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Parsha and Manuscript: Vayechi – ‘ End of Days’

Thursday, 9 January, 2020 - 9:31 pm

MS. Canon. Or. 81 Vayechi.pngIn the portion of Vayechi, it discusses the end of the life of Jacob and how before he passed away he gathered his children to bless them. It states:[1] ‘And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in days to come. Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob; Hearken to Israel your father.’

 

The question that arises is: while the blessings of the sons of Jacob are related to the second assembly: ‘Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob; Hearken to Israel your father,’ what was conveyed in the first assembly: ‘Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in the end of days?’

 

Midrash and Talmud

 

There are twelve interpretations in the Midrash and Talmud concerning what the content of the first assembly included. a. The Talmud states:[2] Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons when the final redemption would arrive at the end of days but the Divine presence abandoned him, rendering him unable to prophesy. Similarly, Midrash Tanchuma and Genesis Rabba state:[3] Jacob desired to reveal the end of days, but it was closed off from him. In a related teaching Midrash Tanchuma writes:[4] Jacob called for his sons to inform them when the end would be. Immediately the Holy One was revealed to him. He said to him: You called for your sons but did not call for me. When he saw the Holy One revealed to him, he immediately began saying to them: Will you please honour the Holy One just as my ancestors have honoured Him. b. Midrash Tanchuma writes:[5] Jacob told his sons: Be purified. c. Midrash Tanchuma writes:[6] Become individual study groups. d. Genesis Rabba writes: Jacob called to G-d to be with his sons.[7] e. Genesis Rabba writes: Jacob invited G-d on behalf of his sons.[8] f. Genesis Rabba writes: Jacob appointed G-d to be a guardian for his sons.[9] g. Genesis Rabba writes: Gather yourself from the land of Egypt and assemble yourself into Raameses. h. Genesis Rabba writes: Jacob referred to the gathering of the ten tribes along with the assembly of the two tribes: Judah and Benjamin.[10] i. Genesis Rabba writes: Jacob warned them against dissention so they can prepare themselves for redemption.[11] j. Genesis Rabba writes: Jacob showed them the downfall of Gog and Magog.[12] k. Genesis Rabba writes: Jacob showed them the rebuilding of the Temple.[13] l. Genesis Rabba writes:[14] Jacob informed them of the two exiles.

 

Medieval

 

In the medieval period also there are three principle interpretation to what Jacob intended with the first assembly: 13th century French Rabbi Chezekiah ben Manoah, known by his Biblical commentary Chizkuni, says the term ‘the end of days’ refers to the exodus from Egypt. French Rabbi David Kimchi (1160-1235) says that it refers to the statements that are in fact subsequently mentioned in the Torah regarding the prophecies Jacob foretold his children when Israel would settle in the land, in times of war and peace. Similarly, Rashbam says that it refers to aspects of the blessings that talk about the strength and inheritance. Rashi (1040-1105), Rabeinu Bahya (1255-1340), Italian Rabbi Obadiah Sforno (1475-1550), Rabbi Shlomo Ephraim of Luntschitz (1550-1619) and Polish Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (Prague 1565-1630) follow the view that Jacob intended to teach about the time of the Messianic era.

 

End of days

 

There are six reasons for the commentary that the subject that Jacob wanted to reveal related to the end of days:

 

a.     The expression ‘end of days’ (acharit yahamim) relates to the Messianic era,[15] as found in 1. Numbers:[16] ‘And now, I am going to my people. Come, I will advise you what this people will do to your people at the end of days.’ 2. Ezekiel:[17] ‘And you will ascend upon My people Israel like a cloud to cover the earth; at the end of days it will be, and I shall bring you upon My land in order that the nations recognise Me when I am sanctified through you before their eyes, O Gog;’ 3. Micah:[18] ‘And it shall be at the end of the days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains, and it shall be raised above the hills, and peoples shall stream upon it;’ 4. Daniel:[19] ‘And you, go to the end, and you will rest and rise to your lot at the end of the days,’[20] and 5. Hosea:[21] ‘Afterwards shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their G-d and David their king, and they shall come trembling to the Lord and to His goodness at the end of days.’

