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Ramban on Genesis 42:17/רמב"ן על בראשית מ״ב:י״ז

אוַיֶּאֱסֹף אֹתָם אֶל מִשְׁמָר שְׁלֹשֶׁת יָמִים עָשָׂה כֵן לְהַפְחִידָם, וְשֶׁיַּאֲמִינוּ בּוֹ כִּי אֶת הָאֱלֹהִים הוּא יָרֵא, וּמִפְּנֵי מוֹרָאוֹ מוֹצִיא אוֹתָם שֶׁלֹּא יָמוּתוּ אַנְשֵׁי בֵּיתָם בָּרָעָב. וְזֶה טַעַם "וְאַתֶּם לְכוּ הָבִיאוּ שֶׁבֶר רַעֲבוֹן בָּתֵּיכֶם". וְעוֹד, כִּי לֹא יִשְׁמְעוּ לְהַנִּיחַ הָאֶחָד רַק לְהַצָּלַת כֻּלָּם:

1AND HE PUT THEM ALL TOGETHER INTO A WARD THREE DAYS. This he did in order to frighten them and to make them believe that it is G-d he fears,¹⁴⁹ meaning that it is because of his fear of G-d that he is releasing them lest the people of their households perish from hunger. This is the meaning of his words, The rest of you, go and take grain home to your starving households.¹⁵⁰ Besides, they would not have consented to leave the one [Simeon]¹⁵¹ behind except for the purpose of saving all their families.