Midrash Aggadah Reader

"Behold." The silver that I have given to Abraham — about whom you say, "He is my brother" — for this I gave it to him: that he should buy you with it a covering of the eyes, so that all will know that you are a noblewoman, and they will not ask thus. And therefore it is said, "and to all that are with thee, and with all, and she was reproved" (Genesis 20:16). And whoever asks about you, "Is she his wife?" — be careful that you no longer speak so, lest they cause you to stumble among people. Another interpretation: "Behold, he is to thee a covering of the eyes." If you concealed from me, in that he said "She is my sister" and she said "He is my brother" — therefore you shall have a son who will be for you a covering of the eyes. And therefore the Sages, of blessed memory, said: Let not the curse of a common man be light in your eyes. And because Abimelech cursed Sarah, in that he said to her, "May you have a son who will be a covering of the eyes for you," therefore "And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, his eyes were dim" (Genesis 27:1).

"For the LORD had fast closed up ('atzor 'atzar, lit. 'closing, He had closed')." Why is the closing-up doubled? Because they could neither pass water, nor relieve themselves, nor emit any semen at all. "Because of Sarah" — when Sarah would say to the angels, "Strike Abimelech," they would strike him; and when she would say to them, "Let him be," they would let him be. And from where do you say that Abimelech was stricken with great plagues, just as Pharaoh was stricken? And likewise, from where do you say that Pharaoh was stricken with closing-up, just as Abimelech was stricken? "Because of" / "because of" — by a verbal analogy (gezerah shavah).

"And Edom said to him" (Numbers 20:18). Edom said to them: You exalt yourselves against us with the blessing that your father blessed you, and with that which Jacob your father was blessed; and I exalt myself over you with that which our father was blessed, "and by your sword you shall live" (Genesis 27:40). Therefore it says, "lest I come out against you with the sword" (Numbers 20:18).

"You shall not make [gods] with Me." Not in the likeness of the sun, nor the form of the orb, nor the form of the moon. Another interpretation: "You shall not make with Me" any image whatsoever, as it is written, "And to whom will you liken Me" and so on (Isaiah 40:25), but rather "an altar of earth (adamah) you shall make for Me." Another interpretation: "an altar of earth," and so on. Do not read it "an altar of earth (adamah)," but rather "an altar of the blood (dam) of circumcision." For today Israel is in their exiles, and anyone to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, gives a son and who circumcises him on the eighth day, it is as if he built an altar to the Lord and offered up upon it a burnt offering. Therefore it is said, "an altar of earth." Another interpretation: "altar" (mizbe'ach): Mem stands for milah (circumcision); Zayin for "Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac (and Israel) [and Jacob]" (Deuteronomy 9:27); Bet for berakhah (blessing); Chet for chayyim (life). And the altar must be built so that one does not wield iron upon it, for the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let not the sword that slays human beings be wielded upon the altar that atones for the iniquities of Israel.

"And you shall not go up by steps upon My altar." For the ramp resembles a kind of board. "That your nakedness be not uncovered upon it." For the priests would go up upon it heel beside big toe, for if they were to widen their steps, their nakedness would be seen. Another interpretation: "And you shall not go up by steps (ma'alot)." Do not read it "ma'alot" (steps) but "me'ilot" (acts of misappropriation), that is to say: if there is in your hand anything misappropriated, by which the priest committed trespass, he shall not go up. "Your nakedness shall not be uncovered upon it." And do not bring it near My altar to offer, for I will not accept it, and it will uncover your nakedness before all Israel who stand below and watch; for if the offering is not accepted, the smoke does not rise like a column. "You shall not go up." You shall not bring in, like "a thorn that goes up into the hand of a drunkard" (Proverbs 26:9). And is it possible that it "goes up"? Rather, when he is drunk he stretches out his hand toward the thorns, and the thorn enters his hand and pains him.

"And Moses did as the LORD commanded" (Numbers 20:27). Moses was distressed at having to tell Aaron that he must die. Moses said to him: "My brother, the Holy One, blessed be He, has a deposit in your keeping, and He wishes that you give Him His deposit." Aaron said to him: "My brother, let the Master who deposited take His deposit; let Him take what He entrusted" — for Aaron thought that perhaps it concerned Elazar and Itamar. Moses said to him: "It is another matter; it is not the reckoning that you have reckoned." He said to him: "My brother, if so, what is it?" He said to him: "He asks of you one lamp." At once Aaron understood that he was speaking of his soul, and he began to weep. Moses said to him: "Do not be distressed, for your sons after you will inherit your place, for thus the Omnipresent has commanded me: that I strip off your garments and clothe with them Elazar and Itamar your sons, who will fill your place." At once Aaron sighed. He lifted his eyes and saw a couch made ready and a lamp kindled. Aaron went and lay down upon that couch, and after Moses stripped off the holy garments, at once he died by a kiss.

"And Moses and Eleazar came down from the mountain" (Numbers 20:28). Israel said: Where is Aaron? He said to them: He has already died. But they would not believe him. They said to him: The man who held back the Angel of Death and would not allow him to strike the people—now the Angel of Death has gained power over him? And they would not believe, until the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them his bier, like a man who lies upon a bed; immediately they believed him. Therefore it is said, "And all the congregation saw that Aaron had expired" (Numbers 20:29). Another interpretation: Do not read it as "and they saw" (va-yir'u), but rather as "and they feared" (va-yir'u), for immediately the clouds of glory departed, since the clouds were there by the merit of Aaron; and therefore, "that Aaron had expired." And we render it in the Aramaic translation, "for Aaron had died" (ari mit Aharon).

"And they wept for Aaron thirty days, all the House of Israel" (Numbers 20:29): What is stated about Aaron is greater than what is stated about Moses. As regarding Moses, only the men wept for him, but regarding Aaron, the men and the women wept for him - since he was one that pursued peace and loved peace, and restored peace between a man and his wife, and between a man and his fellow. This is [the meaning of] that which is written (Malachi 2:6), "He walked with Me in peace and justice, and brought many back from iniquity."

And what did Aaron do? When he heard that two men or a man and his wife were arguing, he would go to one of them and say to him, "Your fellow came to me and is distraught in his heart that he angered you; so he cajoled me that I should come to you [and get your forbearance], so that he [can] come to you and be forgiven by you." And Aaron would not leave from there until he would remove all the hatred in his heart and bring peace between them.

Then he would leave. And when he (the one with which Aaron had spoken) met his fellow, they would immediately love and embrace each other and kiss each other. And so was it during all the days of Aaron, peace be upon him; and such was his trait. When he heard that there was an argument between a man and his wife, he would not leave them until they made peace.

Hence the men and the women wept for Aaron, but only the males wept for our teacher Moses, peace be upon him. And also [because] Moses would say, "Let justice pierce the mountain," whereas Aaron would bring a compromise between two litigants.

"And the LORD remembered Sarah" (Genesis 21:1). At the hour when Sarah was given the tidings that she would have Isaac, Sarah was praying before the Place, blessed be He: "Since You have given me seed, why should there be so great a servitude as this?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: "I will subtract from the count, corresponding to your years and corresponding to the years of Abraham, which are one hundred and ninety; and therefore Israel will not be enslaved in Egypt except for two hundred and ten years." This is what Scripture says: "And the LORD remembered Sarah as He had said, and the LORD did unto Sarah as He had spoken" (Genesis 21:1).

"And the Canaanite heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim" (Numbers 21:1). "And the Canaanite heard" — once the Canaanites heard that Aaron had died, they said: Their scout has died; now is the hour for us to go and wage war against them. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: It says "that Israel came by the way of Atharim" — the meaning of "Atharim" is "the scouts" (ha-tarim). Once they heard that Aaron the great priest had died, they said: Their great scout has died, and the pillar of cloud that used to wage war for them has been removed; now is the hour for us to go and wage war against them. Another interpretation: "And the Canaanite heard." But did the Canaanite dwell in the Negev? Surely he dwelt in the hill country, as it is said: "Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev, and the Canaanite dwells in the hill country" (Numbers 13:29). Rather, who was this Canaanite? This was Amalek, who dwells in the Negev, as it is said: "Amalek dwells in the land of the Negev." The Amalekites said: At first, when we came to wage war with Israel, they defeated us by their voice, by that with which their father was blessed, as it is said: "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (Genesis 27:22) — they lifted up their voice and cried out before the Holy One, blessed be He, so that the Amalekites would fall, and He heard their voice and delivered us into their hand. Now let us do a thing so that they will not recognize us. What did they do? They went to the land of Canaan and learned the language of Canaan, and their king too put on the garments of Canaan — this was the king of Arad — and he made himself out as if he were a king of Canaan. They said: When they wage war they will say that we are Canaanites, and they will cry out to the Holy One, blessed be He, to deliver the Canaanites into their hand, while we are Amalekites, and we will slay them. When Israel heard — from the time that Israel came, these spies, by the way of Atharim, and "Atharim" means nothing other than "scouts." And whence do we know that the spies went by that road? For thus Moses said to them: "Go up here into the Negev" (Numbers 13:17). "And fought against Israel, and took some of them captive." They took from them only a single maidservant, and she was of their own, for thus it is said "captive" — she was of the captivity. When they saw them — for they were speaking the tongue of Canaan and their garments were like the Amalekites', except that the king of Arad changed himself so that he resembled the wild ass (arod) of the wilderness — Israel said: This nation, we do not recognize it. If we cry out to the Holy One, blessed be He, to give the Amalekites into our hand, perhaps they are Canaanites; and if we cry out to the Holy One, blessed be He, to give the Canaanites into our hand, perhaps they are Amalekites. Rather, what did Israel do? They cried out to the Holy One, blessed be He, in a general way; they said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "If You will indeed deliver this people" etc. (Numbers 21:2). And the Holy One, blessed be He, heard, and delivered them into their hand, as it is said: "And the Lord hearkened to the voice of Israel" (Numbers 21:3).

