Commentary for Genesis 45:19

ואתה צויתה NOW THOU ART COMMANDED — supply the words by me (lit, by my mouth) to say unto them

NOW THOU ART COMMANDED, THIS DO YE. Pharaoh stated the matter in the form of a directive to him because his knowledge of Joseph’s integrity assured him that he would not stretch forth a hand to take from the king’s fortune, and having him, he gave no concern to anything.⁵⁴Above, 39:6. Therefore Pharaoh thought that perhaps Joseph would not want to send his father anything. Hence he said to him, “I command you that you do this in any case.”

ואתה צויתה, now I personally command you to take carriages and the animals to pull them, etc. This was an exceptional concession as it was forbidden to export a carriage without the express permission of Pharaoh. The Talmud Bechorot 28 Neither cows nor female pigs were allowed to leave Egypt unless their respective wombs had first been removed. [This was an Egyptian method of preserving their monopoly over the raising of such animals. Ed.]

ואתה צויתה, tell them that you have actually been commanded to bring them here as residents.

ואתה צויתה you have been commanded by me to tell them: זאת עשו, this is what you are to do, etc. My grandfather of blessed memory explained that Joseph commanded that that no carriages loaded with grain should depart from his house so as not to make Egypt short of food in the future. Upon hearing this, Pharaoh said that the standing orders prohibiting the export of grain in carriages notwithstanding, tell your brothers to commandeer carriages and load them with grain so that after arrival at your homes these same carriages can serve to carry their wives and children on their journey to Egypt.

ואתה צוית, “and you, Joseph, consider yourself commanded, etc.” The reason Pharaoh used such imperial language was that he was aware that Joseph would never take any liberties with property which was not legally his own; he was afraid that Joseph would not want to send anything to his father which belonged to the Egyptian state. By instructing him to take these wagons he would remove any doubt in Joseph’s mind that he was exceeding his authority in allocating these carriages as vehicles to transport his family.

ואתה ציויתה זאת עשו, “and you are under orders to do the following.” Pharaoh was well aware of Joseph’s modesty and loyalty and the fact that he would not send anything to his father and his brothers unless he had been given express instructions. This is why Pharaoh had to order him to do all this.

Through me to tell them. Rashi is answering the question: Why is it not written who commanded him this? A further question: Why does is it then written זאת עשו, in the plural form? It should say זאת עשה, [in the singular form] since before too it spoke in the singular form: ואתה צויתה. Therefore Rashi explains: “You are commanded through me, [Pharaoh,] to tell them.”

ואתה צֻוֵתָ, ein sehr feiner Zug des ägyptischen Herrschers. Josef war ja mächtig, aber je größer ein rechtlicher Mensch ist, umsomehr nimmt er sich in acht, dass man ihm nicht etwas als Missbrauch seiner Macht zur Last legen könne.

קחו לכם מארץ מצרים עגלות, “take along for yourselves carriages from the land of Egypt;” these were meant to transport their wives and children, ונשאתם את אביכם, “and carry your father on your shoulders, and proceed to come here.” The fact that they did so is attested to by what we read in Genesis 46,3: וישאו בני ישראל את יעקב אביהם, ואת טפם ונשיהם בעגלות, “the Children of Israel carried their father; and their children and wives they transported in carriages.”

זאת עשו THIS DO YE — Thus tell them: that it is done with my permission.

קחו לכם מארץ מצרים עגלות, when your father will see carriages all prepared to transport him and his family to Egypt he will have fewer excuses to object to the journey and the upheaval involved in the journey. We know that this was a powerful argument as Yaakov, when seeing the carriages is reported as saying: “I will go down and see my son.” (verse 27-28).