(Devarim 33:5) "And He was a King in Yeshurun": When Israel are of one counsel below, His great name is exalted above, viz. "And He was a King in Yeshurun" — When? "when the heads of the people gathered." And there is no "gathering" but that of the elders, as it is written (Bamidbar 11:16) "Gather unto Me seventy men from the elders of Israel."
(Devarim, Ibid.) "together, the tribes of Israel" — when they constitute one unit, and not when they are divided into many factions, as it is written (Amos 9:6) "Who builds His heights in the heavens and His bond on earth endures." — R. Shimon b. Yochai says: This is analogous to one's bringing two ships, connecting them with braces and bars, and building stately edifices upon them. So long as the ships are bound, the edifices endure; once the ships separate, the edifices no longer endure. So, with Israel: When they do the will of the L-rd, their heights are in the heavens and His bond on earth endures. Similarly, (Shemoth 15:20) "This is my G-d and I will extol Him ("ve'anvehu"): When I acknowledge Him, He is "beautiful" ("naveh, as in ve'anvehu"), and (even) when I do not acknowledge Him," He is "beautiful." Similarly, (Isaiah 43:12) "And you are My witnesses, says the L-rd, and I am G-d ("Kel")": When you are My witnesses, I am G-d, and if you are not My witnesses I am not G-d" (i.e., I do not manifest Myself as "Kel"). Similarly, (Psalms 23:1) "To You I have raised my eyes, Who dwells in Heaven." If not, I would not dwell in heaven. Here, too, "together, the tribes of Israel" — when they are one bond (agudah), and not when they are of many agudoth (factions). Thus, "together the tribes of Israel."
(דברים לג ה) וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן מֶלֶךְ, כְּשֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל שָׁוִים בְּעֵצָה אַחַת מִלְּמַטָּה שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל מִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ מִלְמַעְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן מֶלֶךְ, אֵימָתַי? בְּהִתְאַסֵּף רָאשֵׁי עָם וְאֵין אֲסִיפָה אֶלָּא רָאשֵׁי עָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כה ד): ״וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל מֹשֶׁה קַח אֶת כָּל רָאשֵׁי הָעָם״. דָּבָר אַחֵר, כְּשֶׁהַנָּשִׂיא מוֹשִׁיב זְקֵנִים בִּישִׁיבָה שֶׁל מַטָּה, שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל מִשְׁתַּבֵּחַ מִלְמַעְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי בִישֻׁרוּן מֶלֶךְ אֵימָתַי? בְּהִתְאַסֵּף רָאשֵׁי עָם וְאֵין אֲסִיפָה אֶלָּא זְקֵנִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר יא טז): ״אֶסְפָה לִּי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ מִזִּקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל״.
(Devarim 33:5) "And He was a King in Yeshurun": When Israel are of one counsel below, His great name is exalted above, viz. "And He was a King in Yeshurun" — When? "when the heads of the people gathered." And there is no "gathering" but that of the elders, as it is written (Bamidbar 11:16) "Gather unto Me seventy men from the elders of Israel."
יַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּשֶׁהֵם עֲשׂוּיִם אֲגֻדָּה אַחַת וְלֹא כְּשֶׁהֵם עֲשׂוּיִם אֲגֻדּוֹת אֲגֻדּוֹת, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (עמוס ט ו): ״הַבּוֹנֶה בַשָּׁמַיִם מַעֲלוֹתָיו וַאֲגֻדָּתוֹ עַל אֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ״. רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַאי אוֹמֵר: מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהֵבִיא שְׁתֵּי סְפִינוֹת וּקְשָׁרָם בְּהוֹגְנִים וּבַעֲשָׁתוֹת וְהֶעֱמִידָן בְּלֵב הַיָּם וּבָנָה עֲלֵיהֶם פַּלְטְרִין. כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהַסְּפִינוֹת קְשׁוּרוֹת זוֹ בָּזוֹ – פַּלְטְרִין קַיָּמִים, פֵּרְשׁוּ סְפִינוֹת – אֵין פַּלְטְרִין קַיָּמִים. כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּשֶׁעוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ שֶׁל מָקוֹם בּוֹנֶה עֲלִיּוֹתָיו בַּשָּׁמַיִם, וּכְשֶׁאֵין עוֹשִׂים רְצוֹנוֹ כִּבְיָכוֹל אֲגֻדָּתוֹ עַל אֶרֶץ יְסָדָהּ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (שמות טו ב): ״זֶה אֵלִי וְאַנְוֵהוּ״, כְּשֶׁאֲנִי מוֹדֶה לוֹ הוּא נָאֶה וּכְשֶׁאֵין אֲנִי מוֹדֶה לוֹ כִּבְיָכוֹל בִּשְׁמוֹ הוּא נָאֶה. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ (דברים לב ג): ״כִּי שֵׁם ה׳ אֶקְרָא״, כְּשֶׁאֲנִי קוֹרֵא בִּשְׁמוֹ הוּא גָּדוֹל וְאִם לָאו כִּבְיָכוֹל וְכוּ׳. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ (ישעיה מג יב): ״וְאַתֶּם עֵדַי נְאֻם ה׳ וַאֲנִי אֵל״, כְּשֶׁאַתֶּם עֵדַי אֲנִי אֵל וּכְשֶׁאֵין אַתֶּם עֵדַי כִּבְיָכוֹל אֵינִי אֵל. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ (תהלים קכג א): ״אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיֹּשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם״, אִלְמָלֵא אֲנִי כִּבְיָכוֹל לֹא הָיִיתָ יוֹשֵׁב בַּשָּׁמַיִם. וְאַף כָּאן אַתָּה אוֹמֵר יַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, כְּשֶׁהֵם עֲשׂוּיִם אֲגֻדָּה אַחַת וְלֹא כְּשֶׁהֵם עֲשׂוּיִם אֲגֻדּוֹת אֲגֻדּוֹת.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "together, the tribes of Israel" — when they constitute one unit, and not when they are divided into many factions, as it is written (Amos 9:6) "Who builds His heights in the heavens and His bond on earth endures." — R. Shimon b. Yochai says: This is analogous to one's bringing two ships, connecting them with braces and bars, and building stately edifices upon them. So long as the ships are bound, the edifices endure; once the ships separate, the edifices no longer endure. So, with Israel: When they do the will of the L-rd, their heights are in the heavens and His bond on earth endures. Similarly, (Shemoth 15:20) "This is my G-d and I will extol Him ("ve'anvehu"): When I acknowledge Him, He is "beautiful" ("naveh, as in ve'anvehu"), and (even) when I do not acknowledge Him," He is "beautiful." Similarly, (Isaiah 43:12) "And you are My witnesses, says the L-rd, and I am G-d ("Kel")": When you are My witnesses, I am G-d, and if you are not My witnesses I am not G-d" (i.e., I do not manifest Myself as "Kel"). Similarly, (Psalms 23:1) "To You I have raised my eyes, Who dwells in Heaven." If not, I would not dwell in heaven. Here, too, "together, the tribes of Israel" — when they are one bond (agudah), and not when they are of many agudoth (factions). Thus, "together the tribes of Israel."