A Short Word Infused With Meaning

Judah approached him and said, “Please (be), my master, allow your servant to say something to my master without getting angry with your servant since you are like Pharaoh himself.                Genesis 44:18

         The English translation follows the ancient Aramaic translations of Onkelos and Yonatan ben Uziel, however, Midrash Sechel Tov understands the word “be” in its alternate meaning: “in me,” and understands Judah to be telling the viceroy of Egypt “the matter is dependent upon me.” Rather than asking the viceroy’s permission to speak, Judah informed him that the reason of the eleven brothers, it is he approached to speak is that he had guaranteed the safe return of Benjamin.

            Adding slightly to Sechel Tov, Alshikh suggests that Judah informed the viceroy that “this sin is on me,” that is, since the brothers sold Joseph at Judah’s suggestion, [Genesis 36:26-27] he is responsible for the chain of events which brought about the arrest of Benjamin.

            In a similar vein, Kli Yakar comments:

Judah approached the viceroy as a penitent confessing his sins, and said “It is upon me, my master, the sin which we believe to be the reason for the recent events, is upon me more than my brothers.”

            Kli Yakar’s comment fits that of Sechel Tov, since it was Judah’s feeling of responsibility which brought him to guarantee Benjamin’s return.       

            Based on this understanding of the word “be,” Judah accepted personal responsibility for his actions, an approach he adopted in the matter of Tamar, when Judah publicly stated: “She is more righteous than I.” [Genesis 38:26]

       Lest we think that Judah’s acceptance of personal responsibility is inconsequential, our Sages taught that it was because of this that Judah merited the World to Come, [Babylonian Talmud, Sota 7b] and even more:

Rabbi Ḥanin bar Bizna says, quoting Rabbi Shimon Ḥasida, Joseph, who sanctified God’s name in private, merited having one letter of God’s name added to his own name, as the verse states:”He ordained it as a testimony to Joseph” (spelled “Yehoseph,” with the letter “hei” of the Tetragrammaton added) [Psalms 82:6]; Judah, who sanctified God’s name in public, merited being called entirely by God’s name (all four letters of the Tetragrammaton are included within Judah’s name. ibid. 10b

            Similarly, our Sages taught that because Judah accepted responsibility, “God appointed him as a prince [Shemot Rabba 30:19] and “through them (Judah and Tamar) He established kings in this world and the redeemer for the World to Come, who is the Messianic king.” [Breishit Rabbati, Parashat vaYeshev, 181]

            A short word infused with great meaning!