Midrasch zu Bereschit 14:17

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(Numb. 10:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying], ‘Make two silver trumpets (hatsotserot).’” This text is related (to Ps. 24:7), “O gates, lift up your heads, be lifted up, you everlasting doors, [that the King of glory may come in].” When Solomon was bringing the ark into the Temple,¹⁷Numb. R. 15:13; above Exod. 2:6 and the note there. he began to say, “O gates, lift up your heads...,” because the openings were [too] low. [Then] he said, “Be lifted up you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in.” The gates said to him (in vss. 8 and 10), “Who is this king of glory? The gates immediately wanted to break his head [and would have done so,] if he had not said (in vs. 10), “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Again he said (in vs. 8), “The Lord strong and mighty [...].” He said to them, “Expand yourselves, for the King of glory is coming upon you. They immediately showed Him honor (kavod), and raised themselves up.¹⁸Lam. R. 2:9 (13). So the ark entered. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “You have shown Me honor. Upon your lives, when I destroy My house, no one will prevail against you.” You know that all the implements of the Temple went into exile in Babylon as stated (in Dan. 1:2), “Then the Lord gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand, with some of the implements from the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar.” But the Temple gates were hidden in their place, as stated (in Lam. 2:9), “Her gates have sunk into the ground.” [Another interpretation:] What is the meaning (of Ps. 24:10), “the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah?” That He imparts some of His glory to those who fear Him.¹⁹Numb. R.15:13; see PRK 32:9 (= Suppl. 1:9); M. Pss. 90:1. How? He is called "God" (elohim, a term denoting a power), and he called Moses "elohim," as stated (in Exod. 7:1), “See I have set you as elohim to Pharaoh.” He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) causes the dead to live, and he imparted some of His glory to Elijah. Thus he (i.e., Elijah) caused the dead to live, as stated (in I Kings 17:23), “and Elijah said, ‘See your son is alive.’” Because the Holy One, blessed be He, imparts some of his glory to those who fear Him, He put His own clothing on the messianic king, as stated (in Ps. 21:6), “honor and majesty You shall lay upon him.” What is written about the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Ps. 47:6)? “God has ascended amid acclamation; the Lord with the sound of a horn (shofar).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:5), ‘Then he became king in Jeshurun.’ Just as when the king goes forth, they sound trumpets before him, so also for you, (in Numb. 10:2:), ‘Make for yourself two silver trumpets.’ [This is] so that will they sound the trumpets before you when you take out and bring in Israel, as stated (Numb.10:3), ‘And they shall blow them and the whole community shall assemble before you.’” Hence (Numb. 10:2:), “Make for yourself two silver trumpets.” This text is related (to Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king, and do not associate with those who would differ.” But what is the meaning of “and the king?” Simply [this, to] make Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) king over you.²⁰Numb. R. 15:14 cont. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Be king over the evil drive, which is called a king, where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14), “[There was a little city with few people in it,] and a great king came against it […].”²¹Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king.” [More] than the king: Lest it be supposed that if the king says to you, “Worship an idol,” you should heed him;²²See above Gen. 2:15. the text reads (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Thus [when] Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18), “We will not serve your gods, nor will we pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar said to them (in Dan. 3:14), “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2), ‘I [say], “Keep the king's command?”’” They said to him, “You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;²³Lat.: annona. but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog [have] equal [authority].” (Dan. 3:16-17:) “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you in this [matter]. If our God [whom we serve is able to save us, He shall save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your hand O king].’” They said to him, “Whether He delivers us or whether He does not deliver us (in vs. 18), ‘be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.’” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king; and do not associate with those who would differ”; [i.e.,] in that Israel is called a third to all those that fear Him, but do not associate with those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of [such people] is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds [in it] shall be cut off [and die], but one-third shall remain in it.” And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24), “And on that day Israel shall be a third [partner with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth].” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Whoever is in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes a king. From whom did you learn [that]? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God.” But where is it shown that he became a king? It is written (in Gen. 14:17), “[And the king of Sodom came out to meet him …] at the Valley of Shaveh, i.e., the valley of the king.” What is the meaning of the Valley of Shaveh (rt.: shwh?] That they all became equal (rt.: shwh). So taking counsel (or taking wood),²⁴‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood.” they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say [this] only [in the case of] Abraham alone. In the case of Moses [as well did this happen], because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 3:6), “then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” And where is it shown that he became a king?] Where it is stated (in Deut. 33:5), “Then he became king in Jeshurun.”²⁵Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. As they blow trumpets before a king when he goes forth to war, so shall they blow trumpets before you when you go forth to war.” How is it shown? From that which they read about the matter (in Numb. 10:2), “Make two silver trumpets.”²⁶The context of the passage concerns the sounding of an alarm in time of war.

