לבנימן אמר. לְפִי שֶׁבִּרְכַּת לֵוִי בַּעֲבוֹדַת הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת וְשֶׁל בִּנְיָמִין בְּבִנְיַן בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ, בְּחֶלְקוֹ, סְמָכָן זֶה לָזֶה, וְסָמַךְ יוֹסֵף אַחֲרָיו, שֶׁאַף הוּא מִשְׁכַּן שִׁילֹה הָיָה בָנוּי בְחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים ע"ח) "וַיִּמְאַס בְּאֹהֶל יוֹסֵף וְגוֹ'", וּלְפִי שֶׁבֵּית עוֹלָמִים חָבִיב מִשִּׁילֹה לְכָךְ הִקְדִּים בִּנְיָמִין לְיוֹסֵף: לבנימן אמר OF BENJAMIN HE SAID — Because the blessing given to Levi referred to the Temple service and that of Benjamin to the Temple being built in his territory he mentioned one after the other. He placed Joseph immediately after him (after Benjamin), for he too had a Sanctuary in his territory: the Tabernacle at Shiloh was erected in his territory, as it says, (Psalms 78:67) “And he rejected the Tabernacle of Joseph” (v. 60 speaks of God forsaking the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the two verses being parallel). Because the “Eternal House” (the Temple) was more endeared to God than the Tabernacle of Shiloh, therefore he mentions Benjamin before Joseph (although Joseph was the elder),
חפף עליו. מְכַסֶּה אוֹתוֹ וּמֵגֵן עָלָיו: חפף עליו means, He covers him and protects him,
כל היום. לְעוֹלָם, מִשֶּׁנִּבְחֲרָה יְרוּשָׁלַיִם לֹא שָׁרְתָה שְׁכִינָה בְּמָקוֹם אַחֵר: כל היום ALL THE DAY — i.e., forever. From the day that Jerusalem was chosen as the seat of the Temple, the Divine Glory has never dwelt at any other place.
ובין כתפיו שכן. בְּגֹבַהּ אַרְצוֹ הָיָה בֵית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בָּנוּי, אֶלָּא שֶׁנָּמוּךְ עֶשְׂרִים וְשָׁלוֹשׁ אַמָּה מֵעֵין עֵיטָם, וְשָׁם הָיָה דַעְתּוֹ שֶׁל דָּוִד לִבְנוֹתוֹ, כִּדְאִיתָא בִשְׁחִיטַת קָדָשִׁים (זבחים נ"ד) אָמְרֵי נִתְתֵי בֵיהּ פּוּרְתָּא, מִשּׁוּם דִּכְתִיב "וּבֵין כְּתֵפָיו שָׁכֵן" — אֵין לְךָ נָאֶה בַּשּׁוֹר יוֹתֵר מִכְּתֵפָיו: ובין כתפיו שכן AND BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS SHALL HE DWELL — On the highest spot of his (Benjamin’s) land was the Temple built (cf. Sifrei Devarim 352:9), except that it was twenty-three cubits lower than En Etam (Yoma 31a), and originally indeed David's intention was to build it there, as it is stated in the Treatise "on the slaughter of the holy sacrifices" (Zevachim 54b): People said him (David), Let us place it a little lower, because it states, "and between his shoulders (which are lower than the head) shall he dwell" – and you have no finer part of an ox than his shoulders.