Torah Reading for Vayechi

Ephraim at his right, from Israel’s left.

If one comes toward his friend, his right is opposite his friend’s left. Since he (Manasseh) is the firstborn, he should be placed on the right for the blessing. — [from Peskita Rabbathi ch. 3]

He guided his hands deliberately.

Heb. שִׂכֵּל. As the Targum renders: אַחְכִּמִינוּן, he put wisdom into them. Deliberately and with wisdom, he guided his hands for that purpose, and with knowledge, for he knew [full well] that Manasseh was the firstborn, but he nevertheless did not place his right hand upon him.

the angel who redeemed me.

The angel who was usually sent to me in my distress, as the matter is stated: “And an angel of God said to me in a dream, ‘Jacob!…I am the God of Bethel’ ” (Gen. 31:11-13). - [after Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel]

bless the youths.

Manasseh and Ephraim.

and may they multiply…like fish.

[Just] like fish, which proliferate and multiply, and are unaffected by the evil eye. — [from Onkelos and Gen. Rabbah 97:3]

With you, Israel will bless.

Whoever wishes to bless his sons, will bless them with their blessing (with a blessing related to them), and a man will say to his son, “May God make you like Ephraim and like Manasseh.” - [from Sifrei Nasso 18]

and he placed Ephraim.

Before Manasseh in his blessing, to give him precedence in the groupings [of the tribes in the desert] and [also] at the dedication of [the Tabernacle by] the [tribal] princes. — [from Gen. Rabbah 97:5]

And I have given you.

Since you are taking the trouble to occupy yourself with my burial, I have given you an inheritance where you will be buried. And which is this? This is Shechem, as it is said: “And Joseph’s bones, which the children of Israel had brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem” (Josh. 24:32).

one portion over your brothers.

Heb. אַחַד עַל אַחֶיךָ שְׁכֶם, the actual [city of] Shechem, which will be for you one share over your brothers. [Accordingly, we render: Shechem, [which is] one [share] over your brothers.]- [from Gen. Rabbah 97:6]

with my sword and with my bow.

When Simeon and Levi slew the men of Shechem, all those [nations] around them (Jacob’s sons) assembled to attack them, and Jacob girded weapons of war against them. — [from Gen. Rabbah 97:6, Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel.] Another explanation: “One portion” refers to the birthright, and indicates that his (Joseph’s) sons should take two shares. שְׁכֶם is a word meaning “a portion,” as the Targum renders. There are many similar instances in Scripture: “For You shall place them as a portion (שְׁכֶם)” (Ps. 21:13), You shall place my enemies before me as portions; “I will divide a portion (שְׁכֶם)” (ibid. 60:8); “…murder on the way, שֶׁכְמָה” (Hos. 6:9), [meaning:] each one his share; “to worship Him of one accord (שְׁכֶם אֶחָד)” (Zeph. 3:9), [meaning: in one group].

which I took from the hand of the Amorite.

From the hand of Esau, who behaved like an Amorite (Gen. Rabbah 97:6). Another explanation [of why Esau is called אמֹרִי]: who deceived his father with the sayings (אִמְרֵי) of his mouth.

with my sword and with my bow.

I.e., his cleverness and his prayer.

[You have] the restlessness of water.

The restlessness and the haste with which you hastened to display your anger, similar to water which hastens on its course. Therefore-

you shall not have superiority.

You shall no longer receive all these superior positions that were fit for you. Now what was the restlessness that you exhibited?

for you ascended upon your father’s couch; then you profaned.

that Name that ascended my couch. That is the Shechinah, which was accustomed to going up on my bed. — [from Shab. 55b]

the restlessness.

Heb. פַּחַז. This is a noun; therefore, it is accented on the first syllable, and the entire word is vowelized with the “pattach.” [I.e., each syllable is vowelized with a “pattach.”] If it were a [verb in] past tense, [meaning: he was restless,] it would be vowelized פָּחַז, half with a “kamatz” and half with a “pattach,” and it would be accented on the latter syllable (פָּחַז).

my bed.

Heb. יְצוּעִי, a term denoting a bed, because it is spread (מַצִּיעִים) with mattresses and sheets. There are many similar occurrences: “If I shall go up on the bed that was spread for me (יְצוּעָי)” (Ps. 132:3); “when I remember You on my couch (יְצוּעָי)” (ibid. 63:7). - [from Targum Onkelos]

Simeon and Levi are brothers.

[They were] of one [accord in their] plot against Shechem and against Joseph: “So they said one to the other, ‘…So now, let us kill him…’ ” (Gen. 37:19). Who were “they?” If you say [that it was] Reuben or Judah, [that cannot be because] they did not agree to kill him. If you say [that it was] the sons of the maidservants, [that cannot be because] their hatred [toward him] was not [so] unmitigated [that they would want to kill him], for it is stated: “and he was a lad [and was] with the sons of Bilhah” (Gen. 37:2). [It could not have been] Issachar and Zebulun [because they] would not have spoken before their older brothers. [Thus,] by necessity [we must say that] they were Simeon and Levi, whom their father called “brothers.” - [from Gen. Rabbah, Shitah Chadashah]

stolen instruments.

This craft of murder is in their hands wrongfully, [for] it is [part] of Esau’s blessing. It is his craft, and you (Simeon and Levi) have stolen it from him. — [from Tanchuma Vayechi 9]

their weapons.

Heb. מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם, a term denoting weapons. In Greek, the word for sword is “machir” (Tanchuma Vayechi 9). Another explanation: מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם means: In the land of their dwelling (מְגוּרָתָם) they conducted themselves with implements of violence, like “Your dwelling place (מְכֹרֹתַיךּ‏ִ) and your birthplace (וּמוֹלְדֹתַיךּ‏ִ)” (Ezek. 16:3). This is Onkelos’s translation. — [from Tanchuma Vayechi 9]

Let my soul not enter their counsel.

