48 – Shechem
 |
|
בייה Genesis 48 – Shechem Our discussion is going to be a bit of a caveat. Dear family and friends, we will dive into several enjoyable studies like the blessing of the sons of Jacob/Joseph, the death of Jacob, a double portion for the firstborn, the death of Rachel, guidance for blessing our children, and Jacob’s war. In (Genesis 48 – 49) Jacob is peacefully passing from this life to the next. In that process, he begins discussing a vision about the end of days, then says a few words to each son as he enters eternity. (Genesis 48.22) says, ‘And I have given to you [Joseph] one portion above your [eleven] brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites [the Shechemites] with my sword and with my bow.’ The Torah informs us that Jacob was in a war where he took possession of the land of Shechem (Genesis 48.22 and 33.19). These Holy Scriptures document our absolute ownership of The Holy Land of Israel. See (Genesis 23.16 – 17) Abraham purchases The Cave of Machpelah to bury Sarah. See (1Chronicles 21.25) references the purchase of the land of The Holy Altar and The Holy Temple sites. In (Genesis 34) Simon and Levi attack the city of Shechem because the local people/courts would not hold the prince of Shechem accountable for kidnapping and raping their sister as required by the Seven Laws God Gave to Adam and Chavah, and Noah. Simeon and Levi killed every male in Shechem and gathered up all the females, the children, and possessions. (Genesis 34.26 – 31) says, ‘And [Simeon and Levi] slew Hamor and Shechem his son with the edge of the sword, took Dinah out of Shechem’s house, and went out. The sons of Jacob came upon the slain and plundered the city because they had defiled their sister. They took their sheep, and their oxen, and their asses, and that which was in the city, and that which was in the field, and all their wealth, and all their little ones, and their wives they took captive and carried off all that was in the houses. And Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, You have brought trouble on me to make me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and I being few in number, they shall gather together against me, and slay me; and I shall be destroyed, I and my house. And [Simeon and Levi] said, should [Shechem] deal with our sister like a harlot? Where is Jacob’s participation in this conflict? Where did Jacob use his sword and bow? The comments in Ha Torah give the Impression that Jacob was angry with Simeon and Levi. I have the impression that Jacob feared being attacked and destroyed by these kings. The Midrash informs us that the local kings gathered together against Jacob and his family. The Kings wanted to retaliate against Jacob. Each king brought 10,000 men to fight against Jacob and his family. They were fearful about going to war with Jacob. This family had a reputation for being very fearsome warriors. Simeon and Levi devastated Shechem. They remembered the stories of Abraham and his 318 trained servants who defeated the armies that kidnapped Lot and his family on Passover. Jacob’s brother Esau was greatly feared. Yet, Jacob was feared even more because he went out to fight Esau’s army of 400 soldiers. Jacob commanded Malakim / Angels. Gematria 222 Mystically, Jacob’s sword was through his Words and his Blessings. We will briefly view four. The Gematria for בְּחַרְבִּי Bih Chah Rih Bee, meaning ‘through the sword,’ is 222. The Gematria for וַיְדַבֵּר Vah Yih Dah Bary, meaning ‘And He spoke,’ is 222. The Gematria for בָרֵךְ Veh Rah Kih, meaning to Bless, is 222. And The Gematria for בְּכֹר Bih Quoor, meaning firstborn, is 222. This mystical teaching shares the relationship between these four Hebrew words that may be interchangeable. They are related in this sense. Jacob speaks of the sword. The sword is his Word. Jacob was a prophet. He spoke Words of Ha Torah. In (Genesis 32.4) we learn that Jacob sends מַלְאָכִים Mah Lin Aw Cheem – Malakim – messengers ahead of him to Esau, his brother. The messengers were angels. Each of us has angels about us. They are here to help us. However, most of us do not have access to them as Jacob did. Discussing access is another adventure in Torah learning. Jacob used words/thoughts to bless his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh (Genesis 48.20). Blessings are strange in this sense; who knows when they make a connection? My wife, Revi, and I were sitting in the hospital’s emergency room when I needed medical attention! Mentally, I scanned the individuals needing medical attention while sitting near them in the waiting room. In some instances, their need was obvious. So without speaking, I went mentally before our Creator, requesting assistance for each of them. Praying quietly to God for someone else is something we each can do. Blessings and prayer operate similarly in this sense. We are supposed to be the light of the world and a blessing to all families. It was an excellent opportunity to observe the mitzvah of blessing and praying. In (Genesis 35.1) Jacob leads his family and servants to Bethel, where he constructs the מִזְבֵּחַ Meez Bay Ach / and Altar and offers blessings to The Lord God of Israel. He also used his sword of the Word to place fear in the hearts of his adversaries. It works! They decided not to make war with Jacob. They were fearful! They had every right to be fearful. Sometimes I faced bigger, taller adversaries who were quite frightening. As I approached these people, I cried out to the Lord God of Israel from the interior of my thoughts, beseeching his help. Remember, ‘The Lord is near to all those who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in Truth’ (Psalms 145.18). In (Genesis 48.22) We learn that Jacob was giving Joseph an additional share because he was Bih Quoor, The firstborn of Rachel. The parcel of land that