Midrash su Numeri 14:46

(Numb. 14:11:)¹This supplement comes from Codex Vaticanus, Ebr. 34. It is found neither in Buber’s primary Oxford manuscript nor in the traditional version of the Tanhuma. THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: HOW LONG WILL THIS PEOPLE SCORN ME, AND HOW LONG WILL THEY HAVE NO FAITH IN ME …? This text is related (to Prov. 1:25, 30): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY PLAN AND WOULD NOT ACCEPT MY REBUKE [….] THEY HAVE DESPISED ALL MY REBUKE. What is the implication of BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY PLAN? Simply that all the good which I planned for you, you have spoiled and spurned.²Numb. R. 16:24. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED (rt.: PR') ALL MY PLAN? At the beginning I said to Moses (in Exod. 3:8): I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM OUT OF THE HAND OF THE EGYPTIANS AND TO BRING THEM UP <OUT OF THAT LAND UNTO A GOOD AND SPACIOUS LAND>…. But you did not act in the way <I intended>. Instead you came to the sea and immediately spoiled my plan, as stated (in Ps. 106:7): THEY REBELLED AT THE SEA, AT THE REED SEA. When you came to Mount Sinai, I descended and spoke with you. I brought down on your behalf thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads of angels, and I passed on two angels to each and every person in Israel. R. Johanan said: One to gird him with his weapons³Gk.: zone (“girdle”). and one to put a crown on his head.⁴Above, Exod. 2:9 and 8:7 (with the notes in those sections); also Lam. R. 2:13 (17); Cant. R. 4:4:1 PRK 16:3; PR 21:7; 33:10; M. Ps. 103:8. R. Huna of Sepphoris said: He bound their weapons to them, while R. Simoy said: He clothed them in purple, as stated (in Ezek. 16:10): I CLOTHED YOU WITH EMBROIDERED GARMENTS. R. Simeon b. Johay says: He clothed them with an instrument of weaponry with the Ineffable Name written upon it. Moreover, as long as it was in their hand, nothing evil had power against them, neither the angel of death nor anything else.⁵See above, Exod. 9:12; Exod. R. 32:1; 41:7; 51:8; Lev. R. 18:3; cf. ‘AZ 5a. But when they sinned, Moses had said to them (in Exod. 33:5): NOW THEN, REMOVE YOUR ORNAMENTS (i.e., your weapons) FROM YOURSELVES, THAT I MAY KNOW WHAT TO DO TO YOU. At that time (according to vs. 4): WHEN THE PEOPLE HEARD THIS BAD NEWS, THEY WENT INTO MOURNING, <AND NO ONE PUT HIS ORNAMENTS ON HIMSELF>. And what is written (in vs. 6)? SO [THE CHILDREN OF] ISRAEL STRIPPED THEMSELVES OF ORNAMENTS…. What had the Holy One done (at the giving of Torah)?⁶See Exod. R. 32:1. He had brought the angel of death and said to him: All the world is under your authority, except this people whom I have chosen for myself. R. Eleazar the Son of R. Jose the Galilean said: The angel of death said to the Holy One: Have I been created in the world for nothing?⁷Exod. R. 27. The Holy One said to him: I created you so that you would destroy <all> the peoples of the world except this people, over whom you have no authority to take a single one of them. Look at the plan which the Holy One had devised concerning them for them to live and endure! Thus it is stated (in Deut. 4:4): BUT YOU WHO CLUNG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY. So also it says (in Exod. 32:16): AND THE WRITING WAS THE WRITING OF GOD INSCRIBED (harut) ON THE TABLETS. What is the meaning of harut? R. Judah says: FREEDOM (herut) from the empires; but R. Nehemiah says: FREEDOM (herut) from the angel of death; and our masters say: FREEDOM from afflictions. Look at the plan which the Holy One had devised for them! Then they immediately spoiled this plan after <only> forty days. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 1:25): BUT YOU HAVE SPURNED ALL MY PLAN.

(Numb. 25:11) “Phinehas ben Elazar […].” What reason did the Holy One, blessed be He, have for tracing the lineage of Phinehas after this act (of slaying Zimri in Numb. 25:8)?¹Numb. R. 21:3. [The reason was] that, when Zimri was pierced along with Cozbi, the tribes rose up against [Phinehas] and said, “Did you see the son (actually, grandson) of Puti? This man, whose mother's father²Thus Puti was actually Phinehas’ maternal grandfather, whose full name was Putiel. So Exod. 6:25. fattened calves for idolatry, has killed a tribal prince of Israel!” Therefore Scripture has come to trace his lineage [through his paternal grandfather] (in Numb. 25:11), “Phinehas the son of Eliezer, [who is] the son of Aaron the priest.” (Numb. 25:12:) “Therefore I hereby grant My covenant of peace.” Great is the peace that He gave, as the world only functions according to peace. And the Torah is [likewise] completely peace, as stated (Prov. 3:17), “Her ways are pleasant ways, and all her paths are peace.” If someone comes from a journey, we inquire of his peace (wellbeing). So too in the morning, we inquire of his peace, and in the evening we inquire of his peace. And we read the recital of the Shema and we conclude [its blessings] with peace, “who spreads the cover of peace.” And in prayer, we conclude, “Who blesses His people Israel with peace.” (Numb. 25:12:) “Therefore I hereby grant [My covenant of peace],” as he still survives. And so it says (in Mal. 2:5), “My covenant was with him, [a covenant of] life and peace.” (Numb. 25:13:) “And it shall belong to him and to his seed after him […, because he was zealous for his God] and atoned for the Children of Israel.” Since atonement is spoken of in connection with him, did he offer a sacrifice? [The mention of atonement is] simply to teach you that when anyone sheds the blood of the wicked, it is as if he had offered a sacrifice.

Variantly: "to Moses and to Aaron": I might think that the one who takes precedence in the verse takes precedence in the act. It is, therefore, written (Exodus 6:26) "It is Aaron and Moses" — Both are equal. Similarly, (Genesis 1:1) "In the beginning G d created the heavens and the earth": I might think that what takes precedence in the verse took precedence in creation. It is, therefore, written (Genesis 2:4) "on the day that the L rd G d made earth and heaven" — They were both created together. Similarly, (Exodus 3:6) "I am the G d of your father, the G d of Abraham, the G d of Isaac, and the G d of Jacob." I might think that whoever comes first in the verse comes first in importance. It is, therefore, written (Leviticus 26:42) "Then I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham will I remember" — to teach that all three are of equal importance. Similarly, (Exodus 20:12) "Honor your father and your mother." (Leviticus 19:3) "A man, his mother and his father shall you fear." — Both are of equal importance.

Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel: Beit Shammai said the heavens were created first and after that the earth was created. And Beit Hillel said the earth was created first and afterwards the heavens. From one point of view the former had reason for their words, and from another point of view the latter had reason for their words. According to the view of Beit Shammai in that they said the heavens were created first and the earth later, was the parable of a king who made a throne for himself, and then he made his footstool, as the Holy One, blessed be He said "The heavens are my throne and the earth is the footstool of my feet" (Isaiah 46:1). According to the view of Beit Hillel in that they said the earth was created first and the heavens created afterwards, was the parable of a king who built a palace; after he built the lower portions then he built the upper portions, thus "In the day that the Hashem God made earth and heaven" (Genesis 2:4). Rabbi Judah bar Ilai said "this verse supports Beit Hillel "before you founded the earth" (Psalms 120:26) and [the verse supporting] afterwards "and the heavens are the work of your hands" (Psalms 120:26)". Rabbi Chanin said "from the text that was cited supporting Beit Shammai, from there Beit Hillel refute them: "and the earth was" (Genesis 1:2), the earth was already extant". Rabbi Yochanan in the name of the sages said "regarding the creation the heavens were first, and regarding completion the earth was first". Rabbi Tanchuma said "I will tell the reasons for this; regarding creation the heavens were first, as it is said "In the beginning God created" (Genesis 1:1), and regarding completion the earth was first, as it is said "In the day that the Hashem God made earth and heaven" (Genesis 2:4)". Rabbi Shimon son of Yochai said "I am amazed at how the fathers of the world, Beit Shammai and Beit Hillel, were divided on the creation of the heavens and the earth, I would say to both of them that they were not created, but were like a stew pot and like its lid, as it is said "I call unto them, they stood up together" (Isaiah 48: 13)"". Said Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Shimon "if it is according to the opinion of my father, why in one place does the earth precede the heavens and in the other place the heavens precede the earth? This teaches that they both have weight on either side (are equal). In every place Abraham precedes Isaac and Jacob, and in one place it says "and I will remember my covenant with Jacob" (Leviticus 26:42); this teaches that they both have weight on either side (are equal). In every place Moses precedes Aaron, and it one place it says "That is Aaron and Moses" (Exodus 6:26); this teaches that they both have weight on either side (are equal). In every place Joshua precedes Caleb, and in one place it says "except for Caleb the son of Jephuneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun" (Numbers 14:30); this teaches that they both have weight on either side (are equal). In every place the turtle-dove precedes the young pigeons and in one place, it says "and a young pigeon, or a turtle-dove for a sin offering" (Leviticus 12:6); this teaches that they both have weight on either side (are equal). And in every place the respect for a father precedes that of a mother, and in one place it says "You shall fear every man his mother, and his father" (Leviticus 19:3); this teaches that they both have weight on either side (are equal)." But the sages said: "the father precedes the mother because he and his mother are obliged to honor his father." In every place the creation of the heaven precedes the earth, and in one place it says "In the day that the Hashem God made earth and heaven" (Genesis 2:4); this tells us that they both have weight on either side (are equal).

R. Idi, the father of R. Jacob b. Idi, had the habit of being on the road for three months, and one day in college. The students of the college called him "The one-day student." He soon became discouraged, applying the following verse to himself (Job 12, 4) I am one that is a laughing-stock to his neighbor, a man that called upon God, and He answered him. R. Jochanan then said to him: "I pray thee, do not cause the Rabbis to be punished [by Heaven on accoimt of you]." He thereupon lectured: (Is. 58, 2) Yet Me do they ever seek day by day, and to know My ways do they always desire. Do they then seek only by day, and not by night? This is to teach us that he who studies the Torah even one day in the year. Scripture considers it as if he had studied the whole year; and so also does the passange concerning evil compensation read (Num. 14, 34) After the number of days in which ye spied out the lands, forty days, yea, each one day for a year, shall ye bear for your iniquities, for forty years. Did they sin forty years, is it not a fact that they sinned but forty days? But this is to teach us that he who violates but one command, and this once in a year, the Scripture regards it as though he transgressed the whole year.

“I remember my song in the night; I meditate with my heart, and my spirit searches” (Psalms 77:7). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Aivu.⁵⁸The text of the midrash appears to be cut off. The statement of these Sages will be cited below.
The Rabbis say:⁵⁹This is a continuation of Chapter 21. Because they sinned from alef through tav, they are consoled from alef through tav. Likewise, you find that for all the harsh prophecies that Jeremiah prophesied regarding Israel, Isaiah preceded him and brought a remedy for them. Jeremiah said: “How [eikha] does…sit solitary”? (Lamentations 1:1). Isaiah said: “You will say in your heart: who bore me these.” (Isaiah 49:21).⁶⁰This is what Israel will say when its children return and it will no longer sit solitary. The verse stated by Jeremiah begins with the word “how” [eikha], which starts with an alef. The verse stated by Isaiah foresees the time when Jeremiah’s verse will be undone. Jeremiah said: “She weeps [bakho] bitterly at night” (Lamentations 1:2).⁶¹This verse starts with the word bakho, which begins with a bet. Isaiah said: “You will weep no longer, He will show you grace…” (Isaiah 30:19). Jeremiah said: “Judah was exiled [galta] due to affliction” (Lamentations 1:3).⁶²In Hebrew, the first word of this verse is galta, which begins with a gimmel. Isaiah said: “He will gather the dispersed of Israel…” (Isaiah 11:12). Jeremiah said: “The ways [darkhei] of Zion are in mourning” (Lamentations 1:4). Isaiah said: “A voice calls in the wilderness, clear the way of the Lord” (Isaiah 40:3). Jeremiah said: “Her adversaries have become [hayu] the head” (Lamentations 1:5). Isaiah said: “The sons of your tormentors will come to you, bowed” (Isaiah 60:14). Jeremiah said: “Gone [vayetze] from the daughter of Zion is all [her splendor] (Lamentations 1:6). Isaiah said: “A redeemer will come to Zion” (Isaiah 59:20). Jeremiah said: “Jerusalem remembered [zakhra] […all her delights]” (Lamentations 1:7). Isaiah said: “For, behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth and the former will not be remembered and will not come to mind” (Isaiah 65:17). Jeremiah said: “Jerusalem has comitted a sin [ḥet]” (Lamentations 1:8). Isaiah said: “I have wiped away your transgressions like a cloud” (Isaiah 44:22). Jeremiah said: “Her impurity [tumatah] is on the edges of her skirts” (Lamentations 1:9). Isaiah said: “When the Lord will have washed the filth of the daughters of Zion” (Isaiah 4:4). Jeremiah said: “The adversary extended his hand [yado]” (Lamentations 1:10). Isaiah said: “The Lord will once again show His hand” (Isaiah 11:11). Jeremiah said: “All her [kol] people are sighing, [seeking bread]…” (Lamentations 1:11). Isaiah said: “They will not hunger and they will not thirst” (Isaiah 49:10). Jeremiah said: “May it not [lo] befall you, all wayfarers” (Lamentations 1:12) Isaiah said: “Until a spirit will be poured upon us from on high” (Isaiah 32:15).⁶³Maharzu amends the text such that the verse cited here is Isaiah 57:15, whereas Isaiah 32:15 is cited below after Lamentations 1:13. Accordingly, the midrash is understood as follows: Lamentations states “Is there any pain like my pain” (Lamentations 1:12) while Isaiah speaks of healing, as it is stated: “to revive the spirit of the humble and revive the heart of the downtrodden” (Isaiah 57:15). Jeremiah said: “From on high [mimarom] He sent fire into my bones” (Lamentations 1:13). Isaiah said: “Exalted and holy I will rest, and the despondent…” (Isaiah 57:15).⁶⁴According to the Maharzu,the verse cited here should be Isaiah 32:15, which more directly parallels Lamentations 1:13. Jeremiah said: “The yoke of my transgressions is preserved [niskad] in His hand” (Lamentations 1:14). Isaiah said: “Undo the restraints on your neck” (Isaiah 52:2). Jeremiah said: “[The Lord] trampled [sila] all my mighty” (Lamentations 1:15). Isaiah said: “Pave [solu] the highway, clear it of stones” (Isaiah 62:10). Jeremiah said: “For [al] these I weep; […my eye sheds water]” (Lamentations 1:16). Isaiah said: “With their eyes they will see [the Lord returning to Zion]” (Isaiah 52:8). Jeremiah said: “Zion spread [persa] her hands, [there was no comforter for her]” (Lamentations 1:17). Isaiah said: “I, it is I, who am your Comforter” (Isaiah 51:12). Jeremiah said: “The Lord is righteous [tzadik]” (Lamentations 1:18). Isaiah said: “Your people they are all righteous” (Isaiah 60:21). Jeremiah said: “I called [karati] to my lovers; they deceived me” (Lamentations 1:19). Isaiah said: “You will call Your walls salvation” (Isaiah 60:18). Jeremiah said: “See [re’e], Lord, for I am in distress” (Lamentations 1:20). Isaiah said: “You will see and your heart will be gladdened” (Isaiah 66:14). Jeremiah said: “They heard [shamu] that I sigh” (Lamentations 1:21). Isaiah said: “Comfort, comfort My people” (Isaiah 40:1). Jeremiah said: “Let all their wickedness come [tavo] before You” (Lamentations 1:22) Isaiah said: “I will bring them to the mountain of My holiness” (Isaiah 56:7).
Another matter, “I remember my song [neginati] in the night” (Psalms 77:7). Rabbi Aivu and Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Aivu says: The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘I remember how I was broken before You in the night of the kingdoms,⁶⁵The times during which Israel suffered persecution at the hands of foreign nations is are referred to here as night. just as it says: “Blessed is God, the Most High, who broke [migen] your enemies into your hand”’ (Genesis 14:20). Rabbi Yehuda says: I remember the songs that I sang before You in the nights, just as it says: “[The Lord is to save me] and we will play my songs all the days of our lives” (Isaiah 38:20), this is the night of Pharaoh, as it is written: “It was at midnight” (Exodus 12:29). And the night of Gideon who smote the Midianite and Amalekite camp, as it is written: “It was on that night” (Judges 7:9). And the night of Sennacherib, in whose regard it is written: “It was on that night, and the angel of God emerged” (II Kings 19:35).⁶⁶According to Rabbi Yehuda, the reference is to the songs Israel sang when they experienced salvation at night. Each of the three verses cited refers to an event in which an enemy of Israel was defeated at night.
“I meditate with my heart” (Psalms 77:7), I speak with my heart. “And my spirit searches” (Psalms 77:7), I examine my actions. And it says: “Will the Lord forsake forever? Will He never again appease?” (Psalms 77:8). God forbid, He has not abandoned and will not abandon, as it is written: “For the Lord will not forsake forever” (Lamentations 3:31).
“Will He never again appease [lirtzot]” or be appeased [leratzot]? In the past He would appease others. When Moses was angry, it says: “And he returned [veshav] to the camp” (Exodus 33:11). Read it as: And return [veshuv].⁶⁷Despite Moses’s anger in the wake of the sin of the Golden Calf, God implores him to return to the camp. When Elijah was angry, it says: “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus” (I Kings 19:15); but now, He does not appease, and is not appeased.
“Has His kindness come to an end [he’afes] forever, [is His decision final for all generations]?” (Psalms 77:9). What is he’afes? Rabbi Reuven said: It is a Greek term, just as it says: “He will say none [afes]” (Amos 6:10).⁶⁸The word afes is a Greek term meaning “let go,” similar to the usage of the term in Amos, where one is asked if there is anyone with him and he says “none,” meaning dismiss the thought from your mind. Thus, It is not God’s kindness that has ceased, but He has let go of it in the sense that He has ceased to implement His kindness in the world. Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Ḥanina said: Has the matter that the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses, “I will favor whom I favor” (Exodus 33:19), concluded? Rabbi Simon says: It has already been concluded, and this was confirmed by means of Jeremiah: “For I have withdrawn My peace [and kindness and mercy from this people]” (Jeremiah 16:5).
“Has God forgotten to be gracious [ḥanot]” (Psalms 77:10), has God forgotten His encampment [ḥanoto] in the wilderness, “According to the word of God they would encamp” (Numbers 9: 20). Has He forgotten “God, merciful and gracious [veḥanun]”? (Exodus 34:6). “Has He closed in anger His mercy? Sela” (Psalms 77:10); even though He is angry, His mercy is near. Yet Zion said: ‘The Lord has forsaken me and my Lord has forgotten me,’ as it is written: “Zion said: The Lord has forsaken me [and the Lord has forgotten me]” (Isaiah 49:14).⁶⁹However, God responds: “Yet I will not forget you” (Isaiah 49:15).
“Then I said: This is my weakness [ḥaloti], [the right hand of the Most High has changed]” (Psalms 77:11). Rabbi Alexandrai said: Because we did not entreat [ḥilinu] You in repentance, the right hand has changed.⁷⁰The right hand signifies God’s support and giving. This has changed from supporting Israel to supporting its enemies (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: The oath that He made with us at Ḥorev⁷¹This is another name for Sinai. has been violated [nitḥalela], and so the right hand has changed.
Rabbi Simon said: Have you ever heard that the orb of the sun is ill and unable to rise and serve? For His servants there are no illnesses, but before Him there is illness?⁷²The term ḥaloti is expounded to mean illnesses [ḥolayin], such that the verse reads “this is my illness.” As the midrash explains, it cannot be that God’s providence has changed due to His illness, as that is impossible. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: [This is analogous] to a mighty person who was there in a province, and all the residents of the province relied on him and would say: ‘No troops will come here. If troops came to the city, once he would emerge and show his face, they would flee immediately.’ One time the troops came, and he said to them: ‘My right hand hurts.’⁷³Since he is not ready for battle, the enemies are no longer afraid of him. However, the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather, “Behold, the Lord’s hand is not too short to save…” (Isaiah 59:1).
“The right hand of the Most High has changed.” Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: If it is due to illnesses, there is hope, for one who is hurt will ultimately heal. But if it has changed, there is no hope.⁷⁴In the case of the change to God’s right hand, as it were, there is hope, because the change is based on something akin to illness. The verse from Isaiah cited above is followed by the following: “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God” (Isaiah 59:2) (Matnot Kehuna). That is the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi <who said:="" “for="" you="" have="" despised="" us,="" [you="" were="" exceedingly="" angry="" at="" us]”="" (lamentations="" 5:22).="" if="" it="" is="" despising,="" there="" is="" no="" hope.="" if="" it="" is="" anger,="" there="" is="" hope,="" as="" who="" is="" angry="" will="" ultimately="" be="" appeased.="">
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘You wept a gratuitous weeping; ultimately, you will weep a weeping of substance.’ Where did Israel weep a gratuitous weeping? “Moses heard the people weeping according to its families” (Numbers 11:10). “The entire congregation raised and sounded their voice [and the people wept that night]” (Numbers 14:1). Where did Israel weep a weeping of substance? Rabbi Aivu and Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Aivu said: Once in Rama and once in Babylon. In Rama, as it is written: “So said the Lord: A voice is heard in Rama, wailing, bitter weeping, [Rachel weeping for her children]” (Jeremiah 31:15). In Babylon, as it is written: “By the rivers of Babylon, [there we sat and also wept]” (Psalms 137:1). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: One in the “province of Judah” (Ezra 5:8) and one in Babylon. In the province of Judah, “she weeps bitterly at night” (Lamentations 1:2). In Babylon, “by the rivers of Babylon.”
Rabbi Aivu said: So said the Holy One blessed be He to Israel: ‘As a reward for that weeping, I will gather in your exiles.’ That is what is written: “So said the Lord, restrain your voice from weeping…there is hope for your future, the utterance of the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:16–17).
“She weeps bitterly [bakho tivkeh],” she will weep [bakho] due to one calf; she will weep [tivkeh] due to two calves.⁷⁵The midrash expounds the doubled Hebrew expression bakho tivkeh (in which the root bet-kaf-heh is used twice consecutively) to refer to two sins: The sin of the Golden Calf in the wilderness and Jeroboam’s two golden calves in the Land of Israel (see I Kings 12:26–30). Another matter, over Judah, and over Zion and Jerusalem.⁷⁶Zion and Jerusalem count as one. Alternatively, they are separate and there is a third source of weeping expressed in the verse in Lamentations, which continues: “her tears are on her cheeks” (Lamentations 1:2). Another matter, she will weep [bakho] over the exile of the Ten Tribes; she will weep [tivkeh] over the exile of Judah and Benjamin. Another matter, she weeps and causes others to weep with her, she weeps and causes the Holy One blessed be He to weep with her, as it is written: “The Lord, God of hosts, called on that day for weeping and for lamentation” (Isaiah 22:12). She weeps and causes the ministering angels to weep with her, as it is written: “Behold, their angels cry out outside [ḥutza], [the messengers of peace weep bitterly]” (Isaiah 33:7). Rabbi Ze’eira said: Ḥitza is written,⁷⁷The word ḥutza is written without a vav, such that it can be read ḥitza. it is unnatural [ḥitza] for him to slaughter him.⁷⁸Rabbi Ze’eira interprets this verse as pertaining to God’s command to Abraham to sacrifice Isaac. The angels responded that this was a command that violated human nature. Rabbi Berekhya said: Just as it says: “He took him outside [haḥutza] [and said: Look now toward the heavens]” (Genesis 15:5).⁷⁹Rabbi Berekhya cites this verse to demonstrate that ḥutza refers to the heavens. Thus, he interprets the verse in Genesis to mean that God took Abraham outside and directed him to look toward the heavens, and he interprets the verse in Isaiah to mean that the angels cry in the heavens.
“She will weep [bakho],” she weeps and causes the heavens and the earth to weep with her. That is what is written: “The sun and the moon darkened” (Joel 2:10). “She will weep [bakho],” she weeps and causes the mountains and the hills to weep with her. That is what is written: “I saw the mountains [they are quaking, and all the hills have disintegrated]” (Jeremiah 4:24). “She will weep [bakho],” she weeps and causes the seventy nations to weep with her. Rabbi Pinḥas said: The seventy bulls that Israel would sacrifice on the festival of Sukkot correspond to the seventy nations, so that the world would not be vacant of them. “She will weep [bakho],” she weeps and casues the congregation of Israel to weep with her. That is what is written: “The entire congregation raised [vatisa]…[and the people wept that night]” (Numbers 14:1). Rabbi Ḥunya taught it in the name of Rabbi Neḥemya: Vatisa is written, they left a bad debt for the generations, just as it says: “When you lend [tasheh] to your neighbor” (Deuteronomy 24:10).

.And he said: Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? R. Yehudah says: Moshe was of twenty years at that time. They said to him: you are not yet worthy of being a ruler and a judge over as, for [it is said, Avot 5:21] "at forty [one aquires] wisdom." R. Nehemia said: He [Moshe] was of forty years at that time. They said to him: surely you are a man [of age], only you are not worthy to be a ruler and a judge over us. The sages say: They said to him: are you indeed the son of Yocheved? Then why do they call you son of Batya?! and you presume to be a ruler and a judge over us?! We will let be known what you did to the Egyptian. "Do you mean [Lit. say] to kill me?’ It is not written "do you mean", but "do you say". From this you learn, that [Moshe] uttered the proper name [of G-d] unto the Egyptian and killed him. When he [Moshe] heard this, his became fearful of Lashon Ha'ra [the evil tongue]. And he [Moshe] said "surely the thing is known". R. Yehudah son of R. Shalom said in the name of Hanina the Great and our sages who [in turn] said in the name of R. Alexandri: Moshe would wonder to himself and say: "what was Israel's sin, for which they became more enslaved than all other nation?" When he heard his [the Hebrew who struck his fellow's] words, he [Moshe] said: "such Lashon Harah [evil tongue] is amongst them, how would they be worthy of redemption?". And so he [Moshe] said: "Surely the thing is known" - now I know what is the cause of their enslavement....'He went out on the second day and behold to Hebrew men were fighting' - this was Datan and Aviram- who are called NITZIM fighting because of their end -- they were the ones who said this, they left over the Manna, they were the ones who said (Numbers 14:4) 'Appoint a head and let us return to Egypt', they rebelled at the Sea of Reeds. another explanation NITZIM they intended to kill each other...from here we recognize that a person who lifts up his hand to strike his friend, even though he doesn't (actually) hit him is called a wicked person....to teach that both of them were wicked

“Gone from the daughter of Zion is all her splendor. Her princes are like deer that have not found pasture; they went powerless before the pursuer” (Lamentations 1:6)
“Gone from the daughter [mibat] of Zion.” Min bat is written. Rabbi Aḥa said: We have one fine portion; that is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is written in His regard: “The Lord is my lot [menat ḥelki] and my portion” (Psalms 16:5). “All its splendor,” this is the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “You are clothed in glory and splendor” (Psalms 104:1).¹¹⁹Thus, when the children were exiled (Lamentations 1:5), God was exiled too, as it were, as implied in Lamentations 1:6. Alternatively, “all its splendor,” this is the Sanhedrin, as it is written: “Might and splendor are her garments” (Proverbs 31:25).¹²⁰This is stated regarding the Torah. Since it is the Sanhedrin who interpret the Torah and translates it into practical terms, they are the ones who clothe Torah in glory and splendor. The term splendor in Lamentations can therefore also be interpreted as referring to the Sanhedrin. Alternatively, “all its splendor [hadarah],” these are Torah scholars, as it is written: “You shall rise before the aged and honor [vehadarta] the presence of a sage” (Leviticus 19:32). Alternatively, “all its splendor,” these are the priestly watches, as it is written: “Praising with the splendor of holiness” (II Chronicles 20:21).
Alternatively, “all its splendor,” these are the children. Rabbi Yehuda said: Come and see how dear children are before the Holy One blessed be He. The Sanhedrin was exiled, but the Divine Presence was not exiled with them. The priestly watches were exiled, but the Divine Presence was not exiled with them. When the children were exiled, the Divine Presence was exiled with them. That is what is written: “Her infants are led into captivity before the adversary.” Immediately, “gone from the daughter of Zion is all her splendor.”
“Her princes are like deer [that have not found pasture].”¹²¹Pasture is typically associated with sheep, not deer. Rabbi Yehuda said: When they are soft they are likened to sheep, as it is stated: “The sheep will graze as in their pasture” (Isaiah 5:17). When they are rigid they are likened to deer, as it is stated: “Her princes are like deer.”
Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Shimon bar Abba and Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua [said]: Just as these deer turn their faces away from one another during a heat wave,¹²²They race directly to a water source with no consideration for any other deer. so too the prominent among Israel would see a matter of transgression and would turn their faces away from it. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘A time will come when I will do so to you.’
“They went powerless before the pursuer.” Rabbi Azarya said in the name of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon: When Israel performs the will of the Omnipresent, they add strength to the power on high, just as it says: “With God we will triumph” (Psalms 60:14). When Israel does not perform the will of the Omnipresent, they, as it were, exhaust the great power on high, as it is written: “You abandoned the Rock that begot you” (Deuteronomy 32:18). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi ben Rabbi Tarfon: When Israel performs the will of the Holy One blessed be He, they add strength to the power on high, just as it says: “Now, please, let the power of the Lord be great” (Numbers 14:17). When Israel does not perform the will of the Holy One blessed be He, they, as it were, exhaust the great power on high, and they, too, go “powerless before the pursuer.”
Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish, and the Rabbis in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: A person would say to his counterpart in Jerusalem: ‘Read one Bible column to me,’ and he would say to him: ‘I do not have the strength.’ ‘Teach me one chapter of Mishna,” and he would say to him: ‘I do not have the strength.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘A time will come and I will do so to you.’
“They went powerless before the pursuer [rodef].” Rabbi Aḥa said: Just as Israel was exiled only by a full-fledged pursuer, so, they will be redeemed only with a full-fledged redeemer, as it is written: “A redeemer [goel] will come to Zion” (Isaiah 59:20), it is written full.¹²³The Hebrew word is written with a vav, just as the word rodef in the verse in Lamentations is written with a vav, despite the fact that both could have been written without the vav.

(Fol. l4b) R. Elazar said: "A prominent man must not clothe himself in sackcloth [when in distress], unless he knows for certainty that his prayers will be answered, as was the ease with King Jehoram, the son of Achab, concerning whom it is said (II Kings 6, 30) And it came to pass when the king heard the words of the woman, that he rent his clothes — now he was passing by the wall and the people looked, and behold, he had sackcloth within upon his flesh." R. Elazar said further: "Not everyone has the right to fall upon his face nor has everyone the right to rend his clothes, [as a sign of grief]; only for such as Moses and Aaron does it behoove to fall upon their faces; but for men like Joshua and Caleb it is fitting that they rend their garments." Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces, as it is said (Num. 14, 5) And Moses and Aaron fell, etc.; Joshua and Caleb rent their garments, b. Nachmeni, however, objected and said: and Kaleb the son of Jephune of those that had spied out the land, rent their garments. R. Zera, and according to others R. Samuel b Nachmeni, however objected and said: "If it were said. Joshua and Caleb rent their garments, the statement of R. Elazar would be correct; but as it states, And Joshua and Caleb rent, etc., [in a co-ordinate term] it signifies that they did both [fall upon their faces and rend their garments] ."

“Let all their wickedness come before You, and do to them as You did to me for all my transgressions, for my sighs are many and my heart is suffering” (Lamentations 1:22).
“Let all their wickedness come before You, and do to them,” bring upon them what You brought upon me. Be exacting with them as You were exacting with me. “And do [veolel] to them,” pluck their infants [olelateihon] as You plucked my infants.
“For my sighs are many and my heart is suffering.” You find that in the matter that Israel sinned, with that they were punished, and with that they were comforted. They sinned with rosh, they were punished with rosh, and they were comforted with rosh. They sinned with rosh, as it is written: “Let us appoint a leader [rosh] and return to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4). They were punished with rosh, as it is written: “Every head [rosh] is ill” (Isaiah 1:5). And they are comforted with rosh, as it is written: “Their king passed before them, and the Lord is at their head [berosham]” (Micah 2:13).
They sinned with the ear, as it is written: “They made their ears hard of hearing” (Zechariah 7:11). They were punished with the ear, as it is written: “That anyone who hears it, both his ears will ring” (I Samuel 3:11). They are comforted with the ear, as it is written: “Your ears will hear a matter from behind you, saying: [This is the way, walk in it, when you go right and when you go left]” (Isaiah 30:21).
They sinned with the eye, as it is written: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and they walk with outstretched necks and painted eyes” (Isaiah 3:16). They were punished with the eye, as it is written: “My eye, my eye sheds water” (Lamentations 1:16). They are comforted with the eye, as it is written: “For with their own eyes they will see the return of the Lord to Zion” (Isaiah 52:8).
They sinned with af, as it is written: “Behold, they extend the branch to their nose [af]” (Ezekiel 8:17). They were punished with af, as it is written: “I, too [af], will walk with them indifferently” (Leviticus 26:41). They are comforted with af, as it is written: “And despite [ve’af gam] this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not have spurned them and will not have rejected them, to destroy them, to violate My covenant with them” (Leviticus 26:44).
They sinned with the mouth, as it is written: “Every mouth speaks depravity” (Isaiah 9:16). They were punished with the mouth, as it is written: “They consumed Israel with every mouth” (Isaiah 9:11). They are comforted with the mouth, as it is written: “Then will our mouths be filled with laughter” (Psalms 126:2).
They sinned with the tongue, as it is written: “They drew their tongues, their bow of falsehood” (Jeremiah 9:2). They were punished with the tongue, as it is written: “The tongue of the suckling cleaved [to the roof of his mouth in thirst]” (Lamentations 4:4). They are comforted with the tongue, as it is written: “And our tongues with song; [then will they say among the nations: The Lord has done great things for them]” (Psalms 126:2).
They sinned with the heart, as it is written: “They made their hearts as adamant, not to hear” (Zechariah 7:12). They were punished with the heart, as it is written: “Every heart is suffering” (Isaiah 1:5). They are comforted with the heart, as it is written: “speak to the heart of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:2).
They sinned with the hand, as it is written: “Your hands are filled with blood” (Isaiah 1:15). They were punished with the hand, as it is written: “The hands of merciful women cooked their children” (Lamentations 4:10). They are comforted with the hand, as it is written: “The Lord will continue setting His hand again, a second time [to recover the remnant of His people…]” (Isaiah 11:11).
They sinned with the foot, as it is written: “For their feet run to evil” (Proverbs 1:16). They were punished with the foot, as it is written: “Before your feet stumble on the mountains of the night (Jeremiah 13:16). They are comforted with the foot, as it is written: “How pleasant are the feet of the herald upon the mountains” (Isaiah 52:7).
They sinned with hu, as it is written: “They denied the Lord and said: He [hu] is not” (Jeremiah 5:12). They were punished with hu, as it is written: “He was transformed into their enemy, He [hu] waged war against them” (Isaiah 63:10). They are comforted with hu, as it is written: “I, it is I, who [hu] am your Comforter” (Isaiah 51:12).
They sinned with zeh, as it is written: “For this [zeh] man Moses” (Exodus 32:1). They were punished with zeh, as it is written: “For this [zeh] [our heart] is suffering” (Lamentations 5:17). They are comforted with zeh, as it is written: “Behold, this [zeh] is our God, we hoped to Him [that He would save us; this is the Lord to whom we hoped, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation]” (Isaiah 25:9).
They sinned with fire, as it is written: “The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire...[in order to anger Me]” (Jeremiah 7:18). They were punished with fire, as it is written: “From on high He sent fire into my bones” (Lamentations 1:13). They are comforted with fire, as it is written: “I will be for it,²¹⁶Jerusalem. the utterance of the Lord, a wall of fire all around” (Zechariah 2:9).
They sinned with yesh, as it is written: “Is [hayesh] the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7). They were punished with yesh, as it is written: “Is there any [yesh] pain like my pain?” (Lamentations 1:12). They are comforted with yesh, as it is written: “To bequeath substance [yesh] to those who love me, and I will fill their storehouses” (Proverbs 8:21).
They sinned doubly, as it is written: “Jerusalem has committed a sin [ḥet ḥata]” (Lamentations 1:8).²¹⁷The Hebrew verse employs the word sin [ḥet] twice, such that a literal translation would be “Jerusalem has sinned a sin.” They were punished doubly, as it is written: “For it has received from the hand of the Lord double for all its sins” (Isaiah 40:2). They are comforted doubly, as it is written: “Comfort, comfort [naḥamu naḥamu] My people” (Isaiah 40:1).
End of the First Alphabetical Acrostic

[(Exod. 38:21:) THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE]. This text is related (to II Kings 12:16 [15]): AND THEY DID NOT ASK AN ACCOUNTING FROM THE ONES INTO WHOSE HANDS THEY GAVE THE MONEY TO GIVE TO THOSE DOING THE WORK, BECAUSE THEY WERE ACTING IN GOOD FAITH. This is the generation of King Joash, which did act in good faith.²Tanh., Exod. 11:5; Exod. R. 51:2. Our masters have taught: Whoever entered the Temple treasury to make a withdrawal did not enter in a hemmed tunic³Gk.: paragaudes (“purple-bordered garment”); Lat.: paragauda (“laced garment”). or with a money girdle,⁴Lat.: funda (“moneybag”). for if he became wealthy, they would say he became rich from what belonged to the Temple treasury.⁵Cf. Sheq. 3:2; Yev. 102b. Thus a person must satisfy the people just as he satisfies Heaven, as stated (in Numb. 32:22): SO YOU SHALL BE BLAMELESS BEFORE THE LORD AND BEFORE ISRAEL…. Now Moses was sole treasurer over the business of the Tabernacle. When the Holy One said to Moses (in Exod. 25:8): MAKE ME A SANCTUARY, Moses said to all the children of Israel (in Exod. 35:4–5): THIS IS THE THING WHICH THE LORD HAS COMMANDED <…:> TAKE FROM AMONG YOU AN OFFERING…. R. Johanan said: In two mornings they brought < building materials > for the whole Tabernacle, so that they had more than enough.⁶For R. Johanan’s reasoning, see above, 7:3, and the note there. (Exod. 36:6–7:) THEN MOSES COMMANDED, AND THEY HAD IT PROCLAIMED THROUGHOUT THE CAMP…: FOR THEY HAD SUFFICIENT SUPPLIES…. Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the World, We have done all the work for the Tabernacle, and we have more than enough. What shall we do with the surplus? He said to them: Go and make a tabernacle for the commandments. He went and made a tabernacle for the commandments. When he came to give the accounting, he said to them (i.e., to the Israelites) thus and so was spent for the <actual> Tabernacle, and with the rest I made a tabernacle for the testimony. It is so stated (in Exod. 38:21): THESE ARE THE RECORDS OF THE TABERNACLE, THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY. What is the meaning of TABERNACLE (MShKN), TABERNACLE (MShKN), <with the word repeated> two times?⁷Exod. R. 51:3. R. {Simeon} [Samuel] said: It was mortgaged (NTMShKN) two times for them.⁸The two mortgages are the two destructions of the Temple, when the Holy One took it in pledge for payment of Israel’s sins. So Exod. R. 31:10. R. Ishmael said: This < usage > is a sign⁹Gk.: semeion. for all who come into the world that there is only forgiveness for Israel alone.¹⁰Tanh., Exod. 11:6; Exod. R. 51:4. THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY is testimony for all who come into the world that the Holy One has been reconciled with Israel. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who took a wife and loved her excessively. He became angry with her and left her. Her woman neighbors said to her: He will not return to you. After some days the king was reconciled to her and entered his palace¹¹Lat.: palatium; Gk.: palation. [with her], where he ate and drank. Now her neighbors would not believe that he had been reconciled to her; but when there was an aroma in the heavens over her, they immediately knew that the king had been reconciled to her. Similarly the Holy One loved Israel, brought them to Mount Sinai, gave them the Torah, and called them kings (in Exod. 19:6). At the end of forty days they made the calf and said (in Exod. 32:4): THIS IS YOUR GOD, O ISRAEL. In that hour the peoples of the world said: The Holy One will never again be reconciled to them. When Moses arose and prayed for them, the Holy One said to him (in Numb. 14:20): I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED.¹²Jellinek, Beth ha-Midrasch, op. cit., vol. 6, p. 105. And not only that but I have had my Divine Presence dwell over them and among them, so that everyone may know that I have forgiven them. It is so stated (in Exod. 25:8): AND LET THEM MAKE ME A SANCTUARY [THAT I MAY DWELL AMONG YOU].

Another interpretation (of Lev. 19:2:) YOU SHALL BE HOLY. The Holy One said to Israel: Before I created my world, the ministering angels praised my name through you and sanctified me through you by saying (in I Chron. 16:36): BLESSED IS THE LORD GOD OF ISRAEL FROM EVERLASTING TO EVERLASTING.⁸Tanh., Lev. 7:2. When the first Adam was created, the angels said: Sovereign of the World, is this the one in whose name we are praising you? He told them, [No]. This person is a thief, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 3:17): < BECAUSE YOU OBEYED YOUR WIFE AND > ATE OF THE TREE ABOUT WHICH I COMMANDED YOU, < SAYING: DO NOT EAT OF IT. CURSED IS THE LAND BECAUSE OF YOU >. < When > Noah came, they said to him (i.e., to the Holy One): Is this the one? He told them, [No]. This person is a drunkard, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 9:21): THEN HE DRANK OF THE WINE AND BECAME DRUNK…. < When > Abraham came, they said to him: Is this the one? He told them: This is a stranger (ger). < When > Isaac came, they said to him: Is this the one? He told them: This one loves my enemy, as stated (in Gen. 25:28): NOW ISAAC LOVED ESAU. When Jacob came, they said to him: Is this the one? He told them, Yes, for so it says (in Gen. 35:10): GOD SAID TO HIM: YOUR NAME SHALL NO LONGER BE JACOB, BUT YOUR NAME SHALL BE ISRAEL…. So all Israel was called by his name. At that time the Holy One, Blessed be He, sanctified them because of his name, as stated (in Is. 49:3): ISRAEL, IN WHOM I WILL BE GLORIFIED. The Holy One said to him: Since you were sanctified for my name before I created my world, Be holy as I am holy. It is so stated (in Lev. 19:2:) YOU SHALL BE HOLY, BECAUSE I, THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM HOLY. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who betrothed a wife. He said to her because you have been betrothed (literally: sanctified) to my name, I am a king and you, a queen. Just as it (i.e., my name) is an honor for me, so it is an honor for you. Why? Because you are my wife. Thus the Holy One said to Moses. Go and sanctify (i.e., go and betroth) Israel, as stated (in Exod. 19:10): GO UNTO THE PEOPLE AND SANCTIFY (rt.: QDSh) THEM TODAY AND TOMORROW. {The Holy One sanctified them} [He sanctified them. The Holy One came] and said to them (in Exod. 19:6): BUT YOU SHALL BE FOR ME A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS, A HOLY (rt.: QDSh) NATION. Why? (Lev. 19:2:) BECAUSE… I AM HOLY. And you also shall be sanctified (rt.: QDSh) just as you have sanctified me, as stated (in Lev. 19:2) SPEAK UNTO THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM: YOU SHALL BE HOLY (rt.: QDSh)…. The Holy One said unto them: If you are worthy, you shall be called a congregation of saints (rt.: QDSh); < if > you are unworthy, you shall be called an evil congregation. (Numb. 14:27:) HOW LONG SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION…?

(Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Before I created My world, the ministering angels praised My name through you and sanctified Me through you by saying (in I Chron. 16:36), ‘Blessed is the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting.’” When the first Adam was created, the angels said, “Master of the world, is this the one in whose name we are praising You?” He told them, “No. This person is a thief, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 3:17), ‘and you ate of the tree.’” [When] Noah came, they said to Him (i.e., to the Holy One, blessed be He), “Is this the one?” He told them, “[No]. This person is a drunkard, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 9:21), ‘Then he drank of the wine [and became drunk].’” [When] Abraham came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This is a stranger (ger), from which Yishmael came out.” [When] Isaac came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This one loves My enemy, as stated (in Gen. 25:28), ‘Now Isaac loved Esau.’” When Jacob came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “Yes, for so it says (in Gen. 35:10), ‘God said to him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but your name shall be Israel.”’ So all Israel was called by his name.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be he, sanctified them because of His name, as stated (in Is. 49:3), “Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Since you were sanctified for My name before I created My world, be holy as I am holy.” It is so stated (in Lev. 19:2), “[You shall be holy,] because I am holy.” To what is the matter comparable? To a king who betrothed a wife. He said to her, “Because you have been betrothed (literally, sanctified) to my name, I am a king and you, a queen. Just as it (i.e., my name) is an honor for me, so it is an honor for you. Why? Because you are my wife.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Go and sanctify (i.e., go and betroth) Israel,” as stated (in Exod. 19:10), “and sanctify (rt.: qdsh) them today and tomorrow.” The Holy One, blessed be He, sanctified them and said to them (in Exod. 19:6), “But you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests, a holy (rt.: qdsh) nation.” Why? (Lev. 19:2:) “Because I the Lord am holy.” And you also shall be sanctified (rt.: qdsh) just as you have sanctified Me, as stated (in Lev. 19:2) “Speak unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy (rt.: qdsh).’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said unto them, “If you are worthy, you shall be called a congregation of holy ones (rt.: qdsh); [but if] you are unworthy, you shall be called an evil congregation, as stated (Numb. 14:27) ‘How long shall this evil congregation?’”

If Israel had been meritorious, then in eleven days they would have entered Eretz Yisrael, but because they corrupted their ways, the L-rd stretched it into forty years, as it is written (Bamidbar 14:34) "According to the number of days that you spied out the land, forty days — a day for a year, a day for a year — shall you bear your sins." R. Yehudah says: Now did it take them eleven days? Did it not take them only three days? As it is written (Ibid. 10:33) "And they traveled from the mountain of the L-rd a journey of three days." (The intent is that) in three days Israel traveled an eleven-day distance. If Israel had been meritorious, they would have entered Eretz Yisrael in three days. As it is written (Ibid.) "And the ark of the covenant of the L-rd preceded them, a distance of three days to look out a resting place for them," "a resting place" being Eretz Yisrael, as it is written (Devarim 12:9) "For you will not yet have come to the rest and to the inheritance that the L-rd your G-d gives you." They said to him: Was it an eleven-day distance? Was it not a forty-day distance, as it is written of Eliyahu (I Kings 19:8) "And he arose and ate and drank, and he walked on the strength of that meal for forty days and forty nights (until the mountain of G-d, Chorev")? … R. B'na'ah says: If Israel had been meritorious, they would have entered Eretz Yisrael in one day, as it is written (Shemoth 13:4-5) "This day you go out, in the month of spring," immediately (followed by) "And it shall be, when the L-rd brings you to the land of Canaan." Abba Yossi b. Chanan says in the name of Cohein Bardela: If Israel had been meritorious, as soon as their horses' hooves ascended from the sea, they would have entered Eretz Yisrael, as it is written (Devarim 1:21) "Go up (from the sea) and possess (the land) as the L-rd, the G-d of your fathers has spoken to you."

4...

(Exodus 14:3) "And Pharaoh will say about the children of Israel: They are nevuchim in the land": "nevuchim" is "confounded," as in (Joel 1:18) "How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle navochu!" Variantly: "nevuchim" — "bewildered," as in (Esther 3:15) "And the king and Haman sat down to feast, and the city of Shushan navochah." Variantly: "And Pharaoh said": He said and he did not know what he was saying. (i.e., unbeknownst to him he was prophesying. On the surface) he was saying that Moses was leading them without knowing where — but "nevuchim" (prophetically) intimates Moses, viz. (Devarim 32:49) "Ascend the Mount Avarim, Mount Nevo, (short for 'nevuchim')." Variantly: "And Pharaoh said," without knowing what he was saying, viz.: Israel are destined to cry ("livkoth" as in "nevochim") in the desert, viz. (Numbers 14:1) "And the entire congregation lifted their voices and the people cried (vayivku)" Israel are destined to fall in the desert, viz. (Ibid. 29) "In this desert shall your carcasses fall."

And the Lord went before them by day (Exod. 13:21). You find that there were seven clouds of glory in all. And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud (ibid.) was the first; and Thy cloud standeth over them (Num. 14:14) was the second; In a pillar of cloud (ibid.) was the third; That the cloud tarried (Num. 9:22), the fourth; And the going up of the cloud (Exod. 40:36), the fifth; And whenever the cloud was taken up (ibid., 37), the sixth; and For the cloud of the Lord was upon the Tabernacle (ibid., v. 38) was the seventh. Four of the clouds were at each of the four sides; one was above them, another below them, and the seventh cloud preceded them. The last of the clouds lowered the high places, raised the low places, burnt the serpents and the scorpions, and sprinkled the road (to lay the dust) before them.

(Numb. 16:1:) “Now Korah […] took.” [What] he took [was] his prayer shawl and he went to get counsel from his wife.¹¹Numb. R. 18:4. When the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Numb. 8:6–7), “Take the Levites from among the Children of Israel and purify them. Now this is what you shall do for them to purify them [… and have them pass a razor over all of their flesh].” [Moses] immediately did so to Korah. [Korah] began to go around all Israel, but they did not recognize him. They said to him, “Who did this to you?” He told them, “Moses. And not only that, but taking me by my hands and by my feet, they waved me and said to me, ‘See, you are purified.’ Moreover, he brought his brother Aaron, adorned him like a bride, and had him sit in the tent of meeting.” The enemies of Moses immediately began to incite Israel against him. So they said, “Moses is king, his brother Aaron is high priest, and his children are deputy high priests! The priest has a priestly offering (terumah); the priest has a priestly offering from the tithe¹²See Ter. 4:1.; the priest has twenty-four priestly gifts!”¹³See THal. 2:7-10 for a listing. Immediately (in Numb. 16:3) “They gathered together against Moses and against Aaron, and they said unto them, ‘You have gone too far (rb), for all the congregation are holy, every one of them, and the Lord is in the midst of them; so why do you elevate yourselves over the community of the Lord?’” R. Levi said, “At that very time Korah gathered his company and said to them (i.e., to Moses and Aaron), ‘You have increased (rt.: rbh) the burden upon us to be more than the slavery of Egypt. We were better off under the Egyptians than under your authority, for in each and every year fifteen thousand and forty-five of us die.’”¹⁴As the yearly punishment for the sin of the spies amortized over forty years, during which a whole generation Israelites died in the desert (Numb. 14:20–24.) Now they wished to stone him. [Therefore] (according to vs. 4), “When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.” Moses said to them, “I do not desire kingship, nor does Aaron [desire] high priesthood. Thus it is stated (in vs. 11), “and as for Aaron, what is he that you should murmur against him?” Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, did you not command me thus (in Exod. 28:1), ‘And you shall bring near unto yourself Aaron [… to serve me as priests]?’ Now they have arisen against us to kill us.” [So Moses] said to them (in Numb. 16:5), “In the morning the Lord will make known those who [belong to Him…].” What does “morning” mean? R. Nathan said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘If all the magicians of Egypt gathered together and tried to turn the morning into the evening and the evening into morning, they would be unable [to do so]; but just as I [formerly] separated the light and the darkness (in Gen. 1:4), so have I separated out Aaron to sanctify him in the holy of holies.’” Immediately (in Numb. 16:12), “Then Moses sent to summon [Dathan and Abiram…, but they said, ‘We will not come up.’” "We will not go" or "We will not come" is not written here, but “We will not come up.” (Prov. 18:17:) “A fool's mouth is his ruin!” They opened their mouth for a calamity, by saying that they would die by going down and not going up. Just as they spoke, so did they die (according to Numb. 16:33), “So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol.” Moses said, “In as much as they did not want to come [to me], I shall go to them. Perhaps they will be ashamed and repent.” It is so stated (in Numb. 16:25), “Then Moses arose and went unto Dathan and Abiram.” When they saw him they began to curse and blaspheme, as stated (in vs. 27), “and Dathan and Abiram came out standing (rt.: ntsb).” Does one go out sitting, kneeling, or lying prostrate?¹⁵The point here is that to mention that Dathan and Abiram were standing seems unnecessary and therefore implies some deeper meaning. It is simply that it is to teach that they went out cursing and blaspheming. As going out and standing upright (rt.: ytsb) is mentioned here, and going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) is [also] mentioned in reference to Goliath the Philistine, where it is written (in I Sam. 17:4, 16), “And there went out a champion [….] Then the Philistine drew near at dawn and in the evening, and he took his stand (rt.: ytsb) for forty days.” Just as going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) involved cursing and blaspheming in that case,¹⁶The cursing and blaspheming is specifically mentioned in I Sam.17:8-10. so also in this case did going out and standing upright (rt.: ntsb) involve cursing and blaspheming. Moses therefore began by saying (in Numb. 16:29, 32), “If these [people] die….” And it is also written (in Numb. 16:32), “And the earth opened its mouth [and swallowed them].” Come and see how [harmful] dissension is! As anyone who [even] aids dissension, the Holy One, blessed be He, eradicates his memory. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 16:35), “And a fire went forth from the Lord and consumed the two hundred and fifty men [coffering the incense].” R. Berekhyah said, “How harmful is dissension! An emissary of the court on high only imposes a penalty¹⁷QNS; cf. Lat.: censere, which can mean “to tax.” [on people] from the age of twenty years, while the court below [only imposes a penalty] from the age of thirteen years. In the case of Korah's dissension, however, one-day-old babies were burned and swallowed up in nethermost Sheol. Thus it is written (in Numb. 16:27, 33), ‘[and Dathan and Abiram came out standing at the entrance of their tents] with their wives, their children, and their little ones. So they and all that belonged to them went down alive to Sheol.’” It is therefore stated (Numb. 16:1), “Now Korah […] took.”

(Lev. 25:25:) ”When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property, then his redeemer shall come.” Who is his redeemer? I am He, as stated (in Jer. 50:33-34), “The Children of Israel […] are oppressed […]. Their Redeemer is mighty, His name is the Lord of hosts […].” Seven names are given to the poor.¹⁴Cf. Lev. R. 34:6, which lists eight names. And they are the following: crushed (dakh), poor ('ani), lowly (makh), dispossessed (rash), oppressed (tekhakhim),¹⁵Cf. Lev. R. 34:6, followed by Yalqut Shim‘oni, Lev. 665, which reads dal (“impoverished”) here. wretched (misken), and pauper (evyon). [(Lev. 25:25:) “When your relative becomes poor.”] This text is related (to Ps. 106:43), “Many times He delivered them, but they rebelled; so they became poor through their iniquity.” You find that in the days that the Judges judged, Israel served idols; so they were enslaved in the hands of the peoples of the world, as stated (in Jud. 3:7-8), “Then the Children of Israel did evil in the sight of the Lord…. So the anger of the Lord was kindled against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of Cushan.” What did they do (according to vs. 9)? “The Children of Israel cried unto the Lord, and the Lord raised up a savior for the Children of Israel [to save them, i.e.,] Othniel ben Kenaz.” They immediately repented and were redeemed. So [it happened] another time, as stated (in Jud. 3:12), “Then the Children of Israel again did evil….” They immediately repented; so the Lord raised up a redeemer for them, Ehud ben Gera the Binyaminite; and they were redeemed at his hands. Then they served idols again and were sold into the hands of Sisera, as stated (in Jud. 4:3), “and he oppressed the Children of Israel with might twenty years.” What is the meaning of “with might?” With blasphemies and with curses, just as you say (in Mal. 3:13), “Your words have been mighty against me.” When they repented, He raised up Barak and Deborah as redeemers for them; and they were redeemed at their hands. Ergo (in Ps. 106:43), “Many times He delivered them…; so they became poor through their iniquity.” What is the meaning of “so they became poor through their iniquity?” That they became impoverished in the midst of the nations, as stated (in Jud. 6:6), “And Israel became very impoverished….” What is the meaning of “and Israel became impoverished?” R. Isaac and R. Levi differed. One said, “They were impoverished (rt.: dll) from good works”; and the other said, “They did not have [enough] to bring even a poor person's (rt.: dll) offering, as stated (in Lev. 14:21), ‘If, however, he is poor (rt.: dll) and does not have the means.’” Ergo (in Ps. 106:43), “so they became poor through their iniquity,” as they had become impoverished (rt.: dll). Another interpretation (of Ps. 106:43), “Many times He delivered them”: [These words] speak about people. When trouble comes to one [of them] and he repents, the Holy One, blessed be He, delivers him. So it is the first time and the second. [If he repents, that is preferable; but if not, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings trouble upon him. And you yourself know that the Holy One, blessed be He, tests Israel to know if they will repent. First, He brings punishments against the [other] nations, as stated (Zeph. 3:6-7) “I wiped out nations: Their corner towers are desolate… I thought that she would fear Me, would learn a lesson.” [If] they repented, that is preferable; but if not, He destroys their money, as stated (Hos 7:9), “Strangers have consumed his strength….” [If they] repented, that is preferable; but if not, the Holy One blessed be He, brings evil upon one of the cities of Israel, as stated (Is. 42:25), “it blazed upon them all about… it burned among them.” [If] they repented, that is preferable; but if not, what is written (in Numbers 14:35)? “In this desert they will end, and there will they die.” And a person should not say, “The evil is not coming on my account.” He should know that he [too] will die, as stated (Amos 9:10), “All the sinners of My people shall perish [by the sword], who boast, ‘Never shall the evil overtake us or come near us.’” Come and see how difficult it is for the Holy One, blessed be He, to raise His hand against a human being. So what does He do to him? When he sins, He begins by raising His hand against his assets. From whom have you learned it? From Naomi, her sons, and Elimelech her husband, who was the head of [his] generation. When famine came, what did he do? He left the Land of Israel and went to the Land of Moab. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him because he was prince (nasi) of [his] generation. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “These have abandoned My children and left the Land of Israel a wilderness.” What is written there (in Ruth 1:3)? “Then Naomi's husband Elimelech died,” but his sons were unable to learn from their father to return to the Land of Israel. And what did they do? (According to vs. 4) They also “took Moabite wives for themselves,” whom they neither immersed nor converted.¹⁶Ruth R. 2:9. (Ibid., cont.:) “The name of the one was Orpah ('rph) and the name of the second was Ruth”: Orpah ('rph), because she turned her back ('rp) on her mother-in-law; Ruth, because she esteemed (r'th) the words of her mother-in-law. (ibid., cont.:) “And they lived there about ten years.” All those ten years (in Moab) the Holy One, blessed be He, had been warning them, that they might repent and return to the Land of Israel. When He saw that they did not repent, he began to raise His hand against their camels and against their cattle.¹⁷Lev. R. 17:4; Ruth R. 2:10; PRK 7:10; PR 17:6. When He saw that they did not repent (literally, return in repentance), immediately (in vs. 5), “Both of them, Mahlon and Chilion, also died.” Thus [you may infer] that it is difficult for the Holy One, blessed be He, to raise His hand against [a human being]. So what does He do to them? He deprives them of their assets, and they sell them. When someone sins, what does the Holy One, blessed be He, do to him first? He brings poverty upon him, so that he sells his field. If he repents, then fine; but if not he sells his house. If he repents, then fine; but if not he sells himself. How is this shown? So is it written (in Lev. 25:25), “When your relative becomes poor.” If he repents, then fine; but if not, see what is written in the second section; (in Lev. 25:29), “And when someone sells a dwelling house.” If he repents, then fine; but if not, (in Lev. 25:39), “When your relative becomes poor and he is sold to you.” Why all this? Because they became poor through [their] iniquities. (Lev. 25:25:) “Then his redeemer shall come.” R. Simeon ben Johay said, “Elimelech, Salmon, So-and-So,¹⁸Peloni Almoni. According to Ruth 4:1, this was the “name” of Ruth’s most closely related redeemer. and Naomi's father were all descendants of Nahshon ben Amminadab;¹⁹BB 91a. See Ruth 4:20–21; also Exod. 6:23, according to which Nahshon ben Amminadab was Aaron’s brother-in-law. and Elimelech, Mahlon, and Chilion were leaders²⁰Rt.: PRNS. Cf. the Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). of the generation.” So for what reason were they punished? Because they went abroad from the Land of Israel. Thus it is stated (in Ruth 1:19), “the whole city was excited over them, [and the women said, ‘Is this Naomi?’]” What is the meaning of, “Is this (Hazot) Naomi?” You saw (hazitem) Naomi when she went abroad from the Land of Israel. What has happened to her? (Lev. 25:25:) “Then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related (qarov).” This is Boaz. When? When Naomi sold the field, as stated (in Ruth 4:3), “the parcel of land which belonged to our relative, [Elimelech].” (Lev. 25:25:) “Then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him.” This is Boaz, since it is stated (in Ruth 2:20), “The man is our relative (qarov), [he is one of our redeeming kin (go'el)].” At that time Ruth went to Boaz. Her mother-in-law said to her (in Ruth 3:2), “see, he is winnowing barley on the threshing floor tonight.” [If] he was a prince (nasi), would he have been winnowing on a threshing floor? It is simply because his generation was dissolute in matters of theft, and [so] he went out to guard his threshing floor. She said to her (in vs. 3), “You are to wash and anoint yourself.” Then after that (ibid), “and go down to the threshing floor.” "And I shall go down" is the actual written text (ketiv)]. What is the meaning of "and I shall go down?" She said to her, “My merit will go down with you.” Hence it is written, "And I shall go down."²¹Ruth R. 5:12. But she did not do as her mother-in-law had told her. What did Ruth do? [Only] after she went down to the threshing floor, she did what she was told, as stated (in vs. 6), “She went down to the threshing floor and did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.”²²In other words, since she only obeyed Naomi after she had arrived at the threshing floor, she must have neglected to wash and anoint herself before then. Why? It is simply that she said, “The generation was dissolute in sexual matters. What if they see me made up and say, ‘Perhaps she is a harlot?’” Therefore, “She went down to the threshing floor and” afterwards “she did just as her mother-in-law had commanded her.” (Vs. 7:) Then, when Boaz had eaten and drunk, and his heart was merry.” What is the meaning of “and his heart was merry?” That he was occupied with words of the Torah.²³Ruth R. 5:15. Thus it is stated (Prov. 4:2), “As a good teaching…,” and it is [also] written (about wisdom in Prov. 9:5), “Come and eat of my bread.” (Ruth 3:7, cont.:) “And when he came to lie down beside the grain pile, then she came in secret.” What is the meaning of, “in secret (lt; rt.: lwt)?” [It is] just as you say (in I Sam. 21:10), “here it is wrapped (rt.: lwt) in a mantle.” (Ruth 3:8:) “Now it came to pass in the middle of the night that the man was startled. So he turned aside, [and here was a woman lying at his feet].” What is the meaning of, “turned aside (rt.: lpt)?” [It is] just as you say (in Jud. 16:29), “And Samson embraced (rt.: lpt) the two middle pillars.” That righteous man began to yell. [Fear] embraced him. (Ruth 3:9:) Then he said, “Who are you?” And she said, “I am your handmaid Ruth.” He said to her, “What have you come here to do?” She said to him, “To fulfill the Torah (in Lev. 25:25), ‘When your relative becomes poor [… then his redeemer shall come].’ Arise and fulfill the Torah.” He said to her, “Since you have come to fulfill the Torah, (Ruth 3:13:) ‘Spend the night; then it shall come to pass in the morning that, if he will redeem you, good (tov)’”; for he had a relative older than he, whose name was Tov. R. Hanina said, “She said to him, ‘And are you dismissing me with words?’” He said to her (ibid., cont.), “’As the Lord lives,’ I am not dismissing you with words.” (Ruth 4:1:) “Then Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there, and behold, the redeemer of whom Boaz had spoken was passing by.” He said to him, “Sit down, and we shall look into the Torah; what is written there? Is it not written (in Lev. 25:25), ‘When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property, [then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him, and redeem…]’” Boaz said to Tov (in Ruth 4:3–4), “’Naomi is selling the parcel of land which belonged to our relative Elimelech […]. And I thought I should disclose it to you, saying, ‘Buy it,’” since you are a senior redeemer than I [and have the right] to redeem it. [Hence] (as in vs. 4, cont.,) “If you will redeem it, redeem it.” (Vs. 6:) “Then the redeemer said, ‘Acquire it for yourself.’” At that time Boaz redeemed what Naomi had sold. Now from where did Boaz learn [what to do]? From this section (in Lev. 25:25), “When your relative becomes poor and sells [some of his property, then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him, and redeem…].” And who else was [like] this? Jeremiah was [like] this. At the time that the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Jeremiah 32:7), “Behold Hanamel the son of Shalum your uncle is coming to you…,” [Jeremiah said] (in Jeremiah 32:8), “And just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the prison compound.” Immediately, Jeremiah fulfilled this section [of the Torah], as stated (in Jeremiah 32:9), “And I bought the field.” Now from where did he learn [what to do]? From this section (in Lev. 25:25), “When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property, [then his redeemer shall come, the one most closely related to him, and redeem…].”

“Remember my affliction and my anguish, wormwood and gall” (Lamentations 3:19).
“Remember my affliction and my anguish [umrudi]” – the congregation of Israel says before the Holy One blessed be He: Master of the universe, remember the afflictions with which I was afflicted, the rebellion [umrudi] that I carried out against You, and the suffering with which You sated me, “wormwood and gall.” These are expiated by those.
“You will remember, and my soul is despondent within me” (Lamentations 3:20).
“You will remember” – Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: This is analogous to a king who went out to war. His sons were with him and were provoking him. The next day, the king went out alone and his sons were not with him. The king said: If only my sons were with me, even if they would be provoking me. So too, the king is the Holy One blessed be He, and His sons are Israel. When Israel would go out to war, the Holy One blessed be He would go out with them. When they angered Him, He did not go out with them. But when Israel was no longer in the Land [of Israel], He said: If only Israel was with Me, even if they would be angering Me. We have three verses: “Would that I would be in the wilderness, in a wayfarers’ lodging place” (Jeremiah 9:1); would that My people be with Me as they were at the outset, when they were in the wilderness.⁴⁶This is expounded from the term for lodging place [melon], which is similar to the word for complaining [malinim], used to describe the Israelites’ complaints in the wilderness (see Numbers 14:27) (Etz Yosef). And it is written: “Son of man, the house of Israel dwelled in their land…” (Ezekiel 36:17).⁴⁷The verse continues: “They defiled it in their way and by their doings; their way before Me was as the impurity of a menstruating woman.” The implication is that despite the impurity, God wants them “before Me.” And this, “You will remember, and My soul is despondent within Me.”
Rabbi Yudan said: “You will remember” – I know that You remember the nations of the world.⁴⁸You remember what they did to me and You will punish them. But what can I do, “my soul is despondent within me.” The parable says: Until the fat one grows lean, the soul of the lean one expires.
“This I will reply to my heart; therefore I have hope” (Lamentations 3:21).
“This I will reply to my heart; therefore I have hope” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: To what is this matter analogous? To a king who married a noblewoman and wrote for her a very substantial marriage contract, saying to her: ‘I will prepare for you such and such number of wedding canopies, and I am giving you such and such number of gowns of purple wool.’ The king left her and went to a country overseas, and he was delayed there. Her neighbors came to her and were teasing her and saying to her: ‘The king left you, went to a country overseas, and he is not going to return to you.’ She was crying and sighing. When she would enter her house, she would take her marriage contract and read it. She would see in her marriage contract: I will prepare such and such number of wedding canopies, and I am giving you such and such number of gowns of purple wool, and she would be immediately comforted. Ultimately, the king came. He said to her: ‘My daughter, I am astonished, how did you wait for me all those years?’ She said to him: ‘My lord, the king, were it not for the substantial marriage contract that you wrote and gave to me, my neighbors would have caused my demise.’ So too, idolaters provoke Israel and say to them: ‘Your God has concealed His face from You and caused His Divine Presence to depart from you. He will never return to you.’ They cry and sigh. When they enter the synagogues and study halls, read the Torah, and find that it is written: “I will turn to you, and make you fruitful.… I will place My Sanctuary in your midst.… I will walk in your midst” (Leviticus 26:9, 11–12), they are comforted. Tomorrow, when the end of the redemption comes, the Holy One blessed be He will say to Israel: ‘My children, I am astonished over you, how did you wait for Me all those years?’ They will say before Him: ‘Master of the universe, were it not for Your Torah that You gave us, the nations would have caused our demise.’ That is why it is stated: “This (zot) I will reply to my heart,” and zot is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “And this [vezot] is the Torah” (Deuteronomy 4:44). Likewise, David said: “Had Your Torah not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalms 119:92). “Therefore I have hope” in Him, and we proclaim the unity of His name twice daily and say: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

When the Holy One, blessed be he, contemplated fashioning man, he said to the Torah: Let us make man (Gen. 1:26). It replied: Master of the Universe, the man You wish to make is of few days, and full of trouble (Job 14:1), and he will sin. If You are not forbearing with him, it would be better that he should not come into the world. He retorted: Is it for nothing that I am described as Slow to anger and plenteous in loving-kindness (Num. 17:18)? Whereupon He began to collect the dust for the body of the first man from the four corners of the earth, so that no one part of the earth might say: “The dust of the body of man is mine.” If he took the dust from the east and the man passed away to the west, the earth of the west might say: “The dust of your body did not come from me, I will not welcome you.” Therefore He took the dust from the four corners of the world, so that wherever man man passes away the earth would welcome him, as it is written: For dust thou art (Gen. 3:19).

“Who is that ascending from the wilderness, leaning upon her beloved? Under the apple tree I roused you; there your mother was in travail with you; there she who bore you was in travail” (Song of Songs 8:5).
“Who is that ascending from the wilderness” – [Israel’s] ascent was from the wilderness, its decline was from the wilderness, and its death was from the wilderness. That is what it says: “In this wilderness they will expire, and there they will die” (Numbers 14:35). “Leaning [mitrapeket] upon her beloved” – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Because it will resolve sections of the Torah and issues of kingdom in the future.⁵Mitrapeket when rearranged is a portmanteau of matir perek – resolves a section. In the future, Israel will resolve all questions relating to Torah, and will reestablish its monarchy. “Under the apple tree I roused you” – Pelatyon of Rome expounded and said: Mount Sinai was detached and positioned in the supernal heavens, and Israel was situated beneath it, as it is stated: “You approached and stood beneath the mountain” (Deuteronomy 4:11).
Another matter: “Under the apple tree I roused you” – this is Sinai. Why is it likened to an apple tree? Just as the apple tree produces fruit in the month of Sivan, so too, the Torah was given in Sivan. Alternatively, “under the apple tree I roused you” – why not a nut tree or a different tree? Each tree typically grows its leaves first and then its fruit, but the apple tree grows its fruit first and then grows its leaves. Similarly, Israel put performing before hearing, as it is stated: “We will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).⁶Although translated here as “heed,” the term nishma can be translated “hear.” The point here is that Israel committed to following God’s commands even before hearing what they were. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If you accept My Torah upon yourself, fine, but if not, I will lower this mountain upon you and kill you.’ “There your mother was in travail with you” – was it there that she was in travail? Rabbi Berekhya said: This is analogous to one who went to a dangerous place and was saved. His friend encountered him and said to him: ‘Did you pass through that dangerous place? How much danger you experienced! It is as though you were now borne by your mother. How much suffering you experienced! Now it is as though you were created as a new creation.’
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: “There [your mother] was in travail [ḥibela]” and there she had collateral taken from her [ḥubela]; “was in travail” – at the moment that they said: “Everything that the Lord spoke we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). She had collateral taken from her – at the moment that they said to the calf: “This is your God, Israel” (Exodus 32:4), they had collateral taken. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The weapon that was given to Israel at Ḥorev had the ineffable name etched upon it.⁷This is stated in explanation of the adornment mentioned in the verse: “The children of Israel were stripped of their adornment from Mount Ḥorev” (Exodus 33:6). When they sinned it was taken from them. Rabbi Aivu and the Rabbis: Rabbi Aivu said: It was peeled on its own. The Rabbis say: An angel descended and peeled it. Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: Wretched is the bride who sins under the wedding canopy. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They lost the good counsel that was given them at Sinai, as it is stated: “You hollowed all my counsel” (Proverbs 1:25), and counsel is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “Counsel and resourcefulness are mine” (Proverbs 8:14).
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: It is written: “At Ḥorev you provoked [hiktzaftem] the Lord” (Deuteronomy 9:8). The Holy One blessed be He said: I came to bless you and found your palate pierced and unable to hold a blessing, as it is stated: “Moses saw the people that it was parua (Exodus 32:25), and parua means nothing other than hollowed, just as you say: “You hollowed [vatifre’u] all my counsel” (Proverbs 1:25). Rabbi Levi said: You made the Holy One blessed be He as though He was mourning over you. There are places that call the house of mourning the house of wrath [beit ketzofa].

[(Numb. 14:11:) HOW LONG WILL THIS PEOPLE SCORN ME?] Moses said to the Holy One: So what do you want? He said to him (in vs. 12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM. THEN I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION THAT IS GREATER AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN THEY. Moses said to him (in vss. 13–14, 16): WHEN THE EGYPTIANS HEAR <WHAT HAPPENED>, FOR YOU DID BRING THIS PEOPLE UP THROUGH YOUR POWER FROM THEIR MIDST, THEY WILL SAY UNTO THE INHABITANTS OF <THIS> LAND…. BECAUSE THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING THIS PEOPLE <INTO THE LAND>…. So would not the nations of the world say: The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt?¹³Numb. R. 16:25; cf. above, Numb. 4:24 and the note there; below, Numb. 4a:19. Why? The gods of Egypt are of irrigated land, but those of Canaan are of <land> watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al). (Numb. 14:14, 16:) THEY WILL SAY UNTO THE INHABITANTS OF THIS LAND….. BECAUSE THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING <THIS PEOPLE INTO THE LAND>…. (Numb. 14:16:) BECAUSE HE WAS NOT ABLE (yekholet), <i.e.,> because he did not have the means to supply enough food, he brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]): AND SOLOMON GAVE HIRAM TWENTY THOUSAND MEASURES OF WHEAT AS FOOD (makkolet) FOR HIS HOUSEHOLD.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying (Exod. 12:1). Is it not a fact that He spoke only to Moses? Why, then, does the Scripture say unto Moses and Aaron? To indicate that just as Moses was included in the revelation, so too was Aaron. Where do we learn that He did not speak to Aaron? From the verse And it came to pass on the day that the Lord spoke unto Moses in the land of Egypt (Exod. 6:28), that is, to Moses and not to Aaron. Similarly in the above verse He spoke to Moses but not to Aaron. Why did He not speak to Aaron? In order (to enhance) Moses’ honor. However, if that were so, would not Aaron’s honor be diminished? No. For they were equals. You find that whenever two things are mentioned together they are of equal importance. On that day the heaven and the earth were finished (Gen. 2:1), and they are equal. Honor thy father and mother (Exod. 20:12), and they are equal. Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh (Num. 14:38), and they were equals. Similarly, Moses and Aaron were equals.

And the Lord spoke unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying (Exod. 12:1). Is it not a fact that He spoke only to Moses? Why, then, does the Scripture say unto Moses and Aaron? To indicate that just as Moses was included in the revelation, so too was Aaron. Where do we learn that He did not speak to Aaron? From the verse And it came to pass on the day that the Lord spoke unto Moses in the land of Egypt (Exod. 6:28), that is, to Moses and not to Aaron. Similarly in the above verse He spoke to Moses but not to Aaron. Why did He not speak to Aaron? In order (to enhance) Moses’ honor. However, if that were so, would not Aaron’s honor be diminished? No. For they were equals. You find that whenever two things are mentioned together they are of equal importance. On that day the heaven and the earth were finished (Gen. 2:1), and they are equal. Honor thy father and mother (Exod. 20:12), and they are equal. Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh (Num. 14:38), and they were equals. Similarly, Moses and Aaron were equals.

After that, entered ר and said before Him: "Master of the world! You should make Your world through me, for through me is said (Psalm 119:160) 'The beginning¹ראש beginning with a ר of Your word is truth,' and also I am at the start of Your name called Merciful²רחום beginning with a ר as well as healing.³רפואה beginning with a ר" The Holy Blessed One responded and said to it, "No." It said "why?" He said to it: "Since through you Israel will in the future begin to worship idolatry, as is written (Numbers 14:4) 'Let us appoint a head⁴ראש beginning with a ר and return to Egypt.'" And why is idolatry called a "head?" As is written (Daniel 2:38) "The form of the head was of gold.' Also, ר is in evil⁵רע beginning with a ר and the beginning of wickedness⁶רשע beginning with a ר. Immediately it left from before His presence with a disappointed soul.

“Who is this ascending from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all the powders of the merchant?” (Song of Songs 3:6).
“Who is this ascending from the wilderness,” its ascent was in the wilderness;⁴⁰Israel was elevated in the wilderness, as the midrash goes on to explain. its removal ⁴¹The division of the camp based on tribal units, which would eventually become the basis of the distribution of the Land of Israel to the tribes. was in the wilderness; its death was in the wilderness, just as it says: “In this wilderness they will cease to exist” (Numbers 14:35). Torah [was given] from the wilderness, the Tabernacle from the wilderness, Sanhedrin from the wilderness, priesthood from the wilderness, Levites from the wilderness, royalty from the wilderness, as it is stated: “You will be for Me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6); and all the fine gifts that the Holy One blessed be He gave to Israel were from the wilderness. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: In the wilderness they loaded,⁴²They received the Torah. and in the wilderness they unloaded.⁴³When they sinned. Prophecy is from the wilderness. That is, its ascent is from the wilderness.

Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world say: He behaves like a brute with you. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, he destroyed them with water, as stated (in Gen. 7:6): WHEN THE FLOODWATERS CAME UPON THE EARTH. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, he destroyed them. And similarly, when the Egyptians came, he drowned them in water. And also in the case of these whom he has called (in Exod. 4:22) ISRAEL, MY FIRST-BORN SON, here he is destroying (mekhalleh) them! <He is> like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16): BECAUSE THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING THIS PEOPLE INTO THE LAND WHICH HE HAS SWORN <TO GIVE> THEM, HE HAS SLAUGHTERED THEM IN THE DESERT. Moses said: Sovereign of the World, (according to vs. 14) THAT YOU, O LORD, ARE SEEN FACE TO FACE (literally: EYE TO EYE). What is the meaning of THAT <YOU> … ARE SEEN EYE TO EYE ('YN B'YN)?¹⁴Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. Simeon ben Laqish said: See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN). You say (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM; but I am saying (in vs. 19): PLEASE PARDON. We shall see whose <utterance> will stand. The Holy One said to him: By your life, Moses, yours shall stand, while mine is null <and void>. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:20): THEN THE LORD SAID: I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED. But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12): THEN I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION THAT IS GREATER AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN THEY, <that decree> was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, and in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12): LOOK! THESE ARE COMING FROM AFAR. AND LOOK! THESE ARE FROM THE NORTH AND FROM THE SEA (i.e., FROM THE WEST), AND THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM. Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond <the River> Sambatyon¹⁵Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the darkness.¹⁶Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. It is concerning them that Isaiah has said (in Is. 49:9): SAYING TO THE PRISONERS: GO FORTH, <i.e.,> to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.:) TO THOSE WHO ARE IN DARKNESS: SHOW YOURSELVES.¹⁷Higgalu. The verb can also mean “be exiled. These are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.:) THEY SHALL PASTURE ALONG THE ROADS, AND {UPON} [IN ALL] THE HEIGHTS SHALL BE THEIR PASTURE. These are those who are located in Daphne near Antioch.¹⁸According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness. Isaiah has said (in Is. 51:11): SO LET THOSE RANSOMED BY THE LORD RETURN AND COME TO ZION WITH EXALTATION, WITH JOY EVERLASTING UPON THEIR HEADS. LET THEM ATTAIN JOY AND GLADNESS; MAY SORROW AND SIGHING FLEE.

These are the accounts of the tabernacle, even the tabernacle of the testimony (Exod. 38:21). The Tabernacle bears testimony to the entire world that He forgave them for the episode of the golden calf. This may be likened to a king who marries a woman he loves dearly. After some time he becomes angry with her and leaves her. Her neighbors ridicule her, saying: “Repent or your husband will not return to you.” After some time he returned to her palace and ate and drank with her. Still her neighbors were not convinced that the king had become reconciled with her. However, after they experienced the fragrance of spices ascending from the house, all of them realized that he had become reconciled with her. Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, loved Israel and gave them the Torah and called then a holy nation: A kingdom of priests and a holy nation (Exod. 19:6). But when they sinned after forty days, the nations exclaimed: “He will not return to them.” Moses arose then and pleaded for mercy in their behalf. And He replied: I have pardoned according to thy word (Num. 14:20). Moses asked: Who will make it known to the nations? And He replied to him: Let them make Me a Sanctuary. When the nations smelled the fragrance of the smoke as it ascended from the midst of the Sanctuary, they knew that the Holy One, blessed be He, had become reconciled with them.

Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world say: He behaves like a brute with you. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, he destroyed them with water, as stated (in Gen. 7:6): WHEN THE FLOODWATERS CAME UPON THE EARTH. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, he destroyed them. And similarly, when the Egyptians came, he drowned them in water. And also in the case of these whom he has called (in Exod. 4:22) ISRAEL, MY FIRST-BORN SON, here he is destroying (mekhalleh) them! <He is> like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16): BECAUSE THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING THIS PEOPLE INTO THE LAND WHICH HE HAS SWORN <TO GIVE> THEM, HE HAS SLAUGHTERED THEM IN THE DESERT. Moses said: Sovereign of the World, (according to vs. 14) THAT YOU, O LORD, ARE SEEN FACE TO FACE (literally: EYE TO EYE). What is the meaning of THAT <YOU> … ARE SEEN EYE TO EYE ('YN B'YN)?¹⁴Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. Simeon ben Laqish said: See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN). You say (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM; but I am saying (in vs. 19): PLEASE PARDON. We shall see whose <utterance> will stand. The Holy One said to him: By your life, Moses, yours shall stand, while mine is null <and void>. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:20): THEN THE LORD SAID: I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED. But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12): THEN I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION THAT IS GREATER AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN THEY, <that decree> was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, and in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12): LOOK! THESE ARE COMING FROM AFAR. AND LOOK! THESE ARE FROM THE NORTH AND FROM THE SEA (i.e., FROM THE WEST), AND THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM. Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond <the River> Sambatyon¹⁵Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the darkness.¹⁶Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. It is concerning them that Isaiah has said (in Is. 49:9): SAYING TO THE PRISONERS: GO FORTH, <i.e.,> to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.:) TO THOSE WHO ARE IN DARKNESS: SHOW YOURSELVES.¹⁷Higgalu. The verb can also mean “be exiled. These are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.:) THEY SHALL PASTURE ALONG THE ROADS, AND {UPON} [IN ALL] THE HEIGHTS SHALL BE THEIR PASTURE. These are those who are located in Daphne near Antioch.¹⁸According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness. Isaiah has said (in Is. 51:11): SO LET THOSE RANSOMED BY THE LORD RETURN AND COME TO ZION WITH EXALTATION, WITH JOY EVERLASTING UPON THEIR HEADS. LET THEM ATTAIN JOY AND GLADNESS; MAY SORROW AND SIGHING FLEE.

As soon as Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he said to his sons: Get you down thither, and buy for us from them, etc. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down (ibid. 42:2–3). Why did all ten go? Because in that number resides the power to set aside retribution.⁴Because ten comprise a minyan and so they could beseech God as a congregation. For example, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to destroy Sodom, our patriarch Abraham pleaded for heavenly mercy in their behalf. He spoke first of fifty men, but finally reduced the number to ten, as it is said: Peradventure ten shall be found there (ibid. 18:31). Ten men also comprise a congregation, as is said: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation (Num. 14:27), and God standeth in the congregation of God (Ps. 82:1). Hence Scripture states: Joseph’s ten brethren went down (Gen. 42:3). Just as in the case of Sodom, Scripture speaks here of ten. And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came (Gen. 42:5), in order that no one would recognize them. The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Because you have said: We shall see what will become of his dreams (ibid. 37:20), his dream was fulfilled. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but they did not recognize him, for they had felt no compassion for him, while Joseph recognized them because he pitied them.

(Numb. 14:27:) HOW LONG SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION BE MURMURING AGAINST ME? <I HAVE HEARD THE MURMURINGS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>….. Let our master instruct us: When a baby has a stone in his hand on the Sabbath, is it permissible to pick him up on the Sabbath?¹⁹Numb. R. 16:26. Thus have our masters taught (in Shab. 21:1): A PERSON MAY PICK UP ONE'S CHILD, EVEN WITH A STONE IN HIS HAND, OR A BASKET (of fruit), EVEN WITH A STONE INSIDE IT. You have learned from the generation of the wilderness that the Holy One, as it were, carried them up in the wilderness. (Deut. 1:31:) AND IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOU SAW HOW THE LORD YOUR GOD CARRIED YOU AS {THE PERSON} [ONE] CARRIES HIS CHILD. Yet there was an object of idolatry in their hand.²⁰Corresponding to the stone in the hand of the child. Thus it is stated (in Neh. 9:18): EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD MADE THEMSELVES A MOLTEN CALF…. And so you find that, when they crossed in the sea, Micah's image (of Jud. 17:3–4) crossed with them, as stated (in Zech. 10:11): AND A RIVAL WIFE²¹Tsarah. The Midrash understands the word in this sense, although most translations follow the other meaning of tsarah, i.e., “affliction,” “distress,” or the like. So also below, Deut. 4:14. SHALL CROSS IN THE SEA.²²Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Pisha 14 on Exod. 12:41; Sanh. 103b; M. Pss. 101:2; Exod. R. 41:1; also Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1 on Exod. 15:22; ySuk. 4:3 (54c); see ARN, A, 34. Still with all this, the Holy One did not forsake them. He said to Moses: I have done a lot of good things with them; yet they are provoking me a lot. I parted the sea for them; they provoked me, as stated (in Pss. 106:7): THEY REBELLED AT THE SEA, [AT THE] REED [SEA]. I led them in the desert, but they provoked me there. And so it says (in Numb. 14:22): THEY HAVE TRIED ME THESE TEN TIMES AND NOT HEARKENED TO MY VOICE. Here also I told you to send them to explore the land, but they provoked me and brought a bad name upon it (i.e., upon the land). I am not able to endure. How long shall I endure them? Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 14:27): HOW LONG SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>?

Another interpetation (of Numb. 13:2:) YOU YOURSELF SEND¹⁵Again the midrash requires this more literal translation. <MEN>. Even though the Holy One had said: YOU YOURSELF SEND <MEN>, it was not <the wish> of the Holy One for them to go.¹⁶Tanh., Numb. 4:5, cont.; see Numb. R. 16:7. Why? Because the Holy One had already told them <about> the superiority of the land of Israel. It is so stated (in Deut. 8:7): FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS BRINGING YOU UNTO A GOOD LAND. And so it says (in Deut. 11:10–11): FOR THE LAND INTO WHICH YOU ARE GOING TO POSSESS…. <BUT THE LAND INTO WHICH YOU ARE CROSSING TO POSSESS IS A LAND OF MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS. IT DRINKS WATER FROM THE RAIN OF HEAVEN.> Moreover, while they had been in Egypt, he had said to them (in Exod. 3:8): I HAVE COME DOWN TO DELIVER THEM <OUT OF THE HAND OF THE EGYPTIANS AND TO BRING THEM UP OUT OF THAT LAND> [UNTO A GOOD <AND SPACIOUS> LAND….] So what is the point of <saying> (in Numb. 13:2): YOU YOURSELF SEND <MEN>? It is simply that they wanted these words. When they reached <Israel's> borders, Moses had said to them (in Deut. 1:21): SEE, THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS SET THE LAND BEFORE YOU. At that time Israel approached Moses, as stated (in vs. 22): THEN YOU ALL DREW NEAR UNTO ME AND SAID: LET US SEND MEN <AHEAD OF US TO EXPLORE THE LAND FOR US>…. This is what Ezra¹⁷See Sanh. 93b, which also alludes to the book of Nehemiah under the name of Ezra. said (in Neh. 9:17): SO THEY REFUSED TO LISTEN AND WERE UNMINDFUL OF {HIS} [YOUR] WONDERS…. Now it says (in Numb. 10:33): AND THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD TRAVELED AHEAD OF THEM … TO SEEK OUT A RESTING PLACE FOR THEM. {However} [And] they said (in Deut. 1:22): LET US SEND MEN <AHEAD OF US TO EXPLORE THE LAND FOR US>…. {Is it not that they did not believe in his Torah?} [It is simply that they did not believe in his Torah.] And similarly David said (in Ps. 78:22): THEY DID NOT BELIEVE {IN HIS TORAH} [IN GOD]…. R. Joshua says: To what were they comparable: To a king who secured for his son a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. The king said to him: I have secured you a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. There is no one like her in the whole world. The son said to him: Let me go to see her, for he did not believe in his father. Immediately the situation became ever more difficult for his father. His father said: What shall I do? If I say to him: I am not showing her to you, then he will say: She is ugly. For that reason he did not want to show her. Finally he said to him: Look at her, so that you may know that I have not deceived you. But because you did not believe in me, I swear that you shall not see her in your house. Instead I am giving her to your son. Now similarly did the Holy One say to Israel: <The land> is good, but they did not believe in him. They said (in Deut. 1:22): LET US SEND MEN <AHEAD OF US>. The Holy One said: If I prevent them, they will say: The land is no good. For <that reason> he has not shown it to us. The Holy One said: They will only see it, for I swear that not one of them shall enter within it. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:23): SURELY THEY SHALL NOT SEE THE LAND…. Instead I am giving it to their children.

(Numb. 14:27:) HOW LONG SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION BE MURMURING AGAINST ME? <I HAVE HEARD THE MURMURINGS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>….. Let our master instruct us: When a baby has a stone in his hand on the Sabbath, is it permissible to pick him up on the Sabbath?¹⁹Numb. R. 16:26. Thus have our masters taught (in Shab. 21:1): A PERSON MAY PICK UP ONE'S CHILD, EVEN WITH A STONE IN HIS HAND, OR A BASKET (of fruit), EVEN WITH A STONE INSIDE IT. You have learned from the generation of the wilderness that the Holy One, as it were, carried them up in the wilderness. (Deut. 1:31:) AND IN THE WILDERNESS, WHERE YOU SAW HOW THE LORD YOUR GOD CARRIED YOU AS {THE PERSON} [ONE] CARRIES HIS CHILD. Yet there was an object of idolatry in their hand.²⁰Corresponding to the stone in the hand of the child. Thus it is stated (in Neh. 9:18): EVEN THOUGH THEY HAD MADE THEMSELVES A MOLTEN CALF…. And so you find that, when they crossed in the sea, Micah's image (of Jud. 17:3–4) crossed with them, as stated (in Zech. 10:11): AND A RIVAL WIFE²¹Tsarah. The Midrash understands the word in this sense, although most translations follow the other meaning of tsarah, i.e., “affliction,” “distress,” or the like. So also below, Deut. 4:14. SHALL CROSS IN THE SEA.²²Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Pisha 14 on Exod. 12:41; Sanh. 103b; M. Pss. 101:2; Exod. R. 41:1; also Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1 on Exod. 15:22; ySuk. 4:3 (54c); see ARN, A, 34. Still with all this, the Holy One did not forsake them. He said to Moses: I have done a lot of good things with them; yet they are provoking me a lot. I parted the sea for them; they provoked me, as stated (in Pss. 106:7): THEY REBELLED AT THE SEA, [AT THE] REED [SEA]. I led them in the desert, but they provoked me there. And so it says (in Numb. 14:22): THEY HAVE TRIED ME THESE TEN TIMES AND NOT HEARKENED TO MY VOICE. Here also I told you to send them to explore the land, but they provoked me and brought a bad name upon it (i.e., upon the land). I am not able to endure. How long shall I endure them? Where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 14:27): HOW LONG SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>?

(Numb. 13:21:) “So they went up and explored the land.” How?²¹Below, Numb. 4a:3, 10; Numb. R. 16:13; Sot. 35a. When they entered a town, a pestilence afflicted the nobility; and the people of the town were busy with their burial so when they entered, no mortal saw them. For this reason they said (in vs. 32), “The land through which we passed […] is a land that eats up its inhabitants.” It was through the [very] miracles which the Holy One, blessed be He, did for them that they spread slander. (Numb. 13:22:) “And they went up to the Negeb and they came to Hevron, and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai were there,” who were extremely strong, as stated (Deut. 9:2), “whom you have known and about whom you have heard.” R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said (according to vs. 22), “They found the three sons of Anak there, ‘Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai.’²²Cf. Sot. 34b. Why was the name of [the first] called Ahiman? Because he said, ‘My brother (ahi), who (man) will come against me?’ [Why] Sheshai (shyshy)? Because he was as sound as marble (shysh). [Why] Talmai?²³Talmay, which means, “my furrows.” Because he went and made furrows (telamim) in the earth.”²⁴I.e., with his heavy steps. (Ibid., cont.:) “The children of the Anak ('nq).” (He was called that] because he wore (rt.: 'nq) the sun around his neck.²⁵According to Zeev Wolf’s commentary on Numb. R. 16:11, they were so tall that the sun seemed to rest on their heads. When the spies saw them they were afraid. Immediately they went and said (in vs. 31), “for they are stronger than we (which can also be read as, than He).” Resh Laqish said, “They compared them to the Above. Because of this transgression harsh decrees were issued against them.” What does the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Jeremiah? “Go, say to them, ‘You do not know what you have brought out from your mouth, as stated (in Jer. 11:16), “with the sound of a great tumult you have lit fire to it, and you have broken its boughs.” What did you cause to yourselves “with the sound of a great tumult” that you said, “you have lit fire to it.” “You will carry your sins one day for each year”’” (Numbers 14:34). They said (in Numb. 13:33), “And in our own eyes we were like grasshoppers.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I forgave them for that [remark]; but I was exacting [when they said] (ibid., cont.), ‘And so we were in their eyes.’ Who would say that you were not like angels in their eyes? Do you know what I made you in their eyes?” What had they brought upon themselves? (Numb. 14:34:) “According to the number of days that you explored the land […] forty years.” As though this was not enough, they did not even enter the land. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In this world,²⁶This form usually denotes the end of a parashah, but it does not do so here; nor does it do so in the parallel in Numb R. 16:11. because the representatives (literally, those sent) were of flesh and blood, it has been decreed over them that they should not enter the land; but in the world to come I will suddenly send My angel (mal'akh), and he shall clear a way before Me.” It is so stated (in Mal. 3:1), “Behold, I am sending My messenger (mal'akh) to clear a way before Me, and [the Lord whom you seek] shall suddenly come unto his Temple.”

(Numb. 27:1:) “Then came forward the daughters of Zelophehad.” In that generation the women were fencing¹¹On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. that which the men were breaching.¹²Numb. R. 21:10. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2), “Take off the gold rings [that are in the ears of your wives…]”; but the women were unwilling and protested against their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3), “So all the people took off the gold rings that were in their¹³Since “their” is masculine here, there is an implication that the men only took their own earrings. ears.” Thus the women did not take part in making the [golden] calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36), “when they returned, they made [the whole congregation] murmur against him.” A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31), “We are unable to go up [against this people for they are stronger than us].” The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? “Because the Lord had said to them, ‘They shall surely die in the wilderness,’ not a man of them remained.” [Note that Scripture speaks of] “a man,” and not of "a woman.” Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance [in the land]; (Numb. 27:1) “Then came forward the daughters of Zelophehad.” Therefore the parashah [about the death of that generation] was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:1), “Then came forward [the daughters of Zelophehad ben Hepher ben Gilead ben Machir ben Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh ben Joseph”: [Their action was] an honor to them. [It was also] an honor to their father, an honor to Machir, an honor to Manasseh and an honor to Joseph that such righteous and wise women had issued from him.¹⁴Numb. R. 21:11. But what was their wisdom? They [only] spoke up at the proper time, when Moses was busy with the parashah about inheritance (in accordance with Numb. 26:53), “To these shall you apportion the land [for an inheritance].” [So what was their wisdom? That] they said to him, “If we are like a son, let us inherit; but if not, let our mother perform levirate marriage (marry her husband's brother).”¹⁵His duty would be to rear children in the name of the deceased father. On levirate marriage generally, see Deut. 25:5-6: also Gen. 38:8-9; Ruth 4:5. Immediately (in Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause before the Lord.” They were righteous, In that they had never been married to someone unworthy of them. Then why did they meet with Moses now? So that he would not [put on airs] over having abstained from his wife for forty years.¹⁶Since Moses regularly stood in the Divine Presence, he needed to preserve an unbroken state of purity. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed him through these [women], saying, “Here are women who without being commanded [remained unmarried] for forty years, until they were married to someone worthy of them.”

(Numb. 27:1:) THEN CAME FORWARD THE DAUGHTERS OF ZELOPHEHAD. In that generation the women were fencing in <the Law>,²⁷On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. which the men were breaking down.²⁸Tanh., Numb. 8:7; Numb. R. 21:10. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2): TAKE OFF THE GOLD RINGS <THAT ARE IN THE EARS OF YOUR WIVES … >; but the women were unwilling and tried to stop their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3): SO ALL THE PEOPLE TOOK OFF THE GOLD RINGS THAT WERE IN THEIR²⁹Since their is masculine, there is an immplication that the women did not cooperate. EARS. Thus the women did not take part in making the <golden> calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36): WHEN THEY RETURNED, THEY MADE THE WHOLE CONGREGATION MURMUR AGAINST HIM. A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31): WE ARE UNABLE TO GO UP <AGAINST THIS PEOPLE FOR THEY ARE STRONGER THAN WE>. The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above on the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? BECAUSE THE LORD HAD SAID TO THEM: THEY SHALL SURELY DIE IN THE WILDERNESS, NOT A MAN OF THEM REMAINED. <Note that Scripture speaks of> [A MAN] and not of "a woman." Why? Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance in the land. Therefore the parashah (which contains Numb. 26:65) was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in.

Rabbi Berekhya interpreted it regarding this verse: “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint [a man over the congregation]” (Numbers 27:16). “May the Lord…appoint”—[Moses] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since you are ousting me from the world, inform me who are the shepherds whom You are installing over Your children.’ Where is the matter articulated? “Tell me, he whom my soul loves,” the nation that my soul loves, the nation to whom I dedicated my life; “where do you herd,” during the period of the monarchy; “where do you rest your flock at noon,” when [Israel is] subjudgated to [foreign] kingdoms. “Why [shalama] should I be as one bound [keoteya]?” Rabbi Azarya said: Shalama, that I will not [shelo] become as nothing [lema] in the eyes of Your companions²²⁴This is a reference to the patriarchs. regarding their flocks. There will be a desecration of Heaven in the matter if your children are in distress and the flocks of Your companions²²⁵This is a reference to the nations of the world. Their kings are referred to here as God’s companions (Etz Yosef). Alternatively, the reference is to the nations that descend from Ishmael and Esau, sons of the patriarchs Abraham and Isaac (Midrash HaMevoar). are comfortable. Rabbi Yudan bar Simon said: So the nations of the world will not say that the attribute of justice has erred [ta’at].²²⁶This is alluded to in the word keoteya. [God] knew that He sought to slaughter them in the wilderness and He slaughtered them in the wilderness, just as it says: “He slaughtered them in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:16).²²⁷This phrase appears in the passage in which Moses implores God not to destroy Israel in the aftermath of the sin of the scouts, arguing that the nations of the world would say God knew He could not defeat the Canaanite nations and therefore slaughtered Israel in the wilderness (see Numbers 14:13–19). Similarly, Moses requested that God appoint good leaders over the nation after him so as to avoid a desecration of Gdod’s name. The Rabbis say: So that your children will not see that their trouble is trouble and deviate [yatu] from following You and cleave to the flocks of Your companions,²²⁸This is a reference to the nations of the world. just as you say: “Can the seat of wickedness be Your companion?” (Psalms 94:20).²²⁹This verse demonstrates that the nations of the world can be referred to as companions of God.
At that moment the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Moses, you say to Me: “Where do you herd, where do you rest your flock,” by your life, if you do not know, ultimately, you will know,’ as it is stated: “If you do not know, fairest among women” (Song of Songs 1:8).²³⁰The Hebrew phrase generally translated “if you do not know” can also be translated “shall you not know,” and that is how the midrash is interpreting it here.
Another matter, “if you do not know, fairest among women,” fairest among prophets, the most outstanding among the prophets. Rabbi Yosei bar Yirmeya said: Why were the prophets likened to women? To say to you: Just as a woman is not shy about demanding her household needs from her husband, so the prophets are not shy about demanding the needs of Israel from their Father in Heaven.

And the Lord said: Behold, man has become like one of us (Gen. 3:22). May our master teach us the punishment inflicted upon one who speaks evil?²⁹Speaking evil (slander) is considered the most serious of all sins because it causes the blood to flow to the cheek of the victim. Cf. Arukh 15a. Thus do our masters teach us: One who speaks evil is punished more severely than one who does an evil act. The punishment inflicted upon our ancestors befell them only because of speaking evil, as it is said: You have put me to proof these ten times, and have not hearkened to My voice (Num. 14:22).

A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8).
“A time to love,” in peacetime, “and a time to hate,” in wartime; “a time for war,” in wartime, “and a time for peace,” in peacetime.

(Exod. 16:28): HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL YOU REFUSE?
(Numb. 14:11): HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL <THIS PEOPLE> SCORN ME?
(Ibid., cont.:) AND HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL THEY HAVE NO FAITH IN ME?
(Numb. 14:27) HOW LONG ('ad matay) SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>?

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin interpreted the verses regarding Israel. “A time to be born and a time to die” – the Holy One blessed be He said: For a brief time I was the midwife for My children, as it is written: “As for your birth, on the day you were born” (Ezekiel 16:4).²⁶The verse quoted is followed by verses in which God describes Israel as an abandoned, bloodied baby, whom He cared for and nursed to health. This is a parable for God saving Israel from Egypt. “And a time to die,” as it is written: “In this wilderness they will expire and there they will die (Numbers 14:35). “No man was left of them, except Caleb son of Yefuneh, and Joshua son of Nun” (Numbers 26:65).
“A time to plant,” as it is stated: “I will plant them on their land” (Amos 9:15), “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” as it is written: “The Lord uprooted them from upon their land” (Deuteronomy 29:27). “A time to kill,” as it is written: “He killed all who delighted the eye” (Lamentations 2:4), “and a time to heal,” as it is written: “Behold, I am bringing it a remedy and cure” (Jeremiah 33:6). “A time to breach,” as it is written: “Each woman would depart through the breaches” (Amos 4:3), “and a time to build,” as it is written: “I will build it as in the days of old” (Amos 9:11). “A time to weep,” as it is written: “She will weep at night” (Lamentations 1:2), “and a time to laugh,” as it is written: “Then our mouths will be filled with laughter” (Psalms 126:2). “A time to mourn,” as it is written: “The Lord God of hosts declared that day for weeping and lamentation” (Isaiah 22:12), “and a time to dance,” as it is written: “The squares of the city will be filled [with boys and girls playing in its squares]” (Zechariah 8:5). “A time to cast stones,” as it is written: “The sacred stones are spilled” (Lamentations 4:1), “and a time to gather stones,” as it is written: “Behold, I am laying a stone foundation in Zion” (Isaiah 28:16). “A time to embrace,” as it is stated: “And his right hand embraces me” (Song of Songs 2:6), “and a time to refrain from embrace,” as it is stated: “The Lord will banish man” (Isaiah 6:12).
“A time to seek,” as it is written: “From there you will seek the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:29), “and a time to lose,” as it is written: “Beware, lest your heart be seduced…you will be swiftly eradicated” (Deuteronomy 11:16–17). “A time to keep [lishmor],” as it is written: “Behold, the Keeper [Shomer] of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalms 121:4), “and a time to discard,” as it is written: “He cast them to another land” (Deuteronomy 29:27). “A time to rend,” as it is written: “The Lord has rent the kingdom of Israel” (I Samuel 15:28), “and a time to sew,” as it is written: “They will become one in your hand” (Ezekiel 37:17). “A time to be silent,” as it is written: “I have kept silent for a long time” (Isaiah 42:14), “and a time to speak,” as it is written: “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:2). “A time to love,” as it is written: “I have loved you, said the Lord” (Malachi 1:2), “and a time to hate,” as it is written: “She raised her voice against me; therefore I hated her” (Jeremiah 12:8). “A time for war,” as it is written: “He was transformed into their enemy” (Isaiah 63:10), “and a time for peace,” as it is written: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river” (Isaiah 66:12).

The intercalation takes place in the presence of three; Rabbi Eliezer says that ten (men are required), as it is said, "God standeth in the congregation of God" (Ps. 82:1), and if they become less than ten, since they are diminished they place a scroll of the Torah before them, and they are seated in a circle in the court-room, and the greatest (among them) sits first, and the least sits last; and they direct their gaze downwards to the earth and (then) they stand and spread out their hands before their Father who is in heaven, and the chief of the assembly proclaims the name (of God), and they hear a Bath Ḳol (saying) the following words, "And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron… saying, This month shall be unto you" (Ex. 12:1, 2).

