Study Desk

Yosef said to his father, "Not so, my father; for this is the firstborn; put your right hand on his head."

His father refused, and said, "I know, my son, I know. He also will become a people, and he also will be great. However, his younger brother will be greater than he, and his seed will become a multitude of nations."

Ya`akov called to his sons, and said: "Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come.

The scepter will not depart from Yehudah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

Binding his foal to the vine, His donkey's colt to the choice vine; He has washed his garments in wine, His robes in the blood of grapes:

His eyes will be red with wine, His teeth white with milk.

"Zevulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Tzidon.

He saw a resting-place, that it was good, The land, that it was pleasant; He bowed his shoulder to bear, And became a servant doing forced labor.

"Dan will judge his people, As one of the tribes of Yisra'el.

Dan will be a serpent in the way, An adder in the path, That bites the horse's heels, So that his rider falls backward.

Out of Asher his bread will be fat, He will yield royal dainties.

"Yosef is a fruitful bough, A fruitful bough by a spring; His branches run over the wall.

But his bow abode in strength, The arms of his hands were made strong, By the hands of the Mighty One of Ya`akov, (From there is the shepherd, the stone of Yisra'el),

The blessings of your father Have prevailed above the blessings of the ancient mountains, Than the bounty of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Yosef, On the crown of the head of him who is separated from his brothers.

All these are the twelve tribes of Yisra'el, and this is what their father spoke to them and blessed them. He blessed everyone according to his blessing.

There they buried Avraham and Sarah, his wife. There they buried Yitzchak and Rivka, his wife, and there I buried Le'ah:

When Ya`akov made an end of charging his sons, he gathered up his feet into the bed, and yielded up the spirit, and was gathered to his people.

Yosef fell on his father's face, wept on him, and kissed him.

Yosef commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm his father; and the physicians embalmed Yisra'el.

Yosef went up to bury his father; and with him went up all the servants of Par`oh, the Zakenim of his house, all the Zakenim of the land of Mitzrayim,