December 16, 2023 | 4 Asiriy (Tevet)

Parshat: Bere'shiyth (Genesis) 41:1 - 44:17

And it came to pass at the end of two full years, that Phar`oh dreamed: and behold, he stood by the river. 2 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven well favored kine and fat fleshed; and they fed in a meadow. 3 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them out of the river, ill-favored and lean fleshed; and stood by the other kine upon the brink of the river. 4 And the ill-favored and lean fleshed kine did eat up את the seven well favored and fat kine. So Phar`oh awoke. 5 And he slept and dreamed the second time: and behold, seven ears of grain came up upon one stalk, rank and good. 6 And, behold, seven thin ears and blasted with the east wind sprung up after them. 7 And the seven thin ears devoured את the seven rank and full ears. And Phar`oh awoke, and behold, it was a dream. 8 And it came to pass in the morning that his ruach was troubled; and he sent and called for all the magicians of Mitsrayim, and all the wise men thereof: and Phar`oh told them his dream; but there was none that could interpret them unto Phar`oh.

9 Then spoke the chief butler unto Phar`oh, saying: I do remember my faults this day: 10 Phar`oh was wroth with his servants, and put me in ward in the captain of the guard's house, both me and the chief baker: 11 And we dreamed a dream in one night, I and he; we dreamed each man according to the interpretation of his dream. 12 And there was there with us a young man, an Ivriy, servant to the captain of the guard; and we told him, and he interpreted to us our dreams; to each man according to his dream he did interpret. 13 And it came to pass, as he interpreted to us, so it was; me he restored unto my office, and him he hanged.

14 Then Phar`oh sent and called Yoceph, and they brought him hastily out of the dungeon: and he shaved himself, and changed his raiment, and came in unto Phar`oh. 15 And Phar`oh said unto El-Yoceph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of you, that you can understand a dream to interpret it. 16 And Yoceph answered Phar`oh, saying: It is not in me: Elohiym shall give Phar`oh an answer of peace. 17 And Phar`oh said unto El- Yoceph, In my dream, behold, I stood upon the bank of the river: 18 And, behold, there came up out of the river seven kine, fat fleshed and well favored; and they fed in a meadow: 19 And, behold, seven other kine came up after them, poor and very ill favored and lean fleshed, such as I never saw in all the land of Mitsrayim for badness: 20 And the lean and the ill-favored kine did eat up את the first seven fat kine: 21 And when they had eaten them up, it could not be known that they had eaten them; but they were still ill favored, as at the beginning. So I awoke. 22 And I saw in my dream, and behold, seven ears came up in one stalk, full and good: 23 And, behold, seven ears, withered, thin, and blasted with the east wind, sprung up after them: 24 And the thin ears devoured את the seven good ears: and I told this unto the magicians; but there was none that could declare it to me.

25 And Yoceph said unto Phar`oh: The dream of Phar`oh את is one: Elohiym has showed Phar`oh what he is about to do. 26 The seven good kine are seven years; and the seven good ears are seven years: the dream is one. 27 And the seven thin and ill-favored kine that came up after them are seven years; and the seven empty ears blasted with the east wind shall be seven years of famine. 28 This is the thing which I have spoken unto Phar`oh: What Elohiym is about to do he shows unto Phar`oh. 29 Behold, there come seven years of great plenty throughout all the land of Mitsrayim: 30 And there shall arise after them seven years of famine; and all the plenty shall be forgotten in the land of Mitsrayim; and the famine shall consume the land; 31 And the plenty shall not be known in the land by reason of that famine following; for it shall be very grievous. 32 And for that the dream was doubled unto Phar`oh twice; it is because the thing is established by Elohiym, and Elohiym will shortly bring it to pass. 33 Now therefore let Phar`oh look out a man discreet and wise, and set him over the land of Mitsrayim. 34 Let Phar`oh do this, and let him appoint officers over the land, and take up the fifth part of the land of Mitsrayim in the seven plenteous years. 35 And let them gather all the food of those good years that come and lay up grain under the hand of Phar`oh and let them guard food in the cities. 36 And that food shall be for store to the land against the seven years of famine, which shall be in the land of Mitsrayim; that the land perishes not through the famine.

37 And the thing was good in the eyes of Phar`oh, and in the eyes of all his servants. 38 And Phar`oh said unto his servants: Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the Ruach Elohiym is? 39 And Phar`oh said unto El-Yoceph, Forasmuch as Elohiym has showed you all this, there is none so discreet and wise as you are: 40 You shall be over my house, and according to your word shall all my people be ruled: only in the throne will I be greater than you. 41 And Phar`oh said unto El-Yoceph: See, I have set you over all the land of Mitsrayim. 42 And Phar`oh took off his ring from his hand, and put it upon Yoceph's hand, and arrayed him in vestures of fine linen, and put a gold chain about his neck; 43 And he made him to ride in the second chariot which he had; and they cried before him: Bow the knee: and he made him ruler over all the land of Mitsrayim. 44 And Phar`oh said unto El-Yoceph, I am Phar`oh, and without you shall no man lift up his hand or his foot in all the land of Mitsrayim. 45 And Phar`oh called Yoceph's name Tsophnath Pa`neach; and he gave him to be his woman Acenath the daughter of Potiy Phera priest of On. And Yoceph went out over all the land of Mitsrayim.

46 And Yoceph was thirty years old when he stood before Phar`oh king of Mitsrayim. And Yoceph went out from the presence of Phar`oh and went throughout all the land of Mitsrayim. 47 And in the seven plenteous years the earth brought forth by handfuls. 48 And he gathered up all the food of the seven years, which were in the land of Mitsrayim, and laid up the food in the cities: the food of the field, which was round about every city, laid he up in the same. 49 And Yoceph gathered grain as the sand of the sea, very much, until he left numbering; for it was without number. 50 And unto Yoceph were born two sons before the years of famine came, which Acenath the daughter of Potiy Phera priest of On bore unto him. 51 And Yoceph called the name of the firstborn Menashsheh: For Elohiym, said he, has made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. 52 And את the name of the second he called Ephrayim: For Elohiym has caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction.

53 And the seven years of plenteousness, that was in the land of Mitsrayim, were ended. 54 And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Yoceph had said: and the famine was in all lands; but in all the land of Mitsrayim there was bread. 55 And when all the land of Mitsrayim was famished, the people cried to Phar`oh for bread: and Phar`oh said unto all the Mitsriym: Go unto El-Yoceph; what he says to you, do. 56 And the famine was over all the face of the earth: And Yoceph opened all the storehouses and sold unto the Mitsriym; and the famine waxed sore in the land of Mitsrayim. 57 And all countries came into Mitsrayim to El-Yoceph for to buy grain, because that the famine was so sore in all lands.

CHAPTER 42

Now when Ya`aqov saw that there was grain in Mitsrayim, Ya`aqov said unto his sons: Why do ye look one upon another? 2 And he said: Behold, I have heard that there is grain in Mitsrayim: get you down thither and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and not die.

3 And Yoceph's ten brethren went down to buy grain in Mitsrayim. 4 But Binyamiyn, Yoceph's brother, Ya`aqov sent not with his brethren; for he said: Lest perchance mischief befall him. 5 And the sons of Yashar'el came to buy grain among those that came: for the famine was in the land of Kena`an. 6 And Yoceph was the governor over the land, and he it was that sold to all the people of the land: and Yoceph's brethren came and bowed down themselves before him with their faces to the earth. 7 And Yoceph saw his brethren, and he knew them, but made himself strange unto them, and spoke roughly unto them; and he said unto them: Whence come ye? And they said: From the land of Kena`an to buy food. 8 And Yoceph knew his brethren, but they knew not him. 9 And Yoceph remembered את the dreams which he dreamed of them and said unto them: Ye are spies; to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 10 And they said unto him: Nay, my adoniy, but to buy food are your servants come. 11 We are all one man's sons; we are true men; your servants are no spies. 12 And he said unto them: Nay, but to see the nakedness of the land ye are come. 13 And they said: Your servants are twelve brethren, the sons of one man in the land of Kena`an; and behold, the youngest is this day with our father, and one is not. 14 And Yoceph said unto them: That is it that I spoke unto you, saying: Ye are spies: 15 Hereby ye shall be proved: By the life of Phar`oh ye shall not go forth hence, except your youngest brother come hither. 16 Send one of you, and let him fetch your brother, and ye shall be kept in prison, that your words may be proved, whether there be any truth in you: or else by the life of Phar`oh surely ye are spies. 17 And he put them all together into ward three days. 18 And Yoceph said unto them the third day: This do, and live; for I fear Elohiym: 19 If ye be true men, let one of your brethren be bound in the house of your prison: go ye, carry grain for the famine of your houses: 20 But bring your youngest brother unto me; so shall your words be verified, and ye shall not die. And they did so.

