Bamidbar Rabbah Reader

“Moses said to Koraḥ: Hear now, sons of Levi” (Numbers 16:8). “Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has distinguished you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Him, to perform the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them?” (Numbers 16:9). “Moses said to Koraḥ” – does one who goes to speak to Yosef, say to Shimon: ‘Listen’?13If he is speaking with Koraḥ, why does he say to the sons of Levi: Listen?

Some say: He was asking him to reconsider, and saying gentle words before him. When he saw that he did not heed, he [Moses] said: ‘Before others begin participating with him,’ he began to speak to them: “Hear now, sons of Levi” – is the honor that you have insignificant? “Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has distinguished you…?” “He brought you near, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you, and you will seek the priesthood as well?” (Numbers 16:10).

“Therefore, you and your entire congregation have congregated against the Lord. And Aaron, what is he that you complain against him?” (Numbers 16:11). He returned to [speak to] Koraḥ: “He brought you near, and all your brethren the sons of Levi” – because he was a prominent leader of the tribe, his brethren became ancillary to him. “Therefore, you and your entire congregation have congregated against the Lord” – this dispute is not against us, but rather, against the Holy One blessed be He.

This is analogous to a king who had many slaves and wished to render one of them a free man and invest him with a branch.14A symbol of authority. He then appointed him a senior adviser. His counterparts stood against him. People said: ‘Had he, himself, come and taken that prominence for himself, they acted appropriately in standing against him.

Now that it is his master who acted on his behalf, anyone who stands against him, is he not standing against his master?’ So, too, Moses said to them: ‘Had my brother Aaron taken the priesthood for himself, you would have acted appropriately when you objected to him. Given that it is the Holy One blessed be He who granted it to him, He, who prominence, might, and kingdom, are His, anyone who stands against Aaron, is he not standing against the Holy One blessed be He?’

That is why it is written: “And Aaron, what is he that you complain against him?” Come and see the piety of Aaron the righteous. When Moses poured the anointing oil on his head, Aaron was shaken and terrified. He said to Moses: ‘My brother, perhaps I was not worthy to be anointed with the sacred oil, and I misused it and incurred liability for karet, as the Holy One blessed be He said: “On a person’s flesh it shall not be smeared”?’ (Exodus 30:32).

That is why the verse attested in his regard: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. Like fine oil on the head, descending onto the beard, the beard of Aaron…like the dew of Ḥermon” (Psalms133:1–3). The verse juxtaposed the anointing oil to the dew of Hermon. Just as there is no misuse of the dew of Ḥermon, so, there is no misuse of the oil descending onto Aaron.

That is why, “have congregated against the Lord.” With all these matters, Moses placated Koraḥ, but you do not find that he responded anything to him. It is because he was clever in his wickedness. He said: ‘If I respond to him, I know that he is exceedingly wise and he will overcome me with his words, and I will perforce submit to him. It is preferable that I do not relate to him.’ When Moses saw that it is to no avail, he took his leave of him.

“Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram, sons of Eliav and they said: We will not go up” (Numbers 16:12). “Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram” – they, too, remained in their wickedness and did not bother to answer him. “They said: We will not go up” – the mouths of the wicked ones thwarted them, and a covenant is made with the lips, as they died and descended into the deepest abyss after they descended alive into the abyss.

“Is it not enough that you took us up from a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Will you also reign over us?” (Numbers 16:13). “Is it not enough that you took us up…. Will you…reign over us?”

On what basis do you elevate yourself over us? What favor have you performed for us? You took us out of Egypt, which is “like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10), and into the land of Canaan you did not take us. Rather, we are in the wilderness and plague is rampant in our midst.

“Yet you did not take us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and give us an inheritance of field and vineyard; will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up” (Numbers 16:14). “Moses was very incensed, and said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering; not one donkey did I take from them, nor did I wrong any one of them” (Numbers 16:15). “Will you gouge out the eyes of these men?

We will not go up. Moses was very incensed” – why? It is because a person who deliberates with another and argues, and he responds to him, he has satisfaction. But if he does not respond to him, he is aggrieved.

“Moses…said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering” – do not accept them in repentance. The verse should have said: Do not turn to their service. What is “to their offering”? Thus Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, I know that these have a portion in that meal offering that they sacrificed, as it is stated: “Besides the daily offering and its meal offering” (Numbers 29:19), and it was of all of Israel that sacrificed.

Since these withdrew from your children, do not look to their portion. Let the fire leave it and fail to consume it.’ “Not one donkey did I take from them” – even what was within my right to take, I did not take from them.15The midrash wonders: What is the great virtue of not taking an item that is not his? The way of the world is that a person who acts on behalf of the consecration, takes his wages from the consecration.

But when I was descending from Midian to Egypt, it would have been within my rights to take a donkey from them, as I was descending for their purposes, but I did not take.16“Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on the donkey and they returned to the land of Egypt” (Exodus 4:20). Likewise, the righteous Samuel said: ‘“Here I am; testify against me before the Lord, and before His anointed: Whose ox did I take?

Whose donkey did I take?” (I Samuel 12:3). The ox that I would sacrifice on their behalf as an offering, and ask for mercy upon them, and likewise, to anoint a king over them; it was from my own, as it is stated: “Take a calf with you” (I Samuel 16:2). Likewise it says: “As there is a feast offering today for the people at the private altar” (I Samuel 9:12); I did not take from theirs.’ [Samuel said:] ‘When I would circulate, and see to their judgments and their needs, and I would circulate in all the cities of Israel, as it is stated: “He would go each and every year and make the rounds of Beit El, [Gilgal, and the Mitzpa, and he would judge Israel in all those places]” (I Samuel 7:16).

The way of the world is that litigants go to the judge, but I would go and circulate from city to city and from place to place, and the donkey was mine.’ Likewise, Moses said: ‘“When they have a matter, it comes before me and I adjudicate” (Exodus 18:16), but I did not do so, but rather, I went to them. “Nor did I wrong one of them” – I did not find the innocent guilty, nor did I exonerate the guilty.’

“Moses said to Koraḥ: You and your entire congregation, be before the Lord: you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow” (Numbers 16:16). When Moses saw they were steadfast in their haughtiness, he said to them: “You and your entire congregation…” Koraḥ went that entire night and was misleadingIsrael and saying to them: ‘What, do you think that I am engaged in taking all this prominence for myself? I seek to have this prominence circulate among all of us, as Moses took the kingship for himself, and the High Priesthood, he gave to his brother.’

He would go and cajole each and every tribe in a manner appropriate for them, until they joined him. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Koraḥ assembled the entire congregation” (Numbers 16:19). They all approached, speaking as he did.

Immediately, “the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation [that I may annihilate them in an instant.] They fell on their faces” (Numbers 16:20 –22).

“They fell on their faces, and said: God, God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You will rage against the entire congregation?” (Numbers 16:22). “And said” – They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a flesh and blood king against whom a province rebelled, and twenty or thirty of them stood and cursed the king or his emissaries, he sends his legions there and introduces chaos among them and kills the good with the wicked, because he does not identify who among them rebelled and who did not rebel, who honored the king and who cursed [him].

But You, who knows a person’s thoughts and what the heart and the kidneys counsel, You understand the inclinations of Your creations, You know who sinned and who did not sin, who rebelled and who did not rebel, and You know the spirit of each and every one of them.’ That is why it is stated: “God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin…?” The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘You have spoken well. I will divulge who has sinned and who has not sinned.’

“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying” (Numbers 16:23) “Speak to the congregation, saying: Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram” (Numbers 16:24). “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying…Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ” – although Moses heard it directly from the Omnipotent, he did not say to them: “Withdraw” until he went and forewarned them, as it is stated: “Moses arose and went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25).

This was to make known the extent of their wickedness as, although he went on foot to them, it is difficult to placate these wicked ones. What did they do? They did not wish to come out on their own to confront him. When Moses saw this, he said: ‘It was incumbent upon me to go this far.’

“He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that is theirs, lest you be destroyed for all their sins” (Numbers 16:26). “He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men” – our Rabbis taught: Four are characterized as wicked: One who extends his hand toward another to strike him, even though he did not strike him, is characterized as wicked, as it is stated: “He said to the wicked one: Why do you strike your counterpart” (Exodus 2:13).

“Did you strike” is not written, but rather, “do you strike [takeh].”17The word takeh is in the future tense. One who borrows but does not pay, as it is stated: “Wicked is one who borrows and does not repay; righteous is one who is gracious and gives” (Psalms 37:21). One who has insolence, and is not ashamed in the presence of one who is greater than he, as it is stated: “The wicked man is insolent before him, but the upright discerns his way” (Proverbs 21:29).

And one who is a disputant, as it is stated: “Depart now away from the tents of these wicked men.” Two of them [wicked characteristics] were in Datan and Aviram, insolence and dispute [maḥloket]. Maḥloket: mem – maka [smiting]; ḥet – ḥaron [fury]; lamed – likui [punishment]; kof – kelala [curse]; tav – to’eva [abomination]. Some say, takhlit [end], as it brings extermination to the world.

“They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram, and Datan and Aviram emerged and stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, and their children, and their infants” (Numbers 16:27). “They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ” – when they saw that Israel had departed from around them, they emerged cursing and blaspheming, as it is stated: “Datan and Aviram emerged standing” (Numbers 16:27), and elsewhere it is written: “The Philistine approached every morning and evening and stood for forty days” (I Samuel 17:16).18See above, Bemidbar Rabba 16:4.

“Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me to perform all these actions, as it is not from my heart” (Numbers 16:28). “If these die like the death of all people, and the destiny of all people will be visited upon them, the Lord has not sent Me” (Numbers 16:29). “Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of all people” – to what is this matter comparable?

It is to the patron of a king’s daughter, who had her proof in his possession.19He kept the proof that she had been a virgin before her wedding night – a sheet with blood on it. One of the guests stood and cursed the groomsman and alleged that the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.20On her wedding night. The patron stood and confronted the king: 'If you do not demand that retribution be exacted, and you do not take this one out and put him to death before everyone, I, too, will say that, apparently, the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.’

The king immediately said: ‘It is preferable for me to put this one to death and not have the patron disseminating slander about my daughter.’ So, Koraḥ entered into a dispute with Moses and said: ‘From his heart and at his initiative, Moses said all these matters.’ Moses began and said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘If these die in their beds in the manner that people die, and the doctors enter and visit them in the manner that all the ill are visited, I, too, will deny and say: “The Lord did not send me” (Numbers 16:29), and I fabricated it in my heart.’

This is one of three prophets who spoke in this style: Elijah, Mikhaihu, and Moses. Elijah said: “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today it will be known that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and at Your word I performed all these matters. Answer me, Lord, answer me, and this people will know that You, Lord, are God, and it is You who have turned their heart back” (I Kings 18:36–37). ‘If you do not answer my plea, I will say: It is You who turned their hearts back.’

Likewise, Mikhaihu said to Ahab: “If you return in peace” (I Kings 22:28), I, too, say: “The Lord did not speak through me” (I Kings 22:28). “But if the Lord creates a creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that is theirs, and they descend alive into the abyss, you shall know that these people have scorned the Lord” (Numbers 16:30). Likewise, Moses: “If these die like the death of all people…” The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘What do you seek?’

He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, “but if...a creation” – if You created a mouth to the earth, that is excellent; but if not, “the Lord creates [yivra]” – let Him create [yivra] it a mouth now.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “You decide something, and He will fulfill it for you, and light will shine upon your ways” (Job 22:28).

“The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, and their households, and all the people who were with Koraḥ, and all the property” (Numbers 16:32). “Opened” – Rabbi Yehuda said: At that moment, several mouths were opened in the earth, as it is stated: “[That the earth opened its mouth…] in the midst of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 11:6). Rabbi Neḥemya said: But is it not written: “The earth opened its mouth”?

He said to him: How, then, do you realize: “In the midst of all Israel”? It is, rather, that the earth became like a funnel. Wherever one of them was standing, he would roll and come to it. The result is that you realize: “In the midst of all Israel” and you realize: “The earth opened its mouth.”