This is the [future] incident of Zimri [that Jacob is referring to], when the tribe of Simeon gathered to bring the Midianitess before Moses, and they said to him, “Is this one forbidden or permitted? If you say she is forbidden, who permitted you to marry Jethro’s daughter?” Let my name not be mentioned in connection with that affair. [Therefore, the Torah depicts Zimri as] “Zimri the son of Salu, the prince of a father’s house of the Simeonites” (Num. 25:14), but [Scripture] did not write, “the son of Jacob.” - [from Sanh. 82a, Gen. Rabbah 99:6]

their assembly.

When Korah, who is of the tribe of Levi, assembles the whole congregation against Moses and against Aaron. — [From Tanchuma Vayechi 10]

my honor, you shall not join.

My name shall not join them there, as it is said: “Korah the son of Izhar the son of Kehath the son of Levi” (Num. 16:1), but it does not say, “the son of Jacob.” In (I) Chronicles (7:22), however, when the lineage of the sons of Korach is given regarding the platform, it says,“the son of Korah the son of Izhar the son of Kehath the son of Levi the son of Israel.” - [from Tanchuma Vayechi

my honor, you shall not join.

כָּבוֹד, honor, is a masculine noun. [Therefore,] you must explain [this passage] as if he (Jacob) is speaking to the honor and saying, “You, my honor, shall not join them,” like “You shall not join (תֵחַד) them in burial” (Isa. 14:20). [Since the word (תֵּחַד) includes a prefixed “tav,” it can be either the second person masculine or the third person feminine. Since כָּבוֹד is a masculine noun, the verb must be second person.]

for in their wrath they killed a man.

These are Hamor and the men of Shechem, and all of them are considered as no more than one man. And so [Scripture] says regarding Gideon, “And you shall smite Midian as one man” (Jud. 6:16), and similarly regarding the Egyptians, “a horse and its rider He cast into the sea” (Exod. 15:1). This is its midrashic interpretation (Gen. Rabbah 99:6), but its simple meaning is that many men are called “a man,” each one individually. In their wrath they (Simeon and Levi) killed every man with whom they were angry. Similarly, “and he learned to attack prey; he devoured men (אָדָם)” (Ezek. 19:3).

and with their will they hamstrung a bull.

They wanted to “uproot” Joseph, who was called “bull,” as it is said: “The firstborn of his bull-he has majesty” (Deut. 33:17). עִקְרוּ means esjareter in Old French, to hamstring, an expression similar to “You shall hamstring their horses” (Josh. 11:6). - [From Targum Yerushalmi]

Cursed be their wrath for it is mighty.

Even at the time of castigation, he cursed only their wrath. This is [in agreement with the idea behind] what Balaam said, “What shall I curse, which God did not curse?” (Num. 23:8). - [From Gen. Rabbah 99:6]

I will separate them throughout Jacob.

I will separate them from one another so that Levi will not be numbered among the tribes; hence they are separated. Another explanation: There are no [itinerant] paupers, scribes, or teachers of children except from [the tribe of] Simeon, so that they should be scattered. The tribe of Levi was made to go around to the threshing floors for heave offerings and tithes; thus he caused him to be dispersed in a respectable way. — [From Gen. Rabbah 98:5, 99:6, Shitah Chadashah]

Judah, [as for] you, your brothers will acknowledge you.

Since he reproved the first ones (Reuben, Simeon, and Levi) with reproach, Judah began retreating backwards [so that he (Jacob) would not reprove him for the deed involving Tamar (Gen. 38:16). So Jacob called him with words of appeasement, “Judah, you are not like them.” - [From Shitah Chadashah]

Your hand will be at the nape of your enemies.

In the time of David: “And of my enemies-you have given me the back of their necks” (II Sam. 22:41). - [From Gen. Rabbah 98:9]

your father’s sons.

Since they were [born] from many wives, he did not say, “your mother’s sons,” after the manner that Isaac said (Gen. 27:29). - [From Gen. Rabbah 98:6]

A cub [and] a grown lion is Judah.

He prophesied about David, who was at first like a cub: “When Saul was king over us, it was you who led Israel out and brought them in” (II Sam. 5:2), and at the end a lion, when they made him king over them. This is what Onkelos means in his translation by יְהֵא בְּשֵׁירוּיָא שִׁלְטוֹן, [he shall be a ruler] in his beginning.

from the prey.

From what I suspected of you, (namely) that “Joseph has surely been torn up; a wild beast has devoured him” (Gen. 37: 33). This referred to Judah, who was likened to a lion. - [from Tanchuma Vayigash 9]

my son, you withdrew.

Heb. עָלִיתָ, you withdrew yourself and said, “What is the gain [if we slay our brother and cover up his blood]?” (Gen. 37:26) (Gen. Rabbah 99:8). Similarly, [Judah withdrew] from killing Tamar, when he confessed, “She is right, [it is] from me…” (Gen. 38: 26) (Aggadath Bereshith 83). Therefore, “he crouched, lay down, etc.” [This was fulfilled] in the time of Solomon, “every man under his vine, etc.” (I Kings 5:5) (Gen. Rabbah 98:7).

The scepter shall not depart from Judah.

from David and thereafter. These (who bear the scepter after the termination of the kingdom) are the exilarchs (princes) in Babylon, who ruled over the people with a scepter, [and] who were appointed by royal mandate. — [From Sanh. 5a]

nor the student of the law from between his feet.

Students. These are the princes of the land of Israel. — [From Sanh. 5a]

until Shiloh comes.

[This refers to] the King Messiah, to whom the kingdom belongs (שֶׁלוֹ) , and so did Onkelos render it: [until the Messiah comes, to whom the kingdom belongs]. According to the Midrash Aggadah, [“Shiloh” is a combination of] שַׁי לוֹ, a gift to him, as it is said: “they will bring a gift to him who is to be feared” (Ps. 76:12). - [From Gen. Rabbah ed. Theodore-Albeck p. 1210 ]

and to him will be a gathering of peoples.

Heb. יִקְּהַת עַמִּים denoting a gathering of peoples, for the “yud” of (יִקְּהַת) is part of the root [and not a prefix], like “with your brightness (יִפְעָתֶךָ‏ֶ)” (Ezek. 28: 17), and sometimes [the “yud” is] omitted. Many letters are subject to this rule, and they are called defective roots, like the “nun” of נוֹגֵף (smite), נוֹשֵׁךְ (bite), and the “aleph” of “and my speech (אַחְוָתִי) in your ears” (Job 13:17); and [the “aleph”] of “the scream of (אִבְחַת) the sword” (Ezek. 21:20); and [the “aleph”] of “a jug (אָסוּךְ‏) of oil” (II Kings 4:2). This too, is [a noun meaning] a gathering of peoples, [meaning: a number of nations who unite to serve God and join under the banner of the King Messiah] as it is said: “to him shall the nations inquire” (Isa. 11:10). Similar to this is “The eye that mocks the father and despises the mother’s wrinkles (לְיִקְּהַת אֵם)” (Prov. 30:17), [i.e., meaning] the gathering of wrinkles in her face, due to her old age. And in the Talmud [we find]: “were sitting and gathering assemblies וּמַקְהוֹ אַקְהָתָא in the streets of Nehardea” [Pumbeditha] in Tractate Yebamtoh (110b). He (Jacob) could also have said: קְהִיּת עַמִּים [Since the “yud” of יִקְהַת is not a prefix denoting the third person masculine singular, but is a defective root, the form קְהִיּת עַמִּים would be just as appropriate.]- [From Gen. Rabbah 98:9]

He binds his foal to a vine.

He prophesied concerning the land of Judah [namely] that wine will flow like a fountain from it. One Judahite man will bind one foal to a vine and load it from one vine, and from one tendril [he will load] one young donkey. — [From Gen. Rabbah 98:9]

a tendril.

A long branch, corjede in Old French, a vine-branch.

He launders]…with wine.

All this is an expression of an abundance of wine. — [From Gen. Rabbah 99:8]

his raiment.

Heb. סוּתֹה. It is a word denoting a type of garment, and there is none like it in Scripture.

binds.

Heb. אֹסְרִי, equivalent to אוֹסֵר, as in the example: “He lifts (מְקִימִי) the pauper up from the dust” (Ps. 113:7) [instead of מֵקִים]; “You, Who dwell (הַישְׁבִי) in heaven” (ibid. 123:1) [instead of הַישֵׁב]. Likewise, “his young donkey” (בְּנִי אִתֹנוֹ) [instead of בֶּן אִתֹנוֹ] follows this pattern. Onkelos, however, translated it [the verse] as referring to the King Messiah [i.e., the King Messiah will bind, etc.]. The vine represents Israel; עִירֹה means Jerusalem [interpreting עִירֹה as “his city,” from עִיר]. The tendril represents Israel, [referred to as such by the prophet:] “Yet I planted you a noble vine stock (שׁוֹרֵק)” (Jer. 2:21).

his young donkey.

[is translated by Onkelos as] They shall build his Temple [בְּנִי is derived from בנה, to build. אִתֹנוֹ is] an expression similar to “the entrance gate (שַׁעַר הָאִיתוֹן)” in the Book of Ezekiel (40:15). [The complete Targum reads as follows: He (the Messiah) shall bring Israel around to his city, the people shall build his Temple.] He (Onkelos) further translates it in another manner: the vine refers to the righteous, בְּנִי אִתֹנוֹ refers to those who uphold the Torah by teaching [others], from the idea [expressed by the verse]: “the riders of white donkeys (אֲתֹנֹת)” (Jud. 5:10). [He launders]…with wine, [Onkelos renders:] “Fine purple shall be his (the Messiah’s) garment,” whose color resembles wine. [The complete Targum reads: Fine purple shall be his garment, his raiment fine wool, crimson and colorful clothing.] “And colorful clothing” is expressed by the word סוּתֹה, [a garment] a woman wears to entice [מְסִיתָה] a male to cast his eyes on her. Our Rabbis also explained it in the Talmud as a term denoting the enticement of drunkenness, in Tractate Kethuboth (11b): And if you say about the wine, that it does not intoxicate, the Torah states: סוּתֹה [which means enticement to drunkenness. The Rabbis, however, render the passage as follows: and with the blood of grapes that entices].

red-eyed from wine.

Heb. חַכְלִילִי, an expression of redness, as the Targum renders, and similarly (Prov. 23:29), “Who has bloodshot eyes (עֵינַים חַכְלִלוֹת)?” For it is common for those who drink wine to have red eyes.

from milk.

Due to the abundance of milk, for in his (Judah’s) land there will be good pasture for flocks of sheep. This is the meaning of the verse: He shall be red-eyed from an abundance of wine, and he shall be white-toothed from an abundance of milk. According to the Targum, however, עֵינַיִם denotes mountains because from there one can see far away. [According to the Targum: His mountains shall be red with his vineyards.] The Targum renders it also in another manner, as an expression of fountains (as in Gen. 16:7, 24:16, 29, 30, 42, 43, 45) and the flow of the vats. [The Targum reads further: His vats (נַעִווֹהִי) shall flow with wine.] נַעִווֹהִי means “his vats.” This is Aramaic, [and] in Tractate A.Z. (74b): “Vats (נַעִוָא) are to be purged with boiling water.” [וּלְבֶן שִׁנַּיִם he renders:] יְחַוְרָן בָּקְעָתֵיהּ. He renders שִׁנַּיִם as a term denoting rocky crags. [According to this translation then, Onkelos renders: his rocky crags shall be white.]

Zebulun will dwell on the coast of the seas.

