פרשת וזאת הברכה תשי"ח - הברכות לזבולון וליששכר

Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea, And he shall be a shore for ships, And his flank shall be upon Zidon.

יששכר חמר גרם means ISSACHAR IS A BONY ASS — he bears the yoke of the Torah (i.e. obligations) like a strong ass upon which may be placed a heavy load (Genesis Rabbah 99:9).

בין המשפתים at the outer edges of town, where the surrounding fields are under cultivation. We encounter the expression for tilling the soil as applying not only to oxen but also to donkeys in Isaiah 32,20 אשריכם זרעי על כל מים, משלחי רגל השור והחמור, “happy shall you be who sow by the waters, who send out oxen and donkeys to plough and spread the seed.” We find a similar contrast between these two tribes expressed in Moses‘ blessing in Deut. 33,18שמח זבולון בצאתך ויששכר באהליך “enjoy your departures (on voyages) Zevulun, and you, Issachar, enjoy your pursuing your vocation in your tents.”

יששכר חמור גרם, he is not like Zevulun who engages in voyages with mariners to distant lands to engage in trade and commerce. He stays at home toiling his earth sharing the fate of his donkeys, his beasts of burden. בין המשפתים at the outer edges of town, where the surrounding fields are under cultivation. We encounter the expression for tilling the soil as applying not only to oxen but also to donkeys in Isaiah 32,20 אשריכם זרעי על כל מים, משלחי רגל השור והחמור, “happy shall you be who sow by the waters, who send out oxen and donkeys to plough and spread the seed.” We find a similar contrast between these two tribes expressed in Moses‘ blessing in Deut. 33,18שמח זבולון בצאתך ויששכר באהליך “enjoy your departures (on voyages) Zevulun, and you, Issachar, enjoy your pursuing your vocation in your tents.”

And of Zebulun he said: Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out, And, Issachar, in thy tents.

לחוף ימים TOWARDS THE COASTS OF THE SEAS — (לחוף is the same as על חוף): by the shore of the seas will be his land. הוף means “border” as Onkelos has it; old French marche; English border. [והוא לחוף אניות] means he will constantly be at the haven of ships — the port — whither the ships bring merchandise. For Zebulun was engaged in business and provided food for the tribe of Issachar whilst these engaged in the study of the Torah. It is to this that Moses alludes, (Deuteronomy 33:18) “Rejoice Zebulun in thy going out. and Issachar in thy tents”, — Zebulun goes forth to trade and Issachar studies the Torah in the tents (Midrash Tanchuma, Vayechi 11; cf. Rashi on Genesis ישב אהלים 25:27)

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך REJOICE, ZEBULUN. IN THY GOING OUT, AND, ISSACHAR, IN THY TENTS — Zebulun and Issachar entered into a partnership: Zebulun dwelt at the harbour of ships and went out in ships to trade; he made profit and used to provide food for Issachar who sat at home and occupied themselves with the Torah. Consequently he mentioned Zebulun before Issachar (although the latter was the elder) because Issachar’s knowledge of Torah was due to Zebulun (Genesis Rabbah 99:9).

שמח זבולן בצאתך ויששכר באהליך REJOICE, ZEBULUN. IN THY GOING OUT, AND, ISSACHAR, IN THY TENTS — Zebulun and Issachar entered into a partnership: Zebulun dwelt at the harbour of ships and went out in ships to trade; he made profit and used to provide food for Issachar who sat at home and occupied themselves with the Torah. Consequently he mentioned Zebulun before Issachar (although the latter was the elder) because Issachar’s knowledge of Torah was due to Zebulun (Genesis Rabbah 99:9).

ויששכר AND ISSACHAR, be successful when you sit in your tents (באהליך) to study the Torah — to sit in the Sanhedrin and to intercalate the years and to fix the day of New Moon, as it is said, (I Chronicles 12:33) “And of the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times, … the heads of them were two hundred”: as the heads of the Sanhedrin they used to busy themselves with this (Genesis Rabbah 72:5), and in accordance with their fixing of the seasons and their calculation of intercalary years,

Zevulun will settle. See Rashi. Zevulun’s blessing precedes that of Yissachar both here and Devarim (33:18) because Torah study is impossible unless someone provides the scholars with their basic needs. For the same reason the study is accredited to scholar and supporter alike.