IS MY FATHER STILL ALIVE?
Immediately after revealing his true identity to his brothers, Joseph asks “Is my father still alive?”
His question is puzzling. He had just heard from Judah that his father, Jacob, was alive and well, and that Benjamin’s incarceration would devastate him. And this was hardly the first time Joseph had discussed his father’s wellbeing. Why did he ask about something to which he already knew the answer?
Rabbi Dunner delves into the unique relationship between Joseph and Jacob, and how it continued to impact both of them during the twenty-two years they spent apart. It was this incredible bond that prompted Joseph’s question, and it is this question that reveals the extent and importance of this relationship with regards to the outcome of Joseph’s years away from his family.
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