Vayechi - Hear O Jacob

(א) וַיִּקְרָ֥א יַעֲקֹ֖ב אֶל־בָּנָ֑יו וַיֹּ֗אמֶר הֵאָֽסְפוּ֙ וְאַגִּ֣ידָה לָכֶ֔ם אֵ֛ת אֲשֶׁר־יִקְרָ֥א אֶתְכֶ֖ם בְּאַחֲרִ֥ית הַיָּמִֽים׃

Genesis 49:1

(1) And Jacob called his sons and said, “Come together that I may tell you what is to befall you in the end of days.

בראשית מ״ט:ב׳-ד׳

(ב) הִקָּבְצ֥וּ וְשִׁמְע֖וּ בְּנֵ֣י יַעֲקֹ֑ב וְשִׁמְע֖וּ אֶל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֥ל אֲבִיכֶֽם׃ (ג) רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה כֹּחִ֖י וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית אוֹנִ֑י יֶ֥תֶר שְׂאֵ֖ת וְיֶ֥תֶר עָֽז׃ (ד) פַּ֤חַז כַּמַּ֙יִם֙ אַל־תּוֹתַ֔ר כִּ֥י עָלִ֖יתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵ֣י אָבִ֑יךָ אָ֥ז חִלַּ֖לְתָּ יְצוּעִ֥י עָלָֽה׃ (פ)

Genesis 49:2-4

(2) Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob; Hearken to Israel your father: (3) Reuben, you are my first-born, My might and first fruit of my vigor, Exceeding in rank And exceeding in honor. (4) Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer; For when you mounted your father’s bed, You brought disgrace—my couch he mounted!

בראשית מ״ט:ה׳-י׳

(ה) שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (ו) בְּסֹדָם֙ אַל־תָּבֹ֣א נַפְשִׁ֔י בִּקְהָלָ֖ם אַל־תֵּחַ֣ד כְּבֹדִ֑י כִּ֤י בְאַפָּם֙ הָ֣רְגוּ אִ֔ישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָ֖ם עִקְּרוּ־שֽׁוֹר׃ (ז) אָר֤וּר אַפָּם֙ כִּ֣י עָ֔ז וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם כִּ֣י קָשָׁ֑תָה אֲחַלְּקֵ֣ם בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס) (ח) יְהוּדָ֗ה אַתָּה֙ יוֹד֣וּךָ אַחֶ֔יךָ יָדְךָ֖ בְּעֹ֣רֶף אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ יִשְׁתַּחֲוּ֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֥י אָבִֽיךָ׃ (ט) גּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִטֶּ֖רֶף בְּנִ֣י עָלִ֑יתָ כָּרַ֨ע רָבַ֧ץ כְּאַרְיֵ֛ה וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֥י יְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃ (י) לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו עַ֚ד כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א שילה [שִׁיל֔וֹ] וְל֖וֹ יִקְּהַ֥ת עַמִּֽים׃

Genesis 49:5-10

(5) Simeon and Levi are a pair; Their weapons are tools of lawlessness. (6) Let not my person be included in their council, Let not my being be counted in their assembly. For when angry they slay men, And when pleased they maim oxen. (7) Cursed be their anger so fierce, And their wrath so relentless. I will divide them in Jacob, Scatter them in Israel. (8) You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise; Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes; Your father’s sons shall bow low to you. (9) Judah is a lion’s whelp; On prey, my son, have you grown. He crouches, lies down like a lion, Like the king of beasts—who dare rouse him? (10) The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet; So that tribute shall come to him And the homage of peoples be his.

רש"י על בראשית מ״ט:א׳:א׳

(א) ואגידה לכם. בִּקֵּשׁ לְגַלּוֹת אֶת הַקֵּץ וְנִסְתַּלְּקָה מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁכִינָה וְהִתְחִיל אוֹמֵר דְּבָרִים אַחֵרִים:

Rashi on Genesis 49:1:1

(1) ואגידה לכם THAT I MAY TELL YOU — He wished to reveal to them the end of Israel’s exile but the Shechinah departed from him and he began to speak of other things (Genesis Rabbah 98:2).

