Yalkut Shimoni on Torah Reader

"And the LORD said to Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you" (Exodus 16:4). This is what the verse says: "For by them He judges peoples; He gives food in abundance" (Job 36:31). By these very heavens He judges the nations of the world. Know it for yourself: when the generation of the Flood sinned, He judged them by the heavens, as it is said, "He will rain upon the wicked snares" (Psalms 11:6). When the men of Sodom sinned, He judged them through the heavens, as it is said, "And the LORD rained upon Sodom." When Sisera sinned, He judged him through the heavens, as it is said, "From heaven they fought" (Judges 5:20). "He gives food in abundance" (Job 36:31): from those same heavens He gave sustenance to Israel, as it is said, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you." To what may the matter be compared? To a baker who was standing at the oven. His enemy entered and raked out coals and set them upon his head; his friend entered and drew out a hot loaf and gave it to him. The coals and the loaf both came out of the same oven. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, brought down fire upon the Sodomites and burned them from heaven, and brought down manna for Israel.

Another interpretation: it should not have said "from heaven" but "from the earth," for it is not the way of bread to come up except from the earth. This is what the verse says: "Whatever the LORD desired, He did" (Psalms 135:6). When He wished, He split the sea before Israel and made it dry land; and when He wished, He made it sea again. It is the way of the heavens to bring down dew and rain, and of the earth to bring forth bread, as it is said, "the earth, from it comes forth bread"; yet when He wished, He brought the bread down from the heavens, as it is said, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you," and the dew came up from the earth, as it is said, "And the layer of dew went up" (Exodus 16:14, below). It is written, "And the king allotted them [a daily portion]", that is, by measure; but when I brought down the manna for them, it came down as the rain comes down, without limit. Zavdi ben Levi said: the manna would come down two thousand cubits; each day it would remain until four hours, and once the sun came upon it, it would melt and become streams upon streams, flowing and running down. And for whom is it now prepared? For the righteous in the world to come. Whoever believes is worthy and eats of it; and whoever does not believe, of him it is said, "Let him not look upon the rivers, the flowing streams of honey and curds" (Job 20:17). And since it came down in the streams, the nations of the world would come to drink of it, and in their mouths it became bitter as wormwood, as it is said, "And the manna was like coriander seed" (Numbers 11:7); but for Israel it became in their mouths like honey, as it is said, "and its taste was like wafers made with honey." And Rabbi Yehudah the Levite son of Rabbi Shalom said: the reckoning is that the manna came down for Israel each day, food enough for two thousand years, and its height was sixty cubits. It is written concerning the Flood, "On this day all the fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11), and it is written concerning the manna, "He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven" (Psalms 78:23). What would the nations of the world do? They would hunt a deer that had drunk of it, and taste in it the taste of manna, and they would say, "Happy the nation for whom it is thus." Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Hanina said: not as the old man tasted it did the infants taste it. The infants would taste in it the taste of milk, as it is said, "and its taste was like the taste of cake baked with oil" (Numbers 11:8); and the young men would taste in it like honey, as it is said, "and its taste was like wafers made with honey"; and the elders would taste in it like bread, as it is said, "Behold, I will rain bread for you"; and the sick man would taste it like fine flour mixed with oil and honey, like this gruel that they make for a sick person, as it is said, "and they cooked it in a pot" (Numbers 11:8). And from where do we know that there was in it the taste of fine flour and honey? As it is said, "And My bread which I gave you, fine flour and oil and honey" (Ezekiel 16:19). Whoever was diligent would go out and gather from the field, as it is said, "And the people shall go out and gather"; and the average ones would go out to the entrance of their tents and gather; and the lazy ones would lie upon their beds and stretch out their hands, and it would come down into their hands, as it is said, "And the layer of dew went up" (Exodus 16:14, below).

Rabbi Yohanan said: rain comes for the sake of the individual, as it is said, "to give the rain of your land in its season" (Deuteronomy 28:12). Sustenance comes for the sake of the many, as it is said, "Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you." And does sustenance not come for the sake of the individual? But has it not been taught: Rabbi Yose son of Rabbi Yehudah says, three good providers arose for Israel, and so forth? Moses is different, since because he is needed for the many, he is reckoned like the many. "Behold, I will rain bread for you": to you He gives it, and not to every nation and tongue, for if all the nations were to gather to collect of the manna, even a trifle, they would not be able. And I have only the manna; from where do I know the well too? Scripture teaches, "A well that princes dug", for if all the nations of the world were to gather to fill a single jug from the well, they would not be able. "Bread": the manna was called by three names, bread, honey, oil. Bread for the young men, oil for the little ones, honey for the elders. "And the people shall go out and gather a portion day by day." Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Shimon said: food enough for two thousand years would come down as manna each day, as it is written, "a portion day by day," and elsewhere it says, "For a thousand years in Your eyes are as yesterday" (Psalms 90:4). If so, why did it come down each day? And what of the surplus? "And when the sun grew hot, it melted" (below, verse 21), because of the burden of carrying it on the way.

Another interpretation: that they would eat it warm and not cold.

Another interpretation: that Israel would lift their eyes every day toward their Father who is in heaven.

Another interpretation: "Behold, I will rain down bread for you from heaven" (Exodus 16:4). Rabbi Yehoshua says: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, Behold, I am revealing Myself at once and I will not delay. Rabbi Elazar of Modiin says: I do not say to you "Behold" except in the merit of your fathers. "For you" (Exodus 16:4): Rabbi Yehoshua says, Certainly I do not say to you "Behold" except in the merit of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. "From heaven": from a good treasury, as it is said, "The LORD will open for you His good treasury" and so forth (Deuteronomy 28:12). Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Come and see how beloved Israel are before the Omnipresent, that He changed for them the order of creation. In times past bread rose up from the earth and dew came down, and so on. "And the people shall go out and gather" (Exodus 16:4): so that they would not go out to courtyards and gather, but would go out to the open wilderness and gather. "A day's portion in its day" (Exodus 16:4): Rabbi Yehoshua says, so that a person should gather from today for tomorrow, like gathering from the eve of the Sabbath for the Sabbath. Rabbi Elazar of Modiin says, so that a person should not gather from today for tomorrow like gathering from the eve of the Sabbath for the Sabbath, as it is said, "a day's portion in its day": He who created the day created its sustenance. From here Rabbi Eliezer used to say: Anyone who has what to eat today and says, "What will I eat tomorrow," behold, this one is lacking in faith, as it is said, "that I may test them, whether they will walk in My Torah" (Exodus 16:4). Rabbi Yehoshua says: If a person studied two laws in the morning and two laws in the evening and was occupied with his work all day, they reckon it to him as though he had fulfilled the whole Torah entirely. From here Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai used to say: The Torah was given to be expounded only to the eaters of manna. How so? A man would sit and expound and would not know from where he would eat and drink or from where he would clothe and cover himself. Thus the Torah was given to be expounded only to the eaters of manna, and second to them the eaters of priestly heave offering.

"And it shall be on the sixth day" (Exodus 16:5). Rav Chisda said: A person should always rise early to spend for the Sabbath, as it is said, "And it shall be on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in" (Exodus 16:5); "and they prepare" means at once. Rabbi Abba said: On the Sabbath a person is obligated to break bread over two loaves, as it is written "double bread" [lechem mishneh]. Rav Kahana would take two and break one, saying, "They gathered" is written. Rabbi Zeira would break the whole portion at the start of the meal. Ravina said to Rav Ashi: Does this not look like gluttony? And so on. Our rabbis taught: How many meals is a person obligated to eat on the Sabbath? Three. Rabbi Chidka says: Four. Rabbi Yochanan said: Both expounded a single verse. "And Moses said, Eat it today" (Exodus 16:25). Rabbi Chidka holds these are three for the daytime apart from the night, and the rabbis hold including the night. Bar Kappara says: Anyone who fulfills three meals on the Sabbath is saved from three calamities: from the birth pangs of the Messiah, for it is written here "day" and it is written elsewhere, "Behold, I send you Elijah" and so forth (Malachi 3:23); from the judgment of Gehinnom, for it is written here "day" and it is written elsewhere, "That day is a day of wrath" (Zephaniah 1:15); and from the war of Gog and Magog, for it is written here "day" and it is written elsewhere, "On the day Gog comes" (Ezekiel 38:18). Rav Yehudah said in the name of Rav: Had Israel kept the very first Sabbath, no nation or tongue would have ruled over them, as it is said, "And it came to pass on the seventh day that some of the people went out to gather" (Exodus 16:27), and it is written after it, "And Amalek came" (Exodus 17:8).

An egg that was laid on a festival day: the House of Shammai say it may be eaten, and the House of Hillel say it may not be eaten. Rabbah said: We are dealing with a hen that stands ready for eating, and with a festival day that falls right after the Sabbath, and the matter concerns preparation. Rabbah holds that any egg born today was already completed yesterday. Rabbah follows his own reasoning, for Rabbah said: "And it shall be on the sixth day, when they prepare what they bring in" teaches that a weekday prepares for the Sabbath, but the Sabbath does not prepare for a festival, and a festival does not prepare for the Sabbath. And we decree concerning an ordinary festival day because of a festival day after the Sabbath, and an ordinary Sabbath because of a Sabbath after a festival day. "And it shall be on the sixth day, when they prepare": from here, that a person should prepare an eruv from the eve of the Sabbath for the Sabbath. "And it shall be double" [mishneh]: bread that is altered [meshuneh]. Or is it only doubled bread? When it says "two omers for each one" (Exodus 16:22), doubled bread is already stated. So what does Scripture teach by saying "double bread"? Bread that is altered. How so? On every day one omer came, and on the Sabbath two omers; on every day its fragrance wafted, and on the Sabbath all the more; on every day it gleamed like gold, and on the Sabbath all the more. "And Moses and Aaron said to all the children of Israel, At evening you shall know" (Exodus 16:6). They said to them: While you are still asleep in your beds the Omnipresent provides for you. "And you shall know that the LORD brought you out of the land of Egypt" (Exodus 16:6): from here you learn that the exodus from Egypt is equal in weight to all the miracles and mighty deeds the Omnipresent did for Israel. "And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD" (Exodus 16:7): from here you learn that the manna was given to Israel with a shining face. The quail, which they requested out of mere appetite, was given to them with a darkened face; but the manna, which they requested properly, was given to them with a shining face. "And what are we, that you murmur against us" (Exodus 16:7). They said: What account are we, that you stand and complain against us? They said: Had you been standing and complaining against us, we could have borne it; but you are standing and complaining before the living and eternal King. "And they journeyed from Elim" (Exodus 16:1): that day was a Sabbath, and on that very day they complained, and the people murmured against Moses, and he promised to bring down manna for them the next day, as it is written, "And in the morning you shall see the glory of the LORD." On the first day of the week the manna came down for them at first, as it is written, "Six days you shall gather it" (Exodus 16:26).

"And Moses said, When the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening" (Exodus 16:8). It was taught: The bread that Israel requested properly was given to them properly; the meat that they requested improperly was given to them improperly. From here the Torah taught proper conduct, that a person should eat meat only at night. But did not Abaye say: One who has a feast should eat it only by day? In a manner suited to the day. At first Israel were like hens pecking at a dunghill, until Moses came and fixed a set time for their meals. It is written "bread," and it is written "oil," and it is written "honey": for the young men, bread; for the elders, oil; and for the little children, honey. Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: Anyone who complains against his teacher is as one who complains against the Divine Presence, as it is said, "Your murmurings are not against us but against the LORD" (Exodus 16:8). Rav Chisda said: Anyone who quarrels with his teacher is as one who quarrels with the Divine Presence, as it is said, "when they strove against the LORD" (Numbers 26:9). Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: Anyone who makes a feud with his teacher is as one who makes a feud with the Divine Presence, as it is said, "These are the waters of Meribah, where the children of Israel strove with the LORD" (Numbers 20:13). Rabbi Abbahu said: Anyone who harbors suspicious thoughts about his teacher is as one who harbors them against the Divine Presence, as it is said, "And the people spoke against God and against Moses" (Numbers 21:5).

"And Moses said to Aaron, Say to all the congregation of the children of Israel, Draw near before the LORD" (Exodus 16:9). Rabbi Yehoshua says: "Draw near" because the Divine Presence was revealed. Rabbi Elazar of Modiin says: "Draw near" in order to receive judgment. "And it came to pass, as Aaron spoke": what does Scripture teach by saying "and it came to pass"? It teaches that just as the Omnipresent decreed, so it was. "And they turned toward the wilderness": Rabbi Yehoshua says, they did not turn until the divine might was revealed. Rabbi Elazar of Modiin says, they turned only on account of the deeds of the fathers, as it is said "the wilderness": just as a wilderness has in it neither iniquity nor sin, so the early fathers had in them neither iniquity nor sin. "And behold, the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud" (Exodus 16:10). Rabbi Yose ben Shamua says: Whenever Israel sought to stone Moses and Aaron, immediately the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. There it says, "And all the congregation said to stone them with stones" (Numbers 14:10), and here it says the glory of the LORD appeared in the cloud. And why all this? The Omnipresent said to them: Better that the pillar of cloud be stricken and that Moses and Aaron not be stoned.

"And the LORD spoke to Moses, saying, I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel" (Exodus 16:11-12). Rabbi Yehoshua says: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, Revealed before Me is what Israel said and what they are destined to say. "Speak to them, saying, At twilight you shall eat meat" (Exodus 16:12): Say to them, you stand between two matters. You asked Me for bread, since flesh and blood cannot live without bread, and I gave it to you. You turned back and asked for meat out of mere appetite, and behold I am giving it to you. Lest you say I have not the means to give it to you, in the end I will exact payment from you: "and you shall know that I am the LORD your God," I am the Judge to exact payment from you. "And it came to pass in the evening that the quail came up and covered the camp" (Exodus 16:13): from here you learn that the quail was given to Israel with a darkened face. "And it covered the camp": I do not know how much; Scripture teaches, "about two cubits upon the face of the earth" (Numbers 11:31), two cubits high above the ground, so that a person could stand and take it level with his heart, without strain and with upright stature, for from his heart downward is two cubits and from his heart upward is one cubit. Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: "And it spread out over the camp about a day's journey this way and a day's journey that way" (Numbers 11:31), three parasangs in each direction. Rabbi Yoshiyah says it teaches further measures, and Others say a middling day's journey is ten parasangs, hence twenty. "You set a table before me in the presence of my enemies" (Psalms 23:5); one might think the camp roads would be ruined, so Scripture says "upon the face of the earth," upon the open space of the earth. Rabbi Elazar of Modiin says: "about two cubits upon the face of the earth," the manna was two cubits high above the ground, and Israel took it only from the top. Come and see how the manna would come down for Israel: a north wind would go out and sweep the wilderness, rain would come down and pack the ground, dew would rise, and the wind would blow and make it like tables of gold, and the manna would come down upon them, and from them Israel would take it. And they said: If the Omnipresent prepared thus for those who anger Him, how much more will He pay good reward to the righteous in the time to come.

"And it came to pass at evening that the quail came up" (Exodus 16:13). It is written sin-lamed-vav [implying a word from the root of tranquility] but read selav [quail]: the righteous eat it in tranquility, while the wicked eat it and it feels to them like thorns. There are four kinds of quail: the shivli, the kivli, the pheasant, and the selav. The finest of them all is the shivli; the poorest of them all is the selav. They are like sparrows. One slaughters it and sets it in the oven, and it swells until it fills the whole oven. They place thirteen loaves around it, and the lowest one cannot be eaten except mixed with other things. For Rav Yehuda it would be found among the wine vats. For Rav Chisda it would be found among the firewood. For Rava a hunter would bring it from the marsh every day. One day he did not bring it. Rava said, "What is this?" He went up to the roof and heard a child reciting, "I heard, and my belly trembled at the sound" (Habakkuk 3:16). He said, "Learn from this that Rav Chisda has died," and out of grief for the master he ate no food [or: studied his teaching]. It is written "And the layer of dew came up" (Exodus 16:14), and it is written "And when the dew came down" (Numbers 11:9): dew above and dew below, so that [the manna] was like something laid in a box. "Fine" [dak], "flaky" [mechuspas]. Resh Lakish said: a thing that crumbles on the palm of the hand. Rabbi Yochanan said: a thing absorbed into the two hundred and forty-eight limbs, for the numerical value of mechuspas works out to that. They objected: mechuspas is much more than that. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak said: it is written mechuspas [defective spelling, lowering the count]. Our Rabbis taught: "Man ate the bread of the mighty" (Psalms 78:25). This is the bread that the ministering angels eat, the words of Rabbi Akiva. When this was said before Rabbi Yishmael, he said to them: Go and tell Rabbi Akiva, you have erred. Do angels eat? Has it not already been said, "I ate no bread" (Deuteronomy 9:9)? Rather, do not read "the mighty" [abirim] but "the limbs" [evarim], a thing absorbed into the two hundred and forty-eight limbs. Then how do I uphold "And you shall have a spade among your gear" (Deuteronomy 23:14)? These are things the traders of the nations would sell to Israel. [Rabbi Eliezer says: even those things the manna would dissolve.] Then how do I uphold "And you shall have a spade among your gear"? After they sinned, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I said they should be like the ministering angels, and they refused; now I burden them three parasangs. This is what is written, "And they camped by the Jordan" (Numbers 33:49), and Rabbah bar bar Chana said: I myself saw that place, and it was three parasangs. It was taught: when they relieved themselves, they did not relieve themselves in front of them or to their sides, but only behind them. The disciples of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai asked him: why did the manna not come down for Israel just once a year? He said to them: I will tell you a parable. To what may this be compared? To a king of flesh and blood who had one son, and he allotted him his food once a year, so the son would greet his father only once a year. The king reversed himself and fixed it daily, and the son greeted him every day. So too with Israel: one who had four or five children would worry and say, "Perhaps tomorrow the manna will not come down and they will all be found dead of hunger," and so they were all found directing their hearts to their Father in heaven.

Another explanation: so that they would eat it warm.

Another explanation: because of the burden of the road. And it once happened that Rabbi Tarfon and the elders were sitting and occupied with the portion of the manna, and Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in was sitting before them. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in responded and said: the manna that came down for Israel was sixty cubits high. Rabbi Tarfon said to him: Modi'ite, how long will you keep heaping up words and bringing them? He said to him: Rabbi, I am expounding a verse. "Fifteen cubits upward did the waters prevail" (Genesis 7:20). Now which measure is greater, the measure of goodness or the measure of punishment? You must say the measure of goodness is greater. Concerning the measure of punishment it says, "And the windows of heaven were opened" (Genesis 7:11). Concerning the measure of goodness it says, "He commanded the skies above and opened the doors of heaven, and rained down manna upon them to eat, and gave them the grain of heaven" (Psalms 78:23-24). How many windows are in a door? Four. Four by four makes eight here. It is thus found that the manna that came down for Israel was sixty cubits high. Are these comparable? There [in the flood] it was over forty days, here in a single hour; there for the whole world, here for Israel alone, so if so it should be even more. Rather, Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in learned it as an opening compared to an opening. Issi ben Yehuda says: the manna that came down for Israel kept rising and mounting up until all the kings of east and west could see it, as it is said, "You set a table before me in the presence of my enemies, you anoint my head with oil, my cup overflows" (Psalms 23:5). Abaye said: learn from this that the cup of David in the world to come holds two hundred twenty-one log, as it is said "my cup overflows" [revayah], for the numerical value of revayah works out to that.

