Musar para sa Genesis 42:11

And similarly one must fulfill the mitzvah of “and do good” in speech and in action. In speech, [one should] say good and proper things to make people happy: for example, by sharing good news, giving good advice, and removing obstacles from another person’s path, [i.e.] by informing him if one becomes aware that any harm may befall him in any way, and comforting him in his time of distress, and many other similar things. And in action, one should perform acts of kindness, both physically and financially. Just as one would want others to act for him, and to have mercy upon him, and inconvenience themselves to have mercy on him, likewise he should act in order to perform acts of kindness and fulfill the mitzvah of loving your neighbor as yourself. “Happy is the man who does this and the son of man who lays hold on it” (Isaiah 56:2). “According to the pain is the reward” (Avot), for according to the pain one gives satisfaction to his creator. And just as a father has compassion on his children and “a brother is born for adversity” (Proverbs 17:17) [see Rashi there for what this means], so too each person should help his fellow, for “we are all one man’s sons” (Genesis 42:11); we are brothers. And just as one cares for one of his limbs, so to one must care for every person of Israel, for all of us are like one person; like one body.

The brothers had described themselves as כלנו בני איש אחד, "We are all the sons of one man" (42, 11). The word אחד, which is not really necessary, is the reference to Joseph. It is significant that the brothers did not say 13 ,42) ,אנחנו) for "we are," but only נחנו. The letter א is missing in the word "we." Later on, however, they acknowledged the significance of Joseph as also being a substitute for the "one" represented by their father Jacob, when they described themselves as שנים עשר עבדיך אחים אנחנו בני איש אחד. In elaborating on the word אחד later on in the same verse, the brothers refer to Joseph as האחד איננו, the "disappearance of the one." Rashi already comments that the brothers explained the fact they had dispersed throughout the country, -an uncharacteristic behaviour if indeed they were brothers,- was all because of the "one" whom they tried to locate. Rashi also says that the inclusion of the "one" in their statement :"we are all (including you) the sons of one man," was said with "Holy Spirit," though they were not aware of it at the time.

We also need to understand Joseph's accusing the brothers of being spies. The brothers's denial: "Your servants have not been spies" (42, 11), phrased in the past tense, is also peculiar. They should have said: "We are not spies."