Midrash Tanchuma Reader

(Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy.” Why? Because I have made you cling to My loins, as stated (in Jer. 13:11), “For as the girdle clings unto one's loins, [so I have made all the House of Israel and all the House of Judah cling to Me, says the Lord].” Therefore, “You shall be holy, because I, the Lord am holy.”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, [i.e.,] to Israel, “I am not like flesh and blood. With a king of flesh and blood, mortals have no right to be called by his name. You yourself know that, when someone wants to accuse his fellow, he calls him Augustus so-and-so; and there is no life for him. But Israel is called by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.” He is called God (Powers); and He has called Israel powers, as stated (in Ps. 82:6), “I said, ‘You are powers.’” He is called wise, as stated (in Job 9:4), “One wise of heart and mighty in strength”; and He has called Israel wise, as stated (in Deut. 4:6), “surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”

God is called beloved, as stated (in Cant. 5:10), “My beloved is bright and ruddy”; and He has called them beloved, as stated (Cant. 5:1), “eat, friends, [and drink to excess, beloved ones].” He is called chosen, as stated (in Cant. 5:15), “stately (literally: chosen) as the cedars”; and He has called them chosen, as stated (in Deut. 7:6), “the Lord your God has chosen you.” He is called pious, as stated (in Jer. 3:12), “’For I am pious,’ says the Lord”; and He has called them pious, as stated (in Ps. 50:5), “Gather to me, my pious ones.”

He is called holy, as stated (in Is. 6:3), “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts,” and also (Ps. 99:9), “for the Lord our God is holy”; and He has called Israel holy, as stated (in Lev. 19:2), “You shall be holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world you have been called holy. In the world to come (according to Is. 4:3), “And it shall come to pass that the one who is left in Zion and who remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy.”

(Lev. 22:26-27:) “And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘When a bull or a sheep or a goat is born.” This text is related (to Ps. 36:7), “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains; Your judgments are like the great deep….” “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains.” These are the righteous ones, in that they have been compared with mountains, where it is stated (in Micah 6:2), “Hear, O mountains, the claim of the Lord.” (Ps. 36:7, cont.:) “And Your judgments are like the great deep.”

These are the wicked, since it is stated (in Exod. 15:5), “The depths covered them.” “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains.” These are the righteous, [for] just as these mountains grow herbs, so the righteous possess good works. (Ibid., cont.:) “And Your judgments are like the great deep.” These are the wicked, [for] just as the deep does not grow herbs, so the wicked do not possess good works. (Ps. 36:7:) “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains.”

Just as the mountains are suitable for sowing and producing fruit; so do the righteous produce fruit, in that they do good for themselves and do good for others. To what is the matter comparable? To a gold bell with a pearl clapper.

Similarly the righteous do good for themselves and do good for others. Thus it is stated (in Is. 3:9), “Tell the righteous that [all is] well for them, for they shall eat the fruit of their works.” (Ps. 36:7 cont.:) “And Your judgments are like the great deep.” These are the wicked. Just as the deep is unable to sow and grow fruit, so the wicked do not possess good works and do not grow fruit.

Instead they are distressing for themselves and for others. Thus it is stated (in Is. 3:10), “Woe to the bad wicked, as the recompense of his hands will be done to him.” He is bad for himself and bad for others. (Ps. 36:7:) “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains [and Your judgments are like the great deep].” Transpose the text and interpret it: Your righteousness over your judgments is like the mighty mountains over the great deep.

Just as these mountains hold down the deep, so that it does not rise up and inundate the earth, so the works of the righteous hold back the divine retributions, so that they will not come into the world. (Ps. 36:7:) “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains.” Just as these mountains have no end, so there is no end to the reward of the righteous in the world to come. (Ibid., cont.:) “Your judgments are like the great deep.”

Just as the deep has no limit, so there is no limit to the divine retributions of the wicked in the world to come. (Ps. 36:7:) “Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains (literally, mountains of God); [Your judgments are like the great deep].” R. Ishmael and R. Aqiva [differ]. R. Ishmael says, “Since the righteous (rt.: tsdq) carry out the Torah, which was given from the mountains of God, the Holy One, blessed be He, treats them with a charity (rt.: tsdq) like the mountains of God.

But since the wicked do not carry out the Torah, which was given from the mountains of God, the Holy One, blessed be He, deals strictly with them, even unto the great deep.” R. Aqiva says, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is as strict with the former as with the latter. From the righteous he collects in this world for a few evil deeds which they have committed, in order to render them full payment in the world to come; while he gives prosperity in abundance to the wicked and pays them in this world for the few good deeds that they have done, in order to punish them in the world to come.”

R. Meir says, “[Scripture] has spoken metaphorically of the righteous in their abode, and it has spoken metaphorically of the wicked in their abode. It has spoken metaphorically of the righteous in their abode, even as stated (in Ezek. 34:14), “I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the mountains of the Lofty One of Israel shall be their fold.”

And it has spoken metaphorically of the wicked in their abode, as stated (in Ezek. 31:15), “Thus says the Lord God, ‘In the day that he went down to Sheol, I caused him to mourn (he'evalti); I covered him with the deep.’” The written text is "I led" (hovalti, not “I caused… to mourn [he'evalti]”). R. Judah bar Ammi told a parable, “One does not make a cover for a vat of silver, gold, bronze or iron, but rather of clay, because that is a material of the same sort. Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Geihinnom is darkness,’ as stated (in Ps. 35:6), ‘Let their path be darkness and slipperiness, with the angel of the Lord pursuing them.’

Moreover, the deep is darkness, as stated (in Gen. 1:2), ‘with darkness upon the face of the deep.’ And the wicked are darkness, as stated (in Is. 29:15), ‘for their works are in darkness; so they say, “Who sees us and who knows about us?”’ So let darkness come and cover darkness, just as you have said (in Eccl. 6:4), ‘For it comes in vanity and goes in darkness; even its name is covered in darkness.’”

Another interpretation (of Lev. 27:2) “When anyone explicitly vows […]”: This text is related (to Prov. 11:30), “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, but a wise person acquires lives (npshwt).” If a person is righteous, and does not occupy himself with Torah, even though he is righteous, he has nothing in his possession. Rather, “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life”; this refers to the Torah.

Because when one is a Torah scholar (literally, child of Torah), he learns how one acquires lives (npshwt), as stated (ibid.), “but a wise person acquires lives.” As if he makes a vow for the value of human beings, he would have learned what to do from the Torah. But if he does not have Torah in his possession, he has nothing in his possession. And so you find in the case of Jephthah the Gileadite, because he was not a Torah scholar, he lost his daughter. When?

In the time that he fought with the Children of Ammon and made a vow at that time, as stated (in Jud. 11:30-31), “Then Jephthah made a vow to the Lord, [and said, ‘If You indeed give the Children of Ammon into my hand;] Then it shall be that whatever comes forth…, shall belong to the Lord, and I will offer it up as a burnt offering.’” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If there had come out from his house a dog, a pig, or a camel, he would have offered it to Me.”

Hence He summoned his daughter to him. And why so much? So that all those that vow will learn the laws of vows and abnegations. [And the result was (in Jud. 11:34-35),] “and there was his daughter coming out to greet him [….] And it came to pass, when he saw her, that he rent his clothes […].”

But was not Phinehas there? And still he said (in vs. 35), “and I cannot retract?” However, Phinehas had said, “I am a high priest and the son of a high priest. Shall I humble myself and go to an ignoramus ('am ha'arets)?” [And] Jephthah said, “I am head of the tribes of Israel and head of the magistrates.

Shall I humble myself and go to a commoner?��� Between the two of them that poor woman perished from the world; so the two of them were liable for her blood. In the case of Phinehas, the holy spirit left him. In the case of Jephthah, his bones were scattered, as stated (in Jud. 12:7), “and he was buried in the cities of Gilead.” When he sought to sacrifice her, she cried in front of him.

His daughter said to him, “My father, I came out to greet you in joy, and [now] you slaughter me? Is it perhaps that the Holy One, blessed be He, wrote in the Torah that Israel offer the lives (npshwt) of people in front of the Holy One, blessed be He? And is it not written (in Lev. 1:2), ‘When one of you presents an offering to the Lord from the beasts.’ ‘From the beasts’ and not from people?”

He said to her, “My daughter, I made a vow (in Jud. 11:31), ‘Then it shall be that whatever comes forth […].’ Is it possible that anyone who makes a vow does not have to fulfill his vow?” She said to him, “Behold, when our father Jacob made a vow (in Gen. 28:22), ‘and of all that You give me, I will surely set aside a tithe for You’; when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him twelve sons, did he ever offer up one of them as a sacrifice?

Moreover, does not Hannah [do likewise], when she makes a vow and says (as reported in I Sam. 1:11), ‘And she made a vow and said, “Lord of hosts, if You will surely see… [then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life].”’ Did she ever offer up her son as a sacrifice to the Holy One, blessed be He?” All these things she said to him, but he did not heed her. When she saw that he did not heed her, she said to him, “Let me go to a court of law.

Perhaps one of them will find a loophole for your words.” Thus it is stated (in Jud. 11:37), “leave me alone for two months, so that I may go and come down to the mountains.” R. Zechariah said, “Is there anyone who comes down to the mountains? Does not one go up to the mountains?

So what is the meaning of ‘and come down to the mountains?’ These represent the Sanhedrin, as in the usage (of Micah 6:2), ‘Hear, O mountains, the lawsuit of the Lord.’” She went to them, but they did not find a loophole for undoing his vow, because of the sin of those that he slaughtered from the tribe of Ephraim. So it is with reference to him that Scripture has said (in Prov. 28:3), “A poor man who exploits the indigent is a torrential rain which leaves no bread.”

“A poor man who exploits the indigent.” This is referring to Jephthah; since he was poor in Torah like a [mere] sycamore shoot. (Prov. 28:3, cont.:) “Who exploits the indigent,” since he exploited the indigent, when he said [to the men of Ephraim] (in Jud. 12:6), “Say, ‘Shibboleth’; and he said, ‘Sibboleth,’ not being able to pronounce it correctly.”

Then he slaughtered him. Therefore, he is (according to Prov. 28:3, cont.) “a torrential rain, and there is no bread,” in that he had someone who would undo his vow; however (ibid., cont.), “there is no bread,” in that the Holy One, blessed be He, had taken away the halakhah from them, so that they would not find [a loophole] for undoing his vow. When they did not find [a loophole] for undoing his vow, he went up and slaughtered her before the Holy One, blessed be He.

Then the holy spirit proclaimed, “Did I desire you to sacrifice lives (npshwt) to Me, [lives] (according to Jer. 19:5), ‘which I never commanded, never spoke for, and which never entered My mind.’” “Which I never commanded” Abraham, that he slaughter his son. Instead I said to him (in Gen. 22:12), “Do not raise your hand against the lad.” [This was] in order to make known Abraham’s love [of God] to the nations of the world, that he did not spare his only one from Me and carried out the will of his Maker. (Jer 19:5 cont.:) “Never spoke” to Jephthah to offer up his daughter as a sacrifice to Me.

Rabbi Johanan and R. Simeon ben Laqish [differed on the matter]. Rabbi Johanan says, “He was liable for money [in order to fulfill his vow], like the matter is written in Arakhin.” And R. Simoen ben Laquish said, “[He was liable for] nothing, as he made a stipulation about something that is impossible to sacrifice, and [so] there was no [liability] upon him.” “And which never entered my mind,” this is referring to Misha the king of Moab, about whom it is written that when he fell into the hand of the king of Israel (in II Kings 3:27), “And he took his firstborn son, who would become king in his stead, and offered him up as a burnt offering upon the wall.”

What caused Misha to sacrifice his son? Because he was not a Torah scholar; for if he had read the Torah, he would not have lost his son, since it is written (in Lev 27:2-4) “When anyone explicitly vows [to the Lord the value of human beings (npshwt)] And the value of a male shall be […]. And if it is a female….” Ergo (in Prov. 11:30), “but a wise person acquires lives (npshwt).”

(Numb. 1:1-2) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert […,] ‘Take a census of the whole congregation.” This text is related (to Ps. 147:20), “He has not done so for any nation, and they do not know His laws, Hallelujah.” [The situation] is comparable to a king who took [his] first wife and did not write her a marriage contract. He divorced her and did not give her a bill of divorce. He did the same for the second and for the third. [In due time] when he saw a certain poor orphan, a woman of noble ancestry, he wanted to marry her. He said to his shoshevin (i.e., to his best man), “I want to marry this one, and I shall not behave with her as with the previous ones. This is a woman of noble ancestry.

She is modest in her actions and worthy. Write her a marriage contract [stating] in which week, in which year, in which month, on what day of the month, in which era.” [This is] just as it is written in Esther (2:16), “So Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, unto his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, created the generation of the flood and did not write down when He created them.

He removed them from the world and did not write down when He removed them. It is simply [stated] (in Gen. 7:11), “on that day all the springs of the great abyss burst forth and the windows of the heavens were opened.” And it was similar for the generation of the dispersion (Gen. 10:1-9); similar for the sodomites; and similar for the Egyptians. [However,] when Israel arose, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I will not behave with these as with those previous ones, as these are descendants from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore it is written in which month, on what day of the month, in which year, in which era, in which province I raised up their horn and gave them a head held high.”

It is therefore stated (in Numb. 1:1), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert,” i.e., the province; “in the tent of meeting,” i.e., the metropolis; “on the first day of the month,” i.e., the day; “in the second year,” i.e., the year. In which month? (Ibid., cont.)

“In the second month.” [“After their Exodus from the land of Egypt,”] i.e., the era. Why (in vs. 2) “Take a census (literally: raise the head) of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel…?” To fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 147:20), “He has not done so for any nation….” What did He do? He raised their heads, as stated (Ps. 148:14), “He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, even the Children of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah”.

(Numb. 5:12:) “If anyone has his wife go astray (tisteh).” Our masters have taught, “The adulterers do not commit adultery, until a spirit of madness (shetut) enters them. Thus it is stated (ibid.), ‘If anyone has his wife go astray.’” [Here] we have learned about the woman.

