Then Judah came near (Gen. 44:18). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: My son, if thou art become a surety for thy neighbor, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger, thou art snared by the word of thy mouth (Prov. 6:11).
When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to give the Torah to Israel, He asked: “Will ye accept My Torah?” “Indeed,” they replied. “Then give me a surety that you will fulfill it,” He said. “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be our surety,” they answered. Whereupon He responded: “Your patriarchs required guarantors for themselves, since Abraham said: Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? (Gen. 15:8); while Isaac loved the one I hated, as it is written: But Esau, I hate (Mal. 1:3); and Jacob declared: My way is hid from the Lord (Isa. 40:27).” “Then our children shall be our guarantors,” they exclaimed. The Holy One, blessed be He, immediately accepted them as sureties and gave the Torah to Israel, as it is said: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou found strength (Ps. 8:3). Therefore, whenever Israel neglects the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from the sureties, as is said: Thou hast forgotten the law; I will also forget thy children (Hos. 4:6).
What is meant by I will also? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will also suffer because of them, for I shall be compelled to destroy those who will say each day: “Blessed be the Lord, who is to be blessed forever and ever.” Hence the verse states: If thou art become a surety for thy neighbor, thou art snared, etc. (Prov. 6:1). So too Judah, because he became a surety for Benjamin; only he of all the brothers confronted Joseph, as Scripture says: Then Judah came near unto him.
וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: בְּנִי אִם עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ תָּקַעְתָּ לַזָּר כַּפֶּיךָ (משלי ו, א).
Then Judah came near (Gen. 44:18). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: My son, if thou art become a surety for thy neighbor, if thou hast struck thy hands for a stranger, thou art snared by the word of thy mouth (Prov. 6:11).
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִתֵּן אֶת הַתּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, אָמַר לָהֶם: תְּקַבְּלוּ תוֹרָתִי. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: הֵן. אָמַר לָהֶם תְּנוּ לִי עָרֵב שֶׁתְּקַיְּמוּ אוֹתָהּ. אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב יִהְיוּ עֲרֵבִים. אָמַר לָהֶן. אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם הֵן בְּעַצְמָם צְרִיכִים עֲרֵבִים. אַבְרָהָם אָמַר, בַּמָּה אֵדַע (בראשית טו, ח). יִצְחָק אָהַב אֶת שׂוֹנְאִי, דִּכְתִיב: וְאֶת עֵשָׂו שָׂנֵאתִי (מלאכי א, ג). יַעֲקֹב אָמַר, נִסְתְּרָה דַרְכִּי (ישעיה מ, כח). אָמְרוּ לוֹ: בָּנֵינוּ יִהְיוּ עֲרֵבִים שֶׁלָּנוּ. מִיָּד קִבְּלָן הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְנָתַן אֶת הַתּוֹרָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: מִפִּי עוֹלְלִים וְיוֹנְקִים יִסַּדְתָּ עֹז (תהלים ח, ג). לְפִיכָךְ כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל מְבַטְּלִין אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא פּוֹרֵעַ מִן הָעֲרֵבִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתִּשְׁכַּח תּוֹרַת אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶשְׁכַּח בָּנֶיךָ גַּם אָנִי (הושע ד, ו).
When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to give the Torah to Israel, He asked: “Will ye accept My Torah?” “Indeed,” they replied. “Then give me a surety that you will fulfill it,” He said. “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be our surety,” they answered. Whereupon He responded: “Your patriarchs required guarantors for themselves, since Abraham said: Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? (Gen. 15:8); while Isaac loved the one I hated, as it is written: But Esau, I hate (Mal. 1:3); and Jacob declared: My way is hid from the Lord (Isa. 40:27).” “Then our children shall be our guarantors,” they exclaimed. The Holy One, blessed be He, immediately accepted them as sureties and gave the Torah to Israel, as it is said: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou found strength (Ps. 8:3). Therefore, whenever Israel neglects the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from the sureties, as is said: Thou hast forgotten the law; I will also forget thy children (Hos. 4:6).
מַהוּ גַּם אָנִי. אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַף אֲנִי מִצְטַעֵר עֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁאֲנִי מַפְסִידָן, שֶׁהֵן אוֹמְרִים בְּכָל יוֹם, בָּרוּךְ ה' הַמְבוֹרָךְ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. הֱוֵי, אִם עָרַבְתָּ לְרֵעֶךָ. אַף יְהוּדָה לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה עָרֵב שֶׁל בִּנְיָמִין, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא עָמַד מִכָּל הַשְּׁבָטִים כְּנֶגֶד יוֹסֵף אֶלָּא יְהוּדָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה.
What is meant by I will also? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I will also suffer because of them, for I shall be compelled to destroy those who will say each day: “Blessed be the Lord, who is to be blessed forever and ever.” Hence the verse states: If thou art become a surety for thy neighbor, thou art snared, etc. (Prov. 6:1). So too Judah, because he became a surety for Benjamin; only he of all the brothers confronted Joseph, as Scripture says: Then Judah came near unto him.