Vayechi
Encyclopedia
Vayechi, Vayehi, or Vayhi (וַיְחִי — Hebrew
for “and he lived,” the first word
of the parshah) is the twelfth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish
cycle of Torah reading
and the last in the Book of Genesis. It constitutes Jews in the Diaspora
read it the twelfth Sabbath
after Simchat Torah
, generally in December or January.
lived in Egypt
17 years, and lived to be 147 years old. When Jacob’s death drew near, he called his son Joseph
and asked him to put his hand under Jacob’s thigh and swear not to bury him in Egypt, but to bury him with his father and grandfather. Joseph agreed, but Jacob insisted that he swear to, and so he did, and Jacob bowed.
and Ephraim
to see him. Jacob sat up and told Joseph that God
appeared to him at Luz
, blessed him, and told him that God would multiply his descendants and give them that land
forever. Jacob adopted Joseph’s sons as his own and granted them inheritance with his own sons. Jacob recalled how when he came from Paddan, Rachel
died on the way, and he buried her on the way to Ephrath
, near Bethlehem
. Jacob saw Joseph's sons and asked who they were, and Joseph told him that they were the sons whom God had given him in Egypt, so Jacob asked Joseph to bring them near so that he might bless
them.
Jacob’s sight had dimmed with age, so Joseph brought his sons near, and Jacob kissed them and embraced them. Jacob told Joseph that he had not thought to see his face, and now God had let him see his children, as well. Joseph took them from between his knees, bowed deeply, and brought them to Jacob, with Ephraim in his right hand toward Jacob's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Jacob's right hand. But Jacob laid his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn, and prayed that God bless the lads, let Jacob’s name be named in them, and let them grow into a multitude. It displeased Joseph that Jacob laid his right hand on Ephraim, and he lifted Jacob’s right hand to move it to Manasseh the firstborn, but Jacob refused, saying that Manasseh would also become a great people, but his younger brother would be greater. Jacob blessed them, saying Israel
would bless by invoking God to make one like Ephraim and as Manasseh. Jacob told Joseph that he was dying, but God would be with him and bring him back to the land of his fathers, and Jacob had given him a portion (shechem) above his brothers, which he took from the Amorite
s with his sword and bow.
his firstborn, his might, and the first-fruits of his strength; unstable as water, he would not have the best because he defiled his father’s bed. Jacob called Simeon
and Levi
brothers in violence, prayed that his soul not come into their council — for in their anger they slew men and beasts — and cursed their descendants to be scattered throughout Israel. Jacob called Judah
a lion's whelp and told him that he would dominate his enemies, his brothers would bow before him, and his descendants would rule as long as men came to Shiloh
. Zebulun
’s descendants would dwell at the shore near Sidon
, and would work the ships. Jacob called Issachar
a large-boned donkey couching between the sheep-folds, he bowed his shoulder to work, and his descendants would dwell in a pleasant land. Jacob called Dan
a serpent in the road that bites the horse's heels, and he would judge his people. Raiders would raid Gad, but he would raid on their heels. Asher
’s bread would be the richest, and he would yield royal dainties. Jacob called Naphtali
a hind let loose, and he would give good words. Jacob called Joseph a fruitful vine by a fountain whose branches ran over the wall, archers shot at him, but his bow remained firm; Jacob blessed him with blessings of heaven above and the deep below, blessings of the breasts and womb, and mighty blessings on the head of the prince among his brethren. Jacob called Benjamin
a ravenous wolf that devours its prey.
And Jacob charged his sons to bury him with his fathers in the cave of Machpelah
that Abraham
bought and where they buried Abraham and Sarah
, Isaac
and Rebekah, and where he buried Leah
. And then Jacob gathered his feet into his bed and died.
Jacob, and they did so over the next 40 days, and the Egyptians wept for Jacob 70 days. Thereafter, Joseph asked Pharaoh’s courtiers to tell Pharaoh that Jacob had made Joseph swear to bury him in the land of Canaan
and ask that he might go up, bury his father, and return. Pharaoh consented, and Joseph went up with all Pharaoh’s court, Egypt’s elders, chariot
s, horsemen, and all Joseph’s relatives, leaving only the little ones and the flocks and herds behind in the land of Goshen
. At the threshing-floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan River, they mourned for his father seven days, and the Canaanites remarked at how grievous the mourning was for the Egyptians, and thus the place was named Abel-mizraim
. Jacob’s sons carried out his command and buried him in the cave of Machpelah, and the funeral party returned to Egypt.
With Jacob’s death, Joseph's brothers grew concerned that Joseph would repay them for the evil that they had done, and they sent Joseph a message that Jacob had commanded him to forgive them. When the brothers spoke to Joseph, he wept, and his brothers fell down before him and declared that they were his bondmen. Joseph told them not to fear, for he was not God, and even though they had intended him evil, God meant it for good, to save many people. Joseph spoke kindly to them, comforted them, and committed to sustain them and their little ones.
present parallel listings of the twelve tribes, presenting contrasting characterizations of their relative strengths:
Jacob’s blessing of Reuben in depriving Reuben of the blessing of the firstborn, because he went up on Jacob’s bed and defiled it, recalls the report of that Reuben lay with Bilhah
, Jacob's concubine, and Jacob heard of it.
reports that God called a famine upon the land and sent Joseph before the children of Israel.
taught that trouble follows whenever Scripture employs the word vayeishev, meaning “and he settled.” Thus “Israel settled” in presaged trouble in the report of that Israel’s death drew near. (Babylonian Talmud
Sanhedrin 106a.)
Karna deduced from that Jacob sought burial in Israel to ensure his resurrection. Karna reasoned that Jacob knew that he was an entirely righteous man, and that the dead outside Israel will also be resurrected, so Jacob must have troubled his sons to carry him to Canaan because he feared that he might be unworthy to travel through subterranean tunnels to the site of resurrection in Israel. Similarly, Rabbi Hanina explained that the same reason prompted Joseph to seek burial in Israel in . (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 111a; see also Jerusalem Talmud
Kilayim 81a.)
Rav Judah
cited to support the proposition that gravediggers must remove surrounding earth when they rebury a body. Rav Judah interpreted the verse to mean “carry with me [earth] of Egypt.” (Babylonian Talmud Nazir 65a.)
Rabbi Elazar read to report that Jacob bowed to Joseph because Joseph was in power. The Gemara
read Jacob’s action to illustrate a saying then popular: “When the fox has its hour, bow down to it.” That is, even though one would ordinarily expect the lion to be the king of beasts, when the fox has its turn to rule, one should bow to it as well. The Gemara thus viewed Joseph as the fox, to whom, in his day, even the senior Jacob bowed down. (Babylonian Talmud Megilah 16b.)
A midrash
read to teach that Jacob gave thanks for Leah, for says, “And Israel bowed down [in thanksgiving] for the bed's head,” and the midrash read Leah (as the first who bore Jacob children) to be the head of Jacob's bed. (Genesis Rabba
h 71:2.)
was not called a “congregation.” The Gemara questioned Rav Aha’s teaching, asking whether there would then be fewer than 12 tribes. Abaye
replied quoting Jacob’s words in “Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.” But Rava interpreted the words “They shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance” in to show that Ephraim and Manasseh were thereafter regarded as comparable to other tribes only in regard to their inheritance of the land, not in any other respect. The Gemara challenged Rava’s interpretation, noting that Numbers
mentions Ephraim and Manasseh separately as tribes in connection with their assembling around the camp by their banners. The Gemara replied to its own challenge by positing that their campings were like their possessions, in order to show respect to their banners. The Gemara persisted in arguing that Ephraim and Manasseh were treated separately by noting that they were also separated with regard to their princes. The Gemara responded that this was done in order to show honor to the princes and to avoid having to choose the prince of one tribe to rule over the other. 1 Kings
indicates that Solomon celebrated seven days of dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem
, and Moses celebrated twelve days of dedication of the Tabernacle
instead of seven in order to show honor to the princes and to avoid having to choose the prince of one tribe over the other. (Babylonian Talmud Horayot 6b.)
Rav Judah said in the name of Samuel that where grandchildren are equated with children, serves to remind the reader that cursing a husband’s parents in the presence of the husband’s children is just as bad as cursing them in the husband’s presence. Rabbah said that an example of such a curse would be where a woman told her husband’s son, “May a lion devour your grandfather.” (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 72b.)
Rav Papa
cited to demonstrate that the word “noladim,” meaning “born,” applies to lives already in being, not just to children to be born in the future, as “nolad” appears to refer in (Babylonian Talmud Nedarim 30b.)
A Baraita
used to illustrate the effect of the law of levirate marriage
, where a brother marries his dead brother’s wife and raises a child in the dead brother’s name. Just as in Ephraim and Manasseh were to inherit from Jacob, so in levirate marriage the brother who marries his dead brother’s wife and their children thereafter were to inherit from the dead brother. (Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 24a.)
The Gemara noted that in Jacob exclaimed about Rachel’s death as a loss to him, supporting the proposition stated by a baraita that the death of a woman is felt by none so much as by her husband. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 22b.)
Rabbi Johanan deduced from that sustenance is more difficult to achieve than redemption. Rabbi Johanan noted that in a mere angel sufficed to bring about redemption, whereas reported that God provided sustenance. (Babylonian Talmud Pesachim 118a.)
Rabbi Jose son of Rabbi Hanina deduced from that the descendants of Joseph did not have to fear the evil eye
. In Jacob blessed Joseph’s descendants to grow like fishes. Rabbi Jose son of Rabbi Hanina interpreted that just the eye cannot see fish in the sea that are covered by water, so the evil eye would have no power to reach Joseph’s descendants. (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 118b.)
The Gemara read the reference in to “one portion above your brothers” to mean that like a firstborn son, Joseph received a double portion. Rav Papa asked Abaye whether perhaps Jacob merely gave Joseph an extra palm tree. Abaye answered that demonstrated that Jacob intended that Joseph would get two full portions “even as Reuben and Simeon.” Rabbi Helbo
asked Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani why Jacob took the firstborn’s birthright from Reuben and gave it to Joseph. The Gemara answered by citing to show that Reuben lost the birthright when he defiled Jacob’s bed. The Gemara asked why Joseph benefited from Reuben’s disqualification. Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani responded with a parable of an orphan who was brought up by an adoptive father, and when he became rich he chose to give to his adoptive father from his wealth. Similarly, because Joseph cared for Jacob, Jacob chose to give to Joseph. Rabbi Helbo challenged that reason, arguing instead that Rabbi Jonathan said that Rachel should have born the firstborn, as indicated by the naming of Joseph in and God restored the right of the firstborn to Rachel because of her modesty. And a baraita read the reference in to “my sword and . . . my bow” to mean Jacob’s spiritual weapons, interpreting “my sword” to mean prayer and “my bow” to mean supplication. (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 123a.)
