Jacob's Blessing of Dan
In the blessings which Jacob pronounced on the tribe of Dan (Genesis xlix. 16-17) he had in mind Samson (Sotah 9b), whom he regarded even as the Messiah (Genesis Rabba l.c. § 19). Jacob compared him to a serpent (Genesis ib.) because, like the serpent, Samson's power lay entirely in his head—that is, in his hair—while he was also revengeful like the serpent; and as the latter kills by its venom even after it is dead, so Samson, in the hour of his death, slew more men than during all his life; and he also lived solitarily like the serpent (Genesis Rabba l.c. §§ 18-19).
Read more about this topic: Samson In Rabbinic Literature
Famous quotes containing the words jacob, blessing and/or dan:
“As for me, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are now only the subtlest imaginable essences, which would not stain the morning sky.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“The blessing of life as a whole ... can never be found in work.”
—Hannah Arendt (1906–1975)
“There is a potential 4-6 percentage point net gain for the President [George Bush] by replacing Dan Quayle on the ticket with someone of neutral stature.”
—Mary Matalin, U.S. Republican political advisor, author, and James Carville b. 1946, U.S. Democratic political advisor, author. All’s Fair: Love, War, and Running for President, p. 205, Random House (1994)