Difference between revisions of "Yaakov's Parting Words to Shimon and Levi/2"
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<category>Attempt to Kill Yosef | <category>Attempt to Kill Yosef | ||
+ | <p>Yaakov's rebuke revolves around Shimon and Levi's role in the plots to kill and sell Yosef.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="RMosheAlshikhBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">R. Moshe Alshikh</a><a href="RMosheAlshikhBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5</a><a href="R. Moshe Alshikh" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Alshikh</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">Or HaChayyim</a><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5-7</a><a href="R. Chayyim b. Atar (Or HaChayyim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chayyim b. Atar</a></multilink><fn>The Or HaChayyim explains most of the verses as relating to the attempt to kill and sell Yosef, though in his comments on the opening of verse 5 he alludes to the slaughter of Shekhem as well.</fn></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RMosheAlshikhBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">R. Moshe Alshikh</a><a href="RMosheAlshikhBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5</a><a href="R. Moshe Alshikh" data-aht="parshan">About R. Moshe Alshikh</a></multilink>, <multilink><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">Or HaChayyim</a><a href="OrHaChayyimBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5-7</a><a href="R. Chayyim b. Atar (Or HaChayyim)" data-aht="parshan">About R. Chayyim b. Atar</a></multilink><fn>The Or HaChayyim explains most of the verses as relating to the attempt to kill and sell Yosef, though in his comments on the opening of verse 5 he alludes to the slaughter of Shekhem as well.</fn></mekorot> | ||
<point><b>Yaakov's blessings: on the past or future?</b> According to Or HaChayyim, in many of Yaakov's blessings he speaks of both the past and future, showing how the brother's past actions will affect their future tribes' status.<fn>See his explanations of Yaakov's parting words to Reuven, Shimon and Levi, Yehuda, Yissachar and Yosef.</fn></point> | <point><b>Yaakov's blessings: on the past or future?</b> According to Or HaChayyim, in many of Yaakov's blessings he speaks of both the past and future, showing how the brother's past actions will affect their future tribes' status.<fn>See his explanations of Yaakov's parting words to Reuven, Shimon and Levi, Yehuda, Yissachar and Yosef.</fn></point> | ||
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</category> | </category> | ||
<category>Angry & Violent Nature | <category>Angry & Violent Nature | ||
+ | <p>Yaakov does not speak of any specific event, but rather about the brothers' extreme wrath and violent nature.  This position subdivides regarding how it thinks Yaakov evaluates these traits:</p> | ||
<opinion>Worthy of Censure | <opinion>Worthy of Censure | ||
+ | <p>Yaakov views the brothers uncontrollable rage negatively, and by Yaakov points to it as the reason that neither Shimon nor Levi merit kingship.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5-7</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a><a href="RYosefBekhorShorBereshit49-5-7" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5-7</a><a href="R. Yosef Bekhor Shor" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yosef Bekhor Shor</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
<point><b>Blessings - on the past or future</b> – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor, much of Yaakov's final address to his sons relates to their roles during the Monarchic period. Thus, he opens his words, by telling Shimon and Levi why they did not merit to inherit the monarchy and right to rule, but were instead dispersed throughout the tribes.</point> | <point><b>Blessings - on the past or future</b> – According to R"Y Bekhor Shor, much of Yaakov's final address to his sons relates to their roles during the Monarchic period. Thus, he opens his words, by telling Shimon and Levi why they did not merit to inherit the monarchy and right to rule, but were instead dispersed throughout the tribes.</point> | ||
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</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
<opinion>Worthy of Praise | <opinion>Worthy of Praise | ||
