EXTRA · 46:3 · classical material not listed by Torah Temimah under this passuk

Vayigash 46:3 · EXTRA

Parashas Vayigash · Passuk 46:3

The Complete Passuk

וַיֹּ֕אמֶר אָנֹכִ֥י הָאֵ֖ל אֱלֹהֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אַל־תִּירָא֙ מֵרְדָ֣ה מִצְרַ֔יְמָה כִּֽי־לְג֥וֹי גָּד֖וֹל אֲשִֽׂימְךָ֥ שָֽׁם׃

And He said, “I am the God, the God of your father. Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt, for I will make you into a great nation there.”

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Classical midrash / Rashi citing Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer on Yaakov’s fear of leaving the Land.

Sefaria — Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אַל תִּירָא מֵרְדָה מִצְרַיְמָה — לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה מֵצֵר עַל שֶׁנִּזְקָק לָצֵאת לְחוּצָה לָאָרֶץ.

English: “Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt” — because he was distressed that he was compelled to leave the Land of Israel.

On the daf / in context: Yaakov’s fear is identified as the pain of leaving Eretz Yisrael; the divine reassurance addresses that specific anxiety and adds the promise of becoming a great nation there.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (midrash / Pirkei de-Rabbi Eliezer) — not a formal named middah of the 13.

What Is Learned

Yaakov’s fear of descending to Egypt stemmed from the necessity of leaving the Land; God reassured him both against that fear and with the promise of national growth in Egypt.