In BeMidbar 2:2, the Pasuk says that each member of Bnei Yisrael will camp with their own Sheivet, which has a flag with a specific color and symbol.
The Midrash Rabbah on BeMidbar 2:7 says that the stone of Binyamin’s tribe was Yashpeh, the color of his flag was a combination of all the other Shevatim’s colors, and the symbol on his flag was a wolf.
Why were Binyamin’s colors a combination of all of the Shevatim? What can we learn from this?
Rav Ephraim Zaitchik explains the nature of Binyamin's fusion as follows. Imagine a generation of Torah scholars, each of whom shines uniquely, yet among them is a giant who towers above the others. In discussing their opinions, each Torah Scholar will state his opinion only to later concede to what the Torah giant says.
In this scenario, a younger scholar will be at an advantage, as they can listen to the discussion but can’t say anything. At this stage in his life, it is not the young scholar's role to advocate his personal views but to absorb the views of the great scholars around him. Hearing so many opinions voiced deepens his understanding and boosts his knowledge, and one day it is he who will be the towering giant of his generation with a developed perspective from all that he had previously absorbed.
This parable can explain the Gemara in 66b, which states that the merit of someone who responds “Amen” to a Berachah is greater than that of one who recited the Berachah. The Meiri explains that this is because one who listens intently to the Berachah is more focused on what is being said than the person making the Berachah. Often, silence is the best teacher.
That is the message of our Midrash, which teaches that Binyamin’s color was a combination of all the other Shevatim’s colors. The Midrash in BeReishit Rabbah 71:5 says that the name of Binyamin’s stone Yashpeh can be read as Yesh Peh, or there is a mouth. This shows that Binyamin knew what happened to Yosef yet didn’t speak about what had transpired. The Midrash teaches that Binyamin received this trait of silence from his mother, Rachel, who was quiet on the night of her wedding when her sister was married instead of her. This was passed down to Shaul, who didn’t tell others that he was chosen to be king, and his descendent Esther, who obeyed what Mordechai said and did not reveal her origins.
Silence was the mark of Binyamin. He was the youngest of his siblings and as the youngest, absorbed what they all had to say, and the positive aspects of their traits. His youth and silence allowed him to assimilate the unique greatness of his brothers’ personalities into his personality. His stone was the Yesh Peh that stayed quiet, and that is why his color was a combination of all the other Shevatim.
Maybe that’s what Shimon, the son of Rabban Gamliel, meant when he said that “I have found nothing better for a person than silence.” Over the final week of Sefirah, let us all try to use this unique quality that Binyamin took advantage of to help us receive the Torah in a greater way.