V'Zot HaBerachah, Aliyah 5 וזאת הברכה, חמישי

דן גור אריה. אַף הוּא הָיָה סָמוּךְ לַסְּפָר, לְפִיכָךְ מוֹשְׁלוֹ בַּאֲרָיוֹת (שם):

Don is a lion cub. He, too, was near the border, and is therefore compared to lions.

יזנק מן הבשן. כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה הַיַּרְדֵּן יוֹצֵא מֵחֶלְקוֹ מִמְּעָרַת פַּמְיָאס, וְהִיא לֶשֶׁם שֶׁהִיא בְחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל דָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י"ט) "וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְלֶשֶׁם דָּן", וְזִנּוּקוֹ וְקִלּוּחוֹ מִן הַבָּשָׁן. דָּ"אַ — מַה זִּנּוּק זֶה יוֹצֵא מִמָּקוֹם אֶחָד וְנֶחֱלָק לִשְׁנֵי מְקוֹמוֹת, כָּךְ שִׁבְטוֹ שֶׁל דָּן נָטְלוּ חֵלֶק בִּשְׁנֵי מְקוֹמוֹת, תְּחִלָּה נָטְלוּ בִצְפוֹנִית מַעֲרָבִית — עֶקְרוֹן וּסְבִיבוֹתֶיהָ — וְלֹא סָפְקוּ לָהֶם, וּבָאוּ וְנִלְחֲמוּ עִם לֶשֶׁם שֶׁהִיא פַּמְיָאס, וְהִיא בִּצְפוֹנִית מִזְרָחִית — שֶׁהֲרֵי הַיַּרְדֵּן יוֹצֵא מִמְּעָרַת פַּמְיָאס וְהִיא בְּמִזְרָחָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבָא מֵהַצָּפוֹן לַדָּרוֹם, וְכָלֶה בִקְצֵה יָם הַמֶּלַח שֶׁהוּא בְּמִזְרַח יְהוּדָה שֶׁנָּטַל בִּדְרוֹמָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל — כְּמוֹ שֶׁמְּפֹרָשׁ בְּסֵפֶר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, וְהוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שם) "וַיֵּצֵא גְבוּל בְּנֵי דָן מֵהֶם וַיַּעֲלוּ בְנֵי דָן וַיִּלָּחֲמוּ עִם לֶשֶׁם וְגוֹ'" — יָצָא גְבוּלָם מִכָּל אוֹתוֹ הָרוּחַ שֶׁהִתְחִילוּ לִנְחֹל בּוֹ (ספרי):

Bounding from Bashan. As Targum [Onkelos] renders, the Yardein originated from his portion, from the cavern of Pamias — this is Leshem, which is in Don’s portion, as it is said, “They called Leshem ‘Don.”’ It bounds forth, flowing from Bashan. Another interpretation: Just as the bounding flow emanates from a single source, and then divides into two areas, so it is with the tribe of Don — they received a portion in two areas. They first received, in the northwest, Ekron and its environs, but this was insufficient for them, so they went to war with Leshem, which is Pamias. This is at the northeast, for the Yardein originates from the cavern of Pamias, at the east of Eretz Yisroel, flows from north to south, and terminates at the edge of the Dead Sea. This is the east of Yehudah, who received in the south of Eretz Yisroel, as detailed in the book of Yehoshua. This is what is meant by the statement, “The border of the sons of Don extended past them, for the sons of Don went up to war with Leshem, etc.” Their border extended past the entire direction in which they had begun to settle.

שבע רצון. שֶׁהָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ שְׂבֵעָה כָּל רְצוֹן יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ:

Desire is satisfied. His land fully satisfied the desires of its residents.

ים ודרום ירשה. יָם כִּנֶּרֶת נָפְלָה בְּחֶלְקוֹ, וְנָטַל מְלֹא חֶבֶל חֵרֶם בִּדְרוֹמָהּ, לִפְרֹשׂ חֲרָמִים וּמִכְמוֹרוֹת (ב"ק פ"א):

Occupy the sea and its southern coast. The Sea of Kineres fell to him as his portion. He also took a measure of fully spread fishnet rope on its southern coast, so that he could spread nets and traps.

ירשה. לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי, כְּמוֹ "עֲלֵה רֵשׁ" (דברים א'), וְהַטַּעַם שֶׁלְּמַעְלָה בָּרֵ"ישׁ מוֹכִיחַ, כְּמוֹ סְלַח, יְדַע, לְקַח, שְׁמַע, כְּשֶׁמּוֹסִיף בּוֹ הֵ"א יִהְיֶה הַטַּעַם לְמַעְלָה סְלָחָה, יְדָעָה, לְקָחָה, שְׁמָעָה, אַף כָּאן יְרָשָׁה לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי, וּבַמָּסֹרֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה מָצִינוּ בְּאַלְפָא בֵּיתָא לְשׁוֹן צִוּוּי דְּטַעְמֵיהוֹן מִלְּעֵיל:

Occupy. The imperative usage, as in, “Go up and occupy.” The accent on the upper syllable, at the ר', verifies this, like ירש, occupy; ידע, know; לקח, take; שמע, hear. When the ה' is added, the upper syllable is accentuated — שְׁמָעָה, hear; יְדָעָה, know; סְלָחָה, forgive; לְקָחָה, take. Here too, “occupy” — the imperative usage. Indeed, in the comprehensive traditional grammar guide, we find, in the alphabet section, that, in the imperative usage, the upper syllable is accentuated.

ברוך מבנים אשר. רָאִיתִי בְסִפְרֵי — אֵין לְךָ בְכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵךְ בְּבָנִים כְּאָשֵׁר, וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ כֵּיצַד:

May Asher be blessed with sons. I have seen in Sifrei, ‘Not one, among all the tribes, was as blessed with sons as Asher,’ but I do not know how.

יהי רצוי אחיו. שֶׁהָיָה מִתְרַצֶּה לְאֶחָיו בְּשֶׁמֶן אַנְפִּיקִינוֹן וּבְקַפְּלָאוֹת, וְהֵם מְרַצִּין לוֹ בִּתְבוּאָה. דָּ"אַ — יהי רצוי אחיו שֶׁהָיוּ בְנוֹתָיו נָאוֹת, וְהוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּדִבְרֵי הַיָּמִים (דבהי"א ז') "הוּא אֲבִי בִרְזָיִת", שֶׁהָיוּ בְנוֹתָיו נְשׂוּאוֹת לְכֹהֲנִים גְּדוֹלִים וּמְלָכִים הַנִּמְשָׁחִים בְּשֶׁמֶן זַיִת:

He shall be favored by his brothers. He found favor with his brothers with elixir of onapekin and delicious foods, and they favored him with produce. Another interpretation: “He shall be favored by his brothers,” since his daughters were beautiful. This corresponds with the statement in Divrei Hayamim, ”He was the father of Birzayis,” as they were married to Kohanim Gedolim and kings annointed with olive oil.

וטבל בשמן רגלו. שֶׁהָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ מוֹשֶׁכֶת שֶׁמֶן כְּמַעְיָן, וּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנִּצְטָרְכוּ אַנְשֵׁי לוּדְקִיָּא לְשֶׁמֶן, מִנּוּ לָהֶם פּוּלְמוּסְטוּס אֶחָד, וכוּ' כִדְאִיתָא בִמְנָחוֹת (דף פ"ה):

And immerse his foot in oil. As his territory flowed with oil like a wellspring. There was an incident where the residents of Ludekia needed oil. They appointed an emissary, etc., as stated in Menachos.

ברזל ונחשת מנעלך. עַכְשָׁו הוּא מְדַבֵּר כְּנֶגֶד כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁהָיוּ גִּבּוֹרֵיהֶם יוֹשְׁבִים בְּעָרֵי הַסְּפָר וְנוֹעֲלִים אוֹתָהּ שֶׁלֹּא יוּכְלוּ הָאוֹיְבִים לִכָּנֵס בָּהּ, כְּאִילוּ הִיא סְגוּרָה בְמַנְעוּלִים וּבְרִיחִים שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת. דָּ"אַ, ברזל ונחשת מנעלך — אַרְצְּכֶם נְעוּלָה בְּהָרִים שֶׁחוֹצְבִין מֵהֶם בַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת, וְאַרְצוֹ שֶׁל אָשֵׁר הָיְתָה מַנְעוּלָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (ספרי):

Your locks are iron and copper. He now speaks in relation to all of Israel, as their great warriors resided in the border cities, and locked it against invasion by the enemy as if it had been sealed with locks and bolts of iron and copper. Another interpretation: Your locks are iron and copper, your territory is locked by mountains from which iron and copper are quarried. Asher locked-in Eretz Yisroel.

וכימיך דבאך. וּכְיָמִים שֶׁהֵם טוֹבִים לְךָ, שֶׁהֵן יְמֵי תְחִלָּתְךָ, יְמֵי נְעוּרֶיךָ, כֵּן יִהְיוּ יְמֵי זִקְנָתְךָ, שֶׁהֵם דּוֹאֲבִים זָבִים וּמִתְמוֹטְטִים. דָּ"אַ, וכימיך דבאך כְּמִנְיַן יָמֶיךָ — כָּל הַיָּמִים אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם — יִהְיֶה דָבְאֶךָ, שֶׁכָּל הָאֲרָצוֹת יִהְיוּ דוֹבְאוֹת כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁתְּהֵא מְבֹרֶכֶת בְּפֵרוֹת וְכָל הָאֲרָצוֹת מִתְפַּרְנְסוֹת הֵימֶנָּה וּמַמְשִׁיכוֹת לָהּ כַּסְפָּם וּזְהָבָם, אשקו"רנט, הַכֶּסֶף וְהַזָּהָב כָּלֶה מֵהֶם שֶׁהֵן מְזִיבוֹת אוֹתוֹ לְאַרְצְכֶם:

As the days [of your youth], so may be your declining days. As the days of your well-being, meaning your early, youthful days; so may be the days of your old age, which [generally] flow downward, droop, and decline. Another interpretation: According to your days, shall be your stream. According to your days which are beneficial to you — according to the number of your days, all the days when you fulfill the Omnipresent’s wishes — shall be your stream, as all the countries shall stream silver and gold to Eretz Yisroel, for she shall be blessed with bountiful produce, and all the countries shall receive their sustenance from her, and deliver to her their silver and gold. Escoront, streaming. Their silver and gold will be depleted, for they will cause it to flow to your land.

אין כאל ישרון. דַּע לְךָ יְשֻׁרוּן שֶׁאֵין כָּאֵל בְּכָל אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים וְלֹא כְצוּרְךָ צוּרָם:

God is incomparable — Yeshurun. Know, Yeshurun, that none is comparable to God, among all the Gentile deities, for, not like your Almighty is theirs.

רכב שמים. הוּא אוֹתוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁבְּעֶזְרֶךָ, ובגאותו הוּא רוֹכֵב שחקים:

He who straddles the firmament. He is the God who comes to your assistance. and, in His pride, straddles the high heavens.