## Sforno on Genesis Chapter 46

###### Sforno on Genesis 46:1:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:1:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:1:1)

**לֵאלֹהֵי אָבִיו יִצְחָק.** שֶׁאָמַר לְיִצְחָק אַל תֵּרֵד מִצְרָיְמָה:


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:2:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:2:1)

**וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל.** מַה שֶּׁאָמַר לוֹ עַתָּה הָיָה בִּשְׁבִיל הֱיוֹתוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁיִּצְטָרְכוּ בָּנָיו לְהִשְׂתָּרֵר עַל אוֹיְבֵיהֶם בִּכְנַעַן.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויאמר אלוקים לישראל, what He said to him at this time was due to Yaakov having become Yisrael. He would have to display qualities of leadership as his sons would have to deal with people who would challenge them


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:3:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:3:1)

**אָנֹכִי הָאֵל אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ.** אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁאָמַרְתִּי לְאָבִיךָ "אַל תֵּרֵד מִצְרָיְמָה" (בראשית כו:ב), אֲנִי הוּא שֶׁאוֹמֵר אֵלֶיךָ **אַל תִּירָא מֵרְדָה מִצְרַיְמָה** אַתָּה, וְזֶה **כִּי לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשִׂימְךָ שָׁם**. כִּי אָמְנָם אִם הָיוּ בָּנֶיךָ יוֹשְׁבִים פֹּה, הָיוּ מִתְחַתְּנִים בַּכְּנַעֲנִים וּמִתְעָרְבִים עִמָּהֶם, אֲבָל בְּמִצְרַיִם לֹא יִקְרֶה זֶה, כִּי לֹא יוּכְלוּן הַמִּצְרִים לֶאֱכֹל אֶת הָעִבְרִים לֶחֶם, וּבְכֵן יִהְיוּ לְגוֹי נִבְדָּל, כְּאָמְרָם רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה "וַיְהִי שָׁם לְגוֹי" (דברים כו:ה) – מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיוּ מְצֻיָּנִים שָׁם.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
**I am … God of your father.** I am the God who told your father *not* to go to Egypt (26:2), yet I am telling you to go. **There I will make you into a great nation.** Whereas if you remain here your offspring will intermarry with the Canaanites. This will not happen in Egypt because the populace will not even eat with the Hebrews; see 43:32


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:4:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:4:1)

**אַעַלְךָ גַם עָלֹה.** אַחַר שֶׁאַעַלְךָ וְאוֹצִיאֲךָ מִשָּׁם, תּוֹסִיף מַעְלָה עַל מַה שֶׁהָיָה לְךָ קוֹדֶם רִדְתְּךָ שָׁם, כְּאָמְרוֹ "וּלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִיא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה" (שמות ג:ח).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אעלך גם עלה. Not only will I bring you out of Egypt (in a coffin) to be buried in the Holy Land, but I will also bring your numerous descendants out of there to a good land flowing with milk and honey (the land of Cannan) as we know from G’d’s promise to Moses in Exodus 3,8.


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:4:2
[Sforno on Genesis 46:4:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:4:2)

**יָשִׁית יָדוֹ עַל עֵינֶיךָ.** לֹא תִצְטָרֵךְ לִפְקוֹחַ עֵינֶיךָ לְהַשִּׂיג חֲפָצֶיךָ, כִּי יוֹסֵף יַגִּיעֵם אֵלֶיךָ בְּזוּלַת הַשְׁגָּחָתְךָ, וְלֹא תִצְטָרֵךְ אַתָּה לְהִתְעַסֵּק עִם הַמִּצְרִים הַבִּלְתִּי רְאוּיִים לִקְרוֹב אֵלֶיךָ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ישית ידך על עיניך, you yourself will not have to worry about any of your affairs while in Egypt, seeing that Joseph will take care of all the mundane matters pertaining to daily life. In other words, you can keep your eyes closed when it comes to mundane matters.


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:5:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:5:1)

**וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.** שֶׁהָיוּ צְרִיכִים מִכָּאן וָאֵילָךְ לִהְיוֹתָם עִם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהִשְׂתָּרֵר עִם אֱלֹהִים וְעִם אֲנָשִׁים הַמִּתְקוֹמְמִים בְּלֶכְתָּם עַתָּה אֶל אַדְמַת נֵכָר.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וישאו בני ישראל, the reason why Yaakov’s children are referred to here for the first time as בני ישראל, “the Children of Israel, and not as “the sons of Yaakov,” is that from this moment on their task had become a twofold one, to do that on account of which their father had been accorded his additional name, title, “Israel.” From now on they faced challenges in their conduct vis-à-vis G’d as well as challenges in their conduct vis a vis their environment. This resulted from their becoming strangers in a land in which they had not been born and raised.


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:5:2
[Sforno on Genesis 46:5:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:5:2)

**אֶת יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם.** שֶׁבְּלֶכְתּוֹ אֶל שִׂמְחָתוֹ זֹאת אֲשֶׁר אֵין אַחֲרֵי הַתּוּגָה, אַחַר שֶׁעָבְרוּ עָלָיו כָּל הַצָּרוֹת שֶׁעָבְרוּ, הוֹרָה מַה שֶׁיִּקְרָא לוֹ בְּעָקֵב וּבְאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים, כְּאָמְרוֹ (ירמיהו לא:ו) "רָנּוּ לְיַעֲקֹב שִׂמְחָה".

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
את יעקב אביהם. Now that Yaakov was on his way to his final destination while alive, one which would not be followed by more suffering, disappointment, and upheavals, he had a foretaste of what is historically the ultimate destiny of Yaakov as described by the prophet Jeremiah 31,6 for the eventual glorious future of the Jewish people. The prophet describes it as רנו ליעקב שמחה, “cry out in joy for Yaakov.”


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:8:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:8:1)

**וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת יַעֲקֹב וּבָנָיו.** הָרָאוּי בְּכָל אֵלֶּה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נֶחְשָׁב כָּל אֶחָד מֵהֶם וְנוֹדָע בְּשֵׁם אִישִׁיִּי הֵם יַעֲקֹב וּבָנָיו בִּלְבָד, כְּאָמְרוֹ "וְנָשָׂא אַהֲרֹן אֶת שְׁמוֹתָם לִפְנֵי ה'" (שמות כח:יב), אֲבָל שְׁאָר שִׁבְעִים נֶפֶשׁ אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ צַדִּיקִים לֹא עָלוּ לְמַעֲלַת אֵלֶּה.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
**These are the names … Yaakov and his sons.** Although all seventy were righteous, only Yaakov and his sons were truly worthy of being mentioned by name.


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:19:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:19:1)

**בְּנֵי רָחֵל אֵשֶׁת יַעֲקֹב.** שֶׁהָיְתָה עִקַּר כַּוָּנָתוֹ, וְכֵן מִמֶּנָּה נוֹלְדוּ **יוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִן**, שֶׁהָיוּ מְעֻלִּים בַּשְּׁבָטִים, כְּאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סוטה לו:) רָאוּי הָיָה יוֹסֵף שֶׁיֵּצְאוּ מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים כְּיַעֲקֹב, וְכְאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת נה:) עַל בִּנְיָמִין שֶׁמֵּת בְּעֶטְיוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ, וְכֵן הֵעִיד בְּאָמְרוֹ "לִפְנֵי אֶפְרַיִם וּבִנְיָמִין וּמְנַשֶּׁה עוֹרְרָה אֶת גְּבוּרָתֶךָ" (תהלים פ:ג).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
בני רחל אשת יעקב, who had been the wife whom he had wanted to marry. She had also become the mother of Joseph and Binyamin, the choicest of the tribes as mentioned by our sages in Sotah 36. The text there is: “Joseph by himself was worthy enough to have produced 12 tribes just as his father Yaakov.” The same sages, in Shabbat 55 are on record as saying that Binyamin died only because death had ben decreed for every member of the human race.” [not because he had committed any personal sin which would have accounted for his forfeiting eternal life. Ed.]


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:28:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:28:1)

**לְהוֹרוֹת לְפָנָיו גֹּשְׁנָה.** לְמַעַן יוֹרֶה יְהוּדָה אֵיךְ יְתֻקַּן בֵּית דִּירָה לִפְנֵי בּוֹא יַעֲקֹב לְגֹשֶׁן.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
להורות לפניו גושנה, in order to make a clearing where suitable accommodation could be built for Yaakov and the family.


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:29:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:29:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:29:1)

**וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו.** מִתּוֹךְ עֲבָדָיו הַסּוֹבְבִים אוֹתוֹ, וְלֹא הִמְתִּין שֶׁיָּבֹא אָבִיו אֵלָיו אֶל הַמֶּרְכָּבָה.


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:30:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:30:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:30:1)

**אָמוּתָה הַפָּעַם.** מִצָּרוֹת אֲחֵרוֹת נוֹשַׁעְתִּי, וְאַחַר הַתְּשׁוּעָה מֵהֶם אָפְפוּ עָלַי רָעוֹת. עַתָּה בְּזֹאת הַפַּעַם שֶׁנּוֹשַׁעְתִּי מִצָּרָתְךָ **אַחֲרֵי רְאוֹתִי אֶת פָּנֶיךָ**, יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁאָמוּת בְּזֹאת הַתְּשׁוּעָה וְלֹא יוֹסִיף עֶצֶב עִמָּהּ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אמותה הפעם, I have been saved from all my other afflictions only in order to experience new troubles afterwards. This time, I pray that I will be spared any more troubles during the rest of my life.


###### Sforno on Genesis 46:31:1
[Sforno on Genesis 46:31:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/46:31:1)

**אֶעֱלֶה וְאַגִּידָה.** שֶׁמְּלַאכְתְּכֶם הִיא מִרְעֵה הַצֹּאן, מִבִּלְתִּי שֶׁאֶשְׁאַל מִמֶּנּוּ אָז שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָכֶם **אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן**, כְּדֵי שֶׁיַּאֲמִין כְּשֶׁתֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ שֶׁזֹּאת מְלַאכְתְּכֶם, וְלֹא יַחְשֹׁב שֶׁתֹּאמְרוּ כֵּן כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּתֵּן לָכֶם **אֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן**.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אעלה ואגידה, that your vocation is the raising of sheep and goats. I will not ask Pharaoh to give you the land of Goshen. The reason I will not ask for this is to make sure that he will believe you when you say that you raise sheep. i.e. that basically, you are nomads. If I were to mention the land of Goshen he would think that you ask for this because it is good grazing land.