Midrash Tanchuma Reader

[Another interpretation of (Numbers 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS.] The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In the past I was required to bless My creatures. I blessed the first man and his wife, as it is stated (Genesis 1:28), "And God blessed them, etc." I blessed Noah and his sons, as it is stated (Genesis 9:1), "And God blessed Noah and his sons." I blessed Abraham, as it is stated (Genesis 24:1), "And the Lord blessed Abraham in everything." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: From now on, behold, the blessings are handed over to you, as it is stated (Genesis 12:2), "And be a blessing." What did Abraham do? He fathered two, Ishmael and Isaac, and he did not bless them. A parable: to what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and gave it to a tenant-farmer. Within that orchard was one tree of the drug of life, and one tree of the drug of death grafted upon it. The tenant-farmer said: If I water the tree of the drug of life, the tree of the drug of death drinks. The tenant-farmer said: I will work and complete my time, and whatever the king wishes to do in his orchard, let him do. The king is the Holy One, blessed be He, and the orchard is the world. The Holy One, blessed be He, handed it over to Abraham; He said to him, "And be a blessing." What did Abraham do? He had two sons, one righteous and one wicked, Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham said: If I bless Isaac, Ishmael will ask that I bless him, and he is wicked. Rather, I am flesh and blood; when I depart from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, will do His will. When Abraham departed, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to Isaac and blessed him, as it is stated (Genesis 25:11), "And it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac his son." And Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes, as it is stated (Genesis 49:28), "All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve." From now on, said the Holy One, blessed be He, behold, the blessings are handed over to you; and the priests shall bless My children.

[Another interpretation of (Proverbs 24:21): "Fear the LORD, my son, and the king."] Whoever fears the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes a king. From whom do you learn this? From Abraham: because he feared the Holy One, blessed be He, he became a king, as it is said, "For now I know that you fear God" (Genesis 22:12). And from where do we know that he became a king? [Rabbi Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said in the name of Rabbi Helbo:] It is written, "to the Valley of Shaveh, that is, the Valley of the King" (Genesis 14:17). [What is the Valley of Shaveh?] That they all became equal (hushvu) and took counsel and cut down cedars and made a throne and seated him upon them as king. And do not say Abraham alone, but Moses too: because he feared the Holy One, blessed be He, he became a king. [And from where do we know that he feared? As it is said, "And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God" (Exodus 3:6). And from where do we know that he became a king?] As it is said, "And he became king in Jeshurun" (Deuteronomy 33:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I have made you a king. Just as, when a king goes out to war, they blow trumpets before him, so too you, when you go out to war, they shall blow trumpets before you, as it is said, "Make for yourself two trumpets of silver" (Numbers 10:2).

"And they went and came <to Moses and to Aaron and to all the congregation of the children of Israel>…" (Numbers 13:26). "And they recounted to him and said: We came <to the land to which you sent us, and it does indeed flow with milk and honey, and this is its fruit>…" (ibid., ibid. 27); "However, <the people that dwell in the land are> strong…" (ibid., ibid. 28). Such is the way of those who recount slander: they open with what is good and conclude with what is evil.

[Another interpretation of (Ecclesiastes 8:1): "Who is like the wise man?" This is Adam the first man, for it is written concerning him, "You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom" (Ezekiel 28:12). "And who knows the interpretation of a word?" — for he explained the names for all the creatures, as it is said, "And Adam called names to all the cattle" (Genesis 2:20). "A man's wisdom lights up his face" — Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Menasya: the round of the heel of Adam the first man would dim the sphere of the sun. And do not be astonished at this, for by the way of the world a man makes two platters, one for himself and one for a member of his household; whose does he make beautiful — is it not his own? So too Adam the first man was created for his own use, and the sphere of the sun for the use of the creatures. Is it not all the more so that the round of his heel would dim the sphere of the sun? And if his heel was like this, the radiance of his face all the more so.]

(Deuteronomy 25:19:) "And it shall come to pass, when the LORD your God grants you rest from all your enemies round about… you shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek." Rabbi Azariah said that Rabbi Judah bar Simon said in the name of Rabbi Judah bar Il'ai: Israel was commanded concerning three commandments upon their entry into the Land,

(Gen. 27:30:) "AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN ISAAC HAD FINISHED BLESSING JACOB, AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT JACOB HAD JUST GONE OUT, GONE OUT." Two goings-out are written here: "gone out, gone out." {Isaac said:} Isaac's gateway had two ends, a gate from the north and a gate from the south. Jacob went down with the platter in his hand; he saw Esau and hid himself behind the door, for one who is in the light does not see the one [who is in the darkness]. Therefore: "had just gone out, gone out," for had Esau seen him, he would have killed him. Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: At the second hour Esau used to go in to study with his father, and at the sixth hour he would go out. But while Jacob was delayed [so much] over all this business, where was Esau until that hour? Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: He was hunting game and binding it, but the angel would loose it and drive it away. That is what is stated (Prov. 12:27): "A deceitful man shall not roast his game, but the precious wealth of a person is diligence." The Holy One, blessed be He, said: It was not known to Jacob what miracles were performed for him, for at the moment that he went out, Esau came in, as it is stated, "And it came to pass that Jacob had just gone out, gone out," etc. Therefore David said (Ps. 86:10): "For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God." You know what miracles and wonders You are doing with this person, but he does not know. This person sleeps upon his bed and arises to put on his clothes; unless they make a search for whether there is a snake or a scorpion in them, he will cast them off without knowing of them, and be saved from them. Therefore David said to Him: It is for You alone to do wonders for us; it is upon us to bless You, as it is stated (Ps. 72:18): "Blessed be the LORD God [of Israel, who alone does wondrous things]." In Egypt You did miracles for us, and we recited a song to You at the Sea. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: In this world I have done wonders for you and redeemed you from the bondage of Egypt; so too am I destined to redeem you in the time to come from the bondage of Edom, and to do wonders for you, as it is stated (Micah 7:15): "As in the days of your coming out [from the land of Egypt] I will show him wonders."

