Saadia · Bereshit 48
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- Bereshit 48:1
וַיְהִי אַחֲרֵי הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה וַיֹּאמֶר לְיוֹסֵף הִנֵּה אָבִיךָ חֹלֶה וַיִּקַּח אֶת-שְׁנֵי בָנָיו עִמּוֹ--אֶת-מְנַשֶּׁה וְאֶת-אֶפְרָיִם
. . . .
And it was after these things, that Joseph was told: 'Behold, your father is ill.' And he took his two sons with him — Manasseh and Ephraim.
- Bereshit 48:2
וַיַּגֵּד לְיַעֲקֹב--וַיֹּאמֶר הִנֵּה בִּנְךָ יוֹסֵף בָּא אֵלֶיךָ וַיִּתְחַזֵּק יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיֵּשֶׁב עַל-הַמִּטָּה
. . . .
Then Jacob was told, saying: 'Behold, your son Joseph is coming to you.' And Israel strengthened himself, and sat up upon the bed.
- Bereshit 48:3
וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל-יוֹסֵף אֵל שַׁדַּי נִרְאָה-אֵלַי בְּלוּז בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתִי
. . .
And Jacob said to Joseph: 'Know that the Sufficient Power appeared to me at Luz in the land of Canaan; and He blessed me.
- Bereshit 48:4
וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הִנְנִי מַפְרְךָ וְהִרְבִּיתִךָ וּנְתַתִּיךָ לִקְהַל עַמִּים וְנָתַתִּי אֶת-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת לְזַרְעֲךָ אַחֲרֶיךָ--אֲחֻזַּת עוֹלָם
. . . .
And He said to me: "Behold, I shall make you fruitful, and multiply you; and I shall make of you a host of nations; and I shall give this land to your offspring after you as an eternal possession."
- Bereshit 48:5
וְעַתָּה שְׁנֵי-בָנֶיךָ הַנּוֹלָדִים לְךָ בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד-בֹּאִי אֵלֶיךָ מִצְרַיְמָה--לִי-הֵם אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה--כִּרְאוּבֵן וְשִׁמְעוֹן יִהְיוּ-לִי
. . . .
And now — your two sons who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you in Egypt — they shall be ascribed to me; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be to me like Reuben and Simeon.
- Bereshit 48:6
וּמוֹלַדְתְּךָ אֲשֶׁר-הוֹלַדְתָּ אַחֲרֵיהֶם לְךָ יִהְיוּ עַל שֵׁם אֲחֵיהֶם יִקָּרְאוּ בְּנַחֲלָתָם
. . .
And your offspring whom you shall beget after them shall be ascribed to you; and they shall be reckoned by the names of their brothers in their inheritance.
- Bereshit 48:7
וַאֲנִי בְּבֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּעוֹד כִּבְרַת-אֶרֶץ לָבֹא אֶפְרָתָה וָאֶקְבְּרֶהָ שָּׁם בְּדֶרֶךְ אֶפְרָת הִוא בֵּית לָחֶם
. . . . .
And as for me — when I came from Paddan, Rachel died upon me in the land of Canaan; and a mile of distance remained for me to enter Ephrath; and I buried her there on the way to Ephrath — that is Bethlehem; and there was not born to me after that anything.'
- Bereshit 48:8
וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמֶר מִי-אֵלֶּה
.
And when Israel saw Joseph's sons, he said: 'Who are these?'
- Bereshit 48:9
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל-אָבִיו בָּנַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר-נָתַן-לִי אֱלֹהִים בָּזֶה וַיֹּאמַר קָחֶם-נָא אֵלַי וַאֲבָרְכֵם
. . . .
Joseph said to him: 'They are my sons, whom God has granted to me here.' He said: 'Bring them near to me, that I may bless them.'
- Bereshit 48:10
וְעֵינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּבְדוּ מִזֹּקֶן לֹא יוּכַל לִרְאוֹת וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֹתָם אֵלָיו וַיִּשַּׁק לָהֶם וַיְחַבֵּק לָהֶם
. . .
And the eyes of Israel had grown heavy from old age; he could not see. And he brought them near to him; and he kissed them and embraced them.
- Bereshit 48:11
וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יוֹסֵף רְאֹה פָנֶיךָ לֹא פִלָּלְתִּי וְהִנֵּה הֶרְאָה אֹתִי אֱלֹהִים גַּם אֶת-זַרְעֶךָ
. .
Israel said to Joseph: 'To see your face I had not hoped — and behold, God has also let me see your offspring.'
- Bereshit 48:12
וַיּוֹצֵא יוֹסֵף אֹתָם מֵעִם בִּרְכָּיו וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ לְאַפָּיו אָרְצָה
.
