And do not become enraged with your servant, for you are like Pharaoh. (44:18) Rashi infers from these words that Judah spoke harshly to Joseph. This seems to be a complete turnaround from the brothers’ original attitude. When first overtaken by the royal messenger and accused of stealing the viceroy’s cup, they had expressed their readiness to accept a death decree for the culprit himself and enslavement for the rest of them. Now that Joseph was prepared to forego such severe punishment, accepting the enslavement of Benjamin and allowing the others off completely, where was the logic behind Judah’s “harshness”? Didn’t adapting such a tough stance imply an element of ingratitude on their part? Rabbi Yaakov of Lissa explains that the brothers were aware of their own power. They were perfectly capable of killing Pharaoh and escaping to Canaan. Nevertheless, when accused of stealing the viceroy’s cup, they accepted their fate with love of G-d and without argument. Why? Because they believed that what was happening was ordained from Heaven. As they themselves said to Joseph (44:16), “The Lord has found the sin of your servants, and now, we are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup was found.” The Lord had “found their sin” in selling Joseph into slavery, and now they were being called upon to suffer the consequences, by being enslaved themselves. Resistance was pointless; they simply bowed to G-d’s will and accepted their fate. But now, Joseph was planning to enslave Benjamin, who had had no part at all in the selling of Joseph, while setting the rest of them free. Clearly, this false accusation was wholly unrelated to the brothers’ sin, and there was no longer any reason for them to passively accept their fate. Therefore, they decided to speak harshly and, if necessary, to defend themselves.

Shabbat Shalom

Rabbi Jonathan Horowitz