Vayechi 49:17 · unit 2
Parashas Vayechi · Passuk 49:17
The Complete Passuk
יְהִי־דָן֙ נָחָ֣שׁ עֲלֵי־דֶ֔רֶךְ שְׁפִיפֹ֖ן עֲלֵי־אֹ֑רַח הַנֹּשֵׁךְ֙ עִקְּבֵי־ס֔וּס וַיִּפֹּ֥ל רֹכְב֖וֹ אָחֽוֹר׃
Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path, that biteth the horse’s heels, so that his rider falleth backward.
Chabad / Judaica Press
Source Citation
Torah Temimah points to Sotah 10a.
Sefaria — Sotah 10a
Core Text of Chazal
Core Text
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: שִׁמְשׁוֹן חִגֵּר בִּשְׁתֵּי רַגְלָיו הָיָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״שְׁפִיפֹן עֲלֵי אֹרַח״.
English: R’ Yochanan said: Shimshon was lame in both his legs, as it is said “a horned snake (shefifon) in the path.”
On the daf / in context: The doubled form “shefifon” (as opposed to the single “shefi”) is taken to indicate lameness in both legs.
Type of Learning
Diyuk on the doubled form of the word.
What Is Learned
Shimshon was lame in both legs; the language “shefifon” of the blessing is the source of that tradition.