שִׁ֥יר הַֽמַּעֲל֗וֹת לְדָ֫וִ֥ד לוּלֵ֣י יְ֭הוָה שֶׁהָ֣יָה לָ֑נוּ יֹֽאמַר־נָ֝א יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Nyanyian pendakian, dari Daud. Seandainya bukan Yang Mahakekal yang berpihak kepada kita — biarlah Israel berkata sekarang —
Bereshit Rabbah
“He took from the stones of the place” (Genesis 28:11) – Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda said: He took twelve stones. So, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that he would produce twelve tribes. He [Jacob] said: ‘Abraham did not produce them, Isaac did not produce them, I, if these twelve stones join with one another, I know that I will produce twelve tribes.’ When the twelve stones joined together one to another, he knew that he would produce twelve tribes.
Rabbi Neḥemya said: He took three stones. He said: ‘Abraham, the Holy One blessed be He designated His name upon him; Isaac, the Holy One blessed be He designated His name upon him; I, if these three stones join with one another, I know that He will designate His name upon me.’ When the three stones joined with one another, he knew that the Holy One blessed be He would designate His name upon him.
The Rabbis said: The minimum number of “stones” is two. Abraham, waste emerged from him – Ishmael and all the sons of Ketura. Isaac, Esau and all his chieftains emerged [from him]. I, if these two stones join with one another, I will know that waste will not emerge from me.
Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Zimra: He made them in the shape of a roof gutter and placed it beneath his head because he feared the beasts.
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: It is written: “For, behold, the Lord emerges from His place, and will descend and tread on the heights of the earth. [The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will burst like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a slope]” (Micah 1:3–4).16Even in a place where God only ‘passes through,’ valleys burst like wax. All the more so for one in a place where the Holy One blessed be He has revealed Himself.17The stones melt and are joined together in a place where God's presence is not transient.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Those stones that Jacob placed under his head became like a bed and a feather pillow under him. What blossoming did he blossom there? “The beams of our houses are cedars, [and our rafters are junipers]” (Song of Songs 1:17) – the righteous men and women that emerged from him.
“And lay in that place” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: He lay here, but all fourteen years that he was hidden in the house of Ever, he did not lie. Rabbi Neḥemya said: He lay here, but all twenty years that he stayed in Laban’s house, he did not lie. What would he recite? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The fifteen songs of ascent in the book of Psalms.18Psalms 120–134. What is his source? “A song of ascents, by David. [If the Lord had not been with us,] Let Israel now say” (Psalms 124:1) – Israel the elder.19Jacob. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He would say the entire book of Psalms. What is the source? “Yet You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:4) – Israel the elder.
Rabbi Neḥemya said: He took three stones. He said: ‘Abraham, the Holy One blessed be He designated His name upon him; Isaac, the Holy One blessed be He designated His name upon him; I, if these three stones join with one another, I know that He will designate His name upon me.’ When the three stones joined with one another, he knew that the Holy One blessed be He would designate His name upon him.
The Rabbis said: The minimum number of “stones” is two. Abraham, waste emerged from him – Ishmael and all the sons of Ketura. Isaac, Esau and all his chieftains emerged [from him]. I, if these two stones join with one another, I will know that waste will not emerge from me.
Rabbi Levi and Rabbi Elazar said in the name of Rabbi Yosei bar Zimra: He made them in the shape of a roof gutter and placed it beneath his head because he feared the beasts.
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina: It is written: “For, behold, the Lord emerges from His place, and will descend and tread on the heights of the earth. [The mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will burst like wax before the fire, like waters poured down a slope]” (Micah 1:3–4).16Even in a place where God only ‘passes through,’ valleys burst like wax. All the more so for one in a place where the Holy One blessed be He has revealed Himself.17The stones melt and are joined together in a place where God's presence is not transient.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Those stones that Jacob placed under his head became like a bed and a feather pillow under him. What blossoming did he blossom there? “The beams of our houses are cedars, [and our rafters are junipers]” (Song of Songs 1:17) – the righteous men and women that emerged from him.
“And lay in that place” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: He lay here, but all fourteen years that he was hidden in the house of Ever, he did not lie. Rabbi Neḥemya said: He lay here, but all twenty years that he stayed in Laban’s house, he did not lie. What would he recite? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The fifteen songs of ascent in the book of Psalms.18Psalms 120–134. What is his source? “A song of ascents, by David. [If the Lord had not been with us,] Let Israel now say” (Psalms 124:1) – Israel the elder.19Jacob. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He would say the entire book of Psalms. What is the source? “Yet You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:4) – Israel the elder.
Bereshit Rabbah
“These twenty years, I have been with you; your ewes and your female goats have not miscarried, and the rams of your flock I have not eaten” (Genesis 31:38).
