רְאוּבֵן֙ בְּכֹ֣רִי אַ֔תָּה כֹּחִ֖י וְרֵאשִׁ֣ית אוֹנִ֑י יֶ֥תֶר שְׂאֵ֖ת וְיֶ֥תֶר עָֽז׃
Rúben, tu és meu primogênito, minha força e as primícias do meu vigor, preeminente em dignidade <span class="x" onmousemove="Show('perush','“Iêter ’az” não significa em hebraico o que é aqui traduzido. O termo ’az” é a qualidade do tigre, indicando intrepidez, audácia. É algo que diferencia o tigre dos demais animais, mesmo dos demais felinos. A audácia e a intrepidez podem ser derivados do modo agir impensado, inconsequente, e é o caso de Rúbem. Porém, todos os seres humanos têm tendências, e o que é importante é saber usá-las para o bem. Pode-se ter esta qualidade, por exemplo, e usá-la para cumprir os preceitos sem se importar com o que digam.');" onmouseout="Hide('perush');">e preeminente em poder</span>.
Rashi on Genesis
וראשית אוני THE BEGINNING OF MY VIGOR — That is the first drop [of semen], as he had not experienced a seminal emission from all of his days [until that time] (Genesis Rabbah 98:4).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Ramban on Genesis
REUBEN MY FIRSTBORN THOU ART. The sequence of this verse is, “Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the first-fruits of my strength, the excellence of majesty, and the excellence of power,” and its purport is as follows: “You are the first-born of my might and the first-fruits of my strength when I was the excellence of majesty (se’eith) and position” — the expression being similar to that found in the verses: Shall not his excellency (‘se’eitho’) make you afraid? When he raiseth himself up (‘mise’eitho’) the mighty are afraid, ‘mise’eitho’ meaning ascendancy and power — “and when I was at the height of strength (oz) for war” — the expression being similar to that found in the verses: And He will give strength (‘oz’) unto His king; And the strength (‘ve’izuz’) of battle.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Rashbam on Genesis
כחי וראשית אוני יתר שאת ויתר עז, although it sounds as if Yaakov is describing more than one facet of Reuven, it is a single statement incorporating what writers call “poetic license.” כחי, my power, my economic might; We find the word און as also referring to money, i.e. economic power in Hoseah,12,9 אך עשרתי, מצאתי און לי, ”I have become rich, I have gotten power.” Also in Job 20,10 the word און appears in the sense of economic power, וידיו תשבנה אונו, “his own hands must give back his wealth.”
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy