📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi – Parshas Vezos Habracha Rishon: Hashem’s punishments

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Rishon

1. The blessing of Moshe prior to his death:

• The following is the blessing that Moshe, the man of G-d, blessed the Jewish people prior to his death.
• Singing the blessings of all the Jewish people: Hashem came from Sinai and gave you the fire of his law [i.e. the Torah]. He has loved the Jewish people. The Torah that Moshe commanded is the inheritance of the congregation of Yaakov. Hashem became king over the Jewish people when their tribes are gathered together.
• Blessing of Reuvein: May Reuvein live and multiply to many numbers.
• Blessing of Yehuda: May Hashem listen to the voice of Yehuda, and help him against his enemies.

Parsha Bee – Devarim 33:1–7 (Rashi)

1. When did Moshe give this blessing?
   Answer: Very close to the time of his death.
2. Why did Moshe bless the people at that time?
   Answer: “If not now, when?”
3. How did Moshe begin his blessing?
   Answer: By praising Hashem.
4. Why did Moshe begin with praise of Hashem?
   Answer: To show that Israel was worthy of receiving blessing.
5. What merit of Israel is highlighted in Moshe’s opening words?
   Answer: Their acceptance of the Torah.
6. What does “Hashem came from Sinai” mean?
   Answer: Hashem came out to greet Israel at Sinai.
7. To what is Hashem’s coming to Sinai compared?
   Answer: A groom going out to greet his bride.
8. Why is Seir mentioned?
   Answer: Hashem first offered the Torah to Esav’s descendants.
9. Did Esav’s descendants accept the Torah?
   Answer: No.
10. Why is Mount Paran mentioned?
    Answer: Hashem offered the Torah to Yishmael’s descendants.
11. Did Yishmael’s descendants accept the Torah?
    Answer: No.
12. To whom did Hashem finally come with the Torah?
    Answer: Israel.
13. What are the “holy myriads”?
    Answer: Angels.
14. Did Hashem come with all His angels?
    Answer: No, only some of them.
15. What lesson does Rashi learn from this?
    Answer: Unlike human kings, Hashem did not display all His glory.
16. What is a “fiery law”?
    Answer: The Torah.
17. How was the Torah originally written?
    Answer: Black fire on white fire.
18. From where was the Torah given according to another explanation?
    Answer: From amidst the fire.
19. What does “You showed love for peoples” refer to?
    Answer: Hashem’s affection for the tribes of Israel.
20. Which tribe is specifically called a “nation” in Bereishit?
    Answer: Benjamin.
21. What are “all His holy ones” according to Rashi?
    Answer: The souls of the righteous.
22. Where are the souls of the righteous kept?
    Answer: In Hashem’s hand.
23. Why are the righteous worthy of this protection?
    Answer: They accepted the Torah at Sinai.
24. What does “they let themselves be centered at Your feet” mean?
    Answer: They stood beneath the mountain at Sinai.
25. How does Rashi describe the mountain over Israel?
    Answer: As if suspended over them.
26. What does “bearing Your utterances” mean?
    Answer: Accepting the yoke of Torah.
27. According to Onkelos, what does “bearing Your utterances” mean?
    Answer: Traveling according to Hashem’s commands.
28. According to another explanation, what did Israel do even while nations prospered?
    Answer: Remained loyal to Hashem.
29. What did Israel willingly accept?
    Answer: Hashem’s decrees and laws.
30. What declaration does Israel make in verse 4?
    Answer: “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is our inheritance.”
31. What does Israel proclaim about the Torah?
    Answer: We will never abandon it.
32. Who is the King in Jeshurun?
    Answer: Hashem.
33. When is Hashem especially King in Jeshurun?
    Answer: When Israel is gathered together.
34. According to the second explanation, when does Hashem reign among Israel?
    Answer: When there is unity and peace.
35. What weakens the manifestation of Hashem’s kingship among Israel?
    Answer: Strife and division.
36. What blessing does Moshe give Reuven?
    Answer: May Reuven live and not die.
37. What does “live” refer to?
    Answer: Life in this world.
38. What does “not die” refer to?
    Answer: Life in the World to Come.
39. Which sin does Moshe pray will not be remembered against Reuven?
    Answer: The incident involving Bilhah.
40. What does “may his people be counted in the number” mean?
    Answer: Reuven should be counted among his brothers.
41. Why does Moshe place Yehudah’s blessing next to Reuven’s?
    Answer: Both admitted their wrongdoing.
42. What happened to Yehudah’s bones during the forty years in the wilderness?
    Answer: They rolled around in his coffin.
43. Why did this happen?
    Answer: Because of the self-imposed responsibility he undertook for Binyamin.
44. What prayer does Moshe offer for Yehudah?
    Answer: “Hearken to Yehudah’s voice.”
45. According to Rashi, whose prayers are included in Yehudah’s blessing?
    Answer: The prayers of David, Shlomo, Asa, Yehoshafat, and Chizkiyahu.
46. What does “bring him to his people” mean?
    Answer: Return safely from war.
47. What does “his hands shall fight for him” mean?
    Answer: May Yehudah be victorious in battle.
48. For which king’s battlefield rescue does Moshe specifically pray?
    Answer: Yehoshafat.
49. Which tribe is alluded to within Yehudah’s blessing?
    Answer: Shimon.
50. Why was Shimon not given a separate blessing?
    Answer: Because of the tribe’s involvement in the sin at Shittim.

Bonus

What powerful statement of commitment does Israel make in verse 4?

Answer: “The Torah that Moshe commanded us is a heritage for the congregation of Yaakov” — we have taken hold of it and will never abandon it.