“Joseph said to them: Fear not, for am I in place of God? You intended me harm; God intended it for good, in order to engender as it is today, to keep many people alive. And now, fear not; I will sustain you, and your children. He comforted them, and spoke to their heart” (Genesis 50:19–21).
“Joseph said to them…You intended me harm…And now, fear not…and spoke to their heart” – is there any person who speaks to the heart? It is, rather, words that comfort the heart. He said to them: ‘You were likened to the dust of the earth. Just like the dust of the earth; can anyone eliminate the dust of the earth?
You were likened to the beasts of the field; can anyone eliminate the beasts of the field? You were likened to the stars; can anyone eliminate the stars? Ten stars sought to eliminate one star and were unable to overcome it. Can I change the natural order of the world [and eliminate] twelve tribes?
For they correspond to the twelve hours of the day and correspond to the twelve constellations in the firmament.’ Rabbi Simlai said: [Joseph said to them:] ‘You are the body and I am the head – “it will come upon the head of Joseph” (Deuteronomy 33:16). If the body is taken, what good is the head? Moreover, before you descended to here, they would call me a slave.
After you descended to here, I informed them of my distinguished lineage. If this is so, would I kill you? Could that be? If I were to kill you, they would say: This one cannot be trusted.
He did not keep faith with his brothers; with whom will he keep faith? [Or] they would say: They were not his brothers, but a group of lads whom he saw and called his brothers. Know that this is so, for ultimately he concocted a pretext and killed them.’ [Joseph] said: ‘Shall I become an antagonist to my father; my father begets and I bury? Shall I become an antagonist to the Holy One blessed be He; the Holy One blessed be He blesses and I diminish?’
That is what is written: “He comforted them.” The matters may be inferred a fortiori: If Joseph, who spoke gentle words to the heart of the tribes, was able to comfort them so, when the Holy One blessed be He will come to comfort Jerusalem, all the more so. That is what is written: “Comfort, comfort My people…” (Isaiah 40:1).