Midrash su Salmi 128:2

R. Chisda said: "Who may be called a scholar? One who is capable of deciding a T'refah for himself." R. Chisda said further: "Who may be termed (Pr. 15, 27) But he who hateth gifts will live? One who is capable of deciding a T'refah for himself." Mar Zutra lectured in the name of R. Chisda: "Whoever is versed in the Scripture, has taught the Meshna and is capable of seeing a T'refah for himeslf and waited upon scholars [taking part in their argumentative discussions], concerning him says the passage (Ps. 128, 2) When thou eatest the labor of thy hands, happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee." R. Zebid said: "Such a man shall inherit both worlds, this world and the world to come; happy shalt thou be, refers to this world, and it shall be well with thee, refers to the future world." R. Elazar said: "Whenever something was sent to him from the house of the Prince of the Exile, he would not accept it and if he was invited [to any party] he would not go, saying, does not the master want me to live; for it is written, One who hateth gifts will live long." R. Zeira, on the contrary, if anything was sent him, he would accept it and if an invitation was extended him, he would go giving the reason for his action that they desire to be honored by his presence.

"And much cattle" (Numbers 32:1). This is [the meaning of] that which is stated by the verse (Ecclesiastes 10:2), "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad, who made the essential, secondary, and the secondary, essential. Why? Because they loved their possessions more than their selves. As they said to Moshe (Numbers 32:16), "'We will build here sheepfolds for our flocks,' first, and afterwards, 'and towns for our children.'" Moshe said to them, "Do not do like this, make the essential first; 'build towns for your children,' and afterwards 'sheepfolds for your flocks' (Numbers 32:24)." Hence, "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "You loved your money more than your souls. By your lives, there is no blessing in this, as stated (Proverbs 20:21), 'An estate acquired in haste at the outset will not be blessed in the end.'" "Do not toil to gain wealth; have the sense to desist" (Proverbs 23:4). And who is wealthy? One who is happy with his lot, as stated (in Psalms 128:2), "You shall eat the produce of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you."

... “May the Lord bless you from Zion…” (Psalms 128:5) This comes to teach that the Holy One blesses them from the place that He blesses Israel. And from where do we learn that the blessings come out from Zion? As it says “As the dew of Hermon which runs down on the mountains of Zion…” (Psalms 133:3) and it says “May the Lord bless you from Zion, and see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life.” (Psalms 128:5) May you merit to see the good of Jerusalem in the time to come, “And may you see children to your children, peace upon Israel.” (Psalms 128:6)

(Nume. 32:1:) MUCH LIVESTOCK. This text is related (to Ps. 75:7–8 [6–7]): FOR IT IS NOT FROM THE EAST OR FROM THE WEST OR FROM THE WILDERNESS THAT THERE COMES AN EXALTATION (harim), FOR IT IS GOD WHO JUDGES; ONE HE PUTS DOWN, AND ANOTHER HE LIFTS UP. What is the meaning of (Ps. 75:7 [6]:) FOR IT IS NOT FROM THE EAST (rt.: MTs') OR FROM THE WEST?¹⁹Tanh., Numb. 9:6; Numb. R. 22:8. It is not from the fact that, when a person works hard by going out (rt.: MTs') for trade and traveling from east to west, he becomes wealthy. <No!> Even if one sails away in ships to go from east to west and returns over wildnesses and over mountains (harim), he does not become wealthy. What is the meaning of (Ps. 75:7 [6], cont.:) OR FROM THE WILDERNESS THAT THERE COMES AN EXALTATION (harim)? R. Abba²⁰According to Tanh., Numb. 9:6; and Numb. R. 22:8, this sage was R. Abba of Serungaya (near Tiberias). says: Every use of harim in Scripture denotes mountains except for here, where it denotes exaltation. Thus one is not exalted from these things. So what does the Holy One do? He takes from one and gives to another. A certain matron asked R. Jose ben Halafta: In how many days did the Holy One create his world? He said to her in six days.²¹Above, Numb. 1:18; Gen. R. 68:4; PRK 2:4; Lev. R. 8:1; Numb. R. 3:6; cf. above, Gen. 1:2. She said to him: And what has he been doing since that time? He said to her: He sits down and makes ladders for raising up one and putting down another. You yourself know that, when he wanted the children of Reuben and Gad to become wealthy, he brought down the Midianites at their hand. What is written (in Numb. 31:9)? THEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL TOOK THE WOMEN [AND CHILDREN] OF THE MIDIANITES CAPTIVE, [AND ALL THEIR CATTLE, ALL THEIR LIVESTOCK,] <AND ALL THEIR WEALTH THEY SEIZED AS PLUNDER>. Then after that <comes> (Numb. 32:1:) NOW THE CHILDREN OF REUBEN <AND THE CHILDREN OF GAD> HAD MUCH LIVESTOCK. Ergo (in Ps. 75:8 [7]): FOR IT IS GOD WHO JUDGES; ONE HE PUTS DOWN, AND ANOTHER HE LIFTS UP. And who is wealthy? One who is happy with his lot, as stated (in Ps. 128:2): YOU SHALL EAT THE PRODUCE OF YOUR HANDS; YOU SHALL BE HAPPY, AND IT SHALL GO WELL WITH YOU.

Another interpretation of "And much cattle" (Numbers 32:1). This is [the meaning of] that which is stated by the verse (Ecclesiastes 10:2), "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is the good impulse; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the evil impulse. Another interpretation: "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is the righteous who put their hearts to Torah which is from the right, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 33:2), “from His right, a fiery law to them; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the evildoers who put their hearts to becoming rich, as it is stated (Proverbs 3:16), “in her left, riches and honor.” Another interpretation: "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad, who made the essential, secondary, and the secondary, essential. Why? Because they loved their possessions more than the [human] souls. As they said to Moshe (Numbers 32:16), "'We will build here sheepfolds for our flocks, and towns for our children.'" Moshe said to them, "This is nothing; rather make the essential, essential. First 'build towns for your children,' and afterwards 'sheepfolds for your flocks' (Numbers 32:24)." Hence, "A wise man’s heart is to his right," that is Moshe; "but a fool’s heart is to his left," that is the Children of Reuven and the Children of Gad. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "You loved your money more than [your] souls. By your lives, there is no blessing in this, as stated (Proverbs 20:21), 'An estate acquired in haste at the outset will not be blessed in the end.'" And it likewise states (Proverbs 23:4), "Do not toil to gain wealth; have the sense to desist." And who is wealthy? One who is happy with his lot, as stated (in Psalms 128:2), "You shall eat the produce of your hands; you shall be happy, and it shall go well with you."

[(Gen. 21:1:) THEN THE LORD VISITED SARAH.] This text is related (to Hab. 3:17): FOR THOUGH THE FIG TREE SHALL NOT BLOSSOM.¹¹⁸Gen. R. 53:3; PR 42:5. Who is this < fig tree >? This is Abraham, since it is stated (in Hos. 9:10): I SAW YOUR FATHERS AS THE FIRST FRUIT OF A FIG TREE IN ITS FIRST SEASON. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) AND THERE IS NO YIELD ON THE VINES. ON THE VINE [sic] refers to Sarah, since it is stated (in Ps. 128:3): YOUR WIFE IS LIKE A FRUITFUL VINE. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) THOUGH THE WORK OF THE OLIVE HAS FAILED. Were the words which the ministering angels brought as good tidings to Sarah deceptive? < They had said > (in Gen. 18:10): I WILL SURELY RETURN UNTO YOU. (Hab. 3:17:) THE WORK OF THE OLIVE. As the olive gives light to the world (through its oil), so the angels enlightened < Sarah > with their words.¹¹⁹Cf. Gen. R. 53:3, according to which THE WORK OF THE OLIVE alludes to the fact that the faces of the angels who gave Sarah the good tidings shone like an olive. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) AND THE GRAINFIELDS (ShDMH) PRODUCE NO FOOD. Those breasts (ShDYM)¹²⁰ShDYM in an unvocalized text could easily be read as a plural of SDH, a common word meaning “field,” although not quite the word designating GRAINFIELDS in Hab. 3:17. suckle no one. (Hab. 3:17, cont.:) HE HAS DECREED¹²¹The midrash requires this translation. See the following note. A FLOCK FROM THE FOLD. Have you not raised up from her (i.e., from Sarah, the fold) the assembly of Israel, which is called a flock, where it is stated (in Ezek. 34:17): AND YOU, MY FLOCK?