Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

18He said to Zebulun: “Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure to engage in commerce; and Issachar in your tents where you study the Torah.   יחוְלִזְבוּלֻ֣ן אָמַ֔ר שְׂמַ֥ח זְבוּלֻ֖ן בְּצֵאתֶ֑ךָ וְיִשָּׂשכָ֖ר בְּאֹֽהָלֶֽיךָ:
וְלִזְבוּלֻן אָמַר - He said to Zebulun: - Regarding these five tribes whom Moses blessed last – Zebulun, Gad, Dan, Naphtali, and Asher – he repeated their names in order to strengthen and invigorate them, since they were the weakest of all the tribes. These were the ones whom Joseph brought before Pharaoh – as it says: “he selected from among his brothers five men” 1 – since they appeared weak, and he hoped that on that account Pharaoh would not appoint them as his war captains.   וְלִזְבוּלֻן אָמַר.  אֵלּוּ חֲמִשָּׁה שְׁבָטִים שֶׁבֵּרֵךְ בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה — זְבוּלֻן גָּד דָּן וְנַפְתָּלִי וְאָשֵׁר — כָּפַל שְׁמוֹתֵיהֶם לְחַזְּקָם וּלְהַגְבִּירָם, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ חַלָּשִׁים שֶׁבְּכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים, הֵם הֵם שֶׁהוֹלִיךְ יוֹסֵף לִפְנֵי פַרְעֹה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית מ"ז) "וּמִקְצֵה אֶחָיו לָקַח חֲמִשָּׁה אֲנָשִׁים", לְפִי שֶׁנִּרְאִים חַלָּשִׁים וְלֹא יָשִׂים אוֹתָם לוֹ שָׂרֵי מִלְחַמְתּוֹ:
שְׂמַח זְבוּלֻן בְּצֵאתֶךָ וְיִשָּׂשכָר בְּאֹֽהָלֶֽיךָ - Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure, and Issachar in your tents. Zebulun and Issachar forged a partnership: Zebulun would dwell by the seashores, 2 travel in ships to engage in commerce, make a profit, and provide sustenance for Issachar, who would thus be free to sit and study the Torah. Therefore, Moses mentioned Zebulun before Issachar, although he was younger, for Issachar’s Torah study was made possible by Zebulun.   שְׂמַח זְבוּלֻן בְּצֵאתֶךָ וְיִשָּׂשכָר בְּאֹֽהָלֶֽיךָ.  זְבוּלֻן וְיִשָּׂשכָר עָשׂוּ שֻׁתָּפוּת, זְבוּלֻן לְחוֹף יַמִּים יִשְׁכֹּן וְיוֹצֵא לִפְרַקְמַטְיָא בִּסְפִינוֹת וּמִשְׂתַּכֵּר וְנוֹתֵן לְתוֹךְ פִּיו שֶׁל יִשָּׂשכָר, וְהֵם יוֹשְׁבִים וְעוֹסְקִים בַּתּוֹרָה, לְפִיכָךְ הִקְדִּים זְבוּלֻן לְיִשָּׂשכָר שֶׁתּוֹרָתוֹ שֶׁל יִשָּׂשכָר עַל יְדֵי זְבוּלֻן הָיְתָה (בראשית רבה צ"ט):
שְׂמַח זְבוּלֻן בְּצֵאתֶךָ - Rejoice, Zebulun, in your departure - i.e., be successful as you depart to trade.   שְׂמַח זְבוּלֻן בְּצֵאתֶךָ.  הַצְלַח בְּצֵאתְךָ לִסְחוֹרָה:
וְיִשָּׂשכָר - And Issachar - be successful when you sit in your tents to study the Torah, to convene and determine when to declare leap years and proclaim the new months, as it says: “And from the descendants of Issachar: those who had comprehension of fixing times, so that Israel know how to act; their heads were 200,” 3 i.e., the heads of the Sanhedrin, who occupied themselves with this topic, and based on their fixing of the seasons and the leap years –   וְיִשָּׂשכָר.  הַצְלַח בִּישִׁיבַת אֹהָלֶיךָ לַתּוֹרָה, לֵישֵׁב וּלְעַבֵּר שָׁנִים וְלִקְבֹּעַ חֳדָשִׁים, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דהי"א י"ב) "וּמִבְּנֵי יִשָּׂשכָר יוֹדְעֵי בִינָה לָעִתִּים.. רָאשֵׁיהֶם מָאתַיִם", רָאשֵׁי סַנְהֶדְרִין הָיוּ עוֹסְקִים בְּכָךְ, וְעַל פִּי קְבִיעוֹת עִתֵּיהֶם וְעִבּוּרֵיהֶם —
19They will call nations (i.e., the tribes of Israel) to the Temple mountain; they will offer up proper sacrifices there, because Zebulun will be nourished by the abundance of the seas and by the caches hidden in the sand.”   יטעַמִּים֙ הַר־יִקְרָ֔אוּ שָׁ֖ם יִזְבְּח֣וּ זִבְחֵי־צֶ֑דֶק כִּ֣י שֶׁ֤פַע יַמִּים֙ יִינָ֔קוּ וּשְׂפֻנֵ֖י טְמ֥וּנֵי חֽוֹל:
עַמִּים - Nations - of the tribes of Israel –   עַמִּים.  שֶׁל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל:
הַר־יִקְרָאוּ - They will call to the mountain - i.e., they will gather at Mount Moriah to celebrate the pilgrim festivals. Every gathering takes place through calling the people. And “there they will offer up” on the festivals “proper sacrifices.”   הַר־יִקְרָאוּ.  לְהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה יֵאָסְפוּ, כָּל אֲסִיפָה עַל יְדֵי קְרִיאָה הִיא, וְשָׁם יזבחו בָּרְגָלִים זבחי צדק:
כִּי שֶׁפַע יַמִּים יִינָקוּ - Because they will be nourished by the abundance of the seas - i.e., Issachar and Zebulun; and thus Issachar will be free to study the Torah.   כִּי שֶׁפַע יַמִּים יִינָקוּ.  יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלֻן, וִיהֵא לָהֶם פְּנַאי לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה:
וּשְׂפֻנֵי טְמוּנֵי חֽוֹל - means: and what is covered and hidden by the sand, i.e., tuna, the chilazon, and white glass, which are products of the sea and the sand. These commodities were situated in the territory of Issachar and Zebulun, as stated in Tractate Megilah: 4 “Zebulun gave themselves up to die” because “Naphtali is on the high fields” 5 – i.e., Zebulun was complaining about his territory: “To my brother You gave fields and vineyards, and to me You gave seas and rivers.” God replied: “Everyone will need you for the chilazon.”   וּשְׂפֻנֵי טְמוּנֵי חֽוֹל.  כִּסּוּיֵי טְמוּנֵי חוֹל, טָרִית וְחִלָּזוֹן וּזְכוּכִית לְבָנָה הַיּוֹצְאִים מִן הַיָּם וּמִן הַחוֹל, וּבְחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל יִשָּׂשכָר וּזְבוּלֻן הָיָה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמוּר בְּמַסֶּכֶת מְגִלָּה (דף ו') "זְבוּלֻן עַם חֵרֵף נַפְשׁוֹ לָמוּת" (שופטים ה') מִשּׁוּם דְּ"נַפְתָּלִי עַל מְרוֹמֵי שָׂדֶה" (שם), הָיָה מִתְרַעֵם זְבוּלֻן עַל חֶלְקוֹ — לְאָחִי נָתַתָּ שָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים וְכוּ' (ספרי):
