וזאת הברכה, ראשון

וזאת הברכה … לפני מותו. סָמוּךְ לְמִיתָתוֹ, שֶׁאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁו אֵימָתַי (שם):

This is the blessing . . . before his death. Close to his death, for ‘If not now, when’?

ויאמר ה' מסיני בא. פָּתַח תְּחִלָּה בְּשִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם וְאַחַ"כַּ פָּתַח בְּצָרְכֵיהֶם שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, וּבַשֶּׁבַח שֶׁפָּתַח בּוֹ יֵשׁ בּוֹ הַזְכָּרַת זְכוּת לְיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְכָל זֶה דֶּרֶךְ רִצּוּי הוּא, כְּלוֹמַר כְּדַאי הֵם אֵלּוּ שֶׁתָּחוּל עֲלֵיהֶם בְּרָכָה (ספרי):

He said: Adonoy came from Sinai. He began with the praise of God, and afterward, he introduced the needs of the Israelites. And his opening praise also mentions the merit of the Israelites. All this by way of seeking favor, as if to say, ‘They are worthy of receiving blessings.’

מסיני בא. יָצָא לִקְרָאתָם כְּשֶׁבָּאוּ לְהִתְיַצֵּב בְּתַחְתִּית הָהָר כְּחָתָן הַיּוֹצֵא לְהַקְבִּיל פְּנֵי כַלָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לִקְרַאת הָאֱלֹהִים" (שמות י"ט), לִמְּדָנוּ שֶׁיָּצָא כְנֶגְדָם:

Came from Sinai. He went out to meet them when they came to station themselves at the foot of the mountain, like a bridegroom going forward to receive his bride, as it is said, “Toward God” — this teaches that He went forward towards them.

וזרח משעיר למו. שֶׁפָּתַח לִבְנֵי עֵשָׂו שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה וְלֹא רָצוּ:

Radiated forth to them from Seir. As He had made an overture to the children of Eisav, to accept the Torah — but they refused.

הופיע מהר פארן. שֶׁהָלַךְ שָׁם וּפָתַח לִבְנֵי יִשְׁמָעֵאל שֶׁיְּקַבְּלוּהָ וְלֹא רָצוּ (ספרי):

[He] appeared. To them. From Mount Paran. where He went to make an overture to the children of Yishmael to accept it — but they refused.

ואתה. לְיִשְׂרָאֵל:

He came. To the Israelites.

מרבבת קדש — וְעִמּוֹ מִקְצָת רִבְבוֹת מַלְאֲכֵי קֹדֶשׁ וְלֹא כֻלָּם וְלֹא רֻבָּם, וְלֹא כְדֶרֶךְ בָּשָׂר וָדָם שֶׁמַּרְאֶה כָּל כְּבוֹד עָשְׁרוֹ וְתִפְאַרְתּוֹ בְּיוֹם חֻפָּתוֹ (שם):

With part of the sacred myriads. Accompanied by part of the myriads of sacred angels, but not all or most of them; unlike the manner of a mortal, who displays all the glory of his affluence and splendor on his wedding day.

אש דת. שֶׁהָיְתָה כְתוּבָה מֵאָז לְפָנָיו בְּאֵשׁ שְׁחֹרָה עַל גַּב אֵשׁ לְבָנָה, נָתַן לָהֶם בַּלּוּחוֹת כְּתָב יַד יְמִינוֹ (עי' תנחומא בראשית א'); דָּ"אַ — אש דת כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, שֶׁנִּתְּנָה לָהֶם מִתּוֹךְ הָאֵשׁ:

The flaming Torah law. Which was inscribed before Him in the remote past in black flame on white flame, he gave them in the tablets inscribed by His right hand. Another interpretation, אֵשׁדָּת — as rendered by Targum [Onkelos], ‘which was given to them from the fire.’

אף חבב עמים. גַּם חִבָּה יְתֵרָה חָבַב אֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים; כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד קָרוּי עַם, שֶׁהֲרֵי בִנְיָמִין לְבַדּוֹ הָיָה עָתִיד לְהִוָּלֵד כְּשֶׁאָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְיַעֲקֹב (בראשית ל"ה), "גּוֹי וּקְהַל גּוֹיִם יִהְיֶה מִמֶּךָּ":

He also cherished the nations. Also, with surpassing love He cherished the tribes. Each of them was entitled a “people,” for only Binyamin was destined to be born when the Holy One, Blessed is He, said to Yaakov, “A nation and community of nations shall emanate from you.”

כל קדשיו בידך. נַפְשׁוֹת הַצַּדִּיקִים גְּנוּזוֹת אִתּוֹ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א כ"ה) "וְהָיְתָה נֶפֶשׁ אֲדֹנִי צְרוּרָה בִּצְרוֹר הַחַיִּים אֵת ה' אֱלֹהֵיךָ" (ספרי):

All of their sacred ones are in Your keeping. The souls of the saints secreted with Him, about which it is said, “The soul of my master shall be bound in the bond of life with Adonoy your God.”

והם תכו לרגלך. וְהֵם רְאוּיִם לְכָךְ, שֶׁהֲרֵי תִּוְּכוּ עַצְמָן לְתוֹךְ תַּחְתִּית הָהָר לְרַגְלֶךָ בְּסִינַי:

For they were gathered in at Your feet. They were worthy of this, for they were gathered in under the foot of the mountain at Your feet at Sinai. תֻּכּוּ denotes the reflexive, they were gathered into your footrest.

תכו. לְשׁוֹן פֻּעֲלוּ, הֻתַּוְּכוּ לְתוֹךְ מַרְגְּלוֹתֶיךָ:

And accepted the burden of Your word. They accepted upon themselves the yoke of Your Torah.

ישא מדברתיך. נָשְׂאוּ עֲלֵיהֶם עֹל תּוֹרָתְךָ (ספרי):

Your word. The “ מֶ"ם “ here relates to the root, as in, “He heard the voice speaking to him,” “And I heard that which was spoken to me,” like מִתְדַּבֵּר, “that which was self-spoken to me.” Here too, “Your self-spoken” — that which You had spoken so that I would hear and relate it to them. tes pourparlers, speaking to oneself, in Old French. But Onkelos renders, “They journeyed by Your words,” with the מֶ"ם as a prefix, having the connotation of “by.” Another interpretation: “Even when the nations were cherished,” even during the time when the Gentile nations were cherished, when You displayed to the Gentiles, a beaming countenance, and delivered the Jews into their hands —

מדברתיך. הַמֵּ"ם בּוֹ קָרוֹב לִיסוֹד, כְּמוֹ (במדבר ז'), "וַיִּשְׁמַע אֶל הַקּוֹל מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָיו", "וָאֶשְׁמַע אֵת מִדַּבֵּר אֵלָי" (יחזקאל ב') כְּמוֹ מִתְדַּבֵּר אֵלַי, אַף זֶה מדברתיך — מַה שֶּׁהָיִיתָ מְדַבֵּר לְהַשְׁמִיעֵנִי לֵאמֹר לָהֶם, טי"ש פורפרלירש בְּלַעַז. וְאֻנְקְלוֹס תִּרְגֵּם שֶׁהָיוּ נוֹסְעִים עַל פִּי דְּבָרֶיךָ, וְהַמֵּ"ם בּוֹ שִׁמּוּשׁ, מְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת לְשׁוֹן מִן. דָּבָר אַחֵר — אף חבב עמים, אַף בִּשְׁעַת חִבָּתָן שֶׁל אֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶרְאֵיתָ לָאֻמּוֹת פָּנִים שׂוֹחֲקוֹת וּמָסַרְתָּ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּיָדָם, כל קדושיו בידך, כָּל צַדִּיקֵיהֶם וְטוֹבֵיהֶם דָּבְקוּ בְּךָ וְלֹא מָשׁוּ מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ וְאַתָּה שׁוֹמְרָם:

All of their sacred ones are in Your keeping. All of their saintly and virtuous ones clung to You, and did not distance themselves from You, and You sheltered them.

והם תכו לרגלך. וְהֵם מִתְמַצְּעִים וּמִתְכַּנְּסִים לְתַחַת צִלְּךָ.

They were gathered in at Your feet. They ensconce themselves and gather themselves under Your shelter.

ישא מדברתיך. מְקַבְּלִים גְּזֵרוֹתֶיךָ וְדָתוֹתֶיךָ בְּשִׂמְחָה, וְאֵלֶּה דִבְרֵיהֶם:

And accepted the burden of Your word. They accept Your decrees and commandments joyfully, and declare the following:

תורה. אֲשֶׁר צוה לנו משה מורשה הִיא לִקְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב, אֲחַזְנוּהָ וְלֹא נַעַזְבֶנָּה:

The Torah. Which Moshe commanded to us is the heritage of the congregation of Yaakov. We have embraced it, and shall not forsake it.

ויהי. הַקָּבָּ"ה:

There was. The Holy One, Blessed is He.

בישרון מלך. תָּמִיד עֹל מַלְכוּתוֹ עֲלֵיהֶם:

King in Yeshurun. The yoke of His sovereignty rests always upon them.

בהתאסף. בְּכָל הִתְאַסֵּף רָאשֵׁי חֶשְׁבּוֹן אֲסִיפָתָם:

At the gathering. At every gathering. “Of the counting” — the counting of their gathering.

ראשי. כְּמוֹ (שמות ל') "כִּי תִשָּׂא אֶת רֹאשׁ", רְאוּיִין אֵלּוּ שֶׁאֲבָרְכֵם. דָּ"אַ — בהתאסף. בְּהִתְאַסְּפָם יַחַד בַּאֲגֻדָּה אַחַת וְשָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם, הוּא מַלְכָּם, וְלֹא כְּשֶׁיֵּשׁ מַחֲלֹקֶת בֵּינֵיהֶם (ספרי):

Of the counting. As in “When you take count.” These are worthy of my blessing. Another interpretation: “When they gathered.” When they gather together as a single unit, and there is harmony among them — then He is their king, but not when there is dissention among them.

יחי ראובן. בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה:

May Reuvein live. In this world.

ואל ימות לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא, שֶׁלֹּא יִזָּכֵר לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה בִלְהָה (עי' שם):

Let him not die. In the World to Come, as the incident of Bilhah will not be reckoned against him.

ויהי מתיו מספר. נִמְנִין בְּמִנְיַן שְׁאָר אֶחָיו, דֻּגְמָא הִיא זוֹ, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ל"ה) "וַיִּשְׁכַּב אֶת בִּלְהָה, וַיִּהְיוּ בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר", שֶׁלֹּא יָצָא מִן הַמִּנְיָן:

May his constituency be counted. May they be counted in the census with the rest of his brothers. This is comparable to that which is said, “He laid with Bilhah. There were twelve sons of Yaakov” — he was not excluded from the count.

וזאת ליהודה. סָמַךְ יְהוּדָה לִרְאוּבֵן מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁנֵיהֶם הוֹדוּ עַל קִלְקוּל שֶׁבְּיָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֲשֶׁר חֲכָמִים יַגִּידוּ וְגוֹ' לָהֶם לְבַדָּם וְגוֹ' וְלֹא עָבַר זָר בְּתוֹכָם" (איוב ט"ו); וְעוֹד פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁכָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה שֶׁהָיוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר הָיוּ עַצְמוֹת יְהוּדָה מִתְגַּלְגְּלִין בָּאָרוֹן מִפְּנֵי נִדּוּי שֶׁקִּבֵּל עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְחָטָאתִי לְאָבִי כָּל הַיָּמִים" (בראשית מ"ד), אָמַר מֹשֶׁה מִי גָּרַם לִרְאוּבֵן שֶׁיּוֹדֶה? יְהוּדָה וְכוּ' (סוטה ז'):

Now this for Yehudah. He placed Yehudah next to Reuvein, because both confessed to the iniquity of which they were guilty, as it is said, “That wise men acknowledged, etc., to them alone, etc., no stranger passed between them.” In addition, the Rabbis explain that throughout the forty years that the Israelites were in the wilderness, Yehudah’s bones rolled about in his coffin, because of the banishment which he accepted upon himself, as it is said, “I will have sinned against my father for all time.” Moshe said, ‘Who was responsible for Reuvein’s confession? Yehudah, etc.’

שמע ה' קול יהודה. תְּפִלַּת דָּוִד וּשְׁלֹמֹה וְאָסָא מִפְּנֵי הַכּוּשִׁים, וִיהוֹשָׁפָט מִפְּנֵי הָעַמּוֹנִים, וְחִזְקִיָּה מִפְּנֵי סַנְחֵרִיב:

Adonoy, hear the voice of Yehudah. The prayers of Dovid and Shlomo, Asa because of the Cushites, Yehoshafat because of the Ammonites, and Chizkiyahu because of Sancheiriv.

ואל עמו תביאנו. לְשָׁלוֹם מִפְּנֵי הַמִּלְחָמָה:

And bring him to his people. In peace, after warfare.

ידיו רב לו. יָרִיבוּ רִיבוֹ וְיִנְקְמוּ נִקְמָתוֹ:

May his hands fight his battles. May they fight his battles and exact his vengeance.

ועזר מצריו תהיה. עַל יְהוֹשָׁפָט הִתְפַּלֵּל עַל מִלְחֶמֶת רָאמוֹת גִּלְעָד, "וַיִּזְעַק יְהוֹשָׁפָט וַה' עֲזָרוֹ" (דברי הימים ב' י"ח); דָּ"אַ — שמע ה' קול יהודה, כָּאן רָמַז לְשִׁמְעוֹן מִתּוֹךְ בִּרְכוֹתָיו שֶׁל יְהוּדָה, וְאַף כְּשֶׁחָלְקוּ אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל נָטַל שִׁמְעוֹן מִתּוֹךְ גּוֹרָלוֹ שֶׁל יְהוּדָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י"ט) "מֵחֵבֶל בְּנֵי יְהוּדָה נַחֲלַת בְּנֵי שִׁמְעוֹן" (וּמִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא יִחֵד לוֹ בְרָכָה בִּפְנֵי עַצְמוֹ? שֶׁהָיָה בְּלִבּוֹ עָלָיו עַל מַה שֶּׁעָשָׂה בַּשִּׁטִּים, כֵּן כָּתוּב בְּאַגָּדַת תְּהִלִּים:)

May You provide assistance against his enemies. He prayed for Yehoshafat at the battle of Gilad heights — “Yehoshafat cried out, and Adonoy assisted him.” Another interpretation [of] “Adonoy, hear the voice of Yehudah” — here he alluded to a blessing for Shimon, amidst Yehudah’s blessings. Also, when Eretz Yisroel was apportioned, Shimon took [a portion] amidst Yehudah’s allotment, as it is said, “From the portion of the sons of Yehudah, the inheritance of the sons of Shimon.” (Why didn’t he devote a specific blessing to him? Because he was resentful towards him for his behavior at Shittim. This is recorded in Agadas Tehilim.)