Heb. חוֹף. His land will be on the seacoast. חוֹף is as the Targum renders: סְפַר, marche in Old French, borderland. He will constantly frequent the harbor of the ships, in the place of the port, where the ships bring merchandise, for Zebulun would engage in commerce and provide food for the tribe of Issachar, and they (the tribe of Issachar) would engage in [the study of] Torah. That is [the meaning of] what Moses said, “Rejoice, O Zebulun, in your going forth, and Issachar, in your tents” (Deut. 33:18) Zebulun would go forth [to engage] in commerce, and Issachar would engage in [the study of] Torah in tents. — [From Tanchuma Vayechi 11]

and his boundary will be at Zidon.

The end of his boundary will be near Zidon. יַרְכָתוֹ means: his end, similar to “and to the end of (וּלְיַרְכְּתֵי) the Tabernacle” (Exod. 26:22). - [From Targum Onkelos]

Issachar is a strong-boned donkey.

Heb. חִמֹר גָרֶם, a bony donkey. He bears the yoke of the Torah, like a strong donkey which is laden with a heavy burden. — [From Gen. Rabbah 99: 9]

lying between the boundaries.

like a donkey, which travels day and night and does not lodge in a house, but when it lies down to rest, it lies between the boundaries, in the boundaries of the towns where it transports merchandise. — [From Zohar vol. 1, 242a]

He saw a resting place, that it was good.

He saw that his territory was a blessed and good land for producing fruits. — [From Targum Onkelos, Bereshith Rabbathi]

and he bent his shoulder to bear [burdens].

[I.e., the yoke of Torah.]- [From Gen. Rabbah 98:12]

and he became.

for all his brothers, the Israelites-

an indentured laborer.

to decide for them instructions of Torah [law] and the sequence of leap years, as it is said: “And of the sons of Issachar, those who had an understanding of the times, to know what Israel should do: their chiefs were two hundred” (I Chron 12:33). He (Issachar) provided two hundred heads of Sanhedrin. “And all their brethren obeyed their word” (ibid. 12:32). - [From Gen. Rabbah 98: 12]

and he bent his shoulder.

Heb. וַיֵּט, he lowered his shoulder, similar to “And He bent (וַיֵּט) the heavens” (II Sam. 22:10, Ps. 18:10), “Incline your ear (הַטּוּ)” (Ps. 78:1). Onkelos, however, rendered it in a different manner: and he bent his shoulder to bear wars and to conquer regions, for they dwelled on the border; the enemy will be vanquished under him as an indentured laborer.

Dan will avenge his people.

Heb. יָדִין, will avenge his people from the Philistines, like “When the Lord avenges (יָדִין) His people” (Deut. 32:36). - [From Targum Onkelos]

like one, the tribes of Israel.

All Israel will be like one with him, and he will avenge them all. Concerning Samson he uttered this prophecy. We can also explain שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּאַחַד [as follows]: like the special one of the tribes, namely David, who came from Judah. — [From Targum Onkelos, Sotah 10a, Gen. Rabbah 99:11]

a viper.

Heb. שְׁפִיפֹן. This is a snake, and I say it is given this appellation because it bites, “and you will bite (תְּשׁוּפֶנוּ) his heel” (Gen. 3:15).

which bites the horse’s heels.

So is the habit of a snake. He (Jacob) compares him (Dan) to a snake, which bites a horse’s heels, and [causes] its rider to fall backwards, although it does not touch him. We find something similar in [the story of] Samson: “And Samson grasped the two pillars of the center, etc.” (Jud. 16:29), and those on the roof died. Onkelos renders [נָחָשׁ] as כְּחִיוֵי חוּרְמָן, the name of a species of snake whose bite has no antidote, and that is the צִפְעֹנִי (adder). It is called חוּרְמָן because it destroys (חֵרֶם) everything. [Onkelos renders] וּכְפִתְנָא, and like a viper, like פֶּתֶן (Isa. 11:8, Ps. 58:5) [and he renders] יִכְמוֹן, [as] he will lie in wait.

For Your salvation, I hope, O Lord!.

He (Jacob) prophesied that the Philistines would gouge out his (Samson’s) eyes, and he (Samson) would ultimately say, “O Lord God, remember me now and strengthen me now only this once, etc.” (Jud. 16:28). - [From Num. Rabbah 14:9]

From Asher will come rich food.

The food from Asher’s territory will be rich, for there will be many olive trees in his territory, so that oil will flow like a fountain. And thus did Moses bless him, “and dip his foot in oil” (Deut. 33:24), as we learned in Menachoth (85b): The people of Laodicea once needed oil. [So they appointed themselves a Gentile messenger (according to Rashi, or a Gentile official, according to Rashi ms. and Rabbenu Gershom, ad loc.). They said to him, “Go and bring us oil worth a million (coins).” The messenger went to Jerusalem, where they told him, “Go to Tyre.” So the messenger went to Tyre, where they told him, “Go to Giscala (a town in the territory of Asher).” The messenger went to Giscala, where they told him, “Go to so-and-so, to that field.” He went to the field and he found a man breaking up the earth around his olive trees. The messenger asked him, “Do you have a million (coins) worth of oil?” The man replied, “Yes, but wait for me until I finish my work.” The messenger waited. After the man finished working, he cast his tools over his shoulder and went on his way, removing the stones from the path as he walked. The messenger thought to himself, “Has this man really a million (coins) worth of oil? I think the Jews have played a trick on me.” As soon as the man arrived at his town, his maidservant brought him a kettle of hot water, and the man washed his hands and feet with it. She then brought him a golden cup full of oil, and he dipped his hands and feet in it, to fulfill what is stated: “and dip his foot in oil.” After they had dined, the man measured out for the messenger oil (worth) a million (coins). He asked the messenger, “Don’t you need more?” “Yes,” the messenger replied, “but I have no money.” The man said, “If you want to buy, buy, and I will come with you and collect the money for it.” The man then measured out additional oil for one hundred eighty thousand (coins). It was said that the messenger hired all the horses, mules, camels, and donkeys that he could find in the land of Israel. As soon as the messenger arrived in his home town, the townspeople came out to praise him. He said to them, “Don’t praise me! Praise this man who measured out for me oil for a million (coins), and I still owe him a hundred eighty thousand (coins).” This illustrates the verse: “There is one who feigns riches but has nothing; one who feigns poverty but has great wealth” (Prov. 13:7).]

a swift gazelle.

