Midrash su Salmi 104:32

(Gen. 2:4:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED. Let our master instruct us: When someone sees shooting stars and lightnings, what blessing does he say over them? Thus have our masters taught (in Ber. 9:2): OVER SHOOTING STARS, EARTHQUAKES, LIGHTNINGS, AND THUNDERS ONE SAYS: BLESSED BE THE ONE WHOSE POWER FILLS THE WORLD. Note that this is from the Mishnah. Where is it shown from Scripture? Where it is stated (in Ps. 104:32): WHO (i.e., the LORD) LOOKS ON THE EARTH AND IT TREMBLES. And what is written in connection with it (in vs. 31)? MAY THE GLORY OF THE LORD BE FOREVER. Elijah, of blessed memory, asked Rav Mari:³¹See yBer. 9:3 (12c); M. Pss. 18:12; 104:25. Why do earthquakes come upon the world? He said to him: When the Holy One sees Israel not separating their tithes as they should, earthquakes come upon the world. Elijah, of blessed memory, said to him: Upon your life, that is the < apparent > reason for the phenomenon, but the root of the phenomenon is this: When the Holy One looks at his world and sees temples of star worship sitting upon their tells in safety, security, and serenity, while his Holy Temple is destroyed, at that time he wants to overthrow the world and shakes < it >. The Holy One said: All this quaking is for the sanctification of my name, as stated (in Is. 43:7): EVERY ONE THAT IS CALLED BY MY NAME [AND WHOM I HAVE CREATED FOR MY GLORY, I HAVE FORMED HIM, EVEN MADE HIM].³²Isaiah goes on to list the blind and the deaf as examples. Thus God is sanctified by all creation, even earthquakes. Also, through that for which I deserve to be praised, the nations provoke me to anger. One says: The LORD does such and so. Another says to worship the constellations. Another says: I serve the sun and its rays. Therefore, I bring earthquake into the world. Although the heavenly bodies did not sin, because people provoke me to anger through them, they (the heavenly bodies) are also stricken along with them. So it is stated (in Joel 3:4 [2:31]): THE SUN WILL BE CHANGED TO DARKNESS, AND THE MOON, TO BLOOD. And what concern do they have? To make known that no other god created my world along with me. You yourself know that it is so.³³See above, 1:1, and the notes there. R. Johanan said: The angels were created on the second day, as stated (in Gen. 1:6): LET THE FIRMAMENT BE IN THE MIDST OF THE WATERS. Another text (Ps. 104:3) says: WHO ROOFS HIS UPPER ROOMS IN THE WATERS. And what is written next (in vs. 4)? WHO MAKES HIS ANGELS SPIRITS (ruah). Ergo, it says: The angels were created on the second day. R. Hanina said: The angels were created on the fifth day. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 1:20): AND LET THE FOWL FLY (ye'ofef) ABOVE THE EARTH. These are angels, as stated (in Is. 6:2): AND WITH TWO HE WOULD FLY (ye'ofef). Ergo, it says: They were created on the fifth day. Either according to the words of R. Johanan or according to the words of R. Hanina, you have learned this, that the angels were created only after the Holy One had created his world. Why so? It is simply that the Holy One said: If I create them at the beginning, people will say: They assisted me with my world. The Holy One said: I created my world by myself, as stated (in Is. 66:2): [AND] ALL THESE THINGS MY HAND HAS MADE. Where is it shown about the created beings of heaven and earth? {Where it is stated} [From what they have read on the matter] (in Gen. 2:4): THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH….

