Hebrew Insights into Parashat Bo –Sh’mot (Exodus) 10 – 13:16

 

YHVH charges Moshe to "go to Pharaoh", and it is this "going" which our Parasha is named after (the literal meaning of "bo" is "come"). The approximately three and a half-chapters of Parashat Bo encompass several central themes. The historical narrative (describing the last plagues, some of the Israelites' preparations to leave Mitzrayim, and a few of their moves), is interspersed with themes of redemption, ransom, the Pesach celebration, injunctions to instruct the future generations, and several teaching tools which are to accompany the nation of Yisrael down the road of time. Thus, at the outset of Yisrael's travels, which ultimately will bring them to the Land of Promise, they are also embarking on a journey to becoming a (special) Nation. And while they had no time to prepare supplies (ref. 12:39), and were carrying almost only that which the Egyptians had given them (ref. 12:33, 35, 36), YHVH was starting to do His own equipping of this nascent nation on the road toward its destiny.   

The educational theme is evident right at the beginning, by the reason given for the "signs" performed in Egypt: "That you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son's son the mighty things I have done…" (10:2). "I have done" here is denoted by the verb "hit'a'lalti," of the root a.l.l (ayin, lamed, lamed). It is a multi-faceted verb the meaning of which depends on context, yet its root also forms one of the words for "infant" or "babe" - "olal", such as used in Psalms 8:2: "Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength" (emphasis added). Thus, within the word for YHVH's "doings" – or miraculous performances in Mitzrayim, which the Israelites are to tell their children - is hidden an allusion to these very children!

By this time in the narrative, the land of Mitzrayim has experienced great devastation, with much more to come. The severity of the next plague is such that locusts "shall cover the face [literally "eye"] of the earth, so that no one will be able to see the earth, and they shall eat the residue of what is left, which remains…  from the hail…" (10: 5, 15). Here we find a sequel of three synonyms. The repetition serves to heighten the proportions of the catastrophe. The Hebrew reads: "yeter [ha]*pleta [ha]nish'eret".  “Yeter” is that which remains, as is also seen in 12:10, where the lamb is to be eaten in such a way that "you shall let none of it remain until morning" (emphasis added). The term "pleta nish'eret" was also mentioned by Yoseph, when he disclosed his identity to his brothers, saying the following: "And Elohim sent me before you to put a remnant ["she'erit", of the same root as "nish'eret" above] in the land for you and to keep alive for you a great survival [pleta]” (Gen. 45:7, literal translation, italics added). Yoseph’s words, regarding the survival of his brethren, had a prophetic fulfillment, as the “remnant” of the Children of Yisrael has not only “survived”, but it had actually turned into multitudes, resulting in Mitzrayim's soil being left (almost) without residue of remaining life (through the plagues inflicted by the Elohim of the “remnant”, i.e. the Israelites). Therefore, that which was a means of salvation for one people (as expressed by Yoseph), turned into deadly circumstances for the other! Shaul the apostle expresses a similar principle in the following words: “We are to Elohim the fragrance of Messiah among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; to the one the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life" (2^nd Cor. 2:15-16).

Par’oh's now-exasperated servants complain about Moshe, describing him as a "mokesh" – “snare” (10: 7). However, according to Ee’yov (Job) 34:30, it is a Godless king, such as Par’oh, who “should not reign lest the people be ensnared" (emphasis added)! Indeed, no sooner were the locusts removed, when Par’oh's persistence brought about the ninth plague.  Total darkness descended upon his land, and his people were ensnared once more. The darkness was so thick that it could be "ya'mesh", that is, "felt" or "touched" (10: 21. See also Genesis 27:12, describing the concern of Ya'acov, who was impersonating his brother, lest his father should discover his real identity by “touching” his smooth skin). In 10:23 we are struck by the contrast between the total darkness prevailing over Mitzrayim, and the well-lit dwellings of the Israelites, where the source of Light was the Almighty Himself.

It is time now to prepare for the last phase, and for the start of a new one. YHVH declares to Moshe that He is about to strike the final blow on the Egyptians and on their king, “afterward he will let you go from here; when he lets you go he will surely drive you out of here altogether” (ref. 11:1). The last phrase may be also rendered (although without negating the conventional meaning): “he will send you from here. As if sending off a bride will he expel you from here” (“surely” – ‘kala’ here – can mean 'completely' OR a 'bride'). The (Hebrew) terms “driving” and “sending” are terms also used for divorce. What’s more, when in the next verse Moshe is told that Yisrael is to ask from their neighbors' articles of silver and gold, one wonders if this isn’t symbolic of a bride’s dowry, the dowry that she was now to retrieve, upon her ‘disengagement’ from the relationship with Mitzrayim and its ruler, being set free to follow YHVH to “the wilderness, to a land not sown” (ref. Jer. 2:2). Perhaps YHVH's insistence (in-spite of His own unlimited power) that it be Par'oh who would release Yisrael, supports this probability that YHVH's people were bound legally to Mitzrayim's sovereign.

It is taught that the pattern of lives of the fathers is followed by their children or posterity. If that is the case, then Avram's descent to Mitzrayim during a time of famine, giving up his wife to Par'oh who suffered from "great plagues" as a consequence (ref. Gen. 12:10-20, cf. 26:1-11), certainly supports the latter events taking place in our Parasha. 

Moshe goes on to convey to Par'oh the news regarding the slaying of the Egyptians' firstborn sons, in place of Yisrael’s slain male babies, while the slaying of the former's firstborn was already predicted by YHVH in Shmot 4:22-23. This is followed by instructions for the Pesach lamb, whose smeared blood will single out the homes of the Hebrews when YHVH will be striking the Egyptian homes by killing their firstborn. Each Hebrew household is to partake of one lamb or share it with others if the family happens to be too small. The expression used, "according to the number" (12:4), is denoted by a single word - "[beh]mich'sat," rooted in k.s.s (kaf/chaf, samech, samech), meaning "to allocate". A similar root is k.s.h (kaf, samech, hey) which means "to cover". Thus, even before an explanation is given for the procedure of choosing, slaughtering, eating the lamb, and applying its blood, the text points subtly to the Lamb which has been ‘allocated’ and designated to be slain from the foundations of the world (ref. Rev. 13:8), Whose blood was given for the covering of sin.

The blood over the Hebrews’ doors enabled YHVH to steer clear of their homes by passing over - "pasach" (ref. 12:23) - a verb rooted in p.s.ch (pey, samech, chet) and means to “pass" or "skip". Yishayahu (Isaiah) 31:5 says: "Like flying birds, so YHVH of Hosts will protect Jerusalem… He will pass over ["pasach"] and rescue it”. Hence, a lame or limping person is a “piseh’ach” (e.g. 2^nd Sam. 9:13; 1 King 18:21). This verb gives the feast its title of Pesach.

We have already noted that our Parasha is 'didactically inclined', with 12:14-22 being devoted to instructions about the future life of the Israelites, once planted in their own land. This passage is fraught with distinct words and terms. We already examined the notion of "allocating" in verse 4. In verse 6 we note that the lamb was to be "kept" (from the 10^th of the first month, until the 14^th). But rather than a verb, a noun is used there - "mishmoret", of the root sh.m.r (shin, mem, resh). In verse 17 the Children of Yisrael are instructed: "to observe the Feast of Matzot". "Observe" is again from the same root, meaning “to keep, or guard”, while in verse 24 the Israelites are told, "to observe", literally "keep", what now becomes an ordinance to be practiced upon entering the Land. In the future, the night commemorating the exodus from Mitzrayim will become a "night of solemn observance (or vigil)" - "shimurim" (verse 42), and again in 13:10, "You shall keep this ordinance in its season from year to year". Thus, upon those who had been “kept” or “protected” (shamar) by their Elohim, it is now incumbent to do their own form of “keeping”.

