Midrasch zu Bereschit 46:1
וַיִּסַּ֤ע יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְכָל־אֲשֶׁר־ל֔וֹ וַיָּבֹ֖א בְּאֵ֣רָה שָּׁ֑בַע וַיִּזְבַּ֣ח זְבָחִ֔ים לֵאלֹהֵ֖י אָבִ֥יו יִצְחָֽק׃
Israel brach auf mit allem, was er hatte, und kam nach Beerseba und brachte dem Gott seines Vaters Isaak Opfer dar.
Sefer HaYashar (midrash)
And after this Jacob said: I will go down to see my son in Egypt, and then I will return unto the land of Canaan which the Lord hath promised unto Abraham. For I cannot leave my native land. And behold the Lord spoke unto Jacob: Go down into Egypt and dwell there with all thy household. Fear thou not to go down into Egypt, for I will make thee there to a great nation. And Jacob said in his heart: I will go and see my son, whether the fear of his God is still in his heart amongst all the inhabitants of Egypt. And the Lord said unto Jacob: Fear thou not concerning Joseph, for he still continues in his piety to serve me as it will be pleasant in thine eyes. And Jacob rejoiced exceedingly on account of his son. At that time Jacob commanded his sons and his household to go into Egypt, according to the word of the Lord unto him. And Jacob rose up with his sons and all his household, and they went forth from the land of Canaan, from Beersheba, with joy and a cheerful heart they went into the land of Egypt. And when they came near entering the land of Egypt, Jacob sent Judah before him unto Joseph to direct his face towards his location in Egypt. And Judah did according to the words of his father, and he hastened and ran and he came unto Joseph, and they prepared a place in the land of Goshen, for Jacob and all his household, and Judah returned unto his father on the road. And Joseph made ready his chariot and he called all his mighty men and his servants and all the princes of Egypt to go and receive Jacob his father. And Joseph had it proclaimed in Egypt, saying: Whosoever faileth to go and meet Jacob shall be put to death. And in the morning, Joseph went forth with all Egypt, a great and mighty host, all of them dressed in white and purple garments, and with ornaments of gold and silver and their instruments of war with them. And all of them went forth to meet Jacob with all sorts of musical instruments, the drums and fifes, and they scattered myrrh and aloes all along the road. And all of them marched on in that manner, and the earth shook at their voices.
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Sefer HaYashar (midrash)
And the women of Egypt went up on the roofs and upon the walls to meet Jacob, and they likewise played with drums and with lutes, and thus Joseph and all his people went forth to meet Jacob. And Joseph had upon his head Pharaoh’s royal crown, for Pharaoh had sent it unto him to wear it on the occasion of meeting his father. And when Joseph came near unto his father, within fifty cubits, he stepped down from his chariot and walked towards his father. And all the princes and prominent men of Egypt, when they saw that Joseph went on foot towards his father, they too, dismounted and walked on foot to meet Jacob. And when Jacob and his sons approached Joseph’s camp, and when Jacob beheld the multitude that came to meet him with Joseph his son, it was pleasing in his eyes, and Jacob wondered greatly at the sight. And Jacob said unto Judah: Who is the man whom I see in the Egyptian camp adorned in royal garments with a very red robe around him, and a regal crown upon his head, who hath now stepped down from his chariot to the ground, and who is coming to meet us. Judah answered unto Jacob saying: He is thy son Joseph, the king. And Jacob rejoiced on seeing the glory of his son. And Joseph approached his father and he bowed down before his father, and all the people of his camp with him bowed down before Jacob to the ground. And behold Jacob ran hastily towards his son Joseph, and he fell upon his neck and he kissed him and they wept. And Joseph also embraced his father and he kissed him and they wept. And all the people of Egypt wept with them. And Jacob said unto Joseph: I will gladly die presently after I have seen thy face that thou art still alive and so honored. And all the sons of Jacob and their wives and children and servants and all the house hold of Jacob wept with Joseph, and they kissed him, and they wept with him exceedingly. And after this, Joseph and all his people returned unto Egypt to their places. And Jacob with his sons and his household came with Joseph unto Egypt, and Joseph placed them in the best part of Egypt, in the land of Goshen. And Joseph said unto his father and his brothers: I will go up and inform Pharaoh that my brothers’ and my father's house, and all belonging unto them, and behold they are in the land of Goshen. And Joseph did accordingly, and he took from among his brothers Reuben, and Issachar, and Zebulun, and Benjamin, his brothers, and he presented them before Pharaoh. And Joseph spoke unto Pharaoh saying: My brothers’ and my father's house and all belonging unto them as also their sheep and cattle have come unto me from the land of Canaan to sojourn in Egypt, for the famine was heavy upon them. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: The best of the land make thy father and brothers to dwell. Do not withhold from them all that is good, and cause them to eat the fat of the land.
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Shir HaShirim Rabbah
“While the king was at his feast, my nard released its fragrance” (Song of Songs 1:12).
“While the king was at his feast,” Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Meir says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a foul odor and said to the calf: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘Enough, Meir, one does not expound Song of Songs disparagingly, but rather, favorably, as Song of Songs was given only in praise of Israel. What is: “While the king was at his feast”? While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a fine fragrance before Mount Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will obey” (Exodus 24:7).
According to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, it should have said: My stench released its odor.268Since the verse was referring to the Golden Calf, it should have referred to stench rather than the fragrance of the sweet-smelling nard. Rather, a treatise ascended in their hand from the Diaspora,269The midrash is citing an ancient tradition recorded in a treatise that was transported from Babylon during the Return to Zion to build the second Temple. and they taught in its regard that He skipped the incident of the calf for them and the act of the Tabernacle preceded it.270The sin of the Golden Calf (Exodus chap. 32) should have been recorded in the Torah immediately following the events of the revelation at Sinai. Instead, it is preceded by the commandments concerning the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus chapters 25–31), to indicate that even when Israel sinned, they were still beloved in the eyes of the God. Therefore, the verse characterizes their odor as nard.
Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Eliezer says: “While the king was at his feast,” while the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mount Sinai was already enveloped in flames, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11). Rabbi Akiva says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, already, “the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 24:16). Rabbi Berekhya says: While Moses was at his feast in the firmament,271While he was still on Mount Sinai. as he is called king, as it is stated: “He became king in Yeshurun, when the heads of the people were assembled” (Deuteronomy 33:5), already, “God spoke all these matters saying” (Exodus 20:1).
Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov and the Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mikhael, the great prince, had already descended from the heavens and rescued Abraham our patriarch from the fiery furnace. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He descended and rescued him, as it is stated: “I am the Lord who took you out of Ur of the Chaldeans” (Genesis 15:7). When did Mikhael descend? It was in the days of Ḥanaya, Mishael, and Azarya.272Mikhael is identified as the angel who descended to rescue Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya from the fiery furnace (see Daniel 3:25).
Rabbi Tavyomei said: While Jacob our patriarch was lying [mesev] in his bed, 273The expression “at his feast [bimsibo]” in the verse is interpreted as a reference to Jacob lying on his deathbed. the Divine Spirit gleamed in him, and he said to his sons: “God will be with you” (Genesis 48:21). He said to them: ‘He is destined to rest His Divine Presence in your midst.’ Rav Naḥman said: It is written: “Israel and everything that he had traveled and came to Beersheba” (Genesis 46:1). Where did he go? He went to chop down the cedars that Abraham our patriarch had planted in Beersheba, as it is stated: “He planted a tamarisk in Beersheba” (Genesis 21:33).274Jacob chopped them down in order to take them to Egypt. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “The central bar inside the planks extending from end to end” (Exodus 26:28). The bar was thirty-two cubits long. From where did they have it in their possession at that moment?275Where did they get such a long piece of wood in the wilderness, just when they needed it to build this part of the Tabernacle? It teaches that they were hidden with them from the days of Jacob our patriarch. That is what is written: “And everyone with whom acacia wood was found” (Exodus 35:24); “acacia wood was found,” is not written here, but rather, “with whom…it was found”—from the outset.
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥiyya said: They chopped them down in Magdala of the dyers276This was the name of a place in the Land of Israel. and took them with them down to Egypt. They had no knots and no cracks. There were acacia trees in Magdala and the custom was to prohibit [using] them due to the sanctity of the Ark.277Even in the times of the Sages of the midrash, acacia trees grew in Magdala, but due to the tradition that the wood eventually used for the Ark and the rest of the Tabernacle had been cut from there, the people of Magdala would not make use of the acacia trees. They came and asked Rav Ḥananya, colleague of the Rabbis, and he said to them: Do not deviate from the custom of your ancestors.
“While the king was at his feast,” Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Meir says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a foul odor and said to the calf: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Rabbi Yehuda said to him: ‘Enough, Meir, one does not expound Song of Songs disparagingly, but rather, favorably, as Song of Songs was given only in praise of Israel. What is: “While the king was at his feast”? While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Israel released a fine fragrance before Mount Sinai, and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will obey” (Exodus 24:7).
According to the opinion of Rabbi Meir, it should have said: My stench released its odor.268Since the verse was referring to the Golden Calf, it should have referred to stench rather than the fragrance of the sweet-smelling nard. Rather, a treatise ascended in their hand from the Diaspora,269The midrash is citing an ancient tradition recorded in a treatise that was transported from Babylon during the Return to Zion to build the second Temple. and they taught in its regard that He skipped the incident of the calf for them and the act of the Tabernacle preceded it.270The sin of the Golden Calf (Exodus chap. 32) should have been recorded in the Torah immediately following the events of the revelation at Sinai. Instead, it is preceded by the commandments concerning the building of the Tabernacle (Exodus chapters 25–31), to indicate that even when Israel sinned, they were still beloved in the eyes of the God. Therefore, the verse characterizes their odor as nard.
Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva, and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Eliezer says: “While the king was at his feast,” while the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mount Sinai was already enveloped in flames, as it is stated: “The mountain was burning with fire” (Deuteronomy 4:11). Rabbi Akiva says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, already, “the glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 24:16). Rabbi Berekhya says: While Moses was at his feast in the firmament,271While he was still on Mount Sinai. as he is called king, as it is stated: “He became king in Yeshurun, when the heads of the people were assembled” (Deuteronomy 33:5), already, “God spoke all these matters saying” (Exodus 20:1).
Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov and the Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer says: While the King of kings was at His feast, in the firmament, Mikhael, the great prince, had already descended from the heavens and rescued Abraham our patriarch from the fiery furnace. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He descended and rescued him, as it is stated: “I am the Lord who took you out of Ur of the Chaldeans” (Genesis 15:7). When did Mikhael descend? It was in the days of Ḥanaya, Mishael, and Azarya.272Mikhael is identified as the angel who descended to rescue Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya from the fiery furnace (see Daniel 3:25).
Rabbi Tavyomei said: While Jacob our patriarch was lying [mesev] in his bed, 273The expression “at his feast [bimsibo]” in the verse is interpreted as a reference to Jacob lying on his deathbed. the Divine Spirit gleamed in him, and he said to his sons: “God will be with you” (Genesis 48:21). He said to them: ‘He is destined to rest His Divine Presence in your midst.’ Rav Naḥman said: It is written: “Israel and everything that he had traveled and came to Beersheba” (Genesis 46:1). Where did he go? He went to chop down the cedars that Abraham our patriarch had planted in Beersheba, as it is stated: “He planted a tamarisk in Beersheba” (Genesis 21:33).274Jacob chopped them down in order to take them to Egypt. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “The central bar inside the planks extending from end to end” (Exodus 26:28). The bar was thirty-two cubits long. From where did they have it in their possession at that moment?275Where did they get such a long piece of wood in the wilderness, just when they needed it to build this part of the Tabernacle? It teaches that they were hidden with them from the days of Jacob our patriarch. That is what is written: “And everyone with whom acacia wood was found” (Exodus 35:24); “acacia wood was found,” is not written here, but rather, “with whom…it was found”—from the outset.
Rabbi Levi bar Ḥiyya said: They chopped them down in Magdala of the dyers276This was the name of a place in the Land of Israel. and took them with them down to Egypt. They had no knots and no cracks. There were acacia trees in Magdala and the custom was to prohibit [using] them due to the sanctity of the Ark.277Even in the times of the Sages of the midrash, acacia trees grew in Magdala, but due to the tradition that the wood eventually used for the Ark and the rest of the Tabernacle had been cut from there, the people of Magdala would not make use of the acacia trees. They came and asked Rav Ḥananya, colleague of the Rabbis, and he said to them: Do not deviate from the custom of your ancestors.
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Sefer HaYashar (midrash)
And Joseph answered saying: Behold I have placed them in the land of Goshen for they are keepers of sheep and therefore let them dwell in Goshen to feed their sheep away from the face of the Egyptians. And Pharaoh said unto Joseph: All that thy brothers will say unto thee, do thou with them. And the sons of Jacob bowed down before Pharaoh and they went away from him in peace. And After this Joseph brought his father into the presence of Pharaoh, and Jacob came, and he bowed down before Pharaoh, and blessed Pharaoh. And then he left. And Jacob with his sons and all his household dwelt in the land of Goshen. And Joseph gave unto Jacob the land of Goshen. And Joseph gave unto Jacob and his household the best things of the land, and they dwelt securely in the land of Goshen, and Jacob and his sons ate at Joseph’s table all the time, except when they ate in their own houses. And all the Egyptians were eating and drinking in the house of Joseph, through all the days of the famine, for they had sold all belonging to them on account of the famine. And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh, and Joseph supported them with food through all the days of the famine, and Joseph collected all the silver and the gold and the onyx stones and costly garments, all of which they brought unto Joseph from all the parts of the earth when they had no money. And Joseph took all the silver and gold that came into his hands, about seventy-two talents, as also onyx stones and bdellium in great abundance, and Joseph divided it into four parts and he concealed one part in the wilderness by the red sea, and one part by the river Euphrates; and the other two parts he concealed in the wilderness which was opposite to the wilderness of Persia and Media. And Joseph took the gold and silver that still was left and he gave thereof to all his brothers and unto his father's household and their wives, and the remainder he brought into the house of Pharaoh, about twenty talents of gold and silver. And Pharaoh placed it into his treasure.
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