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Learning & Values Parshah (Weekly Torah) Bereishit - Genesis Miketz Texts & Summaries

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First Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 41

1At the end of two full years, Pharaoh had a dream. In his dream, there he was, standing by the Nile River,		אוַיְהִ֕י מִקֵּ֖ץ שְׁנָתַ֣יִם יָמִ֑ים וּפַרְעֹ֣ה חֹלֵ֔ם וְהִנֵּ֖ה עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־הַיְאֹֽר:
וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: מִסּוֹף “At the end of,” and similarly every use of the word קֵץ has the meaning “end.”		וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ מִסּוֹף, וְכָל לְשׁוֹן קֵץ סוֹף הוּא:
עַל־הַיְאֹֽר - By the Nile River. All other rivers are not called יְאֹר – only the Nile, because the entire land of Egypt is made up of man-made rivers (יְאוֹרִים), with the Nile overflowing into them and irrigating them, since rain does not fall regularly in Egypt as it does in other countries.		עַל־הַיְאֹֽר. כָּל שְׁאָר נְהָרוֹת אֵינָם קְרוּיִין יְאוֹרִים חוּץ מִנִּילוּס, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁכָּל הָאָרֶץ עֲשׂוּיִם יְאוֹרִים יְאוֹרִים בִּידֵי אָדָם וְנִילוּס עוֹלֶה בְּתוֹכָם וּמַשְׁקֶה אוֹתָם, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין גְּשָׁמִים יוֹרְדִין בְּמִצְרַיִם תָּדִיר כִּשְׁאָר אֲרָצוֹת:
2when seven good-looking, robust cows emerged from the Nile River and started grazing in the marsh.		בוְהִנֵּ֣ה מִן־הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת יְפ֥וֹת מַרְאֶ֖ה וּבְרִיאֹ֣ת בָּשָׂ֑ר וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ:
יְפוֹת מַרְאֶה - From the Nile River. This indicates the essence of the dream’s intent, as the plenty and famine experienced by the Egyptians respectively came as a result of the river’s abundance and drying up.		יְפוֹת מַרְאֶה. סִימָן הוּא לִימֵי שֹׂבַע, שֶׁהַבְּרִיּוֹת נִרְאוֹת יָפוֹת זוֹ לָזוֹ, שֶׁאֵין עֵין בְּרִיָּה צָרָה בַחֲבֶרְתָּהּ:
בָּאָֽחוּ - Good-looking. This symbolized years of plenty, when people appear fine and favorable to each other, and people do not begrudge one another their wealth.		בָּאָֽחוּ. בָּאֲגַם, מריש"ק בְּלַעַז, כְּמוֹ יִשְׂגֶּא אָחוּ (איוב ח'):
- means “in the marsh”; “maresc” in Old French, similar to: “can marsh-reeds (אָחוּ) flourish without water?” 1
3Then seven other cows, ugly and scrawny, emerged after them from the Nile River, and they stood next to the good-looking cows on the bank of the Nile River.		גוְהִנֵּ֞ה שֶׁ֧בַע פָּר֣וֹת אֲחֵר֗וֹת עֹל֤וֹת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶן֙ מִן־הַיְאֹ֔ר רָע֥וֹת מַרְאֶ֖ה וְדַקּ֣וֹת בָּשָׂ֑ר וַתַּֽעֲמֹ֛דְנָה אֵ֥צֶל הַפָּר֖וֹת עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר:
וְדַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר - “tenves” in Old French, meaning “thin.”		וְדַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר. טינב"ש בְּלַעַז, לְשׁוֹן דַּק:
4The ugly, scrawny cows ate up the seven good-looking, robust cows. Pharaoh then woke up.		דוַתֹּאכַ֣לְנָה הַפָּר֗וֹת רָע֤וֹת הַמַּרְאֶה֙ וְדַקֹּ֣ת הַבָּשָׂ֔ר אֵ֚ת שֶׁ֣בַע הַפָּר֔וֹת יְפֹ֥ת הַמַּרְאֶ֖ה וְהַבְּרִיאֹ֑ת וַיִּיקַ֖ץ פַּרְעֹֽה:
וַתֹּאכַלְנָה - They ate. This symbolized that all the joy of the years of plenty would be forgotten in the days of famine.		וַתֹּאכַלְנָה. סִימָן שֶׁתְּהֵא כָל שִׂמְחַת הַשָּׂבָע נִשְׁכַּחַת בִּימֵי הָרָעָב:
5He fell asleep and dreamed a second time. In this dream, there were seven ears of grain, healthy and good-looking, growing on a single stalk.		הוַיִּישָׁ֕ן וַיַּֽחֲלֹ֖ם שֵׁנִ֑ית וְהִנֵּ֣ה \| שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֗ים עֹל֛וֹת בְּקָנֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד בְּרִיא֥וֹת וְטֹבֽוֹת:
בְּקָנֶה אחת - On a single stalk - “tudel” in Old French.		בְּקָנֶה אחת. טוד"ל בְּלַעַז:
בְּרִיאוֹת - Healthy - “seyns” in Old French.		בְּרִיאוֹת. שיינ"ש בְּלַעַז:
6Then seven ears of grain sprouted after them, gaunt and parched from being battered by the east wind.		ווְהִנֵּה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֔ים דַּקּ֖וֹת וּשְׁדוּפֹ֣ת קָדִ֑ים צֹֽמְח֖וֹת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶֽן:
וּשְׁדוּפֹת - Parched - “hales” in Old French. Onkelos translates it as שְׁקִיפָן קִדּוּם, i.e., “beaten upon by the east wind,” from the same root as מַשְׁקוֹף “lintel,” which is continually beaten by the door which hits it.		וּשְׁדוּפֹת. הלייא"ש בְּלַעַז, שְׁקִיפָן קִדּוּם, חֲבוּטוֹת, לְשׁוֹן מַשְׁקוֹף הֶחָבוּט תָּמִיד עַל יְדֵי הַדֶּלֶת הַמַּכָּה עָלָיו:
קָדִים - is an eastern wind that is called “bise” in Old French.		קָדִים. רוּחַ מִזְרָחִית, שֶׁקּוֹרִין בי"סא בְּלַעַז:
7The gaunt ears then swallowed up the seven healthy, full ears. Pharaoh awoke, and behold, it was clear to him that he had dreamed a dream that needed to be interpreted.		זוַתִּבְלַ֨עְנָה֙ הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֣ים הַדַּקּ֔וֹת אֵ֚ת שֶׁ֣בַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֔ים הַבְּרִיא֖וֹת וְהַמְּלֵא֑וֹת וַיִּיקַ֥ץ פַּרְעֹ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה חֲלֽוֹם:
הַבְּרִיאוֹת - Healthy - “seynes” in Old French.		הַבְּרִיאוֹת. שיינ"ש בְּלַעַז:
וְהִנֵּה חֲלֽוֹם - And behold, it was a dream - i.e., and now a complete dream had been concluded before him and he was is need of interpreters.		וְהִנֵּה חֲלֽוֹם. וְהִנֵּה נִשְׁלַם חֲלוֹם שָׁלֵם לְפָנָיו וְהֻצְרַךְ לְפוֹתְרִים:
8In the morning, his spirit was agitated, so he sent for all the necromancers and wise men of Egypt. Pharaoh told them his dreams, but none of them were able to interpret them to Pharaoh’s satisfaction.		חוַיְהִ֤י בַבֹּ֨קֶר֙ וַתִּפָּ֣עֶם רוּח֔וֹ וַיִּשְׁלַ֗ח וַיִּקְרָ֛א אֶת־כָּל־חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֖יִם וְאֶת־כָּל־חֲכָמֶ֑יהָ וַיְסַפֵּ֨ר פַּרְעֹ֤ה לָהֶם֙ אֶת־חֲלֹמ֔וֹ וְאֵֽין־פּוֹתֵ֥ר אוֹתָ֖ם לְפַרְעֹֽה:
וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וּמִטַּרְפָא רוּחֵהּ – “His spirit was agitated” it beat within him like a bell (פַּעֲמוֹן). About Nebuchadnezzar it uses the expression: וַתִּתְפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ, 2 because there were two reasons for agitation: the forgetting of the dream and the concealment of its interpretation.		וַתִּפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ. וּמִטַּרְפָּא רוּחֵיהּ, מְקַשְׁקֶשֶׁת בְּתוֹכוֹ כְּפַעֲמוֹן; וּבִנְבוּכַדְנֶצַּר אוֹמֵר, וַתִּתְפָּעֶם רוּחוֹ (דניאל ב'), לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ שָׁם שְׁתֵּי פְעִימוֹת, שִׁכְחַת הַחֲלוֹם וְהַעֲלָמַת פִּתְרוֹנוֹ (בראשית רבה):
חַרְטֻמֵּי - The necromancers - This is a contraction of the words: הַנֶּחֱרִים בְּטִימֵי מֵתִים (who are inspired by bones of the dead), as they inquire of bones. טִימֵי are “bones” in Aramaic, and so we find in Mishnaic Hebrew: “a house that is full of טִמַּיָּא” – i.e., full of bones.		חַרְטֻמֵּי. הַנֵּחָרִים בְּטִימֵי מֵתִים, שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲלִין בַּעֲצָמוֹת. טִימֵי הֵן עֲצָמוֹת בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי, וּבַמִּשְׁנָה בַּיִת שֶׁהוּא מָלֵא טִימַיָּא (אהלות פי"ז), מָלֵא עֲצָמוֹת:
וְאֵֽין־פּוֹתֵר אוֹתָם לְפַרְעֹֽה - But none of them were able to interpret them to Pharaoh. There were indeed those who interpreted them, but not “to Pharaoh,” for their words could not be accepted by him and he did not find their interpretation satisfying, for they were saying: “Seven daughters you will father and seven daughters you will bury.”		וְאֵֽין־פּוֹתֵר אוֹתָם לְפַרְעֹֽה. פּוֹתְרִים הָיוּ אוֹתָם, אֲבָל לֹא לְפַרְעֹה, שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה קוֹלָן נִכְנָס בְּאָזְנָיו, וְלֹא הָיָה לוֹ קוֹרַת רוּחַ בְּפִתְרוֹנָם, שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים שֶׁבַע בָּנוֹת אַתָּה מוֹלִיד וְשֶׁבַע בָּנוֹת אַתָּה קוֹבֵר (בראשית רבה):
9The chief cupbearer then spoke up and said to Pharaoh, “I must mention my transgressions today.		טוַיְדַבֵּר֙ שַׂ֣ר הַמַּשְׁקִ֔ים אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר אֶת־חֲטָאַ֕י אֲנִ֖י מַזְכִּ֥יר הַיּֽוֹם:
10Pharaoh was angry with his servants, and he put the chief baker and me into custody in the house of the chief butcher.		יפַּרְעֹ֖ה קָצַ֣ף עַל־עֲבָדָ֑יו וַיִּתֵּ֨ן אֹתִ֜י בְּמִשְׁמַ֗ר בֵּ֚ית שַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֔ים אֹתִ֕י וְאֵ֖ת שַׂ֥ר הָֽאֹפִֽים:
11We both had a dream on the same night, he and I, each having a dream that accorded with its interpretation.		יאוַנַּֽחַלְמָ֥ה חֲל֛וֹם בְּלַ֥יְלָה אֶחָ֖ד אֲנִ֣י וָה֑וּא אִ֛ישׁ כְּפִתְר֥וֹן חֲלֹמ֖וֹ חָלָֽמְנוּ:
אִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלֹמוֹ - (lit.) Each [having a dream] like the interpretation of his dream - means: each of us dreamed a dream which fitted the interpretation that was given to us and closely resembled it.		אִישׁ כְּפִתְרוֹן חֲלֹמוֹ. חֲלוֹם הָרָאוּי לַפִּתְרוֹן שֶׁנִּפְתַּר לָנוּ וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ:
12And there, in custody with us, was a youth, a Hebrew, a servant of the chief butcher. We told him our dreams and he interpreted them for us, interpreting them for each of us according to his dream and its details.		יבוְשָׁ֨ם אִתָּ֜נוּ נַ֣עַר עִבְרִ֗י עֶ֚בֶד לְשַׂ֣ר הַטַּבָּחִ֔ים וַנְּסַ֙פֶּר־ל֔וֹ וַיִּפְתָּר־לָ֖נוּ אֶת־חֲלֹֽמֹתֵ֑ינוּ אִ֥ישׁ כַּֽחֲלֹמ֖וֹ פָּתָֽר:
נַעַר עִבְרִי עֶבֶד - A youth, a Hebrew, a servant. Cursed are the wicked, for even the good that they do is incomplete. The cupbearer mentioned Joseph in disparaging terms.		נַעַר עִבְרִי עֶבֶד. אֲרוּרִים הָרְשָׁעִים, שֶׁאֵין טוֹבָתָם שְׁלֵמָה, מַזְכִּירוֹ בִּלְשׁוֹן בִּזָּיוֹן:
נַעַר - A youth - signifying that he is immature, who acts foolishly and is unsuited for high position;		נַעַר. שׁוֹטֶה וְאֵין רָאוּי לִגְדֻלָּה:
עִבְרִי - A Hebrew. that he does not even know our language;		עִבְרִי. אֲפִלּוּ לְשׁוֹנֵנוּ אֵינוֹ מַכִּיר:
עֶבֶד - A servant. – and it is written in Egyptian protocol that a servant may not rule nor don aristocratic robes.		עֶבֶד. וְכָתוּב בְּנִמּוּסֵי מִצְרַיִם שֶׁאֵין עֶבֶד מוֹלֵךְ וְלֹא לוֹבֵשׁ בִּגְדֵי שָׂרִים:
אִישׁ כַּֽחֲלֹמוֹ - (lit.) Each as his dream - means: he interpreted according to the dream and in a way that was close to its subject matter.		אִישׁ כַּֽחֲלֹמוֹ. לְפִי הַחֲלוֹם וְקָרוֹב לְעִנְיָנוֹ:
13And just as he had interpreted them for us, so it transpired: Your Majesty reinstated me to my post, while Your Majesty hanged him, the chief baker.”		יגוַיְהִ֛י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר פָּֽתַר־לָ֖נוּ כֵּ֣ן הָיָ֑ה אֹתִ֛י הֵשִׁ֥יב עַל־כַּנִּ֖י וְאֹת֥וֹ תָלָֽה:
הֵשִׁיב עַל־כַּנִּי - He reinstated to my post. “He” refers to Pharaoh, who is mentioned before, as the wine-butler said: “Pharaoh was angry with his servants.” 3 It is thus an elliptical verse which does not state explicitly who reinstated him, for it is not necessary to specify who reinstated – clearly the intent is to who had the authority to reinstate, who is Pharaoh. And so is the case with all elliptical verses: about him who is expected to do the action, Scripture does not specify.		הֵשִׁיב עַל־כַּנִּי. פַּרְעֹה, הַנִּזְכָּר לְמַעְלָה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַר פַּרְעֹה קָצַף עַל עֲבָדָיו; הֲרֵי מִקְרָא קְצַר לָשׁוֹן, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ מִי הֵשִׁיב, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין צָרִיךְ לְפָרֵשׁ; מִי הֵשִׁיב? מִי שֶׁבְּיָדוֹ לְהָשִׁיב, וְהוּא פַּרְעֹה; וְכֵן דֶּרֶךְ כָּל מִקְרָאוֹת קְצָרִים, עַל מִי שֶׁעָלָיו לַעֲשׂוֹת הֵם סוֹתְמִים אֶת הַדָּבָר:
14Pharaoh sent for Joseph, and he was hurried out of the dungeon. He had his hair cut in honor of his audience with Pharaoh, changed from his prison clothes into ordinary clothes, and then appeared before Pharaoh.		ידוַיִּשְׁלַ֤ח פַּרְעֹה֙ וַיִּקְרָ֣א אֶת־יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיְרִיצֻ֖הוּ מִן־הַבּ֑וֹר וַיְגַלַּח֙ וַיְחַלֵּ֣ף שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו וַיָּבֹ֖א אֶל־פַּרְעֹֽה:
מִן־הַבּוֹר - (lit.) Out of the pit - means “Out of the prison,” which was made like a hole in the ground. Similarly every word בּוֹר in Scripture means a hole, and even if it contains no water it is still called בּוֹר; “fosse” in Old French.		מִן־הַבּוֹר. מִן בֵּית הַסֹּהַר שֶׁהוּא עָשׂוּי כְּמִין גֻּמָּא, וְכֵן כָּל בּוֹר שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְשׁוֹן גֻּמָּא הוּא, וְאַף אִם אֵין בּוֹ מַיִם קָרוּי בּוֹר, פוש"א בְּלַעַז:
וַיְגַלַּח - He had his hair cut - out of respect for the king.		וַיְגַלַּח. מִפְּנֵי כְבוֹד הַמַּלְכוּת (בראשית רבה):

Footnotes

Job 8:11.

Daniel 2:1.

Genesis 41:10.