The lamb was to be slaughtered on the 14^th day of the month, "at twilight" (12:6), which is "ben arba'yim”. “Arbayim" is the plural form of “erev” (evening), the all-familiar term we have been discussing over and over. Most interpreters and commentators believe that "between the evenings" (its literal meaning) denotes "twilight". However, there exists a minority view that supports the literal “between the evenings”, making that expression a reference to an entire day, between the 14^th and the 15^th.  The meat was to be eaten with bitter herbs, “maror”, and unleavened bread called "matza", which are thin wafer-like crackers baked without yeast (12:8).

The root m.tz.h (mem, tzadi, hey) means “to drain out” to the very last drop of water (e.g., Jud. 6:38) since the leavening agents require liquid in-order to be activated. The bitter herbs most likely point to the "bitterness" experienced by the Children of Yisrael in Mitzrayim. Sh’mot (Exodus) says: "And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage--in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field" (italics added).

In 12:14 we encounter for the first time one of the words for "feast" - "chag" (although in verb form it appeared already in Ex. 5:1). Since the annual reoccurrence of the Feasts makes them cyclical, “chag” is related to the verb "choog" which describes a circle (Job 22:14; Pro. 8:27; Is. 40:22). By its very nature this word implies not only a (set) time but also a place - a “circle”.  Another such 'multi-dimensional' word is holy "convocation", also appearing here for the first time (v. 16). This "holy convocation" or "assembly", is "mikra kodesh". The root k.r.a (kof, resh, alef) means “to call”, even though the "convocation" - the assembling - is made up of people. The "mikra kodesh" (i.e., the congregation) is designated, therefore, by its calling, but is also connected to a place. In Yishayahu (Isaiah) 4:5, for example, we read:  "Then YHVH will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over "mikra'eh'a" ("her assemblies") a cloud by day…." These “holy convocations” are, of course, to be also special times. The “calling” then, proves to be the common ‘ingredient’ bonding the people, their place of gathering, and the times wherein they are to convene, indicating that Time, Place, and People are joined in YHVH's economy. This concept will surface again in future Parashot. 

In their Egyptian Pesach, the Israelites were promised that "the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses... And when I see the blood, I will pass over you" (12:13). This "seeing" (of the blood) brings to mind another "seeing" on the part of YHVH, as was stated by Avraham, who on the road to Mount Moriah responded to his son's inquiry regarding the offering, saying: “YHVH will see (literally) for himself the lamb for the offering" (Gen. 22:8 italics added). And although (at that time) it was a ram that was provided, the beginning of the fulfillment of those words is taking place now, in Mitzrayim, later to have a further fulfillment, to an even greater degree, by another Lamb. One more connection to the Lamb of Elohim is found in 12:46, where it says that none of the bones of the lamb are to be broken, an injunction which finds its fulfillment in Yochanan (John) 19:33.

The Egyptians finally relent to send off the Israelites. According to 12:33, "they pressed” them to leave. However, "pressed" in this case is from the root "strong" - "chazak" - which makes it a fulfillment of 6:1 “…For with a strong hand [Par’oh] will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land". Another fulfillment, this time of 3:22, is taking place here in 12:35-36 when the Egyptians consent to give their former slaves gold, silver, and garments. This is described as the “spoiling of the Egyptians", which is also a fulfillment of YHVH’s promise to Avraham concerning the Egyptian Diaspora, out of which his seed was to "come out with great wealth" (Gen. 15:14).  "Spoiled" is "(va)yinatz'lu", of the root n.tz.l (noon, tzadi, lamed), which most frequently means to "survive, save, rescue, or deliver".  In fact, it came up in Parashat Sh’mot (5:23) when Moshe complained to YHVH on behalf of his people, saying, “For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, he has done evil to this people; neither have You delivered Your people at all (italics added)". But now not only are they being "delivered", but they are also "procuring" gifts (the form of n.tz.l as it is used here) from those who had subjugated them. The fact that all of these terms are rooted in the same three letters lends an extra emphasis, or 'twist', to the rescue story and sheds light on the protagonists (YHVH as the "savior", and on those who are being "saved"). The gold and silver will no doubt serve later for the making of the Mishkan’s articles (and likely also for the golden calf). But even beforehand, in Shmot (Exodus) 33:6, where the Israelites remove their jewelry, the verb used is "(va)yitna'tzlu" (again of the root of n.tz.l). The unusual usage of this word highlights the origin of these articles.

Upon leaving Mitzrayim, a "mixed multitude" (“erev rav” – literally “a great mixture”) goes out with the Sons of Yisrael.  After “arbayim” (“twilight”) above (with is root e.r.v. - "evening" – being a "mixed" state, 12:38), “mixture” is now being applied to the nature of the "multitude”. More on this group of people in future Parashot.

When the time allotted for their sojourn in the land of Exile has come to an end, "on this very day" (12:41) YHVH's people, who had been waiting for so long, are suddenly forced to hurry and leave. We recall the case of Yoseph, who was also made to hurry out of prison when the time ordained for his sufferings had fully expired (ref. Gen. 41:1, 14). In both cases, the word used is "miketz" ("at the end of"). When it is time for a change, there is not one moment to spare.

The latter part of the Parasha, 13:1-16, is devoted to further instructions. First and foremost, among them is the "setting apart" of the firstborn: "…every one who opens the womb among the sons of Israel belongs to me" (13:2), declares YHVH. In verse 15 He elaborates on this, saying that since He "killed all the firstborn in the land of Egypt… therefore [the Israelite are to] sanctify to YHVH all males that open the womb, and all the firstborn of [their] sons [are to be] redeemed/ransomed". In last week's Parasha we saw how "ransoming" separated the Israelites from the Egyptians (8:23), even before the smiting of Mitzrayim's firstborn. The notion of "ransom" (“p'dut”) becomes even more evident when blood separates the Egyptian firstborn from those of Yisrael's. The ultimate ransom price for purchasing 'Yisrael the Firstborn' thousands of years later will be, and still is, Messiah's blood.

Among the "firsts" in this Parasha, there is a first reference to a name of a month - the "month of Aviv" (13:4). The literal meaning of "aviv", which became synonymous with "spring", is a stalk of grain whose ears are still green. This word indicates the very beginning of growth, before the fruit or grain has had time to develop (e.g., Job 8:12; Song of Solomon 6:11), and is perhaps (also) a reflection on the condition of the Nation in formation. The fact that the noun “aviv” starts with alef, bet, the first two letters of the Alphabet, letters that also form the word “av” - “father”, highlights its “firstness”.

