בראשית, פרק מ״ג, פסוק כ״ג

The brothers stand trembling at the entrance of the Egyptian ruler's home, convinced that the money mysteriously returned to their sacks is a trap to enslave them. Recognizing their obvious terror, the man in charge of the house steps in to calm them. According to tradition, this overseer is Joseph's own son, who understands his father's true intentions and acts on his own initiative to dispel their fears. He reassures them that they are not being framed, directing their attention instead to God's providence.

He tells them that their God, and the God of their father, has given them a hidden treasure. This specific phrasing deeply unsettled the brothers. [שד״ל] notes that they found it bizarre for an Egyptian to speak this way. They suspected he might secretly know their true identity from Canaan, yet they remained silent to avoid appearing like spies. Other commentators explain that the overseer used this language because it was widely known that their family frequently experienced miracles. By mentioning both them and their father, he suggested that the money was a reward for their own good deeds, or, if they lacked sufficient merit, for the sake of their father [רש״י, מזרחי, מלבי״ם].

Ironically, these comforting words may have only heightened their panic. Burdened by a guilty conscience over selling their brother, hearing that God, and specifically their father's God, was actively involved in their lives made them fear that God was actually pursuing them to avenge Jacob's suffering [קונטרס חיבה יתירה].

The overseer describes the returned money as a hidden treasure, a term used for valuable items kept out of sight. To explain how it ended up in their sacks, the primary approach among commentators is that he offered a completely natural excuse. He suggested that because the grain was collected from many different people, a previous owner might have hidden money inside and forgotten it. Since it was purchased in a public market and the original owner had given up hope of recovering it, the brothers legally acquired it as a found object.

[רמב״ן] rejects this, arguing it is impossible for every brother to accidentally find the exact weight of his own money. Instead, he proposes that the overseer blamed the chaotic, crowded markets. He claimed that buyers would place their money in the sacks, and rushed sellers would simply pour grain directly over the coins to keep the lines moving. In truth, the overseer was not lying when he confirmed he had received their payment. The original money was indeed deposited into the royal treasury, but Joseph had secretly ordered a matching gift to be placed in their sacks from his own personal funds [ביאור שטיינזלץ, ברכת אשר]. Adding a historical dimension, [מלבי״ם] suggests this hidden treasure foreshadows the immense wealth Egypt was accumulating, which would eventually be given to the Israelites when they departed the land years later.

To finally prove his words and offer true comfort, the overseer immediately brings Simeon out of prison, fulfilling Joseph's command upon seeing Benjamin. The physical release of their brother serves as undeniable proof that there are no pending charges against them, finally allowing the brothers to sit down and eat in complete peace.