Yaakov's Profound Love for Yosef

וְיִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָהַ֤ב אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִכׇּל־בָּנָ֔יו כִּֽי־בֶן־זְקֻנִ֥ים ה֖וּא ל֑וֹ וְעָ֥שָׂה ל֖וֹ כְּתֹ֥נֶת פַּסִּֽים׃ וַיִּרְא֣וּ אֶחָ֗יו כִּֽי־אֹת֞וֹ אָהַ֤ב אֲבִיהֶם֙ מִכׇּל־אֶחָ֔יו וַֽיִּשְׂנְא֖וּ אֹת֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יָכְל֖וּ דַּבְּר֥וֹ לְשָׁלֹֽם׃

Now Israel loved Joseph best of all his sons—he was the child of his old age; and he had made him an ornamented tunic. And when his brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of his brothers, they hated him so that they could not speak a friendly word to him.

פַּרְגוּד מְצוּיָיר:

A figured robe.

אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: כׇּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וַיֵּשֶׁב״ אֵינוֹ אֶלָּא לְשׁוֹן צַעַר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּשִּׁטִּים וַיָּחֶל הָעָם לִזְנוֹת אֶל בְּנוֹת מוֹאָב״. ״וַיֵּשֶׁב יַעֲקֹב בְּאֶרֶץ מְגוּרֵי אָבִיו בְּאֶרֶץ כְּנָעַן״, ״וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת דִּבָּתָם רָעָה אֶל אֲבִיהֶם״. וְנֶאֱמַר: ״וַיֵּשֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּאֶרֶץ גֹּשֶׁן״, ״וַיִּקְרְבוּ יְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָמוּת״. ״וַיֵּשֶׁב יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לָבֶטַח אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ״, ״וַיָּקֶם ה׳ שָׂטָן לִשְׁלֹמֹה אֵת הֲדַד הָאֲדֹמִי מִזֶּרַע הַמֶּלֶךְ הוּא בֶּאֱדוֹם״.

Rabbi Yoḥanan says: Everywhere that it is stated: And he dwelt, it is nothing other than an expression of pain, of an impending calamity, as it is stated: “And Israel dwelt in Shittim, and the people began to commit harlotry with the daughters of Moab” (Numbers 25:1). It is stated: “And Jacob dwelt in the land where his father had sojourned in the land of Canaan” (Genesis 37:1), and it is stated thereafter: “And Joseph brought evil report of them to his father” (Genesis 37:2), which led to the sale of Joseph. And it is stated: “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt in the land of Goshen” (Genesis 47:27), and it is stated thereafter: “And the time drew near that Israel was to die” (Genesis 47:29). It is stated: “And Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig tree” (I Kings 5:5), and it is stated thereafter: “And the Lord raised up an adversary to Solomon, Hadad the Edomite; he was of the king’s seed in Edom” (I Kings 11:14).

לְאוֹת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה הוּא הַמַּנְהִיג בַּבַּיִת וּבַשָּׂדֶה, כְּעִנְיַן "וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּיו כֻּתָּנְתֶּךָ" (ישעיהו כב:כא), וְכְאָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בבא קמא יא.) בִּגְדוֹל אָחִי כִּי הֵיכִי דְּלִשְׁתַּמְעָן מִילֵיהּ.

The Talmud Baba Kama 11 also confirms that authority is signalled by the attire worn by people possessing it. [there the brothers who had paid extra for their leader to represent them and to appear well dressed are quite content seeing that their representative while attired in costly garments will indirectly confer benefits upon them through their brother being listened to in the councils of the city.

וְהַנִּרְאֶה בְּעֵינַי כִּי מִנְהַג הַזְּקֵנִים שֶׁיִּקְחוּ אֶחָד מִבְּנֵיהֶם הַקְּטַנִּים לִהְיוֹת עִמּוֹ לְשָׁרְתוֹ, וְהוּא נִשְׁעָן עַל יָדוֹ תָּמִיד לֹא יִפָּרֵד מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא נִקְרָא לוֹ בֶּן זְקוּנָיו בַּעֲבוּר שֶׁיְּשָׁרְתוֹ לִזְקוּנָיו. וְהִנֵּה לָקַח יַעֲקֹב אֶת יוֹסֵף לַדָּבָר הַזֶּה וְהָיָה עִמּוֹ תָּמִיד, וְעַל כֵּן לֹא יֵלֵךְ עִם הַצֹּאן בִּרְעוֹתָם בְּמָקוֹם רָחוֹק.

Now Jacob took Joseph for this purpose, and he was with him constantly. He therefore did not accompany the flock when they went to pasture in distant places.

כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ. וַהֲלֹא בְּשֶׁבַע שָׁנִים נוֹלְדוּ כָּל בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנּוֹלַד יוֹסֵף אַחֲרוֹן, מַה זִּקְנָה הָיְתָה לְיַעֲקֹב בְּהִוָּלֵד יוֹסֵף מִשְּׁאָר בָּנָיו? אֶלָּא פֵּרוּשׁוֹ כִּי בֶן זְקֻנִים הוּא לוֹ, כִּי הָיָה מוֹצְאוֹ חָכָם בְּכָל דְּבָרָיו כְּמוֹ אִם הָיָה זָקֵן, וְכֵן תִּרְגֵּם אֻנְקְלוֹס ״אֲרֵי בַּר חַכִּים הוּא לֵיהּ״. וּלְאַהֲבָתוֹ אוֹתוֹ יוֹתֵר מִכָּל בָּנָיו הָיָה מַלְבִּישׁוֹ בִּבְגָדִים נָאִים וְעָשָׂה לוֹ כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִּים.

כי בן זקונים, what was so special about Joseph’s age, seeing all the eleven brothers had been born in the space of 7 years? How much older was Yaakov at the time Joseph was born than, say, at the time Yehudah was born? We conclude therefore, that the meaning of the word זקונים has nothing to do with physical age, but that Joseph appeared to him as especially intelligent, wise, wise well beyond his years. The words of wisdom spoken by Joseph would normally be expected only from the mouth of men who had acquired such wisdom through having lived for many years. This is also the way Onkelos understood the term when he translates it as בר חכים, “a wise son.” Seeing that he considered him so wise he dressed him in especially attractive garments. In this way he gave tangible expression to his special love for him.

בן זקנים. שֶׁנּוֹלַד לוֹ לְעֵת זִקְנָתוֹ. וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם בַּר חַכִּים הוּא לֵהּ – כָּל מַה שֶּׁלָּמַד מִשֵּׁם וָעֵבֶר מָסַר לוֹ. דָּ"אַ, שֶׁהָיָה זִיו אִיקוֹנִין שֶׁלוֹ דּוֹמֶה לוֹ:

בן זקנים THE SON OF HIS OLD AGE — because he was a wise son to him” — all that he had learnt from Shem and Eber he taught him (Genesis Rabbah 84:8). Another explanation of בן זקנים— his facial features were similar to his (Jacob’s) (Genesis Rabbah 84:8).