"And the soul of the people grew short on the way" (Numbers 21:4). This thing the Holy One, blessed be He, did for the good of Israel, but they thought evil of Him. And how do we know this? As it is said, "And the people spoke against God and against Moses" (Numbers 21:5). Yet the Holy One, blessed be He, did it only so that they should not fall into the hand of their enemies, the Edomites; and furthermore, that He might give them the land of Sihon and Og; and furthermore, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them water from the earth and bread from heaven. But they were saying that they were lacking every good thing. And this is what they said: "and our soul loathes this light bread (ha-kelokel)" (Numbers 21:5). Another interpretation of "this light bread (ha-kelokel)": that it was light in their body, for they had no need to go outside. And they were saying: Who has ever seen a person who eats and does not go outside to relieve himself? Yet we grind it and we do not excrete, and tomorrow we will swell up and our bellies will burst. But the Holy One, blessed be He, did this for them only for praise, and they put out an evil report against it. Then "the LORD sent the fiery serpents (ha-nechashim ha-serafim) among the people" (Numbers 21:6). They took up the matters of the primeval serpent, and they spoke against the Holy One, blessed be He, words that were not fitting; therefore He punished them with serpents. Another interpretation: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let the serpents come, whose food is dust and who do not complain about their food, and let them punish these, whose food and sustenance is from the manna and the quail, yet they complain about their food. "The fiery serpents (serafim)": that they burn during his lifetime everyone whom they bite. And when they said "we have sinned," as it is said, "and they said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD and against you" (Numbers 21:7), they asked of Moses that he should pray for them; and Moses was not cruel. Immediately he prayed for them, for anyone who does not pray for his fellow is a sinner, as it is said concerning Samuel, "Far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you" (1 Samuel 12:23). And from whom do you learn this? From Moses our teacher, peace be upon him. And the Holy One, blessed be He, too, when He heard that they said "we have sinned," accepted the prayer of Moses and instructed them what they should do until they would be saved, as it is said, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Make thee a fiery serpent (saraf)" (Numbers 21:8).

"And Sarah said, 'God has made laughter for me,' etc." (Genesis 21:6) — for at the time that Sarah conceived, all the barren women in the land conceived, and just as she rejoiced, so all the barren women rejoiced. Another interpretation: "He has made laughter for me" — merit caused Isaac to be born. This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, took from me a yod and raised up for me in place of the yod a heh, and that yod was given to Isaac.

"And she said, 'Who would have said to Abraham,'" etc. (Genesis 21:7). For everyone was saying, "Look at an old man and an old woman who took a child from the marketplace and claimed that he is their son." What did Abraham do? He invited all the people of the city, and Sarah our mother invited their wives. And in order to test her, they brought their little ones along with them among them, and they said to her that she should nurse their sons. Immediately Sarah nursed them among them. At that moment they believed that Isaac was indeed their son. And concerning this it is said, "Sarah would nurse children" (Genesis 21:7).

"Whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking" (Genesis 21:9). For he set up a brick and kissed it, as it is said, "And they rose up to make sport" (Exodus 32:6). And some say that he took a bow and arrows and was shooting the bow toward Isaac, for he sought to kill him, as it is said, "As a madman who casts firebrands, arrows, and death, so is the man who deceives his neighbor and says, 'Am I not but making sport?'" (Proverbs 26:18-19).

"And Moses made a serpent of brass" (Numbers 21:9). But did not the Holy One, blessed be He, not tell him to make a serpent? Rather, Moses said: I will make one of brass, so that all Israel may look upon it and remember what the primordial serpent did, and what befell him, and immediately they will return in repentance. And this is what is said, "and he beheld the serpent of brass, and lived" (Numbers 21:9). But does a serpent kill and give life? Rather, when the one who has been bitten looks upward and directs his heart to Heaven and remembers the deed of the serpent and repents, immediately he is healed, and he does not waste away in his sickness.

"Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of the LORD." This is the book of And these are the names (Exodus), in which is written the war that the Holy One, blessed be He, made against Egypt, and the war at the Sea, as it is said, "The LORD will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:14) — this is the war of the Sea; "for the LORD fights for them against Egypt" (Exodus 14:25) — this is the war of Egypt. What is written there? Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, did for them at the Red Sea, as it is said, "till Your people pass over, O LORD, till the people pass over whom You have acquired" (Exodus 15:16). "Till they pass the brooks of Arnon" — "till they pass the Jordan." Therefore it is said, "Vahev in Suphah," that which He gave at the Sea, so He did at the brooks of Arnon. And what miracles were done for them at the brooks of Arnon? When the Amorites heard that Israel wished to pass the brooks of Arnon — and there were caves there — the Amorites hid themselves there, and they thought in their hearts: when Israel passes, we will make war with them and slay them. But they did not know that the Ark went with them and lowered the mountains before them. When it arrived there, there were two mountains resembling two breasts, and the Ark brought them together into the caves, and they were all slain. And this is what is written, "and the slope of the brooks" — these are the two mountains "which incline toward the dwelling of Ar, and lean upon the border of Moab." A parable: to what is the matter like? To a maidservant who saw the son of her mistress in danger and went to save him; so was that mountain which had the breasts upon it, and they were upon the land of Israel; and when it saw that Israel were in danger within it, it inclined toward the dwelling of Ar to save them. And who told this to Israel? The Rabbis explain: there were two lepers there, "Vahev in Suphah," and the cloud cast them outside, and they saw the blood of the Amorites that came forth from the caves, and they came and told Israel. And the Rabbis of the Land of Israel explain that the Well went with them and entered those caves and brought forth the dead from there, and therefore it is said, "and from there to Beer" (Numbers 21:16), for there the Well passed; and through it occurred the miracles that the Holy One, blessed be He, did for them, and He made known to them the vengeance He had wrought upon their enemies.

"Where he is" (Genesis 21:17). Because the ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, the descendants of this one are destined to kill Your children with thirst, and yet You perform a miracle for him, bringing him a well of water!" And from where do we know that the descendants of Ishmael killed Israel with thirst? As it is said, "To meet the thirsty bring water" (Isaiah 21:14). For when Israel went into exile, they went from them to Ishmael. They said to them: "Give us water and bread to eat and to drink, for you are our brethren." They said to them: "Eat first, and afterward you shall drink water." They brought them kinds of salty foods, and empty waterskins, inflated and dipped in water, and they would bring the waterskins near their mouths so that they would drink, but the air would enter their mouths, and they would die. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the angels: "Now, what is he — righteous or wicked?" Therefore it is said, "for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is" (Genesis 21:17).

"Then Israel sang" — they uttered song before the Holy One, blessed be He, over the miracle, and they praised the Holy One, blessed be He, for the good things He had done for them by means of the well, from beginning to end. They began to recall how the Creator had given [it] from beginning to end. This is what is written: "A well the princes dug" (verse 18) — this is Moses and the elders of Israel, as you say, "Take with you of the elders of Israel, etc.; behold, I will stand before you there on the rock" (Exodus 17:5–6) — the master preceded the disciple. And so with Ezekiel: "Arise, go out to the valley, and there I will speak with you," "And I arose and went out to the valley, and behold, there the glory of the LORD" (Ezekiel 3:22–23). And what is "dug"? Like "and they searched out for us the land" (Deuteronomy 1:22) — for Moses did not know which rock it was, until the Holy One, blessed be He, told him the sign of that rock, that the Shekhinah had appeared upon it; then he knew that it was the rock.

"Which the nobles of the people delved" (Numbers 21:18) — this is Moses and Aaron, when Miriam died, as it is said, "Take the staff and assemble the [congregation], etc." (Numbers 20[:8]). "With the lawgiver" — this is Moses; and through Moses came the matters, for he is called "lawgiver," as it is said, "for there a portion of the lawgiver was reserved" (Deuteronomy 33:21). "With their staves" — this is the staff that belonged to Moses and to Aaron. And from where do we know that it was Aaron's? As it is said, "Say to Aaron, take your staff" (Exodus 7:19); and it says, "Stretch out your staff and strike the dust of the earth" (Exodus 8:12). "And from the wilderness, Mattanah" — a gift that He gave them in a land of desert and pit, a place of thirst where they had no water, and He brought forth for them water from the flinty rock.

"And from Mattanah to Nahaliel" (Numbers 21:19) — for that goodness with which He gave them drink in the wilderness by means of the well. And it went down with them to the valleys of Arnon, and from the valleys of Arnon it went up with them to the high places (bamoth) of the mountains, and from the high places it went down with them to the valley that is in the field of Moab, for that valley looked out from the high places upon the face of the wasteland (Jeshimon). Another interpretation: "And from there to Beer" (Numbers 21:16) — when Israel reached settled land, the well was taken away from them, and Israel spoke a song over it, as it is said, "Then Israel sang" (Numbers 21:17). And why was the name of Moses our teacher not mentioned over the well? Because he was punished through it, for the Holy One, blessed be He, swore on account of it that Moses would not enter the Land. Israel began to speak the praise of the well. Another interpretation: "A well that the princes dug" (Numbers 21:18) — this is the Torah, which was kept by Abraham and Jacob, as it is said of Abraham, "And he kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5), and of Jacob it is said, "And Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents" (Genesis 25:27). "That the nobles of the people delved" — these are Israel, who received it from Sinai, and through it they are called nobles, as it is said, "The nobles of the peoples are gathered together" (Psalms 47:10). And because they were blessed through its voice, they therefore merited kingship, as it is said, "And you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:6). "With the lawgiver (mehokek)" — by means of Moses, who is called lawgiver. "With their staffs (mish'anotam)" — for they leaned (nish'anu) upon Moses, in that they accepted everything he told them from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, to keep, as it is said, "Speak you with us, and we will hear" (Exodus 20:19). "And from the wilderness, a gift (Mattanah)" — whoever makes himself like the wilderness, the Torah is given to him as a gift. For this reason the Torah is likened to water: just as water cannot stand in a high place, and goes only to a low place, so too the Torah endures only in one who makes himself like the wilderness. "And from Mattanah to Nahaliel" — since the Torah was given to him as a gift, he inherited God (nahalu El). "And from Nahaliel to Bamoth (the high places)" — since he inherited God, he rose to greatness, as it is said, "And from Nahaliel to Bamoth." But if he exalts himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings him low, as it is said, "And from Bamoth to the valley" (Numbers 21:20).

"And Sihon would not allow Israel to pass through his border" (Numbers 21:23). He said to them: The whole purpose of the Canaanites — we were hired only so that I would not let you pass. Immediately, "and Sihon gathered" (Numbers 21:23). And why was his name called Sihon? Because he went after speech (sichah). And what was his name? Canaani was his name.

"For the border of the children of Ammon was strong" (Numbers 21:24). And what strength did the border of the children of Ammon have, that they took only up to the border of the children of Ammon — was it its strength? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "And when you come near, opposite the children of Ammon, do not harass them" (Deuteronomy 2:19).

"Therefore the proverbialists say: Come to Heshbon" (Numbers 21:27). Because Sihon took Heshbon from the hand of the king of Moab, and Israel took from the hand of Sihon Heshbon and everything that he had taken from Moab. Therefore our Sages, of blessed memory, said theirs to Israel, when they ruled over the land: "Come to Heshbon and build it" (Numbers 21:27), for it is the city of Sihon — and men of war who are harsher than the men of war of Heshbon: "a flame consumed Ar of Moab, the lords of the high places of Arnon" (Numbers 21:28).

"The seven ewe-lambs of the flock" (Genesis 21:28). Our Rabbis said: Because Abraham gave Abimelech seven ewe-lambs, he was therefore punished, and the Ark of God stood in the field of the Philistines for seven months. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Abraham, you gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, his sons will make war with your sons and will be victorious." Another interpretation: He said to him, "You gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, his sons will slay among your sons seven righteous ones." And these are they: Samson, Hophni and Phinehas, and Saul and his three sons. Another interpretation: He said to him, "You gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, his sons will destroy seven sanctuaries." And these are they: the Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, Nob, Gibeon, Shiloh, and the Eternal House [the Temple] two times. Another interpretation: He said to him, "You gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, my Ark will be abandoned in the field of the Philistines for seven months," as it is said: "And the Ark of the LORD was in the field of the Philistines seven months" (I Samuel 6:1).

"Woe to you, Moab! You are undone, O people of Chemosh" (Numbers 21:29). You suppose that the reason Israel does not wage war against them is out of fear of Chemosh their god, or that they refrained because they trusted in Chemosh their god; therefore the praise of Sihon and the destruction of Moab — which is the people of Chemosh — is stated. "He has given his sons as fugitives" — for they fled from the war, and none remained of them except fugitives. "And his daughters" — who did not fight and were not able to flee; therefore Sihon the king took them captive.

"And we shot at them; Heshbon is perished" (Numbers 21:30). Israel said: We judged them through Sihon, and therefore Heshbon perished. They said: Heshbon, their city, and we laid waste the land "even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba." Another interpretation: "Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say: Come ye to Heshbon" (Numbers 21:27). And who are these "rulers" (moshlim)? This is Balaam and also his father; and therefore Scripture called them moshlim, after the manner of "and he took up his parable (mashal)" (Numbers 23:7). For Heshbon was a heavy and strong and lofty city, and even had it been guarded by gnats Sihon would not have been able to conquer it, until he hired Balaam and his father; and Balaam cursed them, and no man of valor found his hands to guard it. And concerning this matter Balak sent to Balaam to curse Israel, and concerning this Balak said, "for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed" (Numbers 22:6). He blessed Sihon and cursed Moab, and they said to Sihon, "Come ye to Heshbon." Moses began to set forth how Balaam cursed Heshbon and also Moab, and blessed Sihon. Another interpretation: "Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say." These are the rulers over their evil inclination: "Come to Heshbon" — come and let us reckon the accounting of the world, the loss of a commandment against its reward, and the reward of a transgression against its loss; "let the city be built and established" — for the life of the World to Come, together with the righteous who recount the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "ye that walk by the way, tell of it (sichu)" (Judges 5:10). "For a fire is gone out of Heshbon" — a fire shall go forth from those who reckon the loss of a commandment against its reward, and the reward of a transgression against its loss. "A flame from the city of Sihon" — just as the righteous recount the Torah, so it shall consume those who deal treacherously with the Lord to do all their wickedness. "The lords of the high places of the Arnon" — these are the haughty who do the deeds of the proud. Another interpretation: "the lords of the high places of the Arnon" — this is he who casts off from himself the yoke of Heaven, and they place upon him the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the world. "Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh" — every people that serves idolatry, its end is to be destroyed; this is what is written, "But if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I declare unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish" (Deuteronomy 30:17-18). "To Sihon king of the Amorites" — for he is like a shoot (siach) in the wilderness; this is what is written, "The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far" (Deuteronomy 28:49). "And we shot at them" — woe to the wicked, and woe to his neighbor. "Heshbon is perished" — they lost the accounting of the world, and said, "there is no judgment and there is no Judge," because they said of some of them: their end is to come unto Dibon — that we shall judge their soul then; "and we have laid waste even unto Nophah" — and afterward their soul shall come to the end, that it be burned and come unto Gehinnom, which is a fire that needs no blowing (nippuach). "Which reacheth unto Medeba" — its end is to be judged in Gehinnom, and the Holy One, blessed be He, shall do with them what He wishes; this is what is written, "until He have executed, and till He have performed the purposes of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it" (Jeremiah 23:20).

"And he planted an eshel in Beer-sheba" (Genesis 21:33). Eshel ( ") is an acronym for "eating" (akhilah), "drinking" (shtiyah), "escorting" (levayah). And some say it was an actual tree, and from it was made the middle bar, and our father Jacob brought it down to Egypt when he went down there. "And he called there in the name of the LORD" (Genesis 21:33). He made an inn, and all who passed and came would enter there, and our father Abraham would give them bread and meat and wine to eat and to drink. After they had eaten and drunk, Abraham would say to them: "Bless the God of the world, for you have eaten from what is His." They would say: "We will bless none but you." Abraham would say: "If so, give me the money for what you have eaten." Once each one saw his distress, he would bless the Holy One, blessed be He, the One who is God of the world.

"And Og came out." And why was he called by the name Og? After the name of the cakes (ugot) of unleavened bread, for at that time, when Lot was taken captive, it was Passover, and Og came and told Abraham, as it is said, "And the fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew" (Genesis 14:13). And he did this only for evil. For thus he said in his heart: Abram has dealt kindly with Lot, and he loves him; and when he hears that Lot has been taken captive, he will immediately go out to wage war against them and be killed, and I will take Sarah his wife. And why is it said, "And the Lord said to Moses: Do not fear him" (verse 34)? And why did Moses fear, what he did not fear from Sihon? Were not Sihon and Og the sons of Achiah and Hiyya, the sons of Shemchai and Uzza, and the two of them equal in greatness and in might? And concerning them it is said, "To Him who smote great kings; and slew mighty kings: Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan" (Psalms 136:17-19-20). And why did he fear Og more than Sihon? Rather, Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, was doing well. Moses said: Perhaps a merit will stand for him on account of his having told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive, as it is said, "And the fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew" (Genesis 14:13). And therefore the Holy One said to him: "Do not fear him, for into your hand I have given him" — and the matter about which you fear concerning him, fear not, for at that time as well he intended for evil and not for good; and even so I gave him his reward, that I multiplied his days and his years until this day. But his deeds and the thought that he thought, I will requite him, that I will deliver him into your hand; this is what is written, "for into your hand I have given him" (verse 34).

"And they struck him and his sons and all his people" (Numbers 21:35). They said concerning Og that he devised a plan and said: "How large is the camp of Israel? Three parsangs. I will go and uproot a mountain three parsangs wide and hurl it upon them." He went and uprooted the mountain, and it was three parsangs across, and he carried it upon his head and came. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent a raven — and some say an ant — and it bored through it, and it descended onto his neck. When he sought to remove it, his teeth stretched out this way and that way, and he was not able to remove it. So too you find with the teeth of the wicked in the time to come, as it is said: "You have broken the teeth of the wicked" (Psalms 3:8) — do not read it "shibbarta" (you have broken) but "shirbavta" (you have stretched out). And when Moses our teacher saw that he was standing, what did he do? Moses was ten cubits tall, as it is said: "And he spread the tent over the Tabernacle" (Exodus 40:19), and the Tabernacle was ten cubits. He took an axe ten cubits long and leaped ten cubits and struck his ankle and killed him. From this they say: That mountain which Og was bringing to hurl upon Israel — Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, pronounced the Ineffable Name and held it in the air, so that it would not fall upon Israel. Then they said: May the hands that throw thus be cut off, and may the mouth that holds it up thus be blessed.

"And it came to pass after these things" (Genesis 22:1). Everywhere that "after" is stated, it is set apart. What is "after"? That the angels said to the Holy One, blessed be He: This Abraham, You graced him with a son at one hundred years, and he made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned, yet he did not have to offer before You a single turtledove or a young pigeon. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: If I were to tell him to offer up his son before Me, he would offer him. Therefore it is written, "And God tested Abraham." Another interpretation: That Ishmael said to Isaac: I am greater than you, for I received circumcision when I was thirteen years old, and it was in my power to protest, yet I did not protest; but you, when you received the circumcision, were eight days old, and you had no strength to protest, and therefore you did not protest. Isaac said to him: With one limb you make me afraid? Were the Holy One, blessed be His name, to say to me that I should offer up myself, I would offer it and I would not refuse. Therefore it is said, "And God tested Abraham."

"And He said: Take now your son, your only one." Abraham said: I have two sons, and I do not know which son You are telling me to take. He said to him: "Your only one." Abraham said: this one is the only one of his mother, and this one is the only one of his mother. He said to him: "Whom you love." He said to Him: this one I love and this one I love. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Isaac." And why all this? In order to make him beloved in his eyes; and even so, Abraham received the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, with joy. "Moriah" — from there went forth instruction, as it is said, "For from Zion shall go forth Torah" (Isaiah 2:3). And Rabbi Yannai says: from there shall go forth fear of Heaven to the world. Another interpretation: that from there speech goes forth to the world. Another interpretation: that from there the commandments go forth to the world.

"And Balak saw." And why was his name called Balak? This teaches that he came to lap up (la-luk) the blood of Israel like a dog. Another interpretation: on account of "She is empty, and void, and waste" (Nahum 2:11), for he sought to lay waste (li-vlok) Israel. "All that Israel had done to the Amorites" — to Sihon and to Og. They said: These, who are mighty men and giants, could not stand before them; we, how much more so.

"And Abraham rose early in the morning" (Genesis 22:3) — for all the deeds of the righteous are in the morning; and from here we learn that the zealous hasten to perform the commandments. "And he saddled his donkey" — love disrupts the [proper] order. "His two young men" — these are Ishmael and Eliezer. From here the Torah taught proper conduct: that a person should not set out on a journey with fewer than three men, so that if one of them needs to relieve himself, two will remain.

"For they were many" (Numbers 22:3) — that the Holy One, blessed be He, multiplied them beyond the mighty ones. "And Moab loathed" — that they were in their eyes like thorns. And why did the Moabites fear what the Ammonites did not fear? Because concerning the Ammonites the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Israel, "Do not harass them and do not provoke them to war." That is to say, war is what shall not be made against them, but corvée labor they may impose upon them. And what would Israel do? They would arm — meaning, they would arm themselves, and come upon them and appear to them as though they were coming to make war with them; and they would flee. Immediately Israel would enter and plunder them.

"On the third day." Why did he tarry three days, seeing that the place was near? Rather, this teaches that Ha-Satan came and made himself like a river before him. Abraham said, "I will enter the river and see whether the water is deep," and Abraham was nearly drowned. He lifted his eyes to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He save him from the water, that he not drown in it. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked Ha-Satan, and Abraham was found standing on dry land. "And he saw the place from afar." Abraham said to Isaac, "Do you see anything?" He said to him, "I see a cloud bound upon the top of the mountain." And Abraham knew that the lad had consented to be a burnt offering. Abraham said to his lads, "Do you see anything?" They said to him, "No." He said to them, "Stay here with the donkey," for you are like the donkey: just as a donkey sees nothing, so too you see nothing.

"And Moab said to the elders of Midian" (Numbers 22:4). When they saw that Sihon and Og had been slain, they were astonished and said: Who can by his strength subdue them or stand against them? And when they saw that they were vanquishing the whole world, they did not know wherein their strength lay. They brought the elders of Midian and inquired of them, and they said: This nation has neither sword nor spear, and all their strength is in their mouth, and they prevail over all the nations only with their mouth. "Now will this assembly lick up all that is around us" — for they did not wage war, but imposed forced labor upon them, and plundered all that they brought outside the city. "As the ox licks up" — and why an ox? To tell you: just as that which the ox licks has no sign of blessing forever, so Israel — all that they take, they leave no remnant or survivor. "And Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time" — for he was not fit for kingship, but according to the time the Moabites made him king over them.

