וַיִּֽירְא֣וּ הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים כִּ֣י הוּבְאוּ֮ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵף֒ וַיֹּאמְר֗וּ עַל־דְּבַ֤ר הַכֶּ֙סֶף֙ הַשָּׁ֤ב בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֙ינוּ֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מֽוּבָאִ֑ים לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤ל עָלֵ֙ינוּ֙ וּלְהִתְנַפֵּ֣ל עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְלָקַ֧חַת אֹתָ֛נוּ לַעֲבָדִ֖ים וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵֽינוּ׃
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.”
Classical midrash on the brothers’ anxiety at the invitation.
וַיִּירְאוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים כִּי הוּבְאוּ בֵּית יוֹסֵף. הַפַּחַד עַצְמוֹ הוּא חֵלֶק מִן הַתִּקּוּן.
English of Core Text: “And the men were afraid because they were brought into Yosef’s house.” The fear itself is part of the process of repair.
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.