Appointing Officers
בראשית מא,לד: יַעֲשֶׂה פַרְ עֹה וְיַפְקֵד פְקִדִים
The Baal HaTurim writes that the words וְיַפְקֵד פְקִדִ ים also in Megilas Esther. The Pasuk writes (in connection with the gathering of all the girls) "Va'yafkeid ha'Melech pekidim". Achashverosh appointed officers to gather all the virgins. That is why he became poor, in keeping with the Pasuk in Mishlei "Do not give your strength (incorporating wealth) to women!'. The Pasuk writes at the end of Megilas Esther "And the King Achashverosh levied a tax" to counter the poverty that had struck him (אָח שֶרָש woe that he has become poor). Yosef, on the other hand, appointed officers to gather all the corn. That is why he collected all the money and became wealthy.
Recognition
בראשית מב ,ח: וַיַכֵר יוֹסֵף אֶׂת־אֶׂחָיו וְהֵם לֹא הִכִרֻהוּ:
The Baal haTurim observes the word is used in connection with Iyov (2:12) "me'rochok ve' lo hikiruhu (from afar they could not recognize him)", only the former is missing a 'Yud', whereas the latter is not. Just as Iyov's friends could not recognize him because he had changed so drastically on account of his suffering, so too, could Yosef's brothers not recognize him because of his change from a slave to a great prince.
The difference between them was that, when Iyov's friends came closer, they recognized him, whereas Yosef's brothers did not. Why is that? Because Iyov's friends knew the identity of the person they were visiting, but Yosef's brothers did not.
The Ohr Hachaim Hakodosh writes that the verse tells us that it is quite surprising that in spite of Yoseif's recognizing his brothers and there is the nature of "k'mayim haponim l'fonim" (Mishlei 27:19), which should have brought about a reciprocal recognition, nevertheless, this did not happen. The reason they did not recognize him is because of his exalted position and royal bearing. The possibility that the brother they sold into slavery being raised to such a position was far from their minds.
In his Peirush HaTur haAruch, the Baal HaTurim provides four additional reasons why the brothers did not recognize Yosef.
- When Yosef left, the older brothers had full beards, but Yosef (only 17) did not (Yavamos 88a, cited by Rashi)
- Yosef was sure the brothers would come to Egypt for grain due to the famine, but it never entered the minds of the brothers that Yosef would rise to such prominence (Ramban).
- Yosef was introduced to the brothers under his Egyptian name Zaphenath-Paneach.
- Yosef spoke Egyptian to a translator and thus the brothers (not knowing the language) were unable to recognize the speaker as Yosef (Rashbam).
The Ohr Hachaim haKodesh
