וַיֹּ֕אמֶר חָלִ֣ילָה לִּ֔י מֵעֲשׂ֖וֹת זֹ֑את הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִמְצָ֨א הַגָּבִ֜יעַ בְּיָד֗וֹ ה֚וּא יִהְיֶה־לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד וְאַתֶּ֕ם עֲל֥וּ לְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־אֲבִיכֶֽם׃
And he said, “Far be it from me that I should do so; the man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman; but as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.”
Classical midrash on the decree that precipitates Yehudah’s speech (the opening of Vayigash).
Sefaria · Bereshit Rabbah (context)
הָאִישׁ אֲשֶׁר נִמְצָא הַגָּבִיעַ בְּיָדוֹ הוּא יִהְיֶה לִּי עָבֶד. הַגְּזֵרָה הַזֹּאת מְבִיאָה אֶת יְהוּדָה לִידֵי הַנְּאוּם הַגָּדוֹל.
English of Core Text: “The man in whose hand the goblet is found, he shall be my bondman.” This decree brings Yehudah to the great speech.
On the daf / in context: The midrash sees the selective severity (only Binyamin to remain) as the precise pressure that forces Yehudah to step forward and take full responsibility, fulfilling the earlier pledge.
Type of Learning: Derash on the verse (classic midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.
What Is Learned: The final decree is calibrated to isolate Binyamin and thereby compel Yehudah to become the advocate he had promised to be; the parsha ends at the threshold of that speech.