The parsha begins with Yehudah’s plea to Yosef, in which Yehudah said, “For you are like Pharoah” [Bereishis 44:18].
The Medrash comments that at this moment, “the kings joined in battle”. It was a clash of titans: Yehudah and Yosef. We understand why the Medrash considers Yosef a king. After all, he was the de facto ruler of the land of Egypt. But in what sense was Yehudah considered a king?
It is true that later on, in Parshas Vayechi, Yaakov designates Yehudah as the tribe of kingship. But at this point in time, nothing has really transpired that would make Yehudah into the king. Why then does the Medrash refer to him as a king?
Perhaps the answer is that the king is ultimately the person who is responsible for the decisions and destiny of his nation. The bottom line is that responsibility resides with the leader of a nation. He must decide when to send the nation into war and when to sue for peace. Kingship equals responsibility.
When Yehudah came forth and committed to his father Yaakov, “I will be responsible for him (Binyamin), from my hand you may seek him...” [43:9], he became the king. At the point in time when he put his life on the line by personally guaranteeing his brother’s safety, there was a metamorphosis. He changed from being just another brother to being the king.
This explains another difficulty. Only two pasukim [verses] earlier, at the end of Parshas Miketz, when it was thought that Binyamin was ‘guilty’, Yehudah seemed to act quite differently. He acted meekly, prostrated himself in front of Yosef, confessed to the brothers’ guilt, and offered himself and all his other brothers into slavery. Suddenly, two pasukim later, Yehudah spoke with confidence and even arrogance towards Yosef [See Rashi Bereishis 44:18].
What suddenly happened to Yehudah? Only two pasukim earlier, he was this weak little fellow, begging to be Pharoah’s slave. Now he is suddenly on the attack. He is aggressive and assertive, standing up for what is right. What suddenly happened to gentle, mild-mannered, and servile Yehudah?
Rav Yosef Leb Bloch explains that Yehudah had remembered his acceptance of responsibility. Once he remembered the commitment of “I will be his guarantor,” he underwent a metamorphosis. He could no longer play the role of the weak, gentle, and servile brother. “I’m in charge. The buck stops here. It is my responsibility.” Yehudah experienced a personality change. He was now a different person. “I accepted responsibility, and I must do what I must do to live up to that responsibility.”
We see this many times. The fact that a person accepts responsibility changes him. “Some people are born great; some people achieve greatness; and some people have greatness thrust upon them.” [Winston Churchill]. Yehudah had greatness thrust upon him and he rose to the challenge.
