Hebrew Bible Study
Hebrew Bible Study

Midrash for Numbers 6:24

יְבָרֶכְךָ֥ יְהוָ֖ה וְיִשְׁמְרֶֽךָ׃ (ס)

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee;

Pesikta Rabbati

… it is written there “Behold the heaven and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You…” (Melachim I 8:27) and here it is written “…the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle.” (Shemot 40:35) R’ Yehoshua of Sachnin said in the name of R’ Levi ‘to what is this likened? To an open cave at the edge of the sea. When the sea storms the cave is filled, but the sea is not reduced. So too, even though it is written that ‘the glory of the Lord filled the Tabernacle’ the upper and lower worlds did not lose anything of the brilliance of the glory of the Holy One, just as it is written “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth? says the Lord.” (Yirmiyahu 23:24) Therefore it is written here ‘And it was’. Just as the Divine Presence was here below at the beginning of the creation of the world but withdrew to above, now it returned to be below as it had been “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (Bamidbar 7:1) ... [Another explanation. “And it was that on the day that Moses finished erecting the Mishkan…” (Numbers 7:1)] R’ Simon said: at the time when the Holy One told Israel to erect the Tabernacle, He hinted that when the Tabernacle below is erected, the Tabernacle above is erected, as it says “And it was that on the day that Moses finished…” (ibid.) It does not say ‘erecting the Tabernacle’ but rather ‘erecting this (et) the Tabernacle.’ This refers to the Tabernacle above. The Holy One said: in this world, when the Tabernacle was erected, I commanded Aharon and his sons that they bless you. In the time to come I, in my glory, will bless you. So it is written “May the Lord bless you from Zion, He Who made heaven and earth.” (Psalms 134:3)
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Midrash Tanchuma

God’s way is not man’s way. As long as a man’s friend lives, his friendship for him continues, but after his friend’s death, his concern for him ceases. The Holy One, blessed be He, however, does not act in that manner. When Abraham died, the Holy One, blessed be He, continued to love his son Isaac, as it is said: And it came to pass after the death of Abraham that God blessed Isaac, his son (ibid. 25:11). It may happen that a king bestows gifts of silver, gold, and raiment upon his friend, and the friend then sails away. These possessions may be lost when a storm arises, and the king is powerless to protect him from the sea or from pirates. However, when the Holy One, blessed be He, presents a gift to his beloved one He guards it, as it is said: The Lord bless thee and guard thee (Num. 6:24). He blessed Abraham and guarded him, as it is said: And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things (Gen. 24:1). He acted similarly toward Isaac and Jacob.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Shir HaShirim Rabbah

“Behold the bed of Solomon: sixty valiant men surround it, from the valiant of Israel, each armed with a sword, trained in war; each man, a sword on his thigh, from fear in the nights” (Song of Songs 3:7–8).
“Behold the bed of Solomon: sixty valiant men surround it,” Rabbi Beivai in the name of Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Yosei interpreted the verse regarding the Priestly Benediction. “Behold the bed [mitato],” behold his tribes [matotav] and his clans, just as it says: “The oaths to the tribes [matot]” (Habakkuk 3:9); “of Solomon [Shlomo],” of the king [of Whom it may be said that] peace [shalom] is His; “sixty valiant men surround it,” these are the sixty letters in the Priestly Benediction; “from the valiant of Israel,” as they bolster Israel.
“Each armed with a sword,” Rabbi Azarya said: Matters that are blessed with Might,81Each blessing contains the name of the mighty God. “may the Lord bless you” (Numbers 6:24), “may the Lord shine” (Numbers 6:25), “may the Lord lift” (Numbers 6:26). “Trained in war,” as they battle all sorts of calamities that exist in the world. “Each man, a sword on his thigh from fear in the nights,” for even if a person sees in his dream a sword cutting his thigh, what shall he do? He shall go to the synagogue, recite Shema, pray his prayer, hear the Priestly Benediction, and answer amen after them, and no evil matter will harm him. Therefore, He cautions the sons of Aaron and says to them: “So you shall bless the children of Israel” (Numbers 6:23).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy

Bamidbar Rabbah

Available for Premium members only

Shir HaShirim Rabbah

Available for Premium members only

Midrash Tanchuma

Available for Premium members only

Midrash Tanchuma

Available for Premium members only

Midrash Tanchuma Buber

Available for Premium members only

Bamidbar Rabbah

Available for Premium members only

Midrash Tanchuma Buber

Available for Premium members only

Midrash Tanchuma

Available for Premium members only

Bamidbar Rabbah

Available for Premium members only

Sifra

Available for Premium members only

Vayikra Rabbah

Available for Premium members only

Sifrei Bamidbar

Available for Premium members only
Previous VerseFull ChapterNext Verse