ציטירנדיקער פּירוש אויף דברים 33:18

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.

ואהלים, an indication that he had so many chattels that it required many tents to accommodate them. The word אהלים is spelled with the vowel cholem on the letter aleph, as it is also in Samuel I 4,10 and in Deut. 33,18 ויששכר באהליך According to the regular rules of grammar, the letter א in אהל should have the vowel chataf kametz as is the case in Jeremiah 35,7 and in Judges 8,11. Perhaps when the letter א has the vowel cholem, this is an indication that the noun is in a different declination, a declination known as גוזל תולע. [I confess not to know what this is. Ed.]

“The mandrakes yield their fragrance” [7:14]. The Yalkut writes: “mandrakes” refers to the two tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, the two tribes that were born as a result of the mandrakes that Leah gave her sister Rachel so that Jacob would sleep with her. These same mandrakes give a pleasant odor from the Torah that Zebulun, who engaged in business and made money which he gives to his brother Issachar for his needs, since he spent all of his time engaged in the study of Torah, as the verse says, “Rejoice O Zebulun on your journeys, and Issachar, in your tents” [Deuteronomy, 33:18]. This means, rejoice Zebulun on your journeys for merchandise and Issachar in your tents with the Torah.²⁷Yalkut Shimoni, Song of Songs, Remez, 993.

לחוף ימים TOWARDS THE COASTS OF THE SEAS — (לחוף is the same as על חוף): by the shore of the seas will be his land. הוף means “border” as Onkelos has it; old French marche; English border. [והוא לחוף אניות] means he will constantly be at the haven of ships — the port — whither the ships bring merchandise. For Zebulun was engaged in business and provided food for the tribe of Issachar whilst these engaged in the study of the Torah. It is to this that Moses alludes, (Deuteronomy 33:18) “Rejoice Zebulun in thy going out. and Issachar in thy tents”, — Zebulun goes forth to trade and Issachar studies the Torah in the tents (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 11; cf. Rashi on Genesis ישב אהלים 25:27)