21 And they said one to another: We are truly guilty concerning our brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when he besought us, and we would not hear; therefore is this distress come upon us. 22 And Re'uven answered them, saying: Spoke I not unto you, saying: Do not sin against the child; and ye would not hear? Therefore, behold, also his blood is required. 23 And they knew not that Yoceph understood them; for he spoke unto them by an interpreter. 24 And he turned himself about from them, and wept; and returned to them again, and communed with them, and took from them Shim`on, and bound him before their eyes.

25 Then Yoceph commanded to fill their sacks with grain, and to restore every man's money into his sack, and to give them provision for the way: and thus did he unto them. 26 And they laded their asses with the grain and departed thence. 27 And as one of them opened his sack to give his ass provender in the inn, he espied his money; for, behold, it was in his sack's mouth. 28 And he said unto his brethren: My money is restored; and, lo, it is even in my sack: and their heart failed them, and they were afraid, saying one to another: What is this that Elohiym has done unto us?

29 And they came unto El-Ya`aqov their father unto the land of Kena`an and told him all that befell unto them; saying: 30 The man, who is the adoniy of the land, spoke roughly to us, and took us for spies of the country. 31 And we said unto him: We are true men; we are no spies: 32 We be twelve brethren, sons of our father; one is not, and the youngest is this day with our father in the land of Kena`an. 33 And the man, the adoniy of the country, said unto us: Hereby shall I know that ye are true men; leave one of your brethren here with me, and take food for the famine of your households, and be gone: 34 And bring your youngest brother unto me: then shall I know that ye are no spies, but that ye are true men: so will I deliver you your brother, and ye shall traffic in the land.

35 And it came to pass as they emptied their sacks, that, behold, every man's bundle of money was in his sack: and when both they and their father saw the bundles of money, they were afraid. 36 And Ya`aqov their father said unto them: Me have ye bereaved of my children: Yoceph is not, and Shim`on is not, and ye will take Binyamiyn away: all these things are against me. 37 And Re'uven spoke unto his father, saying: Slay my two sons, if I bring him not to you: deliver him into my hand, and I will bring him to you again. 38 And he said: My son shall not go down with you; for his brother is dead, and he is left alone: if mischief befall him by the way in the which ye go, then shall ye bring down my gray hairs with sorrow to She'ol.

CHAPTER 43

And the famine was sore in the land. 2 And it came to pass, when they had eaten up the grain which they had brought out of Mitsrayim, their father said unto them: Go again, buy us a little food. 3 And Yahudah spoke unto him, saying: The man did solemnly protest unto us, saying: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 4 If you will send our brother with us, we will go down and buy you food: 5 But if you will not send him, we will not go down: for the man said unto us: Ye shall not see my face, except your brother be with you. 6 And Yashar'el said: Wherefore dealt ye so ill with me, as to tell the man whether ye had yet a brother? 7 And they said: The man asked us straightly of our state, and of our kindred, saying: Is your father yet alive? Have ye another brother? And we told him according to the tenor of these words: could we certainly know that he would say: Bring your brother down? 8 And Yahudah said unto El-Yashar'el his father: Send the lad with me, and we will arise and go; that we may live, and not die, both we, and you, and also our little ones. 9 I will be surety for him; of my hand shall you require him: if I bring him not unto you, and set him before you, then let me bear the blame forever: 10 For except we had lingered, surely now we had returned this second time. 11 And their father Yashar'el said unto them: If it must be so now, do this; take of the best fruits in the land in your vessels, and carry down the man a present, a little balm, and a little honey, spices, and myrrh, nuts, and almonds: 12 And take double money in your hand; and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks, carry it again in your hand; perchance it was an oversight: 13 Take also your brother, and arise, go again unto the man: 14 And El Shaddai give you mercy before the man, that he may send away your other brother, and Binyamiyn. If I be bereaved of my children, I am bereaved.

15 And the men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Binyamiyn; and rose up, and went down to Mitsrayim, and stood before Yoceph. 16 And when Yoceph saw Binyamiyn with them, he said to the ruler of his house: Bring these men home, and slay, and make ready; for these men shall dine with me at noon. 17 And the man did as Yoceph bade; and the man brought the men into Yoceph's house. 18 And the men were afraid, because they were brought into Yoceph's house; and they said: Because of the money that was returned in our sacks at the first time are we brought in; that he may seek occasion against us, and fall upon us, and take us for bondmen, and our asses. 19 And they came near to the steward of Yoceph's house, and they communed with him at the door of the house, 20 And said, O sir, we came indeed down at the first time to buy food: 21 And it came to pass, when we came to the inn, that we opened our sacks, and, behold, every man's money was in the mouth of his sack, our money in full weight: and we have brought it again in our hand. 22 And other money have we brought down in our hands to buy food: we cannot tell who put our money in our sacks. 23 And he said, Peace be to you, fear not: your Elohiym, and the Elohiym of your father, has given you treasure in your sacks: I had your money. And he brought Shim`on out unto them. 24 And the man brought the men into Yoceph's house, and gave them water, and they washed their feet; and he gave their asses provender. 25 And they made ready the present against Yoceph came at noon: for they heard that they should eat bread there.

26 And when Yoceph came home, they brought him the present which was in their hand into the house and bowed themselves to him to the earth. 27 And he asked them of their welfare, and said: Is your father well, the old man of whom ye spoke? Is he yet alive? 28 And they answered: Your servant our father is in good health, he is yet alive. And they bowed down their heads and made obeisance. 29 And he lifted up his eyes, and saw his brother Binyamiyn, his mother's son, and said: Is this your younger brother, of whom ye spoke unto me? And he said, Elohiym be gracious unto you, my son. 30 And Yoceph made haste; for his heart did yearn upon his brother: and he sought where to weep; and he entered into his chamber and wept there. 31 And he washed his face, and went out, and refrained himself, and said: Set on bread. 32 And they set on for him by himself, and for them by themselves, and for the Mitsriym, which did eat with him, by themselves: because the Mitsriym might not eat bread with the Ivriym; for that is an abomination unto the Mitsriym. 33 And they sat before him, the firstborn according to his birthright, and the youngest according to his youth: and the men marveled one at another. 34 And he took and sent messes unto them from before him: but Binyamiyn's mess was five times so much as any of theirs. And they drank and were merry with him.

CHAPTER 44

And he commanded the steward of his house, saying: Fill the men's sacks with food, as much as they can carry, and put every man's money in his sack's mouth. 2 And put my cup, the silver cup, in the sack's mouth of the youngest, and את his grain money. And he did according to the word that Yoceph had spoken. 3 As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away, they and their asses. 4 And when they were gone out of the city, and not yet far off, Yoceph said unto his steward: Up, follow after the men; and when you do overtake them, say unto them: Wherefore have ye rewarded evil for good? 5 Is not this it in which my adoniy drinks, and whereby indeed he divines? Ye have done evil in so doing.

6 And he overtook them, and he spoke unto them these same words. 7 And they said unto him: Wherefore says my adoniy these words? Far be it that your servants should do according to this thing: 8 Behold, the money, which we found in our sacks' mouths, we brought again unto you out of the land of Kena`an: how then should we steal out of your adoniy's house silver or gold? 9 With whomsoever of your servants it be found, both let him die, and we also will be my adoniy's bondmen. 10 And he said, Now also let it be according to your words: he with whom it is found shall be my servant; and ye shall be blameless. 11 Then they speedily took down every man his sack to the ground and opened every man his sack. 12 And he searched, and began at the eldest, and left at the youngest: and the cup was found in Binyamiyn's sack. 13 Then they rent their clothes, and laded every man his ass, and returned to the city.

