Parashat V’Zot HaBrachah
The Blessing of Moses
33 This is the blessing with which Moses the man of God blessed Bnei-Yisrael before his death. 2 He said,
“Adonai came from Sinai
and dawned on Bnei-Yisrael from Seir.
He shone forth from Mount Paran,
and He came from the holy myriads—
blazing fire[a] for them from His right hand.
3 Indeed, a lover of peoples is He—
all His kedoshim are in His hand.
They followed in Your steps,
each receiving Your words.
4 Torah Moses commanded us—
a heritage for the community of Jacob.
5 He became king in Jeshurun
when the heads of the people gathered,
all the tribes of Israel together.
6 ‘Let Reuben live and not die,
though his people become few.’
7 Now this is for Judah. He said,
‘Hear, Adonai, the voice of Judah!
Bring him to his people.
His hands contended for him,
so You will be a help against his foes.’
8 For Levi he said,
‘Let Your Thummim and Urim be with Your pious man.
You tested him at Massah,
You strived with him at the waters of Meribah.’
9 He said of his father and mother,
“I have not seen them,”
nor did he acknowledge his brothers
or recognize his children.
For they observed Your word
and kept Your covenant.
10 They will teach Jacob Your judgments
and Israel Your Torah.
They will put incense in your nose
and whole burnt offerings on Your altar.
11 Adonai, bless his resources,
find favor in the work of his hands.
Crush the loins of those
who rise against him and hate him,
so they do not rise again.’
12 For Benjamin he said,
‘The beloved of Adonai
rests securely beside Him.
He shields him all day long.
Between His shoulders he rests.’
13 For Joseph he said,
‘May his land be blessed by Adonai
with heavenly bounty from the dew
and from the deep lying beneath,
14 and with the bounty
of the sun’s produce
and the months’ yield,
15 and with the best
from the ancient mountains
and the bounty of the everlasting hills,
16 with earth’s bounty and its fullness
and the favor of the One
dwelling in the bush.
May it come on Joseph’s head,
on the crown of the prince
among his brothers.
17 The firstborn ox—majesty is his.
His horns are the horns of the wild ox.
With them he gores peoples,
all at once, to the ends of the earth.
They are the myriads of Ephraim,
they are the thousands of Manasseh.’
18 For Zebulun he said,
‘Rejoice, Zebulun, in your going out,
and Issachar, in your tents.
19 Peoples they call to the mountain—
there they offer righteous sacrifices.
For they suckle the abundance of the seas
and the hidden treasures of the sand.’
20 For Gad he said,
‘Blessed is the one who enlarges Gad.
Like a lion he crouches,
and tears off an arm
or even the crown of a head.
21 He chose the best for himself,
for there a marked portion was reserved.
He came with the heads of the people.
He carried out Adonai’s justice
and His judgments for Israel.’
22 For Dan he said,
‘Dan is a lion’s cub
leaping out of the Bashan.’
23 For Naphtali he said,
‘O Naphtali, satisfied with favor
and full of the blessing of Adonai,
possess the sea and the south.’
24 For Asher he said,
‘Most blessed of sons is Asher—
may he be the favorite of his brothers,
and may he dip his foot in oil.
25 The bolts of your gates
will be iron and bronze.
As your days, so will your strength be.’
26 “There is none like God, Jeshurun,
riding through the heavens to your aid
and through the skies in His majesty.
27 A refuge is the ancient God,
and underneath are everlasting arms.
He drove out the enemy before you
and said, ‘Destroy!’
28 So Israel rests in safety,
untroubled is Jacob’s fountain
in a land of grain and new wine.
Yes, his heavens drip dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by Adonai,
the Shield of your help
and the Sword of your triumph?
Your enemies will cower before you,
and you will trample on their backs.”
Footnotes
- Deuteronomy 33:2 Heb. obscure; possibly fiery law or mountain slopes.