“They sat to eat bread, and they lifted their eyes and saw, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilad, and their camels were bearing spices, and balm, and ladanum, going to take them down to Egypt” (Genesis 37:25). “They sat to eat bread” – Rabbi Aḥva bar Ze’eira said: The transgression of the tribes is remembered forever; it gave hope to the world. “They sat to eat bread” – he gave everyone in the world bread to eat.49The sale of Joseph led to his appointment to viceroy in Egypt and to his role as dispenser of food during the famine.
“And they lifted their eyes and saw…” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: But is it not typical of the Ishmaelites to bear only hides and tar? Rather, see what the Holy One blessed be He prepared for that righteous one at that moment: Sacks filled with spices, so that the wind would blow through them [and provide a pleasant smell] to counteract the odor of the Arabs.50Because the Ishmaelites generally transported foul-smelling substances, they and their equipment had an unpleasant odor.
God arranged for the caravan carrying Joseph to Egypt to have pleasant-smelling spices in order to mask the foul, unpleasant odor. “Judah said to his brothers: What profit is it if we kill our brother and conceal his blood” (Genesis 37:26). “Judah said to his brothers…” – Rabbi Yehuda bar Ilai said: The verse is speaking in praise of Judah. In three places, Judah spoke before his brothers and they crowned him king over them.51They accepted his advice or his leadership.
“Judah said to his brothers”; “Judah and his brothers came [.…And Judah said]” (Genesis 44:14);52This was after Benjamin was caught with Joseph’s goblet; Judah led the brothers in their return to Joseph and spoke as their representative. “Judah approached him [and said]” (Genesis 44:18).53This was after Joseph informed them that Benjamin would be his slave. Judah again spoke on behalf of the brothers, argued for Benjamin’s release, and offered to take Benjamin’s place as a slave.
“Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, and let our hand not be upon him, for he is our brother, our own flesh. His brothers heeded him” (Genesis 37:27). “Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites” – they said: Let us adopt the way of the world. Canaan, who sinned,54Canaan reported Noah’s nakedness to Noah’s sons (see Bereshit Rabba 36:7). was he not cursed to be a slave?
This one, too, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites.55Joseph had slandered his brothers (Genesis 37:2; see above, section 7). Therefore, they considered him worthy of a similar fate to that of Canaan. “His brothers heeded him.”