“And all the yekum [that was at their feet]” (Deuteronomy 11:6) – this is the property that stands a person on his feet.21Yekum is expounded as though it was yakim – it causes one to stand. Our Rabbis said: Even if the garments were in the possession of the launderer, they would roll, come, and be swallowed with them. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Even a needle of theirs that was borrowed [she’ula] in the hands of an Israelite, was also swallowed, as it is stated: “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss [sheola]” (Numbers 16:33).

Why to that extent? It is because he entered into a dispute with the Holy One blessed be He. Nevertheless, in the future, they are destined to ascend. Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira teaches that they have a portion in the World to Come, as it is stated: “They were lost from the midst of the assembly” (Numbers 16:33).22But not from the World to Come.

Regarding David it says: “I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, as I have not forgotten Your mitzvot” (Psalms 119:176). Just as what was lost stated in David’s regard is destined to be sought; here, too, what was lost is destined to be sought. And so, Hannah prayed on their behalf: “The Lord puts to death and brings to life; He lowers to the abyss and elevates” (I Samuel 2:6).

“A treacherous [nifsha] brother is worse than a fortified [oz] city, and strife is like the bars of a palace” (Proverbs 18:19); this is Koraḥ, who betrayed [pasha] the Torah that is strength, as it is stated: “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace” (Psalms 29:11). “And strife is like the bars of a palace” – did he not know that his adversaries were as sturdy as the bar of a palace? These are Moses and Aaron. Just as the bar does not move, the same is true of Moses, as it is stated: “The middle bar inside the planks will extend from end to end” (Exodus 26:28).

Job said: “He will dwell in desolate cities, in houses in which one would not live, which are destined to become heaps. He will not become rich, and his wealth will not endure; nothing of his will extend over the earth. He will not turn away from darkness; the flame will dry his shoots, and they will pass away from the breath of his mouth. Let him not trust in futility that misleads, for futility will be his compensation.

He will wither before his time, and his treetop will not be green. He will shed his unripe grapes like a vine, and he will cast off his blossoms like an olive tree. For the company of the hypocrite will be desolate, and fire will consume the tents of bribery” (Job 15:28–34). “He will dwell in desolate cities, in houses in which one would not live, which are destined to become heaps” – this is Koraḥ, who was a treasurer in Pharaoh’s palace, and had the keys of his treasuries in his possession.

The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘What benefit do you have? You do not control them, as it is stated: “Houses in which one would not live, which are destined to become heaps [legalim].”’ For whom are they destined? It if for those who are exiled [golim], for Israel who were exiled from Egypt.

But Koraḥ, he will not become rich, and his wealth will not endure – even when he dies, it will not endure.23It will not be transferred to his heirs. “Nothing of theirs will extend over the earth. He will not turn away from darkness” – he will never turn away from the darkness.24The darkness of Gehenna. “The flame will dry his shoots [yonakto]” – our Rabbis said: Koraḥ’s wife, when she descended to Gehenna, she extinguished it.25According to this explanation, it is saying that she would never leave there.

There is an alternative explanation that she extinguished its fire. She was so wicked that the fire that was designated to burn her was so great that it extinguished the fire of Gehenna. “And they will pass away from the breath of his mouth” – so he will not say: ‘Samuel is destined to emerge from Me and for his sake, I will be spared.’ He [Korah], too, “will pass away from the breath of his mouth.

Let him not trust in futility that misleads” – the Holy One blessed be He is shouting at the two hundred and fifty who entered into the dispute along with him: ‘Do not believe, he is mistaken: Do not trust him when he has strayed.’ “It will be concluded before his time” – before his time to die arrives, he will cause himself to die. “He will shed his unripe grapes like a vine” – this is his wife. “He will cast off his blossoms like an olive tree” – these are his children. 26See Psalms 128:3: “Your wife is like a fruitful vine...Your children like olive saplings….”

Why? "For the company of the hypocrite will be desolate, and fire will consume the tents of bribery” – “Fire emerged from before the Lord” (Numbers 16:35).

Another matter, it does not say: Koraḥ “disputed,” “assembled,” “spoke,” “commanded,” but rather, “took.” What did he take? He took nothing; rather, his heart took him. The verse said: “To what does your heart take you, and what do your eyes intimate?” (Job 15:12).

Rabbi Levi said: Why did Koraḥ enter into a dispute with Moses? He said: ‘I am the son of oil, “son of Yitzhar,” (Numbers 16:1), as it is stated: “[And He will bless…] and your wine [vetiroshekha], and your oil [veyitzharekha], the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks, in the land regarding which He took an oath to your forefathers to give to you” (Deuteronomy 7:13). “Vetiroshekha” – this is wine.

Veyitzharekha – this is oil. Every liquid into which you place oil, it is on top. Moreover, it is written: “He said: These are the two anointed dignitaries [benei hayitzhar],27Literally, “sons of oil.” who attend the Lord of the entire land” (Zechariah 4:14). Does oil have children?

Rather, these are Aaron and David, who were anointed with anointing oil. Aaron took the priesthood, and David, the kingship. I. who am the son of oil, am not anointed, and should become priest and king.’ Immediately, he entered into a dispute with Moses.

“He took” – his heart took him. “For it is not an enemy who disparages me, which I could bear; nor is it one of my foes who promotes himself over me, from whom I could hide” (Psalms 55:13). This is Doeg and Aḥitofel who would disparage me.28David. They were not my enemies, but they disparage me, and do not call me by my name, but rather: “Why did the son of Yishai not come?” (I Samuel 20:27),”; “I saw the son of Yishai” (I Samuel 22:9); “Behold, I saw a son of Yishai” (I Samuel 16:18).

That is, “for it is not an enemy who disparages me, which I could bear.” “But it is you, my equal, my guide, my companion” (Psalms 55:14). “My equal, my guide [alufi]” – that he was a person of great stature in Torah.29Alufi is expounded as related to the Aramaic yalif – learn or derive. “My companion [umyuda’i] – he would deliberate with them in matters of halakha.30Umyuda’i is expounded as related to the words vaad and daat – a meeting over matters of knowledge.

“We took sweet counsel together” (Psalms 55:15). What is, “we walked in the House of God with feeling [beragesh]”? (Psalms 55:15). It is as we learned: The bull was sacrificed with twenty-four31When a bull of a public offering was sacrificed in the Temple as a burnt offering, twenty-four kohanim participated in the sacrifice. See Yoma 26b. so that the crowd [harogesh] would be animated [margish], as it is stated: “We walked in the House of God beragesh.”

“May He bring up death upon them” (Psalms 55:16) – Rabbi Elazar said: There was counsel of heresy within them. To what were they32Doeg and Ahitofel. comparable? It is to a building that is filled with straw. There were holes in the [walls of the] building and straw would enter them.

Time passed,33The building was no longer fit for use. and the straw that had been in those holes began coming out. Everyone knew that it had been a building for straw. So, Doeg and Aḥitofel, there were no mitzvot in them at the outset. Even though they become masters of Torah, they were as they had been at the outset.

That is, “For evil is in their dwelling place, inside them” (Psalms 55:16). Another matter, it is speaking in Moses’s regard. “For it is not an enemy” – but rather from my family, he will disparage me. “We took sweet counsel together” – Aaron and Koraḥ, the two of them were equal.

“We walked in the House of God with feeling” – this one slaughters and brings it near and that one sprinkles the blood. “May He bring up death upon them” – he brought death upon himself. “They and everything that was theirs descended…” (Numbers 16:33).

“It is too much for you, sons of Levi” (Numbers 16:7) – the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You struck with a rod and with what you struck, you are stricken. You said: “It is too much for you [rav lakhem].” Tomorrow, you will hear: “Enough for you [rav lakh]”’ (Deuteronomy 3:26).34“Enough for you, do not continue speaking to Me anymore about this matter” – the matter of entering the Land of Israel.

“It was, as he concluded speaking all these words, the ground that was beneath them split” (Numbers 16:31) – to teach you that the Holy One blessed be He causes punishments to develop from any place that He chooses. “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss, and the earth covered them, and they were lost from the midst of the assembly” (Numbers 16:33). “Alive into the abyss” – some say that they live and endure to this day. “Covered them” – they were eliminated, but not their positions of authority, as others were appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds. “All Israel that were around them fled due to their sound, as they said: Lest the earth swallow us” (Numbers 16:34). “All Israel…fled due to their sound” – as they were screaming with their voices: ‘Moses our teacher, save us!’ “Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” (Numbers 16:35). “Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” – these were swallowed and those were consumed, and Koraḥ was standing among the consumed, as Moses said: “And you and Aaron, each his firepan” (Numbers 16:17). Koraḥ was stricken more that all of them, as he was consumed and swallowed. Why were two sentences executed upon him? It is because had he been consumed and not swallowed, the swallowed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they are swallowed and he is spared? Had he been swallowed and not consumed, the consumed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they were consumed and he was spared? That is why he was sentenced to two deaths. The fire first blazed before the eyes of the consumed, in whose hands were the firepan and the incense that was in it. The fire folded him into a ball and the fire rolled him until it brought him to the mouth of the earth with the swallowed, as it is stated: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, and their households, and all the people who were with Koraḥ, and all the property” (Numbers 16:32).

“And On son of Pelet” (Numbers 16:1) – why was his name On? It is because all his days were spent in acute mourning.35He regretted his association with Koraḥ and the rest. “Son of Pelet” – a son for whom wonders [pelaot] were performed. Rav said: On ben Pelet, his wife saved him.

She said to him: ‘What is in it for you in this dispute? If Aaron is the High Priest, you are a disciple, if Koraḥ is the High Priest, you are a disciple.’ She said to him: ‘I know that the entire assembly is holy, as it is stated in their regard: “The entire congregation, all of them are holy”’ (Numbers 16:3). What did she do?

She gave him wine and got him intoxicated and lay him in bed. She sat at the door, she and her daughter, and she unbound her hair. Anyone who came for her husband On would withdraw. Meanwhile, they were swallowed.

This is what is written: “The wise among women builds her house” (Proverbs 14:1) – this is On’s wife. “And the foolish will destroy it with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1) – this is Koraḥ’s wife. “They arose before Moses…princes of [nesi’ei] the congregation” (Numbers 16:2) – the outstanding of the congregation.36Nesi’ei is expounded to mean those raised [nisa’im] above the congregarion. “Distinguished of the convocation [mo’ed]” – who know how to intercalate the years and to determine months.37Mo’ed is expounded in the sense of appointed times.

“People of renown” – that have great renown in all areas. “Moses heard” (Numbers 16:4) – what did he hear? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: It teaches that they suspected him regarding a married woman, as it is stated: “They were jealous [vaykanu] of Moses in the camp” (Psalms 106:16) – Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said that Rav said: It teaches that everyone warned [kinei] his wife concerning Moses.38This is the first step of the sota process, where a husband warns his wife not to enter into isolation with a certain man. “[Moses arose and] went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25) – Reish Lakish said: From here is learned that one does not perpetuate a dispute.

Rav said: Anyone who perpetuates a dispute is in violation due to: “And he shall not be like Koraḥ and like his congregation” (Numbers 17:5). Rav Asi said: He39Anyone who perpetuates a dispute. is fit to be afflicted with leprosy. Here it is written: “As the Lord spoke to him at the hand of Moses” (Numbers 17:5), and there it is written: “The Lord said to him further: Bring your hand…[and behold, his hand was leprous]” (Exodus 4:6).

Rabbi Ḥisda said: Anyone who enters into a dispute with his teacher, it is as though he enters into a dispute with the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “Who agitated against the Lord” (Numbers 26:9).40The verse is referring to Datan and Aviram. Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: Anyone who quarrels with his teacher, it is as though he does so with the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “These are the waters of strife, where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord” (Numbers 20:13).

Rabbi Ḥanina said: Anyone who states a grievance against his teacher, it is as though he states a grievance against the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “Your complaints are not against us, but against the Lord” (Exodus 16:8). Rabbi Abbahu said: Anyone who thinks ill of his teacher, it is as though he thinks ill of the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “The people spoke against God and against Moses: Why did you take us up from Egypt….” (Numbers 21:5).

