2020/5780
In this week's Parashah, Ya’akov Avinu appears to give his sons Berachot in age order. However, Zevulun, who is younger than Yissachar, receives his Berachah before Yissachar. Why does Ya’akov switch their order? Ya’akov Avinu, in introducing his words, says something quite different than ‘Berachot’: “Hei’asfu Ve’Agidah Lachem Eit Asher Yikra Etchem Be’Acharit HaYamim” (BeReishit 49:1). Ya’akov tells the brothers what will happen after he dies, rather than giving them some sort of blessing. Ya'akov Avinu is trying to tell them what the nature of their tribes will be in the future. The prime example of this is Levi. He is told that he is reckless and by extension, so will his descendants be. Indeed, the members of the tribe of Levi were the only ones willing to give a Berit Milah to their sons. Every other tribe said it was too dangerous, but the Leviim did not care. That is just one of the few examples of the tribe of Levi being reckless. Accordingly, when Ya'akov switches around the order of Yissachar and Zevulun, he is doing it because of the nature of their future. Ya'akov tells Yissachar and Zevulun that they will have a strong connection in the future; Zevulun will sustain Yissachar and Yissachar will learn Torah. Ya'akov is telling Zevulun that the way he will be involved in Torah study will be through Yissachar and because of that, says the Midrash, Ya'akov tells Zevulun his tribe’s nature first (BeReishit Rabbah 72:5). However, the Midrash does not seem to completely answer our question. I propose that the Midrash is based on the following: Yishayahu HaNavi rebukes the Jews by contrasting them with a donkey: “Yada...VeChamor Eivus Be’alav Yisrael Lo Yada Ami Lo Hitbonan,” (Yishayahu 1:3). “A donkey knows the crib of its master; Israel does not know [Me], my nation did not think.” A donkey can often be used in Tanach to symbolize someone or something that recognizes what sustains them. This is why Yissachar is compared to a donkey. As Zig Ziglar once said, “Research indicates that workers have three prime needs: Interesting work, recognition for doing a good job, and being let in on things that are going on in the company.” Zevulun needed recognition in order to keep on going. Therefore, Ya'akov begins this process by putting Zevulun before Yissachar. Ya'akov puts Zevulun before Yissachar to establish that the bond between the two brothers will last forever. Ya'akov is not only telling the brothers what the future nature of their tribes will be, he is also creating it.