Les Psaumes 78:29 Midrash : Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma & Bamidbar Rabbah

What is written above on the matter (in Exod. 17:8–16)? The downfall of Amalek. Then afterwards (comes Exod. 18:1): NOW JETHRO <PRIEST OF MIDIAN, MOSES' FATHER-IN-LAW>, HEARD <ALL THAT GOD HAD DONE FOR MOSES….> This text is related (to Prov. 19:25): BEAT THE SCOFFER, AND THE SIMPLETON WILL BECOME CLEVER.⁸PRK 3, at the beginning (according to some texts, including S. Buber’s edition; but cf. Wm. G. Braude, who in his translation of Pesikta de-Rab Kahana, p. 39, n. 1, expresses some doubt over whether the passage, which he numbers 3:a-e, belongs to this Pesiqta). (Ibid.:) BEAT THE SCOFFER. This is Amalek. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE SIMPLETON WILL BECOME CLEVER. This is Jethro. When Amalek fought with Israel, what is written (in Exod. 17:8)? THEN AMALEK CAME AND FOUGHT WITH ISRAEL AT REPHIDIM. What is the meaning of IN REPHIDIM (RPYDYM)? <It is so named> because their hands YDYM had let go (rt.: RPY)⁹In the Hebrew word order, the root rpy immediately precedes YDYM. of the commandments. And how had their hands let go? It is written (in vs. 7): AND THEY CALLED THE NAME OF THE PLACE MASSAH AND MERIBAH¹⁰MASSAH means “a testing,” and MERIBAH means “a contention.” < BECAUSE THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL WERE IN CONTENTION AND BECAUSE THEY TESTED THE LORD, SAYING: IS THE LORD PRESENT AMONG US OR NOT?>¹¹See Sanh. 106a; Bekh. 5b; cf. Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘, 7. He began to cry out: How long will you test me? How long will you contend with me? And Moses also cried out (in Exod. 17:2): WHY DO YOU CONTEND WITH ME? WHY DO YOU TEST THE LORD? And how did they test <him>? R. Judah and R. Nehemiah disagree.¹²Below, Deut. 6:15. R. Judah says: They murmured and said this: If he satisfies us with food [as a king who, when he enters a province where they praise him and honor him, satisfies them with food], we will serve him; but if not, we will not serve him. R. Nehemiah says: Israel said this: If he does what we need for us [as a king who, when he enters a province where they praise him and honor him, does for them everything they need], we will serve him; but if not, we will not serve him. And our masters have said this: They reflected and said: Here we are reflecting in our heart. If he knows what we are reflecting, we will serve him; but if not, we will not serve him. Thus it is stated [(in Exod. 17:7): <THEY TESTED THE LORD, SAYING: > IS THE LORD PRESENT AMONG US <OR NOT>?] R. Berekhyah said: They may have spoken in their heart, but the Holy One granted them their petition, as stated (in Ps. 78:18): THEY TESTED GOD IN THEIR HEART [BY ASKING FOOD FOR THEMSELVES.] What is written (in vs. 29): SO THEY ATE AND WERE VERY FULL. The Holy One said this: You reflected in your heart. By your life I am informing you: Here is Amalek before you, as stated (in Exod. 17:8): THEN AMALEK CAME.

R. Levi declared: This situation may be compared to a child that is being carried on his father’s shoulders. When he sees something that excites him he calls out: “Father, take me there.” The father carries him to that place, and then to another and finally to a third place, yet the child, on seeing another man approaching them, asks: “Have you seen my father?” His father calls out: “You have been riding on my shoulders, and wherever you wished to go I carried you, yet now you ask ‘Have you seen my father?’” He then put him down. Whereupon a dog rushed at the child and bit him. Similarly, when the Israelites left Egypt, He surrounded them with clouds of glory, and when they wanted bread, He sent them manna, as it is said: And He caused manna to rain upon them for food, and He gave them of the corn of heaven (Ps. 78:24). And when they wanted meat, He gave them quail, as it is stated: They asked and He brought quails (ibid. 105:40). That is why it says: He gave them that which they craved (ibid. 78:29). And though He gave them whatever they demanded, yet they asked: Is the Lord among us or not? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: This is what you have been thinking. Therefore, this dog will bite you. Hence, And Amalek came.

To what was Israel comparable?¹³Tanh., Exod. 5:4; Exod. R. 26:2; PRK, ibid. To one who rode on his father's shoulders. When he saw something he wanted and told his father to buy it for him, he bought it for him. <Again he did> so a second time, then a third time. As they were walking along, he saw a certain person to whom he said: Have you seen my father? [<His father> said to him: You ride on my shoulders, and whatever you desire I do for you. Now you say to him: Have you seen my father?] What did he do? He threw him off his shoulders. Then a dog came and bit him. So in the case of Israel, when Israel came forth from Egypt, he immediately enveloped them with clouds of glory. <When> they desired, the Holy One brought down manna for them. <When> they desired, he brought quail for them. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 78:29, cont.): SO HE BROUGHT THEM WHAT THEY CRAVED. He gave them everything they needed. They began to reflect and say (in Exod. 17:7): IS THE LORD PRESENT AMONG US OR NOT? The Holy One said to them: By your life, I am informing you. Behold, the dog is coming and biting you. And who is this <dog>? This is Amalek, as stated (in Exod. 17:8): THEN AMALEK CAME.