The shares of the spies, Joshua and Caleb inherited. Whence is this deduced? Ula faid: "The passage says (Num. 14, 38) But Joshua, the son of Nun and Caleb, … remained alive. What is meant by remained alive? Shall we take it literally? For this there is another passage (Ib. 26, 65) Save Caleb and Joshua. We must then conclude that the first-cited verse means that they lived with their shares." The murmurers and the congregation of Korah had no share in the land of Israel. Have we not been taught in a Baraitha that the shares of the spies, the murmurers, and the congregation of Korah, Joshua and Caleb inherited? This presents no difficulty. The Tanna of our Baraitha compares the murmerers to the spies, while the other master does not, as we are taught in the following Baraitha (Ib. 27, 3) Our father died in the wilderness, refers to Z'laphchad, but he was not of the company, refers to the spies; of those who gathered themselves, refers to the murmurers; in the company of Korah, literally. Hence one compares the murmurers to the spies and one does not. R. Papa raised the following objection to the above: According to him who compared the murmurers to the spies, then Joshua and Caleb must have taken nearly all Palestine? [for the majority were murmurers]. Whereupon Abaye answered, "They refers to the murmurers of the company of Korah."

(Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh.” This text is related (to Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness. [This verse is] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not delight in convicting a person, as stated (in Ezek. 33:11), “As I live, says the Lord, it is not My delight for the wicked to die.” In what does He delight? In vindicating (rt.: tsdq) His people. Thus it is stated (in Is. 42:21), “The Lord was delighted because of His [servant's] vindication (tsdq)…,”⁴⁰This is the interpretation of the midrash and of the new JPS translation. [i.e.] because of His people's vindication (tsdq)] and not [their] conviction. So also you find that in the case of the first Adam, when he created him, He set him in the Garden of Eden. Then He gave him a command and said to him, “Eat this, but do not eat from this, for (according to Gen. 2:17) ‘on the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die.’” [When] he transgressed, he brought a sentence⁴¹Gk.: apophasis. upon himself. [And then] the Sabbath came, and He acquitted him.⁴²Heb.: pinnahu. This word means “removed him” as well as “acquitted him.” In other words, Adam’s acquittal meant that his sentence was reduced from death to removal from the Garden. So M. Pss. 92:3. He began to talk with him [about] whether he would repent. It is so stated (in Gen. 3:9), “The Lord God called unto Adam and said, ‘Where are you?’” [This means, “What is your state?”] The Lord can only mean the quality of mercy, as stated (in Exod. 34:6), “The Lord, the Lord is a merciful and gracious God.” For him He had the quality of mercy precede the quality of strict justice. Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness,” in that He does not delight in convicting a person. He began to talk with him, as stated (in Gen. 3:11-12), “Who told you that you were naked? Then the man said, ‘The woman….’” He left Adam alone and began to talk with the woman, as stated (in vs. 13), “Then the Lord God said to the woman….” But when He came to the serpent He did not talk with him. Instead He immediately gave him a sentence, as stated (in vss. 14–15), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this …. I will put enmity between you [and the woman]….’” [Then] He returned to the woman and said to her (in vs. 16), “I will greatly multiply your pain in pregnancy.” And when He returned to the man, He did not convict him. Rather He intimated to him that he should repent. Where is it shown? R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Levi, “When He said to him (in vs. 19), ‘By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread, [until you return …].’ ‘You return’ can only be mean repentance, since it is stated (in Hos. 14:2), ‘Return O Israel, to the Lord your God, as you have stumbled in your iniquity.’” When [Adam] did not repent, He expelled him from the Garden of Eden, as stated [(in Gen. 3:24), “And He drove out the man.” Ergo I would say (in Ps. 5:5), “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness.” What is the meaning of (ibid., cont.), “evil may not abide with You.” R. Tanhuma bar Hanila'i in the name of R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Johanan, “Before the Holy One, blessed be He, stand only angels of peace and angels of mercy, but the angels of wrath are far from Him. It is so stated (in Numb. 14:15), ‘the Lord, of long patience.’ Do we not already know that He is of long patience? But rather what is the meaning of He is ‘of long patience?’ That the angels of wrath are far from Him, as stated (in Is. 13:5), ‘They come from a far land from the end of the heavens, even the Lord and the weapons of his wrath.’” Another interpretation (of Ps. 5:5, cont.), “evil may not abide with You”: R. Johanan said, “If you do not pursue evil, evil will not pursue you, nor will it dwell with you. Ergo, (Ps. 5:5, cont.), ‘evil may not abide with You,’ as ‘abide with You,’ can only mean dwelling, as stated (Exodus 2:48), ‘And if a stranger dwells with you.’” Another interpretation (of Ps. 5:5, cont.), “evil may not abide with You”: R. Eleazar ben Pedat said in the name of R. Johanan, “The name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not mentioned in connection with evil but only in connection with good.” You know that it is so. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the light and the darkness and gave them names, [Scripture] mentioned His name in connection with the light but did not mention His name in connection with the darkness.⁴³Gen. R. 1:6. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 1:5), “And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.” Behold, it mentioned His name with the light; but when it comes to the dark it doesn’t say, “and God called the darkness night,” but “He called [the darkness] night.” So also you find that, when He created Adam and Eve, [Scripture] mentioned His name in connection with them, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), “Then God blessed them…”; but when He cursed them, it did not mention His name in connection with them. [Thus it is stated] (in Gen. 3:16-17), “And unto the woman He said […]. And unto Adam He said.” Now if you say [that] behold, [Scripture] mentioned [His name] in connection with the serpent when He cursed him, since it is written (in Gen. 3:14), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, more cursed shall you be’”; the sages have taught thus: The Holy One, blessed be He, has mentioned His name in connection with three things, even though they stood for evil: In connection with the inciter, i.e., the serpent, since he incited the woman and said (in 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,’ like Him. Just like He created His world, you [two] will be able to create worlds like Him. [But He doesn’t want this,] as every artisan hates his fellow [artisan].” So because he incited her and spoke slander, [Scripture] mentions His name in connection with [the serpent]. In connection with one who transgresses the words of the sages, as is stated (in Jer. 11:3), “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Cursed is the one who does not heed the words of this covenant.’” In connection with one who puts his trust in flesh and blood, as stated (in Jer. 17:5), “Thus says the Lord, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in a human being, who makes flesh his strength and whose heart turns from the Lord.’”
So also you find in the case of Noah, [that Scripture used (God’s) name] when he blessed his sons, as stated (in Gen. 9:26), “And he said, ‘blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem…;’” but when he cursed Canaan, [Scripture did not mention the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in connection with him], as stated (in vs. 25), “And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan….’” So also you find in the case of Elisha the prophet, that when the king of Aram came to fight against Israel, he consulted with his servants and made pits [to trap] them. He said, “When Israel comes to fight against us, they will fall into the pits,” as stated (in II Kings 6:8-9), “When the king of Aram was fighting against Israel, [he consulted with his servants, saying, ‘My camp shall be in such and such a place.’ But the man of God sent unto the king of Israel [saying], ‘Take care [not to pass this place, because the Aramaeans are camping there.]’” So the Holy One, blessed be He, does nothing (according to Amos 3:7) without having revealed His purpose unto His servants the prophets. When Israel passed by once and twice without falling in, the king of Aram took notice and said to his servants (in II Kings 6:11), “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” His servants said to him (in vs. 12-14), “’[It is because] Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words which you speak in your bedroom.’ So he said, ‘Go and see [where he is, so that I can send and seize him,’ and it was told to him, saying, ‘Behold he is in Dothan.’ Then he sent horses and chariots and a heavy force there.” Immediately Elisha’s youth rose and saw that horses, riders and a force encircled the city. Immediately he cried out (in vss. 15-16), “and said [unto him], ‘Alas, my Lord, what shall we do?’ Then he said, ‘Fear not, for there are more with us than with them.’” Immediately Elisha prayed and mentioned the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in vs. 17), “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘Lord, please open his eyes and let him see’; so the Lord opened the eyes of the servant and he saw, and there was the hill full of fiery horses and chariots round about Elisha!” Immediately Elisha arose and cursed the Aramaeans (in vs. 18), and he said, “’Please smite this nation with a blinding light’; so He smote them with a blinding light according to the word of Elisha.” Now [Scripture] did not mention the name, but when [Elisha] prayed over them again for their eyes to be opened, he said (in vs. 20), “O Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Ergo, the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned in connection with good, but not with evil. So also you find that when the prophet saw the four chariots that were compared to the four kingdoms (that would rule over Israel), [it states (in Zech. 6:1),] “and I lifted my eyes, and behold, four chariots were coming out between the two mountains….” But when it spoke about the redemption, [it states (in Zech. 2:3),] “Then the Lord showed me four smiths.” So also you find that when the five angels of destruction came to destroy Jerusalem, as stated (in Ezek. 9:2), “And here were six persons coming by way of the upper gate [which faces north, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand]”; Gabriel was sent with them, as it is written (in Ezek. 10:2), “Then He spoke unto the person clothed in linen and said, ‘Go in among the wheelwork.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel, “Fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city,” as it is written (in Ezek. 10:2), “Then He spoke unto the person clothed in linen and said, ‘Go in among the wheelwork [under the cherub, and fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city].’”⁴⁴Cf. below, Lev. 8:5. Gabriel came and stood at the wheel. The cherub said to him, “What do you desire?” He said to him, “Thus and so has the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded me.” He said to him, “Take [them].” He said to him, “You put them in my hand.” Immediately (according to Ezek. 10:7), “Then the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim [unto the fire that was among the cherubim…].” R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon ben Johay, “If the coals had not been cooled off [while passing] from the hand of a cherub to the hand of Gabriel, there would not have remained of the enemies of Israel (a euphemism, meaning Israel) a [single] survivor or refugee.”⁴⁵Yoma 77a. For more details, see Lam. R. 1:13 (41). So the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to do what was evil, not by Himself, but through an angel. In the age to come, however, He will do what is good by Himself, as stated (in Ezek. 36:25), “I will sprinkle pure water upon you….” Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not abide with You.” What is the meaning of (Ps. 5:5) “and evil may not abide with You?” [It is] that [Scripture] does not cause the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to rest upon evil, except for two [evil] sayings upon which the Holy One, blessed be He, did cause His name to rest. These are the following: (The first one is Dan. 9:14:) “So the Lord watched over evil and brought it upon us, because the Lord our God is righteous.” Was it because the Lord our God is righteous (tsaddik), that He brought the evil? It is simply that the Holy One, blessed be He, was charitable (tzekekah) to us when He first brought about the exile to Babylon of Jeconiah before the exile of Tsidikiyah. And what was charitable? That He first brought about the exile of Jeconiah to Babylon along with the artisans, the smiths, and all the valiant men. Now [those] descended to Babylon and they established a [framework] for Torah [study]. For if it had not happened like that, the Torah would have been forgotten in the exile. It is simply that those who believed in the words of Jeremiah went forth with the Torah. [They included (according to II Kings 24:16)] “a thousand artisans and smiths.” What is the meaning of “artisans (hrsh)?”⁴⁶Git. 88a; Sanh. 38a; Yalqut Shim‘oni, Dan., 1066. When they opened with words of Torah, all [present] became as those who are (deaf-)mute (hrsh). [And what is the meaning of] “smiths (rt.: sgr)?” After they closed (rt.: sgr) it, there was no one in all Israel who was able to open it. Ergo (in Dan. 9:14), “because the Lord our God is righteous.” So He acted justly during that exile in that He watched over it, and He still performed a great kindness for Israel [with reference to that exile]. How? In [the month of] Tebet they were scheduled to go into exile from Jerusalem, for so does [Scripture] say (in Ezek. 24:1-2), “[Then the word of the Lord came unto me in the ninth year of the tenth month on the tenth day of the month, saying,] ‘Son of man, write down the name of the day, [this very day;] on this very day [the king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem].’” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He said, “If they go forth now in the cold, they will die.” What did He do for them? He waited for them and sent them into exile during the summer. This is what the prophet says (in Jer. 8:13), “I will utterly gather them, says the Lord.” "Gather" ('sp) can only mean "exile," since it is stated (in Micah 2:12), “I will gather Jacob, all of you.” Hence, this too was a great kindness. Now, the second [evil saying associated with the name of the Holy One, blessed be He] is (Ezek. 9:4:) “And the Lord said unto him, ‘Pass through the midst of the city, [through the midst of Jerusalem and mark (the letter) taw⁴⁷The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For various interpretations of its meaning, see the parallel version in Shab. 55a. on the foreheads of those people who moan and groan over all the abominations] ….’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel, “Go and write an ink taw upon the foreheads of the righteous, so that the angels of destruction will have no dominion over them. Then upon the foreheads of the wicked write a blood taw so that the angels of destruction will have dominion over them.” [The] prosecution⁴⁸Gk.: kategoria, i.e., “accusation,” “charge.” Here the concept is hypostatized as a separate being. came in before the Holy One, blessed be He, [and said to him], “Master of the world, how do the former differ from the latter?” He said to it, “The former are completely righteous, and the latter are completely wicked.” It said to Him, “It was in their power to protest, but they did not protest.” He said to it, “It was revealed and known to Me that, if they had protested, [the sinners] would not have accepted their [protest].” It said to Him, “Master of the world, if it was revealed and known in front of You, was if revealed in front of them? Hence they should have protested against them and demeaned themselves for the sanctification of Your name and take beatings from Israel upon themselves, just as the prophets endured [them].” So look at how many woes Jeremiah suffered from Israel; also Isaiah, of whom it is written (in Is. 50:6), “I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to the tearers of hair.” And [so with] the rest of the prophets. Immediately (in Ezek. 9:6) He spoke again to the angels of destruction, “[Kill off] old folk, youth ….” This also was a kindness, in that the Holy One, blessed be He, mitigated His wrath [by striking out] against Jerusalem, as stated (in Lam. 4:11), “The Lord has completed (klh) His wrath.” For if He had not done so, all Israel would have received a verdict of destruction (klyh). Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “and evil may not abide with You,” because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not cause His name to rest upon evil. So also even in the case of the wicked of Israel, He allotted them glory and did not mention them for evil. When He came to the offerings, He said to Moses (in Lev. 1:2), “Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them, ‘When one of you presents an offering to the Lord,’” [i.e.] “from Israel” and not from the idolaters. However, when He came to mention leprosy spots, He said (in Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has,” only saying “anyone.” Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “and evil may not abide with you.”

[(Exod. 19:1:) ON THE THIRD NEW MOON.] This text is related (to Prov. 3:17): <WISDOM'S> WAYS ARE WAYS OF PLEASANTNESS, <AND ALL HER PATHS ARE PEACE.>²⁷PRK 12:14. The Holy One wanted to give Torah to Israel at the time that Israel came forth from Egypt, but they were disagreeing with each other and were always saying (in Numb. 14:4): LET US APPOINT A LEADER AND RETURN TO EGYPT. What is written (in Exod. 13:20)? THEY JOURNEYED FROM SUCCOTH AND ENCAMPED AT ETHAM, because they were journeying in dissension and camping in dissension. When they came to Rephidim, they all became harmonious and formed a single group. And where is it shown that they all formed a single group? Where it is stated (in Exod. 19:2): AND ISRAEL ENCAMPED THERE BEFORE THE MOUNTAIN. The plural form of "encamped" is not written here but "encamped" in the singular.²⁸In Exod. 13:20 Israel was treated as a plural noun and placed with a plural verb because it represented a nation of individuals, but here a united Israel is seen as a noun in the singular. The Holy One said: All of the Torah is peace. So to whom shall I give it? To a people that loves peace. Ergo (in Prov. 3:17): <WISDOM'S WAYS ARE WAYS OF PLEASANTNESS, > AND ALL HER PATHS ARE PEACE.

(Numb. 13:24:) “That place was called Wadi Eshcol.” This text is related (to Is. 46:10), “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from of old, things that have not yet happened,” in that everything is foreseen by the Holy One, blessed be He.³⁴Numb. R. 16:16. Eshcol (according to Gen. 14:24) was Abraham's friend, and he was called Eshcol because of the grape cluster (eshkol), which Israel was going to cut from his place in his name. (Numb. 13:26-28:) “Then they went and came unto Moses and unto Aaron…. And they recounted to him and said, ‘We came unto the land …. However [the people who dwell in the land] are strong….’” Such is the way of those who recount slander.³⁵Numb. R. 16:17. They open with what is good and finish with what is ill. (Numb. 13:29:) “Amalek dwells in the land [of the Negeb].” What [reason] did they see for opening with Amalek?³⁶Numb. R. 16:18. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a child who misbehaves and is beaten with a strap. When they wanted to intimidate him, they reminded him of the strap. Similarly Amalek had been an evil strap for Israel. What [reason] did he see to post himself upon the border in the way of Israel’s entrance into the land? It is simply because his ancestor, Esau, had so commanded him in order to forestall them in their way. So he uprooted [himself] from his place and posted himself on the way, as stated (Numb. 14:45) “And there went down the Amalekite, and the Canaanite, who dwelt in that mountain.”³⁷On this reading, Amalek used to dwell in the mountains, but came down to block Israel’s passage. (Numb. 13:29, cont.:) “And the Canaanite dwells by the sea and along the Jordan.” These are the mighty ones dwelling on the way. Therefore the spies intended to break the heart of Israel, as stated (in Numb. 32:9), “they turned away the heart of the Children of Israel.”

The Almighty said: Do for him what he does for you.

(Fol 89a) R. Joshua b. Levi said further: "When Moses ascended before the Holy One, praised be He! Satan appeared before Him and said, 'Sovereign of the universe, where is Thy Torah?' 'I have given it to the earth,' answered He. So Satan went to the earth, saying to it, 'Where is the Torah?' 'God alone,' answered the earth, 'understandeth her way.' (Job 28, 8.) Satan then went to the sea and was told, 'She is not with me.' He went to the deep, and was told, 'She is not in me,' for it is said (Ib. ib. 14.) The deep saith, not in me is she, and the sea saith, she is not with me (Ib. ib. 24.) Destruction and death said 'We heard a rumor with our ears'. Satan then returned and said unto the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, I have searched throughout the earth for the Torah but could not find it.' Then said the Lord unto him, 'Go to the son of Amram (Moses).' Satan went unto Moses and said to him, 'Where is the Torah that the Holy One, praised be He! gave thee?' 'Who am I that the Holy One, should give me the Torah?' replied Moses in a surprised tone. The Lord then said unto Moses, "Moses, art thou a liar? 'Sovereign of the universe!' Moses pleaded before Him, 'such a reserved treasure which Thou hast and art delighted with every single day, shall I claim the credit [of obtaining it] for myself?' Whereupon the Holy One, praised be He! said unto Moses, 'Because thou hast belittled thyself, I will cause the Torah to be called in conjunction with your name,' as it is said (Malachi 3, 22.) Remember ye, the Torah of Moses my servant." Further said R. Joshua b. Levi: "At the time when Moses ascended to Heaven, he found that the Holy One, praised be He! was providing certain letters with crownlets. 'Moses, is there no peace in thy city?' said the Lord to him. 'Is it then proper that a servant shall greet his master?' Moses replied. 'You should have wished me well.' Immediately Moses said to Him And now I pray Thee, let the power of the Lords he great as Thou hast spoken (Num. 14, 17)."

… the prophets of Jerusalem were the first to sin, as it says “…for from the prophets of Jerusalem has falseness emanated to the whole land.” (Jeremiah 23:15) So too they were punished first and the rest did not escape, as it says “And a curse shall be taken from them…” (Jeremiah 29:22)

(16:10) "And it was, as Aaron spoke, etc.": What is the intent of this? We are hereby apprised that at the very time Aaron spoke this, so it transpired. "and they turned to the desert": R. Yehoshua says: They had no sooner turned than the Shechinah had appeared. R. Elazar says: They turned to the deeds of the forefathers (i.e., to repentance), it being written ("they turned to) 'the desert'" — Just as the desert is void of all, so the early fathers were void of all transgression and sin. "and, behold, the glory of the L rd appeared in the cloud": R. Yossi Haglili says: So long as Israel railed against Moses and Aaron, at once, "the glory of the L rd appeared in the cloud." Elsewhere it is written (Numbers 14:10) "and the entire congregation sought to stone them (Yehoshua and Calev)." What is written (of this)? "The glory of the L rd appeared in the tent of meeting," the Holy One Blessed be He saying here, (as it were,) "Better that the pillar of cloud be struck than that Moses and Aaron be stoned!"

And he went out on the second day, and behold, two men of the Hebrews were striving together (Exod. 2:13). Who were these men? They were Dathan and Abiram, who later said: Let us make a captain, and let us return to Egypt (Num. 14:4). They were the ones who rebelled at the Red Sea and kept some of the manna (as “leftovers,” not believing that God would supply them with more the next day), as it is written: But some of them left of it until the morning (Exod. 16:20). Likewise, they were the ones who went out to gather it up (on the Sabbath, which was forbidden), but were unable to find any (as Moses had warned). They were also the ones who participated in his (Moses’) conflict with Korah. Hence it is said: It was Dathan and Abiram. They were involved in wickedness from beginning to end. He said to him that did wrong: “Wherefore smitest thou thy fellow?” (Exod. 2:13), that is to say: “Why do you strike one who is just as wicked as you are?” And they retorted: Who made thee a man, ruler and judge over us? This implied: “You are not yet a man, indeed you are only a lad, and yet you try to act as though you are a ruler and a judge over us.”

(Job 22:28:) WHEN YOU DECREE SOMETHING, IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU. The Holy One has spoken to the righteous (tsaddiq) one: If you have done my will, I also will put your will ahead of my own. (Ibid.:) WHEN YOU DECREE SOMETHING, IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU…. R. Berekhyah the Priest said: What is the meaning of IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU? The Holy One has said to the righteous one: When I say something and you say something < else >, I abrogate mine, as it were, to make yours come to pass. Ergo: IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU. When was the pronouncement? When < Israel > committed that act (i.e., of the golden calf). What did the Holy One do? He said to Moses (in Exod. 32:7): GO AND GET DOWN, FOR YOUR PEOPLE < WHOM YOU BROUGHT UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT > HAVE ACTED BASELY. What is written (in vs. 10)? SO NOW LEAVE ME ALONE < SO THAT MY ANGER MAY BURN AGAINST THEM >…. Moses immediately rose up in prayer and supplication, as stated (in vs. 11): BUT MOSES IMPLORED < THE LORD HIS GOD >…. (Deut. 9:26, 29:) O LORD GOD, DO NOT DESTROY YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR HERITAGE…. FOR THEY ARE YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR HERITAGE…. The Holy One said to him: I cannot < endure them >. He said to him: Just as you have endured them from Egypt up to now, so endure them < this time >. (Numb. 14:19-20:) PLEASE PARDON THE INIQUITY OF THIS PEOPLE < ACCORDING TO YOUR GREAT STEADFAST LOVE, EVEN AS YOU HAVE PARDONED THIS PEOPLE FROM EGYPT UP TO NOW >. THEN THE LORD SAID: I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED. Immediately (according to Exod. 32:14): THE LORD REPENTED OF THE EVIL WHICH HE HAD PLANNED TO DO TO HIS PEOPLE. (Job 22:28:) WHEN YOU DECREE SOMETHING, IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU. Jacob also vowed things before the Holy One. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 28:20-21): THEN JACOB VOWED A VOW, SAYING: < IF GOD IS WITH ME, PROTECTS ME ON THIS WAY THAT I GO, AND GIVES ME FOOD TO EAT AND CLOTHING TO PUT ON >, AND IF I RETURN SAFELY UNTO MY FATHER'S HOUSE, < THE LORD SHALL BE MY GOD >. He said to him: My father, Isaac, wanted to go abroad, but you did not permit him because he was a whole burnt offering. You appeared to him and said to him (in Gen. 26:2): DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT. Now I am going away, not for my benefit, but < from > before my brother lest he kill me. I have received permission from you and from my father. Do not forsake me. (Gen. 28:20:) THEN JACOB VOWED A VOW, < SAYING >:

When did he tell Moses to make the Sanctuary? It was on the Day of Atonement, the tenth day of Tishri. It happened then because he ascended the mountain three times and spent one hundred and twenty days there; that is, from the sixth day of Sivan to the Day of Atonement, the tenth day of Tishri. That is the day of which it is said: And the Lord repented of the evil which he said He would do unto His people (Exod. 32:14) because of the episode of the golden calf. It was the day He said to him: I have pardoned according to thy words (Num. 14:20); it was the day He said: Let them make Me a Sanctuary; it was the day he asked: And pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Thine inheritance (Exod. 34:5); on this day may You grant pardon to future generations; it was the day the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: For on this day shall atonement be made for you (Lev. 16:30). Hence they constructed the Tabernacle with joy and gladness.

(Lam. 1, 2) Weeping, are they weeping. Why two weepings? Rabba said in the name of R. Jochanan: "One for the first Temple, and the other for the second Temple." In the night; i.e., because of what happened in a [former] night, as it is said (Num. 14, 1) And the people wept that night, and Rabba in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "This was the ninth of Ab, and the Holy One, praised be He! said: 'Ye have cried on this night in vain, and I shall decree it that your following generations shall lament on this night forever'." According to others, In the night, because at night a voice is heard better. According to still others, In the night, because for him who weeps in the night, it seems that the stars and planets are weeping with him. Others again say, because he who hears one weeping in the night, weeps with him, as it happened with a woman, a neighbor of Rabban Gamaliel, who wept because her son died, and he wept with her until his eyelids fell off. On the morrow his disciples discovered this, and they made her move away from his neighborhood. (Ib.) And her tears are on her cheeks. Rabba in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "Just like a woman weeps for the husband of her youth, as it is said (Joel 1, 8) Lament like a virgin girded with sackcloth for the betrothed of her youth." (Lam.) Her adversaries are become chiefs. Rabba said in the name of R. Jochanan: "Every one who oppresses Israel becomes a chief, as it is said (Isa. 8, 3) For no fatigue befalleth him that oppresseth them." Rabba said further in the name of R. Jochanan: "Everyone who oppresses Israel never becomes tired."

The spies have no share in the world to come, as it is said (Num. 14, 37) Died by the plague before the Lord; i.e., died — in this world; plague — in the world to come. The generation of the desert has no share in the world to come, as it is said (Ib. ib. 35) In this wilderness shall they die, and therein shall they be spent; etc., i.e., in the wilderness shall they die, in this world; and therein shall they be spent, in the world to come. So says R. Akiba. R. Eliezer, however, maintains: "Concerning them, Scripture says: (Ps. 1, 5) Gather together unto Me My pious servants, who make a covenant with Me by sacrifice. The congregation of Korah will not be restored [at the time of resurrection], as it is said (Num. 16, 33) And the earth closed over them, i.e., in this world; and they disappeared from the midst of the congregation — in the world to come." So says R. Akiba. R. Eliezer, however, says: "Concerning them, Scripture says: (I Sam. 2, 6) The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and he bringeth up."

The generation of the desert has no share, etc. Our Rabbis were taught: The generation of the desert had no share in the world to come, as it is written (Num. 14) In the wilderness shall they be spent, etc., i.e., in the wilderness, refers to this world; and therein shall they die, refers to the world to come, and it is also written (Ps. 95, 11) So that I swore in My wrath, that they should not enter into My rest. Thus says R. Akiba. R. Eliezer, however, says: "They have a share in the world to come, as it is said (Ib. 50, 5) Gather unto Me My pious servants. But how shall the verse I swore in My wrath be explained? I retract from it because it was sworn while I was in anger." R. Joshua b. Karcha says: "The verse cited by R. Eliezer was said only concerning the future generations. Gather together unto Me My pious servants, refers to the righteous who are to be found in every generation. Who make a covenant, refers to Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who delivered themselves to [be thrown into] the kiln. Sacrifice, refers to R. Akiba and his colleagues, who had delivered themselves to be slain because of the words of the Torah." R. Simon b. Menasia says: "They (the generation of the desert), will have a share in the world to come, as it is said (Isa. 35, 10) And come to Zion with song." Rabba b. b. Chana said in the name of R. Jochanan: "R. Akiba has departed from his [usual] kindness (i.e., his harsh opinion does not agree with hirality shown elsewhere), for it is said (Jer. 2, 2) I remember unto thee the kindness of thy youth, the love of thy espousals, thy going after Me in the wilderness, through a land that is not sown. Now since we see that even their descendants will benefit from their reward, how much more so they themselves!"

(Ib. 34, 8) And Moses made haste, and bowed his head. What had he seen [that he bowed himself]? R. Chanina b. Gamla said: "He saw the attribute long-suffering." And the Rabbis said: "He saw the attribute Emeth (truth)." We are taught in a Baraitha in accordance with him who said he had seen the attribute long-suffering, viz: When Moses ascended to heaven, he found that the Holy One, praised be He! was sitting and writing the words long-suffering. And he said before Him: "Sovereign of the Universe! does this mean long-suffering for the righteous ones?" And he was answered: "Even for the wicked." "The wicked," Moses remarked, "ought to perish!" The Lord answered him: "In the future thou wilt see that My previous words will be necessary for thee." Thereafter when Israel sinned, the Lord said to Moses: "Didst thou not say long-suffering [only] for the righteous?" And Moses said before Him: "Sovereign of the Universe, but hast Thou not said to me, 'Also to the wicked'?" And concerning this it is written (Num. 14, 17) (Ib. b) And now, I beseech thee, let the greatness of the power of the Lord be made manifest as Thou hast spoken." R. Chaggi, ascending the steps of the college of Rabba b. Shila, heard a child reciting (Ps. 93, 5) Thy testimonies are exceedingly steadfast. In thy house abideth holiness, O Lord, to the utmost length of days. Immediately he began (Ib. 90, 1) A prayer of Moses. And he then said: "Infer from this that Moses saw the attribute long-suffering."

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

(Numb. 14:1:) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept.]” This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn').⁴²Numb. R. 16:20, cont. Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.:) “[But the] harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah) and human pain.” On the day that I went to give you your ancestral inheritance (nahalah), you became a manifesto in the world. And “human pain” refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.⁴³Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,⁴⁴See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1). (Numb. 14:2:) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them.” These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.:) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […].” [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁴⁵Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁴⁶Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁴⁷Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28:) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears.’” They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10:) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones].” And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting.” [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them. (Numb. 14:11:) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you.⁴⁸Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3:) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’”

“For man too does not know his time; like fish that are caught in an evil trap, and like birds that are caught in the snare, so the sons of man are snared at an evil time, when it falls upon them suddenly” (Ecclesiastes 9:12).
“For man too does not know his time; like fish that are caught in an evil trap” – Rabbi Berekhya said: Is there an evil trap and a good trap? Reish Lakish said: This is a fish hook. That is what is written: “The people who spread the evil slander about the Land died [in the plague]” (Numbers 14:37). With what were they killed? The Rabbis and Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai, the Rabbis said: Diphtheria rose in their throats and they choked and died. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: They died of their limbs falling off.⁷⁴This was the result of leprosy, one of the punishments for slander. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said the reason of the Rabbis: “Evil trap” is stated here, and “evil” is written there; just as in the “evil” written here, the fish hook goes down into the throat of the fish and chokes it, so, too, the “evil” that is written there means that diphtheria rose in their throats and they died. Rabbi Berekhya said the reason of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: “Plague” is stated here, and plague is stated there: “This will be the plague” (Zechariah 14:12). Just as the plague stated there is with the falling off of limbs, so, too, the plague stated here is with the falling off of limbs.
Rabbi Berekhya said: You have a trap that traps in the sea and does not trap on dry land, [and there is a trap that] traps on dry land and does not trap in the sea.⁷⁵Yet, the term “evil trap” implies that it is effective both on land and at sea (Matnot Kehuna). Rather, this a hook that traps in the sea and traps on dry land, as it goes down into the throat of the fish and chokes it.⁷⁶It can also be used with bait on dry land to trap birds and animals. Rabbi Azarya and Rabbi Yonatan ben Rabbi Ḥagai [said] in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Maryon, in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: You have a [type of] person who sins on earth but does not sin in Heaven,⁷⁷He sins in the area of interpersonal relations but not in ritual matters. [and there is a type of person who sins] in Heaven but does not sin on earth.⁷⁸He sins toward God, in ritual matters, but does not sin in the areas of interpersonal relations. However, one who speaks evil speech sins in Heaven and on earth, as it is stated: “They set their mouth against Heaven; their tongue walks across the land” (Psalms 73:9). Rabbi Elazar said: We find that they walk in Heaven,⁷⁹They boast as though the walk in Heaven. but their tongue walks on the earth. What is the reason that “they set their mouth against Heaven?” [It is because] “their tongue walks across the land.” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: A person speaks evil speech only after he denies the fundamental belief in God, as it is stated: “Who have said: With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own. [Who is master over us?]” (Psalms 12:5). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: “Ponder this well, you who have forgotten God” (Psalms 50:22) – these are they who speak evil speech, as it is stated: “Who have said: With our tongue we will prevail; our lips are our own. [Who is master over us?]” (Psalms 12:5).

