창세기 44:18의 미드라쉬

Then Judah came near unto him (Gen. 44:18). May it please our master to teach us: Which guarantor is responsible for the repayment of a loan? Thus do our masters teach us: R. Simeon the son of Nanos answered the query: Which guarantor is responsible for the repayment of a loan? It is the one who says: “Lend him the money and I will repay you.” When he places it in the hand of the guarantor, he is the one who is liable.¹The lender gave the money because of his confidence in the guarantor.

(Gen. 44:18:) THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM…. This text is related (to Eccl. 9:14-15): THERE WAS A LITTLE CITY WITH FEW PEOPLE IN IT; < AND A GREAT KING CAME AGAINST IT, BESIEGED IT, AND BUILT GREAT SIEGE WORKS AGAINST IT >. NOW THERE WAS FOUND IN IT A [POOR WISE] PERSON {WHO WAS POOR AND WISE}, < WHO MIGHT HAVE DELIVERED THE CITY BY HIS WISDOM; BUT NO ONE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT POOR PERSON >. What does it mean?¹Eccl. R. 9:14/15:8; Ned. 32b; above, 11:1. This verse is stated about all generations. THERE WAS A LITTLE CITY, i.e., the body; WITH FEW PEOPLE IN IT, i.e., the two hundred and forty-eight members [which are in a person]; AND A GREAT KING CAME AGAINST IT, i.e., the evil drive, which is bigger than the good drive, < i.e., older > by thirteen years and one day. Now the evil drive says: Let us eat, drink, and fulfill all our desires; but the good drive says: Let us not eat and drink, but be occupied with Torah. Then we heed the evil drive. Why? Because it is bigger than all of them. (Eccl. 9:14, cont.:) AND BUILT GREAT SIEGE WORKS AGAINST IT, i.e., sins and transgressions. (Eccl. 9:15:) NOW THERE WAS FOUND IN IT A PERSON WHO WAS POOR AND WISE, i.e., the good drive; WHO MIGHT HAVE DELIVERED THE CITY BY HIS WISDOM;²Cf. Ned. 32b, which adds here, “I.e., repentance and good deeds.” BUT NO ONE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT POOR PERSON, for no one heeds the good drive, because it is insignificant. So, whoever heeds the good drive is blessed, as stated (in Ps. 41:2 [1]): BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO PAYS HEED TO A POOR PERSON….³See Lev. R. 34:1.

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 9:14-15): THERE WAS A LITTLE CITY, i.e., Egypt;⁶Eccl. R. 9:14-15:3. WITH FEW PEOPLE IN IT, i.e., Joseph's brothers; AND A GREAT KING CAME OVER IT, i.e., Joseph; AND BUILT GREAT SIEGE WORKS AGAINST IT. (Thus in Gen. 42:9:) SO HE SAID TO THEM: YOU ARE SPIES. (Eccl. 9:15:) NOW THERE WAS FOUND IN IT A PERSON WHO WAS POOR AND WISE, i.e., Judah; WHO DELIVERED THE CITY BY HIS WISDOM. (Gen. 44:18:) THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM < … >.

he came nigh unto Joseph and he forced the door open and he came with his brethren before ‎Joseph. And Judah said unto Joseph: Oh my lord, let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in ‎my lord's ear and let not thine anger burn against thy servant: And Joseph said unto him: ‎Speak! And Judah spoke unto Joseph while his brethren stood before them. And Judah said ‎unto Joseph: Be hold when we first came unto my lord to purchase food, thou hast taken us ‎for spies against this land, and we have brought our brother Benjamin into thy presence. And ‎why dost thou further carry on thy mockery with us? And now I pray, may the king hearken ‎unto my words and release our brother that he go home with us to our father lest thou perish ‎this day, and all the inhabitants of Egypt. Knowest thou not what my two brothers, Simeon and ‎Levi, have done unto the city of Shechem and unto the seven cities of the Amorites on ‎account of our sister Dinah and what will they not do on account of their brother Benjamin And ‎I with my strength, greater and more powerful than both of them, will come over thee and all ‎thy land this very day if thou do not willingly release our brother. Hast thou not heard what our ‎God who hath chosen us has done unto Pharaoh on account of our mother Sarah, whom he ‎had taken away from our father? How the Lord hath smitten him and all his household with ‎terrible plagues that even to this day all the Egyptians speak to one another of that great ‎wonder. And even so will our God do unto thee on account of Benjamin whom thou takest ‎from our father this day on account of the evils which thou art bringing over us in thy land this ‎day. For our God will remember his covenant with Abraham our father and he will bring evil ‎upon thee because thou hast grieved the soul of our father this day. And do thou listen, I pray ‎thee, unto my words which I have spoken unto thee this day, and send away our brother that ‎he may go lest thou and all the people of thy lord will die by my sword, for all of you cannot ‎prevail against me.‎

Then Judah came near (Gen. 44:18). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: My son, if thou art become a surety for thy neighbor, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger, thou art snared by the word of thy mouth (Prov. 6:11).

[Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM.] This text is related (to Prov. 20:5): THE COUNSEL IN ONE'S HEART IS DEEP WATER, BUT ONE WITH UNDERSTANDING SHALL DRAW IT OUT. THE COUNSEL IN ONE'S HEART IS DEEP WATER: This refers to Joseph.⁷Gen. R. 93:4. However wise Joseph was, Judah came and vanquished him, as stated (in Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH PRESSED AGAINST HIM.⁸This translation is possible in an unpointed text and fits the sense of the midrash. The traditional pointing has the meaning, DREW NEAR UNTO HIM. For another possibility, see below, 11:8. To what is the matter comparable? To a cistern which was so deep that no one was able to go down in it. There came one who was astute < enough > to bring a long rope. So he reached his water and drew < some > out of it. Thus Joseph was deep, but Judah came and drew out of him.

And Joseph answered unto Judah saying: Why dost thou open thy mouth so wide concerning ‎these words, exalting thyself over us, saying that there is great strength within 7 As Pharaoh ‎liveth, if I order my powerful men to fight against you, verily thou and thy brothers here would ‎soon find themselves in the mud. And Judah said unto Joseph: It were better for thee and thy ‎men to fear me. As the Lord liveth, if I once draw my sword I will not return it unto its scabbard ‎until I have slain all Egypt this day, and I will begin with thee and finish up with Pharaoh thy ‎lord. And Joseph answered and said unto him: Verily, not thou alone hast all the strength. I ‎myself am more powerful than thou art, and if thou drawest thy sword I will place it upon ‎thine neck and upon the neck of all those thy brothers. And Judah said unto him: Verily, if I ‎open my mouth against thee this day, I can swallow thee up, and thou wilt be forgotten from ‎the earth and be lost from thy kingdom. And Joseph answered: Verily, if thou openest thy ‎mouth I have power and strength to close it with a big rock until thou canst not utter a word. ‎Behold how many stones there are before us, and can I not take one of them and put it into ‎thy mouth and break thy jaws? And Judah said: God be a witness between us, that I have not ‎sought to war with thee from the beginning even until now, only to give us our brother to go ‎away from thee. And Joseph answered and said: As Pharaoh liveth, if all the kings of Canaan ‎were to come with you, you could not altogether take him from my hands. And now go ye ‎your ways unto your father and your brother shall be a slave unto me for robbing the house of ‎the king. And Judah said: What is it unto thee, oh king, or to thy fame? Verily the king sendeth ‎out of his house in presents or in losses abundance of silver and of gold in all the land, and ‎thou continuest to speak of thy cup which thou sayest he hath stolen from thee, while thou ‎hast placed it into the bag of our brother. Far be it from our brother Benjamin, and from the ‎seed of Abraham, to do such a thing or any other person be he king or prince or an ordinary ‎man. And now refrain thou from saying such a thing, lest thy words be heard in the land and ‎people will say: On account of a little silver the king of Egypt had quarrels and fights with these ‎men, and he hath taken away from them their brother for a slave. And Joseph answered unto ‎them: Take then this cup and go your way from me and leave your brother to be a slave, for it ‎is the judgment of a thief to be a slave. And Judah said unto him: And art thou not ashamed at ‎thy words, that we should leave with thee our brother for this cup? Surely, if thou wouldst ‎give unto us a thousand times as much as thy cup we should not leave our brother even for all ‎the silver of all mankind; verily, we should first die for his sake.‎

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM. This text is related (to Job 41:8 [16]): ONE IS SO NEAR TO THE OTHER THAT NO AIR CAN COME BETWEEN THEM. This refers to Judah and Joseph, for in whatever Joseph prided himself, Judah came and vanquished, as stated (in Gen. 45:1): JOSEPH COULD NOT RESTRAIN HIMSELF. To what were they comparable?⁹Tanh., Gen. 11:3. To a bull that went out; and, when all the beasts fled from him, he kicked (rt.: B'T) at one and gored at another. Then came the lion, but he did not stand up to him. Rather, when the lion appeared and sought out the bull, he was not to be found. So Joseph is likened to the bull, as stated (in Deut. 33:17): LIKE A FIRSTLING BULL HE HAS MAJESTY. The tribes also have been likened to beasts, and Joseph was priding himself as being over them and despising (rt.: B'T) them. (According to Gen. 42:7) HE BECAME A STRANGER TO THEM. Then goring at a particular one, (according to Gen. 42:24) HE TOOK SIMON FROM THEM. He acted so only until the lion came, < for > (according to Gen. 49:24) JUDAH IS A LION'S WHELP. He sought him out as the bull, but he was not to be found. Rather (according to Gen. 45:1): JOSEPH COULD NOT RESTRAIN HIMSELF. Why? (Prov. 30:30:) THE LION IS THE MIGHTIEST AMONG THE BEASTS, AND RETREATS BEFORE NONE, even because it is written of him (in Gen. 47:12): AND < JOSEPH > SUSTAINED < HIS FATHER AND HIS BROTHERS >.¹⁰One would expect some saying about Judah. Buber’s note here suggests that SUSTAINED be read as two words, apart from the biblical context, and interpreted as “All in all,” i.e., the lion is “all in all” in the world of beasts. Cf. Tanh., Gen. 11:3: “Who has stood facing a bull? The lion, as stated (Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM.” Also in the world to come a fighting Messiah is going to arise from Joseph, but a Messiah who is to arise from Judah will be stronger than he, as stated (in Zech. 10:6): I WILL STRENGTHEN THE HOUSE OF JUDAH, < BUT THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH I WILL SAVE >.

