Pardes (פרד"ס) is a Kabbalistic theory of Biblical exegesis first advanced by Moses de León.[1] The term is an acronym formed from the initials of the Hebrew words for the following four approaches:
Literal - Imagistic & associative - Inter-textual - Mystical
- Peshat (פְּשָׁט) – "surface" ("straight") or the literal (direct) meaning.[2]
- Remez (רֶמֶז) – "hints" or the deep (allegoric: hidden or symbolic) meaning beyond just the literal sense. In the version of the New Zohar, Re'iah.
- Derash (דְּרַשׁ) – from Hebrew darash: "inquire" ("seek") – the comparative (midrashic) meaning, as given through similar occurrences.
- Sod (סוֹד) (pronounced with a long O as in 'lore') – "secret" ("mystery") or the esoteric/mystical meaning, as given through inspiration or revelation.
(1) On the first day of the second month... יהוה spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting, saying: (2) Take a census of the whole Israelite company [of fighters] by the clans of its ancestral houses, listing the names, every male, head by head....
(4) Associated with you shall be a participant from each tribe, each one the head of his ancestral house. (5) These are the names of the participants who shall assist you: From Reuben, Elizur son of Shedeur. (6) From Simeon, Shelumiel son of Zurishaddai. (7) From Judah, Nahshon son of Amminadab. (8) From Issachar, Nethanel son of Zuar. (9) From Zebulun, Eliab son of Helon. (10) From the sons of Joseph: from Ephraim, Elishama son of Ammihud; from Manasseh, Gamaliel son of Pedahzur. (11) From Benjamin, Abidan son of Gideoni. (12) From Dan, Ahiezer son of Ammishaddai. (13) From Asher, Pagiel son of Ochran. (14) From Gad, Eliasaph son of Deuel. (15) From Naphtali, Ahira son of Enan.
Is there anything to learn from the order they’re listed in?
How the tribes are to be stationed as they camp around the tabernacle / mishkan, or traveling desert sanctuary, is next described in this parsha. Here's a diagram:
Note our cultural bias towards drawing maps with north at the top. For the Hebrews, east is foremost (and would probably therefore be at the top):
(1) יהוה spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying: (2) The Israelites shall camp each man with his flag, under the banners [lit. signs] of their ancestral house; they shall camp around the Tent of Meeting at a distance.
(3) Camped on the front, or east side: the standard of the division of Judah, troop by troop. Chieftain of the Judites: Nahshon son of Amminadab.
The tribes are announced and given their spot clockwise starting from Judah. What might we learn from this sequencing?
The Torah also mentions that each camp had standard with signs or markings from the ancestral houses. According to tradition these are the images frequently associated with each:
How are the tribes ordered in the above image? What can we learn from this?
Look closely and you'll spot an important difference between this list and the two we looked at in Numbers 1-2.
12 flags visual midrash by Anna Fine Foer
https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/58302.23?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en
Where do these image associations come from?
There are two sections in the Torah, one at the end of Genesis before Jacob dies, the other at the end of Deuteronomy before Moses does, where the tribes are singled out for blessings and/or commentary on their underlying characteristics.
Rabbi Gershon Winkler elaborates in The Magic of the Ordinary: Recovering the Shamanic in Judaism that some tribes “carried specific animal powers and attributes while other tribes were assigned earth attributes such as tree, stones, or water:
Tribe of Reuben Water
Tribe of Simeon Buffalo
Tribe of Levi Aromatic Herbs
Tribe of Judah Lion
Tribe of Issachar Donkey
Tribe of Zebulun Seashore
Tribe of Dan Snake
Tribe of Naftali Female Deer
Tribe of Gad Lioness
Tribe of Asher Olive Tree
Tribe of Yosef Wild Colt
Tribe of Benjamin Wolf.”
