*1 Gn29-34b. Notice how THEREFORE is only mentioned by 3
   of the tribes-- Levi, Judah, and Dan. An actuarial
   analysis of the census in Nu01 and Nu25 shows that
   Judah and Dan were the two highest in BOTH censuses.*10

   Chazal conclude that THEREFORE creates some sort of
   emphasis and indicates that the tribes descending from
   these children had high populations. (Levi had a high
   population in the days of Solomon and the exile*11)

*2 Notice how in all cases it was the mother that named
   the child, but Levi was named by HIM, the father.

   If we read Gn29-32:34 carefully we see a dialog between
   Leah and Jacob
   ----------------------------------------------------
   Gn29-32 See, Jacob, I gave you a child (REUBEN)
   Gn29-33 See, Jacob, GOd HEARD I am hated (SHIMON)
   Gn29-34 See, Jacob I have 25% of children: We are TOGETHER
   Gn29-34 JACOB RESPONDED: Yes: Lets call him TOGETHER
   ----------------------------------------------------
   In other words, it was precisely by Levi, not earlier,
   that Jacob agreed to the reason for the childs name.*12

*10 Here is the census in Nu01 and Nu25. In both censuses
    Judah and Dan had the highest number. Therefore the
    Bible in Gn29 uses the language style, THEREFORE in
    describing their name: THEREFORE she named him...
    That is, the word THEREFORE implies that the tribe had
    many children
    ----------------------------------------------
    TRIBE          Nu01    Nu25      THEREFORE
    -----          -----   ------    ---------
    judah          74600   76500     THEREFORE
    Dan            62700   64400     THEREFORE
    shimon         59300   22200
    zevulun        57400   60500
    yissachar      54400   64300
    Naftali        53400   45400
    reuven         46500   43730
    gad            45650   40500
    Asher          41500   53400
    Ephraim        40500   32500
    binyamin       35400   45600
    menasheh       32200   52700
    Levi           23300             THEREFORE
    ---------------------------------------------
    Total         603550  601730
    ---------------------------------------------

    Now as MAHARZU, Genesis Rabbah, 71:5 points out, Levi
    had 23000 and was hence the SMALLEST tribe. Why then
    is THEREFORE Mentioned by his name. See footnote *11

*11 We have just seen that THEREFORE implies the TRIBE
    was very big. But Levi was the smallest!!?!?

    There are 3 variant texts on Levi in the Midrash Rabbah,
    Genesis Rabbah 71:5, from which Rashi derives his text

    - The Midrash Rabbah simply says WHOEVER HAS THEREFORE
      MENTIONED IN THE NAMING HAD MANY CHILDREN

    - The MATNOTH KEHUNAH, A commentary on the Genesis
      Rabbah, cites another reference where it lists Levi
      as an exception (But that doesnt explain why the
      word THEREFORE is mentioned)

    - The MAHARZU explicitly notes that LEVI was smallest
      in the census. SO MAHARZU suggests that LEVI had
      many children in the days of Solomon.

      I would add that LEVI and JUDAH survived in the
      exile (The other 10 tribes were exiled while
      Binyamim was the smallest).

      These variants enrich our understanding of Rashi and
      the texts he cites. The MAHARZU shows us how to
      harmonize Rashi and the Midrash Rabbah with logical
      reality and so to speak make everyone happy.

*12  Rashi cites a Midrash Rabbah in Devarim
     ----------------------------------------------------
     Gabriel brought Levi to God and God gave
     him the 24 priestly gifts and called him LEVI
     which means TOGETHER, since LEVI, thru his TEMPLE
     work, enables GOD and ISRAEL to be together
     ----------------------------------------------------

     This contrasts with the more social explanation I
     gave above
     -------------------------------------------------
     HE called him Levi: HE refers to Jacob: Jacob agreed
     to call Levi by that name which means TOGETHERNESS
     since he listened (this time) to Leah. By contrast
     Jacob did not get invovled in the other names which
     reflected Leahs insecurity (A similar conflict of
     naming occurs by BENJAMIN---It was Jacobs name that
     stuck not Rachels--see Gn35-18)
     --------------------------------------------------

     I would humbly suggest that the Midrashs explanation
     does not conflict with mine but supplements it!

