[Avodah] Aseres haShevatim

[Micha Berger]

I wrote a blog entry
http://www.aishdas.org/asp/2010/06/the-time-of-the-ivrim.shtml about how
our settling Azza is inherently tied to the notion of Ivri, and sticking
to the truth even if it puts you opposite the rest of the world. And
thus, current events are part of a larger historical and metaphysical
picture. Along the way, I noted:

    There are two things odd about the south-west corner of the
    map. First, the Gaza Strip is not included, and second, the tribe
    of Shim'on lives in an island within Yehudah's land.

    These two are connected. Shim'on never succeeded in conquering its
    promised portion of Israel, and therefore settled within an empty
    part of the Judean desert. ...

(On the post's main point -- Dan doesn't settle northern Azza either.
Both Shim'on and Shimshon a/k/a Bedan the shofeit from sheivet Dan
have problems with assimilationism and intermarriage -- Kozbi [parashas
Pinechas] and Delilah, respectively. OTOH, the only time we as a nation
are called Ivrim in Tanakh is in seifer Shemu'el, by the Pelishtim living
in... you guessed it -- Azza.)

In response, I was asked -- well then how did Shim'on end up exiled and
lost with the aseres hashevatim? Did Ashur penetrate Yehudah and manage
to exile the Shim'on settlement in their midst?

To add to his question, the same could be asked of Epharim and Menasheh.
They join Malkhus Yehudah during Oded haNavi's campaign against idols,
during the reign of Asa Melekh Yehudah (Divrei haYamim II 15:9).

One might be tempted to explain that some of the aseres hashevatim were
exiled by Ashur and assimilated among nachriim, but others assimilated
into Yehudah. Thus 10 shevatim were lost. In which case, Binyamin was
only not counted because they retained separate identity long enough
for Mordechai to know he was an Ish Yemini? And besides, the Tosefta
(Sanhedrin 13:1) says "aseres hashevatim ein lahem cheileq le'olam haba
ve'einan chayin le'lam"! Now if all Shim'on did to get lost from history
is assimilate into Yehudah, why would they be included along with Malkhus
Yisrael for such a harsh judgment? And why would Benei Yoseif -- who were
baalei teshuvah and left Israelite paganism to fully embrace Judaism --
be included?

Rabbi Aqiva (Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:3) says "aseres hashevatim einan asidin
lachazor". R' Eliezer disagrees. But if the shevatim of Shim'on, Ephraim
and Menasheh were "lost" among Yehudah, then wouldn't they (for all I
know I should say "we") return when Yehudah does?

I replied with an "I don't know". Thoughts?

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
micha at aishdas.org        I awoke and found that life was duty.
http://www.aishdas.org   I worked and, behold -- duty is joy.
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