Midrash su Esodo 32:32

(11) R. Kruspedai said in the name of R. Jochanan: "Three books are opened on New Year's Day: one for the grossly wicked, one for the perfectly righteous, and one for the intermediate class of people. The verdict of the perfectly righteous is promptly written and sealed for life; the verdict of the grossly wicked is promptly written and sealed for death; the verdict of the intermediate class is suspended from the New Year's Day till the Day of Atonement; if they prove themselves worthy, they are inscribed for life, if not they are inscribed for death." Said R. Abahu: "Whence do we infer this? From the passage (Ps. 69, 29) Let them be blotted out of the book of the living, and they shall not be written down with the righteous. Let them be blotted out, refers to the books of the grossly wicked; out of the book of the living, refers to the perfectly righteous; and they shall not be written down with the righteous, refers to the intermediate class."

Rabbi Menaḥem bar Avin interpreted the verse as referring to Moses. “And Yokim” (I Chronicles 4:22) – on the basis of: “Rise [kuma] Lord, and let Your enemies be scattered” (Numbers 10:35). “And the people of Kozeva” (I Chronicles 4:22) – as he rendered the word of the Holy One blessed be He like falsehoods [kazav], as it is stated: “Why, Lord, is Your wrath enflamed at Your people?” (Exodus 32:11).⁷⁵God had said that He would consume the Israelites (Exodus 32:10), but after Moses’ prayer, He relented and did not destroy them. “Yoash” (I Chronicles 4:22) – as he despaired [nitya’ash] of living,” as it is stated: “And if not, please expunge me” (Exodus 32:32). “And Saraf” (I Chronicles 4:22) - as he mentioned the act of those who were burned [serufim], “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel your servants” (Exodus 32:13).⁷⁶See footnote 18. “Who had dominion [ba’alu] over Moav” (I Chronicles 4:22) – as his pleasant actions ascended [alu] and came before his Father [aviv] in Heaven. “And Yashuvi Laḥem” (I Chronicles 4:22) – as he ascended on high and captured the Torah, on the basis of what is stated: “You ascended on high and you took a captive [shevi]” (Psalms 68:19).
“And the matters are ancient [atikim]” (I Chronicles 4:22) – Rabbi Aivu and Rabbi Yehuda ben Simon, Rabbi Aivu said: Even items that were taken [nitatku] from them, [Moses] returned, as it is stated: “Hew for yourself [two tablets of stone like the first]” (Exodus 34:1). These matters⁷⁷On the tablets. were stated by He who will [ultimately] remove [ma’atik] the world, as it is said: “He removed from there” (Genesis 12:8).⁷⁸Thus, the term atikim in the verse in I Chronicles is interpreted to refer to the tablets broken by Moses and then replaced, which contained the word of God. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: These matters are vague here, but explicit elsewhere. He restored [the tablets] to them, as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses: ‘Write these matters for yourself, as on the basis of these matters [I have established a covenant with you and with Israel]’” (Exodus 34:27). “They are the yotzerim” (I Chronicles 4:23) – on the basis of: “The Lord God formed [vayitzer]” (Genesis 2:19).⁷⁹The midrash interprets the word yotzerim in the sense of yetzurim, creations. The subject is the words of Torah, because God’s intent in creating the world was in order to give the Torah (Etz Yosef).
Another matter, “they are the yotzerim” (I Chronicles 4:23) – these are the souls of the righteous with whom the Holy One blessed be He consulted when creating the world. “And the dwellers among the plants” (I Chronicles 4:23) – on the basis of: “And the Lord God planted” (Genesis 2:8). “And a fence” (I Chronicles 4:23) – on the basis of what is stated: “Who placed the sand for the bound of the sea” (Jeremiah 5:22). “With the king in his service” (I Chronicles 4:23) – the souls of the righteous sat there with the King who is the king of kings, the Holy One blessed be He, and He consulted them and created His world.

(Deut. 16:18:) YOU SHALL APPOINT <JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS> FOR YOURSELVES, and not for the peoples of the world.²¹Tanh., Deut. 5:5. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:18): YOU SHALL APPOINT <JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS> FOR YOURSELVES. <This> teaches that the judges were called in the name of Moses. Moreover, this is one of three things over which Moses risked his life and were called by his name.²²Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Shirata, 1 on Exod. 15:1; Exod. R. 30:4; Numb. R. 12:9. He offered his life over the Torah, [as stated (in Exod. 34:28): AND HE WAS THERE <WITH THE LORD> FORTY DAYS AND FORTY NIGHTS; <HE ATE NO BREAD AND DRANK NO WATER>.] It was also called by his name, as stated (in Mal. 3:22 [4:4]): REMEMBER <THE> TORAH OF MY SERVANT MOSES. He offered his life over Israel, as stated (in Exod. 32:32): BUT NOW, IF YOU WILL FORGIVE THEIR SIN, <WELL AND GOOD;> BUT IF NOT, PLEASE BLOT ME OUT <OF THE BOOK THAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN >. And where is it shown that they were called by his Name? Where it is stated (in Exod. 32:7, in which the Holy One tells Moses): FOR YOUR PEOPLE <WHOM YOU BROUGHT UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT> HAVE ACTED BASELY. He also offered his life over the judges, as stated (in Exod. 2:12–14): HE SMOTE THE EGYPTIAN <AND HID HIM IN THE SAND. WHEN HE WENT OUT ON THE SECOND DAY, HERE THERE WERE TWO HEBREW MEN FIGHTING>; SO HE SAID TO THE WICKED ONE: WHY WOULD YOU STRIKE YOUR COMRADE? <BUT HE SAID: WHO APPOINTED YOU²³In an unvoweled text APPOINTED YOU could be read as “your name.” A PRINCE AND A JUDGE OVER US?> For that reason they were called in his name, as stated (in Deut. 16:18): YOU SHALL APPOINT JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS FOR YOURSELVES IN ALL YOUR GATES.

(Deut. 16:18:) “You shall appoint [judges and law officers] for yourselves”; and not for the peoples of the world. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:18), “You shall appoint [judges and law officers] for yourselves (literally, yourself)”: [This] teaches that the judges were called in the name of Moses. Moreover, this is one of three things over which Moses risked his life and were called by his name.¹³Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Shirata, 1 on Exod. 15:1; Exod. R. 30:4; Numb. R. 12:9. He offered his life over the Torah, [as stated (in Exod. 34:28),] “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights.” And it was called by his name, as stated (in Mal. 3:22), “Remember [the] Torah of My servant Moses.” He offered his life over Israel, as stated (in Exod. 32:32), “But now, if You will forgive their sin, [well and good; but if not, please blot me out].” And they were called by his name, as stated (in Exod. 32:7, in which the Holy One, blessed be He, tells Moses), “Go down, for your people have acted basely.” He also offered his life over the judges, as stated (in Exod. 2:12-14), “he smote the Egyptian [and hid him in the sand]. When he went out on the second day, [there were two Hebrew men fighting; so he said to the wicked one, ‘Why would you strike your comrade?’] But he said, ‘Who appointed you a prince and a judge?’” For that reason they were called in his name, as stated (in Deut. 33:21), “He chose for himself the best… he executed the Lord’s judgments, and His decisions for Israel.”

Similarly, because Moses yearned for the Torah, it is called by his name. Whence do we know that he yearned for the Torah? It is said: And Moses was in the mount forty days and forty nights (Exod. 24:18). Where do we find that it is called by his name? It is written: Remember ye the law of Moses My servant (Mal. 3:22). Because he offered to sacrifice his life for Israel, Yet now if thou wilt forgive their sin (Exod. 32:33), they were called by his name: And his people remembered the days of old, the days of Moses (Isa. 63:11). And it is also written: Go, get thee down; for thy people have dealt corruptly (Exod. 32:7). Since He risked his life for the sake of justice, as it is written: Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow? (Exod. 2:13), he fled because of justice and returned because of justice. He executed righteousness, Lord, and his ordinances with Israel (Deut. 33:21). Does not justice, however, belong to God? Indeed! But since he devoted his life to justice, it is called by his name.

...He started feeling bad that he broke the tablets, G-d told him: Do not feel bad about the first tablets, for they only contained the ten commandments, however in the second tablets I will give you, that they will have Halcaha Midrash and Agadah, this is what is said: (Job 11): I will tell you hidden wisdom for it shall be double comforting

(Ibid.) "All of his holy ones are in Your hand": These are the leaders of Israel, who stand over Israel and (are ready to) give up their lives for them. Of Moses it is written (Shemoth 32:32) "And now if You will bear their sin, (good), but if not, erase me, I pray You, from Your book that You have written." Of David it is written (II Samuel 24:17) "I have sinned and I have transgressed, but these sheep, what have they done?"

Pray let me cross over. The word nah indicates that this is a request. the good land that is on the other side of the Jordan. This is what R’ Yehudah meant when he said that the land of Canaan is good, but not the portion of the children of Reuven and Gad (which was on the east side of the Jordan river). this good mountain. This refers to Jerusalem. And the Lebanon. This refers to the Holy Temple, as it says “Open your doors, O Lebanon…” (Zechariah 11:1) There are those who say that the Lebanon refers to the appointing of a king. Pray let me cross over (e’evrah nah) and see. Everything which Moshe requested he did with a language of supplication (nah) - “Please forgive…” (Bamidbar 14:19), “…I beseech you, God, please heal her.” (Bamidbar 12:13) “Pray let me cross over…” (Devarim 3:25) the mountain. This refers to the Holy Temple, as it says “…for the mountain that God desired…” (Tehillim 68:17) Good. This refers to Jerusalem, as it says “…let us be sated with the goodness of Your house…” (Tehillim 65:5) The Lebanon. This refers to the Holy of Holies, as it says “Open your doors, O Lebanon…” (Zechariah 11:1) R’ Simlai expounded: why did Moshe our teacher desire to enter into the land of Israel, did he need to eat its fruits or be sated from its goodness? Rather, this is what Moshe said ‘I gave many commandments to Israel which cannot be fulfilled except in the land. I will go in in order that they all be fulfilled at my hands.’ The Holy One said to him ‘if all you are asking for is to receive the reward for these actions, I will consider it as if you had done all of these commandments, as it says “Therefore, I will allot him a portion in public…” (Yeshayahu 53:12) I will give him his full reward.’ Maybe you will say this is like the latter ones and not the earlier ones? The verse continues “…and with the strong he shall share plunder…” (ibid.) Like Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov who were strong in Torah and fulfilling commandments. “…because he poured out his soul to death…” (ibid.) He gave himself over to death, as it says “…if not, erase me now from Your book, which You have written.” (Shemot 32:32) “…and with transgressors he was counted…” (Yeshayahu 53:12) He was counted with the generation that died in the wilderness. “…and he bore the sin of many…” (ibid.) He gained atonement for the sin of the Golden Calf. “…and interceded for the transgressors.” (ibid.) He pleaded for mercy on the behalf of the sinners in Israel that they should repent. Intercession (pegiya) refers to prayer, as its says “And you, pray not on behalf of this people, neither lift up cry nor prayer, and entreat Me not for I will not hear you.” (Yirmiyahu 7:16)