Midras Bilangan 11:17: Midrash Tanchuma, Bamidbar Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Sifrei Bamidbar

(Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men [from the elders of Israel].” When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Gather Me seventy men,” Moses said, “How shall I manage to get [them] from all the tribes?⁴⁸Numb. R. 15:19; Sifre to Numb. 11:24-26 (95). If I get five each from every tribe, they will not add up to the number seventy. There will [only] be sixty. And if we get six each from every tribe, they will add up to the number seventy-two. But if we get five from one tribe and six from another, I shall be imposing jealousy among the tribes.” What did Moses do? R. Judah says, “He took seventy pieces of paper⁴⁹Petaqim; cf. Gk.: pittikia (“notes”). and wrote ‘elder’ on them. Then he took another (seventy) [two] blank pieces of paper, mixed them up, put them in an urn,⁵⁰Gk.: kalpis. and said to them, ‘Come and take your pieces of paper.’ Whoever took a paper with ‘elder’ written on it knew that he had been appointed an elder. Whoever came up with a blank paper in his hand knew that he had not been appointed an elder.” R. Nehemiah said to him, “There would still have been a controversy, since [a loser] could have said to him, ‘Where is a paper with "elder" written on it? If it had been there, it would have come up in my hand.’” Therefore, how did he manage for them? R. Nehemiah said, “He took seventy-two pieces of paper and wrote ‘elder’ on them plus [seventy-]two other blank pieces of paper. Then he mixed them up and put them in the urn. He said to them, ‘Come and take your papers.’ If a paper with ‘elder’ written on it came up in [a person's] hand he knew that he had been appointed an elder, but if a blank one came up in his hand he knew that he had not been appointed. Then the officer-in-charge would say to him, ‘Look there is another paper there with “elder" written upon it. If you had been worthy of being appointed, [a paper with "elder"] would have come up in your hand.’” When [Moses had followed this procedure] the elders were appointed. Eldad and Medad were there, but they excluded themselves. They said, “We are not worthy to be in the number of the elders.” Now because they excluded themselves, they were found [to have become] superior to the elders in five respects. The elders only prophesied for the morrow as stated (in Numb. 11:18), “And you shall say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves for the morrow,’” but these men prophesied what was going to happen at the end of forty years as stated (in Numb. 11:26), “But two men had remained in the camp; [the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other was Medad…; and they were…] prophesying in the camp.” But what were they prophesying? Some say [they were prophesying] about the downfall of Gog and Magog, while others say they were prophesying that Moses would die and Joshua would bring Israel into the Land. You yourself know that they so prophesied, since it is what Joshua told Moshe (in vs. 28), “Then Joshua ben Nun, Moses' attendant from his youth, answered.” And it is written (in vs. 27), “But a lad ran and told Moses.” And who was it? It was Moses' son, Gershom. The elders did not enter the land, but these did enter the land. Eldad is [so listed] (in Numb. 34:21) [as] Elidad ben Chislon. Medad is [so listed] (in Numb. 34:24) [as] Kemuel ben Shiphtan. The elders were not designated by their names, but these were designated by their names. The elders had their prophecy cease, but these did not have their prophecy cease. It is so stated (of the seventy in Numb. 11:25), “they prophesied but did not continue.” In the case of the elders, their prophecy was from what belonged to Moses, even as the Scripture has said (in Numb. 11:17), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them”; but these [two] had their prophecy from that which belonged to the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Numb. 11:26), “and the spirit rested upon them.”
Now if you say, “Since the elders had their prophecy from what belonged to Moses, might it not have lessened his prophecy somewhat?” [The answer is] no. To what may Moses be compared? To a lamp which was lit and⁵¹Sifre to Numb. 11:17 (93). everyone lights up from it; yet its light is in no way diminished. So also in the case of Moses. Although the prophets took of his prophecy, the prophecy of Moses was in no way diminished. [It is so stated] (in Deut. 34:10), “And never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.”

