Midrasch zu Divrej Hajamim I 27:78

It is written (Ps. 119, 62.) At midnight do I constantly rise to give thanks unto Thee. Did David rise at midnight? Behold! He arose at the beginning of the night, for it is said, (Ib. ib. 147.) I came before thee in the twilight of night. And how do we know that the meaning of Neshef is the beginning of night? For it is written (Pr. 7, 9.) In the Neshef, in the evening of day. R. Oshiya said: "Thus [said David], 'I never passed half a night in sleep.'" R. Zerika said: "Until midnight he slumbered like a horse, thereafter he strengthened himself [fought sleep] like a lion." R. Ashi said: "Until midnight he was engaged in the study of the Torah; after that [he spent his time] in songs and praises." And do you say Neshef means the beginning of night? Why do we find it used as the dawn of morning? For it is written (I. Sam. 30. 37.) And David smote them from the Neshef even unto the evening of the next day. Is it not meant from morning until evening? "Nay, from evening to evening." If so, then let it be written Me-haneshef Ad Haneshef or instead of Me-ha'ereb Ad Ha'ereb! [Why are the two words Neshef and Ereb, used for the same idea?] "But," says Raba, "Neshef means originally, 'The transition of anything' hence, night ends and day comes, the day ends and night comes." But how did David know the exact time at midnight? Behold! If Moses our teacher did not know it, for it is written (Ex. 11, 4.) Thus hath the Lord said, about midnight, etc. Why [does he come to say] about midnight? Should we say that he was told so by the Holy One, praised be He! Is there any possibility of God being in doubt? We must therefore explain it that Moses was told At midnight [as it really happened]; but Moses [on his own recognizance] said About midnight; consequently we infer that Moses was in doubt. And how did David know it? David had a sign [which indicated the exact time at midnight to him], for R. Chana b. Bizna said in the name of R. Simon the Pious that: a harp was hanging over David's bed and, as soon as midnight arrived, a northerly wind blew in upon the strings of the harp and caused it to play. Thereupon, David arose and studied the Torah until dawn. At dawn the sages of Israel visited David and said to him: "Our Lord, O King! Israel, thy people need a living!" "Go and support yourselves by dealing with one another," replied David. "But," said they, "a handful does not satisfy the lion nor can a pit be filled with its own earth! [i. e., a community cannot live on its own resources]." Whereupon David said to them: "Go ye and stretch your hands out as a band [of warriors]. Immediately they held counsel with Achi'tophel and took advice from the Sanhedrin and inquired of the Urim and Tummim. R. Joseph said: "What is the passage [that refers to this]? It is written (I Chr.27, 34.) And after Achi'tophel (came) Joho'yada, the son. of Bena'yahu, and Ebya'thar, and the captain of the king's army was Joab, i.e., 'Achi'tophel' is the adviser; as it is said (II Sam. 16, 23.) And the council of Achi'tophel, which he counseled in those (Fol. 4a) days was as if a man had asked advice of the word of God: 'Jehoyada the son of Bena'yahu,' refers to the Sanhedrin; 'Ebyathar' refers to the Urim and Tummim; as the passage said (Ib. 20, 23.) And Bena'yahu, the son of Jeho'yada was over the Kareithi and Peleithi. But why are the Sanhedrin called 'Kareithi?' Because they cut their words clearly; and 'Peleithi?' Because their acts were wonderful [predestined]. And why was the name Urim given to the stones? Because they enlightened their words; 'Tummim?' Because they finished their words.' And after this, they applied to Joab, the king's captain." R. Isaac b. Ada said: "What biblical passage relates to this? [That the harp was hanging over David's bed.] Awake! my spirit, awake! my psaltry and harp; I will wake up the morning dawn! (Ps. 57, 9)." R. Zera said: "Moses, our teacher, knew very well [the exact time at midnight] and so did David; the harp was used not to tell him the time at midnight, but to awaken him from sleep. The reason for Moses' statement About midnight is that he feared lest the astrologers of Pharaoh might err in the time and would afterwards say that Moses lied; as the master has said, Use thy tongue to say, I do not know lest you be found mistaken and deceived!' " R. Ashi said: "The time when Moses spoke was midnight (between the thirteenth and the fourteenth day of Nisan) and thus he said to Pharaoh: 'The Holy One, praised be He! said, 'To-morrow, at this time, will I go out in the midst of Egypt.'"

