Biblical quiz: six animals symbolize six of the twelve tribes of Israel. Which of them is not likened to an animal in Jacob's blessing to his sons in Vaychi portion? Yehudah - a lion's cub, Issachar - a donkey, Dan - a snake on a path, Naphtali - a doe, Joseph - the firstborn of a bull, Benjamin - a wolf will prey? Hint: one of these six is mentioned in the blessings of Moses to the tribes of Israel in "V'Zot HaBerachah" portion.
Answer: Joseph does not participate in Jacob's carnival of animals. The nickname "firstling bullock" was given to Joseph in the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:17). According to Rashi, Jacob's words to Simeon and Levi "and in their self-will they houghed oxen" (Gen. 49:6) allude to the sale of Joseph: "They (Simeon and Levi) desired to exterminate Joseph who is called an ox".
Was Issachar offended when his father called him an 'ass'? The term 'ass' today has a negative connotation, but it was not so in the time of the Bible. Donkeys, like humans, are a fusion of positive and negative. The donkey carries heavy loads, is efficient and useful to man, and is also portrayed as stubborn and stiffnecked, similarly to one of the well-known nations In the Bible (which nation?). According to the midrash, the heavy load carried by the donkey Issachar is "the yoke of the Torah" - here is the academic image of a 'donkey carrying books' from a midrashic source. In the days of the Messiah, there will be rejuvenation for this diligent and useful animal, because the Messiah will come in his glory riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). Is Jacob implying in this image that the Messiah will actually be from the seed of Issachar, the tribe of Torah learners? In my opinion, the prophet Zechariah intended to emphasize the modesty and humility that would characterize the true Messiah: the way of kings is to ride a horse, but the future Messiah will be "lowly, and riding upon an ass" (Zechariah 9:9), that is: the real Messiah will not be housed in luxurious hotel suites, And he will not stay at the villas of his millionaire friends...
And the snake? We remember him from the beginning of the book of Genesis as "more subtle than any beast of the field" (Genesis 3:1) and cursed by God (ibid., 3:14) but in Vaychi portion Jacob wishes his son Dan to be "a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path" (ibid., 49:17). This blessing is a reconciliation with a reality in which the tribe of Dan, which lived on an important road, where troops of powerful powers pass, had to resort to the tactic of a snake "that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider falleth backward" (ibid., ibid.).
The lion was and remains the king of animals. In many nations the king or the capital city choose the lion as their symbol because of its strength. Compared to the lion, the wolf had ups and downs in his image: from the tribe of Benjamin in Jacob's blessing, to the wolf that devoured the grandmother of Red Riding Hood. The suspicion towards the wolf stems from the fact that he was not satisfied with swallowing the grandmother, but wrapped himself in her clothes and pretended to be a loving grandmother... Perhaps because of this behavior the Romans claimed that "a man is a wolf to another man" and did not say "a man is a lion to another man", even though the lion preys on the weaker than him like the wolf! Moreover: the wolf is especially hated by the shepherds, and Jacob our father was a shepherd from his youth... Despite this, Jacob is not afraid to liken his beloved youngest son, Benjamin, to a wolf. According to Rashi (on Genesis 39:27), Benjamin's image of a wolf foretells the abduction of Shiloh's daughters following the civil war after 'Levite's concubine' because the wolves are kidnappers: "Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth - he prophesied that they (Benjamin’s descendants) will be “rapacious” in the time to come; thus the Benjamites were told (Judges 21:21) “and catch you every man his wife”, as you will find in the story of the Levite's concubine". To this day, the names 'Binyamin' (Benjamin) and 'Zeev' (Wolf) are used as a pair (riddle: an important person in Israel's history whose Hebrew name is 'Benyamin Zeev'?). The lion also continues to appear as a popular first name.
Compared to the carnivorous wolf, lion and snake, the doe is a vegetarian. One deer will fight to the bitter end with another deer in order to win the favor of the doe, but she deserves a prize for peace loving and calm motherhood! What is the connection between the Naphtali tribe and the doe? The characteristic of agility and speed... in Rashi's language the doe is "easy to run". Riddle: Who was the chief of staff of the Naftali tribe who led the Israeli army to an important victory?
We would have expected from Jacob that the images of prey animals would be attached specifically to his sons Simeon and Levi. In modern Hebrew these two would be called 'wild men', 'behaving like animals', and in spoken Latin they would be called: 'vilde chaye' = wild animals. Only Isaiah's vision of peace in the end of days expects the tiger to live in coexistence with the capricorn and the lion to eat hay as a vegetarian... In today's reality it is a death sentence by starvation for the tiger and the lion - they have no other nutrition but prey!
Should Simeon and Levi have been likened to ravenous wolves, and Reuben to a donkey in heat, which engages in copulation without reservation? A more important question: Was it appropriate for Jacob our father, that his last words to his three eldest sons should be words of condemnation and curse? Hasn't it come time to forgive at the end of his life? Why did Jacob keep his anger against Reuben in his heart for many years, and did not hold him accountable? Furthermore, should he have also mentioned the praise of Reuben, who prevented his brothers from killing Joseph? Perhaps the detailed story was hidden from Jacob even after he went down to Egypt and met with Joseph?
The sin of Simeon and Levi, who "in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen" (Genesis 49:6) is according to the midrash (see above) a double sin: shedding the blood of the people of Nablus and their willingness to shed the blood of their brother Joseph. Rashi explains why These two said each to his brother, "let us slay him" (ibid., 37:20) when Joseph approached. The violence of Simeon and Levi towards the residents of Nablus, a disproportionate response to the rape of Dinah, is the seed of calamity in a multigenerational cycle of violence and hatred. The punishment for Simeon and Levi is that they will not have a permanent inheritance in the Land of Israel, but the fulfillment of that curse in each of them is completely different. In Levi there are two sides to the coin of "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (ibid., 49:7), the negative side in Jacob's blessing and the positive side in the inheritance of the tribe of Levi from the days of Moses onwards. They will not be entitled to an inheritance, in order for them to devote themselves to their duties as priests and servants of God. There is a lesson in this for generations: one who dedicates himself to the service of God and to religious-spiritual leadership will not own property and will not be able to take advantage of his position to accumulate property and take control of his people, by combining 'capital-rule' (cronyism)...
The seed of jealousy and violence towards the people of Nablus and towards Joseph is passed on by Levi as inheritance to Pinchas and according to the Midrash also to Elijah who killed the 'prophets of Baal'. Bigotry and violence cross the line between strangers and allies: whoever killed the residents of Nablus indiscriminately, it would be easy for him to kill his brother Joseph... Most of the 'prophets of Baal' who were slaughtered by Elijah were allies! Anyone who did not strongly condemn Goldstein for murdering Muslim worshipers in Hebron, paved the way for the murder of Yitzhak Rabin! The Hardalim (Nationalist ultra-Orthodox) who praise the book that deserves to be called "The Torah of a servant when he reigneth" will sooner or later shed the blood of their brothers, the Israelites, who do not accept its rulings. The violence of the 'price tag' attack policy and the
'Hilltop Youth' towards Palestinian neighbors is also directed towards Jews - Israelis who do not agree with their way.
May God give the descendants of Simeon and Levi among us his peace! It doesn't matter if they are Aaron's seed! It is more important than anything that they will be Aaron's students: lovers of peace and pursuers of peace, lovers of humanity (from all nations and religions), and bringing everyone closer to the Torah, all of whose paths are peace!
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Rabbi Ph.D. Gil Nativ is a teacher and lecturer of Talmud and Rabbinic Thought. Rabbi in conservative congregations in Israel and abroad in the years 1984-2018. From April 2016 to July 2023 he is Chairman of Va’ad Halakhah (the Halacha Committee) of the Rabbinical Assembly in Israel.
Answer: Joseph does not participate in Jacob's carnival of animals. The nickname "firstling bullock" was given to Joseph in the blessing of Moses (Deuteronomy 33:17). According to Rashi, Jacob's words to Simeon and Levi "and in their self-will they houghed oxen" (Gen. 49:6) allude to the sale of Joseph: "They (Simeon and Levi) desired to exterminate Joseph who is called an ox".
Was Issachar offended when his father called him an 'ass'? The term 'ass' today has a negative connotation, but it was not so in the time of the Bible. Donkeys, like humans, are a fusion of positive and negative. The donkey carries heavy loads, is efficient and useful to man, and is also portrayed as stubborn and stiffnecked, similarly to one of the well-known nations In the Bible (which nation?). According to the midrash, the heavy load carried by the donkey Issachar is "the yoke of the Torah" - here is the academic image of a 'donkey carrying books' from a midrashic source. In the days of the Messiah, there will be rejuvenation for this diligent and useful animal, because the Messiah will come in his glory riding on a donkey (Zechariah 9:9). Is Jacob implying in this image that the Messiah will actually be from the seed of Issachar, the tribe of Torah learners? In my opinion, the prophet Zechariah intended to emphasize the modesty and humility that would characterize the true Messiah: the way of kings is to ride a horse, but the future Messiah will be "lowly, and riding upon an ass" (Zechariah 9:9), that is: the real Messiah will not be housed in luxurious hotel suites, And he will not stay at the villas of his millionaire friends...
And the snake? We remember him from the beginning of the book of Genesis as "more subtle than any beast of the field" (Genesis 3:1) and cursed by God (ibid., 3:14) but in Vaychi portion Jacob wishes his son Dan to be "a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path" (ibid., 49:17). This blessing is a reconciliation with a reality in which the tribe of Dan, which lived on an important road, where troops of powerful powers pass, had to resort to the tactic of a snake "that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider falleth backward" (ibid., ibid.).
The lion was and remains the king of animals. In many nations the king or the capital city choose the lion as their symbol because of its strength. Compared to the lion, the wolf had ups and downs in his image: from the tribe of Benjamin in Jacob's blessing, to the wolf that devoured the grandmother of Red Riding Hood. The suspicion towards the wolf stems from the fact that he was not satisfied with swallowing the grandmother, but wrapped himself in her clothes and pretended to be a loving grandmother... Perhaps because of this behavior the Romans claimed that "a man is a wolf to another man" and did not say "a man is a lion to another man", even though the lion preys on the weaker than him like the wolf! Moreover: the wolf is especially hated by the shepherds, and Jacob our father was a shepherd from his youth... Despite this, Jacob is not afraid to liken his beloved youngest son, Benjamin, to a wolf. According to Rashi (on Genesis 39:27), Benjamin's image of a wolf foretells the abduction of Shiloh's daughters following the civil war after 'Levite's concubine' because the wolves are kidnappers: "Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth - he prophesied that they (Benjamin’s descendants) will be “rapacious” in the time to come; thus the Benjamites were told (Judges 21:21) “and catch you every man his wife”, as you will find in the story of the Levite's concubine". To this day, the names 'Binyamin' (Benjamin) and 'Zeev' (Wolf) are used as a pair (riddle: an important person in Israel's history whose Hebrew name is 'Benyamin Zeev'?). The lion also continues to appear as a popular first name.
Compared to the carnivorous wolf, lion and snake, the doe is a vegetarian. One deer will fight to the bitter end with another deer in order to win the favor of the doe, but she deserves a prize for peace loving and calm motherhood! What is the connection between the Naphtali tribe and the doe? The characteristic of agility and speed... in Rashi's language the doe is "easy to run". Riddle: Who was the chief of staff of the Naftali tribe who led the Israeli army to an important victory?
We would have expected from Jacob that the images of prey animals would be attached specifically to his sons Simeon and Levi. In modern Hebrew these two would be called 'wild men', 'behaving like animals', and in spoken Latin they would be called: 'vilde chaye' = wild animals. Only Isaiah's vision of peace in the end of days expects the tiger to live in coexistence with the capricorn and the lion to eat hay as a vegetarian... In today's reality it is a death sentence by starvation for the tiger and the lion - they have no other nutrition but prey!
Should Simeon and Levi have been likened to ravenous wolves, and Reuben to a donkey in heat, which engages in copulation without reservation? A more important question: Was it appropriate for Jacob our father, that his last words to his three eldest sons should be words of condemnation and curse? Hasn't it come time to forgive at the end of his life? Why did Jacob keep his anger against Reuben in his heart for many years, and did not hold him accountable? Furthermore, should he have also mentioned the praise of Reuben, who prevented his brothers from killing Joseph? Perhaps the detailed story was hidden from Jacob even after he went down to Egypt and met with Joseph?
The sin of Simeon and Levi, who "in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen" (Genesis 49:6) is according to the midrash (see above) a double sin: shedding the blood of the people of Nablus and their willingness to shed the blood of their brother Joseph. Rashi explains why These two said each to his brother, "let us slay him" (ibid., 37:20) when Joseph approached. The violence of Simeon and Levi towards the residents of Nablus, a disproportionate response to the rape of Dinah, is the seed of calamity in a multigenerational cycle of violence and hatred. The punishment for Simeon and Levi is that they will not have a permanent inheritance in the Land of Israel, but the fulfillment of that curse in each of them is completely different. In Levi there are two sides to the coin of "I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel" (ibid., 49:7), the negative side in Jacob's blessing and the positive side in the inheritance of the tribe of Levi from the days of Moses onwards. They will not be entitled to an inheritance, in order for them to devote themselves to their duties as priests and servants of God. There is a lesson in this for generations: one who dedicates himself to the service of God and to religious-spiritual leadership will not own property and will not be able to take advantage of his position to accumulate property and take control of his people, by combining 'capital-rule' (cronyism)...
The seed of jealousy and violence towards the people of Nablus and towards Joseph is passed on by Levi as inheritance to Pinchas and according to the Midrash also to Elijah who killed the 'prophets of Baal'. Bigotry and violence cross the line between strangers and allies: whoever killed the residents of Nablus indiscriminately, it would be easy for him to kill his brother Joseph... Most of the 'prophets of Baal' who were slaughtered by Elijah were allies! Anyone who did not strongly condemn Goldstein for murdering Muslim worshipers in Hebron, paved the way for the murder of Yitzhak Rabin! The Hardalim (Nationalist ultra-Orthodox) who praise the book that deserves to be called "The Torah of a servant when he reigneth" will sooner or later shed the blood of their brothers, the Israelites, who do not accept its rulings. The violence of the 'price tag' attack policy and the
'Hilltop Youth' towards Palestinian neighbors is also directed towards Jews - Israelis who do not agree with their way.
May God give the descendants of Simeon and Levi among us his peace! It doesn't matter if they are Aaron's seed! It is more important than anything that they will be Aaron's students: lovers of peace and pursuers of peace, lovers of humanity (from all nations and religions), and bringing everyone closer to the Torah, all of whose paths are peace!
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Rabbi Ph.D. Gil Nativ is a teacher and lecturer of Talmud and Rabbinic Thought. Rabbi in conservative congregations in Israel and abroad in the years 1984-2018. From April 2016 to July 2023 he is Chairman of Va’ad Halakhah (the Halacha Committee) of the Rabbinical Assembly in Israel.