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| An Emblem of the Tribe of Dan |
We are seeking to learn the revelation intended for us from the fact that the tribe of Dan is not listed in Revelation 7. I will put here a series of three posts to do with the meaning of Twelve in the Bible and why there are twelve tribes of Israel. Later, G-d willing, I will elaborate on this subject in depth. Here, in the series of these three posts, I only want to highlight the question of the sealing of the tribe of Dan with the name of HASHEM by looking at the blessing of the tribes by Jacob and by Moshe.
In the blessing of the Twelve Tribes by Moshe the tribe of Simeon is not mentioned, just as in The Book of The Revelation of Yehoshua the Mashiach the tribe of Dan is not mentioned. Here, in the first in this series of three posts, I will quote for you in full what Ramban says about the tribe of Simeon not being mentioned by Moshe in his blessing of the tribes. After that I will post Jacob's blessings of the tribes in Genesis 49 and my (initial) comments on each of those blessings. Then, finally, I will post Moshe's blessings for the twelve tribes in Deuteronomy 33 and my (initial) comments on each of those blessings. After this, it will be possible to see the relationship of the sealing of the tribe of Dan to that of all the tribes, and, in that light, the relationship of the sealing of the tribes to the correspondence between the judgements in Exodus and the judgements in Revelation. [The material quoted here from Ramban is from Rabbi Dr. Charles B. Chavel's translation, published by Shilo Publishing House 1976.]
The whole purpose of G-d in this world is that the whole world be filled with the knowledge of the Good News of Israel and Her Messiah, and through this the true knowledge of G-d's love, as the waters fill the great ocean upon the earth (–> Hab. 2:14). The purpose of these studies is to help increase that knowledge toward that measure.
From Ramban's Commentary on Deuteronomy 33
On Moshe's Blessing of The Tribe of Simeon
Ramban begins by first quoting Ibn Ezra: "Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra commented that 'he [Moshe] began with Reuben because he was the firstborn. He did not mention Simeon because of the sin of [Baal] Peor, because the worshippers were Simeonites, the proof being their numbers, and their prince, too, being killed [in the affair].'
Ramban responds to Ibn Ezra's comment: "In my opinion, the numbers are no proof because over thirteen thousand are still unaccounted for, aside from those who died in the plague [following the sin of Baal Peor]. In addition, other tribes as well diminished in population, for the sons of Gad lost five thousand, and the sons of Ephraim, eight thousand! Moreover, from the verse which states, And Israel attached himself to Baal-peor, and it is said again, Take all the chiefs of the people it would appear that there are some among them from all the tribes, and that all their judges passed sentence on them. And similarly He said, so that I consumed not the children of Israel in My jealousy (Num. 25:11).
<> } MellowWolfPblsh Note: So, Ramban does not agree with Ibn Ezra that the reason the tribe of Simeon is not named by Moshe in his blessings is because of the extraordinary sin of the tribe of Simeon. Further on, Ramban will indicate what he himself thinks about Moshe not mentioning the tribe of Simeon. In the same way most commentators give the opinion that Dan is not mentioned in Rev. 7 because of the extraordinary sins of the tribe of Dan in leading the house of Israel into idolatry. We will see that Ramban's comments here about Simeon and the twelve tribes speaks directly to this question about Dan and the twelve tribes.
Ramban continues to respond to Ibn Ezra's comment, but now addressing his readers: "Now do not rejoin against me from the affair of Achan where He said, Israel has sinned, [that there, though it was only one individual who sinned, He speaks of all Israel, and so here one might say, it was only one tribe that sinned and likewise He speaks of all Israel]. [The difference is that] there the sin had not yet been revealed, so He mentioned Israel generally [but in the case of Peor the facts of the sin were clearly given and still He spoke of all Israel, which shows that people from all the tribes were among the worshippers of Peor].
Ramban responds to Ibn Ezra's point about Zimri, the prince of Simeon being killed: "Similarly, the identity of the victim is no proof, for he [Zimri, the son of Salu] was only a prince of a father's house of that tribe, not the prince of the tribe. Those who assembled against G-d in the congregation of Korach were greater and more honorable people than he [Zimri], for they were princes of the congregation, yet all their tribes did not follow them! Additionally, the psalm [that relates the sins of the wilderness] mentions Dathan and Abiram and their affair by name, saying, The earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the company of Abiram; and it mentions They attached themselves also unto Baal-peor together with Moreover, they scorned the desirable Land which applies to the general population!
In concluding his response, Ramban introduces his own views: "Forbid it also that Moshe should refrain from blessing the tribe of Simeon, [when it is said] that a tribe be not blotted out from Israel (Judges 21:17)! For all those who had joined Baal-peor had already died, as it is said, for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the Eternal your G-d has destroyed from the midst of you, and it is written of those who survived, But you that did cleave unto the Eternal your G-d are alive every one of you this day. And why should he [Moshe] not bless them? They all made the [golden] calf and sinned in the affair of the spies, yet they were forgiven, and he blessed them!
"Now, I have seen in Midrash Rabbah the following text: 'Six families were eliminated because of the immorality caused by Balaam's advice, and so Scripture listed one family less of Simeon and five less of Benjamin.' Thus, according to the opinion of the Rabbis Benjamin had a greater part in the sin than did the tribe of Simeon – yet Benjamin is included in the blessing!"
<> } MellowWolfPblsh Note: Ramban has now finished with his response to the idea that the tribe of Simeon was not included in the blessing by Moshe of the tribes because of extraordinary sin. He has entirely dismissed that idea. If we are willing to study and to hear what Ramban is saying we will not go on to take the easy answer that the tribe of Dan is not named in the sealing of the Twelve Tribes in Revelation 7 due to the extraordinary sin of the tribe of Dan in idolatry. Instead, we will begin to see that there is a great mystery to be unfolded here for us about the meaning of there being twelve tribes of Israel, and specifically in Revelation chapter 7, where we find the listing of the tribe of Levi together with Menasseh and Joseph in the counting of the measure of the twelve tribes.
Ramban goes on to give his own opinion about the blessing of the tribe of Simeon: "In my opinion, the correct interpretation is that Scripture considers the tribes of Israel as only twelve. So it stated in Jacob's blessing, All these are the twelve tribes of Israel. Now Jacob mentioned his twelve sons and considered Joseph to be one tribe. Moshe saw fit to consider Joseph as two tribes, as he said, And they are the ten thousands of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Menasheh. This was for two reasons: one, since the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded and made them two tribes regarding the dedication of the altar, the flags, and the inheritance of the Land, he [Moshe] had to count them as two for their blessing. Secondly, he referred to Joshua, who would make them possess the Land, and he was from Ephraim, the younger son, therefore Moshe had to mention his brother who was older than him. Now he also wanted to bless Levi, for, through his blessing, all Israel would be blessed, in that his offerings shall be acceptable before G-d on their behalf. Hence it was necessary to omit one of the tribes, for nowhere are they enumerated except as twelve, corresponding to the twelve constellations in the firmament, the twelve months of the year, and the twelve 'border diagonals' concerning which the Rabbis have said in the Midrash that they are the everlasting arms (here at Deut. 33:27).
Ramban continues: "As the Sages mentioned in Tractate Berachoth (Babylonian Talmud): 'The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the prophet [Isaiah], Go and tell the congregation of Israel: My daughter, I have created twelve constellations in the firmament to correspond to the twelve tribes.' Similarly, at Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal where Scripture counts Levi, Joseph is not mentioned as two tribes [and there Simeon is also mentioned]. Likewise you will see in the distributions of Ezekiel that he counts Joseph as two tribes with reference to the apportioning of the Land and does not mention Levi (see Ezekiel 48:4-5). On the other hand, in enumerating the city exits [of Jerusalem] he mentioned, the gate of Levi, one and did not list the tribe of Joseph as two tribes. Instead, he said, the gate of Joseph one, since the tribes are always counted as only twelve. Accordingly, Simeon was left out [of Moshe's blessings] since his tribe was not large and it was not the intention of the blessing of Jacob, their father, that they become numerous. Instead he divided them in Jacob and scattered them in Israel, and to that extent they, too, were blessed through the blessing of the rest of the tribes among whom they were.