Twice in this portion of instructions we encounter references to the "signs" that are to be on one's hand and forehead (13:9, 16). These "signs" are to remember and commemorate the "strong hand with which YHVH brought you out of Egypt" (v. 16), and, "so that the Torah of YHVH may be in your mouth" (v. 9). In both places the mention of these "signs" is related to the teaching of the generations to come. In addition, in keeping with the pedagogical message included in the Parasha, several possible approaches are offered to a variety of future inquirers about the Pesach practices and its teachings. In 12:26-27 we find: "When your children say to you, ‘what does this service mean to you…?’ you shall say, ‘it is the sacrifice to YHVH’s Passover’…" In 13:14, "When in time to come your son asks, saying, 'what is this?' You shall say to him, 'by strength of hand YHVH brought us out of Egypt’…" And in 13:8, "You shall tell your son on that day, saying, 'it is because of this YHVH did for me when I came out of Egypt’". All three of these are echoed in the traditional Pesach Haggada read on the Passover eve ceremony called the Seder. There they are called the “Four – since another one is added based on Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 6:20 – Questions”, and are posed by the youngest member of the family.

Lastly, in order to partake of the Pesach, a man was required to be circumcised (ref. 12:48), a fact that connects the Paschal lamb to circumcision. It points to the renewal of the Covenant established with Avraham and his descendants. Interestingly, in Parashat Sh'mot (4:22) YHVH declares that Yisrael is His “firstborn”, and in the same breath predicts that because Par’oh will refuse to let His firstborn go, He will kill his firstborn (4:22,23). In the episode that immediately follows, Moshe’s wife is circumcising her son, using the term "a groom of blood" (4:24-26). This act and choice of vocabulary reinforce the connection of the Paschal lamb's blood to the blood of circumcision.[1] Our "Groom of Blood, " Yeshua, is also the epitome of the Pesach offering. His Blood has rendered us - the "circumcision who worships Elohim in the Spirit" (Phil. 3:3).

 

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* Ha denotes the definite article in Hebrew.

 [1] The Chumash Shmot With The Commentary Daat Mikrah, Pub. Mossad Harav Kook, Jm. 1991.

 

 

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Heirs, Please Stand Up

Last week I challenged myself with two questions, which I’ve been pondering for a long time.  They are based on Galatians 3:16 and 29 and surrounding verses.

So let me repeat: “Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his seed. He does not say, ‘and to seeds,’ as to many, but to one, ‘and to your seed,’ that is, Christ” (Galatians 3:16).

In reference to the seed of Sarah, who was to receive the promises, given in the covenants with Abraham…  Which “one seed” was it, the one born of Sarah’s womb, or the one born of Miriam’s?  The answer will determine who the sons of Elohim are.  ^“And if you be Christ [anointed by the Spirit], therefore you are Abraham's seed, heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29 emphasis added).  

The first thing we must ask is, what is the particular promise that is mentioned in this chapter of Galatians (as there are a number of promises (given to the forefathers, see Romans 9:4)? Yeshua told his disciples that after his death they (Sarah’s seed) would receive the promise of the Spirit.  But first He had to open the eyes of their understanding in order for them to comprehend the scriptures about Himself being the suffering Messiah (see Luke 24:45).  Afterward, He continued, telling them that He would be sending the promise of  His Father and that they were to stay in Jerusalem until they were “clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24: 49).

Later, while on the Mount of Olives (before His ascension), Yeshua repeated these very instructions.  Obviously, the promise mentioned in Galatians is in reference to the Spirit of the Father. In Acts 2:33, in Peter’s explanation of the phenomena that everyone was witnessing at the Shavuot gathering, he made the following statement about Yeshua:  "Therefore having been exalted to the right hand of Elohim [His Father], and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He [Yeshua] has poured forth this which you both see and hear” (Acts 2:33 emphasis added).

Indeed, Yeshua received the Spirit (at His immersion) because His Father brought Him forth into the family/seed of Abraham through Miriam,  but later, as was mentioned above, was given permission or authority by the Father to make good the promise of His Spirit to Abraham’s heirs.  Both in Romans and Galatians Paul states that upon receiving the Spirit, the recipient cries out: “Abba”. “For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you [seed of Sarah]* have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, ‘Abba! Father!’ The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of Elohim, and if children, heirs also, heirs of Elohim and fellow heirs with Messiah” (Romans 8:15-17 emphasis added).  To Jacob’s descendants was accorded the status of the “children of Elohim/YHVH”. In Isaiah, for example, we hear them cry out:  “But now, O YHVH, You are our Father, we are the clay, and You our potter; and all of us are the work of Your hand”.  “Doubtless You are our Father, though Abraham was ignorant of us, and Israel does not acknowledge us. You, YHVH, are our Father; Our Redeemer from Everlasting is Your name” (Isaiah 64:8, 63:16).  

Again, in Galatians: “Now I say, as long as the heir is a child, he does not differ at all from a slave although he is owner of everything,  but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by the father.  So also we, while we were children, were held in bondage under the elemental things of the world.  But when the fullness of the time came, Elohim sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, in order that He might redeem those who were under the Law, that we [the heirs] might receive the adoption as sons.  And because you are sons, Elohim has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through Elohim” [through the indwelling of His Spirit] (Galatians 4:1-7).  This was already predicted in the Torah and the Prophets concerning the whole house of Israel.

Please note: In reference to the above quote, having received the promise of the Spirit does not make the recipient one of the seed, it proves that he or she are already of Abraham’s seed, a heir according to the promise. The Great Shepherd of Israel who knows His sheep, bred His faith species into the Noahic family.  These are the ones that are to be a blessing to the rest of the families of Noah, as promised in the covenant to the father of “the faith” (Abraham. See Romans 4:16+; Galatians 3:7ff).

This may be a long-winded way of answering my original questions regarding which is the “one” seed that received the promise.  Yeshua was already the Son of the Father before He was sent, while the inheritors of the promise had to be redeemed first, by “the way” of the New Covenant, in order to receive the promised Spirit and the adoption into sonship.

In conclusion, the “one seed”, referred to in Galatians 3:16 that inherits the promise is Sarah’s seed as Miriam’s came from the Father’s Spirit into the realm of her humanity and was thus joined to her ancestry (Sarah’s). Therefore Yeshua too had to receive the promise (of the Spirit), which took place at His immersion, so that He could become High Priest (explained in the Book of Hebrews).

 Returning to Acts chapter 2, we read about the first outpouring of the promise and Peter’s response to what they were seeing and hearing.  As a result of his message, they cried out “Brethren! What must we do”?  Peter’s reply: "Repent, and let every one of you be baptized/immersed into the name [meaning authority and character] of Yeshua the Messiah for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our Elohim will call" (Acts 2:38-39). His sheep will hear His call when He will whistle for them; even those that are far off, both in future generations and those who are scattered/sown to the four corners of the earth. 

*In the Torah, “seed” in relation to a pregnant woman is in reference to her carrying a male child (e.g. Lev. 12:2 as it appears in the Hebrew text). Hence, the “seed of woman” in Gen. 3:15, also had to be a male.