This is the valley of Gennesar, which ripens its fruits swiftly, like the gazelle, which runs swiftly. אַיָלָה שְׁלֻחָה means a gazelle that runs swiftly. — [from Gen. Rabbah 99:12]

[he is one] who utters beautiful words.

As the Targum renders. [See below.] Another explanation: A swift gazelle: He (Jacob) prophesied concerning the war with Sisera: “and take with you ten thousand men of the men of Naphtali, etc.” (Jud. 4:6), and they went there with alacrity. And so it is stated there with an expression of dispatching, “into the valley they rushed forth with their feet” (ibid. 5:15).

[he is one] who utters beautiful words.

Through them, Deborah and Barak sang a song (Gen. Rabbah 98:17). Our Rabbis [of the Talmud], however, interpreted it (the entire verse) as an allusion to the day of Jacob’s burial, when Esau contested [the ownership of] the cave, in Tractate Sotah (13a). [As soon as Jacob’s sons reached the Cave of Machpelah, Esau came and stopped them. He said to them, “Mamre, Kiriath-arba, which is Hebron” (Gen. 35:27); Rabbi Isaac said that the name Kiriath-arba alludes to the four couples interred there: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, and Jacob and Leah. Jacob buried Leah in his place, and the remaining one Esau said was his. Jacob’s sons said to Esau, “You sold it.” He replied, “Although I sold my birthright, did I sell my rights as an ordinary son?” They answered, “Yes, for it is written: ‘in my grave, which I bought (כָּרִיתִי) for myself’” (Gen. 50:5). Rabbi Johanan said in the name of Rabbi Simeon the son of Jehozadak, כִּירָה means nothing but sale (מְכִירָה), for in the coastal cities, sale is known as כִּירָה. Esau replied, “Give me the deed.” They said to him, “The deed is in Egypt.” [One asked another,] “Who should go (to get it) ?” [He replied,] “Let Naphtali go because he is as fleet-footed as a gazelle, as it is written: ‘Naphtali is a swift gazelle, [he is one] who utters beautiful words (אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר).’” Do not read אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר, but אִמְרֵי סֵפֶר, words of a scroll.] [I. e., it was Naphtali who brought the deed to the cave to prove that Jacob had purchased Esau’s burial right there.] The Targum renders: יִתְרְמֵי עַדְבֵהּ, his lot will fall [in a good land], and he will give thanks for his territory with beautiful words and praise.

A charming son is Joseph.

Heb. בֵּן פֹּרָת, a charming son. This is an Aramaism, similar to [the word used in the expression] “Let us express our favor (אַפִּרְיוֹן) to Rabbi Simeon,” [found] at the end of Baba Mezia (119a).

a son charming to the eye.

His charm attracts the eye that beholds him.

of the] women, [each one] strode along to see him.

Heb. עִלֵי שׁוּר. The women of Egypt strode out on the wall to gaze upon his beauty. Of the women, each one strode to a place from which she could catch a glimpse of him. עִלֵי שׁוּר, for the purpose of looking at him, similar to “I behold him (אֲשׁוּרֶנוּ), but not near” (Num. 24:17). There are many midrashic interpretations, but this is the closest to the literal sense of the verse. (Another explanation: This is how it should read, because according to the first interpretation, שׁוּר means“a wall.”)]

charming-.

Heb. פֹּרָת. The “tav” in it is [added merely] to enhance the language, similar to “because of (עַל דִּבְרַת) the children of men” (Ecc. 3:18). (lit., concerning the matter of)

see him.

שׁוּר is the equivalent of לָשׁוּר, to see. [Thus the meaning of] עִלֵי שׁוּר [is] in order to see. Onkelos, however, renders בָּנוֹת צָעִדָה עִלֵי שׁוּר: Two tribes will emerge from his children. They will [each] receive a share and an inheritance. [Scripture] writes בָּנוֹת, alluding to the daughters of Manasseh, [i.e.,] the daughters of Zelophehad, who received a share [of the land] on both sides of the Jordan. בֵּן פֹרת יוֹסֵף [is rendered] my son, who will multiply, is Joseph פֹּרָת is an expression of procreation פִּרְיָה וְרִבְיָה). There are midrashic interpretations that fit the language [of the verse, as follows]: When Esau came toward Jacob, all the other mothers went out ahead of their children to prostrate themselves. Concerning Rachel, however, it is written: “and afterwards, Joseph and Rachel drew near and prostrated themselves” (Gen. 33: 7), [denoting that Joseph preceded Rachel]. Joseph said, “This scoundrel has a haughty eye. Perhaps he will take a fancy to my mother.” So he went ahead of her, stretching his height to conceal her. His father was referring to this when he blessed him בֵּן פֹּרָת, a son who grew, [meaning] you raised yourself over Esau’s eye. Therefore, you have attained greatness — [From Gen. Rabbah 78:10]. [Of the] women, [each one] strode along to see him, to gaze at you when you went forth through Egypt (Gen. Rabbah 98:18). They [the Rabbis] interpreted it (עִלֵי שׁוּר) further as referring to the idea that the evil eye should have no influence over his descendants. Also, when he (Jacob) blessed Manasseh and Ephraim, he blessed them [that they should be] like fish, over which the evil eye has no influence. — [From Ber. 20a]

They heaped bitterness upon him and became quarrelsome.

