Shabbos Parashas Vayechi - 5776

Shabbos Parashas Vayechi - 5776

Rabbi Hal Miller

Shimon and Levi are brothers, tools of injustice are their weapons. [Bereishis 49:5]

On his deathbed, Yaakov gives blessings to his sons. Many of those blessings sound

more like curses than blessings. Reuven loses his special firstborn privileges, which

under ordinary circumstances would have seen Reuven become the leader of the new

Jewish nation. Next, Yaakov also refuses to grant leadership to his next two sons. Our

verse seems an odd way of accomplishing this. It was obvious that Shimon and Levi

were brothers, as were the other ten. What did Yaakov mean?

Shimon and Levi had the same father, and the same mother. They were full brothers,

as were Reuven, Yehuda, Yissachar and Zevulun. Setting aside the issue of the six

half brothers, there were at least four others that could have been described in exactly

the same words, at least insofar as genetics. The Rashbam explains that it was only

these two who stepped up in defense of their full-sister: "They had acted like brothers

in their concern for their sister Dinah." Ramban says: "Yaakov implied that Shimon and

Levi were brothers in deed and counsel."

But these sound like good things. Why are these brothers being cursed? Or, are they?

Certainly, the fact that the brothers acted in concert, on a project they both believed

was the right thing to do, was good. This is an example that all Jews should follow.

Yaakov was understandably upset about the actions of these two brothers in Shechem.

He was worried that the large numbers of Canaanites who surrounded them would

attack because of their perception of the unjustified killing of Chamor's family. But that

was many years earlier. Now, at the end of Yaakov's life, there was no danger from

those Canaanites. The Jews were in Egypt, under the protection of Pharaoh, the most

powerful man in the world. Yet, Yaakov was still upset. Nechama Leibowitz says,

"His anger is now directed at the cruelty and injustice of their deed."

Shimon and Levi made the argument at the time that their actions were not cruel and

unjust, but in fact were zealous under the Torah in protecting their sister. We saw a

similar situation when Pinchas killed Zimri and Cozbie [Bamidbar 25:7-8]. Pinchas

was zealously trying to protect the Torah, trying to stop immorality, precisely what

Shimon and Levi say here. Why was Pinchas rewarded by G-d, and Shimon and

Levi rebuked by their father Yaakov?

The difference is in their purpose. Pinchas acted as a role model for all people, acting in

opposition to widespread sexual immorality. Shimon and Levi acted in revenge against

one particular immoral person, not as role models. Pinchas stopped immoral behavior

in the future. Shimon and Levi sought only to punish previous immoral behavior. To

Shimon and Levi, their being the brothers of Dinah was more important that being

good Torah Jews. Pinchas was a brother to all. The difference may be fine, but

Yaakov saw it as important.