Midrash Tanchuma Reader

[(Genesis 38:1:) AND JUDAH WENT DOWN.] What is written above, on this matter? (Genesis 37:14:) "And he said to him: Go now, see [the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock]." But do the flock know anything? What is this "welfare" that he spoke to him, "the welfare of the flock"? Rabbi Ayyevu said: A person must pray for the welfare of whatever provides for him. Because Jacob profited from his flock, eating the milk and wearing the shorn wool, for that reason he was obliged to inquire about their welfare. Therefore it is said (in Genesis 37:14): "the welfare of your brothers and the welfare of the flock." (The verse continues:) "And bring back word to me." They said (in Genesis 37:33): "Joseph has surely been torn to pieces."

"And he lifted up his eyes and saw Benjamin his brother, the son of his mother" (Genesis 43:29). He rejoiced that he resembled his mother, for thus it is written, "the son of his mother." Immediately, "And he commanded the one who was over his house, saying: Fill the men's sacks with food..." (Genesis 44:1). He said to Manasseh: Fill the sacks, "and my goblet, the goblet of silver..." (Genesis 44:2). "As soon as the morning was light, the men were sent away" (Genesis 44:3). Why did he not send them away at night? Joseph said: If I send them away at night, no creature can withstand them, for they are likened to wild beasts: "Judah is a lion's whelp" (Genesis 49:9); "Dan is a lion's whelp" (Deuteronomy 33:22); "Dan shall be a serpent" (Genesis 49:17); "Naphtali is a hind let loose" (Genesis 49:21); "Benjamin is a ravening wolf" (Genesis 49:27).

"Benjamin is a ravening wolf" (Genesis 49:27). This is what Scripture said: "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7). In the beginning the secret belonged to those who fear the Lord, as it is said, "The secret of the Lord is for those who fear Him" (Psalms 25:14). He went back and gave it to the upright, as it is said, "But His secret is with the upright" (Proverbs 3:32). He went back and gave it to the prophets, as it is said, "Surely the Lord God does nothing unless He has revealed His secret to His servants the prophets" (Amos 3:7).

And Moses said: "I will turn aside now and look" (Exodus 3:3). Rabbi Yochanan said: Moses took three steps. Resh Lakish said: he did not step at all, but only bent his neck. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You troubled yourself to look; by your life, I will reveal Myself to you. Immediately, "And God called to him from the midst of the bush and said: Moses, Moses! And he said: Here I am" (Exodus 3:4, there). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You said "Here I am"; by your life, an hour will come when you will say a prayer on behalf of Israel, and I will answer you at once, as it is said: "Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry out, and He will say: Here I am" (Isaiah 58:9).

Another interpretation of "When Pharaoh speaks to you" (Exodus 7:9): The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Tomorrow I am bringing My children out of Egypt and giving them the Torah, and in it is written, "If there arises in your midst a prophet, etc." (Deuteronomy 13:2). It is only just that he should demand of you and say to you, "Produce a wonder for yourselves, etc." At first he speaks to you harshly, for the expression "he speaks" (yedabber) is nothing but an expression of harshness, as it is said, "The man, the lord of the land, spoke to us harshly" (Genesis 42:30). He said to him: Aaron shall be the one doing these things, while you stand like a prince decreeing upon the elders, and they carry it out, as it is said, "And you shall say to Aaron: Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, etc." (Exodus 7:9).

Rabbi Hosha'ya said: When Israel reaches Rosh Hashanah, the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the ministering angels: Set up the tribunal and bring out the books. And they say: Why? And He says: Because I wish to judge My children tomorrow, for it is Rosh Hashanah. Immediately they set up the tribunal and bring out the books. The earthly court took counsel to intercalate the year, saying: Tomorrow we will make Rosh Hashanah. The ministering angels say before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the World, did You not say to us that tomorrow is Rosh Hashanah? He said to them: The reckoning is in their hands, as it is said, "This month is for you" (Exodus 12:2) - it is handed over to you. And I and you will go to My children, for whatever they do, we will go along with them. Moses said, "For what great nation is there that has a God so near to it as the LORD our God whenever we call upon Him" (Deuteronomy 4:7), and the expression "call upon" refers only to the appointed festivals, as it is said, "the holy convocations" (Leviticus 23:4). Therefore it is written, "This month."

"In the third month" (Exodus 19:1). Why in the month of Gemini (the Twins)? So that the nations of the world would have no opening to speak, saying, "Had He given us the Torah, we would have kept it." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: See in which month I gave the Torah — under the sign of Gemini, so that if Esau the Wicked should come to convert, he could come and learn Torah. Therefore the Torah was given under the sign of the Twins.

