Shabbat Mikeytz

As we come to the end of the book of Bereshit, Yaakov, on his deathbed, gathers his sons around. He analyses their different characteristics and predicts something of their fate.

Despite being the firstborn, Ruben was not his father’s successor. Yaakov refers to his lack of strength and unpredictability. And gives him no credit for the fact that he tried to prevent the other brothers from killing Yosef. Brothers Shimon and Levy also face criticism over the destruction of Shechem after the rape of Dinah. Yaakov concludes that together, those two tribes are dangerous and need to be separated. Their aggressive zealousness is channelled and split between the military Shimon and the priestly Levy

But two sons are selected for special treatment. When it comes to Yehudah, he is described as a strong lion, aggressive and powerful, with the capacity to rule. But there is also a hint that his rule will in the end be taken away from him. The puzzling phrase that his authority will end at Shilo is understood by some to hint at a messianic era. Others see it as a reference to the temporary homes of the Tabernacle in the years before the temple was built.

Yosef is showered with compliments (not surprising since, at the time, he was by far and away the most significant of the tribes). And uniquely encompassed the two tribes of his sons Efraim and Menashe.

He is described as a man who overcame hatred and setbacks to become the great shepherd of Israel. He is the symbol of success. To this day, when people (mainly Sephardi) want to bless another person or a member of their family, they use the formula Ben Porat Yosef to suggest one will be as fruitful and overcome disadvantages (as well as the evil eye for those who take it seriously).

The fact that these blessings or predictions are put in the mouth of Yaakov raises a great deal of disagreement as to whether these words are references to the future roles of Yehudah and Yosef in the history of the Israelites. Initially the Children of Israel was how they were known when they came out of Egypt. And it continued this way until after the reign of Solomon, when the country was divided into two. The southern Kingdom of Yehudah and the ten northern tribes referred to as Yosef.

The northern Kingdom of Israel was from the start idolatrous and fell around 720 BCE to the Assyrians. The Assyrian policy was to remove local inhabitants and scatter them around the empire to make sure that they would never reconstitute themselves. It is often suggested that these 10 northern tribes disappeared, and they are often known as the 10 lost tribes. Meanwhile, the Kingdom of Judah carried on until the Babylonians exiled it in 586 BCE. Instead of being scattered, most of the captured were allowed to reconstitute themselves in exile in the urban centres. They re-established the Judean community and reinforced its Biblical culture.

Under the Persians, the returning Judeans faced competition. The Samaritans claimed that they were the heirs to the northern Kingdom of Israel and they took their name from Samaria the capital of the north. And separated themselves when the Judeans returned. But the Ten Lost Tribes did not disappear completely. Many of the remnants of the northern tribes migrated to join their brothers in the South in Babylon and then Persia when the concept of the Messiah took on new meaning as a king.

The exiles dreamt of returning and re-establishing the monarchy as well as the Temple. In that sense, the concept of the Messiah was a practical one. Messiah, the son of David, reflected the dream of re-establishing the Davidic line of monarchy, and because re-establishing this rule required anointing with oil, the term Messiah simply meant that this new king would be appointed and anointed. Only later did it become a mystical concept.

And there was another Messiah, the Messiah, the son of Joseph. This seems to indicate that within Babylon at the time, there were two groups within the general population of Jews, who, because of the dominance of Judea, were known as Judeans and then Jews, but had in fact absorbed descendants of Yosef.

By the time we get to the Talmudic era, both messiahs are given a place. The Messiah of David and the Messiah of Yosef. The rabbis are divided. Some liked to suggest that the Messiah of Yosef would come first to clear away the bad guys. And then the Messiah of David would arrive to establish a spiritual Kingdom as well as a physical one.

Only after the disasters of the Exiles did the concept emerge of an almost supernatural era in which all human frailties would be removed, and people would live together in peace without war. This was the dream of the prophet Isaiah. And perhaps that was what Yaakov was hinting at.

Rabbi Jeremy Rosen lives in New York. He was born in Manchester. His writings are concerned with religion, culture, history and current affairs – anything he finds interesting or relevant. They are designed to entertain and to stimulate. Disagreement is always welcome.