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ששי

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IT

זרְעֵי יָדָיו מִידִי אֲבִיר יעקב מִשָּׁם רֵעֶה אֶבֶן יִשְׂרָאֵל 25 מֵאֵל אָבִיךְ וְיַעזרֶךְ וְאֵת שַׁדַי וִיבָרֶכְךָ בִּרְכֶת שָׁמַיִם מֵעָל בִּרְכֶת תְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת תָּחַת בִּרְכֶת שָׁדַיִם וָרָחַם : 26 בֶּרְכַת אָבִיךְ גָּבְרוּ עַל־בָּרְכַת הוֹרַי עַד־תַּאֲוַת גִבְעַת עוֹלָם תִּהְיִין לְרִאשׁ יוֹסֵף וּלְקָרְקָד נְזִיר אֶחָיו :

27 בִּנְיָמִין זְאֵב יִטְרָף בַּבּקֶר יֹאכַל עֶר וְלֶערְב יִחַלֶק שָׁלָל : 28 כָּל־אֵלֶה שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר וְזאת

ר־־דִּבֶּר לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כְּבָרְכָתוֹ בֵּרַךְ אֹתָם : 29 וַיְצַו אוֹתָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם אֲנִי נֶאֱסָף אֶל־עַמִּי קִבְרוּ אֹתִי אֶל־אֲבֹתָי אֶל־הַמערה אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׂדֵה עֶפְרוֹן הַחִתִּי: 30 בַּמְעָרָה אֲשֶׁר בְּשָׂדֶה הַמַּכְפַּלֶה אֲשֶׁר־עַל־פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן אֲשֶׁר קָנָה אַבְרָהָם אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶה מֵאֵת עֶפְרֹן הַחִתִּי לַאֲחָזַתְקְבֶר : 31 שָׁמָּה קָבְרוּ אֶת־אַבְרָהָם וְאֵת שָׂרָה אִשְׁתּוֹ שָׁמָּה קָבְרוּ אֶת־־יִצְחָק וְאֵת רִבְקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ וְשָׁמָּה קָבַרְתִּי אֶת־לֵאָה: 32 מִקְנֵה הַשָּׂדֶה וְהַמְעָרָה אֲשֶׁר־בּוֹ מֵאֵת

בְּנֵי־חֵת : 33 וַיְכַל יַעֲקב לְצַוּת אֶת־בָּנָיו וַיַּאֲלֶף רַגְלָיו נ אֶל־הַמִּטָה וַיִּגְרָע וַיֵּאָסֶף אֶל־עַמָּיו : על־9

פְּנֵי אָבִיוּ וַיְבָךְ עֶלְיו וַיְשַׁק־לוֹ : 2 וַיְצַו יוֹסֶף אֶת־ עֲבָדָיו אֶת־הָרְפָאִים לַחֲנט אֶת־אָבִיו וַיִּחַנְטְוּ הָרְפָאִים אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל: 3 וַיִּמְלְאוּ־לוֹ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם כִּי כֵּן יִמְלְאוּ יְמֵי הַחַנְטִים וַיִּבְכּוּ אֹתוֹ מִצְרַיִם שִׁבְעִים יוֹם: 4 וַיַּעַבְרוּ יְמֵי בְכִיתוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶל־בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר אִם־ נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם דִּבְּרוּ-נָא בְּאָזְנֵי פַרְעה לֵאמֹר:

אָבִי הִשְׁבִּיעַנִי לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵת בְּקִבְרִי אֲשֶׁר כָּרִיתִי לִי בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שָׁמָּה תִּקְבְּרָנִי וְעַתָּה אֶעֶלֶה־נָּא וְאֶקְבְּרֶה אֶת־אָבִי וְאָשׁוּבָה : 6 וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה עַלה וּקְבַר אֶת־אָבִיךְ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבִּיֶךְ : 7 וַיַּעַל יוֹסֵף לִקְבּר אֶת־אָבִיו וַיַּעֲלוּ אִתּוֹ כָּל־עַבְדֵי פַרְעה זִקְנֵי בֵיתוֹ וְכל

ויפל יוֹסֵף

5

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born, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of

power.

4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed: then defiledst thou it he went up to my couch.

5 Simeon and Levi are brethren instruments of cruelty are in their habitations.

60 my soul, come not thou into their secret; unto their assembly, mine honour, be not thou united: for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they digged down a wall.

7 Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; and their wrath, for it was cruel: I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.

8 ¶ Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise; thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies thy father's children shall bow down before thee.

:

9 Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down: he couched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up?

10 The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet until Shiloh come, * and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.

11 Binding his fole unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his gar

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ments in wine and his clothes in the blood of grapes.

12 His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

13 ¶ Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the sea: and he shall be for an haven of ships; and his border shall be unto Zidon.

14 ¶ Issachar is a strong ass, couching down between two burdens.

15 And he saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant unto tribute.

16 ¶ Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel.

17 Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path; that biteth the horse-heels, so that his rider shall fall backward.

18 I have waited for thy salvation, O LORD.

19 Gad, a troop shall overcome him: but he shall overcome at the last.

20 ¶ Out of Asher his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties.

21 ¶ Naphtali, is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words.

22 Joseph is a fruitful bough, even a fruitful bough by a well; whose branches run over the wall.

23 The archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him.

24 But his bow abode in strength,

* Some future event is here announced; but, what it is, or at what period it was to happen, cannot be ascertained; for, besides its being expressed in such words as may bear several interpretations, and some quite opposite to others, it may allude to such part of the history of the Hebrews as we have no account of. It would be an endless task to rehearse every thing that has been said concerning the meaning of this verse; and Manasseh Ben Israel enumerates the several significations that may be given to eight of the fourteen Hebrew words contained in this text, each producing as many different versions; therefore I shall content myself with explaining it as I understand it, and which is according to the following translation, which I am of opinion it ought to bear, viz. "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a law-giver from between his feet, until Shiloh be gone "down, and even then he shall have an assembly of people." Judah, having the ruling-staff in his hand, continued in that prerogative till the ark of the Lord was taken by the Philistines, when the tabernacle of Shiloh was put down; then the command was taken from Judah, and he may be said to have couched as a lion, as in ver. 9, and soon after the restoration of the ark, a king was chosen of the tribe of Benjamin, which was Saul; yet then, even during Saul's reign, David sprang up, and was privately elected king by Samuel; and, being pursued by Saul, a company of men assembled to him, which at first amounted to four hundred, and their number soon increased to six hundred, 1 Samuel, chap. xxx. ver. 9-22. And perhaps the end of this verse, as rendered in my translation, may allude to this event.

פ

6

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בראש עמוד סימן

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בְּכְרִי אַתָּה כּחִי וְרֵאשֶׁת אוֹנִי יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עֶז : 4 פּחַז כַּמַּיִם אֵל--תּוֹתַר כִּי עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךְ אֶז חִלַּלְתָּ יְצוּעֵי עָלָה :

: שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אַחִים כְּלֵי חָמָס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם : 6 בְּסְדָם אַל־תָּבָא נַפְשִׁי בִּקְהָלָם אַל־תַּחַד כְּבֹדִי כִּי בְאַמָּם הָרְגוּ אִישׁ וּבִרְאֹנָם עִקְרוּ־שְׁוֹר: 7 אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי אָז וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשָׁתָה אֲחַלְקָם בְּיַעֲקֹב וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל :

8 יְהוּדָה אַתָּה יוֹדוּךְ אַחִיךְ יָדְךָ בְּעֹרֶף אֹיְבֶיךָ כי יִשְׁתַּחֲווּ לְךְ בְּנֵי אָבִיךְ : 9 בַּוּר אַרְיֵה יְהוּדָה מַטֶרֶף

בְּנֵי עָלִיתָ כָּרַע רָבֵץ כְּאַרְיֵה וּכְלָבִיא מִי יְקִימֶנּוּ : 10 לֹא־־יָסְוּר שֵׁבֶט מִיהוּדָה וּמְחֹקֵק מִבֵּין רַגְלָיו עֶד

כִּי־יָבֹא שִׁילֹה וְלִוֹ יִקְהַת עַמִּים: 1 אֹסְרֵי לַגְפֶן עידו ק' עֶרה וְלַשְׂרֵקָה בְּנִי אֵתנו כּבֵּס בֵּין לְבשו וּבְדַם־ סתיו ק' עֲנָבִים סוּתְה : 12 חַכְלִילִי עֵינַיִם מִין וּלְבֶן־־שְׁנֵים מחָלָב :

13 זְבוֹלָן לְחוֹף יַמִּים יִשְׁכָּן וְהוּא לְחוֹף אֶנִית וְיַרְכָתוֹ עַל־צִירְן :

