Midrasch zu Bamidbar 11:17

19 Another interpretation (of Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men [from the elders of Israel]”: When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Gather Me seventy men,” Moses said, “How shall I manage to get [them] from all the tribes?⁴² Sifre to Numb. 11:24-26 (95). If I get five each from every tribe, they will not add up to the number seventy. There will [only] be sixty. And if we get six each from every tribe, they will add up to the number seventy-two. But if I get five from one tribe and six from another, I shall be imposing jealousy among the tribes.” What did Moses do? He took seventy-two pieces of paper and wrote “elder” on them plus two other blank pieces of paper. Then he mixed them up and put them in the urn. He said to them, “Come and take your papers.” If a paper with ‘elder’ written on it came up in [a person's] hand he knew that he had been appointed an elder, but if a blank one came up in his hand he knew that he had not been appointed. Then the officer-in-charge would say to him, “Look there is another paper there with ‘elder’ written upon it. If you had been worthy of being appointed, [a paper with ‘elder’] would have come up in your hand.” When [Moses had followed this procedure] the elders were appointed. Eldad and Medad were there, but they excluded themselves. [They said,] “We are not worthy to be in the number of the elders.” Now because they excluded themselves, they were found [to have become] superior to the elders in five respects. The elders only prophesied for the morrow as stated (in Numb. 11:18), “And you shall say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves for the morrow,’” but these men prophesied what was going to happen at the end of forty years as stated (in Numb. 11:26), “But two men had remained in the camp; [the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other was Medad…; and they were…] prophesying in the camp.” But what were they prophesying? Some say [they were prophesying] about the downfall of Gog, while others say [they were prophesying that] Moses would die and Joshua would bring Israel into the Land. You yourself know that they so prophesied, since it is what Joshua told Moses (in vs. 28), “Then Joshua ben Nun, Moses' attendant from his youth, answered.” And it is written (in vs. 27), “But a lad ran and told Moses.” And who was it? It was Moses' son, Gershom. The elders did not enter the land, but these did enter the land. Eldad is [so listed] (in Numb. 34:21) [as] Elidad ben Chislon. Medad is [so listed] (in Numb. 34:24) [as] Kemuel ben Shiphtan. The elders were not designated by their names, [but these were designated by their names]. The elders had their prophecy cease, since their prophecy was from what belonged to Moses, even as the Scripture has said (in Numb. 11:17), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them”; but these [two] had their prophecy from that which belonged to the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Numb. 11:26), “and the spirit rested upon them.” Now if you say, “Since the elders had their prophecy from what belonged to Moses, might it not have lessened his prophecy somewhat?” [The answer is] no. To what may Moses be compared? To a lamp which was lit and⁴³Sifre to Numb. 11:17 (93). everyone lights up from it; yet its light is in no way diminished. So also in the case of Moses. Although the prophets took of his prophecy, the prophecy of Moses was in no way diminished. [It is so stated] (in Deut. 34:10), “And never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.”

20 (Numb. 11:16) “Gather Me seventy men”: Did they not have elders in the past? Was it not already stated in Egypt (in Exod. 3:16), “Go and gather the elders of Israel?” So for what reason had the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men?” [It was] to teach you that when Pharaoh had said (in Exod. 1:10), “Come let us act shrewdly [...],” Pharaoh gathered all Israel, and said to them, “Please work with me as a favor today.” This is what is written (in vs. 13), “So the Egyptians made the Children of Israel labor with ruthlessness (befarekh).” What is the meaning of “with ruthlessness (befarekh)?” With gentle speech (befeh rakh).⁴⁴The midrash is interpreting Exod. 1:13 to mean, SO THE EGYPTIANS MADE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL LABOR WITH GENTLE SPEECH. So Sot. 11ab; Exod. R. 1:11. Pharaoh took a basket and trowel; who [could] see Pharaoh taking basket and trowel, and working with bricks and not [also] work? Israel immediately went quickly, and applied all their strength along with him all the day, because they were strong and mighty. When it grew dark, he posted taskmasters over them. He said to them, “Reckon the [number of] bricks.” They immediately arose and counted them. He said to them, “This many you shall produce for me each and every day.” He assigned Egyptian taskmasters over the officers of Israel, and the officers were assigned over the rest of the people. Moreover when he said to them (in Exod. 5:7), “You shall no longer give the people straw,” the taskmasters came and counted the bricks. [If] they [the bricks] were found deficient, the taskmasters beat the officers, as stated (in Exod. 5:14), “And the officers of the Children of Israel, [whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them,] were beaten….” When the officers were beaten for the rest of the people, they did not hand them over into the hands of the taskmasters, for they said, “It is better for us to be beaten than that the rest of the people falter.” Therefore when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men,” Moses said, “My Master, I do not know who is worthy and who is not worthy.” He said to him (in Numb. 11:16 cont.), “Whom you know to be elders and officers of the people.” These are the officers who had handed themselves over to be beaten on their behalf in Egypt because of the required amount of bricks. Let them come and receive this dignity. It therefore says (ibid.), “whom you know to be elders and officers of the people.” Because they handed themselves over to be beaten for the community, therefore (in Numb. 11:16 cont.), “they shall lead with you in leading the people.” This is to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He equated them with Moses. [From here] you learn that whoever hands himself over for the sake of Israel merits dignity, greatness and the holy spirit. It is therefore written (ibid.) “whom you know [to be elders and officers of the people.” From the ones of whom it is written (in Exod. 5:14), “And the officers of the Children of Israel [whom the taskmasters of Pharaoh had set over them] were beaten.”