Where is it shown about the man? Where it is stated (in Prov. 6:32), “The one who commits adultery with a woman is has no sense (literally, is lacking heart).” Another interpretation (of Numb. 5:12), “If anyone has his wife go astray.” This text is related (to Jer. 23:24), “If someone hides in secret places, [shall I not see him?]”

See, is it not already written (Psalms 16:3), “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the bad and the good.” And so too is it written (in Zech. 4:10; cf. II Chron. 16:9), “the eyes of the Lord; they roam around all the earth.” [So] what do we learn to say (in Jer. 23:24), “Shall I not see Him (ar'ennu)?” [Interpret these words as follows:] Shall I not show him (ar'ennu) to the people and publish his works? (Jer. 23:24, cont.), “’Do I not fill the heavens and the earth,’ says the Lord.”

I fill the realms above and the realms below, as stated (Is. 66:1), “The heavens are My throne and the earth is My footstool.” Another interpretation of (Jer. 23:24), “[If someone hides in secret places], shall I not see him? It is comparable to an architect [who] went out as a katarikos (tax official) over a certain province.

The inhabitants of the province began hiding their silver and gold within the very caves [that he had built]. The architect said to them, ‘I built the province, and I made the hidden treasuries. Will you hide [anything] from me?” Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, has said to adulterers, “Will you hide yourselves from me?” [It is as in (Jer. 23:24),] “If someone hides in secret places, I have created you and made your every cavity (mehilim mehilim).” [It is so stated (in Deut. 32:18),] “but you forgot the God who generated you (meholelekha).”

Nothing will be useful to you, wherever you hide yourselves, because (according to Jer. 17:10:) “I the Lord search the heart, probe the kidneys, to render to each according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” I am the one who brings (rt.: qrb) you to judgment, as stated (in Mal. 3:5), “Then I will draw near (rt.: qrb) unto you in judgment; and I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers […].”

Therefore, you shall not go astray after the evil drive, so that none of you have his wife go astray, according to what is stated (in Numb. 5:12), “If anyone has his wife go astray.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 5:12), “If anyone (literally, if a man a man) [has his wife go astray].” [These words are] to teach you that she is going astray and being false with two, with the “Man of war” (as in Exod 15:3) above and with her man (husband) below. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to her, “You lie to your husband, can you perhaps lie to Me? A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To someone who was imprisoned within two houses, one inside the other. Now two guards were there, one on the inside and one on the outside. [The prisoner] opened [the door of] the inner [house] and left, and the guard did not notice him.

When he came to leave the outer one, [the guard] did notice him. He seized him and said to him, “At that [guard] on the inside you laughed, but at me you cannot laugh.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, has said to the adulterous woman, “At your husband you laugh, but at me you cannot laugh. Rather I sit and laugh at My creatures.” It is so stated (in Ps. 2:4), “The One sitting in the heavens shall laugh […].

(Numb. 16:5:) “In the morning [the Lord will make known those who belong to him].” What reason did he have for saying, “In the morning He will make known?” Moses said, “Perhaps they said this thing because they had been excessively eating and drinking.” He therefore said, “In the morning.”

Perhaps between now and then they will repent. He said to them, “I have no authority to enter [the tabernacle] now. Even though there is no eating and no drinking, it is simply because of us [that we are forbidden to enter] as we have taken food and drink.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 16:5), “In the morning.”

Moses said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has distinguished boundaries for those in His world. Can you confuse morning with evening? And that is what is written in the beginning (in Gen. 1:5), ‘There was evening and there was morning.’ And (in vs. 4) ‘God separated the light and the darkness,’ for its use in the world.

And just as he made a separation between the light and the darkness, so did he separate Israel from the nations, [as stated] (in Lev. 20:26), ‘I have separated you from the [other] peoples to be Mine.’ So also did he separate Aaron, as stated (in I Chron. 23:13), ‘Aaron was separated to consecrate the most holy things.’ If you can confuse those distinctions in which he made a separation between the day and the night, you may be able to nullify this.”

For this reason he said to them (in Numb. 16:5), “In the morning the Lord will make known [those who belong to Him].” Such a one is already designated; (according to ibid., end) “the one whom He will choose He will have draw near unto Him.” (Numb. 16:6:) “Do this; take censers, [Korah and all his company].” What was his reason for saying this to them? He said to them, “In the religions of the nations there are many laws, and they do not all assemble in one house. Now as for us, we only have one God, one Torah, one justice, one altar, and one high priest; but you two hundred and fifty men are [yet all] seeking high priesthood! I also am willing in this regard.” (Numb. 16:11:) “Therefore you and all your company” have come together against the Lord. (Numb. 16:6 -7:) “Do this, take censers.

And place fire in them.” Here you have a ministry more precious than all the others. It is the incense, the most precious of the sacrifices. But a deadly poison had been put within it, through which Nadab and Abihu were burned.

He therefore warned them (in vs. 7, cont.), “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one,” And do we not know that the one that the Lord chooses is the holy one? It is simply that Moses said to them, “See, I am telling you that you are not to incur guilt on your two hundred and fifty souls, because when you sacrifice, [only] the one to be chosen from among you shall come out alive, and all [the rest] of you shall perish.” (Numb. 16:7:) “You Levites have gone too far!”

See, I have told you a great thing! Were they not fools, in that when he gave them this warning, they took it upon themselves to offer sacrifice? They had sinned against their own lives, as stated (in Numb. 17:3), “The censers of these who have sinned at the cost of their lives.” Now since Korah was a clever man, how did he see fit to commit this folly?

It is simply that his eyes misled him. He foresaw a great lineage stemming from himself, [e.g.,] Samuel, who was the equivalent of Moses and Aaron, as stated (in Ps. 99:6), “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call His name.” Moreover, the twenty-four [Levitical] shifts would stem from his descendants, all of whom would prophesy by the holy spirit, as stated (in I Chron. 25:5), “All these were sons of Heman, the king's seer in matters pertaining to God for his greater glory.”

He said, “Is it possible that, when this greatness is going to stem from me, I should perish?” But he did not foresee correctly, since his children would repent, and those [great ones] would stem from them. But Moses did foresee well. He therefore participated on this assumption, when he heard from the mouth of Moses that they all would perish, but one would escape, as stated (Numb. 16:7) “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one.”

R. Hanan bar Pazzi opened [his discourse] with the verse in [the context of] the parashah of the [red] heifer, which contains seven [references to] seven things: seven [references to] heifers, seven [items for] burning, seven sprinklings, seven [instances of] laundering [clothes], seven [ways of becoming] unclean, seven [people or things who become] clean, and seven priests.

If someone should say to you, ‘[The number of priests] is lacking,’ say to him, ‘Moses was [included] in the total, where it is stated (in Numb. 19:1-2), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron, saying, ‘This is the statute of the Torah.’”’”

(Numb. 22:7:) “So the elders of Moab and the elders of Midian went with [the tools for] divination in their hand,” for they brought in their hands all kinds of divining instruments through which one divines, so as not to give him an excuse [for not coming]. So the divining instruments were in the hands of the elders of Midian, for they said, “If he comes with us, he will succeed; but if he delays [even] for an hour, he will be of no use.”

As soon as they saw that he said (in vs. 8), “Lodge here tonight,” the elders of Midian went away, because they knew through their divinations that he would be of no use. (Numb. 22:9:) “Then God came unto Balaam and said, ‘Who are these people with you?’” This text is related (to Prov. 28:10), “One who leads the upright astray on an evil course will fall into his own pit.” Thus at first mortals [behaved] with propriety, but because of his (Balaam's) words, they became [unbridled] in sexual matters. Thus, of former [generations] it is stated (in Gen. 29:9), “Rachel came with the sheep.” And so (in Exod. 2:16), “Now the priest of Midian had seven daughters.” Women would go out with the sheep. [But] Balaam the wicked arose and led mortals astray into unchastity.

But as he led [others] astray, he [himself] was led astray. By the [very] counsel he gave, he [himself] fell. This is what is written (in Prov. 28:10), “[One who leads the upright astray on an evil course] will fall into his own pit.” So the Holy One, blessed be He, led him astray with it, as stated (in Job 12:23), “He exalts the nations and destroys them.”

When [the Holy One, blessed be He,] asked him (in Numb. 22:9), “Who are these people with you,” that wicked one said, “I know nothing about them.” [He said to himself,] “It appears to me [that] there are times when [God] does not know. And so I can do all that I want to His children.” That is why [God] said to him, “Who are these people with you?” In order to lead him astray. (Numb. 22:10:), “And Balaam said to God, ‘Balak ben Zippor, [the king of Moab] sent [this message] unto me.”

He began to boast and say, “Even though You do not honor me, and You do not put out a good name for me in the world, kings seek me. (Numb. 22:11:) “Behold the people has come out of Egypt […], come now, curse (qavah) them for me.” [This is] to make known that he (Balaam) hated Israel more than Balak, because (in Numb. 22:6) Balak did not say qavah (as Balaam claimed he had said in Numb. 22:11) but arah. This one (Balaam), however, said (in vs. 11), “curse explicitly (qavah),” [meaning] to take [God’s] name explicitly.

Moreover, while the former (Balak) said (in Numb. 22:6) “And drive them away from the land,” the latter (Balaam) said [simply] (in vs. 11), “and drive them out” [i.e.,] from this world and from the world to come.

"To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53). And who are they? The ones standing on the Plains of Moav. And was the land not apportioned to those that left Egypt?

As it is written (Exodus 6:8), "and I will give it to you as a possession." [So] for what reason was it [actually] apportioned to [the ones standing on the Plains of Moav]? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that six families from [those that left Egypt] would be destroyed. And who are they? [Of] those written above (Genesis 46:10), "And the children of Shimon were Yemuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tsohar and Shaul," when you read "to Nemuel, the Nemeulite family" (Numbers 26:12-13), neither Ohad or Tsohar are there.

Rather they were lost. And so [too,] with Binyamin: "Bela, Bekher, etc." (Genesis 26:21), behold there are ten. But when you come to count them [you read], "to Belaa, the Belaaite family [etc.] (Numbers 26:38-40), they are only seven. Behold [those missing] were lost.

And so [too,] with the "children of Gad. Tsifion, Chagi, Shuni, Etsbon [etc.]" (Genesis 26:16); but when you count "to Tsafon, the Tsafonite family [etc.]" (26:15-17), Etsbon is not there. Behold six families got lost from the licentiousness of the counsel of Bilaam. And there is no licentiousness that does not accomplish its [end].

Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "[Why should] I apportion the land to people who will be destroyed in the future?" And [so] He [rather] apportioned it [only] to the one that stood resilient. Hence it is stated, "To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53).

(Numb. 32:1:) “Now the Children of Reuben and the Children of Gad] had much livestock.” Let our master instruct us: How many good gifts were created in the world? Thus have our masters taught: The Holy One, blessed be He, created three gifts in the world: wisdom, strength, and wealth. A person meriting one of them receives what is most desirable in the whole world.

A person meriting wisdom has merited everything. A person meriting strength has merited everything. A person meriting wealth has merited everything. When?

When they are gifts of the Heavens and come from the power of the strength of the Holy One, blessed be He. But human strength and wealth are nothing; for thus has Solomon stated (in Eccl. 9:11), “Again I saw that under the sun [the race does not belong to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor even wealth to the discerning, nor even favor to the knowledgeable].” Thus also has Jeremiah stated (in Jer. 9:22), “Thus says the Lord, ‘Let not the wise boast in their wisdom, [nor the strong boast in their strength, nor the wealthy boast in their wealth].’”

So these gifts, when they do not come from the Holy One, blessed be He, will finally be cut off from them. The sages taught, “Two wise men arose in the world, one from Israel and one from the nations of the world. Ahitophel was from Israel, while Balaam was from the nations of the world; but both of them were lost from this world and from the world to come. Two strong men arose in the world, one was from Israel and one from the nations of the world.

Samson was from Israel, while Goliath was from the nations of the world; but both of them were lost from the world. Two wealthy men arose in the world, Korah from Israel and Haman from the nations of the world; but both of them were lost from the world. Why? Because their gift was not from the Holy One, blessed be He.

Rather they grabbed it up for themselves. So also do you find with the Children of Gad and the Children of Reuben that they were very wealthy and had a lot of livestock. But they loved their money and resided outside the Land [of Israel as a result]. For that reason they were the first of the tribes to go into exile, as stated (in I Chron. 5:26), ‘and he carried them into exile, i.e., the Reubenites and the Gadites […].’

Who brought [the exile] upon them? [It happened] because they had separated themselves from their siblings for the sake of their livestock. And where is it shown? From what they read on the subject (in Numb. 32:1), ‘Now the Children of Reuben and the Children of Gad had much livestock.’”

It is written (in Josh. 7:19), “Then Joshua said unto Achan, ‘My son, please give glory [to the Lord God of Israel and make a confession to Him; please tell me what you have done, do not hide it from me.]’” Achan said to him, “Am I to die because of this thing that you are saying?” When Achan saw [the situation], he said in his heart, “Now I shall be entrapped by the lot.

Then I shall be found untrue (rt.: 'mn) and deemed a liar before Joshua.” At that moment Achan said to Joshua, “Why are you casting lots between me and my house? Let me cast lots between you and Phinehas! If the lot comes up for both of you, I also shall believe (rt.: 'mn) [in it].”

At that moment (according to Josh. 7:19) Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the Lord God of Israel [and make a confession to Him]. Please tell me what you have done.” Achan said to him, “You also tell me what you have done.” Immediately discord broke out in Israel, so that [Achan's] tribe of Judah arose in strife and killed one group in Israel after another.

When Achan saw this, he said in his heart, “If anyone saves a single life in Israel, it is as though he had saved the entire world; yet in my case, it has been through me that several people in Israel have been killed. I am a sinner and one who causes [others] to sin. It is better [for me] to confess my transgression before the Holy One, blessed be He, and before Joshua, so that no calamity come about through me.”

What did Achan do? He arose and made his voice heard, so that the whole congregation turned to him. He said to Joshua (in vs. 20), “’(Truly) I am the one who sinned before the Lord God of Israel; thus and so (literally, like this and like this) is what I have done.’ So it was not this alone, but I have already misappropriated other [things].” Joshua said to him, “Indeed I also knew that you were responsible for the situation; (Josh. 7:19:) ‘please tell me what you have done.

