(כח) וַיְחִ֤י יַעֲקֹב֙ בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם שְׁבַ֥ע עֶשְׂרֵ֖ה שָׁנָ֑ה וַיְהִ֤י יְמֵֽי־יַעֲקֹב֙ שְׁנֵ֣י חַיָּ֔יו שֶׁ֣בַע שָׁנִ֔ים וְאַרְבָּעִ֥ים וּמְאַ֖ת שָׁנָֽה׃(כט) וַיִּקְרְב֣וּ יְמֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ לָמוּת֒ וַיִּקְרָ֣א ׀ לִבְנ֣וֹ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ אִם־נָ֨א מָצָ֤אתִי חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ שִֽׂים־נָ֥א יָדְךָ֖ תַּ֣חַת יְרֵכִ֑י וְעָשִׂ֤יתָ עִמָּדִי֙ חֶ֣סֶד וֶאֱמֶ֔ת אַל־נָ֥א תִקְבְּרֵ֖נִי בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃(ל) וְשָֽׁכַבְתִּי֙ עִם־אֲבֹתַ֔י וּנְשָׂאתַ֙נִי֙ מִמִּצְרַ֔יִם וּקְבַרְתַּ֖נִי בִּקְבֻרָתָ֑ם וַיֹּאמַ֕ר אָנֹכִ֖י אֶֽעֱשֶׂ֥ה כִדְבָרֶֽךָ׃(לא) וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הִשָּֽׁבְעָה֙ לִ֔י וַיִּשָּׁבַ֖ע ל֑וֹ וַיִּשְׁתַּ֥חוּ יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל עַל־רֹ֥אשׁ הַמִּטָּֽה׃ {פ}
(28) Jacob lived seventeen years in the land of Egypt, so that the span of Jacob’s life came to one hundred and forty-seven years.(29) And when the time approached for Israel to die, he summoned his son Joseph and said to him, “Do me this favor, place your hand under my thigh as a pledge of your steadfast loyalty: please do not bury me in Egypt.(30) When I lie down with my ancestors, take me up from Egypt and bury me in their burial-place.” He replied, “I will do as you have spoken.”(31) And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. Then Israel bowed at the head of the bed. (NJPS)
Everett Fox:
Pray, if I have found favor in your eyes,
pray put your hand under my thigh—
deal with me in loyalty and faithfulness:
pray do not bury me in Egypt!
OJPS: I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt.
Metsudah: place your hand under my thigh; that you will deal kindly and truthfully with me. Please, do not bury me in Egypt.
Richard Elliott Friedman: ...and practice kindness and faithfulness with me.
What questions can you ask about this phrase?
What do you think it means?
(ג) חסד ואמת, האמת הוא שחייב לקבור את אביו, והחסד הוא שישאוהו ממצרים לארץ כנען לקברו שם:
(3) חסד ואמת, the word אמת, a truth, i.e. a requirement he can insist on, referred to Joseph’s duty to bring his father to burial. The word חסד, an act of love, not required by law, was that he should take the trouble to transport his remains from Egypt and have them buried in the land of Canaan.
What question does Radak answer?
ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת הוא תשלום גמול לפנים משורת הדין... חסד ואמת... כלומר מחויב אתה לקברני אבל אינך חייב לטרוח לקברני בארץ כנען, ולכך אני מפייס אותך אל נא תקברני במצרים להשתקע שם בקבורה.
ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת, “and perform for me an act of kindness and truth.” Wherever we find the expression חסד ואמת, it refers to giving someone more than he is entitled to expect, or asking him to do something beyond what he is entitled to demand.... Yaakov reminds Joseph that while it is his duty to bury his father, he is not entitled to demand of him to bring him to burial in the cave of Machpelah. He therefore pleads with him not to bury him in Egypt.
How are Radak and Chizkuni's comments very similar? How are they different?
What lesson(s) could you teach based on these comments?
ויקרא לבנו ליוסף. פקד עליו מצד שהוא בנו, ובקש מאתו דרך בקשה מצד שהוא יוסף, שמצד שהוא יוסף אמר אם נא מצאתי חן בעיניך, ומצד שהוא בנו אמר שים נא ידך תחת ירכי והשביע אותו, מצד שהוא יוסף אמר ועשית עמדי חסד, ומצד שהוא בנו אמר ואמת, כי מחויב למלא דבריו מצד כבוד אביו, וגם השבועה עצמה היא חסד, ואחר השבועה הוא אמת כי מוכרח לקיים שבועתו, אל נא תקברני במצרים אפי' לפי שעה:
He summoned his son, Joseph... He commanded him from the side of Joseph being his son, and sought from him by way of request that he is Joseph, that from the side of his being Joseph he said, If I have found favor in your eyes, and from the side that Joseph is his son, he says, place your hand under my thigh, and he promised him. From the side that he is Joseph, he said, do for me kindness, and from the side Joseph being his son, he said, and truth, because he is obligated to fulfill his words out of filial respect, and also the oath itself is kindness, and after the oath is truth, because he is obligated to fulfill his oath...
