## Chizkuni, Genesis

###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:1:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:1:1)

**וישב יעקב** מוסב אוישב עשו בהר שעיר לאחר שסיפר לך איך נתיישב עשו בהר שעיר חזר וכתב שיעקב ישב **בארץ מגורי אביו** כי לו משפט הבכורה שהרי לקחה בדמים ודינו לירש נכסי אביו, ועשו הלך לו כאיש נכרי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישב יעקב, “Yaakov settled down;” this is recorded as something parallel to Esau’ settling down having been reported in Mount Seir in Genesis 36,8. After Esau having settled on what is now ancestral land for him. ( ואתן לעשו את הר שעיר, “I have given to Esau Mount Seir.) (Joshua 24,3) Yaakov is now described as having done something similar on the land promised by G-d to Avraham and his descendants commencing with Yitzchok and Yaakov. G-d had renewed this promise to Yaakov during his first vision in which he saw a ladder to heaven. Both Avraham and Yitzchok had only lived on that soil as sojourners, מגורי אביו; Yaakov’s claim was based on the law of the birthright, something he had purchased from Esau. At this time, when Esau went to the land of Seir, he went as an alien.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:1:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:1:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:1:2)

**בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען** תרווייהו צריכי אם לא נאמר בארץ מגורי אביו לא ידענו באיזו עיר, ואם לא נאמר בארץ כנען הייתי אומר בארץ מגורי אביו זהו אברהם והיינו אור כשדים.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בארץ מגורי אביו בארץ כנען, “in the land in which his father sojourned, in the land of Canaan.” The Torah had to write both these details, even though it is common knowledge that Yitzchok never set foot on soil outside the land of Canaan. If the Torah had only mentioned the words מגורי אביו, “where his father had sojourned,” we would not know to which land it referred. In fact I might have thought that the Torah speaks about Ur Casdim where Avraham had sojourned for many years. If the Torah had only written: בארץ כנען, “in the land of Canaan,” I would not have known near which city Yaakov settled.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:1:3
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:1:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:1:3)

**וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו** כתב לך להודיעך כי דבר ה׳‎ יקום לעולם שאמר לאברהם ונתתי לך ולזרעך אחריך את ארץ מגוריך. שגם האבות נתיישבו בה באברהם הוא אומר וישב באלוני ממרא אשר בחברון, ביצחק הוא אומר ויזרע יצחק בארץ ההיא, ביעקב הוא אומר וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישב יעקב בארץ מגורי אביו. “Yaakov settled in the land his fathers had sojourned in.” The entire line was written in order to show that G-d had kept his promise to both Avraham and Yitzchok, and that one of their descendants had already not only sojourned in this land but had settled in it, and had acquired land in it through purchase. (33,19) In fact the expression ישיבה, referring to being settled did appear in connection with both Avraham and Yitzchok, as we know from 26,12, and 13,18.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:2:1)

**אלה תלדות יעקב** כל מקום שנאמר אלה פסל את הראשונים לומר הראשונים רשעים בני ממזרות ואלו צדיקים מטפה כשרה והם בני יהודה ויוסף האמורים לקמן בענין.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אלה תולדות יעקב, “these are the descendants of Yaakov;” wherever a paragraph commences with the word: אלה, this means that this a paragraph that is not the continuation of the subject which had been discussed immediately before it. In this instance, the word is used to remind the reader that the personalities referred to immediately before this paragraph, were all wicked people, i.e. bastards, born of parents guilty of practicing incest. The personalities who are the subject of our chapter were all righteous, born from parents who had formed legitimate unions. They are the descendants of Yehudah and Joseph.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:2:2)

**אלה תלדות יעקב יוסף** אחר שהפסיק הענין בענין יוסף והתחיל בענין אחר כשחזר לענינו הראשון אמר אלה תלדות יעקב יוסף, וכן מצינו בנח.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אלה תולדות יעקב, יוסף, “these were the descendants of Yaakov: Joseph;” the reason why this has been repeated here is because the Torah had interrupted reporting about Yaakov’s children who had been sired and born while he was with Lavan, Joseph having been the last of those. We find that the Torah employed a similar manner when describing Noach (Genesis 5,8) as siring three sons, interrupting with a description of the sins which led to the deluge, before returning to the subject in Genesis 6,9 with the words: אלה תולדות נח, although we had already known who his children were.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:3
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:2:3)

**היה רעה את אחיו** לפי דרך ארץ לבני לאה קורא הכתוב אחיו ולא לבני השפחות. ד״‎א **והוא נער** כלומר בעוד שהיה נער היה רעה את אחיו ואין גנאי לבן הגבירה בעודנו נער לרעות צאן אביו עם בני השפחות, והמקרא מסורס והוא נער היה רועה בצאן את אחיו בני בלהה ובני זלפה. ואל תתמה על שהיה מביא דבתם אל אביהם כי הוא היה נער.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
היה רועה את אחיו בצאן, “who was tending flocks with his brothers;” The Torah calls the sons of Leah Joseph’s ”brothers,” as they were the sons of their father’s principal wives; it did not refer to the sons of Zilpah and Bilhah by the same term. [although both Leah’s sons as well as those of the maids were half brothers. Ed.] An alternate exegesis of why the word אחיו was used here:והוא נער, “he was only tending flocks as long as he was still very young;” at that point it was not considered as below the dignity of the sons of Yaakov’s secondary wives to be tending flocks with them. The verse is actually truncated, and the complete text should have been: והוא נער היה רועה בצאן את אחיו בני בלהה ובני זלפה, “as long as he was a young boy he had been tending flocks with his brothers, the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah.” It is not surprising that he reported on what he considered misconduct by these “brothers,” seeing that he was still very immature, i.e. merely a .נער


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:4
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:2:4)

**בצאן** הצאן לא נאמר, שהיה שומר עליהם ושומר מה יעשו ובצאן שלא ישחיתו שהיה נאמן לאביו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בצאן, we would have expected the Torah to have written either “את צאן, or הצאן.” The reason why the Torah used the prefix ב, is to draw our attention to the fact that his major occupation was to watch if he could find fault with the manner in which these “brothers” fulfilled their tasks. He was also concerned that his “brothers” would not do something that would harm his father’s sheep, as he was extremely loyal to his father.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:5
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:2:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:2:5)

**ויבא יוסף את דבתם רעה** לפיכך שנאוהו כולם שנאמר וישנאו אותו פי׳‎ כולם בני השפחות מפני הדבה, ובני הגבירה נתקנאו בו על שאותו אהב אביהם מכל אחיו והיו יראים פן ימליכהו יעקב עליהם כמו שרצה יצחק לומר לעשו, הוה גביר לאחיך בשביל שהיה אוהבו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויבא יוסף את דבתם רעה, “Joseph reported negative reports about them;” (no wonder that they all began to hate him as a tale bearer). The sons of Bilhah and Zilpah hated him as talebearer, and his other brothers hated him because he was a favorite of their father. They were therefore afraid that in due course their father would appoint him as his firstborn. When the Torah writes (in verse four: וישנאו אותו, “they hated him,”) it refers to all of the brothers except Binyamin who was only 10 years old. Each group of brothers had a different reason for hating him. They were afraid that their father would treat Joseph as their grandfather Yitzchok had treated his son Esau, because of emotional attachment, not based on objective considerations.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:3:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:3:1)

**כי בן זקנים הוא לו** וא״‎ת הרי בנימין בן זקונים אלא אין אהבת בנימין קשורה בלבו של יעקב כאהבתו של יוסף לפי שכשילדתו אמו מתה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כי בן זקונים הוא לו, “for he had been born to him in his old age. If you were to argue that Binyamin had been born when he was still older, Binyamin caused his father to be reminded of the fact that his very existence brought about his beloved wife Rachel’s death, something which prevented him from loving him as much.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:3:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:3:2)

**פסים** על שם מכירתו, למפרע. ד״‎א לשון פיוס כמו שטר פיוסים כתונת נאה כדי לפייסו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
פסים, a name that was to be given to this garment retroactively after Joseph had been sold. [Each letter of the word refers to a different master to whom Joseph had been sold, commencing with מ for the Midianites and ending with פ for Potiphar.] A different explanation sees in the word פסים as a “compensation,” for being a half orphan, not having a mother anymore. Yaakov tried to compensate him by having a costly garment made for him.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:5:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:5:1)

**ויחלם יוסף חלום ויגד לאחיו** חלום זה לא נתקיים לפיכך לא נכתב.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויחלום יוסף חלום ויגד לאחיו, “Joseph dreamt a dream and he told his brothers its content.” This was a dream that never came true. This is why the Torah does not reveal its content.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:6:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:6:1)

**ויאמר אליהם שמעו** ספר להם חלומו להוציא מלבם אם יעלה לגדולה לא מאת אביו הוא אלא מסייעתא דשמיא.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויאמר אליהם: שמעו נא, he said to them: “please listen (to my dream).” His reason for telling them of his dream was to explain to them that his being destined for greatness was not due to the way his father preferred him, but seemed to be a destiny decreed by heaven.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:7:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:7:1)

**מאלמים אלמים** כענין שחלם עלה לגדולה ונעשה מושל כדכתיב ויצבור יוסף בר וגו'

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
מאלמים אלימים, “binding sheaves;” this paralleled the manner in which Joseph later on rose to greatness, by piling up corn in anticipation of a famine from which his foresight and providence would save the Egyptian nation and surrounding countries. Compare 41,49: ויצבור יוסף בר, “Joseph heaped up and stored grain;”


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:7:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:7:2)

**ותשתחוין לאלמתי** אות הוא כי העולם יצפו לתבואתו כי הוא משביר לכל עם הארץ.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ותשתחוין לאלומתי, “and you were all prostrating yourselves before my sheaf;” this was a sign that the world would look expectantly to Joseph’s harvest, seeing that he was the sole distributor of grain in all of Egypt to all the people.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:10:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:10:1)

**ויגער בו אביו** ואעפ״‎י כן ואביו שמר את הדבר יודע היה שהיו הדברים עתידין ליגע אליהן. אבל כדי להשקיט הקנאה שביניהם גער בו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויגער בו אביו, “his father rebuked him;” in spite of his father’s obvious displeasure, he carefully retained this dream in his memory, awaiting future developments if any. He displayed anger only in order to minimise the jealousy of Joseph by his brothers [and because of his arrogance in telling about such dreams. Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:12:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:12:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:12:1)

**לרעות את** פרש״‎י נקוד על את לא הלכו אלא לרעות עצמן. משמע כאלו **את** מחוק כלומר לא כל הצאן דוגמא ירעו בשן וגו׳‎ ולא כתיב ירעו את בשן ואת גלעד אבל אם אתה דורש תיבת **את** משמע שהלכו לרעות את הצאן במקום מרעה. א״‎נ **לרעות את** עצמן עם צאן אביהם שהרי בכל לשון רעיית בהמה תמצא את.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
לרעות את אחיו את צאן אביהם, “to assist his brothers in tending the flocks of their father.” The reason that there are two dots over the word את in this verse is that the brothers had not gone to the neighbourhood of Sh’chem in order to look after their father’s flocks, but only to look after their own, and to put more mileage between themselves and Joseph. In other words, that word may be considered as if erased. They had not gone to also tend their father’s flocks. We find a similar construction in Michah 7,14: ירעו בשן וגלעד, “the ones which graze in Bashan and Gilead,” where we would have expected the prophet to say: ירעו את בשן ואת גלעד, “They will graze both in Bashan and in Gilead,” [the prophet continues with the words: “as in the olden days,” (when things were better). If you were to interpret the word את in our verse to mean that the brothers had gone to let the flocks graze in a place where there was ample virgin (not privately owned grazing land), or that it means to let their own as well as their fathers’ flocks graze there, there is no possible reason to omit the word את, as we always find it in connection with sheep or cattle grazing.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:13:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:13:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:13:1)

**הלא אחיך רעים בשכם** במקום סכנה שהרגו אנשי המקום.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
?הלא אחיך רועים בשכם, “are your brothers not tending flocks in Sh’chem (a dangerous place?) Seeing that they had killed all the males of that town and looted it (Genesis 34,2529).[It occurs to this editor that the reason they had chosen to do so was to show their father that they were less worried about the local population than about Joseph lording it over them. Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:14:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:14:1)

**לך נא ראה את שלום אחיך** ואין נא אלא לשון בקשה אע״‎פ שבכל יום אני שומע בשורות מהם דרך ארץ הוא שתלך שם אתה שהרי אחיך הם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
לך נא ראה את שלום אחיך, “please go and check whether everything is all right with your brothers!” Whenever the word נא appears in the Torah, it must be understood as a request rather than as an order. Yaakov told Joseph that although he hears every day reports about what the brothers were doing and where, it was no more than good manners that he, Joseph, should go and look them up, seeing that after all he was their brother.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:14:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:14:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:14:2)

**ואת שלום הצאן** הדא אמר צריך אדם לשאול בשלום דבר שיש לו הנאה ממנו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואת שלום הצאן, “and check that everything is all right with the flocks.” From this we learn that should enquire if a person’s business is flourishing.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:14:3
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:14:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:14:3)

**וישלחהו מעמק חברון** העיר יושבת בהר ויעקב ליווהו עד העמק וכן אמרו רבותינו שליוה יעקב ליוסף והיו עסוקים בפרשת עגלה ערופה ומשם שלחו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישלחהו מעמק חברון, “he took leave of him in the valley below Chevron.” Seeing that Chevron is situated at the top of a mountain, we learn from here that Yaakov accompanied Joseph on the beginning of his journey, and that this is considered no more than good manners for anyone to copy. Our sages consider it as more than good manners, i.e. as a requirement. The subject of their conversation is supposed to have been the laws about how to deal with an anonymous corpse who had clearly been murdered, so that the people nearest to that location need not feel indirectly responsible (Deuteronomy chapter 21).


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:17:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:17:1)

**נסעו מזה** כאן היו רועים אלא שנסעו מזה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
נסעו מזה 'they have moved on from here.” They had been grazing their flocks there until recently.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:19:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:19:1)

**הלזה בא** מתקרב אלינו אבל והלאה פי׳‎ מתרחק ממנו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
הלזה בא, “has not this one arrived?! (come closer)” (they were surprised that Joseph had dared to follow them all this distance). On the other hand, the word: והלאה is used to describe something that becomes more and more distant.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:21:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:21:1)

**וישמע ראובן ויצלהו מידם** אמר הקב״‎ה הוא פתח בהצלת נפשות תחלה חייו שאין מפרישין ערי הצלה מתחלה אלא מתחומו הה״‎ד את בצר במדבר בארץ המישור לראובני.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישמע ראובן ויצילהו מידם, “when Reuven heard this he saved him from them. G-d decided at that moment that because it was Reuven who had made the first move to save Joseph, the cities of refuge in Israel later on would begin with those in the territory allocated to the tribe of Reuven. (Bereshit Rabbah 84,15) This is also hinted at in Deuteronomy 4,43: את בצר במישור לראובני, “Bezer in the tableland to the members of the tribe of Reuven.”


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:22:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:22:1)

**אל הבור הזה** אל במקום בי״‎ת, פי׳‎ בבור הזה דוגמא והשליך אל תוך שריפת הפרה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אל הבור הזה, “to this pit;” the word אל has been used here instead of the prefix ב. In other words: “into this pit.” We have a similar construction in Numbers 19,6: והשליך אל תוך שרפת הפרה, “and he will throw it into the fire consuming the cow.”


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:22:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:22:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:22:2)

**להשיבו אל אביו** פרש״‎י נתכוון לטובה והלא היו נחשים ועקרבים בבור אלא י״‎ל שבאותו בור שהושלך תחלה לא היו נחשים אלא כשהלך ראובן משם הלכו אחיו והשליכוהו בבור אחר שהיו בו נחשים ועקרבים. ומה שכתוב וישב ראובן זה בבור שאמר ראובן להשליכו בו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
להשיבו אל אביו, “intending to bring him back to his father.” His intentions were good; if you were to ask that even though the pit may have been dry, it most likely served as a lair for all kinds of poisonous snakes etc.? The fact that the Torah writes the unnecessary word: רק, “empty,” informs us that the brothers had made sure there were no harmful creatures hiding in it either. After Reuven had left, the brothers threw Joseph into another pit which was infested with snakes and scorpions. When the Torah describes Reuven’s shock when he returned to the first pit later and found it empty, that was the pit which he had told his brothers to throw him, into.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:23:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:23:1)

**את כתנת הפסים** לפי שהיא גרמה תחלה השנאה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
את כתונת הפסים, “the striped coat;” because it had been the garment which had caused all the hatred and jealousy.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:24:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:24:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:24:1)

**אין בו מים** שאם היו בו מים לא היו משליכים אותו שם להמיתו בידים שהרי אמרו וידינו אלא תהי בו להמיתו בידים.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אין בו מים, “there was no water in it;” the Torah mentions this to tell the reader that if the pit had been filled with water the brothers would not have thrown him into it, as it would have been equivalent to drowning him with their own hands. They had already ruled out doing something like that, (verse 27).


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:25:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:25:1)

**[וישבו** בסעודה]


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:25:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:25:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:25:2)

**וישבו** מרחוק לאכול לחם פן ישמעו משם קול צעקתו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישבו, they sat down; some distance away from the pit, in order to eat their midday meal and not to have to listen to his pitiful pleas.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:26:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:26:1)

**מה בצע כי נהרג את אחינו** שהרי אין זו נקמה כי כל המתים משתכחים וכן אמר דוד אל תהרגם פן ישכחו עמי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
מה בצע כי נהרוג את אחינו, “what will it profit us to kill our brother?” They did not consider killing Joseph a worthwhile act of revenge, as all dead people become forgotten in short order, as David has stated explicitly when he said to G-d in Psalms 59,12: “Do not kill them lest my people will forget them, bring them low, instead;”


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:26:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:26:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:26:2)

**מה בצע** כל המברך יהודה הרי זה מנאץ לפי שהציל יוסף בלשון **מה בצע** דמשמע הא אם יש בצע נהרגנו ועל זה נאמר ובוצע ברך נאץ ה'

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
מה בצע, the Talmud in Sanhedrin 6, states that anyone who blesses Yehudah for having said this (i.e. saving Joseph’s life) is guilty of insulting him instead, because the reason he gave for saving Joseph’s life was not in order to do him a favour but the reverse. He had implied that if killing him would be profitable they would certainly kill him. The only reason why they did not was because they could not see any advantage in it for themselves in doing so. The Torah spells this out in the next phrase:


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:26:3
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:26:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:26:3)

**וכסינו את דמו** פרש״‎י ונעלים את מיתתו כמו ונעלם דמתרגמינן ויהא מכסה. שנצטרך לכסות ולהעלים מיתתו ולא נוכל להתפאר בה בשביל צערו של אבא ונוהג שבעולם כשאדם מתנקם משונאו אין הנקמה נחשבת אם אינו מתפאר בה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וכסינו את דמו, “first we would have to cover up his blood,” (so that we could not even take credit for our deed.) We have to cover up his death and cannot boast about the absence of Joseph or our part in having accomplished this because of our father’s sorrow. When one has fought a war and killed one’s enemy, the revenge is only sweet when the victor can boast about it.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:27:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:27:1)

**וישמעו אחיו** אמרו כבר בברית בין הבתרים נגזרו גזירות על זרעו של אברהם זקנינו ואנחנו מזרעו מוטב שנמכרנו לזה ושמא עליו לבדו תתקיים הגזירה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישמעו אחיו, “his brothers listened to him,” i.e. they accepted his logic;” they said that already at the covenant between the pieces between Avraham and G-d in Genesis chapter 15, certain harsh decrees had been revealed as becoming the fate of Avraham’s descendants before they would conquer the land of Canaan and settle in it. Seeing that they were all part of Avraham’s seed, it would be better for them to be sold together with him else the decree would be suffered only by Joseph. (Torah Shleymah by Rabbi Menachem Kasher item 159)


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:28:1)

**ויעברו אנשים מדינים סחרים** אצל הבור שהיה יוסף מושלך בו ושמעו שהיה צועק ובוכה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויעברו אנשים מדינים סוחרים, “in the meantime Midianite merchants had passed by the pit that Joseph had been thrown into and they heard his cries.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:28:2)

**וימשכו** המדינים את יוסף ויעלו אותו מן הבור וימכרוהו לישמעאלים וישמעאלים מסרוהו לפקדון ליד המדינים ונמכר לפוטיפר מיד שניהן ונתקיימו ג׳‎ מקראות והמדינים מכרו אותו אל מצרים לפוטיפר ומקרא זה ויקנהו פוטיפר מיד הישמעאלים ומקרא אחר אשר מכרתם אותי מצרימה כלומר ע״‎י גרמתכם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וימשכו, “they pulled him out;” the Midianites pulled him out of the pit, and proceeded to sell him to the Yishmaelites; the Yishmaelites in turned him over to the Midianites for safekeeping, as they had no immediate use for him. He was then sold to Poptiphar by the Yishmaelites and Midianites jointly. When you understand what happened in this way, all the three verses that describe what happened to Joseph after he was thrown into the pit makes perfect sense. The three verses read as follows: verse 36: The Midianites had sold him to Egypt, specifically to Potiphar.” Chapter 39,1: Potiphar bought him from the Yishmaelites;” chapter 45,4: Joseph speaking: “whom you had sold (me) to Egypt.” Joseph was not concerned with the details but with the cause of his being in Egypt. He accuses the brothers of having been the cause, not the actual sellers.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:3
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:28:3)

**מן הבור** ואחיו לא ידעו מאומה מכל זאת וכשהלך ראובן אל הבור ולא מצאו חשבו כולם חיה רעה אכלתהו ולא שקרו לאביהם שאם מכרוהו לשום אדם לא היה גוי וממלכה בד׳‎ פנות העולם שלא יבקשוהו עד שידעו בירור דבר אם הוא חי או מת. ועוד אם היו מסופקים ממנו אם הוא חי או מת מדוע לא הכירהו במראה או בדיבור ובבנימין שאמר לו אלקים יחנך בני ובמשאות חמש ידות שלו ובמה שהושיבם לפניו הבכור כבכורתו והצעיר כצעירתו, אלא כן הוא כמו שפי'. ד״‎א בעוד שהיו מדברים ביניהם לכו ונמכרנו לישמעאלים הבאים עלינו ובטרם הגיעו הישמעאלים אליהם ויעברו אנשים מדינים סחרים ומכרוהו להם בעודו בבור פן יבכה לפניהם ויתביישו ממנו **וימשכו** המדינים **ויעלו את יוסף מן הבור** שהרי קנוהו מיד אחיו ובעודם מושכין אותו מן הבור באו הישמעאלים עליהם וימכרו המדינים את יוסף לישמעאלים והישמעאלים מכרוהו למדינים ומדינים לפוטיפר הרי כאן ד׳‎ מכירות. והא דכתיב לקמן ויקנהו פוטיפר מיד הישמעאלים, כך היה המעשה השבטים מכרוהו למדינים ומכירה זו לא נכתבה הואיל ולא היתה רק לפי שעה ומדינים מכרוהו לישמעאלים וישמעאלים למדינים ומכירה זו שלישית לא נכתבה לפי שהשלישית הישמעאלים מכרוהו בחפזון ובהצנע כי אמרו שמא יחזרו בהם המדינים מלקנותו ומדינים מכרוהו לפוטיפר כשראה פוטיפר את יוסף שהיה יפה מראה ביד המדינים שהיו המדינים סוחרים שהרי אחים הם לישמעאלים, תמה בעצמו ואמר גרמני מוכר את הכושי ואין כושי מוכר את הגרמני פי׳‎ אדם יפה, אמר פוטיפר ודאי זה אינו עבד תנו לי ערב שלא גנבתם אותו הלכו המדינים והביאו הישמעאלים וערבו שלא גנבוהו והיינו דכתיב ויקנהו פוטיפר מיד הישמעאלים פי׳‎ מערבותם כמו אנכי אערבנו מידי תבקשנו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
מן הבור, “from the pit;” his brothers had no knowledge at all of what had happened to Joseph after they had thrown him into the pit. When Reuven came back to the pit and there was no trace of Joseph, all of them thought that some wild animal must have devoured him. They did not lie to their father. If the brothers themselves had sold him to anyone or any country, they would have made extensive efforts during the 22 years until they travelled to Egypt to find out what had happened to him since. Not only that, if they had had any reason to believe that he might still have been alive, they would not have failed to recognise him when they stood face to face with him. He could not have completely fooled them unless they had long ago become convinced that he was dead. At least they would have recognised him when he blessed Binyamin (43,29) or when he gave Binyamin gifts that were five time larger than the gifts he gave to them. (43,34) Also, the fact that he had seated them at the table in strict accordance with the order of their birth, would have convinced them that he must be their long lost brother. I am convinced that this is the correct sequence of what happened. An alternate interpretation of the sequence of events after Joseph was thrown into the pit: while the brothers were still debating among themselves if to sell Joseph to the approaching Yishmaelites, the Midianites had come from a different direction and seen Joseph in the pit and sold him to the Yishmaelites as soon as possible. In order not to be shamed as having left him in the pit while he was crying, they took him out and made him look presentable before handing him over to the Yishmaelites. Following this, the Yishmaelites sold Joseph to the Midianites, who in turn sold him to Potiphar. According to this scenario, Joseph was actually sold no fewer than four times. This would tally with what is written in 39,1 according to which Potiphar bought Joseph from the Yishmaelites. To sum up: the brothers sold Joseph to the Midianites; this sale has not been recorded in the Torah as it remained in effect only for an hour or so. The Midianites then sold him to the Yishmaelites; this sale was also not recorded in the Torah seeing that the Yishmaelites resold Joseph as soon as possible and secretly, not at public auction as they were afraid that the Midianites wished to cancel the sale and sell him to Potiphar instead, getting a much better price. When Potiphar saw Joseph in the possession of the Midianites and realised how handsome a slave this would be, he could not understand why a white person would sell a fellow white skinned person, they usually only sold negroes, although the reverse would have made sense to him. He therefore reasoned that Joseph could not have been born as a slave. Consequently, he demanded an ironclad guarantee that the Midinanites had not kidnapped him. The guarantee that the Midianites furnished was that they brought the Yishmaelites from whom they had purchased Joseph to confirm this for Potiphar. This is why the Torah writes that Potiphar purchased Joseph from the Yishmaelites, who had confirmed that they had sold him legitimately.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:4
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:28:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:28:4)

