אור החיים הקדוש · וזאת הברכה · שֵׁנִי
The Hebrew is the original Ohr HaChaim. Each passage is paired with its AI-assisted explanatory English, beside it on wide pages and beneath it on smaller screens. Brief clarifications are marked within the English. In plain words and Lemaaseh are separate AI-assisted study aids.
וּלְלֵוִ֣י אָמַ֔ר תֻּמֶּ֥יךָ וְאוּרֶ֖יךָ לְאִ֣ישׁ חֲסִידֶ֑ךָ אֲשֶׁ֤ר נִסִּיתוֹ֙ בְּמַסָּ֔ה תְּרִיבֵ֖הוּ עַל־מֵ֥י מְרִיבָֽה׃
And of Levi he said: Thy Thummim and Thy Urim be with Thy holy one, Whom Thou didst prove at Massah, With whom Thou didst strive at the waters of Meribah;
הָאֹמֵ֞ר לְאָבִ֤יו וּלְאִמּוֹ֙ לֹ֣א רְאִיתִ֔יו וְאֶת־אֶחָיו֙ לֹ֣א הִכִּ֔יר וְאֶת־בנו [בָּנָ֖יו] לֹ֣א יָדָ֑ע כִּ֤י שָֽׁמְרוּ֙ אִמְרָתֶ֔ךָ וּבְרִֽיתְךָ֖ יִנְצֹֽרוּ׃
Who said of his father, and of his mother: ‘I have not seen him’; Neither did he acknowledge his brethren, Nor knew he his own children; For they have observed Thy word, And keep Thy covenant.
אור החיים הקדוש
(ט~י) הָאֹמֵר וְגוֹ׳ יוֹרוּ מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ וְגוֹ׳. יִתְבָּאֵר עַל דֶּרֶךְ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בבא בתרא ס.) בְּמַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבָּאוּ לָדוּן עַל אִילָן שֶׁהָיָה מַזִּיק לְדֶרֶךְ הָרַבִּים וְכוּ׳, וְאָמַר לָהֶם עַד לְמָחָר וְכוּ׳, וְשָׁלַח וְקָץ וְכוּ׳, עַד כָּאן. וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ ״הָאוֹמֵר״ וְגוֹ׳, אָדָם כָּזֶה רָאוּי לְהוֹרוֹת מִשְׁפָּט וְכוּ׳, כִּי אֵין מָקוֹם לוֹמַר לוֹ ״טוֹל קוֹרָה״ וְכוּ׳ (בבא בתרא טו:), וְזֶה לְךָ הָאוֹת ״הָאֹמֵר לְאָבִיו וּלְאִמּוֹ״.
AI-assisted explanatory translation: [The verses] "Who said [of his father and of his mother: 'I have not seen him']" and "They shall teach Your ordinances [to Yaakov]" (Deuteronomy 33:10) can be explained in light of what Chazal said in Bava Batra 60a. They relate an incident where people came to a judge to litigate concerning a tree that was causing damage to a public pathway. The judge told them, "Wait until tomorrow." That night, he sent messengers and cut down his own tree first [so that he would be free of the same fault before ruling on theirs]. This is the meaning of "Who said of his father...": a person who acts with such integrity is fit to teach judgment to others, because there is no room for anyone to say to him, "Remove the beam from between your own eyes" (Bava Batra 15b). The proof of this absolute integrity is that he is "the one who says to his father and mother, 'I have not seen him'" [meaning he applies the law strictly to himself and his closest relatives first].
עוֹד יִרְצֶה, לְפִי שֶׁצִּוָּה ״שׁוֹפְטִים וְגוֹ׳ לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ״ (דברים טז:יח), וְאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ספרי) שֶׁצָּרִיךְ שֶׁיְּמַנֶּה דַיָּנִים לְכָל שֵׁבֶט, לָזֶה אָמַר כִּי שֵׁבֶט לֵוִי לְצַד מַה שֶׁהוֹכַחְנוּ שֶׁלֹּא נָשְׂאוּ פָנִים לְאָב וּלְאָח וּלְבֵן רְאוּיִים הֵם לְהִתְמַנּוֹת עַל כָּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְהוּא אָמְרוֹ ״יוֹרוּ מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ לְיַעֲקֹב״ בְּדֶרֶךְ כְּלָל, כִּי אֵין לָחוּשׁ שֶׁיִּשְׂאוּ פָנִים לְשִׁבְטָם יוֹתֵר מִשֵּׁבֶט זוּלָתָם.
