Wednesday, October 16, 2024

Seder 41: Genesis 47:2---Which Five Brothers?

 When his family moved to Egypt, Joseph presented five of his brothers before Pharaoh (Ge 47:2).  This information naturally leads to speculations about which five brothers Joseph chose, and what criteria he might have used to choose them.  

One tradition proposes that the five were Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Benjamin, and Issachar, sons of Leah and Rachel who may have been at or near the top of the family pecking order. 

Another tradition proposes that Joseph does not want Pharaoh to recruit his brothers for his army, so he picks the five "weakest", identified as Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, and Zebulun.  

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Seder 102: Psalm 29---Praising God and His 7 Thunders 18 Times

 Psalm 29 is a song of praise.  Commentators mention that it is written in the style of some Canaanite poetry and propose that it was writte...