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.

וּלְלֵוִ֣י אָמַ֔ר תֻּמֶּ֥יךָ וְאוּרֶ֖יךָ לְאִ֣ישׁ חֲסִידֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִסִּיתוֹ֙ בְּמַסָּ֔ה תְּרִיבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מֵ֥י מְרִיבָֽה׃

And of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim, the system of holy namoteric matters in the breast piece of judgment, through which God communicated with His nation, are for Your virtuous one, the High Priest. The first High Priest was Aaron, whom You tested at Masa; You challenged him at the waters of Meriva. Moses and Aaron were tested, and ultimately reproached and punished, at Masa and Meriva, but this verse emphasizes that even after the reproach and punishment, Aaron remained God’s pious one; he remained loyal to God and did not waver.

הָאֹמֵ֞ר לְאָבִ֤יו וּלְאִמּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א רְאִיתִ֔יו וְאֶת־אֶחָיו֙ לֹ֣א הִכִּ֔יר וְאֶת־בנו [בָּנָ֖יו] לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע כִּ֤י שָֽׁמְרוּ֙ אִמְרָתֶ֔ךָ וּבְרִֽיתְךָ֖ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃

Whether following the incident of the Golden Calf or during other periods, the tribe of Levi served as a sort of royal guard for God. The Levites fought zealously for the sake of Heaven, without regard for familial relationships: Who said of his father, and of his mother: I did not see him; and his brothers he did not recognize, and his children he did not know. Although none of the tribe of Levi participated in the sin, if a father or mother were among the sinners, they would not have afforded them special treatment, because they observed Your saying, and Your covenant they upheld.

יוֹר֤וּ מִשְׁפָּטֶ֙יךָ֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְתוֹרָתְךָ֖ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יָשִׂ֤ימוּ קְטוֹרָה֙ בְּאַפֶּ֔ךָ וְכָלִ֖יל עַֽל־מִזְבְּחֶֽךָ׃

In reward for their righteousness, they, the Levites, and in particular the priests, shall teach Your ordinances to Jacob and Your law to Israel. For many generations, one of the responsibilities of the priests was to teach the Torah to Israel.

בָּרֵ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ חֵיל֔וֹ וּפֹ֥עַל יָדָ֖יו תִּרְצֶ֑ה מְחַ֨ץ מָתְנַ֧יִם קָמָ֛יו וּמְשַׂנְאָ֖יו מִן־יְקוּמֽוּן׃ (ס)

Bless, Lord, his might, and the work of his hands in the Temple service accept. Crush the loins of those who rise against him, and his enemies, prevent them from rising .

לְבִנְיָמִ֣ן אָמַ֔ר יְדִ֣יד יְהֹוָ֔ה יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶ֖טַח עָלָ֑יו חֹפֵ֤ף עָלָיו֙ כָּל־הַיּ֔וֹם וּבֵ֥ין כְּתֵיפָ֖יו שָׁכֵֽן׃ (ס)

Of Benjamin he said: Benjamin is the beloved, the Lord will dwell in safety with him, as he is loyal to God. He, God, rests His presence over Benjamin and hovers over him all the day, and He rests between his shoulders. This is a prophetic allusion to the time when the Temple would be built in Benjamin’s portion of the land, as Jerusalem was in the portion of Benjamin more so than any other tribe. Additionally, the Temple Mount is not the highest mountain in its area, as the Mount of Olives, Mount Scopus, and Mount Zion are all higher; it is therefore referred to as between the shoulders.

וּלְיוֹסֵ֣ף אָמַ֔ר מְבֹרֶ֥כֶת יְהֹוָ֖ה אַרְצ֑וֹ מִמֶּ֤גֶד שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ מִטָּ֔ל וּמִתְּה֖וֹם רֹבֶ֥צֶת תָּֽחַת׃

And of Joseph he said: Blessed of the Lord is his land; it is blessed from above, from the sweetness of heaven, from dew, and from below, from the groundwater of the depths lying below; Joseph’s land will abound with water from above and from below;

וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד תְּבוּאֹ֣ת שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גֶּ֥רֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים׃

and from the sweetness of the crops of the sun, that ripen in the sun, and from the sweetness of the yield of the moons, the new fruit that grow every month, by the moon so to speak, each species in its season;

וּמֵרֹ֖אשׁ הַרְרֵי־קֶ֑דֶם וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גִּבְע֥וֹת עוֹלָֽם׃

and the blessing will come from the tops of the ancient mountains, and from the sweetness of the eternal hills. Not only will the blessing come from heaven and the depths, from the sun and the moon, but it will also come from the fertile land in Joseph’s portion, which included mountains and hills. According to Sifrei , the mountains and hills are an allusion to the patriarchs and matriarchs, who are also a source of Joseph’s blessing.

וּמִמֶּ֗גֶד אֶ֚רֶץ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ וּרְצ֥וֹן שֹׁכְנִ֖י סְנֶ֑ה תָּב֙וֹאתָה֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף וּלְקָדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו׃

And from the sweetness of the earth and its fullness, and the will and love of He who rested in the bush [ seneh ]. Moses refers to God in this manner because God first revealed Himself to Moses at the burning bush. Ibn Ezra interprets the word seneh as a reference to heaven. It, this blessing, shall come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the top of the head of the crowned of his brothers.

בְּכ֨וֹר שׁוֹר֜וֹ הָדָ֣ר ל֗וֹ וְקַרְנֵ֤י רְאֵם֙ קַרְנָ֔יו בָּהֶ֗ם עַמִּ֛ים יְנַגַּ֥ח יַחְדָּ֖ו אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְהֵם֙ רִבְב֣וֹת אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְהֵ֖ם אַלְפֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ (ס)

A firstborn bull is his majesty. Joseph is likened to a majestic firstborn bull, as Joseph was his mother’s firstborn son and because Reuben’s rights of primogeniture were transferred to him. The bull, which became the symbol of the tribe of Joseph for better and for worse, represents the power of the tribe of Joseph. And his horns are the horns of the aurochs [ re’em ], an extinct species of wild ox, or a large, ancient, mythical creature. This animal symbolizes Joseph’s splendor. With them, these horns, figuratively speaking, he will gore the peoples together, even nations that live at the ends of the earth. And among the tribe of Joseph, they are the myriads of Ephraim, and they are the thousands of Manasseh. Two tribes eme-rged from Joseph, Manasseh, and Ephraim. Although there were periods when Manasseh was a larger tribe than Ephraim, Ephraim was considered the senior tribe. Therefore, myriads are attributed to Ephraim, whereas thousands are attributed to Manasseh. The verse reflects the internal division of these tribes: The children of Manasseh were divided into units of thousands, while Ephraim was divided into tens of thousands.

וְלִזְבוּלֻ֣ן אָמַ֔ר שְׂמַ֥ח זְבוּלֻ֖ן בְּצֵאתֶ֑ךָ וְיִשָּׂשכָ֖ר בְּאֹהָלֶֽיךָ׃

And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure for maritime commerce. Moses prophesied that Zebulun’s portion of the land would be on the coast, as did Jacob in his blessing: “Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of seas, and he shall be a harbor for ships, and his border will be upon Sidon.” And rejoice, Issachar, in your tents. The tribe of Issachar did not travel much; they remained on their land and engaged in farming. The tents of Issachar also allude to the many prominent scholars that emerged from the tribe.

עַמִּים֙ הַר־יִקְרָ֔אוּ שָׁ֖ם יִזְבְּח֣וּ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֑דֶק כִּ֣י שֶׁ֤פַע יַמִּים֙ יִינָ֔קוּ וּשְׂפוּנֵ֖י טְמ֥וּנֵי חֽוֹל׃ (ס)

Over the course of their travels and interactions with other nations, they, the children of Zebulun, will call other peoples to come to the mountain of God; there shall they, the other nations, slaughter offerings of righteousness. Contact with the tribe of Zebulun will cause the other nations to admire the God of Israel and His worship. Indeed, the Bible records examples of peoples that believed in the God of Israel, some as a result of influence by Israelites. Because they, the children of Zebulun, will be nourished by the bounty of fish and commerce by way of the seas, and they will also uncover the hidden treasures of the sand, pearls and jewels.

וּלְגָ֣ד אָמַ֔ר בָּר֖וּךְ מַרְחִ֣יב גָּ֑ד כְּלָבִ֣יא שָׁכֵ֔ן וְטָרַ֥ף זְר֖וֹעַ אַף־קָדְקֹֽד׃

And of Gad he said: Blessed is He who expands the land of Gad east of the Jordan River. Like a lion he rests, confident in his power, and mauls the arm, even the top of the head. Like a lion that breaks the leg and head of its prey in one fell swoop, Gad will be a celebrated tribe of warriors capable of striking the enemy’s arm and head with one swipe of the sword.

וַיַּ֤רְא רֵאשִׁית֙ ל֔וֹ כִּי־שָׁ֛ם חֶלְקַ֥ת מְחֹקֵ֖ק סָפ֑וּן וַיֵּתֵא֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם צִדְקַ֤ת יְהוָה֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ס)

He saw the first region that Israel conquered, east of the Jordan River, and chose it for himself, as there the burial plot of the lawgiver, Moses, is hidden . This too is a prophetic statement. Although the precise location of Moses’ resting place is unknown, it is certain that he was buried in the portion of Gad east of the Jordan River (34:6). He brings the heads of the people of Israel to the land of Canaan, as he will serve as the vanguard in Israel’s conquest of the land. He thereby performed the righteousness of the Lord and His ordinances with Israel .

