Another interpretation (of Deut. 33:1), “And this is the blessing”: R. Samuel bar Nahmani said that R. Johanan said, “When Moshe came to bless Israel with “This is the blessing,” the Holy One, blessed be He, also blessed them with “this,” as stated (in Deut. 4:44), “And this is the Torah that Moshe placed.” And it states (in Deut. 33:1), “And this is the blessing that Moses the man of God blessed the Children of Israel.” (Deut. 33:1:) Another explanation: R. Abba said (regarding Deut. 33:1), “’Which Moses blessed,’ that is Moses; ‘the man of God,’ that is the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 15:3), ‘The Lord is a man of war.’ And why so much? To fulfill the verse (in Eccl. 4:12), ‘and the threefold string will not quickly be broken.’”8See Deut. R. 11:4 which appears to record the correct version of this midrash, and is brought down as one teaching together with that of R. Samuel bar Nahmani immediately above, such that the third component here is the Torah. See also ‘Ets Yosef on Tanh., Deut. 11:3. Resh Laqish said, “If it were not in Scripture, it would be impossible to say this:9PRK 31(suppl. 1):13. Just as when a man gives an order to his wife, she carries it out; so when [Moshe gave an order to the Holy One, blessed be He, He carried it out for him] (the Holy One, blessed be He, gave an order to Moses, he carried it out for Him).”10Although 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. What is the meaning of (in Deut. 33:1) “the Children of Israel.” It was Israel's merit that enabled him.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, אָמַר רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹנָתָן, כֵּיוָן שֶׁבָּא מֹשֶׁה לְבָרֵךְ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, אַף הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בֵּרֵךְ אוֹתָם בְּזֹאת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה (דברים ד, מד). וְאוֹמֵר: וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֹשֶׁה אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. דָּבָר אַחֵר, אָמַר רַבִּי אַבָּא, אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֹשֶׁה, זֶה מֹשֶׁה. אִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים, זֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ: ה' אִישׁ מִלְחָמָה (שמות טו, ג). וְכָל כָּךְ לָמָּה. לְקַיֵּם מַה שֶּׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהַחוּט הַמְּשֻׁלָּשׁ לֹא בִּמְהֵרָה יִנָּתֵק (קהלת ד, יב). אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן לָקִישׁ. אִלְמָלֵא מִקְרָא כָּתוּב אִי אֶפְשָׁר לְאָמְרוֹ. כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁאָדָם גּוֹזֵר עַל אִשְׁתּוֹ וְעוֹשָׂה, כָּךְ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גָּזַר עַל מֹשֶׁה וְעָשָׂה לוֹ. מַהוּ אֶת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁזְּכוּתָן שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל גָּרְמָה לוֹ.
Another interpretation (of Deut. 33:1), “And this is the blessing”: R. Samuel bar Nahmani said that R. Johanan said, “When Moshe came to bless Israel with “This is the blessing,” the Holy One, blessed be He, also blessed them with “this,” as stated (in Deut. 4:44), “And this is the Torah that Moshe placed.” And it states (in Deut. 33:1), “And this is the blessing that Moses the man of God blessed the Children of Israel.” (Deut. 33:1:) Another explanation: R. Abba said (regarding Deut. 33:1), “’Which Moses blessed,’ that is Moses; ‘the man of God,’ that is the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 15:3), ‘The Lord is a man of war.’ And why so much? To fulfill the verse (in Eccl. 4:12), ‘and the threefold string will not quickly be broken.’”8See Deut. R. 11:4 which appears to record the correct version of this midrash, and is brought down as one teaching together with that of R. Samuel bar Nahmani immediately above, such that the third component here is the Torah. See also ‘Ets Yosef on Tanh., Deut. 11:3. Resh Laqish said, “If it were not in Scripture, it would be impossible to say this:9PRK 31(suppl. 1):13. Just as when a man gives an order to his wife, she carries it out; so when [Moshe gave an order to the Holy One, blessed be He, He carried it out for him] (the Holy One, blessed be He, gave an order to Moses, he carried it out for Him).”10Although 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. What is the meaning of (in Deut. 33:1) “the Children of Israel.” It was Israel's merit that enabled him.