And Yisrael said to Yosef, "Are your brothers not pasturing in Shechem? Come, and I will send you to them." And he said to him, "Here I am." So he said to him, "Go now and see to your brothers' welfare and the welfare of the flocks, and bring me back word." So he sent him from the valley of Chevron, and he came to Shechem. (37 13-14)
The difficulty here is: Why did Yaakov send Yosef to the brothers when he knew that they hated him, as it says in a previous Posuk, “So his brothers said to him, "Will you reign over us, or will you govern us?" And they continued further to hate him on account of his dreams and on account of his words.” And after this he still sends Yosef into danger?
On the other hand it is still difficult why Yosef agreed to go when there was a definite danger to his life, and this case it is considered Pikuach Nefesh, a danger to the soul and life, and in such a case of Pikuach Nefesh, one is not obligated to listen to his father, even when there is the Mitzvah of Kibud Av? And we cannot answer that Chazal say that oiwefip opi` devn igely xfrl` iax xn` Shiluch Mitzvah eino Nizokin, Those engaged in a mitzvah commandment are not harmed guards them". To which the gemarra answers that this is a case of clear and present danger, `wifid giky' and all guards are off. If so, Yosef could have rejected the command of his Father?
The answer may be: Yaakov Avinu and Yosef both merited to have Ruach Hakodesh, therefore when Yosef told over his dreams that he will eventually reign and govern over them. And the Torah states that the dream was repeated twice, this acknowledged that the dream is true. The same was by Pharaoh in Parshas Miketz, that he dreamed the dream twice, he knew it was real, and would happen soon.
We also see later in Parshas Miketz, when Yaakov was told that Yosef is alive and is a ruler of Egypt, he was enlightened and his Ruach Hakodesh returned. Hence, only after the brothers sold Yosef to Mitzrayim, did Yaakov lose the Power of Ruach Hakodesh.
Now we can say that Yaakov and Yosef both saw with Ruach Hakodesh that the Yidden would have to go into exile to Mitzrayim. Yosef saw with Ruach Hakodesh that his brothers would not harm him. The same was with Yaakov, who also saw with Ruach Hakodesh that the brothers would not harm Yosef. Therefore, Yaakov sent Yosef on the mission knowing that there would be no harm, and this would be the only way that Yosef ends in Mitrayim.
Yaakov also knew that after the sale of Yosef to Mitzrayim, he would lose his Ruach Hakodesh. But it was worthwhile for him because of his great love for Klal Yisrael, knowing that Yosef would be the breadwinner of the Yidden in the hunger years as well as before. The same was the case with Yosef. He was ready to go even in the face of danger, for the sake of the survival of the Klal Yisrael in times of famine.
Therefore Yosef uses the language i¦p«¥P ¦d Ÿ e −l x¤n` Ÿ ¬I©e "Here I am." Which according to Chazal the word i¦p«¥P ¦d refers to Mesiras Nefesh, ready for all consequences. All was done in sake of their great Ahavas Yisrael to sacrifice everything to help another Yid. (Yehuda Z. Klitnick)
