Vayechi | Jewish Unity

          In a certain sense, this parasha is a long, protracted death scene. Our parasha moves in the shadow of Jacob's impending death - "And Israel's days approached death"(47:28). We read a series of speeches: bequests, "living wills," of the father Jacob, to his family. Each speech seems to have a certain finality about it. First Jacob commands Joseph, "Do not bury me in Egypt" (47:29). Later Joseph is hurried to the sickly Jacob where he gives Joseph unique status within the family elevating his sons - Ephraim and Menashe - to parity with his own sons. And he blesses them with a blessing which would be echoed through all future generations: "May God make you like Ephraim and Menashe." Finally, we read of the entire family surrounding Jacob's deathbed where the dying patriarch delivers his last comments, child by child, and then "is gathered to his people" (49:33).

          The Rabbis noted that Jacob was the first personality to instruct his children in such a detailed way before his death. Indeed, Jacob is the first Biblical personality to be described as having some sort of sickness. "Sometime afterwards Joseph was given the message, "Take note, your father is ill." The Midrash notes the word "Hinei" - "take note," and the first mention of illness in the Torah. The Midrash states:

"From the day that heaven and earth were created, people did not become sick. A person might have been walking in the market, he would sneeze and his soul would leave his body through his nostrils. Jacob requested mercy, 'Master of the Universe, do not take my soul until I have instructed my children and the members of my house.' God acceded to the request.... That is why one wishes a person 'life' when they sneeze" (Pirkei DeRabi Eliezer Ch. 52).

          Apparently this entire parasha is the opportunity that Jacob wished for. Jacob puts his affairs in order, and is able to give over certain final messages and teachings to his sons. Indeed our Haftara this week is a direct reflection and continuation of this theme of our parasha. It describes David, on his death bed, ordering his son Solomon how to close his affairs after his death.

          What did Jacob have to say to his children? What was it that was so important for him to transmit to his children at the moment of his death? We will focus our attention on the nature of the blessings which were given to the twelve sons of Jacob.

LAST WORDS

"And Jacob called all his sons. He said 'Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in the end of days. Assemble and listen, O sons of Jacob; hearken to your father" (49:1-2).

          What follows this ceremonial invitation is a short message to each of his sons, some are messages of rebuke, others are of praise or position. It is difficult to find a common theme here and we sometimes get a feeling that these blessings are a collection of final musings rather than a unified message aimed at achieving a singular goal. The Abarbanel suggests four possible options as to the purpose of Jacob's "living will." Either (i) he is offering a blessing, or (ii) moral teachings and rebuke for past wrongs. He might be (iii) offering a prediction of future events or possibly (iv) telling them of their future inheritance in the promised land.

          These numerous possibilities contained in a single speech and the mystery surrounding Jacob's last words are but a reflection of the verses themselves. On one hand Jacob talks about telling them of "what is to befall you in DAYS TO COME." Others translate this phrase more ominously as "the end of days". Apparently, Jacob wishes to reveal the future. But when we look at the blessings, no future events are predicted as such. On the other hand, the concluding verse of this chapter talks of blessings:

"All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number,  and this is what their father said to them; he blessed them, blessing each one with a blessing appropriate to him" (50:28).

          Are these really blessings? When Joseph curses the violence and anger of Simeon and Levi, would that be seen as a blessing?

THE OPENING VERSES

          The ambiguity and richness of this passage is highlighted by a discussion of the two opening verses (quoted above) to this episode. The Midrash and subsequent Bible commentators all attempted to decode the meaning of the repetitive phraseology here. There is a double invitation to the sons of Jacob. They are told to "come together" and then they are told to "assemble." Why two introductions?

          This unusual opening is commented on by an equally enigmatic comment by Rashi. Rashi solves the problem by suggesting that:

"Jacob wished to divulge the time of the "end," and the Shekhina (Divine presence) suddenly left him. He then began to talk about other matters."

          Rashi explains that the first verse is an opening to something that never happened. Jacob invited his sons to listen in on the secret of secrets, the end of history, the future redemption. God refused to let Jacob divulge that "classified" information; his mind went blank. He began, therefore, to talk to his children about other things. That is the second introductory verse.

