Komentarz do Powtórzonego Prawa 33:7

וזאת ליהודה AND THIS IS FOR JUDAH — He mentioned Judah immediately after Reuben because both of them made confession of the wrong that was theirs, as it is said, (Job 15:18-15:19) “Because wise men have told their sins … unto them alone [the land was given] and no stranger passed amidst them”. Further our Rabbis explained that during the whole forty years that Israel was in the wilderness Judah's bones were moving about in his coffin because of the excommunication that he had invoked upon himself, as it is stated that he said "If I do not bring him unto thee … I shall be sinning against my father all days" (cf. Rashi thereon: “also in the world to come”). Moses said, “Who brought it about that Reuben confessed his sin?” Judah, etc. (Sotah 7b; Bava Kamma 92a).

AND THIS FOR JUDAH. “And for Judah he said likewise that he live and not die, and further added for him, hear, Eternal, the voice of Judah.” This is the opinion of Rabbi Abraham ibn Ezra. But this is not correct in accordance with our interpretation [above on the blessing of Reuben], for Judah was not involved in this [punishment of] extinction¹⁵⁰For the affair with Joseph, since it was Judah who saved his life (Genesis 37:26). [making it necessary for] Moses to pray for him, just as he did not mention this in the blessing of the remaining tribes. But the verse is to be understood in its plain meaning: “and this is the blessing for Judah.” And by way of the Truth, [the mystic teachings of the Cabala], he singled out the attribute of zoth (this) for Judah because his is the conduct of war and from him shall be royalty forever,¹⁵¹See Vol. I, pp. 586-590. this being the help against his adversaries. This is the secret of the verse stating, To teach the sons of Judah the bow. Behold, it is written in the Book of Jashar,¹⁵²II Samuel 1:18. for this is the bow which is seen in the cloud concerning which it is said, ‘Zoth’ (this) is the token of the covenant.¹⁵³Genesis 9:17.

וזאת ליהודה, this is also what I request and pray for on behalf of the people residing in the tribal territory of Yehudah that includes the members of the tribe of Shimon who were an enclave within the tribal territory of Yehudah. Let them not die in the wars in which they will be involved. They all go out to war together.

שמע ה׳ קול יהודה, "Hearken, O Lord, to the voice of Yehudah." Seeing that Yehudah had sinned in his relationship with Tamar and had confessed his guilt (Genesis 38,26) when he said: "she is more righteous than I," Moses prayed that G'd should accept his confession. He mentioned this only in order to be able to continue with ואל עמו תביאנו. We have explained in our commentary on Genesis 49,9 (page 424) how the union of Yehudah and Tamar enabled Yehudah to qualify for the description אריה, a fully grown lion. Yehudah's spiritual ascent had been due to his being able to tear himself away from the prey, i.e. from the pools of souls that had been taken captive by the forces of Satan as a result of Adam's sin. In our verse Moses alludes to this when he refers to Yehudah's "hands having performed a mighty deed."

וזאת ליהודה, “and this to Yehudah, etc.” Ibn Ezra translates the word וזאת, as “and similarly he said to Yehudah, etc.” i.e. he too should live on indefinitely and not be diminished in numbers, adding that Hashem should respond to the prayers of Yehudah. [Presumably, Ibn Ezra felt that Yehudah’s role in the sale of Joseph and the deception of his father Yaakov also needed forgiveness still. Nachmanides disagrees with the interpretation of Ibn Ezra on this, seeing that Yehudah’s sin had not been of the type that the Torah would punish with the karet penalty [generally understood to include destruction of one’s soul, Ed.] if it had been committed deliberately and had not been repented properly. This is also, in his opinion, why Moses did not offer a special prayer on behalf of Yehudah, just as he did not do so on behalf of the other tribes whose founding fathers had been involved in the sale of Joseph and the deception of their father. He therefore understands the words וזאת ליהודה as the preamble to the blessing he would forthwith bestow on that tribe. He would receive the latter part of Reuven’s blessing also, as he, more than any other tribe needed G’d’s protection against suffering casualties, as this tribe was always leading in the wars Israel fought. He had a merit exceeding that of the other brothers, as it had been he who had saved Joseph from the brothers’ demand that he be killed immediately.

No stranger passed between them, etc. Meaning, that no stranger could compare to them. Alternatively, he juxtaposed the blessing of Yehudah to [the blessing of] Reuvein, and he did not bless Levi after blessing Reuvein.

V. 7. וזאת ליהודה. Derjenige Stamm, auf welchen die Hoheit, Macht und Volkesführung überging, deren Reuben verlustig geworden, war: Juda (siehe Bereschit 49, 8). Hier heißt es nun וזאת ליהודה: dasselbe, worin der der Führerschaft verlustig gewordene, macht- und glanzlose Stamm gleichwohl den Boden einer wohl zu würdigenden Lebensentfaltung finden kann, dasselbe bleibt im Grunde ebenso die einzige wirkliche und wahrhaftige Basis für den mit Hoheit und Macht umkleideten zur Führerschaft berufenen Stamm. Wie Reuben, hat auch Juda nur die תורה als Lebensquell und Basis auch für die Erfüllung des besonderen Segenswunsches, den Mosche für ihn hinzugefügt, indem er auf ihn inmitten der Ausübung seines Berufes hinschaut. Der Geist der תורה bewirkt es, dass die Macht in Israel nicht zum Eigenruhm, sondern zu Schutz und Verteidigung der Bruderstämme geübt wird. Juda zieht dahin, wo sein Volk seiner bedarf, nur zum Kampf für sein Volk gebraucht es die ihm verliehene Macht. Darum blickt es zu Gott auf, ehe es auszieht, und darum steht Gott ihm bei in seinen Kämpfen.

וזאת ליהודה, “”and this for Yehudah;” i.e. “and this is the blessing for Yehudah. Moses means that the blessing he had just given to Reuven will also apply to Yehudah. He prayed that they both be extraordinarily successful in that war. The reason he also singled out Yehudah for such a blessing was that that tribe usually was always at the head of the army. (Compare Judges 1,2) In that verse G–d had answered t]he people’s query who should lead them in war now that Joshua had died. Our sages in the Talmud, tractate Sotah folio 7 state that the bones of Yehudah were rattling in their coffin all the years that the Israelites wandered in the desert, the reason being that he had said to his father Yaakov before obtaining permission to take Binyamin to Egypt, that he would consider himself as having sinned unforgivably against him for all his life if he did not bring him back safe and sound. (Genesis 43,9). Even though it appears at first glance as if Binyamin had descended with the rest of Yaakov’s family (Genesis 46,21) when a wise man utters a curse, even a conditional one, it comes true at some time [Yaakov had cursed the anonymous person who had stolen Lavan’s t’raphim if he would be found, and although he never found that person Rachel died prematurely on account of that as she had stolen them. Ed.] (compare Talmud, tractate Makkot, folio 11) The Talmud there describes that at the time when David dug the hole known as shitin, under the site where the Temple would stand in the future, the subterranean waters started rising from the depths and threatened to flood the earth. At that point, when Achitofel did not rule on the subject though he had been openly invited to do so, David reasoned as follows before writing the holy name of G–d on a shard commanding the waters to stop rising. If in the case of a woman suspected of infidelity by her husband, the priest dissolves a parchment with the Holy Name of the Lord in order to help restore marital harmony, when the life of the whole of humanity is at stake, surely I am not only allowed but I have the duty to try and save mankind by that means. (Compare Numbers 5, 11-31) When Achitophel saw that his advice concerning the rebellion of Avshalom had not been followed, he went home and arranged his affairs, and hung himself. (see beginning of chapter 17). [Achitofel, according to tradition was the outstanding Torah scholar of his generation, and at one time David’s tutor. Ed.] The Talmud Makkot quoted before comes to the conclusion that Moses when wondering why the bones of Reuven did not rattle in their coffin whereas those of Yehudah, his brother did not, especially since it had been Yehudah’s public confession of having fathered Tamar’s children which had caused Reuven to also publicly confess that he had committed an indiscretion with Bilhah, and remains with a question, else he would not have commenced Yehudah’s blessing with the words he did. He did not bless Shimon, just as his father had also not given him a blessing on his deathbed, as in addition to the deceit and violence at Sh’chem, as the leader of that tribe, Zimri had added to his sin by sleeping provocatively with a Midianite princess, as reported in Numbers 25,6. Although Levi had been Shimon’s partner in the killing of the male population of Sh’chem, his descendants had rehabilitated themselves when, to a man, none of them participated in worshipping the golden calf. (Compare Exodus 32,26) Moses at least hinted at a blessing for Yehudah, according to the Talmud in Makkot there.

וזאת ליהודה, “and this for Yehudah;” he meant that his blessing that Reuven should not suffer casualties in battle, should also apply to the men of military age of the tribe of Yehudah;At this point Rashi said (based on the Talmud tractate Sotah folio 7) that Moses gave the credit for Reuven’s having done penitence to how Yehudah had demeaned himself publicly when admitting that his daughterinlaw had become pregnant by him. (Genesis 38,26) In Genesis 37,29, we read about Reuven being mortified when Joseph was no longer in the pit the brothers had thrown him into. Although he had not even been present when Joseph was sold, he held himself responsible for not staying around at that time. Yehudah, though admitting his paternity of his daughterinlaw’s Tamar’s babies did not do so until challenged. Until Yehudah admitted his guilt publicly, Reuven had done so only privately; (Genesis 37,29). After hearing of Yehudah’s confession, he too admitted his defiling his father’s couch openly.

שמע ה' קול יהודה HEAR, O LORD, THE VOICE OF JUDAH — Hear the prayer of Judah’s descendants, David and Solomon, and of Asa because of the Ethiopians, of Jehoshaphat because of the Ammonites and of Hezekiah because of Sannecherib (cf. Sifrei Devarim 348:8),

ויאמר שמע ה' קול יהודה, in addition to what Moses had said under the heading of וזאת ליהודה, that whenever this tribe would pray to G’d either during war or any other occasion

שמע ה' קול יהודה!, “Hearken O Hashem to the voice of Yehudah!” when he entreats you whenever he goes into battle, seeing he is at the head of the army.

Moshe said, “Who was responsible for Reuvein’s confession? Yehudah, etc.” According to this, Now this for Yehudah is an expression of surprise. [I.e., does Yehudah deserve that his bones roll in the coffin?!]. When Rashi explains, Who was responsible for Reuvein’s confession? he means, Who was responsible for Reuvein’s public confession? because Reuvein had confessed in private beforehand, as Rashi explained earlier in parshas Vayeishev (Bereishis 37:29), that [Reuvein] was occupied with his sack-cloth, etc., which was before the incident of Tamar and Yehudah. This indicates that Reuvein had already confessed. Perforce we must say that he was occupied with his sack-cloth, etc. in private. But after Yehudah had confessed, he was occupied with his sack-cloth even in public. So too answer Tosefos in Perek Hachovel (Bava Kamma 92a).

ועזר מצריו תהיה, "may she be a helper against his enemies." the word תהיה, refers to the eventual descendant of Yehudah, Ruth the Moabite, without whom even such illustrious people as Zerach and Peretz could not have guaranteed that he would become the founder of the dynasty culminating in King David and eventually the Messiah. The word עזר, is an allusion to the first female, Eve, who was described by the Torah (Genesis 2,18) as Adam's helper, עזר. Similarly, Yehudah's female descendant Ruth would perform this role in asssuring that he could attain his destiny. Compare also what I have written on Genesis 43,9 (page 347).

HEAR, ETERNAL, THE VOICE OF JUDAH. He prayed for him when he goes out to fight, for it was Judah who was first to go up to fight¹²²Judges 1:2. and of him came he that is the prince¹²¹I Chronicles 5:2. Reference is to David. to fight the enemies of Israel. And so also did Jacob say, thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies.¹⁵⁴Ibid., 49:8.

שמע ה׳ קול יהודה, “hear o Lord the voice of Yehudah!” Whenever Yehudah finds himself in difficulties and appeals to You for help on behalf of his people, grant his plea! He is singled out for this as he normally leads the rest of the tribes in warfare. (Compare Judges 1,2) The same applied to Reuven, as he had been the first tribe to cross the Jordan and face the enemy. Compare Joshua 6,7.) Shimon did not need to be mentioned separately as that tribe always made common cause with Yehudah as reported in the Book of Judges. [His territory was an enclave within the territory of Yehudah. Ed.] (Compare Judges 1,3) A different interpretation of Moses’s pleading: יחי ראובן, “may Reuven live!” Seeing that the founding father of the tribe of Reuven had committed a serious offense against his father Yaakov, and the commandment of honouring father and mother is accompanied by the promise that people doing so would enjoy long life, (Exodus 20,12) it could be inferred that people failing to do so would have their lives cut short, Moses blesses the tribe, emphasising that the descendants of Reuven should not be affected by something their founding father had done wrong.

ואל עמו תביאנו AND BRING HIM TO HIS PEOPLE in peace from battle;

ידיו רב לו ועזר מצריו תהיה, though his own hands strive for him (during battle), help him against his foes.” I pray that You, G’d, be his hands, although to all intents and purposes people watching him may credit his own prowess with his victory.” רב לו, an expression of avenging wrong done to him. עזר מצריו, when they are attacking him and he is on the defensive.

ואל עמו תביאנו,“and return him to his people;” to the encampment. This verse could also be understood as a general prayer to bring back all those who went out to battle in the enemy’s country, to return home safely, unharmed.

Another interpretation [of] “Hashem, hear the voice of Yehudah, etc.” [Rashi gives two interpretations] because according to the first interpretation, you might ask that it should have said Hashem, accept the voice of Yehudah, because if He [just] heard him but did not accept his prayer, what benefit would there be in listening? Therefore, he gives another interpretation so that the word שמע (listen) hints at Shimon’s name. And according to the alternative interpretation you might ask why Moshe hinted at Shimon’s blessing [specifically] in Yehudah’s blessing? And why did Shimon take a portion [specifically] within Yehudah’s inheritance? Therefore he also gives the first interpretation.

AND BRING HIM IN INTO HIS PEOPLE — that he should return [from the fighting] in peace. HIS HANDS SHALL ‘RAV’ FOR HIM. His hands shall “be sufficient” for him, so that he need no other help except for the help of G-d Who will answer him when he prays, all as written in the words of Onkelos.¹⁵⁵Onkelos’ rendition of the verse is as follows: “Accept, O G-d, the prayer of Judah when he goes out to war, and bring him to his people in peace. His hand will execute punishment upon his enemies, and be [O G-d] his help against his enemies.” This entire rendition accords with Ramban’s interpretation of the verse. So also is the opinion of the commentators.¹⁵⁶Rashi and Ibn Ezra.
In my opinion he [Moses] further alludes to Judah’s first war against the Canaanite concerning which G-d said, Judah shall go up¹²²Judges 1:2. first. And he states his hands shall ‘rav’ meaning that he will annex and conquer from his foes “many” lands, more than are due him as his inheritance. He intimates that Judah will give part of his inheritance to his brother Simeon, this being what is stated, Out of the allotment of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon, for the portion of Judah was too much for them; therefore the children of Simeon had inheritance in the midst of their inheritance.¹⁵⁷Joshua 19:9. Thus Moses mentioned Simeon by allusion together with Judah.

וזאת ליהודה, “the following is the blessing for Yehudah, as distinct from praise for its founding father. Its founding father had also caused his father grief due to Joseph’s having been sold at the time was due to his suggestion. (Genesis 37,27) Moses was not willing to mention the name of the tribe of Shimon as Moses held him responsible in his heart for being the one who had first suggested that Joseph be killed. (Compare Rashi’s commentary on Genesis 42,24)

ידיו רב לו LET HIS HANDS רב FOR HIM — let them successfully strive for him (רב) and avenge his wrongs,

ידיו רב לו, “may his hands suffice to fight on his behalf;” may he not have to rely on outside assistance other than the help of Hashem, alone. Some commentators, seeing in the word רב an analogy to ריב, “quarrel, strife,” understand the verse to mean that Moses wishes that Yehudah’s hands alone should prove equal to any strife he will be involved in. Still other commentators see an analogy to Psalms 18,15 וברקים רב, where the word is used to describe “stunning” blows, by means of lightning. Nachmanides writes that these words are an allusion to the first war against the Canaanites, and are an encouragement to Yehudah to not only worry about conquering his own allotted ancestral territory, but also that allotted to his brethren of the other tribes. In particular, it would be a hint to conquer land beyond that needed by himself, and to cede it to the members of the tribe of Shimon, who, as it turned out were going to be an enclave within the boundaries of the tribal lands of Yehudah. This is borne out by Joshua 19,9 where the members of the tribe of Shimon are described as receiving their share of the ancestral heritage as “within” that of the tribe of Yehudah.

ועזר מצריו תהיה AND BE THOU A HELP TO HIM FROM HIS ADVERSARIES — He here prayed for Jehoshaphat with regard to the battle at Ramoth Gilead, as it states, (II Chronicles 18:31) “And Jehoshaphat cried and the Lord helped him”. — Another explanation of שמע ה' קול יהודה HEAR, O LORD, THE VOICE OF JUDAH — Here in Judah’s blessings he alluded to Simeon (שמע) (i.e., Simeon’s blessing was included in that of Judah). And indeed, when they divided the land of Israel amongst the tribes, Simeon took his portion from amongst Judah’s lot, as it is said, (Joshua 19:9) “Out of the allotment of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Simeon” (cf. Sifrei Devarim 348:5). {And why did he not assign to him (to Simeon) a separate blessing? Because he had something in his heart against him on account of what he had done at Shittim (Numbers 25:14). thus is it written in the Agada on the Psalms}.