וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָמָ֥ה הֲרֵעֹתֶ֖ם לִ֑י לְהַגִּ֣יד לָאִ֔ישׁ הַע֥וֹד לָכֶ֖ם אָֽח׃
以色列說：«你們為何這樣害我，告訴那人你們還有一個弟弟呢？»
Shemot Rabbah
God said to Moses: ‘Tell Israel what you [all] should be doing, [and say:] You should know that He will smite Egypt,’ as it is stated: “The Lord will pass to smite Egypt, [and He will see the blood on the lintel, and on the two doorposts, and the Lord will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come to your houses to smite you]” (Exodus 12:23).
Rabbi Levi said: What is “the Lord will pass [ve’avar]”? The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I will renege [over] on what I said.’ This is analogous to a king whose son went to a barbaric foreign country. The barbarians stood and received him and crowned him king over them. The king heard and said: ‘What honor can I accord to these [people] who exalted my son and crowned him king over them? I will call the name of that province after my son.’ Sometime later, they reconsidered and cursed the king’s son and enslaved him. The king said: ‘I will renege on the honor that I accorded them; I will go out and wage war against them and rescue my son.’ Similarly, Joseph descended to Egypt and they received him and crowned him king over them, as it is stated: “Joseph was the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6). They honored Jacob, as it is stated: “Egypt wept for him seventy days” (Genesis 50:3). The Holy One blessed be He said: What honor will I accord Egypt? I will call it by the name of the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt” (Genesis 13:10). When they changed their minds and enslaved [the Israelites], the Holy One blessed be He said: “I will pass through the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12). I am reneging on that honor and I will render it desolation, as it is stated: “Egypt will become desolation” (Joel 4:19).
Rabbi Levi said: What is “the Lord will pass [ve’avar]”? The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I will renege [over] on what I said.’ This is analogous to a king whose son went to a barbaric foreign country. The barbarians stood and received him and crowned him king over them. The king heard and said: ‘What honor can I accord to these [people] who exalted my son and crowned him king over them? I will call the name of that province after my son.’ Sometime later, they reconsidered and cursed the king’s son and enslaved him. The king said: ‘I will renege on the honor that I accorded them; I will go out and wage war against them and rescue my son.’ Similarly, Joseph descended to Egypt and they received him and crowned him king over them, as it is stated: “Joseph was the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6). They honored Jacob, as it is stated: “Egypt wept for him seventy days” (Genesis 50:3). The Holy One blessed be He said: What honor will I accord Egypt? I will call it by the name of the Garden of Eden, as it is stated: “Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt” (Genesis 13:10). When they changed their minds and enslaved [the Israelites], the Holy One blessed be He said: “I will pass through the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12). I am reneging on that honor and I will render it desolation, as it is stated: “Egypt will become desolation” (Joel 4:19).
Bereshit Rabbah
“The famine was severe in the land” (Genesis 43:1).
“It was, when they had consumed the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them: Return, acquire a little food for us” (Genesis 43:2).
“Judah said to him, saying: The man forewarned us, saying: You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you” (Genesis 43:3).
“If you send our brother with us, we will go down and acquire food for you” (Genesis 43:4).
“But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us: You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you” (Genesis 43:5).
“The famine was severe… It was, when they had consumed…Judah said to him… If you send… But if you will not send…” – They said to [Jacob]: What, will he say to us reasonable matters and we respond to him with nonsense?59They argued to Jacob that Joseph had made a reasonable demand by saying that they should bring Benjamin to Egypt in order to prove the veracity of their claims. If the brothers were to return without Benjamin, and say that they could not bring him lest he be harmed along the way, Joseph could be expected to reject that explanation as nonsensical.
“Israel said: Why have you done me wrong, to tell the man that you have another brother?” (Genesis 43:6).
