What are Mas'os?
Rashi: They are Manos (portions of food). 1
Ha'amek Davar: Primarily, the word means 'gifts;' as in "Mas'es k'Yad ha'Melech" (Esther 2:8).
As in the word "Mishlo'ach Manos" of Purim (EC). Ha'amek Davar - It is unreasonable that he would give to him five times as much to eat! However, since it is written regarding the meal, this supports Rashi. Also, "me'Es Panav" implies that Yosef himself served them. If it refers to gifts, it is no Chidush (that they were from Yosef)!
Why did Yosef give Binyamin more than the other brothers?
Seforno: To see whether they would be jealous 1 of him. Refer to 45:22:153:1*.
Riva: Yosef was not worried lest they be jealous. Since he insisted that Binyamin come, he should treat him better. Also, he intended to reveal himself, and they would accept that he favors his full brother. Even after revealing himself, Yosef gave to Binyamin money and more clothes than his brothers (refer to 45:22:153:1*). Jealousy comes only when a father favors one son over the others.
What was the significance of the five portions that Yosef gave Binyamin?
Rashi (from Pesikta) and Targum Yonasan: His own (Binyamin's) portion, plus that of Yosef, Asenas, Menasheh and Efrayim. 1
Seforno: For every portion that he gave two of his brothers, he gave Binyamin one.
Riva #1: The verse connotes that he had five portions more than his brothers! The other brothers ate in pairs. Binyamin received a double portion (as if he had a mate), and also of Yosef, Asenas, Menasheh and Efrayim.
Hadar Zekenim, Riva #2: Binyamin's brothers ate in five pairs. Binyamin's portion was slightly bigger than that of his brothers. Do not say that he had five times as much. That would be gluttonous!
Does this mean that he and his family went hungry? Moreover, why did he do that? Why could he not simply give him extra? (EC)
Why did they all became inebriated?
Rashi, Targum Yonasan and Bereishis Rabah 92:5: Because from the day that they sold him (twenty-two years earlier), neither they nor he had drunk wine. 1
Seforno: Because Yosef served them all different kinds of the best Egyptian wines, while they had already drank their fill from the first. They were not aware of how to feast with a ruler. 2
Harchev Davar: The brothers were obligated to thank Hashem for saving them from suspicion of being spies, and the viceroy recognized their honesty and appeased them for suspecting them.
Oznayim la'Torah: The brothers were quite sad - Yosef is missing, perhaps Shimon will not be allowed to return, their families are hungry, there are five more years of famine, perhaps there will be new accusations against them - however, they had no choice but to drink wine, both out of etiquette and out of fear, since they were sitting with the king at his table. One must act jovial in front of the king (Nechemyah 2:2) ( -when the king is happy - PF.)
Moshav Zekenim: They were all Nezirim. R. Yeshayah in Shabbos 139a, however, learns from "Nezir Echav" (Devarim 33:16) that only Yosef was a Nazir!
Seforno: See Mishlei 23:1.
How could the brothers drink Nochri wine?
Moshav Zekenim: They had not yet forbidden wine of Nochrim.
See Rashi to Kidushin 69b (based on Yerushalmi); Nechemyah was called Hatirshasa (permission) for this very reason! (CS)
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'They became intoxicated along with him' - for neither they, nor he, had drunk wine... whereas today they drank." Why did they drink today? (They did not know they were any closer to finding Yosef!)
Gur Aryeh: They were puzzled as to the viceroy's sudden turn in attitude towards them. They reasoned that he still suspected them of being spies, and he was giving them drink to loosen their tongues ("when wine goes in, secrets come out" - Eruvin 65a). They drank in order to show that they harbored no such secrets. Refusal to drink was likely to be interpreted as fear, which would implicate them yet again.
