Midrasch zu Jechezkiel 38:1

(Fol. 17) Our Rabbis were taught (Ib. 11, 26) And there remained two men in the camp. According to some, it means that their names remained in the urn. For, at the time the Holy One, praised be He! said to Moses: Gather unto Me seventy men of the elders of Israel, Moses said [to himself]: "How shall I do it? Shall I appoint six of each tribe? Then there will be two more. Shall I take five of each? Then there will be ten less. Shall I appoint from two tribes." So he chose six from each, and each? Then I will bring jealousy among the tribes." So he chose six from each, and brought seventy-two ballots. On seventy he wrote Zaken (elder), and two he left blank. After he had mixed them all up and put all of them into the urn, he said to them: "Go, each, and take your ballot." To the one who drew the ballot on which "Elder" was written he said: "You are already sanctified by Heaven." But to those who drew the blanks he said: "Since Heaven did not select you, I cannot alter it." Similar was the following case (Ib. 3, 47) Thou shalt take five shekels a piece for the poll. Moses said to himself: "How shall I do it? If I should say to one, 'Give the shekels,' he may answer, 'The Levite has already redeemed me.'" Therefore he brought twenty-two thousand ballots and on each he wrote: "Levi;" and on two hundred and seventy-three he wrote "five shekels," mixed them, put them in the urn, and said to the people: "Draw your ballot." To the one who drew on which "Levi" was written, he said: "The Levite has redeemed you." And he who drew five shekels was told to pay the amount and go." R. Simon, however, said [Eldad and Medad] remained in the camp; for when the Holy One, praised be He! said to Moses: Gather unto Me seventy men of the Elders of Israel, they said: "We are not worthy of such a high appointment." And the Holy One, praised be He! said: "Because ye were modest, I will increase your grace." And what grace was increased to them? All the seventy had prophesied once, and ceased; but these two did not cease to prophesy. And what was their prophecy? They said: "Moses shall die, and Joshua shall bring Israel to his land." Aba Chanin, however, said in the name of R. Elazar: "They prophesied about the quail, saying, 'Come up, quail. Come up, quail." And R. Nachman said: "They prophesied about Gog and Magog, as it is said (Ezek. 38, 17) Then hath said the Lord Eternal: Art thou (not) he of whom I have spoken in ancient days through means of My servants, the prophets of Israel, who prophesied in those days (Shanim) years, that I would bring thee against them?" Do not read Shanim (years) but Shnayim (two). And who were the two who had prophesied at one period, with one and the same prophecy? Eldad and Medad.

(Deut. 12:29:) WHEN THE LORD GOD HAS CUT OFF THE GENTILES. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who planted a vineyard within his field, but within <that field> were great cedars and thorns.⁵Tanh., Deut. 4:9. The king went and cut down the cedars and left the thorns. His servants said to him: Our Lord King, the thorns, which catch our clothes, you have left <standing>; but you have cut down the cedars! He said to them: If I had left the cedars and cut down the thornbushes, how should I have {decreed} [fenced in] my vineyard. So also Israel is the vineyard of the Holy One, as stated (in Is. 5:7): FOR THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. He brought Israel into the land and cut down the cedars that were in it, as stated (in Amos 2:9): YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITES [BEFORE YOU, WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT]; but he left their children and their children's children so that Israel would observe the Torah, as stated (in Jud. 3:1): NOW THESE ARE THE NATIONS WHICH THE LORD LEFT TO TEST ISRAEL. So when the vineyard stands in its place in the service of the Torah, THEN (according to Is. 33:12) THE PEOPLES SHALL BECOME BURNINGS OF LIME, THORNS CUT DOWN <THAT ARE BURNED IN THE FIRE>. It is also written (in Is. 40:17): ALL THE NATIONS ARE AS NOTHING BEFORE HIM. Look at how many hosts⁶Gk.: ochloi. Pharaoh sent out after Israel! When Israel saw them, they were terrified before them and said: Who can stand against these? The Holy One said to them: By your lives, all these are as unimportant before me as <if they were> [only] a single horse, as stated (in Exod. 15:19): WHEN THE HORSE (in the singular) OF PHARAOH CAME; they all died in a single breath (rt.: NShP), as stated (in Exod. 15:10): YOU BLEW (rt.: NShP) WITH YOUR WIND, <AND THE SEA COVERED THEM>. Similarly Gog and Magog are going to come against Israel, but the Holy One will carry out judgments against them (literally: against him), as stated (in Ezek. 38:22): I WILL ENTER INTO JUDGMENT AGAINST HIM WITH PESTILENCE AND WITH BLOOD…. At that time (according to Ezek. 38:23): SO I WILL BE MAGNIFIED, BE SANCTIFIED, AND BE MADE KNOWN BEFORE THE EYES OF MANY {PEOPLES} [NATIONS]; AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.

(Deut. 12:29:) WHEN THE LORD GOD HAS CUT OFF THE GENTILES. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who planted a vineyard within his field, but within <that field> were great cedars and thorns.⁵Tanh., Deut. 4:9. The king went and cut down the cedars and left the thorns. His servants said to him: Our Lord King, the thorns, which catch our clothes, you have left <standing>; but you have cut down the cedars! He said to them: If I had left the cedars and cut down the thornbushes, how should I have {decreed} [fenced in] my vineyard. So also Israel is the vineyard of the Holy One, as stated (in Is. 5:7): FOR THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. He brought Israel into the land and cut down the cedars that were in it, as stated (in Amos 2:9): YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITES [BEFORE YOU, WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT]; but he left their children and their children's children so that Israel would observe the Torah, as stated (in Jud. 3:1): NOW THESE ARE THE NATIONS WHICH THE LORD LEFT TO TEST ISRAEL. So when the vineyard stands in its place in the service of the Torah, THEN (according to Is. 33:12) THE PEOPLES SHALL BECOME BURNINGS OF LIME, THORNS CUT DOWN <THAT ARE BURNED IN THE FIRE>. It is also written (in Is. 40:17): ALL THE NATIONS ARE AS NOTHING BEFORE HIM. Look at how many hosts⁶Gk.: ochloi. Pharaoh sent out after Israel! When Israel saw them, they were terrified before them and said: Who can stand against these? The Holy One said to them: By your lives, all these are as unimportant before me as <if they were> [only] a single horse, as stated (in Exod. 15:19): WHEN THE HORSE (in the singular) OF PHARAOH CAME; they all died in a single breath (rt.: NShP), as stated (in Exod. 15:10): YOU BLEW (rt.: NShP) WITH YOUR WIND, <AND THE SEA COVERED THEM>. Similarly Gog and Magog are going to come against Israel, but the Holy One will carry out judgments against them (literally: against him), as stated (in Ezek. 38:22): I WILL ENTER INTO JUDGMENT AGAINST HIM WITH PESTILENCE AND WITH BLOOD…. At that time (according to Ezek. 38:23): SO I WILL BE MAGNIFIED, BE SANCTIFIED, AND BE MADE KNOWN BEFORE THE EYES OF MANY {PEOPLES} [NATIONS]; AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.