“Israel said: Why have you done me wrong…” – Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: Jacob never spoke nonsense.60Jacob never attributed his troubles to chance; he always realized that God was directing the events of his life – except for on this occasion (Etz Yosef). Rather, this is what the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I am involved in crowning his son in Egypt, and he says: “Why have you done me wrong?”’ That is what is said: “[Why do you say, Jacob…]: My way is hidden from the Lord, and from my God” (Isaiah 40:27).
“They said: The man asked regarding us and regarding our relatives, saying: Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother? We told him regarding those matters; could we know that he would say: Bring your brother down?” (Genesis 43:7).
“They said: The man asked [regarding us and regarding our relatives]” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He revealed to us even the wood of our cradles.61The word “our relatives [moladtenu]” can also be understood to mean “our birthplace” or “the conditions of our birth." Joseph knew what their cradles had been made out of, and asked if they still existed (Etz Yosef).
“Judah said to Israel his father: Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, and we will live, and not die, both we, and you, and our children” (Genesis 43:8).
“I will guarantee him; from me you can demand him; if I do not bring him back to you, and present him before you, I will have sinned to you forever” (Genesis 43:9).
“Judah said to Israel his father” – it is preferable for one person to be in a state of uncertainty than for all of us to be in a state of certainty.62If Benjamin does not accompany us, we will all certainly starve to death. “I will guarantee him…forever [kol hayamim]” – this is the World to Come, which is entirely day [shekulo yom].63I will have sinned against you even in the World to Come.
“It was, when they had consumed the grain that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them: Return, acquire a little food for us” (Genesis 43:2).
“Judah said to him, saying: The man forewarned us, saying: You shall not see my face, unless your brother is with you” (Genesis 43:3).
“If you send our brother with us, we will go down and acquire food for you” (Genesis 43:4).
“But if you will not send him, we will not go down, for the man said to us: You shall not see my face unless your brother is with you” (Genesis 43:5).
“The famine was severe… It was, when they had consumed…Judah said to him… If you send… But if you will not send…” – They said to [Jacob]: What, will he say to us reasonable matters and we respond to him with nonsense?59They argued to Jacob that Joseph had made a reasonable demand by saying that they should bring Benjamin to Egypt in order to prove the veracity of their claims. If the brothers were to return without Benjamin, and say that they could not bring him lest he be harmed along the way, Joseph could be expected to reject that explanation as nonsensical.
“Israel said: Why have you done me wrong, to tell the man that you have another brother?” (Genesis 43:6).
“Israel said: Why have you done me wrong…” – Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: Jacob never spoke nonsense.60Jacob never attributed his troubles to chance; he always realized that God was directing the events of his life – except for on this occasion (Etz Yosef). Rather, this is what the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I am involved in crowning his son in Egypt, and he says: “Why have you done me wrong?”’ That is what is said: “[Why do you say, Jacob…]: My way is hidden from the Lord, and from my God” (Isaiah 40:27).
“They said: The man asked regarding us and regarding our relatives, saying: Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother? We told him regarding those matters; could we know that he would say: Bring your brother down?” (Genesis 43:7).
“They said: The man asked [regarding us and regarding our relatives]” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: He revealed to us even the wood of our cradles.61The word “our relatives [moladtenu]” can also be understood to mean “our birthplace” or “the conditions of our birth." Joseph knew what their cradles had been made out of, and asked if they still existed (Etz Yosef).
“Judah said to Israel his father: Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go, and we will live, and not die, both we, and you, and our children” (Genesis 43:8).
“I will guarantee him; from me you can demand him; if I do not bring him back to you, and present him before you, I will have sinned to you forever” (Genesis 43:9).
“Judah said to Israel his father” – it is preferable for one person to be in a state of uncertainty than for all of us to be in a state of certainty.62If Benjamin does not accompany us, we will all certainly starve to death. “I will guarantee him…forever [kol hayamim]” – this is the World to Come, which is entirely day [shekulo yom].63I will have sinned against you even in the World to Come.