Midrasch zu Daniel 10:21

(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings." When they offered the sacrifice of the peace offerings, the Holy One, blessed be He, would lift up His face to (favor) them, as stated (in Numb. 6:26), “The Lord lift up His face unto you and grant you peace.” Is it possible for the Holy One, blessed be He, to [favor] mortals? Two verses contradict each other. One text says (in Ezek. 33:11), “Do I desire the death of the wicked?” The other text says (in I Sam. 2:25), “for the Lord took pleasure in slaying them.” How has He not taken pleasure in the death of the wicked? It is simply that before their verdict was sealed, He did not take pleasure; after a verdict was sealed, the Lord took pleasure in slaying them. And so Daniel said (in Dan. 10:21), “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth.” Our masters have said, “There was a story about our Holy Rabbi (i.e., about R. Judah the Prince) that when he was passing through Simonia (where he lived), all the people of the city came out to meet him.¹⁹yYev. 12:6 (13a); Gen. R. 81:2; cf. Yev. 105:1. They wanted an elder from him to teach Torah. He gave them R. Levi ben Sisi. They said to him, ‘Our teacher, what is the meaning of what is written in Daniel (10:21), “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth?” Is there something false in the Torah that it [must specifically] say truth [here]?’ [When] he did not find an answer to give them, he immediately went away [from there and came] to Rabbi. He said to him, ‘I could not stand up before them. They asked me one thing, and I could not find out what to answer them.’ He said to him, ‘What was the [one] thing?’ He said to him, ‘”However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth.” Is there something false in the Torah?’ He said to him, ‘There was a great answer for you to give them.’ He said to him, ‘You had something to tell them: When someone sins, the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribes death for him. [And if] he repents, the record is canceled. [But if] he does not repent, it is inscribed in the record of truth.’” Here also one text says (in Numb. 6:26), “The Lord lift up His face unto you”; while another text says (in Deut. 10:17), “who does not lift up His face.” If He lifts it up, why does He not lift it up? It is simply that for the idolaters, [He is one] “who does not lift up His face,” but for Israel, “The Lord lift up His face unto you.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Just as Israel [favors] me, so do I [favor] them. And how do they [favor] Me? [When] someone poor from Israel has four children, he takes one loaf. They sit down and eat all that loaf, but they are not satisfied from what there is in it, [yet] they recite a blessing. Yet the verse [only] says (Deut. 8:10), ‘When you shall eat and be full, you shall bless.’ I shall also favor them, [as stated] (in Numb. 6:26), ‘The Lord lift up His face unto you.’” It is therefore stated (in Lev. 7:11), “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.”

[(Lev. 7:11): THIS IS THE LAW OF THE SACRIFICE FOR PEACE OFFERINGS.] When they offered the sacrifice of the peace offerings, the Holy One would lift up his face to them, as stated (in Numb. 6:26): THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU AND GRANT YOU PEACE.²⁸Tanh., Lev. 2:5. Is it possible for the Holy One to lift up a face to mortals? Two verses contradict each other. One text says (in Ezek. 33:11): {FOR} I DO NOT DESIRE THE DEATH OF THE WICKED BUT THAT THE WICKED TURN FROM HIS WAY AND LIVE. The other text says (in I Sam. 2:25): FOR THE LORD TOOK PLEASURE IN SLAYING THEM. How has he not taken pleasure in the death of the wicked? It is simply that before their verdict was sealed, he did not take pleasure; after a verdict was sealed, THE LORD TOOK PLEASURE IN SLAYING THEM. And so Daniel said (in Dan. 10:21): HOWEVER, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS INSCRIBED IN THE RECORD OF TRUTH. Our masters have said: There was a story about Our Holy Rabbi (i.e., about R. Judah the Prince) that, when he was passing through Simonia (where he lived), all the people of the city came out to meet him.²⁹yYev. 12:6 (13a); Gen. R. 81:2; cf. Yev. 105:1. They wanted one elder from him to teach Torah. He gave them R. Levi bar Simon. They said to him: Rabbenu, what is the meaning of what is written in Daniel (10:21): HOWEVER, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS INSCRIBED IN THE RECORD OF TRUTH? Is there something false in the Torah that it < must specifically > say TRUTH < here >? < When > he did not find an answer to give them, he immediately went away [from there and came] to Rabbi. He said to him: I could not stand up before them. They asked me one thing, and I could not find out what to answer them. He said to him: What was the < one > thing. He said to him: HOWEVER, I WILL TELL YOU WHAT IS INSCRIBED IN THE RECORD OF TRUTH. Is there something false in the Torah? He said to him: There was a great answer for you to give them. He said to him: You had something to tell them: When someone sins, the Holy One inscribes death for him. < If > he repents, the record is canceled. < If > he does not repent, IT IS INSCRIBED IN THE RECORD OF TRUTH. [Here] also one text says (in Numb. 6:26): THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU…, while another text says (in Deut. 10:17): WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE. If he lifts it up, why does he not lift it up? It is simply that for the nations of the world, < he is one > WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE, but for Israel, THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU. The Holy One said: Just as Israel lifts up a face to me, so I lift up a face to them. And how do they lift up a face to me? < When > someone poor from Israel has four children, he takes one loaf. They sit down and eat all that loaf, but they are not satisfied from what there is in it. So they give a blessing and say (from Deut. 8:10): THEN YOU SHALL EAT, BE FULL, [AND BLESS]. I shall also lift up a face to them, as stated (in Numb. 6:26): THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 7:11): THIS IS THE LAW OF THE SACRIFICE FOR PEACE OFFERINGS.

“To a mare in Pharaoh's chariots I have likened you, my love” (Song of Songs 1:9).
“To a mare in Pharaoh's chariots,” Rabbi Papis expounded: “He is of one mind, and who can respond to Him?” (Job 23:13). He alone judges all creatures, and one may not challenge the words of the One who spoke and the world came into being. Rabbi Akiva said to him: ‘Enough, Papis, one may not challenge the words of the One who spoke and the world came into being, because everything is true and everything is just,’ as it is written: “I saw the Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne” (Isaiah 6:1). Rabbi Simon said: It is a throne that distinguishes between death and life. “And all the host of the heavens attending Him on His right and on His left” (I Kings 22:19). Is there left On High? But is it not all right, as it it is stated: “Your right, Lord, is glorious in power; Your right, Lord, smashes the enemy” (Exodus 15:6)? Why, then, does the verse state: “On His right and on His left”? Rather, these incline to the right and these incline to the left; these advocate exoneration and these advocate condemnation. Rabbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rabbi Aḥa cites it from here: “The truth of the matter and a great host” (Daniel 10:1). One arrives at the truth when it is accomplished with a great host, as it is written: “The Lord God is truth” (Jeremiah 10:10). What is truth? Rabbi Aivun said: That He is the living God and King of the universe.
Rabbi Elazar said: Anywhere that it is stated: “And the Lord,” it is He and His court. The paradigm of them all [is the verse]: “And the Lord has spoken evil in your regard” (I Kings 22:23).²³⁶This verse is the culmination of a passage in which the prophet Mikhaihu, speaking to King Ahab, begins: “I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the host of heaven standing by Him on His right and on His left” (I Kings 22:19). That is the paradigm of them all. How, then, does Rabbi Elazar interpret that verse of Rabbi Papis: “He is of one mind, and who can respond to Him”? Rather, He alone seals the verdict for all creatures and no being seals it with Him. What is the seal of the Holy One blessed be He? Rabbi Beivai said in the name of Rabbi Reuven: Truth, as it is stated: “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the writ of truth” (Daniel 10:21). If truth, why inscribed, and if inscribed, why truth?²³⁷The implication of “truth” is that it is indelible, while the implication of “inscribed” is that it can be erased. Rather, until the ruling is signed, it is “inscribed”; once the ruling is signed, it is “truth.”
Reish Lakish said: Why is it “truth [emet]”? Alef is the first of the letters, mem is in the middle, and tav is at their end; this is to say: “I am first and I am last and aside from Me there is no God” (Isaiah 44:6). “I am first,” as I did not receive My kingdom from another. “And I am last,” as I will not transfer it to another, as there is none [other] in the world. “And aside from Me there is no God,” as there is no second to Me.