Vaheyi Genesis 47:28-50:26 I Kings 2:1-12
A young student for conversion already had a good grasp of the Bible from studies in another religious tradition. Still, my assignment surprised her: Read the Book of Genesis straight through, as one big unit.
In her tradition, as in most Jewish traditions, one studies each word; without care, one might inadvertently slight the big picture.
At our next meeting, she said, “Wow! It reads like a Russian novel!”
We explored the idea of Genesis as a Russian novel. We gave it a title: “The Blessing.” We also came up with a blurb for the cover and for advertisements: “ÔThe Blessing.’ Women would deceive for it; men would kill for it.”
In each generation from creation on, males in Genesis struggle to receive the exclusive blessing as the chosen one. When Cain offers an rejected sacrifice, he resents Abel’s ascendancy in religious service; so he kills Abel, and Seth becomes the chosen one. All humankind goes corrupt and only Noah deserves rescue.
Abraham’s nephew Lot does not receive the blessing and the choice. Of Abraham’s children, only Isaac, not Ishmael or the descendants of Keturah, carry on Abraham’s blessing. Of Isaac’s sons, only Jacob, not Esau, receives the blessing.
In all these stories one son is chosen, the rest rejected. At first, it seems that this week’s Torah reading follows the script. As Jacob blesses all of his sons, he does indeed reject some and choose others. He explains, in these blessings, why Reuben, Shimon and Levi cannot become the leaders of the clan; he identifies Judah and Joseph as leaders.
Still, none of the sons Ñ not even the three “rejected” ones Ñ loses a place in the family. The exclusive blessing of choice has come to an end. Finally, we switch from the story of individuals to the story of a family.
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish reports that Jacob on his deathbed worries whether the blessing and choice have really changed. Perhaps some of his children would eventually choose to leave the family. His sons reply, “ÔHear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one’ (Deut. 6:4). As you have in your heart only One, we have in our hearts only One” (Pesahim 56a).
The sons all belong in the blessing, for they all affirm loyalty to the one God. They speak this sentence to reassure their father, Israel. When we recite the Sh’ma, we reassure not only ourselves and our people, but also our ancestor, Israel, that we also include ourselves in the blessing and the choice. Accepting the unity of God makes us part of Israel.
Having finished these blessing, Jacob “expired, and was gathered to his people” (Gen. 49:33). Oddly enough, the text does not use the ordinary word for death. It does not say, “Jacob died.” We should not think of this as a prissy avoidance of blunt words. The Torah reports on the death of Adam, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, Rachel, Joseph, Joseph’s brothers, Aaron, Moses and many other people all with the simple, blunt word.
Perhaps for this reason, Rabbi Yohanan reports, “Jacob our father did not die” (Taanit 5b).
A skeptical voice in the Talmud challenges this: “So why did the eulogizers eulogize him, the embalmers embalm him, the grave diggers bury him?”
Rabbi Yohanan answers, “I merely interpret the biblical verse: ÔAnd you, do not fear, my servant, Jacob,’ says the Lord, Ôand do not tremble, O Israel, for behold I shall draw you from afar, and your seed from the land of their captivity, and Jacob will return and be at peace and tranquil, and none shall make him afraid'” (Jeremiah 30:10). Jeremiah implies Jacob is patient as alive as his descendants.
Abravanel explains Rabbi Yohanan’s answer: Jacob, Israel, our ancestor, died, but Jacob, Israel, also serves as the name of our people, and our people have not died. The prophet foresees this Israel living and returning to the Land of Israel.