We find ourselves doing just that in this week's story, wrestling with an ancient blessing and its surprising recipients.
Our tale begins with God speaking to Jacob, saying, "I am God Almighty. Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and an assembly of nations will be from you, and kings will emerge from your loins" (Genesis 35:11). A powerful pronouncement, right? But who exactly does it apply to? That's where the rabbis jump in, eager to unpack its meaning.
Rabbi Yudan, quoting Rabbi Yitzḥak, brings up a fascinating point. He says, "I used to say: Reuben was already out. Simeon was already out. Benjamin had already emerged from his loins and was still in his mother’s womb." Think about it. Jacob's sons, except for the unborn Benjamin, were already here. So, who is this blessing really for?
Rabbi Yudan then offers a solution: "'A nation' – this is Benjamin; 'and an assembly of nations' – this is Manasseh and Ephraim," referring to the verse, "His descendants will be a plenitude of the nations" (Genesis 48:19). See, Manasseh and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph, each become tribes in their own right, fulfilling the "assembly of nations" part of the prophecy.
But wait, there's more! The text continues, "And kings will emerge from your loins." Now, Rabbis Berekhya, Ḥelbo, and Shmuel bar Naḥman say this refers to Yerovam and Yehu, two kings of Israel. Okay, straightforward enough, right?
Not so fast. The Rabbis then pose a challenging question: "Is it possible that Avner was a righteous man and he disputed that the kingdom [belonged to] the house of David?" Avner, a military leader, initially supported Ish Boshet, Saul's son, as king. So, the rabbis suggest that Avner was actually interpreting a midrash (a method of interpreting biblical stories), and crowned Ish Boshet based on his understanding of scripture. That leads to another interpretation: "And kings will emerge from your loins' – this is Saul and Ish Boshet."
Now, the story takes a turn into some pretty intense tribal politics. The Rabbis ask, "What did they see that led them to draw near and ostracize in the case of the concubine in Giva?" This is a reference to the story in Judges 20-21, a dark episode where the tribe of Benjamin is nearly wiped out after a horrific crime. The Rabbis suggest they justified their actions by quoting scripture, first ostracizing and then welcoming them back.
"They read a verse and ostracized them: 'Ephraim and Manasseh will be like Reuben and Simeon for me' (Genesis 48:5)." In other words, they felt they could exclude Benjamin because Manasseh and Ephraim counted as two tribes, keeping the number at twelve. Then, "They read a verse and welcomed them: 'A nation and an assembly of nations will be from you.'" This time, recognizing that this verse included Benjamin, along with Manasseh and Ephraim, they welcomed Benjamin back into the fold.
What's so powerful here is the tension between fixed texts and the messy reality of human interpretation. How do we apply ancient words to present-day situations? How do we balance justice with mercy, inclusion with exclusion? The rabbis show us that even divinely given blessings are open to interpretation, and that those interpretations can have profound consequences.
It leaves you wondering, doesn't it? How do we read the promises of our own lives? And what responsibility do we have to ensure those promises are extended to all?