V'Zot HaBerachah, Aliyah 4 וזאת הברכה, רביעי

ולזבולן אמר. אֵלּוּ חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים שֶׁבֵּרֵךְ בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה — זְבוּלֻן גָּד דָּן וְנַפְתָּלִי וְאָשֵׁר — כָּפַל שְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם לְחַזְּקָם וּלְהַגְבִּירָם, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ חַלָּשִׁים שֶׁבְּכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים, הֵם הֵם שֶׁהוֹלִיךְ יוֹסֵף לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מ"ז) "וּמִקְצֵה אֶחָיו לָקַח חֲמִשָּׁה אֲנָשִׁים", לְפִי שֶׁנִּרְאִים חַלָּשִׁים וְלֹא יָשִׂים אוֹתָם לוֹ שָׂרֵי מִלְחַמְתּוֹ:

Regarding Zevulun, he said. With the following five tribes whom he blessed last — Zevulun, Gad, Don, Naftoli, and Asher — the names were repeated, to strengthen and empower them, since they were the weakest of all the tribes. They were the ones whom Yoseif brought before Pharoah, as it is said, “From among his brothers, he took five men,” because they appeared weak, and he would not commission them as his military officers.

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך. זְבוּלֻן וְיִשָּׂשכָר עָשׂוּ שֻׁתָּפוּת, זְבוּלֻן לְחוֹף יַמִּים יִשְׁכֹּן וְיוֹצֵא לִפְרַקְמַטְיָא בִּסְפִינוֹת וּמִשְׂתַּכֵּר וְנוֹתֵן לְתוֹךְ פִּיו שֶׁל יִשָּׂשכָר, וְהֵם יוֹשְׁבִים וְעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה, לְפִיכָךְ הִקְדִּים זְבוּלֻן לְיִשָּׂשכָר שֶׁתּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל יִשָּׂשכָר עַל יְדֵי זְבוּלֻן הָיְתָה (בראשית רבה צ"ט):

Rejoice, Zevulun, at your departure, and Yisachar in your tents. Zevulun and Yisachar entered into a partnership. “Zevulun shall reside at the sea coast”; he departs to engage in maritime trade, gain profit, and provide sustenence for Yissachar, while they remained occupied with Torah study. Zevulun therefore precedes Yissachar, as Yissachar’s Torah was made possible by Zevulun.

שמח זבולן בצאתך. הַצְלַח בְּצֵאתְךָ לִסְחוֹרָה:

Rejoice Zevulun at your departure. Gain success when you depart to engage in trade.

ויששכר. הַצְלַח בִּישִׁיבַת אֹהָלֶיךָ לַתּוֹרָה, לֵישֵׁב וּלְעַבֵּר שָׁנִים וְלִקְבֹּעַ חֳדָשִׁים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דהי"א י"ב) "וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה לָעִתִּים.. רָאשֵׁיהֶם מָאתַיִם", רָאשֵׁי סַנְהֶדְרִין הָיוּ עוֹסְקִים בְּכָךְ, וְעַל פִּי קְבִיעוֹת עִתֵּיהֶם וְעִבּוּרֵיהֶם —

And Yissachar. Gain success when you remain in your tents studying Torah, convening to decide on the leap year, and fix the months, as it is said, “Of the sons of Yissachar, profoundly knowledgeable in [fixing] the times, etc.” Their leaders, two hundred chief justices of the Sanhedrin, were occupied with this. Based on their arrangement of the time [divisions] and of the leap year —

עמים. שֶׁל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:

Peoples. Of the tribes of Yisroel.

הר יקראו. לְהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה יֵאָסְפוּ, כָּל אֲסִיפָה עַל יְדֵי קְרִיאָה הִיא, וְשָׁם יזבחו בָּרְגָלִים זבחי צדק:

Shall assemble [lit. invite] at the mountain. They shall assemble at Mount Moriah — every assembly being by invitation — and there slaughter, during the festivals, righteous offerings.

כי שפע ימים יינקו. יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלֻן, וִיהֵא לָהֶם פְּנַאי לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה:

For by the streaming of the sea they shall be nurtured. Yisachar and Zevulun, affording them the opportunity to engage in the study of Torah.

ושפני טמוני חול. כִּסּוּיֵי טְמוּנֵי חוֹל, טָרִית וְחִלָּזוֹן וּזְכוּכִית לְבָנָה הַיּוֹצְאִים מִן הַיָּם וּמִן הַחוֹל, וּבְחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלֻן הָיָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמוּר בְּמַסֶּכֶת מְגִלָּה (דף ו') "זְבוּלֻן עַם חֵרֵף נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת" (שופטים ה') מִשּׁוּם דְּ"נַפְתָּלִי עַל מְרוֹמֵי שָׂדֶה" (שם), הָיָה מִתְרַעֵם זְבוּלֻן עַל חֶלְקוֹ — לְאָחִי נָתַתָּ שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים וְכוּ' (ספרי):

And the hidden treasures of sand. Concealed, immersed in the sands — tuna, the chilazon fish, and white crystal-ware, which emerged from the sea and from the sands. This was in the portion of Yisachar and Zevulun. as stated in tractate Megillah, ”Zevulun, a people disdainful of their souls in seeking death,” because, “Naftoli, on the loftiest ground.” Zevulun lamented his fate, ‘To my brothers, you gave fields and vineyards, etc.’

ושפני. לְשׁוֹן כִּסּוּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א ו') "וַיִּסְפֹּן אֶת הַבַּיִת", "וְסָפֻן בָּאֶרֶז" (ירמיהו כב, יד) וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וּמְטֹלָל בְּכִיּוֹרֵי אַרְזָא". דָּ"אַ — עמים הר יקראו עַל יְדֵי פְּרַקְמַטְיָא שֶׁל זְבוּלֻן תַּגָּרֵי אֻמּוֹת העוֹלָם בָּאִים אֶל אַרְצוֹ, וְהוּא עוֹמֵד עַל הַסְּפָר וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים הוֹאִיל וְנִצְטַעַרְנוּ עַד כָּאן נֵלֵךְ עַד יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְנִרְאֶה מַה יִּרְאָתָהּ שֶׁל אֻמָּה זוֹ וּמַה מַּעֲשֶׂיהָ, וְהֵם רוֹאִים כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבְדִים לֶאֱלוֹהַּ אֶחָד וְאוֹכְלִים מַאֲכָל אֶחָד — לְפִי שֶׁהַגּוֹיִם אֱלוֹהוֹ שֶׁל זֶה לֹא כֵאלוֹהוֹ שֶׁל זֶה וּמַאֲכָלוֹ שֶׁל זֶה לֹא כְמַאֲכָלוֹ שֶׁל זֶה — וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים אֵין אֻמָּה כְּשֵׁרָה כְּזוֹ וּמִתְגַּיְּרִין שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁם יִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵי צֶדֶק (ספרי):

And the hidden treasures. The word denotes covering, as it is said, “He covered the building,” “covered with cedar,” translated by Targum as “lined with a cedar covering.” Another interpretation. “Gentile nations shall assemble at the mountain,” as a result of Zevulun’s commerce, gentile merchants would visit his territory, which was situated at the border, and say, ‘Since we took the trouble to come this far, let’s proceed to Jerusalem, and examine this nation’s religion, and its customs.’ They would observe all of Yisroel worshipping one God, and eating the same food, for with the Gentiles, this one’s God differs from the other’s, and this one’s food differs from the other’s. Then they would say, ‘No nation is as virtuous as this,’ and they would convert on the spot, as it is said, “there they slaughtered righteous offerings.

כי שפע ימים יינקו. זְבוּלֻן וְיִשָּׂשכָר הַיָּם נוֹתֵן לָהֶם מָמוֹן בְּשֶׁפַע:

For by the streaming of the sea they shall be nurtured. Zevulun and Yissachar, to whom the sea streamed abundant wealth.

ברוך מרחיב גד. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה תְחוּמוֹ שֶׁל גָּד מַרְחִיב וְהוֹלֵךְ כְּלַפֵּי מִזְרָח (שם):

Blessed is the One who broadens Gad. This teaches that the breadth of Gad’s border ranged eastward.

כלביא שכן. לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה סָמוּךְ לַסְּפָר, לְפִיכָךְ נִמְשַׁל בַּאֲרָיוֹת, שֶׁכָּל הַסְּמוּכִים לַסְּפָר צְרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת גִּבּוֹרִים (שם):

He lairs like a lion. Because he was near the border, he is therefore compared to the lions, for all those near the border must be supremely powerful.

וטרף זרוע אף קדקד. הֲרוּגֵיהֶן הָיוּ נִכָּרִין, חוֹתְכִים הָרֹאשׁ עִם הַזְּרוֹעַ בְּמַכָּה אַחַת:

Then rips the arm with the head. Their killings were recognizable, as they severed arm and head with a single blow.

וירא ראשית לו. רָאָה לִטֹּל לוֹ חֵלֶק בְּאֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג, שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁית כִּבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ:

He saw the foremost for himself. He saw fit to take, for himself, a portion in the territory of Sichon and Og, which was foremost in the conquest of the land.

כי שם חלקת. כִּי יָדַע אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנַחֲלָתוֹ חלקת שְׂדֵה קְבוּרַת מחקק, וְהוּא מֹשֶׁה (עי' ספרי; סוטה י"ג):

For there the [great scribe’s] burial plot. For he knew that there, in his territory, was the plot of the great scribe’s burial ground. This refers to Moshe.

ספון. אוֹתָהּ חֶלְקָה סְפוּנָה וּטְמוּנָה מִכָּל בְּרִיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל"ד) "וְלֹא יָדַע אִישׁ אֶת קְבֻרָתוֹ":

Is concealed. That plot is concealed, hidden from all creatures, as it is said, “and no man knows his burial place.”

ויתא. גָּד:

He marched. Gad.

ראשי עם. הֵם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין לִפְנֵי הֶחָלוּץ בְּכִבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ גִּבּוֹרִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "וְאַתֶּם תַּעַבְרוּ חֲמֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם וְגוֹ'" (יהושע א'):

At the head of the people. They marched at the front ranks of the armed forces when the land was conquered, since they were great warriors, as it is said, “You shall cross as the armed force before your brothers.”

צדקת ה' עשה. שֶׁהֶאֱמִינוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם וְשָׁמְרוּ הַבְטָחָתָם לַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן עַד שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ וְחָלְקוּ; דָּ"אַ — ויתא מֹשֶׁה ראשי עם, צדקת ה' עשה עַל מֹשֶׁה אָמוּר (עי' ספרי):

He acted righteously before Adonoy. As they were faithful to their word, and kept their promise to cross the Yardein until they conquered and distributed [the land]. Another interpretation: “He came” — Moshe. “At the head of the people,” “He acted righteously before Adonoy” — this refers to Moshe.