Jacob's Sons Recite the Shema and the Hidden End of Days

"And Jacob called to his sons" (Genesis 49:1). It should have said only "And Esau called to his sons," for he was the elder. Why? Because Scripture says, "For Sheol cannot thank You, death cannot praise You" (Isaiah 38:18); and who is it that gives thanks? One who bows to the Living One, as it is written, "the living, the living, he shall thank You as I do this day" (Isaiah 38:19). Rabbi Hanina said: It is the way of the world that a slave does not make a testament; and who makes a testament? A free man. So Esau the wicked makes no testament, for Esau did not die upon his bed; and who makes a testament? Jacob. Therefore it is written, "And Jacob called to his sons." Our Rabbis taught: The people of Jericho would fold the Shema. How did they say it? "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is One," and they would not pause — the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Judah says: They did pause, but they did not say "Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom" and so on. And we, what is our reason for saying it? In accordance with Rabbi Shimon ben Pazzi: "And Jacob called to his sons" — Jacob wished to reveal to his sons the End of Days, and the Divine Presence departed from him. He said: Perhaps there is some unfit one in my bed, like Abraham my father's father, from whom Ishmael went out, and like Isaac my father, from whom Esau went out? They said to him: "Hear, O Israel" — just as in your heart there is none but the One, so in our heart there is none but the One. Immediately he opened and said, "Blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom" and so on. The Rabbis said: How shall we act? If we say it, Moses did not say it; if we do not say it, Jacob said it. They ordained that it be said in a whisper. A parable: like a princess who smelled the savory pot. If she speaks, it is a disgrace to her; if she does not speak, she suffers. Her servants began to bring it to her in secret. This is what Scripture says: "He removes the speech of the trusted ones" (Job 12:20) — this is Isaac and Jacob, both of whom wished to reveal the End. He called to Esau and wished to reveal the End, and the Holy One, blessed be He, hid it from him, as it is said, "And he called Esau his elder son" (Genesis 27:1). And Jacob too wished to reveal the End, as it is said, "Gather yourselves and I will tell you" (Genesis 49:1). A parable: to what is the matter like? To a slave whom the king entrusted with all he had. That slave inclined to die and called his sons and wished to make them free and to tell them where their testament and their deed of inheritance were. The king came to know. The king went up above him. The slave lifted his eyes and saw the king and put aside the matter he wished to reveal to them. He began to say to them: My sons, you are the servants of the king; honor him as I honored him all the days of my life. So Jacob wished to reveal the End to his sons; immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to him and said: To your sons you call, and to Me you do not call, as Isaiah said, "And you have not called upon Me, O Jacob" (Isaiah 43:22). When Jacob saw Him, he began to say: My sons, I beg of you, honor the Holy One, blessed be He, as I and my fathers honored Him, as it is said, "the God before whom my fathers walked" (Genesis 48:15). They said: We know what is in your heart — "Hear, O Israel, the LORD" (Deuteronomy 6:4) and so on; just as in your heart there is none but the One, so in our heart there is none but the One. When Jacob heard this, immediately he bowed, as it is said, "And Israel bowed himself" (Genesis 47:31), and he began to say in a whisper, "Blessed be the name of the glory" and so on. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "It is the glory of God to conceal a matter" (Proverbs 25:2) — these traits are not yours, as it is said, "A talebearer reveals a secret" (Proverbs 11:13). "I will call to God Most High" (Psalms 57:3) speaks of Jacob: at the hour his sons entered for blessing, he began to apportion gifts to them. And how do we know the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him? You find that all that Jacob blessed the tribes, so did Moses bless them. When? At the hour he was departing from the world. Thus, "And Jacob called to his sons." What is "Gather yourselves"? Purify yourselves, just as you say, "Let Miriam be shut up... and afterward let her be gathered in" (Numbers 12:14).