Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 37

23So when Joseph came to his brothers, they stripped him of his shirt and of the fine woolen robe that he was wearing.   כגוַיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ אֶת־כְּתֹ֥נֶת הַפַּסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלָֽיו:
אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתּוֹ - This was his shirt.   אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתּוֹ.  זֶה חָלוּק:
אֶת־כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים - This was the garment that his father had given him in addition to what he had given each of his brothers.   אֶת־כְּתֹנֶת הַפַּסִּים.  הוּא שֶׁהוֹסִיף לוֹ אָבִיו יוֹתֵר עַל אֶחָיו:
24They took him, and threw him into the pit. The pit was empty in that there was no water in it.   כדוַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם:
וְהַבּוֹר רֵק אֵין בּוֹ מָֽיִם - The pit was empty; there was no water in it. From that which it says: “the pit was empty,” do I not know that there was no water in it? What then do the words “there was no water in it” come to teach us? That it contained no water, but there were serpents and scorpions in it.   וְהַבּוֹר רֵק אֵין בּוֹ מָֽיִם.  מִמַּשְׁמַע שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהַבּוֹר רֵק, אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַיִם, מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר אֵין בּוֹ מָיִם? מַיִם אֵין בּוֹ, אֲבָל נְחָשִׁים וְעַקְרַבִּים יֵשׁ בּוֹ (בראשית רבה, שבת כ"ב):
25The brothers sat down to a meal. They raised their eyes and saw that there was a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, stacte, and lotus, on their way to take them down to Egypt.   כהוַיֵּֽשְׁבוּ֘ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹֽרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הֽוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה:
אֹֽרְחַת - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: שְׁיָרַת – “A caravan of” and it is so called because it consists of wayfarers (הוֹלְכֵי אוֹרַח).   אֹֽרְחַת.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ שְׁיָרַת, עַל שֵׁם הוֹלְכֵי אֹרַח:
וּגְמַלֵּיהֶם נֹֽשְׂאִים וגו' - Their camels were carrying… Why does Scripture publicize what their cargo was? To show the reward of the righteous: for Arabs typically carry only kerosene and tar, which have a bad smell, but for Joseph it was Divinely arranged that they carry fragrant spices, so that he would not suffer the bad odor.   וּגְמַלֵּיהֶם נֹֽשְׂאִים וגו'.  לָמָּה פִרְסֵם הַכָּתוּב אֶת מַשָּׂאָם? לְהוֹדִיעַ מַתַּן שְׂכָרָן שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, שֶׁאֵין דַּרְכָּן שֶׁל עַרְבִיִּים לָשֵׂאת אֶלָּא נֵפְטְ וְעִטְרָן, שֶׁרֵיחָן רַע, וְלָזֶה נִזְדַּמְּנוּ בְשָׂמִים, שֶׁלֹּא יִזּוֹק מֵרֵיחַ רַע:
נְכֹאת - Any collection of many kinds of spices is called נְכֹאת, and so we find: “and he showed them the entire house of נְכֹתֹה,”1 which means his spice compound. But Onkelos translated it as meaning wax.   נְכֹאת.  כָּל כִּנּוּסֵי בְשָׂמִים הַרְבֵּה קָרוּי נְכֹאת, וְכֵן וַיַּרְאֵם אֶת כָּל בֵּית נְכֹתֹה (מלכים ב כ') – מִרְקַחַת בְּשָׂמָיו. וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם לְשׁוֹן שַׁעֲוָה:
צְרִי - is sap that drips from balsam trees, and it is the same as נָטָף,2 which is enumerated among the ingredients of the incense used in the Tabernacle.   צְרִי.  שָׂרָף הַנּוֹטֵף מֵעֲצֵי הַקְּטָף, וְהוּא נָטָף הַנִּמְנֶה עִם סַמָּנֵי הַקְּטֹרֶת:
וָלֹט - It is called לוֹטִיתָא in Mishnaic Hebrew,3 and our rabbis explained it in Tractate Nidah4 as being an herbal root called aristolochia (birthwort).   וָלֹט.  לוֹטִיתָא שְׁמוֹ בִלְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה. וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ פֵּרְשׁוּהוּ שֹׁרֶשׁ עֵשֶׂב, וּשְׁמוֹ אשטרולוזיאה בְּמַסֶּכֶת נִדָּה:
26Judah said to his brothers, “What is to be gained if we kill our brother and conceal his death from our father?   כווַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַֽהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ:
מַה־בֶּצַע - means “What monetary gain,” as Onkelos translates it.   מַה־בֶּצַע.  מַה מָּמוֹן, כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
וְכִסִּינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ - (lit.) And we cover his blood - means “and we hide his death.”   וְכִסִּינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ.  וְנַעֲלִים אֶת מִיתָתוֹ:
27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let our hand not strike him, for he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers heeded him.   כזלְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים וְיָדֵ֨נוּ֙ אַל־תְּהִי־ב֔וֹ כִּֽי־אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא וַיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו:
וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ - Its meaning here is as Onkelos translates it: וְקַבִּילוּ מִנֵּיהּ “they accepted it from him.” Every expression of שְׁמִיעָה whose meaning is “acceptance of a statement,” such as this case, and such as “and that Jacob had obeyed (וַיִּשְׁמַע) his father,”5 and “We will do and we will heed (וְנִשְׁמָע),”6 is translated by Onkelos as נְקַבֵּל. But every expression of שְׁמִיעָה whose meaning is “hearing of the ear,” as in “They heard (וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ) the voice of God, which was moving about in the garden,”7 and “Rebecca had been listening (שֹׁמַעַת),”8 and “Israel heard (וַיִּשְׁמַע) about it,”9 and “I have heard (שָׁמַעְתִּי) the complaints”10 – they are all translated by Onkelos respectively as וּשְׁמָעוּ, שְׁמָעַת, וּשְׁמַע, שְׁמִיעַ קֳדָמַי.   וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ.  וְקַבִּילוּ מִנֵּהּ, וְכָל שְׁמִיעָה שֶׁהִיא קַבָּלַת דְּבָרִים כְּגוֹן זֶה, וּכְגוֹן וַיִּשְׁמַע יַעֲקֹב אֶל אָבִיו, נַעֲשֶׂה וְנִשְׁמָע – מְתֻרְגָּם נְקַבֵּל; וְכָל שֶׁהִיא שְׁמִיעַת הָאֹזֶן, כְּגוֹן וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֶת קוֹל ה' אֱלֹהִים מִתְהַלֵּךְ בַּגָּן, וְרִבְקָה שֹׁמַעַת, וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶת תְּלוּנֹּת – כֻּלָּן מְתֻרְגָּם וּשְׁמָעוּ, וּשְׁמָעַת, וּשְׁמַע, שְׁמִיעַ קֳדָמַי:
28A caravan of Midianite merchants also passed by. The brothers hauled Joseph up from the pit and sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites sold Joseph to the Midianites, and they brought Joseph to Egypt.   כחוַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים מִדְיָנִ֜ים סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִן־הַבּ֔וֹר וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף מִצְרָֽיְמָה:
וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים - Midianite merchants passed by. This was another caravan, and Scripture is thus informing you that he was sold several times.   וַיַּֽעַבְרוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִדְיָנִים.  זוֹ הִיא שַׁיָּרָה אַחֶרֶת, וְהוֹדִיעֲךָ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁנִּמְכַּר פְּעָמִים הַרְבֵּה:
וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ - And they hauled - i.e., the sons of Jacob hauled Joseph up from the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites, the Ishmaelites sold him to the Midianites, and the Midianites sold him to Egypt.   וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ.  בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב אֶת יוֹסֵף מִן הַבּוֹר וַיִּמְכְּרוּהוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִים, וְיִשְׁמְעֵאלִים לַמִּדְיָנִים, וְהַמִּדְיָנִים לַמִּצְרִים:
29The next day, Reuben returned. When Reuben went back to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he rent his clothes.   כטוַיָּ֤שָׁב רְאוּבֵן֙ אֶל־הַבּ֔וֹר וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵֽין־יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּבּ֑וֹר וַיִּקְרַ֖ע אֶת־בְּגָדָֽיו:
וַיָּשָׁב רְאוּבֵן - Reuben went back. He was not present at the sale of Joseph for it was his day to go and attend to his father. Another explanation: He was busy with his sackcloth and fasting as repentance for having disarranged his father’s couch.   וַיָּשָׁב רְאוּבֵן.  בִּמְכִירָתוֹ לֹא הָיָה שָׁם, שֶׁהִגִּיעַ יוֹמוֹ לֵילֵךְ וּלְשַׁמֵּשׁ אֶת אָבִיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר עָסוּק הָיָה בְשַׂקּוֹ וּבְתַעֲנִיתוֹ עַל שֶׁבִּלְבֵּל יְצוּעֵי אָבִיו:
30He returned to his brothers and said, “The boy is gone! And I—where can I go to avoid witnessing our father’s grief?”   לוַיָּ֥שָׁב אֶל־אֶחָ֖יו וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַיֶּ֣לֶד אֵינֶ֔נּוּ וַֽאֲנִ֖י אָ֥נָה אֲנִי־בָֽא:
אָנָה אֲנִי־בָֽא - Where can I go - means “to where shall I flee from my father’s grief?”   אָנָה אֲנִי־בָֽא.  אָנָה אֶבְרַח מִצַּעְרוֹ שֶׁל אַבָּא?
31They took Joseph’s robe, slaughtered a young goat, and dipped the robe in the blood.   לאוַיִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ שְׂעִ֣יר עִזִּ֔ים וַיִּטְבְּל֥וּ אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֖נֶת בַּדָּֽם:
שְׂעִיר עִזִּים - A young goat. Its blood resembles that of a human.   שְׂעִיר עִזִּים.  דָּמוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְשֶׁל אָדָם:
הַכֻּתֹּנֶת - The robe. This is how the noun appears when in its absolute form, but when it is connected with another word in the construct form, as in: כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף “Joseph’s robe,” כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִים “a robe of fine wool,”11 and כְּתֹנֶת בַּד “a linen tunic,”12 it is punctuated כְּתֹנֶת.   הַכֻּתֹּנֶת.  זֶה שְׁמָהּ, וּכְשֶׁהִיא דְבוּקָה לְתֵבָה אַחֶרֶת, כְּגוֹן כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף, כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים, כְּתֹנֶת בַּד, נָקוּד כְּתֹנֶת:
32They sent off the fine woolen robe via an emissary and thus brought it to their father. They said, via their emissary, “We found this; please identify it. Is it your son’s robe or not?”   לבוַיְשַׁלְּח֞וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת הַפַּסִּ֗ים וַיָּבִ֨יאוּ֙ אֶל־אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמְר֖וּ זֹ֣את מָצָ֑אנוּ הַכֶּר־נָ֗א הַכְּתֹ֧נֶת בִּנְךָ֛ הִ֖וא אִם־לֹֽא:
33He recognized it and said, “It is my son’s robe! A wild beast has devoured him! Joseph has been torn to pieces!”   לגוַיַּכִּירָ֤הּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ כְּתֹ֣נֶת בְּנִ֔י חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף יוֹסֵֽף:
וַיֹּאמֶר כְּתֹנֶת בְּנִי - (lit.) And he said, “My son’s robe” - is this!   וַיֹּאמֶר כְּתֹנֶת בְּנִי.  הִיא זוֹ:
חַיָּה רָעָה אֲכָלָתְהוּ - A wild beast has devoured him! He had a spark of the Divine Spirit of prophecy, for eventually Potiphar’s wife, who may be compared to a wild beast, would attack him. And why did the Holy One, blessed be He, not reveal to him that Joseph was alive? Because the brothers had placed under a ban and a curse anyone who would reveal this before they all agreed it was time to do so, and had made the Holy One, blessed be He, a party with them to this agreement, that He would indicate to them when the appropriate time had come. Isaac, however, did know that Joseph was alive, but he said, “How can I reveal to Jacob the truth when the Holy One, blessed be He, does not wish to reveal it to him?”   חַיָּה רָעָה אֲכָלָתְהוּ.  נִצְנְצָה בוֹ רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, סוֹפוֹ שֶׁתִּתְגָּרֶה בוֹ אֵשֶׁת פּוֹטִיפַר. וְלָמָּה לֹא גִלָּה לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא? לְפִי שֶׁהֶחֱרִימוּ וְקִלְּלוּ אֶת כָּל מִי שֶׁיְּגַלֶּה, וְשִׁתְּפוּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עִמָּהֶם (תנחומא), אֲבָל יִצְחָק הָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא חַי, אָמַר הֵיאַךְ אֲגַלֶּה וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְגַלּוֹת לוֹ:
34Jacob rent his clothes, put on sackcloth around his waist as a symbol of mourning, and mourned for his son for many days.   לדוַיִּקְרַ֤ע יַֽעֲקֹב֙ שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו וַיָּ֥שֶׂם שַׂ֖ק בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל עַל־בְּנ֖וֹ יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים:
יָמִים רַבִּֽים - For many days - i.e., 22 years – from the time Joseph left him until Jacob went down to Egypt; for it says: “Joseph was 17 years old…”13 when he left Jacob, and he was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh – making 13 years, and the seven years of plenty and the two years of famine which had passed when Jacob came to Egypt – making altogether 22 years. These correspond to the 22 years that Jacob did not fulfill the duty of honoring his parents: 20 years that he was in Laban’s house and two years he spent on the way returning from Laban’s house – one and a half years at Sukot and six months at Bethel. That is what is meant by what he said to Laban: “It is now 20 years that I have been (לִי – lit. ‘for me’) in your household”;14 those 20 years were “for me,” i.e., they are my responsibility and I will eventually be punished for them correspondingly.   יָמִים רַבִּֽים.  כ"ב שָׁנָה, מִשֶּׁפֵּרֵשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ עַד שֶׁיָּרַד יַעֲקֹב לְמִצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר יוֹסֵף בֶּן שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וְגוֹ', וּבֶן שְׁלֹשִׁים שָׁנָה הָיָה בְּעָמְדוֹ לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה, וְשֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי הַשָּׂבָע, וּשְׁנָתַיִם הָרָעָב כְּשֶׁבָּא יַעֲקֹב לְמִצְרַיִם, הֲרֵי כ"ב שָׁנָה, כְּנֶגֶד כ"ב שָׁנָה שֶׁלֹּא קִיֵּם יַעֲקֹב כִּבּוּד אָב וָאֵם (מגילה ט"ז) – כ' שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיָה בְּבֵית לָבָן, וּב' שָׁנָה בַדֶּרֶךְ בְּשׁוּבוֹ מִבֵּית לָבָן, שָׁנָה וָחֵצִי בְסֻכּוֹת וְשִׁשָּׁה חֳדָשִׁים בְּבֵית אֵל – וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמַר לְלָבָן זֶה לִּי עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה בְּבֵיתֶךָ, לִי הֵן, עָלַי, וְסוֹפִי לִלְקוֹת כְּנֶגְדָּן:
35All his sons and daughters attempted to console him, but he refused to be comforted, saying, “No, I will go down to the grave in mourning for my son.” Jacob’s father Isaac wept for him.   להוַיָּקֻ֩מוּ֩ כָל־בָּנָ֨יו וְכָל־בְּנֹתָ֜יו לְנַֽחֲמ֗וֹ וַיְמָאֵן֙ לְהִתְנַחֵ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כִּֽי־אֵרֵ֧ד אֶל־בְּנִ֛י אָבֵ֖ל שְׁאֹ֑לָה וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ אֹת֖וֹ אָבִֽיו:
וְכָל־בְּנֹתָיו - And all his daughters. Rabbi Yehudah said: Twin sisters were born with each of the tribes and they each married a half-sister. Rabbi Nechemyah said: Their wives were in fact Canaanite women. What, then, is meant by “all his daughters”? It refers to his daughters-in-law, for a person does not hesitate to call his son-in-law his “son” and his daughter-in-law his “daughter.”   וְכָל־בְּנֹתָיו.  רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר אֲחָיוֹת תְּאוֹמוֹת נוֹלְדוּ עִם כָּל שֵׁבֶט וָשֵׁבֶט וּנְשָׂאוּם, רַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אוֹמֵר כְּנַעֲנִיּוֹת הָיוּ, אֶלָּא מַהוּ וְכָל בְּנֹתָיו? – כַּלּוֹתָיו, שֶׁאֵין אָדָם נִמְנָע מִלִּקְרֹא לַחֲתָנוֹ בְּנוֹ וּלְכַלָּתוֹ בִתּוֹ:
וַיְמָאֵן לְהִתְנַחֵם - But he refused to be comforted. A person cannot become consoled for a living person whom he believes to be dead, for regarding a dead person it is Divinely decreed that he eventually be forgotten from the heart, but not regarding a living person.   וַיְמָאֵן לְהִתְנַחֵם.  אֵין אָדָם מְקַבֵּל תַּנְחוּמִין עַל הַחַי וְסָבוּר שֶׁמֵּת, שֶׁעַל הַמֵּת נִגְזְרָה גְזֵרָה שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּכַּח מִן הַלֵּב וְלֹא עַל הַחַי (בראשית רבה):
אֵרֵד אֶל־בְּנִי - (lit.) I will go down to my son. אֶל בְּנִי has the same meaning as: עַל בְּנִי “for my son.” There are many cases where אֶל is used in the sense of עַל “for,” e.g.: “for (אֶל) your sin against Saul and for (אֶל) the house of bloodshed that he caused”;15 “because of (אֶל) the ark of God being captured and because of (אֶל) her father-in-law and her husband dying.”16   אֵרֵד אֶל־בְּנִי.  כְּמוֹ עַל בְּנִי, וְהַרְבֵּה אֶל מְשַׁמְּשִׁין בִּלְשׁוֹן עַל, אֶל שָׁאוּל וְאֶל בֵּית הַדָּמִים (שמואל ב כ"א), אֶל הִלָּקַח אֲרוֹן הָאֱלֹהִים וְאֶל מוֹת חָמִיהָ וְאִישָׁהּ (שמואל א ד'):
אָבֵל שְׁאֹלָה - According to the straightforward sense, שְׁאֹל means “grave,” i.e., “I shall be buried in my mourning and will not be comforted during my entire lifetime.” But its Midrashic explanation is that שְׁאֹל means Purgatory, i.e., “This sign was given to me by the Almighty: If none of my sons die during my lifetime, I am assured that I will not see Purgatory.”   אָבֵל שְׁאֹלָה.  כִּפְשׁוּטוֹ לְשׁוֹן קֶבֶר הוּא – בְּאֶבְלִי אֶקָּבֵר, וְלֹא אֶתְנַחֵם כָּל יָמַי. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ, גֵּיהִנֹּם; סִימָן זֶה הָיָה מָסוּר בְּיָדִי מִפִּי הַגְּבוּרָה, אִם לֹא יָמוּת אֶחָד מִבָּנַי בְּחַיַּי, מֻבְטָח אֲנִי שֶׁאֵינִי רוֹאֶה גֵיהִנֹּם:
וַיֵּבְךְּ אֹתוֹ אָבִֽיו - His father wept for him. This refers to Isaac, who wept because of Jacob’s suffering, but he did not mourn, because he knew that Joseph was alive.   וַיֵּבְךְּ אֹתוֹ אָבִֽיו.  יִצְחָק, בּוֹכֶה הָיָה מִפְּנֵי צָרָתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב אֲבָל לֹא הָיָה מִתְאַבֵּל, שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהוּא חַי:
36Meanwhile, the Medanites (i.e., Midianites) had sold Joseph to the government of Egypt, specifically, to Potiphar, a courtier of Pharaoh and chief of his butchers.   לווְהַ֨מְּדָנִ֔ים מָֽכְר֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־מִצְרָ֑יִם לְפֽוֹטִיפַר֙ סְרִ֣יס פַּרְעֹ֔ה שַׂ֖ר הַטַּבָּחִֽים:
הַטַּבָּחִֽים - Butchers - i.e., slaughterers of the king’s animals.   הַטַּבָּחִֽים.  שׁוֹחֲטֵי בְּהֵמוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ: