Midrash Tanchuma Reader

In four places Scripture mentions the death of the sons of Aaron, and it mentions their offense. And why all this? To make known to you that there was nothing in their hand except that one sin alone. Rabbi Eleazar of Modi'in said: Go out and see how grievous is the death of the sons of Aaron before the Holy One, blessed be He, for in every place where He mentions their death, He mentions their offense. And why all this? So as not to give an opening of the mouth to those who come into the world to say, "They had corrupt deeds in secret, on account of which they died."

(Lev. 19:23:) "NOW WHEN YOU COME INTO THE LAND AND PLANT ANY TREE FOR FOOD, etc." This is what Scripture says (in Zech. 8:11-12): "AND NOW I WILL NOT BE TO THE REMNANT OF THIS PEOPLE AS IN THE FORMER DAYS, etc.; FOR THE SEED SHALL BE OF PEACE, THE VINE SHALL GIVE ITS FRUIT, AND THE LAND SHALL GIVE ITS PRODUCE, etc." What is the meaning of "NOT AS IN THE FORMER DAYS"? When Israel went out from Egypt and were walking in the wilderness, He brought down the manna for them, and made the quail fly to them, and raised up the well for them. And every tribe would make for itself a channel of water [and draw from the well], and bring it in beside itself. And [each and every one] would plant fig trees and vines and pomegranates, and they would produce fruit the same day, just as it was from the beginning of the creation of the world: "a fruit tree producing fruit after its kind" (Gen. 1:11). Had the children of man been worthy, it would have remained so until now: a man would plant a tree and it would produce fruit at once. When Adam sinned, the ground was cursed, as it is said: "Cursed is the ground for your sake" (Gen. 3:17); from then on, "in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life" (ibid.). One sows wheat and it sprouts thistles, as it is said: "thorns and thistles it shall sprout for you" (ibid. 3:18). When they went out from Egypt, [the Holy One, blessed be He,] raised up the well for them, and they would plant beside its waters, and the trees would produce fruit the same day. When the well was taken away, [the bounty was taken away.] What is written there? "Not a place of seed, or fig, or vine, or pomegranate" (Num. 20:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Say to Israel, when you enter the Land of Israel I will restore to you all the bounty, as it is said: "For the Lord your God is bringing you to a good land, etc., a land of wheat and barley and vines and figs and pomegranates, etc., a land in which not in scarcity, etc." (Deut. 8:7-9). When they came to the Land of Israel they began to sin, as it is said: "And you came and defiled My land, etc." (Jer. 2:7), and it did not produce fruit as was fitting; they would sow much and bring in little, as it is said: "You have sown much and brought in little" (Hag. 1:6). Why? Because they nullified the firstfruits. "Eating, but never enough" (ibid.) — from when the showbread was nullified. "Drinking, but never to satisfaction" (ibid.) — from when the libation of wine was nullified. "Clothing, [but] none is warm" (ibid.) — from when the garments of priesthood were nullified. "And he who earns wages earns wages for a bag with holes" (ibid.) — from when those who did charity were nullified. "There was no wage for man" (Zech. 8:10) — from when the pilgrims were nullified. "Nor any wage for the beast" (ibid.) — from when the offerings were nullified. But in the time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will not do so, as it is said: "And now I will not be to the remnant of this people as in the former days, says the Lord of Hosts; for the seed shall be of peace, the vine shall give its fruit, and the land shall give its produce, and the heavens shall give their dew, and I will cause the remnant of this people to inherit all these things, etc." (Zech. 8:11-12).

"A bull or a sheep or a goat, when it is born, etc." (Leviticus 22:27). This is what Scripture says: "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; Your judgments are like the great deep" (Psalms 36:7). These are the righteous, who are compared to mountains, as it is said: "Hear, O mountains, the dispute of the LORD, etc." (Micah 6:2). "And Your judgments are like the great deep" — these are the wicked, as it is said: "And He cast off Pharaoh and his host into the Sea of Reeds" (Psalms 136:15).

(Lev. 25:25:) WHEN YOUR BROTHER BECOMES POOR, etc. This is what Scripture says (Ps. 106:43): MANY TIMES HE DELIVERED THEM, etc., [AND THEY BECAME POOR THROUGH THEIR INIQUITY]. You find that in the days when the judges judged, Israel was serving idolatry, and they were enslaved into the hands of the nations of the world, as it is said (Judges 3:7): AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL, etc. And what did they do? (Judges 3:9:) AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL CRIED OUT TO THE LORD, AND THE LORD RAISED UP A SAVIOR FOR THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL [AND HE SAVED THEM], namely Othniel ben Kenaz. Immediately they repented and were redeemed. So too another time, [as it is said] (Judges 3:12): AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AGAIN DID EVIL, AND THE LORD STRENGTHENED EGLON, etc. [Immediately they repented,] and He raised up for them a redeemer, Ehud [ben Gera, and they were redeemed through him]. And again they served idolatry, and they were sold into the hand of Sisera, as it is said (Judges 4:3): AND HE OPPRESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WITH MIGHT. What is the meaning of WITH MIGHT? R. Shimon ben Levi said: With revilings and with blasphemies, as you say (Mal. 3:13): YOUR WORDS HAVE BEEN MIGHTY AGAINST ME. Once they repented, He raised up for them as redeemers Deborah and Barak, [and they were redeemed through them]. Thus (Ps. 106:43): MANY TIMES HE DELIVERED THEM, etc., AND THEY BECAME POOR THROUGH THEIR INIQUITY. What is the meaning of AND THEY BECAME POOR THROUGH THEIR INIQUITY? That they became impoverished among the nations, as it is said (Judges 6:6): AND ISRAEL BECAME VERY IMPOVERISHED, etc. What is the meaning of AND ISRAEL BECAME IMPOVERISHED? R. Yitzchak and R. Levi: one said that they became impoverished of good deeds, and one said that they did not have enough even to bring a poor person's offering, as it is said (Lev. 14:21): AND IF HE IS POOR [AND HIS MEANS DO NOT SUFFICE, etc.]. Thus, AND THEY BECAME POOR, for they became impoverished.

Another interpretation of "When a person sets apart a vow, etc." (Leviticus 27:2). This is what Scripture says: "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, [and the wise one acquires souls]" (Proverbs 11:30). This refers to the Torah, for because one is a child of Torah he learns how one acquires souls, as it is said, "the wise one acquires souls." And so you find with Jephthah the Gileadite: because he was not a child of Torah, he lost his daughter. When? At the time he fought with the children of Ammon and made a vow, as it is said, "And Jephthah vowed a vow to the LORD, and whatever comes forth, etc." (Judges 11:30-31). At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Had there come forth from his house a dog, or a pig, or a camel, would he have offered it before Me? The Holy One, blessed be He, brought forth to him his daughter, as it is said, "And behold, his daughter came out to meet him, and it came to pass when he saw her" (Judges 11:34-35). But was not Phinehas there? And he said, "I cannot turn back" (ibid.). Rather, Phinehas said: I am a high priest, son of a high priest; shall I lower myself and go to a commoner? And Jephthah said: I am the head of the tribes of Israel, head of the officers; shall I lower myself and go to an ordinary man? Between the two of them that wretched woman perished, and both of them were held liable for her blood. From Phinehas the holy spirit departed; Jephthah's bones were scattered, as it is said, "And he was buried in the cities of Gilead" (Judges 12:7). His daughter said to him: My father, is it written in the Torah that they should offer up the souls of their children upon the altar? Is it not written, "[A person who brings near from you an offering to the LORD,] from the cattle, from the herd, and from the flock, etc." (Leviticus 1:2) - from the cattle and not from human beings? He said to her: My daughter, I made a vow, "and whatever comes forth, etc." (Judges 11:31). [She said to him:] Jacob our father, who vowed, "and of all that You give me I will surely tithe to You" (Genesis 28:22), and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him twelve tribes - did he offer up one of them? [And moreover, did not Hannah, when she vowed and said, "and I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life" (1 Samuel 1:11), did she offer up her son to the Holy One, blessed be He?] All these things she said to him, but he did not listen to her. She said to him: Let me be, and let me go to the court of law; perhaps one of them will find an opening for your words, as it is said, "Let me alone for two months, [that I may go and go down upon the mountains]" (Judges 11:37). Rabbi Levi ben Berekhyah said: Is there a person who goes down upon the mountains? Surely one goes up upon the mountains! Rather, what is "and I will go down upon the mountains"? These are the Sanhedrin, as it is said, "Hear, O mountains, the LORD's case" (Micah 6:2). [She went to them, but they did not find an opening to release his vow. And concerning him Scripture says, "A poor man who oppresses the weak is a sweeping rain that leaves no bread" (Proverbs 28:3). "A poor man" - this is Jephthah, who was poor in Torah; he was a stump of a sycamore. "Who oppresses the weak" - for he oppressed the weak: when they would say, he said "Shibboleth" and the other said "Sibboleth" (Judges 12:6), and he slaughtered him. Therefore, "a sweeping rain that leaves no bread" - for he had one who could release his vow, but "no bread," for the Holy One, blessed be He, hid the halakhah from them so that they would not find an opening to release his vow. Since they did not find an opening to release his vow, he went up and slaughtered her before the Holy One, blessed be He. And the holy spirit cried out: Was it souls that I sought, that you should offer before Me - "which I did not command, nor speak, nor did it enter My mind" (Jeremiah 19:5)? "Which I did not command" Abraham to slaughter his son; rather I said to him, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad, etc." (Genesis 22:12) - in order to make known to you how Abraham did My will, for the nations of the world were saying: Why does the Holy One, blessed be He, cherish Abraham so much? Therefore He said to him, "Take now your son, etc." (Genesis 22:2). Thus "which I did not command" Abraham to slaughter his son, certainly; "nor speak" to Jephthah to offer up to Me his daughter; "nor did it enter My mind" that the king of Moab would fall into the hand of the king of Israel and offer up to Me his firstborn son, as it is said, "And he took his firstborn son who was to reign in his place and offered him up as a burnt offering upon the wall" (2 Kings 3:27).] What caused Jephthah to lose his daughter? Because he did not read in the Torah; for had he read in the Torah he would not have lost his daughter, as it is written, "When a person sets apart a vow, etc." (Leviticus 27:2), "and if it is a female" (Leviticus 27:4). Behold, "the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life."

Another interpretation (of Numbers 1:1): "And the LORD spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai." Six names were given to it: Mountain of God, Mount Bashan, Mountain of Peaks (Gavnunim), Mountain of Desire (Ḥemed), Mount Horeb, Mount Sinai. "Mountain of God" — because God sat upon it in judgment, as it is said (Exodus 21:1): "And these are the ordinances which you shall set before them." "Mount Bashan" — the mountain where (sham) the Holy One came (ba). "Mountain of Peaks (Gavnunim)" — the mountain upon which He disqualified all the mountains. From where? Just as you say (Leviticus 21:20): "or a hunchback (gaven) or a dwarf." "Mountain of Desire" — for upon it the Holy One desired (ḥamad) to dwell, as it is said (Psalms 68:17): "The mountain which God desired for His dwelling." "Mount Horeb" — for upon it the sword (ḥerev) was unsheathed, as it is said (Leviticus 20:10): "The adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death," (and Numbers 35:16): "The murderer shall surely be put to death." "Mount Sinai" — for upon it the nations of the world became hateful (nisne'u) to the Holy One, and He gave them their sentence, as it is said (Isaiah 60:12): "And the nations shall be utterly destroyed (ḥarov yeḥeravu)." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: "And the nations shall be destroyed from Horeb" — for they received their sentence there.

"Any man whose wife goes astray (tisteh)" (Numbers 5:12). Our Rabbis taught: Adulterers do not commit adultery until a spirit of folly (shetut) enters into them, as it is said, "Any man whose wife goes astray (tisteh)." We have learned this concerning the woman. Concerning the man, from where [do we know it]? As it is said, "One who commits adultery with a woman lacks sense (literally, lacks heart)" (Proverbs 6:32).

Another interpretation (of Numbers 8:2): "Toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light" — that you should not despise this menorah, as it is said (Zechariah 4:10): "For who has despised the day of small things? They shall rejoice and see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel — these seven." What is "seven"? These are the seven stars that roam through all the earth. "Shall the seven lamps give light" — these seven are likewise beloved before Him, that you should not despise them. Therefore it is said: "Toward the face of the menorah shall the seven lamps give light" — lest your evil inclination mislead you to say that He needs light. See what is written about light — about the windows of the Temple (Ezekiel 40:16, 25): "And the windows were closed toward the chambers [... like these windows]." It is not written "in windows" but "like the windows," for they were wide on the outside and narrow on the inside, so that they would send forth light to the outside. Rabbi Berekhiah the Priest [son of Rabbi] said: This lightning is an offspring of the fire that is above. When it goes forth, it makes the whole world shine, as it is said (Ezekiel 1:13): "And the likeness of the living creatures — [their appearance was like coals of fire, burning like the appearance of torches... and out of the fire went forth lightning]." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I do not need your light. [And why did I tell you to give it?] Only in order to lift you up.

Another interpretation (of Psalms 37:14): "The wicked have drawn the sword." This refers to Hanun ben Nahash. When his father died, David sent to console him. What did Hanun do? He took David's servants and made of them a paradeigmata (meaning: a mockery), as it is said, "And [Hanun] took David's servants [and shaved off half their beards, and cut off their garments in the middle, etc.]" (II Samuel 10:4). Immediately he sent to Aram-Naharaim and hired from them thirty-two thousand chariots, apart from the many troops that he had, "and they came and encamped before Medeba" (I Chronicles 19:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Wicked one, with the sword you have begun; let the sword come into the heart of that same man, as it is said, "Their sword shall enter into their own heart" (Psalms 37:15). Immediately Joab and Abishai arose and killed all the troops, as it is written, "And Joab drew near, etc." (II Samuel 10:13).

[(Ecclesiastes 12:1:) IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH.] Do not wait until you have grown old, [but rather repent] before the evil days come. Rabbi Isaac said: These are the days of old age, when a person says he will do a thing and cannot. And why are they called days of evil? Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai said a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To one who would sit by the road and rob those who passed to and fro. The king said to him, "Turn back from your way," but he did not turn back. When he had grown old, he said, "Now I will make peace with the king." They said to him, "The king holds no gratitude toward you." Why? Because you did not turn back of your own goodwill. Therefore [Scripture says]: REMEMBER [your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come].

Another interpretation of (Genesis 28:12) "And he dreamed, and behold, a ladder set upon the earth": Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah said: He showed him Elijah, as it is said (II Kings 2:11) "And Elijah went up by a whirlwind into the heavens." Another interpretation of "And he dreamed": Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai said: He showed him Sinai. This is a sign: samekh equals sixty, yod ten, nun fifty, yod ten — behold, one hundred and thirty; and "ladder" (sulam) is one hundred and thirty. It is said here "set upon the earth, and its top reaching to the heavens," and it is said concerning Sinai (Deuteronomy 4:11) "and the mountain burned with fire unto the heart of the heavens."

Another interpretation of (Exodus 1:8): "Now a new king arose over Egypt." He was the former Pharaoh. It is only that they said to him: "Come, let us join together against this nation." He said to them: "Until now we have been living off what is theirs, and are we to band together against them? Were it not for Joseph, those people would have had no means. And you would band together against them?" He did not listen to them. Immediately they brought him down from his throne for three months. When he saw that they had brought him down, he said to them: "In everything you say, I will obey you." Therefore (Scripture says): "Now a new king arose."

Another interpretation of (Song of Songs 2:10) "My darling (ra'yati)": this is the daughter of Abraham, who was My companion (re'i), as it is said (Isaiah 41:8), "the seed of Abraham who loved Me." "My fair one (yafati)" — by the merit of Isaac, who made Me beautiful (yippah) in My world when he stretched out his neck upon the altar. "And come away (u-lechi lach)" — by the merit of Jacob, to whom his mother said (Genesis 28:2), "Arise, go to Paddan-aram," and so forth. (Song of Songs 2:11) "For behold, the winter is past, [the rain is over and gone]." What is the meaning of "the winter" and "the rain"? Rather, the winter is six months, and there is no hardship within it except when the rain comes down.

Another interpretation: "The wise shall inherit glory" (Proverbs 3:35) — these are Moses and Aaron. "But fools carry away shame" (ibid.) — these are Dathan and Abiram. Why? When the manna came down for Israel, Moses said, "Let no one leave any of it over until morning" (Exodus 16:19), but they did not listen to Moses, [and certain men left some of it over until morning (Exodus 16:19-20). And who were these? They were Dathan and Abiram.] Rabbi Levi said: A garrison of worms went forth from within their tents.

R. Judah and R. Nehemiah disagreed. R. Judah says: Because they sinned at midday, they would give a half-shekel. And R. Nehemiah said: Because they sinned during six hours of the day, they would give a half-shekel, for it is made up of six grammata. R. Judah bar Nehemiah said in the name of R. Yohanan ben Zakkai: Because Israel transgressed the Ten Commandments, they would give ten gerahs. R. Berekhyah said in the name of Resh Lakish: You sold the firstborn of Rachel for twenty pieces of silver; therefore, every firstborn that you shall have, his redemption shall be five shekels of silver, as it is stated (Numbers 3:47): "You shall take five shekels each."

There is a story about a certain disciple of Rabbi Shimon who went outside the Land and came back wealthy. The disciples would look at him, and they wanted to go outside the Land. Rabbi Shimon knew, and he brought them out to a valley that lies before Meron, his city, and he prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, and the valley was filled with golden dinars. He said to them: Whoever wishes to take, let him take; only know that whoever takes now, it is from out of his portion of the World to Come that he takes, for the giving of its reward is not in this world, but in the World to Come. Thus (Proverbs 31:25): "And she shall laugh at the latter day."

(Lev. 2:5:) AND IF YOUR OFFERING IS A MEAL OFFERING ON A GRIDDLE…, and it is written (ibid. 2:7): AND IF YOUR OFFERING IS A MEAL OFFERING IN A PAN. What is the difference between a griddle (machavat) and a pan (marcheshet)? A pan has a cover, a griddle has no cover. A pan is deep and its products tremble (rocheshin); a griddle is flat and its products are firm. The cakes of the High Priest, their kneading and their rolling out are done within, and they override the Sabbath; their grinding and their sifting do not override the Sabbath. All the meal offerings come unleavened, except for the leaven that is in the thank offering and the two loaves, which come leavened. All the meal offerings are kneaded with lukewarm water, and one guards them so that they do not become leavened; and if its remnants became leavened, one transgresses a negative commandment, as it is said (Lev. 2:11): NO MEAL OFFERING WHICH YOU OFFER TO THE LORD SHALL BE MADE WITH LEAVEN.

Another interpretation of (Proverbs 23:31): "When it gives its eye to the cup." He sees his fellow drinking and says, "Mix [a cup] for me, and I will drink." And he drinks, and he befouls himself in excrement and in urine. "It goes down smoothly" (Proverbs 23:31). And his end is to sell all the belongings of his house and all his utensils of use, and he is left with no garment and with no household utensils of use, and with nothing. And so, from [having] everything, "it goes down smoothly."

Bar Kappara said in the name of Rabbi Yirmiyah bar Elazar: On account of four things the sons of Aaron died: for the drawing near, and for the offering, and for the strange fire, and for not taking counsel one from the other. For the drawing near, in that they entered into the innermost place. And for the offering, in that they offered an offering which they had not been commanded. And for the strange fire, in that they brought fire from the place of the cooking-stoves. And for not taking counsel one from the other.

Rabbi Hanina said: The eyes that are within you have both black and white within them; yet you do not see by way of the white, but only by way of the black. [And if your eyes, which have within them both black and white, and you see only by way of the black — then the Holy One, blessed be He, who is wholly light,] would He need light of your own?

Another interpretation: A person whom the king loves, the king honors him with silver and gold and garments, and he makes him wealthy. And he goes out on a ship, and the wind comes and destroys the ship. Where now is the king's gift? Behold, he had honored him and enriched him! Could he possibly have saved him from the sea, and from the robbers? But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so. Rather, He gives a gift to a person and guards him, as it is said, "The LORD bless you and keep you" (Numbers 6:24). He blessed Abraham and kept him, as it is said, "And the LORD had blessed Abraham in all things" (Genesis 24:1). He blessed Isaac and kept him, as it is said, "And God blessed Isaac his son" (Genesis 25:11). He blessed Jacob and kept him, as it is said, "And God appeared to Jacob again [...] and blessed him" (Genesis 35:9).

Another interpretation of (Psalms 37:15) "Their sword shall enter their own heart": These are the four kings, Amraphel and his companions, for until now there had been no war in the world. They came and opened with the sword, as it is said (Genesis 14:1), "And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel" — they began to make war. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: You are wicked! You have opened with the sword. Let the sword enter the heart of those same men, as it is said (Psalms 37:15), "Their sword shall enter their own heart." Immediately Abraham rose up against them and killed them, as it is said (Genesis 14:15), "And he divided himself against them by night."

Another interpretation: "And behold, the angels of God" (Genesis 28:12) — this is Moses and Aaron, as it is said, "Then Moses and Aaron went up" (Exodus 24:9). "And behold, the LORD stood over it" (Genesis 28:13) — "And the LORD came down upon Mount Sinai" (Exodus 19:20). "And He said: I am the LORD, the God of Abraham your father, and the God of Isaac" (Genesis 28:13) — and it is said at Sinai, "I am the LORD your God" (Exodus 20:1).

The prophet said (Hosea 5:7): "Against the LORD have they dealt treacherously, for they have begotten alien children" — for they would beget and not circumcise. (The verse continues:) "Now shall a month devour them" (ibid.). It is written ḥadash ("new"). Hence: "And there arose a new king who knew not Joseph" (Exodus 1:8). And he was not acquainted with Joseph, since it says, "who knew not Joseph." Rabbi Abbin the Levite, son of Rabbi, said: To what is the matter comparable? To one who threw stones at the icon of a king — that is, at his likeness (the governor's image). The king said: Take him and cut off his head; now he does such a thing to this one, tomorrow he will do it to me. So too Pharaoh: now he said, "who knew not Joseph"; tomorrow he said, "I know not the LORD" (Exodus 5:2).

There is a story about Rabbi Shimon ben Halafta, who came on the eve of the Sabbath and had nothing from which to eat. On the eve of the Sabbath, at nightfall, he went out beyond the city and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He. Immediately a precious stone was given to him from heaven. He came in and gave it to the money-changer, and provided for the Sabbath, and he sat and ate on the Sabbath night. His wife said to him: From where are these things? He said to her: From that which the Holy One, blessed be He, provided. She said to him: If you do not tell me, I will not taste anything until you tell me. He said to her: Thus and so was the event—I prayed, and a precious stone was given to me from heaven, and these things are from it. She said to him: I will not taste anything until you tell me that you will return it after the Sabbath. He said to her: Why? She said to him: Tomorrow you will come, and your companions with you, and they will receive more, and you will receive less than them. Why? Because the reward of Torah is given only in the world to come, as it is said (Proverbs 31:25), "And she shall laugh at the latter day." When the Sabbath had departed, he arose and returned it, and immediately it was taken from him.

Another interpretation of It goes down smoothly (Proverbs 23:31): In the end he permits transgressions and makes them [as ownerless as that which is permitted]. He talks with a woman in the marketplace, defiles his mouth, and speaks evil words in his drunkenness, and he is not ashamed, because his mind has been unsettled, and he knows neither what he says nor what he does. In the end it bites like a serpent (Proverbs 23:32): This serpent bites a person and he does not feel it at the moment, but once he goes to his house the blow churns within him. In the end it bites like a serpent — certainly like a serpent. Just as, on account of the serpent, He cursed the ground, as it is said, Cursed is the ground because of you (Genesis 3:17), so too on account of wine a third of the world was cursed, as it is said, And Noah awoke from his wine [and he said: Cursed be Canaan] (Genesis 9:24-25). Thus, In the end it bites like a serpent. Your eyes will see strange things (Proverbs 23:33): See what wine causes to the one who drinks it — it caused him to serve idols, and it says, These also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink (Isaiah 28:7). What did they say? These are your gods, O Israel (Exodus 32:4), as it is said, And the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to make sport (Exodus 32:6) — out of the wine they said, These are your gods, O Israel. And your heart will speak perverse things (Proverbs 23:33): for it causes four things — idolatry, sexual immorality, bloodshed, and evil speech. See how grave wine is, and it is written, And moreover, wine is treacherous (Habakkuk 2:5), and it is written, A scoffer, proud, insolent is his name (Proverbs 21:24). And "insolent" (zed) means nothing but idolatry, as it is said, You rebuke the cursed insolent ones (Psalms 119:21); and "insolent ones" (zedim) means nothing but sexual immorality, as it is said, O God, the insolent have risen against me (Psalms 86:14), and it says, Also keep Your servant from the insolent (Psalms 19:14). And he drinks and errs and sees the whole world as a ship, as it is said, And you will be like one who lies down in the heart of the sea (Proverbs 23:34). When he lies down they strike him and he does not feel it, as it is said, They struck me, but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not know it (Proverbs 23:35). And he does not know and is not ashamed, and he uncovers himself, and afterward he returns and seeks it [again], [as it is said], When shall I awake? I will seek it yet again (Proverbs 23:35).

R. Mani of Sha'av and R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi: For four reasons did the sons of Aaron die, and in connection with all of them death is written. Because they entered while drunk with wine, and it says, "Drink no wine nor strong drink, etc., that you die not" (Leviticus 10:9). And because they entered without washing hands and feet, and it says, "When they come into the Tent of Meeting, they shall wash with water, that they die not" (Exodus 30:20). And because they entered lacking garments. And what were they lacking? R. Levi said: They were lacking the robe, and death is written concerning it, as it is said, "And it shall be upon Aaron to minister, and its sound shall be heard, etc. [that he die not]" (ibid. 28:35). And because they had no sons, and death is written concerning it, as it is said, "And Nadab and Abihu died, etc., and they had no children" (Numbers 3:4). Abba Hanan says: Because they had no wives, and it is written, "And he shall make atonement for himself and for his household" (Leviticus 16:6). R. Levi said: They were very arrogant, and they would say, "Which woman is fit for us?" Many women sat as deserted ones, waiting for them, while they would say, "Our father's brother is king, our father is High Priest, our mother's brother is prince, and we are deputies of the priesthood—which woman is fit for us?" R. Menahma in the name of R. Joshua bar Hanina [said]: Concerning them it says, "Fire devoured their young men, and their maidens had no marriage song" (Psalms 78:63). Why did "fire devour their young men"? Because of "their maidens who had no marriage song." And further, from this: "And to Moses He said, Come up to the Lord, [you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu]" (Exodus 24:1). This teaches that Moses and Aaron were walking first, and Nadab and Abihu walking after them, and they were saying, "When will these two old men die, so that we may exercise authority over the community in their place?" [R. Judan in the name of] R. Aybu said: With their mouths they said this to one another. R. Pinhas said: In their hearts they pondered it. R. Berekhyah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "Boast not of tomorrow, etc." (Proverbs 27:1). Many young colts have died, and their hides have been spread out upon their mothers. And further, from this: "And upon the nobles of the children of Israel He laid not His hand" (Exodus 24:11)—from here that they were deserving of the laying on of a hand. R. Hosha'ya said: Did cakes (that is, loaves) go up with them to Sinai, that it says, "And they beheld God, etc." (ibid.)? Rather, they fed their eyes upon the Shekhinah, like a man who gazes at his fellow while eating and drinking. R. Yohanan said: There was actual eating [and drinking], as it is written, "In the light of the king's face is life" (Proverbs 16:15). R. Tanhuma said: It teaches that they made their hearts haughty, and stood upon their feet, and fed their eyes upon the Shekhinah. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi said: Moses did not feed his eyes upon the Shekhinah, as it is said, "And Moses hid his face, etc." (Exodus 3:6). And further, from this: "And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord" (Numbers 3:4). And did they die before the Lord? Rather, it teaches that it is grievous before the Omnipresent when the sons of the righteous depart [in their lifetimes].

Another interpretation (of Psalms 36:7): "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains." Just as the mountains are fit for sowing and produce fruit, so the righteous produce fruit, and do good for themselves and do good for others, as it is said, "Say of the righteous that it shall be well with him, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds" (Isaiah 3:10). To what is the matter comparable? To a bell of gold whose clapper is of pearl. So too the righteous do good for themselves and do good for others. "And Your judgments are a great deep" (Psalms 36:7) — these are the wicked. Just as the deep cannot be sown and does not produce fruit, so the wicked have no good deeds in them, but rather they bring distress upon themselves and upon others.

Another interpretation: A person boards a ship, and a beast is with him. And if a storm arose upon the sea, what do they do? They cast the beast into the sea and keep the person alive, because they do not have mercy upon the beast as they have mercy upon the person. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so. For just as He is merciful upon the person, so does He show mercy upon the beast. Know for yourself that this is so. For at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to destroy His world in the generation of the Flood, at the time when they sinned, He weighed the human against the beast, as it is said: "And the LORD said: I will blot out [... from man unto beast]" (Genesis 6:7). And when He came to be reconciled, just as He was reconciled to the children of man and had mercy upon them, so did He have mercy upon the beast, from what we have read on the matter: "And God remembered Noah [... and all the cattle]" (Genesis 8:1).

Another interpretation (of Song of Songs 2:11): "For behold, the winter is past." These are the two hundred and ten years (RaDU) that our ancestors were in Egypt. "The rain is over and gone." These are the eighty-six years during which the servitude was made harsh upon Israel in Egypt, from the time Miriam was born. Therefore she was called by the name Miriam, on account of the bitterness (merur).

Another interpretation of (Proverbs 31:25): "Strength and splendor are her clothing." This is Moses, as it is said (Exodus 34:29): "And Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone." (Proverbs 31:25:) "And she laughs" — these are the scoffers of Israel, who were mocking behind Moses, saying: Is it possible that the Shekhinah should rest upon the handiwork of Moses? He did nothing; but as soon as the Holy One, blessed be He, told him to erect the Tabernacle, he began to laugh at them. (Proverbs 31:25:) "And she laughs at the last day." He said to them: Bring [the materials] so that we may erect the Tabernacle. Each one began loading up and coming to him.

Isaiah said: See how evil is the end of those who drink wine. Isaiah said (in Isaiah 5:11): "Woe to those who rise early in the morning to pursue strong drink, who tarry late into the evening while wine inflames them." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Since wine causes such things, it is only right that I command the priests that they should not be drinking wine while they minister before Me. Thus (Leviticus 10:9): "Drink no wine or strong drink."

Another interpretation of Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains (Psalms 36:7): Transpose the verse and expound it — “Your righteousness over Your judgments is like the mighty mountains over the great deep,” as it is said, Your right hand is full of righteousness (Psalms 48:11), and it is written, My hand takes hold of judgment (Deuteronomy 32:41). Just as these mountains press down upon the deep, so that it does not rise up and flood the world, so the deeds of the righteous suppress the calamities, so that they do not come into the world.

Another interpretation: Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, reveal it to Abraham? Rabbi Judah the Levite said: A parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and gave it to his friend as a gift. After some days the king needed to cut beams from within it. The king said: Even though it was mine and I gave it to my friend, I will not cut them down until I take counsel with my friend. So too the Holy One, blessed be He: once He brought him up to the Land of Israel, He said to him, "Please lift up your eyes and look [northward and southward and eastward and westward]" (Genesis 13:14), and it is written, "[For] all the land which you see, [to you will I give it, and to your seed forever]" (Genesis 13:15). Therefore, when the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to destroy these five cities, He said: I will not destroy them except with the knowledge of Abraham. And if you should say that they were not part of the land of Canaan, see what is written: "And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon [as you come to Gerar, unto Gaza]" (Genesis 10:19). Therefore He did not destroy them until He had taken counsel with Abraham, as it is said, "And the Lord said: Shall I hide from Abraham [what I am doing]?" (Genesis 18:17).

"The blossoms have appeared in the land" (Song of Songs 2:12) — these are the redeemers. "And the time of pruning has arrived" — the time has arrived for the foreskin to be pruned, as it is said, "The LORD is my strength and my pruning-song" (Exodus 15:2). The time has arrived for song to be made to Me. The time has arrived for the Torah to be given, of which it is written, "Your statutes have been my songs" (Psalms 119:54). "And the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land" (Song of Songs 2:12) — Rabbi Yochanan said: The voice of the turtledove, this is Moses, as it is said, "And Moses said, Thus says the LORD: About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt" (Exodus 11:4). "The fig tree has put forth its green figs" (Song of Songs 2:13) — these are the wicked of Israel who died during the three days of darkness. "And the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance" (ibid.) — these are the intermediate ones who repented and were accepted. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Why do you sit? "Arise" (Song of Songs 2:10) — the wicked have died and the intermediate ones have repented. "Arise" — in this month you are being redeemed.

Solomon said, "Do not be among those who imbibe wine" (Proverbs 23:20). Do not cause yourself to drink "seventy" (yayin, "wine," spelled yod-yod-nun, equals 70), and so come to face seventy of the Sanhedrin, and bring death upon yourself. See what is written: "If a man has a stubborn and rebellious son..., his father and his mother shall seize him..." (Deuteronomy 21:18–19). And the judgment is carried out upon him, and they stone him [all the men of his city with stones, and he dies]. Why? Because he is a glutton and a drunkard. And Solomon said, "Do not be among those who imbibe wine, among those who gorge themselves on meat" (Proverbs 23:20), so that you do not bring upon yourself stoning, the most severe of the executions.

Another interpretation (of Psalms 36:7 [6]): "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains." Just as these mountains have no end, so there is no end to the giving of the reward of the righteous in the time to come. "And Your judgments are a great deep." Just as the deep has no fathoming, so there is no fathoming to the punishment of the wicked in the time to come.

R. Judah HaLevi bar Shalom said: In the Hebrew tongue its name is yayin (wine), and in the Aramaic tongue its name is ḥamar. Ḥamar ( ") in gematria is two hundred and forty-eight ( "), corresponding to the limbs that are in a person. The wine enters into each and every limb, and the body grows slack and the mind is unsettled; the wine enters and knowledge goes out. And so taught R. Elazar HaKappar: Wine enters, which is seventy, and a secret goes out, which is seventy. Therefore the High Priest was commanded not to drink wine at the time of the service, so that his mind not be unsettled, for he guards the Torah (and guards the service) and the knowledge, as it is said, "The Torah of truth was in his mouth, and no iniquity was found on his lips" (Malachi 2:6); and it says, "For the lips of a priest guard knowledge" (ibid., 2:7). Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, commands Aaron, "Wine and strong drink you shall not drink" (Leviticus 10:9), [and not yourself alone, but "your sons with you"; and do not] think that perhaps I commanded you at first only for the past, at the time when the Temple is standing and you minister in it, as it is said, "when you come into the Tent of Meeting" (ibid.); [rather,] guard yourselves from wine forever as well, as it is said, "an eternal statute for your generations" (ibid.). Therefore guard yourselves from wine, for wine is a sign of a curse. Noah—what is written concerning him? "And he drank of the wine and became drunk" (Genesis 9:21). What is written? "And he said, Cursed be Canaan" (ibid., 9:25). Therefore, "Wine and strong drink you shall not drink."

Another interpretation: "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains" (literally: the mountains of God) (Psalms 36:7). Rabbi Ishmael and Rabbi Akiva (say). [Rabbi Ishmael says:] The righteous, who perform the Torah that was given from the mountains of God, [the Holy One, blessed be He, performs righteousness with them like the mighty mountains; but the wicked, who do not perform the Torah that was given from the mountains of God,] the Holy One, blessed be He, is exacting with them even unto the great deep. There are many lines of interpretation for this verse, but in order not to be wearisome (I stop here). [Rabbi Akiva says: With both these and those the Holy One, blessed be He, is exacting. He collects from the righteous the few evil deeds that they did in this world, in order to pay them a complete reward in the world to come; and He bestows ease upon the wicked and pays them for the few good deeds that they did in this world, in order to requite them in the world to come. Rabbi Meir says: He compared the righteous by their dwelling, and He compared the wicked by their dwelling. He compared the righteous by their dwelling, as it is said, "In a good pasture I will feed them, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be" (Ezekiel 34:14). And He compared the wicked by their dwelling, as it is said, "Thus says the Lord God: On the day when he went down to Sheol I caused mourning ('he'evalti'); I covered the deep over him" (Ezekiel 31:15) — it is written 'hovalti' ("I led"). Rabbi Yehudah bar Ami said: A parable. One does not make a cover for a vat of silver, nor of gold, nor of bronze, nor of iron, [nor of lead], but of earthenware, because it is a kind matched with its own kind. So said the Holy One, blessed be He: Gehinnom is darkness, as it is said, "Let their way be dark and slippery, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them" (Psalms 35:6); and the deep is darkness, as it is said, "and darkness was upon the face of the deep" (Genesis 1:2); and the wicked are darkness, as it is said, "and their deeds are in darkness, and they say, Who sees us, and who knows us?" (Isaiah 29:15). Let darkness come and cover darkness, as you say, "for it comes in vanity and goes in darkness, and its name shall be covered in darkness" (Ecclesiastes 6:4).]

(Continuing:) "And those who look <through the windows> grow dim" (Ecclesiastes 12:3) — these are the eyes. "And the doors to the street are shut" (Ecclesiastes 12:4) — these are the legs. Why? When a person grows old, he does not multiply his steps in the street, for his legs are gathered in from the street. "When the sound of the grinding is low" (ibid.) — because he has become sluggish over eating. "And he rises at the sound of the bird" (ibid.) — Rabbi Levi bar Rabbi Shalom said: Even when he hears the sound of a bird chirping, he supposes that perhaps they are robbers.