Midrasch zu Tehillim 98:76

“I am a rose of Sharon, a lily of the valleys” (Song of Songs 2:1).
“I am a rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved [ḥaviva]. It is I whom the Holy One blessed be He loved me more than seventy nations. “A rose [ḥavatzelet] of Sharon,” I made Him shelter [tzel] by means of Betzalel, as it is written: “Betzalel crafted the Ark” (Exodus 37:1). “Of Sharon,” as I recited song [shira] before Him by means of Moses, as it is written: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang” (Exodus 15:1).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Egypt, but the Holy One blessed be He brought me quickly to Rameses. I sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I recited a song before Him, as it is stated: “The song will be for you like the night of the consecration of the festival” (Isaiah 30:29).¹The song after the fall of Sennacherib will be like the Hallel that they recited in Egypt on the night before they left.
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” The congregation of Israel said: I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of the sea,²I was in danger when Pharaoh was pursuing me. but I quickly sprouted good deeds like a lily, and I pointed to Him with my finger [and pronounced that He is] my Master, as it is stated: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded in the shadow of Sinai.³God suspended the mountain over the Israelites, threatening to obliterate them if they refused to accept the Torah (see Shabbat 88a). I quickly blossomed good deeds with my hand and my heart, and I said before Him: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).
Another matter, “I am a rose of Sharon.” I am as I am, yet I am beloved. It is I who was shrouded and trampled in the shadow of kingdoms. Tomorrow, when the Holy One blessed be He redeems me from the shadow of the kingdoms, I will blossom like a lily, and I will recite a new song before Him, as it is stated: “A psalm. Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has performed wonders; His right hand and His holy arm have wrought salvation for Him” (Psalms 98:1).

(Fol. 24b) (I Sam. 6, 12) (Vayisharna) And the cows went straight forward. What does the expression Vayisharna mean? Said R. Jochanan in the name of R. Mair: "They sang a song." And R. Zutra b. Tubiah, in the name of Rab, said: "They have straightened their faces to look upon the ark, and sang a song." What was their song? R. Jochanan in the name of R. Mair said (Ex. 15, 1) Then sang Moses, etc. R. Jochanan himself, however, said (Is. 12, 4) And ye shall say on that day, Give thanks unto the Lord, call on His name, etc. And R. Simon b. Lakish said: "The song the orphan chapter (a chapter in which the author's name is not mentioned) (Ps. 98, 1) Oh sing unto the Lord a new song; for He Hath done marvelous things, etc." And R. Elazar said (Ib. 99, 1) The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble. R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said (Ib. 93, 1) The Lord reigneth; He is clothed in majesty. R. Isaac Naphcha said: Sing, O ark, in beauty shining; Thou adorned with chains of gold — ever close the Word enshrining — glittering with gems untold." R. Ashi taught the saying of R. Isaac Naphcha in connection with this (Num. 10, 55) And it came to pass, when the ark set forward that Moses said, etc. And what did Israel say? Whereupon R. Isaac said: "Sing, O ark, etc."

Another matter, “you are fair, my love, like Tirtza,” when you wish [at rotza]. When you wish,⁸When you wish to wholeheartedly fulfill My will. you need not seek to learn from anyone. Who said to them to bring wagons and cattle to bear the Tabernacle? Was it not of their own accord that they brought them? That is what is written: “They brought their offering before the Lord: six covered wagons [and twelve oxen, a wagon for every two princes and an ox for each; they brought them before the Tabernacle]” (Numbers 7:3), corresponding to the six firmaments. But are they not seven? Rabbi Avun said: Where the king rests under his canopy [is not counted among the rest]. Six corresponding to six earths: Eretz, arka, adama, gei, tziya, neshiya, tevel;⁹These are seven terms used in the Bible to refer to the earth. However, since tevel is singled out as uniquely governed by God’s righteousness, it is not included with the others. and it is written: “He will judge the world [tevel] with righteousness” (Psalms 98:9). Six corresponding to the six orders of Mishna; six corresponding to the six days of Creation; six corresponding to the six matriarchs: Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Leah, Zilpa, and Bilha.
“Covered [tzav],” like canopies; tzav, colored;¹⁰This is due to the similarity between the word tzav and the word color (tzeva). tzav, arranged in order;¹¹This is due to the similarity between the word tzav and the word tzava, army, which indicates ordered rows of soldiers. tzav, that the hosts [tzava] of Levites stood over them. It was taught in the name of Neḥemya: They were like covered wagons, so the service vessels would not [fall and] break.
“And twelve oxen,” corresponding to the twelve princes: “A wagon for every two princes, and an ox for each” (Numbers 7:3), this teaches that they did not purchase them with money; rather, this one brought an ox and this one brought an ox, this one brought a wagon and this one brought a wagon. “They brought them before the Tabernacle,” this teaches that they gave them to the congregation.
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying” (Numbers 7:4). What is “saying”? The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Go out and say to them words of praise and consolation.’ Rabbi Hoshaya said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I ascribe to you [merit] as though I needed [something] in which to hold my world, and you brought it to me.’
At that moment, Moses was afraid. He said in his heart: Perhaps the Divine Spirit has left me, and has rested on the princes, or perhaps a different prophet arose and introduced this halakha.¹²Moses was commenting on the fact that he had not been commanded to tell the princes to make this donation, but clearly God was very pleased with it. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, had I said to them that they should bring [these items], I would have told you to tell them; however, “take from them, and they shall be”’ (Numbers 7:5). What is “take from them”? These matters originated with them.
Who gave them the counsel? Rabbi Simon said: It was the tribe of Issachar. They said to them: ‘This Tabernacle that you are crafting, does it float in the air? Craft wagons for it upon which it may be carried.’ That is why the verse praises the tribe of Issachar, as it is stated: “From the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding of the times” (I Chronicles 12:33). What is “of the times”? Rabbi Tanḥuma said: For astrology. Rabbi Yosei bar Kasrai said: For intercalation. “To know what Israel should do” (I Chronicles 12:33), as they knew how to cure skin disease. “Their leaders were two hundred” (I Chronicles 12:33), these are the two hundred heads of Sanhedrins¹³This refers to the twenty-three person courts that presided in each major city. that the tribe of Issachar produced. “And all their brethren at their command” (I Chronicles 12:33), this teaches that all their brethren would agree with their [decisions in] halakha, like halakha transmitted to Moses from Sinai.
At that moment, Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, perhaps one of the oxen will die, or one of the wheels will break and the offering of the princes would be invalidated, resulting in the Tabernacle service being abrogated?’ Immediately, “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: Take from them, and they shall be to perform…” (Numbers 7:4-5). “They shall be”—I will grant them existence so that they will live and endure in the world for ever and ever. Until when did they endure? Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of bar Kapara: Until the Gilgal; that is what is written in Hosea: “In Gilgal they slaughtered oxen, their altars are like heaps upon the furrows of the field” (Hosea 12:12). Where did they sacrifice them?¹⁴This question assumes that they were not sacrificed in Gilgal, as stated above. Alternatively, the midrash means that the merit of these offerings lasted until Israel worshipped idolatry in Gilgal, and the oxen were actually sacrificed afterward (see Etz Yosef). Rabbi Avun said: They sacrificed them in Nov. Rabbi Abba said: They sacrificed them in Givon. Levi said: They sacrificed them in Shilo. The Rabbis say: They sacrificed them in the permanent Temple. Rabbi Ḥama said: The source for the Rabbis is as it is written: “King Solomon slaughtered a feast offering of…cattle [zevaḥ habakar]” (II Chronicles 7:5). Zevaḥ bakar is not written, but rather, zevaḥ habakar.¹⁵It is written with the definite article, so that it reads in a literal sense “a feast offering of the cattle.” Which cattle? You must say: “The two wagons and the four cattle” (Numbers 7:7), and it is written: “the four wagons and the eight cattle” (Numbers 7:8).
Rabbi Meir says: They endure [even] now, and they have not become blemished, they have not grown old, and they have not become tereifa, but rather, they are alive and well. The matters may be inferred a fortiori: If the oxen that were assigned by man to the Tabernacle service, [God] granted them existence to live and endure for ever and ever, Israel, which cleaves to He who endures forever, all the more so, as it is stated: “But you, who cleave to the Lord your God, all of you live today” (Deuteronomy 4:4).

“Let us exult and rejoice in you.” Ten expressions of joy are employed in Israel’s regard: Gila, sisa, simḥa, rina, pitzḥa, tzahala, alatza, elza, ḥedva, terua. Gila, “rejoice [gili] greatly, daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 9:9); sisa, “I will be gladdened [sos asis] in the Lord” (Isaiah 61:10); simḥa, “rejoice [simḥu] with Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:10); rina, “sing [roni] and rejoice, daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 2:14); pitzḥa, “burst [pitzḥi] into song and rejoice” (Isaiah 54:1); tzahala, “shout [tzahali] and sing” (Isaiah 12:6); alatza, “my heart rejoices [alatz] in the Lord” (I Samuel 2:1); elza, “my heart exults [vaya’aloz], and with my song I give thanks to Him” (Psalms 28:7); ḥedva, “the children of Israel…performed [the dedication of this House of God with joy [beḥedva]]” (Ezra 6:16); terua, “shout with joy [hariu] to the Lord, all the earth” (Psalms 98:4), “shout [hariu] to God with a joyous voice” (Psalms 47:2). There are some who remove terua and insert ditza, just as you say: “Anguish rejoices [tadutz] before it” (Job 41:14); it dances like that mudfish.

