OU TORAH Miketz: Does Yosef Have a Plan? By Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Does Yosef have a plan? He was certainly planning [a way out of jail] when he interpreted the dream of the “sar ha’Mashkim” (see 40:13-15). He was definitely planning [his own ‘political appointment’] when he interpreted Pharaoh’s dreams (see 41:33-36!). Clearly, Yosef was not only a dreamer; he was also a ‘master planner’. But what was his plan when he: accused his brothers of being spies, returned their money, and hid his cup in Binyamin’s bag, etc.? Was he simply ‘teasing’ his brothers – in revenge; or did he have a more altruistic motive? As the Torah never reveals that motive, answering this question requires a lot of detective work. In the following shiur, we attempt to piece this puzzle together by weaving together some of the theories presented by earlier commentators (then adding a little touch of our own).