Commentaire sur La Genèse 42:34

ואת הארץ תסחרו AND YE SHALL TRAVEL IN THE LAND — It means literally, “ye may travel round the land”. All such words as סוחרים merchants, סחורה merchandise, are derived from this root סחר to go round, because the merchants travel round looking for merchandise.

AND YOU SHALL BE FREE (‘TIS’CHARU’) TO TRADE IN THE LAND. They altered it for the sake of peace¹⁵⁷For we do not find that Joseph told this to his brothers. so that Jacob would consent to send Benjamin along with them. It had been their desire to return immediately were it not that Jacob had said, My son shall not go down with you.¹⁵⁸Verse 38 here. Similarly, for the sake of peace, they told him Joseph’s words, ‘Leave’ one of your brothers with me,¹⁵⁹Verse 33 here. and they did not tell their father of their imprisonment or of Simeon’s imprisonment.
It is possible that Joseph did tell them, And you shall be free to trade in the land, but Scripture does not relate it. If so, the intent of the statement is that “you will be able to bring merchandise at your will for the purpose of purchasing grain, and I will not take it, as compensation for your embarassment.”¹⁶⁰Thus he suggested that they will be able to keep their original merchandise for sale to others, and obtain grain free.
Similarly, their saying, The man persisted in asking about ourselves, and our family,¹⁶¹Further, 43:7. constitutes a motivating plea to their father, [but the event never actually took place]. It may be that when they told Joseph, We are all one man’s sons,¹⁶²Verse 11 here. he said to them, “Not so, but you have truly come to find out the condition of the land.¹⁶³Verse 12 here. Now tell me if your father is alive, and if you have another brother, for I will investigate you and know what you are.” Then they said, “We are twelve brethren, the sons of one man who is presently in the land of Canaan, for he is still alive, and the youngest one is with him, and one is gone.” This was what Judah said to Joseph: My lord asked his servants, saying, Have you a father, or a brother?¹⁶⁴Further, 44:19. In a similar manner Scripture, in many places, is concise about an event or the recounting thereof, as I have mentioned.¹⁶⁵See Ramban above in Verse 21.
Now Rashi writes: “Tis’charu, you may travel round the land. All expressions of s’chorah (merchandise) and socharim (merchants) are derived from sochar, which means ‘going around,’ because the merchants go round looking for merchandise.”
It would seem that the Rabbi [Rashi]¹⁶⁶See Bereshith, Note 139. aimed by this interpretation to guard himself against this difficulty.¹⁶⁷Namely, that we do not find that Joseph mentioned to his brothers about being free to trade in the land. Therefore, Rashi explained the word tis’charu as giving them the right to travel around the land and buy grain always without hindrance. He therefore explained their words as reporting only that Joseph had said that they would be permitted to travel around the land and always buy grain at their pleasure. But above, in the story of Shechem, Rashi did not so interpret the same expressions: Settle down ‘us’charuah’ (and engage in trade);¹⁶⁸Above, 34:10. For there actual trade is referred to, while here only travelling around the land is meant. Therefore Rashi makes his comment here, and not there in the story of Schechem. ‘v’yis’charu othah’ (and engage in trade in it).¹⁶⁹Ibid., Verse 21.

ואת הארץ תסחרו, “and then you may freely wheel and deal in the land.” Although we cannot find that Joseph had said these words to them, they may be justifiably inferred from the tenor of their interview with, or interrogation by Joseph. Sometimes the Torah abbreviates its narrative of events. Alternately, the brothers may have misquoted Joseph for the sake of family harmony, in order to secure their father’s permission to let Binyamin go to Egypt with them on their next journey, as it was their intention to return to Egypt immediately in order to secure the release of their brother Shimon. At that point they did not spell out that Shimon had not been detained as an honoured guest but as a prisoner, as they were sure this would be an additional reason for Yaakov not to risk Binyamin by allowing them to take him along. [it is interesting to see how the Torah draws attention to the fact that at the beginning the brothers did not even tell their father that Shimon was imprisoned. In verse 29 the Torah had said that the brothers reported to their father all that had happened to them in Egypt. When detailing this, the imprisonment of Shimon is not mentioned, begging the question why the brothers did not include this in their report. Ed.]

You will travel around. You might ask: Where do you find that Yoseif said this to them? The answer is: Since Yoseif accused them of being spies, he did not let them roam about the city in order to prevent them from spying. But if they bring Binyamin and will thus no longer be suspect of spying, they will be allowed to roam about the city. This relates back to (v. 20), “So that your words will be verified.” The meaning of תסחרו is “to roam about,” and not, “to do business (סחורה).” Otherwise, how is it connected to the narrative?

ואת הארץ תסחרו, “and then you can carry on trade freely.” This is not what Joseph had said to them, but this is what they added in order to induce Jacob to send Binyamin back with them.