2020/5780
Seifer BeReishit is primarily a book of prophecy, although not in the conventional sense. It is, as Ramban explains in his first comment on Seifer Shemot, a “Seifer Yetzirah,” “Book of creation,” in the national sense, where the events that the Avot go through serve as a blueprint for their descendants. This follows the principle of “Ma’aseh Avot Siman LaBanim,” “The actions of the forefathers serve as signals to their descendants,” and as indications of the Jewish future. One of the first instances of this foretelling occurs near the beginning of Avraham’s story in Parashat Lech Lecha, which proves to be parallel to Bnei Yisrael’s opening story. A famine forces Avraham Avinu to travel to Egypt: “VaYehi Ra’av Ba’Artez VaYeired Avraham Mitzraymah LaGur Sham Ki Chaveid HaRa’av Ba’Aretz,” “And there was a famine in the land; and Avram went down into Egypt to sojourn there; for the famine was heavy in the Land ” (BeReishit 12:10). There, Paroh takes Sarah into his house and gives Avraham great wealth in return. Paroh consequently suffers “Nega’im Gedolim,” “Great plagues” (ibid. 17), and finally, Avraham leaves Egypt “Kaveid Me’od BaMikneh BaKesef UVaZahav,” “Very rich in cattle, silver and gold” (13:2). Bnei Yisrael must also make the descent to Egypt because of a famine. They are taken captive in the land, “Pen Tikrenah Milchamah VeNosaf Gam Hu Al Sone’einu VeNilcham Banu Ve’Alah Min Ha’Aretz,” “Lest war befall us, and they will join our enemies and fight us and ascend from the land” (Shemot 1:10). God afflicts Egypt with plagues, and Bnei Yisrael finally leave Egypt “BiRchush Gadol,” “With great property” (BeReishit 15:14), including silver and gold. That brings us to Parashat VaYigash. Its story was foreshadowed in Lech Lecha, but it too in turn serves as a primary model for future Jewish history. VaYigash is the culmination of the Yoseif drama, begun two Parashiyot before in Mikeitz. One of its primary themes is the struggle for supremacy between Yehudah and K O L T O R A H P ARA S HA T VAY I G A S H Yoseif. Yehudah approaches Yoseif, speaking boldly and offering himself as a slave in Binyamin’s stead. Everything is resolved peacefully in this confrontation, and neither Yoseif nor Yehudah ultimately comes out either supreme or defeated. Still, it creates a template for later events. The struggle between Yoseif along with Bnei Rachel versus Yehudah along with Bnei Leah continues until the Babylonian exile, and continues to feature Binyamin as a source of contention. In BeReishit, Yehudah takes responsibility for Binyamin, and almost a thousand years later, Shlomoh builds the Beit HaMikdash in Binyamin’s territory, taking Binyamin under Yehudah’s wing. This bridges the gap between Yehudah and Yoseif (Binyamin is Yoseif’s brother and would be expected to be in Yoseif’s camp), but the unity does not last. In the reign of Rechavam, Bnei Yisrael split up into Malchut Yehudah and Malchut Yisrael. Yehudah takes Binyamin while Yisrael takes the rest of the tribes and is led by Ephraim, one of Yoseif’s tribes. The model for Jewish history seems to feature Binyamin as a regular pawn in the larger showdown between Yoseif and Yehudah. But one era stands out as an exception from this pattern like a sore thumb. In Seifer Shmuel, Binyamin takes on a leadership role, with Sha’ul serving as king for all of Israel. Binyamin is not a pawn in a larger struggle, but the most prominent tribe in Israel. How are we to understand this? A solution to this lies in a comment of Ramban to BeReishit 49:10 (s.v. Lo Yasur). Ya’akov blesses Yehudah that the “scepter shall never depart from” him. Yet, in Shmuel tells Sha’ul that had it not been for him disobeying God’s command, the kingship would have remained his forever (Shmuel I 13:13). Which is it? Is Yehudah meant to be the eternal king, or is Sha’ul/Binyamin? Ramban presents the possibility that Sha’ul’s family would have been secondary rulers to that of Yehudah. Sha’ul’s rule was not a blip in the trend of Jewish history, but an arrangement meant to unify the two competing camps in Israel, with both sides represented. Perhaps if Sha’ul remained king, Bnei Yisrael would have never split into two separate kingdoms. What remains, however, is that Yoseif and Yehudah made peace in VaYigash, and Jewish history should hopefully be headed in the same direction.