2,594 texts · Page 53 of 55
(Numb. 4:18) “Do not cut off.” This text is related (to Nahum 1:7), “The Lord is good, a shelter in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” The nature of the Holy One...
(Numb. 5:12),1Neither the Buber nor the traditional Tanhuma have a parashah, the beginning of which coincides with the beginning of Naso (Numb. 4:21-7:89) from the annual cycle. Su...
Our masters have said in the name of R. [Hanina] (Huna) the father of R. Aha, “The adulterer and adulteress transgress the Ten Commandments.”13Numb. R. 9:12. [They] said to [him], ...
(Numb. 5:15:) “Then he shall bring the offering for her, one-tenth an ephah of barley meal.” Why does she bring barley meal?19Sot. 2:1; cf. Sifre, to Numb. 5:15. Because she behave...
(Numb. 5:17), “Then the priest shall take holy water in an earthen vessel and some of the dust.” And, why does he take water and dust and test her? Because he was created from the ...
(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)31In the unpointed Heb...
(Numb. 5:13:) “In that a man has slept with her carnally.” [“A man” is to] exclude a minor, and one who is not a man.38On the exception, see Sifre, Numb. 5:13 (7). Cf. Sot. 4:4; TS...
(Numb. 5:13, cont.:) “And it is hidden from her husband's eyes,” [is to] exclude one who is blind.39Sifre, Numb. 5:13 (7); Sot. 27a. Cf. Numb. R. 9:10, which explains the exception...
(Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed, the one belonging to Solomon (rt.: shlm), with sixty warriors around it […].” What rea...
Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:23-24), “Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel: The Lord bless you and keep you.” “Bless you,” with wealth; “and keep you,” so that may do ...
(Numb. 7:1), “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” Let our master instruct us: How many things preceded the act of creation? Thus have our masters taught: Seven ...
"And it was (vayehi) on the day that Moses had finished" (Numbers 7:1), meaning to say, woe (vay) on the day that Moshe finished. There is a [relevant] parable about a king who had...
"And it was on the day that Moses had finished" (Numbers 7:1). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Ecclesiastes 2:21), "there is a person whose fortune was...
(Numbers 7:54:) "On the eighth day, the prince of the Children of Manasseh." R. Abbin Berabbi the Levite said, “As Joseph was offering his praise, his master saw him murmuring with...
(Numb. 16:1:) “Now Korah betook himself.” This text is related (to Prov. 18:19), “A brother offended (rt.: psh') is more formidable than a fortified city; [such] contentions are li...
(Numb. 16:1:) “[Korah who is] the son of Izhar [who is] the son of Kohath [who is] the son of Levi betook himself.” But there is not written "the son of Jacob" [or] "the son of Isr...
(Numb. 16:7-8:) “You Levites have gone too far! So Moses said unto Korah, ‘Please listen, you Children of Levi.” Do you have someone speaking with Joseph, who tells Simon to listen...
(Numb. 16:1:) “And On ben Peleth.” Why was he named On (which means "sorrow")?45Numb. R. 18:20; Sanh. 109b-110a. Because he remained in sorrow all his days. (Ibid.:) “Ben Peleth (p...
The Seers (i.e., the prophets) were the ones who said the doubled letters, mantzepakh (mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf, which are the letters that have a different form when they app...
Question:16This section is taken virtually verbatim from the Aramaic text of the She’eltot of Ahai of Shabha (d. ca. 762), Mattot, 137. Are those of the House of Israel obligated t...
(Numb. 19:2:) “This is the statute of the Torah.” R. Tanhum bar Hanila'i opened [his discourse] (with Ps. 12:7), “The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings.”36Lev. R. 26:1; PRK 4:2;...
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:57Numb. R. 19:2, co...
R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi, “There are four things that the evil drive would refute [as irrational], and for each of them is written [the word,] huqqah (i.e.,...
(Numb. 19:2, cont:) “That they bring unto you [a red heifer without blemish].” R. Jose bar Hanina said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses. ‘To you I am revealing the reas...
(Numb. 20:7-8:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses saying, ‘Take the rod... and you shall provide the congregation and their cattle with water.” From here it is shown that the Holy On...
(Numb. 20:12:) “But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, ‘Because you did not trust in Me.’” Why was Aaron punished?97Numb. R. 19:9, end. The matter is comparable to a creditor who ca...
(Numb. 20:14:) “Then Moses sent messengers [from Kadesh unto the king of Edom], ‘Thus says your brother Israel….’” This text is related (to Ps. 15:3), “nor takes up a reproach agai...
(Numb. 20:23-24:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses and unto Aaron on Mount Hor […], ‘Aaron will be gathered113Although this verb is commonly understood as a jussive, LET AARON BE GAT...
(Numb. 21:17:) “Then Israel sang this song.” This song (of the well) was uttered at the end of forty [years], while the well was given to them at the beginning of the forty [years]...
(Numb. 21:17:) “Then Israel sang.” For what reason is Moses not mentioned there?136Numb. R. 19:26. For the reason that he was being punished because of the waters; and no person pr...
(Numb. 21:21:) “Then Israel sent messengers.” All the words of Torah are necessary to each other, for what one covers over the other opens up.146Numb. R. 19:28. It is stated here (...
(Numb. 21:34:) “But the Lord God said unto Moses, ‘Do not fear him.’” This text is related (to Prov. 28:14), “Fortunate is the one who is always afraid […].” Such is the nature of ...
(Numb. 22:2:) “Now Balak ben Zippor saw.” What is the meaning of “Now he saw?” He saw retribution which would come against Israel in the future.3Numb. R. 20:2. And he hated them mo...
(Numb. 22:4:) “So Moab said unto the elders of Midian.” What is the relevance of [mentioning] the elders of Midian here?7Numb. R. 20:4. It is simply that they saw Israel conquering...
(Numb. 22:4, cont.:) “Now Balak ben Zippor was king of Moab….” But was he not formerly a prince, as stated (in Josh. 13:21), “Evi, Rekem, Zur, Hur, and Reba, princes of Sihon?”10Ac...
(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...
(Numb. 22:12:) “Then God said unto Balaam, ‘You shall not go with them.’” He said to Him, “If so, I will curse them from where I am.”22Numb. R. 20:10. He said to him, (ibid., cont....
(Numb. 22:20:) “Then God came unto Balaam at night.” This text is related (to Exod. 12:42), “That was for the Lord a night of vigil.” All miracles which were done for Israel and wh...
(Numb. 22:28:) “Then the Lord opened the mouth of the she-ass,” in order to make known to him that the mouth and the tongue are under His (i.e., God's) control, so that if he desir...
(Numb. 22:31:) “Then the Lord uncovered the eyes of Balaam and he saw [the angel of the Lord….].” Was he blind?34Numb. R. 20:15. [These words were] simply to inform him that even t...
(Numb. 22:39:) “Then Balaam went unto38The Masoretic text reads both this and the following UNTO as WITH. Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-Huzoth (literally: city of markets),” wh...
(Numb. 23:4:) “Then God encountered Balaam.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You evil man! What are you doing?” (Ibid., cont.:) “And [Balaam] said unto him, ‘I have prep...
(Numb. 23:11-14:) “And Balak said to Balaam, ‘What have you done to me; to curse….’ And Balaam answered and said, ‘Is it not that that which God places into my mouth….’ And Balak s...
(Numb. 24:3:) “So he took up his theme and said.”76These words also appear in Numb. 23:7, 18; 24:15, 20, 21, 23, but the context of this verse certainly fits the sense of the midra...
(Numb. 25:1:) “[While Israel was staying at Shittim,] the people began to go whoring.” There are springs that rear warriors, and there are those that rear weaklings; some that rear...
(Numb. 25:2:) “And they invited the people to the sacrifices for their gods.” Thus they (i.e., daughters of Moab) were going by the counsel of Balaam, as stated (in Numb. 31:16), “...
(Numb. 25:6:) “Just then one of the Children of Israel came and brought a Midianite woman unto his brothers [before the eyes of Moses and the eyes of the whole congregation of the ...
(Numb. 25:11) “Phinehas ben Elazar […].” What reason did the Holy One, blessed be He, have for tracing the lineage of Phinehas after this act (of slaying Zimri in Numb. 25:8)?1Numb...
