The story of Joseph testing his brothers is important. Did his brothers repent for what hey had done to him? He does this by testing them under similar circumstances. This is how you will know if someone really made repentance.
Joseph and the Test of the Brothers
This week’s parashah presents one of the most fundamental narratives in the Torah. Joseph rises to the heights of power in Egypt, overseeing the nation during the seven years of plenty followed by the seven years of famine. Joseph is placed fully in charge of Egypt’s survival.
It is crucial to recognize what is really happening beneath the surface: the entire Book of Genesis is setting the stage for the Book of Exodus. Everything that unfolds here leads directly to the descent into Egypt and, ultimately, to redemption.
A worldwide famine strikes, and Joseph’s brothers come to Egypt seeking food. Joseph recognizes them immediately, but they do not recognize him. When Joseph was sold into slavery, he was only seventeen years old. Now, many years later, he stands as a powerful, mature man—the second-in-command to Pharaoh himself.
Joseph now faces a profound moral and spiritual question: Have his brothers changed? Would they do to Benjamin what they once did to him? Have they done teshuvah—true repentance?
To answer this, Joseph puts them to the test. He accuses them of being spies and demands proof of their story. If they truly have another brother back in Canaan, he tells them, they must bring him to Egypt. As was common in the ancient world, Joseph detains one brother—Shimon—as a hostage until they return with Benjamin.
The brothers return home and attempt to convince Jacob to allow Benjamin to go with them. Jacob is devastated. In his mind, Joseph was killed by a wild animal, and he cannot bear the thought of losing Benjamin as well. Perhaps, deep down, he even suspects that Joseph’s disappearance was not entirely accidental.
Reuven tries first to persuade Jacob, offering that if Benjamin is harmed, Jacob may kill Reuven’s sons. Jacob rejects this outright: “My grandsons? Am I to kill my own grandchildren?” Beyond that, Reuven consistently fails to rise to true leadership. Though he is the firstborn, he repeatedly demonstrates poor judgment.
It is Yehudah—Judah—who finally convinces Jacob. Judah offers himself as a guarantor. Jacob recognizes in Judah a natural leader, a man who takes responsibility and stands by his word. The episode of Tamar has already revealed Judah’s moral growth and integrity. Because of this, Jacob trusts him.
Now the stage is set for the final confrontation. The brothers return to Egypt with Benjamin, standing before the viceroy of Egypt—whom they believe to be a foreign ruler, not knowing he is their brother Joseph.
The central question remains: Will they repeat the sin of the past, or have they truly changed?
The answer to that question will determine not only the fate of Joseph’s family, but the future of the Jewish people.
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