Midrash Tanchuma Reader

And He called to Moshe: And why does it say, "And He called?" Rather it is is because it stated above (Exodus 40:35), "and Moshe could not come to the Tent of Meeting" - when the Divine Presence rested upon the Tent of Meeting. And he could not come since the cloud [of glory] was resting upon it. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, called him.

"Saying": What is "saying?" To say to the Children of Israel. "A man from you that brings a sacrifice": Why does it state, "a man (adam)" and it does not say, "eesh?" It wants to say, when a man sins like Adam (the first man) started to sin - he should bring a sacrifice.

Why does it state, "from the beast," when it [also] states, "from the cattle or the sheep?" Rather, it wanted to say [that we should] distinguish them from the beast; that his soul does not descend to the lowest pit like the beast, the soul of which descends below to the earth - as it is stated (Ecclesiastes 3:21), "Who knows if the [soul] of man ascends above, and the [soul] of the beast is the one that descends below."

And truly does a man not know? Rather it is like the verse stated (Joel 2:14), "Who knows, [God] may turn and regret" - and this is its understanding: He "who knows" that he is a sinner, should "turn" to "God," and He will atone for him for all of his iniquities. What is "and regret?" Rather, He will relent about the bad that He planned to do to him.

And likewise it is saying [here], "Who is the one that knows and understands and has intelligence and understanding - he will understand and know that the soul of man ascends above to the place from which it was fashioned, and the spirit of the beast descends below to earth." As so did King Shlomo, peace be upon him, state (Ecclesiastes 12:7), "and the spirit returns to God who gave it." And which spirit returns to "God who gave it?"

These are the spirits of the righteous ones, the pious ones and the penitents who stand in front of Him in great stature. And that is the life that has no death with it, and the good which has [nothing] bad with it. This is the [meaning of] that which is written in the Torah (Deuteronomy 22:7), "so that it shall be good for you," forever. And we learned from the heard tradition, "'so that is shall be good to you,' in the world that is completely good; 'and you shall have length of days,' in the world that is completely long."

And the reward of the righteous is that they will merit and live for the good. Happy is the man that merited good and delight; may the Omnipresent have us merit it with the righteous! And the early sages have already informed us that man does not have the ability to investigate and speak [about] the goodnesses of the world to come, as it has no measure, nor comparison nor model. And so did the verse state (Isaiah 64:3), "no eye has seen, God, but You, who acts for those who wait for Him" - meaning to say, the good that no eye has seen besides You, God.

And that which they called it, "the world to come," is not because it is not found now. [Rather,] for us who are in this world now, it is [still] to come. And hence he says, the world to come - after a man leaves this world. And one who says that [first] this world is destroyed, and afterwards comes the world to come - the matter is not like that. Rather, when the righteous depart from the world, they immediately ascend and stand in this stature, as it is stated (Psalms 31:20), "How great is Your goodness that You have stored for those that fear You, that You have done for those that take refuge in You."

But [the souls] of the evildoers float throughout the whole world and do not find rest for the soles of their feet. And they only ascend to the place from which they were fashioned [after] twelve months. What does it do [during this time]? It goes to the grave and comes back, and its seeing the body rotten and that it is maggots and worms is difficult for it.

To what is the thing comparable? To a man that had a nice house and it fell. He goes to see it every day, that thorns are growing on it, brambles are covering its face and its stone fence is destroyed - and he cries and mourns over it, since he sees it like this. And so is the spirit floating throughout all of the world and coming back to the grave.

And so did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Berakhot 18b), "Maggots are as harsh for the dead as a needle for the flesh of the living." And from where [do we know] that the soul mourns over it? As it is stated (Job 14:22), "But his flesh pains him, and his soul mourns over it." That is [the meaning of] "the beast" - and it is destroyed like a beast.

And therefore it stated, "from the beast," and it stated "from the cattle and from the sheep" - since they will offer from the cattle and from the sheep, so that his soul not descend below like a beast. And why do we offer sacrifices from fowl, from lambs, from sheep and from goats, but not from fish - as it is stated, "if from the fowl is his burnt-offering sacrifice?" Rather, since they are flesh and blood like man and they come out of the belly of their mothers like man, [so too, do] they atone for a man.

But fish are eggs - they come out of them and live. Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said "Any image that the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the dry land, He [also] created in the ocean with fish." Rabbi Tarfon said, "The fish was designated from the six days of creation to swallow Yonah, as it is stated (Jonah 2:1), 'And the Lord designated a great fish.'" Yonah fled from his God on the fifth day.

And why did he flee? Rather the first time, [God] sent him to restore the border of Israel; and his words were fulfilled, as it is stated (II Kings 14:25), "He restored the border of Israel." The second time, He sent him to Jerusalem to destroy it; but the Holy One, blessed be He, worked up His great mercies and relented from the bad, and did not destroy it. And [so] they would call him a false prophet.

The third time, He sent him to Nineveh to destroy it. Yonah judged the case between him and himself - Yonah said: I know that the [other] nations are close to repentance. Now if I go on my mission, they will repent immediately and the Holy One, blessed be He, is long-suffering and of great kindness - at the time that they repent, He will immediately have mercy [on them]. And the Holy One, blessed be He will [resultantly] become enraged towards Israel, as He did at the time of Sancheriv.

When Ravshakeh came to blaspheme the living God, he said, "You are saying that mere words of the lips is counsel and valor for war; now, on whom are you relying, that you have rebelled against me? And if you tell me, 'we are relying on the Lord, our God,' He is the one whose shrines and altars Hizkiyahu did away with" (II Kings 18:20, 22) - what did Hizkiyahu do at that time? "And Hizkiyahu prayed to the Lord and said, 'Lord, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubs - You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth; You made the heavens and the earth.

Lord, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see - hear the words that Sancheriv has sent to blaspheme the living God!' And Yishayahu son of Amots sent to Hizkiyahu, saying, 'Thus said the Lord, God of Israel, "I have heard that which you prayed to Me concerning King Sancheriv of Assyria. I will [delude] him, etc."' (II Kings 19:15-16, 20, 7)." And four hundred angels armed with swords and spears came and drove him away, etc. - "And it was on that night that an angel of the Lord went out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp, and the following morning behold, they were all dead corpses.

And King Sancheriv of Assyria moved and went and returned, and he stayed in Nineveh" (II Kings 19:25-26). He said to [his] sages, "Why is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, with Israel more than all the nations of the world?" They said to him, "They had an ancient father and his name was Avraham, and he went to slaughter his son to bring up as a burnt-offering." He said to them, "Did he slaughter him?"

They said to him, "No." He said to them, "[With] him, it was because it was his will to slaughter [his son, that] there was [such] love between him and his God." He said, "I will [then actually] slaughter my son and bring him up as a burnt-offering." And so did he do, as it is stated (II Kings 3:27), "And he took his first-born son, who was to reign in his place, and brought him up as a burnt-offering." [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "How much do the nations of the world, to whom I did not give statutes and judgments, do for My name; as it is stated (Malachi 1:11), 'and everywhere incense is presented for My name.'" [And] immediately, "and a great wrath came upon Israel" (II Kings 3:27).

Therefore Yonah said, "The nations will repent and the anger of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be upon Israel; as He will say, 'The nations, to whom I did not give statutes and judgments - when I make a decree upon them and they know [about it], they immediately repent. But Israel is not like this, as I send them My prophets all the time, yet they are stiff-necked.' And therefore, 'a great wrath [will come] upon Israel.'"

And not only does Israel call him a false prophet, but even the nations of the world [will] call him so. Yonah said, "I am fleeing from in front of Him to a place where His glory is not [found]. What shall I do? If I ascend to the heavens, His glory is there, as it is stated (Psalms 113:4), 'upon the heavens is His glory.'

And if upon the earth, His glory is there [too], as it is stated (Isaiah 6:3), 'the whole earth is full of His glory.' Behold, I will flee to the sea, as His glory is not stated there." [So] he went down to Jaffa, but he did not find a ship to board there. And the ship that Yonah would board upon was two days' journey away from Jaffa, in order to test Yonah. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do?

He brought a great storm in the sea and brought [the ship quickly] to Jaffa. And Yonah saw this and rejoiced in his heart and said, "Now, I know that my path is straight in front of me." And he did not know that the Holy One, blessed be He, was causing the thing to let him know that His glory was there (in the sea). He said to [the boatsmen], "I will come with you."

And the way of all ships is that when a man exits from them, he gives his payment. But in the joy of Yonah's heart, He preceded and gave his wage [right away], as it is stated (Jonah 1:3), "And Yonah arose to flee to Tarshish from in front of the Lord [... and he gave its pay]." And they traveled the distance of a day, and a great storm came upon them in the sea from their right and from their left.

And the way of all ships is to come and go in peace and quiet. And the ship upon which Yonah boarded was in great distress to break apart, as it is stated (Jonah 1:4), "And the Lord placed a great wind upon the sea." Rabbi Chaninah said, "[Men of all] the seventy languages were in the ship, and each and every one had his god in his hand." They said, "The god that answers and saves us from this distress, he is the [true] God."

And they stood and each man cried out in the name of his god, but they did not help. [Meanwhile,] Yonah dozed off and was sleeping in the distress of his soul; and the captain came to him. He said to him, "Behold, we are standing between death and life, and you are dozing off? From which people are you?" He said to them, "I am a Hebrew."

They said to him, "And have we not heard that the God of the Hebrews is great? 'Cry out to your God' (Jonah 1:6). Maybe He will do for us like all of His wonders at the Red Sea." He said to them, "This distress has come upon you because of me, as I am fleeing from in front of Him, as I thought that His glory was not in the sea, and now I see that His glory is on the dry land and in the sea."

He said to them, "Because of me; 'Lift me and put me in the sea, and the sea will be quiet upon you' (Jonah 1:12)." Rabbi Shimon said, "The men did not accept from Yonah to drop him into the sea; and [so] they cast lots, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), 'and they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Yonah.'" What did they do? They took the vessels that were on the ship and threw them to the sea to make themselves lighter, but it did not help a bit.

They sought to return to dry land, but they were not able, as it is stated (Jonah 1:13), "And the men rowed, etc." What did they do? They took Yonah and stood him upon the edge of the ship and said, "God of the world, Lord, 'do not put innocent blood upon us' (Jonah 1:14), as we do not know what is the nature of this man; yet he says to us with his mouth, 'because of me has this distress come upon you.'"

They placed him [into the sea] until his knees, and the sea stopped from its fury. They [then] took him back towards them, and the sea stormed against them. They placed him [into the sea] until his navel, and the sea stopped from its fury. They [then] took him back towards them, and it stormed against them.

They placed him completely [in the sea, and] the sea was immediately quiet from its fury, as it is stated (Jonah 1:15), "And they lifted Yonah and placed him, etc." "And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Yonah, and Yonah was in the innards of the fish three days and three nights"(Jonah 2:1) - and Yonah entered its mouth, like a man that enters a large synagogue, and the two eyes of the fish were like opened windows giving light to Yonah.

Rabbi Meir said, "A pearl was hanging in the innards of the fish, and it would give light to Yonah, like the sun lights up in its strength in the afternoon. And Yonah could see everything that was in the sea and that was in the depths, as it is stated (Psalms 97:11), "Light is planted for the righteous, and joy for the righteous of heart." The fish said to Yonah, "Do you not know that my time has come to be eaten into the mouth of the Leviathan?"

He said to it, "Take me there and I will save you, and my soul." It took him to the Leviathan. He said to the Leviathan, "Because of you have I come to see your dwelling place in the sea. And not only that, but in the future I will come down to put a rope on your neck and to bring you up for the great meal of the righteous ones."

He showed it his seal from Avraham, our father (his circumcision). The Leviathan saw it and fled the journey of two days from before Yonah. He said to the fish, "Behold, I saved you from the mouth of the Leviathan; [now] show me all that is in the sea and in the depths." And [so] it showed him the great river of the waters of the ocean, as it is stated (Yonah 2:6), "up to my soul was the deep."

And it showed him the paths of the Red (literally Reed) Sea, as it is stated, "reeds are twined around my head." And it showed him the place from where the breakers of the sea and its waves go out, as it is stated (Yonah 2:4), "all Your breakers and waves passed over me." And it showed him the pillars of the Earth in its foundation, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), "the bars of the earth were around me forever."

And it showed him Geihinnom, as it is written (Jonah 2:3), "from the belly of the pit I cried out; You heard my voice." And it showed him under the Chamber of God, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), "I descended to the bases of the mountains." From here we learn that Jerusalem stands on seven mountains. And he saw the Stone of the Foundation there, set in the depths.

And he saw the sons of Korach, standing and praying upon it. It said to Yonah, "Behold, you are standing under the Chamber of the Lord; pray and you shall be answered." Immediately Yonah said to the fish, "Stand in the place that you are standing, as I would like to recite a prayer." And the fish stopped.

And Yonah began to pray in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the Universe, You have been called the One that brings down and raises up - behold, I have gone down, [now] raise me up; You have been called the One that brings death and that brings life - behold, my soul has reached death, [now] bring me life." And he was not answered until [this] came out from his mouth (Jonah 2:10): "that which I have vowed, I will fulfill, etc." - "That which I have vowed" to bring up the Leviathan in front of You, "I will fulfill" on the day of Israel's salvation, as it is stated, "But I, with loud thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You that which I have vowed."

And immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, indicated [to the fish], and it spewed Yonah out to the dry land, as it is stated (Jonah 2:11), "And the Lord said to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out to the dry land." When the sailors saw all of the great miracles, signs and wonders that the Holy One, blessed be He, did with Yonah, they got up and every man cast away his god, as it is stated (Jonah 2:9), "They who preserve the vanities of emptiness forsake their kindness."

And they went back to Jaffa and went up to Jerusalem, and they circumcised the flesh of their foreskin, as it is stated (Jonah 1:15), "And the men feared a great fear of the Lord, and they slaughtered a sacrifice to the Lord and they made vows" - and did they slaughter a sacrifice? Rather, [this was] circumcision, which is like the blood of a sacrifice. And each man of them vowed to bring his children and everything that he had to the God of Yonah. And they vowed and they fulfilled [it]. And about them is it said, the converts were righteous converts.

(Lev. 8:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses]…, ‘Take Aaron and his sons along with him, the vestments […].’” This text is related (to Ps. 65:5), “Fortunate is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts.” Fortunate is the one whom the Holy One, blessed be He, has chosen, even though He has not brought him near. And fortunate is the one whom He has brought near, even though He did not choose him.

Now which was this one whom He chose? This was Abraham. It is so stated (in Neh. 9:7), “You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram….” However He did not bring him near.

Instead he brought himself near. In the case of Jacob, the Holy One, blessed be He, chose him, as stated (in Is. 41:8), “Jacob, whom I have chosen.” It also says (in Ps. 135:4), “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself.” But He did not bring him near.

Instead he brought himself near. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 25:27), “but Jacob was a perfect man dwelling in tents.” Moses He chose but did not bring near, as stated (in Ps. 106:23), “[…] had not Moses His chosen one stood in the breach.” David He chose but did not bring near, as stated (in Ps. 78:70), “He chose David, His servant.” [But] he brought himself near, as stated (in Ps. 119:63), “I am a companion to all who fear You.”

Fortunate are those whom the Holy One, blessed be He, chose, even though He did not bring them near. Come and see [concerning] Jethro. The Holy One, blessed be He, brought him near, but He did not choose him. In the case of Rahab the Harlot, He brought her near but did not choose her.

Aaron was doubly fortunate because the Holy One, blessed be He, chose him and brought him near. Where is it shown that He chose him? Where it is stated (in I Sam. 2:28), “And I chose him from all the tribes of Israel to be My priest.” And where is it shown that He brought him near?

Where it is stated (in Exod. 28:1), “And you shall bring near unto yourself your brother Aaron.” Therefore, David praised him (in Ps. 65:5), “Fortunate is the one You choose and bring near, to dwell in Your courts.”

Three things Moses found difficult and the Holy One, blessed be He, showed them to him with a finger and these are them: The making of the menorah, the moon, and creeping things. In the making of the menorah, how [was it]? When Moses ascended [Sinai], the Holy One, blessed be He, was showing him on the mountain how he would make the tabernacle. When He showed him the making of the menorah, Moses found it difficult. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “See, I am making it before you.” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He showed him white fire, red fire, black fire, and green fire. Then from them He made the menorah, its bowls, its knobs, its blossoms, and the six branches. Then He said to him (in Numb. 8:4), “This is the making of the menorah.” This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him with a finger. But nevertheless, [Moses] found it difficult. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He engraved it on the palm of Moses’ hand. He said to him, “Go down and make it just as I have engraved it on your hand.” Thus it is stated (in Exod. 25:40), “Observe and make them [by means of] their pattern.” Even so, he found it difficult and said (in Exod. 25:31), “with difficulty (mqshh) will the menorah be made,” meaning to say, how difficult it was to make. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Cast the gold into the fire, and it will be made automatically.” So it is stated, “with difficulty will the menorah be made” [be made (a reflexive form, in the niph'al) is what is written, i.e.,] was made of its own accord. This teaches that Moshe had difficulty with the menorah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, showed it to him with a finger, as stated (in Numb. 8:4), “this.” In reference to the moon (yareah), where is it shown [that Moses had difficulty]? (Exod. 12:1-2) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses…, ‘This month (hodesh) for you.’” He said to him, “In the month of Nissan, you will see like this and like that and [you shall] sanctify [it].” This teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed him with a finger. In reference to creeping things, where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Lev. 11:29), “Now this shall be unclean for you from among the swarming things which swarm on the earth.” The Holy One, blessed be He, caught each and every species, showed them to Moses, and said to him, “This you may eat, and this you may not eat.” [Thus it is stated (in Lev. 11:2, 4),] “This is the creature that you may eat …. However this you may not eat.” Moreover, do not be surprised over [this] thing, since it is a fact that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed all creatures to the first Adam, and he gave them names. And where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 2:19), “and all that man called the soul ….” After he had given names to all of them, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “And I, what is My name?” He said to him, “It is Y____.” Thus it is written (in Is. 42:8), “I am Y____; that is My name,” this My name, which the first Adam gave Me. It is My name, which I have agreed upon [for use] between Me and My creatures. So if in the case of the first Adam, the Holy One, blessed be He, had the creatures pass before Him; in the case of Moses, when the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to warn Israel about the unclean and about the clean, are you surprised that He showed him and said to him, “These you may eat, and these you may not eat?” Lest your [evil] drive lead you astray, saying that the Holy One, blessed be He, has forbidden Israel from having good things, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Whatever I have forbidden you from having, I have permitted you to have [something] that corresponds to it. How is this? I have forbidden you menstrual blood; I have permitted you virginal blood. I have forbidden you [animal] blood; I have permitted you the liver, which is wholly blood. I have forbidden you the flesh of swine; I have permitted you the tongue of a fish with the name shibbuta, which resembles swine. I have forbidden you [another] man's wife; I have permitted you a man’s divorcee. I have forbidden a gentile woman; I have permitted a beautiful woman [captive]. I have forbidden you a brother's wife; I have permitted her for you after his death, with no children, as stated (in Deut. 25:5), ‘her brother-in-law shall have sexual intercourse with her.’ I have forbidden you mingled seeds, but I have permitted you a sindon with a woolen fringe. I have forbidden you the fat of cattle, but I have permitted you the fat of game animals.” R. Bisna said in the name of R. Hiyya, “What the Holy One, blessed be He, forbade for cattle He permitted for game animals, and what He forbade for game animals He permitted for fowl, and what He forbade for fowl He permitted for fish. How? He forbade the fat in the case of cattle; He permitted it in the case of game animals. He forbade the thigh muscle in the case of game animals; He permitted it in the case of fowl. He forbade blood in the case of fowl; He permitted it in the case of fish. And why all this? In order to give Israel a good reward for observing the commandments.” Ergo, it states (II Sam. 22:31 = Ps. 18:31) “As for God, His way is perfect…”; for all the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, are perfect. And likewise, what does the Holy One, blessed be He, care whether one ritually slaughters cattle and eats [the meat] or whether one slaughters cattle by stabbing and eats it? Will some such thing benefit Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) or harm Him? Or what does He care whether one eats carcasses or eats what is clean? Solomon said [about this] (in Prov. 9:12), “If you are wise, you are wise for yourself; [and if you scoff, you will bear it alone].” Thus, the commandments were given only to purify (rt.: tsrp) [mortals] through them, as stated (in II Sam. 22:31 = Ps. 18:31, cont.), “the word of the Lord is pure (rt.: tsrp).” Why? So that He might be a shield over you, [as stated] (ibid., cont.), “He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him.” Ergo (in Lev. 11:2:), “These are the creatures [that you may eat].”

Job said (in Job 14:4), “Who can produce something clean out of something unclean, no one.” After the Holy One, blessed be He, permitted the cow and forbade the camel, who could declare clean or declare unclean? Who has done so? Is it not the One? Is it not the singular One of the world? Come and see: Originally at the creation of the world, everything was permitted, as stated (in Gen. 9:3), “as with the green grass, I have given you everything.” And it states (in Gen. 1:31), “And God saw everything that He had done, and behold, it was good.” Then after Israel stood by Mount Sinai, He increased Torah and commandments for them in order to give them a good reward. But if so, why did He not so command the first Adam? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “When I ordained an easy commandment for him, he transgressed against it. How could he fulfill all these commandments? On the very day on which it was commanded, on that day he transgressed against it. He was unable to remain obedient to the command for a single hour. How did the Holy One, blessed be He, create Adam? R. Judah ben Pedayah said, “[Twelve hours make up the day.] In the first hour the first Adam arose in the thought of the Holy One, blessed be He, [with a view] to creation. In the second He consulted with the ministering angels and said (in Gen. 1:26), ‘Let us make man in our image.’ In the third He gathered his dust. In the fourth He kneaded him. In the fifth He shaped him. In the sixth He stood him up as a golem. In the seventh He blew breath into him. In the eighth He brought him into the Garden of Eden. In the ninth He commanded him, ‘Eat of this, and do not eat of that.’ In the tenth [Adam] sinned. In the eleventh he was judged. In the twelfth he was expelled.” Thus you must conclude that he did not remain obedient to the commandment for even a single hour. R. Judah ben Pedayah said, “Would that someone remove the dust from your eyes, O first Adam, you who could not persevere in your temptation for even a single hour, while here your children are keeping all the commandments which were given to them and persevering in them!” One of them rises to plant, till, weed, prune, take pains to irrigate, and see the fruits of his plantings when they produce first fruits. Then he folds his hands and does not taste them, in order to fulfill what is stated (in Lev. 19:23), “three years it shall be [forbidden] to you….” But in the case of the first Adam, it was told him, “Eat of this, and do not eat of that,” and he was not able to remain obedient to the commandment for a single hour. Instead (according to Gen. 3:6), “then she also gave some to her husband, and he ate,” but [when] your children were commanded to eat this and not to eat that, [they remained obedient to those commandments]. And [this obedience is] especially [evident] when someone from Israel takes a bovine, an ox, or a lamb, slaughters it ritually, skins it, washes it, and inspects its health. When it is found to be unfit, he holds back and does not eat it. Ergo (in II Sam. 22:31 = Ps. 18:31, cont.), “the word of the Lord is pure.” For that reason, the first Adam was not commanded, because it was revealed to the Holy One, blessed be He, that he could not remain obedient to many commandments; as behold, he was commanded [only] one commandment, and he did not persevere with it. But in the case of Israel, when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them many commandments, they observed them. He therefore expanded the Torah and commandments for them, and said to them (in Lev. 11:2-7), “These are the creatures that you may eat…. These, however, you may not eat…: the camel […]; the rock badger […]; the hare […]; and the pig.” Another interpretation of (Lev. 11:4-7). The camel (rt.: gml) represents the kingdom of Babylon, since it is stated (in Ps. 137:8), “O Daughter of Babylon, who are to be destroyed, fortunate is the one who repays you the recompense (rt.: gml) [with which you recompensed (rt.: gml) us].” The rock badger represents the kingdom of Media, since it made Israel into a corner and ownerless (as in Esth. 3:6), “to exterminate, to kill and to destroy all [the Jews]…”; and likewise, the name of Ptolemy’s wife was rock badger (arnevet). The hare alludes to Greece, since it brought low the Torah from the mouth of the prophets. As it is stated (in Amos 8:11), “Behold days are coming says the Lord, God, and I will send a hunger…”; and it is written (in Amos 8:12), “And they shall wander from sea to sea….” How is this? In the future to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will issue a proclamation: Whoever has been engaged in such and such a commandment may come and receive his reward. Then the gentiles also will say, “Give us our reward, for we have performed a commandment.” The Holy One, blessed be He, [however] has said, “Whoever has observed the [commandments of the] Torah may come and receive his reward.”

(Lev. 13:2:) “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh.” This text is related (to Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one].” This verse is speaking about the first Adam, about Pharaoh, about Edom, about Sennacherib and about Nebuchadnezzar. How does it concern the first Adam?

R. Abba bar Kahana said, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the first Adam, He created him in His likeness, as stated (in Gen. 1:27), ‘And God created man (Adam) in His own image.’” And when He created him, He created him [to extend] from the one end of the world to the other, as stated (in Deut. 4:32), “So please ask about the former days which came before you, [ever since the day that God created man upon the earth, even from one end of heaven to the other].” Now he ruled over the whole earth, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), “and rule over the fish of the sea […].”

It also says (in Gen. 9:2), “And the dread of you and the fear of you [shall be upon every beast of the earth].” It is therefore stated (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful.” This refers to the first Adam. (Ibid., cont.:) “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.” This refers to Eve who came out of him, as she caused him to die, as stated (in Gen. 3:6), “Then she also gave some to her husband, and he ate.”

And where is it shown that she came out of him? Where it is so written (in Gen. 2:23), “bone out of my bone and flesh out of my flesh.” Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one],” this refers to the first Adam; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Eve, who came out from him. Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is that one”: This refers to Pharaoh, [when] he was world ruler, as stated (concerning him in Ps. 105:20), “the ruler of peoples released him (i.e., Joseph).” (Hab. 1:7, cont.:), “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.”

This refers to Moses, since he was reared within that one's house, so that he believed that he [actually] was a child of his house, as stated (in Exod. 2:10), “When the boy had grown up, she brought him [to Pharaoh's daughter; and he became her son].” Then he arose and brought ten plagues upon him, as stated (in Exod. 3:10), “So come now, I will send you unto Pharaoh.” R. Judah said, “The rod had a weight of forty seah and was [made] of sapphire; it also had ten plagues (makkot) inscribed upon it with the acronym dtsk 'dsh b'hb. Then Moses, when he had looked at the rod and seen the punishment (makkah) which had been appointed to come, brought it upon Pharaoh.

Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one],” this refers to Pharaoh; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Moses. And also the messiah, who in the future will take retribution from Gog and Magog and all of its troops, grew up with them in the city, as stated (Isaiah 27:10), “there shall the calf feed, and there shall he lie down and consume the branches thereof.”

Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful [is that one]”: This refers to Edom, of which it is stated (in Dan. 7:7), “frightful, dreadful, and [exceedingly] strong.” (Hab. 1:7, cont.), “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.” This refers to Obadiah since he was an Edomite proselyte and he also prophesied [against] him (i.e., against Edom, in Obad. 1:1), “The vision of Obadiah; thus says the Lord God to Edom […].” Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful,” this refers to Edom; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Obadiah.Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful”: This refers to Sennacherib, since it is stated (in II Kings 19:24), “with the sole of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt.”

He also said (in II Kings 18:35 = Is. 36:20 // II Chron. 32:14), “Who are there among all the gods of the lands which have saved their land from my hand?” And it also says (in Is. 8:8), “and the radial bones of his wings (i.e., the army of Sennacherib) shall fill the breadth of your land, O Immanu-El].” One sixtieth of the troops had been sufficient for the Land of Israel, since it is stated (ibid.), “and the radial bone of his wings.”

This radial bone of a cock is one sixtieth of its wings. When he came to enter Jerusalem, he said to his troops, “You sleep, and in the morning we shall throw our rings into its midst and stone them with them.” Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he.” (Ibid., cont.:), “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.”

These refer to his children. When he went up to destroy Jerusalem, he did not succeed. [It is so stated (in II Kings 19:35 = Is. 37:36),] “the angel of the Lord went out and smote [one hundred and eighty-thousand] in the camp of Assyria….” It is also written (in II Chron. 32:21), “so he returned shamefaced to his own land, and when he came into the house of his god, [some of those who came out of his own belly struck him down there with the sword].”

Ergo (in Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he,” this refers to Sennacherib; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to his children, who killed him. Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he”: This refers to Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is stated (in Is. 14:13), “And I will ascend to the heavens; [above the stars of God I will set my throne].” (Hab. 1:7, cont.:) “His justice and his dignity proceed from himself.”

This refers to Evil-merodach (his son). Our masters have said, “When Nebuchadnezzar was driven away, just as it is written (in Dan. 4:29), ‘You shall be driven away from humankind’; all that time Evil-merodach served in his place.” Then when he returned, he put him in prison. Now whoever was imprisoned by him never emerged from the prison until the day of his death.

Thus it is stated (in Is. 14:17), “he never released his prisoners to their homes.” When Nebuchadnezzar died, they wanted to make Evil-merodach king. They approached him, but he did not accept. He said to them, “I listened to you the first time.

For that reason I was imprisoned. So now I shall not listen to you. Perhaps he is alive. Then he will rise up against me and kill me.”

They stood over Nebuchadnezzar, dragged him from his grave, and brought him out. Then he saw that he was dead, and they made him king. [This act was] to fulfill what is stated (in Is. 14:19), “And you have been cast from your grave like a detestable offshoot.” Ergo (Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he,” this refers to Nebuchadnezzar; “his justice and his dignity proceed from himself,” this refers to Evil-merodach.

Another interpretation (of Hab. 1:7), “Terrible and dreadful is he”: This refers to the human race, which rules over all which the Holy One, blessed be He, has created in His world. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 8:7), “You have set him as ruler over the [works] of Your hands [….].” (Hab. 1:7, cont.) “His justice and his dignity proceed from him.” Thus when he sins, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings torments upon him from his [own body].

Why? Because His ways are not like the ways of flesh and blood. When [a person of] flesh and blood wants to punish his slaves, he brings [whips] and fetters to punish them and cause them pain; but the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like that. Rather it is from a person's whole body that He punishes and beats him.

And from where is it shown? From what is written about the matter (in Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh [a swelling or a sore or a bright spot, and it becomes on the skin of his flesh the plague of leprosy, he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest].” One verse says (in Is. 46:10), “My plan shall come to pass, and I will accomplish all My desire.” But another verse says (in Ezek. 33:11), “As I live, says the Lord, [it is not my delight for the wicked to die].”

This is what is written about the matter, (in Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh ….”; and it is [yet also] written (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not abide with You.”

That there are eleven days between one menstrual period and another is a law from Moshe at Sinai. Its explanation is that the law transmitted to Moshe at Sinai is like this: From the beginning of any woman's seeing menstrual blood, her law is to count for all of her days, seven days of menstruation (niddah) from the beginning of her seeing. And after these seven days of menstruation, [she counts] eleven days, and they are called the days of flow (zivah).

And after these eleven days that are days of flow, she goes back to the seven days of menstruation. And after them eleven days of flow, and continuing like this. And so is it fitting to count in this way all of her days. And these seven days of menstruation are whether she saw one day or even one hour, or even if she saw all of the entire seven days of menstruation.

In the evening, she immerses [in the mikveh and is permitted to her husband, and does not require clean [days]. As it is stated (Leviticus 15:19), "seven days shall she be in her menstruation" - she shall be in her menstruation all seven. But on these eleven days between [one] menstruation and [another] menstruation, any day that she sees blood, she observes one day corresponding to that day, and that is [the law of] a small flow.

And if she did not see on the second day, she immerses and becomes pure. But if she saw also on the second day, she observes a day corresponding to the two days that she saw. And if she did not see on the third day, she immerses and becomes pure. But if she saw also on the third day that she is observing, she saw three consecutive days. [Hence] she is [in the category of] a large flow.

And [so] she needs to sit seven complete (twenty-four hour) days after the blood has ceased from her. And she does not count the day that the blood ceases for the count of clean days. And this is the law in the days of flow: Any time she saw one day, she counts [another] day corresponding to it; and so [too,] two days, she counts one day for them. [But if] she saw three consecutive days, she observes seven days.

(Lev. 16:1:) “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death [of Aaron's two sons].” This is what Elihu said (to Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps.” Elihu was observing how the sons of Aaron went in to sacrifice and came out destroyed by fire. He was amazed and said (ibid.), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps.”

What did he see for him to say this? He said, “At a time when the priesthood had become weak in the hand of Aaron, what is written there (in Numb. 17:21)? ‘Then Moses spoke unto the Children of Israel; and their princes gave him a staff, a staff for each prince.’ So he wrote the name of each and every tribe on its staff. He also wrote the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi and put it in the middle, lest the Children of Israel say, ‘It smelled the Divine Presence and bore fruit.’

Moses said, ‘See, I am putting it in the middle so as not to give a pretext,’ as stated (in Numb. 17:21, cont.), ‘and the staff of Aaron was in the midst of their staffs.’ What is written there (in vs. 22-23)? ‘Then Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. And it was on the morrow that Moshe came to the tent of testimony, and the staff of Aaron had sprouted […] and had borne almonds.’

The scriptural text lacked nothing. Why then, ‘and had born (rt.: gml) almonds (rt.: shqd)?’ It repaid (rt.: gml) anyone who was bent on (rt.: shqd) evil against the tribe of Levi. So while (in Numb. 17:16-24) even dry pieces of wood emitted an aroma among those who live in the world, sprouted blossoms, came out alive, and produced fruits; [yet] the sons of Aaron, who entered there alive, came out destroyed by fire.”

So when Elihu beheld the one and the other, he said (in Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles.” When? (Lev. 16:1:) “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons.” As [all] four of [Aaron's sons] deserved to die; but Moses prayed for them, and his prayer produced half [a response]. When?

When Israel made the calf, what is written there (in Deut. 9:20)? “And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to destroy (rt.: shmd) him.” Destruction (rt.: shmd) can only be annihilation of children. Thus it is stated (in Amos 2:9), “I destroyed (rt.: shmd) their (the Amorites') fruit above […].”

When Moses prayed, his prayer produced half [a response]. (Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Aaron, did I not write this in My Torah (in Exod. 22:8), ‘In every case of misappropriation, whether for a bull, for an ass or for a sheep….’ Do you not remember what you did with the bull, as stated (in Ps. 106:20), ‘Thus they exchanged their glory for the image of a bull?’” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For an ass.” This refers to the Egyptians, about whom it is written (in Ezek. 23:20), “whose flesh is like the flesh of asses.” They (the Egyptians among them) made for them a calf, whom Israel worshiped, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the rabble which was in their midst.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For a sheep (seh).”

This refers to Israel, as stated (in Jer. 50:17), “Israel is a scattered flock (seh).” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For a garment,” [i.e.] that one about which it is written (in Is. 3:6), “you have a garment; you shall be our leader.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Or any loss,” since it is written of them (i.e., of Israel in Jer. 50:6), “My people were lost sheep.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Of which one says, ‘This is it.” [This refers to] them when they said (in Exod. 32:8), “These are your gods, O Israel.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “The case of both parties shall come before God (the powers).”

This refers to Moses of whom it is written (in Exod. 7:1), “See, I have set you as a power to Pharaoh,” [in that] Moses sat in judgment over them. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “The one whom God (the powers) condemns.” This refers to the judges. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Shall pay his neighbor double.” This refers to the two sons of Aaron. Ergo (in Lev. 16:1), “after the death of Aaron's two sons.”

(Lev. 19:23:) “When you come into the land and plant.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, Even though you find it (i.e., the land) full of all bounty, you shall not say, ‘Let us settle down and not plant.’ Rather, be careful in planting, as stated (ibid., cont.), ‘and plant any tree for food.’ Just as you came in and found plantings which others had planted, so you shall plant for your children, lest someone say, ‘Since I am old and tomorrow I shall die, why should I toil for others.’”

Solomon said (in Eccl. 3:11), “He has made everything beautiful in its time; He also has put eternity into their heart.” “Hidden ('lm)” is what is written (without the w of the normal spelling, i.e., 'wlm, eternity). Why? If the Holy One, blessed be He, had not hidden (rt.: 'lm) the day of [one's] death from people, a person would neither build nor plant; for he would have said, “Tomorrow I shall die.

Why should I persist in toiling for the sake of others?” The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore, hid death from (rt.: 'lm) human hearts, so that one would build and plant. [If] he is worthy, [it will be] for himself; [if] unworthy, [it will be] for others. There is a story about the emperor Hadrian; that he was going to war and traveling with his troops to fight with a certain country for having rebelled against him. Now he found a certain old man who was planting fig saplings. Hadrian said to him, “You are an old man. [Why are you] persisting in taking the trouble to toil for others?” He said to Hadrian, “My lord king, here I am planting. If I am worthy, I shall eat of the fruit of my saplings; but if not, my children will eat.” [Hadrian] spent three years at war, and after three years he returned.

What did that old man do? He took a fruit basket, filled it with the firstfruits of beautiful figs, and drew near to Hadrian. He said to him, “My lord king, take these figs, for I am the same old man whom you found when you were on your way [to the war] when you said, ‘You are an old man; why are you taking the trouble to toil for others?’ See, the Holy One, blessed be He, has already found me worthy to eat some fruit from my saplings.

Now this [fruit] in my fruit basket is your portion from those [saplings].” Hadrian said to his servants, “Take it from him and fill it with gold coins.” And so they did. The old man took the fruit basket full of gold coins and began to go about his house, boasting to his wife and children.

So he told them the story. Now a woman neighbor of his was there. She heard what the old man had said. She said to her husband, “When all the people go [through life], the Holy One, blessed be He, gives to them and prepares bounty for them.

But you dwell in your dark house in the gloom. See, our [neighbor] honored the emperor with a fruit basket of figs; and he filled it with gold coins for him. Now you get up, take a large basket, and fill it with varieties of choice fruit, with apples, figs, and the other varieties of beautiful fruit, since he loves them a lot. Go and honor him with them.

Perhaps he will fill it with gold for you, as he did for our old neighbor.” He went and heeded his wife. So he took a large basket, filled it with apples and figs, and loaded it on his shoulder. Then he approached the emperor on a side road and said to him, “My lord king, I heard that you love fruit, I have come to honor you with figs and apples.”

The emperor said to his officers, “Take the basket and hit him on his face.”

And so they did. They hit him on his face until his face swelled up; stripped him naked; smashed his eyes; and made an example of him. So he went home, as one of whom an example had been made, and crying. Now she (i.e., his wife) thought that he was coming with a basket full of gold coins.

So when she saw him with his face swollen and with his body shattered and beaten, she said to him, “What is the matter with you?” He said to her, “When I heeded you and went to honor him with this gift, they hit me on my face. If I had listened to you and put varieties of hard fruit in the basket, they would already have pelted my face and my whole body with them.”

And why all this? In order to teach you that evil women destroy their husbands with evil [counsel]. Therefore one should not cease from planting. Rather, just as he found, one should still continue to plant even though he is old.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Learn from Me. Do I need [fruits], as it were?” [And yet] it states (Gen. 2:8), “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east.”

(Lev. 22:27) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat.” R. Jacob bar Zavday in the name of R. Abbahu opened [his discourse] (with Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity (i.e., the iniquity of the golden calf) […].” It is also written (in Is. 6:2), “Above Him stood the seraphim, six wings to each one… with two he covered his face,” so as not to look at the Divine Presence, “with two he covered his feet,” so that the face of the Divine Presence would not see them, since it is written (in Ezek. 1:7), “and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf's foot.” [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” (Is 6:2:) “And with two he flew,” for praise.

We are taught there (in RH 3:2), “All the shofars are valid except that of a cow, since it is from a calf; for (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.” We have been taught there (in Lev. 20:16): “You shall kill the woman and the beast.”

If a woman sins, what is the beast’s sin? It is simply because a stumbling block came to the woman on account of [the beast]. Therefore the Scripture said, “So that the beast will not pass through the market, where they will say, ‘This is the beast on account of which such and such a woman was killed.’” [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.”

Now we have been taught: For what reason did they say, “A suspected adulteress (sotah) is not to drink from the cup of her colleague (i.e., another suspected adulteress)?” [It is] so that the people will not say, “When such and such a woman drank of this cup, she died.” [This is] because (according to Ezek. 29:16), “And it shall no more be a source of satisfaction against the House of Israel to recall iniquity.”

So also here (in Lev. 22:27), “When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born.” Is a bull born? Is not a calf born? It is simply because of what is written (in Exod. 32:8), “they have made themselves a golden calf.” Hence the Scripture called it a “bull”, and did not call it a "calf.”

(Numb. 1:1) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert.” What did He say to him (in vs. 2)? “Take a census (literally: raise [rt.: ns'] the head) of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, ‘I have not cherished [any] creation more than you; therefore I have given you a head held high and have likened you to Me.

Thus just as I have a head held higher than all that come into the world, as stated (in I Chron. 29:11), ‘To you, O Lord, belong the greatness, the might, the splendor, the triumph, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours; [Yours] is the kingdom, O Lord, and [You] are exalted (rt.: ns') as head over all’; so I have also done for you, for you to have a head held high.”

It was therefore stated (in Numb. 1:1), “Raise (rt.: ns') the head.” [This exaltation was] to fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 148:14), “He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, even the Children of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah.” And so it says (in Deut. 28:1), “and the Lord your God will set you high over all the nations of the earth.”

(Numb. 6:22–23:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto Aaron and unto his children, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel.’” Let our master instruct us: In the case of priest with a blemish, is it right for him to raise his hands (in the priestly blessing)? Thus have our masters taught (in Meg. 4:7): A priest whose hands are blemished may not raise his hands. But Rabbi taught, “A priest who has blemishes anywhere at all may not raise his hands.”

R. Judah says, “Also whoever has his hands stained with woad, madder, or rubia may not raise his hands. Why? Because it is customary for people to be looking at him.”

R. Joshua the Great taught, “If the majority of the men in the town are in that business (i.e., of dying cloth), he is permitted to raise his hands; in the same way that in the South, there are [many] hides that are tanned purple and their hands [with which they bless] are dyed.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “From the beginning I have blessed My people; from now on the blessings are transmitted to you.

You are to bless My children,” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless Israel. How is this shown? From what they have read [on the matter] (in Numb. 6:23), “Speak unto Aaron and unto his children, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless.’” (Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Deut. 26:15), “Look down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless Your people.”

The congregation of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, You tell the priests to bless us. We only need You to bless us, as stated (Deut. 26:15), ‘Look down from Your holy dwelling, [from the heavens, and bless Your people].’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “Although I have told the priests to bless you, I am standing along with them and blessing you.”

For that reason the priests spread their hands. [They do so] to say, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is standing behind us.” So also it says (in allusion to the Holy One, blessed be He, in Cant. 2:9) “there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice,” [i.e. “gazing through the windows,”] from between the fingers of the priests; “peering through the lattice,” when they extend their hands. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 6:23), “Thus shall you bless.”

(Numb. 16:23–24:) “And the Lord spoke […], ‘Speak unto the congregation, saying, “Get away from about [the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram].”’” Although Moses heard it from the mouth of the Almighty, he did not tell them to get away until he had gone and warned them, as stated (in vs. 25), “Then Moses arose and went unto Dathan and Abiram.” [This serves] to make their wickedness known, for although Moses went to them on foot, the[se] wicked ones were too stubborn to make amends.

What did they do? They were unwilling to come out of their tents to face him. When Moses saw this, he said, “This much [only] it was incumbent upon me to do.” Immediately (in Numb. 16:26) “And he spoke to the congregation, ‘Please move away from [the tents of these wicked people.]’”

Our masters have taught: Four [types of people] are called wicked: The one who extends his hand against his companion to strike him. Even though he did not [actually] strike him, he is called wicked, as stated (in Exod. 2:13), “so he said to the wicked one, ‘Why would you strike your comrade?’” "Did you strike," is not stated here, but “would you strike.” The one who borrows and does not repay, as stated (in Ps. 37:21), “The wicked person borrows but does not repay.” The one who has an insolent face but does not feel shame from someone greater than himself, as stated (Prov. 21:29), “A wicked person puts on a brazen face.”

And the one who is the author of dissension, as stated (in Numb. 16:26), “Please move away from the tents of these wicked men.” Now two [of these traits] were in Dathan and Abiram, [i.e.,] an insolent face and dissension (mhlqt). Mhlqt ("dissension") is interpreted through its letters. M is for marah ("bitter"); h is for haron ("anger"); l is for lokin ("lash"); q is for qelalah ("curse"); and t is for to'evah ("abomination").

But some say [that t stands for] takhlit ("end"), [since dissension] brings annihilation to the world. (Numb. 16:27:) “So they got away from the dwellings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram.” When they saw this, how Israel had moved away from round about them, they came out cursing and blaspheming, as stated (ibid., cont.), “[they] came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Now [it is stated] elsewhere (in I Sam. 17:16), “Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening; and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.” Moses began by saying, as it is written (in Numb. 16:28-29), “And Moses said, ‘By this you may know that the Lord has sent me….

If these die like the death of every man.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the shoshbin of a king's daughter in whose hands lay the testimonials of her [virginity]. When one of the banqueters stood up before him and cursed the shoshbin and said, “The king's daughter has no virginity”; the shoshbin arose in the presence of the king and said to him, “If you do not have this person brought out in order to execute him in everyone's presence, I shall say, ‘Of course the king's daughter has no virginity.’”

Immediately the king said, “It is better for me to kill this person, so that the shoshbin will not give out a bad name concerning my daughter.” Similarly Korah contended with Moses and said, “It was in his own heart and on his own that Moses had said all these things.” He began by saying (in Numb. 16:28-29), “’By this you may know that the Lord has sent me […]. If these die like the death of every man,’ then I also am saying (ibid., cont.), ‘the Lord did not send me,’ and I have spoken from my own heart.”

(Numb. 19:2, cont:) “That they bring unto you [a red heifer without blemish].” R. Jose bar Hanina said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses. ‘To you I am revealing the reason for the heifer, but to others it is an unquestioned statute.’” As Rav Huna said, “It is written (in Ps. 75:3), ‘For I will set a time, when I Myself will judge with equity.’

It is also written (in Zech. 14:6), ‘On that day there shall be no light of cold (yqrot) and frost.’ Things that are hidden from you in this world are going to be clear to you in the world to come, as with the blind person who gains his sight. Thus it is stated (in Is. 42:16), ‘I will lead the blind by a road they do not know, [… these things I have done].’ ‘I will do’ is not stated here, but ‘I have done,’ in that I have already done them for R. Aqiva and his colleagues.”

Another interpretation: Things that were not revealed to Moses were revealed to R. Aquiva and his colleagues (as found in Job 28:10), “his eye sees every precious thing.” R. Jose bar Hanina said, “It was implied (in Numb. 19:2) was that all heifers perish, but [Moses’] lasts forever.” R. Aha said in the name of R. Jose bar Hanina, “When Moses ascended into the firmament, he heard the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He, sitting and being occupied with the parashah of the [red heifer], and he was reciting a halakhah (i.e., a passage of oral Torah) in the name of its author (from Parah 1:1), ‘My son, Eliezer says, “The calf [whose neck is to be broken] is to be one year old, but the [red] heifer is to be two years old.”’ Moses said, ‘Master of the world, do not the realms above and below belong to you?

Now you are citing a halakhah in the name of flesh and blood?’ He said to him, ‘A righteous man is going to arise in my world and is first going to begin [his teaching] with the parashah of the [red] heifer, R. Eliezer says, “The calf [whose neck is to be broken] is to be one year old, but the [red] heifer is to be two years old.”’ He told Him, ‘Master of the universe, may it be [Your] will that he come from my loins.’

He said to him, ‘By your life, he is to be from your loins.’ Thus it is stated (of Moses' offspring in Exod. 18:4), ‘And the name of the one was Eliezer,’ [i.e.,] the name of that particular one [who would begin his teaching with Tractate Parah] was Eliezer.

A certain stranger questioned Rabban Johanan ben Zakkay, “These things which you do seem like a kind of sorcery. You bring a heifer, burn it, pound it, and take its ashes. Then [when] one of you is defiled by a corpse, they sprinkle two or three drops on him, and you say to him, ‘You are clean.’”

He said to him, “Have you ever had a bad spirit of madness enter you?” He told him, “No.” He said to him, “Perhaps you have seen someone into whom a bad spirit has entered?” He told him, “Yes.” He said to him, “So what did you do for him?”

He said to him, “They bring roots and burn them beneath him. Then they sprinkle water on [the spirit], and it flees.” He said to him, “Let your ears hear what you are uttering with your mouth. Similarly is this spirit an unclean spirit.

Thus it is stated (in Zech. 13:2), ‘and I will also remove the prophets and the unclean spirit from the land.’ They sprinkle the purifying water upon him, and he flees.” After the gentile had left, [R. Johanan's] disciples said to him, “Our master, you repelled this one with a [mere] reed [of an answer]. What have you to say to us?”

He said to them, “By your lives, a corpse does not defile, nor does a heifer purify, nor does water purify. Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, ‘I have enacted a statute for you. I have issued a decree, [and] you are not allowed to transgress against my decree.’” Thus it is written (in Numb. 19:2), “This is the statute of the Torah.”

And for what reason are all the sacrifices male and female, while that one is [only] female? R. Ayyevu said, “It is comparable to the son of a female slave who defiled a king's palace. The king said, ‘Let his mother come and clean up the excrement.’ Similarly has the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Let a heifer come and atone for the incident of the [golden] calf.’”

(Numb. 22:20:) “Then God came unto Balaam at night.” This text is related (to Exod. 12:42), “That was for the Lord a night of vigil.” All miracles which were done for Israel and which involved exacting retribution for them from the wicked took place at night: (Gen. 31:24:) “And God came unto Laban the Aramean in a dream at night.”

And it is written (in Gen. 20:3:) “But God came unto Abimelech in a dream at night.” And it is written (in (Gen. 14:15), “And he deployed at night.” And it is written (in Exod. 12:29), “And it came to pass in the middle of the night.” And so [it was with] all of them.

Another interpretation: Why did he reveal himself to Balaam by night? He was not worthy of [receiving] the holy spirit [except at night]. Since He speaks at night with all the prophets of the nations, as stated (in Job 4:13), “In opinions from night visions.” And so Eliphaz says (in Job 4:13), “In a dream, a vision of the night,” about [Balaam’s] speaking with him at night. (Numb. 22:20, cont.:) “If these men have come to invite you, arise and go with them.”

From here you learn that in the way that a man wants to go, in it is he driven. As at first it was said to him (in Numb. 22:12), “Do not go with them.” As soon as he had become defiant, he went. As so is it written about him (in Numb. 22:22), “But God's anger was kindled because he was going.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I do not desire the death of the wicked. [But] in as much as you want to be obliterated from the world, ‘arise and go with them.’” And it is written (in Numb. 22:20, cont.), “but only the thing [that I tell you are you to do].” [These words are] to teach you that he went with a warning. Immediately he got up early in the morning, as stated (in vs. 21), “So Balaam arose early in the morning, saddled his she-ass, [and went with the princes of Moab].”

Did he not have a male or female slave [to saddle his donkey]? It was simply that his hatred for Israel was so great that he beat [his servant] to it and arose quickly all by himself. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You wicked man! Their ancestor Abraham has already anticipated you at the binding of his son Isaac,” as stated (in Gen. 22:3), “So Abraham arose early in the morning, saddled his he-ass.” (Numb. 22:21, cont.:) “And went with the princes of Moab.” [These words are] to teach you that he was as glad at the tribulation of Israel as they were. (Numb. 22:22:) “But God's anger was kindled because he was going, and the angel of the Lord took a stand [in the road as his adversary (satan)].” He was an angel of mercy, but to [Balaam] he had become an adversary (satan). And so he said [unto] Balaam, “You have caused me to practice a craft that is not my own, as stated (Numb. 22:32), “here I have come out as an adversary (satan).” (Numb. 22:22, cont.:) “And two of his servant boys were with him.” This is customary for one going out on the road. It is necessary for two to attend him. Then in turn they attend each other. (Numb. 22:23:) “Now the she-ass saw the angel of the Lord and a sword was drawn in his hand.”

Was not the angel able to breathe on him and take away his spirit unless he drew his sword? And look at what is written about Sennacherib (in II Kings 19:35 = Is. 37:36 // II Chron. 32:21.), “the angel of the Lord went out and smote [one hundred and eighty-five thousand] in the camp of Assyria.” [It is also written (in Is. 40:24),] “he blows on them and they wither.” However, he said to him, “[Skill with] the mouth was given to Jacob, as stated (in Gen. 27:22), ‘The voice is the voice of Jacob.’

And [skill with] the hands to Esau, as stated (in Gen. 27:40), ‘Upon your sword shall you live.’ All the nations all live by the sword. Now you are trading off your craft and coming against them with their [craft]. I also am coming against you with your own [craft].” (Numb. 22:24:) “Then the angel of the Lord stood in a lane between the vineyards.”

Could he not have gone after him into the field? It is simply that this is the nature of the Holy One, blessed be He. When a king of flesh and blood sends an executioner to kill a particular person, he goes after him for many days, so that this person who has incurred the penalty of death [continues] eating and drinking, while the executioner goes after him from place to place.

With the Holy One, blessed be He, however, it is not like that. Rather the executioner is in his place and whoever has incurred the penalty of death comes to him of his own accord. So that the angel would not be bothered with going after Balaam, he simply went ahead of him on the road, for it is so written (ibid.), “Then the angel of the Lord stood in a lane between the vineyards.” He said to him, “Shall the vineyards (i.e., Israel) be given over to the foxes?” (Numb. 22:24, cont.:) “With a wall on one side and a wall on the other side.” You cannot prevail against them, because in their hand (according to Exod. 32:15) are tablets of stone, written [on both their sides], on the one side and on the other side they are written. (Numb. 22:25-26:) “When the she-ass saw the angel of the Lord, she was pressed [against the wall and pressed Balaam's foot against the wall; so he struck it again].

Then the angel of the Lord moved forward again [and stood in a place so narrow that there was no room to turn aside to the right or to the left].” What reason did he have to go ahead of him three times? He showed him here symbols of the [three] patriarchs. When he stood before him the first time, there was space on one side and on the other, [as stated] (in Numb. 22:23), “so the she-ass turned aside from the road.”

On the second occasion she could only move to one side. On the third occasion (according to Numb. 22:26) “there was no room to turn aside to the right or to the left.” So what do the symbols mean? If he ever sought to curse the Children of Abraham, he would find the Children of Ishmael and the Children of Keturah on one side and on the other. [If] he sought to curse the Children of Isaac, he would find the Children of Esau on one side, and (according to Numb. 22:25) “she was pressed against the (one) wall.”

In the case of the Children of Jacob, however, he found among them no residue through which to touch them. It is therefore written about the third occasion (in vs. 26), “in a narrow (‘zar) place.” This is Jacob, as stated (in Genesis 32:8), “Jacob was very frightened and [it] distressed (ye‘zer) him.” (Numb. 22:26:) “There was no room to turn aside to the right or to the left.” As there was no residue in any of his sons. (Numb. 22:27:) “When the she-ass saw the angel of the Lord, she lay down under Balaam, [so Balaam's anger was kindled, and he struck the she-ass with a stick (mql)],” because of the shame with which she had shamed him.

(Numb. 27:5:) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].” Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.”

At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’

Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” the Holy One, blessed be He, weakened his ability. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer].

So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it.” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, see [that even] the women know it.”

(Numb. 34:2:) “When you come into the land.” What is written above the matter (in Numb. 33:52)? “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land from before you.” This text is related (to Job 35:11), “Who teaches us through the beasts of earth [....]” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Learn from the bull of Elijah; for in the hour that (in I Kings 18:25) ‘Elijah said to the prophets of Baal, “Choose one bull for yourselves and prepare it first,”’ at that very hour the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal and the four hundred (and fifty) prophets of Asherah gathered together and were unable to budge its foot from the ground.” Look at what is written there (in vs. 23), “Let them give us two bulls….” What did Elijah do? He said to them, “Choose two bulls for yourselves, twins from the same mother, who are being fattened at the same trough. Cast lots over them, one for the name (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) and one for Baal.”

And [so] they choose one bull for themselves. Now Elijah's bull kept following him; but as for that bull which had been assigned to the name of Baal, all those prophets of Baal plus the prophets of Asherah assembled to move [even] its foot from the ground, and were unable to do so, until Elijah began to say [to it] for them, “Go with them.” The bull answered and spoke to Elijah before the eyes of all the people and said to him, “My colleague and I came out of the same womb, and we grew up in the same pasture at the same feeding trough.

That one was assigned to the portion of the Holy One, blessed be He, and the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is sanctified through him. So have I been assigned to the portion of Baal to provoke my Creator?” Elijah said to him, “Go with them, and do not let them find an excuse. Just as the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is being sanctified through this one with me, so will it be sanctified through you.”

He said to him, “Now that you have given me this advice, I swear that I will not move from here until you deliver me into their hand.” Thus it is stated (in vs. 26), “and they took the bull that he gave to them and prepared it.” And who gave it to them? Elijah.

You also learn that Elijah said to them (in vs. 23), “Let them give us two bulls,” and he also said to them (in vs. 25), “Choose one bull for yourselves.” Then at the end [of the verse] is written (ibid. cont.), “and they took the bull which he had given them.” It is therefore stated (in Job 35:11), “Who teaches us through the beasts of [the] earth.” (Ibid., cont.:) “And He makes us wise through the birds of the heavens.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Learn [a lesson] from the ravens who fed Elijah, of whom it is stated (in I Kings 17:6), ‘So the ravens brought him bread and meat […].’

From where did they bring him [it]? From Jehoshaphat's table, because those ravens did not want to enter Ahab's house to take anything from his table for this righteous man. [They would not go there] because his house was full of idolatry.” Ergo (in Job 35:11), “He makes us wise through the birds of the heavens.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Learn from the bull and from the ravens, and do not turn unto idols to look at them.”

Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 33:52), “You shall dispossess all the inhabitants of the land.”

At that time, the Lord said to me, "Carve out two tablets of stone like the first ones" (Deuteronomy 10:1): This is what the verse stated (Jeremiah 2:20), "For long ago you broke your yoke, tore off your yoke-bands, and yousaid, 'I shall not pass.'" Which is the yoke? The yoke of the angel of death, as stated (Exodus 32:16), "The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing, incised (charut) upon the tablets," [meaning] freedom (cherut) from the angel of death.

And Rabbi Nechemiah says, "Freedom (cherut) from the exiles." And Rav said, "Freedom (cherut) from the afflictions, which were like the ministering angels, as it is stated (Psalms 82:6), 'I said that you were all powers and children of the Most High.'" But at the time that they did that act [of the golden calf], it is stated (Psalms 82:7), "Yet you will die like a mortal." "And you said, 'I shall not pass.'"

Even subjugated, we do what we desire. [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, "You are the hardest among them. Subjugate yourself first, as it is stated, 'Carve out two tablets of stone.'"

"When the LORD cuts off..." (Deuteronomy 12:29). This is what Scripture says: "Wait for the LORD and keep His way" (Psalms 37:34), for they thought they would enter the land at once. He said to them: You think you will inherit their land? Keep the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will exalt you to inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it" (Psalms 37:34). This is what Moses said, "When the LORD your God cuts off." What is "when the LORD cuts off"? It is conditional: that if they keep the Torah, they will enter the land. And every place where you find "when" (ki), it is conditional. "When (ki) you come upon a bird's nest before you on the way... you shall surely let go" (Deuteronomy 22:6-7). "When (ki) you take a census of the children of Israel... then each shall give a ransom" (Exodus 30:12). "When (ki) you build a new house, you shall make a parapet" (Deuteronomy 22:8). Here too the Holy One, blessed be He, made a condition with them that He would not cut off the nations except on the condition that they keep the Torah. Beloved is the Land of Israel, which the Holy One, blessed be He, chose. You find that when He created the world, He apportioned the lands to the princes of the nations and chose the Land of Israel. From where? For thus Moses said, "When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance..." (Deuteronomy 32:8), and He chose Israel as His portion, as it is said, "For the LORD's portion is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance" (Deuteronomy 32:9). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let Israel, who have come into My portion, come and inherit the land that has come into My portion. Therefore it is written, "When the LORD cuts off." The prophet Jeremiah cried out and said, "And I thought how I would set you among the children and give you a pleasant land" (Jeremiah 3:19) -- a land that the fathers of the world desired. Abraham longed for it, for thus he says, "And he said, O Lord GOD, how shall I know that I will inherit it?" (Genesis 15:8). Isaac longed for it, as it was said to him, "Sojourn in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for to you and to your seed I will give all these lands" (Genesis 26:3). Jacob longed for it, as it is said, "If God will be with me... and I return in peace to my father's house" (Genesis 28:20-21). Rabbi Yehudah said: Moses too longed for it, as it is said, "And I pleaded with the LORD... Let me pass over, I pray, and see..." (Deuteronomy 3:23-25). And David too longed for it, as it is said, "I would rather stand at the threshold of the house of the LORD" (Psalms 84:11). What is "stand at the threshold" (histofef)? Rabbi Tanchum son of Rabbi Chanilai and Rav. One said: David said before the Holy One, blessed be He, Master of the universe, even if I have advocates and a great hall outside the Land, and I have nothing but the threshold (saf) in the Land of Israel, "I would rather stand at the threshold." And one said: Even if I have nothing to eat in the Land of Israel but the eating (sippuf) of carobs, "I would rather stand at the threshold." Hence, "And I will give you a pleasant land," a land that the fathers desired. "An inheritance of a gazelle (tzevi)" (cf. Jeremiah 3:19). Just as a gazelle is swift in its running, so too the Land of Israel speeds its fruits, for it ripens them first. Another interpretation: Just as the gazelle, its skin cannot hold its flesh, so when Israel are meritorious, the Land of Israel cannot hold its fruits. "Hosts (tzivot) of nations" (Jeremiah 3:19): for the desirable things (tzivyonot) of the nations are in it. It is written, "The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai, which is beside Beth-el, one" (Joshua 12:9). There are only three between this one and that one, yet it says, "The king of Jericho, one; the king of Ai... one." Rabbi Parnakh said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: Every king who was outside the Land, if he did not acquire one city in the Land of Israel, was not called a king. See what is written concerning Achan: "And I saw among the spoil a beautiful mantle of Shinar" (Joshua 7:21) -- a Babylonian purple robe. And from where was there a Babylonian purple robe in Jericho? Rather, the king of Babylon was there and acquired a city in the Land of Israel. Hence, a land in which are the desirable things of the nations of the world, and He gave it as an inheritance to Israel. Therefore it is written, "When the LORD your God cuts off..."

(Deut. 16:19, cont.:) “You shall not take a bribe.” When the judge sets his heart on a bribe, he becomes blind to justice and he is unable to judge [a case] honestly. R. Eliezer said, “It says here (in Ezek. 22:6), ‘Behold, the princes of Israel, each one according to his strength (literally, arm), have existed among you for the shedding of blood.’ Thus they stretched out their arms under their robes to take a bribe.” R. Abbahu said, “Whoever takes the equivalent of a peruta (the smallest of coins) from his fellow is called wicked, as stated (in Prov. 17:23), ‘A wicked one takes a concealed bribe.’” R. Ishmael beRabbi Yose said, “Come and see how harmful a bribe is.

One time a certain person came and brought me the first fruits of the sheep shearing. He also had a lawsuit before the judge, so I stood to one side. Now I said to him [that] if he pleads such and such before the judge, he will win the suit; for I was hoping for him to win. Even though he had only given me my due, and it was not a bribe, my heart was drawn to him every time I saw him.

Furthermore, although he had gone to the court, I asked about him whether he had won or not. [This incident serves] to make known to you how harmful a bribe is, since it makes the eyes blind. Now here is an argument a fortiori: If I, to whom he had [only] brought what was due and who [only] got what was due me, was hoping for him to win, how much the more so with one who gets a bribe.” Rabban Johanan ben Zakkay would expound (about Mal. 3:5), “Then I will draw near to you in judgment; [and I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear to a lie, against those who oppress the hired worker in their wages, the widow, the orphan and those who turn aside the sojourner.” [He said,] “Woe to us for the day of judgment!

Woe to us for the day of retribution, as Scripture compares (heqish) one who turns aside the sojourner to all the worst transgressions!” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, warned (in Deut. 16:19), “You shall not turn aside justice.” R. Hama bar Osha'ya said, “A person having a pain in his eye gives a lot of money to a physician, [when] it is doubtful whether he is to be healed or not. But the one who takes a bribe corrupts justice, blinds his eyes, causes Israel to be exiled from their land, and brings hunger into the world.

Thus it is stated (in Deut. 16:20), ‘Justice, justice shall you pursue so that you may live and possess the land’; but if not, you shall not possess it.” (Deut. 16:20:) “Justice, justice shall you pursue,” (with justice repeated two times). From here they have maintained that one should pursue a worthy court. Another interpretation of (Deut. 16:20), “Justice, justice shall you pursue,” (with justice repeated) two times: [Here is] a warning for judges who judge capital cases not to render judgment on the same day as the trial.

Rather let them suspend the judgment overnight (rt.: lwn), just as they suspend it overnight (rt.: lwn) in Jerusalem, since it is stated (in Is. 1:21), “she (i.e., Jerusalem) was full of justice, for righteousness lodged (rt.: lwn) there.” (Deut. 16:20, cont.:) “So that you may live.” Everyone who judges a case with unvarnished truth merits life in the world to come, as stated (in Is. 56:1), “Thus says the Lord, ‘Observe justice, and practice righteousness; [for soon My salvation shall come, and My righteousness be revealed].’”

Rabbi Banna'ah opened [his discourse] (with Prov. 11:1), “Fraudulent scales are an abomination to the Lord….”: if you see a generation whose measures are false, know that the empire [government] will engage that generation in battle. What is the evidence? [It is written] (ibid.), “Fraudulent scales are an abomination to the Lord….”

And after that is written (in vs. 2), “When deliberate wickedness comes, disgrace comes as well.” R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Abba bar Lahana (Micah 6:11), “’Shall I be righteous [and successful] with false scales?’

Is it really possible for a generation with false measures to be successful, (ibid., cont.), ‘and have a bag of fraudulent weights’?” R. Levi said, “Moses also alluded to it (honest weights) for them in the Torah (in Deut. 25:13-14), ‘You shall not have alternative weights in your bag, [a larger and a smaller]. You shall not have in your house….’

If you do so, the empire will come and engage you in battle.” And what evidence is there? (Deut.: 25:16:) “For [everyone who does these things, who acts dishonestly, is an abomination to the Lord.” What is written after that (in vs. 17)? “Remember what Amalek did to you.”

[(Gen. 8:1:) AND GOD REMEMBERED NOAH.] This is what Scripture says (in Ps. 36:7 [6]): "Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains [your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O LORD]." It compares the righteous by their dwelling, and it compares the wicked by their dwelling. It compares the righteous [by their dwelling]: (Ezek. 34:14) "In a good pasture I will feed them, [and on the mountains of the height of Israel shall be their fold]." It compares the wicked [by their dwelling]: (Ezek. 31:15) "Thus says the LORD [God]: in the day that he went down to Sheol [I caused mourning, I covered the deep over him]." Rabbi Judah bar Hama said: With what does one cover a vat? With its own kind — surely not with another vessel of silver or of gold! So too: Sheol is darkness, and the deep that covers it is darkness, and the wicked who are within it are darkness, as it is said (Isa. 29:15): "And [their] deeds are in darkness." Let darkness come and cover darkness.

What is written above concerning this matter? "And the Lord said to Abram: Go forth... to the land that I will show you" (Genesis 12:1). "To such-and-such a land" is not written here, but rather "to the land that I will show you." And Abraham went on traveling until he came to the land of Israel. May the Name of the Holy One, blessed be He, be blessed! He sought to test the righteous one and to make known his good deeds; immediately a famine came upon his heels. When he encountered the famine, he said to Sarah his wife: Behold, there is a famine here. Our Rabbis said: There was never a famine in the world more severe than that one. Abraham said to Sarah: This Egypt, it is good to dwell in, since the famine has come, and provision is found there, and meat is plentiful; let us go there. At that hour they went down to Egypt. When they reached the gates of Egypt, Abraham said to Sarah: My daughter, Egypt is a place of harlotry, as it is said, "whose flesh is the flesh of asses" (Ezekiel 23:20). Rather, let us put you in a box and lock it before you. And so he did. When they reached the gates of Egypt, the customs officers said to him: What are you carrying in the box? He said to them: Beans. They said: No, it is nothing but peppers; give us the duty for peppers. He said to them: I will give it. They said to him: It is not so, rather this box is full of gold coins. He said to them: I will give you the duty for gold coins. When they saw that whatever they said he accepted upon himself, they said: Were there not some precious thing in his hand, we would not be raising the price for him this way and he accepting. At that hour they said to him: You shall not move from here until you open the box. And he said to them: It is upon me to give whatever you ask, only do not open the box. Even so, they stood over him and opened the box against his will, and they found Sarah. When they saw her, they said: For one such as this, it is not fitting that any but the king should rule over her. Immediately they took her and brought her to Pharaoh, and they brought her into his palace. When Abraham saw that they had taken her and brought her to Pharaoh, Abraham began to weep. She too said: Master of the World, Abraham came with You under a promise, because You said to him, "And I will bless those who bless you" (Genesis 12:3), and I knew nothing at all; only, since he told me that You had said to him "Go forth," I believed Your words. And now I am left alone, away from my father, from my mother, and from my husband; this wicked one comes to abuse me. Act for the sake of Your great Name, and for the sake of our trust in Your words. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her: By your life, no evil thing shall touch you, as it is said, "No harm shall befall the righteous, but the wicked are filled with evil" (Proverbs 12:21). And Pharaoh and his house, I will make of them an example, as it is written, "And the Lord struck Pharaoh with great plagues, and his house, on account of Sarai" (Genesis 12:17). At that hour an angel came down from heaven with a rod in his hand. When Pharaoh came to slip off her sandal, he would strike him with his hand; when he came to touch her garments, he would strike him. And the angel would take counsel with Sarah upon each and every blow: if she said he should be struck, he was struck; and when she said, "Wait for him until his spirit returns," the angel would wait for him, as it is said, "on account of Sarai." What is "on account of Sarai" (al devar Sarai)? That it does not say "concerning the affair of," nor "concerning the matters of," nor "for the sake of," nor "because of," but rather "at the word of Sarai" — that if she said he should be struck, he was struck, and if not, he was not struck. Rabbi Yehudah ha-Levi son of Rabbi Shalom said: The Holy One, blessed be He, did not give the wicked one even the chance to occupy himself with the righteous woman. Our Rabbis said: When he came to slip off her sandal, leprosy immediately came upon him; and his prefects too were stricken with him, and the princes too, and the servants too, and his bed too, and the walls too were stricken with him, as it is said, "And the Lord struck Pharaoh and his house" — why? "On account of Sarai, Abram's wife" (Genesis 12:17).

