Midrash su Esodo 23:78

(Numb. 19:2:) Blessed be the name of the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who created the world in wisdom and understanding; for His wonders have no limit and His greatness is beyond reckoning.¹Numb. R. 18:22. (Ps. 33:7:) “He has gathered the waters of the sea like a mound, and He has put the deeps in storehouses.” Now what is the meaning of “He gathers the waters of the sea like a mound?” When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He said to the ministering angel of the sea, “Open your mouth and swallow all the waters of creation,”²BB 74b. he said [back] to Him, “Master of the world, it is enough for me to continue with what is [already] mine.” Then he began to weep. [So God] kicked him to death, as stated (in Job 26:12), “In His power He stilled the sea, and in His understanding He struck down Rahab.” You find that the ministering angel of the sea was named Rahab. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He subdued [the waters] and trampled them down; and so it was that the sea accepted them, as stated (in Amos 4:13), “He tramples on the heights³M. Pss. 93:5. Cf. Gen. R. 23:7, according to which the sea (i.e., the Mediterranean) is higher than the whole world. of the earth; the Lord God of hosts is His name.” So for [the waters] He set sand in place as bar and gates, according to what is stated (in Job 38:8, 10), “And [who] blocked off the sea with doors…. and I set bar and gates in place.” Moreover, it says (in Jer. 5:22), “’Do you not fear Me,’ says the Lord; ‘Will you not tremble because of Me, when I have placed sand as a boundary for the sea?’” And it says (in Job 38:11), “And I said, ‘You may come this far and no farther [...].’” Then the sea said to Him, “Master of the world, in that case my sweet waters will be mingled with the salt [waters]!” He said to it, “No! Each and every one will have a storehouse for itself, as stated (in Ps. 33:7), “and he has put the deeps in storehouses.”⁴See Gen. R. 4:5. If you should say that this is a great wonder for their waters not to mingle, then consider the face,⁵PRTsWP, an adaptation of the Gk.: prosopon. which the Holy One, blessed be He, created in people. [Although only] the [size of] a full sit,⁶According to Rashi on Shab. 106a, a single sit was the distance between the tips of the of the middle and index fingers when held widely apart. A double sit was the distance between the tips of the thumb and index finger when held widely apart. For various definitions, see Jastrow, p. 977, s.v. SYT. it has so many springs (from 'yn); yet they do not mingle with one another. The waters of the eyes ('yn) are salty; the waters of the ears are oily; the waters of the nose are putrid; the waters of the mouth are sweet. For what reason are the waters of the eyes salty? Because when someone weeps for the dead, [doing so] all the time, he would immediately become blind; however, because [tears] are salty, he stops and does not weep. For what reason are the waters of the ears oily? Because when a person hears bad news, if he held it in his ears, it would collect in his heart, and he would die. Because they are oily, [the news] goes in one ear and out the other.⁷Literally, “[A person] admits [bad news] through one [ear], and discharges it through the other.” For what reason are the waters of the nose putrid? Because when a person smells a bad odor, if the waters of the nose were not putrid [enough] to stop it, he would soon die. And for what reason are the waters of the mouth sweet? It sometimes happens that someone eats food that does not agree with him, and he vomits. Now if the waters of the mouth were not sweet, he would not recover. Moreover, since he reads the Torah, of which it is written (in Ps. 19:11), “sweeter also than honey and the drippings of the comb,” the waters of the mouth are therefore sweet. Now here are the grounds for arguing a fortiori (qal wehomer), that if [something the size of] a full sit has so many springs [without them mingling with one another], how much the more so in the case of the Great Sea, of which it is stated (in Ps. 104:25), “There the sea is great and wide […].” [This is] to teach that in everything, the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplishes His mission and that He has not created one thing in vain. Sometimes the Holy One, blessed be He, has accomplished His mission by means of a frog, by means of a gnat,⁸See Lev. R. 22:2-3; Eccl. R. 5:8:2, 4; PRE 49; also Shab. 77b; Exod. R. 10:1. by means of a wasp, or by means of a scorpion. R. Hanan of Sepphoris said,⁹Cf. Gen. R. 10:7; Lev. R. 22:4; Eccl. R. 5:8:5. “There is a story about a certain scorpion that went to carry out the Holy One, blessed be He's mission (to sting a certain person) beyond the Jordan; so the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned a certain frog for him, and he crossed over upon it. Then that scorpion went and stung [the] person so that he died. [There is] also a story about a certain reaper who stood and reaped in the valley of Beth-Kuzevah. When burning heat came, he took grass and tied it on his head. [When] a certain mighty serpent came at him, he killed it. A certain [snake] charmer passed by him. He saw the slain serpent. He said to him, ‘Who killed that serpent?’ [So the reaper] said to him ‘I [did].’ He looked at the grass on his head. He [then] said to him, ‘Remove the grass from your head and [then you can brag (if you still have that power)].’ When he did so, [the charmer] drew near. He had not succeeded in touching him, before [the reaper’s] body parts [all] shed.” R. Jannay was sitting as a judge at the gate of his city, [when] he saw a serpent hissing and coming toward the city. When they would secure against it in one place, it would go to another. He said, “It seems to me that this [serpent] is on its way to carry out its mission.” When it entered the city, a rumor spread in the city, “So-and-so ben so-and-so was bitten by a serpent and he is dead.” R. Elazar was strolling by the seashore of Caesarea. He found a femur bone strewn on the path. [So] he removed it from there, but he found it there again; he removed it from there [a second time] and found it there again. He said, “It seems to me that this [bone] is arranged to carry out its mission.” After [some] days, a minister came and fell over it and died. They looked into him and found evil documents against the Jews in his hand. There is a story about two people who were walking on the way. One who could see, and one was blind. They sat down to eat. They reached out their hands for the herbs of the field and ate. The one who could see became blind, and the one who had been blind became sighted. They did not move from there until the former was being supported by the latter whom he had been supporting. There is a story about a certain person who was going from the land of Israel to Babylon.¹⁰Lev. R. 22:4. While he was eating, he saw two birds fighting with each other. One of them killed its companion. Then going to get an herb, [it placed it on its mouth,] and made it live again. That person (the one who saw what had happened) went and took the very herb that had fallen from the bird. Then he went to make the dead live with it. When he arrived at the Ladder of Tyre,¹¹A well-known landing dock four hours north of Tyre. See ‘Eruv. 80a. he found a dead lion lying in the open. He touched the herb to its mouth and made it live. The lion got up and ate him. The proverb says, “Do not do good to the evil, and evil will not happen to you.”¹²Gen. R. 22:8. There is a story of Shihin (a town near Sepphoris) about a certain blind person who went down to bathe in the waters in a cave. He happened upon the well of Miriam, immersed [himself in it], and was healed. Titus the wicked entered the interior of the holy of holies.¹³Git. 56b; Lev. R. 22:3. When he had cursed and blasphemed, he stood up and slashed the veil. Then he took a Torah scroll and brought it out. Next he unrolled it; and bringing two whores, he transgressed upon them. Then he drew his sword to cut up the book. A miracle took place in that blood began to spew forth from it. He began to boast, saying that he had killed himself (i.e. God).¹⁴The author is avoiding too literal a description of the sacrilege and therefore substitutes “himself” for God as a euphemism. He began to become bolder and bolder. When he reached the sea, the sea began to grow stormier and stormier. He said, “The God of these people only has power in the sea. When Pharaoh arose, He drowned him in the sea, and Sisera as well.¹⁵See Pes. 118b. Now if He would, let there be dry land between Him and I. Then let us see who overcomes.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “O you wicked one, son of a wicked one, I am sending against you a tiny creature, the least of My creatures, to eradicate you from the world.” A gnat entered his nostril, and stayed in his nostril for three years. When he passed by a place where blacksmiths were working [and the gnat] heard the sound of iron, it was still. Whenever a gentile [blacksmith] would pass him, [Titus] would hire him for four dinars and say to him, “Bang your hammer in front of me the whole day.” And when he would do this the whole day, [Titus] would give him his four dinars. But when a Jewish [blacksmith] passed him, he would say to him, “Take [your hammer] and bang it [here] and I will give you your wage.” And he would bang the whole day. [But] when he was about to leave him and the Jew would say to [Titus], “Give me my wage,” he would answer and say to him, “It is enough for you that you see your enemy like this.” So would he do every day for three years. When he died they split open his head and found that [the gnat had grown] to be like a partridge and a sparrow and its claws were as hard as copper. And he died an unnatural death. Why is it named a base creature? Because it takes in but does not excrete. Moreover, sometimes it is by means of a hornet [that God's will is carried out]. Thus it is written (in Exod. 23:28), “I will send the hornet before you [to drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you].” Our masters have said, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, sent the hornet before Israel to kill the Amorites, see what was written about them (in Amos 2:9), “Yet I destroyed the Amorites [before them, whose stature was like the cedars in height and who were as strong as the oaks].” It entered one's right eye and poured out its poison in it. Then [that person] burst open and dropped dead. This indeed is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, to carry out His missions by means of small things against all who vaunt themselves against Him. He sends them a small creature to exact punishment from them, in order to inform them that there is no substance to their might. Also in the world to come the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to exact punishment from the [idol-worshiping] peoples of the world by means of small things. It is so stated (in Is. 7:18–19), “And it shall come to pass on that day that the Lord shall whistle for the fly. They all shall come […].”

(Deut. 16:18:) “[You shall appoint] judges and law officers.” This text is related (to Ps. 147:19), “He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.” “His words” are the words of Torah; “His statutes” are the expositions (midrsahot); “and His ordinances” are the judgments [to Israel]. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah and the judgments to no one but to Israel alone. And where is it shown? You learn that when Israel and a star-worshiping gentile have a dispute with each other, it is forbidden for Israel to say to the gentile, “Go with me to your courts,”¹Arka’ot; cf. Gk.: archai (“authorities”) or [archeia (“town offices”). because he would be transgressing a prohibition, since it is stated (in Ps. 147:20), “He has not done so for any nation (goy); and, as for His ordinances, they have not known them.” But were not the peoples of the world commanded concerning litigations, since that is one of the seven commandments of the Children of Noah? So what is the significance of (ibid.), “and, as for His ordinances, they have not known them?” These are the fine points of the law (din). As so have we taught (in Sanh. 5:2), “There was once a case that Ben Zakkay cross-examined [witnesses] about fig stems.”²The gemara (Sanh. 41a) explains that a capital offense was involved. Now the Children of Noah are put to death on the evidence of a single witness, with a single judge, and without a warning. [Whereas that is] something which does not exist in Israel, since there are three judges in property cases, and there are twenty-three judges in capital cases.³Sanh. 4:1. Moreover, it is written (in Deut. 19:15), “A single witness shall not be valid against a person….” So there must be an investigation and an inquiry. How do they examine the witnesses? They bring them in and solemnly forewarn them. Then they would examine them again with seven inquiries:⁴Sanh. 5:1. 1. In what week?⁵I.e., week of years, Sabbatical year of the Jubilee cycle. 2. In what year? 3. In what month? 4. On what [day] of the month? 5. In what hour? 6. In what place? 7. Did you forewarn him?⁶This last query is one of various supplemental questions listed in Sanh. 5:1. This is as we say in Tractate Sanhedrin. And so you find among the leaders⁷Parnas. Cf. Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”, “those who take forethought”). of Israel that they were praised only for their judging.⁸I.e., in various summary statements about Israel’s leaders, e.g., Judges 4:4; 10:2, 3; 12:7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14; 15:20; 16:31; I Sam. 4:18; 7:6, 15–17; 8:1, 5–6, 20; I Kings 3:9, it is the fact that they judged Israel that is specifically mentioned. This fact may not always be obvious in modern translations, because they do not always render Shpt as “judge” but by other English verbs, such as “govern” or “rule.” It is written concerning Samuel (in I Sam. 7:6), “And he went on a circuit year by year to Bethel, [Gilgal, and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places].” And David also was praised only for his judging, as stated (in I Chron. 18:14 // II Sam. 8:15), “And David reigned over all of Israel and he administered judgment and righteousness to all his people.” And in the case of Jehoshaphat also, when he was installed in the kingship, he did not occupy himself with the business of kingship nor with honor but with the business of judging.⁹Note that Jehoshaphat’s name means, “The LORD has judged.” It is so stated (in II Chron. 17:1), “Then [his son] Jehoshaphat reigned [in his stead,] and he strengthened himself over Israel.” What is the meaning of “and he strengthened himself (rt.: hzq)?” That he strengthened himself, when he appointed judges. It also says (in II Chron. 17:6), “His heart was exalted in the ways of the Lord, and in addition he removed the high places and asherim from Judah.” Was there a haughty spirit within him, in that it says, “his heart was exalted?” It is simply that he had appointed judges over them who knew how to walk in the ways of the Lord, as stated (in Gen. 18:19), “and to keep the way of the Lord, to do what is just and right.” (II Chron. 19:6:) “Then he said unto the judges,” (in Deut. 1:17), “As justice belongs to God.” Now if Moses our master, who was not commanded concerning judges,—rather Jethro told him (in Exod. 18:21), “And you shall seek out [able men] from among all the people…,” — [if he] convened a Sanhedrin;¹⁰Gk.: synedrion. how much more [important is a Sanhedrin] in our case, when it has been commanded here in the Torah (in Deut. 16:18), “You shall appoint judges and law officers for yourselves.” Where is it shown that Moses convened a Sanhedrin? Where it is stated (in Exod. 18:25), “So Moses chose able men from all Israel [and appointed them as heads over the people].” And Jerusalem also was praised only because of the justice system, as stated (in Ezek. 16:14), “And your name shall be spread among the gentiles because of your beauty, [as you were crowned with adornment (rt.: hdr)].” And what adornment (rt.: hdr) is that? This is the justice system, since it is stated (in Exod. 23:3), “Nor shall you favor (rt.: hdr) someone poor in his lawsuit.” And Jerusalem was destroyed only over perversion of justice, since it is stated (in Ezek. 22:5), “you with a besmirched name; you who are full of commotion,” the name for justice that you had at first is besmirched. It is also written (in Is. 1:21), “she (i.e., Jerusalem) was full of justice, there righteousness dwelt; but now murderers.” Because “she was full of justice, there righteousness dwelt.” For this reason, Jeremiah said to them (in Lam. 4:12-13), “The kings of the earth did not believe, [… that foe or enemy would come through the gates of Jerusalem]. It was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests [who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst].” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, swore that He Himself would exact retribution from the judges, as stated (in Is. 1:24), “Therefore thus says the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the Most Mighty of Israel, [‘Ah, I will exact vengeance from my foes]….’” Now “therefore” can only be a term [related to] an oath, since it is stated (in I Sam. 3:14), “And I therefore swear to the house of Eli.” Moreover, mighty can only be a term for the av bet din (head of the court), since it is stated (in I Sam. 21:8), “the most mighty of the shepherds [that belong to Saul].” [This is] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, became an av bet din in order to exact vengeance from them. And where is it shown that the text is speaking about judges? See what is written after it (in Is. 1:26), “And I will restore your judges as in the beginning.” Therefore David has said (in Ps. 147:19), “He declares His words to Jacob, [His statutes and His ordinances to Israel].”

(Exod. 21:1:) AND THESE ARE THE ORDINANCES (mishpatim)…. This text is related (to Ps. 99:4): AND A MIGHTY KING LOVES JUSTICE (mishpat).¹Tanh., Exod. 6:1; M. Pss. 99:2; Exod. R. 30:1. All strength, might, and glory belong to the Holy One. David said (in I Chron. 29:10): TO YOU, O LORD, BELONG THE GREATNESS AND THE MIGHT…. <Such> strength belongs to the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One. You find that whoever is in a position of power does not accomplish his ends with justice (mishpat) but <instead> subverts justice. The Holy One, however, is in a position of power and <still> loves justice (mishpat). (Ps. 99:4, cont.:) YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED UPRIGHTNESS. R. Alexandri said: Two donkey drivers who hated each other were going along the road.²M.Pss.99:3. When the donkey belonging to one of them lay down, his companion saw it and passed by. After he had passed by, he thought: It is written in the Torah (in Exod. 23:5): WHEN YOU SEE THE DONKEY OF ONE WHO HATES YOU <LYING DOWN UNDER ITS BURDEN>…, [YOU MUST SURELY ASSIST HIM.]³Cf. ARN, A 23; Matthew 5:43–48; //Luke 6:27–28, 32–36; Romans 12:20. He immediately returned and shared the load with him. He began to consider <the matter > in his heart. He thought: So-and-so actually loves me,⁴The Buber text reads, “him.” and I did not know it! They entered an inn,⁵Gk.: pandokeion. to eat and drink. Who caused them to make peace? <It happened> because this person considered the Torah. (Ps. 99:4, cont.:) YOU HAVE ESTABLISHED UPRIGHTNESS…. What is this? This is justice (mishpat).

What is meant by Thou hast established equity (ibid.)? R. Alexandri explained it as follows: Two mules are being led along a road by men who despise each other. Suddenly, one of the mules falls to the ground. As the one who is leading the second mule passes by, he sees the mule of the other man stretched out beneath his load, and he says to himself: “Is it not written in the law that If thou seest the ass of him that hateth thee lying under its burden, thou shalt forbear to pass him by; thou shalt verily release it for him (Exod. 23:5)?” What did he do? He turned back to help the other man reload his mule, and then accompanied him on the way. In fact, while working with him he began to talk to the owner of the mule, saying: “Let us loosen it a little on this side, let us tighten it down on this side,” until he reloaded the animal with him. It came to pass that they had made peace between themselves. The driver of the mule (that had fallen) said to himself: “I cannot believe that he hates me; see how concerned he was when he saw that my mule and I were in distress.” As a result, they went into the inn, and ate and drank together. Finally they became extremely attached to each other. Hence, Thou hast established equity, Thou hast executed justice and righteousness.

"In the beginning of God's creating..." - Six things preceded the creation of the world; some of them were created and some of them were decided to be created. The Torah and the Throne of Glory were created. How do we know the Torah was? As it says (Proverbs 8:22): "God made me at the beginning of his way." How do we know the Throne of Glory was? As it says (Psalms 93:2): "Your throne is established as of old etc." The Patriarchs, Israel, the Temple, and the name of the Messiah were decided to be created. How do we know the Patriarchs were? As it says (Hosea 9:10): "Like grapes in the wilderness etc." How do we know Israel was? As it says (Psalms 74:2): "Remember your congregation, whom you purchased from old." How do we know the Temple was? As it says (Jeremiah 17:12): "Your throne of glory, on high from the beginning etc." How do we know the name of the Messiah was? As it says (Psalms 72:17): "May his name exist forever etc. [his name shall be Yinnon as long as the sun]." Rabbi Ahavah said in the name of Rabbi Ze'ira: Even repentance was, as it says (Psalms 90:2): "Before the mountains were birthed," and at the same time (Psalms 90:3), "You turned man to contrition etc." However, I do not know which was first--if the Torah preceded the Throne of Glory or the Throne of Glory preceded the Torah. Rabbi Abba Bar Cahana said: The Torah preceded the Throne of Glory, as it says (Proverbs 8:22): "God made me at the beginning of his way, the first of his works of old." This is before that of which it is written (Psalms 93:2): "Your throne is established as of old." Rabbi Hunna and Rabbi Yirmiyah in the name of Rabbi Shmuel the son of Rabbi Yitzchak said: The thought of Israel was before everything. This is like a king who was married to a woman and did not have a son. One time the king was in the market and said: "Take this ink and pen for my son." They said: "He does not have a son." He replied: "Take them; the king must expect a son, because otherwise he would not command that the ink and pen be taken." Similarly, if there was no expectation of Israel receiving it after 26 generations, God would not have written in the Torah: "Command the children of Israel" or "Speak to the children of Israel." Rabbi Bannai said: The world and its contents were only created in the merit of the Torah, as it says (Proverbs 3:19): "God founded the world with wisdom etc." Rabbi Berachiyah said: In the merit of Moses, as it says (Deuteronomy 33:21): "He saw a first part for himself." Rabbi Hunna said in the name of Rabbi Matanah: The world was created in the merit of three things--challah, tithes, and first fruits. The verse "In the beginning God created" refers to challah, as it says (Numbers 15:20): "The beginning of your doughs." It also refers to tithes, as it says (Deuteronomy 18:4): "The beginning of your grains." It also refers to first fruits, as it says (Exodus 23:19): "The beginning of the fruits of the land."

R. Joshua, however, says: "Whence do we know that the Patriarchs were born in the month of Nissan? It is said (I Kings 6, 1) In the fourth year, in the month Ziv (glory), which is the second month, etc.; i.e., in that month in which the glorious ones of the earth (the patriarchs) were born. But, how is the passage of Ethanim to be explained? This means that they (the Israelites) were strongly protected by meritorious deeds. But how will the one who holds that the patriarchs were born in Tishri explain the reference to the month of Ziv? He will explain it literally: In the month when the trees are blooming, as R. Juda said: "Whoever takes a walk in the month of Nissan and observes the trees sprouting forth, he should say: 'Blessed art thou who hast made thy world lacking in naught, but hast produced therein goodly creatures and goodly trees wherewith to give delight unto the children of men.'" According to the one who holds that the patriarchs were born in Nissan, they also died in Nissan; and, according to the one who holds that they were born in Tishri, they also died in Tishri; for it is said (Deut. 31, 2) Moses said, I am one hundred and twenty years old to-day. He need not say to-day [if it has no special significance]. We, therefore, infer that to-day 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.

Moreover, sometimes it is by means of a hornet <that God's will is carried out>. Thus it is written (in Exod. 23:28): I WILL SEND THE HORNET BEFORE YOU <TO DRIVE OUT THE HIVITES, THE CANAANITES, AND THE HITTITES FROM BEFORE YOU>. Our masters have said: When the Holy One sent the hornet before Israel to kill the Amorites, see what was written about them (in Amos 2:9): YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITES [BEFORE THEM, WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT AND WHO WERE AS STRONG AS THE OAKS;] <I DESTROYED THEIR FRUIT ABOVE AND THEIR ROOTS BELOW>. It entered one's right eye and poured out its poison in it. Then <that person> burst open and dropped dead. This indeed is the way of the Holy One: to carry out his missions by means of small things against all who vaunt themselves against him. He sends them a small creature to exact punishment from them, in order to inform them that their might <comes> only from him. Also in the world to come the Holy One is going to exact punishment from the star-worshiping peoples by means of small things. It is so stated (in Is. 7:18–19): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS ON THAT DAY THAT THE [LORD] SHALL WHISTLE FOR THE FLY THAT IS AT THE EXTREMITIES OF THE RIVERS OF EGYPT AND FOR THE BEE THAT IS {AT THE END OF} [IN] HIS LAND OF ASSYRIA.¹⁶So runs the Buber text. Buber seems to have mistakenly put a space before the letter waw instead of after it. Thus at the verse break he has written ’ShWRW. B’W instead of ’ShWR. WB’W. THEY ALL SHALL COME….

(4) R. Joshua, however, says: "Whence do we know that the Patriarchs were born in the month of Nissan? It is said (I Kings 6, 1) In the fourth year, in the month Ziv (glory), which is the second month, etc.; i.e., in that month in which the glorious ones of the earth (the patriarchs) were born. But, how is the passage of Ethanim to be explained? This means that they (the Israelites) were strongly protected by meritorious deeds. But how will the one who holds that the patriarchs were born in Tishri explain the reference to the month of Ziv? He will explain it literally: In the month when the trees are blooming, as R. Juda said: "Whoever takes a walk in the month of Nissan and observes the trees sprouting forth, he should say: 'Blessed art thou who hast made thy world lacking in naught, but hast produced therein goodly creatures and goodly trees wherewith to give delight unto the children of men.'" According to the one who holds that the patriarchs were born in Nissan, they also died in Nissan; and, according to the one who holds that they were born in Tishri, they also died in Tishri; for it is said (Deut. 31, 2) Moses said, I am one hundred and twenty years old to-day. He need not say to-day [if it has no special significance]. We, therefore, infer that to-day 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. (5) Isaac was born on Passover. Whence do we infer this? It is written (Gen. 18, 14) At the next festival I will return to thee, and Sarah will have a son. What festival was it when he said this? Shall I assume that it was Passover, that he referred to Pentecost? Is it possible to bear children after fifty days' gestation? If I assume that it was Pentecost, that he referred to Tishri, then again the question is, Who bears children after five months' gestation? Shall I assume that it was Tabernacles, and that he referred to Passover, the same objection may be made: Is it possible to bear children after: six months of gestation? We have been taught in a Baraitha [in answer to the last objection]; that particular year was a leap year [and, therefore, it makes seven months]. But at all events the objection remains, for we must deduct the days of menstruation; hence less than seven months will remain. Mar Zutra [in answer to this] said that although a child born after nine months' gestation is never born before the ninth month is completed, nevertheless a seven months' child can he born before the seventh month is complete; as it is said (I Sam. 1, 20) And it came to pass, Li't'kufoth Hayamim (when the time was come about); the minimum of T'kufoth are two and the minimum of yamim is also two (i.e., after six months and two days' gestation, child-birth is possible). (6) Whence do we know that Sarah, Rachel and Hannah were visited on New Year's Day? R. Elazar said: We infer by comparing the expression, Zechiro, Zechiro (remember) and Pekidah Pekidah (visit) that appear in both places. Concerning the expression Zechira Zechira (remember), it is written of Rachel (Gen. 30, 32) And God remembered (Voyizkor) Rachel; and of Hannah, it is written (I Sam. 1, 19) And God remembered her (Voyizkor); this institutes an analogy between the word remember (Zechira) used in these passages and Zechiro, used in connection with New Year's Day, which is written (Lev. 23, 24) A remembrance (Zichrow) of blowing of cornets. Again, we make an inference from the analogy of Pekido Pekido (visit); it is written concerning Sarah (Gen. 21, 1) And the Lord visited (Pakad) Sarah as He said. Again, it is written concerning Hannah (I Sam. 2, 21) And truly the Lord visited (Pokad) Hannah. By the rule of analogy, all these events took place on the same [New Year's] day. Whence do we know that Joseph was released from prison on New Year's Day? It is written (Ps. 81, 4-5) Blow on the new moon the cornet at the appointed time on the day of our feast; for this is a statute for Israel. And again (Ib.) As a testimony in Joseph did he ordain it, when he went out over the land of Egypt. (Ib. b) On New Year's Day the bondage of our fathers in Egypt ceased. Whence do we know this? We infer it by rule of analogy of the word Sebila mentioned in two places. It is written (Ex. 6, 6) I will bring you out from under the burdens (Sibloth) of the Egyptians; and it is written (Ps. 81, 6) I removed his shoulder from the burden (Seibel); i.e., from the burden of Egypt on the day spoken of in the Psalm. In Nissan they were redeemed, as previously proven. In Tisari we shall again be redeemed. This he deduces by analogy from the word Shofor (cornet), found in the following passages. It is written (Ib.) Blow the cornet on the new moon (i.e., on New Year's Day); and it is written there (Isa. 27, 13) And on that day the great cornet (B'shofor), shall be blown [just as in the former case it means New Year's Day, so does it also in the latter]. R. Joshua says: "In Nissan they [our ancestors] were redeemed, and in Nissan we shall be redeemed in the future." Whence do we infer this? From the following passage (Ex. 12, 42), … this same night is a night of watching unto the Lord; i.e., a night specially designated from the first days of creation for the final redemption of Israel. (Ib.) … For all the children of Israel throughout their generations; i.e., a night looked forward to for the future redemption.

(Deut. 1, 16) And I commanded your judges at that time. R. Jochanan said: "This is a warning to the judges that they should be careful with the cane and straps." Hear the causes between your brethren and judge righteously. R. Chanina said: "This is a warning to the court that it shall not listen to the claims of one person in the absence of his opponent, for although we read [in the text] Sh'ma (hear), it is nevertheless spelled Shima (be heard) ." R. Cahana said we infer this from (Ex. 23, 1) Thou shalt not receive (Thissa) a false report; read it Thassi — (cause to receive). You shall judge righteously. Resh Lakish said: "This means, you shall deliberate over the case carefully, and make it just in your mind, and only then may you give your decision." Between a man and his brother, and his stranger. R. Juda said: . "Even between a house and its attic." [The judge must not say what is the difference, if one takes without appraising the house and one the attic]? And his stranger — R. Juda says: "This means that between a stove and an oven [the Judge shall not say, What is the difference, if I give him an oven or a stove]? Ye shall not recognize (favor) persons in judgment. R. Juda says: "This means you shall not favor him, even if he is your friend." According to R. Elazar, it means: "You shall not discriminate against him, [if he is your enemy]."

(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.

