Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

13He said of Joseph, “May his land be blessed by God with the delicacies produced by heaven, through dew; with the water of the deep that lies below and rises to the surface to moisten the soil;   יגוּלְיוֹסֵ֣ף אָמַ֔ר מְבֹרֶ֥כֶת יְהֹוָ֖ה אַרְצ֑וֹ מִמֶּ֤גֶד שָׁמַ֨יִם֙ מִטָּ֔ל וּמִתְּה֖וֹם רֹבֶ֥צֶת תָּֽחַת:
מְבֹרֶכֶת ה' אַרְצוֹ - May his land be blessed by God - Of all the territories of the tribes, there was none as full of all types of goodness as the territory of Joseph.   מְבֹרֶכֶת ה' אַרְצוֹ.  שֶׁלֹּא הָיְתָה בְנַחֲלַת הַשְּׁבָטִים אֶרֶץ מְלֵאָה כָל טוּב כְּאַרְצוֹ שֶׁל יוֹסֵף (עי' ספרי):
מִמֶּגֶד - this term denotes enjoyment and sweetness.   מִמֶּגֶד.  לְשׁוֹן עֲדָנִים וּמֶתֶק:
וּמִתְּהוֹם - With the deep - i.e., the water of the depths rises and moistens the soil from below. You find that for each tribe, Moses’ blessing shares a subject with Jacob’s blessing.   וּמִתְּהוֹם.  שֶׁהַתְּהוֹם עוֹלֶה וּמְלַחְלֵחַ אוֹתָהּ מִלְּמַטָּה; אַתָּה מוֹצֵא בְכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל מֹשֶׁה מֵעֵין בִּרְכָתוֹ שֶׁל יַעֲקֹב:
14with the delicacies that are the ‘produce’ of the sun, which ripens them; with the delicacies ripened monthly by the moon;   ידוּמִמֶּ֖גֶד תְּבוּאֹ֣ת שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גֶּ֥רֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים:
וּמִמֶּגֶד תְּבוּאֹת שָׁמֶשׁ - With the delicacies, the produce of the sun - for his land was exposed to the sun, which sweetened its fruit.   וּמִמֶּגֶד תְּבוּאֹת שָׁמֶשׁ.  שֶׁהָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ פְּתוּחָה לַחַמָּה וּמְמַתֶּקֶת הַפֵּרוֹת (ספרי):
גֶּרֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים - Ripened by the moon. There are crops that the moon ripens – namely, cucumbers and pumpkins, which the land “expels” (מְגָרֶשֶׁת), i.e., gives forth, month by month (יְרָחִים).   גֶּרֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים.  יֵשׁ פֵּרוֹת שֶׁהַלְּבָנָה מְבַשַּׁלְתָּן וְאֵלּוּ הֵן קִשּׁוּאִין וּדְלוּעִין; דָּבָר אַחֵר — גרש ירחים. שֶׁהָאָרֶץ מְגָרֶשֶׁת וּמוֹצִיאָה מֵחֹדֶשׁ לְחֹדֶשׁ:
15with the first-ripening fruits of mountains whose produce ripens early; with the delicacies of hills that produce fruit perennially;   טווּמֵרֹ֖אשׁ הַֽרְרֵי־קֶ֑דֶם וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גִּבְע֥וֹת עוֹלָֽם:
וּמֵרֹאשׁ הַֽרְרֵי־קֶדֶם - With the first fruits of early mountains. And it is also blessed with being the first to ripen its fruits, for its mountains ripen their fruits early. Another explanation: This teaches us that the mountains in the territory of Joseph were created before all other mountains.   וּמֵרֹאשׁ הַֽרְרֵי־קֶדֶם.  וּמְבֹרֶכֶת מֵרֵאשִׁית בִּשּׁוּל הַפֵּרוֹת, שֶׁהֲרָרֶיהָ מַקְדִּימִין לְבַכֵּר בִּשּׁוּל פֵּרוֹתֵיהֶם. דָּבָר אַחֵר — מַגִּיד שֶׁקָּדְמָה בְּרִיאָתָן לִשְׁאָר הָרִים (שם):
גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָֽם - (lit.) Everlasting hills - means: hills that always produce their fruit, and do not stop doing so due to shortage of rain.   גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָֽם.  גְּבָעוֹת הָעוֹשׂוֹת פֵּרוֹת לְעוֹלָם וְאֵינָן פּוֹסְקוֹת מֵעֹצֶר הַגְּשָׁמִים:
16with the delicacies produced by the land and its fullness; and with the favor of God, who dwells in and revealed Himself in a thorn bush. May these blessings rest upon Joseph’s head, upon the crown of the one who was separated from his brothers.   טזוּמִמֶּ֗גֶד אֶ֚רֶץ וּמְלֹאָ֔הּ וּרְצ֥וֹן שֹֽׁכְנִ֖י סְנֶ֑ה תָּב֨וֹאתָה֙ לְרֹ֣אשׁ יוֹסֵ֔ף וּלְקָדְקֹ֖ד נְזִ֥יר אֶחָֽיו:
וּרְצוֹן שֹֽׁכְנִי סְנֶה - And with the favor of the One who dwells in a thorn bush. שֹׁכְנִי סְנֶה is the same as: שׁוֹכֵן סְנֶה; i.e., may his land be blessed by the goodwill and pleasure of the Holy One, blessed be He, who first appeared to me in a thornbush.   וּרְצוֹן שֹֽׁכְנִי סְנֶה.  כְּמוֹ שׁוֹכֵן סְנֶה; וּתְהֵא אַרְצוֹ מְבֹרֶכֶת מֵרְצוֹנוֹ וְנַחַת רוּחוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא הַנִּגְלֶה עָלַי תְּחִלָּה בַּסְּנֶה:
רצון - denotes pleasure and attaining favor, and so is the meaning of every instance of the word רָצוֹן in Scripture.   רצון.  נַחַת רוּחַ וּפִיּוּס, וְכֵן כָּל רָצוֹן שֶׁבַּמִּקְרָא:
תָּבוֹאתָה - (lit.) May it come - i.e., this blessing – “upon Joseph’s head.”   תָּבוֹאתָה.  בְּרָכָה זוֹ לראש יוסף:
נְזִיר אֶחָֽיו - Who was separated from his brothers - i.e., who was separated from his brothers by being sold.   נְזִיר אֶחָֽיו.  שֶׁהֻפְרַשׁ מֵאֶחָיו בִּמְכִירָתוֹ (עי' ספרי):
17Glory has been given to his preeminent descendant—his ‘work-bull,’ blessed with military prowess. May his horns be as beautiful as the horns of an aurochs. With them he will gore at once nations from all the ends of the earth: they are the myriads who will be slain by a descendant of Ephraim, as well as the thousands who will be slain by a descendant of Manasseh.”   יזבְּכ֨וֹר שׁוֹר֜וֹ הָדָ֣ר ל֗וֹ וְקַרְנֵ֤י רְאֵם֙ קַרְנָ֔יו בָּהֶ֗ם עַמִּ֛ים יְנַגַּ֥ח יַחְדָּ֖ו אַפְסֵי־אָ֑רֶץ וְהֵם֙ רִבְב֣וֹת אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְהֵ֖ם אַלְפֵ֥י מְנַשֶּֽׁה:
בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ - (lit.) The firstborn of his work-bull. The term בְּכוֹר is sometimes used to express high position and kingship, as it says regarding King David: אַף אָנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ “I will also make him preeminent” 1 and also: בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל “Israel is my preeminent son.” 2   בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ.  יֵשׁ בְכוֹר שֶׁהוּא לְשׁוֹן גְּדֻלָּה וּמַלְכוּת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אַף אָנִי בְּכוֹר אֶתְּנֵהוּ" (תהילים פ"ט), וְכֵן "בְּנִי בְכֹרִי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (שמות ד')
בְּכוֹר - thus means: the king who will descend from Joseph, and that is Joshua –   בְּכוֹר.  מֶלֶךְ הַיּוֹצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ, וְהוּא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:
שׁוֹרוֹ - His work-bull - whose strength will be as mighty as a work-bull, sufficient to conquer many kings.   שׁוֹרוֹ.  שֶׁכֹּחוֹ קָשֶׁה כְּשׁוֹר לִכְבֹּשׁ כַּמָּה מְלָכִים:
הָדָר לוֹ - (lit.) Glory is his - i.e., it was given to him, as it says: “you must bestow some of your majesty upon him.” 3   הָדָר לוֹ.  נָתוּן לוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "וְנָתַתָּה מֵהוֹדְךָ עָלָיו" (במדבר כ"ז):
וְקַרְנֵי רְאֵם קַרְנָיו - May his horns be the horns of an aurochs. A work-bull has great strength but its horns are not beautiful; and an aurochs has beautiful horns but does not have great strength. He gave Joshua both the strength of a work-bull and the beautiful horns of an aurochs.   וְקַרְנֵי רְאֵם קַרְנָיו.  שׁוֹר כֹּחוֹ קָשֶׁה, וְאֵין קַרְנָיו נָאוֹת, אֲבָל רְאֵם קַרְנָיו נָאוֹת וְאֵין כֹּחוֹ קָשֶׁה, נָתַן לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ כֹּחוֹ שֶׁל שׁוֹר וְיֹפִי קַרְנֵי רְאֵם (ספרי):
אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ - (lit.) The ends of the earth. For is it possible that all 31 kings whom Joshua conquered were from the Land of Israel? It can only be that there was not a single king or ruler who did not acquire himself a palace and an estate in the Land of Israel, for it was valuable to all, as it says: “a inheritance desired by hosts of nations.” 4   אַפְסֵי־אָרֶץ.  שְׁלוֹשִׁים וְאֶחָד מְלָכִים אֶפְשָׁר שֶׁכֻּלָּם מֵאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ? אֶלָּא אֵין לְךָ כָּל מֶלֶךְ וְשִׁלְטוֹן שֶׁלֹּא קָנָה לוֹ פַלְטֵרִין וַאֲחֻזָּה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁחֲשׁוּבָה לְכֻלָּם הִיא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיהו ג') "נַחֲלַת צְבִי צִבְאוֹת גּוֹיִם" (עי' ספרי):
וְהֵם רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם - They are the myriads (lit.) of Ephraim - i.e., those gored ones are the myriads who were slain by Joshua, a descendant of Ephraim.   וְהֵם רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם.  אוֹתָם הַמְנֻגָּחִים הֵם הָרְבָבוֹת שֶׁהָרַג יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שֶׁבָּא מֵאֶפְרַיִם:
וְהֵם אַלְפֵי מְנַשֶּֽׁה - As well as the thousands (lit.) of Manasseh - i.e., they are the thousands of Midianite soldiers slain by Gideon, as it says: “Zevach and Tzalmuna were at Karkor…those who fell were 120,000 men.” 5   וְהֵם אַלְפֵי מְנַשֶּֽׁה.  הֵם הָאֲלָפִים שֶׁהָרַג גִּדְעוֹן בְּמִדְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שופטים ח') "וְזֶבַח וְצַלְמֻנָּע בַּקַּרְקֹר וְגוֹ'":