Grave

Binyamin ben Yaakov Avinu

12 Tribes

Yahrzeit (Hillula)

11 Cheshvan — Binyamin ben Yaakov Avinu - 12 Tribes

Binyamin ben Yaakov - the youngest son of Yaakov Avinu and Mother Rachel. He is the founder of one of the 12 tribes.

Yahrzeit - he was born and left this world on 11 Cheshvan at the age of 111.

Burial place - Kfar Saba, Israel

Binyamin's mother, Rachel, died during his birth - he was born and left this world on 11 Cheshvan at the age of 111.

All [the founders] of the tribes were born on foreign soil, except for Binyamin, who was born in the Land of Israel.

A twin sister was born together with each of Yaakov's sons.

Yosef merited having 12 sons born [in his honor] - he himself fathered two; the others were born to his brother Binyamin, and all were named after him [Yosef]. (Sotah 36b)

Four people died because of the sin of the Nachash (the serpent), not because of their own sins: Binyamin, son of Yaakov, was one of them. (Shabbat 55b)

Worms had no power over seven people [their bodies did not decompose]... Moshe, Aharon, Miriam... and Binyamin, son of Yaakov. (Bava Batra 17a)

Nine entered Gan Eden while still alive: Binyamin, son of Yaakov, was among them. (Pirkei Rabbeinu HaKadosh, Likkutim 3)

Binyamin, who did not take part in the sale of Yosef, ascended the mountain that Ha-Shem chose as His dwelling place. (Tehillim 68:17)

It was he who merited that the Holy Temple be built upon his territory. (Bereishit Rabbah 99:1)

Part of Yehuda's portion [of land] passed to Binyamin. The Temple was to be built on this [piece of land]. [Foreseeing this], the devout Binyamin suffered anguish every day, [wishing] to unite it with his own portion, as it is written of Binyamin: "He hovers over him all day long". (Devarim 33:12) Therefore Binyamin merited to receive the Divine Presence [by having the Temple on his land]. (Megillah 26a)

Who has no slander on his tongue? (Tehillim 15:3) This is Binyamin, son of Yaakov, who knew about the sale of Yosef but did not reveal it to his father. (Shochar Tov 16:6)

When Yosef HaTzadik was sold into Egypt, his righteous brother Binyamin took his [spiritual] place, so that it would not remain empty. (Zohar 1:259a)

He fell upon the neck of his brother Binyamin [literally "necks"] and wept. (Bereishit 45:14)

How many necks did Binyamin have? Rabbi Eliezer says: "He wept over the two Temples that would be built and destroyed on Binyamin's land." (Megillah 16b)

There is a well-known account of Yaakov's family meeting Eisav. The one who suffered least from this encounter was the youngest of the brothers, Binyamin, and this is connected to his special holiness.

All 11 brothers were forced to bow before Eisav. Bowing - or more precisely, in this case, falling face down - causes a Divine force to descend from Above. By falling face down before Eisav, the brothers transmitted this force to him, and thereby strengthened his hold over the quality of Netzach.

The Zohar HaKadosh asks how it was possible for Yaakov himself to bow before the wicked Eisav. It answers that during this encounter the Shechinah's presence was revealed, and it was to Her that he bowed seven times. But no such explanation exists regarding the brothers. Therefore, they bowed directly before Eisav himself.

Only Binyamin took no part in this, since he had not yet been born at that time. Therefore his connection to Netzach remained the strongest.

This power - to subdue the power of Eisav embodied in his descendant Amalek - passed to King Shaul, a descendant of Binyamin, and then to Mordechai, who likewise did not bend his knee before either Haman or Achashverosh.

May the merit of the tzadik Binyamin ben Yaakov Avinu protect us all, Amen!