R. Elazar said in the name of R. Chanina: "Never shall the blessing of even a common man be considered insignificant in your eyes; for two great men of their generation were blessed by simple men and their blessings were fulfilled. They were David and Daniel. David, as it is written (II Sam. 24, 23) And Aravnah said unto the king, 'May the Lord thy God receive thee favorably.' Daniel was blessed by King Darius, as it is written (Dan. 6, 17) May thy God, whom thou worshippest continually, truly deliver thee." R. Elazar said again in the name of R. Chanina: 'Never shall the curse of even a common man be considered unimportant, for Abimelech cursed Sarah, saying (Gen. 20, 16) 'This is to thee a covering to the eyes, and it was fulfilled through her children as it is said (Gen. 27, 1) And Isaac's eyes became dim." Again said R. Elazar, in the name of R. Chanina: "Come and see how the custom of the Holy One, praised be He! differs from the custom of frail man! A frail man sets the pot [on the fire] first and then pours water into it, but the Holy One, praised be He! poureth the water first into the pot and then sets it on the fire, to sustain the passage (Jer. 10, 13) At the sound when he giveth a multitude of water." Another thing did R. Elazar say in the name of R. Chanina: "When the righteous is lost (dies) it is a loss to the generation only [not to himself]. This might be compared with a diamond which was lost by a man, wherever it is its name is there, the loss is merely to its owner." Again said R. Elazar in the name of R. Chanina: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ib. 5, 13) Yet all this profiteth me nothing. Infer from this that all treasures of that wicked (Haman) were engraved upon his heart, and as soon as he saw Mordecai sitting in the king's tower he said. Yet all this profiteth me nothing." Is it really because he (Haman) saw Mordecai sitting in the king's tower that he said this? Yes, as R. Chisda explained it: "The latter [Mordecai ] had come as a member of the Prosbul and the former [Haman] had come to court as a member of the Prosbuli" (Ib. b."); i.e., Buli signifies the rich, as it is said (Lev. 26, 19) I will break the pride of your power, and R. Joseph explains that this refers to the rich of Juda; Buli signifies poverty, and so reads the passage (Deut. 15, 8) Thou shalt surely lend him. R. Papa said: "Haman was called 'the slave that sold himself for a loaf of bread.'" R. Elazar said further in the name of R. Chanina: "In the future, the Holy One, praised be He! will put a crown on the head of every righteous man, as it is written (Is. 28, 5) On that day will the Lord of hosts he for a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty. What is the meaning of a crown of glory and a diadem of beauty? It is for those who do His will, and hope for His glory. One may think that this will be for all of them? Therefore it is said. Unto the residue of his people; i.e., for those who are so modest that they consider themselves like the remnant of the people. (Ib. 6) And for a spirit of judgment; i.e., to him who sitteth in judgment — and does justice. And for strength. It is to him who overcomes his inclination. To those that drive back the battle, this refers to those who debate over the Torah. To the gate, refers to the scholars who arise early to go to the gates of the houses of prayer and learning, and remain late there. The divine attribute of justice pleaded before the Holy One, praised be He! saying, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Wherein is the difference between this (Israel) and all other nations [that Thou art honoring Israel so much]?' Whereupon the Holy One, praised be He! answered 'Israel studied the Torah, and the idolaters did not.' To this the attribute of Justice replied (Ib. 7) But these also are now stumbling through wine, and reeling through strong drink — they are (Paku) unsteady in giving judgment. Paku (unsteady) refers to Gehenna, as it is said (I Sam. 25, 31) That this shall not be a cause of offence; and Pliliya [judgment] refers to the judges as it is said (Ex. 23, 21) And they shall pay this by the decision of (Phlilim) the Judges."

"Who is greater than Moses among all Israel, who was attended at his death by God himself, as it is said (Deut. 34, 6) And He buried him in the land of Moab, opposite, Beth-Pe'or, etc. (Ib. 6, 25) And the Lord said unto us, 'Let it suffice thee.'" Said R. Levi: With the word Rab did Moses inform others, [of grave tidings.] And with the word Rab he himself was informed [of grave tidings]; i.e., with the word Rab did he inform others, as it is written (Numb. 16, 7) You assume too much [Rab] ye sons of Levi, and he was in turn informed by the word. And the Lord said unto me, '(Rab lack) let it suffice thee:' in another way may Rab be explained, thou hast a Rabbi whose name is Joshua. Still in another way may Rab be explained. Let it suffice to thee so that people should not say, "How rigorous the teacher [Lord] is and how persistent is the scholar." And why did the Lord act so rigorously against Moses? In the academy of R. Ishmael it was explained: According to the camel is his load [the greater the man the greater is his responsibility]. (Deut. 31, 2) Moses said unto them: 'I am one hundred and twenty years old today.' He need not say today, [if there is no special significance]. What does he mean by the word to-day? This means that today have my days been completed; from this we may infer 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. (Deut. 31, 2) I am not able any more to go out and come in. What does that mean, to go out and come in? Shall we take it literally? Behold it is written further (Ib. 34, 7) And Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died; his eyes were not dimmed, and his natural strength has not abated, and again it is written (Ib., ib., ib.) And Moses went up from the plains of Moab to the Mount of Nebo. Concerning which we are taught in a Baraitha the following explanation: There were twelve stairs to the Mount and Moses surmounted them all in one step. [Hence we see that Moses was healthy and strong up to his death?] Said R. Samuel b. Nachmeni in the name of R. Jonathan: "To come forth, refers to the discussions of the Torah, from which it may be inferred that the wellsprings of wisdom were shut up for him." (Ib. 13, 14) Moses and Joshua went and placed themselves in the tabernacle of the congregation. We are taught that that particular Sabbath was a Sabbath of Transmittance of office by two. The office was taken irom one (Moses) and given to the other (Joshua). [Hence both served on the same day].

(Deut. 16:18:) “[You shall appoint] judges and law officers,” “judges” are magistrates, and “law officers” are administrators that supervise the people.¹¹Cf. Sifre to Deut. 16:18 (144). R. Eleazar said, “If there is no law officer, there is no judge. How so? When someone is found by a court to have a legal obligation to his companion, if there is no law officer who will collect from him when he withdraws from the court, there is no power in the hands of the judge to do anything to him. If, however, [a law officer is present], he delivers him into the hand of the law officer, and the law officer extracts compliance from him.” R. Eleazar ben Pedat said, “If it had not been for the law-enforcing office¹²Siteno, which is being read as sitero, as suggested by Jastrow, s.v. of Joab, David could not have enforced justice.” And so it says (in I Chron. 18:14-15 // II Sam. 8:15-16), “So David administered judgment and righteousness to all his people. And Joab ben Zeruiah was over the army.” Were David and Joab judges together? It is simply that whenever someone did not heed the judge, they delivered him into the hands of Joab, and he extracted [compliance] from him against his will. And so Job said (in Job 29:16-17), “I was a father to the poor […]. I broke the jaws [of the evildoer].”

And in the case of Jehoshaphat also, when he was installed in the kingship, he did not occupy himself with the business of kingship nor with honor but with the business of judging.¹⁴Note that Jehoshaphat’s name means, “The LORD has Judged.” It is so stated (in II Chron. 17:1): [THEN <HIS SON> JEHOSHAPHAT REIGNED] <IN HIS STEAD,> AND HE STRENGTHENED HIMSELF OVER ISRAEL. What is the meaning of [AND HE STRENGTHENED HIMSELF (rt.: HZQ)]? That HE STRENGTHENED HIMSELF, when he appointed judges. It also says (in II Chron. 17:6): HIS HEART WAS EXALTED IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD, AND IN ADDITION HE REMOVED THE HIGH PLACES AND ASHERIM FROM JUDAH. Was there a haughty spirit within him, in that it says: HIS HEART WAS EXALTED? It is simply that he had appointed judges over them who knew how to walk IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD¹⁵The fact that the divine name (LORD) is used here, indicates a biblical citation. The expression is found in various places, but the midrash probably adopts the wording from the verse just cited (II Chron. 17:6), which begins: HIS (i.e., Jehoshaphat’s) HEART WAS EXALTED IN THE WAYS OF THE LORD. AND TO KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD.¹⁶The mention of keeping the WAY OF THE LORD, is found in various places, but this exact Hebrew citation only occurs in Gen. 18:19 with reference to Abraham’s posterity, a citation given more fully in the parallel from Tanh., Deut. 5:1. (II Chron. 19:6–7:) THEN HE SAID UNTO THE JUDGES: CONSIDER WHAT YOU ARE DOING, SINCE YOU JUDGE NOT FOR HUMANS BUT FOR THE LORD. SO NOW LET THE FEAR OF THE LORD BE UPON YOU. TAKE CARE WHEN YOU ACT, FOR WITH THE LORD OUR GOD THERE IS NO INJUSTICE, PARTIALITY, OR TAKING A BRIBE. Now if Moses our Master, who was not commanded concerning Judges,—rather Jethro told him (in Exod. 18:21): YOU SHALL SEEK OUT <ABLE MEN> FROM AMONG ALL THE PEOPLE…, —<if he> convened a sanhedrin¹⁷Gk.: synedrion. for Israel, how much more <important is a sanhedrin> in our case, when it has been commanded here in the Torah (in Deut. 16:18): YOU SHALL APPOINT JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS FOR YOURSELVES. Where is it shown that Moses convened a sanhedrin? Where it is stated (in Exod. 18:25): SO MOSES CHOSE ABLE MEN FROM ALL ISRAEL <AND APPOINTED THEM AS HEADS OVER THE PEOPLE>…. And Jerusalem also was praised only because of the justice system, as stated (in Ezek. 16:14): AND YOUR NAME SHALL BE SPREAD AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOUR BEAUTY. And what adornment (rt.: HDR) is that? This is the justice system, since it is stated (in Exod. 23:3): NOR SHALL YOU FAVOR (rt.: HDR) SOMEONE POOR IN HIS LAWSUIT. And Jerusalem was destroyed only over perversion of justice, since it is stated (in Ezek. 22:5): YOU WITH A BESMIRCHED NAME; YOU WHO ARE FULL OF COMMOTION. A name for justice that you had at first is besmirched. It is also written (in Is. 1:21): SHE (i.e., Jerusalem) WAS FULL OF JUSTICE; but Jeremiah said this to them (in Lam. 4:12–13): THE KINGS OF THE EARTH DID NOT BELIEVE, [ … ] <THAT FOE OR ENEMY WOULD COME THROUGH THE GATES OF JERUSALEM>. IT WAS FOR THE SINS OF HER PROPHETS AND THE INIQUITIES OF HER PRIESTS <WHO SHED THE BLOOD OF THE RIGHTEOUS IN HER MIDST>. At that time the Holy One swore that he himself would exact retribution from them and from their judges, as stated (in Is. 1:24): THEREFORE THUS SAYS THE LORD, THE LORD OF HOSTS, THE MOST MIGHTY OF ISRAEL: <AH, I WILL EXACT VENGEANCE FROM MY FOES>…. Now THEREFORE can only be a term <related to> an oath, since it is stated (in I Sam. 3:14): AND I THEREFORE SWEAR TO THE HOUSE OF ELI. Moreover, MIGHTY can only be a term for the Av bet Din, since it is stated (in I Sam. 21:8 [7]): THE MOST MIGHTY OF THE SHEPHERDS THAT BELONG TO SAUL. <This is> to teach you that the Holy One became an Av bet Din in order to exact vengeance from them. And where is it shown? Where the text speaks about judges. See what is written after it (in Is. 1:26): AND I WILL RESTORE YOUR JUDGES AS IN THE BEGINNING. Therefore David has said (in Ps. 147:19): HE DECLARES HIS WORDS TO JACOB, <HIS STATUTES AND HIS ORDINANCES TO ISRAEL>.

(Fol. 16b) Our Rabbis were taught: What do we sing in praise of a bride when dancing before her? Beth Shammai says: "A bride [describing her] as she actually is." Beth Hillel, however, says: "A handsome and graceful bride." Beth Shammai then said unto Beth Hillel: "Suppose the bride is lame or blind, should it then also be said to her, 'a handsome and graceful bride.' Behold, the Torah says (Ex. 23, 7) Keep thyself far from false speech." Whereupon Beth Hillel replied: "According to your opinion, when one buys a bad bargain at the market should one commend it in the eyes of the owner, or should one point out its fault in the presence of the owner? Surely, you will say that one should commend it in the eyes of the owner." From this originates the saying of the sages: "At all times should man's disposition be pleasant in associating with men." When R. Dimi came from [the land of Israel] he said: "Thus they usually sing before a bride in the land of Israel. "There is neither paint, nor polish, nor hair dyeing, and nevertheless she is a graceful gazelle.'"

(Exodus 12:2) "The beginning of the months": We are hereby apprised that Nissan is the beginning for the months. And whence do we derive (the same for) the reign of kings? From (I Kings 6:1) "In the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel, in the month of Ziv (Iyyar), the second month," (his reign having begun with the first month, Nissan). And whence do we derive (the same for) festivals (i.e., that one is not in transgression of delaying his vows until three consecutive festivals have passed)? From (Devarim 16:16) "… the festival of matzoth (in Nissan), and the festival of Shavuoth, and the festival of Succoth." We find, then, that Nissan is the beginning for months, for kings, and for festivals. R. Nathan and R. Tzaddok say: Also for house rentals (i.e., If one says: I am renting it to you for this year, the understanding is until the beginning of Nissan.) But this does not apply to (the reckoning of) years, shemitah, Yovloth, planting (in respect to arlah [viz. Leviticus 19:23]) or (the tithing of) greens, in which respect it is written (Devarim 31:10-11) "At the end of seven years, in the time of the year of the shemitah … when all of Israel, etc.", and (Exodus 34:22) "and the festival of the ingathering, the circuit of the year."

“Daughter of a nobleman,” the daughter of Abraham who was called noble, just as it says: “The noblemen of the people have assembled, the people of the God of Abraham…” (Psalms 47:10).¹⁹The midrash thus interprets the verse as referring to Israel as daughter of Abraham. “Your rounded thighs,” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: All the luxuries and delicacies in which Israel luxuriates, and enjoys in this world, are by the merit of circumcision, which is between the thighs. Rabbi Ḥiyya said: What did the Sages see that led them to establish healing in the eighth blessing?²⁰Of the Amida prayer. It corresponds to circumcision, which was given [to be performed] on the eighth [day]. That is what is written: “My covenant was with him, life and peace” (Malachi 2:5). “Like ornaments [ḥala’im],” how many illnesses [ḥalayim] result from it, how many babies are circumcised and die as a result.²¹The merit of this mitzva is great because the Jewish people observe it scrupulously despite the danger (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Natan said: There was an incident where I came to the province of Cappadocia and there was a certain woman there who bore male children and they would be circumcised and die. She circumcised the first and he died, the second and he died, the third and he died. She brought the fourth [child] before me, and I saw that its flesh was yellow. I examined him and I did not find the blood of circumcision in him. They said to me: ‘Should we circumcise him?’ I said to them: ‘Wait and leave him until the blood of circumcision comes to him, as we learned there:²²Mishna Shabbat 19:5. A sick child, one does not circumcise him until he heals. They left him [for a while, and then] circumcised him, and he survived, and they named him Natan after me.’ That is “like ornaments.”
Another matter, “like ornaments,” to what were these ornaments similar? Rabbi Ḥonya and the Rabbis, Rabbi Ḥonya said: To a capital of a pillar. The Rabbis say: To the hollow of a pearl. Who crafted it? “The handiwork of a master craftsman,” the handiwork of the Holy One blessed be He in the world. Rabbi Shmuel said: [This is analogous] to a king who had an orchard. He planted rows of nut trees, apple trees, and pomegranate trees and gave them to his son. He said to him: My son, I demand nothing of you, only that when these trees produce fruit, bring me a sample of them and give me a taste so that I may see my handiwork and rejoice in you. So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel, My children, I demand nothing of you, only that when a firstborn son will be born to one of you, he shall consecrate it to My name. That is what is written: “Consecrate every firstborn to Me” (Exodus 13:2). And when you ascend on your way to the pilgrim festivals take him and all your males to appear before Me. Therefore, Moses cautioned Israel: “Three times during the year [all your males shall appear before…the Lord]” (Exodus 23:17).²³Since one who is uncircumcised cannot ascend for the pilgrimage festival (see Yevamot 72a), it is implied that the son has been circumcised.

(R. Jochanan) said to him, I will (also) tell thee a parable. To what is the matter like? To this fountain which is bubbling and sending forth its water, and it is able to effect a discharge more powerful || than what it secretes; in like manner art thou able to speak words of the Torah in excess of what Moses received at Sinai. (R. Jochanan) continued: Lest thou shouldst feel ashamed on my account, behold I will arise and go away from thee. Rabban Jochanan ben Ẓakkai arose and went outside. (Thereupon) R. Eliezer sat down and expounded. His face shone like the light of the sun and his effulgence beamed forth like that of Moses, so that no one knew whether it was day or night. They went and said to Rabban Jochanan ben Ẓakkai: Come and see R. Eliezer sitting and expounding, his face shining like the light of the sun and his effulgence beaming like that of Moses, so that no one knows whether it be day or night. He came from (his place) behind him and kissed him on his head, saying to him: Happy are ye, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, because this one has come forth from your loins.

(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.

Another matter, “a time to be born” – from the time to be born, it is the time to die. From the moment that a person is born, it is decreed upon him how many years he will live. If he merits, he will complete his years. If not, his life will be shortened, as it is written: “The fear of the Lord will increase days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened” (Proverbs 10:27). This is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbis say: If he merits, his life will be extended; if not, his life will be shortened. If he merits, his life will be extended, as it is stated: “Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5). He said to them: From his own it is added to him.⁸If one had his original life expectancy shortened, it will be restored. Thus, regarding the verse cited from Isaiah, the fifteen years restored Hezekiah to his original life expectancy. Know [that this is so,] as it is written: “Behold, a son is born to the house of David, Josiah is his name…” (I Kings 13:2), and Menashe⁹The order of the succession of the monarchy was Hezekiah, Menashe, Amon, Josiah. had not yet entered the world.¹⁰The prophecy about Josiah had been delivered hundreds of years earlier. When Hezekiah was granted the additional fifteen years, Menashe, his son, had not yet been born. Clearly, from the outset, Hezekiah was always supposed to have lived long enough to beget Menashe, Josiah’s grandfather. They said to him: Is it written: A son will be born to the house of David from Hezekiah? That is not stated, but rather “to the house of David,” [and it could have been] a son from a different [branch] of the royal house of David.
This supports what the Sages, our rabbis said: There was an incident involving one of the prominent men of Tzippori, who had occasion to circumcise [his son], and the residents of Ein Te’ena came up to honor him and Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta came up with them. When they came to the city gates, they came across the sound of lads standing and playing before one courtyard. They saw Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who was distinguished and handsome. They said to him: ‘You will not move from here until you dance for us a bit.’ He said to them: ‘This is inappropriate for me, as I am an elderly man.’ He reprimanded them, but they were not daunted and did not submit. He lifted his glance and saw that the courtyard [was going to be] overturned.¹¹Due to their impudence in insisting that Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta dance for them, the courtyard would be destroyed. He said to them: ‘Repeat after me what I say: Go and say to this owner of this courtyard: “If you are sleeping, awaken, as the beginning of sin is sweet but its end is bitter.”’ From the sound of their words the owner of that courtyard awakened, and he emerged, and fell at [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta’s] feet. He said: ‘Rabbi, I beg of you, do not pay attention to their words, as they are young and foolish.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘What can we do for you, the edict has already been issued.¹²The courtyard will be destroyed. However, I will delay it for you [so you have enough] time to take out everything that you have in the courtyard.’ When he had taken out everything that he had in the courtyard, that courtyard was lifted up and then crashed down [and was destroyed].
They went to fulfill the mitzva of circumcision, and the father of the boy was giving them aged wine to drink, and saying: ‘Drink of this fine wine, as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will [also] give you to drink of it at his wedding.’ They answered him: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ From the sound of their words, Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta emerged into the darkness,¹³He set out to return home even though it was night. he was accosted by the emissary of the people.¹⁴The angel of death. [The angel of death] said to him: ‘Is it because you rely on your good deeds that you are going out at a time that is not a time?’¹⁵For people to be outside. [Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘You, who are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am the emissary of the people.’ He said to him: ‘Why do you look forlorn?’ He said: ‘It is from the sound of the harsh words that I hear from people every day.’ He said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘That baby that you circumcised today, I have the document of his [fate, which states] that I am to take him from here in thirty days. His father gave you to drink and said: “Drink this fine wine as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will give you to drink of it at his wedding.” I heard and I was sad, because your prayer¹⁶The prayer the guests had said to the father: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ abrogates it.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘By your life, show me my fate.’ He said to him: ‘I have no control over yours and not over your colleagues.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said: ‘It is because each and every day you exert yourself in Torah and mitzvot and perform acts of righteousness, and the Holy One blessed be He adds years to your lifetimes.’ He said to him: ‘May it be the will of the Holy One blessed be He that just as you do not control our fates, so you will not have license to violate our words and our plea for mercy from Heaven.’ The baby lived.¹⁷This proves that, contrary to Rabbi Akiva’s statement, people can live beyond their predetermined life expectancy.
Rabbi Akiva said: What is [the significance of] this incident for us? I do not have an incident, but rather a verse: “I will fill the number of your days” (Exodus 23:26). Moses, how many mitzvot did he fulfill and how many acts of righteousness, and ultimately, it was stated to him: “Behold, your days are approaching to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14); that is: “A time to be born [and a time to die].”
Another matter, “a time to be born and a time to die” – when a man is born, the Holy One blessed be He waits up to twenty years for him to marry a woman. If he reached the age of twenty and did not marry a woman, the Holy One blessed be He says to him: It is “a time to be born” for you,¹⁸A time for you to have children. but you did not wish to do so; this is nothing other than “a time to die.” Some say: One waits only a bit before that which will burn him.¹⁹Since a man is liable to lose his life if he is not married by the age of twenty, he would do well not to wait until close to that age, and marry even before the age of twenty.
“A time to plant,” in peacetime; “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” in wartime.

“The Lord demolished and had no compassion for all the abodes of Jacob; He destroyed, in His ire, the strongholds of the daughter of Judah. He brought them to the ground; He profaned a kingdom and its princes” (Lamentations 2:2).
“The Lord demolished and had no compassion for all the abodes of Jacob.” Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: There were four hundred and eighty synagogues in Jerusalem. From where [is that derived]? “Filled with [mele’ati] justice” (Isaiah 1:21), meleti³¹The word is written without the alef, such that its numerical value is 480: mem–40, lamed–30, tav–400, yod–ten = 480. However, it should be noted that the word does appear with an alef in extant versions of the book of Isaiah. It is possible that the Sages of the midrash had the word without an alef in their editions (Yefe Anaf). Alternatively, since the alef is not pronounced, it is as though it was written without the alef (Midrash HaMevoar). is written. Each one of them had a school and an academy, a school for Bible and an academy for Mishna.
Another matter, “the Lord demolished and had no compassion for all the abodes [neot] of Jacob,” all the pleasant ones [neotav] of Jacob, like Rabbi Yishmael, Rabban Gamliel, Rabbi Yeshevav, Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava, Rabbi Ḥutzpit the disseminator, Rabbi Yehuda the baker, Rabbi Ḥananya ben Teradyon, Rabbi Akiva, ben Azai, and Rabbi Tarfon. Some remove Rabbi Tarfon and insert Rabbi Elazar Ḥarsena.
Rabbi Yoḥanan would expound sixty aspects of “the Lord demolished and had no compassion.” Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] would expound twenty-four aspects. It is not that Rabbi Yoḥanan was superior to Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi], but rather, since Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] was close to the destruction of the Temple, he would remember, expound, cry, and be consoled.³²He would mourn the destruction of the Temple in a more personal way, and the elder Sages with him had personal memories of the Temple and they would all cry. Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi would then cease expounding the ways in which God did not have compassion, and would share words of consolation (Etz Yosef).
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] would expound: “A star will arise from Jacob” (Numbers 24:17), do not read it as star [kokhav], but rather as fraudulent [kozav]. Rabbi Akiva, when he would look at that bar Koziva,³³Shimon bar Kokhva. he would say: ‘This is the messianic king.’ Rabbi Yoḥanan ben Torata said to him: ‘Akiva, grass will grow in your cheeks and he still will not have come.’ Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “The voice is the voice of Jacob [and the hands are the hands of Esau]” (Genesis 27:22), “the voice”—the emperor Hadrian killed eight hundred million people in Beitar.³⁴Thus, “the voice of Jacob” cried out due to the massacre committed by “the hands of Esau” in Beitar (Etz Yosef). Eighty thousand sounders of horns were laying siege to Beitar. Bar Koziva was there, and he had two hundred thousand men with severed fingers.³⁵He would test the courage and commitment of prospective recruits by having them bite off a finger. The Sages sent to him: ‘Until when will you cause Israel to be blemished?’ He said to them: ‘How then can they be tested?’ They said to him: ‘Anyone who does not uproot a Lebanese cedar, let him not be written on your military roster.’³⁶Their strength could be tested by whether or not they could uproot a cedar with their bare hands. He had two hundred thousand of these and two hundred thousand of those. When they would go out to war they would say:³⁷To God. ‘Do not help and do not hinder.’ That is what is written: “Is it not You, God, who had abandoned us, You, God, who would not go out with our armies?” (Psalms 60:12). What would ben Koziva do? He would catch a catapult stone on one of his knees and propel it and kill several of their people.³⁸When the enemy would catapult stones, he would kick them with his knee back to them, and not only would he not be injured, but he would kill several enemy soldiers. This was a demonstration of his incredible strength. It was due to this that Rabbi Akiva said that.³⁹That is why Rabbi Akiva thought he would be the messianic king.
For three and a half years, the emperor Hadrian surrounded Beitar. Rabbi Elazar Hamoda'i was there, engaged in his sackcloth and his fasting. Each and every day, he would pray and say: ‘Master of the universe, do not sit in judgment today.’ Ultimately, [Hadrian] made up his mind to return.⁴⁰Hadrian decided to return to Rome. A certain Cuthite came and found him and said to him: ‘My lord, every day that this chicken wallows in the ashes,⁴¹As long as Rabbi Elazar Hamoda’i continues fasting and wearing sackcloth, which is generally also be accompanied by placing ashes on oneself. you will not conquer it. But wait for me, as I will arrange for you to conquer it today.’ Immediately, he entered through the sewer system of the city. He found Rabbi Elazar, who was standing and praying. He made himself look as though he was whispering into the ear of Rabbi Elazar Hamoda'i. They went and told bar Koziva: ‘Your uncle, Rabbi Elazar, seeks to yield the city to Hadrian.’⁴²The Cuthites were enemies of the Jews, and therefore it looked suspicious for the Cuthite to be whispering into Rabbi Elazar’s ear. He sent and had that Cuthite brought [to him]. He said to him: ‘What did you say to him?’ He said to him: ‘If I tell you, the emperor will kill me.⁴³Literally, “that man.” If I do not tell you, you will kill me. But it is preferable that I have myself killed than having the secrets of the empire revealed.’
Ben Koziva thought that he⁴⁴Rabbi Elazar Hamoda’i. wanted to yield the city. When Rabbi Elazar concluded his prayer, he sent and had him brought. He said to him: ‘What did that Cuthite say to you?’ He said to him: ‘I do not know what he whispered in my ear, and I did not hear anything from him, as I was standing in prayer and I do not know what he was saying.’ Ben Koziva was filled with rage. He gave him one kick with his foot and killed him. A Divine Voice emerged and said: “Woe to the worthless shepherd who abandons the flock; a sword upon his arm and upon his right eye” (Zechariah 11:17). It said to him: ‘You paralyzed the arm of Israel and blinded their right eye; therefore, the arm of this man “will wither and his right eye will go blind”’ (Zechariah 11:17). Immediately, the iniquities caused Beitar to be captured. Ben Koziva was killed and they brought his head to Hadrian. He said: ‘Who killed this one?’ A certain Gontite⁴⁵According to most commentaries, this is another name for the Cuthites. Some interpret the word to mean soldier. said: ‘I killed this one.’ He said: ‘Go and bring him to me.’⁴⁶Hadrian asked for the rest of ben Koziva’s body to be brought to him. He went to bring him, and he found a serpent wrapped around his neck. [Hadrian] said to him: ‘Had his God not killed him, who could have overcome him?’ He applied to him the verse: “If not that their Rock had sold them” (Deuteronomy 32:30).
They were killing them until the horse was submerged in blood until its nostrils. The blood would roll boulders [weighing] forty se’a and would flow four mil into the sea. And lest you say it is proximate to the sea, it is a distance of four mil from the sea. Hadrian had a large vineyard eighteen mil by eighteen mil, like the distance between Tiberias and Tzippori. He surrounded it with a fence of the slain of Beitar.⁴⁷This was to fertilize the vineyard with the flesh and blood. He did not issue a decree [allowing the dead] to be buried, until a certain [new] emperor arose and issued a decree in their regard, and they buried them. Rabbi Huna said: The day that the slain of Beitar were brought to burial, [the blessing]: Who is good and does good, was instituted.⁴⁸The Sages added this blessing to Grace after Meals. Who is good, because they did not decompose, Who does good, because they were brought to burial.
Beitar existed for fifty-two years after the destruction of the Temple. Why was it destroyed? Because they kindled lamps over the destruction of the Temple.⁴⁹Kindling lamps was a sign of celebration. Why did they kindle them? They said: The ruling aristocracy of Jerusalem would sit in the center of the city, and when one of them would ascend to pray,⁵⁰When a resident of Beitar would ascend to Jerusalem to pray at the Temple. one of them would say to him: ‘Do you wish to become a member of the ruling aristocracy?’ He would say: ‘No.’ ‘Do you wish to become a local governor?’ He would say to him: ‘No.’ [The aristocrat] would say to him: ‘I heard that you have an estate; do you wish to sell it to me?’ He would say to him: ‘I do not intend to do so.’ He would write and send his bill of sale to a member of his household: ‘If so and so comes, do not allow him to enter the estate because he sold it to me.’⁵¹After offering the resident of Beitar an elevated status or a position of authority so that he would agree to sell his estate, and being rebuffed nevertheless, the corrupt aristocrats would take matters into their own hands and write false documents of sale on behalf of the Beitar resident. That man would say: ‘If only that man’s leg would have been broken and he would not have ascended to that corner.’⁵²The resident of Beitar whose estate was taken would say: ‘If only I had not come to pray at the Temple.’ That is what is written: “They hunted [tzadu] our steps [from walking in our squares]” (Lamentations 4:18); may the roads be desolate [tzadya] of [people] walking to those plazas.⁵³The people of Beitar hoped that people would stop traveling to the Temple. “Our end approaches” (Lamentations 4:18); the end of that Temple,⁵⁴They hoped that the Temple would be destroyed. “our days are filled” (Lamentations 4:18); the days of that Temple. They, too, their good did not last, as it is written: “One who rejoices at calamity will not be absolved” (Proverbs 17:5).
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Three hundred babies’ brains were found on a single rock, and three hundred baskets of phylacteries boxes were found in Beitar, each and every one of them holding three se’a. When you arrive at a tally, you find that there were three hundred se’a.⁵⁵Each basket held three hundred se’a, for a total of nine hundred se’a.
Rabban Gamliel said: There were five hundred elementary schools in Beitar, and the smallest among them had no fewer than three hundred children. They would say: ‘If our enemies come against us, we will emerge and stab them with these quills.’ When the iniquities were the cause and the enemies came, they wrapped each and every one of them in his scroll and they burned them, and I am the only one of them who survived. He applied to himself the verse: “My eye distressed my soul…” (Lamentations 3:51).
There were two brothers in Kefar Ḥaruva and they would not allow a Roman to pass there whom they did not kill. They said: ‘The entire objective of the matter is to take Hadrian’s crown and place it on Shimon’s head.’⁵⁶The reference is to Shimon bar Kokhva. The Romans came, and when they went out [to fight them], a certain elder encountered them and said to them: ‘May the Creator come to your aid against them.’ They said to him: ‘Let Him not help and let Him not hinder.’ Immediately, their iniquities were the cause and they were killed. [The Roman soldiers] brought their heads to Hadrian. He said: ‘Who killed these?’ A certain Gontite⁵⁷According to most commentaries, this is another name for the Cuthites. Some interpret the word to mean soldier. said to him: ‘I killed them.’ He said to him: ‘Go bring me their bodies.’ He went and found a serpent wrapped around their necks. [Hadrian] said: ‘Had their God not killed them, who could have overcome them?’ He applied to them the verse: “If not that their Rock had sold them” (Deuteronomy 32:30).
There were two cedars on the Mount of Olives, and beneath one of them there were four stores of sellers of ritually pure items. From one [store], they would take out forty se’a of fledglings each month, which would supply pairs of birds for Israel.⁵⁸In some instances, one who is ritually impure must sacrifice a pair of birds as part of his purification process; see, e.g., Leviticus 15:29. Mount Shimon would produce three hundred barrels.⁵⁹Many commentaries suggest that the text should read: Three hundred barrels of wine (see, e.g., Yefe Enayim). Why were they destroyed? If you say it was because of the prostitutes, but was there not only one young woman there and they expelled her? Rabbi Huna said: It is because they would play ball on Shabbat.
There were ten thousand towns on the King’s Mountain. Rabbi Elazar ben Ḥarsom owned one thousand of them. Corresponding to them, he had one thousand ships at sea. Three of those towns, Kavul, Shiḥin, and Magdela, their taxes would be taken up to Jerusalem.⁶⁰Many commentaries assert that the text should read: Taken up to Jerusalem in a wagon (see, e.g., Yefe Enayim). This is an indication that the load was heavy. Why were they destroyed? Kavul, due to strife; Shiḥin, due to sorcery; Magdela, due to prostitution.
There were three towns in the south that would produce twice the number of those who departed from Egypt, and they were: Kefar Bish, Kefar Shaḥalayim, and Kefar Dikhrin. Kefar Bish, why was its name called Kefar Bish?⁶¹This name literally means “bad village.” Because they did not receive guests. Kefar Shaḥalayim, why was its name called Kefar Shaḥalayim?⁶²Shaḥalayim means cress. Because they would produce numerous children, like cress.⁶³Cress is an edible herb that grows quickly. Kefar Dikhrin, why was its name called Kefar Dikhrin?⁶⁴Dikhrin means males in Aramaic. Because every woman there would give birth to male [dikhrin] children. Any woman who wished to bear a female would go outside the town and bear a female. Any other woman who wished to bear a male son, would go there and bear a male. But now, when you attempt to plant six hundred thousand reeds there, the space will not suffice.⁶⁵How could there have been twice that number of people in these towns? Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Land of Israel has contracted.
Rav Huna said: There were three hundred stores of sellers of ritually pure items in Magdela of the Dyers, and three hundred stores of weavers of curtains in Kefar Nimra. Rabbi Yirmeya said in the name of Rabbi Ḥiya bar Abba: There were eighty brothers who were priests, who married eighty sisters who were daughters of priests on one night in Gufna, not including brothers not to sisters, not including sisters not to brothers, not including Levites, and not including Israelites.⁶⁶Eighty pairs of brothers who were priests married eighty pairs of sisters who were the daughters of priests on one night, and this tally did not include marriages between priestly families in which a single son married a single daughter, and did not include weddings of those who were not priests. The fact that so many weddings occurred on one night indicates how large the population must have been.
Eighty thousand young priests were killed over the blood of Zekharya.⁶⁷Zekharya was a priest and prophet who rebuked the Judean aristocracy for their idolatrous practices and was killed on the Temple Mount; see II Chronicles 24:20–22. Rabbi Yudan asked Rabbi Aḥa: ‘Where did they kill Zekharya, in the Israelite courtyard or the women’s courtyard?’ He said to him: ‘Neither in the Israelite courtyard nor in the women’s courtyard, but rather in the priestly courtyard.’ They did not treat his blood like the blood of a gazelle nor like the blood of a deer. There it is written: “Any man from the children of Israel, or from the strangers who resides among them, who shall hunt game of a beast…he shall [pour out its blood and] cover it with dirt” (Leviticus 17:13). However, here it is written: “For its blood was within it; on a bare rock it placed it. It did not pour it on the ground to cover it with dirt” (Ezekiel 24:7). Why to that extent? “To arouse fury to take vengeance, I placed its blood upon the bare rock that it not be covered” (Ezekiel 24:8).
Israel performed seven transgressions on that day: They killed a priest, a prophet, and a judge, they spilled innocent blood, they desecrated the Name, they impurified the Temple courtyard, and it was Shabbat and Yom Kippur. When Nevuzaradan ascended, he saw that the blood of Zekharya was boiling. He said to them: ‘What is this?’ They said to him: ‘It is the blood of bulls and sheep.’ He brought bulls and sheep but [their blood] was not similar. 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 they did not tell him. When he said this to them,⁶⁸When he continued to threaten them after realizing that the blood was clearly not the blood of bulls and sheep. 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, [saying] ‘Accept [my words],’ but we did not accept it from him. Rather, we rose against him and killed him.’ He said to them: ‘I will assuage it.’ He brought the Great Sanhedrin and slaughtered them onto it, but it did not rest.⁶⁹He slaughtered the members of the Great Sanhedrin over the blood of Zekharya but the blood continued to boil. 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 it: ‘Zekharya, I have eliminated the best of your people. Is it your will that all of them will 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 man who eliminated many souls, all the more so.’ Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He became filled with mercy for them, and He intimated to the blood, and it was absorbed in its place.
Eighty thousand young priests breached the armies of Nebuchadnezzar with gold shields in their hands.⁷⁰They escaped the siege imposed by the Babylonian army. They went to the Ishmaelites, who took out salty foods and inflated wineskins. They said to [the Ishmaelites]: ‘Let us drink first.’ They said to them: ‘Eat first and then you will drink.’ After they ate, each and every one of them took the wineskin, placed it in his mouth, and the wind entered his stomach and burst it. That is what is written: “A prophecy of Arabia: In the forest in Arabia you will stay the night, caravans of Dedanites. Bring water to the thirsty. The inhabitants of the land of Teima greeted the wanderer with his bread [for they wandered due to swords, due to the drawn sword and to the bent bow]” (Isaiah 21:13–15). The one who is located “in the forest” of Lebanon “will stay the night.”⁷¹The Israelites, particularly the priests, who ordinarily spend time in the “forest of Lebanon,” i.e. the Temple, would stay the night amongst the Arabs. But “caravans of the Dedanites,” is it the way of cousins to act this way?⁷²The Dedanites are identified as the Ishmaelites, who are cousins [benei Dedanaya] of the Israelites. Is this what their Father⁷³God. did to your ancestor? What is written regarding your ancestor? “God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water. She went and filled the skin with water, and gave the lad to drink” (Genesis 21:19). But you did not fulfill: “Bring water to the thirsty.” Was it because it was good for them that they came to you? “For they wandered due to swords” (Isaiah 21:15), it is due to the sword of Nebuchadnezzar that they wandered.
“Due to a drawn [netusha] sword” (Isaiah 21:15), it is because they did not observe their Sabbatical Years properly, just as it is said: “But the seventh, you shall leave it fallow and relinquish it [untashtah]” (Exodus 23:11). “And to the bent [derukha] bow” (Isaiah 21:15), it is because they did not observe Shabbat properly, just as it is said: “In those days I saw in Judah some treading [dorekhim] winepresses on the Shabbat” (Nehemiah 13:15). “And due to the rigor of the war” (Isaiah 21:15), because they did not engage in the give and take of the war of Torah, of which it is written: “Therefore, it is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord” (Numbers 21:14).
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From Giveton to Antipatris there were six hundred thousand cities, the smallest of which was Beit Shemesh. That is what is written: “He smote among the men of Beit Shemesh…[and He smote of the people seventy men and fifty thousand men]” (I Samuel 6:19).⁷⁴This demonstrates that this area was very well populated. Now, there are not even one hundred reeds there. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Its priestly watch was the smallest of the priestly watches and would produce eighty thousand young priests.
How many attacks did Hadrian launch? Two amora’im, one said fifty-two and one said fifty-four. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Happy is he who saw the downfall of Tadmor. Why? Because it played a role in two destructions.⁷⁵The destructions of the two Temples. Rabbi Yudan said: In the first destruction it provided eighty thousand archers and in the second it provided forty thousand archers. Rav Huna said: In the latter destruction they were like the first.

It is related that when Antoninus came to Caesarea he summoned our saintly Rabbi. His son, R. Simeon, and the illustrious R. Hiyya accompanied him. R. Simeon noticed the handsome, distinguished-looking legionary, whose head reached the capitals of the columns, and he said to R. Hiyya: “See how fat the calves of Esau are.” Whereupon R. Hiyya took him to the marketplace and pointed out baskets of grapes and figs covered with flies, and said to him: “These flies and these legionaries are one and the same.” When R. Simeon returned to his father he told him: “This is what I said to R. Hiyya, and this is how he answered me.” “R. Hiyya,” he replied, “was only substantially correct in comparing the legionaries to the flies, for the legionaries are considered as nothing (before God), while the Holy One, blessed be He, used flies as His emissaries,” as it is said: And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall hiss for the fly that is in the uppermost parts of the river of Egypt (Isa. 7:18), and also: And I will send the hornet before thee (Exod. 23;28). Proof of this is that at the time when the Holy One, blessed be He, desired to fulfill the decree: Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger (Gen. 15:13), He selected as his emissary one from the smallest tribe. And so Joseph was sold into Egypt, and later Jacob and his sons went there to fulfill the decree. Therefore it is written: And Joseph was brought down into Egypt (Gen. 39:1).

(Fol. 49b) We are taught that Ben Azai says: "I found a secret scroll wherein it was written that a certain man was a Mamzer. It was also written there that the Mishnath of R. Eliezer b. Jacob is only a Kab (little in quantity), but well sifted. It was also written there that M'nashe executed Isaiah (the prophet)." Raba said: "He was tried before a court (of false prophets) where he was executed. He was asked: 'Moses thy master said (Ex. 33, 20) For no man can see me and live, and you said (Is. 6, 1) I saw the Lord sitting upon a high and exalted throne. Moses your master said (Deut. 4, 7) Who hath God so nigh unto it, as is the Lord our God at all times that we call upon Him, and you said (Is. 55, 6) seek ye the Lord, while He may be found. Moses your master said (Ex. 23, 26) The number of thy days will I make full, and you said (Is. 38, 5) I will add unto thy days fifteen years.' Isaiah then said to himself: I am quite sure that even should I offer him any explanation he will not accept it. If so, then why should I offer it altogether since it would merely cause him to commit [his crime] wilfully? Thereupon he uttered the Tetragrammaton and was swallowed up by a cedar tree. They brought the cedar and sawed it through, and when the saw reached Isaiah's mouth he died, because [of the sin he committed with his mouth when] he said (Is. 6, 5) "And in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell."

Because you said: Let now a little water be fetched, and wash your feet, and recline yourselves under the tree (Gen. 18:4), I will give the precept of the paschal lamb to thy descendants, as it is said: They shall fetch to them every man a lamb (Exod. 12:3). Because you said to them Let now (na), I will give your descendants the ordinance of the Passover: You shall not eat of it raw (na) (ibid., v. 20). Because you did say A little, I will drive their enemies away little by little, as it is said: By little and little I will drive them out from before you (ibid. 23:30). Inasmuch as you said water, I will give them a well in the desert, as is said: Spring up, O well (Num. 21:7). Since you said wash your feet, I will wash away all the impurity of your descendants, as it is said: When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughter of Zion (Isa. 4:4). Because you did say: Recline yourselves under a tree, I will give them the precept of the sukkah, as it is written: Go forth unto the mount and fetch olive branches (Neh. 8:15). In return for your saying: I will fetch a morsel of bread, I will cause to rain bread from heaven (Exod. 16:4). And inasmuch as you offered curd and milk, I will give you curd of kine and milk of sheep (Deut. 32:14).

Our Rabbis were taught: Whence do we infer that the judge must not favor either party with his speech? It is said (Ex. 23, 7) Keep thee far from a false matter; furthermore, whence do we infer that he shall not enter discussion with an ignorant disciple in a case [so that he might not be misled by the latter]? It is said again, Keep thee far from a false matter. Whence do we infer that the judge, being aware that the party is a robber and there being only one witness, or a plain witness, being aware that the party is a robber, must not conjoin with the latter? It is therefore said, Keep thee far from a false matter. Whence do we infer that if the judge notices the witnesses testifying falsely, that he shall not say to himself: I will decide the case in accordance with their evidence according to the law and the collar will remain on the neck of the witnesses? (Fol. 31) It is said Keep thee far from a false matter. Whence do we infer that if a disciple sits before his teacher and observes a different treatment for the poor, or an accusation for the rich that he must not be silent? It is said, Keep thee far from a false matter. Whence do we infer that if a disciple sees his master error in his judgment, he must not say, I will wait until he issues his verdict and then I will disclose the error, thereby causing the issuance of another verdict, which will have to be done with the acknowledgment of my authority? It is therefore said, Keep thee far from false matter. Whence do we infer that the master shall not tell his disciple: "You are aware that I would not lie even if offered one hundred manas, but there is one who owes me a mana, and I have only one witness, it is but right that you appear in court, so that the defendant might think you, too, a witness, and I will thus get my mana," although he does not instruct his disciple to tell a lie, but begs him to stand and say nothing [thereby scaring his opponent]. The verse therefore reads, Keep thee far from a false matter. Furthermore, whence do we infer that if the plaintiff claims a mana, he must not claim two, with the intention that thereby he will cause the defendant to confess one, which partial confession will make him liable to a biblical oath, so that it will be possible for the plaintiff to include here in the oath also other claims which he may have against the defendant? It is said, Keep thee far from a false matter. Again whence do we know that the defendant must not say: "Since the plaintiff claims two, I will therefore not confess even the one I owe him in order to avoid the Biblical oath in which the plaintiff may include some other claims?" It is said, Keep thee far from a false matter. Whence do we further infer that when three persons claim one mana from one party, and there are no witnesses, they shall not institute one of themselves as the plaintiff and the other two as witnesses, thereby recovering the mana and dividing it among themselves? It is said, Keep thee far from a false matter. Again whence do we infer that if two appear before the court, one richly dressed in a cloak worth one hundred mana, and the other clad in rags, the court must instruct the former to go and dress like his contestant, or to dress him richly like himself? It is said, Keep thee far from a false matter. See Text, that also to hear a case in the absence of one litigant is prohibited both to the judge and litigant.

There was an incident involving Rabbi Yehoshua ben Ḥananya, who went to the great city of Rome. They said to him: ‘There is a certain child in prison in disgrace.’¹⁰The Romans were exploiting him, or planned to exploit him, for homosexual relations. He went there and saw a certain child with beautiful eyes, good looking, with his hair arranged, standing in disgrace. He stood at the entrance to test him, and he read this verse in his regard: “Who delivered Jacob to plunder and Israel to looters?” (Isaiah 42:24). The child answered after him: “Was it not the Lord against Whom we have sinned? They did not wish to go in His ways and did not listen to His Torah” (Isaiah 42:24). When Rabbi Yehoshua heard this, he read in his regard: “The precious sons of Zion, who were valued in gold,” and his eyes shed tears. He said: ‘I call upon the heavens and the earth as witnesses that I am certain that this [child] will issue halakhic rulings in Israel. By the Temple service, I will not move from here until I redeem him for all money that they demand for him.’ They said: He did not move from there until he redeemed him for a substantial sum of money. It was only a short time later when he issued halakhic rulings in Israel. Who was he? He was Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha.
Another matter, in what way was their preciousness manifest? It was that not one of them would attend a feast until he knew with whom he would be dining, nor would he sign [a document] until he knew with whom he would be signing, to fulfill what is stated: “Do not extend your hand with the wicked to be a corrupt witness” (Exodus 23:1).
Another matter, in what way was their preciousness manifest? It was that not one of them would attend a feast unless he would reverse his sleeve. Why to that extent? It was so that no one else could make an unsubstantiated claim.¹¹They would not accuse them of misappropriating food from the host and tucking it into their sleeve, the front of which had a cuff (Yefe Enayim). Alternatively, in what way was their preciousness manifest? It was that none of them would make an unsubstantiated claim. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: This was a great custom in Jerusalem: They would spread a cloth above the entrance. As long as the cloth was spread, guests would enter. When the cloth was removed, there was permission for guests to enter only three strides.
Another matter, in what way was their preciousness manifest? They would entrust the meal to the cook. If any component of the meal would be ruined, they would punish the cook,¹²They would penalize him for the embarrassment that he caused the host. all calculated in accordance with the standing of the host and all calculated in accordance with the standing of the guests.¹³This policy ensured that the food was always of a high standard and the honor of the host and guests was preserved.
Another matter, in what way was their preciousness manifest? When one of them would make a feast, he would tie all the courses of the meal in a cloth.¹⁴He would send a bit of each item to the guests in advance. Alternatively, this may be translated to mean that he would list all the courses on a cloth. In any event the point was that guests would know what was on the menu so that they could choose to eat only what they liked. Why to that extent? It is because of the delicate people, so no one would eat something that does not agree with him. Rabbi Ḥiyya Kara said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: From the day that the Temple was destroyed, congealed wine¹⁵This was considered a delicacy. and white glass ceased. Why was it called white? Because it was pliant.¹⁶It was therefore similar to a white cloak, which would commonly be folded (Etz Yosef).

Hezkiya taught (Jeremiah 50:17): "Israel are scattered sheep" - why are Israel likened to a sheep? Just as a sheep, when hurt on its head or some other body part, all of its body parts feel it. So it is with Israel when one of them sins and everyone feels it. (Numbers 16:22): "When one man sins [will You be wrathful with the whole community]." Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught a parable: Men were on a ship. One of them took a drill and started drilling underneath him. The others said to him: What are sitting and doing?! He replied: What do you care. Is this not underneath my area that I am drilling?! They said to him: But the water will rise and flood us all on this ship. This is as Iyob said (Job 19:4): "If indeed I have erred, my error remains with me." But his friends said to him (Job 34:37): "He adds transgression to his sin; he extends it among us." [The men on the ship said]: You extend your sins among us. Rabbi Elasa said: a gentile asked Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha: In your Torah, it is written (Exodus 23:2): "After the multitude will you side." We are more numerous than you, so why don't you become like us in practicing idolatry? He [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha] said to him: Do you have children? He replied: You reminded me of my troubles. He asked: Why? [The gentile] said: I have many children. When they sit at my table, this one blesses to this god and that one blesses to that god, and they don't get up from the table until they wrack each other's brains. He [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha] said: Do you settle [the arguments] with them? He said: No. He [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha] said: Before you make us agree with you, find agreement with your own children! [The gentile] was spurned and went away. After he left [Rabbi Yehoshua ben Karha's] students said to him: Rabbi! You pushed him away like a broken reed, but what would you answer for us? He said to them: Six souls are about written [in the Torah] about Esau, and "souls" [nefashot] is written in the plural, as stated (Genesis 36:6): "Esau took his wives, his sons and daughters, and all the souls of his household." For Yaakov, however, there were seventy souls, and soul [nefesh] is written [in the Torah] in the singular. As it is stated (Exodus 1:5): "And all of the people [nefesh] that were of Jacob's issue, etc." Because Esau worshipped many gods, it is written many "souls," but for Yaakov--who worshipped one God--it is written one soul, "And all of the people [nefesh], etc."

We are taught in a Mishnah: Concerning an oven which was separated and then it was pasted together by using sand between the lime sections. R. Eliezer declares it to be clean and the sages, unclean, (Ib. b) and this is the oven of a snake. What does this mean? Said R. Juda in the name of Samuel: "It intimates that they encircled it with their evidence as a snake winds itself around an object." In a Baraitha it was taught that R. Eliezer used every possible argument, but they were not accepted. Then he said: "Let this carob-tree prove that the Halacha prevails as I state;" the carob was [miraculously] thrown off to a distance of one hundred ells, and according to others four hundred ells. But they said: The carob proves nothing. He again said: "Let, then, the spring of water prove that so the Halacha prevails." The water then began to run backwards. But again the sages said that this proved nothing. He again said: "Then, let the walls of the house of study prove that I am right." The walls were about to fall. R. Joshua, however, rebuked them, saying: "If the scholars of this college are discussing upon a Halacha, wherefore should ye interfere!" They did not fall, out of respect for R. Joshua, but they did not become straight again, out of respect for R. Eliezer. (They consequently remain to this very day in the same condition). He said again: "Let it be announced by the heavens that the Halacha pervails according to my statement," whereupon a heavenly voice was heard, saying: "Why do you quarrel with R. Eliezer, whose opinion should prevail everywhere!" R. Joshua then got up on his feet and proclaimed (Deut. 30, 12) The Law is not in the heavens. What is the meaning of The Law is not in the heavens? Said R. Jeremiah: "It means, the Torah was given already to us on the Mount Sinai, and we do not care for a heavenly voice, since it is written in the Torah (Ex. 23, 2) To incline after the majority." R. Nathan met Elijah [the Prophet] and questioned him: "What did the Holy One, praised be He! do at that time" [when R. Joshua proclaimed the above answer to the heavenly voice]? And he rejoined: "He laughed and said, My children have overruled Me, My children have overruled Me." It was said that on the same day all the cases of Levitical cleanliness, on which R. Eliezer decided that they were clean, were brought into the college and were destroyed by fire. And they cast a vote, and it was decided unanimously to bless him (to place him under the ban). The question arose, as to who should take the trouble to inform him. R. Akiba said: "I will go [and inform him our decision] lest one who is not fit for such a message go and inform him suddenly, and he will destroy the world." What did R. Akiba do? He dressed himself in black and wrapped himself with the same color, and sat at a distance of four ells from R. Eliezer. And to his question: "Akiba, what is the matter?" he answered: "Rabbi! It seems to me that your colleagues have separated themselves from you." Immediately thereupon, he (R. Eliezer) tore his garments, took off his shoes, and sat on the floor, and from his eyes tears began to flow. The world was then beaten a third in olives, a third in wheat, and a third in barley. According to others, even the dough which was already in the hands of the women, became spoiled. A Baraitha states that he was so great in that day that wherever R. Eliezer fixed his eye, it was burnt. And also Rabban Gamaliel, who had at that time been sailing, was in danger of being drowned in a stormy ocean, and he said: "It seems to me that this storm is because of R. Eliezer b. Hurkanus." He then arose and offered the following prayer: "Sovereign of the Universe, it is known and revealed to Thee that neither for the sake of my honor nor for the honor of my father's house have I done so, but for Thy glory, so that [single-handed] quarrels shall not increase in Israel." Whereupon the sea became quiet. Eima Shalum, the wife of R. Eliezer, was a sister of Rabban Gamaliel, and since that time she prevented her husband from falling upon his face. It happened, however, on a day which was the last of the month, and she erred, thinking that this day was the first of the month [in which the falling upon the face is not customary], according to others, a poor man knocked at the door and she was going to give him some bread, that he fell on his face, and when she returned and found her husband falling on his face, she said to him: "Arise, you have already killed my brother!" In the meantime it was heralded by the house of Rabban Gamaliel that he was dead, and to the question R. Eliezer asked her: "Whence did you know this?" she answered: "I have a tradition from the house of my grandfather that all gates are closed for prayers, except for him who cries upon annoying."

(Bamidbar 5:9) "And all terumah of all the holy things of the children of Israel which they present to the Cohein, to him shall it be." R. Yishmael says: Scripture comes to teach you that if one dedicates (to the Temple) his grain pile before he levels it off and then he redeems it, he must take terumah (from it). I might think (he must do so) even if he redeemed it after he leveled the pile; it is, therefore, written (of terumah, Devarim 18:4) "the first of your corn (pile)." R. Akiva says: "and all terumah": Scripture comes to teach you that if he wishes to make his entire granary terumah, he may do so, so long as he leaves some over. "and all terumah of all the holy things": Scripture hereby teaches us that the laws of terumah apply to all varieties (of produce, and not just to those specifically indicated). Issi b. Yehudah says: If the ma'aser — the less stringent — obtains with all produce, how much more so, terumah — the more stringent. Variantly: If ma'aser, which does not obtain in the third and sixth year (of shemitah), obtains with all produce, how much more so, terumah, which obtains in all years! Issi b. Menachem says: if ma'aser, which is brought only as an adjunct to learning and fear (viz. Devarim 14:23), obtains with all produce, how much more so, the more stringent, terumah! (Ibid. 5:9) "which they offer to the Cohein, to him shall it be": R. Yishmael says: Now is terumah offered to the Cohein? (Does he not rather come to receive it?) What, then, is the intent of "which they offer to the Cohein"? Because it is written (Shemot 23:19) "The first of the first-fruits (bikkurim) of your land shall you bring to the house of the L-rd your G-d," but we are not told what is to be done with them; it is, therefore, written "which they offer to the Cohein, to him shall it be." Scripture hereby teaches us that bikkurim, (which are presented as offerings), are to be given to the Cohanim.

(Gen. 18:2:) WHEN HE RAISED HIS EYES, HE LOOKED, < AND BEHOLD, THREE PERSONS WERE STANDING NEAR HIM >…. R. Simay said: The Holy One said to Abraham: By virtue of three races which you ran, by your life, when I come to give Torah to Israel, I am running three races before them. Now these are the three races which Abraham ran:²⁶See TSot. 4:1; BM 86b-87a; ARN, A, 13; Tanh., Gen. 4:4; Gen. R. 48:4; Exod. R. 25:5; Numb. R. 14:2. (Ibid., cont.:) HE RAN TO MEET THEM. (Ibid., vs. 7:) THEN ABRAHAM RAN UNTO THE HERD. (Ibid., vs. 6:) SO ABRAHAM HASTENED TO THE TENT…. Here are three races. The Holy One also repaid his children in kind for him at Sinai, as stated (in Deut. 33:2): AND HE SAID: THE LORD CAME FORTH FROM SINAI, < AND SHONE UPON THEM FROM SEIR, HE; HE APPEARED FROM MOUNT PARAN >…. The Holy One said to him: By your life, you said (in Gen. 18:4): PLEASE (na) LET A LITTLE WATER BE BROUGHT (rt.: LQH). With that very word I am redeeming you from Egypt, as stated (in Exod. 6:7): AND I WILL TAKE (rt.: LQH) YOU TO BE MY < PEOPLE >. So much for this world. [Where is it shown] in regard to the world to come? Where it is stated (in Jer. 3:14): I WILL TAKE (rt.: LQH) YOU, ONE FROM A TOWN AND TWO FROM A CLAN, < AND BRING YOU TO ZION >. You said to them (in Gen. 18:4): PLEASE (na). By your life, with that very word I am admonishing (rt.: YKH) your children, as stated (in Is. 1:18): PLEASE (na) COME, LET US REASON (rt.: YKH) TOGETHER, SAYS THE LORD…. You said to them (in 18:4): A LITTLE (me'at). By your life, with that very word I am driving out the peoples from before your children, as stated (in Exod. 23:30): LITTLE BY LITTLE (me'at me'at) I WILL DRIVE THEM OUT FROM BEFORE YOU. And where is it also shown for the world to come? Where it is stated (in Hag. 2:6f.): FOR THUS SAYS THE LORD {GOD} [OF HOSTS]: IN JUST A LITTLE WHILE (me'at) LONGER I WILL SHAKE < THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH, THE SEA AND THE DRY COUNTRY; I WILL SHAKE THE NATIONS >. You said to them (in 18:4): WATER. By your life, I am raising up a well for your children, as stated (in Numb. 21:17): RISE UP, O WELL! SING TO IT. And where is it also shown after they had entered the land? Where it is stated (in Deut. 8:7): FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS BRINGING YOU UNTO A GOOD LAND, [A LAND WITH STREAMS OF WATER]…. Where is it also shown for the world to come? Where it is stated (in Is. 30:25): THEN UPON [EVERY] HIGH MOUNTAIN [AND UPON EVERY LOFTY HILL THERE SHALL BE BROOKS AND STREAMS OF WATER].

“Your eyes are pools in Ḥeshbon.” “Your eyes,” these are the Sanhedrin, who are the eyes of the congregation, just as it says: “It shall be, if from the eyes of the congregation” (Numbers 15:24). There are two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a person and all of them follow the eyes. So too, Israel is unable to do anything without its Sanhedrin. “Pools in Ḥeshbon,” matters of calculation [ḥeshbon]; thirty-six exonerate and thirty-five convict.³³The seventy-one members of the Sanhedrin would vote on a given case. If the majority, thirty-six, would exonerate, the defendant would be acquitted. “By the gate of Bat Rabim,” this is the halakha that emerges from the gatehouse and is disseminated to the multitudes. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi says: It is attributed to: “Inclining after the majority [rabim]” (Exodus 23:2).

(Deut. 3:26), “Do not [ever] speak [unto me on this matter] again.]” This is related to what Job said (in Job 20:6-7), “Even though one's height ascends to the heavens, [and his head reaches the clouds]. He perishes forever, like his dung….” With reference to whom did Job say this verse? It only speaks with reference to the day of death. So even though one ascends to the heavens and makes himself wings like a bird; when his time to die arrives, his wings are broken, and he falls before the angel of death like an animal before the butcher. So also has David said (in Ps. 146:4), “His spirit departs; he returns to the ground.” And Job has already stated (in Job 3:19), “The small and the great are there, and the slave ('eved) is free from his master.” As even if his master bought him for thousands and thousands of gold coins, once [the slave’s] time to die has come, he cannot say, “He is my slave,” but rather he becomes free from his master. Another interpretation (of Job 20:6), “Even though one's height ascends to the heavens.” This refers to Moses, who ascended to the firmament and who came to the Araphel (the lower sky). Moreover, he was like the ministering angels in that he spoke with Him (i.e., with the Holy One, blessed be He,) face to face and received the Torah from His hand. When his time to die arrived, He said to him (in Deut. 31:14), “Behold the days are drawing near for you to die.” [Moses] said to Him, “Master of the world, is it for nothing that my feet have trodden Araphel? Is it for nothing that I have run before Your children like a horse, that my end be for the worm? R. Abbahu said, “To what is the matter comparable? To one of the nobles of the kingdom, who found a certain Hindu sword, which was unmatched [in the world] and who said, ‘This is suitable only for the king.’ What did he do? He brought it to the king as a gift.¹⁵Gk.: doron. The king said, ‘Cut off his head with it.’ So also Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘By the word that I [used to] praise¹⁶Rt.: KLS. Cf. Gk.: kalos. you, when I said (in Deut. 10:14), “Behold (hen), the heavens [and the heavens of the heavens, the earth and all that is in it] belong to the Lord your God!’ By that [very] word (i.e., hen) You are decreeing death over me, when you say (in Deut. 31:14), “Behold (hen), the days are drawing near for you to die.”’”¹⁷Below, Deut. 11:6. He said to him, “Moses, I have already decreed¹⁸Rt.: QLS. Cf. Lat.: census; Gk.: kensos. death over the first Adam.” He said to him, “My master, the first Adam deserved to die. You decreed an easy commandment for him, and he transgressed it. Hence it is fitting for him to die. [God] said to him, “Consider Abraham, [who] sanctified My name in My world [but still died].” He said to him, “Master of the world, From Abraham there came out Ishmael, whose race provoked You to anger, as stated (in Job 12:6) ‘The tents of robbers prosper, [and those who provoke God have security, the ones whom God brought forth in His hand].’” He said to him, “Consider Isaac, who stretched out his neck upon the altar.” He said to him, “From Isaac there came out Esau, who in the future will destroy the Temple and burn Your sanctuary.” He said to him, “Consider Jacob, out of whom there came twelve tribes without any flaw.” He said to him “Jacob did not ascend into the firmament, his feet did not trod Araphel, he was not like the ministering angels, he did not receive Torah from Your hand and he did not speak with you face to face.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Deut. 3:26), “Enough from you; do not [ever] speak [unto Me on this matter] again.” He said to Him, “Perhaps [future] generations will say, ‘If He had not found bad things in Moses, He would not have removed him from the world.” He said to him, “I have already written in my Torah (in Deut. 34:10), “Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.” He said in front of Him, “The people will say] I did your will in my youth, but I did not do your will in my old age.” He said to him, “I have already written (in Deut. 32:51), “Because you acted faithlessly with me.”¹⁹Cf. Numb. 20:12. He said to Him, “Please let me enter the land [and spend] two or three years there, and after that let me die.” He said to him (in Deut. 32:52), “And there you shall not go.” He said to Him, “If I am not to enter while alive, let me enter after my death.” He said to him, “Not while you are alive, and not when you are dead.” He said in front of Him, “Why all this anger against me?” He said to him (according to Deut. 32:51), “Because you did not sanctify Me.” He said to him, “With all mortals you are guided two or three times by the principle of mercy, as stated (in Job 33:29), ‘Behold, God does all these things two or three times to a man’; yet in my case, when a single sin is found in me, you do not forgive me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “See here, Moses, you have committed six sins, and I have not disclosed one of them. First you said, (in Exod. 4:13) ‘Please make someone else your agent’; secondly (in Exod. 5:23), ‘For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, [he has dealt worse with this people, and You have still not delivered Your people]’; thirdly (in Numb. 11:22) ‘If the sheep and cattle would be slaughtered for them , would it be [enough] for them’; fourthly (in Numb. 16:29), ‘The Lord did not send me’; fifthly (in Numb. 20:10), ‘Listen, you rebels, [shall we bring forth water for you from this rock]’;²⁰See above, the note at the end of Exod. 1:20. sixth (in Numb. 32:14), ‘And now you brood of sinners have arisen in place of your ancestors.’ But were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sinners, for you to say this to their children?” He said to Him, “I have learned so from You, when you said (in Numb. 17:3), ‘The censers of these who have sinned [at the cost of their lives].’ He said to him, “I said (ibid.), ‘At the cost of their lives,’ and not, ‘at the cost of their ancestors.’” He said in front of Him, “I am an individual, while Israel numbers sixty myriads (i.e., 600,000). They have sinned before You a lot of times; and when I sought mercy on their behalf, You forgave them. You took care of sixty myriads [because of me], yet You are not taking care of me.” He said to him, “Moses, a decree over a community is not like a decree over an individual. Furthermore, up to now [the] time was delivered into your hands, but from now [the] time is not delivered into your hands.” He said to Him, “Master of the universe, rise up from the seat of judgment and sit down upon the seat of mercy for me, so that I do not die. Then my sins shall be forgiven through torments which You shall bring on my body. So do not deliver me to the pangs of the angel of death. Moreover, if You do this, I will proclaim Your praise to all who come into the world, just as David has said (in Ps. 118:17), ‘I shall not die, but live [and recount the works of the Lord].’” He said to him (in vs. 20), “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall come through it.” [From this it follows that] death has been ordained from time immemorial for the righteous and for all mortals. When Moses saw that they paid no attention to him, he went to the heaven and earth, where he said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “Before seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 51:6), ‘for the heavens shall vanish like smoke, and the earth shall wear out like a garment.’”²¹See ‘AZ 17a, for this verse applied to Eleazar ben Dordia in a similar way. He went to the stars and planets. He said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “Before seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 34:4), ‘All the host of heaven shall rot away….’” He went to the mountains and hills. He said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “[Before seeking mercy for you,] we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 54:10), ‘For the mountains shall move, and the hills shall be shaken.’”²²The translation of the verb tenses here differs from some biblical translations but fits the sense of the midrash. He went to the Great Sea. He said to it, “Seek mercy for me.” [The sea] said to him, “Son of Amram, how is today different from a couple of [other] days? Are you not the son of Amram, who came upon me with your rod, smote me, and divided me into twelve parts? For I was unable to stand before you because the Divine Presence was walking at your right hand. It is so stated (in Is. 63:12), ‘Who had His glorious arm walk at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them […].’ So what has happened to you today?” When the sea reminded him what he had done in his youth, he cried out and said (in Job 29:2), “’O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me!’ When I passed through you, I was a world king; but now I am prostrate, and they pay no attention to me.” Immediately he betook himself to the arch[angel] of the [Divine] Presence and said to him, “Seek mercy for me, that I not die.” He said to him, “My master, Moses, why the exertion? This is what I have heard from behind the curtain:²³Pargod. Cf. Lat.: paragauda or [paragaudis] (a garment with a lace border); Gk.: Paragaudes (a garment with a purple border). That your prayer is not heard on this matter.” Putting his hands on his head, Moses sobbed and wept, as he said, “With whom shall I seek mercy for myself?” R. Simlay said, “At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, was full of anger over him, as stated (in Deut. 3:26), ‘But the Lord was angry with me […],’ until Moses began by uttering this Scripture (Exod. 34:6): ‘Then the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “the Lord, the Lord is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger…].’” Immediately the holy spirit was cooled off.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Moses, I have sworn two oaths, one that you should die and one to destroy Israel. To repeal both of them is impossible; so if you want to live, Israel will be destroyed.” He said before Him, “You are coming to me with a plot. You are seizing the rope at both ends. Let Moses and a thousand like him be destroyed, but do not let one person in Israel be destroyed.” He said to him, “Master of the Universe, should feet that have climbed up to the firmament, should a face that has greeted the Divine Presence, should hands that have received Torah from Your hands lick the dust? Woe!²⁴Vay. All mortals will say, “If Moses, who ascended on high, became like the ministering angels, spoke with Him face to face, and received Torah from His hand, had no reply for responding to the Holy One, blessed be He, how much the worse it will be for [mere] flesh and blood, who comes with no [merit from] Torah and with no [merit from the] commandments?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Why all this anguish that you are experiencing?” He said, “Master of the world, I am afraid of the pangs of the angel of death.” He said to him, “I am not delivering you into his hands.” He said in front of Him, “Master of the universe, my mother Jochebed, who was distressed (literally, whose teeth were blunted) during her lifetime by two of her sons, will be distressed by my death.” He said to him, “So has it come up in [My] mind, and so is it the way of the world: every generation with its expositors, every generation with its administrators,²⁵Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”). every generation with its leaders. Up to now it has been your lot to serve in front of Me, but now your lot is over and the time of your disciple Joshua for him to serve [Me] has arrived.” He said to him, “My Master, if I am dying because of Joshua, let me go and become his disciple!” He said to him, “If you want to do that, go and do it.” Moses arose and went early to Joshua's door.²⁶Cf. the somewhat different account in Deut. R. 9:9. Now Joshua was seated expounding [Torah], so Moses stopped to bend his stature and put his hand on his mouth. But Joshua's eyes were hidden, and he did not see him, so that he (Moses) would be sorrowful and resign himself to death. When Israel came to Moses' door to study Torah, they asked and said, “Where did Moshe our master [go]?” [Others] said to them, “He got up early and went to the door of Joshua.” [So] they went and found him at the door of Joshua, with Joshua sitting and Moses standing. They said to Joshua, “What has come over you that Moses our master stands, while you sit?” When he raised his eyes and saw him, he immediately rent his clothes. Then sobbing and weeping, he said, “O my master, my master! My father, my father and lord!” Israel said to Moses, “Moses our master, teach us Torah.” He said to them, “I am not allowed.” They said to him, “We are not leaving you.” A heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said to them, “Learn from Joshua.” [So] they took upon themselves to sit and learn from the mouth of Joshua. Joshua sat at the head with Moses to his right and with [Elazar and Ithamar] to his left. So he sat and expounded in the presence of Moses. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said that R. Johanan said, “When Joshua opened by saying, ‘Blessed be the One who has chosen the righteous,” they took the traditions of wisdom from Moses and gave them to Joshua. Now Moses did not know what Joshua was expounding. After Israel arose [from the session], they said to Moses, “[Explain] the Torah [we have just heard] to us.” He said to them, “I do not know what to answer you.” So Moses our master was stumbling and falling. It was at that time that he said, “Master of the universe, up to now I requested life, but now here is my soul given over to You.” Then when he had resigned himself to death, the Holy One, blessed be He, opened by saying (in Ps. 94:16), “’Who will stand for Me²⁷In context, the word, me, here is self-referential to the author of Psalms, and not referring to God. against evildoers?’ Who will stand for Israel in the time of My wrath? Who will stand in the battle of My children? And who will stand and seek mercy for them, when they sin before Me?” At that time Metatron²⁸Lat.: metator (“measurer,” “one who marks out boundaries”). came and fell on his face. He said to Him, “Master of the world, [as] in Moses' life he belonged to You, so in his death he belongs to You.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Let me give you a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a son. Now on each and every day, his father was angry with him and sought to kill him because he did not maintain respect for the father; but his mother rescued him from his hand. One day his mother died and the king wept. His servants said to him, ‘Our lord king, why are you weeping?’ He said to them, ‘It is not over my wife alone that I am weeping, but for my son; for many times when I was angry with him and wanted to kill him, did she rescue him from my hand?’” So also did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Metatron, “It is not over Moses alone that I am weeping, but over him and over Israel, for look at how many times that they angered Me, and I was angry with them; but he stood in the breach before Me to turn back My anger from destroying them.” They came and said to Moses, “The hour has arrived for you to depart from the world.” He said to them, “Wait for me until I bless Israel, for they have not found contentment from me all my days, because of the rebukes and warnings with which I rebuked them.” He began to bless each tribe separately. When he saw that the time was growing short, he included all of them in a single blessing. They came and said, “The hour has arrived for your soul to depart from the world.” He said to Israel, “I have caused you a lot of grief over the Torah and over the commandments, but now forgive me.” They said to him, “Our lord master, you are forgiven.” Israel also arose before him and said to him, “O Moses our master, we have angered you a lot and increased the burden upon you. Forgive us.” He said to them, “You are forgiven.” They came and said to him, “The moment has arrived for you to depart from the world.” He said, “Blessed be the name of the One who lives and abides forever.” He said to Israel, “If you please, when you enter the land, remember me and my bones, and you shall say, ‘Woe (oy) to the son of Amram, who ran before us like a horse but whose bones have fallen in the wilderness.’” They came and said to him, “The half moment has arrived.” He took his two arms and placed them on his heart. Then he said to Israel, “See the final end of flesh and blood.” They answered and said, “The hands which received the Torah from the mouth of the Almighty shall fall to the grave.” At that moment his soul departed with a kiss (from the Holy One, blessed be He),²⁹See MQ 28a. as stated (in Deut. 34:5), “Then Moses [the servant of the Lord] died there [in the Land of Moab at the command of the Lord (literally, by the mouth of the Lord)].”³⁰BB 17a; ARN, A 12:2; Cant. R. 1:2:5; Petirat Mosheh Rabbenu, recension A, in A. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch (Leipzig: Vollrath, 1853-57), vol. I, p. 129; ibid., recension B, in Jellinek, vol. VI, p. 77. Now [the ones who] took care of his burial were neither Israel nor the angels but the Holy One, blessed be He, [Himself], as stated (in vs. 6), “Then He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) buried him (Moses) in the valley [in the Land of Moab].” And for what reason was he buried outside the land? So that those who die when outside the land might live [again] through his merit,³¹The translation here follows the traditional Tanhuma. Deut. 2:6. So also Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. The Buber text omits “might live again” and reads “through their merit.” as stated (in Deut. 33:21), “He has chosen the best for himself, [for there is an honored lawgiver's portion].” But when did Moses our master die? On the seventh of Adar,³²Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, 10; TSot. 11:7; Qid. 38a; see Meg. 13b; Sot. 12b. as stated (in Deut. 34:5), “Then Moses the servant of the Lord died there [in the Land of Moab].” It is also written (in vs. 8), “And the children of Israel mourned Moses [on the Plains of Moab for thirty days.]” And it is written (in Josh. 1:1), “And it came to pass after the death of Moses, [the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke unto Joshua]”; (Josh. 4:19) “Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month (i.e., Nisan).” Reckon back thirty-three days [from then]. Ergo, he died on the seventh of Adar. And where is it shown that he was born on the seventh of Adar? Where it is stated (in Deut. 31:2), “He said to them, ‘I am one hundred twenty years old today.’”³³Since Moses spoke these words on the day of his death, his birthday must have been the same as the day of his death. What is the text teaching with, “today?” Today, I have fulfilled my days and any years. [It is there] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills the years for the righteous from day to day and from month to month, as stated (in Exod. 23:26), “I will fulfill the number of your days.”

(Job 20:6): EVEN THOUGH ONE'S HEIGHT ASCENDS TO THE HEAVENS. This refers to Moses, who ascended to the firmament and whose feet trod on Araphel (the lower sky). Moreover, he was like the ministering angels in that he spoke with him (i.e., with the Holy One) face to face and received the Torah from his hand. When his time to die arrived, he said to him (in Deut. 31:14): BEHOLD THE DAYS ARE DRAWING NEAR FOR YOU TO DIE. <Moses> said to him: Sovereign of the world, is it for nothing that my feet have trodden Araphel? Is it for nothing that I have run before your children like a horse? Is my end the worm and the maggot? R. Abbahu said: To what is the matter comparable? To one of the nobles of the kingdom, who found a certain Hindu sword, which was unmatched [in the world] and who said: This is suitable only for the king. What did he do? He brought it to the king as a gift.¹⁹Gk.: doron. The king said: Cut off his head with it. So also Moses said to the Holy One: By the word that I <used to> praise²⁰Rt.: KLS. Cf. Gk.: kalos. you, when I said (in Deut. 10:14): BEHOLD (hen), <THE HEAVENS AND THE HEAVENS OF THE HEAVENS, THE EARTH AND ALL THAT IS IN IT> BELONG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD! by that <very> word (i.e., hen) you are decreeing death over me, when you say (in Deut. 31:14): BEHOLD (hen), THE DAYS ARE DRAWING NEAR FOR YOU <TO DIE>.²¹Below, Deut. 11:6. He said to him: I have already decreed²²Rt.: QLS. Cf. Lat.: census; Gk.: kensos. death over the first Adam. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, [the first] Adam deserved to die. You decreed an easy commandment for him, and he transgressed it. But I should not die. He said to him: Consider Abraham, who sanctified my name in the world but <still> died. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, consider <the fact that> out of him there came Ishmael, whose race provoked you to anger, as stated (in Job 12:6) THE TENTS OF ROBBERS PROSPER, AND THOSE WHO PROVOKE GOD HAVE SECURITY, THE ONES WHOM GOD BROUGHT FORTH IN HIS HAND. He said to him: consider Isaac, who stretched out his neck upon the altar. He said to him: Out of him there came Esau the Wicked, who destroyed your sanctuary and burned your temple. He said to him: Consider Jacob, out of whom there came twelve tribes. He said to him Jacob did not ascend into the firmament, his feet did not trod Araphel, he did not receive Torah from your hand, and he did not speak with you face to face. The Holy One said to him (in Deut. 3:26): ENOUGH FROM YOU! DO NOT <EVER> SPEAK <UNTO ME ON THIS MATTER> AGAIN. He said to him: Perhaps <future> generations will say: If he had not found evil things in Moses, he would not have removed him from the world. He said to him: I have already written in my Torah (in Deut. 34:10): NEVER AGAIN DID THERE ARISE IN ISRAEL A PROPHET LIKE MOSES. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, perhaps [the people will say] I did your will in my youth, but I did not do your will in my old age. He said to him: I have already written (in Deut. 32:51): [BECAUSE YOU ACTED FAITHLESSLY WITH ME] <AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AT THE WATERS OF MERIBATH-KADESH IN THE WILDERNESS OF ZIN>, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT SANCTIFY ME <AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>.²³Cf. Numb. 20:12. He said to him: If you are willing, let me enter the land [and spend] two or three years [there], and after that let me die. He said to him: It is an irrevocable decision from me. He said to him: If I am not to enter while alive, let me enter after my death. He said to him: Not while you are alive, and not when you are dead. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, why all this anger against me? (According to Deut. 32:51) BECAUSE HE DID NOT SANCTIFY ME. He said to him: With all mortals you are guided two or three times by the principle of mercy, as stated (in Job 33:29): BEHOLD, GOD DOES ALL THESE THINGS TWO OR THREE TIMES TO A MAN; yet in my case, when a single sin is found in me, you do not forgive me. The Holy One said to him: See here, Moses, you have committed six sins, and I have not disclosed one of them. (1) In the first place you said (in Exod. 4:13) PLEASE MAKE SOMEONE ELSE YOUR AGENT. (2, in Exod. 5:23:) FOR EVER SINCE I CAME TO PHARAOH TO SPEAK IN YOUR NAME, [HE HAS DEALT WORSE WITH THIS PEOPLE, AND YOU HAVE STILL NOT DELIVERED YOUR PEOPLE]. (3, In Numb. 16:29:) THE LORD DID NOT SEND ME. (4, In Numb. 16:30:) BUT IF THE LORD CREATES SOMETHING NEW. (5, In Numb. 20:10:) LISTEN, YOU REBELS, <SHALL WE BRING FORTH WATER FOR YOU FROM THIS ROCK>?²⁴See above, the note at the end of Exod. 1:20. (6, Numb:32:14:) AND NOW YOU BROOD OF SINNERS HAVE ARISEN IN PLACE OF YOUR ANCESTORS. But were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sinners, for you to say this to their children? He said to him: I have learned so from you, when you said (in Numb. 17:3 [16:38]): THE CENSERS OF <THESE> WHO HAVE SINNED <AT THE COST OF THEIR LIVES>. He said to him: I said (ibid.): AT THE COST OF THEIR LIVES, and not: "At the cost of their ancestors." He said to him: Sovereign of the World: I am an individual, while Israel numbers sixty myriads (i.e., 600,000). They have sinned before you a lot of times; and when I sought mercy on their behalf, you forgave them. You took care of sixty myriads because of me, yet you are not taking care of me. He said to him: Moses, a decree over a community is not like a decree over an individual. Furthermore, up to now time was delivered into your hands, but now time is not delivered into your hands. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, rise up from the seat of judgment and sit down upon the seat of mercy for me, so that I do not die. Then my sins shall be forgiven through torments which you have brought on my body. So do not deliver me into the bonds of the angel of death. Moreover, if you do this, I will proclaim your praise to all who come into the world, just as David has said (in Ps. 118:17–18): I SHALL NOT DIE, BUT LIVE AND RECOUNT THE WORKS OF THE LORD. <THE LORD HAS PUNISHED ME SEVERELY, BUT HE DID NOT HAND ME OVER TO DEATH.> He said to him (in vs. 20): THIS IS THE GATE OF THE LORD; [THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL COME THROUGH IT.] From this it follows that for the righteous and for all mortals death has been ordained from time immemorial. When Moses saw that they paid no attention to him, he went to heaven and earth, where he said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: Instead of us seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 51:6): FOR THE HEAVENS SHALL VANISH LIKE SMOKE, AND THE EARTH SHALL WEAR OUT LIKE A GARMENT.²⁵See ‘AZ a for this verse applied to Eleazar ben Dordia in a similar way. He went to the sun and the moon. He said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: Instead of us seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 24:23): THEN THE MOON SHALL BE ASHAMED, AND THE SUN SHALL BE ABASHED. He went to the stars and planets. He said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: [Instead of us seeking mercy for you,] we should seek mercy for ourselves, [since it is stated] (in Is. 34:4): ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN SHALL ROT AWAY [….] He went to the mountains and hills. He said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: We should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 54:10): FOR THE MOUNTAINS SHALL MOVE, AND THE HILLS SHALL BE SHAKEN.²⁶The translation of the verb tenses here differs from some biblical versions but fits the sense of the midrash. He went to the Great Sea. He said to it: [Seek mercy for me. The sea] said to him: Son of Amram, how is today different from a couple of <other> days? Are you not the son of Amram? <Are you not the one> who came upon me with your rod, smote me, and divided me into twelve parts? For I was unable to stand before you because the Divine Presence was walking at your right hand. It is so stated (in Is. 63:12): WHO HAD <HIS GLORIOUS ARM> WALK AT THE RIGHT HAND OF MOSES, <WHO DIVIDED THE WATERS BEFORE THEM>…. So now what has happened to you? When the sea reminded him what he had done in his youth, he cried out and said (in Job 29:2): O THAT I WERE AS IN THE MONTHS OF OLD, <AS IN THE DAYS WHEN GOD WATCHED OVER ME>! When I stood by you, I was a king in the world; but now I am prostrate, and they pay no attention to me. Immediately he betook himself to the Arch<angel> of the <Divine> Presence and said to him: Seek mercy for me, that I not die. He said to him: My Master, Moses, why is this a problem? This is what I have heard from behind the Curtain:²⁷Pargod. Cf. Lat.: paragauda or [paragaudis] (a garment with a lace border); Gk.: Paragaudes (a garment with a purple border). that your prayer has not been heard on this matter. Putting his hands on his head, Moses sobbed and wept, as he said: With whom shall I seek mercy for myself? R. Simlay said: At that time the Holy One was full of anger over him, as stated (in Deut. 3:26): BUT THE LORD WAS ANGRY WITH ME, until Moses began by uttering this scripture: (Exod. 34:6:) [THEN THE LORD PASSED BEFORE HIM AND PROCLAIMED:] THE LORD: THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD, <SLOW TO ANGER>…. Immediately the Holy Spirit cooled him off. The Holy One said to Moses: Moses, I have sworn two oaths, one that you should die and one to destroy Israel. To repeal both of them is impossible; so if you want to live, Israel will be destroyed. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, are you coming to me with a plot? You are seizing the rope at both ends. Let Moses and a thousand like him be destroyed, but do not let one person in Israel be destroyed. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, should feet that have climbed up to the firmament, should a face that has greeted the Divine Presence, should hands that have received Torah from your hand lick the dust? Woe²⁸Vay. to all mortals. They will say: If Moses, who ascended on high, became like the ministering angels, spoke with him face to face, and received Torah from his hand, had no reply for responding to the Holy One, how much the worse it will be for <mere> flesh and blood, who comes with no Torah and with no commandments? The Holy One said to Moses: Why all this sorrow over which you are sorrowing? He said: Sovereign of the World, I am afraid of the bonds of the angel of death. He said to him: I am not delivering you into his hands. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, my mother [Jochebed], who was put to shame (literally: whose teeth were blunted) during her lifetime by two of her sons, will be put to shame by my death. He said to him: This has come to mind, but this is the way of the world: every generation with its expositors, every generation with its administrators,²⁹Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”). every generation with its leaders. Up to now it has been your lot to serve <me>, [but now the lot of your disciple Joshua has arrived for him to serve <me>]. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, if I am dying because of Joshua, let me go and become his disciple! He said to him: If you want to do that, go and do it. Moses arose and went early to Joshua's door.³⁰Cf. the somewhat different account in Deut. R. 9:9. Now Joshua was seated expounding <Torah>, so Moses stopped to bend his proud stature and put his hand on his mouth. But Joshua's eyes were hidden, and he did not see him, so that he (Moses) would be sorrowful and resign himself [to death]. When Israel came to Moses' door, they found him at the door of Joshua with Joshua sitting and Moses standing. They said to Joshua: What has come over you that Moses our Master stands, while you sit? When he raised his eyes and saw him, he immediately rent his clothes. Then sobbing and weeping, he said: O my Master, my Master! My Father, my Father and Lord! Israel said to Moses: Moses our Master, teach us Torah. He said to them: I have no authority. They said to him: We are not leaving you. A heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said to them: Learn from Joshua. They took upon themselves to sit and learn from the mouth of Joshua. Joshua sat at the head with Moses to his right and with Eleazar and Ithamar to his left. So he sat and expounded in the presence of Moses. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: R. Johanan said: When Joshua opened by saying: Blessed be the one who has chosen the righteous and their Mishnaic teaching, they took the traditions of wisdom from Moses and gave them to Joshua. Now Moses did not know what Joshua was expounding. After Israel arose <from the session>, they said to Moses: Close off the Torah for us. He said to them: I do not know what to answer you. So Moses our Master was stumbling and falling. It was at that time that he said: Sovereign of the World, up to now I wanted to live, but now here is my soul given over to you.. Then when he had resigned his soul to death, the Holy One opened by saying (in Ps. 94:16): WHO WILL STAND FOR ME AGAINST EVILDOERS? Who will stand for Israel in the time of my wrath? Who will stand in the battle of my children? And who will stand and seek mercy for them, when they sin before me? At that time Metatron³¹Lat.: metator (“measurer,” “one who marks out boundaries”). came and fell on his face. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, <as> in Moses' life he belonged to you, so in his death he belongs to you. The Holy One said to him: Let me give you a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a son. Now on each and every day his father was angry with him and sought to kill him, because he did not maintain respect for his father; but his mother rescued him from his hand. One day his mother died and the king wept. Her servants said to him: Our Lord King, why are you weeping? He said to them: It is not over my wife alone that I am weeping, but for my son; for many times when I was angry with him and wanted to kill him, she rescued him from my hand. So also did the Holy One say to Metatron: It is not over Moses alone that I am weeping, but over him and over Israel, for look at how many times that they angered me, and I was angry with them; but he stood in the breach before me [to turn back my anger from destroying them]. They came and said to Moses: The hour has arrived for you to depart from the world. He said to them: Wait for me until I bless Israel, for they have not found contentment from me all my days, because of the rebukes and warnings with which I rebuked them. He began to bless each tribe separately. When he saw that the time was growing short, he included all of them in a single blessing. They came and said: The hour has arrived for your soul to depart from the world. He said to Israel: I have caused you a lot of grief over the Torah and over the commandments, but now forgive me. They said to him: Our Lord Master, you are forgiven. Israel also arose before him and said to him: O Moses our Master, we have angered you a lot and increased the burden upon you. Forgive us. He said to them: You are forgiven. They came and said to him: The moment has arrived for you to depart from the world. He said: Blessed be the name of the one who lives and abides forever. He said to Israel: If you please, when you enter the land, remember me and my bones. They said: Woe (oy) to the son of Amram, who ran before us like a horse but whose bones have fallen in the wilderness. They came and said to him: The half moment has arrived. He took his two arms and placed them on his heart. Then he said to Israel: See the final end of flesh and blood. My two hands with which I received the Torah from the mouth of the Almighty shall fall in the grave. At that moment his breath departed with a kiss (from the Holy One),³²See MQ 28a. as stated (in Deut. 34:5): THEN MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD DIED THERE <IN THE LAND OF MOAB AT THE COMMAND OF THE LORD (literally: ON THE MOUTH OF THE LORD)>.³³BB 17a; ARN, A 12:2; Cant. R. 1:2:5; Petirat Mosheh Rabbenu, recension A, in A. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch (Leipzig: Vollrath, 1853-57), vol. I, p. 129; ibid., recension B, in Jellinek, vol. VI, p. 77. Now <the ones who> took care of his burial were neither Israel nor any of the angels but the Holy One <himself>, as stated (in vs. 6): THEN HE (THE HOLY ONE) BURIED HIM (MOSES) IN THE VALLEY <IN THE LAND OF MOAB>…. And for what reason was he buried outside the land? So that those who die when outside the land might live again through his merit,³⁴The translation here follows the traditional Tanhuma. Deut. 2:6. So also Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. The Buber text omits “might live again” and reads “through their merit.” as stated (in Deut. 33:21): HE HAS CHOSEN THE BEST FOR HIMSELF, <FOR THERE IS AN HONORED LAWGIVER'S PORTION, WHERE HE CAME AT THE HEAD OF THE PEOPLE. HE CARRIED OUT THE LORD's RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HIS ORDINANCES FOR ISRAEL>. But when did Moses our Master die? On the seventh of Adar,³⁵Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, 10; TSot. 11:7; Qid. 38a; see Meg. 13b; Sot. 12b. as stated (in Deut. 34:5): THEN MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD DIED THERE <IN THE LAND OF MOAB>…. It is also written (in vs. 8): AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MOURNED MOSES ON THE PLAINS OF MOAB FOR THIRTY DAYS. And it is written (in Josh. 1:1–2): AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, <THE LORD SPOKE UNTO JOSHUA BEN NUN, MOSES' ATTENDANT, SAYING>: MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD. (Josh. 4:19:) NOW THE PEOPLE CAME UP FROM THE JORDAN ON THE TENTH DAY OF {THIS} [THE FIRST] MONTH (i.e., Nisan). Reckon back from those thirty-three days. Ergo, he died on the seventh of Adar. And where is it shown that he was born on the seventh of Adar? Where it is stated (in Deut. 31:2): HE SAID TO THEM: I AM ONE HUNDRED TWENTY YEARS OLD TODAY.³⁶Since Moses spoke these words on the day of his death, his birthday must have been the same as the day of his death. What is the significance of TODAY? <It is there> to teach you that the Holy One fulfills the years for the righteous from day to day and from month to month, as stated (in Exod. 23:26): I WILL FULFILL THE NUMBER OF YOUR DAYS.