וּשְׂפֻנֵי - denotes covering, as it says: “he covered (וַיִּסְפֹּן) the Temple with shingles,” 6 and וְסָפוּן בָּאֶרֶז, 7 which Yonatan ben Uziel translates as: וּמְטַלֵּל בְּכִיּוֹרֵי אַרְזָא “roofed with cedar panels.” Another explanation of עַמִּים הַר יִקְרָאוּ: As a result of Zebulun’s trade activities, merchants of other nations come to his territory, which is on the coastal border. They say, “Since we have troubled ourselves to come this far, let us go on to Jerusalem and see what deity this nation fears and what are its customs.” There, they observe all Israel serving one God and eating one kind of food – for among the nations, the god of one is not like the god of another, and the food mores of one nation are not like the food mores of the other. They then say, “There is no nation as worthy as this one,” and there – in Jerusalem – they will convert, as it says: “they will offer up proper sacrifices there.”   וּשְׂפֻנֵי.  לְשׁוֹן כִּסּוּי, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים א ו') "וַיִּסְפֹּן אֶת הַבַּיִת", "וְסָפֻן בָּאֶרֶז" (ירמיהו כב, יד) וְתַרְגּוּמוֹ "וּמְטֹלָל בְּכִיּוֹרֵי אַרְזָא". דָּבָר אַחֵר — עמים הר יקראו עַל יְדֵי פְּרַקְמַטְיָא שֶׁל זְבוּלֻן תַּגָּרֵי אֻמּוֹת העוֹלָם בָּאִים אֶל אַרְצוֹ, וְהוּא עוֹמֵד עַל הַסְּפָר וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים הוֹאִיל וְנִצְטַעַרְנוּ עַד כָּאן נֵלֵךְ עַד יְרוּשָׁלַיִם וְנִרְאֶה מַה יִּרְאָתָהּ שֶׁל אֻמָּה זוֹ וּמַה מַּעֲשֶׂיהָ, וְהֵם רוֹאִים כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹבְדִים לֶאֱלוֹהַּ אֶחָד וְאוֹכְלִים מַאֲכָל אֶחָד — לְפִי שֶׁהַגּוֹיִם אֱלוֹהוֹ שֶׁל זֶה לֹא כֵאלוֹהוֹ שֶׁל זֶה וּמַאֲכָלוֹ שֶׁל זֶה לֹא כְמַאֲכָלוֹ שֶׁל זֶה — וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים אֵין אֻמָּה כְּשֵׁרָה כְּזוֹ וּמִתְגַּיְּרִין שָׁם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁם יִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵי צֶדֶק (ספרי):
כִּי שֶׁפַע יַמִּים יִינָקוּ - Because they will be nourished by the abundance of the seas - i.e., Zebulun and Issachar, as the sea provides them with plentiful wealth.   כִּי שֶׁפַע יַמִּים יִינָקוּ.  זְבוּלֻן וְיִשָּׂשכָר הַיָּם נוֹתֵן לָהֶם מָמוֹן בְּשֶׁפַע:
20He said of Gad: “Blessed be He who expands the territory of Gad. May he dwell like a fearsome lion, tearing off the arm of his prey together with the head.   כוּלְגָ֣ד אָמַ֔ר בָּר֖וּךְ מַרְחִ֣יב גָּ֑ד כְּלָבִ֣יא שָׁכֵ֔ן וְטָרַ֥ף זְר֖וֹעַ אַף־קָדְקֹֽד:
בָּרוּךְ מַרְחִיב גָּד - Blessed be He who expands the territory of Gad. This teaches us that Gad’s territory on the east bank of the Jordan River would expand further eastward.   בָּרוּךְ מַרְחִיב גָּד.  מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהָיָה תְחוּמוֹ שֶׁל גָּד מַרְחִיב וְהוֹלֵךְ כְּלַפֵּי מִזְרָח (שם):
כְּלָבִיא שָׁכֵן - May he dwell like a fearsome lion. Since he was close to the border, he is compared to lions, for all who are close to the border must be strong.   כְּלָבִיא שָׁכֵן.  לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה סָמוּךְ לַסְּפָר, לְפִיכָךְ נִמְשַׁל בַּאֲרָיוֹת, שֶׁכָּל הַסְּמוּכִים לַסְּפָר צְרִיכִים לִהְיוֹת גִּבּוֹרִים (שם):
וְטָרַף זְרוֹעַ אַף־קָדְקֹֽד - Tearing off the arm with the head. Those slain by them were distinguished, as they would sever the head together with the arm in one blow.   וְטָרַף זְרוֹעַ אַף־קָדְקֹֽד.  הֲרוּגֵיהֶן הָיוּ נִכָּרִין, חוֹתְכִים הָרֹאשׁ עִם הַזְּרוֹעַ בְּמַכָּה אַחַת:
21He saw that the first portion of our conquest befitted him, because there the burial site of the lawgiver is hidden. He will go at the head of the people; he will do what God considers righteous and fulfill his legal obligations toward Israel.”   כאוַיַּ֤רְא רֵאשִׁית֙ ל֔וֹ כִּי־שָׁ֛ם חֶלְקַ֥ת מְחֹקֵ֖ק סָפ֑וּן וַיֵּ֨תֵא֙ רָ֣אשֵׁי עָ֔ם צִדְקַ֤ת יְהֹוָה֙ עָשָׂ֔ה וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֖יו עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:
וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֹ - He saw that the first portion befitted him - means: he saw fit to take for himself a portion in the land of Sichon and Og, which was the first part of the Land of Israel to be conquered –   וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֹ.  רָאָה לִטֹּל לוֹ חֵלֶק בְּאֶרֶץ סִיחוֹן וְעוֹג, שֶׁהִיא רֵאשִׁית כִּבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ:
כִּי־שָׁם חֶלְקַת - Because there the burial site of the lawgiver - means: for he knew that there, in his inheritance, is the plot of ground where the lawgiver, i.e., Moses, would be buried.   כִּי־שָׁם חֶלְקַת.  כִּי יָדַע אֲשֶׁר שָׁם בְּנַחֲלָתוֹ חלקת שְׂדֵה קְבוּרַת מחקק, וְהוּא מֹשֶׁה (עי' ספרי; סוטה י"ג):
סָפוּן - Is hidden - i.e., that site is covered and hidden from all creatures, as it says: “no person knows the place of his burial site.” 8   סָפוּן.  אוֹתָהּ חֶלְקָה סְפוּנָה וּטְמוּנָה מִכָּל בְּרִיָּה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ל"ד) "וְלֹא יָדַע אִישׁ אֶת קְבֻרָתוֹ":
וַיֵּתֵא - He will go - i.e., Gad.   וַיֵּתֵא.  גָּד:
רָאשֵׁי עָם - at the head of the people - When conquering the land, they went ahead of the troops, since they were strong, and so it says: “You must cross over, armed, before your brothers….” 9   רָאשֵׁי עָם.  הֵם הָיוּ הוֹלְכִין לִפְנֵי הֶחָלוּץ בְּכִבּוּשׁ הָאָרֶץ, לְפִי שֶׁהָיוּ גִּבּוֹרִים, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר "וְאַתֶּם תַּעַבְרוּ חֲמֻשִׁים לִפְנֵי אֲחֵיכֶם וְגוֹ'" (יהושע א'):
צִדְקַת ה' עָשָׂה - He will do what God considers righteous. for they were true to their word, and kept their promise to cross the Jordan River and stay there until the people had conquered the land and divided it. Another explanation: וַיֵּתֵא “he went” – i.e., Moses – “at the head of the people”; “he did what God considered righteous” is referring to Moses.   צִדְקַת ה' עָשָׂה.  שֶׁהֶאֱמִינוּ דִבְרֵיהֶם וְשָׁמְרוּ הַבְטָחָתָם לַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן עַד שֶׁכָּבְשׁוּ וְחָלְקוּ; דָּבָר אַחֵר — ויתא מֹשֶׁה ראשי עם, צדקת ה' עשה עַל מֹשֶׁה אָמוּר (עי' ספרי):