The Parsha that we will read this Shabbat, B'ezrat Hashem, is Parshat Vayigash. The Parsha deals with the meeting of Yosef HaTzaddik with his brothers; after Yosef reveals his identity to them after 22 years: אֲנִי יוֹסֵף הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי – I am Yosef, is my father still alive? The Torah states:
וְלֹא יָכֹל יוֹסֵף לְהִתְאַפֵּק לְכֹל הַנִּצָבִים עָלָיו וַיִּקְרָא הוֹצִיאוּ כָל אִישׁ מֵעָלָי וְלֹא עָמַד אִישׁ אִתּוֹ בְּהִתְוַדַּע יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו: וַיִּתֵּן אֶת קֹלוֹ בִּבְכִי וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ מִצְרַיִם וַיִּשְׁמַע בֵּית פַּרְעֹה: וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו אֲנִי יוֹסֵף הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי וְלֹא יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו לַעֲנוֹת אֹתוֹ כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו :
And Yosef could not restrain himself before all who stood before him, and he called out, "Remove everyone from before me!" And no one stood with him when Yosef made himself known to his brothers. And he wept aloud, and Egypt heard, and Pharaoh's house heard. And Yosef said to his brothers, "I am Yosef. Is my father still alive?" And his brothers could not answer him, for they were terrified before him.
The Gemara (Chagiga 4b) states: When Rabbi Elazar reached this pasuk, and the description of the brothers being unable to answer Yosef because they were terrified, he would weep and say: If such is the rebuke of flesh and blood, how much more so the rebuke of Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
From Rabbi Elazar's words, it appears that Yosef's words to his brothers contained a rebuke. Yet at first glance, there was no rebuke at all. He essentially said only "I am Yosef; is my father still alive?" He did not say to them 'woe and alas,' nor did he threaten them in any way. The Maharsha addresses this and says that in fact there was no rebuke at that moment, but the brothers all understood that the rebuke would come later. He says it is like, l’havdil, someone who committed a crime, knowing that one day the officers would come and seize him. So even though there was no direct rebuke at that moment, the brothers knew it would come.
Chazal say (Bereishit Rabbah 93:10): Woe to us from the day of judgment, woe to us from the day of rebuke. Bilaam, the wise man of the idolaters, could not withstand the rebuke of his donkey; Yosef was the youngest of the tribes, and his brothers could not withstand his rebuke. How much more so when Hakadosh Baruch Hu comes and rebukes each and every one according to what he is, as it says:
אוֹכִיחֲךָ וְאֶעֶרְכָה לְעֵינֶיךָ – I will rebuke you and lay the matter before your eyes (Tehillim 50:21).
The question arises: What is the meaning of the Pasuk brought by this Midrash, and what is being said that is different from what Rabbi Elazar said?
Chazal, in the next Midrash (93:10), bring another teaching:
רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן עֲזַרְיָה אָמַר אוֹי לָנוּ מִיּוֹם הַדִּין אוֹי לָנוּ מִיּוֹם הַתּוֹכֵחָה, יוסף הצדיק שהוא בשר ודם כשהוכיח את אחיו לא יכלו לעמוד בתוכחתו, הקדוש ברוך הוא שהוא דיין ובעל דין ויושב על כסא דין ודן כל אחד ואחד, על אחת כמה וכמה שאין כל בשר ודם יכולים לעמוד לפניו.
Rabbi Elazar ben Azariah said: Woe to us from the Day of Judgment, woe to us from the Day of Rebuke. If Yosef HaTzaddik, who was flesh and blood, when he rebuked his brothers they could not stand before his rebuke, then Hakadosh Baruch Hu, who is Judge and Litigant and sits on the throne of judgment and judges each and every one, how much more so that no flesh and blood can stand before Him.
The Beis HaLevi comes and says that there is an incomprehensible question here; Yosef came to the brothers and said to them: “אֲנִי יוֹסֵף הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי – I am Yosef; is my father still alive?" What kind of question is this?
In last week's Parsha, the brothers go back down to Eretz Yisrael to bring Binyamin, and they have a concern that upon returning to Egypt, they’ll be accused of stealing money. Why? Because money was found in their sacks! Their father, Yaakov Avinu, does not agree to let them take Binyamin with them despite Yosef warning that without the youngest brother in tow, they have no reason to return. Reuven immediately offers him his two sons to be killed if they don't return Binyamin safely – but this doesn't succeed. Yehuda then says to wait until the food runs out in the house, and then Yaakov will have no choice but to let them take Binyamin to Egypt – and this plays out. The food runs out, and Yehuda asks to take Binyamin back to Egypt.
וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמָה הֲרֵעֹתֶם לִי לְהַגִּיד לָאִישׁ הַעוֹד לָכֶם אָח: וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁאוֹל שָׁאַל הָאִישׁ לָנוּ וּלְמוֹלַדְתֵּנוּ לֵאמֹר הַעוֹד אֲבִיכֶם חַי הֲיֵשׁ לָכֶם אָח וַנַּגֶּד לוֹ עַל פִּי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הֲיָדוֹעַ נֵדַע כִּי יֹאמַר הוֹרִידוּ אֶת אֲחִיכֶם: וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה אֶל יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִיו שִׁלְחָה הַנַּעַר אִתִּי וְנָקוּמָה וְנֵלֵכָה וְנִחְיֶה וְלֹא נָמוּת גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם אַתָּה גַּם טַפֵּנוּ: אָנֹכִי אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ מִיָּדִי תְּבַקְשֶׁנּוּ אִם לֹא הֲבִיאֹתִיו אֵלֶיךָ וְהִצַּגְתִּיו לְפָנֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְךָ כָּל הַיָּמִים ... וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲבִיהֶם אִם כֵּן אֵפוֹא זֹאת עֲשׂוּ קְחוּ מִזִּמְרַת הָאָרֶץ בִּכְלֵיכֶם וְהוֹרִידוּ לָאִישׁ מִנְחָה מְעַט צֳרִי וּמְעַט דְּבַשׁ נְכֹאת וָלֹט בָּטְנִים וּשְׁקֵדִים: וְכֶסֶף מִשְׁנֶה קְחוּ בְיֶדְכֶם וְאֶת הַכֶּסֶף הַמּוּשָׁב בְּפִי אַמְתְּחֹתֵיכֶם תָּשִׁיבוּ בְיֶדְכֶם אוּלַי מִשְׁגֶּה הוּא :
And Yisrael said: Why did you deal ill with me by telling the man that you had another brother? And they said: The man asked repeatedly about us and our family, saying: Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother? And we told him according to these words. Could we possibly know that he would say: Bring down your brother? And Yehuda said to Yisrael his father: Send the lad with me, and let us arise and go, that we may live and not die - we, you, and our children. I will be surety for him; from my hand you shall require him. If I do not bring him to you and set him before you, then I shall have sinned against you forever... And Yisrael their father said to them: If it must be so, then do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your vessels and bring down to the man as a gift - a little balm and a little honey, gum, ladanum, nuts and almonds. And take double money in your hand; and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks, return it in your hand - perhaps it was an error.
The brothers return to Egypt with Binyamin and arrive at Yosef's palace. They approach the steward, who is none other than Menashe.