How is Malbim's comment similar to the previous two? How is it different?
How would you describe Malbim's approach?
What lesson(s) could you teach based on this comment?
Rabbi Elie Munk, Kol HaTorah, on Genesis 47:29
And do kindness and truth with me. "Truth"--tell Pharaoh the whole truth and do not hide the real reasons which prompted the last wishes of the dead father. "Kindness"--for this will be the final proof of filial devotion which will repay Jacob for all the disappointments, all the desertions, his sons had caused. Truth and loving-kindness--Jacob's testament will thus be the motto for the future conduct of his sons and it will serve them as a guide throughout the years of oppression.
How is this similar to the previous comments? How is it different?
How does this understand the entire scene and set of relationships?
וְעָשִׂיתָ עִמָּדִי חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת, וְכִי יֵשׁ חֶסֶד שֶׁל שֶׁקֶר שֶׁהוּא אוֹמֵר חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת, לָמָּה כֵן, מָשָׁל הֶדְיוֹט אוֹמֵר מִית בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַחֲמָךְ טְעוֹן, מִית רַחֲמָךְ פְּרוֹק. אָמַר לוֹ אִם תַּעֲשֶׂה לִי חֶסֶד לְאַחַר מִיתָתִי הוּא חֶסֶד שֶׁל אֱמֶת.
.and do kindness and truth with me... But is there a "kindness of falsehood," that Jacob must say kindness and truth? Why did Jacob say this? It is as a common proverb says, "If your good friend's child dies, bear [the sorrow and pain along with your friend]. But if the friend dies, throw off all sorrow." Jacob was saying to Joseph, "If you do this kindness for me after my death, it will be a kindness of truth."
Explain this terse midrash.
Do you agree with it?
חסד ואמת. חֶסֶד שֶׁעוֹשִׂין עִם הַמֵּתִים הוּא חֶסֶד שֶׁל אֱמֶת, שֶׁאֵינוֹ מְצַפֶּה לְתַשְׁלוּם גְּמוּל:
חסד ואמת MERCY AND TRUTH — The mercy shown to the dead is “mercy of truth” (true, disinterested kindness) since one cannot hope for any reward (Genesis Rabbah 96:5).
How does Rashi read this phrase differently than the first commentators we saw?
תַּנְיָא, הָיָה רַבִּי מֵאִיר אוֹמֵר: ״טוֹב לָלֶכֶת אֶל בֵּית אֵבֶל וְגוֹ׳״ עַד ״וְהַחַי יִתֵּן אֶל לִבּוֹ״ — דְּבָרִים שֶׁל מִיתָה: דְּיִסְפֹּד — יִסְפְּדוּנֵיהּ, דְּיִקְבַּר — יִקְבְּרוּנֵיהּ, דְּיִטְעֹן — יִטְעֲנוּנֵיהּ, דִּידַל — יְדַלּוּנֵיהּ.
It is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say with regard to the verse “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for that is the end of all people; and the living will lay it to his heart” (Ecclesiastes 7:2): What should the living lay to their heart? Matters relating to death. And these matters are as follows: One that eulogizes will be eulogized by others. One that buries others will be buried by others. One that loads many words of praise and tribute into the eulogies that one delivers for others will be similarly treated by others. One that raises one's voice in weeping over others will have others raise their voices over them.
How does this passage from the Talmud challenge the midrash's and Rashi's approach?
ועשית עמדי חסד ואמת וגו'. יש כאן בקשה על צד האמת ועל צד החסד, על צד האמת היינו דבר שאינו מצפה לתשלום גמול, ועל צד החסד היינו דבר המצפה לתשלום גמול, כי בקשה שבקש ממנו לקוברו זה דבר המצפה לתשלום גמול כדמסיק (במועד קטן כח:) דקבר יקברוניה כו', אבל מה שבקש ממנו לקברו בארץ כנען, זה חסד שאינו מצפה לתשלום גמול ד״א מה שבקש שלא יקברנו במצרים שלא יעשוהו ע״ג זהו מצד האמת חייבו לעשות כן להרים מכשול מן המצרים, אבל מה שבקש שיקבור אותו דווקא בארץ כנען זהו על צד החסד.
