מַטֵּֽה־עֻזְּךָ֗ יִשְׁלַ֣ח יְ֭הוָה מִצִּיּ֑וֹן רְ֝דֵ֗ה בְּקֶ֣רֶב אֹיְבֶֽיךָ׃
L’Éternel étendra de Sion le sceptre de ta puissance: domine au milieu de tes ennemis.
Shemot Rabbah
“Then you shall say to Aaron: Take your staff” – that is what is written: “The staff of Your strength the Lord will send from Zion” (Psalms 110:2). The Holy One blessed be He subjugates the wicked only with a staff. Why? It is because they are likened to dogs, as it is stated: “They return in the evening, they howl like a dog” (Psalms 59:15); just as it is the way of a dog to be beaten with a staff, so too, they are beaten. That is why it is stated: “The staff of Your strength” – the Holy One blessed be He said: Pharaoh is wicked. If he says to you: “Provide a wonder for you,” beat him with a staff, as it is stated: “Say to Aaron: Take your staff” (Exodus 7:19).
Bamidbar Rabbah
"And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him a staff for each prince, a staff for each prince according to their father's houses, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron among their staffs (Number 17:21).
“It was on the next day, and Moses came into the Tent of the Testimony, and, behold, the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had blossomed, it had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud, and bore almonds” (Numbers 17:23).
“And Aaron’s staff” (Numbers 17:21) – some say it is the staff that was in Judah’s hand, as it is stated: “And the staff that is in your hand” (Genesis 38:18). And some say it is the staff that was in Moses’s hand and it blossomed on its own, as it is stated: “And behold, the staff of Aaron… had blossomed.”
Some say: Moses took one beam and cut it into twelve planks, and he said to them: ‘All of you take your staffs from one beam.’ Why did Moses do so? “Refraining from a quarrel is honor for a man, and every fool will be exposed” (Proverbs 20:3). It is so they would not say that his staff was moist and blossomed. The Holy One blessed be He decreed regarding the staff, and the ineffable name that appeared on the frontplate [tzitz] was found upon it, as it is stated: “It had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud [tzitz]” (Numbers 17:23). It blossomed that night and produced a fruit, “and boree almonds [vayigmol shekedim]” (Numbers 17:23). It repaid [gamal] everyone who had striven [shoked] against the tribe of Levi. Why almonds and not pomegranates and not nuts? It is because Israel was likened to them.89Israel was likened to pomegranates and nuts, and what happened to Aaron’s staff was meant as an admonition for the people of Israel.
That staff was in the hand of each and every king until the Temple was destroyed, and it was sequestered. And that staff is destined to be in the hand of the messianic king soon, in our day, as it is stated: “The Lord will send your rod of strength from Zion; rule in the midst of your enemies” (Psalms 110:2).
“It was on the next day, and Moses came into the Tent of the Testimony, and, behold, the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had blossomed, it had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud, and bore almonds” (Numbers 17:23).
“And Aaron’s staff” (Numbers 17:21) – some say it is the staff that was in Judah’s hand, as it is stated: “And the staff that is in your hand” (Genesis 38:18). And some say it is the staff that was in Moses’s hand and it blossomed on its own, as it is stated: “And behold, the staff of Aaron… had blossomed.”
Some say: Moses took one beam and cut it into twelve planks, and he said to them: ‘All of you take your staffs from one beam.’ Why did Moses do so? “Refraining from a quarrel is honor for a man, and every fool will be exposed” (Proverbs 20:3). It is so they would not say that his staff was moist and blossomed. The Holy One blessed be He decreed regarding the staff, and the ineffable name that appeared on the frontplate [tzitz] was found upon it, as it is stated: “It had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud [tzitz]” (Numbers 17:23). It blossomed that night and produced a fruit, “and boree almonds [vayigmol shekedim]” (Numbers 17:23). It repaid [gamal] everyone who had striven [shoked] against the tribe of Levi. Why almonds and not pomegranates and not nuts? It is because Israel was likened to them.89Israel was likened to pomegranates and nuts, and what happened to Aaron’s staff was meant as an admonition for the people of Israel.
That staff was in the hand of each and every king until the Temple was destroyed, and it was sequestered. And that staff is destined to be in the hand of the messianic king soon, in our day, as it is stated: “The Lord will send your rod of strength from Zion; rule in the midst of your enemies” (Psalms 110:2).
Aggadat Bereshit
Chapter 24: Writings [1] A Psalm of David. The Lord says to my lord: "Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies a footstool for Your feet." (Psalm 110:1) "Your right hand, O Lord, is majestic in power" (Exodus 15:6). Everywhere you find the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, it is a symbol of protection for Israel. This can be compared to a king's son who had a protector. Whenever the prince conducted business, he spoke through the protector. Eventually, the king appointed the protector as an official, and he conducted business for his own son. The prince said to his father, "Allow me to conduct my own business." The father replied, "I cannot take away your protector, but I will release him to you, and then you may conduct your own business." Similarly, the protector of Israel is the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He. When God was supposedly angry with Israel, He turned His back to them, as it is said, "He has withdrawn His right hand" (Lamentations 2:3). When Israel asked for God's help in winning a judgment, He restored His right hand to its place and said to them, "This is how I will act, as it is said, 'The Lord says to my lord: "Sit at My right hand" (Psalm 110:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, says, The Lord said, "In the beginning, the Torah was seated at my right hand, as it is written 'From His right hand went a fiery law for them.'" (Deuteronomy 33:2) (Legends of the Jews 1:1:2), and Abraham performed it out of his love for Me, as it is said, 'Because I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment' (Genesis 18:19). The Torah remained in its place, as it is said, 'Sit at My right hand.' Alternatively, righteousness rests on My right hand, as it is said, 'Your right hand is full of righteousness' (Psalm 48:11), and Abraham performed it out of his love for Me, as it is said, 'For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice' (Genesis 18:19). Therefore, let righteousness return to its place, as it is said, 'Sit at My right hand; the Lord will extend Your mighty scepter from Zion' (Psalm 110:2)."