Tribes

Ya`akov's blessing
Beresheet 49

Moshe's blessing
Devarim 33

The calling of the tribes

Ya`akov called to his sons, and said. Gather yourselves together, that I may tell you that which will happen to you in the days to come. Assemble yourselves, and hear, you sons of Ya`akov. Listen to Yisra'el, your father.

This is the blessing, with which Moshe the man of God blessed Benai Yisra'el before his death. He said,

came from Sinai, Rose from Se`ir to them; He shined forth from Mount Paran, He came from the ten thousands of holy ones: At his right and was a fiery Torah for them. Yes, he loves the people; All his holy ones are in your hand: They sat down at your feet; Everyone shall receive of your words. Moshe commanded us a Torah, An inheritance for the assembly of Ya`akov.

Re'uven,

Gen 35:22; 1 Chr 5:1

You are my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength; The pre-eminence of dignity, and the preeminence of power. Boiling over as water, you shall not have the preeminence; Because you went up to your father's bed; Then defiled it. He went up to my couch.

Let Re'uven live, and not die; Nor let his men be few.

Shim`on and Levi are brothers; Gen 34:26; Num 18:24; Josh 19:1,9; 1 Chr 4:24 -2

Weapons of violence are their swords. My soul, don't come into their council; My glory, don't be united to their assembly; For in their anger they killed a man, In their self-will they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce; And their wrath, for it was cruel. I will divide them in Ya`akov, scatter them in Yisra'el.

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Levi

Your Tummim and your Urim are with your godly one, Whom you did prove at Massah. With whom you did strive at the waters of Merivah;.Who said of his father, and of his mother, I have not seen him. Neither did he acknowledge his brothers, Nor knew he his own children: For they have observed your word, Keep your covenant. They shall teach Ya`akov your ordinances, Yisra'el your ToRaH: They shall put incense before you, Whole burnt offering on your altar.

Yehudah vv. 8 - 10; Rev 5:5 ; 1 Chr 5:2; Num 24:17

your brothers will praise you: Your hand will be on the neck of your enemies; Your father's sons will bow down before you. Yehudah is a lion's cub. From the prey, my son, you have gone up. He stooped down, he crouched as a lion, As a lioness. Who will rouse him up?

The scepter will not depart from Yehudah, Nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, Until he comes to whom it belongs. To him will the obedience of the peoples be.

Binding his foal to the vine, His donkey's colt to the choice vine; He has washed his garments in wine, His robes in the blood of grapes: His eyes will be red with wine, His teeth white with milk.

This is the blessing of Yehudah: and he said, Hear, , the voice of Yehudah, Bring him in to his people. With his hands he contended for himself; You shall be a help against his adversaries.

Zevulun

Gen 10:19; Josh 11:8

Zevulun will dwell at the haven of the sea. He will be for a haven of ships. His border will be on Tzidon.

Of Zevulun he said, Rejoice, Zevulun, in your going out; Yissakhar, in your tents. They shall call the peoples to the mountain; There shall they offer sacrifices of righteousness: For they shall suck the abundance of the seas, The hidden treasures of the sand.

Yissakhar

1 Chr 12:32

Yissakhar is a strong donkey. Lying down between the saddlebags. He saw a resting-place, that it was good, The land, that it was pleasant; He bows his shoulder to the burden, And becomes a servant doing forced labor

Dan Gen 30:6

Dan ןד- will judge his people, As one of the tribes of Yisra'el. Dan will be a serpent in the way, An adder in the path, That bites the horse's heels, So that his rider falls backward. I have waited for your yeshuah (ישׁוּעה) ,

Of Dan he said, Dan is a lion's cub, That leaps forth from BaSHaN

Gad Gen 30:11

Gad, a troop will press on him; But he will press on their heel.

Of Gad he said, Blessed be he who enlarges Gad: He dwells as a lioness, Tears the arm, yes, the crown of the head. He provided the first part for himself, For there was the Torahgiver's portion reserved; He came with the heads of the people; He executed the righteousness of  His ordinances with Yisra'el.

Asher Josh 19:24 -31; vv. 24 - 31; Jud 1:31 - 32

Out of Asher his bread will be fat. He will yield royal dainties.

Of Asher he said, Blessed be Asher with children; Let him be acceptable to his brothers, Let him dip his foot in oil. Your bars shall be iron and brass; As your days, so shall your strength be. There is none like YHWH, Yeshurun. Who rides on the heavens for your help, In his excellency on the skies. The eternal YaH is your dwelling place. Underneath are the everlasting arms. He thrust out the enemy from before you, Said, Destroy. Yisra'el dwells in safety, The fountain of Ya`akov alone. In a land of grain and new wine; Yes, his heavens drop down dew. Happy are you, Yisra'el. Who is like you, a people saved by the Adonay. The shield of your help. The sword of your excellency! Your enemies shall submit themselves to you; You shall tread on their high places.

Naftali

"Naftali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words and spreads the "GOOD NEWS". .

Of Naftali he said, Naftali, satisfied with favor, Full with the blessing of , Possess you the west and the south.

Yosef Ps 132:2,5; Gen 50:17

Yosef is a fruitful vine, A fruitful vine by a spring; His branches run over the wall. The archers have sorely grieved him, Shot at him, and persecute him.

But his bow abode in strength. The arms of his hands were made strong. By the hands of the Mighty One of Ya`akov,

From there is the shepherd, the stone of Isra'el),

Even by the YaH of your father, who will help you, By EL SHaDai, who will bless you, With blessings of heaven above. Blessings of the deep that lies Below.Blessings of the breasts, and of the iMbI (Womb). The blessings of your father. Have prevailed above the blessings of the ancient mountains,

Above the bounty of the age-old hills. They will be on the head of Yosef, On the crown of the head of him who is deparated from his brothers.

Of Yosef he said, Blessed of be his land,

For the precious things of the heavens, for the dew, For the deep that couches beneath, For the Precious things of the fruits of the sun, For the precious things of the growth of the moons, For the chief things of the ancient mountains, For the precious things of the everlasting hills, For the precious things of the earth and the fullness of it, The good will of him who lived in the bush.

Let the blessing come on the head of Yosef, On the crown of the head of him who was separate from his brothers. The firstborn of his herd, majesty is his; His horns are the horns of the wild-ox:

With them he shall push the peoples all of them, even the ends of the earth:They are the ten thousands of Efrayim, They are the thousands of Menashsheh.

Binyamin

Binyamin is a ravenous wolf. In the morning he will devour the prey. At evening he will divide the spoil."

Of Binyamin he said, The beloved of the YaH shall dwell in safety by him; He covers him all the day long, He dwells between his shoulders.