2This section belongs before or after section 14 although it appears in the midrash here.“Moses spoke to the Lord, saying” (Numbers 27:15). “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation” (Numbers 27:16). “Moses spoke to the Lord.… May the Lord…appoint” – halakha: If one sees numerous multitudes of people, he recites: Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who knows all secrets.
Just as their faces are not similar to one another, so their dispositions are not identical to one another, but rather, each has a disposition of his own. Likewise, it says: “To set the calibration of the wind [laruaḥ]” (Job 28:25) – of the spirits of each and every person. Know that it is so, as thus Moses requested from the Holy One blessed be He at the time of death; he said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, the dispositions of each and every one are revealed and known before You, and the dispositions of Your children are not similar to one another.
When I depart, I implore You, appoint a leader over them who will bear each and every one in accordance with his dispositions,’ as it is stated: “May the Lord, [God of the spirits]…appoint.” It does not say “spirit,” but rather “spirits.” “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: My offering, My food, for My fires, for a pleasing aroma to Me, you shall take care to present to Me at its appointed time” (Numbers 28:2).
That is what the verse said: “They asked Me about what is coming; will you command Me about My sons and about My handiwork?” (Isaiah 45:11). To what is this matter comparable? It is to a king who married a woman, and he had a groomsman. Any time the king would be angry at his wife, the groomsman would placate him and he would be reconciled with his wife.
The groomsman was dying, and he began asking the king: ‘I implore you, please direct your attention to your wife.’ The king said to him: ‘If you are commanding me regarding my wife, command my wife in my regard that she should be careful regarding my honor.’ So, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Instead of you commanding Me: “May the Lord…appoint” (Numbers 27:16), command them that they should be diligent regarding My honor.’ What is written: “Command the children of Israel…My offering, My food” – first set for them the order of the offerings.