"He crossed his arms" - as its translation (in Targum) 'Achaminun" - with understanding and wisdom he knowingly crossed his hands, for he knew that the firstborn was Menashe, and even so, he did not place his right hand upon him.

(Rashi, Bereishit 48:14)

"Crossed his arms" - as in 'sachal' - referring to a crooked and twisted person.

(Rashbam, Bereishit, ibid.)

"Crossed his hands;" He understood through touch, without looking."

(Sforno, ibid.)

"Crossed his hands, for Menashe was the firstborn" – there are those who query: Why did Yosef remain silent until after he blessed them , and only afterwards he supported his father's hand to remove it from Efrayim's head? Why did he not do so before he blessed them? Perhaps it was because Yosef thought that the left was more important than the right, for the heart, source of understanding, is placed on the left side, and the liver, source of the soul of desire, is on the right, and Yosef thought that since Menashe was the elder, therefor did he desire to bless him with the blessings of intelligence, to give him a greater portion of knowledge and wisdom; Efrayim was to receive the material blessings.

But after they both received the same blessing, Yosef saw that this was not his father's plan, and that perhaps he erred in differentiating between the elder and the younger, or perhaps he did not discern who was standing by his left and who by his right, therefore "and this was wrong in his eyes, and he said: Not so, my father."

(Kli Yakar, ibid.)

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The parasha recounts the blessings that Yaakov gives his children before his death. The scene is dramatic: all the brothers are present and Yaakov addresses each in turn, in a rich and poetic style. But there is an odd aspect to these blessings. They are not blessings in the simple meaning of the word, such as the one that Yitzhak gave to Yaakov (Bereishit 27:28), in which he wishes him future prosperity and success. They also differ from the parting words of David to Shelomo -- which we read in the Haftara -- in which David counsels his son to observe the Torah and the commandments. In contrast, in Yaakov's blessings to his sons words of praise and reprimand, reward and punishment -and perhaps even prophesy- are interwoven.

I would like to discuss the 'blessing' which seems to be the most irregular, Yaakov's blessing to Shimon and Levi:

Yaakov finds it difficult to bless Shimon and Levi because of the disgrace which hovers over them ever since they murdered the inhabitants of Shechem following Hamor's behavior towards Dina. Yaakov's words are harsh, not only because they are hardly a blessing, but because they actually seem to contain a curse, and, ostensibly, a punishment; namely, the brothers are to be scattered among the children of Israel.

Despite this initial impression, it seems that Yaakov's words include a deeper moral message. Yaakov wants to caution his sons regarding the dangers of their inner tendencies towards fanaticism and extremism. While we can understand the anger and frustration of Dina's brothers towards Shechem from the perspective of family honor, their father seems to detect an extreme behavioral pattern which is liable to reappear and therefore warrants special attention. Yaakov's words may be seen as a warning: Control your inner impulses, lest they explode as extreme and violent behavior.

Before his death, Yaakov attempts not only to warn his sons, but also to suggest ways of coping with these tendencies. He understands that Shimon and Levi have a negative influence over each other, and that they must be separated from each other. Dispersion of the brothers, then, comes to protect them – to neutralize the power of their zealotry. Both were denied a tribal territory, for this too could have lead to aggression: the tribe of Levi was scattered among the other tribes, and the tribe of Shimon was settled within the tribal lands of Yehuda.

In this context it is interesting to note that both Shimon and Levi were born to the same mother, Leah, who felt hated and rejected, and who hoped – in vain – that through the birth of her sons she would win her husband's love. The Torah (Bereshit 29:33-4) hints that Shimon and Levi were born into an atmosphere of rejection and bitterness, a fact which may provide a partial explanation of their personality structure.

In his blessing, Yaakov attempts to teach his sons the necessity of fighting not only external threats, but rather the need to cope with internal tendencies that may have destructive potential. It seems that Yaakov understands that these inner proclivities may pass from generation to generation, and he wishes to impress upon his sons the need to redirect them. It is interesting to look at the ways that these tendencies are in fact expressed in later generations.

In next week's parasha, "Shemot", Moshe, a Levite, is furious when he sees an Egyptian brutally mistreating "his brother" - and he kills the Egyptian. His reaction can be seen as more reasonable and moderate – there is no mass killing, nor is there collective punishment. Yet, following the act, Moshe understands that there may be negative consequences, and he flees. It is telling to note that throughout the rest of his life, in other instances where he becomes angry, Moshe finds less violent methods of handling the situation.

The ability of the Tribe of Levi to channel its inner zeal into positive directions finds expression in the fact that it was the only tribe not to worship the golden calf. Here, their zeal expressed itself in devout fidelity to God. Their reward was being given the role to serve God in the Temple.

