Midrash for Numbers 17:21

(Lev. 16:1:) “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death [of Aaron's two sons].” This is what Elihu said (to Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps.” Elihu was observing how the sons of Aaron went in to sacrifice and came out destroyed by fire.⁵⁵Cf. PRK 26(27):5; Lev. R. 20:5. He was amazed and said (ibid.), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps.” What did he see for him to say this? He said, “At a time when the priesthood had become weak in the hand of Aaron, what is written there (in Numb. 17:21)? ‘Then Moses spoke unto the Children of Israel; and their princes gave him a staff, a staff for each prince.’ So he wrote the name of each and every tribe on its staff. He also wrote the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi and put it in the middle, lest the Children of Israel say, ‘It smelled the Divine Presence and bore fruit.’ Moses said, ‘See, I am putting it in the middle so as not to give a pretext,’ as stated (in Numb. 17:21, cont.), ‘and the staff of Aaron was in the midst of their staffs.’ What is written there (in vs. 22-23)? ‘Then Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. And it was on the morrow that Moshe came to the tent of testimony, and the staff of Aaron had sprouted […] and had borne almonds.’ The scriptural text lacked nothing. Why then, ‘and had born (rt.: gml) almonds (rt.: shqd)?’⁵⁶Numb. R. 18:23. It repaid (rt.: gml) anyone who was bent on (rt.: shqd) evil against the tribe of Levi. So while (in Numb. 17:16-24) even dry pieces of wood emitted an aroma among those who live in the world, sprouted blossoms, came out alive, and produced fruits; [yet] the sons of Aaron, who entered there alive, came out destroyed by fire.” So when Elihu beheld the one and the other, he said (in Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles.” When? (Lev. 16:1:) “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons.” As [all] four of [Aaron's sons] deserved to die; but Moses prayed for them, and his prayer produced half [a response]. When? When Israel made the calf, what is written there (in Deut. 9:20)? “And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to destroy (rt.: shmd) him.” Destruction (rt.: shmd) can only be annihilation of children. Thus it is stated (in Amos 2:9), “I destroyed (rt.: shmd) their (the Amorites') fruit above […].” When Moses prayed, his prayer produced half [a response]. (Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Aaron, did I not write this in My Torah (in Exod. 22:8), ‘In every case of misappropriation, whether for a bull, for an ass or for a sheep….’ Do you not remember what you did with the bull, as stated (in Ps. 106:20), ‘Thus they exchanged their glory for the image of a bull?’”⁵⁷See Numb. R. 9:47. For alternate interpretations of Exod. 22:8 that use the same form, see BQ 54b. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For an ass.” This refers to the Egyptians, about whom it is written (in Ezek. 23:20), “whose flesh is like the flesh of asses.” They (the Egyptians among them) made for them a calf, whom Israel worshiped, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the rabble⁵⁸I.e., the Egyptians who joined Israel in the Exodus. which was in their midst.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For a sheep (seh).” This refers to Israel, as stated (in Jer. 50:17), “Israel is a scattered flock (seh).” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For a garment,” [i.e.] that one about which it is written (in Is. 3:6), “you have a garment; you shall be our leader.”⁵⁹According to Numb. R. 9:47, the allusion is to Israel having made the golden calf their king. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Or any loss,” since it is written of them (i.e., of Israel in Jer. 50:6), “My people were lost sheep.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Of which one says, ‘This is it.” [This refers to] them when they said (in Exod. 32:8), “These are your gods, O Israel.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “The case of both parties shall come before God (the powers).” This refers to Moses of whom it is written (in Exod. 7:1), “See, I have set you as a power to Pharaoh,” [in that] Moses sat in judgment over them. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “The one whom God (the powers) condemns.” This refers to the judges.⁶⁰See above, Exod. 2:1, and the note there. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Shall pay his neighbor double.” This refers to the two sons of Aaron. Ergo (in Lev. 16:1), “after the death of Aaron's two sons.”

