Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
The white pearl is the stone of Zebulun, for with his merchant ships he
sailed the sea and drew his sustenance from the ocean from which the
pearl, too, is drawn. The pearl has also the quality of bringing its
owner sleep, and it is all the more to the credit of this tribe that
they nevertheless spent their nights on commercial ventures to maintain
their brother-tribe Issachar, that lived only for the study of the
Torah. The pearl is, furthermore, round, like the fortune of the rich,
that turns like a wheel, and in this way the wealthy tribe of Zebulun
were kept in mind of the fickleness of fortune.
Dan's stone was a species of topaz, in which was visible the inverted
face of a man, for the Danites were sinful, turning good to evil, hence
the inverted face in their stone.
The turquoise was Naphtali's stone, for it gives its owner speed in
riding, and Naphtali was "a hind let loose."
Gad's stone was the crystal, that endows its owner with courage in
battle, and hence served this warlike tribe that battled for the Lord
as an admonition to fear none and build on God.
The chrysolite was Asher's stone, and as this stone aids digestion and
makes its owner sturdy and fat, so were the agricultural products of
Asher's tribe of such excellent quality that they made fat those who
ate of them.
Joseph's stone was the onyx, that has the virtue of endowing him who
wears it with grace, and truly, by his grace, did Joseph find favor in
the eyes of all.
Jasper was Benjamin's stone, and as this stone turns color, being now
red, now green, now even black, so did Benjamin's feelings vary to his
brothers. Sometimes he was angry with them for having sold into slavery
Joseph, the only other brother by his mother Rachel, and in this mood
he came near betraying their deed to his father; but, that he might not
disgrace his brothers, he did not divulge their secret. To this
discretion on his part alludes the Hebrew name of his stone, Yashpeh,
which signifies, "There is a mouth," for Benjamin, though he had a
mouth, did not utter the words that would have covered his brothers
with disgrace. [357]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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