וייראו האנשים כי הובאו בית יוסף וגו' ויגשו אל האיש אשר על בית יוסף
And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Yosef’s house; and they said, “Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses.”
Bereishis Rabbah 92:4.
Sefaria · Bereishis Rabbah 92:4
וַיִּירְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים כִּי הוּבְאוּ בֵּית יוֹסֵף. הַפַּחַד עַצְמוֹ הוּא חֵלֶק מִן הַתִּקּוּן.
English: Bereishis Rabbah 92:4 reads the brothers’ fear as the immediate reaction to being brought into Yosef’s house, followed by their approach to the steward and their explanation about the returned money.
On the daf / in context: The midrash treats the brothers’ dread as the emotional consequence of their earlier guilt; every invitation now feels like a trap.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: The brothers interpret ordinary hospitality as danger because their conscience is still unsettled; the fear is the residue of the unrepented sale of Yosef.