Jacob bequests to Joseph were unique in this sense. He took the land away from Shechem, the father of Osnat, Joseph’s wife. Remember, Shechem kidnapped and raped her mother, Dinah. She was left under a bush with an amulet stating she was Jacob’s daughter. A Melach / Angel transported her to the home of Poti Phera, an officer and a eunuch of the pharaoh’s staff. He purchased Joseph, placed everything under his charge, then later sent him to prison over false accusations. When Joseph’s bones were taken from Egypt, he was entombed in Shechem. Our sages teach that Joseph was taken from Shechem and had to be returned to Shechem when his bones were taken out of Egypt. Dear Ones, an in-depth study of (Genesis 48.22) has the power to open many particular closed doors. We can learn how to be better people by employing The principle of Gematria 222. (Genesis 48.22) וַאֲנִי נָתַתִּי לְךָ שְׁכֶם אַחַד עַל־אַחֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר לָקַחְתִּי מִיַּד הָאֱמֹרִי בְּחַרְבִּי וּבְקַשְׁתִּי: ס (Genesis 48.22) says, ‘And I have given you one portion above your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Amorites with my sword and with my bow.’ Jacob gives Joseph a burial inheritance. Jacob gave one portion to each of his eleven sons and two portions to Joseph. (Genesis 48.5-6) says, ‘And now your two sons, Ephraim and Manasseh, who were born to you in the land of Egypt before I came to you to Egypt, are mine; as Reuben and Simeon, they shall be mine. And any children, born to you after them, shall be yours, and shall be called after the name of their brothers in their inheritance.’ If Joseph had children in addition to Ephraim and Manasseh, their inheritance would be through their older brothers. Ephraim and Manasseh were Dinah’s grandsons. The wicked Prince Shechem was their grandfather. Remember, he was a thief, kidnapper, and rapist. ‘Pharaoh proclaimed Joseph’s [Egyptian] name Tzaw Pih Nat – Paheh Nay Ach, and he gave everything from Aleph to Tav of Awsnat, daughter of Poti Phera, Priest of On, for a wife, and He, Joseph, emerged over the land of Mitzriam,’ See (Genesis 41.45). (Genesis 34.11 – 12) informs us that Dinah received a huge dowry from her captor/rapist, prince Shechem. It was his way of attempting to pay something for his sinful actions against Dinah, mother of Osnat and grandmother of Ephraim and Manasseh. There is an old saying,’ To the victor belongs the spoils.’ (Genesis 34.25-29) notes the spoils of war taken by Simeon and Levi. In addition (Genesis 33.18 – 19) informs us that Jacob purchased land in Shechem near Rachel’s place of burial. (Genesis 37.12) says that they pastured their livestock in Shechem. That is where Joseph was kidnaped and sold into slavery. For these reasons, Jacob wills Shechem to Joseph as a burial inheritance. In Parshat Mikeitz, an exciting name surfaces. The name is אסנת Osnat, wife of Joseph. When we think ofאסנת Osnat, we should immediately think of אשרי Ahsh Ray… We should think of her as a praiseworthy individual. We should also think of תקוה Teek Vaw… We should think of Osnat as a woman of hope and expectation. As a child, her uncles drove Osnat from Jacob’s house, according to Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer. This was because her uncles were concerned that people would speak of licentiousness in their tents. They were concerned that people would think that they were morally perverse. As a result, Jacob engraved a metal plate and put it around Osnat’s neck to protect her. The metal plate was engraved with words to the effect that Osnat’s parents were Shechem and Deenah and that whoever married her would be marrying a relative of Jacob’s family. At this point, Osnat was placed under a bush in a field and left. Her name is a derivative of the Word Si Neh {thorn bush}. Through providence, a Malach {messenger} took Osnat from under the thorn bush to the house of Potifer in Mitzriam. He and his wife raised her as their daughter. Twenty-two years later, Pharaoh ordered that Osnat marry Joseph to vindicate Joseph from any guilt brought on by the false accusation of her foster mother, Potifer’s wife. Potifer’s wife accused Joseph of sexual assault. At this point, we mention that the Midrash points out that at every birth of Jacob’s sons, a twin daughter was born. The purpose was so that the sons could marry sisters as wives. However, when Joseph was born without a twin sister, this was a sign that Joseph would marry someone else, Osnat. See Rabbi Meir Zlotowitz and Rabbi Nosson Scherman, The Artscroll Tanach Series – Bereishis Vol. I(b) (Brooklyn, New York: Mesorah Publications, Ltd. 3rd Impression, 1989), pp 1800, 1801; Rabbi Dr. H. Freedman, Midrash Rabba(New York, NY: The Soncino Press 1983) – Midrash Rabbah writes, Tamar was the daughter of Shem. p 829 From the inscription on the plate around her neck left under a bush, she knew that she was a descendant of Jacob, as was Joseph. Somehow this surfaced. Gematria 511 We know that Joseph would not have married outside of his household. So we know that this connection had to be revealed to both of them at some point. Mystically the greatness is noted in Osnat. The Gematria of her name is 511. This is the same Gematria as Ahsh Ray – praiseworthy and Teek Vaw – expectation. Osnat is praiseworthy for rejecting the lies of Zulaicha. Osnat is praiseworthy for returning to Judaism and raising her children by Joseph’s tradition instead of her own. Her praiseworthiness is so great that all Judaism blesses their children as Jacob blessed Ephraim and Menasheh. May The Lord Bless us in our daily walk. May we stay within Torah’s Guidelines. May we help others and bring peace and healing to our world. May this coming Sabbath and every Sabbath be a blessed Day. Good Sabbath! Dr. Akiva Gamliel Belk Director of JewishPath – http://www.jewishpath.org
|
