BINYAMIN's NAME-CHANGE- And WHY Yehoshua BIN-Nun (not 'Ben'-Nun) | Rabbi Ari Shvat | Beit Midrash

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When Rachel dies in childbirth, Ya'akov changes the name she chose: "Ben-Oni", to "Binyamin" (35, 18). The obvious question is why, as her last wish to name her son, did her husband change the name?!. The simplest answer is that if Oni means suffering or mourning (like Devarim 26, 14, "I did not eat [ma'aser sheni second tithe] while in my mourning"), it makes sense that Ya'akov didn't want his son going through life with such a negative name.
On the other hand, if alternatively, Oni means: MIGHT or SEED (OR BOTH! Breishit 49, 3), the name Rachel gave him is positive, so we must search for an alternative answer to Ya'akov's change.
Radak says that Yamin= Right-Hand (=preferred or strong hand), which symbolizes the especially beloved of the children (referring to Binyamin, see 44, 20, just as we hold the mitzvah object with one's stronger hand, to show respect for the mitzvah, Shulchan Aruch Or.Ch. 206, 4).
But it seems most logical & significant the explanation of the Abarbanel, that Yamin=south. (Teimana=towards the south, see Shmot 26, 18 & Devarim 3, 27, where we know the ancient map "compass" used to face east, so Yamin means to the right, or south), that Ya'akov is declaring that what makes Binyamin unique, is that he is the only child of the 12, born "in the SOUTH", in Eretz Yisrael and not in Aram, in the north.
This fits perfectly with what Hashem tells Ya'akov there, immediately after Ya'akov's name-change to Yisrael, and right before the birth of Binyamin, "G-d said to him, "Your name is Jacob. Your name shall no longer be called Jacob, but Israel shall be your name."... And God said to him, "I am the Almighty G-d; be FRUITFUL and MULTIPLY... And the LAND that I gave to Avraham and to Yitzchak, I will give to you and to your SEED after you." (35, 10-12).
That "be fruitful and multiply" is immediately referring there to Binyamin, who is the only child/seed born AFTER that command and after our name-changing to Yisrael, inferring that the first 11 children were Bnei Ya'akov, but Binyamin is "Bnei Yisrael" (R. Uri Charki). The name Ya'akov heel, has a lowly connotation, named so as the "follower of Esav" (25, 26), as opposed to the majestic name of leadership: Yisrael, "for you have wrestled (Sarita) with angels and man victoriously" (32, 29).
Chazal point out that Binyamin is not just the only son born in ISRAEL, but the only one who DIDN'T BOW DOWN to Esav, also in this week's parsha. Chazal ask, why does Mordechai DAVKA sit at the King's gate (Esther 5, 9)- so as DAVKA not to bow down to Haman (3, 2)?. Why doesn't he just avoid the situation and stay away like the rest of the rabbis did?! Our rabbis answer that Haman said to Mordechai: Why don't you bow to me like your grandfather bowed to mine (Esav, grandfather of Amalek)?. To which Mordechai answered: No, the other brothers bowed to Esav (33, 5-7), but my grandfather Binyamin, had yet to be born!.
(Yalkut Shimoni, Esther, 1054). This bravery or MIGHT showed by Mordechai is attributed to his grandfather Binyamin and his having been born in Israel. For when Jews return to Israel, we need to revive and remember that as opposed to exile, where we were used to bowing to the gentiles, to survive as a nation in Israel we must rediscover our national pride & independence.
Accordingly that's why precisely then, as he returns to Israel, G-d changes Ya'akov's name, to the more MAJESTIC and PROUD national name: Yisrael, and tells him that he must now have more children in Israel (=Binyamin), who will be Bnei Yisrael (our national name), and not Bnei Ya'akov.
Accordingly, explains the Chatam Sofer that Ya'akov was NOT changing the name which Rachel chose for their son, but rather stressing that the meaning of Ben-Oni should not be misunderstood as the negative "son of mourning", but rather the positive "son of strength", by making that small change to Binyamin. This combines the Radak's (Yamin=strong) and the Abarbanel's (Yamin South=Eretz Yisrael) explanations, for strength and guts must accompany our children as we return to the Land of Israel (Yisrael the majestic/leadership name of Ya'akov), not letting Hamas, Hizballah and others treat us as "pushovers".
We can only suggest that perhaps Yehoshua is uncharacteristically also called BIN-Nun and not BEN-Nun, as an association with Binyamin, for he also is the gutsy leader (who dared stand up to the 10 Spies who didn't want to enter Israel) necessary to conquer the Land, who does not bow before the gentiles. It also is not a coincidence that Yehoshua is from the tribe of Ephraim, who also was only born after the other tribes bowed to Esav, so he is also the product of that new command to "Be fruitful and multiply", to be not Bnei Ya'akov but rather the proud Bnei Yisrael, like BINyamin!.
The name BEIN means "between", and the BEIT HAMIKDASH, the ultimate sign of redemption, is in Yerushalayim in (guess where?) the half belonging to Binyamin, based upon the pasuk ובין כתפיו "G-d dwells BEIN-BETWEEN his [Binyamin's] shoulders" (Devarim 33, 12). Shabbat Shalom! Rav Ari Shvat (Chwat).

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