+ | <p>Yaakov finds the brothers' anger and willingness to kill praiseworthy and a necessary trait for the nation, as it provokes fear in Isarel's enemies. Yaakov saw that the brothers would ensure that there was always someone who could fight Israel's battles.</p> | ||
<mekorot><multilink><a href="RYehudaHeChasidBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">R. Yehuda HeChasid</a><a href="RYehudaHeChasidBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5</a><a href="R. Yehuda HeChasid" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda HeChasid</a></multilink></mekorot> | <mekorot><multilink><a href="RYehudaHeChasidBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">R. Yehuda HeChasid</a><a href="RYehudaHeChasidBereshit49-5" data-aht="source">Bereshit 49:5</a><a href="R. Yehuda HeChasid" data-aht="parshan">About R. Yehuda HeChasid</a></multilink></mekorot> | ||
<point><b>Praise or rebuke</b> – R. Yehuda HeChasid is unique in understanding Yaakov to be praising rather than rebuking Shimon and Levi, seeing in their anger and readiness to kill a necessary and meritorious quality.<fn>Cf. Jubilees which does not speak about Yaakov's blessing to the brothers but, as it regards the zeal of the brothers in Shekhem to be praiseworthy and even says that brothers were "written for a blessing" for their act, it might be inclined to agree with R. Yehuda HaChasid's positive reading of Yaakov's blessing.</fn></point> | <point><b>Praise or rebuke</b> – R. Yehuda HeChasid is unique in understanding Yaakov to be praising rather than rebuking Shimon and Levi, seeing in their anger and readiness to kill a necessary and meritorious quality.<fn>Cf. Jubilees which does not speak about Yaakov's blessing to the brothers but, as it regards the zeal of the brothers in Shekhem to be praiseworthy and even says that brothers were "written for a blessing" for their act, it might be inclined to agree with R. Yehuda HaChasid's positive reading of Yaakov's blessing.</fn></point> | ||
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<point><b>No mention of Shekhem</b> – This approach might assume that the incident in Shekhem was one of the reasons that the brothers had the reputation that they did. If so, in Chapter 34 Yaakov had  not been upset about the extremity of the the brothers' actions, only worried about the prudence of the deed.The fact that the Torah gives the last word to the brothers there (their cry, "") might suggest that Hashem, too, had no issue with the brothers' deed, recognizing that certain crimes call for extreme reactions.</point> | <point><b>No mention of Shekhem</b> – This approach might assume that the incident in Shekhem was one of the reasons that the brothers had the reputation that they did. If so, in Chapter 34 Yaakov had  not been upset about the extremity of the the brothers' actions, only worried about the prudence of the deed.The fact that the Torah gives the last word to the brothers there (their cry, "") might suggest that Hashem, too, had no issue with the brothers' deed, recognizing that certain crimes call for extreme reactions.</point> | ||
<point><b>No mention of sale</b> – According to R. Yehuda HaChasid, though the brothers planned to sell Yosef, they never did so as the Midianites beat them to it.  Shadal's cousin goes a step further to suggest that the brothers themselves were unaware of the sale and astonished when Reuven found the pit empty, leading them to conclude that Yosef had indeed been killed by a wild animal (as they told their father). [See <a href="Who Sold Yosef" data-aht="page">Who Sold Yosef</a> for details.]  If so, it is very likely that Yaakov never learned of the original plotting,<fn>Interestingly Shadal himself in the later printed editions of his commentary, nonetheless contends that Yaakov assumed (incorrectly) that the brothers had been directly responsible for the sale.</fn> and clear why he does not rebuke Shimon and Levi for the sale.<fn>It is also possible that R. Yehuda HaChasid was motivated to read Yaakov's words as a blessing, to fit the tone of Yaakov's speech to all the other brothers. If he was looking to read the verses in a positive  rather than a negative manner, this would exclude suggesting that the verses refer to the sale.  [However, considering that R. Yehuda HaChasid reads Yaakov's words to Reuven as chastisement, it is difficult to say that he would have been greatly bothered to read the "blessing" to Shimon and Levi, too, as rebuke.]</fn></point> | <point><b>No mention of sale</b> – According to R. Yehuda HaChasid, though the brothers planned to sell Yosef, they never did so as the Midianites beat them to it.  Shadal's cousin goes a step further to suggest that the brothers themselves were unaware of the sale and astonished when Reuven found the pit empty, leading them to conclude that Yosef had indeed been killed by a wild animal (as they told their father). [See <a href="Who Sold Yosef" data-aht="page">Who Sold Yosef</a> for details.]  If so, it is very likely that Yaakov never learned of the original plotting,<fn>Interestingly Shadal himself in the later printed editions of his commentary, nonetheless contends that Yaakov assumed (incorrectly) that the brothers had been directly responsible for the sale.</fn> and clear why he does not rebuke Shimon and Levi for the sale.<fn>It is also possible that R. Yehuda HaChasid was motivated to read Yaakov's words as a blessing, to fit the tone of Yaakov's speech to all the other brothers. If he was looking to read the verses in a positive  rather than a negative manner, this would exclude suggesting that the verses refer to the sale.  [However, considering that R. Yehuda HaChasid reads Yaakov's words to Reuven as chastisement, it is difficult to say that he would have been greatly bothered to read the "blessing" to Shimon and Levi, too, as rebuke.]</fn></point> | ||
+ | <point><b>Motivation</b></point> | ||
</opinion> | </opinion> | ||
</category> | </category> |
Version as of 14:30, 18 December 2018
Yaakov's Parting Words to Shimon and Levi
Exegetical Approaches
Slaughter of Shekhem
Yaakov's words to Shimon and Levi reference their slaughter of Shekhem and express his anger at the deed.
- According to R. Avraham b. HaRambam and Ramban, Yaakov is saying that the brothers' origins (and, thus, the whole fabric of their lives) lie in acts of violence (as demonstrated in Shekhem).
- Ibn Ezra and Radak, in contrast, assert that Yaakov tells the brothers that their attack was unjust (חָמָס) specifically because the Shekhemites were living with them in the land (מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶם[ב]). In other words, since they had made a covenant with the Shekhemites to live together peacefully and share the land,5 their later slaughter was deceitful and wicked.6
- Past - Most of these sources read this verse as if it were written in the past tense. Yaakov makes clear that he had not been part of either the brothers' secret scheme or its execution.
- Future - R. Hirsch, in contrast, asserts that Yaakov is saying that due to the extremity of their deeds, Shimon and Levi's plots and gatherings will never represent or determine the will and honor of the nation. [R. Hirsch reads "נַפְשִׁי" and "כְּבֹדִי" to refer to the soul and honor of Israel, the nation, and not Yaakov, the individual.]
- Ox – Yaakov is referring to the oxen which were taken from Shekehem as booty and hamstrung.7
- Wall – The word "שׁוֹר" is understood as if written "שׁוּר", and means wall.8 Yaakov is speaking of the walls of the city which the brothers destroyed.9
- Leader – The word is a metaphor for a strong individual, and thus can refer to either Shekhem or Hamor, whom the brothers killed.10
- R. Avraham b. HaRambam and R. Hirsch stress that Yaakov cursed the brothers' extreme anger and violence, but not the brothers themselves.
- According to Radak and Ibn Ezra, in contrast, Yaakov's words "אָרוּר אַפָּם" constitute a prayer that Shimon and Levi's anger be diminished.11
Attempt to Kill Yosef
Yaakov's rebuke revolves around Shimon and Levi's role in the plots to kill and sell Yosef.
Angry & Violent Nature
Yaakov does not speak of any specific event, but rather about the brothers' extreme wrath and violent nature. This position subdivides regarding how it thinks Yaakov evaluates these traits:
Worthy of Censure
Yaakov views the brothers uncontrollable rage negatively, and by Yaakov points to it as the reason that neither Shimon nor Levi merit kingship.
Worthy of Praise
Yaakov finds the brothers' anger and willingness to kill praiseworthy and a necessary trait for the nation, as it provokes fear in Isarel's enemies. Yaakov saw that the brothers would ensure that there was always someone who could fight Israel's battles.