<> } MellowWolfPblsh Note: Ramban goes on from his comments about the blessing of the tribe of Simeon being and aspect of the blessing of all the twelve tribes together to giving his comments about the order of the list of the tribes that Moshe uses here. This is important for understanding the reason for the order of the list of the tribes in Revelation chapter 7 and I will not quote Ramban further on this but will come back to this at a later point. In conclusion in this post I will only quote Ramban on the relation of Moshe's blessing of the tribes to Jacob's blessing of the tribes. Ramban's statement on this will help clarify the nature of my comments on both Jacob and Moshe's blessings of the tribes, which I will offer in the two posts to follow in this series.
Ramban On The Relation of Moshe's Blessing of the Twelve Tribes
to Jacob's Blessing of the Twelve Tribes
Ramban opens his comments on V'zoth Habrachah, 'And this is the blessing... "AND THIS IS THE BLESSING WHEREWITH MOSES THE MAN OF G-D BLESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BEFORE HIS DEATH. "It states the man of G-d in order to indicate that his blessing will be fulfilled because he was the man of G-d, and the prayer of the upright is His delight (Prov. 15:8). Now Scripture calls Moshe our teacher the man of G-d, and so also the rest of the prophets, Elijah and the others, but it does not state 'the man of the Eternal [Hashem]. The reason is known to every student learned in [the 'Received' or 'Kabbalistic' understanding of] the Torah. So also by way of the Truth [of the (deeper) 'Received' or 'Kabbalistic' understanding there is a special meaning contained in places in the word of G-d in the word, 'v'zoth,' 'this'], v'zoth is the blessing, [the word, "this", can be understood not only to refer to the blessing which is about to be heard but can be understood to itself be the blessing, once the deeper Kabbalistic understanding of use of the word, v'zoth, "this", in Scripture is known], as in, From the Eternal [Hashem] has 'zoth' (this) come (Psalms 118:22-23).
Ramban continues speaking of the Kabbalistic meaning of v'zoth... "Similarly it is said in the case of Jacob, 'v'zoth (and 'this' is) what their father [Jacob] spoke unto them [in blessing the twelve tribes]. It was this blessing that David meant when he said, 'Zoth (This) came to pass unto me, because I have kept Your precepts (Psalms 119:56), alluding to Zion the city of David, for there the Eternal commanded the blessing even life forever (Psalms 133:3).
And so Ramban concludes: "Our Rabbis meant this secret in their interpretation in Bereshith Rabbah: 'v'zoth (and this is) what their father spoke unto them. A man like me is destined to bless you, and, from the very place where I [Jacob] concluded – from there he will begin. At the moment Moshe our teacher rose to bless them, he began with 'vizoth habrachah (and this is the blessing) – from the very place where their father concluded.
"'This then is the meaning of the expression 'v'zoth' what their father spoke unto them. He said unto them: When will these blessings reach you? From the time you accept the Torah, in which is written, V'zoth' (And this is) the Law etc.' For this word zoth alludes to the blessing which is the Torah, and this is the covenant, as it is written, 'Zoth' (This is) My covenant (Genesis 17:10).
<> } MellowWolfPblsh Note: From these comments of Ramban's on the blessing of the twelve tribes by Jacob and by Moshe we can see the deep nature of their unity. The Rabbis teach that they are not to be understood side by side so much as they are to be understood with the blessings of Moshe following on directly from the blessings of Jacob. When we seek to understand the revelation of the the sealing of the twelve tribes - and especially the sealing of the tribe of Dan - in Revelation chapter 7, with the name of the Eternal (Hashem), we are seeking to understand something of the revelation of the end of days that Jacob did not reveal to his sons. We are seeking to understand this as a fulfillment of all these blessings specifically in the end time. Therefore, we see the great significance that there is in this teaching that the blessings of Moshe follow on from the blessings of Jacob. Having come to this place, we can go on to reading the blessings of the tribes by Jacob and by Moshe. These will be given in the two posts that follow.
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