When Yosef sends his brothers back to Canaan with provisions, and to bring the family back to Mitzrayim, he tells them אל תרגזו בדרך – what does תרגזו mean? The translation is agitated, don’t become agitated on the way. Rashi tells us the simple understanding is that they shouldn’t argue over who was responsible for the מכירת יוסף but there are other explanations given by Rashi, which are before this one. The Gur Aryeh explains this is because if Yosef was only to tell them not to argue, it would make more sense to use the lashon אל תריבו.
Therefore, Rashi offers that תרגזו means “don’t get involved in Halachic discussions”. What happened to ובלכתך בדרך ? We’re supposed to learn Torah when we’re travelling!
No, this is in reference to learning b’iyun. It could be dangerous, one can start thinking about to sugya so intensely that they crash!
Rashi also offers that תרגזו is the lashon of “hurrying”. Maybe they’d be so excited to go back, that they’ll break the speed limit, or travel at night, and we know from Masechet Pesachim that we have to reach out destinations before sunset.
Ramban suggests that “agitated” connotes worry. Maybe they’d be worried that they would get attacked by bandits on the way. Yosef is ensuring them that because his insignia is on their things, no one would dare touch them.
The חזקוני adds that if anyone would start up with the brothers, Joseph would see to it that he wouldn’t be fed when they eventually come down to Egypt.
As we can see, this phrase has many parushim inside the Rishonim.
We can connect all this with the beginning of the Parsha, where To Yaakov worried that if Binyamin travelled tragedy may ensue פן יקראנו אסון.
Rashi explains that when things are dangerous, השטן מקטרג בשעת הסכנה – the Satan has his day, and can cause trouble.
There are many lessons from this idea. One is, that when we’re driving or travelling, stay safe, follow the rules, everything will be ok – and if you get there 5 minutes late nothing will happen. Because b’emet, אל-תרגזו – it’s dangerous, so we must do it carefully. Learn בדרך! I encourage everyone to learn when you’re travelling. Listen to shiurim, don’t need the radio – they have enough listeners. But don’t learn b’iyun, we don’t want to go through a red light because we were too stuck on a kashya.
Travel to our destination in a safe way, at the right time (nowadays we can travel at night, as we have lights) and don’t be worried. For as the Ramban says, if what you’re doing is right, then Hashem will look out for us.
Shabbat Shalom.
