The opening statement, “ve’zot
habracha” (“and this is the blessing”), indicates that the first
and more general component of the blessing (33:2-5) is part and parcel of one
singular blessing that Moshe delivers as YHVH’s spirit rests upon him.
That is to say that each tribe’s blessing is not separate from the word
bestowed upon the nation as a whole. The very usage of “b’racha”, singular,
implies that YHVH is considering each individual tribe as part of a complete
entity. Moreover, employing the (seemingly unnecessary) “and” implies that the
blessing is a continuation of what preceded its pronouncement. Interestingly, that which precedes the blessing are the
stern words that YHVH utters to Moshe, who is prevented from entering the land
and can only view it from afar. Thus, the "and", of the next chapter
and verse that follow, are in sharp contrast to the previous words and can
therefore be understood as a "but", or "in spite of…"
The glorious and majestic
description of the giving of the Torah at Sinai is likened to an epiphany of
YHVH Himself, denoted by His “coming”, “rising” and “shinning
forth” over physical and geographical locations (ref 33:2). An
equivalent description, although underscored by a more specific prophecy, is found
in Chavakuk (Habakkuk) 3:3-4: “Elohim came from Teman, The Holy One from Mount
Paran. Selah. His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His
praise. His brightness was like the light; He had rays flashing from His hand, and there His power was hidden”. These two
excerpts seem to be related, though the latter may be a prophecy yet to be
fulfilled. Interestingly, in “He came with ten thousands of saints” (back to
the Parasha, 33:2), it is not the usual “ba” (“came”), but rather the Aramaic
“ata”, evoking the Aramaic “maranatha” – or “maran ata” (Revelation
22:20) - that is, “Master come” or “the Master has come” (cf. v. 21, “he came
– va’yete - with the heads of the people”). The enigmatic
meaning of these verses (2 and 3) is matched by the very words and syntax used,
all of which are complex and extraordinary, presenting a challenging task for
the commentators. The literal rendering, for example, of “ten thousands
of saints”, mentioned in verse 2, is literally “ten thousands of holiness”,
the word used there being “kodesh”. Thus, if the text is referring to
“ten thousands of saints” or “holy ones”, why are “His holy ones” in the next
verse (v. 3) rendered as “k’doshav” (“kadosh” - “holy one”), plain and simple?
If in both cases the meaning is “His holy ones”, why are the terms not
identical? Or, is it possible that “ten thousands of holiness” is not a
reference to “saints” (or “angels” according to rabbinic interpretation) at
all, but is a description of His abode (from which He is said to be coming) being
“abundant in holiness”?
The next expression in the same
verse (2) is no less problematic. That which is translated as either “firey
law” or “flashing lightning” is “eshdat” in Hebrew,
being a term that appears nowhere else. If broken in two it is: “e’sh” –
fire – and “dat” – “law, edict” or “manner of
things”. However, “dat” is found only in Esther, one time in Ezra, and
in the Aramaic sections of Daniel, making its usage here, at such an early
stage, totally doubtful. According to the B.D.B Lexicon “eshdat” was
originally “esh yokeh-dat”, which is “burning fire” (with the first
two syllables now missing). [1]
According to this viewpoint, we should read, “On His right (that is by the right-hand
side) is a burning fire”.
Verse 3 reads: “Indeed, He loves
the people; all your holy ones are in Your hand, and they followed in Your steps,
carrying Your words”. This presents several problems. It changes mid-sentence
from third to second person. “He who loves the nations” or “peoples” is
described as “chovev amim”. The root ch.v.v. (chet, vet, vet) – love
dutifully – also forms the name Chovav, which is one of the names of
Moshe’s father-in-law (ref. Num. 10:29). According to Daat Mikra, “even when He
expresses love toward all peoples, ‘all His Holy ones’ are Yisrael and they are
‘in Your hand’”. Therefore the change to the second person in the second part
of the verse denotes YHVH’s closeness to His people. Daat Mikra adds that the
rest of the verse should read: “And they will be smitten at Your feet,
and receive Your Word”, [2]
whereas according to BDB the verb “tuku”, (“smitten”) is of dubious
meaning and should therefore be understood as: “will be assembled”, as it is
more compatible with the context. [3]
Yisrael’s present and future
destiny is defined in the next two verses (33:4,5). Since Moshe is mentioned
here in the third person, the question arises whether he is speaking of
himself, or is the assembly intoning the following: “Moses charged us with
Torah, an inheritance for the assembly of Jacob. And there was a king in
Jeshurun” [remember last Parasha’s Yeshurun, “the one who has been straightened”,
in contradistinction to Ya’acov who is “winding” or “crooked”?]; when the heads
of the people were gathered, the tribes of Israel together” (vs. 4, 5). For the
“assembly of Jacob” we have here the unusual form of “kehila” (of
the root k.h.l), rather than the frequent “kahal” or “eda”. “Kehila” appears to
refer to a more organized form of the congregation, or society, rather than to
a random assembly of the multitudes. Thus, when the People of Yisrael is in
unison they become the redeemed community ruled over by YHVH while inheriting the
Torah, rendering them no longer a wayward Ya’acov, but Yeshurun, whose paths
have been made straight.
