Midrash su Isaia 35:6

(Deut. 1:1:) THESE ARE THE WORDS THAT MOSES SPOKE. This text is related (to Is. 35:6): THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A HART, AND THE TONGUE OF THE DUMB SHALL SHOUT FOR JOY. Come and see.¹Tanh., Deut. 1:2. When the Holy One said to MOSES (in Exod. 3:10): I WILL SEND YOU UNTO PHARAOH, Moses said to him: You are doing me an injustice.²Gk.: bia. (Exod. 4:10): I AM NOT A MAN OF WORDS. He said to him: Seventy languages are spoken in Pharaoh's palace.³Palterin. Gk.: praitorion; Lat. praetorium. Thus if an embassy⁴Gk.: presbeuterion. comes from another place, they may speak with them in their own language. When I go on your mission, they will examine me, asking whether I am a representative of the Omnipresent. Then it will be revealed to them that I do not know how to converse with them. Will they not laugh at me, saying: Look at the agent of the one who created the world and all its languages! Does he not know how to listen and reply? See here, something is wrong!⁵Gk.: bia. (Exod. 4:10:) I AM NOT A MAN OF WORDS. (Exod. 6:12:) {SEE} [FOR] I HAVE UNCIRCUMCISED LIPS (i.e., a speech impediment). The Holy One said to him: But look at the first Adam. Since no creature taught him, where did he <come to> know seventy languages? It is so stated: AND HE RECITED NAMES FOR THEM.⁶The citation is not found in Scripture. Cf. Gen. 2:20: AND ADAM RECITED NAMES FOR ALL CATTLE…., a reading which what follows assumes. The midrash is also assuming that the beasts already had names, which Adam merely recited. "A name for every beast" is not written here but: NAMES (in the plural). [Who gave Adam a mouth that would recite names, <i.e.,> a name for each and every <beast> in seventy languages?] The mouth that said (in Exod. 4:10): I AM NOT A MAN OF WORDS, <then> said (in Deut. 1:1): THESE ARE THE WORDS. The prophet also cries out and says (in Is. 35:6): THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A HART, AND THE TONGUE OF THE DUMB SHALL SHOUT FOR JOY. Why? (Ibid., cont.:) BECAUSE WATERS SHALL BREAK FORTH IN THE WILDERNESS AND STREAMS IN THE DESERT. It is therefore stated (in Deut. 1:1): THESE ARE THE WORDS.

(Lev. 14:2:) “This shall be the law of the leper.” This text is related (to Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Everything depends on the tongue. [If] one is acquitted, he is acquitted for life; [if] one is not acquitted, he is condemned to death. [If] one is engaged in Torah with his tongue, he is acquitted for life, inasmuch as the Torah is a tree of life, as stated (in Prov. 3:18), “[Wisdom] is a tree of life to those who take hold of it.” It (i.e., the Torah) is also one's healing for the evil tongue (i.e., slander), as stated (in Prov. 15:4), “A healing tongue is a tree of life.” But if one is occupied with slander, his soul is condemned to death, since slander is more harmful than the shedding of blood. Thus whoever kills takes only one life, but the one who speaks slander kills three people: the one who tells it, the one who accepts it, and the one about whom it is told.⁹PRK 4:2; Lev. R. 26:2; Numb. R. 19:2; Deut. R. 5:10; M. Pss. 12:2; yPe’ah 1:1 (16a). Doeg spoke slander against Ahimelech; and he (i.e., Ahimelech) was killed, as stated (in I Sam. 22:16), “But the king said, ‘You shall surely die, Ahimelech.’” Saul also was killed, [as stated] (in I Chron. 10:13), “So Saul died for the treachery which he had committed against the Lord.” And thus did Saul say (in II Sam. 1:9, to a young man), “Please stand over me and slay me, for death throes have seized me.” [The young man was] the accuser¹⁰Gk.: kategoros. of Nob, the city of priests [against Saul]. Now death throes (shbts) can only denote priesthood, since it is stated (in Exod. 28:13 with reference to high-priestly dress), “And you shall make gold brocade (rt.: shbts).” Doeg also was uprooted (shrsh) from the life of this world and from all life in the world to come. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 52:7), “God will also tear you down for ever; He will seize you, tear you away from your tent, and uproot (shrsh) you from the land of the living. Selah,” [i.e., He will uproot you] from life in the world to come. Who is more severe? One who smites with the sword or [one who] smites with the dart? Say the one who smites with the dart. The one who smites with the sword is only able to kill his companion if he draws near to him and touches him; but in the case of one who smites with the dart, it is not so. Rather one throws the dart wherever he sees him. Therefore, one who speaks slander is comparable to the dart, as stated (in Jer. 9:7), “Their tongue is a sharpened dart; it speaks deceit.” It also says (in Ps. 57:5), “people, whose teeth are spears and darts, and whose tongue a sharp sword.” See how harmful slander is, in that it is more harmful than adultery, shedding blood and idolatry.¹¹M. Pss. 52:2. Of adultery it is written (in Gen. 39:9, where Joseph is addressing Potiphar's wife), “then how shall I do this great evil and sin against God?” Of shedding blood it is written (in Gen. 4:13), “My sin is greater than I can bear.” Of idolatry it is written (in Exod. 32:31, with reference to the golden calf), “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin.” But when it (i.e., Scripture) mentions slander, it does not say "great" (in the masculine singular, as in Gen. 4:13), or "great" (in the feminine singular, as in Gen. 39:9 and Exod. 32:31), but "great" (in the feminine plural). Thus it is written (in Ps. 12:4), “The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, [every] tongue speaking great things (in the feminine plural).” It is therefore stated (in Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” [Another interpretation (of Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”: Do not say, “Since I have license to speak, I am therefore speaking whatever I want.” See, the Torah has already warned you (in Ps. 34:14), “Keep your tongue from evil [and your lips from speaking deceit].” Perhaps you will say that you are suffering a loss. Are you not profiting instead? So the holy spirit proclaims (in Prov. 21:23), “The one who guards his mouth and his tongue guards his soul from trouble (tsarot).” Do not read this as “from trouble.” Instead [read it as], "from leprosy (tsar'at).” Another interpretation (of Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”: Slander is so harmful that one does not produce it from his mouth without denying the Holy One, blessed be He.¹²M. Ps. 52:2. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 12:5), “Those who say, ‘By our tongues we shall prevail; our lips are with us, who is to be our Lord?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, cried out against those who speak slander (in Ps. 94:16), “Who will stand for Me against evildoers…?” Who can stand against them? And who will stand against them? Geihinnom? But Geihinnom also cries out, “I am unable to stand against them.” [Then] the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I [will come at them] from above and you (Geihinnom), from below. I will hurl darts from above; and you will turn on them with burning coals from below.” Thus it is stated (in Ps. 120:4), “Sharp darts of the warrior along with burning coals of broom wood.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Do you want to be delivered from Geihinnom? Keep yourselves far away from the deceitful tongue. Then you will be acquitted in this world and in the world to come.” Thus it is stated (in Ps. 34:13), “Who is the one who desires life….” And it is [then] written (in vs. 14), “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit […].” Thus it is stated (in Lev. 14:2), “This shall be the law of the leper,” to teach you that one who speaks slander will have blemishes come to him, as it is stated, “This shall be the law of the leper (metsora'),” [i.e.] the one who proclaims evil (motsi' ra')¹³Above, 5:1; ySot. 2:1 (17d); ‘Arakh. 15b; Cf. Lev. R. 16:1. will find evil, in that he will have leprosy come upon him. See what is written about Miriam (in Numb. 12:1), “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses.” Therefore (in vs. 10), “then Aaron turned unto Miriam, and there was [Miriam] with leprosy like the snow.” What is written elsewhere (in Deut. 24:9)? “Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam […].” And is it not all the more so? For if Miriam had this happen, when she only spoke against her beloved brother when he was absent¹⁴I.e., she spoke privately to Aaron with no desire to be hostile to Moses. Cf. Sifre, Numb. 12:1 (99:2). and was only intending to return him to his wife, how much the more so in the case of one who utters slander against his colleague? What is written above on the matter (in Deut. 24:8)? “Take care with the plague of leprosy [to watch diligently and do according to all that the priests and Levites shall teach…].” So the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, also afflicted with it Aaron, who was high priest. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 12:9), “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, [i.e.] against Aaron and against Miriam.” Aaron, however, was healed immediately; but Miriam, after seven days, as stated (in Numb. 12:15), “So Miriam was shut up [outside of the camp] for seven days.” Ergo (in Lev. 14:2), “This shall be the law of the leper (metsora').” The one who proclaims evil (motsi' ra') is the one who finds evil (motse' ra'). And thus you find with the primeval serpent, because he spoke slander [to Eve] against his Creator, for that reason he became leprous.¹⁵Cf. Gen. R. 19:4. What did he say? R. Joshua ben Levi said (citing Gen. 3:5), “’For God knows that on the day that you eat from it, your eyes shall be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ He said to her, ‘Every artisan hates his fellow [artisan].¹⁶The saying is proverbial. See Gen. R. 32:2; M. Pss. 11:6. Now when [the Holy One, blessed be He,] wanted to create His world, He ate from this tree. So he created His world. You [two] also eat from it. Then you will be able to create like Him.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to [the serpent], ‘You have spoken slander. Your end is to be stricken with leprosy.’” It is so stated (in Gen. 3:14), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, “Because you have done this, more cursed shall you be than all the beasts of the field.” With what did he curse ('araroh) him? With leprosy. Now a curse can only be leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:52), “for it is a malignant (mam'eret) leprosy.”¹⁷The argument assumes that ‘arirah and mam’eret share the same root. So also Exod. R. 3:13. R. Huna said in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi, “The scales which are on the snake are his leprosy.”¹⁸Gen. R. 20:4. And not only that, but when all the deformed are cured in the world to come, the snake shall not be cured.¹⁹Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 11:9; Tanh., Gen. 11:8; Gen. R. 95:1. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 3:14), “more cursed shall you be than all the beasts.” From here [we learn] that they all shall be healed, but [the serpent] shall not be healed. People shall be healed, as stated (in Is. 35:5), “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened….” It is also [written about] the wild beasts and the cattle (in Is. 65:25), “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion like the ox shall eat straw, but the serpent's food shall be dust”; as he will never be healed, because he [was the one who] brought all mortals down to the dust. And what caused him to have [this punishment]? [It happened] because he had spoken slander.

(Deut. 1:1:) “These are the words that Moses spoke….” Israel said, “Yesterday you said (in Exod. 4:10), ‘I am not a man of words.’ And now you are speaking so much?” Rabbi Isaac said, “If you are impeded in your speech, recite the Torah and you will be healed, [as] Moshe already studied all of the Torah.” (Deut. 1:1, cont.:) “Through the wilderness, in the Arabah near Suph.” This text is related (to Is. 35:6), “Then the lame shall leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall shout for joy.” Come and see. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Exod. 3:10), “I will send you unto Pharaoh,” Moses said to Him, “You are doing me an injustice.²Gk.: bia. (Exod. 4:10), ‘I am not a man of words.’” He said to Him, “Seventy languages are spoken in Pharaoh's palace.³Palterin. Gk.: praitorion; Lat. praetorium. Thus if a man comes from another place, they speak with him in his own language. When I go on Your mission, they will examine me, asking whether I am a representative of the Omnipresent. Then it will be revealed to them that I do not know how to converse with them. Will they not laugh at me, saying, ‘Look at the agent of the One who created the world and all its languages! Does he not know how to listen and reply?’ See here, something is wrong!⁴Gk.: bia. (Exod. 4:10:) ‘I am not a man of words,’ (Exod. 6:12) ‘For I have uncircumcised lips (i.e., a speech impediment).’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But look at the first Adam. Since no creature taught him, where did he [come to] know seventy languages? It is so stated (in Gen. 2:20), ‘And he gave names to (them).’ ‘A name for every beast’ is not written here but rather ‘names’ (in the plural, i.e., a name for each and every beast in seventy languages). And you say, (Exod. 4:10) ‘I am not a man of words.’” At the end of forty years [from] when Israel left Egypt, [Moses] began to elucidate the Torah in seventy languages, as stated (in Deut. 1:5), “he elucidated this Torah.” The mouth that said (in Exod. 4:10), “I am not a man of words,” [then] said (in Deut. 1:1), “These are the words.” The prophet [thus] cries out and says (in Is. 35:6), “Then the lame shall leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall shout for joy.” Why? (Ibid., cont.:) “Because waters shall break forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert.” It is therefore stated (in Deut. 1:1), “These are the words.”

Then sang Moses. At times the word then refers to events that happened in the past, and at other times it refers to events that are to transpire in the future. The word then refers to past events in the following verses: Then began man to call upon the name of the Lord (Gen. 4:26), Then she said: “A bridegroom of blood” (Exod. 4:26), Then sang Israel this song (Num. 21:17), Then Solomon spoke (I Kings 18:12). All of these refer to past events. Instances in which the word then alludes to future events are: Then thou shalt see (Isa. 60:5), Then shall thy light break forth (ibid. 58:8), Then shall the lame man leap as a hart (ibid. 35:6), Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened (ibid., v. 5), Then shall the virgin rejoice (Jer. 31:13), Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing (Ps. 126:2), and Then said they among the nations (ibid.). All these allude to future events. From this we learn that the concept of the resurrection of the dead is derived from the Torah.

Resh Lakish raised the following contradiction: It is written (Jere. 31, 7) Among them the blind, and the lame, the pregnant women and she that travaileth with the child together, and it is written (Is. 35, 6) Then shall the lame leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing [cured]. How can both be reconciled? It must therefore be said: They will be restored to life with their blemishes, and thereafter they will be cured. Ula raised another objection: It is written (Ib. 25, 8) He will destroy death to eternity; and the Lord Eternal will wipe away the tear from all the earth; for the Lord hath spoken it; and it is written (Ib. 65, 20) There shall no more come thence an infant … for as a lad shall one die a hundred years old? This presents no difficulty. The former speaks of Israel's self, and the latter of those concerning whom it reads (Ib. 61, 5) And strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, and the son of the alien shall be your ploughmen and your vintners. R. Chisda also raised an objection: It is written (Ib. 24, 23) And the moon shall be put to the blush and the sun be made ashamed; for the Lord of Hosts will reign on Mount Zion; and it is written (Ib. 30, 26) And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of the seven days. This presents no difficulty. The latter speaks of the time when the Messiah will appear, and the former, of the future world. And to Samuel, who maintained that there will be no difference between this time and the Messianic time, except that Israel will no longer be under the domination of foreigners, the explanation of these contradictory passages may be thus — the latter refers to the camp of the righteous and the former to the camp of the Divine Glory. Raba raised another objection: It is written (Deut. 32, 39) I make one die and I make one alive, and further it is written, I wound and I heal, i.e., The Holy One, praised be He! said: "All that I make to die I shall bring to life again, and thereafter I shall cure whom I wounded."