CHAPTER XXXIX JOSEPH IN EGYPT [53B. ii.] THE fourth descent was (when) He descended into Egypt, (as it is said), [ “As it is said” is omitted by the MS.; it occurs in the first editions and in the Oxford MS. and in MS. Gaster.] "I will go down with thee into Egypt" (Gen 46:4). Jacob heard concerning Joseph that he was living, and he was thinking in his heart, saying: Can I forsake the land of my fathers, the land of my birth, the land of the sojournings of my fathers, [ This clause occurs in our MS. only.] the land where the Shekhinah of the Holy One, blessed be He, is in its midst, and shall I go to an unclean land in their midst, [ The Oxford MS. reads: “among slaves, in the midst of the children of Ham, where there is no fear of Heaven among them.” The first editions and MS. Gaster read: “among slaves, the children of Ham, in a land where there is no fear of Heaven in their midst.”] for there is no fear of Heaven therein? [ Cf. Gen. 20:11.] The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Jacob, do not fear; "I will go down with thee into Egypt, [ The quotation ends here in the MSS.; it is continued in the first editions.] and I will also surely bring thee up again" (ibid.).
Jacob heard this word, and he took his [ Should the reading be: “their wives”? Did any of Jacob’s wives go down into Egypt?] wives, [ See Gen. Rab. 94:6; Pal. Targum on Gen. 46:5; and cf. Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 152.] and his sons, and his daughters, and the daughters of his sons. [ The Oxford MS. adds: “And he brought them down to Egypt, as it is said, ‘His sons, and his sons’ sons with him, his daughters’” (Gen. 46:7). The first editions agree with this reading except in the first words; their reading is: “And he made them come, as it is said.” In our MS. there is considerable confusion owing to the carelessness of the scribe who has repeated the text Gen. 46:15.] Another Scripture says, "With his daughter Dinah" (ibid. 15). And all that he had, and he brought them to Egypt, as it is said, "His sons, and his sons' sons || with him," etc. (ibid. 7). Another Scripture says, "With his daughter, Dinah" (ibid. 15). Whereas another text says, "His daughters" (ibid. 7), to teach thee that the daughters of Jacob were the wives of his sons. [ Cf. supra, p. 272; Gen. Rab. 84:21.] And all the seed of Jacob [ Oxford MS. reads: “Hence thou mayest learn that all the seed of Israel,” etc.] married their sisters and their blood-relations, so that they should not intermarry with the people of the lands, therefore they were called a true seed, as it is said, "Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, [ The MS. omits the first part of the quotation, and incorrectly reads “Ke” (for), which should be “Kullô” (wholly). The verse is accurately quoted in the Oxford MS. and in the first editions.] wholly a true seed" (Jer. 2:21).
When they came to the border of Egypt, [ Oxford MS. reads: “When Jacob came to Egypt.”] all the males were enrolled (in genealogical lists to the number of) sixty-six, Joseph with his two sons in Egypt (made the total) sixty-nine. [ The Oxford MS. agrees with our MS.; the first editions read: “seventy less one.”] And it is written, "With seventy persons [ The first part of the quotation is given by our MS.; the first editions, as well as the Oxford MS., continue the verse.] thy fathers went down into Egypt" (Deut. 10:22). [ See T.B. Baba Bathra, 123a; Gen. Rab. 94:9. The seventieth person was Jochebed.] What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He entered [ Luria adds: “If one may say so.”] into the number with them, and the total became seventy, to fulfil that which is said, "I will go down with thee [ In the MS. the quotation ends here; it is continued in the first editions.] into Egypt" (Gen. 46:4). When Israel came up from Egypt all the mighty men were enrolled, (amounting to) 600,000, less one. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He entered [ Luria adds: “If one may say so.”] into the number with them, and their total amounted to 600,000, to fulfil that which is said, "I will go down with thee into Egypt, [ Our MS. omits the first part of the quotation, which is given in the first editions.] and I will also surely bring thee up again" (ibid.).
