Комментарий о цитате к Дварим 33:20

Kap. 32. V. 1. ומקנה רב. Der Akzentuation zufolge scheint das Prädikat עצום מאוד sich auf die בני גד zu beziehen, so daß deren Herdebesitz noch weit größer, als der der Reubeniten war. Ohnehin bemerkt schon Ramban, daß nur hier einleitend der Stamm Reuben als der ältere zuerst genannt wird, in der ganzen folgenden Versammlung stehen die Söhne Gad voran. Sie werden auch Dewarim 33, 20 u. 31 als die eigentlichen Anreger der Idee und zugleich in ihrer Tapferkeit geschildert, die ihnen die Ausführbarkeit dieser Idee, sich außer Zusammenhang mit dem Gros der Nation in besonderen Grenzen niederzulassen, ratsam erscheinen lassen durfte.

ומקצה אחיו SOME OF HIS BRETHREN — Some of the inferior ones amongst them as to strength — of those who did not look robust. For should Pharaoh find them to be robust men he might press them for military service. The weaker brethren were as follows: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar and Benjamin, and it was they whose names Moses did not repeat when he blessed them. But the names of the strong ones he mentioned twice: (Deuteronomy 33:7) “And this is for Judah ... hear, Eternal, the voice of Judah”; (Deuteronomy 33:20) “And of Gad he said, Blessed he lie that extendeth Gad”; (Deuteronomy 33:25) “And of Naphtali he said, Naphtali ...” (Deuteronomy 33:22). “And of Dan he said Dan . . .”, and in like manner he repeated the names of Zebulun (Deuteronomy 33:18) and of Asher (Deuteronomy 33:24). This is the version of Genesis Rabbah 95:4 which is a Palestinian Agada. But in our Babylonian Talmud we find that those whose names Moses mentioned twice were the weaker of the brethren and it was these whom he (Joseph) brought before Pharaoh. But six are enumerated above as having their names mentioned twice and he brought only five before Pharaoh. The explanation is that it is true that Judah’s name is mentioned twice, but it is mentioned twice not because he was one of the weaker brethren, but there is another reason for this, as is stated in Bava Kamma 92a. In the Baraitha of Siphre on וזאת הברכה we have the same version as in our Babylonian Talmud.

ויבואו בני גד ובני ראובן, “the members of the tribe of Gad and Reuven came, etc.” The Gadites came up with the idea of remaining on the far bank of the Jordan. They were personally much braver than the members of Reuven as we know from Moses’ blessing in Deut. 33,20: וטרף זרוע אף קדקוד, “tearing off arm and even head.” They were not afraid that by choosing to remain physically distant from the main body of the people on the far side of the Jordan they would be isolated and easy prey for the surrounding nations.

And the warriors. These were the men of the tribes of Reuvein and Gad who went before them, because the men of Gad were mighty warriors and they would smite with a strong arm, as it is said, ‘And he rips off the shoulder and the head.’¹Devorim 33:20.

לפני בני ישראל BEFORE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL - i.e. at the head of the troops, because they were mighty men; for thus is it said of Gad, (Deuteronomy 30:20): “He teareth the arm, with the crown of the head”. Moses distinctly stated this to them in Sedrah אלה הדברים (Deuteronomy 3:18): “And I commanded you at that time … Ye shall pass over armed before the children of Israel, all ye men of valour”. And regarding the siege of Jericho it is written, (Joshua 6:13): “And the armed men (החלוץ) went before them”— this refers to the tribes of Reuben and Gad who thus fulfilled the conditions they had laid down.

לפני אחיכם [YE SHALL PASS OVER EQUIPPED] BEFORE YOUR BRETHREN — they used to go in front of the other Israelites into battle because they were mighty men, and the enemy fell before them, as it is said of Gad, (Deuteronomy 33:20) "He tears the arm together with the crown” (cf. Rashi on Numbers 32:17).