“His bow [kashto] sat firm [be’eitan], and the arms of his hands were golden, by the hands of the mighty One of Jacob, from there, from the Shepherd of the stone of Israel” (Genesis 49:24). “His bow sat firm” – this is Aksilo, which produces during the sign of Sagittarius.110Aksilo – until [ad] Kislev Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Who caused you to be rejected from the mighty ones [ha’eitanim]?111That you are not included as one of the patriarchs (Maharzu; cf. Matnot Kehuna, Etz Yosef).
It is the passion [kashyut] that you experienced with your master’s wife.112This is according to the opinion that initially Joseph wished to consort with her. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The bow was drawn until taut and was then loosened.113Joseph experienced arousal for Potifar’s wife but then subdued his passion and became relaxed once again. That is what is written: “His bow [kashto] sat firm” – his passion [kashyuto].
“And the arms [zero’ei] of his hands were golden [vayafozu]” –Yitzḥak said: His seed [zaro] scattered [nitpazeru[ and emerged through his fingernails. “From the God of your father, and He shall help you, and the Almighty, and He shall bless you; blessings of the heavens above, blessings of the depths lying beneath, blessings of breasts and of womb” (Genesis 49:25). “By the hands of the mighty One of Jacob” (Genesis 49:24) – Rav Huna in the name of Rav Matana: He saw the image of his father’s face, and it cooled his blood.
Rabbi Menaḥama said in the name of Rabbi Ami: He saw the image of his mother’s face, and it cooled his blood. “From there, from the Shepherd of the stone of Israel” (Genesis 49:24) – he saw the stone of Israel,114A reference to his mother, Rachel, who was the cornerstone of the home of Jacob, i.e. Israel (Matnot Kehuna). and it cooled his blood. Who caused this? “From the God of your father.”
“Above [me’al]” – this is Azkarot that is in Baal.115The reference is to a location of high altitude at the edge of the border of the territory of Joseph in the Land of Israel (Etz Yosef). “Lying beneath” – this is Beit She’an, in Beit HaSherai.116A low-lying area in the territory of Joseph. Both Azkarot and Beit She’an had excellent produce (Etz Yosef; cf. Rabbi David Luria). “Blessings of breasts and of womb” – Rabbi Luleyani ben Turin in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: He blessed him with the offspring of animals.
You [must] say [so]: Go out and see, whose udder is in the place of its womb? You find it only in an animal. Rabbi Abba bar Zutera said: Come and see to what extent our patriarch Jacob was fond of Rachel. Even when he came to bless her son, he made him secondary to her: “Blessings of breasts and of womb” – may the breasts that nursed this one and the womb that produced this one be blessed.
“The blessings of your father surpass the blessings of my parents until the edge of the eternal hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, on the head of the elect among his brothers” (Genesis 49:26). “The blessings of your father” – those who taught me and those who conceived me. “Until the edge [taavat] of the eternal hills [givot olam]” – what the hills of the world [givot olam]117The patriarchs. desired [nitavu].
“They shall be on the head of Joseph” – here it says “they shall be,” but elsewhere it says: “It shall come [tavota] [upon the head of Joseph]” (Deuteronomy 33:16). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: You will eat its produce [tevuata] in this world, and the principal is intact for the World to Come. “On the head of the elect [nezir] among his brothers” – as his brothers distanced him and caused him to be isolated [nazir].118The term nazir can mean separating, or something that is separated (see, e.g., Leviticus 22:2; Isaiah 1:4), and so too, Joseph was separated from his brothers.
Rabbi Yitzḥak of Migdal said: You are the crown of your brothers. Rabbi Levi said: He was an actual nazirite, as Rabbi Levi said: All twenty-two years that he did not see his brothers, he did not taste the taste of wine. They, too, did not taste wine until they saw him. That is what is written: “They drank and became intoxicated with him” (Genesis 43:34) – with him they drank; without him they did not drink.