     Levi means TOGETHERNESS. This TOGETHERNESS can be
     seen in various places such as
     ------------------------------------------------
     -- The TOGETHERNESS of Jacob and Leah
     -- Levi helped bring Husbands and wives TOGETHER
        thru his work in the Temple
     -- Levi helped bring GOd and the Jews TOGETHER
        thru his work in the Temple.
     ------------------------------------------------
     Thus we have an overall emphasis of TOGETHERNESS
     In effect EVERYBODY--Leah, Jacob and even God--
     named Levi TOGETHERNESS

*1 SHE CONCEIVED is not mentioned by GAD and ASHER
   Zilphahs children. The obvious conjecture was
   that Zilphah was young and the pregnancy did
   not show

*2 (Rashi does not bring this but it is obvious)
   AGAIN is only mentioned when a woman had more
   than one child

*1 The Hebrew word SHIMON comes from the root Shin-Mem-Ayin,
   SHMAH which means TO HEAR

*2 The Tribes name was GAD-sweetness *10. However the Masoretic
   text requires us to read the statement SWEETNESS HAS COME
   as one slurred word: That is the Hebrew BA GAD is read as
   BAGAD, one word. The Hebrew word BAGAD means TRAITOR.

   In this case you can easily hear the dual nuances
   -- How SWEET that I have a child
   -- My husband is a TRAITOR;he had the child from my maid

   For further justification on these nuances see *11

*3 A careful reading of Gn30-15:17 shows the anguish of Leah
   - Her son found LoveFlowers in the field. Ordinarily Rachel,
     Leahs co-wife, should be able to share them. But Leah
     angrily retorts: HE LOVES YOU MORE; DO YOU WANT TO STEAL
     MY LOVEFLOWERS ALSO!!? This emphasis on superficial
     items like flowers shows pettiness & insecurity

   - Leah tells her husband that she PAID wages for him that
     night by gathering LoveFlowers (The nuance being that
     she had to do SOMETHING to get her husband to be with her)

   - Leah then names the child WAGES because:
     I received a child as WAGES because I gave my maid
     to my husband.

     Thru-out we see a marriage where intimacy must be
     bought instead of being a right.

*10 This root only occurs 3 times in Tnach. It seems to
    mean SWEET or GOOD LOOKING or GOOD. In these 3 verses
    GAD can be translated as GOOD, SWEET or GOOD LOOKING
    ---------------------------------------------------------
    Gn30-11 When the son was born Leah said GOODNESS has come
    Nu11-07 And the Manna was like a GOOD seed..& it is sweet
    Is65-11 Who worship GOODNESS with Tables
    ---------------------------------------------------------

    The following is a more speculative support for these
    translations:

    Finally see url http://www.RashiYomi.Com/dt33-13b.htm

    We bring a dozen examples there to show that when
    MEM is the first letter of a root it refers to the SOURCE
    of what the other 2 letters mean.

    Hence the Hebrew word MEGED, which according to everybody
    means SWEETNESS would be translated as the SOURCE (MEM)
    of GAD(Sweetness). (Thus MEGED would be VERY SWEET--the
    interested reader can look over the examples there since
    the MEM word and the word itself can have the same
    meaning).

    At any rate our main proof are the 3 meanings of verses
    with GAD cited above: where GAD means GOODNESS.

*11 For a discussion of the Biblical method of
   WRITTEN-ONE-WAY-BUT-READ-ANOTHER-WAY see
   http://www.RashiYOmi.Com/fd-12.htm

   There we discussed the Biblical method of WRITING
   and READING Biblical texts differently:

   One of the methods of dealing with a dual Biblical
   WRITTEN-READ text is to hear the duality as an INTENDED
   PUN.

   Thus it is easy to be empathic with Leahs mixed emotions:
   Its SWEET to have a child; TRAITOROUS to let your
   husband have it thru the maid!!!

*12 Perhaps there is a philosophical point here. Leah, as
    a matriarch, serves as a role model for other women
    who have bad marriages. Leah shows how to make the
    most of things in an impossible situation.