Hebräische Bibel
Hebräische Bibel

Midrasch zu Tehillim 16:5

יְֽהוָ֗ה מְנָת־חֶלְקִ֥י וְכוֹסִ֑י אַ֝תָּ֗ה תּוֹמִ֥יךְ גּוֹרָלִֽי׃

Der Herr ist meine Gabe und mein Kelch, du wirfst für mich das Loos.

Eikhah Rabbah

“Gone from the daughter of Zion is all her splendor. Her princes are like deer that have not found pasture; they went powerless before the pursuer” (Lamentations 1:6)
“Gone from the daughter [mibat] of Zion.” Min bat is written. Rabbi Aḥa said: We have one fine portion; that is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is written in His regard: “The Lord is my lot [menat ḥelki] and my portion” (Psalms 16:5). “All its splendor,” this is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “You are clothed in glory and splendor” (Psalms 104:1).119Thus, when the children were exiled (Lamentations 1:5), God was exiled too, as it were, as implied in Lamentations 1:6. Alternatively, “all its splendor,” this is the Sanhedrin, as it is written: “Might and splendor are her garments” (Proverbs 31:25).120This is stated regarding the Torah. Since it is the Sanhedrin who interpret the Torah and translates it into practical terms, they are the ones who clothe Torah in glory and splendor. The term splendor in Lamentations can therefore also be interpreted as referring to the Sanhedrin. Alternatively, “all its splendor [hadarah],” these are Torah scholars, as it is written: “You shall rise before the aged and honor [vehadarta] the presence of a sage” (Leviticus 19:32). Alternatively, “all its splendor,” these are the priestly watches, as it is written: “Praising with the splendor of holiness” (II Chronicles 20:21).
Alternatively, “all its splendor,” these are the children. Rabbi Yehuda said: Come and see how dear children are before the Holy One blessed be He. The Sanhedrin was exiled, but the Divine Presence was not exiled with them. The priestly watches were exiled, but the Divine Presence was not exiled with them. When the children were exiled, the Divine Presence was exiled with them. That is what is written: “Her infants are led into captivity before the adversary.” Immediately, “gone from the daughter of Zion is all her splendor.”
“Her princes are like deer [that have not found pasture].”121Pasture is typically associated with sheep, not deer. Rabbi Yehuda said: When they are soft they are likened to sheep, as it is stated: “The sheep will graze as in their pasture” (Isaiah 5:17). When they are rigid they are likened to deer, as it is stated: “Her princes are like deer.”
Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Abba and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua [said]: Just as these deer turn their faces away from one another during a heat wave,122They race directly to a water source with no consideration for any other deer. so too the prominent among Israel would see a matter of transgression and would turn their faces away from it. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘A time will come when I will do so to you.’
“They went powerless before the pursuer.” Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: When Israel performs the will of the Omnipresent, they add strength to the power on high, just as it says: “With God we will triumph” (Psalms 60:14). When Israel does not perform the will of the Omnipresent, they, as it were, exhaust the great power on high, as it is written: “You abandoned the Rock that begot you” (Deuteronomy 32:18). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi ben Rabbi Tarfon: When Israel performs the will of the Holy One blessed be He, they add strength to the power on high, just as it says: “Now, please, let the power of the Lord be great” (Numbers 14:17). When Israel does not perform the will of the Holy One blessed be He, they, as it were, exhaust the great power on high, and they, too, go “powerless before the pursuer.”
Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, and the Rabbis in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: A person would say to his counterpart in Jerusalem: ‘Read one Bible column to me,’ and he would say to him: ‘I do not have the strength.’ ‘Teach me one chapter of Mishna,” and he would say to him: ‘I do not have the strength.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘A time will come and I will do so to you.’
“They went powerless before the pursuer [rodef].” Rabbi Aḥa said: Just as Israel was exiled only by a full-fledged pursuer, so, they will be redeemed only with a full-fledged redeemer, as it is written: “A redeemer [goel] will come to Zion” (Isaiah 59:20), it is written full.123The Hebrew word is written with a vav, just as the word rodef in the verse in Lamentations is written with a vav, despite the fact that both could have been written without the vav.
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Sifrei Devarim

R. Yehoshua b. Karcha says: An analogy: A king gives a feast and invites guests. His loved one is sitting among them and he tells him to take a choice portion; but he (the guest) lacks the power to discriminate. Seeing that this is so, the king takes his hand and places it on the choice portion. This is the intent of (Psalms 11:5-6) "The L-rd is my portion and my cup. You hold my lot. The choicest lot has fallen to me. My inheritance, too, is beauteous to me." Some are given their portion but are not happy with it. But Israel rejoice and glory (in their portion). For there is no portion as choice as theirs and no heritage like theirs and no lot like theirs. And they acknowledge this and praise (the L-rd) for it, viz. "The choicest lot has fallen to me. I shall bless the L-rd who has counseled me."
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Sifrei Devarim

"Jacob is the chevel of His inheritance": "chevel" is a lot, as it is written (Psalms 16:5) "chavalim have fallen to me in pleasant places," and (Joshua 17:5) "And the lots of Menasheh fell — ten." (Ibid. 19:9) "From the chevel of the children of Judah was the inheritance of the children of Shimon": Just as a chevel (a rope) is three-fold, so Jacob was the third of the fathers, and he received reward over and against all of them. When Abraham was born, what is written? (Proverbs 17:17) "And a brother (Abraham) is born for affliction" (see beginning of # 311). When Israel was born, what is written? (Koheleth 4:9) "Better the two than the one." When Jacob was born, what is written (Ibid. 4:12) "And the three-fold cord is not soon sundered."
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