“For he emerged from prison to reign, as also to his kingdom he was born poor” (Ecclesiastes 4:14).
“For he emerged from prison [beit hasurim] to reign” – as it [the evil inclination] entangles people as though among thorns [seriata]. “As also to his kingdom he was born poor” – with the kingship of the good inclination comes the beginning of the impoverishment of the evil inclination.
Another matter: “Better is a poor…child” (Ecclesiastes 4:13) – this is Abraham; “than an old and foolish king” (Ecclesiastes 4:13) – this is Nimrod. What is: “To the Shaveh Valley” (Genesis 14:17)? As there they all agreed [hushvu] and chopped down the cedars, and constructed a large platform, and enthroned him³²Abraham above upon it; and they were lauding him and saying: “Hear us, my lord; you are a prince of God among us” (Genesis 23:6). “As also to his kingdom he was born poor” – with the kingship of Abraham comes the beginning of the impoverishment of Nimrod.
Another matter: “Better is a poor…child” (Ecclesiastes 4:13) – this is Joseph; “and wise” (Ecclesiastes 4:13) – as his wisdom sustained the entire world during the famine. “Than an old and foolish king” (Ecclesiastes 4:13) – this is Potifar. How many miracles did he see performed through [Joseph], but he was not admonished.³³He believed his wife’s false accusations against Joseph. “For he emerged from prison to reign” – from Pharaoh’s jail he emerged a king, as it is stated: “I am Pharaoh, and without you no one will lift [his hand or foot in the entire land of Egypt] ” (Genesis 41:44).

14 Another interpretation (of Numb. 10:2), “Make for yourself two silver trumpets”: This text is related (to Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” But what is the meaning of “and the king?” Simply [this, to] make Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) king over you. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Crown the positive drive over the evil drive, which is called a king, where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14), “[There was a little city with few people in it,] and a great king came against it […].”²¹Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Lest it be supposed that if the king says to you, “Worship an idol,” you should heed him; the text reads (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Thus [when] Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18), “We will not serve your gods, nor will we pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar said to them (in Dan. 3:14), “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Yesterday you were saying [that] anyone who was seeking to acquire idolatry should go to Jerusalem, as stated (Isaiah 10:10), ‘and their idols were from Jerusalem and from Samaria,’ and now you have come to make my idolatry, emptiness?” “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2), ‘I [say], “Keep the king's command?”’” They said to him, “You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;²²Lat.: annona. but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog [have] equal [authority].” (Dan. 3:16-17:) “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you in this [matter]. If our God whom we serve [is able to save us, He] shall save us [from the burning fiery furnace and] from your hand O king.’” [He answered, “And if not?” They said to him, “Whether He delivers us or whether He does not deliver us (in vs. 18), ‘be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.’” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” (Prov. 24:21, cont.) “And do not associate with those who would differ” – but do not associate with those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of [such people] is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds [in it] shall be cut off [and die], but one-third shall remain in it.” And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24), “And on that day Israel shall be a third [partner with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth].” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Whoever is in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes a king. From whom did you learn [that]? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God.” But where is it shown that he became a king? It is written (in Gen. 14:17), “[And the king of Sodom came out to meet him …] at the Valley of Shaveh, i.e., the valley of the king.” What is the meaning of the Valley of Shaveh (rt.: shwh?] That they all became equal (rt.: shwh). So taking counsel (or taking wood),²³‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood.” they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say [this] only [in the case of] Abraham alone. In the case of Moses [also] he became king, because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He. Therefore it is written (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.”sup>24Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses.

[Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21): FEAR THE LORD, MY CHILD, AND THE KING.] Whoever is in fear of the Holy One becomes a king. From whom did you learn <that>? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12): FOR NOW I KNOW THAT YOU FEAR GOD. But where is it shown that he became a king? [R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said in the name of R. Helbo:] It is written (in Gen. 14:17): <AND THE KING OF SODOM CAME OUT TO MEET HIM … > AT THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH, i.e., THE VALLEY OF THE KING. [What is the meaning of THE VALLEY OF SHAVEH (rt.: ShWH?] That they all became equal (rt.: ShWH). So taking counsel (or taking wood),⁵⁴‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood”. they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say <this> only <in the case of> Abraham alone. In the case of Moses <as well>, because he was in fear of the Holy One, he became a king. [Now where is it stated that he feared <the Holy One>? Where it is stated (in Exod. 3:6): THEN MOSES HID HIS FACE, FOR HE WAS AFRAID TO LOOK AT GOD. And where is it shown that he became a king?] Where it is stated (in Deut. 33:5): THEN HE BECAME KING IN JESHURUN.⁵⁵Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses. The Holy One said to Moses: I have made you a king. As they blow trumpets before a king when he goes forth to war, so shall they blow trumpets before you when you go forth to war. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 10:2): MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS.⁵⁶The context of the passage concerns the sounding of an alarm in time of war.

(Gen. 14:16:) THEN HE RETURNED ALL THE PROPERTY. < There > immediately < follows > (in vs. 17): AND THE KING OF SODOM CAME OUT. When he saw Abraham pursuing the sixteen kings and their legions,⁸¹Lat.: legio. the Holy One set him on the right, as stated (in Ps. 110:1): THE LORD SAYS TO MY LORD, SIT ON MY RIGHT < UNTIL I MAKE YOUR ENEMIES YOUR FOOTSTOOL >. They⁸²According to Gen. R. 43:3, R. Levi and R. Eleazar in the name of R. Jose. said: In this war the pace of our father Abraham was four miles⁸³Lat.: mille, i.e., a Roman mile of 1000 paces. long; and he ran until, having killed all the kings and their legions, he traveled on in peace. Thus it is stated (in Is. 41:3): HE PURSUES THEM AND TRAVELS ON IN PEACE…. Immediately the king of Sodom came out to meet him, as stated (in Gen. 14:17): AND THE KING OF SODOM CAME OUT TO MEET HIM. He said to him: If you please, (according to Gen. 14:21): GIVE ME THE PEOPLE AND TAKE THE PROPERTY FOR YOURSELF. Wanting < the former > and not wanting < the latter >, he said to him: If they had killed me, they would have taken all my assets. Now that you have rescued me, receive the property for yourself, and GIVE ME THE PEOPLE. So it is therefore stated: AND TAKE THE PROPERTY FOR YOURSELF. Abraham immediately took an oath, as stated (in vs. 22): THEN ABRAM SAID UNTO THE KING OF SODOM: I HAVE LIFTED UP MY HAND < UNTO THE LORD, GOD MOST HIGH >…. < Such a > lifting up is nothing but an oath, as stated (in Dan. 12:7): WHEN HE LIFTED UP HIS RIGHT HAND AND HIS LEFT HAND UNTO HEAVEN AND SWORE BY THE ONE WHO LIVES FOREVER.