Les Psaumes 91:7 Midrash : Bamidbar Rabbah, Midrash Tehillim, Midrash Tanchuma & Shemot Rabbah

“May the Lord bless you and protect you” (Numbers 6:24).
“May the Lord bless you and protect you” – with the protection with the blessing. A king of flesh and blood has a slave in Syria, but he resides in Rome. The king sent for him. He ascended and came to him [the king]. He gave him [the slave] one hundred litra of gold. He [the slave] loaded them and set out on the way. Robbers attacked him and took everything that he [the king] had given him and everything that he had with him. Could he [the king], perhaps, have protected him from the robbers? Therefore, “may the Lord bless you” with wealth, “and protect you” from the robbers.
Another matter: “May the Lord bless you” – with money, “and protect you” – so that you will not become the scapegoat²⁹The one to whom the government turns for payment of penalties incurred by all residents of the city. in your province, and that a penalty will not be imposed upon the province in which they say: Give us gold. Rather, may He bless you and protect you.
“May He bless you” – with sons; “and protect you” – with daughters, who require protection. “May He bless you” – with wealth, “and protect you” – that you will fulfill mitzvot with it.
“May the Lord bless you” with the blessing that is explicit in the Torah: “You shall be the most blessed of all the peoples…” (Deuteronomy 7:14); “blessed are you in the city…blessed is your basket…blessed are you upon your arrival” (Deuteronomy 28:3, 5–6); “all these blessings will come upon you…” (Deuteronomy 28:2). Rabbi Natan says: May he bless you regarding your belongings and protect you regarding your body. Rabbi Yitzḥak says: Is it not that if they are blessed they are protected and if they are protected they are blessed? Why does the verse state: “And protect you”? It is from the evil inclination, so that we will not cause you to depart from the world. Likewise it says: “For the Lord will be your hope and will protect your foot from being trapped” (Proverbs 3:26).
Another matter: “And protect you” – that others will not rule over you. Likewise it says: “By day the sun will not strike you” (Psalms 121:6); “Behold, [the Guardian of Israel] neither slumbers [nor sleeps]… The Lord is your guardian” (Psalms 121:4–5). “ The Lord will guard you from all evil… The Lord will guard your going…” (Psalms 121:7–8).
Another matter: “And protect you” – from the demons that surround you, as it is stated: “One thousand may fall at your side.… for He will charge His angels [to guard you in all your ways]” (Psalms 91:7, 11).
Another matter: “And protect you [veyishmerekha]” – He will observe [yishmor] for you the covenant of your patriarchs. Likewise it says: “The Lord your God will observe [veshamar] for you the covenant and the kindness regarding which He took an oath to your patriarchs” (Deuteronomy 7:12).
Another matter: “And protect you [veyishmerekha]” – He will keep [yishmor] the end of days for you. Likewise it says: “A prophecy of Duma: To me one calls from Seir…” (Isaiah 21:11).³⁰This is a prophecy about the end of days, and the continuation of the verse contains the word shomer.
Another matter: “And protect you” – He will protect your soul upon death. Likewise it says: “May the soul of my lord be bound in the bond [of life with the Lord your God]” (I Samuel 25:29). I hear regarding the righteous one and the wicked one? The verse states: “And the souls of your enemies may He cast away [as from a slingshot]” (I Samuel 25:29).
Another matter: “And protect you” – He will protect your feet from Gehenna. Likewise it says: “He protects the feet of His pious ones, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness” (I Samuel 2:9).
They are blessed and protected. From where is it derived that the Divine Presence is in their midst? The verse states: “May the Lord shine His countenance…” (Numbers 6:25). “May the Lord shine…” – may He give you of the light of the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “Arise, shine, [for your light has come]” (Isaiah 60:1), and it says: “Through Your light we see light” (Psalms 36:10), “The Lord is God; He has given us light” (Psalms 118:27).

“It was on the day that [Moses] concluded…” – that is what is written: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High” (Psalms 91:1). Rav Huna said in the name of Rav Idi: Who said this psalm? We were under the impression that Solomon came and said it, but it was none other than Moses who said it. That is what is written: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High” – this is Moses, who stayed in the shelter of the Most High, as he entered the cloud, which is the shelter of the Most High, just as it says: “Clouds are shelter for Him” (Job 22:14). Likewise, it is written: “Moses entered into the midst of the cloud” (Exodus 34:18), “Who rests in the shadow of the Almighty” (Psalms 91:1), as he rested there several nights, as it is stated: “He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights” Exodus 34:28), and he said: “I will say of the Lord: He is my shelter…” (Psalms 91:2).
