Komentarz do Rodzaju 47:19

ותן זרע GIVE US SEED — to sow in the ground. Although Joseph had said (Genesis 45:6) “And there are yet five years when there will be no plowing and sowing”, as soon as Jacob came to Egypt a blessing came with his arrival: they began to sow and the famine came to an end. Thus do we read in the Tosefta of Sotah (Tosefta Sotah 10:3).

BUY US AND OUR LAND. Now they said to him that he should also purchase their bodies as servants for Pharaoh, and thus did Joseph say, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land.²⁵⁴Verse 23 here. However, Scripture records, And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field,²⁵⁵Verse 20 here. but it does not say that he bought their bodies, only the land. The reason for it is that the Egyptians told Joseph that he should purchase them as servants to perform the king’s business as he pleases. But Joseph wanted to buy only the land, and he made a condition with them that they work on it forever, thus becoming Pharaoh’s family tenants. Afterwards he said to them, “Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh,²⁵⁴Verse 23 here. not as servants as you told me, but you will belong to him with the land. Now it is proper that the king, who is now lord of the land, take four parts of the harvest and that you take the remaining fifth, but I will deal kindly with you in that you will take the portion due to the owner of the land, and Pharaoh will take the portion due the tenant. However, you will be sold to him in that you will not be able to leave the fields.” This is the meaning of that which they vowed to him, And the land will not be desolate²⁵⁶Verse 19 here. meaning that it will never be desolate. For this reason they said to Joseph, “We have found favor in the sight of my lord,²⁵⁷Verse 25 here. for you have been lenient with us by permitting us to take four parts of the harvest so that we may use them to live, and we will be Pharaoh’s servants,²⁵⁷Verse 25 here. as we have vowed, in that we will work the ground in accordance with his will.”
Vayechi

למה נמות לעיניך?, even assuming that both the money and the livestock had completely been exhausted, it is not be fair to let us die because we have no means to pay