Vayeishev 37:26 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 37:26

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ׃

And Yehudah said unto his brothers: What profit is it if we slay our brother and conceal his blood?

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin 6b.

Sefaria — Sanhedrin 6b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנֵי, רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: כָּל הַמְבָרֵךְ אֶת יְהוּדָה שֶׁאָמַר מַה בֶּצַע כִּי נַהֲרֹג אֶת אָחִינוּ, הֲרֵי זֶה מְנָאֵץ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר ״וּבֹצֵעַ בֵּרֵךְ נִאֵץ ה׳״.

English: It was taught: Rabbi Meir says: Anyone who blesses Yehudah for saying “What profit is it if we slay our brother” is in fact blaspheming, and concerning this it is said “And he who blesses the greedy blasphemes Hashem.”

On the daf / in context: Sanhedrin 6b critiques the apparent praise of Yehudah’s suggestion, reading the language of “profit” as still self-interested.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The phrase “what profit” is taken as evidence of a remaining base motive.

What Is Learned

Even Yehudah’s proposal to sell rather than kill is not fully praiseworthy, because it was framed in terms of personal gain. One who lauds it is considered to blaspheme.