וַיִּגְּשׁוּ אֶל הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר עַל בֵּית יוֹסֵף וַיְדַבְּרוּ אֵלָיו פֶּתַח הַבָּיִת: וַיֹּאמְרוּ בִּי אֲדֹנִי יָרֹד יָרַדְנוּ בַּתְּחִלָּה לִשְׁבָּר אֹכֶל: וַיְהִי כִּי בָאנוּ אֶל הַמָּלוֹן וַנִּפְתְּחָה אֶת אַמְתְּחֹתֵינוּ וְהִנֵּה כֶסֶף אִישׁ בְּפִי אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ כַּסְפֵּנוּ בְּמִשְׁקָלוֹ וַנָּשֶׁב אֹתוֹ בְּיָדֵנוּ: וְכֶסֶף אַחֵר הוֹרַדְנוּ בְיָדֵנוּ לִשְׁבָּר אֹכֶל לֹא יָדַעְנוּ מִי שָׂם כַּסְפֵּנוּ בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵינוּ: וַיֹּאמֶר שָׁלוֹם לָכֶם אַל תִּירָאוּ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבִיכֶם נָתַן לָכֶם מַטְמוֹן בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵיכֶם כַּסְפְּכֶם בָּא אֵלָי וַיּוֹצֵא אֲלֵהֶם אֶת שִׁמְעוֹן: וַיָּבֵא הָאִישׁ אֶת הָאֲנָשִׁים בֵּיתָה יוֹסֵף וַיִּתֵּן מַיִם וַיִּרְחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיהֶם וַיִּתֵּן מִסְפּוֹא לַחֲמֹרֵיהֶם :
They approached the man who was over Yosef's house and spoke to him at the entrance of the house. They said, "Please, my lord, we indeed came down the first time to buy food. When we came to the lodging place and opened our sacks, behold, each man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in its full weight, and we have brought it back in our hand. We have brought down other money in our hand to buy food. We do not know who put our money in our sacks." He said, "Peace be with you, do not fear. Your G-d and the G-d of your father has given you treasure in your sacks; your money came to me." And he brought Shimon out to them. The man brought the men into Yosef's house and gave them water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.
The brothers are then invited to be hosted in Yosef's house – a very puzzling thing.
וַיָּכִינוּ אֶת הַמִּנְחָה עַד בּוֹא יוֹסֵף בַּצָּהֳרָיִם כִּי שָׁמְעוּ כִּי שָׁם יֹאכְלוּ לָחֶם: וַיָּבֹא יוֹסֵף הַבַּיְתָה וַיָּבִיאוּ לוֹ אֶת הַמִּנְחָה אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם הַבַּיְתָה וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ אָרְצָה: וַיִּשְׁאַל לָהֶם לְשָׁלוֹם וַיֹּאמֶר הֲשָׁלוֹם אֲבִיכֶם הַזָּקֵן אֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם הַעוֹדֶנּוּ חָי וַיֹּאמְרוּ שָׁלוֹם לְעַבְדֶּךָ לְאָבִינוּ עוֹדֶנּוּ חָי וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ: וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת בִּנְיָמִין אָחִיו בֶּן אִמּוֹ וַיֹּאמֶר הֲזֶה אֲחִיכֶם הַקָּטֹן אֲשֶׁר אֲמַרְתֶּם אֵלָי וַיֹּאמַר אֱלֹהִים יָחְנֶךָ בְּנִי.
They prepared the gift until Yosef came at noon, for they heard that they would eat bread there. Yosef came to the house, and they brought him the gift that was in their hand into the house, and they bowed down to him to the ground. He asked them of their welfare and said, "Is your elderly father well, of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?" They said, "Your servant our father is well; he is still alive." And they bowed their heads and prostrated themselves. He lifted his eyes and saw Binyamin his brother, his mother's son, and said, "Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?" And he said, "May G-d be gracious to you, my son."
Rabbotai, when did this entire event occur? Chazal say (Bamidbar Rabbah, 14:2) that Yosef observed Shabbat before it was given, and the preparations mentioned are his preparations for Shabbat. Thus, it was on Yom Shishi.
The Ramban writes in one place that the journey from Eretz Yisrael to Egypt takes six days, and in another place he writes eight days. This is not unreasonable, because the journey to one city could take six days, and to another city eight days – just as from Israel to New York the flight takes 12 hours, and from Israel to Miami the flight takes 13 hours.
The moment the brothers arrived, Yosef asks them "How is your father – is he still alive?" They reply that their father is well, they then bow down and prostrate themselves, and from this point on they don't leave the place; they remain in the palace the entire time.
Looking at Yosef’s question – "Is your elderly father, who you spoke of, well? Is he still alive?" – we asked what type of question is this? After all, he already met them just earlier on Erev Shabbat and asked the question, so what could have changed in one day?!