Rabbi Johanan said that he would sit at the gate of the bathhouse (mikvah), and when Jewish women came out they would look at him and have children as handsome as he was. The Rabbis asked him whether he was not afraid of the evil eye for being so boastful. He replied that the evil eye has no power over the descendants of Joseph, citing the words of “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine above the eye (alei ayin).” Rabbi Abbahu
taught that one should not read alei ayin (“by a fountain”), but olei ayin (“rising over the eye”). Rabbi Judah (or some say Jose) son of Rabbi Hanina
deduced from the words “And let them (the descendants of Joseph) multiply like fishes (ve-yidgu) in the midst of the earth” in that just as fish (dagim) in the sea are covered by water and thus the evil eye has no power over them, so the evil eye has no power over the descendants of Joseph. Alternatively, the evil eye has no power over the descendants of Joseph because the evil eye has no power over the eye that refused to enjoy what did not belong to it — Potiphar
’s wife — as reported in (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 20a; see also Berakhot 55b.)
, they recite the words, “blessed be the name of God’s glorious Kingdom forever and ever,” quietly between the words, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one,” from and the words, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might,” from for the reason that Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish expounded when he explained what happened in That verse reports, “And Jacob called to his sons, and said: ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what will befall you in the end of days.’” According to Rabbi Simeon, Jacob wished to reveal to his sons what would happen in the end of the days, but just then, the Shechinah
departed from him. So Jacob said that perhaps, Heaven forfend, he had fathered a son who was unworthy to hear the prophecy, just as Abraham
had fathered Ishmael
or Isaac
had fathered Esau
. But his sons answered him (in the words of ), “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One,” explaining that just as there was only One in Jacob’s heart, so there was only One in their hearts. And Jacob replied, “Blessed be the name of God’s glorious Kingdom for ever and ever.” The Rabbis considered that Jews might recite “Blessed be the name of God’s glorious Kingdom for ever and ever” aloud, but rejected that option, as Moses did not say those words in The Rabbis considered that Jews might not recite those words at all, but rejected that option, as Jacob did say the words. So the Rabbis ruled that Jews should recite the words quietly. Rabbi Isaac taught that the School of Rabbi Ammi said that one can compare this practice to that of a princess who smelled a spicy pudding. If she revealed her desire for the pudding, she would suffer disgrace; but if she concealed her desire, she would suffer deprivation. So her servants brought her pudding secretly. Rabbi Abbahu
taught that the Sages ruled that Jews should recite the words aloud, so as not to allow heretics to claim that Jews were adding improper words to the Shema. But in Nehardea
, where there were no heretics so far, they recited the words quietly. (Babylonian Talmud Pesachim 56a.)
The Gemara asked why did not trace Korah
’s genealogy back to Jacob, and Rabbi Samuel bar Isaac answered that Jacob had prayed not to be listed amongst Korah's ancestors in where it is written, “Let my soul not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united.” “Let my soul not come into their council” referred to the spies, and “unto their assembly let my glory not be united” referred to Korah’s assembly. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 109b.)
Rabbi Levi considered the words “Zebulun[’s] . . . boundary shall be upon Zidon” in but since Sidon is in Asher’s territory, Rabbi Levi concluded that the verse alludes to Zebulun’s most distinguished descendent, Jonah
, and deduced that Jonah’s mother must have been from Sidon and the tribe of Asher. (Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 28a.)
Rabbi Johanan taught that the words “and he lay with her that night” in in which the word hu appears in an unusual locution, indicate that God assisted in causing Issachar’s conception. Rabbi Johanan found in the words “Issachar is a large-boned donkey” in an indication that Jacob’s donkey detoured to Leah’s tent, helping to cause Issachar’s birth. (Babylonian Talmud Niddah 31a.)
Rabbi Melai taught in the name of Rabbi Isaac of Magdala
that from the day that Joseph departed from his brothers he abstained from wine, reading to report, “The blessings of your father . . . shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was a nazirite
(since his departure) from his brethren.” Rabbi Jose ben Haninah taught that the brothers also abstained from wine after they departed from him, for reports, “And they drank, and were merry with him,” implying that they broke their abstention “with him.” But Rabbi Melai taught that the brothers did drink wine in moderation since their separation from Joseph, and only when reunited with Joseph did they drink to intoxication “with him.” (Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 139a.)
The Tosefta
interpreted to allude to produce yields of Bethel
and Jericho
. The Tosefta interpreted “Benjamin is a wolf that pounces” to mean that the land of Benjamin, the area of Bethel, jumped to produce crops early in the growing season. The Tosefta interpreted “in the morning he devours the prey” to mean that in Jericho produce was gone from the fields early in the seventh year. And the Tosefta interpreted “and in the evening he divides the spoil” to mean that in Bethel produce remained in the fields until late in the seventh year. (Tosefta Sheviit 7:12.)
A Baraita taught that in all of Israel, there was no more rocky ground than that at Hebron, which is why the Patriarchs buried their dead there, as reported in Even so, the Baraita interpreted the words “and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan
in Egypt
” in to mean that Hebron was seven times as fertile as Zoan. The Baraita rejected the plain meaning of “built,” reasoning that Ham would not build a house for his younger son Canaan
(in whose land was Hebron) before he built one for his elder son Mizraim
(in whose land was Zoan, and lists (presumably in order of birth) “the sons of Ham: Cush
, and Mizraim, and Put
, and Canaan.” The Baraita also taught that among all the nations, there was none more fertile than Egypt, for says, “Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.” And there was no more fertile spot in Egypt than Zoan, where kings lived, for says of Pharaoh
, “his princes are at Zoan.” But rocky Hebron was still seven times as fertile as lush Zoan. (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 112a.)
Rabbi Isaac taught in the name of Rabbi Johanan that Jacob did not die. ( reports only that “he gathered up his feet into the bed, and expired, and was gathered unto his people.”) Rav Nahman
objected that he must have died, for he was bewailed (as reports) and embalmed (as reports) and buried (as reports)! Rabbi Isaac replied that Rabbi Johanan derived his position that Jacob still lives from Jeremiah
which says, “Therefore fear not, O Jacob, My servant, says the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel, for, lo, I will save you from afar and your seed from the land of their captivity.” Rabbi Isaac explained that since likens Jacob to his descendants, then just as Jacobs descendents still live, so too must Jacob. (Babylonian Talmud Taanit 5b.)
came to teach Joseph the 70 languages, but Joseph could not learn them. Thereupon Gabriel added a letter from God’s Name to Joseph’s name, and Joseph was able to learn the languages, as Psalm
reports, “He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I (Joseph) heard a language that I knew not.” The next day, in whatever language Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, Joseph was able to reply to Pharaoh. But when Joseph spoke to Pharaoh in Hebrew, Pharaoh did not understand what he said. So Pharaoh asked Joseph to teach it to him. Joseph tried to teach Pharaoh Hebrew, but Pharaoh could not learn it. Pharaoh asked Joseph to swear that he would not reveal his failing, and Joseph swore. Later, in when Joseph related to Pharaoh that Jacob had made Joseph swear to bury him in the Land of Israel, Pharaoh asked Joseph to seek to be released from the oath. But Joseph replied that in that case, he would also ask to be released from his oath to Pharaoh concerning Pharaoh’s ignorance of languages. As a consequence, even though it was displeasing to Pharaoh, Pharaoh told Joseph in “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.” (Babylonian Talmud Sotah 36b.)
The Mishnah
cited for the proposition that Providence treats a person measure for measure as that person treats others. And so because, as relates, Joseph had the merit to bury his father and none of his brothers were greater than he was, so Joseph merited the greatest of Jews, Moses
, to attend to his bones, as reported in Exodus (Mishnah
Sotah 1:7–9.)
Rav Hisda
deduced from the words “and he made a mourning for his father seven days” in that Biblical “mourning” means seven days. And thus Rav Hisda deduced from the words “And his soul mourns for itself” in Job
that a person’s soul mourns for that person for seven whole days after death. (Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 152a.)
Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Isaac disagreed about how to interpret the words of “And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said: ‘It may be that Joseph will hate us.’” Rabbi Levi taught that the brothers feared this because he did not invite them to dine with him. Rabbi Tanhuma
observed that Joseph’s motive was noble, for Joseph reasoned that formerly Jacob had placed Joseph above Judah, who was a king, and above Reuben, who was the firstborn, but after Jacob’s death, it would not be right for Joseph to sit above them. The brothers, however, did not understand it that way, but worried that Joseph hated them. Rabbi Isaac said that the brothers feared because he had gone and looked into the pit into which they had thrown him. (Genesis Rabbah 100:8.)
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel
read to report that Joseph’s brothers fabricated Jacob’s request that Joseph forgive them in order to preserve peace in the family. (Jerusalem Talmud Peah 8b.)
Rabbi Benjamin bar Japhet said in the name of Rabbi Elazar that bore out the popular saying: “When the fox has its hour, bow down to it.” But the Gemara questioned how Joseph was, like the fox relative to the lion, somehow inferior to his brothers. Rather, the Gemara applied the saying to as discussed above. (Babylonian Talmud Megilah 16b.)
Rabbi Jose
deduced from Joseph’s talk of providing in that when Jacob died, the famine returned. (Tosefta Sotah 10:9.)
Rav Judah asked in the name of Rav
why Joseph referred to himself as “bones” during his lifetime (in ), and explained that it was because he did not protect his father's honor when in his brothers called Jacob “your servant our father” and Joseph failed to protest. And Rav Judah also said in the name of Rav (and others say that it was Rabbi Hama bar Hanina who said) that Joseph died before his brothers because he put on superior airs. (Babylonian Talmud Sotah 13b.)
and Sefer ha-Chinuch
, there are no commandments
in the parshAH (Maimonides. Mishneh Torah
. Cairo
, Egypt, 1170–1180. Reprinted in Maimonides. The Commandments: Sefer Ha-Mitzvoth of Maimonides. Translated by Charles B. Chavel, 2 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1967. ISBN 0-900689-71-4. Sefer HaHinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education. Translated by Charles Wengrov, 1:91. Jerusalem: Feldheim Pub., 1991. ISBN 0-87306-179-9.)
. Both the parshah and the haftarah precede the testament with the phrase “the time drew near that [the leader] must die.” Both the parshah and the haftarah employ the word “va-yetzav,” “he instructed.” A midrash notes that both the parshah and the haftarah use language reflecting the leader’s diminution of authority: the parshah reports Jacob entreating his son, “If now I have found favor in your sight . . . I pray thee” ; the haftarah describes David simply as “David” (in ) instead of the title of honor “King David” used a chapter before (in ). (Midrash Tanchuma Vayechi 2.) In both the parshah and the haftarah, the leaders brought up unpleasant slights that haunted them to their last days: Jacob brought up that his son Rueben defiled Jacob’s bed and that his sons Simeon and Levi slew men and beast in their anger ; David brought up that his nephew Joab
killed Abner
and Amasa
and that Shemei insulted David on the way to Mahanaim
. In so doing, both leaders complained of subordinate family members who acted too zealously on what others might have viewed as the leader’s behalf: Jacob with regard to Simeon and Levi and David with regard to Joab.
(Wayfarer’s Prayer), said on setting out on a journey. (Menachem Davis. The Schottenstein Edition Siddur for Weekdays with an Interlinear Translation, 311–13. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-57819-686-8.)
, Sephardi Jews
each week base the songs of the services on the content of that week's parshah. For Parshah Vayechi, Sephardi Jews apply Maqam Hijaz, the maqam that expresses mourning and sadness. This maqam is appropriate in this parshah because it is the parshah that contains the death of the patriarch Jacob.
’s blessing).
(Deborah
’s song). (David's testament). (31:9 in NJPS) (Ephraim as firstborn).
.jpg)
Hebrew language
Hebrew is a Semitic language of the Afroasiatic language family. Culturally, is it considered by Jews and other religious groups as the language of the Jewish people, though other Jewish languages had originated among diaspora Jews, and the Hebrew language is also used by non-Jewish groups, such...
for “and he lived,” the first word
Incipit
Incipit is a Latin word meaning "it begins". The incipit of a text, such as a poem, song, or book, is the first few words of its opening line. In music, it can also refer to the opening notes of a composition. Before the development of titles, texts were often referred to by their incipits...
of the parshah) is the twelfth weekly Torah portion (parshah) in the annual Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
cycle of Torah reading
Torah reading
Torah reading is a Jewish religious ritual that involves the public reading of a set of passages from a Torah scroll. The term often refers to the entire ceremony of removing the Torah scroll from the ark, chanting the appropriate excerpt with special cantillation, and returning the scroll to...
and the last in the Book of Genesis. It constitutes Jews in the Diaspora
Jewish diaspora
The Jewish diaspora is the English term used to describe the Galut גלות , or 'exile', of the Jews from the region of the Kingdom of Judah and Roman Iudaea and later emigration from wider Eretz Israel....
read it the twelfth Sabbath
Shabbat
Shabbat is the seventh day of the Jewish week and a day of rest in Judaism. Shabbat is observed from a few minutes before sunset on Friday evening until a few minutes after when one would expect to be able to see three stars in the sky on Saturday night. The exact times, therefore, differ from...
after Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah
Simchat Torah or Simḥath Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle...
, generally in December or January.
Burial in Canaan
JacobJacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
lived in Egypt
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...
17 years, and lived to be 147 years old. When Jacob’s death drew near, he called his son Joseph
Joseph (Hebrew Bible)
Joseph is an important character in the Hebrew bible, where he connects the story of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in Canaan to the subsequent story of the liberation of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt....
and asked him to put his hand under Jacob’s thigh and swear not to bury him in Egypt, but to bury him with his father and grandfather. Joseph agreed, but Jacob insisted that he swear to, and so he did, and Jacob bowed.
The blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh
Later, when one told Joseph that his father was sick, Joseph took his sons ManassehManasseh (tribal patriarch)
Manasseh or Menashe was, according to the Book of Genesis, the first son of Joseph and Asenath. Asenath was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of On. Manasseh was born in Egypt before the arrival of the children of Israel from Canaan...
and Ephraim
Ephraim
Ephraim ; was, according to the Book of Genesis, the second son of Joseph and Asenath. Asenath was an Egyptian woman whom Pharaoh gave to Joseph as wife, and the daughter of Potipherah, a priest of On. Ephraim was born in Egypt before the arrival of the children of Israel from Canaan...
to see him. Jacob sat up and told Joseph that God
Names of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
appeared to him at Luz
Luz
Luz is the name of two places in the Bible.Luz is the ancient name of a royal Canaanite city, connected with Bethel . It is debated among scholars whether Luz and Bethel represent one and the same town - the former the Canaanite name, and the latter the Hebrew name - or whether they were distinct...
, blessed him, and told him that God would multiply his descendants and give them that land
Land of Israel
The Land of Israel is the Biblical name for the territory roughly corresponding to the area encompassed by the Southern Levant, also known as Canaan and Palestine, Promised Land and Holy Land. The belief that the area is a God-given homeland of the Jewish people is based on the narrative of the...
forever. Jacob adopted Joseph’s sons as his own and granted them inheritance with his own sons. Jacob recalled how when he came from Paddan, Rachel
Rachel
Rachel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is a prophet and the favorite wife of Jacob, one of the three Biblical Patriarchs, and mother of Joseph and Benjamin. She was the daughter of Laban and the younger sister of Leah, Jacob's first wife...
died on the way, and he buried her on the way to Ephrath
Ephrath
Ephrath or Ephratah is the name of a Biblical place.The first mention of Ephrath occurs in Genesis, in reference to where Rachel dies giving birth to Benjamin and is buried on the road from Bethel...
, near Bethlehem
Bethlehem
Bethlehem is a Palestinian city in the central West Bank of the Jordan River, near Israel and approximately south of Jerusalem, with a population of about 30,000 people. It is the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate of the Palestinian National Authority and a hub of Palestinian culture and tourism...
. Jacob saw Joseph's sons and asked who they were, and Joseph told him that they were the sons whom God had given him in Egypt, so Jacob asked Joseph to bring them near so that he might bless
Blessing
A blessing, is the infusion of something with holiness, spiritual redemption, divine will, or one's hope or approval.- Etymology and Germanic paganism :...
them.
Jacob’s sight had dimmed with age, so Joseph brought his sons near, and Jacob kissed them and embraced them. Jacob told Joseph that he had not thought to see his face, and now God had let him see his children, as well. Joseph took them from between his knees, bowed deeply, and brought them to Jacob, with Ephraim in his right hand toward Jacob's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand toward Jacob's right hand. But Jacob laid his right hand on Ephraim, the younger, and his left hand on Manasseh, the firstborn, and prayed that God bless the lads, let Jacob’s name be named in them, and let them grow into a multitude. It displeased Joseph that Jacob laid his right hand on Ephraim, and he lifted Jacob’s right hand to move it to Manasseh the firstborn, but Jacob refused, saying that Manasseh would also become a great people, but his younger brother would be greater. Jacob blessed them, saying Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
would bless by invoking God to make one like Ephraim and as Manasseh. Jacob told Joseph that he was dying, but God would be with him and bring him back to the land of his fathers, and Jacob had given him a portion (shechem) above his brothers, which he took from the Amorite
Amorite
Amorite refers to an ancient Semitic people who occupied large parts of Mesopotamia from the 21st Century BC...
s with his sword and bow.
Jacob’s blessing
Jacob gathered his sons and asked them to listen to what would befall them in time. Jacob called ReubenReuben (Bible)
According to the Book of Genesis, Reuben or Re'uven was the first and eldest son of Jacob with Leah. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Reuben.-Etymology:...
his firstborn, his might, and the first-fruits of his strength; unstable as water, he would not have the best because he defiled his father’s bed. Jacob called Simeon
Simeon (Hebrew Bible)
According to the Book of Genesis, Simeon was, the second son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Simeon. However, some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an etiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
and Levi
Levi
Levi/Levy was, according to the Book of Genesis, the third son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Levi ; however Peake's commentary suggests this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
brothers in violence, prayed that his soul not come into their council — for in their anger they slew men and beasts — and cursed their descendants to be scattered throughout Israel. Jacob called Judah
Judah (Biblical figure)
Judah was, according to the Book of Genesis, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Judah. Biblical scholars, such as J. A...
a lion's whelp and told him that he would dominate his enemies, his brothers would bow before him, and his descendants would rule as long as men came to Shiloh
Shiloh (Biblical)
Shiloh was an ancient city south of ancient Tirzah and mentioned in the Hebrew Bible. Its site is at modern Khirbet Seilun, West Bank, and north of the Israeli settlement of Beth El in the West Bank....
. Zebulun
Zebulun
Zebulun was, according to the Books of Genesis and Numbers, the sixth son of Jacob and Leah, and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Zebulun...
’s descendants would dwell at the shore near Sidon
Sidon
Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah...
, and would work the ships. Jacob called Issachar
Issachar
Issachar/Yissachar was, according to the Book of Genesis, a son of Jacob and Leah , and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Issachar; however some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
a large-boned donkey couching between the sheep-folds, he bowed his shoulder to work, and his descendants would dwell in a pleasant land. Jacob called Dan
Dan (Biblical figure)
According to the Book of Genesis, Dan was the fifth son of Jacob with Bilhah. He was Bilhah's first son. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Dan. In the biblical account, Dan's mother is described as Rachel's handmaid, who becomes one of Jacob's wives...
a serpent in the road that bites the horse's heels, and he would judge his people. Raiders would raid Gad, but he would raid on their heels. Asher
Asher
Asher , in the Book of Genesis, is the second son of Jacob and Zilpah, and the founder of the Tribe of Asher.-Name:The text of the Torah argues that the name of Asher means happy/blessing, implying a derivation from the Hebrew term osher ; the Torah actually presents this in two variations—beoshri...
’s bread would be the richest, and he would yield royal dainties. Jacob called Naphtali
Naphtali
According to the Book of Genesis, Naphtali was the second son of Jacob with Bilhah. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Naphtali. However, some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the...
a hind let loose, and he would give good words. Jacob called Joseph a fruitful vine by a fountain whose branches ran over the wall, archers shot at him, but his bow remained firm; Jacob blessed him with blessings of heaven above and the deep below, blessings of the breasts and womb, and mighty blessings on the head of the prince among his brethren. Jacob called Benjamin
Benjamin
Benjamin was the last-born of Jacob's twelve sons, and the second and last son of Rachel in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Benjamin. In the Biblical account, unlike Rachel's first son, Joseph, Benjamin was born in Canaan. He died in Egypt on...
a ravenous wolf that devours its prey.
And Jacob charged his sons to bury him with his fathers in the cave of Machpelah
Cave of the Patriarchs
The Cave of the Patriarchs or the Cave of Machpelah , is known by Muslims as the Sanctuary of Abraham or Ibrahimi Mosque ....
that Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
bought and where they buried Abraham and Sarah
Sarah
Sarah or Sara was the wife of Abraham and the mother of Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible and the Quran. Her name was originally Sarai...
, Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
and Rebekah, and where he buried Leah
Leah
Leah , as described in the Hebrew Bible, is the first of the two concurrent wives of the Hebrew patriarch Jacob and mother of six of sons whose descendants became the Twelve Tribes of Israel, along with at least one daughter, Dinah. She is the daughter of Laban and the older sister of Rachel, whom...
. And then Jacob gathered his feet into his bed and died.
The burial of Jacob
Joseph kissed his father's face and wept. Joseph commanded the physicians to embalmMummy
A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme coldness , very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry...
