Vayigash 45:26 · unit 1

Parashas Vayigash · Passuk 45:26

The Complete Passuk

וַיַּגִּ֨דוּ ל֜וֹ לֵאמֹ֗ר ע֚וֹד יוֹסֵ֣ף חַ֔י וְכִֽי־ה֥וּא מֹשֵׁ֖ל בְּכׇל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וַיָּ֣פׇג לִבּ֔וֹ כִּ֥י לֹא־הֶאֱמִ֖ין לָהֶֽם׃

And they told him, saying, “Yosef is still alive, and he is ruler over all the land of Egypt.” And his heart went numb, for he did not believe them.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Avot de-Rabbi Natan.

TT lemma: כי לא האמין להם.

Sefaria — Avot de-Rabbi Natan

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן: כָּךְ עָנְשׁוֹ שֶׁל בַּדַּאי, שֶׁאֲפִלּוּ אוֹמֵר אֱמֶת אֵין שׁוֹמְעִין לוֹ. שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בִּבְנֵי יַעֲקֹב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיַּכִּירָהּ וַיֹּאמֶר כְּתֹנֶת בְּנִי הִיא״ — לְפִיכָךְ בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁדִּבְּרוּ אֱמֶת לֹא הֶאֱמִין לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיָּפָג לִבּוֹ כִּי לֹא הֶאֱמִין לָהֶם״.

English: Rabbi Shimon said: Such is the punishment of a liar — that even when he speaks the truth, no one listens to him. So we find with the sons of Yaakov: it is said, “He recognized it and said, ‘It is my son’s tunic’” — therefore later, even though they spoke the truth, he did not believe them, as it is said, “and his heart went numb, for he did not believe them.”

On the daf / in context: Avot de-Rabbi Natan links Yaakov’s initial disbelief to the earlier false report the brothers had given about Yosef’s death.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Avot de-Rabbi Natan) — not a formal named middah of the 13.

What Is Learned

One who has previously lied loses credibility even when he later speaks the truth; Yaakov’s initial disbelief is the consequence of the brothers’ earlier deception.