Vayigash Questions and answers

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VaYigash 5731

Alef.

בראשית מז

(א) וַיָּבֹא יוֹסֵף וַיַּגֵּד לְפַרְעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר אָבִי וְאַחַי וְצֹאנָם וּבְקָרָם וְכָל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם בָּאוּ מֵאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וְהִנָּם בְּאֶרֶץ גּשֶׁן:

(ב) וּמִקְצֵה אֶחָיו לָקַח חֲמִשָּׁה אֲנָשִׁים וַיַּצִּגֵם לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה:

(ג) וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל אֶחָיו מַה מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה רֹעֵה צֹאן עֲבָדֶיךָ גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם אֲבוֹתֵינוּ:

(ד) וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה לָגוּר בָּאָרֶץ בָּאנוּ כִּי אֵין מִרְעֶה לַצֹּאן אֲשֶׁר לַעֲבָדֶיךָ כִּי כָבֵד הָרָעָב בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וְעַתָּה יֵשְׁבוּ נָא עֲבָדֶיךָ בְּאֶרֶץ גּשֶׁן:

(ה) וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ וְאַחֶיךָ בָּאוּ אֵלֶיךָ:

(ו) אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לְפָנֶיךָ הִוא בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ הוֹשֵׁב אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אַחֶיךָ יֵשְׁבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ גּשֶׁן וְאִם יָדַעְתָּ וְיֶשׁ בָּם אַנְשֵׁי חַיִל וְשַׂמְתָּם שָׂרֵי מִקְנֶה עַל אֲשֶׁר לִי:

(ז) וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיו וַיַּעֲמִדֵהוּ לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה וַיְבָרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב אֶת פַּרְעֹה:

(ח) וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל יַעֲקֹב כַּמָּה יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיֶּיךָ:

(ט) וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל פַּרְעֹה יְמֵי שְׁנֵי מְגוּרַי שְׁלשִׁים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה מְעַט וְרָעִים הָיוּ יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיַּי וְלֹא הִשִּׂיגוּ אֶת יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיֵּי אֲבֹתַי בִּימֵי מְגוּרֵיהֶם:

(י) וַיְבָרֶךְ יַעֲקֹב אֶת פַּרְעֹה וַיֵּצֵא מִלִּפְנֵי פַרְעֹה:

(יא) וַיּוֹשֵׁב יוֹסֵף אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אֶחָיו וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲחֻזָּה בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּמֵיטַב הָאָרֶץ בְּאֶרֶץ רַעְמְסֵס כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה פַרְעֹה:

(יב) וַיְכַלְכֵּל יוֹסֵף אֶת אָבִיו וְאֶת אֶחָיו וְאֵת כָּל בֵּית אָבִיו לֶחֶם לְפִי הַטָּף:

(יג) וְלֶחֶם אֵין בְּכָל הָאָרֶץ כִּי כָבֵד הָרָעָב מְאֹד וַתֵּלַהּ אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן מִפְּנֵי הָרָעָב:

(יד) וַיְלַקֵּט יוֹסֵף אֶת כָּל הַכֶּסֶף הַנִּמְצָא בְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּבְאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בַּשֶּׁבֶר אֲשֶׁר הֵם שֹׁבְרִים וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת הַכֶּסֶף בֵּיתָה פַרְעֹה:

(טו) וַיִּתֹּם הַכֶּסֶף מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם וּמֵאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ כָל מִצְרַיִם אֶל יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר הָבָה לָּנוּ לֶחֶם וְלָמָּה נָמוּת נֶגְדֶּךָ כִּי אָפֵס כָּסֶף:

(טז) וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף הָבוּ מִקְנֵיכֶם וְאֶתְּנָה לָכֶם בְּמִקְנֵיכֶם אִם אָפֵס כָּסֶף:

(יז) וַיָּבִיאוּ אֶת מִקְנֵיהֶם אֶל יוֹסֵף וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם יוֹסֵף לֶחֶם בַּסּוּסִים וּבְמִקְנֵה הַצֹּאן וּבְמִקְנֵה הַבָּקָר וּבַחֲמֹרִים וַיְנַהֲלֵם בַּלֶּחֶם בְּכָל מִקְנֵהֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִוא:

(יח) וַתִּתֹּם הַשָּׁנָה הַהִוא וַיָּבֹאוּ אֵלָיו בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא נְכַחֵד מֵאֲדֹנִי כִּי אִם תַּם הַכֶּסֶף וּמִקְנֵה הַבְּהֵמָה אֶל אֲדֹנִי לֹא נִשְׁאַר לִפְנֵי אֲדֹנִי בִּלְתִּי אִם גְּוִיָּתֵנוּ וְאַדְמָתֵנוּ:

(יט) לָמָּה נָמוּת לְעֵינֶיךָ גַּם אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם אַדְמָתֵנוּ קְנֵה אֹתָנוּ וְאֶת אַדְמָתֵנוּ בַּלָּחֶם וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וְאַדְמָתֵנוּ עֲבָדִים לְפַרְעֹה וְתֶן זֶרַע וְנִחְיֶה וְלֹא נָמוּת וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תֵשָׁם:

(כ) וַיִּקֶן יוֹסֵף אֶת כָּל אַדְמַת מִצְרַיִם לְפַרְעֹה כִּי מָכְרוּ מִצְרַיִם אִישׁ שָׂדֵהוּ כִּי חָזַק עֲלֵהֶם הָרָעָב וַתְּהִי הָאָרֶץ לְפַרְעֹה: 

(כא) וְאֶת הָעָם הֶעֱבִיר אֹתוֹ לֶעָרִים מִקְצֵה גְבוּל מִצְרַיִם וְעַד קָצֵהוּ:

(כב) רַק אַדְמַת הַכֹּהֲנִים לֹא קָנָה כִּי חֹק לַכֹּהֲנִים מֵאֵת פַּרְעֹה וְאָכְלוּ אֶת חֻקָּם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לָהֶם פַּרְעֹה עַל כֵּן לֹא מָכְרוּ אֶת אַדְמָתָם:

(כג) וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל הָעָם הֵן קָנִיתִי אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם וְאֶת אַדְמַתְכֶם לְפַרְעֹה הֵא לָכֶם זֶרַע וּזְרַעְתֶּם אֶת הָאֲדָמָה:

(כד) וְהָיָה בַּתְּבוּאֹת וּנְתַתֶּם חֲמִישִׁית לְפַרְעֹה וְאַרְבַּע הַיָּדֹת יִהְיֶה לָכֶם לְזֶרַע הַשָּׂדֶה וּלְאָכְלְכֶם וְלַאֲשֶׁר בְּבָתֵּיכֶם וְלֶאֱכֹל לְטַפְּכֶם: 

(כה) וַיֹּאמְרוּ הֶחֱיִתָנוּ נִמְצָא חֵן בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנִי וְהָיִינוּ עֲבָדִים לְפַרְעֹה:

(כו) וַיָּשֶׂם אֹתָהּ יוֹסֵף לְחֹק עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה עַל אַדְמַת מִצְרַיִם לְפַרְעֹה לַחֹמֶשׁ רַק אַדְמַת הַכֹּהֲנִים לְבַדָּם לֹא הָיְתָה לְפַרְעֹה:

(כז) וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בְּאֶרֶץ גּשֶׁן וַיֵּאָחֲזוּ בָהּ וַיִּפְרוּ וַיִּרְבּוּ מְאֹד:

(כח) וַיְחִי יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם שְׁבַע עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה וַיְהִי יְמֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵי חַיָּיו שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים וְאַרְבָּעִים וּמְאַת שָׁנָה:

(כט) וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת וַיִּקְרָא לִבְנוֹ לְיוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ שִׂים נָא יָדְךָ תַּחַת יְרֵכִי וְעָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת אַל נָא תִקְבְּרֵנִי בְּמִצְרָיִם:

(ל) וְשָׁכַבְתִּי עִם אֲבֹתַי וּנְשָׂאתַנִי מִמִּצְרַיִם וּקְבַרְתַּנִי בִּקְבֻרָתָם וַיֹּאמַר אָנֹכִי אֶעְשֶׂה כִדְבָרֶךָ:

(לא) וַיֹּאמֶר הִשָּׁבְעָה לִי וַיִּשָּׁבַע לוֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל רֹאשׁ הַמִּטָּה:

1.  a. 47:1 Yosef mentions that his family have herds, something that was anathema to the Egyptians who worshipped domesticated animals.

b. Ibid. 2 Yosef takes only some of his brothers to meet Pharoah, with the intention to make a certain impression.

c.  Ibid. 3 The brothers identify themselves to Pharoah as shepherds (see a. ).

d.  Ibid. 4 The brothers state that they have only come to Egypt temporarily for as long as the famine affects Canaan, and that they are already settled in Goshen, an area relatively isolated from the rest of Egyptian society.

e.  Ibid. 7, 10 Yosef arranges that Yaakov comes to bless Pharoah.

f.  Ibid. 11 Yosef settled his family in the land that Pharoah said they could live.

2.  a. Ibid. 19, 25 Yosef acquires all of the Egyptians as possessions/slaves to Pharoah, in contrast to the status of his family.

b.  Ibid. 20, 21 Yosef bought all of the Egyptian land, and resettled the people in central locations, which in turn separated them even more from the rest of the people.

c.  Ibid. 23 Yosef ordered the people to engage in agriculture, in contrast to herding that was his own family’s occupation.

Despite all of Yosef’s efforts, the beginning of the book of Shemot describes how in the generations following his and his siblings’ deaths, the Jews were turned into slaves of the Egyptians. Furthermore, according to some views, when the opportunity came to leave Egypt, the overwhelming majority—4/5, 49/50, or 499/500—opted to remain in Egypt, suggesting a high level of assimilation and acculturation into Egyptian society, despite Yosef’s original efforts. According to Meshech Chachma, the restrictions regarding not changing names, language, clothing styles and either against intermarriage or not reporting upon one another to the government were rulings imposed already by Yaakov prior to the descent into Egypt in order to preserve Jewish identity. These practices are identified by the Midrash as the reason why the Jews were ultimately redeemed from Egypt.

Beit.

1.  Why should Pharoah have cared exactly how old Yaakov was? What difference does it make to him? And if that is the meaning of the word, then why doesn’t Yaakov answer him?

2.  Ibn Kaspi thought that the word “כמה” couldn’t be used as an exclamation; only as a quantitative query.

3. 

(שמואל ב' יט:לה) וַיֹּאמֶר בַּרְזִלַּי אֶל הַמֶּלֶךְ כַּמָּה יְמֵי שְׁנֵי חַיַּי כִּי אֶעֱלֶה אֶת הַמֶּלֶךְ יְרוּשָׁלָם:

And Barzillai said unto the king: 'How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king unto Jerusalem?  I am this day fourscore years old; can I discern between good and bad? can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? can I hear any more the voice of singing men and singing women? wherefore then should thy servant be yet a burden unto my lord the king?

)תהילים עח:מ) כַּמָּה יַמְרוּהוּ בַמִּדְבָּר יַעֲצִיבוּהוּ בִּישִׁימוֹן:

How oft did they rebel against Him in the wilderness, and grieve Him in the desert! And still again they tried God, and set bounds to the Holy One of Israel. 

(איוב יג:כג) כַּמָּה לִי עֲוֹנוֹת וְחַטָּאוֹת פִּשְׁעִי וְחַטָּאתִי הֹדִיעֵנִי:

How long, O LORD, wilt Thou forget me for ever? How long wilt Thou hide Thy face from me? Wherefore hidest Thou Thy face, and holdest me for Thine enemy? 

(שם כא:יז) כַּמָּה נֵר רְשָׁעִים יִדְעָךְ וְיָבֹא עָלֵימוֹ אֵידָם חֲבָלִים יְחַלֵּק בְּאַפּוֹ:

How oft is it that the lamp of the wicked is put out? that their calamity cometh upon them? that He distributeth pains in His anger? That they are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm stealeth away? 

Only the first of these verses utilizes “כמה” as a quantitative question. The others support the interpretation mentioned by Ibn Kaspi.

Gimel.

Beno Jakob answers the Akeidat Yitzchak’s question in the following manner:

a) By virtue of HaShem Taking the Jews out of Egypt, He “Acquired” them—Shemot 15:16 “Terror and dread falleth upon them; by the greatness of Thine Arm they are as still as a stone; till Thy People pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over that Thou hast Gotten,” paralleling Pharoah acquiring the Egyptians via Yosef and due to the famine.

b)  Since the people “belong” to HaShem, the land to which He Brings them also belongs to HaShem and there are restrictions vis-à-vis owning such land. So too Yosef acquires the Egyptians’ land due to the famine and now Pharoah owns all property.

c)  The people belong to HaShem to the extent that they cannot be sold by and to one another. So too the Egyptian people were made slaves to Pharoah due to the famine and they now had to do his bidding.

d)  If Pharoah is the owner of the people, he can control what they do and to whom they owe obeisance. So too the Jewish people, at best they can be sold into temporary slavery, but subject to HaShem’s Rules.

e)  Just as the people had to give to Pharoah a percentage of their produce, since he owns them and their land, so too HaShem can Demand a percentage of the produce that Jews grow in the land of Israel and that it be dedicated to whatever uses He See fit, including the support of those who do the service in the Tabernacle/Temple.

f)  Just as Pharoah does not change the ownership of the land that belongs to the Priests, the Kohanim and Leviim also don’t get their own portion of the land per se, but rather a portion of land that belongs to others since in fact their first responsibility and loyalty is to HaShem rather than their land or possessions.

In effect, what takes place with respect to the famine is a type of Ma’asei Avot Siman LaBanim, presaging the eventual relationship between the Jews and God once they reach the land of Israel.

Daled.

One could read 47:13 “there was no bread throughout all of Egypt”, but there was bread in some places, i.e., the storage/collections cities that Yosef had set aside for this purpose. Consequently, there was food for not only the Egyptians but also those in surrounding countries. But it was available only in certain places in the land of Egypt.

Heh.

1.  RaShBaM: Yosef, by relocating the people,  was looking to assure that there not be rebellions against his rule.

HaEmek Davar: Yosef was careful to relocate the people en masse from a particular city to a new location so that the social infrastructure would not be adversely affected. 

2.  A possible support for ShaDaL’s interpretation is the verse that immediately precedes v. 21:

47:20

So Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them; and the land became Pharaoh's.

In order to illustrate Pharoah’s control of the land, Yosef made the people to relocate, not to disperse them and their social units, or to force them to live in a particular place, but rather in order to demonstrate that the land no longer was under their control.

Vav.

1.  a)  Despite the proposal of the people in v. 19 that Yosef should acquire not only their lands, but themselves (19--…buy us and our land for bread, and we and our land will be bondmen unto Pharaoh…), Yosef in the next verse purchases only their land (20--So Yosef bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine was sore upon them; and the land became Pharaoh's).

      b) If the people in fact had become slaves, why do they get to keep any part of their produce? The fact that they are allowed to keep 4/5 as long as they contribute 1/5 suggests a sharecropper rather than slave relationship with Pharoah. (24--And it shall come to pass at the ingatherings, that ye shall give a fifth unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.'”

      c) In v. 25, they repeat their request to become Pharoah’s slaves, implying that it has not as yet officially taken place (And they said: 'Thou hast saved our lives. Let us find favor in the sight of my lord, and we will be Pharaoh's bondmen.') And again in response, Yosef only legislates concerning control of their land, but not of the people themselves (26--And Yosef made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests alone became not Pharaoh's.)

2.  Meshech Chachma comments on verse 19 that the terminology “(כג) וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל הָעָם הֵן קָנִיתִי אֶתְכֶם הַיּוֹם..., suggesting that the relationship of master to slave has a time limit, i.e., for as long as it is necessary to deal with the famine, but not beyond.

Zayin.

1.  Siftei Chachamim #50 states that the letters א, ה, ו, י in fact interchange in various texts.

2.  Siftei Chachamim #60 infers from the usage of the plural rather than the singular with respect to the word “שוברים” that the purchasing would not transpire via Yosef alone, but rather that the Egyptian people will sell the food to prospective buyers, and then turn over funds received to Yosef on behalf of Pharoah.

3. א)  Just because the Egyptian people no longer have money or animals does not necessarily mean that Yosef has them. Perhaps the animals died and perhaps they spent the money on other things. Therefore RaShI states that in fact the money and the animals are now in Yosef’s hands.

ב)

ברא' לח:יב

וַיִּרְבּוּ הַיָּמִים וַתָּמָת בַּת שׁוּעַ אֵשֶׁת יְהוּדָה וַיִּנָּחֶם יְהוּדָה וַיַּעַל עַל גֹּזֲזֵי צֹאנוֹ הוּא וְחִירָה רֵעֵהוּ הָעֲדֻלָּמִי תִּמְנָתָה:

רש"י

(יב) ויעל על גוזזי צאנו - ויעל תמנתה לעמוד על גוזזי צאנו:

Just as in Beraishit 47:18 it is unclear where the money and animals have gone, necessitating RaShI to explain it, so too in 38:12, the text states that Yehuda went up, but does not say where. RaShI therefore provides that information, i.e., to Timna.