          What does this mean? The Sefat Emet (Vayechi 5635: The Rebbe from Gur 1847-1905) explains that Jacob did not want to reveal the ultimate redemption. He didn't want to give away any remarkable secrets. Instead, Jacob wanted them to realize that there was an end, that there was a purpose and pattern in history. On the eve of Galut, at the brink of exile, Jacob wishes to transmit to his children that there was hope, a sense of order, a plan. The Sefat Emet tells us that even this was denied to Jacob. Why? Because an integral part of the exile experience is the hopelessness and the sense of despair. Exile is a psychological state as much as it is a national-physical condition. God somehow prevented Jacob from giving his children even the basic comfort of the knowledge that the future would be a brighter one.

LESSONS FOR EXILE

The Midrash also takes up this theme of exile in its attempt to explain our "double" introduction:

"He said 'Come together' etc.: 'Come together' from Egypt, and 'assemble' in Ramses; 'Come together' from the ten tribes, 'assemble' together with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin .... The Rabbis offered a different interpretation: He commanded them as regards factionalism and family conflict. That is the meaning of the prophecy (Ezekiel 37): 'Take one piece of wood and write on it to Judah and to the children of Israel his friends' ... When the Children of Israel become a unified group they have prepared themselves for the redemption."

          The Midrash here offers two readings of our double introduction. The backdrop to them both is the notion of "end of days" and redemption. The first explanation has Jacob reminding his children to associate with their people. He reminds them - "In future times we will be spread far and wide, we will take on new identities. Do not forget to join your people at the crucial moment." In the Exodus from Egypt the people will gather together at the rallying point of Ramses (Exodus 12:37). Jacob warns them to leave Egypt and join their brethren: "Come together from Egypt and assemble in Ramses." The double expression would seem to be one of encouragement and emphasis. Jews have always found it easy to feel comfortable in their various exilic abodes. Jacob urges them not to forget their true identity and to associate with the Jewish people. This dual introduction has a second historical dimension to it in this first explanation. "Come together from the ten tribes and assemble with Judah and Benjamin." During the First Temple period, the kingdom split into Judah and Benjamin on one side and ten tribes on the other. The ten tribes were later exiled. The hope is that they will return some day. Jacob is urging them to reclaim their lost heritage. This too is a prophecy of the "end of days."

          These two historical examples exist in very different time frames but the lesson to be learned is the same. This message might seem a little detached from the text, but with its typical dexterity, the Midrash touches on a most poignant theme. Where are we standing in the history of the Children of Israel?  We are at the start of an era of Galut - exile.  Jacob realizes that his death will herald the formidable Egyptian exile. His last lesson to his sons as a group is that a Jew must know not only how to live in exile, but he must also understand how to extract himself from it. We must always know when it is time to pull ourselves out of the exilic mud and to reunite with our people.

SECOND EXPLANATION: UNITY

         The second midrashic reading relates to the theme of Jewish unity. Once again this Midrash draws on Jacob's intention to tell us what will happen in the "end of days." The Midrashic lesson: "When the Children of Israel become a unified group they have prepared themselves for the redemption." The Midrash here picks up on the dual use of the verbs of conciliation and togetherness: "gather together" and "assemble" or one could translate "become a single group," "reconciliate yourselves." For a family which has suffered from inner jealousies, hatred, and rivalry, this message is one of the most crucial that Jacob could ever leave his children; the key to redemption - and redemption indicates harmony, national success, peace, religious fulfillment - is togetherness.

BLESSINGS? CURSES?

          So much for introductions. Let us move on to Jacob's messages to his children.

          Some of these messages are longer and others shorter. We will present a few examples (selections from Chapter 49):

"Reuben you are my first-born, my might and first fruit of my vigor, exceeding in rank and exceeding in honor. Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer; for when you mounted your father's bed, you brought disgrace ..

Simeon and Levi are a pair; their weapons are tools of lawlessness...

Let me not be counted in their assembly. For when angry they slay men...

