by Douglas Aronin
Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here are that of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of the Union for Traditional Judaism, unless otherwise indicated.
In his Times of Israel blogpost, Viewpoints Contributor Doug Aronin discusses why Judah becomes the ancestor of the great Kings of Israel:
If you were to read Sefer Bereisheet from the beginning, without prior knowledge of either the narrative or subsequent Jewish history, there’s a good chance that you would reach chapter 49 believing that the future leadership of the people of Israel would be drawn from the descendants of Joseph. …
Yet when we read Jacob’s blessings of his sons, we’re suddenly told that the leadership will rest in the descendants not of Joseph but of Judah:
The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the ruler’s staff between his feet; so that tribute shall come to him and the homage of peoples be his.
Read more at https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/judah-vs-joseph-paradigms-of-leadership/
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Douglas Aronin is a retired attorney living in Forest Hills, Queens, who is continuing his lifelong involvement in the Jewish community.
A graduate of Columbia Law School, he practiced law for three decades (including a four-year stint with the New York State Attorney General's office) before retiring.
He served for many years as an officer of the UTJ and was a founding board member of the ITJ (Institute of Traditional Judaism) and editor-in-chief of Cornerstone 2.
Doug’s blog appears regularly on Times of Israel, where he addresses an array of political and religious subjects. His writings have also appeared in a wide range of other print and on-line forums.
Here are some of Doug's blog posts: