Commentaries on Weekly Torah Readings
January 2010
by
Jon Thompson
VaYechi Sh'mot Va'era Bo B'Shalach
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B'Shalach (בשלח) – Exodus 13:17–17:16
by
Jon Thompson
Although Abraham, Isaac and Jacob knew Elohim as El Shaddai, the previous portion told us they did not know Him as YHVH (Exodus 6:3). Yet we find YHVH in the text as early as the Garden of Eden, and the text continues to use the Name. Abram (Abraham) called upon the Name of YHVH (Genesis 12:8). Perhaps the patriarchs knew the four–letter Name but didn't really know Him in the same way their descendants began to know Him in this portion.
When Moshe first approached Pharaoh and said:
“So says YHVH the Elohim of Israel, send away my people, and they shall feast to me in the wilderness. And Pharaoh said, who is YHVH that I should listen to His voice to send away Israel? I do not know YHVH, and I also will not send Israel away.”
(Exodus 5:1, 2 Emphasis added)
Both Pharaoh and Israel were about to be educated about Who YHVH is.
YHVH said that He judged Egypt so they would know that He is YHVH. Eight times between the last portion and this one, the reason given for miraculous events is so that Pharaoh, or the children of Israel, “will know I am YHVH.” (Exodus 6:7, 7:5, 7:17, 8:22, 10:2, 14:4, 14:18, 16:12)
At the beginning of the last plague, Elohim didn't say it was so they will know He is YHVH, He simply said, “I am YHVH.” (Exodus 12:12) Both Pharaoh and Israel were beginning to know Him.
Pharaoh surrendered to YHVH and let Israel go. Egypt was the mightiest nation in the world, and by extension, since the nation's “gods” gave them victory in battle, the nations of the time would have believed Egypt had the mightiest “gods.” YHVH showed that He is Elohim and mightier than all the “gods” of Egypt therefore mightier than any “gods.”
After the children of Israel left Egypt, Pharaoh pursued them, but YHVH assured Moshe of protection. While they were in Egypt YHVH showed Himself mighty against Egypt's “gods.” Now He focused on the last of the Egyptian “gods,”—a god in a body of flesh—Pharaoh himself. YHVH tells Moshe:
“I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am YHVH.” (Exodus 14:4)
The prophets show us that YHVH portrays Himself as a Husband to His bride Israel. It is vital for spouses to know each other. In b'shelach we watch as Israel starts to get to know her Husband.
After He destroyed Pharaoh and his army, YHVH showed Israel other sides of His character: as their Healer, Instructor and Provider. He also showed that He expected Israel to obey Him.
Healer:
“And they came to Marah. And they were not able to drink water from Marah, for it was bitter. Therefore, one called its name Marah.
And the people murmured against Moshe, saying, What shall we drink?
And he cried to YHVH, and YHVH showed him a tree. And he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet. He made a statute and a judgment for them there, and he tested them there.
And he said, If you carefully listen to the voice of YHVH your Elohim, and do what is right (yasher—ישר) in His eyes, and you give ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will not put on you all the diseases which I have put on Egypt; for I am YHVH your Healer.” (Exodus 15:23–26)
Instructor:
“And YHVH said to Moshe, Behold, I AM! Bread will rain from the heavens for you. And the people shall go out and gather the matter of a day in its day, so that I may test them, whether they will walk in My Torah or not.
And it shall be on the sixth day they shall prepare what they bring in. And it shall be double what they gather day by day.”
(Exodus 16:4, 5)
Provider:
“I have heard the murmurings of the sons of Israel. Speak to them, saying, Between the evenings you shall eat flesh; and in the morning you shall be satisfied with bread; and you shall know that I am YHVH your Elohim.” (Exodus 16:12)
He is still our Provider, Healer and Instructor. And He still expects His people to obey Him. Throughout the Scriptures He continued to reveal more of Who He is. Yeshua said to His disciple Thomas:
“Because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29)
We may not see the miracles of creation, Egypt, Mount Sinai, or Yeshua, but the accounts we have in the text are our witness, and they testify of Who YHVH is.
We choose whether to believe their testimony. We also choose whether to do what is yasher—straight and right, in YHVH's eyes, or to go our own way. We can even choose to do as Pharaoh did and say, “Who is YHVH that I should listen to Him?” (Exodus 5:2) But if we have eyes to see, we are clearly better off to acknowledge YHVH and walk in His way rather than test Him or deny Him.
I think Joshua had the right idea when he challenged the people:
“And if it seems evil to you to serve YHVH, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve YHVH.” (Joshua 24:15)
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Bo (בא) – Exodus 10:1–13:16
by
Jon Thompson
As we examine the Torah, should part of our responsibility be to ask: “How does this apply to me?” If the Biblical text is only the subject of contextual study and debate, we do a disservice to YHVH and to the people who preserved it for generations at the cost of millions of lives and handed it down to us.
I don't personally know anyone who has actually been a slave to an Egyptian king. So how does our portion “bo,” that takes place entirely within the confines of Israel's slavery to Pharaoh, apply to me?
We can look at the portion for parallels to our modern world. Perhaps we can see, if the rabbis were correct, that the experiences of the patriarchs are shadows of what will happen to their descendants. We can see that Pharaoh repented of his evil while some of the plagues were upon Egypt, (see Sidebar) but he went back to his stubbornness once YHVH removed the plague.
Pharaoh's actions give us a picture of a principle that continues through the history of the world. The capitulation of the righteous often serves to strengthen the resolve of the wicked.
One current example is Israel's situation with the Palestinians. The PLO made repeated demands for parcels of land, and offered peace in exchange for the land. But each time Israel bowed to the demands, their goodwill offering has served to strengthen the PLO's resolve to destroy Israel. The parcels ceded to the Palestinians are closer to Israel's population centers, and the terrorists use them as platforms for continued attacks on Israel.
In contrast, when Israel strikes the terrorist positions, there are lulls in the attacks as the terrorists regroup, lick their wounds, and cry foul that Israel would defend herself. Much the same as Pharaoh. When he was under the plagues, he called out for relief, but once he was no longer under duress, he threw off any façade of civility or humility and renewed his commitment to subjugate Israel.
We don't have to wonder why all these plagues came on Egypt, YHVH tells us:
“And YHVH said to Moshe, Go in to Pharaoh, for I have made his heart heavy and the heart of his servants, so that I may set these signs of Mine in their midst; and so that you may recount in the ears of your son and the son of your son what I exerted Myself to do against Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, and you may know that I am YHVH.”
(Exodus 10:1-2 Emphasis added)
On a more personal level, when Moshe delivers YHVH's message to Pharaoh,
within the message is a probing question that we might well ask ourselves
on a regular basis: “Thus says YHVH Elohim of the Hebrews, How long will
you refuse to humble yourself before me?”
(Exodus 10:3)
Have you found that during trial you tend to be more receptive to YHVH's leading? Most people are. When we are under duress, we tend to seek His help, but when we are basking in prosperity, we tend to rejoice and say: “My power and the might of my hand have gotten me this wealth.” (Deuteronomy 8:17)
At one point Pharaoh was willing to let the men go and sacrifice, but he wanted the children to remain behind in Egypt. (Exodus 10:10,11) If we lose our children when we leave Egypt, we have lost our future. If the children remained in Egypt, there was no future for Israel even though the adults leave. Today we can see civilizations that practiced the idea that if the government could hold the minds of the children captive, in only twenty years or so, the leaders could control the nation.
In a classic Jewish commentary of the Torah, the writer describes the issue:
“The ‘Pharaohs’ of our day have the same attitude. If the older folk wish to cling to Jewish tradition, that is perfectly acceptable; but the youth should be raised in ‘the spirit of the times’ . . . ”(Maayanah Shel Torah, Wellsprings of the Torah, Rabbi Alexander Z. Friedman, Edited by Rabbi Nison Alpert, translated by Gertrude Hirschler, copyright Judaica Press, November 2006)
Perhaps that is one reason why the Shema requires us to “Teach these things diligently to your children.” (Deuteronomy 6:7)
Elsewhere in the portion YHVH tells Moshe:
“This month shall be the beginning of months for you; it is to be the first month of the year to you.” (Exodus 12:1)
As a commentary on the first mitzvah (commandment) YHVH gave to Moshe, the observation of the rosh chodesh (new moon), the Midrash Rabbah gives the following explanation of the significance of the moon cycle:
“The moon begins to shine on the first of the month and increases in luminance till the fifteenth day, when her orb becomes full; from the fifteenth till the thirtieth day, her light wanes, till on the thirtieth it is not seen at all. With Israel too, there were fifteen generations from Abraham to Solomon. Abraham began to shine . . . Jacob added to this light . . . and after them came Judah, Peretz, Chetzron, Ram, Aminadav, Nachshon, Salmon, Boaz, Obed, Jesse, David. When Solomon appeared, the moon's orb was full . . . Henceforth the kings began to diminish in power . . . With Zedekiah [in whose time the Holy Temple was destroyed] the light of the moon dimmed entirely.” (Midrash Rabbah Exodus)
Perhaps the rabbinical observation of the number of generations during which time the moon went from darkness to full light correlates with Matthew's explanation of the generations:
“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; from David to the deportation to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the deportation to Babylon to the Messiah, fourteen generations.” (Matthew 1:17)
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Va'era (וארא) – Exodus 6:2–9:35
by
Jon Thompson
Have you ever been dependant on the favor of a boss for your livelihood, where the boss could fire you without cause if he wanted to? Your job is dependent on the goodwill between you and your boss and you would be in dire need without it. What if he gave you an assignment, and when you did what he told you to do, every one of your coworkers were mad at you because of it. Your only ally is your boss. How would you approach him?
Would you barge into his office, complain about the assignment, and accuse him of wrongdoing? I don't think I would. But that's what Moshe did. And it's not as if he had any other job offers on the table. Then Moshe turned again to YHVH and said:
“O YHVH, why hast Thou done evil to this people? Why didst Thou ever send me?
For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he has done evil to this people, and Thou hast not delivered Thy people at all.” (Exodus 5:22, 23)
Even with Moshe's blunt approach, YHVH doesn't fire him.
We can say that Moshe had established rapport with YHVH prior to this time and so he was entitled to confront the Creator of all things more directly than we might. But in reality, the first encounter was not all that sterling either. Moshe complained, balked, and tried to get out of the assignment.
Perhaps it is because of Moshe's spotless life that YHVH allowed him such leeway. But what do we know about him? He was raised in Egypt's courts, and he was 40 years old before he went out to see what evils his brother Israelites endured. He killed an Egyptian. He fled for his life because Pharaoh found out about the murder. He became a wandering sheepherder for his father–in–law. When YHVH called him, he tried five times to refuse. Finally YHVH's “wrath burned against him” (Exodus 4:14)—he accepted the position. Not the ideal resume.
What about you? If you don't have a spotless work history, this should give you hope. Why did YHVH still choose Moshe even after all that happened? One reason is that “ . . . the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable.” (Romans 11:29) Moshe was chosen long before he saw the burning bush (Exodus 3:2). We aren't told why YHVH chose Moshe in particular, but we are told why He chose someone.
“I appeared to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, as El Shaddai, but by My name YHVH I did not make Myself known to them.
I also established My covenant with them, to give them the land of Canaan, the land in which they dwelt as sojourners.
Moreover I have heard the groaning of the people of Israel whom the Egyptians hold in bondage and I have remembered My covenant.” (Exodus 6:3–5)
YHVH was about to make good on the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob to bring their descendants back into the land for them to inherit it. He reaffirmed that promise through Joseph:
“And Joseph said to his brothers, I am about to die; but Elohim will visit you, and bring you up out of this land to the land which he swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.“ (Genesis 50:24)
YHVH chose Moshe from the 600,000 men available for the job, and Moshe had a special relationship with YHVH for the rest of his life. But we know what kept them close wasn't Moshe's conduct. It was YHVH's longsuffering and patience.
That is good news for us. It's not because of our righteousness, but because of His, that YHVH listens and responds to our prayers, keeps us alive from day to day, and ultimately gives us the gift of eternal life.
His righteousness in no way gives us carte blanche to be unrighteous or to sin. He expects us to live according to His instructions in the Torah, the Prophets, the Writings, and the Apostolic Writings. But in the end, His gift saves us. He accepts us into His family with the understanding that as long as we live in His house, we obey His instructions.
When Moshe confronts YHVH with his accusations, we see that the response is not what we would expect from a work–for–hire boss. YHVH simply tells Moshe:
“Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh; for with a strong hand he will send them out, yea, with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.
And YHVH said to Moshe, I am YHVH.” (Exodus 6:1, 2)
YHVH brushes aside the complaint and accusation because Moshe is not an employee; he is a child, learning by experience the ways of His Father. And YHVH leads him a little further along in his lessons:
“Say therefore to the people of Israel, I am YHVH, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians. I will deliver you from their bondage, I will redeem you with an outstretched arm and with great acts of judgment.
I will take you for My people, and I will be your Elohim. And you shall know that I am YHVH your Elohim, Who has brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians.
And I will bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; I will give it to you for a possession. I am YHVH.
Moshe spoke thus to the people of Israel; but they did not listen to Moshe, because of their broken spirit and their cruel bondage.” (Exodus 6:6–9)
What would you think if you were in Moshe's shoes? I would be perplexed. Look at the message he carried—all that hope—all that promise—but the people wouldn't listen. Moshe has had several chats with YHVH by this time. He has to be at least a little excited. I would be. But none of the people has any evidence that YHVH really sent Moshe except for some small signs: The Name, the staff to a snake, the water to blood, and the leprosy.
Instead of letting the people's attitude settle into Moshe, YHVH immediately gives him another assignment:
“Go in, speak unto Pharaoh king of Egypt, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
And Moshe spoke before YHVH, saying, Behold, the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me; how then shall Pharaoh hear me, who am of uncircumcised lips?
And YHVH spoke to Moshe and to Aaron, and commanded them as to the children of Israel, and as to Pharaoh king of Egypt, to bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt.“
(Exodus 6:11–13)
At first YHVH just tells Moshe to go. Moshe starts making excuses. So YHVH changes the instructions. This time He tells Moshe to take Aaron, and commands them to go. It reminds us that even though YHVH might speak softly to us, He does not make idle requests, or suggestions. He is the King of all creation, and we should not take His instructions lightly.
We aren't employees for hire. If we were, we wouldn't be worthy of the infinite gift YHVH promises that awaits those who are His. We are children of YHVH, and as such, He watches over us, disciplines us, blesses us, instructs us, and loves us. Eternal Life is not a wage—it is a gift. He expects us to follow His instructions so He can bestow the gift. We may not be perfect children, but we can be worthy ones. Instead of making excuses or complaints when He calls, we will be able to hear and respond, “Here I am.”
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Sh'mot (שמות) – Exodus 1:1–6:1
by
Jon Thompson
There are important lessons for today in portion Sh'mot's account of the children of Israel's enslavement in Egypt. At the end of our last portion, both Jacob and Joseph died. This portion begins after all of Joseph's brothers and their entire generation has died. A new Pharaoh has taken power in Egypt who did not know Joseph and apparently did not appreciate the national salvation at his hand.
The people of Israel enjoyed a good life in Egypt during Joseph's life, and for a number of years after his death. They ate the fat of the land, they acquired property, and they prospered. With Joseph second in command of Egypt, they were well treated. But as it happened when the administration changed, so did their status.
The Egyptians were afraid the Israelites would side with their enemies, so the Pharaoh concocted a plan to enslave the Israelites without them even being aware of what was happening.
“Now there arose a new king over Egypt, who knew not Joseph.
And he said unto his people, Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier than we:
Come, let us deal wisely with them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass, that, when there falleth out any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and fight against us, and get them up out of the land.
Therefore they did set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens.” (Exodus 1:8–11)
The Israelites fell out of favor with the government over time. The pattern has been repeated throughout history. YHVH blesses His people. Those in power recognize that everything put under the hand of certain Israelites prospers because of the blessing. The leaders decide they can take advantage of it and say essentially as Potiphar did, “That YHVH was with him [Joseph] and whatever he did YHVH caused to prosper whatever was in his hand.” (Genesis 39:3)
YHVH blesses the descendants of Israel when in positions of responsibility, and those things put under their control often thrive. But the memory of government is short.
Over time, the leaders forget the blessings and all they see are the multitudes of people who are different. The Israelites worship a strange Elohim Who has moral standards that are inconsistent with societal norms.
The leaders begin to see them as a threat, especially when the nation's new morality clashes with the Scriptural values the Israelites cleave to. Later the government develops a methodical plan to reduce the numbers of Israelites, take their property, enslave and eventually, eliminate them.
In our portion, we see the steps in the plan and the culmination as Pharaoh orders the murder of all the male Israelite babies. We see this progression in our portion as well as in world history. In the past sixty years, we saw the establishment of Planned Parenthood founded by leaders whose goal was the Darwinian reduction of undesirable racial groups through infant abortion. Hitler's racial cleansing was only a more aggressive application of the same evolution–based principles.
