Zohar Lessons

Contract With Destiny

BS”D

Orthodox students of Torah (Bible) know that G-d entered the sea to a conditional contract in preparation for its creation on the third day. Against nature, the sea would be obligated to divide when at a future time the Israelite people would desire to cross it. According to Torah and Jewish tradition, the sea honored its contract with Destiny during the Israelites’ hurried exodus from Egypt. 

Moses led Israel out of their exile through the divided sea, but he was denied entry into their promised land because on one occasion he showed disregard to G-d’s Destiny. Torah refers to this incident as the “waters of dispute” so-named when Moses hit a rock, twice, perhaps the wrong rock, instead he should have spoken to it, then destiny would have been realized and the rock would have released its water. But,  G-d’s attention was turned to the different outcome, as a result Moses pleaded 515 times to amend the contract written in Torah and permit him to enter the land. It wasn’t to be.

430 years prior to these events, before the Torah was revealed to the Jewish people, Abraham entered a covenant of parts during which he was told that his future descendants would be exiled after which they would be qualified to inherit their promised land. A question was raised about Abraham’s descendants that also included the nations that descended from Esau and Ishmael: Why didn’t they inherit Abraham’s land? Because they had departed from their tribal obligation to Abraham’s covenant of parts, they abandoned the land and disconnected from the progeny of Isaac and Jacob (Israel). On Israel's circuitous, redemptive return from exile some of these other Abrahamic descendent nations contested Israel’s inheritance, battled the tired and weary nation, but they were defeated with ease. 

Of all the Biblical characters, why is Joseph the only one referred to as righteous? The reason becomes obvious through his dramatic life, yet Joseph never messed with destiny. Despite losing his mother as a young boy, being kidnapped, sold by his brothers and framed by his master’s wife, after her unsuccessful attempt to seduce him, he positively endured his imprisonment. Knowing events of his life were predestined he retained his happy demeanor, delighting in every moment. Out of his imprisonment he rose to the administrative head of the most powerful nation, second only to Pharaoh, lured his Israelite family to Egypt, played his central role in their destiny and eventual return to the promised land.

G-d’s Torah contract with Destiny reflects a perfect line, which one should be careful not to disrupt because the consequences to restore Destiny's perfection may be ominous. No doubt that happens continuously and sometimes destiny is even changed for the better. However, righteous individuals who are finely tuned to Torah’s laws and their ties to Destiny, wisely limit interruptions. In this sense Torah’s rules for Divine synchronicity is our timeless blueprint! 

The United Kingdom of Israel

There are two instances in the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible when 'toldot' is spelled perfectly. The first relates creation as a preparation for the souls that follow into the world. The second declares the purpose of the first; a soul, of the generations of Peretz from whom King David, the Messianic root descended through Ruth.

R'Shmuel, ben Nachman said: "The brothers were busy selling Joseph; Reuben was busy with his sackcloth and fasting; Jacob was busy with his sackcloth and fasting; Judah was busy taking a wife for himself; and God was busy creating the light of the King Messiah. 'And it came to pass at that time and Judah went down...' before the first slave is born, before the final redeemer is born."

After Jacob's daughter Dinah was raped he delayed telling his sons until they returned from the fields. They were outraged by the defilement, but also their father's delay. They hated the baby and wanted to kill it. Jacob took her to the priests of Midian where he placed an amulet around her neck, left her in a 'SNeh' (bush) and sent a message to the high priest to care for her. She was named AeSNath, sourced from 'SNeh' and SiNai (hatred).

When she reached the age her mother was violated, Midianite priests took her to grandmother Dinah at the ancestral home of Jacob's wives. Shortly before they arrived in Haran they traded her to Ishmaelites and instead they joined their caravan, heading south to Egypt. Along their way Joseph's brothers kidnapped and sold him to the Midianites. Thus the caravan of the hated carried Joseph and his niece, Aesnath to Egypt.

 
The special, but unusual Ishmaelite cargo, normally tars is hinted at, נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט : Spice, Gum and Balm. One commentator relates the word for Spice to a 'treasure house'. Even stranger, in the midst of Joseph and Aesnath's arrival and final trade into the home of Egypt's leading priest, the convoluted story of Judah conceiving with Tamar and the birth of Peretz was juxtaposed before returning to Joseph's storyline.

