Commentary for Genesis 45:22

לאיש, to each of them separately, individually.

לכלם נתן לאיש חליפות שמלות, “he gave each one of them a change of clothes.” This was in replacement for his having been the cause of their rending their garments.

ולבנימין נתן שלש מאות כסף, “and he gave Binyamin three hundred pieces of silver.” The number 300 is related to the indebtedness of the brothers. When ten brothers sold a slave they each have to pay 30 shekel ransom. This is the value of the life of a slave who has been killed [gored by an ox or otherwise] and the compensation payable by the killer according to Exodus 21,31. When a Jewish master sells his slave to a Gentile he may be required to pay punitive compensation of up to ten times the value of the slave, i.e. three hundred shekel silver (Gittin 44).

לכלם נתן לאיש “to all of them he gave,” i.e. to each: the letter ל preceding the word: איש is vocalised with the vowel patach.” [Not so in all our editions. Ed.]

ולבנימין נתן שלוש מאות כסף, “and to Binyamin he gave 300 pieces of silver;” seeing that the penalty for someone who sells his slave to a gentile outside the land of Israel is subject to a fine of up to 10 times the value of the slave in question, Binyamin was entitled to be 300 pieces of silver better off than his brothers, seeing that an average slave is worth 30 pieces of silver. Although Joseph assessed his brothers a penalty of 300 pieces of silver each, all of which should have gone to Binyamin, he gave Binyamin only 300 pieces of silver.

חמש חליפות שמלות, “five changes of clothing.” He hinted to him that eventually Mordechai would be descended from him who would be distinguished with five garments as mentioned in Esther 8,15.

חליפות שמלות, “changes of clothes;” shirts, pants, the undergarments people change frequently. In other words: garments that are worn directly on the skin. Alternate explanation: outer garments. The reason why Joseph gave them these garments as presents was that he had been the cause that made them tear up their clothing when they found out that the goblet had been found in Binyamin’s bag. They had been deeply embarrassed to be walking around in torn garments. ולבנימין, “and to Binyamin;” seeing that he had not participated in his sale, he gave him three hundred silver pieces. As a result of this each of the other ten brothers had been treated as worth a slave, (according to the Torah, 30 pieces of silver. Compare Talmud Gittin 44, where it is stated that if someone sells his slave to a gentile he is penalised ten times his value.) Three hundred silver pieces are ten times the value of an ablebodied slave.

וחמש חליפות שמלות, “and five changes of clothes.” (new outfits). One outfit matching what he had given to the other brothers. The other four were gifts (as opposed to compensation), one outfit each from himself, his two sons and his wife.

וחמש חליפות שמלות, “and five sets of garments.” One on account of the garments that he had caused him to tear, the second one because he was his full brother, son of his mother. The third set as compensation for having made him, appear like a thief. The last two sets as the penalty a thief has to pay, i.e. twice the value of the goods he has stolen. An alternate explanation: The gift Binyamin received was worth five times as much as that given to his brothers.