Ten Tribes Vs. One Tribe/1/he
עשרה שבטים מול שבט אחד
הקדמה
מי חסר?
After Shelomo sins, he is told that Hashem will tear the kingdom away from him, leaving him only one tribe "לְמַעַן עַבְדִּי דָוִד וּלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם". Soon after, when Yerovam begins to rebel, the prophet Achiyah relays to him the same message (מלכים א' י"א):
(כט) וַיְהִי בָּעֵת הַהִיא וְיָרׇבְעָם יָצָא מִירוּשָׁלִָם וַיִּמְצָא אֹתוֹ אֲחִיָּה הַשִּׁילֹנִי הַנָּבִיא בַּדֶּרֶךְ וְהוּא מִתְכַּסֶּה בְּשַׂלְמָה חֲדָשָׁה וּשְׁנֵיהֶם לְבַדָּם בַּשָּׂדֶה. (ל) וַיִּתְפֹּשׂ אֲחִיָּה בַּשַּׂלְמָה הַחֲדָשָׁה אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו וַיִּקְרָעֶהָ שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר קְרָעִים. (לא) וַיֹּאמֶר לְיָרׇבְעָם קַח לְךָ עֲשָׂרָה קְרָעִים כִּי כֹה אָמַר י"י אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הִנְנִי קֹרֵעַ אֶת הַמַּמְלָכָה מִיַּד שְׁלֹמֹה וְנָתַתִּי לְךָ אֵת עֲשָׂרָה הַשְּׁבָטִים. (לב) וְהַשֵּׁבֶט הָאֶחָד יִהְיֶה לּוֹ לְמַעַן עַבְדִּי דָוִד וּלְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם הָעִיר אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתִּי בָהּ מִכֹּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
Achiyah tears his cloak into twelve pieces, symbolic of the twelve tribes. He gives Yerovam ten strips, representing the ten tribes over whom he will rule, and declares that one tribe will remain for Shelomo's descendants due to the merits of David. The metaphor is clear, except that the numbers do not add up.1 Given that there are שנים עשר שבטים, if Shelomo's line gets one and Yerovam gets ten, who receives the twelfth? Which tribe is missing, and why is it not mentioned?
הגשמת הנבואה
Soon after Shelomo's son, Rechavam, begins his reign, his taxation policies prompt rebellion and lead to the fulfillment of Achiyah's prophecy (מלכים א' י"ב):
(יט) וַיִּפְשְׁעוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּבֵית דָּוִד עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה. (כ) וַיְהִי כִּשְׁמֹעַ כׇּל יִשְׂרָאֵל כִּי שָׁב יָרׇבְעָם וַיִּשְׁלְחוּ וַיִּקְרְאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל הָעֵדָה וַיַּמְלִיכוּ אֹתוֹ עַל כׇּל יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא הָיָה אַחֲרֵי בֵית דָּוִד זוּלָתִי שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה לְבַדּוֹ. (כא) [וַיָּבֹא] (ויבאו) רְחַבְעָם יְרוּשָׁלִַם וַיַּקְהֵל אֶת כׇּל בֵּית יְהוּדָה וְאֶת שֵׁבֶט בִּנְיָמִן מֵאָה וּשְׁמֹנִים אֶלֶף בָּחוּר עֹשֵׂה מִלְחָמָה לְהִלָּחֵם עִם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל לְהָשִׁיב אֶת הַמְּלוּכָה לִרְחַבְעָם בֶּן שְׁלֹמֹה.
The people appoint Yerovam as king, and we are told that no one followed the house of David "זוּלָתִי שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה לְבַדּוֹ", exactly as prophesied. However, in the very next verse, we read that Rechavam gathered not only Yehuda, but also Binyamin, to fight against the rest of Israel. Does this suggest that they, too, were loyal to Rechavam from the very beginning? But, if so, why are they not mentioned בפסוק כ'? Moreover, why would Binyamin, of all tribes, side with their former foe, Yehuda, rather than with their relative Yerovam, a fellow descendant of Rachel?
נושאים נוספים
- "לְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם" – What does Hashem mean when He states that He will leave David one tribe "לְמַעַן יְרוּשָׁלִַם"? Is Hashem implying that Yerushalayim was to be left to the Davidic Dynasty? Considering that Yerushalayim was uniquely situated in both the territories of Yehuda and Binyamin, would that not necessitate granting Rechavam, not one, but two tribes?
- "וַיְהִי נַחֲלָתָם בְּתוֹךְ נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה" – יהושע י״ט:ט׳ teaches that Shimon inherited in the South, within the territory of the tribe of Yehuda. As such, from a geographic perspective, they were part of the southern Kingdom. To whom, though did their allegiance lie? Were they one of the "עֲשָׂרָה הַשְּׁבָטִים" given to Yerovam, but nonetheless living in the midst of enemy territory? How could that have worked?
