출애굽기 20:14의 미드라쉬

Our masters have said in the name of R. [Hanina] (Huna) the father of R. Aha, “The adulterer and adulteress transgress the Ten Commandments.”¹³Numb. R. 9:12. [They] said to [him], “In the case of nine, we concede [his transgressing them].” How is this? In the case of (Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6:) “I [am the Lord your God],” because anyone who commits adultery with the wife of his acquaintance is, as it were, denying the Holy One, blessed be He. It is so stated (in Jer. 5:8, 12), “They have denied the Lord and said, ‘He does not exist.’” (Exod. 20:5 = Deut. 5:7:) [“You shall have no other Gods”], since it is written of Him (in Exod. 20:5 = Deut. 5:9), “for [I] the Lord your God am a jealous God.” Also it is stated two times concerning the adulteress (in Numb. 5:14), “If the spirit of jealousy came over him, and he is jealous of his wife.” But why two times? Because it (i.e., the meal offering of the next verse)¹⁴So Rashi on Numb. 5:15. excites jealousy for the Holy One, blessed be He, and for her husband, as stated (in Numb. 5:15), “for it is a meal offering of jealousies.” Thus it is a case of two jealousies. (Exod. 20:7 = Deut. 5:11:) “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God [in vain].” [One breaks this commandment] because he commits adultery and swears in vain that he has not done so. (Exod. 20:12 = Deut. 5:16:) “Honor your father.” When one commits adultery with the adulteress, she becomes pregnant from him. Then she says to her husband, “I am pregnant from you.” When the fetus is grown, it honors her husband, [since it] thinks that he is its father. Moreover, [the grown child] passes through the market and hits the adulterer, since he thinks that he is not his father. (Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17:) “You shall not murder.” The adulterer goes in on condition that, if he is caught, he will kill or be killed. (Exod. 20:13, cont. = Deut. 5:17, cont.:) “You shall not commit adultery.” Obviously [this commandment is broken], because he is committing adultery. (Exod. 20:13, cont. = Deut. 5:17, cont.:) “You shall not steal.” [This commandment is broken] because he is stealing his neighbor's source (i.e., his wife's womb), and so it says (in Prov. 9:17), “Stolen waters are sweet […].” (Exod. 20:13, cont. // Deut. 5:17, cont.:) “You shall not bear [false witness] against your neighbor.” [The commandment is broken] in that [the adulteress] bears false witness [to her husband] and says, “I am pregnant from you.” (Exod. 20:14; cf. Deut. 5:18:) “You shall not covet your neighbor's house, and you shall not covet your neighbor's wife […].” [The commandment is broken] because whoever covets his friend's wife and commits adultery with her, covets everything that belongs to his friend.¹⁵Cf. Lev. R. 23:12. How? When the husband comes to depart from the world, he thinks that this son is his and writes him a will¹⁶Gk.: diatheke. of all his assets. So he bequeaths to him whatever he has without knowing that he is not his son. It turns out that the adulterer covets whatever belongs to his friend.
They said to R. Hanina, “Here we have told you nine [commandments]. In regard to] (Exod. 20:8; cf. Deut. 5:12:) ‘Remember [the Sabbath (day)],’ how does he transgress against it?” He said to them, “I will tell you: Sometimes when a priest has a priestly wife, and a [lay] Israelite adulterer has sexual intercourse with her, such that she bears [a child] from him, they consider him (i.e., the child) to be the son of a priest. Then when the baby goes on to minister in the Temple, arrange wood, and sacrifice on the Sabbath, he is found to be profaning the Sabbath. Hence the Ten Commandments are violated by the adulteress with the adulterer. Solomon also has said concerning her (in Eccl. 7:26), “And I find [the woman] more bitter than death, [(the woman) who has snares and nets (in her heart)].” What is the meaning of “snares (rt.: tswd)?” She lies in wait (rt.: tswd) in this world and for the world to come.¹⁷The inference is from the fact that SNARES is plural and implies a minimum of two. And “nets?” The net catches [prey] in the water but does not catch [any] on dry land. The woman, however, catches [her prey] in the sea and on the dry land.¹⁸Eccl. R. 7:26:3. (Eccl. 7:26:) “And I find [the woman] more bitter than death.” Not to be loud, arrogant of gait, or bawdy in laughter: This is the way of the daughters of Israel. But if [a woman] was bawdy in the presence of one of them, one would warn her on the evidence of two [witnesses] and say to her, “Why should you be laughing with so and so? Why should you be speaking with him?” If she has [merely] spoken [with him] up to now, she is allowed into her house and may eat the terumah. [If] she has entered with him in secret and lingered to be defiled, she is forbidden her house and eating the terumah.

(Lev. 19:2:) “Speak unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy.’” What reason did He have to speak this parashah in an assembly?⁵ Lev. 7:3; Lev. R. 24:5. Why did He not say, “Speak unto the Children of Israel,” as in the rest of the parashiot,⁶I.e., in Exod. 14:2, 15; 25:2; 31:13 Lev. 1:2; 4:2; 7:23, 29; 12:2; 15:2; 18:2; 23:2, 10, 24, 34; 25:2; 27:2; Numb. 5:6, 12; 6:2; 9:10; 15:2, 18, 38; 17:17; 19:2; 33:51; 35:10. rather than “[Speak] unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel?” Because all of the [ten] commandments are included within it. How? In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6), “I [am] the Lord your God”; and here (in Lev. 19:2), “I [am] the Lord your God.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:3 = Deut. 5:7), “You shall have no [other gods beside Me]”; and here (in Lev. 19:4), “Do not turn unto idols.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:7 = Deut. 5:11), “You shall not take [the name of the Lord your God in vain]”; and here (in Lev. 19:12), “You shall not swear falsely by My name.” In the commandments it is written (Deut. 5:12), “Guard the Sabbath day”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3), “You shall keep My Sabbaths.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:12 = Deut. 5:16), “Honor your father and your mother”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3, cont.), “you each shall fear his mother and his father.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “You shall not murder”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16), “you shall not stand over the blood of your neighbor.” in the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “you shall not commit adultery”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:2), “You shall be holy.“ In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “you shall not stea”l; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:11), “You shall not steal.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17), “you shall not bear [false witness against your neighbor]”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16), “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people.” In the commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:14 = Deut. 5:18), “You shall not covet”; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:13), “You shall not oppress your neighbor, and you shall not rob him.” Here all of the [ten] commandments are included within [it]. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 19:2), “Speak unto the whole congregation [of the Children of Israel].”

In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6): I < AM > THE LORD YOUR GOD; and here (in Lev. 19:2): I < AM > THE LORD YOUR GOD.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:3 = Deut. 5:7): YOU SHALL HAVE NO < OTHER GODS BESIDE ME >; and here (in Lev. 19:4): DO NOT TURN UNTO IDOLS.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:7 = Deut. 5:11): YOU SHALL NOT TAKE < THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD IN VAIN >; and here (in Lev. 19:12): YOU SHALL NOT SWEAR FALSELY BY MY NAME.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:8; cf. Deut. 5:12): REMEMBER [THE SABBATH DAY]; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3): YOU SHALL KEEP MY SABBATHS.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:12 = Deut. 5:16); HONOR YOUR FATHER AND YOUR MOTHER; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:3, cont.): YOU EACH SHALL FEAR HIS MOTHER AND HIS FATHER.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT MURDER; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16): YOU SHALL NOT STAND OVER THE BLOOD OF YOUR NEIGHBOR.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 [14] = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:2): YOU SHALL BE HOLY.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 [15] = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT STEAL; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:11): YOU SHALL NOT STEAL.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:13 [16] = Deut. 5:17): YOU SHALL NOT BEAR < FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR >; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:16): YOU SHALL NOT GO AROUND AS A SLANDERER AMONG YOUR PEOPLE.
In the Commandments it is written (in Exod. 20:14 [17] = Deut. 5:18): YOU SHALL NOT COVET; and here it is written (in Lev. 19:13): YOU SHALL NOT OPPRESS YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND YOU SHALL NOT ROB HIM.

