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Why didn't Yosef tell Yaakov he was alive during his years in Egypt? The Ramban (רמב"ן) holds that Yosef's dreams weren't merely predictions but divine directives he had to actively fulfill. His mission was to develop Yehuda's leadership through trials, and revealing himself prematurely would have thwarted this divine plan.
This shiur delves into one of the most challenging questions in Parshas Vayigash: why didn't Yosef inform his father Yaakov that he was alive during all the years he was in Egypt, especially after becoming viceroy? The Gemara (גמרא) and commentators struggle with this seeming lack of sensitivity to his father's prolonged anguish, particularly given their close relationship. The shiur begins by examining the halachic principle that grief naturally diminishes after twelve months for the deceased, but this consolation doesn't apply to missing persons - which explains why Yaakov couldn't be comforted. The Aruch HaShulchan suggests that Yosef remained silent due to fear of his brothers, who might have killed him to prevent their father from discovering their crime, even after he gained power in Egypt.
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Parshas Vayigash
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