Vayechi 48:7 · unit 1

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 48:7

The Complete Passuk

וַאֲנִ֣י בְּבֹאִ֣י מִפַּדָּ֗ן מֵ֩תָה֩ עָלַ֨י רָחֵ֜ל בְּאֶ֤רֶץ כְּנַ֙עַן֙ בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ בְּע֥וֹד כִּבְרַת־אֶ֖רֶץ לָבֹ֣א אֶפְרָ֑תָה וָאֶקְבְּרֶ֤הָ שָּׁם֙ בְּדֶ֣רֶךְ אֶפְרָ֔ת הִ֖וא בֵּ֥ית לָֽחֶם׃

And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me in the land of Kenaan in the way, when there was still some way to come unto Efras; and I buried her there in the way of Efras — the same is Beis-Lechem.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yerushalmi Shabbos 6:9 (and parallel Bavli Chullin 95b).

TT lemma: ואני בבאי מפדן.

Sefaria — Yerushalmi Shabbos

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
תָּנָא רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בֶּן יַעֲקֹב: לֹא תְנַחֲשׁוּ וְלֹא תְעוֹנְנוּ — אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין נִחוּשׁ יֵשׁ סִימָן, וּבִלְבַד לְאַחַר שְׁלֹשָׁה סִימָנִים, כְּגוֹן וַאֲנִי בְּבוֹאִי מִפַּדָּן מֵתָה עָלַי רָחֵל, יוֹסֵף אֵינֶנּוּ וְשִׁמְעוֹן אֵינֶנּוּ.

English: R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: “Ye shall not practice divination nor soothsaying” — even though there is no divination, there is a sign, provided it is after three signs; for example: “And as for me, when I came from Paddan, Rachel died unto me \ldots Yosef is not, and Shimon is not.”

On the daf / in context: The three successive losses mentioned by Yaakov are cited as an instance of a legitimate “siman” (sign) that may be noted after the fact, without constituting forbidden nichush.

Type of Learning

Asmachta from the narrative — the triple occurrence of misfortune supplies the model for distinguishing a permitted siman from prohibited divination.

What Is Learned

One may take note of a pattern of three successive events as a siman, but may not practice or rely upon divination. The verse supplies the classic illustration of three signs.