Midrasch zu Bamidbar 2:3

R. Jacob the son of Issi asked: Why does it say; I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth? Because the Tabernacle is equal to the creation of the world itself. How is that so? Concerning the first day, it is written: In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth (Gen. 1:1), and it is written elsewhere: Who stretched out the heavens like a curtain (Ps. 104:2), and concerning the Tabernacle it is written: And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair (Exod. 26:7). About the second day of creation it states: Let there be a firmament and divide between them, and let it divide the waters from the waters (Gen. 1:6). About the Tabernacle it is written: And the veil shall divide between you (Exod. 26:33). With regard to the third day it states: Let the waters under the heavens be gathered (Gen. 1:9). With reference to the Tabernacle it is written: Thou shalt also make a laver of brass … and thou shalt put water therein (Exod. 30:18). On the fourth day he created light, as is stated: Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven (Gen. 1:14), and concerning the Tabernacle it is said: And thou shalt make a candlestick of pure gold (Exod. 25:31). On the fifth day He created birds, as it is said: Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let the fowl fly above the earth (Gen. 1:20), and with reference to the Tabernacle. He directed them to offer sacrifices of lambs and birds, and it says as well: And the cherubim shall spread out their wings on high (Exod. 25:20). On the sixth day he created man, as it is said: And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him (Gen. 1:27), and about the Tabernacle it is written: A man who is a high priest who has been anointed to serve and to minister before God.³You write that this is not a direct quote from the Bible. On the seventh day The heaven and the earth were finished (Gen. 2:1), and with regard to the Tabernacle it is written: Thus was completed all the work of the Tabernacle (Exod. 39:32). Concerning the creation of the world it is written: And God blessed (Num. 2:3), and of the Tabernacle it is said: And Moses blessed them (Exod. 39:43); with regard to the creation it is said: And God finished (Gen. 2:2), and of the Tabernacle it is written: On that day Moses made an end (Num. 7:1); of creation it says: And hallowed it (Gen. 2:2), and of the Tabernacle: And had anointed it and sanctified it (Num. 7:1). Why is the Tabernacle equal to heaven and earth? Because even as heaven and earth bear witness concerning Israel, as it is written: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day (Deut. 30:19), so the Tabernacle bears witness in behalf of Israel, as is said: These are the accounts of the Tabernacle, even the Tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). Hence it is said: Lord, I love the habitation of Thy house, and the place where Thy glory dwelleth (Ps. 26:8).

(Numb. 2:2:) EACH WITH HIS STANDARD, UNDER THE BANNERS. This text is related (to Deut. 32:10): HE FOUND HIM (i.e., Jacob) IN A DESERT LAND. <It was> a great find, <when> the Holy One found Israel.⁸⁷Tanh., Numb. 1:13; Numb. R. 2:6. <He was> like a person who, when traveling in the desert, finds grapes there. So did the Holy One find Israel, as stated (in Hos. 9:10): [I FOUND ISRAEL] LIKE GRAPES IN THE DESERT. It is therefore stated (in Deut. 32:10): HE FOUND HIM IN A DESERT LAND. The world was a desert, before Israel came forth from Egypt. (Ibid., cont.:) AND IN THE VOID WAS A WAILING DESOLATION. The world was void and wailing, before Israel received the Torah. {He did nothing, but when] [When] Israel came forth from Egypt and received the Torah, <the Holy One> enlightened the world, as stated (in Prov. 6:23): FOR THE COMMANDMENT IS A LAMP, AND TORAH IS A LIGHT. [(Deut. 32:10, cont.:) HE ENCIRCLED HIM, HE WATCHED OVER HIM, AND HE PROTECTED HIM AS THE PUPIL OF HIS EYE.] What is the meaning of HE ENCIRCLED HIM? That he encompassed them with clouds of glory. HE WATCHED OVER (rt.: BYN) HIM in that he taught (rt.: BYN) them the words of Torah. HE PROTECTED HIM. Blessed are the ears that have heard. To what extent did he cherish them? To what extent did he keep them? To what extent did he protect them? As much, as it were, as the pupil of his eye. See how he cherished them, kept them, and protected them. It is as the Holy One said to Moses: Tell them to make a tabernacle, and I will dwell among them. [I am, as it were, leaving the heavenly beings and coming down to dwell among them.] And not only that, but I will make them standards for my name. Why? Because they are my children, as stated (in Deut. 14:1): YOU ARE CHILDREN OF THE LORD YOUR GOD. Also they are my hosts, as stated (in Exod. 7:4): AND I WILL BRING FORTH MY HOSTS, [MY PEOPLE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL,] FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT. And so it says (in Numb. 2:3): {YOU SHALL RECKON} THE STANDARD OF THE CAMP OF JUDAH BY THEIR HOSTS. Therefore, he made those standards for my name, as stated (in Numb. 2:2): EACH WITH HIS STANDARD,….

5 (Numb. 16:1) “[Korah who is] the son of Izhar [who is] the son of Kohath [who is] the son of Levi betook himself”: But why is it not written "the son of Jacob" [or] "the son of Israel?"¹³ Cf.Gen. R. 98:5. This text is related (to Gen. 49:6), “Let not my soul come into their council,” i.e., that of the spies; “and let not my glory be joined with their congregation,” i.e., that of Korah. Jacob said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, with reference to the spies and with reference to the dissension of Korah, let not my name be mentioned [in connection with] those evil men, who are going to cause provocation. So when should my name (Israel) be joined upon them? When they are joined together to stand on the dais (as Levitical singers), as stated (I Chron. 6:[17,] 22–23) ‘[These are the ones whom David put in charge of song in the house of the Lord….] The son of Assir [who is] the son of Ebiasaph [who is] the son of Korah [who is] the son of Izhar [who is] the son of Kohath [who is] the son of Levi [who is] the son of Israel.’” (Numb. 16:1, cont.) “Along with Dathan and Abiram”: From here the sages said, “Woe to the wicked one, [and] woe to his neighbor.”¹⁴See Neg. 12:6; Sifra to Lev.14:40 (157: Metsora‘, pereq 4); ARN, A, 9; cf. ARN, B, 16; Numb.R. 3:12; Suk. 56b; above, Numb.1:13. Dathan and Abiram [were destroyed by the dissent of Korah], because they were neighbors of Korah. As he was dwelling to the south (of the tabernacle), as stated (in Numb. 3:29), “The families of the Children of Kohath were to camp along the side of the tabernacle to the south.” The standard of Reuben was near them, as stated (in Numb. 2:10), “The standard of the camp of Reuben shall be to the south.” However, the standard of Judah was in the east, and with him were Issachar and Zebulun, as stated (in Numb. 2:3), “Now these camping in front to the east shall be the standard of the camp of Judah.” And near them were Moses and Aaron, as written (in Numb. 3:38), “Those who camped before the tabernacle, in front before the tent of meeting to the east, were Moses, Aaron, and his children.” Because these were near the Torah, they were therefore worthy to be Torah scholars, as written (in Ps. 60:9), “Judah is my lawgiver.”¹⁵Mehoqeq. Most translations render the word as scepter, since kingship was what Judah actually attained. And it is [also] written (in I Chron. 12:33), “And from the Children of Issachar, those who had an understanding of the times.” And it is [also] written (in Jud. 5:14), “and from Zebulon those who wield the scribal pen.” But Dathan and Abiram, who were neighbors to Korah – the one responsible for the dissent – were struck with him and perished from the world.