It is written, "Let it be to fill his belly; He will send upon him His burning anger, and rain it down upon him in His war (belachumo)" (Job 20:23). The retribution that came upon the people of Sodom was to fill their belly, because they had filled their belly with transgressions, with violence, and with robbery. Therefore, when the retribution came upon them, it filled their belly, as it is said, "He will send upon him His burning anger" (ibid.). Rabbi Meir said: Scripture speaks of the overthrow of Sodom. "And rain it down upon him in His lachum" (ibid.), and "the LORD rained down upon Sodom" (Genesis 19:24). What is the meaning of "in His lachum"? It refers to the wars (milchamot) that they waged against the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "And the people of Sodom were evil and sinners against the LORD exceedingly" (Genesis 13:13). "Evil" — one to another; "and sinners" — in open sexual immorality; "against the LORD" — in idolatry; "exceedingly" — in the spilling of blood. Rabbi Judah ha-Levi son of Rabbi Shalom said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan son of Nachman: When Amraphel and his companions came to make war against the people of Sodom, because they had taken Lot captive, Abraham went out against them to war and slew the kings, and they fled, as it is written, "And the Valley of Siddim was full of pits of bitumen, and the king of Sodom fled" (Genesis 14:10). Abraham began to consider: the kings came to make war against the people of Sodom, and the kings fell, yet these fled, as it is said, "and those who remained fled to the mountain" (ibid.). Should you say there were worthy ones among them — the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "He shall flee from the iron weapon... he draws it forth, and it comes out of his body... all darkness is hidden away for his treasures" (Job 20:24-26): all darkness is hidden in Sodom, which is to the right of the Land of Israel, as it is said, "And your younger sister who dwells to your right is Sodom and her daughters" (Ezekiel 16:46). What is the meaning of "evil shall consume the survivor in his tent" (Job 20:26)? That even a single survivor who was left from there — the evil of evil consumed the survivor in his tent. And who is this? Edith, the wife of Lot, of whom it is said, "And his wife looked back from behind him, and she became a pillar of salt" (Genesis 19:26).

Another interpretation: "And Abraham took again a wife" (Genesis 25:1). This is what Scripture says: "In the morning sow your seed, [and in the evening do not let your hand rest]" (Ecclesiastes 11:6) — for you do not know which of them [will be made fit] for you. If you have learned much Torah in your youth, do not sit idle in your old age. Why? Because you do not know [which will succeed]. Rabbi Joshua says: If a matter of a commandment comes to your hand in the morning, "sow your seed"; do not say no. And if [a matter of a commandment] comes in the evening, "and in the evening do not let your hand rest," for you do not know which of them will endure for you — that of the morning, that of the evening, or whether the two [together are good]. Rabbi Akiva says: "In the morning sow your seed" — if you have raised up disciples in your youth, do not sit idle from raising up others in your old age. There is a story about Rabbi Akiva, who had three hundred disciples in his youth, and they all died. Had he not raised up others in his old age, he would not have had a single disciple. And he would read concerning himself: "In the morning sow your seed."

Another interpretation of (Genesis 27:1): "And it came to pass, when Isaac was old, that his eyes were too dim to see." This is what Scripture says (Proverbs 17:8): "A bribe is a stone of favor in the eyes of its owner; wherever he turns, he prospers." Do not read it thus, but rather: the stone is the bribe in the eyes of its owner. Come and see what was said of the burnt offering of the Holy One, blessed be He: it was not fitting that his eyes should be dimmed. A man who gives up his soul for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and was bound upon the altar—should his eyes have been dimmed? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I have written in My Torah (Exodus 23:8), "And you shall take no bribe." Why? (Deuteronomy 16:19) "For the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise." And he took a bribe from Esau, so I dimmed his eyes. And if Isaac the Righteous, because he took a bribe from his son, his eyes were dimmed, one who takes a bribe from others—how much the more so! Therefore it is said, "A bribe is a stone of favor." Therefore (Genesis 27:1), "And it came to pass, when Isaac was old, and his eyes grew dim." A word of deceit was surely not stated here.

Another interpretation: "And Jacob went out" (Genesis 28:10). This is one of four human beings for whom the earth was contracted, and these are they: Abraham, Eliezer, Jacob, and Abishai. Abraham — from where? When he went out to pursue the kings, the earth leaped before him, as it is said, "And he divided himself against them by night" (Genesis 14:15). And Eliezer — from where? When he went to bring a wife for Isaac, the earth was contracted before him. What is written concerning him? "And I came this day to the spring" (Genesis 24:42) — on that day he set out and on that day he arrived. And Abishai — from where? When he was fighting with Ishbi-benob, the brother of Goliath, what did he do? He pursued David with the wind of his shield. At that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, set the fear of David upon him, and he said, "How light is this man! Where is David and his mighty deeds?" And from where do we know this? For so it is written, "And David grew faint" (II Samuel 21:15). At that hour David said, "Would that someone would give me one of my sister's sons here!" But Joab and Abishai were far from him, and they were fighting against the children of Ammon and against Aram. And when David prayed, the Holy One, blessed be He, made the earth leap before Abishai, as it is said, "And Abishai the son of Zeruiah helped him" (II Samuel 21:17). And Jacob our father — he too, the Holy One, blessed be He, made the earth leap before him, as it is said, "And Jacob went out from Beersheba and went toward Haran" (Genesis 28:10), "And Jacob lifted up his feet" (Genesis 29:1). Our Rabbis said: All human beings — their feet carry them, but Jacob — he carries his feet, as it is said, "And Jacob lifted up his feet."

Let our master teach us. What sign did Rabbi Yose ben Qisma give to his students when they were walking about in Tiberias? They said to Rabbi Yose: "Our master, when is the son of David coming?" Rabbi Yose said to them: "If I tell you, you will seek a sign from him." They said to him: "No." He said to them: "This gate will be built and fall, be built and fall, and they will not manage to build it before the son of David comes." Our masters said to Rabbi Yose: "We seek a sign from you." He said to them: "Behold, the cave of Paneas shall turn into blood." And it turned into blood, according to his words.

(Gen. 38:1:) "Now it came to pass at that time that Judah went down from his brothers, etc." Let our master teach us: If a collapse of rubble fell on the Sabbath, and it is not known whether an Israelite is there or not, what is the law concerning clearing it away from them on the Sabbath? Thus our Rabbis taught: One upon whom a collapse of rubble fell [on the Sabbath] — it is doubtful whether he is there or not there, doubtful whether he is alive or dead, doubtful whether he is a gentile or an Israelite — they clear away [the heap] from upon him. If they find him alive, they clear it away from upon him; and if he is dead, they leave him. It is written concerning the Sabbath, "Those who profane it shall surely be put to death" (Exod. 31:14), yet our Rabbis taught: they clear away from upon the living one on the Sabbath. Rabbi Eleazar ben Azariah said: If circumcision, which is only one of the two hundred and forty-eight limbs, overrides the Sabbath, then for two hundred and forty-eight limbs under the stone, is it not right that they should override the Sabbath for his sake? Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya says: Profane one Sabbath for him so that he may keep many Sabbaths. And if you clear away the heap from upon him to preserve a single soul, I too will do for you what is written, "Behold, I will open your graves" (Ezek. 37:12). A certain heretic asked our master: Is it possible that the dead live again? Your ancestors do not acknowledge it, yet you acknowledge it! What is written concerning Jacob? "And all his sons and all his daughters rose up to comfort him [but he refused to be comforted]." Had he known that the dead live again, would he have refused to be comforted, and would he have said, "For I will go down to my son mourning to Sheol"? Our master said to him: Fool of the world! Because Jacob our father knew through the Holy Spirit that Joseph was alive, therefore he did not accept comfort over him, for one does not accept comfort over the living.

Another interpretation of "And Judah drew near to him" (Genesis 44:18): he drew near to do battle with him. For this expression is nothing other than the language of war, as it is said, "And Joab and the people drew near to the battle" (II Samuel 10:13). Our Rabbis said: When Judah was filled with fury, his hairs would stand on end and burst through his garments. And there are those who say that he would take iron beans and place them in his mouth and crunch them with his teeth, and his rage would mount. Therefore it is said, "And he drew near." "And he said: Please (bi), my lord, you bring injustice (biyah) upon us. Yesterday you said to us, 'Bring your younger brother down to me,' and we brought him. Now you have taken him. Is this not injustice?"

(Genesis 49:1:) "AND JACOB CALLED TO HIS SONS." It ought to have said rather, "And Esau called to his sons," because he was the elder. Scripture says (Isaiah 38:18), "For Sheol does not thank You; death does not praise You." Who gives thanks? One who is alive, and who bows down to the living God, as it is said (in that same passage, verse 19), "The living, the living, he shall thank You, as I do today, etc." And likewise Esau the wicked did not die upon his bed, and made no dayyetiki (that is, a testament). And who made a dayyetiki? Jacob, as it is said, "And Jacob called to his sons."

Another interpretation of (Exodus 7:1) "See, I have set you as a god to Pharaoh": The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Because he made himself into a god, He made known to him that he is nothing in the world. Behold, I will make you a god over him. And from where do we know that Pharaoh made himself into a god? As it is said (Ezekiel 29:3): "{Because he} [Who] said, {the} [My] Nile is my own, and I made myself" — I am the one who created myself. And this is one of four human beings who made themselves into divinities and were sexually penetrated like women; three were from the nations of the world and one from Israel. These are they: Hiram, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, and Joash. From where do we know of Hiram? As it is said (Ezekiel 28:2): "Say to the prince of Tyre: Thus says the Lord God: Because your heart is proud and you have said, I am a god." And because he made himself into a god, he was penetrated like women, as it is said (Ezekiel 28:17): "You have corrupted your wisdom by reason of your splendor… to gaze at you." What is "to gaze (lera'avah) at you"? They would perform their "loves" (re'utehen) upon you. From where do we know of Nebuchadnezzar? As it is said (Isaiah 14:14): "I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life! (Isaiah 14:15) "Yet you shall be brought down to Sheol, to the recesses of the pit." What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He exiled him while he was still in his kingship, and fed him grass like a beast, as it is said (Daniel 4:22): "And they shall make you eat grass like oxen." And the cattle and the wild beasts saw him in the likeness of a beast and had relations with him, as it is said (Habakkuk 2:17): "And the destruction of the beasts shall terrify them (yeḥittan)." What is "shall terrify them" (yeḥittan)? It is in the sense of what is said (Deuteronomy 7:3): "You shall not intermarry (titḥatten) with them" — for he became a bridegroom (ḥatan) to every beast and wild animal. From where do we know of Joash? As it is said (II Chronicles 24:17): "And after the death of Jehoiada, the princes of Judah came and bowed down to the king." What is "and bowed down to the king"? That they made him into a god, and he accepted it upon himself, as it is said (ibid.): "Then the king hearkened {to them} [the king to them]." And he was penetrated like women, as it is said (II Chronicles 24:24): "And upon Joash they executed judgments" — as you say (Leviticus 20:13): "And a man who lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination." And Pharaoh made himself into a god and was penetrated like women, as it says (Jeremiah 44:30): "Behold, I will give Pharaoh Hophra, king of Egypt." What is "Hophra"? That they uncovered (par'u) him from behind — he is Pharaoh, who was male and became female. Another interpretation of "Hophra": in the sense of what is said (Numbers 5:18): "And he shall uncover (ufara') the woman's head." And which is his father's house? (Isaiah 19:16) "On that day {the land of Egypt shall be in dread…} [Egypt shall be like women]." And what caused him to make himself into a god? As it is said (Ezekiel 29:3): "{Because he} [Who] said, {the} [My] Nile is my own, and I made myself." Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Because he made himself into a god, go and be made a god over him, as it is said (Exodus 7:1): "See, I have set you as a god to Pharaoh." Why? "For one higher than the high watches, and there are higher ones over them" (Ecclesiastes 5:7). Thus, you are a god over him; and make of him an arrogant abomination (shaḥatz) in the world, because he made himself high. And this is what is written (Job 41:26): "He beholds everything high; {and} he is king over all the children of arrogance (benei shaḥatz)." And does the Holy One, blessed be He, not see the lowly? Is it not written (Zechariah 4:10): "The eyes of the LORD, they range through the whole earth"? Then what is "He beholds everything high"? Rabbi Berekhyah said: These are the arrogant, whose spirit is coarse within them, and who exalt themselves and make themselves into divinities. What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do to them? He shows them to His creatures and makes them an arrogant abomination (shaḥatz) in the world, as it is said: "he is king over all the children of arrogance" — such as Nebuchadnezzar, whom He made an arrogant abomination, as it is said (Daniel 5:21): "And he was driven from the sons of men." And likewise Sennacherib was made an arrogant abomination, as it is said (II Kings 19:35): "And it came to pass that night that the angel of the LORD went out and smote in the camp of Assyria." For the Holy One, blessed be He, shows the arrogant abomination of the haughty to every creature. The Holy One, blessed be He, said (Jeremiah 23:24): "If a man hide himself in secret places, shall I not see him? says the LORD." Rabbi Benjamin bar Levi said: If a man goes and busies himself with the Torah and sits alone, I show his deeds in the world; and likewise, if a man hides himself to commit a transgression, I show his deeds to the world, as it is said: "shall I not see him? says the LORD. Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? says the LORD" (ibid.). And what is "I fill"? Rabbi Hama son of Rabbi Hanina said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I fill from him the upper worlds and the lower worlds, and I show him as an arrogant abomination to the creatures. Why? Because they exalt themselves and make themselves into divinities. "He beholds everything high; {and} he is king over all the children of arrogance" — for He reigns over all those who exalt themselves and makes them an arrogant abomination. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: "See, I have set you as a god to Pharaoh" — go and exact punishment from him; go and bring upon him the ten plagues. He said to Him: How shall I bring the plagues upon him? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (Exodus 4:17): "And you shall take this rod in your hand." Rabbi Judah bar Ammi said: The rod had in it the weight of forty seah, and it was of sapphire, and the ten plagues were inscribed upon it by notarikon: DeTzaKh ADaSh BeAHaB. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: This rod shall bring the plagues upon him. "See, I have set you as a god to Pharaoh."

