Why did the brothers sit down to eat after sentencing Yosef to death - as opposed to Bnei Yisrael, who wept and prayed after killing the Tribe of Binyamin (Shoftim 21:2-3); and Daryavesh, who fasted after throwing Daniel to the lions (Daniel 6:19)?
Seforno, Malbim: They considered their verdict perfectly justified, because they considered him to be a Rodef who was coming to kill them. 1
Oznayim la'Torah: While judging cases concerning life and death, a Sanhedrin diminishes eating (Sanhedrin 40a). 2 However, after they decided not to kill him directly, but rather, to throw him into the pit, they ate normally.
Ha'amek Davar: The custom was to eat while sitting on the ground, especially in the field (there were no tables and chairs). How could they see the caravan from afar? This shows that they were agitated, especially when they heard his cries (42:21), and stood amidst eating to see what will come from their action.
Why does the Torah need to inform us where the camels were coming from, what they were carrying and where they were going to?
Ramban: When they saw the camel-train approaching, they realized that they were Yishma'elim coming from Gil'ad, who normally transported the listed commodities to Egypt 1 to sell. Consequently, Yehudah suggested selling Yosef to them, since both locations were far from Chevron, and Yaakov was unlikely to discover what had happened to him. 2
Rashi: The Torah tells us what they were carrying, to teach how Hashem looks after Tzadikim - since the Arabs generally carried kerosene and paraffin (which have a foul smell), these were carrying pleasant-smelling spices, so that Yosef should not suffer.
Ha'amek Davar: They were carrying spices, which are small loads, so Yosef was able to ride, 3 and did not need to walk; his legs were feeble from his pain.
Malbim: Yaakov later sent these as a gift with the brothers, for they are dear in Egypt. Through Hashgachah, they had a large amount (camels were needed to carry them), so they would not finish selling them before reaching Egypt.
Refer to 37:28:1:2*.
Surely, they would not take more camels than needed! Perhaps they would take back big loads from Egypt, and took extra camels for the return trip. (PF)