Second Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 41

15Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I had a dream, but none can interpret it, and I have heard about you that you can understand a dream and interpret it.”		טווַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף חֲל֣וֹם חָלַ֔מְתִּי וּפֹתֵ֖ר אֵ֣ין אֹת֑וֹ וַֽאֲנִ֗י שָׁמַ֤עְתִּי עָלֶ֨יךָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תִּשְׁמַ֥ע חֲל֖וֹם לִפְתֹּ֥ר אֹתֽוֹ:
תִּשְׁמַע חֲלוֹם לִפְתֹּר אֹתוֹ - means you listen carefully and understand a dream to interpret it.		תִּשְׁמַע חֲלוֹם לִפְתֹּר אֹתוֹ. תַּאֲזִין וְתָבִין חֲלוֹם לִפְתֹּר אוֹתוֹ:
תִּשְׁמַע - here is an expression meaning “understanding and listening carefully,” similar to: “Joseph understood (שֹׁמֵעַ)”; 1 “a nation whose language you will not understand (תִשְׁמַע)”; 2 “entendre” in Old French.		תִּשְׁמַע. לְשׁוֹן הֲבָנָה וְהַאֲזָנָה, כְּמוֹ שׁוֹמֵעַ יוֹסֵף, אֲשֶׁר לֹא תִשְׁמַע לְשֹׁנוֹ, אנטינ"דרא בְּלַעַז:
16Joseph answered Pharaoh, “It is not by my own power; God will provide an answer through me for Pharaoh’s welfare.”		טזוַיַּ֨עַן יוֹסֵ֧ף אֶת־פַּרְעֹ֛ה לֵאמֹ֖ר בִּלְעָדָ֑י אֱלֹהִ֕ים יַֽעֲנֶ֖ה אֶת־שְׁל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹֽה:
בִּלְעָדָי - (lit.) It is not by me - i.e., the wisdom to interpret dreams is not my own, but “God will answer,” i.e., He will provide a response in my mouth “for Pharaoh’s welfare.”		בִּלְעָדָי. אֵין הַחָכְמָה מִשֶּׁלִּי, אֶלָּא אֱלֹהִים יַעֲנֶה – יִתֵּן עֲנִיָּה בְּפִי – לִשְׁלוֹם פַּרְעֹה:
17Pharaoh then spoke to Joseph: “In my dream, I was standing on the bank of the Nile River.		יזוַיְדַבֵּ֥ר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף בַּֽחֲלֹמִ֕י הִנְנִ֥י עֹמֵ֖ד עַל־שְׂפַ֥ת הַיְאֹֽר:
18And then, out of the Nile River emerged seven cows, robust and well-formed, and they grazed in the marsh.		יחוְהִנֵּ֣ה מִן־הַיְאֹ֗ר עֹלֹת֙ שֶׁ֣בַע פָּר֔וֹת בְּרִיא֥וֹת בָּשָׂ֖ר וִיפֹ֣ת תֹּ֑אַר וַתִּרְעֶ֖ינָה בָּאָֽחוּ:
19Then seven other cows emerged after them, meager, very ill-formed, and emaciated; I have never seen such bad-looking ones in all Egypt.		יטוְהִנֵּ֞ה שֶֽׁבַע־פָּר֤וֹת אֲחֵרוֹת֙ עֹל֣וֹת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן דַּלּ֨וֹת וְרָע֥וֹת תֹּ֛אַר מְאֹ֖ד וְרַקּ֣וֹת בָּשָׂ֑ר לֹֽא־רָאִ֧יתִי כָהֵ֛נָּה בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם לָרֹֽעַ:
דַּלּוֹת - means “Lean” - as in: “Why are you so thin (דַּל)?” 3 concerning Amnon.		דַּלּוֹת. כְּחוּשׁוֹת, כְּמוֹ מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה כָּכָה דַּל, דְּאַמְנוֹן (שמואל ב י"ג):
וְרַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר - And emaciated. Wherever רַקּוֹת is mentioned in Scripture it means “deficient in flesh”; “bloses” in Old French.		וְרַקּוֹת בָּשָׂר. כָּל לְשׁוֹן רַקּוֹת שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא חַסְרֵי בָשָׂר, וּבְלַעַז בלוא"ש:
20The emaciated, ill-formed cows then ate up the first seven robust cows.		כוַתֹּאכַ֨לְנָה֙ הַפָּר֔וֹת הָֽרַקּ֖וֹת וְהָֽרָע֑וֹת אֵ֣ת שֶׁ֧בַע הַפָּר֛וֹת הָרִֽאשֹׁנ֖וֹת הַבְּרִיאֹֽת:
21These were ingested whole inside them, but it wasn’t visibly apparent that they had been ingested whole inside them: their appearance was just as ill-formed as before. Then I woke up.		כאוַתָּבֹ֣אנָה אֶל־קִרְבֶּ֗נָה וְלֹ֤א נוֹדַע֙ כִּי־בָ֣אוּ אֶל־קִרְבֶּ֔נָה וּמַרְאֵיהֶ֣ן רַ֔ע כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר בַּתְּחִלָּ֑ה וָֽאִיקָֽץ:
22I fell asleep again and saw in my second dream that seven full, good-looking ears of grain were growing on a single stalk.		כבוָאֵ֖רֶא בַּֽחֲלֹמִ֑י וְהִנֵּ֣ה \| שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֗ים עֹלֹ֛ת בְּקָנֶ֥ה אֶחָ֖ד מְלֵאֹ֥ת וְטֹבֽוֹת:
23Then seven ears of grain, shriveled, gaunt, and battered by the east wind, sprouted after them.		כגוְהִנֵּה֙ שֶׁ֣בַע שִׁבֳּלִ֔ים צְנֻמ֥וֹת דַּקּ֖וֹת שְׁדֻפ֣וֹת קָדִ֑ים צֹֽמְח֖וֹת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶֽם:
צְנֻמוֹת - צוּנְמָא is a rock in Aramaic. Thus here it means: they were like wood without moisture and as hard as rock. Onkelos translates this as: נָצָן לָקְיָן – “נָצָן and damaged.” נָצָן means there is nothing in them besides their bud (נֵץ), because they have been emptied of the kernel.		צְנֻמוֹת. צוּנְמָא בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי סֶלַע, הֲרֵי הֵן כְּעֵץ בְּלִי לִחְלוּחַ וְקָשׁוֹת כְּסֶלַע, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ נָצָן לָקְיָן, נָצָן – אֵין בָּהֶם אֶלָּא הַנֵּץ, לְפִי שֶׁנִּתְרוֹקְנוּ מִן הַזֶּרַע:
24The gaunt ears of grain then swallowed up the seven good-looking ears. I told this to the necromancers, but not even one of them could explain it to me.”		כדוַתִּבְלַ֨עְןָ֙ הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֣ים הַדַּקֹּ֔ת אֵ֛ת שֶׁ֥בַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִ֖ים הַטֹּב֑וֹת וָֽאֹמַר֙ אֶל־הַֽחַרְטֻמִּ֔ים וְאֵ֥ין מַגִּ֖יד לִֽי:
25Joseph said to Pharaoh, “The two parts of Pharaoh’s dream are actually a repetition of one and the same dream. God has told Pharaoh what He is about to do.		כהוַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה חֲל֥וֹם פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶחָ֣ד ה֑וּא אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הִגִּ֥יד לְפַרְעֹֽה:
26The seven good cows are seven years, and the seven good ears are the same seven years; it is all one dream.		כושֶׁ֧בַע פָּרֹ֣ת הַטֹּבֹ֗ת שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים֙ הַטֹּבֹ֔ת שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים הֵ֑נָּה חֲל֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד הֽוּא:
שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים - Seven years…and seven years. i.e., altogether they are only seven years and not twice seven years, and the reason why the dream was repeated is because the matter is ready to happen – as he explained to him afterwards: “As for Pharaoh having dreamed the same dream twice….” 4 About the seven good years it says: “God has told (הִגִּיד) Pharaoh,” 5 because they were close at hand; but about the seven years of famine it says: “He has shown (הֶרְאָה) Pharaoh,” 6 because they were far-off and distant in time and so an expression of “showing” is suitable.		שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים. כֻּלָּן אֵינָן אֶלָּא שֶׁבַע, וַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁנָה הַחֲלוֹם פַּעֲמַיִם, לְפִי שֶׁהַדָּבָר מְזֻמָּן כְּמוֹ שֶׁפֵּרֵשׁ לוֹ בַּסּוֹף ועל השנות החלום וגו' בְּשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים הַטּוֹבוֹת נֶאֱמַר הגיד לפרעה לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה סָמוּךְ וּבְשֶׁבַע שְׁנֵי רָעָב נֶאֱמַר הראה את פרעה, לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה הַדָּבָר מֻפְלָג וְרָחוֹק, נוֹפֵל בּוֹ לְשׁוֹן מַרְאֶה:
27The seven emaciated, ill-formed cows that emerged after them are seven years, as are also the seven empty ears of grain that were battered by the east wind. They will be seven years of famine.		כזוְשֶׁ֣בַע הַ֠פָּר֠וֹת הָֽרַקּ֨וֹת וְהָֽרָעֹ֜ת הָֽעֹלֹ֣ת אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֗ן שֶׁ֤בַע שָׁנִים֙ הֵ֔נָּה וְשֶׁ֤בַע הַשִּׁבֳּלִים֙ הָֽרֵק֔וֹת שְׁדֻפ֖וֹת הַקָּדִ֑ים יִֽהְי֕וּ שֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י רָעָֽב:
28With regard to these years of famine, it is also as I have told Pharaoh: God has shown Pharaoh what He is going to do after the years of plenty.		כחה֣וּא הַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבַּ֖רְתִּי אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֧ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֛ים עֹשֶׂ֖ה הֶרְאָ֥ה אֶת־פַּרְעֹֽה:
29Seven years are coming during which there will be great abundance in all Egypt.		כטהִנֵּ֛ה שֶׁ֥בַע שָׁנִ֖ים בָּא֑וֹת שָׂבָ֥ע גָּד֖וֹל בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
30These seven years of plenty will be followed by seven years of famine, when all the abundance in Egypt will be forgotten. The famine will ravage the land.		לוְ֠קָ֠מוּ שֶׁ֨בַע שְׁנֵ֤י רָעָב֙ אַֽחֲרֵיהֶ֔ן וְנִשְׁכַּ֥ח כָּל־הַשָּׂבָ֖ע בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְכִלָּ֥ה הָֽרָעָ֖ב אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:
וְנִשְׁכַּח כָּל־הַשָּׂבָע - All the abundance will be forgotten. This is the interpretation of the swallowing.		וְנִשְׁכַּח כָּל־הַשָּׂבָע. הוּא פִתְרוֹן הַבְּלִיעָה:
31The former abundance will not be discernible in the land, due to the famine that is to follow, for it will be very severe.		לאוְלֹֽא־יִוָּדַ֤ע הַשָּׂבָע֙ בָּאָ֔רֶץ מִפְּנֵ֛י הָֽרָעָ֥ב הַה֖וּא אַֽחֲרֵי־כֵ֑ן כִּֽי־כָבֵ֥ד ה֖וּא מְאֹֽד:
וְלֹֽא־יִוָּדַע הַשָּׂבָע - The former abundance will not be discernable. This is the interpretation of “but it wasn’t visibly apparent that they had been ingested whole inside them.” 7		וְלֹֽא־יִוָּדַע הַשָּׂבָע. הוּא פִּתְרוֹן "ולא נודע כי באו אל קרבנה":
32As for Pharaoh having dreamed the same dream twice, this is because the matter stands ready before God, and God is moving quickly to carry it out.		לבוְעַ֨ל הִשָּׁנ֧וֹת הַֽחֲל֛וֹם אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה פַּֽעֲמָ֑יִם כִּֽי־נָכ֤וֹן הַדָּבָר֙ מֵעִ֣ם הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וּמְמַהֵ֥ר הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים לַֽעֲשׂתֽוֹ:
נָכוֹן - here means “ready.”		נָכוֹן. מְזֻמָּן:
33So now, let Pharaoh seek out a man of discernment and wisdom and put him in charge of Egypt.		לגוְעַתָּה֙ יֵרֶ֣א פַרְעֹ֔ה אִ֖ישׁ נָב֣וֹן וְחָכָ֑ם וִֽישִׁיתֵ֖הוּ עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
34Let Pharaoh take steps to appoint officials over the land and prepare Egypt for the years of famine during the seven years of plenty.		לדיַֽעֲשֶׂ֣ה פַרְעֹ֔ה וְיַפְקֵ֥ד פְּקִדִ֖ים עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ וְחִמֵּשׁ֙ אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֥י הַשָּׂבָֽע:
וְחִמֵּשׁ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וִיזָרְזוּן – “and they shall equip” and similarly we find: וַחֲמֻשִׁים “and armed.” 8		וְחִמֵּשׁ. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ וִיזָרְזוּן; וְכֵן וַחֲמֻשִׁים (שמות י"ג):
35Let them gather all the food during these coming good years, and let them store grain to be under Pharaoh’s control for food in the cities, and guard it.		להוְיִקְבְּצ֗וּ אֶת־כָּל־אֹ֨כֶל֙ הַשָּׁנִ֣ים הַטֹּב֔וֹת הַבָּאֹ֖ת הָאֵ֑לֶּה וְיִצְבְּרוּ־בָ֞ר תַּ֧חַת יַד־פַּרְעֹ֛ה אֹ֥כֶל בֶּֽעָרִ֖ים וְשָׁמָֽרוּ:
אֶת־כָּל־אֹכֶל - Here אֹכֶל is a noun, i.e., food, and therefore the accent is on the א, and the כ is vocalized with a patach-katan (segol – כֶ); but אוֹכֵל, which is a verb, as in: “for whoever eats (אוֹכֵל) fat,” 9 has the accent on the last syllable, on the כ, and is vocalized with a kamatz-katan (tzeireh – כֵ).		אֶת־כָּל־אֹכֶל. שֵׁם דָּבָר הוּא, לְפִיכָךְ טַעֲמוֹ בָּאָלֶ"ף וְנָקוּד בְּפַתָּח קָטָן, וְאוֹכֵל שֶׁהוּא פֹּעַל, כְּגוֹן כִּי כָּל אֹכֵל חֵלֶב, טַעֲמוֹ לְמַטָּה בַּכַּ"ף, וְנָקוּד קָמָץ קָטָן:
תַּחַת יַד־פַּרְעֹה - (lit.) Under the hand of Pharaoh - means: within his property and in his storehouses.		תַּחַת יַד־פַּרְעֹה. בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ וּבְאוֹצְרוֹתָיו:
36The stored food will then be held in reserve for the land for the seven years of famine that will occur in Egypt, so that the land not be depopulated by the famine.”		לווְהָיָ֨ה הָאֹ֤כֶל לְפִקָּדוֹן֙ לָאָ֔רֶץ לְשֶׁ֨בַע֙ שְׁנֵ֣י הָֽרָעָ֔ב אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּֽהְיֶ֖יןָ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וְלֹֽא־תִכָּרֵ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ בָּֽרָעָֽב:
וְהָיָה הָאֹכֶל - The [stored] food will be - like any other article of safekeeping (פִּקָּדוֹן) hidden away to ensure survival of the land’s population (לָאָרֶץ).		וְהָיָה הָאֹכֶל. הַצָּבוּר כִּשְׁאָר פִּקָּדוֹן הַגָּנוּז לְקִיּוּם הָאָרֶץ:
37The way in which Joseph explained the dream pleased Pharaoh and all his courtiers,		לזוַיִּיטַ֥ב הַדָּבָ֖ר בְּעֵינֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וּבְעֵינֵ֖י כָּל־עֲבָדָֽיו:
38and Pharaoh said to his courtiers, “Could we find another man like this, who has the spirit of God within him?”		לחוַיֹּ֥אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־עֲבָדָ֑יו הֲנִמְצָ֣א כָזֶ֔ה אִ֕ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֛ר ר֥וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֖ים בּֽוֹ:
הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: הֲנַשְׁכַּח כְּדֵין “will we find a man like this” – i.e., if we go and look for him, would we find another like him? The ה of הֲנִמְצָא expresses a question, and so does any ה which is prefixed to a word and is vocalized with a chataf-patach (הֲ).		הֲנִמְצָא כָזֶה. הֲנִשְׁכַּח כְּדֵין? אִם נֵלֵךְ וּנְבַקְשֶׁנּוּ, הֲנִמְצָא כָמוֹהוּ? הֲנִמְצָא לְשׁוֹן תְּמִיהָה; וְכֵן כָּל הֵ"א הַמְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בְּרֹאשׁ תֵּבָה וּנְקוּדָה בַחֲטַף פַּתָּח:

Footnotes

2 Samuel 13:4.

Third Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 41

39Pharaoh said to Joseph, “Since God has made all this known to you, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.		לטוַיֹּ֤אמֶר פַּרְעֹה֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף אַֽחֲרֵ֨י הוֹדִ֧יעַ אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֽוֹתְךָ֖ אֶת־כָּל־זֹ֑את אֵֽין־נָב֥וֹן וְחָכָ֖ם כָּמֽוֹךָ:
אֵֽין־נָבוֹן וְחָכָם כָּמֽוֹךָ - There is no one as discerning and wise as you - i.e., regarding seeking an intelligent and wise man as you proposed 1 – there is no one like you in these qualities.		אֵֽין־נָבוֹן וְחָכָם כָּמֽוֹךָ. לְבַקֵּשׁ אִישׁ נָבוֹן וְחָכָם שֶׁאָמַרְתָּ, לֹא נִמְצָא כָמוֹךָ:
40You will be in charge of my court, and by your orders will all my people be provided for. Only by the throne will I outrank you.”		מאַתָּה֙ תִּֽהְיֶ֣ה עַל־בֵּיתִ֔י וְעַל־פִּ֖יךָ יִשַּׁ֣ק כָּל־עַמִּ֑י רַ֥ק הַכִּסֵּ֖א אֶגְדַּ֥ל מִמֶּֽךָּ:
יִשַּׁק - Its meaning as Onkelos translates it: יִתְּזַן – “Will be provided for” i.e., all my people’s needs will be carried out through you. Similar uses of נשק in this sense are “and the administrator (וּבֶן מֶשֶׁק) of my household”; 2 and “Provide yourselves (נַשְּׁקוּ) with purity”; 3 “garnison” in Old French.		יִשַּׁק. יִתְּזַן, יִתְפַּרְנֵס – כָּל צָרְכֵי עַמִּי יִהְיוּ נַעֲשִׂים עַל יָדְךָ, כְּמוֹ וּבֶן מֶשֶׁק בֵּיתִי (לעיל ט"ו), וּכְמוֹ נַשְּׁקוּ בַר (תהילים ב'), גרני"שון בְּלַעַז:
רַק הַכִּסֵּא - Only by the throne - i.e., that only me they shall call king.		רַק הַכִּסֵּא. שֶׁיִּהְיוּ קוֹרִין לִי מֶלֶךְ:
כסא - is a expression of royal status, as in “and may God make his throne (כִּסְאוֹ – i.e., his kingdom) greater than the throne (כִּסֵּא) of my master, the king.” 4		כסא. לְשׁוֹן שֵׁם הַמְּלוּכָה, כְּמוֹ וִיגַדֵּל אֶת כִּסְאוֹ מִכִּסֵּא אֲדֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ (מלכים א א'):
41Pharaoh said to Joseph, “I hereby confer on you power over all Egypt.”		מאוַיֹּ֥אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֖ה אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף רְאֵה֙ נָתַ֣תִּי אֹֽתְךָ֔ עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
נָתַתִּי אֹֽתְךָ - (lit.) I have given you – Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: מַנֵּיתִי יָתָךְ – “I have appointed you.” It nevertheless carries the connotation of giving, as in “and to make you (וּלְתִתְּךָ) supreme.” 5 The term “giving” is applicable to a change to an elevated status as well as a change to a lowly one, as in “I have made you (נָתַתִּי) despised and lowly.” 6		נָתַתִּי אֹֽתְךָ. מַנֵּיתִי יָתָךְ, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵּן לְשׁוֹן נְתִינָה הוּא, כְּמוֹ וּלְתִתְּךָ עֶלְיוֹן (דברים כ"ו); בֵּין לִגְדֻלָּה בֵּין לְשִׁפְלוּת נוֹפֵל לְשׁוֹן נְתִינָה עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ נָתַתִּי אֶתְכֶם נִבְזִים וּשְׁפָלִים (מלאכי ב'):
42Pharaoh removed his signet ring from the finger of his own hand and put it on a finger of Joseph’s hand. He had him dressed in robes of linen and placed the gold chain of office around his neck.		מבוַיָּ֨סַר פַּרְעֹ֤ה אֶת־טַבַּעְתּוֹ֙ מֵעַ֣ל יָד֔וֹ וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֖הּ עַל־יַ֣ד יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיַּלְבֵּ֤שׁ אֹתוֹ֙ בִּגְדֵי־שֵׁ֔שׁ וַיָּ֛שֶׂם רְבִ֥ד הַזָּהָ֖ב עַל־צַוָּארֽוֹ:
וַיָּסַר פַּרְעֹה אֶת־טַבַּעְתּוֹ - Pharaoh removed his signet ring. Giving the king’s ring is a sign that the one to whom it is given has become second in rank to him.		וַיָּסַר פַּרְעֹה אֶת־טַבַּעְתּוֹ. נְתִינַת טַבַּעַת הַמֶּלֶךְ הִיא אוֹת לְמִי שֶׁנּוֹתְנָהּ לוֹ לִהְיוֹת שֵׁנִי לוֹ לִגְדֻלָּה:
בִּגְדֵי־שֵׁשׁ - Robes of linen. This was considered a mark of importance in Egypt.		בִּגְדֵי־שֵׁשׁ. דְּבַר חֲשִׁיבוּת הוּא בְּמִצְרַיִם:
רביד - means “chain,” and because it is made up of a row of links it is called רָבִיד. This term is used similarly in רָבַדְתִּי עַרְשִׂי, 7 which means “I have arranged my bed with rows of patterns.” In Mishnaic Hebrew, we find “surrounded by rows (רוֹבְדִין) of stone”; 8 and “on the fourth row (הָרוֹבֶד) of stones in the Temple courtyard” referring to the paved floor. 9		רביד. עֲנָק, וְעַל שֶׁהוּא רָצוּף בְּטַבָּעוֹת קָרוּי רְבִיד וְכֵן מַרְבַדִּים רָבַדְתִּי עַרְשִׂי (משלי ז') – רִצַּפְתִּי עַרְשִׂי מַרְצָפוֹת, בִּלְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה מֻקָּף רוֹבְדִין שֶׁל אֶבֶן, עַל הָרֹבֶד שֶׁבָּעֲזָרָה, וְהִיא רִצְפָּה:
43He had him ride in his second royal chariot, and they proclaimed before him, “The king’s counselor! How wise he is for his young age! Bend the knee to him!” He was thus given kinglike authority over all Egypt.		מגוַיַּרְכֵּ֣ב אֹת֗וֹ בְּמִרְכֶּ֤בֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה֙ אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וַיִּקְרְא֥וּ לְפָנָ֖יו אַבְרֵ֑ךְ וְנָת֣וֹן אֹת֔וֹ עַ֖ל כָּל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה - means: in the chariot second in order to his chariot, which drives next to his.		בְּמִרְכֶּבֶת הַמִּשְׁנֶה. הַשְּׁנִיָּה לְמֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ, הַמְהַלֶּכֶת אֵצֶל שֶׁלּוֹ:
אַבְרֵךְ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: דֵּין אַבָּא לְמַלְכָּא – “this is the king’s counselor.” The word רַךְ in Aramaic means “king,” as we find in Chapter HaShutafin: 10 “neither a king (רֵיכָא) nor the son of a king (בַּר רֵיכָא).” But in the words of aggadah we find: Rabbi Yehudah expounded: אַבְרֵךְ – this refers to Joseph who was אַב “authoritative” (lit., “father”) in wisdom yet רַךְ “tender” in years. Rabbi Yosei ben Durmaskit said to him: How much longer are you going to misinterpret for us the meaning of verses? אַבְרֵךְ is actually from the word בִּרְכַּיִם “knees,” implying that everyone entered and left Egypt only by his permission and therefore knelt and subjected themselves to him. This word thus expresses the same idea as the verse continues: “He was thus given kinglike authority….”		אַבְרֵךְ. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ "דֵּין אַבָּא לְמַלְכָּא", רֵךְ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי (נ"א רוֹמִי) מֶלֶךְ; בְּהַשֻּׁתָּפִין לָא רֵיכָא וְלֹא בַּר רֵיכָא, וּבְדִבְרֵי אַגָּדָה דָּרַשׁ רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אַבְרֵךְ זֶה יוֹסֵף שֶׁהוּא אָב בְּחָכְמָה וְרַךְ בַּשָּׁנִים, אָמַר לוֹ רַ' יוֹסֵי בֶּן דֻּרְמַסְקִית עַד מָתַי אַתָּה מְעַוֵּת עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַכְּתוּבִים? אֵין אַבְרֵךְ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן בִּרְכַּיִם, שֶׁהַכֹּל הָיוּ נִכְנָסִין וְיוֹצְאִין תַּחַת יָדוֹ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְנָתוֹן אוֹתוֹ וְגוֹ':
44Pharaoh then said to Joseph, “I am Pharaoh. I decree that without your say, no man may lift his hand or his foot in all Egypt.”		מדוַיֹּ֧אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֛ה אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף אֲנִ֣י פַרְעֹ֑ה וּבִלְעָדֶ֗יךָ לֹֽא־יָרִ֨ים אִ֧ישׁ אֶת־יָד֛וֹ וְאֶת־רַגְל֖וֹ בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
אֲנִי פַּרְעֹה - I am Pharaoh - meaning that I have the authority to make decrees upon my kingdom, and I decree that “no man may raise his hand בִּלְעָדֶיךָ,”		אֲנִי פַּרְעֹה. שֶׁיֵּשׁ יְכֹלֶת בְּיָדִי לִגְזֹר גְּזֵרָה עַל מַלְכוּתִי, וַאֲנִי גּוֹזֵר שֶׁלֹּא יָרִים אִישׁ יָדוֹ:
בִלְעָדֶיךָ - “but without your say… (וּבִלְעָדֶיךָ וגו׳),”. i.e., without your permission. Another explanation: “I am Pharaoh” – i.e., I will remain the king.and it thus has the same meaning as “only by the throne will I outrank you,” 11 but it was necessary to reiterate it at the time of handing over the ring.		בִלְעָדֶיךָ. שֶׁלֹּא בִּרְשׁוּתְךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר אֲנִי פַרְעֹה, אֲנִי אֶהְיֶה מֶלֶךְ, וּבִלְעָדֶיךָ וְגוֹ' וְזֶהוּ דֻּגְמַת רַק הַכִּסֵּא:
אֶת־יָדוֹ וְאֶת־רַגְלוֹ - His hand or his foot. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: “his hand to bear weapons, or his foot to mount a horse.”		אֶת־יָדוֹ וְאֶת־רַגְלוֹ. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ:
45Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Tzafnat Pa’ne’ach [“He who deciphers the cryptic”], and gave him Asenat, daughter of Potiphera, lord of On, as a wife. Joseph thus went out to oversee Egypt.		מהוַיִּקְרָ֨א פַרְעֹ֥ה שֵֽׁם־יוֹסֵף֘ צָֽפְנַ֣ת פַּעְנֵ֒חַ֒ וַיִּתֶּן־ל֣וֹ אֶת־אָֽסְנַ֗ת בַּת־פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֛רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֹ֖ן לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וַיֵּצֵ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף עַל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
צָֽפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ - Tzafenat Pane’ach - means “he who deciphers cryptic matters.” There is no other example of the word פַּעְנֵחַ in Scripture.		צָֽפְנַת פַּעְנֵחַ. מְפָרֵשׁ הַצְּפוּנוֹת; וְאֵין לְפַעְנֵחַ דִּמְיוֹן בַּמִּקְרָא:
פוטיפרע - Potiphera. This was Potiphar, but he was called Potiphera because he had become impotent, since he had wished to have homosexual relations with Joseph.		פוטיפרע. הוּא פּוֹטִיפַר, וְנִקְרָא פּוֹטִיפֶרַע עַל שֶׁנִּסְתָּרֵס מֵאֵלָיו, לְפִי שֶׁחָמַד אֶת יוֹסֵף לְמִשְׁכַּב זָכָר (סוטה י"ג):
46Joseph was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Joseph left Pharaoh’s presence, and he traveled all throughout Egypt.		מווְיוֹסֵף֙ בֶּן־שְׁלשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה בְּעָמְד֕וֹ לִפְנֵ֖י פַּרְעֹ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיֵּצֵ֤א יוֹסֵף֙ מִלִּפְנֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֖ר בְּכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
47During the seven years of plenty, the inhabitants of the land gathered grain in unending handfuls.		מזוַתַּ֣עַשׂ הָאָ֔רֶץ בְּשֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֣י הַשָּׂבָ֑ע לִקְמָצִֽים:
וַתַּעַשׂ הָאָרֶץ - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: וּכְנָשׁוּ דָיְרֵי אַרְעָא “the inhabitants of the land gathered.” However, the word וַתַּעַשׂ does not thereby lose its regular meaning of “making,” but is only adapted by Onkelos according to the context – i.e., they gathered what the land had produced.		וַתַּעַשׂ הָאָרֶץ. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, וְאֵין הַלָּשׁוֹן נֶעֱקָר מִלְּשׁוֹן עֲשִׂיָּה:
לִקְמָצִֽים - means handful by handful (קוֹמֶץ עַל קוֹמֶץ), bit by bit, they stored up the grain.		לִקְמָצִֽים. קֹמֶץ עַל קֹמֶץ, יָד עַל יָד, הָיוּ אוֹצְרִים:
48Joseph collected all the surplus food during the seven years that had now come to pass in Egypt, and he placed the food in the cities. Joseph placed with the food some soil from the fields surrounding the city.		מחוַיִּקְבֹּ֞ץ אֶת־כָּל־אֹ֣כֶל \| שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הָיוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּתֶּן־אֹ֖כֶל בֶּֽעָרִ֑ים אֹ֧כֶל שְׂדֵֽה־הָעִ֛יר אֲשֶׁ֥ר סְבִֽיבֹתֶ֖יהָ נָתַ֥ן בְּתוֹכָֽהּ:
אֹכֶל שְׂדֵֽה־הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר סְבִֽיבֹתֶיהָ נָתַן בְּתוֹכָֽהּ - (lit.) The food of the fields surrounding the city he stored inside it - since each and every district preserves its own produce. Therefore, people put some of the soil of that locale among the crops and it thus prevents the crops from rotting.		אֹכֶל שְׂדֵֽה־הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר סְבִֽיבֹתֶיהָ נָתַן בְּתוֹכָֽהּ. שֶׁכָּל אֶרֶץ וְאֶרֶץ מַעֲמֶדֶת פֵּרוֹתֶיהָ, וְנוֹתְנִין בַּתְּבוּאָה מֵעֲפַר הַמָּקוֹם, וּמַעֲמִיד אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה מִלִּרְקֹב:
49Joseph amassed quantities of grain as abundant as the sands of the sea, until the treasurer had to stop counting it since there was too much to count.		מטוַיִּצְבֹּ֨ר יוֹסֵ֥ף בָּ֛ר כְּח֥וֹל הַיָּ֖ם הַרְבֵּ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד עַ֛ד כִּֽי־חָדַ֥ל לִסְפֹּ֖ר כִּי־אֵ֥ין מִסְפָּֽר:
עַד כִּֽי־חָדַל לִסְפֹּר - (lit.) Until he stopped counting - means “until the one counting had to stop counting,” and this is an abbreviated verse.		עַד כִּֽי־חָדַל לִסְפֹּר. עַד כִּי חָדַל לוֹ הַסּוֹפֵר לִסְפֹּר, וַהֲרֵי זֶה מִקְרָא קָצָר:
כִּֽי־אֵין מִסְפָּֽר - means “because there was no number” - and here is a case where כִּי is used in the sense of “because.”		כִּֽי־אֵין מִסְפָּֽר. לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מִסְפָּר, וַהֲרֵי כִי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בְּלְשׁוֹן דְּהָא:
50Two sons were born to Joseph before the first year of famine arrived, borne to him by Asenat, daughter of Potiphera, lord of On.		נוּלְיוֹסֵ֤ף יֻלָּד֙ שְׁנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים בְּטֶ֥רֶם תָּב֖וֹא שְׁנַ֣ת הָֽרָעָ֑ב אֲשֶׁ֤ר יָֽלְדָה־לּוֹ֙ אָֽסְנַ֔ת בַּת־פּ֥וֹטִי פֶ֖רַע כֹּהֵ֥ן אֽוֹן:
בְּטֶרֶם תבא שְׁנַת הָֽרָעָב - Before the year of famine arrived. From here we learn that it is forbidden for a person to have marital relations during years of famine.		בְּטֶרֶם תבא שְׁנַת הָֽרָעָב. מִכָּאן שֶׁאָדָם אָסוּר לְשַׁמֵּשׁ מִטָּתוֹ בִּשְׁנֵי רְעָבוֹן (תענית י"א):
51Joseph named the firstborn Manasseh [Menasheh, “causing to forget”]—“because,” he said, “God has made me forget all my past hardships, and all my father’s household.”		נאוַיִּקְרָ֥א יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם הַבְּכ֖וֹר מְנַשֶּׁ֑ה כִּֽי־נַשַּׁ֤נִי אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כָּל־עֲמָלִ֔י וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־בֵּ֥ית אָבִֽי:
52He named the second son Ephraim [from peri, “fruit”]—“because,” he said, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my suffering.”		נבוְאֵ֛ת שֵׁ֥ם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י קָרָ֣א אֶפְרָ֑יִם כִּֽי־הִפְרַ֥נִי אֱלֹהִ֖ים בְּאֶ֥רֶץ עָנְיִֽי:

Footnotes

1 Kings 1:37.

Midot 1:8.

Yoma 43b.

10.

Bava Batra 4a.

11.

Genesis 40:41.

Fourth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 41

53The seven years of plenty that came to pass in Egypt came to an end.		נגוַתִּכְלֶ֕ינָה שֶׁ֖בַע שְׁנֵ֣י הַשָּׂבָ֑ע אֲשֶׁ֥ר הָיָ֖ה בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
54The seven years of famine then began, just as Joseph had said. There was famine in all the other lands, but throughout Egypt there was bread.		נדוַתְּחִלֶּ֜ינָה שֶׁ֣בַע שְׁנֵ֤י הָֽרָעָב֙ לָב֔וֹא כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְהִ֤י רָעָב֙ בְּכָל־הָ֣אֲרָצ֔וֹת וּבְכָל־אֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרַ֖יִם הָ֥יָה לָֽחֶם:
55When all the inhabitants of Egypt were starving, the people cried out to Pharaoh for bread, so Pharaoh announced to all Egypt, “Go to Joseph, and do whatever he tells you to.”		נהוַתִּרְעַב֙ כָּל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּצְעַ֥ק הָעָ֛ם אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֖ה לַלָּ֑חֶם וַיֹּ֨אמֶר פַּרְעֹ֤ה לְכָל־מִצְרַ֨יִם֙ לְכ֣וּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַ֥ר לָכֶ֖ם תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ:
וַתִּרְעַב כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם - All Egypt were starving - because the grain that they had stored up had rotted, all except for Joseph’s.		וַתִּרְעַב כָּל־אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם. שֶׁהִרְקִיבָה תְבוּאָתָם שֶׁאָצְרוּ חוּץ מִשֶּׁל יוֹסֵף:
אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ - Do whatever he tells you to. Pharaoh gave them this order because Joseph had told them to be circumcised; and when they came to Pharaoh and told him, “This is what he is telling us to do; otherwise he will not give us grain,” Pharaoh asked them, “Why did you yourselves not store up grain? Did Joseph not publicly announce that years of famine were coming?” They answered him, “We collected a large amount, but it has rotted.” He said to them, “If so, ‘do whatever he tells you to’; he has evidently decreed upon the grain and it has rotted, so there is no point in commanding him to give you grain, for what if he decrees upon us that we die as a result of my attempting to compel him!”		אֲשֶׁר־יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּֽעֲשֽׂוּ. לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה יוֹסֵף אוֹמֵר לָהֶם שֶׁיִּמּוֹלוּ, וּכְשֶׁבָּאוּ אֵצֶל פַּרְעֹה וְאוֹמְרִים: כָּךְ הוּא אוֹמֵר לָנוּ, אָמַר לָהֶם: וְלָמָּה לֹא צְבַרְתֶּם בָּר, וַהֲלֹא הִכְרִיז לָכֶם שֶׁשְּׁנֵי הָרָעָב בָּאִים? אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אָסַפְנוּ הַרְבֵּה וְהִרְקִיבָה, אָמַר לָהֶם: אִם כֵּן, כָּל אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר לָכֶם תַּעֲשׂוּ; הֲרֵי גָּזַר עַל הַתְּבוּאָה וְהִרְקִיבָה, מַה אִם יִגְזֹר עָלֵינוּ וְנָמוּת!
56When the famine affected all the wealthy people of the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses containing grain and sold it to the Egyptians. Meanwhile, the famine in Egypt continued to intensify.		נווְהָֽרָעָ֣ב הָיָ֔ה עַ֖ל כָּל־פְּנֵ֣י הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיִּפְתַּ֨ח יוֹסֵ֜ף אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּהֶם֙ וַיִּשְׁבֹּ֣ר לְמִצְרַ֔יִם וַיֶּֽחֱזַ֥ק הָֽרָעָ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם:
עַל כָּל־פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ - (lit.) Upon the entire face of the land. Who are “the face of the land”? The wealthy people.		עַל כָּל־פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ. מִי הֵם פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ אֵלּוּ הָעֲשִׁירִים:
אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם - (lit.) All that had in them - Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it: דִּי בְהוֹן עִבּוּרָא “all the storehouses that had grain in them.”		אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ דִּי בְהוֹן עִיבוּרָא:
וַיִּשְׁבֹּר לְמִצְרַיִם - The verb שבר can mean both buying and selling. Here it is used in the sense of selling, whereas in: “שִׁבְרוּ us a little food” 1 it means buying. Do not however think that it is used only in reference to grain, for also in reference to wine and milk we find “and go, acquire (שִׁבְרוּ), even without money or a price, wine and milk.” 2		וַיִּשְׁבֹּר לְמִצְרַיִם. שבר לְשׁוֹן מֶכֶר וּלְשׁוֹן קִנְיָן הוּא; כָּאן מְשַׁמֵּשׁ לְשׁוֹן מֶכֶר; שִׁבְרוּ לָנוּ מְעַט אֹכֶל, לְשׁוֹן קִנְיָן. וְאַל תֹּאמַר אֵינוֹ כִּי אִם בִּתְבוּאָה, שֶׁאַף בְּיַיִן וְחָלָב מָצִינוּ וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא כֶסֶף וּבְלוֹא מְחִיר יַיִן וְחָלָב (ישעיהו נ"ה):
57People from the entire region came to Egypt, to Joseph, to buy produce, for the famine had grown severe in the entire region.		נזוְכָל־הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ בָּ֣אוּ מִצְרַ֔יְמָה לִשְׁבֹּ֖ר אֶל־יוֹסֵ֑ף כִּֽי־חָזַ֥ק הָֽרָעָ֖ב בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ:
וְכָל־הָאָרֶץ בָּאוּ מִצְרַיְמָה אֶל־יוֹסֵף לִשְׁבֹּר - The entire region came to Egypt. To understand the meaning of the text, transpose the next words from the order they are written in the verse, i.e., אֶל יוֹסֵף לִשְׁבֹּר “To Joseph, to buy produce” for if you would explain it in the order it is written (לִשְׁבֹּר אֶל יוֹסֵף), it should have then said: לִשְׁבֹּר מִן יוֹסֵף “to buy from Joseph.”		וְכָל־הָאָרֶץ בָּאוּ מִצְרַיְמָה אֶל־יוֹסֵף לִשְׁבֹּר. , אֶל יוֹסֵף לִשְׁבֹּר. וְאִם תִּדְרְשֵׁהוּ כְסִדְרוֹ, הָיָה צָרִיךְ לִכְתֹּב: לִשְׁבֹּר מִן יוֹסֵף:

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 42

1Jacob heard that there was produce in Egypt. Jacob said to his sons, “Why do you pretend that we have enough provisions?”		אוַיַּ֣רְא יַֽעֲקֹ֔ב כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יַֽעֲקֹב֙ לְבָנָ֔יו לָ֖מָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ:
וַיַּרְא יַֽעֲקֹב כִּי יֶשׁ־שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרָיִם - (lit.) Jacob saw that there was produce in Egypt. How did he see? Surely he did not see but heard, as it says: “Look, I have heard….” 3 What, then, is meant by: “Jacob saw”? He saw in a holy vision that he still had hope (שֶׂבֶר) in Egypt, but it was not an actual prophecy that would disclose to him outright that this referred to Joseph.		וַיַּרְא יַֽעֲקֹב כִּי יֶשׁ־שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרָיִם. וּמֵהֵיכָן רָאָה? וַהֲלֹא לֹא רָאָה אֶלָּא שָׁמַע, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הִנֵּה שָׁמַעְתִּי וְגוֹ' וּמַהוּ וַיַּרְא? רָאָה בְאַסְפַּקְלַרְיָא שֶׁל קֹדֶשׁ שֶׁעֲדַיִן יֵשׁ לוֹ שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרַיִם; וְלֹא הָיְתָה נְבוּאָה מַמָּשׁ לְהוֹדִיעוֹ בְּפֵרוּשׁ שֶׁזֶּה יוֹסֵף:
לָמָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ - means “Why do you pretend before the Ishmaelites and the descendants of Esau that you have plenty to eat for the duration of the famine?” for at that time they still had some grain. But I maintain that the straightforward meaning is: לָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ – “Why should everyone look at you and wonder at you that you do not seek food for yourselves before what you have is not used up?” From others I have heard that תִּתְרָאוּ is an expression of leanness – “Why should you become lean through hunger?” A similar use of the verb is “and he who sustains others (וּמַרְוֶה) will also be sustained (יוֹרֶא).” 4		לָמָּה תִּתְרָאֽוּ. לָמָּה תַּרְאוּ עַצְמְכֶם בִּפְנֵי בְנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל וּבְנֵי עֵשָׂו כְּאִלּוּ אַתֶּם שְׂבֵעִים? בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה עֲדַיִן הָיָה לָהֶם תְּבוּאָה (תענית י'). וְלִי נִרְאֶה פְּשׁוּטוֹ לָמָּה תִּתְרָאוּ, לָמָּה יְהְיוּ הַכֹּל מִסְתַּכְּלִין בָּכֶם וּמַתְמִיהִים בָּכֶם, שֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם מְבַקְּשִׁים לָכֶם אֹכֶל בְּטֶרֶם שֶׁיִּכְלֶה מַה שֶּׁבְּיֶדְכֶם. וּמִפִּי אַחֵרִים שָׁמַעְתִּי, שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן כְּחִישָׁה, לָמָּה תִּהְיוּ כְּחוּשִׁים בָּרָעָב, וְדוֹמֶה לוֹ וּמַרְוֶה גַּם הוּא יוֹרֶא (משלי י"א):
2He then said, “Look, I have heard that there is produce in Egypt. Go down there and buy us produce from there, so that we may live and not die.”		בוַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֣ה שָׁמַ֔עְתִּי כִּ֥י יֶשׁ־שֶׁ֖בֶר בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם רְדוּ־שָׁ֨מָּה֙ וְשִׁבְרוּ־לָ֣נוּ מִשָּׁ֔ם וְנִֽחְיֶ֖ה וְלֹ֥א נָמֽוּת:
רְדוּ־שָׁמָּה - Go down there. He used the term רְדוּ and did not say: לְכוּ “go.” This is an allusion to the 210 years that they were enslaved to Egypt, 210 being the numerical value of רְדוּ.		רְדוּ־שָׁמָּה. וְלֹא אָמַר לְכוּ, רֶמֶז לְמָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים שֶׁנִּשְׁתַּעְבְּדוּ לְמִצְרַיִם כְּמִנְיַן רד"ו:
3Joseph’s brothers thus went down to Egypt as 10 individuals to buy grain from Egypt.		גוַיֵּֽרְד֥וּ אֲחֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֖ף עֲשָׂרָ֑ה לִשְׁבֹּ֥ר בָּ֖ר מִמִּצְרָֽיִם:
וַיֵּֽרְדוּ אֲחֵֽי־יוֹסֵף - Joseph’s brothers [thus] went down. Scripture does not write here “Jacob’s sons.” It thus teaches us that they regretted having sold him, and had resolved to act in a brotherly way toward him and to redeem him at whatever price might be named to them.		וַיֵּֽרְדוּ אֲחֵֽי־יוֹסֵף. וְלֹא כָתַב בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב, מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְחָרְטִים בִּמְכִירָתוֹ וְנָתְנוּ לִבָּם לְהִתְנַהֵג עִמּוֹ בְּאַחְוָה וְלִפְדּוֹתוֹ בְּכָל מָמוֹן שֶׁיִּפְסְקוּ עֲלֵיהֶם:
עֲשָׂרָה - Ten. What does this come to teach us? Is it not written, “But Jacob did not send along Joseph’s brother Benjamin”? 5 The answer is that regarding their brotherly relationship they were divided into ten individuals, because the love and hatred of all of them towards Joseph was not equal. But with regard to buying grain they were all equal. Bereshit Rabbah. 6		עֲשָׂרָה. מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר, וַהֲלֹא כְתִיב וְאֶת בִּנְיָמִין אֲחִי יוֹסֵף לֹא שָׁלַח? אֶלָּא לְעִנְיַן הָאַחְוָה הָיוּ חֲלוּקִין לְי' שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה אַהֲבַת כֻּלָּם וְשִׂנְאַת כֻּלָּם שָׁוָה לוֹ; אֲבָל לְעִנְיַן לִשְׁבֹּר בָּר כֻּלָּם לֵב אֶחָד לָהֶם (בראשית רבה):
4But Jacob did not send along Joseph’s brother Benjamin with his other brothers, for he said, “Lest some disaster befall him.”		דוְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִין֙ אֲחִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף לֹֽא־שָׁלַ֥ח יַֽעֲקֹ֖ב אֶת־אֶחָ֑יו כִּ֣י אָמַ֔ר פֶּן־יִקְרָאֶ֖נּוּ אָסֽוֹן:
פֶּן־יִקְרָאֶנּוּ אָסֽוֹן - Lest some disaster befall him. And at home no disaster could happen to him?! Rabbi Eliezer ben Ya’akov said: From here we learn that Satan prosecutes at potentially dangerous occasions.		פֶּן־יִקְרָאֶנּוּ אָסֽוֹן. וּבַבַּיִת לֹא יִקְרָאֶנּוּ? אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב, מִכָּאן שֶׁהַשָּׂטָן מְקַטְרֵג בִּשְׁעַת הַסַּכָּנָה (בראשית רבה):
5The sons of Israel came to buy produce among those who had come to buy produce, for the famine had extended to Canaan.		הוַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לִשְׁבֹּ֖ר בְּת֣וֹךְ הַבָּאִ֑ים כִּֽי־הָיָ֥ה הָֽרָעָ֖ב בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן:
בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּאִים - Among those who had come. They concealed themselves so they would not be recognized, since their father had instructed them that they not all show themselves at the same entrance but that each one enter by a different entrance. This was so that an evil eye not befall them, for they were all handsome and all mighty.		בְּתוֹךְ הַבָּאִים. מַטְמִינִין עַצְמָם שֶׁלֹּא יַכִּירוּם, לְפִי שֶׁצִּוָּה לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יִתְרָאוּ כֻּלָּם בְּפֶתַח א', אֶלָּא שֶׁיִּכָּנֵס כָּל א' בְּפִתְחוֹ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁלֹט בָּהֶם עַיִן הָרָע, שֶׁכֻּלָּם נָאִים וְכֻלָּם גִּבּוֹרִים:
כִּֽי הָיָה הָֽרָעָב - For the famine had extended. The word “for” here refers to “those who had come”: they came “for the famine had extended to Canaan,” and therefore many caravans came from there to procure grain in Egypt.		כִּי הָיָה הָרָעָב. מוּסָב עַל "הַבָּאִים“, "כִּי הָיָה הָרָעָב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן“, וְהָיוּ בָּאִים הַרְבֵּה שַׁיָּרֹות מִשָּׁם:
6Joseph, as viceroy of the land, was the one who sold produce to all the people of the region, and Joseph’s brothers came and prostrated themselves before him with their faces to the ground.		ווְיוֹסֵ֗ף ה֚וּא הַשַּׁלִּ֣יט עַל־הָאָ֔רֶץ ה֥וּא הַמַּשְׁבִּ֖יר לְכָל־עַ֣ם הָאָ֑רֶץ וַיָּבֹ֨אוּ֙ אֲחֵ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־ל֥וֹ אַפַּ֖יִם אָֽרְצָה:
וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ אַפַּיִם - means that they prostrated themselves upon their faces. Similarly, every mention of הִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה “prostration” refers to extending one’s hands and legs.		וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־לוֹ אַפַּיִם. נִשְׁתַּטְּחוּ לוֹ עַל פְּנֵיהֶם, וְכֵן כָּל הִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה פִּשּׁוּט יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם הוּא:
7Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but he acted like a stranger toward them and spoke to them harshly. He asked them, “Where are you from?” They replied, “From Canaan, to buy food.”		זוַיַּ֥רְא יוֹסֵ֛ף אֶת־אֶחָ֖יו וַיַּכִּרֵ֑ם וַיִּתְנַכֵּ֨ר אֲלֵיהֶ֜ם וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר אִתָּ֣ם קָשׁ֗וֹת וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מֵאַ֣יִן בָּאתֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ מֵאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנַ֖עַן לִשְׁבָּר־אֹֽכֶל:
וַיִּתְנַכֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם - means: he acted like a stranger to them - with words, by speaking to them harshly.		וַיִּתְנַכֵּר אֲלֵיהֶם. נַעֲשָׂה לָהֶם כְּנָכְרִי בִּדְבָרִים לְדַבֵּר קָשׁוֹת:
8Joseph recognized his brothers but they did not recognize him.		חוַיַּכֵּ֥ר יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶת־אֶחָ֑יו וְהֵ֖ם לֹ֥א הִכִּרֻֽהוּ:
וַיַּכֵּר יוֹסֵף וגו' - Joseph recognized [his brothers] - because when he left them they were fully bearded.		וַיַּכֵּר יוֹסֵף וגו'. לְפִי שֶׁהִנִּיחָם חֲתוּמֵי זָקָן:
וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּרֻֽהוּ - But they did not recognize him - for when he left them he was without a beard and now he was fully bearded. And the aggadic explanation is: “Joseph recognized his brothers” – now, when they were in his power, he acknowledged that they were his brothers and pitied them, though “they had not recognized him” as such by treating him in a brotherly manner when he fell into their hands.		וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּרֻֽהוּ. שֶׁיָּצָא מֵאֶצְלָם בְּלֹא חֲתִימַת זָקָן, וְעַכְשָׁו בָּא בַחֲתִימַת זָקָן (כתובות כ"ז) וַיַּכֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶת־אֶחָיו כְּשֶׁנִּמְסְרוּ בְיָדוֹ הִכִּיר שֶׁהֵם אֶחָיו וְרִחֵם עֲלֵיהֶם, וְהֵם לֹא הִכִּירוּהוּ כְּשֶׁנָּפַל בְּיָדָם לִנְהֹג בּוֹ אַחְוָה:
9Joseph recalled the dreams that he had dreamed about them, and he said to them, “You are spies! You have come to see where the land is vulnerable.”		טוַיִּזְכֹּ֣ר יוֹסֵ֔ף אֵ֚ת הַֽחֲלֹמ֔וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר חָלַ֖ם לָהֶ֑ם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ מְרַגְּלִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם לִרְא֛וֹת אֶת־עֶרְוַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ בָּאתֶֽם:
אֲשֶׁר חָלַם לָהֶם - He had dreamed (lit.) to them - i.e., about them, and he realized that they had been fulfilled, for his brothers had indeed prostrated themselves to him.		אֲשֶׁר חָלַם לָהֶם. עֲלֵיהֶם; וְיָדַע שֶׁנִּתְקַיְּמוּ שֶׁהֲרֵי הִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לוֹ:
עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ - means “The land’s exposed points” from where it can easily be conquered. Of similar meaning is: “he has uncovered (הֶעֱרָה) her fountain”; 7 and: “naked and exposed (וְעֶרְיָה).” 8 Likewise, every term עֶרְוָה in Scripture means “exposure.” Onkelos translates it as: בִּדְקָא דְאַרְעָא “the defective part of the land,” as in: “the damage (בֶּדֶק) of the House” 9 – i.e., the defect of the house, but he was not particular to explain it according to the literal wording of the verse.		עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ. גִּלּוּי הָאָרֶץ – מֵהֵיכָן הִיא נוֹחָה לִכָּבֵשׁ, כְּמוֹ אֶת מְקֹרָהּ הֶעֱרָה (ויקרא כ'), וּכְמוֹ עֵרֹם וְעֶרְיָה (יחזקאל ט"ז) וְכֵן כָּל עֶרְוָה שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא לְ' גִּלּוּי, וְתַּרְגּוּם אוֹנְקֵלוֹסבִּדְקָא דְּאַרְעָא, כְּמוֹ בֶּדֶק הַבַּיִת (מלכים ב י"ב), רְעוּעַ הַבַּיִת, אֲבָל לֹא דִּקְדֵּק לְפָרְשׁוֹ אַחַר לְשׁוֹן הַמִּקְרָא:
10They said to him, “No, my lord! We, your servants, have come just to buy food.		יוַיֹּֽאמְר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו לֹ֣א אֲדֹנִ֑י וַֽעֲבָדֶ֥יךָ בָּ֖אוּ לִשְׁבָּר־אֹֽכֶל:
לֹא אֲדֹנִי - No, my lord - do not say so, for rather “your servants have come to buy food.”		לֹא אֲדֹנִי. לֹא תֹאמַר כֵּן, שֶׁהֲרֵי עֲבָדֶיךָ בָּאוּ לִשְׁבָּר אֹכֶל:
11We are all the sons of the same man. We are truthful men; your servants have never been spies!”		יאכֻּלָּ֕נוּ בְּנֵ֥י אִֽישׁ־אֶחָ֖ד נָ֑חְנוּ כֵּנִ֣ים אֲנַ֔חְנוּ לֹֽא־הָי֥וּ עֲבָדֶ֖יךָ מְרַגְּלִֽים:
כֻּלָּנוּ בְּנֵי אִֽישׁ־אֶחָד נָחְנוּ - We are all the sons of one man. They had a spark of the Divine Spirit of prophecy and included him with them, for he, too, was the son of their father.		כֻּלָּנוּ בְּנֵי אִֽישׁ־אֶחָד נָחְנוּ. נִצְנְצָה בָהֶם רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וּכְלָלוּהוּ עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁאַף הוּא בֶּן אֲבִיהֶם:
כֵּנִים - means “truthful,” as in: “You have spoken rightly (כֵּן)”; 10 and: “Tzelofchad’s daughters speak correctly (כֵּן)”; 11 and: “and his fury, his untrue (לֹא כֵן) illusion.” 12		כֵּנִים. אֲמִתִּיִּים, כְּמוֹ כֵּן דִּבַּרְתָּ (שמות י'), כֵּן בְּנוֹת צְלָפְחָד דֹּבְרֹת (במדבר כ"ז), וְעֶבְרָתוֹ לֹא כֵן בַּדָּיו (ישעיהו ט"ז):
12He said to them, “No! You have come to see where the land is vulnerable!”		יבוַיֹּ֖אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֑ם לֹ֕א כִּֽי־עֶרְוַ֥ת הָאָ֖רֶץ בָּאתֶ֥ם לִרְאֽוֹת:
כִּֽי־עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ בָּאתֶם לִרְאֽוֹת - You have come to see where the land is vulnerable - for you entered through 10 different gates of the city. Why did you not all enter through one gate?		כִּֽי־עֶרְוַת הָאָרֶץ בָּאתֶם לִרְאֽוֹת. שֶׁהֲרֵי נִכְנַסְתֶּם בְּי' שַׁעֲרֵי הָעִיר, לָמָּה לֹא נִכְנַסְתֶּם בְּשַׁעַר א'? (בראשית רבה):
13They answered, “We, your servants, were 12 brothers, the sons of one man who is in Canaan. The youngest is today with our father, and the other one has gone missing.”		יגוַיֹּֽאמְר֗וּ שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂר֩ עֲבָדֶ֨יךָ אַחִ֧ים \| אֲנַ֛חְנוּ בְּנֵ֥י אִֽישׁ־אֶחָ֖ד בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְהִנֵּ֨ה הַקָּטֹ֤ן אֶת־אָבִ֨ינוּ֙ הַיּ֔וֹם וְהָֽאֶחָ֖ד אֵינֶֽנּוּ:
וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר עֲבָדֶיךָ וגו' - They answered, “We, your servants, were 12…”. and because of that missing one we dispersed through the city to look for him.		וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר עֲבָדֶיךָ וגו'. וּבִשְׁבִיל אוֹתוֹ א' שֶׁאֵינֶנּוּ נִתְפַּזַּרְנוּ בָעִיר לְבַקְּשׁוֹ:
14Joseph said to them, “It is as I told you: you are spies.		ידוַיֹּ֥אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֖ם יוֹסֵ֑ף ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר דִּבַּ֧רְתִּי אֲלֵכֶ֛ם לֵאמֹ֖ר מְרַגְּלִ֥ים אַתֶּֽם:
הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי - i.e., “that which I told you (אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי)” that you are spies – “that is (הוּא)” really what is true and correct. This is according to its straightforward meaning. But its Midrashic explanation is: He asked them, “And if you find him, and his captors demand of you a large sum of money, would you redeem him?” They answered him, “Yes.” He then asked them, “And if they said to you that they would not return him for any ransom, what would you do?” They answered him, “We came for that purpose – to kill or to be killed!” To this he said to them: הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲלֵכֶם “This is exactly as I told you before: you have come to kill the people of this city. I have divined by my goblet that two of you destroyed the great city of Shechem!”		הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי. הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי שֶׁאַתֶּם מְרַגְּלִים, הוּא הָאֱמֶת וְהַנָּכוֹן, זֶהוּ לְפִי פְשׁוּטוֹ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ אָמַר לָהֶם וְאִלּוּ מְצָאתֶם אוֹתוֹ וְיִפְסְקוּ עֲלֵיכֶם מָמוֹן הַרְבֵּה, תִּפְדּוּהוּ? אָמְרוּ לוֹ הֵן, אָמַר לָהֶם וְאִם יֹאמְרוּ לָכֶם שֶׁלֹּא יַחֲזִירוּהוּ בְשׁוּם מָמוֹן, מַה תַּעֲשׂוּ? אָמְרוּ לוֹ לְכָךְ בָּאנוּ, לַהֲרֹג אוֹ לֵהָרֵג, אָמַר לָהֶם הוּא אֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶם, לַהֲרֹג בְּנֵי הָעִיר בָּאתֶם, מְנַחֵשׁ אֲנִי בְּגָבִיעַ שֶׁלִּי שֶׁשְּׁנַיִם מִכֶּם הֶחֱרִיבוּ כְּרַךְ גָּדוֹל שֶׁל שְׁכֶם:
15By this you will be put to the test: I swear to you by the life of Pharaoh that you will not leave this place unless your youngest brother comes here.		טובְּזֹ֖את תִּבָּחֵ֑נוּ חֵ֤י פַרְעֹה֙ אִם־תֵּֽצְא֣וּ מִזֶּ֔ה כִּ֧י אִם־בְּב֛וֹא אֲחִיכֶ֥ם הַקָּטֹ֖ן הֵֽנָּה:
חֵי פַרְעֹה - By the life of Pharaoh - means “If Pharaoh lives.” When he would swear falsely, he would swear by the life of Pharaoh.		חֵי פַרְעֹה. אִם יִחְיֶה פַּרְעֹה. כְּשֶׁהָיָה נִשְׁבָּע לַשֶּׁקֶר, הָיָה נִשְׁבָּע בְּחַיֵּי פַרְעֹה:
אִם־תֵּֽצְאוּ מִזֶּה - You will not leave this - i.e., this place.		אִם־תֵּֽצְאוּ מִזֶּה. מִן הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה:
16Send one of you to bring me your youngest brother, while the rest of you remain imprisoned here, so that the veracity of your words may be put to the test. If he does not bring him, then by the life of Pharaoh, you are indeed spies!”		טזשִׁלְח֨וּ מִכֶּ֣ם אֶחָד֘ וְיִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחִיכֶם֒ וְאַתֶּם֙ הֵאָ֣סְר֔וּ וְיִבָּֽחֲנוּ֙ דִּבְרֵיכֶ֔ם הַֽאֱמֶ֖ת אִתְּכֶ֑ם וְאִם־לֹ֕א חֵ֣י פַרְעֹ֔ה כִּ֥י מְרַגְּלִ֖ים אַתֶּֽם:
הַֽאֱמֶת אִתְּכֶם - literally means “whether truth is with you.” Therefore the ה is vocalized with a patach (הַ), rather than a kamatz (הָ), because it is similar to an expression of a question – whereas “if you do not bring him, then by the life of Pharaoh, you are indeed spies!”		הַֽאֱמֶת אִתְּכֶם. אִם אֱמֶת אִתְּכֶם, לְפִיכָךְ הֵ"א נָקוּד פַּתָּח, שֶׁהוּא כְמוֹ בִלְשׁוֹן תֵּמַהּ ואם לא תְבִיאוּהוּ, חי פרעה, כי מרגלים אתם:
17He then held them all in custody for three days.		יזוַיֶּֽאֱסֹ֥ף אֹתָ֛ם אֶל־מִשְׁמָ֖ר שְׁל֥שֶׁת יָמִֽים:
מִשְׁמָר - Custody - i.e., in the prison-house.		מִשְׁמָר. בֵּית הָאֲסוּרִים:
18On the third day, Joseph said to them, “Do as follows, and you will live. I am a God-fearing person.		יחוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֤ם יוֹסֵף֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י זֹ֥את עֲשׂ֖וּ וִֽחְי֑וּ אֶת־הָֽאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֲנִ֥י יָרֵֽא:

Footnotes

Bereshit Rabbah 91:2.

2 Kings 12:6.

Fifth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 42

19If you are being truthful, prove it: Let one of your brothers remain as hostage in your present place of detention, while the rest of you go back to your homeland and bring the produce you have purchased for satiating the hunger of your households.		יטאִם־כֵּנִ֣ים אַתֶּ֔ם אֲחִיכֶ֣ם אֶחָ֔ד יֵֽאָסֵ֖ר בְּבֵ֣ית מִשְׁמַרְכֶ֑ם וְאַתֶּם֙ לְכ֣וּ הָבִ֔יאוּ שֶׁ֖בֶר רַֽעֲב֥וֹן בָּֽתֵּיכֶֽם:
בְּבֵית מִשְׁמַרְכֶם - (lit.) In your house of custody - means “where you are now imprisoned.”		בְּבֵית מִשְׁמַרְכֶם. שֶׁאַתֶּם אֲסוּרִים בּוֹ עַכְשָׁו:
וְאַתֶּם לְכוּ הָבִיאוּ - While you go and bring - to your father’s house.		וְאַתֶּם לְכוּ הָבִיאוּ. לְבֵית אֲבִיכֶם:
שֶׁבֶר רַֽעֲבוֹן בָּֽתֵּיכֶֽם - Produce for the hunger of your households - i.e., what you have purchased for the hunger of the members of your households.		שֶׁבֶר רַֽעֲבוֹן בָּֽתֵּיכֶֽם. מַה שֶּׁקְּנִיתֶם לְרַעֲבוֹן אַנְשֵׁי בָתֵּיכֶם:
20You must then bring me your youngest brother, and thus your words will be substantiated and you will not die.” They agreed to do this.		כוְאֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֤ם הַקָּטֹן֙ תָּבִ֣יאוּ אֵלַ֔י וְיֵאָֽמְנ֥וּ דִבְרֵיכֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א תָמ֑וּתוּ וַיַּֽעֲשׂוּ־כֵֽן:
וְיֵאָֽמְנוּ דִבְרֵיכֶם - means “and your words will be verified and confirmed,” as in: “Amen, amen (אָמֵן אָמֵן)”; 1 and as in: “may Your word now be realized (יֵאָמֶן).” 2		וְיֵאָֽמְנוּ דִבְרֵיכֶם. יִתְאַמְּתוּ וְיִתְקַיְּמוּ; כְּמוֹ אָמֵן אָמֵן (במדבר ה'), וּכְמוֹ, יֵאָמֶן נָא דְּבָרְךָ (מלכים א ח'):
21They said to one another, “We are indeed guilty regarding our brother, for we saw his anguish when he pleaded with us, but we would not listen. That is why this misfortune has come upon us.”		כאוַיֹּֽאמְר֞וּ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־אָחִ֗יו אֲבָל֘ אֲשֵׁמִ֣ים \| אֲנַ֘חְנוּ֘ עַל־אָחִ֒ינוּ֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר רָאִ֜ינוּ צָרַ֥ת נַפְשׁ֛וֹ בְּהִתְחַֽנְנ֥וֹ אֵלֵ֖ינוּ וְלֹ֣א שָׁמָ֑עְנוּ עַל־כֵּן֙ בָּ֣אָה אֵלֵ֔ינוּ הַצָּרָ֖ה הַזֹּֽאת:
אֲבָל - means here as Onkelos translates it: בְּקוּשְׁטָא – “In truth.” I have seen in Bereshit Rabbah 3 that it is a southern Hebrew expression, where אֲבָל means בְּרָם “indeed.”		אֲבָל. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ בְּקוּשְׁטָא, וְרָאִיתִי בּבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה לִישְׁנָא דְרוֹמָאָה הוּא אֲבָל – בְּרַם:
בָּאָה אֵלֵינוּ - Has come upon us. The word בָּאָה has its accent on the ב because it is in the past tense, i.e., it has already come upon us, and Onkelos also translates it so: אֲתַת לָנָא “it has come upon us.”		בָּאָה אֵלֵינוּ. טַעֲמוֹ בַּבֵּי"ת, לְפִי שֶׁהוּא בִּלְשׁוֹן עָבָר, שֶׁכְּבָר בָּאָה, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ אֲתַת לָנָא:
22Reuben responded to them and said, “Did I not tell you, ‘Do not sin against the boy’? But you would not listen. And now we are being called to account for spilling his blood.”		כבוַיַּ֩עַן֩ רְאוּבֵ֨ן אֹתָ֜ם לֵאמֹ֗ר הֲלוֹא֩ אָמַ֨רְתִּי אֲלֵיכֶ֧ם \| לֵאמֹ֛ר אַל־תֶּֽחֶטְא֥וּ בַיֶּ֖לֶד וְלֹ֣א שְׁמַעְתֶּ֑ם וְגַם־דָּמ֖וֹ הִנֵּ֥ה נִדְרָֽשׁ:
וְגַם־דָּמוֹ - (lit.) His blood, as well. The participles אֶת and גַם imply the inclusion of something additional. It therefore means here “his blood as well as the blood of the elder Jacob.”		וְגַם־דָּמוֹ. אֵתִין וְגַמִּין רִבּוּיִין – דָּמוֹ וְגַם דַּם הַזָּקֵן:
23They did not realize that Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them.		כגוְהֵם֙ לֹ֣א יָֽדְע֔וּ כִּ֥י שֹׁמֵ֖עַ יוֹסֵ֑ף כִּ֥י הַמֵּלִ֖יץ בֵּֽינֹתָֽם:
וְהֵם לֹא יָֽדְעוּ כִּי שֹׁמֵעַ יוֹסֵף - They did not realize that Joseph understood - i.e., he understood their language, and they were saying this in his presence.		וְהֵם לֹא יָֽדְעוּ כִּי שֹׁמֵעַ יוֹסֵף. מֵבִין לְשׁוֹנָם, וּבְפָנָיו הָיוּ מְדַבְּרִים כֵּן:
כִּי הַמֵּלִיץ בֵּֽינֹתָֽם - For there was an interpreter between them - i.e., for when they would speak with him, an interpreter who knew both the Hebrew and Egyptian languages was between them and would explain their words to Joseph and Joseph’s words to them. They therefore imagined that Joseph did not know the Hebrew language.		כִּי הַמֵּלִיץ בֵּֽינֹתָֽם. כִּי כְּשֶׁהָיוּ מְדַבְּרִים עִמּוֹ הָיָה הַמֵּלִיץ בֵּינֵיהֶם הַיּוֹדֵעַ לָשׁוֹן עִבְרִי וְלָשׁוֹן מִצְרִי, וְהָיָה מֵלִיץ דִּבְרֵיהֶם לְיוֹסֵף וְדִבְרֵי יוֹסֵף לָהֶם, לְכָךְ הָיוּ סְבוּרִים שֶׁאֵין יוֹסֵף מַכִּיר בְּלָשׁוֹן עִבְרִי:
הַמֵּלִיץ - The interpreter. This was his son Manasseh.		הַמֵּלִיץ. זֶה מְנַשֶּׁה:
24He turned aside from them and wept. He came back to them and spoke to them, and took Simeon away from them and imprisoned him before their eyes.		כדוַיִּסֹּ֥ב מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶ֖ם וַיֵּ֑בְךְּ וַיָּ֤שָׁב אֲלֵהֶם֙ וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם וַיִּקַּ֤ח מֵֽאִתָּם֙ אֶת־שִׁמְע֔וֹן וַיֶּֽאֱסֹ֥ר אֹת֖וֹ לְעֵֽינֵיהֶֽם:
וַיִּסֹּב מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶם - He turned aside from them - i.e., he moved away from them so that they would not see him weeping.		וַיִּסֹּב מֵֽעֲלֵיהֶם. נִתְרַחֵק מֵעֲלֵיהֶם שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאוּהוּ בּוֹכֶה:
וַיֵּבְךְּ - And wept - because he heard that they regretted what they had done to him.		וַיֵּבְךְּ. לְפִי שֶׁשָּׁמַע שֶׁהָיוּ מִתְחָרְטִין:
אֶת־שִׁמְעוֹן - Simeon. It was he who had thrown him into the pit, and it was he who had said to Levi, “Look, here comes that dreamer.” 4 Another explanation: Joseph intended to separate him from Levi for fear that the two of them might conspire to kill him.		אֶת־שִׁמְעוֹן. הוּא הִשְׁלִיכוֹ לַבּוֹר, הוּא שֶׁאָמַר לְלֵוִי הִנֵּה בַּעַל הַחֲלֹמוֹת הַלָּזֶה בָּא (בראשית רבה). דָּבָר אַחֵר נִתְכַּוֵּן יוֹסֵף לְהַפְרִידוֹ מִלֵּוִי, שֶׁמָּא יִתְיָעֲצוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם לַהֲרֹג אוֹתוֹ:
וַיֶּֽאֱסֹר אֹתוֹ לְעֵֽינֵיהֶֽם - And imprisoned him before their eyes. He only bound him in their presence, but as soon as they had left he freed him and gave him food and drink.		וַיֶּֽאֱסֹר אֹתוֹ לְעֵֽינֵיהֶֽם. לֹא אֲסָרוֹ אֶלָּא לְעֵינֵיהֶם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁיָּצְאוּ הוֹצִיאוֹ וְהֶאֱכִילוֹ וְהִשְׁקָהוּ (בראשית רבה):
25Joseph then gave orders that when their containers were filled with grain, each one’s money should be returned to his sack, and that they should be given provisions for the journey. This order was carried out for them.		כהוַיְצַ֣ו יוֹסֵ֗ף וַיְמַלְא֣וּ אֶת־כְּלֵיהֶם֘ בָּר֒ וּלְהָשִׁ֤יב כַּסְפֵּיהֶם֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֶל־שַׂקּ֔וֹ וְלָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם צֵדָ֖ה לַדָּ֑רֶךְ וַיַּ֥עַשׂ לָהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן:
26The brothers then loaded their produce onto their donkeys and departed.		כווַיִּשְׂא֥וּ אֶת־שִׁבְרָ֖ם עַל־חֲמֹֽרֵיהֶ֑ם וַיֵּֽלְכ֖וּ מִשָּֽׁם:
27As one of them was opening his sack at the inn to give fodder to his donkey, he saw his money, right there at the opening of his pack.		כזוַיִּפְתַּ֨ח הָֽאֶחָ֜ד אֶת־שַׂקּ֗וֹ לָתֵ֥ת מִסְפּ֛וֹא לַֽחֲמֹר֖וֹ בַּמָּל֑וֹן וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כַּסְפּ֔וֹ וְהִנֵּה־ה֖וּא בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ:
וַיִּפְתַּח הָֽאֶחָד - (lit.) The one opened. This “the one” was Levi, who was now left alone without his usual companion Simeon.		וַיִּפְתַּח הָֽאֶחָד. הוּא לֵוִי, שֶׁנִּשְׁאַר יָחִיד מִשִּׁמְעוֹן בֶּן זוּגוֹ:
בַּמָּלוֹן - means here: at the place where they stayed (לָנוּ) overnight.		בַּמָּלוֹן. בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁלָּנוּ בַּלַּיְלָה:
אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ - This is a pack.		אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ. הוּא שַׂק:
28He said to his brothers, “My money has been returned! It, too, is here in my pack!” Their hearts sank. Trembling, they turned to one another, saying, “What is this that God has done to us?”		כחוַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ הוּשַׁ֣ב כַּסְפִּ֔י וְגַ֖ם הִנֵּ֣ה בְאַמְתַּחְתִּ֑י וַיֵּצֵ֣א לִבָּ֗ם וַיֶּֽחֶרְד֞וּ אִ֤ישׁ אֶל־אָחִיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר מַה־זֹּ֛את עָשָׂ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים לָֽנוּ:
וְגַם הִנֵּה בְאַמְתַּחְתִּי - It, too, is here in my pack - i.e., גַם means here that the money is also in it together with the produce.		וְגַם הִנֵּה בְאַמְתַּחְתִּי. גַּם הַכֶּסֶף בּוֹ עִם הַתְּבוּאָה:
מַה־זֹּאת עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לָֽנוּ - What is this that God has done to us - by bringing us to this accusation, for it was surely only put back into our sacks in order to make an accusation against us.		מַה־זֹּאת עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לָֽנוּ. לַהֲבִיאֵנוּ לִידֵי עֲלִילָה זוֹ, שֶׁלֹּא הוּשַׁב אֶלָּא לְהִתְעוֹלֵל עָלֵינוּ:
29When they came to their father Jacob in Canaan, they told him about all that had happened to them, as follows:		כטוַיָּבֹ֛אוּ אֶל־יַֽעֲקֹ֥ב אֲבִיהֶ֖ם אַ֣רְצָה כְּנָ֑עַן וַיַּגִּ֣ידוּ ל֔וֹ אֵ֛ת כָּל־הַקֹּרֹ֥ת אֹתָ֖ם לֵאמֹֽר:
30“The man who is the lord of the land spoke to us harshly and accused us of spying out the land.		לדִּ֠בֶּ֠ר הָאִ֨ישׁ אֲדֹנֵ֥י הָאָ֛רֶץ אִתָּ֖נוּ קָשׁ֑וֹת וַיִּתֵּ֣ן אֹתָ֔נוּ כִּמְרַגְּלִ֖ים אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ:
31We said to him, ‘We are truthful men; we have never been spies.		לאוַנֹּ֥אמֶר אֵלָ֖יו כֵּנִ֣ים אֲנָ֑חְנוּ לֹ֥א הָיִ֖ינוּ מְרַגְּלִֽים:
32We were 12 brothers, sons of the same father; one of us went missing, and the youngest is today with our father in Canaan.’		לבשְׁנֵֽים־עָשָׂ֥ר אֲנַ֛חְנוּ אַחִ֖ים בְּנֵ֣י אָבִ֑ינוּ הָֽאֶחָ֣ד אֵינֶ֔נּוּ וְהַקָּטֹ֥ן הַיּ֛וֹם אֶת־אָבִ֖ינוּ בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן:
33The man who is the lord of the land said to us, ‘By this I will know that you are being honest: Leave one of your brothers with me, take the grain you have purchased for satiating the hunger of your households, and go home.		לגוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלֵ֗ינוּ הָאִישׁ֙ אֲדֹנֵ֣י הָאָ֔רֶץ בְּזֹ֣את אֵדַ֔ע כִּ֥י כֵנִ֖ים אַתֶּ֑ם אֲחִיכֶ֤ם הָֽאֶחָד֙ הַנִּ֣יחוּ אִתִּ֔י וְאֶת־רַֽעֲב֥וֹן בָּֽתֵּיכֶ֖ם קְח֥וּ וָלֵֽכוּ:
34But you must bring me your youngest brother, and then I will know that you are not spies, but are being honest. I will give your brother back to you, and you will be able to move about in the land freely.’”		לדוְ֠הָבִ֠יאוּ אֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֣ם הַקָּטֹן֘ אֵלַי֒ וְאֵֽדְעָ֗ה כִּ֣י לֹ֤א מְרַגְּלִים֙ אַתֶּ֔ם כִּ֥י כֵנִ֖ים אַתֶּ֑ם אֶת־אֲחִיכֶם֙ אֶתֵּ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם וְאֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ תִּסְחָֽרוּ:
וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ תִּסְחָֽרוּ - means “and you may move about the land.” Similarly, all words such as סוֹחֲרִים (merchants) and סְחוֹרָה (merchandise) are from the root סחר “to circulate,” because merchants travel around looking for merchandise.		וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ תִּסְחָֽרוּ. תְּסוֹבְבוּ; וְכָל לְשׁוֹן סוֹחֲרִים וּסְחוֹרָה עַל שֵׁם שֶׁמְּחַזְרִים וְסוֹבְבִים אַחַר הַפְּרַקְמַטְיָא:
35While they were emptying their sacks, there, in each one’s sack, was his money-pouch. When they and their father saw their money-pouches, they became afraid.		להוַיְהִ֗י הֵ֚ם מְרִיקִ֣ים שַׂקֵּיהֶ֔ם וְהִנֵּה־אִ֥ישׁ צְרֽוֹר־כַּסְפּ֖וֹ בְּשַׂקּ֑וֹ וַיִּרְא֞וּ אֶת־צְרֹר֧וֹת כַּסְפֵּיהֶ֛ם הֵ֥מָּה וַֽאֲבִיהֶ֖ם וַיִּירָֽאוּ:
צְרֽוֹר־כַּסְפּוֹ - means “his pouch of money.”		צְרֽוֹר־כַּסְפּוֹ. קֶשֶׁר כַּסְפּוֹ:
36Their father Jacob said to them, “You are bereaving me of my sons! Joseph is gone, Simeon is gone, and now you would take Benjamin away?! All this has befallen me!”		לווַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵהֶם֙ יַֽעֲקֹ֣ב אֲבִיהֶ֔ם אֹתִ֖י שִׁכַּלְתֶּ֑ם יוֹסֵ֤ף אֵינֶ֨נּוּ֙ וְשִׁמְע֣וֹן אֵינֶ֔נּוּ וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֣ן תִּקָּ֔חוּ עָלַ֖י הָי֥וּ כֻלָּֽנָה:
אֹתִי שִׁכַּלְתֶּם - You are bereaving me. This teaches us that he now suspected them of killing or selling Simeon as well as Joseph.		אֹתִי שִׁכַּלְתֶּם. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁחֲשָׁדָן שֶׁמָּא הֲרָגוּהוּ אוֹ מְכָרוּהוּ כְיוֹסֵף:
שִׁכַּלְתֶּם - You are bereaving me. Anyone whose children are lost is called שָׁכוּל “bereaved.”		שִׁכַּלְתֶּם. כָּל מִי שֶׁבָּנָיו אֲבוּדִים קָרוּי שַׁכּוּל:
37Reuben then said to his father, “You may put my own two sons to death if I do not bring Benjamin back to you. Entrust him to my care, and I promise that I will bring him back to you.”		לזוַיֹּ֤אמֶר רְאוּבֵן֙ אֶל־אָבִ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י בָנַי֙ תָּמִ֔ית אִם־לֹ֥א אֲבִיאֶ֖נּוּ אֵלֶ֑יךָ תְּנָ֤ה אֹתוֹ֙ עַל־יָדִ֔י וַֽאֲנִ֖י אֲשִׁיבֶ֥נּוּ אֵלֶֽיךָ:
38He replied, “My son Benjamin will not go down to Egypt with you! For his brother Joseph is dead and he alone remains from his mother, and should disaster befall him along the road you travel, you will bring my white-haired head down to the grave in grief.”		לחוַיֹּ֕אמֶר לֹֽא־יֵרֵ֥ד בְּנִ֖י עִמָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אָחִ֨יו מֵ֜ת וְה֧וּא לְבַדּ֣וֹ נִשְׁאָ֗ר וּקְרָאָ֤הוּ אָסוֹן֙ בַּדֶּ֨רֶךְ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תֵּֽלְכוּ־בָ֔הּ וְהֽוֹרַדְתֶּ֧ם אֶת־שֵֽׂיבָתִ֛י בְּיָג֖וֹן שְׁאֽוֹלָה:
לֹֽא־יֵרֵד בְּנִי עִמָּכֶם - My son will not go down with you. He did not accept Reuben’s offer. He said: “This is a foolish firstborn! He suggests to have his sons killed; are they only his sons and not mine?”		לֹֽא־יֵרֵד בְּנִי עִמָּכֶם. לֹא קִבֵּל דְּבָרָיו שֶׁל רְאוּבֵן, אָמַר בְּכוֹר שׁוֹטֶה הוּא זֶה, הוּא אוֹמֵר לְהָמִית בָּנָיו, וְכִי בָנָיו הֵם וְלֹא בָּנַי? (בראשית רבה):