“I did not bring a mauled animal to you, I bore its loss; from me you could demand it, whether stolen from me by day, or stolen from me by night” (Genesis 31:39).
“These twenty years…I did not bring a mauled animal to you” – that was killed. “I bore its loss [aḥatena]; from me you could demand it” – I would betray [hoteh] the lion, as so the Holy One blessed be He decreed for the lion, that it would maul and consume from Laban’s flock each day. If you say that were another shepherd there he would have saved them, the verse states: “Just as the lion or the young lion will roar over its prey, although a multitude of shepherds will be called against it, it will not be disheartened from their voice and it will not respond to their commotion” (Isaiah 31:4).
“Whether stolen from me by day or stolen from me by night” – they call me a thief during the day and a thief at night.22Because there were no sheep missing from your flock, everyone assumed that I stole from the flocks of others to replace those that were missing.
What would he recite?23What did Jacob recite all those nights that he did not sleep? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He would recite the fifteen Songs of Ascent that are in the book of Psalms.24Psalms 120–134. That is what is written: “Had it not been for the Lord, who was with us, let Israel now say” (Psalms 124:1) – Israel the elder. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He would recite the entire book of Psalms: “You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:4) – Israel the elder.
“These twenty years, I” – Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba said: Each and every matter that Laban would stipulate with Jacob, he would renege upon it ten times retroactively, as it is stated: “Hen lu.”25See subsection 3 above. The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “And changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7), as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.26See subsection 3 above.
“I did not bring a mauled animal to you, I bore its loss; from me you could demand it, whether stolen from me by day, or stolen from me by night” (Genesis 31:39).
“These twenty years…I did not bring a mauled animal to you” – that was killed. “I bore its loss [aḥatena]; from me you could demand it” – I would betray [hoteh] the lion, as so the Holy One blessed be He decreed for the lion, that it would maul and consume from Laban’s flock each day. If you say that were another shepherd there he would have saved them, the verse states: “Just as the lion or the young lion will roar over its prey, although a multitude of shepherds will be called against it, it will not be disheartened from their voice and it will not respond to their commotion” (Isaiah 31:4).
“Whether stolen from me by day or stolen from me by night” – they call me a thief during the day and a thief at night.22Because there were no sheep missing from your flock, everyone assumed that I stole from the flocks of others to replace those that were missing.
What would he recite?23What did Jacob recite all those nights that he did not sleep? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He would recite the fifteen Songs of Ascent that are in the book of Psalms.24Psalms 120–134. That is what is written: “Had it not been for the Lord, who was with us, let Israel now say” (Psalms 124:1) – Israel the elder. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: He would recite the entire book of Psalms: “You are holy, enthroned in the praises of Israel” (Psalms 22:4) – Israel the elder.
“These twenty years, I” – Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba said: Each and every matter that Laban would stipulate with Jacob, he would renege upon it ten times retroactively, as it is stated: “Hen lu.”25See subsection 3 above. The Rabbis say: One hundred times, as it is stated: “And changed my wages ten times [monim]” (Genesis 31:7), as a quorum [minyan] is no fewer than ten.26See subsection 3 above.
Midrash Tehillim
"For until righteousness returns, judgment will turn back, and after it all the upright in heart. They said to Samuel the small one, 'What is it?' And he replied, 'And after it all the upright in heart.' The reward of the righteous is behind them, while that of the wicked is placed before them, as it is said (Deuteronomy 7:10), 'And He pays those who hate Him.' Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said, 'When a person commits a sin and the angels accuse him, saying, "Master of the Universe, (Psalms 144:5) "Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down; touch the mountains and they shall smoke,"' the Holy One, Blessed be He, responds, 'This man is difficult in his time, but if he repents, I will accept him.' Who will rise up for me against evildoers? Who will stand for me against workers of iniquity? Were it not for the help of the Lord, I would be lost. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said, 'Wherever it is said, "Were it not for the merit of Abraham," as it is said (Genesis 31:42), "Had not the God of my father, the God of Abraham,"' Zevudah ben Levi answered and said, 'But isn't it written (Psalms 124:2), "If it had not been for the Lord who was on our side,"' indicating that it was also in the merit of our forefathers that we were saved. Rabbi Levi said, 'Wherever it is said, "Were it not for the merit of the Torah," it is also said (Psalms 119:92), "Were Your law not my delight."' And through the merit of faith, as it is said (Psalms 27:13), "Were it not for my belief in seeing the goodness of the Lord."' Rabbi Yochanan said, 'Wherever it is said, "Were it not for His Name," it is said (Psalms 124:1), "Were it not for the Lord who was on our side."'...