It is interesting how Yaakov Avinu compares his sons to various animals. Yehudah, the strong son, the leader who would one day be the monarch, is compared to a lion. Naftali is compared to a hind, because of his exceptional speed. Yaakov took a specific character trait, which the individual tribe exemplified, and compared that to an animal in which the trait was also significant. What is difficult to grasp is Yissachar’s comparison to a strong-boned donkey. This is the tribe that exemplified Torah study at its zenith. The donkey is among the lowliest in the animal world. What is the…
