What should be the parting message of the founder of the nation of Israel? As Yaakov prepares to leave the world – and as the book of Bereishit draws to its close – Yaakov speaks to his sons, each of whom will head a tribe. His blessings are personalized, elucidating the characters of the sons and of their tribes. First however, Yaakov introduces his
purpose:

And Yaakov called to his sons, and he said, “Assemble yourselves and I will tell you that which will befall you in the end of days (B’ACHARIT HA’YAMIM). Gather yourselves and listen, sons of Yaakov, and listen to Yisrael your father” (Bereishit 49:1-2).

His messages are commonly called “Yaakov’s blessings,” as is indicated in the concluding verse:

All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve, and this is what their father said to them, and he blessed them: he blessed each one as to his blessing (verse 28). Moses’ self-proclaimed blessings before his death (Devarim,
Chapter 33) are then elaborations of Yaakov’s blessings.
Ibn Ezra however insists otherwise:

“The prophet [Yaakov] spoke about the future. Those who say that these are blessings are misled by the fact that they found at the end And, he blessed them. But, where are the “blessings” of Reuven, Shimon and Levi? Rather, in the manner of prophecy he said, And this is what their father said to them, and afterwards he blessed them, only that the text does not mention the  blessings.”

Yaakov’s recorded words, according to Ibn Ezra, are public prophecy while the blessings are the private words of a father to his sons.

It would seem that the focus of Yaakov’s prophecy is the future, as indicated by the phrase in the end of days (B’ACHARIT HA’YAMIM), which means “in the course of time.” But, how far into the future does our Patriarch Yaakov foresee? Could he be referring to the age of the Mashiach?

Some commentaries say no. Their understanding is that Yaakov’s predictions are for the near future. Rashbam (R. Shlomo ben Meir, c.1085-1174), for example, says that in the end of days is when the Israelites will take over the Land of Israel. After all, the prophecy speaks of the tribes’ settlement: Shimon and Levi: I will divide them within Yaakov, and I will scatter them in Israel (verse 7).

Zevulun will settle the seashores; he will be a harbor for ships; and his border will be at Tzidon (verse 13).

From Asher shall come rich food; and he shall provide the king’s delights (verse 20). Redak (R. David Kimchi, c. 1160-c. 1235) concurs, saying that the term “B’ACHARIT HA’YAMIM” need not refer to the distant future; rather, “sometimes it is near and sometimes it is far, like the word MACHAR (tomorrow). And this is what it means: when they will enter the land to occupy it, and he tells them with the spirit of prophecy some of that which will befall them, some of their divisions and some of their victories in war against their enemies.”

Haamek Davar (R. Naftali Tzvi Yehudah Berlin, 1817-1893) further builds on this argument. First, many elements of Yaakov’s prophecy clearly do not concern the Messianic era. For example, Yaakov says that Zevulun will settle the seashores, but in the prophet Yechezkel’s vision of the land of Israel in the Messianic era (Yechezkel, Chapter 48), this is not so. Secondly, when Bil’am says to Balak (Bamidbar 24:14), I will advise you about what this nation [Israel] will do to your people [Moav] in the end of days (B’ACHARIT HA’YAMIM), this phrase cannot refer to the future Messianic era, since long ago Balak’s nation Moav vanished from the stage of history. Thus, concludes Haamek Davar, both Yaakov and Bil’am use the expression B’ACHARIT HA’YAMIM to refer to the realization of the goal of the Exodus from Egypt, namely the reigns of David and Shlomo.

Our Sages, however (Pesachim 56a; Bereishit Rabba 98:2), understand that it is Yaakov’s intention to speak about the Messianic era. Rashi, quoting the Sages, says that Yaakov was not able to impart all he desired: “He sought to reveal the end, but the Divine Presence left him and he began to say other things.”

Ramban agrees with this reading.

Sforno (R. Ovadia ben Yaakov Sforno, c. 1470-c.1550) supports this with reference to other prophets who use the expression in the end of days (B’ACHARIT HA’YAMIM), including Bil’am (loc. cit.), Micha (4:1) and Yesha’ya (2:2).

Yaakov himself speaks explicitly about the Messianic era when he says, Until Shilo will come, and to him will be the obedience of nations. He loads his young donkey with a grapevine … (verses 10-11). What all these prophecies have in common, says Sforno, is that the Mashiach “will be the end of the days of the nations, the enemies of Hashem, and their kingdoms.” ACHARIT HA’YAMIM is thus the end and purpose of history.

The Gaon of Vilna, GRA (R. Eliyahu ben Shlomo Zalman, 1720-1797) further sees the end of history, forecast here at the end of the book of Bereishit, as a reflection of history’s beginning, described at the beginning of this book. Historic time, says the GRA, has three segments: the beginning (REISHIT), the present (HOVEH) and the end (ACHARIT). Consequently, B’ACHARIT (HA’YAMIM) is a complement to B’REISHIT. The book of Bereishit therefore embraces all of human history: this book begins with B’REISHIT and concludes with B’ACHARIT. This coincides with the idea that the six days of Creation encompass the 6000 years of pre- essianic history. And B’ACHARIT HA’YAMIM, says the Gaon, is “in the future, when all things will return to their source.”

As Yaakov lies on his deathbed, he addresses not only his own sons and the tribes that will descend from them, and not only the united nation of Yisrael; he addresses all mankind. As the nation of Yisrael is the microcosm of humanity, and their history is the measure of all history, he teaches the world that the key to their destiny is to be found in their origin.