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Livesc. 1600 BCE by tradition

Josephיוסף

The whole life, beginning to end, told by the Torah, the Prophets, the Talmud and the Midrash in their own words. One chapter at a time.
chapters
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Chapter 14 of 14

Joseph's bones

Genesis 50:15-26

Genesis 50:15-26 · JPS 1917

וַיִּרְא֤וּ אֲחֵֽי־יוֹסֵף֙ כִּי־מֵ֣ת אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ ל֥וּ יִשְׂטְמֵ֖נוּ יוֹסֵ֑ף וְהָשֵׁ֤ב יָשִׁיב֙ לָ֔נוּ אֵ֚ת כׇּל־הָ֣רָעָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֥ר גָּמַ֖לְנוּ אֹתֽוֹ׃

And when Joseph’s brethren saw that their father was dead, they said: ‘It may be that Joseph will hate us, and will fully requite us all the evil which we did unto him.’

וַיְצַוּ֕וּ אֶל־יוֹסֵ֖ף לֵאמֹ֑ר אָבִ֣יךָ צִוָּ֔ה לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹת֖וֹ לֵאמֹֽר׃

And they sent a message unto Joseph, saying: ‘Thy father did command before he died, saying:

כֹּֽה־תֹאמְר֣וּ לְיוֹסֵ֗ף אָ֣נָּ֡א שָׂ֣א נָ֠א פֶּ֣שַׁע אַחֶ֤יךָ וְחַטָּאתָם֙ כִּי־רָעָ֣ה גְמָל֔וּךָ וְעַתָּה֙ שָׂ֣א נָ֔א לְפֶ֥שַׁע עַבְדֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ יוֹסֵ֖ף בְּדַבְּרָ֥ם אֵלָֽיו׃

So shall ye say unto Joseph: Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin, for that they did unto thee evil. And now, we pray thee, forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of thy father.’ And Joseph wept when they spoke unto him.

וַיֵּלְכוּ֙ גַּם־אֶחָ֔יו וַֽיִּפְּל֖וּ לְפָנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ הִנֶּ֥נּֽוּ לְךָ֖ לַעֲבָדִֽים׃

And his brethren also went and fell down before his face; and they said: ‘Behold, we are thy bondmen.’

וַיֹּ֧אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֛ם יוֹסֵ֖ף אַל־תִּירָ֑אוּ כִּ֛י הֲתַ֥חַת אֱלֹהִ֖ים אָֽנִי׃

And Joseph said unto them: ‘Fear not; for am I in the place of God?

וְאַתֶּ֕ם חֲשַׁבְתֶּ֥ם עָלַ֖י רָעָ֑ה אֱלֹהִים֙ חֲשָׁבָ֣הּ לְטֹבָ֔ה לְמַ֗עַן עֲשֹׂ֛ה כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה לְהַחֲיֹ֥ת עַם־רָֽב׃

And as for you, ye meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

וְעַתָּה֙ אַל־תִּירָ֔אוּ אָנֹכִ֛י אֲכַלְכֵּ֥ל אֶתְכֶ֖ם וְאֶֽת־טַפְּכֶ֑ם וַיְנַחֵ֣ם אוֹתָ֔ם וַיְדַבֵּ֖ר עַל־לִבָּֽם׃

Now therefore fear ye not; I will sustain you, and your little ones.’ And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.

וַיֵּ֤שֶׁב יוֹסֵף֙ בְּמִצְרַ֔יִם ה֖וּא וּבֵ֣ית אָבִ֑יו וַיְחִ֣י יוֹסֵ֔ף מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִֽים׃

And Joseph dwelt in Egypt, he, and his father’s house; and Joseph lived a hundred and ten years.

וַיַּ֤רְא יוֹסֵף֙ לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם בְּנֵ֖י שִׁלֵּשִׁ֑ים גַּ֗ם בְּנֵ֤י מָכִיר֙ בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֔ה יֻלְּד֖וּ עַל־בִּרְכֵּ֥י יוֹסֵֽף׃

And Joseph saw Ephraim’s children of the third generation; the children also of Machir the son of Manasseh were born upon Joseph’s knees.

וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יוֹסֵף֙ אֶל־אֶחָ֔יו אָנֹכִ֖י מֵ֑ת וֵֽאלֹהִ֞ים פָּקֹ֧ד יִפְקֹ֣ד אֶתְכֶ֗ם וְהֶעֱלָ֤ה אֶתְכֶם֙ מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את אֶל־הָאָ֕רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר נִשְׁבַּ֛ע לְאַבְרָהָ֥ם לְיִצְחָ֖ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹֽב׃

And Joseph said unto his brethren: ‘I die; but God will surely remember you, and bring you up out of this land unto the land which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.’

וַיַּשְׁבַּ֣ע יוֹסֵ֔ף אֶת־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר פָּקֹ֨ד יִפְקֹ֤ד אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהַעֲלִתֶ֥ם אֶת־עַצְמֹתַ֖י מִזֶּֽה׃

And Joseph took an oath of the children of Israel, saying: ‘God will surely remember you, and ye shall carry up my bones from hence.’

וַיָּ֣מׇת יוֹסֵ֔ף בֶּן־מֵאָ֥ה וָעֶ֖שֶׂר שָׁנִ֑ים וַיַּחַנְט֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ וַיִּ֥ישֶׂם בָּאָר֖וֹן בְּמִצְרָֽיִם׃

So Joseph died, being a hundred and ten years old. And they embalmed him, and he was put in a coffin in Egypt.

Exodus 13:19

Exodus 13:19 · JPS 1917

וַיִּקַּ֥ח מֹשֶׁ֛ה אֶת־עַצְמ֥וֹת יוֹסֵ֖ף עִמּ֑וֹ כִּי֩ הַשְׁבֵּ֨עַ הִשְׁבִּ֜יעַ אֶת־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר פָּקֹ֨ד יִפְקֹ֤ד אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְהַעֲלִיתֶ֧ם אֶת־עַצְמֹתַ֛י מִזֶּ֖ה אִתְּכֶֽם׃

And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him; for he had surely sworn the children of Israel, saying: ‘God will surely remember you; and ye shall carry up my bones away hence with you.’

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Joshua 24:32

Joshua 24:32 · JPS 1917

וְאֶת־עַצְמ֣וֹת י֠וֹסֵ֠ף אֲשֶׁר־הֶעֱל֨וּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל ׀ מִמִּצְרַ֘יִם֮ קָבְר֣וּ בִשְׁכֶם֒ בְּחֶלְקַ֣ת הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר קָנָ֧ה יַעֲקֹ֛ב מֵאֵ֛ת בְּנֵי־חֲמ֥וֹר אֲבִֽי־שְׁכֶ֖ם בְּמֵאָ֣ה קְשִׂיטָ֑ה וַיִּֽהְי֥וּ לִבְנֵֽי־יוֹסֵ֖ף לְנַחֲלָֽה׃

And the bones of Joseph, which the children of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried they in Shechem, in the parcel of ground which Jacob bought of the sons of Hamor the father of Shechem for a hundred pieces of money; and they became the inheritance of the children of Joseph.

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Mishnah Sotah 1:9

Mishnah Sotah 1:9 · Mishnah Yomit, Dr. Joshua Kulp

וְכֵן לְעִנְיַן הַטּוֹבָה. מִרְיָם הִמְתִּינָה לְמשֶׁה שָׁעָה אַחַת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות ב) וַתֵּתַצַּב אֲחֹתוֹ מֵרָחֹק, לְפִיכָךְ נִתְעַכְּבוּ לָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל שִׁבְעָה יָמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יב) וְהָעָם לֹא נָסַע עַד הֵאָסֵף מִרְיָם. יוֹסֵף זָכָה לִקְבֹּר אֶת אָבִיו, וְאֵין בְּאֶחָיו גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית נ) וַיַּעַל יוֹסֵף לִקְבֹּר אֶת אָבִיו, וַיַּעַל עִמּוֹ גַּם רֶכֶב גַּם פָּרָשִׁים. מִי לָנוּ גָדוֹל מִיּוֹסֵף, שֶׁלֹּא נִתְעַסֵּק בּוֹ אֶלָּא משֶׁה. משֶׁה זָכָה בְעַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף, וְאֵין בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל גָּדוֹל מִמֶּנּוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות יג) וַיִּקַּח משֶׁה אֶת עַצְמוֹת יוֹסֵף עִמּוֹ. מִי גָדוֹל מִמּשֶׁה, שֶׁלֹּא נִתְעַסֵּק בּוֹ אֶלָּא הַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לד) וַיִּקְבֹּר אֹתוֹ בַגַּיְא. לֹא עַל משֶׁה בִלְבַד אָמְרוּ, אֶלָּא עַל כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה נח) וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ כְּבוֹד ה' יַאַסְפֶךָ:

The same is true for good.Miriam waited one hour for Moses, as it is said, “And his sister stood afar off”, (Exodus 2:4), therefore Israel was delayed for her seven days in the wilderness, as it is said, “And the people did not journey until Miriam was brought in again” (Numbers 12:15). Joseph had the merit of burying his father and there was none among his brothers greater than he, as it is said, “And Joseph went up to bury his father…and there both chariots and horsemen went up with him” (Exodus 50:7,9). Whom do we have who is greater than Joseph since none other than Moses occupied himself [with his burial]? Moses had the merit [to bury] the bones of Joseph and there was none in Israel greater than he, as it is said, “And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him” (Exodus 13:19). Whom do have greater than Moses since none other than the Omnipresent was occupied [with his burial], as it is said, “And He buried him in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6)? Not only concerning Moses did they say this, but concerning all the righteous, as it is said, “And your righteousness shall go before your, the presence of God shall gather you [in death]” (Isaiah 58:8).

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Every word is the text itself, with its translator named. Texts from Sefaria.