When God resolves to punish the world with famine, He makes the proclamation Himself, and not by the hand of a herald, as in the case of all other punishments.1v. T. B. Taanith, 2a.
From that moment it is forbidden to a man who still has plenty to make a show of it, since in so doing he defies the word of the King and, as it were, drives the emissaries of the King from their place. Therefore it was that Jacob said to his sons when the famine came, “Do not show yourselves off’, as much as to say: Why do you cause blemish both above and below, and belie the word of the king and all his emissaries?
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן פָּתַח, (בראשית מ״ב:א׳) וַיַרְא יַעֲקֹב כִּי יֵשׁ שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרָיִם, הַאי קְרָא רָזָא דְּחָכְמְתָא אִית בֵּיהּ, וְאִית לָן לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, דְּלָאו סֵיפֵיהּ רֵישֵׁיהּ, וְלָאו רֵישֵׁיהּ סֵיפֵיהּ.
R. Simeon said:
אֶלָּא תָּא חֲזֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעֵי לְמֵידָן עָלְמָא בְּכַפְנָא, לָא יָהִיב מִלָּה דָּא לְיַדָא דְּכָרוֹזָא, דְּהָא כָּל דִּינִין אָחֳרָנִין דְּעָלְמָא, כָּרוֹזָא כָּרִיז עָלוֹהִי עַד לָא יֵיתוּן לְעָלְמָא, וְדִינָא דָּא לָא אִתְיְיהִיב לְכָרוֹזָא, אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אַכְרִיז עָלֵיהּ וְקָארִי. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (מלכים ב ח) כִּי קָרָא יְיָ' לָרָעֵב. מֵהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא אִתְפַּקְּדָן עַל עָלְמָא מְמָנָן אָחֳרָנִין, בִּפְקִידוּ דְּרָעָב. (דתרעין).
When God resolves to punish the world with famine, He makes the proclamation Himself, and not by the hand of a herald, as in the case of all other punishments.1v. T. B. Taanith, 2a.
וְאָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ דְּאִית לֵיהּ שַׂבְעָא, לְאַחֲזָאָה בְּגַרְמֵיהּ שַׂבְעָא, דְּהָא אַחְזֵי פְּגִימוּ לְעֵילָּא, וְאַכְחִישׁ מִלָּה דְּמַלְכָּא, וְכִבְיָכוֹל כְּאִלּוּ אַעְבָּר מְמָנָן דְּמַלְכָּא מֵאַתְרַיְיהוּ. וְעַל דָּא אָמַר יַעֲקֹב לִבְנוֹי, לָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ, לָמָה תַּעֲבִידוּ פְּגִימוּ לְעֵילָּא וּלְתַתָּא, וּלְאַכְחָשָׁא מִלָּה דְּמַלְכָּא, וְכָל אִינּוּן מְמָנָן בִּכְרִיזוּ דִּילֵיהּ.
From that moment it is forbidden to a man who still has plenty to make a show of it, since in so doing he defies the word of the King and, as it were, drives the emissaries of the King from their place. Therefore it was that Jacob said to his sons when the famine came, “Do not show yourselves off’, as much as to say: Why do you cause blemish both above and below, and belie the word of the king and all his emissaries?
אֲבָל הִנֵּה שָׁמַעְתִּי כִּי יֵשׁ שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרָיִם רְדוּ שָׁמָּה, וְתַמָּן אַחְזִיאוּ גַּרְמַיְיכוּ בְּשַׂבְעָא, וְלָא תַּכְחִישׁוּ פָּמַלְיָא דִּלְעֵילָּא הָכָא. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, יַעֲקֹב כַּמָה תְּבוּאָה הֲוַת לֵיהּ, וְלָא בָּעֵי לִשְׁבּוֹר אֶלָּא בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּאִים בְּגִין דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח פְּגִימוּ בְּעוֹבָדָא דִּילֵיהּ.
For Jacob still had much corn, and yet he only desired to “buy among those that came”, so that no blame should attach to his actions.