Devarim (Deuteronomy) Chapter 33

22He said of Dan: “Dan is a young lion. His territory contains a stream that flows from Bashan.”   כבוּלְדָ֣ן אָמַ֔ר דָּ֖ן גּ֣וּר אַרְיֵ֑ה יְזַנֵּ֖ק מִן־הַבָּשָֽׁן:
דָּן גּוּר אַרְיֵה - Dan is a young lion. He, too, lived close to the border, and for this reason Moses compares him to lions.   דָּן גּוּר אַרְיֵה.  אַף הוּא הָיָה סָמוּךְ לַסְּפָר, לְפִיכָךְ מוֹשְׁלוֹ בַּאֲרָיוֹת (שם):
יְזַנֵּק מִן־הַבָּשָֽׁן - (lit.) He will flow from the Bashan. Its meaning is as Onkelos translates it, that the Jordan River would stream forth from his territory, from the Paneas cave, which is Leshem, which is in the territory of Dan, as it says: “They called Leshem Dan,” 1 but its initial source and flow descends from the Bashan. Another explanation: Just as a gushing flow emanates from one place and then splits up into two places, so too, the tribe of Dan possessed territory in two places. They initially received land in the northwest – Ekron and its surrounding area – but it was not sufficient for them, so they went to war against Leshem, which is Paneas. It is in the northeast, for the source of the Jordan River is the Paneas cave, to the east of the Land of Israel, flowing down from north to south and ending at the edge of the Salt Sea (the Dead Sea), which is to the east of the territory of Judah, who received land in the south of the Land of Israel, as detailed in the Book of Joshua. 2 This is what is meant by the statement: “The borders of the tribe of Dan extended beyond their portion, and the tribe of Dan went up to war with Leshem…” 3 – i.e., their border expanded beyond the entire side where their initial inheritance was located.   יְזַנֵּק מִן־הַבָּשָֽׁן.  כְּתַרְגּוּמוֹ, שֶׁהָיָה הַיַּרְדֵּן יוֹצֵא מֵחֶלְקוֹ מִמְּעָרַת פַּמְיָאס, וְהִיא לֶשֶׁם שֶׁהִיא בְחֶלְקוֹ שֶׁל דָּן, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע י"ט) "וַיִּקְרְאוּ לְלֶשֶׁם דָּן", וְזִנּוּקוֹ וְקִלּוּחוֹ מִן הַבָּשָׁן. דָּבָר אַחֵר — 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):
23He said of Naphtali, “The territory of Naphtali is satiated with everything it can desire, for its territory is full of God’s blessing. Possess Lake Kineret with its south shore.”   כגוּלְנַפְתָּלִ֣י אָמַ֔ר נַפְתָּלִי֙ שְׂבַ֣ע רָצ֔וֹן וּמָלֵ֖א בִּרְכַּ֣ת יְהֹוָ֑ה יָ֥ם וְדָר֖וֹם יְרָֽשָׁה:
שְׂבַע רָצוֹן - Satiated with desire - i.e., his territory would satisfy every desire of its inhabitants.   שְׂבַע רָצוֹן.  שֶׁהָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ שְׂבֵעָה כָּל רְצוֹן יוֹשְׁבֶיהָ:
יָם וְדָרוֹם יְרָֽשָׁה - (lit.) Possess the sea and the south. Lake Kineret was in his territory, and to its south he received a portion as large as the length of a fishnet rope, in which to spread out nets and traps.   יָם וְדָרוֹם יְרָֽשָׁה.  יָם כִּנֶּרֶת נָפְלָה בְּחֶלְקוֹ, וְנָטַל מְלֹא חֶבֶל חֵרֶם בִּדְרוֹמָהּ, לִפְרֹשׂ חֲרָמִים וּמִכְמוֹרוֹת (ב"ק פ"א):
יְרָֽשָׁה - is an imperative form, similar to: עֲלֵה רֵשׁ “go up and take possession.” 4 The fact that the word is stressed before its last syllable, on the ר, proves this; just as with the imperative forms יְרַשׁ, יְדַע, לְקַח, שְׁמַע, when a ה is added to them, the stress moves before its last syllable: שְׁמָעָה, יְדָעָה, סְלָחָה, לְקָחָה; the same here: יְרָשָׁה is an imperative form. And indeed, in the Greater Masorah we find it included in an alphabetical list of imperative forms stressed before their last syllables.   יְרָֽשָׁה.  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:
24He said of Asher: “Asher will be blessed with sons. He will gratify his brothers; he will be sought after by his brothers to marry his womenfolk; his land will produce so much olive oil that wherever he goes he will immerse his foot in oil.   כדוּלְאָשֵׁ֣ר אָמַ֔ר בָּר֥וּךְ מִבָּנִ֖ים אָשֵׁ֑ר יְהִ֤י רְצוּי֙ אֶחָ֔יו וְטֹבֵ֥ל בַּשֶּׁ֖מֶן רַגְלֽוֹ:
בָּרוּךְ מִבָּנִים אָשֵׁר - Asher will be blessed with sons. I saw in Sifrei: No tribe was blessed with sons like Asher, but I do not know how this was so.   בָּרוּךְ מִבָּנִים אָשֵׁר.  רָאִיתִי בְסִפְרֵי — אֵין לְךָ בְכָל הַשְּׁבָטִים שֶׁנִּתְבָּרֵךְ בְּבָנִים כְּאָשֵׁר, וְאֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ כֵּיצַד:
