20
votes
Accepted
How could Yocheved be conceived
I just discovered that many Rishonim address this question. For example:
Tosafos to Taanis 11a s.v. אסור לאדם
אסור לאדם לשמש מטתו בשני רעבון - ואם תאמר הרי יוכבד נולדה בין החומות ואותו העת עת רעב היה ...
- 19.2k
12
votes
Counting error in Genesis 46:15?
Rashi raises this question, and answers (probably based on the Midrash 94:9) that the 33rd is Yocheved, who wasn't born until they got to Egypt.
Ibn Ezra (on verse 23) rejects this explanation, and ...
- 6,414
11
votes
Accepted
Did Yosef's children inherit any of the riches that Yosef accumulated as a Vizier of Egypt?
The Ramban (Nachmanides) explains:
"he brought all money into Pharaoh’s house and did not accumulate for
himself treasures of money and secret hiding places for wealth in the
land of Egypt, or ...
- 5,592
9
votes
Counting error in Genesis 46:15?
Rashi addresses this issue and says the following (quoted from Sefaria)
שלשים ושלש THIRTY THREE — But in the enumeration above you will find only thirty-two. The one whose name is omitted is ...
- 4,235
8
votes
Accepted
Was Yakov separated from Yosef the same length of time he was separated from Yitzak?
The Midrash you heard referred to is on Megillah 17a and it does correlate the two periods. The two missing years from Yaakov's time to get to 22 are from his travel back and are listed as 18 months ...
- 96.3k
8
votes
Accepted
Question on trope position in Breishit (Gen.) 47:4
Trop marks are traditionally always placed on the accented syllable EXCEPT Yetiv and Telisha Gedola which are always on the first letter, and Telisha Ketana, Pashta, Zarka, and Segol which are always ...
- 96.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Joseph's interpretation of 7 years of famine - was his prediction false?
Even though the famine ended when Yaakov gave the bracha to Par'o (Ramban) they still needed food during the growing season and they needed seeds to plant for the new season. Up until now, the famine ...
- 42.7k
6
votes
Accepted
Are Ra'meses and Ra'amses the same place
Ibn Ezra in his long commentary to Shemot 1:11 and 12:37 claims they are different places and that the Jews lived in Ra'meses and not in Ra'amses which they built. (According to this it would be a ...
- 96.3k
6
votes
Accepted
How does Yosef's giving grain help things?
The Tosefta (Sota 10:3)1 notes this very apparent inconsistency and uses it to derive an example of the principle (introduced in 10:1):
בזמן [שהצדיקים] באין לעולם טובה באה לעולם ופורעניות מסתלקת מן ...
- 47.4k
5
votes
Vayigash - Why didn't the family go back?
One reason given is that Par'o did not allow them to leave. Note that when they wanted to bury Ya'akov in Mearas Hamachpelah, Yosef had to request permission to do so and push hard. As Rashi says in ...
- 42.7k
5
votes
Was Ankhmahor really Yosef?
I'll give it a try. There are some inaccuracies in your question that should be clarified before considering the question of Ankhmahor as Yosef.
This is not "the earliest archeological evidence we ...
- 11.2k
4
votes
How did Yosef showing his circumcision prove anything?
The Taz asks this question in his Divrei Dovid and answers that Yosef had not actually attempted to have the Egyptians circumcise themselves, he was merely proving to them to what extent they were ...
- 33k
4
votes
Question on trope position in Breishit (Gen.) 47:4
That word is always pronounced with emphasis on the second-to-last syllable (mil'el) and is past tense. (If it had a prefixed vav and were mil'ra (emphasis on the last syllable), it'd be future tense. ...
- 73.6k
4
votes
Why does the Torah specify only that Le'ah's children were born in Paddan Aram?
הרב איתן שנדורפי suggests that it is to give praise to those Shevatim, that despite all being born in Padan Aram, they were still tzadikim, based on Rashi Bereishis 25:20. He shows that this is a ...
- 20.8k
4
votes
Accepted
Vayigash - Why didn't the family go back?
I would like to suggest a different answer.
-- It would seem clear to me that Yaakov knew through prophecy not to go back to Eretz Yisrael as it is stated explicitly in 46:3-4 "And He [Hashem] said '...
- 15.2k
4
votes
Accepted
Understanding a Chasam Sofer on the Parsha
I'll translate what he says and perhaps that will make it clearer.
