## Chizkuni, Genesis

###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:1:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:1:1)

**לאלקי אביו יצחק** שגם יצחק בנה שם מזבח כדכתיב בפרשת תולדות.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
לא־לוהי אביו יצחק, “to the G-d of his father Yitzchok. His father Yitzchok had offered a sacrifice at the same altar, as we know from Genesis 26,28.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:3:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:3:1)

**אלקי אביך** הקב״‎ה נגלה על יעקב בלשון שכבדו כדכתיב ויזבח זבחים לאלקי אביו יצחק.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אלוקי אביך, “the G-d of your father.” G-d appeared to Yaakov in the same mode as Yaakov had addressed him, i.e. this is why He describes Himself as “the G-d of your father “


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:3:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:3:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:3:2)

**אל תירא מרדה מצרימה** אין אומרים אל תירא אלא למי שהוא מתיירא לפי שהיה יעקב מתיירא ואומר עכשיו שאני יורד למצרים קרבו הימים שנאמר לזקני גזירת שעבוד ועינוי על זרעי בארץ לא להם אמר לו הקב״‎ה **אל תירא מרדה מצרימה** אם לאביך הזהרתי באתי לך להבטיחך אם קרבו ימי שעבוד ועינוי גם קרבה הברכה שברכתי את זקנך ואעשך לגוי גדול. היינו כי לגוי גדול אשימך שם.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אל תירא מרדה מצרימה, “do not fear descending to Egypt;” no one in the Bible had ever been told by G-d not to be afraid, unless he had already been afraid. Yaakov’s reasoning for being fearful was his knowledge that being strangers in a foreign land and being slaves which had been decreed already in the lifetime of his grandfather Avraham would most likely commence now that he was moving to Egypt. G-d answered him that although He had warned his father and grandfather of this, He appeared to him in order to give him reassurance. He hinted that although he was correct in assuming that the warning would soon be fulfilled, but by the same token, the promise made to all the three patriarchs that they would develop into a great nation, came closer to its fulfillment.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:4:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:4:1)

**גם עלה** לרבות עצמות שאר כל השבטים.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
גם עלה, the word גם “also,” which appears superfluous, means that not only would his bones be buried in the cave of Machpelah, but that all the bones of his children would also find their eternal resting place in the Holy Land. He also assured him that Joseph would be present when it came time for him to die.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:4:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:4:2)

**ויוסף ישית ידו על עיניך** מנהג הוא שהחיים עושים עם המתים שסוגרים את עיניהם סמוך אחר הפטירה והיה מבטיחו שיוסף יהיה בפטירתו ויעזור לו להוציאו ממצרים להוליכו אל המערה. ד״‎א **על עיניך** על עניניך, מגזרת עין יעקב כלומר ישתדל לעסוק בצרכיך.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויוסף ישית ידו על עיניך, “and Joseph will place his hand on your eyes (and close them forever.)” This was an accepted custom in those days. It implied that Joseph would also be instrumental in his remains being transferred to the cave of Machpelah. A different interpretation of this verse: the words: על עיניך, are not to be understood literally, but are derived from the word עין being used as referring to someone’s or something’s, fountain, essence, as in עין יעקב, (Deuteronomy 33,28) where it refers to the personification of what Yaakov stood for. According to this interpretation, G-d assured Yaakov that in Joseph he will have a suitable successor. He will take care ably of all his needs.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:7:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:7:1)

**בנתיו** אעפ״‎י שאין לו אלא אחת כן דרך הכתוב לדבר כמו ובני דן חושים ובני פלוא אליאב.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בנותיו, “his daughters;” the plural mode is used although Yaakov had only one daughter. This is a customary way of the Torah referring to descendants, and we find a parallel in referring to male descendants in verse 23 of our chapter i.e. ובני דן חושים, “Dan’s sons were called Chushim,” as well as in Numbers 26,8 where the children of Palu are called Eliav, even though each of the fathers had only one son.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:8:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:8:1)

**ואלה שמות** חזר ומנאן לספר נפלאות הקב״‎ה שבשבעים נפש ירדו למצרים ובזמן מועט נעשו יותר מששים רבוא.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואלה שמות, “and these are the names, etc.” the Torah enumerates them once more in order to highlight the miracles of the Lord showing how seventy souls who migrated to Egypt developed into nation of at least 2,5 million souls within the space of 210 years.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:10:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:10:1)

**בן הכנענית** פסוק זה מעיד כי נשי השבטים היו מצריות אדומיות מדייניות והזכיר זאת לבדה בשביל שעשה שמעון שלא כהוגן לקחת כנענית ועל דבר זה הזכיר מיתת ער ואונן בעבור שהיו בני כנענית. ד״‎א מה שהזכיר כאן ער ואונן אעפ״‎י שמתו קודם ירידה למצרים לפי שעל ידי יהודה ירדו למצרים שאם רצה למחות במכירת יוסף היו שומעין לו אמר הקב״‎ה אתה לא חסת בצער אביך חייך בשעה שאביך בשמחה מיתת בניך תהיה נזכרת כדי לצערך.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בן הכנענית, “the son of a Canaanite woman.” This verse testifies to the fact that the respective wives of Yaakov’s sons were of Egyptian, Edomitic, and Midianite descent; the reason that this particular son of Shimon has been singled out as having been born of a Canaanite mother, is that his father is criticised for having married a Canaanite woman, something that had not been considered appropriate already since Avraham’s time. This is also why the premature death of Er and Onan, sons of Yehudah, had been mentioned. According to another interpretation, the reason why Er and Onan have been mentioned here altogether, although they died before the family descended to Egypt, is that if Yehudah had objected to Joseph’s sale, his brothers would have listened to him. [This leaves open the question of what happened to Yehudah’s third son Sheylah, who though apparently not having descended to Egypt, is not listed here by name, though he had the same two parents as Er and Onan. Ed.] G-d’s reasoning had been: you, Yehudah have not taken into account that you caused your father terrible grief by depriving him of Joseph, I will cause you grief at the time when he will rejoice by reminding you of two of your sons and their depriving, and mentioning this here in order to rekindle your pain.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:15:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:15:1)

**אלה בני לאה** פרש״‎י אשה מזרעת תחלה יולדת זכר היינו טעמא כשזרע האשה בא תחלה הוא מתפזר ע״‎י התשמיש שעדיין לא נגמר ומתבטל אבל זרע האיש הבא בגמר ביאה עומד ונקלט ממנו הולד נוצר. איש מזריע תחלה יולדת נקבה מהאי טעמא איפכא, כי באמת מזרע הזכר נולד זכר ומזרע הנקבה נולדת הנקבה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
אלה בני לאה, “these were the sons of Leah. Rashi comments on this that from here we learn that when a woman orgasms first she will give birth to a male child. The rationale is that the woman’s seed in such a situation has already started to disperse, whereas the man’s seed ejaculated later is still in its original strength. The reverse is true when the man ejaculates earlier, i.e. that the woman’s seed being last is still in its original strength, resulting in its immediate conception. (Compare Talmud, tractate Niddah folio 31)


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:21:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:21:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:21:1)

**בלע ובכר** אין לעמוד על מנינם. לפי שיטת דברי הימים נמצא שהם י״‎א ומונה אחיה במקום אחוה והוא אחי הנזכר כאן. וי״‎ל כשירדו למצרים לא היו רק עשרה בשעת ירידה ושוב נולד אחר, ושינוי השמות על שם שמזכיר אותו פעם אחרת וכן המנהג בכל המקרא כשבא לכתוב להזכיר מה שהזכיר כבר.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
בלע ובכר, we must not make an issue of the number of Binyamin’s sons, as according to the report in Chronicles I 8,15 there were 11 sons. We must simply assume that at the time when Binyamin descended to Egypt the eleventh son had not yet been born. The difference in some of their names may also be accounted as due to their being listed once more. This is something we find also in other instances where the Bible records the same people more than once.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:21:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:21:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:21:2)

**וארד** הוי״‎ו בקמץ.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וארד, the letter ו in this word is vocalised with the vowel kametz.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:23:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:23:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:23:1)

**ובני דן חשים** שנים ומת אחד מהם ולא הזכירו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ובני דן חושים, and the name of Dan’s children: Chushim. There were two, one of them died and his name has not been mentioned.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:26:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:26:1)

**כל נפש ששים ושש** שהרי בני לאה היו ל״‎ג ודינה וחצרון וחמול ויוכבד שנולדה בין החומות בכלל. ובני זלפה ששה עשר וחבר ומלכיאל בכלל. ובני רחל י״‎ד. ובני בלהה שבעה. וצריך אתה להוציא מהם יוסף ושני בניו ויוכבד שלא יצאו מארץ כנען, כפרש״‎י כל הנפש הבאה שיצאו מארץ כנען לבא מצרים. ויוצאי ירכו אתא להוציא נשי יעקב ומלבד נשי בניו אתא להוציא את התיומות שלא היו בכלל החשבון (ה) . הרי לך ששים ושש.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כל נפש ששים ושש, “The combined total of souls were 66.” They were made up of 33 children of Leah including Dina, Chetzron, Chamul and Yocheved who was born at the border of Egypt, included. Zilpah had a total of 16, including Chever and Malkiel. Rachel’s descendants at that time were 14, and Bilhah’s were seven. You have to deduct Joseph and his two sons as well as Yocheved, [who did not descend. Ed.], as explained by Rashi. Compare verse 46 according to which the number is made up of people having left the land of Canaan. The words: יוצאי ירך יעקב, “biological offspring of Yaakov,” have been added to tell us that the wives of both Yaakov and his sons were not included. [Our author may have added these words as otherwise we would have to assume that both Bilhah and Zilpah had already died. Ed.]


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:27:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:27:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:27:1)

**הבאה מצרימה שבעים** יוסף ושני בניו ויוכבד בכלל, והכתוב הולך אחר הרוב וכן דרך הרבה מקראות. זה הכלל יעקב ושום אשה לא היו בכלל רק דינה יוכבד וסרח וחצרון וחמול וחבר ומלכיאל היו בכלל. למאן דאמר תאומות נולדו עם השבטים כמו שפרש״‎י מנא לן דמתו קודם ירידתן למצרים אלא יש לומר מדלא כתיב בכל הפרשה את גבי שבטים רק בדינה מכלל דכולהו מתו רק אותה של דינה שהשלימה.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
הבאה מצרימה שבעים, “who had arrived in Egypt, (were) seventy.” This number includes Joseph, his two sons, and Yocheved, (Moses’ mother). The Torah does not worry about minor inaccuracies as it concerns itself with the overwhelming majority. There are many examples of this rule having been applied. [Perhaps the best known examples are when Moses refers to the Jewish people comprising six hundred thousand men of the ages 2060, as well as when during the census, each time with a single exception, the total of the numbers of each tribe always ends with the digit zero, i.e. have been rounded off. Ed.] The only females in the count above are: Dinah, Yocheved, Serach. [In the author’s text which this editor works from, there appear four more names of males at this point, all grandsons of Yaakov. I have not been able to figure out why these names appear there. Ed.] According to a view expressed in the Midrash, that twin sisters were born with all of Yaakov’s sons, we would have to assume that they had all died before the family’s descent to Egypt, with the exception of twin of Dinah.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:28:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:28:1)

**ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף** שיורה הדרך לגושן בלא ירידה למצרים שהרי שלח לו כבר וישבת בארץ גושן והיית קרוב אלי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואת יהודה שלח לפניו אל יוסף, “and he (Yaakov) had sent Yehudah ahead to Joseph;” so that he would be informed about which route to travel to the province of Goshen and thus to avoid entering Egypt proper. Joseph had already told him that he would live there in order to be close to Joseph (Genesis 45,6).


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:29:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:29:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:29:1)

**ויבך על צואריו עוד** מלבד הבכי שבכה על צוארי אחיו כדכתיב ויבך עליהם. ד״‎א **עוד** קאי אויפול וה״‎ק נפל על צואריו, ועוד עשה ענין אחר על צואריו, הוא הבכי.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ויבך על צואריו עוד, “he (Joseph) still continued weeping while embracing his father,” in addition to when he had wept when being reunited with his brother Binyamin.” (45,10; 45,14) An alternate exegesis of this verse: the word: עוד refers to the weeping being in addition to embracing each other around their necks.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:32:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:32:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:32:1)

**וצאנם ובקרם וכל אשר להם הביאו** צריכים הם לשמור צאנם ואין להם פנאי להיות אנשי חיל.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
וצאנם ובקרם וכל אשר להם, “and their flocks and herds and all that they owned;” they need to tend these so that they do not have time to become professional soldiers.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:34:1
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:34:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:34:1)

**ואמרתם אנשי מקנה** יוסף היה דואג אם יהיו שרים בבית פרעה שיורידוהו מגדולתו שהרי בשביל קנאת כתונת פסים מכרוהו.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
ואמרתם אנשי מקנה, “you’ll say: ‘we are cattle growers by vocation.’” Joseph was worried that if his brothers would occupy senior positions in Pharaoh’s Palace, this would result in jealousies and they would use this to reduce his status. He remembered that the “uniform” indicating rank, i.e. the striped coat had had worn, had led to all these jealousies once before.


###### Chizkuni, Genesis 46:34:2
[Chizkuni, Genesis 46:34:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Chizkuni/s/Genesis/r/46:34:2)

**כי תועבת מצרים** פרש״‎י לפי ש(אין)[הן] אלהות להם. יראתם היה מזל טלה ובגללו היו עובדים אותו. תועבת מצרים יראת מצרים, דוגמא שקוץ מואב ולמלכום תועבת בני עמון.

**Chizkuni, translated and annotated by Eliyahu Munk:**
כי תועבת מצרים, “for it is something that the Egyptians detest;” Rashi understands the line as “for it is a deity of Egypt;” i.e. it is something that G-d detests, i.e. an idol. Their favorite astrological constellation was that of the lamb, which they worshipped. [“Worshipping” in the language of pagans means “to be afraid of.” Ed.] We find a similar expression concerning the favorite idol of the Moabites, (Kings II 23,14) i.e. שקוץ מואב ולמלכום תועבת בני עמון, “kemosh the abomination of Moav, and Milcom, the abomination of the Ammonites.”