Genesis 35:11

And the Lord said to him, I am El Shadai: spread forth and multiply; a holy people, and a congregation of prophets and priests, shall be from thy sons whom thou hast begotten, and two kings shall yet from thee go forth.

1 Be fruitful and multiply. This is the same blessing as was given during the act of creation (Genesis 1:28).

אני א-ל שדי, I swear by My own name when I swear an oath. One such example is found in Deut. 32,40 ואמרתי חי אנכי לעולם, “as I have said, I, the One Who lives forever.” G’d’s oaths to Yaakov were always by the attribute Shadday.

פרה ורבה, do not worry that your seed will be annihilated by the gentiles. Even if your seed will not be deserving of My consideration because they are disloyal to the tradition of their forefathers, do not make this a reason not to observe the commandment to be fruitful. This interpretation disagrees with the viewpoint expressed by Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha. This sage believes that if we would be able to enforce it, in a time of anti-semitic persecution forbidding circumcision, for instance, we should forego marriage for a while in order not to violate such laws as circumcision. The only reason why, in his opinion, such emergency legislation is not to be enacted is that seeing the people would not accept it, they would become guilty of sinning knowingly. It is therefore preferable that they sin merely inadvertently. [Our author understands our verse here as G’d’s promise that inasmuch as the blessing to multiply is associated with the attribute of Shadday, this means that regardless of the worthiness of individual Jews this blessing would not be withheld. Ed.]

ומלכים מחלציך יצאו. This blessing means that the Jewish people would always possess persons who are fit to occupy the throne, as opposed to the Edomites who, as we know from 36,36-37, had to rely repeatedly on outsiders to become their kings.

ויאמר...אני א-ל שדי; strong and self-sufficient, able to guide all of history, in charge of all developments. We explained this on 17,1. The three matriarchs had all been genetically barren, and G’d overcame their genetic handicaps so that each bore children. This was a display of the attribute א-ל שדי at work.

פרה ורבה, (a promise) you will be fruitful and you will multiply. We explained this in connection with Genesis 1,22. G’d gave a similar promise to Avraham in 17,7 where the promise applied to Avraham’s offspring. Seeing that Yaakov did not have another child after this blessing was pronounced, it is clear that in his case just as in Avraham’s case the promise applied to the next generation, i.e. all of Yaakov’s children were included in this blessing.

גוי וקהל גוים, they will all belong to one distinctive nation. This is stated in Chronicles I 17,21 ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ, “and who is like Your people Israel, a unique nation on earth?” This nation will develop into a community of nations i.e. 12 tribes including the son that is about to be born to you now. ומלכים, as per its plain meaning, i.e. “kings.” Basically G’d blessed Yaakov with the same blessing as the one He had bestowed on Avraham, seeing Yaakov was Avraham’s special seed. [of Avraham’s 8 sons, only Yaakov carried on the tradition. Ed.] In Bereshit Rabbah 82,4 our verse is understood as referring specifically to Rachel’s sons. The word גוי is understood as referring to Binyamin, whereas the words קהל גוים are understood as referring to Menashe and Ephrayin, whereas the word מלכים is understood as referring to the two kings from the tribe of Binyamin, Sha-ul and Ish Boshet. Is it possible that Avner who was a righteous man should have rejected the Kingdom of David and appointed Ish Boshet instead? We must answer that he found this Midrash and based himself on that, appointing a king who was a descendant of Binyaim. [and who would be putty in his hands. Ed.]