At this point, Moshe confers on
each tribe its respective prophetic blessing.
The first three tribes to receive
their blessings are the firstborn Reuven, who in spite of having lost the
birthright (ref. 1st Chronicles 5:1, 2), symbolizes here this
significant position; Secondly, Yehuda (Judah), who was to receive the kingly
position, while Levi is third to be given his blessing which is the office of
the priesthood. There is no mistake - this is the order of YHVH’s Kingdom: the
birthright comes first, ideally consisting of kingship and priesthood. However,
in the un-regenerated state, the birthright had to be divided up into its two
offices (namely the ‘kingly’ and the ‘priestly’), which were only brought
together in Yeshua (ref. Zech. 6:13). But when YHVH’s
kingdom will fully manifest upon the earth, His people will form the
long-awaited-for nation of priests (after the order of Malchitzedek) and kings
(e.g. 1st Peter 2:9).*
As
a blessing, "let Rueben live and not die…" (v. 6) seems rather odd, yet
not without an element of hope. But the literal rendering of the next part of his
blessing appears to be no less than strange: "Let his men be [rendered] countable",
meaning that they so are few in number that they may be counted (whereas the
translations add in italics "nor"). However, if that does not sound
like a very positive blessing, there is more to come… The word here for "men"
is "m'tim", which in most cases means "dead", although
there are several other instances in Scripture where it likewise means
"men" (being no small hint as to the basic condition of mortal man). But
whenever the addition "countable" – mispar – is added,
it qualifies these men as few in number such as in B'resheet 34:30; Dvraim 4:27;
Yirmiyahu 44:28, and Tehilim 105:12. Thus, if read literally, Moshe may be prophesying
here more than bestowing a benediction on this firstborn.
Since Yehuda, according to the
blessing (v. 7), was destined to be “brought to his people”, it is apparent
that he will be separated from them at some point. This prediction became fact
when the ten northern tribes seceded from the united kingdom ruled by Yehuda
and were later exiled and dispersed, and until now have not been reunited with their
estranged southern brethren, despite the many prophecies predicting their
eventual union (cf. Micah 5:3).
Of
Levi it says (in verse 9): “Who said to his father and to his mother, I have
not seen him; and he has not acknowledged his brothers, nor knew his own son,
for they have observed Your word and kept Your covenant”. The word for “acknowledge”
is “hekir”, also meaning to “recognize” and stems from the root
n.ch.r (noon, kaf/chaf, resh) used in “nochri” - “stranger” - and in the verb
“hitnaker” - to be “estranged”. This term describes Yoseph’s initial treatment
of his brothers in B’resheet (Genesis) 42:7. The Levites, who were also to
assume the position of judges, could not be “partial” to anyone, including
their own family members, or as the Hebrew has it, they could not (in their
official capacity) “recognize or acknowledge" their
relatives, but rather, had to become “estranged” from them. “Estrangement” and
“recognition”, although appearing to be contradictory, are in fact not that far
apart; at times it takes the former in order to achieve the latter (as was the
case with Yoseph and his brothers).
The description enumerating
Yoseph’s blessing (vs. 13 – 17) resembles a trail going up and down hills,
descending into valleys and underground resources and climbing mountain tops; a
journey, which while topographical and geographical, also crosses the
boundaries of Time and is ‘intercepted’ by the human element as well as by
heavenly bodies, such as the sun and the moon (recalling to mind Yoseph’s
dreams). “Meged” - translated “precious - is the leitmotif of this
passage, as it is repeated five times within few verses. Its expanded meaning
is “excellence, glory, and gifts of choice” in reference
to nature.[4]
In verse 15, Yoseph’s hills and
mountains are termed “ancient” (“kedem” - “first, initial,
primary” and also connected to that which is “ahead”), and
“everlasting” (the word being “olam”, which also means
“futurity”). Both the heavens and the abyss are destined to contribute toward
Yoseph’s well being. That which the ground will produce for him on a monthly
basis will grow so fast, that it will seem as though “expelled” (“the
best yield” is “geresh,” g.r.sh, to “expel, force out”)
by the earth (v. 14). On the one hand “he shall push out the peoples” (v. 17),
but his leadership position is not likened to the prowess of a king or a
military leader, nor even to that of a typical priest, but rather to that of
the Nazarite (ref. end of v. 16 – “n’zir ehcav”, literally the “nazarite
among his brothers” and translated as “the one who was separated from his
brothers”, or “a prince among his brothers”). The title used here originates in
“nezer”, a “crown or a miter”, which is made up of the
nazarite’s uncut hair (as we saw in Parashat Nasso, in Num. 6). The “nazarite”
- or “nazir”- is one who takes upon himself an oath to abstain from worldly
pleasures.