(Exodus 32:1) "When the people saw that Moses delayed." What is "delayed" (boshesh)? Six (shesh) hours had come (ba) and Moses had not come down. For Moses had made a condition with them and said to them: After forty days I will bring you the Torah. When six hours had come and he had not come down, immediately "the people gathered against Aaron." Our Rabbis said: Ha-Satan came and confounded the world, and showed them something like Moses suspended from the earth, with his bier in the air. And they pointed at him with the finger and said, "for this is the man Moses." At that hour Hur said to them: O stiff-necked ones, do you not remember what he did for you? They rose up and killed him. Then they assembled against Aaron, as it is said, "the people gathered against Aaron." They said to him: If you make us a god, well and good; and if not, we will do to you just as we did to Hur. "And Aaron saw" (Exodus 32:5) — he saw what they had done to Hur. "And he built (vayyiven) an altar (mizbeach)" — he understood (hevin) from the slaughtered one (mizzavuach). They sought to build it with him. He said to them: Leave me, and I will make it by myself, for there is no one to build it with me. And Aaron intended to say: while I am building it, Moses will come down. He built it, and Moses did not come down. Immediately "they rose early the next day... [and the people sat down to eat]" (Exodus 32:6). Every place where you find sitting, there you find corruption. As it is said, "and they sat down to eat bread" (Genesis 37:25) — what corruption was there? That they sold Joseph. And in another place it is written, "and Israel dwelt (sat) in Shittim" (Numbers 25:1) — and what corruption was there? "The people began to commit harlotry" (ibid.). And here too, "the people sat down" — a sitting of idolatry. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: They have risen to make sport with idolatry, and you are sitting? "Go, get down" (Exodus 32:7). At that hour Moses came to go down and saw the angels of destruction, and he was afraid to go down, as it is said, "for I was afraid of the anger and the wrath" (Deuteronomy 9:19). What did he do? He went and grasped the throne, as it is said, "He grasps the face of the throne; [He spreads His cloud over him]" (Job 26:9). And the Holy One, blessed be He, protected him and spread over him from the radiance of His Shekhinah. Come and see how much the sins caused: yesterday Moses was butting against them, and now he was afraid of them — "for I was afraid [of the anger and the wrath]." There are five angels of destruction: Af (Anger), Ketzef (Wrath), Mashbir (Breaker), Mash'hit (Destroyer), and Chemah (Fury). Moses mentioned the three patriarchs, and three departed, and there remained Af and Chemah. Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the World, You stand against one and I against one, as it is said, "Arise, O Lord, in Your anger" (Psalms 7:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Go down — it is a descent (a degradation) for you. He said to Him: Why? He said to him: "For your people have acted corruptly" (Exodus 32:7). Moses said to Him: Now they are my people and not Your people? "Turn from Your fierce anger" (Exodus 32:12). Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said: Moses did not cease praying until the Holy One, blessed be He, was reconciled to them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world, because the evil inclination is present among you, you sinned before Me; but in the world to come I will uproot it from you, as it is said, "And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh" (Ezekiel 36:26).

(Leviticus 5:1:) "AND IF A SOUL SINS, IN THAT IT HEARS THE VOICE OF ADJURATION, etc." This text is related to (Ecclesiastes 5:1:) "DO NOT BE RASH WITH YOUR MOUTH, AND LET NOT YOUR HEART HASTEN TO BRING FORTH A WORD BEFORE GOD." These are the sons of Adam who blaspheme the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Come and see: when the upper beings and the lower beings were created, they were created with half of the Name, as it is said (Isaiah 26:4): "FOR THROUGH YAH, THE LORD, HE FORMED THE WORLDS." And why were they not created with all of it? Because they are not worthy to mention the full name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Woe to the creatures who blaspheme the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, for nothing! See what is written concerning the offerings (Leviticus 1:2): "A MAN, WHEN HE BRINGS FROM AMONG YOU AN OFFERING TO THE LORD." It does not say "to the Lord an offering," "to the Lord a burnt offering." Yet the sons of Adam blaspheme His name for nothing. Therefore it is said: "DO NOT BE RASH WITH YOUR MOUTH, etc. [FOR GOD IS IN HEAVEN AND YOU ARE UPON THE EARTH]." For who would say that God is not in heaven, and that the sons of Adam are not upon the earth? Rather, Solomon said: Whenever the weakest of the weak is from above, he overcomes the mighty one from below. Go out and learn from Abimelech (Judges 9:53): "AND A CERTAIN WOMAN CAST AN UPPER MILLSTONE [UPON ABIMELECH'S HEAD AND CRUSHED HIS SKULL]." And the mightiest of the mighty from above, how much the more so! See what is written concerning Him (Daniel 4:32): "AND ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH ARE RECKONED AS NOTHING, [AND ACCORDING TO HIS WILL HE ACTS WITH THE HOST OF HEAVEN AND THE INHABITANTS OF THE EARTH]." And it is written (Psalms 47:3): "FOR THE LORD MOST HIGH IS AWESOME, A GREAT KING OVER ALL THE EARTH." But the sons of Adam are below. "THEREFORE LET YOUR WORDS BE FEW." And what is it for you to do? To place your hand upon your mouth and upon your ear, so as not to speak and not to hear. Therefore it says: "AND IF A SOUL SINS."

[(Leviticus 8:2:) TAKE AARON AND HIS SONS.] This is what Scripture says (Proverbs 20:7): "The righteous one walks in his integrity; blessed are his children after him." This refers to Aaron and his children. If <the matter is determined> by this saying, then Moses too was righteous, yet his children were not like him; and Eli too was righteous, yet his children were not like him; and Samuel was righteous, yet his children were not like him, for (I Samuel 8:3) "his sons did not walk in his ways, etc." Why, then, do you say "The righteous one walks in his integrity"? Because he saw his children after him, in his lifetime, ministering in the High Priesthood. Therefore (Leviticus 8:2): "Take Aaron and his sons with him."

Job said (in Job 14:4): "Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one." After the Holy One, blessed be He, permitted the cow and forbade the camel, who is able to declare clean or to declare unclean? Who has done so? Not one — none but the Unique One of the world. Come and see: from the beginning of the creation of the world everything was permitted, as it is said (in Genesis 9:3), "As the green herb have I given you all things." But once Israel stood at Mount Sinai, He multiplied for them Torah and commandments in order to give them a good reward. And if so, why did He not command the first Adam? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I commanded him a light commandment, and he transgressed it. All these commandments, how could he have kept them? On the very day he was commanded it, on that very day he annulled it and transgressed against them. He was not able to stand firm in the commandment for a single day. How so? 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, to be created. In the second, He took counsel with the ministering angels. In the third, He gathered his dust. In the fourth, He kneaded it. In the fifth, He formed him. In the sixth, He set him up as a golem. In the seventh, He breathed a soul into him, as it is said (in Genesis 7:22 [2:7]), "And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life." In the eighth, He brought him into the Garden of Eden. In the ninth, He commanded him: of this eat, and of this do not eat. In the tenth, he sinned. In the eleventh, he was judged. In the twelfth, he was driven out. Thus he did not stand firm in the commandment even one hour. R. Judah ben Pedayah said: Who shall remove the dust from your eyes, O first Adam, who could not stand firm in your trial even one hour — yet behold, your children keep all the commandments that were given to them and stand firm in them! One of them rises and plants, he hoes and weeds, he prunes, labors, and waters, and he sees the fruits of his saplings that they are early-ripening — and he folds his hands and does not taste of them, to fulfill what is said (in Leviticus 19:23), "Three years [shall they be] uncircumcised to you," and so forth. But to the first Adam it was said: of this eat, and of this do not eat — [as it is said (in Genesis 2:16–17), "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat, but of the tree of knowledge" and so forth] — and he did not stand firm in the commandment one hour; [rather, "she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate" (Genesis 3:6)]. But your children were commanded, this you shall eat and this you shall not eat, [and they stand firm in them]: a creature is slaughtered and found to be terefah, and he holds back his hand and does not eat it. This is what is said, "The word of the LORD is refined" (Psalms 18:31 [2 Samuel 22:31]). [Therefore the first Adam was not commanded, for it was revealed before the Holy One, blessed be He, that he would not be able to stand firm in them. But Israel — how many commandments did the Holy One, blessed be He, give them, and they received them and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will hear" (Exodus 24:7). Therefore He admonished them: "This is the living thing which you shall eat," and so forth; "but this you shall not eat," and so forth (Leviticus 11:2–4).]

[Another interpretation:] What is the meaning of "and evil shall not dwell with You" (Psalms 5:5)? That the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, does not rest upon evil, except for two things upon which the Holy One, blessed be He, did rest His name. And these are they: "And the LORD watched over the evil and brought it upon us, for the LORD our God is righteous" (Daniel 9:14). Because "the LORD our God is righteous," He "watched over the evil"? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, performed an act of righteousness, in that He brought forward and exiled the exile of Jeconiah to Babylon together with the craftsman and the smith and all the mighty ones of the Torah; and they went down to Babylon and established an academy for the Torah. For had it not been so, the Torah would have been forgotten in the exile. Rather, these went out who believed the words of Jeremiah, with the Torah, "and the craftsmen and the smiths, a thousand" (II Kings 24:16). What is "craftsman" (cheresh)? When they would open the Torah, all became like the deaf (chershin). "Smith" (masger): once they would close (sogerin) it, there was none in all Israel who was able to open it. Thus, "for the LORD our God is righteous."

[From where came the offense for which they received [what was theirs]? Rabbi Hoshaya said: When Moses was going up, and the elders of Israel with him, from the wilderness, Aaron and Hur and seventy elders and Nadab and Abihu were going up with him. Moses and Aaron were walking first, Nadab and Abihu walking after them, and all the elders of Israel walking after them. And Nadab and Abihu were musing in their hearts, and they said: When will these two elders depart, so that we may take authority and we ourselves be first in every matter? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (Proverbs 27:1): "Do not boast about tomorrow." Many colts have died, and their hides have been made into coverings upon the backs of their mothers. He said to them: From that hour you deserved to receive what was yours; but what shall I do? Behold, I am waiting for you until the Tabernacle is set up, and after that I shall judge you. Therefore, when the Tabernacle stood, they received their sentence and died, "after the death of the two sons of Aaron" (Leviticus 16:1).]

[Another interpretation of "A bull or a sheep." This text is connected] to (Micah 6:3): "My people, what have I done to you, and how have I wearied you? Testify against Me." Rabbi Aha said: Testify against Me and receive a reward; "you shall not testify against your neighbor falsely" (Exodus 20:13), and you will receive a verdict and a reckoning. Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said: On three occasions the Holy One, blessed be He, came to dispute with Israel, and the nations of the world rejoiced and said: How can these be able to dispute with their Creator? Now He is destroying them. At that hour when He said to them, "Come now, and let us reason together" (Isaiah 1:18), they rejoiced and said: Now He is destroying them. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were rejoicing, He turned it for them to the good. He said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (ibid.). When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said: Is this a reply, and is this a rebuke? They said: He has come only to amuse Himself with His children. The second, when He said to them, "Hear, O mountains, the lawsuit of the Lord, [for the Lord has a lawsuit with His people, and He will dispute with Israel]" (Micah 6:2), the nations of the world rejoiced and said: Now He is destroying them. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw this, He turned it for them to the good and said, "My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab plotted... With what shall I come before the Lord?" (ibid. 6:5-6). The nations of the world were astonished and said: Is this a reply, and is this a rebuke? He has come only to amuse Himself with His children. The third, when He said, "And the Lord has a lawsuit with Judah, [and will punish Jacob according to his ways]" (Hosea 12:3). The nations of the world said: Now the Holy One, blessed be He, is destroying them. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw this, He turned it for them to the good: "In the womb he grasped his brother by the heel" (ibid. 12:4). A parable: This is like a woman who was lodging a complaint about her son before a judge. When she saw that the judge was sentencing the people to execution, [she said]: If I make known my son's offense, he will order him to be put to death. What did she do? She delayed [until] he had finished his cases. He said to her: What is your son's offense? She said to him: When he was in my belly, he kicked me. He said to her: And has he done anything to you now? She said: No. He said to her: Go, this is no offense at all. The nations of the world were astonished [and said]: Is this a reply, and is this a rebuke? He has come only to amuse Himself with His children.

