Midrash su Salmi 16:11

(Numb. 8:5-6:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying], ‘Take the Levites.’” Let our master instruct us: How many strings were on the harp which the Levites played?¹Numb. R. 15:11. So said R. Judah:²T‘Arakh. 2:7; ‘Arakh. 13b. There were seven (shb') strings on that harp, as stated (in Ps. 16:11), “In Your presence there is fullness (rt.: sb')³Since the S here is a Hebrew sin in the unpointed text SB‘ is identical with ShB‘. of joy.” Do not read [the word pointed as] sova' ("fullness") but [as] sheva' ("seven"). So also did David say (in Ps. 119:164), “With seven a day do I praise You.⁴M. Pss. 81:3; PR 21:1. A more traditional translation of Ps. 119:164 would read: SEVEN TIMES A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU. Moreover, in the days of the messiah it will be made with eight [strings]. Therefore David has stated concerning the instrumental music (in Ps. 6:1), “For the leader; with instrumental music on the eight-stringed harp.” Furthermore in the future it will be made of ten [strings] as stated (in Ps. 144:9), “O God, let me sing to You a new song; let me play for You on a ten-stringed harp.” And who ordained them? Samuel and David, as stated (in I Chron. 9:22), “David and Samuel the seer ordained them in their office of trust.” Moreover, they [were the ones who] set up the divisions for singing. Now the Levites would stand on their platform and sing before the One who spoke for the world to come into being. See the love with which the Holy One, blessed be He, loved the Levites. So from the beginning the Holy One, blessed be He, chose them to serve Him. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “The Levites are extremely dear to Me. Take them in My name for a position of authority.” From where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 8:6), “Take the Levites.”

R. Shimon b. Yochai says (Psalms 16:11) "sated (sova) with joys in Your presence": Rend it not "sova," but "sheva" (seven). To seven "joys" the faces of the righteous are likened in time to come: the sun, the moon, the firmament, the stars, lightnings, lilies, the menorah of the Temple: the sun and the moon — (Song of Songs 6:10) "beauteous as the moon, clear as the sun." the firmament and the stars — (Daniel 12:3) "The wise will shine like the radiance of the firmament, and the turners of the many to righteousness, like the stars, forever and ever." lightnings — (Nachum 2:5) "and they flash like lightning." lillies (Psalms 45:1) "For the chief musician, on the lillies." the menorah of the Temple — (Hoshea 14:7) "and his glory will be like the olive tree." And (Zechariah 4:3) "There are two olive trees over it (the Temple menorah), one at the right of the bowl and one at the left."

(Numb. 8:5-6:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE <UNTO MOSES SAYING>: TAKE THE LEVITES. Let our master instruct us: How many strings were on the harp which the Levites played?³²Tanh. Numb. 3:7; Numb. R. 15:11} Thus did R. Judah teach:³³T‘Arakh. 2:7; ‘Arakh. 13b. There were seven (shB') strings on that harp, as stated (in Ps. 16:11): IN YOUR PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS (rt.: SB')³⁴Since the S here is a Hebrew sin in the unpointed text SB‘ is identical with ShB‘. OF JOY. Do not read <the word pointed as> sova' ("fullness") but <as> sheva' ("seven"). So also did David say (in Ps. 119:164): WITH SEVEN A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU.³⁵M. Pss. 81:3; PR 21:1. A more traditional translation of Ps. 119:164 would read: SEVEN TIMES A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU. Moreover, in the days of the Messiah it will be made with eight <strings>. Therefore David has stated concerning the instrumental music (in Ps. 6:1): FOR THE LEADER; WITH INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ON THE EIGHT-STRINGED HARP. Furthermore in the age to come it will be made of ten <strings> as stated {SING TO GOD A NEW SONG…. }³⁶No Psalm has exactly these words but SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG…. appears in Pss. 96:1; 98:1; and 149:1; as well as in Is. 42:10. [(in Ps. 144:9): O GOD, LET ME SING TO YOU A NEW SONG; LET ME PLAY FOR YOU ON A TEN-STRINGED HARP.] And who ordained them? Samuel and David. It is so stated (in I Chron. 9:22): DAVID AND SAMUEL THE SEER ORDAINED THEM IN THEIR OFFICE OF TRUST. Moreover, they <were the ones who> set up the divisions for singing. Now the Levites would stand on their platform and sing before the one who spoke for the world to come into being. See the love with which the Holy One loved the Levites. So from the beginning the Holy One chose them to serve him. Therefore, the Holy One said to Moses. Levites are extremely dear to me. Take them in my name for a position of authority. {Thus it is stated:} [From where is it shown? From what they read on the matter] (in Numb. 8:6): TAKE THE LEVITES.