Saadia's Tafsir on Devarim 33

Devarim 33:1

וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים--אֶת-בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי מוֹתוֹ

.

And these are the blessings with which Moses, the messenger of God, blessed the sons of Israel before his death.

Devarim 33:2

וַיֹּאמַר יְהוָה מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ--הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן וְאָתָה מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ מִימִינוֹ אשדת (אֵשׁ דָּת) לָמוֹ

. . . . .

And he said: O God, who revealed Himself to us from Mount Sinai, and shone with His light from Mount Seir, and flashed with it from Mount Paran, and came to the myriads of the holy ones — with His laws, a light from His right hand, for them.

Devarim 33:3

אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים כָּל-קְדֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ

. . .

And He also cherished a people for Himself; so all their choicest ones are in obedience to You, and they follow in Your footsteps, and pass on Your words one to another.

Devarim 33:4

תּוֹרָה צִוָּה-לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב

.

O God, who commanded us through Moses with the Torah — and made it an inheritance for the congregation of Jacob.

Devarim 33:5

וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן מֶלֶךְ בְּהִתְאַסֵּף רָאשֵׁי עָם יַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל

. .

And there was a king among the described one, when his chiefs and the rest of his tribes would gather to him.

Devarim 33:6

יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל-יָמֹת וִיהִי מְתָיו מִסְפָּר

.

I ask of You that the clan of Reuben live and not die, and not become a group too few to count.

Devarim 33:7

וְזֹאת לִיהוּדָה וַיֹּאמַר שְׁמַע יְהוָה קוֹל יְהוּדָה וְאֶל-עַמּוֹ תְּבִיאֶנּוּ יָדָיו רָב לוֹ וְעֵזֶר מִצָּרָיו תִּהְיֶה

. . . .

And this is what he said for Judah: O God, hear the voice of Judah, and return him to his people from his campaign; and make his two hands prevailing for him, and be for him a helper against his enemies.

Devarim 33:8

וּלְלֵוִי אָמַר תֻּמֶּיךָ וְאוּרֶיךָ לְאִישׁ חֲסִידֶךָ אֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתוֹ בְּמַסָּה תְּרִיבֵהוּ עַל-מֵי מְרִיבָה

. . .

And he said for Levi: O God, who granted Your Thummim and Your Urim to a man who is Your devoted one — and You tested him at the very trial, and contended with him at the water of contention.

Devarim 33:9

הָאֹמֵר לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ לֹא רְאִיתִיו וְאֶת-אֶחָיו לֹא הִכִּיר וְאֶת-בָּנָו לֹא יָדָע כִּי שָׁמְרוּ אִמְרָתֶךָ וּבְרִיתְךָ יִנְצֹרוּ

. . . .

And You found him to be one who says of his father and his mother, as though he had not seen them; and did not acknowledge his brothers, and did not recognize his sons — because they guarded Your word, and they keep Your covenant.

Devarim 33:10

יוֹרוּ מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְיַעֲקֹב וְתוֹרָתְךָ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל יָשִׂימוּ קְטוֹרָה בְּאַפֶּךָ וְכָלִיל עַל-מִזְבְּחֶךָ

. .

And so they give rulings in Your laws for Jacob, and Your statutes for Israel; they set the incense before You, and the whole-offering upon Your altar.

Devarim 33:11

בָּרֵךְ יְהוָה חֵילוֹ וּפֹעַל יָדָיו תִּרְצֶה מְחַץ מָתְנַיִם קָמָיו וּמְשַׂנְאָיו מִן-יְקוּמוּן

. . .

O God, so bless his host, and be pleased with what his two hands do; and weaken the loins of those who oppose him and hate him, so that they cannot stand against him.

Devarim 33:12

לְבִנְיָמִן אָמַר--יְדִיד יְהוָה יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח עָלָיו חֹפֵף עָלָיו כָּל-הַיּוֹם וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן

. . . .

And he said for Benjamin: Since he is the beloved of God, he shall dwell in confidence in Him; and He shall compass him all the length of time, and between His heights He shall dwell.

Devarim 33:13

וּלְיוֹסֵף אָמַר מְבֹרֶכֶת יְהוָה אַרְצוֹ מִמֶּגֶד שָׁמַיִם מִטָּל וּמִתְּהוֹם רֹבֶצֶת תָּחַת

. . .

And he said for Joseph: O God, so bless his land — with the delights of Your heavens and their dew, and with the deep waters crouching beneath.

Devarim 33:14

וּמִמֶּגֶד תְּבוּאֹת שָׁמֶשׁ וּמִמֶּגֶד גֶּרֶשׁ יְרָחִים

.

And with the delights of the produce of the sun, and the delights of the grain of the moon.

Devarim 33:15

וּמֵרֹאשׁ הַרְרֵי-קֶדֶם וּמִמֶּגֶד גִּבְעוֹת עוֹלָם

.

And with the ancient roots of the mountains, and the perennial branches of the heights.

Devarim 33:16

וּמִמֶּגֶד אֶרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ וּרְצוֹן שֹׁכְנִי סְנֶה תָּבוֹאתָה לְרֹאשׁ יוֹסֵף וּלְקָדְקֹד נְזִיר אֶחָיו

. . .