How were they situated? The Levites encamped around the Tabernacle of the Testimony. Moses and Aaron and his sons were on the east, as it is said (Numbers 3:38): "And those who encamped before the Tabernacle eastward, before the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses, Aaron, and his sons." And adjacent to them were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. From here they said: Happy is the righteous one and happy are his neighbors. These three tribes that were adjacent to Moses and Aaron became great in Torah, as it is said (Genesis 49:10): "The scepter shall not depart from Judah." [Of Issachar it is written] (1 Chronicles 12:33): "And of the children of Issachar, men who had understanding of the times, to know what Israel should do; their heads were two hundred" — these are the two hundred heads of Sanhedrins who came from Issachar; ["and all their brethren were at their command" — for they would agree upon the law at their word. Of Zebulun it is written] (Judges 5:14): "And out of Zebulun those who handle the scribal pen." Because they were neighbors of the Torah, they all became people of Torah. And on the south were the sons of Kohath, and adjacent to them were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. From here they said: Woe to the wicked one and woe to his neighbor. These three tribes that were neighbors to Korah and his company on the south perished with him in his dispute (Numbers 16:32): "And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households." On the west were the sons of Gershom, and adjacent to them were Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin. And on the north were the sons of Merari, and adjacent to them were Dan, Naphtali, and Asher. And [seven clouds of glory surrounded them, and thus was their journeying. There was a sign for Moses in the cloud as to when it would depart. As soon as it departed, he would say (Numbers 10:35): "Arise, O LORD, and let Your enemies be scattered," and the cloud would depart. Once the cloud departed, they would all prepare to travel and pack their vessels — whoever had a beast of burden; and if he did not, the cloud would carry the remainder. Once they were settled, they sounded the trumpets, and Judah and its standard journeyed first, its prince and his tribe after him. And there were ensigns for each and every prince — a flag. [And from them the kingdoms learned to make themselves a flag.] And the color upon each and every flag was like the color of the precious stones that were upon Aaron's heart; each and every tribe had its flag dyed like the color of its stone, and clouds were above them. And a kind of beam came out from the cloud, so that they knew in which direction they were to travel; thus was the journey of each and every standard. When they finished traveling to where He desired them to encamp, that cloud which appeared like a beam would, as it were, journey by itself, and they knew that in that place they would encamp. The clouds of glory came to a stop for them, and they began to settle in their tents wherever they would rest. And the cloud that was over the Tabernacle would travel over the camp of the Levites in the midst of the camps; it would stand first. Once it stood still, the sons of Kohath and the sons of Levi would set up the Tabernacle before all the camps, before they arrived, as it is said (Numbers 10:21): "And they set up the Tabernacle before they came." And once they set up the Tabernacle, they set up each and every one in his place, and the clouds of glory stood above them. This was a greatness in the hand of Moses, that the cloud of the glory of the Divine Presence would not descend to the Tabernacle until Moses said (Numbers 10:36): "Return, O LORD, unto the myriads of the thousands of Israel," and the clouds of glory surrounded them. And the Holy Spirit says through Solomon (Song of Songs 6:4): "You are beautiful, My love, as Tirzah." What is "as Tirzah"? That I am reconciled (mitratzeh) with you.]

Our masters said: A woman who is alone with her husband, and he is having relations with her, and she sets her eyes upon another at the time of relations — there is no adultery greater than this, as it is said, "The adulterous wife who takes strangers instead of her husband" (Ezekiel 16:32). And is there a woman who commits adultery beneath her own husband? Rather, this is one who encountered a certain man and sets her eyes upon him, while she is having relations with her husband, and her heart is upon him. The king of the Arabs asked Rabbi Akiva: I am black and my wife is black, and she bore me a white son — shall I kill her, for she played the harlot beneath me? He said to him: Do you have images within your house? He said to him: Yes. He said to him: Are the images of your house white or black? He said to him: White. He said to him: When you were occupied with her, she set her eyes upon the images, and bore one like them. And if you wonder about this matter, learn from the flock of Jacob, which came into heat from the rods, as it is said, "And the flock came into heat before the rods" (Genesis 30:39). And the king of the Arabs acknowledged Rabbi Akiva. Thus, every woman who is alone with her husband in holiness — in the end He raises up from her righteous children. So we find with Hannah, who was alone with her husband in holiness; the Holy One, blessed be He, did not withhold her reward, but rather gave her a righteous son like Moses, as it is said, "Though Moses and Samuel stood before Me" (Jeremiah 15:1), and it says, "Moses and Aaron among His priests, and Samuel among those who call on His name" (Psalms 99:6). And so Hannah said, "For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition" (1 Samuel 1:27). Why? Because he was sown in holiness. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In this world I have abhorred all the nations, because they are of impure seed, and I have chosen you, for you are of true seed, as it is said, "And I planted you a choice vine, wholly of true seed" (Jeremiah 2:21); and it is written, "The LORD your God has chosen you" (Deuteronomy 7:6). And even in the time to come I will choose none but you, for you are a holy seed, as it is said, "They shall not labor in vain, nor bear children for terror, for they are the seed blessed of the LORD" (Isaiah 65:23).

Another interpretation of (Numbers 8:6) TAKE THE LEVITES. This is what Scripture says (Psalms 11:5): THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS. The Holy One, blessed be He, does not raise a person to authority until He first tries and examines him; and once he stands firm in his trial, He raises him to authority. And so you find with our father Abraham: the Holy One, blessed be He, tested him with ten trials, and he stood firm in his trial, and afterward He blessed him, as it is said (Genesis 24:1), "And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things." And so too Isaac, He tested him in the days of Abimelech, and he stood firm in his trial, and afterward He blessed him, as it is said (Genesis 26:12), "And Isaac sowed in that land [... and the Lord blessed him]." And so too Jacob, He tested him with all those troubles - with Esau, and with Dinah, and with Joseph, and with how he went forth from the house of his father and his mother, "for with my staff I crossed [this Jordan]" (Genesis 32:11) - and He blessed him, as it is said (Genesis 35:9), "And God appeared to Jacob again [when he came from Paddan-aram, and He blessed him]." And so too Joseph, He tested him with the wife of Potiphar, and he was imprisoned for twelve years, and afterward he came out and was made king, because he stood firm in his trial. This is "THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS." And also the tribe of Levi gave their lives for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, so that the Torah would not be annulled. For at the time when Israel was in Egypt, they despised the Torah and circumcision, and were all idolaters, as Ezekiel reproaches them, as it is said (Ezekiel 20:5), "And you shall say to them: Thus says the Lord God, in the day when I chose Israel [...]." And what is written at the end? (Ezekiel 20:8) "But they rebelled against Me and would not listen to Me; [no man cast away the abominations of his eyes, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt]." What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought darkness upon the Egyptians for three days, and slew among them all the wicked of Israel, as He says (Ezekiel 20:36, 38), "[As I entered into judgment with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt] [...] and I will purge out from among you [the rebels and those who transgress against Me]." And so He says (Song of Songs 2:13), "The fig tree puts forth its green figs" - these are the wicked who were in Israel; "and the vines in blossom give forth their fragrance" - these are the ones who remained, who repented and were received; "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away" - for the time of the redemption had arrived. But the tribe of Levi were all righteous, and were performing the Torah, as it is said (Deuteronomy 33:9), "For they kept Your word" - this is the Torah; "and guarded Your covenant" - this is circumcision. And not only that, but when Israel made the calf, the tribe of Levi did not join in there, as it is said (Exodus 32:26), "And Moses stood in the gate of the camp and said: Whoever is for the Lord, to me! And all the sons of Levi gathered to him." Once Moses said (Exodus 32:27), "[Put] every man his sword upon his thigh," they immediately did so, and showed no favoritism. And so Moses blesses them, "the one who says of his father and his mother, I have not seen him [...]; for they kept Your word and guarded Your covenant" (Deuteronomy 33:9). When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were all righteous, and tested them and they stood firm in their trial, as it is said (Deuteronomy 33:8), "whom You tested at Massah," the Holy One, blessed be He, immediately said, "And the Levites shall be Mine," to fulfill what is said (Psalms 11:5), "THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS." But of the wicked it is written (ibid.), "and the wicked and the lover of violence His soul hates." David said (Psalms 128:1), "Happy is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in His ways."

(Numbers 13:21:) "SO THEY WENT UP AND EXPLORED THE LAND." How? Whenever they entered a city, the plague would strike down the great ones, and the people of the city were occupied with burying them; so the spies would enter, and no creature would see them. Therefore they said (Numbers 13:32): "THE LAND THROUGH WHICH WE PASSED..." [is a land that devours its inhabitants]. Through the very miracles that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed for them, they brought forth an evil report.

"So Moses said to Korah: Please listen, you sons of Levi" (Numbers 16:8). Is there a person who speaks with Joseph and says to Simeon, "Listen"? Some say that he was seeking that Korah turn back, and he spoke soft words before him. When he saw that Korah did not listen to him, he said: Before others join themselves together with him, let them turn back. He began to spur them on: "Please listen, you sons of Levi" (Numbers 16:8). Is the honor that is in your hands a small thing? "Is it too little for you, etc." (Numbers 16:9). He turned back to Korah: "And that He has brought you near, and all your brothers the sons of Levi with you" (Numbers 16:10) — for he was the great one in the tribe, so that his brothers became subordinate to him.

(1 Kings 5:11:) &ldquo;Than Ethan the Ezrahite&rdquo;, this is Abraham, as it is said, &ldquo;A maskil of Ethan the Ezrahite&rdquo; (Psalms 89:1). &ldquo;And Heman&rdquo; (1 Kings, ibid.), this is Moses, as it is said, &ldquo;He is trusted in all My house&rdquo; (Numbers 12:7). &ldquo;And Calcol&rdquo; (1 Kings, ibid.), this is Joseph, as it is said, &ldquo;And Joseph sustained&rdquo; (Genesis 47:12). The Egyptians said: Has this slave reigned over us for any reason but his wisdom? What did they do to him? They brought seventy tablets and wrote upon them seventy tongues, and they would cast them before him, and he read each and every one in its own tongue. And not only that, but he would speak in the Holy Tongue, which they had not the strength to comprehend, as it is said, &ldquo;He appointed it as a testimony in Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt; a language I knew not did I hear&rdquo; (Psalms 81:6). &ldquo;And Darda&rdquo; (1 Kings, ibid.), this is the generation of the wilderness, who had knowledge (de&rsquo;ah). &ldquo;The children of Mahol&rdquo; (ibid.), the children to whom the Shekhinah granted pardon (machal) for the deed of the calf.

(Numbers 29:35:) "On the eighth day you shall have a solemn assembly, etc." Let our master teach us: What is the rule concerning eating on the festival outside the sukkah? Thus our masters taught: [Rabbi Eliezer says:] A person is obligated to eat fourteen meals in the sukkah, one by day and one by night. But the Sages say: There is no fixed measure, except for the night of the first festival day [of the festival alone]. And why did the Sages permit one to be released from the sukkah on the last festival day? Rather, all seven days of the festival they were praying for dews, but on the last day they pray over the rains; therefore they are released from the sukkah, so that they may pray with a whole heart over the rains. And even so, the last festival day is counted toward the days of the festival. Why? Because thus it is written, "It shall be a solemn assembly (atseret) for you." And it would have been fitting for it to be fifty days after the festival, just as Atzeret comes fifty days after Passover. But the Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is winter, and they are unable to leave their houses and come here. Rather, while they are with Me, let them make the solemn assembly. How is this shown? From what they read on the matter: "On the eighth day a solemn assembly."

"How he encountered you on the way" (Deuteronomy 25:18). Rabbi Yehudah, Rabbi Nechemyah, and the Rabbis. Rabbi Yehudah says: "How he encountered you" means he defiled you, as you say, "from a nocturnal emission" (Deuteronomy 23:11). Rabbi Nechemyah said: He read you, literally. And what did Amalek do? He went down to the archive of Egypt and took the records of the tribes, on which their names were inscribed according to the count of the bricks. He would stand outside the cloud and call out to them: "Reuben, Simeon, Levi, come out, for I am your brother, and I wish to conduct trade with you." When they came out, he killed them. And the Rabbis say: "He encountered you" means he cooled you off before others. Rabbi Chanina said: To what is the matter comparable? To a boiling bath into which no creature could go down. A certain worthless man came, leaped, and went down into it; even though he was scalded, he cooled it off before others. So too, when Israel went out from Egypt and the sea was split before them and the Egyptians were sunk within it, dread of them fell upon all the nations, as it is said, "Then the chiefs of Edom were terrified... terror and dread fell upon them" (Exodus 15:15-16). When Amalek came and joined battle with them, even though he received what was his at their hands, he cooled them off before the nations of the world.

Another interpretation of "My root is open to the water" (Job 29:19): This is the Temple, whose gates were open to Torah, as it is said, "Ho, everyone who thirsts, go to the water" (Isaiah 55:1). It is just as our Rabbis taught: there were three courts there — one at the gate of the Temple Mount, one at the gate of the Courtyard, and one in the Chamber of Hewn Stone. Hence, "My root is open to the water," and so forth. And what is the meaning of "and dew lodges on my branches" (Job 29:19)? That the dew does not depart from there, as it is said, "Like the dew of Hermon," and so forth (Psalms 133:3).

(Genesis 37:14:) "SO HE SENT HIM FROM THE VALLEY OF HEBRON." But is there a valley in Hebron? Is it not entirely highland, as it is said (Numbers 13:22), "And they went up into the Negev, and he came to Hebron"? And likewise it says (Numbers 13:17), "Go up here into the Negev, and you shall go up into the hill country." Yet here it says, "from the valley (emek) of Hebron"! Rabbi Yochanan said: From the deep counsel (etzah amukah) which the Holy One, blessed be He, took between Himself and Himself, between the pieces, with Abraham.

Everything that the righteous do, they do through the Holy Spirit. Jacob, when he blessed Judah, blessed him with a lion, as it is said, "Judah is a lion's whelp" (Genesis 49:9) — corresponding to the kingdom of Babylon, of which it is written, "The first was like a lion" (Daniel 7:4); and Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah are matched against it. He paired Joseph against this wicked kingdom of Rome. Rabbi Samuel bar Nachman said: It is a tradition of aggadah that Esau falls only by the hand of the children of Rachel, as it is said, "Surely the youngest of the flock shall drag them away" (Jeremiah 49:20). And Moses paired the tribe of Levi against the kingdom of Greece — the sons of the Hasmoneans, who were of Levi. Levi is the third tribe, and this kingdom of Greece is the third. Levi has three letters, and Yavan (Greece) has three letters. This one offers up bulls, and that one writes upon the horn of the ox, "We have no portion in the God of Israel." These are many, and those are few. Moses saw them and blessed them, as it is said, "Bless, O Lord, his substance" (Deuteronomy 33:11). And Jacob paired Benjamin against the kingdom of Media, and it is written concerning the kingdom of Media, "And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear" (Daniel 7:5) — for it is set against the tribe of Benjamin, to which it is likened, as it is said, "Benjamin is a wolf that tears" (Genesis 49:27). Just as the wolf snatches, so did the tribe of Benjamin snatch, as it is said, "And you shall see, and behold, if the daughters of Shiloh come out... then you shall snatch for yourselves" (Judges 21:21).

(Exod. 7:10:) "And Moses and Aaron came [unto Pharaoh]…." It was fitting for Aaron to enter first, since he was three years older than him. However, Moses was greater than Aaron in the eyes of the Egyptians, as it is said (Exod. 11:3): "Moreover the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt [in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people]."

(Exod. 19:1:) ON THIS DAY THEY CAME TO THE WILDERNESS OF SINAI. Was it on this day that they came? Rather, when you are studying, let [the words of Torah] not be in your eyes as old, but as though this very day they were given. "On that day" is not written here, but ON THIS DAY. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: On this day I have given them the Torah, and individuals have toiled in it; but in the world to come I will teach it to all Israel, and they will not forget it. As it is said (in Jer. 31:32 [33]): FOR THIS IS THE COVENANT WHICH I WILL CUT WITH THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL AFTER THOSE DAYS, SAYS THE LORD: [I WILL PUT MY TORAH IN THEIR INWARD PARTS, AND UPON THEIR HEART WILL I WRITE IT]. And not only that, but I will increase peace among them. Isaiah said (in Isa. 54:13): AND ALL YOUR CHILDREN SHALL BE TAUGHT OF THE LORD, AND GREAT SHALL BE THE PEACE OF YOUR CHILDREN.

