Pisqa’ 348¹

1

“Long live Reuben! May he not die! (Dt.33:6)

And this is for Judah” (Dt.33:7)—

Well! What does one thing have to do with another?

For Judah did what he did

[by bedding his daughter-in-law, Tamar,]

and then arose and said:

“She is more righteous than I” (Gn.38:26).

When Reuben saw Judah confess,

he, too, arose and confessed his deeds.

I would say that

Judah influenced Reuben to become a penitent!

Of them does the verse speak:

“Which sages have transmitted from their fathers, withholding nothing;

to them, alone, is the Land given,

with no stranger passing between them” (Job.15:17-19).

2

“Listen, HASHEM, to the voice of Judah!” (Dt.33:7)—

this teaches that

Moses prayed on behalf of the tribe of Judah,

saying before Him:

Master of the world!

Whenever the tribe of Judah is mired in misery, and prays before You,

lift him from his misery.

“And restore him to his people!”² (Dt.33:7)—

that is, let him be buried with the Patriarchs in the Land.

R. Judah says:

Now, were the bones of Joseph

all that Israel brought up from Egypt?

Didn’t each tribe bring up from Egypt

the bones of its own tribal ancestor?³

For it is said

[by Joseph to his brothers]:

“Bring my bones up with you from all this!” (Ex.13:19)

Now, the Teaching needn’t have

included the phrase, with you!

So, why does it specify with you?

To inform us that each tribe brought up

from Egypt the bones of its own tribal ancestor.

Again, the Teaching needn’t have

included the phrase,

and restore him to his people! (Dt.33:7)—

the point is, let him be buried with the Patriarchs in their graves.

R. Meir says:

Indeed, He says [of Jacob’s final charge]:

“In my own grave, that I have dug for myself

in the land of Canaan, shall I be buried” (Gn.50:5)—

Does this mean that no one else is to be buried in it?

What, then, does the Teaching imply

by the phrase, restore him to his people? (Dt.33:7)—

the point is, let him be buried with the Patriarchs in the Land.

“His hands do battle for him” (Dt.33:7)—

this refers to the time Judah killed Esau.⁴

“Nevertheless, be his help against his enemies” (Dt.33:7)—

such as when he stood before Joseph (cf. Gn.44:18ff.)

3

“And this is for Judah” (Dt.33:6-7)—

this teaches that

Moses prayed on behalf of the tribe of Shimon,⁵

saying before Him:

“Master of the world!

Whenever the tribe of Shimon is mired in misery, and prays before You,

lift him from his misery,

“and restore him to his people!”⁶ (Dt.33:7)—

this implies, that they approached with him (`imo) for the blessing,

as it is said:

“And Judah said to Shimon, his brother:

Come up with me and share my allotment”⁷ (Jud.1:3)

 4

“His hands did battle for him” (Dt.33:7)—

this refers to the time when it said:

“The two sons of Jacob, Shimon and Levi, each took his sword” (Gn.34:25)—

[to avenge the rape of Dinah].

“Nevertheless, be his help against his enemies” (Dt.33:7)—

along the lines of what is said:

“So they journeyed, and the terror of God fell upon the cities

that surrounded them, but they didn’t pursue the sons of Jacob (Gn.35:5)

5

And this is for Judah” (Dt.33:6-7)—

This teaches that

Moses prayed on behalf of David, the king of Israel,

saying before Him:

Master of the world!

Whenever David, the king of Israel, is mired in misery,

and prays before You, lift him from his misery,

“And restore him to his people!” (Dt.33:7)—

that You might return him to his brothers in peace.

“His hands did battle for him” (Dt.33:7)—

at the time he killed Goliath (1Sam.17:48-51).

“Nevertheless, be his help against his enemies” (Dt.33:7)—

this refers to the time when it is said;

“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains

from which my deliverance comes” (Ps.121:1)

6

“And this is for Judah” (Dt.33:7)—

This teaches that

Moses prayed on behalf of the kings of the Davidic dynasty,

saying before Him:

Master of the world!

Whenever the kings of the Davidic dynasty are mired in misery,

and pray before You, may You lift them from misery,

“and restore him to his people!” (Dt.33:7)—

this refers to Josiah,

as it is said:

“Therefore, I will indeed gather you to your Patriarchs” (2Ki.22:20)

“His hands did battle for him” (Dt.33:7)—

this refers to Menasseh,

As it is said:

“And Menasseh also spilled much innocent blood” (2Ki.22:20).
And in the end what is said about him?

“And he prayed to Him and he was answered” (2Chron.33:13).

“Nevertheless, be his help against his enemies” (Dt.33:7)—

this refers to Yehoshafat,

as it is said:

Yehoshafat cried out, and HASHEM helped him” (2Chron.18:31).

1. H:360-362; JN2:422-424.
2. Cf. Pisqa’ 348.2-3, 5-6 for diverse applications of identical midrashic formulations.
3. Thus, as the tribe of Joseph brought with them the bones of Joseph, so too other tribes might bring up the bones of the brother from whom they were descended.
4. Later Talmudic tradition (e.g., Y. Git.5:6) frames this event as a rumor among Romans justifying Rome’s persecution of Jews.
5. The biblical text does not record a blessing for Shimon. For discussion, see H:508, Pisqa’ 348, n.6.
6. Heb: `amo. Assonance with `imo (“with him”) secures the word-play.
7. Heb: goral; “lots.” Goral refers as well to “fate” or “destiny.” That seems to be the connotation here.