(Numbers 14:11:) “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will this people spurn Me.’” This text is related (to Proverbs 1:25), “You subverted all my counsel.” All the good that I counseled about you, you spoiled and negated. At first (in Exod. 3:8), “I have come down to rescue them from the Egyptians”: I came down with thousands of thousands and multitudes of multitudes of angels for your sake, and I gave over to each one [of you] two angels. R. Johanan said, “One to strap on his armor and the other to place a crown upon his head.” Rav Huna said, “He clothed them with a regal tunic and the explicit name [of God] was engraved upon them.” All the days that it was in their hand, no bad thing could touch them, not an angel and not anything else. But when they sinned, Moses said to them (in Exod. 33:5), “Remove your adornment.” At that time (in Exod. 33:4), “The people heard this bad thing.” And it is written (in Exod. 33:6), “And the Children of Israel were stripped of their adornment from Mount Horev.” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought the angel of death and said to him, “The whole world is in your power except for this nation that I have chosen.” The angel of death said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “I was created for nought in this world.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I have created you so that you shall discern in every nation except for this nation, over which you do not have power.” He saw the advice that the Holy One, blessed be He, advised about them, that they should be alive and flourish, as stated (Deut. 4:4), “But you who cling to the Lord your God are all alive today.” And so too does it say (in Exod. 32:16), “The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God that was inscribed (harut) upon the tablets.” What is the meaning of harut? R. Judah says, “Freedom (herut) from the kingdoms.” R. Nehemiah says, “Freedom (herut) from the angel of death.” And they saw the counsel that the Holy One, blessed be He, counseled about them. Immediately after forty days, they spoiled the counsel. Therefore it is stated (in Proverbs 1:25), “You subverted all my counsel.” And about this is it said, (in Numb. 14:11), “And the Lord said to Moses, ‘How long will this people spurn Me.’” Moses said (in Numb. 14:14), “They have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people….” What [would] the nations of the world say? “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt: The gods of Egypt are falsehood, but those of Canaan are powerful.” (Numb. 14:14, 16), “And they will say to the inhabitants of this land…, ‘The Lord does not have the ability.’” As the nations will not say about these that He called My firstborn son, that He would destroy them; so “The Lord does not have the ability to bring them.” You say (in Numb. 4:12), “I will strike them with pestilence and disown them,” and I say (in Numb 4:19), “Please pardon.” (Numb. 14:12:) “I will strike them with pestilence and disown them.” Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!”⁴⁹-Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.:) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they].’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.”⁵⁰Cf. below, Numb. 4a:5. He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea? So how will they say (in Numb. 14:16), ‘The Lord does not have the ability to bring this people [into the land]?’” They will say, “He was able to stand against one king, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.⁵¹See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17:) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.:) “As you have promised, saying.” I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) the principle of justice from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed, [‘The Lord, the Lord is a merciful and gracious God’].” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Numb. 14:17-19) “please let the power of the Lord increase…. The Lord [is of long patience, of great kindness…] (the Lord is a merciful and gracious God…) Please pardon the sin of this people.” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, as stated (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, the nations of the world would say like your words. (Numb. 14:21, 23:) “Nevertheless, as I live […], Surely they shall not see [the land which I promised on oath to their ancestors.” It is also written (in Numb. 32:11), “Surely none of] the people who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and up, [shall see the land].”⁵²Numb. R. 16:23. Whether one was in agreement or was not in agreement (with the spies), he did not enter [the land]. Of the people who came up from Egypt, if one had gotten two [pubic] hairs but was less than twenty,⁵³On the concept that moral responsibility comes at twenty, see Rashi on Gen. 23:1. [only] if he was in agreement with them, he did not enter [the land]. But nonetheless, not one of them died at less than sixty.⁵⁴I.e., the Holy One subsequently had compassion on all under twenty, so that they outlived the forty wilderness years to die in the land of Israel. So Enoch Zundel in his commentary, ‘Ets Yosef, on Numb. R. 16:23(14). Come and see the difference between righteous and wicked, [even as it is stated (in Mal. 3:18), “Then you shall again see [the difference] between [righteous and wicked].” It is comparable to a certain matron⁵⁵Lat.: matrona. who had a bondmaid. Now her husband went to a country overseas. All night the bondmaid said to the matron, “I am fairer than you and the king loves me more than you.” That matron said to her, “When the morning comes, you shall know who is fairer and whom the king loves.” Similarly do the nations of the world say to Israel, “As for us, our deeds are more beautiful, and us does the Holy One, blessed be He, desire.” Therefore Isaiah has said, “When the morning comes, we shall know whom the Holy One, blessed be He, desires,” as stated (in Is. 21:12), “The watchman said, ‘The morning comes […].’” When the world to come arrives, which is called morning,⁵⁶See Targum Pss. 90:14; 101:8. we shall know, as stated (according to Mal. 3:18), “Then you shall again see [the difference] between righteous and wicked.” It is written (in Ps. 62:10), “But humans are mere vanity […].” R Hiyya⁵⁷Since the authority generally cited as R. Hiyya lived sometime before R. Levi, the R. Hiyya cited here could not be he. This Hiyya may well be R. Hiyya the father of R. Berekhiah the Priest. said in the name of R. Levi, “All vanities which Israel does all the days of the year are (ibid., cont.) to go up (i.e., vanish) on the scales (mozenayim).” The Holy One, blessed be He, pardons them in the constellation Libra (Mozenayim), in the month of Tishri. It is so stated (in Lev. 16:30), “For on this day atonement shall be made for you [to cleanse you]….”

What is meant by When He hath said, will He not do it? It means that though He should decide in a moment of anger to inflict misfortune, He might rescind that decision. For example, though He said to Moses: Let Me alone that I may destroy them and blot out their name (Deut. 9:14), He did not do so, for The Lord repented of the evil (Exod. 32:14). Likewise, though He declared: Now, therefore, let Me alone that My wrath may wax hot against them, and that I may consume them (ibid., v. 10), yet he did not do so. Instead, the Holy One, blessed be He, exclaimed: I have pardoned according to thy word (Num. 14:20). Hence, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am not a man who threatens to do evil and then haughtily does it.

[Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): HOW LONG SHALL <THIS> EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>?] The Holy One said to Moses: I am exterminating them from before me, for so it says (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM.²⁷See above, Numb. 4:24. Immediately Moses stood up to him by asking for mercy from the Holy One. How? When Israel made the calf, Moses stood up to him. At that time he made a plea on their behalf. He said to him: Please, make known to me by what principle you run your world. Thus it says this (in Exod. 33:13): PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAYS KNOWN TO ME THAT I MAY KNOW YOU…. The Holy One said to him: It is by the principle of mercy that I run my world, as stated (in Exod. 34:6): AND THE LORD PASSED BY BEFORE HIM, AND PROCLAIMED: THE LORD, THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN KINDNESS AND TRUTH. When Moses saw that the Holy One had said to him; SLOW TO ANGER, he began saying to the Holy One: Sovereign of the Universe, this is what you have said: SLOW TO ANGER. Is this <the way> you are slowing your passion? The Holy One said to him: Even so, I am going to punish them. <Moses> did nothing, but when the Holy One wanted to destroy them here, where it is stated (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM, Moses stood up and asked for mercy before the Holy One, as he said to him: Please, are these the stipulations which you prescribed when you said: SLOW TO ANGER? Fulfill your word here (in Numb. 14:17): AND NOW, PLEASE LET THE POWER OF THE LORD INCREASE, EVEN AS YOU HAVE SPOKEN, SAYING. Then what did <the Holy One> say (in vs. 18)? THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER AND OF GREAT KINDNESS…. Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the Universe, in the case of a servant, if his deeds are good so that his master looks at him with a friendly face, one does not give his master any credit.²⁸Numb. R. 16:28. So when would they give him credit? When the servant's conduct is evil with his deeds being evil, and then his master looks at him with a friendly face. So also in your case, O Sovereign of the Universe, pay no attention to their stiff neck. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 9:27): PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE STUBBORNNESS OF THIS PEOPLE NOR ITS WICKEDNESS NOR ITS SIN. So the Holy One said to him: See, because of you I am forgiving them. It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20): I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED.

[Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): HOW LONG SHALL <THIS> EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>?] The Holy One said to Moses: I am exterminating them from before me, for so it says (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM.²⁷See above, Numb. 4:24. Immediately Moses stood up to him by asking for mercy from the Holy One. How? When Israel made the calf, Moses stood up to him. At that time he made a plea on their behalf. He said to him: Please, make known to me by what principle you run your world. Thus it says this (in Exod. 33:13): PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAYS KNOWN TO ME THAT I MAY KNOW YOU…. The Holy One said to him: It is by the principle of mercy that I run my world, as stated (in Exod. 34:6): AND THE LORD PASSED BY BEFORE HIM, AND PROCLAIMED: THE LORD, THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN KINDNESS AND TRUTH. When Moses saw that the Holy One had said to him; SLOW TO ANGER, he began saying to the Holy One: Sovereign of the Universe, this is what you have said: SLOW TO ANGER. Is this <the way> you are slowing your passion? The Holy One said to him: Even so, I am going to punish them. <Moses> did nothing, but when the Holy One wanted to destroy them here, where it is stated (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM, Moses stood up and asked for mercy before the Holy One, as he said to him: Please, are these the stipulations which you prescribed when you said: SLOW TO ANGER? Fulfill your word here (in Numb. 14:17): AND NOW, PLEASE LET THE POWER OF THE LORD INCREASE, EVEN AS YOU HAVE SPOKEN, SAYING. Then what did <the Holy One> say (in vs. 18)? THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER AND OF GREAT KINDNESS…. Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the Universe, in the case of a servant, if his deeds are good so that his master looks at him with a friendly face, one does not give his master any credit.²⁸Numb. R. 16:28. So when would they give him credit? When the servant's conduct is evil with his deeds being evil, and then his master looks at him with a friendly face. So also in your case, O Sovereign of the Universe, pay no attention to their stiff neck. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 9:27): PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE STUBBORNNESS OF THIS PEOPLE NOR ITS WICKEDNESS NOR ITS SIN. So the Holy One said to him: See, because of you I am forgiving them. It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20): I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED.

[Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): HOW LONG SHALL <THIS> EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>?] The Holy One said to Moses: I am exterminating them from before me, for so it says (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM.²⁷See above, Numb. 4:24. Immediately Moses stood up to him by asking for mercy from the Holy One. How? When Israel made the calf, Moses stood up to him. At that time he made a plea on their behalf. He said to him: Please, make known to me by what principle you run your world. Thus it says this (in Exod. 33:13): PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAYS KNOWN TO ME THAT I MAY KNOW YOU…. The Holy One said to him: It is by the principle of mercy that I run my world, as stated (in Exod. 34:6): AND THE LORD PASSED BY BEFORE HIM, AND PROCLAIMED: THE LORD, THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD, SLOW TO ANGER AND ABOUNDING IN KINDNESS AND TRUTH. When Moses saw that the Holy One had said to him; SLOW TO ANGER, he began saying to the Holy One: Sovereign of the Universe, this is what you have said: SLOW TO ANGER. Is this <the way> you are slowing your passion? The Holy One said to him: Even so, I am going to punish them. <Moses> did nothing, but when the Holy One wanted to destroy them here, where it is stated (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM, Moses stood up and asked for mercy before the Holy One, as he said to him: Please, are these the stipulations which you prescribed when you said: SLOW TO ANGER? Fulfill your word here (in Numb. 14:17): AND NOW, PLEASE LET THE POWER OF THE LORD INCREASE, EVEN AS YOU HAVE SPOKEN, SAYING. Then what did <the Holy One> say (in vs. 18)? THE LORD IS SLOW TO ANGER AND OF GREAT KINDNESS…. Moses said to the Holy One: Sovereign of the Universe, in the case of a servant, if his deeds are good so that his master looks at him with a friendly face, one does not give his master any credit.²⁸Numb. R. 16:28. So when would they give him credit? When the servant's conduct is evil with his deeds being evil, and then his master looks at him with a friendly face. So also in your case, O Sovereign of the Universe, pay no attention to their stiff neck. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 9:27): PAY NO ATTENTION TO THE STUBBORNNESS OF THIS PEOPLE NOR ITS WICKEDNESS NOR ITS SIN. So the Holy One said to him: See, because of you I am forgiving them. It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20): I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED.

And because they violated the term and the oath (viz. Numbers 14:44), they (the dwellers of Plasheth) said They have no other way (to enter the land) but by way of our land, and now they will come and rob us and lay waste our land.

(Exodus, Ibid. 16) "And they said to Moses: Speak, you, with us, and we will hear, (and let G d not speak with us, lest we die.") We are hereby apprised that they lacked the strength to receive no more than ten pronouncements, viz. (Devarim 5:22) "If we continue hearing the voice of the L rd our G d, we will die," but (Ibid. 6) you draw near," and we will hear. At that time, Israel merited the L rd's establishing prophets for them, as it is written (Ibid. 18:18) "A prophet shall I raise up for them, etc." I was destined to set up a prophet for them (later), but their merit preempted it, viz. (Ibid. 17) "And the L rd said to me: They have done well in speaking as they did" (viz. Ibid. 16). Happy are those in whose words the L rd concurs! And thus is it written (Numbers 27:7) "Rightly do the daughters of Tzelafchad speak," (Ibid. 36:5) "Rightly does the scribe of the sons of Yosef speak." Happy are those in whose words the L rd concurs! And thus is it written (Ibid. 14:20) "I have forgiven because of your (Moses') words.

2 This text is related (to Ps. 76:6), “The stout-hearted were despoiled; they were asleep in their slumber.” (Ibid.) “The stout-hearted were despoiled,” namely Moses and Aaron. After they sent out the spies, these came and made an evil report about the land, and they did not know what to do. Actually, even Moses and Aaron were negligent [over the report]. Immediately Caleb stood up and silenced all those hosts,³Gk.: ochloi. as stated (in Numb. 13:30), “Then Caleb hushed the people before Moses.” He stood on a stool⁴Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had them become silent. Then he said to them, “Hush.” So they became silent in order to hear from him. He said to them (in Numb. 14:7), “The land […] is very very good.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I am exceedingly grateful to Caleb.” It is so stated (in Deut. 1:36), “Except Caleb ben Jephunneh.” What is the meaning of “except (zwlty)?” This one is with Me (lzh wh'ty) (more) than sixty myriads of you. You did not find your hands (i.e., your courage); therefore you stumbled. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 76:6), “The stout-hearted were despoiled.” Why all this? Because they were foolish agents. It is with reference to them that Solomon has said (in Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool is cutting off [his own] feet and drinking violence.”

7 Another interpretation (of Numb. 13:2), “Send men for yourself”: Even though the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Moses, “Send men for yourself,” it was not [the wish] of the Holy One, blessed be He, for them to go.⁷See Numb. R. 16:7. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, had already told them [about] the superiority of the Land of Israel. It is so stated (in Deut. 8:7), “For the Lord your God is bringing you unto a good land.” Moreover, while they had been in Egypt, he had said to them (in Exod. 3:8), “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians [and to bring them up out of that land unto a good and spacious land].” And Scripture states (in Exod. 13:21), “And the Lord went in front of them by day […].” So what is the point of [saying] (in Numb. 13:2), “Send men?” It is simply that they wanted these words. When they reached [Israel's] borders, Moses had said to them (in Deut. 1:21), “See, the Lord your God has set the land before you, [go and possess…].” At that time Israel approached Moses, as stated (in vs. 22), “Then you all drew near unto me [and said, ‘Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us’].” This is what Ezra⁸See Sanh. 93b, which also alludes to the book of Nehemiah under the name of Ezra. said (in Neh. 9:17), “So they refused to listen and were unmindful of Your] wonders.” Now it says (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them […].” And [yet] they said (in Deut. 1:22), “Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us.” [It is simply] that they did not believe. And similarly David said (in Ps. 78:10), “and they refused to follow His Torah.” R. Joshua says, “To what were they comparable? To a king who secured for his son a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. The king said to him, ‘I have secured you a beautiful wife, the daughter of good and wealthy parents. There is no one like her in the whole world.’ The son said to him, ‘Let me go to see her,’ for he did not trust his father. Immediately the situation became ever more difficult for his father and it was bad for him. His father said, ‘What shall I do? If I say to him, “I am not showing her to you,” then he will say, “She is ugly. For that reason he did not want to show her.’” Finally he said to him, ‘Look at her, so that you may know that I have not deceived you. But because you did not trust me, I swear that you shall not see her in your house. Instead I am giving her to your son.’ Now similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel, ‘The land is good,’ but they did not believe [Him]. They said (in Deut. 1:22), ‘Let us send men ahead of us.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘If I prevent them, they will say, “The land is no good. For that reason He has not shown it to us.” Rather, they will only see it, for I swear that not one of them shall enter within it, but rather [only] their children.’ Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:23), ‘Surely they shall not see the land […].’ Rather I shall give it to your children.”

11 (Numb. 13:17) “Then he said unto them, ‘Go up here into the Negeb’”: “Go up,” since [they are] a people who go up. R. Berekhyah the Priest Berabbi said (according to vs. 22), “They found the three sons of Anak there, ‘Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai.’¹²Cf. Sot. 34b. Why was the name of [the first] called Ahiman? Because he said, ‘My brother (ahi), who (man) will come against me?’ [Why] Sheshai (shyshy)? Because he was as sound as marble (shysh). [Why] Talmai?¹³Talmay, which means, “my furrows.” Because he went and made furrows (telamim) in the earth.”¹⁴I.e., with his heavy steps. (Ibid., cont.) “The children of the Anak ('nq)”: (He was called that] because he wore (rt.: 'nq) the sun around his neck.¹⁵According to Zeev Wolf’s commentary on Numb. R. 16:11, they were so tall that the sun seemed to rest on their heads. When the spies saw them they were afraid. Immediately they went and said (in vs. 31), “for they are stronger than we (which can also be read as, than He).” Resh Laqish said, “They compared them to the Above. Because of this transgression harsh decrees were issued against them.” What does the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Jeremiah? “Go, say to them, ‘You do not know what you have brought out from your mouth, as stated (in Jer. 11:16), “with the sound of a great tumult you have lit fire to it, and you have broken its boughs.” What did you cause to yourselves “with the sound of a great tumult” that you said, “you have lit fire to it.” “You will carry your sins one day for each year”’” (Numbers 14:34). They said (in Numb. 13:33), “And in our own eyes we were like grasshoppers.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I forgave them for that [remark]; but I was exacting [when they said] (ibid., cont.), ‘And so we were in their eyes.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Did you know what I made you in their eyes? Who would say that you were not like angels in their eyes?” What had they brought upon themselves? (Numb. 14:34,) “According to the number of days that you explored the land […] forty years.” As though this was not enough, they did not even enter the land. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “In this world,¹⁶This form usually denotes the end of a parashah, but it does not do so here. because the representatives (literally, those sent) were of flesh and blood, it has been decreed over them that they should not enter the land; but in the world to come I will suddenly send My angel (mal'akh), and he shall clear a way.” It is so stated (in Mal. 3:1), “Behold, I am sending My messenger (mal'akh) to clear a way before Me, and [the Lord whom you seek] shall suddenly come unto his Temple.”

15 (Numb. 13:25) “At the end of forty days then they returned from exploring the land”: But do you not find that they [only] went from south to north? Moreover, would they have walked the whole [land] in forty days? It is simply that it was revealed to the Holy One, blessed be He, that they would come and utter slander, and that there would be decreed against that generation years of suffering (according to Numb. 14:34), “[every] day a year, you shall bear your iniquities forty years.” So the Holy One, blessed be He, caused their road to shrink (i.e., to close up) before them.

18 (Numb. 13:29) “Amalek dwells in the land [of the Negeb]”: What [reason] did they see for opening with Amalek? A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a child who misbehaves and is beaten with a strap. When they wanted to intimidate him, they reminded him of the strap. Similarly Amalek had been an evil strap for Israel. What [reason] did he see to post himself upon the border in the way of Israel’s entrance into the land? It is simply because his ancestor, Esau, had so commanded him in order to forestall them in their way. So he uprooted [himself] from his place and posted himself on the way, as stated (Numb. 14:45) “And there went down the Amalekite, and the Canaanite, [who dwelt in that mountain] and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah…”²⁵On this reading, Amalek used to dwell in the mountains, but came down to block Israel’s passage.

19 (Numb. 13:30) “Then Caleb hushed the people [before Moses]”: As at first he said to them, “I am of the same opinion as you”; but his heart was for speaking the truth, as stated (in Josh. 14:7), “and I brought him back word according to what was in my heart. But my brothers that were with me melted the people’s heart.”²⁶ Sot. 35a. The Holy One, blessed be He, also testifies over him, as stated (in Numb. 14:24), “But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him.” So when the spies came, they said, “We can trust Caleb.” Immediately he stood up on a stool²⁷Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had all Israel become silent from clamoring against Moses, [as stated] (in Numb. 13:30), “Then Caleb hushed the people before Moses.” Now they were thinking that he would utter slander. For that reason they were silent. He began by saying (ibid., cont.), “We should certainly go up and possess it.” Immediately when they heard this, they took issue with him and said (in Numb. 13:31–32), “We are unable to go up against this people […].”

19 (Numb. 13:30) “Then Caleb hushed the people [before Moses]”: As at first he said to them, “I am of the same opinion as you”; but his heart was for speaking the truth, as stated (in Josh. 14:7), “and I brought him back word according to what was in my heart. But my brothers that were with me melted the people’s heart.”²⁶ Sot. 35a. The Holy One, blessed be He, also testifies over him, as stated (in Numb. 14:24), “But My servant Caleb, because he had another spirit with him.” So when the spies came, they said, “We can trust Caleb.” Immediately he stood up on a stool²⁷Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had all Israel become silent from clamoring against Moses, [as stated] (in Numb. 13:30), “Then Caleb hushed the people before Moses.” Now they were thinking that he would utter slander. For that reason they were silent. He began by saying (ibid., cont.), “We should certainly go up and possess it.” Immediately when they heard this, they took issue with him and said (in Numb. 13:31–32), “We are unable to go up against this people […].”

20 (Numb. 14:1) “Then the whole congregation raised their voice [and cried]”: This text is related (to Prov. 18:8), “The words of a murmurer are like mighty blows,²⁸English translations usually render this unusual word as “delicacies” or something similar, but the meaning is uncertain. The present translation is derived from the context of the midrash. and they go down into the chambers of the belly.” Those words which the spies murmured against the Holy One, blessed be He, brought them misfortune for generations. As if they had not listened to the spies, they would not have been punished with them. Instead they acquiesced to them, as stated (in Deut. 1:27), “You sulked (teragnu) in your tents.” What is the meaning of “teragnu?” You sought the disgrace (TARtem GENUt) of the Land of Israel, which the Holy One, blessed be He, called a good land. (Numb. 14:1) “Then the whole congregation raised (rt.: ntn) their voices; [and that night the people wept]”: This text is related (to Jer. 12:8), “[My heritage] has set (rt.: ntn) its voice against Me; therefore I have hated (rt.: sn') it.” The very voice with which you wept caused you to be punished by enemies (rt.: sn'). Moreover, it was over this very generation that Isaiah said (in Is. 17:11), “In the day you plant, you see it flourish; and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom.” Isaiah said, “On the day that I went to plant you in the land, you produced slag; ‘and on the morning you sow, you see it bloom,’ it has flowered before the heat [of the day].” (Is 17:11, cont.) “[But the harvest flees on a day of sickness (nahalah)] and human pain”: This refers to the divine punishment that you received as a legacy for [future] generations.²⁹Ta‘an. 29a; yTa‘an. 4:8 (or 5) (68d); Sot. 35a. Because the congregation wept in the night of the Ninth of Ab,³⁰See Ta‘an. 4:6: FIVE [CALAMITOUS] THINGS BEFELL OUR ANCESTORS ON THE SEVENTEENTH OF TAMMUZ AND FIVE ON THE NINTH OF AB…. ON THE NINTH OF AB IT WAS DECREED AGAINST OUR ANCESTORS THAT THEY SHOULD NOT ENTER THE LAND, THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THE FIRST TIME AND THE SECOND TIME, BETHAR (THE CENTER OF THE BAR COCHBA REVOLT) WAS TAKEN, AND THE CITY [OF JERUSALEM] WAS PLOWED UNDER (after this revolt, but cf. Ta‘an. 29a). the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, “You have wept for nothing in front of Me. I shall establish this night for you as [a night of] a weeping for [future] generations.” And from that hour a decree on the Temple was ordained for it to be destroyed and that the Children of Israel would go in exile among the nations. It is so stated (in Ps. 106:26-27), “So He raised His hand toward them [in an oath], to make them fall in the wilderness. And to make their seed fall among the gentiles, even to scatter them among the lands.” The raising of [the divine] hand was corresponding to the lifting up of the voice (in Numb. 14:1).

21 (Numb. 14:2) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them”: These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […]”: [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal³¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment³²Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears […]’”: They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones]”: And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting”: [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them.

22 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3,) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’” (Numb. 14:12) “I will strike them with pestilence”: Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they]!’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.” He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea?” They will say, “He was able to stand against us, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.³³See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.) “As you have promised, saying”: I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed.” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Exod. 34:6) “The Lord, the Lord is of long patience, of great kindness…” (Numb. 14:19) “Please pardon [the sin of this people].” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, [as stated] (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, Egypt will say like your words.

22 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3,) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’” (Numb. 14:12) “I will strike them with pestilence”: Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they]!’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.” He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea?” They will say, “He was able to stand against us, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.³³See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.) “As you have promised, saying”: I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed.” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Exod. 34:6) “The Lord, the Lord is of long patience, of great kindness…” (Numb. 14:19) “Please pardon [the sin of this people].” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, [as stated] (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, Egypt will say like your words.

22 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3,) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’” (Numb. 14:12) “I will strike them with pestilence”: Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they]!’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.” He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea?” They will say, “He was able to stand against us, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.³³See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.) “As you have promised, saying”: I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed.” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Exod. 34:6) “The Lord, the Lord is of long patience, of great kindness…” (Numb. 14:19) “Please pardon [the sin of this people].” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, [as stated] (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, Egypt will say like your words.

22 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3,) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’” (Numb. 14:12) “I will strike them with pestilence”: Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they]!’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.” He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea?” They will say, “He was able to stand against us, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.³³See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.) “As you have promised, saying”: I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed.” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Exod. 34:6) “The Lord, the Lord is of long patience, of great kindness…” (Numb. 14:19) “Please pardon [the sin of this people].” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, [as stated] (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, Egypt will say like your words.

22 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3,) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’” (Numb. 14:12) “I will strike them with pestilence”: Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they]!’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.” He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea?” They will say, “He was able to stand against us, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.³³See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.) “As you have promised, saying”: I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed.” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Exod. 34:6) “The Lord, the Lord is of long patience, of great kindness…” (Numb. 14:19) “Please pardon [the sin of this people].” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, [as stated] (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, Egypt will say like your words.

21 (Numb. 14:2) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them”: These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […]”: [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal³¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment³²Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears […]’”: They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones]”: And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting”: [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them.

22 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3,) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’” (Numb. 14:12) “I will strike them with pestilence”: Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they]!’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.” He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea?” They will say, “He was able to stand against us, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.³³See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.) “As you have promised, saying”: I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed.” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Exod. 34:6) “The Lord, the Lord is of long patience, of great kindness…” (Numb. 14:19) “Please pardon [the sin of this people].” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, [as stated] (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, Egypt will say like your words.

22 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long ('ad-'anah) will this people scorn Me, and how long ('ad-'anah) will they have no faith in Me?’”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have uttered two cries (of 'ad-'anah) because of you. Your end shall be to cry out in the subjection of the four empires: (Ps. 13:2-3,) ‘How long ('ad-'anah), O Lord, will you forget me forever; how long ('ad'-'anah) will you hide Your face from me? How long ('ad-'anah) shall I take counsel in my soul with grief in my heart [all day]; how long ('ad-'anah) will my enemy be exalted over me?’ I cried out (in Numb. 14:27), ‘How long ('Ad-matay) shall this evil congregation [be murmuring against me]?’ Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4), ‘My soul also is greatly dismayed; [and You, O Lord, how long ('ad-matay)]?’” (Numb. 14:12) “I will strike them with pestilence”: Moses said, “Master of the world, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom You swore that You would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “But are you not one of their children?” (Ibid., cont.) “Then I will make you into a nation that is greater [and more numerous than they]!’” When Moses saw [how things were], he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13-14): “But Moses said unto the Lord, ‘When the Egyptians hear [what happened]…, they will say unto the inhabitants of this land.’” They will say, “He had no power to sustain them.” He said to him, “But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them in Egypt and by the sea?” They will say, “He was able to stand against us, [but] He was not able to stand against thirty one kings.³³See Josh. 12:9-14. Master of the universe, act on Your behalf. (Numb. 14:17) “So now please let the power of the Lord increase,” and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice. (Ibid., cont.) “As you have promised, saying”: I said to You, “With what principle do You judge Your world,” as stated (in Exod. 33:13) “Please make Your ways known to me.” So you removed (rt.: 'br) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6), “And the Lord passed by (rt.: 'br) [before] him, and proclaimed.” Fulfill that principle of which You told me; (according to Exod. 34:6) “The Lord, the Lord is of long patience, of great kindness…” (Numb. 14:19) “Please pardon [the sin of this people].” The Holy One, blessed be He, accepted his words and conceded to him, [as stated] (Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned like your words.’” As truly in the future, Egypt will say like your words.

21 (Numb. 14:2) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them”: These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […]”: [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal³¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment³²Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears […]’”: They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones]”: And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting”: [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them.

21 (Numb. 14:2) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them”: These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […]”: [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal³¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment³²Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears […]’”: They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones]”: And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting”: [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them.

21 (Numb. 14:2) “And all the Children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said to them”: These are the sanhedraot. (Numb. 14:2, cont.) “Would that we had died in the land of Egypt […]”: [The matter] is comparable to a king at whose tribunal³¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment³²Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him, “I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses fall.” (Numbers 14:28) “’As I live,’ says the Lord, ‘as they have spoken in My ears […]’”: They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9), “And why is the Lord bringing us [unto this land…]?” They also said to each other, “Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt.” Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces [before the whole assembly of the congregation of the Children of Israel]. Moreover, Joshua ben Nun and Caleb ben Jephunneh, of those who had explored the land, rent their clothes and spoke unto the whole assembly of the Children of Israel, …. “If the Lord is pleased with us, [He will bring us into this land]…. Only do not rebel against the Lord….” The people said to them, “We have no faith in you! Our brothers care for us more than you do.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28), “Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused [our hearts] to melt (with fear).” (Numb. 14:10) “So the whole congregation said to stone [them with stones]”: And who was “them?” Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.) “Then the glory of the Lord appeared in the tent of meeting”: [This incident] teaches that they threw stones, but the cloud intercepted them.

23 (Numb. 14:21, 23) “Nevertheless, as I live [It is also written (in Numb. 32:11), “Surely none of] the people who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and up, [shall see the land].” [From] twenty years – whether one was in agreement or was not in agreement (with the spies), [he did not enter the land]. Less than twenty years, if one had not gotten two [pubic] hairs – whether one was in agreement or was not in agreement (with the spies), [he did enter the land]. If one had gotten two [pubic] hairs but was less than twenty,³⁴On the concept that moral responsibility comes at twenty, see Rashi on Gen. 23:1. [only] if he was in agreement with them, he did not enter [the land]. But nonetheless, not one of them died at less than sixty.³⁵I.e., the Holy One subsequently had compassion on all under twenty, so that they outlived the forty wilderness years to die in the land of Israel. So Enoch Zundel in his commentary, ‘Ets Yosef, on Numb. R. 16:23(14). Come and see the difference [as it is stated] (in Mal. 3:18), “between righteous and wicked […].” It is comparable to a certain matron³⁶Lat.: matrona. who had a bondmaid. Now her husband went to a country overseas. All night the bondmaid said to the matron, “I am fairer than you and the king loves me more than you.” That matron said to her, “When the morning comes, you shall know who is fairer and whom the king loves.” Similarly do the nations of the world say to Israel, “As for us, our deeds are more beautiful, and us does the Holy One, blessed be He, desire.” Therefore Isaiah has said, “When the morning comes, we shall know whom the Holy One, blessed be He, desires,” as stated (in Is. 21:12), “The watchman said, ‘The morning comes […].’” When the world to come arrives, which is called morning,³⁷See Targum Pss. 90:14; 101:8. we shall know, as stated (according to Mal. 3:18), “Then you shall again see [the difference] between righteous and wicked.” It is written (in Ps. 62:10), “But humans are mere vanity […].” R Hiyya³⁸Since the authority generally cited as R. Hiyya lived sometime before R. Levi, the R. Hiyya cited here could not be he. This Hiyya may well be R. Hiyya the father of R. Berekhiah the Priest. said in the name of R. Levi, “All vanities which Israel does all the days of the year are (ibid., cont.) to go up (i.e., vanish) on the scales (mozenayim).” The Holy One, blessed be He, pardons them in the constellation Libra (Mozenayim), in the month of Tishri. It is so stated (in Lev. 16:30), “For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you.”

23 (Numb. 14:21, 23) “Nevertheless, as I live [It is also written (in Numb. 32:11), “Surely none of] the people who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and up, [shall see the land].” [From] twenty years – whether one was in agreement or was not in agreement (with the spies), [he did not enter the land]. Less than twenty years, if one had not gotten two [pubic] hairs – whether one was in agreement or was not in agreement (with the spies), [he did enter the land]. If one had gotten two [pubic] hairs but was less than twenty,³⁴On the concept that moral responsibility comes at twenty, see Rashi on Gen. 23:1. [only] if he was in agreement with them, he did not enter [the land]. But nonetheless, not one of them died at less than sixty.³⁵I.e., the Holy One subsequently had compassion on all under twenty, so that they outlived the forty wilderness years to die in the land of Israel. So Enoch Zundel in his commentary, ‘Ets Yosef, on Numb. R. 16:23(14). Come and see the difference [as it is stated] (in Mal. 3:18), “between righteous and wicked […].” It is comparable to a certain matron³⁶Lat.: matrona. who had a bondmaid. Now her husband went to a country overseas. All night the bondmaid said to the matron, “I am fairer than you and the king loves me more than you.” That matron said to her, “When the morning comes, you shall know who is fairer and whom the king loves.” Similarly do the nations of the world say to Israel, “As for us, our deeds are more beautiful, and us does the Holy One, blessed be He, desire.” Therefore Isaiah has said, “When the morning comes, we shall know whom the Holy One, blessed be He, desires,” as stated (in Is. 21:12), “The watchman said, ‘The morning comes […].’” When the world to come arrives, which is called morning,³⁷See Targum Pss. 90:14; 101:8. we shall know, as stated (according to Mal. 3:18), “Then you shall again see [the difference] between righteous and wicked.” It is written (in Ps. 62:10), “But humans are mere vanity […].” R Hiyya³⁸Since the authority generally cited as R. Hiyya lived sometime before R. Levi, the R. Hiyya cited here could not be he. This Hiyya may well be R. Hiyya the father of R. Berekhiah the Priest. said in the name of R. Levi, “All vanities which Israel does all the days of the year are (ibid., cont.) to go up (i.e., vanish) on the scales (mozenayim).” The Holy One, blessed be He, pardons them in the constellation Libra (Mozenayim), in the month of Tishri. It is so stated (in Lev. 16:30), “For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you.”

