Midrash su Numeri 17:23

(Lev. 9:1:) “And it came to pass on the eighth day.” This text is related (to Ps. 92:13), “The righteous one shall flourish (rt.: prh) like the palm….” This is Aaron, of whom it is stated (in Numb. 17:23), “[and there] the staff of Aaron of the House of Levi had sprouted (rt.: prh).” In the case of all the [other] trees, one plants them and they grow up by themselves (as single trees); but in the case of the palm, one plants it and it sends up sprouts on all sides. So it was in the case of Aaron. He planted and sprouts came up. These were Aaron's sons (i.e., according to I Chron. 6:35-36), “his son Eleazar, his son Phinehas, his son Abishua, [his son Bukki…].” (Ps. 92:13), “The righteous one shall flourish (rt.: prh) like the palm.” Where did he plant [them]? (Ps. 92:14), “[They are] planted in the house of the Lord.” (Lev. 8:33), “And you shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting [for seven days].” It is therefore stated (in Lev. 9:1), “And it came to pass on the eighth day.” (Lev. 9:1), “And it came to pass on the eighth day Moses called [Aaron and his sons]….” Our masters have said: All seven days when Moses was at the thornbush, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Go on My mission”; but he was saying (in Exod. 4:13), “Please make someone else Your agent.” So was it the first and second day. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I say to you, ‘Go,’ and you say to Me, ‘Please make someone else Your agent?’ By your life, I am paying you back. Someday soon when that tabernacle is being made, you will be thinking privately that you should serve in the high priesthood; but I am telling you, ‘Call Aaron to serve.’” It is therefore stated (in Lev. 9:1), “Moses called Aaron and his sons.” There is a calling which is for abundance [and there is] a calling for famine. Where is it shown [that there is a calling] for abundance? Where it is stated (in Ezek. 36:29), “I will call for the grain and increase it.” And where is it shown [that there is a calling] for famine? [Where it is stated (in II Kings 8:1),] “for the Lord has called for a famine… [for seven years].” There is a calling for greatness, as stated (in Lev. 9:1), “Moses called [Aaron].” Moses said to him, “The Holy One, blessed be He, has told me to ordain you as high priest.” Aaron said to him, “You have labored on the tabernacle; so shall I be made high priest?” He said to him, “By your life, even though you are being made high priest, it is as if I were being made [high priest];¹¹See above, Exod. 1:24. for just as you were glad for me in my greatness, so I am glad for you in your greatness.” Now when was he glad for him? When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Exod. 3:10), “So come now, I will send you unto Pharaoh.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Go, keep this commandment.” Moses said to Him (in Exod. 4:10, 13), “Pray (bi) – Lord, You are doing me wrong. My brother is older than I; yet I am going ahead of him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “[By your life], you have spoken rightly; nevertheless (according to Exod. 4:14), when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart.” R. Simeon ben Yohay said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, ‘That heart which is glad for his brother's greatness shall have those precious stones (of Exod. 28:17-21) laid upon it.’” Therefore, all those seven days that Moses was busy in the tabernacle, he was sprinkling the blood and performing the sacrificial burning of the choice pieces. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “What do you think? That you are high priest? Call your brother so that he may serve as high priest.” Ergo (in Lev. 9:1), “And it came to pass on the eighth day Moses called [Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel].” Why the elders of Israel? In order to promote him in the presence of the elders. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Call the elders and ordain him in their presence, lest they say that he became high priest on his own.

R. Ahawa bar Ze'era opened (with Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps from its place.” What is the meaning of “and leaps?”³³PRK 26(27):5; Lev. R. 20:5. Jumps, as [Scripture] says (in Lev. 11:21), “[which have knees above their feet] with which to jump upon the earth.” Moreover, we translate [the word as] "to jump" (in the Targum Onqelos of Lev. 11:21). When Titus the wicked entered the holy of holies and cut [open] the curtain,³⁴So Sifre, Deut. 32:38; (328); Git. 56b; Gen. R. 10:7; Lev. R. 22:3; Eccl. R. 5:8:4; Josephus, Contra Apionem 2:82; Ant. 20.250; plus the parallels mentioned above. Cf. Exod. R. 51:5, according to which Hadrian committed the sacrilegious act, and M. Pss. 121:3, according to which it was Titus’ nephew. he entered in peace and came out in peace; but the sons of Aaron entered to offer sacrifice and came out destroyed by fire. It is so stated (in Lev. 16:1), “in their approaching in front of the Lord.”

(Lev. 9:1:) AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE EIGHTH DAY. This text is related (to Ps. 92:13 [12]): THE RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL FLOURISH (rt.: PRH) LIKE THE PALM…. This is Aaron, of whom it is stated (in Numb. 17:23 [8]): [AND THERE] THE STAFF OF AARON OF THE HOUSE OF LEVI HAD SPROUTED (rt.: PRH). In the case of all the < other > trees, one plants them and they grow up by themselves (as single trees); but in the case of the palm, one plants it and it sends up sprouts on all sides. So it was in the case of Aaron. He planted and sprouts came up. These were Aaron's sons (i.e., according to I Chron. 6:35–36 [50–51]): HIS SON ELEAZAR, HIS SON PHINEHAS, HIS SON ABISHUA, < HIS SON BUKKI,…. > (Ps. 92:13 [12]): THE RIGHTEOUS ONE SHALL FLOURISH (rt.: PRH) LIKE THE PALM. Where did he plant < them >? (Ps. 92:14 [13]): < THEY ARE > PLANTED IN THE HOUSE OF THE LORD. (Lev. 8:33): AND YOU SHALL NOT GO OUT FROM THE DOOR OF THE TENT OF MEETING < FOR SEVEN DAYS >. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 9:1): AND IT CAME TO PASS ON THE EIGHTH DAY.

The lifeless and dead things are brought before Me, and they depart alive. This refers to the staff of Aaron: And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses went into the tent of the Testimony; and behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and put forth buds, and blossomed blossoms, and bore ripe almonds (Num. 17:23). The cedars that Hiram king of Tyre sent to Solomon for the building of the Temple absorbed the living spirit of the world and were restored to life.

23 "And the staff of Aharon" (Numbers 17:21). Some say that it is the staff that was in the hand of Yehudah, as it is stated (Genesis 17:23), "and the staff in your hand." And some say that it is the staff that was in the hand of Moshe. And it blossomed on its own, as it is stated (Numbers 17:23), "behold the staff of Aharon sprouted." And some say that Moshe took one beam, cut it into twelve boards and said to them, "All of you, take your stick from one source." And for what did he do this? "It is honorable for a man to desist from strife, but every fool becomes embroiled" (Proverbs 20:3) - so that they not say, "His stick was damp and [so] flowered." And the Holy One, blessed be He, decreed about the stick; and the explicit name [of God] that was on the diadem (tsits) was upon it, as it is stated (Numbers 17:23), "and a flower came out and it blossomed a blossom (tsits)." And it flowered at night and made a fruit. "And it put out (yigmol) almonds (shekedim) - it granted good (gamal) upon anyone who was constant (shakad) with the tribe of Levi. Why almonds and not pomegranates or nuts? Because Israel was compared to them. And that staff was in the hand of each and every king until the Temple was destroyed and it was hidden. And this staff will be in the hand of the king Messiah in the future, quickly in our days - as it is stated (Psalms 110:2), "The Lord will stretch forth from Zion your mighty staff; hold sway over your enemies."