Rabbi Ishmael said: Ten times [ It was only five times really, but as Joseph employed an interpreter the expression was repeated. On the age of the Patriarchs see T.B. Berakhoth, 55a; T.B. Soṭah, 13b; and R. Bechai on Ex. (beg.), who quotes the Midrash Tadsheh. Test. Joseph ii. 7 refers to the ten temptations of Joseph.] did the sons of Jacob say to Joseph, "thy servant, our father." Joseph heard the word, and was silent. Silence gives consent; therefore were ten years deducted from his life. [ Joseph died at the age of a hundred and ten years. The full life of man is a hundred and twenty years.] Joseph heard || that his father had come to the border [ i.e. Goshen.] of Egypt, and he took all the men who had intercourse with him, [ Luria suggests that the reading should be: “who were with him.”] and he went to meet his father. All the people go forth to meet the king, but the king does not go forth to meet any man. But this teaches thee that the father of a man is like his king.
Rabbi Phineas said: The Holy Spirit [ See Test. Joseph vi. 7: “The God of my fathers and the angel of Abraham be with me,” and cf. Wisdom x. 13 f.] rested on Joseph from his youth; [ The first editions add: “until the day of his death.”] and it led him in all matters of wisdom like a shepherd who leads his flock, as it is said, "Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, [ In the MS. the quotation ends here.] thou that leadest Joseph like a flock, thou that sittest upon the cherubim" (Ps. 80:1). In all his wisdom a certain woman [ The first editions read: “the wife of Potiphera.”] enticed [ See T.B. Chullin, 4b, and Siphrê, Deut. § 87, on “enticement.”] (him), and when he wished to accustom himself to sin, [ See T.B. Sabbath, 49b, and T.B. Soṭah, 36b.] he saw the image [ ריוקנו = איקון (είκών), image, likeness; see T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit.; cf. Jubilees xxxix. 6, 7; Gen. Rab. 87:7; Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, p. 110; Midrash Samuel v.; Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 146, quoting Midrash Abkhir; see also Schapiro, op. cit., p. 41, and Grünbaum, op. cit. pp. 148 ff., and J.E. vii. 249.] of his father, and repented concerning it. [ The first editions add: “And he conquered his passion.” See Test. Joseph ii. 2 ff.]
Three people conquered their passion [ See T.B. Synhedrin, 19b. and Midrash Haggadol, c. 585. We have a play here on the word “Jezer”—יצרן לפני יוצרן; cf. T.B. Berakhoth, 61a.] before their Creator, and they were Joseph, Boaz, and Paltê, son of Laish. It was fit that twelve tribes should have arisen from Joseph, [ This is based on T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit. Our MS. has a mutilated text. The first editions add here: “The seed of ten tribes exuded from the tips of his fingers (euphemistic expression for membrum), as it is said: ‘And the seed of his hands was active’ (Gen. 49:24), and there remained these two (tribes), Manasseh and Ephraim.” The R.V. reads: “The arms of his hands.” See Coptic Apoc., p. 279.] as it is said, "And the seed of his hands was active" (Gen. 49:24), but there remained two (tribes), Manasseh and Ephraim. The woman brought grave charges against him to vex him, and he was confined in prison [ See Seder ‘Olam Rab. 2 p. 6a, according to which he was in prison twelve years. This agrees with the Book of Jashar xliv. 14 and xlvi. 20; see also Ex. Rab. vii. 1. One year was passed in the service of Potiphar; and as he was thirty years old when he stood before Pharaoh, he had spent thirteen years in Egypt, for he was seventeen years old when he was taken from his brethren. See Jubilees xxxix. 8 for the year in the service of Potiphar, the eunuch. After two years the chief baker and butler are thrown into prison with Joseph; and after ten years Pharaoh has his dreams, for “on the day that Joseph stood before Pharaoh he was thirty years old” (ibid. xl. 11). See Test. Joseph ii. 7–iii. 1 ff. On Joseph’s chastity see Pal. Targum to Gen. 49:22, T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit., and Test. Joseph (chs. iii.–vi.).] for ten years. There he interpreted the dreams of the servants of Pharaoh, (he interpreted for) each one according to his dream just as though the events were taking place before him, as it is said, "And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was" (ibid. xli. 13).
And he interpreted the dream of || Pharaoh when the Holy Spirit rested upon him, as it is said, "And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this, [ The quotation ends here in the MS.; it is continued in the first editions.] a man in whom the spirit of God is?" (ibid. 38).
All the nations came to Joseph to purchase food from Joseph. And Joseph spoke to each people according to their different tongue. And he knew what they were speaking. Therefore his name was called Jehoseph, [ The first editions read instead Turgoman, (i.e.) Dragoman, interpreter = “Milez” of Gen. 42:23. On Turgoman see Jastrow, T.D. 1657.] as it is said, "For Joseph understood them, for there was an interpreter between them" [ The MS. reads “bethokham” (in their midst). This is not the reading of M.T. The section which now follows is printed in the first editions before the words: “all the nations came.”] (ibid. xlii. 23).
Moreover, when he went into the market-place he saw the people forming themselves into various companies and groups, and each one would speak in his own tongue, and he knew what they were saying, [ We had this phrase in the preceding paragraph.] as it is said, "He appointed it in Joseph for a testimony, [ In the MS. and the first editions the quotation ends here.] when he went out over the land of Egypt, when I heard the speech of one that I knew not" [ The legend is based on T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit., which is translated in Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, pp. 103 f.] (Ps. 81:5). Further, when he was riding in the chariot, and passed through all the borders of the land of Egypt, the Egyptian girls were climbing [ “Mez‘adoth”; see Targumim on Gen. 49:22, and Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, pp. 122 f., where the parallel version of the legend from the Midrash Haggadol is translated.] up the walls for his sake, and they threw to him rings of gold, so that perchance he might look at them, and (they could) see the beauty of his [ The first editions read: “and see them and the beauty of their figure.”] figure, but nobody's eye degraded [ The word מזפתו (“degraded”) recalls Cant. 1:6 and Job 28:7.] him, for he was highly esteemed [ Lit. “fruitful and increasing.”] in the eyes of everyone, as it is said, "Joseph is a fruitful bough [ The expression “a fruitful bough” is expanded by our author. There is a play upon the word “Porath.” The legend is based on T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit., which is translated in Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, pp. 103 f.] … his daughters run over the wall" (Gen. 49:22). [ See Pal. Targum on this verse. Here, again, we have a play on the word “Za‘adah” (“run”). This word is identified with “Az‘adah” (Num. 31:50), “chains,” hence the “rings” of our Midrash.]
All the nations came to purchase food. And they brought to Joseph their tribute (and) a present (and money) to purchase (food). And he spoke to each people according to their different tongue; || therefore was his name called Turgeman, [ This entire paragraph is practically a repetition of what has gone before. See notes on previous two paragraphs.] as it is said, "For there was an interpreter between them" [ The MS. quotes the correct reading here, according to M.T.] (ibid. xlii. 23), therefore was he speaking. [ The point is in the name Turgeman, which means “interpreter,” i.e. Joseph. The verse Gen. 42:23 therefore means: For there was Joseph (an interpreter) between them.]
Some of them were buying grain on account of the famine in their houses, and they went forth, and others came to buy food; and one asked his fellow as to the price in the market. From their reply they opened the price of the market. [ This sentence occurs in our MS. only. It might be rendered: From their reply they revealed the price of the merchandise. Joseph did not wish to make a corner in the market, neither did he wish the price to fall.] When they came to Joseph he said to them: Just as ye have heard, so it is; in order that the market should not be scarce (and prices dear). Hence (the sages) said: He who makes a corner in the market will never see a sign of blessing. [ See T.B. Ta‘anith, 10a; T.B. Baba Mezi‘a, 60a; T.B. Megillah, 17b. The scarcity in the market would involve a sudden rise in the market prices. See also T.B. Baba Bathra, 90b; Derekh Erez Rabba ii., and Tanna de bê Elijahu Rab. 15 p. 75.]
Rabbi Tanchum [ A Palestinian Amora of the third century. His name is mentioned again in Chapter XLIX. p. 392; see Bacher, P. iii. 627 ff., and J.E. xii. pp. 42 f.] said: Joseph commanded and they built the treasure-houses in each city, and he gathered all the produce of the lands into the treasure-houses. The Egyptians were scoffing at him, saying: Now the worms will eat the stores of Joseph. But no worm had any power over them; neither did the (stores) diminish until the day of his death. [ See T.B. Baba Mezi‘a, 40a. Luria thinks that the word חסרו (diminish) should be corrected so as to read סרחו (they became foul), by analogy with the Manna; see Ex. 16:20. Perhaps we should retain the reading “diminish” by analogy with the barrel of meal mentioned in 1 Kings 17:14 ff. On the question as to whether there was a famine after Jacob’s death see Siphrê, Deut. § 38, and Nachmanides on Gen. 47:18.] And he supported [ In spite of supporting the land, the stores did not diminish.] the land in the famine of bread, therefore was his name called Kalkol. [ See Lev. Rab. 9:1, Eccles. Rab. to Eccles. 7:23. “Kalkol” is based on 1 Kings 4:31. “Kalkol” is referred to Joseph, about whom the text says, “Vayekhalkêl,” “and Joseph nourished” (Gen. 47:12); see T.B. Synhedrin, 44b. This explanation of our book is also given by Jerome, Comm. in loc. (ed. Vall. iii. 850, quoted by Grünbaum, op. cit. p. 28).] And Kalkol is Joseph, as it is said, "And Joseph nourished" [ See also 1 Chron. 2:6.] (ibid. xlvii. 12). Moreover, he nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's house, in the famine with bread to their satisfaction. "And Joseph nourished his father, and his brethren, and all his father's household, with bread, according to their families" (ibid.) [ This paragraph occurs in our MS. only; “as it is said” is omitted before the quotation.] ||
Rabbi Eliezer said: In the hour of the death of Jacob he called to his son Joseph, and said to him: O my son! Swear to me by the covenant of circumcision that thou wilt take me up to the burial-place of my fathers in the land of Canaan to the Cave of Machpelah. The [ The first editions read: “Originally the ancients,” etc.] ancients used to swear by the covenant of circumcision prior to the giving of the Torah, as it is said, "Put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh" (ibid. 29), and "he sware unto him" (ibid. 31). He kept (the oath) and did (accordingly), as it is said, "And he said, Swear unto me" (ibid.). And all the mighty men of the kingdom went up with him to bury him, and to show loving-kindness to Jacob his father, as it is said, "And Joseph went up to bury his father" (ibid. l. 7). The camp of Israel numbered 5040 (people). All the (people of the) land were bringing food on account of the famine to the camp of Joseph. [ “All the people, who were taking food home on account of the famine, were in the camp of Joseph.” This is the emended reading suggested by Luria. The people of Canaan were there to pay respect to Jacob; see Gen. 50:11; according to Gen. Rab., in loc., and Tanchuma, Vayechi, § xvii., even the kings of Canaan joined in this mark of respect.] The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Ye have shown loving-kindness [ See supra, Chapter XVII.] to Jacob, My servant, I also will give you your reward, and also unto your children in this world. When the Egyptians died in the Reed Sea they did not die in the water, [ See infra, p. 332. The first editions read: “they did not remain in the water.”] but they were deemed worthy to be buried in the earth. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Ye have submitted yourselves [ Pharaoh said: “The Lord is righteous, but I and my people are evil” (Ex. 9:27); see Mekhilta, Beshallach, Proem, 33b; and cf. T.B. Pesachim, 118a.] to the divine punishment; I also will give you a place of burial, as it is said, "Thou stretchedst forth thy right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Ex. 15:12). [ See Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, pp. 169 f., where the passage from the Mekhilta (referred to in the previous note) is translated.]
When they came to the Cave of Machpelah, Esau came against them || from Mount Horeb [ The first editions read: “Esau came against them from Mount Seir.” See also Wisdom x. 12.] to stir up strife, [ The expression is based on Prov. 26:17.] saying: The Cave of Machpelah is mine. [ See T.B. Soṭah, 13a; this passage is translated in Rabbinic Philosophy and Ethics, pp. 125 ff.] What did Joseph do? He sent Naphtali to subdue the constellations, [ “To hasten like a hind.” This is Luria’s emendation. On Naphtali’s fleetness see Gen. 49:21, T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit.; and cf. Test. Naph. ii. 1.] and to go down to Egypt to bring up the perpetual deed which was between them, [ Jacob and Esau; see supra, p. 290. The Prague and Brode’s editions read “in their hand” instead of “between them.”] therefore it is said, "Naphtali is a hind let loose" (Gen. 49:21). Chushim, the son of Dan, had defective hearing and speech, [ See the Book of Jashar, ch. lvi., for a parallel account of the legend, which practically agrees with P.R.E. According to Charles the legend in the Book of Jashar “has borrowed its materials from the Midrash in Josippon”; see Jubilees, ed. Charles, p. 215, note. Charles refers to Bousset, Z.f.N.T. Wissensch., 1900, p. 205. In this connection the legend of the wars between the sons of Jacob and Esau with his sons in Jubilees xxxvii., xxxviii., the Testament of Judah (Test. XII Pat.) ix., and Jeraḥmeel, pp. 80–87, must be considered very briefly. According to Charles, “the oldest form of the legend is found in Jubilees and in the Test. Jud. 9; the next oldest is the Jalḳuṭ and Chronicles of Jeraḥmeel, and the latest is the Book of Jashar” (Jubilees, p. 215). The account in the Book of Jashar contains two parts: (1) the death of Esau by the hands of Chushim, son of Dan, at the burial of Jacob. This part of the legend is taken directly from our book, which was also the source used by Pal. Targum on Gen. 50:13. The source of our Midrash was T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit. Then (2) the account of the wars between the sons of Esau and the sons of Jacob which the Book of Jashar gives is undoubtedly connected with the account of Zepho, son of Eliphas, and Æneas of Africa, given in the history of Josippon. Now the Chronicles of Jeraḥmeel agree with the Book of Jubilees in making Jacob the slayer of his brother Esau, and they agree in fixing the occasion of the conflict at the mourning for Leah. According to Beer, Das Buck der Jubiläen, pp. 4 ff., the original form of the legend was that Judah slew Esau at the burial of Isaac. The death of Esau at the hands of Judah is mentioned in T. J. Kethuboth 1. 5 (p. 25c); T.J. Giṭṭin 5:6 (p. 47a); Siphrê, Deut. § 348; Shocher Ṭob, Ps. 18:40 (sect. 32); see also Jalḳuṭ, Gen. § 162; and Jalḳuṭ, Samuel, § 163. The later form of the legend is preserved in T.B. Soṭah, loc. cit., which attributes the death of Esau to Chushim, who was deaf and dumb, at the burial of Jacob. Jalḳuṭ, Gen. loc. cit., combines both forms of the legend. Jalḳuṭ, Pss. § 776, agrees with our book in the details of the death of Esau. Beer draws attention to the fact that the Jews of Palestine in the time of Hadrian (c. 135 C.E.) attributed the fierce hatred on the part of the Romans to the belief that Judah, the forefather of the Jews, had slain Esau, the forefather of the Romans, who were identified with the Edomites descended from Esau. In order to remove the “historical” foundation for this hostility, later forms of the legend transferred the deed to an irresponsible person, Chushim, whose descendants, the tribe of Dan, had long since disappeared from the land of Israel, having been carried away into exile, and, as some of the Rabbis taught, lost for all time. Jubilees holds to the original legend, owing to the opposition which it represents to the orthodox Rabbinic traditions of Palestine obtaining in the period prior to and following the rise of Christianity. Pirkê de R. Eliezer is aware of the teaching of Jubilees, and tries to correct and refute it on all fundamental points of controversy. This is sometimes done as strikingly by omission as by a variant doctrine, or story.] and he said to them: Why are we sitting here? He was pointing (to Esau) with his finger. They said to him: Because this man will not let us bury our father Jacob. What did he do? He drew his sword and cut off Esau's head with the sword, and took the head into the Cave of Machpelah. And they sent his body to the land of his possession, to Mount Seir.
What did Isaac do? He grasped the head of Esau and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said: Sovereign of all the universe ! Let mercy be shown [ The words are borrowed from Isa. 26:10.] to this wicked one, for he had not learnt all the precepts of the Torah, as it is said, "Let favour be shewed to the wicked, [ The MS. and the first editions omit the first part of the verse.] yet will he not learn righteousness" (Isa. 26:10). He was speaking in iniquity concerning the land of Israel and the Cave of Machpelah, as it is said, "In [ Our MS. reads: “and in the land.” This is not the reading in M.T. which is given by MS. Gaster. The reading in the Venice edition is also faulty.] the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully" (ibid.).
The Holy Spirit answered him, saying: As I live! he shall not see the majesty of God. [ The first editions add here: “as it is said, ‘And he will not behold the majesty of the Lord’” (Isa. 26:10).]