La Genèse 5:22 Midrash : Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Midrash Tehillim, Midrash Tanchuma & Vayikra Rabbah

Adam handed on the tradition to Enoch, who was initiated in the principle of intercalation, and he intercalated the year, as it is said, "And Enoch walked with God" (Gen. 5:22). Enoch walked in the ways of the calculation concerning the world which God had delivered to Adam. And Enoch delivered the principle of intercalation to Noah, and he was initiated in the principle of intercalation, and he intercalated the year, as it is said, "While the earth remaineth, seed-time and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter" (Gen. 8:22). "Seed-time" refers to the Teḳuphah of Tishri, "harvest" refers to the Teḳuphah of Nisan, "cold" refers to the Teḳuphah of Ṭebeth, and "heat" refers to the Teḳuphah of Tammuz; "summer" is in its season and "winter" is in its season.

"You rebuked nations. This refers to Amalek, as it is said (Numbers 24:20), 'Amalek was the first of the nations.' You destroyed the wicked. This refers to Esau, the wicked one, as it is said (Malachi 1:4), 'They will call them the border of wickedness.' He committed five sins in one day: he had relations with a betrothed woman, committed murder, denied the resurrection of the dead, denied God's sovereignty, and showed contempt for the birthright. Their name shall be blotted out, as it is said (Exodus 17:14), 'I will utterly blot out the remembrance of Amalek.' Rabbi Levi said: It is written (Genesis 25:23), 'Two nations are in your womb.' What did [God] say to her [Rebecca]? 'Two governments are in your womb.' I reveal to you what is hidden: 'The first of the nations shall emerge from you,' as it is said (Jeremiah 2:3), 'Israel is the holy first fruits of his harvest.' Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua: God never needed to rely on an intimate relationship with a woman, except for that righteous woman [Rebecca], and even she was only through the medium of an angel. Rabbi said in the name of Rabbi Yose: It was through the name of Noah's son that [Rebecca] was blessed. 'Two nations are in your womb' - I [God] made seventy nations from [Noah's three sons], as it is said (Genesis 10:19), 'These are the three sons of Noah, and from these the whole earth was populated.' How? Japheth had fourteen descendants, Gog and Magog had thirty, and Ham had thirty. That makes seventy. (Genesis 10:5) 'From these the isles of the nations were separated.' 'And two nations are in your womb' - I will make from one [nation], seventy souls, and they will be fruitful and multiply. Another interpretation of 'two nations' is that one is proud of his wealth, and the other is proud of his royalty: Edom among the nations and Solomon among Israel." Another matter, two nations whose hatred is embedded in your womb, all hate Esau and all hate Jacob. Another matter, two nations that hate each other. They will separate from your womb. From this, we learn that Jacob was born circumcised and uncircumcised. He is one of the thirteen who were born circumcised. Adam, the first man, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah, Shem, Terah, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah were all born circumcised. Adam was at the beginning of the creation of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated, "And he begot in his likeness, after his image" (Genesis 5:3). Enoch, as it is stated, "And Enoch walked with God" (Genesis 5:24). And it is stated, "Noah walked with God" (Genesis 6:9). Noah, as it is stated, "Noah was a righteous man" (Genesis 6:9). Shem, as it is stated, "These are the generations of Shem" (Genesis 11:10). Whoever had his name repeated was born circumcised, such as Shem, Shem, Noah, Noah, Terah, Terah. Jacob, as it is stated, "And Jacob was a straightforward man" (Genesis 25:27). And it states, "Jacob, Jacob" (Genesis 46:2). Joseph, as it is stated, "These are the generations of Jacob, Joseph" (Genesis 37:2). This teaches us that he was born circumcised like him [Jacob]. Moses, as it is stated, "Moses, Moses" (Exodus 3:4). And it is stated, "And she saw that he was good" (Exodus 2:2). He was born circumcised. (Samuel I 3:10) (meaning Samuel IV, as it is written) Samuel, Samuel. Isaiah, as it is stated, "The Lord called me from the womb" (Isaiah 49:1). Jeremiah, as it is stated, "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you" (Jeremiah 1:5). David, as it is stated, "A golden Psalm of David" (Psalms 16:1). And much will the young servant serve. Rav Huna said, "If he merited, he will serve, and if not, he will not serve." And when David saw how Esau made Israel slaves, he said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Rebuke the nations who seek to destroy me" (Psalms 44:6).