"And the layer of dew came up" (Exodus 16:14): here Scripture has taught you how the manna came down for Israel. "And behold, upon the face of the wilderness": not over the whole wilderness but only part of it. "Fine" [dak]: this teaches that it was fine. "Flaky" [mechuspas]: this tells that it came down like frost upon the ground, the words of Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: "And the layer of dew came up" [alah]: the prayer of the fathers came up [as a plea], for they were lying like dew upon the ground. "And behold, upon the face of the wilderness": not over the whole wilderness but only part of it. "Fine": this teaches that it came down from the firmament, as it is said, "who stretches out the heavens like a fine curtain [dok]" (Isaiah 40:22). And since it came down from the firmament, one might think it came down cold; therefore it teaches "warm." And how do we know it came down only upon the vessels? It teaches "like frost." Rabbi Tarfon says: it came down only upon the rims. As it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, stretched out His hand and took the prayer of our fathers who lie in the dust upon the ground, and brought down manna for Israel, as the matter is said, "I have found a ransom." "And the children of Israel saw it and said" (Exodus 16:15) "what is it" [man hu]: like a person who says to his fellow, "What is this?" So they said to one another, "What is it?" The expounders of hidden meanings said: Israel called its name man. "And Moses said to them": Rabbi Yehoshua says, Moses said it to the elders, and the elders to all Israel. "It is the bread": from here Rabbi Yose and Rabbi Shimon would say, Israel were fattened like horses at that hour. It says here "for food," and it says elsewhere "Man ate the bread of the mighty" (Psalms 78:25). Do not read "the mighty" [abirim] but "the limbs" [evarim], bread that melts in the limbs. He said to them: the manna you eat melts in your limbs. "He sent them provision to the full" (Psalms 78:25): this is Joshua son of Nun, for whom manna came down equal to all Israel. And some say it came down upon his very limbs, and from his limbs he would take and eat; therefore it is said, "Man ate the bread of the mighty."

"This is the thing that the LORD has commanded: gather of it" (Exodus 16:16-18). They said: now Nachshon son of Amminadab and his household will go out and gather much, and the poorest in Israel will go out and gather little, and when they come to the measure they were all found equal, as it is said, "And they measured it with an omer" and so forth. They said: one who eats this measure is healthy and blessed; less than this, he is disordered in the bowels; more than this, he is a glutton. "And the children of Israel did so": they did what they were commanded and did not transgress the decree of Moses. ("And they gathered, some more, some less, and they measured it with an omer.")

"And Moses said to them: let no one leave any of it over until morning. But they did not listen to Moses" (Exodus 16:19-20). These were the ones of deficient faith in Israel. "And some men left of it over": they said, the good men did not leave any over, and those who were not good men left some over. "And it bred worms and stank": now this verse is in reversed order, for once it breeds worms it would stink afterward; rather, it stank and afterward bred worms, as the matter is said (in verse 24), "and it did not stink, nor was there any worm in it." "And Moses was angry with them": he was angry with them and said to them, why have you done this?

"And they gathered it morning by morning" (Exodus 16:21), and it is written, "And they brought to him still more freewill offerings morning by morning." This teaches that precious stones and pearls came down for Israel together with the manna. "And the chieftains [nesi'im] brought the onyx stones" (Exodus 35:27). It was taught: the chieftains - actual chieftains; and so it says, "Clouds [nesi'im] and wind but no rain." Our Rabbis taught: "And when the sun grew hot, it melted" - at four hours. You say at four hours; or is it only at six hours? When it says (Genesis 18:1) "in the heat of the day," six hours is already stated. How then do I uphold "and when the sun grew hot, it melted"? Which hour is it when the sun is hot but the day is cool? You must say: at four hours. Whose view is this? Neither Rabbi Yehuda's nor the Sages'. For if it were Rabbi Yehuda's, then all of the first four hours are also morning, since Rabbi Yehuda says the morning prayer may be said until four hours, as it is written (Numbers 28:4) "the one lamb you shall offer in the morning"; yet here it says "and they gathered it morning by morning," and afterward says "and the sun grew hot" at four hours. And if it were the Sages', then all six hours are also morning. If you say it is the Sages, the verse says "morning by morning" - divide it into two mornings. And if you say it is Rabbi Yehuda, this extra "morning" serves him to push it one hour earlier than morning. "And all the chieftains of the congregation came" (Exodus 16:22-23). They said to him: Moses our teacher, why is this day different from all other days? "And he said to them, This is what the LORD has spoken." They said to him: when? He said to them: tomorrow. "Bake what you would bake." Rabbi Yehoshua says: whoever wanted it baked, it was baked for him; and whoever wanted to eat something cooked, it was cooked for him. Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: whoever wanted to eat it baked tasted in it the taste of all baked things in the world, and whoever wanted to eat something cooked tasted in it the taste of all cooked things in the world. A festival that falls on the eve of Sabbath: one may not cook at the outset from the festival for the Sabbath, but one may cook for the festival, and if there is a surplus the surplus is for the Sabbath; and one prepares a dish on the eve of the festival and relies upon it for the Sabbath. From where are these matters derived? Shmuel said: the verse says (Exodus 20:8) "Remember the Sabbath day" - remember it from when you might come to forget it. What is the reason? Rava said: so that one may select a fine portion for the Sabbath and a fine portion for the festival. Rav Ashi said: so that people will say, one does not bake from the festival for the Sabbath, all the more so not from the festival for a weekday. We learned: one prepares a dish on the eve of the festival and relies upon it for the Sabbath. This works well for Rav Ashi, who said the reason is so people will say one does not bake from the festival for the Sabbath - hence from the eve of the festival yes, on the festival itself no. But according to Rava, why specifically from the eve of the festival? Even on the festival itself it should be permitted! Indeed so; rather it is a decree lest one be negligent. And the Tanna brings it from here: "Bake what you would bake and cook what you would cook" - from here Rabbi Elazar said, one bakes only upon the already-baked and cooks only upon the already-cooked. From here the Sages found support for the eruv of cooked dishes from the Torah.

"And Moses said, Eat it today" (Exodus 16:25-26), for they were accustomed to go out in the morning, and so on. They said to him: since we did not go out in the morning, let us go out at twilight. He said to them: "for today is a Sabbath to the LORD." What does it teach by saying "today you shall not find it in the field"? They said: the heart of our ancestors broke at that moment, when they were saying, since we did not find it today, perhaps we shall not find it tomorrow. He said to them: today you do not find it, but tomorrow you will find it. Rabbi Elazar ben Chisma says: in this world you do not find it, but in the world to come you will find it.