וּלְדָ֣ן אָמַ֔ר דָּ֖ן גּ֣וּר אַרְיֵ֑ה יְזַנֵּ֖ק מִן־הַבָּשָֽׁן׃

And of Dan he said: Dan is a lion cub that leaps from the Bashan. The Bashan was not originally included in Dan’s portion of the land. Only after Dan felt congested in its original portion west of Judah on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea, it found an alternative tribal land near the Bashan.

וּלְנַפְתָּלִ֣י אָמַ֔ר נַפְתָּלִי֙ שְׂבַ֣ע רָצ֔וֹן וּמָלֵ֖א בִּרְכַּ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה יָ֥ם וְדָר֖וֹם יְרָֽשָׁה׃ (ס)

And of Naphtali he said: Naphtali, his desire is satisfied, because his land is fertile and full with the blessing of the Lord; he will take possession of the sea and south. Naphtali’s portion would border the Sea of Galilee, and its southern edge would include the Valley of Beit She’an.

וּלְאָשֵׁ֣ר אָמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ מִבָּנִ֖ים אָשֵׁ֑ר יְהִ֤י רְצוּי֙ אֶחָ֔יו וְטֹבֵ֥ל בַּשֶּׁ֖מֶן רַגְלֽוֹ׃

And of Asher he said: Blessed of many sons is Asher . He will be the beloved of his brothers, and he dips his foot in oil. The largest olive orchards in the Land of Israel are in the portion of Asher in the Galilee.

בַּרְזֶ֥ל וּנְחֹ֖שֶׁת מִנְעָלֶ֑יךָ וּכְיָמֶ֖יךָ דָּבְאֶֽךָ׃

After blessing each tribe with the exception of the tribe of Simeon, Moses addresses the entire nation of Israel. Alternatively, this verse is addressed specifically to the tribe of Asher: Iron and copper will be your padlocks [ minalekha ]. Your land will be safe, as if protected by barriers of iron and copper. Another interpretation: You will be able to rely on the mines containing these metals and on the tools fashioned from them, as one relies on sturdy shoes [ na’alayyim ] that enable one to walk safely. And like your days shall be your flow. All your days an abundance of prosperity will flow to you.

אֵ֥ין כָּאֵ֖ל יְשֻׁר֑וּן רֹכֵ֤ב שָׁמַ֙יִם֙ בְעֶזְרֶ֔ךָ וּבְגַאֲוָת֖וֹ שְׁחָקִֽים׃

Yeshurun, Israel, there is none like God , or there is none like the God of Yeshurun, who rides the heavens and is in your assistance, Israel; and in His majesty, He rules the sky.

מְעֹנָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵי קֶ֔דֶם וּמִתַּ֖חַת זְרֹעֹ֣ת עוֹלָ֑ם וַיְגָ֧רֶשׁ מִפָּנֶ֛יךָ אוֹיֵ֖ב וַיֹּ֥אמֶר הַשְׁמֵֽד׃

An abode is the God of eternity . A similar idea is expressed in Psalms (90:1): “Lord, You have been a dwelling place for us from generation to generation.” And below the heavens, God carries all with the eternal arms . He banished the enemy from before you, and He said: Destroy him.

וַיִּשְׁכֹּן֩ יִשְׂרָאֵ֨ל בֶּ֤טַח בָּדָד֙ עֵ֣ין יַעֲקֹ֔ב אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ דָּגָ֣ן וְתִיר֑וֹשׁ אַף־שָׁמָ֖יו יַֽעַרְפוּ טָֽל׃

A prophetic vision: Israel dwelled securely. Alone, without needing others or being troubled by them, is the spring of Jacob, the descendants of Jacob, when it comes to a land of grain and wine. His heavens drip dew.

אַשְׁרֶ֨יךָ יִשְׂרָאֵ֜ל מִ֣י כָמ֗וֹךָ עַ֚ם נוֹשַׁ֣ע בַּֽיהוָ֔ה מָגֵ֣ן עֶזְרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲשֶׁר־חֶ֖רֶב גַּאֲוָתֶ֑ךָ וְיִכָּֽחֲשׁ֤וּ אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ לָ֔ךְ וְאַתָּ֖ה עַל־בָּמוֹתֵ֥ימוֹ תִדְרֹֽךְ׃ (ס)

Happy are you, Israel, who is like you? You are a people saved by the Lord, who is the shield of your assistance, and Who is the sword of your honor. And your enemies will therefore seek to deceive you, they will employ artifice in order to appease you. One of the signs of victory is that the defeated party seeks to appease the victor, and sometimes resorts to deceit to that end. And you will tread on their high places and trample them.