“Upon being ushered inside Yosef’s house, the men became fearful. They said, ‘It’s because of the money that was returned in our packs the first time that we have been brought inside – so that he can use it as an excuse to attack us, take us as slaves and seize our donkeys too.’”
Genesis 43:18
With Binyamin in hand, the other nine brothers returned to Egypt to retrieve Shim’on, repay the returned coins found in their sacks from the last time, and purchase more grain. When they returned, however, they were escorted into Yosef’s house. I, like the brothers, probably would have also been a little fearful as to what was coming next. But Yosef had no intention of hurting them. Instead, they were to eat with him.
All their fears were put at ease. Where they had thought he would attack, he provided for them. Instead of taking them as slaves, he had their feet washed. And their fear of seized donkeys was replaced by fodder for the donkeys. Shim’on was even released to them. But when Yosef saw his brother, Binyamin, his true brother as opposed to half brother, he spoke a blessing over him in saying, “May God be good to you.”
Just as Ya’akov feared that his sons would not return, so also the sons feared Yosef’s response to seeing them again, especially with the returned coins. But instead they met a man who had kept his word by releasing their brother, but also who continued to show concern for them and their father.
Genesis 43:16-29
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