Jacob, and they did so over the next 40 days, and the Egyptians wept for Jacob 70 days. Thereafter, Joseph asked Pharaoh’s courtiers to tell Pharaoh that Jacob had made Joseph swear to bury him in the land of Canaan
Canaan
Canaan is a historical region roughly corresponding to modern-day Israel, Palestine, Lebanon, and the western parts of Jordan...
and ask that he might go up, bury his father, and return. Pharaoh consented, and Joseph went up with all Pharaoh’s court, Egypt’s elders, chariot
Chariot
The chariot is a type of horse carriage used in both peace and war as the chief vehicle of many ancient peoples. Ox carts, proto-chariots, were built by the Proto-Indo-Europeans and also built in Mesopotamia as early as 3000 BC. The original horse chariot was a fast, light, open, two wheeled...
s, horsemen, and all Joseph’s relatives, leaving only the little ones and the flocks and herds behind in the land of Goshen
Land of Goshen
The Land of Goshen is named in the bible as the place in Egypt given to the Hebrews by the pharaoh of Joseph, and the land from which they later left Egypt at the time of the Exodus...
. At the threshing-floor of Atad, beyond the Jordan River, they mourned for his father seven days, and the Canaanites remarked at how grievous the mourning was for the Egyptians, and thus the place was named Abel-mizraim
Abel-mizraim
Abel-mizraim is a place "beyond," or west, of the Jordan river, at the "threshing-floor of Atad." Here the Egyptians mourned seven days for Jacob . Its site is unknown....
. Jacob’s sons carried out his command and buried him in the cave of Machpelah, and the funeral party returned to Egypt.
With Jacob’s death, Joseph's brothers grew concerned that Joseph would repay them for the evil that they had done, and they sent Joseph a message that Jacob had commanded him to forgive them. When the brothers spoke to Joseph, he wept, and his brothers fell down before him and declared that they were his bondmen. Joseph told them not to fear, for he was not God, and even though they had intended him evil, God meant it for good, to save many people. Joseph spoke kindly to them, comforted them, and committed to sustain them and their little ones.
The death of Joseph
Joseph lived 110 years, saw Ephraim's children of the third generation, and grandchildren of Manasseh were born on Joseph's knees. Joseph told his brothers that he was dying, but God would surely remember them and bring them out of Egypt to the land that God had sworn to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Joseph made the children of Israel swear to carry his bones to that land. So Joseph died, and they embalmed him, and put him in a coffin in Egypt.Genesis chapter 49
Deuteronomy and JudgesBook of Judges
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew bible and the Christian Old Testament. Its title describes its contents: it contains the history of Biblical judges, divinely inspired prophets whose direct knowledge of Yahweh allows them to act as decision-makers for the Israelites, as...
present parallel listings of the twelve tribes, presenting contrasting characterizations of their relative strengths:
| Tribe | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Reuben Tribe of Reuben According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Reuben was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BC, the Tribe of Reuben was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes. No central government... |
Jacob’s first-born, Jacob’s might, the first-fruits of Jacob’s strength, the excellency of dignity, the excellency of power; unstable as water, he would not have the excellency because he mounted his father's bed and defiled it | let him live and not die and become few in number | among their divisions were great resolves of heart; they sat among the sheepfolds to hear the piping for the flocks, and did not contribute; at their divisions was great soul-searching |
| Simeon Tribe of Simeon According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Simeon was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BC, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes... |
brother of Levi, weapons of violence were their kinship; let Jacob’s soul not come into their council, to their assembly, for in their anger they slew men, in their self-will they hewed oxen; cursed was their fierce anger and their cruel wrath, Jacob would divide and scatter them in Israel | not mentioned | not mentioned |
| Levi Levite In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their inheritance"... |
brother of Simeon, weapons of violence were their kinship; let Jacob’s soul not come into their council, to their assembly, for in their anger they slew men, in their self-will they hewed oxen; cursed was their fierce anger and their cruel wrath, Jacob would divide and scatter them in Israel | his Thummim and Urim Urim and Thummim In ancient Israelite religion and culture, Urim and Thummim is a phrase from the Hebrew Scriptures or Torah associated with the Hoshen , divination in general, and cleromancy in particular... would be with God; God proved him at Massah Massah Massah is one of the locations which the Torah identifies as having been travelled through by the Israelites, during the Exodus, although the list of visited stations in the Book of Numbers doesn't mention it... , with whom God strove at the waters of Meribah Meribah Meribah is one of the locations which the Torah identifies as having been travelled through by the Israelites, during the Exodus, although the continuous list of visited stations in the Book of Numbers doesn't mention it... ; he did not acknowledge his father, mother, brothers, or children; observed God’s word, and would keep God’s covenant; would teach Israel God’s law; would put incense before God, and whole burnt-offerings on God’s altar; God bless his substance, and accept the work of his hands; smite the loins of his enemies |
not mentioned |
| Judah Tribe of Judah According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Judah was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes.... |
his brothers would praise him, his hand would be on the neck of his enemies, his father's sons would bow down before him; a lion's whelp, from the prey he is gone up, he stooped down, he couched as a lion and a lioness, who would rouse him? the scepter would not depart from him, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh, to him would the obedience of the peoples be; binding his foal to the vine and his ass's colt to the choice vine, he washes his garments in wine, his eyes would be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk | God hear his voice, and bring him in to his people; his hands would contend for him, and God would help against his adversaries | not mentioned |
| Zebulun Tribe of Zebulun According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Zebulun was one of the Tribes of Israel.... |
would dwell at the shore of the sea, would be a shore for ships, his flank would be upon Zidon Sidon Sidon or Saïda is the third-largest city in Lebanon. It is located in the South Governorate of Lebanon, on the Mediterranean coast, about 40 km north of Tyre and 40 km south of the capital Beirut. In Genesis, Sidon is the son of Canaan the grandson of Noah... |
he would rejoice in his going out, with Issachar he would call peoples to the mountain; there they would offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they would suck the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the sand | they that handle the marshal's staff; jeopardized their lives for Israel |
| Issachar Tribe of Issachar According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Issachar was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes... |
a large-boned ass, couching down between the sheep-folds, he saw a good resting-place and the pleasant land, he bowed his shoulder to bear and became a servant under task-work | he would rejoice in his tents, with Zebulun he would call peoples to the mountain; there they would offer sacrifices of righteousness, for they would suck the abundance of the seas, and the hidden treasures of the sand | their princes were with Deborah Deborah Deborah was a prophetess of Yahweh the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel, counselor, warrior, and the wife of Lapidoth according to the Book of Judges chapters 4 and 5.... |
| Dan Tribe of Dan The Tribe of Dan, also sometimes spelled as "Dann", was one of the Tribes of Israel. Though known mostly from biblical sources, they were possibly descendants of the Denyen Sea Peoples who joined with Hebrews... |
would judge his people, would be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that bites the horse's heels, so that his rider falls backward | a lion's whelp, that leaps forth from Bashan Bashan Bashan or Basan is a biblical place first mentioned in , where it is said that Chedorlaomer and his confederates "smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth", where Og the king of Bashan had his residence. At the time of Israel's entrance into the Promised Land, Og came out against them, but was utterly routed... |
sojourned by the ships, and did not contribute |
| Gad Tribe of Gad According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Gad was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BC, the Tribe of Gad was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes. No central government existed,... |
a troop would troop upon him, but he would troop upon their heel | blessed be God Who enlarges him; he dwells as a lioness, and tears the arm and the crown of the head; he chose a first part for himself, for there a portion of a ruler was reserved; and there came the heads of the people, he executed God’s righteousness and ordinances with Israel | Gilead Gilead In the Bible "Gilead" means hill of testimony or mound of witness, , a mountainous region east of the Jordan River, situated in the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. It is also referred to by the Aramaic name Yegar-Sahadutha, which carries the same meaning as the Hebrew . From its mountainous character... stayed beyond the Jordan and did not contribute |
| Asher Tribe of Asher According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Asher! was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes... |
his bread would be fat, he would yield royal dainties | blessed above sons; let him be the favored of his brothers, and let him dip his foot in oil; iron and brass would be his bars; and as his days, so would his strength be | dwelt at the shore of the sea, abided by its bays, and did not contribute |
| Naphtali Tribe of Naphtali The Tribe of Naphtali was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes... |
a hind let loose, he gave goodly words | satisfied with favor, full with God’s blessing, would possess the sea and the south | were upon the high places of the field of battle |
| Joseph Tribe of Joseph The Tribe of Joseph was one of the Tribes of Israel, though since Ephraim and Manasseh together traditionally constituted the tribe of Joseph, it was often not listed as one of the tribes, in favour of Ephraim and Manasseh being listed in its place; consequently it was often termed the House of... |
a fruitful vine by a fountain, its branches run over the wall, the archers have dealt bitterly with him, shot at him, and hated him; his bow abode firm, and the arms of his hands were made supple by God, who would help and bless him with blessings of heaven above, the deep beneath, the breast and the womb; Jacob’s blessings, mighty beyond the blessings of his ancestors, would be on his head, and on the crown of the head of the prince among his brothers | blessed of God was his land; for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep beneath, and for the precious things of the fruits of the sun, and for the precious things of the yield of the moons, for the tops of the ancient mountains, and for the precious things of the everlasting hills, and for the precious things of the earth and the fullness thereof, and the good will of God; the blessing would come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the head of him that is prince among his brothers; his firstling bullock, majesty was his; and his horns were the horns of the wild-ox; with them he would gore all the peoples to the ends of the earth; they were the ten thousands of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh | out of Ephraim came they whose root is in Amalek Amalek The Amalekites are a people mentioned a number of times in the Hebrew Bible. They are considered to be descended from an ancestor Amalek.... |
| Benjamin Tribe of Benjamin According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Benjamin בִּנְיָמִין was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BCE, the Tribe of Benjamin was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes... |
a ravenous wolf, in the morning he devoured the prey, at evening he divided the spoil | God’s beloved would dwell in safety by God; God covered him all the day, and dwelt between his shoulders | came after Ephriam |
Jacob’s blessing of Reuben in depriving Reuben of the blessing of the firstborn, because he went up on Jacob’s bed and defiled it, recalls the report of that Reuben lay with Bilhah
Bilhah
In the Book of Genesis, Bilhah is Rachel's handmaid who becomes a wife of Jacob and bears him two sons, Dan and Naphtali....
, Jacob's concubine, and Jacob heard of it.
Genesis chapter 50
When Joseph in told his brothers that they meant evil against him, but God meant it for good to save the lives of many people, he echoed his explanation in that God sent him to Egypt before his brothers to preserve life. Similarly, PsalmPsalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
reports that God called a famine upon the land and sent Joseph before the children of Israel.
Genesis Chapter 47
Rabbi JohananYochanan bar Nafcha
Rabbi Yochanan ;...
taught that trouble follows whenever Scripture employs the word vayeishev, meaning “and he settled.” Thus “Israel settled” in presaged trouble in the report of that Israel’s death drew near. (Babylonian Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
Sanhedrin 106a.)