Heb. וַיְמָרִרֻהוּ. His brothers heaped bitterness upon him (Joseph), [and] Potiphar and his wife heaped bitterness upon him by having him imprisoned. [This is] an expression similar to “And they embittered (וַיְמָרְרוּ) their lives” (Exod. 1:14). - [From Gen. Rabbah 98:19]

and became quarrelsome.

Heb. וָרֹבּוּ. His brothers became his antagonists, (lit., men of quarrel). This verb form (וָרֹבּוּ) is not a form of פָּעִלוּ, [the simple active קַל conjugation], for if it were, it should have been vowelized like רָבוּ in “They are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel quarreled (רָבוּ), etc.” (Num. 20:13). Even if it (וָרֹבּוּ) denotes the shooting of (רְבִית) arrows, it would be vowelized the same way. It is [therefore] only a form of פֹּעִלוּ, the passive form, as in “The heavens were devastated (שֹׁמּוּ)” (Jer. 2:12), which is [equivalent to] הוּשַׁמּוּ Likewise, “They are taken away (רוֹמוּ) in a second” (Job 24:24), is an expression like הוּרְמוּ, except that the expressions of הוּשַׁמּוּ and הוּרְמוּ mean [to be devastated and taken away] by others, whereas the expressions שֹׁמּוּ, רוֹמוּ, [and] רֹבּוּ denote actions caused by themselves: they devastate themselves, they were taken away by themselves, they became quarrelsome. Similarly, “The island dwellers have been silenced (דֹמּוּ)” (Isa. 23:2) is like נָדַמּוּ Onkelos also renders וְנַקְמוֹהִי, and they took revenge from him.

archers.

Heb. בַּעִלֵי חִצִּים, [called this because their] tongues were like arrows (חִצִּים) (Gen. Rabbah 98:19). The Targum, however, renders it as מָרֵי פַלְגּוּתָא, an expression similar to “And the half (הַמֶּחֱצָה) was” (Num. 31:36), [meaning] those who were fit to share the inheritance with him, [viz., his brothers]. [I.e., Onkelos interprets בַּעִלֵי חִצִּים as those who should take half.]

But his bow was strongly established.

It became strongly established. His bow, his strength.

and his arms were gilded.

Heb. וַיָּפֹזּוּ. This refers to the placing of the signet ring on his (Joseph’s) hand, an expression similar to “glittering gold (זָהָב מוּפָז)” (I Kings 10:18). This [elevation] came to him from the hands of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is the Mighty One of Jacob. From there he (Joseph) was elevated to be the sustainer of the rock of Israel, the mainstay of Israel, [Be’er Yizchak] an expression of “the initial stone (הָאֶבֶן הָרֹאשָׁה)” (Zech. 4:7), [which is] an expression of royalty. [Jacob, the Patriarch, was considered a royal personality.] Onkelos, too, rendered it in this way, [i.e., that וַיָּפֹזוּ is derived from פָּז, fine gold]. He rendered וַתֵּשֶׁב as וְתָבַת בְּהוֹן נְבִיאוּתֵיהּ, [meaning] his prophecy returned [and was fulfilled] upon them [thus rendering וַתֵּשֶׁב as “returning” rather than as “being established.” This refers to] the dreams he dreamed about them, עַל דְקַייֵם אוֹרַיְתָא בְּסִתְרָא, because he observed the Torah in secret. This is an addendum, and is not derived from the Hebrew of the verse. וְשַׁוִּי בְּתוּקְפָּא רוּחִצָנֵיהּ, and he placed his trust in the Mighty One. [This is] the Aramaic translation of וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ, and this is how the language of the Targum follows the Hebrew: His prophecy returned because the might of the Holy One, blessed be He, was his bow and his trust. עַל דְּרָעוֹהִי בְּכֵן יִתְרְמָא דְּהַב therefore, “his arms were gilded (וַיָּפֹזוּ),” an expression of “fine gold (פָּז).”

the rock of Israel.

A contraction of אָב וּבֵן, father and son, [which Onkelos renders as אַבְהָן וּבְנִין], fathers and sons.

and his arms were gilded.

Like "and they were spread", since his seed came from between the fingers of his hands.

the Mighty of Jacob.

מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעִקֹב [According to this interpretation, this phrase is rendered: by the hand of the might of Jacob. He was able to overcome his temptation] because his father’s image appeared to him, etc., as related in Sotah (36b). See above on 39:11. The end of the verse is explained as follows: ישְׂרָאֵל מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן -from there he merited to be the shepherd of Israel and to have a stone among the stones of the tribes of Israel [on the breastplate of the High Priest.] [Now Rashi returns to verse 26. He wishes to clarify Targum Onkelos, which renders the verse as follows: Your father’s blessings shall be added to the blessings that my fathers blessed me, which the greats of old [the righteous] desired for themselves.] Onkelos, however, renders תַּאִוַת גִבְעֹת עוֹלָם as an expression of desire and longing, and גִבְעֹת, hills, as an expression of “the pillars of the earth” (I Sam. 2:8), (meaning the righteous, in whose merit the world exists). (These are the blessings) his mother longed for and forced him to accept.

from the God of your father.

This befell you, and He will help you.

and with the Almighty.

And your heart was with the Holy One, blessed be He, when you did not heed your mistress’s orders, and [because of this] He shall bless you.

the blessings of father and mother.

Heb. בִּרְכֹת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם [Onkelos renders:] בִּרְכָתָא דְאַבָּא וּדְאִמָּא, blessings of father and mother. That is to say that the ones who beget the children and the ones who bear the children will be blessed. The males will impregnate with a drop of semen that is fit for conception, and the females will not lose what is in their womb and miscarry their fetuses.

father.

Heb. שָׁדַיִם. [How does שָׁדַיִם come to mean father?] “He shall be cast down (יָרֹה יִיָּרֶה)” (Exod. 19:13) is translated by the Targum as אִשְׁתְּדָאָה יִשְׁתְּדֵי Here too, [שָׁדַיִם means the father] because semen shoots (יוֹרֶה) like an arrow.

