וְהָֽעֲרָבָ֖ה וְהַיַּרְדֵּ֣ן וּגְבֻ֑ל מִכִּנֶּ֗רֶת וְעַ֨ד יָ֤ם הָֽעֲרָבָה֙ יָ֣ם הַמֶּ֔לַח תַּ֛חַת אַשְׁדֹּ֥ת הַפִּסְגָּ֖ה מִזְרָֽחָה׃
און דעם פּלױן מיטן יַרדן און דעם ברעג, פֿון כִּנֶרֶת און ביז דעם ים פֿון פּלױן, דעם יַם-הַמֶלַח, אונטער די אַראָפּגאַנגען פֿון פּסגָה, צו מזרח.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Naphtali is a doe let loose, who provides pleasant sayings” (Genesis 49:21).
“Naphtali is a doe let loose [sheluḥa]” – it is speaking of his land, which is entirely irrigated fields [beit hashelaḥin]. That is what is written: “From Kineret99Kineret is the Hebrew name for the Sea of Galilee. until the sea of the Arava, [the Dead Sea]” (Deuteronomy 3:17). “Kineret” – Rabbi Elazar said: Yeraḥ. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Beit Yeraḥ. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Sennaberis and Beit Yeraḥ. Rabbi Levi said: The environs of Beit She’an, whose name is Kineret. Rabbi Berekhya said: The entire coast of the Sea of Tiberias is called Kineret. Why does it call it Ginosar? The Rabbis say: The gardens of princes [ganei sarim]. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: It is based on: “From Naphtali one thousand captains [sarim]” (I Chronicles 12:35).
That is what is written: “She sent and called Barak…[from Kedesh Naftali].… I will draw toward you, to the Kishon Stream” (Judges 4:6–7).100The midrash interprets the phrase “Naphtali is a doe let loose [sheluḥa]” to allude to the fact that its fighters, led by Barak, were sent [nishleḥu] by Deborah to fight against the invading Canaanites. The school of Rabbi Natan said: “Pleasant [sayings]” – this is song that they sang: “Deborah sang” (Judges 5:1). Rabbi Yosei son of Rav Yaakov bar Idi in the name of Rav Aḥa: “Who provides pleasant [shafer] sayings” – sayings of the shofar, as they would beautify [meshaprin] sayings that were given with the shofar and its blasts.101They would beautifully analyze and present the words of the Torah, which was given amidst a shofar blast (see Exodus 20:15). You find that when they ascended to bury our patriarch Jacob, the Hittites came to contend with them over the burial. Naphtali ran like a doe, brought the deed from Egypt, and overcame [veshiper] them.
“Naphtali is a doe let loose [sheluḥa]” – it is speaking of his land, which is entirely irrigated fields [beit hashelaḥin]. That is what is written: “From Kineret99Kineret is the Hebrew name for the Sea of Galilee. until the sea of the Arava, [the Dead Sea]” (Deuteronomy 3:17). “Kineret” – Rabbi Elazar said: Yeraḥ. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: Beit Yeraḥ. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Sennaberis and Beit Yeraḥ. Rabbi Levi said: The environs of Beit She’an, whose name is Kineret. Rabbi Berekhya said: The entire coast of the Sea of Tiberias is called Kineret. Why does it call it Ginosar? The Rabbis say: The gardens of princes [ganei sarim]. Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: It is based on: “From Naphtali one thousand captains [sarim]” (I Chronicles 12:35).
That is what is written: “She sent and called Barak…[from Kedesh Naftali].… I will draw toward you, to the Kishon Stream” (Judges 4:6–7).100The midrash interprets the phrase “Naphtali is a doe let loose [sheluḥa]” to allude to the fact that its fighters, led by Barak, were sent [nishleḥu] by Deborah to fight against the invading Canaanites. The school of Rabbi Natan said: “Pleasant [sayings]” – this is song that they sang: “Deborah sang” (Judges 5:1). Rabbi Yosei son of Rav Yaakov bar Idi in the name of Rav Aḥa: “Who provides pleasant [shafer] sayings” – sayings of the shofar, as they would beautify [meshaprin] sayings that were given with the shofar and its blasts.101They would beautifully analyze and present the words of the Torah, which was given amidst a shofar blast (see Exodus 20:15). You find that when they ascended to bury our patriarch Jacob, the Hittites came to contend with them over the burial. Naphtali ran like a doe, brought the deed from Egypt, and overcame [veshiper] them.