Twelve Tribes Chart

שבטDAY IN NISSAN OF NASI OFFERINGFLAGMEANING IN NAMEMONTH/ BODY SYMBOLיהודה1ST יום ראשוןT'cheilet, the blue dye used for tzitzis; on the flag is embroidered a lion, the symbol of royalty (King David & Moshiach)His name means to give thanks, in speechNISSAN "The new year for kings"; the king rules his people by the power of his speech, as is said "for the word of the king is his rule."יששכר2ND יום שניBlack with an embroidered sun and moon; dedicated to the spiritual world. Black represents a lack of physical possessions.The master of the "secret" of the Jewish calendar, "knowers of understanding the times"; basic nature is contemplative and serves as the "advisor" to all the brethrenIYAR Thought implies contemplation and introspection; also signifies the power of calculation (as in the calculation of the calendar); the month of counting ("sefirat haomer")זבולון3RD יום שלישיWhite with the embroidery of a ship; this tribe settles by the water and conducts business overseas; they are dedicated to supporting the Torah study of Yissachar; The white represents their pure business intentionsThe Arizal explains that the origin of the soul of Zevulun is in keter, the level of the Torah itself, as indicated by the fact that the Ten Commandments possess 620 letters = כתר (corresponding to the 613 mitzvos together with the 7 mitzvos of the sages)SIVAN Walking (progress, dynamic) is the sense of continuous, ongoing progress. Each law of the Torah is called a halacha, from the word "to walk." Our sages interpret the verse: "the walkings of the world are to Him" (Habakuk 6:4), that he who studies halacha daily will surely merit the world to comeראובן4TH יום רביעיRed flag symbolizes the revenge to be taken on Edom; symbol is a mandrake, a kind of plant that grows in the wild.The root "to see" red implies either the fall of man (odem [red] has the same spelling as adam [man]), as in the sin of the golden calf, or the ultimate rise & rectification of man, with the coming of MoshiachTAMUZ The ability to guard and focus one's eyesight correctly is the rectified "sense" of sight; the summer (the period of Tamuz) is the "holiday" of the eyes; one must "guard" one’s eyes to see only that which is good (in the world in general and in his fellow man in particular) and modestשמעון5TH יום חמישיGreen with an embroidery of a city, representing Shechem. Shimon's conquest of the city of Shechem is considered the first in the conquest of Eretz Yisroel"To hear" in Hebrew means "to understand," to fully integrate into one's consciousness (into one's heart, in addition to one's mind); to change depends upon his inner sense of hearing. "Hear [shemah] O' Israel...." Inner hearing (derher in Yiddish) comes with the deep sense of humility in the soulAV The general rectification of the month of Av is the rectification of hearingגד6TH יום שישיWoven from black and white threads. A troop of soldiers is embroidered on the silk cloth. The tribe of Gad faces the uncertainty of battle with great trust in HashemGad means "camp," the special talent is to organize a "company"; also means "good fortune"ELUL Relates, in Kabbalah, to the thirteen principles of mercy that are revealed in the month of Elul, in order to arouse the soul from its root (its "good fortune") to return to G-dאפרים7TH שבתRed-violet with a young bull representing YehoshuaEfraim is the son of Joseph, the archetypal soul of the power to procreate in marital unionTISHREI Adam HaRishon - Touch (contact, marriage) is the only of the five common and general senses which is not centered in the "face" of man (but rather in the tips of his fingers)מנשה8TH יום ראשוןViolet; a wild ox is embroidered in the silk to represent the descendant Gideon, the JudgeDeriving from the word "to forget" (literally "to leap, up and away"), Menasheh implies the power of the Tzadik (Joseph) to make us forget the hardships, trials and tribulations of this world, with the coming of Moshiach. By the power and sense of Menasheh, all of the pain of this world will transform and metamorphose into the pleasure of the Messianic era.CHESVAN The sense of smell is the most spiritual of all senses. The Hebrew word for "smell," rei'ach, is cognate to that for "spirit" (ruach). Our sages teach us that smell is the one and only sense that "the soul enjoys and not the body." "Soul" (neshamah) is a permutation of Menasheh. The sense of smell is the only sense that did not participate, and thereby was not blemished or pollutedבנימין9TH יום שניColors of all the other tribes; a wolf is embroidered on the flag representing the eagerness of Heaven to "snatch" the korbanos, consuming them with the Heavenly fireThe only tribe who was born in the land of Israel. The land of Israel is the place where one most experiences Divine providence and G-d's absolute omnipresence. In the words of the Zohar: "There is no place vacant of Him; through the korbanos of the Bait HaMikdash, all the Shvatim (tribes) are brought togetherKISLEV The sense of sleep is the tranquility and restfulness that comes with trust and security in G-d and His Divine providenceדן10TH יום שלישיAn opal-colored flag and the serpent embroidered on it both allude to the mighty Shimshon who shows strength and cunning when dealing with the PelishtimDan means "to judge." likened to a snake, which bites with the venom of anger. The "evil eye" is the eye of the snake; the rectification of Dan is his engaging in the battle of holy anger against evil anger. Nachash ("snake") = 358 = Moshiach. The holy power of Dan reflects a spark of Moshiach; the Zohar states the commander-in-chief of the army of Moshiach will come from the tribe of DanTEVES The sense of holy anger, or righteous indignation (the rectification of the month of Tevet) is the ability of the soul to arouse one's good inclination to become angry at one's evil inclination; In Chassidus we are taught that one must direct his left ("evil") eye towards himself, to lower and subdue his ego, while simultaneously directing his right ("good") eye towards outer reality.אשר11TH יום רביעיPearl color silk. Upon it an olive tree is embroidered. Asher's portion in the land of Eretz Yisroel is filled with olive trees, descendants' daughters are destined to marry Kohanim Gedolim and kingsThe name "Asher" means "pleasure" and "happiness." Our father Yaacov blessed him: "from Asher comes delicious [lit. fat] bread, and he shall provide the delicacies of the king"; the olive tree, which gives the goodly oil. Of the seven species in Israel, the olive is the sixth, which, in Kabbalah, corresponds to the sefirah of yesod, the "Tzadik, foundation of the world."SHVAT The rectified sense of eating is the special sense of the Tzadik, as is said: "The Tzadik eats to satisfy his soul." The soul-oriented Tzadik feels "full" and happy with a little; the body-oriented rasha (wicked-one) never feels "full."נפתלי12TH יום חמישיColor of diluted wine. A deer is embroidered on the flag. The descendants of Naftali study Torah from the mouth of the Sanhedrin.In Kabbalah, the name Naftali is read (as two words): nofet li, "sweetness is to me."ADAR The mitzvah on Purim to reach the level of the "unknowable head" by drinking wine etc., is expressed, in the words of our sages, as: "one is obligated on Purim to become sweet, until he is unable to differentiate between 'cursed be Hamen' and 'blessed be Mordechai'"