The book of Devarim, and with it the entire Torah, ends with the story of Moshe's death. This story closes three closely-interconnected circles. The first circle is the biography of Moshe – a life story that has been recounted from the beginning of the book of Shemot, from before Moshe's birth, and until our story, which describes his death and subsequent events.
In this shiur, we will address one of the most blatant differences Yaakov and Moshe's two sets of blessings; Moshe's blessing to the tribes is placed within the framework of a general address to the nation.
Parashat Vezot Haberakha contains two sets of blessings, one for Israel as a whole and one for individual tribes. In this shiur, we will examine the significance of Moshe's parting message and consider it in light of Ya'akov's blessing and the history of the Jewish people.
