The Ministering Angels Called Out Come

"And Judah drew near to him" (Genesis 44:18). This is what the verse says: "And the envy of Ephraim shall depart" (Isaiah 11:13). Concerning whom did Isaiah say this verse? He said it only concerning Judah and Joseph. For Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: At the time when Judah and Joseph were arguing with one another, the ministering angels said to one another: Come, let us go down below and see an ox and a lion goring one another. By the way of the world, an ox is afraid of a lion, yet now the ox and the lion are goring one another and standing, with the envy between them, until the Messiah comes. Therefore, "And the envy of Ephraim shall depart." "And wisdom strengthens the wise more than ten rulers who were in the city" (Ecclesiastes 7:19), this is the wisdom of Joseph. And what was the wisdom of Joseph? That he did not wish to fight with his brothers, but rather, when he saw ten mighty men standing before him, of whom one of them could destroy ten provinces, he was shaken. And his wisdom saved him, as it is said: "And wisdom strengthens the wise." What did Joseph do? He stationed guards at the gates (etc., see Mikketz 8). What did he do? "And he took Simeon from them and bound him" (Genesis 42:24), because he had pushed him into the pit. And further, he separated him from Levi, so that they would not take counsel against him to kill him. Immediately Simeon said to his brothers: Thus you did to Joseph, and thus you seek to do to me. They said to him: And what shall we do? Shall the members of our household die of hunger? He said to them: Do whatever you see fit; now I shall see who will put me into the prison house. At that hour Joseph sent to Pharaoh and said to him: Send me seventy mighty men from your side, for I have found brigands and I wish to put chains upon them. At that hour he sent them. And the brothers of Joseph were watching what he sought to do. Joseph said to those mighty men: Put this one into the prison house and place chains on his legs. When they drew near to him, he shouted at them. When they heard his voice, they fell on their faces and their teeth were shattered: "The roaring of the lion and the voice of the fierce lion, and the teeth of the young lions, are broken" (Job 4:10). And Manasseh son of Joseph was sitting before them. His father said to him: You arise. Immediately Manasseh arose and struck him a single blow, put him into the prison house, and placed chains upon him. Simeon said to his brothers: Do you say that this is a blow of an Egyptian? It is none other than a blow of my father's house. When the brothers of Joseph saw that Manasseh put Simeon into the prison house and laid his hand upon him and placed him in chains, dread fell upon them. And they went to their father until they brought Benjamin and stood him before Joseph. Joseph said to them: Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me? They said to him: Yes. Joseph said to Benjamin: Do you have a wife? He said to him: Yes. He said to him: Do you have children? He said to him: I have ten. And what are their names? He said to him: Bela and Becher and Ashbel, etc. (Genesis 46:21). Joseph said to him: Who ever heard names like these? He said to him: All of them are after the name of my brother, my mother's son, who was greater than I; I called them these names. "Bela," because he was swallowed up (nivla) among the nations. "Becher," because he was a firstborn (bekhor). "Ashbel," because he was taken captive (nishba). "Gera," because he became a sojourner (ger). "Naaman," because he was pleasant (na'im). "Echi," because he was my brother (achi), my mother's son. "Rosh," because he was the head (rosh) and great over me. "Muppim," because he was handsome (yafeh) and beautified (meyuppeh). "Chuppim," because he did not see my marriage canopy (chuppah) and I did not see his. "Ard," because he went down (yarad) into exile, and because his face resembled a rose (vered). And from the day Joseph my brother went into exile, my father came down off the bed and sat upon the ground, lying there. And not only that, but at the time I see my brothers, each and every one sitting beside his brother while I sit alone, my eyes shed tears. At that hour Joseph's compassion was stirred over him, as it is said: "And Joseph hurried, for his compassion grew warm" (Genesis 43:30). Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: At that hour he invited them to a meal. He wished to seat Benjamin beside him but did not know how to do it. He took the goblet and tapped on it. He said to them: I had supposed that Judah was the firstborn, since he speaks first; I see that Reuben is the firstborn and Judah is the spokesman. He seated Reuben at the head of those reclining. Again he took the goblet and tapped on it. He said: Simeon, come up and recline beside him, for you are second to him. And likewise for Levi, and likewise for Judah, and likewise all of them according to the order of their birth. Again he took the goblet and tapped on it. He said to them: I see in the goblet that you are all the sons of one father, but your father had many wives. He began to call to Dan and to Naphtali, and said to them: Come up, recline, until they all reclined according to their order, by the manner of their birth. Benjamin remained. He said: I see that this one had a brother and was separated from him, and he has no mother; I too had a brother and was separated from him, and I have no mother. Let him come and sit beside me. He sat beside him. This is what is written: "And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright and the youngest according to his youth" (Genesis 43:33). "And he carried portions" (Genesis 43:34): he brought portions at the meal. He gave to each and every one of them his portion. He gave Benjamin his portion. Joseph took his own portion and gave it to Benjamin. Asenath took her portion and gave it to Benjamin. Ephraim and Manasseh took their portions and gave them to Benjamin. There were thus found in Benjamin's hand five portions. Therefore it is written: "And Benjamin's portion was greater" (Genesis 43:34).