Spark of Jewish Experience

Why is it necessary that Am Yisrael consist of twelve distinct “shvatim” – tribes? Wouldn’t it be better to be one homogenous society? Would this not be a more appropriate framework through which the ONE G-d is represented? Why must the friction between Yosef and Yehuda continue, as seen throughout Tanach?
Perhaps we take our cue from the 12 tribes. Today, we have an interesting mix: Sephardic, Ashkenazi, Bukharian, Persian, Hungarian, Polish, Syrian, Moroccan, German, Turkish and many more. On one hand, Torah seems to be quite pro-tribal from the get-go. From the beginning, Jacob’s twelve sons are slated to father – the twelve tribes of Israel.
Interesting, there is a link between the twelve tribes and the Tower of Bavel.
“Come, let us build us a city, and a tower with its top in the heavens, and let us make a name for ourselves, lest we be dispersed across the whole earth.” [Bereshit11:4]. It seemed like peace and harmony has been restored since the days before the flood, the Torah describes “devarim achadim” literally — ‘common words’. There was a unity of purpose amongst the people; they were all dedicated to a common cause – a new world order, a universal government ruling all of mankind. Sounds heavenly, right? Everyone spoke the same language and everyone had the same thoughts. It was living on “planet Vulckin”. A society that was brainwashed into conformity had “few things to say.”
However, did they really care about each other? Did they really achieve the purpose of life? Where is the challenge? Did they strive to be better citizens? Where is the growth which one achieves through his association with others?
G-d tested man. HE said “Show me real unity; show me real brotherly love”. G-d then mixed the languages. When a fellow said “hand me a hammer”, his friend thought he said “hit me over the head with it”. That caused quite a stir. He had to restrain himself from getting angry at his friend, bump on the head and all. For the first time people had to tolerate each other. It was now difficult to have a world order. Only my kind is the best.
This time G-d chose not to destroy the “Tower of Babel” generation but rather to force it to dismantle its rigid conformity. A different language, a different culture, different ideas, different strokes for different folks, all of this was part of G-d’s plan for humanity. The Talmud teaches us “destruction of an evil society is a boon for that society and for the world generally. And thus the destruction of the people of the generation of the Tower of Babel is to be seen as a most positive development in the evolution of human civilization.”
Man, though, always attempts to have that “unified body” similar to the “Tower of Bavel” period. It’s an attractive idea, very politically correct. The “new world order” philosophy has been submerged. Even though it is fundamentally discredited, it still exists and from time to time it continues to pop up. At the end of World War I, the nations of the world joined together to try to form a “new world order”. They tried to create a “League of Nations”. The League of Nations lasted a few years and then World War II began. Following World War II, another attempt was made – in San Francisco. This time it is called “The United Nations”. We all know, over fifty years later, how bankrupt and corrupt such an institution can become. We all know how far the reality has fallen short of the dream. The then President George W Bush again raised the idea of “a new world order” after the Iraqi war. Six months later – the coalition had fallen apart. It is the same story all over again. The idea subsides, and from time to time it will pop up. Until the coming of the Messiah, there will not be a “new world order” of universal government.

As the Tower of Bavel was on the verge of fading, G-d was planting the seed for a special nation in wake of the events at Migdal Bavel. It was G-d’s hope that this special Nation would serve as a catalyst in leading all Seventy Nations towards a G-dly existence. Towards this purpose, Avraham Avinu was chosen and towards this purpose, the existence of “shvatim” becomes crucial. Let’s explain: Man, by his very nature, tends to group into distinct societies, each people with its own ‘flag’; its own character, personality, goals and aspirations. These societies eventually evolve into nations which may at times fight over opposing goals, which will lead to war, some of which with devastating results. Nevertheless some nations cooperate for the attainment of common goals. Through His agent, Am Yisrael, G-d hopes that all nations, while remaining distinct, will recognize the common purpose for the creation of man, and cooperate for the achievement of that goal.
…..And what is that goal? It is to co-exist, respect each other’s qualities where at the same time push the envelope of our potential to the highest degree and to place a commitment to G-d and his Torah, whether personal or as a nation, to the ultimate level.
King Solomon came very close in achieving this spiritual height of unifying the world, although neglecting some issues at home; by attempting to marry many of the queens of other nations (he had a thousand wives against Torah’s advice). However, even the smartest man that ever lived failed for he fell walking the tightrope between Gan Eden and Gehenom. Yes, the reader heard correct; because Shlomo allowed Idol worship through his wives in his palace, perhaps because he couldn’t keep track of all of them, the heavenly court strongly considered placing him in Gehenom.
A leader has to be in tune with his people. Checking on the pulse of the nation was top priority. The nation although in harmony at the time, nevertheless was breaking at the seams. The Jewish kingdom split after Solomon’s death and was never the same. The once glorious Jewish monarch was shamed.
Interestingly, the Shvatim were G d`s pride and joy.

In the Torah portion of Vayechi – which closes the book of Genesis – we read how Jacob blesses his children, the twelve tribes, in his last days:
All these are the twelve tribes of Israel… everyone according to his blessing he blessed them. (Gen. 49:28) What is the meaning of the words “everyone is according to his blessing?”
“Blessing” in Hebrew also means to ‘draw down’ (in Hebrew, ‘hamshocho’, from the root ‘mavrich’). Every one of the tribes has his particular journey, his specific energy which he must manifest in this world. Indeed, our Sages teach that the Red sea split into twelve paths, providing a separate path for each of the twelve tribes.

As we see in Yaakov’s “brachot” to his sons, each “shevet” possesses its own special character, whose traits can be harnessed towards a common good. As G-d’s model Nation, the cooperation between the ‘Twelve Tribes of Israel’ towards the fulfillment of their spiritual and national goals can serve as an archetype which the Seventy Nations can follow. Through the harmony of the tribes the Nation of Avraham becomes a ‘blessing’ to all nations (see 12:1-3). Mankind realizes its potential, where then Am Yisrael fulfills one of its spiritual destiny.
This is a major theme in our holy books. We see a pattern in the Torah concerning the importance and respect of the tribes, from the everyday Torah reading of Chanukah to the tribes crossing of the Jordan which actually completed the Jewish nation’s exodus from Egypt. Prior to their leaving, G-d declared this when stating the purpose of the exodus. G-d said, “And I will bring them to the land which I promised them” (Shmot 6:8). In describing the exodus from Egypt the Torah refers to it as “leaving Egypt according to their respective groups.” Rashi (see commentary to Shmot 6:26) understands this to refer to the individual grouping of the Jewish people according to their respective tribes.

On the day when the Tabernacle was inaugurated, the tribal leaders wished to bring inauguration gifts. Collectively they brought six covered wagons and twelve oxen to assist in transporting the Tabernacle when the Jews traveled. In addition, as representative of their respective tribes, they wished to offer individual gifts and offering. G-d instructed Moses to accept these gifts, and that on each the following twelve days one of the leaders should bring his individual gifts. Although each leader brought identical gifts, the Torah describes each one individually. We repeat the same occurrence for each tribe. Interestingly, the Torah is not one to waste ink. Each Shevet brought the same to the Mishkan. Why? The Torah is trying to teach us; even though they brought the same it was in actuality different. Each had a different energy to it that only that Shevet can present.

Twelve months, 12 tribes, 12 zodiac constellations – they all revolve around each other in a spiritual realm and influence us from above. The kabbalistic Book of Creation, attributed to Abraham, reveals the underpinnings of the universe, and ties together sets of 12.
If you want to be more in touch with the spiritual forces influencing the world, you must get back in touch with a Hebrew calendar. Each Hebrew month has its own flavor and impact on us.
The Hebrew word for “tribe” is shevet, which also means “staff” or “rod”. A ruler used to have a staff, rod or scepter as a symbol of power and authority. Just as a ruler has power over the people, tribes had a power structure, and the months of the year have authority over us.
For this reason Yaakov mourned his son, Yosef. As long as there were twelve that would be the elevation of spirituality in the world and Yaakov held the required tradition passed down. However, with Yosef missing, the 12 -was incomplete, and therefore – the world was incomplete.
The pattern continues:
“And they came to Elim and there were twelve springs of water and seventy date palms.” (Shemos/Exodus 15:27)
The Torah informs us that while the Jewish nation journeyed from Egypt they encountered a place called Elim where, Rashi explains, the twelve springs they found corresponded to the twelve tribes of Israel – the families of the twelve sons of Yaakov (Jacob).
Rabbi Avigdor Miller notes that the number of springs signified G-d’s plan to encourage each tribe to maintain its individuality. As they came to draw water, each tribe frequented its own spring placed there to honor them. The Talmud enumerates that the tribe of Zevulun had a disposition to sailing and commerce whereas the tribe of Yissachar were sages and scribes. The Torah clearly testifies to G-d’s will that differences should persist. When the People of Israel stood at Mount Sinai, Moshe was commanded to erect twelve monuments corresponding to the twelve tribes, and throughout their journeys in the wilderness they encamped separately, each tribe under its own flag. Further, when Moshe was commanded to make the garments for the High Priest, certain garments had the names of the twelve tribes engraved on them.

Every tribe possessed its peculiar characteristics that were a key component to its contributions to the Jewish nation. These characteristics were G-d given and, therefore, mandated maintenance and cultivation. Thus, like a single body needs different limbs and organ systems each performing its own function according to its makeup to enable the survival of the entire organism, so too the tribes, although unified as one body in brotherhood, had different talents and proclivities. An additional purpose in maintaining the individual status of the tribes was that it reduced the chance of a disloyal innovator seizing power and turning the nation away from G-d. Since each tribe later possessed its own land and talents this would prevent a renegade tribe from influencing the rest of the Children of Israel.

Rabbi Miller concludes that because of this principle, they respected each other’s customs and idiosyncrasies, and they learned to refrain from making light of the manners or practices of the other tribes. It was obvious to them that G-d favored these differences and they were united by loyalty to one G-d and His law.

Unfortunately, today there are still differences between groups, cultures of loyal Jews in their traditions concerning nuances of Hebrew pronunciation, garb, and details of their outlooks on issues. Some of these differences may find their way back to those differences expressed by differing tribes. However, even for those not traced back to the twelve tribes, we still understand that there is nothing wrong with differences in tradition as long as they were established and in accordance with loyalty to G-d and His law. Some groups of Jews excel in Torah study, others in prayer, and others in act of chessed (loving kindness) and we must learn to appreciate the talents of all of the groups. We are like one unified body with different limbs. It would be unthinkable that one should appreciate one of the organs in the human body but not another. Every aspect of the body is necessary and purposeful. So is with the people of Israel.
How fitting of the purpose of the twelve tribes relate to the name of our nation.
[Bereshit 49:8] Targum Yonoton ben Uziel interprets the opening words of this pasuk [verse] (Yehudah – ata yoducha achecha) to mean that the Jewish people will be called by his name (Yehudi), rather than by the name of any other tribe. The other tribes will acknowledge and respect that Yehuda is the leader. Yehuda will unify the nation.

The commentaries explain that the name Yehudah shares the same root as the Hebrew word hoda’ah, which means acknowledgement or submission. One who acknowledges G-d’s existence and submits to His authority–to the extent that he is willing to sacrifice his life for the sanctification of His name–he is called a Yehudi.

Hence Abraham is commonly referred to as “The First Jew.” As the first person to use his own cognitive abilities to discover and recognize the one G-d, reject the idolatrous ways of his ancestors and contemporaries, actively publicized the truth of G-d and was prepared to give his very life for these goals–Abraham epitomized “Jewishness” many centuries before the term came into common use.
Up until this point, the descendants of the Patriarchs were called by the name Ivri (as in Bereshis 14:13; 39:14; 41:12). It is interesting that, in all the earlier places in the Book of Bereshit, Targum Unkelus translates the word Ivri as Avra-ah (ayin veis reish aleph hay), the Aramaic equivalent of Ivri. However, the first time the word is used subsequent to this blessing bestowed on Yehudah by his father [Shmot 2:11], Unkelus translates this very word (Ivri) differently. He translates it as Yehdai (yud hay vov daled aleph yud). Subsequent to Parshas Vayechi, it is established that Jews are called Yehudim, so when a subsequently reference is made to a member of the Hebrews in Chumash, the Targum translates the word as a derivative of the name Yehudah.

“Yoducha Achicha” The fact that the other tribes will acknowledge and respect that Yehuda is the leader is a unification coronation. It is Yehuda, his character trait, his name, that will unify the nation. Yehuda’s essence will predominantly cover, like a blanket; will typify the nation as a whole.

Conformity is an outer feature of life – everyone dressed the same and apparently behaving in like fashion – while unity is more a matter of the heart and soul, of the inner self of the Jew. We should never forget the role of our father Abraham – the prophet called him, “one, unique” – in rejecting conformity and advancing the true unity of G-d and man, of society and the Jewish people, in the pursuit of goodness, justice and kindness towards all.

The rabbis in the Talmud stated, “Just as no two human beings are ever exactly alike physically, so too no two human beings ever share exactly the same opinions and thoughts [about life and events.]” The rabbis were pointing out the reality of the human condition. They saw unity for the purpose for good causes – those promoted by the Torah and Jewish tradition – as a positive goal to be achieved. But they warned us not to confuse unity of purpose with conformity of thought and style, similar to those of the generation of the Tower of Bavel. The Twelve Tribes promote unity and individuality and filter it throughout the world.