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 43

1The famine in the region continued to be severe.		אוְהָֽרָעָ֖ב כָּבֵ֥ד בָּאָֽרֶץ:
2When they had fully consumed the produce that they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go back to Egypt and buy us a little food.”		בוַיְהִ֗י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֤ר כִּלּוּ֙ לֶֽאֱכֹ֣ל אֶת־הַשֶּׁ֔בֶר אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵבִ֖יאוּ מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם וַיֹּ֤אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם֙ אֲבִיהֶ֔ם שֻׁ֖בוּ שִׁבְרוּ־לָ֥נוּ מְעַט־אֹֽכֶל:
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ לֶֽאֱכֹל - When they had fully consumed. Judah had said to them: “Wait for the old man until the bread runs out in the house, and then he will reconsider.”		כַּֽאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ לֶֽאֱכֹל. יְהוּדָה אָמַר לָהֶם הַמְתִּינוּ לַזָּקֵן עַד שֶׁתִּכְלֶה פַת מִן הַבַּיִת (בראשית רבה):
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ - When they had fully [consumed]. The correct Aramaic translation here is: כַּד שֵׁצִיאוּ “when they had finished,” and he who translates כַּד סַפִּיקוּ “when they had had enough” is in error. In the phrase כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ הַגְּמַלִּים לִשְׁתּוֹת, 5 כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ is translated as כַּד סַפִּיקוּ – i.e., when they had drunk their fill, for that is the end of their drinking. But here, “when they had finished eating” means when the food ran out, and therefore the correct translation is כַּד שֵׁצִיאוּ.		כַּֽאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ. כַּד שֵׁצִיאוּ, וְהַמְתַרְגֵּם כַּד סַפִּיקוּ טוֹעֶה; כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ הַגְּמַלִּים לִשְׁתּוֹת מְתֻרְגָּם כַּד סַפִּיקוּ – כְּשֶׁשָּׁתוּ דֵי סִפּוּקָם הוּא גְמַר שְׁתִיָּתָם; אֲבָל זֶה כַּאֲשֶׁר כִּלּוּ לֶאֱכֹל, כַּאֲשֶׁר תַּם הָאֹכֶל הוּא, וּמְתַרְגְּמִינָן כַּד שֵׁצִיאוּ:
3So Judah said to him, “The man sternly warned us, saying, ‘Do not appear before me again unless your brother is with you.’		גוַיֹּ֧אמֶר אֵלָ֛יו יְהוּדָ֖ה לֵאמֹ֑ר הָעֵ֣ד הֵעִד֩ בָּ֨נוּ הָאִ֤ישׁ לֵאמֹר֙ לֹֽא־תִרְא֣וּ פָנַ֔י בִּלְתִּ֖י אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אִתְּכֶֽם:
הָעֵד הֵעִד - Sternly warned. The verb הֵעִד here is an expression of warning, because, as a rule, a warning is given in front of witnesses (עֵדִים). Similarly we find “I repeatedly warned (הָעֵד הַעִדֹתִי) your forefathers”; 6 “Go down and warn (הָעֵד) the people.” 7		הָעֵד הֵעִד. לְשׁוֹן הַתְרָאָה שֶׁסְּתָם הַתְרָאָה מַתְרֶה בוֹ בִּפְנֵי עֵדִים, וְכֵן הַעִדֹתִי בַּאֲבוֹתֵיכֶם (ירמיהו י"א); רֵד הָעֵד בָּעָם (שמות י"ט):
לֹֽא־תִרְאוּ פָנַי בִּלְתִּי אֲחִיכֶם אִתְּכֶֽם - means “you may not see me without your brother being with you.” But Onkelos translated it אֱלָהֵין כַּד אֲחוּכוֹן עִמְּכוֹן “except when your brother is with you,” describing the expression in context, but not precisely translating according to the wording of the verse.		לֹֽא־תִרְאוּ פָנַי בִּלְתִּי אֲחִיכֶם אִתְּכֶֽם. לֹא תִרְאוּנִי בְלֹא אֲחִיכֶם אִתְּכֶם; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם אֶלָּהֵן כַּד אֲחוּכוֹן עִמְּכוֹן, יִשֵּׁב הַדָּבָר עַל אָפְנוֹ וְלֹא דִּקְדֵּק לְתַרְגֵּם אַחַר לְשׁוֹן הַמִּקְרָא:
4If you agree to send along our brother with us, we will go down to Egypt and buy you food.		דאִם־יֶשְׁךָ֛ מְשַׁלֵּ֥חַ אֶת־אָחִ֖ינוּ אִתָּ֑נוּ נֵֽרְדָ֕ה וְנִשְׁבְּרָ֥ה לְךָ֖ אֹֽכֶל:
5But if you do not send him, we will not go down there, for the man told us, ‘You may not appear before me again unless your brother is with you.’”		הוְאִם־אֵֽינְךָ֥ מְשַׁלֵּ֖חַ לֹ֣א נֵרֵ֑ד כִּֽי־הָאִ֞ישׁ אָמַ֤ר אֵלֵ֨ינוּ֙ לֹֽא־תִרְא֣וּ פָנַ֔י בִּלְתִּ֖י אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אִתְּכֶֽם:
6Israel said, “Why did you do me such a disservice by telling the man that you have another brother?”		ווַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל לָמָ֥ה הֲרֵֽעֹתֶ֖ם לִ֑י לְהַגִּ֣יד לָאִ֔ישׁ הַע֥וֹד לָכֶ֖ם אָֽח:
7They replied, “The man kept asking about us and our families, saying, ‘Is your father still alive? Do you have another brother?’ We told him that we had a father and another brother in response to his questions. Could we have known that he would say, ‘Bring down your brother’?!”		זוַיֹּֽאמְר֡וּ שָׁא֣וֹל שָֽׁאַל־הָ֠אִ֠ישׁ לָ֣נוּ וּלְמֽוֹלַדְתֵּ֜נוּ לֵאמֹ֗ר הַע֨וֹד אֲבִיכֶ֥ם חַי֙ הֲיֵ֣שׁ לָכֶ֣ם אָ֔ח וַנַּ֨גֶּד־ל֔וֹ עַל־פִּ֖י הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה הֲיָד֣וֹעַ נֵדַ֔ע כִּ֣י יֹאמַ֔ר הוֹרִ֖ידוּ אֶת־אֲחִיכֶֽם:
לָנוּ וּלְמֽוֹלַדְתֵּנוּ - וּלְמוֹלַדְתֵּנוּ means “And about our families.” But its Midrashic explanation is: He revealed to us even what kind of wood our cradles were made of.		לָנוּ וּלְמֽוֹלַדְתֵּנוּ. לְמִשְׁפְּחוֹתֵנוּ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ אֲפִלּוּ עֲצֵי עֲרִיסוֹתֵנוּ גִּלָּה לָנוּ:
וַנַּגֶּד־לוֹ - We told him - that we have a father and a brother.		וַנַּגֶּד־לוֹ. שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָנוּ אָב וְאָח:
עַל־פִּי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה - (lit.) According to these words - means: in response to the questions which he asked we were obliged to tell.		עַל־פִּי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה. עַל פִּי שְׁאֵלוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר שָׁאַל, הֻזְקַקְנוּ לְהַגִּיד:
כִּי יֹאמַר - means “that he would say.” כִּי may be used in the sense of אִם, and אִם (usually meaning “if”) may be used in the sense of אֲשֶׁר (“that”). Thus this is one of the four usages of כִּי, namely אִי (Aramaic for אִם), for this כִּי has the same meaning as אִם, as in “until that (אִם) I have spoken my piece.” 8		כִּי יֹאמַר. אֲשֶׁר יֹאמַר, כִּי מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אִם וְאִם מְשַׁמֵּשׁ בִּלְשׁוֹן אֲשֶׁר; הֲרֵי זֶה שִׁמּוּשׁ אֶחָד מֵאַרְבַּע לְשׁוֹנוֹתָיו שֶׁמְּשַׁמֵּשׁ כִּי, וְהוּא אִם, שֶׁהֲרֵי כִּי זֶה כְמוֹ אִם, כְּמוֹ עַד אִם דִּבַּרְתִּי דְּבָרָי (בראשית כ״ד:ל״ג):
8Judah then said to his father Israel, “Send the boy with me and let us set out and go, so that we should live and not die—we, you, and also our little ones.		חוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוּדָ֜ה אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אָבִ֗יו שִׁלְחָ֥ה הַנַּ֛עַר אִתִּ֖י וְנָק֣וּמָה וְנֵלֵ֑כָה וְנִֽחְיֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א נָמ֔וּת גַּם־אֲנַ֥חְנוּ גַם־אַתָּ֖ה גַּם־טַפֵּֽנוּ:
וְנִֽחְיֶה - So that we should live. He had a spark of the Divine Spirit of prophecy: “Through this journey your spirit will be revived.” As it indeed later says: “and the spirit came alive in their father Jacob.” 9		וְנִֽחְיֶה. נִצְנְצָה בוֹ רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ, עַל יְדֵי הֲלִיכָה זוֹ תְחִי רוּחֲךָ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וַתְּחִי רוּחַ יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם (בראשית מ"ה):
וְלֹא נָמוּת - And not die - of hunger. As for Benjamin, it is a matter of doubt whether or not he will be seized, but as for us, we will all die of hunger if we do not go. Better you set aside the doubt and choose what is certain.		וְלֹא נָמוּת. בָּרָעָב; בִּנְיָמִין סָפֵק יִתָּפֵשׂ סָפֵק לֹא יִתָּפֵשׂ, וְאָנוּ כֻּלָּנוּ מֵתִים בָּרָעָב אִם לֹא נֵלֵךְ, מוּטָב שֶׁתַּנִּיחַ אֶת הַסָּפֵק וְתִתְפֹּשׂ אֶת הַוַּדַּאי:
9I offer myself as a guarantor for him; you can demand him from me. If I do not bring him back to you and present him to you alive, I will have sinned against you for all time.		טאָֽנֹכִי֙ אֶֽעֶרְבֶ֔נּוּ מִיָּדִ֖י תְּבַקְשֶׁ֑נּוּ אִם־לֹ֨א הֲבִֽיאֹתִ֤יו אֵלֶ֨יךָ֙ וְהִצַּגְתִּ֣יו לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְחָטָ֥אתִי לְךָ֖ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים:
וְהִצַּגְתִּיו לְפָנֶיךָ - And present him to you - i.e., that I will not bring him to you dead, but alive.		וְהִצַּגְתִּיו לְפָנֶיךָ. שֶׁלֹּא אֲבִיאֶנּוּ אֵלֶיךָ מֵת, כִּי אִם חַי:
וְחָטָאתִי לְךָ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים - I will have sinned against you for all time - i.e., in the World to Come.		וְחָטָאתִי לְךָ כָּל־הַיָּמִֽים. לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא:
10For had we not lingered here, we could have been there and back twice by now.”		יכִּ֖י לוּלֵ֣א הִתְמַהְמָ֑הְנוּ כִּֽי־עַתָּ֥ה שַׁ֖בְנוּ זֶ֥ה פַֽעֲמָֽיִם:
לוּלֵא התמהמנו - For had we not lingered - because of you, we would already have returned with Simeon, and you would not have suffered all these days.		לוּלֵא התמהמנו. עַל יָדְךָ, כְּבָר הָיִינוּ שָׁבִים עִם שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֹא נִצְטַעַרְתָּ כָּל הַיָּמִים הַלָּלוּ:
11Their father Israel said to them, “If it is so, then this is what you must do: Take some of the land of Canaan’s most celebrated, choice products in your containers, and bring them down to the man as a gift—a little stacte, a little honey, and some beeswax, lotus, pistachios, and almonds.		יאוַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֲבִיהֶ֗ם אִם־כֵּ֣ן \| אֵפוֹא֘ זֹ֣את עֲשׂוּ֒ קְח֞וּ מִזִּמְרַ֤ת הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ לָאִ֖ישׁ מִנְחָ֑ה מְעַ֤ט צֳרִי֙ וּמְעַ֣ט דְּבַ֔שׁ נְכֹ֣את וָלֹ֔ט בָּטְנִ֖ים וּשְׁקֵדִֽים:
אֵפוֹא - Every instance of אֵפוֹא in Scripture is an added word to improve a phrase in the Hebrew language: If this is what I will have to do, to send him with you, I must look to discover where is there here (אַיֵּה פֹה) some solution and advice that I can give you, and I therefore say: “this is what you must do.”		אֵפוֹא. לְשׁוֹן יֶתֶר הוּא, לְתַקֵּן מִלָּה בְלָשׁוֹן עִבְרִי, אִם כֵּן אֶזְדַּקֵּק לַעֲשׂוֹת, שֶׁאֶשְׁלָחֶנּוּ עִמָּכֶם, צָרִיךְ אֲנִי לַחֲזֹר וּלְבַקֵּשׁ אַיֵּה פֹה תַקָּנָה וְעֵצָה לְהַשִּׂיאֲכֶם, וְאוֹמֵר אֲנִי זאת עשו:
מִזִּמְרַת הָאָרֶץ - This is translated by Onkelos as מִדִּמְשַׁבַּח בְּאַרְעָא – “Some of the land’s praised products” about which all sing praises (מְזַמְּרִים) when it comes into existence.		מִזִּמְרַת הָאָרֶץ. מִדִּמְשַׁבַּח בְּאַרְעָא – שֶׁהַכֹּל מְזַמְּרִים עָלָיו כְּשֶׁהוּא בָא לָעוֹלָם:
נְכֹאת - is wax.		נְכֹאת. שַׁעֲוָה:
בָּטְנִים - I do not know what they are, but I saw them defined in Rabbi Machir’s dictionary as pistachios, and it seems to me that they are peaches.		בָּטְנִים. לֹא יָדַעְתִּי מַה הֵם, וּבְפֵרוּשֵׁי א"ב שֶׁל רַבִּי מָכִיר רָאִיתִי פשט"ציאס וְדוֹמֶה לִי שֶׁהֵם אֲפַרְסְקִין:
12Take along a double amount of money, and take with you the money that you found returned at the opening of your packs; perhaps it was an oversight.		יבוְכֶ֥סֶף מִשְׁנֶ֖ה קְח֣וּ בְיֶדְכֶ֑ם וְאֶת־הַכֶּ֜סֶף הַמּוּשַׁ֨ב בְּפִ֤י אַמְתְּחֹֽתֵיכֶם֙ תָּשִׁ֣יבוּ בְיֶדְכֶ֔ם אוּלַ֥י מִשְׁגֶּ֖ה הֽוּא:
וְכֶסֶף מִשְׁנֶה - means “twice as much money as before.”		וְכֶסֶף מִשְׁנֶה. פִּי שְׁנַיִם כָּרִאשׁוֹן:
קְחוּ בְיֶדְכֶם - Take with you - to buy food. Perhaps the price has risen.		קְחוּ בְיֶדְכֶם. לִשְׁבֹּר אֹכֶל, שֶׁמָּא הוּקַר הַשַּׁעַר:
אוּלַי מִשְׁגֶּה הֽוּא - Perhaps it was an oversight - i.e., perhaps the man in charge of Joseph’s house forgot it inadvertently.		אוּלַי מִשְׁגֶּה הֽוּא. שֶׁמָּא הַמְמֻנֶּה עַל הַבַּיִת שְׁכָחוֹ שׁוֹגֵג:
13And take your brother, and arise and return to the man.		יגוְאֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֖ם קָ֑חוּ וְק֖וּמוּ שׁ֥וּבוּ אֶל־הָאִֽישׁ:
14I will pray that God Almighty grant that the man be merciful to you and release for you your other brother, Simeon, and send him and Benjamin back. As for me, just as I have been bereaved of Joseph and Simeon, so, too, will I be bereaved of Benjamin until he returns with you.”		ידוְאֵ֣ל שַׁדַּ֗י יִתֵּ֨ן לָכֶ֤ם רַֽחֲמִים֙ לִפְנֵ֣י הָאִ֔ישׁ וְשִׁלַּ֥ח לָכֶ֛ם אֶת־אֲחִיכֶ֥ם אַחֵ֖ר וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֑ין וַֽאֲנִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר שָׁכֹ֖לְתִּי שָׁכָֽלְתִּי:
וְאֵל שַׁדַּי - God Almighty. Now you are lacking nothing to ensure success except prayer, so I will pray for you.		וְאֵל שַׁדַּי. מֵעַתָּה אֵינְכֶם חֲסֵרִים כְּלוּם אֶלָּא תְפִלָּה, הֲרֵינִי מִתְפַּלֵּל עֲלֵיכֶם:
אל שַׁדַּי - means “God who is sufficient (שֶׁדַּי) in granting mercy and has sufficient power to grant it – may He grant you mercy.” This is the straightforward meaning of the verse. But its Midrashic explanation is: The One who said to the universe at the end of creation: “Enough (דַּי)!” – may He say “enough!” to my troubles, for I have had no rest since my youth: the trouble of Laban, the trouble of Esau, the trouble of Rachel, the trouble of Dinah, the trouble of Joseph, the trouble of Simeon, and the trouble of Benjamin.		אל שַׁדַּי. שֶׁדַּי בִּנְתִינַת רַחֲמָיו וּכְדַי הַיְכֹלֶת בְּיָדוֹ לִתֵּן, יִתֵּן לָכֶם רַחֲמִים, זֶהוּ פְשׁוּטוֹ. וּמִדְרָשׁוֹ מִי שֶׁאָמַר לָעוֹלָם דַּי, יֹאמַר דַּי לְצָרוֹתַי, שֶׁלֹּא שָׁקַטְתִּי מִנְּעוּרַי, צָרַת לָבָן, צָרַת עֵשָׂו, צָרַת רָחֵל, צָרַת דִּינָה, צָרַת יוֹסֵף, צָרַת שִׁמְעוֹן, צָרַת בִּנְיָמִין:
וְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם - translates in Aramaic as וְיִפְטַר לְכוֹן – “may he release for you” - i.e., he shall set him free of his imprisonment. It is of similar meaning to “he must set him free (לַחָפְשִׁי יְשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ).” 10 It cannot be translated as וְיִשְׁלַח – “may he send your brother to you …,” because they were actually going there to him.		וְשִׁלַּח לָכֶם. וְיִפְטַר לְכוֹן כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ – יִפְטְרֶנּוּ מֵאֱסוּרָיו, לְשׁוֹן לַחָפְשִׁי יְשַׁלְּחֶנּוּ (שמות כ"א), וְאֵינוֹ נוֹפֵל בַּתַּרְגּוּם לְשׁוֹן וַיִּשְׁלַח, שֶׁהֲרֵי לְשָׁם הֵם הוֹלְכִים אֶצְלוֹ:
אֶת־אֲחִיכֶם - Your brother. This refers to Simeon.		אֶת־אֲחִיכֶם. זֶה שִׁמְעוֹן:
אַחֵר - Other. He was inspired with the Divine Spirit of prophecy to include Joseph.		אַחֵר. רוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ נִזְרְקָה בוֹ, לְרַבּוֹת יוֹסֵף (בראשית רבה):
וַֽאֲנִי - As for me - until you return I will be in a doubtful bereavement.		וַֽאֲנִי. עַד שׁוּבְכֶם אֶהְיֶה שַׁכּוּל מִסָּפֵק:
כַּֽאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי - Just as I have been bereaved - of Joseph and Simeon.		כַּֽאֲשֶׁר שָׁכֹלְתִּי. מִיּוֹסֵף וּמִשִּׁמְעוֹן:
שָׁכֹלְתִּי - so will I be bereaved. of Benjamin.		שָׁכֹלְתִּי. מִבִּנְיָמִין:
15The brothers took this gift, and also took along a double amount of money, as well as Benjamin. They set out and went down to Egypt, and they presented themselves before Joseph.		טווַיִּקְח֤וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֣ה הַזֹּ֔את וּמִשְׁנֶה־כֶּ֛סֶף לָֽקְח֥וּ בְיָדָ֖ם וְאֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֑ן וַיָּקֻ֨מוּ֙ וַיֵּֽרְד֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיַּֽעַמְד֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י יוֹסֵֽף:
וְאֶת־בנימין - As well as Benjamin. This translates in Aramaic as וּדְבָרוּ יָת בִּנְיָמִין “and they led Benjamin,” because the verb used for taking money and that used for taking a person are not the same in Aramaic. For an object taken by hand, the translation is וּנְסֵיב, while for something taken through leading with words, the translation is וּדְבַר.		וְאֶת־בנימין. מְתַּרְגְּמִינַן וּדְבָרוּ יָת בִּנְיָמִין, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין לְקִיחַת הַכֶּסֶף וּלְקִיחַת הָאָדָם שָׁוָה בְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי; בְּדָבָר הַנִּקָּח בַּיָּד מְתַרְגְּמִינָן וּנְסִיב, וְדָבָר הַנִּקָּח בְּהַנְהָגַת דְּבָרִים, מְתַרְגְּמִינָן וּדְבַר:

Footnotes

Numbers 5:22.

