Blessings of Yaakov

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  1. Yaakov's Blessing

    Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot

    Yaakov's blessings to his sons are at the center of Parashat Vayechi. What is the status of Yaakov's blessings to his sons? Are they a wish or a prayer, a division of labor, or a prophecy?

  2. The Blessing, the King and the Torah of Moshe (Audio)

    Vezot HaBerakha

    Rabbi Chanoch Waxman | 24 minutes

    What is the purpose behind the content and imagery of Moshe's last song to his people? Allusions to Sinai and comparisons to the Yaakov's blessings and to the Song of Haazinu provide hints to the meaning embedded in this farewell song. VeZot HaBerakha presents an idyllic vision of strength, loyalty and prosperity -a positive alternative to the dire warning scenario of Haazinu.

  3. Menasheh and Ephraim: Who Was Being Blessed?

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

    תאריך פרסום: תשע"ה | |

    This shiur analyzes Yaakov's vision and strategy through the lens of the penultimate blessing scene in Beresheet, drawing on parallels with other scenes of blessings or instructions involving the forefathers. Yaakov wants to create a symbiosis such that there are two counterbalancing forces within the family.

  4. Three Different Blessings

    Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot

    This shiur examines the three blessings that Yaakov receives: From Yitzhak when he impersonates Esav, from Yitzhak when he leaves for Haran, and from God in the ladder dream. What is the significance of each of these separate blessings?

    Through an examination of these blessings, we learn that they continue the blessings to Avraham, and particularly the two covenants: the Covenant Between the Parts, and the Covenant of Circumcision.  The general significance of this understanding is that the blessing and selection of Avraham are passed on in their entirety, with all their components, to Yaakov.  And each blessing relates to a different one of God's Names, since each Divine Name reflects a different aspect of Divine manifestation in the world.

  5. Yaakov's Blessing

    Rabbi Dr. Tamir Granot

    The Torah refers to Yaakov's speeches on his deathbed as "blessings": "This is what their father told them, and he blessed them – each according to his blessing, he blessed them," and they do indeed give the impression of being blessings. But the concept of "blessing" is itself somewhat opaque; the question is, what exactly is the status of Yaakov's blessings, and what was Yaakov's intention in blessing his children?

    A blessing can be a wish or prayer. On the other hand, it may also be a sort of division of inheritance or roles. Another possibility is to perceive Yaakov's words here as a sort of prophecy or Divinely-inspired vision. Indeed, at the outset Yaakov says: "Gather yourselves and I shall tell you what will befall you at the end of days."

    By examining some key aspects of the content of Yaakov's blessings we can glean some insights into their status and intention.

  6. Yaakov’s Blessings to Menashe and Efraim

    Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin Nun

    When did Yaakov meet Menashe and Efraim?

    The unit describing the meeting begins with the words, “And it came to pass after these things.” Which events are referred to here?

    An examination of the text allows us to conclude that “it came to pass after these things” takes us back to an earlier point in time – specifically, after Yaakov arrived in Egypt. The account in our parasha, then, is a continuation of the first encounter between Yaakov and Yosef as described in the previous parasha.

    Why is this summary of past events necessary?

    Through an analysis of the blessings that Yaakov gave to his children and to Efraim and Menashe, we find an answer to this question. We can also appreciate the importance that Yaakov placed on each son’s inclusion in the nation, and recognize that the blessings represent a vision of the land promised to the tribes, spread out and depicted in all its glory.

  7. Yaakov's Blessing to Pharaoh - the Nile?

    Rabbi David Silverberg

  8. Rashbam

    Part 1

    Dr. Avigail Rock

    Rashbam displays a great deal of respect towards his grandfather, Rashi, having learnt a great deal from him, but this does not prevent him from arguing on his views. The Rashbam’s commentaries are original and creative; his avoidance of Midrashic material allows him to look at the verse in an innovative, direct way.

