Until Yosef actually revealed his identity, the brothers did not realize that the viceroy with whom they were interacting all the while was their own brother Yosef. Rav Elya Baruch Finkel (M’Shulchan Rebbe Eliyahu Baruch, Mikeitz, 42:28) notes that it’s quite surprising that the brothers didn’t realize that it was Yosef all along. In fact, Rav Finkel lists a grand total of 12 signs/hints that should have led the brothers to realize that the viceroy of Mitzrayim with whom they were interacting was actually Yosef!

Presented below are nine of them:

1. Although the 10 brothers divided up and entered Mitzrayim through 10 separate gates and were careful not to stand together in any one place, they were arrested and immediately brought to the viceroy (see Bereishit Rabbah 91:6). Since when are people who are suspected of spies brought immediately to the viceroy instead of first brought to a lower level of authority to undergo investigation, especially since there was barely any evidence or basis for this accusation? Why didn’t this lead the brothers to suspect something?
2. The viceroy tells them that two of them destroyed the city of Shechem and also that they sold their brother to Arabs (ibid.). Afterwards, Yosef relates the conversations that they had privately held among themselves in their childhood. He even described to them thetype of wood the cradles that they had slept in as infants were made of (see ibid. 91:11 with Etz Yosef’s commentary).
3. The viceroy tells them, “I fear God.” Is it not strange for a viceroy (especially of a place like Mitzrayim) to speak in such a manner? Furthermore, Rashi notes that Yosef would speak in a way that “The Name of Heaven was fluent in his mouth.” Meaning, Yosef would constantly mention Hashem when talking. So commonplace was this of Yosef that even his servants would speak in such a manner (for example, see 43:23); Since when do such people speak in such a fashion?
4. Although under arrest for being spies, the viceroy allowed the brothers to return to their homeland to bring food to their families. Since when is a viceroy so concerned for the lives of the families of “spies” that he frees such dangerous prisoners who face charges of being spies?! Not only that, but he even gave these “spies” an abundance of food!
5. After three days of imprisonment, the viceroy released them and let all of the brothers leave except for Shimon, whom he again imprisoned. Yet, once the brothers leave, he immediately takes Shimon out of prison, and as the midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 91:8) relates, Yosef gave him “food, giving him to drink, washing him, and anointing him” [and as a matter of fact, Shimon was fed so well that he even gained considerable weight! (See ibid 92:4 with Etz Yosef’s commentary). At least Shimon should have had a heavy suspicion! And when the other brothers heard from Shimon how he was treated, why didn’t they suspect something as well?
6. When the brothers returned to Mitzrayim, this time with Binyamin, the viceroy inquired about their welfare and asked them, “Is your aged father of whom you spoke at peace? Is he still alive?” Now, why would a viceroy of Mitzrayim be so interested in the welfare of the father of these “spies”?
7. When the viceroy organized a banquet, he demonstrated to them that he knew their ages and also that he knew which of them were of different mothers. Yosef said to them: “Reuven, Shimon, Levi, Yehudah, Yissachar, and Zevulun—sons of one mother, recline [at the table] in this order.” Yosef did this with all the other brothers as well. Once he reached Binyamin, he said, “This one has no mother, and I have no mother. Let him sit next to me” (Rashi to 43:33). Now, although the brothers were indeed astonished by this, they still did not realize that this viceroy was Yosef!
8. In Mitzrayim it was known that the viceroy was a Jew. So why didn’t the brothers consider the possibility that this was Yosef?
9. Yosef’s facial appearance resembled that of Yaakov’s (Bereishit Rabbah 84:8)! And even though Yosef didn’t have a full beard back then when he left them (see Ibid 91:7), their father Yaakov had a full beard; so how did the brothers not see the similarity between them?

In our parsha, Yosef finally reveals his identity, exclaiming, “I am Yosef; is my father still alive?!” The brothers reaction is described as, “His brothers could not answer him because they were left disconcerted before him.” From this episode, the midrash (Ibid., 93:10) teaches: “Woe to us from the day of judgement, woe to us from the day of rebuke … the brothers could not withstand his (Yosef’s) rebuke … When the Holy one, blessed is He, will come and rebuke each and everyone according to what he is … how much more so [will we not be able to withstand His rebuke].”

What was Yosef’s rebuke and what will be Hashem’s rebuke? Rav Nosson Wachtfogel seems to explain as follows (based on my limited understanding of his comments): Yosef was rebuking them for their inability to recognize his identity the whole time. “I am Yosef!” How did you not recognize that it was I, Yosef?! The reason the brothers failed in perceiving this was because they harbored hatred and jealousy of him and therefore did not feel that sense of brotherhood towards him. That was Yosef’s rebuke. (And based on Rav Finkel’s insights above, the depth of Yosef’s rebuke can be amplified, considering the many signs and hints that should have led them to suspect, consider and ultimately conclude that it was Yosef). Similarly, when in the future Hashem will exclaim “I am Hashem!” the rebuke will be, “Why didn’t you recognize Me throughout the galut?!” For everything that occurs during the galut, even though it may appear to be clothed in various happenings and events, nevertheless, you were able to see that all of it truly stemmed from Hashem, and nothing that occurred from “nature” or people, or “the natural runnings of the world,” etc. (See Noam HaMussar, Vayigash).

Based on all the above, it can be suggested that much as the brothers received so many signs—some which may have been quite overt—that pointed to Yosef’s true identity, so too we go through life perhaps experiencing a myriad of signs—some quite obvious—that although may be “clothed” in other things, nevertheless show Hashem’s Providence and His intervention in our lives. And perhaps the rebuke will consist of how one did not (truly) recognize Hashem’s “Hand” in all those times, and that those happenings stemmed from Hashem, but instead thought that those events occurred due to people’s abilities, nature, etc. We can perhaps learn from here to strive to see the many signs that point to Hashem’s Providence and guiding “Hand” within our personal lives and the world at large, and believe that all of those signs ultimately stem from Hashem.

Binyamin is a graduate of Yeshivas Rabbeinu Yitzchak Elchanan, and Wurzweiler School of Social Work.