Midrash sobre I Reyes 7:2

(Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed, the one belonging to Solomon (rt.: shlm), with sixty warriors around it […].” What reason did Solomon (rt.: shlm), have to be concerned with a bed?⁵¹Cant. R. 3:7:2, 4. When it said, “There is his bed,” it is simply that [the verse] was only concerned with the King to whom peace (rt.: shlm) belongs (God). (Ibid.:) “There is his bed.” This is the Temple.⁵²Numb. R. 11:3. But why was the Temple compared to a bed? It is simply that just as a bed is only for being fruitful and multiplying, so it was with the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying, as stated (in I Kings 8:8 = II Chron. 5:9), “The poles grew long.”⁵³This literal interpretation of the Hebrew text was seen to imply that the poles miraculously lengthened while within the Temple. See Tanh., Exod. 7:11. It also says (in II Chron. 3:6), “the gold was gold from Parvaim (as if from prh),” which produced fruit (rt.: prh). And so it says (in I Kings 7:2), “And he built the house of the Forest of Lebanon.” Why was it compared to a forest? Just as a forest is fruitful and multiplies, so it is in the case of the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying. It is therefore stated (in Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed.” (Ibid., cont.:) “With sixty warriors.” These are the sixty letters that are in the priestly blessing (in Numb. 6:24-26). (Cant. 3:8:) “All of them equipped with a sword,” because in each and every [verse of the priestly blessing] the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned, “The Lord⁵⁴This translation follows the common practice of substituting THE LORD for the Divine Name. bless you […]; The Lord make [His face] shine […]; The Lord lift up [His face …].” (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) “Each with his sword on his thigh.” What is the reason for the thigh to be mentioned here? Simply that, even if one sees in his dream a sword being drawn, placed over his neck, and [then] cutting off his thigh, he rises early in the morning and goes to the synagogue,⁵⁵There may be an allusion here to circumcision. See Numb. R. 11:3; Cant. R. 3:7:4. from the fear [of what] he saw at night in his dream; then [when] he sees the priests raising their hands, the bad dream is cancelled from him. It is therefore stated (Cant. 3:8, cont.), “because of fear at night.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless My children, as stated (in Numb. 6:23), “Thus shall you bless [the Children of Israel].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In the past I needed to bless My creatures.⁵⁶Above, Gen. 3:5; Tanh., Gen. 3:4; Numb. 2:9, cont.; Numb. R. 11:2; PRK 31 (suppl. 1):11. I blessed the first Adam and his wife, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), ‘Then God blessed them.’ I blessed Noah and his children, as stated (in Gen. 9:1), ‘Then God blessed Noah and his children.’ I blessed Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 24:1), ‘and the Lord had blessed Abraham in everything.’” [Then] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, “From now on behold, the blessings are being delivered to you.” Thus it is stated (in Gen. 12:2), “and you are to be a blessing.” Abraham begot two [children], Ishmael and Isaac, but he did not bless them. A parable:⁵⁷Gen. R. 61:6. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard⁵⁸Pardes. Cf. the Gk.: paradeisos. [and] gave it to a tenant. Now in the midst of that orchard was one tree with an elixir of life…. Then Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes, as stated (in Gen. 49:28), “All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what [their father] spoke to them [when he blessed them…].” From now on, said the Holy One, blessed be He, behold, the blessings are being delivered to you; and the priests will bless Israel.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS. This text is related (to Cant. 3:7): THERE IS HIS BED, THE ONE BELONGING TO SOLOMON (rt.: ShLM), WITH SIXTY WARRIORS AROUND IT. What reason did <the author of Canticles, i.e.,> Solomon (rt.: ShLM), have to be concerned with a with a bed?⁶⁰Tanh., Numb. 2:9; Cant. R. 3:7:2, 4. When it said: THERE IS HIS BED, it is simply that <the verse> was only concerned with the king to whom peace (rt.: ShLM) belonged. (Ibid.:) THERE IS HIS BED. This is the Temple.⁶¹Numb. R. 11:3. But why was the Temple compared to a bed? It is simply that just as a bed is only for being fruitful and multiplying, so it was with the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying, as stated (in I Kings 8:8 = II Chron. 5:9): THE POLES GREW SO LONG.⁶²This literal interpretation of the Hebrew text was seen to imply that the poles miraculously lengthened while within the Temple. See Tanh., Exod. 7:11. It also says (in II Chron. 