Aliya Summary: Jacob summoned all his sons, and delivered to each a
poetic, and sometimes cryptic, parting personal message. Reuven was
chastised for his impetuousness and for "ascending upon his father's
bed." Shimon and Levi were rebuked for their anger, which expressed
itself in the killing of the Shechemites and the attempted execution of
Joseph. Judah was blessed with monarchy, success in waging battle, and
an abundance of wine and milk in his portion. Zevulon was blessed with
success in his sea-trade endeavors. Jacob likened Issachar to a
thick-boned donkey who finds both rest and ample work. Dan was blessed
with the tenacity of a serpent and the ability to judge.
While
the first three messages to Reuven, Shimon and Levi were harsh, the
fourth (to Yehuda) was positive. Yaakov called Yehuda a "cub and a
lion". Yehuda was both because he was a fierce leader when he needed to
be (which translates to his future descendants), and had a soft side
when that was required (Rashi: like reasoning with his brothers about
the merits of killing vs not killing Yosef, and admitting his mistakes
with Tamar). While all the tribes displayed distinct and special
characteristics, Yehuda was the first to display an ability to modify
his characteristic cased on the situation, a quality worth learning to
emulate.
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