Karna deduced from that Jacob sought burial in Israel to ensure his resurrection. Karna reasoned that Jacob knew that he was an entirely righteous man, and that the dead outside Israel will also be resurrected, so Jacob must have troubled his sons to carry him to Canaan because he feared that he might be unworthy to travel through subterranean tunnels to the site of resurrection in Israel. Similarly, Rabbi Hanina explained that the same reason prompted Joseph to seek burial in Israel in . (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 111a; see also Jerusalem Talmud
Jerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
Kilayim 81a.)
Rav Judah
Judah ben Ezekiel
Judah ben Ezekiel , was a Babylonian amora of the 2nd generation. He was the most prominent disciple of Rav , in whose house he often stayed, and whose son Hiyya was his pupil...
cited to support the proposition that gravediggers must remove surrounding earth when they rebury a body. Rav Judah interpreted the verse to mean “carry with me [earth] of Egypt.” (Babylonian Talmud Nazir 65a.)
Rabbi Elazar read to report that Jacob bowed to Joseph because Joseph was in power. The Gemara
Gemara
The Gemara is the component of the Talmud comprising rabbinical analysis of and commentary on the Mishnah. After the Mishnah was published by Rabbi Judah the Prince The Gemara (also transliterated Gemora or, less commonly, Gemorra; from Aramaic גמרא gamar; literally, "[to] study" or "learning by...
read Jacob’s action to illustrate a saying then popular: “When the fox has its hour, bow down to it.” That is, even though one would ordinarily expect the lion to be the king of beasts, when the fox has its turn to rule, one should bow to it as well. The Gemara thus viewed Joseph as the fox, to whom, in his day, even the senior Jacob bowed down. (Babylonian Talmud Megilah 16b.)
A midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
read to teach that Jacob gave thanks for Leah, for says, “And Israel bowed down [in thanksgiving] for the bed's head,” and the midrash read Leah (as the first who bore Jacob children) to be the head of Jacob's bed. (Genesis Rabba
Genesis Rabba
Genesis Rabba is a religious text from Judaism's classical period. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical interpretations of the Book of Genesis ....
h 71:2.)
Genesis Chapter 48
Interpreting the Gemara examined the consequences of Jacob’s blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh. Rav Aha bar Jacob taught that a tribe that had an inheritance of land was called a “congregation,” but a tribe that had no possession was not a “congregation.” Thus Rav Aha bar Jacob taught that the tribe of LeviLevite
In Jewish tradition, a Levite is a member of the Hebrew tribe of Levi. When Joshua led the Israelites into the land of Canaan, the Levites were the only Israelite tribe that received cities but were not allowed to be landowners "because the Lord the God of Israel himself is their inheritance"...
was not called a “congregation.” The Gemara questioned Rav Aha’s teaching, asking whether there would then be fewer than 12 tribes. Abaye
Abaye
Abaye was a rabbi of the Jewish Talmud who lived in Babylonia [בבל], known as an amora [אמורא] born about the close of the third century; died 339 . His father, Kaylil, was the brother of Rabbah bar Nachmani, a teacher at the Academy of Pumbedita. Abaye's real name was Nachmani, after his...
replied quoting Jacob’s words in “Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine.” But Rava interpreted the words “They shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance” in to show that Ephraim and Manasseh were thereafter regarded as comparable to other tribes only in regard to their inheritance of the land, not in any other respect. The Gemara challenged Rava’s interpretation, noting that Numbers
Book of Numbers
The Book of Numbers is the fourth book of the Hebrew Bible, and the fourth of five books of the Jewish Torah/Pentateuch....
mentions Ephraim and Manasseh separately as tribes in connection with their assembling around the camp by their banners. The Gemara replied to its own challenge by positing that their campings were like their possessions, in order to show respect to their banners. The Gemara persisted in arguing that Ephraim and Manasseh were treated separately by noting that they were also separated with regard to their princes. The Gemara responded that this was done in order to show honor to the princes and to avoid having to choose the prince of one tribe to rule over the other. 1 Kings
Books of Kings
The Book of Kings presents a narrative history of ancient Israel and Judah from the death of David to the release of his successor Jehoiachin from imprisonment in Babylon, a period of some 400 years...
indicates that Solomon celebrated seven days of dedication of the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
, and Moses celebrated twelve days of dedication of the Tabernacle
Tabernacle
The Tabernacle , according to the Hebrew Torah/Old Testament, was the portable dwelling place for the divine presence from the time of the Exodus from Egypt through the conquering of the land of Canaan. Built to specifications revealed by God to Moses at Mount Sinai, it accompanied the Israelites...
instead of seven in order to show honor to the princes and to avoid having to choose the prince of one tribe over the other. (Babylonian Talmud Horayot 6b.)
Rav Judah said in the name of Samuel that where grandchildren are equated with children, serves to remind the reader that cursing a husband’s parents in the presence of the husband’s children is just as bad as cursing them in the husband’s presence. Rabbah said that an example of such a curse would be where a woman told her husband’s son, “May a lion devour your grandfather.” (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 72b.)
Rav Papa
Rav Papa
For the Amora sages of the Land of Israel,of the 3d Amoraic generetion, see Hanina b. Papi or Hanina ben Pappa.For another Babylonian Amora sage of the 5th Amoraic generetion, see Rav Papi....
cited to demonstrate that the word “noladim,” meaning “born,” applies to lives already in being, not just to children to be born in the future, as “nolad” appears to refer in (Babylonian Talmud Nedarim 30b.)
A Baraita
Baraita
Baraita designates a tradition in the Jewish oral law not incorporated in the Mishnah. "Baraita" thus refers to teachings "outside" of the six orders of the Mishnah...
used to illustrate the effect of the law of levirate marriage
Levirate marriage
Levirate marriage is a type of marriage in which the brother of a deceased man is obligated to marry his brother's widow, and the widow is obligated to marry her deceased husband's brother....
, where a brother marries his dead brother’s wife and raises a child in the dead brother’s name. Just as in Ephraim and Manasseh were to inherit from Jacob, so in levirate marriage the brother who marries his dead brother’s wife and their children thereafter were to inherit from the dead brother. (Babylonian Talmud Yevamot 24a.)
The Gemara noted that in Jacob exclaimed about Rachel’s death as a loss to him, supporting the proposition stated by a baraita that the death of a woman is felt by none so much as by her husband. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 22b.)
Rabbi Johanan deduced from that sustenance is more difficult to achieve than redemption. Rabbi Johanan noted that in a mere angel sufficed to bring about redemption, whereas reported that God provided sustenance. (Babylonian Talmud Pesachim 118a.)
Rabbi Jose son of Rabbi Hanina deduced from that the descendants of Joseph did not have to fear the evil eye
Evil eye
The evil eye is a look that is believed by many cultures to be able to cause injury or bad luck for the person at whom it is directed for reasons of envy or dislike...
. In Jacob blessed Joseph’s descendants to grow like fishes. Rabbi Jose son of Rabbi Hanina interpreted that just the eye cannot see fish in the sea that are covered by water, so the evil eye would have no power to reach Joseph’s descendants. (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 118b.)
The Gemara read the reference in to “one portion above your brothers” to mean that like a firstborn son, Joseph received a double portion. Rav Papa asked Abaye whether perhaps Jacob merely gave Joseph an extra palm tree. Abaye answered that demonstrated that Jacob intended that Joseph would get two full portions “even as Reuben and Simeon.” Rabbi Helbo
Rabbi Helbo
Rabbi Helbo was an amora who flourished about the end of the 3rd century, and who is frequently mentioned in both Talmuds. It seems that Ḥelbo was at first in Babylon, where he studied under Rav Huna, the head of the Academy of Sura, and that, like the other Babylonian amoraim, he was called "Rab"...
asked Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani why Jacob took the firstborn’s birthright from Reuben and gave it to Joseph. The Gemara answered by citing to show that Reuben lost the birthright when he defiled Jacob’s bed. The Gemara asked why Joseph benefited from Reuben’s disqualification. Rabbi Samuel bar Nahmani responded with a parable of an orphan who was brought up by an adoptive father, and when he became rich he chose to give to his adoptive father from his wealth. Similarly, because Joseph cared for Jacob, Jacob chose to give to Joseph. Rabbi Helbo challenged that reason, arguing instead that Rabbi Jonathan said that Rachel should have born the firstborn, as indicated by the naming of Joseph in and God restored the right of the firstborn to Rachel because of her modesty. And a baraita read the reference in to “my sword and . . . my bow” to mean Jacob’s spiritual weapons, interpreting “my sword” to mean prayer and “my bow” to mean supplication. (Babylonian Talmud Bava Batra 123a.)
Rabbi Johanan said that he would sit at the gate of the bathhouse (mikvah), and when Jewish women came out they would look at him and have children as handsome as he was. The Rabbis asked him whether he was not afraid of the evil eye for being so boastful. He replied that the evil eye has no power over the descendants of Joseph, citing the words of “Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine above the eye (alei ayin).” Rabbi Abbahu
Abbahu
Abbahu was a Jewish Talmudist, known as an amora, who lived in the Land of Israel, of the 3rd amoraic generation , sometimes cited as R. Abbahu of Caesarea . His rabbinic education was acquired mainly at Tiberias, in the academy presided over by R. Johanan, with whom his relations were almost...
taught that one should not read alei ayin (“by a fountain”), but olei ayin (“rising over the eye”). Rabbi Judah (or some say Jose) son of Rabbi Hanina
Chaninah
Chaninah, also called Haninah, Chananiah, etc. was a Tanna of the 2nd century, contemporary of Judah ben Bathyra, Matteya ben Ḥeresh, and Jonathan . Who his father was is not stated; nor is anything known of his early years. He was named after his grandfather, Hananiah, and educated by his uncle,...
deduced from the words “And let them (the descendants of Joseph) multiply like fishes (ve-yidgu) in the midst of the earth” in that just as fish (dagim) in the sea are covered by water and thus the evil eye has no power over them, so the evil eye has no power over the descendants of Joseph. Alternatively, the evil eye has no power over the descendants of Joseph because the evil eye has no power over the eye that refused to enjoy what did not belong to it — Potiphar
Potiphar
Potiphar or Potifar is a person in the Book of Genesis's account of Joseph. Potiphar is said to be the captain of the palace guard and is referred to without name in the Quran. Joseph, sold into slavery by his brothers, is taken to Egypt where he is sold to Potiphar as a household slave...
’s wife — as reported in (Babylonian Talmud Berakhot 20a; see also Berakhot 55b.)
Genesis Chapter 49
The Gemara explained that when Jews recite the ShemaShema Yisrael
Shema Yisrael are the first two words of a section of the Torah that is a centerpiece of the morning and evening Jewish prayer services...
