Vayechi 49:22 · unit 2

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:22

The Complete Passuk

בֵּ֤ן פֹּרָת֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף בֵּ֥ן פֹּרָ֖ת עֲלֵי־עָ֑יִן בָּנ֕וֹת צָעֲדָ֖ה עֲלֵי־שֽׁוּר׃

Yosef is a fruitful bough, a fruitful bough by a fountain; its branches run over the wall.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Zevachim / related (Shiloh and the eye).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
בָּאוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשִׁילֹה נֶאֶסְרוּ הַבָּמוֹת, וּקְדָשִׁים קַלִּים וּמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי נֶאֱכָלִין בְּכָל הָרוֹאֶה \ldots דְּאָמַר קְרָא ״בֵּן פֹּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פֹּרָת עֲלֵי עָיִן״ — עַיִן שֶׁלֹּא רָצְתָה לֵהָנוֹת וְלָזוּן מִמַּה שֶּׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלָּהּ, תִּזְכֶּה וְתֹאכַל כִּמְלֹא עֵינָהּ.

English: When Yisrael came to Shiloh the bamot were forbidden, and light offerings and second tithe may be eaten within the range of sight \ldots as the verse says “a fruitful bough by a fountain (ayin)” — the eye that refused to enjoy and feed on what was not its own shall merit to eat as far as the eye can see.

On the daf / in context: The permission to eat certain offerings “within the range of sight” of Shiloh is linked to the “ayin” of Yosef’s blessing and to Yosef’s restraint.

Type of Learning

Derash connecting the verse to the halachah of the eating boundary at Shiloh.

What Is Learned

Because Yosef’s eye refused what was not his, his descendants (and those who eat in the region associated with him) are granted the privilege of eating within the full range of the eye’s sight at Shiloh.