Sforno on Genesis 49:26/ספורנו על בראשית מ״ט:כ״ו

1ברכות אביך, may He also grant you the blessing which has been bestowed on your father when the same G’d promised me that I would spread out in all directions of the globe. (28,14) This meant that my heritage would be boundless. This was only an extension of the original blessing given to Avraham at the beginning of Genesis 12 that ונברכו בך כל משפחות האדמה ובזרעך, “through you will be blessed all the families of the earth and through your descendants.” This verse is also a promise to the moral elite of the gentiles who in the words of Bileam in Numbers 23,23 will be numbered among the people loyal to G’d and who will receive their reward. Bileam speaks of כעת יאמר ליעקב ולישראל מה פעל ה', (Israel will be told by G’d directly what G’d does, not relying on astrologers and the like) The prophet Yoel 3,5 promises that all those who refer in their conversation to Hashem, will survive the wars preceding the coming of the Messiah, their mention of G’d being considered as proof of their believing in Him. [If I understand the author correctly, he feels that unless the promise given to Avraham at the beginning of Lech Lecha will help those חסידי אומות העולם, the righteous among the gentiles who are deserving, to survive the cataclysmic events preceding the coming of the Messiah, they are of too transient a nature to be taken seriously. Ed.] The distinction of the Jewish people lies in the fact that they do not turn to soothsayers, and all kinds of charlatans, astrologers or palm readers to divine the future. If they want to know something about the future they turn to G’d directly or to a prophet, or they are content to let G’d do what He considers to be right. Hence, by proclaiming the name of the Lord one is presumed to belong to this elite. Verses quoted by the author, such as Isaiah 61,6 as well as Zecharyah 8,23 are an assurance that when the time comes, having been steadfast in one’s loyalty to G’d, one will share in the ultimate salvation. The Jews at that time will finally be recognised as deserving a position of leadership amongst mankind.

2גברו על ברכות הורי, and the reason that I said ברכות אביך is because they are more powerful than the ones which my parents, הורי, received.

3עד תאות גבעות עולם for my blessings extend to the end of the globe, both extremes of the sun’s orbit which spans the continents. They are so called as they represent the end of “time”. etc. [there is no point in completing the author’s words as the astronomy since Copernicus is viewed completely differently than during the author’s time, Ed.]

4תהיינה לראש יוסף, these words are understood as emanating from G’d Who will send His blessings onto the head of Joseph directly, without the services of any intermediary. Moses parallels Yaakov’s syntax when he said in Deuteronomy 33,16 in his blessing to Joseph תאנה לראש יוסף, ורצון שכני סנה.

5ולקדקד נזיר אחיו, seeing that he had remained pure, resisted temptation, he became crowned with the crown of royalty among his brothers (alternate meaning of נזר). He had proved by his very actions that he was worthy of such distinction, so that he is the recipient of direct blessings from G’d. Also Joseph’s descendants remained on a moral level close to that of his illustrious ancestor, so that the first of the Judges, Moses’ successor, was the leader of the people, being in effect the “king” of his nation. Compare Hoseah 13,1 כדבר אפרים אתת נשא בישראל, “when Ephrayim spoke piety he was exalted in Israel.” [a reference to Joshua’s contradicting the spies’ majority report. Ed.]