בראשית רבה צ״ח:ג׳

אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אֲחוּי אָמַר מִכָּאן זָכוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לִקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהָיָה יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ נִפְטַר מִן הָעוֹלָם קָרָא לִשְׁנֵים עָשָׂר בָּנָיו אָמַר לָהֶם שִׁמְעוּ אֵל יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם אֲבִיכֶם, שֶׁמָּא יֵשׁ בִּלְבַבְכֶם מַחְלֹקֶת עַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אָמְרוּ לוֹ (דברים ו, ד): שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל אָבִינוּ, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין בְּלִבְּךָ מַחְלֹקֶת עַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כָּךְ אֵין בְּלִבֵּנוּ מַחְלֹקֶת, אֶלָּא (דברים ו, ד): ה' אֱלֹקֵינוּ ה' אֶחָד, אַף הוּא פֵּרַשׁ בִּשְׂפָתָיו וְאָמַר: בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכותוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד...

Bereshit Rabbah 98:3

...Elazar ben Achui said - from here Israel merited the reading of the Shema. In the moment when our Father Jacob was dying from the world, he called his twelve sons together and said to them: "Listen to Israel! Could there be in your hearts a dispute with the Holy Blessed One?" They said to him: "Hear O Israel" our Father. Just as there is no dispute in your heart with the Holy Blessed One, so there is no dispute in our hearts, rather: "Adonai is our God, Adonai is One". Then he opened his lips and said: Blessed be the name of God's glorious Kingdom forever...

פסחים נ״ו א:ה׳

וְכוֹרְכִין אֶת שְׁמַע. הֵיכִי עָבְדִי? אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: אוֹמְרִים ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״, וְלֹא הָיוּ מַפְסִיקִין. רָבָא אָמַר: מַפְסִיקִין הָיוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים ״הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ״, דְּמַשְׁמַע: הַיּוֹם עַל לְבָבֶךָ, וְלֹא מָחָר עַל לְבָבֶךָ. תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: כֵּיצַד הָיוּ כּוֹרְכִין אֶת שְׁמַע? אוֹמְרִים ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״, וְלֹא הָיוּ מַפְסִיקִין, דִּבְרֵי רַבִּי מֵאִיר. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: מַפְסִיקִין הָיוּ, אֶלָּא שֶׁלֹּא הָיוּ אוֹמְרִים ״בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד״.

Pesachim 56a:5

We learned in the mishna that the residents of Jericho would bundle Shema. The Gemara asks: What does it mean that they bundled Shema? How did they do so? Rabbi Yehuda said that they recited: “Hear Israel: Adonai is our God, Adonai is One” (Deuteronomy 6:4), and they would not pause between words. Rava said: They would pause between words, but they would say: Today shall be on your heart, inferring: Today it will be on your heart, and tomorrow it will not be on your heart. The Sages taught in the Tosefta: How would they bundle Shema? They recited: “Hear Israel, Adonai is our God Adonai is One,” without pausing; this is the statement of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehuda says: They paused, but they would not recite: Blessed be the name of God's glorious kingdom for ever and ever.

