Vayechi - The Scepter and the Donkey Point to Mashiach
The Torah portion of Vayechi has a connection to the Messiah in its text. The extensive blessing that Ya’akov gave to Yehudah points to Yeshua. From the scepter that won’t depart, to the donkey that is tied to the vine, Ya’akov’s blessing points towards the end times and Yeshua.
In Genesis 49:10 it says, “The sceptre shall not depart from Judah.” This however, raises a problem. The house of Judah and in turn the house of David failed to have the sceptre of kingship when Nebuchadnezer removed Zedekiah, the last Davidic king of Judah. The kingdom of the house of David had fallen at that time. This is why the Talmud refers to messiah as Bar Nafli, which means, “Son of the Fallen.” As it says in the Yalkut Moshiach:
“The Messiah is called ‘Son of the Fallen’ because ‘the kingdom of David will rise again.’ Just like a man who falls surely will stand up again and not remain forever fallen, so too the fallen kingdom with the fallen kingdom of the house of David. It will be reestablished, and thus, the scepter will not be removed from Yehudah. When King Messiah comes, he will raise up David’s fallen Sukkah, for he is worthy to raise it up again... therefore it says [in Amos 9:11], ‘In that day I will raise up the fallen sukkah of David.’”
Another part of Genesis 49:10 says, “Until Shiloh comes.” The scepter of David should not depart from Yehudah “until Shiloh comes”, but who or what is Shiloh? Almost all Jewish commentaries interpret Shiloh as a reference to the Messiah. As it says in Sanheidrin 98b:
“Messiah’s name is Shiloh, as it is written [in Genesis 49:10], ‘Until Shiloh comes.’”
Targum Onkelos paraphrases this verse as, “Until the Messiah comes, for his is the kingdom.” Targum Pseudo-Yonatan says, “Until the time of King Messiah, the youngest of [Yehudah’s] sons.” Rashi also follow this same train of thought, but he presents an uncommon twist to it:
“A midrashic explanation understands the word Shiloh (שילה) as a contraction of the words shei (שי) [which means gift of homage] and lo (לו) [which means ‘to him’], as it says [in psalms 76:11], ‘Let all who are around Him bring gifts to Him who is to be feared.’”
Alternatively, the great Torah commentator Sforno interpreted the word Shiloh to mean that the Messiah would bring forth an era of peace. A Yemenite Midrash relates, “Shiloh is an expression for the tranquility of the days of Messiah, when a man will not lift a sword against his neighbor; instead, they will drink and rejoice.” The Midrash Tanchuma preserves the opinion that Shiloh relates to the word shilyah (שליה), which means, “birth sac,” indicating that the messiah will be born of a woman. The Septuagint version of the Torah translates the phrase “until Shiloh comes” as “the things stored up for him,” meaning, “the things stored up for the messiah,” such as the right to rule over Israel and all the nations.
Despite the wide range of opinions on the word Shiloh, all the commentators agree that Shiloh has a connection with the Messiah.
The Hebrew for the last few words of Genesis 49:10 is very vague. The JPS translates it as, “Unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be.” This refers to the subjugation of the nations, as it says in the Yalkut Moshiach, “Messiah’s hand shall be on the neck of his enemies, but when Shiloh comes, then all nations will bow down to him... so they will no longer be his enemies, for all the nations will obey him.”
Rashi translates the words as, “His will be an ingathering of nations.” The Greek Septuagint translates it as “he is the expectation of nations.” The Targum paraphrases it to mean, “because of whom the people will pine away.” The Midrash Rabbah has two possible meanings and interpretations:
“‘To him shall be the obedience of the peoples.’ The Messiah will come and set on edge the teeth of the nations of the world ... as it says [in Micah 7:16], ‘Nations will see and be ashamed of all their might. They will put their hand on their mouth, their ears will be deaf.’ Another interpretation [of Genesis 49:10 say that the verse refers to] ‘Him to whom the nations of the world will flock,’ as it says [in Isaiah 11:10], ‘Then in that day the nations will resort to Jesse, who will stand as a signal for his peoples; and His resting place will be glorious.’”
Whichever interpretation we might choose, it all points to Yeshua. Mathew 25:31-32 says, “When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory: And before him shall be gathered all nations...” Nations will see and be ashamed. To him shall be the obedience of the peoples. Until that happens, the nations will wait patiently for him. As it says in Isaiah 24:4, “...And the isles shall wait for his teaching.”
The prophecy about the Messiah being a signal to the nations has already been fulfilled by Yeshua. Ever since the days of the Talmidim (Apostles), faith in Yeshua has spread throughout all the nations. Yeshua is the “signal to the peoples” to which they flock. Through him, knowledge of God has reached the farthest spaces of the earth, even to the distant isles.
In Genesis 49:11, Ya’akov continues his blessing for Yehudah:
“Binding his foal unto the vine, And his donkey’s colt unto the choice vine;”
This phrase states that Yehudah will have such agricultural prosperity, that a grapevine in Yehudah’s territory would be so thick that it could hold down a donkey. The Rabbis interpreted any mention of a donkey as a reference to the Messiah. It says in Genesis Rabbah:
“‘He ties ... his donkey’s colt to the choice vine ...’ alludes to him of whom it is written [in Zechariah 9:9], ‘Humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
When Yeshua entered the city of Yerushalyim riding on a donkey, he fulfilled the passage in Zechariah 9:9, “He is triumphant, and victorious, lowly, and riding upon an donkey, Even upon a colt, the foal of a donkey.”
Genesis Rabbah relates the “choice vine” to the nation of Israel. Messiah tethering his colt to the choice vine refers to the connection between the Messiah and the people of Israel.
Ya’akov’s blessing to Yehudah is tied to the Messiah in multiple ways. From the scepter that won’t depart, to the donkey tethered to the vine, it all points towards Yeshua.
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