Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef/2

Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef

Exegetical Approaches

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Individual Blessing – Past Events

Yaakov's blessing is aimed at Yosef the individual, and relates to events that transpired during his lifetime.  This approach subdivides regarding the identification of these incidents:

Conflict with Brothers

Yaakov describes how Yosef managed to prevail despite his brothers' enmity.

Sources:Ibn EzraBereshit 49:22-26About R. Avraham ibn Ezra

Purpose of Yaakov's blessings as a whole – Ibn Ezra views most of Yaakov's messages to the other brothers as prophecies regarding the future fates of their tribes,¹ and not as messages to each as an individual.  These prophecies relate to "אַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים", which he understands to refer to the period of the wandering in the wilderness through the monarchy, rather than the times of the Mashiach.  Nonetheless, in reading the address to Yosef, he does not mention a tribal role but only personal events from Yosef's life.

The Sale of Yosef – According to this position, Yaakov viewed the sale of Yosef as one of the defining moments in the life of Yosef and his siblings, and perhaps worried about the potential for continued jealousy and hatred after his death.  Thus, in his last words to Yosef he highlights his ability to overcome and rise above the conflict.  Perhaps, too, he tried to understand for himself why such a fate befell his beloved Yosef, concluding that behind all was Hashem's guiding hand, leading Yosef to a position of greatness from which he could provide for the family.

"בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן" – Ibn Ezra understands "בֵּן פֹּרָת" to mean a "fruitful branch", with "פֹּרָת" being a poetic form of the word "פורה".‎²  The doubling is simply the Torah's way of expressing continuity or permanence.³  Yaakov perhaps opened with this blessing of progeny to highlight that the brothers' wish that Yosef perish and disappear without a trace was not fulfilled.

"בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר" – This phrase expands on the blessing for progeny, and means that Yosef's branches will produce others which will climb like a vine over the walls.⁴  The word "שׁוּר" may be related to the Aramaic "שורא" (wall).⁵

"וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" – This verse describes Yosef's brothers' plot to sell him.⁶  His siblings are described metaphorically as archers who, in their hatred, set Yosef's gallbladder (מררה) as a target at which to shoot רבה)‏‎).⁷

"וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו" – Yosef proved too powerful, and his brothers could not prevail over him.  Yaakov expresses this by describing Yosef's bow as sitting in a place of strength and his arms as being mighty ("וַיָּפֹזּוּ")‎.⁸

"מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל" – Yaakov notes that Yosef's strength emanates from Hashem, the might of Israel ("אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב"), and it was from Him that Yosef was able to rise and become the "shepherd" ("רֹעֶה") who provided food for his family in Egypt.

"נְזִיר אֶחָיו" – According to Ibn Ezra, this phrase depicts Yosef as the "crown of the brothers".  It is not clear if Yaakov is referring to how Yosef ruled over them in Egypt, or if this is simply his metaphoric way of conveying that Yosef was the crowning glory of the brothers.

Parallels to Moshe's blessing – The second half of Yaakov's blessing to Yosef (verses 25-26) contains several parallels to the blessing later given by Moshe to the tribes of Yosef.  Ibn Ezra might suggest that Yosef paved the way for his progeny, and the individual blessings which he merited were later passed on to his tribe.

Mrs. Potiphar's Attempted Seduction

Yaakov speaks of Yosef's triumphant rise to power despite Mrs. Potiphar's slander.

Sources:RashbamBereshit 49:1Bereshit 49:22-26About R. Shemuel b. Meir

Purpose of Yaakov's blessings as a whole – Rashbam asserts that Yaakov's blessings as a whole related to the period of conquest and inheritance.  However, this does not come across in his explanation of Yosef's blessing, which he explains as referring to overcoming personal tribulations.

The Sale of Yosef – In contrast to Ibn Ezra, Rashbam does not present Yaakov as focusing on the sale of Yosef, because according to him, it was the Midyanites rather than the brothers who sold Yosef.   Moreover, as Shadal Bereshit 49:1Bereshit 49:22-26About R. Shemuel David Luzzattopoints out, it is very possible that Yaakov himself never knew about the sale or the extent of the brother's hatred, believing  that the brothers truly thought (as they might have) that he had been devoured by a wild animal.  For elaboration, see Who Sold Yosef.

"בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן" – According to Rashbam the verse speaks of the beauty of Yosef, "a flourishing son" whose tall stature⁹ and good looks caught the eyes (עֲלֵי עָיִן) of those around him.    He understands the doubling to be a common literary phenomenon in Biblical poetry in which a phrase introduces a subject, and is then repeated with some sort of conclusion.¹⁰

"בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר" – This phrase is parallel to the first half of the verse, and speaks of the daughters of Egypt, including Mrs. Potiphar, who went to peek (שׁוּר) at Yosef's beauty.  Rashbam understands the word "שׁוּר" to mean see, as in the verbal form "אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ" in Bemidbar 23:9. An advantage of this explanation is that it allows for a consistent reading of all the verses as referring to a particular event, providing the background for Mrs. Potiphar's advances.

"וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" – According to Rashbam the verse follows the previous one which alluded to Mrs. Potiphar's desire, and refers to her slandering and subsequent imprisonment of Yosef.  He reads the archers¹¹ as a metaphor for those who spread aspersions about others¹² and understands "וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ" to mean "embittered him".  Drawing on the short review of the Yosef narrative in Tehillim 105, he suggest that this refers to his bitter oppression in prison, where ‎"עִנּוּ בַכֶּבֶל [רַגְלוֹ] (רגליו)‏".

"וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו" – Rashbam reads the verse as a description of someone holding tightly onto their bow,¹³ and explains that despite the Egyptian's attempts to lower him, Yaakov's bow proved stronger than theirs.  This put him in a position to imprison them as they had done to him.¹⁴

"מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל" – Rashbam is somewhat ambiguous in his explanation of the verse, but appears to suggest that Yaakov told Yosef that his strength to prevail emanated from Hashem, the head and shepherd of Israel, who used Yosef as a tool by which to feed the family during the famine.  In these words Yaakov might be ensuring that Yosef realized that his rise was not due to his own greatness, but to Hashem and was part of His larger plan.

"נזיר אחיו" – According to Rashbam, this is a reference to the stature that Yosef achieved in Egypt, becoming king over his brothers.

"...בִּרְכֹת אָבִיךָ גָּבְרוּ עַל בִּרְכֹת הוֹרַי" – Yaakov blessed Yosef that he should receive the vast blessings of land "until the ends of the mountains" that Hashem had previously bequeathed to Yaakov.  Rashbam is somewhat unique¹⁵ in understanding the word "הורי" to means hills rather than parents.  As evidence, he points to the parallel phrase "גִּבְעֹת עוֹלָם", and to the same dual language used by Moshe when blessing Yosef's tribe ("וּמֵרֹאשׁ הַרְרֵי קֶדֶם וּמִמֶּגֶד גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם").   Further support for Rashbam can be found in the fact that no where else in Tanakh does the noun "הורים" refer to parents; it is actually first in medieval times that this usage is apparent.¹⁶

Multiple Events

Yaakov alludes to multiple parties who attempted to harm Yosef, including his brothers, Mr. and Mrs. Potiphar, and the Egyptian sorcerers.

Sources:Targum Pseudo-JonathanBereshit 49:22-26About Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, RashiBereshit 49:1Bereshit 49:22-26About R. Shelomo Yitzchaki

"בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן"

• Charming – According to Rashi, the word "פֹּרָת" is related to the Aramaic "אפרין"  and the phrase speaks of Yosef's grace and ability to charm all those who looked (עֲלֵי עָיִן) at him.
• Self restraint – Targum Pseudo Jonathan, in contrast, explains the whole verse as speaking of Yosef's ability to control his evil inclination.  He was like a strong vine planted near a spring, capable of breaking the rocks and trees (all obstacles) in its way.  The doubling in the verse hints to the two groups to whom Yosef did not succumb, Mrs. Potiphar and the brothers.

"בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר" – According to both commentators this is a continuation of the first half of the verse,¹⁷ and describes how the daughters of Egypt would walk on the walls to catch sight of Yosef.¹⁸  However, where Rashi implies that this might have caused the attempted seduction by Mrs. Potiphar,¹⁹ the Targum highlights how it is evidence of Yosef's self control.  Despite the fact that the women were showering gifts upon Yosef, hoping to interest him, he did not look their way.

"...וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" – Rashi maintains that the verse refers to the both the strife-ridden brothers²⁰ and Mrs. Potiphar, who embittered Yosef's life, while Targum Pseudo-Jonathan suggests that it refers to the bitter and angry Egyptian magicians²¹ who slandered him with words sharp as arrows.

"וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו"

• Rashi reads the word "וַיָּפֹזּוּ" as related to פז, or gold, and maintains that the verse alludes to Yosef's prevailing and becoming king, when he was given Paroh's golden ring.²²
• The Targum, in contrast, asserts that the phrase explains how Yosef returned to his inner strength (וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן) ingrained in him from his father (מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב) so as not to yield to sin.

" מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל" – Yaakov continues to describe how Yosef became the "cornerstone" of Israel (אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל) as he ruled in Egypt.²³

נְזִיר אֶחָיו

• Separate – Rashi understands this to mean that Yosef was separate from his brothers.  According to his reading of the blessing, Yaakov might be saying that Yosef was at first separated from his brothers by their hatred, but later was rewarded in kind, by being distinguished in his lofty status.  RalbagBereshit Beur HaMilot 49:22-26About R. Levi b. Gershom understands the verse to mean that Yosef was the most abstinent of the brothers, which would work well with Targum Pseudo-Jonathan's understanding of the blessing as a whole.
• Crown – The Targum, itself, however, explains the word to mean crown, asserting that Yaakov is blessing Yosef that all the blessings of the forefathers be united to form a crown upon Yosef's head.

Purpose of Yaakov's blessings as a whole

Tribal Blessing – Future Events

Yaakov's blessing relates to the future roles Yosef's tribes were to play, rather than to past events in Yosef's personal life.

Sources:Targum OnkelosBereshit 49:22-26About Targum Onkelos, RalbagBereshit Beur HaMilot 49:22-26About R. Levi b. Gershom, Hoil MosheBereshit 49:28About R. Moshe Yitzchak Ashkenazi

Purpose of Yaakov's blessings as a whole – Hoil Moshe maintains that all of Yaakov's blessings to his children were prophecies regarding the future successes of their tribes.  Yosef's blessing, too, thus related to the future and not the past.

"...בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן" – According to Targum Onkelos and Ralbag, Yosef is compared to a flourishing branch or vine, whose daughter branches grew to climb over the wall.²⁴ This represents the success and extensive progeny of Yosef, who merited to father two tribes which would both inherit.²⁵  It is possible that the doubling in the verse hints to this double portion.²⁶

"...וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים" – This refers to future wars the tribe of Yosef was to fight against its enemies.  Yaakov states that though others would attack, they would not be able to prevail over the strong bow of Yosef.

"מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל" – Ralbag maintains that this hints to Mashiach ben Yosef.  When the nation will suffer and be degraded to the extent that they are lifeless, like a stone (אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל), then a leader from the line of Yosef will emerge to be their shepherd and begin their salvation.

"עַד תַּאֲוַת גִּבְעֹת עוֹלָם" – Yaakov blessed the tribe with extensive borders, until the "edges of the earth".  This is an apt description of the vast amount of land later inherited by Menashe and Efraim.

Parallels to Moshe – This position might suggest that parallels to Moshe's blessing are to be expected if both are statements relating to the tribe's future.

Combination

Yaakov's blessing to Yosef speaks of events in both Yosef's personal past and the future of his tribes.

Sources:R. Yosef Bekhor ShorBereshit 49:22-26About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor, RadakBereshit 49:22-26About R. David Kimchi, R. Avraham b. HaRambamBereshit 49:22-26About R. Avraham Maimonides, AbarbanelBereshit 49:22-26About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel

Purpose of Yaakov's blessings as a whole – Abarbanel asserts that Yaakov's main goal in his blessings was to demonstrate which of his sons and their tribe was worthy of kingship.  As such, he at times spoke to the individual character of a specific son and at times of events that were to transpire to their tribe.  In speaking to Yosef, Yaakov mentions not only his worthy traits but also the brothers' jealousy and hatred, for it was these which made Yosef unsuitable.  A king needs his people to be willing to follow him and Yosef did not have the love and loyalty of his brothers.²⁷  Despite not meriting kingship, Yosef was rewarded for his other qualities.

"...בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן" – All these sources understand the phrase to refer to the flourishing of Yosef and the fact that he merited a double portion, with both sons becoming tribes and inheriting.  Radak points out that the doubling in the verse hints to this two-fold inheritance.²⁸

"...וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׂטְמֻהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצִּים – The commentators differ, with R. Avraham b. HaRambam explaining that the verse refers to the brothers' hatred, Radak asserting that it speaks of the actions of Mrs. Potiphar, and R"Y Bekhor Shor and Abarbanel claiming that it refers to both.

"וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו" – According to Abarbanel, the bow sitting strong is a metaphor for Yosef's self restraint against Mrs. Potiphar, while the description of golden hands (וַיָּפֹזּוּ is related to פז), refers to his generosity to his brothers, despite their wrongful actions towards him.

"בִּרְכֹת שָׁמַיִם מֵעָל... בִּרְכֹת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם" – According to Abarbanel, Yaakov blessed Yosef measure for measure, for his two worthy traits.  In return for providing for the family, he was given a blessing of rain and produce.  As a reward for his self-restraint he was promised  children.

"בִּרְכֹת אָבִיךָ גָּבְרוּ עַל בִּרְכֹת הוֹרַי" – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor, Yaakov tells Yosef that he had been blessed more than Avraham and Yitzchak, because all twelve of his sons were chosen.  This same blessing was to fall on Yosef, since both his children, too, were included in the blessing of inheriting the land.

¹ He also points out that the word "blessing" might be a misnomer for the content of the majority of the chapter, and that Yaakov did not aim to bless his children in these statements but simply to relay certain information.  Only afterwards, in verse 28, did the brothers receive Yaakov's blessing (the content of which is not explicitly mentioned).

² Ibn Ezra points to Tehillim 80:16 as evidence that "בֵּן" can refer to vegetative growth. In all the many other instances of the word, however, it refers to either a son, member of a group, or an age.  Ibn Ezra does not explain the words "עֲלֵי עָיִן", but he presumably understands them to refer to a spring of water.

³ It thus suggests that Yosef will continuously bear progeny.

⁴ Ibn Ezra offers two explanations for the switch between the plural "בָּנוֹת"  and the singular form of "צָעֲדָה".  Either the verse means that each and every branch will climb on the walls, or this is just one example of others in which a singular subject takes a plural form of the verb (he points to Kohelet 10:1 as another example).

⁵ See Ezra 4:12-16.  In Biblical Hebrew, the word may take this meaning in Shemuel II 22:30 (and the parallel Tehillim 18:30), Yirmeyahu 5:10, and Iyyov 24:11.

⁶ Radak questions this reading on the grounds that it would not make sense for Yaakov to speak so negatively about the brothers in the midst of blessing them.  See below, though, that Ibn Ezra does not view Yaakov's statements as blessings, but rather as prophetic messages.  Thus, he does not think that they all needed to be positive, as evidenced by Yaakov's addresses to Reuven, Shimon, and Levi.

⁷ For similar usage, see Iyyov 16:12-13.  Cf. R"Y Bekhor Shor who suggests that "וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ" is related to the word "תַּמְרוּרִים" (see Yirmeyahu 31:20), which means a marker or target.

