A Good Mind: On Genesis

Then Judah approached him, and he said: “O my lord, please let your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing, and do not let your anger burn against your servant; for you are even like Pharaoh.” (Genesis 44:18)

Then [Judah] approached him: At first, he was standing far from him, when he said, “What shall we say to my lord?” (Genesis 44:16). But when he saw that he [Joseph] was imposing judgment upon him, and that he [Joseph] said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the cup was found, he shall be my slave” (Genesis 44:17), then Judah said: “Now there is nothing for me to do but appease him, so that he will go beyond the letter of the law [and be merciful].” That is why he approached—to appease him. And such is the way of all those who seek mercy before a ruler—they approach him. [ . . . ]

Please let your servant speak: This is a polite request.

[Please let] your servant speak a word in my lord’s hearing: so that my words reach your ears.

And do not let your anger burn against your servant: when I take issue with you, for that is not the way those who fear God act, as it says: If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant when they complained against me (Job 31:13).

For you are even like Pharaoh: For you are the patriarch and ruler of the whole country, just as he is, and that is why I am afraid that you will be angry with me. R. Jeremiah ben Shemaiah said: [he is so tough that] if one were to put an iron plate in his mouth, it would come out as dust.

For you are even like Pharaoh: Just like Pharaoh decrees but does not uphold his decree, so, too, you decree and do not uphold your decree.

My lord asked his servants, saying, “Have you a father or a brother?” (Genesis 44:19)

My lord asked his servants, saying: in a harsh manner: “Have you a father or a brother?” Know that you plotted against us. Many nations have come here to buy food, and you didn’t ask one of them for their genealogy as you asked us. Were we asking for your daughter’s hand?! Even so, we did not hide anything from you.

And we said to my lord, “We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young; his brother is dead, and he alone is left of his mother’s children, and his father loves him.” (Genesis 44:20)

And we said to my lord, “We have a father, an old man, and a child of his old age, who is young”: Meaning, he is the last and youngest of the brothers.

His brother is dead: Could it be that a person like Judah would say something that he is not certain of? But since he was wandering far and was not there, he was considered dead, and this is like: I am forgotten like a dead man (Psalms 31:13).

He alone is left of his mother: This does not mean that his mother is alive, but rather that his mother has no son apart from him, and this is similar to She is the only one of her mother (Song of Songs 6:9).

And his father loves him: Since he reminds him of his mother’s ways.

Then you said [va-tomer] to your servants, “Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him.” (Genesis 44:21)

Then you said: Va-tomer is sometimes masculine, like this, and sometimes feminine, as in And Sarah said [va-tomer], God has made me laugh (Genesis 21:6). The only way to know is from the context.

Then you said to your servants, “Bring him down to me, that I may set my eyes on him”: meaning, you didn’t want to keep him here, but only to look at him.

And we said to my lord, “The lad cannot leave his father, for if he should leave his father, his father would die.” (Genesis 44:22)

And we said to my lord, “The lad cannot leave his father”—for he will miss him.

Leave: that is, if he leaves his father and dies, because he has not experienced the hardships of the road.

But you said to your servants, “If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you shall see my face no more.” (Genesis 44:23)

But you said to your servants: as a warning: If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you shall see no more [tosifun] my face. Tosifun is written with [an extra letter at the end,] a nun, to include [all of you]—not even one of you [shall see my face].

So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him the words of my lord. (Genesis 44:24)

So it was, when we went up to your servant my father, that we told him [et] the words of my lord: This follows its plain meaning. The word et comes to include Simeon’s imprisonment and the harsh words he spoke with them. We have already explained that “going up” refers to going up from Egypt to the land of Israel, and “going down” refers to going from the land of Israel to Egypt, because the land of Israel is elevated, and Egypt is a plain.

And our father said, “Go back and buy us a little food.” (Genesis 44:25)

And our father said, “Go back and buy us a little food”: meaning, you should know that from the outset we only came down here due to immense need.

But we said, “We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we go down; for we may not see the man’s face unless our youngest brother is with us.” (Genesis 44:26)

But it was said, “We cannot go down” there, because the man rules over the whole country. However, if our youngest brother is with us, then we go down [ve-yaradnu], that is, we will go down. The vav at the beginning of the word indicates that the word is in the future tense, and the same applies to every similar word.

For we may not see the man’s face unless our younger brother: meaning, if our younger brother is not with us. [ . . . ]

Our rabbis interpreted, then Judah approached him. R. Judah says he approached for the purposes of war, as it says: So Joab and the people who were with him approached for the battle (2 Samuel 10:13). R. Nehemiah says he approached to appease, as it says: Then the children of Judah approached Joshua (Joshua 14:6)—they approached him in order to appease him. The sages say that he approached to pray, as it says: And it came to pass, at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet approached (1 Kings 18:36). When Judah saw that Joseph intended to keep Benjamin with him, he said: “I am responsible for this, because I have made myself a surety for him on behalf of my father.” This is why R. Hanina bar Naḥman said: Always stick to three things and distance yourself from three things. Distance yourself from accepting deposits and from a woman who protests marriage,¹ and from serving as a trustee in transactions between a person and their friend. Stick to three: the removal of the shoe under Levirate law, the nullification of oaths, and bringing peace between a person and their friend. Another interpretation: and he approached is a term of peace, as it says: And when David approached the people, he greeted them for peace (1 Samuel 30:21). R. Yuda says [and he approached is a language of love, as it says: And he approached and kissed him (Genesis 27:27). R. Nehemiah says,] and he approached [va-yigash] is a language of sacrifice as it says: And the bull for the sin offering was brought near [va-yagesh] (Leviticus 8:14). R. Yosi said and he approached [va-yigash] is a language of reproach, as it says: And they [the inhabitants of Sodom] said, “Stand back [gesh hal’ah]” (Genesis 19:9). R. Natan says and he approached [va-yigash] is a language of touching as it says: Approach [geshah] please, that I may feel you, my son (Genesis 27:21).