Midrash Tanchuma Reader

"In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1). This is what Scripture says: "The LORD by wisdom founded the earth" (Proverbs 3:19). And when the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, He took counsel with the Torah and created the world, as it is said: "Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom; I am understanding, strength is mine" (Proverbs 8:14). And in what was the Torah written? Upon white fire in black fire, as it is said: "His locks are wavy, black as a raven" (Song of Songs 5:11). What is the meaning of "His locks are wavy" (kevutzotav taltalim)? Upon every single stroke (kotz) there are heaps upon heaps (tilei tilim) of laws. How so? It is written in it: "And you shall not profane My holy name" (Leviticus 22:32). If you make the letter Het into a He [reading "praise" as "profane"], you destroy the world. "Let everything that has breath praise the LORD" (Psalms 150:6). If you make the He into a Het [reading "praise" as "profane"], you destroy the world. And likewise, "Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one" (Deuteronomy 6:4). If you make the letter Dalet into a Resh [reading "one" (ehad) as "another" (aher)], you destroy the world, as it is said: "For you shall not bow down to another god" (Exodus 34:14). "There is none holy as the LORD" (1 Samuel 2:2). If you make the letter Kaf into a Bet [reading "as the LORD" (ka-Adonai) as "there is no LORD" (b'Adonai)], you destroy the world. And if a single letter is so, all the more so the whole word. Therefore it is said: "His locks are wavy." And the Torah was the craftsman for all the work of creation, as it is said: "Then I was beside Him, as a nursling" (Proverbs 8:30). Do not read "nursling" (amon), but rather "craftsman" (oman). And by it He stretched out the heavens and founded the earth; and by it He sealed the Ocean Sea that it should not go forth and flood the world; and by it He subdued the deep that it should not inundate the world; and by it He created the sun and the moon. You have thus learned that the world was founded upon nothing but the Torah.

With the beginning (Gen. 1:1). This is what Scripture means when it says: The Lord with wisdom founded the earth (Prov. 3:19). That is, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to create this world, He consulted the Torah before embarking upon the work of creation, as it is said: Counsel is mine and sound wisdom; I am understanding, power is mine (ibid. 8:14). How was the Torah written? It was written with letters of black fire on a surface of white fire, as is said: His locks are curled and black as a raven (Song 5:11). What is meant by His locks are curled? It means that each crowned stroke on the letters of the Torah contains heaps and heaps of law. For example, it is written in the Torah: Profane not My Holy Name (Lev. 22:2); but if you should change the het in the word yehallelu (“profane”) into a heh, the word would read “praise,” and you would thereby destroy the world. Conversely, where it is written Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord (Ps. 150:6), if you should alter the heh in the word tehallel (“praise”) into a het, the word would read “profane,” and you would thereby destroy the world.

Similarly, in the verse Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4), if you should change the dalet in the word ehad (“one”) into a resh, the word would then read aher (“another”), and you would thereby destroy the world, since it is said: For thou shalt not bow to another god (Exod. 34:14). Likewise, in the verse They have lied against the Lord (Jer. 5:12), if you should change the preposition bet (“against”) into the preposition kaf (“like”), you would thereby destroy the world.

Again, in the verse There is none holy as the Lord (I Sam. 2:2), if you alter the preposition kaf (“as”) to read bet (“in”), you would thereby destroy the world.

If a slight change in a single letter can produce such drastic consequences, how much more so the alteration of a complete word. Such, then, is the meaning of His locks are curled. Accordingly David praised God by saying: Thy commandment is exceedingly broad (Ps. 119:96); and elsewhere in Scripture it says: The measure thereof is longer than the earth (Job 11:9).

The Torah served as an artisan in all the work of creation, as it is said: Then I was with Him, as a nursling (amon) (Prov. 8:30). However, you do not read the word as amon (“nursling”), but as uman (“artisan”), since it was with the assistance of the Torah that God stretched out the heavens and established the earth, as it is said: If My covenant be not with day and night, if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth (Jer. 33:25). With it, He bound up the sea lest it should go forth and overflow the world, as it is said: Fear ye not Me? saith the Lord; nor will ye not tremble at My presence who have placed the sand for the bound of the sea (ibid. 5:22). With it, also, He locked up the deep so that it might not inundate the world, as is written: When He set a circle on the face of the deep (Prov. 8:27). Similarly, He fashioned with it the sun and the moon, as is said: The Lord giveth the sun to light the day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars to light the night. Who stirreth up the sea, that the waves thereof roar, the Lord of hosts is His name (Jer. 31:35). Hence, you learn that the world was founded upon the Torah.

The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah to the Israelites so that they might devote themselves to it and to its commandments day and night, as it is said: But thou shalt meditate therein day and night (Josh. 1:8). And it says elsewhere: But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water (Ps. 1:2–3).

(Furthermore,) the world endures because of those who guard the law, as Hannah stated: For the pillars of the earth are the Lord’s (I Sam. 2:8). Who are the pillars of the earth? They are the guardians of the law, for whose sake alone the world was fashioned, as is said: He hath fashioned the world because of them (ibid.).

It has been taught on the authority of R. Simeon the son of Lakish: Why does Scripture say of the creation process (simply) first day, second day, third day, fourth day, fifth day, the sixth day, adding the definite article (heh) only in this instance, so that it reads the sixth day? This is to teach us, the rabbi explained, that God made an agreement with the works of creation in which he declared: If Israel accepts the Torah, in which there are five books, well and good, but if not I will return you to a state unformed and void (Gen. 1:2). Hence the sons of Korah exclaimed: When the earth and the inhabitants thereof trembled, I Myself established the pillars of it (Ps. 75:4). The word pillars in this verse refers to the Torah, which the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed at Sinai.

Moses, our teacher, merited receiving the Torah, for the sole of the Torah is humility and its crown is fear. The sole of the Torah is humility, as it is said: The base of humility is the fear of the Lord (Prov. 22:4), and its crown is fear, as it is said: The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Ps. 110:10).

Both these attributes were possessed by our teacher, Moses. As to humility, it is stated: And the man Moses was very humble (Num. 12:3), and as to fear, it is written: For he feared to look upon God (Exod. 3:6).

Our teachers maintained that in reward for three things Moses was granted three things. As a reward for And Moses hid his face (Exod. 3:6), he was granted The skin of his face sent forth beams (ibid. 34:30); as a reward for For He feared (ibid. 3:6), he was granted They were afraid to come nigh unto him (ibid. 34:30); and as a reward for He was afraid to look (ibid. 3:6), he was granted The similitude of the Lord doth he behold (Num. 12:18).

The reward for the observance of the Torah, however, is bestowed not in this world but in the world-to-come, as Scripture states in the verse: Which I command thee this day to do them (Deut. 7:11); that is, to do them today and not in the world-to-come. “(I command thee) this day to do them, but I do not decree that you should receive the reward for their observance today.” Hence Solomon said (of the woman of valor): Strength and dignity are her clothing; and she laugheth at the time to come (Prov. 31:25); (inasmuch as her reward will be given to her in the time to come).

Observe the reward given for the observance of the Torah from the example of Pharaoh. Because Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh (Gen. 41:44), Joseph was exalted by him exceedingly, as it is said: And Pharaoh took off his signet ring and put it upon Joseph’s hand (ibid., v. 42). How much greater, then, is the reward bestowed by the Holy One, blessed be He, who with every commandment declares, I am the Lord (Exod. 31:13). (What else do we learn from this?) We learn from this that there is no limit to the reward given for the observance of the Torah. David foresaw this and declared: Oh how abundant is Thy goodness which Thou has laid up for them that fear Thee (Ps. 31:20).

Nowhere in the entire creation narrative does the word “He wrought” occur other than with reference to the reward bestowed in the hereafter upon those who have observed the Torah. Concerning them it is said, Thou has wrought for them that take refuge in Thee (ibid.).

You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, discloses prior to their death the reward to be given to those who devote themselves to the Torah. It happened that when R. Abahu was about to depart from this world, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him thirteen streams of balsam oil. Thereupon, he said to his disciples: “Happy are you who devote yourselves to the study of the Torah.” “Master,” they asked, “what is it that you have seen?” He replied, “The Holy One, blessed be He, gave me thirteen streams of balsam oil in reward for studying the Torah.” And then he went on to say, Yet I have said, “In vain have I labored, I have spent my strength for nought and vanity; yet surely my right is with the Lord, and my recompense with my God” (Isa. 49:4).

It is because of the reward given to those who devote themselves to the Torah that Isaiah declared: Happy are ye that sow beside all waters, that send forth freely the feet of the ox and the ass (ibid. 32:20). The words that sow beside all waters refer to those who devote themselves to the study of the Torah, which is compared to water, as it is said: Ho! Everyone that thirsteth, come ye for water (ibid. 55:1); the word ox alludes to the Messiah of the House of Joseph, who is compared to an ox; and the ass refers to the Messiah of the House of David, for it is said of him: Lowly and riding upon an ass (Zech. 9:9).

Scripture states, concerning the reward that students of the Torah will receive after their deaths: And from old, men have not heard or perceived by ear, neither hath the eye seen a God beside Thee who worketh for him who waiteth for Him (Isa. 64:3). Furthermore, it states: Happy are they who are upright in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord (Ps. 119:1); that is to say, Happy are they who honor masters of the Torah. And it says also: It is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone that holdeth her fast (Prov. 3:18).

Similarly, Moses declared: For if ye shall diligently guard (Deut. 11:22); that is, if you guard diligently the students of Torah, then you shall be guarded in turn. Hence Scripture states: For them that honor Me I will honor, and they that despise Me shall be lightly esteemed (I Sam. 2:30). This verse alludes to those who honor the students of the Torah.

What is more, there is a tradition to the effect that the object particle (et) in the verse Thou shalt fear (et) the Lord thy God (Deut. 6:13) alludes to reverence for the scholars of the Torah as well as to fear of the Lord. This is so because there is no virtue comparable to the study of the Torah, as it is said: It is more precious than peninim (“innermost”) (Prov. 3:15); that is to say, it is more precious than the high priest who serves in the innermost part of the sanctuary.

Scripture itself declares: Happy is the man that hearkeneth unto Me, watching daily at My gates, waiting at the posts of My door (ibid. 8:34). This verse indicates that no harm will befall the person who hearkens unto the Torah, for it is written: Whosoever hearkeneth unto Me shall dwell securely and shall be quiet without fear of evil (ibid. 1:33). Furthermore it states: When thou walkest, it shall lead thee (ibid. 6:22).

[These are the generations of Noah (Gen. 6:9).] May it please our master to instruct us concerning the number of transgressions for which women die during childbirth. Thus have our masters taught us: Women die during childbirth for failure to observe three duties decreed in the Torah.

These are: The duty with regard to menstruation, for it is written: And if a woman have an issue of her blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days (Lev. 15:25); the duty of the levy of dough, for it is written: Of the first of your dough ye shall set apart a cake for a gift (Num. 15:20); and the duty of lighting the Sabbath lights, for it is written: And call the Sabbath a delight (Isa. 58:13). If one chooses to sit in darkness, the Sabbath would not then be a delight, since darkness is imposed upon those condemned to Gehenna, as it says: A land of thick darkness, as darkness itself (Job 10:22).

Why were women enjoined to perform these three duties? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Adam, the first of My creatures, was commanded not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge, yet concerning Eve, it is written: And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food … she gave also unto her husband with her and did eat (Gen. 3:6). In that way she brought about his death and, as it were, shed his blood, and the law prescribes: Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed (Gen. 9:6). That is why woman’s blood is made to flow. She is required to abstain from sexual relations during menstruation to atone for the blood of Adam that she was responsible for shedding.