And Joseph answered and said: And wherefore have you forsaken your brother and you have ‎sold him for twenty pieces of silver even unto this day, and why don’t you do likewise to this ‎your brother? And Judah said: The Lord did witness between me and thee that we have not ‎desired this fight, and now give us our brother that we go away from thee without trouble. ‎And Joseph answered and said: If all the kings of the land were to gather together, they could ‎not deliver your brother from my hand. And Judah said: What shall we say unto our father ‎when he seeth us and behold our brother is not with us, and his soul will grieve over him? And ‎Joseph answered and said: This is what you have to tell unto your father: The rope has ‎followed the bucket. And Judah said: And art thou a king who speaketh such things and give us ‎the wrong judgment? Woe unto the king that is thy like. And Joseph answered and said: There ‎is no wrong judgment in the words I have spoken concerning your brother Joseph, for verily, ‎you all have sold him unto the Midianites for twenty pieces of silver, and you have denied it to ‎your father saying an evil beast hath devoured him, Joseph hath been torn into pieces. And ‎Judah said: Behold the fire of Shechem is burning within my heart. I will burn all thy land with ‎fire. And Joseph answered: Verily, Tamar, thy sister-in-law who killed thy sons, she hath put ‎out the fire of Shechem. And Judah said: If I pluck out one hair from my body, all Egypt will be ‎killed with my blood. And Joseph answered unto him: Verily, such is your manner of doing, the ‎same that you did unto your brother when you sold him, and you dipped his coat into blood ‎and you brought it unto your father, that he should think an evil beast has devoured him, and ‎this is his blood.‎

Then Judah came near unto him (Gen. 44:18). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: And the envy of Ephraim shall depart (Isa. 11:13). Concerning whom did Isaiah utter this verse? He said it with reference to Judah and Joseph.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM. This text is related (to Prov. 6:1-3): MY CHILD, IF YOU HAVE BECOME SURETY FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR…. YOU ARE ENSNARED IN THE WORDS OF YOUR MOUTH…. DO THIS, THEN, MY SON, AND SAVE YOURSELF, < FOR YOU HAVE COME INTO THE POWER OF YOUR NEIGHBOR. GO HUMBLE YOURSELF, AND URGE YOUR NEIGHBOR >. Joseph said to < Judah >: Why are you multiplying words? I see that people older than you are standing here without speaking. And is not Reuben older than you? Is not Simeon also older than you? Yet none of them are speaking. But in your case, why are you multiplying words? < Judah > said to him: Of all these people, not one of them is anxious about < Benjamin > except me alone because I stood surety < for him >, as stated (in Gen. 43:9): I MYSELF WILL BE SURETY FOR HIM. Now I said this to my father, that, if I do not bring him to you and set him before you, I am sinning before you in two worlds, in this world and in the world to come, as stated (in Gen. 44:32): I AM GUILTY BEFORE MY FATHER FOREVER. I therefore give my life for him. Why? (Prov. 6:1, 3:) MY CHILD, IF YOU HAVE BECOME SURETY FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR … < SAVE YOURSELF, FOR YOU HAVE COME UNDER THE POWER OF YOUR NEIGHBOR >.

And when Judah heard these words he was terribly angry and his wrath burned within him. ‎And there was lying before him a stone whose weight was four hundred shekels, and while ‎Judah’s anger was burning he seized the stone with one of his hands and threw it heavenward ‎and he caught it up with his left hand. And after this he placed it under his feet and he sat ‎down upon it with his might and the stone was crumbled to dust by Judah’s strength. And ‎when Joseph saw the action of Judah he was greatly afraid, and Joseph commanded his son ‎Manasseh, and he did unto another stone what Judah had done before. And Judah said unto ‎his brothers let not the man among you think this man is an Egyptian, for being able to do such ‎a thing he must be of the family of our father. And Joseph said: Not upon you alone was ‎strength bestowed, for we also are powerful men, and why will you exalt yourself over all of ‎us? And Judah said unto Joseph: I pray thee release our brother and do not invite ruin upon ‎thy country this day. And Joseph answered unto them saying: Go ye and tell your father that ‎an evil beast hath devoured Benjamin as you have said concerning your brother Joseph. And ‎Judah conferred with Naphtali saying unto him: Go now hastily and bring me the number of all ‎the streets that are in Egypt. And Simeon said unto him: Let not this concern thee, for behold I ‎will ascend the mountain and take one of its large stones and cast it on all the people of Egypt ‎and kill all those that are in it. And Joseph heard all that his brothers had spoken in his ‎presence, for they knew not that Joseph understood them for they thought he understood ‎not the Hebrew tongue. And Joseph, hearing the words of his brethren was in great fear lest ‎they might really destroy all Egypt, and he commanded unto his son Manasseh, saying? Go ‎thou hastily and assemble all the inhabitants of Egypt and all the mighty men, and let them at ‎once appear before me on horses and on foot, with all musical instruments in their hands. And ‎Manasseh went and did so. And Naphtali had gone according to Judah’s order. And Naphtali ‎was nimble footed like a swift stag, so that he could walk upon the ears of corn and they would ‎not bend under him. And he went swiftly and he numbered the streets of Egypt and behold ‎they were twelve, and he returned hastily and told it unto Judah. And Judah said unto his ‎brothers: Put on quickly every one of you his sword and we will come over Egypt and smite ‎them all that there be not left a remnant. And behold, I will destroy with my own strength ‎three of these streets and you destroy each one. While Judah was saying these words behold ‎the inhabitants of Egypt with all their mighty men came against them all with musical ‎instruments and amid loud shouting. And their number was five hundred horsemen and ten ‎thousand footmen and four hundred men that fought only with their hands and strength ‎without swords and spears.‎

Another comment on Then Judah drew near unto him. He came near him and said huskily; “Oh, my lord, do not transgress the laws of justice because of us. Let thy servant, I pray thee, speak a word in my lord’s ear” (Gen. 44:18). It would have been more fitting if he had said: “in the presence of my lord.” Hence these words teach us that he spoke both harshly and gently.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM AND SAID: PRAY (bi), MY LORD, PLEASE LET YOUR SERVANT SPEAK. He said to him: You are bringing injustice (biyah)¹¹Gk.: bia, i.e., “force” or “an act of violence.” upon us.¹²Gen. R. 93:6; below, 11:8. Why? Because you said to us (in Gen. 42:18): DO THIS AND LIVE; FOR I FEAR GOD. You are not fearful of the Holy One. Rather you are like Pharaoh, as stated (in Gen. 44:18): FOR YOU ARE LIKE PHARAOH. Ergo: You are bringing injustice upon us. He said to him: You are judging neither by the royal law nor by divine law. Under divine law one who is found stealing pays twofold, as stated (in Exod. 22:6 [7]): IF THE THIEF IS FOUND HE SHALL PAY DOUBLE. If he does not have the wherewithal to pay, he shall be sold for his theft. Under royal law one takes everything he has. If you are seizing us under royal law, take for yourself whatever we have on hand; but, if under divine law, if we cannot pay his price, here we are for you as slaves. (Gen. 44:18:) PRAY (bi), MY LORD, you are bringing injustice (biyah) upon us.

And all these powerful men came with great storming and shouting, and they encircled the ‎sons of Jacob and they terrified them, and the earth trembled at that fearful noise. And the ‎sons of Jacob saw these hosts and they were greatly afraid of their lives. And Joseph did that ‎to terrify the sons of Jacob and to pacify them. And when Judah saw that his brothers were ‎afraid he said unto them: What causeth you such fear as long as the mercy of God is upon us. ‎And Judah saw all the people of Egypt around him to terrify them, but Joseph commanded ‎them saying: Touch no one of these men. And Judah drew his sword quickly and screamed a ‎loud and bitter scream. And he smote with his sword, and he jumped all over the ground, ‎continuing to scream at all the people. And the Lord impressed all the mighty men and all the ‎people with great fear of Judah and his brethren, and they all fled at the noise of Judah’s ‎screaming, and terror came over them and they fell one from the other, and great many of ‎them died as they fell. And all of them fled from before Judah and his brethren. And Judah ‎and his brethren pursued them into the house of Pharaoh and they escaped. And Judah ‎returned once more before Joseph and he roared at him like a lion, and he uttered a terrible ‎shout against him, and the shouting was heard at a great distance, even among the inhabitants ‎of Succoth, and all Egypt trembled from the noise of that shouting, and also the walls of Egypt ‎fell from the trembling of the earth. And Pharaoh fell from his throne to the ground and also ‎the pregnant women of Egypt and Goshen miscarried on hearing the noise and trembling, for ‎they were greatly terrified. And Pharaoh sent his servants, saying: What is it that is going on in ‎Egypt to-day? And they came and they informed Pharaoh of what hath happened, and he ‎wondered greatly, and he was exceedingly afraid. And his fright grew upon him, and he sent ‎word unto Joseph, saying: Thou hast brought over me the Hebrews to destroy all the land of ‎Egypt. What dost thou care for that thief whom thou hast taken for thy slave? Let him depart ‎with his brothers lest we perish through the evil they will bring over us, and I, and you, and all ‎Egypt. And if thou art not willing to do this thing and thou de lightest in those Hebrews, then ‎remove from thee all the precious things I gave unto thee and go along with them, for surely ‎they will smite all my people and destroy my whole country, for behold even in Goshen all the ‎women have miscarried for fear of their shouting. See they have done these things simply by ‎their screaming and yelling and what more can they do if they fight with their swords? Surely ‎they will destroy the whole land. And now choose thou between me and the Hebrews, and ‎between my land and the land of the Hebrews.‎

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): PRAY (bi), MY LORD. By universal custom one who buys a slave and finds him to be a thief returns him. But, in the case of this person (Benjamin) who was found to be a thief, you want to acquire him as a slave! You are suspected of evil things. If you want him to serve you, I know how to serve better than he. If you want him for war, I know how to fight better than he. (Gen. 44:33:) PLEASE LET YOUR SERVANT REMAIN AS A SLAVE TO MY LORD INSTEAD OF THE LAD. (Gen. 44:18:) PLEASE LET YOUR SERVANT SPEAK SOMETHING. R. Jeremiah ben Shema'yah has said: He told him: If I make my voice heard, a plague will come over Egypt. PLEASE LET < YOUR SERVANT > SPEAK. PLEASE (N') denotes nothing but Egypt. Thus it is stated (in Nahum 3:8): WERE YOU (Nineveh) ANY BETTER THAN NO-AMON (N'-'MWN),¹³Amon was the tutelary god of No, i.e., Thebes. < WHICH SITS BY THE NILE >.