    The nature of Rashbam’s commentary makes the following assumptions:

    • The commentaries prior to him, including his grandfather Rashi, might have thought that they were explaining the verses in accordance with the peshat, their commentaries do not express the simple meaning of the verse.
    • The “enlightened” are those who study Tanakh without relying on any Midrashic material.
    • The Rashbam’s pursuit of pure peshat does not take away from his regard for the Sages’ traditions, which are reliable and valid. The data derived from the derash is more important than the data derived from peshat.
    • Nonetheless, the peshat maintains an independent significance.
    • Both the Peshat and the Derash are true readings of the Torah.

    The principles of Peshat according to Rashbam include:

    • Taking into account common sense, logic and nature.
    • A verse must be understood as part of the general context in which it is placed and as being integrated in the sequence of verses in which it is found.
    • The peshat of Tanakh should be understood on its own, without consulting any external information; all data must be either explicit in the text or implicit in human logic or accepted practice.

    Rashbam’s Rules for Understanding the Biblical Lexicon include:

    • Synonyms are used in juxtaposition to each other without alluding to a different meaning to each word.
    • When the Torah introduces a passage with “And it was at that time,” it is an expression which comes to tell us that this event is closely tied to the previous event.

  9. On Not Predicting the Future

    Rabbi Jonathan Sacks

    When Jacob wanted to tell his children what would happen to them in the end of days, the Divine spirit was taken away from him. Why is this? We can suggest an answer to this question by understanding Judaism’s approach to predicting the future. 

     

    This article is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.

    To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

  10. On Not Predicting the Future (Audio)

    Rabbi Jonathan Sacks | 10 minutes

    When Jacob wanted to tell his children what would happen to them in the end of days, the Divine spirit was taken away from him. Why is this? We can suggest an answer to this question by understanding Judaism’s approach to predicting the future. 

     

    This lecture is part of the Covenant & Conversation series.

    To read more from Rabbi Sacks or to subscribe to his mailing list, please visit http://www.rabbisacks.org/. You can also follow him on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. 

  11. Yaakov’s “Vision of the End of Days"

    Rabbi Gad Eldad

    In our parasha, we read about Yaakov's desire, before passing away from this world, to reveal to his sons what awaits them at the end of days. This initiative sparks our interest because it is something new. Over the course of the book of Bereishit, we have witnessed the mantle of leadership being transferred from Avraham to Yitzchak and from Yitzchak to Yaakov. But on no occasion did a father see a need to reveal to his son what would happen with him at the end of days.Yaakov's conduct is exceptional, and we must try to understand his motive. Examining the transitional events in his life and in the lives of his forefathers will provide us with clues.

  12. The Taking of the Blessings – Means vs. Ends

    Dr. Brachi Elitzur

    At the center of our parasha is the story of how Yaakov obtains the blessings meant for Esav, his brother. In the midrashim that serve as background to Rashi's well-known explanations, Chazal take a positive view of Yaakov's actions, justifying and legitimizing his taking of the blessings, while Esav stands accused of the most demonic sins in the history of man, sins whose connection with the plain text seems far-fetched. In this shiur, we will explore the difficulty of discovering the textual evaluation of Yaakov's act. Close examination of the literary devices employed by the text will reveal an ambivalent and undecided stance in relation to the act of deception, and we will try to understand what message this equivocation means to convey.

  13. Assemble

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

  14. On Life and Death

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

  15. Deena in Shekhem - Reassessing the Tragic Events of Bereishit 34

    Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom

    תאריך פרסום: 2022 | | Hour and 6 minutes

    We already know how the stories of Tanach are going to end, and we can’t read them without assuming we understand the narratives we've been taught. When it comes to the story of Deena in Shekhem, we assume it's about rape and abduction. However, If we actually read the text thoroughly, without any preconceptions, we can find a completely different story, one where Deena and Shekhem form a loving relationship and Beni Yaakov unintentionally cause the delay of settling the land.

     

     

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