Midras Ayub 39:27: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Vayikra Rabbah

R. Judan of Gallia opened (with Job 39:27), “Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up and makes its nest on high?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Aaron. “At your command I had my Divine Presence rest upon the ark.²⁴Lev. R. 20:4; PRK 26(27):4; see PR 47:3. [Was it not] at your command that I removed my Divine Presence that was upon the ark?” In the case of the first Temple (according to Job 39:28), “It dwells and lodges on the rock,” [i.e., the Divine Presence was there for] a lodging of one night. In the case of the second Temple (referred to in ibid., cont.), “on a rocky crag²⁵Literally: ROCKY TOOTH. The midrash finds the expression well suited to the spur of rock on the Temple mount. and a stronghold,” [ i.e., the Divine Presence was there for a lodging of many nights.²⁶Here following the Buber text, even thought the number of nights that the Divine Presence lodged in the two Temples is the reverse of what one would expect. However, the Buber text is supported by the unemended, traditional text of Lev. R. 20:4 and in Yalqut Shim‘oni, Job 926. Moreover,] we learn there (in Yoma 5:2), “When the ark had been taken away, there was a certain stone there from the days of the former prophets,²⁷According to Rav Huna, as cited in Sot. 48b, the former prophets are David, Samuel, and Solomon. and it was named Foundation. And why was it named Foundation? Because out of it the world was founded.”²⁸Yoma 54b (bar.); yYoma 5:4 (42c); TYoma 3:6 (2:14); Numb. R. 12:4; see below, Tanh. 7:10. And how would a high priest pray on the Day of Atonement?²⁹Cf. yYoma 5:3 (42c). A version of this prayer is part of a long piyyut composed by Rabbi Meshullam ben Kalonymus in the tenth century. It is known either as the Avodah or by its initial words, Amits Koah, and appears as part of the Musaf Service on the Day of Atonement. See P. Birnbaum, The High Holyday Prayer Book (New York: Hebrew Publishing Co., 1951), p. 26. May it be Your will, O Lord our God, that this year be one of rain, warmth, and dew, a year of low prices, a year of abundance, a year of grace, a year of blessing, a year of trade, a year when Your people Israel are not dependent on each other, a year when they will not be arrogant with each other. Now the rabbis of Caesarea said, “[It was] with reference to our brothers in Caesarea [that the high priest prayed] for them not to be arrogant with each other.” But [the rabbis of the south] say, “[It was] with reference to our brothers in the Sharon, lest their houses become their tombs.”³⁰For example, if the houses collapsed from heavy rains or were buried in a sandstorm. (Job 39:29:) “From there it³¹I.e., the eagle. spies out food; and its eyes behold it from afar.” From there it prepares food for all the days of the year. He (i.e., the high priest) knew from the beginning of the year what would [happen] at the end [of the year]. How so? When he looked and saw smoke from the pile (of wood on the Temple altar)³²See TYoma 3:3 (2:11); Yoma 33a. rising southward, he knew that one would have enough in the south. And it was the same for the north, the same for the west, and the same for the east. But when the smoke rose straight up towards the sky, he knew that the whole world would have enough. Then after all this advantage, (according to Job 39:30) “Its nestlings suck (from 'l') up blood…. [Aaron] saw his nestlings wallowing (from g'g') in blood and (according to Lev. 10:3) kept silent. However (ibid., cont.), “where the slain (i.e. Nadab and Abihu) are, there (i.e. there is the Divine Presence) is.” R. Judan said in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi, [who spoke] in the name of R. Berekhyah, [who spoke] in the name of R. Hiyya bar Abba, “It is not written here (Lev. 10:4), ‘Draw near and carry your brothers away ‘from the sanctuary,’ but ‘from before the sanctuary.’ [The situation is] similar to someone who says to his colleague, ‘Remove the dead person from before his father. How long shall he look at his dead child?’” It is therefore written (in Lev. 16:1), “after the death of Aaron's two sons.”

[(Lev. 16:1:) AFTER THE DEATH OF AARON'S TWO SONS.] R. Judan of Gallia opened (with Job 39:27): IS IT AT YOUR COMMAND THAT THE EAGLE MOUNTS UP AND MAKES ITS NEST ON HIGH? The Holy One said to Aaron: At your command [I had my Divine Presence rest upon the Ark.²⁵Tanh., Lev. 6:3; Lev. R. 20:4; PRK 26(27):4; see PR 47:3. Was it not at your command that I] removed my Divine Presence that was upon the Ark? In the case of the first temple (according to Job 39:28): IT DWELLS AND LODGES ON THE ROCK, < i.e., the Divine Presence was there for > a lodging of one night. In the case of the second temple (referred to in ibid., cont.): ON A ROCKY CRAG²⁶Literally: ROCKY TOOTH. The midrash finds the expression well suited to the spur of rock on the Temple mount. AND A STRONGHOLD, < i.e., the Divine Presence was there for > a lodging of many nights.²⁷The number of nights that the Divine Presence lodged in the two temples is the reverse of what one would expect; however, the Buber text is supported by the unemended, traditional text of Lev. R. 20:4 and in Yalqut Shim‘oni, Job 926. Cf. Tanh., Lev. 4:3, which does affirm that the Divine Presence lodged many nights in the first temple. Moreover, we learn there (in Yoma 5:2): WHEN THE ARK HAD BEEN TAKEN AWAY, THERE WAS A CERTAIN STONE THERE FROM THE DAYS OF THE FORMER PROPHETS,²⁸According to Rav Huna, as cited in Sot. 48b, the former prophets are David, Samuel, and Solomon. AND IT WAS NAMED FOUNDATION. And why was it named Foundation? Because out of it the world was founded.²⁹Yoma 54b (bar.); yYoma 5:4 (42c); TYoma 3:6 (2:14); Numb. R. 12:4; see below, Tanh. (Buber), 7:10; Tanh. 7:10. And how would a high-priest pray on the Day of Atonement?³⁰Cf. yYoma 5:3 (42c). A version of this prayer is part of a long piyyut composed by Rabbi Meshullam ben Kalonymus in the tenth century. It is known either as the Avodah or by its initial words, Amits Koah, and appears as part of the Musaf Service on the Day of Atonement. See P. Birnbaum, The High Holyday Prayer Book (New York: Hebrew Publishing Co., 1951), p. 26. May it be your will, O Lord our God, that this year be one of rain, warmth, and dew, a year of low prices, a year of abundance, a year of grace, a year of blessing, a year of trade, a year when your people Israel are not dependent on each other, a year when [< the people of > Israel] will not be arrogant with each other. Now The Rabbis of Caesarea said: < It was > with reference to our brothers in Caesarea < that the high priest prayed > for them not to be arrogant with each other. But {our Rabbi} but [the Rabbis of the South] say: < It was > with reference to our brothers in the South,³¹The parallel texts in Tanh., Lev. 6:3; Lev. R. 20:4, and PRK 26(27):4 all read, “in Sharon.” Cf. Sot. 8:3; ySot. 8:7 (23a); Sot 44a. lest their houses become their tombs.³²For example, if the houses collaped from heavy rains or were buried in a sandstorm.

Rabbi Yudan of Gaul began: “Does the eagle ascend at your directive?” (Job 39:27). The Holy One blessed be He said to Aaron: ‘Did I rest My Divine Presence upon the Ark by the word of your mouth, or did I remove My Divine Presence from upon the Ark by the word of your mouth?’¹⁷The verse the midrash is commenting upon is one in which God speaks to Job, and therefore some emend the text such that it reads: The Holy One blessed be He said to Job: Did I rest My Divine Presence upon the Ark by the word of your mouth, or did I remove My Divine Presence from upon the Ark by the word of your mouth, as I did by the word of the mouth of Aaron? (see Etz Yosef). “[On a rock it dwells and stays the night, on the crag of the rock and the stronghold” (Job 39:28).] “On a rock it dwells” – the first Temple; “and stays the night” – one lodging. The second Temple is “on the crag of the rock and the stronghold,” – many lodgings,¹⁸Just as one would lodge more permanently in a stronghold than on a rock, the second Temple lasted longer than the first (Rabbi David Luria). as we learned there: When the Ark was removed, the foundation stone was there.¹⁹Thus, the word rock alludes to the Temple. Why was it called that? Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥalafta said: It is because from it, the world was founded. That is what is written: “From Zion, from the perfection of beauty” (Psalms 50:2).²⁰The Talmud (Yoma 54b), in citing this verse, adds: From it was formed the beauty of the earth.
What was the prayer of the High Priest on Yom Kippur when he emerged from the Inner Sanctum?²¹After emerging from the Holy of Holies, while still in the Sanctuary, the High Priest would say a prayer on behalf of the entire nation (Mishna Yoma 5:1). He said: ‘May it be Your will that this year will be rainy, hot, and dewy. A year of goodwill, a year of blessing, a year of inexpensiveness, a year of plenty, a year of commerce, and may Your people Israel not need one another. May Israel not exert authority upon one another. Do not turn to the prayers of the wayfarers.’²²Travelers would not want rain to fall while they were traveling. However, if God were to grant the requests of each traveler in this regard, rain would never fall, which would have terrible consequences for all. The Rabbis of Caesarea said, regarding our brethren in Caesarea: ‘May they not exert authority.’ The Rabbis of the south said, regarding our brethren in the Sharon region: ‘May their houses not become their graves.’ “From there it searches for food” (Job 39:29); from there he would search for food to take for all the days of the year.²³The High Priest would hope that through his prayer in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur, there would be plentiful sustenance for the entire year. “Its eyes look afar” (Job 39:29); from the beginning of the year, he would know what would be at its end. How so? When he would look and see the smoke of the arrangement ascending to the south, he would know that the south would be satiated; ascending to the west, he would know that the west would be satiated; ascending to the east, he would know that the east would be satiated; and the same is true of them all. If it ascended to the center of the heavens, he would know that the entire world would be satiated.
After all this praise, “its fledglings swallow blood” (Job 39:30) – he saw his fledglings wallowing on the ground and was silent.²⁴After all the greatness Aaron merited; the fact that God rested His Presence on the Ark through him, and the fact that his descendants would perform the service in the Holy of Holies on Yom Kippur and thereby bring sustenance to the entire people, Aaron saw his sons, Nadav and Avihu, die in the Tabernacle, and he was silent (see Leviticus 10:3). “Where the slain are” (Job 39:30), Nadav and Avihu; “there it is” (Job 39:30), the Divine Presence. Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: “Approach, carry your brethren from before the Sanctuary” (Leviticus 10:4); it does not say: “From before the Ark,” but rather “from before the Sanctuary,” like a person who says to another: ‘Move this corpse from before this mourner, how long must this mourner suffer?’ That is what is written: “After the death of the two sons of Aaron.”