Vayehi answers

VaYechi 5725 “Yissachar”

בראשית פרק מט

(יד) יִשָּׂשכָר חֲמֹר גָּרֶם רֹבֵץ בֵּין הַמִּשְׁפְּתָיִם:

(טו) וַיַּרְא מְנֻחָה כִּי טוֹב וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ כִּי נָעֵמָה     וַיֵּט שִׁכְמוֹ לִסְבֹּל וַיְהִי לְמַס־עֹבֵד: ס

Issachar is a large-boned ass, couching down between the sheep-folds. For he saw a resting-place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under task-work.  

Alef.

1.

פי' מהרז"ו (זאב וואלף איינהורן) על המדרש ד"ה וירא מנוחה

ואח"כ כתוב ויט שכמו לסבול ויהי למס עובד, ואין זה מנוחה, והם ב' כתובים מכחישים. והכריע ע"פ ג"ש תיבת טוב. וכן את הארץ כי נעמה ...וע"כ דורש ג"כ ג"ש על התורה...

Because of the inner contradiction within the verse, an interpretation other than the simple meaning was pursued.

2.  While the members of the Sanhedrin are distinguished, accomplished individuals, nevertheless they serve the community. Therefore their role is an obligatory one, much as the impositions of taxes upon an individual.

3.  

פ' יפה תואר (שמואל יפה אשכנזי) על מהדרש ד"ה עולה של א"י

כיון שארצו היתה הרים ובקעות לכן טורח עבודת האדמה בארצו היתה רב יותר מהטורח אשר לשאר השבטים.

The hilly terrain in Yissachar’s portion makes working the land more difficult than what the other tribes faced.

4.  Perhaps since only the phrase at the beginning of v. 14 lends itself to be interpreted regarding the land that Yissachar would be assigned, it forces RaShI to search for other possible meanings of the other phrases, and those suggested by the Midrash are as good as any.

Beit.

1. RaShI—how the donkey is used—transporting merchandise between cities.

    RaShBaM—how the donkey is used—to engage in heavy-duty farm work.

RaDaK—how the donkey is loaded—it rests while its two loads are still on its back.

HaRechasim LaBika—the donkey’s personal tendency—since it is lazy, it looks for warm places in which to rest. (This is the only commentary that attributes “בין המשפטים as a phrase intrinsic to the description of the nature of the donkey.)

ShaDaL—where the donkey is typically found—in a location walled in by wooden sticks.

2.  Where else in the descriptions of the brothers articulated by Yaakov is there mention of a particular location?

Berashit 49:3-27

Reuben, thou art my first-born, my might, and the first-fruits of my strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. Unstable as water, have not thou the excellency; because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it--he went up to my couch. Simeon and Levi are brethren; weapons of violence their kinship. Let my soul not come into their council; unto their assembly let my glory not be united; for in their anger they slew men, and in their self-will they houghed oxen. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel;

 I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (not a particular place per se as much as in contrast to the other brothers, they will not  be in a single place).

Judah, thee shall thy brethren praise; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's sons shall bow down before thee. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up.

 He stooped down, he couched as a lion, and as a lioness; who shall rouse him up? (A description of the manner in which he will rest, reflecting his fierceness. This could be seen to provide a contrast to Yissachar in HaRechasim LaBika’s view who sees the “donkey” as looking to rest out of laziness.)

The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler's staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washeth his garments in wine, and his vesture in the blood of grapes; His eyes shall be red with wine, and his teeth white with milk.

 Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, and he shall be a shore for ships, and his flank shall be upon Zidon (specific location).

Issachar is a large-boned ass, couching down between the sheep-folds. For he saw a resting-place that it was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he bowed his shoulder to bear, and became a servant under task-work. Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Israel. Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that biteth the horse's heels, so that his rider falleth backward. I wait for Thy salvation, O LORD. Gad, a troop shall troop upon him; but he shall troop upon their heel. As for Asher, his bread shall be fat, and he shall yield royal dainties. Naphtali is a hind let loose: he giveth goodly words. Joseph is a fruitful vine, a fruitful vine by a fountain; its branches run over the wall. The archers have dealt bitterly with him, and shot at him, and hated him;  But his bow abode firm, and the arms of his hands were made supple, by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from thence, from the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel, Even by the God of thy father, who shall help thee, and by the Almighty, who shall bless thee, with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that coucheth beneath, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb. The blessings of thy father are mighty beyond the blessings of my progenitors unto the utmost bound of the everlasting hills; they shall be on the head of Joseph, and on the crown of the head of the prince among his brethren. Benjamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he devoureth the prey, and at even he divideth the spoil.'  

Since Yissachar and Zevulun are always associated with one another, and a specific location is mentioned for Zevulun, it is not unreasonable to assume that a specific location rather than a quality of Yissachar’s general nature is being described. Furthermore, the locations would support the concept that one is located in a place where it is easy to engage in commerce, while the other would be located in an inland location since they were not expected to go to sea.

3.

ישעיהו פרק לב

(כ) אַשְׁרֵיכֶם זֹרְעֵי עַל־כָּל־מָיִם מְשַׁלְּחֵי רֶגֶל־הַשּׁוֹר וְהַחֲמוֹר: ס

Happy are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth freely the feet of the ox and the ass.

The fact that the donkey is associated with planting seeds supports the RaShBaM’s contention that בין המשפטים is a reference to agricultural work.

