신명기 2:3의 미드라쉬

...What is meant by, “Turn to the Tzafon? Rabbi Chiya said, “(God) said to (the Jewish People) if you see (Esau) seeking to cause trouble for you don’t stand against him. Rather, hide yourselves from him until his time passes. Rabbi Yehuda Bar Shalom said, “Israel says to God, Master of the World, his father blessed him with “You shall live by the sword” and You are agreeing with him and telling us to hide. Where should we run? God says to them, “If you see that he is interacting with you, run to the Torah…”

(Deut. 2:3:) YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF GOING ABOUT THIS HILL COUNTRY. This text is related (to Cant. 2:7): I ADJURE YOU, O DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM <BY GAZELLES OR BY HINDS OF THE FIELD>. R. Levi said: I ADJURE YOU is written four times (in Cant. 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; and 8:4). And why? <The usage> corresponds to four empires, against none of which they should revolt.⁹See Cant. R. 2:7:1; cf. above 4. R. Helbo said: <The usage> corresponds to four things <they should not do>: They should not force the end; when they come up from exile, they should not come home in huge mobs; they should not revolt against the empire; and they should not reveal their mysteries¹⁰Gk.: mysterion. (i.e., Oral Torah). And for that reason <Solomon> adjured them four times. [(Cant. 2:7, cont.:) O DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM.] What is the meaning of O DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM? <Solomon> calls the nations DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM. R. Johanan said: The Holy One is going to make Jerusalem a metropolis¹¹Gk.: metropolis. for the whole world, since it is stated (in Ezek. 16:61): AND I WILL GIVE THEM TO YOU AS DAUGHTERS, THOUGH THEY ARE NOT OF YOUR COVENANT.¹²Cant. R. 1:5:3; Exod. R. 23:10. What is the meaning of THOUGH THEY ARE NOT OF YOUR COVENANT? Though <such a one> is neither of your mother's dowry, nor of your father's trade¹³Gk.: pragmateia.; nor is it that you have kinship with such a one. What is the meaning of DAUGHTERS? <It is used> as (in Josh. 15:45): EKRON ALONG WITH ITS DAUGHTERS {as it were} AND COURTS (i.e., with its suburbs). So for that reason <Solomon> calls them DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM. (Cant. 2:7, cont.:) BY GAZELLES. What is the meaning of BY GAZELLES (TsB'WT)? By a heavenly host(TsB'). Another interpretation: By your circumcision, which is his desire (TsBYWN, i.e., gazelle [TsBYH]). Another interpretation: By the fathers, the mothers, and the tribes, which are likened to a deer. (Cant. 2:7, cont.:) OR BY HINDS OF THE FIELD. These are the tribes, which were likened to a hind where it is stated (in Gen. 49:21): NAPHTALI IS A HIND LET LOOSE.

(Deut. 3:23:) I BESOUGHT THE LORD. This text is related (to I Kings 8:30 // II Chron. 6:21): AND YOU SHALL HARKEN UNTO THE {PRAYER} [SUPPLICATION] OF YOUR SERVANT. Prayer is designated by many names.¹³Cf. Tanh., Deut. 2:3; Sifre to Deut. 3:23 (26); Deut. R. 2:1. (1) Prayer, (2) beseeching, (3) call, (4) cry, (5) outcry, (6) chant, (7) supplication, (8) wailing, (9) calling, (10) plea, (11) Amidah,¹⁴The Eighteen Benedictions (Shemone ‘Esreh) of the daily liturgy. (12) entreaty. Why did Moses only pray under the word, "beseeching (rt.: HNN)"? <This is the usage here> where it is stated (in Deut. 3:23): I BESOUGHT (rt.: HNN) THE LORD. It is simply that when Moses stood there and said to the Holy One (in Exod. 33:18): PLEASE SHOW ME YOUR GLORY, he said to him: Sovereign of the World, please show me by what principle you run your world. The Holy One said to him: I will show you. (Exod. 33:19:) AND HE SAID: I WILL MAKE ALL MY GOODNESS PASS [BEFORE YOU]. The Holy One said to him: I have no obligation to <any> creature, but I am giving you <this> as a favor (rt.: HNN). Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.:) I WILL BE GRACIOUS (rt.: HNN) TO WHOM I WILL BE GRACIOUS. [Moses said to him: If so, do me a kindness, and grant it to me as a favor (rt.: HNN). Ergo (in Deut. 3:23): I BESOUGHT THE LORD.]

(Deut. 2:3:) YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF GOING ABOUT THIS HILL COUNTRY. This text is related (to Cant. 2:7=3:5): I ADJURE YOU, O DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM BY GAZELLES <OR BY HINDS OF THE FIELD>. There are there three oaths⁹Actually there are four oaths, 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; and 8:4, and only the first two mention gazelles or hinds. in the book of Canticles.¹⁰Tanh., Deut. 1:4; cf. below 3a; Ket. 111a. Why? One in which the Holy One adjured Israel not to reveal the end¹¹Cf. Cant. R. 12:9:1.; <a second> that they would not force the end; <a third> that they would not rebel against the empires. The Holy One said to them: If you fulfill the oaths, fine; but if not, I will permit your flesh <to be a prey>, as with gazelles or hinds of the field, which no one claims or desires. Shall I not so claim your blood?