יְהִי רְצוּי אֶחָיו - He will gratify his brothers - This means that he will find favor with his brothers by supplying them oil for cosmetics and with delicacies, and they find favor with him by supplying him with grain. Another explanation: יְהִי רְצוּי אֶחָיו means “He will be sought after by his brothers” to marry his womenfolk, because his daughters will be beautiful. This is the meaning of the statement in 1 Chronicles: 5 “He was the father of Birzayit (lit., ‘son of olive’),” meaning that his daughters married high priests and kings, who were anointed with olive oil.   יְהִי רְצוּי אֶחָיו.  שֶׁהָיָה מִתְרַצֶּה לְאֶחָיו בְּשֶׁמֶן אַנְפִּיקִינוֹן וּבְקַפְּלָאוֹת, וְהֵם מְרַצִּין לוֹ בִּתְבוּאָה. דָּבָר אַחֵר — 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:
וְטֹבֵל בַּשֶּׁמֶן רַגְלֽוֹ - He will immerse his foot in oil - for his land flowed with oil like a spring, as we find: It once happened that the people of Ludkia were in need of oil. They appointed an agent…, as related in Menachot. 6   וְטֹבֵל בַּשֶּׁמֶן רַגְלֽוֹ.  שֶׁהָיְתָה אַרְצוֹ מוֹשֶׁכֶת שֶׁמֶן כְּמַעְיָן, וּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁנִּצְטָרְכוּ אַנְשֵׁי לוּדְקִיָּא לְשֶׁמֶן, מִנּוּ לָהֶם פּוּלְמוּסְטוּס אֶחָד, וכוּ' כִדְאִיתָא בִמְנָחוֹת (דף פ"ה):
25Your mountains, the protective locks of the Land of Israel, are rich in iron and copper. The days of your old age will be as idyllic as the days of your youth.   כהבַּרְזֶ֥ל וּנְח֖שֶׁת מִנְעָלֶ֑ךָ וּכְיָמֶ֖יךָ דָּבְאֶֽךָ:
בַּרְזֶל וּנְחשֶׁת מִנְעָלֶךָ - Your locks are iron and copper. Now, from this point on, Moses is addressing all of Israel, blessing them that their warriors reside in the border towns, locking the border and preventing infiltration by the enemy, as if it were locked with locks and bars of iron and copper. Another explanation of בַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת מִנְעָלֶךָ: Your land is locked by mountains from which iron and copper are mined, for Asher’s territory was the lock of the Land of Israel.   בַּרְזֶל וּנְחשֶׁת מִנְעָלֶךָ.  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. דָּבָר אַחֵר, ברזל ונחשת מנעלך — אַרְצְּכֶם נְעוּלָה בְּהָרִים שֶׁחוֹצְבִין מֵהֶם בַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת, וְאַרְצוֹ שֶׁל אָשֵׁר הָיְתָה מַנְעוּלָהּ שֶׁל אֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל (ספרי):
וּכְיָמֶיךָ דָּבְאֶֽךָ - And (lit.) like your days will be your flowing - i.e., like the days good for you, i.e., your first days, the days of your youth, so will be the days of your old age, which are דּוֹאֲבִים, i.e., ebbing away and declining. Another explanation of וּכְיָמֶיךָ דָּבְאֶךָ: Commensurate with “your days” – i.e., the days that are good for you – in other words, commensurate with the number of “your days” – i.e., all the days in which you fulfill the will of the Omnipresent – so will be דָּבְאֶךָ, i.e., the extent that all countries will stream (דוֹבְאוֹת) silver and gold to the Land of Israel. For in reward for your faithfulness to God, the land will be blessed with fruit, and all other countries will be supplied by it, and thus convey to it their silver and gold – “ascoront” in Old French – and thus their silver and gold will run out, for they will be pouring it into your land.   וּכְיָמֶיךָ דָּבְאֶֽךָ.  וּכְיָמִים שֶׁהֵם טוֹבִים לְךָ, שֶׁהֵן יְמֵי תְחִלָּתְךָ, יְמֵי נְעוּרֶיךָ, כֵּן יִהְיוּ יְמֵי זִקְנָתְךָ, שֶׁהֵם דּוֹאֲבִים זָבִים וּמִתְמוֹטְטִים. דָּבָר אַחֵר, 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:
26Yeshurun, there is none like God! God, who figuratively rides the heavens, is your assistance. With His majesty, He rides on the skies,   כואֵ֥ין כָּאֵ֖ל יְשֻׁר֑וּן רֹכֵ֤ב שָׁמַ֨יִם֙ בְּעֶזְרֶ֔ךָ וּבְגַֽאֲוָת֖וֹ שְׁחָקִֽים:
אֵין כָּאֵל יְשֻׁרוּן - means: Yeshurun! Be aware that there is none like God among all the deities of the nations. Their rock is not like your Rock.   אֵין כָּאֵל יְשֻׁרוּן.  דַּע לְךָ יְשֻׁרוּן שֶׁאֵין כָּאֵל בְּכָל אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים וְלֹא כְצוּרְךָ צוּרָם:
רֹכֵב שָׁמַיִם - He who rides the heavens - is the same God who “is your assistance, and with His majesty” He rides on “the skies.”   רֹכֵב שָׁמַיִם.  הוּא אוֹתוֹ אֱלוֹהַּ שֶׁבְּעֶזְרֶךָ, ובגאותו הוּא רוֹכֵב שחקים: