And he said, “Swear to me.” And he swore to him. And Yisrael bowed towards the head of the
bed. (Beresheit 47:31)
Yaakov realizes that he is approaching
death. He summons his son, Yosef, and
asks him to assure him that he will return him to the Land of Israel for
burial. Yosef agrees. Yaakov asks Yosef to vow that he will
fulfill this request and Yosef complies.
Yaakov then bows. There are
various explanations of Yaakov’s bowing.
Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra outlines the basic interpretations. One possible interpretation is that Yaakov
bowed to Hashem. The other possible
interpretation is that Yaakov bowed to his son, Yosef.[1]
Rabbaynu Ovadia Sforno adopts the
explanation that Yaakov bowed to Hashem.
He elaborates on the reason for Yaakov’s action. The bow was an act of giving thanks to
Hashem. Yaakov realized Yosef’s
influence would be required for the removal of his body from Egypt for burial
in the Land of Israel. Yosef had
achieved authority and influence to fulfill his father’s wish through Hashem’s
providence. Through bowing to Hashem,
Yaakov expressed his appreciation for His guidance over Yosef’s life. This was appropriate. Yaakov was now benefiting from this
providence.[2]
The second interpretation of Yaakov’s bow
is more difficult to understand. Why
would Yaakov bow to his son Yosef? He
was asking Yosef to perform a kindness.
However, this was an appropriate request for a father to make of his
son. In fact, respect for his father
obligated Yosef to comply with his father’s wishes. Why would Yaakov thank Yosef for performing his duty as his
son?
Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra answers this
question through reinterpreting the intention of Yaakov’s bow. He explains that Yaakov was not thanking his
son. Instead, he was demonstrating
respect. Yosef was the ruler of
Egypt. Yaakov felt obligated to
demonstrate his respect for Yosef’s position of authority.[3]
Gershonides offers another explanation
for Yaakov bowing to Yosef. He maintains
that Yaakov was thanking Yosef. Why
would Yaakov thank Yosef for performing his duty towards his father? Gershonides posits that there is a basic
ethical lesson taught through Yaakov’s action.
Generally, we feel that we need not show appreciation to those who
assist or benefit us in the course of executing their own
responsibilities. We reason that the
person has not acted on our behalves.
He or she is simply fulfilling a duty.
Gershonides explains that Yaakov’s behavior demonstrates that our reasoning
is incorrect. We are obligated to
appreciate any kindness done for us.
Even if the person performing the kindness is compelled to act on our
behalf, we are not relieved of the obligation to express our appreciation. Therefore, Yaakov was ethically bound to
demonstrate his appreciation to Yosef.
True, Yosef was only agreeing to fulfill an obligation of a son to his
father, nonetheless, the kindness required acknowledgement.[4]
The lesson that Gershonides identifies as
expressed by Yaakov’s behavior is fundamental to our relationship with
Hashem. The kindness that Hashem
performs on our behalves is an expression of His nature. We cannot ascribe to Him any of the human
motives that typically earn our appreciation and thanks. If we do not accept Yaakov’s lesson that
every act of kindness – regardless of motivation – requires our
acknowledgement, then we will also dismiss our obligation to acknowledge
Hashem’s kindness.
Prayer as Self-Judgment
And Yisrael said to Yosef: I did not
judge it possible to see your face. And
behold the Lord has shown me your children also. (Beresheit 48:11)
Yosef brings his children to his father,
Yaakov. He hopes that Yaakov will bless
them. Yaakov tells Yosef that he had
given up hope of seeing him again, but to his surprise, they have been reunited
and he has also had the opportunity to know Yosef’s children. Yaakov expressed himself with an unusual
term. He said, “To see your face I did
not pelalti.” The above
translation is based upon the commentary of Rashbam.[5] This translation indicates that Yaakov had
not been completely certain that Yosef had been killed, but he had judged
that it was unlikely that he would ever see Yosef.
The Hebrew term for the process of prayer
is hitpalel. Rav Aryeh Lev Gorden
Zt”l in his introduction to the Sidur – the prayer book – explains that
this term has two interesting characteristics.
First, the conjugation has a special meaning. It denotes an action performed upon oneself. In other words, the act of praying involves
performing an act upon oneself. Second,
the term hitpalel is a form of the same term used by Yaakov – pelalti. This means that in some way, prayer is
similar to the process of judging.
Considering these two characteristics of
the term hitpalel, Rav Gorden offers a novel insight into the nature of
prayer. In order to understand his
interpretation of prayer, we must first consider the process of judging. This will allow us to identify its
similarity to prayer.
What is the activity of a judge? A judge is confronted with competing
claims. The judge must carefully
consider all of the facts. He sorts
through the information and seeks the truth.