(Gen. 44:18, cont.:) IN THE EARS OF MY LORD. He said to him: Let my words enter your ears. Two of us younger ones entered a great city and destroyed it, as stated (in Gen. 34:25): THAT TWO OF JACOB'S SONS < EACH TOOK HIS SWORD … AND KILLED EVERY MALE >. Now we are all here. If we want, we shall not leave a soul here.

(Gen. 44:18, cont.:) FOR YOU ARE LIKE PHARAOH. He said to him: Just as Pharaoh is the greatest here, and you are second to him; so Daddy is the greatest in the land of Canaan, and I am second to him. He said: I swear: If I should draw my sword from its scabbard, I am beginning with you, and I am winding up with Pharaoh. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 27:17): IRON SHARPENS IRON. It is fitting for the both of them to stand facing each other; it is fitting for a king to boast facing a king. Judah is a king, about whom it is written (in I Chron. 5:2): JUDAH PREVAILED AMONG HIS BROTHERS. Joseph is a king, about whom it is written (in Gen. 41:43): HE LET HIM RIDE IN THE CHARIOT OF HIS DEPUTY. Therefore, both of them were goring each other. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 44:18): PRAY (bi),¹⁴Bi can also mean AT ME, and the midrash may have this meaning in mind. MY LORD.

And when they came and spoke unto Joseph all the words of Pharaoh concerning him, he was ‎greatly afraid of the words of Pharaoh. And Judah and his brethren were still standing before ‎Joseph raging terribly, and all the sons of Jacob were screaming at Joseph even like the roaring ‎of the waves of the sea. And Joseph was in great fear of Pharaoh and of his brothers, and he ‎sought an opportunity to make himself known, before they destroyed all the land of Egypt. ‎And Joseph ordered Manasseh, his son, and he went and came near unto Judah, and he ‎placed his hand upon Judah’s shoulder, and Judah’s rage subsided. And Judah said once more ‎unto his brothers: Let no man among you say this is the work of an Egyptian lad, for verily that ‎is like the action of one of my father's house. And when Joseph saw that Judah’s anger was ‎silenced, he approached and spoke unto Judah in gentle words. And Joseph said unto Judah ‎Verily you have spoken the truth, and you have proven your words concerning your great ‎strength, and the Lord who hath pleasure in you may increase your peace. But tell me the ‎truth, why thou art the only one among thy brothers to rage against me, while not one among ‎the others speaketh one word? And Judah answered: Thou must know that I have pledged ‎myself for this boy, saying unto my father: If I bring him not and set him before thee then let ‎me bear the blame through all my days. And therefore have I been the foremost among my ‎brothers after I saw that thou wouldst not suffer him to go with us. And now let me find grace ‎in thine eyes and send our brother to go with us. Behold I will remain in his stead to serve thee ‎in anything thou desirest. And wherever thou shalt send me I will go to serve thee with all my ‎might. If there: be a mighty king who hath rebelled against thee, send me and thou wilt see ‎what I will do unto him and unto his land. And even if he have hosts of horsemen and on foot, ‎and an exceedingly powerful army, I will smite them all, and bring their king's head before ‎thee. Dost thou not know, and hast thou not heard of it, that our father Abraham with his ‎servant Eliezer smote all the kings of Elam and all their hosts in one night that there was not ‎left of them a remnant? And from that day on the strength of our father was given unto us ‎and our seed as an inheritance forever.‎