Do not hide it from me.’” (Vs. 21:) “I saw among the spoils.” [He said,] “I have seen what is written in the Torah (in Deut. 20:14), ‘you may eat the spoils of your enemies.’” (Josh. 7:21, cont.:) “A fine shinar mantle.” [He continued,] “Now do not say that I am poor and in need, for there is no one in the tribe of Judah wealthier than I. Immediately (there follows vs. 22), “Then Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent.”

For what reason did Joshua send them? So that the tribe of Judah would not steal them (i.e., the stolen articles) and continue in the discord. Joshua therefore sent quickly, and (according to vs. 23) “they brought them unto Joshua and unto all the Children of Israel; and they spread them out before the Lord.” What is the significance of “and they spread them out?”

Joshua said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, is it because of these that You have been angry with Your children? Here they are set before you.” Immediately [we read] (in vs. 24), “Then Joshua took Achan ben Zerah, the silver, the mantle, and the wedge of gold, together with his sons and his daughters,” [the latter] in order to teach them a lesson; “his ox, his ass, […] and his tent,” for burning. (Vs. 24, cont.:) “All Israel [Joshua took] with him,” to see his punishment so that they would not become accustomed to acting in this way. (Vs. 24, cont.:) “And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor (akhor; rt.: 'kr).” (Vs. 25:) “Then Joshua said, ‘Just as you have afflicted (rt.: 'kr) us, [may the Lord afflict (rt.: 'kr) you] this day.’” This day [only] is he to be afflicted ('akhur; rt.: 'kr), but he will have a share in the world to come. (Vs. 25, cont.:) “Then all Israel pelted him with stones,” him alone; “and they burned them with fire.”

The text is speaking of his wealth, for so it had been told [Joshua] by the Almighty (in vs. 15), “And it shall come to pass that the one who has been seized with what has been proscribed shall be burned with fire....” If so, what do we learn from the verse (vs. 15, cont.), “him, and all that he has?” [This passage] is only to teach you that Achan had confessed that he had stolen them on the Sabbath, when he took them out of Jericho and buried them in the midst of his tent.

Thus he was stoned for profaning the Sabbath and burned because he had transgressed the ban. And where is it shown? You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, said so to Joshua (in Josh. 6:2–4), “See, I have given Jericho into your hands, [along with its king and the mighty warriors. So you shall go around the city with all the men of war to encompass the city one time, thus shall you do for six days. …] but on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times.” [This passage serves] to teach you that Jericho was conquered on the Sabbath.

Now Joshua did this thing on his own, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave his consent. Joshua said (to himself), “The Sabbath is holy, as stated (in Exod. 31:14), ‘You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you.’ So whatever we conquer on it shall be holy.” It is so stated (in Josh. 6:19), “But all the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord.”

And where is it shown that he received consent? Where it is stated (in Joshua 6:17), “The city and everything in it are to be proscribed for the Lord.” At that time (according to Josh. 7:26) “the Lord turned from His burning anger.” Concerning [this matter], it is stated (in Prov. 16:14), “The king's anger is like messengers of death, and whoever is wise will appease it.” This refers to Joshua, who caused the burning anger of the Lord to turn away from Israel.

"Lord God, You have begun" (Deuteronomy 3:24): There is a [relevant] parable: To what is this comparable? To a king that saw an orphaned woman and sought to marry her. He sent to propose to her. She said, "I am not fit to marry the king."

He sent [again] and proposed seven times, but she did not listen to him. After a while, she married the king. [Later,] the king got angry with her and sought to divorce her and marry another [woman]. The first one said, "I have no shame if you divorce me, as it is you who sought me to begin with. However since you are divorcing me, I plead with you, do not do to this [wife] like what you have done to me."

So [too] did the Holy One, blessed be He, do to Moshe. He seduced him for seven days. And [Moshe] said to him (Exodus 4:10), "I am not a man of words." After a while, the Holy One, blessed be He, appeased him. [So] he went on His mission, and all of the miracles happened through him.

In the end, [God] said to him, "For 'you shall not enter [the land]'" (Deuteronomy 32:52). [So] Moshe our teacher said to Him, "Master of the world, if You do not want me to bring them to the land, I have no shame, as 'You began,'" which is an expression of beginning; "but since You have decreed this upon me, do not do to the one who brings them like You have done to me, 'That he should go in front of them [...] and that he bring them' (Numbers 27:17)."

"And the Lord said to me, 'It is enough (rav) for you; do not add'" (Deuteronomy 3:26). As your opponent has preceded you. As so did Iyov state (Job 31:35), "O that I had someone to give me a hearing; O that the Omnipresent would reply to my writ, or my opponent (eesh rivi) write a book (a bill of charges)!" And which book [is that]?

"This is the book of the generations of Adam" (Genesis 5:1, as Adam brought death to the world). What did Job say? "Small and great are there, and the slave is free of his master" (Job 3:19). Therefore, "It is enough."

All of the commandment that I command you today (Deuteronomy 8:1): This is what the verse stated (Proverbs 4:22), "They are life to him who finds them, healing for his whole body," [meaning that] anyone who finds words of Torah, finds life. Hence it is written, "They are life to him who finds them." Do not read it as "to him who finds them (lemotsaeihem)," but rather as "to him who expresses them (lemotsieihem)."

Another interpretation of "They are life to him who finds them": To him who expresses them orally as is fitting. There is a story about a student of Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov who was proficient in learning. From his familiarity with the his learning, he would go over all of his learning from when he entered the bathhouse to when he stood to perspire and when he would bathe. [But he forgot it all] because he did not express it orally.

Hence it is written, "They are life to him who finds them," [meaning to him who expresses them]. Another interpretation of "They are life to him who finds them," to others. And a man should not teach words of Torah unless he expresses them as is fit [with their] conclusion and explanation. As so did Moshe say to them, "When you teach Torah, be precise with all of it."

Hence it is stated, "All of the commandment that I command you today shall you be careful to fulfill, in order that you shall live." This is what the verse stated (Proverbs 2:1), "My son, if you accept [M]y statements." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, "When are you called My son? When you accept My statements.

And so [too] is it stated (Deuteronomy 14:1), 'You are children of the Lord, your God.' When are you children? When you [belong] to the Lord, your God, such that you are observing My commandments." Hence is it written, "My son, if you accept [M]y statements." [You will be] "My son if you accept [M]y statements," if you have the merit.

Another interpretation: You [should] treasure My Torah like a man who has a pearl. So should you toil in the Torah. Hence is it stated (Proverbs 2:1), "and [M]y commandment you treasure with you." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, "[There is a relevant] parable.

To what is this comparable? To a man who has a mature daughter and wants to waste her on anyone he finds. My Torah is not like that, but rather [only] if you have a merit will you merit [to have] it, 'and My commandment you treasure with you.'" Rabbi Acha says, "You give yourself good deeds and I will save over [their] goodness for you in the world to come - 'How abundant is Your good that You have in store for those who fear You' (Psalms 31:20)."

Another interpretation: You should treasure My Torah, like a man who has a pearl and treasures it. So should you toil in the Torah. Therefore is it stated, "and [M]y commandment you treasure with you."

"When the LORD your God enlarges your border" (Deuteronomy 12:20). This is what Scripture says: "A man's gift makes room for him" (Proverbs 18:16). Because a person gives a gift from what is his, the Holy One, blessed be He, makes room for him. There was an incident with Avun the swindler, who lived in Bozrah. His teachers went there seeking sustenance. He would sit and not pledge first, until all the people of the city had pledged, for he wanted to know how much they were pledging, in order to pledge against all of them. Therefore he was called Avun the swindler, for he would deceive concerning all the commandments. Once he knew how much all the people of the city had pledged, he pledged against all of them. What did our Rabbis do? They took him and seated him at its edge beside them, to fulfill what is said, "A man's gift makes room for him." Another interpretation: "A man's gift makes room for him" -- this is Abraham. When he pursued the five kings, the king of Sodom came out to meet him and said to him, "Give me the persons and take the goods for yourself" (Genesis 14:21). Abraham said, "I have lifted my hand to the LORD, God Most High, that I will not take a thread or a sandal strap..." (Genesis 14:22-23). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You said "a thread"; by your life, I will fulfill for your children with this very word, "How beautiful are your steps in sandals" (Song of Songs 7:2). Hence, "A man's gift makes room for him." Another interpretation: "A man's gift makes room for him" -- these are Israel. When the Holy One, blessed be He, told them to bring a freewill offering, what is written there? "And they brought to him still more freewill offerings morning by morning" (Exodus 36:3) -- two mornings. What did they merit? He enlarged their border, as it is said, "When the LORD your God enlarges your border." By what merit does He enlarge it? "As He has spoken to you" -- by the merit of the Ten Commandments that you received. Another interpretation: "As He has spoken" -- by the merit of your fathers.

(Deut. 16:18:) “You shall appoint [judges and law officers] for yourselves”; and not for the peoples of the world. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:18), “You shall appoint [judges and law officers] for yourselves (literally, yourself)”: [This] teaches that the judges were called in the name of Moses. Moreover, this is one of three things over which Moses risked his life and were called by his name. He offered his life over the Torah, [as stated (in Exod. 34:28),] “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights.” And it was called by his name, as stated (in Mal. 3:22), “Remember [the] Torah of My servant Moses.” He offered his life over Israel, as stated (in Exod. 32:32), “But now, if You will forgive their sin, [well and good; but if not, please blot me out].” And they were called by his name, as stated (in Exod. 32:7, in which the Holy One, blessed be He, tells Moses), “Go down, for your people have acted basely.”

He also offered his life over the judges, as stated (in Exod. 2:12-14), “he smote the Egyptian [and hid him in the sand]. When he went out on the second day, [there were two Hebrew men fighting; so he said to the wicked one, ‘Why would you strike your comrade?’] But he said, ‘Who appointed you a prince and a judge?’” For that reason they were called in his name, as stated (in Deut. 33:21), “He chose for himself the best… he executed the Lord’s judgments, and His decisions for Israel.”

(Deut. 25:17:) “Remember what Amalek did to you.” R. Tanhum bar Hanila'i opened [his discourse] (with Job 13:12), “Your remembrances are proverbs of ashes; your responses are responses of clay”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “These two remembrances are what I have mentioned to you in the Torah, you are to be mindful of them. (Deut. 25:19:) ‘You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek.’ [And (Deut. 25:17), ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’” (Job 13:12:) “Proverbs of ashes,” [meaning] those compared to ashes.

If you are worthy, you shall be children of Abraham who compared himself to ashes, where it is written (in Gen. 18:27), “for I am dust and ashes.” But if [you are] not [worthy], (according to Job 13:12), “your responses are responses of clay.” [Then] prepare yourselves for enslavement in Egypt, as stated (in Exod. 1:14), “And they made their lives bitter with hard labor [at clay and bricks].” (A different version: [Then prepare yourselves] for the subjugation of the kingdoms, as stated (Ps. 129:3), “Plowmen plowed across my back.”)

Another interpretation (of Job 13:12), “Your remembrances are proverbs of ashes”: Why are you misleading the creatures that see you and think about you that you are righteous like Avraham, as is stated about him (in Gen. 18:27), “for I am dust and ashes.” But you, “your responses are responses of clay,” like the generation of [the Tower of Babel], about whom it is written (in Gen. 11:3), “and the clay was mortar for them.”

These are the generations (Toledot) of the heaven and the earth when they were created (Gen. 2:4). R. Berechiah and R. Helbo said in the name of R. Samuel the son of Nahmani: The word toledot in Scripture lacks the letter vav in all but two verses. These verses are: These are the generations of Perez (Ruth 4:18) and the (verse quoted) above. (The full spelling of the word toledot, with the vav, is found only in these two instances.)

R. Judah the Levite, the son of Shalum said: The vavs, which the other verses lack, correspond to the six things which the Holy One, blessed be He, took from Adam after he sinned. They are as follows: his luster, his stature, his immortality, the fertility of the earth, the garden of Eden, the sun and the moon. Whence do we know about his luster? it is written: Changest his countenance and sendest him away (Job 14:20). Whence do we know of his stature? It is said: Thou hast hemmed me in from behind and before (Ps. 139:5). How do we know about his immortality? If Adam had been worthy, he would have merited living forever. Whence do we know of the fertility of the earth? It is written: Cursed be the ground for thy sake (Gen. 3:17). Whence do we know of his banishment from the Garden of Eden? It is written: He drove out the man (ibid., v. 24). Whence do we know of the sun and the moon? The sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine (Isa. 13:10).

The Holy One, blessed be He, will restore these things to man in the future. How do we know about man’s luster? It is written: All that see them shall acknowledge them (Isa. 61:9). How do we know about his stature? It is written: I will make you go upright (komemiut) (Lev. 26:13). The word komemiut indicates that each Israelite will be one hundred cubits tall. R. Simeon the son of Yohai held, however, that each Israelite will be two hundred cubits tall. The word komah would indicate one hundred cubits, while the word komemiut signifies two hundred cubits. How do we know about his immortality? It is written: For as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people (Isa. 65:22). How do we know about the fertility of the earth? And by the river, upon the banks thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow every tree for food, whose leaf shall not wither, neither shall the fruit thereof fail; it shall bring forth new fruit every month (Exod. 47:12).

What is the meaning of the phrase new fruit every month? It means that new fruits will ripen each month. However, they will not be the same fruit each month but an entirely different species of fruit. Whence do we know that man will return to the Garden of Eden? It is said: They that dwell under his shadow shall again make corn to grow, and they shall blossom as the vine (Hos. 14:8). Whence do we know about the sun and the moon? it is written: Moreover, the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven times the light of the seven days (Isa. 30:26). And Scripture states elsewhere: But they that love Him shall be as the sun that goeth forth in its might (Judg. 5:31). The Targum (Aramaic translation) for the latter verse reads: “The radiance of the righteous in the future will be three hundred and forty-three times more luminous than the radiance of the sun when it goes forth in its light.” When will this come to pass? In the day that the Lord bindeth up the bruises of His people, and healeth the stroke of their wound (Isa. 30:26). This refers to the time wherein He will heal the ills of the world (i.e., after the Messiah comes).

And God remembered Noah (Gen. 8:1). May it please our master to teach us the benediction recited upon witnessing a rainbow. Thus did our masters teach us: Upon seeing a rainbow, one should recite the benediction: Blessed art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the universe, who doth remember His covenant, is faithful in His covenant, and fulfills His word. This blessing is found in the Mishnah. How do we know that it is also derived from the Torah? Because it is written: I have set My bow in the cloud, and it shall be as a sign of a covenant (Gen. 9:13).

God’s way is not man’s way. As long as a man’s friend lives, his friendship for him continues, but after his friend’s death, his concern for him ceases. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, does not act in that manner. When Abraham died, the Holy One, blessed be He, continued to love his son Isaac, as it is said: And it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son (ibid. 25:11). It may happen that a king bestows gifts of silver, gold, and raiment upon his friend, and the friend then sails away. These possessions may be lost when a storm arises, and the king is powerless to protect him from the sea or from pirates. However, when the Holy One, blessed be He, presents a gift to his beloved one He guards it, as it is said: The Lord bless thee and guard thee (Num. 6:24). He blessed Abraham and guarded him, as it is said: And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things (Gen. 24:1). He acted similarly toward Isaac and Jacob.

If a storm should arise after a man boards ship, they hurl the animals and all his possessions into the sea, only the man is saved. Those in charge of the vessel do not have the same concern for the man’s animals and possessions as they have for the man himself, but the Holy One, blessed be He, is as concerned for the beast as for the man, as is said: And His tender mercies are over all His works (Ps. 145:9). Hence, Scripture says: And God remembered Noah and every living thing (Gen. 8:1).

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel (Gen. 14:1). May it please our master to teach us when a proselyte who has been converted on the eve of the Passover is permitted to partake of the paschal lamb. Thus did our masters instruct us: The School of Shammai maintained: Let him undergo ritual immersion and then he may partake of the paschal lamb offering in the evening. The School of Hillel taught: One who is circumcised is like one who leaves a burial site.

R. Simeon the son of Lakish declared: A proselyte is more precious in the sight of the Holy One, blessed be He, than those who stood at the foot of Sinai. Why is this so? If those who stood at the foot of Mount Sinai had not experienced the thunder, the flames, the lightning, the quaking of the mountain, and the sound of the shofarot, they would not have accepted the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven upon themselves, whereas the proselyte, who witnessed none of these things, makes himself acceptable to the Holy One, blessed be He, and receives upon himself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven. Is there anyone more precious than this?!

It is related that the convert Onkelos asked one of the elders: How can the proselyte be so precious to the Holy One, blessed be He if, in return for his devotion, it is written merely: And He loveth a stranger in giving him food and raiment (Deut. 10:18)? He replied: Even our patriarch Jacob sought no more than that from the Holy One, blessed be He: If God will but give me food to eat and raiment to wear (Gen. 28:20). Our sages stated: The proselyte is so dearly beloved that the Holy One, blessed be He, emphasized his importance through the words of the prophet, as it is said: Why shouldst thou be as a stranger in the land? (Jer. 14:8). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: I love the proselyte, and these wicked men are conspiring to attack Abraham, the father of all proselytes. Woe unto them, for they are doomed to succumb before him, as it is written in Scripture: And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel. Why was he called Amraphel? Because he ordered Abraham: “Fall into the fiery furnace.”

May it please our master to teach us: If one of two sons is born to a man on Friday and the other on the Sabbath, and he mistakenly circumcises the son born on Friday on the Sabbath, or the one born on the Sabbath on Friday, is he guilty of violating the Sabbath? Thus do our masters teach us: If one child is born on Friday and the other on the Sabbath, and he mistakenly circumcises the one born on Friday on the Sabbath or vice versa, he is considered culpable. Why? Because he profaned the Sabbath. It is written: And in the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin should be circumcised (Lev. 12:3). As a result, he has transgressed a decree of the Torah by violating the Sabbath.

Circumcision is so very important that it takes precedence over the Sabbath. Similarly, circumcision is so important that no child is included in the reckoning of generations until he has been circumcised, as it is said: A seed shall serve him; he shall be counted by the Lord unto the next generation (Ps. 22:31).

R. Isaac stated: The word serve is employed with the rites of circumcision and sacrifice. And just as the word serve in the rite of the sacrificial offering results in the letting of blood, so must the word serve in the rite of circumcision entail the letting of blood. Whence is this derived? For it says in reference to circumcision, A seed shall serve him.

When a man causes a drop of his blood to flow (through circumcision), it is as precious to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the sacrifices. The Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to Abraham after he circumcised himself, just as he did when he offered sacrifices, as it is said: And an ox and a ram for a peace-offering to sacrifice before the Lord…. for today the Lord appeareth unto you (Lev. 9:4).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham: Before your circumcision you prostrated yourself when you addressed Me, as is said: And Abraham fell on his face; and God talked with him (Gen. 17:3); but after he was circumcised, the Holy One, blessed be He, stood while Abraham remained seated, as it is said: And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre as he sat in the tent door (ibid. 18:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed to Abraham His decision to destroy the five cities of Sodom only because of that merit (of the circumcision), as is said: And the Lord said: Shall I hide from Abraham?

Another explanation of And the Lord said: Shall I hide from Abraham?: Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Then he opened the ears of men, and by their chastisement sealeth the decree (Job 33:16). This verse refers to Abimelech and Pharaoh, since the Holy One, blessed be He, opened their ears, as is said: And God came to Abimelech in a dream at night (Gen. 20:3) and the Lord came and plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues because of Sarai (ibid. 12:17). What is meant by the words By their chastisement sealeth the decree? They mean that He afflicted Abimelech by sealing up his organs, as it is said: For the Lord had fast sealed up all the wombs of the house of Abimelech, because of Sarah, Abraham’s wife (ibid. 20:18). And He punished Pharaoh in the same way. In reference to Abimelech, Scripture states: Because of Sarah. Just as the words because of indicate that Abimelech’s sexual organs were sealed up, so the words because of signify that Pharaoh’s sexual organs were sealed up. Hence, it says: By their chastisement sealeth the decree.

Another comment on Then He openeth the ears of men: This verse alludes to Daniel, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed the time of redemption. By their chastisement sealeth the decree similarly refers to Daniel, for He said to him: And thou, Daniel, shut up the words and seal the book (Dan. 12:4). Another comment on Then He openeth the ears of men: This verse refers to our patriarch Jacob, to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed the time of redemption. Jacob indicated that he wished to disclose this information to his sons, when he said to them: Gather yourselves together, so that I may tell you that which shall befall you in the end of days (Gen. 49:1). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, sealed up his lips to restrain him from doing so. Hence, it says: Their chastisement sealeth the decree.

Another explanation of Then He opened the ears of man: This alludes to Samuel, as is said: Now the Lord had revealed unto Samuel a day before Saul came, saying: Tomorrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be prince over My people Israel (I Sam. 9:15–16). After Samuel set out to anoint David, he encountered Eliab, and he said to himself: Surely the Lord’s anointed is before Him. But the Lord said unto Samuel: “Look not on his countenance nor on the height of his stature, for I have rejected him” (ibid. 16:7). When David approached, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Samuel: Arise, anoint him; for this is he (ibid., v. 12); that is, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Shall My anointed stand while you sit? Arise, anoint him.

Another explanation of Then he openeth the ears of men: This alludes to Abraham, for it is said: And God said: Shall I hide from Abraham?, and By their chastisement sealeth the decree (Job 33:16) refers to the Sodomites, against whom He sealed the decree when a single righteous man could not be found amongst them. Another comment on And the Lord said: Shall I hide from Abraham? Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: For the Lord will do nothing, but He revealeth His counsel unto His servants, the prophets (Amos 3:7). In the beginning the Holy One, blessed be He, used to reveal His secrets to those who feared Him, as it is said: The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him (Ps. 25:14). Then He made His secrets known to the righteous, as is said: In the council of the upright and in the congregation (Ps. 111:1); and finally He revealed it only to the prophets, as it is said: But He revealeth His counsel unto His servants, the prophets. After Israel transgressed at the time of Achan, the Holy One, blessed be He, informed Joshua, as it is said: Israel hath sinned (Josh. 7:11). When Eli’s sons sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, disclosed it to Samuel, as is said: And the Lord called Samuel (I Sam. 3:4). When the Sodomites sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed it to Abraham, as is said: Shall I hide from Abraham?

"And Abraham again." This is what Scripture says: "Though your beginning was small, your end will greatly increase" (Job 8:7); it speaks of Moses. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: for seven days the Holy One, blessed be He, was persuading Moses at the bush, and he kept fleeing, as it is said: "Send, I pray, by the hand of him whom You will send" (Exodus 4:13). And it is written: "I am not a man of words" (Exodus 4:10). And it says: "And Moses hid his face" (Exodus 3:6). "And your end will greatly increase," as it is written: "And he beholds the form of the LORD" (Numbers 12:8). Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said: he would see the likeness at once. Another interpretation: "Though your beginning was small": this is Abraham, who was a hundred years old and had no son, and afterward the Holy One, blessed be He, appeased him. Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon and Rabbi Chanan in the name of Rabbi Yochanan say: He raised him above the dome of the firmament, as it is said: "And He brought him outside and said: Look now toward the heavens" (Genesis 15:5). One says "look" only from above to below. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: One who is beneath the constellation fears it; you, who are above it, lift your head over it. Even so, at a hundred years he begot a son. This is the meaning of "Though your beginning was small": this is Abraham. "And your end will greatly increase": that he married a wife and begot still more children at the end, as it is said: "And Abraham again." "And Abraham again." This is what Scripture says: "In the morning sow your seed, and in the evening do not let your hand rest" (Ecclesiastes 11:6). Rabbi Eliezer says: Scripture speaks of crops. Solomon said: if you sowed at the early rain, do not stand idle at the late rain, as it is said: "and in the evening do not let your hand rest." Why? "For you do not know..." Rabbi Yehoshua says: if seed of a commandment comes before you in the morning, sow it; and if a matter of a commandment comes before you in the evening, do not let your hand rest. Why? "For you do not know which of them will succeed for you, whether that of the morning or that of the evening, or whether both alike will be good." Rabbi Akiva says: "In the morning sow your seed": if you raised up disciples in your youth, do not cease from raising them up in your old age. There was an incident with Rabbi Akiva, who had three hundred disciples in his youth, and they all died; and had he not raised up seven disciples in his old age, there would have been no disciple to recite teachings in his name. Another interpretation: "In the morning sow your seed." Rabbi Yose said: if you took a wife in your youth and she bore children and died, take another wife in your old age, "for you do not know..." And from whom do you learn this? From Abraham, who in his youth begot only two, and in his old age begot twelve. Rabbi Levi said: this is what the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "And in him shall all the nations of the earth be blessed," for the sea went forth in the generation of the Dispersion and scattered thirty families of the sons of Ham, as it is said: "And the LORD scattered them" (Genesis 11:8). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: From you I will raise them up, as it is said: "And in him shall all the nations of the earth be blessed" (Genesis 18:18). He raised up families, and these are: the twelve princes that he raised up from Ishmael, and sixteen from here, and the "two nations in your womb." This is the meaning of "And in him shall all the nations of the earth be blessed."

Abraham begot Isaac (Gen. 25:19). R. Isaac stated; No generation lacks scoffers. While Nabal was shearing his flock, David sent some of his young men to him with the request: Give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thy hand, unto thy servants, and to thy son David (I Sam. 25:8). But Nabal retorted: Who is David? And who is the son of Jesse? There are many servants nowadays that break away every man from his master; shall I then take my bread and my water and my flesh that I have killed for my shearers and give it unto men of whom I know not whence they are? (ibid., vv. 10–11). When David’s men returned and repeated Nabal’s words, he armed himself and his soldiers, and with their weapons started out to destroy Nabal. But one of the young men told Abigail, Nabal’s wife, saying: “Behold, David sent messengers out of the wilderness to salute our master; but he hath spoken rudely to them” (ibid., v. 14). As soon as she heard what had transpired, she prepared a gift which she took to David, as it is said: Then Abigail made haste, and took two hundred loaves, and two bottles of wine, and five sheep ready dressed, and five measures of corn … and she said unto her men: “Go on before me; I come after you.” But she told not her husband Nabal (ibid., vv. 18–19). Later on Scripture states: And it came to pass about ten days later, that the Lord smote Nabal so that he died…. and David sent and spoke unto Abigail to take her to him to wife (ibid. 38:39). After he had her brought to him, David stayed apart from her for three months to determine whether or not she had conceived with Nabal. After the third month, David had intercourse with her and she became pregnant. The scoffers in that generation asserted that she had actually conceived from Nabal. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He ordered the angel in charge of the formation of embryos to fashion that embryo in the likeness of its father so that everyone would be forced to acknowledge that David was the father. We know that this is so from the verse And his firstborn was Amnon, of Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and his second, Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nabal the Carmelite (II Sam. 3:2). Why does Scripture call him Chileab (khilav)? Because he was completely like his father (kulo av), and everyone who saw him said: “David is this child’s father.”

Similarly, Isaac resembled Abraham so closely that no one was able to distinguish between father and son, until Abraham pleaded with the Holy One, blessed be He, to differentiate between father and son. He did so by bestowing upon him the characteristics of old age, as it is said: And Abraham was old. Therefore, it is written: Abraham begot Isaac.

And God remembered Rachel (Gen. 30:22). May it please our master to teach us the blessing that is recited upon observing a handsome person? Thus do our masters teach us: Upon observing beautiful creatures or lovely trees, one should recite the blessing: “Blessed be He, who hath made this possible in His world.” No one was more beautiful than Rachel, and because she was beautiful, Jacob was eager to marry her. He sent Rachel many gifts, but Laban gave them to Leah instead. Yet she remained silent.

