Repentance Through Suffering
Teshuvah · Tribes · Sin · Atonement
ועתה אל תעצבו כו'.
“And now, do not be distressed…”
Joseph reassures his brothers, indicating that the unfolding events should not cause them further anguish.
ועתה לשון תשובה כי השבטים תיקנו החטא בזה הצער שהי' להם מבנימין.
“And now” is a term of repentance, for the tribes rectified their sin through the suffering they experienced on account of Benjamin.
The Sefat Emet explains that their hardship regarding Benjamin served as a form of atonement, turning the moment into one of repentance and inner repair.
והנה לא נשכח מהם החטא זה יותר מעשרים שנה שאמר האלקים מצא כו' עון עבדיך.
And behold, this sin had not been forgotten by them for more than twenty years, as they said: “God has found the sin of your servants.”
Even after decades, their conscience remained marked by the sale of Joseph, and they recognized divine providence exposing the lingering fault.
עון המיוחד כי לא הי' להם חטא אחר:
The specific sin, for they had no other transgression.
The Sefat Emet notes that this singular failure weighed heavily upon the brothers precisely because their overall righteousness left no other sins to obscure it.
Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that the brothers’ long‑felt remorse and the suffering involving Benjamin served as a process of teshuvah, ultimately cleansing the one great sin that had shadowed them for decades.