Another interpretation of "This month" (Exodus 12:2). This is what Scripture says: "What is my strength, that I should wait?... Is my strength the strength of stones, or is my flesh bronze?" (Job 6:11-12). Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, is our strength the strength of stones, and is our flesh of bronze? "What is my strength, that I should wait?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: As you live, all that you hoped for while you were enslaved, you hoped for well; and in this month you are being redeemed.

Another interpretation: "And it came to pass when Pharaoh let the people go" (Exodus 13:17). Yet elsewhere he says, "And moreover I will not let Israel go" (Exodus 5:2), and here he is letting them go. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who gave his servant money and said to him, "Buy me one fish." He went and bought him one stinking fish. The king said to him, "By your life, you shall not get out of one of three things: either you eat the fish, or you pay its price, or you are flogged with a hundred whips." He said to him, "I will eat it." He had not managed to eat a little of it before his soul loathed it. He said, "I will be flogged with a hundred whips." He had not managed to be flogged fifty whips before he was at the point of death. He said, "I will pay its price." It turned out that he ate a stinking fish, and was flogged, and paid its price. So too Pharaoh enslaved Israel in Egypt excessively. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Let My people go." He said, "I do not know the Lord" (Exodus 5:2). He brought ten plagues upon him, and he did not let them go. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "By your life, you must give their wages," as it is said, "And the Lord gave the people favor <in the eyes of the Egyptians>" (Exodus 12:36). After he took the plagues and gave their wages, afterward he let them go. Therefore it is said, "And it came to pass when Pharaoh let the people go" (Exodus 13:17).

(Exodus 19:1:) IN THE THIRD MONTH. The Torah is threefold, and its letters are threefold, and the patriarchs are threefold, and the tribe through whose hand it was given is threefold, and Moses was {threefold among them} [the third among them], and the letters of his name are threefold, and the siblings were three, and he was hidden for three months — [and on the third day, and in the third month]. The Torah is threefold: Torah, Prophets, and Writings. And its letters are threefold: alef, bet, gimel. The patriarchs are threefold: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Moses was the third among them, as it is said (Deuteronomy 5:5), "I stood between the LORD and you." And the letters are threefold: Moses [Mem, Shin, He]. And he was from the third tribe: Reuben, Simeon, and Levi. And the siblings were three: Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. And he was hidden for three, as it is said (Exodus 2:2), "And she hid him three months." And on the third day, as it is said (Exodus 19:11), "For on the third day the LORD will come down," and so forth. [And in the third month, as it is said: In the third month.]

"If you lend money [to My people]" (Exodus 22:24). Do not say "money" only, but rather even anything that you lend to him you shall not act toward him as a creditor. And do not say: the Torah said "money," that one should not lend at interest; I will lend to him in wheat. As it is stated, "If you lend money to My people, to the poor person with you." Behold, look upon the poor person as though he were with you. From here our Rabbis said: a poor person in the marketplace and a poor person [in your courtyard] who is in your courtyard takes precedence. A poor relative of yours dwelling in another city and a poor relative of yours — your poor relative takes precedence. "To the poor person with you" — that poor person who is with you and of your own, you shall not act toward him as a creditor. Not because I said to you, "[To a foreigner you may lend at interest]," should you lend to the foreigner and leave aside the Israelite, saying, "for I profit from the foreigner." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Know that I am the one who made him poor and you rich; I am able to turn you back to make you poor. Rav Nachman said: [See] what is written, "You shall surely give to him [etc.]" (Deuteronomy 15:10) — for it is not written here "for the sake of," but "because of this thing" (ibid.). What is "because of" (bi-gelal)? Know that it is a wheel (galgal): I made him poor and you rich; do not cause Me to turn back the wheel and make you poor. Rabbi Shila said: See what is written, "You shall not harden your heart [etc., from your brother]" (ibid. v. 7). What is "from your brother"? "From a poor person" is not written here, but "from your brother," for the two of you are equal. Do not cause Me to turn back the wheel and make you like him.

"I have loved you, says the Lord" (Malachi 1:2). See how He cherished you. From the earth to the firmament is a journey of five hundred years, and likewise from the first firmament to the second, and from the second to the third, and from the third to the fourth, and from the fourth to the fifth, and from the fifth to the sixth, and from the sixth to the seventh. And there is no need to reckon from the hooves of the living creatures, and the Throne is above them all. See how I cherished you, that I left them all and said to you: Make for Me curtains of goats' hair, and I will come to dwell beside you. Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: If the nations of the world had known how good the Tabernacle was for them, they would have surrounded it with tents and fortifications. Why? Before the Tabernacle was set up, the divine word would go out and enter into the tents of the nations of the world, and they were stricken with terror, as it is said, "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 and live, but the nations of the world would hear and be stricken with terror within their tents. And do not say this only of the Tabernacle, but even the Temple was good for them. From where? From this, that Solomon arranged it in his prayer: "Moreover, concerning the stranger who is not of Your people Israel" etc. (1 Kings 8:41), "may You hear in heaven" etc. (1 Kings 8:43). But when Israel came to pray, what does he say? "And render to each man according to all his ways, whose heart You know" etc. (1 Kings 8:39). But the foreigner, whether they do or do not do, give him all that he requests, "in order that all the peoples of the earth may know" etc. (1 Kings 8:43). Therefore the Temple was good for the nations of the world. Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said: Before the Temple was built, the world stood upon a throne of two legs, but once the Temple was built, the world was made firm and stood upon its base. And do not say this only of the Temple; even the Tabernacle was good for the nations of the world. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Make Me a Tabernacle, for I desire to dwell beside My children. When the ministering angels heard this, they said before Him: Master of the Universe, why do You leave the upper beings and descend to the lower beings? It is Your praise that You be in the heavens, "who has set Your majesty above the heavens" (Psalms 8:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: By your lives, I am doing just as you said. Habakkuk the prophet said, "God comes from Teman" (Habakkuk 3:3), and afterward, "and His praise fills the earth" (ibid.). 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 beneath curtains of goats' hair, as it is said, "And you shall make curtains of goats' hair" (Exodus 26:7).

[(Exod. 29:1:) AND THIS IS THE THING, etc.] This is what Scripture says (Ps. 119:89): "Forever, O LORD, Your word stands firm in the heavens." Rabbi Berekhyah the Priest said: From of old You have conducted Yourself with us by the measure of mercy. When? At the hour when Abraham our father was cast into the fiery furnace, the angels were contending with one another. Michael said, "I will go down and rescue him," and Gabriel said, "I will go down and rescue him." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I will go down in My glory and rescue him," as it is said (Gen. 15:7): "I am the LORD who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldees, etc." He said to them (the angels): "You shall rescue his children's children." When Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah went down into the fiery furnace, the angel went down and rescued them. At that hour the angels said (Ps. 119:89): "Forever, O LORD, Your word stands firm in the heavens"; (Ps. 119:90) "You have established the earth and it stands" — You are the sustaining of the world.

[(Exodus 37:1:) And Bezalel made the ark.] This is what Scripture says (Proverbs 9:9): "Give to a wise man, and he will be wiser still; [make known to a righteous man, and he will increase in learning]." It speaks of Noah when he made the ark. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (Genesis 7:2): "Of every clean animal [you shall take for yourself seven pairs, etc.]." When he came out, he offered up some of the clean ones. He said: The Holy One, blessed be He, increased the clean animals only so that I might offer some of them. This is the meaning of "Give to a wise man, and so forth" — this is Noah.

How many wise men were there, yet they could not erect the Tabernacle! Solomon said (Proverbs 31:29): "MANY DAUGHTERS HAVE DONE VALIANTLY." Why? Because they made the Tabernacle but did not know how to set it up. Each and every one took his own piece of work and went off to Moses. Each and every one would say: Here are my clasps, here are my boards, here are my bars. And the Holy Spirit rested upon Moses, and he erected the Tabernacle. And do not say that Moses did it; rather the Tabernacle stood up by itself, as it is said (Exodus 40:17): "THE TABERNACLE WAS ERECTED." And do not speak of the Tabernacle alone, but even of the Eternal House (the Temple): had the Holy One, blessed be He, not helped, neither Solomon nor all Israel would have built it. From where do we know that David spoke thus? (Psalms 127:1): "UNLESS THE LORD BUILDS THE HOUSE, [ITS BUILDERS LABOR ON IT IN VAIN]." Therefore the Tabernacle was erected through miracles. When the Tabernacle was erected, all Israel began to rejoice, as it is said (Song of Songs 3:11): "GO FORTH AND GAZE, O DAUGHTERS OF ZION, UPON KING SOLOMON" — upon the King to whom peace belongs, this is the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He; (ibid.) "WITH THE CROWN WITH WHICH HIS MOTHER CROWNED HIM" — for it calls the Tabernacle a crown. Just as this crown is adorned, so was the Tabernacle adorned with blue and purple.

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying: When a soul sins, etc." (Leviticus 4:1&ndash;2). Let our master teach us: What is the law regarding a person entering the Temple Mount with his staff and with his money-belt? Thus our Rabbis taught: A person may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, or with his money-belt, or with the dust upon his feet, so that he not conduct himself toward it with frivolity, even in its destruction. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "You shall keep My Sabbaths and revere My Sanctuary; I am the LORD" (Leviticus 26:2). And what did [Scripture] see [fit] to liken the keeping of the Sabbath to the Sanctuary? Thus did Rabbi Hiyya the Great teach: Just as the keeping of the Sabbath is forever, so too the reverence for the Sanctuary is forever. And Solomon cried out: "The place of judgment, there is wickedness" (Ecclesiastes 3:16). Solomon foresaw how the wicked would pervert [justice] in the Sanctuary. Solomon said: The place where the Sanhedrin would sit and judge cases of capital law, [and cases of monetary law,] and cases of lashes, and cases of impurity and purity, they defile it. See what is written: "Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came and sat in the Middle Gate: Nergal-sarezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rab-saris, etc." (Jeremiah 39:3). "Because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate; foxes walk upon it" (Lamentations 5:18). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You read out those who entered, but you do not read out those who went out. "The place of righteousness, there is wickedness" (Ecclesiastes 3:16). "Should priest and prophet be slain in the Sanctuary of the LORD?" (Lamentations 2:20). Behold, the blood of Zechariah cast upon the stones, as it is said: "For her blood is in her midst; she set it upon the bare rock" (Ezekiel 24:7).

"If he offers it for a thanksgiving <offering>" (Leviticus 7:12). See how the Holy One, blessed be He, forgives the iniquities of Israel. And what would they offer to the Holy One, blessed be He? "And he shall offer it with the sacrifice of thanksgiving." Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Whoever has a bull, let him bring a bull; and whoever has a ram, let him bring a ram; whoever has a lamb, let him bring a lamb; whoever has a dove, let him bring a dove; and whoever has only one of all these, let him bring fine flour; and whoever has neither fine flour nor anything at all, let him bring words, as it is said, "Take words with you [and return to the Lord]" (Hosea 14:3). Therefore it is said, "If he offers it for a thanksgiving <offering>."