...It is written (Ps. 119:62) At midnight do I constantly rise to give thanks unto Thee. Did David rise at midnight? Behold! He arose at the beginning of the night, for it is said, (Ib. ib. 147.) I came before thee in the twilight of night. And how do we know that the meaning of Neshef is the beginning of night? For it is written (Pr. 7, 9.) In the Neshef, in the evening of day. R. Oshiya said: "Thus [said David], 'I never passed half a night in sleep.'" R. Zerika said: "Until midnight he slumbered like a horse, thereafter he strengthened himself [fought sleep] like a lion." R. Ashi said: "Until midnight he was engaged in the study of the Torah ; after that [he spent his time] in songs and praises." And do you say Neshef means the beginning of night? Why do we find it used as the dawn of morning? For it is written (I. Sam. 30. 37.) And David smote them from the Neshef even unto the evening of the next day. Is it not meant from morning until evening? "Nay, from evening to evening." If so, then let it be written Me-haneshef Ad Haneshef or instead of Me-ha'ereb Ad Ha'ereb! [Why are the two words Neshef and Ereb, used for the same idea?] "But," says Raba, "Neshef means originally, 'The transition of anything' hence, night ends and day comes, the day ends and night comes." But how did David know the exact time at midnight? Behold! If Moses our teacher did not know it, for it is written (Ex. 11:4) Thus hath the Lord said, about midnight, etc. Why [does he come to say] about midnight? Should we say that he was told so by the Holy One, praised be He! Is there any possibility of God being in doubt? We must therefore explain it that Moses was told At midnight [as it really happened] ; but Moses [on his own recognizance] said About midnight; consequently we infer that Moses was in doubt. And how did David know it? David had a sign [which indicated the exact time at midnight to him], for R. Chana b. Bizna said in the name of R. Simon the Pious that: a harp was hanging over David's bed and, as soon as midnight arrived, a northerly wind blew in upon the strings of the harp and caused it to play. Thereupon, David arose and studied the Torah until dawn. At dawn the sages of Israel visited David and said to him : "Our Lord, O King! Israel, thy people need a living!" "Go and support yourselves by dealing with one another," replied David. "But," said they, "a handful does not satisfy the lion nor can a pit be filled with its own earth! [i. e., a community cannot live on its own resources]." Whereupon David said to them : "Go ye and stretch your hands out as a band [of warriors]. Immediately they held counsel with Achi'tophel and took advice from the Sanhedrin and inquired of the Urim and Tummim. R. Joseph said: "What is the passage [that refers to this]? It is written (I Chr.27, 34.) And after Achi'tophel (came) Joho'yada, the son. of Bena'yahu, and Ebya'thar, and the captain of the king's army was Joab, i.e., 'Achi'tophel' is the adviser; as it is said (II Sam. 16:23) And the council of Achi'tophel, which he counseled in those (Fol. 4a) days was as if a man had asked advice of the word of God : 'Jehoyada the son of Bena'yahu,' refers to the Sanhedrin; 'Ebyathar' refers to the Urim and Tummim ; as the passage said (Ib. 20, 23.) And Bena'yahu, the son of Jeho'yada was over the Kareithi and Peleithi. But why are the Sanhedrin called 'Kareithi ?' Because they cut their words clearly; and 'Peleithi?' Because their acts were wonderful [predestined]. And why was the name Urim given to the stones? Because they enlightened their words ; 'Tummim?' Because they finished their words.' And after this, they applied to Joab, the king's captain." R. Isaac b. Ada said : "What biblical passage relates to this? [That the harp was hanging over David's bed.] Awake! my spirit, awake! my psaltry and harp; I will wake up the morning dawn! (Ps. 57:9)." R. Zera said : "Moses, our teacher, knew very well [the exact time at midnight] and so did David; the harp was used not to tell him the time at midnight, but to awaken him from sleep. The reason for Moses' statement About midnight is that he feared lest the astrologers of Pharaoh might err in the time and would afterwards say that Moses lied ; as the master has said, Use thy tongue to say, I do not know lest you be found mistaken and deceived !' " R. Ashi said: "The time when Moses spoke was midnight (between the thirteenth and the fourteenth day of Nisan) and thus he said to Pharaoh: 'The Holy One, praised be He ! said, 'To-morrow, at this time, will I go out in the midst of Egypt.'"...

