Vayechi 49:27 · unit 1

Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:27

The Complete Passuk

בִּנְיָמִין֙ זְאֵ֣ב יִטְרָ֔ף בַּבֹּ֖קֶר יֹאכַ֣ל עַ֑ד וְלָעֶ֖רֶב יְחַלֵּ֥ק שָׁלָֽל׃

Binyamin is a wolf that raveneth; in the morning he shall devour the prey, and at even he shall divide the spoil.

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Zevachim / related (location of the Temple).

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
דָּרַשׁ רָבָא: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״זְכוֹר ה׳ לְדָוִד אֵת כָּל עֻנּוֹתוֹ \ldots הִנֵּה שְׁמַעֲנוּהָ בְּאֶפְרָתָה מְצָאנוּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי יָעַר״ — שְׁמַעֲנוּהָ בְּאֶפְרָתָה זֶה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דְּאָתֵי מֵאֶפְרַיִם; מְצָאנוּהָ בִּשְׂדֵי יָעַר זֶה בִּנְיָמִין, דִּכְתִיב ״בִּנְיָמִין זְאֵב יִטְרָף״.

English: Rava expounded: What is the meaning of that which is written “Remember, Hashem, unto David all his affliction \ldots Lo, we heard of it in Efratah, we found it in the field of the wood”? “We heard of it in Efratah” — this is Yehoshua who came from Efrayim; “we found it in the field of the wood” — this is Binyamin, as it is written “Binyamin is a wolf that raveneth.”

On the daf / in context: The search for the site of the Temple is linked to the tribal territories; Binyamin’s blessing supplies one of the scriptural clues.

Type of Learning

Derash locating the Temple by means of the tribal blessing.

What Is Learned

The site of the Temple is associated with the territory of Binyamin; the verse “Binyamin is a wolf that raveneth” is one of the sources used to identify that location.