TORAH
FIVE BOOKS OF MOSES
NEVI'IM
PROPHETS
KETUVIM
WRITINGS

Chapter 50

Listen to this chapter in Hebrew:

1Yosef flung himself upon his father's face and wept over him and kissed him.

אוַיִּפֹּל יוֹסֵף עַל־פְּנֵי אָבִיו וַיֵּבְךְּ עָלָיו וַיִּשַּׁק־לוֹ׃

2Then Yosef ordered the physicians in his service to embalm his father, and the physicians embalmed Yisrael.

בוַיְצַו יוֹסֵף אֶת־עֲבָדָיו אֶת־הָרֹפְאִים לַחֲנֹט אֶת־אָבִיו וַיַּחַנְטוּ הָרֹפְאִים אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל׃

3It required forty days, for such is the full period of embalming. The Egyptians bewailed him seventy days;

גוַיִּמְלְאוּ־לוֹ אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם כִּי כֵּן יִמְלְאוּ יְמֵי הַחֲנֻטִים וַיִּבְכּוּ אֹתוֹ מִצְרַיִם שִׁבְעִים יוֹם׃

4and when the wailing period was over, Yosef spoke to Pharaoh's court, saying, “Do me this favor, and lay this appeal before Pharaoh:

דוַיַּעַבְרוּ יְמֵי בְכִיתוֹ וַיְדַבֵּר יוֹסֵף אֶל־בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר אִם־נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֵיכֶם דַּבְּרוּ־נָא בְּאָזְנֵי פַרְעֹה לֵאמֹר׃

5‘My father made me swear, saying, “I am about to die. Be sure to bury me in the grave which I made ready for myself in the land of Canaan.” Now, therefore, let me go up and bury my father; then I shall return.'”

האָבִי הִשְׁבִּיעַנִי לֵאמֹר הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי מֵת בְּקִבְרִי אֲשֶׁר כָּרִיתִי לִי בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן שָׁמָּה תִּקְבְּרֵנִי וְעַתָּה אֶעֱלֶה־נָּא וְאֶקְבְּרָה אֶת־אָבִי וְאָשׁוּבָה׃

6And Pharaoh said, “Go up and bury your father, as he made you promise on oath.”

ווַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה עֲלֵה וּקְבֹר אֶת־אָבִיךָ כַּאֲשֶׁר הִשְׁבִּיעֶךָ׃

7So Yosef went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the officials of Pharaoh, the senior members of his court, and all of Egypt's dignitaries,

זוַיַּעַל יוֹסֵף לִקְבֹּר אֶת־אָבִיו וַיַּעֲלוּ אִתּוֹ כָּל־עַבְדֵי פַרְעֹה זִקְנֵי בֵיתוֹ וְכֹל זִקְנֵי אֶרֶץ־מִצְרָיִם׃

8together with all of Yosef's household, his brothers, and his father's household; only their children, their flocks, and their herds were left in the region of Goshen.

חוְכֹל בֵּית יוֹסֵף וְאֶחָיו וּבֵית אָבִיו רַק טַפָּם וְצֹאנָם וּבְקָרָם עָזְבוּ בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן׃

9Chariots, too, and horsemen went up with him; it was a very large troop.

טוַיַּעַל עִמּוֹ גַּם־רֶכֶב גַּם־פָּרָשִׁים וַיְהִי הַמַּחֲנֶה כָּבֵד מְאֹד׃

10When they came to Goren ha-Atad, which is beyond the Yarden, they held there a very great and solemn lamentation; and he observed a mourning period of seven days for his father.

יוַיָּבֹאוּ עַד־גֹּרֶן הָאָטָד אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן וַיִּסְפְּדוּ־שָׁם מִסְפֵּד גָּדוֹל וְכָבֵד מְאֹד וַיַּעַשׂ לְאָבִיו אֵבֶל שִׁבְעַת יָמִים׃

11And when the Canaanite inhabitants of the land saw the mourning at Goren ha-Atad, they said, “This is a solemn mourning on the part of the Egyptians.” That is why it was named Abel-mizraim, which is beyond the Yarden.

יאוַיַּרְא יוֹשֵׁב הָאָרֶץ הַכְּנַעֲנִי אֶת־הָאֵבֶל בְּגֹרֶן הָאָטָד וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵבֶל־כָּבֵד זֶה לְמִצְרָיִם עַל־כֵּן קָרָא שְׁמָהּ אָבֵל מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר בְּעֵבֶר הַיַּרְדֵּן׃

12Thus his sons did for him as he had instructed them.

יבוַיַּעֲשׂוּ בָנָיו לוֹ כֵּן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּם׃

13His sons carried him to the land of Canaan, and buried him in the cave of the field of Machpelah, the field near Mamre, which Avraham had bought for a burial site from Ephron the Hittite.

יגוַיִּשְׂאוּ אֹתוֹ בָנָיו אַרְצָה כְּנַעַן וַיִּקְבְּרוּ אֹתוֹ בִּמְעָרַת שְׂדֵה הַמַּכְפֵּלָה אֲשֶׁר קָנָה אַבְרָהָם אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶה לַאֲחֻזַּת־קֶבֶר מֵאֵת עֶפְרֹן הַחִתִּי עַל־פְּנֵי מַמְרֵא׃

14After burying his father, Yosef returned to Egypt, he and his brothers and all who had gone up with him to bury his father.

ידוַיָּשָׁב יוֹסֵף מִצְרַיְמָה הוּא וְאֶחָיו וְכָל־הָעֹלִים אִתּוֹ לִקְבֹּר אֶת־אָבִיו אַחֲרֵי קָבְרוֹ אֶת־אָבִיו׃

15When Yosef's brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Yosef still bears a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrong that we did him!”

טווַיִּרְאוּ אֲחֵי־יוֹסֵף כִּי־מֵת אֲבִיהֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ לוּ יִשְׂטְמֵנוּ יוֹסֵף וְהָשֵׁב יָשִׁיב לָנוּ אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר גָּמַלְנוּ אֹתוֹ׃

16So they sent this message to Yosef, “Before his death your father left this instruction:

טזוַיְצַוּוּ אֶל־יוֹסֵף לֵאמֹר אָבִיךָ צִוָּה לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ לֵאמֹר׃

17So shall you say to Yosef, ‘Forgive, I urge you, the offense and guilt of your brothers who treated you so harshly.' Therefore, please forgive the offense of the servants of the God of your father.” And Yosef was in tears as they spoke to him.

יזכֹּה־תֹאמְרוּ לְיוֹסֵף אָנָּא שָׂא נָא פֶּשַׁע אַחֶיךָ וְחַטָּאתָם כִּי־רָעָה גְמָלוּךָ וְעַתָּה שָׂא נָא לְפֶשַׁע עַבְדֵי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ וַיֵּבְךְּ יוֹסֵף בְּדַבְּרָם אֵלָיו׃

18His brothers went to him themselves, flung themselves before him, and said, “We are prepared to be your slaves.”

יחוַיֵּלְכוּ גַּם־אֶחָיו וַיִּפְּלוּ לְפָנָיו וַיֹּאמְרוּ הִנֶּנּוּ לְךָ לַעֲבָדִים׃

19But Yosef said to them, “Have no fear! Am I a substitute for Hashem?

יטוַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵהֶם יוֹסֵף אַל־תִּירָאוּ כִּי הֲתַחַת אֱלֹהִים אָנִי׃

20Besides, although you intended me harm, Hashem intended it for good, so as to bring about the present result—the survival of many people.

כוְאַתֶּם חֲשַׁבְתֶּם עָלַי רָעָה אֱלֹהִים חֲשָׁבָהּ לְטֹבָה לְמַעַן עֲשֹׂה כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה לְהַחֲיֹת עַם־רָב׃

21And so, fear not. I will sustain you and your children.” Thus he reassured them, speaking kindly to them.

כאוְעַתָּה אַל־תִּירָאוּ אָנֹכִי אֲכַלְכֵּל אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת־טַפְּכֶם וַיְנַחֵם אוֹתָם וַיְדַבֵּר עַל־לִבָּם׃

22So Yosef and his father's household remained in Egypt. Yosef lived one hundred and ten years.

כבוַיֵּשֶׁב יוֹסֵף בְּמִצְרַיִם הוּא וּבֵית אָבִיו וַיְחִי יוֹסֵף מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים׃

23Yosef lived to see children of the third generation of Efraim; the children of Machir son of Menashe were likewise born upon Yosef's knees.

כגוַיַּרְא יוֹסֵף לְאֶפְרַיִם בְּנֵי שִׁלֵּשִׁים גַּם בְּנֵי מָכִיר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁה יֻלְּדוּ עַל־בִּרְכֵּי יוֹסֵף׃

24At length, Yosef said to his brothers, “I am about to die. Hashem will surely take notice of you and bring you up from this land to the land that He promised on oath to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov.”

va-YO-mer yo-SAYF el e-KHAV a-no-KHEE MAYT vay-lo-HEEM pa-KOD yif-KOD et-KHEM v'-he-e-LAH et-KHEM min ha-A-retz ha-ZOT el ha-A-retz a-SHER nish-BA l'-av-ra-HAM l'-yitz-KHAHK ul-ya-a-KOV

כדוַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל־אֶחָיו אָנֹכִי מֵת וֵאלֹהִים פָּקֹד יִפְקֹד אֶתְכֶם וְהֶעֱלָה אֶתְכֶם מִן־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב׃

 50:24   Hashem will surely take notice of you

These words are spoken by Yosef to reassure his brothers that Hashem will one day bring the Israelites out of Egypt and into Eretz Yisrael. The Sages point out that the phrase used by Yosef, “surely take notice,” is repeated many years later by Moshe when he tells the Jewish people that the time had come for their redemption (see Exodus 3:16). Yosef initiated an oral tradition among the descendants of Yaakov; the words “surely take notice” became a code for their national redemption. When later generations hear this phrase uttered by Moshe, they understand that their redemption is imminent.

 

 50:24   To Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Yaakov.

The story of the origins of the Jewish nation through God’s selection of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov is timeless. Though God indeed fulfilled His promise redeem Avraham’s children from Egypt, the story does not end there; it continues to unfold over thousands of years. Hashem made an eternal promise to Avraham and to his descendants, the Jewish people. While there are many difficult times along the way — persecution, slavery, exile, pogroms, and even the horrors of the twentieth century — the Jewish people will ultimately emerge as a great nation residing in Eretz Yisrael.

25So Yosef made the sons of Yisrael swear, saying, “When Hashem has taken notice of you, you shall carry up my bones from here.”

כהוַיַּשְׁבַּע יוֹסֵף אֶת־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר פָּקֹד יִפְקֹד אֱלֹהִים אֶתְכֶם וְהַעֲלִתֶם אֶת־עַצְמֹתַי מִזֶּה׃

26Yosef died at the age of one hundred and ten years; and he was embalmed and placed in a coffin in Egypt.

כווַיָּמָת יוֹסֵף בֶּן־מֵאָה וָעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וַיַּחַנְטוּ אֹתוֹ וַיִּישֶׂם בָּאָרוֹן בְּמִצְרָיִם׃