[Avodah] Yosef/selling

[Doron Beckerman]

RHB asks:

>> 1. was joseph under the obligation to forgive his brothers (he was not
jewish (and or not one of the avos, so did he have to keep the torah at
all?)
2. did he and or should he have taken nekama upon them?
3. why did he (mistama] not take nekama on them?
for his father's sake?
for yiras shamayim? <<

The Abravanel talks about this. In his view:

1. "The 4th question: why did Yosef act like a stranger toward his brothers
and speak harshly? This would be a criminal sin since it would be taking
revenge and bearing a grudge like a snake. And if they had bad intent,
Hashem thought it for the best, so why take revenge after twenty years?"

2&3. Yosef had three options:

revenge - which he rejected due to a) fear of other people from Canaan
recognizing him, perhaps the brothers themselves, and he would be humiliated
if other people found out how his brothers mistreated him from anyone
besides himself. b) His father. c) It's wrong.

reconciliation, send them off and support them in Canaan - and risk
accusation of dual loyalty in sending his family Egyptian riches. If there
would be a war...

bring them to Egypt and support them there. But test them first to see if
they regretted it and changed their ways and would treat him properly in
Egypt.

Any suffering he did impose on them was only precise measure for measure due
to their intent to harm him. It was for their own benefit to provide
atonement, not vengeance.
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