Vayeishev 37:14 · unit 2

Parashas Vayeishev · Passuk 37:14

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ לֶךְ־נָ֨א רְאֵ֜ה אֶת־שְׁל֤וֹם אַחֶ֙יךָ֙ וְאֶת־שְׁל֣וֹם הַצֹּ֔אן וַהֲשִׁבֵ֖נִי דָּבָ֑ר וַיִּשְׁלָחֵ֙הוּ֙ מֵעֵ֣מֶק חֶבְר֔וֹן וַיָּבֹ֖א שְׁכֶֽמָה׃

And he said to him: Go now, see whether it is well with your brothers, and well with the flock; and bring me back word. So he sent him out of the valley of Chevron, and he came to Shechem.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sotah 11a.

Sefaria — Sotah 11a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בַּר פָּפָּא: בְּעֵצָה עֲמֻקָּה שֶׁל אוֹתוֹ צַדִּיק הַקָּבוּר בְּחֶבְרוֹן, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ ״יָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי גֵר יִהְיֶה זַרְעֲךָ״.

English: Rabbi Chanina bar Pappa said: With the deep counsel of that righteous one who is buried in Chevron, as it is written concerning him “Know with certainty that your seed shall be a stranger.”

On the daf / in context: Sotah 11a reads the sending from the valley of Chevron as an allusion to the covenant made with Avraham, who is buried there, foreshadowing the exile.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli sugya) — not a formal named middah of the 13. “Valley of Chevron” is linked to the deep plan already known to the Patriarch buried there.

What Is Learned

Yosef’s departure from the valley of Chevron was part of the long-standing divine counsel revealed to Avraham, that his descendants would be strangers in a land not theirs.