(Numb. 4:18) “Do not cut off.” This text is related (to Nahum 1:7), “The Lord is good, a shelter in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” The nature of the Holy One, blessed be He, is unlike the nature of flesh and blood.¹³¹Numb. R. 5:3. In the case of a king of flesh and blood, when a province rebels against him, he acts against it with an indiscriminate punishment¹³²Gk.: androlempsia or androlepsia (“seizure of foreigners” in reprisal for murder committed abroad). and kills the good along with the bad. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like that. Rather, when a generation provokes Him, He saves the righteous and destroys the wicked. The generation of Enosh sinned. He destroyed them but rescued Enoch, as stated (in Gen. 5:24), “And Enoch walked with God.” Why? (Nahum 1:7:) “[The Lord is good, a shelter] in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” The generation of the flood provoked Him. So He destroyed them, as stated (in Gen. 7:23), “And He blotted out all existence”; but He rescued Noah, as stated (in Gen. 6:8), “And Noah found favor [in the eyes of the Lord].” And similarly with the Sodomites, He destroyed them, as stated (in Gen. 19:24), “Then the Lord rained down upon Sodom”; but He rescued Lot, as stated (in vs. 29), “and sent Lot away.” He brought darkness upon the Egyptians, but (according to Exod. 10:23) “all the Children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Why? (Nahum 1:7:) “[The Lord is good, a shelter] in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” They went forth from Egypt and came to the desert. [There] they committed that deed (i.e., the incident of the golden calf), [all] except for the tribe of Levi. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 32:26), “[So Moses stood up in the gate of the camp and said,] ‘Whoever is for the Lord, to me!’ And all of the sons of Levi gathered to him.” [What is the meaning of “Whoever is for the Lord?”] Whoever (in Exod. 32:3) has not given a ring for the calf, let him come unto me. [To him] the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Nahum 1:7), “[The Lord is good, a shelter] in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” Moshe immediately arose and killed the sinners, as stated (Exodus 32:28), “And the Children of Levi did like the word of Moses.” With reference to the tribe of Levi, however, which gave their lives for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, He thus said to Moses and Aaron (in Numb. 4:18), “Do not cut off….” And so He says in another place (i.e., in Numb. 3:15), “Enroll the Children of Levi.” But He has also said (in Numb. 1:49), “However, you shall not enroll the tribe of Levi.” Why? In order to exclude them from the decree. As the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that Israel was going to provoke Him and said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses drop.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “The Children of Levi shall not be [part of] this decree, as stated (in Numb. 1:49, cont.), ‘nor shall you take a census of them as part of the Children of Israel.’ Why? Because they are Mine, as stated (Numb. 3:12), ‘and the Levites shall be mine.’” Thus when anyone offers (rt.: qrb) a little of himself, they advance (rt.: qrb) him a lot. Now they had offered (rt.: qrb) themselves, when Moses said (in Exod. 32:26), “Whoever is for the Lord, to me!” And not only that, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said (according to Numb. 1:50) “You shall enroll the Levites to be over the tabernacle of the testimony.” Thus when someone is tested in [one] area and found trustworthy, the Holy One, blessed be He, trusts him forever; for so you find in the case of Joshua.¹³³Numb. R. 1:12. When he was tested with Amalek, he prevailed against him according to the law and according to the commandment. It is so stated (in Exod. 17:13), “And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “From your tribe (Ephraim) I am raising up one to exact punishment from Amalek, as stated (in Jud. 5:14), “Out of Ephraim came those whose root is in Amalek….” What is the meaning of out of (mny) Ephraim? He appointed (mnh) Ephraim alone to destroy the seed of Amalek. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (ibid., cont.), “’After you, Benjamin with your peoples,’ [i.e.,] leave him for Saul ben Kish, the Benjamite; he will uproot him.” Another interpretation (of Jud. 5:14), “Out of Ephraim.” Saul was tested and found untrustworthy in his commission. Rather (according to I Sam. 15:9), “But Saul and the people spared Agag.” He put him back after him (i.e., behind Ephraim, the tribe of Joshua and Samuel) and the kingdom was taken from him, as stated (in Jud. 5:14), “after you (i.e., Ephraim), Benjamin with your peoples.” And I have also tested this tribe (of Levi), and they have been found to be preserving My honor; for they have given their life for the sanctification of My name (in Exod. 32:27-28), “Let each one put his sword on his thigh [….] So the Children of Levi acted according to the word of Moses,” and they did not show favoritism. Therefore, Moses blesses them and says to them (in Deut. 33:9), “Who says of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them […].’” And [so] I am also advancing him and making him My imperial agent.¹³⁴Lat.: frumentarius (“grain dealer”). and I am entrusting him with My house and My sanctity, as stated (in Numb. 1:50), “But you shall enroll the Levites to be over the tabernacle of the testimony….” And what was it that I told you (in vs. 49)? “However, you shall not enroll the tribe of Levi.” [This prohibition] was to exempt them from the decree which I was going to pronounce over Israel. It is simply that I am allotting them great honor. When you number them, [number them] by themselves through the Divine utterance (in Numb. 3:15), “Enroll the Children of Levi.” Now if I have honored the Levites, who bear the tabernacle, how much the more so in the case of the Children of Kohath, who bear the ark, [as stated] (in Numb. 3:31), “And their duties included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, [….]” He therefore said to them (in Numb. 4:18), “Do not cut off [the tribe of the Kohathite families from the Levites].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “And if because the Children of Kohath have feared Me, I have allotted glory to them and to their children; then [I will honor] whoever stands in awe of Me and not cut off his name from the world.”¹³⁵Numb. R. 5:9. From whom do you learn this? From the children of Jonadab ben Rechab. Since they did his will, what is stated about them? (Jer. 35:19), “Someone belonging to Jonadab ben Rechab shall not be cut off from standing before Me forever.” And if in the case of those who are proselytes, because they have done My will, I have done likewise for them (i.e., what they want); in the case of Israel, when they are doing My will, how much the more shall they neither be cut off nor have their name be erased from before Me? Rather, they shall live and abide forever and ever and ever, as stated (in Deut. 4:4), “But you who clung to the Lord your God are all alive today.”