בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר קִדְּשָׁנוּ בְּמִצְוֹתָיו וְצִוָּנוּ לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה, הפוך בה והפוך בה, לַעֲסוֹק בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָה.
Barukh Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melekh HaOlam
Asher Kidshanu B'Mitzvotai V'Tzivanu
La'asok B'divrei Torah
La'asok B'divrei Torah
Hafokh Bah V'Hafokh Bah
La'asok B'divrei Torah.
(א) וְלֹֽא־יָכֹ֨ל יוֹסֵ֜ף לְהִתְאַפֵּ֗ק לְכֹ֤ל הַנִּצָּבִים֙ עָלָ֔יו וַיִּקְרָ֕א הוֹצִ֥יאוּ כׇל־אִ֖ישׁ מֵעָלָ֑י וְלֹא־עָ֤מַד אִישׁ֙ אִתּ֔וֹ בְּהִתְוַדַּ֥ע יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָֽיו׃
(ב) וַיִּתֵּ֥ן אֶת־קֹל֖וֹ בִּבְכִ֑י וַיִּשְׁמְע֣וּ מִצְרַ֔יִם וַיִּשְׁמַ֖ע בֵּ֥ית פַּרְעֹֽה׃
(ג) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֤ף אֶל־אֶחָיו֙ אֲנִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָכְל֤וּ אֶחָיו֙ לַעֲנ֣וֹת אֹת֔וֹ כִּ֥י נִבְהֲל֖וּ מִפָּנָֽיו׃
(ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יוֹסֵ֧ף אֶל־אֶחָ֛יו גְּשׁוּ־נָ֥א אֵלַ֖י וַיִּגָּ֑שׁוּ וַיֹּ֗אמֶר אֲנִי֙ יוֹסֵ֣ף אֲחִיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־מְכַרְתֶּ֥ם אֹתִ֖י מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃
(1) Joseph could no longer control himself before all his attendants, and he cried out, “Have everyone withdraw from me!” So there was no one else about when Joseph made himself known to his brothers.
(2) His sobs were so loud that the Egyptians could hear, and so the news reached Pharaoh’s palace.
(3) Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dumbfounded were they on account of him.
(4) Then Joseph said to his brothers, “Come forward to me.” And when they came forward, he said, “I am your brother Joseph, he whom you sold into Egypt.
Genesis 45:3 English Translations
- E. Fox
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Then Yosef said to his brothers: I am Yosef. Is my father still alive? But his brothers were not able to answer him, for they were confounded in his presence.
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- R. Alter
- And Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?” But his brothers could not answer him, for they were dismayed before him.
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Common English Bible
(CEB)
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Joseph said to his brothers, "I'm Joseph! Is my father really still alive?" His brothers couldn't respond because they were terrified before him.
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New JPS
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Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph. Is my father still well?” But his brothers could not answer him, so dumbfounded they were on account of him.
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E. A. Speiser
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Joseph said to his brothers, “I am Joseph! Is Father still in good health?” But his brothers were unable to reply, so dumbfounded were they at him.
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Questions for Discussion & Reflection
1) How would you translate the words:
?"הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י"
a) "Is my father still well?"
b) "Is my father still alive?"
c) "Is my father still really alive?"
d) "Is Father still in good health?"
e) All of the Above (maybe you think they are all different sides of the same coin, or all of the above for some other reason)
f) None of the Above (maybe you think none of these translations capture the essence of the moment and you would prefer a different translation...if so, what would it be?)
2) Before looking at some commentary, why do you think these 3 words are the first words Yosef says after revealing who he is to his brothers? Are these 3 words part of revealing who he is to his brothers or are they separate, the next thought? What do you think might be behind these words?
Robert Alter, Genesis (pg. 266)
I am Joseph. Is my Father Still Alive? His very first utterance, after his sobs have subsided, is the essential revelation of identity, a two-word (in the Hebrew) bombshell tossed at his brothers. He follows this by asking whether his father is still alive, as though he could not altogether trust the assurances they had given him about this when he questioned them in the guise the Egyptian viceroy.
His repeated reference to “my father” serves double duty: the first person singular possessive expresses his sense of personal connection with old Jacob (he is after all, my father, he is saying to his brothers); but it is also idiomatic usage for the familiar “Father” in biblical Hebrew (rather like abba in Aramaic and later Hebrew)
כלי יקר
בראשית מה:ג
ג. וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל אֶחָיו אֲנִי יוֹסֵף הַעוֹד אָבִי חָי וְלֹא יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו לַעֲנוֹת אֹתוֹ כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו:
ג. העוד אבי חי וגו'
(1 אע"פ שכבר אמרו לו שהוא חי כמובן מכל דברי יהודה, מכל מקום חשב יוסף אולי אמרו כן כדי שיכמרו רחמיו על הזקן ולא יגרום לו מיתה כי נפשו קשורה בנפשו, על כן שאלם שנית העוד אבי חי.
(2 ולבבם לא כן ידמה וחשבו שלא נתכוון לשאול אם הוא חי או לא, אלא שבא להזכיר עונם על כן אמר העוד אבי חי, לומר שאבי הוא ולא אביכם כי לא חסתם על צערו כאילו אינו אביכם. ע"כ נבהלו ולא יכלו לענות דבר:
Kli Yakar ~ Shelomo Ephraim ben Aaron Luntschitz ~ 1550 – 1619 ~ Prague
Genesis 45:3
3. And Joseph said to his brothers, "I am Joseph. Is my father still alive?" but his brothers could not answer him because they were startled by his presence.
3. Is my father still alive etc.
1) Even though [the brothers] already told him that he was alive as was understood from all of Judah’s words, nevertheless, Joseph thought that perhaps they spoke thus, so that he would take pity on the old man and not cause his death … therefore he asked once again, “Is my father still alive?”
2) But they did not perceive it thus, and thought that he [Joseph] didn’t intend to ask if he was alive or not, but [rather] to remind [them] of their sin. Therefore, he said “Is my father still alive” meaning that he [Jacob] was his father, not “your father” because they did not take pity on his suffering, as if he were not “your father.” They were therefore startled and unable to utter a word.
(1) נבהלו מפניו they were dumbfounded in his presence — out of shame.
Questions for Discussion & Reflection
1) Does the commentary of Robert Alter and Kli Yakar alter your understanding of the 3 words Yosef uses after revealing who he is to his brothers:
?"הַע֥וֹד אָבִ֖י חָ֑י"
Or perhaps it reinforces your initial thinking on the matter? Why would you say now that these are the first 3 words that immediately come after Yosef says the words:
?"אֲנִי יוֹסֵף"
2) What do we make of the words describing the brothers after Yosef's big reveal:
?"וְלֹא יָכְלוּ אֶחָיו לַעֲנוֹת אֹתוֹ כִּי נִבְהֲלוּ מִפָּנָיו"
"his brothers could not answer him because they were startled by his presence."
How do Kli Yakar and Rashi help us understand this moment? How would you describe this moment for the brothers? For Yosef?
3) How do the words that we use affect our own relationships--familial and otherwise? With the wisdom of the coming week's parashah, as distilled by the commentators and by us, how can we increase our mindfulness about the words we use in relationship to others and in describing our relationships to others?