Midrasch zu Joel 2:15

... Teach us oh, teacher: A court which sanctified the month, but not at Eintav with witnesses, is it sanctified? R’ Abahu said in the name of R’ Chiya the great: if a court sanctified the month without witnesses, it is sanctified, as it says “…which you shall designate in their appointed time.” (Leviticus 23:4) This means whether it is with witnesses or without. Whether witnesses saw it or not it is sanctified, as it says ‘which you shall designate.’ And why did the court intercalate a month into the calendar at Eintav? Because this was the meeting place for the court. Therefore on Rosh HaShana which fell out on Shabbat the shofar is not blown anywhere except at Eintav, in the place where the court sat and intercalated the years and months. The Holy One said: Zion is the meeting place for the whole world, as it says “…for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3) Therefore when I redeem Zion and her exiles, as it says “Zion shall be redeemed through justice and her penitent through righteousness,” (Isaiah 1:27) they will come and blow the shofar within her. From where do we learn this? From how the prophet finished his words “Sound a shofar in Zion…” (Yoel 2:15). This is how R’ Tanchuma opened in the name of the House of R’ Aba: “The fairest of branches (nof) , the joy of the entire earth- Mount Zion, by the north side, the city of a great king.” (Psalms 48:3) What does nof mean? A bride (kloninfe). Another explanation. ‘The fairest of branches’ R’ Chanina bar Pappa said: The most beautiful in her branches, like the fig whose roots are in the land, rising up with her branches going out in every direction, she is beautiful. This is why Jerusalem is called the fairest of branches, because in the future she will be so “And it became wider and it wound higher and higher…” (Ezekiel 41:7) Another explanation. ‘The fairest of branches’ R’ Berachia said: The one who is beautiful through the waving (hanafat) of her omer offering. R’ Yitzchak said: The one who is beautiful because in the future she will wave away the nations of the world. R’ Levi said: the fairest of branches (nof) because everyone beautifies her, praises her and waves (manifim) to her. “Tyre, you said, 'I am the perfection of beauty.'” (Ezekiel 27:3) but everyone praises and says ‘how beautiful’ to Jerusalem “Is this the city that was called the perfection of beauty, the joy of all the earth?” (Lamentations 2:15) Another explanation. ‘The fairest of branches’ R’ Levi said: her branches are beautiful through the circling of the altar. Another explanation. ‘The fairest of branches, the joy of the entire earth’ R’ Yochanan said: there was a dome of accounting outside of Jerusalem, and they would take their accounts to do them outside of Jerusalem under that dome outside of the city limits. Within the city they would eat, drink and be joyful. Another explanation. ‘The fairest of branches, the joy of the entire earth’ Through the dew which comes out from there and causes the grains to wave (m’nafef), gives blessing and makes all the land rejoice. ‘The fairest of branches, the joy of the entire earth’ R’ Yonatan of Bet Guvrin went into Jerusalem with merchandise in his hands and no one was around. He said: and this is the joy of the entire earth?! He hadn’t finished saying this before he sold everything that was in his hands. “…Mount Zion, by the north side…” (Psalms 48:3) And is Zion located in the north, isn’t it actually in the south? What is ‘the north side’? That her sacrifices were offered “…on the northern side of the altar…” (Leviticus 1:11) And what does “…the city of a great king…” (Psalms 48:3) mean? The city of the Great King. Another explanation. ‘The fairest of branches, the joy of the entire earth’ R’ Levi said: joy comes from Zion, “…and they shall come to Zion with song, with joy of days of yore shall be upon their heads…” (Isaiah 35:10) The blessing comes from there, “Like the dew of Hermon, that comes down upon the mountains of Zion; for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forever.” (Psalms 133:3) The Torah comes from Zion “…from out of Zion comes the Torah…” (Isaiah 2:3) Help comes to Israel out Zion, “Send forth your help from the sanctuary, and support you out of Zion.” (Psalms 20:3) Life comes from Zion, “…for there the Lord commanded the blessing, even life forever.” (Psalms 133:3) Salvation comes from Zion, as it says “Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion!” (Psalms 14:7) And the shofar blast which will bring near the redemption of Israel comes out of Zion “Blow the shofar in Zion, and sound an alarm in My holy mountain; Let all the inhabitants of the land tremble; For the day of the Lord comes, for it is at hand…” (Yoel 2:15)

Another interpretation (of 22:11): BUT < THE ANGEL OF THE LORD > CALLED UNTO HIM. Abraham said to him: Who are you? He said to him: I am an angel. Abraham said to him: When the Holy One told me to sacrifice him, he told me so himself. So now I ask that he himself tell me < to stop >. Immediately the Holy One, having opened the firmament and the lower sky, said to him (in Gen. 22:16): I BY MYSELF HAVE SWORN. Abraham said to him: So now you have sworn! But I also have sworn that I am not coming down from this altar until I say everything that I must. He said to him: Say everything that you must. Abraham said to him: Did you not tell me that what you would raise up from me would completely fill up the world, as stated (in Gen. 15:5): AND COUNT THE STARS … SO SHALL YOUR SEED BE? The Holy One said to him: Yes. He said to him: From whom? He said to him: From Isaac. He said to him: And did you not tell me that you would multiply my children like the dust, as stated (in Gen. 28:14): AND YOUR SEED SHALL BE LIKE THE DUST OF THE EARTH? The Holy One said to him: Yes. He said to him: From whom? He said to him: From Isaac. He said to him: Just as I had the right to talk back to you and did not say anything to you, O Sovereign of the World—Yesterday you said (in Gen. 21:12): FOR IN ISAAC SHALL SEED BE SUMMONED FOR YOU; but now you are saying (in Gen. 22:2): AND OFFER HIM THERE AS A BURNT OFFERING. Yet I suppressed my urge and did not talk back to you. < Just as I have acted in this way >, you also, when Isaac's children sin against you and enter into sorrow, remember on their behalf the binding of their father Isaac. Forgive them, and redeem them from their sorrows. The Holy One said to them: You have had your say; I will also have mine. The Holy One said to him: Your children are going to be sinful in my presence, < and I am going > to judge them on New Year's day. However, if they ask me to forgive them and blow a shofar before me on that day—Abraham said to him: And what is a shofar? The Holy One said to him: Do you not know? He said to him: Turn around and look. Immediately (as we read in Gen. 22:13): THEN ABRAHAM LIFTED HIS EYES [TO LOOK AND THERE WAS A RAM BEHIND HIM CAUGHT IN A THICKET ON HIS HORNS]. It says here nothing but ON HIS HORNS. He said to him: They will blow on a horn before me, and I will forgive their sins. In that hour he gave praise and thanksgiving to the Holy One; and that is how David gave praise¹⁷⁷Gk.: kalos. (in II Sam. 22:3 // Ps. 18:3 [2]): < THE LORD … MY SHIELD > AND MY HORN OF SALVATION. And it says also (in Joel 2:15): BLOW A SHOFAR IN ZION. The beginning (of the verse) concerns New Year's day. Then afterwards (ibid., cont.): SANCTIFY A FAST. This refers to the Day of Atonement, < which comes > after ten days, on which the Holy One forgives their sins. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 16:30): FOR ON THIS DAY ATONEMENT SHALL BE MADE FOR YOU…. Blessed are you, O Israel! How the Holy One has loved you! < He has done for you > what he has not done for any people or tongue, as stated (in Ps. 111:6): HE HAS DECLARED THE POWER OF HIS WORKS TO HIS PEOPLE < IN GIVING THEM THE HERITAGE OF THE NATIONS >. It is also written (in Ps. 147:19): HE DECLARES HIS WORDS TO JACOB, HIS STATUTES AND HIS ORDINANCES TO ISRAEL. And it is written (in vs. 20): HE HAS NOT DONE SO FOR ANY NATION; AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM. HALLELUJAH.

(Bamidbar 11:18) "And to the people you shall say: Hithkadshu for tomorrow": (The connotation of) "Hithkadshu" is: Prepare yourselves for calamity, as in (Jeremiah 12:3) "Hakdishem for the day of killing," (Ibid. 22:7) "Vekidashti against your destroyers." (Bamidbar, Ibid. 20) "Until a month of days": This is stated of the mediocre. They would languish in their beds for thirty days until their souls expired. Of the wicked it is written (Ibid. 33) "The flesh was yet between their teeth" — As soon as they put it between their teeth, their souls would expire. (Ibid. 20) "and it will be loathsome to you": You will repel it more than you courted it. "for you have despised the L-rd who is in your midst.": The L-rd said to them: What caused you to say such things? My having reposed My shechinah among you. For if I had removed My shechinah from you, you would not have (swelled with pride to) utter such things.