The juxtaposition exposed the moment ascendency for the perfected toldot soul converged. Torah specifically placed these marriage stories so we can see God's hand at work, you would be blind not to perceive it. Through these marriages the house of Rachel (Joseph) was united with the house of Leah (through daughter Dinah-Aesnath) and the messianic light firmly rooted for Messianic redemption.

Confronted by drought Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to buy supplies. They did not recognize Joseph, there they eventually presented the Viceroy of Egypt (Joseph) with Jacob's gift and bowed to him. At that moment Joseph realized his prophetic dream, of wheat sheaves bowing to the center sheaf had been fulfilled, he saw the divine providence. But, the gift from Jacob surprised him because it contained three of the same "unusual" elements צֳרִי֙ וּמְעַ֣ט דְּבַ֔שׁ נְכֹ֣את וָלֹ֔ט בָּטְנִ֖ים וּשְׁקֵדִֽים: that accompanied him on his caravan to Egypt. A hint from his prophetic father that 30 years earlier, his regional diplomacy played its part to ensure Aesnath accompanied Joseph on his exile in Egypt?

If Jacob prophetically knew Joseph was alive, why did he mourn the 22 years of Joseph's absence? Because, his son's denied selling Joseph and Joseph who was free to communicate chose not to reach out, for 22 years. In Egypt Judah assumed responsibility for Benjamin who 22 years earlier was too young to be implicated, so Judah had to bind him to the oath the brothers had entered never to reveal their darkest secret, about the sale of Joseph to their father. Joseph admitting his own shortcoming cried on Benjamin's neck, he too was now bound with Israel (Jacob), united in their collective silence.

Pillars of the Jewish Generations

 

Click to enlarge

Why does the Torah literally state; "And the life of Sarah was 100 years and 20 years and 7 years"?(Bereishit - Genesis 23:1). It's a strange way to recount the terminal age of the matriarch. But, something more intriguing ocurs at this juncture, the foundation of the Jewish nation. Two woman bound together by the life of Isaac; son, husband and patriarch who never left the land of his inherritance. 

At the outset of the verse, the first word וַיִּהְיוּ֙ (Va'-Yi-h-Yu) is a palindrome with a numerical value of 37 that captures the age of Isaac at Sarah's death, which is said to have ocurred when Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice. The word also joins previous details on which Rashi comments; "the entire genealogy was recorded only to tell that Rebecca was born to Betuel".

Comentators highlight the rarity of the recorded deaths of women. Only Sarah, Devorah (Rebecca's wet nurse), Rachel and ~500 years later Miriam. Rebecca's passing is not mentioned at all and years mentioned only for Sarah, perhaps to emphasize her importance and Rebecca's humility.

Two events shaped the destiny of the Jewish people thanks to the conviction of matriarchs Sarah and Rebecca. Sarah banished Hagar and Ishmael from her family, causing the inherritance of Abraham's first born to pass to Isaac instead. And, 120 years later Rebecca insisted Jacob decieve Isaac to obtain the blessing normally held for their first born son Esau. 

Finally, immediately after Devorah passed and was burried, Rebecca passed and Rachel gave birth to Benjamin, the only child of Jacob to be born in Israel before she passed during childbirth. The passage of souls into the world had been completed and the destiny of the Jewish generation set until the end of days.

Birthday of Man

5782 years have passed since Torah's events of creation. The New Year is an introspect, a birthday celebration of speaking man who preceded the Bible and Jewish religion by 2448 years. The deep, mystical language inspires scholars and confounds wayward philosophers. 

Hidden in Torah's rich-grammar, something from nothing! Its Author moved toward His supra-rational 'Will' to create; soul's, time, space, worlds and speaking man. Similarly, mans desire and intellect would be powerful enough to perceive independence and obtain free choice. 

Here we glimpse the Ultimate Creator restraining the infinite and enabling the finite to accommodate uninhibited self-perception. And, beyond any logic, His desire for self-subjugation to restore perception of the soul's will.   

You are free to decide...

Happy New Year! 

