Members of the Tribe

(1) And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come.

IN THE END OF DAYS. These are the days of the Messiah, for Jacob alludes to him in his words, even as he said, Until Shiloh come, and his be the obedience of peoples. Now our Rabbis have said that Jacob wished to reveal the end of Israel’s exile, but the Shechinah (the Divine Presence) departed from him. Thus in the opinion of all scholars, the end of days is a reference to the days of the Messiah.

“Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come: Read: Like it will happen, like “a disaster will happen”. In the last days: in the days that follow, in the last days, and there is the last one after, like and Leah and her last children, and everything that is not the first is called the last, as well as the word of the last matteravvenire, as if there is an aftermath (Proverbs 23:18) that is after to the man of peace (Psalm 37:37) and Ein Jeremiah 29:11, and in the desert 24:14, And there is no intention here about the days of the Messiah rather on the Conquest of the Land of Israel and division. And there were already people among the last prophetic deniers (higher biblical critics) who said that Jacob did not say this chapter nrichs. Jo. Severin. Vater and the latter gravitedJo. Cristoph. Friedrich (1811) who said that Nathan the Prophet wrote; and had already beaten on a caddie,Jo. Jac. Staehelin, Jo. Ernest. Cristoph. Schmid. But every educated person will see and understand that it is impossible to imagine that a man in david's day or even in Moses' day would wake up to slam things against the tribe of Reuven and Shimon, and in particular against the already sacred tribe of Levi, and say in secret do not come psychic and Go, damned that a goat and a goo for an old act that has already been forgotten, and his words will be answered that have fabricated from his heart, And those tribes will not resent and erase his words, after they did not have those things in their acceptance from Jacob's waters; In particular, the priests Bnei Levy, who were the torah laureates, how did these things exist in the Torah scroll, if they did not receive from their fathers because their father Jacob did tell them at the time of his death?

(2) Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob;Hearken to Israel your father: (3) Reuben, you are my first-born,My might and first fruit of my vigor,Exceeding in rankAnd exceeding in honor. (4) Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer;For when you mounted your father’s bed,You brought disgrace—my couch he mounted! (5) Simeon and Levi are a pair;Their weapons are tools of lawlessness. (6) Let not my person be included in their council,Let not my being be counted in their assembly.For when angry they slay men,And when pleased they maim oxen. (7) Cursed be their anger so fierce,And their wrath so relentless.I will divide them in Jacob,Scatter them in Israel. (8) You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise;Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes;Your father’s sons shall bow low to you. (9) Judah is a lion’s whelp;On prey, my son, have you grown.He crouches, lies down like a lion,Like the king of beasts^-a—who dare rouse him? (10) The scepter shall not depart from Judah,Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet;So that tribute shall come to himAnd the homage of peoples be his. (11) He tethers his ass to a vine,His ass’s foal to a choice vine;He washes his garment in wine,His robe in blood of grapes. (12) His eyes are darker than wine;His teeth are whiter than milk.^-c (13) Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore;He shall be a haven for ships,And his flank shall rest on Sidon. (14) Issachar is a strong-boned ass,Crouching among the sheepfolds. (15) When he saw how good was security,And how pleasant was the country,He bent his shoulder to the burden,And became a toiling serf. (16) Dan shall govern his people,As one of the tribes of Israel. (17) Dan shall be a serpent by the road,A viper by the path,That bites the horse’s heelsSo that his rider is thrown backward. (18) I wait for Your deliverance, O LORD! (19) Gad shall be raided by raiders,But he shall raid at their heels. (20) Asher’s bread shall be rich,And he shall yield royal dainties. (21) Naphtali is a hind let loose,Which yields lovely fawns. (22) Joseph is a wild ass,A wild ass by a spring—Wild colts on a hillside.^-d (23) Archers bitterly assailed him;They shot at him and harried him. (24) Yet his bow stayed taut,And his arms were made firmBy the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob—There, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel— (25) The God of your father who helps you,And Shaddai who blesses youWith blessings of heaven above,Blessings of the deep that couches below,Blessings of the breast and womb. (26) The blessings of your fatherSurpass the blessings of my ancestors,To the utmost bounds of the eternal hills.^-fMay they rest on the head of Joseph,On the brow of the elect of his brothers. (27) Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;In the morning he consumes the foe,And in the evening he divides the spoil.” (28) All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what their father said to them as he bade them farewell, addressing to each a parting word appropriate to him. (29) Then he instructed them, saying to them, “I am about to be gathered to my kin. Bury me with my fathers in the cave which is in the field of Ephron the Hittite,

(1) Now Dinah, the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the daughters of the land. (2) Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, chief of the country, saw her, and took her and lay with her by force. (3) Being strongly drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob, and in love with the maiden, he spoke to the maiden tenderly. (4) So Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as a wife.” (5) Jacob heard that he had defiled his daughter Dinah; but since his sons were in the field with his cattle, Jacob kept silent until they came home. (6) Then Shechem’s father Hamor came out to Jacob to speak to him. (7) Meanwhile Jacob’s sons, having heard the news, came in from the field. The men were distressed and very angry, because he had committed an outrage in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter—a thing not to be done. (8) And Hamor spoke with them, saying, “My son Shechem longs for your daughter. Please give her to him in marriage. (9) Intermarry with us: give your daughters to us, and take our daughters for yourselves: (10) You will dwell among us, and the land will be open before you; settle, move about, and acquire holdings in it.” (11) Then Shechem said to her father and brothers, “Do me this favor, and I will pay whatever you tell me. (12) Ask of me a bride-price ever so high, as well as gifts, and I will pay what you tell me; only give me the maiden for a wife.” (13) Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor—speaking with guile because he had defiled their sister Dinah— (14) and said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to a man who is uncircumcised, for that is a disgrace among us. (15) Only on this condition will we agree with you; that you will become like us in that every male among you is circumcised. (16) Then we will give our daughters to you and take your daughters to ourselves; and we will dwell among you and become as one kindred. (17) But if you will not listen to us and become circumcised, we will take our daughter and go.” (18) Their words pleased Hamor and Hamor’s son Shechem. (19) And the youth lost no time in doing the thing, for he wanted Jacob’s daughter. Now he was the most respected in his father’s house. (20) So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the public place^-a of their town and spoke to their fellow townsmen, saying, (21) “These people are our friends; let them settle in the land and move about in it, for the land is large enough for them; we will take their daughters to ourselves as wives and give our daughters to them. (22) But only on this condition will the men agree with us to dwell among us and be as one kindred: that all our males become circumcised as they are circumcised. (23) Their cattle and substance and all their beasts will be ours, if we only agree to their terms, so that they will settle among us.” (24) All who went out of the gate of his town^-b heeded Hamor and his son Shechem, and all males, all those who went out of the gate of his town,^-bwere circumcised. (25) On the third day, when they were in pain, Simeon and Levi, two of Jacob’s sons, brothers of Dinah, took each his sword, came upon the city unmolested, and slew all the males. (26) They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went away. (27) The other sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the town, because their sister had been defiled. (28) They seized their flocks and herds and asses, all that was inside the town and outside; (29) all their wealth, all their children, and their wives, all that was in the houses, they took as captives and booty. (30) Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me, making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites and the Perizzites; my men are few in number, so that if they unite against me and attack me, I and my house will be destroyed.” (31) But they answered, “Should our sister be treated like a whore?”

(3) But when the inhabitants of Gibeon learned how Joshua had treated Jericho and Ai, (4) they for their part resorted to cunning. They set out in disguise:^-b they took worn-out sacks for their asses, and worn-out waterskins that were cracked and patched; (5) they had worn-out, patched sandals on their feet, and threadbare clothes on their bodies; and all the bread they took as provision was dry and crumbly. (6) And so they went to Joshua in the camp at Gilgal and said to him and to the men of Israel, “We come from a distant land; we propose that you make a pact with us.” (7) The men of Israel replied to the Hivites, “But perhaps you live among us; how then can we make a pact with you?” (8) They said to Joshua, “We will be your subjects.” But Joshua asked them, “Who are you and where do you come from?” (9) They replied, “Your servants have come from a very distant country, because of the fame of the LORD your God. For we heard the report of Him: of all that He did in Egypt, (10) and of all that He did to the two Amorite kings on the other side of the Jordan, King Sihon of Heshbon and King Og of Bashan who lived in Ashtaroth. (11) So our elders and all the inhabitants of our country instructed us as follows, ‘Take along provisions for a trip, and go to them and say: We will be your subjects; come make a pact with us.’ (12) This bread of ours, which we took from our houses as provision, was still hot when we set out to come to you; and see how dry and crumbly it has become. (13) These wineskins were new when we filled them, and see how they have cracked. These clothes and sandals of ours are worn out from the very long journey.” (14) The men took [their word] because of^-b their provisions, and did not inquire of the LORD. (15) Joshua established friendship with them; he made a pact with them to spare their lives, and the chieftains of the community gave them their oath. (16) But when three days had passed after they made this pact with them, they learned that they were neighbors, living among them. (17) So the Israelites set out, and on the third day they came to their towns; these towns were Gibeon, Chephirah, Beeroth, and Kiriath-jearim. (18) But the Israelites did not attack them, since the chieftains of the community had sworn to them by the LORD, the God of Israel. The whole community muttered against the chieftains, (19) but all the chieftains answered the whole community, “We swore to them by the LORD, the God of Israel; therefore we cannot touch them. (20) This is what we will do to them: We will spare their lives, so that there may be no wrath against us because of the oath that we swore to them.” (21) And the chieftains declared concerning them, “They shall live!” And they became hewers of wood and drawers of water for the whole community, as the chieftains had decreed concerning them. (22) Joshua summoned them and spoke to them thus: “Why did you deceive us and tell us you lived very far from us, when in fact you live among us? (23) Therefore, be accursed! Never shall your descendants cease to be slaves, hewers of wood and drawers of water for the House of my God.” (24) But they replied to Joshua, “You see, your servants had heard that the LORD your God had promised His servant Moses to give you the whole land and to wipe out all the inhabitants of the country on your account; so we were in great fear for our lives on your account. That is why we did this thing. (25) And now we are at your mercy; do with us what you consider right and proper.” (26) And he did so; he saved them from being killed by the Israelites. (27) That day Joshua made them hewers of wood and drawers of water—as they still are—for the community and for the altar of the LORD, in the place that He would choose.

(4) When Moses charged us with the TeachingAs the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. (5) Then He became King in Jeshurun,When the heads of the people assembled,The tribes of Israel together. (6) May Reuben live and not die,Though few be his numbers. (7) And this he said of Judah:Hear, O LORD, the voice of JudahAnd restore him to his people.Though his own hands strive for him,^-dHelp him against his foes. (8) And of Levi he said:Let Your Thummim and UrimBe with Your faithful one,Whom You tested at Massah,Challenged at the waters of Meribah; (9) Who said of his father and mother,“I consider them not.”His brothers he disregarded,Ignored his own children.Your precepts alone they observed,And kept Your covenant. (10) They shall teach Your laws to JacobAnd Your instructions to Israel.They shall offer You incense to savor^-eAnd whole-offerings on Your altar. (11) Bless, O LORD, his substance,And favor his undertakings.Smite the loins of his foes;Let his enemies rise no more. (12) Of Benjamin he said:Beloved of the LORD,He rests securely beside Him;Ever does He protect him,As he rests between His shoulders.^-f (13) And of Joseph he said:Blessed of the LORD be his landWith the bounty of dew from heaven,And of the deep that couches below; (14) With the bounteous yield of the sun,And the bounteous crop of the moons; (15) With the best from the ancient mountains,And the bounty of hills immemorial; (16) With the bounty of earth and its fullness,And the favor of the Presence in the Bush.May these rest on the head of Joseph,On the crown of the elect of his brothers. (17) Like a firstling bull in his majesty,He has horns like the horns of the wild-ox;With them he gores the peoples,The ends of the earth one and all.These are the myriads of Ephraim,Those are the thousands of Manasseh. (18) And of Zebulun he said:Rejoice, O Zebulun, on your journeys,And Issachar, in your tents. (19) They invite their kin to the mountain,Where they offer sacrifices of success.For they draw from the riches of the seaAnd the hidden hoards of the sand. (20) And of Gad he said:Blessed be He who enlarges Gad!Poised is he like a lionTo tear off arm and scalp. (21) He chose for himself the best,For there is the portion of the revered chieftain,Where the heads of the people come.He executed the LORD’s judgmentsAnd His decisions for Israel.^-k (22) And of Dan he said:Dan is a lion’s whelpThat leaps forth from Bashan. (23) And of Naphtali he said:O Naphtali, sated with favorAnd full of the LORD’s blessing,Take possession on the west and south. (24) And of Asher he said:Most blessed of sons be Asher;May he be the favorite of his brothers,May he dip his foot in oil. (25) May your doorbolts be iron and copper,And your security last all your days. (26) O Jeshurun, there is none like God,Riding through the heavens to help you,Through the skies in His majesty. (27) The ancient God is a refuge,A support are the arms everlasting.He drove out the enemy before youBy His command: Destroy!

יחי ראובן, “May Reuven live, etc.” Nachmanides, quoting Ibn Ezra, writes that the reason that Moses commenced the blessings with Reuven was because he was Yaakov’s biological firstborn, and that the reason why Moses did not include Shimon in the list of tribes whom he blessed was because that tribe had been so guilty in the sin at Baal Peor. ....

