Jacob Told His Sons Since You Are Strong and Handsome

"And Jacob said to his sons, Why do you look upon one another?" (Genesis 42:1). Jacob said to his sons: You are mighty men, you are handsome; do not enter through one gate and do not stand in one place, lest the evil eye gain power over you. "Behold, I have heard that there is grain (shever) in Egypt; go down (redu) there" (Genesis 42:2). What is "go down"? He foresaw that they would go down there and be enslaved in Egypt for the number of years equal to the numerical value of redu [the letters of "go down" total two hundred and ten, the years of the Egyptian bondage]. "Go down there," for whoever buys produce from the market, it is a descent for him. "And Joseph's brothers went down" (Genesis 42:3) and so forth. Scripture should have written "the sons of Israel." Rather, because at first they did not treat him with brotherhood and sold him, but in the end they were regretful and saying, "When shall we go down to Egypt and bring our brother back to our father?" And when their father told them to go down to Egypt, they all gave a single mind to bring him back. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon said: Joseph too knew that his brothers were going down to Egypt to buy food. What did he do? He set watchmen over all the gates and said to them: See, everyone who enters to buy food, write his name and the name of his father, and in the evening bring me your slips. They did so. When the sons of Jacob came, each one entered through his own gate, and they wrote their names and the names of their father. In the evening they brought their slips before Joseph. This one reads "Reuben son of Jacob," and one reads "Simeon son of Jacob," and one "Levi," and so the gatekeepers, each one his own. Immediately Joseph said to them: Close the storehouses and open one storehouse. And he gave their names to the keeper of the storehouse and said to him: See, when these men come into your hand, seize them and dispatch them before me. Three days passed and they did not come. Immediately Joseph took seventy mighty men from the king's house and dispatched them on his behalf to seek them out in the market. They went and found them in the market of harlots. And what was their business in the market of harlots? Rather, they said: Joseph our brother was handsome of form and handsome of appearance; perhaps he is in some den of harlots. Immediately they seized them and brought them before Joseph. "And he recognized them, but made himself a stranger to them, and spoke with them" (Genesis 42:7) and so forth. This teaches that he made himself a stranger to them. He took the goblet and tapped upon it. He said to them: I see in my goblet that you are spies. They said to him: We are honest men; but thus our father commanded us, do not enter through one gate. He said to them: In the market of harlots, what was your business? Were you not afraid of the eye? Where is your father's command? They said to him: A lost thing was lost to us, and we were seeking it there. He said to them: What lost thing? I see in the goblet that two of you destroyed the great city of Shechem. They said to him: And who are they? He tapped on the goblet and said to them: Simeon and Levi are their names. Immediately they were shaken, and they said to him: Your servants are twelve brothers. He said to them: And where are the other two? They said to him: The youngest is with our father today, and the one is no more. He said to them: Bring your youngest brother to me, and your words will be verified. He took Simeon and bound him before their eyes and said to them: This one will be held imprisoned until you bring your brother and your words are verified. And when they had gone, he brought him out and fed him and gave him drink. Immediately, "Joseph commanded, and they filled their vessels with grain" (Genesis 42:25) and so forth. They went to their father and recounted to him the whole event. Their father answered and said to them: Where is Simeon? They said to him: That man, the lord of the land, seized him so that we would bring our youngest brother. He said to them: You have bereaved me; "Joseph is no more, and Simeon" and so forth (Genesis 42:36). "And Reuben said to his father, saying, You may put to death my two sons" and so forth (Genesis 42:37). He said to him: Fool, are your sons not my sons? Judah said to them: Leave this old man be until the bread is finished, as it is said, "And it came to pass when they had finished eating" and so forth (Genesis 43:2). Judah said to him: Father, if Benjamin goes with us, it is uncertain whether he will be seized or whether he will not be seized; but if he does not go with us, all of us are dead. It is better that you set aside the uncertain and take hold of the certain. "I will be surety for him; of my hand you shall require him" (Genesis 43:9). Immediately he sent him with them and said to them: "Take of the choice fruits of the land in your vessels, and bring down to the man a present" and so forth (Genesis 43:11). Therefore it is written: "And Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt" (Genesis 42:1).