Adapted by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks; From the teachings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe
We read in our Sidra that Jacob twice called his sons to gather round him and listen to his blessings and prophecies. The Rabbis infer that these were two separate events, though they followed each other closely in time. What he said on the second occasion is narrated in the subsequent verses. But as to what happened on the first, the Torah is silent. The Rebbe discusses the Rabbinic explanation of this event, in which Jacob tried to reveal to his sons “the end of days,” and concludes with a searching investigation into the meaning of “the end of days” for our own time.
1. What Jacob Did Not Say
“And Jacob called to his sons and said: Gather yourselves together and I will relate to you what will happen to you in later days.’’
The Rabbis comment on this verse, that “Jacob wished to reveal to his sons the end of days, but the Divine Presence (the Shechinah—which gave him his power of prophecy) departed from him.”
But what forces the Rabbis to make this interpretation? The literal reading of the verse on the face of it would be to understand Jacob as referring to the blessings which he was to give his sons, and which are mentioned later in the chapter.
Some commentators explain the Rabbis to be concerned with the phrase, “in later days,” which elsewhere in the Torah has the meaning of “at the end of days.”
But this is difficult to accept. Firstly, because “in later days,” does not always have this meaning. For example, when Balaam says to Balak, “I will announce to you what this people will do to your people in later days,” Rashi takes this as a reference to the time of King David. Secondly, even if we accept that Jacob wished to speak about the end of days, why should we say that he wished to “reveal” to his sons when this would be? It seems closer to the literal sense of the verse to say he merely wanted to tell them what would happen then—as he proceeds to do
