וזאת הברכה אשר ברך משה. למשה נאה לברך את ישראל, שנתן נפשו עליהם בכל שעה.
(Deut. 33:1:) AND THIS IS THE BLESSING, WITH WHICH MOSES, <THE MAN OF GOD,> BLESSED <THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BEFORE HIS DEATH>. It was fitting for Moses to bless Israel because he had constantly risked his life for them.9Tanh., Deut. 11:1, cont.; PRK 31(suppl. 1):12.
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איש האלהים (דברים לג א), אמר ריש לקיש אלמלא מקרא אי אפשר לאומרו, כאדם שגוזר על אשתו ועושה, כך הקב"ה גוזר על משה ועושה לו.
(Deut. 33:1:) THE MAN OF GOD. Resh Laqish said: If it were not in Scripture, it would be impossible to say this:10Tanh., Deut. 11:2; PRK 31(suppl. 1):13. Just as when a man gives an order to his wife, she carries it out; so when the Holy One gave an order to Moses, he carried it out for him.11Although the parallel texts agree with this reading, Wm. Braude and I. J. Kapstein, Pesikta de-Rab Kahana, p. 456, n. 47, are probably correct that fear of blasphemy caused the midrashim to reverse what was said here. The context requires the original text to state that it was the Holy One who obeyed Moses.
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את בני ישראל (שם). זכותן של ישראל גרמה לו.
(Deut. 33:1:) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. It was Israel's merit that enabled him.
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לפני מותו (שם). וכי תעלה על דעתך שלאחר מותו בירך את ישראל, ומהו לפני מותו, לפני מלאך המות, שבשעה שאמר לו הקב"ה עלה [וגו'] ומות בהר הזה (שם לב מח מט), היה מלאך המות סבור כבר נתן לו הקב"ה רשות על נפשו של משה, בא ועמד למעלה הימנו, אמר לו משה כבר הבטיחני הקב"ה שלא ימסרני בידך, והיה מברך את ישראל לפני המלאך המות, לכך נאמר לפני מותו.
(Deut. 33:1:) BEFORE HIS DEATH. Would it cross your mind that he blessed Israel after he died?12Tanh., Deut. 11:3; PRK 31(suppl. 1):14; see Sifre, Deut. 33:19(342); Deut. R. 11:6.: Then what is the meaning of BEFORE HIS DEATH? Before the Angel of Death. When the Holy One said to him (in Deut. 32:49-50) ASCEND <THIS MOUNTAIN OF THE ABARIM>…; AND YOU SHALL DIE ON THIS MOUNTAIN.13As the translation suggests, the biblical text in the midrash here differs somewhat from the Masoretic Test. The Angel of Death thought that the Holy One had already given him authority over Moses' life. He came and stood directly above him. Moses said to him: The Holy One has already promised me that he would not deliver me into your hand. Then he blessed Israel before the Angel of Death. It is therefore stated (in Deut. 33:1) BEFORE HIS DEATH.
וזאת הברכה אשר ברך משה. למשה נאה לברך את ישראל, שנתן נפשו עליהם בכל שעה.
(Deut. 33:1:) AND THIS IS THE BLESSING, WITH WHICH MOSES, <THE MAN OF GOD,> BLESSED <THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BEFORE HIS DEATH>. It was fitting for Moses to bless Israel because he had constantly risked his life for them.9Tanh., Deut. 11:1, cont.; PRK 31(suppl. 1):12.
איש האלהים (דברים לג א), אמר ריש לקיש אלמלא מקרא אי אפשר לאומרו, כאדם שגוזר על אשתו ועושה, כך הקב"ה גוזר על משה ועושה לו.
(Deut. 33:1:) THE MAN OF GOD. Resh Laqish said: If it were not in Scripture, it would be impossible to say this:10Tanh., Deut. 11:2; PRK 31(suppl. 1):13. Just as when a man gives an order to his wife, she carries it out; so when the Holy One gave an order to Moses, he carried it out for him.11Although the parallel texts agree with this reading, Wm. Braude and I. J. Kapstein, Pesikta de-Rab Kahana, p. 456, n. 47, are probably correct that fear of blasphemy caused the midrashim to reverse what was said here. The context requires the original text to state that it was the Holy One who obeyed Moses.
את בני ישראל (שם). זכותן של ישראל גרמה לו.
(Deut. 33:1:) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. It was Israel's merit that enabled him.
לפני מותו (שם). וכי תעלה על דעתך שלאחר מותו בירך את ישראל, ומהו לפני מותו, לפני מלאך המות, שבשעה שאמר לו הקב"ה עלה [וגו'] ומות בהר הזה (שם לב מח מט), היה מלאך המות סבור כבר נתן לו הקב"ה רשות על נפשו של משה, בא ועמד למעלה הימנו, אמר לו משה כבר הבטיחני הקב"ה שלא ימסרני בידך, והיה מברך את ישראל לפני המלאך המות, לכך נאמר לפני מותו.
(Deut. 33:1:) BEFORE HIS DEATH. Would it cross your mind that he blessed Israel after he died?12Tanh., Deut. 11:3; PRK 31(suppl. 1):14; see Sifre, Deut. 33:19(342); Deut. R. 11:6.: Then what is the meaning of BEFORE HIS DEATH? Before the Angel of Death. When the Holy One said to him (in Deut. 32:49-50) ASCEND <THIS MOUNTAIN OF THE ABARIM>…; AND YOU SHALL DIE ON THIS MOUNTAIN.13As the translation suggests, the biblical text in the midrash here differs somewhat from the Masoretic Test. The Angel of Death thought that the Holy One had already given him authority over Moses' life. He came and stood directly above him. Moses said to him: The Holy One has already promised me that he would not deliver me into your hand. Then he blessed Israel before the Angel of Death. It is therefore stated (in Deut. 33:1) BEFORE HIS DEATH.