פירוש על בראשית 43:8

ונחיה THAT WE MAY LIVE — (literally, and we shall live). The spirit of prophecy was enkindled within him. He said: owing to this journey your spirit will live again, which indeed happened, as it is said, (Genesis 45:27) “And the spirit of Jacob, their father, revived”.

ונחיה, a reference to the food.

ונחיה ולא נמות, "so that we may live and not die." In order that we may live a life without anguish, or so that we may at least not die even if we have to live with anguish.

גם אנחנו גן אתה גם טפנו, each one in addition to the one already mentioned. What Yehudah meant was it was better that one Binyamin should come along with them although his safe return was subject to some doubt, than they should all die, something which would be a certainty.

He had a spark of Divine prophecy... Since Yehudah said, “And not die,” obviously he means they will live. So why did he say, “Let us live”? Perforce, [it is as Rashi explained].

Zu diesem seinem Vater "Israel" sprach Juda. So lange der Vater die Notwendigkeit nicht eingesehen, hatte Juda nichts versprochen, er hatte eingesehen, sein Vater habe Recht, er durfte ihn nicht schicken. Es hätten ja da auch seine Worte nichts genützt, denn was er nicht glaubte tun zu dürfen, darin durfte er sich auch nicht auf die Redlichkeit eines andern verlassen.

ולא נמות AND THAT WE MAY NOT DIE of hunger. As for Benjamin it is doubtful whether he will be seized or whether he will not be seized, but as for us, we shall certainly all die of hunger if we do not go. It is better that you should let go what is doubtful and snatch at what is certain (Genesis Rabbah 91:6).

ולא נמות, as a result of actions taken by the ruler of Egypt who had told us “so that the truth of your words can be established and you will not die.” (42,20)

Whereas, we will certainly die of hunger if we do not go. Rashi is answering the question: Why did Yehudah reply, “Let us... not die”? That is why Yaakov is sending them — to buy grain! Thus Rashi explains that “Let us... not die” conveys: “Concerning Binyamin, it is doubtful ... we will certainly die of hunger...” (Maharshal)

Alternatively, the words ולא נמות were intended to tell his father that he could not claim that by not travelling to Egypt they would only find themselves deprived of life's comforts; rather, it would positively cause the death of their families. They would not even live a life of deprivations.

Alternatively, Yehudah meant that if they would not now travel to Egypt with Benjamin they would eventually be called to answer for this in the Hereafter and would be guilty of not having made every effort to stay alive in this world.

גם אנחנו, גם אתה, גם טפנו, "both we, and you, and our children." Yehudah referred to all the people whose lives depended on this trip in addition to Benjamin. If they did not travel with Benjamin, all of them including Benjamin were liable to die of starvation. All of this because of the possible danger to Benjamin in Egypt. It simply was not fair that they all should be condemned to death because of what might happen to Benjamin.

The reason that Yehudah included Jacob's own survival last when he said גם אתה, was in line with the ruling that preservation of one's own life takes precedence even over saving one's father's life ( Yoreh Dey-ah 251). Or, the brothers used the exegetical rule of לא זו אף זו, "not only this but even this," i.e. the most important factor of the argument is presented last. They accorded their father the compliment of presenting preservation of his life as even more important than preservation of their own lives.

According to this principle they mentioned their children last, as those represented the future and as such deserved the highest priority in their considerations (compare David rating Absalom's life as more important than his own even while Absalom sought to kill his father (Samuel II 19,1).