Why were women assigned the commandment to remove the levy of dough? It was because she (Eve) defiled the sanctified dough of His world, namely, Adam. R. Yosé the son of R. Kazrata declared: Just as a housewife slaps her dough with water and then takes off its levy, so the Holy One, blessed be He, did with Adam, as it is written: And there went up a mist from the earth and watered the whole face of the earth (Gen. 2:6), and Then the Lord God formed man of the dust (ibid., v. 7).

Why is a woman charged with the duty of lighting the Sabbath lights? It was she (Eve) who extinguished the light of Adam by causing his death, as it is written: The spirit of man is the light of the Lord (Prov. 20:27). Therefore she is obliged to observe the commandment to light the Sabbath lights.

And the Lord said unto Abram: “Get thee out of thy country” (Gen. 12:1). May it please our master to teach us whether an Israelite is permitted to take upon himself the yoke of the heavenly kingdom (i.e., to recite the Shema) while traveling? R. Idi and R. Huna said in the name of R. Judah, and R. Yosé said in the name of R. Samuel: An Israelite is forbidden to take upon himself the yoke of the heavenly kingdom while traveling. He is required to stand still, directing his heart heavenward in trepidation and fear, in trembling and reverence, while proclaiming the oneness of God: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4). He must speak each word with heartfelt sincerity, and then (add the benediction) “Blessed be His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.” However, when he commences the portion “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” he may either walk or stand or sit, as he desires, for it is written: When thou sittest in thy house, when thou goest on thy way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up (Deut. 6:7).

You find that anyone who observes the commandments meticulously is rewarded fully. For example, because Abraham observed the commandments meticulously, he was called the beloved of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: The seed of Abraham, My beloved (Isa. 41:8). R. Samuel the son of Nahmani quoted R. Jonathan as saying that in Abraham’s home, even the commandment prohibiting the preparation of the Sabbath meals on a holy day that occurred on a Friday was carefully observed, as it is said: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws (Gen. 26:5). Are there a variety of laws that Scripture should say My laws? Has it not already been stated: One law shall be to him that is home born, and to the stranger that sojourns among you (Exod. 12:49), and was it not previously written: One law and one ordinance (Num. 15:16)? The word My laws employed in the above verse refers (solely) to the minutiae of the law which Abraham observed meticulously. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Though you do observe My laws scrupulously, yet you dwell amongst idolaters; Get thee out of thy country.

May our master teach us: How many blessings does a person pray each day? Thus our Rabbis taught: Each day a person prays eighteen [blessings]. And why eighteen? Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Corresponding to the eighteen times that the Patriarchs are mentioned together in the Torah. The first of them: "And God will surely remember you and bring you up out of this land to the land which He swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Genesis 50:24); and the last: "And the LORD said to me: This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 34:4). And if a person should say to you, behold, they are nineteen, for so it is written: "The God of Abraham your father and the God of Isaac; the land on which you lie, etc." (Genesis 28:13-14), say to him: This one is not counted in the tally, for Jacob is not counted together with them. And Rabbi Yochanan said: Corresponding to the eighteen commands concerning the Tabernacle that are at the end of the book of "And these are the names [Exodus]," namely "as the LORD commanded Moses," eighteen times. And Rabbi Simon said: Corresponding to the eighteen vertebrae that are in the spine, for when a person prays and bows, he must bow until all the vertebrae of the spine crack apart, as it is said: "All my bones shall say, LORD, who is like You?" (Psalms 35:10). And Rabbi Shimon said: Corresponding to the eighteen psalms from the beginning of the book of Psalms until "May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble" (Psalms 20:1), to say: May you be answered in your prayer; therefore it is said, "May the LORD answer you in the day of trouble," and therefore it is said at the end of the eighteen psalms, "May the LORD answer you." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Corresponding to the eighteen mentions of the divine Name that David uttered in "Ascribe to the LORD, O sons of the mighty" (Psalms 29:1). And why do they pray twenty-four blessings on fast days? Corresponding to the twenty-four songs of praise that Solomon uttered at the time he brought the Ark into the Holy of Holies during his fast. And why do they pray nine blessings on Rosh Hashanah? Rava bar Chanina said: Corresponding to the nine mentions of the divine Name that Hannah uttered in her prayer, from "And Hannah prayed" onward (I Samuel 2:1). You find that one prays eighteen each day, but they are not all for the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He; rather, the first three and the last three are. And the twelve [middle] blessings are all for the needs of a person. And therefore one does not pray eighteen on the Sabbath, for if a person should have a sick one within his house, he would remember in the blessing "Healer of the sick of His people Israel," and he would be distressed; and the Sabbath was given to Israel for holiness, for delight, and for rest, and not for distress. Therefore one prays the first three blessings and the last three, with the rest in the middle. And therefore David said: "Seven times a day I have praised You" (Psalms 119:164); these are the seven blessings that they pray on the Sabbath. And which is this? "This is the one day that is set apart" (cf. Genesis 1), the rest like which there is no other, as it is said: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy" (Exodus 20:8), to keep it holy in everything, even from "finding your own business and speaking a word" (Isaiah 58:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: Be careful with prayer, for there is no quality finer than it, and it is greater than all the sacrifices, as it is said: "Why do I need the multitude of your sacrifices, etc.; when you come to appear before Me, do not continue to bring vain offerings, incense, etc.; your new moons and your appointed feasts My soul hates, etc.; and when you spread out your hands, etc.; even though you multiply prayer, etc." (Isaiah 1:11-15), implying that it is greater than the sacrifices. And even if a person is not worthy that his prayer be answered and that kindness be done with him, since he prays and increases his supplications, I do kindness with him, for so it is written concerning Him: "All the paths of the LORD are kindness and truth" (Psalms 25:10); I have placed kindness before truth and righteousness before justice, as it is said: "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your throne, etc." (Psalms 89:15). Rabbi Samlai said: Know that all His ways are kindness, for at the beginning of the Torah He adorned the bride, as it is written, "And the LORD God built the rib, etc." (Genesis 2:22), for in the coastal cities they call a bride "bona" (builder). And at its end, He buried the dead: "And He buried him in the valley" (Deuteronomy 34:6). And in its middle, He visited the sick: when Abraham was circumcised, He came with His retinue and visited him, as we read in the passage "And the LORD appeared to him" (Genesis 18:1).

And Abraham was old, well stricken in age (Gen. 24:1). May it please our master to teach us: What should a man do if he is riding upon an ass when the time for prayer arrives? Thus do our masters teach us: If one is riding upon an ass when the time for prayer arrives, he should dismount. However, if he is unable to dismount because of his concern for the merchandise loaded upon the ass, or because he fears that there may be non-Jews or bandits roaming about in the vicinity, he should pray while mounted. R. Yohanan declared: This statement indicates that a man’s mind must be completely at ease while praying to God. Abba Saul maintained: If a man directs his thought in his prayers, he can be confident that they will be heard, as it is said: Thou wilt direct their heart, Thou wilt cause Thine ear to attend (Ps. 10:17).

No man ever concentrated his mind and his heart upon his prayers as intensely as Abraham, our father, when he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Far be it from Thee to do after this manner (Gen. 18:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, upon observing that Abraham pleaded for the sinners of Sodom, so that the world might not be destroyed, began to praise him, saying: Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured on thy lips; therefore, God hath blessed thee forever (Ps. 45:3). Then Abraham asked, “Where am I fairer than the children of man? When I and my son enter a city, no one is capable of distinguishing between us.” (In those days) a man would live to be a hundred or two hundred years old without acquiring the distinguishing features of old age. “It is imperative, Master of the Universe, that You should distinguish between father and son, between old and young, so that the young may pay homage to the old.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “Be assured I will begin to distinguish between young and old with you.” Abraham went to sleep, and when he arose in the morning he found that the hair of his head and beard had turned white. “Master of the Universe,” he exclaimed, “You have made me a public spectacle.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Thy hoary head is a crown of glory (Prov. 16:31), and it says elsewhere: And the beauty of men is the hoary head (ibid. 20:29). Hence, it is said: Abraham was old.

And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son (Gen. 25:19). May it please our master to teach us why peace-offerings (sacrifices) were instituted? R. Hiyya the son of Abba taught in the name of R. Judah: They were instituted because anyone who brings a peace-offering brings peace to the world.

R. Eliezer stated: As long as sacrifices were brought, peace prevailed, but after the destruction of the Temple (when offerings were no longer brought) there has not been a single day that has lacked curses and catastrophes.

R. Simeon the son of Yohai insisted that peace-offerings were always brought for the sake of peace. R. Simeon added: Peace is considered of such importance that the Torah utters a falsehood for its sake. Where is this falsehood to be found? The Torah states: Thy father did command before he died, saying: So shall ye say unto Joseph: Forgive, I pray thee now, the transgression of thy brethren, and their sin (Gen. 50:16–17), but the fact is that we are unable to discover any such statement made by Jacob. He was aware of Joseph’s piety, and would not suspect that he would resort to bloodshed.

Come and observe the importance of peace: Between the time that Sarah left the control of Pharaoh and when she came under the authority of Abimelech, Isaac was conceived. Whereupon people asserted: “It is hardly likely that this centenarian could father a son, she must have conceived either from Pharaoh or Abimelech.” In fact, Abraham also had some misgivings. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He ordered the angel responsible for the formation of embryos to fashion this embryo in the exact likeness of his father, so that everyone would be forced to acknowledge that he was Abraham’s son. We know that this was so from the verse These are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begot Isaac (Gen. 25:19). Since the verse states Isaac, Abraham’s son, could we not know from those words that Abraham begot Isaac? Why then does Scripture add the words Abraham begot Isaac? Because everyone who looked at Abraham would exclaim: “Without doubt Abraham begot Isaac, since their countenances are so much alike.��� Hence Scripture says: Abraham begot Isaac.

And Jacob went out from Beer-sheba (Gen. 28:10). May it please our master to teach us where a man who has unintentionally taken the life of another man may take refuge. Thus do our masters teach us: A man who has unintentionally killed another person may take refuge either in one of the three cities of refuge in Trans-Jordan or in one of the three cities in Canaan. Our patriarch Jacob took refuge in Haran.

He fled there because he feared that his wicked brother, Esau, would slay him. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that Jacob was deeply distressed, He appeared before him in a dream. R. Abahu said in the name of R. Simeon the son of Lakish: As soon as the stones beneath his head beheld the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, they dissolved into each other and formed one stone. Whence do we know this?

Before he went to sleep, Scripture states: He took stones of the place (Gen. 28:11), but after he awakened, it is written: He took the stone (ibid., v. 18).

I have sojourned with Laban, and stayed until now. and I have oxen, and asses and flocks, and manservants and maid-servants (Gen. 32:5–6). He was telling Esau: “Though I have lived with Laban, the arch-deceiver, for twenty years, I have acquired oxen, asses, and great riches.” He disclosed this fact to Esau in the hope that when he reflected upon it, he would say to himself: “Jacob went there with nothing more than a staff, and though he worked for Laban, the arch-deceiver, for twenty years, he has become a wealthy man and has returned in peace; how can I possibly contend against him?”

And I have oxen. This implies that I have no need to fear you (he was thinking to himself), for now Joseph is born, who is called an ox, as is said: His firstling ox, majesty is his (Deut. 33:17). Asses. The word ass alludes to the Messiah the son of David, as it is said: Lowly and riding upon an ass (Zech. 9:9). Flocks refers to the merit of the tribes, whose descendants will be called flock, as is said: And ye My sheep, the flock of My pasture (Ezek. 34:31).