Similarly, it is written concerning Jehoshaphat: And when he had taken counsel with the people, he appointed them that should sing unto the Lord, and praise in the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and say: “Give thanks unto the Lord, for His mercy endureth forever” (II Chron. 20:21). What is the difference between this song of praise and others found in the Torah? In all the other songs, For He is good is added, but in this instance For He is good is omitted, since there can be no rejoicing before Him on High over the destruction of the wicked. And since there could be no rejoicing before Him over the destruction of the wicked, surely there could be no joy at the destruction of the righteous, a single one of whom is equal to all the world in His sight. Hence it is said: But the righteous is an everlasting foundation (Prov. 10:25). The ninth song is the Song of Songs of Solomon. The tenth song is the song of the future: A psalm, O sing unto the Lord a new song; for He hath done marvelous things (Ps. 98:1).

Unto the Lord (Exod. 15:1). They sang unto the Lord and not to a mere mortal. When will they sing unto man? When His right hand and His mighty arm have wrought salvation. That is to say, as it is written: He hath drawn back His right hand (Lam. 2:3). And spoke, saying. What is meant by the word saying? R. Eleazar the son of Taddai maintained: Moses would start the song and the Israelites would complete it. Moses began with the words: I will sing unto the Lord (Exod. 15:1), and Israel added: For He is highly exalted. Moses said: The Lord is my strength and song (ibid., v. 2), and Israel declared: And He is become my salvation. Moses sang: The Lord is a man of war (ibid., v. 3), and Israel responded with the words: The Lord is His name. The same procedure was followed in all the verses of the hymn. What is meant by I will sing unto the Lord? It implies that it is fitting to sing a song unto the Lord, to ascribe power unto the Lord, and to praise the greatness of the Lord. Thus, David said: Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory (I Chron. 29:11).

They said that He is merciful, but He is more than merely merciful, For the Lord thy God is a merciful God (Deut. 4:31); the Lord is full of compassion and gracious (Ps. 103:8); The Lord is good to all (ibid. 145:9); To the Lord our God belong compassion and forgiveness (Dan. 9:9). They said that He is a true judge (but He is more than a judge), for the Judgment is God’s (Deut. 1:17); God standeth in the congregation of God; in the midst of the judges He judgeth (Ps. 82:1). It says also: The Rock, His work is perfect; for all His ways are justice (ibid. 32:4). They said: He is faithful, yet He is more than simply faithful: The faithful God (ibid. 7:9); A God of faithfulness (ibid. 32:4). They said He is praiseworthy, but He is more than merely praiseworthy, as it is said: For who in the skies can be compared unto the Lord? (Ps. 89:7). It also says: A God dreaded in the council of the holy ones (Ps. 98:8); O Lord God of hosts, who is a mighty one like unto thee, O Lord? (ibid., v. 9); O Lord God of hosts, who is like unto thee among the gods, O Lord? (ibid. 86:8). It says likewise: My beloved is white and ruddy, His head is as the most fine gold. His hands are as rods of gold. His legs are as pillars of marble (Song 5:15).

[Another interpretation (of Gen. 30:22): THEN GOD REMEMBERED RACHEL.] This text is related (to Ps. 98:3): HE HAS REMEMBERED HIS LOVING-KINDNESS AND FAITHFULNESS < TOWARD THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL >. < These words > speak about Joshua (Yehoshua'), who stemmed from Rachel's children. (Ibid., cont.:) ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH HAVE SEEN THE VICTORY (yeshu'ah) OF OUR GOD. That victory is the one that Joshua accomplished, the one about which it is stated (in Josh. 10:12): O SUN, STAND STILL AT GIBEON.

Another interpretation (of Ps. 98:3): HE HAS REMEMBERED HIS LOVING-KINDNESS. The remembrance is of our mother Rachel. (Ibid., cont.:) TOWARD THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL, as stated (in Ruth 4:11) < RACHEL AND LEAH >, BOTH OF WHOM BUILT UP THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. Ergo (in Gen. 30:22): THEN GOD REMEMBERED RACHEL.