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): When Judah saw that Joseph was not appeased, he began saying to his brothers: [Why] are we standing around? We will begin with this one and wind up with Pharaoh! Now they did not know that Joseph understood their language, as stated (in Gen. 42:23): NOW THEY DID NOT KNOW THAT JOSEPH UNDERSTOOD. When Joseph saw that, he began to talk to them with supplications and with gentle language. He said to them: About this Benjamin, I want only to know who < it was that > advised him to steal the goblet. Did you perhaps advise him to steal the goblet? When Benjamin heard that, he said: They did not give me advice, and I did not touch the goblet. He said to them: Swear to me. He began to swear to him. By what did he swear to him? By the separation of my brother Joseph from me,¹⁵This clause may also be translated as follows: “By the scriptural section on the separation of my brother Joseph from me (in Gen. 37:18-36).” I did not touch it. Now < I swear > neither by the launching of arrows which were sent against him, as stated (in Gen. 49:23): ARCHERS HAVE HATED HIM (Joseph); nor by the stripping with which they stripped him, as stated (in Gen. 37:23): THEY STRIPPED JOSEPH OF HIS TUNIC; nor by the throwing with which they threw him into the cistern, as stated (in Gen. 37:24): AND THEY CAST HIM INTO THE PIT; nor by the selling with which they sold him to the Ishmaelites (in vs. 28); nor by the dipping with which they dipped his tunic in the blood (in vs. 31). < By none of these do I swear > that they did not give me advice, and I did not touch the goblet. Joseph said: Who will make known to me that you are swearing truthfully about your brothers? He said to him: You can know how much I love him from the names of my sons, since I set names for them on the basis of what I feared for < each one >.¹⁶Sot. 36b (bar); Gen. R. 93:7; Tanh., Gen. 11:40. He said to him: And what were the names of your sons? He said to him (in agreement with Gen. 46:21): BELA, BECHER, ASHBEL, GERA, NAAMAN, EHI, ROSH, MUPPIM, HUPPIM, AND ARD. He said to him: Why Bela (BL')? He said to him: Because my brother was swallowed up (rt.: BL') from me. Becher (BKR)? Because he was my mother's first-born (rt.: BKR). Ashbel ('ShBL)? Because my brother was captured (NShBH). Gera? Because my brother was a sojourner (ger) with < merely > the privileges of a transient.¹⁷Gk.: xenia, i.e., “rights of a foreigner” or “guest privileges.” Naaman (N'M)? Because his words were pleasing (N'M). Ehi ('HY)? Because he was my brother ('HY) from < the same > mother, and I had none but him. Rosh (which means "head")? Because he was older than I. Muppim (MPYM)? Because he learned Torah from our father's mouth (MPY) and taught it to me. When all his brothers would return to shepherding, he would sit with my father and learn the traditions which he had received from Shem and Eber. Huppim (rt.: HPP)? Because he has been covered over (rt.: HPP) until this day. Another interpretation of Huppim: Because I did not see his wedding canopy (huppah) nor did he see my wedding canopy. Another interpretation of Huppim (rt.: HPP): Because until now I have been mourning over him and going barefoot (rt.: YHP). And Ard ('RD)? Because he brought (rt.: YRD) all of us down here. Another interpretation of ARD (from Gen. 37:35): NO, I WILL GO DOWN ('RD) MOURNING TO MY SON IN SHEOL. Will you please not bring down ('RD) Daddy to Sheol through grief! And so Judah said (in Gen. 44:34): FOR HOW SHALL I GO UP UNTO MY FATHER < IF THE LAD IS NOT WITH ME >? When Joseph heard that, he was not able to suppress his compassion, as stated (in Gen. 45:1-3): JOSEPH COULD NOT RESTRAIN HIMSELF…. AND HE WEPT ALOUD…. THEN JOSEPH SAID UNTO HIS BROTHERS: I AM JOSEPH. When he said to them: I AM {YOUR BROTHER JOSEPH} … (in vs. 3, cont.): HIS BROTHERS COULD NOT ANSWER HIM BECAUSE THEY WERE DISMAYED BECAUSE OF HIM. R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon said in the name of R. Eleazar ben Azariah:¹⁸Gen. R. 93:11. Now, if in the case of Joseph, when he said to his brothers: I am Joseph, they knew what they had done with him and were unable to answer him; how much the less will a creature be able to stand when the Holy One comes to dispute with each and every one of < his > creatures and to tell him his deeds, just as it is written (in Amos 4:13): FOR BEHOLD, THE ONE WHO FORMS THE MOUNTAINS, < CREATES THE WIND, AND TELLS ONE WHAT HIS THOUGHT IS > … !

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM. He drew near to fight with him. Now this language is nothing but the language of warfare. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 10:13): SO JOAB AND {ALL} THE PEOPLE < WHO WERE WITH HIM DREW NEAR TO THE BATTLE >….¹⁹Gen. R. 93:6. Our masters have said: When Judah was filled with wrath, his hairs²⁰Tanh., Gen. 11:3, specifies: “Two hairs growing out from his heart.” would stand up and break through his garments. There are also those who say that he would take iron beans, put them in his mouth, and crunch them in it when his wrath would arise. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 44:18): THEN < JUDAH > DREW NEAR {AND SAID: PRAY (bi), MY LORD, you are bringing injustice (biyah) upon us.²¹Above, 11:5. Yesterday you told us: You shall bring your younger brother unto me; so we have brought him. Now you have taken him. Is this not injustice?}