Then Joseph brought them out from upon his knees; and he bowed down with his face upon the earth.
- Bereshit 48:13
וַיִּקַּח יוֹסֵף אֶת-שְׁנֵיהֶם--אֶת-אֶפְרַיִם בִּימִינוֹ מִשְּׂמֹאל יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאֶת-מְנַשֶּׁה בִשְׂמֹאלוֹ מִימִין יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּגֵּשׁ אֵלָיו
.
Then he took the two of them — Ephraim with his right hand, on the left of Israel; and Manasseh with his left hand, on the right of Israel; and he brought them near to him.
- Bereshit 48:14
וַיִּשְׁלַח יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת-יְמִינוֹ וַיָּשֶׁת עַל-רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם וְהוּא הַצָּעִיר וְאֶת-שְׂמֹאלוֹ עַל-רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה שִׂכֵּל אֶת-יָדָיו כִּי מְנַשֶּׁה הַבְּכוֹר
. . . .
And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon the head of Ephraim, though he was the younger; and his left hand upon the head of Manasseh. He guided his hands so, although Manasseh was the firstborn.
- Bereshit 48:15
וַיְבָרֶךְ אֶת-יוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמַר הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר הִתְהַלְּכוּ אֲבֹתַי לְפָנָיו אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק--הָאֱלֹהִים הָרֹעֶה אֹתִי מֵעוֹדִי עַד-הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה
. . . .
And he blessed Joseph, and said: 'The God in whose obedience my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked — He is the God who has shepherded me from the time I was until this day —
- Bereshit 48:16
הַמַּלְאָךְ הַגֹּאֵל אֹתִי מִכָּל-רָע יְבָרֵךְ אֶת-הַנְּעָרִים וְיִקָּרֵא בָהֶם שְׁמִי וְשֵׁם אֲבֹתַי אַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ
. . . .
the angel through whom He has rescued me from every evil — may He bless these two boys; and may my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac; and may they grow into multitudes in the midst of the earth.'
- Bereshit 48:17
וַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף כִּי-יָשִׁית אָבִיו יַד-יְמִינוֹ עַל-רֹאשׁ אֶפְרַיִם--וַיֵּרַע בְּעֵינָיו וַיִּתְמֹךְ יַד-אָבִיו לְהָסִיר אֹתָהּ מֵעַל רֹאשׁ-אֶפְרַיִם--עַל-רֹאשׁ מְנַשֶּׁה
. . . .
And when Joseph saw that his father had set his right hand upon Ephraim's head, it was displeasing to him; and he supported it, to remove it from Ephraim's head to Manasseh's head.
- Bereshit 48:18
וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל-אָבִיו לֹא-כֵן אָבִי כִּי-זֶה הַבְּכֹר שִׂים יְמִינְךָ עַל-רֹאשׁוֹ
. .
And he said to him: 'Not so, my father — for this one is the elder; set your right upon his head.'
- Bereshit 48:19
וַיְמָאֵן אָבִיו וַיֹּאמֶר יָדַעְתִּי בְנִי יָדַעְתִּי--גַּם-הוּא יִהְיֶה-לְּעָם וְגַם-הוּא יִגְדָּל וְאוּלָם אָחִיו הַקָּטֹן יִגְדַּל מִמֶּנּוּ וְזַרְעוֹ יִהְיֶה מְלֹא-הַגּוֹיִם
. . . .
But he refused, and said: 'I know, my son; this one too shall multiply, and a nation shall be from him; but I know that his younger brother shall multiply more than he, and his offspring shall be a fullness of nations.'
- Bereshit 48:20
וַיְבָרְכֵם בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמוֹר בְּךָ יְבָרֵךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר יְשִׂמְךָ אֱלֹהִים כְּאֶפְרַיִם וְכִמְנַשֶּׁה וַיָּשֶׂם אֶת-אֶפְרַיִם לִפְנֵי מְנַשֶּׁה
. . . .
And he blessed them on that day, and said: 'In you shall the children of Israel bless, saying to one another: "May God make you as Ephraim and Manasseh."' And he set Ephraim before Manasseh.
- Bereshit 48:21
וַיֹּאמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל-יוֹסֵף הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵת וְהָיָה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּכֶם וְהֵשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם אֶל-אֶרֶץ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם
. . . .
Then Israel said to Joseph: 'Behold, I am dying; and God shall be with you, and shall bring you back to the land of your fathers.
- Bereshit 48:22
וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ שְׁכֶם אַחַד--עַל-אַחֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי
. . .
And I have given you a portion greater than your brothers — which I took from the hand of the Amorites, by my sword and my bow.'
English is a working draft — author revising