(יח) וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ אֵלָ֜יו יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיֹּאמֶר֮ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִי֒ יְדַבֶּר־נָ֨א עַבְדְּךָ֤ דָבָר֙ בְּאָזְנֵ֣י אֲדֹנִ֔י וְאַל־יִ֥חַר אַפְּךָ֖ בְּעַבְדֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י כָמ֖וֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹֽה׃
(18) Then Judah went up to him and said, “Please, my lord, let your servant appeal to my lord, and do not be impatient with your servant, you who are the equal of Pharaoh."
2. Do you notice anything strange in this passage, given the broader context? Hint - Thinking about how this moment might be dramatized - be it in a movie, TV show, or on stage - might help.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה, רַבִּי יְהוּדָה רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה וְרַבָּנָן,
רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר הֲגָשָׁה לְמִלְחָמָה, הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (שמואל ב י, יג): וַיִּגַּשׁ יוֹאָב וְהָעָם אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ לַמִּלְחָמָה,
רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר הֲגָשָׁה לְפִיּוּס, הֵיךְ מָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (יהושע יד, ו): וַיִּגְשׁוּ בְנֵי יְהוּדָה אֶל יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְפַיְיסוֹ.
רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי הֲגָשָׁה לִתְפִלָּה (מלכים א יח, לו): וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלִיָּהוּ הַנָּבִיא וַיֹּאמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי וגו'.
Then Judah approached him. Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Nehemia, and the Sages argue about the meaning.
Rabbi Yehuda says, he approached him to wage war.
Rabbi Nehemia say, he approached him to appease him.
The Sages say, he approached him to pray.
4. Can you think of another possible interpretation for Judah's actions?
5. Given the situation, which one of these potential reactions do you find to be the most reasonable? The most likely effective?
(ל) וְעַתָּ֗ה כְּבֹאִי֙ אֶל־עַבְדְּךָ֣ אָבִ֔י וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ וְנַפְשׁ֖וֹ קְשׁוּרָ֥ה בְנַפְשֽׁוֹ׃ (לא) וְהָיָ֗ה כִּרְאוֹת֛וֹ כִּי־אֵ֥ין הַנַּ֖עַר וָמֵ֑ת וְהוֹרִ֨ידוּ עֲבָדֶ֜יךָ אֶת־שֵׂיבַ֨ת עַבְדְּךָ֥ אָבִ֛ינוּ בְּיָג֖וֹן שְׁאֹֽלָה׃ (לב) כִּ֤י עַבְדְּךָ֙ עָרַ֣ב אֶת־הַנַּ֔עַר מֵעִ֥ם אָבִ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר אִם־לֹ֤א אֲבִיאֶ֙נּוּ֙ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְחָטָ֥אתִי לְאָבִ֖י כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים׃ (לג) וְעַתָּ֗ה יֵֽשֶׁב־נָ֤א עַבְדְּךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת הַנַּ֔עַר עֶ֖בֶד לַֽאדֹנִ֑י וְהַנַּ֖עַר יַ֥עַל עִם־אֶחָֽיו׃ (לד) כִּי־אֵיךְ֙ אֶֽעֱלֶ֣ה אֶל־אָבִ֔י וְהַנַּ֖עַר אֵינֶ֣נּוּ אִתִּ֑י פֶּ֚ן אֶרְאֶ֣ה בָרָ֔ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִמְצָ֖א אֶת־אָבִֽי׃
(30) “Now, if I come to your servant my father and the boy is not with us—since his own life is so bound up with his— (31) when he sees that the boy is not with us, he will die, and your servants will send the white head of your servant our father down to Sheol in grief. (32) Now your servant has pledged himself for the boy to my father, saying, ‘If I do not bring him back to you, I shall stand guilty before my father forever.’ (33) Therefore, please let your servant remain as a slave to my lord instead of the boy, and let the boy go back with his brothers. (34) For how can I go back to my father unless the boy is with me? Let me not be witness to the woe that would overtake my father!”
7. Can you relate Judah's behavior - or anything else in this situation - to any personal experiences you have ever had?
a. Who, in our real-life situation, is the viceroy?
b. Who is Judah?
c. Who is Benjamin?
d. Who are the other brothers?
e. We saw three different interpretations for "Judah approached" in Genesis Rabbah above: To wage war, to appease, and to pray. How might these reactions, or other possible interpretations you thought of, be used in our own situation effectively? How might they be used in other situations where you have someone in need of another to stand up for him/her? Which of these are the marchers doing? Which one are we doing?
Our brethren, all the House of Israel: Those given over to suffering or captivity, whether they are on sea or dry land - may the Omnipresent One have mercy on them and remove them from distress to relief, from darkness to light, from subjugation to redemption, now, speedily, and soon. And let us say Amen.