Another interpretation: "And Moses said, Eat it today." Rabbi Yehoshua says: if you merit to keep the Sabbath, the Holy One, blessed be He, will in the future give you six good measures - the Land of Israel, the world to come, the new world, the kingdom of the house of David, the priesthood, and the Levitical office; therefore it says "Eat it today." Rabbi Eliezer says: if you merit to keep the Sabbath, you will be saved from three retributions - from the day of Gog and Magog, from the birth pangs of the Messiah, and from the great day of judgment; therefore it says "Eat it today." "Six days you shall gather it." Rabbi Yehoshua says: we have learned that it does not come down on the Sabbath; from where do we know it does not come down on a festival? The verse teaches, "a Sabbath, it shall not be on it." Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: we have learned that it does not come down on the Sabbath; from where on a festival? The verse teaches, "it shall not be on it"; from where on the Day of Atonement? The verse teaches, "a Sabbath, it shall not be on it." "And it came to pass on the seventh day that some of the people went out" (Exodus 16:27-28) - these are the people of deficient faith among Israel.

"And the LORD said to Moses, How long do you refuse?" (Exodus 16:28). Rabbi Yehoshua says: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, Say to Israel: I brought you out of Egypt, I split the sea for you, I brought down the manna for you, I raised up the well for you, I drove up the quail for you, (I waged war against Amalek for you,) I performed miracles for you - how long will you refuse to keep My commandments? And lest you say, I imposed many commandments upon you - did I not at Marah command you a single commandment to keep, and you did not keep it? And lest you say, whoever keeps the Sabbath, what reward does he receive for it? The verse teaches (Isaiah 56:2), "Happy is the man who does this" - hence we learn that whoever keeps the Sabbath is kept far from transgression. Rava said to Rabba bar Mari: from where comes the proverb people say, "Along with the thorn the cabbage is smitten"? He said to him: as it is written, "Why do you contend with Me? All of you have transgressed against Me" (Jeremiah 2:29). He said to him: you say it from there, and I say it from here - "How long do you refuse to keep My commandments?"

Our Rabbis taught: the year is intercalated only by those invited for it. There was an incident with Rabban Gamliel, who said: Have seven of you come early to me in the upper chamber. He rose early and found eight. He said: Who is this who came up without permission? Immediately Samuel the Small stood on his feet and said: I am the one who came up without permission, and I did not come up to intercalate the year, but I needed to learn the practical law. He said to him: Sit, my son, sit; all the years are worthy to be intercalated through you, but the Sages said the year is intercalated only by those invited for it. In truth it was not Samuel the Small, but another person, and he did this on account of shame - as in the case where Rabbi (Chiya) was sitting and expounding, and he smelled the odor of garlic. He said: Whoever ate garlic, let him go out. Rabbi Chiya rose and went out; they all rose and went out. In the morning Rabbi Shimon son of Rabbi found Rabbi Chiya and said to him: Are you the one who distressed my father? He said to him: Heaven forbid, let there be no such thing in Israel. And from where did Rabbi Chiya learn this? From the deed of Rabbi Meir, as it was taught: there was an incident with a woman who came to the study house of Rabbi Meir. She said to them: Rabbi, one of you betrothed me through intercourse. Rabbi Meir rose and wrote her a bill of divorce and gave it to her; they all rose and wrote her a bill of divorce and gave it to her. And from where did Rabbi Meir learn this? From Samuel the Small. And from where did Samuel the Small learn it? From Shecaniah son of Yechiel, as it is written, "And Shecaniah son of Yechiel of the sons of Elam answered and said to Ezra, We have broken faith with our God and have taken foreign wives" (Ezra 10:2). And from where did Shecaniah son of Yechiel learn it? From Joshua, as it is written (Joshua 7:10), "And the LORD said to Joshua, Get up; Israel has sinned." He said before Him: Master of the world, let me know who sinned. He said to him: Am I an informer? Go and cast lots. And if you wish, say from Moses, as it is written, "How long do you refuse?" Our Rabbis taught: when the last prophets - Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi - died, the Holy Spirit departed from Israel; yet even so they made use of a heavenly voice [bat kol]. Once they were sitting in the upper chamber of the house of Guria in Jericho, and a heavenly voice was given them from heaven: There is among you one man who is worthy that the Divine Presence rest upon him as upon Moses, but his generation is not worthy of it. They set their eyes upon Hillel the Elder; and when he died they said of him, Alas the humble one, alas the pious one, the disciple of Ezra. Once again they were sitting in the upper chamber in Yavneh, and a heavenly voice was given them from heaven: There is here one who is worthy that the Divine Presence rest upon him, but his generation is not worthy of it. They set their eyes upon Samuel the Small. And when he died they said of him, Alas the humble one, alas the pious one, the disciple of Hillel. He too said at the hour of his death: Shimon and Yishmael are for the sword, and their fellows for slaughter, and the rest of the people for plunder, and great troubles are destined to come upon the world. And of Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava they sought to say the same, but the hour was troubled, for one does not eulogize those slain by the government.

Samuel the Small stood on his feet and said to him: Rabbi, I entered to ask about the law. He said to him: What is it to you, Eldad and Medad? For all Israel knows that even if I had said only two should enter, you would have been one of them. It was said: One hangs the key and the writing-tablet of a dead man because of grief of spirit. And when Samuel the Small died, they hung his key and his writing-tablet upon his coffin, because he had no son. And Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Elazar ben Azaryah eulogized him and said: For this one it is fitting to weep, for this one it is fitting to mourn. When kings die they leave their crowns to their sons; when the wealthy die they leave their riches to their sons; but Samuel the Small took the precious things of the world and went his way.

(Exodus 16:29-30) "See that the LORD has given you the Sabbath." See the pearl that I have given to you: bread for two days. Everything connected with the Sabbath is doubled. The omer is doubled, as it says above (verse 22), "two omers for each one." Its offering is doubled: "and on the Sabbath day, two lambs." Its punishment is doubled (Exodus 31:14), "those who profane it shall surely be put to death." Its reward is doubled (Isaiah 58:13), "and you shall call the Sabbath a delight, the holy day of the LORD honored." Its warning is doubled (Exodus 20:8), "Remember" and "Keep." Its psalm is doubled (Psalms 92:1), "A psalm, a song, for the Sabbath day." "See that the LORD has given you the Sabbath." Be watchful, for the LORD is giving it to you so that you will keep it. Therefore He gives you, etc. This is what Rabbi Joshua used to say: This is the doubled bread, as it is said, "two omers for each one." "Let each man stay in his place" (verse 29): these are the four cubits. "Let no man go out from his place on the seventh day": this is the two thousand cubits. And when they heard this matter they accepted it upon themselves and rested, as it is said, "and the people rested on the seventh day."

Another interpretation: "And the people rested." Rabbi Joshua says: He said to them, "If you keep this Sabbath, the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to give you three good festivals: the festival of Nisan, the festival of Atzeret (Shavuot), and the festival of Tishrei." And when they heard this matter they accepted it upon themselves and rested, as it is said, "and the people rested." Rabbi Eleazar of Modi'in says: He said to them, "If you keep this Sabbath, the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to give you six good measures: the Land of Israel, the World to Come, etc." And when they heard it they accepted and rested, etc.

Rabbi Hiyya taught: One is flogged for violating Sabbath boundary limits by Torah law. Rabbi Jonathan objected: Is one flogged for a prohibition expressed with "let not"? Rav Acha bar Yaakov objected: "Do not turn to the ghosts" (Leviticus 19:31), is it likewise that one is not flogged? Rabbi Jonathan's difficulty was rather this: a prohibition that is given as a warning attached to a court-imposed death penalty, one is not flogged for it. [Rav Ashi said:] Is it written "let him not bring out"? It is written "let him not go out" [the manna verses follow]. (Exodus 16:31) "And it was like coriander seed." Rav Asi said: round like a tendon and white like a pearl. It was likewise taught: "gad" because it resembles flax seed in its stalks. Others say: "gad" because it draws a person's heart like aggadah, which pulls the heart like a spring. Another teaching: "gad" because it would tell (maggid) Israel whether a child was born of the first husband or the last. "White" because it whitens the sins of Israel. Rabbi Yose said: Just as the prophet tells Israel what is in their holes and crevices, so too the manna would tell, etc. How so? Two come before Moses for judgment. This one says, "You stole my slave," and that one says, "You sold him to me." Moses said to them, "Judge in the morning rightly" (Jeremiah 21:12). The next day, if the man's omer was found in the house of the first master, it was known that this one stole him. And if it was found in the house of the second, it was known that the other sold him to him. So too a man and a woman who came before Moses for judgment. He says, "She betrayed me," and she says, "He betrayed me." Moses said to them, "Judge in the morning rightly." The next day, if her omer was found in her husband's house it was known that he wronged her, and if her omer was found in her father's house it was known that she wronged him. It is written, "And when the dew came down upon the camp" etc., and it is written (verse 4), "And the people shall go out and gather," and it is written (Numbers 11:8), "The people roamed and gathered." How so? For the righteous it came down at the door of their homes; the middling went out and gathered, etc. "And the house of Israel called its name manna." The interpreters of hidden meanings say: the children of Israel called its name manna. "And it was like white coriander seed." I do not know whose [view holds]. Rabbi Joshua said: it resembles flax seed. One might think that just as flax seed is red, so this is red; therefore Scripture says "white." Rabbi Eleazar of Modi'in says: it resembles a matter of aggadah, which draws the heart of people. Others say: it testifies about itself that it is manna, since it does not come down on the Sabbath or on the Day of Atonement. Rabbi Yose says: just as this prophet told Israel things hidden and concealed, so the manna tells, etc. "And its taste was like a wafer" etc. Rabbi Joshua says: like a pancake and like the form of honey-cakes. Rabbi Eliezer says: like fine flour that floats on a sieve and is kneaded with honey and butter.

(Exodus 16:32-34) "This is the thing that the LORD commanded." One might think Aaron only placed it down in the fortieth year after the Exodus; therefore Scripture says, "And Aaron placed it," etc. And when was the Ark made? In the second year; so too Aaron only placed it down in the second year. And this is one of ten things created at twilight on the eve of the Sabbath, and these are they: the rainbow, the manna, the staff, the shamir-worm, the script, the tablets, the opening of the earth's mouth that swallowed the wicked, the opening of the donkey's mouth, the grave of Moses, and the cave in which Moses and Elijah stood. Another interpretation: also the garments of the first man, and the staff of Aaron with its almonds and blossoms. Seven things are hidden from human beings: the day of death, the day of consolation, the depth of judgment, no person knows by what he will profit, no person knows what is in his fellow's heart, when the kingdom of the house of David will return to its place, and when the kingdom of the Samaritans will be uprooted.

"And Moses said to Aaron, take one jar (tzintzenet)." I do not know of what it was, whether of silver, gold, copper, iron, tin, or lead; therefore Scripture says "tzintzenet," meaning I spoke only of something that shows through (metzitz) from within, and you find only an earthenware vessel. "And put there a full omer," etc. Rabbi Joshua says: for the fathers. Rabbi Eleazar of Modi'in says: for the generations. Rabbi Eliezer says: for the days of Jeremiah. For when Jeremiah said to Israel, "Why do you not occupy yourselves with the Torah?" they said to him, "If we occupy ourselves with the Torah, how shall we be sustained?" At that moment Jeremiah brought out for them the flask of manna and said to them (Jeremiah 2:31), "O generation, see the word of the LORD," etc. "Your ancestors who occupied themselves with words of Torah, see by what they were sustained. You too occupy yourselves with the Torah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, will sustain you from this." And this is one of three things that Elijah is destined to restore to Israel: the flask of manna, the flask of purification water, and the anointing oil. And some say also the staff of Aaron with its almonds and blossoms, as it is said, "Return the staff of Aaron."

(Exodus 16:35) "And the children of Israel ate the manna forty years." It is impossible to say "until they came to an inhabited land," for it already says "to the edge of the land of Canaan"; and it is impossible to say "to the edge of the land of Canaan," for it already says "to an inhabited land." How so? On the seventh of Adar Moses died and the manna stopped coming down, and they were supplied from the manna in their vessels until the sixteenth of Nisan. Another teaching: "And the children of Israel ate," etc. Did they eat it forty years? Rather, the cakes that Israel brought out of Egypt, in them they tasted the taste of manna. "And the children of Israel ate the manna" forty days after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Adar, and they ate from it twenty-four days of Adar and sixteen of Nisan, as it is said (Joshua 5:12), "And the manna ceased on the next day." Rabbi Eleazar of Modi'in says: seventy days they ate the manna after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of the first Adar, and they ate from it twenty-four days of the first Adar and thirty of the second Adar, for it was a leap year, and sixteen of Nisan, as it is said, "And the manna ceased on the next day." Rabbi Eliezer says: seventy days Israel ate the manna after the death of Moses. How so? Moses died on the seventh of Shevat and they ate from it twenty-four days of Shevat and thirty of Adar, and that year was not a leap year, and sixteen of Nisan, as it is said, "And the manna ceased." Rabbi says: fifty-four years Israel ate the manna, forty years in the lifetime of Moses, as it is said, "And the children of Israel ate the manna," for there is no need for Scripture to say "the manna they ate until they came to the edge of the land of Canaan"; rather these are the fourteen years after the death of Moses, namely the seven of conquest and the seven of division. When Miriam died the well was removed; when Aaron died the pillar of cloud was removed, and both returned by the merit of Moses. When Moses died all three were removed and did not return. And the hornet did not cross the Jordan with them.

(Exodus 16:36) "Now the omer" I do not know how much it is; therefore Scripture says, "Now the omer is a tenth of an ephah." And how much is a tenth of an ephah? One of seven quarter-measures and a remainder. And this remainder, I do not know how much it is: one seventh of a quarter-measure. (Exodus 17:1) "And the whole congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin." Because Israel separated themselves from words of Torah, the enemy came upon them, for the enemy comes only on account of sin and transgression.

(Exodus 17:2) "And the people quarreled with Moses." They overstepped the line of justice. It is the way of the world that a person grows angry within his household and sets his eyes only on the youngest; but these set their eyes only on the greatest. Therefore it is said, "And the people quarreled with Moses," and not with Aaron, for Aaron was beloved to them, since he loved peace and pursued peace. This is what Scripture says (Proverbs 18:6), "The lips of a fool enter into strife." They were demanding, "Would that we had died by the hand of the LORD" (Numbers 20:3), "and would that we had perished." What is the meaning of "before the LORD"? A parable of a prince who had no manners, who would climb the walls and the trees against his father, and go to the place of the wild beasts so that his father would be pained. So these were saying, "Let us die so that He will be pained over us." And not only that, but He swore to our fathers to give us the land.

"And Moses said to them: Why do you quarrel with me?" (Exodus 17:2). He said to them: As long as you keep disputing with me, you are putting the Omnipresent to the test, as it is said, "Why do you test the LORD?" (Exodus 17:2).

Another interpretation: As long as you dispute with me, the Omnipresent performs for you wonders and mighty acts, and My Name is magnified.

"And the people thirsted there for water" (Exodus 17:3). But elsewhere what does it say? "And they came to Marah, and they could not drink the waters of Marah" (Exodus 15:23). Up to that point thirst had not yet touched them, but here thirst touched them, (and the people quarreled with Moses). From here Rabbi Joshua used to say: When the house has fallen, woe to the nail [when the strong are stricken, how much more the weak]. They put their cattle on a level with their own bodies. From here they said: A man's beast is his very life, for a man traveling on the road, if his beast is not with him, suffers greatly. "And Moses cried out" and so forth (Exodus 17:4). This is to make known the praise of Moses, that he did not say, Since they are quarreling with me I will not seek mercy on their behalf, but rather, "And Moses cried out to the LORD." He said before the Omnipresent: Master of the world, between You and them I am being killed. You told me not to be strict with them, as it is said, "For you say to me, Carry it in your bosom" (Numbers 11:12), yet they sought to kill me. "And the LORD said to Moses" (Exodus 17:5). Here the Omnipresent lowers and Moses raises; and elsewhere the Omnipresent raises and Moses lowers, as in the matter of which it is said, "And now leave Me alone" (Exodus 32:10), after which what does it say? "And Moses entreated" and so forth (Exodus 32:11).

"And the LORD said to Moses: Pass on before the people" (Exodus 17:5). [This means] pass over their words. Rabbi Judah says: Pass beyond them, for you are bringing forth water for them. Rabbi Nehemiah says: Pass over their sin.

Another interpretation: "Pass on before the people" and let your platform speak, "and take with you of the elders of Israel" (Exodus 17:5) as testimony, that they should not say there were springs already there. "And your staff with which you struck" the Nile, because of the murmurings. This is one of three things over which Israel used to murmur, saying that they were instruments of calamity, and these are they: the incense, the ark, and the staff. They said: This incense is a thing of calamity; it killed Nadab and Abihu, as it is said, "And the sons of Aaron took" and so forth (Leviticus 10:1). Therefore they learned that it brings atonement, as it is said, "And he put on the incense and made atonement for the people" (Numbers 17:12). The ark they said was a thing of calamity; it struck Uzzah and the men of Beth-shemesh, as it is said, "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Uzzah" (II Samuel 6:7), and it is written, "And He struck the men of Beth-shemesh" (I Samuel 6:19). Therefore they learned that it is a thing of blessing, as it is said, "And the ark of the LORD remained in the house of Obed-edom, and the LORD blessed Obed-edom" (II Samuel 6:11). They said: This staff of sapphire brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians and ten at the sea. Therefore let them learn that it is a thing of miracles. "And your staff with which you struck the Nile," because of the murmurings. Rabbi Abbahu said: Whoever leads his fellow to a matter of a commandment, Scripture credits it to him as though he had done it himself, as it is said, "And your staff with which you struck the Nile." But did Moses strike? Did not Aaron strike? Rather, this is to teach you that whoever leads his fellow to a matter of a commandment, Scripture credits it to him as though he had done it himself.

"Behold, I stand before you" (Exodus 17:6) (it is written in the verse "and wash your feet"). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Every place where you find the mark of a man's feet, there I am before you. "And you shall strike the rock" (Exodus 17:6). From here Rabbi Yose ben Zimra used to say: This staff was of sapphire, as it is said, "and you shall strike the rock" [literally, in the rock]. Of the rock it does not say so, but rather "and you shall strike in the rock." "And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah" (Exodus 17:7). Rabbi Joshua says: Moses called it Massah and Meribah, as it is said, "And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah." Rabbi Eleazar of Modiin says: The Holy One, blessed be He, called it Massah and Meribah, as it is said, "And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah." From here we learn that the Great Court is called "the Place." "Because of the quarreling of the children of Israel" (Exodus 17:7). Rabbi Joshua says: Israel said, If He is the Master of all worlds, then just as He is Master over us we will serve Him, and if not, we will not serve Him. Rabbi Eliezer says: They said, If He supplies our needs we will serve Him, and if not, we will not serve Him. Therefore it is said, "because of the quarreling of the children of Israel." It is written, "Strike the scorner and the simple will become prudent" (Proverbs 19:25). "Strike the scorner" refers to Amalek; "and the simple will become prudent" refers to Jethro. When Amalek came to make war with Israel, what is written? "And Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim" (Exodus 17:8), because they had let their hands grow slack from the Torah and the commandments, for Scripture says, "And he called the name of the place Massah and Meribah." The Holy One, blessed be He, began to cry out over the quarreling of the children of Israel and over their testing of the LORD. Rabbi Levi said: To what were Israel like? To a man who had a son and set him upon his shoulder and carried him through the marketplace. The son would see a desirable thing and say to his father, Buy it for me, and he would buy it for him, a first time, a second, and a third. The son saw a certain man and said to him, Have you seen my father? His father said to him: Fool, you are riding on my shoulder, and whatever you ask I buy for you, and yet you say to this man, Have you seen my father? What did the father do? He cast him down from his shoulder, and a dog came and bit him. So too when Israel went out of Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, surrounded them with seven clouds of glory, as it is said, "He encircled him, He cared for him" (Deuteronomy 32:10). They asked for manna, He gave it to them. Once He had given them all their needs they began to doubt and to say, "Is the LORD among us or not?" (Exodus 17:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: You have doubted Me; by your lives I will make it known to you. Here the dog comes and bites you. And who is this? This is Amalek, as it is said, "And Amalek came." It flew like this swarm.

Another interpretation: "Amalek" [is read as] "a people that licked" (am laq), for it came to lick the blood of Israel like a dog. Rabbi Simeon ben Halafta says: To what was Amalek like? To a fly that is greedy for a wound; so was Amalek greedy for Israel. A parable: a king who had a vineyard and surrounded it with a fence and set within it a biting dog. The king said: Whoever comes and breaches the fence, let the dog bite him. The king's own son came and breached the fence, and the dog bit him. Whenever the king wished to recall the sin his son had committed, he would say to him: Remember when the dog bit you. So whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to recall the sin of Israel, what they did at Rephidim when they said, "Is the LORD among us?" He says to them, "Remember what Amalek did to you" (Deuteronomy 25:17). Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah and the Rabbis [interpreted]. Rabbi Judah says: Israel said, If He is Master over all the works as He is Master over us, we will serve Him, and if not, we will not serve Him. And Rabbi Nehemiah says: If He supplies our food like a king who dwells in a province and the province lacks nothing, we will serve Him, and if not, we will rebel against Him. And the Rabbis say: If we speak in our hearts and He knows what we speak, we will serve Him, and if not, we will rebel against Him. Rabbi Berekhiah in the name of Rabbi Levi: In their hearts they spoke, and the Holy One, blessed be He, granted them their request. What is the reason? "And they tested God in their heart" (Psalms 78:18), and what is written there? "And they ate and were exceedingly full" (Psalms 78:29).

"And Amalek came" (Exodus 17:8). Rabbi Joshua and Rabbi Hisma say: This verse is obscure but is explained through Job, "Can the reed grow up without a marsh?" and so forth (Job 8:11). Can this reed grow tall without a marsh and without water? Can this meadow-grass exist without water? So Israel cannot exist unless they occupy themselves with the Torah, and because they withdrew from words of Torah, therefore the enemy came upon them, for the enemy comes only on account of sin and transgression. Therefore it is said, "And Amalek came." Rabbi Eleazar of Modiin says: "And he came," for Amalek would enter beneath the wings of the cloud and steal souls from Israel and kill them, as it is said, "who met you on the way" (Deuteronomy 25:18). And others say: "and feared not God" (Deuteronomy 25:18) refers to Israel, who had no commandments in their hands. Rabbi Eliezer says: "And Amalek came," for he came openly, since all the comings by which he came he came only in stealth, as it is said, "who met you on the way," but this coming he came only openly. Rabbi Yose ben Halafta says: "And Amalek came," for he came with counsel. This teaches that Amalek gathered all the nations of the world and said to them: Come and help me against Israel. They said: We cannot stand against them, for Pharaoh stood against them and he and his army were drowned in the Sea of Reeds, as it is said, "And He shook off Pharaoh and his army" (Psalms 136:15); how can we stand against them? He said to them: I will give you counsel what to do. If they defeat me, flee for yourselves; and if not, come and help me against Israel. Therefore it is said, "And Amalek came," for he came with counsel. Rabbi Judah the Prince says: Amalek strode past five nations and came and made war with Israel, as it is said, "And Amalek came," and it is written, "Amalek dwells in the land of the south" (Numbers 13:29), for he was farther in than all of them. Rabbi Nathan says: Amalek came only from the mountains of Mount Seir; four hundred parasangs Amalek strode and came and made war with Israel. Others say: "And Amalek came" the ingrate, and let him exact punishment from Israel who were ingrates. It is written, "And these are they who conspired against him: Zabad son of Shimeath the Ammonitess and Jehozabad son of Shimrith the Moabitess" (II Chronicles 24:26); let these ingrates come and exact punishment from Joash the ingrate, as it is said, "And Joash the king did not remember the kindness which Jehoiada his father had done" (II Chronicles 24:22). And what was the punishment of the matter? "And it came to pass at the turn of the year that the army of Aram came up against him, and they came to Judah and Jerusalem and destroyed all the princes of the people from among the people, and all their spoil they sent to the king of Damascus" (II Chronicles 24:23), and it is written, "And the LORD delivered a very great army into their hand" (II Chronicles 24:24); for what reason? "Because they had forsaken the LORD, the God of their fathers, and against Joash they executed judgments" (II Chronicles 24:24). Do not read "judgments" (shefatim) but "abuses" (shefutim). And what abuses did they do? They appointed over him harsh ruffians who had never known a woman, and they afflicted him, as in the matter that is said, "And the pride of Israel was humbled" (Hosea 5:5). "And when they departed from him, for they left him in great diseases, his own servants conspired against him for the blood of the sons of Jehoiada the priest, and they killed him on his bed, and he died" (II Chronicles 24:25).

"And he fought with Israel at Rephidim" (Exodus 17:8). Rabbi Hanina said: This matter I asked of Rabbi Eliezer, who sat in the great academy: What is Rephidim? He said to him: It is to be understood according to its plain meaning. And further Rabbi Hanina said: I asked Rabbi Eliezer, What did Israel see fit to redeem the firstborn of donkeys, and not to redeem the firstborn of horses, nor the firstborn of camels? He said to him: It is the decree of the King; and further, because Israel had in their possession at that hour none but donkeys, since there was not a single Israelite who did not come away with ninety donkeys laden with silver and gold. Others say: Rephidim means nothing other than "slackness of hands" [rifyon yadayim], because they let their hands grow slack from the words of the Torah; therefore the enemy came upon them, for the enemy comes only upon slackness of hands in Torah, as it is said, "And it came to pass, when the kingdom of Rehoboam was established and he was strong, that he forsook the Torah of the LORD, and all Israel with him" (2 Chronicles 12:1). And what is the punishment of this matter? "And it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem," and so on, "and he took away the treasures of the house of the LORD" (2 Chronicles 12:2, 9). This is one of three things that returned to their place. The exile of Judah returned to its place, as it is said, "Your fathers dwelt beyond the River" (Joshua 24:2), and it is written, "and he destroyed this house and carried the people away captive to Babylon" (Ezra 5:12). The writing of heaven returned to its place, as it is said, "Will you set your eyes upon it? It is gone" (Proverbs 23:5). The silver of Egypt returned to its place.