Midrasch zu Tehillim 20:3

(Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy.” This text is related (to Ps. 20:3), “May He send you help from the sanctuary and sustain you from Zion.” From the sanctuary (qdsh) [means] from the holiness (rt.: qdsh) of the works that are in you; and [sustain you] from Zion (mtsywn) [means] [from the marker (tsywn)] of the works that are in you.²⁸M. Pss. 20:5. R. Berekhyah said, “There was a story in our village about a certain spirit who dwelt by the spring.²⁹Lev. R. 24:3. Another spirit came to attack³⁰Lahizdawweg, from the root Zug. The word also has implications of mating. Cf. the Gk.: zeugos, i.e., “a team of beasts,” and then “a married couple.” Cf. also the Latin: conjugium, from jugum. it and sought to get it away from there. There was also there a certain saint whose name was Jose the man of Zaythor. The first spirit appeared to him. It said to him, ‘Rabbi, look at how many years I have been situated here; yet neither at noon nor at night nor during the day have I harmed [any] mortal. But now this spirit has come upon me from another place and wants to get me away from here in order to harm mortals.’ He said to it, ‘What shall we do?’ It said to him, ‘Take your staves and your scythes, and go out against it at the noon hour. Then say, “Ours has won! Ours is winning!” And it will run away.’ They did so and drove it away from there.” They used to say, “They did not move from here until they saw, as it were, a clot of blood floating on the water.” When the sages heard about the matter, they said, “If something which was not created with a need for assistance, needs assistance and support, how much the more so in the case of people.” David, therefore, said (in Ps. 20:3), “May He send you help from the sanctuary.”

(Lev. 19:2:) YOU SHALL BE HOLY. This text is related (to Ps. 20:3 [2]): MAY HE SEND YOU HELP FROM THE SANCTUARY AND SUSTAIN YOU FROM ZION. FROM THE SANCTUARY (QDSh) < means > from the holiness (rt.: QDSh) of the works that are in you; AND [SUSTAIN YOU] FROM ZION (MTsYWN) < means > [from the marker (TsYWN)] of the works that are in you.³⁵Tanh., Lev. 7:9; M. Pss. 20:5. R. Berekhyah said: There was a story in our village about a certain spirit who dwelt by the spring.³⁶Lev. R. 24:3. Another spirit came to attack³⁷Lahizdawweg, from the root Zug. The word also has implications of mating. Cf. the Gk.: zeugos, i.e., “a team of beasts,” and then “a married couple.” Cf. also the Latin: conjugium, from jugum. it and sought to get it away from there. There was also there a certain saint whose name was Jose the man of Zaythor. The first spirit appeared to him. It said to him: Rabbi, look at how many years I have been situated here; yet neither at noon nor at night have I harmed < any > mortal. {Also not during the day.} But now this spirit has come upon me from another place and wants to get me away from here in order to harm mortals. He said to it: What shall we do? It said to him: Take your staves and your scythes, and go out against it at the noon hour. Then say: Ours is winning! Ours is winning! And it will run away. They did so and drove it away from there. They used to say: They did not move from here until they saw, as it were, a clot of blood floating on the water. When the sages heard about the matter, they said: If something which was not created with a need for assistance needs assistance, how much the more so in the case of the children of Adam. David, therefore, said (in Ps. 20:3 [2]): MAY HE SEND YOU HELP FROM THE SANCTUARY.

The Holy One, blessed be He, declared unto Israel: In this world you fear sins, but in the world-to-come, where there is no evil inclination, you will tremble with joy over the benefactions reserved for you, as is said: Afterward shall the children of Israel return, and seek the Lord their God, and David their king, and shall come trembling unto the Lord and to His goodness in the end of days (Hos. 3:5). What is the meaning of His goodness? It refers to the Holy Temple, as it is said: That goodly hill country and the Lebanon (Deut. 3:25). The blessing comes from Zion, as is said: The Lord shall bless thee out of Zion, and thou shalt see the goodness of Jerusalem (Ps. 128:5). Dew is blessed from Zion, as is said: Like the dew of Herman, that cometh down the mountains of Zion (ibid. 133:3). Help comes from Zion, as it is said: Send forth thy help from the sanctuary, and support thee out of Zion (ibid. 20:3). Salvation comes from Zion, as it is said: Oh, that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion (ibid. 14:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In the world-to-come I shall bless you out of Zion, as it is said: The Lord blessed thee out of Zion; even He that made heaven and earth (ibid. 134:3). And I shall bless Zion, as is said: The Lord bless thee, O habitation of righteousness, O holy mountain (Jer. 31:22). Amen.