Another interpretation (of Psalms 55:19): "He has redeemed my soul in peace." The verse speaks of Rachel. Rachel said: "He has redeemed my soul in peace" — by what merit did the Holy One, blessed be He, give me sons? Because "they were with me in great number" (Psalms 55:19), through Jacob and Leah praying for me. Therefore it is said (Genesis 30:22): "And God remembered Rachel."

(Exodus 3:10:) "So come now, and I will send you to Pharaoh." Rabbi Eleazar says: "So now, for you" — for you Israel was watching, for you Israel was hoping. "So now, for you" — there is greatness for you in this matter. Rabbi Yochanan said: [The Holy One said to him:] To you is this matter handed over.

Another interpretation (of Proverbs 22:29): "Do you see a man diligent in his work?" This speaks of Moses. What is written? "And it came to pass in those {many} days, when Moses had grown up, <that he went out to his brethren>" (Exodus 2:11). Rabbi Judah says: Do not all children grow up, that Scripture should say of him "had grown up"? Rather, he was five years old yet was found to be like one eleven years old. What is written? "And the child grew" (Exodus 2:10), [and] "and Moses grew up" (Exodus 2:11) — two times. Above, in stature; below, in greatness. What was his greatness? That he went out to his brethren.

Another interpretation of "He confirms the word of His servant" (Isaiah 44:26): this is Moses, as it is said, "Not so My servant Moses" (Numbers 12:7). "And fulfills the counsel of His messengers" (Isaiah 44:26): this is Moses, as it is said, "And He sent a messenger and brought us out of Egypt" (Numbers 20:16). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Go, say to Israel, "I will pass through the land of Egypt" (Exodus 12:12). Moses went and said to Israel, "About midnight" (Exodus 11:4). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Have I not already promised Moses and said, "Not so My servant Moses"? I did not say so, and shall My servant Moses appear as a liar? Rather, just as Moses said "about midnight," so too I will act at the middle of the night, to fulfill the decree of Moses. Thus, "He confirms the word of His servant." Therefore, "And it came to pass at midnight" (Exodus 12:29). This teaches that the night divides itself, and He divided it precisely, like a hair's breadth.

And it also says (in Isaiah 30:6), "a viper and a flying serpent." What is a "flying serpent" (saraf me'ofef)? The bird that flew over it was immediately burned (nisraf). Rabbi Hiyya the Great said: There was a certain man in the Land of Israel whose name was Merutah ("Plucked Bare"). Why was his name called Merutah? They said: One time he went up to gather wood from the mountain, and he saw the serpent sleeping, but the serpent did not see him; and out of his terror his hairs fell out, and they called him Merutah, and no hair grew upon him until the day of his death. Thus (Deuteronomy 8:15), "who led you," and so forth.

(As it is said, in Exodus 34:27:) "Write for yourself." The first tablets — I wrote them, as it is said (in Exodus 31:18): "written with the finger of God"; but the second ones — "you write for yourself." To what is the matter comparable? To a king who married a woman and wrote her a gamitos (that is, a marriage contract) at his own expense. She did nothing but corrupt herself, so he expelled her. Her bridal sponsor came and reconciled her to the king. The king said to her: "Behold, I have been appeased; only go and make another gamitos."

Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Hama bar Hanina: The Holy One, blessed be He, tied together thirteen bridal canopies for Adam the First in the Garden of Eden, as it is written (Ezekiel 28:13): "In Eden, the garden of God, you were; every precious stone was your covering." Resh Lakish said: Eleven. And the Rabbis say: Ten. Yet they do not disagree. The one who makes them thirteen makes "every precious stone was your covering" into three. The one who makes them eleven makes it into one. And the one who makes them ten does not make even one of them. And after all this praise (comes): "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (Genesis 3:19), and "the boldness of his face is changed" (Ecclesiastes 8:1) — at the moment when he said, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, (she gave me of the tree, and I ate)" (Genesis 3:12). And the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise changed His face and drove him out of the Garden of Eden, as it is written (Genesis 3:23): "And the Lord God sent him out of the Garden of Eden."

To appoint a king over them, as it is written (Deuteronomy 17:15): "You shall surely set a king over yourself." And to build the House of Choice, as it is written (Exodus 25:8): "And they shall make Me a sanctuary." And to blot out the remembrance of Amalek, as it is said: "You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek."

(Gen. 14:16:) "AND HE BROUGHT BACK ALL THE PROPERTY." Immediately (in Gen. 14:17): "AND THE KING OF SODOM CAME OUT." When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw Abraham pursuing the sixteen kings and their legions, He seated him at His right hand, as it is said (Ps. 110:1): "The utterance of the LORD to my lord: Sit at My right hand…." They said: In that war the stride of Abraham our father was four miles, and he ran until he had killed all the kings and their legions, and he passed on in peace, as it is said (Isa. 41:3): "He pursues them, he passes on in peace…." Immediately the king of Sodom came out to meet him, as it is said (Gen. 14:17): "And the king of Sodom came out to meet him." He said to him: "I beg of you (Gen. 14:21), give me the persons, and take the property for yourself." Whether he wished it or did not wish it, he said to him: "Had they killed me, they would have taken all my possessions; now that you have rescued me, take for yourself the possessions and give me the persons." Therefore it is said: "And take the property for yourself." Immediately Abraham swore, as it is said (Gen. 14:22): "And Abram said to the king of Sodom: I have lifted up my hand…." And "lifting up" is nothing other than an oath, as it is said (Dan. 12:7): "And he lifted up his right hand and his left hand to the heavens, and swore by the One who lives forever."

What did Joseph do? He commanded that the names of the people who entered, which were written down each and every day, be brought to him. They came in on the first day, and the names of those who had entered were brought before him, and so each and every day they would inform him. When Joseph's brothers came down, they did not all enter through one gate. The keeper of the gate would say to him, "What is your name?" He said to him, "Reuben son of Jacob son of Isaac," and likewise Simeon, and likewise all of them. They brought the written records to Joseph. When he read them, he knew that his brothers were there. He sent for Manasseh his son. He said, "See where they are going." Manasseh went and saw them going about in the marketplace, going out from this market to that market, from this lane to that lane. He sent after them and they came before him. When he saw them he surely recognized them, "but he made himself a stranger to them" (Genesis 42:7). What is the meaning of "he made himself a stranger to them"? Rabbi Yohanan said: He became as a stranger toward them. "And he said to them, 'From where do you come?'" (ibid.). He said to them, "You are spies" (ibid. 42:9). They said to him, "No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food" (ibid. 42:10). "We your servants are twelve brothers" (ibid. 42:13). Rabbi Yohanan said: It is like a raven that brought fire into its nest. He said to them, "Are you brothers?" They said to him, "Yes." "And why did you not all enter through one gate?" They said to him, "Because our father commanded us thus, on account of the eye." He said to them, "By the life of Pharaoh, surely you are spies" (Genesis 42:16). When he would swear falsely, he would swear by the head of Pharaoh. To what is the matter comparable? To a woman who stole a sheep from the flock and fled, and the shepherd was running after her. She went to her house and covered it with a garment. The shepherd said to her, "Have you seen a sheep?" She said to him, "May I eat the flesh of this one lying on the bed, for I know nothing." So too Joseph: when he wished to swear falsely, he would swear by the life of Pharaoh. "And they said to him, 'No, my lord; your servants have come to buy food'" (ibid. 42:10). He said to them, "You should know that you are spies. Why were you going about and circling the whole province?" They said to him, "We had a brother, and we sold him as a slave, and from the hour that we sold him, our father sits and mourns over him. And we have come down with the money in our hands, to say: wherever we find him, we will redeem him." He said to them, "Can a man who sells a thing go back on it?" They said to him, "For this we have come down, and double the money is in our hands to redeem him." He said to them, "And what if he does not wish to sell him?" They said to him, "Even if we are burned over him, we will not move until we redeem him." He said to them, "That is what I said to you, saying: you are spies" (ibid. 42:14). What did he do? "And he took Simeon from them" (ibid. 42:24). He said, "He bound me and cast me into the pit; I too will bind him." What did they do? They loaded up and went to their father, "and they told him all that had befallen them" (ibid. 42:29). He said to them, "Go, buy us a little food" (ibid. 43:2). Judah said to him, "The man solemnly warned us, saying, 'You shall not see my face' etc." (ibid. 43:3). He said to them, "I will not send Benjamin even if I am killed." They said to him, "It is better for you to lose one soul and not seventy." What did he do? He set his heart upon Benjamin and began to pray over them: "And may God Almighty grant you mercy before the man" (Genesis 43:14) — because they had said "the man spoke" (ibid. 42:30), therefore he said "before the man."

(Exodus 2:13:) "And he went out on the second day, and behold, two Hebrew men were striving together (nitzim)." Rabbi Abbahu said: their heels were striking heel against heel and bringing forth sparks (nitzotzin). (Ibid.:) "And he said to the wicked one, Why do you strike your fellow?" Rabbi Isaac said: From here you learn that anyone who raises his hand against his fellow is called wicked, as it is said, "And he said to the wicked one." (Ibid. 2:14:) "He said to him, Who appointed you?" Rabbi Judah the Levite son of Rabbi Shallum said: Moses was saying before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, why is this nation enslaved? There are seventy nations in the world, and none of them is enslaved except this nation alone. "Surely this sin is known," as it is written, "Surely the matter is known" (Exodus 2:14), that it is not for nothing that you are enslaved. What did Moses do? "And Moses fled from before Pharaoh" (Exodus 2:15), and he went to Midian, to Jethro. "A man diligent in his work" (Proverbs 22:29) — this is Moses; "he shall stand before kings" — this is Pharaoh; "he shall not stand before obscure men (chashukhim)" — this is Jethro. For the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Go, return to Egypt" (Exodus 4:19), and He said to him, "Rise early in the morning" (Exodus 9:13). Rabbi Nehemiah said: Behold, you have made the holy profane and the profane holy. "He shall stand before kings" — before the Holy One, blessed be He; "he shall not stand before obscure men (chashukhim)" — this is Pharaoh, as it is said, "And in Tehaphnehes the day shall be darkened (chashakh)" (Ezekiel 30:18).

(Exodus 12:29:) "And it came to pass at midnight, that the LORD (literally: and the LORD) smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt." Rabbi Eleazar ben Padat said: Wherever it is stated "and the LORD," it means He and His council. The Holy One, blessed be He, sat over them in judgment, and the court on high decreed that the firstborn of Egypt should be smitten. Therefore (Scripture says): "And it came to pass at midnight," and so forth.

[Another interpretation] (of Psalms 92:13): "The righteous one shall flourish like the palm." Just as this palm tree produces dates and produces thorns, everyone who seeks to steal the dates, the thorns prevail over him, so it is with the righteous: everyone who does not guard his soul from them is stricken. Why? Because their bite is the bite of a fox, and their sting is the sting of a scorpion, and their hiss is the hiss of a serpent, and even all their words are like coals of fire (Avot 2:10).

Another interpretation of (Numbers 23:7) "From Aram": I was with the high one (ram) of the upper realms, and Balak brought me down from my glory. The matter is comparable to one who was walking with the king. When he saw robbers, he left the king and went strolling with the robbers. When he came back to walk with the king, the king said to him: "Go with the one you strolled with, for it is impossible for you to walk with me any longer." So too Balaam had been bound to the Holy Spirit; when he joined himself with Balak, the Holy Spirit departed from him, and he reverted to being a diviner as he had been at first, as it is stated (Joshua 13:22), "And Balaam [ben Beor] the diviner." Therefore he cried out: "I was high (ram), and Balak brought me down."

Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said in the name of Rabbi Alexandri: One verse says, "You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek" (Deuteronomy 25:19), and another verse says, "For I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek" (Exodus 17:14). How can these two verses be reconciled? Before they stretched out their hands against the throne, "You shall blot out"; once they stretched out their hands against the throne, "I will blot out." Is it possible for flesh and blood to stretch out his hand against the throne of the Holy One, blessed be He? Rather, it is through the one who destroyed Jerusalem, as it is written, "For at that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord" (Jeremiah 3:17). Therefore it is written, "For I will utterly blot out."

(Genesis 14:23:) "Not from a thread to a shoe-strap <will I take anything that is yours>." Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, has promised me that He will make me rich, as it is said (Genesis 12:2): "And I will make your name great." Should I then take from what is yours, so that you would say, "I have made Abram rich"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said: You said, "not from a thread." By your life, I Myself shall give to your children an altar with a thread of red dye encircling it, just as our Rabbis taught (in Mishnah Middot 3:1).

Resh Lakish said: This teaches that before the plague there was another blow. How so? Every time the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to bring a plague upon the Egyptians, He would send Moses and say to him: Go, say to them that I am bringing such-and-such a plague upon them. And at the time when the plague of the firstborn came, Moses said to them (Exodus 11:4): "About midnight."

Another interpretation (of Exodus 34:27): WRITE DOWN FOR YOURSELF THESE WORDS (devarim). In every place where "word" (davar), "words of" (divrei), and "words" (devarim) are said, they are rebukes. It is written (in Hosea 1:1): THE WORD OF (devar) THE LORD THAT CAME TO HOSEA. What is written there (in verse 9)? FOR YOU ARE NOT MY PEOPLE. It is written (in Jeremiah 1:1): THE WORDS OF (divrei) JEREMIAH. What is written there (in Jeremiah 15:2)? THE ONE WHO IS FOR DEATH, TO DEATH. It is written there (in Deuteronomy 1:1): THESE ARE THE WORDS (devarim). What is written there (in Deuteronomy 32:24)? WASTED WITH HUNGER, etc.

[Another interpretation:] (Psalms 92:13) "The righteous one shall flourish like the palm tree." This speaks about the tribe of Levi, whom the Holy One set apart on account of their good deeds. What is written after it? (Psalms 92:14) "Planted in the house of the LORD, in the courts of our God they shall flourish" — to teach you that they never stirred from the Temple, as it is said (Psalms 101:6), "My eyes are upon the faithful of the land [that they may dwell with Me; he who walks in the way of the blameless, he shall minister to Me]." Therefore it is said, "Planted in the house of the LORD," for the courtyard was never lacking them, as it is said, "in the courts of our God they shall flourish." What is the meaning of "in the courts"? This is what Scripture says (Psalms 65:5): "Happy is the one whom You choose and bring near, [that he may dwell in Your courts; may we be satisfied with the goodness of Your house, the holiness of Your Temple]." The Holy One said: Since they are My legions, go and number them. Therefore it is said (Numbers 3:15), "Enroll the children of Levi…"

Another interpretation of (Numbers 23:7) &ldquo;From Aram he leads me&rdquo;: Balaam said to Balak: We are alike, the two of us, in being ungrateful, for were it not for our father Abraham, there would have been no Balak, as it is said (Genesis 19:29) &ldquo;And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham and sent Lot out.&rdquo; For were it not for Abraham, Lot would not have escaped from Sodom, and you are one of the children of the children of Lot. And were it not for Jacob their father, I would not have endured in the world, for Laban saw no sons except by the merit of Jacob, since at first it is written (Genesis 29:9) &ldquo;And Rachel came with the sheep.&rdquo; Now if he had sons, how was his daughter a shepherdess? Once Jacob went there, sons were given to him, as it is said (Genesis 31:1) &ldquo;And he heard the words of the sons of Laban,&rdquo; and it says (Genesis 30:27) &ldquo;I have learned by divination that the Lord has blessed me for your sake.&rdquo; And were it not for their fathers, I and you would not have endured in the world.

"When Judah saw her, he thought her to be a harlot, because she had covered her face" (Genesis 38:15). But Rabbi Yochanan said: She had covered her face the whole time she was in her father-in-law's house, and therefore he did not recognize her. From here our Rabbis said: A man must be acquainted with his daughter-in-law. Judah said: This is a harlot; what concern of mine is she? And he went on his way. Once he had gone on his way, she lifted her eyes to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said before Him: Master of the Universe, shall I go out empty from the body of this righteous man? Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, sent Michael and brought him back. From where do we know this? For here it is written, "So he turned aside to her" (Genesis 38:16), and there it is written, "And the she-donkey saw the angel of the Lord… and the she-donkey turned aside" (Numbers 22:23). "And he said to her, Come now…" (Genesis 38:16). Why? "Because he did not know that she was his daughter-in-law." "And he said, I will send you a kid of the goats" (Genesis 38:17). He said to her: What pledge shall I give you? "And she said, Your signet…" (Genesis 38:18). "And he came to her, and she conceived" (Genesis 38:18). Scripture lacks nothing of them. And what is "she conceived by him"? Rather, that she gave birth to kings like him. "And it came to pass about three months later…" (Genesis 38:24). Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi son of Rabbi Shalom said: At three months a woman is recognizable, whether she is pregnant or not.

(Genesis 38:24:) AND IT WAS TOLD TO JUDAH, SAYING: TAMAR YOUR DAUGHTER-IN-LAW HAS PLAYED THE HARLOT, AND MOREOVER, SHE IS PREGNANT BY HARLOTRY. What is the meaning of BY HARLOTRY? That she would enter the bathhouse and say to her companions: Make way before me, for I am laden with kings. Now Isaac and Jacob and Judah were sitting there in judgment. They said (Genesis 38:24, continued): BRING HER OUT AND LET HER BE BURNED. Rabbi Yochanan said: In monetary cases they begin with the eldest, but in capital cases they begin with the youngest and conclude with the eldest. And why does one speak with the youngest <first>? Because in this way they ascribe the corruption to the youngest. Why did he say LET HER BE BURNED and not say "let her be killed"? Ephraim Maksha'ah, in the name of Rabbi Meir, said: She was the daughter of Shem, and Shem was a priest; therefore he said: BRING HER OUT AND LET HER BE BURNED. And they were dragging her and bringing her out against her will, as it is said (Genesis 38:25): AS SHE WAS BROUGHT OUT. And as she was being brought out she sought the pledge, but she did not find them. In that hour she lifted her eyes to heaven. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, sent her others.

"Come, curse Jacob for me" (Numbers 23:7). Had you told me to curse another nation, such as [the children of] Abraham and Isaac, I would have been able to do so. But Jacob? When a king selects a portion for himself, and another comes and speaks disgrace against it, does he keep his life? Now these are His inheritance, His portion, and His treasure, as it is said, "For the LORD's portion is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance" (Deuteronomy 32:9), "and you shall be My treasure from among all the peoples" (Exodus 19:5).

OR A SANDAL STRAP (Gen. 14:23). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: By virtue of this I am giving your children the commandment of Passover, as stated (in Exod. 12:11): "And thus shall you eat it: with your loins girded, your sandals on your feet, <and your staff in your hand>." Another interpretation: Because you said, "from a thread to a sandal strap" (Gen. 14:23), I praise your children, as stated (in Song of Songs 7:2): "How beautiful are your steps in sandals."

Another interpretation. Rabbi Judah the Levite son of Rabbi Shallum said: When she was going out, the Holy One, blessed be He, lit up her eyes, and she found them after she had lost them; for there is no "finding" except out of the category of what was lost, as it is written, "Or has found what was lost" (Leviticus 5:22). Immediately she sent to Judah, "to the man to whom these belong" (Genesis 38:25). She said to him, "Judah, recognize, I pray, your Creator." Immediately, "And Judah recognized" (Genesis 38:26). At that hour a heavenly voice (bat kol) went forth and said to him: Say, "She is pregnant by me," so that she not be burned. And afterward he acknowledged: "From me was the matter." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Judah, you have saved three souls for Me from the fire, and one from the pit. By your life, I too will save for you just as you have saved for Me. Who are they? Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the fiery furnace, and Daniel from the lions' pit. What is written concerning them? "And among them, from the children of Judah, were Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah" (Daniel 1:6). "From the children of Hezekiah" is not written here, but "from the children of Judah." On account of what? On account of his having saved Tamar and her children, and Joseph from the pit. When Reuben heard that Judah had acknowledged, immediately he too arose and said: I also have profaned my father's couch. Eliphaz said to Job, "I will show you, hearken to me; and this I have seen, and I will declare it, that which wise men have told" (Job 15:17-18)—these are Reuben and Judah. Therefore, "to them alone was the land given" (Job 15:19). When? "And no stranger passed among them" (ibid.)—when Moses came to bless them, what did he say? "Let Reuben live and not die," and "And this is for Judah" (Deuteronomy 33:6-7).

"And Benjamin" (Genesis 43:15). These are the tribes of Judah and Benjamin. In that hour a song will be uttered, [as it is said:] "And they shall come and sing aloud on the height of Zion, and shall stream to the goodness of the Lord, over grain and over wine and over oil, and over the young of the flock and of the herd; and their soul shall be like a watered garden, and they shall never languish again" (Jeremiah 31:12).

(Numbers 23:7:) "And come, denounce Israel." A parable: A king who took a crown and set it upon his head, and a person said of it that it is nothing—does he get to keep his life? And concerning these it is written (Isaiah 49:3): "Israel, in whom I will be glorified."

Another interpretation: "If from a thread" — I praise your children with a thread, as it is said: "Like a scarlet thread are your lips" (Song of Songs 4:3). Another interpretation: You said, "If from a thread to a sandal strap" — by virtue of this I exact punishment from their enemies, as it is said: "Upon Edom I will cast my shoe" (Psalms 60:10). You spurned the reward of flesh and blood; see what reward is prepared for you before Me, as it is said: "Your reward shall be very great" (Genesis 15:1).

And the whole earth was of one language (Gen. 11:1). What is written in Scripture before this verse? These are the families of the sons of Noah … and of these were the nations divided in the earth (Gen. 10:32). This is followed by the verse and the whole earth was of one language.

Solomon declared: Though thou shouldst pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart from him (Prov. 27:22). This verse indicates that if one beats a fool, the fool forgets the first blow, even while the staff is suspended above his head for the second blow. And with a pestle among groats implies that as soon as the staff is raised, he has already forgotten the second blow. Hence, Yet will not his foolishness depart from him.

Nahman the son of R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said: This may be compared to a bottle filled with locusts. One locust climbs the side of the bottle and falls; a second also climbs and falls; and a third does likewise. The third locust learned nothing from the experience of the second, and the second learned nothing from the experience of the first. When the generation of Enoch called their idols by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: Then began men to call by the name of the Lord (Gen. 4:26), the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned the Mediterranean Sea and a third of the world was inundated, as it is said: That calleth for the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the face of the earth, the Lord is His Name (Amos 5:8). And it says also: The waters wear the stones, the overflowings thereof wash away the dust of the earth; so Thou destroyest the hope of man (Job 14:19).

Nevertheless the generation of the flood said to God: Depart from us (Job 21:14). Because they had failed to learn anything at all from the experience of the generation of Enoch, as a result their memory was ultimately obliterated from the earth.