 

 

The Righteous Who Are Buried on Friday

45 fallen victims of Meron

A king who was crowned in the middle of history sacrificed his popularity to correct a universal spiritual flaw. The king knew why he was set the task, what he had done to expose the flaw and why he was coerced into the corrective action. He knew his action would would plunge him into trouble and despair. He was alone in his knowledge when he acted.

Above all the king desired to build a permanent temple for his people and the world to elevate spiritual awareness. Through his people all would be unified in prosperity and prevailing peace. The challenges against him came from his closest family, his advisors and leaders of his people. Most were vehemently opposed to the action he was taking, most thought him to be borderline crazy, but he persevered.  

As he was beginning to bare the brunt of his corrective action, alone and desperate, perhaps to restore his popularity he called on his once loyal general to personally conduct a census of his nation. Reluctantly the general carried out the kings orders, but in half measure underwhelming the kings authority before the people. Spiritual retribution against the king was swift and he was forced to make the impossible choice of a suitable national punishment, he preferred to endure a three day plague. On the first day 70,000 of his people were killed. By the second day the plague had reached the kings city, people were petrified.

The king's spiritual advisor recommended he urgently buy the plot of land, at the top of the hill on which his palace was built to construct an altar at which the king could publicly repent. The king immediately invited the tribal leaders of his panicked nation to join him in the purchase and to support his public pleading for cessation of the nations tragedy. They swiftly contributed, the plague was stopped, but in exchange for its premature cessation the general's pious brother lost his life. 

Despite the kings effort and desire he did not merit to build the temple, but out of the corrective action attempting to rectify the universal flaw a son was born. This son became king and around that altar he built the temple his father so desperately desired. However, completing the corrective action still awaits a king who, in his lifetime will build a temple that ushers in the era of permanent prosperity and peace in the world. 

In a world still in the grip of the global Coronavirus pandemic, early Friday morning a community gathered to circumcise a baby and welcome him as a Jew from the priestly tribe who are exclusively designated to serve in the future temple. On the other side of the world, at that same time, where the plague once killed 70,000 a tragedy was unfolding. Around midnight on Thursday/Friday at a pilgrimage festival, celebrated annually for a Jewish soul who was the world's ultimate embodiment of humility and whose teachings are now a national treasure, festivity quickly turned to mourning when 45 souls instantly perished and many more were injured.

The day is known as humility of humility, one of 49 days accounting and accessing individual attributes between Passover and receiving the Old Testament - Torah. For a pure idea to manifest perfectly into reality (true to the idea) it must pass the inner and outer humility test, failing which it will be polluted and sensed as such.

Thirteen years have now passed since the calculated end of history as the world awaits an individual that can endure plague, convert tragedy into opportunity, be recognized, lead his people, advance spiritual understanding, build a temple, and deliver peace and prosperity in the world. We pray it happens soon! 

 

 

430 years before Pesach there was Pesach!

Two sacrifices are represented on the Seder Plate - Pesach (bone) and Chagigah (egg)

For the past ~3300 years Pesach or Passover has arrived when the 14th of Nissan transitions to the 15th and Jewish families of the world gathered for their Seder dinner to celebrate and acknowledge the moment the enslaved Jews of Egypt were finally freed. But, why and how have so many revered Rabbi's taught that 430 years before that fateful Pesach night the generations that descended from Abraham, Sarah, then Isaac, Rebecca and Jacob had already followed similar practices eating unleavened bread and sacrificing domesticated sheep or goats for the feast?

On the Seder night, the poor-man's bread, known as the Afikomen is broken, one piece is eaten the larger piece is put aside. Then a long held custom, for some play's out during the course of the meal when the children carefully await the right moment to 'steal' and hide the remaining Afikomen. The kids know the Seder meal cannot be completed because the Afikomen is the last item that must be eaten before recitations and the blessing over the fourth cup of wine, which marks the conclusion of the meal. When it comes time to eat the remaining Afikomen the inevitable negotiation begins and continues until the kids concur that a suitable exchange has been reached and the Afikomen returned. 

The strange custom reflects on ancient events that preceded the unleavened bread taken out of Egypt.

