The angel who hath redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads; and let my name be named in them, and the name of my fathers Avraham and Yitzchak; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth.
English: The seed of Yosef is not subject to the evil eye, as it is written “and let them grow into a multitude (like fish)” — just as the fish of the sea are covered by water and the evil eye has no power over them, so the seed of Yosef is not subject to the evil eye.
On the daf / in context: The unusual verb “וידגו” (instead of the ordinary language of fruitfulness) is taken as a deliberate comparison to fish, which are protected from ayin hara by the covering of the water.
Type of Learning
Diyuk on unusual language — the choice of “fish” imagery teaches immunity from the evil eye.
What Is Learned
The descendants of Yosef are protected from ayin hara, just as fish in the sea are shielded by the water that covers them.