V'Zot HaBerachah, Aliyah 3

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Devarim 33

33:13

וּלְיוֹסֵף אָמַר מְבֹרֶכֶת יְהֹוָה אַרְצוֹ מִמֶּגֶד שָׁמַיִם מִטָּל וּמִתְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת תָּֽחַת׃

And regarding Yoseif he said, ‘‘Blessed by Adonoy is his land; with the delight of heaven, from dew, and the deep waters that lie below.

Rashi

מברכת ה' ארצו. שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה בְנַחֲלַת הַשְּׁבָטִים אֶרֶץ מְלֵאָה כָל טוּב כְּאַרְצוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף (עי' ספרי):

Blessed by Adonoy is his land. For none of the tribal territories was as replete with bounty of every kind as Yoseif’s territory.

ממגד. לְשׁוֹן עֲדָנִים וּמֶתֶק:

With the delight. This denotes delight and sweetness.

ומתהום. שֶׁהַתְּהוֹם עוֹלֶה וּמְלַחְלֵחַ אוֹתָהּ מִלְּמַטָּה; אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה מֵעֵין בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב:

And the deep waters. As the waters of the deep rise, and irrigate it from below. You find that, with all the tribes, Moshe’s blessing resembled Yaakov’s blessing.

33:14

וּמִמֶּגֶד תְּבוּאֹת שָׁמֶשׁ וּמִמֶּגֶד גֶּרֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים׃

With the delight of the sun’s harvest; and with the delight of the moon’s ripening.

Rashi

וממגד תבואת שמש. שֶׁהָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ פְּתוּחָה לַחַמָּה וּמְמַתֶּקֶת הַפֵּרוֹת (ספרי):

With the delight of the sun’s harvest. As his territory was exposed to sunlight, which sweetened the fruit.

גרש ירחים. יֵשׁ פֵּרוֹת שֶׁהַלְּבָנָה מְבַשַּׁלְתָּן וְאֵלּוּ הֵן קִשּׁוּאִין וּדְלוּעִין; דָּ"אַ — גרש ירחים. שֶׁהָאָרֶץ מְגָרֶשֶׁת וּמוֹצִיאָה מֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ:

Moon’s ripening. Some fruit are ripened by the moon. They are: cucumbers and melons. Another interpretation. “The monthly yield,” which the earth sheds and generates each month.

33:15

וּמֵרֹאשׁ הַרְרֵי־קֶדֶם וּמִמֶּגֶד גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָֽם׃

With the first fruits of the early mountains and from the sweetness of the perennial hills.

Rashi

ומראש הררי קדם. וּמְבֹרֶכֶת מֵרֵאשִׁית בִּשּׁוּל הַפֵּרוֹת, שֶׁהֲרָרֶיהָ מַקְדִּימִין לְבַכֵּר בִּשּׁוּל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶם. דָּ"אַ — מַגִּיד שֶׁקָּדְמָה בְּרִיאָתָן לִשְׁאָר הָרִים (שם):

With the first fruits of the early mountains. Blessed, also, with the first- ripening fruits, as its mountains are early in producing ripened fruit. Another interpretation: This teaches that their creation preceded that of the other mountains.

גבעות עולם. גְּבָעוֹת הָעוֹשׂוֹת פֵּרוֹת לְעוֹלָם וְאֵינָן פּוֹסְקוֹת מֵעֹצֶר הַגְּשָׁמִים:

The perennial hills. Hills which are always productive, never failing for lack of rain.

33:16

וּמִמֶּגֶד אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ וּרְצוֹן שֹׁכְנִי סְנֶה תָּבוֹאתָה לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף וּלְקׇדְקֹד נְזִיר אֶחָֽיו׃

And from the sweetness of earth and its fullness, and the favor of the One who resides in the thornbush; let this be visited upon Yoseif’s head, and upon the head of the one set apart from his brothers.

Rashi

ורצון שכני סנה. כְּמוֹ שׁוֹכֵן סְנֶה; וּתְהֵא אַרְצוֹ מְבֹרֶכֶת מֵרְצוֹנוֹ וְנַחַת רוּחוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּבָּ"ה הַנִּגְלֶה עָלַי תְּחִלָּה בַּסְּנֶה:

And the favor of the One who resides in the thornbush. [ שׁוֹכְנִי is] Like שׁוֹכֵן, [the One who resides] in the thornbush. May his territory be blessed by the favor and gratification of the Holy One, Blessed is He, who first revealed Himself to me at the thornbush.

