The Firstborn of Yaakov The Book of Bereshit is replete with intense struggles between brothers. The conflict of Kayin and Hevel, the first brothers, was over the issue of acceptance by G-d of their sacrifices, and it ended with the first murder. Next came Yitzchak and Yishmael, with the scornful attitude of the latter leading to his banishment from his father's house (triggering the seemingly unending hatred and resentment against which we still struggle today). Subsequently, Yitzchak became, first, the "Olah Temimah," the "Unblemished Burnt Offering," then the heir to Avraham. Yaakov and Esav followed, where Esav, the biological first-born, wavered in his desire for the birthright - on one hand, "What do I need this birthright for?" (Ber. 25,32); on the other, "And he cried a great and bitter cry," (Ber. 27,34) when he learned that Yaakov had taken his bracha. While Yaakov never wavered in his quest to be considered the first-born, which led to his becoming the "bechir she'b'avot," the most-favored of the forefathers. It is also possible to say that the conflict between Yoseph and his brothers was over the right of the first-born. Yoseph: "…and behold your bundles gathered around and bowed down to my bundle;" (Ber. 37,7) the brothers: "Will you indeed rule over us?" (Ber. 37,8) It would not, indeed, be difficult to say that all of the conflicts mentioned above were over the issue of determining to whom belong the rights of the first-born. Kayin felt that it was his right, as first-born, to be recognized by G-d. Likewise Yishmael, who was in fact the first-born of Avraham, and the first of his sons to undergo circumcision, felt threatened by the arrival of Yitzchak, who was born miraculously to the true wife, Sarah. From the time of their emergence from the womb, Esav felt, with justification, that Yaakov was trying to wrest from him the right to be considered the "bechor." And Yoseph, the youngest of the brothers, pressed his claim on the basis of being the first-born to the beloved wife, Rachel. Let us then ask the question which seems to lie at the root of all this struggling amongst the brothers. What is special, what is the tremendous desirability of being first-born? Perhaps, in a sense, the "original Divine plan" was that the "bechor" should receive all the gifts: temporal and spiritual, to be king and to be priest. We encounter "Malkizedek, Melech Shalem," the King of Shalem, in Bereshit (14,18) where he comes forward to greet Avraham after his successful expedition to rescue Lot. Malkizedek is identified in the Midrash as Shem, son of Noach, founder of the Beit Midrash of Shem V'Ever. He was not the biological first-born of Noach, but his leading son, in terms of merit, and therefore listed first in the order of sons, Shem, Cham and Yefet. He is also referred to in the verse which describes his encounter with Avraham, bringing out bread and wine, as "v'hu kohen l'Kel Elyon," "And he was the Priest to the Most High G-d." He receives "Maaser," the "tenth" portion reserved from ancient times for the priestly class, from Avraham; he blesses Avraham, and he blesses Hashem, Who protected Avraham in the war. And did not Yaakov himself, who was also not the biological first-born, but who had "bought" the rights to it, also receive both spiritual and temporal blessings from his father? The Yalkut Shimoni, a collection of Aggadic material from the Talmud, cites a Midrash which says that this is what Yaakov meant when he said "Reuven, bechori atah, yeter seat v'yeter oz," "Reuven, you are my first-born, you were to have had elevated status, meaning priesthood, and an added measure of strength, meaning kingship." (Ber. 49,3) But the burden of both roles was too much for Reuven; "Unstable as water, you shall not lead." (Ber. 49,4) One capability interfered with the other. He advised throwing Yoseph into the pit, although the Torah informs us that he did this only as a delaying tactic to prevent the immediate execution of Yoseph by his brothers; whereas, as king, he should have asserted his authority and rescued Yoseph then and there. On the other hand, when he attempted to take direct action, as when he interfered with his father's relations with his wives, or when he offered Yaakov the option to kill his two sons if he didn't bring back Binyamin, he far overstepped his bounds. Yaakov therefore felt compelled to split the leadership of the Jewish People. He confers spiritual leadership, initially associated with the first-born, upon Yoseph. He refers to Yoseph's titanic struggle with, and victory over his "yetzer hara," his great "temptation," in connection with the wife of Potiphar, for which he earned the title Yoseph "HaTzaddik," Yoseph, the "Righteous." (Ber. 49,23) And he confers kingship upon Yehudah, who shows his ability to rise from the depths of disgrace in the eyes of his brothers (and the eyes of G-d) when he steps forward to confront and upbraid Yoseph over his apparent hypocrisy, and to offer nevertheless to sell himself as slave to Yoseph, to redeem Binyamin and fulfill his oath to his father. "Lo Yasur shevet mi'Yehudah," "The scepter shall not depart from Yehudah." (Ber. 49,10) Rabbi Pinchas Frankel Rabbi Frankel is an Educational Coordinator at the OU |