b.     The words ‘gather around’ and ‘come together’ allude to the in-gathering of the exiles during the Messianic era, as it states in Isaiah:[22] ‘He will gather the scattered one of Judah,’ and Zephaniah:[23] ‘He will gather the lost one.’[24]

c.     The double expression ‘gather around’ and ‘come together’ alludes to two aspects of the end of days: the first alludes to the time of the end of days, as it is followed by ‘end of days,’ while the second alludes to the ingathering of the exiles. Since neither of these are mentioned in the subsequent blessings to the children of Jacob, it suggests the Divine presence pertaining to these two aspects departed.[25]

d.     The double expression ‘gather around’ and ‘come together’ alludes to two separate gatherings. The second gathering was for the subsequent blessings, while the first gathering does not say what it was for. We therefore surmise that this was in fact not revealed, suggesting the Divine presence departed and Jacob was thus unable to reveal it. The insight that is known to be a secret is the time of the Messianic era.[26]

e.     Since Jacob already informed his children about the Exodus, as it states:[27] ‘And Israel said to Joseph, "Behold, I am going to die, and G-d will be with you, and He will return you to the land of your forefathers,”’ the additional revelation that Jacob wished to communicate must have therefore been about the final redemption.[28]

f.      The blessings of Jacob itself refers to the Messianic era, when Jacob says:[29] ‘The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples.’[30]

g.     The term: ‘I will tell you’ (v’agidah) denotes the telling of something that is concealed.[31]

h.     The very fact that the time of the end of days is unknown to us suggests that the Divine presence departed from Jacob and was not revealed.[32]

 

MS. Oppenheim 34 Vayechi.pngSummary

 

In summary there are five interpretations about the subject that Jacob wanted to communicate to his sons in the first assembly: a. About the Exodus. b. About the inheritance of the land. c. About the return after the first exile. d. About the Messianic era. e. Ethical teachings about unity, purity, study of Torah, fear of G-d.

 

Distinction between Midrash and Talmud

 

While both the Midrash and Talmud bring the interpretation that Jacob desired to reveal the end of days to his children but withheld it, there is a difference between them. The Talmud writes that the Divine presence departed. The Midrash says that it was hidden from him. In essence, both however are saying that Jacob was unable to reveal the information about the end of days.

 

Rashi

 

As mentioned, the commentary of Rashi follows the interpretation found in the Talmud and Midrash that Jacob desired to reveal the end of days but was prevented from doing so. In the printed edition, Rashi appears to follow the text of the Talmud that the Divine Presence departed. Rashi writes: ‘He attempted to reveal the End, but the Divine Presence (Shechinah) withdrew from him. So he began to say other things.’

 

MS. Canonici Or. 35 Vayechi.pngManuscripts

 

In the manuscripts however there are a few minor variations in the commentary. In MS CCC 165,[33] MS. Oppenheim 34, Fol. 34 (1201-25),[34] Bodleian Library MS. Oppenheim Add. 4° 188 (1301-1400), MS. Oppenheim 35 (1408),[35] it states as printed: ‘He attempted to reveal the End, but it was concealed from him.

 

In MS. Canon. Or. 81 (1396),[36] MS. Michael 384 (1399),[37] it states: ‘He attempted to reveal to them the End, but it was concealed from him.’ In MS. Canonici Or. 35 (1401-1425),[38] ‘He attempted to reveal the end to his sons, but it was concealed from him.’ A further minor difference is that in most of the manuscripts and the published edition the quotation from the verse is: ‘and I will tell you,’ while in MS. Canon. Or. 81 it adds: ‘Gather and I will tell you.’ What is the significance of these variations?

 

Departing of the Divine Presence

 

As mentioned, there are two versions of the teaching that Jacob desired to reveal the end of days: 1. The Midrash: the time of the end of days was concealed. 2. The Talmud: the Divine Presence departed. There are three interpretations to the departure of the Divine Presence: 1. The Divine Presence completely departed, similar to the meaning of the Midrash: 'the End of Days was concealed from him.' 2. It only partly departed relating to the time of the end of days. This is evident from the fact that prophetic vision was communicated in the subsequent blessings.[39] 3. The Divine Presence only departed to the degree that Jacob was unable to reveal the time of the end of days to his sons but he retained the revelation for himself.[40]

 

According to the latter, the Talmudic statement aims to emphasise that the Divine Presence did not depart from Jacob entirely but only departed regarding the ability to communicate the prophecy about the time of the end of days to his sons. This explains the minor variation in the Oxford manuscripts where some of the manuscripts state, in the precise same wording as the Talmud:[41] ‘He attempted to reveal to his sons the End, but the Shechinah withdrew from him. So he began to say other things.’[42] The withdrawal of the Divine Presence, accordingly, was only in relation to the revelation to his sons but not relating to the knowledge itself to Jacob. Furthermore, adding ‘assemble’ before ‘and I will tell you’ in the quotation further highlights that Jacob aimed to prepare them for the revelation through unity and purity, but was still prevented from doing so, despite following the beliefs of Jacob, as they were not on the same level of Jacob to be worthy of having such knowledge.