⁸ The root פזז also appears in Shemuel II 6:14-16, where Michal observes David being "מְפַזֵּז וּמְכַרְכֵּר" before the ark.  Two verses earlier there is a parallel description, "וְדָוִד מְכַרְכֵּר בְּכׇל עֹז".  Ibn Ezra learns from the tandem there that פזז denotes strength.

⁹ Rashbam paints Yosef in the image of other royal figures such as Shaul who was "מִשִּׁכְמוֹ וָמַעְלָה גָּבֹהַּ מִכׇּל הָעָם".  Like Ibn Ezra, he reads the word "פֹּרָת" to be equivalent to "פורה", but understands it to refer to a growth in height rather than abundance.

¹⁰ Other examples can be found in Shemot 15:6, Tehillim 92:10, Tehillim 93:3, and Tehillim 94:1-3.  Rashbam's understanding of these verses was adopted by many others, including his grandfather, Rashi, until the phenomenon was actually known by his name, as "פסוקי שמואל".  See R. Aharon b.Yose HaKohen, author of Sefer HaGan, who writes, "וכשהיה רבינו שלמה זקנו מגיע לאותן פסוקים קורא אותן פסוקי שמואל על שמו".

¹¹ He sees a hint to these archers in both halves of the verse, explaining "וָרֹבּוּ " to mean to shoot arrows, as in Iyyov 16:13

¹² See the similar metaphor in Yirmeyahu 9:2 and 9:7.

¹³ He reads "וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו" as a description of Yosef's arms bending when shooting his arrows.  He points to the description of David dancing (מְפַזֵּז וּמְכַרְכֵּר) in Shemuel II 6, and suggests that the root כרכר  relates to a movement of the legs, while the root פזז relates to a movement of the arm.

¹⁴ Here, too, Rashbam is drawing on the narrative in Tehillim 105, which mentions that after rising to kingship, Yosef was in a position "לֶאְסֹר שָׂרָיו בְּנַפְשׁוֹ".

¹⁵ See also the Septuagint who preceded him in translating the phrase as, "over stable mountains".

¹⁶ See the discussion by M. Tzippor, in his article, "ברכת יעקב בראי תרגום השבעים".

¹⁷ In contrast to Rashbam above who reads the various phrases of the verse as parallel to each other, this position views them as distinct.

¹⁸ Rashi appears to be understanding the word "שׁוּר" to mean both wall and look.

¹⁹ Rashi also points to the Midrash which suggests that this was a reward for Yosef's protection of Rachel.   When greeting Esav, Yosef had stepped in front of his mother and stood tall (a בן פורת) to protect her from the eyes of Esav (עלי עין); thus he merited, measure for measure, that women would look at him.

²⁰ He understand "וָרֹבּוּ" to mean "אנשי מריבה", men of strife.

²¹ Cf. SefornoBereshit 49:22-26About R. Ovadyah Seforno.

²² See Bereshit 41:42, "וַיָּסַר פַּרְעֹה אֶת טַבַּעְתּוֹ מֵעַל יָדוֹ וַיִּתֵּן אֹתָהּ עַל יַד יוֹסֵף".

²³ The Targum explains "מִשָּׁם" to mean that it was from this point of self-discipline, that Yosef merited this leadership role.

²⁴  See points and notes by Ibn Ezra for an analysis of this reading.

²⁵ This aspect is mentioned by Onkelos but not by Ralbag.  Rashi suggests that according to Onkelos, the "בנות" in the verse might refer to the daughters of Zelophcahd, from the tribe of Menashe, who inherited on both sides of the Jordan.

²⁶ See RadakBereshit 49:22-26About R. David Kimchi who suggests this.

²⁷ Yehuda, in contrast, is appropriate for the position, as he is told, "אַתָּה יוֹדוּךָ אַחֶיךָ... יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךָ בְּנֵי אָבִיךָ".

²⁸ Abarbanel agrees but adds that the doubling might also point to two qualities of Yosef, his self restraint and his generosity.  Yosef resisted Mrs Potiphar's advances, even though he was fully fertile (בֵּן פֹּרָת) and capable.   In addition, he was able to provide for his entire family, as if he were a plant thriving by the water.