Midrash su Numeri 20:18

(Numb. 25:16-17:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses], saying, ‘Harass the Midianites […].’” Why?⁵Numb. R. 21:4. (Numb. 25:18:) “Because they are harassing you.” Hence the sages have said, “If someone comes to kill you, act first to kill him.”⁶Ber. 62b; Sanh. 72a. R. Simeon says, “Whoever causes a person to sin is worse than the one who kills him. Because whoever kills [a person] kills him in this world, but he [still] has a share in the world to come. However, the one who causes him to sin kills him in this world and for the world to come. Two peoples encountered Israel with the sword, the Egyptians and the Edomites. Thus it is stated (of the Egyptians that they said (in Exod. 15:9), “I will pursue, I will overtake, [I will divide the spoil…].” And Edom [did the same], as stated (in Numb. 20:18), “But Edom said unto him, ‘You shall not pass through me, or else I will come out to meet you with the sword.’” Moreover, two [peoples encountered them] with sin, Moab and the Ammonites. Concerning the ones who encountered them with the sword, it is written (in Deut. 23:8), “You shall not abhor an Edomite …; you shall not abhor an Egyptian.” But concerning the ones who encountered them with sin to cause Israel to sin, it is stated (according to Deut. 23:4), “No Ammonite or Moabite shall come into the assembly of the Lord […].” And in this world you have not [yet] fulfilled your obligation, as stated (in Numb. 25:17), “Harass the Midianites.” (Numb. 25:17:) “Harass the Midianites.” What is the meaning of “Harass the Midianites?” Even though it is written in the Torah (in Deut. 20:10), “When you draw near unto a city to fight against it, you shall offer terms of peace (shalom) unto it”; however, in regard to these [peoples] you shall not do this; (according to Deut. 23:7), “You shall not seek their welfare (shalom) and benefit all your days forever.”⁷Numb. R. 21:5. You find that the one who came to them with the trait of mercy, in the end came to disgrace, war and distress. And who [was that]? David, as stated (in II Sam. 10:2), “David said, ‘I will do kindness with Hanun son of Nahash.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You are transgressing My word, as I wrote (in Deut. 23:7), ‘You shall not seek their welfare and benefit,’ and you are doing acts of kindness with them? (Eccl. 7:12:) ‘Do not be greatly righteous,’ such that a man should not forego [what is written in] the Torah. And this one is sending [word] to console the Children of Ammon and to do kindness and good to him?” And in the end, he came to disgrace [as stated] (in II Sam. 10:4), “So Hanun seized David’s courtiers, clipped off one side of their beards [and cut away half of their garments at the buttocks, and sent them off].” And he came to disgrace, and afterwards to war with four nations: Aram-Naharayim, with the kings of Zova, with the kings of Maakha and with Children of Ammon. And it is written (about this in II Sam. 10:9), “Joab saw that there was a battle line against him both front and rear.” What caused him [this]? That he sought to do good to those about whom the Holy One, blessed be He, told him, “You shall not seek their welfare and benefit.” Hence it is written (Numb. 25:17), “Harass the Midianites.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 25:17), “Harass (tsrwr) the Midianites.” Even though I have written (in Deut. 20:19), “When you besiege (rt. tswr) a city a [long time] […], you shall not destroy its trees,”⁸Numb. R. 21:6. in the case of these (i.e., Moab and the Ammonites) you shall not do so. On the contrary, their trees you shall destroy. And so you find that when Joram king of Israel, Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and the king of Edom went to fight with Moab, (according to II Kings 3:9) “they circled around on a seven-day march, so that there was no water for the army or for the animals that were with them.” They began to weep, and (according to vs. 10) “The king of Israel said, ‘Alas, for the Lord has summoned these three kings to give them into the hand of Moab.’” Jehoshaphat answered (in vs. 11), “Is there no prophet of the Lord here through, who we may inquire of the Lord…?” [This passage is] to make known the wickedness of Joram, in that he did not acknowledge Him. (Vs. 12:) “Then Jehoshaphat said, ‘the word of the Lord is with him’; so the king of Israel, Jehoshaphat, and the king of Edom went down unto him.” Why is Jehoshaphat not called a king here? In order to make known the humility of that righteous man, in that he did not want to go down before the prophet in royal garb, but as a commoner.