It's a simple question that I thought about this past week (since the parashah was Mekeitz). Is there any evidence that Jacob could have figured out what happened to Joseph before they reunited in Egypt? I recall a commentary in which Isaac indeed knew what happened, but I don't remember who it was.
Could Jacob have figured out what happened to Joseph before they reunited in Egypt?
Answer
Ramban (Genesis 45:27) writes that according to the peshat, it does not appear that Yaakov ever found out what happened to Yosef:
יראה לי על דרך הפשט שלא הוגד ליעקב כל ימיו כי אחיו מכרו את יוסף, אבל חשב כי היה תועה בשדה והמוצאים אותו לקחוהו ומכרו אותו אל מצרים
He bases himself off Genesis (50:15-7) which states that after Yaakov's death the brothers feared Yosef's anger (apparently fearing that he wouldn't do anything to them while Yaakov was still alive), so they sent a message to them claiming that Yaakov wanted him to forgive them. If they actually ever told Yaakov what they did, it would have made sense for them to convince Yaakov himself to beg Yosef not to harm them. That we never find this, indicates that Yaakov never found out.
He is in turn quoted by Rabbenu Bahya there.
Presumably Ramban makes a point of describing this as the peshat, since he is aware of Midrashim that ostensibly contradict this. For example, Rashi (49:6) suggests that Yaakov's criticism of Shimon and Levi refers to their treatment of Yosef.
Similarly, the Genesis Rabba (ed. Albeck: Parashat Vayechi: 97) states that Yaakov praised Yehuda for saving Yosef from the brothers (particularly Shimon and Levi):
יהודה אתה יודוך אחיך, מה תל' לו' אתה יודוך אחיך, אלא כך אמ' לו יעקב, יהודה בני גלוי וידוע לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא שהצלתה את יוסף מן המיתה, שאילמלי אתה היו הורגין אותו שמעון ולוי
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