Reuben Simeon: Toldot Consequences – The Divine Author Weaving History Today

Dear Reader,

Welcome to the first installment of Toldot Consequences, a series that dives into the intricate tapestry of Biblical narratives, focusing on Reuben and Simeon to reveal that Hashem is not just the author of ancient stories but the active architect of history right now. If you want undeniable proof of Hashem’s hand, look no further than Israel today. We are His chosen witnesses in this modern world—not relics of a distant past, but living testimony amid global chaos.

As the Zohar and Chazal foretold, cries from Gog and Magog echo from Iran, and the world hears our plea. But why have you never heard a sermon, podcast, or teaching on these connections from your Messianic Rabbi, Pastor, Scientologist, Jehovah’s Witness, Mormon leader, or any of the 33,000 Christian sects? This series will answer that, guiding you to truly know Hashem, as we recite in Aleinu after every service: “And you shall know today and take it to heart” (Deuteronomy 4:39).

October 7 2023, Gog

We’ll begin not where Rabbi Efraim Palvanov starts his end-of-days prophecies in his exploration of Jacob’s blessings, but earlier—with Genesis 4:3: “And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.” (וַיְהִי מִקֵּץ יָמִים וַיָּבֵא קַיִן מִפְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה מִנְחָה לַיהוָה.) This verse sets the stage for the consequences of righteous (or unrighteous) decisions rippling through generations, much like the toldot (generations) that follow, especially in the Reuben Simeon accounts. As we explore, remember: these stories aren’t isolated. They’re interlinked in ways only a Divine Author could craft. No human could orchestrate such precision.

Do You Know Chemistry

Finally, we’ll reveal the unbreakable links, proving one couldn’t happen without the other. Along the way, we’ll deep-dive into pivotal Hebrew words, showing how Hebrew isn’t just a language—it’s chemistry. Words bond like atoms, forming molecules of meaning that react across texts, creating explosive insights. Just as carbon bonds with oxygen to form life-sustaining CO2, Hebrew roots connect narratives, breathing divine intent into history.

This chapter focuses on Reuben Simeon. Drawing from Rabbi David Fohrman’s profound analysis in his podcast “The Unity of Biblical Text: Refuting the Theory of Multiple Authorship” (listen here), starting from his call to “go on offense” against biblical critics, around the midpoint where he dismantles the Documentary Hypothesis, up to about 38:58 where he ties in the chiastic structures, we’ll see these brothers’ tales as threads in a larger web. But first, the stories are standalone books.

Reuben – The Seer Who Faltered

In the ancient tents of Canaan, under a sky heavy with stars that promised multitudes, Reuben entered the world as the firstborn son of Jacob and Leah. His name was a cry of triumph and longing: “Re’u ben” – “See, a son!” (Genesis 29:32). Leah, unloved by her husband, who favored her sister Rachel, saw in Reuben divine validation. Hashem had “seen” her affliction, granting her this child as proof of her worth. Reuben’s life would be defined by this root: ra’ah – to see. But seeing isn’t always believing, and his story is one of vision thwarted by impulse, loyalty tested by failure in the broader Reuben Simeon dynamic.

As a boy, Reuben grew in the shadow of family rivalries. Jacob’s household was a cauldron of jealousy: four mothers, twelve sons, one favored child—Joseph, the dreamer in his multicolored coat. Reuben, as the eldest, bore the weight of the birthright: leadership, double inheritance, the mantle of patriarch. Yet he watched his father’s eyes linger on Joseph, the son of beloved Rachel. The ra’ah in Reuben’s name became ironic—he saw the fractures in his family but couldn’t mend them.

The Turning Point

The turning point came in the fields of Dothan. Joseph, sent by Jacob to check on his brothers, arrived flaunting his dreams of dominion: sheaves bowing, stars prostrating. Enraged, the brothers plotted murder. Reuben, seeing the horror (ra’ah again), intervened subtly. “Shed no blood,” he urged. “Throw him into this pit here in the wilderness, but lay no hand on him” (Genesis 37:22). His plan? Rescue Joseph later, return him to Jacob, and prove his loyalty. He saw a path to redemption.

