menu
small logo

Back

undefined

א וַיְהִ֗י אַחֲרֵי֙ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְיוֹסֵ֔ף הִנֵּ֥ה אָבִ֖יךָ חֹלֶ֑ה וַיִּקַּ֞ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֤י בָנָיו֙ עִמּ֔וֹ אֶת־מְנַשֶּׁ֖ה וְאֶת־אֶפְרָֽיִם׃

It was after these matters that one, an unnamed person, said to Joseph: Behold, your father is ill. In the previous episode, Jacob had sensed that he was going to die soon; at this point, he became very ill. He, Joseph, took his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, with him.

RASHI

ויאמר ליוסף.אֶחָד מִן הַמַּגִּידִים, וַהֲרֵי זֶה מִקְרָא קָצָר; וְיֵ"אֹ, אֶפְרַיִם הָיָה רָגִיל לִפְנֵי יַעֲקֹב בְּתַלְמוּד, וּכְשֶׁחָלָה יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן, הָלַךְ אֶפְרַיִם אֵצֶל אָבִיו לְמִצְרַיִם לְהַגִּיד לוֹ:

ויקח את שני בניו עמו.כְּדֵי שֶׁיְּבָרְכֵם יַעֲקֹב לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ:

ב וַיַּגֵּ֣ד לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַיֹּ֕אמֶר הִנֵּ֛ה בִּנְךָ֥ יוֹסֵ֖ף בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יךָ וַיִּתְחַזֵּק֙ יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַיֵּ֖שֶׁב עַל־הַמִּטָּֽה׃

One told Jacob and said: Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you. Joseph likely lived in the capital city, which was far from Goshen, and therefore he could not visit his father frequently. When he was notified that Joseph was coming to visit, Israel exerted himself, and he sat upon the bed instead of lying on it, as he wanted to greet the viceroy in a dignified manner. In addition, perhaps sitting was the more appropriate position for the nature of the conversation that Jacob wished to conduct with his son.

RASHI

ויגד.הַמַּגִּיד לְיַעֲקֹב, וְלֹא פֵּרֵשׁ מִי; וְהַרְבֵּה מִקְרָאוֹת קִצְרֵי לָשׁוֹן:

ויתחזק ישראל.אָמַר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא בְּנִי, מֶלֶךְ הוּא, אֶחֱלֹק לוֹ כָּבוֹד; מִכָּאן שֶׁחוֹלְקִין כָּבוֹד לַמַּלְכוּת, וְכֵן מֹשֶׁה חָלַק כָּבוֹד לַמַּלְכוּת – וְיָרְדוּ כָל עֲבָדֶיךָ אֵלֶּה אֵלַי (שמות י"א); וְכֵן אֵלִיָּהוּ, וַיְשַׁנֵּס מָתְנָיו וְגוֹ' (מלכים א י"ח):

Upgrade to Premium Account to access the full Steinsaltz library & more