Another matter: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High…” (Psalms 91:1) – Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Three matters Moses heard from the Holy One blessed be He and he recoiled backward. When He said to him: “Each man shall give a ransom for himself” (Exodus 30:12), Moses said: ‘Who can give a ransom for himself?’ “Skin for skin, everything that a man has he will give for his life” (Job 2:4), and it is still not sufficient, as it is stated: “A man can neither redeem his brother nor give God a ransom for him. The redemption of their lives is too costly [and can never be attained] (Psalms 49:8–9). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘I am not asking according to My ability, but rather, according to their ability’ – “this, they shall give” (Exodus 30:13). Rabbi Meir said: The Holy One blessed be He took a type of coin of fire from beneath the Throne of Glory and showed it to Moses. “This, they shall give” – like this they shall give.
Likewise, when the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Command the children of Israel…My offering, My food, for My fires, [My pleasing aroma, you shall take care to sacrifice to Me at its appointed time]” (Numbers 28:2), Moses said: Who can provide Him with offerings? Were we to sacrifice before Him all the beasts of the field and arrange all the trees of Lebanon, it would not be sufficient for Him, as it is stated: “Lebanon is not sufficient for kindling and its beasts are not sufficient for burnt offerings” (Isaiah 40:16). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘I am not asking according to My ability, but rather, according to their ability’; “You shall say to them: This is the fire offering [that you shall bring to the Lord: Unblemished lambs in the first year, two each day, a continual burnt offering]” (Numbers 28:3). Not both of them at the same time, but rather: “The one lamb you shall offer in the morning, [and the second lamb you shall offer in the afternoon]” (Numbers 28:4).
Likewise, when the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “They shall craft a Sanctuary for Me, and I will dwell in their midst” (Exodus 25:8), Moses said: Who can craft a Tabernacle for Him in which He will dwell? “Behold, the heavens and the heaven of heavens cannot contain You, [certainly not this House that I have built]” (I Kings 8:27); and it says: “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth, [the utterance of the Lord]” (Jeremiah 23:24); and it says: “[So said the Lord:] The heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool; [what house could you build for Me, and what place could be My resting place]” (Isaiah 66:1). The Holy One blessed be He said: I am not asking according to My ability, but rather, according to their ability. When I wish, the entire world cannot contain My glory, or even one of My suns. Rather, I am asking of you twenty⁴The reference is to the boards that support the Tabernacle. in the north, twenty in the south, and eight in the west. That is why Moses said: “He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High” (Psalms 91:1); the Holy One blessed be He, who sits in the concealed place of the world, sees all but is not seen, and He seeks to rest in our shelter. Rabbi Prozedak bar Naḥsha said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: The Almighty rests in the shelter that was crafted by Betzalel; that is the Tabernacle. That is, “in the shelter, the Almighty will rest” (Psalms 91:1).⁵This is a reinterpretation of the second half of Psalms 91:1, instead of, “in the shadow of the Almighty he rests.”
“I will say of the Lord: He is my shelter” (Psalms 91:2) – this song of ravages, Moses recited it as he ascended the mountain, as he feared demons. What is: “I will say of the Lord: He is my shelter”? He is my protector. “And my fortress” (Psalms 91:2) – He is my bastion. “My God, in whom I trust” (Psalms 91:2) – as with His name, I fend off demons and angels of destruction. “For He will rescue you” (Psalms 91:3) – the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You trusted Me; I will stand for you.’ “For He will rescue you…” “from an ensnared trap” (Psalms 91:3) – from a trap placed by a hunter; “from devastating pestilence” (Psalms 91:3) – from pestilence that brings devastation to the world. “He will cover You with His pinion” (Psalms 91:4) – what is: “He will cover You with His pinion [be’evrato]”? It is by the merit of the Torah that was given with the right⁶The right is taken to refer to the right hand, and “be’evrato” is being interpreted as “with His limb.” of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “From His right, a fiery law to them” (Deuteronomy 33:2). “You will find refuge under His wings; [a shield and armor are His truth]” (Psalms 91:4) – one who comes to seek refuge under the wings of the Holy One blessed be He, He is an actual shield and armor for him. What is, “a shield and armor are His truth”? Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: I will craft a weapon for anyone who trades in the truth of Torah. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: The truth of Torah is a weapon for those who master it.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: The Holy One blessed be He gave a weapon to Israel with the ineffable Name written upon it. “You will not fear the terror of night” (Psalms 91:5) – from Agrat bat Maḥalat and her chariot nor from all the demons that rule the night. “Nor the arrow that flies by day” (Psalms 91:5) – Rabbi Berekhya said: There is a demon that flies in the air like a bird and darts like an arrow. What will save you from it? It is sending the mother bird from the nest, as it is written previously: “For He will rescue you from an ensnared trap [paḥ]” (Psalms 91:3), and paḥ is nothing other than a bird, like the matter that is stated: “Will a bird fall into a trap [paḥ] on the ground…” (Amos 3:5).⁷Although paḥ is not itself a bird, it appears in the context of a bird, and can therefore be used as alluding to a bird. And it is written: “If a bird’s nest happens before you.… You shall send [shale’aḥ teshalaḥ] [the mother] away…” (Deuteronomy 22:6–7).⁸This is expounded: If you encounter a demon, send away the mother bird, and you will be protected. If you send away [shale’aḥ] the bird, you will send away [teshalaḥ] the demons.
“Nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness” (Psalms 91:6) – anyone whose actions are in the darkness, pestilence dominates him. Likewise, it says: “Pestilence goes before Him, and plague emerges at His heels” (Habakkuk 3:5). It says the same here.
“Nor the scourge [ketev] that ravages at noon” (Psalms 91:6) – the Rabbis say: It is a demon. Why is it called ketev? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Because it plunders the strength of the day from the beginning of the fourth hour until the end of the ninth hour.⁹Ketev is a portmanteau of kotef uvozez, meaning plucks and plunders. Rabbi Levi said: Because it plunders the strength of the day from the end of the fourth hour until the beginning of the ninth hour, but rules in neither the sun nor the shade, but only between the shade and the sun. Its head resembles that of a calf, and a horn emerges from its forehead, and it rolls like a jug.
Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yosef: Ketev Meriri (Deuteronomy 32:24) is made of many scales, many hairs, and many eyes. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: One eye is affixed to its heart, and anyone who sees it has no life in this world, whether man or animal. And anyone who sees it falls and dies. Meriri dominates from the seventeenth of Tamuz until the ninth of Av. Ḥizkiya saw it, fell on his face, and died. Rabbi Pinḥas HaKohen said: There was an incident involving one who saw it and fell on his face. It was said: Yehuda ben Rabbi Shmuel saw but did not fall. They said, nevertheless, he died. Rabbi Abbahu was sitting and studying in a certain study hall in his place, Caesarea. He saw one pursuing another and in his hand was a certain rod¹⁰A wooden rod. with which he sought to strike him. He saw a demon pursuing him, and in his hand was an iron rod. Rabbi Abbahu went out and pursued him. He said to him: ‘Do not strike him because he may die.’ He said to him: ‘Rabbi, from this he will die?’ He said to him: ‘There is a demon pursuing you and in his hand is an iron rod. You will strike him with this one, and it will strike him with that one and he will die.
Rabbi Yoḥanan would instruct the Bible teachers and the Mishna teachers that they should not raise a strap against the children on those days.¹¹The days between the seventeenth of Tamuz and the ninth of Av. Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak would instruct the Bible teachers and the Mishna teachers to dismiss the children after four hours of the day on those days.
“[One thousand] will fall at your side, [and ten thousand to your right, but it will not reach you]” (Psalms 91:7) – Rav Yitzḥak said: Regarding the hand that controls one mitzva, the mitzva of phylacteries, it is written: “One thousand will fall at your side,” as one thousand angels were assigned to it to protect it. However, the right hand, which controls many mitzvot, tens of thousands of angels are assigned to it.
Rabbi Ḥanina ben Rabbi Abbahu said: It does not say: They will be assigned to you, but rather, they “will fall” (Psalms 91:7). If one thousand demons come, they will fall on the side that controls one mitzva, and if they are ten thousand demons, they will fall before the side that controls many mitzvot. The way of the world is that if a person is assigned one thousand people, it is incumbent upon him to feed them. The Holy One blessed be He, though, assigns this person one thousand angels to his left and ten thousand to his right for his wellbeing and to protect him, “but it will not reach you” (Psalms 91:7) to feed them. “You will only look with your eyes” (Psalms 91:8) – your tranquility; “and see the punishment [shilumat] of the wicked” (Psalms 91:8) – You will see what the Holy One blessed be He will pay [sheyeshalem] to the wicked in accordance with their actions.
“For You, Lord, are my shelter; [You have made the most high Your dwelling place]” (Psalms 91:9) – Rabbi Ḥanina said: Israel said: ‘Holy One blessed be He, You gave us the Torah below with us, but Your Divine Presence rests on high?’ That is what is written: “For You, Lord, are my shelter,” as You gave me Your Torah, but “You have made the most high Your dwelling place,” You placed Your dwelling place on high? “No evil will befall you” (Psalms 91:10) – just as it is stated: “No iniquity will befall the righteous” (Proverbs 12:21).¹²God responds that no evil will befall you even though He dwells on high.
“And no plague will come near your tent” (Psalms 91:10) – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Until the Tabernacle was erected, the demons would provoke people in the world. When the Tabernacle was erected, when the Divine Presence rested below, the demons were eliminated from the world. That is what is written: “And no plague will come near your tent” – this is the Tent of Meeting. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Why must you go to the book of Psalms? In its place it is not lacking: “May the Lord bless you and protect you” (Numbers 6:24). When? “It was on the day that Moses concluded.” What is “the day that [Moses] concluded [kalot]’? It means that all the demons were eliminated [shekalu] from the world.

Deliver your kindness, Savior of the needy. David said before the Lord, our Master, "Grant me from that which is destined for me, and keep watch over me." Therefore, He guarded me like the pupil of an eye. Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi, "There is no square cubit in the entire universe where there are not nine harmful spirits, and when a person puts his hand into them, the Lord guards him." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, "When a person travels along the way, a heavenly escort walks before him and proclaims, 'Make way for the escort of the Holy One, blessed be He.'" The rabbis said, "This is comparable to a person carrying a jar of oil on his head, with a swarm of wasps flying after him. The owner of the field said to him, 'Go and walk in the company of my laborers.'" When they approach him from the right, they are good omens, but from the left they are bad omens, as it is said, "Thousands at Your right hand, but it will not come near you." But the left hand only has control over one mitzvah, which is the mitzvah of tefillin, as it is said, "Bind them as a sign on your hand." Therefore, a thousand were assigned to the left. What is the meaning of "it will not come near you"? The Lord said, in accordance with the custom of the world, when a king goes out on a journey, all of his officials go out to guard him, and he needs them to provide for each and every one of them. But I have entrusted to you a thousand from the left and ten thousand from the right who are in need of you to guard you, and there is no one to help you and no one to say to you, "Provide for me." Rabbi Chanina said, "He did not say 'they shall fall' (in Hebrew: yipol) from your side a thousand, but rather, 'he shall fall.' For if harmful angels come upon you, these angels will fall before you." Another explanation of "he shall fall" is that the Holy One, blessed be He, will provide for you, as it says, "And from Menasheh there fell (yipolu) upon David" (I Chronicles 12:19). And all these angels that were given to man to protect him, protect him when he guards the Torah. Rabbi Elazar HaKappar said that God said to man, "Let My lamp be in your hand and your lamp be in Mine. 'My lamp in your hand,' as it says, 'For a commandment is a lamp and Torah is light' (Proverbs 6:23). 'Your lamp in Mine,' as it says, 'The lamp of God is the soul of man' (Proverbs 20:27). If you guard what is Mine, I will guard what is yours." Rabbi Chiya gave a parable: To what is this matter comparable? To two people who had vineyards, one in the Galilee and one in Judea. The one in the Galilee had his vineyard in Judea and the one in Judea had his vineyard in the Galilee. One day, one of them came to the other and said, "Guard my vineyard in the Galilee, and I will guard your vineyard in Judea. And if you lose my vineyard, I will lose your vineyard." So said the Holy One, blessed be He, to Israel: "If you guard the Torah, I will guard you," as it says, "If you shall diligently keep all this commandment which I command you to do it...then will the Lord...keep the covenant and mercy with them that love Him and keep His commandments" (Deuteronomy 7:12)....