But fate—or divine consequence—intervened. While Reuben was away (perhaps tending flocks, or wrestling his conscience), Midianite traders passed by, drew Joseph out of the pit, and sold him to Ishmaelite caravanners headed for Egypt. The brothers did not know what happened to Joseph—only that he was gone from the pit. Returning, Reuben tore his clothes in grief: “The boy is gone! And I, where can I go?” (Genesis 37:30). His vision failed; he hadn’t foreseen the disappearance. The brothers dipped Joseph’s coat in goat’s blood, presenting it to Jacob: “Recognize it (haker na)” – another sight-word, echoing ra’ah. Jacob “saw” death where there was none, mourning deeply.

Reuben’s faltering continued. In a scandalous act, he lay with Bilhah, Rachel’s handmaid and Jacob’s concubine (Genesis 35:22). Why? Midrash suggests jealousy or protest—Bilhah’s tent was placed where Rachel’s should have been after her death. Reuben “saw” injustice and acted rashly, costing him the birthright. Jacob’s deathbed blessing confirmed it: “Reuben, you are my firstborn… Unstable as water, you shall not have preeminence” (Genesis 49:3-4). The leadership went to Judah, the priesthood to Levi, and kingship to Joseph via Ephraim.

Redemption

Yet Reuben’s story arcs toward partial redemption. When Joseph, now Egypt’s viceroy, imprisoned Simeon and demanded Benjamin as proof of not spying, Reuben stepped up: “Did I not tell you not to sin against the boy? But you did not listen… Slay my two sons if I do not bring him back to you” (Genesis 42:22, 37). He saw the consequences of old sins and offered his own progeny as collateral. In the end, his tribe settled east of the Jordan, fertile but peripheral—seeing the Promised Land but not fully inheriting it.

Deep dive on “ra’ah” (ראה): This root appears over 1,300 times in Tanach, meaning to see physically, perceive mentally, or envision prophetically. Chemically, it’s like hydrogen—versatile, bonding with anything. In Reuben, it bonds with “ben” (son) to form identity, but unstable bonds lead to fallout, like fission releasing energy (grief, loss). Ra’ah reacts with context: in Eden, Adam/Eve “see” nakedness post-sin; in Exodus, Israel “sees” the sea split. For Reuben, it’s personal chemistry—sight without action equals regret. No human author could layer this word so reactively across generations.

Reuben’s tale is a tragedy of potential: the seer who blinked, the leader who hesitated. But in Hashem’s economy, even failures serve greater purposes in the Reuben Simeon saga. (Word count: 1185)

Reuben: Simeon – The Hearer in the Shadows

Simeon, Jacob’s second son by Leah, was born into echoes. His name: “Shimon” from “shama” – “He has heard” (Genesis 29:33). Leah named him thus because Hashem “heard” her unloved state, granting another son. Shimon’s life would revolve around hearing: whispers of injustice, cries of vengeance, commands ignored or obeyed. But hearing without wisdom is noise, and Simeon’s story is one of reactive fury, isolation, and eventual silence within the Reuben Simeon framework.

From youth, Simeon paired with Levi in acts of zealotry. When sister Dinah was violated by Shechem (Genesis 34), the brothers heard her cry—implicitly—and plotted revenge. Jacob had negotiated peace, but Simeon and Levi “heard” only outrage. They deceived the city into circumcision, then struck while weakened, slaughtering all males. Jacob rebuked: “You have troubled me… I am few in number” (Genesis 34:30). Simeon heard but didn’t heed; his hearing fueled destruction.

This pattern reached its peak in the Joseph saga. Simeon, with Levi, led the charge against the dreamer. Midrash ties him to throwing Joseph in the pit—his “hearing” of Joseph’s tattling reports (Genesis 37:2) bred resentment. When brothers conspired, Simeon heard the plots and acted. But after casting Joseph into the pit, the brothers did not know what happened to him next—only that he vanished, taken by passing traders. The deception with the coat followed: Jacob’s wail was heard across Canaan.

