Les Psaumes 61:3 Midrash : Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Midrash Tehillim

Another interpretation (of Deut. 3:23), “I besought [the Lord].” This text is related (to Is. 30:19), “Indeed, O people in Zion, inhabitants of Jerusalem, you shall surely weep no more, He will surely show you compassion (rt.: hnn)]….” What is written above the matter (in Deut. 3:12)? “And its cities I gave to the Reubenites [and to the Gadites].” Moses taught [all] who come into the world that one should not say that, whereas he is dangerously ill, has made a will¹³Gk.: diatheke. and divided all that he has; he should not say that whereas he has made a will, he will no longer pray. Rather he should pray, because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not disqualify the prayer of [any] creature. See here. Moses made a will, as stated (in Deut. 23:12-21), “and its cities I gave to the Reubenites and to the Gadites [….] Yair ben Manasseh received […]. To Machir I gave Gilead. And to the Reubenites and the Gadites I gave […]. Then I charged you at that time, saying [...]. I also charged Joshua at that time], saying.” Ergo, [Moses made] a will. Lest you say, “He ceased and did not pray,” the text reads (in Deut. 3:23) “I besought the Lord.” (Deut. 3:23:) “I besought the Lord.” For what? That he should enter the land. This text is related (to Ps. 61:2), “Hear my song of prayer, O God”; (Ps. 55:2) “Do not hide yourself from my beseeching.” He said to him, “What do you want.” He said to him (in vs. 3) “From the end of the earth (which can also be read as land), I call unto You when my heart is faint.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Deut. 3:26), “Enough from you; do not [ever speak unto Me on this matter] again.” Moses said to him, “Master of the universe, You addressed me as, ‘My servant Moses,’ as stated (in Numb. 12:7), ‘Not so with My servant ('eved) Moses.’ I am a servant ('eved), and Leviathan is a servant ('eved). I act the suppliant before You, and he acts the suppliant before You, as stated (in Job 40:27), ‘Will he make many supplications unto you?’ The supplication of Leviathan You hear; for You have made a covenant with him and sustain him, as stated (in Job 40:28), ‘Will he make a covenant with You for You to take him as Your servant ('eved) forever?’¹⁴The standard translation of You here is that it referring to Job and not to God. But the midrash understands it otherwise. Now I am Your servant ('eved), You have said to me (in Exod. 34:10), ‘I hereby make a covenant….’ But You have not carried it out. Instead you have said to me (in Deut. 32:50), ‘And you shall die on the mountain that you [are ascending]….’ And not only that, but you have written in the Torah and said (in Exod. 21:5), ‘But if the slave ('eved) says, “I love [my master],”’ yet I loved You, and Your Torah and Your children, ‘I will not go away a free person,’ I do not wish to die. (Exod. 21:6:) ‘Then his master shall bring him [before God] …, and he shall serve him forever.’ But You have not carried it out with me. So now please, (Ps. 61:2) ‘Hear my song of prayer, O God’; (Ps. 55:2) ‘Do not hide yourself from my beseeching.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, (Deut. 3:26) “’Enough from you!’ The litigant against you has already made a decision over you that you and all creatures like you are to die. When the first Adam ate from the tree, he caused death for all.”

(Deut. 3:23:) I BESOUGHT THE LORD. For what? That he should enter the land. This text is related (to Ps. 61:2 [1]): HEAR {A JUST CAUSE}[MY SONG OF PRAYER],¹⁷Buber in a note suggests that there is a confusion here with Ps. 17:1. O GOD. He said to him: What do you want. He said to him (in vs. 3) FROM THE END OF THE EARTH I CALL UNTO YOU WHEN MY HEART IS FAINT. <LEAD ME TO A ROCK THAT IS HIGHER THAN I.> The Holy One said to him (in Deut. 3:26): ENOUGH FROM YOU! DO NOT <EVER SPEAK UNTO ME ON THIS MATTER> AGAIN. [Moses said to him:] Sovereign of the World, you addressed me as MY SERVANT MOSES (in Numb. 12:7): NOT SO WITH MY SERVANT ('eved) MOSES. I am a servant ('eved), and Leviathan is a servant ('eved). I act the suppliant before you, and he acts the suppliant before you, as stated (in Job 40:27 [41:3]): WILL HE MAKE MANY SUPPLICATIONS UNTO YOU? The supplication of Leviathan you hear, for you have made a covenant with him and sustain him, as stated (in Job 40:28 [41:4]): WILL HE MAKE A COVENANT WITH YOU FOR YOU TO TAKE HIM AS YOUR SERVANT ('eved) FOREVER? Now I am your servant ('eved), you have said to me (in Exod. 34:10): I HEREBY MAKE A COVENANT. But you have not carried it out. Instead you have said to me (in Deut. 32:50): AND YOU SHALL DIE ON THE MOUNTAIN <THAT YOU ARE ASCENDING>…. And not only that, but you have written in the Torah and said (in Exod. 21:5–6): BUT IF THE SLAVE ('eved) SAYS: I LOVE MY MASTER, <MY WIFE, AND MY CHILDREN>; I WILL NOT GO AWAY A FREE PERSON. THEN HIS MASTER SHALL BRING HIM BEFORE GOD, AND HE SHALL BRING HIM UNTO THE DOOR OR UNTO THE DOORPOST, WHERE HIS MASTER SHALL PIERCE HIS EAR WITH AN AWL, AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER. > Now I love you and I love your children; (in accord with Exod. 21:5) I WILL NOT GO AWAY A FREE PERSON. I do not want to die. (Exod. 21:6:) THEN HIS MASTER SHALL BRING HIM BEFORE GOD …, AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOREVER. But you have not carried it out with me. So now please, (Ps. 61:2 [1]:) HEAR MY SONG OF PRAYER, O GOD. (Ps. 55:2 [1]:) DO NOT HIDE YOURSELF FROM MY BESEECHING. The Holy One said to me: Impossible! (Deut. 3:26:) ENOUGH FROM YOU! The litigant against you (Satan) has already made a decision over you that you and all creatures like you are to die.

Thereupon Noah cursed his seed, saying: Cursed be Canaan (Gen. 9:25). Because Ham had glanced at his naked father, his eyes became red. Because he related (what he had seen) to others with his mouth, his lips became twisted. Because he turned his face away (ignored his father’s condition), the hair of his head and beard was singed. And because he neglected to cover his naked father, he went about naked, with his prepuce extended. This happened to him because the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts retribution measure for measure. Nevertheless, the Holy One, blessed be He, relented and had mercy upon him, for His tender mercies are over all His works (Ps. 145:9). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Inasmuch as he caused himself to be sold into slavery,²⁰His penalty for his actions: A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers (Gen. 9:25). let him go free because of the eye that sees and the mouth that speaks. Hence, the law states: A slave must be freed because of the loss of a tooth or an eye, as it is written: And if a man smite the eye of his bondman, or the eye of his bondwoman, and destroy it, he shall let him go free for his eye’s sake. And if he smite out his bondman’s tooth, or his bondwoman’s tooth, he shall let him go free for his tooth’s sake (Exod. 21:26–27). May we not logically conclude a fortiori:²¹That is, kal va-homer (a conclusion drawn from a minor to a major), one of the hermeneutical rules for expounding the Written Law. If a servant, purchased with money, must be released from bondage if his master blinds him or knocks out his tooth, should not the seed blessed of the Lord (Isa. 65:23), the planting of the Lord that He might be glorified (Ps. 61:3), be freed after their deaths from their sins? Hence, free among the dead (Ps. 88:6), indicating that they should go free (from sin) with all their two hundred and forty-eight limbs.