Today’s Torah reading, Vaychi, lit. “and he lived”: Genesis 47:28-50:26, ends the book of Genesis. It contains many fascinating elements, including the death-bed scene of the last hours of Jacob with his special blessing of the sons of Joseph, Ephraim and Manasseh, as well as prophetic says regarding his twelve sons and what would befall them in the “latter days.” If one reads carefully the language, although it is recorded in the mouth of Jacob, the first person references seem to fit better as YHVH speaking through him. Also, even though this section is often referred to as the “blessings of Jacob” upon his sons, the text does not say that. Rather it says that Jacob tells them what will “befall them in the afterward days…” In fact, these sayings actually contain curses, at least in the cases of Reuben, Simon, and Levi–the three eldest of the twelve sons.
A few random observations…
Joseph is told that he would “become a assembly of peoples,” which is echoed by the general prediction that Jacob subsequently offers–Joseph will be a “fruitful wine” whose branches run over the wall, as watered by a well. He is made strong by the “hand of the Might One (‘Avir) of Jacob” (49:22-24). Most surprising then is the statement that “from thence (Joseph’s line) comes the shepherd the Stone of Israel (v. 24). This blessings seems to anticipate some redemptive role for one of the descendants of Joseph, whereas one normally thinks of Judah as the tribe bringing forth the messianic line. This might be our earliest hint of the notion of two “messiahs,” one of Judah and the other of Joseph…
Ephraim the younger son of Joseph, receives the “birthright” over Manasseh his older brother, to whom the blessing would normally come as firstborn. Both are to become great, but the younger Ephraim is to be even greater, as he will become a “fullness of nations.”
This is explained in 1 Chronicles 5:1 as the “birthright” being given to “Joseph” over Reuben, the firstborn, because of the latter’s sexual sins. Even in Gen 49 Jacob says to Reuben “You shall not excel.”
A similarly negative evaluation is put upon Simon and Levi, despite the honor that is given to the tribe of Levi, and the priests as sons of Aaron, among the Jewish people to this day. What Jacob says of them is rather shocking–”Let my soul not come into their council.” He then curses them and declares “I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel,” indicating, that these prophetic words of Jacob are understood to really be the words of YHVH through him.
Judah is blessed but his blessing contains the interesting and mysterious line: “The staff shall not depart from Judah, nor the sceptre between his feet, until Shiloh come, and to him shall the obedience of the peoples.” I have translated this rather literally here, making Shiloh a proper name, as I think it likely is. Others render this phrase “until he comes to Shiloh,” or “until he comes to whom it belongs,” or even “until tribute come to him.” One is tempted here to bring in the similar phrasing of Ezekiel 21:27 “…until he comes whose right it is,” which is connected to the ending of the Solomonic line Judean kings in the person of Jeconiah (compare Jeremiah 22:24-30), with some future rightful heir to take the rulership.
It is worth noting, perhaps, that the gematria of Shiloh is 358–the same as the Hebrew word “Moshiah” or messiah. Indeed, it seems likely, given the close context in this passage of Jacob’s sayings, that the idea of the “sceptre” departing from Judah, and perhaps then being given to Joseph is a definite possibility, given the language of 49:24.
The death and burial of Jacob in his own land are moving and poignant, and the book of Genesis ends with the death of Joseph at 110 years old. Notice, he is put in a “box,” (Hebrew ‘aron), or coffin, the same word used for the “ark” or box that holds the stone tablets with the ten words in Exodus–so much for any holy or special meaning for the word “ark.”