Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 35 (Parashat Vayishlach)

Bereshit 35:1

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים אֶל-יַעֲקֹב קוּם עֲלֵה בֵית-אֵל וְשֶׁב-שָׁם וַעֲשֵׂה-שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ--לָאֵל הַנִּרְאֶה אֵלֶיךָ בְּבָרְחֲךָ מִפְּנֵי עֵשָׂו אָחִיךָ

. . . .

Then God said to Jacob: 'Arise, go up to Beth-El, and stay there; and make there an altar to the Power who appeared to you when you fled from before Esau your brother.'

Bereshit 35:2

וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל-בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶל כָּל-אֲשֶׁר עִמּוֹ הָסִרוּ אֶת-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר בְּתֹכְכֶם וְהִטַּהֲרוּ וְהַחֲלִיפוּ שִׂמְלֹתֵיכֶם

. . . .

And Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him: 'Remove the foreign worshipped-objects which are among you, and purify yourselves, and change your garments.

Bereshit 35:3

וְנָקוּמָה וְנַעֲלֶה בֵּית-אֵל וְאֶעֱשֶׂה-שָּׁם מִזְבֵּחַ לָאֵל הָעֹנֶה אֹתִי בְּיוֹם צָרָתִי וַיְהִי עִמָּדִי בַּדֶּרֶךְ אֲשֶׁר הָלָכְתִּי

. . .

And let us arise and go up to Beth-El; and let us make there an altar to the Power who answers me in the day of my distress, and who has been with me in the way which I have walked.'

Bereshit 35:4

וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶל-יַעֲקֹב אֵת כָּל-אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדָם וְאֶת-הַנְּזָמִים אֲשֶׁר בְּאָזְנֵיהֶם וַיִּטְמֹן אֹתָם יַעֲקֹב תַּחַת הָאֵלָה אֲשֶׁר עִם-שְׁכֶם

. . . .

And they gave to Jacob all the foreign worshipped-objects which they had with them, and the earrings which were in their ears; and he buried them under the terebinth which is over against Nablus (Shechem).

Bereshit 35:5

וַיִּסָּעוּ וַיְהִי חִתַּת אֱלֹהִים עַל-הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר סְבִיבוֹתֵיהֶם וְלֹא רָדְפוּ אַחֲרֵי בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב

. . .

Then they journeyed; and the dread of God was upon the dwellers of the towns which were around them; and they did not pursue the sons of Jacob.

Bereshit 35:6

וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב לוּזָה אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן--הִוא בֵּית-אֵל הוּא וְכָל-הָעָם אֲשֶׁר-עִמּוֹ

. . .

And Jacob came to Luz which is in the land of Canaan — that is Beth-El — he and all the people who were with him.

Bereshit 35:7

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם מִזְבֵּחַ וַיִּקְרָא לַמָּקוֹם אֵל בֵּית-אֵל כִּי שָׁם נִגְלוּ אֵלָיו הָאֱלֹהִים בְּבָרְחוֹ מִפְּנֵי אָחִיו

. . . .

And he built there an altar; and he called the place Beth-El to the Power — for there had God revealed Himself to him in his flight from before his brother.

Bereshit 35:8

וַתָּמָת דְּבֹרָה מֵינֶקֶת רִבְקָה וַתִּקָּבֵר מִתַּחַת לְבֵית-אֵל תַּחַת הָאַלּוֹן וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אַלּוֹן בָּכוּת

. . .

And Deborah, Rebekah's nurse, died; and she was buried below Beth-El, beneath the plain; and he named it the Plain of Weeping.

Bereshit 35:9

וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל-יַעֲקֹב עוֹד בְּבֹאוֹ מִפַּדַּן אֲרָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ

. .

And God appeared to Jacob again, on his coming from Paddan-Aram; and He blessed him.

Bereshit 35:10

וַיֹּאמֶר-לוֹ אֱלֹהִים שִׁמְךָ יַעֲקֹב לֹא-יִקָּרֵא שִׁמְךָ עוֹד יַעֲקֹב כִּי אִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל יִהְיֶה שְׁמֶךָ וַיִּקְרָא אֶת-שְׁמוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל

. . .

And He said to him: 'Your name is Jacob; your name shall not be called Jacob alone any more, but Israel.' And He named him also Israel.

Bereshit 35:11

וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ אֱלֹהִים אֲנִי אֵל שַׁדַּי פְּרֵה וּרְבֵה--גּוֹי וּקְהַל גּוֹיִם יִהְיֶה מִמֶּךָּ וּמְלָכִים מֵחֲלָצֶיךָ יֵצֵאוּ

. . .

Then God said to him: 'I am the Sufficient Power; grow and multiply. A nation and a host of nations shall be from you; and kings shall come forth from your loins.

Bereshit 35:12

וְאֶת-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְאַבְרָהָם וּלְיִצְחָק--לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת-הָאָרֶץ

. . .

And the land which I gave to Abraham and Isaac — to you shall I give it; and to your offspring after you.'

Bereshit 35:13

וַיַּעַל מֵעָלָיו אֱלֹהִים בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר אִתּוֹ

.

Then the light of God ascended from him, at the place where He had addressed him.

Bereshit 35:14

וַיַּצֵּב יַעֲקֹב מַצֵּבָה בַּמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר-דִּבֶּר אִתּוֹ--מַצֶּבֶת אָבֶן וַיַּסֵּךְ עָלֶיהָ נֶסֶךְ וַיִּצֹק עָלֶיהָ שָׁמֶן

. .

And Jacob set up a pillar at the place where He had addressed him — a pillar of stone; and he poured upon it a drink-offering, and poured upon it oil.

Bereshit 35:15

וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶת-שֵׁם הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אִתּוֹ שָׁם אֱלֹהִים--בֵּית-אֵל

.

And Jacob named that place where God had addressed him — Beth-El.

Bereshit 35:16

וַיִּסְעוּ מִבֵּית אֵל וַיְהִי-עוֹד כִּבְרַת-הָאָרֶץ לָבוֹא אֶפְרָתָה וַתֵּלֶד רָחֵל וַתְּקַשׁ בְּלִדְתָּהּ

. .

Then they journeyed from Beth-El; and there was still a mile's distance of the way for them to come to Ephrath, when Rachel bore — and her bearing was hard.

Bereshit 35:17

וַיְהִי בְהַקְשֹׁתָהּ בְּלִדְתָּהּ וַתֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמְיַלֶּדֶת אַל-תִּירְאִי כִּי-גַם-זֶה לָךְ בֵּן

. .

And when her bearing was hard, the midwife said to her: 'Fear not, for this too is a son for you.'

Bereshit 35:18

וַיְהִי בְּצֵאת נַפְשָׁהּ כִּי מֵתָה וַתִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ בֶּן-אוֹנִי וְאָבִיו קָרָא-לוֹ בִנְיָמִין

. .

And as her soul was going out — for she was dying — she named him Son-of-My-Deathly-Anguish (Ben-Oni); but his father named him Benjamin.

Bereshit 35:19

וַתָּמָת רָחֵל וַתִּקָּבֵר בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶפְרָתָה הִוא בֵּית לָחֶם

.

And Rachel died, and was buried on the way to Ephrath — that is Bethlehem.

Bereshit 35:20

וַיַּצֵּב יַעֲקֹב מַצֵּבָה עַל-קְבֻרָתָהּ--הִוא מַצֶּבֶת קְבֻרַת-רָחֵל עַד-הַיּוֹם

.

And Jacob set up a pillar upon her grave; that is the Pillar of Rachel's grave to this day.

Bereshit 35:21

וַיִּסַּע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּט אָהֳלֹה מֵהָלְאָה לְמִגְדַּל-עֵדֶר

. .

Then Israel journeyed on, and pitched his tent from there to Migdal-Eder.

Bereshit 35:22

וַיְהִי בִּשְׁכֹּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאָרֶץ הַהִוא וַיֵּלֶךְ רְאוּבֵן וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת-בִּלְהָה פִּילֶגֶשׁ אָבִיו וַיִּשְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי-יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר

. . . .

And when Israel dwelt in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father's maidservant; and Israel knew of it. And the sons of Jacob — with Benjamin — were twelve:

Bereshit 35:23

בְּנֵי לֵאָה בְּכוֹר יַעֲקֹב רְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי וִיהוּדָה וְיִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבֻלוּן

. . .

Sons of Leah: Reuben the firstborn of Jacob; and Simeon, and Levi, and Judah; and Issachar, and Zebulun.

Bereshit 35:24

בְּנֵי רָחֵל יוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִן

.

Sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin.

Bereshit 35:25

וּבְנֵי בִלְהָה שִׁפְחַת רָחֵל דָּן וְנַפְתָּלִי

.

And the sons of Bilhah, Rachel's maidservant: Dan and Naphtali.

Bereshit 35:26

וּבְנֵי זִלְפָּה שִׁפְחַת לֵאָה גָּד וְאָשֵׁר אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר יֻלַּד-לוֹ בְּפַדַּן אֲרָם

. .

And the sons of Zilpah, Leah's maidservant: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-Aram.

Bereshit 35:27

וַיָּבֹא יַעֲקֹב אֶל-יִצְחָק אָבִיו מַמְרֵא קִרְיַת הָאַרְבַּע--הִוא חֶבְרוֹן אֲשֶׁר-גָּר-שָׁם אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק

. . .

Then Jacob came to Isaac his father, to Mamre, to Kiriath-Arba — that is Hebron — where Abraham and Isaac had dwelt.

Bereshit 35:28

וַיִּהְיוּ יְמֵי יִצְחָק--מְאַת שָׁנָה וּשְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה

.

And the lifetime of Isaac was a hundred and eighty years.

Bereshit 35:29

וַיִּגְוַע יִצְחָק וַיָּמָת וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל-עַמָּיו זָקֵן וּשְׂבַע יָמִים וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ עֵשָׂו וְיַעֲקֹב בָּנָיו

. .

And he expired and died, and was gathered to his people — an old man satisfied with years; and Esau and Jacob his sons buried him.