And with the bounty of the earth in full, and the favor of the One who dwells in the thornbush — may all this come upon the head of Joseph, and upon the crown of the one set apart from his brothers.

Devarim 33:17

בְּכוֹר שׁוֹרוֹ הָדָר לוֹ וְקַרְנֵי רְאֵם קַרְנָיו--בָּהֶם עַמִּים יְנַגַּח יַחְדָּו אַפְסֵי-אָרֶץ וְהֵם רִבְבוֹת אֶפְרַיִם וְהֵם אַלְפֵי מְנַשֶּׁה

. . .

And let the glory belong to the one likened to the firstborn of his ox; and his horns shall be as the horns of the wild ox, so that with them he shall gore the nations to the ends of the earth — and the explanation thereof is that they are the myriads of Ephraim and the thousands of Manasseh.

Devarim 33:18

וְלִזְבוּלֻן אָמַר שְׂמַח זְבוּלֻן בְּצֵאתֶךָ וְיִשָּׂשכָר בְּאֹהָלֶיךָ

. .

And he said for Zebulun: Rejoice, O Zebulun, in your journeys; and you, O Issachar, in your dwellings.

Devarim 33:19

עַמִּים הַר-יִקְרָאוּ--שָׁם יִזְבְּחוּ זִבְחֵי-צֶדֶק כִּי שֶׁפַע יַמִּים יִינָקוּ וּשְׂפֻנֵי טְמוּנֵי חוֹל

. . .

For the nations shall come of their own accord to your mountain, and shall offer righteous sacrifices there; for they shall suck the abundance of the seas, and they shall treasure the hidden things of the sand.

Devarim 33:21

וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֹ כִּי-שָׁם חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק סָפוּן וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי עָם--צִדְקַת יְהוָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם-יִשְׂרָאֵל

. . . .

And he saw, in the foremost part of his land, that the congregation of those who traced it was stored there; so he came to the chiefs of the people and made them disciples — and he acted according to the justice of God and His laws, together with the rest of the clan of Israel.

Devarim 33:22

וּלְדָן אָמַר דָּן גּוּר אַרְיֵה יְזַנֵּק מִן-הַבָּשָׁן

. .

And he said for Dan: Be, O Dan, like the cub of a lion in strength, as it springs forth from the Bashan.

Devarim 33:23

וּלְנַפְתָּלִי אָמַר--נַפְתָּלִי שְׂבַע רָצוֹן וּמָלֵא בִּרְכַּת יְהוָה יָם וְדָרוֹם יְרָשָׁה

. . .

And he said for Naphtali: O Naphtali, gain much of favor, and be filled with the blessings of God; and possess from the land westward and southward.

Devarim 33:24

וּלְאָשֵׁר אָמַר בָּרוּךְ מִבָּנִים אָשֵׁר יְהִי רְצוּי אֶחָיו וְטֹבֵל בַּשֶּׁמֶן רַגְלוֹ

. . .

And he said for Asher: Be blessed of the saints, O Asher, who shall be the delight of his brothers, and who dips his foot in oil.

Devarim 33:25

בַּרְזֶל וּנְחֹשֶׁת מִנְעָלֶךָ וּכְיָמֶיךָ דָּבְאֶךָ

.

Your bolts shall be of iron and bronze, and as your days are, so shall your strength be.

Devarim 33:26

אֵין כָּאֵל יְשֻׁרוּן רֹכֵב שָׁמַיִם בְּעֶזְרֶךָ וּבְגַאֲוָתוֹ שְׁחָקִים

.

The God of Israel, who has no likeness — the Dweller of the heavens and the heights, in His power, is your help.

Devarim 33:27

מְעֹנָה אֱלֹהֵי קֶדֶם וּמִתַּחַת זְרֹעֹת עוֹלָם וַיְגָרֶשׁ מִפָּנֶיךָ אוֹיֵב וַיֹּאמֶר הַשְׁמֵד

. . .

And He is the abode — the God eternal — and beneath Him are the kings of the world; even as He drove out the enemy from before you, and said to you: Destroy him.

Devarim 33:28

וַיִּשְׁכֹּן יִשְׂרָאֵל בֶּטַח בָּדָד עֵין יַעֲקֹב אֶל-אֶרֶץ דָּגָן וְתִירוֹשׁ אַף-שָׁמָיו יַעַרְפוּ טָל

. .

Until some of the clan of Israel settled in confidence, each apart, in fulfilment of what Jacob their father told them — in a land of grain and wine-press; and moreover its sky pours down dew.

Devarim 33:29

אַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מִי כָמוֹךָ עַם נוֹשַׁע בַּיהוָה מָגֵן עֶזְרֶךָ וַאֲשֶׁר-חֶרֶב גַּאֲוָתֶךָ וְיִכָּחֲשׁוּ אֹיְבֶיךָ לָךְ וְאַתָּה עַל-בָּמוֹתֵימוֹ תִדְרֹךְ

. . . .

So blessed are you, O clan of Israel — who is like you? A people succored by God; and He is your shield and your help, and your sword and your might. So shall your enemies submit to you, and you shall tread upon their heights.