Midrash su Salmi 35:10

(Gen. 18:1:) THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM…. Let our master instruct us: How many blessings does one pray every day?¹Tanh., Gen. 4:1. Thus have our masters taught (in Ber. 4:3): ONE MUST PRAY THE EIGHTEEN BENEDICTIONS.²The Mishnah cited attributes the teaching to R. Gamaliel. And why eighteen?³TBer. 3:25; yBer. 2:4 (5a); 4:3 (7d-8a); yTa‘an. 2:2 (65c); Ber. 9b; 28a; Gen. R. 69:4; Lev. R. 1:8; M. Pss. 20:2. < They > correspond to the eighteen references to the Divine Name which are written in (Ps. 29) ASCRIBE TO THE LORD, O HEAVENLY BEINGS. They reply to R. Levi:⁴The correspondence between the Eighteen Benedictions and Ps. 29 is attributed to R. Levi in yTa‘an. 2:2 (65c). But does not one say nineteen in Babylon? He said to them: That also is from references to the Divine Name, as stated (in Ps. 29:3): THE GOD (El) OF GLORY THUNDERS.⁵This mention of El, when added to the psalm’s eighteen repetitions of the Tetragrammaton, results in nineteen references to the Holy One. R. Simon said: < The Eighteen > correspond to the eighteen vertebrae which are in the spine, since when one stands to pray, it is necessary to bend over with all of them. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 35:10): ALL MY BONES SHALL SAY: LORD, WHO IS LIKE YOU? The Holy One said: Be strictly observant in prayer, for you have no finer way than that. And even though a person is not worth answering, I shall show him loving-kindness, since all my ways are loving-kindness. R. Simlay said: Do you want to know that all the Holy One's ways are loving-kindness?⁶See below, 4:4; 5:2; Gen. R. 8:13; M. Pss. 25:11; Eccl. R. 7:2:2; also Sot. 14a. At the beginning of Torah he has adorned the bride, as stated (in Gen. 2:22): THEN THE LORD GOD BUILT THE RIB < WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM THE HUMAN INTO A WOMAN >.⁷According Gen. R. 18:1, the point here is that “to build” can mean “to plait” hair. Thus the verse implies that God adorned Eve as a bride by plating her hair. See also below, section 4, and the note there. Also at the end of < the Torah > there is loving-kindness in that he buried the dead, as stated (in Deut. 34:6): THEN HE (THE HOLY ONE) BURIED HIM (MOSES) IN THE VALLEY. Moreover, in the middle < of the Torah > he visited the sick, as stated (in Gen. 18:1): THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM. As soon as Abraham had circumcised < himself > (in Gen. 17:24), the Holy One and his entourage⁸Lat.: familia. came to visit him. {It is so stated} [Where is it shown? Where they read on the matter] (in Gen. 18:1): THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM.

R. Yohanan maintained: The eighteen benedictions correspond to the eighteen injunctions concerning the erection of the Sanctuary that are contained at the conclusion of the Book of Exodus.²Exod. 38:40. As God commanded is repeated fourteen times, All that the Lord commanded Moses is repeated twice, As the Lord commanded so they did is mentioned once, And according to all that the Lord commanded so he did is also stated once. The words As the Lord commanded Moses are repeated eighteen times in this section of the Torah. R. Simeon held: The eighteen benedictions correspond to the eighteen vertebrae in a man’s spinal column. When a man prays and genuflects, he is required to bow down until all the vertebrae in his spinal column are loosened, as it is said: All my bones shall say, O Lord, who is like unto Thee (Ps. 35:10).

R. Berekhyah applies to <the evil drive> (Prov. 25:21): IF YOUR ENEMY IS HUNGRY, GIVE HIM BREAD TO EAT.⁵See M. Pss. 34:2. This <ENEMY> is the evil drive. GIVE HIM BREAD TO EAT from the bread of Torah, just as it says (of wisdom in Prov. 9:5): COME AND EAT OF MY BREAD. (Prov. 25:21, cont.:) AND IF HE IS THIRSTY, GIVE HIM WATER TO DRINK from the waters of Torah, just as it says (in Is. 55:1): HO, ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY, COME TO THE WATERS. For what reason? (Prov. 25:22:) BECAUSE YOU WILL BE HEAPING BURNING COALS ON HIS HEAD. Ergo (in Prov. 16:7): WHEN THE LORD IS PLEASED WITH ONE'S WAYS. This refers to the good drive. (ibid., cont.:) HE MAKES EVEN HIS ENEMIES TO BE AT PEACE WITH HIM. This refers to the evil drive. David said (in Ps. 35:10): ALL MY BONES SHALL SAY: LORD, WHO IS LIKE YOU? YOU DELIVER THE POOR FROM ONE STRONGER THAN HE, <i.e.,> the good drive from the evil drive.