The Wives and Children of Jacob - The 12 Tribes
LinksThe children of Jacob, as a group
The effect of the intercourse of the Serpent was felt until the combined merit of 3 generations wiped it out and the 12 Tribes were born: Shabbat 146a
The brothers didn't drink wine, or perhaps didn't get drunk, during the time when Joseph was gone: Shabbat 139a
The Brothers failing to recognize Joseph because of his newly grown beard: Ketuvot 27b; Bava Metzia 39b
The brothers bowing to Joseph: Megillah 16b
Jacob's concern that they may have been unfit, leading to his inability to reveal to them the time of the Messiah: Pesachim 56a
Originators of the phrase "Shema Yisrael": Pesachim 56a
Each tribe ultimately produced a Judge and a Prophet: Succah 27b
Jacob's sons let Joseph lead the burial of Jacob, because his monarchy was appropriate for Jacob's honor: Sotah 13a
Reuven
Reuven's name indicated the contrast between him and Esav, in that he wasn't jealous of Joseph: Berachot 7b
Reading the story of Reuven and Bilhah in public: Megillah 25a, 25b
Translating the story of Reuven and Bilhah in public: Megillah 25a, 25b
Reuven's share in Israel contained a City of Refuge because he tried to save Joseph's life: Makkot 10a
Reuven admitted his role in the story with Bilhah, and was not embarrassed, and so he merited entry into the next world, and his children took the first piece of land in Israel: Sotah 7b
Yehudah's self-offered ex-communication had to be rescinded officially, even though the condition [loss of Binyamin] did not come true. Moses prayed to HaShem to repeal it, after Yehudah's bones refused to rest in the Jews' travels through the desert. HaShem repealed it because Yehudah's admission of error with Tamar was what allowed Reuven to admit his error involving Bilhah, and to merit the next world: Sotah 7b; Makkot 11b
The value in Reuven's admission of his role in moving Bilhah's bed was that this removed his brothers from suspicion: Sotah 7b
Yehudah
Yehudah's self-offered ex-communication had to be rescinded officially, even though the condition [loss of Binyamin] did not come true. Moses prayed to HaShem to repeal it, after Yehudah's bones refused to rest in the Jews' travels through the desert. HaShem repealed it because Yehudah's admission of error with Tamar was what allowed Reuven to admit his error involving Bilhah, and to merit the next world: Sotah 7b; Makkot 11b
Married the daughter of a Merchant ["Kenaani" = Merchant]: Pesachim 50a
Yehudah's plea to Joseph, after the Cup was found in Binyamin's sack: Shabbat 105a
The case of Tamar was tried in the court of Shem: Makkot 23b
Samson was disgraced in Timnah, and so he is described as descending to Timnah; Yehudah was elevated in Timnah, and so he is described as ascending to Timnah. Alternatively, there are topographical explanations for the descriptions: Sotah 10a
Attributing Yehudah's loss of his social status, and ultimately of his family, to his beginning a Mitzvah of saving Joseph and not completing it: Sotah 13b
Why Yehudah didn't recognize Tamar on the road: Megillah 10b; Sotah 10b
Yehudah asked Tamar whether she was Jewish, and whether she was single, and whether she was pure, before taking her: Sotah 10a
Yehudah's greatness, in admitting his error vis-a-vis Tamar: Megillah 25b
Yehudah admitted his role in the story with Tamar, and was not embarrassed, and so he merited entry into the next world, and the monarchy went to his tribe: Sotah 7b
A Divine Voice confirming Yehudah's statement that he was the father of Tamar's children: Makkot 23b; Sotah 10b
Tamar said to Yehudah, "Haker Na [Recognize this, please]," just as Yehudah had said to his father, regarding Yosef's cloak, "Haker Na": Sotah 10b
Tamar said to Yehudah, "Recognize the face of your Creator, and don't turn your eyes from me": Sotah 10b
When Yehudah admitted his involvement with Tamar, a Divine Voice announced, "You saved Tamar and her two sons; I will save your three descendants [Chananiah, Mishael and Azariah]" from the fire: Sotah 10b
Yehudah sanctified Gd's Name in public, and so Gd incorporated His whole Name into Yehudah's Name: Sotah 10b
The end of the relationship between Yehudah and Tamar: Sotah 10b
The advice of Haman's advisors to him, regarding dealing with Mordechai, based upon Mordechai's tribe, if he was from Yehudah, Binyamin, Ephraim or Menasheh: Megillah 16a
Reading the story of Yehudah and Tamar in public: Megillah 25a, 25b
Translating the story of Yehudah and Tamar in public: Megillah 25a, 25b
The sins of Yehudah's sons, Er and Onan: Niddah 13a, 13b
Dan
Dan's descendants are more litigious than the other tribes' descendants: Pesachim 4a
Chushim ben Dan was deaf: Sotah 13a
The story of Esav's attempt to block the burial of Jacob in the cave of Machpelah, and the role played by Naftali in getting the bill of sale, and of Chushim ben Dan in killing Esav. Esav's eyes landed on Jacob's feet, and Jacob opened his eyes and laughed: Sotah 13a
Naftali
Naftali's speed: Sotah 13a
The tribe of Zevulun's apparent jealousy of Naftali's share in Israel: Megillah 6a
The story of Esav's attempt to block the burial of Jacob in the cave of Machpelah, and the role played by Naftali in getting the bill of sale, and of Chushim ben Dan in killing Esav. Esav's eyes landed on Jacob's feet, and Jacob opened his eyes and laughed: Sotah 13a
Asher
Serach bat Asher told Moses about Joseph's burial in the Nile: Sotah 13a
Yissaschar
His reward, and that of Joseph, goes to those who practice generous acts and learn Torah: Bava Kama 17a
His trait is that of [Binah] understanding: Eruvin 100b; Bava Kama 17a
