(טו) וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֲחֵֽי־יוֹסֵף֙ כִּי־מֵ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ ל֥וּ יִשְׂטְמֵ֖נוּ יוֹסֵ֑ף וְהָשֵׁ֤ב יָשִׁיב֙ לָ֔נוּ אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּמַ֖לְנוּ אֹתֽוֹ׃ (טז) וַיְצַוּ֕וּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר אָבִ֣יךָ צִוָּ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹת֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃ (יז) כֹּֽה־תֹאמְר֣וּ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף אָ֣נָּ֡א שָׂ֣א נָ֠א פֶּ֣שַׁע אַחֶ֤יךָ וְחַטָּאתָם֙ כִּי־רָעָ֣ה גְמָל֔וּךָ וְעַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א נָ֔א לְפֶ֥שַׁע עַבְדֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ יוֹסֵ֖ף בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם אֵלָֽיו׃
(15) When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph still bears a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrong that we did him!” (16) So they sent this message to Joseph, “Before his death your father left this instruction: (17) So shall you say to Joseph, ‘Forgive, I urge you, the offense and guilt of your brothers who treated you so harshly.’ Therefore, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father’s [house].” And Joseph was in tears as they spoke to him.
וְאָמַר רַבִּי אִילְעָא מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: מוּתָּר לוֹ לָאָדָם לְשַׁנּוֹת בִּדְבַר הַשָּׁלוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״אָבִיךְ צִוָּה וְגוֹ׳ כֹּה תֹאמְרוּ לְיוֹסֵף אָנָּא שָׂא נָא וְגוֹ׳״.
And Rabbi Ile’a further said in the name of Rabbi Elazar, son of Rabbi Shimon: It is permitted for a person to depart from the truth in a matter that will bring peace, as it is stated: “Your father commanded before he died, saying: So you shall say to Joseph: Please pardon your brothers’ crime, etc.” (Genesis 50:16–17). Jacob never issued this command, but his sons falsely attributed this statement to him in order to preserve peace between them and Joseph.
(ב)אביך צוה. שִׁנּוּ בַדָּבָר מִפְּנֵי הַשָּׁלוֹם, כִּי לֹא צִוָּה יַעֲקֹב כֵּן, שֶׁלֹּא נֶחֱשַׁד יוֹסֵף בְּעֵינָיו (בראשית רבה, יבמות ס"ה):
(2) אביך צוה THY FATHER DID COMMAND — They altered the facts (they stated something that was false) for the sake of peace, for Jacob had given them no such command because Joseph was not suspect in his sight (Yevamot 65b)).
(א) אביך צוה לפני מותו. הוא תמוה שהרי יוסף לא זזה ידו מאביו בשעת מותו. ואיך צוה והוא לא ידע. ונראה שהשכילו להבינו אשר במה שאמר בברכת יוסף ויפזו זרועי ידיו ששבח אותו שלא ירה חצים וקשת להממררים לו בזה צוה להגיד כי כן מבוקשו:
(1) it is surprising because that Yosef did not move his hand from his father at the time of his death. How is it possible that he (Yaacov) commanded this and he (Yosef) did not know.
(טז) וּפַקִידוּ שִׁבְטַיָא יַת בִּלְהָה אַמְתָא דְרָחֵל לְמֵימָר אָבוּךְ פַּקֵיד קֳדָם עַד לָא יִתְכְּנֵישׁ לְמֵימָר:
(16) ...And they instructed the tribe of Bilhah the handmaid of Rahel to say, Thy father before he was gathered commanded, saying:
(טז) וּפַקִידוּ יַת בִּלְהָה לְמֵימַר לְיוֹסֵף אָבוּךְ פַּקֵיד קֳדָם מוֹתֵיהּ לְמֵימָר לָךְ
(16) And they instructed Bilhah to say to Joseph, Thy father commanded before his death to speak to thee,
(א)ואת מי צוו את בני בלהה כו'. דאין לומר שהיה אחד שאינו מן האחים דאז בודאי לא יאמין בדבר כי היה יודע יוסף שלא יחשדו אותו אביו על זה אבל עכשיו ששלחו לו אחד מן האחים ויעמוד כנגדו ויאמר אותי צוה לילך בשליחות זה לא יוכל יוסף לומר שאינו אמת. דאין סברא שהיו מגלים סוד זה וחרפתם לנכרי שמכרו אחיהם ויותר היה ראוי להם לדבר עמו בעצמם. [גור אריה]:
(1)Who was it that they charged [to be messengers]? The sons of Bilhah... [Rashi knows this] because the messenger could not have been an individual who was not their brother. For then Yoseif surely would not believe him, as Yoseif knew that his father did not suspect him of this. But now that they sent one of the brothers to him, to stand in front of him and say, “Father charged me with this message,” Yoseif could not deny its truth. [Another reason the messenger could not have been an individual who was not their brother:] It is not logical that they would divulge to a stranger that they sold their brother. This was a secret and was to their disgrace. It would be more fitting to speak to him themselves. (Gur Aryeh)
(ב)לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ צִוָּה. צִוָּה שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לְיוֹסֵף "אָבִיךָ צִוָּה לָנוּ" שֶׁנֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ מֵאֵלִינוּ, לֹא מִצִּדּוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁד אוֹתְךָ כְּלָל, אֲבָל שֶׁאִם יִירְאוּ אַחֶיךָ נֹאמַר אֵלֶיךָ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים.
(2) לאמר אביך צוה, he commanded that we should say what we have to say as something that originated with us and not with him, as he did not think for a moment that you might want to avenge yourselves on us. However, he consented that if we were worried, we could take the initiative and express our concerns to you.
(ג)לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ. בְּאוֹתוֹ הַפֶּרֶק צִוָּה, וְלֹא הָיָה לָנוּ פְּנַאי לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אָז.
(3) לפני מותו, so closely before his death that we could not speak to you about this at that time.