Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 44 (Parashat Vayigash)

Bereshit 44:1

וַיְצַו אֶת-אֲשֶׁר עַל-בֵּיתוֹ לֵאמֹר מַלֵּא אֶת-אַמְתְּחֹת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֹכֶל כַּאֲשֶׁר יוּכְלוּן שְׂאֵת וְשִׂים כֶּסֶף-אִישׁ בְּפִי אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ

. . .

Then he commanded his steward, and said: 'Fill the sacks of the people with food, as much as they can carry; and set each man's silver in the mouth of his sack.

Bereshit 44:2

וְאֶת-גְּבִיעִי גְּבִיעַ הַכֶּסֶף תָּשִׂים בְּפִי אַמְתַּחַת הַקָּטֹן וְאֵת כֶּסֶף שִׁבְרוֹ וַיַּעַשׂ כִּדְבַר יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר

. . .

And place my goblet — the silver goblet — in the mouth of the sack of the youngest, with the silver for his grain.' And he did as Joseph had said to him.

Bereshit 44:3

הַבֹּקֶר אוֹר וְהָאֲנָשִׁים שֻׁלְּחוּ הֵמָּה וַחֲמֹרֵיהֶם

.

And when the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their donkeys.

Bereshit 44:4

הֵם יָצְאוּ אֶת-הָעִיר לֹא הִרְחִיקוּ וְיוֹסֵף אָמַר לַאֲשֶׁר עַל-בֵּיתוֹ קוּם רְדֹף אַחֲרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם לָמָּה שִׁלַּמְתֶּם רָעָה תַּחַת טוֹבָה

. . .

They had gone out of the city, and had not gone far, when Joseph said to his steward: 'Arise, pursue after the men; and when you overtake them, say to them, "Why have you repaid evil for good?

Bereshit 44:5

הֲלוֹא זֶה אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁתֶּה אֲדֹנִי בּוֹ וְהוּא נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ בּוֹ הֲרֵעֹתֶם אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם

. . .

Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and by which he tests? You have done evil in what you have done."'

Bereshit 44:6

וַיַּשִּׂגֵם וַיְדַבֵּר אֲלֵהֶם אֶת-הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה

.

And he overtook them, and spoke to them with these words.

Bereshit 44:7

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו--לָמָּה יְדַבֵּר אֲדֹנִי כַּדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה חָלִילָה לַעֲבָדֶיךָ מֵעֲשׂוֹת כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה

. .

They said to him: 'Let my lord not say these words. Far be it from your servants from doing such a thing.

Bereshit 44:8

הֵן כֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר מָצָאנוּ בְּפִי אַמְתְּחֹתֵינוּ--הֱשִׁיבֹנוּ אֵלֶיךָ מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וְאֵיךְ נִגְנֹב מִבֵּית אֲדֹנֶיךָ כֶּסֶף אוֹ זָהָב

. . . .

Behold, the silver which we found in the mouths of our sacks — we returned to you from the land of Canaan. How then should we steal silver or gold from your master's house?

Bereshit 44:9

אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ מֵעֲבָדֶיךָ וָמֵת וְגַם-אֲנַחְנוּ נִהְיֶה לַאדֹנִי לַעֲבָדִים

. . .

Whoever of your servants it is found with — let him die; and we also shall be slaves to my lord.'

Bereshit 44:10

וַיֹּאמֶר גַּם-עַתָּה כְדִבְרֵיכֶם כֶּן-הוּא אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ יִהְיֶה-לִּי עָבֶד וְאַתֶּם תִּהְיוּ נְקִיִּם

. . .

He said: 'Now, as you have said, so let it be — the one with whom it is found shall be my slave; and the rest of you shall be innocent.'

Bereshit 44:11

וַיְמַהֲרוּ וַיּוֹרִדוּ אִישׁ אֶת-אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ--אָרְצָה וַיִּפְתְּחוּ אִישׁ אַמְתַּחְתּוֹ

. .

And they hurried, and each man laid his sack upon the earth; and each man opened his sack.

Bereshit 44:12

וַיְחַפֵּשׂ--בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל וּבַקָּטֹן כִּלָּה וַיִּמָּצֵא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּאַמְתַּחַת בִּנְיָמִן

. . .

And he searched — beginning with the eldest and ending with the youngest; and he found the goblet in Benjamin's sack.

Bereshit 44:13

וַיִּקְרְעוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם וַיַּעֲמֹס אִישׁ עַל-חֲמֹרוֹ וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הָעִירָה

. .

And they tore their garments, and each man loaded his donkey, and they returned to the city.

Bereshit 44:14

וַיָּבֹא יְהוּדָה וְאֶחָיו בֵּיתָה יוֹסֵף וְהוּא עוֹדֶנּוּ שָׁם וַיִּפְּלוּ לְפָנָיו אָרְצָה

. .

And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph's house — and he was still there — and they fell down before him upon the earth.

Bereshit 44:15

וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם יוֹסֵף מָה-הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם הֲלוֹא יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי-נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כָּמֹנִי

. .

Joseph said to them: 'What deed is this that you have done? Did you not know that a man like me tests?'

Bereshit 44:16

וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוּדָה מַה-נֹּאמַר לַאדֹנִי מַה-נְּדַבֵּר וּמַה-נִּצְטַדָּק הָאֱלֹהִים מָצָא אֶת-עֲו‍ֹן עֲבָדֶיךָ--הִנֶּנּוּ עֲבָדִים לַאדֹנִי גַּם-אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם אֲשֶׁר-נִמְצָא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּיָדוֹ

. . . .

Judah said: 'What shall we say to my lord? What shall we speak, and how shall we plead? God has caught out your servants in their offense. Here we are slaves to my lord — we, and the one in whose hand the goblet was found.'

Bereshit 44:17

וַיֹּאמֶר--חָלִילָה לִּי מֵעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּיָדוֹ הוּא יִהְיֶה-לִּי עָבֶד וְאַתֶּם עֲלוּ לְשָׁלוֹם אֶל-אֲבִיכֶם

. . . . . .

He said: 'Far be it from me from doing this thing. The man in whose hand the goblet was found — he shall be my slave; and as for you, go up in peace to your father.'

Bereshit 44:18

וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר-נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל-יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה

. . . .

Then Judah drew near to him and said: 'O my lord, let your servant speak a word in the presence of my lord; and let not your anger flare against your servant — for you are like Pharaoh.

Bereshit 44:19

אֲדֹנִי שָׁאַל אֶת-עֲבָדָיו לֵאמֹר הֲיֵשׁ-לָכֶם אָב אוֹ-אָח

. .

Did my lord ask his servants, saying, "Have you a father or a brother?"

Bereshit 44:20

וַנֹּאמֶר אֶל-אֲדֹנִי יֶשׁ-לָנוּ אָב זָקֵן וְיֶלֶד זְקֻנִים קָטָן וְאָחִיו מֵת וַיִּוָּתֵר הוּא לְבַדּוֹ לְאִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו אֲהֵבוֹ

. . . . .

And we said to my lord, "We have an aged father, and a child of his old age, a young one; and his brother is dead; and he alone is left of his mother — and his father loves him."

Bereshit 44:21

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל-עֲבָדֶיךָ הוֹרִדֻהוּ אֵלָי וְאָשִׂימָה עֵינִי עָלָיו

. .

And you said to your servants, "Bring him down to me, that I may set my attention upon him."

Bereshit 44:22

וַנֹּאמֶר אֶל-אֲדֹנִי לֹא-יוּכַל הַנַּעַר לַעֲזֹב אֶת-אָבִיו וְעָזַב אֶת-אָבִיו וָמֵת

. .

And we said to my lord, "The boy cannot leave his father; if he should leave him, he would die."

Bereshit 44:23

וַתֹּאמֶר אֶל-עֲבָדֶיךָ אִם-לֹא יֵרֵד אֲחִיכֶם הַקָּטֹן אִתְּכֶם--לֹא תֹסִפוּן לִרְאוֹת פָּנָי

. . .

