Sad but True

In this week's parsha, the parsha begins with the argument between Yehudah and Yoseif as it pertained to Binyamin's future. Yehudah pleads with Yoseif that if the "naar" doesn't return to his father, it would kill his father. The term "naar" usually connotes a young boy. In this case, the young boy, Binyamin, was in his low 30s. According to rashi in last week's parsha, he already had nine children. I recently heard the question asked, that being the case, why didn't Yehudah plead a perhaps stronger argument, if Binyamin doesn't return, you are creating nine young orphans. The lesson is that it is not a stronger argument. It is harder for a father to lose his son (rachmana litzlon), than for nine children to lose their father.