Z’vulun (Zebulun) is told to
rejoice in his “going out” (v. 18). In Parashat Ki Tetze (in Deut. 21:10) we
already noted that “going out” many a time connotes going out to war (ref. 1st
Ch. 12:33), and in Z’vulun’s case also going out to sea (ref. Ya’acov’s
blessings to his sons, in Gen. 49:13). Yisas’char’s (Issachar) tent dwelling is
an antidote to Z’vulun’s “going out”, and refers to homestead and attachment to
the land (the tent-dwelling here does not seem to suggest a nomadic lifestyle;
cf. Jacob’s blessings, Gen. 49:14), and perhaps also to the wisdom and
discernment characteristic of this people (ref. 1st Ch. 12:32). The
mutual cooperation between these two neighboring tribes is captured by verse
19. Yisas’char “shall call the peoples to the
mountain. There they shall offer sacrifices of righteousness”, while
Z’vulun will make provisions of “the bounty of the
seas and treasures hidden in the sand”. The "mountain", in this case, is most likely the
"Mountain of YHVH".
Naphtali
is “satisfied with favor”, which is “s’vah ratzon” (v. 23), while
Asher, who is “favorable in the eyes of his brothers”, is “r’tzooy echav”
(v. 24). Both these words emanate from the root r.tz.h. which is to “please,
accept, favor”.
In verse 15 we read about the
“ancient – kedem – mountains”, while in verse 27 Elohim, who is described as a
“dwelling place” (“me’ona”), is also called “Elohey kedem”, translated here as
“eternal”, Thus, He who always was from the very beginning, is also the One who
will ever be and it is He who will enable Yisrael to “dwell alone securely” (v.
28, literal translation; cf Bil’am’s blessing, Num. 23:9), as He Himself is her
dwelling place while “underneath [her] are [His] everlasting arms” (v. 27).
Moshe’s last
words constitute an exhilarating exclamation: “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who
is like you, O people saved by YHVH, the shield of your help, and who is the
sword of your excellence! And your enemies shall be found liars to you, and you
shall tread on their high places” (33:29). It is most likely that Moshe himself
did not compose the last eight verses of D’varim (chapter 34, or even the entire
chapter, consisting of 12 verses). About his body, it is said, “He buried him…”
(34:6), inferring the direct involvement of the Holy One of Yisrael in this
task. And although in Sh’mot (Exodus) 33:20 YHVH said to Moshe: “You cannot see
My face. For there no man can see Me and live”, here we read, in verse 10: “And
never since has a prophet like Moses arisen in Israel, whom YHVH knew face to
face”. These words do point to Moshe’s intimate knowledge of the Almighty, Who
Himself is said to have “known” Moshe (cf. 1st Cor. 13:12). “Panim el panim”
(“face to face”) implies exposure before someone, as in Hebrew “face” is not
only an external image, with the root p.n.h (which we have noted several times
in the past) meaning “to turn”. Thus
“face” is that which “turns” to look at and respond to another. And while
“panim” is the “exterior” or the “surface”, “p’nim” means “inner” (ref. Ezekiel
40:19,23 etc.). Thus “panim” - face – also reflects that which is on the
inside. In 2nd Corinthians 3:18 this principle is applied in a powerful way to
each individual believer: “We all, with our face having been unveiled, having
beheld [‘turned toward’] the glory of YHVH as in a mirror, are being changed
[on the inside] into the same image from glory to glory, even as by YHVH, the
Spirit” (italics added).
[1] The New
Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon, Francis Brown Hendrickson. Publishers,
[2] Da’at
Mikra, A’ahron Mirski, Rav Cook Inst.,
[3] The New
Brown, Driver, Briggs, Gesenius Lexicon
[4] Ibid.
* More information on the “firstborn
factor” may be obtained from our book, Firstborn Factor in the Plan of
Redemption, which can also be read online www.israelitereturn.com
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