Abraham was the first to experience the prophecy of a future exile from the land he had inherited, this occurred 430 years prior to the Egyptian exile of his progeny. One sunny 14th of Nissan day 3 angels arrived to tell Abraham and Sarah of the future birth of their son Isaac. Elderly Sarah was busy making unleavened bread and Abraham ran off to slaughter cattle for the feast with his heavenly guests. They announced a year later Isaac would be born and that occurred on 15 Nissan.

   

Isaac was blind and at 122 years, five years before his mothers age at her death he called to his oldest son Esau to trap some game (two deer) and prepare it so Isaac could bless him with the rites of the first born over the feast. Isaac's wife Rebecca seized the moment for their younger son Jacob insisting he disguise as his brother Esau and deliver his father a meal of goat and lamb, that Rebecca would prepare to obtain the blessing in place of his older brother. Perhaps Rebecca anticipated an enraged Esau would force Jacob's flight to safety in exile, to the land of their estranged family where Jacob would ultimately be married, build his own family and 20 years later return to the land his father never left. 

When Esau discovered his blessings had been 'stolen' he pleaded; "Bless me too father!" Isaac answered; “Your brother came with cunning-wisdom - בְּמִרְמָ֑ה (b'mir'mah) and took away your blessing". The deception by Rebecca and Jacob is thus recalled in the custom for kids to express cunning-wisdom over the Afikomen. But, what's the underlying logic of the custom? The numerical value of b'mir'mah, 287 is the same as Afikomen connecting the custom over stolen, poor-man's, unleavened bread with the deception of Esau and the entrapment of Isaac. This is confirmed because Rebecca told Isaac to send Jacob away from the Hittites, amongst whom they lived to find a wife at their estranged family where, in exile Jacob would be out of sight of his enraged brother. 

The word 'Seder' [S-D-R] is associated with [S]od (secret), [D]rosh (inquiry) and [R]emes (hints) which allude to the deeper, often hidden associations in Jewish customs that parallel its written Torah. Here we see a further association with Pesach. On his birthday, Isaac ordered two animals, but why would Isaac need two animals, the man was blind and nearing the end of his days surely he couldn't eat that much? When the tabernacle or temples once stood the custom on Pesach was to bring two animal sacrifices known as Korban Pesach and Korban Chagigah (the extra sacrifice). The latter because the Torah expressly requires the bones of the Pesach sacrifice not be broken. The roasted animal had to eaten with delicate care to keep the carcass in tact. A feast with Esau - the hunter, a man with violent tendencies seems to have required another animal sacrifice to ensure the Pesach sacrifice would be cherished.

Finally, at the Pesach Seder four cups of wine are consumed, each representing a stage of the exile said to have lasted 86 years with the last being the harshest. 86 years x 5 stages = 430 years of exile, the period about which Abraham prophesied. The fifth cup of wine poured at each Seder table is poured and returned to the bottle for the soul of the prophet Eliyahu who, is said will appear to announce the final redemption when all Jews will be united in Jerusalem. The Seder concludes, even for Jews living in Jerusalem with the saying - "Next Year in Jerusalem"!

Bells and Pomegranates

 

A second temple golden bell, shaped like a pomegranate was discovered beneath the ancient road, in a drainage channel on the route between the upper Temple Mount and the lower Gihon Spring. It may indicate the object was one of seventy two alternating pomegranates that adorned the hem of the High Priest's garment worn on special days that he would serve in the temple. If it was one of the adornments to the High Priests garment, it could have significant implications for the way we learn out various meanings of words in the original holy language of the Torah.  

The grammatists varying opinions struggle to definitively interpret the details in the following phrases. However, this discovery may finally put to rest any differences and establish an important precedent for the use of grammar in other phrases of the Torah that deploy similar grammatic structure.  For the benefit of those who do not understand Hebrew, words that mean bell are highlighted in in gold and pomegranate in blue.

Exodus 28:33-35

וְעָשִׂ֣יתָ עַל־שׁוּלָ֗יו רִמֹּנֵי֙ תְּכֵ֤לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן֙ וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֔י עַל־שׁוּלָ֖יו סָבִ֑יב וּפַעֲמֹנֵ֥י זָהָ֛ב בְּתוֹכָ֖ם סָבִֽיב׃

On its hem make pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, all around the hem, with bells of gold between them all around:

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן זָהָב֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן פַּֽעֲמֹ֥ן זָהָ֖ב וְרִמּ֑וֹן עַל־שׁוּלֵ֥י הַמְּעִ֖יל סָבִֽיב׃

a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe.

