Recognition

Recognition

בראשית מב, ח: וַיַכֵּר יוֹסֵּף אֶת־אֶחָיו וְהֵּם לֹא הִכִרֻהו :
Why didn’t the brothers recognize Yosef, yet he recognized them?

• Yevamos 88a, cited by Rashi: When Yosef left, the older brothers had full beards, but Yosef (only 17) did not have a beard.
• Ramban: 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.
• Chagigah 16a: There are three things that cause a person’s eyesight to dim if one looks at them. One of them is looking at a Nasi (prince). Thus, the brothers refrained from looking directly at the Egyptian leader and thus, failed to recognize him.
• Rashbam: Yosef spoke Egyptian to a translator and thus the brothers (not knowing the language) were unable to recognize the speaker as Yosef.
• Baal HaTurim: The same 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? Because Iyov's friends knew the identity of the person they were visiting, but Yosef's brothers did not.
• Ohr HaChaim haKodesh: The verse tells us that it is quite surprising that in spite of Yosef'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.
• Sifsei Tzadik: Yosef looked like Yaacov, so it is surprising that the brothers did not recognize him. However, Yaacov was 84 years old when the brothers were born. Yosef was now only 39 years old and his current features resembled Yaacov at that age.
• Peirush HaTur haAruch: Yosef was introduced to the brothers under his Egyptian name Zaphenath-Paneach.
• Me’am Lo’ez: When the brothers sold Yosef as a slave they did not recognize him as a brother. As much as he cried and pleased, they had no pity on him. Perhaps most people in Yosef’s position of power might have exacted revenge. However, Yosef “recognized” his brothers and did not think of revenge.
• Alshich: Yosef began to feel deep affection and pity for his brothers. An angel spoke in his mind denouncing the brothers. “On them you’re having mercy! What king of mercy did then have for you? They threw you into a pit full of snakes and scorpions, and sold you for a slave.” The angel continued in this manner so that Yosef would become angry at them and kill them. However, Yosef did not.
• Gaon Rabbi Eliyahu of Vilna: Not just in his generation but in every generation, Moshiach ben Yosef recognizes his brothers and they do not recognize him. It is an act of Satan which conceals Moshiach ben Yosef’s attributes, such that the Jews unfortunately do not recognize his footsteps and in fact scoff at them, “If not for this, our troubles would already be over.” If Israel recognized Yosef, Moshiach ben Yosef’s footsteps comprising the ingathering of the exiles, etc., we would already be completely redeemed. The Vilna Gaon warns that the source of Israel’s troubles at the end of days stems from our not recognizing Moshiach ben Yosef.