וְזֹ֣את הַבְּרָכָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בֵּרַ֥ךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לִפְנֵ֖י מוֹתֽוֹ׃

This is the blessing that Moses, the man of God, blessed the children of Israel with before his death.

וַיֹּאמַ֗ר יְהוָ֞ה מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מוֹ הוֹפִ֙יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִֽימִינ֕וֹ אשדת [אֵ֥שׁ] [דָּ֖ת] לָֽמוֹ׃

Before addressing each tribe individually, Moses speaks to the entire nation and describes before them the most significant event in the Bible, and perhaps in history. He said: The Lord came from Sinai, and shone from Se’ir for them, Israel. The revelation at Sinai is described as an appearance of light emanating from several directions. He appeared from Mount Paran, and He came from the holy myriads, the angels. The verse may also mean that God appeared to them with a proliferation of holiness, or that He who is exalted above all holiness appeared from Mount Paran. From His right He brought a fiery law to them. This refers to the Torah, which was given in a fiery display and whose statements are like fire.

אַ֚ף חֹבֵ֣ב עַמִּ֔ים כָּל־קְדֹשָׁ֖יו בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְהֵם֙ תֻּכּ֣וּ לְרַגְלֶ֔ךָ יִשָּׂ֖א מִדַּבְּרֹתֶֽיךָ׃

Indeed, He loves all the peoples of the world. Alternatively, He loves all the tribes of Israel. Nevertheless, all His holy ones, the holy myriads above and the righteous individuals below, are kept in Your hand; and they, these holy ones, fell at Your feet

תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃

The Torah that Moses commanded us is a heritage of the assembly of Jacob. As these are words of prophecy, Moses speaks of himself in the third person.

וַיְהִ֥י בִישֻׁר֖וּן מֶ֑לֶךְ בְּהִתְאַסֵּף֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם יַ֖חַד שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

He, God, became King in Yeshurun, Israel, when He revealed Himself to them at Mount Sinai, when the heads of the people were assembled, and the tribes of Israel were assembled together with them. All of Israel was united and assembled in one spot. Alternatively, some explain that the verse refers to ,Moses, the subject of the previous verse. Not only was Moses the teacher of Israel and its greatest prophet, he was also their leader and could therefore be described as their king. Moses was the only leader of Israel who ruled while all the tribes lived together, during the period of the wilderness.

יְחִ֥י רְאוּבֵ֖ן וְאַל־יָמֹ֑ת וִיהִ֥י מְתָ֖יו מִסְפָּֽר׃ (ס)

Moses proceeds to bless each tribe: May the tribe of Reuben live and not die. Although Reuben was the firstborn of Jacob, the tribe of Reuben was marginalized due to the sin of their progenitor, and perhaps because no outstanding leaders emerged from the tribe. Moses therefore blessed this tribe with survival. This blessing may also be an allusion to the active participation of Reubenites in Korah’s rebellion in the wilderness. In that affair, the descendants of Reuben demanded recognition of their firstborn status, and in its aftermath many of the tribe perished. Perhaps this blessing of life comes to replenish their ranks. And may his people be numerous .

וְזֹ֣את לִֽיהוּדָה֮ וַיֹּאמַר֒ שְׁמַ֤ע יְהוָה֙ ק֣וֹל יְהוּדָ֔ה וְאֶל־עַמּ֖וֹ תְּבִיאֶ֑נּוּ יָדָיו֙ רָ֣ב ל֔וֹ וְעֵ֥זֶר מִצָּרָ֖יו תִּהְיֶֽה׃ (ס)

And this is the blessing for Judah, and he, Moses, said: Hear, Lord, the voice of Judah, and to his people bring him; his hands are mighty for him, and You will be a helper against his adversaries. Judah was a tribe of warriors and the vanguard of Israel. Moses blessed them that they should return from battle unharmed.