3:6): THE GOLD WAS GOLD FROM PARVAIM (as if from PRH), which produced fruit (rt.: PRH). And so it says (in I Kings 7:2): AND HE BUILT THE HOUSE OF THE FOREST OF LEBANON. Why was it compared to a forest? Just as a forest is fruitful and multiplies, so it is in the case of the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying. It is therefore stated (in Cant. 3:7): THERE IS HIS BED. (Ibid., cont.:) WITH SIXTY WARRIORS. These are the sixty letters that are in the priestly blessing (in Numb. 6:24–26). (Cant. 3:8:) ALL OF THEM EQUIPPED WITH A SWORD, because in each and every <verse of the priestly blessing> the name of the Holy One is mentioned: THE LORD⁶³This translation follows the common practice of substituting THE LORD for the Divine Name. BLESS YOU <…>; THE LORD MAKE <HIS FACE> SHINE< … >; THE LORD LIFT UP HIS <FACE … >. (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) EACH WITH HIS SWORD ON HIS THIGH. What is the reason for the thigh to be mentioned here? simply that, even if one sees in his dream a sword being drawn, placed over his neck, and <then> cutting off his thigh, he rises early in the morning and goes to the synagogue.⁶⁴There may be an allusion here to circumcision. See Numb. R. 11:3; Cant. R. 3:7:4. On the symbolic use of the sword, cf. also Ephesians 6:17. (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) BECAUSE OF FEAR AT NIGHT, <i.e.,> because of a fear which he saw in his dream at night. Then <when> he sees the priests raising their hands, the bad dream passes away from him. It is therefore stated: BECAUSE OF FEAR AT NIGHT. Therefore the holy one told moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless my children, as stated (in numb. 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS [THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL].

In that hour the pages of Esther came and took Haman to the banquet which she had prepared on the sixteenth of Nisan. When they had eaten and taken (wine) the king said to Esther: "What is thy petition, queen Esther? and it shall be granted thee; and what is thy request?" (Esth. 7:2). She said to him: My lord, O king! I ask nought of thee, except my life, and my people. Because one man has come and has bought us to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish. "But if we had been sold for bondmen and bondwomen, I had held my peace" (Esth. 7:4). The king said to her: Who is this man? She answered him: This one is the wicked Haman, as it is said, "And Esther said, An adversary and an enemy, even this wicked Haman" (Esth. 7:6). "The king arose in his wrath" (Esth. 7:7). What did the angel Michael do? He began to cut down the plants in his presence. || Intense wrath was kindled within him, and the king returned from the palace garden to the place of the banquet of wine. What did the angel Michael do? He lifted up Haman from Esther. The king exclaimed: As for this villain, he is not satisfied with having purchased the people of Esther to destroy, to slay, and to cause to perish, but he must needs come upon her! "Will he even force the queen before me in the house?" (Esth. 7:8). Haman heard this word and his countenance fell, as it is said, "They covered Haman's face" (ibid.). And the king commanded that he should be hanged on the gallows. What did Elijah, his memory be a blessing, do? He assumed the guise of Harbonah, one of the chamberlains of the king. He said to him: My lord, O king! There is a tree in Haman's house (taken) from the Holy of Holies, fifty cubits high. Whence do we know that it was from the Holy of Holies? Because it is said, "And he built the house of the forest of Lebanon" (1 Kings 7:2). Forthwith the king commanded that he should be hanged thereon, as it is said, "And (the king) said, Hang him thereon" (Esth. 7:9), so as to fulfil that which is said, "Let a beam be pulled out from his house, and let him be lifted up and fastened thereon; and let his house be made a dunghill for this" (Ezra 6:11). And it says, "So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai" (Esth. 7:10). The king took all that belonged to Haman and gave it to Mordecai and to Esther. He said to them: Write concerning the Jews as seems good in your eyes in the name of the king. They wrote official letters, and they sent throughout all the provinces to destroy, to slay, || and to cause all the enemies of the Jews to perish on the thirteenth of the month of Adar, on the third day in the constellation of Leo. Just as the lion is the king over all the beasts, and he turns his gaze towards any place as he wishes; likewise did he think fit, and he turned his face to destroy and to slay all the enemies of Israel, as it is said, "In the day that the enemies of the Jews hoped to have rule over them" (Esth. 9:1).