וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה וְלֹא יָשׁוּב מִפְּנֵי כֹל (משלי ל, ל). Then Judah came near unto him. Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: The lion, which is the mightiest of beasts, turneth not away for anyone (Prov. 30:30).
מַעֲשֶׂה בְּרַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן דּוֹסָא, שֶׁרָאָה אֶת הָאֲרִי וְאָמַר לוֹ: אִי מֶלֶךְ חַלָּשׁ, לֹא הִשְׁבַּעְתִּיךָ שֶׁלֹּא תֵרָאֶה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל. מִיָּד בָּרַח. רָץ אַחֲרָיו רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, אָמַר לוֹ: נַעֲנֵיתִי לְךָ שֶׁקְּרָאתִיךָ חַלָּשׁ, וּמִי שֶׁבְּרָאֲךָ קְרָאֲךָ גִּבּוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לַיִשׁ גִּבּוֹר בַּבְּהֵמָה. It happened that R. Hanina the son of Dosa, upon seeing a lion, shouted at it: “O weak king, did I not adjure you not to be seen in the land of Israel?” It fled immediately. Thereupon R. Hanina ran after it, shouting: “Forgive me for calling you weak when He who created you called you mighty,” as is said: The lion, which is the mightiest among beasts (ibid.).
אָמַר רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בַּר נְחֶמְיָה, מִי הוּא שָׂרוֹ שֶׁל שׁוֹר, אֲרִי. כָּךְ יוֹסֵף שׁוֹר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ (דברים לג, יז). וִיהוּדָה אֲרִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה (בראשית מט, ט). מִי עָמַד כְּנֶגֶד הַשּׁוֹר, הָאֲרִי, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה. R. Joshua the son of Nehemiah posed the query: Who can prevail over an ox? Only a lion. Since Joseph was an ox, as it is said: His firstling bullock, majesty is his (Deut. 33:17), and Judah was a lion, as is said; Judah is a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9), who confronted the ox? The lion, Judah, as it is said: Then Judah came near unto him.
אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן, כְּשֶׁהָיְתָה חֲמָתוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה עוֹלָה, הָיוּ שְׁתֵּי שְׂעָרוֹת יוֹצְאוֹת מִתּוֹךְ לִבּוֹ וְקוֹרְעוֹת אֶת בְּגָדָיו. וּכְשֶׁהָיָה מְבַקֵּשׁ שֶׁתַּעֲלֶה חֲמָתוֹ, הָיָה מְמַלֵּא אֲפֻנְדָּתוֹ אֲפוּנִין שֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת וְנוֹטֵל מֵהֶן וּמְכַסְכֵּס בְּשִׁנָּיו וַחֲמָתוֹ עוֹלָה. R. Judah explained that whenever Judah’s anger increased, two hairs would protrude from his heart, and pierce through his garments. When he wished to intensify his anger, he would place in his mouth a copper coin as large as a bean, which he always carried in his money purse, and would grind his teeth on it. Then his anger would become intense.
רְאֵה גְבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה, עָלָיו נֶאֱמַר, חֲמַת מֶלֶךְ מַלְאֲכֵי מָוֶת וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה (משלי טז, יד). חֲמַת מֶלֶךְ, זֶה יְהוּדָה. וְאִישׁ חָכָם יְכַפְּרֶנָּה, זֶה יוֹסֵף, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ: אֵין נָבוֹן וְחָכָם כָּמוֹךָ. כֵּיוָן שֶׁרָאָה יוֹסֵף שֶׁעָלְתָה חֲמָתוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה, אָמַר, עַכְשָׁו תֹּאבַד מִצְרָיִם. Observe how powerful Judah was: It is written concerning him: The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it (Prov. 16:14). The wrath of a king refers to Judah, and a wise man will pacify it alludes to Joseph, as is said: There are none so discreet and wise as thou (Gen. 41:39). When Joseph realized that Judah’s anger was mounting, he said: “Now Egypt will be destroyed.”
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ, מָשָׁל לִשְׁנֵי אַטְלִיטִין תְּפוּשִׂים זֶה בָזֶה, כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִרְגִּישׁ אַחַד מֵהֶן שֶׁהוּא בָא לְהִנָּצֵחַ, אָמַר, עַכְשָׁו יְנַצְּחֵנִי וַאֲנִי נִתְבַּיֵּשׁ בִּפְנֵי הַכֹּל. מֶה עָשָׂה. נְשָׁקוֹ עַל יָדָיו וְשָׁכְכָה חֲמָתוֹ שֶׁל אַתְלִיטִיָּה הַגָּדוֹל. אַף יוֹסֵף כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִרְגִּישׁ שֶׁעָלְתָה חֲמָתוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה, נִתְיָרֵא שֶׁלֹּא יִתְבַּיֵּשׁ לִפְנֵי הַמִּצְרִים. מִיָּד אָמַר לְאֶחָיו אֲנִי יוֹסֵף אֲחִיכֶם, וְלֹא יָכְלוּ לַעֲנוֹת אֹתוֹ. R. Simeon the son of Lakish stated: To what may this situation be compared? To two who are wrestling. When one of them realizes that he is about to be defeated, he says to himself: “He is going to defeat me, and I will be disgraced in the sight of all.” What does he do? He kisses his opponent’s hand and the anger of the stronger wrestler is assuaged. Similarly, when Joseph saw that Judah’s anger was mounting, he was afraid that he would be humiliated before the Egyptians, and so he called out immediately: I am Joseph, your brother (Gen. 45:4).