Midrasch zu Jechezkiel 28:78

Another matter, “who is like the wise man” – this is Adam the first man, as it is written in his regard: “You are the culmination of perfection” (Ezekiel 28:12). “And who knows the meaning of a matter” – who delineated names for all. “The wisdom of a man illuminates his face” – his beauty illuminates his face. Rabbi Levi said: The curve of the heel of Adam the first man outshone the sun. Do not be astonished, as it is the way of the world that when a person crafts for himself two excellent trays, one for him and one for a member of his household, whose will he craft more beautifully? Will it not be his? So too, Adam the first man was created for the service of the Holy One blessed be He, and the sun was created for the service of man. Is it not right that the curve of the heel of man will outshine the sun? This is so regarding the curve of his heel, all the more so regarding his face.
Rabbi Levi [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: The Holy One blessed be He tied thirteen canopies for them²Adam and Eve. in the Garden of Eden. That is what is written: “You were in Eden, the garden of God; [every precious stone was your canopy: ruby, topaz and clear quartz, beryl, onyx, and chalcedony, sapphire, carbuncle, emerald and gold]” (Ezekiel 28:13). Reish Lakish said: Eleven. The Rabbis say: Ten. They do not disagree.³They do not disagree about the fact that the verse in Ezekiel, which lists ten precious stones, is the source of the number of canopies that God tied for Adam and Eve. The one who said thirteen interpreted [the phrase] “every precious stone was your canopy,” as three [additional materials]. The one who said eleven interpreted it as one. The one who said ten did not interpret it as any. Yet, after all this praise, [God said to Adam:] “as you are dust” (Genesis 3:19). “And the boldness of his face is changed” – when the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Did you [eat] from the tree?” (Genesis 3:12),⁴To which Adam responded by blaming God for giving him Eve, who had given him to eat from the tree. the Holy One blessed be He, too, changed the glory of his countenance, and expelled him from the Garden of Eden.

Another matter, “who is like the wise man” – this is Adam the first man, as it is written in his regard: “You are the culmination of perfection” (Ezekiel 28:12). “And who knows the meaning of a matter” – who delineated names for all. “The wisdom of a man illuminates his face” – his beauty illuminates his face. Rabbi Levi said: The curve of the heel of Adam the first man outshone the sun. Do not be astonished, as it is the way of the world that when a person crafts for himself two excellent trays, one for him and one for a member of his household, whose will he craft more beautifully? Will it not be his? So too, Adam the first man was created for the service of the Holy One blessed be He, and the sun was created for the service of man. Is it not right that the curve of the heel of man will outshine the sun? This is so regarding the curve of his heel, all the more so regarding his face.
Rabbi Levi [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: The Holy One blessed be He tied thirteen canopies for them²Adam and Eve. in the Garden of Eden. That is what is written: “You were in Eden, the garden of God; [every precious stone was your canopy: ruby, topaz and clear quartz, beryl, onyx, and chalcedony, sapphire, carbuncle, emerald and gold]” (Ezekiel 28:13). Reish Lakish said: Eleven. The Rabbis say: Ten. They do not disagree.³They do not disagree about the fact that the verse in Ezekiel, which lists ten precious stones, is the source of the number of canopies that God tied for Adam and Eve. The one who said thirteen interpreted [the phrase] “every precious stone was your canopy,” as three [additional materials]. The one who said eleven interpreted it as one. The one who said ten did not interpret it as any. Yet, after all this praise, [God said to Adam:] “as you are dust” (Genesis 3:19). “And the boldness of his face is changed” – when the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Did you [eat] from the tree?” (Genesis 3:12),⁴To which Adam responded by blaming God for giving him Eve, who had given him to eat from the tree. the Holy One blessed be He, too, changed the glory of his countenance, and expelled him from the Garden of Eden.

"And the child (Moses) grew" - Twenty four months she nursed him, and you say "and the child grew"?! Rather he grew, not in the way of the [rest] land. “And she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh…” The daughter of Pharaoh would kiss and hug and adore him (Moses) as if he were her own son, and she would not take him out of the king’s palace. And because [Moses] was so beautiful, everyone yearned to see him. One that would see him would not leave his presence. And it was that Pharaoh would kiss him (Moses) and hug him, and he would remove Pharaoh’s crown and place it on his own head, as he would do to him in the future when he was great. And just as the Holy One Blessed is He said to Hiram (Ezekiel 28:18), “…I have brought fire from within you, it will consume you…”, similarly the daughter of Pharaoh raised the one who would punish her father in the future. And even the anointed king, that is destined to punish Edom, sits among them in their [own] province, as it says (Isaiah 27:10) “…there shall the calf (the Messiah) graze and there lie down and destroy its branches.” And some of the observers sitting among them were the magicians of Egypt that said, “We are wary of this, that he is taking your crown and placing it on his head, that he not be the one we say (i.e. prophesy) that will take the kingship from you.” Some said to kill him, and some said to burn him. And Jethro was sitting among them and said to them, “This child has no intent [to take the throne]. Rather, test him by bringing in a bowl [a piece of] gold and a coal. If he outstretches his hand towards the gold, [surely] he has intent [to take the throne], and you should kill him. And if he outstretches his hand towards the coal, he [surely] does not have intent [to take the throne], and he does not deserve the death penalty.” They immediately brought the bowl before him (Moses), and he outstretched his hand to take the gold, and Gabriel came and pushed his (Moses’) hand, and he grabbed the coal. He then brought his hand along with the coal into his mouth and burned his tongue, and from this was made (Exodus 4:10) “slow of speech and slow of tongue.” “And she called his name ‘Moshe’” – From here you can learn about the merit of those that perform acts of kindness. Even though Moses had many names, the only name that was set throughout the Torah, was the name that Bathyah daughter of Pharaoh called him. Even the Holy One Blessed is He did not call him by another name.

R. Levy opened (with Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers (la-holelim), ‘Do not make merry;’” [‘la-holelim’ means] those who create confusion (ma'arbavya').¹⁴PRK 26(27):3; Lev. R. 20:2. These are the ones whose heart is full of evil intrigues (holhaliyot).¹⁵Although the main text reads holhaliyot, Buber cites the word in his notes as the more traditional halholiyot. In either case, whatever the spelling, the midrash interprets holelim and holhaliyot as coming from the same root. R. Levi called them "woe-makers";¹⁶Dehonayya’ [zehonayya’]. The word seems coined as a pun on “merrymakers” (holelim). See Jastrow, p. 373, s.v., WYNY’. these are the ones who bring woe (alelay) into the world. (Ps. 75:5, cont.:) “To the wicked, do not lift up the horn.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the evil ones, “The righteous have not been happy in My world, so would you seek to be happy in My world? The first Adam was not happy in My world, so would you seek to be happy in My world?” R. Levi said in the name of R. [Simeon] ben Menasya], “The round of the first Adam's heel outshone¹⁷Literally: Made dim [by comparison]. the sphere of the sun.”¹⁸PRK 4:4; 12:1; 26(27):3; PR 14:10; Lev. R. 20:2. And do not be surprised at this. According to universal custom, when a person makes two small plates,¹⁹Gk.: diskarion. one for himself and one for his household, whose does he make the more beautiful? Is it not his own? So the first Adam was created for the service of the Holy One, blessed be He, but the sphere of the sun was created for the service of mortals. Is it not all the more certain that the round of the first Adam's heel outshone the sphere of the sun? Now if the round of Adam's heel outshone [it], how much the more [must] the countenance²⁰Gk.: charakter; or possibly krystallos; Lat. crystallum. of his face [have outshone it]. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina, “The Holy One, blessed be He, set up thirteen canopies for the first Adam in the Garden of Eden, as stated (in Ezek. 28:13), ‘You were in Eden, the garden of God, every precious stone was your covering; sapphire, turquoise….’” R. Shimon ben Laquish said, “Eleven.” Our masters said, “Ten.” And they do not disagree. The one that made thirteen of them, makes three out of “every precious stone was your covering”; the one who made them eleven, makes one out of it; and the one that makes ten of them, does not make any from them. Then after all this glory, [he was told] (in Gen. 3:19), “for dust you are and unto dust you shall return.” Abraham was not happy in My world, so would you seek to be happy in My world? Abraham had a son born to him at the end of a hundred years. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Gen. 22:2), “Please take your son….” So he journeyed, as written (in vs. 4), “And on the third day [Abraham] lifted [his eyes and saw]….” What did he see? He saw a cloud joined to the mountain. He said to his son, “My son, do you see what I see…?”²¹See Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:46, and the note there. This is that which is written (in Gen. 23:2), “and Abraham come to mourn for Sarah and weep for her.” From where had he [just] come? He had [just] come from Mount Moriah.²²Eccl. R. 9:7:2. The Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, was not happy in His world, so should people seek to be happy in His world? "The Lord [was] happy in His works" is not written here (in Ps. 104:31), but “let the Lord be happy [in His works].” And when will He rejoice in His works? When He will rejoice in the actions of the righteous in the world to come.²³See M. Pss. 75:2. Israel was not happy in My world, so would you seek to be happy in My world? "Israel [was] happy in its Maker" is not written here (in Ps. 149:2), but “Let Israel be happy in its Maker,” because it is in the future that they are going to be happy in the Holy One, blessed be He. It is therefore written (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry.’”

[(Gen. 24:1:) NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD.] This text is related (to Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH. The beginning of Torah is steadfast love, its middle is steadfast love, and its end is steadfast love.²See above, 4:1 & 4; Eccl. R. 7:2:2. Its beginning is steadfast love in that he has rendered steadfast love to bridegrooms and brides. He rendered steadfast love to Adam and Eve, as stated (in Gen. 2:22): THEN GOD BUILT THE RIB < WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM THE MAN INTO A WOMAN >. R. Abbahu said: In Arabia they call the plaited coiffure a "building."³Cf. Ber. 61a; Shab. 95a; Erub. 18a; Nid. 45b; ARN, A, 4; Gen. R. 18:1; M. Pss. 25:11. The Holy One adorned Eve and brought her to Adam.⁴Cf. Gen. R. 8:13. Do you suppose that he brought her to him under an olive tree? Or under a fig tree? Our masters have said: The Holy One made thirteen bridal canopies for Adam and Eve, as stated (in Ezek. 28:13): YOU WERE IN EDEN, THE GARDEN OF GOD; < EVERY PRECIOUS STONE WAS YOUR COVERING: CARNELIAN, CHRYSOLITE, AMETHYST, BERYL, LAPIS LAZULI, JASPER, SAPPHIRE, TURQUOISE, EMERALD, AND GOLD >. And the least of them is gold; for so it is written: EMERALD, AND GOLD (i.e., with gold in last place). Thus < there were > thirteen bridal canopies which were made for Adam and Eve.⁵Since Ezek. lists only nine stones plus gold, according to BB 75a there were only ten canopies; or perhaps eleven, with EVERY PRECIOUS STONE representing the extra one. Lev. R. 20:2 explains the tradition of thirteen by having EVERY PRECIOUS STONE represent three canopies. Similarly Gen. R. 18:2; Eccl. R. 8:1:2; PRK 4:4; PR 14:10. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina: The Holy One adorned Eve with twenty-four ornaments. And not only that, but he took her by the hand and brought her to Adam. R. Abbin Berabbi the Levite said: Blessed is a provincial who has seen this: the king taking < his bride > by the hand and bringing her to the house for him.⁶Gen. R. 18:3. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 2:22, cont.): AND BROUGHT HER TO ADAM. Ergo (in Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH. Thus the beginning of Torah is steadfast love. Its middle also is steadfast love. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 35:8): THEN REBEKAH'S NURSE, DEBORAH, DIED. When she had died, what is written (ibid.)? AND ITS NAME (i.e., the name of her burial place) WAS CALLED WEEPING OAK, for Jacob was sitting there and weeping over her. The Holy One said: Jacob is sitting and grieving. He appeared to him visibly, as stated (in vs. 9): NOW THE LORD APPEARED UNTO JACOB AGAIN… < AND BLESSED HIM >.⁷Eccl. R. 7:2:3; see Gen. R. 8:13; 82:1. And its end is steadfast love, < as seen in the case > of Moses; for, when he passed away, he buried him. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 34:6): AND < THE LORD > BURIED HIM IN THE VALLEY IN THE LAND OF MOAB. Ergo (in Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH.⁸Cf. M. Pss. 25:11, which derives from the verse that the Holy One adorns brides (Gen. 2:22), visits the sick (Gen. 18:1), and buries the dead (Deut. 34:6). Abraham persisted in clinging to a measure of steadfast love. The Holy One said to him: This measure was mine and you have taken it. By your life, I am making you < old > like me. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Dan. 7:9): AS I LOOKED, THRONES WERE SET IN PLACE, AND THE ANCIENT OF DAYS TOOK HIS SEAT. HIS GARMENT WAS AS WHITE AS SNOW, < AND THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD WAS LIKE PURE WOOL >.⁹See Gen. R. 58:9. What is written elsewhere on the matter (in Gen. 23:19)? THEN AFTERWARDS ABRAHAM BURIED HIS WIFE SARAH.¹⁰In doing so, Abraham showed his steadfast love. He persisted in clinging to her. The Holy One said to him. You deserve a crown. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 24:1): NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD (i.e., with a crown of white hair).

(Lev. 16:1:) NOW THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AFTER THE DEATH < OF AARON'S TWO SONS >. This text is related (to Ps. 75:5 [4]): I SAY TO THE MERRYMAKERS (la-holelim): DO NOT MAKE MERRY…. < La-holelim means > "to those who create confusion (la-ma'arbavya')."¹⁴Tanh., Lev. 6:2; PRK 26(27):3; Lev. R. 20:2. These are the ones whose heart is full of evil intrigues (holhaliyot).¹⁵Although the main text reads holhaliyot, Buber cites the word in his notes as the more traditional halholiyot. In either case, whatever the spelling, the midrash interprets holelim and holhaliyot as coming from the same root. R. Levi called them "Woe-makers."¹⁶Dehonayya’ [zehonayya’]. The word seems coined as a pun on “merrymakers” (holelim). See Jastrow, p. 373, s.v., WYNY’. These are the < MERRYMAKERS (holelim) > who bring woe (alelay) into the world. (Ps. 75:5 [4], cont.:) TO THE WICKED, DO NOT LIFT UP THE HORN. The righteous have not been happy in my world, so would you seek to be happy in my world? [The first Adam was not happy in my world, so would you seek to be happy in my world?] R. Levi said in the name of R. Simeon [ben Menasya]: The round of the first Adam's heel outshone¹⁷Literally: Made dim < by comparison >. the sphere of the sun.¹⁸PRK 4:4; 12:1; 26(27):3; PR 14:10; as well as Tanh., Lev. 6:2; Lev. R. 20:2. [And do not be surprised at this. According to universal custom, when a person makes two small plates,¹⁹Gk.: diskarion. one for himself and one for his household, whose does he make the more beautiful? Is it not his own? So the first Adam was created for the service of the Holy One, but the sphere of the sun was created for the service of mortals. Is it not all the more certain that the round of the first Adam's heel outshone the sphere of the sun?] Now if the round of Adam's heel outshone < it >, how much the more < must > the countenance²⁰Gk.: charakter; or possibly krystallos; Lat. crystallum. of his face < have outshone it >. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina: The Holy One set up thirteen canopies for the first Adam in the Garden of Eden, as stated (in Ezek. 28:13): YOU WERE IN EDEN, THE GARDEN OF GOD, EVERY PRECIOUS STONE WAS YOUR COVERING. Then after all this glory, < he was told > (in Gen. 3:19): FOR DUST YOU ARE AND UNTO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN. Abraham was not happy in my world, so would you seek to be happy in my world? Abraham had a son born to him at the end of a hundred years. Then the Holy One said to him (in Gen. 22:2): PLEASE TAKE YOUR SON, YOUR ONLY SON. So he journeyed, as written (in vs. 4): AND ON THE THIRD DAY [ABRAHAM LIFTED HIS EYES] AND SAW. What did he see? He saw a cloud joined to the mountain. He said to his son: My son, what do you see?²¹See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:46, and the note there. He said to him: I see a beautiful mountain with a cloud joined to it. He said to his lads: Do you see anything? They said to him: We see a mountain and a hill. He said to them (in vs. 5): STAY HERE WITH ('M) THE DONKEY, < i.e., STAY HERE, YOU > PEOPLE ('M) WHO ARE LIKE THE DONKEY.²²So Yev. 62a; Ket. 111a; Qid. 104a; BQ 49a; Nid. 17a; Eccl. R. 9:7:1; PRE 31. See also Gen. R. 56:2; PR 40:6. He took his son Isaac and went up to the top of the mountain. Then he built the altar, arranged the wood, bound him upon the altar, and took the knife. If the Angel had not said to him (in vs. 12): DO NOT RAISE [YOUR HAND AGAINST THE LAD], he would have already been slaughtered. When he came to his mother, she said to him: What did your father do to you. He told her: Daddy took me, brought me up mountains, brought me down valleys, brought me up to the top of a particular mountain, and built an altar. So he told the whole story. If the Angel had not said to him (in Gen. 22:12): DO NOT RAISE [YOUR HAND AGAINST THE LAD], I would have already been slaughtered. She said to him: Woe (vay) to you, < my > poor son! If < the angel > had not said to him (in vs. 12): DO NOT RAISE < YOUR HAND >, you would have already been slaughtered! She did not succeed in finishing the sentence before her breath departed from her. It is so stated (in Gen. 23:2): AND ABRAHAM PROCEEDED TO MOURN FOR SARAH AND WEEP FOR HER. From where had he < just > come? He had < just > come from Mount Moriah.²³Eccl. R. 9:7:2.

Another explanation as to why Jacob did not want to buried in Egypt. He was afraid that the Egyptians might use him as an object of idolatrous worship. Just as punishment is exacted from the worshipper of an idol, so is it exacted from the (idol) which is worshipped, as it is written: And against all the gods of Egypt will I execute judgment (Exod. 12:12). Similarly, you find that after Daniel interpreted Nebuchadnezzar’s dream: Then the king Nebuchadnezzar fell upon his face, and worshipped Daniel, and commanded that they should offer an offering and sweet odors unto him (Dan. 2:46). Daniel would not allow it. And why not? For just as the idolaters would be punished, so too would he be. You find this illustrated in what is written about Hiram, king of Tyre. After he proclaimed himself a god: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am a god (Ezek. 28:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Art thou wiser than Daniel? (ibid., v. 3). When Nebuchadnezzar decreed that offerings should be brought to him, he (Daniel) would not permit it, yet you call yourself a god. And so it is written there: I have cast thee to the ground, I have laid thee before kings, that they may gaze upon thee (ibid., v. 17).

