(Devarim 33:6) "Reuven shall live and he shall not die": How is this related to what precedes [("together, the tribes of Israel")]? This is analogous to (the situation of) a king, who visits his sons on occasion. When he takes leave of them, they and his kinsmen come to escort him. He says to them: "My sons, is there anything that you need? Is there anything on your mind?" They answer: "Father, there is nothing that we need and nothing that we desire of you but that you forgive our big brother." If not for the tribes' (intercession), the L-rd would not have forgiven Reuven (for the episode of Bilhah [viz. Bereshith 35:22]) — wherefore it is written (at this point) "together, the tribes of Israel."
(Devarim, Ibid.) "Reuven shall live and he shall not die." — But did he not die? What, then, is the intent of "he shall not die"? In the world to come.
Variantly: "Reuven shall live for his act with Joseph (viz. Bereshith 37:21), and he shall (therefore,) not die for his act with Bilhah. R. Chanina b. Gamliel says: Merit is not exchanged for liability, nor liability for merit — except for the instance of Reuven (above) and that of David (viz. II Samuel 16:13) … And the sages say: Neither merit for liability nor liability for merit, but mitzvoth are rewarded and transgressions are punished. And what is the import of "Reuven shall live and he shall not die"? That he repented of his deed. R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: Reuven was far removed from that sin (of cohabitation with Bilhah) and he did not descend to that act. Is it possible that he would stand at the head of the tribes on Mount Eival and say (Devarim 27:20) "Cursed be he who lives with father's wife," having descended to such an act! What, then, is the intent of (Bereshith 49:4) "For you went up on your father's bed?" He was solicitous of his mother's honor (viz. Shabbath 55b).
(Devarim, Ibid.) "And his men will be counted": "heroic" in strength; "heroic" in Torah. "heroic in strength": viz. (Isaiah 3:25): "Your men will fall by the sword, and your strong ones in the war." "heroic" in Torah: viz. (Psalms 103:20) "heroic" in strength, doing His word (Torah)." And (I Chronicles 5:6) "Be'erah was his son, who was exiled by Tiglath-Pilneser, king of Asher. He was the leader of the Reuvenites." Thus, Reuven shall live and he shall not die."
(דברים לג ו) יַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמֹת, וְכִי מָה עִנְיַן זֶה לָזֶה? מָשָׁל לְמֶלֶךְ שֶׁבָּא אֵצֶל בָּנָיו לִפְרָקִים, כְּשֶׁהוּא נִפְטָר מִבָּנָיו הָיוּ בָּנָיו וּקְרוֹבָיו מְלַוִּים אוֹתוֹ. אָמַר לָהֶם: בָּנַי, שֶׁמָּא צֹרֶךְ יֵשׁ לָכֶם לוֹמַר? שֶׁמָּא דָּבָר יֵשׁ לָכֶם? אִמְרוּ לִי! אָמְרוּ לוֹ: אָבִינוּ, אֵין לָנוּ צֹרֶךְ וְאֵין לָנוּ דָּבָר, אֶלָּא שֶׁתִּתְרַצֶּה לְאָחִינוּ הַגָּדוֹל. כָּךְ אִלְמָלֵא שְׁבָטִים לֹא נִתְרַצָּה הַמָּקוֹם לִרְאוּבֵן. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר יַחַד שִׁבְטֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמֹת.
(Devarim 33:6) "Reuven shall live and he shall not die": How is this related to what precedes [("together, the tribes of Israel")]? This is analogous to (the situation of) a king, who visits his sons on occasion. When he takes leave of them, they and his kinsmen come to escort him. He says to them: "My sons, is there anything that you need? Is there anything on your mind?" They answer: "Father, there is nothing that we need and nothing that we desire of you but that you forgive our big brother." If not for the tribes' (intercession), the L-rd would not have forgiven Reuven (for the episode of Bilhah [viz. Bereshith 35:22]) — wherefore it is written (at this point) "together, the tribes of Israel."
יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמֹת – וַהֲלֹא מֵת! הוּא אֶלָּא מַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר וְאַל יָמֹת – לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "Reuven shall live and he shall not die." — But did he not die? What, then, is the intent of "he shall not die"? In the world to come.
דָּבָר אַחֵר: יְחִי רְאוּבֵן בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יוֹסֵף, וְאַל יָמֹת בְּמַעֲשֵׂה בִלְהָה. רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: לְעוֹלָם אֵין מַחֲלִיפִין לֹא זְכוּת בְּחוֹבָה וְלֹא חוֹבָה בִּזְכוּת, חוּץ מִשֶּׁל רְאוּבֵן וּמִשֶּׁל דָּוִד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ש״ב טז יג): ״וְשִׁמְעִי הוֹלֵךְ בְּצֵלַע״, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן ״הָהָר לְעֻמָּתוֹ״. (מ״א יא כז): ״שְׁלֹמֹה בָּנָה אֶת הַמִּלּוֹא״, אַף עַל פִּי כֵן ״סָגַר אֶת פֶּרֶץ עִיר דָּוִד אָבִיו״. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: לְעוֹלָם אֵין מַחֲלִיפִים לֹא זְכוּת בְּחוֹבָה וְלֹא חוֹבָה בִּזְכוּת, אֶלָּא נוֹתְנִים שָׂכָר עַל הַמִּצְוֹת וְעוֹנְשִׁים עַל הָעֲבֵרוֹת. וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמֹת? שֶׁעָשָׂה רְאוּבֵן תְּשׁוּבָה. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר: מֻצָּל הָיָה רְאוּבֵן מֵאוֹתוֹ הַחֵטְא וְלֹא נִזְקַק לְאוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה. אֶפְשָׁר מִי שֶׁעָתִיד לַעֲמֹד בְּרֹאשׁ שְׁבָטִים בְּהַר עֵיבָל וְאוֹמֵר (דברים כז כ): ״אָרוּר שֹׁכֵב עִם אֵשֶׁת אָבִיו״ נִזְקַק לְאוֹתוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה? וּמַה תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (בראשית מט ד): ״כִּי עָלִיתָ מִשְׁכְּבֵי אָבִיךָ״? שֶׁתָּבַע עֶלְבּוֹן אִמּוֹ.
Variantly: "Reuven shall live for his act with Joseph (viz. Bereshith 37:21), and he shall (therefore,) not die for his act with Bilhah. R. Chanina b. Gamliel says: Merit is not exchanged for liability, nor liability for merit — except for the instance of Reuven (above) and that of David (viz. II Samuel 16:13) … And the sages say: Neither merit for liability nor liability for merit, but mitzvoth are rewarded and transgressions are punished. And what is the import of "Reuven shall live and he shall not die"? That he repented of his deed. R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: Reuven was far removed from that sin (of cohabitation with Bilhah) and he did not descend to that act. Is it possible that he would stand at the head of the tribes on Mount Eival and say (Devarim 27:20) "Cursed be he who lives with father's wife," having descended to such an act! What, then, is the intent of (Bereshith 49:4) "For you went up on your father's bed?" He was solicitous of his mother's honor (viz. Shabbath 55b).
וִיהִי מְתָיו מִסְפָּר, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה שֶׁיָּמָיו מִסְפָּר, אֲבָל לֶעָתִיד לָבֹא יְחִי רְאוּבֵן וְאַל יָמֹת.
דָּבָר אַחֵר, וִיהִי מְתָיו מִסְפָּר, גִּבּוֹרִים בַּכֹּחַ, גִּבּוֹרִים בַּתּוֹרָה. גִּבּוֹרִים בַּכֹּחַ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה ג כה): ״מְתַיִךְ בַּחֶרֶב יִפֹּלוּ וּגְבוּרָתֵךְ בַּמִּלְחָמָה״; גִּבּוֹרִים בַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קג כ): ״גִּבֹּרֵי כֹחַ עֹשֵׂי דְבָרוֹ״, וְאוֹמֵר (דהי״א ה ו): ״בְּאֵרָה בְנוֹ אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה תִּגְלַת פִּלְאֶסֶר מֶלֶךְ אַשּׁוּר הוּא נָשִׂיא לָרְאוּבֵנִי״.
(Devarim, Ibid.) "And his men will be counted": "heroic" in strength; "heroic" in Torah. "heroic in strength": viz. (Isaiah 3:25): "Your men will fall by the sword, and your strong ones in the war." "heroic" in Torah: viz. (Psalms 103:20) "heroic" in strength, doing His word (Torah)." And (I Chronicles 5:6) "Be'erah was his son, who was exiled by Tiglath-Pilneser, king of Asher. He was the leader of the Reuvenites." Thus, Reuven shall live and he shall not die."