וְזֹאת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם וְגוֹ'. בֵּרַךְ אוֹתוֹ אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא בֵּרַךְ אֹתָם. לָמָּה, לְפִי שֶׁנָּתַן לִיהוּדָה גְּבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל אֲרִי, וּלְיוֹסֵף גְּבוּרָתוֹ שֶׁל שׁוֹר, וּלְנַפְתָּלִי קַלּוּת אַיָּל, וּלְדָן נְשִׁיכָתוֹ שֶׁל נָחָשׁ, תֹּאמַר שֶׁזֶּה גָּדוֹל מִזֶּה, הֲרֵי כְּלָלָן כֻּלָּם בָּאַחֲרוֹנָה, אִישׁ אֲשֶׁר כְּבִרְכָתוֹ בֵּרַךְ אֹתָם. This is it that their father spoke unto them and blessed them (Gen. 49:28). Scripture does not say “he blessed him” but rather he blessed them. Why is this so? Because he attributed to Judah the might of a lion, to Joseph the power of a ox, to Naphtali the swiftness of a hind, and to Dan the sting of a serpent. You might argue that one was superior to the other, and so he spoke to all of them at one time, at the conclusion of his blessing, as is said: Every one according to his blessing he blessed them (ibid.).
לְפִי שֶׁחִלֵּק לָהֶם אֶת הָאָרֶץ, וְנָתַן לִיהוּדָה אֶרֶץ שֶׁהִיא עוֹשָׂה שְׂעוֹרִים, וּלְבִנְיָמִין אֶרֶץ שֶׁהִיא עוֹשָׂה חִטִּים, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן כְּלָלָן אֵלּוּ בָאֵלּוּ, שֶׁיְּהוּ אוֹכְלִין אֵלּוּ מִשֶּׁל אֵלּוּ. הֱוֵי וְזֹאת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם. אֲלֵיהֶם אֵין כְּתִיב כָּאן, אֶלָּא לָהֶם. וְזֹאת, עָתִיד נָבִיא לְבָרֵךְ אֶתְכֶם כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ. בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁפָּסַקְתִּי אָנִי, הוּא יַתְחִיל לְבָרֵךְ אֶתְכֶם. וְכֵן עָשָׂה מֹשֶׁה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה אֲשֶׁר בֵּרַךְ מֹשֶׁה (דברים לג, א). אָמַר לָהֶם: אוֹמֵר אֲנִי לָכֶם, אֵימָתַי מַגִּיעוֹת לָכֶם הַבְּרָכוֹת הָאֵלּוּ, מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁתְּקַבְּלוּ אֶת הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְזֹאת הַתּוֹרָה אֲשֶׁר שָׂם מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ' (דברים ד, מד). Because he divided the land among them, giving to Judah the soil that would yield barley and to Benjamin the land that would produce wheat, he coupled them in his blessing so that they would share each other’s crops. Hence Scripture states: And this is it that their father spoke to them. “Unto them” is not written here but rather to them (lahem), thus indicating that their father told them: In the future a prophet will bless you in a like manner. Where I leave off blessing you, he will begin. And so Moses did, as it is said: And this is the blessing, wherewith Moses the man of God blessed the children of Israel (Deut. 33:1). Moses told them: I shall reveal to you now when you will attain these blessings. At the time you accept the law, as is said: And this is the law (ibid. 14:44).
וְאַף בְּמַה שֶּׁחָתַם לָהֶם יַעֲקֹב, פָּתַח מֹשֶׁה. אָמַר מֹשֶׁה, מִזְּקֵנִים אֶתְבּוֹנָן (תהלים קיט, ק). יִצְחָק כְּשֶׁבֵּרַךְ יַעֲקֹב, אָמַר לוֹ: וְאֵל שַׁדַּי יְבָרֵךְ אֹתְךָ (בראשית כח, ג). בַּמֶּה חָתַם בְּסוֹף בִּרְכָתוֹ, בִּקְרִיאָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקְרָא יִצְחָק אֶל יַעֲקֹב וַיְבָרֶךָ אֹתוֹ וַיְצַוֵּהוּ (בראשית כח, א). וְיַעֲקֹב בְּמַה שֶּׁפָּסַק אָבִיו, מִשָּׁם הִתְחִיל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיִּקְרָא יַעֲקֹב אֶל בָּנָיו, וְחָתַן וְזֹאת אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר. וּמֹשֶׁה כְּשֶׁבֵּרַךְ אֶת הַשְּׁבָטִים, פָּתַח מִמָּקוֹם שֶׁפָּסַק יַעֲקֹב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְזֹאת הַבְּרָכָה, וְחָתַם בְּאַשְׁרֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאַף דָּוִד כְּשֶׁהִתְחִיל בְּשִׁירָה, פָּתַח בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁפָּסַק מֹשֶׁה, בְּאַשְׁרֵי הָאִישׁ (תהלים א, א). הֱוֵי, מִזְּקֵנִים אֶתְבּוֹנָן. Thus with the very words with which Jacob concluded his blessing, Moses began to bless them. Moses said: I learn understanding from my elders (Ps. 119:100). When Isaac blessed Jacob, he said to him: And God Almighty bless thee (Gen. 28:3). How did he conclude his blessing? With the word call, as it is said: And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him (ibid., v. 1). And Jacob began where his father had ended, as it is said: And Jacob called his sons (Gen. 49:1), and concluded: And this is what their father spoke to them. When Moses blessed the tribes, he began where Jacob had left off, as is said: And this is the blessing, and he concluded with: Happy, art thou, O Israel (Deut. 33:29). Later, David began where Moses concluded, saying: Happy is the man (Ps. 1:1). Hence Scripture states: I learn understanding from my elders (Ps. 119:100).