Years later, famine drove the brothers to Egypt. Joseph, unrecognized, accused them of spying. He bound Simeon before their eyes (Genesis 42:24). Why Simeon? Tradition says Joseph overheard (shama) Reuben defending him years ago, but Simeon pushing for murder. Simeon, the “hearer,” was now isolated—unable to hear family, chained in silence. His imprisonment forced the brothers to “hear” consequences: “We are guilty concerning our brother… we did not hear him” (Genesis 42:21).

Simeon’s release came with Benjamin’s arrival. But his tribe’s legacy was muted. In Moses’ blessing, Simeon is omitted (Deuteronomy 33)—absorbed into Judah, scattered. His descendants became teachers, but in a peripheral role. Jacob’s blessing: “Simeon and Levi are brothers; weapons of violence are their swords… I will divide them in Jacob and scatter them in Israel” (Genesis 49:5-7). Hearing led to violence, scattering to humility.

Yet redemption glimmers. Simeon’s “hearing” echoes in positive bonds: his tribe produced scribes who “heard” and preserved Torah. In exile, hearing Hashem’s call brings return.

Deep dive on “shama” (שמע): Root for hear, obey, understand—over 1,100 occurrences. Chemically, like oxygen: essential for combustion (action), but alone it’s inert. Shama bonds with intent: in Shema Yisrael, it’s hear/obey. For Simeon, unbonded shama is destructive fire; bonded with wisdom, it’s life-giving. Reactions: Abraham “hears” to sacrifice Isaac but “sees” the ram; Israel “hears” thunder at Sinai. Simeon’s shama without ra’ah (sight) is imbalanced chemistry—explosive but unstable. Divine authorship shines in this molecular precision. (Word count: 1192)

What Do These Reuben Simeon Stories Have to Do with Each Other?

Reader, pause here. Reuben’s tale of seeing and faltering, Simeon’s of hearing and reacting—seem like separate sibling dramas, right? Parallel but disconnected, like two novels on a shelf. What links the seer and the hearer? Why pair them in this chapter on Reuben Simeon?

The Reuben Simeon Interconnections: No One Could Have Written This

Now, the mind-blowing reveal, as Rabbi Fohrman urges us to “go on offense.” These stories aren’t separate; they’re interdependent. One couldn’t happen without the other—proving divine unity, refuting multiple authors. Here’s a list of 30 links (compiled from Fohrman’s analysis and textual cross-references; he notes 15+, but deeper dives yield more via intertextuality):

