Just before he passes away, Yaakov calls his sons to his bedside, saying: “Come together that I may tell you … Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob (Bereishit 49:1-2).
The repetition of the call to gather together, using different words, draws the attention of the reader and raises the question of the meaning of the words asifah (to come together) and kibutz (assemble) in this setting.
We find that many midrashim note this unique word usage.
One midrash suggests that rather than understand the repetition as a poetic repeat of the same idea using different words, we should understand that Yaakov needs to call his sons twice: “The Torah writes ‘come together’ and ‘assemble’ in order to inform them that they would experience two exiles” (Bereishit Rabbah, Vayehi). The midrash hints to the fact that between the two calls to gather, they dispersed. The repeated request made by Yaakov to gather, hints to the historical process of exile that the Israelite nation would experience on two separate occasions. According to this midrash, the actions of Yaakov and his sons served as a blueprint symbolizing the future of the nation, similar to the experiences of later prophets who underwent such symbolic experiences.
Other midrashim make alternative suggestions that do not view the repetitious call as being symbolic. One points to the practical need to come together and to assemble: “Come together from all over Egypt and assemble in Ramses.” According to this midrash, the geographic scattering of the children throughout Egypt required two separate calls and responses to those calls. First, each of the children had to uproot himself from his home in the distant regions of Egypt, and second, each one had to make his way to the assembly point.
Still other midrashim used this repeated language to understand the purpose of the gathering. On the one hand, the assembly may have aimed to create a sense of oneness among the tribes – perhaps among certain tribes in particular – while on the other hand there also may have been a call for separate groups to gather together. Yaakov may not have been searching for the creation of a single unit so much as for respect and recognition of individual units, each with its own uniqueness. The purpose of the assembly was not so much to create unity as it was to have separate groups listen to the final words of their father together. This may be compared to the gathering of the seventy elders, where the heads of the community came together, even as each one maintained his own unique qualities and identity.
Each one of these midrashim approaches the opening verses of Yaakov’s blessings in its own way. The common thread found in all the midrashim is that they view these verses as an introduction that sheds light on the entire gathering. The different possibilities that are suggested illustrate how the purpose of the assembly can be understood on many different levels – symbolic and mystical vs. practical; focused on the present vs. looking towards the future; unifying vs. respecting variance, and more.
These different interpretive possibilities offer insight into contemporary gatherings and assemblies.
The primary purpose of some gatherings is a desire to create dialogue and partnership. Sometimes this comes even as differences are highlighted, as in the Knesset, for example. In other gatherings, the emphasis is on agreed upon, shared values like in a political party or in demonstration, or – in contrast – even at a wedding, a Bar Mitzvah or a memorial service.
Sometimes, people gather in a place, yet there are no shared values or interests, like walking on the street or sitting in a traffic jam. It is possible that everyone at a gathering has a shared interest, even though there is no other connection between them and they neither know one another nor will they speak to each other, like the audience in a theater or people on a bus together. Some gatherings include representatives of large groups of people who are not invited to participate, creating a division between those who received invitations and those who did not; other gatherings are open to all. There are international conventions and tenant meetings in an apartment building. There are planned gatherings and those that take place spontaneously, like when you are suddenly trapped in an elevator. Every one of these gatherings serves a different purpose, takes place in a different setting, and carries with it its own significance.
The midrashim are aware of the various models, and they present different views on the possible options.
What exactly happened when Yaakov’s sons came together? It would be fair to say that all of the above are correct. Throughout Jewish history, the descendants of Yaakov have met up in a wide variety of settings and for many different purposes. Sometimes they feel that they are standing should-to-shoulder with others who share their values and purpose; sometimes they are shoved into boxcars together. Sometimes they join forces towards a common goal; sometimes they prefer to exhibit their differences publicly. Sometimes fate brings them together, while other times it is destiny that does so.
And throughout all of these experiences, they – we – are accompanied by the image of our father Yaakov, who reminds them – us – that we are all have a common father.