וַֽיִּקְרְע֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָ֑ם וַֽיַּעֲמֹס֙ אִ֣ישׁ עַל־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ הָעִֽירָה׃
Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.
Classical midrash on the rending of garments.
Sefaria · Bereshit Rabbah (context)
וַיִּקְרְעוּ שִׂמְלֹתָם. קְרִיעָה זוֹ הִיא סִימָן שֶׁל אֵבֶל וּמְסִירוּת נֶפֶשׁ לְבִנְיָמִין.
English of Core Text: “Then they rent their clothes.” This rending is a sign of mourning and of absolute commitment to Binyamin.
On the daf / in context: The midrash sees the collective tearing of garments as the brothers’ public demonstration that they will not abandon Binyamin, reversing the earlier abandonment of Yosef.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: The rending of clothes is the visible proof that the brothers have changed; they now share fully in the fate of the youngest, the very opposite of their earlier conduct toward Yosef.