544. Reuben was Jacob's firstborn. Rabbi Chiya said, He was entitled to everything, KINGSHIP, BIRTHRIGHT AND PRIESTHOOD, but it was all taken from him. Kingship was given to Judah, the birthright to Joseph and the priesthood to Levi. This is the meaning of the words, "Unstable as water, you shall not excel (lit. 'leave')" (Beresheet 49:4); NAMELY you shall not be left with them. In saying "my might and the beginning of my strength" (Ibid. 3), he blessed him and remembered him to the Holy One, blessed be He.
545. This is like the favorite of the King. One day when his son went in the city, he said to the King, This is my son, beloved of my soul. The King heard and understood that he was asking of him TO FAVOR his son. Jacob said, "Reuben, you are my firstborn..." (Ibid.) to ask the King TO BE KINDLY TOWARD HIM.
546. "Unstable as water, you shall not excel." Here he stated his fate, that he would not remain in the land of Yisrael but dwell outside it, NAMELY EAST OF THE JORDAN. Correspondingly, the officer in charge, on the side of the tabernacle above, THE NUKVA, in charge under Michael, IS ALSO REJECTED OUTSIDE THE TABERNACLE. Some say THAT THE TRUSTEE THAT WAS REJECTED FROM THE TABERNACLE ABOVE WAS under Gabriel. AND THOUGH REUBEN IS CHESED, Michael is the first OF THE ANGELS on the side of Chesed, and Gabriel is THE FIRST on the left side, Gvurah, REUBEN IS NEVERTHELESS ALSO OF THE SIDE OF GVURAH, WHICH WE LEARN FROM THE VERSE, "But Judah still rules (also: 'descends') with El" (Hoshea 12:1), THE DESCENT WHICH INDICATES THAT HE IS OF the side of Gvurah and called court of justice. Reuben's inheritance was adjacent to his. JUDAH'S PORTION WAS WEST OF THE JORDAN AND REUBEN'S WAS EAST OF THE JORDAN. THIS SHOWS THAT REUBEN, TOO, IS OF THE SIDE OF GVURAH. And though kingship (Malchut), THE SECRET OF LOWER GVURAH, WAS TAKEN FROM REUBEN AND belongs to Judah, HE IS NEVERTHELESS NOT WHOLLY CLEANSED OF GVURAH, SINCE THE INHERITANCE OF Reuben is adjacent to his, WHICH IS AN INDICATION OF GVURAH.
547. Rabbi Shimon said, Reuben's sons will in the future wage two wars in the land of Yisrael. Come and behold, it is written "my might," namely, the exile in Egypt; "and the beginning of my strength," NAMELY they were the first among the brothers to fight. "The excellency of dignity" is the exile of Assyria (Ashur), where the sons of Gad and Reuben were the first to go down and suffered much torture, and did not return FROM THERE until now.
548. "And the excellency of power" refers to the time when the Messiah will rise in the world and they will go forth and make war in the world and win, and conquer the nations. The inhabitants of the world will fear them and tremble before them. THE SONS OF REUBEN will plan to seize the kingship yet shall not retain it, hence the words, "Unstable as water, you shall not excel." Why will they not retain mastery even in one place in the world? Because "you went up to your father's bed" (Beresheet 49:4), for they are going to wage war within the Holy Land. "Your father's bed" is Jerusalem. THEY WILL STRIVE TO TAKE IT FROM THE MESSIAH.
549. Come and see, the sons of Reuben dispersed into exile in the four corners of the world, in correspondence with all of Yisrael, who were exiled four times into the four corners of the world. Hence it says, "My might," which is the first exile; "and the beginning of my strength," the second; "the excellency of dignity" the third and "the excellency of power" the fourth. Likewise, they will wage war in the four corners of the world, thus ruling over everything. They will conquer many peoples and rule over them.
550. "Unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed." Here is an allusion to the first thought Jacob had when issuing the first seed, which was about Rachel. Were the thought attached to the first seed in its place, LEAH, REUBEN WOULD RETAIN ALL, THE KINGSHIP, THE PRIESTHOOD AND THE BIRTHRIGHT, but "unstable as water, you shall not excel; because you went up to your father's bed" namely you came up through other thoughts, and "then you did defile it..." (Ibid.).
551. Another explanation for "unstable as water, you shall not excel:" When the sons of Reuben will wage war in the world and conquer many nations, they will not remain rulers. HENCE IT IS WRITTEN, "YOU SHALL NOT EXCEL." What is the reason for this? "Because you went up to your father's bed (lit. 'beds')," why not just put, "beds?" as they are destined to wage war in the Holy Land, precisely mentioned in the words "your father's bed," which refer to Jerusalem. HE ASKS, WHY DOES SCRIPTURE SAY "beds," instead of 'bed?' HE ANSWERS, "Your father" is Yisrael Saba, NAMELY ZEIR ANPIN, AND THEREFORE IT SAYS "beds" instead of 'bed,' since Jerusalem was twice destroyed, and WILL BE BUILT a third time at the time of King Messiah. Hence the plural. Here, the blessing is revealed IN THE VERSE, "YOU ARE MY FIRSTBORN, MY MIGHT AND THE BEGINNING OF MY STRENGTH." And also what happened at that time THAT THE BIRTHRIGHT, KINGSHIP AND PRIESTHOOD WERE TAKEN FROM HIM, AS SAID "UNSTABLE AS WATER, YOU SHALL NOT EXCEL," that which will be when Yisrael shall come to the land of Yisrael, THAT HE WILL HAVE NO PORTION IN IT BUT ACROSS THE JORDAN. And Reuben's deeds at the time of the Messiah, NAMELY THAT HE WILL WAGE WARS AGAINST MANY PEOPLES AND IN JERUSALEM.