AND JACOB DWELT. The Bible tells us¹ that the chiefs of Esau dwelt on the mountain of Seir but that Jacob dwelt in the chosen land.²

footnotes: ¹ In the previous chapter, verse 8. ² The purpose of our verse is to teach us that Jacob, in contrast to Esau, dwelt in the land of Israel.

The meaning of These are the generations of Jacob is: these are the events which befell him and the incidents which came upon him. Toledot (generations) comes from the same root as yeled (bring forth) in What a day may bring forth (yeled) (Prov. 27:1).³ is not rendered generations but events, as evidenced by the word of the same root, yod, lamed, dalet in Prov. 27:1.

footnotes: ³ Toledot

BEING STILL A LAD, EVEN WITH THE SONS OF BILHAH, AND WITH THE SONS OF ZILPAH. The sons of the concubines (the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah) made Joseph their attendant (servant) since he was their younger brother. This was the evil report of them which he brought unto their father. Had the children of Leah, the mistress of the house, made Joseph their attendant, then no wrong would have been done.⁴ of his brothers to bring unto their father. The view that evil report pertains to limbs torn from living animals is a Midrashic interpretation.⁵ 84:7. That Joseph did not bring an evil report to Jacob concerning Leah’s children is clear from the fact that Scripture only mentions the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah in our verse.⁶ (report of them) must refer to Zilpah and Bilhah’s sons. This comment is either a proof of what I.E. wrote above, viz., that Joseph spoke only about the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah (Krinsky), or its purpose is to negate a Midrashic statement to the effect that Joseph spoke ill only of Leah’s children, viz., that he told Jacob that Leah’s children refer to the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah as the children of slave girls (Filwarg).

footnotes: ⁴ Joseph would thus not have had any evil report ⁵ According to the Midrash Joseph told his father that his brothers ate limbs torn from living animals. Cf. Bereshit Rabbah ⁶ Our verse mentions only the sons of Zilpah and the sons of Bilhah. Hence the pronominal suffix of dibbtam

BECAUSE HE WAS THE SON OF HIS OLD AGE. This is to be taken literally since Joseph was born to Jacob when the latter was ninety-one years old.⁷., 47:9) and Joseph 39. Thus Jacob was 91 years older than Joseph (Cherez). I.E. notes that ben zekunim is to be taken literally, viz., son of old age, because the Midrash and Onkelos interpret it to mean a wise son. Cf. Bereshit Rabbah 84:8 and Rashi. Also, Benjamin, his brother, is referred to by Scripture as a child of his⁸ old age (Gen. 44:20). After Joseph and Benjamin no other children were born to Jacob.⁹

footnotes: ⁷ Joseph was 30 when Pharaoh appointed him vizier over Egypt. Jacob came to Egypt nine years later, after the seven years of plenty and two of famine (Gen. 45:11). At that time Jacob was 130 years old (Ibid ⁸ That is, Jacob’s. ⁹ Hence these two are referred to as children of his old age (Krinsky).

A COAT OF MANY COLORS. Ketonet passim means an embroidered coat.¹⁰. 38 reads: a coat made of embroidered parts. Some texts omit embroidered coat. According to I.E. passim means parts. The coat was made up of embroidered parts (strips) each of which was of a different color (Filwarg). For an alternate interpretation see Cherez.

footnotes: ¹⁰ Vat. Ebr

[MANY COLORS.] The word passim (many colors) is similar to the Aramaic word pas (part) in part of (pas) a hand (Dan. 5:5).

SPEAK UNTO HIM. Dabbero is to be rendered speak unto him.¹¹ is the verb dabber (speak) plus the pronoun oto (him). However, they cannot be combined since one cannot say speak him. Hence I.E.’s comment that dabbero should be interpreted dabber lo (speak to him) (Filwarg). Cherez suggests that what I.E. means is that dabbero is not a combination of dabber oto but dabber immo (speak with him). See notes to Gen. 34:14.

footnotes: ¹¹ Dabbero

[PEACEABLY.] Even peaceably.¹²

footnotes: ¹² They did not speak to him concerning things about which they agreed (Weiser) or they did not even say how are you, to him (Filwarg).

BINDING. Me’allemim (binding) comes from the same root as alummim (sheaves). The noun sheave is also found in the feminine,¹³ (sheaves) is masculine. compare, bearing his sheaves (alummotav) (Ps. 126:6).¹⁴ (his sheaves) is feminine.

footnotes: ¹³ Alummim ¹⁴ Alummotav

CAME ROUND ABOUT. Tesubbenah (came round about) comes from a root whose second and third letters are identical.¹⁵. The bet receives a dagesh to compensate for a missing bet.¹⁶ is spelled with one bet. Thus a root letter is missing. The dagesh doubles the letter and thus compensates for the missing letter.

footnotes: ¹⁵ Its root is samekh, bet, bet ¹⁶ Tesubbenah

SHALT THOU INDEED REIGN OVER US? OR SHALT THOU INDEED HAVE DOMINION OVER US? Shall we set thee up as a king over us?¹⁷ Or shalt thou rule over us by force.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁷ A king is chosen by the people. Hence I.E.’s comment (Krinsky). ¹⁸ A ruler is not chosen, he seizes power. Hence I.E.’s comment (Krinsky).

