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Parshas Vayigash
1. At the end of our parsha, where the Torah relates how Yosef fed the inhabitants of the land of Egypt (and the land of Canaan), and that when they no longer had any money with which to buy food, Yosef gave them "bread" in exchange for their livestock, the pasuk1 says: "ויתן להם יוסף לחם בסוסים גו׳ וינהלם בלחם בכל מקניהם בשנה ההוא" ("And Yosef gave them bread in exchange for the horses… and he provided for them with bread in exchange for all their livestock in that year").
Rashi pauses on the word "וינהלם" and explains: "כמו וינהגם, ודומה לו: אין מנהל לה2, על מי מנוחות ינהלני3" ("Like 'and he led them'; and similar to it: 'There is none to guide her,' 'He leads me beside still waters'").
Learning it simply, Rashi comes here to translate the word "וינהלם," since it is a term that is not so common in Chumash; and therefore Rashi also brings proofs for his interpretation — that there are other places where the term "נהל" means "leading."
This is, however, not understood:
a) The term is also found earlier in Chumash4 — "אתנהלה לאטי" ("I will lead on slowly") — and there Rashi does not explain what the word means. So either way: if the five-year-old student knows the meaning of the word (and therefore Rashi need not translate it there, where the term appears (for the first time)), why is it necessary for him to explain it in our parsha5? And if the five-year-old does not know the meaning (and that is why Rashi explains it in our parsha), Rashi should have explained it the first time, at "I will lead on slowly"?
b) Why does Rashi bring two proofs for his interpretation — is one of the two not enough?
c) Why does Rashi bring the (first) proof from the pasuk (in Yeshayahu) "There is none to guide her," and not from an earlier pasuk (in Yeshayahu), "ועל מבועי מים ינהלם" ("And by springs of water He will guide them")6? Especially since (1) there the wording is truly similar to the word "וינהלם" in our pasuk, and (2) there the word has a positive content ("He will guide them"), just as in our case, whereas the pasuk "There is none to guide her" is, in its content, a negation.
d) Since by "וינהגם" Rashi means to translate the word "וינהלם"7, Rashi should have said (not "like וינהגם, etc."8, but rather) "וינהלם — a term of leading" (or "a term of וינהגם," and the like)9?
e) Why does Rashi say "ודומה לו" ("and similar to it")10 "There is none to guide her, etc.," and not "וכן" ("and likewise"), as is usual in Rashi's commentary11 in such cases?
This implies that "There is none to guide her" and "He leads me beside still waters" are not exactly like "וינהלם" in our pasuk.
2. The explanation of this:
Rashi wrote his commentary in Lashon HaKodesh12, and a word that is common in Lashon HaKodesh he need not translate, because one who learns Rashi knows its meaning.
Therefore Rashi need not translate the word "אתנהלה," for a five-year-old (who learns Rashi — in Lashon HaKodesh) knows its meaning: "I will lead (myself, and the children, the flocks and the herds)."
But in the pasuk in our parsha, where it says "וינהלם בלחם"13, one cannot translate that he "led" them (with "bread").
The Targum translates "וזנינון בלחמא" ("and he fed them with bread") — that he fed them with bread. But according to the plain meaning of the verse, Rashi cannot translate it this way, because the pasuk already says earlier, "And Yosef gave them bread in exchange for the horses…"; and although the pasuk here adds "for all their livestock in that year," this does not make it necessary to say once again "וינהלם בלחם" — it would have been enough simply to add "and for all their livestock in that year."
Therefore Rashi must explain "like וינהגם." Here Rashi does not mean to establish that "וינהלם" is a term of leading (since here that is neither sufficient nor fitting, as explained above); rather, by this he (also, and) primarily intends the word "וינהגם" as it appears in Tanach (in Tehillim14): "וינהגם כעדר במדבר" ("and He led them like a flock in the wilderness"). That is why he says "like וינהגם"15 and not "a term of leading" and the like16;
and this also explains the use of the word "וינהלם" in connection with bread, as will be explained.