Forthwith the Holy One, blessed be He, took counsel with the Torah whose name is Tushijah (Stability or Wisdom) with reference to the creation of the world. (The Torah) replied and said to Him: Sovereign of the worlds ! if there be no host for the king and if there be no camp for the king, over whom does he rule? If there be no people to praise the king, where is the honour of the king? The Holy One, blessed be He, heard this and it pleased Him. The Torah spake: The Holy One, blessed be He, took counsel with me concerning the creation of the world, as it is said, "Counsel is mine, and sound knowledge; I am understanding; I have might" (Prov. 8:14). Hence they say, Every government which has no counsellors is not a proper government. Whence do we know this? From the government of the House of David which employed counsellors, as it is said, "And Jonathan David's uncle was a counsellor, a man of understanding, and a scribe" (1 Chron. 27:32). If the government of the House of David had counsellors, how much more so should other people act likewise. This is of benefit to them, as it is said, "But he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise" (Prov. 12:15), || and (Scripture) says, "But in the multitude of counsellors there is safety" (Prov. 11:14).

A certain Cuthean (i.e., a Samaritan) came and questioned R. Meir. He said to him: Do you not say that indeed your ancestor Jacob is truthful, since it is written (in Micah 7:20): YOU GIVE TRUTHFULNESS TO JACOB …? <The Cuthean> said to him: He separated out the tribe of Levi <as a tithe> for the tribes, <i.e.,> one out of ten. Should he not have separated out <a tithe> from two more <tribes>? He said to him: You have said that there were twelve, but I say that there were fourteen, as stated (in Gen. 48:5): EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH SHALL BE MINE LIKE REUBEN AND SIMEON. He said to him: So here there is support for it. You have added standing grain. Have you added water? He said to him: Do you not admit that there are four matriarchs? [Take away from them the four firstborn (of Jacob's four wives),] since the firstborn is not tithed. Why? Because he is holy, and something holy does not redeem for use something <else that is> holy. He said to him: It is good for your people that you are among them. (Prov. 6:20:) AND DO NOT FORSAKE THE TORAH OF YOUR MOTHER (immekha), <i.e.,> your people (ummatekha). That is what David said (in Ps. 40:9 [8]): TO CARRY OUT YOUR WILL, MY GOD, IS MY DESIRE, <FOR YOUR TORAH IS WITHIN MY BELLY>. R. Aha [bar Ulla] said: Is there Torah within the belly? And is it not so written (in Jer. 31:33): AND UPON THEIR HEART (not their belly) I WILL WRITE IT? It is simply that David said: May a curse come upon me, if something goes down into my belly, except when it is tithed. This is what is written (in I Chron. 27:25): AND OVER THE TREASURIES OF THE KING WAS AZMAVETH BEN {AZRIEL} [ADIEL]. AND OVER THE TREASURIES IN THE COUNTRY, {IN THE VINEYARDS, IN THE MOUNTAINS,} [IN THE CITIES, IN THE VILLAGES,] AND IN THE TOWERS WAS {JOHANAN} [JONATHAN] BEN UZZIAH.³²In other words, David was concerned enough about tithes to appoint overseers. For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22): YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE.

Another explanation (of Deut. 14:22), “You shall tithe, tithe.” This is related to the verse (in Is. 24:5), “And the earth was distorted under its inhabitants, because they transgressed Torahs;¹⁷Torot. Such a literal translation is required by the midrash. In the biblical context the word denotes something more general, such as teachings. they violated a statute; [they broke an eternal covenant].” R. Isaac said, “You have already been false to it, and [so] it is distorted for you. It [may] show you standing grain, but it does not show you a shock of sheaves. It [may] show you [a shock of sheaves, but it does not show you a threshing floor]. It [may] show you a threshing floor, but it does not show you a winnowed heap. Why [not]? (Ibid.:) ‘Because they transgressed Torahs; they violated statutes,’ in that they did transgress two Torahs, the written Torah and the oral Torah; (ibid.) ‘they violated a statute,’ the statute of tithes; (ibid.) ‘they broke an eternal covenant,’ an ancestral covenant.” For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22), “You shall surely tithe.” (Prov. 6:20:) “My child, keep your father's commandments, [and do not forsake the Torah of your mother].” R. Huna said, “Our earliest ancestors separated out terumot and tithes.” Abraham separated out the great terumah, as stated (in Gen. 14:22), “[Then Abram said unto the king of Sodom,] ‘I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, God most high.’” A lifting up is nothing but a terumah (rt.: rwm), as you say (in Numb. 18:26), “[Now you shall speak unto the Levites and say unto them, ‘When you receive tithes from the Children of Israel, the tithe that I have given you as your portion,] you shall lift (rt.: rwm) out of it a terumah of the Lord, [a tithe from the tithe].’” Isaac separated out the second tithe, as stated (in Gen. 26:12), “So Isaac sowed on that land and reaped in that year a hundredfold, [for the Lord had blessed him]”; R. Eiba bar Kahana said, “Is it not true that a blessing does not rest on what is measured, on what is weighed, or on what is counted? So why did he measure them? In order to tithe them. This is what is written (ibid.), ‘for the Lord had blessed him.’”¹⁸See Deut. 14:24, which mentions a blessing in the context of the second tithe; therefore, perhaps the blessing of Gen. 26:12 would have been the result of Isaac’s second tithe. Jacob separated out the first tithe, as stated (in Gen. 28:22), “and of all that You give me, I will surely set aside a tithe for You.” A certain Cuthean (i.e., a Samaritan) came and questioned R. Meir. He said to him, “Do you not say that indeed your ancestor Jacob is truthful?” He said [back] to him, “Yes, as it is written (in Micah 7:20), ‘You give truthfulness to Jacob.’” [The Cuthean] said to him, “He separated out the tribe of Levi [as a tithe] for the tribes, [i.e.,] one out of ten. Should he not have separated out [a tithe] from two more [tribes]?” R. Meir said to him, “You have said that there were twelve, but I say that there were fourteen, as stated (in Gen. 48:5), ‘Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine like Reuben and Simeon.’” He said to him, “So here you are supporting me. You have added flour. Have you added water?” He said to him, “Do you not admit that there are four matriarchs that had four first-borns? Take away from [the fourteen] the four firstborn (of Jacob's four wives), since the firstborn is not tithed. Why? Because he is holy, and something holy does not redeem for use something [else that is] holy.” He said to him, ‘It is good for your people that you are among them.” Hence it is written (Prov. 6:20), “and do not forsake the Torah of your mother (immekha),” [i.e.,] your people (ummatekha). That is what David said (in Ps. 40:9), “To carry out Your will, my God, is my desire, [for Your Torah is within my belly].” R. Aha bar Ulla said, “Is there Torah within the belly? And is it not so written (in Jer. 31:33), ‘and upon their heart (not their belly) I will write it?’ It is simply that David said, ‘May [a curse] come upon me, if something goes down into my belly, except when it is tithed.’ This is what is written (in I Chron. 27:25), ‘And over the treasuries of the king was Azmaveth ben Adiel; and over the treasuries in the country in the cities, in the villages, and in the towers was Jonathan ben Uzziah.’”¹⁹In other words, David was concerned enough about tithes to appoint overseers. For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22), “You shall surely tithe.”