R. Simeon the son of Gamliel declared: I was reared among the sages, and I discovered that there was nothing more beneficial for a person than silence. Rachel forced herself to remain silent, and her offspring continued the tradition of silence. She saw her gifts in her sister’s hand and remained silent. Her son Benjamin, whose stone in the high priest’s breastplate was a jasper, knew of the sale of Joseph and remained silent. The word jasper (yashfeh) may be read as “he has a mouth” (yesh peh) but nevertheless remains silent. Saul was descended from her: But concerning the matter of the kingdom, he told him not (I Sam. 10:16). Regarding Esther (another descendant) it is said: Esther had not made known her people nor her kindred (Est. 2:10).

Conversely, Leah spoke words of praise, and her offspring continued the tradition of praise. She declared: This time will I praise the Lord (Gen. 29:35); and of her son Judah it is said: Judah, thee thy brethren praise (ibid. 49:8). David (another descendant) said: Praise the Lord, for He is good (Ps. 118:1); and concerning Daniel it is said: Daniel kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and praised (Dan. 6:11). R. Judah said: Silence is so very important that Rachel was privileged, because of her silence, to rear two additional tribes in Israel, Ephraim and Manasseh.

Why did she remain silent? R. Simeon the son of Yohai was of the opinion that she said to herself: If I should inform Jacob that my father gives the gifts he sends me to my sister, he will not accept her. And my father will not betroth me to him, and I will be separated forever from this righteous person.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Be assured, in reward for your silence I will remember you, as it is said: And God remembered Rachel (Gen. 30:22).

And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out (Gen. 34:1). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: All honor to the king’s daughter within the palace (Ps. 45:14). R. Yosé asserted: If a woman conducts herself modestly in her home, she is worthy of marrying a high priest, and of rearing high priests, as is written: All honor to the king’s daughter, etc. If she behaves honorably in her home, Her raiment is of chequer work (ibid.); that is, she will marry a man about whom Scripture says: And thou shalt weave a tunic in chequer work (Exod. 28:39).

R. Phinehas the priest, the son of Hama, declared: A woman who is modest in her home atones for her household, just as the altar brings atonement, as it is said: Thy wife shall be a fruitful vine in the innermost parts of thy house (Ps. 128:3). The word innermost refers here to the altar, as is stated: And he shall kill it on the innermost side of the altar (Lev. 1:11).

Another comment on Thy wife shall be a fruitful vine. When is a wife considered a fruitful vine? When she remains secluded in the innermost parts of thy house (Ps. 128:3). If she does so, Thy children shall be like olive plants about thy table (ibid.), that is, she will rear children who will be anointed with the oil of installation.

And it came to pass after these things (Gen. 40:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: And I find more bitter than death the woman, whose heart is snares and nets, and her hands as bands; whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her; but the sinner shall be taken by her (Eccles. 7:26). R. Judah the son of Shalum said: Nothing is more troublesome to a man than a woman. A proof of this is the incident of the golden calf. It is written concerning that event: When the golden calf was erected, there fell of the people that day about three thousand men (Exod. 32:28), while because of a single woman twenty-four thousand perished at Shittim. Therefore Scripture says: I find more bitter than death the woman (Eccles. 7:26). What is meant by her hands as bands? If it had not been written about woman that her hands as bands, she would grasp men in the marketplace.

Observe that when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to fashion Eve, He gave considerable thought to the parts of Adam’s body out of which He would create her. He said: If I create her out of a portion of his head, she will be haughty; if I fashion her from his eyes, she will be inquisitive; if I mold her out of his mouth, she will babble; from the ear, she will be an eavesdropper; from the hands, she will steal; and from the feet, she will be a gadabout. What did He do? He fashioned her out of one of Adam’s ribs, a chaste portion of the body, so that she would stay modestly at home, as it is said: And the rib which the Lord had taken (Gen. 2:22). Nevertheless, women do not lack any of these failings. He did not create her from the head of Adam lest she be haughty, nevertheless the daughters of Zion arose and were haughty, as is said: Moreover, the Lord said: Because the daughters of Zion are haughty (Isa. 3:16). He did not fashion her from his eyes lest she be inquisitive, yet Eve was inquisitive, as it is said: And the woman saw that the tree was good (Gen. 3:6). He did not mold her from his mouth lest she babble, but Leah came and babbled, as it is written: And she said unto her: “Is it a small matter that thou hast taken away my husband?” (Gen. 30:15), and it states elsewhere: And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses (Num. 12:1). He did not create her from the ear, lest she eavesdrop, yet Sarah did eavesdrop, as is said: And Sarah heard in the tent door (Gen. 18:10); He did not fashion her out of his hand, lest she steal, nevertheless Rachel stole the teraphim, as it is said: And Rachel stole (ibid. 31:19); He did not create her from the foot, lest she be a gadabout, but Leah came and was a gadabout, as is said: And Leah went out (ibid. 30:16), and similarly Dinah went out (ibid. 34:1).

R. Judah the son of Shalum declared: If we are able to say this about righteous women in Israel, surely there is no need to comment upon other women. Observe what is written with reference to immodest women of the nations that served idols: And she caught him by his garments, saying: “Lie with me” (ibid. 39:12). Whoso pleaseth God shall escape from her (Eccles. 7:26) alludes to Joseph, and the sinners shall be taken by her refers to Zimri, who was taken by her at Shittim.

His master’s wife cast her eyes upon Joseph (Gen. 38:7). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not; and make their loins continually to totter (Ps. 69:24). You find that the righteous are exalted through their eyes, as it is said: And Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place (Gen. 22:4); Abraham lifted his eyes and he saw, and behold, it was a ram (ibid., v. 13): and also: Abraham lifted his eyes, and looked, and lo, three men stood over against him (ibid. 18:2); Isaac lifted up his eyes, as is said: And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at eventide; and he lifted up his eyes (ibid. 24:63); and with regard to Jacob it likewise says: Jacob lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, Esau came (ibid. 33:1). Wicked men, however, are degraded through their eyes, as it is said: And Lot lifted up his eyes and beheld all the plain of the Jordan (ibid. 13:10). This refers to Sodom, which had been previously selected by Abraham, but to which Lot went, and where he behaved as they did. That is why his name was Lot. For Lot means accursed (lut), and that is what happened to him. And Balak the son of Zippor saw (Num. 22:2), and he was also degraded through his eyes. You may explain every instance in which a wicked man saw in the same way.

Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt (Gen. 42:1). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread (Ps. 37:25). R. Samuel the son of Nahman said: This verse was spoken by the Prince of the Universe. I have been young: from the time of Adam; Now am old: until the days of the Messiah; yet have I not seen indicates that there is no time in which the Holy One, blessed be He, permits the world to be without righteous ones. In fact righteous men appear in every generation, as R. Tanhuma explained in the name of R. Aha: The world never lacks thirty men as righteous as Abraham, as it is said: And Abraham shall surely become a great nation (Gen. 18:18). The numerical value of the Hebrew letters of the word shall become (yihyeh) adds up to thirty.

Another comment on I have been young, and now am old. This verse suggests that the Holy One, blessed be He, will never abandon the righteous during a time of famine, neither they nor their descendants. In fact, when a disaster envelops the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees how they will survive. You find this to be so in the case of Elijah, whom He told how to survive, as it is said: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee (I Kings 17:9). Similarly you find: Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there (ibid., vv. 3–4). And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine (Gen. 26:1); and there was a famine in the land; and Abraham descended (ibid. 12:10). Similarly, when the famine came upon Jacob, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him that Joseph would feed him in Egypt, as it is said: And Joseph fed his father and his brothers (Gen. 47:12). Hence, Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt.

What is written before this verse in Scripture? And all the countries came into Egypt to Joseph to buy corn (ibid. 41:57). They did so because he had devoted himself to accumulating corn, as is said: And Joseph laid up corn … during the seven years of plenty. And the seven years of famine began to come, according as Joseph had said (Gen. 41:49–53).

What does according as Joseph had said mean? R. Judah the son of Shalum explained: Apparently, fourteen years of famine were first destined to come to the world, for Joseph had said seven poor cows and ill-favored, signifying seven years, and seven withered, thin ears of corn, signifying an additional seven years. This totaled fourteen years in all. However, Joseph decreed that it was to last only seven years, as it is said: There shall be seven years of famine (ibid., v. 27). Hence it is written: According as Joseph had said.

As soon as Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he said to his sons: Get you down thither, and buy for us from them, etc. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down (ibid. 42:2–3). Why did all ten go? Because in that number resides the power to set aside retribution. For example, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to destroy Sodom, our patriarch Abraham pleaded for heavenly mercy in their behalf. He spoke first of fifty men, but finally reduced the number to ten, as it is said: Peradventure ten shall be found there (ibid. 18:31). Ten men also comprise a congregation, as is said: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation (Num. 14:27), and God standeth in the congregation of God (Ps. 82:1). Hence Scripture states: Joseph’s ten brethren went down (Gen. 42:3). Just as in the case of Sodom, Scripture speaks here of ten. And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came (Gen. 42:5), in order that no one would recognize them. The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Because you have said: We shall see what will become of his dreams (ibid. 37:20), his dream was fulfilled. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but they did not recognize him, for they had felt no compassion for him, while Joseph recognized them because he pitied them.

And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). May our master teach us: When is the blessing over the light offered at the expiration of the Sabbath? Thus do our masters teach us: The blessing over the light (i.e., the Havdalah ceremony) is not pronounced until one benefits from the light (for reading). Whence do we learn this? From the Holy One Himself, blessed be He, as is said: And God saw that the light was good (Gen. 1:4). After that Scripture states: And God divided the light from the darkness (ibid.). R. Ze’era the son of Abahu said: Thus we learn that we do not bless the light at the expiration of the Sabbath until one can benefit from the light.

R. Simeon the son of Yohai declared: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: Honor the commandments, for they are My emissaries, and a man’s emissary must be honored no less than the man himself. If you honor them, it is as though you honor Me, and if you are disrespectful toward them, it is as though you are disrespectful toward Me. No man revered the commandments and fulfilled the law as meticulously as Jacob, as it is said: And Jacob was a quiet man, dwelling in tents (Gen. 25:27), yet he was visited with trials through his son. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Be assured, you will lose one son, but you will acquire three: Joseph, Manasseh, Ephraim. When they brought him the news (that) “Joseph liveth,” he sent Judah before him as his emissary.

And he sent Judah before him. Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Dominion and fear are with Him; He maketh peace in His high places (Job 25:2). In this instance, dominion refers to Michael, and fear alludes to Gabriel. Though Michael was fashioned from water, and Gabriel was formed out of fire, when they stood in the presence of the Holy Spirit they did not affect each other adversely. Hence it says: He maketh peace in His high places.

R. Simeon maintained that though the entire firmament is composed of water and the angels are of fire, The flashing fire, My ministers (Ps. 104:4), the water does not extinguish the fire, and the fire does not cause the water to evaporate. Similarly, though Joseph and Judah, the lion and the ox, had previously gored each other, now he (Jacob) sent him to Joseph, as it is said: He sent Judah before him. Hence, He maketh peace in His high places.

And it came to pass after these things (Gen. 48:1). What is written previously on this subject? And the time drew near that Israel must die, and he called his son Joseph (Gen. 47:29). He called his son Joseph because he (Joseph) was in a position of authority at that time.

The prophet cried out: Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers … hide thyself for a little moment (Isa. 26:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, had declared: I counsel you to restrain yourselves and to surrender to the conditions that prevail at the moment. Naboth would not temporize (when Ahab demanded his land), and so it is written about him: Naboth is stoned, and is dead (I Kings 21:14). Mordecai likewise refused to temporize. He should have flattered the wicked man. Indeed, Israel was almost obliterated from the earth because he antagonized Haman.

On the other hand, David fled and escaped from Saul, and he also fled from Absalom. Moses did likewise, as it is said: He fled from the face of Pharaoh (Exod. 2:15). Similarly, Jacob fled from Esau, as it is said: And Jacob fled into the field of Aram (Hos. 12:13). Even the patriarchs temporized and flattered the one in power at the moment. Abraham relied upon Sarah: That it be well with me for thy sake (Gen. 12:13). Isaac demeaned himself before Esau, as is said: Now Isaac loved Esau (ibid. 25:28). Similarly,in this instance Jacob called his son Joseph.

But when I sleep with my fathers, bury me in their resting place (ibid. 47:30). “Where is that place?” Joseph inquired. Jacob replied: In the grave I prepared for myself Did Jacob actually dig a grave? The purpose of this remark is to teach us that after Isaac died, Jacob had said: “Perhaps the wicked Esau will be buried in the cave of the righteous one?” What did he do? He piled up all his gold and silver possessions into a single heap, and said to Esau: “Which do you prefer, this heap or the cave?” Esau chose the heap, and Jacob took the cave.

One said to Joseph: “Behold, thy father is sick” (ibid. 48:1). Our sages of blessed memory maintained that it was Ephraim who revealed this fact to him, for he was studying the law with Jacob at the time. Why does Scripture add the words: And Israel strengthened himself, and sat upon the bed (ibid., v. 2)? He said to himself: “Even though he is my son, he is a ruler, and I must be respectful toward him.”

And Jacob said unto Joseph: “God Almighty appeared … and said unto me: Behold, I will make thee fruitful, and multiply thee” (ibid., v. 4). This was the first time he included Joseph’s two sons among the tribes, as it is said: Ephraim and Manasseh, even as Reuben and Simeon, shall be mine (ibid., v. 5).

And Israel beheld Joseph’s sons, and said: “Who are these?” (ibid., v. 8). R. Judah the son of Shalum asked: Is it possible that he did not recognize them? Had they not sat and studied the law with him every day? Yet now he asked “Who are these?” even though they had ministered to him during the seventeen years he had resided in Egypt. Did he actually not recognize them? The fact is that he foresaw that Jeroboam the son of Nebat and Ahab the son of Omri would descend from Ephraim, and that they would become idolaters. It was for this reason the Holy Spirit departed from him. When Joseph realized this, he prostrated himself before the Holy One, blessed be He, and pleaded for mercy, saying: “Master of the Universe, if they are worthy to be blessed, do not turn away and cause me to be turned away today disgraced.” Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, restored the Holy Spirit to Jacob, and he blessed them. Whence do we know this? From the fact that it is written: And I, I taught Ephraim to walk, taking them by their arms (Hos. 11:3), that is, I restored the Holy Spirit to Jacob for the sake of Ephraim.