3. The word "וינהגם" in Tehillim does not mean that the Almighty led them with ordinary walking in its simple sense, but that He led them with a special mode of conduct ("like a flock in the wilderness"), with all their needs — as a shepherd leads a flock that is in the wilderness, which comes about through devotion and the like, so that all their affairs should be in a fitting and good manner.
So too in our case: after the Torah relates that "ויתם הכסף גו׳ ויתן להם יוסף לחם גו׳" ("And the money was exhausted… and Yosef gave them bread…"), the pasuk adds that the giving was in the manner of "וינהלם בלחם גו׳ בשנה ההוא" ("he provided for them with bread… in that year") — he did not merely give them food16*, but he "managed" their provisioning in a special and fitting manner, calculating and apportioning the "bread" so that it would suffice them for a whole year17 (and not be used up all at once right at the beginning of the year, and the like)18.
[Similar to what the pasuk says earlier19, "ויכלכל יוסף את אביו ואת אחיו ואת כל בית אביו לחם לפי הטף" ("And Yosef sustained his father and his brothers and all his father's household with bread, according to the children"), meaning "according to what was needed for all the members of their household"20 — providing even for the fact that it is the way of small children to crumble the bread21.]
And just as we find in Yosef's conduct regarding the overall gathering of the grain during the seven years, that he took care and saw to it that the grain would keep for the entire time — as Rashi explains what the pasuk22 says, "ויתן אוכל בערים, אוכל שדה העיר אשר סביבותיה נתן בתוכה" ("And he placed food in the cities; the food of the field of the city, which was around it, he placed within it"), that Yosef did so because "each land preserves its own produce, and they put earth of that place into the grain, and it preserves the grain from rotting."
4. Since the meaning of "וינהלם" here is not ordinary leading in the simple sense, Rashi must therefore bring proofs and examples where we find the term "ניהול" not in the simple sense of leading another, but in the sense of a special kind of management. That is why Rashi says "ודומה לו: אין מנהל לה" ("and similar to it: There is none to guide her") — that there too, the meaning of "מנהל" is similar to "וינהלם," for since it speaks there about the Jewish people as a whole, it is plainly understood that it means management in a general content and sense23.
Accordingly, it is understood why Rashi does not bring the earlier pasuk (in Yeshayahu), "And by springs of water He will guide them" — because there it appears in continuation of the words "כי מרחמם ינהגם" ("for He Who has mercy on them will lead them")23*, where "He will lead them" (since it says simply "He Who has mercy on them will lead them," without specifying any particular detail of the leading) means a general leading; and therefore, seemingly, this need not be stated again. Hence "And by springs of water He will guide them" means, in its simple sense, actual physical leading24: He will lead them to (a place of) springs of water — continuing the beginning of the verse, "לא ירעבו ולא יצמאו גו׳" ("They shall not hunger nor thirst…")25.
Accordingly, it is also understood why Rashi does not bring here the pasuk from Beshalach26, "נהלת בעזך אל נוה קדשך" ("You guided them with Your strength to Your holy abode"), because there too one would learn, in the simple sense, that "You guided" refers to the leading of going "to Your holy abode"27.
The same applies to the other places in Nach28 where the term "ניהול" does not necessarily mean conducting in the general sense, but (also) the leading of walking in its simple sense.
5. However, the pasuk "There is none to guide her" is not a (sufficiently) exact parallel to our case. For although it does not mean leading in the sense of simple walking, the general management (by which one administers all the needs of the country and the people) is nevertheless similar to leading in the sense of simple walking —
and consequently it is no conclusive proof for our case, "וינהלם בלחם," that one could use the term "וינהלם," which indicates general conducting and ordering, regarding a particular matter of bread — of feeding.