וְהָיָ֥ה עַֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לְשָׁרֵ֑ת וְנִשְׁמַ֣ע ק֠וֹלוֹ בְּבֹא֨וֹ אֶל־הַקֹּ֜דֶשׁ לִפְנֵ֧י יְהוָ֛ה וּבְצֵאת֖וֹ וְלֹ֥א יָמֽוּת׃ (ס)

Aaron shall wear it while officiating, so that the sound of it is heard when he comes into the sanctuary before the LORD and when he goes out—that he may not die.

Exodus 39:24-26

וַֽיַּעֲשׂוּ֙ עַל־שׁוּלֵ֣י הַמְּעִ֔יל רִמּוֹנֵ֕י תְּכֵ֥לֶת וְאַרְגָּמָ֖ן וְתוֹלַ֣עַת שָׁנִ֑י מָשְׁזָֽר׃

On the hem of the robe they made pomegranates of blue, purple, and crimson yarns, twisted.

וַיַּעֲשׂ֥וּ פַעֲמֹנֵ֖י זָהָ֣ב טָה֑וֹר וַיִּתְּנ֨וּ אֶת־הַפַּֽעֲמֹנִ֜ים בְּת֣וֹךְ הָרִמֹּנִ֗ים עַל־שׁוּלֵ֤י הַמְּעִיל֙ סָבִ֔יב בְּת֖וֹךְ הָרִמֹּנִֽים׃

They also made bells of pure gold, and attached the bells between the pomegranates, all around the hem of the robe, between the pomegranates:

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן וְרִמֹּן֙ פַּעֲמֹ֣ן וְרִמֹּ֔ן עַל־שׁוּלֵ֥י הַמְּעִ֖יל סָבִ֑יב לְשָׁרֵ֕ת כַּאֲשֶׁ֛ר צִוָּ֥ה יְהוָ֖ה אֶת־מֹשֶֽׁה׃ (ס)

a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, all around the hem of the robe for officiating in—as the LORD had commanded Moses.

Torah grammar has no redundancy, it's highly precise and must preferentially be interpreted as having particular meaning. Therefore, given the hindsight of discovery the presumption that it would be easy to say a golden pomegranate, as a bell alternating with a woven pomegranate, around the hem of the garment seems logical. However at the time, before the garment was made (Exodus 28) accurate description was crucial, but how will we retrospectively read the written instruction, with efficiency against this discovery?

Exodus 28:33

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן זָהָב֙ וְרִמּ֔וֹן פַּֽעֲמֹ֥ן זָהָ֖ב וְרִמּ֑וֹן - a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate.

By learning the Hebrew meaning and more precisely arranging the English interpretation, its possible the grammar could be saying (the design describes a) "gold bell and pomegranate" repeating to emphasize "gold bell and pomegranate". The first time for the bell and the second for the pomegranate that each become one object. The grammar may be duplicated here to emphasize the requirement in the ~3300 year old unconventional innovation for the golden pomegranate bell.  

Exodus 39:26

פַּעֲמֹ֤ן וְרִמֹּן֙ פַּעֲמֹ֣ן וְרִמֹּ֔ן

However, when we learn about the implementation of the innovative design, we are simply told "bell  and pomegranate, bell and pomegranate" where the Torah expects the design instruction of the golden pomegranate bell followed by a woven pomegranate, in an orderly fashion around the hem of the High Priests garment to be fully and efficiently expressed in the abridged grammar. 

If the repetition of words emphasizes the nuance in the unifying idea of a golden pomegranate bell, where else should we look at repetitions that teach what we may not have fully considered until this golden pomegranate bell provided the retrospect to re-learn what we thought we already knew? 

 

Who was Asenath?

Dinah the wife of Lavan was the mother of Leah and Rachel, both of whom married Jacob. Lavan motivated a deception of Jacob to first marry Leah although Jacob always considered Rachel his first wife, his first choice. Leah's daughter was said to have been swapped from Rachel who instead bore Joseph, her first son, Leah named her daughter Dinah, presumably after her mother. 