R. Samuel the son of Nahman stated: The Holy Spirit forsook Jacob twice. Once when he wished to bless Manasseh and Ephraim, and again when he was about to reveal the time of redemption. And Israel stretched out his right hand, and laid it upon Ephraim’s head (Gen. 48:14). He began to bless him with the words: And let them increase like fish (ibid., v. 16). He thus indicated that Ephraim’s descendants would be caught like fishes, as it is said: Say now “Shibboleth”; and he said “Sibboleth” (Judg. 12:6). When Joseph saw that his father was laying his right hand on the head of Ephraim, it displeased him and He held up his father’s hand, to remove it (Gen. 48:17). Jacob rebuked him, saying: “Do you seek to turn away the hand that vanquished the foremost among the angels?” R. Yohanan said: Jacob’s arms were like two columns in the public baths in Tiberias. And Joseph said unto his father: “Not so, my father, only this one is the firstborn” (ibid., v. 18). And his father refused and said: “I know it, my son; I know it” (ibid., v. 19). He foresaw that Gideon would descend from Manasseh, but that his younger brother was the more important one, since Joshua would descend from him. And he blessed them that day, saying: “By thee shall Israel bless, saying: God make thee as Ephraim and Manasseh” (ibid., v. 20). He mentioned Ephraim before he mentioned Manasseh. When was his blessing finally fulfilled? At the time of the consecration of the chiefs. Then Ephraim brought his offering on the seventh day, and Manasseh on the eighth, in fulfillment of the scriptural verse: That confirmeth the word of his servant and performeth the counsel of his messengers (Isa. 44:26).

Come, let us deal wisely with them (Exod. 1:9). In saying this he blasphemed against the On High. The Holy One said to them: No matter what you plan to do against Israel, it will increase and multiply. And it may come to pass that, when there befalleth us any war, they also join themselves unto our enemies, and ascend from the land (ibid. 10). Every time Israel is cast down it will ultimately arise. Observe what is written: And fight against us, and ascend from the land (ibid.), and David said: For our soul is bound down to the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the earth (Ps. 44:26), but after that is written: Arise for our help, and redeem us for mercy’s sake (ibid., v. 27).

And they said: “The God of the Hebrews hath met with us” (Exod. 5:3). Moses and Aaron declared: Perhaps You will say we altered Your words when we told him: “Thus said the Lord, the God of Israel (ibid. 5:1), and for that reason he became hardened against Him.” Thereupon they returned to him (Pharaoh) and said: The God of the Hebrews hath met with us (ibid., v. 3).

And Pharaoh said: Behold, the people of the land are now many (ibid., v. 5). R. Simeon the son of Yohai said: What did he do to them? He began to gnash his teeth furiously against them, and he called out to them, saying: You are idlers (nirpim) (ibid., v. 17). Nirpim means “uncleanness.” May his bones be ground up. “So you claim that you are holy men? and you say: Let us go (ibid., v. 17)?” R. Joshua the son of Levi said: The tribe of Levi was exempted from hard labor, and therefore Pharaoh said to them: “Perhaps it is because you are exempted from hard labor that you dare say: Let us go and sacrifice to our God (ibid., v. 8) (Get you unto your burdens.)

And the king of Egypt said unto them: For what reason do you Moses and Aaron cause the people to break loose from their work? (ibid., v. 4). What is the meaning of lamah (“for what reason”)? He said to them: “For what (lamah) do you think you are? And for what purpose (lamah) are your words?” As though to say to them: “Enough! Get you unto your burdens.”

Let heavier work be laid upon the men…. and let them not regard lying words (ibid. 5:9). What is the meaning of let them not regard lying words? They had scrolls which they delighted to read from Sabbath to Sabbath, in which it is stated that the Holy One, blessed be He, would redeem them. Pharaoh said to them: Let them not regard lying words, that is, let them not delight in it, and let them not rest (on the Sabbath), as it is said: And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters of the people (ibid., v. 6).

So the people were scattered (… to gather stubble instead of straw) (ibid., v. 12), because (the straw) was (as rare) as dates. The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Tomorrow I shall inflict plagues upon them; but they replied: Pharaoh sins and we are smitten. When an Israelite went out to gather the straw with which to make bricks, an Egyptian upon seeing him within his field would pursue him and break his thighs. Hence, So the people were scattered.

And they met Moses and Aaron who stood in the way (ibid., v. 20). This refers to Dathan and Abiram, concerning whom it is written: Dathan and Abiram came out (Num. 16:27). They began to reproach and revile Moses and Aaron, saying: The Lord look upon you, and judge (Exod. 5:21). They shouted at Moses and Aaron: See how the Israelites have been compelled to suffer because of the plagues. The Egyptians previously had only a faint suspicion that we would be redeemed, but now you have come and acerbated their suspicion, as it is said: Because you have made our savour to be abhorred in the eyes of Pharaoh (ibid.).

R. Judah the Levite, the son of Shalum, stated: Dathan related a parable. To what may we be compared? To a lamb (in danger) of being snatched by a wolf from the fold. The shepherd pursues the lamb to rescue it from the mouth of the wolf, but between the wolf and the shepherd, the lamb was torn apart. Thus the Israelites said to Moses: Between you and Pharaoh we are being destroyed. Hence it is stated: And Moses returned unto the Lord (ibid., v. 22), and said: Wherefore hast Thou dealt ill with this people? (ibid. 5:22). If you should say: What difference does it make to you? Then why is it that Thou hast sent me? (ibid.). For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name he hath dealt ill with this people (ibid., v. 23). Your name is a source of life and healing to all the inhabitants of the world, but despite Your name he has dealt ill with this people. What have they done that they should have been immured within the bricks? He answered him: Now thou shalt see what I will do to him (ibid. 6:1).

This month shall be unto you (Exod. 12:1). R. Ishmael said: He showed him the moon during night and said: Like this shall you examine the new moon; this shall be the law for future generations. Teach them the time of the new moon. He said to them: Until now I intercalated the year (adding an additional month in leap years), but now I turn this responsibility over to you. From now on you shall count (the days and designate the time) for the appearance of the new moon. This month.

This is Nisan, and there is no other (i.e., no intercalated second Nisan to sere as the first month). With regard to Tishri it is written: And the feast of ingathering (Sukkot) at the turn of the year (the autumnal equinox) (Exod. 34:22). This teaches us that the month in which the festival called the feast of the ingathering at the turn of the year occurs is the month in which the year actually changes.

However, Tishri is called the seventh month only because it comes seven months after Nisan. This month refers to Nisan. A hint of this (is the fact that it is the only month that is spoken of as the first month), as Scripture states: In the first month, which is the month of Nisan (Est. 3:17), first for months, and first for festivals, since (Passover) is written first: The festival of Passover, the festival of Shavuot, the festival of Sukkot.

And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart (Exod. 14:4). This was said because his heart was undecided whether to pursue them or not. And I will get Me honor upon Pharaoh and upon all his hosts (Exod. 14:4). Upon Pharaoh is mentioned first because he was the first to sin, as it is said: And Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying (ibid. 1:22). Similarly, And the same day Pharaoh commanded the taskmasters (ibid. 5:6). Hence he was the first to be punished. Therefore, Surely now I have put forth My hand and smitten thee (ibid. 9:15) is followed by And thy people with pestilence.

Similarly, in the verse And he blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the ground, both man and cattle (Gen. 7:3). He mentioned man first, because man was the first to sin, and after that he refers to beasts and creeping things. Likewise, since Scripture states: And they smote the men that were at the door with blindness, both small and great (ibid. 19:11), they smote the least important ones first and then the greater ones. Likewise, in accordance with the verse I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, man was punished first and then the beast. Another illustration is in the verse Thou shalt surely smite the inhabitants of that city with the edge of the sword (Deut. 13:16). He smote the inhabitants of the city with the sword, and then he slew the cattle. Similarly, And her belly shall swell (Num. 5:27) is followed by And her thighs shall fall away. That is, the part of the body that sinned first was punished first. Is it not logical to conclude that if retribution is exacted first from the one who commits an evil deed first, then the reward for good deeds, whose reward is far greater, is dispensed according to the same rule.

Now Jethro, the priest of Midian, heard (Exod. 18:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: The wise shall inherit honor; but as for the fools, they carry away shame (Prov. 3:35). The wise shall inherit honor refers to Jethro at the time he came to Moses. How very great, indeed, was the honor accorded him! And He said unto Moses: “I, thy father-in-law, Jethro” (Exod. 18:6). R. Joshua held that Jethro sent a messenger to inform him (of his coming). R. Eleazar of Modi’im declared: He sent him a letter stating: “Do it (welcome me) for my sake, but if not for my sake, do it for the sake of your wife, but if not for her sake, then do it for the sake of your children.”

R. Eliezer maintained that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, I am He who commanded the world to come into existence, and I am He who draws (people) near and does not keep (them away), as it is said: Am I a God near at hand, saith the Lord, and not a God afar off (Jer. 23:23); I am He who brought Jethro near and did not keep him far off, and so when a man comes to you to be converted, bring him near, do not keep him far off. Thereupon Moses went out to meet his father-in-law (Exod. 18:7). Our sages say that Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and all the elders of Israel accompanied him. Hence it is said: The wise shall inherit honor.

A question: An Israelite involved in a litigation with his neighbor, is prohibited from going to a heathen judge for judgment, since it is said: now these are the ordinances which thou shalt set before them (Exod. 21:1). It is taught by R. Simeon the son of Azzai: Even if you should discover a non-Jewish court where the law is identical with the law in an Israelite court, you are prohibited from bringing the case before them, since it is said: Which thou shalt set before them. Before them, and not before non-Jews, before them, and not before ignorant men.

Bar Kappara said in a lecture: Whence do we derive the rabbinic dictum: “Be deliberate in judgment”? We do so from the words: Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto Mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered (Exod. 20:23). Which are followed by the words: Now these are the ordinances.

It is taught: Thy nakedness be not uncovered (ibid.). Is, then, the nakedness of the priests uncovered? Does it not say: And thou shalt make them linen breeches to cover the flesh of their nakedness? Therefore this verse implies that even as the Holy One, blessed be He, warned the priests not to take big strides to hasten into the Temple (and thus, even with pants on, “reveal” their nakedness to the floor), so He warned the judges that they should not be quick to render judgment, as is said: Seek justice, relieve the oppressed (ashru hametz) (Isa. 1:17). (That is,) ashre (“happy”) is the judge hehamitz (“who delays”) his judgment (does not hasten).

Our rabbis teach that the verse Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord (Deut. 19:17). The law indicates that the litigants must stand while they are being judged, for they should consider themselves as though standing before the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: Stand before the Lord.

Our rabbis teach us that the verse In righteousness shall thou judge thy neighbor (Lev. 19:15) implies that you should strive to judge your neighbor, who is your companion in Torah and in the performance of the commandments, justly.

R. Ulla the son of R. Elai was involved in a lawsuit before R. Nahman. R. Joseph sent a message to him: “Our friend, our colleague, Ulla, is our equal in Torah and in the performance of good deeds.” Nahman asked himself: “Why did he send this message to me? Does he want me to favor him? Perhaps he wants his case judged first, or maybe he wishes to influence the decision.”

R. Ulla said: The disagreement was with regard to the litigants themselves, but all agree that witnesses must testify while standing, for it is written: And the two men shall stand. Just as to sit (is contrary to the law), the testimony of witnesses is invalidated if they are seated. However, a scholar may testify while seated.

Rabba the son of Bar Hanah said: If a rabbinical scholar possesses evidence in law, he must bring it to the attention of the presiding judge. But if the judge is his inferior (in knowledge), he need not bring it to him.

R. Shisha the son of R. Idi said: We have learned that if a man finds a sack or a basket which he is not accustomed to carrying, he need not carry it to the court. This is so only in regard to property, but in the case in which a forbidden act has been committed, (he must give evidence) for There is no wisdom, no understanding, no counsel against the Lord (Prov. 21:30).

Whenever the name of the Holy One is profaned, the honor of the scholar is not considered. R. Yemar possessed some testimony in behalf of Mar Zutra and appeared before Amemar. He told him to be seated. R. Ashi said to Amemar: Did not Ulla say in regard to litigants (that it is permissible to be seated), but that witnesses must testify while standing? He answered: They are both positive commandments. However, the positive commandment enjoining respect for the Torah (i.e., the scholar) is more important.

R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said: R. Jonathan declared: Every judge who renders a just verdict causes the Shekhinah to hover over Israel, as it is said: God standeth in the congregation of God. But every judge who renders an unjust verdict causes the Shekhinah to depart, as it is said: For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord (Ps. 12:6). R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said: From every judge who takes money from one and gives it to another unjustly, the Holy One, blessed be He, takes the soul away, as it is said: Rob not the weak, because he is weak, neither crush the poor in the gate; for the Lord will plead their cause (Prov. 22:22).

R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said that R. Jonathan also stated: A judge should always see himself as though a sword rested between his thighs and the netherworld was open beneath him, as it is said: Every man hath his sword upon his thigh, because of dread in the night (Song 3:8). Dread in the night refers to the dread of the netherworld, which is as dark as the night. R. Josiah taught that there are those who say in the name of R. Nahman: Why is it written: O house of David, thus saith the Lord: Execute justice in the morning (Jer. 21:12)? Is justice rendered only in the morning and not during the day? This means that the verdict must be as clear to you as the morning light when you announce it, but if it is not, you must not announce it.

R. Hiyya the son of Abba concluded from the verse Say unto wisdom: “Thou art my sister” (Prov. 7:4) that if the verdict is as clear to you as the fact that your sister is forbidden to you, announce it; but if it is not, do not announce it. R. Joshua the son of Levi said: If ten men sit in judgment, responsibility for the verdict rests upon the neck of each of them. And judge righteously (Deut. 1:16). R. Joshua the son of Levi interprets this verse to mean: One must confirm the justice of the decision before announcing it.

Ye shall hear the small and the great alike (ibid., v. 17). R. Simeon the son of Lakish said: A lawsuit involving a perutah must be considered as important as one involving a hundred maneh. Why need this be stated? Is this not a matter of course? It is mentioned simply to remind you to consider a case only in its proper order. One verse says: And I charged your judgments (Deut. 1:16), while another verse says: And I command you (ibid., v. 18). R. Simlai stated: These verses are a warning to the community to act respectfully to the judges who preside over it, and a warning to the judges to bear patiently with the community. To what extent? R. Hanan said that R. Shabbetai stated: As the nursing father carrieth the suckling child (Num. 11:12). Who is a shrewd scoundrel? R. Hanina says: One who explains his case to the judge before the other litigant arrives.

And place such over them to be officers of thousands and officers of hundreds, officers of fifties and officers of tens (Exod. 18:21). The officers of thousands were six hundred in number, the officers of hundreds were six thousand, the officers of fifties were twelve thousand, and the officers of tens were sixty thousand. Thus we find that the total number of men who acted as judges in Israel were seventy-eight thousand six hundred in all. It is taught that R. Eliezer the son of Jacob said: I heard that the court has applied punishments and fines that were not derived from the Torah. This was not done to transgress the Torah but to fashion a fence around the Torah.

It happened once that at a time of crisis a man rode a horse on the Sabbath during the period of Greek rule. They dragged him to the court, and he was sentenced to stoning. This verdict was executed not because it was the correct penalty, but because the situation demanded it. At another time it happened that a man had sex with his wife beneath a fig tree (i.e., in public). They brought him to the court and ordered him flogged. This was not because it was the appropriate penalty, but because conditions at the time demanded it.

R. Simeon the son of Menasya said: When two men come before you with a case at law, you may tell them to depart and settle the matter between themselves before you have listened to their case or even after you have heard it. That is, if you have not yet reached a decision as to which one will receive the favorable verdict. However, if you have already heard the case and arrived at the decision to be rendered, you are not permitted to tell them to settle the matter between themselves, as it is said: The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water; therefore leave off contention, before the quarrel break out (Prov. 17:14). This indicates that before the circumstances are made known to you, you are permitted to drop it (the case), but after the matter at issue is disclosed, you are not permitted to drop it.

R. Judah the son of Lakish declared: If two men come before a judge to decide a case and one of them is easygoing, while the other is a harsh person, you are permitted to say to them: “I cannot become involved between you.” That is so if you have not yet heard their plea or even after you have heard their plea, but have not yet decided who is in the right. For if the harsh one should be found guilty, he might harm the judge. But if you have heard their plea and know which side the law favors, you are not permitted to say “I cannot become involved between you,” as it is said: Ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man (Deut. 1:17).

R. Joshua the son of Karha said: Whence do we know that if a disciple, sitting before his master, observes something that points out the innocence of the poor man and the guilt of the rich man, he must not keep silent? It is said: Ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man (ibid.). This means that one should not refrain from speaking out because of any man. Witnesses must know against whom they are testifying and before Whom they are testifying and Who in the future will call them to account. As is it is said: Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before the Lord (ibid. 19:7). Judges must also realize, as they judge, before Whom they are judging and Who in the future will call them to account, as it is said: God standeth in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges He judgeth (Ps. 82:1). Thus Jehoshaphat said to the judges: Consider what ye do; for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord (II Chron. 19:6). A man might say: What interest do I have in this argument? Therefore Scripture says: And He is with you in giving judgment (ibid.). Hence a judge must decide a case only in accordance with what he has witnessed (i.e., determined from the evidence) with his own eyes.

Rabba said to Rav Pappa and to R. Huna the son of R. Joshua: If one of my legal decisions comes to your attention and you find it to be inaccurate, do not tear it up before you have consulted me. If I have a valid explanation for it, I will tell you what it is, but if not I will reverse my decision. After my death do not abrogate my decision, for if I were present I might have had an explanation for it. Do not deduce any law from my decision, for a judge must be guided only by what his own eyes witness (i.e. the evidence that comes before him).

R. Joshua the son of Karha said: It is commendable to arbitrate a matter, since it is written: Execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates (Zech. 8:16). Certainly, whenever there is absolute justice peace cannot prevail, and where there is peace there cannot be absolute justice. Through what kind of justice does peace prevail? It is in the justice achieved through arbitration. Scripture states concerning this matter: If there should arise a matter too hard for thee in judgment (Deut. 17:8) (arbitrate).

This is the offering … and rams’ skins dyed red, and sealskins (Exod. 25:3). R. Judah and R. Nehemiah discussed this verse. R. Judah said: It was a large pure animal, with a single horn in its forehead and a skin of six different colors that roamed the desert. They captured one of them and from its skin made a covering for the ark. R. Nehemiah contended that it was a miraculous creature He created for that precise moment, and that it disappeared immediately thereafter from earth. Why is it called orot tahashim (“sealskins,” lit. “skins of tahashim”)? Because the verse states: The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits (Exod. 26:8).

What known animal could supply enough skin for a curtain of thirty cubits? It must, indeed, have been a miraculous creation, which disappeared (immediately after it was created).

And thou shalt command (Exod. 27:20). It is written elsewhere in Scripture: Thy head (roshekh) upon thee is like Carmel, and the hair (dalat) of thy head like the purple; and the king is held captive in the tresses thereof (Song 7:6). The poor (harash) within Israel are equal to Elijah. It is said of him: And Elijah went up to the top (rosh) of Carmel and put his face between his knees (I Kings 18:42). And the hair (dalat) of thy head like the purple signifies that the feeble ones (hadal) in Israel are equal to Daniel, for it is written concerning him: They clothed Daniel with purple (Dan. 5:29). The king is held captive (asur) in the tresses. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: It is as if I am bound (asur) to you, as though it were possible, by an oath. Because of whose merit am I bound to you? Because of the two times in which Abraham ran before Me, as it is said: And Abraham ran unto the herd (Gen. 18:7), and He ran to meet them from the tent door (ibid., v. 1). Therefore, The king is held captive in the tresses thereof.

According to the explanation of R. Abba the son of Kahana, The king is held captive in the tresses applies to Jacob. It is written concerning him: And he set the rods which he had peeled over against the flocks in the gutters (barhatim) in the watering-troughs (ibid. 30:38). Hence The king is held captive in the tresses thereof. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I will make you a king, and just as a king’s people fulfill his decrees, so when you decree they will fulfill it.

Pure olive oil beaten for the light (Exod. 27:20). Why not oil derived from nuts or radishes or fish, or any other kind of oil? Why only olive oil? Because the olive oil is the symbol of light in the world. That they bring unto thee. You are appointed in charge of this matter. Our sages taught: There are three types of olives, and each one produces three grades of oil. The first type of olive is the one that is permitted to ripen at the very top of the olive tree. After they have ripened fully they bring them to the building that contains the tank and the machinery used for pressing the olives. They place them in the press and crush them with the beam. This causes the first grade of oil to flow. They remove the oil, and then crush them (the olives) a second time, expelling the second grade of oil. Finally, they grind the pulp until the third-grade oil flows out. The first-grade oil is used for the lamp, and the second for the meal offering.

The second variety of olives ripens at roof level. After these ripen they bring them to the building in which the olives are pressed. They place them in the vat and press them with the beam, forcing out the first grade oil. They remove the oil and press the pulp a second time, expelling the second-grade oil. Finally, they grind the pulp to squeeze out the third-grade oil. The first-grade oil is used for the lamp, and the second for the meal-offering.

Finally, the third type of olives is taken to the building containing the machinery for crushing olives. After they have been beaten to a pulp, it is taken to the roof, where it is allowed to dry in the vat. Then it is crushed and the pulp is removed and placed in a basket. The oil that remains in the vat is the first-grade oil. The pulp is pressed again with a beam to force out the second-grade oil, and then it is crushed once more to produce the third-grade oil. The first-grade oil is used for the lamp, and the second for the meal offering. No oil is superior to the first-grade oil that comes from the first type of olives. The second-grade oil that comes from the highest-grade olives and the first-grade oil that flows from the second-grade olives are of equal quality. The third-grade oil from the first olives, the second-grade oil from the second olives, and the first from the third-grade olives are of equal quality. The third-grade oil from the second-grade olives and the second-grade oil from the third-grade olives are of equal quality. There is nothing poorer than the third-grade oil that is derived from the third-grade olives. Pure olive oil beaten for the light. Normally a man would utilize the inferior oil for lighting a lamp, and the good oil for his food. However, in the Tent of Meeting and in the Sanctuary, this was not done. The pure beaten oil was used for the light, and the inferior oil was utilized for the meal offerings.

David declared: For Thou dost light my lamp (Ps. 18:29). R. Berechiah BeRabbi said: No eye is able to look at the birth of fire Above, as it is said: And there was brightness to the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning (Ezek. 1:13). And no eye is able to look at the lightning though it needs light. R. Johanan said: In your eyes there is a white part, through which you are not able to see, and a dark part in the middle of the eye, by means of which one does see. In other words, one sees out of the dark part of the eye and not out of the white part. You are unable to survive by means of the light part of your own eyes (through which you cannot see), yet you desire to survive by means of the light of the Holy One, blessed be He. Why is this so? Your first inclination might lead you to err and say: “He requires your light.” R. Abin the Levite BeRabbi: You find that when a man constructs windows, he builds them wide on the inside and narrow on the outside. Why? He does this so that the light may spread throughout the house. The windows in the Temple, however, were constructed wide on the outside and narrow within, so that the light of the Temple might spread forth to illumine the world. Therefore He demanded the lamps only for our sake. David said: Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for the upright in heart (Ps. 97:11).

R. Yudan opened the discussion with the verse: The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth (Prov. 10:20). The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver alludes to the prophet Iddo. The heart of the wicked is little worth refers to Jeroboam. Scripture states: And behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el, and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer; and he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said: “O altar, altar” (I Kings 13:1–2). Why is the word altar repeated twice? R. Abba the son of Kahana said: Because there were two altars, one at Bethel and one at Dan. Why did he say: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that offer upon thee, and man’s bones shall be burnt upon thee? (ibid., v. 2)? It does not say in the verse “the bones of Jeroboam” but rather man’s bones. You learn from this that he (the prophet) was respectful toward the government. And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying: “Lay hold on him.” And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back (ibid., vv. 4–5).

R. Huna declared: Blessed be the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, who endures much from His creatures, yet protects the honor of His righteous ones. When Jeroboam arose and sacrificed to idols, his hand did not shrivel up, but when he stretched forth his hand against the righteous man, his hand did shrivel up.

And the king answered and said unto the man of God: “Entreat now the favor of the Lord thy God, and pray for me” (ibid., v. 6). Two amoraim discussed this verse. One commented that he said thy God and not “my God.” The other retorted: How could he call Him “my God” while he stood and sacrificed before an idol whom he addressed as “my god”? Nevertheless The man of God entreated the Lord, and the king’s hand was restored, and became as it was before (ibid.). What is meant by as it was before? R. Judah the son of Simon began the discussion with the verse in the name of R. Joshua the son of Levi: Though thou brayest a fool in mortar with a pestle among groats, yet will not his foolishness depart from him (Prov. 27:22). That is to say, it will have no effect (on the fool, he learns nothing). Likewise he had previously sacrificed to an idol, and he did so again.

Another comment on The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver (Prov. 10:30). This refers to the Holy One, blessed be He, who chose the tongue of Moses when he told him: When thou takest the sum (to obtain forgiveness). What is written above concerning this very matter? And Aaron shall make atonement upon the horns of it once in the year (Exod. 30:10). After Israel had sinned, the Holy One, blessed be said to Moses: Go, atone for them. Whereupon Moses replied: Did You not say to me once in the year? The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Go lift up their heads (obtain forgiveness) now. Then Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the Universe, when they do good let them be at rest, but when they are without merit, as though that were possible, let them be forgiven once a year in order that the Day of Atonement may come and atonement be made for them, as it is said: For on that day shall atonement be made for you (Lev. 16:30).

And Bezalel made the ark of acacia wood (Exod. 37:1). Scripture states elsewhere: The opening of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple (Ps. 119:130). When the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world, the entire world was composed of water, as it is said: And darkness was upon the face of the deep (Gen. 1:2). R. Judah and R. Nehemiah discussed this verse. R. Judah said: The Holy One, blessed be He, created the darkness first, and then He created the world. R. Nehemiah contended that the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world first and then the darkness. R. Simeon the son of Yehozadak inquired of R. Samuel about this. He said to him: You are an authority on aggadic traditions, so tell me, how did the Holy One, blessed be He, create His world? When He created the world, did He create the light first? R. Samuel the son of Nahman answered: When He decided to create His world, He surrounded Himself with light, and then He created the world, as is said: Who coverest Thyself with light as a garment, and that is followed by: Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain (Ps. 104:2). Therefore Scripture states: The opening of Thy word giveth light; it giveth understanding to the simple (ibid. 119:130).

R. Judah the son of Ilai said: This may be likened to a king who wished to build a palace in a dark place. First he lit candles, and then he built (the palace). The Holy One, blessed be He, did likewise. The world was dark, as it is said: And darkness was on the face of the deep (Gen. 1:2), and so He wrapped himself with light and created the world. Hence, the opening of Thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple (Ps. 119:130). The righteous learn from the Holy One, blessed be He, that they should begin with light. How do we know this? At the time that Moses told Bezalel that the Holy One, blessed be He, had said Build Me a Sanctuary, Moses told him: Go build the Tabernacle. What did he begin with? Bezalel began with the ark.

Scripture states elsewhere: Give to a wise man, and he will be yet wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning (Prov. 9:9). Moses told him to begin by building the Tabernacle, but he began instead with the ark. Why? Because the ark is the place where the Torah, which is the light of the world and the world-to-come, is kept.

Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. This verse alludes to Noah. How is that? Of every clean beast thou shall take to thee seven and seven, and of beasts that are unclean two and two (Gen. 7:2), but when the time comes to depart from the ark, it is written: He took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar (ibid. 8:20), even though he had not been commanded to do so. Noah said to himself: The Holy One, blessed be He, told me to take a greater number of clean beasts than of unclean ones. He must have done this so that I might offer them as burnt offerings and sacrifices. Therefore he took of every clean beast, and every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar. Hence, Teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning (Prov. 9:9).

Give to a wise man, and he will yet be wiser refers to Bezalel. At the time the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to erect the Sanctuary, Bezalel asked him: “What is the purpose of this Sanctuary?” Moses replied: “So that He might dwell therein and teach the law to Israel.” Then Bezalel said: “But where will the Torah be placed?” Moses answered: “After we have made the Sanctuary we will make the ark.” Bezalel replied: “That is not the way. Let us make the ark first and then we will build the Sanctuary.”

These are the accounts of the tabernacle, even the tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). The Tabernacle bears testimony to the entire world that He forgave them for the episode of the golden calf. This may be likened to a king who marries a woman he loves dearly. After some time he becomes angry with her and leaves her. Her neighbors ridicule her, saying: “Repent or your husband will not return to you.” After some time he returned to her palace and ate and drank with her. Still her neighbors were not convinced that the king had become reconciled with her. However, after they experienced the fragrance of spices ascending from the house, all of them realized that he had become reconciled with her. Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, loved Israel and gave them the Torah and called then a holy nation: A kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. 19:6). But when they sinned after forty days, the nations exclaimed: “He will not return to them.” Moses arose then and pleaded for mercy in their behalf. And He replied: I have pardoned according to thy word (Num. 14:20). Moses asked: Who will make it known to the nations? And He replied to him: Let them make Me a Sanctuary. When the nations smelled the fragrance of the smoke as it ascended from the midst of the Sanctuary, they knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, had become reconciled with them.

These are the accounts of the Tabernacle. It is written elsewhere: Now these are the names of the sons of Israel (Gen. 46:8). Observe how very precious the Tabernacle was to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He left the upper sphere to dwell in the Tabernacle. R. Simeon held that He dwelt in the lower sphere (at first), as is said: And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden (ibid. 3:8), but that after Adam sinned He ascended from earth to heaven. When Cain arose and killed his brother, He ascended from the first firmament to the second; when the generation of Enoch angered Him, He ascended from the second to the third; when the generation of the flood perverted His teaching, He ascended from the third to the fourth; when the generation of the separation (i.e., the Tower of Babel) became arrogant, He went from the fourth to the fifth sphere; when the Sodomites behaved immorally, He went from the fifth to the sixth; and when Amraphel and his companions appeared, He ascended from the sixth to the seventh. However, after Abraham came and performed good deeds, the Shekhinah descended from the seventh to the sixth firmament; after Isaac He went from the sixth to the fifth; after Jacob from the fifth to the fourth; after Levi, his son, from the fourth to the third; after Kohath the son of Levi, from the third to the second; after Amram from the second to the first; and on the day that Moses erected the Tabernacle: The glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle (Exod. 40:34). Scripture states: For the upright shall dwell in the land (Prov. 2:21). This should be read: “They caused the Shekhinah to dwell in the land.”

(Lev. 4:1–2:) “And the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, … ‘When a soul sins [by mistake]….’” Let our master instruct us: Is it right for one to enter the Temple Mount with his staff or his money girdle? Thus have our masters taught (in Ber. 9:5): One may not enter the Temple Mount with his staff, his money girdle, or with dust on his feet, lest he treat it with disrespect – even in its destruction. The Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Lev. 26:2), “You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary.” And what was the reason for comparing keeping the Sabbath with the sanctuary? Thus did R. Hiyya the Great teach: Just as keeping the Sabbath is forever so is reverence for the sanctuary forever.

Now Solomon cried out (in Eccl. 3:16), “To the place of justice, thither [came] wickedness.” Solomon was observing how the wicked subverted justice in the sanctuary. Solomon said, “The place where the Sanhedrin sat to judge criminal law, civil law, decisions on scourgings, and decisions on clean and unclean, there they defiled it.” See what is written (in Jer. 39:3), “Then all the officers of the king of Babylon came and sat in the middle gate: Negral-sarezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the Rab-saris ….” (Lam. 5:18:) “Because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, the jackals walk over it.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You name those entering, but you do not name those leaving, (in Eccl. 3:16) ‘to the place of justice, thither [came] wickedness.’” (Lam. 2:20:) “Should priest and prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?”

Here is the blood of Zechariah shed on the stones, as stated (in Ezek. 24:7), “For her blood was in her midst; she set it upon bare rock.” Another interpretation (of Eccl. 3:16), “to the place of justice, thither [came] wickedness”: This is the central gate in which the great Sanhedrin sat. “Thither [came] wickedness,” (in Lam. 2:9) “Her gates have sunk into the ground.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Eccl. 3:16), “To the place of justice, thither [came] wickedness (rsh').”

There was one place for the Righteous One of the world, the holy Temple, which was set apart for the Divine Presence. Then Manasseh wronged (rt.: rsh') it, and brought an image into its midst.Another interpretation (of Eccl. 3:16), “to the place of justice.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I created the soul, and it is delivered into My hand, as stated (in Job 12:10), ‘In Whose hand is every living soul.’

And justice also is delivered into My hand, as stated (in Deut. 32:41), “My hand lays hold on justice.’ But I only delivered the soul next to judgment [in My hand] so that it might see what is fitting for it and not sin; yet it does sin. (Eccl. 3:16:) “Thither [came] wickedness”; “When a soul sins,” for the soul is placed next to judgment (Lev. 4:2:). That which Scripture stated (Prov. 19:2), “Also, a soul without knowledge is not good; and one who hastens with the feet is a sinner,” [is to say that] when someone sins, even by mistake, it is not a good sign for him. How so? There were two stores before him, one belonging to a stranger and one belonging to Israel. If he entered the one belonging to the stranger without knowing, it is not good. If he entered deliberately, he is called a sinner, as stated (in Prov. 19:2), “and one who hastens with the feet is a sinner.”

Rav Isaac bar Samuel bar Martha said, “There were two ways before him, one long and one short. The short one was full of pebbles, but the long one did not have a pebble in it. He left the long one and went by the short one on the Sabbath. Concerning him it was stated (in Prov. 19:2), ‘and one who hastens with the feet is a sinner.’”

Our masters have taught (in Avot. 4:2): One good deed/commandment (mitzvah) leads to another, and one transgression leads to another. A person should not worry about a sin which he commits by mistake, but rather that an opening has been made for him to sin [again], even deliberately. Moreover, one should not rejoice over a good deed which comes to him (for fulfillment), but rather that many good deeds are going to come to him [as a result]. Therefore, if one has sinned by mistake, this is not a good sign, as stated, “Also, a soul without knowledge is not good.”

How much the more so if he sins deliberately! About him it has been stated, “and one who hastens with the feet is a sinner.” So also (in Prov. 6:16-19), “Six things the Lord hates…: Haughty eyes, …. A heart plotting thoughts of deceit, feet quick to run to evil, […]” This refers to Ahab ben Kolaiah and Zedekiah ben Maaseiah (the false prophets of Jer. 29:21-23), who sinned in Jerusalem. And that was not enough for them, but after they had gone into exile in Babylon, they added to their sin.

And what had they done in Jerusalem? They were false prophets. Moreover, they did not forsake their trade in Babylon. Now they would pimp for each other.

Ahab would go to visit [one of] the great ones in the kingdom and would say to him, “I am so-and-so, a prophet. The Holy One, blessed be He, has sent me to say something to your wife.” [So his interlocutor] would say to him, “Here she is before you. Go on in.” When he was alone with her, he would say to her, “The Holy One, blessed be He, wants to raise up prophets from you.

Simply go, have intercourse with Zedekiah, and give birth to prophets from him.” So he would come and have intercourse with her. Then Zedekiah would similarly pimp for Ahab. And this was their trade for several years.

Come and see how wicked they were: They gave themselves a reputation in Babylon for being great prophets. When some woman became pregnant and saw one of them, she would say to him, “If you are a prophet, what is in my womb? A male or a female?” He would say, “A male.”

Then he would go to her neighbors and say, “So-and-so will bear a female.” If she bore a male, she would say, “So-and-so, the prophet, told me.” If it was a female, the neighbors would say, “Thus did so-and-so, the prophet, tell us; but he did not want to worry you.” Now they acted in this way until they came to Shemirah, the wife of Nebuchadnezzar.

Zedekiah said to her, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has sent me to you. Simply go, have intercourse with Ahab, and give birth to prophets from him.” She said to him, “I may not do [this] without the agreement of my husband. Rather, let him come and let him inform us that he wants this thing.”

She went to her husband and told [the matter] to Nebuchadnezzar. [So] he called for them and they both came. And he said to them, “Is this what you said to my wife?” They said, “Yes, as the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to raise prophets from her.” He said to them, “But have I not heard about your God that He hates licentiousness; and that as a result of that which Zimri breached sexual mores, twenty-four thousand [men] fell?

And you tell me this? Perhaps He recanted? I don’t know if you are false prophets or true prophets, but I have already tested Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah and I burned the fiery finance for them for seven days and threw them inside, and they came out alive and well. But for you, I will only burn it for one day and throw you inside.

If you are saved from the furnace, I will know that you are certainly true prophets and we will do whatever you say, according to your testimony.” They said to him, “Hannaniah, Mishael and Azariah were three and we are two; and the miracle is [only] done for three.” He said to them, “Is there a third [person] like you?” They said, Yehosuha the High Priest,” thinking in their hearts that they would be saved by his merit.

They brought Yehoshua the High Priest and threw him into the furnace with them. The two of them were burnt [to death], and Yehoshua the High Priest was saved, as stated (Zech. 3:2), “Is this not a brand pulled out of the fire?” (Jer. 29:22:) “And from Ahav and Zedekiah, a curse was taken for all of the exile of Judah in Babylon, saying, ‘May God make you like Zedekiah and Ahab, whom the king of Babylon consigned to the flames!‘“3 Who caused these wicked ones to be burned?

It was because they ran with their feet towards abominations and sins. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 19:2), “and one who hastens with the feet is a sinner.” Nevertheless (ibid.,) “Also, a soul without knowledge is not good.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Say unto Israel (in Lev. 4:2), ‘When a soul sins by mistake’” – the soul sins.

The verse (Eccl. 3:16) says, “[….] to the place of justice (tsedeq), thither [came] wickedness.” The place is [the source of] the soul, which has been given out of righteousness (tsedeq), [i.e.] out of a place where there is no iniquity or sin. [When] it does sins, the verse (Lev. 4:2) cries out in surprise, “When a soul sins by mistake?” (Eccl. 3:16:) “To the place of justice (tsedeq), thither [came] wickedness.”

To what is the matter comparable? To two people who sinned against the king. One was a country bumpkin, and one a person from the palace. [When] he saw that both of them had committed a single offense, he released the country bumpkin but rendered a [guilty] verdict against the person from the palace.

His palace people said to him, “Both of them committed a single offense; [yet] you released the country bumpkin [and] gave a verdict against the person from the palace.” He said to them, “I released the country bumpkin because he did not know the laws of the kingdom, but the person from the palace is with me every day and knows what the laws of the kingdom are, and what verdict will be pronounced against one who sins towards me?”

So also the body is a country bumpkin, (according to Gen. 2:7) “Then the Lord God formed the human out of dust from the ground.” But the soul is a palace person from above, (according to ibid., cont.) “and blew into his nostrils the breath of life.” Yet both of them sinned. Why?

Because it impossible for the body to exist without the soul. Thus, if there is no soul, there is no body, and if there is no body, there is no soul. So both of them sinned, as stated (in Ezek. 18:20), “the soul that sins shall die.” Therefore the verse (Lev. 4:2) wonders, “When a soul sins by mistake against any of the Lord's commandments?”

What is the significance of “by mistake (rt.: shgg) [against any of the Lord's commandments]?” [It is] to teach you that when anyone sins by mistake, [it is as if] one transgresses [intentionally] against the Lord's commandments. And so it says (in Numb. 15:22), “And when you sin unintentionally (rt.: shgg) and do not fulfill all these commandments….” So also David has said (in Ps. 19:13–14), “Who can discern mistakes?

Cleanse me from hidden faults. Also restrain Your servant from willful sins…, and I shall be clean of great transgression,” [i.e.] from the great sin which I have committed. But if you do so act (according to Ps. 19:15), “Let the words of my mouth be acceptable.” From here you learn that everyone who sins, even by mistake, is called a sinner.

Our masters have said, “A mistake in study is accounted as willful sin.” It is therefore written (in Lev. 4:2), “When a soul sins,” because it is from [man’s soul, which is from] above; and it is not written, "[when] a person (Adam)." In the world to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring in the soul and say to it, “Why have you transgressed against the commandments?” Then it will say, “The body transgressed against the commandments.

From the day that I left it, have I ever sinned?” [Then] He will go back and say to the body, “For what reason did you transgress the commandments?” It will say to Him, “The soul sinned. Since the soul left me, have I ever sinned?” What will the Holy One, blessed be He, do?

He will bring them both in and judge them as one. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard in which were ripened grapes, figs and pomegranates. The king said (to himself), “If I post someone there who can see and walk, he will eat the ripening fruit for himself. He [therefore] posted two guards, one lame and one blind. They stayed and watched the orchard. They smelled the ripened fruit.

The lame one said to the blind one, “I see lovely ripened fruit in the orchard. Come and give me a ride, so we can get them and eat them.” The lame one rode upon the back of the blind one, so that he got them, and they ate them. One day the king came.

He sought the ripened fruit, but he did not find any. He said to the blind one, “Did you eat them?” He [answered], “Do I have any eyes?” He said to the lame one.

“Have you eaten them?” He said, “Do I have any feet?” He [therefore] mounted the lame person on the blind person's back and judged them as one. So the Holy One, blessed be He, will take a soul and toss it into a body, as stated (in Ps. 50:4), “He summoned the heavens above,” i.e., the soul; “and the earth to judge His people,” i.e., the body.”

David foresaw how the Holy One, blessed be He, would judge His creatures. [So] he began to seek mercy for his soul. He said, “Master of the world, when you judge Your creatures, do not judge me like them. [(Ps. 143:2), ‘And do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for no one living shall be justified before You.’ Rather act charitably with me, as stated (in Ps. 17:15), ‘As for me, I will behold Your face in charity.’”

The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world because the evil drive rules in you, you have sinned; but in the world to come I will root it out from you, as stated (in Ezek. 36:26), ‘I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.’”