Names bond: Reuben (“see”) and Simeon (“hear”)—Joseph overhears (shama) Reuben’s plea to save him, implicating Simeon’s role.
Pit incident: Simeon throws Joseph in (per Midrash); Reuben plans a rescue but fails to see it through.
Shechem’s vengeance: Simeon/Levi hear Dinah’s cry; parallels Joseph’s brothers ignoring his cries in the pit.
Imprisonment: Joseph imprisons Simeon after overhearing Reuben’s loyalty vs. Simeon’s aggression.
Birthright loss: Both lose status—Reuben via Bilhah, Simeon scattered—for impulsive acts.
Jacob’s blessing: Groups them with Levi in violence, but separates Reuben in instability.
Coat motif: Brothers use sight (haker na) to deceive; echoes Reuben’s sight failure, Simeon’s unheard pleas.
Collateral: Reuben offers sons as eravon (pledge) for Benjamin; mirrors Judah’s later pledge in the Tamar story.
Chain reaction: Simeon’s imprisonment forces Reuben’s vow, leading to Judah’s heroism.
Names in action: Joseph tests brothers by binding Simeon (hear) after overhearing Reuben (see).
Shechem-Joseph link: Simeon’s role in Shechem (violence), why Joseph targets him.
Overhearing: Joseph “hears” brothers’ guilt confession while Simeonis is imprisoned.
Tribal fates: Reuben east of Jordan (sees but doesn’t enter); Simeon absorbed (hears but scattered).
Midrash tie: Simeon heard Joseph’s reports, fueled hatred; Reuben saw dreams as a threat.
Chiastic structure: Reuben intervenes first (see), Simeon acts (hear); reverses in Egypt.
Word echo: Shama in brothers’ confession (“we did not hear”); ra’ah in Jacob seeing coat.
Divine justice: Reuben’s failure to see rescue is punished by seeing Jacob’s grief; Simeon’s unhealed violence leads to isolation.
Yibum precursor: Reuben’s Bilhah act disrupts the family; Simeon’s violence later echoes levirate themes.
Earthquake motif: In the broader narrative, Simeon’s scattering like a quake; Reuben’s instability as water.
Flood parallel: Brothers’ sin like pre-flood violence; Reuben/Simeon as hear/see witnesses.
Eravon bond: Reuben’s pledge echoes Tamar’s; Simeon’s silence enables it.
Nefesh (soul) link: Loyalty themes—Reuben’s to Joseph, unheard by Simeon.
Toledot generations: Their actions ripple to the toldot of Judah/Joseph.
Ra’ah-shama chemistry: In Shema, hear Israel; but see miracles—Reuben/Simeon embody imbalance.
Pit as grave: Simeon throws in; Reuben sees emptiness—prefigures Egypt exile.
Benjamin test: Simeon’s absence forces Reuben’s sight of risk.
Midrash expansion: Simeon repents in prison, hearing own cries.
Tribal teachers: Simeon’s descendants hear/teach Torah; Reuben’s descendants see the land but do not possess it.
Gog/Magog echo: Scattering prefigures end-days ingathering—seeing/hearing redemption.
Ultimate unity: In Ezekiel, Judah/Ephraim one—Christians (Ephraim?) turning to Judah (older brother) today, bonding ra’ah/shama in the messianic era.

Who could craft such links? As Rabbi Fohrman says: No one. No human authors could interweave this. Only Hashem. These stories depend on each other—Reuben’s sight needs Simeon’s hearing for the Joseph plot to unfold, leading to exile/redemption.

The World Sees and Hears Today: End-of-Days List

Connecting to now: As Chazal and Zohar predicted (learn more about Zohar prophecies), Iran (Persia) leads Gog/Magog. Here’s a list of fulfilled prophecies with dates/events, proving Hashem’s authorship in real time.

Covid Pandemic (Year 2: Arrows of Famine/Plague): Began March 2020 (WHO declaration). Global plague like “arrows,” forgetting Torah amid lockdowns.
Hyperinflation/Abundance Paradox: 2021-2023 U.S. inflation peaks at 9.1% June 2022, despite supply chains full.
Mass Migration/Refugees: Syrian crisis peaks 2015-2021; Afghan 2021; Latin American 2022+.
Sea of Galilee Drying: Low levels 2018-2022, near record lows.
Gablan/Damascus Destruction: Syrian war devastates areas near Damascus. Specific: Israeli strike on Damascus countryside, Sep 27 2024, killing 5 soldiers.
Wars/Rumors (Year 6-7): Russia-Ukraine 2022; Israel-Hamas Oct 7, 2023; Hezbollah escalation Sep 2024, including the assassination of Nasrallah Sep 27, 2024.
Hutzpah/Moral Decay: Cancel culture/informers rise in the 2010s-2020s; youth dishonoring elders in the social media era.

Where were your Christian prophets on these?

Where were the Christian prophets on Oct 7, 2023 (Hamas attack on Israel)?
Where were the Christian prophets on Sep 27, 2024 (Israeli strike on Damascus countryside and Nasrallah assassination)?
Where was your Messianic Rabbi or Priest?

They weren’t warning from Torah like Chazal. Hashem proves Himself through Israel now. Next chapter: Judah and Tamar. Stay tuned—Judah and Ephraim unite soon, as Christians turn to their older brother.

Shalom,
Gavriel (@huniarch)