פרשת ויחי תשכ"ו - מות יעקב

ויעל עמו; Joseph took with him, as well as chariots riders, etc.; a similar construction as in Genesis 8,20 where the Torah reported that Noach ויעל עולות, offered burnt offerings, i.e, the word ויעל is in the transitive mode hiphil.

And Joseph went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Pharaoh, the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt,

And there went up with him both chariots and horsemen; and it was a very great company.

And Joseph said unto them: ‘Fear not; for am I in the place of God?

And Joseph said unto them: ‘Fear not; for am I in the place of God?

התחת אלוקים אני, while it is true that I am a judge, a surrogate of His, charged with the task of carrying out His decrees, and I could punish anyone who was empowered by Him to carry out His decrees. This is analogous to the principle that one court must not annul the rulings of a previous court on the same subject.” (Eduyot 1:5) It is true that you had been charged by G’d to carry out His decrees, but you did not send me here deliberately but G’d. (Genesis 48:8)

כי התחת אלוקים אני, "Am I then in G'd's place?" Joseph meant: "if you are guilty it is up to G'd to punish you; it is not up to me to revenge myself or to hold a grudge against you." Joseph may not have told the brothers that he had forgiven them because under Noachide law the matter did not depend on his forgiveness at all. Under Noachide law, once a person has committed the sin of kidnapping or robbery, he is guilty of the death penalty. The fact that the victim forgave the criminal is irrelevant to the penalty. Joseph added that he had to interpret the brothers' actions in a manner which reflected credit upon them.