The correct interpretation of why Moses did not bless the tribe of Shimon specifically has to do with the long-standing tradition that the Jewish people comprise no more than 12 tribes. At the time when Yaakov had blessed his children, he had given one blessing to Joseph, although part of the whole procedure had been the vision that both of Joseph’s sons would develop into two separate tribes. This left Moses with the problem of which tribe to delete from his blessings, seeing that including the “super” tribe Levi, there were now in effect 13 tribes. The division of the tribe of Joseph into two tribes did not occur as a mere wish of Yaakov, or as its interpretation by Moses on his own. At the inauguration of the Tabernacle and when establishing the groupings around the Tabernacle by the various tribes, Ephrayim and Menashe, by Divine decree, had clearly been treated as separate tribes. Furthermore, there was a need to mention Joshua who would be Moses’ successor and who would lead the people to the Divinely ordained heritage in the Land of Canaan, and he was a member of the tribe of Ephrayim. Seeing that Ephrayim was the junior of the two sons of Joseph, it would have been inconceivable for Moses to ignore the senior son (tribe) Menashe by not blessing that tribe separately. Moses, clearly, wanted to bless the tribe of Levi, the tribe whose members henceforth would dispense blessings to all of the people. The people’s various sacrificial offerings would have been meaningless unless the Priests, members of the tribe of Levi had blessed them. Moses could not avoid deleting one tribe from his blessing as the number 12 was not arbitrary but was symbolical of the 12 signs of the zodiac, the twelve months of the year, etc. According to the Midrash these twelve constellations in the sky known as the zodiacal constellations, are considered the arms of the universe, G’d’s instruments in supervising nature at work. When the people were blessed at Mount Gerizim and Mount Eyval, the tribe of Shimon most certainly took part in that procedure (Deut.) On that occasion the tribe of Levi was not mentioned, as its members did not share in the distribution of ancestral land. Yaakov, on his deathbed had indicated that he wished both the tribe of Shimon and that of Levi to be separated from one another in order to forestall the kind of violence plotted against the city of Shechem by these two brothers to ever occur again. (Compare Genesis 49,7) The entire portion of וזאת הברכה had, of course, been said by Moses while he was inspired with the Holy Spirit, and the reason why Reuven had been listed first was because he was the first of the tribes to receive his ancestral heritage (on the east bank of the Jordan). An additional reason was the fact that he was chronologically the most senior of the tribes, the founding father having been Yaakov’s oldest son, the firstborn. Moses prayed for the tribe’s continued well being, wishing that its name not be extinguished on account of the sin of their founding father involving an indiscretion with Bilhah, his father’s steady mate after the death of Rachel. To underscore this point, Moses referred to the fact that Reuven was the firstborn, something that everybody had been well aware of. He blessed Yehudah next, as this tribe would be the first tribe to receive its heritage in the land, and he would lead the nation in its war against the Canaanites. The blessing given by Moses to Yehudah was meant to include all of the Jewish people. Moses blessed the tribe of Levi next, as the Levites who largely lived in Jerusalem, would be territorial neighbours to Yehudah. They would ensure that the sacrificial offerings of the Jewish people, both communally and individually, would enjoy a welcome reception by Hashem. Binyamin was next in line for Moses’ blessing, as the holy Temple would stand on its territory. After having blessed Binyamin, Moses blessed the tribes named after Joseph’s two sons, as they were next in conquering and settling the land of Israel. Next Moses blessed the remaining tribes that had as their founding father sons of Yaakov principal wife Leah. He followed the pattern used by Yaakov when he had blessed those sons. This left the tribes whose founding fathers were the maidservants of Leah and Rachel, respectively. History shows that the lots allocating lands to the various tribes also confirmed the order in which Moses had blessed these tribes. Gad was mentioned first, as he with Reuven was the first to receive his share on the east bank of the Jordan. He was also part of the flag commanded by the army headed by Reuven.

(1) These are the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, (2) Dan, Joseph, Benjamin, Naphtali, Gad, and Asher.

§ The mishna taught that Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as happy for the Jewish people as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur. The Gemara asks: Granted, Yom Kippur is a day of joy because it has the elements of pardon and forgiveness, and moreover, it is the day on which the last pair of tablets were given. However, what is the special joy of the fifteenth of Av? Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: This was the day on which the members of different tribes were permitted to enter one another’s tribe, by intermarriage. It was initially prohibited to intermarry between tribes, so as to keep each plot of land within the portion of the tribe that originally inherited it. This halakha was instituted by the Torah in the wake of a complaint by the relatives of the daughters of Zelophehad, who were worried that if these women married men from other tribes, the inheritance of Zelophehad would be lost from his tribe (see Numbers 36:1–12). What did they expound, in support of their conclusion that this halakha was no longer in effect? The verse states: “This is the matter that the Lord has commanded concerning the daughters of Zelophehad, saying: Let them marry whom they think best; only into the family of the tribe of their father shall they marry” (Numbers 36:5). They derived from the verse that this matter shall be practiced only in this generation, when Eretz Yisrael was divided among the tribes, but afterward members of different tribes were permitted to marry. On the day this barrier separating the tribes was removed, the Sages established a permanent day of rejoicing.