Yosef, the second-most powerful person in Egypt, the greatest superpower in the world, reveals his true identity to his brothers: “And now (V’ATA), do not be sad, nor be upset in your eyes, that you sold me here; because it was in order to save lives that G-d sent me ahead of you. For these two years of the famine in the midst of the land, and for five years more there will be no plowing or harvest. And G-d sent me ahead of you, to give you survival in the land, and to keep you alive for a great deliverance. “And now (V’ATA), it was not you who sent me here, but G-d. He has appointed me as a father (L’AV) to Pharaoh, and as a master (UL’ADON) for his entire household, and a ruler (U’MOSHEL) of all Egypt. Hurry, and go up to my father, and say to him, ‘Thus says your son Yosef: G-d has made me as a master (L’ADON) for all Egypt. Come down to me. Do not delay. And you will settle in the land of Goshen, and you will be close to me, you and your children and your grandchildren, and your flock and your cattle and all that is yours. And I will provide for you there, since there are five more years of famine, lest you will become destitute (PEN TIVARESH), you and your household and all that is yours’” (Bereshit 45:5-11).

Yosef’s repetition of And now (V’ATA), in addition to underscoring the urgency of his message, seems to divide it into two different parts. And yet, Yosef repeats himself. Why?

Moreover, why does Yosef ask his father to come down to Egypt? It can’t be easy, both practically and emotionally-spiritually, for Yaakov and his entire family, with all their possessions, to uproot and relocate to Egypt. Surely, Yosef must know this. So, why doesn’t Yosef offer to send  food and other provisions to Canaan? Now that the truth is out, Yosef should have no difficulty visiting his aged father. Can it be that Yosef is “too busy”? Or worse, that he has severed his ties with his homeland?

Of course, we know that with Yosef’s offer begins the unfolding of events leading to the exile, enslavement and ultimate redemption in Egypt. Hashem’s Will, the fulfillment of the Covenant Between the Pieces, is about to be realized.

However, Yosef is acting according to his own grasp of the situation. His father and his family will not survive the rest of the famine without his help. Still, why does he urge them to come down to Egypt, instead of sending help to Canaan? What are his motivations? In Haamek Davar’s (R. Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, the Netziv, 1817-1893) analysis, Yosef’s speech is divided in two, both parts introduced with the words And now (V’ATA): the first part is appeasement, the second are instructions. The Netziv argues that neither Yosef nor his family realize at this point that this is the beginning of exile. Yosef expects the family to remain in Egypt only for the five remaining years of the famine. “And now (V’ATA), it is not you who sent me here, but G-d. He has appointed me as a father (L’AV) to Pharaoh, and as a master (UL’ADON) for his entire household, and a ruler (U’MOSHEL) of all Egypt. Yosef means to say: If you insist that I send what you need to Canaan, you must realize that I am not your emissary, but G-d’s. Even if you had had the foresight to send me ahead, I might have been able to prepare an economic base for the family, but I would never have achieved what I have in Egypt. Only Hashem could have done this. Clearly, it has been decreed by Heaven that you go to Goshen, a place I am now in a position to select and clear of inhabitants, so that you can maintain the isolated lifestyle you require, and still stay close to me.

Sforno (R. Ovadia ben Yaakov Sforno, c. 1470- c.1550) gives a simple, practical answer: Yosef could indeed have sent food for his family, but they must nevertheless come to Egypt “lest you will become destitute (PEN TIVARESH) due to the lack of pasture-land for the flock, as it says afterwards, For there is no pasture-land for the flock (47:4).” Indeed, Ramban (loc. cit.) considers this argument, but questions: After all, the famine is as severe in Egypt as it is in Canaan (and maybe more so); the pasture land must have been affected there, too. He suggests that the poor Canaanites have started to eat the grass, leaving nothing for the animals. In Egypt however, where food has been stored for the people, the animals will be able to graze in the few areas left, around the rivers and ponds.

For his own part, Ramban’s answer to our question displays astute political insight. Yosef says, “I cannot send much food from the royal storehouses to you in the land of Canaan, because they will suspect me of selling it there in order to accumulate treasures of money there for myself [they will suspect him of building up off-shore accounts!], and then to return to my land and my birthplace. But when you come here, and they will know that you are my father and brothers, the king will grant me permission.” Abravanel (Don Yitzchak Abravanel, 1437-1508) adds linguistic support for Ramban. He notes that the prefix L’ (as) means “similar to, but not actually,” as in: And he [Moshe] became to her [Pharaoh’s daughter] as a son (Shemot 2:10) And she [Naomi] became to him [Oved] as a nurse (Rut 4:16).

Yosef admits that  he is only as a father (L’AV), like a father, but not an actual father, and as a master (UL’ADON), but not an actual master, in Egypt.

Yosef may be vizier of Egypt, but his hands are still tied. For all his power, Yosef’s possibilities are limited. Only Hashem is All-powerful.