Commento su Deuteronomio 33:25

ברזל ונחשת מנעלך THY LOCKS SHALL BE IRON AND COPPER — He is now addressing all Israel: This prophecy was fulfilled because their mighty men used to dwell in the border cities and, as it were, locked it (the country) so that the enemy should not be able to invade it, as though it were closely shut by locks and bars of iron and copper. Another explanation of ברזל ונחשת מנעלך: your land is locked in (surrounded) by mountains from which iron and copper is hewn, and the country of Asher was the “lock” of the Land of Israel (Sifrei Devarim 355:25).

IRON AND BRASS SHALL BE THY BARS. Asher was at the end of the Land of Israel, as it is written with reference to his inheritance, and it reached to Carmel westward,²⁶⁷Joshua 19:26. and it is further stated, and its goings out were at the sea.²⁶⁸Ibid., Verse 29. And again it is said, Asher drove not out the inhabitants of Acco,²⁶⁹Judges 1:31. which is located on the Great Sea [i.e., the Mediterranean], as the Rabbis have said:²⁷⁰Yerushalmi Shekalim VI, 2. See also Bereshith Rabbah 23:11. “At first [the ocean] advanced till Acco, and the second time till Japho.” And if so, Asher’s land was like the bars of the Land of Israel. Therefore, Moses said, Iron and brass shall be thy bars, that he will have [so to speak] doors of brass²⁷¹Isaiah 45:2. and iron bars, and the entire Land will be locked with them. This is an intimation that G-d will protect the whole Land from the enemy and the avenger.²⁷²Psalms 8:3. Or perhaps the verse states that strangers will not come to plunder the oil, for it will be transported from his land to the whole world in merchant ships.

ברזל ונחושת מנעלך וכימיך דבאך, may your door bolts be iron and copper, and your security last all your days.אין כאל ישורון, after Moses had completed his prayer concerning the tribes, he began blessing Israel as a whole.You, who are also known as Yeshurun, wear this title due to the nature of your power, אל, being different from all the other nations in two vital aspects. 1) other nations will not covet your land or try to invade it as they are afraid, something that proved true during the entire reign of Joshua and while any of the elders who were his advisers remained alive. (compare Joshua 24,31). Moses describes the land during that period as if bolted securely with heavy metal bolts, i.e. ברזל ונחושת מנעלך. 2) Your kingdom will not experience constant ups and downs such as the kingdoms of other nations whose position in the world constantly changes. כימיך דבאך, your position among the nations will be constant. The reason why I am certain that my blessing will materialise is that אין כא-ל רוכב שמים וארץ, no one else has a G’d that rides the heavens and the earth. Moses develops a theological/philosophical concept that contradicts that of the nations of the world, even those who recognise a supreme G’d who has created the universe. In their estimation, such a G’d would not bother to constantly stoop down to earth to see what goes on there, i.e. “ride both the heavens and the earth.” These nations believe that such matters must be left to delegates, such as the constellations of the stars, horoscopes, etc.