R. Elazar said: "Whoever comes from the road, should not pray for three days for it is said (Ezra 8, 15.) And I gathered them together to the river that runneth into the Ahava and we encamped there three days; and I looked about among the people. [Only after three days, was he able to look about among the people]." The lather of Samuel upon coming from a journey would not pray for three days [because his mind was not sufficiently clear]. Samuel himself, would not pray within a house where there was beer, [for the smell of it would confuse his mind]. R. Papa would not pray within a house where there was a mess made of a certain fish [that gives forth a liquid smell]. R. Chanina said: "A man who becomes appeased when under the influence of wine, possesses the qualities of his Creator, for it is said (Gen. 8, 21.) And the Lord smelled the sweet flavor," etc. R. Chiya said: "Whoever remains clear-minded when drinking, possesses the qualities of the seventy sages.'" The word Yayin (wine) aggregates the number of seventy and Sod (secret) aggregates also the number seventy, i.e., as soon as wine enters, the secrets escape. R. Chanan said: "Wine was created in this world for no other purpose than to comfort the mounrners, and wherewith to pay the wicked their reward for any good deeds they may have done, as it is said (Pr. 31, 6.) Give strong drink unto him that is ready to perish, and wine unto those who have an embittered soul." R. Chanina b. Papa said: "Any house where wine is not poured like water, cannot be classed among those that are called blessed houses, for it is said (Ex. 23, 25.) And he will bless thy bread and thy water. Bread and water are placed on a par; just as bread mentioned here can be bought with money belonging to the Tithes, so also the water should be of the same kind that can be bought with money belonging to the Tithes. It must therefore, refer to wine; [for water cannot be bought] yet the passage calls it water (Ib. b) to hint that, if it flows in his house like water, then it may be called a blessed house, otherwise it cannot be called so." R. Ilayi said: "On three occasions a man's character can be recognized; by his wine-cup (when he drinks); by his purse (dealing honestly); and by his anger (seldom getting excited), and according to others, by his laughter also."

6) "for you": and not for others. "to eat": and not to bring therefrom meal-offerings and libations, (which are not eaten but consumed by fire). "for you and your man-servant and your maid-servant": What is the intent of this? Because it is written (Shemoth 23:11) "but the seventh year you shall let it rest and lie fallow that the poor of your people may eat," I might think that the fruits of shevi'ith may be eaten only by the poor alone. Whence do I derive that the rich, too, may eat? From "for you and your man-servant and your maid-servant." The owners, who are rich, are mentioned (i.e., "for you") and the man-servants and maid-servants are mentioned. Why, then, is it written "that the poor of your people may eat"? The poor may eat after the biur (the removal from the house of fruits of the shemitah period), but not the rich. These are the words of R. Yehudah. R. Yossi says: Both the poor and the rich may eat after the biur.

“She said: ‘These six measures of barley he gave me, as he said to me: Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law” (Ruth 3:17).
“She said: These six measures of barley he gave me…” Rabbi Alexandri said: Everywhere that Israel entered, they did not emerge empty-handed. In the looting of Egypt they did not emerge empty-handed, in the looting of Siḥon and Og they did not emerge empty-handed, in the looting of the thirty-one kings they did not emerge empty-handed. “Empty-handed” is stated regarding Egypt, as it is stated: “It will be when you depart, you will not depart empty-handed” (Exodus 3:21); [“empty-handed”] is stated regarding the festival pilgrims: “They shall not appear before Me empty-handed” (Exodus 23:15); and “empty-handed” is stated regarding the righteous, as it is stated: “As he said to me: Do not go empty-handed to your mother-in-law.” “Empty-handed” that is stated regarding the righteous is not like “empty-handed” that is stated regarding Egypt, but rather, like “empty-handed” that is stated regarding the festival pilgrims, as we learned there: The burnt offering of appearance [must be worth at least] two silver coins and the festival peace offering [must be worth at least] one silver ma’a (Mishna Ḥagiga 1:2).²³¹This is a relatively small amount, as the main point is to bring an offering of some kind. Similarly, what Boaz sent with Ruth to Naomi was not very expensive, but was an indication of honor and respect (Etz Yosef).

R. Samuel the son of Nahmani said that R. Jonathan stated: Whoever rebukes his companion for religious reasons earns a share of divine grace, as it is said: He that rebuketh a man shall in the end find more favor (Prov. 28:23). And furthermore a thread of divine favors will be drawn about him, as is said: He shall find favor. Scripture says: Mine ordinance shall ye do (Lev. 18:4). These are ordinances which, if they were not enumerated in the Torah, ought to have been. Scripture is speaking here of idolatry and blasphemy. My statutes shall ye keep, to walk therein (ibid.). These are the commandments against which the evil inclination contends, and against which the peoples of the earth rebel. These are: the wearing of garments made of wool and linen,¹²The law of shatnez; see Lev. 19:19. This commandment and all the following ones are disregarded as irrational by non-Jews. the eating of pig,¹³See Lev. 11:7. the spittle of a childless sister-in-law,¹⁴After one has refused to marry his brother’s widow under the law of levirate marriage; see Deut. 25:5–10. mixing seeds,¹⁵Deut. 22:9–11. stoning an ox for killing a human being,¹⁶Exod. 21:29. the heifer whose neck was broken,¹⁷Lev. 14:1–21. the bird sacrifice brought by a leper,¹⁷ a firstling of an ass,¹⁸Exod. 13:13. meat prepared in milk,¹⁹Exod. 23:9. and the goat that has been sent away (the scapegoat).²⁰Lev. 16:1–34. Azazel, the area where the scapegoat would perish. You might maintain that these are unimportant prohibitions. Hence Scripture says: I am the Lord: I have decreed them, and you art not permitted to repudiate them.

Come and see how many miracles were wrought on that day! — Israel crossed the Jordan, came to Mt. Gerizem and Mt. Ebal, which is a distance of more than sixty miles; no creature of the world could stand against them [Israel], and whoever did stand against them, became ill immediately, as it is said (Ex. 23, 27) My terror will I send before thee, and will discomfit all the people to whom thou shall come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee, and again it is said (Ib. 15, 16) Terror and dread falleth upon them; by the greatness of Thine arm they are as still as a stone: till Thy people pass over, O Lord, this refers to the first entrance into the land of Israel; Till these people pass over, which Thou hast purchased, this refers to the second entrance into the land of Israel. Hence it may be inferred that Israel deserved that a miracle should be wrought for them, in the second entrance [during the days of Ezra], just as it happened during the first entrance; however, Israel's sin prevented the fulfillment of this. Afterwards they brought [on that very same day] stones and erected an altar, covered it with plaster and inscribed upon it the entire Torah in seventy languages, as it is said (Deut. 27, 8) Very plainly. They then offered burnt and peaceofferings, afterwards they ate, drank and rejoiced. They then pronounced the blessings [facing Mt. Gerizim] and the curses [facing Mt. Ebal] and they packed up the stones and spent their night in Gilgal, as it is said (Jos. 4, 3) And ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place. One may assume that they should be carried to each and every lodging place; it is therefore said (Ib.) Where ye will lodge this night, and again it is written (Ib.) And those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal. We are taught in a Baraitha: The hornet did not cross the Jordan with Israel. Is this so? Behold it is written (Ex. 23, 29) I will send the hornet before thee, and it shall drive out, [hence it did pass the Jordan]? Said Resh Lakish: "It remained on the banks of the Jordan and from there threw its poison which blinded their eyes and rendered them impotent, as it is said (Amos 2, 9) Yet have I destroyed the Ammorite from before them, whose height was like the height of cedars, and who was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath." R. Papa said: "There were two kinds of hornets, one mentioned by Moses and the other by Joshua. The one mentioned by Moses did not pass the Jordan, but the one mentioned by Joshua did pass the Jordan." [Hence the above contradiction is explained].

Come and see how many miracles were wrought on that day! — Israel crossed the Jordan, came to Mt. Gerizem and Mt. Ebal, which is a distance of more than sixty miles; no creature of the world could stand against them [Israel], and whoever did stand against them, became ill immediately, as it is said (Ex. 23, 27) My terror will I send before thee, and will discomfit all the people to whom thou shall come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee, and again it is said (Ib. 15, 16) Terror and dread falleth upon them; by the greatness of Thine arm they are as still as a stone: till Thy people pass over, O Lord, this refers to the first entrance into the land of Israel; Till these people pass over, which Thou hast purchased, this refers to the second entrance into the land of Israel. Hence it may be inferred that Israel deserved that a miracle should be wrought for them, in the second entrance [during the days of Ezra], just as it happened during the first entrance; however, Israel's sin prevented the fulfillment of this. Afterwards they brought [on that very same day] stones and erected an altar, covered it with plaster and inscribed upon it the entire Torah in seventy languages, as it is said (Deut. 27, 8) Very plainly. They then offered burnt and peaceofferings, afterwards they ate, drank and rejoiced. They then pronounced the blessings [facing Mt. Gerizim] and the curses [facing Mt. Ebal] and they packed up the stones and spent their night in Gilgal, as it is said (Jos. 4, 3) And ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place. One may assume that they should be carried to each and every lodging place; it is therefore said (Ib.) Where ye will lodge this night, and again it is written (Ib.) And those twelve stones, which they had taken out of the Jordan did Joshua set up in Gilgal. We are taught in a Baraitha: The hornet did not cross the Jordan with Israel. Is this so? Behold it is written (Ex. 23, 29) I will send the hornet before thee, and it shall drive out, [hence it did pass the Jordan]? Said Resh Lakish: "It remained on the banks of the Jordan and from there threw its poison which blinded their eyes and rendered them impotent, as it is said (Amos 2, 9) Yet have I destroyed the Ammorite from before them, whose height was like the height of cedars, and who was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath." R. Papa said: "There were two kinds of hornets, one mentioned by Moses and the other by Joshua. The one mentioned by Moses did not pass the Jordan, but the one mentioned by Joshua did pass the Jordan." [Hence the above contradiction is explained].

7) Variantly: "that the poor of your people may eat": What is fit for a man (is given) to a man (On shevi'ith food for men is not given to beasts, for this would be "wasting" it), and what is fit for a beast is given to a beast. "and your hired man and your sojourner": (even) gentiles, "who dwell with you": to include boarders.

7) (Vayikra 26:5) ("And your threshing will reach the vintage, and the vintage will reach the sowing, and you will eat your bread in satiety, and you will dwell securely in your land.") "And your threshing will reach the vintage": (The crops will be so abundant) that you will be engaged in threshing when the vintage (season) arrives. "and the vintage will reach the sowing": You will be engaged in harvesting the vintage when the sowing (season) arrives. "and you will eat your bread in satiety": It need not be said that a man will eat much and be sated, but (the meaning is that) he will eat little and be blessed in his innards, as it is written (Shemoth 22:25) "And you will serve the L–rd your G d, and He will bless your bread and your water." "and you will dwell securely in your land": In your land you will dwell securely, but not outside of it.

And it came to pass that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim (Gen. 27:1). Scripture states elsewhere: A gift (bribe) is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it; whithersoever he turneth, he prospereth (Prov. 17:8). What may the gift (mentioned in this verse) be compared to? To a precious stone which shatters whenever it falls.⁵The gift becomes a bribe and ultimately brings harm to the recipient. This verse aptly refers to Isaac, for it is said: Now Isaac loved Esau because he did eat of his venison (lit. the game was in his mouth) (Gen. 25:28). What is the meaning of the game was in his mouth? It means that Esau ensnared⁶A play on words: tzayid (venison) and tzud (trap) the righteous Isaac with the words he spoke. You find that Esau committed every sin which the Holy One, blessed be He, detests; There are six things which the Lord hateth, yea, seven which are an abomination unto Him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood; a heart that deviseth wicked thoughts, feet that are swift in running to evil; a false witness that breatheth out lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren (Prov. 6:16–19). Whenever Esau entered the house, he would ask his father: “My father, is one obliged to tithe for salt?” Isaac would exclaim in amazement: “Observe, how scrupulous this son of mine is concerning the commandments!” And when his father would ask him: “Where were you today, my son?” “At the house of study,” the youth would reply and he would add: “Is this not the law under certain circumstances; are not these things prohibited and these permitted?” By such remarks, he entraped his father with his mouth. That is why he loved him. Thereupon, the Holy Spirit exclaimed: When he speaketh fair believe him not; for there are seven abominations in his heart (ibid. 26:25). Why did Isaac’s eyes become weak? They became weak because he beheld the countenance of the wicked Esau; also because he ate the venison he brought him, as it is said: For the gift blinded them that hath sight (Exod. 23:8).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD < AND HIS EYES WERE TOO WEAK TO SEE >. This text is related (to Prov. 17:8): A BRIBE IS A STONE OF GRACE (i.e., A PRECIOUS STONE) IN THE EYES OF THE ONE USING IT; WHEREVER HE TURNS, HE PROSPERS.²⁹Cf. Tanh., Gen. 6:8. Do not say it this way (i.e., with the word GRACE), but A BRIBE IS A STONE IN THE EYES OF THE ONE USING IT. Come and see what the Holy One's burnt offering (i.e., Isaac at his binding) has said: It is not seemly for him to be weak in the eyes. Should one who would give his life for the name of the Holy One and was bound upon the altar have had his eyes weakened? Nevertheless, the Holy One said: I have written in my Torah (in Exod. 23:8): AND DO NOT TAKE A BRIBE. Why? (Deut. 16:19:) BECAUSE A BRIBE BLINDS THE EYES OF THE WISE. So, when he received a bribe from Esau, I weakened his eyes. Now surely, if Isaac the Righteous had his eyes weakened because he took a bribe, how much the worse is it for < just > anyone who receives a bribe from others! It is therefore stated (in Prov. 7:8): A BRIBE IS A STONE OF GRACE. Therefore (in Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD AND < HIS EYES > WERE TOO WEAK < TO SEE >. The word "deception" was not mentioned here.

Again said Raba to Rabba b. Mari: "Where is the origin for the Rabbis' saying: Arise early in the morning and eat something, in the summer because of the heat and in the winter because of the cold; and people say: Sixty men were running after one who used to eat early in the morning,and could not overtake him?" He answered: "In the following verse (Is. 49, 10) They shall not hunger nor thirst; neither shall the heat nor sun smite them." Whereupon Raba said: "I find the origin in the following (Ex. 23, 25) And ye shall serve the Lord; this refers to the reading of the Sh'ma and prayer; And He will bless thy bread, and thy water, refers to the bread and salt and the pitcher of water one takes immediately thereafter; hence I will remove sickness from the midst of thee.

8) And whence is it derived that they (the two loaves) precede the (bringing of) the first-fruits (bikkurim)? From (Shemoth 34:22): ("And the festival of Shavuoth shall you make for yourself,) the first of the wheat harvest" (i.e., What you make on Shavuoth [the two loaves] should precede [all that comes of] the wheat harvest.) This tells me (that it precedes only bikkurim) of wheat. Whence do I derive (that it precedes also bikkurim) of barley? From (Shemoth 23:16): "which you sow" (implying all that you sow.) This tells me only of what is sown. Whence do I derive (that the two loaves precede) what grows of itself (from seeds scattered by the wind)? From (Shemoth 23:16): "in the field" (implying all that grows in the field.) This tells me only of what grows in the field. Whence do I derive the same for (fruits planted on) a roof, in a yard, or in a ruin? From (Bamidbar 18:13): (The two loaves shall be) "the first-fruits of all that is in their land." And whence is it derived that they precede the (bikkurim of) libations and the fruits of the tree? From (Bamidbar 23:16): (The two loaves shall be) "the first fruits of your labor," and (Bamidbar 23:16): "when you gather your labor from the field." (Grapes for libations and fruits are subsumed in "gathered.")

Said Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Great is peace, for all blessings are included with it, "Adonai grants strength to His people, Adonai blesses his people with peace" (Psalm 29:11). Ḥizkiyah said two things. Ḥizkiyah said: Great is peace, for all the commandments are written this way: "When you see" (Exodus 23:5), "when you encounter" (Exodus 23:4), "when you come across" (Deuteronomy 22:6). If a commandment comes to you you are bound to do it, but if not you are not bound to do it. But here it says "Seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:15) – seek it for your place, and pursue it for other places. Ḥizkiyah said also: Great is peace, for of all the encampments it is written thus (Numbers 33) "And they set out... and they encamped" – they would set out divided and would encamp divided. When they all came before Mt. Sinai it was done as one encampment, as it is written (Exodus 19:2) "And Israel encamped there"—it isn't written "And the Israelites encamped there" in the plural, but "and Israel encamped there" in the singular!—Because of this the Holy Blessed One said, "Here is the gate where I will give the Torah to My children." Bar Kappara said three things. Bar Kappara said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Torah so as to impose peace between Abraham and Sarah, as it is written "After I am withered shall I have pleasure? And my husband is so old!" (Genesis 18:12) But to Abraham He didn't say that but rather "And I am so old!" (Genesis 18:13). Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Prophetic books to impose peace between husband and wife, as it is said, "Look, you are barren and have borne no children, but you will conceive and bear a son" (Judges 13:3), but to Manoaḥ He didn't say that but rather "All that I said to the woman she should follow" (Judges 13:13) – in all that she still needs markers. Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for if the celestials who have no jealousy or hatred or rivalry or strife or quarrels or debates or evil eye require peace, as it is written (Job 25:2) "He who makes peace in the heavens," how much more so the mortals who have all those traits? Said Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel: Great is peace, because the writings spoke works of fiction in the Torah to impose peace between Joseph and his brothers, as it is written (Genesis 50:17) “Thus say to Yosef, please forgive” - but we do not find Jacob commanding any such thing! Said Rabbi Yosei the Galilean: Great is pace, for even in a time of war we only open with peace, as it is written (Deuteronomy 20:10) "When you approach a city to make war on it, call out to it for peace." Said Rabbi Yudan son of Rabbi Yosei: Great is peace, for the name of the Holy Blessed One is called peace, as it is written "And he called it "Adonai is peace" (Judges 6:24). Said Rabbi Tanḥum son of Yudan, from here we derive that it is forbidden for one to call out "Peace" to a companion in a filthy place. Taught Rabbi Yishmael: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife. (See Numbers 5:19-23). Rabbi Meir was sitting and discoursing on Shabbat evening. There was this one woman who would sit and listen to him give his lecture. Once she waited until the lecture ended, went home, and found the light had gone out. Her husband said to her, "Where have you been?" She said to him, "I was sitting and listening to the voice of the lecturer." He said to her, "Thus and more I vow: I will not let you enter here until you go and spit in the lecturer's face!" She stayed away one Shabbat, another, a third. Her neighbors said to her, "Are you still angry at each other? Let's come with you to the lecture." When Rabbi Meir saw them, he figured it out through the holy spirit. He said to them, "Is there here a woman knowledgeable in treating eyes?" Her neighbors said to her, "If you go spit in his eye you will unbind your husband." When she sat down in front of him she became afraid of him, and said to him, "Rabbi, I am not knowledgeable in treating eyes." He said to her, "Even so, spit in my eye seven times, and I will be cured." She did so. He said to her, "Go tell your husband you told me to do it once and I spat seven times. His disciples said to him, "Rabbi, should people thus abuse the Torah? Couldn't one of us offered a treatment for you?" He said to them, "Is it not enough for Meir to be like his Maker?" For it had been taught: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife." Said Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta: Great is peace, for when the Holy Blessed One created His universe He made pace between the upper and lower parts. On the first day He created some of the upper and lower parts, as it is written "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). On the second He created some of the upper parts, as it is written "And God said, 'let there be a firmament'" (Genesis 1:6). On the third He created some of the lower parts, as it is written, "And God said, 'gather the waters'" (Genesis 1:9). On the fourth some of the upper parts — "Let there be lights in the heavenly firmament" (Genesis 1:14). On the fifth He created some of the lower parts — "And God said, 'Let the waters swarm'" (Genesis 1:20). On the sixth He came to create humanity. He said, "If I create him from more upper parts, then the upper parts will outnumber the lower by one creation. If I create him from more lower parts, then the lower parts will outnumber the upper by one creation." What did He do? He made him from upper parts and from lower parts, as it is written "And Adonai God created humanity from the dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7) — lower parts, "and blew into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) — upper parts. Rabbi Manei of Sh'av and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Great is peace for all blessings and goodnesses and mercies that the Holy Blessed One gives to Israel are sealed with peace. The reading of the Shema — "spreads the shelter of peace." The standing prayer — "He who makes peace." The Priestly Blessing — "and grant you peace" (Numbers 6:26). And I only know this regarding blessings, so where do we derive this for sacrifices? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering, of the grain-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the guilt-offering, and of the fulfillment-offerings, and of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:37). I only know this in general, so where do we derive this in detail? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering" (Leviticus 6:2), "This is the Torah of the grain-offering" (Leviticus 6:7), "This is the Torah of the sin-offering" (Leviticus 6:18), "This is the Torah of the guilt-offering" (Leviticus 7:1), "This is the Torah of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:11). I only know this for individual sacrifices, so where do we derive this for communal sacrifices? The verse (Numbers 29:39) says, "Do these for Adonai on your set times," but finishes with "your peace-offerings." I only know this in this world, so from where do we derive this in the next? "I will extend to her peace like a wadi" (Isaiah 66:12). The Rabbis said, great is peace for when the messianic king will come he will only open with peace, as it is written, "How pleasant on the mountains are the feet of the messenger proclaiming peace!" (Isaiah 52:7)

Said Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Great is peace, for all blessings are included with it, "Adonai grants strength to His people, Adonai blesses his people with peace" (Psalm 29:11). Ḥizkiyah said two things. Ḥizkiyah said: Great is peace, for all the commandments are written this way: "When you see" (Exodus 23:5), "when you encounter" (Exodus 23:4), "when you come across" (Deuteronomy 22:6). If a commandment comes to you you are bound to do it, but if not you are not bound to do it. But here it says "Seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:15) – seek it for your place, and pursue it for other places. Ḥizkiyah said also: Great is peace, for of all the encampments it is written thus (Numbers 33) "And they set out... and they encamped" – they would set out divided and would encamp divided. When they all came before Mt. Sinai it was done as one encampment, as it is written (Exodus 19:2) "And Israel encamped there"—it isn't written "And the Israelites encamped there" in the plural, but "and Israel encamped there" in the singular!—Because of this the Holy Blessed One said, "Here is the gate where I will give the Torah to My children." Bar Kappara said three things. Bar Kappara said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Torah so as to impose peace between Abraham and Sarah, as it is written "After I am withered shall I have pleasure? And my husband is so old!" (Genesis 18:12) But to Abraham He didn't say that but rather "And I am so old!" (Genesis 18:13). Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Prophetic books to impose peace between husband and wife, as it is said, "Look, you are barren and have borne no children, but you will conceive and bear a son" (Judges 13:3), but to Manoaḥ He didn't say that but rather "All that I said to the woman she should follow" (Judges 13:13) – in all that she still needs markers. Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for if the celestials who have no jealousy or hatred or rivalry or strife or quarrels or debates or evil eye require peace, as it is written (Job 25:2) "He who makes peace in the heavens," how much more so the mortals who have all those traits? Said Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel: Great is peace, because the writings spoke works of fiction in the Torah to impose peace between Joseph and his brothers, as it is written (Genesis 50:17) “Thus say to Yosef, please forgive” - but we do not find Jacob commanding any such thing! Said Rabbi Yosei the Galilean: Great is pace, for even in a time of war we only open with peace, as it is written (Deuteronomy 20:10) "When you approach a city to make war on it, call out to it for peace." Said Rabbi Yudan son of Rabbi Yosei: Great is peace, for the name of the Holy Blessed One is called peace, as it is written "And he called it "Adonai is peace" (Judges 6:24). Said Rabbi Tanḥum son of Yudan, from here we derive that it is forbidden for one to call out "Peace" to a companion in a filthy place. Taught Rabbi Yishmael: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife. (See Numbers 5:19-23). Rabbi Meir was sitting and discoursing on Shabbat evening. There was this one woman who would sit and listen to him give his lecture. Once she waited until the lecture ended, went home, and found the light had gone out. Her husband said to her, "Where have you been?" She said to him, "I was sitting and listening to the voice of the lecturer." He said to her, "Thus and more I vow: I will not let you enter here until you go and spit in the lecturer's face!" She stayed away one Shabbat, another, a third. Her neighbors said to her, "Are you still angry at each other? Let's come with you to the lecture." When Rabbi Meir saw them, he figured it out through the holy spirit. He said to them, "Is there here a woman knowledgeable in treating eyes?" Her neighbors said to her, "If you go spit in his eye you will unbind your husband." When she sat down in front of him she became afraid of him, and said to him, "Rabbi, I am not knowledgeable in treating eyes." He said to her, "Even so, spit in my eye seven times, and I will be cured." She did so. He said to her, "Go tell your husband you told me to do it once and I spat seven times. His disciples said to him, "Rabbi, should people thus abuse the Torah? Couldn't one of us offered a treatment for you?" He said to them, "Is it not enough for Meir to be like his Maker?" For it had been taught: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife." Said Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta: Great is peace, for when the Holy Blessed One created His universe He made pace between the upper and lower parts. On the first day He created some of the upper and lower parts, as it is written "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). On the second He created some of the upper parts, as it is written "And God said, 'let there be a firmament'" (Genesis 1:6). On the third He created some of the lower parts, as it is written, "And God said, 'gather the waters'" (Genesis 1:9). On the fourth some of the upper parts — "Let there be lights in the heavenly firmament" (Genesis 1:14). On the fifth He created some of the lower parts — "And God said, 'Let the waters swarm'" (Genesis 1:20). On the sixth He came to create humanity. He said, "If I create him from more upper parts, then the upper parts will outnumber the lower by one creation. If I create him from more lower parts, then the lower parts will outnumber the upper by one creation." What did He do? He made him from upper parts and from lower parts, as it is written "And Adonai God created humanity from the dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7) — lower parts, "and blew into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) — upper parts. Rabbi Manei of Sh'av and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Great is peace for all blessings and goodnesses and mercies that the Holy Blessed One gives to Israel are sealed with peace. The reading of the Shema — "spreads the shelter of peace." The standing prayer — "He who makes peace." The Priestly Blessing — "and grant you peace" (Numbers 6:26). And I only know this regarding blessings, so where do we derive this for sacrifices? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering, of the grain-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the guilt-offering, and of the fulfillment-offerings, and of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:37). I only know this in general, so where do we derive this in detail? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering" (Leviticus 6:2), "This is the Torah of the grain-offering" (Leviticus 6:7), "This is the Torah of the sin-offering" (Leviticus 6:18), "This is the Torah of the guilt-offering" (Leviticus 7:1), "This is the Torah of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:11). I only know this for individual sacrifices, so where do we derive this for communal sacrifices? The verse (Numbers 29:39) says, "Do these for Adonai on your set times," but finishes with "your peace-offerings." I only know this in this world, so from where do we derive this in the next? "I will extend to her peace like a wadi" (Isaiah 66:12). The Rabbis said, great is peace for when the messianic king will come he will only open with peace, as it is written, "How pleasant on the mountains are the feet of the messenger proclaiming peace!" (Isaiah 52:7)

(Exod. 23:20:) BEHOLD, I AM SENDING AN ANGEL <BEFORE YOU TO GUARD YOU ON THE WAY>…. This text is related (to Jer. 3:19): THEN I SAID: HOW WOULD I⁴¹This translation fits the context of the midrash. PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN,… !⁴²Tanh., Exod. 6:17; see below, Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 4a:15. R. Eleazar ben Pedat says: What is this <expression>: WOULD I PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU? It had occurred to me that we, I and you, would be < alone > in the world.⁴³Tanh., Exod. 6:17, adds, “I as father and you as children.” How did you manage for me to bring the peoples of the world in among you?⁴⁴Cf. Tanh., Exod. 6:17: “How did you manage to bring the peoples of the world in between me and you?” This expression is nothing but an expression of setting apart (as in Gen. 30:40): AND HE PUT (rt.: ShYT) HIS OWN FLOCKS <APART>…. R. Hama bar Hanina said: What is the meaning of WOULD I PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU?⁴⁵Cf. Exod. R. 32:2. There was a great love between me and you.⁴⁶Below, Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 7:12; Numb. 4a: 15; Exod. R. 32:2. How did you manage that I should hate you? (Jer. 3:19:) HOW WOULD I PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN! This expression is nothing but an expression of hatred, as used (in Gen. 3:15): I WILL PUT (rt.: ShYT) ENMITY <BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN>. Another interpretation (of Jer. 3:19:) HOW WOULD I PUT (ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN ! R. Joshua ben Levi said: I spoke in <your> defense.⁴⁷Gk.: synegoria. You behaved toward me so that I denounced you and pronounced you guilty (rt.: HYB). The expression (rt.: ShYT) is nothing but an expression of guilt (rt.: HYB), as used (concerning one guilty of negligence in Exod. 21:30): IF A RANSOM IS PUT (rt.: ShYT) UPON HIM, <HE SHALL GIVE WHATEVER IS PUT (rt.: ShYT) UPON HIM TO REDEEM HIS LIFE>. Another interpretation (of Jer. 3:19:) HOW WOULD I PUT (ashit; rt.: ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN! R. Berekhyah the Priest said: You were as dear to me as someone who has a single field, which he fertilizes, cultivates, and weeds. So dear were you to me. Your behavior toward me was for you to commit lawlessness. Now this word (ashit) is nothing but an expression for lawlessness, as used (in Is. 5:6): AND I WILL MAKE (ashit) IT (i.e., the Holy One's vineyard) A DESOLATION. (Jer. 3:19, cont.:) AND GIVE YOU A DESIRABLE LAND, a land that the great ones of the world (i.e., the patriarchs) desired.⁴⁸Below, Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 4a: 16. Abraham said to the Hittites (in Gen. 23:4): GIVE ME A BURIAL SITE. The Holy One also endeared it to {the children of} Isaac, as stated (in Gen. 26:3): RESIDE IN THIS LAND, <AND I WILL BE WITH YOU AND BLESS YOU>…. Jacob said (according to Gen. 50:5): IN MY GRAVE WHICH I DUG FOR MYSELF <IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, THERE YOU SHALL BURY ME>. Ergo (in Jer. 3:19): A DESIRABLE LAND. (Ibid., cont.:) <THE MOST> [BEAUTIFUL HERITAGE] <OF ALL THE NATIONS>. What is the meaning of <THE MOST> BEAUTIFUL (tsevi) HERITAGE? Just as in the case of a deer (tsevi), when one slaughters it, strips off its hide, and tries to return the flesh into the hide, it does not contain it, so the land of Israel does not contain its produce. What is written (in Is. 30:24)? AS FOR THE OXEN AND ASSES THAT WORK THE GROUND, THEY SHALL EAT FERMENTED FODDER, WHICH HAS BEEN WINNOWED WITH SHOVEL AND PITCH FORK. First they winnow with the SHOVEL and after that with the PITCH FORK. Why? Because there was more grain than straw. Even so there was produce in <further> winnowing the straw. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (ibid.): FERMENTED MASH, WHICH HAS BEEN WINNOWED WITH SHOVEL AND PITCH FORK. Mashes are from produce. Ergo (in Jer. 3:19): [A DESIRABLE LAND,] <THE MOST> BEAUTIFUL (tsevi) HERITAGE (understood in the sense of THE MOST DEERLIKE HERITAGE), a land which does not contain its produce, a land which was so good that all the kings of the world desired it. It is written (in Josh. 12:9): THE KING OF JERICHO, ONE; THE KING {FOR AI} [OF AI WHICH IS BESIDE BETHEL], ONE. Now there are only three miles⁴⁹Lat.: mille. between Jericho and Ai; yet it says: THE KING OF JERICHO. It is simply that whoever has a possession outside of the land without having a possession in the land of Israel was not called a king.⁵⁰Sifre, to Deut. 7:12 (37); Gen. R. 85:14. Why? Because they longed for the land of Israel. R. {Isaac} [Johanan] said: What is written (in Josh. 7:21): I SAW AMONG THE SPOILS A <FINE> SHINAR MANTLE, <i.e.> a Babylonian⁵¹Gk.: Babylonikon; Lat.: Babylonicum. robe of royal purple,⁵²Gk.: porphura; Lat.: purpura. which the king of Babylon wore to rule in Jericho. Ergo (in Jer. 3:19): THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HERITAGE OF THE NATIONS.⁵³According to this reasoning, the various kingships were so close to each other in Israel because every king needed a seat in Israel in order to be regarded as a king. (Ibid., cont.:) AND I SAID YOU SHALL CALL ME FATHER. Just as a father is obliged <to provide > for his daughter's enjoyments, so did I bring down rain for you. (Exod. 16:14:) WHEN THE LAYER OF DEW HAD GONE UP, <THERE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH LAY SOMETHING FINE AND FLAKY>…. (Jer. 3:20:) SURELY AS A WOMAN BREAKS FAITH WITH HER LOVER <SO YOU HAVE BROKEN FAITH WITH ME, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL>. R. Judah bar Simon said: Oh that <you were> like an unfaithful wife. This <kind of> a woman, who has a lover, gives him food, drink, and love. When his power is diminished, she leaves him and goes away. SURELY AS A WOMAN BREAKS FAITH WITH HER LOVER. I have not done so to you. The manna came down for you, and the well rose up. I did not deprive you of anything when you were unfaithful with me. See, I gave you an angel who watched over you. (Exod. 23:20:) SEE, I AM SENDING YOU AN ANGEL <TO WATCH OVER YOU>. When you became worthy and received the Torah, I went before you in person. But now, when you have been found guilty, here I am <merely> (ibid.:) SENDING AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU. [Another interpretation:]⁵⁴Tanh., Exod. 6:18. The Holy One said to Moses: I am sending <an angel> before you but not before them. He said: If you send <him> out before me, I do not want <him>; but Joshua saw the angel and fell down before him. What did he say to him (in Josh. 5:13)? ARE YOU FOR US OR FOR OUR ADVERSARIES? When he said to him: ARE YOU FOR US? he began to cry in great anguish.⁵⁵Literally: “From under the nails of his feet.” (Ibid., vs. 14:) Then he said: NO, BUT [I] AM THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD'S HOST. NOW I HAVE COME.⁵⁶Gen. R. 97:3 (traditional text only). Here are two times that I have come to give Israel an inheritance. I am the one who came in the days of your master, Moses; but he rejected me. (Ibid., cont.:) NOW I HAVE COME. THEN JOSHUA FELL ON HIS FACE. He saw him and fell on his face, but when Moses saw <him>, he rejected him. The Holy One said (in Exod. 23:20): SEE, I AM SENDING AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU, to you and to whomever observes the Torah [as you <do>. Resh Laqish said: It is written (in Ps. 91:4): HE WILL COVER YOU WITH HIS PINIONS AND YOU WILL FIND REFUGE UNDER HIS WINGS, <i.e.> all who observe the Torah.] (Ibid., cont.:) HIS FIDELITY IS A SHIELD AND BUCKLER. Therefore (in Exod. 23:20): < I AM SENDING MY ANGEL BEFORE YOU > TO GUARD YOU ON THE WAY….

(Exod. 23:21:) PAY HEED TO HIM, AND HEARKEN (SM') TO HIS VOICE. DO NOT REBEL AGAINST HIM, FOR HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR TRANSGRESSION. You were not worthy of hearing (rt.: SM') my voice. Hearken to (rt.: SM') the voice of an angel. He is unable to pardon your transgressions, because he is from the class who do not sin. Another interpretation (of Exod. 23:21:) FOR HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR TRANSGRESSION. Why? Because he is an agent (sheliah),⁵⁷Sheliah designates one given power of attorney. It is equivalent to the Gk. term, apostolos (“apostle”), as used by early Christians. and whatever an agent is ordered to do, he does. But I lift up my face to you (i.e., show you favor), as stated (in Numb. 6:26): THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE <UNTO YOU>. David said to him: Sovereign of the World, You have delivered me to your angel, one who does not lift up his face. Who can withstand him? (Ps. 130:3) IF YOU, O LORD, {LORD}, KEEP ACCOUNT OF INIQUITIES, WHO WILL WITHSTAND? <Even> if you say there is no forgiveness with you, it is with you, as stated in (vs. 4): FOR WITH YOU THERE IS FORGIVENESS SO THAT YOU MAY BE FEARED.

(Fol. 109) The generation of dispersion has no share, etc. What had they done? At the college of R. Shila, it was said: They wanted to build a tower to ascend to the sky, and split it with axes, so that the water contained therein should pour down. This legend was ridiculed in the West, for if they intended to ascend to the sky they ought to have built the tower on a mountain [and not in a valley]. Therefore said R. Jeremia b. Elazar: "They were divided into three parties. One party said: 'Let us ascend and dwell there;' the second said: 'Let us ascend and worship there idols,' and the third said: 'Let us ascend and fight there." The party that said, 'Let us ascend and dwell there,' was scattered all over the world, and the party that said, 'Let us ascend and fight there,' became demons, devils, etc. And the party that said, 'Let us ascend and worship there idols,' was scattered to Babylon." (Gen. 11, 9) Therefore is the name Babel, because the Lord did there confound the language. We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Nathan says: "All the parties intended to worship idols, for it is written here (Ib. ib) Let us make us a name, and it is written elsewhere (Ex. 23, 13) And make no mention of the name of other gods. Just as in the latter case the word Shem (name) refers to idolatry so does the word Shem (name) in the former case refer to idolatry." "From the tower, a third of it was burned, the second third was swallowed and a third is still in existence."

(Exod. 23:21, cont.:) FOR MY NAME IS WITH HIM. The name of the Holy One is associated with each and every angel.⁵⁸In other words the name of each angel contains the name of the Holy One, e.g., Michael, Rafael, and Gabriel, all of which contain the name, El. Moses said to him: I do not want an angel to go with us.⁵⁹Tanh., Exod. 6:18, reads more clearly: “I do not want an angel to go with us but you.” He said to him: If you <yourself > do not go with us, we are not moving from our place. The Holy One said to him: By your life, even though I will not send an angel before you, I will send the hornet before you, as stated (in Exod. 23:28): I WILL SEND THE HORNET < BEFORE YOU TO DRIVE OUT THE HEVITES, THE CANAANITES, AND THE HITTITES FROM BEFORE YOU>. How did the Amorites die? R. Levi said: He wedded two hornets to each and every one <of them>. Then when each and every hornet poured out its venom right into <an Amorite's> eyes, he died immediately. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: How did they die? A poison entered them, they {became saturated} [contracted diarrhea], and they died in the presence of Israel. R. Berekhyah said: The Holy One bound them before Israel. Then they came and killed them, as stated (in Deut. 3:3): SO THE LORD OUR GOD GAVE OG, KING OF BASHAN, INTO OUR HANDS…. <The Holy One acted> like someone who binds his child's enemy and sets him before his child. In case you say the Amorites were small, the Holy One exalts them (in Amos 2:9): [YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITES BEFORE THEM,] WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT. And what did I do to them? (Ibid., cont.:) I DESTROYED THEIR FRUIT ABOVE, i.e., their prince; AND THEIR ROOTS BELOW, i.e., the <rest of the> Amorites. The Holy One said: In this world I sent an angel before them, and he destroyed the peoples of the world; but in the world to come, I am sending you Elijah, may his memory be blessed. It is so stated (in Mal. 3:24 [4:5]): LO, I AM SENDING YOU THE PROPHET ELIJAH BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD.

(Exod. 23:21, cont.:) FOR MY NAME IS WITH HIM. The name of the Holy One is associated with each and every angel.⁵⁸In other words the name of each angel contains the name of the Holy One, e.g., Michael, Rafael, and Gabriel, all of which contain the name, El. Moses said to him: I do not want an angel to go with us.⁵⁹Tanh., Exod. 6:18, reads more clearly: “I do not want an angel to go with us but you.” He said to him: If you <yourself > do not go with us, we are not moving from our place. The Holy One said to him: By your life, even though I will not send an angel before you, I will send the hornet before you, as stated (in Exod. 23:28): I WILL SEND THE HORNET < BEFORE YOU TO DRIVE OUT THE HEVITES, THE CANAANITES, AND THE HITTITES FROM BEFORE YOU>. How did the Amorites die? R. Levi said: He wedded two hornets to each and every one <of them>. Then when each and every hornet poured out its venom right into <an Amorite's> eyes, he died immediately. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: How did they die? A poison entered them, they {became saturated} [contracted diarrhea], and they died in the presence of Israel. R. Berekhyah said: The Holy One bound them before Israel. Then they came and killed them, as stated (in Deut. 3:3): SO THE LORD OUR GOD GAVE OG, KING OF BASHAN, INTO OUR HANDS…. <The Holy One acted> like someone who binds his child's enemy and sets him before his child. In case you say the Amorites were small, the Holy One exalts them (in Amos 2:9): [YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITES BEFORE THEM,] WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT. And what did I do to them? (Ibid., cont.:) I DESTROYED THEIR FRUIT ABOVE, i.e., their prince; AND THEIR ROOTS BELOW, i.e., the <rest of the> Amorites. The Holy One said: In this world I sent an angel before them, and he destroyed the peoples of the world; but in the world to come, I am sending you Elijah, may his memory be blessed. It is so stated (in Mal. 3:24 [4:5]): LO, I AM SENDING YOU THE PROPHET ELIJAH BEFORE THE COMING OF THE GREAT AND AWESOME DAY OF THE LORD.

Thou shalt not revile God (Exod. 22:7). Observe that the Holy One, blessed be He, warned the people concerning their judges and their leaders. You find that Korah and his followers would not have been destroyed had they not embarrassed Moses and Aaron. Similarly, the men of Jerusalem were stricken only because they despised the words of the prophets, as it is said: That they mocked the messengers of God, and despised His words; until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, till there was no remedy (II Chron. 36:16). It is also written: They have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return (Jer. 5:3). Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, reminded the Israelites concerning the respect due to elders, who had warned Israel against idolatry, as it is said: And in all things that I have said unto you take ye heed; and make no mention of the name of other gods (Exod. 23:13).

What is written following this? Three times thou shalt keep a festival unto Me in the year (ibid., v. 14). The Holy One, blessed be He, established the festival of unleavened bread, on which He performed miracles in their behalf in Egypt; the harvest festival (Shavuot), on which He gave them the Torah, the fruits of which they were to enjoy in this world and their interest in the world-to-come, as it is said: My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and My produce than choice silver (Prov. 8:19); and the feast of ingathering (Sukkoth), on which the Holy One, blessed be He, fills their homes with blessings, as is said: Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine (Prov. 3:9–10). Thus it is said: The choicest first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God (Exod. 23:19).

What is written following this? Three times thou shalt keep a festival unto Me in the year (ibid., v. 14). The Holy One, blessed be He, established the festival of unleavened bread, on which He performed miracles in their behalf in Egypt; the harvest festival (Shavuot), on which He gave them the Torah, the fruits of which they were to enjoy in this world and their interest in the world-to-come, as it is said: My fruit is better than gold, yea, than fine gold; and My produce than choice silver (Prov. 8:19); and the feast of ingathering (Sukkoth), on which the Holy One, blessed be He, fills their homes with blessings, as is said: Honor the Lord with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy vats shall overflow with new wine (Prov. 3:9–10). Thus it is said: The choicest first-fruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the Lord thy God (Exod. 23:19).

(Fol. 105) R. Juda said in the name of R. Assi: "Those who issue decrees in Jerusalem obtained their salaries up to ninety nine manath from the Temple fund. Karna the Judge was accustomed to take a silver coin called Istara from the one who won the case, and an Istara from the one who lost the case; and then he would decide the case. How did he do so? Is there not a passage (Ex. 33, 8) And thou shalt take no bribe? This was merely a payment for the time he was taking from his own business. Everyone understands that he is entitled to it, just as R. Huna conducted himself. Whenever he came to court he would say: "Get me a man to irrigate my field in my stead, then I will take up your case." R. Abahu said: "Come, see, how much bribe causes to blind the eyes of those who accept it. If a man feels a pain in his eyes he pays a doctor, although it is doubtful whether he will cure him or whether he will not cure him. But these judges accepting bribes take the amount of a p'ruta, which will surely make their eyes blind, as it is said (Deut. 17, 19) For the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise." Our Rabbis were taught, For the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise. Surely so the eyes of the foolish. And perverteth the words of the righteous. Surely so the eyes of the wicked. How can then foolish become judges? We must, therefore explain it thus: For the bribe blindeth the eyes, etc., that even a great scholar, but one who takes bribes, will not depart from the world until he will become blind; and perverted the words of the righteous, (Ib. b) even a perfect righteous man, but one who takes bribes, will not depart from the world without having his mind confused. When R. Dimi came he said that R. Nachman b. Cahana expounded: "What is the meaning of the following passage (Pr. 20, 4) The king by justice establishes the [welfare of a] land; but one that loveth gifts overthroweth it? This means, if a judge is like a king who receives nothing, then he will establish the land; but if he will be like a priest who receives gifts from the threshing floor he will ruin it." Raba b. R. Sila said: "A judge who has to lend something is disqualified from becoming a judge, [because of being compelled to favor people.]" This is only said when he has nothing to lend to others; but if he has something to lend to others in return, it does not make any difference. Raba said: "What is the reason that a bribe is prohibited? Because as soon as a man takes a bribe he becomes intimate with that man like himself, and a man never sees a wrong thing against himself." What is the meaning of the word Shochad (bribe)? It means "which causes to become one (Shehuchad) R. Papa said: "A man should never be a judge to decide a case for his intimate friend, nor to a real enemy. To an intimate friend he should not, because he will never find any faults against him; and to a real enemy, because he will never find a defense for him." Abaye said: "The reason why a scholar is beloved by his townspeople is [not because they consider him superior to themselves, but] because he does not rebuke them, for not performing Heavenly duties."

Our Rabbis were taught (Ex. 23, 8) And thou shalt take no bribe. This does not pretend to mean bribe of money exactly, but even bribe of words, since it is not stipulated Betza (bribe of money) thou shalt not take. How is it possible to bribe one with words? For example as it happened once that Samuel was crossing a river on a ferryboat. A man lent a sustaining hand to prevent him from falling. "What," said Samuel, "have I done for thee, that thou art so attentive with thy services?" The man replied: "I have a lawsuit before thee. "I become disqualified from presiding as judge in thy lawsuit." replied Samuel.

"Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 28:2). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Job 27:23), "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power"; and [yet] it is written (in Job 36:22), "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." How are these two verses [resolved]? Rather [it is that] when He gives to Israel, He gives to them according to His power. But when He requests something from them, He only requests according to their power. See what is written, "As for the Tabernacle, make it of ten curtains." Hence it is written, "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power." But when He gives to them, He gives according to His power: In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a canopy from clouds of glory for each and every righteous person, as it is stated (in Is. 4:5), "The Lord will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion [cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night; indeed] over all the glory shall hang a canopy." And why is smoke in the canopy? Since anyone whose eyes were smoky and stingy with his students in this world will have his canopy filled with smoke in the world to come. Why is there fire in the canopy? [It is coming to] teach that each and every righteous person is lit up from the canopy of his fellow, that is more elevated than he, with light the radiance of which shines from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. Hence it is written, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 27:20), "And you shall command...." But when He lit up for them, it was according to His power, as it is stated (Exodus 13:21), "And the Lord went in front of them by day." [Moreover, about] the future to come, it is stated (Isaiah 60:1), "Arise, My light...." And it is [also] written (Isaiah 30:26), "And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun." Hence, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 23:19), "The choice first fruits of your land." But when He gives to them, it is according to His power, as it is stated (Ezekiel 47:12), "All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream; their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month...." What is [the meaning of] "they will yield new fruit every month?" That each and every tree yields new fruit each and every month, [such that] the new fruit of this month is not like the new fruit of another month. When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:40), "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a beautiful true." But when He gives, it according to His power, as it is stated (Isaiah 41:19), "I will give in the wilderness cedar, acacia." And it is [also] written (Isaiah 55:13), "Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise."

14) You say that "all the night" signifies that they were to be placed there at sunset and left burning on the altar the entire night. But perhaps it signifies that they are to be lifted from the ground to the altar the entire night. (This cannot be contended, for) "There shall not remain the fat of My festival offering until morning" (Shemoth 23:18) (already) teaches that they are to be lifted from the ground to the altar the entire night.

(Exod. 33:8:) AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN MOSES WOULD GO OUT {TO} [UNTO] THE TENT, they would stand at the sides and honor him by saying: Blessed is the woman who gave birth to Moses.⁶⁴Cf. Luke 11:27. What would he see in it?⁶⁵Exod. R.45:4. (Exod. 33:9:) AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT WHEN MOSES WOULD GO [TO THE TENT], THE PILLAR OF CLOUD WOULD DESCEND. They knew that the Divine Presence was being revealed to Moses. (Exod. 33:10): ALL THE PEOPLE WOULD RISE <AND BOW DOWN, EACH AT THE ENTRANCE OF HIS TENT>. The Holy One said to him: Moses, return unto the camp. He said to him. I am not going back. The Holy One said to him: Be aware that Joshua is in the Tabernacle. To what is the matter comparable? To a matron,⁶⁶Lat.: matrona. who became angry with the king and left the palace.⁶⁷Lat: (palatium). Now she had been raising a certain orphan girl in the palace. The king sent after the matron and said to her: Return unto the palace; but she did not want to return. The Holy one said to her: I am telling you to return, but you are unwilling. Be aware that the orphan girl is being installed in the palace. So (in Exod. 33:11): THE LORD WOULD SPEAK UNTO MOSES FACE TO FACE <AS ONE SPEAKS UNTO HIS FRIEND>. What did he speak? Return unto the camp. But he did not wish to return. The Holy One said: I am telling you to return, but you do not wish <to do so>. By your life, Joshua is in the Tent of meeting.⁶⁸According to Exod. 33:11, HIS ATTENDANT, JOSHUA BIN NUN, A YOUTH, WOULD NOT MOVE OUT OF THE TENT. Moses said to him: Sovereign of the World, was it not for your sake that I was angry with them? (Exod. 33:12:) SEE, YOU SAY UNTO ME: <BRING THIS PEOPLE UP>. See, you cannot forsake them.⁶⁹By using the words of Exod. 33:12, in which the Holy One tells him to BRING THIS PEOPLE UP, Moses reminds him that any plan to forsake them is contradictory. See Exod. R. 45:4. The Holy One said to him: I have already told you (in Exod. 23:20): AND I AM SENDING⁷⁰The wording here is somewhat different from the Masoretic Text, but the translation would be the same. AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU. Moses said to him: Are you delivering me to an angel? (Exod. 33:15:) UNLESS YOUR PRESENCE GOES ALONG, DO NOT MAKE US GO UP FROM HERE. (Exod. 33:13:) AND NOW, IF I HAVE TRULY FOUND FAVOR IN YOUR EYES, < PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAYS KNOWN TO ME>….

[(Deut. 14:22:) YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE.] What is written above on the matter (in Deut. 14:21)? YOU SHALL EAT NO CARCASS THAT IS NOT PROPERLY SLAUGHTERED…. R. 'Azariah, R. Johanan ben Haggai, and R. Isaac bar Maryon said in the name or Rabbi Jose bar Hanina: One who eats his produce untithed is like one who eats carcasses that are not properly slaughtered and those torn by wild beasts (terefah).⁴²Tanh., Deut. 4:17; PRK 10:9. What is the reason? (Deut. 14:21:) YOU SHALL EAT NO CARCASS THAT IS NOT PROPERLY SLAUGHTERED. [<Then after that it is written (in vs. 22):>⁴³These words in angle brackets come from the parallel in Tanh., Deut. 4:17. YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE.] R. Abba and Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: One who eats his produce without separating the tithe for the poor is liable for death.⁴⁴yQid. 2:9[8] (63a). R. Isaac said: It is written in three places: YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK: One for its own sake, one with reference to Torah, and one with reference to tithes.⁴⁵Cf. PR 25:3. <Where the prohibition is given> for its own sake, what does it say (in Exod. 23:19)? THE CHOICE FIRST FRUITS OF YOUR LAND <YOU SHALL BRING TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.> [YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK.] What is written after that (in vs. 20): BEHOLD, I AM SENDING AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU <TO GUARD YOU ON THE WAY>.⁴⁶The significance of citing what comes before and after the prohibition is to show that it is unrelated to its context. With reference to Torah, [what is written] (in Exod. 34:26)? THE CHOICE [FIRST FRUITS OF YOUR LAND] <YOU SHALL BRING TO THE HOUSE OF THE LORD YOUR GOD.> YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK.] What is written after it (in vs. 27)? AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: WRITE DOWN <THESE WORDS>.⁴⁷On this difficult passage, see Buber’s note 80. He would follow the interpretation in PR 25:3 and in M. Pss. 8:2, according to which Moses was told to write Torah immediately after the prohibition against eating meat with milk for a specific reason. When the angels had objected that Israel was unworthy to receive the Torah, the Holy One reminded them that, although any schoolchild knew never to mix meat and milk, the angels had done so when visiting Abraham (Gen. 18:8). Thus the proper time for Moses to write the words of the Torah was when the angels had just been reminded of their eating meat with milk. [The Holy One said to Moses: While the sandal⁴⁸Gk.: sandalon is on your foot, tread down the thorn⁴⁹Reading kuba’ for kuppah. So Jastrow, s.v., KWPH and KWB’. See also Buber’s note 82 here, which lists the parallels that contain the reading. <of opposition>.⁵⁰Gen. R. 44:12. Braude and Kapstein, p. 196, n. 34, find an allusion to the angels who ate goat meat with milk in Gen. 18:7–8. Out of YOU SHALL NOT BOIL A KID IN ITS MOTHER's MILK <comes> WRITE DOWN THESE WORDS.] With reference to tithes (in Deut. 14:22) what is written above (ibid.)? YOU SHALL EAT NO CARCASS THAT IS NOT PROPERLY SLAUGHTERED […. YOU SHALL NOT BOIL (BShL) A KID (gedi) IN ITS MOTHER'S MILK (HLB).] Then after that is written (in Deut. 14:22): YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE. The Holy One said: Do not cause me to have the tender grains (gedayim)⁵¹On this reading of gedi here, see Jastrow, s.v. ripen prematurely (BShL) in the fat (HLB)⁵²This meaning comes from voweling the text as helev instead of halev. of their mothers, while they are in the abdominal fat (HLB)⁵³Tanh., Deut. 4:17, and PRK 10:9 both read “belly” here. of their mothers (i.e., in their pods).⁵⁴The midrash is interpreting the prohibition in terms of agricultural products that are tithed. Thus the verse fits the context of what follows. Thus unless you take out a tithe properly, I will send out a certain wind from the East to blast them (i.e., the tender grains), just as you have said (in II Kings 19:26 = Is. 37:27): AND BLASTED BEFORE IT IS GROWN.

(Deut. 14:22:) “You shall surely tithe.” What is written above the matter (in Deut. 14:21)? “You shall eat no carcass [that is not properly slaughtered].” R. 'Azariah, R. Johanan ben Haggai, and R. Isaac bar Maryon said in the name or R. Jose bar Hanina, “One who eats his produce untithed is like one who eats carcasses and those torn (terefah).²⁹PRK 10:9. What is the reason? [It is first written (in Deut. 14:21),] ‘You shall eat no carcass.’ Then after that it is written (in vs. 22), ‘You shall surely tithe.’” R. Abin bar Rav Huna said in the name of R. Abba, “One who eats his produce without separating and [eats] tithes for the poor is liable for death.”³⁰yQid. 2:9[8] (63a). R. Isaac said, “It is written in three places, ‘you shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk’: one for its own sake, one with reference to Torah, and one with reference to tithes.³¹Cf. PR 25:3. [Where the prohibition is given] for its own sake, what does it say (in Exod. 23:19)? ‘The choice first fruits of your land [you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God; you shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.]’ What is written after that (in vs. 20), ‘Behold, I am sending an angel before you [to guard you on the way].’ With reference to Torah, it is written (in Exod. 34:26), ‘The choice first fruits of your land you shall bring to the house of the Lord your God; [you shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk.]’ What is written after it (in vs. 27)? ‘And the Lord said unto Moses, “Write down [these words].”’ With reference to tithes (in Deut. 14:22) it is written above (ibid.), ‘You shall eat no carcass […. You shall not boil (bshl) a kid (gedi) in its mother's milk (hlb).]’ Then after that is written (in Deut. 14:22), ‘You shall surely tithe.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘Do not cause me to have the tender grains (gedayim)³²On this reading of gedi here, see Jastrow, s.v. ripen prematurely (bshl) in the fat (hlb)³³This meaning comes from voweling the text as helev instead of halev. of their mothers, while they are in the belly of their mothers (i.e., in their pods).³⁴The midrash is interpreting the prohibition in terms of agricultural products that are tithed. Thus the verse fits the context of what follows. Thus unless you take out a tithe properly, I will send out a certain wind from the east to blast them (i.e., the tender grains), just as you have said (in II Kings 19:26 = Is. 37:27), ‘and blasted before it is grown.’”