25 (Numb. 11:17:) “Then I will come down and speak with you there”: [This verse is] to inform you that the day for appointing elders was as dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the day for the giving of Torah. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 19:11), “for on the third day the Lord will come down”; and also (in Numb. 11:17) with reference to appointing the elders, “I will come down,” is written. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and hired a guard for it. Then he gave him the payment of a guard for him to guard the orchard. After a time the guard said to him, “I cannot guard all of it myself. Rather give me others to guard it with me.” The king said to him, “I have given the entire orchard into your keeping, and I have given you all [the payment] for guarding it; but now you would say to me, ‘Go and bring others to guard it with me.’ See I am bringing others to guard with you, but observe that I am not giving them their payment from what belongs to me. Rather it is from your payment which I have given you that they are receiving their payment.” Similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, speak to Moses. When [Moses] said to Him, “I cannot [do everything] alone,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I have given you understanding and knowledge to sustain⁵⁴PRNS. Cf. Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). My children. Moreover, I did not want others, simply so that you would have strength and knowledge and so that you would stand alone in that greatness. But [now] you are the one who wants another. Be aware that they will receive [payment], not from what is Mine, but from what is yours.” It is so stated (in Numb. 11:17.), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them [...].” Nevertheless Moses did not lack anything. You should know that after forty years He said to Moses (in Numb. 27:18, 20), “Take Joshua ben Nun …. And put some of your glory upon him.” Then what is written about Joshua (in Deut. 34:9)? “Now Joshua ben Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom.” Why? (Ibid. cont.:) “Because Moses had laid his hands upon him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world [only] individuals have prophesied, but in the world to come all Israel shall become prophets.” It is so stated (in Joel 3:1), “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh so that your sons and your daughters and your elders shall prophesy, etc.”⁵⁵ Cf. Deut. R. 6:14. So did R. Tanchuma beRabbi Abba expound.

(Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me seventy man (sic)⁶³The midrash is ignoring the fact that Hebrew uses singular nouns with large numbers in order to build an interpretation on this singular usage. from the elders of Israel.”⁶⁴Numb. R. 5:23. This text is related (to Prov. 22:11), “The one who loves purity of heart has grace on his lips, has a king as his friend.” Why did He not say to him (in Numb. 11:16), “seventy men" (with "men" in the plural), instead of “seventy man.” It is simply that He said to him, “seventy man (ish) [with the singular ish indicating] singular individuals,⁶⁵I.e. singular individuals like the one described in Prov. 22:11. because they were to be like Me and you, as stated (Exod. 15:3:) “The Lord is a Man (ish) of war,” [and it is likewise] stated (Numb. 12:3), “Now the man (ish) Moses was very humble.” (Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me [seventy men from the elders of Israel].” But did you not have elders before?⁶⁶Numb. R. 15:24. Here now it is written concerning Mount Sinai (in Exod. 24:9), “Then there went up Moses […] and the seventy elders of Israel”; and this parashah (with Numb. 11:16) comes after that. So where were the[se earlier] elders? It is simply that, when Israel did those things which are stated (in Numb. 11:1), “Now the people were as murmurers […] then the fire of the Lord burned against them,” they were all destroyed by fire at that time. It is simply that their burning was like the burning of Nadab and Abihu, for they also had acted with disrespect on ascending Sinai, when they saw the Divine Presence. It is so stated (in Exod. 24:11), “they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” Was there eating and drinking there? To what is the matter comparable? To a servant who attended his master while [holding] a slice of bread in his hand and taking bites from it. Similarly had they acted with disrespect as though eating and drinking. So the elders along with Nadab and Abihu deserved to be destroyed by fire on that day; but because the giving of Torah was dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, He therefore did not want to harm them and bring calamity to them on that day. This is what is written (ibid.), “But He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) did not raise His hand against the