Therefore Rashi brings a proof from a second pasuk, "He leads me beside still waters," where the term "ינהלני," which is in its broad sense, is used in connection with "still waters" — a particular matter of drinking.
And Rashi brings the proof from this pasuk specifically after the proof from the pasuk "There is none to guide her"29, because the pasuk "He leads me beside still waters" is a parable for the needs of man in general, as the chapter begins, "ה׳ רועי לא אחסר, בנאות דשא ירביצני" ("Hashem is my shepherd, I shall not lack; in green pastures He makes me lie down")30.
Consequently, one would have learned that the word "ינהלני," standing here in the style of a parable, refers to leading in the simple sense — "beside still waters" (like "And by springs of water He will guide them"), just like the beginning of the verse, "in green pastures He makes me lie down" — and not because of the content being discussed, namely that the Almighty provides all of one's needs (first and foremost, food and drink) as is proper.
But once we see from the pasuk "There is none to guide her" that the term "ניהול" is fitting not only for the leading of physical walking, we also translate "He leads me beside still waters" as referring to the matter of administering all the needs of man: the ordering and provision of food and drink, etc.
It turns out that specifically through both pesukim together is it "similar to it": the term "וינהלם" is used not only in connection with a physical leading of walking, or only regarding the general administration of a country and a people and the like, but also regarding a leading whose content is general, yet in connection with a particular matter — feeding31.
6. From the "wine of Torah" in Rashi's commentary:
On the pasuk32 "וילקט יוסף את כל הכסף הנמצא בארץ מצרים גו׳ ויבא יוסף את הכסף ביתה פרעה" ("And Yosef gathered all the money that was found in the land of Egypt… and Yosef brought the money into Pharaoh's house"), the Alter Rebbe explains in Torah Or33 that in the love of G‑d there are two general categories:
a) The love that is born of the intellect, from contemplation of the greatness of G‑d, etc. b) The hidden love that is present by nature in every Jew by virtue of his [G‑dly] soul [OCR unclear], which by its nature is drawn to the Almighty, Who is its source and root; only, this love is hidden — concealed and hidden — and through contemplation one arouses this love and brings it out from concealment into revelation.
The difference between these two kinds of love is like the difference between the two ways grain grows: a) grain that grows through sowing; b) the aftergrowth (sefichim) that grows by itself — not from a present sowing, but from an earlier sowing, "שנפל בה מכבר" ("that fell into it long before").
Similarly, this is the difference between the two loves: the love that comes into being through contemplation is like the growth that sprouts from the present sowing. Whereas the revelation of the hidden love is like the aftergrowth — it comes as if by itself, since this love was already "sown" in the soul "long before."
And the sowing of the hidden love in every Jew is accomplished by Yosef, the supernal Tzaddik, who is therefore called "גננא דגינתא" ("the gardener of the garden") — he sows and draws down the light into the "garden," into the source of the souls of Israel.
This is the meaning of "And Yosef gathered all the money… and brought… into Pharaoh's house": all the levels of chassadim (kindness — "money," kesef) that were drawn down to Yosef, he drew down into Malchus, the source of the souls of Israel — the drawing down of the hidden love to every Jew,
as is explained there at length.
7. It may be suggested that Rashi alludes to this idea in his comment, "וינהלם — like וינהגם; and similar to it: There is none to guide her, etc.":
The difference, simply, between the term "הנהגה" (leading) and the term "הנהלה" (managing): "הנהגה" is used (generally) for an open manner of conducting, a leading in which the closeness of the leader to the one led is plainly visible; the term "הנהלה" indicates a general manner of conducting, where it is not noticeable in a clear and open way how it is being conducted by the manager34.
And Rashi explains that the revelation of the hidden love ("וינהלם") that is present in every Jew is "like וינהגם" — it is drawn down and led by Yosef the Tzaddik; it is only "and similar to it: There is none to guide her" — it only appears as though it came from each Jew on his own. But since the root of this love is from the "אור קדמאה" ("primordial light"), which is above the order of hishtalshelus, it is not openly seen that it comes from Above.