At 8 years old, Jacob's daughter Dinah was raped by Shechem and she conceived. The teenage sons of Jacob wanted to kill the baby to cover their shame, but Jacob objected, instead he placed the baby in a 'sneh', written as סנה - a 'bush' in Midian. The region of Midian was named after the son of Abraham, it roughly stretched from modern Medina (Saudi Arabia) along the Gulf of Arabia to Eilat (Israel).  

The baby was raised by priests in Midian and at age 9 it was transferred, most likely by Midianites on a caravan traveling along the trade route north, then west at Gilead, toward Shechem, the Mediterranean coast and south to Egypt. On their journey the Midianites encountered an Ishmaelite caravan also travelling west through Gilead to the coast and Egypt, they began trading while they travelled to their ultimate destination. 

Joseph was disliked by his brothers. At age 17, near Shechem they threw him into a pit (Genesis 37:25). They concocted an idea to sell him to the approaching Ishmaelite caravan coming from Gilead (Genesis 37:28). Unusually the Ishmaelites were carrying sweet smelling balms when they would normally carry tanning hides and tar. The Midianite caravan arrived at the pit before the Ishmaelite caravan to whom the brothers intended the sale, they removed Joseph from the pit and abducted him.

In the middle of the Joseph story Torah interrupts with a seemingly unrelated story about Joseph's brother Yehuda's (Judah) one-time relationship with the daughter-in-law of his deceased son. Tamar, who was the daughter of a high-priest, disguised as a prostitute expressed her right over Yehuda to procreate from the blood line of her deceased husband. This led to the birth of Peretz from whom the Messianic House of David lineage arose (Genesis 38:1).

Then, just as suddenly Torah returns to the continuation of Joseph's story. The Midianites traded with the Ishmaelites several times on the way to Egypt, ultimately they delivered Joseph to the house of Egypt's designated high priest and chief slaughterer Potiphar.  

Joseph was 30 when Pharaoh made him Viceroy over Egypt and blessed him to marry Asenath, the adopted daughter of Potiphar. Joseph had recognized Aesnath as being Hebrew by the amulet around her neck. Asenath - אסנת, is written using the same two letter source as 'sneh' and 'Sinai'. Jacob named her when he placed an amulet around her neck and left her in the 'sneh' on Mount 'Sinai' for the priestly caste of Midian to care for her. 

Many commentators declare Asenath the daughter of Dinah from the rape by Shechem. One Yemenite source adds that the unusual balm's carried by the Ishmaelites was a hint to Asenath being on the same transport with Joseph to the House of Potiphar, the high priest in Egypt. Considering Torah's juxtaposition of Judah-Tamar and the prospect that Joseph-Asenath were on the same caravan motivates deeper enquiry for such blatant interjection and suggestion. 

Although Judah was Jacob's fourth son to Leah, he rose above the rights of his older brothers to obtain the status of Leah's firstborn. Joseph was firstborn to Jacobs chosen wife Rachel. Jacob's progeny would eventually give rise to the Messianic lineage through penultimate Joseph and ultimate Judah. This is a central tenant of Judaism, the lens through which many of the interpersonal relationships recorded in the Torah can be better understood. 

Providence ensured Asenath would be on the caravan with Joseph to Egypt, to the same home and their marriage some thirteen years later. This was the first intermarriage between Leah and Rachel's bloodlines and Torah's interjection of Judah-Tamar confirms the subtle messianic allusion to Aesenath daughter of Dinah, granddaughter of Jacob. 

The tumultuous journey of Dinah's soul, its intermingling with Shechem, elevation through Asenath and eventual ascension with Joseph in Egypt preceded the messianic moment of Judah and Tamar that gave rise to Peretz, Boaz (Ruth), Yishai and David who was crowned King and from whom future kings descend. 

The word 'toledot' refers to generations, it is used dozens of times in the 24 books of the Hebrew Bible. However, it is spelled perfectly in only two places; once in the first verses of Genesis (2:4) in reference to the creation of the souls of heaven and earth and once in the book of Ruth, naming the descendants of Peretz.

