Like Father, Like Son — and the Boundaries of Identity

On Shabbos Morning we read about the following in the Parsha

“And the son of an Israelite woman went out… and he pronounced the Name and cursed” (Vayikra 24:10–11).

“And the son of an Israelite woman went out… and he pronounced the Name and cursed” (Vayikra 24:10–11).

Chazal and Rashi fill in the background of this tragic figure. His father was the Egyptian whom Moshe killed, and his identity was unstable from the outset—Egyptian father, Israelite mother. According to the Midrash, his “going out” was not merely physical; he “went out” from his place, from his people, and ultimately from his עולם—his spiritual portion.

The Midrash adds a striking detail: his downfall began not with rebellion, but with cynicism. He mocked the mitzvah of lechem hapanim: “A king eats fresh bread every day—would G-d eat nine-day-old bread?” What begins as intellectual scorn quickly becomes existential alienation.

That alienation becomes concrete when he attempts to pitch his tent in the camp of Dan. The tribe refuses him, citing the principle that tribal identity........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)