בראשית, פרק נ׳, פסוק י״ח

After attempting to appease Joseph from a distance through messengers, the brothers take a deeply physical and submissive step. They do not rely solely on their initial message; instead, they follow up with a personal appearance [רש״י, חזקוני, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. This personal visit is an intentional, additional action meant to reinforce their plea [ברכת אשר על התורה].

Commentators offer different perspectives on what motivates the brothers to enter Joseph's presence at this specific moment, right after their messengers. One approach suggests that upon hearing Joseph weep, the brothers realize his heart is free of anger and revenge. Recognizing a window of compassion, they rush in and throw themselves at his feet. Their goal is to prove their absolute surrender and secure his forgiveness while his emotions are tender [שד״ל, בכור שור]. Timing their entrance immediately after their messengers speak is a deliberate effort to deepen the mercy already welling up inside him [ביאור יש״ר]. Conversely, their immediate entrance may be driven by deep fear. In this view, they misinterpret his tears, worrying he is crying over the painful memory of his past suffering. To them, this sadness is a sign that he remains unable to forgive [העמק דבר].

Driven by these intense emotions, the brothers offer themselves as slaves. This drastic proposal is understood in two main ways. First, believing Joseph still harbors a grudge and plans to sell them as payback, they decide to preempt his retaliation. By offering their freedom voluntarily, they effectively tell him there is no need to plot revenge, as they are delivering it to him directly [העמק דבר]. Alternatively, the offer of slavery is a desperate bid for survival against the ongoing famine. The brothers do not fear a direct execution; rather, they are terrified of a measure for measure punishment. Just as they once cast him into a pit to die of hunger and thirst, they worry he will now simply withhold food and let them starve. By offering to become slaves, they hope to save their lives in the exact same manner as the local Egyptians, who traded their freedom to Pharaoh for the grain Joseph distributed [קונטרס חיבה יתירה].