Midrash su Genesi 49:10

SANHEDRIN (Fol. 5) We are taught in a Baraitha concerning the passage (Gen. 49, 10) The sceptre shall not depart from Judah. This refers to the exilarchs of Babylon, who rule over Israel with their sceptres. And a lawgiver, etc., refers to the grandsons of Hillel, who teach the Torah in public.

There was an incident involving Doeg ben Yosef who died and left a young son to his mother. She would measure him in handbreadths and donate his weight in gold to the Temple¹⁸²Literally, to Heaven. each and every year. When the siege encircled Jerusalem, his mother slaughterd him with her own hands and ate him: Jeremiah was lamenting before the Omnipresent and saying: “Shall women eat their fruit, the infants of their nurturing?” (Lamentations 2:20). The Divine Spirit responded to him: “Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the Temple of the Lord?” (Lamentations 2:20). This is Zekharya ben Yehoyada.¹⁸³See Eikha Rabba, Prologue, 23.
Another matter, “for these I weep,” Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: For the departure of intelligence and for the departure of the Divine Presence. Is it possible that Zedekiah saw others plucking out his eyes and he did not have the intelligence to smash his head against the wall until his soul departed, but he rather caused his sons to be slaughtered before his eyes?¹⁸⁴Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s sons slaughtered before his eyes, and then had Zedekiah’s eyes blinded (II Kings 25:7). According to the Sages, they first inserted iron rods into his eyes but had not yet blinded him; they finished blinding him only after he saw his sons slaughtered (Tanḥuma, Vaetḥanan 1). The midrash here asks why Zedekiah did not kill himself to spare himself this torture. Rather, regarding that moment it is stated: “The heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail…” (Jeremiah 4:9). Rabbi Neḥemya said: For the departure of priesthood and kingship. That is what is written: “These are the two anointed men who attend the Lord of all the land” (Zechariah 4:14); these are Aaron and David. Aaron is demanding his priesthood and David is demanding his kingdom.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: For dereliction in the study of Torah.¹⁸⁵This opinions interprets the verse “for these I weep” to mean due to these sins, namely the dereliction in the study of Torah. That is what is written: “These are the statutes and the ordinances” (Deuteronomy 12:1).¹⁸⁶This verse is stated regarding the Torah. The word “these” in Lamentations is thus connected to the words of Torah, referred to as “these” in Deuteronomy. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: For idol worship. That is what is written: “These are your gods, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Zavdi ben Levi said: For the abrogation of the offerings. That is what is written: “These you shall perform to the Lord on your appointed days” (Numbers 29:39). The Rabbis said: For the abrogation of the [non-priestly] watches.¹⁸⁷The reference is to the groups of Israelites, corresponding to the twenty-four priestly watches, who would spend the week in prayer and Torah study so that the Temple service would be pleasing to God; see Taanit 26a. What benefit does the world have from the watches? On Monday they would fast on behalf of the seafarers. On Tuesday they would fast on behalf of the wayfarers. On Wednesday they would fast on behalf of the children, so that diphtheria would not afflict their mouths and cause them to die. On Thursday they would fast on behalf of the pregnant women, that they would not miscarry, and on behalf of the nursing women, that their children should not die. But is it not so that one may not fast on behalf of two matters simultaneously, as it is written: “We fasted and we requested from our God about this”? (Ezra 8:23). And a verse in Daniel says: “For them to request mercy from before the God of heaven regarding this secret” (Daniel 2:18), and not regarding two.¹⁸⁸Both verses mention requesting from God regarding “this,” in singular. Rather, it is like that which Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: For drought and exile one fasts for both of them simultaneously.¹⁸⁹They are related, because due to famine people wander from their homes in search of food. Similarly, miscarriage and the death of infants are closely enough related that one can pray regarding both simultaneously. However, one does not fast on the day before Shabbat or on the day following Shabbat, in deference to Shabbat.
“My eye, my eye sheds water.” Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a doctor who had pain in one eye. He said: ‘Let my eye weep for my eye.’ So too, Israel is called the eye of the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “For the eye of man and all the tribes of Israel is toward the Lord” (Zechariah 9:1). As it were, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Let My eye weep for My eye.’
“For a comforter, restorer of my soul, has grown distant from me.” What is the name of the messianic king? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The Lord is his name, as it is stated: “This is his name that they will call him: The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6). As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is good for a province when its name is like that of its king, and the name of its king is like that of its God. It is good for a province when its name is like that of its king, as it is written: “The name of the city from that day shall be: The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35). The name of its king like the name of its God, as it is stated: “This is his name that they will call him: The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: His name is Tzemaḥ, as it is stated: “Behold a man, Tzemaḥ is his name, and he will sprout [yitzmaḥ]” (Zechariah 6:12). Rabbi Yudan said: Menaḥem is his name, as it is stated: “For a comforter [menaḥem]…has grown distant from me.” Rabbi Ḥanina said: And they do not disagree; the numerical value of this equals the numerical value of that, Menaḥem equals Tzemaḥ.¹⁹⁰Menaḥem: mem – 40, nun – 50, ḥet – 8, mem – 40 = 138. Tzemaḥ: tzadi – 90, mem – 40, ḥet – 8 = 138. The following supports that [statement] of Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Aivu: There was an incident involving a certain person who was plowing. One of his oxen lowed. A certain Arab passed near him and said to him: ‘What are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am a Jew.’ He said to him: ‘Unharness your ox, untie your plow.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said to him: ‘The Temple of the Jews is destroyed.’¹⁹¹Therefore, you should mourn rather than work your field. He said to him: ‘How do you know?’ He said to him: ‘I know it from the lowing of your ox.’ While he was still conversing with him, it lowed again. He said to him: ‘Harness your ox, tie your plow, as the redeemer of the Jews was born.’ He said to him: ‘What is his name?’ He said to him: ‘His name is Menaḥem.’ ‘What is his father’s name?’ He said to him: ‘Hezekiah.’ He said to him: ‘Where do they live?’ He said to him: ‘In Birat Arva, that is in Bethlehem of Judah.’ That man sold his oxen, sold his plow, and became a seller of felt garments for children. He would enter a city and leave a city, enter a province and leave a province, until he arrived there.
All of the women of the village came to purchase from him, but the mother of a certain child did not purchase from him. He said to her: ‘Why are you not purchasing children’s garments of felt?’ She said to him: ‘Because my child has a harsh fate.’ He said to her: ‘Why?’ She said to him: ‘Because upon his arrival, the Temple was destroyed.’¹⁹²The Temple was destroyed on the day he was born. He said to her: ‘We rely on the Master of the universe that upon his arrival it was destroyed and upon his arrival it will be rebuilt.’ He said to her: ‘Take one of these felt garments for your child, I will come some time later to your house and collect your payment.’ She took it and she went. Some time later that man said: ‘I will go and see how that child is doing.’ He came to her, he said to her: ‘How is the child doing?’ She said to him: ‘Did I not say to you that he has a harsh fate? Even upon his arrival there was a foreboding omen. Since that time, winds and storms carried him away.’ He said to her: ‘Did I not tell you that upon his arrival it was destroyed and upon his arrival it will be rebuilt?’¹⁹³He was carried away by the wind because he is destined to serve a purpose in a supernatural manner, and bring about the building of the Temple.
Rabbi Avun said: Why must I learn this from Arabs, is it not an explicit verse? As it is written: “The Lebanon will fall by a mighty one” (Isaiah 10:34), and it is written immediately thereafter: “A branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai and a shoot will sprout from his roots” (Isaiah 11:1).
The school of Rabbi Sheila said: Shilo is the name of Messiah, as it is stated: “Until Shilo will come” (Genesis 49:10); Sheila is written.¹⁹⁴The word Shilo in the verse is spelled with a heh at the end rather than a vav, such that it can also be read Sheila. This was stated by Rabbi Sheila’s students, who felt that if their generation was worthy, their mentor would be the messiah (Etz Yosef). The school of Rabbi Ḥanina said: Ḥanina is his name, as it is stated: “As I will not grant you clemency [ḥanina]” (Jeremiah 16:13). The school of Rabbi Yanai said: Yinon is his name, as it is written: “May his name be praised [yinon] as long as the sun shines” (Psalms 72:17). Rabbi Beivai of Sanegurya said: His name is Nehira, as it is stated: “Light [nehora] rests with Him” (Daniel 2:22), nehira is written. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi Yitzḥak: If the messianic king is from the living, his name is David, and if he is from the dead, his name is David. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: I will say his source: “He increases deliverance to His king, shows kindness to His anointed, [to David and to his descendants, eternally]” (Psalms 18:51). “And to David” is not written here, but rather “to David and his descendants.”¹⁹⁵The verse says: To His anointed [meshiḥo], to David, identifying David as the messiah.
“My children have become desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.” Rabbi Aivu said: Like that shell of the gourd; the more [the shell] grows, the smaller [the fruit] is.¹⁹⁶The greater the percentage of the total fruit is shell, the smaller the edible fruit is (Arukh). The point is that the greater the success of the enemy, the greater the desolation of Israel. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Like this pig; the more that its offspring grow, the smaller it gets.¹⁹⁷Its energy is sapped by nursing its young (Matnot Kehuna).

The scepter shall not depart from Judah (Gen. 49:10). This alludes to the scepter of kingship, as it is said: The throne given of God is forever and ever; a scepter of equity is the scepter of Thy kingdom (Ps. 45:7).

Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet (Gen. 49:10). When the king will come to whom kingship belongs (i.e., the Messiah), and concerning whom it is written: The crown of pride of the drunkards of Ephraim shall be trodden underfoot (Isa. 28:3).

Until Shiloh come (Gen. 49:10), for the kingdom is his.²⁰Word-play reading the place-name Shiloh as the possessive yesh lo (lit. “there is to him”), i.e., “the kingdom is his [the Messiah’s].”

Another comment on And unto him shall be obedience of the peoples be (Gen. 49:10): He is the one for whom the peoples will assemble,²¹The word yikkhat (“obedience”) is taken as if it were related to Hebrew mitkahalim (“assemble”). as is said: The root of Jesse, that standeth for an ensign of the peoples, unto him shall the nations seek (Isa. 11:10).

R. Giddel said in the name of Rab: "In the future Israel will enjoy the abundance which the Messianic period will bring." R. Joseph said to him: "Is this not self-evident? Who else should then enjoy it, Hilek and Bilek?" By this he intended to disprove the theory of R. Hillel, who said [later] "Israel has no Messiah to expect, for they have already enjoyed him [through the glory] in the days of Hezekiah." Rab said: "The world is created only for such [great] men as David." And Samuel said: "For such men as Moses [for the purpose of giving a Torah]." And R. Jochanan said: "For such men as the Messiah." But what is his (Messiah's) real name? At the college of R. Shila, it was said: "Shila is his real name, as it is said (Gen. 49, 10) "Until Shilah will come." At the college of R. Janai, it was said: "Yinon is his real name, as it is said (Psalms 72, 17) "In the presence of the sun, Yinon is his name." And at the college of R. Chanina, it was said: "Chanina is his name, as it is said (Jer. 16, 13) So that I will not grant you Chanina (favor)." According to others, Menachem b. Hezekiah is his name, as it is said (Lam. 1, 16). Far from Me is Menachem, (comforter) that should refresh my soul." R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "In the future the Holy one, praised be He! will create for them (Israel) another David, as it is said (Jer 30, 9) And David, their king, whom I will raise up unto them. It does not read, I raised [in the past], but I will raise." R. Papa said to Abaye: "Is it not written (Ezek. 37, 25) David, My servant, shall be prince unto them forever? This is as it is now [the custom], a Caesar and a prince."

(Numb. 2:2:) “Each with his standard, under the banners for their fathers' house.” [This text is related] (to Job 36:3), “I will fetch my knowledge from afar, and justify my maker.” It was only necessary to say, "under the banners shall the Children of Israel camp.⁵⁵Numb. R. 2:8. Then what is the significance of saying (in Numb. 2:2), “under the banners [for their fathers' house].” Simply that when our father Jacob departed from this world, he said to them (in Gen. 47:30), “When I sleep with my ancestors, you are to take me up from Egypt and bury me in their grave.” He went around to all his sons, blessed them, and gave them a charge. He said to them, “When you take me, you are to take me with reverence and honor. Let no other person, neither one of the Egyptians nor one of your children, touch my bier, because there are some among them who have taken [wives] from the daughters of Canaan.⁵⁶Cf. Gen. R. 84:21; PRK 39, according to which there was no such intermarriage. And so it says (in Gen. 50:12-13), “So his children did for him just as he had commanded them. And his children brought him up to the land of Canaan.” His children, but not his grandchildren (who were forbidden to touch the bier)! How did he charge them? He said to them, “Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun shall carry my bier on the East; Reuben, Simeon, and Gad, on the South; Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin, on the West; Dan, Asher, and Naphtali, on the North. Joseph is not to carry [at all], because he is a king; and you must impart honor to him. Nor is Levi to carry. Why? Because he will carry the ark (aron), and whoever carries the ark of the One who lives forever is not to carry a coffin (aron) of the dead. If you do this and carry my bier, just as I have charged you, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to have you encamp by the various standards.” When he passed away, they carried him just as he had charged them. It is so stated (in Gen. 50:12), “So his children did for him just as he had commanded them.” What is written next (in vs. 13)? “And his children brought him up to the land of Canaan.” When Israel went forth from Egypt, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Now is the time for them to make standards, just as their father had proclaimed to them that they were going to make standards.” Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Make those standards for my name.” Immediately Moses began to be concerned. He said, “There is going to be dissension among the tribes. If I tell the tribe of Judah to encamp in the East, they will say, ‘It is impossible for us to encamp anywhere but in the South.’ And so each and every tribe [would act] like that one.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “What concern is that to you? They do not need you in this matter. They will recognize their dwellings by themselves. Why? Because their father's will was in their hand on how to encamp by the standards. I am not establishing something new. They already have their father's arrangements⁵⁷Gk.: taxeis. in their hands. Just as they have taken positions around his bier, so let them take positions around the tabernacle.” Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Numb. 2:2), “Each with his standard, under the banners [for their fathers' house].” How were they encamped? The Levites camped around the tabernacle of witness, with Moses, Aaron, and his children on the East.⁵⁸See Numb. R. 2:10. It is so stated (in Numb. 3:38), “Those who camped before the tabernacle, in front before the tent of meeting to the East, were Moses, Aaron, and his children.” And adjacent to them were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Hence they said, “Fortunate is the righteous person and fortunate are his neighbors.”⁵⁹Suk. 56b. See below, Numb. 5:8. This refers to the three tribes (rt.: shbt) which were adjacent to Moses and Aaron.⁶⁰Gen. R. 3:13; Numb. R. 3:12. They became great in the Torah, as stated (in Gen. 49:10), “The scepter (shbt) shall not depart from Judah, nor the inscriber from between his feet.” In the case of Issachar it is written, (in I Chron. 12:33), “And from the Children of Issachar, those who had an understanding of the times,⁶¹The midrash regards UNDERSTANDING as synonymous with Torah. to know what Israel should do; their heads numbered two hundred and all their kindred under their command ('al pihem),” because they harmonize law (halakhah) at their command ('al pihem). [Of Zebulun it is written] (in Jud. 5:14), “and from Zebulun those who wield the scribal pen.” Because they were neighbors [of Torah, embodied by Moses] they all became children of Torah (i.e., Torah scholars). Now on the South were the Children of Kohath (ben Levi), and adjacent to them were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. Hence they say, “Woe to the wicked person; and woe to his neighbor.”⁶²Suk. 56b; Numb. R. 18:5; ARN, A, 9:1; see Avot 1:7. These are the three tribes which were neighbors of Korah (the grandson of Kohath) and his community in the South. These were destroyed with him in his dissension (as stated in Numb. 16:32), “And the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, their households, every person that belonged to Korah, and their property.” On the West were the Children of Gershom (i.e., Gershon ben Levi), with Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin being adjacent to them. And on the North were the Children of Merari (ben Levi), with Dan, Naphtali, and Asher being adjacent to them. Seven clouds of glory were surrounding them, and this was their [method] of travel: There was a sign⁶³Gk.: semeion. for Moses in the cloud when it departed. When it departed, he would say (in Numb. 10:35), “Rise up, O Lord, and may Your enemies be scattered.” Then the cloud would depart. When the cloud departed, they all prepared to travel and put away their implements. Whoever had a domestic beast put them on it; and if [a person] had none, the cloud took the remainder. When they were settled, they blew the trumpets. Then Judah and its standard moved out, first its prince and his tribe after him.⁶⁴CF. Numb. R. 2:7. And as signs for each and every prince there was a flag.⁶⁵Lat. (from the Punic): mappa And from them the empire learned to make a flag. There was also a color for each and every flag, like the color of the precious stones which were on the heart of Aaron. Each and every tribe had its flag dyed like the color of its stone. Then over them were the clouds. Until they were settled, they blew the trumpets. They traveled, and likewise the clouds [traveled over them]. Moreover, something like a kind of beam came out of the cloud, so that they would know in which direction they would be traveling. So was the journey of each and every standard. [When] they finished going to where it wanted them to camp, [since] that cloud which appeared like a kind of beam had, as it were, been traveling independently, they knew that they would camp in that place. [When] clouds of glory stood still for them, they began putting [things] away in their tents where they were to rest. Then the cloud which was over the tabernacle, moved over the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. First it stood still. When it stood still, the Children of Kohath and the Children of Levi set up the tabernacle in the presence of all the camps before they came, as stated (in Numb. 10:21), “And they would set up the tabernacle before they came.” When they had set up the tabernacle, each and every one set up [camp] in his [proper] place. Then the clouds of glory stood over them. This was grandeur in the hands of Moses, for the cloud of the glorious Divine Presence did not come down to the tabernacle, until Moses had said (in Numb. 10:36), “Return, O Lord, to the myriad thousands of Israel.” Then the clouds of glory encompassed them. Moreover, the holy spirit says through Solomon (in Cant. 6:4), “You are as beautiful my darling, as (ke) tirzah.” What is the meaning of “ketirzah (ktrtsh, rt.: rtsh)?” That I am pleasing (mtrtsh, rt.: rtsh) to you.⁶⁶Numb. R. 2:5. Another interpretation (of Cant. 6:4), “Ketirzah" (rt.: rtsh) [means] just as you are pleasing (rt.: rtsh) to Me in the sacrifices. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 1:4), “And it shall be pleasing (rt.: rtsh) for Him to atone for him.” (Cant. 6:4, cont.,) “As comely as Jerusalem (yrushlym),” [means] like these ministering angels, in that they feared (rt.: yr') [Me] and were reconciled (rt.: shlm) to Me. (Ibid., cont.,) “Awesome as [hosts] with standards,” like the standards which I gave you. So when David sees [them], he says (in Ps. 147:20), “He has not done so for any nation,” only for it.

How were they encamped? The Levites camped around the Tabernacle of Witness, with Moses, Aaron, and his children on the east.⁷⁶Tanh., 1:12, cont.; see Numb. R. 2:10. It is so stated (in Numb. 3:38): THOSE WHO CAMPED BEFORE THE TABERNACLE, IN FRONT BEFORE THE TENT OF MEETING TO THE EAST, WERE MOSES, AARON, AND HIS CHILDREN. And adjacent to them were Judah, Issachar, and Zebulun. Hence they said: Blessed is the righteous person and blessed are his neighbors.⁷⁷Suk. 56b. See below, Numb. 5:8. This refers to the three tribes (rt.: ShBT) which were adjacent to Moses and Aaron.⁷⁸Gen. R. 3:13; Numb. R. 3:12. They became great in the Torah, as stated (in Gen. 49:10): THE SCEPTER (ShBT) SHALL NOT DEPART FROM JUDAH […. In the case of Issachar it is written] (in I Chron. 12:33 [32]): AND FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, THOSE WHO HAD AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES,⁷⁹The midrash regards UNDERSTANDING as synonymous with Torah. TO KNOW WHAT ISRAEL SHOULD DO; THEIR HEADS NUMBERED TWO HUNDRED. These were two hundred heads of <tribal> sanhedria⁸⁰Gk.: synedria. that would come out of Issachar. [(Ibid., cont.:) AND ALL THEIR KINDRED UNDER THEIR COMMAND ('al pihem), <i.e., because they harmonize law (halakhah) at their command ('al pihem). Of Zebulun it is written] (in Jud. 5:14): AND FROM ZEBULUN THOSE WHO WIELD THE SCRIBAL PEN. Because they were neighbors of Torah, they all became children of Torah (i.e., Torah scholars). Now on the south were the children of Kohath (ben Levi), and adjacent to them were Reuben, Simeon, and Gad. Hence they say: Woe to the wicked person; and woe to his neighbor.⁸¹Suk. 56b; Numb. R. 18:5; ARN, A, 9:1; see Avot 1:7. These are the three tribes which were neighbors of Korah (the grandson of Kohath) and his community in the South. These were destroyed with him in his dissension (as stated in Numb. 16:32): AND THE EARTH OPENED ITS MOUTH AND SWALLOWED THEM, THEIR HOUSEHOLDS, <EVERY PERSON THAT BELONGED TO KORAH, AND THEIR PROPERTY>…. On the west were the children of Gershom (i.e., Gershon ben Levi), with Ephraim, Manasseh, and Benjamin being adjacent to them; and on the North also were the children of Merari (ben Levi), with Dan, Naphtali, and Asher being adjacent to them. [Seven] clouds of glory were surrounding them, and this was their <method> of travel. There was a sign⁸²Gk.: semeion. for Moses in the cloud when it departed. When it departed, he would say (in Numb. 10:35): RISE UP, O LORD, AND MAY YOUR ENEMIES BE SCATTERED. Then the cloud would depart. When the cloud departed, they all prepared to travel and put away their implements. Whoever had a domestic beast <put them on it>⁸³The bracketed words are from the parallel in Tanh., Numb. 1:12.; and if <a person> had none, the cloud took the remainder. When they were settled, they blew the trumpets. Then Judah and its standard moved out, first its prince and his tribe after him.⁸⁴CF. Numb. R. 2:7. And as signs for each and every prince there was a flag.⁸⁵Lat. (from the Punic): mappa. [And from them the empire learned to make a flag.] <There was> also a color for each and every flag, like the color of the precious stones which were on the heart of Aaron. Each and every tribe had its flag dyed like the color of its stone. Then over them were the clouds. {Until they were settled, they blew the trumpets. They traveled, and likewise <the clouds> traveled over them.} Moreover, something like a kind of beam came out of the cloud, so that they would know in which direction they would be traveling. So was the journey of each and every standard. <When> they finished going to where it wanted them to camp, <since> that cloud which appeared like a kind of beam had, as it were, been traveling independently, they knew that they would camp in that place. <When> clouds of glory stood still for them, they began putting <things> away in their tents where they were to rest. Then the cloud which was over the Tabernacle, moved over the camp of the Levites in the middle of the camps. First it stood still. When it stood still, the children of Kohath and the children of Levi set up the Tabernacle in the presence of all the camps before they came, as stated (in Numb. 10:21): AND THEY WOULD SET UP THE TABERNACLE BEFORE THEY CAME. When they had set up the Tabernacle, each and every one set up <camp> in his <proper> place. Then the clouds of glory stood over them. This was grandeur in the hands of Moses, for the cloud of the glorious Divine Presence did not come down to the Tabernacle, until Moses had said (in Numb. 10:36): RETURN, O LORD, TO THE MYRIAD THOUSANDS OF ISRAEL. Then the clouds of glory encompassed them. Moreover, the Holy Spirit says through Solomon (in Cant. 6:4): YOU ARE AS BEAUTIFUL, MY DARLING, AS TIRZAH. What is the meaning of AS TIRZAH (KTRTsH, rt.: RTsH)? That I am pleasing (MTRTsH, rt.: RTsH) to you.⁸⁶Numb. R. 2:5.

... R’ Huna said: the Messiah is called by seven names, and they are – magnified, Our Righteousness, Shoot, Consoler, David, Shiloh, and Eliyahu. Magnified from where? As it says, “May his name be forever; before the sun, his name will be magnified…” (Tehillim 72:17) Our Righteousness from where? As it says, “…and this is his name that he shall be called, The Lord is our righteousness.” (Yirmiyahu 23:6) Shoot from where? As it says, “…Behold a man whose name is the Shoot…” (Zechariah 6:12) Consoler from where? As it says, “For the Lord shall console Zion…” (Yeshayahu 51:3) David from where? As it says, “…and He performs kindness to His anointed; to David and to his seed forever.” (Tehillim 18:51) Shiloh from where? As it says, “…until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples.” (Bereshit 49:10) Eliyahu from where? As it says, “Lo, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord…” (Malachi 3:23)

... “…and to him will be a gathering of peoples.” (Genesis 49:10) This refers to Jerusalem, which in the future will blunt the teeth of the nations of the world, as it says “And it shall come to pass on that day that I will make Jerusalem a stone of burden for all peoples…” (Zechariah 12:3)

We are hereby taught that the Temple is built in the portion of Benjamin and like the head of an ox extends from the portion of Benjamin to that of Judah, as it is written "and between his (Benjamin's) shoulders (in a slight depression on the highest part of Benjamin's land) does it (the Temple) rest." As to its being written (Bereshith 49:10) "The scepter shall not depart from Judah," that refers to the chamber of hewn stone (in the Temple), which is in the portion of Judah, viz. (Psalms 78:67-68) "And He rejected the tent of Joseph and did not choose the tent of Ephraim. He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loves." But the Temple was in the portion of Benjamin, viz. (Bereshith 35:19) "And Rachel died, and she was buried on the way to Efrath, which is Bethlehem."