1 Kings 8:26.

Bereshit Rabbah 91:8.

Sixth Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 43

16When Joseph saw Benjamin with them, he said to the overseer of his household, “Bring the men into the house and have animals slaughtered and their meat prepared, for these men will dine with me at the first meal of the day.”		טזוַיַּ֨רְא יוֹסֵ֣ף אִתָּם֘ אֶת־בִּנְיָמִין֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ הָבֵ֥א אֶת־הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֖ים הַבָּ֑יְתָה וּטְבֹ֤חַ טֶ֨בַח֙ וְהָכֵ֔ן כִּ֥י אִתִּ֛י יֹֽאכְל֥וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֖ים בַּצָּֽהֳרָֽיִם:
וּטְבֹחַ טֶבַח וְהָכֵן - And have animals slaughtered and prepared. This is the equivalent of וְלִטְבֹּחַ טֶבַח וּלְהָכִין “and to have animals slaughtered and prepared,” i.e., an infinitive form. טְבֹחַ is not an imperative (“and slaughter”), for then it should have said וּטְבַח.		וּטְבֹחַ טֶבַח וְהָכֵן. כְּמוֹ וְלִטְבֹּחַ טֶבַח וּלְהָכִין, וְאֵין טְבֹחַ לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי, שֶׁהָיָה לוֹ לוֹמַר וּטְבַח:
בַּצָּֽהֳרָֽיִם - This is translated by Onkelos as בְּשֵׁירוּתָא, which is the Aramaic term for the first meal, “disner” in Old French. There are many examples of this word in the Talmud: “He threw the dog its meal (שֵׁירוּתֵהּ)”; 1 “He cut bread for the entire meal (שֵׁירוּתָא).” 2 However, all other instances of צָהֳרַיִם are translated as טִיהֲרָא “midday.”		בַּצָּֽהֳרָֽיִם. זֶה מְתֻרְגָּם בְּשֵׁירוּתָא, שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן סְעוּדָה רִאשׁוֹנָה בְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי וּבְלַעַז דיזנ"ר, וְיֵשׁ הַרְבֵּה בַּתַּלְמוּד, שָׁדָא לְכַלְבָּא שֵׁירוּתֵהּ; בָּצַע אַכּוּלָּא שֵׁירוּתָא, אֲבָל כָּל תַּרְגּוּם שֶׁל צָהֳרַיִם טִיהֲרָא:
17The man did as Joseph said, and the man escorted the people into Joseph’s house.		יזוַיַּ֣עַשׂ הָאִ֔ישׁ כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֖ר אָמַ֣ר יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיָּבֵ֥א הָאִ֛ישׁ אֶת־הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֖ים בֵּ֥יתָה יוֹסֵֽף:
18The men were fearful because they had been brought into Joseph’s house. They said, “It is on account of the money that was returned to our packs the first time that we are being brought here, so that we may be falsely accused, attacked, and seized as slaves, along with our donkeys.”		יחוַיִּֽירְא֣וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֗ים כִּ֣י הֽוּבְאוּ֘ בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵף֒ וַיֹּֽאמְר֗וּ עַל־דְּבַ֤ר הַכֶּ֨סֶף֙ הַשָּׁ֤ב בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵ֨ינוּ֙ בַּתְּחִלָּ֔ה אֲנַ֖חְנוּ מֽוּבָאִ֑ים לְהִתְגֹּלֵ֤ל עָלֵ֨ינוּ֙ וּלְהִתְנַפֵּ֣ל עָלֵ֔ינוּ וְלָקַ֧חַת אֹתָ֛נוּ לַֽעֲבָדִ֖ים וְאֶת־חֲמֹרֵֽינוּ:
וַיִּֽירְאוּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים - It is written with two י’s and therefore Onkelos translates it as וּדְחִילוּ – “The men were afraid.”		וַיִּֽירְאוּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁים. כָּתוּב הוּא בִּשְׁנֵי יוֹדִ"ין, וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ וּדְחִילוּ:
כִּי הֽוּבְאוּ בֵּית יוֹסֵף - Because they had been brought into Joseph’s house - and it was not usual for other people who came to buy food to lodge in Joseph’s house, but in the inns of the city, so “they were fearful” that this was only in order to take them into confinement.		כִּי הֽוּבְאוּ בֵּית יוֹסֵף. וְאֵין דֶּרֶךְ שְׁאָר הַבָּאִים לִשְׁבֹּר בָּר לָלוּן בְּבֵית יוֹסֵף, כִּי אִם בְּפֻנְדְּקָאוֹת שֶׁבָּעִיר וַיִּֽירְאוּ שֶׁאֵין זֶה אֶלָּא לְאָסְפָם אֶל מִשְׁמָר:
אֲנַחְנוּ מֽוּבָאִים - We are being brought - into this house.		אֲנַחְנוּ מֽוּבָאִים. אֶל תּוֹךְ הַבַּיִת הַזֶּה:
לְהִתְגֹּלֵל - means “in order that the accusation regarding the money be transferred upon us, and that it bear down on us.” Onkelos, who translates וּלְהִתְנַפֵּל עָלֵינוּ as וּלְאִסְתַּקָּפָא עֲלָנָא, is explaining it as meaning “to accuse (לְהִתְעוֹלֵל),” just as עֲלִילֹת דְּבָרִים 3 translates as תַּסְקוֹפֵי מִלִּין “a verbal accusation”; but he did not translate it according to the literal meaning of the verse. לְהִתְגֹּלֵל, which Onkelos translates as לְאִתְרַבְרָבָא “to lord it over us,” is thus of similar meaning to “the golden fountainhead (גֻּלַּת),” 4 and “and the queen-consort (וְהֻצַּב גֻּלְּתָה) was removed,” 5 which denote royalty.		לְהִתְגֹּלֵל. לִהְיוֹת מִתְגַּלְגֶּלֶת עָלֵינוּ עֲלִילַת הַכֶּסֶף וְלִהְיוֹתָהּ נוֹפֶלֶת עָלֵינוּ; וְאֻנְקְלוֹס שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם וּלְאִסְתַּקָּפָא עֲלָנָא הוּא לְשׁוֹן לְהִתְעוֹלֵל, כְּדִמְתַרְגְּמִינָן עֲלִילַת דְּבָרִים – תַּסְקוּפֵי מִלִּין, וְלֹא תִרְגְּמוֹ אַחַר לְשׁוֹן הַמִּקְרָא וּלְהִתְגּוֹלֵל שֶׁתִּרְגֵּם לְאִתְרַבְרָבָא, הוּא לְשוֹן גֻּלַּת הַזָּהָב (קהלת י"ב), וְהֻצַּב גֻּלְּתָה הֹעֲלָתָה (נחום ב'), שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן מַלְכוּת:
19They approached the overseer of Joseph’s household and spoke to him at the entrance of the house		יטוַיִּגְּשׁוּ֙ אֶל־הָאִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֖ר עַל־בֵּ֣ית יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיְדַבְּר֥וּ אֵלָ֖יו פֶּ֥תַח הַבָּֽיִת:
20as follows: “If you please, sir, we originally came down to buy food.		כוַיֹּֽאמְר֖וּ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֑י יָרֹ֥ד יָרַ֛דְנוּ בַּתְּחִלָּ֖ה לִשְׁבָּר־אֹֽכֶל:
בִּי אֲדֹנִי - The word בִּי is an expression of beseeching (בַּעְיָא) and imploring. In Aramaic we have: בִּיָּיא בִּיָּיא “woe! woe!” 6		בִּי אֲדֹנִי. לְשׁוֹן בַּעְיָא וְתַחֲנוּנִים הוּא, בְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי בַּיָּא בַּיָּא (יבמות צ"ז, סנהדרין ס"ד):
יָרֹד יָרַדְנוּ - We came down. This is a low status for us. We regularly provided for others, but now we have need of you.		יָרֹד יָרַדְנוּ. יְרִידָה הִיא לָנוּ, רְגִילִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְנֵס אֲחֵרִים, עַכְשָׁו אָנוּ צְרִיכִים לְךָ (בראשית רבה):
21Then, when we arrived at the inn and opened our packs, we saw that each man’s money was at the opening of his pack, our own money, in its exact weight. We have brought it back with us.		כאוַיְהִ֞י כִּי־בָ֣אנוּ אֶל־הַמָּל֗וֹן וַנִּפְתְּחָה֙ אֶת־אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ וְהִנֵּ֤ה כֶֽסֶף־אִישׁ֙ בְּפִ֣י אַמְתַּחְתּ֔וֹ כַּסְפֵּ֖נוּ בְּמִשְׁקָל֑וֹ וַנָּ֥שֶׁב אֹת֖וֹ בְּיָדֵֽנוּ:
22We have also brought down additional money with which to buy food. We do not know who replaced the money into our packs.”		כבוְכֶ֧סֶף אַחֵ֛ר הוֹרַ֥דְנוּ בְיָדֵ֖נוּ לִשְׁבָּר־אֹ֑כֶל לֹ֣א יָדַ֔עְנוּ מִי־שָׂ֥ם כַּסְפֵּ֖נוּ בְּאַמְתְּחֹתֵֽינוּ:
23He replied, “All is well with you; do not be afraid. Your God and the God of your father has placed a hidden treasure for you in your packs. Your money reached me.” With that, he brought Simeon out to them.		כגוַיֹּ֩אמֶר֩ שָׁל֨וֹם לָכֶ֜ם אַל־תִּירָ֗אוּ אֱלֹ֨הֵיכֶ֜ם וֵֽאלֹהֵ֤י אֲבִיכֶם֙ נָתַ֨ן לָכֶ֤ם מַטְמוֹן֙ בְּאַמְתְּחֹ֣תֵיכֶ֔ם כַּסְפְּכֶ֖ם בָּ֣א אֵלָ֑י וַיּוֹצֵ֥א אֲלֵהֶ֖ם אֶת־שִׁמְעֽוֹן:
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - Your God - i.e., in your own merit, and if your merit is not enough – “and the God of your father,” i.e., in your father’s merit, “He has placed a hidden treasure for you.”		אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. בִּזְכוּתְכֶם, וְאִם אֵין זְכוּתְכֶם כְּדַאי, ואלהי אביכם, בִּזְכוּת אֲבִיכֶם נתן לכם מטמון:
24So the man brought the men into Joseph’s house and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he provided fodder for their donkeys.		כדוַיָּבֵ֥א הָאִ֛ישׁ אֶת־הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֖ים בֵּ֣יתָה יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיִּתֶּן־מַ֨יִם֙ וַיִּרְחֲצ֣וּ רַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם וַיִּתֵּ֥ן מִסְפּ֖וֹא לַֽחֲמֹֽרֵיהֶֽם:
וַיָּבֵא הָאִישׁ - The man brought. Here there was a further act of bringing them into Joseph’s house, after the previous act of bringing. This was because they were pushing the man toward the outside until they spoke to him at the entrance of the house, but once he told them, “all is well with you,” they allowed themselves to enter after him.		וַיָּבֵא הָאִישׁ. הֲבָאָה אַחַר הֲבָאָה, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ דוֹחֲפִים אוֹתוֹ לַחוּץ עַד שֶׁדִּבְּרוּ אֵלָיו פֶּתַח הַבַּיִת; וּמִשֶּׁאָמַר לָהֶם שָׁלוֹם לָכֶם, נִמְשְׁכוּ וּבָאוּ אַחֲרָיו:
25They readied their gift for when Joseph would come for the first meal of the day, for they heard that they would be dining there.		כהוַיָּכִ֨ינוּ֙ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֔ה עַד־בּ֥וֹא יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּצָּֽהֳרָ֑יִם כִּ֣י שָֽׁמְע֔וּ כִּי־שָׁ֖ם יֹ֥אכְלוּ לָֽחֶם:
וַיָּכִינוּ - means “They prepared,” i.e., they laid it out ornately in fine vessels.		וַיָּכִינוּ. הִזְמִינוּ, עִטְּרוּהָ בְּכֵלִים נָאִים:
26When Joseph arrived home, they presented him with the gift they had brought into the inner chamber, and they prostrated themselves on the ground before him.		כווַיָּבֹ֤א יוֹסֵף֙ הַבַּ֔יְתָה וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ ל֛וֹ אֶת־הַמִּנְחָ֥ה אֲשֶׁר־בְּיָדָ֖ם הַבָּ֑יְתָה וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲווּ־ל֖וֹ אָֽרְצָה:
הַבַּיְתָה - (lit.) Into the house - i.e., from the hallway into the main chamber.		הַבַּיְתָה. מִפְּרוֹזְדּוֹר לִטְרַקְלִין:
27He inquired as to their welfare and asked, “How is your aged father of whom you spoke? Is he still alive?”		כזוַיִּשְׁאַ֤ל לָהֶם֙ לְשָׁל֔וֹם וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲשָׁל֛וֹם אֲבִיכֶ֥ם הַזָּקֵ֖ן אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֲמַרְתֶּ֑ם הַֽעוֹדֶ֖נּוּ חָֽי:
28They replied, “Your servant, our father, is well; he is still alive.” They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves again.		כחוַיֹּֽאמְר֗וּ שָׁל֛וֹם לְעַבְדְּךָ֥ לְאָבִ֖ינוּ עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ חָ֑י וַיִּקְּד֖וּ וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲוֽוּ כתיב וישתחו:
וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲוֽוּ - They bowed their heads and prostrated themselves - again in response to the inquiry about their welfare. קִדָּה is bowing the head, while הִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה is prostrating oneself on the ground.		וַיִּקְּדוּ וַיִּשְׁתַּֽחֲוֽוּ. עַל שְׁאִלַת שָׁלוֹם קִידָה – כְּפִיפַת קָדְקֹד; הִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה – מִשְׁתַּטֵּחַ לָאָרֶץ:
29Joseph raised his eyes and saw his brother Benjamin, his mother’s son, and he said, “Is this your youngest brother of whom you spoke to me?” And then he said, addressing Benjamin, “May God be kind to you, my son.”		כטוַיִּשָּׂ֣א עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּ֞רְא אֶת־בִּנְיָמִ֣ין אָחִיו֘ בֶּן־אִמּוֹ֒ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֲזֶה֙ אֲחִיכֶ֣ם הַקָּטֹ֔ן אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֲמַרְתֶּ֖ם אֵלָ֑י וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אֱלֹהִ֥ים יָחְנְךָ֖ בְּנִֽי:
אֱלֹהִים יָחְנְךָ בְּנִֽי - May God be kind to you, my son. He used this special term of blessing (יָחְנְךָ) because regarding the other tribes we have already heard the expression “kindness” – “the children whom God has been kind enough to grant (חָנַן) your servant” 7 – but Benjamin was not yet then born. Therefore Joseph blessed him now with “kindness.”		אֱלֹהִים יָחְנְךָ בְּנִֽי. בִּשְׁאָר שְׁבָטִים שָׁמַעְנוּ חֲנִינָה אֲשֶׁר חָנַן אֱלֹהִים אֶת עַבְדֶּךָ (בראשית ל"ג), וּבִנְיָמִין עֲדַיִן לֹא נוֹלַד, לְכָךְ בֵּרְכוֹ יוֹסֵף בַּחֲנִינָה:

Footnotes

Ta’anit 11b.

Berachot 39b.

Yoma 69b.

Seventh Portion

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 43

30Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome with compassion for his brother and was on the verge of tears. He went to another room and wept there.		לוַיְמַהֵ֣ר יוֹסֵ֗ף כִּֽי־נִכְמְר֤וּ רַֽחֲמָיו֙ אֶל־אָחִ֔יו וַיְבַקֵּ֖שׁ לִבְכּ֑וֹת וַיָּבֹ֥א הַחַ֖דְרָה וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ שָֽׁמָּה:
כִּֽי־נִכְמְרוּ רַֽחֲמָיו - For he was overcome with compassion… He asked him, “Do you have a brother from your mother?” He replied, “I did have a brother, but I do not know where he is.” Joseph then asked, “Do you have any sons?” He replied, “I have 10.” Joseph asked him, “What are their names?” He answered him, “Bela, Becher, etc.” Joseph then asked: “What is the significance of these names?” He answered him: “They are all named for my brother and the tribulations that have befallen him: Bela (בֶּלַע) – because he was swallowed up (נִּבְלַע) among the gentiles; Becher (בֶּכֶר) – because he was the firstborn (בְּכוֹר) of my mother; Ashbel (אַשְׁבֵּל) – because God sent him into captivity (שְּׁבָאוֹ אֵל); Gera (גֵּרָא) – because he became a sojourner (גֵר) in a foreign place; Na’aman (נַעֲמָן) – because he was extremely pleasant (נָעִים); Echi (אֵחִי) and Rosh (רֹאשׁ) – because he was my brother (אָחִי) and my superior (רֹאשִׁי); Mupim (מֻפִּים) – because he learned from the mouth (מִפִּי) of my father; Chupim (חֻפִּים) – because he did not see my marriage (חֻפָּתִי) nor did I see his marriage (חֻפָּתוֹ); and Ard (אָרְדְּ) – because he descended (יָרַד) among the gentiles” – as is stated in Tractate Sotah. 1 When Joseph heard all this, immediately “his compassion was aroused.”		כִּֽי־נִכְמְרוּ רַֽחֲמָיו. שְׁאָלוֹ יֵשׁ לְךָ אָח מֵאֵם? אָמַר לוֹ אָח הָיָה לִי, וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ הֵיכָן הוּא; יֵשׁ לְךָ בָנִים? אָמַר לוֹ יֵשׁ לִי י', אָמַר לוֹ מַה שְּׁמָם? אָמַר לוֹ בֶּלַע וָבֶכֶר וְגוֹ'; אָמַר מַה טִּיבָן שֶׁל שֵׁמוֹת הַלָּלוּ? אָמַר לוֹ כֻּלָּם עַל שֵׁם אָחִי וְהַצָּרוֹת אֲשֶׁר מְצָאוּהוּ, בֶּלַע שֶׁנִּבְלַע בֵּין הָאֻמּוֹת, בֶּכֶר שֶׁהָיָה בְּכוֹר לְאִמִּי, אַשְׁבְּאֵל שֶׁשְּׁבָאוֹ אֵל, גֵּרָא שֶׁגָּר בְּאַכְסַנְיָא, וְנַעֲמָן שֶׁהָיָה נָעִים בְּיוֹתֵר, אֵחִי וָרֹאשׁ – אָחִי הָיָה וְרֹאשִׁי הָיָה, מֻפִּים – מִפִּי אָבִי לָמַד, וְחֻפִּים – שֶׁלֹּא רָאָה חֻפָּתִי וְלֹא רָאִיתִי אֲנִי חֻפָּתוֹ, וָאָרְדְּ – שֶׁיָּרַד לְבֵין הָאֻמּוֹת, כִּדְאִיתָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת סוֹטָה, מִיָּד נִכְמְרוּ רַחֲמָיו:
נִכְמְרוּ - means “became heated.” And in Mishnaic Hebrew we find similarly: “on the heating vessel (כֹּמֶר) of olives,” 2 and in Aramaic: “heating up (מִכְמַר) of the meat”; 3 and also in Scripture: “Our skin became inflamed (נִכְמָרוּ) like an oven” – i.e., heated and creased with wrinkles – “from the burning fever of famine,” 4 for so is the nature of any skin that it wrinkles and shrinks when it becomes hot.		נִכְמְרוּ. נִתְחַמְּמוּ, וּבִלְשׁוֹן מִשְׁנָה עַל הַכֹּמֶר שֶׁל זֵתִים, וּבְלָשׁוֹן אֲרַמִּי בְּמִכְמַר בִּשְׂרָא; וּבַמִּקְרָא עוֹרֵנוּ כְּתַנּוּר נִכְמָרוּ (איכה ה'), נִתְחַמְּמוּ וְנִקְמְטוּ קְמָטִים קְמָטִים מִפְּנֵי זַלְעֲפוֹת רָעָב; כֵּן דֶּרֶךְ כָּל עוֹר כְּשֶׁמְּחַמְּמִין אוֹתוֹ נִקְמָט וְנִכְוָץ:
31He then washed his face and came back out, restraining his emotions, and said, “Serve the meal.”		לאוַיִּרְחַ֥ץ פָּנָ֖יו וַיֵּצֵ֑א וַיִּ֨תְאַפַּ֔ק וַיֹּ֖אמֶר שִׂ֥ימוּ לָֽחֶם:
וַיִּתְאַפַּק - He restrained himself - i.e., he made a strong effort not to cry. It is used here in the same sense as “and He loosens the belt of the strong (אֲפִיקִים),” 5 and similarly אֲפִיקֵי מָגִנִּים, 6 meaning “strength of armor.”		וַיִּתְאַפַּק. נִתְאַמֵּץ; וְהוּא לְשׁוֹן אֲפִיקֵי מָגִנִּים (איוב מ"א), חֹזֶק, וְכֵן וּמְזִיחַ אֲפִיקִים רִפָּה (שם י"ב):
32They served him and his family separately, and them (i.e., his brothers) separately, and the Egyptians who were eating with him separately, for the Egyptians could not eat a meal together with the Hebrews, since this was an abomination for the Egyptians.		לבוַיָּשִׂ֥ימוּ ל֛וֹ לְבַדּ֖וֹ וְלָהֶ֣ם לְבַדָּ֑ם וְלַמִּצְרִ֞ים הָאֹֽכְלִ֤ים אִתּוֹ֙ לְבַדָּ֔ם כִּי֩ לֹ֨א יֽוּכְל֜וּן הַמִּצְרִ֗ים לֶֽאֱכֹ֤ל אֶת־הָֽעִבְרִים֙ לֶ֔חֶם כִּי־תֽוֹעֵבָ֥ה הִ֖וא לְמִצְרָֽיִם:
כִּי תֽוֹעֵבָה הִוא - Since this was an abomination - i.e., it was a hateful thing for the Egyptians to eat with the Hebrews, and Onkelos gives a reason for this – because the Hebrews eat animals that the Egyptians worship.		כִּי תֽוֹעֵבָה הִוא. דָּבָר שָׂנְאוּי הוּא לַמִּצְרִים לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הָעִבְרִים, וְאֻנְקְלוֹס נָתַן טַעַם לַדָּבָר:
33The brothers were seated before Joseph, the firstborn according to his seniority and the youngest according to his youth, and the men looked at each other in amazement.		לגוַיֵּֽשְׁב֣וּ לְפָנָ֔יו הַבְּכֹר֙ כִּבְכֹ֣רָת֔וֹ וְהַצָּעִ֖יר כִּצְעִֽרָת֑וֹ וַיִּתְמְה֥וּ הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֖ים אִ֥ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵֽהוּ:
הבכור כִּבְכֹרָתוֹ - The firstborn according to his seniority. He struck the goblet and called out: “Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun, the sons of one mother: Take your places in this order, which is the order of your birth.” And so he did with all of them. When he came to Benjamin he said, “This one has no mother and I have no mother. Let him sit beside me.”		הבכור כִּבְכֹרָתוֹ. מַכֶּה בַּגָּבִיעַ וְקוֹרֵא רְאוּבֵן, שִׁמְעוֹן, לֵוִי, יְהוּדָה, יִשָּׂשכָר, וּזְבוּלֻן, בְּנֵי אֵם אַחַת, הָסֵבּוּ כַּסֵּדֶר הַזֶּה, שֶׁהִיא סֵדֶר תּוֹלְדוֹתֵיכֶם, וְכֵן כֻּלָּם. כֵּיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְבִנְיָמִין, אָמַר זֶה אֵין לוֹ אֵם וַאֲנִי אֵין לִי אֵם, יֵשֵׁב אֶצְלִי:
34He had portions served to them from his table. Benjamin’s portion was five times as much as the others’. They drank with him and became intoxicated.		לדוַיִּשָּׂ֨א מַשְׂאֹ֜ת מֵאֵ֣ת פָּנָיו֘ אֲלֵהֶם֒ וַתֵּ֜רֶב מַשְׂאַ֧ת בִּנְיָמִ֛ן מִמַּשְׂאֹ֥ת כֻּלָּ֖ם חָמֵ֣שׁ יָד֑וֹת וַיִּשְׁתּ֥וּ וַיִּשְׁכְּר֖וּ עִמּֽוֹ:
מַשְׂאֹת - means “portions.”		מַשְׂאֹת. מָנוֹת:
חָמֵשׁ יָדוֹת - Five times as much - i.e., his own portion that was due to him along with his brothers, and in addition the portions given to him by Joseph, Asenat, Manasseh, and Ephraim.		חָמֵשׁ יָדוֹת. חֶלְקוֹ עִם אֶחָיו, וּמַשְׂאַת יוֹסֵף וְאָסְנַת וּמְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶפְרַיִם:
וַיִּשְׁכְּרוּ עִמּֽוֹ - And became intoxicated with him. From the day they had sold him they had not drunk wine, nor had he drunk wine, but on that day they all drank.		וַיִּשְׁכְּרוּ עִמּֽוֹ. וּמִיּוֹם שֶׁמְּכָרוּהוּ לֹא שָׁתוּ יַיִן וְלֹא הוּא שָׁתָה יַיִן, וְאוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם שָׁתוּ (בראשית רבה):

Bereshit (Genesis) Chapter 44

1Meanwhile, Joseph gave orders to the overseer of his household, as follows: “Fill the men’s packs with as much food as they can carry, and place each man’s money at the top of his pack.		אוַיְצַ֞ו אֶת־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּיתוֹ֘ לֵאמֹר֒ מַלֵּ֞א אֶת־אַמְתְּחֹ֤ת הָֽאֲנָשִׁים֙ אֹ֔כֶל כַּֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר יֽוּכְל֖וּן שְׂאֵ֑ת וְשִׂ֥ים כֶּֽסֶף־אִ֖ישׁ בְּפִ֥י אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ:
2And put my goblet—the silver goblet—at the top of the youngest one’s pack, together with the money for his produce.” He did exactly as Joseph instructed him.		בוְאֶת־גְּבִיעִ֞י גְּבִ֣יעַ הַכֶּ֗סֶף תָּשִׂים֙ בְּפִי֙ אַמְתַּ֣חַת הַקָּטֹ֔ן וְאֵ֖ת כֶּ֣סֶף שִׁבְר֑וֹ וַיַּ֕עַשׂ כִּדְבַ֥ר יוֹסֵ֖ף אֲשֶׁ֥ר דִּבֵּֽר:
גְּבִיעִי - This is a tall cup, and it is called “maderine” in Old French.		גְּבִיעִי. כּוֹס אָרֹךְ, וְקוֹרִין לוֹ מדיר"נש בְּלַעַז:
3With the first light of morning, the men were sent on their way, together with their donkeys.		גהַבֹּ֖קֶר א֑וֹר וְהָֽאֲנָשִׁ֣ים שֻׁלְּח֔וּ הֵ֖מָּה וַֽחֲמֹֽרֵיהֶֽם:
4They had barely left the city and had not yet gone far, when Joseph said to the overseer of his household, “Set out and pursue those men, and when you catch up with them, say to them, ‘Why did you repay good with evil?		דהֵ֠ם יָֽצְא֣וּ אֶת־הָעִיר֘ לֹ֣א הִרְחִ֒יקוּ֒ וְיוֹסֵ֤ף אָמַר֙ לַֽאֲשֶׁ֣ר עַל־בֵּית֔וֹ ק֥וּם רְדֹ֖ף אַֽחֲרֵ֣י הָֽאֲנָשִׁ֑ים וְהִשַּׂגְתָּם֙ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם לָ֛מָּה שִׁלַּמְתֶּ֥ם רָעָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת טוֹבָֽה:
5After all, this is the goblet from which my master drinks; indeed, he also uses it for divination. What you have done is an evil thing!’”		ההֲל֣וֹא זֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִשְׁתֶּ֤ה אֲדֹנִי֙ בּ֔וֹ וְה֕וּא נַחֵ֥שׁ יְנַחֵ֖שׁ בּ֑וֹ הֲרֵֽעֹתֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר עֲשִׂיתֶֽם:
6He caught up with them, and told them these very words.		ווַיַּשִּׂגֵ֑ם וַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֔ם אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה:
7They said to him, “Sir, why do you say such things? It would be a disgrace for us, your servants, to do such a thing! May God protect us from ever doing such a thing!		זוַיֹּֽאמְר֣וּ אֵלָ֔יו לָ֚מָּה יְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲדֹנִ֔י כַּדְּבָרִ֖ים הָאֵ֑לֶּה חָלִ֨ילָה֙ לַֽעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ מֵֽעֲשׂ֖וֹת כַּדָּבָ֥ר הַזֶּֽה:
חָלִילָה לַֽעֲבָדֶיךָ - means it would be mundane (חוּלִּין) for us, i.e., an expression of disgrace. But Onkelos translates it: חַס לְעַבְדָיךְ, meaning “the Holy One, blessed be He, has pity on us, protecting us from doing such a thing.” Similarly, many times in the Talmud the expression חַס וְשָׁלוֹם “Have pity on us that it should not happen and peace will be with us!” occurs.		חָלִילָה לַֽעֲבָדֶיךָ. חֻלִּין הוּא לָנוּ, לְשׁוֹן גְּנַאי, וְתַרְגוּם חַס לְעַבְדָּיךְ – חַס מֵאֵת הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא יְהִי עָלֵינוּ מֵעֲשׂוֹת זֹאת, וְהַרְבֵּה יֵשׁ בַּתַּלְמוּד "חַס וְשָׁלוֹם":
8After all, we brought you back the money that we found at the top of our packs when we returned from Canaan. How then could we have stolen silver or gold from your master’s house?		חהֵ֣ן כֶּ֗סֶף אֲשֶׁ֤ר מָצָ֨אנוּ֙ בְּפִ֣י אַמְתְּחֹתֵ֔ינוּ הֱשִׁיבֹ֥נוּ אֵלֶ֖יךָ מֵאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וְאֵ֗יךְ נִגְנֹב֙ מִבֵּ֣ית אֲדֹנֶ֔יךָ כֶּ֖סֶף א֥וֹ זָהָֽב:
הֵן כֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר מָצָאנוּ - After all, the money that we found. This is one of 10 a fortiori arguments (קַל וָחֹמֶר) mentioned in the Torah and the rest of Scripture, and they are all enumerated in Bereshit Rabbah. 7		הֵן כֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר מָצָאנוּ. זֶה אֶחָד מֵעֲשָׂרָה קַל וָחֹמֶר הָאֲמוּרִים בַּתּוֹרָה, וְכֻלָּן מְנוּיִין בּבְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה:
9Whichever of your servants with whom it is found will die, and the rest of us will become slaves to my lord.”		טאֲשֶׁ֨ר יִמָּצֵ֥א אִתּ֛וֹ מֵֽעֲבָדֶ֖יךָ וָמֵ֑ת וְגַם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ נִֽהְיֶ֥ה לַֽאדֹנִ֖י לַֽעֲבָדִֽים:
10He replied, “Although it should be as you have now declared, only the one in whose possession it is actually found will be my slave, and the rest of you will go free.”		יוַיֹּ֕אמֶר גַּם־עַתָּ֥ה כְדִבְרֵיכֶ֖ם כֶּן־ה֑וּא אֲשֶׁ֨ר יִמָּצֵ֤א אִתּוֹ֙ יִֽהְיֶה־לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד וְאַתֶּ֖ם תִּֽהְי֥וּ נְקִיִּֽם:
גַּם־עַתָּה כְדִבְרֵיכֶם - As you have now declared. This, too, is indeed true. It is correct that “it should be as you have now declared”– that you are all liable in this matter, for if stolen property is found in possession of one out of a group of 10, all of them are implicated. But I will act with you more leniently than the line of strict justice: “only the one in whose possession the goblet is found will be my slave.”		גַּם־עַתָּה כְדִבְרֵיכֶם. אַף זוֹ מִן הַדִּין אֱמֶת כְּדִבְרֵיכֶם כֵּן הוּא, שֶׁכֻּלְּכֶם חַיָּבִין בַּדָּבָר – י' שֶׁנִּמְצֵאת גְּנֵבָה בְּיַד א' מֵהֶם כֻּלָּם נִתְפָּשִׂים, אֲבָל אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה לָכֶם לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת הַדִּין, אֲשֶׁר יִמָּצֵא אִתּוֹ יִהְיֶה לִּי עָבֶד:
11Each man quickly lowered his pack to the ground, and each man opened his pack.		יאוַיְמַֽהֲר֗וּ וַיּוֹרִ֛דוּ אִ֥ישׁ אֶת־אַמְתַּחְתּ֖וֹ אָ֑רְצָה וַיִּפְתְּח֖וּ אִ֥ישׁ אַמְתַּחְתּֽוֹ:
12The overseer searched each one, beginning with that of the eldest and ending with that of the youngest, and the goblet was found in Benjamin’s pack.		יבוַיְחַפֵּ֕שׂ בַּגָּד֣וֹל הֵחֵ֔ל וּבַקָּטֹ֖ן כִּלָּ֑ה וַיִּמָּצֵא֙ הַגָּבִ֔יעַ בְּאַמְתַּ֖חַת בִּנְיָמִֽן:
בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל - Beginning with that of the eldest - so that they should not suspect that he knew where it was.		בַּגָּדוֹל הֵחֵל. שֶׁלֹּא יַרְגִּישׁוּ שֶׁהָיָה יוֹדֵעַ הֵיכָן הוּא:
13The brothers rent their clothes. Each one loaded his donkey and they returned to the city.		יגוַיִּקְרְע֖וּ שִׂמְלֹתָ֑ם וַיַּֽעֲמֹס֙ אִ֣ישׁ עַל־חֲמֹר֔וֹ וַיָּשֻׁ֖בוּ הָעִֽירָה:
וַיַּֽעֲמֹס אִישׁ עַל־חֲמֹרוֹ - Each one loaded his donkey. They were strong men and did not need to help one another to load.		וַיַּֽעֲמֹס אִישׁ עַל־חֲמֹרוֹ. בַּעֲלֵי זְרוֹעַ הָיוּ, וְלֹא הֻצְרְכוּ לְסַיֵּעַ זֶה אֶת זֶה לִטְעֹן:
וישובו הָעִֽירָה - And they returned to the city. It was really a metropolis, yet the verse says הָעִירָה, suggesting a mere city. This is because it was considered in their eyes as merely an ordinary city of 10 people with respect to waging war against it.		וישובו הָעִֽירָה. מֶטְרוֹפּוֹלִין הָיְתָה, וְהוּא אוֹמֵר הָעִירָה, הָעִיר כָּל שֶׁהוּא אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה חֲשׁוּבָה בְעֵינֵיהֶם אֶלָּא כְעִיר בֵּינוֹנִית שֶׁל י' בְּנֵי אָדָם לְעִנְיַן הַמִּלְחָמָה:
14When Judah and his brothers arrived at Joseph’s house, he was still there, and they threw themselves on the ground before him.		ידוַיָּבֹ֨א יְהוּדָ֤ה וְאֶחָיו֙ בֵּ֣יתָה יוֹסֵ֔ף וְה֖וּא עוֹדֶ֣נּוּ שָׁ֑ם וַיִּפְּל֥וּ לְפָנָ֖יו אָֽרְצָה:
עוֹדֶנּוּ שָׁם - Still there - for he was waiting for them.		עוֹדֶנּוּ שָׁם. שֶׁהָיָה מַמְתִּין לָהֶם:
15Joseph said to them, “What is this deed that you have done? Do you not know that a man as I can determine the truth by logic?”		טווַיֹּ֤אמֶר לָהֶם֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף מָֽה־הַמַּֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲשִׂיתֶ֑ם הֲל֣וֹא יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם כִּֽי־נַחֵ֧שׁ יְנַחֵ֛שׁ אִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּמֹֽנִי:
הלא יְדַעְתֶּם כִּֽי־נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ וגו' - means: “Do you not realize that such a distinguished person as I is able to determine and know through intelligence and logical deduction that it was you who stole the goblet?”		הלא יְדַעְתֶּם כִּֽי־נַחֵשׁ יְנַחֵשׁ וגו'. הֲלֹא יְדַעְתֶּם כִּי אִישׁ חָשׁוּב כָּמוֹנִי יוֹדֵעַ לְנַחֵשׁ וְלָדַעַת מִדַּעַת וּמִסְּבָרָא וּבִינָה, כִּי אַתֶּם גְּנַבְתֶּם הַגָּבִיעַ:
16Judah replied, “What can we say to my lord? How can we speak and how can we prove our innocence? God has uncovered your servants’ transgression. Here we are, then, slaves to my lord, we together with the one in whose possession the goblet was found.”		טזוַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֗ה מַה־נֹּאמַר֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י מַה־נְּדַבֵּ֖ר וּמַה־נִּצְטַדָּ֑ק הָֽאֱלֹהִ֗ים מָצָא֙ אֶת־עֲוֹ֣ן עֲבָדֶ֔יךָ הִנֶּנּ֤וּ עֲבָדִים֙ לַֽאדֹנִ֔י גַּם־אֲנַ֕חְנוּ גַּ֛ם אֲשֶׁר־נִמְצָ֥א הַגָּבִ֖יעַ בְּיָדֽוֹ:
הָֽאֱלֹהִים מָצָא - God has uncovered. We know that we are not at fault, but this has come about by the Omnipresent bringing it upon us. The Creditor has found a way to collect His debt.		הָֽאֱלֹהִים מָצָא. יוֹדְעִים אָנוּ שֶׁלֹּא סָרַחְנוּ, אֲבָל מֵאֵת הַמָּקוֹם נִהְיְתָה לְהָבִיא לָנוּ זֹאת, מָצָא בַּעַל חוֹב מָקוֹם לִגְבּוֹת שְׁטַר חוֹבוֹ:
מַה־נִּצְטַדָּק - And how can we prove our innocence. This word is a verbal form of צֶדֶק (justice). Similarly, any word whose root begins with a צ and is in the hitpa’el (reflexive) or nitpa’el (passive reflexive) form, takes a ט instead of the usual added ת, and the ט is not placed before the first root letter as is usual for the hitpa’el, but between the first two root letters; e.g., נִצְטַדָּק from the root צֶדֶק; יִצְטַבַּע “it will be soaked” 8 from the root צבע “to immerse”; וַיִּצְטַיָּרוּ “they pretended to be envoys” 9 from the same root as in וְצִיר אֱמוּנִים “and a faithful messenger”; 10 הִצְטַיַּדְנוּ “we provided ourselves” 11 from the same root as in צֵדָה לַדֶּרֶךְ “provisions for the journey.” 12 Also, a word whose first root letter is ס or ש, when it is in the hitpa’el form the added ת separates the first two root letters, as in: “the locust will be heavy (וְיִסְתַּבֵּל),” 13 from the root סבל “to bear a load”; “I was studying (מִשְׂתַּכַּל) the horns” 14 from the root שכל “intellect”; “Omri’s statutes will be kept (וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר),” 15 from the root שמר “to keep”; “and one who turns away from evil is considered foolish (מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל),” 16 from the same root as in “he leads advisers to foolishness (שׁוֹלָל)”; 17 “you are still suppressing (מִסְתּוֹלֵל) My people,” 18 from the same root as in “an untrodden (לֹא סְלוּלָה) path.” 19 End of Parashat Miketz		מַה־נִּצְטַדָּק. לְשׁוֹן צֶדֶק, וְכֵן כָּל תֵּבָה שֶׁתְּחִלַּת יְסוֹדָהּ צָדִ"י וְהִיא בָּאָה לְדַבֵּר בִּלְשׁוֹן מִתְפָּעֵל אוֹ נִתְפָּעֵל, נוֹתֵן טֵי"ת בִּמְקוֹם תָּי"ו, וְאֵינוֹ נוֹתְנָהּ לִפְנֵי אוֹת רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁל יְסוֹד הַתֵּבָה אֶלָּא בְאֶמְצַע אוֹתִיּוֹת הָעִקָּר, כְּגוֹן נִצְטַדָּק מִגִּזְרַת צדק, וְיִצְטַבַּע מִגִּזְרַת צבע, וַיִּצְטַיָּרוּ מִגִּזְרַת וְצִיר אֱמוּנִים, הִצְטַיַּדְנוּ מִגִּזְרַת צֵדָה לַדֶּרֶךְ. וְתֵבָה שֶׁתְּחִלָּתָהּ סָמֶ"ךְ אוֹ שִׁי"ן, כְּשֶׁהִיא מִתְפָּעֶלֶת, הַתָּי"ו מַפְרֶדֶת אֶת אוֹתִיּוֹת הָעִקָּר, כְּגוֹן וְיִסְתַּבֵּל הֶחָגָב (קהלת י"ב), מִגִּזְרַת סבל; מִשְׂתַּכַּל הֲוֵית בְּקַרְנַיָּא (דניאל ז'), וְיִשְׁתַּמֵּר חֻקּוֹת עָמְרִי (מיכה ו') מִגִּזְרַת שמר; וְסָר מֵרָע מִשְׁתּוֹלֵל (ישעיהו נ"ט), מִגִּזְרַת מוֹלִיךְ יוֹעֲצִים שׁוֹלָל (איוב י"ב), מִסְתּוֹלֵל בְּעַמִּי (שמות ט"ו), מִגִּזְרַת דֶּרֶךְ לֹא סְלוּלָה (ירמיהו י"ח):
17But Joseph replied, “It would be a disgrace for me to do that! The one in whose possession the goblet was found will be my slave, and the rest of you will go up in peace to your father.”		יזוַיֹּ֕אמֶר חָלִ֣ילָה לִּ֔י מֵֽעֲשׂ֖וֹת זֹ֑את הָאִ֡ישׁ אֲשֶׁר֩ נִמְצָ֨א הַגָּבִ֜יעַ בְּיָד֗וֹ ה֚וּא יִֽהְיֶה־לִּ֣י עָ֔בֶד וְאַתֶּ֕ם עֲל֥וּ לְשָׁל֖וֹם אֶל־אֲבִיכֶֽם:

Footnotes

Sotah 36b.

Bava Metzia 74a.

Pesachim 58a.

Lamentations 5:10.

Job 12:21.

Job 41:7.

Bereshit Rabbah 92:7.

Maftir Portion

Bamidbar (Numbers) Chapter 7

24On the third day, the prince who brought his offering was of the tribe of Zebulun: Eli’av son of Chelon.		כדבַּיּוֹם֙ הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֔י נָשִׂ֖יא לִבְנֵ֣י זְבוּלֻ֑ן אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־חֵלֹֽן:
בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי נָשִׂיא וגו' - On the third day, the prince…. means: “On the third day, the prince who brought the offering was of the tribe of Zebulun,” and it is stated similarly for all the remaining princes. However, regarding Netan’el, about whom it says: הִקְרִיב נְתַנְאֵל “Netan’el brought,” 1 it follows naturally to continue “the prince of Issachar” once having already mentioned his name and the bringing of his offering. Regarding the others, however, about whom it does not say: הִקְרִיב “he brought,” it is natural to use this form: נָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי פְּלוֹנִי “the prince of the sons of so-and-so,” i.e., on that day the prince who brought his offering was of that particular tribe.		בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי נָשִׂיא וגו'. בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי הָיָה הַנָּשִׂיא הַמַּקְרִיב זְבוּלֻן, וְכֵן כֻּלָּם, אֲבָל בִּנְתַנְאֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ הִקְרִיב נְתַנְאֵל, נוֹפֵל אַחֲרָיו הַלָּשׁוֹן לוֹמַר נְשִׂיא יִשָּׂשכָר, לְפִי שֶׁכְּבָר הִזְכִּיר שְׁמוֹ וְהַקְרָבָתוֹ, וּבַשְּׁאָר שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶן הִקְרִיב, נוֹפֵל עֲלֵיהֶן לָשׁוֹן זֶה — נָשִׂיא לִבְנֵי פְלוֹנִי — אוֹתוֹ הַיּוֹם הָיָה הַנָּשִׂיא הַמַּקְרִיב לְשֵׁבֶט פְּלוֹנִי:
25His offering was one silver bowl weighing 130 shekels, one silver dashing basin weighing 70 shekels according to the value of the sacred shekel, both filled with fine flour mixed with oil as a grain-offering,		כהקָרְבָּנ֞וֹ קַֽעֲרַת־כֶּ֣סֶף אַחַ֗ת שְׁלשִׁ֣ים וּמֵאָה֘ מִשְׁקָלָהּ֒ מִזְרָ֤ק אֶחָד֙ כֶּ֔סֶף שִׁבְעִ֥ים שֶׁ֖קֶל בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ שְׁנֵיהֶ֣ם \| מְלֵאִ֗ים סֹ֛לֶת בְּלוּלָ֥ה בַשֶּׁ֖מֶן לְמִנְחָֽה:
26one gold spoon weighing 10 shekels filled with incense,		כוכַּ֥ף אַחַ֛ת עֲשָׂרָ֥ה זָהָ֖ב מְלֵאָ֥ה קְטֹֽרֶת:
27one young bull, one ram, one lamb in its first year as an ascent-offering,		כזפַּ֣ר אֶחָ֞ד בֶּן־בָּקָ֗ר אַ֧יִל אֶחָ֛ד כֶּֽבֶשׂ־אֶחָ֥ד בֶּן־שְׁנָת֖וֹ לְעֹלָֽה:
28one young he-goat as a sin-offering,		כחשְׂעִיר־עִזִּ֥ים אֶחָ֖ד לְחַטָּֽאת:
29and for the peace-promoting feast-offering: two bulls, five rams, five he-goats, and five lambs in their first year. This was the offering of Eli’av son of Chelon.		כטוּלְזֶ֣בַח הַשְּׁלָמִים֘ בָּקָ֣ר שְׁנַ֒יִם֒ אֵילִ֤ם חֲמִשָּׁה֙ עַתֻּדִ֣ים חֲמִשָּׁ֔ה כְּבָשִׂ֥ים בְּנֵֽי־שָׁנָ֖ה חֲמִשָּׁ֑ה זֶ֛ה קָרְבַּ֥ן אֱלִיאָ֖ב בֶּן־חֵלֹֽן:

Footnotes

Numbers 7:18.

