פחז כמים אל תותר. מהו כמים, ר' ירמיה ור' נתן, חד אמר לפגם, וחד אמר לשבח, לפגם מהו כמים לא הנחת לך כלום, אלא כמים, כיצד אדם מפנה חבית של דבש והוא משייר בה קימעא, כשמערה בה מים אינו משייר כלום, כך לא שיירתה לך כלום זכות, אלא פחז כמים. וחד אמר לשבח, מהו כמים, אדם שהוא מערה דבש או שמן משייר קימעא, אתה לא שיירתה לך עון אלא כמים, מה המים מטהרין אף אתה כן נטהרתה. (Gen. 49:4:) UNSTABLE AS WATER, YOU SHALL NO LONGER EXCEL. What is the meaning of AS WATER? R. Jeremiah and R. Nathan differ. One said < it was > to his discredit, and the other said < it was > to his credit. What does it mean < when interpreted > to his discredit? AS WATER. You have left yourself nothing. Instead < you became > AS WATER. How so? When one empties a cask of honey, he leaves a little in it. When one pours with water in it, he leaves nothing in it. So you have left yourself nothing of merit; instead < you are as > UNSTABLE AS WATER. But the other said < it was > to his credit. What is the meaning of AS WATER? Anyone who empties honey or oil leaves a little. You did not leave yourself sin, but were AS WATER. Just as the water cleanses, so also have you been cleansed.
ד"א פחז כמים, לשון נוטריקון הוא, ר' אליעזר אומר מהו פחז, פ'חית ח'טית ז'נית, הפרחתה חילך. Another interpretation (of Gen. 49:4): UNSTABLE AS WATER. The word (UNSTABLE) is an acronym.55Gk.: notarikon. R. Eliezer said: What is the meaning of UNSTABLE (PHZ)? O wretched one (pahit), you have sinned (hatit); You have committed adultery (zanit).56Gen. R. 97, New Version, on 49:4 (= p. 1205 in the Theodor-Albeck edition); cf. 98(99):4; 99 (another version):6 (= p. 1277 in the Theodor-Albeck edition); Shab. 55b. You have wasted your strength.
[ד"א פחז כמים]. שנו רבותינו שלשה משקין אסורין משום גילוי, המים והיין והחלב, נמצא היין מגולה הרי הוא מיצר בו שהוא שופכו, אכל המים אם נמצאו מגולין אינו מיצר מהן אם שופכן, כך עשית כל הכתרים שהיו לי השלכת אותם כמים, פחז כמים, נכנסו שמעון ולוי וקנתרן, אמר שמעון ולוי אחים כלי חמס מכרותיהם, מהו מכרותיהם כלי חמס. [Another interpretation (of Gen. 49:4): UNSTABLE AS WATER.] Our masters have taught (in Ter. 8:4): THREE LIQUIDS BECOME FORBIDDEN THROUGH BEING UNCOVERED: WATER, WINE, AND MILK. If wine is found uncovered, then one is sorry about it when he pours it out; but in the case of water, if it is found uncovered, one is not sorry for it if he pours it out. So you have done with all the crowns which belonged to me. You have thrown them away AS WATER. < You are as > UNSTABLE AS WATER. When Simeon and Levi came in to Jacob, he reproached57Gk.: kentroun, i.e., “to strike with a goad.” them. He said (in Gen. 49:5): SIMEON AND LEVI ARE BROTHERS, WEAPONS OF VIOLENCE ARE THEIR MEKHEROT58The meaning of this word is obscure, but the singular, mekherah, resembles the Greek machaira, which means “sword”; and such a meaning fits the context of the midrash. So Tanh., Gen. 12:9; Gen. R. 99 (another version):7 (= p. 1278 in the Theodor-Albeck edition); PRE 38 (in the Amsterdam and Prague editions). The Greek parallel to such an ancient Hebrew word may be due to the fact that swords were common objects of trade. What are MEKHEROT? WEAPONS OF VIOLENCE.
בסודם אל תבא נפשי ובקהלם אל תחד כבודי, כששני השבטים האלו נקהלים לא יזכר שמי שם, כשיעמוד זמרי ויחטא אל תחד כבודי [שנאמר זמרי בן סלוא נשיא בית אב לשמעוני (במדבר כה יד), וכן ויקח קרח בן יצהר בן קהת בן לוי וגו' ויקהלו על משה ועל אהרן (שם טז א ב), בקהלם אל תחד כבודי]. (Gen. 49:6:) LET NOT MY SOUL COME INTO THEIR COUNCIL, AND LET NOT MY GLORY BE JOINED WITH THEIR ASSEMBLY. When these two tribes (of Simeon and Levi) are assembled, let not my name be mentioned there. When Zimri arises and sins, LET NOT MY GLORY BE JOINED < with them >,59Probably the first part of the verse should have been cited here, as in Tanh., Gen. 12:10; Gen. R. 99 (another version):7 (= p. 1278 in the Theodor-Albeck edition). [since it is stated (in Numb. 25:14): ZIMRI BEN SALU, PRINCE OF A CLAN BELONGING TO THE SIMEONITES. And likewise (in Numb. 16:1 & 3): NOW KORAH BEN IZHAR BEN KOHATH BEN LEVI…. AND THEY GATHERED TOGETHER AGAINST MOSES AND AGAINST AARON. (Gen. 49:6:) NOR LET MY GLORY BE JOINED WITH THEIR ASSEMBLY.]60Cf. Numb. R. 18:5.