The Beis HaLevi says the answer lies in the words הַעוֹדֶנּוּ חָי – Is he still alive? The rebuke is laid out here.
In our Parsha, Yosef hears words of defense from Yehuda, after last week hearing him declare that whoever is found with the goblet shall be sentenced to death. Yehuda’s verdict was not accepted, however, as Menashe told him there's no need to kill the thief, rather they'll take him as a slave and the rest of the family will return home. Menashe lightened the punishment. While the brothers judged him as a Ben Noach (a non-Jew), where a thief is liable for death, Menashe followed the Torah's ruling, that if someone steals and has nothing with which to pay, he is sold as a slave (and not sentenced to death).
This week's Parsha opens with something new:
וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה: אֲדֹנִי שָׁאַל אֶת עֲבָדָיו לֵאמֹר הֲיֵשׁ לָכֶם אָב אוֹ אָח: וַנֹּאמֶר אֶל אֲדֹנִי יֶשׁ לָנוּ אָב זָקֵן וְיֶלֶד זְקֻנִים קָטָן וְאָחִיו מֵת וַיִּוָּתֵר הוּא לְבַדּוֹ לְאִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו אֲהֵבוֹ
And Yehuda approached him and said: Please, my lord, let your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and let not your anger burn against your servant, for you are like Pharaoh. My lord asked his servants, saying: Do you have a father or a brother? And we said to my lord: We have an old father and a young child of his old age, and his brother is dead, and he alone remains to his mother, and his father loves him.
Rashi says that Yehuda, out of fear, was uttering falsehood when saying Binyamin’s brother – Yosef – had been killed. He feared that any hint of yet another living brother would result in Yosef demanding that he too be brought to Egypt!
וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל עֲבָדֶיךָ הוֹרִדֻהוּ אֵלָי וְאָשִׂימָה עֵינִי עָלָיו: וַנֹּאמֶר אֶל אֲדֹנִי לֹא יוּכַל הַנַּעַר לַעֲזֹב אֶת אָבִיו וְעָזַב אֶת אָבִיו וָמֵת: וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל עֲבָדֶיךָ אִם לֹא יֵרֵד אֲחִיכֶם הַקָּטֹן אִתְּכֶם לֹא תֹסִפוּן לִרְאוֹת פָּנָי: וַיְהִי כִּי עָלִינוּ אֶל עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי וַנַּגֶּד לוֹ אֵת דִּבְרֵי אֲדֹנִי: וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִינוּ שֻׁבוּ שִׁבְרוּ לָנוּ מְעַט אֹכֶל: וַנֹּאמֶר לֹא נוּכַל לָרֶדֶת אִם יֵשׁ אָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אִתָּנוּ וְיָרַדְנוּ כִּי לֹא נוּכַל לִרְאוֹת פְּנֵי הָאִישׁ וְאָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ: וַיֹּאמֶר עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי אֵלֵינוּ אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי שְׁנַיִם יָלְדָה לִּי אִשְׁתִּי: וַיֵּצֵא הָאֶחָד מֵאִתִּי וָאֹמַר אַךְ טָרֹף טֹרָף וְלֹא רְאִיתִיו עַד הֵנָּה: וּלְקַחְתֶּם גַּם אֶת זֶה מֵעִם פָּנַי וְקָרָהוּ אָסוֹן וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת שֵׂיבָתִי בְּרָעָה שְׁאוֹלָה: וְעַתָּה כְּבֹאִי אֶל עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ קְשׁוּרָה בְנַפְשׁוֹ: וְהָיָה כִּרְאוֹתוֹ כִּי אֵין הַנַּעַר וָמֵת וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת שֵׂיבַת עַבְדְּךָ אָבִינוּ בְּיָגוֹן שְׁאוֹלָה: כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת הַנַּעַר מֵעִם אָבִי לֵאמֹר אִם לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כָּל הַיָּמִים: וְעַתָּה יֵשֶׁב נָא עַבְדְּךָ תַּחַת הַנַּעַר עֶבֶד לַאדֹנִי וְהַנַּעַר יַעַל עִם אֶחָיו: כִּי אֵיךְ אֶעֱלֶה אֶל אָבִי וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתִּי פֶּן אֶרְאֶה בָרָע אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא אֶת אָבִי :
