Midrash for Genesis 4:21

(Exod. 22:24 [25]:) IF YOU LEND MONEY <TO MY PEOPLE>…. R. Tanhuma opened on <this verse with> (Prov. 19:17): THE ONE WHO IS GENEROUS WITH THE POOR IS LENDING TO THE LORD.²⁶Tanh., Exod. 6:15. Whoever lends to the poor is, as it were, as if he were lending to the Holy One. (Ibid.:) THE ONE WHO IS GENEROUS WITH THE POOR IS LENDING TO THE LORD, [AND HE WILL REPAY HIM HIS DUE]. R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: What is the meaning of AND HE WILL REPAY HIM HIS DUE? The Holy One said: When a poor person's soul (nefesh) was seeking to leave,²⁷Tanh., Exod. 6:15, expands: “When a poor person’s soul (nefesh) was seeking to leave out of hunger, you gave him a prutah (a small coin) and revived him.” you revived him. By your life I am returning you life (nefesh) for life. Tomorrow, when your son or daughter comes into the hands of guilt or into the hands of death, [this deed] will be remembered on their behalf, and I will give them a life for a life. The Holy One said: By your life, you have been named as the one who gave him a loan, as stated (in Prov. 19:17): <THE ONE WHO IS GENEROUS WITH THE POOR> IS LENDING TO THE LORD. You find that for all the sins which a person commits, the Holy One sits in judgment over him, saying: How did his judgment come about? In the case of one who steals, the Holy One sits over him in judgment, also over the one who commits adultery and over the one who commits <any other > transgression.²⁸Cf. Exod. R. 31:14. And so you find in the days of Ahab that Micah (i.e., Micaiah) said (in I Kings 22:19 or II Chron. 18:18):²⁹The text draws its wording from both I Kings 22:19 and from II Chron. 18:18, but Buber has emended his mss in conformity with I Kings 22:19. HEAR, THEREFORE, THE WORD OF THE LORD: I SAW THE LORD SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, AND ALL THE HEAVENLY HOST WAS STANDING BY HIM TO HIS RIGHT AND TO HIS LEFT. Is there a left above?³⁰See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 4:21; Exod. 1:21; Cant. R. 1:9:1. <Yes,> and is it not written (in Exod. 15:6): YOUR RIGHT HAND, O LORD, <GLORIOUS IN POWER, YOUR RIGHT HAND SHATTERS THE ENEMY>? It also says (in Ps. 118:16): THE RIGHT HAND OF THE LORD IS EXALTED…. And it says here (in I Kings 22:19): TO HIS RIGHT… What is the meaning of TO HIS RIGHT AND TO HIS LEFT? [Those on the right and those on the left.] The first group tilts the balance towards the scale of merit, and the other group tilts the balance towards the scale of guilt. So does the Holy One act towards all who commit <any> transgression. Their judgment is a matter of give and take. But in the case of one who has made a loan with interest, there is no give and take in his judgment. Instead <the Holy One> renders his judgment by himself. Thus the Holy One has said this to the ministering angels (in Ezek. 18:13): WITH USURY HE HAS GIVEN, {AND WITH INTEREST} HE HAS TAKEN [INTEREST]. <SHALL HE LIVE?> Immediately the ministering angels answer (ibid., cont.:) HE SHALL NOT LIVE. HE HAS COMMITTED ALL [THESE] ABOMINATIONS. HE SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH. Therefore Moses has said (in Exod. 22:24 [25]:) IF YOU LEND MONEY TO MY PEOPLE>….>

..."Tubal-Cain": R. Yehoshua of Sakhnin said in the name of R. Levi, "This one sweetened (literally, spiced) Cain's sin (some have the variant, 'Cain's work') - Cain would kill, but he did not have with what to kill; but this one 'forged every cutting instrument of copper and iron.'" And the sister of Tubal-Cain was Na’amah. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Na’amah was Noah’s wife. Why was she called Na’amah? Because all of her deeds were pleasant (ne’imim). The Rabbis said this is a different Na’amah. Why was she called Na’amah? Because she beat on a drum to draw people to idol worship.

(Gen. 22:1, cont.:) THAT GOD TESTED (rt.: NSH) ABRAHAM. This text is related (to Ps. 60:6 [4]): YOU HAVE GIVEN THOSE WHO FEAR YOU A TRIAL (NS) IN ORDER FOR THEM TO FLEE (rt.: NWS)¹⁴⁸A more traditional translation reads: YOU HAVE GIVEN THOSE WHO FEAR YOU A BANNER (NS) THAT IT MIGHT BE DISPLAYED. < ON ACCOUNT OF TRUTH. SELAH >.¹⁴⁹Gen. R. 55:1. < The passage refers to > a flight (rt.: NWS) through which Israel has been delivered from the judgment of Gehinnom. {Another interpretation: A TRIAL (NS) IN ORDER FOR THEM TO FLEE (rt.: NWS)} ON ACCOUNT OF TRUTH. SELAH. < The reason is > in order to grant < Israel > a reward in truth, as stated (in Is. 61:8): AND I WILL GIVE THEM THEIR RECOMPENSE IN TRUTH. The wicked, however, have no flight, as stated (in Job 11:20): BUT THE EYES OF THE WICKED FAIL; AND RETREAT IS CUT OFF FROM THEM. (Ps. 60:6 [4]:) YOU HAVE GIVEN THOSE WHO FEAR YOU A TRIAL (NS).¹⁵⁰Cf. Tanh., Gen. 4:21. Come and see the difference between the early < ancestors > and those who came later! The early ones were tested (rt.: NSH) at the hands of the Holy One, as stated (in Gen. 22:1): THAT GOD TESTED (NSH) ABRAHAM. So also with the people of the wilderness generation (according to Exod. 16:4): SO THAT I MAY TEST < THE PEOPLE > AS TO WHETHER THEY SHALL WALK IN MY TORAH OR NOT. It also says this (in Deut. 8:16): IN ORDER TO HUMBLE YOU [AND IN ORDER] TO TEST YOU…. Those who came later, however, were tested at the hands of the nations, as stated (in Jud. 3:1): NOW THESE ARE THE NATIONS WHICH THE LORD LEFT TO TEST ISRAEL. Ergo (in Ps. 60:6 [4]): YOU HAVE GIVEN THOSE WHO FEAR YOU A TRIAL (NS) IN ORDER FOR THEM TO FLEE (rt.: NWS) ON ACCOUNT OF TRUTH. SELAH. What is the meaning of ON ACCOUNT OF TRUTH. SELAH? < The words refer to > whoever has been tested (rt.: NSH) and withstood trials (rt.: NSH). And so you find in the case of Daniel and his companions, that when they went into exile, the Holy One decreed for them to eat unclean bread. It is so stated (in Ezek. 4:13): SO SHALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL EAT THEIR UNCLEAN BREAD AMONG THE GENTILES WHERE I SHALL BANISH THEM. Nebuchadnezzar arose and fulfilled the oracle. He began by saying: I decree that they eat of my food. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 1:5): AND THE KING APPOINTED FOR THEM < A DAILY PORTION OF THE KING'S FOOD >…. Daniel did not accept it. Instead he said: Although the Holy One has decreed for us to eat unclean bread, he wants to test us. We, however, will do our part; and the Holy One will do his. He began to say [to the captain of the guards (in Dan. 1:12f.): If you please], PRAY, TEST (NS) YOUR SERVANTS FOR TEN DAYS, [AND GIVE US SOME LEGUMES TO EAT AND WATER TO DRINK. THEN LET OUR APPEARANCE AND THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHILDREN WHO EAT THE KING'S FOOD BE LOOKED AT IN YOUR PRESENCE, AND DEAL WITH YOUR SERVANTS ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU SEE]. He said to them: But are you able to stand the test (rt.: NSH) for ten days without eating bread or drinking wine? They said to him: Yes, because we are of the children of that person who withstood the test of ten trials from God. His merit will stand by us. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 1:12): PRAY, TEST (NS) YOUR SERVANTS. Has not the king already found us ten times better than the magicians? By whose merit? By the merit of Abraham, who withstood the test of ten trials.¹⁵¹On Daniel and the merit of Abraham, see Ber. 7b. Concerning Abraham’s ten trials, opinions differ as to which events they included, but the tradition is old. See Jubilees 19:8; Avot 5:3. See also above, 3:4; below, section 46; M.Pss. 18:25. For listings, see ARN, A, 33; ARN, B, 36; PRE 26. Once they had withstood their trial (rt.: NSH), what is written (in Dan. 1:9, 14-15): THEN GOD GRANTED DANIEL [MERCY AND COMPASSION BEFORE THE CHIEF OF THE EUNUCHS…. SO HE HEEDED THEM IN THIS MATTER AND TESTED (rt.: NSH) THEM FOR TEN DAYS. THEN AT THE END OF TEN DAYS, THEIR APPEARANCE WAS SEEN TO BE BETTER AND THEIR FLESH FATTER THAN ALL THE CHILDREN WHO HAD EATEN THE KING'S FOOD]. Ergo (in Ps. 60:6 [4]): YOU HAVE GIVEN THOSE WHO FEAR YOU A TRIAL (NS) IN ORDER TO HAVE A MIRACLE OCCUR (rt.: NWS).¹⁵²This translation better fits the interpretation here than a more traditional rendering. In Ps. 60:6 [4] what is the meaning of (NS)? < That > you have made them great. It is just as it is stated (in Is. 30:17): AND LIKE A BANNER (NS)¹⁵³This is the usual interpretation of NS in the verse. Just as A Banner UPON A HILL implies greatness, so has the Holy One made Israel great. UPON A HILL. So why did the Holy One test (NSH) them? In order to make them great. In order not to give the nations of the world a pretext for saying: He has made them great, but he did not test them. So they endured their test. Therefore (in Gen. 22:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THESE THINGS, [THAT GOD TESTED ABRAHAM].