The blessings of your father surpassed, etc.

The blessings the Holy One, blessed be He, have blessed me, surpassed the blessings He had blessed my parents. — [From Bereshith Rabbathi]

to the ends of the everlasting hills.

Because my blessings extended until the ends of the boundaries of the everlasting hills, for He gave me a limitless blessing, without boundaries, reaching the four corners of the earth, as it is said: “and you shall spread out westward and eastward, etc.” (Gen. 28:14), which He did not say to our father Abraham or to Isaac. To Abraham He said, “Please raise your eyes and see…For all the land that you see I will give to you” (Gen. 13:14), and He showed him only the Land of Israel. To Isaac He said, “for to you and to your seed will I give all these lands, and I will establish the oath [that I swore to Abraham, your father]” (Gen. 26:3). This is what Isaiah said, “and I will provide you with the heritage of Jacob, your father” (Isa. 58:14), but he did not say, “the heritage of Abraham.” - [From Shab. 118a]

the ends.

Heb. תַּאִוַת, asasomalz in Old French, the ends, bounds. Menachem ben Saruk classified it exactly the same way (Machbereth Menachem p. 183).

my parents.

Heb. הוֹרַי, an expression of conception (הֵרָיוֹן), [meaning] that they caused me to be conceived (הוֹרוּנִי) in my mother’s womb, similar to “A man has impregnated (הֹרָה)” (Job 3:3).

to the ends.

Heb. עַד תַּאִוַת, until the ends, like “And you shall demarcate (הִתְאַוִּיתֶם) as your eastern border” (Num. 34:10); [and] “you shall draw a line (תְּתָאוּ) extending to the road leading to Hamath” (ibid. 34:8).

May they come.

All of them to Joseph’s head- [From Targum Onkelos]

the one who was separated from his brothers.

Heb. נְזִיר אֶחָיו [Onkelos renders:] דַאִחוֹהִי פְּרִישָׁא, who was separated from his brothers, similar to “and they shall separate (וַינָּזְרוּ) from the holy things of the children of Israel” (Lev. 22:2); [and] “they drew (נָזֹרוּ) backwards” (Isa. 1:4). - [From Sifra Emor 4:1] [Returning to verse 24, Rashi continues:] Our Rabbis, however, interpreted “But his bow was strongly established” as referring to his (Joseph’s) overcoming his temptation with his master’s wife. He calls it a bow because semen shoots like an arrow. — [From Sotah 36b] וַיָּפֹזוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו [וַיָּפֹזוּ is] equivalent to וַיָפֹצוּ, scattered, that the semen came out from between his fingers. — [From Sotah 36b]

and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them.

Now is it not so that some of them he did not bless, but [in fact] chided? Rather, this is what is intended: And this is what their father spoke to them-what is related in this section. One might think that he did not bless Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. Therefore, Scripture states: and he blessed them, meaning all of them. — [From Pesikta Rabbathi 7]

according to his blessing.

With the blessing destined to befall each of them.

he blessed them.

Scripture should have said, “each man, according to his blessing, he blessed him.” Why does Scripture say, “he blessed them?” Since he (Jacob) bestowed upon Judah the might of a lion, and upon Benjamin the power to seize like a wolf, and upon Naphtali the fleetness of a gazelle, I might think that he did not include all of them in all the blessings. Therefore, Scripture states:“he blessed them.” - [From Tanchuam Vayechi 16]

I will be brought in to my people.

Heb. נֶאֱסָף [The term נֶאֱסָף is utilized] because they brought souls into the place where they are concealed. There are instances of אִסִיפָה in Hebrew that mean bringing in, e.g., “but no one brought them (מְאַסֵּף) home” (Jud. 19: 15); “you shall take it (וַאִסַפְתּוֹ) into your house” (Deut. 22:2); [and] “when you bring in (בְּאָסְפְּכֶם) the produce of the land” (Lev. 23:39). It is [the produce] brought into the house because of the rains. [Another instance is:] “When you bring in (בְּאָסְפּךָ‏ְ) your labors” (Exod. 23:16). Likewise, every instance of אִסִיפָה mentioned in connection with death is also an expression of “bringing in.”

with my fathers.

Heb. אֶל, lit., to my fathers. [Here it means] with my fathers.

and he drew his legs.

Heb. וַיֶאֱסֹף רַגְלָיו, he drew in his legs.

and expired and was brought in.

But no mention is made of death in his regard, and our Rabbis of blessed memory said: Our father Jacob did not die. — [From Ta’anith 5b]

to embalm his father.

This involves compounding aromatic spices. — [From Targum Jonathan and Targum Yerushalmi]

And forty days were completed for him.

They completed for him the days of his embalming, when forty days were completed for him.

and the Egyptians wept over him for seventy days.

Forty [days] for embalming and thirty for weeping, because a blessing had come to them when he arrived-the famine ended and the waters of the Nile increased. — [From Bereshith Rabbathi , Targum Jonathan]

which I dug for myself.

Heb. כָּרִיתִי. According to its simple meaning, it (כָּרִיתִי) is similar to “If a man digs (יִכְרֶה)” (Exod. 21:33) (Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel). Its midrashic interpretation also fits the language [of the text here] [viz., that it is] like קָנִיתִי, I bought. Rabbi Akiva said, “When I went to [some] cities by the sea, they called selling (מְכִירָה) כִּירָה” (Rosh Hashanah 26a). [Similarly, it may have been used for “buying.”] Another midrashic interpretation is that it is a term derived from כְּרִי, a stack, [meaning] that Jacob took all the silver and gold that he had brought from Laban’s house and made it into a stack. He said to Esau, “Take this for your share in the cave” (Tanchuma Buber, Vayishlach 11; Gen. Rabbah 100:5). See Rashi on 46: 6.

as he adjured you.