24 (Numb. 14:11) “Then the Lord said unto Moses, ‘How long will this people scorn Me?’”: This text is related (to Prov. 1:25, 30), “But you have spurned all My plan and would not accept My rebuke [….] they have despised all My rebuke.” What is the implication of “But you have spurned?” Simply that all the good which I planned for you, you have spoiled and spurned. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 1:25), “But you have spurned (rt.: pr') all My plan.” At the beginning (in Exod. 3:8), “I have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians.” But you did not act [in the way I intended]. Instead you came to the sea and immediately spoiled My plan, as stated (in Ps. 106:7), “they rebelled at the sea, at the Reed Sea.” I brought down on your behalf thousands upon thousands and myriads upon myriads of angels, and I passed on two angels to each and every person in Israel: One to gird him with his weapons³⁹Gk.: zone (“girdle”). and one to put a crown on his head.⁴⁰See Lam. R. 2:13 (17); Cant. R. 4:4:1 PRK 16:3; PR 21:7; 33:10; M. Ps. 103:8. R. Judah of Sepphoris said, “He bound their weapons to them,” while R. Simoy said, “He clothed them in purple, with the Ineffable Name written upon it. As long as it was in their hand, nothing evil had power against them, neither the angel of death nor anything else.”⁴¹See Exod. R. 32:1; cf. ‘AZ 5a. But when they sinned, Moses had said to them (in Exod. 33:5), “Now then, remove your ornaments (i.e., your weapons).” At that time (according to vs. 4), ‘When the people heard this bad news.” And what is written (in vs. 6)? “So the Children of Israel stripped themselves of ornaments.” What had the Holy One done at the giving of Torah?⁴²See Exod. R. 32:1. He had brought the angel of death and said to him, “All the world is under your authority, except this people whom I have chosen for Myself.” R. Eleazar the Son of R. Jose the Galilean said, “The angel of death said to the Holy One, ‘Have I been created in the world for nothing?’⁴³Exod. R. 27. The Holy One said to him, ‘I created you so that you would destroy the peoples of the world except this people, over whom you have no authority over them.’” Look at the plan which the Holy One had devised concerning them for them to live and endure! Thus it is stated (in Deut. 4:4), “But you who clung to the Lord your God are all alive today.” So also it says (in Exod. 32:16), ‘and the writing was the writing of God inscribed (harut) on the tablets.” What is the meaning of harut? R. Judah says, “Freedom (herut) from the empires”; but R. Nehemiah says, “From the angel of death”; and Rabbi says, “From afflictions.” Look at the plan which the Holy One had devised for them! Then they immediately spoiled this plan [after only] forty days. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 1:25), “But you have spurned all My plan.” The Holy One said to them, “I had said that you would not sin. Instead you would live and endure like Me, just as I live and endure forever and forevermore." (According to Ps. 82:6), “I said, ‘You are masters; even all of you are children of the Most High.’” Like the ministering angels who never die. Yet after this greatness you wanted to die (according to vs. 7), “Indeed you shall die like a human (Adam),” i.e. like the first Adam, to whom I decreed one commandment which he was to do, that he might live and endure forever, as stated (in Gen. 3:22), “Behold, the human (Adam) has become like one of Us.” Similarly also (in Gen. 1:27), “And God created the human (Adam) in His own image”, so that he would live and endure like Himself. Yet he corrupted his works and nullified His decree, and he ate of the tree. Then I said to him (in Gen. 3:19), “For dust you are .” So also in your case (in Ps. 82:6), “I said, ‘You are masters.’” But you corrupted yourselves as did Adam. Surely you shall die like Adam! And who made this happen to them? (According to Prov. 1:25) “But you have spurned all my plan.” The Holy One said, “With the very good that I made for you, you provoked Me. When they came to the desert, I brought the manna down to you for forty years.” Moreover, none of them had to ease nature for those forty years. Rather when they ate the manna, it simply became flesh for them, as stated (in Ps. 78:25) “Each one ate the bread of the mighty (rt.: 'br)”;⁴⁴Numb. R. 7:4; Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 4 (on Exod. 16:15); Sifre to Numb. 11:4 (88); Yoma 74b. and they provoked Him with it." They began saying to each other, “Do you not know that we have had several days, without easing nature? And a person who does not ease nature for four or five days, dies; (according to Numb. 21:5), ‘our soul loathes this miserable (rt.: QLL) food.’” Because it was light (rt.: QLL) within their bowels. The Holy One said, “In whatever way I did well for them, in that way they provoked Me.” It is so stated (in Is. 5:4), “What else is there to do for My vineyard.” The spies went and looked at the land. Now you find that wherever Israel goes they are recognized. It is so stated (in Is. 61:9), “all who see them shall recognize them.” However (in the case of the spies), the Holy One said, “If they see them, they will recognize that they are Israelites and they will kill them. So what shall I do?” In the case of each and every province into which the spies entered, the head of a province was afflicted with plague, or its king was smitten with plague, in order that they would be occupied with bringing out their dead and not pay attention to the spies. Thus they would not kill them. Yet by this they provoked Me. When they came to Moses and to Israel, they said, “What is this land?” In every place they entered, they saw dead bodies. “And what is the benefit; (according to Numb. 13:32) ‘it is a land that eats up its inhabitants….’” The Holy One said, “I thought that you would become like the ancestors, [of whom it is written] (in Hos. 9:10), ‘Like grapes in the desert.’ I did not think that you would become like Sodom.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 32:32), “For their vine is from the vine of Sodom.” (Is. 5:4) “When I hoped for it to produce grapes, why did it produce sour grapes?” It is therefore stated (in Numb. 14:11), “How long will this people scorn me?”

25 Moses said to Him (in vss. 14, 15), “Now they have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. If then You slay this people like one man.” So the nations of the world would not say, “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt; the gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are of land watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al).” (Numb. 14:14, 16) “They will say unto the inhabitants of this land […] Because he was not able (yekholet),” i.e., because He did not have the means to supply enough food, He brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]), “and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food (makkolet) for his household.” Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world think of You as cruel. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, He destroyed them. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, and when the Sodomites came, and when the Egyptians came, He destroyed them And also in the case of these whom He has called (in Exod. 4:22), “My first-born son,” He is destroying (mekhalleh) them! He is like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16), “Because the Lord was not able.” Moses said, “Sovereign of the world, (according to vs. 14) ‘[that…] You […], o Lord, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye).’” What is the meaning of “[that...] are seen eye to eye ('YN B'YN)?”⁴⁵Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. [Simeon ben] Laqish said, “See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN).” “You say (in Numb. 14:12), “’I will smite them with pestilence’; but I am saying (in vs. 19), ‘Please pardon.’ We shall see whose utterance will stand.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’” But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12), “then I will make you into a nation that is greater,” that decree was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, as stated (in I Chron. 23:17), “but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.” And in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12), “Look! These are coming from afar. And look! These are from the north and from the sea (i.e., from the west), and these from the land of Sinim.” Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond the River Sambatyon⁴⁶Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the hills of darkness.⁴⁷Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said (in Is. 49:9), “Saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’” i.e., to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.,) “To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves,’”⁴⁸higgalu. the verb can also mean “be exiled. these are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.,) “They shall pasture along the roads, and in all the heights shall be their pasture,” these are those who are located in Daphne of Antioch.⁴⁹According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness, as stated (in Is. 51:11), “So let those ransomed by the Lord return [and come to Zion with exaltation, with joy everlasting upon their heads. Let them attain joy and gladness; may sorrow and sighing flee].”

25 Moses said to Him (in vss. 14, 15), “Now they have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. If then You slay this people like one man.” So the nations of the world would not say, “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt; the gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are of land watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al).” (Numb. 14:14, 16) “They will say unto the inhabitants of this land […] Because he was not able (yekholet),” i.e., because He did not have the means to supply enough food, He brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]), “and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food (makkolet) for his household.” Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world think of You as cruel. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, He destroyed them. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, and when the Sodomites came, and when the Egyptians came, He destroyed them And also in the case of these whom He has called (in Exod. 4:22), “My first-born son,” He is destroying (mekhalleh) them! He is like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16), “Because the Lord was not able.” Moses said, “Sovereign of the world, (according to vs. 14) ‘[that…] You […], o Lord, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye).’” What is the meaning of “[that...] are seen eye to eye ('YN B'YN)?”⁴⁵Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. [Simeon ben] Laqish said, “See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN).” “You say (in Numb. 14:12), “’I will smite them with pestilence’; but I am saying (in vs. 19), ‘Please pardon.’ We shall see whose utterance will stand.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’” But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12), “then I will make you into a nation that is greater,” that decree was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, as stated (in I Chron. 23:17), “but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.” And in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12), “Look! These are coming from afar. And look! These are from the north and from the sea (i.e., from the west), and these from the land of Sinim.” Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond the River Sambatyon⁴⁶Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the hills of darkness.⁴⁷Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said (in Is. 49:9), “Saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’” i.e., to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.,) “To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves,’”⁴⁸higgalu. the verb can also mean “be exiled. these are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.,) “They shall pasture along the roads, and in all the heights shall be their pasture,” these are those who are located in Daphne of Antioch.⁴⁹According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness, as stated (in Is. 51:11), “So let those ransomed by the Lord return [and come to Zion with exaltation, with joy everlasting upon their heads. Let them attain joy and gladness; may sorrow and sighing flee].”

25 Moses said to Him (in vss. 14, 15), “Now they have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. If then You slay this people like one man.” So the nations of the world would not say, “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt; the gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are of land watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al).” (Numb. 14:14, 16) “They will say unto the inhabitants of this land […] Because he was not able (yekholet),” i.e., because He did not have the means to supply enough food, He brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]), “and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food (makkolet) for his household.” Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world think of You as cruel. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, He destroyed them. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, and when the Sodomites came, and when the Egyptians came, He destroyed them And also in the case of these whom He has called (in Exod. 4:22), “My first-born son,” He is destroying (mekhalleh) them! He is like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16), “Because the Lord was not able.” Moses said, “Sovereign of the world, (according to vs. 14) ‘[that…] You […], o Lord, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye).’” What is the meaning of “[that...] are seen eye to eye ('YN B'YN)?”⁴⁵Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. [Simeon ben] Laqish said, “See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN).” “You say (in Numb. 14:12), “’I will smite them with pestilence’; but I am saying (in vs. 19), ‘Please pardon.’ We shall see whose utterance will stand.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’” But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12), “then I will make you into a nation that is greater,” that decree was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, as stated (in I Chron. 23:17), “but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.” And in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12), “Look! These are coming from afar. And look! These are from the north and from the sea (i.e., from the west), and these from the land of Sinim.” Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond the River Sambatyon⁴⁶Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the hills of darkness.⁴⁷Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said (in Is. 49:9), “Saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’” i.e., to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.,) “To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves,’”⁴⁸higgalu. the verb can also mean “be exiled. these are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.,) “They shall pasture along the roads, and in all the heights shall be their pasture,” these are those who are located in Daphne of Antioch.⁴⁹According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness, as stated (in Is. 51:11), “So let those ransomed by the Lord return [and come to Zion with exaltation, with joy everlasting upon their heads. Let them attain joy and gladness; may sorrow and sighing flee].”

25 Moses said to Him (in vss. 14, 15), “Now they have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. If then You slay this people like one man.” So the nations of the world would not say, “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt; the gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are of land watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al).” (Numb. 14:14, 16) “They will say unto the inhabitants of this land […] Because he was not able (yekholet),” i.e., because He did not have the means to supply enough food, He brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]), “and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food (makkolet) for his household.” Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world think of You as cruel. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, He destroyed them. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, and when the Sodomites came, and when the Egyptians came, He destroyed them And also in the case of these whom He has called (in Exod. 4:22), “My first-born son,” He is destroying (mekhalleh) them! He is like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16), “Because the Lord was not able.” Moses said, “Sovereign of the world, (according to vs. 14) ‘[that…] You […], o Lord, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye).’” What is the meaning of “[that...] are seen eye to eye ('YN B'YN)?”⁴⁵Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. [Simeon ben] Laqish said, “See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN).” “You say (in Numb. 14:12), “’I will smite them with pestilence’; but I am saying (in vs. 19), ‘Please pardon.’ We shall see whose utterance will stand.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’” But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12), “then I will make you into a nation that is greater,” that decree was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, as stated (in I Chron. 23:17), “but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.” And in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12), “Look! These are coming from afar. And look! These are from the north and from the sea (i.e., from the west), and these from the land of Sinim.” Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond the River Sambatyon⁴⁶Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the hills of darkness.⁴⁷Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said (in Is. 49:9), “Saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’” i.e., to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.,) “To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves,’”⁴⁸higgalu. the verb can also mean “be exiled. these are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.,) “They shall pasture along the roads, and in all the heights shall be their pasture,” these are those who are located in Daphne of Antioch.⁴⁹According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness, as stated (in Is. 51:11), “So let those ransomed by the Lord return [and come to Zion with exaltation, with joy everlasting upon their heads. Let them attain joy and gladness; may sorrow and sighing flee].”

25 Moses said to Him (in vss. 14, 15), “Now they have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. If then You slay this people like one man.” So the nations of the world would not say, “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt; the gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are of land watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al).” (Numb. 14:14, 16) “They will say unto the inhabitants of this land […] Because he was not able (yekholet),” i.e., because He did not have the means to supply enough food, He brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]), “and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food (makkolet) for his household.” Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world think of You as cruel. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, He destroyed them. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, and when the Sodomites came, and when the Egyptians came, He destroyed them And also in the case of these whom He has called (in Exod. 4:22), “My first-born son,” He is destroying (mekhalleh) them! He is like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16), “Because the Lord was not able.” Moses said, “Sovereign of the world, (according to vs. 14) ‘[that…] You […], o Lord, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye).’” What is the meaning of “[that...] are seen eye to eye ('YN B'YN)?”⁴⁵Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. [Simeon ben] Laqish said, “See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN).” “You say (in Numb. 14:12), “’I will smite them with pestilence’; but I am saying (in vs. 19), ‘Please pardon.’ We shall see whose utterance will stand.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’” But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12), “then I will make you into a nation that is greater,” that decree was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, as stated (in I Chron. 23:17), “but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.” And in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12), “Look! These are coming from afar. And look! These are from the north and from the sea (i.e., from the west), and these from the land of Sinim.” Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond the River Sambatyon⁴⁶Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the hills of darkness.⁴⁷Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said (in Is. 49:9), “Saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’” i.e., to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.,) “To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves,’”⁴⁸higgalu. the verb can also mean “be exiled. these are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.,) “They shall pasture along the roads, and in all the heights shall be their pasture,” these are those who are located in Daphne of Antioch.⁴⁹According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness, as stated (in Is. 51:11), “So let those ransomed by the Lord return [and come to Zion with exaltation, with joy everlasting upon their heads. Let them attain joy and gladness; may sorrow and sighing flee].”

26 (Numb. 14:27) “How long […]”: A legal teaching: When a baby has a stone in his hand on the Sabbath, is it permissible to pick him up [on the Sabbath]? Thus have our masters taught (in Shab. 21:1): A person may pick up one's child, even with a stone in his hand, or a basket (of fruit) with a stone inside it. You have learned from the generation of the wilderness that the Holy One, as it were, carried them up in the wilderness, (as in Deut. 1:31) “as one carries his child,” yet there was an object of idolatry in their hand.⁵⁰Corresponding to the stone in the hand of the child. Thus it is stated (in Neh. 9:18), “as they had made themselves a molten calf.” And so you find that, when they crossed in the sea, Micah's image (of Jud. 17:3–4) crossed with them, as stated (in Zech. 10:11), “And a rival wife⁵¹Tsarah. The Midrash understands the word in this sense, although most translations follow the other meaning of tsarah, i.e., “affliction,” “distress,” or the like. So also below, Deut. 4:14. shall cross in the sea.”⁵²Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Pisha 14 on Exod. 12:41; Sanh. 103b; M. Pss. 101:2; Exod. R. 41:1; also Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1 on Exod. 15:22; ySuk. 4:3 (54c); see ARN, A, 34. Still with all this, the Holy One did not forsake them. He said to Moses, “I have done a lot of good things with them; yet they are provoking Me a lot. I parted the sea for them; they provoked Me,” as stated (in Pss. 78:40), “How often did they defy Him.” Here also they brought a bad name upon the land. I am not able to endure. How long shall I endure them? [Ergo] (in Numb. 14:27), “How long shall this evil congregation?”

27 Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27), “How long”: This text is related (to Mal. 1:11), “For from the rising of the sun [even] to where it sets, My name shall be great among the gentiles.” The Holy One said, “The nations of the world honor Me; but as for you, how many miracles have I performed for you? Still you provoke Me. Do you want to know [the facts]? Eglon, king of Moab, was uncircumcised. Then Ehud ben Gera entered where he was; and as soon as he mentioned My name to him, he showed Me honor and rose from his seat,” as stated (in Jud. 3:20), “then Ehud said, ‘I have a word from God for you’; so he arose from his seat.” This was to fulfill what was said (in Mal. 1:11), “For from the rising [of the sun to where it sets my name shall be great among the gentiles].” The Holy One said, “The nations of the world honor Me; and they show Me respect. Yet when you provoke Me, I plead with you. How long do I tolerate you?” (Numb. 14:27) “How long shall this evil congregation?” The Holy One said, “As it were, someone buys himself a servant, so that the servant may take the lantern⁵³Gk.: phanos. and give light to the one who bought him; but I did not do so. Rather, though you are My servants, [as stated] (in Lev. 25:55), ‘For to Me the Children of Israel are servants,’ I have taken the lantern and given light to them.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): By universal custom one buys himself a servant so that, if he sets out on the road, his slave will go ahead and prepare for him safe and well supplied quarters;⁵⁴Gk.: etoimasia (“preparation”). but I have not done so. Rather, though you are My servants, I prepared quarters for you, as stated (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord [traveled ahead of them three days' journey] to seek out a resting place for them.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): By universal custom one buys himself a servant so that his servant will bake bread for him, but I did not do so. Rather, though you are My servants, I baked for you bread from the heavens.” And so it says (in Ps. 78:25), “Each one ate the bread of the mighty.”

28 The Holy One said to Moses, “I am exterminating them from before Me.” Moses said to Him, “Sovereign of the Universe, in the case of a servant, if his deeds are good so that his master looks at him with a friendly face, one does not give his master any credit. So when would they give him credit? When the servant's conduct is evil, and then his master looks at him with a friendly face. So also in Your case, pay no attention to their stiff neck.” Thus it is stated (in Deut. 9:27), “pay no attention to the stubbornness of this people.” [So] the Holy One said to him. “Because of you, I am forgiving them.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “And the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’”

(Exodus 13:17) "And it was, when G d sent ("shalach") the people": "sending" in all places is accompaniment, viz. (Genesis 18:16) "And Abraham went with them to send them," (Ibid. 26:31) "And Israel sent them." The mouth (of Pharaoh) that said (Exodus 5:2) "Israel, too, I will not send," it is that (mouth) which said (Ibid. 10:10) "I will send you and your children." How was he rewarded for this? (Devarim 23:8) "You shall not abominate an Egyptian." The mouth which said (Exodus 5:2) "I do not know the L rd," it is that (mouth) which said (Ibid. 14:25) "I will flee from before Israel, for the L rd wars for them against the Egyptians." How was he rewarded for this? (Isaiah 19:19) "On that day there will be an altar to the L rd in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar at its border to the L rd." The mouth which said (Exodus 5:2) "Who is the L rd that I should hearken to His voice," it is that mouth which said (Ibid. 9:27) "the L rd is the Tzaddik, and I and my people are the wicked" — wherefore He gave them a place for burial, as it is written (Ibid. 15:12) "You inclined Your right hand — the earth swallowed them up." (Ibid.) "that G d did not lead them ('nacham')." This "nichum" connotes leading, as in (Psalms 77:21) "You have led (nachitha) Your people like sheep," and (Ibid. 78:4) "And He led them (vayanchem) with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire." "by way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near": Near (i.e., "close") is the thing of which the Holy One Blessed be He spoke to Moses (Exodus 2:12): "When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G d on this mountain." Variantly: "for it was near": It afforded easy return to Egypt, viz. (Ibid. 5:3) "Let us go a three days' distance in the desert." Variantly: "for it was near": Close (in time) was the oath that Abraham had sworn to Avimelech, viz. (Genesis 21:23) "And now, swear to me here by G d that you will not deal with me falsely (by trespassing on my land), or to my son or my grandson," and his grandson was still alive. Variantly: "for it was near": The first war (that with Egypt) was too close to the second (that with Canaan). Variantly: "for it was near": The Canaanites had only recently acquired the land, and (Genesis 15:16) "And they (the Israelites) shall return here in the fourth generation, for the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete." Variantly: "for it was near": The Holy One Blessed be He did not bring them directly to Eretz Yisrael but by way of the desert, saying: If I bring them there now, immediately each man will seize his field, and each man his vineyard and they will neglect Torah study. Rather, I will keep them in the desert forty years, eating manna and drinking from the well, and the Torah will be absorbed in their bodies. From here R. Shimon would say: The Torah was given to be expounded only by the eaters of manna, and, like them, the eaters of terumah (i.e., the Cohanim). Variantly: "for it was near": The L rd did not bring them in directly. For when the Canaanites heard that the Israelites were coming, they arose and burned all the vegetation and cut down all the trees, and razed the buildings, and stopped up the springs — whereas the Holy One Blessed be He said: I did not promise their fathers to bring them to a ruined land, but one full of all good things, viz. (Devarim 6:11) "and houses full of all good." Rather, I will keep them in the desert until the Canaanites arise and restore what they have destroyed. (Ibid.) "for the L rd said: Lest the people bethink themselves when they see war": This is the war of Amalek, viz. (Numbers 14:45). "Variantly: "for the L rd said, etc.": This is the war of the sons of Ephraim, viz. (I Chronicles 7:20-21), and (Psalms 78:9-72). They transgressed the appointed time (for the redemption) and the oath, viz. (Genesis 50:25). "for the L rd said, etc.": So that they not see the bones of their brethren strewn in Philistia and return (to Egypt). Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If, when He took them in a circuitous way, they said (Numbers 14:4) "Let us make a head and return to Egypt," how much more so if He would take them in a straight way!

(Exodus 13:17) "And it was, when G d sent ("shalach") the people": "sending" in all places is accompaniment, viz. (Genesis 18:16) "And Abraham went with them to send them," (Ibid. 26:31) "And Israel sent them." The mouth (of Pharaoh) that said (Exodus 5:2) "Israel, too, I will not send," it is that (mouth) which said (Ibid. 10:10) "I will send you and your children." How was he rewarded for this? (Devarim 23:8) "You shall not abominate an Egyptian." The mouth which said (Exodus 5:2) "I do not know the L rd," it is that (mouth) which said (Ibid. 14:25) "I will flee from before Israel, for the L rd wars for them against the Egyptians." How was he rewarded for this? (Isaiah 19:19) "On that day there will be an altar to the L rd in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar at its border to the L rd." The mouth which said (Exodus 5:2) "Who is the L rd that I should hearken to His voice," it is that mouth which said (Ibid. 9:27) "the L rd is the Tzaddik, and I and my people are the wicked" — wherefore He gave them a place for burial, as it is written (Ibid. 15:12) "You inclined Your right hand — the earth swallowed them up." (Ibid.) "that G d did not lead them ('nacham')." This "nichum" connotes leading, as in (Psalms 77:21) "You have led (nachitha) Your people like sheep," and (Ibid. 78:4) "And He led them (vayanchem) with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire." "by way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near": Near (i.e., "close") is the thing of which the Holy One Blessed be He spoke to Moses (Exodus 2:12): "When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G d on this mountain." Variantly: "for it was near": It afforded easy return to Egypt, viz. (Ibid. 5:3) "Let us go a three days' distance in the desert." Variantly: "for it was near": Close (in time) was the oath that Abraham had sworn to Avimelech, viz. (Genesis 21:23) "And now, swear to me here by G d that you will not deal with me falsely (by trespassing on my land), or to my son or my grandson," and his grandson was still alive. Variantly: "for it was near": The first war (that with Egypt) was too close to the second (that with Canaan). Variantly: "for it was near": The Canaanites had only recently acquired the land, and (Genesis 15:16) "And they (the Israelites) shall return here in the fourth generation, for the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete." Variantly: "for it was near": The Holy One Blessed be He did not bring them directly to Eretz Yisrael but by way of the desert, saying: If I bring them there now, immediately each man will seize his field, and each man his vineyard and they will neglect Torah study. Rather, I will keep them in the desert forty years, eating manna and drinking from the well, and the Torah will be absorbed in their bodies. From here R. Shimon would say: The Torah was given to be expounded only by the eaters of manna, and, like them, the eaters of terumah (i.e., the Cohanim). Variantly: "for it was near": The L rd did not bring them in directly. For when the Canaanites heard that the Israelites were coming, they arose and burned all the vegetation and cut down all the trees, and razed the buildings, and stopped up the springs — whereas the Holy One Blessed be He said: I did not promise their fathers to bring them to a ruined land, but one full of all good things, viz. (Devarim 6:11) "and houses full of all good." Rather, I will keep them in the desert until the Canaanites arise and restore what they have destroyed. (Ibid.) "for the L rd said: Lest the people bethink themselves when they see war": This is the war of Amalek, viz. (Numbers 14:45). "Variantly: "for the L rd said, etc.": This is the war of the sons of Ephraim, viz. (I Chronicles 7:20-21), and (Psalms 78:9-72). They transgressed the appointed time (for the redemption) and the oath, viz. (Genesis 50:25). "for the L rd said, etc.": So that they not see the bones of their brethren strewn in Philistia and return (to Egypt). Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If, when He took them in a circuitous way, they said (Numbers 14:4) "Let us make a head and return to Egypt," how much more so if He would take them in a straight way!

3 Another interpretation (of Numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land of your habitations”: R. Zakkay of Sha'av (in Galilee) said, “Israel said, ‘Sovereign of the World, in every other place You call this the Land of Canaan, but here (in Numb. 15:2) it is “the land of your habitations.”’ The Holy One said to them, ‘By your life, I gave it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and all of [the references] are from scripture. Since the son inherits from the father, therefore (in Numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land of your habitations.”’” And why did Canaan merit to have the land called by its name? When they heard that Israel was coming, they evacuated the place. The Holy One, said, “You evacuated the place. [Hence] the land will be called by your name, and I will give you a land as fine as your land.” And which is this? Africa. What is written above in the section on the spies (in Numb. 14:44)? “But they presumed (rt.: 'pl) to go up.” They brought darkness (rt.: 'pl) to its dwellers and they all remained in darkness (rt.: 'pl). (Ibid., cont.) “But the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses did not depart from the camp”: Thus they did not go up with them. Moses said, “Thus did the Holy One say (in Deut. 1:42), ‘You shall neither go up nor fight, for I am not in your midst.’ Now you have said (in Deut. 1:28) ‘Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused our hearts to melt (with fear)….’” What is the meaning of melt (hemassu)? Our masters have said, “From here one deduces how they tithed the pomegranates.⁶yMa‘as. 1:2 (48d). Thus have our masters taught (in Ma'as. 1:2): They tithe pomegranates, when they become soft (rt.: MSS).” Moses said to them, “From the beginning you have been of two minds on the matter.” (Deut 1:22) “Then you all drew near unto me”: On the positive side (in Deut. 5:20), “and all of the heads of your tribes approached me.” But on the negative side (in Deut. 1:22), “Then you all drew near unto me and said, [‘Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us’]”; and it is written (in vs. 27), “And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘It is because the Lord hated us.” The Holy One says to them (in Mal. 1:2), “I have loved you!” But they say, (in Deut. 1:27), “It is because the Lord hated us.” They interpreted the verse and said, “You yourself know that He hates us. Take the case of a king of flesh and blood who has two sons. Now he also has two fields, one with irrigation and one watered by rain. Is it not that the field with irrigation will be given to whichever one the king loves, while the one watered by rain will be given to that one whom he hates? The land of Egypt has irrigation, and we were in its midst, while the land of Canaan has rain. So He brought us out from Egypt to give us the land of Canaan. Nevertheless (according to Deut. 1:41–42), “and each of you girded on his weapons of war, and you ventured to go up into the hill country. But the Lord said unto me, ‘Say to them, “Do not go up and do not fight.”’” I had intended to go up with you; but now, “Do not go up.” For you it will be a downfall. Nevertheless (according to vs. 41), “[each of] you girded,” and you all had become a single unit. (Ibid., cont.) “And you ventured to go up into the hill country”: What is the meaning of “and you ventured (rt.: hyn)?” That they were saying, “Drop by drop, the hin⁷A liquid measure equal to about a gallon and a half. will be filled.”⁸I.e., they had accumulated almost enough sin to overflow their allotted measure. One text (Deut. 1:43) says, “and you acted presumptuously”; while another text (Deut. 1:41) says, “and you ventured (rt.: HYN).” What is the meaning of “and you acted presumptuously?” That they acted presumptuously against the encampments (hanayot, rt.: HNH) of the Holy One.”⁹ I.e., they ignored the fact that the ark of the covenant had not departed out of the camp (Numb. 14:44). (Deut. 1:43-44) “To go up into the hill country. Then the Amorites [that dwelt in that hill country came out to meet you, and they pursued you as do the bees]”: What is the meaning of “bees?” Just as the bee immediately dies when it strikes someone, so also it was with you. When one of them touched you, his soul immediately departed. Just as the bee flies, so did they fly about you. In the past, when they merely heard a report of you, they died. It is so stated (in Exod. 15:14), “When the peoples hear, they tremble.” Now (in Deut. 1:44) “and they pursued you […] and crushed you.” (Deut. 1:45) “So you returned to weep before the Lord, but the Lord would not heed”: You, as it were, made strict justice as though it were brutal. (Deut. 10:11) “And the Lord said [unto me], ‘Arise, continue the journey’”: Now if I had come to execute justice with them, they would not be entering the land. Instead, “Arise, continue the journey.” Ergo (in numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land.”

[(Numb. 20:29:) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died.”] What is written after this (in Numb. 21:1)? “When the Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, heard [that Israel had come….].” And who was this king of Arad? This [was Amalek, since it is stated (in Numb. 13:29), “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negeb.” Now he dwelt in the gap (in the border), and when he heard that Aaron was dead and that the clouds of glory had departed, he immediately engaged them in battle. (Numb. 21:1, cont.:) “By way of Atharim (a place name interpreted as coming from twr),”¹²⁰The actual root is ’TR. [meaning] the great scout (rt.: twr) that had scouted (rt.: twr) the way for them. It is so stated (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them three days' journey to seek (rt.: twr) out a resting place for them.” (Numb. 21:1, cont.:) “He fought against Israel.” That was Amalek. [So] why did [Scripture] call him a Canaanite? Because Israel was forbidden to fight with the children of Esau, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 2:5), “Do not engage them in battle [...].” When Amalek came and engaged in battle with them a second time, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “This [nation] is not forbidden like the children of Esau. Just look. They are like Canaanites, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 20:17), ‘Rather you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, […].’” For that reason he was called a Canaanite; and from time immemorial Amalek has been a strap for the punishment of Israel. You find that when they said (in Exod. 17:7), “Is the Lord amongst us or not,” immediately (in Exod. 17:8), “And Amalek came.” And here (in Numb. 20:29:) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died,” [is followed by (Numb 21:1),] “When the Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, learned that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive.” [And also (in Numb. 14:4),] “And they said – one man to his brother – let us appoint a head and return to Egypt,” [is followed by (Numb. 14:45),] “And the Amalekites and the Canaanites... came down and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah.” You find that, when Aaron died, Amalek went out against them; and Israel retreated back seven stages [of their journey]. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 10:6), “Then from the wells of Bene-Jaakan the Children of Israel journeyed to Moserah; there Aaron died.” Did Aaron die there? Did he not die on Mount Hor, as stated (in Numb. 20:28) “and Aaron died there on Mount Hor?”¹²¹yYoma 1:1 (38ab); ySot. 1:10 (17d); cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1, on Exod. 15:22. And [so] the verses are evidence of seven stages backwards (from Mount Hor to Moserah) to teach you that [Israel] had retreated.

6 (Numb. 16:19) “And Korah gathered [the whole community] against them”: He said to them (in Numb. 16:3), “’You have gone too far, for all the congregation are holy, every one of them.’ Moreover, every one of them heard on Sinai (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6), ‘I am the Lord your God.’ (Numb. 16:3, cont.,) ‘So why do you elevate yourselves?’” If only you had heard, and they did not hear, you could have said [that you are more worthy]. But now they all heard, “so why do you elevate [yourselves]?” Immediately Moses trembled, because it was already the fourth transgression on their hands. It is comparable to a king's son who had transgressed against his father. Now his friend effected a reconciliation with him once,¹⁶Rt.: PSY. See the Gk.: peithein, peisai in the aorist. twice, and three times. When he transgressed a fourth time, the king's friend became discouraged. He said, “How many times shall I bother the king?” So also [it was with] Moses towards Israel. They had sinned with the calf, and (according to Exod. 32:11,) “Moses implored.” In the case of the murmurers, (according to Numb. 11:2,) “Moses prayed.” In the case of the spies, (according to Numb. 14:13,) “Moses said unto the Lord, when the Egyptians hear [what happened].” [So] in the case of Korah's dissension, he said, “How often can I bother the Omnipresent?” Therefore (in Numb. 16:4), “When Moses heard this, he fell on his face.”

(Numb. 13:30:) THEN CALEB HUSHED <THE PEOPLE BEFORE MOSES>…, when at first he said to them: I am of the same opinion as you; but his heart was for speaking the truth, as stated (in Josh. 14:7): AND I BROUGHT HIM BACK WORD ACCORDING TO WHAT WAS IN MY HEART.⁴⁴Tanh., Numb. 4:10; Numb. R. 16:19; Sot. 35a. The Holy One also testifies over him, as stated (in Numb. 14:24): BUT MY SERVANT CALEB, [BECAUSE HE HAD ANOTHER SPIRIT WITH HIM]. So when the spies came, they said: We can trust Caleb? Immediately he stood up on a stool⁴⁵Safsal; cf. Lat.: subsellium. and had all Israel become silent, because they had been clamoring against Moses, as stated (in Numb. 13:30): THEN CALEB HUSHED THE PEOPLE BEFORE MOSES. Now they were thinking that he would utter slander. For that reason they were silent. He began by saying (ibid., cont.): WE SHOULD CERTAINLY GO UP AND POSSESS IT. Immediately they took issue with him and said (in Numb. 13:31–32): WE ARE UNABLE TO GO UP <AGAINST THIS PEOPLE>…. SO THEY SPREAD CALUMNY ABOUT THE LAND….

(Numb. 21:4:) “Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by way of the Reed Sea in order to go around the Land of Edom, but the people grew restive on the journey.” But is it not written (of that era in Neh. 9:20), “And You gave Your good spirit to enlighten them?” It is simply that those remnants of Israel which had come out of Egypt over whom death had been decreed, saw neither a peaceful nor agreeable spirit in the desert.¹²²Numb. R. 19:21. Thus it says (in Numb. 14:33), “And your children shall roam in the wilderness....” This was (according to Numb. 21:4) the people who grew restive on the journey. (Numb. 21:5:) “And the people spoke against God and against Moses.” They equated the slave and his Master. (Numb. 21:5:) “Our soul loathes this miserable food,” for that generation was unable to taste any of the fruits of the land at all. R. Aqiva said, “When merchants [even] uncovered a basket with some fruits of the land for them, they died.” It is so stated (in Deut. 1:35), “Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land,” [i.e.,] any good that comes because of the land. That is why the people grew restive on the journey. These are the ones that grumbled (in Numb. 21:5), “Our soul loathes.” (Numb. 21:6:) “Then the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people.” Why did the Holy One, blessed be He, see fit to exact retribution from them through serpents?¹²³Numb. R. 19:22. It is simply that the snake started [the use of] slanderous language at the beginning and was cursed; yet they did not learn from it and spoke slanderous language against the Holy One, blessed be He. [The Holy One, blessed be He, said,] “Let the serpent, which was the first [to use] slanderous language, come and exact retribution from those who [still] speak slanderous language.” This is what is written (in Eccl. 10:8), “the one who breaks through a barrier¹²⁴In general “to break through a barrier” means “to say,” but here the reference may denote more specifically the barrier of one’s teeth, through which slander must pass. will have a snake bite him.” Another interpretation of why retribution was exacted from them through serpents: Even if the serpent eats all the luxury foods of the world, for him they are turned to dust in his mouth. Thus it is stated (in Is. 65:25), “but the serpent's food shall be dust.” Now these people ate the manna, as stated (in Ps. 106:15), “So He gave them what they asked for,” and (in Ps. 78:29), “He gave them their desire.” It also says (in Deut. 2:7), “these forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.”¹²⁵I.e., no luxury foods. Let a serpent that eats many species and has [but] one taste in his mouth come and exact the retribution from those who eat one species and taste many species. (Numb. 21:6:) “Fiery serpents (serafim).” [They are called serafim] because they burn (sorefim) the soul. R. Judan says, “[God] sent out the [same] serpents that the cloud of glory would burn and make into a fence for the camp to let them know the miracles that the Omnipresent had done for them.” (Numb. 21:7:) “Then the people came unto Moses and said, ‘We have sinned, since we spoke against the Lord and you.’” [They] knew that they had spoken against Moses, so they fell prostrate before him and said (ibid., cont.), “pray unto the Lord to remove the serpent¹²⁶The use of the singular here may be suggesting to midrashic interpreter that this was the same serpent that sinned in the Garden of Eden. See the parallel in Numb. R. 19:23. from us.” Rabbi says, “There was one serpent.” [(Ibid., cont.:) “And he prayed.” The passage serves] to make Moses' humility known to you, in that he did not hesitate to seek mercy for them. And [it is also] to make the power of repentance known to you. As soon as they said, “We have sinned,” he was immediately reconciled to them. [The passage serves] to teach you that the one who forgives should not be cruel. And so too does it say (in Gen. 20:17), “Abraham then prayed to God, and God healed Abimelech and his wife.” And so does it say (in Job 42:10), “The Lord restored Job’s fortunes when he prayed on behalf of his friends.” And where is it shown that if one has sinned against his companion and says to him, “I have sinned,” without [the companion] forgiving him, that [the unforgiving one] is called a sinner? Where it is stated (in I Sam. 12:23), “As for me also, far be it for me to sin against the Lord by ceasing to pray on your behalf.” When? When they came and said to him, “We have sinned,” [as stated] (in I Sam. 12:10), “and [they] said, ‘We have sinned […].’” And he answered, “Far be it from me to sin.” (Numb. 21:8), “And the Lord said unto Moses, ‘Make a fiery serpent, [and put it on a pole]; then it shall come to pass that, when anyone bitten [looks at it, he shall live],” not only one bitten by a serpent, but anyone bitten, even one bitten by an adder, by a scorpion, a wild beast, or a dog. (Numb. 21:9:) “So Moses made a bronze serpent and set it up by a miracle.”¹²⁷Nes. The usual rendering would read: AND SET IT UP ON A POLE (nes). However, since nes can also mean “miracle,” the midrash is understanding it in the latter sense. He tossed it into the air and it remained there. (Numb. 21:10:) “Then the Children of Israel journeyed on and camped in Oboth (Ovot, rt: 'wb),” because they had become enemies (oyevim, rt: 'yb) to the Omnipresent.¹²⁸Numb. R. 19:24. (Numb. 21:11:) “And they camped at Iye-Abarim ('avarim, rt.: 'br),” because they were full of transgressions ('averot, rt.: 'br). (Numb. 21:12:) “And they camped in the Wadi Zered,” because the wadi was [only] about a full span (zeret) [in width]; but they were unable to cross it for thirty-eight years. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 2:13-14), “Now then arise and cross the Wadi Zered…. And the time that we traveled from Kadesh-Barnea until we crossed the Wadi Zered was thirty-eight years.”(Numb. 21:13:) “From there they journeyed and camped on the other side of (m'br) the Arnon (rt.: rnn),” because the Omnipresent was reconciled to them.¹²⁹The argument seems to depend on the following: M‘BR is close to M‘BRH, which means, “away from transgression” or, with different voweling, “away from wrath”; while the root, RNN, means “sing” or “rejoice.”

[Another interpretation (of Numb. 15:2): WHEN YOU COME UNTO THE LAND OF YOUR HABITATIONS.] What is written above on the matter in the section on the spies (in Numb. 14:44)? BUT THEY PRESUMED TO GO UP UNTO THE TOP OF THE MOUNTAIN. What is the meaning of BUT THEY PRESUMED (rt.: 'PL)? They brought darkness (rt.: 'PL), they made it dark (rt.: 'PL), <and> they all remained in darkness (rt.: 'PL). Why? (Ibid., cont.:) BUT THE ARK OF THE COVENANT OF THE LORD AND MOSES DID NOT DEPART FROM THE CAMP. Thus they did not go up with them, since it is stated <that> they DID NOT DEPART FROM THE CAMP. Moses said: Thus did the Holy One say (in Deut. 1:42): YOU SHALL NEITHER GO UP NOR FIGHT, FOR I AM NOT IN YOUR MIDST. Moses had said to them: Now you have said (in Deut. 1:28) WHERE ARE WE GOING UP TO? OUR BROTHERS HAVE CAUSED OUR HEARTS TO MELT (with fear)…. What is the meaning of MELT (hemassu)? He made our hearts sink (himsiv).⁴⁵As Buber notes, p. 84, n. 91, the meaning or this word of uncertain.

20 (Numb. 20:29) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died”: When Moses and Elazar came down [from the mountain], the whole congregation assembled themselves against them and said, “Where is Aaron?” They said to them, “He is dead.” They said to them, “How could the angel of death hurt him, a man who has halted the angel of death and held him back?” It is so stated (in Numb. 17:13), “So he (i.e., Aaron) stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was halted.” They said to them, “If you bring him [back], well and good; but if not, we will stone you [to death].” At that time Moses rose in prayer. He said, “Master of the world, bring us out from [this] suspicion.” Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, opened the [burial] cave and showed him to [the congregation] for them. It is so stated (in Numb. 20:29), “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died.” What is written after this (in Numb. 21:1)? “When the Canaanite king of Arad, [who dwelt in the Negeb], heard.” You find that once Aaron died, the clouds of glory withdrew, and they appeared like an unkempt woman. And who was this king of Arad? This [was Amalek, since it is stated (in Numb. 13:29), “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negeb […].” Now he dwelt in the gap (in the border), and when he heard that Aaron was dead and that the clouds of glory had departed, he immediately engaged them in battle. (Numb. 21:1, cont.) “By way of Atharim (a place name interpreted as coming from twr),”⁷⁰The actual root is ’TR. [meaning] the great scout (rt.: twr) that had scouted (rt.: twr) the way for them. It is so stated (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them [three days' journey to seek (rt.: twr) out a resting place for them].” (Numb. 21:1, cont.) “He fought against Israel”: If that was Amalek, why did [Scripture] call him a Canaanite? Because Israel was forbidden to fight with the children of Esau, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 2:5), “Do not engage them in battle [...].” When Amalek came and engaged in battle with them a second time, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “This [nation] is not forbidden like the children of Esau. Just look. They are like Canaanites, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 20:17), ‘Rather you shall utterly destroy them, [the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites].’” For that reason he was called a Canaanite. From time immemorial Amalek has been a strap for the punishment of Israel. You find that when they said (in Exod. 17:7), “Is the Lord amongst us or not,” immediately (in Exod. 17:8), “And Amalek came.” [And also (in Numb. 14:4),] “And they said – one man to his brother – let us appoint a head and return to Egypt,” [is followed by (Numb. 14:45),] “And the Amalekites and the Canaanites [...] came down [and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah].” And here (in Numb. 20:29,) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died,” [is followed by (Numb 21:1),] “When the Canaanite, king of Arad heard.” You find that, when Aaron died, Amalek went out against them; and Israel retreated back seven stages [of their journey]. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 10:6), “Then from the wells of Bene-Jaakan the Children of Israel journeyed to Moserah; there Aaron died.” Did Aaron die there? Did he not die on Mount Hor, as stated (in Numb. 20:28) “and Aaron died there on Mount Hor?”⁷¹yYoma 1:1 (38ab); ySot. 1:10 (17d); cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1, on Exod. 15:22. And [so] the verses are evidence of seven stages backwards (from Mount Hor to Moserah) to teach you that [Israel] had retreated.

20 (Numb. 20:29) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died”: When Moses and Elazar came down [from the mountain], the whole congregation assembled themselves against them and said, “Where is Aaron?” They said to them, “He is dead.” They said to them, “How could the angel of death hurt him, a man who has halted the angel of death and held him back?” It is so stated (in Numb. 17:13), “So he (i.e., Aaron) stood between the dead and the living, and the plague was halted.” They said to them, “If you bring him [back], well and good; but if not, we will stone you [to death].” At that time Moses rose in prayer. He said, “Master of the world, bring us out from [this] suspicion.” Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, opened the [burial] cave and showed him to [the congregation] for them. It is so stated (in Numb. 20:29), “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died.” What is written after this (in Numb. 21:1)? “When the Canaanite king of Arad, [who dwelt in the Negeb], heard.” You find that once Aaron died, the clouds of glory withdrew, and they appeared like an unkempt woman. And who was this king of Arad? This [was Amalek, since it is stated (in Numb. 13:29), “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negeb […].” Now he dwelt in the gap (in the border), and when he heard that Aaron was dead and that the clouds of glory had departed, he immediately engaged them in battle. (Numb. 21:1, cont.) “By way of Atharim (a place name interpreted as coming from twr),”⁷⁰The actual root is ’TR. [meaning] the great scout (rt.: twr) that had scouted (rt.: twr) the way for them. It is so stated (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them [three days' journey to seek (rt.: twr) out a resting place for them].” (Numb. 21:1, cont.) “He fought against Israel”: If that was Amalek, why did [Scripture] call him a Canaanite? Because Israel was forbidden to fight with the children of Esau, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 2:5), “Do not engage them in battle [...].” When Amalek came and engaged in battle with them a second time, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “This [nation] is not forbidden like the children of Esau. Just look. They are like Canaanites, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 20:17), ‘Rather you shall utterly destroy them, [the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites].’” For that reason he was called a Canaanite. From time immemorial Amalek has been a strap for the punishment of Israel. You find that when they said (in Exod. 17:7), “Is the Lord amongst us or not,” immediately (in Exod. 17:8), “And Amalek came.” [And also (in Numb. 14:4),] “And they said – one man to his brother – let us appoint a head and return to Egypt,” [is followed by (Numb. 14:45),] “And the Amalekites and the Canaanites [...] came down [and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah].” And here (in Numb. 20:29,) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died,” [is followed by (Numb 21:1),] “When the Canaanite, king of Arad heard.” You find that, when Aaron died, Amalek went out against them; and Israel retreated back seven stages [of their journey]. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 10:6), “Then from the wells of Bene-Jaakan the Children of Israel journeyed to Moserah; there Aaron died.” Did Aaron die there? Did he not die on Mount Hor, as stated (in Numb. 20:28) “and Aaron died there on Mount Hor?”⁷¹yYoma 1:1 (38ab); ySot. 1:10 (17d); cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1, on Exod. 15:22. And [so] the verses are evidence of seven stages backwards (from Mount Hor to Moserah) to teach you that [Israel] had retreated.

21 (Numb. 21:4) “Then they journeyed from Mount Hor [by way of the Reed Sea in order to go around the Land of Edom], but the people grew restive on the journey.” But is it not written (of that era in Neh. 9:20), “And You gave Your good spirit to enlighten them?” It is simply that those remnants of Israel which had come out of Egypt over whom death had been decreed, saw neither a peaceful nor agreeable spirit in the desert. Thus it says (in Numb. 14:33), “And your children shall roam in the wilderness....” This was (according to Numb. 21:4,) the people who grew restive on the journey. (Numb. 21:5) “And the people spoke against God and against Moses”: They equated the slave and his Master. (Numb. 21:5) “Our soul loathes this miserable food,” for that generation was unable to taste any of the fruits of the land at all. R. Aqiva said, “When merchants [even] uncovered a basket with some fruits of the land for them, they died.” It is so stated (in Deut. 1:35), “Not one of these men, this evil generation, shall see the good land,” [i.e.,] any good that comes because of the land. That is why the people grew restive on the journey. These are the ones that grumbled (in Numb. 21:5), “Our soul loathes.”

23 (Numb. 25:1) “The people began to go whoring unto the daughters of Moab.” Come and see what is written in their leaving from Egypt: (In Ex. 14:2,) “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth (which sounds like liberty, heiruth).” What is the meaning of Pi-Hahiroth? It was a place that was fixed for unchastity. And because they sheltered themselves [from it] in their leaving, it was called Pi-Hahiroth. But these [Moabite women] because they made themselves available to the people, it is written, (in Numb. 25:1), “the people began to go whoring [unto the daughters of Moab].” (Numb. 25:1) “The people began”: Every place that “the people” is mentioned, it is an expression of shame; but every place that “Israel” is mentioned, it is an expression of commendation: (In Numb. 11:1,) “Now the people were as murmurers [speaking evil in the ears of the Lord]”; (in Numb. 21:5,) “So the people spoke against God and against Moses”; (in Numb. 14:1,) “and the people wept on that night”; (in Numb. 14:11), “Until when will the people anger Me”; (in Exod. 32:25,) “And Moses saw that the people were wild”; (in Exod. 32:1,) “and the people gathered together against Aaron”; and similarly in all of them. (Numb. 25:1) “The people began to go whoring.” Throw a stick into the air,⁶⁸Gk.: aer. [and] it falls to its place of origin (i.e., its root).⁶⁹For this proverb in other contexts, see Gen. R. 53:15; 86:6. The one who had begun with the whoredom at first, finished with it in the end. Their matriarchs (i.e., the matriarchs of Ammon and Moab) began with whoredom (according to Gen. 19:31-34), “And the first-born said to the younger, ‘Let us give our father to drink […].’ So it came to pass on the next day that the first-born said unto the younger […].” She (the first-born) had instructed her in whoredom, and for that reason the Holy One, blessed be He, had pity on the younger and did not expose her. Rather (according to vs. 35), “and she slept with him”; but with reference to the elder, it is written (in vs. 33), “and slept with her father.”⁷⁰Thus in the case of the elder, her incest was specifically mentioned. In the case of the one who began in whoredom at first, her daughters (i.e., the daughters of Moab) went after her to finish [it, as stated (in Numb. 25:1), “the people began] to go whoring unto the daughters of Moab.” (Numb. 25:2) “And they invited the people to the sacrifices for their gods”: Thus they (i.e., daughters of Moab) were going by the counsel of Balaam, as stated (in Numb. 31:16), “Here these women at the bidding of Balaam made the Children of Israel.”⁷¹ySanh. 10:2 (28cd); Sanh. 106a; PRE 47. They made themselves curtained stalls and installed harlots in them with every object of delight in their hands. Now a girl would have an old woman as an agent, for an old woman would be in front of the shop. During the time that Israel was passing by on the way to the marketplace, the woman would say to him, “Young man, surely you want objects of linen which have come from Beth-Shean!” Then she would show them to him and say to him, “Come inside and you will see fine things”; and when the old woman would tell him a high price, the girl would [give him] a lower one. From then on the girl would tell him, “You are like one of the family. Sit down and choose for yourself.” Now a jug of wine was placed by her, since the wine of gentiles had not yet been forbidden. Then out comes the girl, perfumed and adorned, and seduces him and says to him, “Why do you hate us, when we love you? Take for yourself this article gratis. We all are children of a single man, children of Terah, the father of Abraham. So do you not want to eat from our sacrifices and from our cooking? Here are calves and cocks for you; slaughter them according to your own precepts, and eat.” Immediately she has him drink the wine, and then the Satan burned within him, so that he became a fool for her, as stated (in Hos. 4:11), “Harlotry, wine and young wine sway the heart.” There are also those who say [that] Balaam commanded them not to have them drink the wine, so that they would not be judged as those who are drunk, but as willful sinners. When he sought her out, she said to him, “I am not listening to you until you slaughter it [as a sacrifice] to Peor and bow down to it.” But he would say, “I am not bowing down to idolatry.” And she would say to him, “You only need to reveal yourself to it.” And [since] he had become a fool for her, he would do so. This is what the masters said, “One who reveals himself (to defecate) to Baal Peor – this is its worship” (Sanh. 64a). It is so stated (Numb. 25:2), “and they bowed down to their gods.” (Numb. 25:3) “Thus Israel was joined (rt.: tsmd) to Baal Peor”: At the beginning, they went in chastely, but at the end they went as many teams of pairs, like a pair (tsemed) of oxen. Another explanation: Like a man tied to his work; joined (rt.: tsmd) [to Baal Peor] like bracelets (rt.: tsmd). R. Levi said, “This was more serious than the [sin of the golden] calf, for while in reference to the calf, it is written (in Exod. 32:2), ‘Take off the gold rings,’ here [it is written] (in Numb. 25:3), ‘was joined (rt.: tsmd) [to Baal Peor,]’ like bracelets (rt.: tsmd)]. Because of the calf about three thousand fell, but here (according to Numb. 25:9) [the number fallen is] twenty-four thousand.” (Numb. 25:4) “[…] Take all the heads of the people, and impale them [before the Lord in the sun].” R. Judan said, “He hanged the heads of the people, because they had not protested about the people.” R. Nehemiah said, “He did not hang them. Rather the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, ‘Appoint Sanhedrin⁷²Sanhedraot. Gk. plural: synhedria. heads for them, and let them judge whoever went to Peor.’ He said to him, ‘But who will make such a one known?’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, ‘I will expose them. In the case of whoever has gone astray, the cloud shall be peeled back from upon him, and the sun shall shine upon him in the midst of the congregation. Then they will know anyone who has gone astray and hang him.’” You know for yourself that it is so, as stated (in Numb. 25:5), “So Moses said unto the judges of Israel, ‘Each of you kill [those of] his own people [who have been joined to Baal Peor].’”

23 (Numb. 25:1) “The people began to go whoring unto the daughters of Moab.” Come and see what is written in their leaving from Egypt: (In Ex. 14:2,) “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp before Pi-Hahiroth (which sounds like liberty, heiruth).” What is the meaning of Pi-Hahiroth? It was a place that was fixed for unchastity. And because they sheltered themselves [from it] in their leaving, it was called Pi-Hahiroth. But these [Moabite women] because they made themselves available to the people, it is written, (in Numb. 25:1), “the people began to go whoring [unto the daughters of Moab].” (Numb. 25:1) “The people began”: Every place that “the people” is mentioned, it is an expression of shame; but every place that “Israel” is mentioned, it is an expression of commendation: (In Numb. 11:1,) “Now the people were as murmurers [speaking evil in the ears of the Lord]”; (in Numb. 21:5,) “So the people spoke against God and against Moses”; (in Numb. 14:1,) “and the people wept on that night”; (in Numb. 14:11), “Until when will the people anger Me”; (in Exod. 32:25,) “And Moses saw that the people were wild”; (in Exod. 32:1,) “and the people gathered together against Aaron”; and similarly in all of them. (Numb. 25:1) “The people began to go whoring.” Throw a stick into the air,⁶⁸Gk.: aer. [and] it falls to its place of origin (i.e., its root).⁶⁹For this proverb in other contexts, see Gen. R. 53:15; 86:6. The one who had begun with the whoredom at first, finished with it in the end. Their matriarchs (i.e., the matriarchs of Ammon and Moab) began with whoredom (according to Gen. 19:31-34), “And the first-born said to the younger, ‘Let us give our father to drink […].’ So it came to pass on the next day that the first-born said unto the younger […].” She (the first-born) had instructed her in whoredom, and for that reason the Holy One, blessed be He, had pity on the younger and did not expose her. Rather (according to vs. 35), “and she slept with him”; but with reference to the elder, it is written (in vs. 33), “and slept with her father.”⁷⁰Thus in the case of the elder, her incest was specifically mentioned. In the case of the one who began in whoredom at first, her daughters (i.e., the daughters of Moab) went after her to finish [it, as stated (in Numb. 25:1), “the people began] to go whoring unto the daughters of Moab.” (Numb. 25:2) “And they invited the people to the sacrifices for their gods”: Thus they (i.e., daughters of Moab) were going by the counsel of Balaam, as stated (in Numb. 31:16), “Here these women at the bidding of Balaam made the Children of Israel.”⁷¹ySanh. 10:2 (28cd); Sanh. 106a; PRE 47. They made themselves curtained stalls and installed harlots in them with every object of delight in their hands. Now a girl would have an old woman as an agent, for an old woman would be in front of the shop. During the time that Israel was passing by on the way to the marketplace, the woman would say to him, “Young man, surely you want objects of linen which have come from Beth-Shean!” Then she would show them to him and say to him, “Come inside and you will see fine things”; and when the old woman would tell him a high price, the girl would [give him] a lower one. From then on the girl would tell him, “You are like one of the family. Sit down and choose for yourself.” Now a jug of wine was placed by her, since the wine of gentiles had not yet been forbidden. Then out comes the girl, perfumed and adorned, and seduces him and says to him, “Why do you hate us, when we love you? Take for yourself this article gratis. We all are children of a single man, children of Terah, the father of Abraham. So do you not want to eat from our sacrifices and from our cooking? Here are calves and cocks for you; slaughter them according to your own precepts, and eat.” Immediately she has him drink the wine, and then the Satan burned within him, so that he became a fool for her, as stated (in Hos. 4:11), “Harlotry, wine and young wine sway the heart.” There are also those who say [that] Balaam commanded them not to have them drink the wine, so that they would not be judged as those who are drunk, but as willful sinners. When he sought her out, she said to him, “I am not listening to you until you slaughter it [as a sacrifice] to Peor and bow down to it.” But he would say, “I am not bowing down to idolatry.” And she would say to him, “You only need to reveal yourself to it.” And [since] he had become a fool for her, he would do so. This is what the masters said, “One who reveals himself (to defecate) to Baal Peor – this is its worship” (Sanh. 64a). It is so stated (Numb. 25:2), “and they bowed down to their gods.” (Numb. 25:3) “Thus Israel was joined (rt.: tsmd) to Baal Peor”: At the beginning, they went in chastely, but at the end they went as many teams of pairs, like a pair (tsemed) of oxen. Another explanation: Like a man tied to his work; joined (rt.: tsmd) [to Baal Peor] like bracelets (rt.: tsmd). R. Levi said, “This was more serious than the [sin of the golden] calf, for while in reference to the calf, it is written (in Exod. 32:2), ‘Take off the gold rings,’ here [it is written] (in Numb. 25:3), ‘was joined (rt.: tsmd) [to Baal Peor,]’ like bracelets (rt.: tsmd)]. Because of the calf about three thousand fell, but here (according to Numb. 25:9) [the number fallen is] twenty-four thousand.” (Numb. 25:4) “[…] Take all the heads of the people, and impale them [before the Lord in the sun].” R. Judan said, “He hanged the heads of the people, because they had not protested about the people.” R. Nehemiah said, “He did not hang them. Rather the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, ‘Appoint Sanhedrin⁷²Sanhedraot. Gk. plural: synhedria. heads for them, and let them judge whoever went to Peor.’ He said to him, ‘But who will make such a one known?’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, ‘I will expose them. In the case of whoever has gone astray, the cloud shall be peeled back from upon him, and the sun shall shine upon him in the midst of the congregation. Then they will know anyone who has gone astray and hang him.’” You know for yourself that it is so, as stated (in Numb. 25:5), “So Moses said unto the judges of Israel, ‘Each of you kill [those of] his own people [who have been joined to Baal Peor].’”

(Ibid. 21) "And the L rd went before them by day with a pillar of cloud": We find there to have been seven clouds: here, (Numbers 14:14) twice, (Ibid. 9:19), (Exodus 40:36), (Ibid. 37), (Ibid. 38) —

10 (Numb. 27:1) “Then came forward the daughters of Zelophehad”: In that generation the women were fencing⁹On raising a fence about the Law, see Avot 1:1. that which the men were breaching. Accordingly you find that Aaron said to them (i.e., the men in Exod. 32:2), “Take off the gold rings that are in the ears of your wives”; but the women were unwilling and protested against their husbands. Thus it is stated (in vs. 3), “So all the people took off the gold rings that were in their¹⁰Since “their” is masculine here, there is an implication that the men only took their own earrings. ears.” Thus the women did not take part in making the [golden] calf. So also in the case of the spies who had spread slander (according to Numb. 14:36), “when they returned, they made [the whole congregation] murmur against him.” A decree was issued against them, because they had said (in Numb. 13:31), “We are unable to go up [against this people for they are stronger than us].” The women, however, were not with them in their counsel. What is written above the matter (in Numb. 26:65)? “Because the Lord had said to them, ‘They shall surely die in the wilderness,’ not a man of them remained […].” [Note that Scripture speaks of] “a man,” and not of "a woman.” Because they (i.e., the men) did not want to enter the land, but the women came forward to ask for an inheritance in the land. Therefore the parashah [about the death of that generation] was written next to this parashah, because what the men broke down the women fenced in.

11 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:1): “Then came forward [the daughters of Zelophehad [ben Hepher ben Gilead ben Machir ben Manasseh, of the families of Manasseh ben Joseph]”: [Their action was] an honor to them. [It was also] an honor to their father, an honor to Machir and an honor to Joseph that such righteous and wise women had issued from him. But what was their wisdom? They [only] spoke up at the proper time, when Moses was busy with the parashah about inheritance (in accordance with Numb. 26:53), “To these shall you apportion the land [for an inheritance].” They said to him, “If we are like a son, let us inherit; but if not, let our mother perform levirate marriage (marry her husband's brother).”¹¹His duty would be to rear children in the name of the deceased father. On levirate marriage generally, see Deut. 25:5-6: also Gen. 38:8-9; Ruth 4:5. Immediately (in Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause before the Lord.” They were righteous, In that they had never been married to someone unworthy of them. Then why did they meet with Moses at the end [of the forty years]? So that he would not [put on airs] over having abstained from his wife for forty years.¹²Since Moses regularly stood in the Divine Presence, he needed to preserve an unbroken state of purity. The Holy One, blessed be He, informed him through these [women], saying, “Here are women who without being commanded [remained unmarried] for forty years, until they were married to someone worthy of them.”

(Numb. 14:2:) AND ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MURMURED AGAINST MOSES AND AGAINST AARON; AND THE WHOLE CONGREGATION SAID TO HIM (sic): WOULD THAT WE HAD DIED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT…. <The matter> is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁵¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁵²Tanh., Numb. 4:12, cont.; Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁵³Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him: I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said. Similarly the Holy One said to them (in Numb. 14:29): IN THIS DESERT SHALL YOUR CARCASSES FALL. They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9): AND WHY IS THE LORD BRINGING US <UNTO THIS LAND> …? THEY ALSO SAID TO EACH OTHER: LET US APPOINT A LEADER AND RETURN TO EGYPT. THEN MOSES AND AARON FELL ON THEIR FACES < BEFORE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>. MOREOVER, JOSHUA BEN NUN AND CALEB BEN JEPHUNNEH, OF THOSE WHO HAD EXPLORED THE LAND, RENT THEIR CLOTHES AND SPOKE UNTO THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING:…. IF THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH US, <HE WILL BRING US INTO THIS LAND>…. ONLY DO NOT REBEL AGAINST THE LORD…. The people said to them: Do you have no faith in us? Our brothers care for us more than you do. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28): WHERE ARE WE GOING UP TO? OUR BROTHERS HAVE CAUSED OUR HEARTS TO MELT (with fear). (Numb. 14:10): SO THE WHOLE CONGREGATION SAID TO STONE THEM WITH STONES. And who were they? Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) THEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED IN THE TENT OF MEETING. <This incident> teaches that they threw stones,⁵⁴See Sot. 35a, according to which they threw the stones against the one who is above. but the cloud received them.

(Numb. 14:2:) AND ALL THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MURMURED AGAINST MOSES AND AGAINST AARON; AND THE WHOLE CONGREGATION SAID TO HIM (sic): WOULD THAT WE HAD DIED IN THE LAND OF EGYPT…. <The matter> is comparable to a king at whose tribunal⁵¹Gk.: Bema. a certain person came up for judgment.⁵²Tanh., Numb. 4:12, cont.; Numb. R. 16:21. He uttered a word from his mouth by which he convicted himself. The king set aside his bill of indictment⁵³Lat.: elogium; Gk.: elogion. and convicted him out of his own mouth. He said to him: I am judging you by what has come out of your own mouth. So let it be for you according to what you have said. Similarly the Holy One said to them (in Numb. 14:29): IN THIS DESERT SHALL YOUR CARCASSES FALL. They began to say (in Numb. 14:3–9): AND WHY IS THE LORD BRINGING US <UNTO THIS LAND> …? THEY ALSO SAID TO EACH OTHER: LET US APPOINT A LEADER AND RETURN TO EGYPT. THEN MOSES AND AARON FELL ON THEIR FACES < BEFORE THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>. MOREOVER, JOSHUA BEN NUN AND CALEB BEN JEPHUNNEH, OF THOSE WHO HAD EXPLORED THE LAND, RENT THEIR CLOTHES AND SPOKE UNTO THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING:…. IF THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH US, <HE WILL BRING US INTO THIS LAND>…. ONLY DO NOT REBEL AGAINST THE LORD…. The people said to them: Do you have no faith in us? Our brothers care for us more than you do. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 1:28): WHERE ARE WE GOING UP TO? OUR BROTHERS HAVE CAUSED OUR HEARTS TO MELT (with fear). (Numb. 14:10): SO THE WHOLE CONGREGATION SAID TO STONE THEM WITH STONES. And who were they? Moses and Aaron. (Ibid., cont.:) THEN THE GLORY OF THE LORD APPEARED IN THE TENT OF MEETING. <This incident> teaches that they threw stones,⁵⁴See Sot. 35a, according to which they threw the stones against the one who is above. but the cloud received them.

(Exodus 15:22) "And Moses made Israel journey from the Red Sea": R. Yehoshua said: This journey was by word of Moses, and all of the others, by word of the L rd, as it is written (Numbers 9:18) "By word of the L rd they journeyed and by word of the L rd they encamped." But this journey was by word of Moses, viz.: "And Moses made Israel journey." R. Eliezer says: They journeyed by word of the L rd. For in two or three places we find that they journeyed by word of the L rd; and here, too, they journeyed by word of the L rd. And why is it written "And Moses made Israel journey? To apprise us of the eminence of Israel. That when Moses told them "Arise and journey," they did not counter "How can we venture into the desert with nothing to eat on the way?", but they believed and they followed Moses. And of them it is written in the Tradition (Jeremiah 2:2) "Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem … I have remembered for you the lovingkindness of your youth … your going after Me in the desert, in an unknown land." And thus we find that they went back (the distance of) three journeys (at Moses' behest), viz. (Numbers 33:8-10) "And they journeyed from Pi Hachiroth … And they journeyed from Marah and they came to Eilim … And they journeyed from Eilim and they encamped at the Red Sea." And thus we find that they went back eight journeys in honor of Aaron for his burial. As it is written (Devarim 10:6) "And the children of Israel journeyed from Be'eroth Benei Yaakan … There Aaron died, etc," Now did Aaron die in Mosera? Did he not die in Hor Hahar, viz. (Numbers 33:38) "And Aaron the Cohein went up to Hor Hahar, etc."? What, then, is the intent of "There Aaron died and he was buried there"? We are hereby apprised that they went back eight journeys in honor of Aaron for his burial, viz. (Numbers 33:31-37) "And they journeyed from Moseroth and they encamped in Benei Yaakan. And they journeyed from Bnei Yaakan and they encamped in Chor Hagidgad and they encamped in Yatvatha. And they journeyed from Yatvatha and they encamped in Avronah. And they journeyed from Avronah and they encamped in Etzyon Gaver. And they journeyed from Etzyon aver and they encamped in the desert of Sin, which is Kadesh. And they journeyed from Kadesh and they encamped in Hor Hahar, at the edge of the land of Edom." R. Eliezer says: They journeyed by the word, for thus do we find in two or three places. What, then, is the intent of "And Moses made Israel journey?" He did so against their will, with the rod. For when they saw the bodies of the men who had enslaved them with (back-) breaking labor, all lifeless corpses at the edge of the sea, they said: Apparently, not a man remains in Egypt (Numbers 14:4) "Let us make a leader and return to Egypt" and make an idolatry for ourselves to rule over us — and let us return to Egypt. One might think that they merely spoke thus, but did not do. It is, therefore, written (Nechemiah 9:17) "And they refused to hearken, and they did not remember Your wonders that You wrought for them. And they stiffened their necks, and they appointed a leader to return to their work. But You are the G d of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, withholding wrath and abundant in lovingkindness, and You did not forsake them." And it is written (Ibid. 18) "And even when they made a golden calf, etc." R. Yehudah b. Ilai says: Idolatry crossed the sea with Israel and Moses removed (it) at that time, viz." "And Moses 'removed' from Israel of the Red Sea" — from the "thing" that was with Israel in (their crossing of) the Red Sea. Which was that? Idolatry, viz. (Zechariah 10:11) "And tzarah (a "rival," i.e., idolatry) passed through the red Sea." Thus, "And Moses 'removed' from Israel … of the Red Sea."

(Numb. 14:11:) THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL [THIS PEOPLE] SCORN ME, [AND HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL THEY HAVE NO FAITH IN ME]? The Holy One said: I have uttered two cries (of 'AD-'ANAH) because of you.⁵⁵Tanh., Numb. 4:13; Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. Your end shall be to cry out four times in subjection to empires. (Ps. 13:2–3[1–2]:) HOW LONG ('ad-'anah), O LORD? WILL YOU FORGET ME FOREVER? HOW LONG ('ad'-'anah){, O LORD,} WILL YOU HIDE YOUR FACE FROM ME? HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) SHALL I TAKE COUNSEL IN MY SOUL WITH GRIEF IN MY HEART ALL DAY? HOW LONG ('ad-'anah) WILL MY ENEMY BE EXALTED OVER ME? (Numb. 14:27:) I CRIED OUT: HOW LONG ('ad-matay) SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>? Your end shall be to cry out (in Ps. 6:4[3]): MY SOUL ALSO IS GREATLY DISMAYED; AND YOU, O LORD, HOW LONG ('ad-matay)?

(Devarim 1:27) "And you murmured in your tents": We are hereby taught they sat in their dwellings and spoke words as those of condolers, as it is written (Proverbs 26:22) "The words of the murmerers are like (those of) condolers" — but a knife descended from heaven and split their stomachs (viz. Bamidbar 14:29), as it is written (Proverbs, Ibid.) "and they (the words) descend to the chambers of the stomach."

(Numb. 14:12:) I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM …. Moses said: Sovereign of the World, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom you swore that you would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!⁵⁶Tanh., Numb. 4:13; Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. The Holy One said to him: But are you not one of their children? (Ibid., cont.:) THEN I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION THAT IS GREATER [AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN THEY]. When Moses saw <how things were>, he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13–14). BUT MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD: WHEN THE EGYPTIANS HEAR <WHAT HAPPENED> …, THEY WILL SAY UNTO THE INHABITANTS OF <THIS> LAND. They will say: He had no power to sustain them.⁵⁷Cf. below, Numb. 4a:5. He said to him: But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them by the sea? So how will they say (in Numb. 14:16): <IT MUST BE BECAUSE> THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE <TO BRING THIS PEOPLE INTO THE LAND>? They will say: He was able to stand against Pharaoh, <but> he was not able to stand against thirty one kings.⁵⁸See Josh. 12:9-14. [Sovereign of the whole universe, act on your own behalf.] (Numb. 14:17:) SO NOW PLEASE LET THE POWER OF THE LORD INCREASE, and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice, (ibid., cont:) AS YOU HAVE PROMISED, SAYING. I said to you: With what principle do you judge your world? (Exod. 33:13:) PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAYS KNOWN TO ME. So you removed (rt.: 'BR) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6): AND THE LORD PASSED BY (rt.: 'BR) [BEFORE] HIM, <AND PROCLAIMED: THE LORD, THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD>…. That principle of which you told me <still> exists, (according to Numb. 14:17): PLEASE LET THE POWER OF THE LORD INCREASE…. The Holy One accepted his words and thanked him. (Numb. 14:20:) THEN THE LORD SAID: I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED.

(Numb. 14:12:) I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM …. Moses said: Sovereign of the World, look at the covenant with their ancestors, to whom you swore that you would raise up from them kings, prophets, and priests!⁵⁶Tanh., Numb. 4:13; Numb. R. 16:22, cont.; see below, Numb. 4a:14. The Holy One said to him: But are you not one of their children? (Ibid., cont.:) THEN I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION THAT IS GREATER [AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN THEY]. When Moses saw <how things were>, he took a different course (in Numb. 14:13–14). BUT MOSES SAID UNTO THE LORD: WHEN THE EGYPTIANS HEAR <WHAT HAPPENED> …, THEY WILL SAY UNTO THE INHABITANTS OF <THIS> LAND. They will say: He had no power to sustain them.⁵⁷Cf. below, Numb. 4a:5. He said to him: But have they not seen the miracles and the mighty deeds which I did for them by the sea? So how will they say (in Numb. 14:16): <IT MUST BE BECAUSE> THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE <TO BRING THIS PEOPLE INTO THE LAND>? They will say: He was able to stand against Pharaoh, <but> he was not able to stand against thirty one kings.⁵⁸See Josh. 12:9-14. [Sovereign of the whole universe, act on your own behalf.] (Numb. 14:17:) SO NOW PLEASE LET THE POWER OF THE LORD INCREASE, and let the principle of mercy overcome the principle of justice, (ibid., cont:) AS YOU HAVE PROMISED, SAYING. I said to you: With what principle do you judge your world? (Exod. 33:13:) PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAYS KNOWN TO ME. So you removed (rt.: 'BR) [the principle of justice] from me (according to Exod. 34:6): AND THE LORD PASSED BY (rt.: 'BR) [BEFORE] HIM, <AND PROCLAIMED: THE LORD, THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD>…. That principle of which you told me <still> exists, (according to Numb. 14:17): PLEASE LET THE POWER OF THE LORD INCREASE…. The Holy One accepted his words and thanked him. (Numb. 14:20:) THEN THE LORD SAID: I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED.

... Jeremiah said: when I was coming up to Jerusalem, I lifted up my eyes and saw a woman sitting on the mountaintop, her clothes were black and her hair unkempt. She cried: I am seeking who will comfort me! And I cried: I am seeking who will comfort me! I came near and spoke with her, and I said to her: if you are a woman, then speak with me. If you are a spirit, then go away from me. She answered and said to me: Do you not recognize me? I am the one who had seven children. Their father went away to a land across the sea and as I was going up to cry for him, a prophet said to me ‘the house collapsed on your seven children and killed them.’ I do not know for whom I am crying and for whom my hair is unkempt.I answered and said to her: you are no better than my mother Zion, who was made a pasture for the beasts of the field. She answered and said to me: I am your mother Zion, I am she – the mother of seven, so it is written “She who bore seven has been cut off…” (Jeremiah 15:9) Jeremiah said to her: the blows you have received are like those of Job. Job’s sons and daughters were taken from him, your sons and daughters were taken from you. From Job I took his silver and gold, from you I have taken your silver and gold. I cast Job into the trash heap, you I have made into a heap of trash. And just as I came back and consoled Job, so too in the future I will return and console you. I doubled Job’s sons and daughters, and in the future I will double your sons and daughters. I doubled Job’s gold and silver, and in the future I will do so for you. I shook the trash from Job, and of you it is said “Shake yourselves from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem…” (Isaiah 52:2) Flesh and blood built you and flesh and blood destroyed you. But In the time to come I will build you, because thus it is written “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) Amen! May the Holy One fulfill what is written about us speedily and in our day “And the redeemed of Zion shall return, and they shall come to Zion with song, with joy of days of yore shall be upon their heads; they shall achieve gladness and joy, and sadness and sighing shall flee.” (Isaiah 35:10)

(Numb. 4:18) “Do not cut off.” This text is related (to Nahum 1:7), “The Lord is good, a shelter in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” The nature of the Holy One, blessed be He, is unlike the nature of flesh and blood.¹³¹Numb. R. 5:3. In the case of a king of flesh and blood, when a province rebels against him, he acts against it with an indiscriminate punishment¹³²Gk.: androlempsia or androlepsia (“seizure of foreigners” in reprisal for murder committed abroad). and kills the good along with the bad. Now the Holy One, blessed be He, is not like that. Rather, when a generation provokes Him, He saves the righteous and destroys the wicked. The generation of Enosh sinned. He destroyed them but rescued Enoch, as stated (in Gen. 5:24), “And Enoch walked with God.” Why? (Nahum 1:7:) “[The Lord is good, a shelter] in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” The generation of the flood provoked Him. So He destroyed them, as stated (in Gen. 7:23), “And He blotted out all existence”; but He rescued Noah, as stated (in Gen. 6:8), “And Noah found favor [in the eyes of the Lord].” And similarly with the Sodomites, He destroyed them, as stated (in Gen. 19:24), “Then the Lord rained down upon Sodom”; but He rescued Lot, as stated (in vs. 29), “and sent Lot away.” He brought darkness upon the Egyptians, but (according to Exod. 10:23) “all the Children of Israel had light in their dwellings.” Why? (Nahum 1:7:) “[The Lord is good, a shelter] in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” They went forth from Egypt and came to the desert. [There] they committed that deed (i.e., the incident of the golden calf), [all] except for the tribe of Levi. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 32:26), “[So Moses stood up in the gate of the camp and said,] ‘Whoever is for the Lord, to me!’ And all of the sons of Levi gathered to him.” [What is the meaning of “Whoever is for the Lord?”] Whoever (in Exod. 32:3) has not given a ring for the calf, let him come unto me. [To him] the Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Nahum 1:7), “[The Lord is good, a shelter] in the day of trouble; He knows those who trust in Him.” Moshe immediately arose and killed the sinners, as stated (Exodus 32:28), “And the Children of Levi did like the word of Moses.” With reference to the tribe of Levi, however, which gave their lives for the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, He thus said to Moses and Aaron (in Numb. 4:18), “Do not cut off….” And so He says in another place (i.e., in Numb. 3:15), “Enroll the Children of Levi.” But He has also said (in Numb. 1:49), “However, you shall not enroll the tribe of Levi.” Why? In order to exclude them from the decree. As the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that Israel was going to provoke Him and said to them (in Numb. 14:29), “In this desert shall your carcasses drop.” Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “The Children of Levi shall not be [part of] this decree, as stated (in Numb. 1:49, cont.), ‘nor shall you take a census of them as part of the Children of Israel.’ Why? Because they are Mine, as stated (Numb. 3:12), ‘and the Levites shall be mine.’” Thus when anyone offers (rt.: qrb) a little of himself, they advance (rt.: qrb) him a lot. Now they had offered (rt.: qrb) themselves, when Moses said (in Exod. 32:26), “Whoever is for the Lord, to me!” And not only that, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said (according to Numb. 1:50) “You shall enroll the Levites to be over the tabernacle of the testimony.” Thus when someone is tested in [one] area and found trustworthy, the Holy One, blessed be He, trusts him forever; for so you find in the case of Joshua.¹³³Numb. R. 1:12. When he was tested with Amalek, he prevailed against him according to the law and according to the commandment. It is so stated (in Exod. 17:13), “And Joshua defeated Amalek and his people….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “From your tribe (Ephraim) I am raising up one to exact punishment from Amalek, as stated (in Jud. 5:14), “Out of Ephraim came those whose root is in Amalek….” What is the meaning of out of (mny) Ephraim? He appointed (mnh) Ephraim alone to destroy the seed of Amalek. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (ibid., cont.), “’After you, Benjamin with your peoples,’ [i.e.,] leave him for Saul ben Kish, the Benjamite; he will uproot him.” Another interpretation (of Jud. 5:14), “Out of Ephraim.” Saul was tested and found untrustworthy in his commission. Rather (according to I Sam. 15:9), “But Saul and the people spared Agag.” He put him back after him (i.e., behind Ephraim, the tribe of Joshua and Samuel) and the kingdom was taken from him, as stated (in Jud. 5:14), “after you (i.e., Ephraim), Benjamin with your peoples.” And I have also tested this tribe (of Levi), and they have been found to be preserving My honor; for they have given their life for the sanctification of My name (in Exod. 32:27-28), “Let each one put his sword on his thigh [….] So the Children of Levi acted according to the word of Moses,” and they did not show favoritism. Therefore, Moses blesses them and says to them (in Deut. 33:9), “Who says of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them […].’” And [so] I am also advancing him and making him My imperial agent.¹³⁴Lat.: frumentarius (“grain dealer”). and I am entrusting him with My house and My sanctity, as stated (in Numb. 1:50), “But you shall enroll the Levites to be over the tabernacle of the testimony….” And what was it that I told you (in vs. 49)? “However, you shall not enroll the tribe of Levi.” [This prohibition] was to exempt them from the decree which I was going to pronounce over Israel. It is simply that I am allotting them great honor. When you number them, [number them] by themselves through the Divine utterance (in Numb. 3:15), “Enroll the Children of Levi.” Now if I have honored the Levites, who bear the tabernacle, how much the more so in the case of the Children of Kohath, who bear the ark, [as stated] (in Numb. 3:31), “And their duties included the ark, the table, the lampstand, the altars, [….]” He therefore said to them (in Numb. 4:18), “Do not cut off [the tribe of the Kohathite families from the Levites].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “And if because the Children of Kohath have feared Me, I have allotted glory to them and to their children; then [I will honor] whoever stands in awe of Me and not cut off his name from the world.”¹³⁵Numb. R. 5:9. From whom do you learn this? From the children of Jonadab ben Rechab. Since they did his will, what is stated about them? (Jer. 35:19), “Someone belonging to Jonadab ben Rechab shall not be cut off from standing before Me forever.” And if in the case of those who are proselytes, because they have done My will, I have done likewise for them (i.e., what they want); in the case of Israel, when they are doing My will, how much the more shall they neither be cut off nor have their name be erased from before Me? Rather, they shall live and abide forever and ever and ever, as stated (in Deut. 4:4), “But you who clung to the Lord your God are all alive today.”

(Devarim 3:24) "to show Your servant": There are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." And there are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He does not call "servants." And there are those who do not call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." Abraham called himself a "servant," viz. (Bereshith 12:3) "Do not now pass away from Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 26:24) "for the sake of Abraham, My servant." Jacob called himself a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 32:11) "I am too small for all of the lovingkindnesses and all of the truth that You have done with Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 41:8) "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, etc." Moses called himself a "servant, viz. "to show Your "servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 1:2) "Moses My servant is dead." David called himself a "servant," viz. (Psalms 116:16) "Heed, O L-rd, for I am Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. ( II Kings 19:34) "for the sake of David, My servant." Isaiah called himself a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 49:5) "… who formed me from the womb to be a servant to Him," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 20:3) "Isaiah, My servant." Samuel called himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant." Shimshon called himself a "servant," viz. (Judges 15:18) "You have given unto the hand of Your servant, etc.", but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a servant. Solomon called himself a "servant," viz. (I Kings 3:9) "Give Your servant an understanding heart," and the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant," but wrought for his father's sake, viz. (I Kings 15:13) "for the sake of David, My servant." Iyyov did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," (viz. Iyyov 2:3) "Have you given heart to My servant, Iyyov"? Joshua did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 24:29) "and Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the L-rd, died." Calev did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Bamidbar 14:24) "But My servant Calev, etc." Elyakim did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be he called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 22:20) "And I will call My servant Elyakim, etc." Zerubavel did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Chaggai 2:23) "Zerubavel ben Shaltiel, My servant." Daniel did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Daniel 6:21) "The king spoke and said to Daniel: Daniel, servant of the living G-d." Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Daniel 6:23) "Shadrach, Meshach and Aved-nego, servants of the exalted G-d." The early prophets did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Amos 3:7) " … but He revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets."

(Devarim 3:24) "Your greatness (gadlecha)": His attribute of goodness, as in (Bamidbar 14:17) "And now, let the power (of goodness) of the L-rd be magnified ("yigdal") … as You have spoken (18) The L-rd withholds wrath and He is abundant in lovingkindness." This is the prototype for all "gadlecha" in the Torah. (Ibid.)

Hew these two tablets of stone (Exod. 34:1). When did Moses descend from the mountain? R. Judah the son of Shalum said: Moses remained on the mountain with the Holy One, blessed be He, for one hundred and twenty days. How did he arrive at this conclusion? From the verse In the third month after the children of Israel were gone out of the land of Egypt (Exod. 19:1). On the sixth day of that month He gave him the Ten Commandments, as it is written concerning him: And Moses went up into the mountain of God (ibid. 24:13). He remained there for forty days, that is, the twenty-four days of the month of Sivan and the sixteen days of the month of Tammuz—totaling forty days in all. He descended from the mountain on the seventeenth day of Tammuz, and on the eighteenth day and nineteenth day he saw the calf, broke the tablets, and halted their revelry. On the twentieth day he turned and ascended once again, as is said: And it came to pass on the morrow that Moses said unto the people: “Ye have sinned a great sin; and now I will go up unto the Lord” (ibid. 32:30). And it is written: And Moses returned unto the Lord and said: “Oh, this people have sinned a great sin” (ibid, v. 31). He remained there the ten days of the month of Tammuz and the entire month of Av, totaling another forty days. He went up on the first day of the month of Elul when He told him: Hew thee these two tablets … and be ready by the morning (ibid. 34:1–2). And he hewed … and Moses rose up early in the morning, and went up unto Mount Sinai (ibid., v. 4). He stayed there throughout the month of Elul and until the tenth day of Tishri (another ten days). On the tenth day of Tishri he descended while the Israelites were praying and fasting. On that day He said to him: I have pardoned according to thy word (Num. 14:20). Then the Holy One, blessed be He, established that day as the day of forgiveness and pardon for the future generations (Yom Kippur), as it is said: For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you (Lev. 16:30). Thereupon He commanded Moses: Let them make Me a Sanctuary (Exod. 25:8).

Rabbi Ze’eira began: “My lyre is for mourning, and my flute is for the voice of weepers” (Job 30:31). There it is taught: Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were no days as joyous for Israel as the fifteenth of Av and as Yom Kippur, on which the daughters of Jerusalem would go out in white borrowed garments so as not to embarrass one who did not have one. All the garments require immersion. The daughters of Israel would go out in them and dance in the vineyards.¹²⁷Mishna Taanit 4:8. It is taught: One who did not have a wife would turn to there. What would they say? ‘Young man, lift your eyes and see what you are choosing for yourself. Do not look at beauty, look at lineage.’ Likewise it says: “Emerge, daughters of Zion, and gaze at King Solomon, at the crown with which his mother crowned him on the day of his wedding, and on the day of the rejoicing of his heart” (Song of Songs 3:11). “The day of his wedding” – this is the giving of the Torah. “The day of the rejoicing of his heart” – this is the building of the Temple, may it be built speedily in our days.
Granted Yom Kippur, as it is a day of pardon and forgiveness for Israel, the day on which the last tablets were given. However, what is the fifteenth of Av? Rabbi Yaakov bar Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Asi: It is the ideal time for chopping trees, as all the trees chopped on it do not produce a worm, and it is taught: Any wood in which a worm is found is disqualified from being atop the altar.¹²⁸Mishna Midot 2:5. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana and Rabbi Asi said in the name of Ulla in the name of Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi]: It was then that Hoshea ben Ela canceled the sentries that Yerovam ben Nevat had deployed on the roads.¹²⁹Yerovam, king of Israel, appointed sentries to prevent the residents of his kingdom from ascending to Jerusalem for the pilgrimage festivals. Rav Kahana asked before Rav: Is it possible that he did all this good and it is written in his regard: “Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, ascended against him, [and Hoshea became his servant]” (II Kings 17:3)? Rather, it is because he removed the collar from his neck and placed it on the neck of the masses, and he did not say: All the people should ascend and pray, but rather, anyone who wishes to ascend let him ascend.¹³⁰Hoshea was punished, and the rest of his kingdom was punished as well (see II Kings 17:6), because he did not encourage them to ascend to Jerusalem and most of the people did not actually ascend. Previously it had been the king’s fault that the people did not ascend, as they could not go because of the sentries; subsequently it was the people’s fault, and therefore the entire kingdom was punished.
Rabbi Shmuel bat Naḥmani [said], and some say it in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak: [The fifteenth of Av is] the day the tribes were permitted to enter into marriage with one another, as it is stated: “And every daughter who inherits an inheritance [from the tribes of the children of Israel shall be a wife to one of the family of the tribe of her father]” (Numbers 36:8), and it is written: “And no inheritance shall pass from tribe to another tribe…” (Numbers 36:9). Is it possible for a daughter to inherit [from] two tribes? Rather, say on this basis, her father was from one tribe and her mother from another tribe.¹³¹The verse refers to a daughter who inherits “from the tribes of the children of Israel,” implying that her parents were from different tribes. But then the verse goes on to state that a woman cannot marry a man from a different tribe. The Sages understood this to mean that it was only in the first generation when Israel entered the land that women could not marry men from other tribes. The date when it was officially determined that from then on it was permissible was the fifteenth of Av.
The Rabbis said: [It is] the day the tribe of Benjamin was permitted to enter the congregation, as it is written: “Cursed is one who gives a woman to Benjamin” (Judges 21:18). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: They read a verse and drew them near, they read a verse and distanced them. They read a verse and drew them near: “A nation and an assembly of nations shall be from you” (Genesis 35:11).¹³²When God promised this to Jacob, Benjamin had not yet been born, meaning that it was necessary to ensure that Benjamin would procreate. They read a verse and distanced them: “Ephraim and Manasseh will be like Reuben and Simeon for me” (Genesis 48:5) – as they are not considered with their brothers.¹³³The total of twelve tribes could be achieved without Benjamin, with the addition of Ephraim and Manasseh. Rav Yehuda said that Shmuel said: It was the day that the tribes were permitted [to marry each other].
Rav Matna said: It was the day that the slain of Beitar were allowed to be buried. Rabbi Eliezer the Great said: It is reasonable on the fifteenth; from that point on, the intensity of the sun wanes and they would no longer chop wood for the arrangement. Rabbi Menasya said: They called it the day of the breaking of the scythe. From that point on: One who adds, adds, and one who does not add, will be gathered.¹³⁴From this point on, the nights begin to be lengthy. Since night is a good time for Torah study, the midrash states that years of life will be added for one who adds to his hours of Torah study. One who does not will die young.
Rabbi Avin and Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is the day that the digging for those who died in the wilderness was halted. Rabbi Levi said: Every eve of the ninth of Av, Moses would dispatch a herald to the entire camp, saying: ‘Go out and dig,’ and they would go out and dig graves and sleep in them. In the morning, he would dispatch a herald saying: ‘Rise and separate the dead from the living,’ and they would stand and take themselves out. Fifteen thousand and more were subtracted,¹³⁵Each year for a total of six hundred thousand. In the fortieth year, the last one, they did so and found themselves intact. They said: It appears that we were mistaken in our calculation, and they did the same on the tenth, the eleventh, the twelfth, the thirteenth, and the fourteenth. When the moon was full, they said: It appears that the Holy One blessed be He abrogated the decree from upon us, and they then rendered it a holiday. But due to their iniquities, mourning beset this world with the destruction of the Temple twice. That is what is written: “My lyre is for mourning, and my flute is for the voice of weepers” (Job 30:31). “The people wept that night” (Numbers 14:1) – when they were exiled, Jeremiah began lamenting over them: “How does…sit solitary?” (Lamentations 1:1).

R. Shimon b. Yochai says: Twelve lands were given (to Israel) corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel, and the flavor of the fruits of one land were not similar to that of each of the others. And these are the (twelve) lands: (Devarim 8:8) "a land of olive-oil and honey," (Bamidbar 14:24) "I shall bring him (Calev) to the land whence he came," (Devarim 4:14) "the land whither you are crossing to inherit it," (Ibid. 11:11) "a land of mountains and plains … (Ibid. 12) a land which the L-rd your G-d inquires after," (Ibid. 8:7) "For the L-rd your G-d is bringing you to a good land, a land of streams of water … (Ibid. 8) a land of wheat and barley … a land of olive-oil and honey (Ibid. 9) a land where not in constraint shall you eat bread … a land whose stones are iron … (Ibid. 10) for the good land" — twelve lands corresponding to twelve tribes.

AMALEK AND ISRAEL
RABBI JOCHANAN, son of Nuri, said: (After) all the mighty deeds and wonders which the Holy One, blessed be He, did unto Israel in Egypt, and at the Reed Sea, they repeatedly tempted the Omnipresent ten times, as it is said, "Yet have they tempted me these ten times" (Num. 14:22). Moreover, they slandered the Holy One, blessed be He, saying: He has forsaken us in this wilderness, and His Shekhinah is not in our midst, as it is said, "Is the Lord among us, or not?" (Ex. 17:7).

Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds ! Pardon now the iniquities of this people. He said to him: Moses! If thou hadst said, Pardon now the iniquities of all Israel, even to the end of all generations (He would have done so). It was an acceptable time. || But thou hast said: Pardon, I beseech Thee, the iniquities of this people with reference to the affair of the calf. He said to him: Moses! Behold, let it be according to thy words, as it is said, "And the Lord said, I have pardoned according to thy word" (Num. 14:20).

(Bamidbar 10:33) "And they journeyed from the mountain of the L-rd a journey of three days": Is it not written (Devarim 1:2) "eleven days from Chorev .. until Kadesh Barnea"? What, then, is the intent of "And they journeyed … a journey of three days"? They traveled on that day a three-day journey, and the Shechinah preceded them, so that they could enter the land immediately. [It is the way of men who go to war, that when they start, they rejoice, and the longer they exert themselves the more they weaken. Not so, however, with Israel — the more they exert themselves, the more they rejoice, and they say "Let us go and inherit Eretz Yisrael," viz. (Joshua 4:10) "And the people hastened and they crossed" (the Jordan). Our fathers said: Once they sinned, it was decreed against them (Bamidbar 14:29) "In this desert will your carcasses fall." But we will not sin and die; we will go and inherit Eretz Yisrael!"] (Bamidbar 10:33) "And the ark of the covenant of the L-rd preceded them." This ark that preceded them contained the broken tablets, but the ark containing the tablets moved in the midst of the encampments, as it is written (Bamidbar 14:44) "and the ark of the covenant of Moses and the L-rd did not stir from the midst of the camp." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is not written "And the ark of the L-rd," but "and the ark of the covenant of the L-rd." An analogy: A viceroy precedes his army to prepare a camp ground for them; thus does the Shechinah precede Israel. "to look out a resting place for them": This is the intent of (Bamidbar 21:1) "And the Canaanite heard, the king of Arad, that Israel was coming by way of Atharim, etc.": When they heard that Aaron had died, they said: "The high-priest has died and their great Lookout has gone, and the pillar of cloud that waged war for them — this is the time to go and fight them." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It was a great degradation for Israel to say (Devarim 1:22) "Let us send out men before us and let them spy out the land for us." The L-rd said to them: If when you were in "a land of desert and pit," I looked out the way for you, how much more so, when you are entering a good, broad land, a land flowing milk and honey!

(Bamidbar 10:33) "And they journeyed from the mountain of the L-rd a journey of three days": Is it not written (Devarim 1:2) "eleven days from Chorev .. until Kadesh Barnea"? What, then, is the intent of "And they journeyed … a journey of three days"? They traveled on that day a three-day journey, and the Shechinah preceded them, so that they could enter the land immediately. [It is the way of men who go to war, that when they start, they rejoice, and the longer they exert themselves the more they weaken. Not so, however, with Israel — the more they exert themselves, the more they rejoice, and they say "Let us go and inherit Eretz Yisrael," viz. (Joshua 4:10) "And the people hastened and they crossed" (the Jordan). Our fathers said: Once they sinned, it was decreed against them (Bamidbar 14:29) "In this desert will your carcasses fall." But we will not sin and die; we will go and inherit Eretz Yisrael!"] (Bamidbar 10:33) "And the ark of the covenant of the L-rd preceded them." This ark that preceded them contained the broken tablets, but the ark containing the tablets moved in the midst of the encampments, as it is written (Bamidbar 14:44) "and the ark of the covenant of Moses and the L-rd did not stir from the midst of the camp." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is not written "And the ark of the L-rd," but "and the ark of the covenant of the L-rd." An analogy: A viceroy precedes his army to prepare a camp ground for them; thus does the Shechinah precede Israel. "to look out a resting place for them": This is the intent of (Bamidbar 21:1) "And the Canaanite heard, the king of Arad, that Israel was coming by way of Atharim, etc.": When they heard that Aaron had died, they said: "The high-priest has died and their great Lookout has gone, and the pillar of cloud that waged war for them — this is the time to go and fight them." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It was a great degradation for Israel to say (Devarim 1:22) "Let us send out men before us and let them spy out the land for us." The L-rd said to them: If when you were in "a land of desert and pit," I looked out the way for you, how much more so, when you are entering a good, broad land, a land flowing milk and honey!

(Bamidbar 10:34) "And the cloud of the L-rd was above them by day": From here they said: There are seven "clouds": (Bamidbar 14:14) "and in a pillar of cloud You go before them by day," (Shemot 14:19) "and the pillar of cloud turned from before them," (Bamidbar, 14:14) "and Your cloud stands over them," (Devarim 1:33) "and in cloud by day," (Bamidbar 9:19) "And when the cloud lingered over the mishkan," (Shemot 40:38) "For the cloud of the L-rd was on the mishkan by day," (Bamidbar 10:34) "And the cloud of the L-rd was above them by day." There were seven clouds — four on their four sides, one above, one below (to cushion their feet), and one before them, which lowered what was high and raised what was low, and killed the serpents and the scorpions, and swept and sprinkled before them. R. Yehudah says: There were thirteen (clouds) — two on each side, two above and two below, and one before them. R. Yoshiyah says: Four. Rebbi says: Two.

(Bamidbar 11:1) "And the people were ['vayehi'] as seekers of a pretext": "vayehi" connotes return to a previous condition, i.e., they were perverse to begin with, and they reverted to their original perversity. "And the people": "the people" connotes the wicked ones, as in (Shemot 17:4) "What can I do to this people?", (Bamidbar 14:4) "How long will this people provoke Me?" (Jeremiah 13:10) "this evil people who refuse to hear My words." And when He calls them "My people," this connotes the upright ones, as in (Shemot 7:16) "Send My people and let them serve Me," (Michah 6:3) "My people, what (wrong) did I do to you, and how did I tire you? Testify against Me!", (Ibid. 5) "My people, remember now, etc." And the people were kemithonenim": "mithonenim" connotes "grumblers," seekers of a pretest to abandon the L-rd, as in the instance of Yoram the son of Achav, viz. (II Kings 5:7) "Know now and see that he seeks a pretext (mithaneh) against me," and in the instance of Samson, viz. (Judges 14:4) "for he was seeking a pretext (toanah) against the Philistines." R. Eliezer says: "kemithonenim" connotes "blows," as in (Proverbs 26:22) "The words of the grumbler are like blows," and in (Devarim 1:23) "And you 'grumbled' in your tents." What is "blows" (in our context)? They were as strikers of blows, but a "knife" descended from heaven and split their innards, viz. (Proverbs, Ibid.) "and they descend to the recesses of the stomach." R. Yehudah says: "kemithonenim" connotes those who afflict themselves, as in (Devarim 26:19) "I did not eat in my mourning (be'oni) of it." Rebbi says: "kemithonenim ra [evil]": "evil" (in this context) is idolatry, as in (Devarim 31:29) "for you will do evil in the eyes of the L-rd." "in the ears of the L-rd": We are hereby taught that Israel deliberately intended to have Him hear (their words). R. Shimon says: An analogy: A man is cursing the king, when the king passes by. They tell him: Hush! the king might hear! And he says: Who told you that I don't want him to hear! So, (in this instance) Israel wanted the L-rd to hear. He heard and His wrath burned in them. "and the fire of the L-rd burned in them": Fire descended from heaven and "rained blows" upon them until they could not tell the difference between the living and the dead. But whom did the fire strike first? — "and it (the fire) devoured 'biktzei' of the camp." Some say (this refers to) the proselytes, who were muktzim ("cast off") in the end ("katzeh") of the camp. R. Shimon b. Menassia says: "and it devoured 'biktzei' of the camp": in the ketzinim, (their officers), their great men, as in (Judges 11:11) "and the people set him as a leader and a chief (katzin) over them."

(Bamidbar 27:1) "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad": When the daughters of Tzelofchad heard that the land was to be apportioned to the tribes and not to females, they gathered together to take counsel, saying: Not as the mercies of flesh and blood are the mercies of the L-rd. The mercies of flesh and blood are greater for males than for females. Not so the mercies of He who spoke and brought the world into being. His mercies are for males and females (equally). His mercies are for all! As it is written (Psalms 145:9) "The L-rd is good to all, and His mercies are upon all of His creations." "the son of Chefer, the son of Gilad, the son of Machir, the son of Menashe": Scripture apprises us that just as Tzelofchad was a first-born, so, were all of the others first-born, and to apprise us that they (the daughters) were worthy daughters of a worthy man. For all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for praise are righteous ones the seed of righteous ones; and all whose deeds and the deeds of whose fathers are veiled and who Scripture traces (to their forbears) for denigration are evildoers the seed of evildoers. R. Nathan says: It is written above (26:65) "For the L-rd had said of them: They will surely die in the desert. And there was left not a man of them, etc.", followed by "And there drew near the daughters of Tzelofchad, etc." What is the connection? Scripture comes to teach us that the strength of the women in that generation was greater than that of the men, the men saying (Bamidbar 14:4) "Let us make a leader and return to Egypt, and the women saying (Ibid. 27:4) "Give us a holding, etc."

(Bamidbar 27:4) "Why should the name of our father be withheld from his family because he has no son?" R. Yehudah says: It is written here "name," and elsewhere (Devarim 28:6). "Just as "name" here connotes inheritance, so, "name" there. And just as "name" here connotes seed, so, "name" there. "because he has no son": Why is this written? Is it not already written (3) "and he left no sons"? They were sage women and were expounding: But if there were a daughter of a son, we would make no claim. R. Chidka said: Shimon Hashikmoni was a colleague of mine from the disciples of R. Akiva. He said: Moses knew that daughters inherit. Where was the question? As to whether they inherit what is fit to be inherited (in Eretz Yisrael) as well as what is already in their possession. The section on inheritance was fit to be stated by Moses, but the daughters of Tzelofchad merited that it be stated through them. "Merit is effected through the meritorious and liability through the liable."

(Bamidbar 27:6-7) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Rightly do the daughters of Tzelafchad speak": The daughters of Tzelafchad have claimed well, for thus is this section written before Me on high. Happy is the man whose words the L-rd acknowledges. Similarly, (Ibid. 36:5) "Rightly does the tribe of the sons of Joseph speak." Similarly, (Ibid. 14:20) "And the L-rd said: I have forgiven according to your words." The peoples of the world are destined to say this: "Happy is the man whose words the L-rd acknowledges." "Given shall be given to them the holding of an inheritance": This is the inheritance of their father. "in the midst of the brothers of their father": This is the inheritance of the father of their father "and you shall pass over the inheritance of their father to them": This is the portion of the first-born — whence we are apprised that the daughters of Tzelafchad took three portions: that of their father, that of their father's father, and the double portion of the first-born. R. Eliezer b. Yaakov says: Also that of their father's brothers, it being written "Given shall be given to them."

(Devarim 3:23) "And I supplicated (va'ethchanan) the L-rd": "Va'ethchanan" is a term of entreaty. "at that time to say": Let "to say" not be written. The intent is: Make it known to me whether I will enter the land or not. "Adonai": the L-rd (adon) of all who enter the world. "Elokim": With (the attribute of) justice did You create the world. "You have begun": You have begun to open the door for Your servant, in my entering the inheritance of the children of Reuven and the children of Gad. Variantly: You have profaned (i.e., broken) Your oath. You wrote in Your Torah (Shemot 22:19) "He who sacrifices to a god shall be condemned." Yet your children served idolatry and I sought mercy from You, and You forgave them. (Devarim, Ibid.) "to show Your servant": miracles and mighty acts, viz. (Shemot 3:3) "I shall turn aside and I shall see, etc." (Devarim, Ibid.) "Your greatness": This is the attribute of Your goodness, as it is written (Bamidbar 14:17) "And now, let the power of the L-rd be made great." (Devarim, Ibid.) "And Your (mighty) hand": This is Your right hand, which is stretched out to all who enter the world, viz. (Shemot 15:6) "Your right hand, O L-rd, is exalted in power," and (Psalms 44:4) "Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your countenance." (Devarim, Ibid.) "mighty": For You subdue with mercy the attribute of justice, viz. (Michah 7:18) "Who is a G-d like You, forgiving transgression and passing by offense," (19) "He will return and be merciful to us, He will subdue our transgressions," (20) "You will give truth to Yaakov," and (Isaiah 45:23) "I have sworn by Me: From My mouth has gone forth righteousness, a word that will not turn back." (Devarim, Ibid.) "Who is mighty in heaven and earth": The attribute of flesh and blood — He who is greater than his neighbor nullifies his neighbor's decree. But You — who can overrule You? And thus is it written (Iyyov 23:13) "And He is One, and who can turn Him back?" R. Yehudah b. Bava says: Not as the measure of the Holy One Blessed be He is the measure of flesh and blood. The measure of flesh and blood: A man registered in the royal codex — even if he gives great sums, he cannot extricate himself from it. But You say: Repent, and I will accept, as it is written (Isaiah 44:22) "I have wiped away your offenses like a cloud, your sins, like a mist." Variantly: "Who is G-d in heaven and earth, etc." — But perhaps, outside of heaven and earth, there is! It is, therefore, written (Devarim 4:39) "And you shall know this day and you shall return it to your heart … there is no other" — anywhere! (Ibid.) "who can do as Your deeds and as Your (acts of) strength": "as Your deeds" — in Egypt. "as Your strength" — at the (splitting of the) sea. Variantly: "as Your deeds" — at the sea. "as Your strength" — at the streams of Arnon. (Ibid. 25) "Let me pass over na and see"." "Na" is a term of imploration. "the good land across the Jordan": As per R. Yehudah: The land of Canaan is "good," and not the inheritance of the children of Reuven and the children of Gad. "this good mountain": Jerusalem. "and the Levanon": the Temple, viz. (Zechariah 11:1) "Open your doors, O Levanon!" and (Isaiah 10:34) "And the Levanon shall fall by a mighty one (Nevuchadnezzar)." Others say: "Levanon" — these are its (Israel's) kings, as in (Ezekiel 17:3) "He came to the Levanon and he took its kings," and (II Chronicles 25:18) "The thistle (i.e., the king) etc."

Variantly: "You have weakened the Rock of your birth": Whenever I sought to confer good upon you, you "weakened the celestial power" (i.e., Me): You stood at the Red Sea and said (Shemoth 15:2) "This is my G-d and I will extol Him," and I sought to confer good upon you, when you turned around and said (Ibid. 17:3) "Why did You bring us up from Egypt, etc." You stood at Sinai and said (Ibid. 29:7) "All that the L-rd spoke we will do and we will hear," and I sought to confer good upon you, when you turned around and said of the golden calf (Ibid. 32:4) "These are your gods, O Israel" — Whenever I sought to confer good upon you, you "weakened the celestial power." (Devarim, Ibid.) "And you forgot the G-d mecholalecha":

(see Bamidbar 14:21). "I said: I live forever": For not as the measure of the Holy One Blessed be He is the measure of man. The measure of man: A noble enters his province (to exact vengeance). If he can exact from the living, he does so; if not, he does not. But not so with Him who spoke and caused the world to come into being. If He does not exact it from the living, He exacts it from the dead. If He does not exact it in this world, He exacts it in the world to come.

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)