Vayechi 49:16 · unit 1

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:16

The Complete Passuk

דָּ֖ן יָדִ֣ין עַמּ֑וֹ כְּאַחַ֖ד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

Dan shall judge his people, as one of the tribes of Yisrael.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Pesachim 4a.

Sefaria — Pesachim 4a

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
הַהוּא דַּהֲוָה אָמַר ״דּוּנוּ דִּינִי״ — אָמְרִי: שְׁמַע מִינַּהּ מִדָּן קָאָתֵי, דִּכְתִיב בֵּיהּ ״דָּן יָדִין עַמּוֹ״.

English: There was a man who used to say “Judge my case.” They said: Learn from this that he comes from Dan, as it is written of him “Dan shall judge his people.”

On the daf / in context: A person’s constant insistence on formal judgment is taken as a sign of descent from the tribe whose blessing speaks of judging.

Type of Learning

Identification by speech grounded in the tribal blessing.

What Is Learned

Habitual recourse to formal judgment is characteristic of the descendants of Dan.