Tanach · Acharonim on Tanach · Or HaChaim · Torah

Or HaChaim on Genesis 50:4/אור החיים על בראשית נ׳:ד׳

אאֶל בֵּית פַּרְעֹה לֵאמֹר. פֵּרוּשׁ, שֶׁגַּם סֵדֶר דִּבְּרוֹ אֲלֵיהֶם יֹאמְרוּ אֶל פַּרְעֹה, כִּי הוּא חִלָּה פְנֵיהֶם בְּסֵדֶר זֶה וַיֵּט בָּזֶה חִנּוֹ בְּעֵינֵי פַּרְעֹה. אוֹ יֹאמַר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (יומא ד.) מִנַּיִן לָאוֹמֵר לַחֲבֵרוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא בְּבַל תֹּאמַר עַד שֶׁיֹּאמַר לוֹ אֱמוֹר, דִּכְתִיב ״וַיְדַבֵּר ה׳״ וְגוֹ׳ ״לֵאמֹר״ (ויקרא א:א), כְּמוֹ כֵן בְּמַה שֶׁלְּפָנֵינוּ הָרֹשֶׁם שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ סֵדֶר הַדִּבּוּר אֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר לָהֶם בְּדֶרֶךְ זֶה לְבֵית פַּרְעֹה.
1אל בית פרעה לאמור, to the household of Pharaoh to tell him, etc. This means that Joseph wanted the members of Pharaoh's household to tell the king not only the facts, but also the manner in which Joseph had related these facts. Joseph had pleaded with Pharaoh's advisers hoping that they in turn would assist him to have his wish approved. Alternatively, the Torah merely mentions the fact that Joseph asked the members of Pharaoh's household to speak to him because we learned in Yuma 4 that unless one gives express permission to relate something one has been told (even if not in confidence), it is forbidden to do so. We know this from when G'd Himself gave permission to relate what He had said (Leviticus 1,1).
באִם נָא מָצָאתִי. פֵּרוּשׁ, ״נָא״ לְשׁוֹן בַּקָּשָׁה וּזְמַן, כִּי אֵין מְצִיאוּת לְהַרְאוֹת לְיוֹסֵף חִבָּה וַחֲנִינוּת כִּי אִם בָּעֵת וּבָעוֹנָה הַזֹּאת, כִּי לֹא הָיָה צָרִיךְ לָהֶם לְשׁוּם דָּבָר.
2אם נא מצאתי חן, "If I may have found favour, etc." In this instance the word נא means both "please" and a reference to a specific time frame. Joseph meant that if Pharaoh really wanted to show his affection for Joseph, the time was right then when Pharaoh did not want anything from Joseph in return.
גדַּבְּרוּ נָא. פֵּרוּשׁ, עַתָּה תֵּכֶף וּמִיָּד, כִּי הָיָה יָרֵא לְאַחֵר קִיּוּם הַשְּׁבוּעָה.
3דברו נא, "please tell, etc." The meaning is "immediately." Joseph did not want to be tardy in fulfilling the oath he had sworn to his father.
דבְּאָזְנֵי פַרְעֹה לֵאמֹר. טַעַם אָמְרוֹ לֵאמֹר, נִתְכַּוֵּן שֶׁהֵם יֹאמְרוּ גַּם כֵּן מֵעַצְמָם לְרַצּוֹת פַּרְעֹה עַל הַדָּבָר לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ.
4באזני פרעה לאמור, "in Pharaoh's hearing, saying, etc." The reason that the word לאמור appears here again was that Joseph wanted these advisers of Pharaoh to volunteer such an appeal, not merely to be Joseph's messengers.