וַיִּֽירְא֣וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֗ים כִּ֣י הֽוּבְאוּ֮ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵף֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ עַל־דְּבַ֤ר הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ הַשָּׁ֤ב בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מֽוּבָאִ֑ים לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤ל עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּלְהִתְנַפֵּ֣ל עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְלָקַ֧חַת אֹתָ֛נוּ לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵֽינוּ׃
Y aquellos hombres tuvieron temor, cuando fueron metidos en casa de José, y decían: Por el dinero que fué vuelto en nuestros costales la primera vez nos han metido aquí, para revolver contra nosotros, y dar sobre nosotros, y tomarnos por siervos á nosotros, y á nuestros asnos.
Aggadat Bereshit
[3] Another interpretation: "The LORD appeared to him [Abraham] in the plains of Mamre." (Genesis 18:1) And you shall know that Hashem, your God, is God, etc. (Deuteronomy 7:9). What did He see fit to reveal to him in the plains of Mamre? It was to let him know that His name, the Holy One, blessed be He, is not lacking in rewarding any creature. He had three friends, Anar, Eshkol, and Mamre. And when Hashem said to Abraham, "With yourself," He took counsel from them. Anar said, "He is a blemished man; will You do for him?" "With a human being, who is fashioned by Your own hands, You do not keep faith," Eshkol said, "and with him You will keep faith?" So He left them and went to Mamre, who said to Him, "Even You, do You not know that he is a castrated man, and You want to do for him?" "His relatives will be kings who will arise from those whom he killed," he said to Him, "and they will castrate him, and You will not be able to escape from them." He left him and went to Mamre, who said to Him, "My Lord, let me advise You to circumcise yourself." He said to him, "Even now, you are standing and bewildered, and they have not made you into small pieces?" "The forty-eight pieces of the limbs that were over You in the furnace," He replied, "You saved from the fire. And You are standing and finding it difficult to give one limb to Me!" He said to Him, "You gave him good advice that he should be circumcised. I swear that I will appear to him within your domain," as it is said, "And Hashem appeared to him in the plains of Mamre." (Genesis 18:1) And from where did He take counsel to circumcise? As it is said, "And they, the men, were afraid because they came to the house of Joseph, etc., and they said, 'We came on account of the money that was returned in our sacks at the beginning, etc.'" (Genesis 43:18-19) "And he lifted his eyes and saw, and behold, three men were standing over him. The angels said, "God, until when will you honor him, until when will you stand and he sits?" The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to them, "It is not enough that I see three righteous men who will come from him, for the entire world falls and worships the image, and they stand like a palm tree and do not bow down, as it is stated, "Your stature is like a palm tree" (Song of Songs 7:8). "Therefore, behold, three men, etc." God said to him, "You prostrated yourself to my angels, but kings will one day prostrate themselves to your descendants, as it is said, 'And kings shall be thy nursing fathers, and their queens thy nursing mothers: they shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth' (Isaiah 49:23)."
Bereshit Rabbah
“The men took that gift, and they took in their hand double the silver, and Benjamin, and they arose, and they went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph” (Genesis 43:15).
“Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one in charge of his house: Bring the men to the house and slaughter and prepare, as the men shall dine with me at noon” (Genesis 43:16).
“The men took…Joseph saw…with them…and prepare [vehakhen]” – prepare is for nothing other than Shabbat, just as it says: “It will be on the sixth day, they shall prepare…” (Exodus 16:5). This is to say that Joseph observed the Shabbat before it was given.
“The man did as Joseph said, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house” (Genesis 43:17).
“The men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph's house; they said: We have been brought on the matter of the silver that was restored before to our sacks, to falsely accuse us, and attack us, and take us as slaves, and our donkeys” (Genesis 43:18).
“They approached the man in charge of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house” (Genesis 43:19).
“The man did…The men were afraid…They approached the man” – it teaches that he was pushing them inside, and they were pushing him outside.
“They said: Please my lord, we initially descended to acquire food” (Genesis 43:20).
“We…descended” – it is a descent for us. In our land, we would support others, now we need your support.
“He said: Peace be with you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father, gave you hidden treasure in your sacks; your silver came to me. And he took Simeon out to them” (Genesis 43:23).
“He said: Peace be with you, fear not” – whether it is due to your merit or due to the merit of your fathers. “Your God…gave you hidden treasure…” – in any case, “your silver came to me.”
“He took Simeon out to them” – Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: He rendered him like a cruse of oil when he incarcerated him,8A cruse of oil is wide on the bottom. So too, Simeon had grown fat due to the large quantity of food with which he was provided (Etz Yosef; see Bereshit Rabba 91:8). as it is written: “And incarcerated him before their eyes” (Genesis 42:24).
“They prepared…Joseph came…” (Genesis 43:25–26).
“Joseph saw Benjamin with them, and he said to the one in charge of his house: Bring the men to the house and slaughter and prepare, as the men shall dine with me at noon” (Genesis 43:16).
“The men took…Joseph saw…with them…and prepare [vehakhen]” – prepare is for nothing other than Shabbat, just as it says: “It will be on the sixth day, they shall prepare…” (Exodus 16:5). This is to say that Joseph observed the Shabbat before it was given.
“The man did as Joseph said, and the man brought the men to Joseph's house” (Genesis 43:17).
“The men were afraid when they were brought to Joseph's house; they said: We have been brought on the matter of the silver that was restored before to our sacks, to falsely accuse us, and attack us, and take us as slaves, and our donkeys” (Genesis 43:18).
“They approached the man in charge of Joseph's house, and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house” (Genesis 43:19).
“The man did…The men were afraid…They approached the man” – it teaches that he was pushing them inside, and they were pushing him outside.
“They said: Please my lord, we initially descended to acquire food” (Genesis 43:20).
“We…descended” – it is a descent for us. In our land, we would support others, now we need your support.
“He said: Peace be with you, fear not; your God, and the God of your father, gave you hidden treasure in your sacks; your silver came to me. And he took Simeon out to them” (Genesis 43:23).
“He said: Peace be with you, fear not” – whether it is due to your merit or due to the merit of your fathers. “Your God…gave you hidden treasure…” – in any case, “your silver came to me.”
“He took Simeon out to them” – Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: He rendered him like a cruse of oil when he incarcerated him,8A cruse of oil is wide on the bottom. So too, Simeon had grown fat due to the large quantity of food with which he was provided (Etz Yosef; see Bereshit Rabba 91:8). as it is written: “And incarcerated him before their eyes” (Genesis 42:24).
“They prepared…Joseph came…” (Genesis 43:25–26).