"And his father wept for him" (Genesis 37:35). This is Isaac. Rabbi Levi said: He would weep in Jacob's presence, but when he left him, he would go and bathe in the bathhouse and eat and drink. And why did he not reveal it to him? He said: The Holy One, blessed be He, does not reveal it to him, and shall I reveal it to him? Rabbi Simon says: He wept on account of all who mourned with him [he mourned along with Jacob out of empathy]. "And the Medanites sold him into Egypt" (Genesis 37:36). How many sales are written concerning him! Rabbi Yudan said: His brothers sold him to the Ishmaelites, and the Ishmaelites to the merchants, and the merchants to the Medanites, and the Medanites to the Egyptians. Rav Nachman says: Five Midianites sold him to the public treasury of the province; Potiphar came and took him from the public treasury of the province.
Isaac Weeps in Secret and Joseph Passes Through Many Hands
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 143:3
וַיֵּבְךְּ אֹתוֹ אָבִיו. זֶה יִצְחָק רַבִּי לֵוִי אָמַר אֶצְלוֹ הָיָה בּוֹכֶה, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהָיָה יוֹצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ הָיָה הוֹלֵךְ וְרוֹחֵץ בַּמֶּרְחָץ וְאוֹכֵל וְשׁוֹתֶה. וְלָמָּה לֹא גִּלָּה לוֹ, אָמַר, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵינוֹ מְגַלֶּה לוֹ וַאֲנִי מְגַלֶּה לוֹ רַבִּי סִימוֹן אוֹמֵר עַל שֵׁם כָּל הַמִּתְאַבְּלִים עָלָיו מִתְאַבְּלִים עִמּוֹ. (בראשית לז לו) וְהַמְּדָנִים מָכְרוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל מִצְרָיִם. כַּמָּה אֻנִּיּוֹת נִכְתָּבוֹת עָלָיו, רַבִּי יוּדָן אָמַר מְכָרוּהוּ אֶחָיו לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים וְיִשְׁמְעֵאלִים לְסוֹחֲרִים וְסוֹחֲרִים לַמְּדָנִים, וּמְדָנִים לַמִּצְרִים רַב נַחְמָן אוֹמֵר, חֲמִשָּׁה מִדְיָנִים מָכְרוּ אוֹתוֹ לְדִמּוּסְיָא שֶׁל מְדִינָה, בָּא פּוֹטִיפַר וּנְטָלוֹ מִדִּמוּסְיָא שֶׁל מְדִינָה.