Vayechi 49:21 · unit 2

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:21

The Complete Passuk

נַפְתָּלִ֖י אַיָּלָ֣ה שְׁלֻחָ֑ה הַנֹּתֵ֖ן אִמְרֵי־שָֽׁפֶר׃

Naftali is a hind let loose; he giveth goodly words.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sotah 13a (al-tikrei).

Sefaria — Sotah 13a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּהוּ: אַל תִּקְרֵי ״אִמְרֵי שָׁפֶר״ אֶלָּא ״אִמְרֵי סֵפֶר״.

English: R’ Abbahu said: Read not “goodly words” (imrei shafer) but “words of a document” (imrei sefer).

On the daf / in context: The same episode of the burial is supported by reading the final clause of the verse as a reference to the deed of sale that Naftali brought from Egypt.

Type of Learning

Al tikrei — change of vocalization that supplies the missing document.

What Is Learned

The “goodly words” of the blessing are read as the words of the sefer — the deed that settled Esav’s claim at the cave.