1. He Was the Firstborn of Leah and Jacob
Reuben was the first of six sons born to Jacob by his first (but not favorite) wife, Leah.1 Although he was the eldest of Jacob’s 12 sons (progenitors of the 12 Tribes), throughout his life he seemed to fail to actualize his potential to lead his brothers.
Read: 13 Leah Facts
2. His Name Means “See, Son”
Leah was hopeful that her fertility would lead to Jacob favoring her, and this hope is reflected in the names she gave her sons. When she gave birth to her first boy, she declared, “G‑d has seen my suffering, for now my husband will love me,” and named him reu-ben, which translates as “see, son.”2
3. He Gave His Mother Flowers
After Leah and Jacob had four sons, and the concubines Bilhah and Zilpah contributed another four, Reuben picked some duda’im (translated as “mandrakes” or “jasmine”3 ), which he gave to his mother. Leah traded them with her sister-wife Rachel, who was still barren, for the rights to have conjugal relations with Jacob that night, and their union produced her fifth son, Yissachar.4
4. He “Messed With His Father’s Bedding”
Scripture tells us that after Rachel’s death, Reuben “lay with Bilhah, his father’s concubine.”5 According to rabbinic tradition, this means that he moved his father’s bedding, which had been in the tent of Bilhah, Rachel’s maid, into the tent of his mother, Leah, who was now the only full wife of Jacob.
5. He Marred the Firstborn Status
Jacob was displeased with Reuben’s rash actions, fearing that his eldest son would become a sinner like Ishmael (Abraham’s first-born) and Esau (Isaac’s oldest). He was assured from heaven that Reuben was, in fact, righteous.6
Nevertheless, Reuben’s actions left their mark and he was stripped of his firstborn status, a designation that was transferred to Rachel’s firstborn, Joseph, whose tribe was doubled.7
Read: The Story of Joseph
6. He Repented
The Midrash tells us that Reuben regretted his misdeeds and would fast, don sackcloth, and engage in repentance. His actions were so revolutionary that he is considered to be the first to open the portal of repentance (teshuvah).8
Read: What Is a Baal Teshuvah?
7. He Saved Joseph
Of his 12 sons, Jacob favored Joseph, and the remaining brothers were so jealous that they wished to kill him. Reuben convinced them to put him in a pit instead, hoping to secretly rescue his brother. But while Reuben was gone (either serving his father or repenting9 ), the brothers sold Joseph to a passing caravan. Reuben was beside himself with remorse and worry about how his poor father would react.10
8. He Chastised His Brothers
Years later, Jacob sent his sons to Egypt to purchase food, not knowing that the high-ranking Egyptian official they were dealing with was Joseph. He did not send Benjamin, Rachel’s second son, fearing that he would be harmed. Joseph, whom they did not recognize, insisted that they not return the next time without Benjamin.
Reuben told his brothers that this was G‑d’s way of repaying them for their callous treatment of Joseph.11
9. He Tried to Guarantee Benjamin
They eventually ran out of food and needed to return to Egypt, and Reuben attempted to convince his father to send Benjamin, offering his own sons’ lives as collateral.12 Jacob was not convinced by his argument, but was ultimately reassured by Judah who promised to take responsibility for the boy.13
Read: 12 Facts About Judah
10. His Father Reprimanded Him
Before blessing his sons at the end of his life, Jacob had choice words for each of them, starting with Reuben. “Reuben, you are my firstborn, my might and the first of my power,” said Jacob, before pointing out Reuben’s impetuous nature that led to his tragic misstep.
11. His Stone Was the Red Ruby
The High Priest wore a breastplate with 12 precious stones, one for each of the tribes. The first stone, etched with Reuben’s name, was the red ruby,14 which the sages say is linguistically linked to his name.15
It is interesting to note that the ruby is considered helpful for conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, and Reuben gave his mother duda’im, which assist in fertility, and was further twice involved in matters related to his father’s procreation. The redness also symbolized how Reuben blushed with shame when he recalled his misdeeds, and truly attempted to make amends.16
12. He Had 4 Sons
In the list of 70 souls who descended to Egypt, we meet Reuben’s four sons: Chanoch Pallu, Chetzron and Carmi.17 His family continued to flourish, and when counted in the desert they numbered 46,500,18 and later 43,73019 adult males of military age.
13. He Lived A Long Life
According to one tradition, he was born on 14 Kislev and passed away on that same day 155 years later. Others, however, say that he lived “only” 124 or 125 years.20
14. He Was an Incarnation of Cain
It is said that Reuben possessed the soul of Cain, another firstborn who tragically clashed with his younger sibling. After Reuben sinned, Cain’s soul, still not perfected, left Reuben and eventually settled into Jethro, righteous father-in-law of Moses.21
Read: The Story of Jethro
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