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NAPHTALI

Jacob's blessing, Genesis 49

"Naphtali is a hind let loose,
Which yields lovely fawns."

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Mose's blessing, Deuteronomy 33,

Oh Naphtali, sated with favor
And full of LORD's blessings,
Take posession on the west and south

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Midrash Rabbah Bamidbar 2

 His gem was amethyst (AKHLAMA),
his color was like clear wine, some mild redness.
His emblem was a free hind.

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Naphtali

This small tribe was settled in the North of the Land of Israel. Barak the hero, who overcame the hythen warlord Sisra, was of that tribe. Debora who lead Israel at that time, and who authored the famous heroic poem "the song of Debora", was presumably of Naphtali origin though she lived in the territory of Joseph. What Jacob meant by "Lovely fawns" was indeed a prophetical prediction of the Song of Debora.


The most important symbol on the window is of course a hind, together with the bird which signifies freedom. The bird also reminds us of a song, of poetry.

The steep mountain is the mount Tabor, where Sisra was utterly defeated, and Deborah thereafter sang her victory song.





      


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