Komentarz do Rodzaju 48:1

ויאמר ליוסף literally, HE SAID TO JOSEPH — “he” means one of the messengers: it is an elliptical phrase. Some say, that Ephraim was regularly with Jacob for study and when Jacob became ill in the land of Goshen Ephraim went to his father in Egypt and reported it to him (Tanchuma 1:12:6).

ויאמר ליוסף, a third person told him. We find similar constructions, the subject not only not being named but not being identified at all, in verse 2 of our chapter, i.e. ויגד. The Torah does not bother to inform us who was the one that conveyed this information.

48.1. שני בניו עמו, את מנשה ואת אפרים, together with his two sons Menashe and Ephrayim. Why did the Torah have to give us the names of Joseph's two sons when we already know their names as well as the fact that he had only two sons? Alternatively, the Torah could have simply written: "Menashe and Ephrayim," and I would have known that these names referred to his two sons? Besides, why did the Torah have to insert the word עמו, with him, in the middle of the verse? Why did the Torah have to use the word את twice in this verse?

ויאמר, whoever it was who said it. It is reasonable to assume that it was one of the brothers who traveled to the capital to inform Joseph that his father had taken ill.

One of the tellers... [Rashi says, “One of the tellers,” to convey that] “said to Yoseif” in fact means “told Yoseif,” for news is “told,” not “said.” Yaakov’s falling sick before he died was something new to the world, since before his time there was no weakness [before death]. And why is it not written, “told Yoseif”? Because the teller was Ephraim, who was frequently with Yaakov so he saw that he was sick, and it was nothing new to him.

אחרי leitet stets einen Wendepunkt ein.ח־ חלה, drückt das Gehemmtsein einer Bewegung aus, wie נוע und נוח. So עלה: die selbständige Erhebung, Entwicklung, das Aufsteigen, (die unbelebte Materie sinkt, die belebende Kraft hebt das Belebte empor). Wird dieses Vorwärtsschreiten, eigentlich das Sichaufwärts- bewegen gehemmt, so ist es: חלה, die gehemmte Entwicklung. רפה) רפא) ist das Lösen des die Aufbewegung hemmenden Knotens, die Heilung; daher Genesung. תעלה, die wieder eintretende Aufwärtsentwicklung, das wieder beginnende Aufsteigen.

ויאמר ליוסף, “he said to Joseph;” according to our sages, the subject in this verse was Ephrayim, who informed his father of Yaakov’s illness; (Tanchuma section 6 on this portion) Rabbi Moshe adds that there is an oblique hint of this in the text, seeing that the letters in the word ויאמר and the word אפרים when reading the alphabet backwards, starting with the letter ת, are in the relative same position as when read from the right to left, i.e. the letter ו in the word ויאמר is the sixth letter in the alphabet when read from right to left, whereas the letter פ is in the sixth place when the alphabet is read from left to right commencing with the latter ת. (the other letters are identical) What we learn from this is that whereas Joseph was not a frequent visitor in the province of Goshen where his father resided, his sons spent much more of their time with their grandfather, so that they were aware of any changes in the state of his health. The words ויקרא לבנו ליוסף, “he called for his son, for Joseph,” i.e. sent a messenger to ask for his presence, indicated that he did not want to wait for Joseph’s next visit. I have heard from Rabbi Sh’muel of blessed memory that the reason that Joseph did not frequently visit his father was that he was afraid that Yaakov would ask him how he had come to be in Egypt in the first place, in which case he would have had to tell him that his brothers had sold him, etc., as a result of which his father would have cursed the brothers. This in turn would have spelled the destruction of the civilised world, seeing that when he had cursed Rachel quite unintentionally, Rachel died prematurely as a result, although the teraphim of Lavan had never even been found. We cannot even imagine what the result of Yaakov cursing ten of his twelve sons would have meant.

ויהי אחר הדברים האלה, “it was after these events, etc;” ever since the universe had been created it had never happened that someone after having sneezed recovered from his illness. He would have died immediately, regardless of where he had been when he sneezed. Yaakov asked G-d to change this, so that he would be able to make his last will and testament before dying. G-d answered his prayer. This is the reason why this paragraph commenced with the words: ‘”It was after these words,“ after G-d had consented to give Yaakov enough time to prepare for his departure from earth. Not only this, but all the kings of the earth became very agitated, when they heard that Yaakov had died only after having made all these arrangements about his forthcoming demise. Ever since that time, not only Jews, but believing people everywhere, pronounce a benediction when they hear someone sneeze. G-d had transformed what used to be a signal of death to continued life, (compare Pirkey de Rabbi Eliezer, (earliest kabbalistic text) chapter 52.

ויקח את שני בניו עמו AND HE TOOK HIS TWO SONS WITH HIM — so that Jacob would bless them before his death.

Ephraim was frequently with Yaakov for study... We need not ask: How does Rashi know that Ephraim was frequently [with him for study]? For the answer is: It is written (v. 14), “Yisrael stretched out his right hand... he deliberately placed his hands so (שכל את ידיו).” And why does it not say he “switched his hands” (הפך את ידיו)? Because Yaakov was hinting to him that Ephraim was expert in Torah and had greater understanding (שכל) than Menasheh, and for this reason Yaakov deliberately placed (שכל) his hands. And how did Yaakov know this [about Ephraim]? Because Ephraim was frequently with Yaakov for study.

Perhaps the Torah describes Joseph's desire that each of his children be the recipients of separate blessings in addition to the blessings that would devolve upon them in their capacity as his children. This is why it says separately: את שני בניו עמו.

Oben, wo Jakob von Josef etwas wünscht, lässt er ihn rufen; hier, wo er Josef etwas, und zwar das Höchste, die בכורה erteilen will, lässt er ihm bloß mitteilen: dein Vater ist krank. Er soll als Kind, in dem Gefühle dessen, dem der altbetagte Vater erkrankt ist, von selbst kommen, und bei dieser Gelegenheit gibt er ihm, was er ihm zu erteilen hat. Ein Jakob macht, selbst wenn er das Höchste schenkt, nicht viel Wesen daraus. —

So that Yaakov might bless them. Otherwise, why should it be mentioned?

Perhaps the Torah wanted to inform us that Joseph's children deserved a blessing on two accounts; a) because of their respective virtues, b) because they were Joseph's children. The words בניו עמו refer to the latter, the words את מנשה ואת אפרים refer to their individual merits. The word עמו is interposed to prevent us from thinking that the Torah only wanted to inform us about the identity of these two sons.

Before his death. Yoseif knew that Yaakov had weakened, and now they told him that he was sick. Yoseif said to himself: surely, the day of his death has come. Thus he took his sons with him.