"A Life in Pieces" The Hidden Story of the First-Born of Israel - Parshat Ki Teitzei

(15) If a man has two wives, one loved and the other hated, and both the loved and the hated have borne him sons, but the first-born is the son of the hated one— (16) when he wills his property to his sons, he may not treat as first-born the son of the loved one in disregard of the son of the hated one who is older. (17) Instead, he must accept the first-born, the son of the hated one, and allot to him a double portion of all he possesses; since he is the first fruit of his vigor, the birthright is his by law.

(30) And Jacob cohabited with Rachel also; indeed, he also loved Rachel more than Leah. And he served him another seven years. (31) The Eternal saw that Leah was hated and God opened her womb; but Rachel was barren. (32) Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him Reuben [lit., "look - a son!"]; for she said, “The Eternal has seen (ra'ah) my affliction (be'onyi).' For now my husband will love me!"

(3) Reuben, you are my first-born, my might and the first fruit of my vigor. Exceeding in rank and exceeding in strength. (4) But unstable as water, you shall exceed no longer. For when you mounted your father’s bed, then you brought disgrace—My couch he mounted!

(14) And Reuben went out, during the days of the wheat harvest, and found some mandrakes in the field, and he brought them to his mother Leah. And Rachel said to Leah, “Please give me some of your son’s mandrakes.” (15) But she said to her, “Was it not enough for you to take away my husband, that you would also take my son’s mandrakes?” Rachel replied, “I promise, he shall lie with you tonight, in return for your son’s mandrakes.”

(22) While Israel stayed in that land, Reuben went and lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine; and Israel found out. Now the sons of Jacob were twelve in number. (23) The sons of Leah: Reuben—Jacob’s first-born—Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. (24) The sons of Rachel: Joseph and Benjamin. (25) The sons of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid: Dan and Naphtali. (26) And the sons of Zilpah, Leah’s maid: Gad and Asher. These are the sons of Jacob who were born to him in Paddan-aram.

(19) They said to one another, “Here comes that dreamer! (20) Come now, let us kill him and throw him into one of the pits; and we can say, ‘A savage beast devoured him.’ We shall see what comes of his dreams!” (21) But when Reuben heard it, and he went to save him from their hands. He said, “Let us not take his life.” (22) And Reuben went on, “Shed no blood! Cast him into that pit out in the wilderness, but do not touch him yourselves”—intending to save him from them and restore him to his father. (23) When Joseph came up to his brothers, they stripped Joseph of his tunic, the ornamented tunic that he was wearing, (24) and took him and cast him into the pit. The pit was empty; there was no water in it. (25) Then they sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels bearing gum, balm, and ladanum to be taken to Egypt. (26) Then Judah said to his brothers, “What do we gain by killing our brother and covering up his blood? (27) Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let us not do away with him ourselves. After all, he is our brother, our own flesh.” His brothers agreed. (28) When Midianite traders passed by, they pulled Joseph up out of the pit. They sold Joseph for twenty pieces of silver to the Ishmaelites, who brought Joseph to Egypt. (29) When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he tore his clothes. (30) Returning to his brothers, he said, “The boy is gone! And I - where have I come?"

(33) But the man who is lord of the land said to us, ‘By this I shall know that you are honest men: leave one of your brothers with me, and take something for your starving households and be off. (34) And bring your youngest brother to me, that I may know that you are not spies but honest men. I will then restore your brother to you, and you shall be free to move about in the land.’”...

(36) Their father Jacob said to them, “It is always me that you bereave: Joseph is no more and Simeon is no more, and now you would take away Benjamin. These things always happen to me!”

(37) Then Reuben said to his father, “You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you. Put him in my care, and I will return him to you.” (38) But he said, “My son must not go down with you, for his brother is dead and he alone is left. If he meets with disaster on the journey you are taking, you will send my white head down to Sheol in grief.”

(1) But the famine in the land was severe. (2) And when they had eaten up the rations which they had brought from Egypt, their father said to them, “Go again and procure some food for us.” (3) But Judah said to him, “The man warned us, ‘Do not let me see your faces unless your brother is with you.’ (4) If you will let our brother go with us, we will go down and procure food for you; (5) but if you will not let him go, we will not go down, for the man said to us, ‘Do not let me see your faces unless your brother is with you.’” (6) And Israel said, “Why did you serve me so ill as to tell the man that you had another brother?” (7) They replied, “But the man kept asking about us and our family, saying, ‘Is your father still living? Have you another brother?’ And we answered him accordingly. How were we to know that he would say, ‘Bring your brother here’?” (8) Then Judah said to his father Israel, “Send the boy in my care, and let us be on our way, that we may live and not die—you and we and our children. (9) I myself will be surety for him; you may hold me responsible: if I do not bring him back to you and set him before you, I shall stand guilty before you forever. (10) For we could have been there and back twice if we had not dawdled.” (11) Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your baggage, and carry them down as a gift for the man—some balm and some honey, gum, ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds. (12) And take with you double the money, carrying back with you the money that was replaced in the mouths of your bags; perhaps it was a mistake. (13) Take your brother too; and go back at once to the man. (14) And may El Shaddai dispose the man to mercy toward you, that he may release to you your other brother, as well as Benjamin. As for me, if I am to be bereaved, I shall be bereaved.”

(1) The sons of Reuben the first-born of Israel. (He was the first-born; but when he disgraced his father’s couch, his birthright was given to the sons of Joseph son of Israel, so he is not reckoned as first-born in the genealogy; (2) For though Judah was the mightiest of his brothers, and the leader would come from him, yet the birthright belonged to Joseph.)