V'Zot HaBerachah

V'Zot HaBerachah, VeZot Haberakha, or Zos Habrocho (וזאת הברכה — Hebrew for "and this is the blessing," the first words in the parshah) is the 54th and last weekly Torah portion ("parshah") in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading and the 11th in the book of Deuteronomy. It constitutes ) The people followed in God’s steps, accepting God’s Torah as the heritage of the congregation of Jacob. ()

Moses asked God to hear the voice of the Tribe of Judah, restore it, and help it against its foes. ()

Moses said that God loved and always protected the Tribe of Benjamin, who rested securely beside God, between God’s shoulders. ()

Moses exhorted the Tribe of Zebulun to rejoice on its journeys, and the Tribe of Issachar in its tents. ()

Moses called the Tribe of Dan a lion’s whelp that leapt from Bashan. ()

Moses said that there was none like God, riding through the heavens to help, an everlasting refuge and support, Who drove out the enemy. ()

The death of Moses

Moses went up from the steppes of Moab to Mount Nebo, and God showed him the whole land. () Moses was 120 years old when he died, but his eyes were undimmed and his vigor unabated. ()

Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom God singled out, face to face, for the signs and portents that God sent him to display against Pharaoh and Egypt, and for all the awesome power that Moses displayed before Israel. ( [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0118.htm#6 6,] and [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0118.htm#7 7,] so God rushed three times in service of Abraham’s children when in “He executed the righteousness of the Lord and His ordinances with Israel,” deducing therefrom that Moses was righteous and caused many to be righteous, and therefore the righteousness of the many was credited to him. (Mishnah Avot 5:18.) And the Tosefta taught that the ministering angels mourned Moses with these words of relates, Moses attended to Joseph’s bones, so in turn, none but God attended him, as that Moses was buried). (Tosefta Sotah 4:8.)

The Tosefta deduced from facts reported in

The haftarah carries forward the story in the parshah. As the parshah concludes the Torah, the haftarah begins the Prophets. The parshah (in ) echoes God’s encouragement to Joshua to be “strong and resolute,” which God had voiced in text just before the parshah (in ).

The Weekly Maqam

In the Weekly Maqam, Sephardi Jews each week base the songs of the services on the content of that week's parshah. For parshah V'Zot HaBerachah, which falls on the holiday Simchat Torah, Sephardi Jews apply Maqam Ajam, the maqam that expresses happiness, to commemorating the joy of finishing up the Torah readings, getting ready to begin the cycle again.

Further reading

The parshah has parallels or is discussed in these sources:
* [http://rabbishimon.com/index.cfm/feature/10_5/ V'Zot HaBerachah at RabbiShimon.com]

Biblical

*Genesis [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0149.htm 49:2–28.]
*Exodus [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0203.htm 3:2–6] (bush).
*Judges [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0705.htm 5:1–31.]

Early nonrabbinic

*Josephus, "Antiquities of the Jews" [http://www.interhack.net/projects/library/antiquities-jews/b4c8.html 4:8:47–49.] Circa 93–94. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Works of Josephus: Complete and Unabridged, New Updated Edition". Translated by William Whiston, 124–25. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 1987. ISBN 0-913573-86-8.

Classical rabbinic

*Mishnah Avot 5:18. Land of Israel, circa 200 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Mishnah: A New Translation". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 449, 688. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1988. ISBN 0-300-05022-4.
*Tosefta: Maaser Sheni 5:27; Sotah 4:1, 8–9, 11:7; Bava Kamma 8:18; Sanhedrin 4:9. Land of Israel, circa 300 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "The Tosefta: Translated from the Hebrew, with a New Introduction", 1:330, 844, 847–48, 879; 2:999, 1160. Translated by Jacob Neusner. Peabody, Mass.: Hendrickson Pub., 2002. ISBN 1-56563-642-2.
*Sifre to Deuteronomy 342:1–357:20. Land of Israel, circa 250–350 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Sifre to Deuteronomy: An Analytical Translation". Translated by Jacob Neusner, 2:399–462. Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987. ISBN 1-55540-145-7.
*Jerusalem Talmud: Berakhot 23a, 77a. Land of Israel, circa 400 C.E. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Yerushalmi". Edited by Chaim Malinowitz, Yisroel Simcha Schorr, and Mordechai Marcus, vols. 1 & 2. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.
*Genesis Rabbah 1:4, 11; 6:9; 36:3; 39:11; 68:9; 72:5; 75:6, 12; 77:1; 82:5; 84:6; 86:3; 93:6–7; 95; 95:1, 4; 96; 97; 98:4, 12–13, 20; 99:2, 4, 9, 12; 100:9, 12. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Midrash Rabbah: Genesis". Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
*Leviticus Rabbah 1:4; 4:1; 9:3; 10:7; 21:2, 6; 25:2; 28:6; 30:2; 31:4; 32:2; 35:11; 36:4. Land of Israel, 5th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Midrash Rabbah: Leviticus". Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
*Babylonian Talmud: Berakhot 6a, 18b, 33a, 51a, 56b–57a, 62a; Shabbat 63a, 118b; Pesachim 52a, 72b; Yoma 12a, 26a, 53b, 66b, 83b; Sukkah 42a; Beitzah 25b; Rosh Hashanah 21b, 26a, 32b; Megillah 6a, 16a, 26a, 31a; Moed Katan 21a, 25b, 28a; Chagigah 12b, 16a; Ketubot 103b; Sotah 4b, 7b, 9b, 11b, 13b–14a, 37a; Kiddushin 38a, 66b; Bava Kamma 2b, 17a, 38a, 81b, 92a–b; Bava Batra 8a, 14a, 15a, 17a, 56a, 79a; Sanhedrin 39a, 42a, 46b, 59a, 91b–92a, 104a; Makkot 11a–12a, 23b–24a; Avodah Zarah 2b; Zevachim 54a–b, 118b; Menachot 30a, 53b, 85b, 93b; Chullin 89a. Babylonia, 6th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Talmud Bavli". Edited by Yisroel Simcha Schorr, Chaim Malinowitz, and Mordechai Marcus, 72 vols. Brooklyn: Mesorah Pubs., 2006.

Medieval

*Deuteronomy Rabbah 2:5, 9; 3:12; 5:4; 7:5; 8:2; 11:1–10. Land of Israel, 9th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Midrash Rabbah: Deuteronomy". Translated by H. Freedman and Maurice Simon. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
*Exodus Rabbah 1:16; 2:6; 5:9–10; 15:14; 19:5; 25:8; 30:8; 33:7; 35:1; 38:4; 40:1, 2; 41:4; 43:4; 48:4; 52:1. 10th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Midrash Rabbah: Exodus". Translated by S. M. Lehrman. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
*Rashi. "Commentary". [http://www.chabad.org/library/article.asp?AID=9997&showrashi=true Deuteronomy 33–34.] Troyes, France, late 11th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., Rashi. "The Torah: With Rashi’s Commentary Translated, Annotated, and Elucidated". Translated and annotated by Yisrael Isser Zvi Herczeg, 5:371–403. Brooklyn: Mesorah Publications, 1997. ISBN 0-89906-030-7.
*Numbers Rabbah 1:12; 2:7, 10; 3:6; 8:9; 10:8; 11:2; 12:1, 3–4, 9; 13:4, 8, 15–18, 20; 14:1, 4, 9–10; 15:12–13, 18; 19:9, 13; 20:4; 22:9. 12th Century. Reprinted in, e.g., "Midrash Rabbah: Numbers". Translated by Judah J. Slotki. London: Soncino Press, 1939. ISBN 0-900689-38-2.
*Esther Rabbah 7:11, 13; 10:4.
*Song of Songs Rabbah 1:13, 49, 56; 3:19, 23; 4:8, 17; 5:7, 9, 15; 7:12.
*Lamentations Rabbah 2:6; 3:1, 22.
*Ecclesiastes Rabbah 4:7; 10:20.
*Zohar 1:6b, 10a, 70a, 163a, 170b, 185b, 192b, 198a, 200b, 227b, 235a, 236a–b, 238b, 241b, 244b, 246b; 2:27a, 81a, 82a, 84a, 89a, 90b, 131a, 135a, 166b, 206b, 215a; 3:14a, 104b, 192a. Spain, late 13th Century. Reprinted in, e.g, "The Zohar". Translated by Harry Sperling and Maurice Simon. 5 vols. London: Soncino Press, 1934.

