שמעון ולוי אחים- בסודם אל תבוא נפשי

This Shabbat we'll read the last section of Bereishit.

Yaacov and his family are in Egypt. He knows that his life is reaching its end and he wants to leave a legacy to his children. The term generally used is "Berachot" (blessings), but if we read them carefully, not all of them are "blessings".

To Shim'on and Levi he says:

"Let my soul not enter their plot; let my spirit not unite with their meeting - for they have killed men with anger, maimed bulls with will.

Cursed be their rage, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is cruel. I will disperse them in Jacob, scatter them in Israel." He refers of course to what they did to the inhabitants of Shechem. Maybe this teaches us that our legacy implies the interdiction of using immoderate violence against innocent people. Shabbat Shalom to all,