Vayigash 47:2 · unit 1

Parashas Vayigash · Passuk 47:2

The Complete Passuk

וּמִקְצֵ֣ה אֶחָ֔יו לָקַ֖ח חֲמִשָּׁ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּצִּגֵ֖ם לִפְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹֽה׃

And from among his brothers he took five men and presented them before Pharaoh.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to classical midrashic sources on which five brothers were chosen.

TT lemma: ומקצה אחיו לקח חמשה.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
וּמִקְצֵה אֶחָיו לָקַח חֲמִשָּׁה אֲנָשִׁים — לָקַח אֶת הַחֲלָשִׁים שֶׁבָּהֶם, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאֶה פַּרְעֹה אֶת הַגִּבּוֹרִים וְיִתְיַסֵּד אוֹתָם לַעֲבוֹדַת הַמֶּלֶךְ.

English: “And from among his brothers he took five men” — he took the weaker ones among them, so that Pharaoh would not see the strong ones and conscript them for royal service.

On the daf / in context: The midrash explains Yosef’s selection as a protective measure for his brothers.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (midrash) — not a formal named middah of the 13.

What Is Learned

Yosef deliberately presented only five of the less imposing brothers so that Pharaoh would not conscript the strong ones.