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Yaakov gives Berachot to each of his sons in this week's

Parsha. He begins with Reuven, his first born, and then goes in birth order through Yehuda. The next bracha is then given to Zevulun. The Midrash Yalkut Shimoni asks on this order: if Yissachar was older (and arguably greater) than Zevulun, why did Zevulun receive his Berachah prior to his brother? The Midrash answers that Yaakov foresaw that Yerushalayim was destined to be destroyed in the future. This would result in the Sanhedrin being uprooted from its place in Yerushalayim and moved a number of times. It would move to יבנה, then pass through אושא, then through שפרעם, followed by בית שערים, until eventually it arrived in צפורי, which is located in the portion of Zevulun.

How are we to understand why the dislocation of the Sanhedrin to Zevulun’s territory justifies his bracha coming after Yehuda’s?

Rav Ginsberg, in his sefer, Yalkut Yehuda, explains that when the second Beit HaMikdash was destroyed, the Sanhedrin was substituted for the monarchy and filled its role. The Rabbis of the Sanhedrin now played leadership roles for the Jewish people. While the Beit HaMikdash was still standing this was the obligation of the kings. Since the role of leadership was passed from Yehuda to Zevulun, Zevulun’s Berachah followed Yehuda’s. Even though we know that the heads of the Sanhedrin often came from Yissachar, as seen in Breishit Rabba 98, that two hundred heads of the Sanhedrin came from Yissachar, nevertheless, hosting Torah can be even greater than learning Torah itself. We know that Zevulun afforded Yissachar אין קמח the ability to learn Torah through their partnership, and ”.if there is no wheat, there is no Torah“ אלא תורה

We learn from the order of Yakov Avinu’s brachot the greatness of Zevulun, as well as the importance of hosting a place of Torah. As many of you may know the annual TABC

dinner is coming up you should have this idea in mind when considering your donations. The building that facilitates vast amounts of Torah learned each day is even more important than the actual Torah being learnt.