Therefore Rashi continues and also brings the pasuk "He leads me beside still waters," in which both matters are alluded to:
The revelation of the lo[ve]… [OCR unclear: the source text breaks off here, in the middle of Section 7. The rest of this section, footnote 34, and the closing line (משיחות …) are missing from the OCR.]
Notes
1) 47:17.
2) Yeshayahu 51:18.
3) Tehillim 23:2.
4) Vayishlach 33:14.
5) Obviously there is no room to explain Rashi's comment here simply, as in Dikdukei Rashi (Be'er Rechovos), namely that because we find the word "הנהלולים" (Yeshayahu 7:19), which is a kind of low and lowly tree, which is impossible here, Rashi therefore needed to explain that this is a term of leading, "וינהלם." For since "it is impossible here," there is no need to exclude it and to explain that the word has its plain meaning (in addition to the fact that, according to Rashi on Yeshayahu there, the meaning of "הנהלולים" is "houses of praise," following the Targum there).
Seemingly, one could say that Rashi comes to exclude the Targum's interpretation, "וזנינון בלחמא" ("and he fed them with bread"). But according to this, the difference requires investigation between the wording of the exclusion here and in his comment in Parshas Beshalach (15:13): "נהלת — a term of guiding; and Onkelos translated it as a term of carrying and bearing, and did not take care to interpret according to the Hebrew wording." See also below, note 31.
6) 49:10. And see there earlier (40:11): "ובחיקו ישא, עלות ינהל" ("and He will carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes").
7) Rashi's intent in "like וינהגם" is not as though the verse had written "וינהגם" (see, for example, Rashi above, 47:13), with "ל" in place of "ג" — for according to Rashi we find (see Rashi, Kedoshim 19:16) that letters interchange only when they come from the same place of articulation.
8) So it is also in the first and second printings and in manuscripts of Rashi. But in a manuscript of Rashi (no. 173 [OCR unclear]) it reads "וינהלם — וינהגם."
9) See, for example, Rashi in our parsha, 45:18; 46:29. As for Rashi's writing in Beshalach there "a term of guiding (מנהל)," and not "like וינהגם" or "a term of leading" and the like (and also not bringing proofs for his interpretation) — that is because the meaning of the term "מנהל" is already known from Rashi in our parsha.
10) And likewise in his comment just before this, 47:13.
11) For example, in our parsha above, 46:29.
12) Compare the Responsa of the Rema, end of siman 128. And see Likkutei Sichos vol. 1, p. 142, note 21.
13) Accordingly, the version in the second printing and in some manuscripts of Rashi, in which the opening words of the comment also include the word "(וינהלם) בלחם," is all the more understandable. But even according to our version (and so it is in the first printing and in manuscripts) it is understood, since the content of this entire pasuk concerns bread.
14) 78:52.
15) Since this word (וינהגם) appears only once in Tanach, Rashi need not cite another word (and the like) from the verse in order to identify the verse precisely.
16) But one cannot say that Rashi's intent in "like וינהגם" is only to the content of the word "וינהגם," that is: plainly we would interpret "הנהלה" as relating to physical action ("I will lead on slowly") and "הנהגה" as relating to spiritual guidance; and therefore Rashi explains that this is not necessarily so, since "וינהלם" is "like וינהגם" — the same matter and content. [This cannot be said,] because in most places in the Torah, and especially before this pasuk, the term "הנהגה" is used for physical leading (see, for example, Vayeitzei 31:18, 26).
16*) Compare the Akeidas Yitzchak at the end of our parsha: "This is what it says, 'וינהלם בלחם גו׳' — for in His mercy He will guide them, to give them a remnant in the land."
17) See Rabbeinu Bachya on our parsha, 47:14.