(Gen. 20:1:) THEN ABRAHAM JOURNEYED FROM THERE. It is written (in Prov. 27:10): < DO NOT FORSAKE > YOUR FRIEND AND YOUR FATHER'S FRIEND … < A CLOSE NEIGHBOR IS BETTER THAN A DISTANT BROTHER >. This < verse refers to > Hanun ben Nahash, king of the children of Ammon, as mentioned (in II Sam. 10:1f.): AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THAT THAT {NAHASH} THE KING OF THE CHILDREN OF AMMON, DIED; < AND HIS SON HANUN REIGNED IN HIS STEAD. > THEN DAVID SAID: I WILL DEAL FAITHFULLY WITH HANUN BEN NAHASH. R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Eleazar ben Pedat: And how did Nahash deal faithfully with David, since he had said (ibid., cont.), AS HIS FATHER DEALT FAITHFULLY WITH ME? Simply < like this >: When David fled from Saul, David and all his father's house went to Moab. He said to them: Receive my father, as stated (in I Sam. 22:4): SO HE BROUGHT < HIS PARENTS > BEFORE THE KING OF MOAB. (I Sam. 22:3:) AND HE SAID [UNTO THE KING OF MOAB]: PLEASE LET MY FATHER AND MY MOTHER {DWELL} [GO AWAY] < WITH YOU >. So he received them. When David went away, the king of Moab arose and killed the father, mother, and brothers of David. Only one of them survived, as < only one > is mentioned < in David's census > (in I Chron. 27:18): BELONGING TO JUDAH < THERE WAS > ELIHU, ONE OF DAVID'S BROTHERS. R.Levi bar Halafta the Priest said that only one of them survived. And how was Elihu saved? He simply fled from the king of Moab and came to Nahash, king of Ammon, who received him. The king of Moab sent and said to Nahash: Did, perhaps, one of David's brothers come to you? He said to him: No; and he kept him until David came. For that reason David said (in II Sam. 10:2): I WILL DEAL FAITHFULLY WITH HANUN BEN NAHASH. When David's representatives⁹⁹The word here is sheluah, the Hebrew equivalent of “apostle.” came to Hanun, the princes of the children of Ammon said to him (in I Sam. 10:3): What is this? DO YOU THINK THAT DAVID IS HONORING YOUR FATHER < JUST > BECAUSE DAVID SENT COMFORTERS TO YOU? Do not trust David. Why? Because the Holy One has warned him about us. It is written {for him} in his Law (in Deut. 23:4): NO AMMONITE OR MOABITE SHALL COME INTO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE LORD. It is also written (in Deut. 23:7): YOU SHALL NOT SEEK THEIR WELFARE AND BENEFIT. Thus the Holy One has warned him. So will he despise the words of his God, and say (in II Sam. 10:2): I WILL DEAL FAITHFULLY WITH HANUN BEN NAHASH? (Ibid., vs. 3:) IS IT NOT IN ORDER TO INVESTIGATE THE CITY? Immediately (in vs. 4) HANUN TOOK THE SERVANTS OF DAVID AND SHAVED OFF < HALF OF THEIR BEARDS >…. The Holy Spirit cries out (in Prov. 27:10): < DO NOT FORSAKE > YOUR FRIEND AND YOUR FATHER'S FRIEND…. And so it was with Jehoram ben Jehoshaphat. When he became king, he killed all his brothers, as stated (in II Chron. 21:4): WHEN JEHORAM HAD RISEN UP OVER THE KINGDOM OF HIS FATHER, HE CONSOLIDATED HIS POWER AND KILLED ALL HIS BROTHERS {AND HIS FATHER'S HOUSE}.