AND HE PUT THEM ALTOGETHER INTO WARD THREE DAYS. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Those three days correspond to the three days during which the men of Shechem were sick (Gen. 34, 25).
Observe that it is written here: AND JOSEPH SAID UNTO THEM THE THIRD DAY: THIS (zoth) DO AND LIVE , by which he showed them that he was not going to act towards them in the way they acted towards Shechem; for whereas they had first made the people of Shechem take upon them the sacred rite of the covenant, which is symbolized by the word zoth (this), and then had slain them to the last man, Joseph, on his part, said: “This (zoth) do and live”; why? “For I fear God”, and am guarding the sacredness of the covenant. All this procedure was only for the sake of Benjamin.
AND THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER: WE ARE VERILY GUILTY CONCERNING OUR BROTHER, ETC. “One to another” (lit. a man to his brother) refers to Simeon and Levi, the same reference being contained in the words: “And they said one to another (lit. a man to his brother): Behold, this dreamer cometh” (Ibid. 37, 19).
Which is “man” and which is “brother”? “Man” must refer to Simeon, as in the passage: “And, behold, a man of the children of Israel came” (Num. 25, 6). Simeon repented of his action and wept and felt remorse and said: “We are verily guilty”; and it was through his repentance that his emblem became the ox, the same as that of Joseph, of whom it is written: “His firstling bullock, majesty is his” (Deut. 33, 17).
וַיֶּאֱסוֹף אוֹתָם אֶל מִשְׁמָר שְׁלשֶׁת יָמִים. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הָנֵּי תְּלַת יוֹמִין אַמַּאי. אֶלָּא הָנֵּי תְּלַת יוֹמִין, לָקֳבֵיל תְּלַת יוֹמִין דִּשְׁכֶם. דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית לה) וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיוֹתָם כּוֹאֲבִים.
AND HE PUT THEM ALTOGETHER INTO WARD THREE DAYS. Said R. Eleazar: ‘Those three days correspond to the three days during which the men of Shechem were sick (Gen. 34, 25).
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם יוֹסֵף בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי זֹאת עֲשׂוּ וִחְיוּ. לְאַחֲזָאָה דְּלָא עָבַד אִיהוּ, כְּמָה דְּאִינוּן עָבְדוּ בִשְׁכֶם. דְּגָרְמוּ לְאַנְשֵׁי שְׁכֶם לְקַבְּלָא עֲלַיְיהוּ הַאי זֹאת, רָזָא דִבְרִית. וּלְבָתַר דְּעֲבָדוּ קִיּוּמָא דָא, קָטִילוּ לוֹן, וְלָא אִשְׁתָּאַר מִנְּהוֹן חַד. וְאִיהוּ מַה כְּתִיב, זֹאת עֲשׂוּ וִחְיוּ. מַאי טַעְמָא, בְּגִין דְּאֶת הָאֱלהִים אֲנִי יָרֵא, נָטִיר קְיָימָא. וְכָל גִּלְגּוּלָא דָא לָא הֲוָה אֶלָּא בְּגִינֵיהּ דְּבִנְיָמִין:
Observe that it is written here: AND JOSEPH SAID UNTO THEM THE THIRD DAY: THIS (zoth) DO AND LIVE , by which he showed them that he was not going to act towards them in the way they acted towards Shechem; for whereas they had first made the people of Shechem take upon them the sacred rite of the covenant, which is symbolized by the word zoth (this), and then had slain them to the last man, Joseph, on his part, said: “This (zoth) do and live”; why? “For I fear God”, and am guarding the sacredness of the covenant. All this procedure was only for the sake of Benjamin.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו אֲבָל אֲשֵׁמִים אֲנַחְנוּ עַל אָחִינוּ וְגו'. וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו, דָּא שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי, כְּמָה דְּהֲוָה בְּקַדְמִיתָא. דִּכְתִיב, (בראשית ל״ז:י״ט) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אִישׁ אֶל אָחִיו הִנֵּה בַּעַל הַחֲלוֹמוֹת הַלָּזֶה בָּא. מַה לְּהַלָּן שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי, אוּף הָכָא שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי.
AND THEY SAID ONE TO ANOTHER: WE ARE VERILY GUILTY CONCERNING OUR BROTHER, ETC. “One to another” (lit. a man to his brother) refers to Simeon and Levi, the same reference being contained in the words: “And they said one to another (lit. a man to his brother): Behold, this dreamer cometh” (Ibid. 37, 19).
תָּא חֲזֵי, מַאן אִישׁ וּמַאן אָחִיו. אֶלָּא אִישׁ, דָּא שִׁמְעוֹן, כְּתִיב הָכָא אִישׁ, וּכְתִיב הָתָם (במדבר כ״ה:ו׳) וְהִנֵּה אִישׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּא. מַה לְּהַלָּן מִשִּׁמְעוֹן, אוּף הָכָא נָמֵי שִׁמְעוֹן. וּבְגִין דְּאַהֲדַר בִּתְשׁוּבָה, בָּכָה וְאִתְנֶחָם עַל דָּא. וְאָמַר לְלֵוִי, אֲבָל אֲשֵׁמִים אֲנַחְנוּ. עַל דָּא אִתְבְּנֵי מַזָּלֵיהּ שׁוֹר, כְּגַוְונָא דְּמַזְּלֵיהּ דְּיוֹסֵף שׁוֹר. דִּכְתִיב, (דברים ל״ג:י״ז) בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ, וּמַזָּלֵיהּ דְּשִׁמְעוֹן שׁוֹר אִיהוּ.
Which is “man” and which is “brother”? “Man” must refer to Simeon, as in the passage: “And, behold, a man of the children of Israel came” (Num. 25, 6). Simeon repented of his action and wept and felt remorse and said: “We are verily guilty”; and it was through his repentance that his emblem became the ox, the same as that of Joseph, of whom it is written: “His firstling bullock, majesty is his” (Deut. 33, 17).