The Tribe of Zebulon in Rabbinical Thought
Rabbinical Sources Concerning the Tribe of Dan
supplied by Rabbi David Feldman at the request of Brit-Am.
Sources Translated, Explained, and Paraphrased by Yair Davidiy.
Continued from Zebulon in Rabbinical Sources-1
Contents:
1. Remarks Concerning Zebulon
2. Issachar and Zebulon Overlap Each Other
3. Phoenician Purple, Torah Blue, and Zebulon
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1. Remarks Concerning Zebulon
Halperin, Encyclopedia le-Bait Yisroel.
Rabbi Avraham Iben Ezra and Chizkuni said that Dinah was the twin sister of Zebulon.
A Midrash (Breishit Rabati 30-37;36) deduces that Zebulon opposed the mistreatment and selling of Joseph.
Zebulon was buried in the city of Sidon (Safer HaYashar).
His banner featured the image of a ship on a white background.
His territory adjoined the Sea of Galilee but there was a territorial extension reaching unto the Phoenician city of Sidon (HaGra).
Warriors from Zebulon fought against Sisera and the Midianites.
The Judge Ailon Ha-Zebuloni was from Zebulon. He is believed to have co-existed in harmony with the neighboring non-Israelite entities.
Zebulon sent a large contingent to the aid of David.
Judges 4:
10 And Barak called Zebulun and Naphtali to Kedesh; he went up with ten thousand men under his command, and Deborah went up with him.
Judges 5:
18 Zebulun is a people who jeopardized their lives to the point of death, Naphtali also, on the heights of the battlefield.
Judges 12:
11 After him, Elon the Zebulunite judged Israel. He judged Israel ten years. 12 And Elon the Zebulunite died and was buried at Aijalon in the country of Zebulun.
1 Chronicles 12:
33 of Zebulun there were fifty thousand who went out to battle, expert in war with all weapons of war, stouthearted men who could keep ranks;
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2. Issachar and Zebulon Overlap Each Other
Maharsha, Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Idlis.
The Talmud (Megilla 6;a) says that Zebulon complained that he had been given a land of mountains and hills, seas and rivers.
He was answered that all the other tribes would have need of his produce.
Issachar shared the territory of Zebulon.
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Ephraim Shternboch, "Yissahcar ve-Zebulon, - A."
Discusses the Maharsha above.
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3. Phoenician Purple, Torah Blue, and Zebulon
Booklet on the Tcelet Color and Tsisits.
Numbers (NKJV) 15:
37 Again the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, 38 Speak to the children of Israel: Tell them to make tassels on the corners of their garments throughout their generations, and to put a blue thread in the tassels of the corners. 39 And you shall have the tassel, that you may look upon it and remember all the commandments of the LORD and do them, and that you may not follow the harlotry to which your own heart and your own eyes are inclined, 40 and that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God. 41 I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: I am the LORD your God.
The "blue thread" could not be made with any blue-colored but dye but rather ONLY with a dye produced from a certain sea-creature now believed to have been the Hexaplex trunculus, a type of snail found on the shores of the sea.
Phoenician purple in ancient times was a source of Phoenician prosperity.
The blue dye in the Tsistis was produced from the same sea mollusc.
The difference in color (between purple to blue) was due to a slight difference in methods of production.
A Talmudic commentary ("Tosefot") already mentioned that several different colors were obtainable from the sea creature in question.
In Talmudic tradition production of the blue dye was attributed to Zebulon.
See Also:
Netherlands
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/netherlands.html
ZEBULUN -- HOLLAND
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/netherlands/zebhol.html