It seems that Yaakov didn't believe that Yosef had actually died, as he never saw him (subsequently?) in a dream/vision. Rather, ...
- 19.2k
4
votes
Why did Yaakov ”open the mouth to the Satan”?
Shadal seems to say that Yaakov wouldn't mind if he would have died (46:30)
הלואי ואמות עתה, כלומר אין רע אם אמות עתה, אחרי ראותי שאתה חי, ואם
עתה אמות, אמות בשיבה טובה - I wish I would die now, ...
- 13.2k
3
votes
Counting error in Genesis 46:15?
Pirkei d'Rabi Eliezer 39 says that Hashem himself was counted with them to fulfil the posuk: "I (Hashem) will go down with thee into Egypt".
- 6,825
3
votes
Accepted
Did Joseph have the authority on his own to settle his family in Goshen?
Miketz 41:40 shows that Yoseph had authority over everything except Par'o himself.
You shall be [appointed] over my household, and through your command
all my people shall be nourished; only [...
- 42.7k
3
votes
How did Yakov know the wagons are connected to Egla Arufa?
Rashi doesn't say that Yaakov figured it out from seeing the wagons. What he says is:
סימן מסר להם במה היה עוסק כשפירש ממנו בפרשת עגלה ערופה זהו שאמר וירא את העגלות אשר שלח יוסף ולא אמר אשר שלח פרעה
...
- 48.7k
3
votes
What happened to Canaan during the famine after Yaakov et al went down to Egypt?
A couple of Mefarshim address this question (link here):
Radak suggests that the Kena'anim went elsewhere (and presumably paid with their belongings, as they had no money left).
Netziv suggests that ...
- 20.8k
3
votes
Accepted
Story about learning b'iyun vs. b'qius
According to Rashi (Bereishis 46:28) Yehuda went down to Mitzraim to establish "Beis Hatalmud".
The Satmar Rov was mocking Beis Hatalmud – only in Beis Hatalmud could they learn the sugya of egla ...
3
votes
Source for the idea that "bris milah" is a "bris achvah"
Restating the question
To set this up, let's start with the context: This is the absolute climax of the story of Yosef and his brothers. In the v. 3, Yosef reveals that he was not just the viceroy of ...
- 47.4k
2
votes
Paro enslaved Yisrael but they kept the good land -- was that normal?
The Midrash (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer ch. 26) says:
שנלקחה שרה אשתו לפרעה לאשה ......ר' יהושע בן קרחא אומר, מאהבתו אותה כתב לה בשטר כתובתה כל ממונו בין כסף בין זהב בין עבדים וקרקעות, וכתב לה את ארץ ...
- 11.3k
2
votes
Why did Yosef cause so much anguish to his family?
Matt's answer is most complete. Allow me to take a different angle building on a dvar Torah I wrote in honor of my older son's bar mitsva this shabbat.
I think the reason Yosef causes so much anguish ...
- 44.6k
2
votes
Why Didn't Yosef tell Yaakov He was Still Alive?
According to the Maharal in Netzach Yisroel (35), Yosef being in Mitzraim is a precursor to the concept of the ten lost tribes. The Maharal explains that when there is a Gezeira to be hidden you can't ...
- 4,926
2
votes
Why Didn't Yosef tell Yaakov He was Still Alive?
The Bechor Shor (36:26, 42:7) writes that when the brothers decided to sell Yosef instead of killing him, they did so on condition that he swear to them that he never reveal to their father how he ...
- 21.7k
2
votes
Was Joseph presenting his father to Pharaoh as a job candidate?
I'm afraid you mistranslated a word: "בם" means "among them" not "among you" and is referencing Joseph's brothers who were already presented to Pharaoh in the preceding verses and who were still young ...
- 17.5k
2
votes
How did Yakov know the wagons are connected to Egla Arufa?
Rabbi Weinreb discusses the question and asks what is is about egla arufa that causes Rashi to make the connection to the wagons. Is it only a word play and what would be the message that Yosef is ...
- 42.7k
2
votes
Vayigash - Why didn't the family go back?
There are several possibilities.
R. Saadya Gaon doesn’t list the prohibition for an individual to dwell in Egypt in his listing of the 613 precepts, but only a proscription of a monarch to send ...
- 35.2k
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