But were it not for the oath, I would not permit you [to go]. He (Pharaoh) was afraid to tell him (Joseph) to transgress the oath, however, lest he say, “If so, I will transgress the oath that I swore to you that I would not reveal that I understand the holy tongue (Hebrew) in addition to seventy languages of the nations of the world, but you do not understand it (Hebrew),” as is found in Tractate Sotah (36b).

the threshing floor of the thornbushes.

It was surrounded by thornbushes. Our Rabbis, however, interpreted it [that it was called the threshing floor of the thornbushes] to commemorate the event, when all the people of Canaan and the princes of Ishmael came to [fight a] war. When they saw Joseph’s crown hanging on Jacob’s coffin, they all stood up and hung their own crowns on it and surrounded it with crowns, like a threshing floor surrounded by a fence of thorns. — [From Sotah 13a]

as he had commanded them.

What was it that he had commanded them?- [What the Torah elaborates in the following verse.]

And his sons carried him.

But not his grandsons, for so he had commanded them: “Neither shall any Egyptian carry my coffin nor any of your sons, for they are born of the daughters of Canaan, but you [alone].” He designated a position for them [by his coffin], [so that] three [of them would carry] on the east, and so on for [all] four directions. [This was] similar to their arrangement in the traveling of the camp [in the desert] of the groupings [of the tribes as] they were designated here. [He also ordered,] “Levi shall not carry it because he (i.e., his tribe) is destined to carry the Ark. Joseph shall not carry it because he is a king. Manasseh and Ephraim shall carry it instead of them.” That is the meaning of “Each one according to his group with signs” (Num. 2:2), according to the sign that their father gave them to carry his coffin. — [From Tanchuma Bamidbar 12]

he and his brothers, and all who had gone up with him.

Here, when they returned, [Scripture] places his brothers before the Egyptians who had gone up with him, whereas when they left, [Scripture] places the Egyptians before his brothers, as it is said: “and all Pharaoh’s servants…went up with him” (verse 7), and afterwards, “And Joseph’s entire household and his brothers” (verse 8). But because they (the Egyptians) saw the honor that the kings of Canaan had bestowed, (i.e.,) that they hung their crowns on Jacob’s coffin, they treated them (Joseph’s brothers) with respect. — [From Sotah 13b]

Now Joseph’s brothers saw that their father had died.

What does it mean that they saw? They recognized his (Jacob’s) death in Joseph, for they were accustomed to dine at Joseph’s table, and he was friendly toward them out of respect for his father, but as soon as Jacob died, he was no longer friendly toward them. — [From Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel; Tanchuma Buber, Shemoth 2]

Perhaps Joseph will hate us.

Heb. לוּ [The word] לוּ has many different meanings. לוּ is used as an expression of request or to denote “if only,” [as in these examples:] “If only (לוּ) it would be as you say” (Gen. 30:34); “If only (לוּ) you would listen to me” (ibid. 23:13); “If only (לוּ) we had been content” (Josh. 7:7); “If only (לוּ) we had died” (Num. 14:2). לוּ sometimes means “if” (אִם) or “perhaps” (אוּלַי) , e.g., “If (לוּ) they had been wise” (Deut. 32:29); “Had (לוּא) you hearkened to My commandments” (Isa. 48: 18); “And even if (וְלוּ) I should weigh on my palms” (II Sam. 18:12). לוּ sometimes serves as an expression of “perhaps,” [as in] “Perhaps (לוּ) will hate us” (Gen. 50:15). And there is no similar use [of this word] in Scriptures. It is [used as] an expression of “perhaps” (אוּלַי), like “Perhaps (אוּלַי) the woman will not follow me” (Gen. 24:39), which denotes “perhaps.” There is also an example of אוּלַי [used as] an expression of a request, e. g., “If only (אוּלַי) the Lord will see [the tears of] my eye” (II Sam. 16:12); “If only (אוּלַי) the Lord will be with me” (Josh. 14:12). This is similar to “If only (לוּ) it would be as you say” (Gen. 30:34). Sometimes אוּלַי is an expression of “if:” “If (אוּלַי) there are fifty righteous men” (Gen. 18:24). - [From Targum Onkelos]

they commanded [messengers to go] to Joseph.

Like “and He commanded them to the children of Israel” (Exod. 6:13). [That is,] he commanded Moses and Aaron to be messengers to the children of Israel. In this case, too, they (the brothers) commanded their messenger to be a messenger to Joseph to say this to him. Whom did they command? Bilhah’s sons who were frequently with him, as it is said: “and he was a lad [and was] with the sons of Bilhah” (Gen. 37:2). - [From Targum Yerushalmi as quoted by Chizkuni]

Your father commanded.

They altered the facts for the sake of peace. Jacob gave no such command, since he did not suspect Joseph. — [From Yeb. 65b, Tanchuma Toledoth 1].

please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.

Although your father is dead, his God is alive, and they are His servants. — [From Tanchuma Buber, Shemoth 2]

His brothers also went.

in addition to sending messengers.

for am I instead of God?.

Heb. הִתַחַת. Am I perhaps in His place? [The prefixed “hey” denotes] wonder. If I wanted to harm you, would I be able? Did not all of you plan evil against me? The Holy One, blessed be He, however, designed it for good. So how can I alone harm you?

And do not let his hoary head go down to the grave in peace.

Do not let him die a natural death [since this will minimize his worldly punishment] and cause him to fall into purgatory for torturous purification.

Who cursed me with a grievous curse.

[Others maintain] נִמְרֶצֶת means clear and unquestionable as (we find) in (Job 16:3): “what will bring clarity to you (ימריצך),” and (Job 6:25): “how clear (נמרצו) are right words,” the same as נִמְלְצוּ a derivation of the word מְלִיצָה, an interpretation or clarification.

For you are a wise man.

Turn your attention to find for him an iniquity justifying a death penalty in another matter.

And his kingdom was firmly established.

He was also master and ruler of all heavenly creatures and beings.