My Father: Joseph Does it Again

Routinely, almost, Joseph seemed to plant seeds of discord between himself and his brother. From dreams, to flaunting his special garment, to twiddling his hair and admiring his own looks, and spreading gossip about them, Joseph unwittingly piqued their jealousy in a way that caused them to plot to kill him. 

But, when Joseph has finally come full circle, and instead of putting himself at the center places God there - "Only God can solve Pharaoh's dreams" - Joseph still seems to bear a little bit of his initial pretentiousness, using the refrain, "my father," instead of "our father," when speaking to his brothers. 

One could argue, very simply, based on what has been argued these past few weeks, that Joseph didn't want to sugarcoat the special relationship his father had with him, or his preference for Rachel, or special love for Benjamin.

In other words he wanted to help prime his brothers and ease their realization that the same way his father held him more dearly in his heart, due to his love for Rachel, likewise the relationhip was reciprocal and felt by Joseph as well. And indeed, thereafter, the verses themselves attest to Jacob's words, when Jacob comes down to Egypt, only Rachel is referred to as his wife, Leah referred to strictly as Leah, and thereafter, when Jacob instructs his children to bury him among his fathers, he says that Abraham was buried with his "wife, Sarah," and Isaac with his "wife, Rebecca," but then upon instructing them he says, bury me - not with my "wife" Leah, but simply Leah - there, he tells them, I buried Leah. 

Very often when we accept the truth the way it is it helps us deal with it and grapple with it and humble ourselves by preparing accordingly.