Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef/2

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Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef

Exegetical Approaches

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Individual Blessing for the Present

Yaakov's blessing was aimed at the individual Yosef and related to events that transpired in his lifetime.  The sources split regarding which incidents are alluded to and form the focus of the blessing:

Conflict with the Brothers

Yaakov told Yosef that despite his brothers' enmity, he had prevailed and managed to rise above them.

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".  The doubling is simply Tanakh's way to express continuity.
בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר
"...וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּו"
וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו
מִידֵי אֲבִיר יַעֲקֹב מִשָּׁם רֹעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל

Mrs. Potiphar's Attempted Seduction

Multiple Events

Tribal Blessing for the Future

Combination