וַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ בַּגָּד֣וֹל הֵחֵ֔ל וּבַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּלָּ֑ה וַיִּמָּצֵא֙ הַגָּבִ֔יעַ בְּאַמְתַּ֖חַת בִּנְיָמִֽן׃
And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left off at the youngest; and the goblet was found in Binyamin’s sack.
Classical midrash on the staged discovery.
Sefaria · Bereshit Rabbah (context)
בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל וּבַקָּטֹן כִּלָּה. הַחִפּוּשׂ נַעֲשָׂה בְּסֵדֶר כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּישׁוּ בַּמִּבְחָן.
English of Core Text: “He began at the eldest and left off at the youngest.” The search was conducted in order so that the test would not be obvious.
On the daf / in context: The midrash observes that the deliberate progression from oldest to youngest makes the discovery of the cup in Binyamin’s sack appear natural rather than planted, heightening the dramatic force of the moment.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: The search itself is part of the carefully constructed test; by beginning with the eldest, Yosef ensures that the finding of the cup in Binyamin’s sack carries maximum impact.