Midrasch zu Tehillim 1:1

R. Simon b. Pazi lectured: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ps. 1, 1) Happy is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the wicked, nor stood in the way of sinners, nor sat in the seat of the scornful. If he hath not walked how could he stand, and if he did not stand how could he sit, and if he did not sit, how could he scorn? We must therefore say that it means as follows: If he had walked, he would finally have stood and if he had stood, he would finally have sat and scorned, and concerning scorning, the passage says (Pr. 9, 12) If thou art wise, thou art wise for thyself; and if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it." R. Elazar said: "He who scorns causes chastisement to be brought upon himself as it is said (Is. 28, 32) Now, therefore, be ye not scoffers, lest your bands be made strong." Raba said to the Rabbis (his disciples): "I beg you not to scorn so that chastisements shall not come upon ye." R. Ktina said: "Whoever scorns even his food becomes weaker, as it is said (Hos. 7, 5 [Because] he stretched out his hand with scorners." R. Simon b. Pazi lectured again: "What is the meaning of the passage, Happy is the man that hath not walked; i.e., happy is the man who walketh not to the theatres and circuses of the heathens. Nor stood in the way of sinners, i.e., who does not stand as a spectator at bestial contests (arranged by the Romans). Nor sat in the seat of the scornful, i.e., who never sat in bad company. And lest one say, 'Since I have not walked to the theatres and circuses, nor stood as a spectator at bestial contests, I may engage my time in sleeping,' therefore says the passage, But his delight is in the law of the Lord."

R. Samuel b. Nachmeni in the name of R. Jonathan said: "What is the meaning of the passage, Happy is the man that hath not walked, etc., i.e., happy is the man that hath not walked in the council of the wicked, refers to Abraham our father, who hath not walked with the generation which witnessed the separation of races because that generation was wicked, as it is said (Gen. 11, 3) Come, let us make brick. Nor stood in the way of sinners, i.e., who did not stand in the circle of Sodomites, concerning whom the passage says (Ib. 13, 13) Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners; nor sat in the seat of the scornful, i.e., who did not associate himself with the Philistines, because the latter were scorners, as it is said (Jud. 16, 25) Call for Samson, that he may make us sport."

Let us see: The passage (Ps. 19, 15.) May the words of my mouth he acceptable, can be explained in the past tense, and it may be explained in the future tense. Why then have the Rabbis decided to say it after the Eighteen Benedictions and not before? R. Juda, the son of R. Simon b. Pazi, said: "Because David did not say this verse until after he had said eighteen chapters, therefore did the Rabbis decree [to say it] after the Eighteen Benedictions." Is it after eighteen? Behold! it is after nineteen? Aye! the first two chapters, viz., Happy is the man, and Wherefore do heathens rage, are only one chapter, for R. Juda, the son of R. Simon b. Pazi, said: "One hundred and three chapters were uttered by David, and he did not say Hallelujah until he had contemplated the downfall of the wicked; as it is said (Ps. 104, 35.) Let the sinners be taken completely out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more; Bless the Lord, O my soul. Hallelujah! Instead of one hundred and three, we ought to say, one hundred and four? but we infer this, that Blessed is the man, and Why do the heathens rage, are but one psalm. (Fol. 10a) As R. Samuel b. Nachmeini in the name of R. Jonathan said: 'Every chapter that was beloved by David, he began and concluded it with the word, Happy; It began with Happy is the man (Ps. 1, 1), and ended with Happy are all they that put treir trust in Him (Ib. 2, 10).' [This proves that the first two chapters are one]."

Thus with the very words with which Jacob concluded his blessing, Moses began to bless them. Moses said: I learn understanding from my elders (Ps. 119:100). When Isaac blessed Jacob, he said to him: And God Almighty bless thee (Gen. 28:3). How did he conclude his blessing? With the word call, as it is said: And Isaac called Jacob and blessed him (ibid., v. 1). And Jacob began where his father had ended, as it is said: And Jacob called his sons (Gen. 49:1), and concluded: And this is what their father spoke to them. When Moses blessed the tribes, he began where Jacob had left off, as is said: And this is the blessing, and he concluded with: Happy, art thou, O Israel (Deut. 33:29). Later, David began where Moses concluded, saying: Happy is the man (Ps. 1:1). Hence Scripture states: I learn understanding from my elders (Ps. 119:100).

(Gen. 49:28, cont.:) AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR FATHER SPOKE TO THEM WHEN HE BLESSED THEM. EACH ONE WITH HIS OWN BLESSING IS HOW HE BLESSED THEM. "Him" is not written here but HE BLESSED THEM.⁷⁸Tanh., Gen. 12:17; Gen. R. 97, New Version, on 49:28 (= pp. 1227—1228 in the Theodor-Albeck edition); 99(100)4; Numb. R. 13:8; Cant. R. 4:7:1; cf. also Exod. R. 1:6, 16. Why so? Because (in Gen. 49:8-22) he gave Judah the strength of a lion, Joseph the strength of an ox,⁷⁹Shor. Although the Masoretic Text of Gen. 49:22, from which this allusion is taken, vocalizes this word as shur, i.e., “wall,” the present context requires that Joseph be likened to some animal. Naphtali the lightness of a deer, and Dan the bite of a serpent. You might say that one is greater than another; < so > their commonality is < mentioned > at the end. EACH ONE WITH HIS OWN BLESSING … HE BLESSED THEM. Thus he distributed the land to them. He gave Judah the land which produces barley and Benjamin land which produces wheat. Even so, they had a commonality with each other in that they each would eat what belonged to the other. Ergo (in Gen. 49:28): AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR FATHER SPOKE TO THEM. "Unto them" is not written here but TO THEM.⁸⁰Buber cites Samuel Jaffe ben Isaac Ashkenazi, Yefeh To’ar, a commentary on the Midrash Rabbah, Part I on Genesis (Venice, 1597—1606), who cites Rashi, on Gen. 24:7, and explains that “to them” (lahem) used with the verb “speak” (rt.: DBR), as opposed to its use with the verb “say” (rt.: ’MR), means that one is speaking “concerning them” rather than “with them,” which is what “unto them” (alehem) would have implied. So also Enoch Zundel ben Joseph in his commentary Ets Yosef, on Tanh., Gen. 12:16. For a suggested rendering, see the following note. (Ibid.:) AND THIS < is how > someone like me is going to bless you, and at the place where I have stopped he is beginning. Thus it is stated (ibid.): AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR FATHER SPOKE TO THEM.⁸¹Apart from the words AND THIS (in the sense of ALSO THIS), there is another hint there that the verse has a wider meaning in that Jacob is simply alluded to as THEIR FATHER instead of by name. Like Jacob, Moses is a father of Israel. When Moses arose, he opened (the blessing in Deut. 33:1) with AND THIS IS THE BLESSING < WITH WHICH MOSES, THE MAN OF GOD, BLESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL BEFORE HE DIED >. < He began > from where Jacob had stopped. Ergo (in Gen. 49:28 also): AND THIS. He said these blessings for them. When did they come to pass for you? From the time that you received the Torah, about which it is written (in Deut. 4:44): AND THIS IS THE TORAH. Note the AND THIS. And also, with whatever < expression > Jacob had closed his blessing, Moses opened for them. Moses said (in Ps. 119:100): I HAVE GAINED UNDERSTANDING FROM THE ELDERS. When Isaac blessed Jacob, he said (in Gen. 28:3): MAY GOD ALMIGHTY BLESS YOU. With what did he finally close his blessing? With a calling (according to Gen. 28:1): SO ISAAC CALLED JACOB AND BLESSED HIM. So, in the case of Jacob, where his father had stopped, from there he had begun (according to Gen. 49:1): THEN JACOB CALLED HIS SONS. Then, Jacob stopped (in Gen. 49:28) with THIS; so Moses also, when he arose to bless the tribes, began with AND THIS (in Deut. 33:1): AND THIS IS THE BLESSING. And with what did Moses close? With BLESSED ARE YOU, as stated (in Deut. 33:29): BLESSED ARE YOU, O ISRAEL! WHO IS LIKE YOU? See < how > David opened (Ps. 1:1)! With BLESSED IS THE ONE. Ergo (in Ps. 119:100): I HAVE GAINED UNDERSTANDING FROM THE ELDERS.

"And Noach was 500 years old." - It is written (Psalms 1:1) "Fortunate is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked." "Fortunate is the man", that's Noach. "who in the counsel of the wicked he does not walk, and in the ways of sinners he does not stand [and in the company of mockers he does not sit]." Rabbi Yehudah and Rabbi Nechemia [disagreed]. Rabbi Yehudah said: [the three parts of the verse] refer to three generations - the generation of Enosh, the generation of the Flood, and the generation of the Division [i.e., of the Tower of Babel]; Rabbi Nechemia said: [They refer to] the generation of the Flood and the generation of the Division, but the generation of Enosh was small. According to Rabbi Yehudah's opinion: "Fortunate is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked", that's the generation of Enosh. "and in the ways of the sinner he does not stand," that's the generation of the Flood. "and the company of mockers he does not sit," that's the generation of the Division. "Rather, in God's Torah is his desire" (Psalms 1:2), that is [i.e., refers to] the seven commandments he was commanded. "and in his Torah he meditates day and night" - he comprehended one matter implied by [lit. "from within"] another matter: he [Noach] said [to himself], "What is the reason the Torah increased [the number of] ritually pure [beasts], more than the [number of] ritually impure [beasts]? Was it not because He wants [me] to sacrifice from them?" Immediately, "and he took from all the ritually pure beasts..." (Genesis 8:20). "and he shall be like a tree planted by water brooks" (Psalms 1:3) = G-d planted him in the ark. "which gives its fruit at the proper time" - that is [i.e., refers to] Shem, "its leaves shall not wither" = that is Ham, "and all that it does shall prosper" - that is Yefet.