AI-assisted explanatory translation: Another explanation: Since Hashem commanded, "You shall appoint judges... for your tribes" (Deuteronomy 16:18), and Chazal explained in the Sifrei that this requires appointing judges from within each specific tribe for that tribe, Moshe therefore declared here that the tribe of Levi is uniquely suited to be appointed over all the tribes of Israel. This is because they proved they do not show favoritism to a father, a brother, or a child. This is the meaning of "They shall teach Your ordinances to Yaakov" as a general rule for all of Israel, because we do not need to worry that a Levite judge will show favoritism to his own tribe over any other tribe.
יוֹר֤וּ מִשְׁפָּטֶ֙יךָ֙ לְיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְתוֹרָתְךָ֖ לְיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל יָשִׂ֤ימוּ קְטוֹרָה֙ בְּאַפֶּ֔ךָ וְכָלִ֖יל עַֽל־מִזְבְּחֶֽךָ׃
They shall teach Jacob Thine ordinances, And Israel Thy law; They shall put incense before Thee, And whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar. .
No Ohr HaChaim comment on this pasuk in this edition.
בָּרֵ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ חֵיל֔וֹ וּפֹ֥עַל יָדָ֖יו תִּרְצֶ֑ה מְחַ֨ץ מָתְנַ֧יִם קָמָ֛יו וּמְשַׂנְאָ֖יו מִן־יְקוּמֽוּן׃ (ס)
Bless, LORD, his substance, And accept the work of his hands; Smite through the loins of them that rise up against him, And of them that hate him, that they rise not again.
אור החיים הקדוש
וּמְשַׂנְאָיו מִן יְקוּמוּן. אָמְרוֹ ״מִן יְקוּמוּן״, לְדִבְרֵיהֶם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בראשית רבה צט:ב) שֶׁנִּתְנַבֵּא עַל מַלְכוּת יָוָן שֶׁעֲתִידָה לִפּוֹל בְּיַד בְּנֵי חַשְׁמוֹנַאי. לָזֶה אָמַר ״וּמְשַׂנְאָיו מִן יְקוּמוּן״, פֵּרוּשׁ אֲפִלּוּ מִן הַזְּמַן עַצְמוֹ שֶׁתִּהְיֶה לָהֶם לַשּׂוֹנְאִים קִימָה, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל שְׁפָלִים, בַּזְּמַן עַצְמוֹ ״מְחַץ מָתְנַיִם קָמָיו״ וְגוֹ׳, וְכֵן הָיָה, וְדָבָר זֶה הִיא הַצְלָחָה בְּנֵס וָפֶלֶא.
Regarding the words "and of them that hate him, that they rise not again" (literally, "from rising"), this is understood in light of the words of Chazal in Bereishit Rabbah 99:2, who explain that Moshe was prophesying about the Greek empire, which was destined to fall by the hand of the Hasmoneans [who were Kohanim from the tribe of Levi]. Therefore, he said "and of them that hate him, from rising," meaning that even from the very time when those enemies would experience a rise to power and Israel would be brought low, at that very moment, "smite through the loins of them that rise up against him." And so it was, and this matter was a triumph achieved through a wondrous miracle.
לְבִנְיָמִ֣ן אָמַ֔ר יְדִ֣יד יְהֹוָ֔ה יִשְׁכֹּ֥ן לָבֶ֖טַח עָלָ֑יו חֹפֵ֤ף עָלָיו֙ כָּל־הַיּ֔וֹם וּבֵ֥ין כְּתֵיפָ֖יו שָׁכֵֽן׃ (ס)
Of Benjamin he said: The beloved of the LORD shall dwell in safety by Him; He covereth him all the day, And He dwelleth between his shoulders.