And He did an act of righteousness in that very exile, in that He watched over it, and He did yet another great kindness for Israel with regard to that exile. How so? In Tevet they were due to be exiled from Jerusalem, for so it says, "Son of man, write down for yourself the name of the day, [this very day]" etc. (Ezekiel 24:2). What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He said: If they go forth now in the cold, they will die. What did He do for them? He waited for them until the summer and exiled them. This is what the prophet says, "I will surely gather them, says the Lord" (Jeremiah 8:13); and "gathering" (asof) means nothing other than exile, as it is said, "I will utterly sweep away (asof) everything" etc. (Zephaniah 1:2). And the second: "And He said to him, Pass through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark (taw) upon the foreheads of the men" etc. (Ezekiel 9:4). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel: Go and inscribe upon the foreheads of the righteous a taw of ink, so that the angels of destruction will have no power over them; and upon the foreheads of the wicked a taw of blood, so that the angels of destruction will have power over them. The prosecution (kategoria) came in before the Holy One, blessed be He, [and said before Him]: Master of the Universe, how do these differ from those? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to it: These are wholly righteous, and those are wholly wicked. It said to Him: It was in their power to protest, yet they did not protest. He said to it: It is revealed and known before Me that had they protested, they would not have been heeded. It said before Him: Master of the Universe, how do these differ from those? Even so, it was in their power to demean themselves for the sanctification of Your name and to take upon themselves blows from Israel, just as the prophets bore them. For behold, Jeremiah suffered many troubles from Israel, and Isaiah, of whom it is written, "I gave my back to the smiters" etc. (Isaiah 50:6), and the rest of the prophets. Immediately He turned back and said to the angels of destruction, "Old man, young man, and maiden, little ones and women [you shall slay utterly]" (Ezekiel 9:6). This too was for good, in that the Holy One, blessed be He, vented His wrath upon Jerusalem, as it is said, "The Lord has spent His wrath" (Lamentations 4:11); for had it not been so, all Israel would have been liable to annihilation. Hence, "Evil shall not sojourn with You" (Psalms 5:5), for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not let His name rest upon evil. And even to Israel He apportioned honor and did not mention them for evil. When He came to the offerings, He said to Moses, "Speak to the children of Israel, When any one of you brings an offering to the Lord" (Leviticus 1:2) — of you, and not of the nations of the world. But when He came to warn about the plague-spots, He said, "When a man (adam) has on the skin of his flesh" — "a man of you" it does not say, but rather "When a man has on the skin of his flesh" etc. Hence, "Evil shall not sojourn with You."

R. Aha said: From where did they receive what was theirs (their due punishment)? It was simply that they did not occupy themselves with being fruitful and multiplying. They were saying: We are buds of the high priesthood, so should we take wives who are not worthy of us? R. Aha said (in the words of Ps. 78:63): "FIRE DEVOURED THEIR YOUNG MEN." Why? Because (ibid.) "THEIR MAIDENS HAD NO NUPTIAL SONG."

(Micah 6:3): AND HOW HAVE I WEARIED YOU? &hellip; [R. Berekhyah said:] A parable about a king who sent his proclamation to a province. What did the people of the province do? They took it, [they stood upon their feet,] and they uncovered their heads, and they read it in fear and in awe, in trembling and in dread. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: This recitation of the Shema is My proclamation. I have not burdened you, and I have not told you that you must recite it neither standing upon your feet nor with your heads uncovered, but (Deuteronomy 6:7) WHEN YOU SIT IN YOUR HOUSE, AND WHEN YOU WALK ON THE ROAD, AND WHEN YOU LIE DOWN, AND WHEN YOU RISE UP.

Another interpretation of "like Tirzah" (Song of Songs 6:4): Just as you make yourselves pleasing to Me through the offerings, as it is said, "And it shall be accepted for him, to make atonement for him" (Leviticus 1:4). "Comely as Jerusalem" (Song of Songs, there): like those ministering angels who fear Me and are made whole unto Me. "Awesome as bannered hosts" (there): like the banners that I gave to you. And David sees and says, "He has not done so for any nation" (Psalms 147:20)—but only for His people.

Another interpretation of (Job 29:19): "My root is open toward water." This was Jacob, who would run about in the houses of study that were open to the Torah. Therefore (the verse continues): "and dew lodges upon my branch." Indeed, when he comes to his father to receive ten blessings, it is with dew that He opens for you: "So may God give you of the dew of heaven" (Genesis 27:28), and so forth.

(Exodus 7:10:) "So Moses and Aaron came to Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded; Aaron cast down his rod." This was the beginning. And after that they brought on this plague, and after that a second plague. They performed all the deeds before him; nevertheless, he paid no heed.

Another interpretation: THEN SANG (Exod. 15:1). When Israel was encamped at the sea, the ministering angels came to praise the Holy One, blessed be He, but the Holy One, blessed be He, did not permit them, as it is said, AND THE ONE DID NOT COME NEAR THE OTHER, etc. (Exod. 14:20), and it says, AND ONE CALLED TO ANOTHER (Isa. 6:3). To what were they comparable? To a king whose son had been taken captive. He clothed himself in vengeance against his enemies and went to bring him back. The people came to say to him a hymn. He said to them: When I have redeemed my son, then you shall praise me. So too Israel were placed in distress at the sea. The ministering angels came to praise the Holy One, blessed be He; He rebuked them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: My children are placed in distress, and you would praise before Me? When they came up from the sea, Israel and the ministering angels sought to say a song. Rabbi Avin the Levite said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who went down to war and was victorious, and his son and his servant came, a crown in their hands to set upon the king's head. They came to the king and said to him: Your son and your servant are standing, and a crown is in their hands; who shall enter first? He said to them: Fools of the world! My servant before my son? Let my son enter first. So too, when Israel came up from the sea, Israel and the ministering angels came to say a song. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the ministering angels: Let Israel be first. THEN SANG MOSES [AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] (Exod. 15:1). The women and the ministering angels were found standing; who would praise first? Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said: The Master of Peace made peace between them, as it is said, THE SINGERS WENT BEFORE, THE MINSTRELS AFTER, AMONG THE MAIDENS PLAYING TIMBRELS (Ps. 68:26). THE SINGERS WENT BEFORE (the minstrels)—these are Israel; (and afterward) [after] THE MINSTRELS—these are the angels; (and afterward) AMONG THE MAIDENS PLAYING TIMBRELS—[these are the women]. Rabbi Levi said: By the heavens, I do not accept this thing! Rather the women praised first, because "after the minstrels"—these are Israel, "among the maidens playing timbrels"—these are the women. The ministering angels began to complain before the Holy One, blessed be He. They said: Is it not enough for us that the men preceded us, but the women too? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: By your lives, so it is. Rabbi Helbo said in the name of Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman: See what is written, THEN A SPIRIT LIFTED ME UP, AND I HEARD BEHIND ME (Ezek. 3:12). What is "behind me"? After I and my companions had praised, afterward the ministering angels went and said, BLESSED BE THE GLORY OF THE LORD FROM HIS PLACE (ibid.). Rabbi Pinhas the Priest bar Hama said: What is written? WHEN THEY STOOD, THEY LET DOWN THEIR WINGS (Ezek. 1:24). What is [WHEN THEY STOOD]? Whoever hears "when they stood" might suppose that perhaps there is sitting above—[Heaven forbid, there is no sitting above]—rather, all stand, as it is said, SERAPHIM STOOD, etc. (Isa. 6:2), and so it says, I CAME NEAR TO ONE OF THOSE WHO STOOD THERE (Dan. 7:16). What is "when they stood"? Rather, when Israel stand and praise the Holy One, blessed be He, at that hour they let down their wings.