(Lev. 16:1:) NOW THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AFTER THE DEATH < OF AARON'S TWO SONS >. This text is related (to Job 37:1): AT THIS ALSO MY HEART TREMBLES. [Who spoke this verse? Elihu spoke it.] Elihu was observing how the sons of Aaron went in to sacrifice and came out destroyed by fire.⁵⁸Tanh., Lev. 6:8; cf. PRK 26(27):5; Lev. R. 20:5. He was amazed and said (ibid.): AT THIS ALSO MY HEART TREMBLES AND LEAPS FROM ITS PLACE. What did he see for him to say this? It is simply at a time when⁵⁹Besha‘ah besha‘ah shennitpaqpeqah, which translates literally as, “In the hour, in the hour that < the priesthood > was shaken.” This repetition may well be an error, which Buber seems to avoid when he cites the passage in his notes. the priesthood was shaken {i.e., when < the priesthood > had become weak} in the hand of Aaron. What is written there (in Numb. 17:21 [6])? THEN MOSES SPOKE UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; AND THEIR PRINCES GAVE HIM A STAFF, A STAFF FOR EACH PRINCE…. So he wrote the name of each and every tribe on its staff. He also wrote the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi and put it in the middle. Moses said < It was > lest the children of Israel say: It smelled the Divine Presence and bore fruit. [Moses said: See, I am putting it in the middle so as not to give a pretext, as stated (in Numb. 17:21 [6], cont.): AND THE STAFF OF AARON WAS IN THE MIDST OF THEIR STAFFS.] What is written there (in vs. 22–23 [7–8])? THEN MOSES PLACED THE STAFFS < BEFORE THE LORD IN THE TENT OF THE TESTIMONY >…. AND THERE THE STAFF OF AARON < OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI > HAD SPROUTED; IT < HAD PUT FORTH SPROUTS, PRODUCED BLOSSOMS, > AND HAD BORNE ALMONDS. The scriptural text lacked nothing. Why then: AND HAD BORN (rt.: GML) ALMONDS (rt.: ShQD)?⁶⁰Numb. R. 18:23. It repaid (rt.: GML) anyone who was bent on (rt.: ShQD) evil against the tribe of Levi. So while (in Numb. 17:16–24 [1–9]) even dry pieces of wood emitted an aroma among those who live in the world, [sprouted blossoms,] came out alive, and produced fruits; the sons of Aaron, who entered there alive, came out destroyed by fire. So when Elihu beheld the one and the other, he said (in Job 37:1): AT THIS ALSO MY HEART TREMBLES. When? (Lev. 16:1:) NOW THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AFTER THE DEATH OF AARON'S TWO SONS.

23 "And the staff of Aharon" (Numbers 17:21). Some say that it is the staff that was in the hand of Yehudah, as it is stated (Genesis 17:23), "and the staff in your hand." And some say that it is the staff that was in the hand of Moshe. And it blossomed on its own, as it is stated (Numbers 17:23), "behold the staff of Aharon sprouted." And some say that Moshe took one beam, cut it into twelve boards and said to them, "All of you, take your stick from one source." And for what did he do this? "It is honorable for a man to desist from strife, but every fool becomes embroiled" (Proverbs 20:3) - so that they not say, "His stick was damp and [so] flowered." And the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed about the stick; and the explicit name [of God] that was on the diadem (tsits) was upon it, as it is stated (Numbers 17:23), "and a flower came out and it blossomed a blossom (tsits)." And it flowered at night and made a fruit. "And it put out (yigmol) almonds (shekedim) - it granted good (gamal) upon anyone who was constant (shakad) with the tribe of Levi. Why almonds and not pomegranates or nuts? Because Israel was compared to them. And that staff was in the hand of each and every king until the Temple was destroyed and it was hidden. And this staff will be in the hand of the king Messiah in the future, quickly in our days - as it is stated (Psalms 110:2), "The Lord will stretch forth from Zion your mighty staff; hold sway over your enemies."