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Va’ey’ra – Sh’mot (Exodus) 6:2- 9:35

One of Moshe's roles, at the time recorded by our Parasha, was to link the Children of Yisrael with their forefathers, history, and destiny, but not before establishing (for them and even more so for himself) the identity of their Elohim.  This was no easy task!  YHVH had already revealed Himself to Moshe in the desert, both in sight and word.  And while Moshe was trying to negotiate with Par'oh on behalf of the Master of the Universe, as well as to 'introduce' Him to His own people, he himself had a hard time grasping the awesome revelation which was unfolding before his eyes.  Our Parasha opens up with yet another monologue of Moshe's heavenly Father, displaying great patience with His child, who at this point had not fully adjusted to the dimensions of his newly found calling and relationship.  The opening "I am YHVH", together with the subsequent words, serve as another reminder to Moshe, designed to anchor, steady, and prepare him for what is ahead and to build up his trust and faith.  In last week's parasha, upon his inquiry as to Elohim's name, YHVH gave him a somewhat elusive answer (3:14): “Ehe'ye asher ehe'ye”, adding, “thus you shall say to the Children of Israel, Ehe'ye has sent me”. These words are (typically) translated: ”I am that I am”. Yet if we glance back at 3:12, we find that “ehe'ye” means “I will” (as it says there: “I will be with you”).  It appears that YHVH was not about to divulge His real (or 'full') name at that point.  His response and the tone by which it was conveyed sounds almost like a (temporary) discharge or dismissal. Thus, paraphrased, it may be read: 'never you mind Moshe… I Am and Will be Who I Am - what is it to you?' (Compare Yeshua's response to Shimon Keifa - Peter - in John 21:22).

The verb “ehe'ye” – I will be – is contained in “YHVH”, the name which Elohim is now, by His own initiative, revealing to Moshe (6:2). Thus the letters h.v.h (hey, vav, hey), which are tantamount to h.y.h (hey, yod, hey) meaning “to be”1 form the root of the venerated tetragrammaton.  "Being" and "present" both originate from this one root. The Tetragrammaton, therefore, speaks of "being" and of the "present presence".

Now that Moshe learns Elohim’s name, he hears Him say something quite surprising and unexpected, namely: “I appeared (literally – I was seen – va’ye’ra) to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, as El Shaddai, but My name YHVH, I did not make known to them” (6:3). Before we continue, let us take note of the echoes of B’resheet 18:1, where this very word, “va’yera” – “and He was seen” (or appeared… to Avraham), opens up the Parasha of that name.  As for Ya’acov, he did know Elohim as El Shaddai (ref. 28:3, 35:11), but the name YHVH is nevertheless mentioned in connection with the Patriarchs.  In fact, there is evidence that they used this name when addressing Elohim (e.g. Gen. 15:8).  The Sages discuss this point at length, but we will not delve deeply into the subject other than to say that since He revealed Himself to them as “El Shaddai”, the “Mighty Breasted One”, or by implication the ”Mighty One Who is Sufficient”, it was this aspect of His being with which they must have been most familiar.  In the course of His ongoing and progressive revelation of Himself, the Elohim of Yisrael is about to demonstrate that He is in control of the present, the One Who Is Present, and truly the One who IS the Present: He is the Yah-Hoveh. (Yah, as His name and also connected to the verb “to be”, is used a number of times, e.g. Ex. 17:16, although may be lost in the translation, and in many other instances in the Psalms.) In chapter 9:3, “the hand of YHVH", that was “to be on [Pharaoh’s] cattle…” is rendered as “yad YHVH hoya”. “To be on” in this case is “hoyah” (which contains the same letters as YHVH), meaning that He is fully present and brings to bear this Presence as He chooses.

The passage, which starts in verse 3 of Chapter 6 and continues all the way to verse 8, constitutes a unique and significant unit, in both content and form. The beginning statement is also found at the end (v. 8): "I am YHVH".  In verse 3, reference is made to the Patriarchs, while a similar reference shows up just before the end, in verse 8, in the form of a very emphatic statement (cf. last Parasha, Ex. 3:15,16). The third point in this monologue deals with the Covenanted Land (v. 4) and is echoed at the beginning of verse 8.  Verse 5 talks about the groaning (and therefore sufferings) of the Children of Yisrael, while verse 7 again deals with the same theme of suffering.  Thus, the four elements mentioned appear both in the first and second halves of the passage, although the second time round the order of these themes is reversed (in what may be termed a chiastic structure).

The central part of this passage stands firmly on its own, as a precious stone framed in fine filigree made up by the four repetitions mentioned above (i.e., YHVH’s Name, Patriarchs, Land, and Sufferings). It reads as follows, “Therefore say to the children of Israel: `I am YHVH, and I will take you out (ve'hotze'ti) from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver (ve’hi’tzalti) you out from their bondage, and I will redeem (ve'ga'alti) you with an outstretched arm and with great judgments.  And I will take (ve'la'ka’ch'ti) you to me for a people’” (6:6-7 emphases added).  Here too there is a ‘foursome’, although this time it is of four verbs, which describe a process.  First comes the "taking out" from one place to another, second is the “deliverance” from the enemy and the rigors of the impending desert journey. The third level, “redemption”, is also deliverance, but connotes “judicial ransoming”. The "redeemer" is a “go'el”, which in the Bible is synonymous with a "blood relative". Hence, this announcement in and of itself renders the Divine Redeemer as a blood relative who has the means and will to purchase the object of his redemption, take it upon himself to recover and restore everything (including that which has been lost) to right order, and be an avenger of wrongs (e.g. Lev. 25:26; Num. 5:8; Ruth 3:12, Ruth 4; Josh. 20:5). Finally, the "taking" here is much like the "taking of a wife" in marriage (see Gen. 25:20, for example).

When this series of actions is completed “…you shall know that I am YHVH your Elohim” (6:7). Immediately following this, YHVH continues to promise to “bring you into the land which I swore to give to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage: I am YHVH” (v. 8, emphases added). The declaration “I am YHVH, pronounced both at the beginning and end of the passage, powerfully denotes His all-encompassing view and position, contrasted with the restricted human perspective and vantage point of the Sons of Yisrael. The progressive process we have been following evidences that there is only One who can act on every level, with nothing ever being required of the recipients. This IS the grace, “which is not of yourselves [but] it is the gift of Elohim!” (Ephesians 2:8).  However, for this grace to be appropriated, faith is required and thus we move on to the anticlimactic end (v. 9): “So Moses spoke thus to the sons of Israel, but they did not listen to Moses on account of their despondency and cruel bondage”.  "Despondency" is literally “shortness of spirit/breath”, sometimes meaning impatience, while "cruel bondage" is actually “hard labor” (v. 9). 

Following this 'introduction' or preamble, the rest of the Parasha is mostly devoted to the implementation of the action plan described above.  In 6:11, YHVH calls out to Moshe to (literally), “come - BO - speak to Pharaoh…” Notice that above He promised to “bring” – ve’heveti – His people to the land. “Come” – bo – stems from the same root as “bring” – la’ha’vee (that is, “cause one to come”). Thus the “coming” that Moshe is commanded to do before the next phase, which will include verbal ‘combat’ with Egypt’s ruler, is a “coming” first to Elohim (putting full trust in Him). Prior to the second plague (of frogs), Moshe will be charged once again by YHVH to “bo” – come - to Par’oh (8:1, and likewise in 9:1 and in next week’s Parasha’s opening verse).   

Moshe responds to YHVH’s commission twice with “…I am of uncircumcised lips” (6:12, 30), obviously trying (once again) to dodge his responsibility But, whereas last week we read that he used the expression: “I am not eloquent… but am slow of speech and of a slow tongue” (4:10), this time he feels the need to press the point even further, since "uncircumcised lips" could also denote uncleanness (cf. Isaiah 6:5).  YHVH is not 'impressed' and does not take up this matter with His messenger.

