Hearing Someone Else’s Blessing

As a prelude to delivering blessings to his sons before he passed away, Yaakov says,

הִקָּבְצוּ וְשִׁמְעוּ בְּנֵי יַעֲקֹב

Gather together and listen, sons of Yaakov.[1]

Commenting on these words, the Midrash states:

מלמד שהזהיר אותם על המחלוקת.

This teaches us that he exhorted them to avoid strife among themselves.[2]

Where in Yaakov’s words do we see an exhortation regarding avoiding machlokes? Of course, the word “הקבצו” itself has a connotation of togetherness. However, as Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky explains, there is more.

In the verses that follow, Yaakov delivers a blessing to each of his sons. The question is, why was it necessary for them all to gather together when each of them received his own blessing? Would it not have been acceptable for each of the sons to receive his blessing privately?

The answer is that since each one was to receive a different blessing, it was necessary for all of them to be there in order to hear all of the blessings!

The blessing given to each son expressed his distinctive talents and characteristics and the unique way in which he was to serve Hashem. Not only was it important for each son to hear about his own path; it was also crucial for him to hear about the paths the other sons were to take, in order to impress upon him that his way was not “the only way.” If there is another path or paths sanctioned and encouraged by Yaakov, they are legitimate, even though they differ from one’s own path. In this way, Yaakov sought to put to rest potential feelings of exclusivity between the sons in terms of their various paths and thus avoid potential machlokes.[3]

Indeed, the Sages tell us that Yaakov actually wanted to use that occasion to reveal to his sons the End of Days, i.e., the date of the final redemption.[4] This is expressed in his opening words in that chapter:

הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם אֵת אֲשֶׁר יִקְרָא אֶתְכֶם בְּאַחֲרִית הַיָּמִים

Assemble and I will tell you what will befall you at the End of Days.[5]

However, the time was not right for divulging such information. As such, it was withheld from Yaakov, and he proceeded instead to bless his sons. On the face of it, it seems as if Yaakov had to completely “change topic” and abandon any thought of preparing his sons for the final redemption. However, in light of our discussion, we can understand why this was not a complete shift in topic. In the absence of the ability to tell his sons when the future redemption would occur, Yaakov instead focused on telling them how to hasten its arrival! If the longest of the exiles is a product of sinas chinam, the way to leave it begins by “hearing someone else’s blessing” as given to them by Yaakov.

[1] Bereishis 49:2.

[2] Bereishis Rabbah 98:2.

[3] Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetsky, Emes l’Yaakov to Bereishis 49:1.

[4] Pesachim 56a, quoted in Rashi to Bereishis ibid.

[5] Bereishis ibid.