Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
death, whereas the kid of the goats recalled Jair, son of Manasseh, who
died childless. The two oxen of the peace offering indicated that the
possessions of the tribe of Manasseh were to be divided into two parts,
one on this side the Jordan, and one beyond it. The three kinds of
small cattle for peace offerings corresponded to the triple attempt of
Joseph to influence his father in favor of Manasseh, whereas the five
head of each indicated the five daughters of Zelophehad, the only women
who, like men, received their shares in the distribution of the
promised land. [396]
As the sanctuary stood first in Shiloh, Joseph's possession, then in
Jerusalem, Benjamin's possession, so did this tribe with its sacrifices
follow Joseph's tribes. The charger signified Rachel, the mother of
Benjamin, who bore him to Jacob when he was a hundred years old, and in
memory of this, as well as of Benjamin's attainment of thirty years
when he came to Egypt, the weight of the charger amounted to one
hundred and thirty shekels. The bowl indicated the cup Joseph employed
to discover his brothers' sentiments toward Benjamin, and both vessels,
charger and cup, were filled with fine flour, for both Joseph's and
Benjamin's lands were found worthy being sited for God's sanctuary. The
spoon of then shekels of gold full of incense corresponded to the ten
sons of Benjamin, all of whom were pious men. The three burnt offering
corresponded to the three temples erected in Jerusalem, Benjamin's
property, the Temple of Solomon, the Temple of the exiles returned from
Babylon, and the Temple to be erected by the Messiah. The sin offering,
the kid of the goats, points to the building of the Temple by the
wicked king Herod, who atoned for his execution of the learned men by
the erection of the santuary. The two oxen of the peace offering
corresponded to the two deliverers of the Jews that sprang from the
tribe of Benjamin, Mordecai, and Esther. The five heads each of the
three kinds of small cattle for a peace offering symbolized the triple
distinction of Benjamin and his tribe by five gifts. The gift of honor
that Joseph gave his brother Benjamin five times exceeded that of all
his other brothers; when Joseph made himself known to his brothers, he
gave Benjamin five changes of raiment, and so too did the Benjamite
Mordecai receive from Ahasuerus five garments of state. [397]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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