Commento su Genesi 50:19

כי התחת אלהים אני FOR AM I INSTEAD OF GOD — Am I perhaps (do you think that I am) in His stead? The ה of התחת expresses a question. Even if I wished to do you harm would I at all be able to do so? For did you not all design evil against me, and you did not succeed because the Holy One, blessed be He, designed it for good. How, then, can I alone, without God’s consent, do evil to you.

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.

התחת אלוקים, “if in lieu of G’d?” Some commentators understand Joseph as remonstrating with his brothers who had prostrated themselves before him as if he were G’d, something most inappropriate, especially when they said: “here we are ready to be your slaves.” [Jews are G’d’ servants, not men’s. Ed.]

אל תיראו כי התחת אלוקים אני, “do not fear! For am I instead of G’d?” He meant that the reason they did not have to be afraid of him was that he himself was a G’d-fearing man. He implied, as explained by Onkelos who uses the word דחלא — “real fear”, that even if he were bent on retaliation this would only backfire as G’d would punish him in turn. The letter ה at the beginning of the word התחת must not be understood as introducing a question but as part of Joseph conception of “fear of the Lord.” If one “fears” the Lord it is because one knows that He returns tit for tat. We have other examples where such letters ה which at first glance appear to introduce a question do not in fact do so. Compare Samuel I 2,27 הנגלה נגליתי אל בית אביך. The translation of these words is clearly not: “did I appear in the house of your father?” Rather these words need to be translated as: “I revealed Myself to your father’s house.” Joseph repeated the words “do not be afraid,” in both verse 19 and 21. The first “fear” he spoke of was the brothers’ fear of him; the second fear he spoke of was the fear of the famine which had started again. This is why he added immediately, (concerning their second fear) “I will provide for you.” (Compare my comments on Genesis 47,14).

Gott mag die Gesinnung, die Absicht richten. Ich, als Mensch, habe ja nur an den Erfolg zu denken, und da bin ich vielmehr euch zu größtem Dank ber- pflichtet.

?כי התחת אלהים אני, the word תחת here must be understood as in Deuteronomy, 1,21: אל תחת, “do not be afraid!” When Joseph realised the fear of the brothers that he would now take revenge on them he was broken hearted, telling them that he was far too G–d fearing, to act in such a manner.