We're looking at Bamidbar Rabbah 13, a midrashic exploration of Numbers 7:30, which kicks off a lengthy description of the offerings brought by the leaders of each tribe.
Today, we'll explore the offering of Elitzur son of Shedeur, prince of the tribe of Reuben. It's easy to skim over these lists. But the Rabbis of the Midrash? They saw a universe of meaning packed into every word.
The Torah tells us about Elitzur's offering: "His offering was one silver dish, its weight one hundred and thirty; one silver basin of seventy shekels, in the sacred shekel; both of them full of high quality flour mixed with oil as a meal offering; one gold ladle, ten shekels, full of incense" (Numbers 7:31-32). Okay, so what?
Here’s where it gets interesting. The Midrash doesn't just take things at face value. It digs deeper, searching for hidden connections and symbolic meanings. For example, the word for "dish" in Hebrew is ke'arat. But Bamidbar Rabbah suggests we read it as akeret, connecting it to the Hebrew word ikar, meaning "main" or "principal." This links the offering to Reuben’s pivotal role in saving Joseph's life!
Remember the story? Joseph's brothers were ready to kill him, but Reuben intervened. "Reuben heard and rescued him from their hand," Genesis 37:21 tells us. He was the one who first initiated the rescue. He uprooted – akar – the murderous thought of his brothers. That's powerful stuff.
And the "silver"? The Midrash connects it to Proverbs 10:20, "The tongue of the righteous is choice silver." Reuben's words, his arguments, were precious and valuable, saving Joseph from certain death. The weight of the silver dish, "one hundred and thirty"? This corresponds to the numerical value of the first letters of the words "lo nakenu nafesh" – "Let us not smite him mortally" (Genesis 37:21).
The "silver basin," or mizrak, corresponds to the counsel Reuben gave, suggesting they cast – sheyizreku – Joseph into a pit instead of killing him directly (Genesis 37:22). Again, the Midrash draws a direct line between the offering and Reuben's actions. The basin contained "seventy shekels," mirroring the numerical value of the Hebrew word sod – "secret" – representing Reuben's hidden intention to ultimately rescue Joseph.
But what about the "gold ladle full of incense"? The Midrash says the ladle, kaf (which also means "palm" or "hand"), corresponds to Reuben's plea: "Do not lay a hand on him" (Genesis 37:22). He saved himself by admonishing his brothers, and he saved nine brothers from bloodshed. The "gold" is linked to parvayim gold, a type of gold that resembles blood.
The incense is particularly poignant. According to the Midrash, even though the tribes sold Joseph, this act ultimately benefited everyone, leading Joseph to power and providing food during the famine. "Merit is engendered by means of the meritorious." Another interpretation states that Reuben was in deep repentance for his transgression with Bilha (Genesis 35:22), and prayer is likened to incense, as Psalm 141:2 says, "Let my prayer stand as incense before You."
So, the offerings aren't just random gifts. They're a reflection of Reuben’s character, his actions, his repentance, and ultimately, his redemption. The "young bull, one ram, one lamb" are connected to his repentance, likened to the offerings of a sinner. And the "goat as a sin offering" specifically atones for the act with Bilha.
The Midrash even suggests that Moses was able to pray on Reuben's behalf because of these acts, ensuring he wouldn't be excluded from his brothers: "May Reuben live and not die, and may his people be counted" (Deuteronomy 33:6).
The details, the weights, the types of offerings…they all point to a deeper narrative. A story of sin, repentance, and ultimately, forgiveness and restoration. What seemed like a dry list of offerings becomes a powerful reminder that even our mistakes can be a catalyst for growth and redemption. And that, perhaps, is why the Torah dwells on what seems, at first glance, excessive detail. It’s in those details that the human story truly lives.