Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 37

12His brothers left to pasture their father’s flocks in Shechem.   יבוַיֵּֽלְכ֖וּ אֶחָ֑יו לִרְע֛וֹת אֶת־צֹ֥אן אֲבִיהֶ֖ם בִּשְׁכֶֽם:
לִרְעוֹת אֶת־צֹאן - To pasture…flocks. There are dots over the word אֶת, indicating that they went only to “pasture” themselves.   לִרְעוֹת אֶת־צֹאן.  נָקוּד עַל אֶת, שֶׁלֹּא הָלְכוּ אֶלָּא לִרְעוֹת אֶת עַצְמָן:
13Israel said to Joseph, “Now your brothers are pasturing in Shechem. Come, I will send you to check up on them.” Joseph replied to him, “Here I am.”   יגוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל אֶל־יוֹסֵ֗ף הֲל֤וֹא אַחֶ֨יךָ֙ רֹעִ֣ים בִּשְׁכֶ֔ם לְכָ֖ה וְאֶשְׁלָֽחֲךָ֣ אֲלֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֥אמֶר ל֖וֹ הִנֵּֽנִי:
הִנֵּֽנִי - I am here. This is an expression denoting both humility and eagerness. He was eager to fulfill his father’s command, even though he knew that his brothers hated him.   הִנֵּֽנִי.  לְשׁוֹן עֲנָוָה וּזְרִיזוּת, נִזְדָּרֵז לְמִצְוַת אָבִיו, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ בְּאֶחָיו שֶׁשּׂוֹנְאִין אוֹתוֹ:
14Israel said to him, “Please go and see how your brothers and the flocks are faring, and bring me back a report.” He thus sent him on the journey that would fulfill the profound vision of Abraham, who was interred in Hebron. Joseph arrived in Shechem.   ידוַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֨יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַֽהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֨הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה:
מֵעֵמֶק חֶבְרוֹן - (lit.) From the vale of Hebron. But is not Hebron situated on a mountain, as it says: “They went up through the south and came to Hebron”?1 However, it means: “He sent him because of the profound (עֲמוּקָה) counsel of that righteous man who is buried in Hebron,” i.e., to fulfill that which was told to Abraham at the Covenant between the Pieces “that your descendants will be foreigners….”2   מֵעֵמֶק חֶבְרוֹן.  וַהֲלֹא חֶבְרוֹן בָּהָר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיַּעֲלוּ בַנֶּגֶב וַיָּבֹא עַד חֶבְרוֹן (במדבר י"ג), אֶלָּא מֵעֵצָה עֲמֻקָּה שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק הַקָּבוּר בְּחֶבְרוֹן, לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר לְאַבְרָהָם בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ (בראשית ט״ו:י״ג):
וַיָּבֹא שְׁכֶֽמָה - He arrived in Shechem. A place destined for misfortune: there the tribes (i.e., the sons of Jacob) sinned by beginning their plotting to kill Joseph; there Dinah had been violated; and there the kingdom of the House of David was divided, as it says: “Rechav’am went to Shechem.”3   וַיָּבֹא שְׁכֶֽמָה.  מָקוֹם מוּכָן לְפֻרְעָנוּת, שָׁם קִלְקְלוּ הַשְּׁבָטִים, שָׁם עִנּוּ אֶת דִּינָה, שָׁם נֶחְלְקָה מַלְכוּת בֵּית דָּוִד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַיֵּלֶךְ רְחַבְעָם שְׁכֶמָה (מלכים א י"ב):
15A man found him wandering in the fields. The man questioned him, saying, “What are you looking for?”   טווַיִּמְצָאֵ֣הוּ אִ֔ישׁ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תֹעֶ֖ה בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וַיִּשְׁאָלֵ֧הוּ הָאִ֛ישׁ לֵאמֹ֖ר מַה־תְּבַקֵּֽשׁ:
וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ - A man found him. This was the angel Gabriel, as it says: “and the man (וְהָאִישׁ) Gabriel.”4   וַיִּמְצָאֵהוּ אִישׁ.  זֶה גַּבְרִיאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְהָאִישׁ גַּבְרִיאֵל (דניאל ט כא):
16He replied, “It is my brothers that I am looking for. Please tell me where they are pasturing.”   טזוַיֹּ֕אמֶר אֶת־אַחַ֖י אָֽנֹכִ֣י מְבַקֵּ֑שׁ הַגִּֽידָה־נָּ֣א לִ֔י אֵיפֹ֖ה הֵ֥ם רֹעִֽים:
17The man answered, “They have distanced themselves from such brotherly sentiments, for I heard them say, ‘Let us go to Dotan [“legalities”],’ seeking some legal pretext to kill you!” Joseph followed his brothers and found them in Dotan.   יזוַיֹּ֤אמֶר הָאִישׁ֙ נָֽסְע֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֤י שָׁמַ֨עְתִּי֙ אֹֽמְרִ֔ים נֵֽלְכָ֖ה דֹּתָ֑יְנָה וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ יוֹסֵף֙ אַחַ֣ר אֶחָ֔יו וַיִּמְצָאֵ֖ם בְּדֹתָֽן:
נָֽסְעוּ מִזֶּה - (lit.) They have moved on from this - i.e., they have moved themselves away from brotherhood.   נָֽסְעוּ מִזֶּה.  הִסִּיעוּ עַצְמָן מִן הָאַחְוָה:
נֵֽלְכָה דֹּתָיְנָה - Let us go to Dotan - i.e., let us go to find for you legal conspirations (נִכְלֵי דָּתוֹת) as a means to put you to death. But according to its straightforward meaning, דֹּתָן is the name of a place, and Scripture does not depart from its literal sense.   נֵֽלְכָה דֹּתָיְנָה.  לְבַקֵּשׁ לְךָ נִכְלֵי דָתוֹת שֶׁיְּמִיתוּךָ בָהֶם. וּלְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ שֵׁם מָקוֹם הוּא, וְאֵין מִקְרָא יוֹצֵא מִידֵי פְשׁוּטוֹ:
18They saw him from afar, and before he reached them, they conspired against him to put him to death.   יחוַיִּרְא֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מֵֽרָחֹ֑ק וּבְטֶ֨רֶם֙ יִקְרַ֣ב אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּתְנַכְּל֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ לַֽהֲמִיתֽוֹ:
וַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ - They conspired. The hitpa’el (reflexive) form indicates that they were filled (נִתְמַלְּאוּ) with conspirations (נְכָלִים) and cunning.   וַיִּתְנַכְּלוּ.  נִתְמַלְּאוּ נְכָלִים וְעַרְמוּמִית:
אֹתוֹ - here is the equivalent of אִתּוֹ “with him”; i.e., “against him” (אֵלָיו).   אֹתוֹ.  כְּמוֹ אִתּוֹ, עִמּוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר, אֵלָיו:
19Simeon said to his brother Levi, “Look, here comes that dreamer!   יטוַיֹּֽאמְר֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֑יו הִנֵּ֗ה בַּ֛עַל הַֽחֲלֹמ֥וֹת הַלָּזֶ֖ה בָּֽא:
20So now let us go and kill him and throw him into one of the pits, and we will say, ‘A wild beast devoured him.’” But God said, “We will see which succeeds: your plans or his (i.e., Joseph’s) dreams!”   כוְעַתָּ֣ה | לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֨הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת וְאָמַ֕רְנוּ חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ וְנִרְאֶ֕ה מַה־יִּֽהְי֖וּ חֲלֹֽמֹתָֽיו:
וְנִרְאֶה מַה־יִּֽהְיוּ חֲלֹֽמֹתָֽיו - (lit.) We will see what will become of his dreams. Rabbi Yitzchak said: This verse calls out for an interpretation. In fact, the Divine Spirit is saying this phrase. The brothers were saying, “Let us kill him,” and Scripture concludes in response: “But we will see what will become of his dreams,” i.e., we will see whose words will endure, yours or Mine! It is impossible, though, that it was the brothers who said: “We will see what will become of his dreams,” because once they would kill him, his dreams would be worthless.   וְנִרְאֶה מַה־יִּֽהְיוּ חֲלֹֽמֹתָֽיו.  אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מִקְרָא זֶה אוֹמֵר דָּרְשֵׁנִי, רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ אוֹמֶרֶת כֵּן, הֵם אוֹמְרִים נַהַרְגֵהוּ וְהַכָּתוּב מְסַיֵּם וְנִרְאֶה מַה יִּהְיוּ חֲלֹמֹתָיו – נִרְאֶה דְּבַר מִי יָקוּם אִם שֶׁלָּכֶם אוֹ שֶׁלִּי. וְאִי אֶפְשַָׁר שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ הֵם וְנִרְאֶה מַה יִּהְיוּ חֲלֹמֹתָיו, שֶׁמִּכֵּיוָן שֶׁיַּהַרְגוּהוּ בָּטְלוּ חֲלוֹמוֹתָיו:
21Reuben heard his brothers’ plan and rescued him from their hands, as follows: He said, “Let us not strike him a mortal blow!”   כאוַיִּשְׁמַ֣ע רְאוּבֵ֔ן וַיַּצִּלֵ֖הוּ מִיָּדָ֑ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹ֥א נַכֶּ֖נּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ:
לֹא נַכֶּנּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ - Let us not (lit.) strike him, soul - means “with a blow to his soul,” which is death.   לֹא נַכֶּנּוּ נָֽפֶשׁ.  מַכַּת נֶפֶשׁ, זוֹ הִיא מִיתָה:
22Reuben said to them, “Do not shed blood. Throw him into this pit here in the desert, but do not lay a hand on him!” Reuben suggested this in order to rescue him from their hands and bring him back later to his father.   כבוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֣ם | רְאוּבֵן֘ אַל־תִּשְׁפְּכוּ־דָם֒ הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּדְבָּ֔ר וְיָ֖ד אַל־תִּשְׁלְחוּ־ב֑וֹ לְמַ֗עַן הַצִּ֤יל אֹתוֹ֙ מִיָּדָ֔ם לַֽהֲשִׁיב֖וֹ אֶל־אָבִֽיו:
לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אֹתוֹ - In order to rescue him. The Divine Spirit testifies here about Reuben that he said this only in order to save his brother, so that he could come later and pull him up from there. He said to himself, “I am the firstborn and the oldest of them all. The blemish will be ascribed only to me.”   לְמַעַן הַצִּיל אֹתוֹ.  רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ מְעִידָה עַל רְאוּבֵן שֶׁלֹּא אָמַר זֹאת אֶלָּא לְהַצִּיל אוֹתוֹ שֶׁיָּבֹא הוּא וְיַעֲלֶנּוּ מִשָּׁם, אָמַר אֲנִי בְכוֹר וְגָדוֹל שֶׁבְּכֻלָּן, לֹא יִתָּלֶה הַסֵּרָחוֹן אֶלָּא בִי: