Midrash su I Cronache 25:78

“He severed in his enflamed wrath all the horn of Israel; He retracted His right hand from before the enemy. He burned in Jacob like flaming fire, consuming all around” (Lamentations 2:3).
“He severed in his enflamed wrath all the horn of Israel.” There are ten horns: the horn of Abraham, the horn of Isaac, the horn of Joseph, the horn of Moses, the horn of Torah, the horn of priesthood, the horn of Levites, the horn of prophecy, the horn of the Temple, the horn of Israel, and some say, the horn of the Messiah.
The horn [keren] of Abraham, as it is stated: “My beloved had a vineyard in a fruitful corner [keren]” (Isaiah 5:1).⁷⁷The Sages identify the term “beloved” in the verse as referring to Abraham. See, similarly, Eikha Rabba Prologue 24; Eikha Rabba 1:1. The horn of Isaac, as it is stated: “Caught in the thicket by its horns” (Genesis 22:13). The horn of Joseph, as it is stated: “His horns are the horns of aurochs” (Deuteronomy 33:17). The horn of Moses, as it is written: “The skin of his face was radiant [karan]” (Exodus 34:29). The horn of Torah, as it is written: “Rays [karnayim] from His hand to him” (Habakkuk 3:4). The horn of priesthood, as it is written: “His horn is raised high in honor” (Psalms 112:9).⁷⁸This verse refers to honor [kavod], a term used particularly in regard to priests; see, e.g., Exodus 28:2, 40 (Maharzu). The horn of the Levites, as it is stated: “All of these were sons of Heiman, the king's seer in matters of God, to raise the horn” (I Chronicles 25:5).⁷⁹The reference is to a family of Levites. The horn of prophecy, as it is written: “My horn is exalted in the Lord” (I Samuel 2:1). The horn of the Temple, as it is written: “From the horns of the aurochs; answer me (Psalms 22:22).⁸⁰The midrash elsewhere (Midrash Tehillim 102) relates that David prayed to God that He save him from an auroch, and promised to build the Temple in return (Maharzu). The horn of Israel, as it is stated: “He raised a horn for His people” (Psalms 148:14). And some say the horn of the Messiah, as it is stated: “Exalt the horn of His anointed one” (I Samuel 2:10).⁸¹The word Messiah [mashiaḥ] literally means “anointed one.”
All of them were placed on the heads of the Israelites, and when they sinned they were taken from them. That is what is written: “He severed in His enflamed wrath all the horn of Israel.” They were given to the nations of the world. That is what is written: “Concerning the ten horns that were on its head, and the other that arose, and before which three fell” (Daniel 7:20), and it is written thereafter: “And the ten horns: From this kingdom, ten kings will arise, and another will arise after them, and he will be different from the earlier ones, and he will subdue three kings” (Daniel 7:24). When Israel repents, the Holy One blessed be He will restore them to their place. That is what is written: “All the horns of the wicked I will sever, while the horns of the righteous shall be raised” (Psalms 75:11). The horns that the Righteous One of the world severed, when will He restore them to their place? When the Holy One blessed be He exalts the horn of His anointed one, as it is written: “He will give strength to His king and exalt the glory of His anointed one” (I Samuel 2:10).
“He retracted His right hand from before the enemy.” Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: When iniquities were the cause and the enemies entered Jerusalem, they took the mighty of Israel and bound their hands behind them. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I wrote in the Torah: “I will be with him in distress” (Psalms 91:15), and now My children are wallowing in distress and I am in comfort?’ As it were, “He retracted His right hand.”⁸²The Hebrew phrase in the verse, usually translated “He retracted His right hand,” can also be translated “He put His right hand behind Him.” God does not respond to the atrocities and indignities committed by the enemy to His people, as though His hands are tied behind His back.
Ultimately He revealed it to Daniel. That is what is written: “But you, go to the end” (Daniel 12:13). [Daniel] said to Him: ‘To give an accounting?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “And rest” (Daniel 12:13). He said to Him: ‘Will I rest forever?’ He said to him: “You will stand” (Daniel 12:13). He said to Him: ‘With whom, with the righteous or with the wicked?’ He said: “To your fate” (Daniel 12:13), with the righteous. He said to Him: ‘“At the end of days [hayamim]” (Daniel 12:13),⁸³This is when all the dead, righteous and wicked, will arise for judgment. or at the end of the right hand [hayamin]?’⁸⁴This is when God will reveal His right hand and bring salvation to the righteous. He said to him: ‘To the end of the right hand; that right hand that is subjugated. I put an end to My right hand.⁸⁵I put an end to the restrictions on My right hand. When I redeem My children, I will have redeemed My right hand.’ That is what David said: “So that Your beloved ones be saved, deliver Your right hand and answer me” (Psalms 60:7).

“Your neck is like the tower of David, built magnificently. One thousand bucklers are hung upon it, all the shields of the mighty” (Song of Songs 4:4).
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – regarding which David elevated [gidel] you in his book. Regarding what did David elevate you in his book? “Who split the Red Sea asunder, [His mercy endures forever. He led Israel through its midst]” (Psalms 136:13).¹⁴The fact that Israel was the recipient of this great miracle is a credit to them. “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – what is letalpiyot? It is the book that was stated by many mouths [piyot]. Ten people said the book of Psalms: Adam the first man, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon. Regarding these five there is no dispute. Who are the other five? Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan: Rav said: Asaf, Heiman, Yedutun, the three sons of Koraḥ,¹⁵The three sons of Koraḥ are counted as one. and Ezra; Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Asaf, Heiman, and Yedutun are one,¹⁶Asaf is one of the sons of Koraḥ, and Yedutun is not the name of an author, as explained below. each of the three sons of Koraḥ, and Ezra. In the opinion of Rav, Asaf is not included among the sons of Koraḥ. In the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, Asaf here is Asaf there;¹⁷The Asaf mentioned as an author of certain psalms (see, e.g., Psalms 50:1) is the same Asaf who was a son of Koraḥ (see Exodus 6:24, which mentions a son of Koraḥ named Aviasaf). however, because he was a Torah personality he was privileged to recite song with his brothers¹⁸The other sons of Koraḥ and to recite song on his own. In the opinion of Rav, it is a different Asaf, as it is stated: “With Asaf, who prophesied by means of the king” (I Chronicles 25:2).¹⁹The Asaf mentioned in this verse was a contemporary of King David and not a son of Koraḥ.
“Who prophesied” – Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan: Rav said: “To Yedutun” (Psalms 39:1) – who prophesied;²⁰This psalm was written by the individual named Yedutun who is mentioned as having prophesied (See I Chronicles 25:1). “regarding Yedutun” (Psalms 77:1) – regarding the punishments [dinin] that befell him and Israel. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “To Yedutun” [means] that [the psalmist] prophesied regarding the decrees [datin] and the punishment that befell him and Israel.²¹Even the Yedutun mentioned in Psalms 39 is not the name of a person. Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Even though ten people said the book of Psalms, of all of them, it is not attributed to them, but exclusively to David king of Israel. They stated a parable: to what is this matter analogous? It is to a group of people who seek to recite a hymn to the king. The king said: You are all pleasant, you are all pious, you are all qualified to recite a hymn before me. However, so-and-so will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet. So too, when ten righteous people sought to recite the book of Psalms, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: You are all pleasant, pious, and qualified to recite a hymn before Me; however, David will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet. That is what is written: “The sweet singer of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Who sweetly sings the psalms of Israel? It is David son of Yishai.
“One thousand bucklers are hung upon it” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who stood at the sea and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of what came after one thousand generations.²²The Torah was given after one thousand generations (see Bereshit Rabba 28:4; Kohelet Rabba 7:28). The first nine hundred seventy-four generations that were supposed to exist were erased because they were not worthy, and there were twenty-six generations from Adam to Moses.
“All the shields of the mighty” – to include one who stands and controls his inclination and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time; his entire generation depends upon him. By means of whom was the Red Sea split for you? It was by means of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Moses and Aaron.
Rabbi Yoḥanan interpreted the verse regarding Israel before Mount Sinai: the flock that stood at Mount Sinai did not stand with lightheartedness. “Behind your braid [tzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – they would contract [metzamtzemin] themselves with each and every divine statement.²³They would huddle together in an expression of humility and unity. They would not stand with lightheartedness, but rather with fear, trembling, and agitation. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan cites it from here:²⁴This statement should appear after Rabbi Yehoshua’s statement that Israel was absolved of its sins at Sinai, which implies that the nations of the world, who did not receive the Torah, were still held accountable for their sins (Maharzu). It is written: “And the nations will be destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12) – from Ḥorev they will be destroyed, they received their death sentence.
“Your hair is like a flock of goats [that streams down [shegaleshu] from Mount Gilad]” (Song of Songs 4:1) – Rabbi Yehoshua said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The mountain from whose midst you took away [shegelashtem], I rendered it a memorial for the nations of the world. Which is this? This is Mount Sinai. What is it that you took away from its midst? “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2) – defined matters, two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments and three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments. “That have come up from bathing” (Song of Songs 4:2) – all of them were cleansed of iniquity. Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Mesharshiya say in the name of Rabbi Idi: In all the additional offerings it is written: “And one goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 28:15), “and [one] goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 28:22). However, regarding Shavuot it is not written that there is a sin offering, to teach you that they did not have sin or iniquity attributed to them.
“That are all paired” (Song of Songs 4:2) – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: On the day that the Lord descended onto Mount Sinai to give the Torah to Israel, six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with him, and in the hand of each and every one of them was a crown with which to crown an Israelite, [one] for each and every one of Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana [said] in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: One million two hundred thousand ministering angels descended with the Holy One blessed be He to Sinai; one would adorn [an Israelite] with a crown and one would gird a zoni on him. What is a zoni? Rabbi Huna the Great of Tzippori said: It is a belt [zonam], just as it says: “He loosens the bonds of kings and girds a belt on their waists” (Job 12:18). “And there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 4:2) – that not one of them was harmed.
“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3) – this is the voice before the divine speech; just as it says: “The entire people responded with one voice” (Exodus 24:3). “Your speech is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3) – this is the voice that is after the divine speech, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words…the Lord said to me: I heard the sound of the words…they did well in everything that they spoke” (Deuteronomy 5:25). What is “they did well [heitivu] in everything that they spoke”? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ada and bar Kappara: one said it was done well like the removal [hatava] of the ashes from the lamps of the candelabrum,²⁵This is performed after the flames are extinguished, a reference to what they said after the commandments. and one said it was done well like the preparation [hatava] of the incense.”²⁶This is performed before the incense is burned, a reference to what they said before the commandments. At that moment, Moses began lauding them: “Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty [hareikan] among you is packed with mitzvot like this pomegranate. It goes without saying: “Behind your braid [letzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – regarding which David elevated [gidel] you in his book. Regarding what did David elevate you in his book? “God, when You emerged before Your people” (Psalms 68:8). What is written thereafter? “The earth quaked…[this is Sinai; at the presence of God, the God of Israel]” (Psalms 68:9). Likewise, “The mountains flowed before the Lord; [this is Sinai before the Lord, God of Israel]” (Judges 5:5), as the verse did not need to say: “This is Sinai before the Lord, God of Israel.”²⁷It mentions Israel in order to accord them honor. “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – a book that was stated by many mouths [piyot].
“One thousand bucklers” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who stood before Mount Sinai and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of what came after one thousand generations.²⁸Moses You relied not only upon him, but rather, “all the shields of the mighty” – to include anyone who arises and controls and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time. Their entire generations depend upon them. By means of whom was the Torah given? It was by means of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Moses and Aaron.

(Numb. 16:5:) “In the morning [the Lord will make known those who belong to him].” What reason did he have for saying, “In the morning He will make known?”²³Numb. R. 18:7. Moses said, “Perhaps they said this thing because they had been excessively eating and drinking.” He therefore said, “In the morning.” Perhaps between now and then they will repent. He said to them, “I have no authority to enter [the tabernacle] now. Even though there is no eating and no drinking, it is simply because of us [that we are forbidden to enter] as we have taken food and drink.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 16:5), “In the morning.” Moses said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has distinguished boundaries for those in His world. Can you confuse morning with evening? And that is what is written in the beginning (in Gen. 1:5), ‘There was evening and there was morning.’ And (in vs. 4) ‘God separated the light and the darkness,’ for its use in the world. And just as he made a separation between the light and the darkness, so did he separate Israel from the nations, [as stated] (in Lev. 20:26), ‘I have separated you from the [other] peoples to be Mine.’ So also did he separate Aaron, as stated (in I Chron. 23:13), ‘Aaron was separated to consecrate the most holy things.’ If you can confuse those distinctions in which he made a separation between the day and the night, you may be able to nullify this.” For this reason he said to them (in Numb. 16:5), “In the morning the Lord will make known [those who belong to Him].” Such a one is already designated; (according to ibid., end) “the one whom He will choose He will have draw near unto Him.” (Numb. 16:6:) “Do this; take censers, [Korah and all his company].” What was his reason for saying this to them?²⁴Numb. R. 18:8. He said to them, “In the religions of the nations there are many laws,²⁵NYMWSYN. Gk.: nomoi. and they do not all assemble in one house. Now as for us, we only have one God, one Torah, one justice, one altar, and one high priest; but you two hundred and fifty men are [yet all] seeking high priesthood! I also am willing in this regard.” (Numb. 16:11:) “Therefore you and all your company” have come together against the Lord. (Numb. 16:6 -7:) “Do this, take censers. And place fire in them.” Here you have a ministry more precious than all the others. It is the incense, the most precious of the sacrifices. But a deadly poison had been put within it, through which Nadab and Abihu were burned. He therefore warned them (in vs. 7, cont.), “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one,” And do we not know that the one that the Lord chooses is the holy one? It is simply that Moses said to them, “See, I am telling you that you are not to incur guilt on your two hundred and fifty souls, because when you sacrifice, [only] the one to be chosen from among you shall come out alive, and all [the rest] of you shall perish.” (Numb. 16:7:) “You Levites have gone too far!” See, I have told you a great thing! Were they not fools, in that when he gave them this warning, they took it upon themselves to offer sacrifice? They had sinned against their own lives, as stated (in Numb. 17:3), “The censers of these who have sinned at the cost of their lives.” Now since Korah was a clever man, how did he see fit to commit this folly? It is simply that his eyes misled him. He foresaw a great lineage stemming from himself, [e.g.,] Samuel, who was the equivalent of Moses and Aaron, as stated (in Ps. 99:6), “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call His name.” Moreover, the twenty-four [Levitical] shifts would stem from his descendants, all of whom would prophesy by the holy spirit, as stated (in I Chron. 25:5), “All these were sons of Heman,²⁶A descendant of Korah. the king's seer in matters pertaining to God for his greater glory.” He said, “Is it possible that, when this greatness is going to stem from me, I should perish?” But he did not foresee correctly, since his children would repent, and those [great ones] would stem from them. But Moses did foresee well. He therefore participated on this assumption, when he heard from the mouth of Moses that they all would perish, but one would escape, as stated (Numb. 16:7) “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one.”

(Numb. 16:7) YOU LEVITES HAVE GONE TOO FAR! See, I have told you! Were they not fools, in that when he gave them this warning, they took it upon themselves <to offer sacrifice>?²⁷The bracketed words of explanation occur in the parallel accounts of Tanh., Numb. 5:12; Numb. 18:8. They had sinned against their own lives, as stated (in Numb. 17:3 [16:38]): THE CENSERS OF THESE WHO HAVE SINNED AT THE COST OF THEIR LIVES. Now since Korah was a clever man, how did he see fit to commit this folly? It is simply that his eyes misled him. He foresaw a great lineage stemming from himself, <e.g.,> Samuel, who was the equivalent of Moses and Aaron. Moreover, the twenty-four <Levitical> courses would stem from his sons, all of whom would prophesy by the Holy Spirit, [as stated] (in I Chron. 25:5): ALL THESE WERE SONS OF HEMAN,²⁸A descendant of Korah. THE KING'S SEER IN MATTERS PERTAINING TO GOD FOR HIS GREATER GLORY. He said: Is is possible that, when this greatness is going to stem from me, I should perish? But he did not foresee correctly, since his children would repent, and those < great ones> would stem from them. Thus did he foresee.²⁹The two parallels read: “But Moses did foresee this.” He therefore acted the fool in going against that statute, when he heard from the mouth of Moses that they all would perish but one would escape. (Numb. 16:7:) THEN IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT THE MAN WHOM THE LORD CHOOSES IS THE HOLY ONE.

8 (Numb. 16:6) “Do this; take censers, [Korah and all his company…]”: What was his reason for saying this to them? He said to them, “In the religions of the nations there are many laws,¹⁷NYMWSYN. Gk.: nomoi. and many priests, and they all assemble at one time. Now as for us, we only have one God, one Torah, one justice, one altar, and one high priest; but you two hundred and fifty men are [yet all] seeking high priesthood! I also am willing in this regard.” (Numb. 16:11,) “Therefore you and all your company.” (Numb. 16:6) “Do this, take censers, Korah and all his company”: Here you have a ministry more precious than all the others. It is the incense, the most precious of the sacrifices. But a deadly poison had been put within it, through which Nadab and Abihu were burned. He therefore warned them (in vs. 7, cont.), “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one,” Moses said to them, “See, I am telling you that you are not to incur guilt, [only] the one to be chosen from among you shall come out alive, and all [the rest] of you shall perish.” (Numb. 16:7,) “You Levites have gone too far”: See, I have told you a great thing! Were they not fools, in that when he gave them this warning, they took it upon themselves to offer sacrifice? They had sinned against their own lives, as stated (in Numb. 17:3), “The censers of these who have sinned at the cost of their lives.” Now since Korah was a clever man, how did he see fit to commit this folly? It is simply that his eyes misled him. He foresaw a great lineage stemming from himself, [e.g.,] Samuel, who was the equivalent of Moses and Aaron, as stated (in Ps. 99:6), “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who call His name.” Moreover, the twenty-four [Levitical] shifts would stem from his descendants, all of whom would prophesy by the holy spirit, as stated (in I Chron. 25:5), “All these were sons of Heman.”¹⁸A descendant of Korah. He said, “Is it possible that, when this greatness is going to stem from me, I should perish?” But he did not foresee correctly, since his children would repent, and those [great ones] would stem from them. But Moses did foresee well. [Korah] therefore participated on this assumption, when he heard from the mouth of Moses that they all would perish, but one would escape, as stated (Numb. 16:7) “then it shall come to pass that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one.”

Another matter, “wisdom will bolster the wise” – this is Israel, as it is stated: “It is a particularly wise and understanding people” (Deuteronomy 4:6); “more than ten rulers” – more than the ten matters that serve the soul: Esophagus for food, trachea for voice, liver for wrath, gall bladder for envy, the lung drains, stomach to grind, spleen to crush, kidneys advise, heart understands, tongue concludes.
Another matter, “wisdom will bolster the wise” – this is David; “more than ten rulers” – more than the ten elders who spoke in the book of Psalms, and they are: Adam the first man, Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon. Regarding these five there is no dispute; who are the other five? Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan, Rav said: Asaf, Heman, Yedutun, the three sons of Koraḥ, who are [considered] one, and Ezra. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Asaf here is Asaf there,¹²¹Aviasaf, one of the sons of Koraḥ. but, because he was a learned man, he was privileged to recite songs with his brother and he was privileged to recite songs on his own. According to Rav, it was a different Asaf, as it is stated: “Under the hand of Asaf, who prophesied according to the direction of the king” (I Chronicles 25:2).
Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan, Rav said: Literally “for Yedutun” (Psalms 39:1).¹²²When the verse states: “For the leader, for Yedutun, a psalm of David” (Psalms 39:1), it actually means that it was authored by Yedutun. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “For Yedutun” [means that the psalmist] prophesied regarding the edicts [datin] and the punishments that befell him and Israel. Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Even though ten people spoke in the book of Psalms, it is not attributed to them, but to David king of Israel. They stated a parable, to what is the matter analogous? To a group of people who seek to recite a hymn to the king. The king said to them: ‘You are all fine, you are all pious, you are all worthy of reciting a hymn before me; but so-and-so will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet.’ So too, when the ten righteous men sought to recite the book of Psalms, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘You are all fine, pious, and worthy to recite a hymn before Me, but David will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet.’ That is what is written: “The sweet singer of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1).