Joseph understood unifying his family for G-d’s greater purpose was ‘the game plan.’ Getting there was not simply a matter of revealing himself however. He needed to promote a collective act of teshuvah from his brothers – something that would bring them together in the ‘right way,’ to fulfill the plan of G-d. This is the process of ‘synergy.’
Of course this involved a little bit of ‘deception,’ on Joseph’s part, including hiding who he was, allowing the brothers to think he needed an interpreter and that he received his intimate knowledge of them through ‘divination.’
Note the unity that begins to be formed by way of this:
· They did not complain when Benjamin was given more (Genesis 43:34)
· They did not accuse each other of stealing the cup (Genesis 44:9)
· They stuck together and did not abandon Benjamin (Genesis 44:13)
· They humbled themselves together (Genesis 44:14)
· They realized their circumstances were connected to what they all did to Joseph (Genesis 44:16)
· They offered themselves as slaves to Egypt, not abandoning Benjamin (Genesis 44:16)
· They were concerned as to how this might affect their father (Genesis 44:29-31)
Once he got them to understand how everything that had occurred was part of G-d’s plan, they came to better realize each of their particular roles in their ‘mission,’ which is later revealed to Jacob:
“… for I will there make of thee a great nation.” Genesis 46:3
