## Tur HaArokh, Genesis

###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:2:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:2:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:2:1)

**ומקצה אחיו לקח.**מהחשובים שבהם מלשון קצין כמו ומקצות הארץ קראתיך:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ומקצה אחיו לקח, “he took from his stronger brothers.” The word קצה is derived from קצין, officer, strong man, as for instance in Isaiah 41,9 ומקצות הארץ קראתיך, “and I called unto you from the corners of the earth.”


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:4:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:4:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:4:1)

**כי אין מרעה לצאן אשר לעבדיך.**כתב הרמב"ן אני תמה בטעם הזה שאמרו לו כי גם במצרים אין מרעה כי כבד שם הרעב כמו בארץ כנען אולי שם עיקר הגזירה ואולי בארץ כנען מפני כובד הרעב אוכלים אנשים עשב השדה ולא השאירו מחיה לבהמה אבל בארץ מצרים הי' בה שבר לאנשים ונשאר בה מרעה מעט לבהמה ויתכן שהי' במצרים מרעה מועט מפני היאורים והאגמים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
כי אין מרעה לצאן אשר לעבדיך, “for there is no grazing land for the flocks and herds of your servants.” Nachmanides writes that he is puzzled by this reason given by the brothers for having come to Egypt. After all, there was no grazing land in Egypt either during the famine, and both man and beast survived only from stored surplus of prior years. Possibly, the most intense famine raged in the land of Canaan, and the people there were reduced to eating grass, so that there was really nothing left for the beasts to feed on. Seeing that people received regular food rations in Egypt they had not needed to deny their beasts the grass in the fields. Alternately, there would be some grass around the many ponds in Egypt and in the Nile delta near the banks of the tributaries of the Nile river.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:5:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:5:1)

**אביך ואחיך באו אליך.**הכנסת דברים כלומר אני שמעתי שאביך ואחיך באו אליך מארץ כנען וארץ מצרים לפניך הוא. אי נמי אמר לו אביך ואחיך באו אליך לשמע כבודך ועליך נשענו ראה זה שתעשה עמהם טובה כי עליך הדבר מוטל ויש לאל ידך:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אביך ואחיך באו אליך, “your father and your brothers have come to join you.” This may be an introductory remark by Pharaoh before offering the brothers and their father the hospitality of the land of Egypt. [otherwise it is banal, as the facts were well known. Ed.] Alternately, it is an introductory remark to “your brothers have come to convince themselves with their own eyes of your rise to greatness in this land. They are now planning to look to you for sustenance.” Pharaoh then proceeds to instruct Joseph to indeed treat his brothers with largesse.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:6:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:6:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:6:1)

**ושמתם שרי מקנה על אשר לי.**פי' ר' אברהם מקנה כמו סוס ופרד כי לא הי' לו מקנה צאן:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ושמתם שרי מקנה על אשר לי, “appoint them as the ministers in charge of all my livestock.” Ibn Ezra understands the term מקנה here as animals such as horses, the type of animals owned by Royalty. Pharaoh, personally, did not own flocks of sheep, etc.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:8:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:8:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:8:1)

**ויאמר פרעה וגו' כמה ימי שני חייך.**תימה למה שאל לשני חייו וכן יעקב למה התאונן לו לומר מעט ורעים היו ימי שני חיי אלא שיעקב קפצה עליו הזקנה מרוב הצרות שעברו עליו ואמר לפרעה לגור בארץ באנו כאלו מצפה עוד לחזור על כן תמה פרעה ואמר לא ראיתי זקן כמותך בכל ארצי ועוד שאתה מקוה לחיות עוד שאתה אומר לשוב לארצך ולכך שאל כמה ימי שני חייך ויעקב השיבו מה שאני נראה כזקן לא מפני רוב השנים שאין לי אלא ק"ל שנים אלא שמעט ורעים הי' שני חיי וקפצה עלי זקנה. ובמדרש יש אמר לו הקב"ה אתה מתרעם עלי לפרעה אחר שהצלתיך מכל צרותיך חייך שאני מקצר שנותיך כמנין תיבות שבפסוק זה והם ל"ג שהיא חי קמ"ז חסר ל"ג שהיו שני יצחק:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויאמר פרעה כמה ימי שני חייך?, “Pharaoh said to Yaakov: ‘how old are you?’” It is puzzling why Pharaoh suddenly displays such interest in Yaakov’s age. At the same time, it is puzzling why Yaakov, instead of simply telling Pharaoh his age, prefaces his answer with a description of the quality of his life before revealing the quantitative aspect of it. Yaakov meant to explain to Pharaoh that if, contrary to norm, he appeared far older than his actual years this was due to the many trials and tribulations he had experienced in his years on earth. When Yaakov had arrived in Egypt and his sons had described themselves as coming לגור בארץ, to sojourn for a while, this created the impression that Yaakov expected to be around on this planet for quite some time yet. Pharaoh was therefore almost bound to ask him how old he was already, seeing that he had such plans for the future. Yaakov reassured him, that as of this day he was far younger in terms of years, than had been either his father or his grandfather at the time of their respective deaths. The fact that Yaakov really intended to return to Canaan after the famine would have passed had really thrown Pharaoh for a loop.
 According to the *Midrash,* G’d reacted angrily when He heard that after having been saved by Him miraculously a number of times during his life, Yaakov had the nerve to complain about the quality of his life on earth up until then in the presence of Pharaoh. As a result, Yaakov’s lifespan was reduced by 33 years when compared to the 180 years his father Yitzchok had lived. The number 33 corresponds to the number of words in our verse.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:10:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:10:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:10:1)

**ויברך יעקב את פרעה.**פירש"י שאלת שלום. וכתב הרמב"ן אינו נראה מדרך המוס' שישאל אדם בשלו' המלך כמו שאמרו כלום יש עבד שנותן שלום לרבו אלא הוא ברכה ממש שדרך אנשים זקנים החסידים הבאים לפני המלכים לברכם בעושר ובנכסים וכבוד ותתנשא מלכות' ובצאתו מלפניו חזר וברכו ליטול רשות מלפניו ורבותינו אמרו שיעלה נילוס לקראתו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויברך יעקב את פרעה, ”Yaakov blessed Pharaoh.” *Rashi* understands this “blessing” as extending greetings. 
 Nachmanides writes that it does not appear reasonable to him that a commoner is in the habit of enquiring after the good health, etc., of a reigning monarch. It is assumed that a king enjoys such, as a matter of course. We are told in *Shabbat* 89 there are no servants who offer this type of greeting to their masters, their masters being presumed to enjoy amenities denied to people of a lower social stratum. [when Moses arrived at the seat of G’d’s throne, he supposedly found G’d preoccupied with decorating the letters of the Torah with crowns. When he remained silent, dumbfounded, G’d asked him whether in his part of the universe it was not customary to extend greetings? Moses replied with the above quotation. Ed.] Nachmanides therefore concludes that Yaakov extended a real (literal) blessing to Pharaoh. It was customary for aged people to do so, as the very fact that they attained old age was perceived as proof that they themselves were blessed, and that therefore a blessing by them was of special value. Yaakov’s first blessing was in respect of earthly possessions, including good health, whereas his blessing before leaving the presence of Pharaoh was the promise that the waters of the Nile would once again overflow their banks and irrigate the farmland of Egypt.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:11:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:11:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:11:1)

**ויושב יוסף את אביו ואת אחיו ויתן להם אחוזה.**שלא רצה שיהיו כגרים ונתן להם בתים שדות וכרמים ברשות פרעה כי הם אמרו לגור בארץ באנו ונחזור לארצינו אחר עבור הרעב ופרעה אמר ליוסף הושב את אחיך כאנשי הארץ התושבים:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויושב יוסף את אביו ואת אחיו ויתן להם אחוזה, “Joseph settled his father and his brothers in the land of Egypt, and he allocated to them freehold property, property that could be transferred to their children upon their death.” He did not want them to have the status of aliens, tourists, transients, etc. He gave them vineyards, houses and fields, all with Pharaoh’s permission, seeing they themselves had only asked permission to be resident aliens for a while. Pharaoh had told Joseph to make full citizens of them.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:14:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:14:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:14:1)

**וילקט יוסף את כל הכסף.**סיפר הכתוב מעלת יוסף וחכמתו וצדקתו שליקט הכל והביא לבית פרעה ולא עשה לעצמו אוצרות כסף וזהב:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וילקט יוסף את כל הכסף, “Joseph collected all the money,” the Torah reports some of Joseph’s astuteness as a ruler, as well as his fairness and faithfulness in that whatever he collected he handed over to Pharaoh’s treasury. He did not amass a private fortune of his own.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:15:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:15:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:15:1)

**ויתם הכסף מארץ מצרים ומארץ כנען.**הזכיר לומר שתם הכסף מארץ כנען בעבור כי מצרים אמרו אל יוסף כיון שתם הכסף מארץ כנען ואינך ממתין שיביאו עוד אליך לשבור מה תועלת יש לך שנמות ותשאר לך התבואה ואין קונה ותמיתנו חנם. ולא תם הכסף בזמן אחד כי לעניים תם קודם מלעשירים אלא כאשר תם גם לעשירים על זה נאמר ויתם הכסף. ובמדרש יש ששרתה רוח נבואה על יוסף וידע מה שיש לכל אחד ואחד ומכר לעשיר ביוקר ולעני בפחות לכל אחד כפי מה שהי' לו שתם כסף העני והעשיר כאחד:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויתום הכסף מארץ מצרים, “Egypt completely ran out of money,” money stopped circulating as there was too little of it both in Egypt and in the land of Canaan. The reason why the Torah had to mention that money had also run out in the land of Canaan was that the Egyptians said to Joseph: “seeing that there is no point in your waiting for more buyers from the land of Canaan, as they have no money with which to buy, you might as well introduce a new bartering system in Egypt. If you keep waiting for customers and we die in the meantime, you will be left with tons of supplies and no one who will buy it from you. The disappearance of money from circulation occurred gradually, beginning with the poor running out of cash first. The words ויתם הכסף describe a state when even the wealthy people had no more ready cash.
 According to the *Midrash* Joseph had been equipped with a degree of prophecy so much so that he knew how much money every person still possessed. He used this knowledge to charge higher prices to the rich and lower prices to the poor, in order to preserve a certain degree of equality amongst the population when it came to obtaining the necessities of life.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:18:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:18:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:18:1)

**ויבואו אליו בשנה השנית.**פירש"י בשנה השנית לשני הרעב אע"פ שאמר יוסף ועוד חמש שנים אשר אין חריש וקציר כשבא יעקב בא ברכה לרגלו. וכת' הרמב"ן אע"פ שלא נתקיי' פתרון יוסף לא יבואו לחשדו לתלותו במיעוט חכמתו כיון שרואים רעב בשאר ארצות אלא שבמצרים ירד יעקב ליאור ועלה היאור לקראתו לעיני פרעה ולעיני עבדיו מכירין שברכת יעקב הוא ולא יתלו הדבר במיעוט חכמת יוסף וא"כ יהי' ויכלכל יוסף את אביו ואת אחיו בימות השבע כל ימי היות אביו כי גם אחרי מות אביו אמר אנכי אכלכל אתכם ואת טפכם. ועם כל זה אני תמה שאם כן לא הי' החלום אמת כי לא הראהו לא הגזירה ולא הענין הנהי' והנעשה בהם ומיהו בתוס' בסוטה יש א"ר יוסי כיון שמת יעקב אבינו חזר הרעב ליושנו ועוד שנינו בספרי ויברך יעקב את פרעה במה ברכו שנמנעו שני הרעב אע"פ כן שלמו לאחר מותו ר' שמעון אומר אין זה קידוש השם שדברי צדיקים קיימים בחייהם ובטלים במיתתן א"ר אלעזר בן שמעון רואה אני את דברי ר' יוסי מדברי אבא שזה קידוש השם שכל זמן שהצדיקים בעולם ברכה בעולם נסתלקו מן העולם נסתלקה ברכה מן העולם והנה השלים הרעב ה' שנים מנותרות. ור' אברהם אמר שהיו אלה ב' השנים אחרי שבא יעקב למצרים וכן מצינו במדרש שנסתלק הרעב בזכות יעקב ויתכן גם כן שהי' רעב עוד ג' שנים ולא היו כמו ד' שנים שעברו. וכתב הרמב"ן שאין דבריו נראין שאם הי' כן הי' הכתוב מזכיר ענינים של השנים האלה אבל על דרך הפשט ליקט יוסף כל הכסף בה' שנים כי איך יתכן שיתום הכסף והמקנה בשנה אחת אלא הספיק להם הכסף ה' שנים ובעבור שלא נתחדש ולא נשתנה דבר באלו השנים לא סיפר בהם הכתוב רק וילקט יוסף את כל הכסף ואחרי שתם הכסף סיפר הכתוב שבאו אל יוסף והי' זה בשנה הששית ונתן להם במקנה לחם וינהלם בו שיאכלו לפי חיותם ולא לשבעה ותתם השנה אשר נדר להם לנהלם במקניהם והיא שנת הששית ויבואו אליו בשנה השנית לזה והוא שנת השביעית ואמרו שיקנה אותם ואת אדמתם בלחם שיאכילם בשנה השביעית ואחרי שיהי' האדמה לפרעה יתן להם זרע שלא תשום האדמה כי ידעו שכלו שני הרעב:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויבואו אליו בשנה השנית, “They came to him in the second year, etc.” according to *Rashi* the verse speaks about the second year of the famine, even though Joseph had spoken about another 5 years of crop failures, (45,11) However, as soon as Yaakov arrived in Egypt, a miracle happened and the blessings returned as a result of his presence.
 Nachmanides writes that although Joseph’s prediction of seven consecutive years of famine did not come true, no one used this as an excuse to call Joseph a liar or a false prophet. The reason was that they noted that the famine continued in the surrounding countries, so that it was clear to them that special circumstances had arisen when Yaakov went down to the Nile and suddenly the waters of the Nile rose to welcome him. Pharaoh himself had witnessed this phenomenon. He showed it to his servants and they realized that Yaakov’s blessing had been effective. We must therefore understand Joseph’s pledge to support his brothers economically as being meant for the normal years to follow, a pledge which was to be valid for at least as long as his father would remain alive. In fact, Joseph continued to support his brothers financially even after his father’s death (50,51) 
 Even considering all this, if all this is true, then Pharaoh’s dream had not been interpreted correctly seeing that Pharaoh had not really been shown the decree nor how it could be changed.
 There is an interesting *Tossephta* in *Sotah* according to which Rabbi Yossi said that as soon as Yaakov died, the famine resumed in Egypt. There is also a statement in the S*ifri* according to which Yaakov’s blessing to Pharaoh consisted in the promise that the famine would cease forthwith. Nonetheless, seeing seven years of famine had been decreed in the dream, these did in fact occur, at intervals, after Yaakov’s death. Rabbi Shimon protested such an interpretation, saying that it does not confer glory on either G’d or His righteous people on earth if the promise (blessing) of a צדיק remains effective only during his own lifetime. In response to this Rabbi Eleazar, son of Rabbi Shimon (ben Yochai) said that he prefers the interpretation of Rabbi Yossi to that of his own father, as it is a greater sanctification of G’d when people observe that as long as a *tzaddik* walks the earth there is visible blessing on earth thanks to his merit. The very fact that the blessings on earth we due to the presence of *Tzaddikim* at that time, becomes manifest when these blessings cease as soon as the *Tzaddik* leaves this earth. The fact is that there are 5 more mentions of famine in Egypt scattered throughout the Bible; these five years of famine completed those predicted by Joseph but interrupted by the blessing of his father Yaakov when he went to see Pharaoh. 
 [by the way, the clue Yaakov had found in Pharaoh’s dream that gave him the opening for this blessing was that the parched ears of corn symbolizing the years of famine, did not grow on a single stalk, whereas the good ears of corn all grew on a single stalk, suggesting that the good years would be consecutive. Ed.] 
 Ibn Ezra claims that here we are speaking about the first 2 years of the famine after Yaakov’s arrival in Egypt. We find support for this in the *Midrash*, which states that the famine ended thanks to the merit of Yaakov. It is also possible that the division was four years of famine at once, and three years at a later date, but of far less severity.
 Nachmanides writes that he finds these interpretations as unsatisfactory, for if that had been so the Torah herself would have referred to some of these events explicitly.
 At any rate, the meaning of the text read straightforwardly is that Joseph collected all the available money during five years of the famine, but seeing that during those five years no new elements developed, the Torah did not refer to those years individually, but treated them as if they had been a single year. When a new development occurred, i.e. the people for the first time confronting Joseph, the Torah resumes the thread of the narrative. What is related now actually occurred during the sixth year of the famine. At that time Joseph handed out grain and took cattle and beasts of burden as payment for this. When the people came back again in the following year, the second of the last two years, he acquired their land on behalf of Pharaoh and made sharecroppers out of all of them. When he began to hand out seed for sowing it became clear that this had been the last year of the famine.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:19:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:19:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:19:1)

**קנה אותנו ואת אדמתינו בלחם.**אמרו שיקנה גם גופם לעבדים וכן אמר הן קניתי אתכם היום ואת אדמתכם א"כ למה נאמר ויקן יוס' את כל אדמת מצרים לפרעה כי מכרו מצרים איש שדהו שלא קנה רק האדמה ולא הגופים הטעם שאמרו לו שיקנה אותם לעבדים עושי מלאכת המלך כרצונו והוא לא רצה לקנות רק האדמה והתנה עמהם שיעבדוה לעולם ויהיו כאריסי בתי אבות ואחרי כן אמר להם הן קניתי אתכם ואת אדמתכם לפרעה לא לעבדי' כאשר אמרתם לי רק עם האדמה תהיו לי והנה ראוי שיטול המלך שהוא אדון הקרקע ד' הידות ואתם החמישית אבל אעשה עמכם חסד שתטלו אתם חלק בעל הקרקע ופרעה יטול חלק הראוי ליטול לאריס אבל תהיו קנוים שלא תוכלו לעזוב השדה וזה טעם מה שנדרו לו.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
קנה אותנו ואת אדמתינו בלחם, “acquire us together with our land in return for bread!” They asked Joseph to also acquire their bodies as slave labour, and this is confirmed when Joseph told them in verse 23 that he had indeed acquired both their soil and their bodies on Pharaoh’s behalf. Seeing that this has all been spelled out by the Torah in unmistakable language, what do the words in verse 20: “Joseph acquired all the soil of Egypt on Pharaoh’s behalf,” add to the information we have already received? In fact that verse seems to contradict what we read in both verse 19 and 23 in that it speaks only of soil and not bodies having been sold. The reason for the insertion of this verse was to show that although the Egyptians were willing and eager to even sell their bodies, Joseph did not acquire their bodies,- as he considered the personal freedom of the body of a human being as of paramount importance- but he established a system of share-cropping, the former landowners being legally obligated to work the lands in question on behalf of Pharaoh, but sharing in the success or failure of the annual crops to the extent of 80%. When he did say to them in verse 23 “here I have acquired you,“ he refers to the entitlement to their labour, not to their bodies being owned, and subject to resale to other human beings, (as was the custom in the United States until1866)
 Moreover, Joseph’s concern for “human rights” was such that instead of allocating to Pharaoh 80% of the fruits of their labour he allocated only 20% to Pharaoh, the remainder belonging to the farmer who had worked the land. The expression קניתי “I have acquired you,” is justified as the farmers were not allowed to leave the land or offer their labour to someone else.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:19:2
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:19:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:19:2)

**והאדמה לא תשם.**שלא תשם לעול' וע"כ אמרו נמצא חן בעיני אדוני שהקלת עלינו ליטול ד' הידות והיינו עבדים לפרעה כאשר נדרנו לעבוד האדמה לרצונו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
והאדמה לא תשם, “and the land will not become waste.” Neglect of the land now would result in the land becoming permanently unable to grow crops. In light of this it is not surprising that the farmers said to Joseph (verse 25): “you have kept us alive; let us find favour in your eyes and we will gladly be slaves to Pharaoh.”


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:22:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:22:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:22:1)

**רק אדמת הכהנים.**י"מ בשביל פוטיפרע אמרו שהי' כהן און. וי"מ מפני שדנו אותו כשצעקה אשת פוטיפר עליו שבא לאונסה ואמרו אם הקרע הוא לפנים אז הדין עמה שהוא קרעו ואם הוא לאחוריו אז הדין עמו ונמצא לאחוריו. ולא יקשה עליך מה שכתוב כי חוק לכהנים מאת פרעה כי על ידי יוסף הי' להם החוק מפרעה. וי"מ כהנים השרים כמו ובני דוד כהנים היו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
רק אדמת הכהנים, “only the land-holdings of the priests, etc.” Some commentators believe that Joseph favoured the priests because his former master Potiphar was now a priest in the monastery of On.
 Other commentators attribute Joseph’s showing preference to the priests to the tradition that it had been the priests who had to sit in judgment deciding if the accusation of Potiphar’s wife that Joseph had attempted to rape her was true or not had ruled in Joseph’s favour basing themselves on the manner in which his garments had been torn. Had the tears occurred in the frontal part of the garments this would have been incriminating. The fact that the tears were in the rear indicated to them that Joseph had fled from her and not *vice versa*. You need not consider the statement in our verse that there was a special law for the priests as contradicting the tradition we just quoted, seeing that this very law had been introduced by Joseph.
 Some commentators do not understand the word כהנים as referring to a religious order, but as a description of the local aristocracy, whom Joseph exempted from these new laws restricting land ownership to a numerically insignificant number of people.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:24:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:24:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:24:1)

**וארבע הידות יהי' לכם.**אחד לזרע השדה ואחד לאשר בבתיכם ואחד לאוכליכ' לאשר בבתיכם דהיינו עבדים ושפחות ואחד לאכול לטפכם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וארבע הידות יהיה לכם, “and the other four fifths will be yours.” One quarter of the crop was intended to provide seed for next year’s crop; another quarter was intended for consumption by the farmer and his wife, yet another quarter for the farmer’s resident helpers other than his immediate family, and one quarter for use by the children.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:25:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:25:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:25:1)

**החייתנו וגו' והיינו עבדים לפרעה.**פי אנו רוצים להיות עבדים לפרעה ולא לך.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
החייתנו...והיינו עבדים לפרעה, “you have saved our lives, and we have becoming willing slaves of Pharaoh.” The emphasis on the unnecessary word לפרעה was a blunt hint to Joseph that whereas they were willing to become Pharaoh’s slaves, they would not have been willing to become Joseph’s slaves.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:28:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:28:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:28:1)

**ויחי יעקב.**רדת יעקב למצרים רמז לגלות השלישי שהוא גלותינו ביד רומי כי בני יעקב הם בעצמם סיבבו רדתם במכירת יוסף אחיהם ויעקב ירד שם מפני זלעפות רעב וחשב להנצל עם בנו האהוב לו והיו סבורים לעלות משם ככלות הרעב מארץ כנען כמו שאמרו לגור בארץ באנו ולא עלו אלא ארך עליו הגלות ומת שם ועלו עצמותיו וזקני פרעה ושריו העלוהו ועשו אבל כבד וכן אנחנו עם רומי ואדום אחינו הסיבו ביאתנו בידם כי כרתו ברית עם רומיים ואגריפס המלך האחרון לבית שני ברח אליהם לעזרה ומפני הרעב נלכדו אנשי ירושלים והגלות ארך עליהם מאוד ולא ידענו קצו כשאר הגליות ויעלונו מכל העמים מנחה לה' ויהי' להם אבל כבד בכך בראות' כבודנו ואנחנו נראה בנקמת השם יקימנו ונחי' לפניו. פירש"י דלכך פרשה זו סתומה כיון שמת יעקב נסתמו עיניהם של ישראל משיעבוד מצרים אע"ג דאמרינן כל זמן שאחד מן השבטים קיים לא שיעבדו בהם אפשר שכובד השיעבוד לא הי' להם מ"מ מיד אחר מיתתו התחילו להשתעבד בהם. ד"א לכך היא סתומה לפי שלמעלה התחיל בחשבון שנות יעקב וחשב מהם ק"ל ועתה השלים עליהם י"ז לא רצה להפסיק באמצע החשבון:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויחי יעקב, “Yaakov lived (peacefully), etc.” The descent of Yaakov to Egypt is meant to be reminiscent of the third exile of the Jewish people, the exile under Roman domination, as the sons of Yaakov had brought about their exile in Egypt themselves through having sold their brother Joseph to Egypt. Yaakov descended there under the impression that he would be saved there due to his beloved son occupying such an illustrious position in a country that was not severely damaged by the famine. The brothers themselves had declared that they had only come to Egypt for a brief stay, expecting to return to Canaan as soon as the famine had come to an end. In the event, this is not how things worked out, the exile in Egypt dragged on for one reason or another, and even Yaakov himself was only brought back to the land of Israel after he died, and even that only because Joseph told Pharaoh that his father had made him swear not to bury his remains in Egypt. While it is true that he was buried with great honour and the elite of Egypt participated in his funeral, his death put an end to any chance of the brothers returning even if they had wanted to.
 Something very similar happened during the later years of the Hasmonean reign when two brothers vied for the position of King, and the one who did not succeed by his own strength, called in the Romans to support him politically and militarily. They did, but they never left the country again after King Agrippas took refuge with them. Eventually, due to famine in Jerusalem after years of siege, the defenders of Jerusalem were captured and until this day we are enduring this ”Roman” exile. In contrast to previous exiles, we have no idea when this exile will come to an end. Who knows how far off is the day when the tables will be turned and we will go up to Jerusalem and offer offerings of thanksgiving, and all the nations will witness the redemption of the Jewish people.
 *Rashi* explains that the reason why this portion has not been separated from the previous portion by even the space of a single letter, is to allude to the fact that as soon as Yaakov had closed his eyes for the last time, the ability of the Jewish people to look into the future with any sense of confidence and assurance had vanished. This remained true although, according to tradition, the Egyptians did not commence any repressive measures against the Jewish tribe until after the last one of the brothers had died. The enslavement commenced immediately after the death of the last surviving brother 
 Another approach to the peculiar lack of the separation of the previous portion in the Torah from this one, is that before the Torah had commenced with the chronology of the years of the life of Yaakov who was 130 years old when he came to Egypt, now the Torah relates that he had 17 years left to live out his life while in Egypt, and the Torah did not want to interrupt its chronology. [Joseph spent the first 17 years of his life under the care of his father, whereas his father spent the last 17 years of his life under the care of Joseph. Ed.]


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:29:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:29:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:29:1)

**ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות.**פי' אין זה חוליו שמת בו אלא כאשר קרבו ימיו למות והרגיש חולשתו ואפיסת כוחותיו קרא ליוסף והשביעו וחזר למצרים ואחר כך חלה והוגד ליוסף ואז חזר לפניו עם בניו שיברכם:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויקרבו ימי ישראל למות, “As Israel’s time to die approached, etc.” These words do not refer to the sickness from which Yaakov died eventually, but they refer to a period when Yaakov began to experience the weakness which is common to people whose strength begins to ebb prior to their death. At a later stage, when Yaakov actually took sick and Joseph was told about it, he rushed to see his father and obtain his last blessing as well as to obtain blessings for his sons.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:29:2
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:29:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:29:2)

**ויאמר וגו' שים נא ידך תחת ירכי.**ולא כתיב בתר הכי וישם ידו תחת יריכו כמו באליעזר שלא רצה לפרש מפני הכבוד. וי"מ לפי הפשט דשים נא ידך תחת יריכי לאו היינו שבועה דהא לבתר הכי כתיב השבעה לי אלא פי' שים עצמך בעובי הקורה ותהי' במקומי לפרנס ביתי:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ויאמר..שים נא ידך תחת ירכי, “he said: ‘please place your hand beneath my loins.’” Here the Torah does not continue with reporting that Joseph did as requested, as it had done when Avraham made a similar request to Eliezer when he sent him to look for a wife for Yitzchok. Here the Torah did not want to spell out this detail, preserving the element of delicacy of this procedure.
 Some commentators, claiming to interpret the plain meaning of the text, say that the request to place his hand under Yaakov’s loins did not refer to an oath, seeing that Yaakov requested the oath at a later stage (verse 31). 
 They say that Yaakov requested Joseph to take over the position known in Talmudic parlance as עובי הקורה, “center post,” i.e. the position of head of the clan with all the attendant responsibilities.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:29:3
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:29:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:29:3)

**ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת.**פירש"י חסד שעושים עם המתים שאינו מצפה לתשלום גמול ומקשים והלא ליוסף שילם לו גמולו שנתן לו שכם ומתרצים ועשית עמדי דבר שהוא חסד ואמת לשאר המתים. ומיהו אינו קשה כלל שיוסף לא הי' מצפה לתשלום גמול אלא שיעקב נתן לו מדעתו:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת, “and perform for me a true deed of loving kindness.” *Rashi* explains that the term “true loving kindness” is always used when the party performing the deed in question entertains no expectation of being rewarded for it in this life. The question raised against this interpretation is that we see that Yaakov immediately recompensed Joseph by giving him the city of Shechem over and above the normal portion allocated to the tribes of Ephrayim and Menashe. The answer given is that we are to read the line as: “you will do with me something which would be a true act of kindness when performed for other מתים, dead people who cannot reciprocate in kind.” However, in my opinion the question is not even in place, as nothing was further from Joseph’s mind than expecting a reward. Yaakov’s giving Shechem to Joseph was entirely free-willed, not in the nature of a reward at all.


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:30:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:30:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:30:1)

**אנכי אעשה כדבריך.**כפשטי' שאקיים ציווייך. אי נמי אעשה כדבריך שגם אני אצוה לעשות לי כן שהשביע את אחיו לעשות לו כן. אע"פ שהקב"ה הבטיחו אנכי אעלך גם עלה וגם הי' מכיר צדקת יוסף שלא הי' משנה דיבורו אשר הבטיחו כבר אע"פ כן הבטיחו לחזק הענין בעיני פרעה אולי יאמר לו שלח אחיך ועבדיך ויעלוהו או שירצה שיקבר בארצו וכן הי' לו שאמר לו עלה וקבור את אביך כאשר השביעך:

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
אנכי אעשה כדברך, “I shall do as you have said.” I will carry out your instructions. Alternately, the meaning is that Joseph conveyed to his father that he would do what he had asked him to do because he himself would do the same when the time came, and he too would ask his brothers and children to ensure that he would eventually be interred in the Holy Land. Both Yaakov and Joseph made his son/brothers swear, even though Yaakov had already had a direct assurance by G’d before he came to Egypt that He would accompany him back to his grave in the land of Canaan. He also had no reason to doubt Joseph’s sincerity and uprightness. He wanted Joseph to render an oath so that he could use this as an argument before Pharaoh in case the latter would object to the fact that someone who had been able to stop the famine, would not be honoured by the Egyptians by being given a burial and a monument in that land. In the event, Pharaoh did give permission, stressing that it was Joseph’s duty to honour his oath to his father. (50,7)


###### Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:31:1
[Tur HaArokh, Genesis 47:31:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Tur%20HaArokh/s/Genesis/r/47:31:1)

**וישתחו ישראל על ראש המטה.**פירש"י שהשכינה שורה למעלה מראשו של חולי ולמאי דפרישית לעיל אכתי לא חלה עד אח"כ דכתיב הנה אביך חולה. וי"מ על ראש המט' שהי' הוא יושב שם השתחוה והשתחווי' זו כנותן הודאה למקום על שיוסף קיים מצותו. אי נמי השתחוה ממש וכאן נתקיים והנה השמש והירח וגו':

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
וישתחו ישראל על ראש המטה, “Israel prostrated himself at the head of the bed.” According to *Rashi* the Presence of G’d usually positioned itself near the head of the bed of the sick person. This is difficult according to the view we quoted earlier, that at this point Yaakov was not yet sick, so that we would have to say that at this point Yaakov was sitting on his bed and he prostrated himself as a mark of gratitude to Joseph for having agreed to honour his wish. His gratitude was expressed to G’d Who had given him a son who, in spite of his elevated position, honoured his father’s every wish. It is also possible that he literally prostrated himself before Joseph, thus fulfilling the last detail in Joseph’s dream about the sheaves.