When we keep, guard, and do YHVH's instructions, He blesses us. If we come to Him in faith, accept Him, and take on the yoke of Torah, we become Israel, just as Caleb, the son of a Kenazite, did. Sometimes the blessings are material. When a nation lives the instructions of YHVH, history indicates His blessings bring prosperity.
But what tends to happen is that a subsequent generation arises who doesn't know where the blessings they enjoy come from. They want to do things that YHVH forbids. They move the nation away from His instructions to erase the pronouncement of their sins. They try to destroy the image of YHVH from the nation and cleanse Him from the social structure to soothe their conscience. Those who stubbornly refuse to follow their new paths into moral decay are at first tolerated, then ridiculed, then persecuted and if possible, eliminated.
The remnant who are most likely to resist any new (im)moral standards are the followers of the Elohim of Israel, known Scripturally as Israel. They know what YHVH's standards are. They know the difference between clean and unclean, good and evil. They use an unchanging standard, a measuring tool against which they can examine any belief. If society fabricates a new belief or standard, no matter how well accepted or how loudly it's touted, if it doesn't measure up with the Torah standard, YHVH's followers reject it.
Their narrow–minded approach to morality has always made the Israelites unpopular. And the cycle begins again. The story of the Maccabees is another example of the process. Just as in their day, we can see a move away from Biblical morality occurring in the world today. The world doesn't realize or won't accept that YHVH is the One Who has given us the prosperity and protection we enjoy.
We should be careful not to buy into the manmade traditions and doctrines rampant today. And we shouldn't accept the current philosophy that the government gives us the blessings or the rights that only YHVH can give. What the government gives, the government can take away.
That's why the U.S. Constitution was written with the wording “. . . that all men . . . are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. . . . ” (Emphasis added)
People today don't seem to care that by moving away from Him, we will lose His blessings. In our portion, Egypt basks in the prosperity that Joseph brought them. Then a new Pharaoh turns his back on Joseph's family, believing the change in position is in the best interest of Egypt. He enslaves the children of Israel and makes their lives bitter in hard bondage. His decision is the death sentence for Egypt.
But even as the Pharaoh implements his nefarious plan, a child is born to a Levite couple. The focus of the Torah shifts from the Pharaoh and Egypt to Moshe and Midian. YHVH heard the cries of His people, His son, His firstborn. It probably seemed like forever to the people in bondage, but YHVH was preparing their deliverer even as they suffered.
It is so today. YHVH promises that He will never leave nor forsake His people. We may not see the deliverance He is preparing for us, but that is where faith takes its place. We know He has promised, we know He keeps His promises, and we wait expectantly for Him to fulfill His promises. We don't see what He is doing, but we know His promises are sure.
Perhaps it would be wise to remember that no matter how accommodating any government is to the children of Israel, history shows that over time, the climate will change and Israel will have to seek YHVH for deliverance. Regardless of how favorably a particular ruler looks upon Israel, his time is finite and another ruler will arise.
As we continue our study of the book of Sh'mot, we look expectantly toward Passover, and the Appointed Times that YHVH blesses us with in the coming year. What will He show us this year? What will we see in the account of His dealings with His children this year? The text remains the same, but we are different and we live in a different time and a different world than we did last time we examined the Torah. Are you excited to see what He shows us this time through the Torah? I am.
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VaYechi (ויחי) – Genesis 47:28–50:26
by
Jon Thompson
Jacob neared the end of his life and he called Joseph to his side and requested burial in the same tomb that holds Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebekah. Of all Jacob's children, Joseph is the one who is in a position that he can fulfill Jacob's wishes. When Jacob dies, Joseph went to Pharaoh and asked permission to take his father and bury him in Macpelah as he requested.
With the words “please do not bury me in Egypt, but let me lie with my fathers” (Genesis 47:29, 30) Jacob told Joseph where he wanted his body interred. He described the place so there would be no confusion. Just to make sure there was no doubt as to where he wanted his sons to bury him, after blessing all twelve of his sons, he reiterated the location.
“Bury me beside my fathers, at the cave in the field of Ephron the Hittite,
in the cave in the field of Machpelah, which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, the field which Abraham bought from Ephron the Hittite for a burying place.
They buried Abraham and his wife Sarah there, and they buried Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and I buried Leah there,
the purchase of the field and the cave in it from the sons of Heth.” (Genesis 49:29–32)
That is one of the most complete and intricate descriptions of any piece of real estate in the TaNaKh. Why does Jacob, or the Torah give such a description? One rabbinical explanation is that the enemies of Israel would contest the ownership of the location. By giving such a precise description, when they contested Israel's right to the land, there would be incontrovertible proof who owned it.
We might wonder if there would really be a problem establishing the ownership of such a well–known site. But according to the Virtual Jewish Library:
“About 700 years ago, the Muslim Marmelukes conquered Hebron, declared the structure a mosque and forbade entry to Jews, who were not allowed past the seventh step on a staircase outside the building. Since 1967, Jews have been struggling to regain their prayer rights at the (cave of Macpelah) site, still run by the Muslim Waqf (Religious Trust) that took control during the Arab conquest. Many restrictions are imposed on Jewish prayers and customs at the Tomb of the Patriarchs despite the site's significance, primacy and sanctity in Jewish heritage and history.” (“The Cave of Machpelah Tomb of the Patriarchs” Copyright 2009 American–Israeli Cooperative Enterprise, Reprinted with permission.)
Perhaps Jacob saw the problems that would arise for his descendants over the site. When we consider that the blessings he gave to his sons were of things that would happen to them in the “last days,” or “end of days” (Genesis 49:1), YHVH may have blessed him with more knowledge than we are aware of. In Midrash Rabbah Genesis 98:3 it says:
“Two men had the End revealed to them, but it became hidden away from them later on; they are Jacob and Daniel. . . . Jacob here says, . . . that I may tell you which shall befall you in the last days, but goes on to speak and to rebuke Reuben instead.”
What we do see clearly is that Jacob reveals the prophecy that the Messiah will come through Judah's line.
“The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the lawmaker from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and the obedience of the peoples to him.
Binding his foal to the vine, and his ass's colt to the choice vine, he washes his clothing in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes.
His eyes shall be dark from wine and his teeth white from milk.”
(Genesis 49:10–12)
For us who are blessed to have the Apostolic Writings, we see a fulfillment of this part of the prophecy in the words of John:
“And having been clothed in a garment which had been dipped in blood. And His name is called The Word of Elohim. . .
And He treads the winepress of the wine of the anger and of the wrath of Elohim Almighty.
And He has on His garment and on His thigh a name having been written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.“
(Revelation 19:13–16)
We also see an interesting shift in the course of Jacob's seventh blessing that he gives to Dan. He starts with:
“Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel . . . ” and then at the end of Dan's blessing, Jacob says, “for your salvation I wait, YHVH.”
I think Jacob saw that the promises he was speaking to his sons were all bound up in the promised Messiah, and that without Him, the blessings had no meaning. Jacob is at the end of his life. Whatever else we see in this portion, Jacob, a righteous man blesses his sons just as he learned to do. Abraham blessed Isaac, Isaac blessed Jacob, and now Jacob blesses his twelve sons.
His request to lie with his fathers, Abraham and Isaac, their wives, and Leah, was his last gift to his sons and his descendants. Perhaps part of the reason is so the descendants would see that the promises given to Abraham, then to Isaac, and finally to Jacob were no longer residing in one man.
The fullness of the blessing was divided among the sons of Israel. Later we see the twelve tribes divided into two nations—Israel and Judah. But the day is coming in the end of days, as Jacob prophesied, that YHVH will rejoin the two kingdoms together again.
The prophet whom YHVH referred to as the “son of man” prophesied:
“Son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah, and the children of Israel associated with him. Then take another stick and write upon it, For Joseph (the stick of Ephraim) and all the house of Israel associated with him.
And join them together into one stick, that they may become one in your hand.” (Ezekiel 37:16, 17)
If the sages of Israel were correct, Jacob knew more about the future his descendants would face than he could reveal or that he remembered at the end of his life. But he gave us some hints in the blessings to his twelve sons and in his final request. We continue to learn the plans of YHVH from our ongoing study of the Torah. Jacob died at the age of 147. He left us a rich legacy of knowledge about YHVH's dealings with His people, and of prophetic shadows of the end of days that we are still waiting in faith to see fulfilled.
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“Behold, the days are coming, says YHWH,
when I will make a new covenant
with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah
. . . I will put My law in their minds,
and write it on their hearts;
and I will be their God, and they shall be My people.”
Jeremiah 31:31,33b