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

[1] Genesis 49:1-2.

[2] Talmud Pesachim 56a: ‘As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said that it is written: “And Jacob called his sons and said, Gather around and I will tell you what will occur to you in the end of days” (Genesis 49:1). Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons when the complete redemption would arrive at the end of days (see Daniel 12:13), but the Divine Presence abandoned him, rendering him unable to prophesy. He said: Perhaps the Divine Presence has abandoned me because, Heaven forfend, one of my descendants is unfit, as was the case with my grandfather Abraham, from whom Ishmael emerged, and like my father Isaac, from whom Esau emerged. His sons said to him: Hear Israel, our father, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. They said: Just as there is only one God in your heart, so too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Jacob our father said in praise: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever, as all his children were righteous.’

[3] Midrash Tanchuma Vayechi 1:1. Genesis Rabba 98:2. Genesis Rabba 99:5.

[4] Midrash Tanchuma 9:1.

[5] Midrash Tanchuma 11:1. Similar to Numbers 12:14 with reference to Miriam's uncleanness from leprosy: Let her be shut up seven days outside of the camp, and then let her be brought in. See also Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[6] Midrash Tanchuma 11:2.

[7] Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[8] Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[9] Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[10] Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[11] Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[12] Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[13] Genesis Rabba 98:2.

[14] Genesis Rabba 99:6.

[15] Nachmanides on Genesis 49:1.

[16] Numbers 24:14.

[17] Ezekiel 38:16.

[18] Micah 4:1.

[19] Daniel 12:13. See Rashi: ‘Ketz hayamin’ is like ‘Acharit hayamim.’

[20] Genesis Rabba 98:2. Chizkuni argues that the fact  that it says ‘hayamim’ and not ‘yamim’ indicates that it is referring to the Exodus – the end of days that was spoken about previously.

[21] Hosea 3:5.

[22] Isaiah 66:12.

[23] Zephaniah 3:19.

[24] Sifsei Chachamim on Genesis 49:1.

[25] Rabbi Shmuel Eidels, known as Maharsha (1555-1631), in his Chidushei Aggadot on Talmud Pesachim 56a.

[26] Yalkut Shim’oni Isaiah 247:507. Talmud Sanhedrin 99a. Likkutei Sichot 10:168.

[27] Genesis 48:21.

[28] Rabbeinu Bahya on Genesis 49:1:2-3.

[29] Genesis 49:10. Rashi comments: [This refers to] the King Messiah, to whom the kingdom belongs (שֶׁלוֹ), and so did Onkelos render it: [until the Messiah comes, to whom the kingdom belongs]. According to the Midrash Aggadah, [“Shiloh” is a combination of] שַׁי לוֹ, a gift to him, as it is said: “they will bring a gift to him who is to be feared” (Ps. 76:12).

[30] Nachmanides on Genesis 49:1. Sforno on Genesis 49:1.

[31] Sifrei Devarim 11:22. Likkutei Sichot 10:168.

[32] Rabbi Baruch ha-Levi Epstein (1860-1941) in his Torah Temimah commentary on Genesis 49:1.

[33] Fol. 34.

[34] Fol. 28.

[35] Fol. 29.

[36] Fol. 43.

[37] Fol. 33.

[38] Fol. 55.

[39] Torah Temima on Genesis 49:1.

[40] As evident from the difference between the text of the Midrash ‘the end fo days was concealed’ and the Talmud – ‘the Divine presence departed.’ Likkutei Sichot 10:169.

[41] Talmud Pesachim 56a.

[42] See Likkutei Sichot 10:171 that argues that the published edition of Rashi that omits ‘to his sons’ need not include it as the verse itself states: ‘And I will tell you.’

 

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