Komentaryong Sumisipi para sa Deuteronomio 22:2

Gather yourselves and I will tell you… And afterward he mentions the language of assembling: Assemble and listen… According to our Sages (see Pesachim 56a), Jacob wished to reveal the End of Days but it was concealed from him. Now, the term “gathering” [asifah] applies to one who stands outside in an exposed place and is gathered into the house to a private place, as in you shall gather him into your house (Deuteronomy 22:2) and no one takes me into his house (Judges 19:18), and many similar instances. However, the term “assembling” [kibbutz] indicates scattered people coming together in one place, even if it’s an exposed location where many pass through. Similarly, at first Jacob wished to reveal the secret of the End of Days, and it is not appropriate to reveal secret matters in public lest someone unworthy hear, for the secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him specifically. Therefore, he said gather yourselves [he’asfu] and I will tell you what will befall you in the End of Days, but immediately he sensed that the End was concealed from him. Thus, he changed from the language of “gathering” and said assemble [hikavtzu], sons of Jacob to hear matters that contained no secrets and could be spoken of publicly. He mentioned “listen” twice because to some he was speaking words of rebuke and reproof, as to Reuben, Simeon, and Levi — regarding this he said listen, sons of Jacob. To others he was telling future events — regarding this he said listen to Israel your father, for the telling of future events depends on Divine Spirit, which is associated with the name Israel, as this is a spiritual name. This is a precious interpretation.

take away Heb. אסף [lit., gather in,] hide our reproach, similar to (Deut. 22:2): “And you shall gather it (ואספתו) into your house.” For the woman, when she is married, will not be dealt with licentiously. According to Midrash Aggadah, (Lamentations Rabbah 5:11) Nebuchadnezzar commanded (or decreed upon) [his armies] not to have relations with married women, lest they be punished. They, therefore, begged to be nominally married.

וישב על המטה. His feet touched the ground. This is why the Torah, when Joseph brought his children to Yaakov to be blessed, had to write: “he took them out from between his knees.” (verse 12) Another reason why the Torah mentioned these trivial sounding details, was to inform us that Yaakov still possessed the physical strength to pronounce all his final announcements with his feet firmly placed on the ground. It was only after he did not have anything else to say that he put his feet back on the bed in preparation for dying (49,33). That motion is comparable to what is described in Deuteronomy 22,2 as ואספת אל תוך ביתך, “bring it into your house,” i.e. The verb אסף, also appears in a similar sense in Judges 19,18 ואין איש מאסף אותו,”and there is no one willing to take me in.”