כי באפם הרגו איש. כשהרגו את שכם בן חמור אמר להם עכרתם אותי, מיד ארור אפם כי עז, אין השבטים הללו יכולין לישב כאחת, אלא אחלקם ביעקב ואפיצם בישראל, נכנס יהודה וקילסו. יהודה אתה יודוך אחיך, אתה בשמך הודת אמך כשילדה אותך אמה הפעם אודה את ה' (בראשית כט לה), ומה ראתה להודות ביהוה, אלא ילדה לראובן, וראה דתן ואבירם ולא הודת בו, ילדה לשמעון וראתה זמרי ולא הודת בו, ילדה ללוי וראתה קרח ולא הודת בו, כיון שילדה ליהודה מיד הודת בו, שהוא הודה במעשה תמר, שנאמר ויכר יהודה ויאמר צדקה ממני (שם לח כו), א"ל אביו אמך הודית בך ואת הודית, לפיכך אחיך יודו לו. יצחק כשבירך ליעקב אמר לו וישתחוו לך בני אמך (שם כז כט), שלא היה לו אלא אשה אחת, אבל יעקב שהיו לו ארבע נשים אמר בני אביך, למה יודוך אחיך שכל ישראל יקראו על שמך יהודים, ולא עוד אלא שהמשיח יוצא ממך שהוא מושיע את ישראל, שנאמר ויצא חוטר מגזע ישי וגו' (ישעיה יא א). (Gen. 49:6:) FOR IN THEIR ANGER THEY KILLED A MAN, when they killed Shechem ben Hamor. He said to them: You have afflicted me. Immediately (in vs. 7): CURSED BE THEIR ANGER SO FIERCE. These tribes were unable to dwell together. Rather (ibid., cont.): I WILL DIVIDE THEM IN JACOB AND SCATTER THEM IN ISRAEL. Judah came in and < Jacob > praised him (in vs. 8): YOU, O JUDAH, YOUR BROTHERS SHALL PRAISE (rt.: YDH). In your case, your mother gave praise (rt.: YDH) through your name (Judah, rt.: YDH). When she bore you, she said (in Gen. 29:35): THIS TIME I WILL PRAISE (rt.: YDH) THE LORD; < THEREFORE SHE CALLED HIS NAME JUDAH (rt.: YDH) >. And what did she see to praise in Judah? It is simply that she had given birth to Reuben and foreseen Dathan and Abiram (in Numb. 16:1); so she had not given praise over him (i.e., Reuben). She had given birth to Simeon and foreseen Zimri; so she had not given praise over him. She had given birth to Levi and foreseen Korah; so she had not given praise over him. When she gave birth to Judah, she immediately gave praise (rt.: YDH) over him because he made a confession (rt.: YDH) in the Tamar incident, as stated (in Gen. 38:26): THEN JUDAH GAVE ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND SAID: SHE IS MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN I.61See Gen. R. 99 (another version):8 (= p. 1279 in the Theodor-Albeck edition). His father said to him: Your mother has given praise (rt.: YDH) over you, and you have made a confession (rt.: YDH). Therefore your brothers shall praise (rt.: YDH) you.62Although the Buber text has “him” here, the correct reading must be “you.” When Isaac blessed Jacob, he had said to him (in Gen. 27:29): AND MAY YOUR MOTHER'S CHILDREN BOW DOWN TO YOU, since he had only one wife. But, since Jacob had four wives, he said (in Gen. 49:8): YOUR FATHER'S CHILDREN < SHALL BOW DOWN TO YOU >.63Gen. R. 66:4. Why shall your brothers praise you? Because all Israel shall be called by your name, < i.e., > Jews.64Gen. R. 98(99):6. In Hebrew the word “Jews” is simply the plural of Judah, which in turn has the same root as the Hebrew verb meaning “praise.” And not only that, but out of you is coming the Messiah, who is saving Israel, as stated (in Is. 11:10): BUT A SHOOT SHALL COME FORTH FROM THE STEM OF JESSE….65Cf. Romans 15:12; Rev. 5:5.