There is here a request from truth and a request from chesed. From truth, it is something for which no recompense is expected. From chesed, it is something for which one does expect recompense. The request that Jacob makes for Joseph to bury him, this is something for which recompense is expected, as we learn in the Talmud (Moed Katan 28b), "One who buries will be buried." But his request for Joseph to bury him in Canaan, this is chesed for which no recompense is expected.
Another approach. The request not to be buried in Egypt, this is from the side of truth, which he is obligated to do to remove a stumbling block from the Egyptians. But his seeking to be buried specifically in Canaan, this is from the side of chesed.
Rabbi Yonatan Binyamin HaKohen of Solish (quoted in Itturei Torah by Aharon Yaako Greenberg on Genesis 47:29)
“At first blush, it would appear that the kindness one does for the dead also has compensation, because, as our Sages tell us (Moed Katan 28): If one eulogizes others, one is eulogized, if one buries others, one is buried.’ However, we should note that Rashi states that ‘one does not look forward to the payment of a recompense.’ In other words, there is indeed compensation, even for doing something for the dead, but no one looks forward to this compensation or wants to receive it. On the contrary, every person hopes that he will live a long life.”
(כא) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֔ף הִנֵּ֥ה אָנֹכִ֖י מֵ֑ת וְהָיָ֤ה אֱלֹקִים֙ עִמָּכֶ֔ם וְהֵשִׁ֣יב אֶתְכֶ֔ם אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ אֲבֹתֵיכֶֽם׃(כב) וַאֲנִ֞י נָתַ֧תִּֽי לְךָ֛ שְׁכֶ֥ם אַחַ֖ד עַל־אַחֶ֑יךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לָקַ֙חְתִּי֙ מִיַּ֣ד הָֽאֱמֹרִ֔י בְּחַרְבִּ֖י וּבְקַשְׁתִּֽי׃ {פ}
(21) Then Israel said to Joseph, “I am about to die; but God will be with you and bring you back to the land of your ancestors.(22) And now, I assign to you one portion more than to your brothers, which I wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow.”
(יט) ואומרו חסד ואמת, רז"ל אמרו (ב"ר פ' צ"ו) כי חסד העשוי עם המתים קרוי חסד של אמת. וקשה לי הלא מצינו לו ליעקב ששילם לו חסד זה שנאמר (מ"ח כ"ב) ואני נתתי לך שכם אחד וגו' ופירש"י אתה טורח בשביל קבורתי ואני נתתי וגו'...(כ)ואולי כי נתכוון כי יוסף יעשה הדבר כדרך זה. או אפשר כי בערך המעשה לא יוכר הפרעון שתנתן לו שכם אחד. או לצד שבקש ממנו ב' דברים האחת שלא יקברנו במצרים וישתדל בהוצאתו מעיר גילולים, והב' שיעלה הוא ויקברהו בארץ כנען, ואמר חסד של אמת על בחינת העליה מארץ מצרים, ...
As for that which Jacob said, kindness and truth, our Sages, of blessed memory, explain that kindness performed with the dead is true kindness. But it is difficult for me, for we find that in fact Jacob did repay Joseph for his kindness, as it is stated, And as for me, I have given you one portion more than your brothers (Gen. 48:22), and Rashi explains that Jacob was telling Joseph, "Since you are exerting yourself for my burial--and as for me, I have given you one portion, the city of Shechem as a burial place for you."...
Perhaps Jacob's intent was that although he would repay Joseph for his efforts, Joseph should do it in this manner, i.e. fulfill his father's request like someone who performs a true kindness, without expecting any repayment.
What would this look like?
Alternatively, it is possible that Jacob calls it a true kindness because in comparison to the difficulty of the task, the payment that he was giving him, "the one portion more than your brothers," was insignificant.
Is this convincing?
Alternatively, Because Jacob asked Joseph for two things--1) that he should not bury him in Egypt but should see to it that his body be removed from the city of idols; and 2) that Joseph himself should go up and bury him in the land of Canaan. Thus, when he said he was asking Joseph for a true kindness, he was referring to taking him out of the land of Egypt. Jacob did not repay him for this and it was done as a true kindness...
How is this third explanation different from the previous two?
What do you think this phrase means?