Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 46 (Parashat Vayigash)

Bereshit 46:1

וַיִּסַּע יִשְׂרָאֵל וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר-לוֹ וַיָּבֹא בְּאֵרָה שָּׁבַע וַיִּזְבַּח זְבָחִים לֵאלֹהֵי אָבִיו יִצְחָק

. . .

And Israel journeyed, with all that he had, and came to Beer-Sheba; and he offered sacrifices to the God of his father Isaac.

Bereshit 46:2

וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמַרְאֹת הַלַּיְלָה וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב יַעֲקֹב וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּנִי

. .

And God said to him, in a vision of the night: 'O Jacob, O Jacob.' He said: 'I am at your service.'

Bereshit 46:3

וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי הָאֵל אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ אַל-תִּירָא מֵרְדָה מִצְרַיְמָה כִּי-לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל אֲשִׂימְךָ שָׁם

. . . ]]

He said: 'I am the Power, the God of your father; do not fear to go down to Egypt — for I shall make of you a great nation there.

Bereshit 46:4

אָנֹכִי אֵרֵד עִמְּךָ מִצְרַיְמָה וְאָנֹכִי אַעַלְךָ גַם-עָלֹה וְיוֹסֵף יָשִׁית יָדוֹ עַל-עֵינֶיךָ

. .

I shall go down with you to Egypt; and I shall surely bring you up again; and Joseph shall close your [eyes].'

Bereshit 46:5

וַיָּקָם יַעֲקֹב מִבְּאֵר שָׁבַע וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-יַעֲקֹב אֲבִיהֶם וְאֶת-טַפָּם וְאֶת-נְשֵׁיהֶם בָּעֲגָלוֹת אֲשֶׁר-שָׁלַח פַּרְעֹה לָשֵׂאת אֹתוֹ

. . . .

And Jacob arose from Beer-Sheba; and the children of Israel carried him, and their little ones and their wives, on the wagons which Pharaoh had sent to carry him.

Bereshit 46:6

וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת-מִקְנֵיהֶם וְאֶת-רְכוּשָׁם אֲשֶׁר רָכְשׁוּ בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וַיָּבֹאוּ מִצְרָיְמָה יַעֲקֹב וְכָל-זַרְעוֹ אִתּוֹ

. . .

And they took their cattle, and their possessions which they had acquired in the land of Canaan, and came to Egypt — Jacob and all his offspring with him:

Bereshit 46:7

בָּנָיו וּבְנֵי בָנָיו אִתּוֹ בְּנֹתָיו וּבְנוֹת בָּנָיו וְכָל-זַרְעוֹ--הֵבִיא אִתּוֹ מִצְרָיְמָה

. . . .

his sons and his sons' sons with him, his daughters and his sons' daughters and all his offspring — he brought with him into Egypt.

Bereshit 46:8

וְאֵלֶּה שְׁמוֹת בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל הַבָּאִים מִצְרַיְמָה יַעֲקֹב וּבָנָיו בְּכֹר יַעֲקֹב רְאוּבֵן

.

And these are the names of the children of Israel who came into Egypt — that is Jacob and his sons. The firstborn of Jacob: Reuben.

Bereshit 46:9

וּבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן--חֲנוֹךְ וּפַלּוּא וְחֶצְרֹן וְכַרְמִי

.

And the sons of Reuben: Hanoch, and Pallu, and Hetzron, and Karmi.

Bereshit 46:10

וּבְנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן יְמוּאֵל וְיָמִין וְאֹהַד--וְיָכִין וְצֹחַר וְשָׁאוּל בֶּן-הַכְּנַעֲנִית

. . .

And the sons of Simeon: Yemuel, and Yamin, and Ohad, and Yakhin, and Tzohar; and Saul the son of the Canaanite woman.

Bereshit 46:11

וּבְנֵי לֵוִי--גֵּרְשׁוֹן קְהָת וּמְרָרִי

.

And the sons of Levi: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Bereshit 46:12

וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה עֵר וְאוֹנָן וְשֵׁלָה--וָפֶרֶץ וָזָרַח וַיָּמָת עֵר וְאוֹנָן בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי-פֶרֶץ חֶצְרֹן וְחָמוּל

. . . .

