דברים ל״ג:כ״ב-כ״ג

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.