Midrasch zu Schemot 17:12

(Fol. 11) Our Rabbis were taught: "When the community of Israel is in trouble and one withdraws himself from them [refusing to share their sorrow], two ministering angels who accompany each man lay their hands upon his head and say: 'The Baraitha we are taught: "When the community when in distress shall not live to see the relief of the community.' " In another Baraitha we are taught that when the community is in distress one must not say: 'I will go to my house, eat, drink and make myself comfortable'; for concerning him the passage reads (Is. 22, 13) And behold {there are) joy and gladness, in staying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine; 'Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow) we must die'; and immediately follows: Truly this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die. But a man must suffer (deny himself enjoyment), when the community suffers: for thus we find that Moses afflicted himself when the community suffered; as it is said (Ex. 17, 12) But when the hands of Moses became heavy, they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon. Did not Moses possess a pillow or bolster upon which he could have sat down? Yea; but Moses said thus: 'Since Israel lives in trouble I must therefore share their woes.' And he who afflicts himself in sympathy with the community, will live to see the relief of the community. One might perhaps say: 'Who will testify that I did not share the suffering of the community?' He should know that the stones and beams of his very house will bear testimony to this fact; as it is said (Hab. 2, 11) For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it." In the college of R. Shila it was said that the two angels who accompany a man will testify against him; as it is said (Ps. 91, 11) For his angels will he given charge concerning thee. R. Chidka says: "The soul of man will testify against him; as it is said (Micah 7, 4) Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom." Still others say that the members of a man's body will testify against him; as it is said (Is. 43, 10) Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.

[partial transl.] - [regarding II Sam. 23:1] [regarding II Sam. 23:1] "The utterance of is David the son of Ishai, and he utterance of the person who stands" on the mountains of learning, who accepted upon themselves the yoke of Torah and the yoke of mitzvot. What is your payment in front of Me? That you will be called 'the anointed of the God of Yaakov, and the sweet singer of Israel'. Happy is the person who sets themselves as an ox to the yoke, and as a donkey to the burden, and sits and meditates every day in Torah, always, immediately the Spirit of God rests on them, and the their Torah gets inside them, as it is written "Ho, everyone who thirsts, come for water" (Isaiah 55:1), and any mention of water really means Torah. How so? Explanation: a person reads Torah, prophets, writings, Mishnah, Halakhot, Agadot, and Midrash; and spends much time sitting, and little time in business, immediately the spirit of God is within that person, and His message are in that person's tongue, as it is written "The spirit of Ad-nai has spoken through me, His message is on my tongue" (II Sam 23:2). Happy is the person that plays with the words of the Torah and sits and chews on them like an animal that chews the cud on the field. ...

Then sang Moses (Exod. 15:1). They had faith in God (ibid. 14:31) and therefore merited acquiring the land. You find that because of his faith in God, our patriarch Abraham inherited both this world and the world-to-come, as is written: And he believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness (Gen. 15:6). Similarly, because the people believed (Exod. 4:31), it is written: The Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully repayeth him that acteth haughtily (Ps. 31:24). Similarly, with reference to Moses it says: And his hands were steady (faithful) until the going down of the sun (Exod. 17:12).

R. Eleazar asked: Why does Scripture say That Israel prevailed and then, and Amalek prevailed? To inform us that whenever Moses lifted his hand heavenward, Israel would, in the future, be strong in the knowledge of the law of the Torah that was given through the hands of Moses. But when he lowered his hand, Israel was destined to allow its knowledge of the law, that was given through his hands, to diminish. But Moses’ hands were heavy (Exod. 17:12). Moses hands grew tired, as do those of a man who holds three jars of water suspended from his hands. And they took a stone, and put it under him (ibid.). Did they not have a mattress or a pillow upon which he could sit? This informs us that they (the people) were engaged in a community fast.¹⁷At times of fasting pillows and mattresses are not utilized. And Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, with one on one side and the other on the other side (ibid.). Because of this, they decreed that no less than three people should stand before the ark to read the prayers at a public fast.

And his hands were steady until the going down of the sun (Exod. 17:12). Since time was calculated by means of the stars, what did Moses do? He stopped the revolution of the sun, the moon, and the coming of nightfall in their tracks, as it is said: The sun and the moon stand still in their habitation (Hab. 3:11). It is also written: The deep uttereth its voice, and lifteth up its hands on high (ibid., v. 10). And Joshua discomfited Amalek, etc. R. Joshua said: He went down and cut off the heads of their mighty men with a sword. Hence we learn that this battle was waged only at the command of the Mighty One. Others say that the following verse was fulfilled with regard to them: Therefore as I live, saith the Lord God, I will prepare thee unto blood, and blood shall pursue thee (Exod. 35:6).