Les Psaumes 147:19 Midrash : Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma & Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael

(Lev. 26:3:) IF YOU WALK IN MY STATUTES (huqqim)…. This text is related (to Job 14:5): IF HIS DAYS ARE DETERMINED, [THE NUMBER OF HIS MONTHS IS WITH YOU; YOU HAVE SET LIMITS (huqqim) THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS]. What is the meaning of IF HIS DAYS ARE DETERMINED?¹Tanh., Lev. 10:1. When the Holy One created the world, he determined the days of each and every one, as stated (in Gen. 1:14): AND LET THEM BE FOR SIGNS, SEASONS, [DAYS, AND YEARS]. Now to whom did he give them? To Israel, as stated (in Ps. 147:19): HE DECLARES HIS WORDS TO JACOB, [HIS STATUTES (huqqim) AND HIS ORDINANCES TO ISRAEL]. (Job 14:5, cont.:) THE NUMBER OF HIS MONTHS IS WITH YOU; YOU HAVE SET HIS LIMITS (huqqim). The Holy One said to Israel: If you have carried out {his} [my] statutes (huqqim), the Adversary (Satan) shall not touch you, although it is stated (of Death in Is. 28:19): AS OFTEN AS HE TRANSGRESSES, HE SHALL SEIZE YOU.²Buber has noted the amplified, more understandable parallel in Tanh., Lev. 10:1: The Holy One said to Israel: “If you have carried out my statutes (huqqim), the Adversary shall not touch you, as stated (in Job 14:5): THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS. But if you do not carry out my statutes (huqqim), then the Adversary shall touch you, as stated (in Is. 28:19): AS OFTEN AS HE TRANSGRESSES, HE SHALL SEIZE YOU.” In other words, Israel is safe from the death-dealing Adversary as long as the statutory limits (huqqim) remain intact through Israel’s observance of them. (Job 14:5, cont.:) YOU HAVE SET HIS LIMITS (huqqim) THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS. I said so to Solomon, when he asked for wisdom. And what did I say to him? (I Kings 3:13:) I HAVE ALSO GRANTED YOU WHAT YOU DID NOT ASK, BOTH RICHES AND HONOR. So if you fulfill the Torah, the angel of death shall not touch you, as stated to him (in I Kings 3:14): THEN I WILL LENGTHEN YOUR DAYS. (Job 14:5:) YOU HAVE SET LIMITS (huqqim) THAT HE SHALL NOT TRANSGRESS…. If the first Adam had observed the Torah, the ordinances that I gave him, he would not have died. Therefore, it is written (in Lev. 26:3:) IF YOU WALK IN MY STATUTES (huqqim)….

(Deut. 16:18:) <YOU SHALL APPOINT> JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS <FOR YOURSELVES IN ALL YOUR GATES¹In biblical times court was generally held at the town gate, perhaps in one of the rooms like those built into either side of Solomonic gates at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU FOR YOUR TRIBES, SO THAT THEY MAY JUDGE THE PEOPLE WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT>. This text is related (to Ps. 147:19): HE DECLARES HIS WORDS TO JACOB, HIS STATUTES AND HIS ORDINANCES TO ISRAEL. HIS WORDS are the words of Torah,²Tanh., Deut. 5:1. HIS STATUTES are the expositions (midrsahot), AND HIS ORDINANCES are the judgments [TO ISRAEL]. The Holy One gave the Torah and the judgments to no one but TO ISRAEL alone. And where is it shown? You learn that when Israel and a star-worshiping gentile have a dispute with each other, it is forbidden for Israel to say to the gentile (goy): Go with me to your courts,³Arka’ot; cf. Gk.: archai (“authorities”) or [archeia (“town offices”). because he would be transgressing a prohibition, since it is stated (in Ps. 147:20): HE HAS NOT DONE SO FOR ANY NATION (goy); AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM. But were not the peoples of the world commanded concerning litigations, since that is one of the seven commandments of the children of Noah?⁴Cf. I Corinthians 6:1–6. So what is the significance of (Ibid.): AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM? These are the fine points of the law (din). So this is what we teach (in Sanh. 5:2): ONCE UPON A TIME BEN ZAKKAY CROSS-EXAMINED <WITNESSES> ON FIG STEMS.⁵The gemara (Sanh. 41a) explains that a capital offense was involved. Now the children of Noah are put to death on the evidence of a single witness, with a single judge, and without a warning. <That is> something which does not exist in Israel, since there are three judges in property cases, and there are twenty-three judges in capital cases.⁶Sanh. 4:1. Moreover, it is written (in Deut. 19:15): A SINGLE WITNESS SHALL NOT BE VALID AGAINST A PERSON…. <ONLY> ON THE EVIDENCE OF TWO <OR THREE> WITNESSES <SHALL A CASE BE VALID>. So there must be an investigation and an inquiry. How do they examine the witnesses? They bring them in and solemnly forewarn them. Then they would examine them again with seven inquiries:⁷Sanh. 5:1. 1. In what week,⁸I.e., week of years, Sabbatical year of the Jubilee cycle. 2. In what year? 3. in what month? 4. On what <day> of the month? 5. On what day (of the week)?⁹Cf. Sanh. 5:1 and Tanh., Deut. 5:1, both of which add here: In what hour? 6. In what place? 7. Have you forewarned him?¹⁰This last query is one of various supplemental questions listed in Sanh. 5:1 and Tanh., Deut. 5:1. And so you find among the leaders¹¹Parnas. Cf. Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”, “those who take forethought”). of Israel that they were praised only for their judging.¹²I.e., in various summary statements about Israel’s leaders, e.g., Judges 4:4; 10:2, 3; 12:7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14; 15:20; 16:31; I Sam. 4:18; 7:6, 15–17; 8:1, 5–6, 20; I Kings 3:9, it is the fact that they judged Israel that is specifically mentioned. This fact may not always be obvious in modern translations, because they do not always render ShPT as “judge” but by other English verbs, such as “govern” or “rule.” It is written concerning Samuel (in I Sam. 7:6): AND HE WENT ON A CIRCUIT YEAR BY YEAR <TO BETHEL, <GILGAL, AND MIZPAH;> AND HE JUDGED ISRAEL <IN ALL THOSE PLACES>. And David also was praised only for his judging, as stated (in I Chron. 18:14 // II Sam. 8:15): AND {DAVID}¹³The only difference between the versions of Chronicles and Samuel is that the name DAVID, which Buber chooses to bracket, appears only in the Samuel version. ADMINISTERED JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS TO ALL HIS PEOPLE.

(Lev. 26:3:) “If [you walk] in My statutes (huqqim).” This text is related (to Job 14:5), “If his days are determined, the number of his months is with You; You have set limits (huqqim) that he shall not pass.” What is the meaning of “If his days are determined?” When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He determined the days of each and every one, as stated (in Gen. 1:14), “and let them be for signs, seasons, days, and years.” Now to whom did He give them? To Israel, as stated (in Ps. 147:19), “He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes (huqqim) and His ordinances to Israel.” (Job 14:5, cont.:) “The number of his months is with You; You have set his limits (huqqim) that he shall not pass.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel. “If you have carried out My statutes (huqqim), the adversary (Satan) shall not touch you, as stated, ‘that he shall not pass.’ But if you do not carry out My statutes, behold that the adversary will touch you, as stated (of death in Is. 28:19), ‘As often as he passes, he shall seize you.’¹In other words, Israel is safe from the death-dealing Adversary as long as the statutory limits (huqqim) remain intact through Israel’s observance of them. I said so to Solomon, when he asked for wisdom. And what did I say to him? (I Kings 3:13:) ‘I have also granted you what you did not ask, both riches and honor.’ So if you fulfill the Torah, the angel of death shall not touch you, as stated to him (in I Kings 3:14), ‘If you go in My ways to fulfill My statutes and My commandments as David your father did, [then I will lengthen your days].’” Ergo, (in Job 14:5) “You have set limits (huqqim) that he shall not pass….” If the first Adam had observed the Torah and the commandments that I gave him, he would not have died. Therefore, it is written (in Lev. 26:3) “If you walk in My statutes (huqqim)….”