Commentary for Genesis 41:48
וַיִּקְבֹּ֞ץ אֶת־כָּל־אֹ֣כֶל ׀ שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הָיוּ֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּתֶּן־אֹ֖כֶל בֶּעָרִ֑ים אֹ֧כֶל שְׂדֵה־הָעִ֛יר אֲשֶׁ֥ר סְבִיבֹתֶ֖יהָ נָתַ֥ן בְּתוֹכָֽהּ׃
And he gathered up all the food of the seven years which were in the land of Egypt, and laid up the food in the cities; the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same.
Rashi on Genesis
אכל שדה העיר אשר סביבתיה נתן בתוכה THE FOOD OF THE FIELD WHICH WAS ROUND ABOUT EVERY CITY LAID HE UP IN THE SAME — for every district preserves its own produce; and for this people always put amongst the grain some of the earth of the place in which it grows and this prevents it decaying (Genesis Rabbah 90:5).
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Ramban on Genesis
AND HE STORED UP ALL THE FOOD. “He” refers to Joseph mentioned above.108In Verse 46: And Joseph was… The same applies to the following verse: And Joseph piled up grain… until he ceased numbering.109Verse 49 here. The pronoun “he” refers to Joseph, who was mentioned.
Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the phrase, all the food, is not to be understood literally, for otherwise they would have died of famine immediately. A similar case is the verse, And all the lands came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain.110Verse 57 here. This verse is also not to be understood in its literal sense since Jacob and Benjamin did not come to buy grain. The meaning of he stored up all the food is only that Joseph stored up all the food which he could.
It appears to me to be correct that Joseph gathered all food under his control, and he gave enough of it every year for sustenance to the Egyptians, so that they should not squander it. This is the intent of his statement, And let them store up all the food of those good years that come, and pile up corn under the hand of Pharaoh… and hold it there.111Verse 35 here. Ramban thus makes a distinction between ochel (food) and ibur (corn). At the end of the paragraph, he will mention that Onkelos makes no distinction between them. Now in view of the fact that it says, And let them store up all the food… and pile up corn,111Verse 35 here. Ramban thus makes a distinction between ochel (food) and ibur (corn). At the end of the paragraph, he will mention that Onkelos makes no distinction between them. and [here in the verses before us] it says, And he stored up all the food… And Joseph piled up grain, this would indicate that he gathered whatever is eaten by man; corn, bread, and all food essential to life, even figs, fresh and dried, and similar things. He piled the corn — meaning the produce which is brought under a winnowing shovel and fan for fanning and cleansing — under the hand of Pharaoh, and he laid up in the cities enough of all the fruits for sustenance. Thus all the food was held in need for the years of famine to be drawn upon to the degree essential for life, and the balance of the corn he preserved in the storehouses.
It is possible that Joseph paid them money from the royal treasures at a low market price. This was why the corn belonged to Pharaoh, and he sold it to them in the years of famine, just as it is written, And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt.112Further, 47:14. It is possible that the king took it by force, saying: “I preserved it.”113For were it not for the king’s dream, the food of the seven years of plenty would have been squandered.
Onkelos, however, translated both ochel (food) and bar (corn) alike.114Calling them ibur. See Note 111.
Now Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra said that the phrase, all the food, is not to be understood literally, for otherwise they would have died of famine immediately. A similar case is the verse, And all the lands came into Egypt to Joseph to buy grain.110Verse 57 here. This verse is also not to be understood in its literal sense since Jacob and Benjamin did not come to buy grain. The meaning of he stored up all the food is only that Joseph stored up all the food which he could.
It appears to me to be correct that Joseph gathered all food under his control, and he gave enough of it every year for sustenance to the Egyptians, so that they should not squander it. This is the intent of his statement, And let them store up all the food of those good years that come, and pile up corn under the hand of Pharaoh… and hold it there.111Verse 35 here. Ramban thus makes a distinction between ochel (food) and ibur (corn). At the end of the paragraph, he will mention that Onkelos makes no distinction between them. Now in view of the fact that it says, And let them store up all the food… and pile up corn,111Verse 35 here. Ramban thus makes a distinction between ochel (food) and ibur (corn). At the end of the paragraph, he will mention that Onkelos makes no distinction between them. and [here in the verses before us] it says, And he stored up all the food… And Joseph piled up grain, this would indicate that he gathered whatever is eaten by man; corn, bread, and all food essential to life, even figs, fresh and dried, and similar things. He piled the corn — meaning the produce which is brought under a winnowing shovel and fan for fanning and cleansing — under the hand of Pharaoh, and he laid up in the cities enough of all the fruits for sustenance. Thus all the food was held in need for the years of famine to be drawn upon to the degree essential for life, and the balance of the corn he preserved in the storehouses.
It is possible that Joseph paid them money from the royal treasures at a low market price. This was why the corn belonged to Pharaoh, and he sold it to them in the years of famine, just as it is written, And Joseph collected all the money that was found in the land of Egypt.112Further, 47:14. It is possible that the king took it by force, saying: “I preserved it.”113For were it not for the king’s dream, the food of the seven years of plenty would have been squandered.
Onkelos, however, translated both ochel (food) and bar (corn) alike.114Calling them ibur. See Note 111.
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Or HaChaim on Genesis
ויקבץ את כל אכל, He collected all the food, etc. According to the commentary on verse 34 that the word וחמש meant setting aside a tax of 20% the words "all the food" refer to the king's share. According to the alternative commentary that the word וחמש means lending a sense of urgency to the measures to be taken, the verse may be explained literally; Joseph collected the entire excess of that year's harvest over average years' harvests. He bought up all the excess. The farmers offered it for sale seeing they had no use for it.
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