(Gen. 44:18:) AND < JUDAH > SAID: PRAY, MY LORD…. FOR YOUR SERVANT HAS BECOME SURETY FOR THE LAD. When did Judah discharge his surety? In the days of Goliath. At that time, when Israel was in trouble, what is written (in I Sam. 17:16)? THEN THE PHILISTINE DREW NEAR AT DAWN AND IN THE EVENING. < He was > cursing and reviling. Saul began sending out a herald < to proclaim > (as implied in I Sam. 17:25): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR THE MAN WHO KILLS HIM THAT THE KING SHALL ENRICH HIM < WITH GREAT RICHES >…. Now you find that anyone who curses is liable for death, as stated (in Lev. 24:16): AND THE ONE WHO BLASPHEMES THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH … but that wicked man had been cursing (according to I Sam. 17:16): FOR FORTY DAYS. Moses said (in Deut. 7:10): AND < GOD > INSTANTLY REPAYS THOSE WHO HATE HIM WITH DESTRUCTION. In the case of someone wicked who performs a righteous act, the Holy One renders it unfit < by giving him his reward > during his life in this world in order to destroy him in the world to come; but for the righteous, he sets aside their righteous acts for the world to come.²²M. Pss.94:4. What < righteous act > did this wicked man (i.e., Goliath) do for him to curse for forty days? R. Isaac and R. Levi differ.²³Ruth R. 2:20. R. Levi said: Because his mother, Orpah ('RPH), walked four miles²⁴Lat.: mille. with her mother-in-law (cf. Ruth 1:7, 14), [the Holy One repaid her for it]. So from her the Holy One raised four heroes. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 21:22): THESE FOUR WERE BORN TO THE GIANT (HRPH) OF GATH.²⁵According to vss. 15-20, the four heroes were Ishbi-benob, Saph, Goliath, and a fourth man with twelve fingers and twelve toes. R. Isaac said: She walked forty paces²⁶Lat.: passus. with her; therefore, the Holy One granted her her reward and gave her Goliath.²⁷Ruth R. 2:20 states more specifically that in return for her forty paces the Holy One granted her son a forty-day reprieve. So he was cursing before the Holy One forty days, as stated (in I Sam. 17:16): AND HE (the Philistine) TOOK HIS STAND FOR FORTY DAYS. Jesse said to his son David: Now is the time to make good on the surety of your ancestor who became surety for Benjamin under the hand of his father, as stated (in Gen. 43:9): I MYSELF WILL BE SURETY FOR HIM. Now go and discharge him from his surety. Thus it is stated (in I Sam. 17:18): SEE ALSO TO THE WELFARE OF YOUR BROTHERS, AND TAKE THEIR TOKEN. Now THEIR TOKEN ('RBH) is nothing but a surety ('RBWT). What did David do? He went and made good on the surety by killing Goliath. The Holy One said to him: By your life, just as you have risked your life for Saul, since he is from the tribe of Benjamin, even as your ancestor Judah did for Benjamin < himself >, as stated (in Gen. 44:33): AND NOW PLEASE LET YOUR SERVANT REMAIN AS A SLAVE TO MY LORD INSTEAD OF THE LAD … so I am placing the Sanctuary < both > within your territory and within the territory of Benjamin. And where is it shown that the Sanctuary is < both > within the inheritance of Benjamin and within the inheritance of Judah? Where one text (Gen. 49:27) says: BENJAMIN IS A RAVENOUS WOLF; IN THE MORNING HE CONSUMES PREY, i.e., the dawn tamid (sacrifice), AND IN THE EVENING HE DIVIDES THE SPOIL, i.e., the twilight tamid; while another text (Ps. 48:3 [2]) says: BEAUTEOUS LANDSCAPE, JOY OF THE WHOLE EARTH, < EVEN MOUNT ZION >. By your life, moreover, when all the tribes are going into exile, the tribes of Judah and Benjamin are not going into exile along with them. Why? Because these two tribes believed in me and sanctified my name in the sea with Moses. R. Abba bar Kahana said in the name of R. Levi: When the sea was split open for Israel, there was mire in it. Now the tribe of Reuben said to the tribe of Simeon: From mud you have come and to mud you are going. Thus it is stated (in Hos. 12:1): EPHRAIM SURROUNDS ME WITH DECEIT, THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL WITH FALSE-HOOD…. What did the tribes of Judah and Benjamin do? They sanctified the name of the Holy One, as stated (in Ps. 68:28 [27]): LITTLE BENJAMIN IS THERE RULING OVER THEM, THE PRINCES OF JUDAH IN THEIR GLORY….

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): PRAY, MY LORD. (Vs. 19:) MY LORD ASKED. It is also stated (in vs. 20): UNTO MY LORD. (Vs. 33:) AND NOW PLEASE LET YOUR SERVANT REMAIN < AS A SLAVE TO MY LORD INSTEAD OF THE LAD >….²⁸The point of all these citations is to demonstrate that Judah has now humbled himself. The Holy One said to him: Behold, you have now let go of your former power, and spoken supplications. By your life, in spite of what I said (in Hos. 12:3 [2]): THE LORD HAS A LAWSUIT WITH JUDAH, I will instead be gracious and have compassion on you. It is so stated (in Is. 57:16): FOR I WILL NOT CARRY ON A LAWSUIT FOREVER. And the EVER (in FOREVER) is nothing but a reference to Judah, since it is stated (in Joel 4:20 [3:20]): BUT JUDAH SHALL BE INHABITED FOREVER.²⁹Since the FOR in FOREVER can mean AGAINST, Is. 57:16 is therefore understood to mean: FOR I WILL NOT CARRY ON A LAWSUIT AGAINST JUDAH.

(Gen. 19:24:) THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM < AND UPON GOMORRAH BRIMSTONE AND FIRE >…. Let our master instruct us: When a court has ordained a fast for the community so that rains may come down, and they do come down on that day, is it correct for them to finish it? Thus have our masters taught (in Ta'an. 25b [bar.]):⁶³The first half of the citation is also in Ta‘an. 3:9. IF THEY WERE FASTING, AND THE RAINS CAME DOWN BEFORE THE RISING OF THE SUN, THEY SHALL NOT FINISH IT. AFTER THE RISING OF THE SUN THEY SHALL FINISH IT. < THESE ARE > THE WORDS OF R. ME'IR, BUT R. JUDAH SAYS: BEFORE NOON THEY DO NOT COMPLETE IT; AFTER NOON THEY COMPLETE IT. And where did the generations (i.e., the sages) find support that they should fast on Monday and Thursday? < It is > simply < that >, when Israel committed that act (i.e., of the golden calf), Moses went up < onto the mountain > on a Thursday and came down on a Monday. How is it shown? R. Levi said: He went up on a Thursday. Now from Thursday through < the following > Thursday to the Thursday < after that > there are fifteen < days >. And from Sabbath eve through < the following > Sabbath eve to the Sabbath eve < after that > there are fifteen < days >, for a total of thirty. Also from Sabbath to Sabbath there are eight < days >, for a total of thirty-eight. Then a Sunday and a Monday make forty < days >⁶⁴The time Moses spent on Mount Sinai before he descended to discover Israel worshiping the golden calf. So Exod. 34:28; Deut. 9:9-11. Therefore, the sages have ruled that one should fast on Monday and on Thursday, on < the day of > Moses' ascent and on < that of > his descent. Now at the end of forty days they fasted and wept before Moses, so that the Holy One was filled with mercy for them and appointed that day for them as a day of atoning for their sins. And this was the Day of Atonement, as stated (in Lev. 16:30): FOR ON THIS DAY ATONEMENT SHALL BE MADE FOR YOU TO CLEANSE YOU. See how lovely repentance (rt.: ShVB) is! The Holy One said (in Mal. 3:7): RETURN (rt.: ShVB) UNTO ME AND I WILL RETURN (rt.: ShVB) UNTO YOU. For, if there are some sins on one's hand and that person returns to the Holy One, he credits him as if he had not sinned. Thus it is stated (in Ezek. 18:22): < NOT > ANY OF HIS SINS WHICH HE COMMITTED < SHALL BE REMEMBERED AGAINST HIM >…. But, when the Holy One has warned him a first time, and a second and a third, without him repenting, he exacts punishment from him, as stated (in Job 33:29): BEHOLD, GOD DOES ALL THESE THINGS < TWO OR THREE TIMES TO A PERSON >…. When he does not find pleasure in < such a > one, he immediately exacts punishment from him. You yourself know that it is so. When the Holy One desired to destroy Sodom and its people, Abraham stood and sought mercy for them. He thought that there might be hope for them, as stated (in Gen. 18:23): THEN ABRAHAM DREW NEAR AND SAID: < WILL YOU ALSO DESTROY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED > ? What is the meaning of DREW NEAR?⁶⁵Cf. Gen. R. 93:6. R. Joshua says: DREW NEAR is nothing but an expression relating to battle, as when it is stated (in II Sam. 10:13): SO JOAB AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM DREW NEAR TO THE BATTLE. R. Nehemiah says: It is nothing but an expression relating to prayer, as when it is stated (in I Kings 18:36): AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN IT WAS TIME TO PRESENT THE MEAL OFFERING, THE PROPHET ELIJAH DREW NEAR…. But the sages say: DREW NEAR is nothing but an expression of entreaty, as when it is stated (in Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM AND SAID: < PRAY, MY LORD, PLEASE LET YOUR SERVANT SPEAK >…. Abraham said to the Holy One (in Gen. 18:25): FAR BE IT FROM YOU < TO DO SUCH A THING >…. And he sought mercy for them until (in vss. 26-33) < his request > went down from fifty to ten. When he found no merit for them, the Divine Presence departed from him, as stated (in vs. 33): THEN THE LORD WENT AWAY WHEN HE HAD FINISHED…. Immediately the retribution came upon them. {Thus it is stated} [Where is it shown? From what we read on the matter] (in Gen. 19:24): THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM < AND UPON GOMORRAH BRIMSTONE AND FIRE >.

another explanation: "and Yehuda approached" - this is what it means when it was said with divine inspiration through Shlomo: "wisdom gives strength to the wise". Who did Shlomo say this reffering to? He only said it in reference to Yosef Hatzadik. Rabbi Yochonan said: At the time that Yosef took Binyomin and said to his brothers: "he in whose possession the goblet was found shall be my slave", Yehudo said :"You will seize Binyomin and there will be peace in fathers household?!"(there are 2 ways to understand this:1) You told us:"go back in peace to your father", what 'peace' is there if you have seized Binyomin?! or 2)you think that we will act peacefully towards you if you seize Binyomin?! -we will fight to get him back). Immedieately Yehudo got angry and roared with a loud voice and his voice went 400 parsa (note: an average person can walk 10 parso in one day) until Chushim son of Don heard (note:he was deaf) and jumped from the land of C'na'an and came next to Yehudo and they both roared and the land of Egypt was about (lit.wanted) to overturn. [Iyov said about them:"The roar of a lion and the sound of a cub". "The roar of a lion" refers to Yehudo, about whom it is written:"Yehudo is a young lion". "and the sound of a cub" is chushim son of Don, as both of them are compared to a lion (Yehudo and Don) as it says:"and to Don he said:Don is a young lion". "the teeth of lion cubs are confounded" - these are Yosef's mighty men, that when Yehudo got angry all of their teeth fell out....

"His hands will fight for him": in killing Esav. "And You shall be a help against his foes": as in his standing up against Joseph (Bereshith 44:18).