Torahs' finely woven words preserves the record of its deep seated interest in the messianic root for all who care to learn of its complete wisdom.

 

   

Jacob Knows!

The story of Yehuda and Tamar is a very strange juxtaposition to the kidnap and sale of Joseph. Many reasons are given, but I'd like to add more.

Joseph was 17 when he was sold, by his brothers to the Ishmaelites who traded with Midianites on their caravan journey to the house of Potiphar in Egypt. 

Genesis 37:25

(25) Then they (the brothers) sat down to a meal. Looking up, they saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead, their camels bearing gum, balm, and ladanum to be taken to Egypt.

כה) וַיֵּשְׁבוּ֮ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה׃

Commentators raise the oddity of the Ishmaelite load, which would normally have been tars, not the fine balm's mentioned. A Yemenite midrashic source backs up my view that Torah is hinting at something very special.

The Ishmaelite caravan was trading with a Midianite caravan, traveling through Gilead as they separately journeyed to Egypt. The gum, balm and ladanum (נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט - sweet smelling balm's) were a hint that Joseph's niece Aesnath (אסנת) who, 9 years earlier Jacob had placed in a 'sneh' (סנה), a bush in Midyan (perhaps Mount Sinai - סיניה) was traveling on the same caravan. Sneh is in fact the source of her name. Ultimately Joseph and Aesnath were traded into the House of Potiphar in Egypt.

However, the story of their journey is interjected and juxtaposed to the story about the death of Yehuda's two sons that led him to a relationship with is daughter in law, Tamar who birthed Peretz. Then oddly, immediately after the interjection, Torah returns to Joseph (of Rachel) who at 30 years was blessed by Pharaoh to marry Aesnath (from Dinah-Leah). This was the first time the bloodline of Jacob's two wives intermarried. 

Mystical Judaism introduces the idea that the Messianic son of Joseph will precede the Messianic son of Yehuda (David). That seems to be borne out of and supported by Joseph and Aesnath, on the same Caravan being interjected by and adjacent to Yehuda and Tamar (read the link for more about the Messianic soul).  

Later in the story, Joseph encountered his brothers and demanded they fetch the youngest brother  Binyamin from their father Jacob and bring him to Egypt. Reluctantly Jacob conceded, but he commanded his sons to return baring gifts of the land.

Genesis 43:11

(11) Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, do this: take some of the choice products of the land in your baggage, and carry them down as a gift for the man—some balm and some honey, gum, ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.

יא) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר אֲלֵהֶ֜ם יִשְׂרָאֵ֣ל אֲבִיהֶ֗ם אִם־כֵּ֣ן ׀ אֵפוֹא֮ זֹ֣את עֲשׂוּ֒ קְח֞וּ מִזִּמְרַ֤ת הָאָ֙רֶץ֙ בִּכְלֵיכֶ֔ם וְהוֹרִ֥ידוּ לָאִ֖ישׁ מִנְחָ֑ה מְעַ֤ט צֳרִי֙ וּמְעַ֣ט דְּבַ֔שׁ נְכֹ֣את וָלֹ֔ט בָּטְנִ֖ים וּשְׁקֵדִֽים׃

Three of the six gifts connect to the land, Honey (from dates), Pistachio and Almonds, but the remaining three are identical to and directly relate to the fine balm load carried by the Ishmaelites. Was Jacob hinting at something by sending these three specific gifts to Joseph? By Jacob connecting his gift to Aesnath he was hinting that he knew of her dispatch on the Midianite caravan to Egypt. 

The lofty, mystical pieces of this deeply spiritual world begin to be seen by us mortals. Jacob dispatched Aesnath and sent Joseph to find his brothers, the angel of Dothan delivered him into their hands. Torah juxtaposed the important event of Yehuda and Tamar. Jacob ultimately sent all his sons to Egypt and later the family of Israel immigrated. On Jacob's death bed, he anxiously wanted to tell them of the messianic roots he had set, but in unison his sons settled him saying "Hear O' Israel (as in Jacob) the Lord is God, the Lord is One" to which he responded "Blessed be the name of the glory of His Kingdom for ever and ever" then he left this world.