⁹Gk.: idiotes. But some say, “[It was] because an edict had been decreed that he would be killed with Ahab that the scriptural text has reckoned [the reign of] his son from that hour. For that reason ‘king’ was not written.” But as a reward for their going down to the prophet, they attained the right to see all those miracles. When the king of Israel saw Elisha, Elisha said to the king of Israel (according to vs. 13,) “What have I to do with you; go unto the prophets of your father and unto the prophets of your mother.” He began to implore him. (Ibid., cont.:) “And the king of Israel said to him…,” as he had never asked him [anything] in his life. (Vss. 14-15:) “Elisha said, ‘As the Lord of hosts lives…Now then get me a musician….” And the rest of the whole parashah. Moreover, he said to them “The Moabites shall fall into your hands, (in vs. 19) ‘thus you shall smite every fortified city and every choice city, [you shall also fell every good tree].’” They said to him, “[But] the Holy One, blessed be He said (in Deut. 20:19), ‘You shall not destroy its trees’; yet you are saying [to do] so.” He said to them, “He gave the command with reference to the rest of the nations, but this one is insignificant and contemptable,” as stated (in II Kings 3:18), “This one is insignificant in the eyes of the Lord, so He will give Moab into your hands.” It is [also] stated (in Deut. 23:7), “You shall not seek their welfare and benefit (literally, their good).” [That is referring to] the good trees. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 25:17), “Harass the Midianites.”

(Numb. 25:16–17:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: HARASS THE MIDIANITES. Why?²⁰Tanh., Numb. 8:3; Numb. R. 21:4. (Numb. 25:18:) BECAUSE THEY ARE HARASSING YOU. Hence the sages have said: If someone comes to kill you, act first to kill him.²¹Ber. 62b; Sanh. 72a. [R. Simeon says:] Whoever causes a person to sin is worse than the one who kills him, because whoever kills <a person> kills him in this world, but he <still> has a share in the world to come. However, the one who causes him to sin kills him in this world and for the world to come.²²Matthew 10:28 // Luke 12:4–5. Two peoples encountered Israel with the sword: Egyptians and Edomites. Thus it is stated (of the Egyptians, that they said in Exod. 15:9): I WILL PURSUE, I WILL OVERTAKE, I WILL DIVIDE THE SPOIL. (Also in Numb. 20:18:) BUT EDOM SAID UNTO HIM: YOU SHALL NOT PASS THROUGH ME, OR ELSE I WILL COME OUT TO MEET YOU WITH THE SWORD. Moreover, two <peoples encountered them> with transgression: Moab and the Ammonites. Concerning the ones who encountered them with the sword, it is written (in Deut. 23:8 [7]): YOU SHALL NOT ABHOR AN EDOMITE …; YOU SHALL NOT ABHOR AN EGYPTIAN. But concerning the ones who encountered them with transgression (according to Deut. 23:4 [3]): NO AMMONITE OR MOABITE SHALL COME INTO THE ASSEMBLY OF THE LORD.

"And they were exceedingly afraid, etc.": whereupon they "embraced the trade" (prayer) of their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham — (Genesis 12:8) "… Beth-el on the west and Ai on the east, and he built there an altar to the L rd, and he called in the name of the L rd." Isaac — (Ibid. 24:63) "And Isaac went out lasuach in the field," "sichah" being prayer, as in (Psalms 55:18) "Evening, morning, and noon asichah and moan, and He has heard my voice," and (Ibid. 14:2-3) "With my voice I cry out to the L rd. I pour out before Him sichi. I tell my trouble before Him, etc.", and (Ibid. 102:1) "A prayer of the afflicted one when he faints, and before the L rd pours forth sicho." Jacob — (Genesis 28:11) "Vayifga in the place and he spent the night there, for the sun had set, "pegiyah" being prayer, as in (Jeremiah 7:16) "And you (Jeremiah), do not pray for this people, and do not raise for them song and prayer, and (do) not tifga bi," and (Ibid. 27:17) "Yifgu na ('Let them now pray') to the L rd of hosts that the vessels which remain in the house of the L rd, etc." And thus is it written (Isaiah 41:14) "Fear not, O worm of Jacob, men of Israel." Just as a worm smites a cedar only with its mouth, so, Israel has recourse only to prayer. And it is written (Genesis 48:22) "And I (Jacob) have given to you an additional portion over your brothers, which I took from the hand of the Emori with my sword and with my bow." Now did he take it with his sword and his bow? __ "my sword" is prayer. My bow ("bekashti") is (my) supplication ("bakashati"). And thus is it written (Genesis 49:9) "A lion's whelp is