Jacob and His Sons’ Difficult Situation is Apparent in Genesis Chapter 43

Abraham had 10 difficult trials. Jacob has no less than his forefathers.

Clear proofs that righteous people never had a picnic in their lives.

But G-d sees everything. You actions, intentions and reactions in your daily living.

“The Request of Sending Benjamin to Egypt”
“Joseph’s Test of His Brothers’ Sincerity”

The famine was severe in the land. When they had finished eating the provisions which they had brought from Egypt their father said to them, “Go back, buy us some food.”
43:1-2
But Judah told him, saying, “The man sternly warned us saying, ‘Do not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
43:3
Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so ill by telling the man that you had another brother?”
:6
I will personally guarantee him, of my own hand you can demand him. If I do not bring him back to you and stand him before you, then I will have sinned to you for all time.
:9
Take your brother, and arise, return to the man. And may El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man that he may release to you your other brother as well as Benjamin. As for me, as I have been bereaved, so I am bereaved.
:13-14
They prepared the tribute for when Joseph would come at noon, for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.
:25
Then Joseph rushed because his compassion for his brother had been stirred and he wanted to weep; so he went into the room and wept there.
:30
They were seated before him, the firstborn according to his youth. The men looked at one another in astonishment.
:33
He had portions that had been set before him served to them, and Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as the portion of any of them. They drank and became intoxicated with him.
:34

“The Request of Sending Benjamin to Egypt”
“Joseph’s Test of His Brothers’ Sincerity”

The famine was severe in the land. When they had finished eating the provisions which they had brought from Egypt their father said to them, “Go back, buy us some food.”
43:1-2
But Judah told him, saying, “The man sternly warned us saying, ‘Do not see my face unless your brother is with you.’
43:3
Then Israel said, “Why did you treat me so ill by telling the man that you had another brother?”
:6
I will personally guarantee him, of my own hand you can demand him. If I do not bring him back to you and stand him before you, then I will have sinned to you for all time.
:9
Take your brother, and arise, return to the man. And may El Shaddai grant you mercy before the man that he may release to you your other brother as well as Benjamin. As for me, as I have been bereaved, so I am bereaved.
:13-14
They prepared the tribute for when Joseph would come at noon, for they had heard that they were to eat a meal there.
:25
Then Joseph rushed because his compassion for his brother had been stirred and he wanted to weep; so he went into the room and wept there.
:30
They were seated before him, the firstborn according to his youth. The men looked at one another in astonishment.
:33
He had portions that had been set before him served to them, and Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as the portion of any of them. They drank and became intoxicated with him.
:34

1 But the hunger was severe in the land.
2 And it came to pass, when they finished eating the grain that they had brought from Egypt, that their father said to them, “Go back [and] buy us a little food.”
3 But Judah spoke to him, saying, “The man warned us repeatedly, saying, ‘You shall not see my face if your brother is not with you.’
4 If you send our brother with us, we will go down and buy food for you.
5 But if you do not send [him], we will not go down, because the man said to us, ‘You shall not see my face if your brother is not with you.’ “
6 And Israel said, “Why have you harmed me, by telling the man that you have another brother?”
7 They said, “The man asked about us and about our family, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have a brother?’ And we told him according to these words. Could we have known that he would say, ‘Bring your brother down’?”
8 And Judah said to Israel, his father, “Send the lad with me, and we will get up and go, and we will live and not die, both we and you and also our young children.
9 I will guarantee him; from my hand you can demand him. If I do not bring him to you and stand him up before you, I will have sinned against you forever.
10 For had we not tarried, by now we would have already returned twice.”
11 So Israel, their father, said to them, “If so, then do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your vessels, and take down to the man as a gift, a little balm and a little honey, wax and lotus, pistachios and almonds.
12 And take double the money in your hand[s], and the money that was returned in the mouth of your sacks you shall return in your hand[s], perhaps it was an error.
13 And take your brother, and get up, go back to the man.
14 And may the Almighty God grant you compassion before the man, and he will release to you your other brother and Benjamin, and as for me as I am bereaved, I am bereaved.”
15 So the men took this gift, and they took double the money in their hand[s] and Benjamin, and they got up and went down to Egypt and stood before Joseph.
16 [When] Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the overseer of his house, “Bring the men into the house and [give orders] to slaughter an animal and to prepare, for the men will eat with me at lunch.”
17 And the man did as Joseph had said, and the man brought the men into Joseph’s house.
18 Now the men were frightened because they had been brought into Joseph’s house, and they said, “On account of the money that came back in our sacks at first, we are brought, to roll upon us and to fall upon us and to take us as slaves and our donkeys [as well].”
19 So they drew near the man who was over Joseph’s house, and they spoke to him at the entrance of the house.
20 And they said, “Please, my lord, we came down at first to purchase food.
21 And it came to pass when we came to the lodging place that we opened our sacks, and behold! each man’s money was in the mouth of his sack, and we returned it in our hand[s].
22 And we brought down other money in our hand[s] to purchase food. We do not know who put our money into our sacks.”
23 And he said, “Peace to you; fear not. Your God and the God of your father gave you a treasure in your sacks; your money came to me.” And he brought Simeon out to them.
24 Then the man brought the men (the brothers) into Joseph’s house, and he gave [them] water, and they washed their feet, and he gave fodder to their donkeys.
25 And they prepared the gift until Joseph would come at lunchtime, for they heard that there they would eat bread.
26 And Joseph came home, and they brought him the gift that was in their hand[s], into the house, and they prostrated themselves to him to the ground.
27 He inquired after their welfare, and he said to them, “Is your elderly father, whom you mentioned, well? Is he still alive?”
28 And they said, “Your servant, our father, is well; he is still alive.” And they bowed and prostrated themselves.
29 And he lifted his eyes and saw Benjamin, his brother, the son of his mother, and he said, “Is this your little brother, whom you told me about?” And he said, “May God favor you, my son. “
30 And Joseph hastened, for his mercy was stirred toward his brother, and he wanted to weep; so he went into the room and wept there.
31 And he washed his face and came out, and he restrained himself and said, “Serve the food.”
32 And they set for him separately and for them separately, and for the Egyptians who ate with him separately, because the Egyptians could not eat food with the Hebrews, because it is an abomination to the Egyptians.
33 They sat before him, the firstborn according to his age, and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at each other in astonishment.
34 And he had portions brought to them from before him, and Benjamin’s portion was five times as large as the portions of any of them, and they drank and became intoxicated with him.