Friday, January 02, 2015

I don't understand the Shechinah's logic in Gen: 48


I don't understand the Shechinah, or how it works in Genesis 8, as interpreted by Rashi. Here are the passages:

Then Israel saw Joseph's sons, and he said, "Who are these?"ח. וַיַּרְא יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת בְּנֵי יוֹסֵף וַיֹּאמֶר מִי אֵלֶּה:
Then Israel saw Joseph’s sons: He attempted to bless them, but the Shechinah withdrew from him because of Jeroboam and Ahab, who were destined to be born from Ephraim, and Jehu and his sons, [who were destined to be born] from Manasseh. — [from Tanchuma Vayechi 6] [Jeroboam the son of Nebat, the first king of the Northern Kingdom, and Ahab the son of Omri were notorious idolaters.]וירא ישראל את בני יוסף: בקש לברכם ונסתלקה שכינה ממנו, לפי שעתיד ירבעם ואחאב לצאת מאפרים, ויהוא ובניו ממנשה

Did the Shechina also withdraw when Issac attempted to bless Yaakov? Jeroboam and Ahab and Jehu were decendants of Yaakov, too. For that matter, how did the Shechina allow Yaakov to bless Joseph? He wa also a forefather of Jeroboam and Ahab and Jehu? And what about the other 11 brothers? Didn't they have any evil decendants? Levi gave us Korach. Shimi ben Gerah came from Binyamin. Countless kings of Judah were evil. Yet the Shechina didn't withdraw when Yaakov went to bless Levi, Benjamin or Judah.

Even worse we see that Yosef is able to address the Shechina's concern, allowing it to return and permit the blessing.

Joseph said to his father, "They are my sons, whom God gave me here." So he said, "Now bring them near to me, so that I may bless them."ט. וַיֹּאמֶר יוֹסֵף אֶל אָבִיו בָּנַי הֵם אֲשֶׁר נָתַן לִי אֱלֹהִים בָּזֶה וַיֹּאמַר קָחֶם נָא אֵלַי וַאֲבָרֲכֵם:

here: Heb. בָּזֶה, lit., in this, or with this. He (Joseph) showed him (Jacob) the document of betrothal and the kethubah , and Joseph prayed for mercy concerning the matter, and the Holy Spirit [returned and] rested upon him (Jacob). - [from Kallah Rabbathi 3:19]בזה: [הראה לו] שטר אירוסין ושטר כתובה, ובקש יוסף רחמים על הדבר ונחה עליו רוח הקדש:

Joseph produces his marriage documents, and the shechinah is satisfied. Why didn't the Sehchinah know that Yosef has produced his sons thorugh a legal marriage? And why did that eliminate the Shechina's concern about Jehu Ahab and Jereboam.

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