Similarly, the generation of the separation failed to learn from the experience of preceding generations. Hence it is written: Though thou shouldst pound a fool in a mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart (Prov. 27:22). What is meant by among groats (harifut)? This refers to the men of the generation of the separation, who blasphemed (m’harifin) the Unique One of the world.

And the whole earth was of one language. The letter sin is written in the word safah (“language”) because they brought shafu (“retribution”) upon the world. They had declared: What right has He to select the celestial sphere for Himself and assign the terrestrial sphere to us? Let us ascend to the firmament and attack Him with axes.

They separated into three groups. One said: “Let us go and dwell there”; the second insisted: “Let us go up and wage war against Him”; and the third shouted: “Let us go and serve idols there.” Those who said “Let us go and dwell there” were scattered abroad by the Holy One, blessed be He; those who insisted “Let us go and wage war against Him” were transformed into apes, spirits, and demons; and those who said “Let us go and serve idols there” were punished, as specified in the verse Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongue (Ps. 55:10). Thus it is said: And the Lord dispersed them from there (Gen. 11:8).

R. Aibu stated in the name of (R. Eliezer the son of) R. Yosé the Galilean: Mankind rebelled against the Holy One, blessed be He, three times. The first rebellion was this one; the second occurred in the days of Joshua, as it is said: They gathered themselves together, to fight with Joshua and with Israel, with one accord (Josh. 9:2); and the third will transpire in the days of Gog and Magog, as it is said: The kings of the earth stand up and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord (Ps. 2:2).

In this instance each man said to his neighbor, Cush to Put, and Put to Canaan: Come, let us make brick (Gen. 11:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, thereupon declared: You evil men, because you have sinned with the words Come, let us, I shall confound you through those very words, as it is said: Come, let us go down there and confound their language (ibid., v. 7). R. Hiyya the son of Abba said: One third of the tower they erected was consumed in fire, another third was swallowed into the earth, and the remainder was left standing. Yet if one climbed to the summit of the remaining third, the palm trees in Jericho below appeared no larger than grasshoppers.

You find that the evil deeds of the generation of the flood were made explicit, but the evil deeds of the generation of the separation were not made explicit. Job said in reference to the generation of the flood: There are that remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks and feed them. They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take away the widow’s ox for a pledge (Job 24:2–3). They would cross over into each other’s territory and violently take away flocks and feed them; that is, they would steal each other’s sheep. They drive away the ass of the fatherless implies that whenever they saw an orphan’s ass, they would take it from him. They take the widow’s ox for a pledge indicates that whenever a widow inherited an ox, they would come and take it from her.

When others beheld their actions, they stripped off their clothing and went about naked, as it is said: So that they go about naked, without clothing (ibid., v. 10), and have no covering in the cold (ibid., v. 7). They did so because these wicked men had shouted at God: Depart from us … what is the Almighty that we should serve Him? (Job 21:14–15).

To what may the generations of the flood and the separation be compared? To the two sons of a king. One tells the king: “I cannot tolerate you or your problems”; the other declares: “Either you or I must rule. Are not all men your equal?”

Similarly, the men of the generation of the flood proclaimed: “Come, let us build us a city (Gen. 11:4), so that He may descend to earth and we may ascend to heaven. But if He should not descend, then let us wage war against Him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, did not restrain them, but declared instead: Do whatever ye desire, as it is said: And now nothing will be withholden from them, which they propose to do (ibid., v. 6). He that sitteth in heaven laugheth. The Lord hath them in derision (Ps. 2:4). Had He not permitted them to build the tower, they would have claimed: “If we had built the tower, we would have ascended and waged war against Him.” Therefore, He allowed them to erect the tower. After that, He looked down upon them and scattered them, as is said: Thence did the Lord scatter them (Gen. 11:9). He rebuked them, saying: You declared Lest we be scattered over the entire earth; therefore you shall be scattered over the face of the earth. Hence it is written: The fear of the wicked, it shall come upon them (Prov. 10:24).

And the Lord came down to see the city (Gen. 11:5). Was it necessary for Him to descend to see it? Is not everything patent and revealed to Him, as it is said: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him (Dan. 2:22)? He descended in order to teach men never to render a decision against another man or to testify concerning any matter unless he has witnessed it.

And the Lord said: Behold, they are one people, and they have all one language; and this is what they begin to do, and now nothing will be withholden from them (Gen. 11:6). What is the meaning of the words and now? They mean that though they had rebelled against Him, were contumacious, and had built a tower, the Holy One, blessed be He, stretched out His right hand toward them so that they might repent, as it is said: And now, Israel, what does the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God (Deut. 10:12). But they replied: Nothing will be withholden (yibazer) from them. Even if those men were cut off (nivzarim) from the world, they would not repent, as it is said: As a grape-gatherer (bozer) cutteth off the shoots (Jer. 6:9).

And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine (Gen. 17:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: Thou art fairer than the children of man; grace is poured upon thy lips; therefore, God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one, thy glory and thy majesty (Ps. 45:3–4). Concerning whom did Korah’s sons sing this song? They sang it about Abraham, the fairest of Adam’s descendants. Who were the descendants of Adam? They were: Seth, Cain, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuseleth, Lamech, Noah, and his sons. Whence do we know that Noah’s sons were called the sons of Adam? It is said: And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of Adam builded (Gen. 11:5).

Grace is poured upon thy lips alludes to the fact that you said to the king of Sodom, I will not take a shoe-latchet. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, hath blessed you forever. Indeed, all you have done was previously known and revealed to Me: your descent into the furnace to sanctify My name; the ten trials you underwent; your pursuit after the kings; and the manner in which you were glorified. Hence, if you desire to make yourself great in this world, Gird thy sword about thy thigh (Ps. 45:4). That is, perform the circumcision between your thighs, and it will add to your majesty and your glory.

I will establish My covenant between Me and thee. He was not aware which part of his body was to be circumcised. And so the Holy One, blessed be He, indicated the place of circumcision when he said; And I will make thee exceedingly fruitful. That is to say, at the place through which you increase and multiply you are to be circumcised. However, Bar Kappara was of the opinion that Abraham decided upon the place of circumcision by analogy. He said to himself: “Which part of a tree is subject to the law of orlah? It is that part of the tree which produces fruit, and so I must be circumcised at the place from which I will produce my fruit.”

And it came to pass after these words that God did prove Abraham (Gen. 22:1). What words were spoken? Ishmael had said to Isaac: I am superior to you, for I underwent circumcision at the age of thirteen, and underwent the pain (that accompanied it), while you were merely eight days old at the time of your circumcision and could feel no pain. Why, even if your father had wished to slaughter you, you would not have known the difference. If you had been thirteen years old, you could not have tolerated the anguish that accompanies circumcision. Isaac retorted: That is not so! Even if the Holy One, blessed be He, should command my father: “Slaughter thy son Isaac,” I would not resist. Immediately thereafter Scripture states: And it came to pass after these things that God did prove Abraham.

When the Holy One, blessed be He, embarked upon the creation of the world, the ministering angels said to him: What is man, that Thou art mindful of (lit. remember) him? (Ps. 8:5). The Holy One, blessed be He, responded: You have asked me, What is man, that Thou art mindful of him? because you beheld the wickedness of the generation of Enosh, but now I will reveal to you the greatness of Abraham so that you may remember him, as is said: And God remembered Abraham (Gen. 19:29).

You (angels) say (to Me), What is man, that Thou dost remember Him? because it is said The Lord remembered Sarah, but now you are destined to see a father who is willing to slay his own son, and a son who is willing to be sacrificed for the sake of My Holy Name.

And Moses went and returned to Jethro, his father-in-law (Exod. 4:18). Scripture states elsewhere: But he is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth (Job 23:13). R. Pappos explained this verse as follows: Because He is the Unique One in the world, no one can stay His hand. He does whatever He desires, for what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. R. Akiba replied: By your life, Pappos, that is not the correct interpretation of this verse. Pappos then asked: What then is the meaning of He is at one with Himself and who can turn him? He replied: Just as men consult each other on earth, so the heavenly beings consult each other. How do we know that? It is written: The matter is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones; to the intent that the living may know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will, and setteth it up over it the lowest of men (Dan. 4:14). In other words, just as men debate a law here on earth, so do those above, and every decision rendered is in accordance with the law, as it is said: Howbeit I will declare unto thee that which is inscribed in the writing of truth (ibid. 10:21).

The Holy One, blessed be He, ponders the matter in question and asks: What should the law be? Whereupon they respond: It should be such-and-such. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees, as you may learn from Micaiah: And Micaiah said: “Therefore hear thou the word of the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left hand (I Kings 22:19). But is there actually a left hand on high? No; it means that those on the right (side of God) balance the scale on the side of merit, and those on the left balance the scale on the side of guilt. And the Lord said: “Who shall entice Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramoth-gilead?” And one said: On this manner; another said: On that manner (ibid., v. 20). This teaches us that they considered every decision with regard to the law, and the Holy One, blessed be He, discussed the law with them.

What is meant by But He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? (Job 23:13). It means that after the law was determined, the Holy One, blessed be He, would enter the place in which they were not permitted to go and seal the judgment, as it is said: He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? That is, He knows the opinions of all His creatures, and there are none who could challenge His words.

Another comment on He is at one with Himself, and who can turn Him? Because He is the Unique One in the world, no one can challenge His words. You know this from the fact that though Jonah strove to avoid fulfilling his assignment, as it is said: And Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish (Jonah 1:1), the Holy One, blessed be He, said: We see one who is ready to flee but he goes (where he is commanded to go). So Jonah arose, and went unto Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord (ibid. 3:3).

Jeremiah said: I cannot speak, for I am a child (Jer. 1:6). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to him: Say not: “I am a child”; for to whomsoever I shall send thee, thou shalt go (ibid.). He did not leave where he was until he went where he was commanded to go. Hence, And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. Moses said: Send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send (Exod. 14:13). And he did not depart until he went (where he was commanded to go).

And Moses went, and returned unto Jethro his father-in-law. Prior to this is written: And when the Lord saw that he returned to see … and He said: “Moses, Moses” (Exod. 3:4). R. Abba the son of Kahana said: Everyone whose name is repeated in immediate succession experiences life in both worlds: Noah, Noah (Gen. 6:9); Abraham, Abraham (ibid. 22:11); Jacob, Jacob (ibid. 46:2); Moses, Moses (Exod. 3:4); Samuel, Samuel (I Sam. 3:10); Perez, Perez (Ruth 4:15). However, someone retorted: Is it not also written: These are the generations of Terah, Terah (Gen. 11:27). He replied: Even he had a portion in both worlds, for our patriarch Abraham was not buried until he was assured that his father, Terah, had repented, for it is said: But thou shalt go to thy fathers in peace (ibid. 15:15). Abraham said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe: Shall I go to my fathers, though I have stored up good deeds in this world? The Holy One, blessed be He, answered: Be assured: Thy father hath repented. Hence his name was repeated.

And Moses led Israel onward from the Red Sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur (Exod. 15:22). The wilderness of Shur is actually the wilderness of Kazab. They say that the wilderness of Kazab was eight hundred parasangs square and was filled with serpents and scorpions, as is stated: Who led thee through the great and dreadful wilderness, wherein were serpents, fiery serpents, and scorpions (Deut. 8:15). R. Yosé the son of Hanina declared: The serpents were the size of the beam of a house, and the scorpions were the width of a span.

It is related that while King Shapur (of Persia) was passing through that place with the members of his family, a serpent swallowed one of them. As he continued along, a second member of his family was swallowed up and then a third. King Shapur was deeply saddened, but he did not know what to do. His counselors advised him: “Summon ten mighty men to fill the place with a layer of straw.” He summoned them and they did so. They placed straw around the serpent, and he swallowed it. Then they placed more straw around him, and he swallowed it as well. This continued until his belly swelled up, and they killed him. Hence, Who led thee through the great and dreadful wilderness, wherein were serpents, fiery serpents, and scorpions, and thirsty ground where was no water; who brought thee forth water out of the rock of flint (Deut. 8:15). It says also: The burden of the beasts of the south. Through the land of trouble and anguish, from whence come the lioness and the lion, the viper and the flying serpent (Isa. 30:6). The word ef’eh is employed with reference to a viper. They say that when a viper looks at the shadow of a bird flying through the air, the bird immediately becomes entranced and falls apart. Nevertheless, they did not say: Where is the Lord that brought us out of the land of Egypt, that led us through the wilderness, through a land of deserts and of pits, through a land of drought and of the shadow of death (Jer. 2:6). What is meant by the word tzalmavet (“shadow of death”)? A place where there is tzal (“shadow”) accompanied by mavet (“death”).

R. Aha stated: Our great Rabbi told me that there was one man in the land of Israel whom they called the bald-headed one. One time this man went up a mountain to gather wood, when he saw a sleeping serpent. Though the serpent did not see him, he was so terrified by the sight that the hair of his head fell out. The hair did not grow back until his dying day. That was the reason they called him the bald-headed one.

Behold, I sent an angel before thee (Exod. 23:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I will send an angel before you but not before them. Whereupon Moses replied: If you send it before me alone, I do not desire it. Rather Let the Lord, I pray thee, go in the midst of us (Exod. 34:9). Observe the difference between the early generations and the later ones. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Behold, I will send an angel before you, he replied: I desire no one but You, whereas, when Joshua the son of Nun beheld an angel, he prostrated himself on the ground, as it is said: And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down. And he said to him: “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” (Josh. 5:13–14).

R. Isaac queried: What did the angel do when he heard the question: Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? He began to cry out from the nails of his feet (i.e., to weep uncontrollably), and he said to him: Nay, I am captain of the hosts of the Lord; I am now come (ibid.). Twice I have come to lead Israel, I am he who came in the days of Moses your master, and he rejected me because he did not wish me to accompany him, and now I have come once again. Forthwith Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said unto him: What saith my lord unto his servant? (ibid., v. 14). However, though Moses rejected him, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: I send an angel before thee to keep thee by the way (Exod. 23:20), and, as well, before everyone who observes the law.

R. Simeon the son of Lakish stated: It is written: He will cover thee with His pinions, and under His wings shalt thou take refuge; His truth is a shield and a buckler (Ps. 91:4). He said to him: We will make a shield for you and for all who observe the law, since His truth is a shield and a buckler. Therefore to keep thee indicates that He will guard you by means of the law.

To keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared (Exod. 23:20). This one verse from Scripture makes it evident that the earthly Temple corresponds to the heavenly Temple.

Take heed of him, and hearken unto his voice (ibid., v. 21). Why? Because you are not worthy to hear My voice. Listen to the voice of the angel even though he is unable to forgive your transgressions. Why is he not able to do so? He is of the class (of creatures) that do not sin. Thus it is written: For he will not pardon your transgressions (ibid.).

Another explanation of He will not pardon your transgressions. Why not? For he is only a messenger, and a messenger can only do what he is sent to do. I alone can lift up countenances (i.e., grant pardon), as it is said: The Lord lift up His countenance unto thee (Num. 6:26). David cried out: Master of the Universe, you trust us into the keeping of an angel who cannot pardon us, but if Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who can stand? (Ps. 130:3). If You should say: Forgiveness is not available to you, For with Thee there is forgiveness that Thou mayest be feared (ibid., 4), therefore do not place over us the angel who is guardian of the Inner Sanctum, since it is said: For he will not pardon your transgressions. Why? For it is said My name is in him (Exod. 23:21) (i.e., he is only my messenger). R. Simeon the son of Lakish said: The name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is coupled with every angel, as it is said: For My name is in him.

Moses declared: I do not wish an angel to accompany us, only You. If You will not accompany us, we shall not leave this place, as it is said: For wherein now shall it be known that I have found grace in Thy sight, I and Thy people? Is it not in that Thou goest with us? (ibid. 33:16). The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Be assured that even if the angel does not accompany you, I shall send a hornet ahead of you.

How do we know this? Because the Amorites perished. R. Levi said: The Holy One, blessed be He, attached two hornets to each of the angels, and they went ahead and poured poison into the eyes of an Amorite. His eye would split open, and the man would fall to the ground and die. R. Aha the son of Rab stated: Their bodies trembled, and they became weak in the presence of the Israelites, who then slew them. Our sages stated: Their faces turned black as the soot of a burning furnace, and they became weak in the presence of the Israelites, who killed them.

R. Abba the son of Kahana maintained: The Holy One, blessed be He, bound them before the Israelites, and they attacked and killed them, as it is said: So the Lord our God delivered into our hand Og (Deut. 3:3). He delivered them into their hands just as a man binds his son’s enemy and places him before his son. You should not maintain that the Amorites were small of stature. Observe what is written about them: Yet destroyed I the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath (Amos 2:9). I destroyed his fruits from above refers to their guardian angel, and his roots from beneath alludes to the Amorites.

And so He would do in the future, He would punish their guardian angels and then the kings of the nations, as it is said: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord will punish the host of the high heaven on high, and the kings of the earth upon the earth (Isa. 24:21). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: In this world I will send an angel to make the peoples of the world flee from you, but in the future I will lead you and I will send Elijah before you, as it is said: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord (Mal. 3:24).