straightened up and also stood (v'gam nitzavah), and behold your sheaves surrounded mine and bowed to it" (Gen 37:4). What does it mean, "V'gam nitzavah?" It is an extra phrase. Sfrono says that it is a reference to the future when everyone will stand together, as the pasuk says, "The children of Yehuda and Yisrael gathered together and his name will be on them" (Hoshea 2:2). Maybe in the past we fought, but in the future there will be peace among us. Yosef wanted his brothers to recognize this hidden theme in his dream and that is why he made sure to fulfill it.

Shabbat Shalom