בראשית, פרק מ״ב, פסוק כ״ח

The journey back from Egypt, which should have been a journey of relief after a partial release, instantly transforms into a terrifying nightmare. A routine action of opening a grain sack violently shakes the brothers, exposing them to a sudden, unpredictable danger. Upon discovering the money, they realize it was not left there by chance, but was deliberately placed alongside the grain [רש״י, מזרחי וגור אריה]. Furthermore, the fact that the money rested right at the very opening of the sack, rather than at the bottom, proved this was no random error made by the grain measurers. It was clearly a calculated plot engineered to harass them [העמק דבר]. Paralyzed by dread, the brothers did not even dare to open the remaining sacks at that moment, terrified of uncovering yet another disaster [קונטרס חיבה יתירה].

The sheer panic they experienced manifested as extreme anxiety, sudden terror, and physical trembling, akin to a person whose soul is violently departing from their body [רד״ק, רלב ג וביאור יש״ר]. Ordinarily, finding money is a cause for joy, but the brothers immediately grasped the destructive implications of this discovery. They recognized it as a tangible threat from the Egyptian ruler, causing their courage to completely collapse [תורה תמימה ורש ר הירש]. As they trembled, their concern was notably directed toward one another. A person is expected to accept personal misfortune with the same love as they would a blessing, meaning they did not fear for themselves. However, one is obligated to feel anguish over the danger facing someone else; thus, each brother trembled specifically for the fate of the others [פרדס יוסף].

In their despair, they cried out to God. This was not a simple question, but a shattered cry of anguish over the sinister plot God had brought upon them [רש״י, מזרחי ושפתי חכמים]. The primary approach among commentators is that the brothers interpreted this crisis as a direct, measure-for-measure punishment. Just as they had once sold their brother into slavery for silver, silver was now being used as the very instrument to frame them and reduce them to slaves [רשב״ם, ספורנו ורבנו בחיי].

Yet, the discovery of the money triggered a profound crisis of faith and deep confusion. The brothers had already accepted that their previous troubles in Egypt were a justified punishment for selling Joseph. However, God typically punishes sinners through clear afflictions, not by unexpectedly planting money in their bags. This highly unusual event, which at first glance appeared to be a reward, shattered their understanding. It left them wondering what new sin they had committed to warrant such a bizarre and confusing ordeal [מלבי ם וחזקוני]. Some explain that their reaction unfolded in two distinct stages: first, they cried out in sheer shock at the plot itself, but immediately afterward, they internalized that this was no mere coincidence. Recognizing divine providence, they accepted the judgment by acknowledging that God was the author of their circumstances [הכתב והקבלה].

The sages of the Talmud, however, view the brothers' outcry toward God with a critical eye, applying the proverb that a person's own folly ruins their path, yet their heart rages against God. People often bring trouble upon themselves through their own mistakes, only to blame God for the consequences. Some commentators explain that this folly refers to the original sin of selling Joseph. That act created the very mechanism of punishment now pursuing them, yet they attribute their distress directly to God and rage against their bitter fate [בכור שור ונחלת יעקב]. Other commentators point to a much more practical folly: had the brothers taken the time to inspect their sacks before leaving Egypt, they would have discovered the money, returned it to the ruler immediately, and spared themselves all this grief and suspicion. Having failed to take that basic precaution, they became hopelessly entangled in the trap, and rather than blaming their own carelessness, they complained about God's actions [תורה תמימה].