On Simhat Torah we complete the annual Torah reading cycle with V’Zot HaB’rakhah and immediately begin again with perashat Beresheet. In that quick transition, it is easy to overlook the beautiful and poetic blessings that Moshe gives the Jewish Nation, tribe by tribe, before his passing. Let’s examine the introduction and a few of those blessings.
The Torah introduces Moshe’s final blessings by saying that he bestowed them “before his death” (Debarim 33:1). Obviously, we know this, why mention it? The Ohr HaHayim teaches that as the last moments of Moshe’s life approached, his spiritual strength increased. Notably, this was not the result of any physical decline since the Torah later says that Moshe’s eyesight had not dimmed and his vigor never diminished (Debarim 34:7).
Moshe begins by recalling that “G-d came from Sinai, shone from Se’ir and appeared from Mount Paran” (Debarim 33:2). Rashi explains this to mean G-d first offered the Torah to the nations associated with those places, but they declined after hearing what was contained inside. The Jewish People on the other hand readily accepted, no questions asked (Shemot 24:7). The Ramban teaches that since “all the tribes together” (Debarim 33:5) accepted the Torah and G-d’s kingship, they were therefore worthy of blessing.
A closer look reveals that Shimon’s blessing is missing. Ibn Ezra and Rashi explain that Moshe did not bless Shimon individually due to the majority of the tribe’s involvement in the sin at Ba’al Pe’or (Debarim 33:6-7). Still, Rashi notes an allusion to Shimon within Yehudah’s blessing, “G-d, hear the voice of Yehudah” (Debarim 33:7). This connection is revealed later when Shimon receives his inheritance within Yehudah’s territory (Yehoshua 19:9).
A blessing that stands out in particular is that of Levi. To appreciate it we need to go back in time. After the sin of the Golden Calf, Moshe called out “Whoever is for G-d, come to me” (Shemot 32:26). The tribe of Levi answered, carrying out Moshe’s command even against close relatives who had sinned. In his final blessing, Moshe praises Shevet Levi for their loyalty, noting that they “did not recognize his brothers or acknowledge his children,” because “they observed Your word and kept Your covenant” (Debarim 33:9). Rashi clarifies that no one from Levi actually took part in the sin. The relatives they acted against belong to other tribes, related through marriage. Moshe then states that “they shall teach Your statements and Your Torah to Israel” (Debarim 33:10). Rashi explains that their loyalty made them worthy of this role. Their difficult choice was not just a defining moment; it prepared them for a lifetime of responsibility.
A very different blessing is given to Binyamin, “the beloved of G-d shall dwell securely beside Him, He dwells between his shoulders” (Debarim 33:12). Rashi explains that Binyamin merited that the Bet HaMikdash would ultimately be built in his territory. While other tribes received blessings related to leadership, prosperity, or strength, Binyamin’s unique blessing was closeness to G-d. His territory would become the spiritual center of the Jewish Nation. The blessing reminds us that true greatness is not always measured through power or wealth, but through closeness to G-d.
Moshe’s blessings culminate with a heartfelt compliment to the Jewish Nation, and a timeless message for us all: “Fortunate are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by G-d” and “your enemies will cringe before you, and you shall tread upon their high places” (Debarim 33:29). After forty years of leading the Jewish People, Moshe’s final public message is one of admiration and encouragement.
The Torah does not end there. The final verses turn from Moshe’s praise of Israel to the Torah’s praise of Moshe. Though his name fills four books of the Torah and his accomplishments are seemingly unmatched, G-d gives Moshe a beautiful farewell, emphasizing that “no prophet ever arose like Moshe, whom G-d knew face to face” (Debarim 34:10).
Every year as I read Hatan Torah, these pesukim move me. Before beginning Beresheet once again, the Torah pauses to show appreciation, respect, and love for our greatest teacher.
There is one final detail worth noting. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks a”h notes (The Heart, The Home, the Text) that the Torah’s final letter, the lamed of Yisrael, joins the first letter of Beresheet, bet, to spell lev, heart. It is a fitting word with which to remember Moshe. He led the Jewish people with heart, and his blessings continue to speak to us today. Like Levi, we should never rest on past accomplishments. Like Binyamin, we should strive to keep G-d close. If we open our hearts to Torah and to G-d, everything else will follow.
As we celebrate Simhat Torah, the culmination of our hagim, let us not rush past perashat V’Zot HaB’rakhah. It is brief, but it is among the Torah’s most beautiful and poetic perashiyot, containing Moshe’s blessings to Israel and the Torah’s final tribute to the man who delivered it.