אָ֣ז יְדַלֵּ֤ג כָּֽאַיָּל֙ פִּסֵּ֔חַ וְתָרֹ֖ן לְשׁ֣וֹן אִלֵּ֑ם כִּֽי־נִבְקְע֤וּ בַמִּדְבָּר֙ מַ֔יִם וּנְחָלִ֖ים בָּעֲרָבָֽה׃
Pada waktu itu orang lumpuh akan melompat seperti rusa, dan lidah orang bisu akan bersorak-sorai; sebab di padang gurun akan memancar air, dan sungai-sungai di padang belantara.
Rabbeinu Bahya
The Mechilta also mentions that the word אז is sometimes used in the future tense and sometimes in the past tense. Examples of the word occurring in the past tense are Genesis 4,26, Exodus 4,26, Numbers 21,17, Joshua 10,12 and others. At the same time there are numerous examples of the word אז referring to future events such as in Isaiah 60,5 אז תראי ונהרת, Isaiah 58,8 אז יבקע כשחר אורך, Isaiah 35,6 אז ידלג כאיל and many others. Moses reasoned that since he had used the word אזwhen he had criticised G’d’s apparent indifference to Pharaoh’s additional decrees worsening the condition of the Jewish slaves (Exodus 4,10), it was now up to him to make amends by using the same word in exalting Him. The word אז, i.e. 1+7, is an allusion to the Unique One who reigns supreme above the seven heavens.
According to a Midrash Tanchuma on Genesis 4,26 the Israelites reasoned that seeing that word had been used when G’d punished mankind for the first time collectively when He caused one third of the dry land mass to be inundated in response to the idolatry introduced by the generation of Enosh, it was appropriate to use the same word at a time when G’d’s sovereignty on earth had been demonstrated by means of the water which had been made to retreat even from its own habitat.
The words משה ובני ישראל לאמור, teach that Moses and the Children of Israel had the good fortune to personally use this formula of exalting G’d, i.e. praising the attribute called זאת לה'. This was like the bride who applauds her husband the King and says: שיר השירים אשר לשלמה. [This mystical approach is based on the apparent redundancy otherwise of the extra words את השירה הזאת. Ed.] The author promises to deal with this in greater detail in Numbers 21,19.
According to a Midrash Tanchuma on Genesis 4,26 the Israelites reasoned that seeing that word had been used when G’d punished mankind for the first time collectively when He caused one third of the dry land mass to be inundated in response to the idolatry introduced by the generation of Enosh, it was appropriate to use the same word at a time when G’d’s sovereignty on earth had been demonstrated by means of the water which had been made to retreat even from its own habitat.
The words משה ובני ישראל לאמור, teach that Moses and the Children of Israel had the good fortune to personally use this formula of exalting G’d, i.e. praising the attribute called זאת לה'. This was like the bride who applauds her husband the King and says: שיר השירים אשר לשלמה. [This mystical approach is based on the apparent redundancy otherwise of the extra words את השירה הזאת. Ed.] The author promises to deal with this in greater detail in Numbers 21,19.
Rabbeinu Bahya
Evil gossip is a greater sin than “mere” murder, idolatry or indulging one’s carnal instincts indiscriminately. Proof that it is worse than murder is deduced from Genesis 4,13 where Kayin describes his sin as too severe to endure its burden. It is more serious than indulging one’s carnal instincts with partners forbidden to one as we know from Joseph (Genesis 39,9) who explained the severity of that sin to the wife of Potiphar. It is more serious than idolatry seeing that when Moses described this sin committed by the Jewish people to G’d when they worshipped the golden calf he said: “indeed the people committed a very great sin.” When describing the sin of לשון הרע on the other hand, (Psalms 12,4) David invokes G’d pleading: “may the Lord cut off all flattering lips, every tongue that speaks גדולות, “arrogance.” The commentators understand the plural of the word גדולות in that psalm as describing the sin of abusing the power of the tongue as a “double” sin, i.e. more severe than a single sin such as worshipping idols, for instance. This is why Solomon said that life and death are at the disposal of one’s tongue.
Look at what happened to Miriam who was struck with the disease of tzoraat (Numbers 12,1) because she spoke against Moses. What did she do that was so terrible? She spoke to her own brother (Aaron) privately, not within the hearing of Moses nor of anyone else. She was well-intentioned meaning to reunite Moses with his wife whom he had divorced. The Torah describes G’d’s reaction as fierce, and had Moses not interceded on her behalf she would not have been cured. To this day we recite the lines of Deut. 24,9 in which the Torah demands that we remember what Miriam was guilty of and how G’d punished her. You may apply a little logic to see how serious is the ordinary sin of spreading evil gossip when you reflect on what happened to well-intentioned Miriam who had spoken privately to her brother. How will G’d react to people who deliberately besmirch someone’s reputation by the tales they spread about him? Consider what the Torah wrote immediately prior to the reminder to remember what G’d did to Miriam (Deut. 24,8) The Torah writes: “beware of the tzoraat affliction, be very careful and act according to everything the priests and Levites teach you.” Even Aaron, who was the High Priest, (and had not said a word) was struck with that affliction seeing that the Torah said that G’d was angry “at them,”‘ i.e. not merely at Miriam. Aaron was healed immediately, seeing his was the lesser sin as he had not said anything, had only listened without admonishing Miriam. We know that Aaron must have been cured immediately as the Torah only writes of Miriam having been quarantined outside the camp for seven days delaying the Israelites’ journey during that period (Numbers 12,15).
