45:5 “ועתה אל תעצבו ואל יחר בעיניכם כי מכרתם אתי הנה, כי למחיה שלחני אלקים לפניכם” “And now, be not distressed, nor reproach yourselves for having sold me here, for it was to be a provider that Hashem sent me ahead of you.” Yosef just revealed himself to his brothers - the Yosef they had sold as a slave, was now a ruler in Mitzrayim. Perhaps the brothers feared that Yosef would exact revenge upon them for their evil act against him.
Yosef tells them not to worry, nor should they reprimand themselves, for it was all for the good, all the master plan of the Ribbono Shel Olam. How could Yosef tell his brothers not to fear their previous actions for it all turned out for the good? We do not believe the end justifies the means. The fact that Yosef saw that it all worked out does not demonstrate that their previous actions were righteous or appropriate. The brothers seemed to have done something which was improper, and it worked out. One would think that they still needed to do teshuva for their actions.
Yosef told his brothers that he knew that they had complete regret for selling him. However, it is often the way of one who regrets something to have a hakpadah on others, by blaming the other person for his own actions. Teshuva must be with love and happiness, not sadness and hakpadah.
- RABBI YAKOV YOSEF SCHECHTER
Therefore, Yosef uses a lashon of “ועתה” which is a lashon of teshuva (Bereishis Rabbah 21:6), saying to the brothers that if they want to do a proper ieshuva and achieve a kaparah, “אל תעצבו” – it should not be done through sadness, but rather through love and happiness. (דביר המוצנע)
45:5 “ועתה אל תעצבו” – Yosef was telling his brothers that “now” they should not worry, however in the future there will be something to worry about. The selling of Yosef was the cause of the asarah harugei malchus (ספר שער בת רבים).
The way of the Yetzer Hara is to get one to be sad for his past sins. When one cannot get past his previous sins, he cannot grow in ruchniyos. The brothers had done a proper teshuva. While the teshuva helped for their rebellion against the ratzon Hashem, they still caused a kilkul, damage, to come about, that which was irreparable – the asarah harugei malchus, and Klal Yisroel going into four exiles. Yosef was telling the brothers an important fundamental concept in Yiddishkeit. They did a proper teshuva and had to forge ahead in their Avodas Hashem. Keep your eye on the ball, and move forward from the past.
Even when there are great repercussions for one’s previous actions, it is incumbent upon every Yid not to dwell on what cannot be repaired. Rather, one must focus on the proper path of avodas Hashem, and toil in what he can accomplish. May we be zoche to perform proper teshuva on our sins, and grow in ruchniyos with joy and love for the Ribbono Shel Olam.
