(א) מִזְמ֥וֹר לְתוֹדָ֑ה הָרִ֥יעוּ לַ֝יהוה כׇּל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (ב) עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יהוה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה בֹּ֥אוּ לְ֝פָנָ֗יו בִּרְנָנָֽה׃
(1) A psalm of gratitude;
Rejoice in G8D, all the earth;
(2) serve the Holy One in gladness;
come into G8d's presence with shouts of joy.
(א)ואגידה לכם. בִּקֵּשׁ לְגַלּוֹת אֶת הַקֵּץ וְנִסְתַּלְּקָה מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁכִינָה וְהִתְחִיל אוֹמֵר דְּבָרִים אַחֵרִים:
(1) ואגידה לכם THAT I MAY TELL YOU — He wished to reveal to them the end of Israel’s exile but the Shechinah departed from him and he began to speak of other things (Genesis Rabbah 98:2).
וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל וְגוֹ׳. קָשֶׁה, וַהֲלֹא שְׁבַע עֶשׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִים לְפָנָיו לִלְמוֹד תּוֹרָה, וְאֵיךְ שׁוֹאֵל עֲלֵיהֶם? וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה אָמְרוּ (תנחומא) כִּי רָאָה בָּהֶם רְאִיָּה שִׂכְלִיִּית שֶׁעָתִיד לָצֵאת מֵהֶם רְשָׁעִים, וְזֶה דֶּרֶךְ דְּרָשׁ. וְצָרִיךְ לְפָרֵשׁ הַכָּתוּב כְּפִי פְּשׁוּטוֹ, וְהוּא כִּי גִּלָּה לָנוּ הַכָּתוּב שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב כָּבְדוּ עֵינָיו מִזּוֹקֶן שֶׁלֹּא הָיָה יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת וּלְהַכִּיר, וּלְצַד זֶה הֲגַם שֶׁרָאָה שְׁנֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם עוֹמְדִים לְפָנָיו לְבַד יוֹסֵף שֶׁעִמּוֹ הָיָה מְדַבֵּר וְהִכִּירוֹ לְצַד שֶׁהוֹדִיעוּהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ לוֹ (בראשית מח:ב) ״הִנֵּה בִּנְךָ יוֹסֵף״ כָּאָמוּר לְמַעְלָה, וְהַבָּנִים לֹא הִכִּירָם, לָזֶה שָׁאוֹל שָׁאַל עֲלֵיהֶם ״מִי אֵלֶּה״?
וירא ישראל את בני יוסף, Israel saw the sons of Joseph, etc. It is difficult to understand how Jacob failed to recognize grandsons
whom he had tutored for the last 17 years on a regular and frequent basis. Tanchuma on our portion explains that Jacob saw with his mental eye that in the future some evil people would come out of Menashe. This is homiletics, of course. We need to be able to explain the plain meaning of the verse also, and this is why the Torah reveals here that Jacob's eyesight had begun to fail him so that he could not see clearly and recognise people. Hence, although Jacob was aware that in addition to Joseph with whom he was speaking two other human beings were standing in front of him, he had recognised Joseph because he had been told in verse 2 that Joseph had come to visit him. He did not recognise Joseph's sons, however, and this is why he asked who they were.
(ז) אָר֤וּר אַפָּם֙ כִּ֣י עָ֔ז וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם כִּ֣י קָשָׁ֑תָה אֲחַלְּקֵ֣ם בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}(ח) יְהוּדָ֗ה אַתָּה֙ יוֹד֣וּךָ אַחֶ֔יךָ יָדְךָ֖ בְּעֹ֣רֶף אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ יִשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֥י אָבִֽיךָ׃
(7) Cursed be their anger so fierce,
And their wrath so relentless.
I will divide them in Jacob,
Scatter them in Israel.
(8) You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise;
Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes;
Your father’s sons shall bow low to you.
(כח)כׇּל־אֵ֛לֶּה שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֑ר וְ֠זֹ֠את אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר לָהֶ֤ם אֲבִיהֶם֙ וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אוֹתָ֔ם אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּבִרְכָת֖וֹ בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֹתָֽם׃
(28) All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what their father said to them as he bade them farewell, addressing to each a parting word appropriate to him.
עוֹד אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁנִּתְכַּוֵּן יַעֲקֹב לְעוֹרֵר אַהֲבַת הָאָב עַל הַבֵּן קוֹדֶם שֶׁיְּבָרְכֵם, כְּדֵי שֶׁתִּהְיֶה הַבְּרָכָה בְּתִגְבּוֹרֶת הָאַהֲבָה וְהַחִבָּה. וְלָזֶה שָׁאַל מִי אֵלֶּה, כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע מִפִּי בְּנוֹ הֶחָבִיב אֶצְלוֹ לוֹמַר ״בָּנַי הֵם״ וְיֶהֱמוּ מֵעָיו לָהֶם, וְהוּא סוֹד (ירמיהו לא:כ) ״מִדֵּי דַבְּרִי בּוֹ וְגוֹ׳ רַחֵם אֲרַחֲמֶנּוּ״ וְגוֹ׳:
It is also possible that Jacob wanted to arouse feelings of love in the heart of the children's father before he commenced to bless them. In such circumstances the effectiveness of the blessing is enhanced. By asking מי אלה, Jacob was sure he would elicit the response of a proud father, someone who loved his children.
וזאת אשר דבר להם אביהם ויברך אותם. וַהֲלֹא יֵשׁ מֵהֶם שֶׁלֹּא בֵּרְכָם אֶלָּא קִנְטְרָן? אֶלָּא כָךְ פֵּרוּשׁוֹ: וְזֹאת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם מַה שֶּׁנֶאֱמַר בָּעִנְיָן; יָכוֹל שֶׁלֹּא בֵרַךְ לִרְאוּבֵן, שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי, תַּ"לֹ וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם – כֻּלָּם בְּמַשְׁמָע:
וזאת אשר דבר להם אביהם ויברך אתם AND THIS IS IT THAT THEIR FATHER SPOKE UNTO THEM WHEN (literally, and) HE BLESSED THEM — But were there not some of his sons whom he did not bless but whom, on the contrary, he reproached? But this is the explanation of these words: and this is it that their father spake unto them, viz., all that has been said above in this chapter, whether it be blessing or reproach. You might therefore think that he did not bless Reuben, Simeon and Levi at all — Scripture therefore states, “and he blessed them” (i.e. the 12 tribes alluded to at the beginning of the verse) which implies all of them. (Pesikta Rabbati 7).