## Chizkuni, Genesis

###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:1:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:1:1)

**קום עלה בית אל** פירש״‎י לפי שאחרת בדרך נענשת ובאת לך זאת מבתך. וא״‎ת הרי לעיל גבי אחד עשר ילדיו פרש״‎י עצמו שע״‎י שמנעה מעשו אחיו ושמא תחזירנו למוטב לכך נענש ממנה שלסוף נפלה ביד שכם. אלא הא בהא תליא מיד שחזר לו מפדן ארם היה לו ליתנה לעשו אולי יעשה תשובה על ידה ועל ידי שהיה הולך ומונעה מעשו ומישתמיט משכם לסוכות ובית אל היה מאחר נדרו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
קום עלה בית אל, “arise and go to BetEl!” Rashi explains that Yaakov was commanded to keep the vow he had made at the time when he had the dream with the ladder. G-d implied that if he had not delayed keeping that vow the problem with Dinah would not have befallen him. If you were to argue that Rashi himself, when commenting on Yaakov presenting only eleven of his children before Esau because he was afraid that Esau might violate her, was punished for having failed to seize the opportunity that she might bring him back to the faith of his father? How does this tally with what he writes here? It tallies absolutely! She could not have become the victim of Sh’chem if Esau would have expressed a desire for her. [I do not see a problem at all. If Yaakov thought he had to protect her from his own brother, why was Dinah not chaperoned and allowed to leave the house on her own and roam amongst Canaanites?Surely this was an additional act of neglect by her father, who was punished here for this act of neglect. Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:2:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:2:1)

**הסרו את אלהי הנכר** שלא תהא העבודה נראית לשם אותו אלהות.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
הסירו את אלוהי הנכר, “remove the alien deities!” This was required in order to avoid giving the impression that prayers or sacrifices were intended for them.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:2:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:2:2)

**[והחליפו שמלתיכם** לפי שעבדו בהם עבודת כוכבים].

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
והחליפו שמלתיכם, “Change your garments!” because they were worn when engaging in idol worship.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:4:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:4:1)

**אשר באזניהם** של אלהי הנכר.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אשר באזניהם, “which were in the ears of those idols.”


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:6:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:6:1)

**לוזה אשר בארץ כנען** כי יש לוז אחרת במקום אחר.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
לוזה אשר בארץ כנען, “towards Luz which is in the land of Canaan.” There was another town called Luz, elsewhere.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:7:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:7:1)

**האלהים** המלאכים כדכתיב ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלהים והנה מלאכי אלהים.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
האלו־הים, the angels (according to Ibn Ezra) scriptural proof: Genesis 32,2: ויפגעו בו מלאכי אלוהים, “angels of G-d met him there.” Also: Genesis 28,12: והנה מלאכי אלו הים, “and lo here there were angels of G-d.” (in his dream)


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:8:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:8:1)

**ותמת דברה** פירש״‎י מה ענין דבורה בבית יעקב כלומר מהיכן נמצאת דבורה עם יעקב הרי כתיב כי במקלי עברתי אלא מלמד ששלחה רבקה את דבורה אחר יעקב להחזירו הוא שנאמר וישבת עמו ימים אחדים עד אשר תשוב חמת אחיך, ושלחתי ולקחתיך משם, ולא רצה לבא ודבורה שהתה עם יעקב בבית לבן ומתה בדרך אצל יעקב ולפי שסתם למעלה שמה כשאמר וישלחו את רבקה אחותם ואת מיניקתה, בא עכשיו והזכיר שמה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ותמת דבורה, “Deborah died;” Rashi explains why the Torah suddenly inserts this statement and how it is relevant. We never knew that she was part of Yaakov’s entourage. After all, Yaakov himself had said that when he crossed the river Jordan the first time he had been accompanied only by his walking stick (Compare Genesis 32,11) Rivkah had told Yaakov (Genesis 27,4445) that she would let him know when it was safe to return, when Esau’s wrath had cooled off. She had dispatched Deborah to Padan Arom to inform Yaakov of this. Yaakov had not been willing to return already. Deborah remained with him in the house of Lavan and passed away on the journey on the way back to the land of Canaan. When she had been mentioned the first time (Genesis 24,59) she had only been described as Rivkah’s nursemaid; now the Torah supplied her name.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:10:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:10:1)

**שמך יעקב לא יקרא שמך עוד יעקב** לבד כי שני שמות יהיו לך יעקב וישראל, שאם יעקר מכל וכל את יעקב שמך יאמרו, כי בשביל עוקבה נקרא שמך יעקב כדכתיב הכי קרא שמו יעקב ויעקבני זה פעמים, ויקראו שמך פעמים כך ופעמים כך אבל באברהם לא נאמר שמך אברם לפיכך הקורא לאברהם אברם עובר בעשה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
,לא יקרא שמך עוד יעקב'שמך יעקב, “your name has been Yaakov; it will no longer be Yaakov;” The Torah means that henceforth his name would no longer only be “Yaakov,” but the name “Yisrael” would be added to it. If the name “Yaakov” were to be eliminated completely, this would be interpreted as having been a name describing a person with negative character traits up to now. (Compare Esau’s comment in Genesis 27,36) Henceforth the Torah will refer to YaakovYisrael sometimes by his original name and sometimes only by his additional name. When G-d changed Avram’s name to Avraham, He had never said that שמך אבדם, “your name is or was Avram.” This is why the sages have said that anyone referring to Avraham as Avram, is equivalent to violating a positive commandment of the Torah. (Talmud B’rachot 13).


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:10:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:10:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:10:2)

**כי אם ישראל יהיה שמך** לשון שררה כדכתיב כי שרית עם אלקים ונאה לך שם זה כי מלכים מחלציך יצאו. כאן פרש״‎י זהו שאול ואיש בושת וא״‎ת מהו ששנינו מפני מה נענש אבנר על שהשהה מלכות בית דוד שתי שנים ומחצה שהמליך איש בשת בן שאול ומה לו להענש על כך הלא גזירת הכתוב היא כמו שפרש״‎י אלא נענש על שכונתו לבייש את דוד כשישהה מלכותו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כי אם ישראל יהיה שמך, “but your name shall be Yisrael.” The name implies that the one possessing it wields authority, as the angel had said to Yaakov: ”you have contended with Divinity and you have prevailed.” (32,29) The name is very appropriate for you as you will be the founding father of kings. Rashi here claims that the reference in this verse is to King Shaul and his son Ish Boshet. Should you ask that we have been taught (in Sanhedrin 20) that Avner was punished for having delayed David’s occupying the throne of the Kingdom for two and a half years, i.e. the years during which Ish Boshet ruled after he appointed him as Shaul’s successor; why would he be punished for this, seeing it has been decreed already in the Torah that he would rule (according to Rashi)? We would have to answer that he was not punished for having crowned Ish Boshet, but because he had crowned Ish Boshet not because he considered him as fit to rule, but that he was motivated exclusively by trying to thwart David from ascending the throne.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:16:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:16:1)

**ויהי עוד כברת הארץ** חסר בי״‎ת והרי הוא כאלו כתוב ויהי בעוד.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויהי עוד כברת ארץ לבא אפרתה, “it was still a short distance from Efrat;” the prefix ב is missing here before the word: עוד, the meaning of the phrase is as if it had been present.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:16:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:16:2)

**כברת הארץ** כברתלשון ריבוי כמו ואוריד כביר יושבים פי׳‎ מקום רחוק מן העיר. **ותלד רחל** לא הספיקה ללכת עד אפרת כי עד שמה היה רבוי בארץ.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כברת ארץ, according to Rash’bam, the word is similar to Job 34,24 הביריה, and means “a considerable amount.” It is also compared to Isaiah 10,13, ואוריד כביר יושבים, “I have deposed those who have ruled for many years.” [The prophet quotes the boast of the King of Ashur. Ed.] In our verse the line means that Yaakov was still a considerable distance from the nearest human settlement where he could bury Rachel. ותלד רחל, She did not have enough time to travel to Efrat because it was a long distance away.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:17:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:17:1)

