פרשת ויגש תשי"א - נאום יהודה

כי כמוך כפרעה FOR THOU ART EVEN AS PHARAOH — In my sight you are as important as the king. This is the literal meaning, but a Midrashic explanation is: You will ultimately be stricken with leprosy for detaining Benjamin even as your ancestor Pharaoh was stricken because he detained my ancestress Sarah one night. Another explanation is: you are as unreliable as Pharaoh — just as Pharaoh issues decrees and does not carry them out, makes promises and does not fulfil them, so also do you. Is this what you meant by “setting your eyes” upon him when you said (Genesis 44:21) “Bring him down and I will set mine eyes upon him”? Still another interpretation of כי כמוך כפרעה FOR THOU SHALT BECOME EVEN AS PHARAOH: if you provoke me I will slay you and your master (Genesis Rabbah 93:6).

Although (ki) it is a stiff-necked people. The usual meaning of ki is “because,” but this makes no sense in this context. Therefore Rabbi Marinus renders it “although,” similar to the usage in Tehillim 41:5, “Heal my soul although (ki) I have sinned to You.” Alternatively, in both instances the meaning is, “for I acknowledge that, etc.”

ויגש אליו וגו' . . . דבר באזני אדני THEN JUDAH CAME NEAR TO HIM etc. [LET THY SERVANT SPEAK] A WORD IN MY LORD S EARS etc. May my words penetrate into your ears (Genesis Rabbah 93:6).

ואל יחר אפך AND LET NOT THY WRATH GLOW — From these words you may infer that he spoke to him in harsh terms.

אדני שאל את עבדיו MY LORD ASKED HIS SERVANTS — From the beginning you came with a pretext against us. What need had you to ask us all these questions? Were we asking for your daughter in marriage or were you asking for our sister? And yet

לבדו לאמו [HE] ALONE [IS LEFT] OF HIS MOTHER — of that mother he has no other brother.

For thy servant became surety for the lad unto my father, saying: If I bring him not unto thee, then shall I bear the blame to my father for ever.