Similarly, Judah will also be Esau’s adversary, as it is stated: And the lion shall eat straw like the ox (Isa. 11:7). Lion refers to Judah, as is said: Judah is a lion’s whelp (Gen. 49:9), and like the ox alludes to Joseph. Will eat straw informs us that Joseph will judge Esau, who is referred to as straw, and his descendants will be like straw, as it is said: And the house of Esau is like straw (Obad. 18). Whence do we know that all the others will likewise judge Esau? From the verse How was thy mother a lioness; among lions she couched (Ezek. 19:2). We learn (from this verse) that all Israel will judge Esau.

Male-servants refers to Moses, as is said: Moses was a servant of the Lord (Deut. 34:5). Maid-servants alludes to Ruth, from whom David descended, and concerning whom it is written: I am thy servant, the servant of thy maid-servant (Ps. 116:16). He was the descendant of the woman who forsook being an important lady and a queen in order to find shelter beneath the wings of the Shekhinah.

And Jacob sat in the land (Gen. 37:1). Whenever Scripture uses the expression and he sat (also translated “and he dwelt”), it connotes misfortune: And Israel sat in the land of Egypt, in the land of Goshen, … and the time drew near that Israel must die (Gen. 47:29); And the people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to make merry (Exod. 32:6); And there fell of the people on that day three thousand men (Exod. 32:28); And they sat down to eat bread; and they lifted up their eyes and looked, and, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites (Gen. 37:25); And Judah and Israel sat safely (I Kings 5:5); And the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon (ibid. 11:14); And Israel sat among the cedars, etc., and the people began to commit harlotry (Num. 25:1). You may explain every other use of “and he sat” with this negative implication. In this instance And Jacob sat is followed by and Joseph brought evil report of them unto his father (Gen. 37:2).

What is written prior to this episode? These are the chiefs of the sons of Esau: … the chief of Lotan, the chief of Magdiel … These are the chiefs of Edom (ibid. 36:15–43). When Jacob saw the chiefs of the sons of Esau, he was terrified. “Who will be able to withstand these chiefs?” he exclaimed. To what may this be compared? It may be compared to many camels laden with flax (in a certain place), and a blacksmith standing nearby asked in amazement: “Where will it be possible to store all this flax?” An observer responded: “Why do you wonder about that? After all, a single spark from your forge can consume it all.” Similarly, when our patriarch Jacob became terrified at the sight of Esau and the chiefs, and cried out: “Who will be able to assist me against them?” The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: A spark from you will consume them. And Joseph was that spark, as it is said: And the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau for stubble, and they shall kindle in them, and devour them (Obad. 1:18). Therefore it is written: And Jacob sat … these are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, etc.

Another explanation. Why did Scripture concern itself with the genealogy of the chiefs? Did the Holy One, blessed be He, have nothing else to write about other than the chief of Timna, the chief of Lotan, etc.? He did so to teach us that from the very beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, concerned himself with the genealogies of the idolatrous nations so that it would not be left to them to describe for mankind their sterility and their degeneracy. How did He do that? When He came to the genealogy of the sons of Ham, He said: The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim … and Cush begot Nimrod (Gen. 10:6–8); thus He indicated that they had become defiant, as it is said: He began to be a mighty one in the earth (ibid., v. 8). Similarly, when He said: And Mizraim begot Ludim … whence went forth (ibid., vv. 13–14), He did not say “he bore him” but he went forth, thereby informing us that he was the product of an incestuous relationship.

He concerned Himself also with the genealogy of Esau’s sons in the chapter These are the generations of Esau to disclose their degeneracy. You find that they too were the offspring of incestuous relations. Scripture states in one place: And the children of Elephaz were: Teman, and Omar, Zepho, and Gatam, and Kenaz. And Timna (ibid. 36:11), and elsewhere it states: And Timna was concubine to Elephaz (ibid., v. 12). This clearly informs us that Elephaz had sexual relations with his own daughter. How did that occur? He had sexual relations with Seir’s wife first and made her pregnant and begot Timna. Later he married Timna, as though she were Seir’s daughter, when in fact she was his own. That is why it says: And the children of Seir: Lotan … and Timna was Lotan’s sister (I Chron. 1:38–39). She was Lotan’s sister by her mother, but not by his father; Elephaz was her father, and Timna became the concubine of Elephaz the son of Esau.

You find likewise (that the expression sat also alludes to) the degeneracy of the descendants of Seir, since it is written: These are the sons of Seir the Horite, who sat on the land: Lotan and Shobal and Zibeon and Anah (Gen. 36:20). However, Anah is elsewhere called the son of Zibeon: And these are the children of Zibeon: Aiah and Anah (ibid., v. 24). We learn from this that Zibeon had sexual relations with his own mother, and conceived and begot Anah by her. Consequently, (Anah) was both (Zibeon’s) brother and his son. Later he had intercourse with his daughter-in-law, the wife of Anah, and Oholibamah was their child, as it is said: And these were the sons of Oholibamah the daughter of Anah, the daughter of Zibeon, Esau’s wife (ibid., v. 14), and Esau took her as a wife. Inasmuch as they were all products of incestuous relations, Scripture mentions them only to disclose their degeneracy.

The Holy One, blessed be He, however, befriended Israel and called them his possessions, inheritance, (and) portion, as it is said: For the portion of the Lord is His people Jacob, the lot of His inheritance (Deut. 32:9); and ye shall be Mine own treasure among all the peoples (Exod. 19:5); and I have planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed (Jer. 2:21). Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, concern Himself from the very beginning of time with the genealogies of the nations? This may be likened to a king who dropped a pearl into sand and pebbles. The king was compelled to search the sand and the pebbles to recover the pearl. As soon as he recovered the pearl, however, he discarded the sand and the pebbles, for he was only interested in retrieving the pearl.

Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, devoted Himself superficially to the earlier generations, and then ignored them. He mentioned Adam, Seth, Enoch, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, etc. (I Chron. 1:1–2), and also the second ten generations, Shem, Arpachshad, Shelah, etc. (ibid. 1:24), so that a child could take the Bible and read about the ten generations from Adam to Noah at a single sitting, and also about the ten generations from Noah to Abraham at one time. But when he reached the section dealing with the pearls, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he would have to apply himself diligently in reading about them. That is why the section on Elephaz the son of Esau is included in this chapter.

Another comment on These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph, etc. (Gen. 37:2). Was not Reuben actually the firstborn? He was, but since he defiled his father’s couch (I Chron. 5:1), his birthright was given to the descendants of Joseph, the descendants of Israel. However, they are not actually accounted as the firstborn in the genealogy of the people. Another explanation. These are the generations of Jacob. Joseph. You find that Joseph resembled his father in every way, and that everything that happened to Jacob also happened to Joseph. Jacob’s brother was envious of him, and Joseph’s brothers were envious of him; Jacob was exiled to Haran, and Joseph was exiled to Egypt; Jacob said: Whether stolen by day or stolen by night (Gen. 31:39), and Joseph said: For indeed, I was stolen away (ibid. 40:15).

And it came to pass at the end of two full years (Gen. 41:1). May it please our master to teach us the blessing one should offer on experiencing rainfall when mankind is in dire need of water. Our masters teach us: One should say upon seeing rain, “Blessed be He who is good and does good.” Where does the rain descend from? R. Eliezer answered as follows: The entire world consumes the waters of the ocean. Whereupon R. Joshua remarked: Is not the ocean water salty? Indeed it is, he replied, but it is sweetened by the clouds in the firmament. R. Simeon the son of Lakish said: Why are the clouds called sh’hakim? Because they grind (sh’hukim) the water (into raindrops) and sweeten it before they descend. The amount of rain that will fall is predetermined, for the Holy One, blessed be He, prescribes the amount of rain that is to fall between Rosh Hashanah and the end of the year. R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: When Israel is worthy, the rain falls upon the plants, the trees, (and) the seeds, and all mankind is blessed, but when it transgresses, the rain descends into the ocean and rivers. The predetermined amount of rainfall, however, is never reduced, because every promise spoken by the Holy One, blessed be He, is fulfilled in its entirety.

He set a limit for the sun, as it is said: His going forth is from the end of the heaven (Ps. 19:7). He determined the extent of the heavens, as it is said: From one end of the heavens unto the other (Deut. 4:32). He determined the extent of the earth, as it is said: Creator of the ends of the earth (Isa. 40:28). He fixed the time for the exodus from Egypt, as it is said: And it came to pass at the end of four hundred and thirty years (Exod. 12:41). He set a limit to darkness, as is said: Man setteth an end to darkness and searcheth out to the furthest bound (Job 28:3). And He likewise determined the length of Joseph’s imprisonment, as it is said: And it came to pass at the end of two full years.

Then Judah came near unto him (Gen. 44:18). May it please our master to teach us: Which guarantor is responsible for the repayment of a loan? Thus do our masters teach us: R. Simeon the son of Nanos answered the query: Which guarantor is responsible for the repayment of a loan? It is the one who says: “Lend him the money and I will repay you.” When he places it in the hand of the guarantor, he is the one who is liable.

Who was one such guarantor? Judah, for he said: Send the lad with me … I will be surety for him (Gen. 43:8–9). And he (Jacob) said: “My son shall not go down with you … if harm befall him by the way in which ye go (ibid. 42:38). From this verse, you may conclude that Satan brings charges against one who embarks on a journey.

R. Yosé the son of Hanina declared: We have learned that women die in childbirth because of three transgressions they commit. But why in childbirth? Because Satan always brings charges against a person in a time of danger.

Benjamin descended with his brothers. After they had purchased the corn, Joseph commanded his steward to insert the goblet in his sack. When they had gone but a short way, he sent after them, and he said to them: “How could you do this evil deed? Whoever is found to have my goblet in his possession must become my servant.” When it was found in Benjamin’s sack, each of them turned away. Who, alone, confronted Joseph? The guarantor: Then Judah came near.

And the time drew near that Israel must die (Gen. 47:29). It is stated in Scripture in reference to this verse: For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no hoping (I Chron. 29:15). Our days are as a shadow. Would that they were as the shadow of a wall or a tree, but the fact is that they are as the shadow of a bird, as it is said: His days are as a shadow that passeth away (Ps. 144:14).

And there is no hoping implies that there is no one who can hope to escape death. All (our patriarchs) realized this and announced their deaths with their own mouths. Abraham said: I go hence childless (Gen. 15:2); Isaac declared: May my soul bless Thee before I die (ibid. 27:4); and Jacob said: When I sleep with my fathers (ibid. 47:30). When did he say this? When he was about to die. Thus it is written: And the time drew near that Israel must die.

Now these are the names (Exod. 1:1). Scripture states (elsewhere in allusion to this verse): He that spareth his rod hateth his son; but he that loveth him chastiseth him betimes (Prov. 13:24). Normally, if a man informs his friend that someone has beaten his son, the father would deprive the guilty person even of the source of his livelihood. Why, then, does Scripture state: He that spareth his rod hateth his son? This teaches you that whenever a man fails to chastise his son, that son will ultimately act wickedly, and he will come to despise him. We find this to be so in the case of Ishmael, who behaved fondly toward his father, who failed to chastise him, and he thus went astray. As a result, Abraham began to despise him, and drove him empty-handed from his home.

What had Ishmael done? When he was fifteen years old, he brought idols into his home, to play with and to worship as he had seen others do. As soon as Sarah saw the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne unto Abraham, making sport (Gen. 21:9). The word sport refers only to practicing idolatry, as it is said: And the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make sport (Exod. 32:6). She said to him: Abraham, cast out this bondwoman and her son (Gen. 21:10), lest my son learn from his behavior.

And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight because of his son. And God said unto Abraham: “Let it not be grievous in thy sight because of the lad, and because of thy bondwoman; in all that Sarah saith unto thee, hearken unto her voice” (ibid. 21:11–12). You learn from this verse that Abraham was subordinate to Sarah in matters of prophecy. Thereupon, Abraham arose up early in the morning, and took bread and a bottle of wine (ibid., v. 14). (This episode) teaches us that he hated Ishmael because he had gone astray, and as a result drove him and Hagar, his own wife, from his home empty-handed.

Do you believe that Abraham, concerning whom it is written: And Abraham was very rich in cattle, in silver, and in gold (Gen. 13:2), would have driven his own wife and son from his home, without clothes or food, silver or cattle (for any other reason)? This (episode) simply teaches us that after Ishmael went astray, he was no longer concerned about him. But if this is so, what is meant by And the thing was very grievous in Abraham’s sight on account of his son? It means that he was actually concerned (about the consequence of) Ishmael’s straying. You find that when Ishmael grew up, he would wait at the crossroads to murder and rob those who passed by, as it is said: And he shall be a wild ass of a man; and his hand shall be against every man (Gen. 16:12).

Another example of this is stated in Scripture: Now Isaac loved Esau (ibid. 25:28). Apparently, Esau went astray because his father failed to chastise him. As we have learned, the wicked Esau committed five transgressions in one day: he slept with a betrothed maiden, killed a man, denied the concept of resurrection, rejected the essential principle of religion (i.e., became an atheist), and despised the birthright. All of these transgressions are indicated either specifically in verses in Scripture or by analogy with other verses in Scripture (gezerah shavah). Furthermore, he longed for his father’s death, so that he might slay his brother, as it is said: Let the days of mourning for my father be at hand, then will I slay my brother, Jacob (Gen. 27:41). He compelled Jacob to flee from his father’s house, while he went to Ishmael’s home to learn evil ways from him, and to add to the number of his wives, as it is said: So Esau went unto Ishmael, and took unto the wives that he had Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham’s son (ibid. 28:9).

Similarly, Absalom went astray because David failed to chastise and punish him. He tried to kill (his father), he slept with his father’s ten concubines, he forced his father to wander about barefoot and weeping, he brought about the slaughter of thousands of Israelites, and caused him innumerable trials, as it is written:, A psalm of David, when he fled from Absalom, his son (Ps. 3:1), and this is followed by: Lord, how many are mine adversaries become.

Degeneracy in a man’s house is considered far more grievous than the war between Gog and Magog. For with reference to the war between Gog and Magog it is written: Why are the nations in an uproar? (ibid. 2:1), but not: O Lord, how many are mine adversaries become.

David behaved similarly toward Adonijah. Because he did not reproach him or punish him he went astray, as it is written: And his father had not grieved him all his life in saying: “Why hast thou done so?” … and he was born after Absalom (I Kings 1:6). Was not Absalom actually the son of Micah, and Adonijah the son of Haggith? Why, then, does it say: And he was born after Absalom? To teach us that just as Absalom went astray because his father failed to chastise him, so did Adonijah, concerning whom it is written: And his father had not grieved him all his life (I Kings 1:2) by asking: “Why have you done such-and-such?” He went astray for the same reason. Hence Scripture states: He that spareth his rod hateth his son.

And he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (Prov. 13:24). This alludes to Abraham, who punished Isaac, taught him the law, and guided him in his ways, as it is written of him: Because that Abraham harkened to My voice, and kept My charge (Gen. 26:5). And it is also written elsewhere: And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begot Isaac (ibid. 25:19). This teaches us that he resembled his father in every respect; in beauty, wisdom, strength, riches, and (the performance of) good deeds. You know this to be so from the fact that though Isaac, at the time of the sacrifice, was thirty-seven years of age, and Abraham was an old man, yet he bound him and tied him as though he were a sheep, and Isaac did not resist. Scripture states: And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac, but unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts (ibid., v. 5); that is to say, he distanced them from Isaac (so that he would have undisputed possession of the land). Hence, And he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Similarly, the verse And he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes alludes to Jacob. His father, Isaac, taught him the law and reprimanded him (as he studied) in the schoolroom, as it is said: And Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents (ibid., v. 27). After he had absorbed everything his father could teach him, he left his father’s home to live in Eber’s home, where he continued to study the law. Therefore, he deserved to inherit the land of Israel, as it is written: And Jacob dwelt in the land of his father’s sojourning (ibid. 37:1). Our patriarch Jacob also punished and rebuked his sons, and taught them his customs and practices lest blemishes should appear in their character. Whence do we know this? From the fact that Scripture states: And these are the names of the sons of Israel: Reuben, Simeon, etc. (ibid. 25:13). Scripture equates them all. Hence, he that loveth his son chasteneth him betimes.

Likewise, He that loveth his son chasteneth him betimes refers to the righteous Bath-sheba, who rebuked her son, Solomon, as it is written: The words of king Lemuel, the burden wherewith his mother corrected him (Prov. 31:1). R. Yosé the son of Hanina posed the question: What is meant by The burden wherewith his mother corrected him? It means that Bath-sheba turned him over a whipping post and punished him by beating him with a rod. What did she say to him as she did this? What, my son? and what, O son of my womb? and what, O son of my vows? (Prov. 31:2). With these words she was saying to him: “Everyone knows that your father is a God-fearing man, and if you should go astray, they will say that you are my son, and I am responsible for what you are.” And what, O son of my womb? “When the other women of your father’s house became pregnant, they saw the king’s face no more, but I went to him so that I might have a well-formed and powerful son.” And what, O son of my vows? “All the other women of your father’s house vowed: I shall have a son fit for kingship, but I vowed: I will have a son wise in the knowledge of the law and worthy of prophecy.” Therefore she beat him and chastised him and said to him: It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine; nor for princes to say: “Where is strong drink?” (Prov. 31:4). That is to say, she was telling him: “What have you to do with kings who drink wine, become drunk, and say, O Lemuel, what is God to us? It is not for princes to say: Where is strong drink? (ibid.). Shall he, to whom all secrets of the world are revealed, drink wine and become drunk?” Therefore she chastised him, and He was wiser than all men (I Kings 5:11).

It is taught that R. Simeon the son of Yohai stated: You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, bestowed three precious gifts upon Israel, but He gave them only through suffering: the law, the land of Israel, and the world-to-come. The law, for it is written: Happy is the man whom Thou instructest, O Lord, and teachest out of Thy law (Ps. 94:12). Concerning the land of Israel it is written: You shall realize that the Lord your God chastises you as a man chastises his son (Deut. 8:5). What is written afterward? For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land (ibid., v. 7); and of the world-to-come it is written: For the commandment is a lamp, and the teaching is light, and reproofs of instruction are the way of life (Prov. 6:23). Every father who chastises his son increases the child’s love and respect for his father, as it is written: Chasten thy son, for there is hope; but set not thy heart on his destruction (ibid. 19:18). Hence, But he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

And God spoke unto Moses, and said unto him: “I am the Lord; and I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob” (Exod. 6:2). May our masters teach us the punishment that is inflicted upon the man who speaks the Divine Name (i.e., the Tetragrammaton) as it is written? Thus do our masters teach us: The following have no share in the world-to-come: those who maintain that the concept of the resurrection of the dead is not derived from the Torah, that the law did not descend from heaven, the epicurean (heretic), and the one who utters (words of magic) over a wound while reciting the verse I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am the Lord that healeth thee (Exod. 15:26). And Abba Saul added: One who pronounces the Divine Name as it is written will likewise have no share in the world-to-come.

Proof of the seriousness of the profanation of the Divine Name is contained in the following. Ben Azzai declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, did not mention His own name, as though that were possible, until He first spoke the words In the beginning He created (Gen. 1:1). Only then did He add the word God. And R. Simeon the son of Eleazar stated: Moses did not mention the Divine Name until he had spoken the twenty-one words Give ear, ye heavens, and I will speak, etc. (Deut. 32:1). Only then did he say: For I will proclaim the name of the Lord. Since, as you know, He did not reveal His name to the patriarchs, why did he disclose it to Moses? He did so because he had been chosen to redeem Israel, as it is written above in reference to this matter: And Moses returned unto the Lord and said: “Lord, wherefore hast thou dealt ill with this people?” (Exod. 5:22).

If a man should dare say to a person more important than himself, “Why did you treat me so badly?” he would be held guilty of a serious offense, yet Moses said: For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people (ibid., v. 23). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Alas for those who have perished but are not to be found! I revealed myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the Lord Almighty, but I never disclosed to them that My name is YHWH, as I did to you, yet they never criticized My ways. To Abraham I said: Arise, walk through the land in the length thereof (Gen. 13:17), yet though he searched for a burial place for Sarah, and was unable to obtain one until he paid four hundred shekels of silver for it, he did not disparage My ways. I told Isaac: Sojourn in this land …for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands (ibid. 26:3), but even when he sought water to drink and was unable to find any, And the herdsman of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying: “The water is ours” (ibid., v. 20), he did not criticize My ways. I told Jacob: The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (ibid. 28:13), yet when he sought a place to pitch his tent, and could not obtain any land until he purchased it with a hundred lambs, he found no fault with My words.

However, on the very first mission I assigned to you, you asked Me, “What is your name?” and now you say: For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, He hath dealt ill, etc. Therefore, Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh (Exod. 6:1). That is, you will participate in the struggle with Pharaoh, but you will not witness the war against the thirty-one kings, that Joshua, your disciple, will wage in vengeance against them. From this verse you may learn that Moses was punished by being forbidden to enter the land. Hence it is written: And God said unto Moses that He would requite him with Divine Justice. But He said unto him: “I am the Lord” (ibid., v. 2), thereby indicating that Divine Mercy demands that I redeem the Israelites and bring them into the land. Hence it is written: And I appeared unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as God Almighty (ibid., v. 3).

And the Lord said unto Moses: “stretch out thy hand toward the heaven, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt” (Exod. 10:21). Scripture states (elsewhere in reference to this verse): He sent darkness, and it was dark; and they rebelled not against His word (Ps. 105:28). The darkness that the Holy One, blessed be He, spread over Egypt was exceedingly thick.

Why? Because they would not submit to the authority of the word of the Holy One, blessed be He The Holy One, blessed be He, told Egypt’s guardian angels: They deserve to be smitten with darkness, and they all agreed at once, for they rebelled not against His word (ibid.). He sent darkness, and it was dark (ibid. 105:28).

This implies that the darkness had a substance of its own. To what may this be compared? It may be compared to a king whose slave has rebelled against him. He told one of his aides: “Go give him fifty lashes.”

When that person whipped the slave, however, he administered a hundred lashes, adding fifty of his own accord. Similarly, when the Holy One, blessed be He, may His name be blessed, sent the darkness upon Egypt, the darkness added something of its own. Hence, He sent darkness, and it was dark (ibid.).

"When he sent" (Exodus 13:17). This "sending" means escorting, as you say, "and Abraham went with them to send them off" (Genesis 18:16). And likewise it says, "and Isaac sent them off and they went" and so on (Genesis 26:31). And why did Scripture open with this expression? The mouth that said, "I will not let them go" (Exodus 5:2), turned back and said, "I myself will send you away." Therefore it opened with "and it was when he sent." And what was his reward? "You shall not abhor an Egyptian" (Deuteronomy 23:8). The mouth that said, "I do not know the LORD" (Exodus 5:2), turned back and said, "The LORD is the righteous one" (Exodus 9:27). And what was his reward? He gave them burial, as it is said, "You stretched out Your right hand, the earth swallowed them" (Exodus 15:12). "And God did not lead them" (Exodus 13:17); He guided them, as you say, "You led Your people like a flock" (Psalms 77:21). And it says, "and He led them with a cloud by day" (Psalms 78:14). "By way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near" (Exodus 13:17): near was the matter that the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Abraham. And further, for the way was near to return to Egypt. And further, near was the oath that Abraham swore to Abimelech, "if you deal falsely with me" and so on (Genesis 21:23), and his grandson had not yet come. And further, the first war was near to the second. Another interpretation: "for it was near," near it was that the Canaanites should inherit the land, as it is written, "and in the fourth generation they shall return here" (Genesis 15:16), and they did not yet have a fourth generation. And He led them around the wilderness for forty years. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: If I lead them by a straight way, now each and every one will take hold of a field and a vineyard and neglect the Torah; rather, I will lead them by way of the wilderness, and they will eat the manna and drink the water of the well, and the Torah will settle in their bodies. And further, when the Canaanites heard that Israel was entering the land, they arose and burned the crops, and uprooted the trees, and cut down the saplings, and tore down the buildings, and stopped up the springs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I promised Abraham their father to bring them into a land full of all good things; behold, I will delay them in the wilderness forty years until the Canaanites arise and repair what they have ruined. "And the children of Israel went up armed" (Exodus 13:18): one out of five. And some say: one out of fifty. And some say: one out of five hundred. Rabbi Nehorai says: By the Temple service, not even one out of five thousand! And when did the rest die? In the days of the darkness, when Israel was burying their dead, and the Egyptians sat in darkness, and Israel gave thanks and praise that their enemies did not see them and rejoice in their downfall.

Now Jethro heard (Exod. 18:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: And so I saw the wicked buried, and they came into their rest; but they that had done right went away from the holy place, and were forgotten in the city; this also is vanity (Eccles. 8:10). Is it really so that wicked buried come and go at will? R. Simon declared: These are the wicked, who are considered as dead and buried while still living, as it is said: The wicked man travails with pain all his days (Job 15:20). What is the meaning of mitholel (“travails with pain”)? The wicked man, even in his lifetime, is considered as met (“dead”) and halal (“slain”) even while alive.

Another explanation of I saw the wicked buried, and they entered into their rest. Scripture speaks here of the proselytes who come to repent. And went away from the holy places alludes to the synagogues and the houses of study (they visited).

Another comment on went away from the holy places. From the place where Israel was designated as holy (i.e., Mount Sinai), thence they go (i.e., their souls were at Sinai during the giving of the Torah). And were forgotten in the city all that they did implies that all their wicked deeds were ignored in the city. Another comment (on) were forgotten. They were found through their good deeds. This also is vanity. It is not vanity when the inhabitants of the world see them as they seek to enter under the wings of the Shekhinah through conversion, but if they see them and they fail to be converted, this is vanity. Who was it that came to be converted and was a sincere proselyte? It was Jethro, as it is said: Now Jethro heard.

Now these are the judgments (Exod. 21:1). Scripture states (elsewhere in reference to this verse): The strength also of the king who loveth justice. Thou hast established equity and righteousness in Jacob (Ps. 99:4). (That is to say,) all strength, praise, greatness, and might belong to the King of Kings, who loveth justice. Normally a powerful man is not concerned about executing his decisions in accordance with the demands of justice. In fact, he ignores justice and commits acts of violence and theft. He disregards the attitude of His Creator, favors his friends and his relatives, and acts unjustly toward his enemies. But the Holy One, blessed be He, loveth justice, and executes his decrees only justly. Hence it says: The strength also of the King who loveth justice.

What is meant by Thou hast established equity (ibid.)? R. Alexandri explained it as follows: Two mules are being led along a road by men who despise each other. Suddenly, one of the mules falls to the ground. As the one who is leading the second mule passes by, he sees the mule of the other man stretched out beneath his load, and he says to himself: “Is it not written in the law that If thou seest the ass of him that hateth thee lying under its burden, thou shalt forbear to pass him by; thou shalt verily release it for him (Exod. 23:5)?” What did he do? He turned back to help the other man reload his mule, and then accompanied him on the way. In fact, while working with him he began to talk to the owner of the mule, saying: “Let us loosen it a little on this side, let us tighten it down on this side,” until he reloaded the animal with him. It came to pass that they had made peace between themselves. The driver of the mule (that had fallen) said to himself: “I cannot believe that he hates me; see how concerned he was when he saw that my mule and I were in distress.” As a result, they went into the inn, and ate and drank together. Finally they became extremely attached to each other. Hence, Thou hast established equity, Thou hast executed justice and righteousness.

That they take for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). May it please our masters to teach us: What did they do with the surplus offering? Thus did our masters teach us: They fashioned with it the hammered gold overlay for the Holy of Holies. You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, chose two offerings (terumot): the offering (set aside) for the building of the Tabernacle and the priestly offering. The priestly offering (was given to them) in order that they become students of the law. R. Yannai said: Any priest who is not a student of the law, it is permitted to eat the offering on his grave.

R. Isaac said in the name of R. Johanan: Observe what is written in the verse: The priests have done violence to My law, and have profaned My holy things (Ezek. 22:26). How did they do that? They have not distinguished between the holy and the common, neither have they taught differences between the unclean and the clean (ibid.). If the priest is not a student of the Torah, he is unable to distinguish between the holy and the profane, the unclean and the clean. Therefore Scripture says: Thou hast despised My holy things and hast profaned My Sabbaths (ibid., v. 18). Why does he despise the holy things? Because he does not know how to observe the Sabbath. See how beloved is the priestly offering in that it was given to the priests who were students of the law. But the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed the Temple offering for His own sake, as it is said: That they take for me an offering.

And thou shalt command the children of Israel (Exod. 27:20). May it please our masters to teach us: At what age must an infant be circumcised? So do our masters teach us: An infant must be circumcised on the eighth day. Why? Because our patriarch Isaac was circumcised on that day. R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: Observe that though nothing is more precious to a man than his own son, he is required to circumcise him. Why must he do that? R. Nahman the son of Samuel said: He does so in order to fulfill the will of his Creator, and even though he witnesses his son’s blood flowing from the circumcision, he welcomes it joyfully. R. Hanina declared: And what is more, he spends his money to celebrate the occasion, something which he was not commanded (to do). Why is that so? Because Scripture states: But as for me, I will hope continually, and will praise Thee yet more and more (Ps. 71:14). Not only that, but a man even borrows money and goes into debt (if need be) to celebrate on that day.

R. Yudan asked: When is a son most beloved by his father? When he commences to talk. That is what Scripture says: Is Ephraim a darling son unto me? Is he a child that is a delight? (Jer. 31:20). When does a child become a delight? At the age of three or four years, when he begins to chatter, he becomes a source of delight to his father.

R. Bisna asserted: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My sons, do for Me what I have done for you: I fed you in the desert, therefore you must sacrifice a lamb unto me: Thou shalt offer in the morning (Exod. 29:39). Then washed I thee with water; yea, I cleansed away thy blood from thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with richly woven work, and shod thee with sealskin, and I wound fine linen about thy head, and covered thee with silk. I decked thee also with ornaments, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy neck. And I put a ring upon thy nose, and earrings in thy ears, and a beautiful crown upon thy head (Ezek. 16:9–12).

Then washed I thee with water indicates that you must make a laver for Me. I anointed thee with oil corresponds to the anointing oil (that must be available). I clothed thee also with richly woven work corresponds to the embroidered garments (worn in the Temple). And shod thee with sealskin (tahash) corresponds to the tehashim that were used (for the cover of the Holy of Holies). And I wound fine linen about thy head corresponds to the twisted linen (of the priests’ garments). And covered thee with silk corresponds to the clouds of glory, as it is said: The pillar of cloud departed not from before the people (Exod. 13:22), and that corresponds to the curtains of goats’ hair. I decked thee also with ornaments alludes to the purple cloak, and that corresponds to the ark and its overlay. And I put a ring upon thy nose corresponds to the nose rings and earrings that (the women brought to donate for the gold of the Tabernacle and priestly garments). A beautiful crown upon thy head corresponds to the ark cover and the gold rim around the table. Behold, I will cause to rain bread (Exod. 16:4) corresponds to the show-bread. And the Lord went before them by day (ibid. 13:21) corresponds to His injunction that the Israelites shall burn a lamp continually.

When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel (Exod. 30:12). May our masters teach us: How many times each year did the Israelites bring their offerings to the Temple? Thus did our masters teach us: They brought them three times a year; on the first day of the months of Nisan, Iyar, and Elul. On the first day of the months of Nisan and Iyar the offerings for the Temple treasury would be collected and the priests would approach the altar to seek forgiveness for the sins of Israel with the shekels they had contributed. But why did they do so three times a year? In order that all the Israelites might be involved, throughout the year, in giving their contributions. Why did they begin to accumulate their contributions on the first day of Adar, though they did not bring it in until the first day of Nisan? It was done that way so that the offering would not become an unbearable hardship for the Israelites. Hence they (the priests) would remind the Israelites on the first day of the month of Adar (to prepare their offerings).

Solomon exclaimed: The way of the sluggard is as though hedged by thorns; but the path of the upright is even (Prov. 15:19). Scripture is referring in this verse to the wicked Esau. Just as the thorns from a bush that cling to a man’s garment will cling to another part of the garment when he tries to brush them off, so the government of Esau (Rome), while still collecting a crop tax from Israel, would impose a head tax. And even before the head tax was fully collected, it would impose a levy for the care of its soldiers. The Holy One, blessed be He, did not do that: For the path of the upright is even, made level before Israel.

They announced (the obligation) on the first day of Adar, and then it was collected (by the priests) on the first day of Nisan. How much did they collect? A half-shekel (the head-tax for the Temple). And how much was it? It was equal to half a sela. They were collected only to make it possible to atone for the sins of Israel. They would purchase the daily burnt offerings with the contribution. Because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that in every census Israel would take in the future, some of them would be missing (as a punishment for the census). He ordained the shekel offering as a remedy so that it might atone for them and no plague would befall them.

And Moses said unto the children of Israel: “See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri” (Exod. 35:30). May it please our masters to teach us: How far must a person go to eliminate mixed materials (shatnez)? R. Simeon the son of Yohai concluded from the verse Neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together (Lev. 19:19) that a man is prohibited from donning an outer garment of mixed material even though he puts it on over a hundred other garments. However, if he should put it on beneath his other garments, without the mixed material touching his body, he is permitted to do so, for it is said: Neither shall there come upon thee a garment of two kinds of stuff mingled together. The words upon thee signify that it may not be worn as an outer garment but that it may be placed underneath (i.e. closer to the body). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: Keep My commandments and My statues. Why? Because the consequence of a good deed is another good deed, but the result of committing a sin is another sin. Ben Azzai stated that one good deed results in another good deed, and one sin produces another sin. R. Meir said: For every good deed a man performs, an angel is assigned to watch over him. If he does one good deed, one angel is assigned to him, and if he performs many good deeds, many angels are assigned to him, as it is said: For he will give His angels charge over thee (Ps. 91:11). Every time a man increases the number of good deeds he performs, he adds to his good name. You find that a man is known by three names: the name by which his father and mother call him, the name by which other men call him, and the one he earns for himself; the most important name is the one he earns for himself.

You know this is so from the fact that Bezalel was granted the privilege of building the Tabernacle because he had earned a good name, as it is written: A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold (Prov. 22:1). Whence do we know this? From the name by which he called him: See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel.

Scripture states elsewhere: A good name is better than precious oil; and the day of death than the day of one’s birth (Eccles. 7:1). They asked Solomon: Why is a good name better than precious oil? He replied: When a man is born, no one knows what he will become, but when he leaves this world with a good name, good deeds become abundant because of him. The Israelites attend him, they perform deeds of charity, they extol him with praises, and they exclaim: “How righteous was so-and-so, and how wholeheartedly he fulfilled the law and performed good deeds.” May his sleep be with the righteous.

Why did Solomon not say: “A good name is better than wine or honey”? And why did he refrain from mentioning any other fluid except precious oil? Because of the fact that when you pour water into a bottle of oil it rises and floats to the surface, while other fluids are miscible with water. That is what happens to one who possesses a good name. He rises to a new level in his community.

Another comment on A good name is better than precious oil. A good name increases (among people), while precious oil descends. A good name arises, as it is written: And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee and make thy name great (Gen. 12:2), while precious oil flows downward, as it is said: It is like the precious oil upon the head (Ps. 133:2). Precious oil is transitory, while a good name is everlasting, as is said: May his name endure forever; may his name be continued as long as the sun (ibid. 72:17). This was said in reference to the prophets and the wise men. Precious oil may be destroyed, but a good name is indestructible, as it is said: I will give them an everlasting memorial, that they shall not be cut off (Isa. 56:5).

Precious oil is possessed by men of wealth, but a good name may be attained by poor and rich alike. A good name adheres to the living and the dead, while precious oil exists for the living alone. The scent of precious oil may travel from the sleeping chamber to the anteroom, but a good name travels from one end of the earth to the other. When precious oil falls upon a corpse, it become putrid, as it is said: Dead flies make the oil of a perfumer fetid and putrid (Eccles. 10:1), but when a good name is possessed by a deceased person, it does not deteriorate, as is said: And he went up, and lay upon the child, and put his mouth upon his mouth, and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he stretched himself out upon him; and the flesh of the child waxed warm (II Kings 4:34). Another explanation. When precious oil falls into water it floats away, but a good name does not float away, as is said: And the Lord spoke unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land (Jonah 2:11). Another explanation. When precious oil falls into a fire, it is consumed, but when a good name falls into fire, it is not consumed, as is said: Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire (Dan. 3:26).

R. Judah the son of Simon stated: We find that one who possesses precious oil may enter a healthy place and come out a corpse, while the owner of a good name can enter a place of death and come out alive: Nadab and Abihu approached the altar to offer sacrifices, but they were consumed even though they were anointed with it, as is written: And there came forth fire from before the Lord and devoured them (Lev. 10:2). Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, on the other hand, went into the fire and came out alive, as it is said: Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego came forth out of the midst of the fire. And the day of death rather than the day of one’s birth (Exod. 7:1). When a child is born, no one can foresee the vicissitudes that may befall him, but at the time of his death everything about his life is known. When Miriam was born, no one was aware of it, but at her death the well disappeared. When Aaron was born, no one knew but when he died, the cloud of glory was removed; when Bezalel was born, nobody knew but (before he died) he was called to build the Tabernacle. (After their deaths,) everyone knew these things. A good name is better than precious oil. Bezalel’s good name was more helpful to him than anointing oil to the sons of Aaron, for in the case of Bezalel, the Holy One, blessed be He, declared: See, the Lord hath called by name Bezalel.

These are the accounts of the tabernacle (Exod. 38:21). It is written elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Thou throne of glory, on high from the beginning, thou place of our Sanctuary (Jer. 17:12). This verse indicates that the Throne of Glory is located directly opposite our Sanctuary. That is why it says: The place, O Lord, which Thou hast made for Thee to dwell in, the Sanctuary, O Lord, which Thy hands have established (Exod. 15:17). And you find that Jerusalem on high is situated directly opposite the earthly Jerusalem. It was because the earthly Jerusalem was exceedingly precious to Him that He fashioned another one on high, as it is said: Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before me (Isa. 49:16). Why was it destroyed? Because thy children make haste; thy destroyers and they that make thee waste shall go forth from thee (ibid., v. 17). That is why it was destroyed.

Similarly David said: Jerusalem, thou art builded as a city that is compact together (Ps. 122:3); that is to say, like the city that the Lord built, a city that was destroyed called Jerusalem. It was built on high, directly opposite the one on earth, and concerning which He vowed that His Shekhinah would not enter the city above until the earthly Jerusalem was erected. How beloved was Israel in the sight of the Holy One, blessed be He. Whence do we know this? It is written: The Holy One in the midst of thee, and I will not come in fury (Hos. 11:9), and it says elsewhere: Now, therefore, what do I here, saith the Lord, seeing that My people is taken away for nought? (Isa. 52:5). Our sages declared: Now, therefore, what do I here, saith the Lord implies: Why should I desire to be here in Jerusalem now that My people have been taken away from it? For nought would I be coming into it, therefore I will not come into it. May it be his will that it be rebuilt speedily in our day.

(Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses [and spoke unto him].” This text is related (to Ps. 103:20), “Bless the Lord, O His messengers, mighty in strength who fulfill His word.” These are the prophets, since they are called messengers where it is stated (in Numb. 20:16), “and He sent a messenger (mal'akh) who brought us out of Egypt.” So also (in II Chron. 36:16), “But they mocked the messengers (mal'akhim) of God, [disdained His words, and taunted His prophets].” R. Huna said in the name of R. Aha, “These [messengers] are Israel, since it says (in Ps. 103:20), ‘mighty in strength who fulfill His word, hearkening to the voice of His word,’ in [reference to the fact] that they [were the ones who] had put fulfilling ahead of hearkening.” R. Isaac the Smith said, “These are those who observe the sabbatical year.

So why were they called mighty in strength? When [such a one] sees his field abandoned, his trees abandoned, his fences breached, and sees his fruit trees eaten, he suppresses his drive (like one mighty in strength) and does not speak.” And thus have our masters taught (in Avot 4:1): And who is mighty? One who subdues his drive. R. Tanhum ben Hanila'i says (Ps. 103:20), “’Mighty in strength.’

This is Moses because no one is as mighty in strength as Moses. When Israel stood before Mount Sinai, they were not capable of hearing the divinely spoken word, as stated (in Deut. 5:22), ‘if we continue hearing the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die.’ But Moses was not harmed.” [This is ] in order to teach you that the righteous ones are greater than the ministering angels, since the ministering angels are not able to hear His voice.

Rather they stand with excitement and dismay, while the righteous are able to hear His voice. It is so stated (in Joel 2:11), “The Lord shouts aloud before His army, for His host is very great, for mighty is the one who fulfills His word.” “His host” denotes angels, since it is stated (regarding angels in Gen. 32:3), “This is God's host.” And so it says (in Dan. 7:10), “thousands upon thousands ministered to Him.”

And who is stronger than them? The righteous, of whom it is stated (in Joel 2:11), “for mighty is the one who fulfills His word,” i.e., a righteous person who does His bidding. And who is this? This is Moses, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Make a tabernacle.”

So he was hurried and made it. Then he stood alone outside, because he was afraid to enter the tent of meeting, as stated (in Exod. 40:35), “Now Moses could not enter the tent of meeting.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “It is not right for Moses, since he made the tabernacle, to stand outside while I stand inside; so look, I am calling upon him to enter.” It is therefore written (in Lev. 1:1), “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses.”

Ergo, greater is the strength of the righteous, in that they are able to hear His voice! So also it is written concerning Samuel (in I Sam. 3:10), “Then the Lord came, and stood there, and He called as at other times, ‘Samuel, Samuel’; so Samuel said, ‘Speak, for Your servant is listening.’” Therefore David has said (in Ps. 103:20), “mighty in strength who fulfill His word.” Now if you say that, when He spoke with Moses, He spoke in a low voice, [and] for that reason he was able to hear, He only spoke in the voice [used in] the giving of Torah. [That was] when they heard His voice and were dying at the first utterance.

It is so stated (in Deut. 5:22), “if we continue [hearing the voice of the Lord our God any longer, we shall die].” And so it says (in Cant. 5:6), “my soul departed when He spoke.” And where is it shown that He spoke with the voice [used in] the giving of Torah? Where it says (in Ps. 29:4), “The voice of the Lord has power.”

It also says so (in Numb. 7:89), “When Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he would hear the voice speaking unto him,” the voice which he heard in the giving of Torah. He also spoke thus for each and every utterance and for each and every saying, as it is stated (Ps. 29:5), “The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars.” Perhaps you will say that Israel heard the voice from outside. The text (of Numb. 7:89) reads, “he would hear the voice.”

He alone heard the voice. But since He spoke in a loud voice, why did they not hear? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed over the utterance, that it would go forth and come to Moses. So the Holy One, blessed be He, made a path for it by which the utterance went forth until it reached Moses, but it was not heard here and there.

It is so stated (in Job 28:25), “To fix a weight for the wind.” Thus, when each saying went forth from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, every one had a [fixed] weight. And so it says (in Job 28:26), “and a way for the thunder of voices,” in that the Holy One, blessed be He, made a way for that voice, because it was going forth to Moses alone.

Thus it is stated (in Lev. 1:1), “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses and spoke unto him.” It was heard by him and not by another. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 103:20), “mighty in strength who fulfill His word.” (Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses [and spoke unto him].” This text is related (to Prov. 25:7), “For it is better that you be told, ‘Come up here,’ than that you be put down before a prince, whom your eyes have seen.”

R. Tanhum says, “Keep two or three places distance from your [rightful] place so that they will say to you, ‘Come up higher.’ So do not come up, lest they tell you, ‘Go down.’” R. Tanhuma says (Prov. 20:15), “’There is gold and a multitude of jewels, but lips with knowledge are a precious object.’ The proverb says, ‘If you lack knowledge, what do you possess?

If you possess knowledge, what do you lack?’ Even Moses did not ascend until the Holy One, blessed be He, called him (in Lev. 1:1), ‘Then [the Lord] called unto Moses.’”

(Lev. 6:2:) “This is the law of the burnt offering.” This text is related (to Ps. 89:7), “For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord, is like the Lord among the children of the powerful ones?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If I had [merely] desired an offering, would I not have told (the angel) Michael to bring me an offering? From whom do I desire sacrifice?

From Israel.” And so it says about the shewbread (in Lev. 24:8), “on every Sabbath day shall he arrange it.” But it is written (in Micah 6:7), “Does the Lord want thousands of rams?” Balaam the wicked was an advocate for the nations of the world.

It is in reference to the nations that that [Scripture] speaks (in Micah 6:7), “Does the Lord want thousands of rams with ten thousands of rivers of oil?” He wants what you offer to Him, [i.e.] a log of oil. We (gentiles) offer Him ten thousand times ten thousands rivers of oil.

What did Abraham offer to Him? Was it not one ram? It is so stated (in Gen. 22:13), “Then [Abraham] lifted his eyes to look and there was a ram behind….” If He wants, we should offer Him thousands of rams; but what did Abraham offer Him?

His son. I might offer Him my son and daughter, as stated (in Micah 6:7, cont.), “shall I give my first-born for my transgression,” this is my first-born son; “the fruit of my belly for the sin of my soul,” this is my daughter. See how crafty Balaam the wicked was! He began to say (in Numb. 23:4), “I have prepared the seven altars [and offered a ram and a bull on each altar].”

He did not say, "seven altars," but, “the [seven] altars.” These are [all of the] seven altars, [which] they had built since the first Adam was created up to now. Now I am offering seven corresponding to the seven of them. And what did they offer?

Twelve cakes, as stated (in Lev. 24:5), “Then you shall take fine white flour and bake it into twelve cakes.” When the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him, He said to him, “O wicked one, what are you doing?” He said to Him (in Numb. 23:4) “I have prepared the seven altars.” To whom is this wicked one comparable?

To a butcher who sold [meat] in the market. When his store was full of meat, thieves saw [him] and looked at the meat. [When] that butcher saw that he was looking at the meat, he said to him, “Sir, I have already sent provisions to your house.” So it was with Balaam. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “O wicked one, what are you doing here?”

He said to Him (in Numb. 23:4), “I have prepared the seven altars with a bull and a ram on each altar.” He said to Him (in Micah 6:7), “Does the Lord want thousands of rams?” He said to Him (ibid., cont.), “Shall I give my first-born for my transgression?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “O evil one, if I had desired an offering, I would have spoken to Michael and Gabriel, and they would have presented offerings to me.”

