Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef/2

Yaakov's Blessing of Yosef

Exegetical Approaches

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Individual Blessing for the Present

Yaakov's blessing was aimed at Yosef the individual and related to events that transpired in his lifetime.  The sources disagree 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.

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

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".‎¹  The doubling is simply Tanakh's way to express continuity or permanence.²  Perhaps Yaakov opened with this blessing of progeny to highlight how the brothers' wish that Yosef perish and disappear without a trace, was not fulfilled.

בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי שׁוּר – This phrase expands on the first blessing for descendants, and means that Yosef's branches will make others which will climb like a vine over the walls.  The word "שׁוּר" might be related to the Aramaic "שורא" (wall).³

"...וַיְמָרְרֻהוּ וָרֹבּו" – This verse describes the brothers plot to sell Yosef.   The siblings are described metaphorically as archers who set Yosef's gallbladder (מְרֵרָה) as a target to shoot (רבה) at.⁴

וַתֵּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפֹזּוּ זְרֹעֵי יָדָיו – Yosef proved too strong for the brothers who 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)‎.⁵

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

נְזִיר אֶחָיו – According to Ibn Ezra this phrase sets up Yosef as the "crown of the brothers".  It is not clear if he is referring to the fact that Yosef became king over them in Egypt or if this is just Yaakov's metaphoric way of saying that Yosef was the crowning glory of the brothers.

Parallels to Moshe's blessing

Mrs. Potiphar's Attempted Seduction

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

Multiple Events

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

Tribal Blessing for the Future

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

Combination

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, SefornoBereshit 49:22-26About R. Ovadyah Seforno

¹ Ibn Ezra points to Tehillim 80:16 as evidence that "בֵּן" can refer to some sort of flora. In all the many other instances of the word, however, it refers to either a son, member of a group, or an age.

² It thus suggests that Yosef will continuously bear fruit.

³ See Ezra 4:12-16.  In Biblical Hebrew the word might take this meaning in Shemuel II 22:30 (and the equivalent Tehillim 18:30), Yirmeyahu 5:10, and Iyyov 24:11.

⁴ For similar usage see Iyyov 16:12-13.

⁵ The root פזז also appears in Shemuel II 6:14-16, where Michal sees David "מְפַזֵּז וּמְכַרְכֵּר" before the ark.  Two verses earlier there is a similar description, "וְדָוִד מְכַרְכֵּר בְּכׇל עֹז".  Ibn Ezra learns from the parallel that פזז relates to strength.