**בעשרים כסף** וכי אדם יפה כיוסף לא נמכר אלא בדבר מועט כזה, אלא מחמת שהוריקו פניו בבור מחמת הנחשים לא מכרוהו יותר, וכל אחד מהשבטים נטל שני כספים לחלקו לקנות לחם מנעלים שנאמר על מכרם בכסף צדיק ואביון בעבור נעלים. ד״‎א **בעשרים כסף** שכך קצב זה כתוב בפרשה כדכתיב ואם מבן חמש שנים ועד בן עשרים שנה והיה ערכך הזכר עשרים שקלים, ויוסף לא הגיע לכלל עשרים באותו פרק כדכתיב ויוסף בן שבע עשרה שנה היה רועה את אחיו בצאן, אמר הקב״‎ה אתם מכרתם את בן רחל הבכור בחמש סלעים לפיכך יהא כל אחד ואחד מכם מפריש חמש סלעים של בכור במנה צורי. א״‎ר יהודה בר סימון אמר הקב״‎ה לשבטים, אתם מכרתם בנה של רחל בחמש סלעים לפיכך יהא כל אחד ואחד מכם מגיעו בקע לגולגולת.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בעשרים כסף, “for twenty pieces of silver.” The price sounds extremely cheap, seeing that Joseph was such a handsome young man. We would have to understand this as being due to Joseph’s face reflecting horrific experiences he had undergone recently and from which he did not yet recover. The brothers shared the twenty silver pieces, reportedly each buying himself a pair of new shoes (Amos 2,6) A different interpretation of why the Torah mentions the price Joseph was sold for: In Leviticus 27,5, the Torah lists the monetary value of a person who donates the value of such a person to the Temple treasury. The value depends on age and sex. According to what is written there, males between the age of five and twenty are worth 20 shekel; Joseph was 17 years at the time. According to Bereshit Rabbah 84,18, G-d decreed that because the brothers sold Joseph for 5 sela’im=20 dinarim, they will have to pay a priest 5 selaim to redeem a first born son.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:30:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:30:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:30:1)

**ואני אנה אני בא** מפני מה היה ראובן מתיירא יותר משאר אחיו, אדרבה יהודה היה לו לירא יותר משאר אחיו שהיה ממונה על אחיו עד אותו פרק, אלא י״‎ל שנתנה בכורתו ליוסף, היה ירא שמא יחשדהו אביו יותר משאר אחיו משום דסני ליה על בכורתו כדכתיב בחללו יצועי אביו נתנה בכורתו ליוסף. ד״‎א משום שהגיד יוסף לאביו החלול שעשה ראובן כמו שפרש״‎י גבי ויבא יוסף את דבתם וגו׳‎ שהיה אומר דבני לאה חשודים על העריות לפיכך היה ראובן דואג שמא יאמרו בשביל הדבה שהביא לאביו שנא אותו ראובן.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואני אנה אני בא, “as for me in what terrible situation have I gotten myself into?” Why was Reuven more concerned and afraid than the other brothers? On the contrary, the brother who should have been the one most afraid was Yehudah, who had acted as the brothers’ leader until that time! We must therefore say that he was more concerned because his father had treated Joseph as his firstborn, and he, his father’s biological firstborn could have been accused as being negligent in looking after him due to feelings of jealousy. In addition, he had already been guilty of an indiscretion in Bilhah’s bedroom, which had shown his father that he felt aggrieved about his father having favoured Rachel and her children. Rashi already commented concerning the tales Joseph had been telling to his father, all putting the sons of Leah in a bad light.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:31:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:31:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:31:1)

**שעיר עזים** פרש״‎י דמו דומה לשל אדם, וההיא דהנזקין דגבי נבוזרדאן דלא אידמו היינו משום שהיו מעורבין.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
שעיר עזים, “a male goat; ”according to Rashi they chose this animal as its blood most closely resembles the colour of human blood. When we read in the Talmud Gittin, folio 57, where the Babylonian general Nebuzaradan is reported of having tried to compare the blood of the hundreds of thousands of Jews he had slain in Jerusalem to that of the prophet of the prophet Zecharyah which had not stopped bubbling after having been stoned inside the Temple (he was also a priest) for having rebuked King Joash (about 150 years before the Temple was destroyed) and having failed to prove that that blood was human blood, we must assume that this was due to Zecharyah’s blood having become contaminated during all those years.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:32:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:32:1)

**וישלחו את כתנת הפסים** לשון שליחות סרס את המקרא הכי וישלחו את כתנת הפסים אל אביהם ויביאו אותה השלוחים ויאמרו זאת מצאנו אבל הם עצמם לא רצו להביאה אל אביהם פן ירגיש כי הדבר נודע ששונאים אותו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וישלחו את כתונת הפסים, “they sent the striped coat, etc.” the Torah abbreviated here; the full text should have been: “they sent the striped coat to their father, and the messengers who delivered it said: “this is what we found;” the brothers themselves did not want to become associated with the find, so as not becoming suspect in having had anything to do with Joseph’s death. After all, the fact that they had hated Joseph had been common knowledge.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:33:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:33:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:33:1)

**חיה רעה אכלתהו** שאילו באו לסטים עליו לא הניחו לו הכתונת.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
חיה רעה אכלתהו, “a wild beast has eaten him;” for if he had fallen into the hands of robbers they would not have left the striped coat behind.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:34:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:34:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:34:1)

**ימים רבים** פרש״‎י שנענש על שלא קיים כבוד אב ואם. וא״‎ת היאך נענש הרי אביו ואמו ציווהו ללכת שם אלא י״‎ל לא רצה לבא כששלחה אמו רבקה את דבורה מיניקתה אחריו כמו שפי׳‎ למעלה גבי ותמת דבורה ולכך נענש.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ימים רבים, “for many days.” According to Rashi the reason why Yaakov suffered this grief was as punishment for the many years that he had not observed the commandment of honouring father and mother. If you were to ask how this is possible, seeing that he had been sent away by his father to get himself a wife, the answer is that he was not willing to return home after his mother had sent Rivkah’s nursemaid to tell him that it was safe to come back, as we explained earlier on 35,8 where we have been told about Devorah’s death.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:35:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:35:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:35:1)

**וימאן להתנחם** כסבור שנטרד בפשיעתו ששלחו שם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וימאן להתנחם, “he refused to accept consolations;” he felt that he had been guilty for having sent Joseph on this errand in the first place.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:35:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:35:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:35:2)

**כי ארד אל בני** בשביל בני כמו אל המקלות בשביל העון שבא לי מחמת בני ששלחתיו במקום שהייתי יודע ששונאים אותו שנאת מות ארד אבל שאולה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כי ארד אל בני שאולה, the word: אל, usually translated as “to,” in this case means the same as על, “on account of,” Yaakov foresees that he will wind up in his grave, still in mourning over having been the cause of his beloved son’s tragic and premature death.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:35:3
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:35:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:35:3)

**ויבך אתו אביו** זהו יצחק. ר׳‎ סימון אומר על שם כל המתאבלים עליו מתאבלים עמו, ר׳‎ לוי אמר אצלו היה בוכה כמו שהיה יוצא ממנו היה אוכל ושותה ורוחץ וסך, כדאמר ליה רב לר׳‎ חייא בריה באפה נהיג אבילותא בלא אנפא לא תנהיג אבלותא והכי איתא במועד קטן פרק אלו מגלחין.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויבן אותו אביו, his father wept over him;” according to Bereshit Rabbah 84,21, this does not refer to Yaakov, about whose mourning we have already read, but refers to Yaakov’s father Yitzchok, who was still alive; [according to different opinions quoted there while Yitzchok ostentatiously shared Yaakov’s grief, this was only when he was in the presence of his son. He was aware that Joseph was alive, but did not reveal this to Yaakov, as he felt it was inappropriate to reveal something to Yaakov that G-d apparently had deliberately kept secret from him.] As Rav said to his son Hiyya, when the latter’s wife was in mourning: In her presence practice mourning, but out of her presence do not practice mourning. The source for this is the Talmud in Moed Katan folio 20.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:36:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:36:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:36:1)

**והמדנים מכרו אתו אל מצרים** כנגד שע״‎י השבטים נמכר יוסף להיות עבד למצרים והיו שם לעבדים מדה כנגד מדה ואחרי כן נשתקעו שם הם ובניהם דור אחר דור ולמדו ממעשה המצריים עד שנתקנאו בהם המצריים והעבידום וענו אותם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
והמדנים מכרו אותו אל מצרים, “the Midianites had sold him into Egypt;” the Torah chooses this wording [instead of mentioning at this point to whom specifically he had been sold, Ed.] as foreshadowing the brothers’ and their descendants having to remain in Egypt for many years in the future. The enslavement and forceful detention of the Israelites inside Egypt commencing after the last of the brothers had died, was an example of G-d meting out punishment fitting the crime that had been committed, in this instance to the children of those who had committed the crime. [Although Joseph had not committed the same crime, he had been the cause of all] the crimes that were committed. This still leaves open the question of how Binjamin’s descendants had to be punished. Ed.] All of the brothers, however learned from the corrupt ways of the Egyptians so that they had to suffer before being found worthy of redemption.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:36:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:36:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:36:2)

**אל מצרים** במצרים, דוגמא ואל הארון תתן את העדות. מים חיים אל כלי. אל תוך שרפת הפרה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אל מצרים, “in Egypt;” another example of the word אל being used as meaning: “in,” is Exodus 25,21, ואל הארון תתן את העדות, “and you are to place the testimony (Tablets) inside the ark,” as well as Numbers 19,17 as well as Numbers 19,6:.אל תוך


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 37:36:3
[Chizkuni, Genesis 37:36:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/37:36:3)

**שר הטבחים** כתרגומו רב קטוליא רב הממונה מאת המלך על המחויבים מיתה להרגם בדין שנפסק עליהם שכן מצינו ענין הריגה בלשון טביחה כדכתיב לטבוח ישרי דרך.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
שר הטבחים, “chief of the king’s slaughterers.” He was in fact the chief of the executioners, the death penalty in Egypt being quite common. We find the expression “slaughter” applied to executioners in Psalms 37,14.