## Sforno on Genesis Chapter 50

###### Sforno on Genesis 50:3:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:3:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:3:1)

**וַיִּבְכּוּ אוֹתוֹ מִצְרַיִם.** לֹא בִּלְבַד לִכְבוֹד יוֹסֵף וּבְמִצְוָתוֹ, אֲבָל מִצַּד מַה שֶׁהוּא יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לִשְׂרָרָה וּלְכָבוֹד מַלְכוּת:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויבכו אותו מצרים, not only out of respect for Joseph and because of his decree of public mourning, but also because he was revered for his name Yisrael and what this name stood for. He deserved the same respect as royalty.


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:4:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:4:1)

**וַיְדַבֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶל בֵּית פַּרְעֹה.** כִּי אֵין לָבֹא אֶל שַׁעַר הַמֶּלֶךְ בִּלְבוּשׁ שַׂק.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
וידבר יוסף אל בית פרעה, he used intermediaries as a mourner in garments of mourning is not allowed to appear so before the King


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:7:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:7:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:7:1)

**וַיַּעֲלוּ אִתּוֹ.** בִּלְתִּי מִצְוָתוֹ.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויעלו אתו, voluntarily, not because Joseph had so commanded.


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:7:2
[Sforno on Genesis 50:7:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:7:2)

**זִקְנֵי בֵיתוֹ וְכֹל זִקְנֵי אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.** לִהְיוֹת נֶחְשָׁב לְחָכָם בְּעֵינֵי חַכְמֵי הַדּוֹר, כְּאָמְרוֹ "וּזְקֵנָיו יְחַכֵּם" (תהלים קה:כב).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
זקני ביתו וכל זקני ארץ מצרים, seeing that Yaakov had been considered one of the wise men even in the eyes of the Egyptian intellectual elite. (compare Psalms 105,22 וזקניו יחכם”and to teach his elders wisdom.”)


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:9:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:9:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:9:1)

**גַּם רֶכֶב גַּם פָּרָשִׁים.** שֶׁהָיָה נֶחְשָׁב לְאִישׁ חַיִל בְּעֵינֵי אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
גם רכב גם פרשים. In the eyes of the military Yaakov had been considered an able general so that they paid him this last honour


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:16:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:16:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:16:1)

**וַיְצַוּוּ אֶל יוֹסֵף.** צִוּוּ לְעַבְדֵי יַעֲקֹב אוֹ זוּלָתָם עַל אוֹדוֹת יוֹסֵף, כְּמוֹ "וַיְצַוֵּם אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (שמות ו:יג).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויצוו אל יוסף, they commanded Yaakov’s servants or outsiders concerning Joseph. We find a similar construction in Exodus 6,13 ויצום אל בני ישראל, where G’d commanded Moses and Aaron to address the Israelites.


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:16:2
[Sforno on Genesis 50:16:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:16:2)

**לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ צִוָּה.** צִוָּה שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ לְיוֹסֵף "אָבִיךָ צִוָּה לָנוּ" שֶׁנֹּאמַר אֵלֶיךָ מֵאֵלִינוּ, לֹא מִצִּדּוֹ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ חוֹשֵׁד אוֹתְךָ כְּלָל, אֲבָל שֶׁאִם יִירְאוּ אַחֶיךָ נֹאמַר אֵלֶיךָ אֵלֶּה הַדְּבָרִים.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לאמר אביך צוה, he commanded that we should say what we have to say as something that originated with us and not with him, as he did not think for a moment that you might want to avenge yourselves on us. However, he consented that if we were worried, we could take the initiative and express our concerns to you.


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:16:3
[Sforno on Genesis 50:16:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:16:3)

**לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ.** בְּאוֹתוֹ הַפֶּרֶק צִוָּה, וְלֹא הָיָה לָנוּ פְּנַאי לְדַבֵּר אֵלֶיךָ אָז.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
לפני מותו, so closely before his death that we could not speak to you about this at that time.


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:17:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:17:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:17:1)

**וַיֵּבְךְּ יוֹסֵף.** בְּהַזְכִּירָם אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת חִבָּתוֹ שֶׁלֹּא חֲשָׁדוֹ:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויבך יוסף, when they mentioned their father and the fact that he had not thought him capable of holding a grudge and acting upon it


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:19:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:19:1)

**הֲתַחַת אֱלֹהִים אָנִי.** הַאָמְנָם אֲנִי דַּיָּן תַּחְתָּיו שֶׁאָדוּן אַחַר גְּזֵרוֹתָיו וְאַעֲנִישׁ מִי שֶׁהָיָה שָׁלִיחַ מֵאִתּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתָם כְּמוֹ בֵּית דִּין הַמְבַטֵּל דִּבְרֵי בֵּית דִּין חֲבֵרוֹ (עדיות א:ה). כִּי אָמְנָם הֱיִיתֶם שְׁלוּחָיו בָּזֶה בְּלִי סָפֵק כְּעִנְיָן "לֹא אַתֶּם שְׁלַחְתֶּם אֹתִי הֵנָּה כִּי הָאֱלֹהִים" (בראשית מה:ח).

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
התחת אלוקים אני, while it is true that I am a judge, a surrogate of His, charged with the task of carrying out His decrees, and I could punish anyone who was empowered by Him to carry out His decrees. This is analogous to the principle that one court must not annul the rulings of a previous court on the same subject.” (Eduyot 1:5) It is true that you had been charged by G’d to carry out His decrees, but you did not send me here deliberately but G’d. (Genesis 48:8)


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:20:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:20:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:20:1)

**וְאַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה.** הִנֵּה פְּעֻלַּתְכֶם הָיְתָה בִּשְׁגָגָה, שֶׁחֲשַׁבְתֶּם אוֹתִי לְרוֹדֵף, וְאִם הָיָה זֶה הָאֱמֶת הָיָה פְּעֻלַּתְכֶם בְּדִין.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ואתם חשבתם עלי רעה, you had mistakenly considered me as a רודף, someone threatening your very lives. Had you not erred, your actions would have been perfectly justified.


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:20:2
[Sforno on Genesis 50:20:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:20:2)

**אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטוֹבָה.** הִמְצִיא בָּכֶם זֹאת הַשְּׁגָגָה לְתַכְלִית טוֹב:

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
אלקים חשבה לטובה, G’d exploited your error for something good.


###### Sforno on Genesis 50:26:1
[Sforno on Genesis 50:26:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sforno%20on%20Genesis/r/50:26:1)

**וַיַּחַנְטוּ אוֹתוֹ וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן.** בְּאוֹתוֹ הָאָרוֹן שֶׁהָיְתָה הַחֲנִיטָה בּוֹ הִנִּיחוּ עַצְמוֹתָיו, וְלֹא קְבָרוּהוּ בַּקַּרְקַע, וּבָזֶה נוֹדַע הָאָרוֹן לְדוֹרוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וַיִּקַּח מֹשֶׁה אֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף" (שמות יג:יט). חסלת פרשת ויחי. סליק ספר בראשית בעזר העושה כל בימים ששת.

**Yalkut, Sifsei Chachomim Chumash, Metsudah Publications, 2009:**
ויחנטו אותו ויישם בארון, in the very same casket in which the embalming had taken place. They placed his remains therein and he was never interred in the earth. This is why his casket remained well known throughout the generations. Until “Moses took the bones of Joseph, etc.” (Exodus 13,19)