מדרש על יהושע 1:11

(Fol. 38) It is written (Ex. 16, 35) And the children of Israel ate the manna forty years, until they came to an inhabitated land; the manna they did eat, until they came unto the border of the land of Cana'an. It is impossible to say [that they ate the manna] until they came to an inhabited land (on the other side of the Jordan), since the same passage says They did eat unto the borders of the land of Cana'an (on this side of the Jordan); and again it is impossible to say [that they ate the manna until they came] unto the borders of the land of Cana'an, since the same passage says, until they came, etc. How then could both conecting statements be reconciled? On the seventh of the month of Adar, Moses died, and on that day the manna ceased to come down from heaven [on this side of the Jordan], Israel, however, supplied themselves with manna in vessels which lasted them until the sixteenth of the month of Nisan [until they passed the Jordan]. We are taught in another Baraitha: And the children of Israel ate the manna forty years. Did they indeed eat the manna exactly forty years? Behold they only ate it forty years less thirty days. We must therefore say that the unleavened bread which Israel took along from Egypt had the taste of Manna. We are taught in another Baraitha: On the seventh of the month Adar, Moses died, and on the seventh of the month Adar, he was born. Whence do we learn that he died on the seventh of Adar? It is said (Deut. 34, 5) And Moses the servant of the Lord died there, and it is further written, And the children of Israel wept for Moses; and it is written (Josh. 1, 1) And it came to pass after the death of Moses; and the next passage says (Ib.) Moses My servant is dead; now therefore arise, pass over, etc.; and again the passage says, Pass through the midst of the camp, and command the people; and it is further written (Ib. 4, 79) And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month. Deduct from this date thirty-three days (thirty of the mourning and three for preparing themselves as stated Josh. 1, 11), hence you will find that Moses died on the seventh of Adar. And whence do we know that on the seventh of Adar, Moses was born? The passage says (Deut. 31, 2) Moses said, I am one hundred and twenty years old today. He need not have said today [if it had no special significance]. We therefore infer that today implies that just that very day have his days and years been completed. This is to teach that the Holy One, praised be He, grants the righteous the fulfillment of the years of their life to the very month and day, as it is said (Ex. 23, 26) The number of thy days will I make full.

(Devarim 1:3) "And it was, in the fortieth year, in the eleventh month, on the first of the month, that Moses spoke to the children of Israel": What does this ("in the eleventh month") come to teach us? If that a year has eleven months, is it not written (Esther 3:13) "on the thirteenth day of the twelfth month, the month of Adar"? And thus is it written (I Kings 4:7) "And Solomon had twelve commissioners over all of Israel … (Ibid. 19) and one commissioner over the land." For which month? The intercalated month, whereby we are taught that the year (itself) is twelve months. R. B'na'ah says: Now before Solomon did we not know that the year was twelve months? Is it not written (I Chronicles 1:27) "… month by month throughout all the months of the year … the twelfth (marshal), for the twelfth month, etc." — But it ("the eleventh month") comes to teach us that in thirty-six days (from the first of Shvat ["the eleventh month"] to the sixth of Adar) Moses explained the entire Torah, as it is written (Devarim 34:8) "And they mourned Moses thirty days" and (Joshua 1:11) "for in three more days you will be crossing this Jordan," and (Ibid. 4:19) "And the people ascended from the Jordan on the tenth of the first month (Nissan)." Subtract thirty-three days retroactively and it is found that Moses died on the seventh of Adar. (And whence is it derived that Moses was born on the seventh of Adar? From (Devarim 31:2) "And he said to them: I am one hundred and twenty years old this day." Let "this day" not be written. Why is it written? (To signify) this day (the full circuit of) my years and days have been completed — whence it is derived that the Holy One Blessed be He "sits" and fills out the years of the righteous from day to day and from month to month and from hour to hour, as it is written (Shemoth 23:26) (If you are righteous) "the number of your days shall I complete." — whence it is derived that in thirty-six days Moses explained the entire Torah.

“If the spirit of the ruler comes upon you, do not forsake your place, as in its abating he will pardon great sins” (Ecclesiastes 10:4).
“If the spirit of the ruler comes upon you, do not forsake your place” – when dominion comes to you, do not forsake your attribute of humility, to teach you that anyone who forsakes his humility causes death to his world and sin to his generation. From whom do you learn this? From Zekharia, as it is stated: “The spirit of God clothed Zekharia….and he stood above the people” (II Chronicles 24:20). Did he, in fact, walk above the people? It is, rather, that he considered himself greater than all the people; son-in-law of the king,¹⁰He was actually the grandson, the son of the son-in-law, of King Yehoram. He was also a cousin to King Yoash, who was king of Judah at the time of this event. priest, prophet, and judge. He began speaking arrogantly to the people, and saying to them: “Why are you violating the mitzvot of the Lord so that you will not succeed?” (II Chronicles 24:20). Immediately, “they conspired against him and stoned him with stones at the command of the king [in the courtyard of the house of the Lord]” (II Chronicles 24:21).
Rabbi Yudan asked Rabbi Aḥa: Where did they kill Zekharia, in the Israelite Courtyard or in the Women’s Courtyard? [Rabbi Aḥa] said to him: Neither in the Israelite Courtyard nor in the Women’s Courtyard, but rather in the Priests’ Courtyard. They did not treat his blood like the blood of a gazelle or the blood of a deer. Regarding the blood of a gazelle and a deer whose blood has been spilled, it is written: “You shall spill its blood and cover it with dirt” (Leviticus 17:13), but this righteous one [Zekharia], they did not treat his blood like the blood of a gazelle and not like the blood of a deer. Why [did God allow them to be wicked] to such an extent? It was “to arouse fury and to take vengeance” (Ezekiel 24:8). You find that when Nevuzaradan¹¹Nevuzaradan was the officer who led the Babylonian troops in sacking Jerusalem and destroying the Temple (see II Kings 25:8–22). ascended to destroy Jerusalem, the Holy One blessed be He indicated to that blood that it should seethe. He said to it:¹²The Holy One blessed be He said to the blood. This is the time that you will collect your debt. [Nevuzaradan] said to them: ‘What is the nature of this blood?’ They said to him: ‘It is the blood of bulls, rams, and sheep that we were sacrificing to the Holy One blessed be He.’ Immediately, he brought bulls, rams, and sheep and slaughtered many of them onto it, but it did not stop. He said to them: ‘If you tell me, fine. But if not, I will comb the flesh of these people with a comb of iron,’ but [at first] they did not say. Once he [again] said to them that [their explanation] was not [true], they said to him: ‘Why should we conceal it from you? We had a prophet, a priest, who would reprimand us in the name of Heaven. [He said to us]: Accept it, but we did not accept it from him. Rather, we rose against him and killed him.’
[Nevuzaradan] said to them: ‘I will assuage it.’ He then brought the Great Sanhedrin and slaughtered them onto it, but it did not rest. He slaughtered the lesser Sanhedrin onto it, but it did not rest. He brought young priests and slaughtered them onto it, but it did not rest. He slaughtered schoolchildren onto it, but it did not rest. He said to [the seething blood]: ‘Zekharia, I have eliminated the best of your people. Would you like all of them to be eliminated?’ Immediately, it rested. That wicked one contemplated repentance, and said: ‘One who eliminates a single Israelite soul, it is written in his regard: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, his blood will be spilled by man” (Genesis 9:6); this man¹³Nevuzaradan was referring to himself. who eliminated many souls, all the more so.’ At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He became filled with mercy, and He intimated to the blood, and it was absorbed in its place.
Rabbi Yudan said: [The Israelites] performed seven transgressions [via one act] on that day:¹⁴When they killed Zekharia. They killed a priest, a prophet, and a judge, they spilled innocent blood, they impurified the Temple Courtyard, and it was Shabbat and Yom Kippur.¹⁵Killing is a prohibited labor on these days, as well as a profound violation of the sanctity of the day.
But Yaḥaziyel did not do so;¹⁶He did not become haughty when he achieved an elevated status. rather, “Yaḥaziyel, son of Zekharia, son of Benaya, son of Yaḥaziyel, son of Matanya the Levite, from the sons of Asaf, the spirit of the Lord was upon him in the midst of the assembly” (II Chronicles 20:14). What is “in the midst of the assembly”? It is that he likened himself to the assembly.
Another matter: “If the spirit of the ruler comes upon you,” is speaking of Noah.¹⁷The midrash interprets the verse to refer to a ruler issuing a command to you. If he commands you to be in a certain place, do not forsake that place without another official command. He entered the ark with permission and he emerged with permission. From where [is it derived] that he entered with permission? [It is from the verse:] “Come you and all your household to the ark” (Genesis 7:1). From where [is it derived] that he emerged with permission? [It is from the verse:] “Go out of the ark, you …” (Genesis 8:16).
Another matter: “If the spirit of the ruler comes upon you,” is speaking of Joshua. Just as the Israelites crossed the Jordan with permission, so too they emerged only with permission. From where [is it derived that] they crossed with permission? As it is stated: “Pass through the midst of the camp…[in another three days you are crossing this Jordan]” (Joshua 1:11). They emerged with permission, as it is stated: “Joshua commanded the priests saying: Emerge from the Jordan” (Joshua 4:17).
Another matter: “If the spirit of the ruler…” is speaking of David. Before he reigned, “David is the youngest” (I Samuel 17:14). When he reigned, “King David stood on his feet [and said: Hear me my brethren]” (I Chronicles 28:2).¹⁸He remained humble even after he assumed the throne.
Another matter: “If the spirit of the ruler…” is speaking of Mordekhai. Before prominence came to him, “Mordekhai was sitting at the king’s gate” (Esther 2:19). When prominence came to him, “Mordekhai returned to the king’s gate” (Esther 6:12).¹⁹This indicates that Mordekhai did not become haughty due to his prominence.

Another matter, “my beloved spoke up [ana], and he said [ve’amar] to me” (Song of Songs 2:10). Rabbi Azarya said: Is speaking not the same as saying? Rather, he answered [ana] me by means of Moses and said to me by means of Aaron. What did He say to me? Rise, my love, my fair one.” “For, behold, the winter is past” (Song of Songs 2:11), these are the forty years that Israel spent in the wilderness. “The rain is over and gone” (Song of Songs 2:11), these are the thirty-eight years during which it was as though the Israelites were ostracized in the wilderness, and the divine speech did not communicate with Moses until that entire generation was gone. That is what is written: “The days that we went from Kadesh Barnea…[were thirty-eight years]…the hand of the Lord was against them…it was when [the death of all the men of war] was concluded (Deuteronomy 2:14–16). Immediately, “the Lord spoke to me saying” (Deuteronomy 2:17).
“The blossoms [hanitzanim] have appeared in the land” (Song of Songs 2:12), the administrators [hanatzoḥot] have appeared in the land; these are the princes, as it is stated: “And one prince from each [tribe]” (Numbers 34:18). “The time of the nightingale [hazamir] has arrived” (Song of Songs 2:12), the time for the foreskin to be cut off [shetizamer] has arrived, the time for the Canaanites to be cut off has arrived, the time for the Land of Israel to be divided among Israel has arrived, as it is stated: “To these, the Land shall be divided” (Numbers 26:53). “The sound of the turtledove [hator] is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12), Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The voice of a good explorer [tayar] was heard in our land; this is the voice of Joshua, at the time that he said: “Pass through the midst of the camp” (Joshua 1:11). “The fig tree has formed its unripe figs” (Song of Songs 2:13), these are the baskets of first fruits. “The vines in blossom have emitted fragrance” (Song of Songs 2:13), these are the libations.