(1) And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come. (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 rank And 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—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 him And 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. (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 heels So that his rider is thrown backward. (18) I wait for Your deliverance, O Adonai! (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. (23) Archers bitterly assailed him; They shot at him and harried him. (24) Yet his bow stayed taut, And his arms were made firm By 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 you With blessings of heaven above, Blessings of the deep that couches below, Blessings of the breast and womb. (26) The blessings of your father Surpass the blessings of my ancestors, To the utmost bounds of the eternal hills. May 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.
(ז) בְאֹתֹת (במדבר ב, ב), סִימָנִין הָיוּ לְכָל נָשִׂיא וְנָשִׂיא מַפָּה וְצֶבַע עַל כָּל מַפָּה וּמַפָּה כַּצֶּבַע שֶׁל אֲבָנִים טוֹבוֹת שֶׁהָיוּ עַל לִבּוֹ שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן, מֵהֶם לָמְדָה הַמַּלְכוּת לִהְיוֹת עוֹשִׂין מַפָּה וְצֶבַע לְכָל מַפָּה וּמַפָּה. כָּל שֵׁבֶט וְשֵׁבֶט נָשִׂיא שֶׁלּוֹ צֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ דּוֹמֶה לַצֶּבַע שֶׁל אַבְנוֹ. רְאוּבֵן אַבְנוֹ אֹדֶם וּמַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ צָבוּעַ אָדֹם וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו דּוּדָאִים. שִׁמְעוֹן פִּטְדָה וּמַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ צָבוּעַ יָרֹק וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו שְׁכֶם. לֵוִי בָּרֶקֶת וּמַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ צָבוּעַ שְׁלִישׁ לָבָן וּשְׁלִישׁ שָׁחֹר וּשְׁלִישׁ אָדֹם וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו אוּרִים וְתוּמִים. יְהוּדָה נֹפֶךְ וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ דְּמוּתוֹ כְּמִין שָׁמַיִם וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו אַרְיֵה. יִשָֹּׂשכָר סַפִּיר וּמַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ צָבוּעַ שָׁחֹר דּוֹמֶה לְכָחֹל וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו שֶׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ עַל שֵׁם (דברי הימים א יב, לג): וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָֹּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה לַעִתִּים. זְבוּלוּן יַהֲלֹם וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ לְבָנָה וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו סְפִינָה עַל שֵׁם (בראשית מט, יג): זְבוּלֻן לְחוֹף יַמִּים יִשְׁכֹּן. דָּן לֶשֶׁם וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְסַפִּיר וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו נָחָשׁ עַל שֵׁם (בראשית מט, יז): יְהִי דָּן נָחָשׁ, גָּד שְׁבוֹ וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ לֹא לָבָן וְלֹא שָׁחֹר אֶלָּא מְעֹרָב שָׁחֹר וְלָבָן וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו מַחֲנֶה עַל שֵׁם (בראשית מט, יט): גָּד גְּדוּד יְגוּדֶנּוּ. נַפְתָּלִי אַחְלָמָה וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְיַיִן צָלוּל שֶׁאֵין אַדְמוּתוֹ עַזָּה וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו אַיָּלָה עַל שֵׁם (בראשית מט, כא): נַפְתָּלִי אַיָּלָה שְׁלֻחָה. אָשֵׁר תַּרְשִׁישׁ וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה שֶׁמִּתְקַשְּׁטוֹת בּוֹ הַנָּשִׁים, וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו אִילָן זַיִת עַל שֵׁם (בראשית מט, כ): מֵאָשֵׁר שְׁמֵנָה לַחְמוֹ, יוֹסֵף שֹׁהַם וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ שָׁחֹר עַד מְאֹד וּמְצֻיָּר לִשְׁנֵי נְשִׂיאִים אֶפְרַיִם וּמְנַשֶּׁה, מִצְרַיִם, עַל שֵׁם שֶׁהָיוּ תּוֹלְדוֹתָם בְּמִצְרַיִם. וְעַל מַפָּה שֶׁל אֶפְרַיִם הָיָה מְצֻיָּר שׁוֹר עַל שֵׁם (דברים לג, יז): בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ, זֶה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁהָיָה מִשֵּׁבֶט אֶפְרַיִם, וְעַל מַפָּה שֵׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה הָיָה מְצֻיָּר רְאֵם עַל שֵׁם (דברים לג, יז): וְקַרְנֵי רְאֵם קַרְנָיו, עַל שֵׁם גִּדְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹאָשׁ שֶׁהָיָה מִשֵּׁבֶט מְנַשֶּׁה. בִּנְיָמִין יָשְׁפֵה וְצֶבַע מַפָּה שֶׁלּוֹ דּוֹמֶה לְכָל הַצְּבָעִים לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר הַצְּבָעִים וּמְצֻיָּר עָלָיו זְאֵב עַל שֵׁם (בראשית מט, כז): בִּנְיָמִין זְאֵב יִטְרָף, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר בְּאֹתֹת שֶׁסִּימָנִין הָיוּ לָהֶם לְכָל נָשִׂיא וְנָשִׂיא.
Be’otot [“according to the standards”, Numbers 2:2]: There was a symbol for each leader [of each tribe], with a flag and a colour, and the colour of each flag was like the colour of the precious stones that was over the heart of Aaron [the High Priest, i.e. on the hoshen/breastplate]. From this the kingdoms learned to make flags and a colour for each flag. Each tribe had its own leader, and the colour of the flag was similar to the colour of its stone.
- Reuben’s stone was odem, and the colour of his flag was red, and mandrakes were drawn on it [cf. Genesis 30:14].
- Simeon’s [stone was] piteda, and the colour of his flag was green, and [the city of] Shechem was drawn on it [cf. Genesis 34].
- Levi’s [stone was] bareqet, and the colour of his flag was one third white, one third black, and one third red, and the Urim weTummim were drawn on it.
- Judah’s [stone was] was nofekh, and the colour of his flag was like the colour of the sky, and a lion was drawn on it [cf. Genesis 49:9].
- Issachar’s [stone was] sappir, and the colour of his flag was dark blue [lit. black like kohl], and a sun and a moon were drawn on it, as it is written [I Chronicles 12:33]: “And from the sons of Issachar were those who knew the wisdom of the times [i.e. astronomy and calendars].”
- Zebulon’s [stone was] yahalom, and the colour of his flag was like the moon, and a ship was drawn on it, as it is written [Genesis 49:13]: “Zebulon shall dwell by the seashore.”
- Dan’s [stone was] leshem, and the colour of his flag was similar to sappir, and a snake was drawn on it, as it is written [Genesis 49:17]: “Dan shall be a snake.”
- Gad’s [stone was] shevo, and the colour of his flag was not white and not black but a mixture of black and white, and a military camp was drawn on it, as it is written [Genesis 49:19]: “Gad shall camp in troops [Heb: Gad gedud yegudenu].”
- Naftali's [stone was] ahlama, and the colour of his flag was like diluted wine whose red [colour] was no longer strong, and a deer was drawn on it, as it is written [Genesis 49:21]: “Naftali is a swift deer.”
- Asher's [stone was] tarshish, and the colour of his flag was like a precious stone that women decorate themselves with, and an olive tree was drawn on it, as it is written [Genesis 49:20]: “From Asher will be his rich bread.”
- Joseph’s [stone was] shoham, and the colour of his flag was very black, and the [picture] drawn on it for the two leaders, Ephraim and Menasseh, was Egypt, because they were born in Egypt. And on the flag of Ephraim was drawn an ox, as it is written [Deuteronomy 33:17]: “His first born is his ox;” this is [a reference to] Joshua, who was from the tribe of Ephraim. And on the flag of Menasseh was drawn a re’em [oryx], as it is written [Deut. 33:17]: “and his horn will be like the horns of the re’em;” this is [a reference to] Gideon, son of Joash, who was from the tribe of Menasseh.
- Benjamin’s [stone was] yashpe, and the colour of his flag was like all the colours of the twelve colours, and a wolf was drawn on it, as it is written [Genesis 49:17]: “Benjamin is like a scavenging wolf.”
Thus it says be’otot [literally “in the signs”], for there were symbols for each leader.