Thursday, December 16, 2021

Reuvain's Beracha

The Torah (49:28) says Yaakov blessed all of his children, כל אלה שבטי ישראל שנים עשר וזאת אשר דבר להם אביהם ויברך אותם איש אשר כברכתו ברך אתם.  However, if we look at the message given to his first three sons it does not see that they were blessed but rather cursed, especially Reuvain who lost out on the role of monarch and the priesthood?  And why did Reuvain lose his positions if he had already repented for his sin as Rashi notes in Vayeshev?  What is the meaning of the words איש אשר כברכתו ברך אתם which seem redundant?

As the Rashba (cited in Nefesh HaChaim shaar 2) notes the word ברכה comes from the word בריכה, a spring that gushes forth.  A beracha brings forth potential power that it stored away.  The berachot Yaakov gave were to help bring forth the natural abilities, talents and capabilities of the brothers.  That is what it means איש אשר כברכתו ברך אתם.  Yaakov's beracha was according to their talents.  His beracha was for them to be able to use their talents to their fullest.  

Reuvain did teshuva for his actions.  However, the display of hastiness demonstrated by his actions deemed him unfit for the roles of priesthood and the monarch.  It is the middah of hastiness which he demonstrated he had tat is unfit for those offices.  If one would act with haste to make a decision in the posts of kohan it could a problem in the mikdash that may carry the death penalty or cause a cause a national calamity in the post of melech.  It is not the sin but the root of the sin that causes Reuvain to lose his positions.  Reuvain's talents did not fit with that of melech or kohan.  Because the beracha was for the shevatim to excel according to their talents not to counteract them, Reuvain did not receive a beracha to keep the kehuna and malchus despite his lack of ability.  The beracha was for him to relinquish these positions for not having them and running into a problem itself was the beracha.  Being placed appropriately is itself a beracha.  

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