It is the condition of Par'oh's heart that YHVH is about to deal with, as He says to Moshe, “And I will harden Pharaoh's heart…” (7:3a). Shaul (Paul) elaborating on this says, “Therefore He has mercy on whom He will have mercy, and whom He will, He hardens” (Rom. 9:18). Romans 1:18-21 may help us to further refine this idea: “For the wrath of Elohim is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, because what may be known of Elohim is manifest in them, for Elohim has shown it to them.  For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.  Because, although they knew Elohim, they did not glorify Him as Elohim, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened” (italics added). 

Back to where we left off in Exodus 7:3. The second part of the verse reads, “… and multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt”, with the result being, “And the Egyptians shall know that I am YHVH when I stretch forth My hand upon Egypt and bring out the Children of Israel from among them” (v. 5 italics and emphasis added). It should be pointed out that the “hardness” of Par’oh’s heart is qualified by three different words – ka’sheh – hard (e.g. 7:3); chazak – strong (e.g. 7:13) and kaved – heavy (e.g. 8:11). Interestingly, in the present Parasha where it says that YHVH hardened the monarch’s heart the first two are mostly used, but when the latter is doing it himself, it is “kaved”, which is also related to “honor” and “glory” (“kavod”). Thus, Par’oh’s inner motivation is exposed. (For the same idea see 9:17, although there a different, but synonymous, verb is used.) In next week’s Parashat Bo, on the other hand, YHVH will be taking the responsibility for making Paroh’s heart “kaved”, while in the following Parashat Be’shalach, in chapter 14, k.v.d will have versatile usages.

In His plan to bring His people out of Egypt, YHVH exerts His authority by judging Egypt (see 7:4). Again, “and the Egyptians shall know that I am YHVH, when I stretch out My hand on Egypt…” (v. 5). “Stretching out” in this case is “ne’to’ti” (the verb being “nato” – its root is noon, tet, hey, n.t.h). This verb denotes leading or pointing direction, and thus in verse 9 when A’haron is told to cast his rod, it is designated by “ma’teh”, originating from the same root. A’haron and Moshe were to represent YHVH’s authority over Egypt’s ruling powers, both the natural ones as well as the supernatural. Indeed, when A’haron casts his rod in front of Par’oh it turns into a serpent, which in Hebrew is “tannin”, literally an alligator. Thus, YHVH demonstrated His power over one of Egypt’s most powerful symbols. In fact, in Ezekiel 29:3 Par’oh himself is addressed as the “great tannin” (translated “monster”), that is the great alligator (for the same idea see also Ez. 32:3). The very rule and authority of Egypt is therefore symbolized by this “alligator” (a creature that inhabited the Nile), and is the first to be challenged by Elohim as will, in the course of the coming plagues, several of Egypt’s other ruling powers (‘gods’). 

Just prior to inflicting the first plague, Moshe speaks for YHVH saying to Par’oh: ”…Let My people go, that they may serve Me in the wilderness” (7:16). “Serve” here is from the root “work". We remember vividly from last week's Parasha, the many negative references to work and labor.  Here "work" becomes “worship” of YHVH, as are most other references to worship.  The hard-working slaves (“avadim”, of the root word, a.v.d) of the Egyptians are about to be liberated and become free to carry out “avodat  Elohim” – that is, rendering service unto YHVH.

If at first YHVH made His name known to Yisrael by attaching it to their ancestors’ names (the Elohim of…), thereby demonstrating His all-time faithfulness, now He wants to convey to His people that He is in charge of their present circumstances, in control of all of nature - both animate and inanimate; of mankind, beasts and the elements.  The first to be affected is Egypt's source of water and life, the Nile (Ye’or in the Biblical terminology), which He turns into blood.  Blood, in its turn, is also a symbol of life and atonement but it now becomes a deadly substance in the very body of water, which in the second plague will be swarming with frogs (8:6). The Nile was the grave of many of Yisrael’s infants (ref. Ex. 1:22), and now that blood is crying out, not from the ground, but from the water… In addition, all of Egypt’s other water sources also turned to blood (7:19).

The fourth and fifth plagues (8:21; 9:3) are the first ones not to occur in the vicinity of the Israelites' dwellings, meaning that the land of Goshen was free of them.  The "swarms of insects", as they are called, and the pestilence, are both terms with familiar roots, which we have already encountered.  "Swarms of insects" (and other translated versions) are “a'rov”, and "pestilence" is “dever.”  “Arov” (which shares its root, a.r.v., with the root for “erev” – “evening”) means a “mixture”, hence the mixed variety of species.  Last week, we looked at “midbar” - “desert”, noting that “dever” (i.e. “pestilence” or “plague”) sometimes "drives" (of the same root, once again) its victim to the “desert”. 

This time it is 'real' pestilence, not the figurative type, which is plaguing the herds and flocks of the Egyptians (9:8, 9). “Boils and hail with fire flashing… in the midst of… it” (9:24) are the next two plagues, both of which have no tangible effect on the Israelites, “in the land of Goshen in which My people dwell” – with “dwell” being a translation of “stand”. “Stand”? Why stand? Could the text hint at the temporary nature of their existence in Goshen, as they would shortly leave "your [Par’o’s] people” (8:23). Verse 22 highlights thev “division” between the land of Goshen and the rest of Egypt by the use of the term “p'dut” which literally means “ransom”.  It is the ransom that always separates those who are "My people" from those who are Par'oh's.  The basic meaning of the Hebrew root [p.d.h] is “to achieve the transfer of ownership from one to another through payment of a price or an equivalent substitute".2 More on this idea in next week's Parasha…

 

1 In Hebrew, the "v" sound (vav) and the "y" sound (yod) are often interchangeable, such as in the name Chava (Eve), which denotes “life,” although the noun “life” is “chayim,” and “to live” is “ lich’yot”.

2 Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament, Vol. 2,

ed. R. Laird Harris, Moody Press, Chicago, P 198

 

From a Worm to a Butterfly

 A Story of a Monarch

The Monarchs, while they are in their caterpillar (worm) stage, have to shed their skin 5 times. They cannot grow without shedding their skin. Shedding the old skin to become renewed happens 5 times! (We too, are to put off the old-“flesh”.) To watch them shed it, is interesting. It looks like they struggle to shed the skin. It takes a while. When they finally get it off they eat it because it has turned into pure protein for them. Then when they finally are ready for the last shedding, they may crawl for the longest journeys imaginable to find a safe place where they can be well ‘rooted!! (I think of Who our root is.) They will go on and on to a place where they can spin their silk (faith and trust), which will then hold and attach them strongly to the chosen spot. We are amazed when they can, pretty much, go anywhere, but they have something else in mind. Because there is so much struggling that they must go through in their last shedding, it is crucial where they go to. When they find the spot, the final shedding takes place, this time, what dissolves is what is within them. This miracle takes place while somehow these chemicals inside them transform what was of the old, slowly, and again they shake and struggle to shrug off whatever is within (the “davar”). Then they starts transforming into the beautiful butterfly. 

As an observer (many, many, many times) I am wishing and praying their silk (our faith) will hold them to their ‘root’.  It does not always hold them, and as I watch in awe and even trepidation, hoping it will be successful, this glorious beautiful green, with golden dots, begins to softly cover them from the bottom up, entirely. (This reminds me of being cocooned/hidden in Messiah.) As the new covering rises, the old skin is pushed to the top, where the silk is and as the old and last skin finally reaches the silk, the shaking and struggling becomes even more violent, as it tries to shake off the last remnant of the old skin.  If the shedding of the old skin isn’t complete, there is usually a deformed birth, the wings never fill with the new blood. And if I try to pull it off later, I risk destroying the chrysalis (cocoon). So once the final skin is off, then in another miracle, in the quiet of the new chrysalis, within two weeks it turns from this beautiful green jewel to black! Then within 24 hours the chrysalis becomes transparent revealing the new beautiful bright wings with their brilliant orange and all the markings showing through perfectly clearly. Then within another 12 to 24 hours, the new creature, the new creation, the Monarch butterfly drops out, bottom first, and with its ‘feet/hands’ still holding on for dear life to the root of the chrysalis, the silk thread. It will hang on the root for 4 to 6 hours, pumping its new blood into its wings, in order to strengthen them enough to fly. Once again, during this process, if anyone interferes and/or tries to help the butterfly out, as it struggles, it will kill the butterfly. (A warning to the teachers in the body of Messiah.)

Once the butterfly is out and is enjoying flying around it will now have an interesting and amazing journey.  In that same single Monarch life cycle is an additional story... (Please note carefully) that there are 3 to 6 generations of this one Monarch that completes a one year annual cycle, flying from the Northern ranges in the US and southern ranges of Canada, 3,000 miles down to Mexico (and now Florida) and back. All in one year of a single Monarch. (Thinking about Abraham, who was promised a thousand generations and yet he was one single father.) Of these generations only one generation is able to fly the whole long fall trip from the northern home range to the southern home range in the spring. This generation in the northern range is often referred to as the super generation. So the super generation that leaves Canada in the fall to fly south nearly 3,000 miles, is the only generation to live a long life of 6 to 9 months. They have to live long enough to make the journey all the way to the same trees that their ancestors left in Mexico, stay the whole winter, mate in the spring, and start north.

So how does the generation in Canada suddenly live so long, compared to the few weeks of the generations flying north in the spring?

In Canada that generation goes through a process called diapause, which suspends their development, to include turning off their sexual organs, so that their energy can go into storing fat reserves for the long journey south. One of the many miracles, unsolved of course by science, is that these butterflies, the super generation,  leaving Canada have never before flown south 3,000 miles,  yet they know exactly where to go ‘home' and to which tree!

The super generation remains over the winter in Mexico. They are alerted that it is time to fly north, by the LIGHT, when it gets longer, and by the warmth of the sun.  So that same Super Monarch that left Canada months before, stays on a tree in Mexico for the winter, goes out of diapause when the light and temp change, mates and then starts the journey north. They lay their eggs as soon as they get south (Florida or Texas). When they get to the land route going north they die shortly after laying their eggs. . The eggs from those now dead super generation Monarchs, is where the ensuing caterpillars and ensuing butterflies come from. They only live 2 to 4 weeks. Each generation from that super generation Monarch that left Canada, keeps looking for milkweed along the same route of their forefathers, mate, lay eggs and die. They do this all the way to their northern ranges where their great-great-great grandparents (the super generation) left! 

As a side note...All Monarchs in either direction, must always fly to their HOST plant, the milkweed, in order to survive! They cannot under any circumstances survive without their host. Could that be the Holy Spirit? Imagine that :) Also they are protected by the host plant :) Could that be the Torah? Because the milkweed is toxic, it protects the monarchs from predators, birds, lizards, who try to eat them. As our milkweeds get torn up (the HOST) the Monarchs die. It is the only route they know, so if there is no food, they do not have it in them to look for a new route that may have other hosts. Hence, the endangered Monarch. (Maybe this is why there is only a remnant that make it home?).

Once the 4th or 5th generations arrive in Canada, they lay there the last eggs and those caterpillars and the ensuing super generation Monarch goes into diapause, starting to store their fat and nectar to gain enough energy to make the long dangerous 3,000 mile flight south to the exact same trees from where their great great grandparents before them left their HOME.  

How much more does this hold true for the hundreds of generations of the Abrahamic sperm that conceived Abraham and Sarah’s promised son Isaac, the seed that would not only inherit the covenanted land, but the whole world?! (See Psalm 37 and Romans 4:13-16).

Hebrew Insights into Parashat Va’ye’chi – B’resheet (Genesis): 47:28– 50:26

  

Last week we noted that much of what is recounted in our weekly Parashot (plural for “Parasha”) bears a direct relationship to present-day situations and circumstances, and even to our own lives. Parashat Va’ye'chi, which centers around Ya'acov's prophetic benedictions over his sons and grandsons, is a good example of this, as these ‘benedictions’ are much more than mere ‘well-wishing’ or ‘hopes’ directed at the Patriarch’s progeny. The words pronounced by Ya’acov constitute the Word of YHVH embossed upon the destiny and life of His people. The last verse of last week’s Parashat Va’yigash (47:27), and also two more references in the current one (49:28,29), point out that the vision for a nation, the People of Yisrael, has already been cast. “And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the country of Goshen; and they had possessions therein, and grew, and multiplied exceedingly", is the first of these. Notice, “Yisrael… and they”. The relatively small band of Ya’acov’s family is already named by their collective title of “Yisrael”. Later, once the patriarch ends his pronouncements over his sons, we read: “All these are the twelve tribes of Israel”, much before these individuals had actually transformed into tribal groups. Finally, when Ya’acov charges his sons regarding his burial, he uses the term, “gathered to my people” – “el ami” – to my nation. 

 

The Parasha opens with the words, "And Jacob lived (va'ye’chi) in the land of Egypt seventeen years… when the time for Israel to die drew near, he called his son Joseph" (47:18 emphasis added). Back in Parashat Va’yeshev, we noted that the "record of the generations of Jacob" was linked directly to "Joseph [who] when seventeen years of age was pasturing with his brothers… [and] Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons…" (37:2,3). These seemingly casual statements, tying Ya'acov's "record of generations" to Yoseph's life, as well as the reference to his attitude toward this son, are seen in a different light at the close of that particular cycle. But from our present vantage point, those statements appear to describe the cause that resulted in the present Parasha's events. The symmetry of two lots of "seventeen years", the first ones of Yoseph's life, and the last of Ya'acov's, along with the usage of the name "Yisrael" in both instances serve to enhance this impression of cause and effect, and of the cycle completed. In fact, the current situation constitutes only the first part of the "effect", with the rest (such as the lot that is about to 'befall' the people of Yisrael in Egypt) still to follow for many generations to come.

 

The second part of verse 29 (Ch. 47), where Yaacov addresses his son, bidding him: "put your hand under my thigh…", takes us all the way back to Avraham and his servant, who was charged by his master in the same manner (ref. Gen. 24:2). The strength and power of life, represented by the thigh, is to be expressed through the hand of another – the one who promises to be faithful and loyal to his oath. Here it is Yoseph who promises his father to bury him with his ancestors, in the Land of Yisrael. 

 

Ya'acov's heart is thus set at rest, while in the next episode, sick and nearing death, he starts to confer his blessings. Yoseph, who is summoned to his bed, brings with him his two sons who end up being the first ones to receive the blessing. Hence the sequel of blessings of the sons of Yisrael starts out with his grandsons, Ephraim, the youngest, and then Menashe. Yeshua's familiar words concerning “the last being first” and vice versa (ref. Mt. 20:16), are certainly relevant in this instance! However, Ya'acov does not start blessing Yoseph's sons before he recounts, albeit in a somewhat modified version, what El Shaddai said to him in Luz - Beit El: “... Be fruitful and multiply; a nation and a company of nations shall proceed from you, and kings shall come from your body.  The land which I gave Abraham and Isaac I give to you; and to your descendants after you I give this land" (35:11-12 italics added). The words that Ya’acov is about to utter now are based on that auspicious word of long ago. When blessing the boys, he includes the "fruitfulness" and the "numerousness", of the roots p.r.h - fruit - and r.b.h - much, great, plenty, respectively.  "A nation - goy - and a company – kahal - of nations – goyim", in the original blessing, become now "company - kahal again - of people” – “amim” (48:4a). We shall soon see how these two terms, "goy" and "am", are dispensed between the two grandsons. "Kings shall come forth from you" in the original is omitted entirely, and rightly so, because Yoseph's sons were not to be the recipients of the kingly portion. 

