| 10Israel’s eyesight was impaired due to old age and he could not see, so Joseph brought his sons near him. Jacob kissed them and embraced them. |
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יוְעֵינֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ כָּֽבְד֣וּ מִזֹּ֔קֶן לֹ֥א יוּכַ֖ל לִרְא֑וֹת וַיַּגֵּ֤שׁ אֹתָם֙ אֵלָ֔יו וַיִּשַּׁ֥ק לָהֶ֖ם וַיְחַבֵּ֥ק לָהֶֽם: |
| 11Israel said to Joseph, “I dared not even hope to see your face, yet now God has even shown me your children.” |
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יאוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף רְאֹ֥ה פָנֶ֖יךָ לֹ֣א פִלָּ֑לְתִּי וְהִנֵּ֨ה הֶרְאָ֥ה אֹתִ֛י אֱלֹהִ֖ים גַּ֥ם אֶת־זַרְעֶֽךָ: |
| לֹא פִלָּלְתִּי - I dared not even hope - i.e., I did not dare to entertain the thought that I would ever see your face again. The verb connotes thinking, as in: “Give advice, form an opinion (פְלִילָה).” |
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לֹא פִלָּלְתִּי.
לֹא מְלָאַנִי לִבִּי לַחֲשֹׁב מַחֲשָׁבָה שֶׁאֶרְאֶה פָנֶיךָ עוֹד. פללתי לְשׁוֹן מַחֲשָׁבָה, כְּמוֹ הָבִיאִי עֵצָה עֲשִׂי פְלִילָה (ישעיהו ט"ז):
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| 12Joseph then withdrew them from between his father’s knees. Joseph prostrated himself toward him, with his face to the ground. |
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יבוַיּוֹצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֹתָ֖ם מֵעִ֣ם בִּרְכָּ֑יו וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ לְאַפָּ֖יו אָֽרְצָה: |
| וַיּוֹצֵא יוֹסֵף אֹתָם - Joseph then withdrew them. After Israel had kissed them, Joseph withdrew them from between Israel’s knees in order to place one at Israel’s right and the other at his left, for Israel to rest his hands upon them in this way and bless them. |
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וַיּוֹצֵא יוֹסֵף אֹתָם.
לְאַחַר שֶׁנְּשָׁקָם הוֹצִיאָם יוֹסֵף מֵעִם בִּרְכָּיו, כְּדֵי לְיַשְּׁבָם זֶה לַיָּמִין וְזֶה לַשְּׂמֹאל לִסְמֹךְ יָדָיו עֲלֵיהֶם וּלְבָרְכָם:
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| וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְאַפָּיו - He prostrated himself toward him - when he stepped back from before his father. |
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וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְאַפָּיו.
כְּשֶׁחָזַר לַאֲחוֹרָיו מִלִּפְנֵי אָבִיו:
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| 13Joseph then took them both—Ephraim with his right hand, to stand at Israel’s left, and Manasseh with his left hand, to stand at Israel’s right—and brought them close to him. |
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יגוַיִּקַּ֣ח יוֹסֵף֘ אֶת־שְׁנֵיהֶם֒ אֶת־אֶפְרַ֤יִם בִּֽימִינוֹ֙ מִשְּׂמֹ֣אל יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־מְנַשֶּׁ֥ה בִשְׂמֹאל֖וֹ מִימִ֣ין יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּגֵּ֖שׁ אֵלָֽיו: |
| אֶת־אֶפְרַיִם בִּֽימִינוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל - Ephraim with his right hand, to Israel’s left. When one comes toward another person, his right hand is opposite the other’s left, and Joseph intended that the firstborn be placed to Israel’s right for the blessing. |
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אֶת־אֶפְרַיִם בִּֽימִינוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל.
הַבָּא לִקְרַאת חֲבֵרוֹ, יְמִינוֹ כְּנֶגֶד שְׂמֹאל חֲבֵרוֹ, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהוּא הַבְּכוֹר, מְיֻמָּן לִבְרָכָה:
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| 14Israel extended his right hand and rested it on Ephraim’s head, even though he was the younger son, and rested his left hand on Manasseh’s head. He crossed his hands deliberately, even though he knew that Manasseh was the firstborn. |
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ידוַיִּשְׁלַח֩ יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל אֶת־יְמִינ֜וֹ וַיָּ֨שֶׁת עַל־רֹ֤אשׁ אֶפְרַ֨יִם֙ וְה֣וּא הַצָּעִ֔יר וְאֶת־שְׂמֹאל֖וֹ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה שִׂכֵּל֙ אֶת־יָדָ֔יו כִּ֥י מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה הַבְּכֽוֹר: |
| שִׂכֵּל אֶת־יָדָיו - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: אַחְכֵּימִנִּין לִידוֹהִי “he made his hands wise,” i.e., he moved his hands in this way intelligently, wisely and deliberately, for he knew “that Manasseh was the firstborn” but nevertheless he did not place his right hand upon him. |
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שִׂכֵּל אֶת־יָדָיו.
כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, אַחְכִּימִינוּן – בְּהַשְׂכֵּל וְחָכְמָה הִשְׂכִּיל אֶת יָדָיו לְכָךְ וּמִדַּעַת, כִּי יוֹדֵעַ הָיָה כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן לֹא שָׁת יְמִינוֹ עָלָיו:
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| 15He blessed Joseph and said, “May God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked—God, who has been my shepherd from my earliest days until this day |
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טווַיְבָ֥רֶךְ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֡ים אֲשֶׁר֩ הִתְהַלְּכ֨וּ אֲבֹתַ֤י לְפָנָיו֙ אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֔ק הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ הָֽרֹעֶ֣ה אֹתִ֔י מֵֽעוֹדִ֖י עַד־הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה: |
| 16and has always sent me the angel who delivers me from all harm—bless the lads. May they bear my name, together with the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they propagate like fish among humanity on earth.” |
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טזהַמַּלְאָךְ֩ הַגֹּאֵ֨ל אֹתִ֜י מִכָּל־רָ֗ע יְבָרֵךְ֘ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים֒ וְיִקָּרֵ֤א בָהֶם֙ שְׁמִ֔י וְשֵׁ֥ם אֲבֹתַ֖י אַבְרָהָ֣ם וְיִצְחָ֑ק וְיִדְגּ֥וּ לָרֹ֖ב בְּקֶ֥רֶב הָאָֽרֶץ: |
| הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי - The angel who delivers me - i.e., the angel who is usually sent to me when I am in trouble, just as it says: “In the dream, an angel of God said to me, ‘Jacob… I am the God of Bethel.’” |
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הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי.
מַלְאָךְ הָרָגִיל לְהִשְׁתַּלֵּחַ אֵלַי בְּצָרָתִי; כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי מַלְאַךְ הָאֱלֹהִים בַּחֲלוֹם יַעֲקֹב וְגוֹ' אָנֹכִי הָאֵל בֵּית אֵל (בראשית ל"א):
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| יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים - Bless the lads - i.e., Manasseh and Ephraim. |
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יְבָרֵךְ אֶת־הַנְּעָרִים.
מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרַיִם:
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| וְיִדְגּוּ - means: May they be like fish (דָּגִים), which are fruitful and multiply, and upon which the “evil eye” has no effect. |
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וְיִדְגּוּ.
כַּדָּגִים הַלָּלוּ שֶׁפָּרִים וְרָבִים וְאֵין עַיִן הָרָע שׁוֹלֶטֶת בָּהֶם:
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