Midrasch zu Bamidbar 3:13

Speak unto the children of Israel, that they take for Me an offering (ibid., v. 2). Each time the Holy One, blessed be He, says for Me in the Torah, both this world and the world-to-come are included. For example, For the land shall not be sold in perpetuity, for the land is for Me (Lev. 25:23). Here and in the time-to-come. For all the firstborn are for Me (Num. 3:13); that is in this world and in the time-to-come. The Levites are for Me (ibid. 8:14); in this world and in the time-to-come. Israel, as it is written: And ye shall be for Me a kingdom of priests (Exod. 19:6); in this world and the world-to-come. Hence, That they take for Me an offering alludes to the present and the time-to-come.

5. R. Shimon Ben Yochai taught: Moses could not have known the exact moment, nor the approximate minute, nor the general time at night. This is why he said “About midnight.” (Ex 11:4) However, the Kadosh Baruch Hu knew the exact moment, and the approximate minute, and the general time at night. That is why God entered [without being early or late] by a hair's breadth. So who was it that divided [the hours of the night]? R. Benjamin bar Jafet in the name of R. Yohanan, the night divided itself. Our Rabbis say that the Creator divided it. Here it says, “And it came to pass at midnight” (Ex 12:29) and elsewhere it says, “And he divided the night against them.” (Gen 14:15) Rabbi Tanchuma said: Your father set out with Me at midnight, and I will set out with his children and midnight. The Rabbis said: the Kadosh Baruch Hu said, “your father set out with Me from last night until midnight, and I will set out with his children from midnight until the morning.” R. Yonatan said: The angel guarding over Egypt cannot fall except during the day. What is the reasoning? [From the verse] At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall cease in her; [as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.](Ez 30:18) [Elsewhere it also] says, In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language [of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called the city of destruction. ] (Is 19:18) Which five cities are these? R. Hilkiah said in the name of R. Simon: Noa, Noph, Tehaphnehes, the City of Destruction, and the City of the Sun; Noa is Alexandria, Noph is Memphis, Tehaphnehes is Hophnias, the City of Destruction is Sharakani, and the City of the Sun is Heliopolis. R. Yohanan ben Zakkai said: We have found both night and day referred to as “day,” as it is written: And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Gen 1:5) R. Joshua bar R. Nechamah understood [the same claim] from this: Even the darkness is not too dark for Thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness is even as the light.(Ps 139:12) Darkness is [the same as] lightness to Me, and [only] human beings consider it night. This is what is meant [by saying] it was on the day that the firstborn of Egypt died [although it was midnight]. This is how [it happened]: They were afflicted with the deadly curse in evening time, then their bodies shook all night, and then they died in the day time. What is the reasoning? [Because] It is not written “All of us have all died,” but rather “All of us are dying ” (Ex 12:33) Then they went and died . As it is written: On the day that I struck down all the first-born [of the Land of Egypt] (Num 3:13), and further on it says, on the day that I sanctified all the firstborn to Me (paraphrase of Num 8:17 ). On this basis one may conclude that it was on the very same day that the firstborn of Egypt died, which [God said], “on this day I have sanctified to me the firstborn [of the Israelites].”

(Exod. 29:1:) AND THIS IS THE THING WHICH YOU SHALL DO TO THEM. To them you shall do it and not to others.⁴³Tanh., Exod. 8:13. He began to teach them how they would keep <themselves> in a state of purity and eat the sacrifices, how they would immerse and eat the priestly share. (Ibid., cont.:) TO SANCTIFY THEM FOR SERVING ME (li) AS PRIESTS. R. Mani said in the name of R. Eliezer: Wherever TO ME (li) is stated, <it means> "forever and forevermore."⁴⁴Cf. above, Exod. 7:3; below, Numb. 3:20; Tanh., Exod. 7:3. The first-born < remains > forever, since it is stated (in Numb. 3:13 = 8:17): FOR ALL THE FIRST-BORN ARE MINE (li). Silver and gold <remain> forever, since it is stated (in Hag. 2:8): THE SILVER IS MINE (li), AND THE GOLD IS MINE (li). The kingship <remains> forever, since it is stated (in I Sam. 16:1): FOR I HAVE CHOSEN A KING FOR MYSELF (li) AMONG HIS (Jesse's) SONS. The land <remains> forever, since it is stated (in Lev. 25:23): FOR THE LAND BELONGS TO ME (li). Israel <remains> forever, since it is stated (in Lev. 25:55): FOR TO ME (li) THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL <ARE SERVANTS>. The Levites <remain> forever, since it is stated (Numb. 3:12): AND THE LEVITES SHALL BE MINE (li). The priesthood <remains> forever, since it is stated (Exod. 29:1): FOR SERVING ME (li) AS PRIESTS.

17 Thus has R. Tanhuma bar Abba interpreted. (Numb. 11:16) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Gather Me seventy men from the elders of Israel….” A legal teaching: Within how many cubits is one obligated to stand up in the presence of an elder? Thus have our masters taught: Within four cubits one is obligated to stand up in the presence of an elder.²⁹Qid 33b; cf also yBik. 3:3 (65c). Thus it is stated (in Lev. 19:32), “You shall rise in the presence of³⁰To be in one’s presence is to be within four cubits. a gray head [...].” One also asks after his welfare [when] within four cubits. And about which honor did the Torah say (ibid. cont.), “you shall honor the presence of an elder?” That one should not stand in his place or sit in his place or contradict his words. Also when one asks [about] a law (halakhah), one should ask with reverence and not rush to respond or interrupt his words. Whoever does not behave toward his teacher (rav) according to all these rules is labeled a wicked person before the Omnipresent, his learning is forgotten, his years are shortened, and in the end he comes to poverty, as stated (in Eccl. 8:13), “It shall not go well with the wicked one, nor shall he prolong his days; [they are] like a shadow, because he is not in fear before God.” In regard to this fear I do not know [exactly] what it is; [but] when it says (in Lev. 19:32), “You shall rise in the presence of a gray head, [you shall honor the presence of an elder,] and you shall fear your God,” note that it is [really] saying, this is the fear of [students toward] sages.³¹Since GRAY HEAD and ELDER are understood to refer to the sages. [But I might say that this is a fear of] usury and of [false] weights, as fear is stated about them [also].³²In Lev. 25:36; 19:36. So why say that it refers to a sage? It is simply that R. Elazar has said, “It is stated here, ‘[you shall honor] the presence (pny) of the elder, and you shall fear your God’; while it is stated in the other passage (in Eccl. 8:13), ‘he is not in fear before (pny) God.’” Hence, one is obligated to greet him before everyone when entering and leaving and to treat him with fear and honor. It is so stated (in Deut. 6:13), “You shall fear (et)³³This word generally denotes that what follows is a direct object but at times the word means “along with.” In this latter sense the et implies that one should honor someone along with the Lord your God. For an example of et indicating further inclusions, see Tanh. (Buber) Gen. 1:8. the Lord your God.” And we have learned, “[The et must refer] to [fear of] the master scholars of Torah since you have no other trait like it.” And so it says (in Deut. 1:15), “[So I took the heads of your tribes, wise and well-known people,] and appointed them heads over you.” From here you learn that you should treat him in a princely manner, [i.e.,] stand in his presence, and give him precedence in every matter of dignity. R. Abba bar Pappa the Priest said, “When I would see a certain group of people, I would walk by another route so as not to be a bother for them, lest they see me and stand for me. [However] when I told of the matter to R. Jose ben R. Zevida, he said to me, ‘You must pass before them, so that they will see you and stand in your presence. Then you will bring them to the point of fearing Heaven, as stated (in Lev. 19:32), “You shall rise in the presence of a gray head, [you shall honor the presence of an elder,] and you shall fear your God.”’” Why? Because the rise of the righteous is a rise in which there is no decline. But the rise of Esau³⁴Esau stands for any Roman. the wicked is a rise which is wholly decline. Today he is a governor;³⁵Gk.: eparchos. tomorrow an assistant [governor]; the next day a captain.