14 And Yahudah and his brethren came to Yoceph's house; for he was yet there: and they fell before him on the ground. 15 And Yoceph said unto them: What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I can certainly divine? 16 And Yahudah said: What shall we say unto my adoniy? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves? Elohiym has found out the iniquity of your servants: behold, we are my adoniy's servants, both we, and he also with whom the cup is found. 17 And he said: Far be it that I should do so: but the man in whose hand the cup is found, he shall be my servant; and as for you, get you up in peace unto your father.

Haftorah: Zakaryahu (Zechariah) 3:1 - 4:7

And he showed me Yahusha the high priest standing before the angel of Yahuah, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. 2 And Yahuah said unto Satan, Yahuah rebukes you, O Satan; even Yahuah that has chosen Yerushalayim rebukes you: is not this a brand plucked out of the fire? 3 Now Yahusha was clothed with filthy garments and stood before the angel. 4 And he answered and spoke unto those that stood before him, saying: Take away the filthy garments from him. And unto him he said: Behold, I have caused your iniquity to pass from you, and I will clothe you with change of raiment. 5 And I said: Let them set a fair turban upon his head. So they set a fair turban upon his head and clothed him with garments. And the angel of Yahuah stood by. 6 And the angel of Yahuah protested unto Yahusha, saying: 7 Thus says Yahuah Tseva’oth; If you will walk in my ways, and if you will guard my watch, then you shall also judge my house, and shall also guard my courts, and I will give you places to walk among these that stand by. 8 Hear now, O Yahusha the high priest, you, and your fellows that sit before you: for they are men wondered at: for, behold, I will bring forth my servant the Branch. 9 For behold the stone that I have laid before Yahusha; upon one stone shall be seven eyes: behold, I will engrave the graving thereof, says Yahuah Tseva’oth, and I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day. 10 In that day, says Yahuah Tseva’oth, shall ye call every man his neighbor under the vine and under the fig tree.

CHAPTER 4

And the angel that talked with me came again, and waked me, as a man that is wakened out of his sleep, 2 And said unto me: What do you see? And I said, I have looked, and behold a menorah all of gold, with a bowl upon the top of it, and his seven lamps thereon, and seven pipes to the seven lamps, which are upon the top thereof: 3 And two olive trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof. 4 So I answered and spoke to the angel that talked with me, saying: What are these, my adoniy? 5 Then the angel that talked with me answered and said unto me: Know you not what these be? And I said, No, my adoniy. 6 Then he answered and spoke unto me, saying: This is the Word of Yahuah unto Zerubbavel, saying: Not by might, nor by power, but by my Ruach, says Yahuah Tseva’oth. 7 Who are you, O great mountain? Before Zerubbavel you shall become a plain: and he shall bring forth the headstone thereof with shoutings, crying: Grace, grace unto it.

Besorah: Luqas (Luke) 4:16-31

16 And he came to Natsareth, where he had been brought up: and, as his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the Shabbath, and stood up for to read. 17 And there was delivered unto him the cepher of the prophet Yesha`yahu. And when he had opened the cepher, he found the place where it was written:

18 The Ruach Adonai Yahuah is upon me, because he has anointed me to preach the Besorah to the poor; he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, 19 To preach the acceptable year of Yahuah.

20 And he closed the cepher, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all of them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 And he began to say unto them: This day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22 And all bore him witness and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth. And they said, Is not this Yoceph’s son? 23 And he said unto them: Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician, heal yourself: whatsoever we have heard done in Kapharnachum, do also here in your country. 24 And he said: Amein I say unto you: No prophet is accepted in his own country. 25 But I tell you of a truth, many widows were in Yashar’el in the days of Eliyahu, when the heavens were shut up three years and six months, when great famine was throughout all the land; 26 But unto none of them was Eliyahu sent, save unto Tsarephath, a city of Tsiydon, unto a woman that was a widow. 27 And many lepers were in Yashar’el in the time of Eliysha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving Na`aman the Arammiy. 28 And all they in the synagogue, when they heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29 And rose up, and thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong. 30 But he, passing through the midst of them went his way, 31 And came down to Kapharnachum, a city of Galiyl, and taught them on the Shabbaths.