Vayechi 49:10 · unit 1

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:10

The Complete Passuk

לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֙בֶט֙ מִיהוּדָ֔ה וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו עַ֚ד כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א שִׁילֹ֔ה וְל֖וֹ יִקְּהַ֥ת עַמִּֽים׃

The sceptre shall not depart from Yehudah, nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, as long as men come to Shiloh; and unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Yerushalmi Sotah 8:3.

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אֵין מוֹשְׁחִין כֹּהֲנִים מְלָכִים. מַאי טַעְמָא? אָמַר רַבִּי יוּדָן: עַל שֵׁם ״לֹא יָסוּר שֵׁבֶט מִיהוּדָה״.

English: One does not anoint kohanim as kings. What is the reason? R’ Yudan said: Because of “The sceptre shall not depart from Yehudah.”

On the daf / in context: The verse is cited as the reason that kingship is reserved for the line of Yehudah and that kohanim are not anointed as kings.

Type of Learning

Halachic derivation from the verse.

What Is Learned

Kingship remains with Yehudah; therefore kohanim (and by extension other tribes) are not anointed as kings.