³⁶Gk.: stratiotes (“citizen soldier”). And thus it is with all their great ones. So also the prophet says (in Obad. 1:4), “Though you make your abode as high as the eagle, [and though your nest is set among the stars, I will bring you down from there].” The rise of Jacob, however, is a rise which has no decline, and their holiness is never desecrated. And so you find that the elders are one of thirteen things which are written down [as belonging] to the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. These [thirteen] are the following: (1) The silver and gold, (2) the priests, (3) the Levites, (4) Israel, (5) the first-born, (6) the altar, (7) the priestly share, (8) the oil for anointing, (9) the tent of meeting, (10) the Davidic dynasty, (11) the offerings, (12) the Land of Israel, and (13) the elders. Where is it shown in reference to silver and gold? As stated (in Hag. 2:8), “The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine.” Where is it shown in reference to the priests? As stated (in Exod. 29:1), “to sanctify them for serving Me as priests.” Where is it shown in reference to the Levites? As stated (in Numb. 3:12), “and the Levites shall be Mine.” Where is it shown in reference to Israel? As stated (in Lev. 25:55), “For to Me the Children of Israel [are servants].” Where is it shown in reference to the first-born? As stated (in Numb. 3:13 = 8:17), “For all the first-born are Mine.” Where is it shown in reference to the altar? As stated (in Exod. 20:21), “An altar of earth you shall make for Me.” Where is it shown in reference to the priestly share? As stated (in Exod. 25:2), “And let them take for Me a priestly share.” Where is it shown in reference to the oil for anointing? As stated (in Exod. 30:31), “This oil for anointing shall be holy to Me.” Where is it shown in reference to the tent of meeting? As stated (in Exod. 25:8), “And let them make Me a sanctuary.” Where is it shown in reference to offerings? As stated (in Numb. 28:2), “My offering, My bread for My fire offering.”⁴⁰Note that this reference to offerings and the following reference to the Davidic dynasty are reversed in order from the list given above. Where is it shown in reference to the Davidic dynasty? As stated (in I Sam. 16:1), “for I have chosen a king for Myself among his (i.e. Jesse's) sons.” Where is it shown in reference to the Land [of Israel]? As stated (in Lev. 25:23), “for the land belongs to Me.” Where is it shown in reference to the elders? As stated (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men [from the elders of Israel].”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male.” This text is related (to Cant. 6:8-9), “There are sixty queens, eighty concubines, and maidens without number; [but only] One is My dove, My perfect one….” [The matter] is comparable to a certain merchant,¹⁰²Gk.: pragmateutes (“business representative”). who had glass beads,¹⁰³Numb. R. 4:2. which he would bring to market; but he paid no attention to their number (minyan), because he had brought them out without counting (minyan) [them]. So when he came in to put them away, he put them away without counting. Because they were [made] of glass, he did not pay attention to them. However, he had a certain string¹⁰⁴Lat.: linea. of fine pearls;¹⁰⁵Gk. margelis. and this he would take and bring out with a count, then put away with a count. Similarly, as it were, the Holy One, blessed be He, said [in regard] to the nations of the world, “I have not given them a count, because none of them is important to me, as stated (in Is. 40:17), ‘All the nations are as nothing before Him; they are considered by Him as less than nothing and void.’ But as for you, you are My children, [as stated (in Is. 46:3)], ‘the ones who have been borne by Me from birth, carried from the womb.’ I therefore count you on every occasion.” It is therefore stated (in Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male.” Ergo (in Cant. 6:8-9), “There are sixty queens […]; [but only] One is My dove, My perfect one….” This is Israel. Another interpretation (of Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Because of the love for Israel I have altered the [natural] order of the world.¹⁰⁶Numb. R. 4:5. How? I had written in My Torah that an ass should be redeemed with a lamb, as stated (in Exod. 34:20), “But the firstling of an ass you shall redeem with a lamb (seh) ….” But I did not do so. Instead I redeemed a lamb (seh) with an ass. The Egyptians are likened to an ass, where it is stated (in Ezek. 23:20), “whose flesh is like the flesh of asses”; and Israel is called a lamb (seh), where it is stated (in Jer. 50:17), “Israel is a scattered flock (seh).” Then I slew the first-born of the Egyptians and sanctified the first-born of Israel, as stated (in Numb. 3:13), “For every first-born belongs to Me on the day that I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt,” I sanctified them for Myself. He therefore said to him (in Numb. 3:40), “enroll every first-born male among the Children of Israel.”