📜 Daily Chumash & Rashi – Parshas Vezos Habracha Chamishi: Blessing of Dan, Naftali, Asher

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Chamishi

• Blessing of Dan: Dan is a lion cub who springs forth from the Bashan.
• Blessing of Naftali: Naftali is satiated [with all his land desires] and is filled with the blessing of Hashem. He inherits the sea and the south.
• Blessing of Asher: Asher is blessed with sons and is pleasing to his brothers. He dips his foot in oil. His locks are iron and copper.
• Praising Hashem and Israel: There is no one like the G-d of Yeshurun who rides the heavens.

Q&A on Rashi

 

Parsha Bee – Devarim 33:22–26 (Rashi)

1. Which tribes are blessed in this section?
   Answer: Dan, Naftali, and Asher.
2. To what animal is Dan compared?
   Answer: A young lion.
3. Why is Dan compared to a lion?
   Answer: Because he lived near the border and needed strength for protection.
4. Which other tribe was similarly compared to a lion for the same reason?
   Answer: Gad.
5. What does “streaming from Bashan” mean according to Onkelos?
   Answer: Dan’s land receives waters that flow from Bashan.
6. What famous river is connected to Dan’s territory?
   Answer: The Jordan River.
7. From where does the Jordan emerge according to Rashi?
   Answer: The Paneas (Banias) cave.
8. What was the earlier name of the city called Dan?
   Answer: Leshem.
9. Which verse records the renaming of Leshem to Dan?
   Answer: Joshua 19:47.
10. What is another explanation of “streaming from Bashan”?
    Answer: Dan expanded from one territory into two locations.
11. Where was Dan’s original territory?
    Answer: In the northwest of Eretz Yisrael.
12. Which additional territory did Dan conquer?
    Answer: Leshem in the northeast.
13. What natural phenomenon illustrates Dan’s expansion?
    Answer: A stream dividing into two branches.
14. Which tribe is blessed next?
    Answer: Naftali.
15. What does “favorably satisfied” mean?
    Answer: Naftali’s land fully satisfied its inhabitants.
16. What sea was located in Naftali’s territory?
    Answer: The Sea of Kinneret.
17. What special shoreline did Naftali receive?
    Answer: A section used for fishing nets and traps.
18. What does יְרָשָׁה mean?
    Answer: Possess!
19. Is יְרָשָׁה a statement or a command?
    Answer: A command.
20. What grammatical proof does Rashi give?
    Answer: Its accent pattern identifies it as an imperative.
21. Which tribe is blessed after Naftali?
    Answer: Asher.
22. What does “May Asher be blessed with sons” mean?
    Answer: Asher would be especially blessed with children.
23. How does Rashi describe this blessing?
    Answer: Greater than that of the other tribes.
24. What made Asher pleasing to his brothers?
    Answer: His olive oil and fine foods.
25. How did the brothers repay Asher?
    Answer: With grain.
26. What is another explanation of “pleasing to his brothers”?
    Answer: The women of Asher were exceptionally beautiful.
27. Whom did the daughters of Asher marry according to the Midrash?
    Answer: Kohanim Gedolim and kings.
28. Why is Malchiel called “the father of Birzayit”?
    Answer: His descendants were connected to those anointed with olive oil.
29. What does “immerse his foot in oil” mean?
    Answer: Asher’s land overflowed with olive oil.
30. What famous story does Rashi quote regarding Asher’s oil?
    Answer: A merchant purchased an enormous quantity of oil from Asher.
31. From what city did that merchant come?
    Answer: Laodicea.
32. What natural resource made Asher especially wealthy?
    Answer: Olive oil.
33. To whom is verse 25 addressed?
    Answer: All of Israel.
34. What does “your locks are iron and copper” mean according to the first explanation?
    Answer: Israel’s borders were protected by strong warriors.
35. What is the second explanation of “your locks are iron and copper”?
    Answer: The land contained mountains rich in iron and copper.
36. Which tribe’s territory served as the “lock” of the Land?
    Answer: Asher.
37. What does “the days of your old age will be like the days of your youth” mean?
    Answer: Israel’s later years will be as strong and blessed as its early years.
38. How are old age and youth contrasted in this verse?
    Answer: Old age normally declines, but Israel’s strength will endure.
39. What is Rashi’s second explanation of דָּבְאֶךָ?
    Answer: Wealth will flow into Israel.
40. Why will wealth flow to Israel?
    Answer: Because its produce will supply the world.
41. What will other nations bring to Israel?
    Answer: Silver and gold.
42. What effect will this have on the nations?
    Answer: Their wealth will be depleted as it pours into Israel.
43. Who is addressed in verse 26?
    Answer: Jeshurun, meaning Israel.
44. What is the main declaration of verse 26?
    Answer: There is none like Hashem.
45. How does Hashem compare to the gods of the nations?
    Answer: No other god resembles Him.
46. What does “He Who rides the heavens” refer to?
    Answer: Hashem’s supreme power and majesty.
47. For whose benefit does Hashem ride the heavens?
    Answer: To help Israel.
48. What does “at your assistance” mean?
    Answer: Hashem actively helps and protects His people.
49. What central message is shared by the blessings of Dan, Naftali, and Asher?
    Answer: Strength, prosperity, security, and abundance.
50. What is the climax of this section?
    Answer: The declaration that there is no God comparable to Hashem, who personally assists Israel.

Bonus

What famous Torah partnership was described earlier between Zevulun and Yissachar, and how is it reflected in these blessings?

Answer: Zevulun supported Torah financially through commerce while Yissachar devoted himself to Torah study, teaching that material success can be used to sustain spiritual greatness.