719. And Judah Approached Him – 2

“And Judah approached him and said, ‘My lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord’s ears, and do not be angry,’” etc. RASHI interpreted, “You learn from this that he spoke to him harshly.”

We should ask what this means for Judah, since in the beginning he said, “We are my lord’s slaves, both we and the one in whose possession the cup has been found.” He replied to them, “The man in whose possession the cup has been found, he shall be my slave; but as for you, go up in peace.” But why does he deserve to be spoken harshly to if he was lenient in judging them? That is, he said, “We are all slaves, including Benjamin,” and he said that he settles for the least, that only Benjamin is enough for him.

Joseph’s question, 1) Why did you steal the cup? Certainly not for money, since you brought me back the money that is in your pouches…