nobles of the Children of Israel.” From this you may infer that they deserved to have a hand raised [against them]. After a time, however, they were destroyed by fire. Nadab and Abihu were destroyed by fire as they entered the tent of meeting, while the elders were destroyed by fire when they were filled with lusting, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the rabble (ha'safsuf) which was in their midst became filled with lust.” Who were the rabble (ha'safsuf)? R. Simeon ben Menasya and R. Simeon bar Abba [differed on the matter]. One said, “These were the proselytes who came up with them from Egypt and who were gathered (ne'esafim) together with them as stated (in Exod. 12:38), ‘And a mixed multitude went up with them.’” But the other said, “Rabble can only be a Sanhedrin, since it is stated (in Numb. 11:16), ‘Gather (esfah) Me seventy men.’” What [else] is written there (in Numb. 11:1)? “Then the fire of the Lord burned against them and consumed them in the outskirts (qetseh) of the camp,” [i.e.,] among the selected (muqetsim) in the camp. And where is it shown that those elders who went up onto the mountain were destroyed by fire? Where it is stated (in Ps. 106:18), “And fire broke out in their company ('edah),” since company ('edah) can only be a Sanhedrin as stated (in Numb. 15:24), “And it shall come to pass that if it was done [by mistake] away from the eyes of the congregation ('edah).”⁶⁷I.e. the leaders of the congregation. So Rashi on Numb. 15:24. It is also written (in Lev. 4:13), “And if the whole congregation ('edah) of Israel⁶⁸This expression was often interpreted as denoting the Sanhedrin. So Sifra to Lev. 4:13 (42: Wayyiqra parashah 4); R. Meir in Hor. 5a; Rashi on Lev. 4:13. should err.” And so did David say (in Ps. 78:31), “When God’s anger flared up at them, He slew their sturdiest,” these were the Sanhedrin; “struck down the chosen of Israel,” these were the chosen ones that were called elders, about whom it is written (in II Sam. 6:1), “And David still added to the chosen among Israel.” Then they wept again and demanded meat. Now you might say, “What they wanted was flesh? Did it not come about that the manna became whatever they wanted inside of their mouths, as stated (in Ps. 106:15), ‘So He gave them what they asked for...’?” And in case you should say that they did not have oxen and cattle in the desert, has it not already stated (in Exod. 12:38), “And a mixed multitude went up with them and flocks and herds.” And in case you should say they ate them in the desert, is it not written (in Numb. 32:1), “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had much livestock?” From here R. Simeon said, “It was not meat for which they lusted, since it says so (in Ps. 78:27), ‘And He rained down flesh (she'er) upon them like dust.’ Now she'er must denote illicit intercourse since it is stated (in Lev. 18:6), ‘None of you shall approach any close (she'er) relation to him.’ Ergo, it [really] says that they desired to permit illicit intercourse for themselves; and so it says (in Numb. 11:10), ‘Now Moses heard the people weeping for their families.’”⁶⁹See Yoma 75a according to which they were weeping here because of the family relations with whom they were forbidden to have intercourse. Thus when they desired such [relations] (ibid. cont.), “the Lord was very angry and it was bad in the eyes of Moses.” At that time Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, (in vs. 11), “’Why have you mistreated Your servant […]?’ In the past there was one with me who would bear the burden of Israel, but now I am alone.” Thus it is written (in vs. 14-15), “I am not able to bear [all] this people alone…. So if You are dealing like this with me, please truly kill me.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Appoint other elders instead of those elders.” It is so stated] (in vs. 16), “Gather Me seventy men.” (Numb. 11:17:) “Then I will come down and speak with you there.” [This verse is] to inform you that the day for appointing elders was as dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the day for the giving of Torah.⁷⁰Numb. R. 15:25. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 19:11), “for on the third day the Lord will come down”; and also (in Numb. 11:17) with reference to appointing the elders, “I will come down,” is written. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and hired a guard for it. Then he gave him the payment of a guard for him to guard the orchard. After a time the guard said to him, “I cannot guard all of it myself. Rather give me others to guard it with me.” The king said to him, “I have given the entire orchard into your keeping, and I have given you all the payment for guarding it; but now you would say to me, ‘Go and bring others to guard it with me.’ See I am bringing others to guard with you, but observe that I am not giving them their payment from what belongs to me. Rather it is from your payment which I have given you that they are receiving their payment.” Similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, speak to Moses. When [Moses] said to Him, “I cannot [do everything] alone,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I have given you understanding and knowledge to sustain⁷¹PRNS. Cf. Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). My children. Moreover, I did not want others, simply so that you would have strength and knowledge and so that you would stand alone in that greatness. But now you are the one who wants others. Be aware that they will receive [payment], not from what is Mine, but from what is yours.” It is so stated (in Numb. 11:17.), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them [...].” Nevertheless Moses did not lack anything. You should know that after forty years He said to Moses (in Numb. 27:18, 20), “Take Joshua ben Nun …. And put some of your glory upon him.” Then what is written about Joshua (in Deut. 34:9)? “Now Joshua ben Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom.” Why? (Ibid. cont.:) “Because Moses had laid his hands upon him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world [only] individuals have prophesied, but in the world to come all Israel shall become prophets.” It is so stated (in Joel 3:1), “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh so that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.”⁷²See also above Gen. 10:4; cf. Deut. R. 6:14. So did R. Tanchuma bar Abba expound.

(Numb. 11:17:) THEN I WILL COME DOWN AND SPEAK WITH YOU THERE. <This verse is> to inform you that the day for appointing elders was as dear to the Holy One as the day for the giving of Torah.¹⁰⁵Tanh. Numb. 3:16, cont.; Numb. R. 15:25. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 19:11): FOR ON THE THIRD DAY THE LORD WILL COME DOWN … <UPON MOUNT SINAI>; and also (in Numb. 11:17) with reference to appointing the elders, I WILL COME DOWN is written. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and hired a guard for it. Then he gave him the payment of a guard for him to guard to orchard. After a time the guard said to him: I cannot guard all of it myself. Rather give me others to guard it with me. The king said to him: I have given the entire orchard into your keeping, and I have given you all the payment for guarding it; but now you would say to me: Go and bring others to guard it with me. See I am bringing others to guard with you, but observe that I am not giving them their payment from what belongs to me. Rather it is from your payment which I have given you that they are receiving their payment. Similarly did the Holy One speak to Moses. When <Moses> said to him: I cannot <do everything> alone; the Holy One said to him: I have given you understanding and knowledge to sustain¹⁰⁶PRNS. Cf. Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). my children. Moreover, I did not want others, merely so that you would have strength and knowledge and so that you would stand alone in that greatness. But now you are the one who wants others. Be aware that they will receive <payment>, not from what is mine, but from what is yours. It is so stated (in Numb. 11:17.): AND I WILL SET ASIDE SOME OF THE SPIRIT WHICH IS UPON YOU <AND PUT IT ON THEM>. Nevertheless Moses did not lack anything. You should know that after forty years he said to Moses (in Numb. 27:18, 20): TAKE JOSHUA BEN NUN … AND PUT SOME OF YOUR GLORY UPON HIM. Then what is written about Joshua (in Deut. 34:9)? NOW JOSHUA BEN NUN WAS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM. Why? (Ibid. cont.:) BECAUSE MOSES HAD LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIM. The Holy One said: In this world individuals have prophesied, but in the world to come all Israel shall become prophets. It is so stated (in Joel 3:1 [2:28]): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS AFTERWARD THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH SO THAT YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY.¹⁰⁷See also above Gen. 10:4; cf. Deut. R. 6:14; also Acts 2:16ff.

(Bamidbar 11:17) "And I will go down" (veyaradeti): This is one of the ten "yeridoth" written in the Torah. "and I will speak with you": "with you," but not with them. "And I shall increase from the spirit which is upon you, and I will place it upon them.": What was Moses like at that time? Like a lamp placed upon a menorah, from which many lamps are lighted without the first losing any of its light. So, the wisdom of Moses was in no way diminished thereby. "and they will bear with you": What is the intent of this? Because Moses had said (Devarim 1:12) "How can I bear alone your contentiousness, your heresy, and your caviling," he was told "and they will bear with you the burden of the people, and you will not bear it alone."