, they recite the words, “blessed be the name of God’s glorious Kingdom forever and ever,” quietly between the words, “Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one,” from and the words, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might,” from for the reason that Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish expounded when he explained what happened in That verse reports, “And Jacob called to his sons, and said: ‘Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you what will befall you in the end of days.’” According to Rabbi Simeon, Jacob wished to reveal to his sons what would happen in the end of the days, but just then, the Shechinah
Shekhinah
Shekinah is the English spelling of a grammatically feminine Hebrew word that means the dwelling or settling, and is used to denote the dwelling or settling divine presence of God, especially in the Temple in Jerusalem.-Etymology:Shekinah is derived...
departed from him. So Jacob said that perhaps, Heaven forfend, he had fathered a son who was unworthy to hear the prophecy, just as Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
had fathered Ishmael
Ishmael
Ishmael is a figure in the Hebrew Bible and the Qur'an, and was Abraham's first born child according to Jews, Christians and Muslims. Ishmael was born of Abraham's marriage to Sarah's handmaiden Hagar...
or Isaac
Isaac
Isaac as described in the Hebrew Bible, was the only son Abraham had with his wife Sarah, and was the father of Jacob and Esau. Isaac was one of the three patriarchs of the Israelites...
had fathered Esau
Esau
Esau , in the Hebrew Bible, is the oldest son of Isaac. He is mentioned in the Book of Genesis, and by the minor prophets, Obadiah and Malachi. The New Testament later references him in the Book of Romans and the Book of Hebrews....
. But his sons answered him (in the words of ), “Hear O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One,” explaining that just as there was only One in Jacob’s heart, so there was only One in their hearts. And Jacob replied, “Blessed be the name of God’s glorious Kingdom for ever and ever.” The Rabbis considered that Jews might recite “Blessed be the name of God’s glorious Kingdom for ever and ever” aloud, but rejected that option, as Moses did not say those words in The Rabbis considered that Jews might not recite those words at all, but rejected that option, as Jacob did say the words. So the Rabbis ruled that Jews should recite the words quietly. Rabbi Isaac taught that the School of Rabbi Ammi said that one can compare this practice to that of a princess who smelled a spicy pudding. If she revealed her desire for the pudding, she would suffer disgrace; but if she concealed her desire, she would suffer deprivation. So her servants brought her pudding secretly. Rabbi Abbahu
Abbahu
Abbahu was a Jewish Talmudist, known as an amora, who lived in the Land of Israel, of the 3rd amoraic generation , sometimes cited as R. Abbahu of Caesarea . His rabbinic education was acquired mainly at Tiberias, in the academy presided over by R. Johanan, with whom his relations were almost...
taught that the Sages ruled that Jews should recite the words aloud, so as not to allow heretics to claim that Jews were adding improper words to the Shema. But in Nehardea
Nehardea
Nehardea or Nehardeah was a city of Babylonia, situated at or near the junction of the Euphrates with the Nahr Malka , one of the earliest centers of Babylonian Judaism. As the seat of the exilarch it traced its origin back to King Jehoiachin...
, where there were no heretics so far, they recited the words quietly. (Babylonian Talmud Pesachim 56a.)
The Gemara asked why did not trace Korah
Korah
Korah or Kórach Some older English translations, as well as the Douay Bible), spell the name Core, and many Eastern European translations have Korak...
’s genealogy back to Jacob, and Rabbi Samuel bar Isaac answered that Jacob had prayed not to be listed amongst Korah's ancestors in where it is written, “Let my soul not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united.” “Let my soul not come into their council” referred to the spies, and “unto their assembly let my glory not be united” referred to Korah’s assembly. (Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 109b.)
Rabbi Levi considered the words “Zebulun[’s] . . . boundary shall be upon Zidon” in but since Sidon is in Asher’s territory, Rabbi Levi concluded that the verse alludes to Zebulun’s most distinguished descendent, Jonah
Jonah
Jonah is the name given in the Hebrew Bible to a prophet of the northern kingdom of Israel in about the 8th century BC, the eponymous central character in the Book of Jonah, famous for being swallowed by a fish or a whale, depending on translation...
, and deduced that Jonah’s mother must have been from Sidon and the tribe of Asher. (Jerusalem Talmud Sukkah 28a.)
Rabbi Johanan taught that the words “and he lay with her that night” in in which the word hu appears in an unusual locution, indicate that God assisted in causing Issachar’s conception. Rabbi Johanan found in the words “Issachar is a large-boned donkey” in an indication that Jacob’s donkey detoured to Leah’s tent, helping to cause Issachar’s birth. (Babylonian Talmud Niddah 31a.)
Rabbi Melai taught in the name of Rabbi Isaac of Magdala
Magdala
Magdala is the name of at least two places in ancient Israel mentioned in the Jewish Talmud and one place that may be mentioned in the Christian New Testament...
that from the day that Joseph departed from his brothers he abstained from wine, reading to report, “The blessings of your father . . . shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of him who was a nazirite
Nazirite
In the Hebrew Bible, a nazirite or nazarite, , refers to one who voluntarily took a vow described in . The term "nazirite" comes from the Hebrew word nazir meaning "consecrated" or "separated"...
(since his departure) from his brethren.” Rabbi Jose ben Haninah taught that the brothers also abstained from wine after they departed from him, for reports, “And they drank, and were merry with him,” implying that they broke their abstention “with him.” But Rabbi Melai taught that the brothers did drink wine in moderation since their separation from Joseph, and only when reunited with Joseph did they drink to intoxication “with him.” (Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 139a.)
The Tosefta
Tosefta
The Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
interpreted to allude to produce yields of Bethel
Bethel
Bethel was a border city described in the Hebrew Bible as being located between Benjamin and Ephraim...
and Jericho
Jericho
Jericho ; is a city located near the Jordan River in the West Bank of the Palestinian territories. It is the capital of the Jericho Governorate and has a population of more than 20,000. Situated well below sea level on an east-west route north of the Dead Sea, Jericho is the lowest permanently...
. The Tosefta interpreted “Benjamin is a wolf that pounces” to mean that the land of Benjamin, the area of Bethel, jumped to produce crops early in the growing season. The Tosefta interpreted “in the morning he devours the prey” to mean that in Jericho produce was gone from the fields early in the seventh year. And the Tosefta interpreted “and in the evening he divides the spoil” to mean that in Bethel produce remained in the fields until late in the seventh year. (Tosefta Sheviit 7:12.)
A Baraita taught that in all of Israel, there was no more rocky ground than that at Hebron, which is why the Patriarchs buried their dead there, as reported in Even so, the Baraita interpreted the words “and Hebron was built seven years before Zoan
Tanis, Egypt
Tanis , the Greek name of ancient Djanet , is a city in the north-eastern Nile delta of Egypt. It is located on the Tanitic branch of the Nile which has long since silted up.-History:...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
” in to mean that Hebron was seven times as fertile as Zoan. The Baraita rejected the plain meaning of “built,” reasoning that Ham would not build a house for his younger son Canaan
Canaan (Bible)
Canaan, according to the Book of Genesis in the Hebrew Bible, was a son of Ham and grandson of Noah.- Descendants of Canaan:According to the Table of Nations in Genesis 10 , Canaan was the ancestor of the Canaanite tribes who occupied the ancient Land of Canaan: all the territory from Sidon to...
(in whose land was Hebron) before he built one for his elder son Mizraim
Mizraim
Mizraim is the Hebrew name for the land of Egypt, with the dual suffix -āyim, perhaps referring to the "two Egypts": Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt....
(in whose land was Zoan, and lists (presumably in order of birth) “the sons of Ham: Cush
Biblical Cush
Cush was the eldest son of Ham, brother of Mizraim , Canaan and the father of Nimrod, and Raamah, mentioned in the "Table of Nations" in the Genesis 10:6 and I Chronicles 1:8...
, and Mizraim, and Put
Phut
Phut or Put is the third son of Ham , in the biblical Table of Nations .Put is associated with Ancient Libya by many early writers...
, and Canaan.” The Baraita also taught that among all the nations, there was none more fertile than Egypt, for says, “Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt.” And there was no more fertile spot in Egypt than Zoan, where kings lived, for says of Pharaoh
Pharaoh
Pharaoh is a title used in many modern discussions of the ancient Egyptian rulers of all periods. The title originates in the term "pr-aa" which means "great house" and describes the royal palace...
, “his princes are at Zoan.” But rocky Hebron was still seven times as fertile as lush Zoan. (Babylonian Talmud Ketubot 112a.)
Rabbi Isaac taught in the name of Rabbi Johanan that Jacob did not die. ( reports only that “he gathered up his feet into the bed, and expired, and was gathered unto his people.”) Rav Nahman
Rav Nachman
Rav Nachman bar Yaakov was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an Amora of the third generation, and pupil of Samuel of Nehardea. He was chief justice of the Jews who were subject to the exilarch , and was also head of the school of Nehardea...
objected that he must have died, for he was bewailed (as reports) and embalmed (as reports) and buried (as reports)! Rabbi Isaac replied that Rabbi Johanan derived his position that Jacob still lives from Jeremiah
Book of Jeremiah
The Book of Jeremiah is the second of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, following the book of Isaiah and preceding Ezekiel and the Book of the Twelve....
which says, “Therefore fear not, O Jacob, My servant, says the Lord; neither be dismayed, O Israel, for, lo, I will save you from afar and your seed from the land of their captivity.” Rabbi Isaac explained that since likens Jacob to his descendants, then just as Jacobs descendents still live, so too must Jacob. (Babylonian Talmud Taanit 5b.)
Genesis Chapter 50
Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba taught in the name of Rabbi Johanan that when in Pharaoh conferred power on Joseph, Pharaoh's astrologers questioned whether Pharaoh would set in power over them a slave whom his master bought for 20 pieces of silver. Pharaoh replied to them that he discerned royal characteristics in Joseph. Pharaoh's astrologers said to Pharaoh that in that case, Joseph must be able to speak the 70 languages of the world. That night, the angel GabrielGabriel
In Abrahamic religions, Gabriel is an Archangel who typically serves as a messenger to humans from God.He first appears in the Book of Daniel, delivering explanations of Daniel's visions. In the Gospel of Luke Gabriel foretells the births of both John the Baptist and of Jesus...
came to teach Joseph the 70 languages, but Joseph could not learn them. Thereupon Gabriel added a letter from God’s Name to Joseph’s name, and Joseph was able to learn the languages, as Psalm
Psalms
The Book of Psalms , commonly referred to simply as Psalms, is a book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible...
reports, “He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, when he went out over the land of Egypt, where I (Joseph) heard a language that I knew not.” The next day, in whatever language Pharaoh spoke to Joseph, Joseph was able to reply to Pharaoh. But when Joseph spoke to Pharaoh in Hebrew, Pharaoh did not understand what he said. So Pharaoh asked Joseph to teach it to him. Joseph tried to teach Pharaoh Hebrew, but Pharaoh could not learn it. Pharaoh asked Joseph to swear that he would not reveal his failing, and Joseph swore. Later, in when Joseph related to Pharaoh that Jacob had made Joseph swear to bury him in the Land of Israel, Pharaoh asked Joseph to seek to be released from the oath. But Joseph replied that in that case, he would also ask to be released from his oath to Pharaoh concerning Pharaoh’s ignorance of languages. As a consequence, even though it was displeasing to Pharaoh, Pharaoh told Joseph in “Go up and bury your father, as he made you swear.” (Babylonian Talmud Sotah 36b.)
The Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
cited for the proposition that Providence treats a person measure for measure as that person treats others. And so because, as relates, Joseph had the merit to bury his father and none of his brothers were greater than he was, so Joseph merited the greatest of Jews, Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
, to attend to his bones, as reported in Exodus (Mishnah
Mishnah
The Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
Sotah 1:7–9.)
Rav Hisda
Rav Chisda
Rav Chisda was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the third generation , mentioned frequently in the Talmud.-Youth:...
deduced from the words “and he made a mourning for his father seven days” in that Biblical “mourning” means seven days. And thus Rav Hisda deduced from the words “And his soul mourns for itself” in Job
Book of Job
The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...
that a person’s soul mourns for that person for seven whole days after death. (Babylonian Talmud Shabbat 152a.)
Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Isaac disagreed about how to interpret the words of “And when Joseph's brethren saw that their father was dead, they said: ‘It may be that Joseph will hate us.’” Rabbi Levi taught that the brothers feared this because he did not invite them to dine with him. Rabbi Tanhuma
Tanhuma bar Abba
Tanhuma bar Abba was a Palestinian amora of the 5th generation, one of the foremost haggadists of his time. He was a pupil of Ḥuna bar Abin , from whom he transmits halakic as well as haggadic sayings . He received instruction also from Judah ben Shalom Tanhuma bar Abba (Hebrew: תנחומא בר אבא)...
observed that Joseph’s motive was noble, for Joseph reasoned that formerly Jacob had placed Joseph above Judah, who was a king, and above Reuben, who was the firstborn, but after Jacob’s death, it would not be right for Joseph to sit above them. The brothers, however, did not understand it that way, but worried that Joseph hated them. Rabbi Isaac said that the brothers feared because he had gone and looked into the pit into which they had thrown him. (Genesis Rabbah 100:8.)
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel
Shimon ben Gamliel
Simeon ben Gamliel was a Tanna sage and leader of the Jewish people. He succeeded his father Gamliel I as the nasi of the Sanhedrin after his father's death in 50 CE and just before the destruction of the Second Temple...
read to report that Joseph’s brothers fabricated Jacob’s request that Joseph forgive them in order to preserve peace in the family. (Jerusalem Talmud Peah 8b.)
Rabbi Benjamin bar Japhet said in the name of Rabbi Elazar that bore out the popular saying: “When the fox has its hour, bow down to it.” But the Gemara questioned how Joseph was, like the fox relative to the lion, somehow inferior to his brothers. Rather, the Gemara applied the saying to as discussed above. (Babylonian Talmud Megilah 16b.)
Rabbi Jose
Jose ben Halafta
Rabbi Jose ben Halafta or Yose ben Halafta was a Tanna of the fourth generation . Jose was a student of Rabbi Akiba and was regarded as one of the foremost scholars of halakha and aggadah of his day...
deduced from Joseph’s talk of providing in that when Jacob died, the famine returned. (Tosefta Sotah 10:9.)
Rav Judah asked in the name of Rav
Abba Arika
Abba Arika was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora of the 3rd century who established at Sura the systematic study of the rabbinic traditions, which, using the Mishnah as text, led to the compilation of the Talmud...
why Joseph referred to himself as “bones” during his lifetime (in ), and explained that it was because he did not protect his father's honor when in his brothers called Jacob “your servant our father” and Joseph failed to protest. And Rav Judah also said in the name of Rav (and others say that it was Rabbi Hama bar Hanina who said) that Joseph died before his brothers because he put on superior airs. (Babylonian Talmud Sotah 13b.)
Commandments
According to MaimonidesMaimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
and Sefer ha-Chinuch
Sefer ha-Chinuch
The Sefer ha-Chinuch , often simply "the Chinuch" is a work which systematically discusses the 613 commandments of the Torah. It was published anonymously in 13th century Spain...
, there are no commandments
Mitzvah
The primary meaning of the Hebrew word refers to precepts and commandments as commanded by God...
in the parshAH (Maimonides. Mishneh Torah
Mishneh Torah
The Mishneh Torah subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka is a code of Jewish religious law authored by Maimonides , one of history's foremost rabbis...
. Cairo
Cairo
Cairo , is the capital of Egypt and the largest city in the Arab world and Africa, and the 16th largest metropolitan area in the world. Nicknamed "The City of a Thousand Minarets" for its preponderance of Islamic architecture, Cairo has long been a centre of the region's political and cultural life...
, Egypt, 1170–1180. Reprinted in Maimonides. The Commandments: Sefer Ha-Mitzvoth of Maimonides. Translated by Charles B. Chavel, 2 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1967. ISBN 0-900689-71-4. Sefer HaHinnuch: The Book of [Mitzvah] Education. Translated by Charles Wengrov, 1:91. Jerusalem: Feldheim Pub., 1991. ISBN 0-87306-179-9.)
Connection to the Parshah
The parshah and haftarah both report the testaments of seminal leaders of Israel to their sons, the parshah of Jacob (in ) and the haftarah of DavidDavid
David was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible and, according to the Gospels of Matthew and Luke, an ancestor of Jesus Christ through both Saint Joseph and Mary...
. Both the parshah and the haftarah precede the testament with the phrase “the time drew near that [the leader] must die.” Both the parshah and the haftarah employ the word “va-yetzav,” “he instructed.” A midrash notes that both the parshah and the haftarah use language reflecting the leader’s diminution of authority: the parshah reports Jacob entreating his son, “If now I have found favor in your sight . . . I pray thee” ; the haftarah describes David simply as “David” (in ) instead of the title of honor “King David” used a chapter before (in ). (Midrash Tanchuma Vayechi 2.) In both the parshah and the haftarah, the leaders brought up unpleasant slights that haunted them to their last days: Jacob brought up that his son Rueben defiled Jacob’s bed and that his sons Simeon and Levi slew men and beast in their anger ; David brought up that his nephew Joab
Joab
Joab the son of Zeruiah, was the nephew of King David and the commander of his army, according to the Hebrew Bible.- Name :...
killed Abner
Abner
In the Book of Samuel, Abner , is first cousin to Saul and commander-in-chief of his army...
and Amasa
Amasa
Amasa is a person in the Hebrew Bible. He was the son of Abigail , who was sister to King David and Zeruiah, the mother of Joab. Hence, Amasa was a nephew to David, a cousin to Joab, as well as a cousin to Absalom....
and that Shemei insulted David on the way to Mahanaim
Mahanaim
Mahanaim is a place near Jabbok, beyond the Jordan River, mentioned a number of times by the Bible. The precise location of Mahanaim is very uncertain, the Biblical data being inconclusive. Although two possible sites have been identified, the one most widely accepted lies about ten miles east of...
. In so doing, both leaders complained of subordinate family members who acted too zealously on what others might have viewed as the leader’s behalf: Jacob with regard to Simeon and Levi and David with regard to Joab.
In the liturgy
Many Jews recite and three times as part of the Tefilat HaDerechTefilat HaDerech
Tefilat HaDerech or the Traveler's Prayer or Wayfarer's Prayer in English, is a prayer for a safe journey recited by Jews, when they travel, by air, sea, and even on long car trips. It is recited at the onset of every journey, and preferably done standing but this is not necessary...
(Wayfarer’s Prayer), said on setting out on a journey. (Menachem Davis. The Schottenstein Edition Siddur for Weekdays with an Interlinear Translation, 311–13. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 2002. ISBN 1-57819-686-8.)
The Weekly Maqam
In the Weekly MaqamThe Weekly Maqam
In Mizrahi and Sephardic Middle Eastern Jewish prayer services, each Shabbat the congregation conducts services using a different maqam. A maqam , which in Arabic literally means 'place', is a standard melody type and set of related tunes. The melodies used in a given maqam aims effectively to...
, Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews
Sephardi Jews is a general term referring to the descendants of the Jews who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before their expulsion in the Spanish Inquisition. It can also refer to those who use a Sephardic style of liturgy or would otherwise define themselves in terms of the Jewish customs and...
each week base the songs of the services on the content of that week's parshah. For Parshah Vayechi, Sephardi Jews apply Maqam Hijaz, the maqam that expresses mourning and sadness. This maqam is appropriate in this parshah because it is the parshah that contains the death of the patriarch Jacob.
Biblical
(MosesMoses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
’s blessing).
Deborah
Deborah was a prophetess of Yahweh the God of the Israelites, the fourth Judge of pre-monarchic Israel, counselor, warrior, and the wife of Lapidoth according to the Book of Judges chapters 4 and 5....
’s song). (David's testament). (31:9 in NJPS) (Ephraim as firstborn).
Ancient
- HomerHomerIn the Western classical tradition Homer , is the author of the Iliad and the Odyssey, and is revered as the greatest ancient Greek epic poet. These epics lie at the beginning of the Western canon of literature, and have had an enormous influence on the history of literature.When he lived is...
. The IliadIliadThe Iliad is an epic poem in dactylic hexameters, traditionally attributed to Homer. Set during the Trojan War, the ten-year siege of the city of Troy by a coalition of Greek states, it tells of the battles and events during the weeks of a quarrel between King Agamemnon and the warrior Achilles...
Book 9. Greece, 8th–6th century BCE. (Phoenix’sPhoenix (Iliad)In Greek mythology, Phoenix , son of Amyntor and Cleobule, is one of the Myrmidons led by Achilles in the Trojan War...
father curses Phoenix for sleeping with his concubine).
Early nonrabbinic
- PhiloPhiloPhilo , known also as Philo of Alexandria , Philo Judaeus, Philo Judaeus of Alexandria, Yedidia, "Philon", and Philo the Jew, was a Hellenistic Jewish Biblical philosopher born in Alexandria....
. Allegorical Interpretation, I 26:80; Allegorical Interpretation, II 24:94, 26:103; Allegorical Interpretation, III 8:26, 30:90–93, 62:177–81; On the Birth of Abel and the Sacrifices Offered by Him and by His Brother Cain 2:5; On the Migration of Abraham 5:22, 29:159–161; On Dreams 2:15:107–108; On Joseph 42:255–44:270. Alexandria, Egypt, early 1st century. Reprinted in, e.g., The Works of Philo: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition. Translated by Charles Duke YongeCharles Duke YongeCharles Duke Yonge was an English historian, classicist, and cricketer. He wrote numerous works of modern history, and translated several classical works.-Life:...
