Tanach · Rishonim on Tanach · Ibn Ezra · Torah
Ibn Ezra on Genesis 49:12/אבן עזרא על בראשית מ״ט:י״ב
אולבן שנים. שם התואר ונקרא שנים על שם מערכות שנים בעבור היותם שתי מערכות, ואמר הגאון ז"ל, חכלילי עינים יותר מהיין, וכן אמר מחלב ואחרים אומרים, כי לבן שינים שלא יאכל דבר טמא ולא יתור אחר עיניו וזה דרך דרש משובש
1AND HIS TEETH WHITE. U-leven (white) is an adjective modifying shinnayim (teeth).96 means white teeth not whiteness of teeth; hence he points out that u-leven is an adjective (Filwarg). Shinnayim is in the dual form because the teeth are arranged in two sets.97 (ears), yadayim (hands). However, there is more than one tooth in the mouth. Hence the plural of shen (tooth) should not be in the dual form. I.E. thus explains that shinayyim is in the dual form because teeth come in two sets, an upper and a lower. Saadiah Gaon, of blessed memory, explains His eyes shall based with wine to mean that his eyes shall be redder than wine. He similarly explains And his teeth white with milk to mean that his teeth shall be whiter than milk.98 (with wine), and me-chalav (with milk). The mem can have the meaning more than. Thus mi-yayin can mean more than wine, and me-chalav, more than milk. Others say that And his teeth white with milk means that he will not eat an unclean thing and will not follow what his eyes see.99 The latter is a ridiculous homily.100
בוהזכיר בתחלה השבטים כאשר נולדו רק הקדים זבולן על יששכר בעבור נפול נחלתו בין זבולן ובין דן:
2Jacob at first enumerated the tribes101. in the order of their birth. However, he listed Zebulun before Issachar because Issachar’s inheritance fell between Zebulun and Dan.102