Okay, but here it’s pretty explicit in the verse that he wanted to say something important relating to the future, and from the continuation of the verses it seems he probably didn’t say it.

The plain meaning of the verses can be explained simply. He wanted to reveal to them what was expected to happen to them in light of what had happened in the past. That’s why regarding most of them he describes the past, and regarding some of them he also speaks about the future.

Hello Rabbi,
With your permission I’ll piggyback on this question.
Take Issachar, for example: “He saw that rest was good, and the land that it was pleasant; and he bent his shoulder to bear, and became a tributary laborer.” What exactly does that mean? It seems pretty clear that this is speaking about the tribe of Issachar and not about his son, the individual Issachar, who was currently living with him in Egypt and for whom it seems unlikely, as a member of so wealthy a family as Jacob’s, that he would bend his shoulder to bear burdens and become a forced laborer. So did Jacob identify his son Issachar’s traits and based on that analyze the collective character of the tribe of Issachar—that is, the sons of Issachar and their wives from somewhere-or-other? That seems completely implausible to me. Especially since over time the “Issachar component” in each member of the tribe of Issachar keeps decreasing.

This discussion seems pointless to me. The verses don’t teach anything interesting or useful, so what’s the point of dealing with them? I suggested an interpretation that seems possible to me. If it doesn’t seem right to you, then it doesn’t. I don’t see any point in hair-splitting over interpretations of the verses. You can suggest 700,000 interpretations, and there’s no way to decide between them, nor to learn anything interesting from any of it.

Just for the record, I don’t believe you can suggest more than two or three interpretations that can’t be decided between (and I personally can’t suggest even one).

Noted.

Jacob revealed the end, but reality slapped him in the face. What was supposed to be was not.
The clearest example (beyond the loss of the tribes) is the tribe of Levi:

“Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their wares. Let my soul not enter into their council; let my honor not be united with their assembly, for in their anger they slew a man, and in their self-will they maimed an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce, and their wrath, for it was cruel; I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel.”

Nothing of the sort. The tribe of Levi took over the whole operation, and everyone believes them that they’re some exalted and special tribe. Our forefather Jacob warned us about them.

Decisor, to your credit it should be said that sometimes you write with a sharp, biting edge that gives me great enjoyment. More power to you.

With God’s help, 24 Cheshvan 5781

“The end of days” is described by the prophets—Isaiah and Micah—as a time when all the nations will stream to the House of the God of Jacob in order to learn His ways, “for out of Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” The leader who will sit in the “House of the God of Jacob” will judge among the nations and bring peace between them, until “nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore.”

It seems that this universal mission of the “end of days” is what Jacob wanted to reveal to his sons when he said, “Gather yourselves, sons of Jacob, and I will tell you what will happen to you in the end of days.” It could be that Jacob thought the time had come, since his son Joseph ruled in a great empire and at the center of world civilization, and the opportune moment had arrived to spread throughout the whole world the faith in divine unity and the values of justice and righteousness of our forefather Abraham.

But Jacob was not given permission from Heaven to set before his sons the universal ideal of the “end of days.” His sons still needed much inner work in order to internalize faith and its values within themselves before becoming fit to influence the entire world.

The trait of impulsiveness that wants to see achievements “here and now” needs to be repaired. The trait of zealotry and anger must be repaired so that it does not lead to loss of control. One must learn from Issachar to be ready for hard work and patient perseverance, like a “strong-boned donkey.”

One must learn from Joseph, the “prince among his brothers,” to overcome desires. One must gird oneself with strength against enemies, like Dan, Gad, and Benjamin the fighters; but on the other hand, one must also recognize the value of Zebulun, who knows how to create international trade connections, “and his flank shall rest by Sidon.”

The tribes will find the proper balance when they acknowledge the leadership of Judah, who knows how to fight bravely against the enemies of the nation, yet at the same time fulfills “From the prey, my son, you have risen”—not to fall into civil war and not to forget the obligation of mutual responsibility toward his brothers. The unifying and balancing leadership of Judah is what will prepare the people for the future universal mission of “until Shiloh comes, and unto him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

The universal mission of the “end of days” is embedded in Judah’s blessing, and the process will begin from within. Judah will come to Shiloh, the place of the “tent of Joseph.” And when there is a strong bond between Judah and Joseph—then we will merit “the obedience of the peoples,” whether in the sense of “gathering” (as Rashi explains), or in the sense of “obedience and acceptance of authority” (as Radak explains in Sefer HaShorashim, entry "y-k-h").

Universal influence begins with internal unity within the Jewish people!

With blessing, Shatz

Paragraph 4, line 1:
It should say: “needs to be repaired…”