Midrash su Salmi 45:3

No man ever concentrated his mind and his heart upon his prayers as intensely as Abraham, our father, when he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Far be it from Thee to do after this manner (Gen. 18:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, upon observing that Abraham pleaded for the sinners of Sodom, so that the world might not be destroyed, began to praise him, saying: Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured on thy lips; therefore, God hath blessed thee forever (Ps. 45:3). Then Abraham asked, “Where am I fairer than the children of man? When I and my son enter a city, no one is capable of distinguishing between us.” (In those days) a man would live to be a hundred or two hundred years old without acquiring the distinguishing features of old age. “It is imperative, Master of the Universe, that You should distinguish between father and son, between old and young, so that the young may pay homage to the old.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: “Be assured I will begin to distinguish between young and old with you.” Abraham went to sleep, and when he arose in the morning he found that the hair of his head and beard had turned white. “Master of the Universe,” he exclaimed, “You have made me a public spectacle.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Thy hoary head is a crown of glory (Prov. 16:31), and it says elsewhere: And the beauty of men is the hoary head (ibid. 20:29). Hence, it is said: Abraham was old.

R. Ze’era said: The laws of uncleanness apply to human beings: To men: When any man hath an issue out of his flesh (Lev. 15:2), and to women: If a woman have an issue (ibid., v. 19). This is the law: When a man dieth in a tent, everything shall be unclean (Num. 19:14). Thou art fairer than the children of men (Ps. 45:3). Moses is merely called human (but his essence is of a higher level). In what way? The Holy One, blessed be He, causes death and restores to life, He casts men into the pit and brings them out again, and Moses did likewise. He cast Korah and his followers, while still alive, into the pit, as it is said: So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit (Num. 16:32). The Holy One, blessed be He, issued a decree, but he (Moses) caused it to be revoked, as is written: Therefore He said that He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen stood before Him in the breach (Ps. 106:23). Grace is poured upon thy lips (ibid. 45:3) indicates that he spoke in their defense, as it is said: And Moses besought the Lord (Exod. 32:11), and He did not depart until the Lord repented (ibid., v. 14).

And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine (Gen. 17:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: Thou art fairer than the children of man; grace is poured upon thy lips; therefore, God hath blessed thee forever. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one, thy glory and thy majesty (Ps. 45:3–4). Concerning whom did Korah’s sons sing this song? They sang it about Abraham, the fairest of Adam’s descendants. Who were the descendants of Adam? They were: Seth, Cain, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuseleth, Lamech, Noah, and his sons. Whence do we know that Noah’s sons were called the sons of Adam? It is said: And the Lord came down to see the city and the tower which the sons of Adam builded (Gen. 11:5).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 17:1): WHEN ABRAHAM WAS NINETY < -NINE > YEARS OLD. This text is related (to Ps. 45:3f. [4f.]): YOU ARE FAIRER THAN THE CHILDREN OF ADAM; GRACE IS POURED OUT ON YOUR LIPS … GIRD YOUR SWORD UPON YOUR THIGH, O MIGHTY ONE….⁹⁸Tanh., Gen. 3:18. About whom do the children of Korah speak this psalm? About Abraham. He was fairer than children of the first Adam. And who were his children? Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mahalalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech, Noah. Moreover, some of the children of Noah are called children of Adam. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 11:5): AND THE TOWER WHICH THE CHILDREN OF ADAM HAD BUILT. (Ps. 45:3 [2]:) GRACE IS POURED OUT ON YOUR LIPS. How was that? When you swore to the king of Sodom. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 14:22f.): THEN ABRAM SAID UNTO THE KING OF SODOM: I HAVE RAISED MY HAND (in an oath) UNTO THE LORD GOD MOST HIGH … THAT < I WILL TAKE NOT > SO MUCH AS A THREAD. What is the meaning of GRACE … ON YOUR LIPS? When you spoke, grace poured out. And what was his reward? That the Holy One said this to him: Leave me all that you have done and everything for which you have been proud of yourself. You descended into the fiery furnace and experienced a lot of trials for my name. You arose and pursued the kings. But you have been proud of yourself in the world for all that you have done. From now on, you will seek to make my valor known. (Ps. 45:4 [3]:) GIRD ON YOUR SWORD. Put circumcision between your thighs. In that hour your glory and splendor shall be in the world. When? (Gen. 17:1-2:) WHEN ABRAHAM WAS … AND LET ME PUT MY COVENANT….

... David is the shepherd of Israel, as it says “You shall shepherd My people Israel…” (Divre HaYamim I 11:2) And who shepherded David? The Holy One, as it says “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.” (Tehillim 23:1) Jerusalem is the light of the world, as it says “And nations shall go by your light…” (Yeshayahu 60:3) And who is the light of Jerusalem? The Holy One, as it is written “…but the Lord shall be to you for an everlasting light…” (Yeshayahu 60:19)