It is so stated (in Ps. 89:7), “For who in the skies is comparable to the Lord, is like the Lord among the children of the powerful ones?” This is [referring to] Balaam, who desired to imitate [what is done by] the children of the powerful ones to the Holy One, blessed be He. [“Among the children of the powerful ones” is referring to] the children of Abraham [which] are Isaac and Jacob. [These are the ones] who are the rams of the world.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “What do you desire? To deceive yourself before Me? [To persuade] Me to accept offerings from the gentiles? You are not able. It is an oath (in the words of Lev. 24:8, cont.), ‘an everlasting covenant on the part of the Children of Israel.’

It is a stipulation that I only accept offerings from Israel.” It is so stated (in Lev. 6:2), “Command Aaron and his children, saying.” When the nations said, “What is this, whereby Israel is presenting offerings and sacrificing?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (ibid.), “This is the law of the burnt offering (rt.: 'lh),” [referring to (Cant. 3:6),] “Who is this that comes up (rt.: 'lh) from the desert?” (Exod. 19:3:) “Then Moses went up (rt.: 'lh) unto God.”

Another interpretation (of Lev. 6:1-2) “Then the Lord spoke…, ‘Command Aaron…, “This is the law of the burnt offering”’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Fulfill what is written above on the matter. Then after that [comes,] ‘This is the law of the burnt offering.’” Why? (Is. 61:8) “Because I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery with a burnt offering,” [meaning] even with a burnt offering. What is written above on the matter (in Lev. 5:23)?

“And it shall come to pass that, when one has sinned and is guilty, he shall restore the stolen goods which he robbed.” Then after that (in Lev. 6:2), “This is the law of the burnt offering.” If you desire to present an offering, you shall not rob anyone. Why?

“Because I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery with a burnt offering.” So when do you present a burnt offering so that I accept it? When your hands are clean of robbery. David said (in Ps. 24:3-4), “Who may ascend (rt.: 'lh) the hill of the Lord, and who may stand in His holy place?

One with clean hands and a pure heart.” “This is the law of the burnt offering,” the one who has hands clean of robbery, he “may stand in His holy place.” “From the beginning of [this book on] offerings you learn (in Lev. 1:2), “Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them, ‘When one (adam) of you presents an offering.” Why is Adam mentioned?

It is simply that the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “When you sacrifice to Me, you shall be like the first Adam in that he did not rob from others, since he was alone in the world. So also you shall not rob people. Why? (Is. 61:8:) ‘Because I the Lord love justice, I hate robbery with a burnt offering.’” Another interpretation (of Lev. 6:2), “This is the Torah of the burnt offering”: Why is it named a burnt offering ('olah, rt.: 'lh)?

Because it is the highest (rt.: 'lh) of all the offerings. It is that which ascends ('olah, rt.: 'lh). You should know that when someone brings a sin offering, the priest takes it, and likewise the meal offering. Moreover, the peace offerings belong to their owners and a guilt offering belongs to the priest.

In the case of the burnt offering, however, no creature tastes it. Rather all of it belongs to the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore, it is called burnt offering ('olah, rt.: 'lh), because it ascends ('olah) to the Holy One, blessed be He, who is [the] Most High (rt.: 'lh).

(Lev. 9:1) “And it came to pass on the eighth day….” This text is related to [the verse] (in Eccl. 8:5), “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” Who is this? Aaron, of whom it is said (in Lev. 8:33, 35), “And you (i.e., you and your sons) shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting for seven days […].

And you shall remain at the door of the tent of meeting day and night for seven days.” Moses said to them, “Observe mourning for seven days, before it comes to you.” (Lev. 8:35, cont.) “And you shall observe the charge of the Lord.” Moses said to them, “Observe the charge of the Lord, for so did the Holy One, blessed be He, observe seven days of mourning before He brought the flood.”

Where is it shown that He mourned [before the flood]? Where it is stated (in Gen. 6:6), “Then the Lord regretted that He had made humanity on the earth, and He was grieving in his heart.” [The expression] “He was grieving” can only mean, He mourned. For so it says concerning David (in II Sam. 19:3), “And the victory [on that day] was turned into mourning for all the people because [on that day they heard it being said,] ‘The king was grieving over his son.’” So also Ezra said to Israel when they were weeping, each one for his brother and each one for his child (in Neh. 8:10), “Go, eat choice foods and drink sweet drinks….

Do not be grieving, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.” It is therefore stated (in Gen. 6:6), “and He was grieving in his heart.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, observed the seven days of mourning, before He brought the flood. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 7:10), “And it came to pass after seven days [that the waters of the flood came upon the earth].”

And so Moses was saying to Aaron the priest and to his sons, “Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, mourned over His world before He brought the flood, so [you are to] observe the [required] mourning before it touches (i.e., harms) you.” So they observed [the mourning], but they did not know for what reason they were observing it. Why? (Eccl. 8:5:) “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.” (Eccl. 8:5, cont.:) “And a wise heart shall know [there is] a time of judgment.”

This is Moses, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, had already said (in Exod. 29:43), “And there I will meet with the Children of Israel, and there shall be sanctification through My glory.” [In other words,] I (the Holy One, blessed be He,) will be sanctified there through My glory.

Now Moses ministered during the seven days of priestly ordination, but he was afraid, saying, “Perhaps divine judgment will strike him (i.e., Aaron).” Thus it is stated (ibid.), “and there shall be sanctification through My glory.” Still he did not act, but said to Aaron, “Observe seven days of mourning.” [Aaron] said to him, “Why?” [Moses] said to him, “For so the Holy One, blessed be He, has told me – (in Lev. 8:35) “for so I have been commanded.”

When they had observed the seven days of mourning and [when] the eighth day had come, Nadab and Abihu went in to make an offering (rt.: qrb). Divine judgment struck them, and they were destroyed by fire. It is so stated (in Lev. 10:2), “So fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, so that they died before the Lord.” Moses came and said to Aaron (in Lev. 10:3), “This is what the Lord spoke, ‘Through those who are near (rt.: qrb) to Me, I will be sanctified.”

Where did he speak? In the Sinai Desert. (Exod. 29:43), “And there I will meet with the Children of Israel, and there shall be sanctification through My glory.” And so did Moses say to Aaron, “The time that He said to me, ‘Through those who are near to Me, I will be sanctified,’ I thought that He would strike me or you. But now I know that they are greater than I and than you.” (Lev 9:3:) “And Aaron was silent” – the thing was consolation for him. Ergo (Eccl. 8:5), “Whoever observes a commandment shall not know anything evil.”

(Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” This text is related (to Job 29:2), “O that I were as in the months of old, [as in the days when God watched over me]!” In regard to this verse, Job spoke it when the afflictions had come upon him. He said, “’O that I were as in the months of old,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!”

“As in the days when God watched over me!” [These words] teach that the infant is watched over while it is in its mother's belly. (Job 29:3:) “When His light shone over my head […].” From here you learn that the infant has light in its mother's belly. (Job 29:4:) “When I was in the days of my youth (horef), when God's company was over my tent.” [These words teach about the infant.] Just as the rain is at work in the soil for it to become muddy, so the infant is muddy in its mother's womb. Another interpretation [of] “when God's company was over my tent”: These words teach about the infant.

Just as the infant gets muddy, so is a person muddied by sins, so that misfortunes come upon him. At that time [Job] said (in Job 29:2), “’O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!” What does he finally say (in vs. 4)? “When I was in the days of my youth.”

R. Abbahu said, “The infant comes out of the mother's belly covered with slime and covered with blood; yet everyone praises and cherishes it, especially when it is a male.” Ergo (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” (Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed.” [This text is related to (Ps. 139:5),] “You have formed me behind and before.”

The text speaks of the first Adam. R. Johanan said, “It is written about him that there were two creations. There is a double y (i.e., a double yod in Gen. 2:7), ‘The Lord God formed (yytsr) the human.’ One formation is in this world, and one is for the world to come.

But in the case of cattle, wild beasts, and birds, for them [only] one formation is written (without a double y in Gen. 2:19), ‘So out of the earth the Lord God formed (ytsr) all the wild beasts of the field [and all the birds of the heavens].’ It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Simeon ben Laqish says, “Behind (in the sense of what comes] before the act of [his] creation.

What is the reason? It is written (in Gen. 1:2), ‘and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters’; this spirit was the soul of the first Adam. It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Eleazar ben Pedat says, “Behind [refers] to an [later] event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an [earlier] event of the sixth day.

How so? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, created six things on the sixth day. They were these: (1) the soul; (2) wild beasts; (3) cattle; (4) beasts of the earth; (5) Adam; and (6) Eve. Now Adam's soul was created first, as stated (in Gen. 1:24), ‘a living soul.’

Living soul can only be the soul of Adam, since it is stated (in Gen. 2:7), ‘and the human (Adam) became a living soul.’ Hence, before [refers] to the [first] event of the sixth day, and behind [refers] to the sixth day, since [the Holy One, blessed be He,] was occupied with him all of the sixth day. Ergo (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’ Behind [refers] to an event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an event of the sixth day.”

R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “What is the meaning of ‘You have formed me behind and before?’ Having two faces, male and female. Hence it says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” Adam said, “After the Holy One, blessed be He, had created all the cattle and wild beasts, He created me.” So it is with the infant.

Before it comes forth from its mother's belly, the Holy One, blessed be He, commands it, “Eat of this, do not eat of that, (in Lev. 11:29) ‘this shall be unclean for you.’” Then after it takes upon itself in its mother's belly all the commandments which are in the Torah, [only] after that it is born. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.”

(Lev. 14:2:) “This shall be the law of the leper.” Let our master instruct us: How many people have no share in the world to come? Thus have our masters taught (in Sanh. 10:1-2): These are they who have no share in the world to come…. Three kings and four commoners have no share in the world to come.

The three kings are Jeroboam, Ahab, and Manasseh. R. Judah ben Shallum said, “The sages of the Mishnah wanted to teach that there were four kings and reckon Solomon with them; however, a heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said (in the words of Ps. 105:15), ‘Touch not my anointed.’ Nevertheless they returned one day to teaching [as before].

Fire from the heavens came and destroyed their benches. [The heavenly voice] returned and said (according to Job 34:33), ‘Should He repay as you would, when you have refused?’” All the same, why did they so teach? Because it is written (in I Kings 11:1, 6), “Now King Solomon loved many foreign wives […]. And Solomon did what was evil in the eyes of the Lord.” (Sanh. 10:2, at the end:) The four commoners are Balaam, Doeg, Ahithophel and Gehazi.

You find that these were condemned to Geihinnom on account of the words of their mouths. In the case of Balaam, he was driven into Geihinnom because of his speech, as stated (in Numb. 23:7), “From Aram has Balak brought me, the king of Moab,” [meaning] I was one of the exalted ones; I was one of the division of the patriarchs, [but] Balak brought me (yanheni) and cast me into Geihinnom.”

Now brought me (yanheni, rt.: nhh) can only imply Geihinnom, since it is stated (in Ezek. 32:18), “Son of man, lament over (rt.: nhh) [the masses of Egypt and cast them down… unto the lowest part of the nether world].”

So also was Doeg banished because of his speech. When? When David fled to Nob, the city of priests where Ahimelech received him, Saul noticed and gathered all his servants. He said to them, “A fine way you are treating me!

For David does whatever he wishes, and not one of you has put a word in my ear.” It is so stated (in I Sam. 22:8), “Is that why all of you have conspired against me? For no one is putting a word in my ear when my son is making a deal with the son of Jesse….” Doeg began to utter evil speech, as stated (in vs. 9), “Then Doeg the Edomite, who was standing among the servants of Saul, answered and said, ‘I saw the son of Jesse come to Nob….’”

