Binyamin is like a wolf that seizes

Despite Binyamin being Yaakov’s youngest child, the Divine Presence always rested in his portion as we see in the Talmud (Zevachim 118b):

Rav Dimi came related in the name of Rebbi:

In three places the Divine Presence rested upon Israel: In Shilo, in Nov & Givon and in the Eternal House (The Beit HaMikdash). In all of these places, it rested in none other than the portion of Binyamin as it says in Dvarim 33:12: “He (God) hovers over him (Binyamin) all day.” Moshe here foretold that all hoverings of the Divine Presence would not be anywhere but in the portion of Binyamin.

Binyamin’s territory was located between the territories of the big tribes, Yehuda and the children of Yosef (Menashe and Efraim).

In his blessing, Yaakov hints at the uniqueness of the tribe of Binyamin and their inheritance (Breisheet 49:27):

Binyamin is like a wolf that seizes. In the morning he will eat a portion, and in the evening he will divide the spoil.

In Breisheet Raba 100, the midrash explains that this blessing speaks about Binyamin’s land: As a wolf seizes, so did the land of Binyamin ‘seize’ its crops and cause them to ripen quickly. In the morning he will eat a portion: this alludes to Jericho, whose fruit was the first to ripen. And in the evening he will divide the spoil: This alludes to Beit El whose fruits ripened last.

Just as it is explained in the midrash, the same is true today. The grapes of Bik’at HaYarden (the Jordan Valley) and Jericho ripen first while the grapes of Beit El ripen at the end of the season.

May the Beit HaMikdash be built speedily in our days and may the Divine Presence once again rest in Yerushalayim.