Our guide? None other than Bereshit Rabbah 93, a treasure trove of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Genesis. Specifically, we're looking at the moment Judah "approached" (vayigash) Joseph. Now, that word "approached"… it's loaded. What kind of approach was it?
Rabbi Yehuda sees it as an approach for war, citing a verse from II Samuel (10:13) where vayigash is used to describe advancing into battle. Rabbi Nehemya, however, interprets it as an approach for conciliation, like the tribe of Judah approaching Joshua in (Joshua 14:6) to appease him. And the Rabbis? They see it as an approach for prayer, like Elijah approaching God in I (Kings 18:36).
Rabbi Elazar, bless his heart, offers a unifying interpretation. Judah, he says, was ready for anything: war, conciliation, or prayer. He was prepared to do whatever it took to get Benjamin back. That’s some serious commitment.
Then Judah says, "Please, my lord (bi adoni)..." And the Rabbis really unpack this. It's not just polite phrasing. Judah is offering himself as a substitute! "Take me (bi) and not him (bei)!" He’d fill the water jugs, he'd do the hard labor, he'd chop the wood. He was arguing that he would be a better servant than Benjamin.
But there’s more simmering beneath the surface. Judah accuses Joseph of injustice (baya), saying, "You said, '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." In other words, you obscured the truth from us.
Rabbi Simon adds that Judah is pointing out that Joseph is acting unjustly by demanding Benjamin as a slave when he has the means to pay for the alleged theft. It's against Jewish law: "If he has nothing, he shall be sold for his theft" (Exodus 22:2).
And then things get really intense. Judah reminds Joseph that Pharaoh and his household were afflicted with leprosy because Pharaoh abducted Sarah (Genesis 12:17). He warns Joseph to be careful. He also mentions Rachel's death, connecting it to Jacob's curse in (Genesis 31:32). It's like Judah is throwing every possible argument, every historical precedent, at Joseph, trying to shake him.
Judah even brings up the story of how he and his brothers destroyed an entire city because of Dinah. He suggests that Joseph might be considering something even worse against Benjamin. He’s saying, “We did it for a woman, and this is for a man?" According to Etz Yosef, Judah suspected 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.
Another interpretation of "May your servant please speak (yedaber na)..." from Rabbi Yirmeya bar Shemaya is that Judah is threatening to bring pestilence (dever) upon Egypt if Joseph doesn't relent! Rabbi Hanin adds the image of Judah in a rage, so powerful that his hair rips through his garments and he spits out iron as dust!
Judah even dares to compare Joseph to Pharaoh, accusing him of making empty decrees and, shockingly, lusting after males. He then asserts his own power, reminding Joseph that his father is king in Canaan and he is second to him. He declares that if he draws his sword, he will start with Joseph and then move on to Pharaoh himself!
But that last threat almost backfires. Because Judah said he would start with Joseph and then go after Pharaoh, Joseph gives a signal to Manasseh, who stomps his foot, causing the entire palace to shake! Judah recognizes this as a sign of immense power, something only his family possesses. Realizing he can’t win through force, Judah finally softens his tone and begins to speak gently: "My lord asked..." (Genesis 44:19).
What a rollercoaster. This passage from Bereshit Rabbah gives us a glimpse into the depth of feeling, the layers of argument, and the raw power dynamics at play in this pivotal moment. It reminds us that even in the most familiar stories, there's always more to uncover, more to understand, and more to be amazed by. It makes you wonder, doesn't it, what hidden depths lie beneath the surface of our interactions, our negotiations, our pleas? What "approaches" are we really making?
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).
