פירוש על בראשית 43:16

וטבח טבח והכן AND SLAUGHTER THE BEASTS AND MAKE READY — The Hebrew is the same as ולטבח טבח ולהכין (infinitives) “and to slaughter… and to prepare”. The word וּטְבֹחַ is not an imperative, for this should be וּטְבַח (as from שָׁלַח the imperative is שְׁלַח).

ויאמר לאשר על ביתו, he himself did not want to speak to his brothers until all the other people present had left the room, in order for him to have more time to speak to them.

בצהרים. At midday, the hour of day at which princes, judges, the nobility, all people who look after public affairs consume their main meal, as we know from Kohelet 10,17 ושריך בעת יאכלו, “and your ministers eat at a proper time.” Joseph belonged to this category of people, seeing that all public affairs were under his control.