I decided so...

Recently, I called a company to close my account with them. The phone representative was courteous and professional as he collected my information. Then, he asked me: "May I know your reason for closing the account with us?"

Now, I had already thoroughly thought through the pros and cons of keeping the account open, and concluded that I needed to close it. So, I shared my reasoning with the rep. 

Interestingly enough, after hearing me out, the representative found a loophole or two in my reasoning, and explained to me why it would make more sense to keep the account open. I was a bit annoyed to discover that closing the account was going require my wresting my way through a debate of sorts, in order to justify my decision to close it. I agreed to leave the account open and ended the call. 

Love: Fathers and Sons

In the dramatic showdown of power between Yosef and his brothers, the fate of one of them - Binyomin - became the primary focus. Having personally guaranteed Binyomin's safe return home, Yehuda relentlessly expended every effort and made every argument and plea possible in order to free Binyomin from enslavement.

When appealing his fate, Yehuda pleaded: "If you do not let Binyomin return home, you will send my father's soul to the grave in sorrow..."

It would seem from Yehuda's presentation, that Binyomin was a tender, young boy, who still lived in his father's house. Yet, at the time of this episode, Binyomin was actually a grown man, married, and a father of ten sons. (Rashi, Bereshis, 43:29)

This being the case, Yehuda should have made a more powerful appeal, by invoking the sorrow of the young mother and ten children! Surely, the image of the large family in despair would elicit a more sympathetic judgement from the Second to the King. Why did Yehuda plea for Yosef to consider the father's sorrow instead?