Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah
Or HaChaim on Genesis 47:18/אור החיים על בראשית מ״ז:י״ח
אלֹא נְכַחֵד מֵאֲדֹנִי וְגוֹ׳. קָשֶׁה מָה כַּוָּנָתָם בְּאָמְרָם לֹא נְכַחֵד, וְהֵיאַךְ יְכוֹלִין לְכַחֵד בְּדָבָר שֶׁעוֹמֵד לְהִתְבָּרֵר, שֶׁאִם יֹאמְרוּ כִּי לֹא תַם צְרִיכִין לַהֲבִיאוֹ, וּמָה הִיא אֲמָנָה זוֹ שֶׁאוֹמְרִים לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַכְחִידוּ אֶת הַדָּבָר? עוֹד צָרִיךְ לָדַעַת אָמְרָם כִּי אִם שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם מַשְׁמָעוּת. עוֹד, הֲלֹא כְּבָר אָמְרוּ לוֹ בְּשָׁנָה רִאשׁוֹנָה אָפֵס כָּסֶף. עוֹד צָרִיךְ לָדַעַת כַּוָּנַת אָמְרָם וּמִקְנֵה וְגוֹ׳ אֶל אֲדֹנִי.
1 לא נכחד מאדוני, "we will not hide the fact from my lord, etc." The expression "we will not hide" presents a difficulty. What was the point of speaking of hiding something which was bound to be revealed if indeed it existed? On the other hand, if they were to claim that their livestock and money had not been exhausted they had to deliver it! Why would they say that they would not conceal the existence of money or livestock? Besides, what is the meaning of the words כי אם? Furthermore, they had told Joseph already at the end of the previous year that their money supply was exhausted? Why did the Egytians say to Joseph: "and the livestock is all gone to you, sir?"
בוְאוּלַי שֶׁנִּתְכַּוְּנוּ לוֹמַר עַל זֶה הַדֶּרֶךְ לֹא נְכַחֵד וְגוֹ׳, פֵּרוּשׁ, אֵין לָנוּ כֶּסֶף וְאָנוּ מַכְחִידִים אוֹתוֹ מֵאֲדוֹנִי, כִּי אִם הָאֱמֶת בְּמַה שֶׁהוּא תַּם הַכֶּסֶף. וְכַוָּנָתָם לְבַל יַחְשְׁדוּ אוֹתָם כִּי הֶעֱנוּ עַצְמָם וּבָאוּ לְבַקֵּשׁ בְּתוֹרַת צְדָקָה. וְאָמְרָם וּמִקְנֵה הַבְּהֵמָה אֶל אֲדֹנִי, פֵּרוּשׁ, כָּל מַה שֶׁיֵּשׁ מִמִּקְנֵה הַבְּהֵמָה הוּא שֶׁל אֲדוֹנִי, כִּי הוּא לֹא עָשָׂה גְּבוּל לַמִּקְנֶה אֶלָּא בְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל קָנָה הַכֹּל, כְּאָמְרוֹ ״וַיְנַהֲלֵם בְּכָל מִקְנֵיהֶם״. לָזֶה אָמְרוּ כִּי לֹא הֻצְרְכוּ לוֹמַר ״לֹא נְכַחֵד״ אֶלָּא בַּכֶּסֶף שֶׁהוּא דָבָר שֶׁיָּכוֹל לְהִטָּמֵן, אֲבָל מִקְנֵה הַבְּהֵמָה כָּל מַה שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם הוּא שֶׁל אֲדוֹנִי, בְּכָל מָקוֹם שֶׁהֵם שֶׁלּוֹ הֵם. וְאָמְרָם לֹא נִשְׁאַר וְגוֹ׳, לוֹמַר שֶׁאֵין לָהֶם לֹא כֶּסֶף וְלֹא שְׁוֵה כֶּסֶף.
2Perhaps what the Egyptians meant was: "we really have no more money, we are not hiding it, the money is truly exhausted." They did not want Joseph to suspect them of pretending to be destitute, asking for a handout. They added that as far as the livestock was concerned there was not even a need to tell Joseph they had none left, seeing Joseph had bought it all and it could not be hidden even if they tried. As a result the only thing they had left were their very bodies.
גוּלְפִי מַה שֶׁפֵּרַשְׁתִּי בַּפָּסוּק ״כִּי אָפֵס כָּסֶף״ בְּדֶרֶךְ שְׁנִיָּה, כִּי טָעֲנוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ לָהֶם אֶלָּא שֶׁאֵינוֹ מָצוּי בְּיָדָם, יִתְיַשֵּׁב הַכָּתוּב עַל נָכוֹן, כִּי בָּאוּ וְאָמְרוּ לוֹ לֹא יְכַחֲדוּ דָּבָר מִמֶּנּוּ כְּפַעַם רִאשׁוֹנָה שֶׁטָּעֲנוּ שֶׁקֶר שֶׁהָיָה לָהֶם אֶלָּא שֶׁמָּנַע מֵהֶם, לֹא כֵן הוּא, כִּי אִם תַּם מַמָּשׁ, פֵּרוּשׁ, נִשְׁלַם וְאֵין לָהֶם עוֹד כֶּסֶף. וּבָזֶה יְדֻיַּק לָמָּה בְּפַעַם רִאשׁוֹנָה אָמְרוּ ״אָפֵס״ וּבְפַעַם שְׁנִיָּה אָמְרוּ ״תַּם״.
3According to the alternative meaning of the words אפס כסף, that their cash receivables were not collectible at that time, the verse does not need any explanation at all. They told Joseph that when they argued previously that they had receivables but that those could not be collected at that time, that had been a lie, and they would not deny that they had lied in order to get Joseph to accept their livestock in payment for the grain. The fact was that at this time all their assets other than their bodies had been exhausted. This is the reason that whereas the first time around the Torah speaks about אפס כסף, i.e an absence of money, they now spoke about תם הכסף, that the money had been completely exhausted.
דוְאָמְרָם וּמִקְנֵה הַבְּהֵמָה אֶל אֲדֹנִי – פֵּרוּשׁ, מִקְנֵה הַבְּהֵמָה אֲשֶׁר הָיָה עַד עַתָּה לְבִטָּחוֹן עַד שֶׁיִּזְדַּמֵּן הַכֶּסֶף, מֵעַתָּה יִהְיֶה מֻחְלָט לְךָ, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ ״אֶל אֲדֹנִי״.
4When they said: ומקנה הבהמה אל אדוני, "and the livestock is all gone to you, sir," they referred to the livestock they had pledged in lieu of the cash they had not had available at the time they made their recent grain purchases. As of now, this livestock belonged to Joseph absolutely. This is why they added the word אדוני.