Yosef saw that Yehudah was adamant in his position and that he had reached the limits of his patience. The Midrash compares Yosef’s submission to an athlete who, upon accepting impending defeat, surrenders to avoid greater embarrassment. Indeed, the Midrash lauds Yosef’s wisdom in making this decision. This idea is bemusing. What great wisdom is indicated by Yosef’s surrender in the face of imminent defeat? Yehudah and his brothers would have destroyed everything had he not permitted Binyamin to leave!
Horav Henoch Lebowitz, Shlita, suggests an important lesson in human nature to be derived from this pasuk. An amazing sense of wisdom is required to see beyond the psychological barrier of egocentrism. All too often when we are involved in a conflict, we become so intricately enmeshed in our own self-centered opinions that we tend to overlook our own inadequacies. This self-imposed myopia can be destructive.
never we are involved in any type of dispute, we must try to be objective. Indeed, it takes the wisdom and superhuman efforts of a Yosef Ha’tzaddik to successfully master this challenge. The Torah’s message is that although honest introspection is a challenging endeavor, its mastery is attainable.
