Pareshat VeZot HaBrakha

Turns out it is a little harder to learn in the sukkah amidst snacks and games than in the beit midrash, so this week will be on the short and simple side.

One thing that has always bothered me about this week's paresha is the absence of Shim'on. Surely, the Jewish people are not complete without every tribe, every sort of Jew. 

The Abarbanel notes that Moshe's brakha differs from Ya'akov's in its focus on the land. Ya'akov addresses each of his sons according to their characters, and the way in which that will affect their places in the nation. Moshe addresses the tribes according to their portions in the inheritance, which impacts their role in a different way. Ya'akov deems two of his sons, in their character, unworthy of such a portion, cursing them that they should be divided and dispersed. Those sons are Shim'on and Levi. And yet, despite sharing equally in Ya'akov's condemnation, Levi merits praise and blessing from Moshe. So really, the question is reversed; not, "Why is Shim'on excluded?", but "Why is Levi included?". Note that a significant portion of Levi's blessing consists of praise for the behavior of the Levites during the journey through the wilderness. The only other tribe whose actions are similarly mentioned is Gad, in an enigmatic verse extolling the tribe for being first to claim their portion, a decision that Moshe was far from thrilled by initially. The mepharshim explain that that verse was not so much a blessing as a personal expression of gratitude, for without that act, whether or not it was praiseworthy in itself, Moshe could not have died and been buried in the land. By their request to settle on the east bank, they extended the land to include Moshe's grave. So, Levi's accolades remain unique. I think that they can be read not as praises so much as conditions, or explanations. Levi's portion is to be Hashem, and their support the tithes, but not because they are denied a share of land, Devarim 10:8-9 notwithstanding. They were not to receive land in any case. They receive a portion because they acted properly when the people were tested. Shim'on, by contrast, are most noted through the time in the wilderness for being the main sinners in the matter of ba'al peor.

This brings out an interesting tension that plays out in many ways through Tanakh. To what degree are we shaped by our ancestors, and to what extent free to make our own decisions? We see that through righteousness Levi is able to transcend the limitations of their curse and transform it into blessing. We have the freedom to set our own courses. However, there is no blank slate. Shim'on and Levi are both, ultimately, scattered and divided through the nation. Shim'on may have sinned in the wilderness, but so did many others who were not subject to the same punishment, because their starting points were not the same. The actions of their forefathers echo down through the generations, affecting every generation to come. Interesting to muse on as a ba'al teshuva.

Mo'adim leSimḥa!

Shabbat Shalom uMevorakh!