And the sons of Judah: Er, and Onan, and Shelah, and Perez, and Zerah. And Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan. And the sons of Perez were Hetzron and Hamul.

Bereshit 46:13

וּבְנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר--תּוֹלָע וּפֻוָה וְיוֹב וְשִׁמְרֹן

.

And the sons of Issachar: Tola, and Puvah, and Yov, and Shimron.

Bereshit 46:14

וּבְנֵי זְבֻלוּן--סֶרֶד וְאֵלוֹן וְיַחְלְאֵל

.

And the sons of Zebulun: Sered, and Elon, and Yahleel.

Bereshit 46:15

אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי לֵאָה אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְיַעֲקֹב בְּפַדַּן אֲרָם וְאֵת דִּינָה בִתּוֹ כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ בָּנָיו וּבְנוֹתָיו שְׁלֹשִׁים וְשָׁלֹשׁ

. . .

These are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-Aram, and Dinah his daughter; the whole of them — thirty-three souls.

Bereshit 46:16

וּבְנֵי גָד צִפְיוֹן וְחַגִּי שׁוּנִי וְאֶצְבֹּן עֵרִי וַאֲרוֹדִי וְאַרְאֵלִי

. .

And the sons of Gad: Tzifyon, and Hagi, and Shuni, and Etzbon, and Eri, and Arodi, and Areli.

Bereshit 46:17

וּבְנֵי אָשֵׁר יִמְנָה וְיִשְׁוָה וְיִשְׁוִי וּבְרִיעָה--וְשֶׂרַח אֲחֹתָם וּבְנֵי בְרִיעָה חֶבֶר וּמַלְכִּיאֵל

. . . .

And the sons of Asher: Yimna, and Yishva, and Yishvi, and Beriah; and Serah their sister. And the sons of Beriah: Hever and Malkiel.

Bereshit 46:18

אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי זִלְפָּה אֲשֶׁר-נָתַן לָבָן לְלֵאָה בִתּוֹ וַתֵּלֶד אֶת-אֵלֶּה לְיַעֲקֹב שֵׁשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה נָפֶשׁ

. .

These are the sons of Zilpah, whom Laban gave to Leah his daughter; all whom she bore to Jacob: sixteen souls.

Bereshit 46:19

בְּנֵי רָחֵל אֵשֶׁת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף וּבִנְיָמִן

.

The sons of Rachel, Jacob's wife: Joseph and Benjamin.

Bereshit 46:20

וַיִּוָּלֵד לְיוֹסֵף בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה-לּוֹ אָסְנַת בַּת-פּוֹטִי פֶרַע כֹּהֵן אֹן--אֶת-מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶת-אֶפְרָיִם

. . .

And there were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt, whom Asenath, daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, bore to him: Manasseh and Ephraim.

Bereshit 46:21

וּבְנֵי בִנְיָמִן בֶּלַע וָבֶכֶר וְאַשְׁבֵּל גֵּרָא וְנַעֲמָן אֵחִי וָרֹאשׁ מֻפִּים וְחֻפִּים וָאָרְדְּ

. . .

And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, and Bekher, and Ashbel, Gera, and Naaman, Ehi, and Rosh, Muppim, and Huppim, and Ard.

Bereshit 46:22

אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי רָחֵל אֲשֶׁר יֻלַּד לְיַעֲקֹב--כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר

. .

These are the sons of Rachel, who were born to Jacob — all of them: fourteen souls.

Bereshit 46:23

וּבְנֵי-דָן חֻשִׁים

And the sons of Dan: Hushim.

Bereshit 46:24

וּבְנֵי נַפְתָּלִי--יַחְצְאֵל וְגוּנִי וְיֵצֶר וְשִׁלֵּם

.

And the sons of Naphtali: Yahtzeel, and Guni, and Yetzer, and Shillem.

Bereshit 46:25

אֵלֶּה בְּנֵי בִלְהָה אֲשֶׁר-נָתַן לָבָן לְרָחֵל בִּתּוֹ וַתֵּלֶד אֶת-אֵלֶּה לְיַעֲקֹב כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ שִׁבְעָה

. .

These are the sons of Bilhah, whom Laban gave to Rachel his daughter; all that she bore to Jacob: seven souls.

Bereshit 46:26

כָּל-הַנֶּפֶשׁ הַבָּאָה לְיַעֲקֹב מִצְרַיְמָה יֹצְאֵי יְרֵכוֹ מִלְּבַד נְשֵׁי בְנֵי-יַעֲקֹב--כָּל-נֶפֶשׁ שִׁשִּׁים וָשֵׁשׁ

. . .

All the souls who came with Jacob to Egypt, who came out from their loins — apart from the wives of Jacob's sons — sixty-six souls.

Bereshit 46:27

וּבְנֵי יוֹסֵף אֲשֶׁר-יֻלַּד-לוֹ בְמִצְרַיִם נֶפֶשׁ שְׁנָיִם כָּל-הַנֶּפֶשׁ לְבֵית-יַעֲקֹב הַבָּאָה מִצְרַיְמָה שִׁבְעִים

. .

And Joseph and his two sons who were born to him in Egypt — two souls. The total of the souls who entered with Jacob into Egypt — seventy.

Bereshit 46:28

וְאֶת-יְהוּדָה שָׁלַח לְפָנָיו אֶל-יוֹסֵף לְהוֹרֹת לְפָנָיו גֹּשְׁנָה וַיָּבֹאוּ אַרְצָה גֹּשֶׁן

. .

And he sent Judah before him to Joseph, to point him toward the land of al-Sadir (Goshen); and they came to it.

Bereshit 46:29

וַיֶּאְסֹר יוֹסֵף מֶרְכַּבְתּוֹ וַיַּעַל לִקְרַאת-יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִיו גֹּשְׁנָה וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו וַיִּפֹּל עַל-צַוָּארָיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עַל-צַוָּארָיו עוֹד

. . . .

And Joseph harnessed his chariot, and went up to meet Israel his father in al-Sadir; and when he appeared to him, he fell upon his neck, and wept upon him long.

Bereshit 46:30

וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יוֹסֵף אָמוּתָה הַפָּעַם אַחֲרֵי רְאוֹתִי אֶת-פָּנֶיךָ כִּי עוֹדְךָ חָי

. .

And Israel said to him: 'Let me die now, after I have seen your face — that you are still alive.'

Bereshit 46:31

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל-אֶחָיו וְאֶל-בֵּית אָבִיו אֶעֱלֶה וְאַגִּידָה לְפַרְעֹה וְאֹמְרָה אֵלָיו אַחַי וּבֵית-אָבִי אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ-כְּנַעַן בָּאוּ אֵלָי

. . . .

Joseph said to his brothers and to the rest of his father's household: 'I shall go up to Pharaoh, and tell him, and say to him: "My brothers and the household of my father, who were in the land of Canaan, have come to me.

Bereshit 46:32

וְהָאֲנָשִׁים רֹעֵי צֹאן כִּי-אַנְשֵׁי מִקְנֶה הָיוּ וְצֹאנָם וּבְקָרָם וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם הֵבִיאוּ

. . .

And the men are shepherds of sheep, for they have been men of cattle; and their sheep and their cattle and all their property they have brought."

Bereshit 46:33

וְהָיָה כִּי-יִקְרָא לָכֶם פַּרְעֹה וְאָמַר מַה-מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶם

.

And it shall be when Pharaoh calls for you, and says: "What is your occupation?"

Bereshit 46:34

וַאֲמַרְתֶּם אַנְשֵׁי מִקְנֶה הָיוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ מִנְּעוּרֵינוּ וְעַד-עַתָּה--גַּם-אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם-אֲבֹתֵינוּ בַּעֲבוּר תֵּשְׁבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן כִּי-תוֹעֲבַת מִצְרַיִם כָּל-רֹעֵה צֹאן

. . . . .

you shall say: "Your servants have been men of cattle from our youth until now — and so were our fathers," — that you may dwell in the land of al-Sadir; for the Egyptians abhor every shepherd of sheep.'