“About Benjamin he said: “Let the beloved of the Lord rest secure in him, for he shields him all day long, and the one the Lord loves rests between his shoulders.” -Deuteronomy 33:12 The next tribe up on the list of Moses’ blessings is Benjamin. The tribe of Benjamin would serve as a buffer state […]

“Of his father and mother he said, ‘I don’t know them’; he didn’t acknowledge his brothers or children. For he observed your word, and he kept your covenant.” -Deuteronomy 33:9 The last time we met we were dealing with Moses’ blessing upon the priestly tribe of Levi. I contrasted Deuteronomy 33:9 where Hashem praises the […]

“Let your tumim and urim be with your pious one, whom you tested at Massah, with whom you struggled at M’rivah Spring. Of his father and mother he said, ‘I don’t know them’; he didn’t acknowledge his brothers or children. For he observed your word, and he kept your covenant.” -Deuteronomy 33:8-9 Next up in […]

“Of Y’hudah he said: ‘Hear, Adonai, the cry of Y’hudah! Bring him in to his people, let his own hands defend him; but you, help him against his enemies.’” -Deuteronomy 33:7 Following Reuben, the next blessing up is Judah. However, let’s pause here for a second to address a question that may or may not […]

In my last post, I discussed how over the course of Israel’s history the Tribe of Reuben died out due to Reuben sleeping with his father’s concubine Bilah. However, a tribe dying out over time was actually quite a normal thing in those days. Just as throughout the ages nations have always emerged, thrived and […]