Vayeishev 37:10 · unit 1

Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 37:10

The Complete Passuk

וַיְסַפֵּ֣ר אֶל־אָבִיו֮ וְאֶל־אֶחָיו֒ וַיִּגְעַר־בּ֣וֹ אָבִ֔יו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֔וֹ מָ֛ה הַחֲל֥וֹם הַזֶּ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר חָלָ֑מְתָּ הֲב֣וֹא נָב֗וֹא אֲנִי֙ וְאִמְּךָ֣ וְאַחֶ֔יךָ לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺ֥ת לְךָ֖ אָֽרְצָה׃

And he told it to his father and to his brothers; and his father rebuked him, and said unto him: What is this dream that you have dreamed? Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down to you to the earth?

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Berachos 34b.

Sefaria — Berachos 34b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: הִשְׁתַּחֲוָאָה — זוֹ פִּשּׁוּט יָדַיִם וְרַגְלַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״לְהִשְׁתַּחֲוֺת לְךָ אָרְצָה״.

English: Our Rabbis taught: Prostration is the spreading out of the hands and feet, as it is stated “to bow down to you to the earth.”

On the daf / in context: Berachos 34b defines the physical form of hishtachavah (full prostration) from the language of this verse.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. The phrase “to the earth” is taken as defining the complete posture of bowing.

What Is Learned

True hishtachavah requires stretching out both hands and feet upon the ground. The verse’s wording “to bow down to you to the earth” supplies the definition.