Comentario sobre Génesis 35:11

אני אל שדי I AM GOD, ALMIGHTY, for I have the power to bless because the blessings are Mine.

אני א-ל שדי, I swear by My own name when I swear an oath. One such example is found in Deut. 32,40 ואמרתי חי אנכי לעולם, “as I have said, I, the One Who lives forever.” G’d’s oaths to Yaakov were always by the attribute Shadday.

ויאמר...אני א-ל שדי; strong and self-sufficient, able to guide all of history, in charge of all developments. We explained this on 17,1. The three matriarchs had all been genetically barren, and G’d overcame their genetic handicaps so that each bore children. This was a display of the attribute א-ל שדי at work.

I have the power to bless because the blessings are Mine. Rashi is answering the questions: Why does it say אני? And why does it say שדי, rather than another Name?

גוי וקהל גוים, das Volk, das von ihm stammen wird, soll nach außen eine Einheit und nach innen eine einheitlich gesammelte Vielheit werden. Jeder Stamm soll eine gesonderte Volksindividualität repräsentieren. Das Jakobsvolk, das als "Jisrael" die alles irdisch Menschliche siegreich durchdringende und gestaltende Gotteskraft den Völkern offenbaren soll, soll darum nicht eine einseitige Erscheinung bieten, sondern als Mustervolk in nuce die verschiedensten Völkererscheinungen darstellen. Es soll in seinen Stämmen das Kriegervolk wie das Handelsvolk, das Volk des Ackerbaus, wie das der Wissenschaften usw. zur Darstellung bringen, auf dass die Wahrheit durch die Welt hin leuchte, dass die Hingebung und Heiligung des Menschenlebens im Gottesbunde seines Gesetzes durch keine besondere Berufsstellung und Völkereigentümlichkeit bedingt, sondern die ganze Menschheit in aller ihrer Mannigfaltigkeit berufen sei, den von Israel gelehrten einen einheitlichen Gottesgeist in sich aufzunehmen und die ganze Mannigfaltigkeit der Menschen- und Völkerindividualitäten zu einem einheitlichen Gottesreiche zu gestalten. Da dürfte denn auch das ולזרעך אחריך אתן את הארץ mit dem Siporno heißen: und deinem dir nachfolgenden Samen werde ich einst die Erde geben — wie וצדיקים יירשו ארץ — es wird ihnen und dem von ihnen in treuer Nachfolge bewahrten geistigen und sittlichen Vermächtnis dereinst die ganze Erde zufallen. (Jes. 2, 3.)

פרה ורבה BE FRUITFUL AND MULTIPLY — God said this in allusion to the fact that Benjamin was not yet born although she (Rachel) was soon to give birth to him (Genesis Rabbah 82:4).

Be fruitful and increase. Do not be afraid that your offspring will be destroyed, even if they are imperfect, because the name “Almighty Shakkai” indicates that I keep My word even to the unworthy.

פרה ורבה, (a promise) you will be fruitful and you will multiply. We explained this in connection with Genesis 1,22. G’d gave a similar promise to Avraham in 17,7 where the promise applied to Avraham’s offspring. Seeing that Yaakov did not have another child after this blessing was pronounced, it is clear that in his case just as in Avraham’s case the promise applied to the next generation, i.e. all of Yaakov’s children were included in this blessing.

Menasheh and Ephraim... Re’m writes that the Rashi text should read: “וקהל גוים. This refers to Menasheh and Ephraim.” [I.e., adding וקהל]. For Rashi interprets גוי as one son, and וקהל גוים as another son. Otherwise, the question arises: Why does Rashi say on 48:4, “Hashem informed me that there would yet emanate from me קהל ועמים,” [referring to Menasheh and Ephraim]? Alternatively, Rashi’s text on 48:4 should read קהל עמים, deleting the ו. And here, the text reads גוים [without וקהל. And the word גוים, which is plural, implies two sons] Menashe and Ephraim. But see the Gur Aryeh on 48:4, who [writes that the Re’m unnecessarily] alters the Rashi text.

גוי A NATION — referring to Benjamin. (Genesis Rabbah 82:4)

ומלכים מחלציך יצאו. This blessing means that the Jewish people would always possess persons who are fit to occupy the throne, as opposed to the Edomites who, as we know from 36,36-37, had to rely repeatedly on outsiders to become their kings.

גוי וקהל גוים, they will all belong to one distinctive nation. This is stated in Chronicles I 17,21 ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ, “and who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth?” This nation will develop into a community of nations i.e. 12 tribes including the son that is about to be born to you now. ומלכים, as per its plain meaning, i.e. “kings.” Basically G’d blessed Yaakov with the same blessing as the one He had bestowed on Avraham, seeing Yaakov was Avraham’s special seed. [of Avraham’s 8 sons, only Yaakov carried on the tradition. Ed.] In Bereshit Rabbah 82,4 our verse is understood as referring specifically to Rachel’s sons. The word גוי is understood as referring to Binyamin, whereas the words קהל גוים are understood as referring to Menashe and Ephrayin, whereas the word מלכים is understood as referring to the two kings from the tribe of Binyamin, Sha-ul and Ish Boshet. Is it possible that Avner who was a righteous man should have rejected the Kingdom of David and appointed Ish Boshet instead? We must answer that he found this Midrash and based himself on that, appointing a king who was a descendant of Binyaim. [and who would be putty in his hands. Ed.]

Shaul and Ish Boshes who were from the tribe of Binyamin... Rashi is saying, that which is written “Kings will come out of your loins,” implies that they were still in his loins—and this could only refer to the tribe of Binyamin, who had not yet been born.

גוים NATIONS — referring to Manasseh and Ephraim who would come from Joseph — and these actually were counted as tribes.

ומלכים AND KINGS — referring to Saul and Ishbosheth who were of the tribe of Benjamin and these were not yet born. This verse Abner explained in this sense when he made Ishbosheth king, and the tribes of Israel also explained it thus and therefore became friendly again with the tribe of Benjamin. For so it is written (Judges 21:1) “They said there shall not any of us give his daughter unto Benjamin to wife”. Afterwards they retracted this, saying, “If, indeed, he was not to be counted among the tribes), the Holy One, blessed be He would not have said to Jacob in reference to Benjamin and kings shall come out of thy loins” (and since there have not yet been kings of the tribe of Benjamin that tribe must not be exterminated). Genesis Rabbah 82:4

גוי וקהל גוים “A NATION AND AN ASSEMBLAGE OF NATIONS” — this means that his sons are destined to become nations the same in number as the nations (of the ancient world) which was seventy. So, too, the whole Sanhedrin consisted of seventy. Another explanation is that it signifies that his children will sacrifice on high places at a time when this practice is forbidden, as other nations always did — this refers to the days of Elijah (Genesis Rabbah 82:5). From “This verse” is found in an old text of Rashi.)