“How has gold tarnished, the fine gold changed? The sacred stones are spilled at the head of every street” (Lamentations 4:1).
“How has gold tarnished [yuam]?” Rabbi Shmuel said: How has the gold been concealed?¹The midrash interprets the verse as referring to gold that is unrecognizable because it is covered by a layer of grime. This is an analogy to Israel, which at its core remains pure and holy, even though this purity is not always evident due to the travails of exile (Rabbi David Luria). Just as it says: “No mystery can be concealed from you [amamukha]” (Ezekiel 28:3). The Rabbis say: How has gold changed? Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: How did the gold dim [ama]? That is what is written: “How does gold tarnish [yuam]?” As Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: “Coals” (Leviticus 16:12), could they be dim [omemot]? The verse states: “Fire” (Leviticus 16:12).²The verse states, regarding the service of the High Priest on Yom Kippur: “He shall take a fire-pan full of coals of fire” (Leviticus 16:12). If fire, is it, perhaps, a flame? The verse states: “Coals.” How so? He brings from these smoldering ones.
“The sacred stones are spilled.” When the Torah scholars would go out to earn their living, they would read in their regard: “The sacred stones are spilled.”³Torah scholars had to abandon their studies in order to earn a livelihood or to collect charity (see Matnot Kehuna; Maharzu). Other scholars would apply this verse to them.
Another matter, it is referring to [the death of] Josiah: “How has gold tarnished,” because he was like a golden ornament. “The fine gold changed,” as his body was like a gem and diamonds. “The sacred stones are spilled,” these are two quarter log of blood that Jeremiah was taking and burying. That is what is written: “He was buried in the tombs of his ancestors” (II Chronicles 35:24). In how many tombs was he buried that you say “in the tombs of his ancestors”? Rather, these are the two quarter log of blood Jeremiah was taking and burying.⁴The midrash asserts that Jeremiah buried Josiah’s blood in multiple locations. Josiah’s blood spilled when his body was pierced repeatedly by enemy arrows, and therefore the midrash finds allusion to Josiah in the phrase “the sacred stones are spilled.”
Another matter, it is referring to the people of Jerusalem, who were like a golden ornament and their bodies like gems and diamonds. If a person will say to you: ‘The verse is not referring to the people of Jerusalem, say to him: It is already written: <“The [precious] sons of Zion” (Lamentations 4:2)>.

Another reason why Jacob did not want to be buried in Egypt was lest they produce idolatry through him; for, just as punishment is exacted from the worshipers of idolatry, so is punishment exacted from the idolatry itself, as stated (in Exod. 12:12): AND ON ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT I WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENTS; I AM THE LORD. And so you find with Daniel when he interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar. What is written (in Dan. 2:46)? THEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR FELL ON HIS FACE, PAID HOMAGE TO DANIEL, AND SAID TO OFFER HIM GRAIN AND INCENSE. But Daniel did not want it. He said: Just as punishment is exacted from the worshipers of idolatry, so is punishment exacted from it (the idolatry). And so you find in the case of Hiram, when he made himself a god, what is written of him (in Ezek. 28:2)? BECAUSE YOUR HEART IS PROUD, YOU HAVE SAID: I AM A GOD. The Holy One said to him (in vs. 3): SEE, YOU ARE WISER THAN DANIEL. When Nebuchadnezzar wanted to sacrifice to him, he did not want it; but you have made yourself a god. What is your end (according to Ezek. 28:17)? I HAVE CAST YOU {UNTO} [UPON] THE GROUND….

Another reason why Jacob did not want to be buried in Egypt was lest they produce idolatry through him; for, just as punishment is exacted from the worshipers of idolatry, so is punishment exacted from the idolatry itself, as stated (in Exod. 12:12): AND ON ALL THE GODS OF EGYPT I WILL EXECUTE JUDGMENTS; I AM THE LORD. And so you find with Daniel when he interpreted the dream for Nebuchadnezzar. What is written (in Dan. 2:46)? THEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR FELL ON HIS FACE, PAID HOMAGE TO DANIEL, AND SAID TO OFFER HIM GRAIN AND INCENSE. But Daniel did not want it. He said: Just as punishment is exacted from the worshipers of idolatry, so is punishment exacted from it (the idolatry). And so you find in the case of Hiram, when he made himself a god, what is written of him (in Ezek. 28:2)? BECAUSE YOUR HEART IS PROUD, YOU HAVE SAID: I AM A GOD. The Holy One said to him (in vs. 3): SEE, YOU ARE WISER THAN DANIEL. When Nebuchadnezzar wanted to sacrifice to him, he did not want it; but you have made yourself a god. What is your end (according to Ezek. 28:17)? I HAVE CAST YOU {UNTO} [UPON] THE GROUND….

R. Chama b. Chanina said: "Ten Chupas were made by the Holy One, praised be He! for Adam the first in paradise, as it is said (Ezek. 28, 13) In Eden the garden of God didst thou abide; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the chrysolite, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold." Mar Zutra said: "Eleven," — as he counts all the precious stones. R. Jochanan said: "The gold was less in value than all, for it is placed last." What do the workmanship of thy settings and of thy sockets, mean? R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "Thus said the Holy One, praised be He! to Hiram, the King of Tyre: When I created the world, I looked at the land and observed that thou wouldst rebel, deeming thyself a god. I therefore created holes and apertures in men." And according to others. He said thus: "I saw that thou wouldst rebel (Ib. b) and I have therefore decreed death over Adam the first." What do the words (Is. 4, 5) Upon her places of assembly, mean? Rabba, in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "Jerusalem in the future world will not be like Jerusalem in this world. In the latter every one who likes to enter does so, but in that of the future world only those who shall be invited will enter." Rabba said again in the name of R. Jochanan: "In the future world, the righteous will be named with the names of the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Ib. 43, 77) Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed; yea, whom I have made." Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jonathan: "The following three will be named with the name of the Holy One, praised be He — the righteous, Messiah and Jerusalem. The righteous, as said above; the Messiah, as it is written (Jer. 23) And this is his name whereby he shall be called — the Lord our Righteousness; and Jerusalem, as it is written (Ezek. 48, 35) And the name of the city from that day, 'The Lord is there.' Do not read shamah there, but shmah (her name)." R. Elazar said: "In the future, 'holy' will be said before the righteous as now it is said before the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Is. 4, 3) And it shall come to pass that whoever is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall he called holy — every one that is written down unto life in Jerusalem." Rabba said again in the name of R. Jochanan: "The Holy One, praised be He! will elevate Jerusalem three parsas, as it is said (Zech. 14, 10) And she herself shall be elevated, and be inhabited on her former site." What does former site mean? It means that it will be increased to its former size. And whence do you know that the size of the former Jerusalem was three parsas? Rabba said: "There was a certain old man who told me that he had seen the first Jerusalem, and the size thereof was three parsas." And lest one say that it would be difficult to ascend, therefore the passage reads (Is. 60, 8) Who are these that are like a cloud, etc. R. Papa said: "Infer from this that the clouds are at a height of three parsas from the ground."

Another interpretation: Why was it likened to iron and clay? Just as iron is hard, so is this wicked kingdom hard. And why is it like clay? Because the Holy One is going to break it like clay, as stated (in Is. 30:14): HE SHALL BREAK IT AS A POTTER'S VESSEL IS BROKEN…. Now < Daniel > had seen the Messianic King, as stated (in Dan. 2:34): YOU LOOKED ON UNTIL A STONE WAS CUT OUT WITHOUT THE USE OF HANDS…. Resh Laqish said: This <stone> is the Messianic King. (Ibid., cont.:) THEN IT STRUCK THE STATUE ON ITS FEET, <i.e., struck> all the kingdoms, which were set in the statue. Now by virtue of what is the Messianic King likened to a stone (even)? By virtue of Jacob, < of whom >²⁷“Of whom” is the reading in Tanh., Exod. 7:7. it is stated (in Gen. 49:24): FROM THERE <COMES> THE SHEPHERD, THE ROCK (even) OF ISRAEL²⁸In the biblical context these words would naturally refer to the Holy One, but the midrash understands them as an allusion to Jacob, as does Rashi, ad loc. So also below, 9:12. (Dan. 2:45:) < BECAUSE YOU SAW> THAT A ROCK (even) WAS CUT FROM THE MOUNTAIN, so that it consumes the whole world, as stated (in Is. 11:4): AND HE SHALL SMITE THE EARTH WITH THE ROD OF HIS MOUTH. In that hour Israel shall dwell in tranquillity and security, as stated (in Ezek. 28:26:) AND THEY SHALL DWELL ON IT (their own soil) IN SECURITY.

R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Elazar b. R. Simon: "Wherever you find something said by R. Eliezer, the son of R. Jose, the Galilian, in the way of homeletics, make thy ear like the hopper [to receive his words]." (Deut. 7, 7) The Lord did not set His love upon you nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people, etc. The Holy one, praised be He! said unto Israel: "I love you, because at the time when I even overwhelm you with dignity, ye are belittling yourself before Me. For I gave dignity unto Abraham and he [in return] said (Gen. 18, 27) Who am I but dust and ashes. I did the same unto Moses and Aaron and they [in return] said (Ex. 16, 7) And what are we. Unto David, and he said (Ps. 22, 7) But I am a worm, and not a man. The other nations, however, behave differently; for when I gave dignity unto Nimrod, he then said (Gen. 11, 3) Come, let us build us a city. Unto Pharaoh, and he said (Ex. 5, 2) Who is the Lord? Unto Sennacherib, and he said (II Kings 18, 35) Who are they among all the gods of the countries, etc. Unto Nebuchadnezzar, and he said (Is. 14, 14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. Unto Chiram, King of Tyre, and he said (Ez. 28, 2) I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the seas." Raba, and according to some authorities, R. Jochanan, said "The stand which the passage states was taken by Moses and Aaron is more [exhausting] than the one taken by Abraham; for concerning Abraham it is written, Who am but dust and ashes, while concerning Moses and Aaron, it is written, And what are we?" Raba, and according to others, R. Jochanan, said further: "The world would not have been in existence were it not for the sake of Moses and Aaron; for it is written here and what are we, and it is written elsewhere (Job 26, 7) He hangeth the earth over nothing."

Thus you find that though I created Hiram, king of Tyre, righteous and upright, as it is said: Perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created (Ezek. 28:15), wickedness finally appeared in him and he was banished.

Another explanation. He is likened to stone because it destroyed a heart of stone, as it is written: And I will remove the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them a heart of flesh (Ezek. 36:21). Which smote the image (Dan. 2:34) indicates that He will put an end to all the nations, as is said: And he shall smite the land with the rod of His mouth (Isa. 11:4). At that time Israel will dwell in ease and security in the world, as it is stated: And they shall dwell safely therein, and shall build houses, and plant vineyards therein; yea, they shall dwell safely (Ezek. 28:26).

Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre: Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the seas; yet thou art man, and not God (Ezek. 28:2). Scripture states elsewhere in allusion to this verse: Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty to utter a word before God; for God is in the heavens and thou art upon the earth; therefore, let thy words be few (Eccles. 5:1). It says also: He loveth transgression that loveth strife, he that lifteth his gate seeketh destruction (Prov. 17:19). Should this verse not state that “he who lowereth his gate²⁷Thereby placing temptation before others. seeketh destruction,” since everyone who lowers his gate causes people to stumble and to be destroyed: What then is the meaning of he that lifteth his gate seeketh destruction? This means that one who opens his mouth and utters words that are unseemly brings on his own destruction, for the Holy One, blessed be He, will destroy him. Therefore, it is said: Be not rash with thy mouth (Eccles. 5:1).

The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: I restore the dead to life, and Elijah likewise restored the dead to life, but he did not say: “I am a god”; I caused the rain to descend, and so too did Elijah; I withheld the rain, and Elijah did likewise, as it is said: There shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my word (I Kings 17:1); I caused fire and brimstone to descend upon Sodom, and Elijah did the same, as it is said: If I be a man of God, let fire descend from heaven (II Kings 1:10). Nevertheless, he did not say “A god am I,” yet you say: A god am I: In the dwelling-place of God I sit (Ezek. 28:2). If you would claim “A god am I” because you have lived for so many years, He lives and will live until the dead are revived. Concerning the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written: His throne was fire and flames (Dan. 7:9), and of Elijah it is said: There appeared a chariot of fire and horses of fire (II Kings 2:11). It is written elsewhere concerning the Holy One, blessed be He: The Lord is in the whirlwind, and in the storm is His way (Nahum 1:3), and about Elijah Scripture says: And Elijah went up in a whirlwind to heaven (ibid. 2:11); nevertheless Elijah implored: O Lord, take away my life (I Kings 19:4). Yet you claim: A god am I, in the dwelling place of gods, I sit in the midst of the sea (Ezek. 28:2). Jonah descended into the deep, as it is written: Thou didst cast me into the depth, into the heart of the seas (Jonah 2:4). Finally, he (changed his mind) and pleaded for death, saying: Therefore, now, O Lord, take, I beseech Thee, my life from me; for it is better for me to die than to live (ibid. 4:4). Yet you presume to say: A god am I; in the dwelling-place of gods I sit, in the midst of the sea (Ezek. 28:2).

Hiram constructed his palace between the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea with certain protective devices (but to no avail), as it is said: And they shall take up in lamentation for thee and say to thee: How art thou destroyed, that was peopled from the seas, the renowned city, that was strong in the sea (ibid. 26:17). Still, you claim: A god am I; in the dwelling-place of gods I sit, in the midst of the sea (ibid. 28:2). Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: For thus saith the Lord God: And I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; and I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and the great waters shall cover thee (ibid. 26:19). (This will be your fate, and) you will descend to your comrades, as it is written: Then I will bring thee down with them that descend into the pit to the people of old times, and will make thee to dwell in the nether parts of the earth (ibid., v. 20). The nether parts of the earth refers to Gehenna. Hence we read in Scripture: Thou wast the far-covering cherub; and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou has walked up and down in the midst of stones of fire … and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire (ibid. 28:14–16). Concerning Israel, however, Scripture states: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, etc. (Isa. 43:2).

Hiram constructed his palace between the Adriatic and the Mediterranean Sea with certain protective devices (but to no avail), as it is said: And they shall take up in lamentation for thee and say to thee: How art thou destroyed, that was peopled from the seas, the renowned city, that was strong in the sea (ibid. 26:17). Still, you claim: A god am I; in the dwelling-place of gods I sit, in the midst of the sea (ibid. 28:2). Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: For thus saith the Lord God: And I shall make thee a desolate city, like the cities that are not inhabited; and I shall bring up the deep upon thee, and the great waters shall cover thee (ibid. 26:19). (This will be your fate, and) you will descend to your comrades, as it is written: Then I will bring thee down with them that descend into the pit to the people of old times, and will make thee to dwell in the nether parts of the earth (ibid., v. 20). The nether parts of the earth refers to Gehenna. Hence we read in Scripture: Thou wast the far-covering cherub; and I set thee, so that thou wast upon the holy mountain of God; thou has walked up and down in the midst of stones of fire … and I have destroyed thee, O covering cherub, from the midst of the stones of fire (ibid. 28:14–16). Concerning Israel, however, Scripture states: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, etc. (Isa. 43:2).

Another interpretation (of Exod. 7:1) SEE, I HAVE SET YOU AS A GOD TO PHARAOH. The Holy One said: Because he made himself into a god, they informed him that he was nothing in the world. See, I have made you a god over him.⁴⁹Tanh., Exod. 2:9. And where is it shown that Pharaoh made himself into a god? Where it is stated (of Pharaoh in Ezek. 29:3): {BECAUSE HE} [WHO] SAID {THE} [MY] NILE IS MY OWN, AND I MADE MYSELF.⁵⁰A more traditional rendering would be, AND I MADE IT FOR MYSELF. I am the one who created myself. Now this is one of four sons of Adam who made themselves into gods and had sexual relations like women.⁵¹See Enoch Zundel’s commentary, ‘Ets Yosef, on Tanh., Exod. 2:9, which explains that, because the four promoted themselves to divinity, they would have had to bestow largess like a god, who always bestows it to the world as the male bestows it in the female. He gives and she receives. Therefore, “they had sexual relations like women” to show that they were bestowed upon and did not do the bestowing. Three were from the nations of the world, and one was from Israel. They were the following: Hiram, Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, and Joash. Where is it shown of Hiram? Where it is stated (in Ezek. 28:2): SAY TO THE PRINCE OF TYRE: THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD: BECAUSE YOUR HEART IS PROUD, YOU HAVE SAID: I AM A GOD. Because he had made himself into a god, he had sexual relations like women, as stated (in vs. 17): YOU HAVE DEBASED YOUR WISDOM…; <I HAVE CAST YOU UPON THE GROUND; I HAVE GIVEN YOU OVER BEFORE KINGS > TO STARE AT YOU. What is the meaning of TO STARE (R'WH) AT YOU? <That> they would work their "friendship" (as if from R'WT) on you. Where is it shown of Nebuchadnezzar? Where it is stated <of the king of Babylon that he said> (in Is. 14:14): I WILL ASCEND UPON THE HEIGHTS OF A CLOUD; I WILL BECOME LIKE THE MOST HIGH. The Holy One said to him: By your life, (in vs. 15) YOU SHALL ALSO BE BROUGHT DOWN UNTO SHEOL, UNTO THE UTTERMOST PARTS OF THE PIT. What did the Holy one do? He banished him while he was in his kingship and had him eat grass like the cattle. It is so stated (in Dan. 4:22 [25]): AND THEY SHALL FEED YOU GRASS LIKE OXEN…. So, when the cattle and the wild beasts saw him in the likeness of a <female> animal, they had sexual relations with him, as stated (in Hab. 2:17): AND THE VIOLENCE OF THE BEASTS WILL TERRIFY THOSE FEMALES. What is the meaning of TERRIFY THOSE FEMALES (rt.: HTT+N)? <Its meaning > is like what is stated (in Deut. 7:3): YOU SHALL NOT INTERMARRY (rt.: HTN) WITH THEM. So he became a bridegroom (HTN) to all cattle and wild beasts. Where is it shown of Joash? Where it is stated (in II Chron. 24:17): NOW AFTER THE DEATH OF JEHOIADA, THE PRINCES OF JUDAH CAME AND BOWED LOW TO THE KING. What is the meaning of BOWED LOW TO THE KING? That they made him < their > god. Moreover, since he was in agreement, as stated (ibid., cont.): THEN THE KING HEARKENED TO THEM, he had sexual relations like a woman. Thus it is stated (vs. 24): <FOR THE ARMY OF ARAM CAME WITH A FEW MEN….> SO THEY INFLICTED JUDGMENTS ON JOASH. It is just as it says (in Lev. 20:13): IF A MAN LIES WITH A MALE AS ONE LIES WITH A WOMAN, BOTH OF THEM HAVE COMMITTED AN ABOMINATION.⁵²The midrash is arguing that the JUDGMENT inflicted on Joash is this ABOMINATION. Cf. Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, ‘Amaleq 1, which would revowel JUDGMENTS (shefatim) to read “sports” (shipputim). For a similar solution, see Exod. R. 8:2. Pharaoh also made himself into a god and had sexual relations like a woman. It is so stated (in Jer. 44:30): BEHOLD, I AM GIVING PHARAOH HOPHRA, KING OF EGYPT, <INTO THE HANDS OF HIS ENEMIES>. What is the meaning of HOPHRA (rt.: PR')?⁵³Although the Masoretic Text spells HOPHRA with a gutturalized initial H (het), the midrash text spells the name with a simple H (he), which need not be part of the root. That they uncovered (PR') his posterior. He was a pharaoh who had been a male and became a female. Another interpretation of HOPHRA. <Its meaning is> like that used (in the context of Numb. 5:18): AND HE (the priest) SHALL UNCOVER (PR') THE WOMAN'S HEAD. And to which father's house did he belong? (Is. 19:16:) IN THAT DAY {THE LAND OF EGYPT SHALL BE A FESTIVAL….} [EGYPT SHALL BE LIKE WOMEN.] And what was the cause? <It was> because he made himself into a god. Thus it is stated (in Ezek. 29:3): {BECAUSE HE} [WHO] SAID {THE} [MY] NILE IS MY OWN, AND I MADE MYSELF. For that reason the Holy One said to Moses: Because he has made himself into a god, go and become a god over him. It is so stated (in Exod. 7:1): SEE, I HAVE SET YOU AS A GOD TO PHARAOH. Why? (Eccl. 5:7 [8]:) FOR ONE EXALTED PERSON WATCHES ANOTHER FROM ABOVE, AND THERE ARE MORE EXALTED ONES OVER THEM. Ergo, you are a god over him; so make him an arrogant abomination (ShHTs) in the world because he became exalted by himself. And this is what is written (in Job 41:26 [34]): HE BEHOLDS EVERYTHING EXALTED, {AND} HE IS KING OVER ALL THE CHILDREN OF ABOMINABLE ARROGANCE (ShHTs). Does the Holy One not see the lowly? It is also written (in Zech. 4:10): <THESE SEVEN ARE> THE EYES OF THE LORD. THEY ROAM AROUND ALL THE EARTH. And (in Job 41:26 [34]) what is the meaning of HE BEHOLDS EVERYTHING EXALTED? R. Berekhyah said: These are the proud, whose spirit becomes <too> haughty for them, so that they exalt themselves and make themselves into gods. What does the Holy One do to them? He exhibits them to mortals and makes them arrogant abominations (ShHTs) in the world, as stated (in Job 41:26 [34]): HE IS KING OVER ALL THE CHILDREN OF ABOMINABLE ARROGANCE (ShHTs). <There is> Nebuchadnezzar, for example, in that he made him an arrogant abomination (ShHTs), as stated (in Dan. 5:21): HE WAS DRIVEN AWAY FROM HUMANS…. So also was Sennacherib made an arrogant abomination (ShHTs), as stated (II Kings 19:35 = Is. 37:36 // II Chron. 32:21): SO IT CAME TO PASS IN THAT NIGHT THAT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT OUT AND SMOTE <ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FIVE THOUSAND > IN THE CAMP OF ASSYRIA…. Thus the Holy One shows the abominable arrogance (ShHTs) of the proud to every creature. The Holy One has said (in Jer. 23:24): IF SOMEONE HIDES IN SECRET PLACES, SHALL I NOT SEE (rt.: R'H) HIM? SAYS THE LORD. R. Benjamin bar Levi said: If someone goes to handle the Torah and sits by himself, I will exhibit (rt.: R'H) his deed in the world. And so, if someone conceals himself to commit a transgression, I will exhibit (rt.: R'H)his deed to the world. It is so stated (in Jer. 23:24): SHALL I NOT SEE (rt.: R'H) HIM? SAYS THE LORD. DO I NOT FILL THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH? SAYS THE LORD. What is the meaning of I FILL? R. Hama b. R. Hanina said: The Holy One said: From him (i.e., from his evil works) I will fill the upper and lower worlds. Then I will exhibit (rt.: R'H) him to humankind as an arrogant abomination (ShHTs). Why? Because they (sic) are proud and make themselves into gods. (Job 41:26 [34]:) HE BEHOLDS EVERYTHING EXALTED, {AND} HE IS KING OVER ALL THE CHILDREN OF ABOMINABLE ARROGANCE (ShHTs). Thus he reigns over all those who are proud and makes them arrogant abominations (ShHTs). For that reason, the Holy One said to Moses (in Exod. 7:1): SEE, I HAVE SET YOU AS A GOD TO PHARAOH. Go and exact punishment from him.⁵⁴Exod. R. 8:3. Go and bring the ten plagues (of Exod. 7:14–12:29) upon him. He said to him: How shall I bring the plagues upon him? The Holy One said to him (in Exod. 4:17): AND YOU SHALL TAKE IN YOUR HAND THIS ROD, < WITH WHICH YOU SHALL PERFORM THE SIGNS>. R. Judah bar Ammi said: The rod which he had weighed forty seahs⁵⁵I.e., weighed forty seahs of wheat. and was <made> of sapphire.⁵⁶Gk.: sappheirinon. Moreover ten plagues were inscribed upon it through an acronym,⁵⁷Gk.: notarikon. <i.e.,> DeTsaKh 'aDaSh Be'aHaBh.⁵⁸The acronym stands for the following: Dam (blood), Tsefarde‘im (frogs), Kinnam (gnats), ‘arov (flies), Dever (pestilence), Shehin (boils), Barad (hail), ‘arbeh (locusts), Hoshekh (darkness), and Bekhor (first-born). The Holy One said to him: this rod will bring the plagues upon him. (Exod. 7:1:) SEE, I HAVE SET YOU AS A GOD TO PHARAOH.

Pharaoh’s daughter would kiss him, embrace him, and fondle him, but she would not permit him to leave the royal palace. Because he was extremely handsome, everyone wanted to look upon him, and those who saw him were unable to depart from him. Pharaoh would also hug and kiss him, and the boy would ofttimes take the crown from his head and cast it to the ground, as he was later destined to do. That is why the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Hiram: Therefore, have I brought forth a fire from the midst of thee, it hath devoured thee (Ezek. 28:18). And so it was that Pharaoh’s daughter reared the one who would ultimately exact retribution from her father and his land.

Pharaoh was one of the four men who claimed to be divine and indulged in intercourse after the manner of women. They were Hiram, Nebuchadnezzar, Joash, and Pharaoh. We know about Hiram, for it is written: Son of a man, say to the prince of Tyre: “Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am a God” (Ezek. 28:1). Whence do we know that he had intercourse like a woman? We know this from the verse: Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness; I have cast thee to the ground, I have laid thee for kings that they gaze upon thee (ibid., v. 17) in order to satisfy their sexual desires through you.

Pharaoh was one of the four men who claimed to be divine and indulged in intercourse after the manner of women. They were Hiram, Nebuchadnezzar, Joash, and Pharaoh. We know about Hiram, for it is written: Son of a man, say to the prince of Tyre: “Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am a God” (Ezek. 28:1). Whence do we know that he had intercourse like a woman? We know this from the verse: Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness; I have cast thee to the ground, I have laid thee for kings that they gaze upon thee (ibid., v. 17) in order to satisfy their sexual desires through you.

Pharaoh was one of the four men who claimed to be divine and indulged in intercourse after the manner of women. They were Hiram, Nebuchadnezzar, Joash, and Pharaoh. We know about Hiram, for it is written: Son of a man, say to the prince of Tyre: “Thus saith the Lord God: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am a God” (Ezek. 28:1). Whence do we know that he had intercourse like a woman? We know this from the verse: Thy heart was lifted up because of thy beauty, thou hast corrupted thy wisdom by reason of thy brightness; I have cast thee to the ground, I have laid thee for kings that they gaze upon thee (ibid., v. 17) in order to satisfy their sexual desires through you.