This was Yaakov’s intent in our pasuk. He had sorted though all of the information available regarding
Yosef’s fate. As a result of this
analysis, he concluded that it was unlikely that Yosef was alive. In short, the process of judging requires
the application of the judge’s intellect to a confused body of
information. The judge’s objective is
to introduce order to the collection of information and thereby uncover the
truth.
Rav Gorden explains that some mistakenly
assume that prayer is a spontaneous outpouring. They regard it as an expression of feelings and not as an
intellectual activity. Rav Gorden
argues that this is a misunderstanding of prayer. He explains that prayer is not spontaneous. It involves an intensive thought
process. He observes that normally
various concerns compete for our attention. Family, work, personal finances,
community issues, and other problems demand our attention. Like the process of judging, prayer requires
sorting and ordering of information or all of the issues and concerns that
compete for our attention. In prayer,
we recognize the many blessings we have received. We petition Hashem for assistance in dealing with our greatest
needs. This requires that we sort
through our various concerns and prioritize, and that through this process, we
reaffirm the importance of our relationship with our Creator.
Consider the central prayer of the prayer
service – the Amidah. It begins
with praise of Hashem. It then
continues with a set of petitions.
These are ordered in a fashion that reflects a prioritization of our
needs. We end the prayer by thanking
Hashem for His many gifts. The Amidah
is an excellent example of the process of sorting and organizing our various
concerns.
The term, hitpalel, perfectly
describes the process of prayer. Prayer
is a process of applying the act of judging.
This process is applied to our own mental world. In summary, it is a process of judgment
performed upon ourselves – our needs and priorities.[6]
The scepter will not be removed from
Yehudah or the scribe’s pen from his descendants until the final tranquility. And to him will nations submit. (Beresheit 49:10)
Yaakov approaches death. He calls his sons to come before him. He shares with them his vision of their
future. In this pasuk, Yaakov
addresses Yehudah. He tells him that he
is destined to be the leader of his people.
Shevet Yehudah – the tribe of Yehudah – will provide the rulers
of Bnai Yisrael through the “final tranquility”. This phrase is understood to refer to the Messianic age. The Messiah will be a descendent of Yehudah.
Nachmanides explains that the Hashmonaim
sinned in assuming kingship. Despite
their piety, they were severely punished for this action. The Jerusalem Talmud in Tractate Horiyot
contains a dispute regarding their sin.
Rebbi Yehudah Anturya explains that the Hashmonaim violated this pasuk,
which awards kingship to Shevet Yehudah. Rebbi Chiya Bar Abba disagrees.
He maintains that the assumption of kingship violated a different pasuk. This pasuk states: There shall not be
to the Kohanim and Leveyim – the entire tribe of Leyve – a
territory or portion within the nation of Israel. The sacrifices of G-d and His inheritance they shall eat. (Devarim 18:1) [7]
Nachmanides explains that these
authorities have different perspectives on the sin of the Hashmonaim. The difference of opinion is reflected in
the pasuk each chooses to support his position. According to Rebbi Yehudah Anturya, Yaakov’s
final message to Yehudah included a prohibition against any other tribe
assuming the role of kingship. In times
of necessity, some other tribe may temporarily adopt a leadership
position. However, such leaders are
prohibited from claiming the title of king.
Rebbi Chiya Bar Abba did not understand
Yaakov’s words to include an absolute prohibition applicable even in desperate
times. Instead, Yaakov intended to
assure Yehudah that the kingship of Israel would not permanently pass to
another tribe. At times, there may be
kings from other tribes but ultimately, rulership will always return to Shevet
Yehudah. However, the Hashmonaim
were Kohanim – Priests.
Priesthood is a special position of holiness. The Kohanim and Leveyim must always demonstrate
appreciation of their sacred role. They
may not seek or accept kingship. They
must serve as priests and remain totally devoted to the service of Hashem. According to Rebbi Chiya Bar Abba, this is
the prohibition that the Hashmonaim violated.[8]
[1] Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, 47:31.
[2] Rabbaynu
Ovadia Sforno, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, 47:31.
[3] Rabbaynu Avraham ibn Ezra, Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, 47:31.
[4] Rabbaynu Levi ben Gershon (Ralbag/Gershonides), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit, (Mosad HaRav Kook, 1994), p 254.
[5] Rabbaynu
Shemuel ben Meir (Rashbam) Commentary on Sefer Beresheit 48:11.
[6] Rav Aryeh Lev Gorden, Siddur Avodus HaLev, Introduction, part 1.
[7] Talmud Yerushalmi, Mesechet Horiyot 3:2.
[8] Rabbaynu
Moshe ben Nachman (Ramban/Nachmanides), Commentary on Sefer Beresheit
39:10.