Judah" (Just as a lion's power is in his mouth, so, the power of Judah [i.e., prayer].) And it is written (Devarim 33:7) "And this is for Judah … Hear, O L rd, the voice (i.e., the prayers) of Judah." And thus did Jeremiah say (Jeremiah 17:5) "Cursed is the man who trusts in man." And what is said of prayer? (Ibid. 7) "Blessed is the man who trusts in the L rd, and the L rd will be his trust" — when they pray to Him and he is close to them, viz. (Psalms 145:18) "Close is the L rd to all who call upon Him." And thus did David say to Goliath (I Samuel 17:45) "You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin — but I come to you with the name of the L rd of hosts, the G d of Israel." And it is written (Psalms 20:8-10) "These with chariots and these with horses; but we, in the name of the L rd our G d will call. They knelt and they fell, but we rose and gained courage. O L rd, save! The King will answer us on the day that we call." And thus is it written (II Chronicles 14:10) "And Assa called to the L rd his G d and he said: 'O L rd, there is none but You to help both the many and the powerless. Heed, O L rd our G d, for upon You did we rely and in Your name have we come against this great throng. O L rd our G d, let no man be throned with You.'" What is written of Moses? (Numbers 20:14-16) "And Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom … And our fathers went down to Egypt … and He hearkened to our voice." He (the king of Edom) said to them (the messengers): You take pride in what your father Isaac bequeathed to you — (Genesis 27:22) "The voice is the voice of Jacob", (Numbers 21:3) "And the L rd hearkened to the voice of Israel" — and we take pride in what our father Isaac bequeathed to us — (Genesis, Ibid.) "and the hands are the hands of Esav", (Ibid. 40) "and by your sword will you live." As it is written (Numbers 20:18) "And Edom said to him: Do not pass through me, lest I go out against you with the sword," their trust being only in the sword. But Israel embraced the "trade" (prayer) of their fathers, the trade of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

15 (Numb. 20:14) “Then Moses sent messengers [from Kadesh unto the king of Edom], ‘Thus says your brother Israel….’” This text is related (to Ps. 15:3), “[…] nor takes up a reproach against his relative.” By universal custom, when a person is engaged in business⁶²Gk.: pragmateia. with his friend who causes a loss, he separates himself from him and does not want to see him. But although Moses was punished because of Israel, as stated (in Ps. 106:32), “And they provoked wrath at the Waters of Meribah and it went ill with Moses on their account,” he did not unload their burden from himself. Instead (according to Numb. 20:14), “Then Moses sent messengers.” (Numb. 20:14, cont.) “You know all the trouble that has befallen us”: They said to him, “You know when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham (in Gen. 15:13), ‘know full well that your seed shall be alien in a land not theirs where they shall serve them and be oppressed by them […],’ it was us who have been enslaved, while you are free.” (Numb. 20:15) “How our forefathers went down to Egypt [...]”: This whole subject is comparable to two brothers against whose grandfather a promissory note appeared. One of them arose and paid it. One day he started to ask a favor from his brother, and he said to him, “You know that debt was incumbent on both of us, but it was I who paid it. Do not refuse any of my favor that I am asking.” (Numb. 20:15) “How our forefathers went down [to Egypt]”: What is the relevance of [mentioning] the forefathers here, as stated (in Numb 20:15, cont.), “the Egyptians dealt harshly with us and our forefathers.” [It is to teach you] that all the time that Israel is in distress, [the forefathers] are also in distress. (Numb. 20:17) “Please let us pass through your land; [we will not pass through field or vineyard,] nor shall we drink water from a well”: Should it not have said, "water from cisterns?" [By this use of the singular, “a well”], the Torah has taught you proper conduct, [i.e.,] that though one has at hand his necessities, when he who goes to a land which is not his own, he should not eat from what he has on hand. Rather he should put aside what he has, and buy from the shopkeeper in order to benefit him. So also Moses said to [Edom], “[We have] a well with us,⁶³On the tradition of Israel’s portable well for supplying them with water during their desert wanderings, see Numb. R. 1:2; TSuk. 3:11; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Numb. 