Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 9 | Jewish Mythology

Reuben, thou art My firstborn, My might and the first fruits of My strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. unstable as water, have not thou the excellency (Gen. 49:3–4). Thou art my firstborn. You are my firstborn, the product of the first drop of semen I produced in eighty years.14Cf. Genesis Rabbah 98:4, “in eighty-four years.” In fact, I did not even experience nocturnal pollution before then. My firstborn. Are you like me? The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. Three crowns were available to you: priesthood, kingship, and the right of the firstborn. The excellency of dignity alludes to the priesthood, as is said: And Aaron lifted up his hands (Lev. 9:22); the excellency of power refers to kingship, as it is said: And he will give power unto his king (I Sam. 2:10); the birthright is indicated by the double portion he received, as is said: By giving him a double portion (Deut. 21:17). But you have lost them all. Why? Because you are as unstable as water, and therefore have not thou the excellency.

What is the meaning of pahaz (“unstable”)? It is an abbreviation. R. Eliezer said: It is an abbreviation for pahazata (“you were overweening”), hatatha (“you sinned”), zanitha (“you committed adultery”). R. Joshua contended: It stands for pahazta (“you were overweening”), hasahta (“you cast the yoke from thy neck”), za’ta (“you did recoil from sin”).

R. Levi reversed the letters of the word pahaz: The zayin stands for za’ata (“you did recoil), the heh for haradata (“you did tremble”), and parah het (“your sin has flown from you”). Another comment on pahaz. Pasata (“you trampled on the law”), hillalta (“you have degraded your birthright”), zar (“you have made yourself a stranger like water). What is the meaning of like water? If a man pours water from a flask nothing remains, but if there is oil in the flask, and it is poured out, there is a residue in the bottle. Therefore, it says: Unstable like water, have thou not the excellency (Gen. 49:4).

Because thou wentest up to thy father’s bed (ibid.). When did this occur? At the incident of the mandrakes. Leah said: Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband? And wouldst thou take away my son’s mandrakes also? (Gen. 30:15).

Then defilest thou it—he went up to my couch (ibid. 49:4).15He slept with Bilah, his father’s concubine. He went up implies that you will be rejected until Moses appears, concerning whom it is written: And Moses went up unto God (Exod. 19:3), and he shall come, and intercede for you, saying: Let Reuben live, and not die (Deut. 33:6). And Reuben went out downcast. And he (Jacob) began to call out: Simeon and Levi are brothers (Gen. 49:5). They had acted as brothers toward Dinah but not toward Joseph, whom they had sold.

R. Simlai stated: In reference to Reuben, it is written: And delivered him out of their hand (ibid. 37:2). Hence you learn that he was not responsible for the selling of Joseph. Similarly Judah said to them: What profit is it if we slay our brother? (ibid., v. 36). Now, inasmuch as these were the four eldest sons, it is apparent that Simeon and Levi must have been responsible for his sale. When they came to Egypt, Joseph looked angrily at Simeon, as it is said: And took Simeon from among them and bound him (ibid. 42:24). Hence he addressed them together: Simeon and Levi are brothers.

Weapons of violence. He said to them: The weapons in your possession are weapons of violence stolen from Esau, of whom it is said: By the sword shalt thou live (ibid. 27:40). These are weapons of violence, and violence is associated with Esau, as it is said: For the violence done to thy brother Jacob, shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off forever (Obad. 10).

Mekherotehem (their kinship). This is a Greek word. The Greeks called their swords mahirim. Others are of the opinion that the word mekherotehem should have been written as megurothehem (“their origin”), as in the verse Thy origin and thy nativity (Ezek. 16:3).

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