"The foe said, etc.": How did Israel know what Pharaoh thought of them in Egypt? The Holy Spirit reposed upon them and they knew it. Pharaoh said: It really does not befit us to pursue Israel, but the silver and gold that they took warrants it. When some of the people saw that (only) a small part of their possessions had been taken, they said: What will we gain by pursuing them? When Pharaoh saw this, he said: We will all share equally in the spoils, viz. (Ibid.) "I shall divide the spoils." And, what is more, I shall open up the treasure stores — silver, gold, precious stones and jewels — and I will distribute them to you. "The foe (Pharaoh) said": And he did not know what he was saying, viz. (Mishlei 16:1) "To a man are the musings of his heart, but to the L rd is the meaning of the tongue." (He said:) "I shall pursue, I shall overtake, I shall divide," (but what he "meant" was) I shall be pursued by them, I shall be overtaken by them, my spoils and my wealth shall be divided by them. It is not written "My soul shall be filled with them," but "My soul shall fill them" — They shall fill themselves with it. It is not written "torishem" ("My hand shall inherit them"), but "torishemo" — I shall bequeath my wealth and glory to them. In the past, you (the Jews) would rob them (the Egyptians) and I would prosecute you by royal edict, but now, my hand will permit it. In the past, you would kill them and I would prosecute you by royal edict, but now, "I shall sheathe my sword." Others say: It is not written "I will draw my sword," but "I will empty my sword." He desired to cohabit with their males ("sword" here being a euphemism for the male organ,) as in (Ezekiel 28:7) "and they will draw their sword against the beauty of your wisdom," the idea being that they will empty their "sword." And because his heart swelled in pride, the Holy One Blessed be He demeaned him and all of the peoples degraded him. The Egyptians comprised three factions at the sea: One said: Let us take their money and not kill them; a second: Let us kill them and not take their money; the third: Let us kill them and take their money. Re those who said: Let us take their money and not kill them — "I shall divide spoil." Re those who said: Let us kill them and not take their money — "I shall fill my soul with them." Re those who said: Let us kill them and take their money — "My hand shall impoverish them." With five things (i.e., utterances) did Pharaoh stand and blaspheme in the midst of the land of Egypt, viz. "The foe (Pharaoh) said: I shall pursue (and) I shall overtake; I shall divide spoil; My soul shall be filled with them; I shall empty my sword; My hand shall impoverish them." And, corresponding to these, the Holy Spirit responded, viz.: "You blew with Your breath … they plummeted like lead in the mighty waters; Your right hand, O L rd breaks the foe; and in the greatness of Your grandeur, You destroy those who rise up against You; You send forth Your wrath — it consumes them as stubble; You inclined Your right hand — the earth swallowed them up." An analogy: A renegade stands and blasphemes behind the king's palace: If I find the king's son, I will seize him and slay him. I will impale him and kill him with a terrible death. Thus Pharaoh stood and blasphemed in the land of Egypt: I will pursue, I will overtake, I will divide spoil. And the Holy Spirit mocks him and says: "You blew with your breath" — "the sea covered them"; "you inclined your right hand" — "the earth swallowed them." And thus is it written (Psalms 2:1) "Why do the nations rage … (4) The Dweller in the heavens shall laugh", (Ibid. 59:8) "They spout with their mouths … (9) You, O L rd, will laugh at them." And it is written (Ezekiel 38:18) "And it will be on this day, on the day that Gog comes against the land of Israel .. (20) the fishes of the sea will quake before Me." All of those thousands and ten thousands plummeted like lead. (Exodus 15:10) "in the mighty waters": Four are called "mighty": The Holy One Blessed be He — (Psalms 93:4) "Mighty on high is the L rd"; Israel — (Ibid. 16:3) "the mighty, the object of all My desire"; Egypt — (Ezekiel 32:18) "and the daughters of the mighty nations (Egypt)"; and the waters — "They plummeted like lead in the mighty waters."

In the Torah of Rabbi Meir they found written 'and behold it was very good' - as 'and behold death was good'. Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman said: I was riding on the shoulder of my elder, and he was going from his city to Kfar Chanan through the way of Beit She'an, and I heard Rabbi Shime'on ben Eleazar sitting and explaining in the name of Rabbi Meir: 'and behold it was very good' - as 'and behold death was good.' Rabbi Chama bar Chanina and Rabbi Yonatan [disagree]. Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: "it would have been proper that the First Adam did not taste the taste of death - and why was he charged with death? One reason: it is written (Ezekiel 28:13) [Ezekiel 28:12 begins: Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him: Thus says the Lord GOD: Your seal most accurate, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty] 'you were in the Garden of Eden' - was Chirom in the Garden of Eden? Impossible! Rather, [Ezekiel/Gd] said to him 'you were the one who caused the one in the Garden to die.'" Rabbi Chia, the son of the son of Rabbi Berachia said in the name of Rabbi Berachia 'you were a covering cherub' (Ezekiel 28:14) ['covering' can also be understood as 'washing away'] you were the one who cause that same cherub to die." Rabbi Yonatan said to him: "if that was so, let [God] decree death to the evil ones only, and let Him not decree death on the righteous. But then the evil ones would not repent over their deceptions, and also so that the evil ones wouldn't say 'the only reason the righteous are alive is that they are accostumed to do mitzvot and good deeds, let us be accostumed to do mitzvot and good deeds - and this doing would not be for its own sake. ...

In the Torah of Rabbi Meir they found written 'and behold it was very good' - as 'and behold death was good'. Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman said: I was riding on the shoulder of my elder, and he was going from his city to Kfar Chanan through the way of Beit She'an, and I heard Rabbi Shime'on ben Eleazar sitting and explaining in the name of Rabbi Meir: 'and behold it was very good' - as 'and behold death was good.' Rabbi Chama bar Chanina and Rabbi Yonatan [disagree]. Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: "it would have been proper that the First Adam did not taste the taste of death - and why was he charged with death? One reason: it is written (Ezekiel 28:13) [Ezekiel 28:12 begins: Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him: Thus says the Lord GOD: Your seal most accurate, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty] 'you were in the Garden of Eden' - was Chirom in the Garden of Eden? Impossible! Rather, [Ezekiel/Gd] said to him 'you were the one who caused the one in the Garden to die.'" Rabbi Chia, the son of the son of Rabbi Berachia said in the name of Rabbi Berachia 'you were a covering cherub' (Ezekiel 28:14) ['covering' can also be understood as 'washing away'] you were the one who cause that same cherub to die." Rabbi Yonatan said to him: "if that was so, let [God] decree death to the evil ones only, and let Him not decree death on the righteous. But then the evil ones would not repent over their deceptions, and also so that the evil ones wouldn't say 'the only reason the righteous are alive is that they are accostumed to do mitzvot and good deeds, let us be accostumed to do mitzvot and good deeds - and this doing would not be for its own sake. ...

In the Torah of Rabbi Meir they found written 'and behold it was very good' - as 'and behold death was good'. Rabbi Shmuel Bar Nachman said: I was riding on the shoulder of my elder, and he was going from his city to Kfar Chanan through the way of Beit She'an, and I heard Rabbi Shime'on ben Eleazar sitting and explaining in the name of Rabbi Meir: 'and behold it was very good' - as 'and behold death was good.' Rabbi Chama bar Chanina and Rabbi Yonatan [disagree]. Rabbi Chama bar Chanina said: "it would have been proper that the First Adam did not taste the taste of death - and why was he charged with death? One reason: it is written (Ezekiel 28:13) [Ezekiel 28:12 begins: Son of man, take up a lamentation for the king of Tyre, and say to him: Thus says the Lord GOD: Your seal most accurate, full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty] 'you were in the Garden of Eden' - was Chirom in the Garden of Eden? Impossible! Rather, [Ezekiel/Gd] said to him 'you were the one who caused the one in the Garden to die.'" Rabbi Chia, the son of the son of Rabbi Berachia said in the name of Rabbi Berachia 'you were a covering cherub' (Ezekiel 28:14) ['covering' can also be understood as 'washing away'] you were the one who cause that same cherub to die." Rabbi Yonatan said to him: "if that was so, let [God] decree death to the evil ones only, and let Him not decree death on the righteous. But then the evil ones would not repent over their deceptions, and also so that the evil ones wouldn't say 'the only reason the righteous are alive is that they are accostumed to do mitzvot and good deeds, let us be accostumed to do mitzvot and good deeds - and this doing would not be for its own sake. ...

(Exodus 15:11) "Who is like You among the mighty": Once Israel saw that Pharaoh and his hosts were lost in the Red Sea, and the rule of Egypt had been abolished and idolatry had been castigated, they all opened their mouths and said "Who is like You among the mighty." And not only did Israel alone break out in song. But all the peoples — When they heard that Pharaoh and his hosts had been lost in the sea and their rule had been abolished, and their idolatry had been castigated — all of them rejected their idolatry and opened their mouths and said "Who is like you among the mighty, etc." And thus do you find to be the lot of idolatry — that the peoples of the world are destined to reject it, viz. (Jeremiah 16:19) "The L rd is my strength and my stronghold and my refuge on the day of affliction … (20) Can a man make gods for himself, etc.", (Isaiah 2:20) "On that day a man will throw away his false gods … (21) to enter the clefts of rocks (in fear of retribution), etc.", (Ibid. 18) "and the false gods will perish completely." Variantly: "Who is like You among the mighty, O L rd": Who is like You in the miracles and wonders that You wrought for us upon the sea, viz. (Psalms 106:22) "… awesome deeds upon the Red Sea" — (Ibid. 9) "He roared at the Red Sea and it dried up." Variantly: "Who is like You bailmim" ("among the mute"). You hear the defamation of Your children and You remain silent, viz. (Isaiah 42:14) "I have ever been silent; I have been still; I have restrained Myself. (But now) I will scream as a woman giving birth. I will throb and lust (to destroy all My foes) together." In the past I was silent and restrained. From now on I will scream. (Ibid. 15-16) "I will lay waste the mountains and the hills, and I will dry up all their grass, and I will render the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools. And I shall lead the blind in a way they did not know. In roads they did not know shall I lead them. I shall make the darkness into light before them, and the crooked paths into straight paths." Variantly: "Who is like You among the mighty": Who is like You among those who minister before You on high, viz. (Psalms 89:7) "Who in the heavens can be likened to the L rd?" (Ibid. 8) "a G d who is dreaded in the great council of the holy ones (the angels) … (9) O L rd, G d of hosts, who is like You? Mighty is the L rd." Variantly: Who is like You ("ba'eilim") among those who call themselves gods? Pharaoh called himself a god, viz. (Ezekiel 29:3) "Mine is my river (the Nile), and I have made it." And thus, Sancherev, viz. (II Kings 18:35) "Who among all the gods of the lands (saved their land from my hand, etc.")? And thus Nevuchadnezzar, viz. (Isaiah 14:14) "I shall mount the heights of a cloud; I shall liken myself to the Most High!" And thus, Negid Tzor, viz. (Ezekiel 28:2-3) "Say to Negid Tzor: Because your heart has grown proud and you have said: I am a god, etc." Variantly: Who is like You among those whom others call "gods" and who are without substance, those of whom it is written (Psalms 115:5) "hey have a mouth but cannot speak, etc." But the Holy One Blessed be He says two things in one pronouncement, something that a man cannot do, viz. (Ibid. 62:12) "One (pronouncement) has G d spoken; these two (things) have I heard." (Jeremiah 23:29) "Is My word not like fire, says the L rd, and like a hammer shattering rock?" And it is written (Iyyov 37:2) "And a word shall come forth from His mouth, etc."

The Holy One, blessed be He, made ten wedding canopies for Adam in the garden of Eden. They were all (made) of precious stones, pearls, and gold. Is it not a fact that only one wedding canopy is made for every bridegroom, whilst three wedding canopies are made for a king? But in order to bestow special honour upon the first man, the Holy One, blessed be He, made ten (wedding canopies) in the garden of Eden, as it is said, "Wast thou in Eden the garden of God; was every precious stone thy covering, the sardius, topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold?" (Ezek. 28:13). Behold these are the ten canopies. The angels were playing upon timbrels and dancing with pipes, as it is said, "The workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was with thee" (ibid.).

On the day when the first man was created, as it is said, "In the day when thou wast created they were prepared" (ibid.), the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the ministering angels: Come, let us descend and render loving service to the first man and to his help-mate, for the world rests upon the attribute of the service of loving-kindness. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: More beloved is the service of loving-kindness than the sacrifices and burnt-offerings which Israel will bring in the future upon the altar before Me, as it is said, || "For I desire love, and not sacrifice" (Hos. 6:6).

Similarly, retribution was exacted from Tyre by the very thing in which it prided itself. Thou, O Tyre, hast said: I am of perfect beauty. Thy borders are in the heart of the seas, thy builders have perfected thy beauty (Ezek. 27:3–4), and that is followed by: Behold, I am against thee, O Tyre, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth its waves to come up (ibid. 26:3). And the prince of Tyre was likewise punished through the thing for which he had extolled himself. Son of man, say unto the prince of Tyre: “Thus saith the Lord: Because thy heart is lifted up, and thou hast said: I am a god, I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the sea; yet thou art a man, and not God, though didst set thy heart as the heart of God, etc. (Ezek. 28:2). Hence, thou shalt die the deaths of the uncircumcised by the hand of strangers (ibid., v. 10). With whatever nations exalt themselves, retribution is exacted upon them. Hence it is said: For He is highly exalted.

(Exod. 9:13–14:) THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: GO EARLY IN THE MORNING TO PRESENT YOURSELF BEFORE PHARAOH; <AND SAY UNTO HIM: THUS SAYS THE LORD,>… < LET MY PEOPLE GO TO WORSHIP ME.> FOR THIS TIME <I WILL SEND ALL MY PLAGUES UPON YOUR HEART>….⁸⁹There is some confusion whether this section began with 8:16 or 9:13. The verses are almost identical. See Jacob Mann, The Bible as Read and Preached in the Old Synagogue, Vol. I (Ktav, 1971), pp. 396–398. This text is related (to Ps. 9:21 [20]): PUT MORAH INTO THEM, O LORD; <LET THE NATIONS KNOW THAT THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN. SELAH>. Turn their faces red. What is the meaning of MORAH? He caused the spirit of folly to enter them.⁹⁰The midrash understands MORAH as coming from the Greek moros, which does mean fool. In Hebrew MORAH usually means “teaching authority”, “fear,” or “razor.” Another interpretation (of Ps. 9:21 [20]): PUT MORAH INTO THEM, O LORD. Because they are acquiring lordship (mariyyut) for themselves, make known to them that you are Lord (Adon) over all of them. PUT MORAH INTO THEM, O LORD; LET THE NATIONS KNOW THAT THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN.⁹¹The Hebrew wording here differs slightly from the Masoretic Text, perhaps to bring out its meaning more clearly. Now they were making themselves into deities. Hiram king of Tyre made himself into a deity, as stated (in Ezek. 28:2): BECAUSE YOUR HEART IS PROUD, YOU HAVE SAID: I AM A GOD.⁹²Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Shirata 1; Gen. R. 9:5; 96:5; Exod. R. 8:2. The Holy One informed him that he was mortal, as stated (in Ezek. 28:17): I HAVE CAST YOU UNTO THE GROUND; I HAVE SET YOU BEFORE KINGS FOR THEM TO STARE AT YOU. The Holy One informed him that he was flesh and blood. Ergo (in Ps. 9:21 [20]): LET THE NATIONS KNOW THAT THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN. SELAH.

(Exod. 9:13–14:) THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: GO EARLY IN THE MORNING TO PRESENT YOURSELF BEFORE PHARAOH; <AND SAY UNTO HIM: THUS SAYS THE LORD,>… < LET MY PEOPLE GO TO WORSHIP ME.> FOR THIS TIME <I WILL SEND ALL MY PLAGUES UPON YOUR HEART>….⁸⁹There is some confusion whether this section began with 8:16 or 9:13. The verses are almost identical. See Jacob Mann, The Bible as Read and Preached in the Old Synagogue, Vol. I (Ktav, 1971), pp. 396–398. This text is related (to Ps. 9:21 [20]): PUT MORAH INTO THEM, O LORD; <LET THE NATIONS KNOW THAT THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN. SELAH>. Turn their faces red. What is the meaning of MORAH? He caused the spirit of folly to enter them.⁹⁰The midrash understands MORAH as coming from the Greek moros, which does mean fool. In Hebrew MORAH usually means “teaching authority”, “fear,” or “razor.” Another interpretation (of Ps. 9:21 [20]): PUT MORAH INTO THEM, O LORD. Because they are acquiring lordship (mariyyut) for themselves, make known to them that you are Lord (Adon) over all of them. PUT MORAH INTO THEM, O LORD; LET THE NATIONS KNOW THAT THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN.⁹¹The Hebrew wording here differs slightly from the Masoretic Text, perhaps to bring out its meaning more clearly. Now they were making themselves into deities. Hiram king of Tyre made himself into a deity, as stated (in Ezek. 28:2): BECAUSE YOUR HEART IS PROUD, YOU HAVE SAID: I AM A GOD.⁹²Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Shirata 1; Gen. R. 9:5; 96:5; Exod. R. 8:2. The Holy One informed him that he was mortal, as stated (in Ezek. 28:17): I HAVE CAST YOU UNTO THE GROUND; I HAVE SET YOU BEFORE KINGS FOR THEM TO STARE AT YOU. The Holy One informed him that he was flesh and blood. Ergo (in Ps. 9:21 [20]): LET THE NATIONS KNOW THAT THEY ARE ONLY HUMAN. SELAH.

[Another interpretation (of Eccl. 8:1): WHO IS LIKE THE WISE PERSON? This is the first Adam, of whom it is written (in Ezek. 28:12): YOU WERE THE SEAL OF PERFECTION, FULL OF WISDOM.⁹⁷Eccl. R. 8:1:2; PRK 4:4; PR 14:12. (Eccl. 8:1, cont.:) AND WHO KNOWS THE INTERPRETATION OF A WORD? This is the one who interpreted the names for all the creatures, as stated (in Gen. 2:20): SO ADAM RECITED NAMES FOR ALL THE CATTLE….⁹⁸On the translation of this verse, see above, Numb. 6:12 and the note there. (Eccl. 8:1, cont.:) A PERSON'S WISDOM LIGHTS UP HIS FACE. R. Levi said in the name of R. Simeon ben Menasya: The round of the first Adam's heel outshone the sphere of the sun, and you should not be surprised over this. By universal custom, when someone makes two salvers,⁹⁹Gk.: diskaria. one for himself and one for a steward, whose does he make more beautiful? Is it not his own? Similarly, the first Adam was created for his own use, and the sphere of the sun was for the use of mortals. Is it not all the more true that the round of the <first Adam's> heel would outshine the sphere of the sun? And if his heel were like that, how much brighter was the countenance¹⁰⁰Gk.: krystallos; Lat.: crystallum (“crystal”). of his face.