Behold, I send an angel before thee, to keep thee (Exod. 23:20). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: But I said: “How would I put thee among the sons, and give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest inheritance of the nations!” And I said: “Thou shalt call Me, My father, and shall not turn away from following Me” (Jer. 3:19). How would I put thee among the sons. R. Eleazar the son of Pedat stated: The expression put thee is employed to indicate “to be set apart.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is my opinion that you and I must be together in this world, since I am the Father and you are My son. Why, then, do you allow other nations to come between us? Hence I would put thee is an expression that indicates “to set apart,” as in the verse: And put his own droves apart (Gen. 30:40).

Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have you dealt treacherously with Me, O house of Israel (ibid., v. 20). R. Judah the son of R. Shalum²⁸In text: R. Judah of the school of R. Shalum stated: Israel acted like a woman who departs treacherously from her husband. While her husband feeds her and supplies her with drink, she loves him, but when he is less attentive, she leaves him. Therefore it says: As a wife treacherously departeth from her friend. I did not act toward you in that fashion. Instead manna descended for you, a well opened up, and you lacked nothing, yet you rebelled against Me. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: When the nations rebelled against Me, I sent guardian angels to serve them, but when you did so, I sent an angel to keep you, as it is said: Behold, I sent an angel before thee, to keep thee (Exod. 14:20). When you are worthy, and accept the Torah, and fulfill My wishes, I shall go before you, as it is said: And the Lord went before them by day and night (Exod. 13:21), but now that you practice idolatry like the other peoples of the world, I will not go before you but shall send only an angel before you.

Behold, I sent an angel before thee (Exod. 23:20). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I will send an angel before you but not before them. Whereupon Moses replied: If you send it before me alone, I do not desire it. Rather Let the Lord, I pray thee, go in the midst of us (Exod. 34:9). Observe the difference between the early generations and the later ones. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Behold, I will send an angel before you, he replied: I desire no one but You, whereas, when Joshua the son of Nun beheld an angel, he prostrated himself on the ground, as it is said: And Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down. And he said to him: “Art thou for us, or for our adversaries?” (Josh. 5:13–14).

R. Isaac queried: What did the angel do when he heard the question: Art thou for us, or for our adversaries? He began to cry out from the nails of his feet (i.e., to weep uncontrollably), and he said to him: Nay, I am captain of the hosts of the Lord; I am now come (ibid.). Twice I have come to lead Israel, I am he who came in the days of Moses your master, and he rejected me because he did not wish me to accompany him, and now I have come once again. Forthwith Joshua fell on his face to the earth, and bowed down, and said unto him: What saith my lord unto his servant? (ibid., v. 14). However, though Moses rejected him, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: I send an angel before thee to keep thee by the way (Exod. 23:20), and, as well, before everyone who observes the law.

To keep thee by the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared (Exod. 23:20). This one verse from Scripture makes it evident that the earthly Temple corresponds to the heavenly Temple.

Take heed of him, and hearken unto his voice (ibid., v. 21). Why? Because you are not worthy to hear My voice. Listen to the voice of the angel even though he is unable to forgive your transgressions. Why is he not able to do so? He is of the class (of creatures) that do not sin. Thus it is written: For he will not pardon your transgressions (ibid.).

Another explanation of He will not pardon your transgressions. Why not? For he is only a messenger, and a messenger can only do what he is sent to do. I alone can lift up countenances (i.e., grant pardon), as it is said: The Lord lift up His countenance unto thee (Num. 6:26). David cried out: Master of the Universe, you trust us into the keeping of an angel who cannot pardon us, but if Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities, O Lord, who can stand? (Ps. 130:3). If You should say: Forgiveness is not available to you, For with Thee there is forgiveness that Thou mayest be feared (ibid., 4), therefore do not place over us the angel who is guardian of the Inner Sanctum, since it is said: For he will not pardon your transgressions. Why? For it is said My name is in him (Exod. 23:21) (i.e., he is only my messenger). R. Simeon the son of Lakish said: The name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is coupled with every angel, as it is said: For My name is in him.

22 Blessed be the name of the supreme King of kings, the Holy One, blessed be He, who created His world in wisdom and understanding; for His wonders have no limit and His greatness is beyond reckoning. (Ps. 33:7:) “He has gathered the waters of the sea like a mound, and He has put the deeps in storehouses.” Now what is the meaning of “He gathers like a mound?” When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the world, He said to the ministering angel of the sea, “Open your mouth and swallow all the waters of creation,”⁵⁰BB 74b. he said [back] to Him, “Master of the world, it is enough for me to continue with what is [already] mine.” Then he began to weep. [So God] kicked him to death, as stated (in Job 26:12), “In His power He stilled the sea, and in His understanding He struck down Rahab.” You find that the ministering angel of the sea was named Rahab. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He subdued [the waters] and trampled them down; and [the sea] accepted them, as stated (in Amos 4:13), “He tramples on the heights⁵¹M. Pss. 93:5. Cf. Gen. R. 23:7, according to which the sea (i.e., the Mediterranean) is higher than the whole world. of the earth.” So for [the waters] He set sand in place as bar and gates, according to what is stated (in Job 38:8, 10), “And [who] blocked off the sea with doors […. and I set bar and gates in place].” Moreover, it says (in Jer. 5:22), “’Do you not fear Me,’ says the Lord; ‘Will you not tremble because of Me, when I have placed sand as a boundary for the sea?’” And it says (in Job 38:11), “And I said, ‘You may come this far and no farther.’” Then the sea said to Him, “My Master, in that case my sweet waters will be mingled with the salt [waters]!” He said to it, “No! Each and every one will have a storehouse for itself, as stated (in Ps. 33:7), “and he has put the deeps in storehouses.”⁵²See Gen. R. 4:5. If you should say that this is a great wonder for the waters of the seas not to mingle, then consider the face,⁵³PRTsWP, an adaptation of the Gk.: prosopon. which the Holy One, blessed be He, created in people. [Although only] the [size of] a full sit,⁵⁴According to Rashi on Shab. 106a, a single sit was the distance between the tips of the of the middle and index fingers when held widely apart. A double sit was the distance between the tips of the thumb and index finger when held widely apart. For various definitions, see Jastrow, p. 977, s.v. SYT. it has so many springs (from 'yn); yet they do not mingle with one another. The waters of the eyes ('yn) are salty; the waters of the ears are oily; the waters of the nose are putrid; the waters of the mouth are sweet. For what reason are the waters of the eyes salty? Because when someone weeps for the dead, [doing so] all the time, he would immediately become blind; however, because [tears] are salty, he stops and does not weep. For what reason are the waters of the ears oily? Because when a person hears bad news, if he held it in his ears, it would be tied to him and he would die. Because they are oily, [the news] goes in one ear and out the other.⁵⁵Literally, “[A person] admits [bad news] through one [ear], and discharges it through the other.” For what reason are the waters of the nose putrid? Because when a person smells a bad odor, if the waters of the nose were not putrid [enough] to stop it, he would immediately die. And for what reason are the waters of the mouth sweet? It sometimes happens that someone eats food that does not agree with him [and he vomits]. Now if the waters of the mouth were not sweet, he would not recover. Moreover, since he reads the Torah, of which it is written (in Ps. 19:11), “sweeter also than honey,” the waters of the mouth are therefore sweet. Now here are the grounds for arguing a fortiori (qal wehomer), that if [something the size of] a full sit has so many springs [without them mingling with one another], how much the more so in the case of the Great Sea, of which it is stated (in Ps. 104:25), “There the sea is great and wide […].” [This is] to teach that in everything, the Holy One, blessed be He, accomplishes His mission and that He has not created one thing in vain. Sometimes the Holy One, blessed be He, has accomplished His mission by means of a frog, by means of a gnat,⁵⁶See Lev. R. 22:2-3; Eccl. R. 5:8:2, 4; PRE 49; also Shab. 77b; Exod. R. 10:1. by means of a wasp, or by means of a scorpion. R. Hanan of Sepphoris said,⁵⁷Cf. Gen. R. 10:7; Lev. R. 22:4; Eccl. R. 5:8:5. “There is a story about a certain scorpion that went to carry out the Holy One, blessed be He's mission (to sting a certain person) beyond the Jordan; so the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned a certain frog for him, and he crossed over upon it. Then that scorpion went and stung [the] person. [There is] also a story about a certain reaper who stood and reaped in the valley of Beth-Tofet. When burning heat came, he took grass and tied it on his head. [When] a certain mighty serpent came at him, he killed it. A certain [snake] charmer passed by him. He saw the slain serpent. He said to him, ‘Who killed that serpent?’ [So the reaper] said to him ‘I [did].’ He looked at the grass on his head. He [then] said to him, ‘Remove the grass from your head and [then you can brag (if you still have that power)].’ When he did so, [the charmer] drew near. He had not succeeded in touching him, before [the reaper’s] body parts [all] shed.” R. Jannay was sitting as a judge at the gate of his city, [when] he saw a serpent hissing and coming toward the city. Each time someone would secure against it in one place, it would go to another. He said, “It seems to me that this [serpent] is on its way to carry out its mission.” When it entered the city, a rumor spread in the city, “So-and-so son of so-and-so was bitten by a serpent and he is dead.” R. Elazar was strolling by the seashore of Caesarea. He found a femur bone strewn on the path. [So] he removed it from there, but he found it there again; he removed it from there [a second time] and found it there again. He said, “It seems to me that this [bone] is arranged to carry out its mission.” After [some] days, a minister came and fell over it and died. They looked into him and found evil documents against the Jews in his hand. There is a story about two people who were walking on the way. One who could see, and one was blind. They sat down to eat. They reached out their hands for the herbs of the field and ate. The one who could see became blind, and the one who had been blind became sighted. They did not move from there until the former was being supported by the latter whom he had been supporting. There is a story about a certain person who was going from the land of Israel to Babylon.⁵⁸Lev. R. 22:4. While he was eating, he saw two birds fighting with each other. One of them killed its companion. Then going to get an herb, [it placed it on its mouth,] and made it live again. That person (the one who saw what had happened) went and took the very herb that had fallen from the bird. Then he went to make the dead live with it. When he arrived at the Ladder of Tyre,⁵⁹A well-known landing dock four hours north of Tyre. See ‘Eruv. 80a. he found a dead lion lying in the open. He touched the herb to its mouth and made it live. The lion got up and ate him. The proverb says, “Do not do good to the evil, and evil will not happen to you.”⁶⁰Gen. R. 22:8. There is a story of Shihin (a town near Sepphoris) about a certain blind person who went down to bathe in the waters in a cave. He happened upon the well of Miriam, immersed [himself in it], and was healed. Titus the wicked entered the interior of the holy of holies.⁶¹Git. 56b; Lev. R. 22:3. When he had cursed and blasphemed, he stood up and slashed the veil. Then he took a Torah scroll and brought it out. Next he unrolled it; and bringing two whores, he transgressed upon them. Then he drew his sword to cut up the book. A miracle took place in that blood began to spew forth from it. He began to boast, saying that he had killed himself (i.e. God).⁶²The author is avoiding too literal a description of the sacrilege and therefore substitutes “himself” for God as a euphemism. He began to become bolder and bolder. When he reached the sea, the sea began to grow stormier and stormier. He said, “The God of these people only has power in the sea.⁶³See Pes. 118b. Now if He would, let Him go up on the dry land. Then let us see who overcomes.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “O you wicked one, son of a wicked one, I am sending against you a tiny creature, the least of My creatures, to eradicate you from the world.” A gnat entered his nostril, and he died an unnatural death. Why is it named a base creature? Because it takes in but does not excrete. Moreover, sometimes it is by means of a hornet [that God's will is carried out]. Thus it is written (in Exod. 23:28), “I will send the hornet before you [to drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites from before you].” Our masters have said, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, sent the hornet before Israel to kill the Amorites, see what was written about them (in Amos 2:9), “Yet I destroyed the Amorites before them, whose stature was like the cedars in height and who were as strong as the oaks [...].” It entered one's right eye and poured out its poison in it. Then [that person] burst open and dropped dead. This indeed is the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, to carry out His missions by means of small things against all who vaunt themselves against Him. He sends them a small creature to exact punishment from them, in order to inform them that there is no substance to their might. Also in the future to come the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to exact punishment from the [idol-worshiping] peoples of the world by means of small things. It is so stated (in Is. 7:18–19), “And it shall come to pass on that day that the Lord shall whistle for the fly. [They all shall come …].”

Behold, I send an angel before thee (Exod. 23:20). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: For He will give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Ps. 91:11). When a man performs one precept, one angel is assigned to guard him; when he performs two precepts, two angels are given to him; when he performs all the precepts, many angels are assigned to him, as it is said: For He will give His angels charge over thee. Who are these angels? They are the beings who will protect him from demons, as it is said: A thousand may fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand (ibid., v. 7). What is meant by may fall? It means that they force (their opponents) to surrender to him, as it is said in the Book of Chronicles: Of Manasseh also there fell away some to David (I Chron. 12:20), and it is written as well: As he went to Ziklag, there fell to him of Manasseh (ibid., v. 29).

27 (Numb. 21:21) “Then Israel sent messengers [to Sihon …]”: This text is related (to Ps. 37:3), “Trust in the Lord and do good, abide in the land and remain loyal.” And it states (in Ps. 34:15), “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” The Torah did not command [them] to go in pursuit of the commandments. Rather [it states] (in Deut. 22:6), “When you come on a bird's nest”; (in Exod. 23:4) “When you encounter [the ox of one who hates you]”; (in Exod. 23:5) “When you see the donkey [of one who hates you]”; (in Deut. 24:20) “when you beat your olive tree”; (in Deut. 24:21), “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard”; and (in Deut. 23:25) “When you go into your neighbor's vineyard.” If [these situations] present themselves to you, you are given a command concerning them; but [you are] not to go in pursuit of them. In the case of peace, however, (according to Ps. 34:15), “seek peace,” wherever you are; “and pursue it,” wherever else it may be. And this is what Israel did. Although the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to them (in Deut. 2:24), “begin to take possession, and engage him in battle,” they went in pursuit of peace. So is it stated (in Numb. 21:21) “Then Israel sent messengers….”

27 (Numb. 21:21) “Then Israel sent messengers [to Sihon …]”: This text is related (to Ps. 37:3), “Trust in the Lord and do good, abide in the land and remain loyal.” And it states (in Ps. 34:15), “Depart from evil and do good; seek peace and pursue it.” The Torah did not command [them] to go in pursuit of the commandments. Rather [it states] (in Deut. 22:6), “When you come on a bird's nest”; (in Exod. 23:4) “When you encounter [the ox of one who hates you]”; (in Exod. 23:5) “When you see the donkey [of one who hates you]”; (in Deut. 24:20) “when you beat your olive tree”; (in Deut. 24:21), “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard”; and (in Deut. 23:25) “When you go into your neighbor's vineyard.” If [these situations] present themselves to you, you are given a command concerning them; but [you are] not to go in pursuit of them. In the case of peace, however, (according to Ps. 34:15), “seek peace,” wherever you are; “and pursue it,” wherever else it may be. And this is what Israel did. Although the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to them (in Deut. 2:24), “begin to take possession, and engage him in battle,” they went in pursuit of peace. So is it stated (in Numb. 21:21) “Then Israel sent messengers….”

23 ---

23 "Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 28:2). This is [the meaning of] that which was stated by the verse (Job 27:23), "The Omnipresent we have not found to be of great power"; and [yet] it is written (in Job 36:22), "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." How are these two verses [resolved]? Rather [it is that] when He gives to [Israel], He gives to them according to His power. But when He requests something from them, He only requests according to their power. See what is written (Exodus 26:1), "As for the Tabernacle, make it of ten curtains." But in the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, will make a canopy from clouds of glory for each and every righteous person, as it is stated (in Is. 4:5), "The Lord will create over the whole shrine and meeting place of Mount Zion cloud by day and smoke with a glow of flaming fire by night; indeed over all the glory shall hang a canopy." And why is smoke in the canopy? Since anyone whose eyes were smoky and stingy with his students in this world will have his canopy filled with smoke in the world to come. Why is there fire in the canopy? [It is coming to] teach that each and every righteous person is lit up from the canopy of his fellow, that is more elevated than he; with light the radiance of which shines from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. Hence it is written, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 27:20), "And you shall command [...]." But when He lit up for them, it was according to His power, as it is stated (Exodus 13:21), "And the Lord went in front of them by day." [Moreover, about] the future to come, it is stated (Isaiah 60:1-3), "Arise, My light [...]. But upon you the Lord will shine, and His Presence be seen over you. And nations shall walk by your light; kings, by your shining radiance. And it is written, (Isaiah 30:26), "And the light of the moon shall become like the light of the sun […]." Hence, "It is true that God is beyond reach in His power." When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Exodus 23:19), "The choice first fruits of your land." But when He gives to them, it is according to His power, as it is stated (Ezekiel 47:12), "All kinds of trees for food will grow up on both banks of the stream; their leaves will not wither nor their fruit fail; they will yield new fruit every month." What is [the meaning of] "they will yield new fruit every month?" That each and every tree yields new fruit each and every month, [such that] the new fruit of this month is not like the new fruit of another month. When He requested something from them, He only requested according to their power, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:40), "And you shall take for yourselves on the first day the fruit of a beautiful true." But when He gives, it is according to His power, as it is stated (Isaiah 41:19), "I will give in the wilderness cedar, acacia […]." [And it is also written] (Isaiah 55:13), "Instead of the brier, a cypress shall rise."

(Numb. 21:21:) “Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon […].” This text is related (to Ps. 34:15), “Depart from evil and do good; [seek peace and pursue it].” The Torah did not command [them] to go in pursuit of the commandments.¹⁴⁵Numb. R. 19:27. Rather [it says] (in Deut. 22:6), “When you come on a bird's nest”; (in Exod. 23:4) “When you encounter the ox of one who hates you”; (in Exod. 23:5) “When you see the donkey of one who hates you”; (in Deut. 24:20) “when you beat your olive tree”; (in Deut. 24:21), “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard”; and (in Deut. 23:25) “When you go into your neighbor's vineyard.” If [these situations] present themselves to you, you are given a command concerning them; but [you are] not to go in pursuit of them. In the case of peace, however, (according to Ps. 34:15), “seek peace,” wherever you are; “and pursue it,” wherever else it may be. And this is what Israel did. Although the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to them (in Deut. 2:24), “begin to take possession, and engage him in battle,” they went in pursuit of peace. So is it stated (in Numb. 21:21) “Then Israel sent messengers….”

(Numb. 21:21:) “Then Israel sent messengers to Sihon […].” This text is related (to Ps. 34:15), “Depart from evil and do good; [seek peace and pursue it].” The Torah did not command [them] to go in pursuit of the commandments.¹⁴⁵Numb. R. 19:27. Rather [it says] (in Deut. 22:6), “When you come on a bird's nest”; (in Exod. 23:4) “When you encounter the ox of one who hates you”; (in Exod. 23:5) “When you see the donkey of one who hates you”; (in Deut. 24:20) “when you beat your olive tree”; (in Deut. 24:21), “When you gather the grapes of your vineyard”; and (in Deut. 23:25) “When you go into your neighbor's vineyard.” If [these situations] present themselves to you, you are given a command concerning them; but [you are] not to go in pursuit of them. In the case of peace, however, (according to Ps. 34:15), “seek peace,” wherever you are; “and pursue it,” wherever else it may be. And this is what Israel did. Although the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to them (in Deut. 2:24), “begin to take possession, and engage him in battle,” they went in pursuit of peace. So is it stated (in Numb. 21:21) “Then Israel sent messengers….”

You shall not oppress a stranger: Rabbi Eliezer said, "For what reason did the Torah issue warnings with regard to mistreatment of a stranger in thirty-six places? Because [a stranger's] inclination is toward evil, that they will not return to their inclination. Having yourselves been strangers: From here Rabbi Eliezer said, "The blemish that is in you, do not point it out in your fellow."

(Gen. 20:1:) THEN ABRAHAM JOURNEYED FROM THERE. This text is related (to Ps. 26:4f.): I HAVE NOT DWELT WITH FALSE PEOPLE… I HAVE HATED THE COMMUNITY OF EVILDOERS, < AND WILL NOT DWELL WITH THE WICKED >. I HAVE NOT DWELT WITH FALSE PEOPLE. These are the people of the Tower < of Babel >, who were < in fact > false people. They went and said to Abraham: Come and dwell with us, since you are a valiant man, for we see that the Holy One has made his dwelling above and left us below. The Holy Spirit, however, cries out (in Is. 57:20): BUT THE WICKED ARE LIKE THE TROUBLED SEA. You could not dwell in security even for one hour. (Ps. 82:5:) THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN, AND THEY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND; THEY WILL WALK ABOUT IN DARKNESS. THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN. This is the generation of Enosh⁹⁶See Gen. 4:26, which rabbinic texts interpret to mean that in the days of Enosh people began practicing idolatry. AND THEY WILL NOT UNDERSTAND. [This is] the generation of the flood. THEY WILL WALK ABOUT IN DARKNESS. This is the generation of the Tower < of Babel >. Abraham said to them: What are you seeking from the Holy One who dwells above? Has he perhaps said to you: Come, labor and provide⁹⁷Gk.: pronoos, i.e., “thinking beforehand.” for me? He creates, and he provides; he makes, and he sustains. What do you want from him? (Gen. 11:4:) {THEY SAID TO HIM} [THEN THEY SAID]: COME, LET US BUILD FOR OURSELVES A CITY AND A TOWER. Then let us place our idols above him and make war with him. It is so stated (ibid., cont.): AND LET US MAKE A NAME (i.e., a god) FOR OURSELVES.⁹⁸See M.Pss. 74:2. Thus it is < also > written (in Exod. 23:13): YOU SHALL NOT MENTION THE NAME OF OTHER GODS. Abraham said to them: What are all these for? They said to him: Lest he do to us something like what he did to earlier generations. He said to them: You have forsaken (what Prov. 18:10 calls) A TOWER OF STRENGTH, THE NAME OF THE LORD; yet you say: AND LET US MAKE A NAME (i.e., a god) FOR OURSELVES! What did the Holy One do? He dispersed them, as stated (in Gen. 11:8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM. Now to what extent had they built and ascended the Tower? The Holy One was deriding them, as stated (in Ps. 2:4): THE ONE WHO DWELLS IN THE HEAVENS WILL LAUGH; < THE LORD WILL DERIDE THEM >. When they had gone up above on the Tower, < there follows > immediately (in vs. 5): THEN HE WILL SPEAK UNTO THEM IN HIS WRATH…. So it (the Tower) fell from on high, as stated (in Ps. 5:11 [10]): CONDEMN THEM, O GOD, LET THEM FALL BY THEIR OWN COUNSELS. Thus Abraham had no dealings with them. Then the Holy One looked down upon them and saw them, as stated (in Ps. 53: 3f. [2f.]): {THE LORD} [GOD] OF HEAVEN LOOKED DOWN UPON THE CHILDREN OF ADAM … ALL OF THEM ARE DROSS…. When they became dross, they made themselves deities. (Ibid., cont.:) THERE IS NONE WHO DOES GOOD, NOT EVEN ONE. From here you learn that Abraham was not one of them. The ONE mentioned here is none but Abraham, as stated (in Ezek. 33:24): ABRAHAM WAS ONE AND HE INHERITED THE LAND. Abraham began saying (in Ps. 26:4f.): I HAVE NOT DWELT WITH FALSE PEOPLE; I HAVE HATED THE COMMUNITY OF EVILDOERS. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 20:1): THEN ABRAHAM JOURNEYED FROM THERE.

(Numb. 4:18:) “Do not cut off.” This text is related (to Ps. 33:18), “Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him….” The text speaks along many lines of thought.¹²¹Shittim. For this use of the word, Buber, n. 209, cites Lev. R. 34:8. For the other interpretations, see above, Gen. 6:5. For what we need, however, it is speaking about the tribe of Levi.¹²²Numb. R. 5:1. And where is it shown? Where the tribe of Levi is called those who fear the Lord, as stated (in Mal. 2:5), “and I gave them (i.e., life and peace) as well as fear, and he feared Me.” (Ps. 33:19) “On those who wait for His steadfast love,” because they are always waiting for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. (Ps. 33:19:) “To deliver their soul from death and to keep them alive in famine,” through the twenty-four gifts which the Holy One, blessed be He, has given them.¹²³THal. 2:7-9; BQ 110b (bar.); Hul. 133b (bar.); cf. Hal. 4:9. These are them: ten in the sanctuary, ten within the borders, and four in Jerusalem. The ten in the sanctuary: the sin offering (Lev. 6:17-23; Zev. 5:3), the guilt offering (Lev. 5:14-16, 20-26; 19:20-22; Zev. 5:5), the peace sacrifices and the community peace sacrifices (Lev. 23:19-20; Zev. 5:5), the sin offering of a fowl (Lev. 5:8), the guilt offering for a doubtful sin (Lev. 5:17-19; Zev. 5:5), the leper's log of oil (Lev. 14:12), the two loaves (Lev. 23:17), the shewbread (Exod. 25:30; Lev. 24:5-9), the remnant of the omer (Lev. 23:10-12; Men. 10:4), and the remainder of the meal offering (Lev. 2:3).
The ten within the borders: the terumah (Numb. 18:12), the terumah of the tithe (Numb. 18:25-29), the hallah (Numb. 15:18-21), the first of the shorn wool (Deut. 18:4), the shoulder, the cheeks, and the stomach (Deut. 18:3), the redemption of the [first-born] son (Numb. 18:15-16), [the redemption of] a firstling ass (Exod. 13:13), [the payment for] the robbery of a proselyte (Thal. 2:9; Bq 110b; Hul. 133b), things consecrated (Numb. 18:14; Bik. 3:12), and a field of possession (Lev. 27:16-21)
The four in Jerusalem: the firstlings [of animals] (Numb. 18:17-18), the first fruits (Exod. 23:19; Numb. 18:13; Hal. 4:9), the priest's share from the thank-offering ram and from the nazarite ram, the breast of the peace offerings, and the thigh (Exod. 29:27-28; Lev. 7:12-14; 31-34; 10:14-15; Numb. 6:13-20; 18:18), and skins of [burnt, sin, and guilt] offerings (Lev. 7:8; Zev. 12:3)
Behold, these are twenty-four gifts. Ergo (in Ps. 33:19), “and to keep them alive in famine. (Numb. 4:18) “Do not cut off [the tribe of the Kohathite families from the Levites].” The Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that Korah was going to arise and disagree about the priesthood.¹²⁴Cf. Numb. R. 5:5. The Holy One, blessed be He, said. “I will not destroy the Levites because of Korah.” (Numb. 4:18:) “Do not cut off [the tribe of the Kohathite families from the Levites].” This text is related (to Is. 48:9), “For the sake of My name I will delay My anger, and for My praise I will hold back for you so as not to cut you off.” To what is the matter comparable?¹²⁵Numb. R. 5:6. To a king who had a son that was associated with bandits;¹²⁶Gk.: lestai. and when they were captured, his son was captured with them. The king said, “What shall I do? Shall I execute the robbers? Possibly my son is with them. Instead, for the sake of my son, I will exonerate them for now.” Similarly, the Levites carried the tabernacle. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 7:9), “But to the Children of Kohath he gave no [wagons], because they had the service of the holy.” When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that Korah and his assembly were going to be opposed to Moses and Aaron, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “What shall I do with these? To kill them in the desert is not possible.” Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, had taken half of His name and bestowed it upon them, the yh (of yhwh) in the Kohathite (hqhty in Numb. 4:18).¹²⁷Numb. R. 5:6, and Yalqut Shim‘oni, Is. 48:9, 326 (466) add that the letters from the divine name appear at the end and the beginning of HQHTY, and Numb. R. explains further that the Holy One added the definite article (H) to the name, Kohathite, for this very reason. It therefore says (in Is. 48:9), “For the sake of My name I will delay¹²⁸Literally: LENGTHEN. This verb may have suggested that the Holy One deliberately lengthened the name, Kohathite, with the addition of the article. My anger….”