Cursed be their anger so fierce and their wrath so relentless;

I will divide them in Jacob, scatter them in Israel.

You O Judah, your brothers will praise; your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies, your father's sons shall bow down to you...

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...

Dan shall be a serpent by the road, a viper by the path that bites the horses heels so that his rider is thrown backwards - I wait for your deliverance, O Lord.

Asher's bread shall be rich, and he shall yield the sweet foods of the rich."

          If the purpose of these blessings is to engender unity, then why are all the brothers treated separately? Why are the differences between them, their slip-ups and misdemeanors and their particular strengths stressed. Why not emphasize that which they share rather than that which divides them?

THE SEARCH FOR A KING

          The Abarbanel is troubled by the nature of these messages. As we mentioned earlier, he proposes at least four possibilities for the purpose of this last testament of Jacob. He analyses the chapter and opts for a fifth approach. He tells us that these "blessings" are laying a most deliberate stress on the differences between the brothers. This is because Jacob is searching for the individual who is most suitable for the future leadership of the Jewish people. This is what he writes:

"As to the purpose of these statements and blessings, I think that Jacob, at the time of his death, wanted to explain and clarify from which of his children would emerge the future leadership and government of his descendants. He realized and saw through prophecy that his children would form a large collective and they would need a leader or a king, a governor of some sort. At the time of his death, Jacob wished to clarify from where the leadership and monarchy would come in order that the nation should not descend into conflict and argument over the appointment of a leader. To this end he performed a review and an analysis of each and every one of his sons, their personality, traits and talents to determine who was most fit for the leadership... for the nature of children... will be a product of the basic pattern set by their ancestor.. It was for this reason that he mentions here, son by son - with some, his character traits, with others, future events which will occur to his descendants. This is not for blessing, nor is it for moral correction, nor to tell the future... It is to explain and inform who will be fitting for leadership and high office."

          So now we understand why the chapter mentions the faults of some brothers and the praises of others. Let us look at one example.

REUBEN

          Reuben is Jacob's first-born and therefore, the most immediate choice for leadership. Jacob stresses this in his blessing when he calls him "my might and first-fruit of my vigor." He is the first in line. This is Jacob describing his expectations of Reuben. But Jacob also tells of how Reuben failed to act on this powerful potential. Jacob calls him "unstable as water." He stresses that he shall "excel no longer." Why is Reuben described as unstable? Why does he lose his privileged position?

          We might point to the fact that Reuben is most definitely a leader. The brothers follow him on many occasions. But in each case that he demonstrates some initiative, he seems to fail to rise fully to the moment. Let us explain. The brothers seize Joseph and want to kill him. Reuben wants to do the moral thing; he wants to save Joseph's life. Thus, he suggests that rather than killing him, the brothers throw him into a pit. The text records for us, the readers, that Reuben's real plan was to "save him from them and restore him to his father" (37:22). But Reuben's plan fails. By the time that Reuben gets back to the pit, Joseph has already been sold.

"When Reuben returned to the pit and saw that Joseph was not in the pit, he rent his clothes. Returning to his brothers, he said, 'The boy is gone! Now what am I to do?'" (37:29-30)

          Reuben's leadership goes only so far. He doesn't manage to save the situation. A similar occurrence takes place later when there is a need to take Benjamin back to Egypt. The mysterious viceroy of Egypt has demanded the presence of Benjamin and the brothers know that they will starve if they do not comply with his wishes. Reuben makes a suggestion to his father the moment the brothers arrive home.

"You may kill my two sons if I do not bring him back to you" (42:37).

          Jacob does not take Reuben seriously. After all, what sort of a comfort is this? Jacob is worried about losing a son and Reuben suggests that if he loses hold of Benjamin, his own two sons should die. Reuben tries hard to lead but his timing is bad and his suggestion - while eager and showing good intent - is unconvincing. Rather, it is Judah who finds the right moment to persuade his father and convinces him of his commitment to Benjamin's security. Jacob listens to Judah and not to Reuben. Even Judah's sin, the occasion when he slept with his father's concubine (35:22), is an attempt to assume a position of leadership (cf. Samuel II 16:22 when Absalom sleeps with King David's concubine as a sign that he is his heir as monarch), but Reuben always seems to fail to act in the correct way, in spite of the best intentions. He is, in this sense, "unstable." He is not an unstable person, but he is an unstable leader.