"And we will worship and return to you" (Genesis 22:5). He prophesied that the two of them would return. Ten people prophesied and did not know what they prophesied, and these are they: One: Abraham prophesied and did not know, as it is said, "And we will worship and return" — he prophesied that he and his son were destined to return. Two: Jacob prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "And may He send back to you your other brother" (Genesis 43:14) — "your brother," this is Simeon; "the other," this is Joseph; "and Benjamin" (ibid.), as its plain meaning. Three: Laban prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "And they blessed Rebekah" (Genesis 24:60) — they were found to be cursing themselves and blessing Rebekah. Four: the tribes prophesied and did not know what they prophesied, as it is said, "and behold, the youngest is with our father this day" (Genesis 42:13) — they prophesied that Joseph was standing among them. Five: Joseph prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "and let not your eye spare your vessels" — he prophesied that they were destined to plunder Egypt. Six: Pharaoh prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "Come, let us deal wisely" (Exodus 1:10) — he prophesied that they would make war with him and go up from the land. Seven: Job prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "shall we also receive the good?" (Job 2:10) — he prophesied that the Holy One, blessed be He, was destined to restore to him all the good. Eight: our forefathers prophesied and did not know what they prophesied, as it is said, "You will bring them in and plant them" (Exodus 15:17) — they prophesied that their children were destined to enter the land while they themselves would not enter. Nine: Gehazi prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take from him something [me'umah]" (2 Kings 5:20) — "a blemish [mumah]," that is, leprosy; he prophesied concerning himself. Ten: Hannah prophesied and did not know what she prophesied, as it is said, "and I also have lent him to the Lord all the days that he lives, he is lent to the Lord" (1 Samuel 1:28) — Hannah said, all the days that Samuel my son endures, the kingdom of Saul endures.

"And he sent messengers to Balaam." Since they had heard that the power of Moses was nothing but in his mouth, they said: Let us send to Balaam, for his power too is in his mouth, and he will stand against him. Therefore they sent to Balaam. And why was his name called Balaam (Bilam)? Because he sought to swallow up (livloa) Israel. Another interpretation: Balaam — "one who wears down a people" (bolah am). Another interpretation: "without a people" (bela am). "Son of Beor" — because he came upon a beast (be'irah). "Pethor" — he was an interpreter of dreams (poter chalomot). Another interpretation: "Pethor" — he was a money-changer (shulchani). "The land of the children of his people" — for Balak was from there. "Behold, it covers the face of the earth" — because they had slain Sihon, and moreover because they were the eyes of the land. "And it sits over against me" (mimuli) — that is to say, that they are filled (memulin).

"Curse for me this people" (Numbers 22:6) — like a man who picks the figs little by little. "Perhaps I shall be able to smite it" — like a man who subtracts from the measure little by little. "For I know that whom you bless is blessed" — because he had blessed Sihon and his people, and cursed the first king of Moab, so that by this means [Sihon] took Heshbon and his land from his hand, as far as the Arnon.

"And the elders of Moab went" (Numbers 22:7) — the elders of Moab too took divinations in their hand. Another interpretation: Why did He say to him at first "Do not go," and at the end say to him "Arise, go"? Rather, at first Balak inquired of the diviners. He said to them, "What do you say — will Balaam come, or not?" They divined divinations and said, "He will come." Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, annulled their divinations and said to him, "Do not go with them." And the second time they divined and said, "He will not come." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Arise, go" — "He frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad" (Isaiah 44:25). And so too the wicked Balaam thought in his heart and said: Just as He said to me the first time "Do not go," and the second time said to me "Go," so He has said to me "Do not curse," but in the end He will say to me "Curse." Concerning this: "And God's anger was kindled because he was going" (Numbers 22:22). And what were the diviners saying? If we tell Balaam, "Come with us," we succeed; but if He puts a delay upon him, there is nothing in his words. And when they heard that he said to them, "Lodge here this night" (Numbers 22:8), they said: Is there a father who hates his son? So the Holy One, blessed be He, is a father to Israel and loves them — would He, for the sake of Balaam's curse, hate them? Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Balaam, "Who are these men with you?" (Numbers 22:9). He made Himself as though He knew nothing — this is what is written, "He enlarges the nations and destroys them" (Job 12:23). And when Balaam heard this, he said: Now I am able to go and to understand, for at times He knows and at times He does not know, and therefore I will be able to do all that I desire. And he was one of three whom the Holy One, blessed be He, tested and found to be a chamber-pot of urine; for he ought to have said, "Master of the worlds, You know, and You are the One who knows all, and no scheme is withheld from You — yet do You ask me, 'Who are these men?'" But he did not do so; rather he said, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me" (Numbers 22:10). It was taught: Between Midian and Moab there was no peace, but because they were afraid they made peace between themselves so that each would help the other. Once a wolf came against one of them; the dog went to the dog and said to him, "Come and help me against the wolf, lest he devour both of us." They were reconciled, and the two of them came against the wolf. Another interpretation: "Balak son of Zippor." Balaam said to him: Even though you do not honor me, the kings honor me, for they send to me. "And now, come, curse for me" (Numbers 22:11). The hatred with which Balaam hated Israel was greater than the hatred with which Balak hated. Balak said, "Come, curse (arah) for me," but Balaam said, "Curse (qabah) for me." Balak said, "Perhaps I shall be able to fight against him and drive him out from the land of his kingdom" — and so he says, "and I shall drive him out" — but Balaam meant: from the world.