**כי גם זה לך בן** פרש״‎י נוסף על יוסף. כלומר נתקיימה תפלתך יוסף ה׳‎ לי בן אחר ולא חפץ להמיתך, ולדבר על לבה נתכוונה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כי גם זה לך בן, “for this child will also be a son for you;” Rashi writes that the midwife referred by the word גם “also” to Joseph. She meant that Rachel’s prayer at the time when she gave birth to Joseph that she would be granted to give birth to another son had been fulfilled. (Compare 30,24) She encouraged Rachel with her words suggesting that it was not G-d’s intention to let her die at this time.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:18:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:18:1)

**בצאת נפשה כי מתה** ולא מתה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בצאת נפשה כי מתה, ”when her soul departed as she was dying;” she was both dying and not dying;


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:18:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:18:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:18:2)

**בנימין** מלא כלומר בן ימים בן זקונים כלומר יחזיק ימיני בזקנותי דוגמא אין מחזיק בידה מכל בנים גידלה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בנימין, the name is spelled with two letters י, as if it meant בן ימין, “the son of my right hand.” (Compare KimchiJ) Alternate version: the last letter in the word is the letter ם, i.e. ימים, “days” or “years,” and means that Yaakov considered Benjamin as a son who would assist him in his old age, seeing that he was the youngest. We find support for this interpretation in Isaiah 51,18, אין מחזיק בידה מכל בנים גדלה, “no one takes her by the hand of all the sons she raised.”


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:19:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:19:1)

**ותקבר בדרך אפרתה** בשביל שבקושי לידה מתה וירא היה יעקב פן תתלכלך בדמיה כשאר נשים יולדות לפיכך לא הוליכה עד המערה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ותקבר בדרך אפרתה, “she was buried on the way to Efrat.” Rachel had lost so much blood during giving birth that Yaakov was not able to bring her to the cave of Machpelah.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:21:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:21:1)

**למגדל עדר** מקום קרוב לאפרת כדכתיב במיכה ואתה בית לחם אפרתה. וכתיב לאלתר ואתה מגדל עדר. ד״‎א לפיכך לא נקברה במערה לפי שעדיין היה עשו מערער עליה אבל משבא יעקב הלך לו עשו ופטר לו ליעקב את הכל.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
למגדל עדר, a tower not far from Efrat. We find a reference to this place in Micah 5,1: ואתה בית לחם אפרתה, and immediately afterwards: ואתה מגדל עדר. An alternate interpretation: the reason why Yaakov did not bury Rachel in that cave was that Esau had still not given up his claim that he would be buried there. After the reconciliation between the brothers, Esau not only renounced this claim but eventually moved out of the land of Canaan altogether, leaving it for the descendants of Yaakov.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:22:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:22:1)

