בראשית רבה צ״גBereshit Rabbah 93

Section 1א׳

וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה וַיֹּאמֶר בִּי אֲדֹנִי יְדַבֶּר נָא עַבְדְּךָ דָּבָר בְּאָזְנֵי אֲדֹנִי וְאַל יִחַר אַפְּךָ בְּעַבְדֶּךָ כִּי כָמוֹךָ כְּפַרְעֹה (בראשית מד, יח). (משלי ו, א ג): בְּנִי אִם עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ וגו' נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי פִיךָ וגו' עֲשֵׂה זֹאת וגו', אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בְּרַח מִן שָׁלשׁ וְהִדָּבֵק בְּשָׁלשׁ, בְּרַח מִן הַפִּקְדוֹנוֹת וּמִן הַמֵּאוּנִים וּמִלַּעֲשׂוֹת עֲרֵבוּת בֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ. הִדָּבֵק בַּחֲלִיצָה, וּבַהֲפָרַת נְדָרִים, וּבַהֲבָאַת שָׁלוֹם שֶׁבֵּין אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ. אָמַר רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר אַבָּא לֵית שְׁמֵיהּ פִּקָּדוֹן אֶלָּא פּוּק דּוֹן. דָּבָר אַחֵר, בְּנִי אִם עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ, זֶה יְהוּדָה, (בראשית מג, ט): אָנֹכִי אֶעֶרְבֶנּוּ. (משלי ו, א): תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּיךָ, (בראשית מג, ט): מִיָּדִי תְּבַקְשֶׁנּוּ. נוֹקַשְׁתָּ בְאִמְרֵי פִיךָ, (בראשית מג, ט): אִם לֹא הֲבִיאֹתִיו אֵלֶיךָ. עֲשֵׂה זֹאת אֵפוֹא בְּנִי וְהִנָּצֵל, לֵךְ וְהִדָּבֵק בַּעֲפַר רַגְלָיו וְקַבֵּל מַלְכוּתוֹ וְאַדְנוּתוֹ, וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה.

“Judah approached him, and said: My lord, may your servant please speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not become incensed with your servant, as you are like Pharaoh” (Genesis 44:18). “Judah approached him, and said: Please my lord, may your servant speak a word in my lord's ears, and do not become incensed with your servant, as you are like Pharaoh.” “My son, if you became a guarantor for your friend… you have been snared by the sayings of your mouth…Do this [and be delivered]…” (Proverbs 6:1–3) – Rabbi Ḥanina said: Flee from three things, and adhere to three things: Flee from deposits, from refusals, and from serving as a guarantor between one person and another. Adhere to ḥalitza, to nullification of vows, and to introducing peace between one person and another. Rabbi Berekhya said that Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said: Its name is not a deposit [pikadon], but rather, puk don – take this out. Another matter, “my son, if you became a guarantor for your friend” – this is Judah, [as it states]: “I will guarantee him” (Genesis 43:9). “If you have shaken your hands for a stranger” (Proverbs 6:1) – “from my hand you can demand him” (Genesis 43:9). “You have been snared by the sayings of your mouth” – “if I do not bring him to you” (Genesis 43:9). “Do this, then, my son, and be delivered” (Proverbs 6:3) – go and cleave to the dust of his feet and accept his kingdom and lordship – “Judah approached him.”

Section 2ב׳

כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים נוֹעֲדוּ עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּו (תהלים מח, ה), כִּי הִנֵּה הַמְּלָכִים, זֶה יְהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף. עָבְרוּ יַחְדָּו, זֶה נִתְמַלֵּא עֶבְרָה עַל זֶה וְזֶה נִתְמַלֵּא עֶבְרָה עַל זֶה. (תהלים מח, ו): הֵמָּה רָאוּ כֵּן תָּמָהוּ, (בראשית מג, לג): וַיִּתְמְהוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים אִישׁ אֶל רֵעֵהוּ, (תהלים מח, ו): נִבְהֲלוּ נֶחְפָּזוּ, (בראשית מה, ג): וְלֹא יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו וגו', (תהלים שם, ז): רְעָדָה אֲחָזָתַם שָׁם, אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים, אָמְרוּ מְלָכִים מִדַּיְינִים אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ אָנוּ מָה אִכְפַּת לָנוּ, יָאֵי לְמֶלֶךְ מִדַּיֵּן עִם מֶלֶךְ. וַיִּגַשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה (איוב מא, ח): אֶחָד בְּאֶחָד יִגַּשׁוּ, זֶה יְהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף, (איוב מא, ח): וְרוּחַ לֹא יָבֹא בֵינֵיהֶם, אֵלּוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים, אָמְרוּ מְלָכִים מִדַּיְנִים אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ אָנוּ מָה אִכְפַּת לָנוּ.

“Behold, the kings convened, passed together” (Psalms 48:5). “Behold the kings” – this is Judah and Joseph. “Passed [avru] together” – this one became filled with fury [evra] against that one, and that one became filled with fury against this one. “They saw it and were astonished” (Psalms 48:6) – “The men wondered to one another” (Genesis 43:33). “They were terrified; they hastened” (Psalms 48:6) – “[Joseph said to his brothers: I am Joseph; does my father still live?] And his brothers could not [answer him because they were alarmed before him]” (Genesis 45:3). “A fearful trembling seized them there” (Psalms 45:6) – these are the tribes. They said: ‘Kings are contending with one another; of what concern is it to us? It is appropriate for a king to contend with a king.’ “Judah approached him” – “One approaches another” (Job 41:8) – this is Judah and Joseph. “Not even a breath comes between them” (Job 41:8) – these are the tribes. They said: ‘Kings are contending with one another; of what concern is it to us?’

Section 3ג׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה, כְּתִיב (משלי כה, יא): תַּפּוּחֵי זָהָב בְּמַשְׂכִּיּוֹת כָּסֶף, תִּרְגֵּם עֲקִילָס הַגֵּר חִזּוּרִין דִּדְהַב בְּגוֹ דִּיסְקָרִין דִּכְסַף. (משלי כה, יא): דָּבָר דָּבֻר עַל אָפְנָיו, מָה אוֹפַן זֶה מַרְאֶה פָּנִים מִכָּל צַד, כָּךְ הָיוּ דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל יְהוּדָה נִרְאִים לְכָל צַד בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁדִּבֵּר עִם יוֹסֵף.

Another matter, “Judah approached him.” It is written: “Like golden apples in silver ornaments [is a well-turned phrase]” (Proverbs 25:11) – Akilas the proselyte translated: Golden apples in silver bowls. “A well-turned phrase [davar davur al ofanav]” – just as the wheel [ofan] shows its face on all sides, so, Judah’s words were deemed logical to all parties when he spoke with Joseph.