Torah insights Vayeitzei Reuvain His name, & how he dealt with challenges, Rabbi Yossi Paltiel, 5783

Vayeitzei 29:32 – Reuvain
His name, his place (in the family) and how he dealt with challenges.
He was ‘meant to be’ a perfect Tzadik and at his birth his mother boasts: ראו בן look how perfect a son I have.
But in the end he wasn’t; but he 1) protected his competitor for the birthright, and happily acceded to him (Yosef) and he did Teshuva.
He lost: 1) the birthright, 2) the Kehuna and 3) the Melucha.
The Sforno holds that Hashem saw his Teshuva and forgave him (only Ya’akov didn’t).
His stone (on the Choshen Mishpat) and his family’s flag were red, denoting (according to some) the sin associated with his Teshuva.
According to early Kabbalah seeing is the lowest sense, and according to later Kabbala (and Chassidus) seeing is the highest sense. Both these ideas play out in Reuvain’s character.