It states (45:28) אלכה חי בני יוסף עוד רב ישראל ויאמר אמות בטרם ואראנו , "Yisrael said, "...My son Yosef is alive. I will go and see him before I die."
The statement is unusual. Yaakov could have simply said, "I will go and see him." The Chofetz Chaim zt'l explains that Yaakov was saying that he can see Yosef in this world, but he won't be able to see Yosef in Olam HaBa because Yosef passed very difficult tests, so he reached very high levels. He was sold to Mitzrayim, the only Yid among so many goyim. He was tested with aishes Potiphar and with twelve years in jail, and so on. A person's position in Gan Eden will be according to the tests he passed through in this world. Yaakov said, "I want to see him before I die because I won't be able to see Yosef in the next world. He will be on a level that is far greater than the one I am on."
The Chofetz Chaim said this vort on Motzei Yom Kippur to young men who came to his beis medresh to daven. It was during the First World War, and these young men would be drafted into the army. The Chofetz Chaim told them, "I am glad I can see you on Yom Kippur because in the next world, I won't be able to see you. Because of the tests you will go through, you will reach very high levels and be in an exalted place in Gan Eden."
Beis Avraham said that the most precious stones, those that will be placed in the king's crown, are taken out of the lowest places in the earth. This indicates that from difficult tests, we create stones that will go into Hashem's crown. The greatest levels are accomplished from difficult tests.
Before Yaakov went down to Mitzrayim, Hashem appeared to Yaakov in a vision at night, and he called to Yaakov, saying his name twice, as it states (46:2) לישראל אלקים ויאמר .הנני ויאמר יעקב יעקב ויאמר הלילה במראת Rashi writes, חבה לשון, that the double expression יעקב יעקב demonstrates love. One can ask, the name יעקב represents Yaakov when he was on a lower level and the name ישראל is used when he was at a higher level. Wouldn't it make more sense to express the חבה לשון, the expression of love, when the name Yisrael is used?
But the answer is, as we explained, the greatest love from Hashem comes from the difficult tests that He puts us in and that we struggle with.
We will explain this with a mashal: A soldier saved the king's life. This occurred during a war, when there was a moment when the king was alone, and this soldier courageously saved the king's life. The soldier was wounded in the battle; his shirt was covered with blood, but he survived, and he saved the king's life.
The king rewarded him with a shirt made of gold. The blood-stained shirt was placed in the king's treasury. When the king saw the soldier with the gold shirt, he remembered what he had done for him, filling his heart with gratitude. But when the king went to the treasury and saw the shirt stained with blood, his gratitude was so much greater, and his love for the soldier increased.
This is why Hashem's love for Yaakov is specifically expressed with the name Yaakov rather than Yisrael. It is from the struggles in avodas Hashem that Hashem's love is strongest towards us.
It states (45:3) אבי העוד יוסף אני אחיו אל יוסף ויאמר ...מפניו נבהלו כי אתו לענות אחיו יכלו ולא ,חי , "Yosef said to his brothers, 'I am Yosef. Is my father still