(ה) שִׁמְע֥וֹן וְלֵוִ֖י אַחִ֑ים כְּלֵ֥י חָמָ֖ס מְכֵרֹתֵיהֶֽם׃ (ו) בְּסֹדָם֙ אַל־תָּבֹ֣א נַפְשִׁ֔י בִּקְהָלָ֖ם אַל־תֵּחַ֣ד כְּבֹדִ֑י כִּ֤י בְאַפָּם֙ הָ֣רְגוּ אִ֔ישׁ וּבִרְצֹנָ֖ם עִקְּרוּ־שֽׁוֹר׃ (ז) אָר֤וּר אַפָּם֙ כִּ֣י עָ֔ז וְעֶבְרָתָ֖ם כִּ֣י קָשָׁ֑תָה אֲחַלְּקֵ֣ם בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וַאֲפִיצֵ֖ם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {פ}
(ח) יְהוּדָ֗ה אַתָּה֙ יוֹד֣וּךָ אַחֶ֔יךָ יָדְךָ֖ בְּעֹ֣רֶף אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ יִשְׁתַּחֲו֥וּ לְךָ֖ בְּנֵ֥י אָבִֽיךָ׃ (ט) גּ֤וּר אַרְיֵה֙ יְהוּדָ֔ה מִטֶּ֖רֶף בְּנִ֣י עָלִ֑יתָ כָּרַ֨ע רָבַ֧ץ כְּאַרְיֵ֛ה וּכְלָבִ֖יא מִ֥י יְקִימֶֽנּוּ׃ (י) לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו עַ֚ד כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א שִׁילֹ֔ה וְל֖וֹ יִקְּהַ֥ת עַמִּֽים׃ (יא) אֹסְרִ֤י לַגֶּ֙פֶן֙ עִירֹ֔ה וְלַשֹּׂרֵקָ֖ה בְּנִ֣י אֲתֹנ֑וֹ כִּבֵּ֤ס בַּיַּ֙יִן֙ לְבֻשׁ֔וֹ וּבְדַם־עֲנָבִ֖ים סוּתֹֽה׃ (יב) חַכְלִילִ֥י עֵינַ֖יִם מִיָּ֑יִן וּלְבֶן־שִׁנַּ֖יִם מֵחָלָֽב׃ {פ}
(יג) זְבוּלֻ֕ן לְח֥וֹף יַמִּ֖ים יִשְׁכֹּ֑ן וְהוּא֙ לְח֣וֹף אֳנִיֹּ֔ת וְיַרְכָת֖וֹ עַל־צִידֹֽן׃ {פ}
(יד) יִשָּׂשכָ֖ר חֲמֹ֣ר גָּ֑רֶם רֹבֵ֖ץ בֵּ֥ין הַֽמִּשְׁפְּתָֽיִם׃ (טו) וַיַּ֤רְא מְנֻחָה֙ כִּ֣י ט֔וֹב וְאֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ כִּ֣י נָעֵ֑מָה וַיֵּ֤ט שִׁכְמוֹ֙ לִסְבֹּ֔ל וַיְהִ֖י לְמַס־עֹבֵֽד׃ {ס} (טז) דָּ֖ן יָדִ֣ין עַמּ֑וֹ כְּאַחַ֖ד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (יז) יְהִי־דָן֙ נָחָ֣שׁ עֲלֵי־דֶ֔רֶךְ שְׁפִיפֹ֖ן עֲלֵי־אֹ֑רַח הַנֹּשֵׁךְ֙ עִקְּבֵי־ס֔וּס וַיִּפֹּ֥ל רֹכְב֖וֹ אָחֽוֹר׃ (יח) לִישׁוּעָֽתְךָ֖ קִוִּ֥יתִי יְהֹוָֽה׃ {ס} (יט) גָּ֖ד גְּד֣וּד יְגוּדֶ֑נּוּ וְה֖וּא יָגֻ֥ד עָקֵֽב׃ {ס} (כ) מֵאָשֵׁ֖ר שְׁמֵנָ֣ה לַחְמ֑וֹ וְה֥וּא יִתֵּ֖ן מַֽעֲדַנֵּי־מֶֽלֶךְ׃ {ס} (כא) נַפְתָּלִ֖י אַיָּלָ֣ה שְׁלֻחָ֑ה הַנֹּתֵ֖ן אִמְרֵי־שָֽׁפֶר׃ {ס} (כב) בֵּ֤ן פֹּרָת֙ יוֹסֵ֔ף בֵּ֥ן פֹּרָ֖ת עֲלֵי־עָ֑יִן בָּנ֕וֹת צָעֲדָ֖ה עֲלֵי־שֽׁוּר׃ (כג) וַֽיְמָרְרֻ֖הוּ וָרֹ֑בּוּ וַֽיִּשְׂטְמֻ֖הוּ בַּעֲלֵ֥י חִצִּֽים׃ (כד) וַתֵּ֤שֶׁב בְּאֵיתָן֙ קַשְׁתּ֔וֹ וַיָּפֹ֖זּוּ זְרֹעֵ֣י יָדָ֑יו מִידֵי֙ אֲבִ֣יר יַעֲקֹ֔ב מִשָּׁ֥ם רֹעֶ֖ה אֶ֥בֶן יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (כה) מֵאֵ֨ל אָבִ֜יךָ וְיַעְזְרֶ֗ךָּ וְאֵ֤ת שַׁדַּי֙ וִיבָ֣רְכֶ֔ךָּ בִּרְכֹ֤ת שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ מֵעָ֔ל בִּרְכֹ֥ת תְּה֖וֹם רֹבֶ֣צֶת תָּ֑חַת בִּרְכֹ֥ת שָׁדַ֖יִם וָרָֽחַם׃ (כו) בִּרְכֹ֣ת אָבִ֗יךָ גָּֽבְרוּ֙ עַל־בִּרְכֹ֣ת הוֹרַ֔י עַֽד־תַּאֲוַ֖ת גִּבְעֹ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם תִּֽהְיֶ֙יןָ֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף וּלְקׇדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו׃ {פ}
(כז) בִּנְיָמִין֙ זְאֵ֣ב יִטְרָ֔ף בַּבֹּ֖קֶר יֹ֣אכַל עַ֑ד וְלָעֶ֖רֶב יְחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁלָֽל׃ (כח) כׇּל־אֵ֛לֶּה שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֑ר וְ֠זֹ֠את אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר לָהֶ֤ם אֲבִיהֶם֙ וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אוֹתָ֔ם אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּבִרְכָת֖וֹ בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֹתָֽם׃
(2) Assemble and hearken, O sons of Jacob;
Hearken to Israel your father:
(3) Reuben, you are my first-born,
My might and first fruit of my vigor,
Exceeding in rank
And exceeding in honor.
(4) Unstable as water, you shall excel no longer;
For when you mounted your father’s bed,
You brought disgrace—my couch he mounted!
(5) Simeon and Levi are a pair;
Their weapons are tools of lawlessness.
(6) Let not my person be included in their council,
Let not my being be counted in their assembly.
For when angry they slay a man,
And when pleased they maim an ox.
(7) Cursed be their anger so fierce,
And their wrath so relentless.
I will divide them in Jacob,
Scatter them in Israel.
(8) You, O Judah, your brothers shall praise;
Your hand shall be on the nape of your foes;
Your father’s sons shall bow low to you.
(9) Judah is a lion’s whelp;
On prey, my son, have you grown.
He crouches, lies down like a lion,
Like a lioness —who dare rouse him?
(10) The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet;
So that tribute shall come to him
And the homage of peoples be his.
(11) He tethers his ass to a vine,
His ass’s foal to a choice vine;
He washes his garment in wine,
His robe in blood of grapes.
(12) His eyes are darker than wine;
His teeth are whiter than milk.
(13) Zebulun shall dwell by the seashore;
He shall be a haven for ships,
And his flank shall rest on Sidon.
(14) Issachar is a strong-boned ass,
Crouching among the sheepfolds.
(15) When he saw how good was security,
And how pleasant was the country,
He bent his shoulder to the burden,
And became a toiling serf.
(16) Dan shall govern his people,
As one of the tribes of Israel.
(17) Dan shall be a serpent by the road,
A viper by the path,
That bites the horse’s heels
So that his rider is thrown backward.
(18) I wait for Your deliverance, O יהוה !
(19) Gad shall be raided by raiders,
But he shall raid at their heels.
(20) Asher’s bread shall be rich,
And he shall yield royal dainties.
(21) Naphtali is a hind let loose,
Which yields lovely fawns.
(22) Joseph is a wild ass,
A wild ass by a spring
—Wild colts on a hillside.
(23) Archers bitterly assailed him;
They shot at him and harried him.
(24) Yet his bow stayed taut,
And his arms were made firm
By the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob—
There, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel—
(25) The God of your father’s [house], who helps you,
And Shaddai who blesses you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that couches below,
Blessings of the breast and womb.
(26) The blessings of your father
Surpass the blessings of my ancestors,
To the utmost bounds of the eternal hills.
May they rest on the head of Joseph,
On the brow of the elect of his brothers.
(27) Benjamin is a ravenous wolf;
In the morning he consumes the foe,
And in the evening he divides the spoil.” (28) All these were the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what their father said to them as he bade them farewell, addressing to each a parting word appropriate to him.
(ח) וּלְלֵוִ֣י אָמַ֔ר תֻּמֶּ֥יךָ וְאוּרֶ֖יךָ לְאִ֣ישׁ חֲסִידֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִסִּיתוֹ֙ בְּמַסָּ֔ה תְּרִיבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מֵ֥י מְרִיבָֽה׃ (ט) הָאֹמֵ֞ר לְאָבִ֤יו וּלְאִמּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א רְאִיתִ֔יו וְאֶת־אֶחָיו֙ לֹ֣א הִכִּ֔יר וְאֶת־בָּנָ֖ו לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע כִּ֤י שָֽׁמְרוּ֙ אִמְרָתֶ֔ךָ וּבְרִיתְךָ֖ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃ (י) יוֹר֤וּ מִשְׁפָּטֶ֙יךָ֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְתוֹרָתְךָ֖ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יָשִׂ֤ימוּ קְטוֹרָה֙ בְּאַפֶּ֔ךָ וְכָלִ֖יל עַֽל־מִזְבְּחֶֽךָ׃ (יא) בָּרֵ֤ךְ יְהֹוָה֙ חֵיל֔וֹ וּפֹ֥עַל יָדָ֖יו תִּרְצֶ֑ה מְחַ֨ץ מׇתְנַ֧יִם קָמָ֛יו וּמְשַׂנְאָ֖יו מִן־יְקוּמֽוּן׃ {ס} (יב) לְבִנְיָמִ֣ן אָמַ֔ר יְדִ֣יד יְהֹוָ֔ה יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶ֖טַח עָלָ֑יו חֹפֵ֤ף עָלָיו֙ כׇּל־הַיּ֔וֹם וּבֵ֥ין כְּתֵפָ֖יו שָׁכֵֽן׃ {ס} (יג) וּלְיוֹסֵ֣ף אָמַ֔ר מְבֹרֶ֥כֶת יְהֹוָ֖ה אַרְצ֑וֹ מִמֶּ֤גֶד שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִטָּ֔ל וּמִתְּה֖וֹם רֹבֶ֥צֶת תָּֽחַת׃ (יד) וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד תְּבוּאֹ֣ת שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גֶּ֥רֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים׃ (טו) וּמֵרֹ֖אשׁ הַרְרֵי־קֶ֑דֶם וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גִּבְע֥וֹת עוֹלָֽם׃ (טז) וּמִמֶּ֗גֶד אֶ֚רֶץ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ וּרְצ֥וֹן שֹׁכְנִ֖י סְנֶ֑ה תָּב֙וֹאתָה֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף וּלְקׇדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו׃ (יז) בְּכ֨וֹר שׁוֹר֜וֹ הָדָ֣ר ל֗וֹ וְקַרְנֵ֤י רְאֵם֙ קַרְנָ֔יו בָּהֶ֗ם עַמִּ֛ים יְנַגַּ֥ח יַחְדָּ֖ו אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְהֵם֙ רִבְב֣וֹת אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְהֵ֖ם אַלְפֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ {ס} (יח) וְלִזְבוּלֻ֣ן אָמַ֔ר שְׂמַ֥ח זְבוּלֻ֖ן בְּצֵאתֶ֑ךָ וְיִשָּׂשכָ֖ר בְּאֹהָלֶֽיךָ׃ (יט) עַמִּים֙ הַר־יִקְרָ֔אוּ שָׁ֖ם יִזְבְּח֣וּ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֑דֶק כִּ֣י שֶׁ֤פַע יַמִּים֙ יִינָ֔קוּ וּשְׂפֻנֵ֖י טְמ֥וּנֵי חֽוֹל׃ {ס} (כ) וּלְגָ֣ד אָמַ֔ר בָּר֖וּךְ מַרְחִ֣יב גָּ֑ד כְּלָבִ֣יא שָׁכֵ֔ן וְטָרַ֥ף זְר֖וֹעַ אַף־קׇדְקֹֽד׃ (כא) וַיַּ֤רְא רֵאשִׁית֙ ל֔וֹ כִּי־שָׁ֛ם חֶלְקַ֥ת מְחֹקֵ֖ק סָפ֑וּן וַיֵּתֵא֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם צִדְקַ֤ת יְהֹוָה֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ {ס} (כב) וּלְדָ֣ן אָמַ֔ר דָּ֖ן גּ֣וּר אַרְיֵ֑ה יְזַנֵּ֖ק מִן־הַבָּשָֽׁן׃ (כג) וּלְנַפְתָּלִ֣י אָמַ֔ר נַפְתָּלִי֙ שְׂבַ֣ע רָצ֔וֹן וּמָלֵ֖א בִּרְכַּ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה יָ֥ם וְדָר֖וֹם יְרָֽשָׁה׃ {ס} (כד) וּלְאָשֵׁ֣ר אָמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ מִבָּנִ֖ים אָשֵׁ֑ר יְהִ֤י רְצוּי֙ אֶחָ֔יו וְטֹבֵ֥ל בַּשֶּׁ֖מֶן רַגְלֽוֹ׃ (כה) בַּרְזֶ֥ל וּנְחֹ֖שֶׁת מִנְעָלֶ֑ךָ וּכְיָמֶ֖יךָ דׇּבְאֶֽךָ׃
(1) This is the blessing with which Moses, God’s agent, bade the Israelites farewell before he died.
...
(5) Then [God] became King in Jeshurun,
When the heads of the people assembled,
The tribes of Israel together.
(6) May Reuben live and not die,
Though few be his numbers. (7) And this he said of Judah:
Hear, יהוה, the voice of Judah
And restore him to his people.
Though his own hands strive for him,
Help him against his foes. (8) And of Levi he said:
Let Your Thummim and Urim
Be with Your faithful one,
Whom You tested at Massah,
Challenged at the waters of Meribah;
(9) Who said of his father and mother,
“I consider them not.”
His brothers he disregarded,
Ignored his own children.
Your precepts alone they observed,
And kept Your covenant.
(10) They shall teach Your laws to Jacob
And Your instructions to Israel.
They shall offer You incense to savor
And whole-offerings on Your altar.
(11) Bless, יהוה, his substance,
And favor his undertakings.
Smite the loins of his foes;
Let his enemies rise no more. (12) Of Benjamin he said:
Beloved of יהוה,
He rests securely beside [God],
Who protects him always,
As he rests between God’s shoulders. (13) And of Joseph he said:
Blessed of יהוה be his land
With the bounty of dew from heaven,
And of the deep that couches below;
(14) With the bounteous yield of the sun,
And the bounteous crop of the moons;
(15) With the best from the ancient mountains,
And the bounty of hills immemorial;
(16) With the bounty of earth and its fullness,
And the favor of the Presence in the Bush.
May these rest on the head of Joseph,
On the crown of the elect of his brothers.
(17) Like a firstling bull in his majesty,
He has horns like the horns of the wild-ox;
With them he gores the peoples,
The ends of the earth one and all.
These are the myriads of Ephraim,
Those are the thousands of Manasseh. (18) And of Zebulun he said:
Rejoice, O Zebulun, on your journeys,
And Issachar, in your tents.
(19) They invite their kin to the mountain,
Where they offer sacrifices of success.
For they draw from the riches of the sea
And the hidden hoards of the sand. (20) And of Gad he said:
Blessed be the One who enlarges Gad!
Poised is he like a lion
To tear off arm and scalp.
(21) He chose for himself the best,
For there is the portion of the revered chieftain,
Where the heads of the people come.
He executed יהוה’s judgments
And God’s decisions for Israel. (22) And of Dan he said:
Dan is a lion’s whelp
That leaps forth from Bashan. (23) And of Naphtali he said:
O Naphtali, sated with favor
And full of יהוה’s blessing,
Take possession on the west and south. (24) And of Asher he said:
Most blessed of sons be Asher;
May he be the favorite of his brothers,
May he dip his foot in oil.
(25) May your doorbolts be iron and copper,
And your security last all your days.
Where else do we see the tribes represented and in what form?
Now let's consider the number 12. What is special about this number?
Where other things are organized in twelves?
(א) כל אלה שבטי ישראל שנים עשר. מספר השנים עשר בשבטי יעקב היה הכרחי, כי כן גם בעולם הגדול י"ב גבולות ואלכסונים וי"ב מזלות וי"ב צרופי הויה וי"ב שערי רקיע, שכל שבט מושך ברכתו מין הים העומד על שנים עשר בקר, ותמיד נשאר מספר זה, ...
"These tribes of Israel being twelve" (Gen 49:28)
That there were twelve tribes was deliberate, for in the macrocosm world there are also
- 12 planes and angles
- 12 signs of the zodiac
- 12 permutations of the Divine Name יהוה
Yes, that's right: the 12 tribes of Israel are traditionally associated with the 12 months of the year and the signs of the zodiac.
