When Yosef's brothers come to their father Yaakov with news that Yosef is still alive, we read, 'And they told him all of the words that Yosef said to them, and he saw the wagons which Yosef sent to transport him, and Yaakov's spirit was revived.' (Bereshis 45:27) Rashi thereupon invokes the interpretation of Medrash Rabbah and the Tanchuma: By sending wagons ('agalos' in Hebrew), Yosef provided a sign for Yaakov to verify his identity, for the last Torah topic learned together by Yaakov and Yosef before Yosef's sale as a slave was the mitzvah of the Eglah Arufah (Axed Calf); the similarity of the word 'agalos' and 'eglah' (they share the same root) was thus a sign to Yaakov.

What is the deeper meaning of this homiletic interpretation? Furthermore, why was a sign needed? It is hard to believe that Yaakov would not believe his sons' report that Yosef was discovered to be alive, especially since Hashem Himself confirmed the fact to Yaakov a few pesukim later (46:2).

It would seem that by sending his father a reminder of the last section of Torah they learned together, Yosef was transmitting a critical message - that he did not assimilate into Egyptian society and abandon his heritage and identity as a Torah Jew. Yosef was informing his father that he was the same Yosef who received and carried Yaakov's Mesorah (Torah tradition); he did not change. The ba'al (bearer of the) Mesorah whom Yaakov proudly raised was yet alive. (See Rashi on 37:3)

It is for this reason that only after Yaakov saw the agalos, realizing that the Torah personality which Yosef embodied had endured and remained strong, do we read, 'and Yaakov's spirit was revived.'
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Once his family from Cana'an arrived in Mitzrayim, Yosef arranged for his brothers to appear before Pharaoh and instructed them to beseech Pharaoh for dwelling space in Goshen. (46:33-34) Why did Yosef do this? Yosef had already promised his brothers that he would settle them in Goshen and provide for them fully (45:10-11), and Pharaoh himself also previously committed to Yosef that Bnei Yisroel would be totally provided for with the best of Egypt (ibid. v. 20). Why, then, did Yosef arrange for his brothers to meet Pharaoh and beseech him for provision which was already planned?

Yosef knew that his family's descent to Mitzrayim was temporary (50:24) and that it would have to retain its Jewish identity, practices and beliefs in order to merit eventual redemption, just as Yosef himself had been doing during his experience in Mitzrayim. It was imperative that Bnei Yisroel not feel too comfortable or confident with their presence in Mitzrayim, lest they assimilate and lose their identity and Mesorah. Thus, in order to impress upon his family the delicate and tenuous existence they would have in Mitzrayim and in order to instill a lack of self-comfort and confidence with their presence there, Yosef advised the brothers to appeal to Pharaoh to grant them residence in Goshen, such that they would feel self-conscious of their position and not take their privileges for granted, becoming too comfortable and at ease with living in Mitzrayim.
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'And Pharaoh asked Yaakov: How old are you? And Yaakov replied to Pharaoh: I have lived in this world for 130 years; the years of my life were few and bad; they did not match up to those of my forefathers.' (47:8-9) Why did Yaakov not merely answer Pharaoh's question? Why did he add negative comments about his life and contrast it with the lives of his ancestors?

Like Yosef, Yaakov knew that his descendants would eventually become slaves in Mitzrayim. (See Rashi from Medrash Rabbah on Shmos 3:18.) Yaakov sought to do his best to lessen the future subjugation of Bnei Yisroel there. As such, Yaakov sent Pharaoh a sublime message geared to protect the Jews from harsh decrees of Pharaoh in the time to come. Yaakov related to Pharaoh that despite his (Yaakov's) great and highly-successful ancestry, he was afflicted throughout his life and experienced the most horrific of events, such that his life was one of struggle and suffering, in contrast to the lives of Avrohom and Yitzchak. Yaakov intimated to Pharaoh that he (Pharaoh) also should not become confident in himself based on his regal status and royal lineage and therefore flex his muscles to exert force on his subjects (as very self-confident monarchs are wont to do), as no one knows Hashem's plans. Yaakov sought to humble Pharaoh in order to prevent him from affirming his might against Bnei Yisroel in the time to come.