You will also find that the original serpent, the first creature ever to engage in slander against its Creator, was struck with tzoraat as the Torah reports G’d saying to the serpent “because you have done this, etc., you are cursed” (Genesis 3,14). The curse consisted of the serpent being afflicted with tzoraat. Our sages derive this from the expression צרעת ממארת היא in Leviticus 13,52. On these words Rav Hunna quoted a comment by Rabbi Joshua ben Levi who said that the scales on the skin of the snake are a form the tzoraat took when it afflicted the serpent (compare Bereshit Rabbah 20,4). This was not the full extent of the serpent’s punishment. We have a tradition that in the world to come (after the resurrection), people who suffered from diverse deformities while on earth the previous time will be resurrected as completely healthy and with unblemished bodies. The snake will be the only exception to this rule. Seeing that Isaiah wrote (Isaiah 35,6): ”then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall shout aloud,” the prophet prophesies resurrection of the beasts mentioning that domesticated beasts and lions will graze together; however the snake will still have to eat dust as it will never be cured from its affliction (compare Isaiah 11,6). The reason is that the serpent through its use of the tongue dragged man into the dust, (caused his mortality, Tanchuma Metzora 2).
Look at what happened to Miriam who was struck with the disease of tzoraat (Numbers 12,1) because she spoke against Moses. What did she do that was so terrible? She spoke to her own brother (Aaron) privately, not within the hearing of Moses nor of anyone else. She was well-intentioned meaning to reunite Moses with his wife whom he had divorced. The Torah describes G’d’s reaction as fierce, and had Moses not interceded on her behalf she would not have been cured. To this day we recite the lines of Deut. 24,9 in which the Torah demands that we remember what Miriam was guilty of and how G’d punished her. You may apply a little logic to see how serious is the ordinary sin of spreading evil gossip when you reflect on what happened to well-intentioned Miriam who had spoken privately to her brother. How will G’d react to people who deliberately besmirch someone’s reputation by the tales they spread about him? Consider what the Torah wrote immediately prior to the reminder to remember what G’d did to Miriam (Deut. 24,8) The Torah writes: “beware of the tzoraat affliction, be very careful and act according to everything the priests and Levites teach you.” Even Aaron, who was the High Priest, (and had not said a word) was struck with that affliction seeing that the Torah said that G’d was angry “at them,”‘ i.e. not merely at Miriam. Aaron was healed immediately, seeing his was the lesser sin as he had not said anything, had only listened without admonishing Miriam. We know that Aaron must have been cured immediately as the Torah only writes of Miriam having been quarantined outside the camp for seven days delaying the Israelites’ journey during that period (Numbers 12,15).
You will also find that the original serpent, the first creature ever to engage in slander against its Creator, was struck with tzoraat as the Torah reports G’d saying to the serpent “because you have done this, etc., you are cursed” (Genesis 3,14). The curse consisted of the serpent being afflicted with tzoraat. Our sages derive this from the expression צרעת ממארת היא in Leviticus 13,52. On these words Rav Hunna quoted a comment by Rabbi Joshua ben Levi who said that the scales on the skin of the snake are a form the tzoraat took when it afflicted the serpent (compare Bereshit Rabbah 20,4). This was not the full extent of the serpent’s punishment. We have a tradition that in the world to come (after the resurrection), people who suffered from diverse deformities while on earth the previous time will be resurrected as completely healthy and with unblemished bodies. The snake will be the only exception to this rule. Seeing that Isaiah wrote (Isaiah 35,6): ”then the lame shall leap like a deer, and the tongue of the dumb shall shout aloud,” the prophet prophesies resurrection of the beasts mentioning that domesticated beasts and lions will graze together; however the snake will still have to eat dust as it will never be cured from its affliction (compare Isaiah 11,6). The reason is that the serpent through its use of the tongue dragged man into the dust, (caused his mortality, Tanchuma Metzora 2).
Midrash BeChiddush
(Ilu) These are the fifty plagues which afflicted the Egyptians in Egypt, in addition to the (primary) plagues. It is possible that Rabbis Eliezer and Rabbi Akiva were referring to others when they spoke of the forty and the fifty plagues. The way that the plagues are explained, that, “They were afflicted upon the Egyptians,” refers to all the plagues, all of which were evil. May God protect us from them and things like them! And after we have merited to have God help us find the fifty (plagues), we will now seek help to detail the number two hundred and fifty which struck them at the sea. May God remove blindness from the eyes of Arnon.163An abbreviation for the authors name, Eliezer Nachman Foa “And the tongue of the dumb shall shout aloud.” (Is. 35:6)