“Israel said to Joseph: Behold, I am dying, and God will be with you, and He will restore you to the land of your fathers” (Genesis 48:21). “Israel said to Joseph: Behold, I [anokhi] am dying, and God will be with you, and He will restore…” – the son of Rabbi Yosei’s brother [said]: The elder gave them three signs: One who comes [to redeem] with the term anokhi, who will appoint elders from among you, and will say to you pakod, he is the redeemer.24These were Jacob’s signs as to the identity of the future redeemer of the Israelites.
Moses fulfilled all three signs; see, e.g., Exodus 3:11, 3:16, 4:29. Rabbi Ḥunya removes anokhi, and inserts the ineffable Name in its place.25See Exodus 3:13–14. “And I have given to you one portion [shekhem] beyond your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Emorite with my sword and with my bow” (Genesis 48:22). “And I have given to you” a son who was vigilant [shehishkim], and you did not act in accordance with their actions; therefore, the portion will be in your territory.26The midrash interprets the additional portion promised here to Joseph to be the city of Shekhem.
This was granted to Joseph, because he did not act as his brothers did in Shekhem, where they sold Joseph into slavery (see Genesis 37:14; Sanhedrin 102a). Alternatively, he did not act as did Shekhem, who raped Dina (Genesis 34:2). Joseph refrained from acting on his desires even when approached by the wife of Potifar (Matnot Kehuna). Rabbi Pinḥas said: In Shekhem there was breach in the area of licentiousness, and you repaired it; therefore, it will be in your portion.
Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya: Rabbi Yehuda said: “I have given to you [one] shekhem” – this is the birthright and the garment of Adam the first man. “Which I took from the hand of the Emorite” – this is Esau. Was Esau, in fact, an Emorite? It is, rather, that he performed the actions of the Emorite.
“With my sword and with my bow” – with mitzvot and good deeds. Rabbi Neḥemya said: “I have given to you one shekhem” – this is literally [the city of] Shekhem. “Which I took from the hand of the Emorite” – this is Ḥamor father of Shekhem. Was he, in fact, an Emorite?
It is that the Hivite are included in the Emorite.27The Emorites were a larger group surrounding the Hivites, and therefore the Hivites were sometimes called Emorites (see Etz Yosef). “With my sword and with my bow” – Jacob did not want his sons to perform that act.28But when his sons performed that act, he said: What, will I allow my sons to fall at the hand of the nations of the world? What did he do?
He took his sword and his bow, stood at the entrance of Shekhem, and said: If the nations of the world come to confront my sons, I will battle against them. See Bereshit Rabba 80:10. But when…