Nevertheless, zeal which leads to murder continues to exist in the Tribe of Levi. The most striking example occurs in the story of Pinchas the Priest (who was, of course, of the Tribe of Levi), who kills Zimri (of the Tribe of Shimon!) in an act of zeal resulting from the latter's provocative behavior with the Midianite woman (Bemidbar 25:7) It is interesting to note that here we again meet Shimon and Levi – this time as adversaries – as each gives expression to totally different kinds of zealotry.

In conclusion, Yaakov's blessings can be seen not only as blessing, curse, punishment and prophecy. They can also be seen to contain a moral challenge which Yaakov presents his sons: The importance of recognizing ones internal impulses which may have dangerous potential, and the necessity to overcome them or to find ways to channel them into positive directions.

Nicky Lachs is a member of the directorate of Oz Ve'Shalom – Netivot Shalom, and is a clinical psychologist.

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"Shim'on and Levi Are Brothers"

"Shim'on and Levi are brothers": This is to say they possess brotherhood, for their hearts became inflamed because of their sister [Trans. Note: In Hebrew, the three emphasized words all share a common root]. This is intended to commend them, for it was out of zealousness for their love that they did what they did. They were deserving of a great punishment, their sin was not worthy of forgiveness, for it was violence.

The correct explanation, in my opinion, is that Shim'on and Levi were 'total brothers', similar to each other and bound together in plan and action, and I have already explained previously that Yaakov was furious at Shim'on and Levi for slaughtering the people of Shechem, for they did so in violence, for they (the Shechemites) had not sinned towards them at all, and they entered the covenant and thecircumcised themselves, and perhaps they might have returned to God and

have become members of Avraham's community – 'And the souls which they gathered in Harran – and he was further disturbed lest people say that by his counsel was the deed done, and this would be a desecration of the Name, that a prophet should perpetrate violence and plunder. This is the reason for 'In their council let my soul not enter' - (this was) an explanation that he was not in their counsel when they answered deceitfully, and he did not participate in their assembly when they came upon the city and killed them, and therefore did he curse their violence and plunder.

(Ramban, Bereishit 49:5)

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'Yosef's brothers saw that their father had died' – what did they see now that should have aroused fear? As they returned from their father's burial, they saw that Yosef went to recite the blessing at the pit into which they had flung him , in accordance with the obligation that one has to recite "Blessed is the Omniscient who performed a miracle for me at this place." Having seen this, they said, now that our father is deceased, "What if Yosef holds a grudge against us and repays, yes, repays us for all the ill that we caused him! So they charged Yosef, saying: Your father commanded . . . Say thus to Yosef : Ah, pray forgive . . ." We searched but nowhere found that Yaakov so commanded, but come and see how great is the power of peace, that the Holy One wrote these words in his Torah for the sake of peace.

(Tanchuma, VaYechi, 17)

The midrash relates that the subject is Yosef the Righteous, whose intentions were for the sake of Heaven, and who came to fulfill the commandment which he had learned together with his father, to recite the customary blessing over a miracle performed on one's behalf. Even so, the brothers are unable to abandon their suspicions because of their idee` fixe which continued to mislead them even after the revelation; they are incapable of comprehending a reality in which a person can be forgiving after so terrible an act such as that which they perpetrated upon their brother Yosef.

(Leibovitz, Seven Years of Discussions on the Weekly Parasha, p.186)

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(Kings I, 2:1-6, from the haftara to Parashat VaYechi)

Every king or wielder of power among human beings, inasmuch as they are human beings, and even among Israel -- seed of Avraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov -- even if he is called "the Anointed of the Lord of Yaakov", his rule over his brothers inevitably makes him a rasha – a wicked person. There cannot be a monarchy which is not wicked, and this is something which even the greatest of believers and Torah sages -- who considered King David to be the great example of a just and righteous king – did not refrain from occasionally stressing, emphasizing in their words: 'Whoever is made a leader below is made a scoundrel above.

(Leibovitz, ibid. p. 190)

We left world politics due to coercion, which contained inner desire, until the arrival of a fortuitous hour, when it will be possible to lead a kingdom without wickedness and barbarism; this is the time for which we hope. It is understood that in order to realize it, we must awaken with all our forces, to utilize all means which the hour provides, all controlled by the hand of God, creator of all worlds. But the delay is a

necessary one; our soul is disgusted by terrible sins of government in bad times. Now the time has come, very close, that the world will be established, and we can already prepare ourselves, for we can already administer our kingdom on foundations of goodness, wisdom, justice and clear divine enlightenment. Yaakov sent Esav: 'Pray let my lord cross on ahead of his servant' – it is not advantageous for Yaakov to engage in government at a time when it must be bloody, when it demands the capacity for evil. Of necessity we received only the basis for establishment of a nation, and once the stock reached maturity we were denied rule, we were dispersed among the nations, we were sowed in the depths of the earth, until (such time as) "The blossoms have appeared in the land, the time of pruning has come; the song of the turtledove is heard in our land."

(Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak HaCohen Kook, Orot)

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