Commentaire sur La Genèse 45:1

ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים AND JOSEPH COULD NOT REFRAIN HIMSELF BEFORE ALL THEM THAT STOOD — He could not bear that the Egyptians should stand by him witnessing how his brothers would be put to shame when he made himself known to them.

THEN JOSEPH COULD NOT ‘L’HITHAPEIK’ (REFRAIN HIMSELF) BEFORE ALL THEM THAT STOOD BY HIM. He could not bear that the Egyptians should stand by him witnessing how his brothers would be put to shame when he makes himself known to them. This is the language of Rashi. But Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that l’hithapeik means “to bear.” The expression Before all them that stood by him, means until all that stood by him would go out, and so it was necessary that he call out that they be removed. Onkelos, however, translated l’hithapeik as meaning “to strengthen himself.” Similarly: ‘Va’ethapak” (And I forced myself) and offered the burnt-offering.³³I Samuel 13:12. Every other form of hithapkuth in every place is likewise an expression of strengthening.
The correct interpretation in my opinion is that there were present many people of Pharaoh’s house and other Egyptians, pleading with Joseph to pardon Benjamin, for their compassions were deeply stirred by Judah’s pleas, and Joseph could not overcome them all. He then called forth to his servants, “Let every strange man go out from me, because I will speak to them.” And when they had gone out, he wept aloud; and the Egyptians heard, and the people of the house of Pharaoh,³⁴Verse 2 here. who had been expelled from his presence, for they were still in the outer court.
It is possible that the expression, ‘hanitzavim’ (them that stood) by him, means his servants who stood before him, just as: The servant ‘hanitzav’ (that was set) over the reapers;³⁵Ruth 3:6. ‘sarei hanitzavim’ (chief officers);³⁶I Kings 5:30. ‘L’hithyatzeiv’ (To present themselves) before the Eternal.³⁷Job 1:6. And the meaning of Vayikra (and he called) is that he raised his voice with anger and said to his servants, “Cause every man to go out from before me, except these men.” And the reason for the removal is that he expelled them from there so that they should not hear when he mentions the matter of the sale to his brothers because it would be a source of distress to them and also to himself, for the servants of Pharaoh and the Egyptians will say of them: “These are treacheous people who must not live in our land, nor tread in our palaces. They have acted treacherously against their brother, and also dealt treacherously with their father. What will they do to the king and his people?” They would also no longer believe in Joseph.

ולא יכול יוסף להתאפק, up until now Joseph had practiced restraint in every one of his actions and words to the brothers. As we know from 43,31 “he restrained himself and ordered the meal to be served.”

להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו, he did not have the patience at this stage to deal with the private concerns of all the people who were awaiting to receive an audience and were already lining up in that house.

ולא יכול יוסף להתאפק, Joseph could no longer contain himself, etc. He could not wait until all those present would leave of their own accord, but he called out loudly that everyone other than the brothers be removed from his presence immediately. The Torah adds the words ולא עמד איש אתו, that no one remained with him, to underline the speed with which his servants left his presence.

ולא יכול, the repeated references by Yehudah to the mental anguish experienced by his aged father proved too much for Joseph to maintain his composure. It kindled his sense of compassion also towards his brothers so that he could not restrain himself from weeping. In order not to make a public spectacle of himself in front of people whom it did not directly concern, he ordered הוציאו כל איש מעלי, “remove everybody from my presence! The ones present not only left themselves but mad sure that no one entered until invited. Joseph had said after all, כל איש, “everybody!”

ולא יכול יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים, “and Joseph could no longer restrain himself in the presence of all the courtiers around him.” According to Rashi what bothered Joseph was that all the Egyptians would become privy to matters which were private between him and his brothers. He did not want to shame his brothers publicly when he would reveal himself to them, and unavoidably their part in his having been brought to Egypt in the first place would come to light. Nachmanides makes the point that whenever the expression התאפקות occurs it denotes the strength of character of the person so described. The people surrounding Joseph had been so moved by Yehudah’s words that they appealed to Joseph to respond by releasing him. The pressure became so great that even steadfast Joseph could no longer withstand it. He therefore ordered everybody out of the hall in order to continue the dialogue with the brothers (Yehudah) in private. A soon as the Egyptians who had been present left the hall, Joseph broke out in tears, and weeping, something which the Egyptians now outside could not help overhearing. The meaning of the word ויקרא in our verse is not a simple ”reading” or instruction, without the subject raising his voice especially, but Joseph raised his voice angrily in ordering all the Egyptians surrounding him out into the courtyard.

He could not bear that the Egyptians standing by him... The verse means that Yoseif could not bear his brothers’ humiliation in front of all the people, so he said the people must leave. [Rashi knows this] because otherwise, why did he have them leave?

Bisher hatte er, der großen Menschenmasse willen, die zum Einkauf um ihn standen, an sich halten können. Es ging nicht länger.

לכל הנצבים עליו, in the presence of all those surrounding him; he now could no longer restrain his emotions. He called to all his personal servants even to leave the building. This is the plain meaning of the text.

בהתודע יוסף, when Joseph revealed himself. The letter ב before התודע means "on account of" (his revealing himself). In order for the brothers to accept Joseph's claim that he was their brother, the matter of his sale had to be aired. Joseph wanted to spare his brothers the embarassment of becoming known as people who had sold their brother, hence he had to clear everyone out of the room. When the Torah mentions immediately afterwards that Joseph wept loudly when he revealed himself and all of Egypt heard about it, this is a clear indication that Joseph was not concerned that he could be overheard. He was only concerned that his brothers' part in all this should not be overheard.

(3) HE CRIED OUT. To his servants.

(4) HAVE ALL WITHDRAW. My attendants from the house. This is the basic plain meaning.