Moshe's Blessings
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"This is the Blessing with Which Moshe Blessed..."
Rabbi Amnon BazakThe parasha opens with Moshe's farewell address to Bnei Yisrael and his blessings to the tribes. The blessings of the tribes of Levi and Yosef are disproportionately longer than the others. Why are these two specific tribes given a longer blessing?
The Birth of a Nation: The Framing Statements of Moshe's Blessing
Dr. Mordechai SabatoIn this parasha, Moshe blesses the nation before his death. In his blessing, Moshe addresses each of the tribes (with the exception of Shimon). In this sense, Moshe's blessing resembles the blessings that Yaakov bestowed upon his sons before his passing. The similarity between Moshe's blessings and those of Yaakov is easily discernible in several of their details, as well. This article explores the differences between the two blessings.
Harsher Criticism
Rabbi Tzvi SinenskyEchoing the covenant of peace forged with Pinhas, and especially Moshe’s blessings before his death, in this passage Malakhi castigates the priests for their shortcomings not in regard to their role in the sacrificial service, but as Torah teachers. In contrast to a previous era, in which the Levites observed the covenant and feared the Almighty, they have now “turned out of the way of that course.”
The emphasis on the priests’ lapses as halakhic decisors, although to a degree rooted in earlier Biblical passages, sounds strikingly post-prophetic. All this betokens a clear transition in leadership from priest as primarily focused on the Temple service to one also centered on Torah education.
In light of the centrality of the familial metaphor, it may be that the dialogue between God and the nation is the perfect organizing principle. Constructed as a series of tense exchanges between quarrelling but loving spouses, the discussion motif offers a realistic snapshot of a marital relationship and is therefore particularly apt.
Moshe’s Blessing to the Jewish People
Rabbi Dr. Yoel Bin NunParashat Vezot Haberakha is Moshe’s farewell to the Jewish People. In Devarim 33, he invokes God, then blesses each tribe or pair of tribes in turn, then gives a general blessing. However, the precise transition is unclear.