וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חָלִ֣ילָה לִּ֔י מֵעֲשׂ֖וֹת זֹ֑את הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִמְצָ֨א הַגָּבִ֜יעַ בְּיָד֗וֹ ה֚וּא יִהְיֶה־לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד וְאַתֶּ֕ם עֲל֥וּ לְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־אֲבִיכֶֽם׃
But he replied, “Far be it from me to act thus! Only the man in whose possession the goblet was found shall be my slave; the rest of you go back in peace to your father.”
Bereshit Rabbah 92:1. The Midrash explicitly discusses Yosef’s refusal in this passuk and interprets his “far be it from me” as an oath-like declaration; it then contrasts the proposed enslavement with the brothers’ understanding of “peace.”
The Midrash focuses on Yosef’s declaration that only the one found with the goblet will remain as his servant. It then gives a striking wordplay: the brothers hear a “peace” that has been emptied of its meaning, while the Divine Spirit invokes “great peace” for those who love Torah.
What Is Learned: The Midrash turns the apparently conciliatory “go up in peace” into the closing tension before Yehudah’s response, while treating Yosef’s refusal as deliberate and principled within the staged confrontation.