V'Zot Habracha - Introduction | Sefaria (2024)

(א) וְזֹ֣את הַבְּרָכָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בֵּרַ֥ךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹקִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לִפְנֵ֖י מוֹתֽוֹ׃

(1) This is the blessing with which Moses, the man of God, bade the Israelites farewell before he died.

(א) וזאת הברכה - מוסב למעלה: וידבר משה באזני כל קהל ישראל את דברי השירה הזאת עד תומם האזינו השמים וגו'. (ב) וזאת הברכה - אחד התוכחה של האזינו חזר ובירכן לישראל בטרם יעלה אל ההר למות שם כלומר: זאת השירה וזאת הברכה.

(1) וזאת הברכה, the Torah picks up the narrative interrupted in 31,30-32,1 by Moses’ parting poem/song. (2) The portion begins with the words וזאת הברכה, “this is the blessing,” to indicate that Moses had finished with the admonitions to which he had devoted so much space. Before ascending the mountain where he was to die, he wanted to deliver his blessings to each of the tribes, not unlike Yaakov who had done so shortly before his death. Whereas the chapter before this is known as the שירה, song/poem, this chapter is known as the ברכה, blessing.

Think back to the theme of Sefer Devarim. Why is this Rashbam so significant?

(ב) וַיֹּאמַ֗ר ה' מִסִּינַ֥י בָּא֙ וְזָרַ֤ח מִשֵּׂעִיר֙ לָ֔מוֹ הוֹפִ֙יעַ֙ מֵהַ֣ר פָּארָ֔ן וְאָתָ֖ה מֵרִבְבֹ֣ת קֹ֑דֶשׁ מִֽימִינ֕וֹ אשדת [אֵ֥שׁ] [דָּ֖ת] לָֽמוֹ׃

(2) He said: _____________________ He _________ from Seir to them (the people); He _______________from Mount Paran, And came ________________ of the tens of thousands of holy ones; from His right hand was a _____________for them.

(א) 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):

(כג) וָאֶתְחַנַּ֖ן אֶל־ה' בָּעֵ֥ת הַהִ֖וא לֵאמֹֽר׃ (כד) ה' אלקים אַתָּ֤ה הַֽחִלּ֙וֹתָ֙ לְהַרְא֣וֹת אֶֽת־עַבְדְּךָ֔ אֶ֨ת־גָּדְלְךָ֔ וְאֶת־יָדְךָ֖ הַחֲזָקָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר מִי־אֵל֙ בַּשָּׁמַ֣יִם וּבָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה כְמַעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ וְכִגְבוּרֹתֶֽךָ׃

(23) I pleaded with the LORD at that time, saying, (24) “O Lord GOD, You who let Your servant see the first works of Your greatness and Your mighty hand, You whose powerful deeds no god in heaven or on earth can equal!

כדדריש ר' שמלאי [דדריש ר' שמלאי] לעולם יסדר אדם שבחו של מקום ואח"כ יתפלל מנלן ממשה רבינו דכתיב (דברים ג, כד) ה' אלקים אתה החלות להראות את עבדך וגו' וכתיב בתריה אעברה נא ואראה את הארץ הטובה

They disagree with regard to that which Rabbi Simlai taught. As Rabbi Simlai taught: A person should always set forth praise of God and only then pray for his own needs. From where do we derive this? We derive it from Moses our teacher, as it is written: “O Lord God, You have begun to show Your servant Your greatness, and Your strong hand; for what god is there in heaven or on earth, that can do according to Your works, and according to Your mighty acts?” (Deuteronomy 3:24). Here Moses praises God, and it is written afterward, in the following verse, that then Moses requested from God: “Let me go over, I pray You, and see the good land” (Deuteronomy 3:25).

How is this concept of bracha consistent with Rashbam's explanation by Birchat Kohanim :

(כג) דַּבֵּ֤ר אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹן֙ וְאֶל־בָּנָ֣יו לֵאמֹ֔ר כֹּ֥ה תְבָרֲכ֖וּ אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אָמ֖וֹר לָהֶֽם׃ (ס)

(23) Speak to Aaron and his sons: Thus shall you bless the people of Israel. Say to them:

(א) כה תברכו את בני ישראל - כלומר, לא תברכו מברכת פיכם כאדם שאומר תבואתה לראש פלוני כך וכך, אלא אלי תתפללו שאברכם אני, כמו שמפרש - יברכך ה' - ואני אשמע קולכם כאשר תאמרו, ואברכם - לישראל, כמו שמפרש - ושמו את שמי על בני ישראל - כשיברכו הכהנים לישראל בשמי ולא בשמם, אני אברכם לישראל, כמו שהתפללו הכהנים ואומרים: יברכך ה'.

(1) כה תברכו את בני ישראל, you shall not bless them in the manner people bless one another, wishing that certain individuals will experience blessings of a certain kind. Instead, the priests are to make it plain that they pray to G’d to extend His blessings to the people whom the priests face at the time. Verse 24 makes clear that as a result of this prayer to G’d by the priests on behalf of those whom they wish to bless, G’d does in fact extend this blessing. Verse 27 also makes clear that what the priests are instrumental in doing is to bestow G’d’s name on them, not their own. G’d goes on record saying that He would accept the priests’ prayer.

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

(2) מסיני בא [THE LORD] CAME FROM SINAI — He went forth towards them when they were about to take their stand at the foot of the Mount, — as a bridegroom goes forth to welcome his bride, as it is said, (Exodus 19:17) “And Moses brought the people forth to meet God”: this teaches us that He (God) was Himself going forth facing them (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 19:17:1 and Rashi on the verse quoted).

(16) On the third day, as morning dawned, there was thunder, and lightning, and a dense cloud upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the horn; and all the people who were in the camp trembled. (17) Moses led the people out of the camp toward God, and they took their places at the foot of the mountain.

(3) וזרח משעיר למו AND HE SHONE FORTH FROM SEIR UNTO THEM (the Israelites), because He first addressed Himself to the sons of Esau (the inhabitants of Seir) that they should accept the Law, but they refused, (4) הופיע מהר פארן HE APPEARED FROM MOUNT PARAN, because He went there and addressed Himself to the sons of Ishmael (who dwelt in Paran, see Genesis 21:21) that they should accept it and they also refused (Sifrei Devarim 343:6; Avodah Zarah 2b), (5) ואתה AND HE CAME therefore to Israel,