Our rabbis say: it was because they fed their eyes on the Shekhinah. They said: Did not Moses do thus, who went up to the firmament and gazed upon the Shekhinah, and needed neither eating nor drinking? So too we, since we are gazing upon the Shekhinah, we need neither eating nor drinking. Even so, "and they beheld God" (Exodus 24:11), yet they needed eating and drinking, as it is said, "and they ate and drank" (ibid.). From that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to stretch out His hand against them. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: I will wait until the Tabernacle is made, and they will enter to offer, and I will execute upon them the attribute of justice, as it is said, "when they drew near before the Lord, and they died" (Leviticus 16:1). Twice is "before the Lord" written: "And Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord, when they offered strange fire [before the Lord]" (Numbers 3:4). Why twice? Said the Holy One, blessed be He: Bring out the dead from before Me, for thus it is written, "Draw near, carry your brothers away from before the sanctuary" (Leviticus 10:4). As it were, when Israel is in distress, He too is with them, for thus it is written, "In all their distress He was distressed" (Isaiah 63:9). Said Rabbi Meir: "So the Lord saved on that day" (Exodus 14:30) — "He was saved" is written. Said Rabbi Abbahu: See what is written, "Before Ephraim and Manasseh, stir up Your might and come for our salvation" (Psalms 80:3) — the redemption is Yours and ours. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: In the world to come I will redeem you, and you will rejoice and I will rejoice, [as it is said,] "May the Lord rejoice in His works" (Psalms 104:31); "Let Israel rejoice in its Maker" (ibid. 149:2).

Another interpretation of "And how have I wearied you?" (Micah 6:3). Rabbi Judah bar Simon said: I handed over to you ten beasts, three within your reach and seven not within your reach. These are the ones within your reach: the ox, the sheep, and the goat. And these are the ones that are not within your reach: the deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain-sheep. I did not burden you, and I did not tell you to climb up the mountains and to wear yourselves out in the fields to bring before Me an offering from those [that are not within your reach], but rather from those that are within your reach, that grow up at your feeding-trough. This is what is written: "An ox, or a sheep, or a goat" (Leviticus 22:27).

"And behold, he was wandering" (Genesis 37:15). The angel said to him: Do you not know that you are going to go astray? He said to him: "I am seeking my brothers" (Genesis 37:16). "And the man said: They have journeyed on from here" (Genesis 37:17). What is the meaning of "from here"? Once they see you, they become cruel.

"If I had a sword in my hand, I would kill you now" (ibid.). A parable: to a physician who came to heal with his tongue one who had been bitten by a snake on the road. He saw a lizard on the road and began to seek a stick to kill it. They said to him: This one you are not able to take up <without a stick>? How then did you come to heal with your tongue one bitten by a snake? So too the she-ass said to Balaam: Me you are not able to kill unless there is a sword in your hand, and how do you wish to uproot an entire nation? He was silent and found no answer. The princes of Moab began to be astonished, for they saw a miracle the like of which had never been in the world. And there are those who say that he said to them: She is not mine. She answered him: "Am I not your she-ass, upon which you have ridden ever since I was yours until this day?" (Numbers 22:30). From this you have learned that he was not an old man, for she was older than he.

"Is not this the one from which my lord drinks, and from which he indeed divines?" (Genesis 44:5). "And they rent their garments, and each man loaded his ass, and they returned to the city" (Genesis 44:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: You caused your father's garments to be rent over a worthless matter; so too shall you rend your garments over a worthless matter. "And each man loaded his ass" (ibid.) — not one of them had need of his ass. And they stood and beat Benjamin upon his shoulders and said to him: "Hey, thief, son of a thief! You have shamed me. You are your mother's son. Thus did your mother shame our father" — "And Rachel stole the teraphim" (Genesis 31:19). By virtue of those blows with which they struck him upon his shoulders, he merited that the Shekhinah rested upon his shoulders, as it is said: "And He dwells between his shoulders" (Deuteronomy 33:12).

(Genesis 44:14:) WHEN JUDAH AND HIS BROTHERS CAME TO JOSEPH'S HOUSE. What is the meaning of TO JOSEPH'S HOUSE? Was it not so that every single day he went out to judge upon the rostrum? Rather, on that day he did not go out, so as not to shame his brothers in the presence of the Egyptians.