Saadia's Tafsir on Bereshit 50 (Parashat Vayechi)

Bereshit 50:1

וַיִּפֹּל יוֹסֵף עַל-פְּנֵי אָבִיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עָלָיו וַיִּשַּׁק-לוֹ

.

And Joseph fell upon the face of his father, and wept over him, and kissed him.

Bereshit 50:2

וַיְצַו יוֹסֵף אֶת-עֲבָדָיו אֶת-הָרֹפְאִים לַחֲנֹט אֶת-אָבִיו וַיַּחַנְטוּ הָרֹפְאִים אֶת-יִשְׂרָאֵל

. .

And he commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.

Bereshit 50:3

וַיִּמְלְאוּ-לוֹ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם כִּי כֵּן יִמְלְאוּ יְמֵי הַחֲנֻטִים וַיִּבְכּוּ אֹתוֹ מִצְרַיִם שִׁבְעִים יוֹם

. . .

Until forty days were completed for him — for thus were the days of those embalmed completed. And the Egyptians wept for him seventy days.

Bereshit 50:4

וַיַּעַבְרוּ יְמֵי בְכִיתוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶל-בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר אִם-נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם--דַּבְּרוּ-נָא בְּאָזְנֵי פַרְעֹה לֵאמֹר

. . . .

And when the days of his mourning had passed, Joseph spoke to Pharaoh's house, saying: 'If I have found favor with you, speak to Pharaoh, and say to him:

Bereshit 50:5

אָבִי הִשְׁבִּיעַנִי לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵת--בְּקִבְרִי אֲשֶׁר כָּרִיתִי לִי בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שָׁמָּה תִּקְבְּרֵנִי וְעַתָּה אֶעֱלֶה-נָּא וְאֶקְבְּרָה אֶת-אָבִי--וְאָשׁוּבָה

. . . . .

"My father made me swear, saying: 'Behold, I am dying; bury me in my grave which I have dug for myself in the land of Canaan.' Now — let me go up and bury my father, and I shall return."'

Bereshit 50:6

וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה עֲלֵה וּקְבֹר אֶת-אָבִיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבִּיעֶךָ

. .

Pharaoh said: 'Go up — bury your father, as he made you swear.'

Bereshit 50:7

וַיַּעַל יוֹסֵף לִקְבֹּר אֶת-אָבִיו וַיַּעֲלוּ אִתּוֹ כָּל-עַבְדֵי פַרְעֹה זִקְנֵי בֵיתוֹ וְכֹל זִקְנֵי אֶרֶץ-מִצְרָיִם

. . .

And Joseph went up to bury his father; and there went up with him all the officers of Pharaoh, and the elders of his house, and all the elders of the land of Egypt.

Bereshit 50:8

וְכֹל בֵּית יוֹסֵף וְאֶחָיו וּבֵית אָבִיו רַק טַפָּם וְצֹאנָם וּבְקָרָם--עָזְבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן

. .

And all the household of Joseph, and his brothers, and the household of his father — except for their little ones, and their sheep and cattle, which they left in the land of al-Sadir (Goshen).

Bereshit 50:9

וַיַּעַל עִמּוֹ גַּם-רֶכֶב גַּם-פָּרָשִׁים וַיְהִי הַמַּחֲנֶה כָּבֵד מְאֹד

. .

And there went up with him chariots and horsemen; and the camp was very great.

Bereshit 50:10

וַיָּבֹאוּ עַד-גֹּרֶן הָאָטָד אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּסְפְּדוּ-שָׁם מִסְפֵּד גָּדוֹל וְכָבֵד מְאֹד וַיַּעַשׂ לְאָבִיו אֵבֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים

. . . . .

And they came to the threshing-floor of the bramble — which is across the Jordan; and they lamented there a very great lamentation; and he made for his father a mourning of seven days.

Bereshit 50:11

וַיַּרְא יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֶת-הָאֵבֶל בְּגֹרֶן הָאָטָד וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵבֶל-כָּבֵד זֶה לְמִצְרָיִם עַל-כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן

. . . . .

And the Canaanite dweller of the land saw the mourning at the threshing-floor of the bramble; and they said: 'This is a heavy mourning for the Egyptians.' Therefore it was named Mourning of the Egyptians — which is across the Jordan.

Bereshit 50:12

וַיַּעֲשׂוּ בָנָיו לוֹ--כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּם

.

And his sons did for him according to all that he had commanded them.

Bereshit 50:13

וַיִּשְׂאוּ אֹתוֹ בָנָיו אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בִּמְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה אַבְרָהָם אֶת-הַשָּׂדֶה לַאֲחֻזַּת-קֶבֶר מֵאֵת עֶפְרֹן הַחִתִּי--עַל-פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא

. . .

And his sons carried him to the land of Canaan; and they buried him in the cave of the doubled field, which Abraham bought as a burial-place from Ephron the Hittite, over against Mamre.

Bereshit 50:14

וַיָּשָׁב יוֹסֵף מִצְרַיְמָה הוּא וְאֶחָיו וְכָל-הָעֹלִים אִתּוֹ לִקְבֹּר אֶת-אָבִיו אַחֲרֵי קָבְרוֹ אֶת-אָבִיו

. .

Then Joseph returned to Egypt — he and his brothers, and the rest of those who had gone up with him to bury his father — after he had buried him.

Bereshit 50:15

וַיִּרְאוּ אֲחֵי-יוֹסֵף כִּי-מֵת אֲבִיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב לָנוּ אֵת כָּל-הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר גָּמַלְנוּ אֹתוֹ

. . . .

And when Joseph's brothers saw that their father had died, they said: 'Lest Joseph threaten us, and repay us for the evil which we had done to him.'

Bereshit 50:16

וַיְצַוּוּ אֶל-יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ צִוָּה לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר

. .

And they commanded one to say to Joseph: 'Your father commanded us before his death, saying:

Bereshit 50:17

כֹּה-תֹאמְרוּ לְיוֹסֵף אָנָּא שָׂא נָא פֶּשַׁע אַחֶיךָ וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי-רָעָה גְמָלוּךָ וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא לְפֶשַׁע עַבְדֵי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ וַיֵּבְךְּ יוֹסֵף בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו

. . . . .

"Thus shall you say to Joseph: O Joseph, forgive the sin of your brothers, and their offense — for they did evil to you. And now, we ask you to pardon the offense of the servants of the God of your father."' And Joseph wept when they spoke to him so.

Bereshit 50:18

וַיֵּלְכוּ גַּם-אֶחָיו וַיִּפְּלוּ לְפָנָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ הִנֶּנּוּ לְךָ לַעֲבָדִים

. . .

And his brothers also went, and fell down before him, and said: 'Behold, we are slaves to you.'

Bereshit 50:19

וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יוֹסֵף אַל-תִּירָאוּ כִּי הֲתַחַת אֱלֹהִים אָנִי

.

Joseph said to them: 'Do not fear — for I fear God.

Bereshit 50:20

וְאַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה לְמַעַן עֲשֹׂה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה לְהַחֲיֹת עַם-רָב

. . . .

You intended evil against me; but God intended good — that He might do as you see this day, to keep many people alive.

Bereshit 50:21

וְעַתָּה אַל-תִּירָאוּ--אָנֹכִי אֲכַלְכֵּל אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת-טַפְּכֶם וַיְנַחֵם אוֹתָם וַיְדַבֵּר עַל-לִבָּם

. .

And now — do not fear. I shall sustain you and your little ones.' And he consoled them, and spoke kindly with them.

Bereshit 50:22

וַיֵּשֶׁב יוֹסֵף בְּמִצְרַיִם הוּא וּבֵית אָבִיו וַיְחִי יוֹסֵף מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים

. . .

And Joseph dwelt in Egypt — he and his father's household. And he lived a hundred and ten years.

Bereshit 50:23

וַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף לְאֶפְרַיִם בְּנֵי שִׁלֵּשִׁים גַּם בְּנֵי מָכִיר בֶּן-מְנַשֶּׁה--יֻלְּדוּ עַל-בִּרְכֵּי יוֹסֵף

. . .

And he saw to Ephraim sons of the third generation; and also the sons of Machir, the son of Manasseh, were born upon his knees.

Bereshit 50:24

וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל-אֶחָיו אָנֹכִי מֵת וֵאלֹהִים פָּקֹד יִפְקֹד אֶתְכֶם וְהֶעֱלָה אֶתְכֶם מִן-הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֶל-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב

. . . .

And Joseph said to his brothers: 'I am dying; and God shall surely remember you, and bring you up from this land — to the land which God promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.'

Bereshit 50:25

וַיַּשְׁבַּע יוֹסֵף אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר פָּקֹד יִפְקֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶתְכֶם וְהַעֲלִתֶם אֶת-עַצְמֹתַי מִזֶּה

. . .

And Joseph made the children of Israel swear, saying: 'When God remembers you, you shall bring up my bones from here.'

Bereshit 50:26

וַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף בֶּן-מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וַיַּחַנְטוּ אֹתוֹ וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם

. .

And Joseph died, a son of a hundred and ten years; and they embalmed him, and he was placed in a coffin in Egypt.