וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו אֵת כָּל דִּבְרֵי יוֹסֵף יֵרָאֶה לִי עַל דֶּרֶךְ הַפְּשָׁט שֶׁלֹּא הֻגַּד לְיַעֲקֹב כָּל יָמָיו כִּי אֶחָיו מָכְרוּ אֶת יוֹסֵף, אֲבָל חָשַׁב כִּי הָיָה תּוֹעֶה בַּשָּׂדֶה וְהַמּוֹצְאִים אוֹתוֹ לְקָחוּהוּ וּמָכְרוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל מִצְרָיִם, כִּי אֶחָיו לֹא רָצוּ לְהַגִּיד לוֹ חַטָּאתָם, אַף כִּי יָרְאוּ לְנַפְשָׁם פֶּן יִקְצֹף וִיקַלְּלֵם כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה בִּרְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי (להלן מט ג-ז), וְיוֹסֵף בְּמוּסָרוֹ הַטּוֹב לֹא רָצָה לְהַגִּיד לוֹ. וּלְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר "וַיְצַוּוּ אֶל יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ צִוָּה לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר" וְגוֹ', וְאִלּוּ יָדַע יַעֲקֹב בָּעִנְיָן הַזֶּה הָיָה רָאוּי לָהֶם שֶׁיְּחַלּוּ פְּנֵי אֲבִיהֶם בְּמוֹתוֹ לְצַוּוֹת אֶת יוֹסֵף מִפִּיו, כִּי יִשָּׂא פָּנָיו וְלֹא יַמְרֶה אֶת דְּבָרוֹ, וְלֹא הָיוּ בְּסַכָּנָה וְלֹא יִצְטָרְכוּ לִבְדּוֹת מִלִּבָּם דְּבָרִים: AND THEY TOLD HIM ALL THE WORDS OF JOSEPH. It is my opinion, in line with the plain meaning of Scripture, that it was never told to Jacob throughout his entire lifetime that the brothers had sold Joseph. Rather he thought that Joseph had strayed in the field, and those who found him took him and sold him into Egypt. The brothers did not want to tell him of their sin, being afraid for their lives lest he be wroth and curse them as he did to Reuben, Simeon and Levi,72Further, 49: 3-7. while Joseph in his good ethical conduct did not want to tell him. It is for this reason that it is said, And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying: Thy father did command before he died, etc.73Ibid., 50:16. And had Jacob known of this matter, it would have been proper for them to plead before their father at the time of his death to command Joseph by word of his mouth, for he would have granted his father’s request and not rebelled against his word, and they would not have been in danger, nor would they need to feign words out of their own hearts.74See Nehemiah 6:8.