BLESSINGS AND REBUKE

When Jacob called his sons together at the beginning of Parshat Vayechi, it would appear that the idea behind this final family gathering was for Jacob to bless his sons. But not all of Jacob’s pronouncements convey a blessing vibe; on the contrary they seem rather harsh and severe. Rabbi Dunner delves into the correlation between rebuke and blessing, citing a fabulous piece by the Chasam Sofer about Reuven’s “blessing”, as well as an amazing insight into the gathering of Jacob’s sons by the Emess LeYaakov.