And he called his name Noach - Rabbi Yochanan and Rabbi Shimon Ben Lakish dispute. Rabbi Yochanan said: "The midrash is not the name, and the name is not the midrash. Rather, the verse only needed to say "Noach, this one will comfort us", or "Nachman , this one will comfort us". Rather, in the hour that the Holy One created Adam HaRishon (the First Human), He made him rule over all, the cow would listen to the plowman and the furrow would listen to the plowman. Since Adam sinned they rebelled against him, the cow would not listen to the plowman and the furrow would not listen to the plowman. When Noach stood/was established, they rested (nachu). And from where do we have this? Here we have the expression of rest (nichah), and there we have the expression of rest: "so that your ox and your donkey will rest (yanuach)" (Ex. 23:12). Just as in that case the expression has to do with the ox resting, so too here. Rabbi Shimeon Ben Lakish said: "The midrash is not the name, and the name is not the midrash. Rather, the verse only needed to say "Noach, this one will comfort us", or "Nachman, this one will comfort us". Rather, until the moment Noach stood the waters would not cease to come up and flood them inside their graves. Twice, as it is written: "Who summons the waters of the sea [and pours them out upon the earth— His name is Ad-nai!]" (Amos 5:8) this is regarding the two times [per day] that the waters come up and flood them inside their graves, once in Shacharit (morning) and once in Arvit (night), since it is written: "[abandoned among the dead,] like corpses lying in the grave [of whom You are mindful no more], and who are cut off from Your care." Their "bodies lying in the grave" were "abandoned corpses" - and when Noach stood up, they found rest. Here we have the expression of rest (nichah), and there we have the expression of rest: "Yet they shall come to peace, they shall have rest on their resting place, [the ones who walked straightforward]." (Isaiah 57:2). Just as in that case the expression has to do with the resting in the grave, so too here. Rabbi Eliezer said: Noach was named after his sacrifice (korban) as it is written: "And Ad-nai smelled the pleasing [hanichoach] odor" (Gen. 8:21). Rabbi Yosi bar Rabbi Chanina said: He was named after the resting of the ark, as it says "and the ark rested [tanach]" (Gen. 8:4). Rabbi Yochanan said: the celestial spheres did not move that entire twelve months. Rabbi Yonatan said to him: they did move, but their movements were not marked. "(So long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night) shall not cease" (Gen 8:22) - Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbu Yehoshua dispute. Rabbi Eliezer said: shall not cease, from here [we infer] that they did not cease. And Rabbi Yehoshua: shall not cease, from here [we infer] that they did cease.

... The angels said before the Holy One, ‘Master of the World! Isn’t this Jerusalem?!’ as it is said “This is Jerusalem; in the midst of the nations I have placed her…” (Yechezkel 5:5) He replied to them, “But she exchanged My judgments for wickedness more than the nations…” (Yechezkel 5:6) They said to Him, “But they are Your people and Your inheritance, which You brought out with Your great strength…” (Devarim 9:29) He replied to them, “For My people have forgotten Me; they burn incense to vanity…” (Yirmiyahu 18:15) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the forefathers!’ He replied to them, “…the fathers are kindling fire…” (Yirmiyahu 7:18) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the children!’ He replied to them, “But they rebelled against Me and would not consent to hearken to Me…” (Yechezkel 20:8) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the tribe of Yehudah!’ “And Judah did what displeased the Lord…” (Melachim I 14:22) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the leaders!’ He replied to them, “Its heads judge for bribes…” (Micha 3:11) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the tribes!’ He replied to them, ‘and Gad, and Reuven and the half tribe of Menashe…’ They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the tribe of Dan!’ He replied to them, “And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image.” (Shoftim 18:30) They said to Him,’ act for the sake of the students!’ He replied to them, “…And those who hold onto the Torah did not know Me…” (Yirmiyahu 2:8) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the prophets!’ He replied to them, “[It was] for the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests…” (Eicha 4:13) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the kings!’ He replied to them, “And the altars that were on the roof, [the roof of] Ahaz's upper chamber, which the kings of Judah had made…” (Melachim II 23:12) The ministering angels said to Him, ‘act for our sake!’ He replied to them, “But they mocked the messengers of God…” (Divre HaYamim II 36:16) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of Your name which is called upon them!’ He replied to them, ‘they have profaned My holy name.’ They said to Him, ‘You do not want to be appeased, what is the image of their father doing by You?’ “He has cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel…” (Eicha 2:1) This statement with which they clothed You, what has it done to You?! If the thing were not written, it would be impossible to say “The Lord has done what He devised, He has carried out His word…” (Eicha 2:17) They said to Him, ‘Master of the World! Is this not Jerusalem about whom you wrote “Behold on [My] hands have I engraved you…”’ (Yeshayahu 49:16) He replied to them, “I, too, shall clap My hands, one upon the other, and I shall put My fury to rest…” (Yechezkel 21:22) Since Zion saw that He did not want to be appeased, she started up and said “The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me." (Yeshayahu 49:14) May it be Your will Lord our God and God of our fathers that Your Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days, that your Presence return within it, that You gather my exiles from the four corners of the world, that they rebuild the cities of Yehudah and settle Shechem and inherit it speedily. Amen.

(Gen. 11:3:) THEN THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER: COME, LET US FORM BRICKS. The Holy One caused everything that they made to prosper in their hands in order to laugh at them in the end. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 2:4): THE ONE SITTING IN THE HEAVENS SHALL LAUGH. Now had they not built, they would have said: If we had built the tower, we should¹¹⁰“We should” follows Tanh., Gen. 2:18. The Buber text, which translates, “They would,” lacks the letter (nun). have ascended to the heavens and fought with him.¹¹¹Cf. Sanh. 109a. What did the Holy One do? He made things prosper in their hands to make known that those in the world are nothing. Then after [that] he laughed at them and banished them, as stated (in Gen. 11:8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM OUT OF THERE. [(Gen. 11:4:) THEN THEY SAID: COME, LET US BUILD OURSELVES A CITY AND A TOWER WITH ITS TOP IN THE HEAVENS TO MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES.] R. Simeon bar Johay said: They took an idol and put it on top of the tower. [They said:] If the Holy One issues decrees against it, it will be against him and inhibit him. This expression, MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES, is nothing but an expression of idolatry. Thus is stated (in Exod. 23:13): YOU SHALL NOT MENTION THE NAME OF OTHER GODS.¹¹²Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Kaspa 4; see Sanh. 109a; Gen. R. 38:8. The Holy One said to them: You say (in Gen. 11:4, cont.): LEST WE BE DISPERSED. I am dispersing you. Thus it is stated (in vs. 8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM. < This dispersing was > to fulfill what is stated (in Prov. 10:24): WHAT THE WICKED ONE FEARS SHALL COME UPON HIM.

The firstlings <of animals> (Numb. 18:17-18),
The first fruits (Exod. 23:19; Numb. 18:13; Hal. 4:9),
The priest's share from the thank-offering ram and from the Nazarite ram, the breast of the peace offerings, and the thigh (Exod. 29:27-28; Lev. 7:12-14; 31-34; 10:14-15; Numb. 6:13-20; 18:18), and
Skins of <burnt, sin, and guilt> offerings (Lev. 7:8; Zev. 12:3)

11 All the sevenths are always beloved. Above the seventh is beloved: Skies, skies of the skies, firmament, heavens, celestial realm, abode, and clouds. And it is written (Psalms 68:5), "extol Him who rides the clouds; the Lord is His name." In the lands, the seventh is beloved: Earth, ground, globe, valley, wilderness, oblivion and world. And it is written (Psalms 9:9), "And He judges the world with righteousness, judges the peoples with equity." In the generations, the seventh is beloved: Adam, Shet, Enosh, Keinan, Mahalalel, Yered and Chanoch. And it is written (Genesis 5:25), "And Chanoch walked with God." In the forefathers, the seventh is beloved: Avraham, Yitschak, Yaakov, Levi, Kehat, Amram and Moshe. And it is written (Exodus 19:3), "And Moshe ascended to God." In sons, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (I Chronicles 2:15), "David was the seventh." In kings, the seventh is beloved: Shaul, Ish-boshet, David, Shlomo, Rechavam, Aviyah and Asa. And it is written (II Chronicles 14:10), "And Asa called out to the Lord." In years, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Exodus 23.11), "But in the seventh you shall let it rest and lie fallow." In sabbatical years, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Leviticus 25:10), "And you shall sanctify the fiftieth year." In days, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Genesis 2:3), "And God blessed the seventh day." In months, the seventh is beloved, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:24), "In the seventh month on the first day."

2 Rabi Abahu says it says (Exodus 23,4): 'Three pilgrimages you will celebrate for me in the year,' The Holy One established three pilgrimages and in the merit of the fathers that don't come before The Holy One empty-handed, and even in these generations even though they are troubled (narrow, stressed), the Torah has not moved from them as it says (Isiah 59,21): 'Should not be removed from your lips or your offspring lips, or your offspring's offsprings lips...'.

... Teach us oh, teacher: once the Ninth of Av has ended, is everything permitted? R’ Chiyah the Great taught like this: once the Ninth of Av has ended, one is permitted to do anything. Why? Because it is like the case of a person whose dead is laid out before him, who is forbidden to eat meat or drink wine. Once the dead is buried, the mourner is permitted to do so. So to on the Ninth of Av one is a mourner – once the day has ended one is permitted to do anything. Even though we are permitted, we must always have a sigh in our hearts until the Holy One returns to her. The Holy One said to them: by your lives! I burnt her, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) I will build her, as it says “Yet again will I rebuild you, then you shall be built, O virgin of Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:3) Zion said to Him: Behold, I have been sitting thus for many years! I have counted the days from old and I have not been redeemed, therefore I have despaired. She said that my master has abandoned me. And from where do we learn that Zion said this? From that which is written regarding it “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) ... Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me…” (Isaiah 49:14) What is written before this? “Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, and mountains burst out in song, for the Lord has consoled His people, and He shall have mercy on His poor.” (Isaiah 49:13) Once Zion saw that the prophet recalled His people and His poor, but did not mention Zion or Jerusalem she said ‘the Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Immediately the Holy One replied and said to her: just as it is impossible for a woman to forget her sucking child, so to I am not able to forget you, “Shall a woman forget her sucking child, from having mercy on the child of her womb?” (Isaiah 49:15) She said to Him: Master of the world! How is that possible? There is no end to the evils I have done! I caused Your Holy Temple to be destroyed and I killed the prophets. R’ Berachia the Kohen said in the name of Rebbe: the Holy One said to her, I will forget your evil but I will not forget your good. “…These too shall forget, but I will not forget you.” (ibid.) I have forgotten “"These are your gods, O Israel…” (Exodus32:4) but “I am the Lord, your God…” (Exodus 20:2) I will not forget.

When David reigned, he wished to come into the land of Edom, but he was unable on account of the power of the covenant of Jacob's oath until he had broken that pillar. Concerning this, Solomon said: "And break in pieces their pillars" (Ex. 23:24). Afterwards he conquered the land of Edom, as it is said, "David smote also Hadadezer the son of Rehob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his dominion at the river" (2 Sam. 8:3).

Variantly: "from the beginning of the year until the end of the year": Now are the fruits in the field from the beginning of the year until the end of the year? (The intent is that it is) in My domain to bestow blessing upon them (when they are) in the house as when they are in the field, as it is written (Ibid. 28:8) "The L-rd shall command unto you the blessing in your store-houses and in all to which you put your hand." And it is written (Chaggai 2:19) "Is there any more seed in the silo? Even the grapevine and the fig tree and the pomegranate tree have not borne their fruit, (but) from this day on, I will bless." They are in My domain to bestow blessing upon them, just as I bestow blessing upon them in the field. And mothiness and rot will not enter the fruit, and wine will not sour, and oil will not foul, and honey will not ferment. And whence do I derive (that this obtains) even in the storehouses? From (Devarim 28:3) "Blessed shall you be in the city (including the storehouses), and blessed shall you be in the field." Whence do I derive even the flour? From (Ibid. 5) "Blessed shall be your basket and your (kneading) bowl." Whence do I derive even in entering and in leaving? From (Ibid. 6) "Blessed shall you be in your coming in and blessed shall you be in your leaving." And whence do I derive even in eating? From (Ibid. 8:6) "And you shall eat and you shall be sated and you shall bless." And whence do I derive even when it descends into one's intestines? From (Shemoth 23:25) "and I shall remove sickness from your midst."

(Devarim 11:23) "and the L-rd will drive out": The L-rd drives out, and not flesh and blood. "all the nations": I might think, literally; it is, therefore, written "these" (i.e., the seven nations). This tells me only of the nations. Whence do I derive (the same for) their abettors? From "all the nations." "from before you": You will progressively increase and they will progressively diminish. And thus is it written (Shemoth 23:30) "Little by little I will drive them out from before you," and (Ibid. 21) "I will not drive them out from before you in one year." These are the words of R. Yitzchak.

(Numb. 21:21:) THEN ISRAEL SENT MESSENGERS TO SIHON. This text is related (to Pss. 34:15 [14]): DEPART FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. The Torah did not command <them> to go in pursuit of the commandments.²⁰⁰Tanh., Numb. 6:22; Numb. R. 19:27. Rather <it says>: (as in Deut. 22:6:) WHEN YOU COME ON A BIRD'S NEST, (as in Exod. 23:4:) WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER THE OX OF ONE WHO HATES YOU, (as in Exod 23:5:) WHEN YOU SEE THE DONKEY OF ONE WHO HATES YOU, (as in Deut. 24:20:) WHEN YOU BEAT YOUR OLIVE TREE, (as in Deut. 24:21:) WHEN YOU GATHER THE GRAPES OF YOUR VINEYARD, (as in Deut. 23:25:) WHEN YOU GO INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR's VINEYARD. If <these situations> present themselves to you, you are given a command concerning them; but <you are> not to go in pursuit of them. In the case of peace, however, (according to Ps. 34:15 [14]): SEEK PEACE, wherever you are, AND PURSUE IT, wherever else it may be. And this is what Israel did. Although the Holy One had said to them (in Deut. 2:24): BEGIN TO TAKE POSSESSION, AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE, they went in pursuit of peace.

(Numb. 21:21:) THEN ISRAEL SENT MESSENGERS TO SIHON. This text is related (to Pss. 34:15 [14]): DEPART FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. The Torah did not command <them> to go in pursuit of the commandments.²⁰⁰Tanh., Numb. 6:22; Numb. R. 19:27. Rather <it says>: (as in Deut. 22:6:) WHEN YOU COME ON A BIRD'S NEST, (as in Exod. 23:4:) WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER THE OX OF ONE WHO HATES YOU, (as in Exod 23:5:) WHEN YOU SEE THE DONKEY OF ONE WHO HATES YOU, (as in Deut. 24:20:) WHEN YOU BEAT YOUR OLIVE TREE, (as in Deut. 24:21:) WHEN YOU GATHER THE GRAPES OF YOUR VINEYARD, (as in Deut. 23:25:) WHEN YOU GO INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR's VINEYARD. If <these situations> present themselves to you, you are given a command concerning them; but <you are> not to go in pursuit of them. In the case of peace, however, (according to Ps. 34:15 [14]): SEEK PEACE, wherever you are, AND PURSUE IT, wherever else it may be. And this is what Israel did. Although the Holy One had said to them (in Deut. 2:24): BEGIN TO TAKE POSSESSION, AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE, they went in pursuit of peace.

(Numb. 21:21:) THEN ISRAEL SENT MESSENGERS TO SIHON. This text is related (to Pss. 34:15 [14]): DEPART FROM EVIL AND DO GOOD; SEEK PEACE AND PURSUE IT. The Torah did not command <them> to go in pursuit of the commandments.²⁰⁰Tanh., Numb. 6:22; Numb. R. 19:27. Rather <it says>: (as in Deut. 22:6:) WHEN YOU COME ON A BIRD'S NEST, (as in Exod. 23:4:) WHEN YOU ENCOUNTER THE OX OF ONE WHO HATES YOU, (as in Exod 23:5:) WHEN YOU SEE THE DONKEY OF ONE WHO HATES YOU, (as in Deut. 24:20:) WHEN YOU BEAT YOUR OLIVE TREE, (as in Deut. 24:21:) WHEN YOU GATHER THE GRAPES OF YOUR VINEYARD, (as in Deut. 23:25:) WHEN YOU GO INTO YOUR NEIGHBOR's VINEYARD. If <these situations> present themselves to you, you are given a command concerning them; but <you are> not to go in pursuit of them. In the case of peace, however, (according to Ps. 34:15 [14]): SEEK PEACE, wherever you are, AND PURSUE IT, wherever else it may be. And this is what Israel did. Although the Holy One had said to them (in Deut. 2:24): BEGIN TO TAKE POSSESSION, AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE, they went in pursuit of peace.

(Devarim 11:25) "Your terror and your fear will the L-rd your G-d place on the face of all the land": Why is this mentioned? Because it is written (Ibid. 16:16) "Three times a year shall appear each of your males in the presence of the L-rd your G-d in the place that He chooses," lest Israel say: When we go up to bow down, who will protect our land for us, the Holy One Blessed be He told them: Go up, and I will guard what is yours. As it is written (Shemoth 24:24) "And no man will desire your land when you go up to appear before the L-rd your G-d three times in the year." If it is not desirable in his eyes, why should he come to take his property and his beasts? And, what is more, they are afraid of you, as it is written "Your terror and your fear, etc." And thus do you find with Israel when they do G-d's will. What did Na'aman (the leper of Aram) say to Elisha (II Kings 5:17) "Will there not be given to your servant two mules' burden of earth?" Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If he is afraid to take earth from Eretz Yisrael without permission, how would he come to take his (an Israelite's) property and beasts! This is the intent of "Your terror and your fear will the L-rd your G-d place on the face of all the land where you tread." "as He spoke to you": When did He speak thus? (Shemoth 23:27) "My fear will I send before you, and I shall confound all the people to whom you come."

(Bamidbar 10:30) "And he said: I pray ("na") you, do not leave us." "Na" is a term of imploration. He said to him: If you do not take it upon yourself (to remain with us), I decree it upon you. For now, (if you leave,) Israel will say: Yithro became a proselyte not out of love, but only in expectation of a portion in the land, which, seeing not to be forthcoming, he abandoned us. Variantly: (Moses said to him:) You think you are increasing G-d's honor (by planning to make conversions in your land.) You are only diminishing it! How many (prospective) proselytes would take shelter under the wings of the Shechinah (if you remained.) But now, you are closing the door against them. They will say: If Yithro, the father-in-law of the king, did not take it upon himself (to remain with Israel), how much more so, we! "inasmuch as you have known our camping ('chanothenu') in the desert": Moses said to him: If another, who had not seen the miracles and wonders wrought for us in the desert, up and left, it might befit him, but you, who have seen them, can you do so? R. Yehudah says you who saw the "chein" ("favor" [a homiletic reading of "chanothenu"]) bestowed upon our fathers in Egypt, viz. (Shemot 12:36) "And the L-rd placed the favor of the people in the eyes of Egypt," would you pick up and leave? "and you have been 'eyes' for us": And not that alone, but in all things that were concealed from our eyes, you enlightened us, viz. (Ibid. 18:21) "And you shall see from all the people, etc." Now were these things (of appointing judges) not known to Moses from Sinai, viz. (Ibid. 23) "If you do this thing and G-d commands you, then you will be able to bear up"? And why did they escape Moses? To credit the thing to Yithro. Variantly ("and you have been 'eyes' for us"): that he (the proselyte) be as beloved by us as the apple of our eye, viz. (Devarim 10:19) "And you shall love the stranger," (Shemot 22:2) "And a stranger you shall not taunt and you shall not oppress."

Because it is written (Shemoth 23:5) "Unload shall you unload (his animal) with him," I might think that you should unload for this one, too; it is, therefore, written "and you shall not hearken to him."

(Devarim 16:10) "And you shall make a festival of weeks (shavuoth) to the L-rd your G-d": Because it is written (Shemoth 23:16) "And the festival of the harvest (Shavuoth) the (time of bringing the) first-fruits of your labor," I might think, if you "harvest, you make a festival, and if not, you do not make a festival; it is, therefore, written "and you shall make a festival of weeks to the L-rd your G-d" — Whether or not you have a harvest, you make a festival.

R. Yossi Haglili says: Three mitzvoth obtain on a festival: the festive offering (chagigah), the sacrifice of peace-offerings, viz. (27:7) "And you shall sacrifice peace-offerings and you shall eat them there"; "appearance" (re'iah), before the L-rd with a burnt-offering, viz. Shemoth 23:15); and rejoicing (simchah).

Which minor is exempt? One who cannot "ride" on his father's shoulder and go up to Jerusalem to the Temple mount. These are the words of Beth Shammai, it being written "your males." Beth Hillel say: One who cannot hold on to his father's hand and go up to Jerusalem to the Temple mount, it being written (Shemoth 23:14) "Three regalim (festivals)," lit., "feet."

(Bamidbar 35:22) "And if of a sudden, without hatred, he thrust him": to exclude (his killing) unwittingly. "or he cast upon him some instrument, but not in prey": without "hunting" or intent to kill. (22) "Or with any stone, whereby one can die," "without seeing": to include (for exile) a blind man and one who throws (a stone) at night. R. Yehudah says: "without seeing": to exclude a blind man. "and he not be his foe": Issi b. Akiva says: We find his stringency to be his lenity, and his lenity, his stringency, viz.: You cannot make him liable for the death penalty — Perhaps he killed him unwittingly. And you cannot make him liable for exile — Perhaps he killed him wittingly. "and he not be his foe" (juxtaposed with [24] "Then the congregation shall judge"): to exclude haters from sitting in judgment. This tells me of haters. Whence do we derive the same for kin? From (24) "between the slayer and the avenger" (with no other "relationship" intervening). Whence do I derive the same for witnesses? It follows, viz.: The Torah states: Kill through (the agency of) judges, kill through witnesses. Just as judges who are (their) haters or kin are unfit (to judge in their case), so, witnesses (who are haters or kin). Furthermore, it follows a fortiori, viz.: If judges — who do not decide (the facts of the case) — haters and kin are unfit to serve (as judges), then witnesses — who decide (the facts of the case) — how much more so are haters and kin unfit to serve (as witnesses)! This tells me only of (the instance of a murderer). Whence do I derive (the same for) all other instances of the death penalty? From [the superfluous] (Ibid.) "according to these judgments." This tells me only of Israelites. Whence do I derive the same for proselytes? From (Vayikra 24:22) "for proselytes and native-born (Israelites) alike." This tells me only of capital cases. Whence do I derive (the same for) monetary cases? From (Ibid.) "One (standard of) judgment shall there be for you," — But perhaps just as capital cases (are adjudicated) by twenty-three, so, monetary cases? It is, therefore, written (here) "according to these (capital) judgments." These are (adjudicated) by twenty-three, and not monetary judgments, of which it is written (Shemot 22:8) "Until elohim (counting three judges) shall come the dispute of both." And whence is it derived that capital cases (are adjudicated) by twenty-three? From (Bamidbar 35:24) "And the congregation (ten) shall judge" (25) And the congregation (ten) shall rescue" — twenty all together. And whence is it derived that three are added? From (Shemot 23:2) "Do not be after the many to do evil," I understand that I should be with them to do good. If so, what is the intent of (Ibid.) "After the many (i.e., the majority to incline" (judgment)? Let your judgment for good (i.e., acquittal) not be like your judgment for evil (i.e., incrimination). I still would not know how many, (but the Torah states: Kill by witnesses; kill by the inclination of the judges. Just as witnesses are two, so, the inclination of the judges (i.e., acquittal, is with a majority of one, and incrimination by a majority of two); and since the verdict of beth-din cannot be evenly balanced, three most be added to them (the twenty). The expounders of metaphor stated: The three "eduyoth" ("congregants") written in this section (one in [24] and two in [27]) signal that capital cases are adjudicated by thirty.

(Devarim 22:1) "You shall not see (the ox of your brothers or his lamb straying and [you shall] ignore them. Return shall you return them to your brother." "You shall not see": I might think, even if he were a mil away; it is, therefore, written (Shemoth 23:4) "If you encounter (the ox of your foe, etc.") If "If you encounter," I might think, literally; it is, therefore, written "You shall not see." How is this to be resolved? The sages estimated one-seventh of a mil, a ris.

(Devarim 22:4) "You shall not see the ass of your brother or his ox fallen on the way and ignore them; lift up shall you lift up with him." "You shall not see the ass of your brother": This is a negative commandment. And elsewhere it is written (Shemoth 23:5) "If you see, etc.": That is a positive commandment. This tells me only of "the ass of your brother." Whence do I derive (the same for) the ass of your foe? From (Shemoth 23:5) "the ass of your foe." If so, why is it written (here) "your brother"? Scripture (there) speaks anent the evil inclination (i.e., Assist not only the ass of your brother, but even the ass of your foe — against the protestations of your evil inclination.)

(Devarim 22:10) "You shall not plow with an ox and an ass together": I might think, never, but (Shemoth 23:12) "so that there rest (from labor) your ox and your ass" indicates that labor is being referred to. If so, why is "together" written? For I might think that only ox and ass are intended. Whence do I derive (the same for) other beasts and for animals and birds? From "together" — in any event (i.e., it is not the type of animal, but labor that is the criterion). If so, why is it written "with an ox and an ass"? To teach that you may not plow with an ox and an ass, but you may plow with a man and an ass (i.e., by some arrangement where the man directs the animal in its plowing.)

"that you bring from your land": so long as they are found on the face of the land. I might think he may bring them before Shavuoth, it is, therefore, written (Shemoth 23:16) "And the feast of the harvest (Shavuoth) of the first-fruits of your work." From when do you bring? From Shavuoth until Channukah.

If "from your land," I might think (that he may bring bikkurim) even if he plants in his (field) and engrafts into (another) individual's (field); or if (he plants) in a public field and engrafts from a public field; or from an individual's (field) into his own; or if he plants in his own and he engrafts into his own, with a public road or a private road intervening. It is, therefore, written (Shemoth 23:19) "the first-fruits or your soil" — All of the growths must be from your soil. For the same reason tenant-farmers, renters, holders of confiscated land, and robbers (of land) do not bring first-fruits.

Jeremiah asked the Holy One four things at the hour when he separated from Him, on two he received an answer and on two he did not. They are: despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting. Since Jeremiah saw the outlandish judgments which He brought upon Jerusalem he stood astonished, saying: is it possible that the Holy One will return to them after this? Then he asked the Holy One about these four things. So it says at the end of the scroll of lamentations “Why do You forget us forever, forsake us so long?” (Lamentations 5:20) “For if You have utterly rejected us, You have been exceedingly wroth against us.” (Lamentations 5:22) This is like a king who had a matron who was very beloved to him. Because the matron knew that the king loved her too much she violated the king’s honor and transgressed his decrees. One time decreed upon her that his servants come and drag her by her hair. Her dear friend who was present stood astonished, and seeing this immediately ran to come before the king. He said to him: my master the king, tell me what you intend. If you intend to return to her, then a man should rule over his wife. If you do not intend to return to her, you should divorce her that she can go and marry another. So Jeremiah said before the Holy One: Master of the World! “Have You indeed rejected Judah? Has Your soul despised Zion?” (Jeremiah 14:19) If Your intention is to return to her “Why have You smitten us and we have no cure?” (ibid.) He replied: go to your teacher, and to the teacher of your teacher – Moshe, the teacher of all the prophets. This is what I said to him at the end of all the curses: “But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them…” (Leviticus 26:44) Here we see that on two he received an answer and on two he did not. Since Zion saw that Jeremiah asked four things of the Holy One - despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting – and that the Holy One answered him about despising and rejection but not about abandonment and forgetting, she began to make claims regarding the other two. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Another explanation. And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and has forgotten me.’ The verse doesn’t say this, but rather ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Why does it say ‘the Lord and the Lord’? She said to Him: even the two attributes of mercy which are written about You “Lord, Lord, benevolent God, Who is compassionate and gracious…” (Exodus 34:6) have abandoned me and forgotten me. Another explanation. He forfeited me to all the nations, gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the corners of the fields as it says “When you reap the harvest of your Land…you shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger.” (Leviticus 23:22) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me (azavtani).’ He loaded me up with many punishments as it is written “You shall surely help along with him (azov ta’azov).” (Exodus 23:5) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me.’ That is, made me worth abandoning, as it is written “…and the Lord shall pour out their vessels.” (Isaiah 3:17) This comes to teach that He hinted to their springs and they poured forth and they were sunk in blood and abandoned and they cast them away. The Holy One said to them: complainers the sons of complainers! I was engaged with the first man, in order to make him a helpmate, as it says “…I shall make him a helpmate opposite him,” (Genesis 2:18) and he complained about Me, “The woman whom You gave to be with me she gave me…” (Genesis 3:12) I was engaged with Yaakov’s son to make him king over Egypt, “Now Joseph was the ruler over the land…” (Genesis 42:6) and He complained before Me, saying “My way has been hidden from the Lord…” (Isaiah 40:27) Even his sons did the same in the wilderness! I was engaged in choosing for them an easy food like that which kings eat, so that not one of them should be seized by indigestion or diarrhea, and they complained before Me, saying “…and we are disgusted with this rotten bread.” (Numbers 21:5) So too Zion did to Me. I was engaged in removing the kingdoms from the world, haven’t I already removed Babylon, Maday and Greece? I was about to cause the fourth kingdom to pass away and she complained before Me, saying ‘You have abandoned me, You have forgotten me.’ Another explanation. Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One: You have forgotten that might which my children mentioned before you at the sea “The Eternal's strength…” (Exodus 15:2) Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Forsaken is the same as forgotten! R’ Elazar said: Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One – Master of the World! A man who marries another wife in addition to his first still remembers the actions of the first, but You have forsaken me. The Holy One replied to her – my daughter, I created twelve constellations in the firmament opposite the twelve tribes and for each constellation I created thirty troops, and for each troop I created thirty routes, and on each route I created thirty legions, and for each legion I created thirty camps, and for each camp I created thirty squares, and for each square I created three hundred and sixty-five stars like the number of the days of the solar calendar. All of these I created only for you, and you say ‘He has forgotten me, He has abandoned me?!’ “Shall a woman forget her sucking child (ulah)…” (Isaiah 49:15) I will never forget the burnt offerings (olot) and firstborns which you offered before Me. She said before Him - Master of the World! Since there is no forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe then You will not forget what I did with the Golden Calf? He replied to her – I will also forget this. She said before Him – Master of the World! Since there is forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe you will forget what I did at Mount Sinai? He said to her “I will not forget you.” (ibid.)