Haftarah

Zechariah Chapter 2

14Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for, behold! I will come and dwell in your midst, says the Lord.		ידרָנִּ֥י וְשִׂמְחִ֖י בַּת־צִיּ֑וֹן כִּ֧י הִֽנְנִי־בָ֛א וְשָֽׁכַנְתִּ֥י בְתוֹכֵ֖ךְ נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה:
15And many nations shall join the Lord on that day, and they shall be My people; and I will dwell in your midst and you shall know that the Lord of Hosts sent me to you.		טווְנִלְווּ֩ גוֹיִ֨ם רַבִּ֚ים אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא וְהָ֥יוּ לִ֖י לְעָ֑ם וְשָׁכַנְתִּ֣י בְתוֹכֵ֔ךְ וְיָדַ֕עַתְּ כִּי־יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת שְׁלָחַ֥נִי אֵלָֽיִךְ:
And many nations shall join. shall join.		ונלוו. ונתחברו:
16And the Lord shall inherit Judah as His share on the Holy Land, and He shall again choose Jerusalem.		טזוְנָחַ֨ל יְהֹוָ֚ה אֶת־יְהוּדָה֙ חֶלְק֔וֹ עַ֖ל אַדְמַ֣ת הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וּבָחַ֥ר ע֖וֹד בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָֽם:
And the Lord shall inherit Judah. as His inheritance and His share.		ונחל ה' את יהודה. לנחלתו ולחלקו:
17Silence all flesh from before the Lord, for He is aroused out of His holy habitation.		יזהַ֥ס כָּל בָּשָׂ֖ר מִפְּנֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֑ה כִּ֥י נֵע֖וֹר מִמְּע֥וֹן קָדְשֽׁוֹ:
Silence all flesh. All the rest of the nations.		הס כל בשר. כל שאר העכו"ם:
for He is aroused. An expression [denoting] arousal and awakening.		כי נעור. ל' הערה והקצה:

Zechariah Chapter 3

1And He showed me Joshua, the High Priest, standing before the angel of the Lord. And Satan was standing on his right, to accuse him.		אוַיַּרְאֵ֗נִי אֶת־יְהוֹשֻׁ֙עַ֙ הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֔וֹל עֹמֵ֕ד לִפְנֵ֖י מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֑ה וְהַשָּׂטָ֛ן עֹמֵ֥ד עַל־יְמִינ֖וֹ לְשִׂטְנֽוֹ:
to accuse him. To accuse him because his sons were married to gentile women, as it is written in the Book of Ezra (10:18): “And it was found of the sons of the priests who had taken foreign wives, of the sons of Jeshua the son of Jozadak, etc.”		לשטנו. להשטינו על שהיו בניו נשואים נשים נכריות כמו שכ' בספר עזרא וימצא מבני הכהנים אשר הושיבו נשים נכריות מבני יהושע בן יהוצדק:
2And the Lord said to Satan: The Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan; and the Lord shall rebuke you, He who chose Jerusalem. Is this one not a brand plucked from fire?		בוַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֶל־הַשָּׂטָ֗ן יִגְעַ֨ר יְהֹוָ֚ה בְּךָ֙ הַשָּׂטָ֔ן וְיִגְעַ֚ר יְהֹוָה֙ בְּךָ֔ הַבֹּחֵ֖ר בִּירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם הֲל֧וֹא זֶ֥ה֥ א֖וּד מֻצָּ֥ל מֵאֵֽשׁ:
The Lord shall rebuke you, O Satan. The Holy One, blessed be He, shall rebuke you, O you Satan (and then he repeated and said: The Lord shall rebuke you, He who chose Jerusalem Moharaz Margolioth); and He Who rebukes you is the One Who chose Jerusalem, that you shall not enter before Him to accuse this righteous man. Is he not fit, and has he not merited this? For he was saved from the consuming fire.		יגער ה' בך השטן. יגער הקב"ה בך אתה השטן וחוזר ואומר ויגער ה' בך הוא הבוחר בירושלים שלא תכנס לפניו לקטרג על הצדיק הזה הלא ראוי הוא וזכה לכך שהוצל מאש השריפה:
Is this one not a brand plucked from fire?. It is related in the Aggadah of [chapter] Helek Helek (Sanh. 93a) that he [Joshua] was cast into the fire with Ahab son of Kolaiah and his colleague.		הלא זה אוד מוצל מאש. מפורש באגדת חלק (דף צג) שהושלך עם אחאב בן קוליה וחבירו לאור:
3Now Joshua was wearing filthy garments and standing before the angel.		גוִֽיהוֹשֻׁ֕עַ הָיָ֥ה לָב֖וּשׁ בְּגָדִ֣ים צוֹאִ֑ים וְעֹמֵ֖ד לִפְנֵ֥י הַמַּלְאָֽךְ:
was wearing filthy garments. This is to be explained according to the Targum: He had sons who had married women who were unfit [to marry into] the priesthood, and he was punished because he did not interfere with the [sons’ marriages].		לבוש בנדים צואים. כתרגומו הוו ליה בנין דנסבין להון נשין דלא כשרין לכהונתא והיה נענש הוא על שלא מיחה בידם:
4And he [the angel] raised his voice and said to those standing before him, saying, "Take the filthy garments off him." And he said to him, "See, I have removed your iniquity from you, and I have clad you with clean garments."		דוַיַּ֣עַן וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֶל־הָעֹֽמְדִ֚ים לְפָנָיו֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר הָסִ֛ירוּ הַבְּגָדִ֥ים הַצֹּאִ֖ים מֵעָלָ֑יו וַ֣יֹּאמֶר אֵלָ֗יו רְאֵ֨ה הֶֽעֱבַ֚רְתִּי מֵֽעָלֶ֙יךָ֙ עֲו‍ֹנֶ֔ךָ וְהַלְבֵּ֥שׁ אֹֽתְךָ֖ מַֽחֲלָצֽוֹת:
“Take the filthy garments off him.”. Let his sons separate from their wives, and he will be forgiven.		הסירו הבגדים הצואים מעליו. יבדילו בניו את נשותיהם וימחול לו:
clean garments. A change of beautiful garments; i.e., merits. Since he compared the iniquity to filthy garments, he compares the merit to clean garments; beautiful, white garments.		מחלצות. חליפות בגדים נאי' כלומר זכיות אבל לפי שדימה העון לבגדים צואים דימה הזכיות למחלצות בגדים נאים ולבנים:
5And I said, "Let them put a pure miter on his head," and they put the pure miter on his head. And they had clothed him with garments while the angel of the Lord was standing.		הוָֽאֹמַ֕ר יָשִׂ֛ימוּ צָנִ֥יף טָה֖וֹר עַל־רֹאשׁ֑וֹ וַיָּשִׂימוּ֩ הַצָּנִ֨יף הַטָּה֜וֹר עַל־רֹאשׁ֗וֹ וַיַּלְבִּשֻׁ֙הוּ֙ בְּגָדִ֔ים וּמַלְאַ֥ךְ יְהֹוָ֖ה עֹמֵֽד:
And I said. I, Zechariah.		ואומר. אני זכריה:
“Let them put a pure miter, etc.”. I begged mercy for him.		ישימו צניף טהור וגו'. בקשתי רחמים עליו:
6And the angel of the Lord warned Joshua, saying,		ווַיָּ֙עַד֙ מַלְאַ֣ךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה בִּֽיהוֹשֻׁ֖עַ לֵאמֹֽר:
warned. an expression of warning, as in (Deut. 31:28): “And I will warn them before the heaven and the earth.”		ויעד. לשון התראה כמו (דברים ל״א:כ״ח) ואעידה בם את השמים וגו':
7So said the Lord of Hosts: If you walk in My ways, and if you keep My charge, you, too, shall judge My house, and you, too, shall guard My courtyards, and I will give you free access among these who stand by.		זכֹּֽה־אָמַ֞ר יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֗וֹת אִם־בִּדְרָכַ֚י תֵּלֵךְ֙ וְאִ֣ם אֶת־מִשְׁמַרְתִּ֣י תִשְׁמֹ֔ר וְגַם־אַתָּה֙ תָּדִ֣ין אֶת־בֵּיתִ֔י וְגַ֖ם תִּשְׁמֹ֣ר אֶת־חֲצֵרָ֑י וְנָתַתִּ֚י לְךָ֙ מַהְלְכִ֔ים בֵּ֥ין הָעֹֽמְדִ֖ים הָאֵֽלֶּה:
If you walk in My ways, etc.. Then I, too, will do this for you.		אם בדרכי תלך. וגם אני זאת אעשה לך:
you, too, shall judge My house. You shall judge and be the officer over My Temple.		אתה תדין את ביתי. תשפוט ותהיה פקיד על בית מקדשי:
and I will give you free access. According to the Targum: and when the dead will be resurrected, I will resurrect you; and I will give you walkers who walk among these seraphim. According to its simple meaning, he brings him tidings that his sons will be meritorious in the future.		ונתתי לך מהלכים. כתרגומו ובאחיות מיתיא אחיינך ואתן לך רגלין דמהלכין בין שרפיא האלין ולפי פשוט מבשרו על בניו שיזכו לעתיד:
who stand by. Seraphim and ministering angels, who never sit.		העומדים. שרפים ומלאכי השרת שאין להם ישיבה:
8Hearken, now, O Joshua the High Priest-you and your companions who sit before you, for they are men worthy of a miracle-for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot.		חשְֽׁמַע־נָ֞א יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ \| הַכֹּהֵ֣ן הַגָּד֗וֹל אַתָּה֙ וְרֵעֶ֙יךָ֙ הַיֹּֽשְׁבִ֣ים לְפָנֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־אַנְשֵׁ֥י מוֹפֵ֖ת הֵ֑מָּה כִּֽי־הִנְנִ֥י מֵבִ֛יא אֶת־עַבְדִּ֖י צֶֽמַח:
you and your companions. They were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.		אתה ורעיך. חנניה מישאל ועזריה היו:
for they are men worthy of a miracle. [Jonathan renders:] Men worthy to have miracles performed for them, for a miracle was performed for them, too.		אנשי מופת. גברין כשרין למיעבד להון ניסין שאף להם נעשה נס:
for, behold! I bring My servant, the Shoot. For now Zerubbabel, the governor of Judah, is insignificant in the king’s court, but I will make his greatness burgeon. I will also give him favor in the eyes of the king, so that he will grant [Zerubbabel’s] request for the building of the Temple and the city, as explained in Nehemiah (1:1): “The words of Nehemiah, the son of Hachaliah.” Nehemiah was identical with Zerubbabel, as we say in Sanhedrin (38a).		כי הנני מביא את עבדי צמח. כי עתה זרובבל פחת יהודה קטן בחצר המלך אני מצמיח לו גדולה ושם נתתיו לחן בעיני המלך למלאות שאלתו בבנין הבית והעיר כמו שמפורש בעזרא דברי נחמיה בן חכליה והוא זרובבל כדאמרינן בסנהד':
9For, behold the stone that I have placed before Joshua. Seven eyes are directed to one stone. Behold! I untie its knots, says the Lord of Hosts, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day.		טכִּ֣י \| הִנֵּ֣ה הָאֶ֗בֶן אֲשֶׁ֚ר נָתַ֙תִּי֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוֹשֻׁ֔עַ עַל־אֶ֥בֶן אַחַ֖ת שִׁבְעָ֣ה עֵינָ֑יִם הִֽנְנִ֧י מְפַתֵּ֣חַ פִּתֻּחָ֗הּ נְאֻם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת וּמַשְׁתִּ֛י אֶת־עֲו‍ֹ֥ן הָאָֽרֶץ־הַהִ֖יא בְּי֥וֹם אֶחָֽד:
For, behold the stone. The foundation of the house that you laid in the days of Cyrus - they stopped you, and that foundation and the thickness of the wall appeared little in your sight, as explained in Ezra (3:12f.) and in the prophecy of Haggai (2:2f.).		כי הנה האבן. יסוד הבית אשר יסדתם בימי כורש ובטלו על ידיכם ואותו היסוד ועובי החומה היה מעט בעיניכם כמו שמפורש בעזרא ובנבואת חגי:
Seven eyes are directed to one stone. It will eventually be widened seven times as much. And so did Jonathan render: On one stone, seven eyes see it. The expression of עֵינַיִם is an expression of appearances. It appears to me that the seven eyes are because of the eyes of the Holy One, blessed be He in Whose eyes and heart it is [planned] to add seven times as much because of the prophecy similar to this one (4:10): “And they shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel these seven times; the eyes of the Lord they are roving to and fro throughout the land.” This is but to say that He directed His eyes to increase the glory of the Temple in its building.		על אבן אחת שבעה עינים. סופו להרחיב על א' שבעה וכן ת"י על אבנא חדא שבעא עינין חזיין לה ולשון עינים ל' מראו' ולי נראה שבעה עינים על שם עיני הקב"ה שבעיניו ולבו להוסיף עליו על אחד שבעה לפי שדוגמתו בנבואה זו וראו את האבן הבדיל ביד זרובבל שבעה אלה עיני ה' המה משוטטים אלא לימד שנתן עיניו להרבות כבוד הבית בבניינו:
Behold! I untie its knots. I untie its knots I thwart the plot of the enemies who wrote an accusation to stop the work.		הנני מפתח פתוחה. מתיר קישוריה מפיר עצת האויבים אשר כתבו שטנה לבטל המלאכה:
and I will remove. Heb. ומשתי.		ומשתי. והסירותי:
in one day. I do not know what day.		ביום אחד. לא ידעתי איזה יום, (תו' ביום אשר התחילו להוסיף על הבנין ימיש עון הארץ ותהי' ברכה בפירותיו כי עכשיו מאיר' כמו שנ' בנבואת חגי):
10On that day, says the Lord of Hosts, you shall call-each man to his neighbor-to come under his vine and under his fig tree.		יבַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהֹוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת תִּקְרְא֖וּ אִ֣ישׁ לְרֵעֵ֑הוּ אֶל־תַּ֥חַת גֶּ֖פֶן וְאֶל־תַּ֥חַת תְּאֵנָֽה:

Zechariah Chapter 4

1And the angel who spoke with me returned, and he awakened me as a man who wakes up from his sleep.		אוַיָּ֕שָׁב הַמַּלְאָ֖ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֣ר בִּ֑י וַיְעִירֵ֕נִי כְּאִ֖ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יֵע֥וֹר מִשְּׁנָתֽוֹ:
2And he said to me, "What do you see?" And I said, "I saw, and behold [there was] a candelabrum all of gold, with its oil-bowl on top of it, and its seven lamps thereon; seven tubes each to the lamps that were on top of it.		בוַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י מָ֥ה אַתָּ֖ה רֹאֶ֑ה וָֽאֹמַ֡ר (כתיב וָיאֹמַ֡ר) רָאִ֣יתִי וְהִנֵּֽה־מְנוֹרַת֩ זָהָ֨ב כֻּלָּ֜הּ וְגֻלָּ֣הּ עַל־רֹאשָׁ֗הּ וְשִׁבְעָ֚ה נֵרֹֽתֶ֙יהָ֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ שִׁבְעָ֚ה וְשִׁבְעָה֙ מֽוּצָק֔וֹת לַנֵּר֖וֹת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־רֹאשָֽׁהּ:
with its oil - bowl on top of it. as in (Josh. 15:19): “The upper springs.” This is an expression for a spring, [hence] a sort of large round bowl.		וגולה על ראשה. כמו (יהושע טז) גולות עלית לשון מעיין כמין ספל גדול עגול:
and its seven lamps. A type of vessel into which oil and wicks are inserted.		ושבעה נרותיה. כמין בזיכין שנותנין השמן והפתילה לתוכה:
seven tubes each. Seven small tubes come to every lamp, for the oil flows from the bowl through those tubes into each lamp.		שבעה ושבעה מוצקות. לכל נר ונר באין שבעה צנורות קטנים שהשמן זב מן הגולה דרך אותן מוצקות לכל נר ונר:
3And [there were] two olive trees near it; one on the right of the bowl, and one on its left.		גוּשְׁנַ֥יִם זֵיתִ֖ים עָלֶ֑יהָ אֶחָד֙ מִימִ֣ין הַגֻּלָּ֔ה וְאֶחָ֖ד עַל־שְׂמֹאלָֽהּ:
And [there were] two olive trees near it. Beside it were two trees upon which olives were growing.		ושנים זתים עליה. אצלה שני אילנות שהזיתים גדילים בהם:
one on the right of the bowl, one on its left, etc. . Here [the prophet] does not explain about the two golden vats mentioned below in the chapter, which are the sorts of bowls or vats of the oil press. [These vats] stand beside the olive trees. The olives beat themselves into the vats and are heated there as [if] in a vat or pit where olives are generally packed. There they are pressed in the oil press, and the oil falls into the vats, and from the vats into the bowl, and from the bowl into the tubes, and from the tubes into the lamps. The tubes and the lamps number forty-nine, an allusion to the light, for in the future the light of the sun will be sevenfold the light of the seven days forty-nine times the light of a day of Creation.		אחד מימין הגולה ואחד משמאלה וגו'. וכאן לא פירש על שני צנתרות זהב האמורות למטה בפרשה והם כמין עריבות ועדשים של בית הבד שהם עומדים אצל הזיתים והזיתים נחבטים מאיליהם לתוך הצנתרות ומתחממות שם כבמעטן ונעצרים שם בבית הבד והשמן נופל לתוך הצנתרות ומהצנתרות לתוך הגולה ומהגולה אל המוצקות ומהמוצקות אל הנרות והמוצקות והנרות ארבעים ותשע היו רמז לאור שלעתיד לבא אור החמה יהיה שבעתים כאור של שבעת ימים ארבעים ותשע על אור של יום בראשית:
4So I answered and spoke to the angel who talked with me, saying, "What are these, my lord?"		דוָאַ֙עַן֙ וָֽאֹמַ֔ר אֶל הַמַּלְאָ֛ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּ֖י לֵאמֹ֑ר מָ֥ה אֵ֖לֶּה אֲדֹנִֽי:
“What are these, my Lord?”. What is this, that the olive trees are picked by themselves, and the oil comes into the lamps by itself?		מה אלה אדוני. מה זה שהזיתים נמסקים מאליהם והשמן בא אל הנרות מאליו:
5And the angel who spoke with me answered, and he said to me, "Do you not know what these are?" And I said, "No, my lord."		הוַ֠יַּעַן הַמַּלְאָ֞ךְ הַדֹּבֵ֥ר בִּי֙ וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֵלַ֔י הֲל֥וֹא יָדַ֖עְתָּ מָה הֵ֣מָּה אֵ֑לֶּה וָֽאֹמַ֖ר לֹ֥א אֲדֹנִֽי:
6And he answered and spoke to me, saying, "This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel, saying: 'Not by military force and not by physical strength, but by My spirit,' says the Lord of Hosts.		ווַיַּ֜עַן וַיֹּ֚אמֶר אֵלַי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶה דְּבַר־יְהֹוָ֔ה אֶל־זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר לֹ֚א בְחַ֙יִל֙ וְלֹ֣א בְכֹ֔חַ כִּ֣י אִם־בְּרוּחִ֔י אָמַ֖ר יְהֹוָ֥ה צְבָאֽוֹת:
“This is the word of the Lord to Zerubbabel”. This is a sign for you to promise Zerubbabel that just as the olives and this oil are finished by themselves in all respects, so will you not build My house with your [own] power or with your [own] strength.		זה דבר ה' אל זרובבל. זה סימן לך להבטיח את זרובבל כשם שהזתים והשמן הזה נגמר מאליו לכל דבריו כך לא בחיל ולא בכח שבכם תעשו את בנין ביתי:
but by My spirit. I will place My spirit upon Darius, and he will command you to build and to pay all the building expenses from his [treasury]; and [he will] help you with wheat, wine, oil, and wood, as is explained in Ezra (6, 7): They required no aid from any man.		כי אם ברוחי. אני אתן רוחי על דריוש ויניח לכם (ס"א ויצוה לכם) לבנות ולעשות כל צרכי יציאת הבנין משלו ולעזור אתכם בחטין ויין ושמן ועצים כמו שמפורש בעזרא ולא תצטרכו לעזרת אדם:
7Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbabel you sink to a plain! He will bring out the stone of the main architect, with shouts of grace, grace to it."		זמִֽי־אַתָּ֧ה הַֽר־הַגָּד֛וֹל לִפְנֵ֥י זְרֻבָּבֶ֖ל לְמִישֹׁ֑ר וְהוֹצִיא֙ אֶת־הָאֶ֣בֶן הָֽרֹאשָׁ֔ה תְּשֻׁא֕וֹת חֵ֥ן חֵ֖ן לָֽהּ:
Who are you, O great mountain?. You, the princes of the other side of the river Tattenai, the governor of the other side of the river; Shethar Bozenai, and their companions (Ezra 6:6), who have stopped the work until now - from now on you shall be before Zerubbabel as a plain; you have no more ruling power or superiority over him.		מי אתה הר הגדול. שרי עבר הנהר תתני פחת עבר נהרא ושתר בוזני וכנותהון שבטלתם המלאכה עד כה מעתה תהיה לפני זרובבל מישור אין לכם שררה וגדולה עוד עליו:
He will bring out the stone of the main architect. The main architect will take the plummet in his hand to be the main architect at the head of the builders, and they will build everything according to his words [everything] that he will order concerning a beautiful and glorious building.		והוציא את האבן הראשה. האדריכל יקח את אבן הבדיל בידו להיות אדריכל בראש הבונים והם יבנו הכל כפי דבריו אשר יצוה בבנין נאה ומפואר:
with shouts of grace, grace to it. To that stone, for everyone will say, “How beautiful is this building that was made with this plummet.” [The expression] “shouts of grace” is as (Job 39:7) “the shouts of a driver,” and (Isa. 66:6) “a sound of stirring” both of which are expressions of making a voice heard.		תשואות חן חן. יהיה לה לאותה האבן שהכל יאמרו מה נאה בנין זה העשוי על ידי אבן המשקולת הזאת, תשואות חן כמו תשואות נוי כמו תשואות מליאה עיר הומיה (ישעיהו כ״ב:ב׳) קול שאון (שם סו) כולם לשון השמעת קול הם:

Translation of Chumash and Rashi courtesy Chabad House Publications’ forthcoming English Chumash with an annotated translation of Rashi based on the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, published by Kehot Publications Society. Translated and adapted by Rabbi Moshe Wisnefsky, Editor-in-Chief. Rabbi Chaim N. Cunin, Director and General Editor.

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