Comentario sobre Génesis 48:12

ויוצא יוסף אתם AND JOSEPH BROUGHT THEM OUT — After he (Jacob) had kissed them, Joseph brought them out from between his knees in order to place them one at the right and the other on the left in order that Jacob might thus lay his hands upon them and bless them

מעם ברכיו, of his father, who was embracing them.

ויוצא, after he had kissed and embraced them before he had blessed them, Joseph took them away from Yaakov’s knees. The reason was that he had not brought them to his father in the order in which he meant for them to receive their blessing. He therefore now arranged them in what he considered the appropriate order. וישתחו, he thanked his father for wanting to bestow special blessings on his sons.

When he stepped back from his father. It seems to me that Rashi here may be understood according to what he explained on 42:6, that “Every השתחואה implies the stretching out of the hands and feet.” Accordingly, while Yoseif was still standing before his father he could not stretch himself out. Perforce, it was “when he stepped back.” (Nachalas Yaakov)

Das Gefühl, das den Vater bei diesem Gedanken erfüllte, bemeisterte in noch höherem Grade den Sohn.

ויוצא יוסף אותם מעם ברכיו, “and Joseph brought them out from between his knees.” He did so as they had cleaved to their grandfather physically and had kissed him and embraced him. Joseph now wished them to assume a dignified posture to enable Yaakov to place his hands on their heads. Each one should receive his blessing while Yaakov had one hand on the head of each one of them.

וישתחו לאפיו AND HE PROSTRATED HIMSELF BEFORE HIS FACE — after he had stepped backwards from before his father.

מעם ברכיו, from between his knees. The word מעם occurs in this sense in connection with a table in Samuel I 20,34, מעם השלחן, it also occurs in a similar meaning in the phrase עם באר לחי רואי, (Genesis 25,11) “right by the well named by Hagar ‘the well of the Living G”d Who sees me.’”