(Deut. 2:3:) YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF GOING ABOUT. This text is related (to Ps. 37:7): BE SILENTLY ATTENTIVE TO THE LORD, AND WAIT PATIENTLY (hitholel, as if from HLL) FOR HIM. What is the meaning of TO THE LORD?¹⁴Cf. Deut. R. 1:17. Accept the judgment upon yourselves; yes, even if you become slain (rt.: HLL) for the name of the Holy One, just as it is stated (in Job 13:15): {<EVEN> IF HE SLAYS ME,} [HE MAY WELL SLAY ME;] I WILL WAIT FOR HIM.¹⁵Sic! The Masoretic text reads: HE MAY WELL SLAY ME; I HAVE NO HOPE.

(Deut. 2:3:) “You have had enough of going about this mountain.” This text is related (to Cant. 2:7=3:5), “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem by gazelles or by hinds of the field….” There are three oaths¹¹Actually there are four oaths, 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; and 8:4, and only the first two mention gazelles or hinds. in the book of Canticles that the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured [Israel].¹²Cf. Ket. 111a. Why? One in which the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured Israel not to reveal the end¹³Cf. Cant. R. 12:9:1.; [a second] that they would not force the end; [a third] that they would not rebel against the [other] kingdoms. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “If you fulfill the oaths, fine; but if not, I will permit your flesh [to be prey], as with gazelles or hinds of the field, [the injury of which] no one makes a claim or demands. So shall I not make a claim about your blood. (Deut. 2:31:) “And the Lord said unto me], ‘See I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you.” It is also written (in Amos 2:9), “Yet I destroyed the Amorite¹⁴Although THE AMORITE implies the Amorite people in the biblical context, in the context of the midrash the singular AMORITE refers to Sihon. before (you) [them].” By virtue of what? By virtue of the Torah, which the sages had taught. Our masters have said, “Sihon was difficult [to overcome].¹⁵M. Pss. 136:11. His height was like a wall tower, and he was stronger than all creatures. He was taller than any tower on earth, but his feet reached to the earth. So no creature was able to stand before him, just as it says (Amos 2:9, cont.), “yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He bound the ministering angel that belonged to him and to his land. Then he cast him from his place and handed him over to Israel. Therefore it is written (ibid.), “yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.” Our masters have said, “Sihon and Og were stronger than Pharaoh and his armies. And just as they uttered a song over the fall of Pharaoh, so were they worthy to utter a song at their fall. It is simply that David came and uttered a song over them, as stated (in Ps. 136:17, 19) ‘To the One who smote great kings […]; Sihon, king of the Amorites […].’”

(Deut. 2:3:) YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF GOING ABOUT (rt.: SBB) THIS HILL COUNTRY (hahar). <These words can and should mean:> He had his father (hahar understood as horeh) sit down to eat (rt.: SBB).¹⁶The midrash understands hahar in the sense of horeh, which denotes a male parent, and the verb, sob (rt.: SBB), in the sense of “have one sit down to eat.” Esau greatly honored his father Isaac.¹⁷Deut. R. 1:15. Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel said: Esau honored <him> as I have been unable to honor my father. When I came to my¹⁸The Buber reading, “his father,” is surely incorrect. father to serve him, I did not wear fine clothes, but Esau did not perform in the clothes which he wore outside, when he served his father. What did he do? He took off the garments in which he served and put on fine clothes. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 27:15): THEN REBEKAH TOOK THE BEST GARMENTS OF HER OLDER SON ESAU, WHICH WERE WITH HER IN THE HOUSE. Ergo, he honored his father (horo) greatly. After I (i.e., the Holy One) repay (pore') him for honoring his parents, I will exact vengeance (pore') from him. Thus it is stated (in Zech. 3:12 [8]): [FOR] THUS SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS AFTER HIS GLORY SENT ME UNTO THE NATIONS THAT PLUNDERED YOU. But now (as stated in Deut. 2:3): YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH.

Another interpretation (of Deut. 2:3): <YOU HAVE HAD ENOUGH OF> GOING ABOUT THIS MOUNTAIN.¹⁹Although various biblical translations render this word as HILL COUNTRY, MOUNTAIN better fits the sense of the midrash. What does it signify regarding the Temple, of which it is written (in Ps. 48:3 [2]): MOUNT ZION FAR IN THE NORTH? Is it not enough for you that you do not accept his mountain? Rather he enters your mountain and destroys it. (Deut. 2:3, cont.:) TURN NORTH. Prepare yourselves for the empires, because they are coming upon you, as stated (in Jer. 1:15): FOR BEHOLD, I AM CALLING ALL THE KINGDOMS OF THE NORTH,²⁰Cf. the Masoretic text, which reads ALL THE FAMILIES OF THE KINGDOMS OF THE NORTH. (Deut. 2:4:) COMMAND THE PEOPLE, SAYING. <These words are> to teach the generations coming after you that they charge each other to be wary of Esau.²¹Cf. Deut. R. 1:20.