EXTRA Derasha — not cited by Torah Temimah on this passuk; supplied for completeness of the SKIP range.

EXTRA — Vezos Haberachah 33:3 | Indeed He loves the peoples

Parashas Vezos Haberachah

The Complete Passuk

אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים כָּל קְדֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ׃

Indeed He loves the peoples; all His holy ones are in Your hand; they sat down at Your feet, receiving Your words.

Source Citation

Tanchuma / Bavli (Rav Yosef) on 33:3

Core Text of Chazal

Core Text
אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים – אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא: רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, שְׁנֵי עוֹלִים אַתָּה מֵטִיל עַל בָּנֶיךָ, עוֹל תּוֹרָה וְעוֹל שִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ: כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה נִצּוֹל מִשִּׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת. וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ – תָּנֵי רַב יוֹסֵף: אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁמְּכַתְּתִים רַגְלֵיהֶם מֵעִיר לְעִיר לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, וּפוֹרְקִים מֵעֲלֵיהֶם עוֹל מַלְכוּת.

English: “Indeed He loves the peoples” — Moshe said before the Holy One: Master of the Universe, You place two yokes upon Your children, the yoke of Torah and the yoke of subjugation to the kingdoms. He replied: Whoever engages in Torah is delivered from subjugation to the kingdoms. “They are pounded at Your feet” — Rav Yosef taught: These are the disciples of the Sages who pound their feet from city to city to learn Torah, and thereby cast off the yoke of empire.

In Tanchuma / Bavli: The difficult phrase “tuku le-raglecha” is read as the physical exertion of traveling students of Torah, which itself becomes a form of protection from foreign domination.

Type of Learning

Custom (aggadic identification of the “pounded at Your feet” with traveling talmidei chachamim).

What Is Learned

See the Core Text and context note for the specific point derived from the verse.