          The Abarbanel raises the issue of leadership as the central concern of Jacob's final speech. Indeed, every son who is mentioned can be seen in this light.  Dan is mentioned with his ability to fight wars, just that his war would be a guerrilla warfare (typified by the Dan-ite Samson) - "a viper by the roadside" - unsuitable for kings and statesmen. Asher too has a relationship to the throne. He will provide food and other delicacies for the king, but he too will not become the leader. Jacob chooses Judah to lead. It is Judah who is seen by the brothers as the leader and it is he who has shown a steady composure and a reliable and effective leadership over the past chapters.  It is Judah who is given the scepter of the future monarchy.

ALL FOR ONE AND ONE FOR ALL

          The Abarbanel's theory is sound, but nonetheless, a little troubling, for on the basis of his thinking, it would appear that this last will and testament does more to divide and arouse resentment between the brothers than it unifies them.

          A comment by the Or Ha-chayim on the concluding verse of this last speech of Jacob, provides a very different direction to that of the Abarbanel, but a more unified angle on the entire chapter. The verse states:

"All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number,  and this is what their father said to them; he blessed them all, blessing each one with a blessing appropriate to him" (50:28).

          The Or Ha-chayim comments:

"A BLESSING APPROPRIATE TO HIM:  A blessing which matched the inner traits of his soul and his actions. For every soul has a particular virtue. It may be the priestly service or the majesty of a monarch, the crown of Torah or physical strength, wealth or simple good fortune. Jacob wanted his blessings here to bring out the inner nature of every son.

HE BLESSED THEM ALL: He blesses them as a collective for the particular blessing of every one of the brothers will help all the brothers. When one brother has a particular virtue ... a small amount of that virtue will reach each and every one of the brothers."

          In this reading, our chapter is about emphasizing the unique characteristics of each of the tribes. That is the "blessing" of each tribe. But it does not lead to competition or rivalry. Jacob gathers them all together so that they realize that every one has something unique. Each brother has something to contribute to the others. Each brother can add his uniqueness to the family as a unit.

          Even Jacob's curses may be understood as blessings in this light. Rabbi S.R. Hirsch expresses this teaching when Jacob curses Simeon and Levi. These are two sons who had killed innocent civilians in the town of Shechem. Jacob curses their anger, but then adds that "I will divide them in Jacob" (see the verses above). Rabbi Hirsch has an interesting approach here. He talks of the motives which prompted Simeon and Levi to action: family pride, a sense of the dignity of the Jewish people, an unwillingness to see their sister disgraced, to be taken advantage of.

          Rabbi Hirsch explains that these motives can be good and beneficial, but only when applied in moderation. In its extreme form of Simeon and Levi, this feeling of pride and self-respect becomes dangerous, even explosive. Their outrage leads to murder. In this sense, when Simeon and Levi are "a pair," their anger must be cursed. However, when these feelings of self-worth and national dignity are divided throughout the family, when the intensity is divided by twelve, then this can be a most valuable and essential commodity for a nation.

UNITY THROUGH DIFFERENCE

          This approach stresses the unity of the Jewish nation. But this unity is not a unity through conformism and uniformity. The togetherness that Jacob proposes for his children is one that takes account of the differences between his sons, of their various talents and strengths, their strong temperaments and ideologies. Jacob suggests that the family can live together despite their differences. In fact Jacob goes a step further; the family will be built precisely because of the tribes' differences. It is the unique nature of each tribe which will build a stronger Israel.

          May this be a lesson that we learn today - to accept the difference of other groups within our nations. We should begin to learn from the strengths of others rather than fight them, attempting to make them more like ourselves. We can be strong and unified in our various shades and colors. In this way, we too might just merit the blessings of our forefathers when they see " How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together harmoniously" (Psalms 133:1).

Shabbat Shalom