It was also by his hand that eighty-five priests who wear the ephod and Ahimelech the High Priest were slain. “And he smote Nob the city of priests with the edge of the sword” (I Samuel 22:19). R. Eleazar said, “Anyone who becomes merciful upon the cruel one will end by being cruel to the merciful: It is written (I Samuel 15:9), ‘But Saul had pity upon Agag and upon the best of the sheep and the cattle’; and it is [also] written (I Samuel 22:19) about Nob the city of priest, ‘And he smote Nob the city of priests with the edge of the sword.’“ So also was Ahithophel banished because of his speech.

Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 17:23), “So when Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not heeded… and he set his house in order and hanged himself.” Gehazi also was banished on account of his speech. When Naaman became leprous and was healed at the hands of Elisha, Naaman began to give silver, gold and gifts to Elisha, but he did not want to accept them.

Now Gehazi was ministering to Elisha. He saw the silver, the gold, and the clothes; so he said (in II Kings 5:20), “My Lord has spared that Aramean Naaman without accepting what he brought; as the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him.” Certainly he took [something; he took] his deformity. Thus it is stated (in vs. 27), “And the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you and to your seed forever.”

Why [did Elisha not want anything]? Because it is stated (in Deut. 13:18), “And let nothing cleave to your hand of that which is devoted.” Now Naaman and the king of Aram served idols; and it is written (in Deut. 7:26), “Do not bring an abomination unto your house.” R. Pedat said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has made a covenant with the world that anyone who utters evil speech receives leprosy.”

Where is it shown? From what is written on the matter (in Lev. 14:2), “This shall be the law of the leper (hametsora'),” [ i.e. ] the one who proclaims evil (hamotsi' ra'). Our masters have said, “Plagues only affect a person on account of the evil speech which comes out of his mouth.”

So the holy spirit cries out (in Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin,” [ i.e. ] to afflict your body; (ibid., cont.) “and do not say before the angel that it was a mistake,” [ i.e. ] and do not say before the angel who is appointed over you, “By mistake I brought forth the word from my mouth.” For every word which issues from your mouth, whether good, evil, by mistake, or on purpose, is written in a book.

Where is it shown that it is so? Where it is stated (in Mal. 3:16), “Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another; the Lord has hearkened and listened, and a book of remembrance has been written before Him […].” And so with the trait of calamity, David said (in Ps. 139:2), “You know when I sit down and when I stand up, You discern my thoughts from afar.” Job also said (in Job 14:16), “For You count my footsteps,” and (Job 13:27) “You look closely over the treading of my feet.” (Eccl. 5:5, cont.:) “Why should God be angry over your voice and destroy the work of your hands?”

These are the hands and the body when they are afflicted by leprosy. Another interpretation (of Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin”: The Torah has spoken to you euphemistically. If your wife has told you that she is menstruating (niddah), do not cause your body to sin by touching her. Do not say before the angel who is appointed over the formation of the fetus, “’I made a mistake and did not know.” (Ibid., cont.:) “Why should God be angry over your voice and destroy the work of your hands?”

This refers to the children who are afflicted with leprosy. R. Aha said, “If a man has intercourse with his wife when she is menstruating, the children will be afflicted with leprosy. How? [If] he has intercourse on the first day of her menstruating, the child which is born shall be afflicted after ten years. [If] he has intercourse with her on the second day, it shall be afflicted after twenty years.

On the third day it shall be afflicted after thirty years. On the fourth day it shall be afflicted after forty years. On the fifth day it shall be afflicted after fifty years. On the sixth day it shall be afflicted after sixty years.

On the seventh day it shall be afflicted after seventy years, corresponding to the seven days of her menstruation. Moreover, he shall not depart from the world before he has seen his fruit spoiled. Now the days of a person's life are only seventy years, for so David says (in Ps. 90:10), ‘The days of our life comprise seventy years, and’ [only if] one merited, ‘eighty.’ Therefore if a man has intercourse with a menstruating woman on the seventh day, the fetus is afflicted at seventy years of age, so that he does not depart from the world until he has seen his fruit spoiled.

This punishment, as it were, does not come from Me. I have already testified to you and told you (in Lev. 14:2,) ‘This shall be the law of the leper.’” Another interpretation (of Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth [cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the angel (mal'akh) that it was a mistake]”: If you have acted with malice aforethought and led astray a high priest, who is called an angel (mal'akh), as stated (in Mal. 2:7), “For the lips of a priest preserve knowledge, and they should seek Torah from his mouth; for he is the messenger (mal'akh) of the Lord of hosts”; then do not say, “I sinned by mistake,” [ i.e. ] (in Eccl. 5:5), “ do not say before the angel (i.e., before the high priest) that it was a mistake.”

Why? You are leading yourself astray. You are afflicting yourself. The voice which you send forth from your mouth will destroy the work of your hands. (Eccl. 5:5) “Why should God be angry over your voice [and destroy the work of your hands]?” This refers to the children who are afflicted with leprosy.

(Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” This text is related (to Eccl. 9:2), “Since everything [happens] to everyone, the same lot [falls] to the righteous and to the wicked […].” Solomon looked and foresaw the righteous and the wicked in all generations, and he saw things that would happen to the righteous and happen to the wicked. Then he said (in vs. 3), “This is an evil in all which happens under the sun, in that the same lot [falls] to everyone.” (Vs. 2:) “Since everything [happens] to everyone, the same lot [falls] to the righteous.” This refers to Abraham, in that he was called righteous, as stated (in Gen. 18:19), “For I have chosen him [so] that he may charge [his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord], to practice righteousness.” (Eccl. 9:2, cont.:) “And to the wicked.”

This refers to Nimrod, who incited all the whole world against the Holy One, blessed be He. The former is dead, and the latter is dead. (Ibid., cont.:) “To the good, to the clean, and to the unclean.” “To the good” refers to David, of whom it is stated (in I Sam. 16:12), “So they sent and brought him, reddish, with beautiful eyes and good appearance.” “To the unclean” refers to Nebuchadnezzar.

David [laid the foundation of] the Temple, and Nebuchadnezzar destroyed it. The former reigned forty years, and the latter reigned forty years. (Eccl., 9:2, cont.:) “To the one who sacrifices.” This refers to Solomon, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 8:63), “Solomon sacrificed [twenty-two thousand oxen and a hundred and twenty thousand sheep] as peace offerings.” (Eccl., 9:2, cont.:) “And to the one who does not sacrifice.”

This refers to Jeroboam, who stopped Israel from going up [to Jerusalem] on pilgrimage, as stated (in I Kings 12:28), “Enough of your going up to Jerusalem.” The latter one reigned after the former one. (Eccl. 9:2, cont.:) “As it is with the good.” This refers to Moses, of whom it is stated (in Exod. 2:2), “and when she saw that he was good.” (Eccl. 9:2, cont.:) “So it is with the sinner.” This refers to the spies (in Numb. 13-14), of whom it is stated (in Prov. 13:21), “Evil pursues sinners.”

Moses did not enter the land, neither did the spies enter the land. (Eccl. 9:2, cont.:) “And the one who takes an oath (without keeping it). This refers to Zedekiah, of whom it is stated (in II Chron. 36:13), “And he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar, who had made him take an oath of God.” (Eccl. 9:2, cont.:) “Is as the one who fears an oath.” This refers to Samson, of whom it is stated (in Jud. 15:12), “then Samson said to them, ‘Swear to me […].’”

They put out the eyes of the former, and they put out the eyes of the latter. Hence Solomon said (Eccl 9:3), “This is an evil in all which happens under the sun.” Another interpretation (of Eccl. 9:2), “as it is with the good”: This refers to the children of Aaron. (Eccl. 9:2, cont.:) “So it is with the sinner.” This refers to those who opposed Aaron, [namely] Korah and his congregation.

Now they were destroyed by fire, as stated (in Numb. 16:35), “And a fire went forth from the Lord”; [also when] the children of Aaron entered to offer sacrifice, they were consumed by fire, [as stated (Lev. 10:2),] “So fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them.” R. Abba bar Kahana opened (with Eccl. 2:2), “’Of laughter I said, “It is mad,” and of rejoicing, “What does that do?”’ How confused is the laughter of the evil, which they produce in their theater [houses] and racing arenas. ‘And of rejoicing, what does that do?’ What enjoyment would the disciples of the sages have there?” Another interpretation (of Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad’”: R. Aha said, “Solomon has said, ‘There are things over which divine justice laughs (that I have confused).’

It is written (in Deut. 17:17), ‘he shall not multiply wives for himself’; but it is written (in I Kings 11:3), ‘So he had seven hundred royal wives.’ It is written (in Deut. 17:16), ‘he shall not multiply horses for himself’; but it is written (in I Kings 5:6), ‘Now Solomon had forty thousand stalls of horses.’

It is written (in Deut. 17:17, cont.) ‘he shall not multiply silver and gold for himself’; but it is written (in I Kings 10:27), ‘And the king made silver in Jerusalem as plentiful as stones,’ and [the ingots] were not stolen.” R. Jose bar Hanina said, “They were like stones of ten cubits and like stones of eight cubits.” R. Simeon ben Johay said in a baraita, “Even the weights which they had in the days of Solomon were of gold, as it is written, (in I Kings 10:21), ‘silver was not [...] considered to be anything.’” (Eccl. 2:2:) “And of rejoicing, ‘What does that do?’”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “What is this crown doing in your hand? Get down off your throne.” Immediately an angel in the likeness of Solomon descended and sat upon his throne. Then Solomon went around among the synagogues and academies in Jerusalem and said (in Eccl. 1:12), “I, Koheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.”

But they said to him, “King Solomon is sitting on his throne, and you are getting crazier and crazier.” Then they struck him with a rod and set a bowl of grits before him. In that hour Solomon said (in Eccl. 2:10), “And this was my portion from all my labor.” And some say [he was referring] to the cane in his hand, and some say, to his dish, and some say to his staff.

At that time, Solomon said, “’Vanity of vanities,’ said Koheleth.” (Eccl. 2:2:), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad!’” R. Pinhas said, “How confused was the laughter, when divine justice laughed over the generation of the flood, as stated (in Job 21:10-13), ‘Their bull breeds and does not fail […]. They send forth their little ones like a flock […].

They sing to timbrel and harp […]. They spend [their days] in prosperity.’ When they said (in vs. 15), ‘What is the Almighty that we should serve him,’ the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Eccl. 2:2), ‘And of rejoicing, “What does that do?”’ By your life, I am destroying your memory from the world, as stated (in Gen. 7:23), “And He wiped out all living things.”’”

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad’”: How confused was the laughter, when divine justice laughed over the people of Sodom, as stated (Job 28:5-8), “The earth, out of it comes forth bread…. Its stones are the place of sapphires…. No bird of prey knows a path [to it]…. Proud beasts have not trodden it.”

When they said, “Let us forget the law of the traveler in our midst,” immediately (in Job 28:4), “A stream burst through from its source”; the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (Eccl. 2:2), “’And of rejoicing, “What does that do?”’ By your life, I will make you forgotten by the world.” This is what is written (in Gen. 19:24), “Then the Lord rained down upon Sodom….” Another interpretation (of Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad’”: How confused was the laughter, when divine justice laughed over Elisheba bat Amminadab, when she saw four celebrations in one day. She saw her [brother-in-law] (Moses) a king, her husband a high priest, her brother (Naashon) a prince (nasi), and her two sons deputy high priests. When they went in to offer sacrifice, they came out destroyed by fire; and her celebration turned into mourning, as stated (in Lev. 16:1), “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons.”