The final part of the original blessing had to do with the Land. In the episode at hand, Ya'acov qualifies the original word “land” with the words "an everlasting possession” – “achuzat olam" (v. 4b). Achuza (“possession”), is from the root a.ch.z (alef, chet, zayin), meaning “to grasp, take hold, possess”. Being in exile, Ya'acov chooses words that would be powerfully imprinted upon the minds of his listeners (especially since, in 47:11 and 27, the same root of possession is used, albeit sadly, about his sons' lives in Egypt). 

Without repose, he adopts his two grandsons (ref. 48:5) to ensure that the promises just given will be fulfilled through their successive generations. He then goes on to say to Yoseph, "but your offspring that have been born after them shall be yours" (48: 6). "Offspring" here is "moledet", of the root y.l.d  (yod, lamed, dalet) “to give birth” or “beget”.  Hence,  "moledet" is used mostly in the sense of “biological family". This was the term employed when Avraham was told to leave his "family" (Gen. 12:1). In B’resheet 31:13, the angel of Elohim ordered Ya'acov to go back to the “land of his moledet". The citing of "moledet" may be one more reminder, given the circumstances, of what is doubtlessly an important issue with which he wishes to inculcate his posterity (that is, regarding their family origins and homeland).

 

It was after Ya’acov had been given the blessings and promises in Beit El-Luz that Rachel gave birth to Binyamin, in Ephrata, on the road to Beit Lechem. This was the place where she also died. Although engaged in matters of great import, pertaining to the future of the Nation, Ya’acov is clearly compelled to pause and allow the whole sad episode to engulf him all over again. And thus, he makes mention of it. Incidentally, the literal meaning of "Ephratah" is "toward Ephrat". "Ephrat" shares the root of “fruitfulness” with “Ephraim”. According to Ya'acov's words  (in 48:7 and Micha 5:2), Ephrat and Beit Lechem are synonymous.

 

All during this time, while Ya'acov is going through the adoption process of Yoseph's two sons, he is not aware of their presence in the room (being extremely nearsighted). But once he realizes that the two are there, Yisrael says to Yoseph, "I never expected to see your face, and behold, Elohim has let me see your seed as well" (48:11 italics added). "Expected" here is "pilalti". The root is p.l.l (pey, lamed, lamed), with its primal meaning to “intervene, interpose, or arbitrate”, and by implication, “to judge”, giving rise to "hitpalel" which is “to pray” and to "tfila" – “prayer” (e.g. 1 Sam. 1:10, 12, 26, 27; 2:1). The usage of it here, as "expect", is the only one of its kind in the entire Tanach. Ya'acov had so completely given up any hope of seeing his son that, according to his own admission, he did not (dare to) intercede or pray on his behalf, since his only 'judgement' on the matter was that Yoseph had departed this life.

 

Ya'acov blesses the lads while crossing his arms over them (48:14). The verb used there – “sikel” - originates from the widely used root s.ch.l (sin, chaf, lamed) which means “to understand, succeed, instruction”, thus pointing to the far-reaching implications that this action was to have in the future (Ya'acov having the foresight to do what he was doing). The essence of the blessing is put in a few words, "…may my name ("shem") and the name of my fathers… be named in them" (v. 16). Yaa'cov/Yisrael is conferring upon his ‘adopted sons’ the blessings and promises given to Avraham, Yitzchak, and to himself, which in this context are tantamount to the "name" he wishes to bestow upon them. The blessings, therefore, constitute an all-powerful 'stamp', a "name" imprinted, as it were, upon the lads and upon their posterity (cf. Numbers 6:27). The Patriarch goes on to pronounce the following: "And may they grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth" (48:16). The original wording for "grow into a multitude"- va'yidgu"- is a verb which appears nowhere else and means, "they will become fish", referring to this creature's rate of breeding. The usage of this unusual verb is designed to call attention to the blessing, and to this specific detail. When Yoseph expresses disapproval of his father's birth order ‘confusion’, the latter explains his action, telling his bewildered son that Menashe will be a "people" ("am"), echoing the terminology he used above; but that Ephraim, now making use of "goy", another of his above-mentioned terms, will become "the fullness of the gentiles" – or "m'lo ha'goyim" in Hebrew (ref. 48:17-19 italics added).

 

The Brit Chadasha (New or Renewed Covenant) interprets for us the meaning of "becoming fish", far beyond a mere numerical property. "Now as Yeshua was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers… casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And He said to them, 'follow me, and I will make you fishers of men'" (Mat. 4:19). Ephraim and Menashe’s descendants had to become ‘fish’, so that when the fishermen would be ready to cast their 'gospel nets' there would be a catch out there (see also Jer. 16:16a). When enough fish fill up the quota (according to the number determined by their Creator, ref. also Deut. 32:8) - in other words, when they become "the fullness of the Gentiles" - then "all Israel will be saved" (Rom. 11:25).

 

The "one portion (over his brothers)", which Ya'acov grants Yoseph at the end of this scene (48: 22), is signified by the word "shechem", meaning a “shoulder”, the specific reference being to the two ‘shoulders’ (mountains) on each side of the city by that name (i.e. Sh’chem). Thus, Ephraim's lot includes the 'shoulder' in the form of Grizim, the Mount of the Blessing, and Menahse's, the other 'shoulder,' Eival, the Mount of Curse.

 

It is now time for Ya'acov's twelve sons to receive a word from their father, or as put by Ya'acov, that which "will befall you in the latter days" (49:1). This is the first time the expression "latter – end of - days" - "a'charit ha'yamim" - appears in the Bible. If compared to the usage of the same term in Isaiah 2:2, it may relate to a time in which Yisrael's calling as a Nation of Elohim's choosing will be fulfilled. [1] Let us pause to examine the root of “a’charit”, being a.ch.r (alef, chet, resh), from which are derived, “after, last, tomorrow, other, another”, and also… “achar”, “acharey” or “achoranit” - meaning “behind” or “backwords”. Thus, when reference is made to “acharit” (the “end”) there is also a “remez” (hint) to that which was “behind”, that which had already occurred “beforehand”, indicating a circulatory movement that links the past to the future – “worlds without end” (see also Yisha’ya’hu – Isaiah – 46:9, 10). (We noticed a similar concept In Parashat Lech Lecha – Beresheet 12-17 in 13:14, regarding the root k.d.m – east, antiquity and forward - that which is “ahead” being related to that which was.)  Just as “kedem” also stands for “east”, there are several references to “acharon” (literally “last”) meaning “west” (the “last” – “acharon” – sea is the western sea in Yisrael that is the Mediterranean, as compared to the eastern sea – the Dead Sea). In Eeyov (Job) 18:20 we read: “Those in the west – “achronim” last - are astonished at his day, as those in the east – “kadmonim” earliest ones - are frightened”.  