**וישכב את בלהה** בלבל ועקר את מטתה ממקומה כשתבע עלבון אמו, כמו שפרש״‎י. ובלע״‎ז ארקוק״‎א. שיש דברים כתובים בענין אחד ומשמשים שני פנים זה למפרע מזה כמו שפרשתי למעלה גבי ותקע כף ירך יעקב. וישמע ישראל שראובן בלבל מטתו, **ויהיו בני יעקב** משם והלאה שנים עשר ולא יותר. שלא הוסיף עוד יעקב להזקק עם נשיו וזהו שאמר יעקב אז חללת יצועי כלומר משכבי נסתלק ונפסק. ומקרא ד**וישמע** נכתב שלא תתמה לכשתגיע לכי עלית משכבי אביך לומר מי הגיד לו ליעקב לפיכך קדם כאן ולמדך ששמע. ד״‎א לכך נקבעה פרשה זו בין מעשה ראובן ובין מעשה בני יעקב ללמדך על פסוק של **ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר** שאינו נמשך א**וישכב את בלהה**, לומר ראובן הוליד קצת מהם אלא קאי הוא אלידת רחל, ובאותה שעה ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר כלומר הוא ולא אחר הוליד את כולם. חזר ושנה מספר בני יעקב ללמדך שבא הוא ושנים עשר בניו אל אביו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישכב את בלהה, “he slept with Bilhah.” This is not to be understood literally, but he invaded her privacy and messed up the linen on her bedstead, or simply moved her bed from its normal position. This was a protest against her trying to replace Rachel. Reuven, Leah’s oldest son, felt that now that Rachel had died, his mother should outrank any of the other wives of his father. Rashi points out that this is not the only instance when the Torah to make its point exaggerates the indiscretion committed by some people, or when it rounds up numbers. An example of such an exaggeration quoted is the injury that the angel had caused Yaakov in their nocturnal struggle. He had not made Yaakov’s hip joint useless, but had only dislocated it. (32,26) וישמע ישראל, “Israel heard about this;” about Reuven’s indiscretion. ויהיו בני יעקב שנים עשר, “the sons of Yaakov remained 12.” Yaakov had no more sons after this. The reason was that he no longer carried on marital relations with any of his wives. Our sages derive this from the line: אז חללת יצועי עלה, “then you desecrated Him who abode on my bed.” (Genesis 49,4) Yaakov meant that ever since the sanctity which had distinguished his marital bed had ceased to exist and been profaned. (Compare Rash’bam on that verse) The reason why here we have the words: וישמע ישראל, “Israel heard,” (instead of “Yaakov” heard) is so that when you read that verse in chapter 49 you will not ask: ‘how did Yaakov ever find out about Reuven’s indiscretion?’An alternate interpretation: the reason why the line that Yaakov’s sons were and remained 12, is inserted here where reference is made to Reuven’s indiscretion, is in order not to allow anyone to think that possibly some of Yaakov’s sons might not have been his but Reuven’s, but it refers to the most recently born son born for him by Rachel. Yaakov together with all of his twelve sons returned to their father’s home.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:26:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:26:1)

**אשר ילד לו בפדן ארם** והרי בנימין לא נולד בפדן ארם אלא ה״‎ק אשר ילד לו על פי התפלה שנתפללה רחל **בפדן ארם** שאמרה יוסף ה׳‎ לי בן אחר ומתוך כך מעלה עליו הכתוב כאלו נולד בפדן ארם. ד״‎א מאחר שרובם נולדו בפדן ארם כאלו נולדו שם כולם. כמו שמצינו בפרשת ויגש הבאים מצרימה שבעים ויוסף ושני בניו ויוכבד היו בכלל שהכתוב הולך אחר הרוב.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אשר יולד לו בפדן ארם, “that had been born for him in Padan Arom.” This statement begs the question that as we have just heard, Binyamin had not been born in Padan Arom?We have to understand the verse as meaning that Binyamin had been born as a result of Rachel’s having prayed to G-d to give her another son while she had still been in Padan Arom (Compare Genesis 30,23. This is why the Torah here, 7 years later, describes Binyamin’s birth as dating back to that time.) A different exegesis of this puzzling statement: Seeing that almost all of Yaakov’s children had been born while he was in Padan Arom, the Torah applies the Talmudic statement of רובם ככולם, “if the majority had been distinguished by a certain detail we view all of the ones referred to in that context as if they possessed the same distinguishing features.” We find this principle applied by the Torah also in Genesis 46,27, where 70 people are reported to have been brought to Egypt by Yaakov, although only 69 names are listed, three of them being Joseph and his two sons. The Midrash (B‘reshit Rabbah 94,9) claims that seeing that Moses’ mother was born at the border of Egypt, her birth completes the number 70.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 35:29:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 35:29:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/35:29:1)

**ויקברו אתו עשו ויעקב בניו** לפי שהיה בכור ויעקב היה חולק לו כבוד הקדימו הכתוב אבל בקבורת אברהם הקדים הכתוב יצחק לישמעאל לפי שישמעאל היה בן השפחה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויקברו אותו עשו ויעקב בניו, “and his sons Esau and Yaakov buried him.” Esau is mentioned first seeing that biologically, he remained the firstborn. Yaakov also treated him with the honour due to a firstborn. When the Torah describes the burial of Avraham, in which both his sons also participated, Yitzchok is mentioned first although he was 14 junior to Yishmael, seeing Yishmael was the son of a slavewoman. (Compare Rash’bam).