Midrash Tanchuma Reader

"If you lend money to My people" (Exodus 22:24). This is what Scripture says: "He who has not put out his money at interest" (Psalms 15:5). Come and see: anyone who has wealth and gives charity to the poor and does not lend at interest, it is reckoned for him as though he had fulfilled all the commandments, as it is said, "He who does these things shall never be moved" (Psalms 15:5). And who was this? This was Obadiah, who was a wealthy steward of Ahab, as it is said, "And Ahab called Obadiah, who was over the household; now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly" (1 Kings 18:3). And he sustained the prophets from his own property throughout that famine, and he borrowed at interest from Jehoram son of Ahab. Obadiah fulfilled, "He who has not put out his money at interest." But Jehoram, who lent at interest, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: He is still alive until now; let Jehu come and kill him, as it is said, "He has given out at interest and taken increase; shall he then live? He shall not live" (Ezekiel 18:13). And it is written, "And Jehu drew his bow with his full strength and struck Jehoram between his arms, and the arrow went out at his heart, and he sank down in his chariot" (2 Kings 9:24), because he had pressed him hard and stretched out his arms to take the interest, to fulfill what Ezekiel said, "He has given out at interest and taken increase; he shall not live." And in Jerusalem too there were people who lent at interest, as it is said, "Your silver has become dross" (Isaiah 1:22). And what was done to them? "Rejected silver they are called, for the LORD has rejected them" (Jeremiah 6:30); therefore "your silver has become dross." And it is written, "They shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be as an unclean thing" (Ezekiel 7:19). Why? Because they transgressed the Torah, as it is said, "You shall not give him your money at interest" (Leviticus 25:37). When Solomon built the Temple, he stood in prayer and said: Master of the universe, if a person prays for wealth in this House, and You know that he will be ruined by his wealth, do not give it to him; but if You see that the wealth is good for him, give it to him, as it is said, "Then render to each whose heart You know according to all his ways, for You alone know the hearts of all the children of men" (2 Chronicles 6:30). For in this world the wicked are rich and they dwell in tranquility, because the Holy One, blessed be He, pays them in this world for the few good deeds in their hand, as it is said, "And He repays those who hate Him to their face" (Deuteronomy 7:10). And it is written, "When the wicked spring up like grass" (Psalms 92:8). But in the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, opens His storehouses to the righteous, His servants, in the Garden of Eden. And the wicked who consumed interest gnaw their own flesh with their teeth and grieve, as it is said, "The fool folds his hands and eats his own flesh" (Ecclesiastes 4:5). And he says: Would that we had been laborers and carried loads on our shoulders, as it is said, "Better is a handful with quietness than two handfuls with toil" (Ecclesiastes 4:6). And the poor are the people of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "For the LORD has comforted His people and will have compassion on His afflicted ones" (Isaiah 49:13). The way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like the way of flesh and blood. In the way of flesh and blood, a rich man who has poor relatives hates them and does not acknowledge them, as it is said, "All the brothers of a poor man hate him; how much more do his friends keep far from him" (Proverbs 19:7). But the Holy One, blessed be He, with all His wealth and honor, shelters and has compassion on the poor, as it is said, "For the LORD has founded Zion, and in her the afflicted of His people take refuge" (Isaiah 14:32). "You lend to My people." David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, "May he be enthroned in God's presence forever" (Psalms 61:8); set Your world in order with equality, the rich and the poor. He said to him: If so, "Appoint mercy and truth, that they may preserve him" (Psalms 61:8); if all were rich or all were poor, who would be able to do kindness? "You shall not be to him as a creditor" (Exodus 22:24). If you have lent to him, do not press him. Do not look upon his field and vineyard, or his house, and say to him: Take a hundred thousand from me and do business and sign over to me your field and your vineyard and your house; and tomorrow he loses, and you take his vineyard. From here you learn that anyone who lends at interest does not fear the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "Take no interest from him" (Leviticus 25:36). Do not lay interest upon him. Our Rabbis taught: These transgress a negative commandment: the lender, the borrower, the guarantor, the witnesses, and the scribe. Therefore all of them are flogged. And from where do we know that the borrower is flogged? As it is written, "You shall not exact interest from your brother" (Deuteronomy 23:20). To what is interest comparable? To one whom a snake bit; he did not feel it, to say who bit him, and he did not know until it swelled up upon him. So too interest: he does not feel it until it swells up upon him. "If you take your neighbor's garment in pledge" (Exodus 22:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, says to him: If he owes you, you too owe Me, as it is said, "When they sin against You, for there is no man who does not sin" (1 Kings 8:46).

"And you shall make curtains of goats' hair" (Exodus 26:7). And this is what Scripture says: "I have loved you, says the LORD, yet you say, In what have You loved us?" (Malachi 1:2). This verse Malachi said when he was reproving Israel. He said to them: "Will a man rob God? Yet you rob Me" (Malachi 3:8). And they answer and say to him: "In what have we robbed You?" (Malachi 3:8). They said, of blessed memory: It was the uncle of Malachi who was reproving them, and they answer him, What is the meaning of "robbed You"? Rabbi Levi said: It is an Arabic expression. When an Arab is conversing with his fellow and says to him, Why do you rob me (gozleni)?, he says to him, Why do you kova'eni? This is to say, "In what have we robbed (keva'anukha) You?" He said to them: In the tithe and the heave-offering, for you do not bring out your tithes and your heave-offerings as is fitting. He returned and said to them: "I have loved you." They said to him: "In what have You loved us?" He said to them: "Was not Esau Jacob's brother? Yet I loved Jacob" (Malachi 1:2-3). It is the way of the world: a man who has two sons, one a firstborn and one ordinary -- who takes two portions? The firstborn. And Esau came out first, as it is said: "And the first came out ruddy" (Genesis 25:25). He was fit to take two portions, yet I did not do so; rather Jacob took two portions and Esau one portion, for Jacob eats in this world and inherits the world to come. And so Esau said to Jacob: "Let us take our journey, and let us go, and I will go alongside you" (Genesis 33:12). Esau said to him: Let the two of us go together. Jacob said to him: Take your world and pass on, as it is said: "Let my lord, I pray, pass on before his servant, until I come to my lord to Seir" (Genesis 33:14). Rabbi Yaakov bar Rabbi said: I searched through all of Scripture and did not find that Jacob went to Seir. And when does he go? In the world to come, as it is said: "And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion," and so forth (Obadiah 1:21). Therefore, "and I loved Jacob," who is a partner with Esau and eats in this world. But in the world to come: "He bore him on His pinions, the LORD alone did lead him," and so forth (Deuteronomy 32:11-12). And so Solomon said: "Let them be only your own, and not for strangers with you" (Proverbs 5:17). "I have loved you." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: See how much I have cherished you. From the earth to the firmament is a journey of five hundred years, and from the first firmament to the second is a journey of five hundred years, and the thickness of each and every firmament is a journey of five hundred years. They all amount to a journey of seven thousand years. And the hooves of the living creatures are a journey of five hundred and fifteen years. There is no need to measure what is above the hooves of the living creatures. And the Throne is above them all. And see how much I have cherished you, that I set aside everything and said to you, "And you shall make curtains of goats' hair" -- make for Me curtains of goats' hair, and I will come to dwell beside you. "For a tent" (Exodus 26:7) -- I made clouds for you that shield you like a tent, as it is written: "He spread a cloud for a covering" (Psalms 105:39); so you too, make a covering for the door of the tent. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: If the nations had known how beneficial the Tabernacle and the Temple were for them, they would have surrounded them with tents and encampments to guard them. Why? Because before the Tabernacle was set up, the Speech would go out and enter the houses of the nations of the world, and they would be loosened in their bowels. From where? For thus it is written: "For who is there of all flesh that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?" (Deuteronomy 5:23). You would hear His voice and live, but the nations hear and are loosened in their bowels within their tents and die. And do not say it was only the Tabernacle; rather the Temple too was beneficial for them. From where? For thus Solomon would arrange in his prayer and say: "Moreover concerning the stranger, who is not of Your people Israel, but comes from a far country for Your name's sake -- for they shall hear of Your great name and Your strong hand and Your outstretched arm -- when he comes and prays toward this house, may You hear in the heavens, Your dwelling place, and do according to all that the stranger calls to You for, so that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name, to fear You as does Your people Israel, and to know that Your name is called upon this house which I have built" (First Kings 8:41-43). But of Israel, when one prays before You in this house: "and render to each man according to all his ways, whose heart You know -- for You, You alone, know the hearts of all the children of men" (First Kings 8:39). If he asks for children, and You know that they will provoke You, do not give him. And likewise if he asks for wealth and You know that he is destined to spurn it, do not give him. But of the stranger: "and do according to all that the stranger calls to You for, so that they may know," and so forth. But Israel recognize Your name and Your glory, and You foresee from the beginning what will be in the end, "for You, O LORD, have done as You pleased" (Jonah 1:14). And do not say the Temple alone was beneficial for them; rather even Israel themselves -- were it not for them, no rain would come down to the world and the sun would not shine, for by their merit the Holy One, blessed be He, makes light shine in this world. And in the time to come the nations of the world will see how the Holy One, blessed be He, cleaves to Israel, and they will come to cleave to them, as it is said: "We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you" (Zechariah 8:23). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Before the Temple was built, the world stood upon a throne of two legs. Once it was built, the world was made firm and stood settled. From where? For thus the Holy One, blessed be He, says to Gad the prophet, that he should say to David: "Go and say to My servant, to David, Thus says the LORD: Will you build Me a house for Me to dwell in?" (Second Samuel 7:5). And another verse says: "You shall not build the house, but your son who shall come forth from your loins, he shall build the house for My name" (First Kings 8:19). Yet you do build, as it is said: "And I will appoint a place for My people Israel, and will plant him, and he shall dwell beneath it" (Second Samuel 7:10). It is not written here "and I will plant them," but "and I will plant him" forever, meaning that the world will be made firm. Before the Temple was made, the world stood upon a throne of two legs; once the Temple was built, the world was made firm. And do not say that the world was made firm by the Temple alone; rather the Tabernacle too was beneficial for the nations of the world. Why? Because before the Tabernacle was set up, the nations of the world would hear the voice of the Speech and be loosened in their bowels within their tents. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Make Me a Tabernacle, that I may speak with you within it; and not only that, but that I yearn to dwell beside My children. When the ministering angels heard this, they began to say: Master of the universe, why do You leave the upper beings and descend to the lower beings? "O LORD our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth, who have set Your glory above the heavens" (Psalms 8:2) -- this is Your praise, that You should be in the heavens. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: By your lives, I will do as you have told Me. Habakkuk said: "God comes from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran, Selah; His glory covered the heavens, and the earth was full of His praise" (Habakkuk 3:3). At first "His glory covered the heavens," and afterward "the earth was full of His praise." David said to them: He laughs at you, He sets His glory upon the earth, as it is said: "Let them praise the name of the LORD, for His name alone is exalted; His glory is above the earth" (Psalms 148:13), and afterward above the heavens. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: And why are you amazed at this? See how I cherish the lower beings, that I descend and dwell within curtains of goats' hair, as it is said: "And you shall make curtains of goats' hair." Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemiah. Rabbi Yehudah says: There was a great clean animal in the wilderness, and from it they made the curtains. And Rabbi Nechemiah said: It was a work of miracles, and it was created for the moment and then hidden away. Know this, for it is written: "And you shall make curtains of goats' hair... the length of one curtain shall be thirty" (Exodus 26:7-8) -- from where do you bring curtains of thirty cubits? From here you learn according to the words of Rabbi Nechemiah. And do not say it was only with the curtains; rather even with the boards there was a work of miracles. And from where were the boards? Our father Jacob planted them at the time he went down to Egypt. He said to his sons: My sons, you are destined to be redeemed. From here, the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to say to you, once you are redeemed, that you should make for Him the Tabernacle; so arise and plant cedars now, so that when He tells you to make Him the Tabernacle, the cedars will be ready for you. Immediately they arose and planted, and did so. Our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said: "And the middle bar in the midst of the boards" (Exodus 26:28) came down in the hand of our father Jacob to Egypt -- for it was difficult, since it had to reach from one end to the other. And not only that, but those cedars would sing song before the Holy One, blessed be He. How did they sing song? As it is said: "Then the trees of the forest shall sing for joy before the LORD" (First Chronicles 16:33). And "then" (az) means nothing other than song, as it is said: "Then (az) Moses sang" (Exodus 15:1). And when? When the Tabernacle was made from them. When the Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to Moses concerning the Tabernacle, He said to him: "And you shall make the boards for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up" (Exodus 26:15). It does not say "and you shall make boards," but "and you shall make the boards" -- those that Jacob their father had prepared. "Standing up" -- those that had been set up beforehand. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: There were twenty-four kinds of cedars, and of them all only seven were chosen, as it is said: "I will set in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress, the plane, and the box tree together" (Isaiah 41:19). "Cypress" -- elatin. "Plane" -- ispu neramuz. "Box tree" (te'ashshur) -- peksinon. And it is called te'ashshur because it is the most prized (me'ushar) of all kinds of cedars. And of them all only the acacia (shittah) was chosen, as it is said: "acacia wood." Why does He call it "acacia wood"? In order to heal what they were destined to do at Shittim, as it is said: "And Israel dwelt at Shittim" (Numbers 25:1). And do not say only of the ark that Moses made, but even every ark that Israel make, they must put cedar of acacia into it. Another interpretation: They sinned at Shittim, and they were stricken at Shittim, and they are healed by the acacia (shittim). They sinned at Shittim, as it is said: "And Israel dwelt at Shittim." They were stricken at Shittim, as it is said: "And those who died in the plague were" (Numbers 25:9). And they are healed by the acacia, as it is said: "acacia wood." You find that they did not move from there until Phinehas arose and turned back the wrath, as it is said: "Phinehas the son of Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest," and so forth (Numbers 25:11). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In the world to come I will heal Shittim, as it is said: "And it shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drip new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah shall flow with water, and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the LORD and shall water the valley of Shittim" (Joel 4:18).

And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them (Exod. 29:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: The wise shall inherit honor (Prov. 3:35). Fitting, indeed, is the honor accorded to the wise men who labor in the Torah. The Torah says: Riches and honor are with me; yea, enduring riches and righteousness (Prov. 8:18). You find that though thirty-six generations passed by between Adam and Jabez, the word honor is employed only in reference to Jabez, as it is said: And Jabez was more honorable than his brethren (I Chron. 4:9). Why was he referred to as honorable? Because he was one of the wise men who arranged public assemblies to discuss problems of law, as is said: And the families of scribes that dwelt at Jabez: the Tirathites, the Shimeathites, the Succathites. These are the Kenites that came of Hammath, the father of the house of Rechab (I Chron. 2:55). R. Judah the son of Shalum stated in the name of R. Aibu: Two descendants of Adam were similarly honored, etc.

Another explanation of The wise shall inherit honor. This refers to Joshua, who inherited honor from Moses, our master, when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: As I was with Moses, so I will be with thee (Josh. 1:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Put off thy shoes from off thy feet (Exod. 3:5), and to Joshua He said: Put off thy shoe from off thy foot (Josh. 5:15). Concerning Moses it is written: Then sang Moses and the children of Israel (Exod. 15:1), and about Joshua it is said: Then spoke Joshua to the Lord, in the day when the Lord delivered (Josh. 10:12). Moses led them out of Egypt, while Joshua led them into the Holy Land. Moses slew Sihon and Og, while Joshua slew thirty-one kings. Moses halted the revolution of the sun in the war with Amalek, as it is said: And Moses lifted up his hand (Exod. 17:11). The word lifted up refers to his halting of the revolution of the sun, as it is said: The deep uttereth its voice, and lifteth up its voice on high (Hab. 3:10). Joshua did likewise, as is said: Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, moon, in the valley of Aijalon (Josh. 10:12). Moses erected an altar, as it is said: And Moses built an altar (Exod. 17:15), and Joshua did likewise: Then Joshua built an altar (Josh. 8:3). Moses wrote the law, as is said: And Moses wrote this law (Deut. 31:9), and Joshua did also, as it is said: And Joshua wrote these words in the book of the law of God (Josh. 24:26). And so this was in every instance.

However, we find that he did not live the same number of years as Moses, our teacher. It is written about Moses: And Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died (Deut. 34:7), while Joshua passed away at the age of one hundred and ten years. Why did he live ten years less? Because he spoke ten words before Moses, his master, spoke, as it is said: And Joshua the son of Nun, the minister of Moses from his youth up, answered and said: “My lord Moses, shut them in” (Num. 11:28). That is why He shortened his life ten years. From this verse you learn that no pupil is permitted to speak before his master, and that anyone who teaches anything before his master does, or even if he does not teach but simply tells others what the law is before his master has stated it, will find his life’s span shortened. Another explanation of the verse The wise shall inherit honor. This alludes to Aaron and his sons, through whom the priesthood was established.

"According to their number." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Count Israel. He said before Him: My Master, it is written, "And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth" (Genesis 28:14), and it is written, "And I will make your seed as the sand of the sea" (Genesis 32:12), and now You say this? He said to him: If you wish to ascertain their number, take the initial letters of the tribes and you will ascertain their number: resh of Reuben, two hundred thousand; shin of Simeon, three hundred thousand; yod of Judah, yod of Issachar, yod of Joseph, thirty thousand; nun of Naphtali, fifty thousand; zayin of Zebulun, seven thousand; dalet of Dan, four thousand; gimel of Gad, three thousand; bet of Benjamin, two thousand; alef of Asher, one thousand. Behold, five hundred ninety-seven thousand. Those three thousand that remained, they are the ones who were slain over the calf, as it is said: "And the sons of Levi did according to the word of Moses, and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men" (Exodus 32:28). Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Count them, how many are lacking. Rabbi Menahem in the name of Rabbi Bivai said: A parable of a king who had many sheep, and wolves entered among them and tore them. The king said to the shepherd: Count the sheep, how many are lacking. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Go count Israel, how many are lacking. In ten places Israel were counted: one at their descent to Egypt, as it is said: "With seventy souls your fathers went down," and so forth (Deuteronomy 10:22); and one at their going up, as it is said: "And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses," and so forth (Exodus 12:37); and one in the Book of Numbers; one with the spies; and one in the days of Joshua at the dividing of the land; and two in the days of Saul, as it is said: "And he numbered them with lambs" (1 Samuel 15:4), "and he numbered them in Bezek" (1 Samuel 11:8). And why with lambs? When they were rich, they merited, by a lamb. When they were poor through their deeds, by Bezek. And what is Bezek? He took a stone from each and every one of them and counted them by the stones. And one in the days of David, as it is said: "And Joab gave the sum of the number of the people to the king" (2 Samuel 24:9). And one in the days of Ezra: "The whole assembly together, forty thousand" (Ezra 2:64). And one in the time to come, as it is said: "The flocks shall again pass under the hands of him who counts them" (Jeremiah 33:13). And this: "When you take the count." Rabbi Menahema in the name of Rabbi Bivai in the name of Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba in the name of Rabbi Eleazar ben Yaakov: It is written, "And the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea" (Hosea 2:1). Why were they likened to sand? To tell you: just as sand, you make a hollow in it in the evening, and in the morning you find that it has already filled up, so too all the thousands who were lacking in the days of David were filled up in the days of Solomon his son, as it is said: "Judah and Israel were many, as the sand which is by the sea in multitude" (1 Kings 4:20). Rabbi Eliezer in the name of Rabbi Yose ben Zimra said: Whenever Israel were counted for a need, they did not become diminished; and when not for a need, they became diminished. And when were they counted for a need? In the days of Moses. And not for a need? In the days of David. "And they shall give every man a ransom for his soul to the LORD" in the days of Moses, "that there be no plague among them" in the days of David. "This they shall give." Rabbi Meir said: Like a coin of fire the Holy One, blessed be He, brought out from beneath the Throne of Glory and showed it to Moses and said to him: "This they shall give," like this they shall give. "Everyone who passes among those numbered," everyone who passes among those reckoned in the count.

And he made the boards for the tabernacle of acacia-wood (Exod. 36:20). R. Tahlifa of Caesarea said: The Holy One, blessed be He, taught man correct behavior. If a man desired to build a house with the wood of a fruit-producing tree, one should say to him: Since the Holy One, blessed be He, to whom everything belongs, prohibited the use of the wood of a fruit-bearing tree in building the Tabernacle, how much more so are you prohibited from doing that.

What is suggested by the word mishkan (“Tabernacle”)? If Israel is worthy (of punishment), the Tabernacle would be seized as a pledge (mashkon) for them. Moses said: Master of the Universe, when there is neither a Tabernacle nor a Temple, what will serve as a pledge for them? He answered: I shall take the righteous from among them, and they will be their pledge. Hence it says: And he that hath slain all that were pleasant to the eye (Lam. 2:4). These are the righteous. Therefore it is written: And he made the boards for the Tabernacle of acacia-wood (Exod. 36:20).

These are the accounts of the tabernacle … and the bronze of the offering (Exod. 38:21, 29). The bronze of the offering (tenufah) refers to the bronze vessels given to a bride, for in Greek they call a bride nymphé. You find that while the Israelites were making bricks in Egypt, Pharaoh decreed that they were not to sleep at home so that they would not have intercourse with their wives. R. Simeon the son of Halafta said: What did the Israelite women do? They would go to the Nile to draw water, and the Holy One, blessed be He, would fill their jugs with little fishes. They would (sell some), cook and prepare (the fish), and buy some wine (with the proceeds of the sale), and then bring it to their husbands in the fields, as it is said: In all manner of service in the field (Exod. 1:14). While the men were eating and drinking, the women would take out their mirrors and glance into them with their husbands. They would say: “I am more attractive than you,” and the men would reply: “I am handsomer than you.” In that way they would arose their sexual desires and become fruitful and multiply. The Holy One, blessed be He, caused them to conceive on the spot.

Our sages said: They bore twins. Others say: Six were formed in a single womb. Others say: twelve were born from one womb. And still other contend six hudred thousand. Those who believed that twins were born explained it by the words: Were fruitful and increased abundantly (Exod. 1:7). Those who contended that six were born based it on the words: Were fruitful and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceedingly mighty (ibid.), that is, six. Those who say that twelve were born argue that the words in this verse are in plural form, thus making twelve in all. Those who said six hundred thousand did so because it is written about fishes: Let the waters swarm abundantly (Gen. 1:20), and here it is written: Increased abundantly.

It is also written concerning them: And the land was filled with them (Exod. 1:7). That is to say, that even while they were suffering hardship, they increased and multiplied, by means of the mirrors in which they preened themselves before their husbands. They aroused their sexual desires despite the arduous labors they performed. They reared all the hosts that were to depart, as it is said: All the hosts of the Lord went out from the land of Egypt (ibid. 12:41), and also: The Lord did bring the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their hosts (ibid.,v. 51).

When the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to build the Tabernacle, all the Israelites brought their contributions. Some brought silver, others brought gold or copper or onyx stones or unset stones. They brought everything eagerly. The women asked themselves: What contribution can we make to the Sanctuary? They arose, took their mirrors, and brought them to Moses. When Moses saw them he became angry with them. He said to the Israelites: Take your canes and beat them on their shoulders. What purpose do these mirrors serve? The Holy One, blessed be He, called out to Moses: Moses, do you mistreat them because of these? These very mirrors produced the hosts in Egypt. Take them and make a basin of brass and its base for the priests, that they may sanctify the priests from it, as it is said: And he made the laver of brass, and base thereof of brass, of the mirrors of the serving women that did service (ibid. 38:8), for they had produced all the hosts. Therefore it is written: And the brass of the offering was seventy talents (ibid., v. 29), that is, the offering of the wives amounted to seventy talents.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world you shall offer gifts to the Temple that it might atone for you, but in the future I shall atone for you and love you freely, as it is said: I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely (Hos. 14:5). They replied: When we have neither Tabernacle nor Temple, let the prayers of our lips be our offerings. David exclaimed: Accept, I beseech thee, the free-will offering of my mouth, O Lord (Ps. 119:108).

(Lev. 8:2) “Take Aaron and his sons.” It is written (in Prov. 3:35), “The wise shall inherit glory, but fools take up shame.” This verse functioned from the beginning of the world until now. “The wise shall inherit glory.”

This refers to Noah and his children. “But fools take up shame.” This refers to the generation of the flood. “The wise shall inherit glory.

This refers to Shem of whom it is stated (in Gen. 9:26), “Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem.” “But fools take up shame.” This refers to Ham of whom it is stated (in Gen. 9:25), “And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan (the son of Ham).’” “The wise shall inherit glory.”

This refers to Abraham. “But fools take up shame.” This refers to the kings whom he smote (in Gen. 14:15). “The wise shall inherit glory.”

This refers to Isaac. “But fools take up shame.” These are the people of Gerar. “The wise shall inherit glory.”

This refers to Jacob. “But fools take up shame.” This refers to Esau. “The wise shall inherit glory.”

This refers to Joshua. “But fools take up shame.” These are the thirty-one kings whom he smote (according to Josh. 12:24). “The wise shall inherit glory.”

This refers to David. “But fools take up shame.” This refers to Goliath. “The wise shall inherit glory.”

This refers to Eli. “But fools take up shame.” These are his sons, of whom it is stated (in I Sam. 2:12), “Now Eli's sons were scoundrels.” “The wise shall inherit glory.”

These are the sons of Aaron of whom it is stated (in Lev. 8:2), “Take Aaron and his sons….” Why is “take” mentioned here? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I am indebted in taking. Hence you are to arise and magnify him through taking.”

And when did Aaron take (such that God was indebted to him for it)? When (in Numb. 17:11) wrath had gone forth upon ‘those who hate Israel’ (a euphemism for Israel), Moses said to him, “Why are you standing [here]? (At the beginning of the verse), ‘Take the fire pan, and put fire [from the altar] on it.’” Aaron said to him, “My Lord Moses, do you wish to kill me? Because my sons offered profane fire to the Holy One, blessed be He, they were [destroyed by fire], as stated (in Lev. 10:1-2), ‘[Now Aaron's sons, Nadab and Abihu each took his fire pan…;] and they offered alien fire before the Lord….

So fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them.’ Now you are saying, ‘Take the fire pan!’ My sons brought in strange fire and were destroyed by fire. So should I bring forth holy fire outside?

Would I not die or be destroyed by fire?” Moses said to him, “Go and act quickly; for as you are talking, they are dying. Rather (according to Numb. 17:11, cont.), ‘Take it quickly unto the congregation and make atonement for them.’” When Aaron heard that, he said, “If I die for Israel, I would not be adequate (for such a great honor).”

Immediately (in Numb. 17:12) “Aaron took it as Moses had said.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Lev. 8:2) “’Take Aaron.’ Magnify him through taking. Just as Aaron [is going to] save My children by taking, so you are to magnify him through taking.” Ergo (in Lev. 8:2:) “Take Aaron.”

And it was on the eighth day: Rabbi Tanchuma, Rabbi Chiya, Rabbah and Rabbi Berakhiya in the name of Rabbi Elazar [all] said, "Any place that it is stated, 'and it was (vayehi),' it is nothing but a term of grief [hinting to the sound, (vay), meaning woe]." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Natan, "This midrash came up to our hands from the exile - 'Any place that it is stated, "and it was in the days of," it is nothing but a term of grief.'"

And there are five: (1) "And it was in the days of Amrafel" (Genesis 14:1). What grief was there over there? They made a war to kill Avraham, our father, as it is stated (Genesis 14:2), "made war." [It is comparable] to a dear friend of a king who entered a province, and on his account was the king [concerned] about that whole province. [Then people] came and grappled with him with words. And when he wanted to leave, they all said to him, "Woe that the king will no longer be concerned about the province as he was."

So [too,] was Avraham a dear friend of the Holy One, blessed be He - as it is written about him (Isaiah 41:8), "the seed of Avraham, My dear one"; and it is written (Genesis 12:3), "and through you shall all the families of the world be blessed." And when the kings came and grappled with him, they all said, "Woe that the Holy One, blessed be He, will not be concerned with the world as He was; since He was concerned with the world for his sake."

This is [the meaning of] that which the verse stated (Genesis 14:7), "And they came to Ein Mishpat (which can be understand as the eye of justice)" - Rabbi Acha said, "They sought to grapple with no less than the eyeball of the world." They said, "They sought to blind the eye that [suppressed] the trait of [strict] judgment in the world." [The verse continues -] "It (hee) is Kadesh," [but] it is written, "he (hu) is Kadesh"; meaning to say, he sanctified (hu kidesh) the name of the Holy One, blessed be He and went down to the fiery furnace.

When they saw that the things were like this, they cried out. (2) "And it was in the days of Achaz the son of Yoshiah, King of Yehudah" (Isaiah 7:1). What grief was there over there? "It is what is stated by the verse (Isaiah 9:11), "Aram is in front and the Philistines are behind, etc." [It is comparable] to a king that gave his son over to a mentor, and the mentor hated him. He said, "If I kill him, I will become liable for death.

Rather, I will take away his nourishment from him and he will die on his own." So did the evil Achaz say, "If there are no goats, there will be no rams; if there is no flock, there will be no shepherd, [and] where will the world be?" So did he say, "If there are no masters, there will be no students; if there are no students, there will be no sages; if there is no Torah, there will be no synagogues and study halls."

What did he do? He passed all the synagogues and study halls and sealed them. And this [is the meaning of] that which the verse states (Isaiah 8:16), "Bind up the message; seal the instruction with My disciples." And when they saw that the things were like this, they all started to cry out, "Woe that the world is being destroyed" - when [study of] the Torah was negated, that was in the days of Achaz. (3) "And it was in the days of Yehoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu" (Jeremiah 1:3).

What grief was there over there? "I looked at the earth, and behold it was empty and void; at the heavens and their light was not" (Jeremiah 4:23), [It is comparable] to edicts of the kings that were brought to the provinces of the kingdom. In each and every province, when it came to their hands, everyone would stand on their feet, uncover their heads and read them with fear, trembling and perspiration.

But when they were brought to the province of the king, they tore them up and burned them: When the Holy One, blessed be He, sends His messenger to the nations of the world, they repent, cover themselves in sackcloth and fast - as did the people of Nineveh, as it is stated (Jonah 3:7), "from the order of the king and his principals, etc." They, may their memory be blessed, said, "One who had a beam or a stone that was stolen in his house would destroy the house and remove it and return the theft."

And because of this did Yonah fear to prophesy to Nineveh. As Rabbi Tarfon said, "The fish was designated, etc." And the nations of the world are afraid in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, and [so, they are] close to repentance, whereas Israel is stiff-necked. This is what the verse stated (Jeremiah 36:23), "And it was when Yehudi would read three columns or four" - meaning to say, he read four verses - and in the fifth verse, he read, "And her tormentors became the head" (Lamentations 1:5) - and it is is written (Jeremiah 36:23), "he would tear it with a scribe's blade and throw it into the fire until the end of all of the scroll."

And when they saw this, everyone began to cry out, "Woe for the decree that is hanging over us." And the other (4) - "And it was in the days of Achashverosh" (Esther 1:1). What grief was there over there? [It is comparable] to a king that had a vineyard, and he had three enemies. What did they do?

One cut the small berries, the second ripped the clusters and the third uprooted the vines: The king is King of the kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He; His vineyard is Israel, as it is stated (Isaiah 5:7), "For a vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the House of Israel"; [And] their three enemies are Pharaoh, Nevukhadnetsar and Haman. Pharaoh began with the small berries, as it is stated (Exodus 1:22), "Any son that is born, throw him into the river."

Nevukhadnetsar ripped the clusters, as it is stated (Jeremiah 29:2), "the craftsmen and the smiths." Who are the craftsmen (charash)? These are the ones that pray the mute prayer silently, and are victorious with their prayer over all the nations of the world. The smiths?

That all the nations of the world come in a vice in front of them but [then] flee, as they put a vice on all the nations - and Nevukhadnetsar come to destroy them; and he destroyed the craftsmen and the smiths, and exiled them. The evil Haman [then] came [to] uproot the vines, as it is stated (Esther 3:13), "to annihilate, to kill and to destroy." Everyone began to cry out, "Woe," and they mourned in front of the Omnipresent. (5) "And it was in the days when the judges ruled" (Ruth 1:1) - there was famine there; and what grief is greater than famine?

And from where [do we know] that there was famine? As it is stated (Ruth 1:1), "and there was a famine in the land." And why was there a famine? Because Israel and the judges were not judging true judgement; as it is is stated, "And it was in the days when the judges ruled" - [and] we find [following it], "he", which indicates evildoers. [As] so do we find, "he was Datan and Aviram" (Numbers 26:9); "he was Achashverosh" (Esther 1:1); "he was [...]

Achaz" (II Chronicles 28:22). So too were the judges. And to what is the matter comparable? To a province that was liable a tax to the king. [So] he sent collectors to collect it.

The people of the province rose and smote the collectors and hung them. The judgment that they were liable - as they appointed other judges for themselves - they did to the collectors. So did they do at that time, as Elimelekh would judge the judges; [since] he was a strongman and there were many men below him. He saw the distress and the famine, but he did not warn the sinners to repent from their evil.

And he stopped living in Beit Lechem for himself to live in the field of Moav - to sustain his soul during the famine, and the soul of his wife during the famine, and the soul of his sons; and he did not know that [it is] the Torah that sustains its masters and not the vanities of the world. And he was one who was important, as it is stated (Ruth 1:1), "and a man went from Beit Lechem, Yehudah." And we only say, "man," about an important man, as it is stated (Numbers 12:3), "And the man, Moshe, was very humble."

As Elimelekh was an important man, as they would consider him [so] in his place - and [yet] he went to save his soul and the soul of his household, and did not trouble himself about the matters of the community; even as he was an important man and they would have believed his words, [such as] to make them repent from their evil and bring them to repentance. And therefore, it occurred to him as it is written in the verse (Ruth 1:3), "And Elimelekh, the husband of Naomi died."

And so [too,] his sons died, as it is stated (Ruth 1:5), "And [...his] two [sons,] Machlon and Khilyon died, and the woman survived her two children and her husband." As so were they judging their judges, like Sodom. Rabbi Shimon ben Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, "Any place that it is stated, 'and it was (vayehi),' it is used for grief and it is used for joy. And when for grief, there is no grief like it, and when for joy, there is no joy like it." (The text is missing the following integral part of the midrash, found in Bereishit Rabbah 42:3 and other places: Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman came and divided it, "Any place that it is stated 'it will be,' it is used for joy; [but] 'and it was' [is for] grief.")

The Sages responded, "Behold 'And God said, "Vayehi (here used as a command form, and not past tense) light"' [is] joy!" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as the world did not merit to use that light. As so did Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon say, '[Regarding] the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the first day, Adam [could] look and observe from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. [But] since the Holy One, blessed be He, saw the deeds of the generation of Enosh and the generation of the flood, He arose and hid it from them.

That is [the meaning of] what the verse states (Job 38:15), "From the wicked is their light withheld." And to where is it hidden? [It is] in the Garden of Eden, for the righteous ones, as it is stated (Psalms 97:11), "Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the straight-hearted."'" They responded to him further, "It states, 'And it was evening and it was morning, one day.'" He said to them, "On that day too, it is not of joy, as all the acts of the first day are destined to wither, as it is stated (Isaiah 51:6), 'when the heavens melt away like smoke and the earth wither like a garment.'"

They responded to him, "Behold, the [acts of] the second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day." He said to them, "They too are not of joy, as all the acts of the six days of creation require further action - for example, wheat needs to be ground; mustard needs to be mellowed; lupine need to be mellowed." They responded to him, "[And what about,] 'And it was that the Lord was with Yosef and he was a successful man' (Genesis 39:7)?"

He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as that 'bear' chanced upon him from this, as it is stated in the verse, 'after' - 'And it was after these things, and the wife of his master raised, etc.' (Genesis 39:7)." They responded to him, "[And what about,] 'And it was that the Lord was with Yehoshua, and his reputation was in all the land' (Joshua 6:27)?" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as Yair the son of Menashe, whose weight corresponded to the majority of the Sanhedrin, fell at that time; as it is stated (Joshua 7:5), 'And the men of Ai smote of them, like thirty-six men' - and the master said, 'That is Yair the son of Menashe, whose weight corresponded to the majority of the Sanhedrin.'"

They responded to him, "And is it not written (I Samuel 18:14), 'And it was that David was successful in all of his ways and the Lord was with him'?" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as enmity descended into the heart of Shaul from this, as it is stated (I Samuel 18:9), 'And it was that Shaul eyed David.'" They responded to him, "And is it not written (II Samuel 7:1), 'And it was when the king sat in his house and the Lord allowed him rest from all of his enemies'?"

He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as on that same day, Natan the prophet came to David and said to him, 'However you will not build the House' (I Kings 8:19)." They said to him, "Behold, we have said what is ours; [now] say what is yours - that 'and it will be' is joy." He said to them, "'And it will be on that day that the mountains will drip with nectar' (Joel 4:18), that will be in the days of the messiah, and there will be great joy for Israel.

And so [too,] 'And it will be on that day that a man shall save alive a heifer of the herd and two sheep' (Isaiah 7:21). And so [too,] 'And it will be on that day that living waters will come out from Jerusalem' (Zechariah 14:8). And so [too,] 'And he will be like a tree planted over streams of water' (Psalms 1:3). And so [too,] 'And the remnant of Yaakov will be among many nations' (Micah 5:6)."

They said to him, "But behold, it is written (Jeremiah 38:28), 'vahaya (here used in the past tense, and not like the other examples) when Jerusalem was captured'!" He said to them, "It too is not of grief, as on that day was the verdict of Israel for their sins taken; as so is it written (Lamentations 4:22), 'Your sin has been completed, Daughter of Zion, He will not again exile you.'"

(Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh.” This text is related (to Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness. [This verse is] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not delight in convicting a person, as stated (in Ezek. 33:11), “As I live, says the Lord, it is not My delight for the wicked to die.” In what does He delight? In vindicating (rt.: tsdq) His people.

Thus it is stated (in Is. 42:21), “The Lord was delighted because of His [servant's] vindication (tsdq)…,” [i.e.] because of His people's vindication (tsdq)] and not [their] conviction. So also you find that in the case of the first Adam, when he created him, He set him in the Garden of Eden.

Then He gave him a command and said to him, “Eat this, but do not eat from this, for (according to Gen. 2:17) ‘on the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die.’” [When] he transgressed, he brought a sentence upon himself. [And then] the Sabbath came, and He acquitted him. He began to talk with him [about] whether he would repent. It is so stated (in Gen. 3:9), “The Lord God called unto Adam and said, ‘Where are you?’” [This means, “What is your state?”] The Lord can only mean the quality of mercy, as stated (in Exod. 34:6), “The Lord, the Lord is a merciful and gracious God.”

For him He had the quality of mercy precede the quality of strict justice. Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness,” in that He does not delight in convicting a person. He began to talk with him, as stated (in Gen. 3:11-12), “Who told you that you were naked? Then the man said, ‘The woman….’”

He left Adam alone and began to talk with the woman, as stated (in vs. 13), “Then the Lord God said to the woman….” But when He came to the serpent He did not talk with him. Instead He immediately gave him a sentence, as stated (in vss. 14–15), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this ���. I will put enmity between you [and the woman]….’” [Then] He returned to the woman and said to her (in vs. 16), “I will greatly multiply your pain in pregnancy.”

And when He returned to the man, He did not convict him. Rather He intimated to him that he should repent. Where is it shown? R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Levi, “When He said to him (in vs. 19), ‘By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread, [until you return …].’ ‘You return’ can only be mean repentance, since it is stated (in Hos. 14:2), ‘Return O Israel, to the Lord your God, as you have stumbled in your iniquity.’”

When [Adam] did not repent, He expelled him from the Garden of Eden, as stated [(in Gen. 3:24), “And He drove out the man.” Ergo I would say (in Ps. 5:5), “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness.” What is the meaning of (ibid., cont.), “evil may not abide with You.” R. Tanhuma bar Hanila'i in the name of R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Johanan, “Before the Holy One, blessed be He, stand only angels of peace and angels of mercy, but the angels of wrath are far from Him.

It is so stated (in Numb. 14:15), ‘the Lord, of long patience.’ Do we not already know that He is of long patience? But rather what is the meaning of He is ‘of long patience?’ That the angels of wrath are far from Him, as stated (in Is. 13:5), ‘They come from a far land from the end of the heavens, even the Lord and the weapons of his wrath.’”

Another interpretation (of Ps. 5:5, cont.), “evil may not abide with You”: R. Johanan said, “If you do not pursue evil, evil will not pursue you, nor will it dwell with you. Ergo, (Ps. 5:5, cont.), ‘evil may not abide with You,’ as ‘abide with You,’ can only mean dwelling, as stated (Exodus 2:48), ‘And if a stranger dwells with you.’” Another interpretation (of Ps. 5:5, cont.), “evil may not abide with You”: R. Eleazar ben Pedat said in the name of R. Johanan, “The name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not mentioned in connection with evil but only in connection with good.”

You know that it is so. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the light and the darkness and gave them names, [Scripture] mentioned His name in connection with the light but did not mention His name in connection with the darkness. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 1:5), “And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.”

Behold, it mentioned His name with the light; but when it comes to the dark it doesn’t say, “and God called the darkness night,” but “He called [the darkness] night.” So also you find that, when He created Adam and Eve, [Scripture] mentioned His name in connection with them, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), “Then God blessed them…”; but when He cursed them, it did not mention His name in connection with them. [Thus it is stated] (in Gen. 3:16-17), “And unto the woman He said […].

And unto Adam He said.” Now if you say [that] behold, [Scripture] mentioned [His name] in connection with the serpent when He cursed him, since it is written (in Gen. 3:14), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, more cursed shall you be’”; the sages have taught thus: The Holy One, blessed be He, has mentioned His name in connection with three things, even though they stood for evil: In connection with the inciter, i.e., the serpent, since he incited the woman and said (in Gen. 3:5), “’For God knows that on the day that you eat from it, your eyes shall be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil,’ like Him.

Just like He created His world, you [two] will be able to create worlds like Him. [But He doesn’t want this,] as every artisan hates his fellow [artisan].” So because he incited her and spoke slander, [Scripture] mentions His name in connection with [the serpent]. In connection with one who transgresses the words of the sages, as is stated (in Jer. 11:3), “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Cursed is the one who does not heed the words of this covenant.’”

In connection with one who puts his trust in flesh and blood, as stated (in Jer. 17:5), “Thus says the Lord, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in a human being, who makes flesh his strength and whose heart turns from the Lord.’” So also you find in the case of Noah, [that Scripture used (God’s) name] when he blessed his sons, as stated (in Gen. 9:26), “And he said, ‘blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem…;’” but when he cursed Canaan, [Scripture did not mention the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in connection with him], as stated (in vs. 25), “And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan….’”

So also you find in the case of Elisha the prophet, that when the king of Aram came to fight against Israel, he consulted with his servants and made pits [to trap] them. He said, “When Israel comes to fight against us, they will fall into the pits,” as stated (in II Kings 6:8-9), “When the king of Aram was fighting against Israel, [he consulted with his servants, saying, ‘My camp shall be in such and such a place.’

But the man of God sent unto the king of Israel [saying], ‘Take care [not to pass this place, because the Aramaeans are camping there.]’” So the Holy One, blessed be He, does nothing (according to Amos 3:7) without having revealed His purpose unto His servants the prophets. When Israel passed by once and twice without falling in, the king of Aram took notice and said to his servants (in II Kings 6:11), “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?”

His servants said to him (in vs. 12-14), “’[It is because] Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words which you speak in your bedroom.’ So he said, ‘Go and see [where he is, so that I can send and seize him,’ and it was told to him, saying, ‘Behold he is in Dothan.’ Then he sent horses and chariots and a heavy force there.” Immediately Elisha’s youth rose and saw that horses, riders and a force encircled the city.

Immediately he cried out (in vss. 15-16), “and said [unto him], ‘Alas, my Lord, what shall we do?’ Then he said, ‘Fear not, for there are more with us than with them.’” Immediately Elisha prayed and mentioned the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in vs. 17), “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘Lord, please open his eyes and let him see’; so the Lord opened the eyes of the servant and he saw, and there was the hill full of fiery horses and chariots round about Elisha!”

Immediately Elisha arose and cursed the Aramaeans (in vs. 18), and he said, “’Please smite this nation with a blinding light’; so He smote them with a blinding light according to the word of Elisha.” Now [Scripture] did not mention the name, but when [Elisha] prayed over them again for their eyes to be opened, he said (in vs. 20), “O Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Ergo, the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned in connection with good, but not with evil.

So also you find that when the prophet saw the four chariots that were compared to the four kingdoms (that would rule over Israel), [it states (in Zech. 6:1),] “and I lifted my eyes, and behold, four chariots were coming out between the two mountains….” But when it spoke about the redemption, [it states (in Zech. 2:3),] “Then the Lord showed me four smiths.” So also you find that when the five angels of destruction came to destroy Jerusalem, as stated (in Ezek. 9:2), “And here were six persons coming by way of the upper gate [which faces north, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand]”; Gabriel was sent with them, as it is written (in Ezek. 10:2), “Then He spoke unto the person clothed in linen and said, ‘Go in among the wheelwork.’”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel, “Fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city,” as it is written (in Ezek. 10:2), “Then He spoke unto the person clothed in linen and said, ‘Go in among the wheelwork [under the cherub, and fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city].’” Gabriel came and stood at the wheel.

The cherub said to him, “What do you desire?” He said to him, “Thus and so has the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded me.” He said to him, “Take [them].” He said to him, “You put them in my hand.”

Immediately (according to Ezek. 10:7), “Then the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim [unto the fire that was among the cherubim…].” R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon ben Johay, “If the coals had not been cooled off [while passing] from the hand of a cherub to the hand of Gabriel, there would not have remained of the enemies of Israel (a euphemism, meaning Israel) a [single] survivor or refugee.” So the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to do what was evil, not by Himself, but through an angel. In the age to come, however, He will do what is good by Himself, as stated (in Ezek. 36:25), “I will sprinkle pure water upon you….” Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not abide with You.” What is the meaning of (Ps. 5:5) “and evil may not abide with You?” [It is] that [Scripture] does not cause the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to rest upon evil, except for two [evil] sayings upon which the Holy One, blessed be He, did cause His name to rest.

These are the following: (The first one is Dan. 9:14:) “So the Lord watched over evil and brought it upon us, because the Lord our God is righteous.” Was it because the Lord our God is righteous (tsaddik), that He brought the evil? It is simply that the Holy One, blessed be He, was charitable (tzekekah) to us when He first brought about the exile to Babylon of Jeconiah before the exile of Tsidikiyah.

And what was charitable? That He first brought about the exile of Jeconiah to Babylon along with the artisans, the smiths, and all the valiant men. Now [those] descended to Babylon and they established a [framework] for Torah [study]. For if it had not happened like that, the Torah would have been forgotten in the exile.

It is simply that those who believed in the words of Jeremiah went forth with the Torah. [They included (according to II Kings 24:16)] “a thousand artisans and smiths.” What is the meaning of “artisans (hrsh)?” When they opened with words of Torah, all [present] became as those who are (deaf-)mute (hrsh). [And what is the meaning of] “smiths (rt.: sgr)?”

After they closed (rt.: sgr) it, there was no one in all Israel who was able to open it. Ergo (in Dan. 9:14), “because the Lord our God is righteous.” So He acted justly during that exile in that He watched over it, and He still performed a great kindness for Israel [with reference to that exile]. How?

In [the month of] Tebet they were scheduled to go into exile from Jerusalem, for so does [Scripture] say (in Ezek. 24:1-2), “[Then the word of the Lord came unto me in the ninth year of the tenth month on the tenth day of the month, saying,] ‘Son of man, write down the name of the day, [this very day;] on this very day [the king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem].’” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?

He said, “If they go forth now in the cold, they will die.” What did He do for them? He waited for them and sent them into exile during the summer. This is what the prophet says (in Jer. 8:13), “I will utterly gather them, says the Lord.”

"Gather" ('sp) can only mean "exile," since it is stated (in Micah 2:12), “I will gather Jacob, all of you.” Hence, this too was a great kindness. Now, the second [evil saying associated with the name of the Holy One, blessed be He] is (Ezek. 9:4:) “And the Lord said unto him, ‘Pass through the midst of the city, [through the midst of Jerusalem and mark (the letter) taw on the foreheads of those people who moan and groan over all the abominations] ….’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel, “Go and write an ink taw upon the foreheads of the righteous, so that the angels of destruction will have no dominion over them. Then upon the foreheads of the wicked write a blood taw so that the angels of destruction will have dominion over them.” [The] prosecution came in before the Holy One, blessed be He, [and said to him], “Master of the world, how do the former differ from the latter?” He said to it, “The former are completely righteous, and the latter are completely wicked.” It said to Him, “It was in their power to protest, but they did not protest.” He said to it, “It was revealed and known to Me that, if they had protested, [the sinners] would not have accepted their [protest].”

It said to Him, “Master of the world, if it was revealed and known in front of You, was if revealed in front of them? Hence they should have protested against them and demeaned themselves for the sanctification of Your name and take beatings from Israel upon themselves, just as the prophets endured [them].” So look at how many woes Jeremiah suffered from Israel; also Isaiah, of whom it is written (in Is. 50:6), “I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to the tearers of hair.”

And [so with] the rest of the prophets. Immediately (in Ezek. 9:6) He spoke again to the angels of destruction, “[Kill off] old folk, youth ….” This also was a kindness, in that the Holy One, blessed be He, mitigated His wrath [by striking out] against Jerusalem, as stated (in Lam. 4:11), “The Lord has completed (klh) His wrath.” For if He had not done so, all Israel would have received a verdict of destruction (klyh).

Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “and evil may not abide with You,” because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not cause His name to rest upon evil. So also even in the case of the wicked of Israel, He allotted them glory and did not mention them for evil. When He came to the offerings, He said to Moses (in Lev. 1:2), “Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them, ‘When one of you presents an offering to the Lord,’” [i.e.] “from Israel” and not from the idolaters.

However, when He came to mention leprosy spots, He said (in Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has,” only saying “anyone.” Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “and evil may not abide with you.”

(Lev. 15:25:) “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood for many days.” Why a woman and not a man? Previously it applied to men and women. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 15:2), “When any man has a discharge issuing from his flesh.”

R. Meir says, “The man's uncleanness was more serious than the woman's uncleanness. Why? Because the uncleanness of women is a sign of children; however, that of a man is [a sign] of suffering. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3), ‘And this shall be the uncleanness in his discharge,’ [i.e.] something which seals and closes.”

Previously the men saw water, until Rachel arose and said (in Gen. 31:35), “for the period of women is upon me.” Then it was given to her. Therefore (in Exod. 15:25), “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood.” (Lev. 15:25:) “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood for many days.” Thus have our masters taught (in Shab. 2:6): Women die at the time of their childbirth for three transgressions: Because they have not been careful in regard to menstruation, in regard to the hallah, and in regard to the lighting of the lamp. Why at the time of their childbirth?

Because the adversary (Satan) only makes accusations in time of danger. Now the three of them are from the Torah. [Where is it shown about] menstruation? (Lev. 15:25:) “And when a woman has had a discharge of her blood.” [Where is it shown about] the hallah? (Numb. 15:20:) “[You shall set aside] the first of your dough as a hallah offering.” [Where is it shown] in regard to the lighting of the [Sabbath] lamp?

As our masters taught, “Where is it shown that a person is to be zealous and diligent in the lighting of the [Sabbath] lamp? Where it is stated (in Is. 58:13), ‘and you call the Sabbath a delight.’ This refers to the lighting of the lamp.” And why were [these commandments] transmitted to the woman? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “She extinguished the lamp of the world….”

In regard to menstruation, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “She shed the blood of Adam, and she was sentenced to have her own blood shed, since it is stated (in Gen. 9:6), ‘Whoever sheds human blood [by a human will his blood be shed].’ She shall observe her menstrual period to atone for the blood that she shed.” Ergo (in Lev. 15:25), “And when a woman has had a discharge of blood.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, compares the uncleanness of Israel to the uncleanness of the menstrual period, when [a woman] is unclean and [then] purified.

So the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to purify Israel, as stated (in Ezek. 36:25), “I will sprinkle pure water upon you, and you shall be pure.” Another interpretation: (Ezek. 36:17:) “Their way before Me was like the uncleanness of a menstruant woman”; like the uncleanness of a menstruant woman, and not like the uncleanness of a corpse. With a corpse in the house, a high priest does not enter there; but in the case of a menstruant woman, a high priest enters into the house with her and sits [with her] on the couch, but on condition that it not shake (when they sit on it).

So if Israel were compared to the impurity of death, the Divine Presence would never return upon them; however, they are compared to the menstruant because there is cleansing for her in a mikveh, so that the priest may be with her in the house and not be afraid. Thus the Divine Presence dwells with Israel, even though they are unclean, as stated (in Lev. 16:16), “which dwells with them in the midst of their uncleannesses.”

R. Levy said, “When Israel was in Egypt, the women did not see menstrual blood, because the fear of Egypt was upon them. And also after Israel left Egypt, they did not see menstruation in the desert, because the Divine Presence was among them.” [Moreover,] the women accepted the Torah first. It is so stated (in Exod. 19:3), “Thus shall you say to the House of Jacob,” these are the women; (ibid., cont.), “and declare to the sons of Israel,” these are the men. And so it says (in Cant. 6:10), “terrible like bannered hosts.”

Now about them it is stated (in Cant. 4:12), “A locked garden is my sister, my bride, a locked fountain, a sealed spring.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In this world you became clean but returned to uncleanness; but in the world to come I Myself will cleanse you so that you shall not ever become unclean.” Thus it is stated (in Ezek. 36:25), “I will sprinkle pure water upon you, and you shall be pure; I will purify you from all your uncleannesses and from all your idols.”

(Lev. 17:1, 3:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, ‘Speak to Aaron saying, “…. If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters.”’” The holy spirit proclaims (in Mal. 1:11), “From the rising of the sun to its setting, My name shall be great among the gentiles.” From the time that the sun rises until it sets, the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, never ceases from its mouth, as stated (in Ps. 113:3), “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is praised.”

And you find it so when Joshua waged war with Gibeon. What is written there (in Josh. 10:12)? “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord…, ‘O sun, be quiet (dom) at Gibeon.’” [When] Joshua wanted to silence the sun, he did not say to it, "O sun, stand still ('amod) at Gibeon," but “Be quiet (dom).”

Why did he say, “Be quiet?” Because every hour that it is traveling, it is praising the Holy One, blessed be He; and as long as it praises [the Holy One, blessed be He], it has the power to travel [its course]. Joshua therefore told it to be silent, as stated (ibid.), “O sun, be quiet at Gibeon.” The sun said to Joshua, “May someone younger be saying, ‘Be quiet,’ to someone older?

I was created on the fourth [day], while human beings were created on the sixth; and are you saying, ‘Be quiet,’ to me?” Joshua said to [the sun], “When a young free person has an elderly slave, does he not say to him, ‘Be silent?’ In the case of our father Abraham, the Holy One, blessed be He, delivered (rt.: pnh) heaven and earth to him, as stated (in Gen. 14:19), ‘Then he blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God most high, acquirer (rt.: pnh) of heaven and earth.”’

And not only that, but you bowed down to Joseph, as stated (in Gen. 37:9), ‘here were the sun, the moon, [and eleven stars bowing down to me.’ So would you speak against me?]” Ergo (in Josh. 10:12), “O sun, be quiet at Gibeon.” The sun said to Joshua, “And so are you decreeing over me that I am to be quiet?”

He said to it, “Yes.” It said to him, “Then who will speak the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He?“ He said to him, “You be quiet, and I will speak the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He,” as stated (in Josh. 10:12), “Then (az) Joshua spoke to the Lord.” Now az can only be a hymn, since it is stated (in Exod. 15:1), “Moses sang then (az).” (Mal. 1:11:) “And in every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation.” R. Ammi asked R. Samuel bar Nahman, “Is it correct that ‘In every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation?’ The Torah warns (in Deut. 12:13-14), ‘Take heed that you do not offer up your burnt offerings in any place that you see.

But only in the place that [the Lord] will choose….’ So also it says (in Lev. 17:3-4) ‘If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp…. And does not bring it unto the entrance of the tent of meeting…, [bloodguilt shall be imputed to that person.’ So how can you] say (in Mal. 1:11), ‘and in every place incense (muqtar) is offered to My name, [even a pure oblation]?’”

R. Samuel bar Nahman said to him (i.e., to R. Ammi), “What is a pure oblation (minhah) which is burned (muqtar) in every place and offered to the name of the Holy One, blessed be He? This is the prayer of the afternoon service (minhah).

Incense (muqtar) can only be the prayer of the afternoon service (minhah), since it is stated (in Ps. 141:2), ‘Let my prayer be set forth as the incense before you….’ [It also says] (in I Kings 18:36), ‘And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the oblation (minhah), Elijah drew near.’”

(Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy.” This text is related (to Ps. 20:3), “May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.” From the sanctuary (qdsh) [means] from the holiness (rt.: qdsh) of the works that are in you; and [sustain you] from Zion (mtsywn) [means] [from the marker (tsywn)] of the works that are in you. R. Berekhyah said, “There was a story in our village about a certain spirit who dwelt by the spring. Another spirit came to attack it and sought to get it away from there. There was also there a certain saint whose name was Jose the man of Zaythor.

The first spirit appeared to him. It said to him, ‘Rabbi, look at how many years I have been situated here; yet neither at noon nor at night nor during the day have I harmed [any] mortal. But now this spirit has come upon me from another place and wants to get me away from here in order to harm mortals.’ He said to it, ‘What shall we do?’

It said to him, ‘Take your staves and your scythes, and go out against it at the noon hour. Then say, “Ours has won! Ours is winning!” And it will run away.’

They did so and drove it away from there.” They used to say, “They did not move from here until they saw, as it were, a clot of blood floating on the water.” When the sages heard about the matter, they said, “If something which was not created with a need for assistance, needs assistance and support, how much the more so in the case of people.” David, therefore, said (in Ps. 20:3), “May He send you help from the sanctuary.”

(Lev. 22:27:) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat.” This text is related] (to Eccl. 3:15), “That which is has already happened.” R. Judah and R. Nehemiah [differ]. R. Judah says, “If someone says to you that if the first Adam had not sinned, he would have remained alive forever, you say to him, ‘Look at Elijah.

Since he did not sin, he has remained alive forever.’ (Ibid., cont.:) ‘And that which is to be has already happened.’ If someone says to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, will be raising the dead, say to him, ‘Look, He has already done so through Elijah, through Elisha, and through Ezekiel.’” [But] Rabbi Nehemiah says, “If someone says to you that the whole world was water within water, you say to him, ‘The ocean is all water within water.’ (Ibid., cont.:) ‘And that which is to be has already happened.’

If someone says to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to make the sea into dry ground, say to him, ‘He has already done so in the days of Moses, as stated (in Exod. 14:29), “But the Children of Israel went through the sea on dry ground, and the waters were a wall for them to the right and to the left.”’” [Moreover,] R. Aha said in the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman, “Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to do in the world to come He has already anticipated and partly done at the hands of the righteous in this world.

In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to raise the dead; He has already done so at the hands of Elijah, at the hands of Elisha, and at the hands of Ezekiel. In the future, He is going to make the sea into dry ground; He has already done so (ibid.), “But the Children of Israel went through the sea on dry ground.” In the future, He is going to open the eyes of the blind; He has already done so, as stated (in II Kings 6:17), ‘so the Lord opened the eyes of the servant [and he saw].’

In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to going visit barren women; He has already done so through Abraham and Sarah, as stated (in Gen. 21:1), ‘Then the Lord visited Sarah […].’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, (in Is. 49:23), ‘Kings shall be your guardians [… they shall bow down before you, nose to the ground, and lick the dust of your feet].’ It has already happened at the hands of Daniel, when the wicked Nebuchadnezzar bowed down to Daniel, as stated (in Dan. 2:46), ‘Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, [paid homage to Daniel].’”

This is what Scripture stated (in Eccl. 3:15, cont.), “then God seeks the pursued.” R. Huna said in the name of R. Joseph, “In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to claim the blood of the pursued from the hand of those who pursue them. When a righteous person pursues a righteous person, God seeks the pursued. When a wicked person pursues a wicked person and when a wicked person pursues a righteous person, then God seeks the pursued.

It comes out that you will say that even when a righteous person pursues a wicked person, in any case, then God seeks the pursued.” You know that this is so. Note that Abel was pursued by Cain; and therefore (in Gen. 4:4), “and the Lord paid heed unto Abel and unto his offering.” Noah was pursued by his generation, but (according to Gen. 6:8), “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.”

Abraham was pursued by Nimrod; and it is written (Neh. 9:7) “You are the Lord, the God who chose Abraham […].” Isaac was pursued by the Philistines; and it is written (Gen. 26:28), “And [they] said, ‘We see plainly that the Lord has been with you […].’” Jacob was pursued by Esau; and it is written (Ps. 135:4) “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself.” Joseph was pursued by his brothers; and it is written (Gen. 39:2) “And the Lord was with Joseph […].”

Moses was pursued by Pharaoh; and it is written (Ps. 106:23), “therefore He said He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen [stood in the breach before Him…].” Israel is being pursued by the nations of the world; and it is written (Deut. 7:6), “the Lord your God has chosen you […].” R. Judah bar Simon said in the name of R. Nehoray, “Here also (in the case of sacrificial animals), the bull is pursued by the lion; the sheep is pursued by the wolf; the goat is pursued by the leopard.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘You shall not bring me a sacrifice from the pursuer but from the pursued.’ [Thus it is stated] (Lev. 22:27), ‘When a bull or a sheep or a goat […].’”

(Numb. 2:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘[The Children of Israel shall camp,] each with his standard, under the banners….’” Let our master instruct us: Within how many cubits is it permitted for one to walk on the Sabbath? Thus have our masters taught: One who observes the Sabbath on the road makes a circle with a radius of four cubits for himself. [These are] the words of R. Haninya ben Antigonus. Then he moves [objects] on the Sabbath within four cubits and says, “My Sabbath rest is in this place where I am.” So his place gives him the right [to go] two thousand cubits in any direction. But how much are four cubits?

R. Judah says, “Enough for him to take a cask from his feet and put it by his headrest.” And one who keeps the Sabbath in a city, even though it is as large as Antioch, may walk all of it, its outskirts, and two thousand cubits beyond its outskirts. What is the meaning of "outskirts"? The shops and the inns which are on the road outside the city.

And the one who keeps the Sabbath in a cave, even though it is as large as the cave where king Zedekiah of Judah fled, which was twelve mil long, may walk all of it and outside of it for two thousand cubits in any direction he wishes. And from where did the sages find support? From the words of the Torah, [where it is stated] (in Numb. 35:5), “And you shall measure off two thousand cubits outside the town on the east side….” And likewise you find in the case of Joshua, when he went to destroy Jericho, Joshua said to them (i.e., to Israel), “You are going to keep the Sabbath there.

Do not go further than two thousand cubits from the ark in any direction. Why? So that you may be entitled to come to pray before the ark on the Sabbath.” And so it says (in Joshua 3:4), “Yet there shall be a distance between you and it (the ark of the covenant) of about two thousand cubits by measure, never coming any closer to it; so that you may know by what route to march, since it is a road you have not traveled before.”

And likewise you find, when God told Moses that he should have Israel encamp under standards, He said to him, “Have them encamp under their standards in every direction. Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 2:2), “each with his standard” (meaning that they shall camp around the tent of meeting at a distance).

(Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed, the one belonging to Solomon (rt.: shlm), with sixty warriors around it […].” What reason did Solomon (rt.: shlm), have to be concerned with a bed? When it said, “There is his bed,” it is simply that [the verse] was only concerned with the King to whom peace (rt.: shlm) belongs (God). (Ibid.:) “There is his bed.”

This is the Temple. But why was the Temple compared to a bed? It is simply that just as a bed is only for being fruitful and multiplying, so it was with the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying, as stated (in I Kings 8:8 = II Chron. 5:9), “The poles grew long.” It also says (in II Chron. 3:6), “the gold was gold from Parvaim (as if from prh),” which produced fruit (rt.: prh). And so it says (in I Kings 7:2), “And he built the house of the Forest of Lebanon.” Why was it compared to a forest? Just as a forest is fruitful and multiplies, so it is in the case of the Temple.

Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying. It is therefore stated (in Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed.” (Ibid., cont.:) “With sixty warriors.” These are the sixty letters that are in the priestly blessing (in Numb. 6:24-26). (Cant. 3:8:) “All of them equipped with a sword,” because in each and every [verse of the priestly blessing] the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned, “The Lord bless you […]; The Lord make [His face] shine […]; The Lord lift up [His face …].” (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) “Each with his sword on his thigh.”

What is the reason for the thigh to be mentioned here? Simply that, even if one sees in his dream a sword being drawn, placed over his neck, and [then] cutting off his thigh, he rises early in the morning and goes to the synagogue, from the fear [of what] he saw at night in his dream; then [when] he sees the priests raising their hands, the bad dream is cancelled from him. It is therefore stated (Cant. 3:8, cont.), “because of fear at night.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless My children, as stated (in Numb. 6:23), “Thus shall you bless [the Children of Israel].”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In the past I needed to bless My creatures. I blessed the first Adam and his wife, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), ‘Then God blessed them.’ I blessed Noah and his children, as stated (in Gen. 9:1), ‘Then God blessed Noah and his children.’

I blessed Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 24:1), ‘and the Lord had blessed Abraham in everything.’” [Then] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, “From now on behold, the blessings are being delivered to you.” Thus it is stated (in Gen. 12:2), “and you are to be a blessing.” Abraham begot two [children], Ishmael and Isaac, but he did not bless them. A parable: To what is the matter comparable?

To a king who had an orchard [and] gave it to a tenant. Now in the midst of that orchard was one tree with an elixir of life…. Then Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes, as stated (in Gen. 49:28), “All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what [their father] spoke to them [when he blessed them…].”

From now on, said the Holy One, blessed be He, behold, the blessings are being delivered to you; and the priests will bless Israel.

(Numb. 16:31:) “Then it came to pass, as soon as he had finished speaking […, that the ground under them was split apart].” [This is] to teach you He causes retribution to spring up from any place that He wants. (Numb. 16:33:): “So they and all that belonged to them went down alive into Sheol.” Some say they are alive and being punished up to the present. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the earth closed over them.”

They perished but not their offices; indeed, other leaders were appointed in their stead. (Numb. 16:34:) “Then all Israel, since they were round about them, fled at their cry”; since they cried out to Moses, “Moses our master, save us!” (Numb. 16:35:) “And a fire went forth from the Lord [and consumed the two hundred and fifty men offering the incense].” These had been swallowed up, but those were burned; and Korah stood among those who were burned, as Moses had said (in Numb. 16:17), “you also and Aaron, each his censer.”

Moreover, Korah received more [punishment] than all of them, in that he was [both] burned and swallowed up. And why were both sentences carried out against him? Because if he had been burned but not swallowed up, those who were swallowed up would have complained and said that though only Korah had brought retribution upon them, here they were being swallowed up while he escaped. But if he had been swallowed up and not burned, those who were burned would have complained and said, “Although only Korah brought this retribution upon us, here we are burned while he escaped.”

For that reason he was condemned to both deaths. First in the sight of all who were being burned, he was set ablaze; in his hand was the censer with the incense in it, and [then] the fire rolled him up like a ball. And the fire rolled him along until it brought him to the mouth of the earth among those being swallowed up, as stated (in Numb. 16:32), “And the earth opened its mouth.”

(Numb. 20:7-8:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, ‘Take the rod... and you shall provide the congregation and their cattle with water.” From here it is shown that the Holy One, blessed be He, is concerned for Israel's wealth. (Ibid., vs. 10:) “So Moses and Aaron gathered the congregation before the rock.” [This verse] teaches that each and every person sees himself as if he were standing at the rock.

And similarly it says (in Lev. 8:3), “And assemble the whole congregation at the entrance of the tent of meeting.” And so too when they crossed the Jordan, all of Israel fit in between the two poles of the ark, as stated (in Josh. 3:9), “And Joshua said to the Children of Israel, ‘Come closer and listen to the words of the Lord your God.” And it is [also] written (in Josh. 8:33), “All Israel [...] stood on either side of the ark.”

Here also all Israel was standing and seeing the miracles which happened at the rock [in front of them]. They began to say, “Moses knows the natural properties of rock. If he wants, he will bring forth water out of this [other] one.” Moses found himself confronted with a dilemma: If he would listen to them, he would disregard the words of the Omnipresent; and the Holy One, blessed be He, (according to Job 5:13) “Catches the wise in their own cunning.”

As for the whole of these forty years Moses had been keeping himself from becoming angry with them, because he was afraid of the oath that the Holy One, blessed be He, had sworn (in Deut. 1:35), “Not one of these people from this evil generation shall see [the good land].” They said to him, “Here is a rock. Just as you wish to bring [water] from another rock, you should bring it from this one.” He gave a command to them (in Numb. 20:10), “Please listen, you rebels, shall we bring forth [water for you] from this rock.”

What is the meaning of “hamorim (rebels)?” There are many understandings of it. Hamorim is rebels; hamorim is fools, as in the islands of the sea they call fools, morim. Some say hamorim are those that [inappropriately] instruct their teachers. Hamorim [can also be] arrows, as stated (in I Sam 31:3), “and some of the arrows (morim) struck him, men with bows.” (Numb. 20:11:) “Then Moses raised his hand and struck.” [When] he struck one time, the rock began dribbling a little water, as stated (in Ps. 78:20), ��See, he struck a rock, and water trickled out (yazuvu),” like a person with a discharge (zav), in that it dribbles [in] drops.

They said to him, “Son of Amram, is this water for nursing children or for babes weaned from milk?” Immediately, he became angry with them, struck it (according to Numb. 20:11) “twice [with his rod], and a lot of water came forth.” Yet for all that, Moses only made [water] from the rock that the Holy One, blessed be He, had told him. And how do we see that they also brought out water from the rock that Israel had said to him and every rock and stone that was in that place?

It is so stated (in Ps. 78:15), “He split rocks in the desert.” Moshe already had his [sin] in his hand; because [the Children of Israel] were silent and did not sing praise, they were [also] caught.

(Numb. 22:28:) “Then the Lord opened the mouth of the she-ass,” in order to make known to him that the mouth and the tongue are under His (i.e., God's) control, so that if he desired to curse, his mouth was under His control. (Ibid., cont.:) “And she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you that you have struck me these three times (shalosh regalim)?’”

She intimated to him, “You are seeking to uproot a people that celebrate three pilgrimage festivals (shalosh regalim) in the year!” (Numb. 22:29:) “But Balaam said to the she-ass, ‘Because you have made a fool of me!’” Even though he spoke in the holy tongue, he had a foul tongue. (Ibid., cont.:) “If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you right now.” [The situation] is comparable to a physician who came to cure with his tongue a person bitten by a snake on the road.

On the way he saw a lizard. He began searching for a stick to kill it. They said to him. “Are you unable to get this [creature] (without a stick)?

How do you come to cure with your tongue a person bitten by a snake?” Similarly, the she-ass said to Balaam, “You cannot kill me unless you have a sword in your hand. How do you intend to uproot an entire people with your tongue?” He was silent and could not find an answer.

The princes of Moab began to express astonishment, for they had seen a miracle the like of which had never happened in the world. Now there are some who say that they said to him, “What is the reason you are not riding on a horse (over which you might have more control)?” He said to them, “She is not mine (and so I did not know she would cause such problems).” [The ass] answered him (in Numb. 22:30), “Am I not your she-ass?” [He said,] “Only for loading.” [She said] (in Numb. 22:30, cont.), “Upon which you have ridden.” [He said,] “Only occasionally.” [She said] (in Numb. 22:30, cont.), “All your life long until this day!”

Here you learn that he was not an old man, since [the ass] was older than he. (Numb. 22:30, cont.:) “Have I ever been in the habit of doing this to you?” As soon as she had spoken, she died, so that the people would not say, “This is the she-ass that spoke,” and make it an object of reverence. Another interpretation (of Numb. 22:30): The Holy One, blessed be He, was concerned for the honor of that wicked man, lest they would say, “This is the very one through which Balaam was struck.”

And if the Holy One, blessed be He, has concern for the honor of the wicked, it is not necessary to say [the same] about the honor of the righteous. And so is it stated (in Lev. 20:16), “If a woman approaches any beast to mate with it, [you shall kill the woman and the beast].” If the woman sinned, [how] did the animal sin? It is simply since the calamity came to the woman though it.

Hence the verse says, “Kill it.” Another interpretation is that [it is so] that the animal should not pass through the marketplace and [people] say, “This is the animal for which x was killed.” [This is] to show how the Holy One, blessed be He is concerned about the honor of the creatures and knows their needs. And [so] He closed the mouth of the animals. As if it could speak, [people] would not be able to subdue it and master it.

As this was the silliest of animals and this was the greatest of the sages. [And yet] once she spoke, he could not master her.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’

So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating all their dignity.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’”

He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father].” Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes [and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].”

Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan] as well as on that side, since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land.

Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.:) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father.” With reference to [standard] inheritance it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.” Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe. (Numb. 27:11:) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel.” [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges. (Numb. 27:12:) “Then the Lord [said] unto Moses, saying, ‘Go up on this mountain of Abarim.’”

What reason did he have [for it] to be written after the parashah about inheritance? It was simply that when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them,” he thought that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him. He said, “Here I am entering with Israel.” [Hence] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “My decree remains in place; (Numb. 27:12-13) ‘Go up into the mountain of Abarim […] and you shall be gathered to your people…’ You are no better than your brother [in this].’”

(Numb. 34:2:) “When you come [into the land of Canaan].” This text is related (to Jer. 2:31), “You, O generation, understand the word of the Lord! Have I been a desert (hmdbr, voweled as (hamidbar) to Israel…?” Do not read “a desert,” but “have I spoken (hmdbr, voweled as hamedabber)” anything (dbr) to Israel that I have not fulfilled? With regard to the land which I agreed to give to them, did I say that it was beautiful and mislead them? (Ibid., cont.:) “Or a land of utter darkness (ma'pelyah)?” What is the meaning of “ma'pelyah (rt.: 'pl)?” Did I, perhaps, promise you to bring you into the land and [then] delay you? After all, ma'pelyah can only mean "delay," as stated (in Exod. 9:32), “But the wheat and the spelt were not hurt because they ripen late (i.e., are delayed, rt.: 'pl).” See, you will be entering into its midst, “When (according to Numb. 34:2) you come into the land of Canaan (kena'an),” [i.e., into] a land of business, a land of trade. [The usage is] just as you say (in Is. 23:8 with reference to Tyre), “whose traders (kena'anim) the world honored.”

At that time, etc. (Deuteronomy 10:1): This is what the verse stated (Ecclesiastes 3:1), "A time and season is set for everything, for every experience under heaven." There was a time for the world to be created; there was a time for the generation of the flood to be destroyed in water. There was a time to go into the ark, and a time to exit from it. And there was a time for Avraham to be created, and so too with all the forefathers.

There was a time that our fathers were to go down to Egypt, and a time for them to exit from there. And there was a time that they were to be subjugated. And there was a time for the tablets to be broken, and there was a time when others would do that act [of the golden calf]. Hence, "Carve out two tablets of stone."

Shlomo said (Ecclesiastes 3:5), "A time for throwing stones and a time for gathering stones." "A time for throwing stones," these are the first tablets; "and a time for gathering stones," the time to carve out other tablets of stone, as it is stated, "Carve out (pesal) two tablets of stone." Rabbi Yehoshua said, "That he destroy the idols of (pesilei) their gods." Another interpretation: "Carve out (pesal) for yourself," that the remnant (pesolet) be for yourself.

Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Yochanan say, "From where did he carve them?" One [answered], "From under [God's] throne of glory." And the other said, "[God] created a quarry in the midst of his tent, and he quarried two tablets of stone from there. And he took the remnants from there and he became wealthy from there, since they were from sapphire."

This is what Shlomo stated (in Song of Songs 5:14), "His hands are rods of gold, studded with beryl [...] adorned with sapphires.""His hands are rods of gold," these are the tablets. And how many [commandments] were on each tablet? Five commandments were on [each] tablet. And they were made with a type of rods between them, as it is stated, "His hands are rods of gold."

"Adorned with sapphires," as they were made of sapphire. Another explanation: "Carve out for yourself," in your merit, and it shall be yours. He said, Moshe, [I have given it to you] (you have given it to Me), and you are behaving generously [by] giving it to them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:1), "Carve out (pesal) for yourself." By your life will I make you a king. And you shall (pesol) whoever you want, and you shall bring close whoever you want.

(Deut. 12:29:) When the Lord God has cut off the nations.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who planted a vineyard within his field, but within [that field] were great cedars and thorns. The king went and cut down the cedars and left the thorns.

His servants said to him, “Our lord king, the thorns which catch our clothes you have left [standing]; but you have cut down the cedars?” He said to them, “If I had left the cedars and cut down the thornbushes, how should I have fenced in my vineyard. So also Israel is the vineyard of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Is. 5:7), “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the House of Israel.”

He brought Israel into the land and cut down the cedars that were in it, as stated (in Amos 2:9), “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before you, whose stature was like the cedars in height.” But he left their children and their children's children so that Israel would observe the Torah, as stated (in Jud. 3:1), “Now these are the nations which the Lord left to test Israel,” “whether they are keeping the commandments of the Lord” (Jud. 2:22).

So when the vineyard stands in its place in the service of the Torah, then (according to Is. 33:12) “The peoples shall become burnings of lime, thorns cut down that are burned in the fire].” It is also written (in Is. 40:17), “All the nations are as nothing before Him….” And so do you find when Israel left Egypt. Look at what Pharaoh did.

“He took six hundred choice chariots…” (Exod. 14:6). Thirty men went out against each and every one of Israel. See how many multitudes went out with Pharaoh! When Israel saw them, they were terrified before them.

What is written (in Exod. 14:19)? “And the angel of God traveled.” And Israel was saying, “Who can stand against these?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “By your lives, all these are as unimportant before Me as [if they were only] a single man or a single chariot, as stated (in Exod. 15:19), “When the horse (in the singular) of Pharaoh came….”

And [so] they all died in a single breath (rt.: nshp), as stated (in Exod. 15:10), “You blew (rt.: nshp) with Your wind, and the sea covered them.” Similarly Gog and Magog are going to come against Israel in the future, and all of them will also all be burnt with one burning, as stated (in Ezek. 38:22), “I will enter into judgment against him with pestilence and with blood […].” At that time (according to Ezek. 38:23), “And I will be magnified, be sanctified, and be made known before the eyes of many nations; and they shall know that I am the Lord.”

(Zech. 13:8:) “’And it shall come to pass throughout all the land,’ says the Lord, ‘that two-thirds in it shall be cut off [and] die, but one-third shall remain in it.’” This is what is stated with the holy spirit through David (in Ps. 97:7), “All who worship an image, who boast in idols, are put to shame.” With reference to whom was he saying it? He only said it with reference to the Holy One, blessed be He.

R. Hanina said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is going to show His glory to all who have come into the world; for He will lower His throne in the middle of the firmament and again set it in place where the sun rises during the period of [the month of] Tebeth.” R. Hanina the Elder said to him, “Is it possible to see His glory, even the One of whom it is written (in Exod. 33:20), ‘for no human may see Me and live?’

Now you are saying, ‘The Holy One, blessed be He, is going to show His glory to all who have come into the world.’” He said to him, “See, it is written (in Ps. 84:12), ‘For the Lord God] is sun and shield […].” Just as a sun and shield denotes a shield over one in time of war, so also will the Holy One, blessed be He, be a shield over His children at that time [of His appearing]. R. Hanina said, “In the time that the Lord judges the peoples of the world, He seizes them for judgment; them, their Gods, and the one who sets up images for them. Next He brings the two tablets with the Ten Commandments and says to them (i.e., to the tablets), ‘Have they all paid attention to you?’ Then they say to him, ‘From the day that You created us, no one has paid attention to us with the lone exception of Your people Israel.’” (Ps. 96:7:) “Who boast in idols.” [It would be] more fitting for Scripture to say, “who trust.”

What is the meaning of “who boast?” That they did not perform idol worship until they had honored each other (for doing so). The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “On each day you will feel shame before Me. There are those among you who serve doves, and a lot of doves are slaughtered.

There are also those among you who serve bricks, and a lot of bricks are broken in the marketplace. There are those among you who serve fish, and a lot of fish are sold in the marketplace.” Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, put them to shame, as stated (in Micah 7:16), “The nations shall see Me and be ashamed […].” R. Hama bar Hanina said, “What is the meaning of (Is. 43:9), ‘All the nations are gathered together […].’

In the world to come the Holy One, blessed be He, brings the book of Torah and puts it on His lap. Then He says, ‘Let anyone who is occupied with this, come and receive his reward.’ Immediately all the peoples gather in confusion, as stated (ibid.), ‘All the nations are gathered together […].’ The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, ‘Do not be gathered in confusion, but [have] every nation [come separately] with its scribes,’ as stated (ibid, cont.), ‘and let the peoples assemble.’

Edom (the Roman Empire) entered. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, ‘With what were you occupied?’ They say to Him, ‘We have established a lot of marketplaces, produced a lot of baths, and multiplied silver and gold. And everything was [done] so that Israel would [have leisure to] be occupied with Torah.’

He [then says] to them, ‘Everything that you did, you did for your own needs. Marketplaces are for settling harlots in. Baths are to refresh yourselves. Silver and gold are mine, as stated (in Hag. 2:8), “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine.”’

The Persian Empire entered. He says to them, ‘With what were you occupied?’ They say, ‘We have conquered a lot of cities, established a lot of bridges, waged a lot of wars. And everything was [done] for the sake of Israel.’

He [then] says to them, ‘Everything that you did, you did for the sake of yourselves. Cities were for producing forced labor in them. Bridges were for collecting tolls. Wars [are what] I have waged, as stated (in Exod. 15:3), “The Lord is a man of war.”

Are there any among you declaring “this?”’ It is so stated (in Is. 43:9, cont.), ‘who among them will declare this?’ Now ‘this’ can only be Torah, since it is stated (in Deut. 4:44), ‘And this is the Torah which Moses set.’ They say to Him ‘Did you give us anything that we have not accepted?’ [But] it says about them (in Deut. 33:2), ‘The Lord came forth from Sinai, and shone upon them from Seir….’ [This] teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, brought [the light of Torah] to all the peoples of the world, but they did not want to accept it. [So] they say to Him, ‘Did You overturn the mountain above us like a basin like you did to Israel, as stated (in Exod. 19:17), “And they stood at the nether part of the mount,” and You said to them, “If you accept the Torah, excellent, but if not, there [under the mountain], will be your burial.”

As if it were not for this, they [too] would not have accepted it.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, ‘But did they not say from the beginning (in Exod. 24:7), “we shall do and we shall heed?”’ They [then] say to Him, ‘Master of the world, give it to us in advance, and we will carry it out.’ He says to them, ‘I am giving you an easy commandment.

If you observe it, I will give you a reward like [that of] Israel.’ He says to them, ‘Go and make a sukkah (booth).’ Immediately each and every one goes and builds a sukkah for himself. [But] when the Holy One, blessed be He, brings out the sun from its case, each one tramples down his sukkah and goes away, as stated (in Ps. 2:3), ‘Let us break their bonds asunder.’

Then the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and laughs at them, as stated (in vs. 4), ‘The One sitting in the heavens will laugh; the Lord will deride them.’” (Ps. 97:7, end:) “And all the powers will bow down to Him.” When He judges the peoples of the world, he will judge their gods along with them, as stated (in Is. 66:16), “For in fire will the Lord execute judgment….” When they are unable to remain in the fire, they fly away.

Then the Holy One, blessed be He, sends out angels with [prisoner] collars and chains, and they cast them into the midst of the fire, as stated (in Mal. 3:19), “’And that day is coming burning like an oven,’ said the Lord of Hosts, ‘[(it) shall burn them to ashes] and leave of them neither stock nor boughs.’”

Another interpretation (of Ps. 97:7), “And all the powers bow down to Him”: All the idolaters say to their gods, “Come and bow down before the Holy One, blessed be He, for you have led us astray.” Immediately (according to Is. 2:18), “And the idols shall completely vanish,” and the idolaters bring them down into Gehinnom. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 97:7), “All who worship an image are put to shame.” (Zech. 13:8:) “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off [and] die,” these are those that say there are two powers in the Heavens; “but one-third (shelishit) shall remain in it,” these are Israel, who are from a third (shelishit) of the world, [as they are] the children of three (sheloshet) patriarchs.

Another interpretation (of Zech. 13:8) “but one-third shall remain in it”: [These words mean] that they shall only settle in their land in the third deliverance. The first deliverance was the deliverance from Egypt. The second was the deliverance of [in the time of] Ezra. The third has no interruption.

R. Simlay said, “Six hundred and thirteen commandments were spoken to Moses on Sinai. David came and established them upon eleven [principles], as stated (in Ps. 15:1), ‘O Lord, who shall dwell in Your tent,’ and all [of that] psalm. Isaiah came and established them upon six, as stated (in Is. 33:15), ‘(1) One who walks righteously and (2) speaks uprightly, (3) who detests the unjust gain of oppression, (4) who shakes his finger (literally, his hand) against grasping at a bribe, (5) [who shuts off his ears against hearing of bloodshed, and (6) closes his eyes against looking at evil].’

And it is written after that (in vs.16), ‘Such a one shall dwell on the heights; the strongholds on cliffs shall be his refuge, with his food supplied and his water assured.’ Micah came and established them upon three, as stated (in Micah 6:8), ‘He has told you, O human, what is good; so what does the Lord demand of you but to practice justice, love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.’ Amos came established them upon two, as stated (in Amos 5:4), ‘For thus says the Lord […], “seek Me and live.”’

Habakkuk came and established them upon one, as stated (in Hab. 2:4), ‘but the righteous person shall live by his faithfulness.’”

R. Levi opened [his discourse] (with Ps. 9:6), “You have rebuked the nations; you have destroyed the wicked one”: “You have rebuked the nations.” This refers to Amalek, of which it is written (in Numb. 24:20), “First among the nations (to attack Israel) was Amalek.” (ibid., cont.:) “You have destroyed the wicked one.”

This refers to Esau, of whom it is stated (in Mal. 1:4), “and they shall call them (i.e., Edom) a country of wickedness.” If someone says to you, “Jacob also is included [among the wicked one],” say to such a one, "’You have destroyed wicked ones (in the plural)’ is not written here, but ‘You have destroyed the wicked one (in the singular).’” (Ps. 9:6, cont.:) “You have blotted out their name for ever and ever,” as stated (Deut. 25:19), “You shall blot out the remembrance [of Amalek]….” (Ps. 79:12:) “And return sevenfold unto the bosom (heq) of our neighbors [their taunt with which they have taunted you, O Lord].”

R. Judan bar Gadya, R. Joshua ben Levi, and the masters [differ]. R. Judan bar Gadya said, “Remember what [our neighbor Amalek] did to us in the penis, which is attached to the lap (heq) [i.e., to the center] of a man.” And this agrees with what R. Hanina bar Shilqa, R. Joshua ben Levi and R. Jochanan said, “What did the House of Amalek do to Israel? They cut off their penes and flung them heavenward, as they said, ‘This is what You have chosen, take for Yourself what You have chosen.’

This is related to the verse (in Ps. 9:6), ‘their taunt with which they have taunted You, O Lord.’” R. Joshua [ben Levi] said, “It should be remembered what they did in the Torah, as it is written about it (in Ps. 12:7), ‘refined sevenfold.’” And the masters said, “It should be remembered what they did to the Temple, which was the bosom (heq) [i.e., the center] of the earth, as stated (with reference to the Temple in Ezek. 43:14), ‘And from the lap (heq) of the earth to the lower ledge, two cubits.’”

When Samuel came, he repaid them, as stated (in I Sam. 15:33), “then Samuel hewed Agag.” What did he do to him? R. Abba bar Kahana said, “He cut olive-sized pieces from his flesh and fed them to ostriches. This is what is written (in Job 18:13), ‘It shall consume pieces of his flesh; the firstborn of death shall consume his pieces’; in that [Samuel] chose a cruel (mar) death for him.” But the masters say, “[Samuel] set up four poles and stretched him upon them.”

It also says (in I Sam. 15:32), “and Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness (mar) of death is at hand (sr),’” [meaning,] “Do they thus put princes (sr) to death with harsh deaths?” R. Samuel bar Avdimi said, “He judged him by the justice of the peoples of the world (instead of by Torah) without witnesses and without a warning.”

Rabbi said, “He castrated him (rt.: srs) him, as stated (in I Sam. 15:33), ‘But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women bereaved, so shall your mother be bereaved among women.”’” R. Levi said, “Moses also gave a hint to Israel in the Torah (about Agag's castration), since it is stated (in Deut. 25:11-12), ‘When two men get into a fight with each other, and the wife of one draws near [to save her husband from the hand of the one smiting him, if she puts out with her hand and grabs [the other man] by his genitals.]

Then you shall cut off her hand….’ What is written after that (in vs. 17), ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’” Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, are You telling us to remember? You remember; as forgetfulness is common among us. But with You there is no forgetfulness.”

Thus (in Deut. 25:17), “Remember what Amalek did to you.” He did to us, and he did not do to You? (Ps. 137:7:) “Remember against the children of Edom, O Lord, the day of [the destruction of] Jerusalem, [how they said, ‘Aru, 'aru (rt.: 'rh, rt.: 'rh) her to the foundation].’” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, “'Aru, 'aru [means], paggeru, paggeru (destroy, destroy), even as [the word is] used (in Jer. 51:58), ‘Babylon's broad wall shall be utterly demolished ('ar'er tit'ar'ar, rts.: 'rr, 'rh).’”

R. Levi said, “['Aru, 'aru means,] empty, empty, even as [the word is] used (in Gen. 24:20), ‘She hastened to empty (te'ar, rt: 'rh) her jar into the trough.’” In the opinion of the one who said, “paggeru, paggeru (destroy, destroy),” ['aru, 'aru means] to its foundations is intended (meaning, down to them but not to the foundation per se). [But] in the opinion of the one who said, “pannun, pannun (empty them, empty them)” [the words mean,] empty its foundations.

What is the meaning of Amalek ('mlq)? People ('m) of the locust (ylq). They spread out like the zahla locust. [Alternatively] Amalek ('mlq) is a people ('am) who came to lap up (l’leq) the blood of Israel like a dog. R. Levi said in the name of R. Simeon ben Halafta, “To what may Amalek be likened?

To a fly who is inflamed [with passion] after an [open] wound. So was Amalek inflamed like a dog [with passion] after Israel.” As the Israelites went out of Egypt, [Amalek] heard that they were redeemed, and came against them upon the [Reed] Sea. But [Israel] mentioned the explicit name [of God], and [Amalek] was bewildered, as stated (Exod. 15:15), “Then the captains of Edom were bewildered.” (Deut. 25:17:) “On the way as you came out of Egypt.”

It is taught (in a baraita) in the name of R. Nathan: Amalek came four hundred parasangs (i.e., a little over 900 miles) to fight with Israel in Rephidim, as stated (in Numb. 13:29), “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negeb […].” And he [dwells] in the interior beyond all of them (i.e., beyond all the tribes listed in this passage). (Deut. 25:17:) “On the way as you came out of Egypt.” R. Levi said, “He came upon them from the wayside like a bandit.” It is comparable to a king who had a vineyard which he had enclosed with a fence and in which he had put a biting dog. The king said, “Whenever anyone comes to break through the fence, the dog will bite him.” One day the king's son came and broke through the fence.

The dog bit him. Whenever he wanted to bring to mind the transgression of his son who broke through to the vineyard, he would say to him, “You remember how the dog bit you.” Similarly, whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to bring to mind the sin of Israel - what they did in Rephidim, when they said (in Exod. 17:7) “Is the Lord present among us or not” - He says to them (in Deut. 25:17), “Remember what Amalek did to you.” (Deut. 25:18:) “How he encountered you [on the way].”

R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and the masters [differ]. R. Judah says, “’How he encountered (qr, rt.: qrh) you, [i.e.,] defiled you. [It is] just as you say (in Deut. 23:11), “who is unclean because of what he encounters (rt.: qrh) at night (i.e., a nocturnal emission).’” R. Nehemiah said, “He actually called (qr') you.

What did Amalek do? He went down to the Egyptian hall of records and obtained the records on the tribes, where their names were inscribed against them for the number of bricks. Then he would stand outside [Israel's protective] cloud and call out (rt.: qrh) to them, ‘Reuben, Simeon, Levi, come out, for I am your brother; and I want to transact business with you.’

When they came out, he killed them.” And the masters say, “He cooled (qr) you, i.e., he made Israel [appear] lukewarm (rt.: qrr) before others.” R. Huniya said, “A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a boiling bath into which no creature is able to descend.

A certain ruffian came and leaped down into it. Even though he was scalded, he made it cool to others. So also when Israel came out of Egypt, and the Holy One, blessed be He, divided the sea before them, while the Egyptians were drowned in its midst, fear of them fell upon all the peoples, as stated (in Exod. 15:15-16), ‘Then were the chiefs of Edom bewildered…. [Terror and fright fell upon them].’

When Amalek came and joined in battle with them - even though he received his [scalding] at their hands - he made [Israel appear] lukewarm (in battle) before the peoples of the world.”

"And God remembered Noah" (Genesis 8:1). This is what Scripture says: "The remembrance of a righteous one is for a blessing" (Proverbs 10:7) — this is Noah, concerning whom it is written, "a righteous man" (Genesis 6:9). "But the name of the wicked shall rot" (Proverbs 10:7) — this is the generation of the flood, who rotted away from the world, as it is said, "And He blotted out" (Genesis 7:23). What is the meaning of "And He blotted out"? It is like the matter of which it is said, "For I will utterly blot out" (Exodus 17:14). Therefore, "but the name of the wicked shall rot" (Proverbs 10:7).

It is written, "A righteous one shall flourish like the date palm" (Psalms 92:13). Rabbi Tanhuma opened: Why are the righteous compared to a date palm and a cedar, and not to another tree? You find that, of all the trees, no person is able to say from afar, "This is such-and-such a tree," because they are short. But the date palm and the cedar, because they are tall in stature, are seen from afar. So too the righteous are seen from afar.

Another interpretation: Why are the righteous likened to a date palm and a cedar? Because you find that with most trees, even though they are cut down, if one takes a shoot from them and plants it in another place, they at once spring up. But the date palm and the cedar, once they are cut down, who can raise up others in their stead? Only after many years, and with great toil. So too, if a righteous person is lost from the world, who can raise up another in his stead? Only after several years.

Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land … and the Lord said unto him: “Therefore, whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” and the Lord set a sign for Cain (Gen. 4:14–15). There are some who say that the word “Sabbath” was placed as a sign upon his countenance, as it is said: My Sabbaths, for it is the sign between Me and you, throughout your generations (Exod. 31:13), and that just as the Sabbath pleaded in behalf of Adam, it pleaded in behalf of Cain. Others, however, insist that He fastened a horn upon his forehead.

After Cain slew Abel, the body lay outstretched upon the earth, since Cain did not know how to dispose of it. Thereupon, the Holy One, blessed be He, selected two clean birds and caused one of them to kill the other. The surviving bird dug the earth with its talons and buried its victim. Cain learned from this what to do. He dug a grave and buried Abel. It is because of this that birds are privileged to cover their blood.

Go forth from the ark (Gen. 8:16). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: I counsel thee: keep the king’s command, and that in regard of the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of His presence (Eccles. 8:2–3). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: If a government imposes harsh decrees upon you, I adjure you not to rebel against that government but rather to keep the king’s command. However, if the government should decree that you must violate the Torah and its commandments, do not hearken unto it. Say to that government: “I will keep the king’s command in whatever you desire, but with regard to an oath to God, Scripture states: Be not hasty to go out of His presence.” They want you to violate the commandments so that you will ultimately repudiate the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence, it says: In regard of the oath of God, be not hasty to go forth from His presence (ibid.).

Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah behaved in that fashion at the time Nebuchadnezzar erected his statue. They said to him: Do you believe that even if you should cast us into the midst of a fiery furnace, the Holy One, blessed be He, will not save us? We know that the Holy One, blessed be He, is able to save us, but whether we are saved or not, we shall not prostrate ourselves before your image, for it is written: If our God whom we serve is able to deliver us, He will deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and out of thy hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up (Dan. 3:17–18). Then Nebuchadnezzar replied: Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, that you serve not my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up? (ibid., v. 14). What is the meaning of Is it true? It means that he said to them: “Is it true what you say?” Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego answered and said to the king: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer thee in this manner” (ibid., v. 16). They did not address him as king but simply as Nebuchadnezzar. “We have no need to obey you in this demand. If you had issued a decree concerning taxes or levies upon our crops or upon anything else, we would say, ‘I keep the king’s command,’ and you would be obeyed as a king, but when you command us to deny our God, then you are merely Nebuchadnezzar. We have no need to respond to you in any demand, for we have been commanded in regard to the oath of God: Be not hasty to go out of his presence, stand not in an evil thing (Eccles. 8:3).” Upon hearing this, Nebuchadnezzar was filled with fury, and the form of his visage was changed, against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego; he spoke, and commanded that they should heat the furnace seven times more than it was wont to be heated…. Then these men were bound in their cloaks, their tunics, and their robes … and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace (Dan. 3:19–21).

You learn from this verse that a man must not lose his sense of dignity even though he is in mortal danger. All three adorned themselves in their best garments even though they might be consumed in the furnace.

And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, fell down bound into the midst of a fiery burning furnace (ibid. 3:23). After they were cast into the furnace, they looked upward and exclaimed: “O Master, Lord of the universe, it is revealed to Thee, and Thou dost certainly know, that we rely not upon our own deeds (to be saved) but upon Thine exalted name, which must not be desecrated in the sight of the nations. Not unto us, 0, Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy name give glory…. Wherefore should the nations exclaim: “Where is now their God?” (Ps. 115:1–2).” The wicked man, Nebuchadnezzar, had brought together people from all over the Empire, as it is said: And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, judges, treasurers, counsellors, sheriffs, and all the rulers of the provinces, to come to the dedication of the image (Dan. 3:3).

Six miracles were performed on that day in behalf of these righteous men. The furnace rose to the surface, it fell asunder, its foundation crumbled, the golden image fell headlong, the leaders of four governments were burned to death, and Ezekiel revived the dead. All but one of these miracles are mentioned in the Mishnah. The miracle of the fiery death of four officers is mentioned in the scriptural verse The flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego (ibid., v. 22). How do we know that four officers were consumed? It says further on: And the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, and the king’s ministers, being gathered together (ibid. v. 27). What happened to the sheriff, the treasurer, the counsellor, and the judge referred to in the previous verse? These were the four who were consumed by the flames of the furnace.

The ministering angels were about to descend from heaven to rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: “They descended for the sake of My Name, therefore I shall descend to rescue them and release them,” as it is said: Who executeth justice for the oppressed, the Lord looseth the prisoners (Ps. 146:7). Forthwith, He released them by raising the furnace, which was extremely deep, until it was level with the ground. When the angel beheld what had transpired, he said to them: “Depart from this place, for the Holy One, blessed be He, has already released you. He performed miracles in your behalf and has raised the furnace level with the ground.” They replied: “We shall not depart from this place without the king’s permission lest he say we escaped from the furnace. I keep the king’s command; that is, by his command we were cast into the furnace, and only at his command shall we depart.” When Nebuchadnezzar approached and saw what had taken place he was astounded, and he spoke, saying: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of God Most High, come forth, and come hither (Dan. 3:26). The verse does not say “Come up” but merely Come forth, and come hither, thereby indicating that the furnace had been raised level with the ground. Inasmuch as they had been cast into the furnace at his command, they would come forth only at his command. Where did they learn this? They learned it from Noah, who entered the ark at the command of the Holy Omnipotent One, blessed be He, as it is said: Come, thou and all thy house (Gen. 7:1), and finally he left it at His command when He said to him: Go forth from the ark (ibid. 8:16).

The transgression of the lips is a snare to the evil man (Prov. 12:13). The evil men referred to in this verse are the men of the generation of the flood, who said: What is the Almighty, that we should serve Him? And what profit shall we have if we pray unto Him? (Job 21:15)? Furthermore, they said unto God: Depart from us (ibid., v. 14). Who ever heard of a guest, seated at his host’s table, telling his host: “Pack your things and depart”?

The righteous cometh out of trouble (Prov. 12:13). This verse alludes to Noah, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Go forth from the ark.

After these things, the word of the Lord came unto Abraham, in a vision, saying: “Fear not, Abram!” (Gen. 15:1). May it please our master to teach us what (the) burnt offerings (prescribed in the Book of Leviticus) atone for? R. Ishmael taught us: Burnt offerings were introduced as an act of atonement for the violation of both positive and negative commandments. R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: They were introduced also as atonement for evil thoughts, as it is said: And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all; for Job said: “It may be that my sons have sinned, and blasphemed God in their hearts.” Thus did Job continually (Job 1:5).

You find that Abraham once pondered over the matter of divine justice. What did he say to himself? R. Levi was of the opinion that he said to himself: It appears to me as though I have already received my full reward in this world, inasmuch as the Holy One, blessed be He, has assisted me against the kings and has saved me from the furnace. Surely, I have received my full reward; there can be no additional reward awaiting me in the world-to-come. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Since you dare to reflect upon My actions, you must bring a burnt offering to Me. Therefore, He said: Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of (Gen. 22:2). R. Isaac declared: Abraham excoriated himself unmercifully, saying: Perhaps among those whom I have killed, there were some righteous men. The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Those whom you have destroyed were like thorns that you eradicated from before Me. You have committed no sin because of it; rather you shall be greatly rewarded because of it, both now and in the future.

And the two angels came to Sodom (Gen. 19:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: But they rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit; therefore, He was turned to be their enemy, He Himself fought against them (Isa. 6:10). R. Jeremiah the son of Eleazar declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, had warned the men of Sodom to repent for fifty-two years by causing the mountains to quake over them.

R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: A biblical verse supports this statement: Who removeth the mountains, and they know it not, when He overturneth them in His anger (Job 9:5). When they failed to repent, He destroyed them. What was the source of their punishment? The heavens.

R. Simeon the son of Lakish stated: Heaven resembles an urn from which a man may draw hot or cold water as he desires. When the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to do so, He sent manna to the Israelites from heaven, as it is said: Behold, I will cause bread to rain for you from heaven (Exod. 16:14), but when He so desired: Then the Lord caused to rain upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah fire and brimstone from the Lord out of heaven (Gen. 19:24).

And Isaac trembled very exceedingly (Gen. 27:33). May it please our master to teach us the blessing one pronounces upon tasting oil. Thus do our masters teach us: One who tastes oil should say: “Blessed be He who hath created the fruit of the tree.” R. Yosé the son of Zevid said (that) the Mishnah states: This blessing is pronounced over the fruit of every tree but one. Over wine one offers the blessing: “Blessed be He who hath created the fruit of the vine.” Why is wine blessed differently than other beverages? Because wine was used as a libation on the altar, and Jacob received his blessing on account of it.

When Isaac sent Esau to hunt for venison that he might eat, the Holy Spirit revealed it to Rebecca, as it is said: And Rebecca heard when Isaac spoke to Esau, his son (ibid., v. 5). And she said to Jacob: Now, therefore, my son, hearken to my voice according to that which I command thee; go now to the flock and fetch me from thence two good goats (ibid., vv. 8–9). R. Berechiah said in the name of R. Helbo: She told him that they (the goats) would be good for you and good for your descendants, for they will obtain forgiveness through them on the Day of Atonement. Then he brought his father the food and wine, which he ate and drank. After that he blessed him, as is said: Therefore, God give thee of the dew of heaven…. Let peoples serve thee (ibid., v. 29). And Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac, his father, that Esau, his brother, came in from his hunting (ibid., v. 30). He began to say: Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison (ibid., v. 31). Whereupon Isaac asked: Who art thou? (ibid., v. 32). I am thy son, he replied, thy firstborn, Esau (ibid.). Thereupon Isaac trembled very exceedingly.

And the Lord said unto Jacob: “Return unto the land of thy fathers” (Gen. 31:3). May it please our master to teach us whether an Israelite may light a candle with another candle upon which is engraved an idolatrous symbol? Thus did our masters teach us: An Israelite is forbidden to light a candle with another candle upon which an idolatrous symbol is engraved. This is in accordance with the verse And thou shalt not bring an abomination into thy house (Deut. 7:26). The Shekhinah does not rest in a home in which there is an idolatrous symbol, as is said: In every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee (Exod. 20:21). A proof of this is that as long as Lot remained with Abraham, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not appear to him, but after Lot’s departure, He did reveal Himself to him. Whence do we know this to be so? R. Eleazar the son of Pedat said in the name of R. Yosé the son of Zimra: We know this from the verse And the Lord said unto Abraham (Gen. 13:14). When did this occur? After Lot departed from him (ibid.).

Similarly, as long as Jacob resided in Laban’s home, the divine word did not reveal itself to him, even though He had assured him: And, behold, I am with thee (Gen. 28:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Since I must not profane My divine glory by entering the home of the wicked Laban, what shall I do? At the very moment he leaves him, I shall fulfill My promise and be with him. Jacob reflected upon this, saying to himself: Did He not promise me I shall not forsake thee (ibid.)? Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: If you desire that I be with you, then depart from Laban’s house and Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred, and I will be with thee (ibid. 31:13).

And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Padan-aram (Gen. 35:9). May it please our master to teach us: What is the punishment meted out to one who does not permit the poor to glean from his field? Thus do our masters teach us: One who does not allow the poor to glean from his field, or permits one and not another, or assists one of them at the time of reaping or harvesting, is considered guilty of robbing the poor. Concerning this it is said: Remove not the landmark of old ('olam) (Prov. 22:28). This should be read as “landmark of the poor” (olim).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I have exalted you and have humbled the poor, but I am also able to humble you and exalt the poor, for I am the Judge, as it is said: For God is judge; He putteth down one and lifteth up another (Ps. 75:8).

A lady asked of R. Yosé the son of Halafta: “In how many days did the Holy One, blessed be He, create the world?” “In six days,” he replied, “as it is written: For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth (Exod. 20:1).” “What has He been doing since then?” she asked. “He has been erecting ladders,” he answered, “upon which one ascends and another descends; one becomes wealthy and the other poor.” You know this to be so from the fact that it is written with reference to Jacob’s going to Aram-naharaim: With my staff I passed over this Jordan (Gen. 32:11). And he took one of the stones of that place and put under his head (ibid. 28:11). Surely, if he had owned a mattress or a cushion he would have placed them under his head, yet after he joined Laban’s household he became wealthy, as is said: And the man increased exceedingly (ibid. 30:43). Why did he become wealthy? Because of the power of the blessings his father had bestowed upon him, as it is said: And give thee the blessing of Abraham (ibid. 28:4). What was Abraham’s blessing? And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things (ibid. 24:1). After his return from Laban’s house, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Now I must bless him Myself. Immediately, the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared before him and blessed him, as it is said: And God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Padan-aram, and blessed him (ibid. 35:9).

And God appeared unto Jacob. Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth (Ps. 25:10). When Moses commanded the Israelites: After the Lord your God shall ye walk (Deut. 13:5), he added the words: Walk ever in his ways (ibid. 19:9). “How can one possibly walk in His ways?” they inquired, since it is written: The Lord, in the whirlwind and the storm is His way, and the clouds are the dust of His feet (Neh. 1:3), and Thy way was in the sea, and Thy path in the great waters, and Thy footsteps not known (Ps. 77:20), and A fire devoureth before Him, and round about Him it stormeth mightily (Ps. 50:3). Moses replied to the Israelites: “Have I not informed you also that His ways are ways of mercy, truth, and loving-kindness,” as it is written: All the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth (ibid. 25:10).

Deeds of loving-kindness are mentioned at the beginning of the Torah, in its middle, and at its conclusion. At the beginning of the Torah, the naked are clothed, as it is said: The Lord God made for Adam and his wife garments of skin, and He clothed them (Gen. 3:21); in the middle of the Torah, the ailing are visited, as it is said: And God appeared unto him in the grove of Mamre (ibid. 18:1); and at the conclusion of the Torah, the dead are buried, as is said: And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab (Deut. 34:6). In this way you must walk in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He.

The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: In this world you sin because of the evil inclination within you, and therefore you are subservient to other nations. Nevertheless, My Shekhinah will not depart from you, as it is said: In all their afflictions He was afflicted (Isa. 63:9). In their rejoicing, He rejoiced, as is said: Because I rejoice in Thy salvation (I Sam. 2:1). And He also said: I will rejoice in Jerusalem and rejoice in My people (Isa. 65:49). And it says also: And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee (ibid. 62:5). Hence, all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.

And God almighty give you mercy before the man (Gen. 43:14). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: For this let everyone that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found (Ps. 32:6). R. Abba maintained: In a time when Thou mayest be found refers to old age. It is essential that a man pray for an old age in which his eyes may see, his mouth may eat, and his feet may walk. Normally, when a man becomes old, his faculties leave him. For example, it is written about Isaac: And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see (Gen. 27:1). And concerning Jacob, Scripture states: Now the eyes of Israel were dim for age, so that he could not see (Gen. 48:10). As to a mouth that could not eat, we find that Barzillai said to David: Can thy servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear anymore the voice of singing men and singing women? Therefore, then, should thy servant be a burden unto my lord the king? (II Sam. 19:35).

Another comment on In a time when Thou mayest be found. This refers to the time of death. R. Ishmael said: There are nine hundred and three different kinds of death, as it is said: And unto God the Lord belong the issues of death (Ps. 68:21). By Gematria the letters in the word totza’ah (“issue”) total nine hundred and three mathematically. The most painful death of all is to be choked, the most pleasant is the divine kiss of death.

Another comment on In a time when Thou mayest be found. This suggests that a man should pray over the way his soul will leave his body. R. Ishmael said: There is nothing more painful than the soul leaving the body. How does it depart? R. Yohanan declared: The soul departs from the body like water gushing out of a canal. R. Hanina maintained: It is like a nail drawn out of the gullet. While Samuel said: The soul leaving the body is as painful as an inverted thorn tearing its way out of the throat. This, indeed, describes the pain experienced as the soul leaves the body.

Another explanation of And God Almighty give you mercy. Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Will thy riches avail, that are without stint, or all the forces of thy strength? (Job 36:19). R. Eleazar said: Do not be so arrogant as to fail to pray at a time of well-being.

The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Just as I am obliged to cause rain and dew to descend, and plants to grow for mankind’s survival, so you are required to pray unto Me and to bless Me, the source of My benefactions to you. You must not assert: “I am prosperous, why should I pray now? But when troubles beset me, I will pray.” Even before trouble comes to you, anticipate its coming by praying. R. Eleazar said: It is written in the Book of Ben Sira: “Honor your physician even before you require his services.”

What is meant by all the forces of thy strength? R. Yohanan maintained: It refers to the righteous ones who pray to the Almighty with all the power of their being. For example, our patriarch Jacob, even while Benjamin was still with him, anticipated trouble and prayed for him, as it is said: And God Almighty give you mercy.

And God Almighty. What did Jacob foresee that he blessed him with the words God Almighty? These words indicate that numerous trials had befallen Jacob. While he was in his mother’s womb, Esau quarreled with him, as it is said: And the children struggled together within her (Gen. 25:22). And it says elsewhere: Because he did pursue his brother with the sword, and did cast off all pity, and his anger did tear perpetually, and he kept his wrath forever (Amos 1:11). Furthermore, he was forced to flee from Esau and live with Laban for twenty years, under the most trying conditions, as is said: Thus I was; in the day the drought consumed me (Gen. 31:40). Later Laban pursued him in order to kill him, as it is stated: And he pursued after him seven days’ journey (ibid., v. 23). When he escaped from Laban, Esau approached him to kill him. Because of him, he was compelled to lose two hundred she-goats and twenty he-goats.

After he escaped from Esau, the trial of Dinah came upon him. He survived the anguish of Dinah’s experience only to suffer grief over (the death of) Rachel. After all these troubles had passed by, Jacob had hoped to enjoy a period of tranquility, only to experience the sorrow of Joseph. And so Scripture states: I was not at ease, neither was I quiet, neither had I rest; but trouble came (Job 3:26). This was followed by the sorrow he experienced over Simeon, and the anguish over Benjamin. Therefore he prayed unto God Almighty (El Shaddai), saying: “Let Him who hath said to heaven and earth dai (“enough”), say to my afflictions dai (“enough”).” When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the heavens and the earth, they continued to expand until the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them dai (“enough”). Therefore, it is written: God Almighty.

When Joseph’s brothers came to him, He lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, his mother’s son (Gen. 43:29). He was deeply moved, for he saw in him the image of his father. Thereupon he commanded the steward of his household: Fill the men”s sacks with food … and put my goblet, the silver goblet, in the sack’s mouth of the youngest (ibid. 44:1–2). As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away (ibid., v. 3). Joseph said to himself: “If I should permit them to depart during the night, no one will be able to overcome them, since they have been likened to beasts, as it is said: Judah is lion’s whelp (Deut. 33:22), Dan shall be a serpent in the way, a horned snake in the path (Gen. 49:17), and Naphtali is a hind let loose (ibid., v. 21).” After they had journeyed but a short distance from the city, Joseph said (to his steward): “If they go a great distance, no one will be able to overcome them, so arise, and pursue them while the fear of the city is still upon them. When you reach them, reprimand them harshly at first and then gently, saying” Is not this it in which my lord drinketh, etc. (ibid., v. 5).

Then they rent their clothes (ibid., v. 13). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: You caused your father’s clothes to be torn for no reason at all, so you too shall rend your clothes on account of Benjamin. Said R. Isaac: The brothers rent their clothes for Benjamin; therefore Mordecai, descended from them, will rend his clothes because of Israel, as it is said: Now when Mordecai knew all that was done, Mordecai rent his clothes (Est. 4:1). And laded every man his ass (Gen. 44:13). Not one of them needed to help his companion. They arose, cudgeled Benjamin on his shoulders, and cried out: “O thief, son of a thief, you have disgraced us. You are, indeed, the son of your mother (Rachel), who likewise disgraced our father (by stealing Laban’s teraphim).” In reward for the blows struck upon his shoulders, the Shekhinah hovered between his shoulders, as it is said: He covereth him all the day, and dwelleth between his shoulders (Deut. 33:12)

And Judah and his brothers came to Joseph’s house (Gen. 44:14). Why did they go to Joseph’s house? Did he not leave each day to preside at court? He had said to himself: “I will not disgrace my brothers before the Egyptians.” And they fell before him on the ground…. “Behold, we are my lord’s bondsmen” (ibid., v. 14–16). This fulfilled the verse And behold, the sun and the moon and the eleven stars bowed down to me (ibid. 37:9). Whereupon Joseph said to them: What deed is this that ye have done? Know ye not that such a man as I will indeed divine (ibid. 44:15). And he said to them also: “I will tell you why this youth stole it. He did so in order to divine through it and learn the whereabouts of his brother.” And Judah said: “What shall we say unto my lord? What shall we speak? Or how shall we clear ourselves?” (ibid., v. 16). What shall we say concerning the first pieces of silver (that were placed in their sacks by the steward)? How shall we speak concerning the second pieces of silver? How shall we clear ourselves in the matter of the cup? God hath found out the iniquity of thy servants (ibid.). Do not read the phrase as matza (“found out”) but as motza (“revealed”).

“Two brothers should never enter a drinking place together, yet we all find ourselves caught now in a single web, by reason of the sin we committed together.” He replied: “This brother was not with you when you sold Joseph.” They answered: “Everyone in the company of a thief is arrested with him.” He retorted: “If you were able to say to your father about your first brother, who did not steal and did not cause you distress, (that) ‘a wild beast has torn him apart,’ surely concerning this brother, who did steal and did cause you distress, you can go to your father and tell him that he has been torn apart. The rope follows after the water bucket.”

May we not logically conclude that if a disgraceful deed perpetrated against this righteous man could benefit all mankind, how much more so (would the world have been benefited) if the Holy One, blessed be He, had caused them to perform a meritorious deed?

And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Scripture states elsewhere: Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall clear the way before Me (Mal. 3:1). Observe that every misfortune that occurred to Joseph likewise befell Zion. It is written of Joseph: and Israel loved Joseph more than all his children (Gen. 38:3), and of Zion it is written: God loves the gates of Zion (Ps. 87:2). Concerning Joseph it is stated: And they hated him (Gen. 37:8), and about Zion: She hath uttered her voice against Me, therefore I have hated her (Jer. 12:8). With reference to Joseph it is said: For behold, we are binding sheaves (Gen. 37:7), and in regard to Zion: Ye shall come home with song, bearing sheaves (Ps. 126:6). It is written of Joseph: Shalt thou indeed rule over us? (Gen. 36:8), and of Zion: That sayeth unto Zion: “Thy God reigneth” (Isa. 52:7). Joseph: And Joseph dreamed a dream (Gen. 37:5), and Zion: When the Lord brought back those that returned to Zion, we were like unto them that dream (Ps. 126:1). Joseph: Shall I and thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow down to thee? (Gen. 37:10), Zion: They shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth (Isa. 49:23). Joseph: And his brothers envied him (Gen. 37:11), Zion: I am jealous of Zion with great jealousy (Zech. 8:2). Joseph: Go now, see whether it is well with thy brethren (Gen. 37:14), Zion: Seek the peace of the city (Jer. 29:7). Joseph: They saw him from afar off (Gen. 37:18), Zion: Remember the Lord from afar off (Jer. 51:50). Joseph: And before he came near unto them they conspired (Gen. 37:18), Zion: They hold crafty converse against the people (Ps. 83:4). Joseph: And they stripped Joseph of his coat (Gen. 37:23), Zion: They shall strip thee of thy clothes (Ezek. 23:26). Joseph: They took him and cast him into the pit (Gen. 37:24), Zion: They have cut off my life in the dungeon (Lam. 3:53). Joseph: And the pit was empty (Gen. 37:24), Zion: And in the pit there was no water (Jer. 38:6). Joseph: And they sat down to eat bread (Gen. 37:25), Zion: We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to have bread enough (Lam. 5:6). Joseph: And they drew near and lifted up Joseph (Gen. 37:28), Zion: Ebed-Melech the Cushite drew him up (Jer. 38:13). Joseph: And Jacob rent his garments (Gen. 37:34), Zion: And in that day did the Lord, the God of hosts, call to the weeping (Isa. 22:12). Joseph: All his sons and all his daughters rose to comfort him (Gen. 37:35), Zion: Strain not to comfort me (Isa. 22:4). Joseph: And the Midianites sold him into Egypt (Gen. 37:36), Zion: The children also of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the sons of the Jevanim (Joel 4:6).

Everything fortunate that occurred to Joseph likewise happened to Zion. It is written of Joseph: And Joseph was of beautiful form and fair to look upon (Gen. 39:6), and of Zion it is stated: Fair in situation, the joy of the whole earth (Ps. 48:3). Concerning Joseph it is written: He is not greater in this house than I (Gen. 39:9), and of Zion: The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former (Hag. 2:9). Joseph: The Lord was with him (Gen. 39:2), Zion: And My eyes and My heart shall be there (II Chron. 7:15). Joseph: And showed kindness unto him (Gen. 39:21), Zion: I remember for thee the affection of thy youth (Jer. 2:2). Joseph: And he shaved himself and changed his raiment (Gen. 41:14), Zion: And the Lord shall have washed away (Isa. 44:4). Joseph: Only in the throne will I be greater than thou (Gen. 41:40), Zion: At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord (Jer. 3:17). Joseph: And arrayed him in vestures of fine linen (Gen. 41:42), Zion: Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments (Isa. 52:1). Joseph: He sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:29), Zion: Behold, I send My messenger (Mal. 3:1).

Let my soul not come into their council (Gen. 49:6). This relates to when Zimri came and had intercourse with Cozbi. Let my soul not be mentioned in reference to them. And that is why it is said: Now the name of the man of Israel that was slain … was Zimri the son of Salu, a prince of a father’s house among the Simeonites (Num. 25:14). His name and the name of his father were henceforth circumscribed, and were not employed again in Israel.

Unto their assembly let my glory not be invited (Gen. 49:6). When Korah assembled the people to oppose Moses, Let my glory not be invited. That is to say, let my glory not be associated with them. Hence the verse stated: The sons of Korah, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi (Num. 16:1), but the text does not say “son of Jacob.” When shall my name be mentioned? By the priests at the altar, as it is written: The son of Izhar, the son of Kohath, the son of Levi, the son of Israel (I Chron. 6:22–23).

For in their anger they slew a man (Gen. 49:6). Did they slay only one man? Is it not written: And they came upon the city unawares, and they slew all the males (ibid. 34:25)? The fact is that they were all considered by the Holy One, blessed be He, and by them as one man, as Scripture states: And thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man (Judg. 6:16). Similarly, it states: The horse and its rider hath He thrown into the sea (Exod. 15:1).

Cursed be their anger, for it was fierce (Gen. 49:7). Since He cursed only their anger, Balaam said: How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed? (Num. 23:8). That is to say, inasmuch as He cursed their anger alone, at a time when He was sorely displeased with them, how am I able to curse them?

I will divide them in Jacob (Gen. 49:7). Twenty-four thousand men of the tribe of Simeon perished because of the act of Zimri. He apportioned their twenty-four thousand widows, two thousand to each tribe, as it is said: I will divide them in Jacob. Every one who is forced to go from door to door will be of the tribe of Simeon. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: But surely the descendants of Levi will also go about begging? What did He do about it? He caused them to obtain their food honorably. He thus fulfilled Jacob’s prophecy by permitting him (the priest) to receive one of the tithes. He would go about at threshing time, saying: “Give me my portion.” Therefore he said: I will divide them in Jacob. Thus Simeon and Levi went out with blanched faces.

Next he began to call out: Judah, thee shall thy brothers praise (Gen. 49:8). Because you acknowledged your guilt concerning what happened to Tamar, your brothers will acknowledge you as king over them.

Thy hand shall be upon the neck of thine enemies (ibid.). This refers to David, who would descend from him: Thou hast made mine enemies turn their backs unto me (II Sam. 22:41).

Thy father’s sons shall bow down before thee (Gen. 49:8). Isaac had said to Jacob: Thy mother’s son shall bow down (ibid. 27:29) because he had only one wife. However, since Jacob had many wives, he said to Judah: Thy father’s sons shall bow before thee.

Judah is a lion’s whelp; from the prey, my son, thou art gone up (ibid. 49:9). That is, you escaped being struck down by the sons of Joseph because you did say: What profit is it if we slay our brother? (ibid. 37:26).

Another comment on From the prey, my son, thou art gone up. That is, as a consequence of the episode of Tamar, you have saved four souls from death: Tamar, her two sons, and yourself.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: You saved four lives from fire and death when you ignored the command: Bring her forth, and let her be burned (ibid. 38:24). Therefore, I will rescue four of your descendants, Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah form the furnace and the lion’s den. He called Judah by four different names: a lion, a whelp, and he lay down as a lion, and as a lioness (Num. 24:9).

The scepter shall not depart from Judah (Gen. 49:10). This alludes to the scepter of kingship, as it is said: The throne given of God is forever and ever; a scepter of equity is the scepter of Thy kingdom (Ps. 45:7).

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet (Gen. 49:10). When the king will come to whom kingship belongs (i.e., the Messiah), and concerning whom it is written: The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden underfoot (Isa. 28:3).

Until Shiloh come (Gen. 49:10), for the kingdom is his.

And unto him shall the obedience of the peoples be (ibid.). This refers to the one who will shatter the teeth (break the power) of the nations (i.e. the Messiah), as it is said: The nations shall see and be put to shame for all their might; they shall lay their hands upon their mouth, their ears shall be deaf (Micah 7:16).

Another comment on And unto him shall be obedience of the peoples be (Gen. 49:10): He is the one for whom the peoples will assemble, as is said: The root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek (Isa. 11:10).

Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass’s colt unto the choice vine (Gen. 49:11). Vine refers to Israel, as is said: Thou didst pluck up a vine out of Egypt (Ps. 80:9). Binding his foal (‘iroh) alludes to the Holy City (‘ir ha-kodesh). Unto the choice vine refers to Israel, as is said: Yes, I have planted thee a choice vine (Jer. 2:11). And his ass’s colt implies that they will build a gate for the temple.

Another explanation of ass’s colt. Even upon a colt, the foal of asses (Zech. 9:9).

He washes his garments in wine (Gen. 49:11) because of the abundance of wine.

His vesture in the blood of grapes (ibid.). Sutah (“vesture”) means “to err”, as it is said: If thy brother … cause thee to err (Deut. 13:7). When they err in the law, it shall be cleansed (atoned for) in his territory.

Wine alludes only to Torah, as it is said: For thy love is better than wine (Song 1:2), and He hath brought me to the banqueting-house, and his hammer over me is love (Song 2:4).

His eyes shall be red with wine (Gen. 49:12). You learn from this verse that he devoted himself to the study of the Torah. The word hakhlili (red) should be read as hekh li li (“it is tasty to me”), that is, the wine of the Torah is sweet to me. And His teeth white with milk (ibid.). That is, if they should sin, they shall be made as white as snow, because of the Torah (they study).

And he went out on the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together (Exod. 2:13). Who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram, who later said: Let us make a captain, and let us return to Egypt (Num. 14:4). They were the ones who rebelled at the Red Sea and kept some of the manna (as “leftovers,” not believing that God would supply them with more the next day), as it is written: But some of them left of it until the morning (Exod. 16:20). Likewise, they were the ones who went out to gather it up (on the Sabbath, which was forbidden), but were unable to find any (as Moses had warned). They were also the ones who participated in his (Moses’) conflict with Korah. Hence it is said: It was Dathan and Abiram. They were involved in wickedness from beginning to end. He said to him that did wrong: “Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?” (Exod. 2:13), that is to say: “Why do you strike one who is just as wicked as you are?” And they retorted: Who made thee a man, ruler and judge over us? This implied: “You are not yet a man, indeed you are only a lad, and yet you try to act as though you are a ruler and a judge over us.”

Thinkest thou to kill me? It does not say here “Do you desire to kill me?” but rather Thinkest thou to kill me? Thus you learn from this that he slew him merely by reflecting upon the Tetragrammaton. And Moses became fearful and said: Surely this thing is known (Exod. 2:14). He said to them: “You tell tales on each other, how can you be worthy of redemption?” And when Pharaoh hear this thing (ibid., v. 15). Apparently Dathan and Abiram informed against him (Moses), and he fled to Midian, where he remained twenty years, until Israel became worthy of redemption.

Forthwith he sought to slay Moses, but Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh. They had placed Moses upon the scaffold, and Pharaoh was about to have him executed when the Holy One, blessed be He, made Pharaoh mute, the counselors deaf, and the executioner blind. Thereupon, Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh. Whence do we know this? R. Johanan said: At the time that Moses replied: I am not a man of words (Exod. 4:10), the Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Who hath made man’s mouth? (ibid., v. 11). Pharaoh’s mouth ordered that Moses be placed upon the scaffold and executed but who made him mute, the counselor deaf, and the executioner blind? Who gave you the good sense to escape from Pharaoh? Is it not I (ibid.), the Holy One, blessed be He?

And he dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well. In so doing, he repeated what his ancestors had done previously. There were three who met their mates at a well: Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Isaac, as it is written: And Isaac came from the way of Beer-lahai-roi (Gen. 24:62). Jacob, as it is written: And he looked up, and behold, a well in the field (ibid. 29:2). Moses, as it is written: And he sat down by a well.

See, I have set thee in God’s stead to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet (Exod. 7:1). Just as the lecturer sits and lectures, and the interpreter explains his words, so you shall relate everything that I have commanded, and Aaron thy brother shall speak unto Pharaoh (ibid., v. 2). Through the two of you shall all these things be done, as it is said: And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh (ibid. 11:10). They both spoke to Pharaoh, even though he was told: Thou shall speak (ibid. 7:2). Moses said to Him: Master of the Universe, I will not be able to convince him with words, as it is said: A servant will not be corrected by words (Prov. 29:19).

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, etc. (Exod. 7:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Moses, you shall speak, and I will bring the plague. Moreover, He stated, in this world I will obtain retribution from the Egyptians through the ten plagues, but in the future I will obtain retribution for you from Gog and Magog, as it is said: And I will plead against him with pestilence and with blood; I will cause to rain upon him, and upon his bands and upon the many peoples that are with him, an overflowing shower (Ezek. 38:22).