Midrash su Genesi 43:33

“From the day my brother Joseph disappeared, my father forsook his bed, and sat and slept only on the ground. Furthermore, whenever I saw my brothers sitting side by side, while I was forced to sit alone, my eyes welled up with tears.” At that moment, Joseph’s compassion toward him was stirred, as it is said: And Joseph made haste; for his heart yearned for his brother (Gen. 43:30). R. Nahman the son of Isaac explained: He then arranged a banquet for them at which he decided to have Benjamin sit at his side, but he did not know, at first, how to accomplish it. Whereupon, he took the goblet, struck it, and said to them: “I was of the opinion that Judah was the firstborn, since he was the first to speak, but now I discover that Reuben is the firstborn, and that Judah is simply a garrulous individual.” And he sat Reuben at the head of the table. Then he took the goblet once again, struck it, and told Simeon: “Sit alongside of him, for you are the second son.” He likewise seated Levi, Judah, and all the rest according to their ages. Then he took the goblet once again, struck it, and declared: “I have discovered through this cup that you are all the sons of one father, but that your father had a number of wives.” He then told Dan and Naphtali to be seated according to their ages. At last, only Benjamin remained unseated. “I see that this one had a brother, from whom he is separated, and that he is an orphan.⁴Their mother, Rachel was already dead. I too had a brother from whom I am separated. He is an orphan, and I too am an orphan. Let him come and sit beside me.” And he sat him at his side, as Scripture says: And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth (Gen. 43:33).

The intercalation takes place in the presence of three; Rabbi Eliezer says that ten (men are required), as it is said, "God standeth in the congregation of God" (Ps. 82:1), and if they become less than ten, since they are diminished they place a scroll of the Torah before them, and they are seated in a circle in the court-room, and the greatest (among them) sits first, and the least sits last; and they direct their gaze downwards to the earth and (then) they stand and spread out their hands before their Father who is in heaven, and the chief of the assembly proclaims the name (of God), and they hear a Bath Ḳol (saying) the following words, "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron… saying, This month shall be unto you" (Ex. 12:1, 2).

And the lion shall eat straw like the ox (Isa. 65:25). “The lion” refers to Judah, as it is said: Judah is a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9), and like the ox alludes to Joseph, as is said: His firstling bullock, majesty is his (Deut. 33:17). Finally however, all of them ate together, as it is said: And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright (Gen. 43:33). And it is also written: And portions were taken unto them (ibid., v. 3). Hence Scripture states: And the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

Another interpretation (of Is. 65:25): THE WOLF AND THE LAMB SHALL FEED TOGETHER, < AND THE LION LIKE THE OX SHALL EAT STRAW >. (Ibid.:) THE WOLF: This is Benjamin, as stated (in Gen. 49:27): BENJAMIN IS A RAVENOUS WOLF. (Is. 65:25, cont.:) AND THE LAMB: This represents the tribes, as stated (in Jer. 50:17): ISRAEL IS A SCATTERED FLOCK…. (Is. 65:25, cont.:) SHALL FEED TOGETHER: When? When Benjamin went down with them, and Jacob said (in Gen. 42:38): LET NOT MY SON GO DOWN WITH YOU. When the hour arrived for him to go down with them, they placed him in their midst and watched over him. And so Joseph (in Gen. 43:29): LIFTED HIS EYES AND SAW HIS BROTHER BENJAMIN, THE SON OF HIS MOTHER…. (Is. 65:25, cont.:) THE LION: This is Judah, as stated (in Gen. 49:9): JUDAH IS A LION'S WHELP. (Is. 65:25, cont.:) LIKE THE OX: This is Joseph, since it is stated (in Deut. 33:17): LIKE A FIRSTLING BULL HE HAS MAJESTY. (Is. 65:25, cont.:) SHALL EAT STRAW, when they have been found eating together, as stated (in Gen. 43:33): AND THEY SAT DOWN BEFORE HIM FROM THE FIRST-BORN ACCORDING TO HIS BIRTHRIGHT. Therefore (in Gen. 46:28): NOW HE (Jacob) HAD SENT JUDAH AHEAD OF HIM.