"And it was on the day that Moses had finished" (Numbers 7:1). So did Rabbi Tanchuma bar Abba open [his discourse from] (Proverbs 30:4), "Who has ascended heaven and come down": That is the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Psalms 47:6), "God rises in acclamation." [This is] as is done with a king of flesh and blood when he passes from place to place. What do they do? They bring torches and beacons and blow in front of him with trumpets and shofars. So did they do in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Psalms 98:6), "With trumpets and the sound of the shofar, sound off in front of the King Lord." "And came down," [when] He came down upon Mount Sinai, as it is stated (Exodus 19:20), "And the Lord came down upon Mount Sinai." "Who has gathered up the wind (ruach) in the hollow of his hand" (Psalms 30:4, cont.). That is the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Job 12:10), "In His hand is every living soul, and the breath (ruach) of all mankind." "Who has wrapped the waters in His garment?" That is the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Job 26:8), "He wrapped up the waters in His clouds." "Who has made rise all the extremities of the earth?" That is the Holy One, blessed be He, since He revives the dead, as it is stated (Isaiah 26:19), "Let your dead live, My corpses shall rise."And it is also written (I Samuel 2:6), "The Lord kills and gives life." "What is His name?" The Lord, as it is stated (Isaiah 42:8), "I am the Lord, that is My name." "And what is His son’s name?" Israel, as it is stated (Exodus 4:22), "So does the Lord say, 'Israel is My firstborn son.'"

Another interpretation of, "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day" (Leviticus 23:40). This is [the understanding of] that which is written (Psalms 96:12), "The fields exult and everything in them": "The fields exult" - that is this world, as it is stated (Genesis 4:8), "and it was when they were in the field." "And everything in them" - these are the creatures, like you say (Psalms 24:1), "The earth is the Lord’s and all that it holds, [the world and its inhabitants]." "Then shall the trees of the forest shout for joy" (I Chronicles 16:33). Rabbi Acha said, "[Here it states,] 'the forest,' [but in Psalms 96:12 above, it states,] 'and all the trees of the forest.' 'The forest' - those are the trees that produce fruit; 'all the trees of the forest' - those are the trees that do not produce fruit." In front of whom? "In front of the Lord" (Psalms 98:9). Why? "For He is coming," on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. To do what? "He will judge the world with righteousness, and its peoples with equity."

... Teach us oh, teacher: once the Ninth of Av has ended, is everything permitted? R’ Chiyah the Great taught like this: once the Ninth of Av has ended, one is permitted to do anything. Why? Because it is like the case of a person whose dead is laid out before him, who is forbidden to eat meat or drink wine. Once the dead is buried, the mourner is permitted to do so. So to on the Ninth of Av one is a mourner – once the day has ended one is permitted to do anything. Even though we are permitted, we must always have a sigh in our hearts until the Holy One returns to her. The Holy One said to them: by your lives! I burnt her, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) I will build her, as it says “Yet again will I rebuild you, then you shall be built, O virgin of Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:3) Zion said to Him: Behold, I have been sitting thus for many years! I have counted the days from old and I have not been redeemed, therefore I have despaired. She said that my master has abandoned me. And from where do we learn that Zion said this? From that which is written regarding it “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) ... Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me…” (Isaiah 49:14) What is written before this? “Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, and mountains burst out in song, for the Lord has consoled His people, and He shall have mercy on His poor.” (Isaiah 49:13) Once Zion saw that the prophet recalled His people and His poor, but did not mention Zion or Jerusalem she said ‘the Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Immediately the Holy One replied and said to her: just as it is impossible for a woman to forget her sucking child, so to I am not able to forget you, “Shall a woman forget her sucking child, from having mercy on the child of her womb?” (Isaiah 49:15) She said to Him: Master of the world! How is that possible? There is no end to the evils I have done! I caused Your Holy Temple to be destroyed and I killed the prophets. R’ Berachia the Kohen said in the name of Rebbe: the Holy One said to her, I will forget your evil but I will not forget your good. “…These too shall forget, but I will not forget you.” (ibid.) I have forgotten “"These are your gods, O Israel…” (Exodus32:4) but “I am the Lord, your God…” (Exodus 20:2) I will not forget.

(Gen. 5:1:) THIS IS THE BOOK…. What did the Holy One do to Adam? He cast a sleep upon him and showed him Noah and all the unblemished, Abraham and all the proselytes, Isaac and all who sacrifice burnt offerings, Jacob and all tent dwellers, Moses and all the humble, Aaron and all the priests, Joshua and all the community leaders, David and all the kings, [Solomon and all the Judges]. Then, when he had seen them all, he awakened from his sleep. The Holy One said to him: Have you seen [these? By your life], all these righteous [are] coming forth from you. When he had told him this, his spirit was at rest. David said: Sovereign of the World, you have written me into the book of the first Adam, as stated (in Ps. 40:8 [7]): THEN SAID I: LO, I HAVE COME. IN THE SCROLL OF THE BOOK IT IS WRITTEN CONCERNING ME. Therefore I must utter a song to you, since it is stated: THEN SAID I. Now THEN can only be A SONG [according to what is stated (in Exod. 15:1): MOSES SANG THEN].⁹⁵THEN is understood as the object of the verb SANG. < David > therefore praises⁹⁶Gk.: kalos. him (in Ps. 40:6 [5]): YOU HAVE DONE MANY THINGS, O LORD MY GOD. When should we utter a song to you? In the world to come, as stated (in Ps. 98:1): A PSALM. O SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG.