Comentario sobre Génesis 43:3

העד העד [THE MAN] DID SOLEMNLY PROTEST UNTO US — The Hebrew is an expression signifying warning and it is derived from the root עוד to bear witness, because a warning is, as a rule, given in the presence of witnesses. Other examples are (Jeremiah 11:7) “I earnestly forewarned (העדותי) your fathers”, and (Exodus 19:21) “Go, warn (העד) the people.

ויאמר אליו יהודה לאמור, Yehudah said to him, saying, etc. The word לאמור here seems to mean that Yehudah made a variety of suggestions to Jacob all of which were in the nature of a reply to Jacob's arguments against sending Benjamin to Egypt. The most important of these was the reference to the Egyptian ruler's warning that the brothers would not be able to see him (and buy grain) unless they had their younger brother with them. The Torah implies that the brothers did not resort to another reply, namely that they would take Benjamin with them regardless of whether Jacob approved or not. The word לאמור then means they waited for Jacob's word, i.e. permission.

העד העיד, when a caution is issued to people in the presence of witnesses, the caution is not called התראה, “warning,” but עדות, “testimony.”

“You will not see me without your brother with you.” Rashi is answering the question: In all of Scripture, בלתי means “rather.” So why is it not written בלתי כאשר אחיכם אתכם (rather, you will see me when your brother is with you)? Therefore Rashi says that here, בלתי means “without.” (Re’m) [Rashi is saying] that we should not think it means, “You will not see me; rather, your brother alone will see me.” Thus he explains that it means: “You will not see me without your brother with you.” (Maharshal)

עור .העד העיר: dauern, העיר machen, dass etwas dauere, daher Zeuge sein, d. i. etwas, das sonst dem Bewusstsein der Menschen entschwinden würde, im Geiste auffassen, festhalten, und zur entsprechenden Zeit aussagen, somit: dem Vergänglichen Dauer gewähren. Daher עד auch Denkmal. Das Geschäft der nichtjüdischen Zeugen besteht bloß in dieser Aussage nach geschehener Tat. Der jüdische Zeuge hat auch im Augenblick der Tat dem beginnenden Verbrecher das ihm entschwundene Gesetz zu vergegenwärtigen, welches wiederum ein Dauer-geben dem Entschwindenden ist, also: warnen. העיר ב־ also: a. wider jemanden zeugen nach der Tat, oder b. warnen vor der Tat. Dies letztere hier. Und zwar liegt darin, dass Josef ihnen dies gleich anfangs gesagt hatte, sie aber beim Fortgehen nochmals ernstlich erinnerte, dass sie es nicht wagen sollten, ohne Benjamin zu kommen.

“לא תראו מני בלתי אחיכם אתכם means YE SHALL NOT SEE ME IF YOUR BROTHER BE NOT WITH YOU — Onkelos renders it by אלהין כד אחוכון עמכון ,“except when your brother is with you” adding the word כד when, to which there is no corresponding word in the Hebrew text. He gave the explanation of the word (בלתי) correctly, but he was not particular to translate according to the exact expression used in the text.

Explained the thing so that it fits, but was not meticulous to translate it literally. I.e., Onkelos translates בלתי as “rather,” and he adds כד, which means “that.” This is non-literal, because [if Onkelos is translating literally,] the word כד is added to the verse — and that is a forced explanation.

Alternatively, one could read the words העד…לאמור together. It would mean that Joseph had not only warned them but had done so in the presence of witnesses in order to make his threat more potent. Yehudah may also have challenged Jacob to give him another answer if he had one. After all they also had to consider the very real danger to Shimon who was being held as a hostage in a spy case. How did Jacob suggest that the brothers clear themselves of the suspicion of being spies?

לא תראו פני "you will not see me." Yehudah thereby denied Jacob's claims that he had adequate proofs to convince any king or royal adviser that the brothers could not be considered spies, and that this would suffice to neutralise Joseph's accusation against them. Yehudah told his father that Joseph had made it plain that the brothers would not even be able to present their case unless Benjamin appeared at their side. How then could they buy grain if they could not even secure an audience with the ruler who was in charge of the grain sales? Yehudah repeated the words העד העיד to convince his father that Benjamin's presence in Egypt was the key to any success of their trip.