Rashi on TanakhGenesis 46

To Beer Sheva. [בְּאֵרָה שָּׁבַע] is the same as לִבְאֵר שָׁבַע. The suffix ה' replaces the prefix ל' .

To the God of his father Yitzchok. A person must honor his father more than he must honor his grandfather. Therefore, he associated [the sacrifices] with Yitzchok and not with Avraham.

Yaakov, Yaakov. [The repetition of Yaakov] is a term of affection.

Do not be afraid to go down to Egypt. [He was told this] because he was distressed that he was required to leave Eretz Yisrael.

And I will bring you up. [With these words] He promised him that he will be buried in Eretz Yisrael.

That they had acquired in the Land of Canaan. But, that which he acquired in Padan Arom he gave entirely to Eisov for his share in the Cave of Machpeilah. He said, “Possessions acquired outside of Eretz Yisrael hold no value for me.” This is what he meant by: [“The grave] that I acquired for myself.” He put piles of gold and silver for him [Eisov] similar to a heap [כְּרִי] and said to him, “Take these.”

And his granddaughters. [Referring to:] Asher’s daughter, Serach and Leivi’s daughter, Yocheved.

Who were coming. Concerning that particular time Scripture refers to them as “those who are coming.” There is [therefore] no need to wonder why it does not write, “who came.”

The son of the Canaanite woman. The son of Deenah who was violated by a Canaanite. When they killed Shechem, Deenah refused to leave [the city] until Shimon swore to her that he would marry her.

These are the sons of Leah … along with his daughter Deenah. The males are attributed to Leah while the females are attributed to Yaakov, to teach you that if the woman emits seed first then she will give birth to a male and if the man emits seed first then she will give birth to a female.

Thirty-three. However, if you count them individually you will find only thirty-two! But this, [the missing one] is Yocheved who was born “between the walls” as they entered the city, as it is said: “That was born to Leivi in Egypt.” Her birth was in Egypt but she was not conceived in Egypt.

The sons of Rochel, Yaakov’s wife. Whereas concerning all [the other wives], the term אֵשֶׁת [wife] is not used for them. But, this is because she was the mainstay of the house.

All the souls coming with Yaakov. [These] who left the Land of Canaan to come to Egypt. The word הַבָּאָה, here, is not in the past tense but, rather, in the present tense, as in: “In the evening she would come,” and as in: “And behold, his daughter Rochel was coming with the sheep.” Therefore, the accent is on the latter syllable on the א' because when they left, coming from the Land of Canaan they were only sixty-six [souls]. [But,] the second time [הַבָּאָה is mentioned]: “All the souls of the House of Yaakov that came to Egypt, were seventy,” it is in the past tense, therefore, the accent is on the first syllable, the ב'. This is because once they came there, they were seventy for they found Yoseif and his two sons there and Yocheved was added to them “between the walls.” According to the one who says that a twin sister was born with each tribe we must assume that they died before going down to Egypt, for they are not counted here. The following I found in Vayikra Rabbah: Eisov had [only] six souls and Scripture refers to them as “The souls of his household”—plural, because they worshiped many gods, whereas, Yaakov, had seventy [souls] and Scripture refers to them as “a soul” because they all worshiped one God.

So that he might direct him. As Onkelos explains it: to prepare a place for him and to show how to settle there.

Ahead of him. [I.e.,] before he [Yaakov] will arrive there. The Midrashic explanation; לְהוֹרוֹת לְפָנָיו: to prepare a house of study from which would emanate [Torah] teaching.

Yoseif harnessed his chariot. He himself harnessed the horses to the chariot to be diligent in honoring his father.

He appeared before him. [Meaning:] Yoseif appeared to his father.

And he wept on his neck for a long time. [וַיֵבְךְּ עוֹד refers to] profuse weeping. Similarly: “For He does not place upon a person עוֹד” [where עוֹד] is a term for profusion, meaning: He [God] does not place upon him accusations which are in excess of his [actual] sins. Here, too, he wept a great deal—more than is usual. But, Yaakov did not fall on Yoseif’s neck nor did he kiss him. Our Sages explained that this was because he was reading the “Shema.”

Now I can die. The plain meaning is as Onkelos explains it. But, the Midrashic explanation is: “I had thought that I would die twice—in this world and in the World-to-Come—because the Divine Presence had departed from me and I thought that God would hold me responsible for your death. But, now that you are still alive I will die but once.

I will say to him, my brothers, etc. And I will also tell him: “The men are shepherds, etc.”

So that you will be able to settle in the Land of Goshen. And it [the land] is what you require because it is a land of pasture. And when you tell him that you have no expertise in other work he will distance you from himself and he will settle you there.

Since every shepherd is abhorrent to Egypt. Because they [the sheep] are deities to them.