Leah came to Yaakov for sexual relations willingly, and so she merited to have a son [Yissachar] whose children were even wiser than the sages of Moshe's generation: Eruvin 100b
Zevulun
His descendants prefer to live by the seashore: Pesachim 4a
The tribe of Zevulun's apparent jealousy of Naftali's share in Israel: Megillah 6a
Deenah
Rape by Shechem: Yoma 77b (See Rashi)
Joseph
The value of the special coat which Jacob gave to Joseph: Megillah 16b
When Jacob sent Joseph from Chevron, it was according to Gd's plan, as Gd had told Avraham that his descendants would be strangers in a land which would not be theirs: Sotah 11a
The pit Joseph was thrown into was empty of water, but contained snakes and scorpions: Chagigah 3a
Joseph not drinking wine during the time when he was away from his brothers: Shabbat 139a
Potiphar acquired Joseph intending to abuse him; the angel Gavriel wounded him in a way which made this impossible: Sotah 13b
Whether Joseph would have been liable for a penalty in a human court, for involvement with the wife of Potiphar: Makkot 9a
When Joseph refused to listen to Potiphar's wife, "to recline by her and to be with her," that referred to refusal to be with her in both this world and the next world: Sotah 3b
Joseph sanctified Gd's Name in private, and so Gd added one of the letters of His Name to Joseph's name; Joseph is sometimes identified as "Yehosef": Sotah 10b
Gd manipulated the dealings of the butler and baker, specifically to save Joseph: Megillah 13b
Joseph was freed from the Egyptian jail on Rosh HaShanah: Rosh HaShanah 10b, 11a-b
Joseph caused the Egyptian astrologers to lose their positions: Sotah 13b
Joseph was identified as "[dead] bones" in his lifetime because he allowed his brothers to refer to Jacob as Joseph's servant: Sotah 13b
Joseph's gift to Binyamin, and why he gave it to him: Megillah 16a-b
Why Joseph cried when he met Binyamin, and Binyamin cried when he met Joseph, in Egypt: Megillah 16b
How long Joseph spent away from Jacob: Megillah 17a
Joseph's message of reassurance to his brothers, when they feared retribution: Megillah 16b
Joseph left 3 troves of gold in Egypt; one went to Korach, one to Antoninus, and one will go to the righteous in the future: Pesachim 119a
His Reward, and that of Yissaschar, goes to those who practice Generous acts and learn Torah: Bava Kama 17a
Joseph's trait is that his enemies fall before him: Bava Kama 17a
Joseph died before his brothers because he took a position of authority: Sotah 13b
The people who carried Joseph's coffin through the desert: Succah 25a-b
Joseph was the most prominent of the brothers and he took care of burying Jacob, and so Moses, the most prominent of the Jews, took care of Joseph's burial: Sotah 9b
Joseph and his descendants are immune from the evil eye [ayin hara]: Berachot 20a
Joseph's descendants said "Let the nation take care of Joseph's body; it is a greater honor to have more people involved." The Jews said "Let Moses do it; it is a greater honor to have a greater person do it": Sotah 13b
Because Moses, who was so prominent, involved himself with the burial of Joseph, Gd Himself involved Himself with Moses's burial: Sotah 9b
Moses got Joseph's bones while the Jews were looting Egypt: Sotah 13a
Serach bat Asher told Moses about Joseph's burial in the Nile: Sotah 13a
Alternatively, Joseph's coffin was in a royal Egyptian mausoleum: Sotah 13a
Moses calling up Joseph's bones, making their iron container float up: Sotah 13a
The ark containing Joseph's bones travelled next to the Ark of the Torah in the desert; "This one fulfilled all that was in that one": Sotah 13a-b
Joseph was buried in Shechem, because he had been stolen from there: Sotah 13b
The Jewish people get the credit for taking Joseph out of Egypt, because they completed the job after Moshe died: Sotah 13b
The death of the Messiah descendant from the Tribe of Joseph: Succah 52a [2x]
R' Yochanan was a descendant of Joseph: Berachot 20a
BinyaminTamar
Why Yehudah didn't recognize Tamar on the road: Megillah 10b; Sotah 10b
Her modesty merited descendants who were Kings and Prophets: Megillah 10b; Sotah 10b
King David was a descendant of hers: Megillah 10b; Sotah 10b
Yeshayah was a descendant of hers: Megillah 10b; Sotah 10b
Reading the story of Yehudah and Tamar in public: Megillah 25a, 25b
Translating the story of Yehudah and Tamar in public: Megillah 25a, 25b
Tamar went to the entrance of Avraham's tent, which was a place to which everyone looked, and so it was called "The Entrance of the Eyes." Alternatively, this was the place's name. Alternatively, the name came from the way she "gave eyes to her words" in convincing Yehudah that she was permitted to him: Sotah 10a
Yehudah asked Tamar whether she was Jewish, and whether she was single, and whether she was pure, before taking her: Sotah 10a
When Tamar was being taken out to be killed, Samael came and tried to remove the items which identified Yehudah as the father, rendering her a "mute dove;" Gavriel came and brought them back: Sotah 10b
We learn from Tamar's refusal to identify Yehudah outright that it would be better for a person to be exposed to a fiery furnace than for him to humiliate someone else in public: Sotah 10b; Bava Metzia 59a
Tamar said to Yehudah, "Haker Na [Recognize this, please]," just as Yehudah had said to his father, regarding Yosef's cloak, "Haker Na": Sotah 10b
Tamar said to Yehudah, "Recognize the face of your Creator, and don't turn your eyes from me": Sotah 10b
The end of the relationship between Yehudah and Tamar: Sotah 10b
MenashehEphraim