18) See also Sforno on the pasuk. However, he (apparently) interprets the word "וינהלם" as "he led them slowly" (as interpreted in Beshalach 15:13; Metzudos on Yeshayahu 40:11*; Divrei HaYamim II 32:22. And see Ibn Ezra and Radak on Yeshayahu there; Mahari Kara on Yeshayahu 51:18; Ibn Ezra on Tehillim 31:4) — unlike Rashi's view, that its meaning is (only) "like וינהגם." And see below, note 23.
*) Unlike Rashi there: "ינהל — like מנהל" ("He will guide — a term of guiding").
19) Our parsha, there, 12.
20) Rashi there.
21) See Sifsei Chachamim there.
22) Mikeitz 41:48.
23) Accordingly, it is understood that in Rashi's view "וינהלם" (and the term "ניהול" in general) does not mean leading gently and slowly and the like (as the commentators cited in note 18), for it is not fitting to say "מנהל" (in its general sense — administrator and leader) slowly.
23*) Perhaps it can be said (accordingly) that this is why Rashi needed to explain in Beshalach there, "נהלת — a term of guiding," since the verse says before it "נחית בחסדך" ("You led with Your kindness"), whose meaning is leading [and it can be said that for this reason Targum Onkelos there renders "סוברתא"; or because of the wording "(נהלת) בעזך" ("with Your strength"), which fits better with the interpretation of carrying and bearing]. Nevertheless, Rashi explains that "נהלת" too is "a term of guiding," for these are two matters: "נחית בחסדך" (leading with kindness) "the people You redeemed"; "נהלת בעזך אל נוה קדשך" ("You guided them with Your strength to Your holy abode"). And see Ibn Ezra there.
24) See the Targum there, which renders "(מרחמם) ינהגם" as "ודברינון," and "ינהלם" as "שרינין" [OCR unclear].
25) And this is obvious regarding the verse "and He will carry them in His bosom; He will gently lead the nursing ewes," which is interpreted as referring to the physical action involved.
26) 15:13.
27) Since it says "to Your holy abode" — to a specific place, which indicates more an actual leading; unlike the wording "and He led them like a flock in the wilderness."
28) Tehillim 31:4. Divrei HaYamim II 28:15: "וינהלום בחמורים" ("and they carried them on donkeys") (see the commentators there); 32:23 [possibly 32:22]: "וינהלם מסביב" ("and He guided them on every side") (see Metzudos and Targum there).
29) Note that in the second printing of Rashi it reads "ועל מי מנוחות" (with a vav [OCR unclear]).
30) See Rashi and the commentators on Tehillim there.
31) Perhaps it can be said that Targum Onkelos's "וזנינון בלחמא" too is not a translation of the word "וינהלם," but an explanation of the matter [as is his way in many places, and as Rashi explains the intent of Targum Onkelos (for example, Lech Lecha 14:6; Vayechi 49:12), and elsewhere] — that the meaning of the verse's "וינהלם בלחם" (after having already said "And Yosef gave them bread") is "וזנינון בלחמא" — sustenance and provision in the broad sense, meaning effort and the giving of food in a beneficial and fitting manner. And see the Targum on Tehillim 31:4.
And it can be said that this is why Rashi does not write here that Onkelos "did not take care to interpret according to the Hebrew wording," as in Parshas Beshalach — for it is self-understood that Onkelos does not come to translate the word "וינהלם," but to explain the matter; unlike his translation in Parshas Beshalach.
32) Our parsha, 47:14.
33) Our parsha, 44b ff.
34) [OCR unclear: the text of note 34 is missing from the source.]
Key Lesson
Yosef did not merely hand out bread; he managed it with care, so that it would last the whole year and meet every need. In the same way, the hidden love of G‑d in every Jew is planted and guided from Above through Yosef, the supernal Tzaddik, even when it seems to arise on its own. Our task is to recognize that source and to bring that love out into the open.