Vayechi 49:13 · unit 2

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:13

The Complete Passuk

זְבוּלֻ֕ן לְח֥וֹף יַמִּ֖ים יִשְׁכֹּ֑ן וְהוּא֙ לְח֣וֹף אֳנִיּ֔וֹת וְיַרְכָת֖וֹ עַל־צִידֹֽן׃

Zevulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; and he shall be a shore for ships, and his flank shall be upon Tzidon.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to midrashic parallel (R’ Levi on the mother of Yonah).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי: מִכָּאן רֶמֶז שֶׁאִמּוֹ שֶׁל יוֹנָה הַנָּבִיא מֵאָשֵׁר אָתְיָא, דִּכְתִיב ״וְיַרְכָתוֹ עַל צִידֹן״ — יָרֵךְ שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנָּה מִצִּידֹן הָיְתָה.

English: R’ Levi said: From here is a hint that the mother of Yonah the prophet came from Asher, as it is written “and his flank shall be upon Tzidon” — the flank (yerach) from which he issued was from Tzidon.

On the daf / in context: The geographic note about Tzidon is used to locate the maternal ancestry of Yonah.

Type of Learning

Remez connecting the tribal boundary to a later prophet’s origin.

What Is Learned

There is a midrashic tradition that Yonah’s mother was from the territory associated with Tzidon (linked here to the blessing of Zevulun / Asher).