Modern

*Thomas Hobbes. "Leviathan", England, 1651. Reprint edited by C. B. Macpherson, 417, 433, 521–22. Harmondsworth, England: Penguin Classics, 1982. ISBN 0140431950.
*Moses Mendelssohn. "Jerusalem", § 2. Berlin, 1783. Reprinted in "Jerusalem: Or on Religious Power and Judaism". Translated by Allan Arkush; introduction and commentary by Alexander Altmann, 123. Hanover, N.H.: Brandeis Univ. Press, 1983. ISBN 0-87451-264-6.
*Emily Dickinson. Circa 1859. Circa 1860. Circa 1862. In "The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson". Edited by Thomas H. Johnson, 53, 79–80, 293–94. New York: Little, Brown & Co., 1960. ISBN 0-316-18414-4.
*Thomas Mann. "Joseph and His Brothers". Translated by John E. Woods, 788. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 2005. ISBN 1-4000-4001-9. Originally published as "Joseph und seine Brüder". Stockholm: Bermann-Fischer Verlag, 1943.
*Martin Buber. "On the Bible: Eighteen studies", 80–92. New York: Schocken Books, 1968.

External links

Texts

* [http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt0533.htm Masoretic text and 1917 JPS translation]
* [http://Bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp?action=displaypage&book=5&chapter=21&verse=10&portion=54 Hear the parshah chanted]

Commentaries

* [http://www.jtsa.edu/community/parashah/archives/index.shtml#deu Commentaries] from the Jewish Theological Seminary
* [http://judaism.uj.edu/Content/InfoUnits.asp?CID=950 Commentaries] from the University of Judaism
* [http://www.ou.org/torah/archive5.htm Commentaries] from the Orthodox Union
* [http://www.urj.org/torah/deuteronomy/ Commentaries] and [http://urj.org/shabbat/deuteronomy/ Family Shabbat Table Talk] from the Union for Reform Judaism
* [http://www2.jrf.org/recon-dt/index.php#Simchat%20Torah Commentaries] from Reconstructionist Judaism
* [http://www.chabad.org/parshah/default.asp?AID=36242 Commentaries] from Chabad.org
* [http://www.torah.org/learning/parsha/parsha.html?id1=91 Commentaries] from [http://www.torah.org/ Torah.org]
* [http://www.aish.com/torahPortion/pArchive.asp?eventType=54&eventName=V%26%2339%3BZot+HaBracha Commentaries] from [http://www.aish.com/ Aish.com]
* [http://www.shiur.com/shiur_more.php?id=599_0_6_0_M231&s_id=231 Commentaries] from [http://www.shiur.com/ Shiur.com]
* [http://www.tfdixie.com/deuter.htm Commentaries] from [http://www.tfdixie.com/ Torah from Dixie]
* [http://ohr.edu/tw/5761/devarim/vzbracha.htm Commentary] from [http://ohr.edu/index.php Ohr Sameach]
* [http://www.judaic.org/addtl_files/vezot_haberakha.htm Commentaries] from [http://www.judaic.org/ The Sephardic Institute]
* [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/texts/Weekly_Torah_Commentary/vzothabrakha_index.htm Commentaries] from [http://www.myjewishlearning.com/index.htm MyJewishLearning.com]
* [http://www.anshe.org/parsha/vzoshabracha.htm Commentary] from [http://www.anshe.org/ Anshe Emes Synagogue, Los Angeles]
* [http://rabbishimon.com/index.cfm/feature/10_5 V'Zot HaBerachah ] from [http://www.RabbiShimon.com/ RabbiShimon.com Torah Commentaries]