Midrasch zu Ijow 4:17

(Numb. 7:1:) “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished.” R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said,¹⁰¹Similarly Numb. R. 12:2. “Before the Tabernacle was erected, when Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the Holy One, blessed be He, gave them an intimation that when His Divine Presence would dwell among them, He would then bless them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, ‘When I come unto you, I will come loaded with blessings.’” R. Berekhyah Berabbi [also] said (citing Job 4:17), “’Shall a human be more righteous than God […]?’ When Jacob went to Pharaoh, he did not depart from him until he had blessed him. And how did he bless him? He said to him [that] the Nile¹⁰²Gk.: Neilos; Lat.: Nilus. would rise to his foot. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 47:7), ‘and Jacob blessed Pharaoh.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Also when I come unto you, I shall come loaded with blessings.’” And where did they have an intimation of [such blessings]? At Sinai, since it is stated (in Exod. 20:21), “An altar¹⁰³Of course, such an altar would naturally stand in the Tabernacle. of earth you shall make for Me… I will come unto you and bless you.” Then when He came unto them He blessed them, as stated (in Numb. 6:24), “The Lord bless you […].” When? On the day that the Tabernacle was erected. (Numb. 7:1:) “So it came to pass on the day that Moses had finished (kallot).” Kallat (which means "bride of") is [what is really] written.¹⁰⁴PRK 5:1; see especially Numb. R. 12:8, end, which greatly expands this interpretation. [Thus the passage would allude] to the day that [the] bride (kallah) entered the wedding canopy.¹⁰⁵In other words, Israel is the bride of the Holy One, and the Tabernacle, her wedding canopy.

[(Numb. 7:1:) SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT <MOSES> HAD FINISHED. R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said:]¹¹³Tanh., Numb. 2:26; similarly Numb. R. 12:2. Before the Tabernacle was erected, when Israel stood before Mount Sinai, the Holy One gave them an intimation and said to them: When I come unto you, I will come loaded with blessings. R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said (in Job 4:17): SHALL A HUMAN BE MORE RIGHTEOUS THAN GOD?…. When Jacob went to Pharaoh, he did not depart from him until he had blessed him. And how did he bless him? He said to him <that> the Nile¹¹⁴Gk.: Neilos; Lat.: Nilus. would rise to his foot. Where is is shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 47:7): AND JACOB BLESSED PHARAOH. So when I come unto you, I shall come loaded with blessings. And where did they have an intimation of <such blessings>? At Sinai, since it is stated (in Exod. 20:24): AN ALTAR¹¹⁵Of course, such an altar would naturally stand in the Tabernacle. OF EARTH YOU SHALL MAKE FOR ME … I WILL COME UNTO YOU AND BLESS YOU. Then when he came unto them he blessed them, as stated (in Numb. 6:24): <the Lord> bless you…. When? On the day that the tabernacle was erected. (Numb. 7:1:) SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED <SETTING UP THE TABERNACLE>.