Prayers are requested for Rabbi Hoffman, Yehosha ben Yonina, who is facing a serious medical situation now, בתוך שאר חולי ישראל, among the ill of the nation. Please keep him in mind (he managed to transmit a brief, but substantive, Torah message for distribution nevertheless, due to his great dedication to this weekly tradition, despite his weakened state)

No Clue

by Rabbi Joshua (Cluelessly known as the Hoffer) Hoffman

In Parashas Mikeitz there are a number of things that are difficult to understand. How is it that the brothers stood before Yosef in the face of so much evidence that it was their long lost brother, and yet failed to recognize his identify? Did the fact that Yosef grew a beard really serve to disguise him, as Rashi says? Rav Yechezkel Levenstein, as cited by Rav Yitzchok Isbee, explains that G-d purposely confounded the wisdom of the (other)wise brothers so that they should not realize that it was Yosef in front of them.

This is similar to what the Gemara says in regard to Rav Yochanan Ben Zakai during the period of the destruction of the second Bais Hamikdash, when he asked for Yavneh and its academy, instead of the city of Yerushalayim. That was the Divine plan for Jewish History at that time, and, so too, it was in regards to Yosef and his brothers.

This approach is in line with the teaching of Rav Yitzchak Arama in his Akeidas Yitzchok in which he says that the principle of free will does not apply to events that are crucial for the foundation of the Jewish People. In such cases, G-d makes sure that the events unfold as they should. This idea was articulated by Yosef when he told his brothers “you meant it for bad, but G-d meant it for good.”