השלום אביכם זה יעקב הזקן אשר אמרתם זה יצחק
And he asked them of their welfare, and said, “Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive?”
Bereishis Rabbah 92:5.
Sefaria · Bereishis Rabbah 92:5
הֲשָׁלוֹם אֲבִיכֶם הַזָּקֵן... הַעוֹדֶנּוּ חָי. יוֹסֵף שׁוֹאֵל עַל אָבִיו מִתּוֹךְ כְּמִיהָה גְּדוֹלָה.
English: Bereishis Rabbah 92:5 interprets the questions about the father and “the old man” as referring to Yaakov and Yitzchak respectively.
On the daf / in context: The midrash hears in the repeated question the intensity of Yosef’s yearning for news of Yaakov, still concealed behind the mask of the Egyptian ruler.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: Even while maintaining the test, Yosef cannot refrain from seeking assurance that his father still lives; the personal need breaks through the official role.