And you said to your servants, "If your youngest brother does not come down with you, you shall not see my face again."

Bereshit 44:24

וַיְהִי כִּי עָלִינוּ אֶל-עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי וַנַּגֶּד-לוֹ--אֵת דִּבְרֵי אֲדֹנִי

.

And when we went up to your servant our father, we told him the words of my lord.

Bereshit 44:25

וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִינוּ שֻׁבוּ שִׁבְרוּ-לָנוּ מְעַט-אֹכֶל

.

And our father said, "Return, buy us a little food."

Bereshit 44:26

וַנֹּאמֶר לֹא נוּכַל לָרֶדֶת אִם-יֵשׁ אָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אִתָּנוּ וְיָרַדְנוּ--כִּי-לֹא נוּכַל לִרְאוֹת פְּנֵי הָאִישׁ וְאָחִינוּ הַקָּטֹן אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ

. . .

We said, "We cannot go down; only if our youngest brother is with us shall we go down; for we cannot see the face of the man unless our youngest brother is with us."

Bereshit 44:27

וַיֹּאמֶר עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי אֵלֵינוּ אַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי שְׁנַיִם יָלְדָה-לִּי אִשְׁתִּי

. .

And your servant our father said to us, "You know that my wife bore me only two sons.

Bereshit 44:28

וַיֵּצֵא הָאֶחָד מֵאִתִּי וָאֹמַר אַךְ טָרֹף טֹרָף וְלֹא רְאִיתִיו עַד-הֵנָּה

. .

And the one of them went out from me, and I said, perhaps he has been torn — and I have not seen him until now.

Bereshit 44:29

וּלְקַחְתֶּם גַּם-אֶת-זֶה מֵעִם פָּנַי וְקָרָהוּ אָסוֹן--וְהוֹרַדְתֶּם אֶת-שֵׂיבָתִי בְּרָעָה שְׁאֹלָה

. . .

And if you take this one also from me, and calamity befalls him, you would bring down my old age with sorrow to the dust."

Bereshit 44:31

וְהָיָה כִּרְאוֹתוֹ כִּי-אֵין הַנַּעַר--וָמֵת וְהוֹרִידוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶת-שֵׂיבַת עַבְדְּךָ אָבִינוּ בְּיָגוֹן--שְׁאֹלָה

.

And it shall be — when he sees that the boy is not with us — he shall die; and your servants shall have brought down the old age of your servant our father with sorrow to the dust.

Bereshit 44:32

כִּי עַבְדְּךָ עָרַב אֶת-הַנַּעַר מֵעִם אָבִי לֵאמֹר אִם-לֹא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כָּל-הַיָּמִים

. . .

For your servant became surety for the boy with my father, saying, "If I do not bring him back to you, I shall be at fault before my father all my days."

Bereshit 44:33

וְעַתָּה יֵשֶׁב-נָא עַבְדְּךָ תַּחַת הַנַּעַר--עֶבֶד לַאדֹנִי וְהַנַּעַר יַעַל עִם-אֶחָיו

. . .

Now therefore — let your servant remain in place of the boy, as a slave to my lord; and let the boy go up with his brothers.

Bereshit 44:34

כִּי-אֵיךְ אֶעֱלֶה אֶל-אָבִי וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתִּי פֶּן אֶרְאֶה בָרָע אֲשֶׁר יִמְצָא אֶת-אָבִי

. . .

For how shall I go up to my father — and the boy is not with me — lest I see the calamity that would befall him?

Bereshit 44:36

ְעַתָּה כְּבֹאִי אֶל-עַבְדְּךָ אָבִי וְהַנַּעַר אֵינֶנּוּ אִתָּנוּ וְנַפְשׁוֹ קְשׁוּרָה בְנַפְשׁוֹ

. .

I am afraid that, when I come to your servant my father, and the boy is not with us — and his soul is bound to his soul —'