AND HIS FATHER REBUKED HIM. When the word ga’ar (rebuked) is followed by a bet it means to rebuke.¹⁹ (and his father rebuked him). In our verse ga’ar thus precedes a bet and henceforth is to be translated as rebuked. When it is not followed by a bet it means to destroy. Compare, Behold, I will destroy (go’er) the seed for your hurt (Mal. 2:3). On the other hand, it is possible that the word go’er is used metaphorically in the aforementioned verse, its meaning being God will rebuke the seed and it will become frightened and not arise out of the ground.²⁰ always means to rebuke.

footnotes: ¹⁹ Our verse reads va-yigar bo aviv ²⁰ In other words the term ga’ar

I AND THY MOTHER. Thy mother refers to Bilhah his mother’s handmaiden who raised him.²¹

footnotes: ²¹ Rachel was dead by then.

KEPT THE SAYING. In his mind. This is also the correct meaning of kept in They kept His testimonies (Ps. 99:7).²²

footnotes: ²² The meaning of Ps. 22:7 is that they kept the testimonies in mind so that they would at the appropriate time teach them to the children of Israel.

HERE AM I. I will do as you say.²³ (I Sam. 3:6). However, in our verse it comes as a response to Jacob’s command. Hence I.E.’s point that in our verse it has the meaning of: I am at your service (Filwarg).

footnotes: ²³ If Jacob called Joseph then the proper response would be here am I, as in Here am I, for thou didst call me

AND A CERTAIN MAN FOUND HIM. According to the plain meaning of the text a passer by found him.²⁴, Chap. 38; Targum Jonathan, and Rashi.

footnotes: ²⁴ According to the Midrash it was an angel. Some Midrashim identify the angel as Gabriel. Cf. Pirke de-Rabbi Eliezer

WHERE THEY ARE FEEDING THE FLOCK. If you know.²⁵ either is implied or was actually said by Joseph and is left out of the text, our verse being abridged. The above has to be the case because otherwise why did Joseph asssume the man knew where his brothers were keeping the sheep?

footnotes: ²⁵ If you know

TO DOTHAN. Dothan is spelled both with and without a yod in our verse. In either case it refers to one and the same place.

THEY CONSPIRED. Va-yitnakkelu (they conspired) means they had evil designs. Nokhel (dealeth craftily) in But cursed be he that dealeth craftily (nokhel) (Mal. 1:14) is similar.

LET US NOT TAKE HIS LIFE. Our verse is similar to²⁶ (let us not take his life) which literally means, let us not strike him life. I.E. holds that this is short for, let us not strike him (lo nakkennu) a mortal blow (makkat nefesh). but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man (Ex. 33:11), the meaning of which is: but his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, did the ministry²⁷ of a young man. The aforementioned verse must be so understood because Joshua was not at that time a young man.²⁸ is short for: did the service of a young man. Similarly our verse should be read as if written: let us not strike him a mortal blow thus taking his life.

footnotes: ²⁶ Our verse literally reads: lo nakkennu nefesh ²⁷ This has to be added to the text. ²⁸ Thus a young man

THAT THEY STRIPPED. Va-yafshitu (that they stripped)²⁹ is a hifil. Hifil is the causative form. Hence I.E. renders it: and they caused him to strip (Krinsky, Weiser and Cherez). For an alternate interpretation see Filwarg. is a causative. They told him to take the coat off by himself.³⁰ Ketonet (coat) in Hebrew refers to a garment worn next to the skin. The brothers thus stripped Joseph of his garments and threw him naked into the pit.³¹), i.e., of the garment worn next to the skin, and also of the coat of many colors. Joseph was thus left standing naked (Cherez). Cf. Rashi. However, Cherez’s interpretation seems forced. It appears that I.E. identified the ketonet passim with the garment worn next to the skin.

footnotes: ²⁹ Va-yafshitu ³⁰ Hence they caused him to strip. ³¹ According to Cherez, I.E. interprets the verse as follows: that they stripped Joseph of his coat (ketonet

AND THEY SAT DOWN TO EAT BREAD. The nine brothers.³²

footnotes: ³² Neither Reuben nor Benjamin was there.

A CARAVAN OF ISHMAELITES. Orechat is to be rendered caravan as Onkelos does. A caravan is so called because it travels on the roads (orechot).

SPICERY. Rabbi Moses Ha-Kohen the Spaniard³³ explains nekhot (spicery) to mean a precious thing. Bet nekhoto (his treasure house) in and showed them all his treasure-house (bet nekhoto) (II Kings 20:13) is similar. Nekhot³⁴. and nekhoto³⁵. The problem is that the word is not so spelled in II Kings 20:13. Krinsky and Cherez suggest that since the word is pronounced nekhoto, it is as if a vav is placed after the caf. are similar because the vav and the alef are interchangeable since they are quiescent letters.³⁶ and vav in nekhot are not pronounced. Hence they are quiescent. I.E. refers to the alef, vav, heh, yod as quiescent letters (otiyot ha-nach) because they are not always enunciated.

footnotes: ³³ See notes to I.E.’s comments on Gen. 1:26. ³⁴ Spelled nun, caf, alef, tav ³⁵ Spelled nun, caf, vav, tav ³⁶ The alef

AND BALM. The word for balm is encountered in Scripture vocalized with a quiescent sheva beneath the tzadi (utzri).³⁷ in our verse, tzeri. However, there is an important grammatical aside in this note. I.E. calls our sheva a quiescent sheva, a sheva nach. However, according to standard grammatical usage a sheva following a long vowel is vocal. Thus our sheva should be a vocal sheva, a sheva na, and not a quiescent one. Therefore our word should be read u-tzeri and not utzri. William Chomsky points out that the vocal pronunciation of the sheva following a long vowel was introduced by the Kimchis and that the pre-Kimchi grammarians had no such concept. I.E.’s note seems to bear this out. Cf. W. Chomsky, “The pronunciation of the Sheva,” The Jewish Quarterly Review, Vol. LXII, October, 1971. For an alternate interpretation see Cherez. We also find it vocalized with a chataf kamatz beneath the tzadi, viz., Is there no balm (ha-tzori) in Gilead? (Jer. 8:22). It also appears with the tzadi vocalized with a cholem, viz., and honey, and oil, and balm (ve-tzori) (Ezek. 27:17). Saadiah Gaon explained that tzeri (balm)³⁸ (Weiser). is a mixture of 75 roots. Others say that tzeri is a type of fruit. Still others say that it is either a fruit or the oil of a tree³⁹ that, according to Joseph ben Gurion,⁴⁰ was brought from Jericho to Egypt. However, Rabbi Ishmael⁴¹ 6a; Shabbat 26a. However, in the Talmud this opinion is quoted in the name of Rabbi Simeon. Either there is a scribal error in our text or I.E. was quoting from memory. says that it means resin. We will rely on the latter opinion.

footnotes: ³⁷ It is so found in our verse but not so found elsewhere in Scripture. I.E.’s basic point is that balm is spelled with a sheva ³⁸ He said that it is identical to an Arabic medicine called triak ³⁹ Balsam (Weiser). ⁴⁰ Jossipon. A medieval work based on Josephus. ⁴¹ Cf. Kritot

AND LADANUM. Saadiah Gaon says that lot (ladanum) is the same fruit that in Arabic is similarly called with the addition of a bet.⁴² (Weiser). Perhaps it is so.

footnotes: ⁴² Belut

WHAT PROFIT. Mah betza means what profit. Betza (profit) is close in meaning to chefetz (desire). What profit (betza) is there in my blood (Ps. 30:10) is similar.⁴³? Hence what desire (mah betza) is there in my death? Similarly the meaning of mah betza in our verse is: what desire is there in slaying our brother.

footnotes: ⁴³ Ps. 30:10 continues, Shall the dust praise Thee? Shall it declare Thy truth

HE IS OUR BROTHER OUR FLESH. He is as our flesh⁴⁴ since we all came from one flesh.⁴⁵

footnotes: ⁴⁴ They obviously were not all one flesh. Hence what Judah meant was: he is as our flesh, even though he did not use the word as (Weiser). ⁴⁵ We all come from the same parents who became one flesh, as in I.E.’s comment on Gen. 2:22 (Weiser). However, they did not all have the same mother. Therefore the interpretation must be as follows: we all came from the same father.

AND THERE PASSED BY. When the Ishmaelite merchantmen passed by them.⁴⁶ of va-ya’avru (and there passed by) is to be rendered when rather than and. The meaning of the verse is: when the Midianite (Ishmaelite) merchantmen passed by, they drew and lifted Joseph out of the pit (Krinsky). I.E.’s point is that the Midianites in our verse refers to the caravan of Ishmaelites of verse 25. Thus va-ya’avru does not introduce new material. Hence I.E.’s paraphrase: when, etc. (Filwarg). Scripture refers to the Ishmaelites as Midianites because the Midianites are called Ishmaelites. The Book of Judges similarly says concerning the kings of Midian, because they were Ishmaelites (Jud. 8:24).

footnotes: ⁴⁶ The vav

AND AS FOR ME, WHITHER SHALL I GO? Ani (I) is used twice in this clause⁴⁷ even though one ani would have sufficed.⁴⁸ The latter is in keeping with Hebrew style.

footnotes: ⁴⁷ The Hebrew literally reads: And I, whither shall I go. ⁴⁸ Scripture could have read: and whither shall I go.

WITHOUT DOUBT TORN IN PIECES. Toraf (torn) is a pu’al. The tet is vocalized with a cholam⁴⁹ as is the rule in the pu’al. Hence the reading toraf rather than turaf. because it precedes a resh which cannot receive a dagesh.⁵⁰ receive a dagesh. However, the resh cannot receive a dagesh; thus the preceding vowel changes from a kubbutz to a cholam. Morak⁵¹, and because the middle letter is a resh the preceding letter is vocalized with a cholam. (scoured) in it shall be scoured (u-morek), and rinsed in water (Lev. 6:21) is similar.

footnotes: ⁴⁹ Rather than a kubbutz ⁵⁰ All middle root letters in the pu’al ⁵¹ It, too, is a pu’al

AND HIS FATHER WEPT FOR HIM. Our sages interpreted this as referring to Isaac.⁵² 84:19. According to the Midrash his father refers to Jacob’s father. Isaac was overcome with grief over Jacob’s trouble. The truth is that Isaac did not die until Joseph reached the age of twenty-nine.⁵³ Some say that the prophetic spirit was removed from both Jacob and Isaac because of their mourning.⁵⁴ They offer proof from Elisha.⁵⁵), prophesied he said, But now bring me a minstrel. And it came to pass, when the minstrel played that the hand of the Lord came upon him.

footnotes: ⁵² Bereshit Rabbah ⁵³ Thus from this point of view the Midrashic interpretation is possible. I.E.’s accounting is as follows: Isaac was 60 when Jacob was born (Gen. 25:26). Jacob was 91 when Joseph was born (see note 7). Thus Isaac was 151 when Joseph was born. Isaac died at the age of 180 (Gen. 35:28), at which time Joseph was 29 years old as Isaac was 151 years older than Joseph. Joseph was 17 when he was sold. Thus Isaac lived 12 years past the year in which Joseph was sold (Weiser). ⁵⁴ The question arises, why didn’t Jacob and Isaac, two prophets, know that Joseph was alive? ⁵⁵ That a prophet cannot prophesy when in a state of depression. Cf. II Kings 3:15. Before Elisha, who was then depressed (see Kimchi, ad hoc

AND ALL HIS DAUGHTERS. His daughter and granddaughter.⁵⁶

footnotes: ⁵⁶ Dinah his daughter and Sarah the daughter of Asher, as grandchildren are considered children. I.E. comments so because Jacob had only one daughter.

[TO THE GRAVE.] She’olah means down below, i.e., to the grave. Here the one who translated the Bible for those who err⁵⁷ erred in translating she’olah as to hell.⁵⁸ as inferno. However, see Rashi who writes, “The Midrashic interpretation of she’ol is gehenna.” Proof of his mistranslation is, For the nether-world (she’ol) cannot praise Thee…They that go down into the pit cannot hope for Thy truth (Is. 38:18).⁵⁹ thus must mean pit. Also in Ps. 139:8, heaven is the antithesis of she’ol,⁶⁰ is the opposite of heaven (sky); it refers to a place on the earth, i.e., the grave. viz., If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there; If I make my bed in the nether-world (she’ol) behold Thou art there. Similarly Job states, The nether-world (she’ol) is naked before Him (Job 26:6).⁶¹. Now she’ol is parallel to destruction (grave). Hence it, too, must mean grave. There are many other verses which prove that she’ol does not refer to hell.

footnotes: ⁵⁷ Jerome who translated the Bible into Latin for the Christians. ⁵⁸ Jerome renders she’ol ⁵⁹ In this verse pit is parallel to she’ol. She’ol ⁶⁰ Thus she’ol ⁶¹ The verse concludes, And destruction (the grave) hath no covering

THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD. The term tabbach (guard) is used both with reference to killing⁶² (rav tabbachyya) who was gone forth to slay the wise men of Babylon. and with reference to cooking.⁶³ means cook, viz., And the cook (ha-tabbach) took up the thigh. Onkelos’ rendition is correct.⁶⁴ as the chief executioner.

footnotes: ⁶² Cf. Dan. 2:14, The captain of the king’s guard ⁶³ Cf. I Sam. 9:24 where the term tabbach ⁶⁴ Onkelos renders sar ha-tabbachim