Vayechi 49:12 · unit 2

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:12

The Complete Passuk

חַכְלִילִ֥י עֵינַ֖יִם מִיָּ֑יִן וּלְבֶן־שִׁנַּ֖יִם מֵחָלָֽב׃

His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Kesubos 111b.

Sefaria — Kesubos 111b

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: טוֹב הַמַּלְבִּין שִׁנַּיִם לַחֲבֵרוֹ יוֹתֵר מִמַּשְׁקֵהוּ חָלָב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וּלְבֶן שִׁנַּיִם מֵחָלָב״ — אַל תִּקְרֵי ״וּלְבֶן שִׁנַּיִם״ אֶלָּא ״וּלְבוּן שִׁנַּיִם״.

English: R’ Yochanan said: Better is one who shows the white of his teeth to his fellow (i.e., greets him with a smile) than one who gives him milk to drink, as it is said “and his teeth white with milk” — read not “and white of teeth” but “and the whitening of teeth.”

On the daf / in context: The same sugya that reads the verse as a description of divine radiance also derives from it the superiority of a friendly greeting over the physical gift of milk.

Type of Learning

Al tikrei — change of vocalization that yields a moral teaching.

What Is Learned

Greeting another person with a smile is greater than giving him milk to drink.