קְחֽוּ־מוּסָרִ֥י וְאַל־כָּ֑סֶף וְ֝דַ֗עַת מֵחָר֥וּץ נִבְחָֽר׃
너희가 은을 받지 말고 나의 훈계를 받으며 정금보다 지식을 얻으라
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
R. Joshua b. Levi said also: "When Moses ascended to heaven, the ministering angels said unto the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, what has one born of a woman to do among us?' 'He has come to receive the Torah,' was the Divine answer. 'What!' said they unto Him. 'Art Thou about to bestow upon frail man that cherished treasure which has been with Thee for nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created? What is mortal man that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of the earth that Thou thus visiteth him? O God, our Lord, is not Thy name already sufficiently exalted in the earth? Confer Thy glory upon the heavens! (Ps. 8, 2-5).' The Holy One, praised be He! then called upon Moses to refute their objection. Whereupon Moses thus pleaded, 'Sovereign of the universe, I fear lest they consume me with the fiery breath of their mouths.' Thereupon God told Moses to take hold of the throne of His Divine Majesty: as it is said (Job 26, 9.) He lays hold of the face of His throne and spreads His cloud over him. Concerning this R. Nachum said: 'This is intended to inform us that the Almighty spread the brightness of the Shechina, and beclouded Moses with encouragement.' Moses then said unto Him: 'Sovereign of the universe, what is written in the Torah which you are about to give me.' 'I am the Lord, thy God, who brought you forth out of Egypt' (Ex. 20, 2), was the reply. Moses then said to the angels: "Did you go to Egypt and serve Pharaoh? Of what use can the Torah be to you? Further, what else is written in it? Thou shalt not have other Gods before me (Ib. ib. 3). Are you living among nations who are worshipping idols [that you need this]? Furthermore, what else is written in it? Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Ib. ib. 8). Are you doing any work that you need rest? Again what is written there? Honor thy father and thy mother (Ib. ib. 12). Have you a father and a mother? And again, what is written in it? Thou shalt not murder, thou shall not commit adultery, thou, shalt not steal (Ib. ib. 13). Does jealousy exist among you? Does an evil impulse exist among you?' The angels at once confessed that the Holy One, praised be He! was right, for it is written (Pr. 8, 10.) O Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth, and no longer is written Confer Thy glory upon the heavens. Soon after this, every one of them became so befriended with Moses, that each of them disclosed to him some useful secrets, for it is said (Ib. 68, 19.) Thou hast ascended unto Heaven; thou captured the spoils; thou hast received gifts because they have contemptuously called thee, man, i.e., because they called you man hast thou taken presents as a reward. And even the Angel of Death revealed something to him, for it is written (Num. 17, 13) And he (Aaron) put on the incense and made atonement for the people, and it is said (Ib.) And he stood between the dead and the living. If the Angel of Death did not disclose this secret unto Moses, how did he know [so that he could tell Aaron that such a thing would stop the plague]?"
Vayikra Rabbah
“You shall take for you on the first day the fruit of a pleasant tree, branches of date palms, and a bough of a leafy tree, and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God seven days” (Leviticus 23:40).
“You shall take for you on the first day” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana began: “Take my admonishment, and not silver” (Proverbs 8:10) – take the admonishment of Torah and not silver. “Why do you weigh out silver not for bread?” (Isaiah 55:2) – why do you weigh out silver for the descendants of Esau?1Why do you have to pay large sums of money in taxes to the Roman government or other foreign governmental authorities, who are considered descendants of Esau? “Not for bread” – it is because you did not get your fill of the bread of Torah. “And your exertion for no satisfaction” (Isaiah 55:2) – why do you exert yourselves while the nations of the world are satisfied? “For no satisfaction” – it is because you did not get your fill of the wine of Torah, as it is written: “Drink of the wine that I mixed” (Proverbs 9:5).
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥiyya his father said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Nehorai: It is written: “I will reckon with all his oppressors” (Jeremiah 30:20), even charity collectors,2If they force people to pay more than they can afford to charity (Etz Yosef). other than for the wages of Bible teachers and Mishna teachers, who do not collect wages, but rather reimbursement for lost time. But wages for [teaching even] one matter of Torah, no person is able to pay its wages.3Torah study is so valuable that those who teach Torah can never be truly compensated for what they have imparted to their students. It is taught: From Rosh HaShana, a person’s sustenance is determined, with the exception of his expenditures for Shabbatot, festivals, and the New Moon, and the expenditures of taking the children to school. If he increases, it is increased for him; if he decreases, it is decreased for him.4If a person spends more or less than what could have been expected for these particular causes, God will adjust his yearly income accordingly.
Rabbi Yoḥanan was strolling, ascending from Tiberias to Tzippori, and Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba was supporting him. They arrived at a certain field. He said: ‘This field was mine and I sold it in order to acquire Torah.’5I sold it in order to use the funds so I could engage in Torah study. They arrived at a certain vineyard. He said: ‘This vineyard was mine and I sold it in order to acquire Torah.’ They arrived at a certain olive grove. He said: ‘This olive grove was mine and I sold it in order to acquire Torah.’ Rabbi Ḥiyya began weeping. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘Why are you weeping?’ He said to him: ‘Because you did not leave anything for your old age.’ [Rabbi Yoḥanan] said to him: ‘Is it insignificant in your eyes what I did, that I sold an item that was created in six days and acquired an item that was given in forty days, as it is stated: “He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 34:28), and it is written: “I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Deuteronomy 9:9)?’ When Rabbi Yoḥanan died, his generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love” (Song of Songs 8:7), the love that Rabbi Yoḥanan had for the Torah, “he would be scorned [boz yavuzu lo].”6He will gain a portion of the plunder [biza] of the war of Gog and Magog (Yefe To’ar).
When Rabbi Hoshaya of Tireya died, they saw his bier floating in the air. His generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for the love” that the Holy One blessed be He loved Rabbi Hoshaya of Tireya, he would be scorned.7He would be scorned for thinking that money is sufficient to attain this love.
When Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon died, his generation read in his regard: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all the powders of the merchant?” (Song of Songs 3:6). What is “with all the powders of the merchant”? It is that he was a master of Bible, of Mishna, liturgy, and homiletics.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: From the reward for taking you derive the reward for taking. In Egypt, it is written: “You shall take a bundle of hyssop” (Exodus 12:22). How much was its price? It was four maot, and it led to Israel taking possession of the plunder at the sea, the plunder of Siḥon and Og, and the plunder of the thirty-one kings [of Canaan]; the palm branch that costs a person a considerable sum of money and includes several mitzvot, all the more so. Therefore, Moses exhorts Israel and says to them: “You shall take for you on the first day.”
“You shall take for you on the first day” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana began: “Take my admonishment, and not silver” (Proverbs 8:10) – take the admonishment of Torah and not silver. “Why do you weigh out silver not for bread?” (Isaiah 55:2) – why do you weigh out silver for the descendants of Esau?1Why do you have to pay large sums of money in taxes to the Roman government or other foreign governmental authorities, who are considered descendants of Esau? “Not for bread” – it is because you did not get your fill of the bread of Torah. “And your exertion for no satisfaction” (Isaiah 55:2) – why do you exert yourselves while the nations of the world are satisfied? “For no satisfaction” – it is because you did not get your fill of the wine of Torah, as it is written: “Drink of the wine that I mixed” (Proverbs 9:5).
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Ḥiyya his father said in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Nehorai: It is written: “I will reckon with all his oppressors” (Jeremiah 30:20), even charity collectors,2If they force people to pay more than they can afford to charity (Etz Yosef). other than for the wages of Bible teachers and Mishna teachers, who do not collect wages, but rather reimbursement for lost time. But wages for [teaching even] one matter of Torah, no person is able to pay its wages.3Torah study is so valuable that those who teach Torah can never be truly compensated for what they have imparted to their students. It is taught: From Rosh HaShana, a person’s sustenance is determined, with the exception of his expenditures for Shabbatot, festivals, and the New Moon, and the expenditures of taking the children to school. If he increases, it is increased for him; if he decreases, it is decreased for him.4If a person spends more or less than what could have been expected for these particular causes, God will adjust his yearly income accordingly.
Rabbi Yoḥanan was strolling, ascending from Tiberias to Tzippori, and Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba was supporting him. They arrived at a certain field. He said: ‘This field was mine and I sold it in order to acquire Torah.’5I sold it in order to use the funds so I could engage in Torah study. They arrived at a certain vineyard. He said: ‘This vineyard was mine and I sold it in order to acquire Torah.’ They arrived at a certain olive grove. He said: ‘This olive grove was mine and I sold it in order to acquire Torah.’ Rabbi Ḥiyya began weeping. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘Why are you weeping?’ He said to him: ‘Because you did not leave anything for your old age.’ [Rabbi Yoḥanan] said to him: ‘Is it insignificant in your eyes what I did, that I sold an item that was created in six days and acquired an item that was given in forty days, as it is stated: “He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights” (Exodus 34:28), and it is written: “I stayed on the mountain forty days and forty nights” (Deuteronomy 9:9)?’ When Rabbi Yoḥanan died, his generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love” (Song of Songs 8:7), the love that Rabbi Yoḥanan had for the Torah, “he would be scorned [boz yavuzu lo].”6He will gain a portion of the plunder [biza] of the war of Gog and Magog (Yefe To’ar).
When Rabbi Hoshaya of Tireya died, they saw his bier floating in the air. His generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for the love” that the Holy One blessed be He loved Rabbi Hoshaya of Tireya, he would be scorned.7He would be scorned for thinking that money is sufficient to attain this love.
When Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon died, his generation read in his regard: “Who is this coming up from the wilderness like columns of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, and with all the powders of the merchant?” (Song of Songs 3:6). What is “with all the powders of the merchant”? It is that he was a master of Bible, of Mishna, liturgy, and homiletics.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: From the reward for taking you derive the reward for taking. In Egypt, it is written: “You shall take a bundle of hyssop” (Exodus 12:22). How much was its price? It was four maot, and it led to Israel taking possession of the plunder at the sea, the plunder of Siḥon and Og, and the plunder of the thirty-one kings [of Canaan]; the palm branch that costs a person a considerable sum of money and includes several mitzvot, all the more so. Therefore, Moses exhorts Israel and says to them: “You shall take for you on the first day.”
Sifrei Devarim
(Devarim, Ibid. 2) "My taking shall drip as the rain": "Taking" is Torah, viz. (Proverbs 4:2) "For a goodly taking have I given to you; do not forsake My Torah"; and (Ibid. 8:10) "Take My mussar (chastisement), and not silver," and "mussar" is nothing other than words of Torah, viz. (Ibid. 1:8) "Hear, my son, the mussar of your Father," and (Ibid. 8:33) "Hear mussar and grow wise," and (Ibid. 4:13) "Hold fast to mussar; do not let it go." And it is written (Hoshea 14:3) "Take words with you and return to the L-rd," and "words" is nothing other than words of Torah, viz. (Devarim 5:19) "These words the L-rd spoke to all of your congregation."