דברים ל״ג:כ״ד-כ״ט

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.

מענה אלהי קדם. לְמָעוֹן הֵם הַשְּׁחָקִים לֵאלֹהֵי קֶדֶם, שֶׁקָּדַם לְכָל אֱלֹהִים וּבָרַר לוֹ שְׁחָקִים לְשִׁבְתּוֹ וּמְעוֹנָתוֹ, וּמִתַּחַת מְעוֹנָתוֹ כָּל בַּעֲלֵי זְרוֹעַ שׁוֹכְנִים:

As the dwelling of the eternal God. The heavens are as the dwelling of the eternal God, who preceded all the deities, and chose, for Himself, the heavens as His residence and dwelling. Below His dwelling, all the strong-armed reside.

זרעת עולם. סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג וּמַלְכֵי כְנַעַן שֶׁהָיוּ תָקְפּוֹ וּגְבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, לְפִיכָךְ עַל כָּרְחָם יֶחֶרְדוּ וְיָזוּעוּ וְכֹחָם חָלֵשׁ מִפָּנָיו, לְעוֹלָם אֵימַת הַגָּבוֹהַּ עַל הַנָּמוּךְ, וְהוּא שֶׁהַכֹּחַ וְהַגְּבוּרָה שֶׁלּוֹ בְּעֶזְרֶךָ:

The world’s strong- armed. Sichon, Og, and the kings of Canaan, who were the world’s mighty and powerful, therefore, quaked and trembled involuntarily, their strength dissipating before Him — the exalted are always fearsome to the lowly. It is thus that His might and power come to your assistance.

ויגרש מפניך אויב, ויאמר. לְךָ השמד אוֹתָם:

He banished the enemy from your presence and said to you, “Destroy!” them.

מענה. כָּל תֵּיבָה שֶׁצְּרִיכָה לַמֶ"ד בִּתְחִלָּתָהּ הֵטִיל לָהּ הֵ"א בְּסוֹפָהּ (יבמות י"ג):

As the dwelling. With all words requiring ל' as a prefix, ה' may be used as a suffix.

בטח בדד. כָּל יָחִיד וְיָחִיד אִישׁ תַּחַת גַּפְנוֹ וְתַחַת תְּאֵנָתוֹ מְפֻזָּרִין וְאֵין צְרִיכִין לְהִתְאַסֵּף וְלֵישֵׁב יַחַד מִפְּנֵי הָאוֹיֵב:

Securely, as individuals. Each and every individual, “Every one under his grapevine and under his fig tree,” dispersed, without needing to assemble and remain together because of the enemy.

עין יעקב. כְּמוֹ "וְעֵינוֹ כְּעֵין הַבְּדֹלַח" (במדבר י"א) כְּעֵין הַבְּרָכָה שֶׁבֵּרְכָם יַעֲקֹב, לֹא כְבָדָד שֶׁאָמַר יִרְמְיָה "בָּדָד יָשַׁבְתִּי" (ירמיהו ט"ו), אֶלָּא כְּעֵין הַבְטָחָה שֶׁהִבְטִיחָם יַעֲקֹב (בראשית מ"ח) "וְהָיָה אֱלֹהִים עִמָּכֶם וְהֵשִׁיב אֶתְכֶם אֶל אֶרֶץ אֲבֹתֵיכֶם" (עי' ספרי):

Like Yaakov. As in, “Its likeness was similar to crystal.” Like the blessing bestowed on them by Yaakov, not like the isolation Yirmiyahu mentioned, “I sat in isolation.” Rather, like the assurance given them by Yaakov, “God will be with you, and bring you back to the land of your forefathers.”

יערפו. יִטְּפוּ:

Shall drip. Shall drip.

אַף שמיו יערפו טל. אַף בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל יִצְחָק נוֹסֶפֶת עַל בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב "וְיִתֶּן לְךָ הָאֱלֹהִים מִטַּל הַשָּׁמַיִם וְגוֹ'":

Even its skies shall drip dew. Also, Yitzchak’s blessing, in addition to Yaakov’s blessing — “May God grant you of the dew of heaven, etc.”

אשריך ישראל. לְאַחַר שֶׁפָּרַט לָהֶם הַבְּרָכוֹת, אָמַר לָהֶם מַה לִּי לִפְרֹט לָכֶם כָּל דָּבָר? הַכֹּל שֶׁלָּכֶם:

You are fortunate, Yisroel. After blessing them specifically, he said to them, ‘Why must I be specific with you? The general theme is, everything is yours.’

אשריך, מי כמוך. תְּשׁוּעָתְךָ בַּה', אֲשֶׁר הוּא מגן עזרך וחרב גאותך:

You are fortunate Yisroel, who can compare to you? Your salvation is in Adonoy, who is the shield of your aid and the sword of your glory.

ויכחשו איביך לך. כְּגוֹן הַגִּבְעוֹנִים שֶׁאָמְרוּ "מֵאֶרֶץ רְחוֹקָה בָּאוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ וְגוֹ'" (יהושע ט'):

Your enemies will prevaricate to you. For example, the Givonites, who said, “Your servants have come from a distant land, etc.”

ואתה על במותימו תדרך. כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "שִׂימוּ אֶת רַגְלֵיכֶם עַל צַוְּארֵי הַמְּלָכִים הָאֵלֶּה" (שם י):

While you tread on their high places. As it is said, “Place your feet on the necks of these kings.”