Dvar Torah for Vayechi

This week’s parshah ends off Sefer Bereishis, the first of five parts of the Torah. When Yaakov realizes he is going to die soon he prepares his children for life in Egypt and beyond by blessing each one of them. These blessings were tailored for each one of Yaakov’s sons according to his strengths and needs. Not only were these blessings given to the brother’s themselves, the entire future of each shevet (tribe) is based on the brachos from Yaakov. For example, Yissachar’s brachah compares him to a donkey, an animal which can handle heavy loads. This is in reference to the heavy load of Torah study which was Yissachar’s main responsibility. Dan’s brachah compares him to a snake which bites a horse’s heal and causes the rider to fall off and die without the snake even touching him. This is in reference to Dan’s descendant, Shimshon (Samson), who killed the Plishtim (Philistines) by knocking over the support beams for their marketplace; killing many without even directly touching them.

Not all the brachos seem to have such nice references though. Reuven, Shimon, and Levi’s brachos all seem to be critical instead of praiseworthy. By Reuven, Yaakov says, “פַּחַז כַּמַּיִם אַל תּוֹתַר” “(You were) Hasty like water, do not take more (You shall not be superior)” (49:4). Yaakov tells Reuven that because he was hasty in moving Yaakov’s bed from Bilhah’s tent to Leah’s tent after Rachel’s death (see Vayishlach [35:22]), he lost out on his status as firstborn. This meant losing his double portion in the land of Israel and his right to be the Kohen (Priest) in the Beis Hamikdash to Yosef and Levi, respectfully.

By Shimon and Levi, it sounds even worse. “שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אַחִים כְּלֵי חָמָס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם. בְּסֹדָם אַל תָּבֹא נַפְשִׁי בִּקְהָלָם אַל תֵּחַד כְּבֹדִי כִּי בְאַפָּם הָרְגוּ אִישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָם עִקְּרוּ שׁוֹר. אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז וְעֶבְרָתָם כִּי קָשָׁתָה אֲחַלְּקֵם בְּיַעֲקֹב וַאֲפִיצֵם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל” “Shimon and Levi are brothers, stolen tools are their weapons. Into their plans, may my soul not enter! Let my honor not join in their congregation. For in their rage they killed a man and in their wish, they hamstrung an ox. Cursed is their anger for it is mighty, and their wrath for it is harsh; I will divide them in Yaakov, and I will disperse them in Israel. (49:5-7)”. Rashi explains that at various times in history, descendants of Shimon and Levi will perform acts that Yaakov has no wish to be associated with. These are the story of Korach of Shevet Levi (Bamidbar 16), and Zimri of Shevet Shimon (Ibid.25). This is what is meant by “Into their plans, may my soul not enter! Let my honor not join in their congregation.” They killed a man, Shechem, and they hamstrung an ox when they sold Yosef ( who is compared to an ox in his brachah). Then, Yaakov curses them! It certainly appears as if these three brothers did not get a nice sendoff from their father.

This would be hard enough to understand without this pasuk written after the brachos are finished. “כָּל אֵלֶּה שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר וְזֹאת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתָם…” “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel, and this is what their father spoke to them and he blessed them…” Rashi asks the obvious question; how can the pasuk say that Yaakov blessed all twelve, there are some whom he did not bless? One answer is that even though each brother received his own blessing, all the blessings really went on all the brothers. Rashi also answers that it must be that the rebuke which Reuven, Shimon, and Levi received was really a brachah.  

So what’s the brachah over here? The Ohr HaChaim explains how this works. Until the sin of the golden calf, the first-borns of the Jews were supposed to perform all of the tasks in the Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash. After the sin, Hashem took it away from them and gave it to Shevet Levi, the only ones not to sin with the golden calf. However, there is a Chazal that in the times of mashiach, the first-borns will serve alongside the Leviim. Says the Ohr HaChaim, the main part of Yaakov’s blessing to Reuven was calling him his first-born! In 49:3, the pasuk says “רְאוּבֵן בְּכֹרִי אַתָּה” “Reuven, you are my first-born”, and then Yaakov proceeds to rebuke him. But even though Yaakov says here how Reuven will lose his first-born rights, he still calls him his first-born! Reuven will benefit from this at the end of days even though now it seems as if he is being rebuked. (This shows us even more the value of Yaakov buying the bechora [first-born rights] from Eisav, that even in the times of mashiach, Eisav will have no right to serve in the Beis Hamikdash.)

 If you read the brachah by Shimon and Levi carefully, you will notice that Yaakov does not curse them, rather he curses their anger. This in it of itself is a blessing, this is exactly what Shimon and Levi needed in order to grow to their greatest potential, which is the main point of all the brachos.

May we all be zoche to fulfill the full potential of the brachos which Yaakov gave to our forefathers which have matriculated down to us, in order to serve Hashem in the best possible way.

Shabbat Shalom!