21:16-18; Frag. Jerusalem Targum, Numb. 21:17-18; Tanh., Lev. 7:7; Lev. R. 25:5; 27:6; see also Avot 5:6; Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 6, on Exod. 16:32; Shab. 35a; Pes. 54a; Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Numb. 22:28; in addition, see TSot. 11:8 (10); Ta‘an. 9a; BM 86b; Cant. R. 4:14:1; Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, 10; cf. I Corinthians 10:4. and we eat our own manna; [but] do not say that we are a bother to you. You will make a profit for yourselves.” So also did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Moses (in Deut. 2:6), “Food shall you procure from them with money, and you shall eat.” And Moses said to Israel, “Open your purses to them. So that they do not say, ‘They were slaves and indigents,’ show them your wealth.” They will [then] know, so that they would not say, “You lost by your subjugation.” [As stated] (in Gen. 15:14.) “and in the end they shall go free with great wealth.” And they shall know that you are not lacking anything and that it is not from [that which is] yours that you are [spending], as stated (in Deut. 2:7), “For the Lord has blessed you in all the efforts of your hand [...].” (Numb. 20:17, cont.) “We shall go along the king's highway,” since we restrain⁶⁴Hosemin. The word also means “muzzle.” our cattle. (Numb. 20:17, cont.) “Without turning right or left”: This was the most difficult [stipulation] of them all, for they said, “In all [the lands] around us we have permission to plunder and kill, but within your border [we shall walk the king's highway] without turning right or left [until we have passed through your territory].” (Numb. 20:18) “But Edom said unto him, “You shall not pass through me’”: This text is related to Ps. 120:7), “I am for peace; but when I speak, they are for war.” Where is it shown that the Holy One, blessed be He, also told them that they would not permit you to pass, [that] everything is not due to them, but [that] it is I who wills it? Where it is stated (in Deut. 2:5), “Do not engage them in battle, for I will not give you of their land.” And it is written (in Numb 20:21), “So Edom would not let [Israel cross their territory].” And afterwards, they sent [a request] to the king of Moab, and he would not let [Israel cross his territory either]. And even though it is not explained here, behold it is explained in Judges. [This] teaches that it was all [said] with the holy spirit. As there was no one lighter in all [the speakers] then Jephthah, and [yet] he explained [it]. It is so stated (in Jud. 11:17), “Israel then sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying, ‘Allow us to cross your country’; but the king of Edom would not consent; they also sent a mission to the king of Moab, and he refused.” And Moses also indicated [this], as stated (in Deut. 2:29), “As the descendants of Esau who dwell in Seir did for me, [and the Moabites who dwell in Ar].”

Moses immediately hearkened to God and went to divide the sea, but the sea refused to comply, exclaiming, "Shall I split at your behest? Am I not greater than you, since I was created on the third day and you on the sixth?" When Moses heard this, he went and informed God, "The sea refuses to part."

4 (Numb. 25:17) “Harass the Midianites”: Why? (As in Numb. 25:18,) “Because they are harassing you.” Hence the sages have said, “If someone comes to kill you, act first to kill him.”⁷Ber. 62b; Sanh. 72a. R. Simeon says, “Whoever causes a person to sin is worse than the one who kills him. Because whoever kills [a person] kills him in this world, but he [still] has a share in the world to come. However, the one who causes him to sin kills him in this world and for the world to come. Two peoples encountered Israel with the sword, and two with sin: The Egyptians and the Edomites with the sword. [Thus it is stated (of the Egyptians] (in Exod. 15:9), “The enemy said, ‘I will pursue, I will overtake, I will empty my sword.’” [And Edom did the same, as stated] (in Numb. 20:18), “But Edom said unto him, ‘You shall not pass through me, or else I will come out to meet you with the sword.’” Moreover, two [peoples encountered them] with sin, the Moabites and the Ammonites. Concerning the ones who encountered them with the sword, it is written (in Deut. 23:8), “You shall not abhor an Edomite …; you shall not abhor an Egyptian.” But concerning the ones who encountered them with sin to cause Israel to sin, it is stated (according to Deut. 23:4), “No Ammonite or Moabite shall come into [the assembly of the Lord] even to the tenth generation, forever.”