פסחים נ״ו א:ו׳-ז׳

וַאֲנַן, מַאי טַעְמָא אָמְרִינַן לֵיהּ? כִּדְדָרֵישׁ רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. דְּאָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ: ״וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו וַיֹּאמֶר הֵאָסְפוּ וְאַגִּידָה לָכֶם״. בִּיקֵּשׁ יַעֲקֹב לְגַלּוֹת לְבָנָיו קֵץ הַיָּמִין, וְנִסְתַּלְּקָה מִמֶּנּוּ שְׁכִינָה. אָמַר: שֶׁמָּא חַס וְשָׁלוֹם יֵשׁ בְּמִטָּתִי פְּסוּל, כְּאַבְרָהָם שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל, וְאָבִי יִצְחָק שֶׁיָּצָא מִמֶּנּוּ עֵשָׂו? אָמְרוּ לוֹ בָּנָיו: ״שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל, ה׳ אֱלֹקֵינוּ ה׳ אֶחָד״. אָמְרוּ: כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֵין בְּלִבְּךָ אֶלָּא אֶחָד, כָּךְ אֵין בְּלִבֵּנוּ אֶלָּא אֶחָד. בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה פָּתַח יַעֲקֹב אָבִינוּ וְאָמַר: ״בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד״.

Pesachim 56a:6-7

What is the reason that we recite that passage: Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom for ever and ever, even though it does not appear in the Torah? The Gemara answers: We recite it in accordance with that which Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish interpreted homiletically. As Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said that it is written: “And Jacob called his sons and said, Gather around and I will tell you what will occur to you in the end of days” (Genesis 49:1). Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons when the complete redemption would arrive at the end of days (see Daniel 12:13), but the Divine Presence abandoned him, rendering him unable to prophesy. He said: Perhaps the Divine Presence has abandoned me because, Heaven forfend, one of my descendants is unfit, as was the case with my grandfather Abraham, from whom Ishmael emerged, and like my father Isaac, from whom Esau emerged. His sons said to him: Hear Israel, our father, Adonai is our God, Adonai is One. They said: Just as there is only one God in your heart, so too, there is only one in our hearts. At that moment Jacob our father said in praise: Blessed be the name of God's glorious kingdom for ever and ever, as all his children were righteous.

פסחים נ״ו א:ח׳

אָמְרִי רַבָּנַן: הֵיכִי נַעֲבֵיד? נֵאמְרֵיהּ, לֹא אֲמָרוֹ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ. לָא נֵאמְרֵיהּ, אֲמָרוֹ יַעֲקֹב. הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים אוֹתוֹ בַּחֲשַׁאי. אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק, אָמְרִי דְּבֵי רַבִּי אַמֵּי: מָשָׁל לְבַת מֶלֶךְ שֶׁהֵרִיחָה צִיקֵי קְדֵירָה. אִם תֹּאמַר — יֵשׁ לָהּ גְּנַאי. לֹא תֹּאמַר — יֵשׁ לָהּ צַעַר. הִתְחִילוּ עֲבָדֶיהָ לְהָבִיא בַּחֲשַׁאי.

Pesachim 56a:8

The Rabbis said: What should we do? Shall we recite this verse? But Moses our teacher did not say it in the Torah as part of Shema. Shall we not recite it? But Jacob said it. In order to resolve this dilemma they established that this passage should be recited surreptitiously. Rabbi Yitzchak said that the school of Rabbi Ami said: This is analogous to the daughter of a king who smelled the fragrance of the dried spices stuck to the bottom of the pot and craved to eat them. What can she do? If she tells her servants to give it to her, she will be disgraced, as the dried spices are a contemptible food. However, if she does not say she wants to eat them, she will endure suffering. Her servants began to bring them to her surreptitiously. One should conduct himself in that manner in similar cases of uncertainty.

פסחים נ״ו א:ט׳

אָמַר רַבִּי אֲבָהוּ: הִתְקִינוּ שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹמְרִים אוֹתוֹ בְּקוֹל רָם, מִפְּנֵי תַּרְעוֹמֶת הַמִּינִין. וּבִנְהַרְדְּעָא, דְּלֵיכָּא מִינִין, עַד הַשְׁתָּא אָמְרִי לַהּ בַּחֲשַׁאי.

Pesachim 56a:9

Rabbi Abbahu said: The Sages instituted that the people should recite it aloud due to the murmurings of the heretics. In Neharde’a, where there are no heretics, they recite it surreptitiously even now.