בענין מה שאמר יעקב ליוסף ועשית עמדי חסד של אמת, שאינו מצפה לתשלום גמול. מקשים העולם הלא יעקב נתן ליוסף גמולו במילואו וטובו, שעשה בניו לשני שבטים ובירך אותם, ונתן לו שכם אחד על אחיו. ובמדרש רבה (ב"ר צז, ט) אומר שזה היה בגדי אדם הראשון שלקח אותם יעקב מעשו ונתנם ליוסף, וא"כ איך אמר חסד של אמת:
Jacob said to Joseph that he wanted him to perform a חסד ואמת, with him (47,27); he described the kindness as a "true kindness" because in performing a deed of this nature to a departed there can be no expectation of recompense to the performer. Many people raise the point that Joseph had already received his reward for this kindness before he actually performed it. Had not his father promised that Ephrayim and Menashe, Joseph's two sons, would each inherit a slice of the land of Israel, just like Jacob's own sons? So how can we speak about a חסד של אמת? Not only that, Jacob gave special blessings to Joseph's children (something that is not recorded as having happened with his other grandsons); he also allocated the city of Shechem as belonging to the tribal territory of Joseph. In view of all this, how can one speak about a חסד של אמת, a totally altruistic act of kindness? Bereshit Rabbah 98,2 understands the additional שכם Jacob bestowed on Joseph as the birthright and the garments of Adam (which had been owned by Esau; Genesis 27,15). In view of all this, how can we speak about a totally altruistic act of kindness?
בענין מה שאמר יעקב ליוסף ועשית עמדי חסד של אמת, שאינו מצפה לתשלום גמול. מקשים העולם הלא יעקב נתן ליוסף גמולו במילואו וטובו, שעשה בניו לשני שבטים ובירך אותם, ונתן לו שכם אחד על אחיו. ובמדרש רבה (ב"ר צז, ט) אומר שזה היה בגדי אדם הראשון שלקח אותם יעקב מעשו ונתנם ליוסף, וא"כ איך אמר חסד של אמת:
Jacob said to Joseph that he wanted him to perform a חסד ואמת, with him (47,27); he described the kindness as a "true kindness" because in performing a deed of this nature to a departed there can be no expectation of recompense to the performer. Many people raise the point that Joseph had already received his reward for this kindness before he actually performed it. Had not his father promised that Ephrayim and Menashe, Joseph's two sons, would each inherit a slice of the land of Israel, just like Jacob's own sons? So how can we speak about a חסד של אמת? Not only that, Jacob gave special blessings to Joseph's children (something that is not recorded as having happened with his other grandsons); he also allocated the city of Shechem as belonging to the tribal territory of Joseph. In view of all this, how can one speak about a חסד של אמת, a totally altruistic act of kindness? Bereshit Rabbah 98,2 understands the additional שכם Jacob bestowed on Joseph as the birthright and the garments of Adam (which had been owned by Esau; Genesis 27,15). In view of all this, how can we speak about a totally altruistic act of kindness?