Midrash su Salmi 96:12

Our masters have said (concerning Exod. 26:28): THE CENTER BAR < THROUGH THE MIDDLE OF THE BOARDS > came down to Egypt at the hands of Jacob, the one which served <as a bolt> FROM END TO END.⁴²On the miraculous bending of the bar around three sides of the Tabernacle, see Rashi and the Tosafot on Shab. 94b. It did not do so without the cedars uttering⁴³So also Yalqut Shim’oni, Exod. 369–370. Cf. Codex Vaticanus, Ebr. 34; Tanh., Exod. 7:9; etc., which read, “Not only that, but the cedars uttered….” a song, <i.e.> that which David utters (in I Chron. 16:33 // Ps. 96:12): THEN (az) SHALL ALL FOREST TREES SHOUT FOR JOY. THEN (az) is nothing but a song which one utters to the Holy One⁴⁴Tanh., Exod. 7:9 adds Exod. 15:1 as another example of this use of az. and says: When will the Tabernacle be made? Now when the Holy One said [to Moses] that he should make the Tabernacle, what did he say to him (in Exod. 26:15)? AND YOU SHALL MAKE THE BOARDS INTO A TABERNACLE <OF ACACIA WOOD>,⁴⁵The traditional vocalization of the verse would be translated: AND YOU SHALL MAKE THE BOARDS FOR THE TABERNACLE OF ACACIA WOOD; but the midrash assumes that the boards were already prepared. Cf. Tanh., Exod. 7:9, which inserts the following clarification here: “And you shall make boards” is not stated here, but AND YOU SHALL MAKE THE BOARDS. the same boards which their father (Jacob) had prepared for them. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: There were twenty-four kinds of cedar; but from all of them, only seven were chosen.⁴⁶yKet. 7:11 (31d). Thus it is stated (in Is. 41:19): IN THE WILDERNESS I WILL PLANT THE CEDAR, THE ACACIA, THE MYRTLE, AND THE OLIVE; IN THE DESERT I WILL SET THE CYPRESS, THE PLANE TREE, AND THE ELM TOGETHER. Cypress is silver fir;⁴⁷Gk.: elate, i.e., pinus picea. plane is maple;⁴⁸Gk.: sphendamnos, i.e., acer. elm is boxwood,⁴⁹Gk.: pyxinon or pyxos, i.e., buxos. which is more approved than all species of cedar. But of them all, none was selected except the acacia alone. [It is so stated] (in Exod. 26:15): <AND YOU SHALL MAKE THE BOARDS FOR THE TABERNACLE> OF ACACIA (shittim) WOOD. And why did he call it shittim? Simply in order to heal what Israel did in Shittim (Numb. 25:1–9). Another interpretation (of Exod. 26:15): ACACIA (shittim) WOOD. They sinned in Shittim, and they were stricken in Shittim. They sinned in Shittim (according to Numb. 25:1): WHILE ISRAEL WAS STAYING AT SHITTIM, <THE PEOPLE BEGAN TO GO WHORING WITH THE DAUGHTERS OF MOAB>. And they were stricken in shittim (according to Numb. 25:9): AND THOSE WHO DIED FROM THE PLAGUE WERE <TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND >. Moreover, they did not move from there until they were healed. Phinehas arose and turned back the wrath from them, as stated (in vs. 11): PHINEHAS BEN ELEAZAR <BEN AARON THE PRIEST HAS TURNED AROUND MY WRATH FROM UPON THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL >…. The Holy One said: In the world to come I will heal the shittim, as stated (in Joel 4:18 [3:18]): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS ON THAT DAY THE MOUNTAINS SHALL FLOW WITH FRESH GRAPE JUICE, THE HILLS SHALL RUN WITH MILK, AND [ALL] THE WATERCOURSES OF JUDAH SHALL RUN WITH WATER. THEN A SPRING SHALL ISSUE FROM THE HOUSE OF THE LORD AND SHALL WATER THE WADI OF THE ACACIAS (shittim).

Our sages of blessed memory said: And the middle bar in the midst of the boards (ibid., v. 28). They went down to Egypt with Jacob our patriarch, for it was difficult for them to bolt the boards from end to end. Furthermore, these cedars intoned a song before the Lord. Whence do we know that they sang a song? Because it is written: Then shall all the trees of the world sing for joy before the Lord (Ps. 96:12). The word then is employed in reference to a song, as is said: Then sang Moses (Exod. 15:1). When did that occur? At the time the Sanctuary was erected from them. The Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Moses concerning the Tabernacle: And thou shalt make the boards for the Tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up (ibid. 26:15). “Thou shalt make boards” is not written here, but rather Thou shalt make the boards standing, that is, they should use those boards that their fathers had previously prepared for them. The word standing refers to the boards that were already in existence.

(Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves.” [Take (rt.: lqh) implies] by a full purchase (rt.: lqh), for you are not to persist in stealing it.⁸⁴ySuk. 3:1 (53c); Suk. 43a; Lev. R. 30:6; PRK 27:6; cf. Lev. R. 30:5. Then it would turn out that his advocate⁸⁵Gk.: synegoros. has become his accuser.⁸⁶Gk.: kategor. (Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take (rt.: lqh) [ for yourselves ].” R. Hiyya taught in a baraita, “Through buying (mqh) and not through stealing, through buying (mqh) and not gratIs. [Such prohibitions serve] to exclude what is borrowed and to exclude what is stolen. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a royal agent who went to collect [taxes] in the city. After he had collected them, a certain townsperson found him on the road [and] he was a bandit.⁸⁷Gk.: lestes. He beat him and took everything belonging to him plus the collected tax money which was in his possession. After some time that townsperson came to be on trial before the governor. He went to hire himself someone who would plead his case. The [tax] collector said to him, ‘What are you doing here?’ He said to him, ‘There is a lawsuit, and I wish to hire myself someone who will plead my case.’ He said to him, ‘Give me that gold and those articles and that baggage⁸⁸Lat.: tapeta and Gk.: tapetes (“carpets”), from which comes the English, “tapestries.” which you took from me. Then I will plead your case. And tomorrow when you stand for trial in front of the governor and he will say to you, “Do you have someone to plead your case,” say, “Such and such a person,” and I will go and plead your case.’ [So] he took that gold and that baggage from him, [but only] a part [of it,] and he went away.⁸⁹Cf. the reading in Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34: He said to him, “What will you give me, if I plead your case?” He said to him, “You then give me the baggage.” So he gave him a rug and other garments which he had taken from him. The next day, when he stood before the governor, he said, ‘Do you have someone who is pleading (melamed) your case.’ He answered and said, ‘Such and such a person.’ The governor said to him, ‘What case are you making (melamed) for this person?’ He said to him, ‘My Lord, I am telling the things that this companion of mine did to me. When I went to collect taxes in such and such a city, he rose up against me, robbed me, and took everything that I had. And the things which you see in my hands are some of the things which he returned to me so that I would plead his case.’ Then they all began to say, ‘Woe to that one, for his advocate has become his accuser.’ Thus, no one from Israel should give praise with a stolen lulav. [He should not use one] unless he buys (rt.: lqh) it for himself with money, as stated (in Lev. 23:40), ‘And you shall take (rt.: lqh) for yourselves.’” (Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day.” This text is related (to Ps. 96:12 // I Chron. 16:33), “Then shall all forest trees shout for joy.” About whom does Scripture speak? About Israel and about the peoples of the world, when the Holy One, blessed be He, judges them on the Day of Atonement. The former and the latter come [for a verdict], but we do not know who has prevailed. To what is the matter comparable?⁹⁰Lev. R. 30:2; PRK 27:2. To two humans who came before the king for a verdict. Now no one except the king himself knew what [the issue] was between them. The king judged them, but the people did not know who had prevailed against his companion. [However], the king said, “You should know that whoever leaves with a lance⁹¹Agon. Buber, p. 99, n. 190, points out the variant readings for this word in various mss. and parallel texts. He suggests that the reading may be, bayyon, which comes from the Greek baion, and means “palm branch.” Certainly this reading makes more sense in the context here. in his hand has prevailed.” So Israel and the peoples of the world come for a verdict on the Day of Atonement, and the people do not know who is victorious. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Take your lulavim in your hand, so that everyone may know that you have won in the judgment.” Therefore David said (in Ps. 96:12–13; // I Chron. 16:33), “Then shall all forest trees shout for joy [before the Lord ]” When? (Ibid., cont.:) “When He comes, when He comes to judge the earth,” on the Day of Atonement. What does Israel do? They wait for him five more days in order that everyone may hear that Israel won. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 23:40:) “And you shall take for yourselves on the first day [beautiful tree fruit, branches of palm trees].”