Commentaire sur La Genèse 49:28
כָּל־אֵ֛לֶּה שִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל שְׁנֵ֣ים עָשָׂ֑ר וְ֠זֹאת אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֨ר לָהֶ֤ם אֲבִיהֶם֙ וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אוֹתָ֔ם אִ֛ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֥ר כְּבִרְכָת֖וֹ בֵּרַ֥ךְ אֹתָֽם׃
Tous ceux-là sont les douze tribus d’Israël; et c’est ainsi que leur père leur parla et les bénit, dispensant à chacun sa bénédiction propre.
Rashi on Genesis
וזאת אשר דבר להם אביהם ויברך אתם AND THIS IS IT THAT THEIR FATHER SPOKE UNTO THEM WHEN (literally, and) HE BLESSED THEM — But were there not some of his sons whom he did not bless but whom, on the contrary, he reproached? But this is the explanation of these words: and this is it that their father spake unto them, viz., all that has been said above in this chapter, whether it be blessing or reproach. You might therefore think that he did not bless Reuben, Simeon and Levi at all — Scripture therefore states, “and he blessed them” (i.e. the 12 tribes alluded to at the beginning of the verse) which implies all of them. (Pesikta Rabbati 7).
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Rashbam on Genesis
אשר כברכתו, of what would be their fate in the future, as already mentioned with the words אשר יקרה אתכם “which will happen to you,” in verse 1 of our chapter.
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Sforno on Genesis
כל אלה שבטי ישראל, the ones Yaakov mentioned here were the true twelve tribes of Israel, the names inscribed on the breastplate of the High Priest as commended to G’d’s special attention. They are also the ones who were mentioned as such at the covenant on Mount Gerizim and Mount Eyval. The twelve stones which Moses erected also symbolised these twelve tribes. Again. Joshua erected 12 stones at the Jordan as well as at Gilgal, and Elijah erected 12 stones at the altar. In none of these instances are Ephrayim and Menashe treated as separate tribes. They only figured as separate tribes when it came to the land distribution, seeing that the tribe of Levi did not share in that.
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