And you said to your servants, 'Bring him down to me, and I will set my eyes upon him.' And we said to my lord, 'The lad cannot leave his father; if he leaves his father, he will die.' And you said to your servants, 'If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you shall not see my face again.' And when we went up to your servant my father, we told him my lord's words. And our father said, 'Go back, buy us a little food.' And we said, 'We cannot go down; if our youngest brother is with us, then we will go down, for we cannot see the man's face unless our youngest brother is with us.' And your servant my father said to us, 'You know that my wife bore me two sons. And one went out from me, and I said, "Surely he has been torn to pieces," and I have not seen him since.' If you take this one also from me and harm befalls him, you will bring down my gray hair in evil to the grave. Now when I come to your servant my father and the youth is not with us, and his soul is bound up with his soul, when he sees that the youth is not there, he will die, and your servants will bring down the gray hair of your servant our father in sorrow to the grave. For your servant became surety for the youth to my father, saying, 'If I do not bring him to you, then I shall bear the blame before my father forever.' Now therefore, please let your servant remain instead of the youth as a servant to my lord, and let the youth go up with his brothers. For how can I go up to my father if the youth is not with me? I cannot bear to see the evil that would come upon my father.
What exactly is Yehuda talking about here? He's not discussing the theft at all. He constantly brings up what will happen to Father, that Father can’t endure it, that Father would die. Chazal say he was trying to arouse heavenly compassion in doing so. Yehuda said to Yosef: "Listen, my father is a story of troubles – he was single until age 77, studying in the yeshiva of Shem v’Ever until going to Charan to find a wife. Except he was then deceived by his father-in-law and given his wife-to-be’s sister instead! And he was then forced to work another seven years, and so on and so forth. Then when we came to Eretz Yisrael, his wife died after only 15 years of marriage and left him with three infants! Then he buried Leah his wife, after 25 years of marriage, and so on and so forth." Yehuda wanted to show Yosef that their father was simply a ‘broken vessel' and all he had left was Binyamin. He tried to touch his heart, only to be told by Yosef: "I am Yosef – is my father still alive?" In other words, “Is this a different father than the one I had before I was sold?! Before you sold me, wasn't my father already a widower?! Isn't my father the same one who was deceived in Charan?! Why didn't you have these same considerations that you're playing for me now, when you sold me?! Why are you only bringing up these considerations now?!"
אוֹכִיחֲךָ וְאֶעֶרְכָה לְעֵינֶיךָ – I will rebuke you and lay the matter before your eyes. Sometimes a person has nothing whatsoever to answer. But when they prove to him that what he's saying works against him, that is exactly what he says! If that's the case, we can proceed onward. I want to bring another argument that Yehuda made, and through this argument he made, Yosef himself proves to him that his entire speech here in the Parsha contradicts everything he did.
On what basis did the brothers judge Yosef? There is a dispute in Chazal: Did they judge him as one who rebels against the kingdom (מוֹרֵד בַּמַּלְכוּת) since they had appointed Yehuda over them and one who disputes the kingdom is liable to death? Or did they judge him according to the law of the pursuer (רוֹדֵף)? And what did the brothers ultimately decide? They decided he was subject to death! But Yehuda and came said to them: “What good would it do to kill him? What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood? Let’s sell him to the Yishmaelim, and not lay our hands on him, for he is our brother and flesh.” And the brothers listened to him.
Rabbotai, is there a possibility that after judgment has been passed on a person, the person can submit a plea for mercy? Can he say, "I did the deed. But I request mercy!" Is the person entitled to this? Yehuda ruled no – there is no possibility to appeal! What is the proof of this? When the brothers arrive in Egypt and Yosef accuses them of being spies, what do the brothers say to one another? They confess!
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו אֲבָל אֲשֵׁמִים אֲנַחְנוּ עַל אָחִינוּ אֲשֶׁר רָאִינוּ צָרַת נַפְשׁוֹ בְּהִתְחַנְנוֹ אֵלֵינוּ וְלֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ עַל כֵּן בָּאָה אֵלֵינוּ הַצָּרָה הַזֹּאת
And they said one to another: Indeed we are guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the distress of his soul when he pleaded with us, and we did not listen; therefore this distress has come upon us.
The Seforno writes, the brothers said: “We were cruel toward our brother; even though we considered him a pursuer, we should have had mercy when he pleaded, and corresponding to our measure of cruelty, this man is being cruel toward us!”
The Midrash says that the brothers were tzadikkim, and they had no sin except the sin of selling Yosef! Who among us can say he has only one sin in his arsenal?! But Binyamin didn't even have that one sin! He died בְּעֵטְיוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ – through the serpent's scheme, and without sin (Bava Batra 17a; Shabbat 55b).
Yet, the brothers judge Yosef and decide he deserves death. And what do they do with him? The Sefer HaYashar details what took place (Vayeshev, 47):
When Yosef came to his brothers and sat before them, they rose up against him and seized him and threw him to the ground and stripped him of his coat of many colors that was upon him. They took him and cast him into the pit, and the pit was empty with no water in it, only snakes and scorpions. Yosef feared the snakes and scorpions that were in the pit. Yosef cried out with a loud voice, and Hakadosh Baruch Hu hid the snakes and the scorpions in the walls of the pit and they did not harm Yosef. Yosef called out from within the pit to his brothers and said to them: What have I done to you and what have I sinned? Why do you not fear G-d on my behalf? Am I not your own flesh and blood, and is not Yaakov your father my father as well? Why do you do this to me today and how will you lift your faces before Yaakov my father? He cried out and called to his brothers from within the pit and said: Yehuda, Reuven, Shimon, and Levi, my brothers, lift me out of the darkness in which you have placed me and see today the face of G-d and the face of Yaakov my father. And if I have sinned against you, are you not the children of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov? For if they saw an orphan they would have mercy on him, and if he was hungry they would feed him bread, and if he was thirsty they would give him water, and if he was naked they would clothe him. And how do you not have mercy on your brother, for you are my own flesh and blood? And if I have sinned against you, would you not do this for the sake of my father? Yosef spoke all these words from within the pit, but his brothers did not listen to him and did not turn their ears to all of Yosef's words. He cried and wept within the pit. Yosef said: Who will tell my father what my brothers have done to me and the words they spoke to me today? All his brothers heard his cry and his weeping within the pit, and his brothers went and distanced themselves from the pit so they would not hear Yosef's cry and his weeping in the pit. They went and sat opposite at a distance, like the range of a bow's shot, and sat there to eat bread.
Now, Yehuda stands and rules on the judgment of the (goblet) thief, decreeing a death sentence! But moments later he cries before Yosef: "My Father... my father... my father..." – and Yosef is unmoved by it! “You just ruled that when someone must be killed, they are killed; so, it doesn't matter about father or mother!”
In the Midrash, Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said: Woe to us from the day of judgment, woe to us from the day of rebuke. When a person comes before the heavenly court, they will be judged the way they judged the creatures! "Ah! This is how you ruled below – you ruled that cries and mercy don't matter!"
Yosef said to him: "I am Yosef – do you remember that you put me in the pit?! Is my father still alive? When I told you what would happen to father, what did you say?! You left! You didn't want to hear my cries! And now you try to arouse mercy for the sake of father?!"
אוֹי לָנוּ מִיּוֹם הַדִּין אוֹי לָנוּ מִיּוֹם הַתּוֹכֵחָה – Woe to us from the day of judgment, woe to us from the day of rebuke. This is the terrible fear; when a person issues a judgment in this world, he doesn't know from where his own judgment will later come!
After Yehuda finishes speaking and Yosef is not overly moved, he begins to threaten: "כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה וְאַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ"