Rava expounded: What is it that is written: “The sun, the moon, stand in their abode [zevula]”? (Habakkuk 3:11).It teaches that the sun and the moon ascended to zevul.41The fourth of the seven heavens. They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, if you perform justice for the son of Amram, we will emerge; if not, we will not emerge,’ until He shot arrows at them. He said to them: ‘For My honor, you did not protest,42When people worshiped the sun or the moon you did not protest. but for the honor of flesh and blood, you protested?’

Today, until He strikes them, they do not emerge.43The sun and moon do not rise since they are protesting because of God's honor. Rava expounded: What is it that is written: “But if the Lord creates a creation”? (Numbers 16:30). Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, if there is a creation of Gehenna, fine; but if not, let the Lord create it.’ What did he mean?

You say to actually create it, but is it not written: “There is nothing new under the sun”? (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Rather, it is to bring the opening [of Gehenna] near. “But Koraḥ’s sons did not die” (Numbers 26:11). It is taught in the name of our Rabbi: A place was fortified for them in Gehenna.

Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: One time I was walking along the way, and a certain Arab said to me: ‘Come and I will show you the place of those of Koraḥ who were swallowed.’ I went and I saw two fissures from which smoke was emerging. He took a woollen fleece, soaked it in water, placed it on the tip of his spear and inserted it there. It was singed and fell.

He said to me: ‘Listen; what do you hear?’ And I heard that this is what they were saying: ‘Moses and his Torah are truth, and they44They are referring to themselves, having entered into a dispute with Moses. are liars.’ He said to me: ‘Every thirty days, Gehenna returns them here like meat in a cauldron, and they say this: Moses and his Torah are truth.’ But in the future, the Holy One blessed be He is destined to take them out.

In their regard, Hannah said: “The Lord puts to death and brings to life; He lowers to the abyss and elevates” (I Samuel 2:6).

Mem, nun, tzadi, peh, kaf, the double letters,45These letters are written differently when they appear as the last letter of a word. were stated by the prophets. Kaf kaf alludes to Abraham: “Lekh lekha” (Genesis 12:1) – he will beget a son at the age of one hundred.46The letter kaf appears twice in lekh lekha. Lamed – 30 + kaf – 20 = 50 x 2 = 100. Mem mem is for Isaac: “For you have grown much mightier than we [mimenu]” (Genesis 26:16).47The letter mem appears twice in mimenu.

An alternative term meaning “than we” could have been employed, but wasn’t. He alluded to him that he and his descendants would be mighty in two worlds. Nun nun for Jacob: “Deliver me, please [hatzileni na]” (Genesis 32:12); deliver in two worlds. Peh peh to Israel, [when God said] to Moses: “I have remembered you [pakod pakadeti]” (Exodus 3:16).

Tzadi tzadi – “Behold a man, Tzemaḥ is his name, [and he will sprout [yitzmaḥ…]” (Zechariah 6:12). And it says: “I will establish for David a righteous offshoot [tzemaḥ tzadik] and he will reign as king and succeed, and he will perform justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5). “A leader of fifty” (Isaiah 3:3) – twenty-four books; add to them eleven of the twelve minor prophets, excluding Jonah, which stands alone, six orders of Mishna, and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim48The Torat Kohanim is a midrash halakha on Leviticus.

At the time that this midrash was written, the Torat Kohanim was apparently divided into nine large chapters. – that is fifty. “They are sixty queens” (Song of Songs 6:8) – sixty tractates; “and eighty concubines” (Song of Songs 6:8) – eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem, corresponding to its entrances; “and young women without number” (Song of Songs 6:8) – external Mishna.49Tannaitic statements which were not incorporated into the Mishna.

“Behold the bed of Solomon: There are sixty valiant men around it” (Song of Songs 3:7) – sixty letters of the Priestly Benediction.50Numbers 6:24–26. “Three hundred and eighteen” (Genesis 14:14) – it is Eliezer.51The number of members of his household whom Abraham took to recover Lot corresponds to the numerical value of Eliezer: alef – 1 + lamed – 30 + yod –10 + ayin – 70 + zayin – 7 + reish – 200 = 318.

“Because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice, and kept My commission, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Genesis 26:5) – at the age of three he recognized Him.52Abraham heeded God’s voice for ‘ekev’ years: ayin – 70 + kof – 100 + beit – 2 = 172. He lived a total of one hundred and seventy-five years. He recognized God at age three. HaSatan – three hundred and sixty-four,53Heh – 5 + sin – 300 + tet – 9 + nun – 50 = 364. the number of days in the solar year that he [the Satan] has license to inform on all of them, excepting Yom Kippur.

Rav Ami said in the school of Rabbi Abba: Abraham, as long as he was not circumcised and had not begot a son, was lacking a heh. The heh was added, he became whole, and he begot a son at the sum of his letters.54Alef – 1 + beit – 2 + reish – 200 + heh – 5 + mem – 40 = 248, the number of limbs in a person’s body. “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12:4) – this is Sarah. Sarai was her name; two amora’im have a dispute regarding this: One said: The yod was split in two, heh for Abraham and heh for Sarah.55Yod is ten and heh is five.

And one said: The yod that was taken from Sarah objected, until Joshua [Yehoshua] came and Moses added a yod56Yehoshua's name, originally, was Hoshea. – may the Lord rescue you [Ya yoshiakha] from the counsel of the spies.57Yehoshua is a portmanteau of ya yoshiakha. The yod of Isaac [Yitzḥak] corresponds to the ten ordeals; tzadi,to the ninety years of age that Sarah was when he was born; ḥet, to the eight days [of age] at which he was circumcised; kof, Abraham was one hundred years of age.58When Isaac was born.

Jacob [Yaakov] was named for himself. Yod corresponds to the tenth. Calculate from Benjamin until Levi;59Counting backwards from Benjamin, Levi is the tenth. he is the tenth. Ayin – “with seventy people” (Deuteronomy 10:22);60This is the number of people with whom Jacob descended to Egypt. kof – corresponding to the letters in the blessing of: “May God give you” (Genesis 27:28).

Beit remains. It is corresponding to the two angels that ascended.61When Jacob left Canaan to go to Aram. The tablets contained six hundred and thirteen mizvot, corresponding to the letters from “I am” (Exodus 20:2) until “that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:14), no more and no fewer. All of them were given to Moses at Sinai, among them statutes, ordinances, Torah, Mishna, Talmud, and aggada.

“Fear of the Lord, that is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6). Among all the attributes, there are none greater than fear and humility62Since humility is not mentioned elsewhere in this portion of the midrash, Matnot Kehuna and Etz Yosef write that it should be erased. – “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12).

The numerical value of yirat is six hundred and eleven,63Yod – 10 + reish – 200 + alef – 1 + tav – 400 = 611. and of Torah is six hundred and eleven.64Tav – 400 + vav – 6 + reish – 200 + heh – 5 = 611. Add fear and Torah to them;65When a gematria is used, sometimes the word or words being discussed are used to add 1 to the gematria. Thus, 611 + Torah + yirat = 613. the result is six hundred and thirteen.

Tzitzit – the Rabbis taught: Eight strings that are drawn and five knots, two above66Adjacent to the corner of the garment. and three below, that is six hundred and thirteen.67Tzadi – 90 + yod – 10 + tzadi – 90 + yod – 10 + tav – 400 = 600 + 8 strings + 5 knots = 613. The days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years; Isaac, one hundred and eighty years; Jacob, one hundred and forty-seven years.

When you add them together, the result is five hundred and two years. That is, likewise, the distance between the heavens and earth: “Like the days of the heavens over the earth” (Deuteronomy 11:21).68The preceding phrase is: “regarding which the Lord has taken an oath to your forefathers.” And "the days of the heavens over the earth" is interpreted as the time that it would take to walk from the earth to the heavens. “[These are David’s last words: The utterance of David son of Yishai, and the utterance of the man] raised on high [al]” (II Samuel 23:1) – this corresponds to one hundred blessings.69The numerical value of al is 100: Ayin – 70 + lamed – 30 = 100.

Each day one hundred men of Israel would die. David came and instituted for them one hundred blessings. Once he instituted them, the plague was halted. Al – the yoke [ol]70Both al and ol are written with an ayin and lamed. of Torah and the yoke of suffering.

“Forgive all iniquity, and accept good [tov], and instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips” (Hosea 14:3). Israel said: ‘Master of the universe, when the Temple was extant, we would sacrifice an offering and gain atonement; now, we have nothing in our hand other than prayer.’ The numerical value of tov is seventeen; prayer contains nineteen blessings?71The Amida. Exclude from there the blessing of the heretics,72This refers to the twelfth blessing in the Amida. that they instituted it in Yavne, and “the offshoot of David”73This refers to the fifteenth blessing of the Amida. that they instituted after him because of: “Examine me, Lord, and test me” (Psalms 26:2).74See Sanhedrin 107a, where David fails the test of Bathsheba.

Rabbi Simon says: On the basis of a numerical cypher, “and accept good [tov]” equals the value of nefesh [person].75With the atbash cypher, the distance of a letter from the beginning of the alphabet is measured, and it is replaced bythe letter that is the same distance from the end of the alphabet. Tet – nun; vav – peh; beit – shin: tov becomes nefesh. Israel said: ‘When the Temple was extant, we would burn fats and the other portions on the altar and gain atonement.

Now, here are our fats, our blood, and our souls. May it be Your will that they will serve as atonement on our behalf’ – “instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips.” “The Lord granted her pregnancy [herayon]” (Ruth 4:13). Its numerical value is two hundred and seventy-one.76This is the number of days in nine full months, plus the first day of the tenth month.

The measure of water in a ritual bath is forty se’a, which corresponds to the number of times that the water of a well [be’er] is written in the Torah. How many egg bulks are in a ritual bath? There are five thousand seven hundred and sixty. Each and every se’a is one hundred and forty-four egg-bulks. Ḥalla is forty-three and one-fifth egg-bulks.

From where is it derived that one requires forty se’a for a ritual bath? “The water of Shilo’aḥ that flows slowly [le’at]” (Isaiah 8:6), whose numerical value is forty. One who is separating ḥalla must, by Torah law, separate one from forty-three and one-fifth [egg-bulks], in accordance with the numerical value of ḥalla.77Ḥet – 8 + lamed – 30 + heh – 5 = 43. The primary categories of labor are forty less one, as it is written: “These are the matters [eleh hadevarim]…” (Exodus 35:1).78The following verse begins: “Six days labor shall be performed…” Eleh – thirty-six,79Alef – 1 + lamed – 30 + heh – 5 = 36. devarim – two,80Devarim (matters) is written in the plural.

The minimum plural possible is two. hadevarim –three;81Deriving an additional one from the heh prefix. that is forty less one. “Forty he shall flog him, he shall not add” (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponding to the forty curses that the serpent, Eve, Adam, and the ground were cursed. The Sages deducted one due to “he shall not add.” Those who recommended acquittal would have a majority of one, and thus the iniquities are fewer.82Iniquities can refers to people who the court puts to death by mistake.

According to that explanation, the midrash here explains that in order to prevent the iniquity of mistakenly killing somebody, for acquittal a majority of one is sufficient, but a majority of two is required for a guilty verdict. It is preferable when convicting that at least a majority of two will prevail, rather than one. “Sheshakh” (Jeremiah 25:26, 51:41) is Babylon [Bavel] in the atbash cypher. “[Son of] Tave’al” (Isaiah 7:6) according to the albam83Alef becomes lamed.

The alphabet is divided in two in the middle, with eleven letters in each group. The first letter in the first group – aleph – is replaced by the first letter in the second group – lamed. The second letter – bet – is replaced by mem, etc. cypher is Remala.84The son of Tave’al, mentioned in the verse, is a reference to Pekaḥ ben Remalyahu, king of Israel. “With this [bezot] shall Aaron enter the Sanctum: with a young bull as a sin offering, and a ram as a burnt offering” (Leviticus 16:3), bezot is an allusion to the first Temple, that would stand four hundred and ten years.85Beit – 2 + zayin – 7 + alef – 1 + tav – 400 = 410.

May the name of the King of kings the Holy One blessed be He be blessed, as He created His world with wisdom and understanding, His wonders are unfathomable, and His greatness is unquantifiable, as it is written: “He gathers the water of the sea like a heap, he places the depths in storehouses” (Psalms 33:7). What is “gathers…like a heap”? When the Holy One blessed be He created His world, He said to the angel of the sea: ‘Open your mouth and swallow all the primordial water.’

He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, it is sufficient for me if I can withstand my own.’ He began to weep. He kicked him and killed him, as it is stated: “With His power, He calmed the sea, and with His understanding, He crushed Rahav” (Job 26:12). You find that the name of the angel of the sea is Rahav.

What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He crushed it and trampled it and the sea received it, as it is stated: “And tramples upon the heights of the earth” (Amos 4:13). He placed sand for them86The water in the oceans. as doors and a bar, as it is stated: “Who dammed the sea with doors” (Job 38:8). And it is written: “Will you not fear Me – the utterance of the Lord – will you not tremble before Me?

For I set the sand as a boundary for the sea” (Jeremiah 5:22). And it is written: “I said: You shall come this far and not continue” (Job 38:11). The sea said to Him: ‘If so, my sweet waters will intermingle with the salty.’ He said to it: ‘No, each and every one has a storehouse of its own,’ as it is stated: “He places the depths in storehouses.”

If you say that it is a great wonder why all the water on the sea does not intermingle, the face that the Holy One blessed be He created in people is the size of a span; how many founts are in it, but they do not intermingle with one another. Tears of the eyes are salty, excretions of the ears are fatty, mucous of the nose is foul, while the saliva of the mouth is sweet. Why are the tears of the eyes salty?

It is because were a person to weep uninterruptedly over the deceased, he would become immediately blinded. Because they are salty, he stops and does not weep. Why are the excretions of the ear fatty? It is so that when a person hears harsh tidings, were he to grasp it directly in his ear, it would be retained and he would die.

Because they are fatty, he takes it in in this one and he lets it out with the other. Why is the mucous of the nose foul? It is so that when a person smells a foul odor, were it not for the fact that the mucous of the nose is foul and stops it, he would immediately die. Why is the saliva of the mouth sweet?

It is because sometimes one eats food that is objectionable; if the saliva of his mouth was not sweet, his soul would no longer be restored to him. Moreover, it is because he reads in the Torah, in whose regard it is written: “And sweeter than honey” (Psalms 19:11). That is why the saliva of the mouth is sweet. Can the matters not be inferred a fortiori?

If in the size of a span there are several founts, all the more so in the vast sea, in whose regard it is stated: “There is the sea, vast and broad; an innumerable swarm is in it” (Psalms 104:25). It is to teach you that the Holy One blessed be He accomplished His mission in all manners, and did not create anything for naught. At times He accomplishes His mission by means of a frog, at times, by means of a hornet, and at times, by means of a scorpion.

Rabbi Ḥanin of Tzipori said: There was an incident involving a certain scorpion who went to perform the mission of the Holy One blessed be He across the Jordan. The Holy One blessed be He appointed for it a certain frog, and it crossed upon it. That scorpion went and stung the person.87That was the scorpion's mission. Likewise, there was an incident involving a certain reaper, who was reaping and gathering in the Beit Tofet valley.

When the heat of the day came, he took some of the grass and tied it to his head. A large serpent came upon him, and he arose and killed it. A snake charmer passed by him, he saw that he had killed the serpent. He said to him: ‘Who killed that serpent?’

He said: ‘It was I.’ He saw the grass on his head.88According to Etz Yosef, the grass on his head protected him from the poison of the snake. He said to him: ‘Would you agree to remove the grass that is on your head? Then you can boast that you killed it.’ He did so, approached it, and he did not manage to touch it before he fell apart, limb by limb.

Rabbi Yannai was sitting and interpreting verses at the entrance of his city. He saw a snake, trembling, and approaching the city. If one would seek to stop it from here, it would go there, and if one would seek to stop it from there, it would go here. He said: ‘This one is going to perform its mission.’

When it entered the city an outcry emerged in the city: ‘So-and-so son of so-and-so, a snake bit him and he died.’ Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Elazar was strolling on the rocky coast of Caesarea. He found a certain femur cast along the road. He would conceal it from here and would find it from there.

He said: ‘It seems to me that this is prepared to fulfill its mission.’ Days later, an emissary of the empire passed, stumbled over it, fell, and died. They investigated after him and found in his hand harsh edicts written against the Jews. There was an incident involving two people who were walking along the road, one sighted and one blind.

They sat to eat and extended their hands to the vegetation of the field and ate. The one who had been sighted was blinded, and the one who had been blind became sighted. They did not move from there until the one who had been supported by the other was now supporting him. There was an incident involving one who was going from the Land of Israel to Babylon.

While he was eating bread, he saw two birds fighting one another. One of them killed the other. It went and brought grass and placed it on its mouth, and revived it. That person went and took the grass that had fallen from the bird and went to revive the dead with it.

When he reached the Promontory of Tyre, he found a lion cast aside and dead. He placed the grass on its mouth and revived it. The lion stood and ate him. They say a parable: Do not do good to the wicked, and evil will not befall you.

There was an incident in Siḥin in which a certain blind person entered the water to immerse himself. He happened upon Miriam’s well, immersed himself and was cured. The wicked Titus entered the chamber of the Holy of Holies while he was cursing and blaspheming. He stood and cut the curtain, took a Torah scroll, spread it, brought two prostitutes, and committed a sin with them.

He drew his sword and cut the Torah scroll. A miracle was performed and blood began flowing out of it. He began taking credit, saying that he [Titus] had killed Him [God]. He continued exalting himself.

When he reached the sea, the sea was gradually growing stormier. He said: ‘The God of these, His strength is only in the sea. If He wishes, let Him climb onto dry land and we will see who prevails.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one son of a wicked one, a tiny creature, the least significant of all My creatures, I will send against you to eliminate you from the world.’

A gnat entered his nose and he died an unnatural death. Why is it called a lowly creature? It is because it ingests, but does not egest. Sometimes it is by means of a hornet, as it is stated: “I will send the hornet before you” (Exodus 23:28).

Our Rabbis said: When the Holy One blessed be He sent the hornet before Israel to kill the Emorites, see what is written in their regard: “I destroyed the Emorite from before them, whose height was like the height of cedars and who was strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit from above…” (Amos 2:9). It would enter into his right eye and release its poison, and he would be split in two, fall, and die, as this is the way of the Holy One blessed be He, to accomplish his mission by means of the slightest entities.

To all those who exalt themselves over Him, he sent a slight creature to exact retribution from them, to inform you that their might is not genuine. In the future, the Holy One blessed be He is destined to exact retribution from the nations by means of slight entities, as it is stated: “It will be on that day that the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the edge of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria” (Isaiah 7:18).

"And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him a staff for each prince, a staff for each prince according to their father's houses, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron among their staffs (Number 17:21). “It was on the next day, and Moses came into the Tent of the Testimony, and, behold, the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had blossomed, it had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud, and bore almonds” (Numbers 17:23).

“And Aaron’s staff” (Numbers 17:21) – some say it is the staff that was in Judah’s hand, as it is stated: “And the staff that is in your hand” (Genesis 38:18). And some say it is the staff that was in Moses’s hand and it blossomed on its own, as it is stated: “And behold, the staff of Aaron… had blossomed.” Some say: Moses took one beam and cut it into twelve planks, and he said to them: ‘All of you take your staffs from one beam.’

Why did Moses do so? “Refraining from a quarrel is honor for a man, and every fool will be exposed” (Proverbs 20:3). It is so they would not say that his staff was moist and blossomed. The Holy One blessed be He decreed regarding the staff, and the ineffable name that appeared on the frontplate [tzitz] was found upon it, as it is stated: “It had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud [tzitz]” (Numbers 17:23).

It blossomed that night and produced a fruit, “and boree almonds [vayigmol shekedim]” (Numbers 17:23). It repaid [gamal] everyone who had striven [shoked] against the tribe of Levi. Why almonds and not pomegranates and not nuts? It is because Israel was likened to them.89Israel was likened to pomegranates and nuts, and what happened to Aaron’s staff was meant as an admonition for the people of Israel.

That staff was in the hand of each and every king until the Temple was destroyed, and it was sequestered. And that staff is destined to be in the hand of the messianic king soon, in our day, as it is stated: “The Lord will send your rod of strength from Zion; rule in the midst of your enemies” (Psalms 110:2).

“This is the statute of the Torah that the Lord commanded, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and they shall take to you an unflawed red heifer, in which there is no blemish, and upon which a yoke was not placed” (Numbers 19:2). “This is the statute of” – that is what the verse said: “Who can generate the pure from the impure? Is it not the One?” (Job 14:4), like Abraham from Teraḥ, Hezekiah from Aḥaz, Yoshiya from Amon, Mordekhai from Shimi, Israel from idolaters, the World to Come from this world.

Who did this? Who commanded this? Who decreed this? Is it not the One of the world?

There, we learned: If there is a bean-sized snow-white leprous mark on a person, he is impure. If it spread on all of him, he is pure. Who did this? Who commanded this?

Who decreed this? Is it not the One of the world? There, we learned: A woman whose fetus died in her womb and the midwife extended her hand and touched the fetus, the midwife is impure with seven-day impurity and the woman remains ritually pure until the offspring emerges.1Ḥullin 71a. As long as the corpse is in the house2The womb is referred to as “the house” of the fetus. the house is pure. When it emerges from within it, it is impure.3The mother becomes impure when the fetus comes out, because she touched it.

Who did this? Who commanded this? Who decreed this? Is it not the One of the world?

We learned there: Those dealing with the heifer, from beginning to end, impurify their garments,4Mishna Para 4:4. but it itself purifies garments. The Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘I instituted a statute, I issued a decree; you are not permitted to violate My decree.’

“This is the statute of the Torah” – “the sayings of the Lord are pure sayings […refined seven times]” (Psalms 12:7). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: We find that the Holy One blessed be He added two or three words in the Torah so as not to express a matter of impurity from His mouth: “From the pure animals, and from the animals that is not pure” (Genesis 7:8); “and of the animals that are not pure” (Genesis 7:2).5Rather than employ the term impure [teme’a] the Torah employs the term “not pure [lo tehora].”

Rabbi Yudan said: When it [the Torah] came to introduce the signs of the impure animal, it also opened with the signs of purity. It is not written here, “the camel, because it does not have split hooves,” but rather, “[the camel,] because it brings up the cud [but does not have split hooves]” (Leviticus 11:4). It is not written here, “and the hare, because it does not have split hooves,” but rather, “[and the hare,] because it brings up the cud [but does not have split hooves]” (Leviticus 11:6).

It is not written here, “and the pig, because it does not bring up the cud,” but rather, “[and the pig,] because it has split hooves […but does not bring up the cud]” (Leviticus 11:7). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Children who were in the era of David, before they experienced the taste of sin they were able to expound the Torah forty-nine aspects impure and forty-nine aspects pure.6This expression means that they could analyze a question and give forty-nine reasons to explain why something should be considered pure and forty-nine reasons to explain why it should be considered impure.

David would pray for them and say: “You, Lord, preserve them” (Psalms 12:8) – keep their Torah in their heart. “Keep them secure, from this generation, forever” (Psalms 12:8). After all this praise, they would go out to war and fall, because there were slanderers in their midst. That is what David said: “Amid lions, I lie among the eager, [men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a honed sword]” (Psalms 57:5).

“Amid lions” – this is Avner and Amasa, who were lions in Torah. “I lie among the eager” – these are Do’eg and Aḥitofel, who were eager for slander. “Whose tongues are a honed sword” – these are the Zifites, as it is stated: “When the Zifites came and said to Saul [is not David hiding in our midst?]” (Psalms 54:2). At that moment David said: “Rise above the heavens, God” (Psalms 57:6) – remove Your Divine Presence from their midst.

But the generation of Ahab were all idolaters, but because there were no slanderers in their midst they would go out to war and prevail. This is what Ovadya said to Elijah: “Was it not told to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord? I concealed [the Lord’s prophets…and I provided them with bread and water” (I Kings 18:13) – if bread, why water? Rather, it teaches that it was more difficult to bring the water than the bread.7This is a parenthetical clause. – But Elijah proclaims on Mount Carmel: “I alone remain a prophet of the Lord” (I Kings 18:22), and the entire people knows but do not reveal it to the king.

Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: They said to the serpent: ‘Why are you found between fences.’ It said: ‘I breached the fence of the world.’ ‘And why do you proceed with your tongue slobbering?’ It said: ‘It is what caused it to me.’ ‘Why is it that every beast bites and does not kill, but you bite and kill?’ It said to them: “If the serpent bites without a whisper,8From Heaven. there is no advantage to the charmer [baal halashon]” (Ecclesiastes 10:11) – ‘is it possible that I would do anything that was not stated to me from on High?’ ‘Why do you bite one limb and all the limbs feel it?’

It said to them: ‘You say it to me? Say it to the master of the tongue [baal halashon],9The slanderer. who is here and kills in Rome.’ Why is it10Slander called third?11Slander is referred to as lishna telita’i, a triple tongue. See, for example, Targum Yonatan, Leviticus 19:16.

It is because it kills three: The one who speaks it, the one who receives it, and the one about whom it is spoken. During the era of Saul, four: It killed Do’eg, who spoke it; Saul, who received it; Aḥimelekh, about whom it was spoken; and Avner son of Ner.12The last explanation of why Avner was killed connects him to the punishment for slander. Why was he killed? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is because he gave precedence to his name over that of David.

That is what is written: “Avner sent messengers to David from his place, saying: Whose is the land?” (II Samuel 3:12). He [Avner] wrote: From Avner to David. Reish Lakish said: It is because he made a game of the blood of the lads, as it is stated: “Avner said to Yoav: Let the lads rise now and play before us” (II Samuel 2:14). The Rabbis say: It is because he did not wait for Saul to reconcile with David, as it is stated: “My father, see, indeed, see the corner of your robe [in my hand, for as I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you…]” (I Samuel 24:11).

Avner said to him [Saul]: What do you seek to prove from the [corner of] your garment?13Do you seek to prove that David does not want to kill you? It was severed with a thorn.14By saying so, Avner prevented reconciliation between Saul and David. When they came to the circle,15The circle of soldiers sleeping around the king, who was in the middle of the circle (I Samuel 26:7). he said to him: “Will you not answer, Avner?” (I Samuel 26:14).

Regarding the corner, you said it was severed by a thorn. Were the spear and the jug also severed by a thorn? Some say: It is because he should have protested regarding Nov but he did not protest. Rabbi Ḥanan ben Pazi interpreted the verse regarding the portion of the heifer, in which there are seven of everything: Seven heifers,16Heifer is mentioned seven times. seven burnings,17Seven items must be burned. seven sprinklings,18Numbers 19:4. seven immersions,19Seven individuals involved in the process must immerse themselves. seven impure,20Seven people who require sprinkling of the purification water. seven pure,21Seven are thereby purified. seven priests.22Priest is mentioned seven times.

If a person will say to you: They are five,23The word priest is written only five times. say to him: Moses and Aaron are included, as it is stated: “The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: This is the statute of the Torah” (Numbers 19:1–2).

“This is the statute of the Torah…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “All this I attempted with wisdom; I said: I will become wise, but it is distant from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23). It is written: “God granted wisdom to Solomon…[like the sand that is on the seashore]” (I Kings 5:9). What is “like the sand”? The Rabbis say: He granted him wisdom corresponding to that of all of Israel, as it is stated: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea…” (Hosea 2:1).

Rabbi Levi said: Just as the sand is a barrier for the sea,24Thus, the sea is "contained" by the sand barrier. so too, wisdom was contained within Solomon. The parable they say: You lack knowledge, what have you acquired; you acquired knowledge, what are you lacking? “A man with no constraint to his spirit is a breached city without a wall” (Proverbs 25:28). “Solomon’s wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the people of the east” (I Kings 5:10) – what was the wisdom of the “people of the east”?

They were knowledgeable and clever in divination by bird calls. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: Regarding three matters I praise the people of the east: They do not kiss on the mouth, but rather on the hand; they do not bite with their mouth, but they cut with a knife; and they seek counsel only in a spacious area, as one consults only in the field. “And all the wisdom of Egypt” (I Kings 5:10) – what was the “wisdom of Egypt”?

You find that when Solomon sought to build the Temple, he sent to Pharaoh Nekho. He said to him: Send me craftsmen, at their standard wages, as I seek to build the Temple. What did he do? He assembled all his astrologers.

They looked and saw people who were destined to die that year, and sent them to him. When they came to Solomon, he saw by means of the Divine Spirit that they would die in that year. He gave them their shrouds and sent them to him. He sent to him: Did you not have shrouds with which to bury your dead?

Here they are for you, they and their shrouds. “He became the wisest of all people [haadam]” (I Kings 5:11) – Adam the first man, what was his wisdom? You find that when the Holy One blessed be He sought to create Man, He consulted with the ministering angels. He said to them: “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26).

They said before Him: “What is man that You remember him” (Psalms 8:5)? He said to them: ‘Man, whom I seek to create, his wisdom is greater than yours.’ What did He do? He assembled all the animals, beasts, and birds and passed them before them.

He said to them:25To the angels.‘What are the names of these?’ They did not know. When He created Adam, he passed them before him. He said to him: ‘What are the names of these?’

He said: ‘This one it is fitting to call bull, this one lion, this one horse, this one donkey, this one camel, and this one eagle,’ as it is stated: “Adam called names” (Genesis 2:20). He said to him: ‘And you, what is your name?’ He said to him: ‘Adam.’ ‘Why?’ ‘It is because I was created from the earth [adama].’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘I, what is My name?’

He said to Him: ‘Lord.’ ‘Why?’ ‘It is because You are Lord over all the creations.’ That is what is written: “I am the Lord, it is My name” (Isaiah 42:8) – it is My name that Adam the first man called Me. It is My name that I stipulated between Me and Myself; it is My name that I stipulated between Me and My creations. “More than Eitan the Ezraḥite” (I Kings 5:11) – this is Abraham, as it is stated: “A contemplation by Eitan the Ezraḥite” (Psalms 89:1).26See Bava Batra 15a. “Heiman” (I Kings 5:11) – this is Moses, as it is stated: “Not so My servant Moses; [in all My house he is faithful [ne’eman]]” (Numbers 12:7).

“And Kalkol” (I Kings 5:11) – this is Joseph, as it is stated: “Joseph sustained [vaykhalkel]…” (Genesis 47:12). The Egyptians said: Did not this slave reign over us only due to his wisdom? What did they do? They brought seventy tablets and wrote on them seventy languages.

They would cast them before him, and he would read each and every one in its language. Moreover, he could speak in the sacred tongue, which they did not have the ability to understand, as it is stated: “He established it as a precept for Joseph [bihosef] [when he went out over Egypt]; I learned a language I had not known” (Psalms 81:6).27The Holy One blessed be He added a heh to Joseph’s name, granting him the ability to understand languages that he had previously been unable to understand.

“Darda” (I Kings 5:11) – this is the generation [dor] of the wilderness, which had knowledge [de’a]. “Sons of Maḥol” (I Kings 5:11) – as the Holy One blessed be He pardoned [maḥal] them for the act of the calf. “He spoke three thousand parables; [and his songs [shiro] were one thousand and five]” (I Kings 5:12) – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: We reviewed all of the verses and found that Solomon prophesied only close to eight hundred verses.

Rather, it teaches that in each and every verse that he said there were two or three interpretations, just as it says: “[A wise admonisher in a heedful ear is] a nose ring of gold and an adornment of fine gold” (Proverbs 25:12).28These are two parables for one scenario. The Rabbis say: Three thousand parables for each and every verse, and one thousand and five songs for each parable. It is not written here, “his songs [shirav],” but rather, “its song [shiro]” – the song of the parable.

“He spoke to the trees” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible for a person to speak to trees? Rather, Solomon said: Why is a leper purified with the highest of the high and the lowest of the low, the cedar and the hyssop?29Leviticus 14:1–7. It is because he exalted himself like the cedar that he was afflicted with leprosy. Once he humbled himself like the hyssop, he was healed by the hyssop.

“He spoke to the animals and to the birds” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible for a person to speak to animals and birds? Rather, he said: Why is an animal permitted with two signs and the bird with one sign?30When an animal is slaughtered both the trachea and esophagus must be cut, but when a bird is slaughtered it is sufficient to cut one of them. It is because the animal was created from dry land.

But the bird, one verse says from the earth, as it is written: “The Lord God formed from the ground every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens” (Genesis 2:19). And one verse says: “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly [above the earth]” (Genesis 1:20). Bar Kappara says: They were created from the mud in the sea. Rabbi Avin said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: Nevertheless, the legs of the rooster are like the scales of the fish.

“And to crawling creatures” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible for a person to speak to crawling creatures? Rather, Solomon said: Why is it that the eight creeping animals that are written in the Torah, one who traps them or wounds them incurs liability,31On Shabbat. but the other creeping animals, he is exempt? It is because they have hides. “And to the fish” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible to say this?

Rather, why do animals, beasts, and birds require ritual slaughter, but fish do not require ritual slaughter? It is, rather, from this verse: “Will flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them…[if all the fish of the sea will be gathered for them]” (Numbers 11:22). Yaakov of Kefar Niboraya issued a ruling in Tyre regarding fish, that they require ritual slaughter. Rabbi Ḥagai heard, and sent and summoned him.

He said to him: ‘From where did you issue this ruling?’ He said to him ‘from here: “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly [above the earth]” (Genesis 1:20) – just as the bird requires ritual slaughter, so too, fish require ritual slaughter.’ He said to them: ‘Recline him and flog him.’ He said to him: ‘Is a person who speaks matters of Torah flogged?’

He said to him: ‘You did not issue a proper ruling.’ He said to him: ‘From where?’ He said to him: ‘From here: “Will flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them…if all the fish of the sea will be gathered for them” (Numbers 11:22) – these require ritual slaughter and these require gathering.’ He [Yaakov of Kefar Niboraya] said: ‘Strike your striking, as it is favorable for absorbing.’32Absorbing lessons for the future.

Yaakov of Kefar Niboraya issued a ruling in Tyre regarding an Israelite man who consorted with a gentile woman and begot a son, that the son is circumcised on Shabbat. Rabbi Ḥagai heard, and sent and summoned him. He said to him: ‘From where did you arrive at this?’ He said to him: ‘As it is written: “They verified their lineages by their families, by their patrilineal houses” (Numbers 1:18).’33Since lineage is determined by the father, he claimed that if the father is Jewish, the son is Jewish.

He said to them: ‘Bend him over and flog him.’ He said to him: ‘Is a person who speaks matters of Torah flogged?’ He said to him: ‘You did not issue a proper ruling.’ He said to him: ‘From where do you prove it to me?’

He said to him; ‘If a member of the nations were to come to you and say: I wish to become a Jew provided that I can be circumcised on Shabbat day or on Yom Kippur, does one desecrate the Shabbat for him or not? Is it not so, that one desecrates the Shabbat only for the son of the daughter of an Israelite alone?’ He said to him: ‘From where do you derive this?’ He said to him: ‘It is written: “Now, let us establish a covenant with our God to send away all the wives, and those born from them, according to the counsel of the Lord” (Ezra 10:3).’

He said to him: ‘Are you flogging me on the basis of Tradition?’34The Prophets and the Writings. He said to him: ‘It is written: “Let it be done in accordance with the Torah”’ (Ezra 10:3). He said to him: ‘From what Torah?’ He said to him: ‘From what Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: It is written: “You shall not marry them” (Deuteronomy 7:3).

Why? “Because he will divert your son from following Me” (Deuteronomy 7:4). Your son who comes from an Israelite woman is called your son, but your son who comes from a Kushite woman is not called your son, but rather, her son.’35See Yevamot 17a. He said: ‘Strike your striking, as it is favorable for absorbing.’ Solomon said: Regarding all these I was able to comprehend, but the portion of the red heifer I investigated, I asked, and I searched; “I said: I will become wise, but it is distant from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23).

“Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of a matter?” (Ecclesiastes 8:1). “Who is like the wise man” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, in whose regard it is written: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom” (Proverbs 3:19). “And who knows the meaning of a matter” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, who explained the Torah to Moses. “The wisdom of a man illuminates his face” (Ecclesiastes 8:1) – Rabbi Yudan said: Great is the ability of the prophets, who liken the image of the greatness On High to the form of a person, as it is stated: “I heard the voice of a man by the Ulai” (Daniel 8:16).36A reference to the voice of the Holy One blessed be He.

Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said from here: “And upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness, like the appearance of a man, upon it from above” (Ezekiel 1:26). “And the boldness of his face is changed” (Ecclesiastes 8:1) – as He changes from the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy for the sake of Israel. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Regarding each and every matter that the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses, He would say to him its means of impurity and its means of purification.

When He reached the portion of: “Say to the priests” (Leviticus 21:1),37The portion addresses the prohibition against a priest becoming impure with impurity imparted by a corpse. Moses said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, if he becomes impure, with what will his purification be effected?’ He did not answer him. At that moment, Moses’s face paled.

When he reached the portion of the red heifer, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘At that moment when I said to you the portion of: “Say to the priests,” and you said to Me: With what will his purification be effected, I did not answer you. This is his purification:’ “They shall take for the impure from the ashes of the burning of the purification” (Numbers 19:17).

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: There are four matters that the evil inclination decries, as “statute” is written in their regard: A brother’s wife, mixed species, the scapegoat, and the red heifer. A brother’s wife, as it is written: “The nakedness of your brother’s wife [you shall not uncover]” (Leviticus 18:16), but without children: “Her brother-in-law shall consort with her” (Deuteronomy 25:5).

And it is written regarding the nakedness of a brother’s wife: “You shall observe all My statutes” (Leviticus 20:22).38The verse refers to all of the forbidden relations mentioned in the chapter, including a brother’s wife. Mixed species: “You shall not wear a mixture of fibers [wool and linen together]” (Deuteronomy 22:11), but a linen cloak with woolen fringes is permitted. And it is written in its regard: “You shall observe My statutes…[and clothing of mixed fiber shall not be placed on you]” (Leviticus 19:19).

The scapegoat, as it is written: “And the one who dispatches the goat to Azazel shall wash his garments” (Leviticus 16:26), but it itself [the scapegoat] atones for others. And it is written in its regard: “This shall be for you an eternal statute” (Leviticus 16:34). The heifer, from where is it derived? It is as we learn: Those dealing with the heifer, from beginning to end, impurify their garments,39Mishna Para 4:4. but it itself purifies garments. And a statute is written in its regard: “This is the statute of the Torah.”

“They shall take to you a…red heifer” – Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: To you I am revealing the rationale of the heifer, but for another, it is a statute, as Rav Huna said: It is written: “When I set a time, I will judge with equity” (Psalms 75:3), and it is written: “It will be on that day, there will not be light, pleasant [yekarot] vekipaon” (Zechariah 14:6).

Yikfaon is written.40See II Kings 6:6, where the word vayazef meaning: It floated, is translated by Targum Yonatan as ukfa. Thus yikfaon is interpreted as “will float.” Matters that are obscured from you in this world41“There will not be light.” are destined to float to the surface [tzofim] in the World to Come, like that blind person who can see [detzafi], as it is written: “I will lead the blind on a way they did not know” (Isaiah 42:16).

And it is written: “These are the matters that I have done, and I did not abandon them” (Isaiah 42:16). It is not written here, “I will do,” but rather, “I have done,” as I have already done for Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Matters that were not revealed to Moses were revealed to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. “Everything obscured [yekar] his eye has seen” (Job 28:10) – this is Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues.

Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: He intimated that all the heifers will cease, but yours will endure.42This is expounded from: “They shall take to you.”

Rabbi Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: When Moses ascended on High, he heard the voice of the Holy One blessed be He, who was sitting and engaging in the portion of the red heifer and saying the halakha in the name of the one who said it. Rabbi Eliezer says: A calf within its first year, a heifer within its second year.43Mishna Para 1:1. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, may it be Your will that he be from my descendants.’ He said to him: ‘As you live, he is from your descendants.’ That is what is written: “And the name of one, Eliezer” (Exodus 18:4), the name of that special one.

A certain idolater asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai: ‘These actions that you perform seem to be a type of sorcery. You bring a heifer, burn it, crush it, and take its ashes. One of you becomes impure from a corpse, one sprinkles upon him two or three drops, and you say to him: You are purified.’ He said to him: ‘Has a spirit of insanity never entered you?’

He said to him: ‘No.’ ‘Have you seen a person into whom a spirit of insanity has entered?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ He said to him: ‘And what do you do to him?’ He said to him: ‘We bring roots, smoke them beneath him, and sprinkle water on it, and it flees.’

He said to him: ‘Let your ears hear what you express from your mouth. The same is true of this spirit, this spirit of impurity, as it is written: “I will remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land” (Zechariah 13:2). We sprinkle upon it the water of sprinkling, and it flees.’ After he left, his students said to him: ‘You rebuffed this one with a reed.44It was not a particularly compelling response.

What do you say to us?’ He said to them: ‘As you live, it is not the corpse that impurifies, and it is not the water that purifies. Rather, the Holy One blessed be He said: I instituted a statute, issued a decree; you are not permitted to violate My decree, as it is written: “This is the statute of the Torah.”’ Why are all the offerings male and this is female?

Rabbi Aivu said: This is analogous to the son of a maidservant who defecated in a king’s palace. The king said: Let his mother come and wipe the excrement clean. So, the Holy One blessed be He said: Let the heifer come and atone for the act of the calf.

“Take the staff…and give the congregation and their animals to drink” (Numbers 20:8) – from here, that the Holy One blessed be He spares Israel’s property.45This is indicated by God’s concern for their animals. “Moses and Aaron assembled the assembly to before the rock, and he said to them: Hear now, defiant ones; will we bring out water for you from this rock” (Numbers 20:10). “Moses and Aaron assembled the assembly to before the rock” – likewise it says: “Assemble the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 8:3).46This is an area too small to hold the entire congregation.

It teaches that each and every one saw himself as though he were standing before the rock. Likewise, when they crossed the Jordan, all of Israel entered between the staves of the Ark, as it is stated: “Joshua said to the children of Israel: Come here, and hear the words of the Lord [your God]” (Joshua 3:9). Here all Israel were standing and witnessing the miracles at the rock. They began to say, ‘Moses knows the nature of the rock; if he seeks to [perform a miracle] let him cause water to flow from this one.’47There were those who said: Moses wants to extract water from a specific rock because he knows that from that rock, or from the area of that rock, it is possible to extract water.

If he claims that he will miraculously extract water, let him extract it from this rock which we choose. As a result, Moses was in a quandary. [He thought:] If I listen to them, I will void the words of the Omnipresent, and the Holy One blessed be He: “He traps the wise with their craftiness” (Job 5:13). Moses was very cautious all those forty years not to become exasperated with them, because he was afraid of the oath that the Holy One blessed be He took: “If any man among these men…will see” (Deuteronomy 1:35).48God took an oath that from that generation only Caleb and Joshua would enter the Land of Israel.

While this implied that Moses and Aaron would not enter, it was not explicit. Therefore, Moses was afraid that even if he only became angry at them he would be included in their punishment. They said to him: ‘Just as you wish to cause water to flow from another rock, cause it to flow from this one.’ He screamed at them: “Listen now, hamorim” (Numbers 20:10).

Hamorim has several interpretations: Hamorim –defiant ones; hamorim – fools, as in the cities of the sea, they call fools morim; hamorim – who teach their teachers; hamorim – shooter of arrows: “The archers [hamorim], the men…found him” (I Samuel 31:3); “the archers [hamorim bakeshet]” (I Chronicles 10:3). “Moses raised his hand, and he struck the rock with his staff twice, and a great deal of water came out, and the congregation and their animals drank” (Numbers 20:11).

“Moses raised his hand, and he struck the rock” – he struck it once, the rock began dripping scant water, as it is stated: “Behold, He struck the rock so that water trickled [vayazuvu]” (Psalms 78:20), like a zav, who drips drops. They said to him: Son of Amram, this is water for nursing babies or those just weaned. He immediately grew impatient with them and struck it twice. Much water emerged and washed away everyone who had been mocking him, as it is stated: “And streams were flowing” (Psalms 78:20).

Nevertheless, Moses did it only from the rock that the Holy One blessed be He had told him. From where is it derived that that rock about which Israel spoke as well as each and every rock that was in that place were producing water? It is as it is stated: “He split boulders…[and gave them drink]” (Psalms 78:15). “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have faith in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel; therefore, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them” (Numbers 20:12).

Why was Aaron included? It is as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have faith in Me.” This is analogous to a creditor who came to take possession of the granary of the borrower, and took his and his neighbor’s. He said to him: ‘If I am liable, what sin did my neighbor commit?’

So too said Moses our teacher: ‘I became impatient; what sin did Aaron commit?’ This is why the verse lauds him:49Lauds Aaron, who did not complain. “Of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim for Your virtuous one, whom You tested at Masa, [You challenged him at Mei Meriva]” (Deuteronomy 33:8).

“Because you did not have faith in Me” – did he not say a matter more egregious than this, as he said: “Will flocks and cattle be slain for them, and will it suffice for them? If all the fish of the sea will be gathered for them, will it suffice for them” (Numbers 11:22)? There too there is a lack of faith, and it is greater than this one. Why did He not decree against him there?

To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king who had a close friend who would act arrogantly with harsh words when it was between him and the king, and the king did not take offense from him. Sometime later, he acted arrogantly in the presence of the legions. He [the king] decreed that he be put to death.

Here, too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘The first one that you did was between Me and you. Now, in the presence of the multitudes, it is not possible [to tolerate]’ – as it states: “to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel.”

“Because you did not have faith in Me” – that is what the verse said: “There is futility that is performed on the earth, in that there are righteous who receive as accords with the action of the wicked, and there are wicked who receive as accords with the action of the righteous. I said that this too is futility” (Ecclesiastes 8:14). You find when He cursed the serpent and said to it: “Cursed are you…” (Genesis 3:14), He did not allow it to plead anything, as the serpent could have said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You said to Adam: Do not eat, and I said to him: Eat. Why are You cursing me?’ He did not allow it to plead anything. Aaron could have said: ‘I did not transgress Your words; why am I being put to death?’

“Therefore, you will not bring” – to what is the matter comparable? It is to two women who are being flogged in court; one committed an act of licentiousness, and one ate unripe Sabbatical Year fruit. The one who ate the unripe Sabbatical Year fruits said to them: ‘I implore you, inform the people for what I am being flogged, so they will not say that I too committed an act of licentiousness.’ They brought unripe Sabbatical Year fruits and hung then on her and said: ‘That one committed an act of licentiousness and was flogged, and this one ate unripe Sabbatical Year fruits and was flogged.’

So too, Moses our teacher said: ‘You decreed upon me that I will die in the wilderness with this generation that angered You,’ as it is stated: “How often did they defy Him in the wilderness and distress Him in the desolate land” (Psalms 78:40). ‘Now they will say throughout the generations that I am like them. Let it be written in my regard for what I was punished.’ That is why He wrote: “Because you did not have faith.”

The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘In what capacity do you seek to enter the land?’ This is analogous to a shepherd who went out to herd the king’s flocks and the flocks were taken. The shepherd sought to enter the king’s palace. The king said to him: 'If you enter now, what will the people say?

They will say that you caused the flocks to be taken.'50Therefore, go back and try to retrieve the flock. Here too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Is it to your credit that you took out six hundred thousand, buried them in the wilderness, and you are taking in another generation? Now they will say that the generation of the wilderness has no share in the World to Come. Rather, remain alongside them and come with them,’ as it is stated: “He brings the heads of the people; he performed the righteousness of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 33:21). That is why it is written: “You will not bring this assembly” – but rather, the one that departed with you.

“These are the waters of dispute, where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and He was sanctified through them” (Numbers 20:13). “These are the waters of dispute” – from here you learn that from ancient times it was determined that Moses would be punished due to water. See what is written: “They turned back, and came to Ein Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote the entire field of the Amalekites, as well as the Emorites, who lived in Ḥatzetzon Tamar” (Genesis 14:7) – the spring [ein] of the judgment [mishpat] of Moses.