(Job 31:38:) IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME. [The Holy One] said to him: Job, do you have anything more than four cubits of soil at the time of your death?³³Tanh., Deut. 4:15; PRK 10:7. So should you say (ibid.]): IF MY LAND HAS CRIED OUT AGAINST ME? And is this the work of your hand? R. Hiyya the Great and R. Simeon ben Halafta <differed>. R. Hiyya the Great said: It is comparable to one who had a mantle (tallit) for sale in the bazaar.³⁴Itlis. Buber’s note 65 suggests that the Hebrew word has lost an initial quf and comes from the Greek katalusis, which can denote a lodging or resting place. When someone passed by and saw it, he said to him: That is mine. He said to him: Wrap yourself in it. If it fits you, then it is yours; but if it does not, it is not yours. Similarly the Holy One said to Job: (Jer. 23:24:) DO I NOT FILL THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH? Yet you say (in Job 31:38): IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME. Is this the work of your hand? Then R. Simeon ben Halafta said: It is comparable to one who had a bondmaid for sale in the bazaar. When someone passed by and saw her, he said: She is mine. He said to him: Rebuke her. If she heeds you, she is yours; but if not she is not yours. Similarly the Holy One said to Job: It is written of me (in Ps. 104:32): WHO (i.e., the LORD) LOOKS ON THE EARTH AND IT TREMBLES. Yet you say (in Job 31:38): IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME. Is this the work of your hand? At that time Job said: Sovereign of the Universe: I did not mean that. Rather [what I meant by these words, IF MY LAND CRIES OUT AGAINST ME, was] "If I did not take out its tithes properly. "(Ibid., cont.:) AND <IF> ITS FURROWS WEEP TOGETHER <means> "If I planted it <unlawfully> with mixed seeds." (Job 31:39:) IF I HAVE EATEN ITS PRODUCE WITHOUT PAYMENT (literally: WITHOUT MONEY). This refers to the second tithe, as stated (in Deut. 14:25): THEN YOU SHALL CONVERT IT INTO MONEY…. (Job 31:39, cont.:) AND DISAPPOINTED ITS OWNERS. This refers to the tithe for the poor.³⁵The midrash identifies the OWNERS of Job 31:39 with the poor who actually work the land. If I have not done <all> this, (then in vs. 40): MAY THORNS COME UP INSTEAD OF WHEAT…. Rabbi Hosha'ya taught: Torah teaches you proper procedure. A field that grows thorns (when unplanted) is fine to sow wheat in. A field that grows stinkweed is fine to sow barley in. What is the evidence? That which is written (in Job 31:40:) MAY THORNS COME UP INSTEAD OF WHEAT, AND STINKWEED INSTEAD OF BARLEY. (Ibid., cont.:) THE WORDS OF JOB ARE ENDED. [Beyond this point] Job foresees and prophesies any number of prophecies. But <here> you say: THE WORDS OF JOB ARE ENDED. It is simply that Job meant: If I have not fulfilled these <conditions> (of vss. 38–39), may my words be ended, and let me not have a pretext for saying to you (in Deut. 26:13 regarding the second tithe): I HAVE REMOVED THE CONSECRATED PORTION FROM THE HOUSE.³⁶MSh 5:10. For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22): YOU SHALL SURELY TITHE.

(Deut. 14:22:) “You shall surely tithe.” This is related to the verse (in Job 31:38), “If my land cries out against me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, “Do you have anything more than four cubits of soil at the time of your death?²⁰PRK 10:7. So should you say (ibid.), ‘If my land has cried out against me?’ And is it your handiwork?” R. Hiyya the Great and R. Simeon ben Halafta [differed about the matter]. R. Hiyya the Great said, “It is comparable to one who had a mantle (tallit) for sale in the bazaar.²¹Itlis. Buber’s note 65 suggests that the Hebrew word has lost an initial quf and comes from the Greek katalusis, which can denote a lodging or resting place. When someone passed by and saw it, he said to him, ‘That is mine.’ He said to him, ‘Wrap yourself in it. If it fits you, then it is yours; but if it does not, it is not yours.’ Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, (Jer. 23:24), ‘”Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” Yet you say (in Job 31:38), “If my land cries out against me.” Is it your handiwork?’” Then R. Simeon ben Halafta said, “It is comparable to one who had a bondmaid for sale in the bazaar. When someone passed by and saw her, he said, ‘She is mine.’ He said to him, ‘Rebuke her. If she heeds you, she is yours; but if not she is not yours.’ Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job, ‘It is written of Me (in Ps. 104:32), “Who (i.e., the Lord) looks on the earth and it trembles.” Yet you say (in Job 31:38), “If my land cries out against me.” Is it your handiwork?’” At that time Job said, “Master of the universe, I did not say that. Rather [what I meant by the words, ‘If my land cries out against me,’ was] if I did not take out its tithes properly; (ibid., cont.:) ‘and [if] its furrows weep together’ [means] if I planted it [unlawfully] with mixed seeds. (Job 31:39:) ‘If I have eaten its produce without payment (literally, without money),’ this refers to the second tithe, as stated (in Deut. 14:25), ‘Then you shall convert it into money […]’; (Job 31:39, cont.) ‘and disappointed its owners,’ this refers to the tithe for the poor.²²The midrash identifies the OWNERS of Job 31:39 with the poor who actually work the land. If I have not done [all] this, (then in vs. 40), ‘May thorns come up instead of wheat […].’” R. Hosha'ya taught, “The Torah teaches you proper procedure. A field that grows thorns (when unplanted) is fine to sow wheat in. A field that grows stinkweed is fine to sow barley in. [What is the reason (evidence)?] That which is written (in Job 31:40), ‘May thorns come up instead of wheat, and stinkweed instead of barley.’” (Ibid., cont.:) “The words of Job are ended.” Up to here, Job foresees and prophesies any number of prophecies, and [here] you say, “The words of Job are ended?” It is simply that Job was saying, “If I have not fulfilled these [conditions] (of vss. 38-39), may my words be ended, and let me not have a pretext for saying to you (in Deut. 26:13 regarding the second tithe), ‘I have removed the consecrated portion from the house.’”²³MSh 5:10. For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22), “You shall surely tithe.”