As well as each having a specific permutation of God's Four-Letter Name, plus attendant angelic forces:
According to one of our most ancient and arcane mystical texts, the Sefer Yetzirah, or Book of Formation, the number 12 (along with the numbers 32, 3, 22 and 7) is part of the fundamental cosmic design of the universe.
(א) בשלשים ושתים נתיבות פליאות חכמה חקק יה יהוה צבאות אלהי ישראל אלהים חיים ומלך עולם אל שדי רחום וחנון רם ונשא שוכן עד מרום וקדוש שמו וברא את עולמו בשלשה ספרים בספר וספר וספור:
(ב) עשר ספירות בלי מה ועשרים ושתים אותיות יסוד שלש אמות ושבע כפולות ושתים עשרה פשוטות:
(1) Yah, the Lord of hosts, the living God, King of the Universe, Omnipotent, All-Kind and Merciful, Supreme and Extolled, who is Eternal, Sublime and Most-Holy, ordained (formed) and created the Universe in thirty-two mysterious paths of wisdom by three Sepharim, namely: 1) S'for סְפָר; 2) Sippur סִפּוּר; and 3) Sapher סֵפֶר which are in Him one and the same. [R' Jill Hammer: "tome, tally and tale."]
(2) Ten inscriptions of the void and twenty-two foundation letters:
1) three אִמּוֹת mother letters; 2) seven double letters; and 3) twelve simple letters.
12 points positioned around a 13th, central point, is an important form in sacred geometry. What do you see when you gaze at the following images?
Also let's think about 13s for a second... and how many tribes are there again?
(א) כל אלה שבטי ישראל שנים עשר, אמר זה לפי שיוסף היה שני שבטים, אעפ"כ לא היו אלא שנים עשר בחלוקת הארץ, כי לוי לא נטל חלק בארץ; והנה שנים עשר שבטים.
(1) כל אלה שבטי ישראל שנים עשר, he had to mention this seeing that Joseph amounted to two tribes, which otherwise would have made us believe that Yaakov envisioned 13 tribes. When it came to the distribution of the land of Canaan there were only 12 tribes, seeing that the tribe of Levi did not share in that land distribution but was allocated only cities in which the Levites were to reside, scattered among all the other tribes.
(א) כל אלה שבטי ישראל אלה שהזכיר יעקב כאן הם הי''ב שבטים באמת אשר נכתבו על החשן והאפוד לזכרון לפני ה' והיו בברית הר גריזים והר עיבל וכנגדם הקים משה שתי' עשרה מצבה ויהושע הקי' אבני' בירדן ובגלגל ואליהו הקי' אבנים במזבח אבל מנשה ואפרים לא היו במנין השבטים זולתי בענין ירושת הארץ והנמשך אליה בהעד' שבט לוי: (
(1) כל אלה שבטי ישראל, the ones Yaakov mentioned here were the true twelve tribes of Israel, the names inscribed on the breastplate of the High Priest as commended to G’d’s special attention. They are also the ones who were mentioned as such at the covenant on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eyval. The twelve stones which Moses erected also symbolised these twelve tribes. Again. Joshua erected 12 stones at the Jordan as well as at Gilgal, and Elijah erected 12 stones at the altar. In none of these instances are Ephrayim and Menashe treated as separate tribes. They only figured as separate tribes when it came to the land distribution, seeing that the tribe of Levi did not share in that.
Any other 12s in Torah you can think of?
The 'cultic dodecalog' (a bit less universalistic than our familiar 10 commandments):
These 12 commandments are not specifically mapped onto the 12 tribes. However, this scene which Sforno mentioned just before, of the covenanting described in Deut 27, at the site of 12 giant white-washed stones and the tribes arrayed on two sides of a valley, centers round 12 sins which incur a curse; these curses are associated with the tribes - and their respective fatal flaws - at least by the commentators:
ושם בסתר - כל הארורים שנים עשר כנגד שנים עשר שבטים וכולם עבירות שרגילים להיות בסתר, הם כמו שאפרש בכולם חוץ משנים שרגילים להיות פעמים בגלוי ופעמים בסתר והן עבודת גילולים. ומכה רעהו.
ושם בסתר, there are a total of 12 “curses” corresponding to the 12 tribes, all of the sins mentioned in them being of the type that one commits in private, when one is unobserved and no witnesses are present. I will explain all of them. ....