"Don't be afraid. You intended to harm me, but Hashem intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done—the saving of many lives. (50:20) Yosef consoles and assures his brothers when he understands they fear that he may take revenge after their father's death: Which we have to understand when in last weeks parsha, Yosef relates to the brothers a story of divine providence and redemption. It wasn't you, he tells his brothers; it was Hashem. You didn't realize that you were part of a larger plan. Yosef revealed himself to his brothers, fully aware that they will suffer shock and guilt! But Yosef told his brothers, It was not you who sent me here, but Hashem. He made me father to Pharaoh, lord of his entire household and ruler of all Egypt." And though it began badly, it has ended well. “So don't hold yourselves guilty." And do not be afraid of any desire for revenge on my part. There is no such desire. I realize that we were all being directed by a force greater than ourselves, greater than we can fully understand.
"I am your brother Yosef, the one you sold into Egypt! And now, do not be distressed and do not be angry with yourselves for selling me here, because it was to save lives that Hashem sent me ahead of you. For two years now, there has been famine in the land, and for the next five years, there will be no plowing and reaping. But Hashem sent me ahead of you to preserve for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives through a great deliverance. (45:4-7)"
The reason may be that the brothers felt that as long as Yaakov was alive there was the strong bond of Yaakov and Yosef, and Yosef sensed this and immediatlely showed them that he had no intentions of revenge. He was still their loyal brother. Yosef told them, “I am your brother,” Yosef." He promised he will not take revenge! This caused the brothers to become close with Yosef. They understood that Yosef was a great person, and they fully repented of their actions.
Hagaon Rav Shlomo Kluger says that Yosef revealed to his brothers that, in reality, he was able to reveal to Yaakov that he was alive. However, if he had told Yaakov that he was alive, the brothers would not have been humiliated by having Yosef make his shpiel by putting money in their suitcases and taking Binyamin as a slave. Of course, they would have had to come to Egypt for food and eventually find out that Yosef was alive and was the King of Egypt. However, their punishment for selling Yosef would have been very harsh and unbearable. Therefore, Yosef went with wisdom and had mercy on the brothers to have a less severe and bearable punishment.
Therefore, they were convinced that Yosef was a big Tzaddik, they went to Yaakov to tell him the good news: not only was Yosef alive in body, He was greatly elevated spiritually. Yaakov was so excited to hear this and said that he wanted to go as soon as possible to see Yosef.
This story has two powerful lessons for all future generations. First, there is a master plan from Hashem with precise instructions, not plain coincidence, on how something will end for the benefit of the person. This should cause a person to live in peace and tranquility. The second lesson is to never keep a grudge and to forgive. Yosef loved his brothers, even though they acted the way they did. Yosef lived with Hashem, who does everything for the benefit of the person. Everything ends up well! (Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