, 34, 48–49, 53, 60, 70–71, 94, 171, 182, 185, 228–29, 233, 250, 254–55, 268–69, 273, 275, 299, 327, 344, 349, 395, 456–58. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1993. ISBN 0-943575-93-1. - HebrewsEpistle to the HebrewsThe Epistle to the Hebrews is one of the books in the New Testament. Its author is not known.The primary purpose of the Letter to the Hebrews is to exhort Christians to persevere in the face of persecution. The central thought of the entire Epistle is the doctrine of the Person of Christ and his...
11:21-22. Late 1st century.
- JosephusJosephusTitus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
. AntiquitiesAntiquities of the JewsAntiquities of the Jews is a twenty volume historiographical work composed by the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in the thirteenth year of the reign of Roman emperor Flavius Domitian which was around 93 or 94 AD. Antiquities of the Jews contains an account of history of the Jewish people,...
2:7:5–2:8:2. Circa 93–94. Reprinted in, e.g., The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition. Translated by William WhistonWilliam WhistonWilliam Whiston was an English theologian, historian, and mathematician. He is probably best known for his translation of the Antiquities of the Jews and other works by Josephus, his A New Theory of the Earth, and his Arianism...
, 64–66. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1987. ISBN 0-913573-86-8. - Qur'anQur'anThe Quran , also transliterated Qur'an, Koran, Alcoran, Qur’ān, Coran, Kuran, and al-Qur’ān, is the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God . It is regarded widely as the finest piece of literature in the Arabic language...
2:133 (Jacob’s parting words); 12:94–101 (Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers). Arabia, 7th century.
Classical rabbinic
- MishnahMishnahThe Mishnah or Mishna is the first major written redaction of the Jewish oral traditions called the "Oral Torah". It is also the first major work of Rabbinic Judaism. It was redacted c...
Sotah 1:7–9. Land of Israel, circa 200 CE. Reprinted in, e.g., The Mishnah: A New Translation. Translated by Jacob NeusnerJacob NeusnerJacob Neusner is an American academic scholar of Judaism who lives in Rhinebeck, New York.-Biography:Born in Hartford, Connecticut, Neusner was educated at Harvard University, the Jewish Theological Seminary of America , the University of Oxford, and Columbia University.Neusner is often celebrated...
, 449. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-300-05022-4. - ToseftaToseftaThe Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
: Sheviit 7:12; Sotah 10:9. Land of Israel, circa 300 CE. Reprinted in, e.g., The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction. Translated by Jacob Neusner, 242, 877. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 2002. ISBN 1-56563-642-2. - Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem TalmudThe Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
: Peah 8b; Kilayim 80a, 81a; Sukkah 28a. Land of Israel, circa 400 CE. Reprinted in, e.g., Talmud Yerushalmi. Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, vols. 3, 5, 13. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006–2009. - Genesis RabbaGenesis RabbaGenesis Rabba is a religious text from Judaism's classical period. It is a midrash comprising a collection of ancient rabbinical homiletical interpretations of the Book of Genesis ....
h 6:4, 9; 12:2; 20:9; 30:10; 37:7; 39:12; 40:6; 47:5; 65:9; 66:4; 70:7; 71:2, 7; 72:5; 75:12; 78:10; 80:6, 10; 82:4–5, 10; 87:7; 90:4, 6; 93:7; 95:1; 96:1–100:13; 105. Land of Israel, 5th century. Reprinted in, e.g., Midrash Rabbah: Genesis. Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon, Vol. 1: 44, 48, 89, 168, 238, 300, 402; vol. 2: 585, 603, 640, 653, 658, 665, 698, 722, 739, 743, 754–56, 777, 812, 830–31, 863, 866, 881, 885–1003. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
- Babylonian TalmudTalmudThe Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
: Berakhot 20a, 55b, 57a; Shabbat 55b, 139a, 152a; Eruvin 53a; Pesachim 4a, 56a, 118a; Yoma 52b, 87a; Sukkah 25a; Rosh Hashanah 26a; Megilah 16b; Chagigah 3b; Yevamot 24a, 65b, 76a; Ketubot 72b, 111a–12a; Nedarim 20b, 30b; Nazir 65a; Sotah 9b–10a, 11b, 13a–b, 36b; Kiddushin 2a; Bava Kamma 17a, 92a, 113b; Bava Metzia 84a; Bava Batra 118a–b, 123a; Sanhedrin 5a, 22a, 95a, 98b, 105a, 106a, 109b; Avodah Zarah 11b, 25a; Horayot 5b, 6b, 11b; Zevachim 53b, 54b, 118b; Menachot 37a, 93b; Chullin 92a; Niddah 36b. Babylonia, 6th century. Reprinted in, e.g., Talmud Bavli. Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 vols. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.
Medieval
- RashiRashiShlomo Yitzhaki , or in Latin Salomon Isaacides, and today generally known by the acronym Rashi , was a medieval French rabbi famed as the author of a comprehensive commentary on the Talmud, as well as a comprehensive commentary on the Tanakh...
. Commentary. Genesis 47–50. TroyesTroyesTroyes is a commune and the capital of the Aube department in north-central France. It is located on the Seine river about southeast of Paris. Many half-timbered houses survive in the old town...
, France, late 11th century. Reprinted in, e.g., Rashi. The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated. Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, 1:521–70. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-89906-026-9. - NahmanidesNahmanidesNahmanides, also known as Rabbi Moses ben Naḥman Girondi, Bonastruc ça Porta and by his acronym Ramban, , was a leading medieval Jewish scholar, Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator.-Name:"Nahmanides" is a Greek-influenced formation meaning "son of Naḥman"...
. The Disputation at Barcelona, 11-18. Spain, 1263. Reprinted in, e.g., Nahmanides. The Disputation at Barcelona. Translated by Charles B. Chavel, 6–10. New York: Shilo Publishing, 1983. ISBN 088328-025-6.
- ZoharZoharThe Zohar is the foundational work in the literature of Jewish mystical thought known as Kabbalah. It is a group of books including commentary on the mystical aspects of the Torah and scriptural interpretations as well as material on Mysticism, mythical cosmogony, and mystical psychology...
1:216a–51a. Spain, late 13th century. Reprinted in, e.g., The Zohar. Translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon. 5 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1934.
Modern
- Thomas HobbesThomas HobbesThomas Hobbes of Malmesbury , in some older texts Thomas Hobbs of Malmsbury, was an English philosopher, best known today for his work on political philosophy...
. LeviathanLeviathan (book)Leviathan or The Matter, Forme and Power of a Common Wealth Ecclesiasticall and Civil — commonly called simply Leviathan — is a book written by Thomas Hobbes and published in 1651. Its name derives from the biblical Leviathan...
, 3:42. England, 1651. Reprint edited by C. B. MacphersonC. B. MacphersonCrawford Brough Macpherson O.C. M.Sc. D. Sc. was an influential Canadian political scientist who taught political theory at the University of Toronto.-Life:...
, 572. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Classics, 1982. ISBN 0140431950. *Abraham Isaac KookAbraham Isaac KookAbraham Isaac Kook was the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine, the founder of the Religious Zionist Yeshiva Merkaz HaRav, Jewish thinker, Halachist, Kabbalist and a renowned Torah scholar...
. The Lights of Penitence, 16:1. 1925. Reprinted in Abraham Isaac Kook: the Lights of Penitence, the Moral Principles, Lights of Holiness, Essays, Letters, and Poems. Translated by Ben Zion BokserBen Zion Bokser-Biography:Bokser was born in Lubomi, Poland, and emigrated to the United States at the age of 13 in 1920. He attended City College of New York and Rabbi Isaac Elhanan Theological Seminary, followed by the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and Columbia University...
, 119. Mahwah, N.J.: Paulist Press 1978. ISBN 0-8091-2159-X. - Irving Fineman. Jacob, An Autobiograhical Novel. New York: Random House, 1941.
- Thomas MannThomas MannThomas Mann was a German novelist, short story writer, social critic, philanthropist, essayist, and 1929 Nobel Prize laureate, known for his series of highly symbolic and ironic epic novels and novellas, noted for their insight into the psychology of the artist and the intellectual...
. Joseph and His BrothersJoseph and His BrothersJoseph and His Brothers is a four-part novel by Thomas Mann, written over the course of 16 years. Mann retells the familiar stories of Genesis, from Jacob to Joseph , setting it in the historical context of the Amarna Period...
. Translated by John E. WoodsJohn E. WoodsJohn E. Woods is a translator who specializes in translating German literature, since about 1978. His work includes much of the fictional prose of Arno Schmidt and the works of contemporary authors such as Ingo Schulze and Christoph Ransmayr...
, 53, 102–03, 257, 306, 314, 396, 401, 407, 448–49, 456, 458, 463, 485, 493, 503, 541–42, 547, 568–69, 663, 668, 672, 717–18, 722, 758, 788, 792–94, 796–97, 803–04, 852–53, 859, 878, 881, 886, 923, 1447–92. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. ISBN 1-4000-4001-9. Originally published as Joseph und seine Brüder. Stockholm: Bermann-Fischer Verlag, 1943. - Donald A. Seybold. “Paradox and Symmetry in the Joseph Narrative.” In Literary Interpretations of Biblical Narratives. Edited by Kenneth R.R. Gros Louis, with James S. Ackerman & Thayer S. Warshaw, 59–73. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1974. ISBN 0-687-22131-5.
- R. David Freedman. “‘Put Your Hand Under My Thigh’—The Patriarchal Oath.” Biblical Archaeology ReviewBiblical Archaeology ReviewBiblical Archaeology Review is a publication that seeks to connect the academic study of archaeology to a broad general audience seeking to understand the world of the Bible and the Near and Middle East . Covering both the Old and New Testaments, BAR presents the latest discoveries and...
2 (2) (June 1976). - Aaron WildavskyAaron WildavskyAaron Wildavsky was an American political scientist known for his pioneering work in public policy, government budgeting, and risk management....
. Assimilation versus Separation: Joseph the Administrator and the Politics of Religion in Biblical Israel. New Brunswick, N.J.: Transaction Publishers, 1993. ISBN 1-56000-081-3. - Suzanne A. Brody. “Children’s Blessing.” In Dancing in the White Spaces: The Yearly Torah Cycle and More Poems, 74. Shelbyville, Kentucky: Wasteland Press, 2007. ISBN 1-60047-112-9.
- Esther JungreisEsther JungreisEsther Jungreis is the founder of the international Hineni movement in America. A Holocaust survivor, she has made it her life's mission to bring back Jews to Orthodox Judaism.-Biography:...
. Life Is a Test, 85–86, 197–99, 204–05, 250–51. Brooklyn: Shaar Press, 2007. ISBN 1-4226-0609-0.
Texts
Commentaries
- Academy for Jewish Religion, California
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