Another matter, “Judah approached [vayigash] him” – Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis. Rabbi Yehuda says: An approach for war, just as it says: “Yoav and the people who were with him advanced [vayigash] to the battle” (II Samuel 10:13). Rabbi Neḥemya says: An approach for conciliation, just as it says: “The children of Judah approached Joshua” (Joshua 14:6) – to placate him.13Members of the tribe of Judah sought to placate Joshua so that he would grant Caleb’s request.
The Rabbis say: An approach for prayer – “Elijah the prophet approached, and he said: Lord, God of …” (I Kings 18:36). Rabbi Elazar resolved it in accordance with all of them: If [I must engage in] war, I am coming; if [I must engage in] conciliation, I am coming, if [I must engage in] prayer, I am coming. “Please my lord [bi adoni]” (Genesis 44:18) – [take] me [bi] and not him [bei] – whether it is to fill water, it is I; for service, it is I; to split logs, it is I.14Judah was telling Joseph that he would be a better servant than Benjamin, and therefore Joseph should take him and not Benjamin.
Another matter, “Please my lord [bi adoni]” – injustice [baya] you are bringing upon us, my lord, as so you said to us: “Bring him down to me, [and I will set my eye upon him]” (Genesis 44:21); is this the setting of an eye? It is the opposite of what you said: It is blindness of the eye.15You obscured the truth from us. Rabbi Simon said:16This statement is an explanation of Judah’s argument that Joseph was acting unjustly in demanding that Benjamin become his slave.
It is written in our law books: “If he has nothing, he shall be sold for his theft” (Exodus 22:2), but this one has the means to pay. “May your servant please speak [a word in my lord's ears]” – may my words enter your ears. This one’s grandmother, because Pharaoh abducted her for one night, he and his household were stricken with leprosy, as it is written: “The Lord afflicted Pharaoh [and his household with great afflictions over the matter of Sarai, Abram’s wife]” (Genesis 12:17), take care that this person17A reference to Joseph himself. will not be stricken with leprosy.
The mother of this one died only due to our father’s curse. You cite it from here: “With whomever you find your gods, he shall not live” (Genesis 31:32);18The midrash understands that due to this statement, uttered by Jacob, Rachel died. take care that a curse will not take effect upon you and that man19A reference to Joseph himself. will die. Two of us entered a certain city and destroyed it in its entirety.
There it was on behalf of a female, here it is on behalf of a male.20Judah suspected that Joseph intended to sexually abuse Benjamin, and considered homosexual abuse to be worse than Shekhem’s abuse of Dina, or Pharoah’s intent to abuse Sarah (Etz Yosef). For coming against the apple of [Jacob’s] eye, against the host of the Holy One blessed be He, in whose regard it is stated: “He hovers over him all the day” (Deuteronomy 33:12),21The Sages viewed this verse as an allusion to the fact that the Temple was located in the territory of Benjamin (see Yoma 12a). all the more so.
Another matter, “may your servant please speak [yedaber na]…” – Rabbi Yirmeya bar Shemaya said: I will remove something [davar] from within and introduce pestilence [dever] into No,22Another name for Egypt, or the capital city of the Egyptian empire. and exterminate you. Rabbi Ḥanin said: When Judah was filled with rage, the hairs over his heart would rip through his garments and emerge, and he would place chunks of iron in his mouth and expel them as dust.
“As you are like Pharaoh” – just as Pharaoh decrees and does not fulfill, so, too, you decree and do not fulfill. Just as Pharaoh lusts after males, so, too, do you. Just as Pharaoh is king and you are second to him in the land of Egypt, so, too, my father is king in the land of Canaan and I am second to him. If I draw my sword, I will begin with you and conclude with Pharaoh your master.
Had he said: ‘I will begin with Pharaoh,’ [Joseph] would have left him alone. Since he said: ‘I will begin with you,’ [Joseph] signaled to Manasseh, who stamped one foot and the entire palace quaked. [Judah] said: ‘This is a stamp from Father’s household.’23No one but members of Jacob’s family were so powerful. When he saw that matters were thus,24When Judah saw he would not be able to overpower Manasseh (Etz Yosef). he began speaking gentle words – “my lord asked” (Genesis 44:19).