אור החיים הקדוש
לְבִנְיָמִן אָמַר. פֵּרוּשׁ תֵּבַת ״לְבִנְיָמִן״ הוּא דִּבְרֵי מֹשֶׁה, וְתֵבַת ״אָמַר״ הוּא דִּבְרֵי הַכָּתוּב, שֶׁאִם לֹא כֵן בַּמֶּה יוּבַן הַדָּבָר שֶׁעַל בִּנְיָמִין הוּא אוֹמֵר, וְכֵן ״לְיוֹסֵף״ וְ״לִזְבוּלֻן״ וְגוֹ׳.
Regarding the words, Of Benjamin he said: The word "Of Benjamin" is the speech of Moshe, whereas the word "he said" is the narrative voice of the Scripture. For if this were not so, how would it be understood that he is speaking about Benjamin? The same structure applies to the subsequent blessings, such as "And of Joseph he said" and "And of Zebulun he said."
וְאָמְרוֹ ״יִשְׁכֹּן לָבֶטַח עָלָיו״. פֵּרוּשׁ, מַה טַעַם יִשְׁכּוֹן לָבֶטַח? ״עָלָיו״, פֵּרוּשׁ עַל הֱיוֹתוֹ שְׁכֵנוֹ שֶׁל שׁוֹכֵן הַבִּירָה, כִּי מִי יָבֹא אַחַר הַמֶּלֶךְ:
Regarding the phrase, "shall dwell in safety by Him": This means, what is the reason that Benjamin will dwell in safety? It is "by Him" [literally, upon Him], meaning because he is the immediate neighbor of the One Who dwells in the Temple. For who would dare come to attack someone who is protected right next to the King?
אור החיים הקדוש
וּלְלֵוִי אָמַר תֻּמֶּיךָ וְגוֹ׳. פֵּרוּשׁ, יִתְקַיֵּים בְּיָדוֹ דָּבָר זֶה וּלְזַרְעוֹ אַחֲרָיו כְּהוּנַּת עוֹלָם.
And of Levi he said: Thy Thummim etc. This means that this matter [of the High Priest's breastplate] shall remain established in his hand, and for his descendants after him as an everlasting priesthood.
אֲשֶׁר נִסִּיתוֹ בְּמַסָּה. פֵּרוּשׁ, לְפִי שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב אָמַר עַל לֵוִי בְּשִׁתּוּף עִם שִׁמְעוֹן ״כְּלֵי חָמָס וְגוֹ׳ אָרוּר אַפָּם כִּי עָז״ וְגוֹ׳ (בראשית מט:ה,ז),
Whom Thou didst prove at Massah. The explanation is: Since Yaakov had said concerning Levi, in partnership with Shimon, "weapons of violence etc. Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce" (Genesis 49:5,7),
לָזֶה אָמַר כִּי לֵוִי נִתְנַסָּה שֶׁאֵינוֹ בַּעַל אַף וְעֶבְרָה שֶׁנִּתְנַסָּה בְּמַסָּה, פֵּרוּשׁ לֹא שֶׁנִּסָּהוּ ה׳, אֶלָּא שֶׁרָאָה בּוֹ נִסָּיוֹן, שֶׁכָּל שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל נִסּוּ ה׳ דִּכְתִיב (שמות יז:ז) ״וְעַל נַסּוֹתָם אֶת ה׳״, וְלֹא כֵן לֵוִי, הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁשָּׁכַךְ רוּגְזָם.
therefore Moshe said here that Levi was tested and shown not to be a master of anger and wrath. This was tested at Massah. This does not mean that Hashem actively tested him, but rather that He saw a proof in him, because all the other tribes of Israel tested Hashem, as it is written, "and because they tried Hashem" (Exodus 17:7), but Levi did not do so. From this you learn that their anger had subsided.