וַיְהִ֗י הֵ֚ם מְרִיקִ֣ים שַׂקֵּיהֶ֔ם וְהִנֵּה־אִ֥ישׁ צְרוֹר־כַּסְפּ֖וֹ בְּשַׂקּ֑וֹ וַיִּרְא֞וּ אֶת־צְרֹר֧וֹת כַּסְפֵּיהֶ֛ם הֵ֥מָּה וַאֲבִיהֶ֖ם וַיִּירָֽאוּ׃
And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man’s bundle of money was in his sack; and when they and their father saw their bundles of money, they were afraid.
Exact Source: Bereishis Rabbah 91:9
וַיְהִי הֵם מְרִיקִים שַׂקֵּיהֶם וגו׳ — מְלַמֵּד שֶׁחֲשָׁדָן אֲבִיהֶם.
English of Source Text: Bereishis Rabbah points to the unusual wording “they and their father” and teaches that their father suspected them concerning the money.
On the passuk: The Midrash reads the addition of “their father” as significant rather than incidental.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: The money that was meant to be a private test becomes a public sign of trouble; both the brothers and Yaakov are shaken by the inexplicable return of the silver.