Комментарий к Берешит 43:10

לולא התמהמהנו EXCEPT WE HAD LINGERED — through you, we would have already come back with Simeon and you would not have had this anxiety all these days.

כי לולא התמהמנו, the reason I volunteered to consider myself as having sinned against you forever if I fail to bring back Binyamin is only because it is absolutely clear to me that if we had not procrastinated ever since we told you what the man had said to us, or since we ran out of food,

כי לולא התמהמהנו, “for if we had not delayed, etc.” According to Rabbeinu Chananel the brothers made do with eating as little as possible until their father would raise the subject of a return trip to Egypt. The sons of Yaakov were very sensitive in their respect for the feelings of their father and did not brow beat him with their arguments, preferring to wait until Yaakov made the first move. Once Yaakov had shown willingness to let Binyamin travel, he also suggested five ways to help that trip become successful. First, he prepared a gift for the ruler of such a mighty country. Secondly, he told his sons to return the money which they had found in their sacks. It could have been an oversight on the part of a manager in Joseph’s household. Thirdly, he insisted that the money be returned for reasons of establishing their integrity as G’d-fearing people even if Joseph had never missed that money. Fourth, he authorised the brothers to take Binyamin with them. Fifth and last, he prayed that the Almighty would grant the brothers mercy when they would face the ruler of Egypt.