R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina: the Holy One joined together thirteen bridal canopies for the first Adam in the Garden of Eden, as written (in Ezek. 28:13): YOU WERE IN EDEN, THE GARDEN OF GOD; EVERY STONE THAT IS PRECIOUS WAS YOUR COVERING: <(1) CARNELIAN, (2) CHRYSOLITE, AND (3) MOONSTONE, (4) BERYL, (5) ONYX AND, (6) JASPER, (7) SAPPHIRE, (8) TURQUOISE, AND (9) EMERALD, AND (10) GOLD>. Resh Laqish said: Eleven, and the Rabbis say: Ten. But they do not disagree (as to the verse, only over the number of canopies). The one who makes <a total of> thirteen for him makes (1) EVERY STONE, (2) THAT IS PRECIOUS, and (3) YOUR COVERING <to be the extra> three. The one who makes <a total of> eleven for him makes <EVERY STONE THAT IS PRECIOUS WAS YOUR COVERING as a whole to be the extra> one. The one who makes <a total of> ten for him does not make <these words> to be an <extra> one. Then after all this praise <comes> (Gen. 3:19): FOR DUST YOU ARE, AND UNTO DUST YOU SHALL RETURN. (Eccl. 8:1, cont.:) AND THE RADIANCE OF HIS FACE IS CHANGED. When <Adam> said (in Gen. 3:12): THE WOMAN THAT YOU PUT WITH ME, SHE GAVE ME <FRUIT FROM THE TREE, AND I ATE>. Even so did the Holy One change his face and drive him from the Garden of Eden, as it is written (in Gen. 3:23): SO THE LORD GOD SENT HIM AWAY FROM THE GARDEN OF EDEN.

"And God built [out of] the rib" - Rabbi Eliezer said in the name of Rabbi Yossi the son of Zimra: woman was endowed with more understanding than man. As it is taught: at eleven years and one day, her vows stick; at twelve years and one day her vows apply; and all twelve-year-olds are checked. But for males, at twelve years and one day his vows stick; at thirteen years they apply, and all thirteen-year-olds are checked. Rabbi Yirmiya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzchak: there are those that say the opposite, as the way of a woman is to sit in her home, and the way of a many is to go out to the marketplace and learn understanding from others. Rabbi Aybu said, and some attribute it to the name of Rabbi Benaya, and it is [also] taught in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai: [God] adorned her [Eve] like a bride, and afterwards brought her to him [Adam]. In some places they call 'kil'ata' [braids] 'bin'yata' [net-works]. Rabbi Hamma bar Chanina said: you think that she was brought to him under a carob or sycamore tree, rather she was adorned with twenty four kinds of finery, and then brought to him, as it says: "In Eden, the garden of God you were, and all precious stones were your covering: the carnelian, the topaz..." (Ezekiel 28:13). The Rabbis and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish; the Rabbis said: ten, and Rabbi Shimon said: eleven. Rabbi Hamma bar Chanina and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish both said: a general rule followed by a specific; follow the general rule by adding the specific, and it is all in the general rule - "every precious stone is your covering" is a general rule. "Carnelian, topaz, emerald, beryl..." are the specifics. Follow the general rule - "every precious stone is your covering." Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Simon: one said nine, and one said ten. The one who said ten is like the Rabbis, and the one who said nine argues that the "gold" mentioned in the verse surely does not refer to a canopy. Rabbi Acha bar Chanina said: he made walls of gold and coverings of precious stones and pearls. Rabbi Eleazar bar Bisna said in the name of Rabbi Aha: He even made him hooks of gold.

“Wisdom will bolster the wise more than ten rulers who are in a city” (Ecclesiastes 7:19).
“Wisdom will bolster the wise” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Wise of heart, mighty of strength” (Job 9:4); “more than ten rulers who are in a city” – than the ten statements with which the world was created.¹¹⁸People will be quicker to recognize God through Torah than by appreciating the miracle of His creation of the world (Maharzu).
Another matter, “wisdom will bolster the wise” – this is Adam the first man, as it is written: “You are the culmination of perfection, [full of wisdom]” (Ezekiel 28:12); “more than ten rulers who are in a city” – these are the ten organs that serve the soul: esophagus for food, trachea for voice, liver for wrath, gall bladder for envy, the lung drains,¹¹⁹It drains harmful fluids. stomach to grind, spleen to crush, kidneys advise, heart understands, tongue concludes.¹²⁰The tongue expresses a person’s thoughts. The midrash is saying that wisdom is better than one’s bodily functions and emotions.

אֱלִישֶׁבַע בַּת עֲמִינָדָב....Elisheva bat Aminadav did not have joy in the world. she witnessed 'five crowns' in one day: her brother-in-law (Moshe) was a king, her brother (Nachshon) was a prince, her husband (Aron) was a Kohen Gadol, her two sons were both Deputy Kohanim, Pinchas her grandson was a war priest. But when her sons entered to draw near (to Gd) they were burnt, her joy was turned to mourning. as it is written, "after the death of the two sons of Aaron." Vayikra 16:1

כ He said to him, "Why does the angel of death have dominion over all creatures except for the generation of Malchas the Bird?" He said to him, "It is not just the generation of Malchas the Bird over which the angel of death has no dominion, but even the generation of Yonadav, and some say that human beings entered Gan Eden alive." כ"א He said to him, "Who were they?" He said to him, "Enoch; and Serach bat Asher; and Bitya bat Paroh; and Hiram, King of Tyre; and Eliezer the, servant of Abraham; and Eved-Melech the Ethiopian; and the servant of Rabbi Yehudah; and Yabetz; and Rabbi Yehushua ben Levi; and all the descendents of Yonadav; and all the descendents of Malchas the Bird." He said to him, ["And why?" He said to him,] "I will tell you: Enoch- because he was righteous in his generation, for nobody was like him, and he lives in Gan Eden. Eliezer, servant of Abraham- he is the son of Ham, son of Noah, and when he heard the curse of his father, he gave himself over to Abraham and became righteous and he is in Gan Eden. Serach bat Asher- because she told Jacob, 'Joseph is alive.' Jacob said to her, 'This mouth that informed me about Joseph being alive will not taste the flavor of death.' Bitya bat Paroh- because she raised Moshe our teacher from his infancy, so that they do not say, 'what was her reward for that?' Eved-Melech the Ethiopian- who saved Jeremiah from the muddy pit. The servant of Rabbi Yehudah Hanassi- because he was righteous, humble, and of a low spirit. Yabetz- he is in Gan Eden too, because he was the most righteous from his whole generation. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi- for he too was completely righteous, and beloved by the angel of death. Once he said to the angel of death, 'Show me Gan Eden.' He said to him, 'With pleasure!' He walked with him on the way. He said to him, 'I am afraid of you- perhaps you will kill me with your sword unintentionally. If you love me and want me to come with you, let me carry your blade in my hand while I walk with you and you show me Gan Eden the right way, until I have looked at its rooms from the gate.' He said to him, 'The right way,' and immediately he brought him. What did Rabbi Yehoshua do? He stood in the entryway to Gan Eden and began looking and suddenly jumped and entered Gan Eden. The angel of death's blade was in his hand too, and he had it his hand for seven years until the Holy Blessed One said to him, 'Yehoshua ben Levi, you have done a serious thing. Return the angel of death's blade.' And when he had jumped from before the angel of death and entered Gan Eden, the angel of death had shouted a great shout, and had wanted to destroy the world, but God had quieted him. And after seven years, he returned it (the blade) to him. Hiram, King of Tyre- the Holy Blessed One gave him entry to Gan Eden because he built the Temple. He was originally God-fearing, and was made to live in Gan Eden for a thousand years, but afterwards he became haughty and said, 'I am a god.' As it says: (Ezekiel 28:2) "Mortal man, say..." And therefore he was disturbed from Gan Eden and he entered Gehennom. The generation of Yonadav ben Rechav- because he wrote all the matters that are in the book of Jeremiah, and he was righteous and reproved Israel, and he lives in Gan Eden. And the generation of Malchas the Bird- when Chava ate from the Tree of Knowledge and gave to her husband too and he ate with her, she grew jealous of the other creatures and fed it to all of them. She saw Malchas the Bird and she said to him, 'Eat from this, which your friends have eaten from.' He said to her, 'Is it not enough for you that you have sinned to Blessed Hashem, and that you have caused others to die, that you are also coming to me to entice me to negate the command of the Holy Blessed One, so I will eat it and I will die? I am not listening to you.' And then he reproved Chava and all the creatures. A heavenly voice speedily called out and said to Chava and to Adam, 'You are commanded, but you did not observe, and you sinned, and you came to Malchas the Bird to make him sin too, and he did not accept that, and he feared Me, even though I had not commanded him, and he kept my decree. Therefore, eternally, he will not taste the flavor death, neither him nor his descendants." כ"ב He said to him, "And why does the eagle reach closer to the firmament than any other bird?" He said to him, "When they left the ark, the (female) eagle was standing with a bird in front of her, and she wanted to eat it. All the animals said, 'One who wants to eat his companion deserves the death penalty!' They hit her and shaved her wings and threw her into a lions' den. But after a year, her wings grew, and she flew away. The birds caught her and tried to kill her, but the raven used trickery to help her escape. He had sex with her and she became pregnant by him, and gave birth to an eagle, and that is why it is called an eagle [nesher]. And the raven is called raven ['orev] because he mixed ['irbev] his seed in all directions, due to the magnitude of his promiscuity. All the animals were searching for her, and a miracle was done and the Holy Blessed One manifested Their Shechinah over her so that his creation should not go extinct, and gave her the strength to fly above all the birds. Therefore it is called an eagle [nesher], because the Holy Blessed One manifested [hishrah] Their Shechinah over her. That is why she flies above, up to the firmament, so that her enemies will not catch her and kill her, extinguishing one type of the Holy Blessed One's creatures from the world." He said to him, "Blessed is the One who distributes Their wisdom to those who fear Them, and has revealed secret, deep matters."