Another matter, “Gather to Me seventy men” – when the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men” – Moses said: ‘What shall I do? If I bring five from each and every tribe, they will not total a sum of seventy, they will total sixty. If I bring six from this tribe and five from that tribe, I will introduce jealousy between one tribe and another.’ What did he do? He took seventy-two notes and wrote “elder” [on seventy of] them, and [took] an additional two blank notes, and mixed them in a receptacle. He said: ‘Come and take your note.’ One for whom a note on which “elder” was written entered his hand, would know that he was appointed to be an elder. If a blank entered his hand, he would know that he was not appointed. The appointee says to him: ‘There is one note there on which elder is written, had you been worthy to be appointed it would have entered your hand.’ When he did so, the elders were appointed.
Eldad and Meidad were there, and they excluded themselves: ‘We are not worthy to be included in the appointment of the elders.’ Because they excluded themselves, they were found superior to the elders in five respects. The elders prophesied only the next day, as it is stated: “To the people say: Prepare yourselves for tomorrow” (Numbers 11:18), but these prophesied regarding what will transpire at the end of forty years, as it is stated: “Two men remained in the camp, [one named Eldad and the other Medad…and they prophesied in the camp]” (Numbers 11:26). What were they prophesying? Some say: It was regarding the downfall of Gog. Some say: [That] Moses would die and Joshua would lead Israel into the Land. Know that Joshua says to Moses: “Joshua son of Nun spoke up…[my lord Moses, restrain them¹⁹From prophesying.]” (Numbers 11:28). “The lad ran and told Moses” (Numbers 11:27). Who was this? It was Gershom son of Moses. The elders did not enter the Land, but Eldad and Meidad [entered]. Eldad is Elidad son of Kislon (Numbers 34:21) and Meidad is Kemuel son of Shiftan (Numbers 34:24). The elders, their names were not articulated. The elders, their prophecy ceased, as it was from Moses, as it is stated: “I will draw from the spirit that is upon you” (Numbers 11:17). However, these, their prophetic spirit was from the Holy One blessed be He: “The spirit rested upon them” (Numbers 11:26).
If you say: The elders that their prophecy was from Moses, perhaps [as a consequence] there was something lacking from Moses’s prophecy. No. To what is the matter comparable? It is to a candle that was kindled. They kindled several candles from it, but the light of its flame was not diminished. Moses, too, had nothing lacking from his [prophecy], as it is stated: “There has not arisen another prophet in Israel like Moses” (Deuteronomy 34:10).

“Gather to Me” – had there not been elders in the past? Was it not already stated in Egypt: “Go and gather the elders of Israel”? (Exodus 3:16). Rather, why did the Holy One blessed be He say to Moses: “Gather to Me seventy men”? It is to teach you that when Pharaoh said: “Let us be cunning with it…they appointed taskmasters over them” (Exodus 1:10–11), he assembled all Israel and said to them: ‘I am asking you, please, do me a favor today.’ That is what is written: “The Egyptians ruthlessly [befarekh] coerced the children of Israel to work” (Exodus 1:13); with a gentle mouth [befeh rakh]. He took a basket and a rake. Who could witness Pharaoh taking a basket and a rake and producing bricks and not produce? Immediately, all of Israel went diligently and produced with him with all their might, as they were mighty and powerful. When it became dark, he deployed overseers over them and said to them: ‘Calculate the number of bricks.’ Immediately, they stood and counted them. He said to them: ‘Like this you shall produce each and every day.’ He appointed Egyptian overseers over the foremen of Israel, and the foremen were appointed over the rest of the people. When he said to them: “You shall not continue to provide straw to the people [for making bricks]” (Exodus 5:7), and the overseers would come and count the bricks and they were found lacking, the overseers would strike the foremen, as it is stated: “The foremen of the children of Israel…were beaten” (Exodus 5:14). The foremen would be stricken on account of the rest of the people, but they would not hand them over to the overseers. They would say: ‘It is preferable that we are beaten and let the rest of the people not suffer.’ Therefore, when the Holy One blessed be He said: “Gather to Me seventy men of the elders of Israel” – Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, I do not know who is worthy and who is not worthy.’ He said to him: “Whom you know to be the elders of the people, and its foremen” – those elders and foremen who sacrificed themselves to be stricken for them in Egypt over the quota of the bricks, let them come and assume this prominence. That is why it says: “Whom you know to be the elders of the people, and its foremen.” Because they sacrificed themselves to be stricken on behalf of the people; therefore, “they will bear the burden of the people with you” (Numbers 11:17) – it is to teach you that the Holy One blessed be He drew a parallel between them and Moses. From here you learn that anyone who sacrifices himself on behalf of Israel merits honor, prominence, and the Divine Presence. That is why it is written: “Whom you know to be the elders of the people, and its foremen.” Who were they? They were the ones in whose regard it is written: “The foremen of the children of Israel…were beaten.”