וּלְגָ֣ד אָמַ֔ר בָּר֖וּךְ מַרְחִ֣יב גָּ֑ד כְּלָבִ֣יא שָׁכֵ֔ן וְטָרַ֥ף זְר֖וֹעַ אַף־קָדְקֹֽד׃
Au sujet de Gad, il dit: "Hommage à celui qui agrandit Gad! Il se campe comme un léopard, met en pièces et le bras et la tête.
Bereshit Rabbah
“From among his brothers he took five men, and he presented them before Pharaoh” (Genesis 47:2).
“From among [miktze] his brothers he took five men” – why did the verse state “from among [miktze] his brothers”? It is to teach you that they were not mighty.8The term katze indicates those on the periphery; those who are relatively weak. Who were these five men? They were Reuben, Levi, Benjamin, Simeon, and Issachar. Why did Joseph the righteous select these five men from his brothers? It is because he knew each and every mighty one among his brothers, and he acted wisely. He said: ‘If I present the mighty ones before pharaoh, he will see them and make them his warriors.’ Anyone whose name was repeated in Moses’s blessing was mighty, and anyone whose name was not repeated, was not mighty. Judah, who was mighty, his name was repeated, as it is stated: “This is for Judah, and he said: Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah” (Deuteronomy 33:7). Therefore, he did not present him before Pharaoh. Likewise Naphtali, as it is stated: “Of Naphtali he said: Naphtali” (Deuteronomy 33:23). Likewise Asher, as it is stated: “Of Asher he said: Blessed of sons is Asher” (Deuteronomy 33:24). Likewise Dan, as it is stated: “Of Dan he said: Dan” (Deuteronomy 33:22). Likewise Zebulun, as it is stated: “Of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun” (Deuteronomy 33:18). And likewise Gad – “Of Gad he said: Blessed is He who expands Gad” (Deuteronomy 33:20). That is why he did not present these before Pharaoh. The rest, whose names were not repeated, were not mighty. Therefore, he presented them before Pharaoh. That is why it is written: “From among his brothers he took.” It does not mention their names here because they were not mighty.
“Joseph said: Give your livestock, and I will give you for your livestock, if silver has run out” (Genesis 47:16).
“Joseph said: Give your livestock…” – your horse is before me. You are exposed as a peeled onion.9You can claim that you have no money, but not that you have nothing. I see your horses.
10This is not part of the midrash but a later addition that suggests an explanation of the preceding sentence, on the basis of Genesis 47:18.
“From among [miktze] his brothers he took five men” – why did the verse state “from among [miktze] his brothers”? It is to teach you that they were not mighty.8The term katze indicates those on the periphery; those who are relatively weak. Who were these five men? They were Reuben, Levi, Benjamin, Simeon, and Issachar. Why did Joseph the righteous select these five men from his brothers? It is because he knew each and every mighty one among his brothers, and he acted wisely. He said: ‘If I present the mighty ones before pharaoh, he will see them and make them his warriors.’ Anyone whose name was repeated in Moses’s blessing was mighty, and anyone whose name was not repeated, was not mighty. Judah, who was mighty, his name was repeated, as it is stated: “This is for Judah, and he said: Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah” (Deuteronomy 33:7). Therefore, he did not present him before Pharaoh. Likewise Naphtali, as it is stated: “Of Naphtali he said: Naphtali” (Deuteronomy 33:23). Likewise Asher, as it is stated: “Of Asher he said: Blessed of sons is Asher” (Deuteronomy 33:24). Likewise Dan, as it is stated: “Of Dan he said: Dan” (Deuteronomy 33:22). Likewise Zebulun, as it is stated: “Of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun” (Deuteronomy 33:18). And likewise Gad – “Of Gad he said: Blessed is He who expands Gad” (Deuteronomy 33:20). That is why he did not present these before Pharaoh. The rest, whose names were not repeated, were not mighty. Therefore, he presented them before Pharaoh. That is why it is written: “From among his brothers he took.” It does not mention their names here because they were not mighty.
“Joseph said: Give your livestock, and I will give you for your livestock, if silver has run out” (Genesis 47:16).
“Joseph said: Give your livestock…” – your horse is before me. You are exposed as a peeled onion.9You can claim that you have no money, but not that you have nothing. I see your horses.
Sifrei Bamidbar
(Bamidbar 12:14) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Now if her father had spat in her face, etc." R. Achi b. R. Yoshiyah said: There were "two rebukes," viz.: If her father of flesh and blood had rebuked her, she would (sit) in shame (sequestered) for seven days, does it not follow that if (her Father) He who spoke and brought the world into being (rebuked her), (she should be sequestered) fourteen (days)! But "it suffices that what is derived from an argument a fortiori be as that which it is derived from" — Just as her father, seven; so, He who spoke and brought the world into being, seven. (Ibid.) "Let her be sequestered seven days outside the camp, and then let her be gathered in.": The Holy One Blessed be He sequestered her, and the Holy One Blessed be He declared her tamei and the Holy One Blessed be He declared her clean. (Ibid. 12:15) "And the people did not journey until Miriam had been gathered in": to teach that "with the measure that a man measures, so is he measured." Miriam waited for Moses a short while, viz. (Shemot 2:4) "And his sister stationed herself at a distance, etc."; therefore, the Shechinah, the ark, the Cohanim, the Levites, and the seven clouds of glory did not journey until Miriam had been gathered in. Joseph merited taking the bones of his father (for burial), and there were none among his brothers greater than he, viz. (Bereshit 50:7-9) "And Joseph went up to bury his father … and there went up with him both chariots and riders." Who was greater among us than Joseph, only Moses meriting bringing him to burial. And there is none in Israel greater than he, viz. (Shemot 13:19) "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him." Who is greater among us than Moses, none but the Holy One Blessed be He bringing him to burial, viz. (Devarim 34:6) "And He buried him in the valley of the land of Moav": R. Yehudah says: If it (the above) were not an explicit verse, it would be impossible to say it. Where did Moses die? In the portion of Reuven, viz. (Ibid. 1) "And Moses went up from the steppes of Moav to Mount Nevo." This is the territory of the sons of Reuven, viz. (Bamidbar 32:37-38) "And the sons of Reuven built Cheshbon and Elalei and Kiryathayim and Nevo." And he was buried only in the territory of Gad, viz. (Devarim 33:20-21) "And to Gad he said: Blessed be he who broadens Gad … and he saw the best for himself. For there the portion of the lawgiver (Moses) is hidden." From the portion of Reuven to that of Gad is four mils. Those four mils — Who carried him"? We are hereby taught that Moses was (carried) in the "hand" of the Holy One Blessed be He the four mils from the portion of Reuven to that of Gad, while the ministering angels extolled him in song, (Ibid.) "He wrought the righteousness of the L-rd and His judgments with Israel." And He thus gathers in not only Moses, but all of the righteous, as it is written (Isaiah 58:8) "And your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of G-d will gather you in." (Bamidbar, Ibid. 16) "And afterwards the people journeyed from Chatzeiroth": This journey was after Miriam was gathered in.
Sifrei Bamidbar
(Bamidbar 12:14) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Now if her father had spat in her face, etc." R. Achi b. R. Yoshiyah said: There were "two rebukes," viz.: If her father of flesh and blood had rebuked her, she would (sit) in shame (sequestered) for seven days, does it not follow that if (her Father) He who spoke and brought the world into being (rebuked her), (she should be sequestered) fourteen (days)! But "it suffices that what is derived from an argument a fortiori be as that which it is derived from" — Just as her father, seven; so, He who spoke and brought the world into being, seven. (Ibid.) "Let her be sequestered seven days outside the camp, and then let her be gathered in.": The Holy One Blessed be He sequestered her, and the Holy One Blessed be He declared her tamei and the Holy One Blessed be He declared her clean. (Ibid. 12:15) "And the people did not journey until Miriam had been gathered in": to teach that "with the measure that a man measures, so is he measured." Miriam waited for Moses a short while, viz. (Shemot 2:4) "And his sister stationed herself at a distance, etc."; therefore, the Shechinah, the ark, the Cohanim, the Levites, and the seven clouds of glory did not journey until Miriam had been gathered in. Joseph merited taking the bones of his father (for burial), and there were none among his brothers greater than he, viz. (Bereshit 50:7-9) "And Joseph went up to bury his father … and there went up with him both chariots and riders." Who was greater among us than Joseph, only Moses meriting bringing him to burial. And there is none in Israel greater than he, viz. (Shemot 13:19) "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him." Who is greater among us than Moses, none but the Holy One Blessed be He bringing him to burial, viz. (Devarim 34:6) "And He buried him in the valley of the land of Moav": R. Yehudah says: If it (the above) were not an explicit verse, it would be impossible to say it. Where did Moses die? In the portion of Reuven, viz. (Ibid. 1) "And Moses went up from the steppes of Moav to Mount Nevo." This is the territory of the sons of Reuven, viz. (Bamidbar 32:37-38) "And the sons of Reuven built Cheshbon and Elalei and Kiryathayim and Nevo." And he was buried only in the territory of Gad, viz. (Devarim 33:20-21) "And to Gad he said: Blessed be he who broadens Gad … and he saw the best for himself. For there the portion of the lawgiver (Moses) is hidden." From the portion of Reuven to that of Gad is four mils. Those four mils — Who carried him"? We are hereby taught that Moses was (carried) in the "hand" of the Holy One Blessed be He the four mils from the portion of Reuven to that of Gad, while the ministering angels extolled him in song, (Ibid.) "He wrought the righteousness of the L-rd and His judgments with Israel." And He thus gathers in not only Moses, but all of the righteous, as it is written (Isaiah 58:8) "And your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of G-d will gather you in." (Bamidbar, Ibid. 16) "And afterwards the people journeyed from Chatzeiroth": This journey was after Miriam was gathered in.