14 יִשָּׂשכָר חֲמֹר גָּרֶם רֹבֵץ בֵּין הַמִּשְׁפְּתָיִם: 15 וַיַּרְא מִנְחָה כִּי טוֹב וְאֶת־־הָאָרֶץ כִּי בָעֲמָה וַט שִׁכְמוֹ לִסְכֹּל וַיְהִי לְמַס־עֹבֵד : עַמְוֹ כְּאַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל : 17 יְהִי־דָן נָחָשׁ עֲלֵי־דָרֶךְ

שְׁפִיפן עֲלֵי־אֹרַח הַמֹשֶׁך עקבֵי־סוּס וַיִּפּל רֹכְבוֹ אָחוֹר: חמישי 18 לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִנִּיתִי יְהוָה :

גֶד גְדִוּד יְגוּדֶנוּ וְהוּא יָגֶד עֲקֶב:

20 מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ וְהוּא יִתֵּן מַערְנֵי־מֶלֶךְ :

21 נַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלֵחָה הַנָּתֵן אִמְרֵי־שָׁפֶר : בֶּן פּרָת יוֹסֵף בֶּן פּרָת עֲלֵי־־עָיִן בָּנוֹת צְעָדָה עֲלֵי־שָׁוּר : 23 וַיְמַררְהוּ וָרֹבּוּ וַיִּשְׁטְמֵהוּ בַּעֲלֵי חִצים : 24 וַתִּשֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיָּפוּוּ

12

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ין ז זן

13

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ס

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16 בֶּן יָדִין

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19

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near unto him; and he kissed them, and embraced them.

11 And Israel said unto Joseph, I had not thought to see thy face: and lo, God hath shewed me also thy seed.

12 And Joseph brought them out from between his knees, and he bowed himself with his face to the earth.

13 And Joseph took them both, Ephraim in his right hand towards Israel's left hand, and Manasseh in his left hand towards Israel's right hand, and brought them near unto him.

14 And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim's head, who was the younger, and his left hand upon Manasseh's head: guiding his hands wittingly; for Manasseh was the first-born.

15 And he blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaac did walk, the God which fed me all my life long unto this day.

16 The angel which redeemed me from all evil, * bless the lads ; and let my name be named on them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaac: and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.

17 And when Joseph saw that his father laid his right hand upon the head of Ephraim, it displeased him; and he held up his father's hand, § to remove it from Ephraim's head unto Manasseh's head.

18 And Joseph said unto his father, Not so my father: for this is the first-born; put thy right hand upon his head.

19 And his father refused, and said, I know it, my son, I know it: he also shall become a people, and he also shall be great: but truly his younger brother shall be greater than he, and his seed shall become a multitude of nations.

20 And he blessed them that day, saying, In thee shall Israel bless, saying, God make thee as Ephraim, and as Manasseh: ‡ and he set Ephraim before Manasseh.

21 And Israel said unto Joseph, Behold, I die; but God shall be with you, and bring you again unto the land of your fathers.

22 Moreover I have given to thee one portion above thy brethren, || which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow.

CHAP. XLIX. 1 Jacob calleth his sons to bless them. 3 Their blessing in particular. 29 He chargeth them concerning his burial. 33 His death.

AND Jacob called unto his sons, and said, Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which shall befal you in the last days.

2 Gather yourselves together, and hear, ye sons of Jacob; and hearken unto Israel your father. 3 Reuben, thou art my first

* That used to be sent to me whenever I was in trouble, as mentioned chap. xxxi. ver. 11. "And the angel of God spake unto me in a dream," &c.

It may be here objected, that it would have been more proper for Joseph to have held up his father's hand before he blessed them; to this Rabbi Isaac Karoe answers, that Joseph thought that his father intended to dignify both, though in different degrees, viz. Ephraim, by putting his right hand on him, and Manasseh in the blessing; but when he perceived that his father blessed them both equally alike, he then judged that his father put his hand by mistake, and therefore said, "Not so my father, for this is the first-born," &c.

As Joseph judged that Jacob had given them an equal blessing, as mentioned in verse 16, he therefore put Ephraim before Manasseh in this blessing, in order to shew his pre-eminence.

For as thou hast consented to trouble thyself with my burial, in conveying me to the land of Canaan, I have for that reason given thee also a place to be buried, which is in Shechem; and this we find recorded in Joshua, chap. xxiv. ver. 32. "And the bones of Joseph which the children of "Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem." Jarchi.

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