4.  HaRechasim LaBika understands the phrase in question as describing a specific tendency on the part of donkeys to seek warmth due to their skinniness and perpetually feeling cold. Perhaps one could cite the verse in Devarim 22 describing the mother bird crouching over her young—keeping them warm:

דברים פרק כב

(ו) כִּי יִקָּרֵא קַן־צִפּוֹר לְפָנֶיךָ בַּדֶּרֶךְ בְּכָל־עֵץ אוֹ עַל־הָאָרֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ בֵיצִים וְהָאֵם רֹבֶצֶת עַל־ הָאֶפְרֹחִים אוֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִים לֹא־תִקַּח הָאֵם עַל־הַבָּנִים:

5. Here is what שד"ל  has to say about רד"ק’s commentary:

...כי "רובץ" כתוב כאן ולא "קם", ולהיות רובץ עם המשא אין בזה גבורה, כי המשא נוגע בארץ, וכטעם כי תראה חמור שנעך רובץ תחת משאו (שמ' כג:ה).

Gimel.

1א. In contrast to the first verse, which describes the work and the journeys of Yissachar, the second verse is describing when they come to rest, i.e., where they will permanently live, in other words the location of the land that they will be inheriting.

  ב. At the beginning of the verse it states “וירא”, that he will see. But in order to take ownership of the land, it will not be sufficient to only see it; it will have to be conquered from its previous inhabitants.

2א. R. Eliezer: וַיְהִי לְמַס־עֹבֵד means that some individuals would have to work in order to serve others, but these people would not be Canaanites, but rather members of the tribe of Yissachar.

R. Shmuel bar Nachman: Just like the other tribes, Yissachar did not completely drive out all Canaanites; however those that remained would have to undertake a work tax in order to be able to stay and this was imposed upon them by Yissachar.

  ב. When one reads Shoftim 1, there is a list of tribes which did not completely expel the Canaanites from their land. Missing from the list is any mention of Yissachar, leading to the conclusion that Yissachar in fact did drive all of the Canaanites out of its land:

And Judah went with Simeon his brother, and they smote the Canaanites that inhabited Zephath, and utterly destroyed it. And the name of the city was called Hormah. Also Judah took Gaza with the border thereof, and Ashkelon with the border thereof, and Ekron with the border thereof. And the LORD was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the hill-country; for he could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron. And they gave Hebron unto Caleb, as Moses had spoken; and he drove out thence the three sons of Anak. And the children of Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites that inhabited Jerusalem; but the Jebusites dwelt with the children of Benjamin in Jerusalem, unto this day. And the house of Joseph, they also went up against Beth-el; and the LORD was with them. And the house of Joseph sent to spy out Beth-el--now the name of the city beforetime was Luz. And the watchers saw a man come forth out of the city, and they said unto him: 'Show us, we pray thee, the entrance into the city, and we will deal kindly with thee.' And he showed them the entrance into the city, and they smote the city with the edge of the sword; but they let the man go and all his family. And the man went into the land of the Hittites, and built a city, and called the name thereof Luz, which is the name thereof unto this day. And Manasseh did not drive out the inhabitants of Beth-shean and its towns, nor of Taanach and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Dor and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Ibleam and its towns, nor the inhabitants of Megiddo and its towns; but the Canaanites were resolved to dwell in that land. And it came to pass, when Israel was waxen strong, that they put the Canaanites to task-work, but did in no wise drive them out. And Ephraim drove not out the Canaanites that dwelt in Gezer; but the Canaanites dwelt in Gezer among them. Zebulun drove not out the inhabitants of Kitron, nor the inhabitants of Nahalol; but the Canaanites dwelt among them, and became tributary. Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acco, nor the inhabitants of Zidon, nor of Ahlab, nor of Achzib, nor of Helbah, nor of Aphik, nor of Rehob; but the Asherites dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; for they did not drive them out. Naphtali drove not out the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh, nor the inhabitants of Beth-anath; but he dwelt among the Canaanites, the inhabitants of the land; nevertheless the inhabitants of Beth-shemesh and of Beth-anath became tributary unto them. And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the hill-country; for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley. But the Amorites were resolved to dwell in Harheres, in Aijalon, and in Shaalbim; yet the hand of the house of Joseph prevailed, so that they became tributary. And the border of the Amorites was from the ascent of Akrabbim, from Sela, and upward.  

ג. It would appear that R. Shmuel bar Nachman, who said that there were Canaanites, but they had to pay a tax, parallels Onkelos’ view.

Daled.

1.  

ח יְהוּדָ֗ה אַתָּה֙ יוֹד֣וּךָ אַחֶ֔יךָ

Targum Yonatan: The fact that a “Revi’a” separates “Yehuda” from what follows, is a strong support for the Targum’s interpretation—“Yehuda, you will judge your brothers.”

Ibn Ezra: Although the sequence for the last three words,” Pashta Zakef Katan”, often appear together, nevertheless, the Zakef Katan is separated from the Pashta. Consequently, Ibn Ezra would read the cantillation that “You will be known as Yehuda; and this is the manner in which your brothers will refer to you.”

RaShBaM: The commentator would read the cantillation in the same way as Ibn Ezra, but would interpret it not so much as what his name is to be, but rather, “You Yehuda, as opposed to your three older brothers, will be the leader of the family; even your brothers will acknowledge  this.”

ShaDaL: He reads the verse like RaShBaM, contrasting Yehuda with his three older brothers who were essentially given short shrift by Yaakov.

2.  

ג רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה...

...כִּֽי־הָיִ֤יתִי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל֙ לְאָ֔ב וְאֶפְרַ֖יִם בְּכֹ֥רִי הֽוּא׃

Although biologically Reuven was the Bechor, he was not given the privileges that usually accompanied such status, and even if Yaakov, when he blessed Ephraim and Menashe, reversed his hands and gave Ephraim the status of the Bechor, when HaShem will Redeem the Jewish people from their exile, Ephraim will not have lived up to having that status bestowed upon him. In both cases the cantillation deemphasizes the status that ordinarily should have  been highlighted.