 

Thus acharit ha’yamim” – end of days – conveys movement from the east toward the west (remember “acharon” also means “west”), just as was the direction of entering the tabernacle/temple all the way to the holy of holies, which was situated in its westernmost section. This directional movement is confirmed by Matthew 24:27: "For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes to the west, so also will the coming of the Son of Man be” (italics added).

 

Before we continue to discuss some of the specific blessings, let us return to the opening verse, where we read “…that which shall befall you… (49:1). “Befall”, or “happen”, being the literal Hebrew word, is normally spelt yod, kof, resh, and hey, but here it ends with an alef, rendering it “read”  or “call out”, rather than “happen”. Could this seeming mistake, or typo, point to a future when these words, recorded for posterity, will be read and proclaimed and/or will take place according to the read text?

 

The words given to the second and third sons (Shimon and Levi), predicting their dispersion among their brethren, have amazingly come to pass (ref. 49:7).  Following on the heels of that is the word given to Yehuda (Judah), which starts off with a word play on the meaning of his name, different from the original meaning given to him by his mother (ref. Gen. 29:35). The root of the word and its meanings are not clear-cut. It appears to be yadah (of the root y.d.h., yod, dalet, hey), and is probably related to the word "yad" - “hand”, and thus means “to cast (such as in casting a stone or a lot), as well as to “confess or to praise”, again being connected to the imagery of raised hands.  “Your brothers shall praise you - yo'du'cha" - (v. 8), seems therefore to flow into the next expression, which is "your hand - yad'cha - shall be on the neck of your enemies" (who in the future will turn out many times to be the descendants of his own brothers!). And again, Yehuda's brothers, according to Ya'acov's prediction, are also destined to "bow down" before him”. Yes, this son is destined for the "scepter" (“shevet”), but also for the judicial position, as we see by "me'chokek" (v. 10), from “chok” – “law or decree”, the root being ch.k.k. (chet, kof, kof), stemming from a verb which means “to carve” (ref. Is. 22:16) and “engrave”, and by implication to “enact laws” and thus to “dispense justice”.

 

But the predictions concerning Yehuda’s destiny do not stop here! The above promises are to hold true "until Shilo comes, and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples" (49:10). The term Shilo has been interpreted in a variety of ways; the most likely one is "to whom it belongs". Who truly is that one, and what is it that belongs to him? Ezekiel 21:27 helps us clarify what appears here as a mystery.[2]  There we find the expression "until He comes to whom belongs ("asher lo") judgment [or justice]".  If we were to read "shilo" as "sheh'lo", it would convey the same meaning as "asher lo" in the above, namely "to whom it belongs". In both cases that which ‘belongs’ to this one is related to judgment and justice, and of course, according to our present text also the position of leadership (see also Jeremiah 30:21a). Already in verse 9, even before the Shilo-sheh’lo citation, the imagery of the lion’s whelp, the young lion and the (mature) lion evokes the expression “the Lion of the Tribe of Judah” (ref. Revelation 5:5). The next part of the blessing (49:11, 12) contains metaphors of the “donkey” and the “donkey’s colt”, both mentioned in Zechariah’s 9:9 Messianic prophecy, later to come to its fulfillment by Yeshua (ref. Matt. 21:1ff; Mark 11:1ff; Luke 19:28-35; John 12:14). Not only is the donkey mentioned but also the “vine”. Here is where Yeshua’s declaration “I am the vine…” comes to mind (ref. John 15:5). The repeated imagery of wine may be compared to Isaiah 63:1-3, where there are several references to wine, to its color, and to the winepress. Moreover, the connection of wine to blood also takes us, of course, to Yeshua’s analogy (ref. Matthew 26:27-29, etc.), and to the terrifying judgment scene of Revelation 19:12-15, where his eyes are also mentioned, and described as being “like flames of fire”. In verse 12 of our text, the Hebrew for the color of the eyes (“kach’lili”) is “red” (“redder than wine”), clarifying this analogy. Thus, Yehuda’s destined future is strongly interwoven with his Messiah. 

 

The word given to Dan references the meaning of his name, which is "judge" (49:16). When it comes to Gad, Ya’acov changes the meaning of his name. Whereas his mother related the name to "luck" (Gen. 30:11), here Ya'acov relates it to “raiding bands”, the verb being, g.d.d (gimel, dalet, dalet), the original meaning of which is “cutting and making inroads”. [3] It is said of Gad that “a troop shall raid him", but that (literally) “he shall raid their heel” (49:19 italics added). And of his half-brother, Dan, it says that he will “bite the horse’s heel so that his rider falls backwards” (v. 17 italics added). Thus, the sons of Yaacov, the one who held the 'heel' at birth and who 'followed' at birth (both connected to the root a.k.v and hence to his name and to heel) are, or will be, displaying the same ‘a.k.v.’ trait.

 

Fruitfulness is alluded to in Yoseph's blessing, as he is twice named here "ben porat", literally "son of fruitfulness" (49: 22). The word to Yoseph is replete with blessings of plenty, fruitfulness, might, prowess, and honor; but also refers to the hatred which was and will be directed toward him. Yoseph is to be a "nah'zir" (v. 26) to his brothers (translated as “separated from, or distinguished among his brothers”). A "nah'zir" is one especially consecrated and dedicated to YHVH. This title can refer to anyone with a special calling, such as Shimshon (Samson, Jud. 13:5), or to a person who takes upon himself a Nazarite vow (Num. 6:21). The noun of the same root is “neh’zer”, and means a “crown” and in that way is also connected to the priesthood (see Ex. 29:6 regarding the priest’s “miter of holiness”). Interestingly, “nah’zir” is mentioned here in the same breath as the “top of Joseph’s head” (49:26), which literally makes Yoseph the “crown” of his brothers.

 

If the word to Yehuda points so clearly to the Messiah, some of what is being said to Yoseph, and of him, may also be interpreted as referring to a greater figure. It is no wonder then that in Jewish tradition, alongside the victorious Messiah ben David (from Yehuda's house), there is also a Messiah ben Yoseph, who is in the image of the 'literal' Yoseph and according to his prophetic blessing will be hated and will experience agony (49:23), yet is also powerful (v. 24), fruitful, and distinguished.  

 

After Ya'acov's death, his sons expressed fear lest their brother Yoseph would take the opportunity to avenge himself on them. They therefore approach him with a statement, which their father had supposedly made before he died, asking Yoseph to forgive them. Not only is there no record of such a statement, but there is also no record of Ya'acov ever finding out what his sons had committed. Upon hearing these words and the sentiment behind them, "Joseph wept" (ref. 50:17), recalling to mind Yeshua's reaction to the lack of faith and trust displayed by His closest friends (ref. John 11:35).

 

With Parashat Va'ye’chi ("and he lived"), the entire book of B’resheet comes to a close. "Va’ye'chi," "and he lived", symbolizes Elohim’s sovereign intentions concerning the fulfillment of His covenant with Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya'acov. Thus, not only do they live on in their seed, but in the next phase of their existence, they also become numerous, multiplying in the land of their sojourning.

 

Notes:

1 Moses on the Witness Stand, Shlomo Ostrovski, Keren Ahava  Meshichit, Jerusalem, 1976, 1999.

2 Ibid

3 The New Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon,

Francis Brown Hendrickson. Publishers, Peabody, Mass. 1979. 

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