Hey, while you guys are talking about the contributions of Judah and 
Leah, as I have been re-reading the same story, my heart has gone out 
to Reuben, for the first time.  When you think about it, that guy 
really got a raw deal.  I mean, think about it!  He was the first 
born.  He should have received the blessing, the birth right and up 
to half of the inheritance, according to Eastern custom.  But, Jacob 
didn't really like his mother so he ignored the boy.  I suppose that 
Reuben was a teenager when he decided to get it on with Bilhah, but 
chances are, that could have been an act of desperation, and 
frustration on his part.  It was kind of an, in your face, I'm a man 
now too, sort of thing.   Maybe a kind of "peeing on the father's 
turf," kind of challenge.  Chris went through that kind of an 
attitude a lot with us.  Not  toward me necessarily, I just mean that 
pack mentality attitude  of challenging the leader.  Some boys are 
just like that.   Then, as he gets older, he is the first brother to 
plead for Joseph's life and is secretly hoping to be able to sneak 
Joseph back to Jacob and come off as a hero so that, maybe Jacob will 
finally notice him and love him and recognize him as a person, but 
no, that is not to be.  Then, in the end, he gets nothing.  Jacob 
won't even acknowledge him on his death bed except to say, you 
screwed up and I'll never forgive you for it, even with one foot in 
the grave.  Reuben must have ended up a very bitter person.  He had 
to suck up to his little brother just  to stay alive.  Jacob was 
really a lousy parent, you know that?  Incredible.  I'll say one 
thing for the bible, it doesn't hide the truth!
Kathy