“These are the waters of dispute” – this is analogous to the son of kings who took a stone and blinded his eye. His father would say regarding every stone: This is the one that blinded my son’s eye. That is why it is stated: “These are the waters of dispute.”51This is an expression of sorrow, just like the statement of the king that the rock blinded his son is an expression of sorrow.

“Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: So said your brother Israel: You know all the travail that we have encountered” (Numbers 20:14). “Moses sent messengers…So said your brother Israel” – this is what the verse said: “He who does not gossip with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor tolerates disgrace for his relative” (Psalms 15:3). The way of the world is that a person who engages in commerce with another and he angered him, he withdraws from him and does not wish to see him.

Moses, even though he was punished by means of Israel, as it is stated: “They provoked at the waters of Meriva, and Moses suffered [on their account]” (Psalms 106:32), he did not remove their burden from upon him,52The midrash interprets the end of the verse as, “he does not consider himself to be disgraced on account of his relative,“ rather, he continues to work on behalf of his relative. but rather, he “sent messengers.”

“Our ancestors descended to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, and the Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors” (Numbers 20:15) “You know all the travail that we have encountered” (Numbers 20:14) – he said to him: ‘You know that when the Holy One blessed be He said: “Know, that your descendants will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved to them, and they will oppress them, four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13), we were enslaved, but you are a free man.’

“Our ancestors descended” – it was due to that oppression. This is analogous to two brothers, where a promissory note was issued against their grandfather and one of them paid it off. Sometime later, one began asking to borrow an item from his brother. He said to him: ‘You know that that debt was on both of us, but it is I who repaid it.

Do not reject me regarding the item that I am asking to borrow.’ “Our ancestors descended to Egypt” – what is the nature of the ancestors here, as it is stated: “And the Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors”? It is because anytime that Israel is in distress, they too, are in distress. “Please, let us pass through your land; we will not pass through a field or through a vineyard, and we will not drink well water; we will go on the king’s way; we will not turn right or left until we pass your border” (Numbers 20:17).

“Please, let us pass through your land…[we will not drink] well water” – it should have said “water of pits.”53Well is singular, but pits is plural. The Torah teaches you etiquette, that one who goes to a land that is not his and has [enough for] his needs in his possession, he should not eat from what is in his possession, but rather, his shall be placed aside and he should purchase from the storekeeper in order to benefit him.

So, Moses said to him: ‘The well accompanies us and we eat manna; do not say that we are an imposition upon you. You will be earning income for yourself’; so, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “You shall purchase food from them with silver” (Deuteronomy 2:6). Moses said to them: ‘Loosen your purse strings, so they will not say: They were slaves, they are poor. Show them your wealth, and they will know that you did not lose because of the enslavement.

“Afterward they will emerge with great wealth” (Genesis 15:14) – and they will know that you are lacking nothing, and it is not from your own that you are giving, as it is stated: “For the Lord your God blessed you…these forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing”’ (Deuteronomy 2:7). “We will go on the king’s way” – as we will muzzle our animals. “We will not turn right or left” – this is the most difficult of all, as they said to him: In all of our surroundings we have permission to kill and pillage, but within your borders, “we will not turn right or left.”

“Edom said to him: You shall not pass through me, lest I come out toward you with the sword” (Numbers 20:18). “Edom said to him: You shall not pass through me” – this is what the verse said: “I am peace; but when I speak, they are for war” (Psalms 120:7). From where is it derived that this is what the Holy One blessed be He said to him, that: ‘They will not allow you to pass, and it is not all from them, because it is I who wants it,’ as it is stated: “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you from their land” (Deuteronomy 2:5), and it is written: “Edom refused to allow Israel” (Numbers 20:21).

Then they sent to the king of Moav, and he was unwilling. Although it is not explicit here, it is explicit in Judges, teaching that it is all in the Divine Spirit, as there was no one among all of them of insignificant stature as Yiftaḥ,54Everything written in the Bible was written with the Divine Spirit, and since Yiftaḥ’s statement is quoted it is certainly a correct description of what had occurred even though he was of insignificant stature. and he stated it explicitly, as it is stated: “Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: Please let me pass through your land; but the king of Edom would not heed.

They also sent to the king of Moav, but he was unwilling” (Judges 11:17). Moses also intimated: “Like the children of Esau, who live in Seir, [and the Moavites, who live in Ar,] did for me” (Deuteronomy 2:29).

“They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, the entire congregation, came to Hor Mountain” (Numbers 20:22). “They traveled from Kadesh and…came” – this is what the verse said: “Because you allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has breached your works” (II Chronicles 20:37). Because they drew near to that wicked one to pass through his land, they lost that righteous one. That is why the gathering of Aaron was juxtaposed just after the portion of the king of Edom.

“Israel turned away from him” (Numbers 20:21). “They traveled from Kadesh” – what is “the entire congregation”? It is a complete congregation, the congregation that is entering the land. It is because those who departed from Egypt died, and these are from those in whose regard it is written in the verse: “All of you are alive today” (Deuteronomy 4:4).

What is “Hor Mountain [Hor Hahar]”? It is a mountain atop a mountain, like a small apple atop a large apple. Although the cloud that went before them would lower the elevations and raise the depressions, the Holy One blessed be He left this mountain as a sample, so they would be aware of the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on their behalf, as He did not leave a mountain in the wilderness, so they would not be exerting themselves and ascending and descending.

Moreover, although the cloud would render the entire wilderness a plain, it would leave an elevation for the Tabernacle that would encamp there, and it left three mountains: Mount Sinai for the Divine Presence, Mount Nevo for Moses’s burial, and Hor Mountain for Aaron’s burial.

“Aaron will be gathered to his people, for he will not come into the land that I have given to the children of Israel, because you defied My directive at the waters of dispute” (Numbers 20:24). It teaches that they inform the righteous of the day of their death, so they can bequeath their crown to their sons. Why did Aaron not die as Miriam died, that no person knew about her, but rather, it was said to Moses: “Aaron will be gathered”?

This is analogous to a king who had two treasurers, and they would not do anything without the king’s knowledge.55Unlike Moses and Aaron, Miriam did not have an official position. One of them had a significant position before the king, and the king had to take the position [and give it to someone else]. The king said: Even though he is under my control, I will not take his position until I inform him.

So, the Holy One blessed be He said: These two elders, they did not do anything without My knowledge. Now that I am removing them, I will not remove them until I inform them. That is why it is stated: “Aaron will be gathered.” He said to Him: ‘My Master, leave him with the children of Reuben and the children of Gad.’

He said to him: “That I have given to the children of Israel” – ‘his death is delaying the giving of the land. Is it your desire that he not die and Israel will not enter the land?’ That is why it is stated: “That I have given to the children of Israel.”

“Because you defied My directive” – this is what the verse said: “The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous” (Proverbs 10:3) – this is Adam the first man, as all the righteous who will descend from him, death was decreed upon them. They do not pass away until they see the countenance of the Divine Presence and reprimand Adam the first man and say to him: ‘You caused death for us.’ He responds: ‘I have one sin attributed to me, but there is not one of you who does not have more than four iniquities.’

From where is it derived that they see the countenance of the Divine Presence and they reprimand Adam the first man? It is as it is stated: “I said: I will not see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living; I will no longer behold a person [adam] among the inhabitants of the world” (Isaiah 38:11). The righteous are punished with death for minor transgressions,56Because the righteous are punished with death for their own transgressions, Adam the first man is not ensnared on the grounds that they died because of him. so Adam the first man will not be ensnared by them, as it is stated: “The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous.”57As mentioned in the beginning of the paragraph, this verse refers to Adam and is interpreted here to mean that he will not suffer because of the death of the righteous. That is why it is stated: “Because you defied My directive.”

“Take Aaron and Elazar his son, and take them up Hor Mountain” (Numbers 20:25). “Strip Aaron of his vestments, and dress Elazar his son in them; and Aaron will be gathered, and die there” (Numbers 20:26). “Take Aaron.… Strip” – the Holy One blessed be He said to him: You comfort him as he is bequeathing his crown to his sons, while you are not bequeathing [your crown] to your sons. “Moses did as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Hor Mountain before the eyes of the entire congregation” (Numbers 20:27).

“Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments and dressed Elazar his son in them, and Aaron died there at the top of the mountain; and Moses and Elazar descended from the mountain” (Numbers 20:28). “Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments, and dressed [Elazar his son] in them” – but is it not so, that if a High Priest goes outside of the Temple Mount58The camp of the Levites in the desert was the equivalent of the Temple Mount (Zevaḥim 116b). in his priestly vestments that he is flogged forty, as they are wool and linen?

Rather, it is to inform you that with the expression that he introduced him into the priesthood: “Take Aaron” (Leviticus 8:2), with that same expression he said to him to ascend the mountain.59There was a special dispensation in this case allowing Aaron to wear the clothing of the High Priest outside of the Temple Mount. “Moses did as the Lord commanded” – to teach you that even though he said to him an evil decree against Aaron, he did not delay.

“The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished, and they wept for Aaron thirty days, the entire house of Israel” (Numbers 20:29). “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished” – when Moses and Elazar descended from the mountain, the entire assembly gathered around them and said to them: ‘Where is Aaron?’ They said to them: ‘He died.’ They said: ‘How could the angel of death harm him, a person who stood against the angel of death and stopped him, as it is stated: “He stood between the dead and the living [and the plague was checked]” (Numbers 17:13)?

If you bring him, fine; if not, we will stone you.’ At that moment, Moses stood in prayer and said: ‘Master of the universe, deliver us from suspicion.’ Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He opened the cave and showed him to them, as it is stated: “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished.” “The Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwells in the south, heard that Israel came via Atarim.

He waged war against Israel, and took captives from them” (Numbers 21:1). What is written thereafter? “The Canaanite, king of Arad” – you find that when Aaron died, the clouds of glory dissipated, and they [Israel] appeared like a woman whose hair is exposed. Who was the “king of Arad”?

This is Amalek, as it is stated: “Amalek dwells in the southern region; and the Hittites, the Yevusites and the Emorites dwell on the mountain; and the Canaanites live along the sea and alongside the Jordan” (Numbers 13:29). It [Amalek] was dwelling in the breach.60They dwelled in the south near the border. When he heard that Aaron had died and that the clouds of glory had dissipated, he immediately provoked them.

“Via Atarim” – the great scout [tayar] that had scouted [tar] the way for them, as it is stated: “The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was traveling before them” (Numbers 10:33).61The following verse states: “The cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they traveled from the camp” (Numbers 10:34). “He waged war against Israel.” If he was Amalek, why is he called “Canaanite”? It is because Israel was prohibited from waging war against the children of Esau,62Amalek was a grandson of Esau. as it is stated: “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you from their land even the tread of a foot, because I have given Mount Seir to be an inheritance to Esau” (Deuteronomy 2:5).

When Amalek came, it provoked them once, twice. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: This one is not prohibited for you like the children of Esau. It is for you like the Canaanites, in whose regard it is stated: “You shall utterly destroy them” (Deuteronomy 20:17). That is why he was called Canaanite.

Amalek had always been a chastising whip for Israel. You find when they said: “Is the Lord in our midst?” (Exodus 17:7), immediately, “Amalek came” (Exodus 17:8). “They said one to another: Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4) – “the Amalekite and the Canaanite descended” (Numbers 14:45). And here: “The Canaanite, king of Arad…heard.”

You find that when Aaron died, Amalek set out against them, and they traveled seven journeys in reverse, as it is stated: “The children of Israel traveled from Be’erot Benei Yaakan to Mosera; there Aaron died” (Deuteronomy 10:6). Did Aaron die there? Did he not die at Hor Mountain, as it is stated: “Aaron died there at the top of the mountain”? The verses prove that they are seven journeys in reverse, to teach you that they traveled in reverse.63See Numbers 33:30–39 which lists the journeys from Mosera to Hor Mountain.

“They traveled from Hor Mountain via the Red Sea, to circumvent the land of Edom, and the soul of the people grew restive on the way” (Numbers 21:4). “They traveled from Hor Mountain…and the soul of the people grew restive on the way” – but is it not written: “You gave Your benevolent spirit to educate them” (Nehemiah 9:20)? It is, rather, that those who departed from Egypt, upon whom death was decreed, saw no satisfaction or benevolent spirit in the wilderness.

Likewise it says: “Your children will be wandering [ro’im]64This is expounded in the sense of the Aramaic raava, satisfaction. The midrash explains that the children of those in the first generation had satisfaction, not the first generation themselves, upon whom death was decreed. in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:33). That is the people, whose soul grew restive on the way.65Namely, the remnants of the first generation grew restive.

“The people spoke against God and against Moses: Why did you bring us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness; for there is no bread and there is no water, and our soul loathes this insubstantial bread” (Numbers 21:5). “The people spoke against God and against Moses” – they drew a parallel between the servant and his Maker. “Our soul loathes this insubstantial bread” – that generation was unable to taste anything of the fruits of the Land [of Israel].

Rabbi Akiva said: When the merchants would reveal to them a basket that came with the fruits of the land, they would die, as it is stated: “If any man among these men, this wicked generation, will see [the good land]” (Deuteronomy 1:35) – all good that comes from the Land [of Israel]. That is why: “And the soul of the people grew restive” (Numbers 21:4) – it is they who murmured: “And our soul loathes.”

“The Lord sent the fiery serpents against the people, and they bit the people, and a large multitude of Israel died” (Numbers 21:6). “The Lord sent the fiery serpents against the people” – what did He see that led Him to exact retribution against them with serpents? It is because the serpent began with slander first and was cursed, but they did not learn from it. The Holy One blessed be He said: Let the serpent that began with slander first come and exact retribution against the slanderers, as it is stated: “One who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him” (Ecclesiastes 10:8).

Another matter: Why did He exact retribution against them with serpents? The serpent, even if it eats all the delicacies in the world, they transform into dust in its mouth, as it is stated: “A serpent, dust will be its food” (Isaiah 65:25). But these eat the manna, which transforms into many tastes, as it is stated: “[They craved.…] He granted them their request” (Psalms 106:14–15). And it says: “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked anything” (Deuteronomy 2:7).

Let the serpent, which eats many kinds but there is one taste in its mouth, exact vengeance against those who eat one kind but taste many types. “The fiery serpents” – that burn the soul. Rabbi Yudan says: “The fiery serpents” – as the cloud would burn them and craft them into a fence for the camp. This is to inform you that the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on their behalf, it was them that He unleashed against them.

“The people came to Moses and said: We sinned, for we spoke against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, and He will remove the serpent from us. Moses prayed on behalf of the people” (Numbers 21:7). “The people came to Moses and said: We sinned” – they knew that they had spoken against Moses, and they prostrated themselves before him and said: “Pray to the Lord, and He will remove [the serpent] from us” – it was a single serpent. “[Moses] prayed” – to inform you of Moses’s humility; he did not hesitate to plead for mercy on their behalf, and to inform you of the power of repentance.

Once they said: “We sinned,” he was immediately placated before them, as the one from whom forgiveness is asked must not become cruel. Likewise it says: “Abraham prayed to God, and God healed [Avimelekh]” (Genesis 20:17). Likewise it says: “The Lord restored Job’s loss when he prayed for his friends” (Job 42:10). From where is it derived that if one wronged another and he says to him: I sinned, that he is called a sinner if he does not forgive him?

It is as it is stated: “I too, far be it from me to sin against the Lord, to cease to pray on your behalf. (I Samuel 12:23). When? It was when they came and said: We sinned, as it is stated: “The people said to Samuel: We have sinned because we transgressed the directive of the Lord and your words” (I Samuel 12:19).66The bracketed verse that appears in the Hebrew without vocalization and in English in pointed brackets is the actual verse.

The verse that appears unbracketed and with vocalization is the non-existent verse that appears in the midrash. He responded: “Far be it from me to sin against the Lord.” “The Lord said to Moses: Craft for yourself a fiery serpent, and place it upon a standard; it will be, that anyone who was bitten, if he will see it he will live” (Numbers 21:8). “The Lord said to Moses: Craft for yourself a fiery serpent…it will be, that anyone who was bitten” – not only one who was bitten by a serpent, but rather “anyone who was bitten” – even if he was bitten by a cobra, a scorpion, a wild beast, or a dog.

“Moses crafted a bronze serpent and placed it on the standard [nes]” (Numbers 21:9) – he cast it into the air and it remained.67The word nes can also mean, “the miracle.”

“The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Ovot” (Numbers 21:10). “The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Ovot” (Numbers 21:10) – they became enemies [oyevim] to the Omnipresent. “They encamped at Iyei HaAvarim” (Numbers 21:11) –they were filled with transgressions [averot]. “They encamped in the Zered Ravine” (Numbers 21:12) – the ravine had no more than the capacity of a span [zeret],68A zeret is a half-cubit. but they were unable to cross it for thirty-eight years, as it is stated: “Now rise, and cross yourselves over the Zered Ravine” (Deuteronomy 2:13).

And it is written: “The days that we went from Kadesh Barne’a until we crossed the Zered Ravine were thirty-eight years, until the demise of the entire generation” (Deuteronomy 2:14). “From there they traveled, and encamped across [me’ever] the Arnon” (Numbers 21:13) – as the Holy One blessed be He reconciled with them.69Me’ever is expounded to mean that they emerged from the fury [me’evrat] of the Holy One blessed be He.

“Then Israel sang this song: Rise, well; give voice for it” (Numbers 21:17). “Then Israel sang this song” – this song was recited at the conclusion of forty years, and the well was given to them at the beginning of forty. What did the reason that led it to be written here? This matter is expounded previous to it: “Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord: Vahev [by storm [besufa], and the tributaries of the Arnon]” (Numbers 21:14) – the Holy One blessed be He performed on their behalf signs and miracles at the tributaries of the Arnon like the miracles that He performed on their behalf at the Red Sea [Yam Suf].

What are the miracles of the tributaries of Arnon? A person stands on this mountain and speaks to another on that mountain, and it is at a distance of seven mil.70To walk from one to the other, one has to climb down from one mountain and then up the other. The way descends into the ravine and ascends, and Israel’s path was to cross in the ravine. All the nations gathered there, endless multitudes.

Some were positioned in the ravine. Above them the ravine was caves, and opposite the caves were projections of boulders like breasts [shadayim], as it is stated: “And the outpouring of [ve’eshed] the ravines” (Numbers 21:15). The multitudes entered the caves and said: When Israel descends into the ravine, these will confront them in the ravine and those above from the caves; we will kill them all.

When Israel reached that place, He did not require them to descend below through the ravine, but rather intimated to the mountains, and the breast-like projections of this mountain entered into the caves, and they all died. The mountains brought their peaks adjacent to one another and became a smooth road. It is unknown which mountain moved adjacent to the other. That ravine interposes between the domain of the Land of Israel and the domain of the land of Moav, as it is stated: “For Arnon is the border of Moav, between Moav and the Emorites” (Numbers 21:13).

The mountain that was in the land of Moav, the one with the caves, did not move. The mountain from the Land of Israel, in which there were breast-like projections, moved adjacent to the mountain opposite it. Why did it move? It is because it is of the Land of Israel.

This is analogous to a maidservant71This a metaphor for the mountain. who saw the son of her master72This is a metaphor for the children of Israel. coming to her. She leapt from her place and preceded him and received him. The boulders entered into the caves and crushed all those mighty ones; and the well descended into the ravine and swelled, and eliminated all of the multitudes just as the sea eliminated them.

That is why it juxtaposed: “Vahev by storm [besufa]” (Numbers 21:14), to “the tributaries of the Arnon” (Numbers 21:14). Israel passed atop those mountains but were unaware of all these miracles. The Holy One blessed be He said: I will inform My children how many multitudes I eliminated from before them. The well descended into those caves and took out unfathomable numbers of skulls, arms, and legs.

Israel returned to seek the well and saw it emerging full from the ravine and taking out limbs upon limbs. From where is it derived that the well informed them? It is as it is stated: “And the outpouring of the ravines.… and from there to the well” (Numbers 21:15–16). Was it from there?

Was it not with them from the beginning of forty years? It is, rather, that it descended to publicize the miracles, and Israel was standing over the ravines and saying: “Rise, well, give voice for it” (Numbers 21:17), and they recited song over them.

“Then Israel sang” – why is Moses not mentioned there? It is because he was punished by means of water, and a person does not laud his executioner. Why is the name of the Holy One blessed be He not mentioned in it? This is analogous to a ruler who prepared a feast for the king.

The king said: ‘Is my close friend there?’ They said to him: ‘No.’ He said: ‘I too will not go there.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: Since Moses is not mentioned there, I too am not mentioned there. “A well that princes dug, that the nobles of the people excavated, with a ruler’s staff, with their canes.

And from the wilderness to Matana” (Numbers 23:18). “A well that princes dug, that the nobles of the people excavated” – was there digging there? Rather, it was given due to the merit of the patriarchs, who were called princes, as it is stated: “He opened a rock and water flowed.… For He remembered His sacred word to Abraham His servant” (Psalms 105:41–42). “That the nobles of the people excavated, with a ruler’s staff, with their canes” – the princes stood atop it drawing with their staffs, each and every one to his tribe and to his family.

The space between the banners was filled with water flowing with a powerful current. A woman who needed to go to her friend from one banner to another would go by ship, as it is stated: “They went batziyot in the river” (Psalms 105:41). Tziyot means nothing other than ships, as it is stated: “A mighty ship [vetzi] will not cross it” (Isaiah 33:21). The water emerged outside the camp and surrounded it in a broad swath, as it is stated: “He leads me in circles of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalms 23:3).

It causes endless varieties of vegetation and trees to grow, as it is stated: “He lies me down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters” (Psalms 23:2). All the days that they were in the wilderness, they made use of it in this way. That is why they lauded: “Rise, well.… that princes dug” (Numbers 21:17–18). “And from the wilderness to Matana”73The word matana means a gift. – it was given to them in the wilderness to serve them.

Another matter: Why was it given in the wilderness?74The midrash here interprets the verse as referring to the Torah. It is because had it been given to them in the Land [of Israel], the tribe within whose boundary it was would say: I take precedence in its regard. That is why it was given in the wilderness, so that they would all be equal in its regard. Moreover, why was it given in the wilderness?

Just as the wilderness is not sown and not cultivated, so, one who accepts the yoke of Torah, they unload the yoke of earning a livelihood from him. Just as the wilderness is exempt from tax,75Nothing grows there, so there is nothing to tax. so, masters of Torah are free men in this world. Another matter: In the wilderness – who sustains the Torah?76This is a reference to one who knows the content of the Torah.

It is one who conducts himself like a wilderness and withdraws himself from everything. “And from Matana to Naḥaliel, and from Naḥaliel to Bamot. And from Bamot to the canyon that is in the field of Moav, by the top of Pisga, and overlooks the surface of the wasteland” (Numbers 21:19–20). “And from Matana to Naḥaliel, and from Naḥaliel to Bamot” – three places, corresponding to the three courts in Jerusalem that would explain the Torah to all of Israel.

“From Matana to Naḥaliel” – this is the Sanhedrin that was on the Temple Mount.77Naḥaliel can be read as the portion [naḥalat] of God [El] (see Eshed Haneḥalim). “And from Naḥaliel to Bamot” – this is the Sanhedrin that was in the Courtyard, alongside the altar.78Bama can refer to an altar (see Eshed Haneḥalim). “And from Bamot to the canyon that is in the field of Moav” – this was the Sanhedrin that was in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, in the area of Ruth,79This refers to the tribal portion of Judah, as Ruth was an ancestor of King David from the tribe of Judah. who came from the field of Moav – “she is a young Moavite woman who returned with Naomi from the field of Moav” (Ruth 2:6).

“And overlooks the surface of the wasteland” – this is the well that accompanied them until it entered the sea of Tiberias. One who stands upon the surface of the wasteland80Mount Nevo. sees it in the sea like an oven full, and that is the well that is overlooked from the surface of the wasteland.