רצון. נַחַת רוּחַ וּפִיּוּס, וְכֵן כָּל רָצוֹן שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא:

Favor. Gratification and conciliation. “ רָצוֹן “ is similarly interpreted throughout Scripture.

תבואתה. בְּרָכָה זוֹ לראש יוסף:

Let this be visited. This blessing, upon Yoseif’s head.

נזיר אחיו. שֶׁהֻפְרַשׁ מֵאֶחָיו בִּמְכִירָתוֹ (עי' ספרי):

The one set apart from his brothers. As he was set apart from his brothers when he was sold.

33:17

בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ וְקַרְנֵי רְאֵם קַרְנָיו בָּהֶם עַמִּים יְנַגַּח יַחְדָּו אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ וְהֵם רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם וְהֵם אַלְפֵי מְנַשֶּֽׁה׃ {ס}

His firstborn ox, glory to him, and re’em’s horns are his horns, with which he will gore together peoples to the ends of the earth; and they are Ephraim’s myriads, and they are Menasheh’s thousands.’’

Rashi

בכור שורו. יֵשׁ בְכוֹר שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן גְּדֻלָּה וּמַלְכוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אַף אָנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ" (תהילים פ"ט), וְכֵן "בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (שמות ד') — מֶלֶךְ הַיּוֹצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁכֹּחוֹ קָשֶׁה כְּשׁוֹר לִכְבֹּשׁ כַּמָּה מְלָכִים:

His firstborn ox. בְּכוֹר sometimes denotes grandeur and regency, as it is said, “I shall also give him grandeur.” Similarly, “My magnificent son, Yisroel.” Firstborn. The king descended from him. His ox. This refers to Yehoshua, who was as supremely powerful as the ox in vanquishing many kings.

הדר לו. נָתוּן לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְנָתַתָּה מֵהוֹדְךָ עָלָיו" (במדבר כ"ז):

Glory to him. Given to him, as it is said, “Give him some of your splendor.”

וקרני ראם קרניו. שׁוֹר כֹּחוֹ קָשֶׁה, וְאֵין קַרְנָיו נָאוֹת, אֲבָל רְאֵם קַרְנָיו נָאוֹת וְאֵין כֹּחוֹ קָשֶׁה, נָתַן לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שׁוֹר וְיֹפִי קַרְנֵי רְאֵם (ספרי):

And re’em’s horns are his horns. The ox is supremely powerful, but his horns are unattractive, whereas the re’em’s horns are beautiful, but his strength not very great. He invested Yehoshua with the strength of the ox, and the beauty of the horns of the re’em.

אפסי ארץ. שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד מְלָכִים אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁכֻּלָּם מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ? אֶלָּא אֵין לְךָ כָּל מֶלֶךְ וְשִׁלְטוֹן שֶׁלֹּא קָנָה לוֹ פַלְטֵרִין וַאֲחֻזָּה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁחֲשׁוּבָה לְכֻלָּם הִיא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיהו ג') "נַחֲלַת צְבִי צִבְאוֹת גּוֹיִם" (עי' ספרי):

To the ends of the earth. Thirty-one kings. Is it possible that all of them were natives of Eretz Yisroel? But, rather, there was hardly a monarch or potentate who didn’t buy himself a castle and an estate in Eretz Yisroel, for it was prized by all, as it is said, ”The territory coveted by hordes of nations.”

והם רבבות אפרים. אוֹתָם הַמְנֻגָּחִים הֵם הָרְבָבוֹת שֶׁהָרַג יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁבָּא מֵאֶפְרַיִם:

They are Ephraim's myriads. Those gored. This refers to the myriads slain by Yehoshua, who was descended from Ephraim.

והם אלפי מנשה. הֵם הָאֲלָפִים שֶׁהָרַג גִּדְעוֹן בְּמִדְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים ח') "וְזֶבַח וְצַלְמֻנָּע בַּקַּרְקֹר וְגוֹ'":

And they are Menasheh’s thousands. This refers to the thousands slain by Gideon at Midian, as it is said, “Zevach and Tsalmuna were at Karkor, etc.”

V'Zot HaBerachah, Aliyah 3 וזאת הברכה, שלישי

Devarim 33

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