When Moses ascended on high, a cloud came up against him, and Moses our teacher did not know if one rides it or holds it. Immediately, the cloud opened its mouth and Moses entered it, and he walked into the firmament like a man walking on land, as it is written in the Torah: "And Moses entered within the cloud" [Exodus 24:18].He encountered Kemu'el, the guardian angel in charge of the twelve thousand angels of destruction who were standing at the gates of the firmament. He rebuked Moses, saying to him: "What do you have, son of Amram, that you should come into the place of the Fiery Angels?" Moses said to him: "I did not come merely by myself, but only with the permission of the Holy One, Blessed be He, to receive the Torah and bring it down to Israel. Since he would not let him pass, Moses hit him with one hit, and he made him lost from the world. And Moses continued walking in the firmament until he confronted the angel Hadraniel. They said about the angel Hadraniel that he is taller than his kinsman -- six-hundred thousand parasangs [tall] -- and with each and every word that comes out of his mouth, twelve thousand bolts of fire come out of his mouth (all at once). And when he saw Moses he rebuked him, saying, "What do you have, son of Amram, in the place of the highest holiness?" When Moses heard his voice, Moses became afraid before him. And his eyes were dripping tears and he wanted to be let down from the cloud. Immediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He's mercy was aroused, and He said to Hadraniel, "From the day I created you (all), you (all) have been an opponent of theirs [the humans]. In the beginning, when I wanted to created Adam the First, you (all) made their prosecution before me, and you (all) said to me, 'What is man that You are mindful of him?' [Psalms 8:5] And I was upset with you (all), and I burnt from you (all) many bunches with my little finger. And now you (all) are quarreling with my loyal servant, whom I brought up here to receive the Torah and to bring down to my chosen child? If it were not for the Torah that Israel is receiving, you (all) would not have a living space in the firmament!" When Hadraniel heard this, immediately he hastened himself before the Holy One, Blessed be He, and said before him, "Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before you, but I did not know that he [Moses] came with your permission. Now I shall be his emissary and go before him as a student before his teacher." At once, Hadraniel ran and lowered himself before Moses as a student before his teacher, until they arrived at Sandalphon's fire. Hadraniel said to Moses, "You must return, for I am not able to protect myself before Sandalphon's fire that it should not burn me." When Moses saw Sandalphon, he was immediately startled and hastened to go down from the cloud, and his eyes were dripping tears, and he asked for mercy before the Holy One, Blessed be He. And He answered him. Out of his great fondness for Israel, the Holy One, Blessed be He, Himself descended from His Throne of Glory and stood before Moses until he passed from Sandalphon's fire. About that time it was written in the Torah: "And YHWH passed before him" [Exodus 34:6]. They said about Sandalphon that he was taller than his kinsman, the distance of five-hundred years, and about him it is written: "One of the Ophanim on the ground, next to the Chayot" [Ezekiel 1:15] -- this is Sandalphon, who stands behind the Chariot and ties crowns for its owner.Does it cross your mind that the ministering angels know where the Holy One, Blessed be He, dwells, for is it not written, "Blessed is YHWH's glory from His place [mimkomo]" [Ezekiel 3:12]? However, it does not say "in His place" [bimkomo] but rather "from His place" [mekomo], which teaches that the place of the Holy One, Blessed be He, is not known. But Sandalphon completes the crown that crowns the place of the Holy One, Blessed be He, with sanctity. And the crown rises from its own accord and sits on the head of its master. Immediately, all the legions on high are afraid and trembling, and the chayot are silent, and the holy seraphim roar like lions, and the seraphim call out, "Holy, holy, holy, YHWH of legions, the whole earth is filled with His glory" [Isaiah 6:3]. And this is its interpretation: holy in the upper [world]; holy in the lower [world]; holy, the eternal YHWH, who is sanctified in the foundations of the legions of Israel. And at the time when the crown reaches the Throne of Glory, immediately the wheels of the chariot start rolling, and the Lord shakes his footstool and all the heavens are shaken. And at the time when the crown passes over the Throne of Glory to sit in its place, all the legions on high open their mouths and they say, "Blessed is YHWH's glory from His place" [Ezekiel 3:12]. Come and see the praise of the Holy One, Blessed be He: that when the crown arrives at His head, YHWH holds His head to receive the crown from His servants. And all the chayot and seraphim and the wheels of the chariot and the Throne of Glory and the legions of the heavens and the chashmalim and the cherubim, elevate themselves and unite and give majesty and splendor, and they proclaim, and they say in one voice: "YHWH is king, YHWH was king, YHWH will be king forever and ever." And this is its interpretation: YHWH, the King before the creation of the world; YHWH, the King from the creation of the world; YHWH will reign forever and until the world to come. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, Blessed be His name, consents, and says: "YHWH shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations, hallelujah" [Psalm 146:10]. And when Moses passed by Sandalphon, he encountered Regyon, which is the river of fire. And in its burnings the ministering angels are immersing and renewing themselves every morning, as it says: "They are renewed every morning—great is Your faithfulness" [Lamentations 3:23], and so it is interpreted through Daniel [7:10]: "A river of fire streamed forth before Him; a thousand thousands served Him; myriads upon myriads attended Him; the court sat and the books were opened." And this is its interpretation: "river of fire" -- this is called Regyon, which flows with burning embers, and it goes out before the the Throne of Glory of the Holy One, Blessed be He. And it is made with the sweat of the four chayot beneath the Throne of Glory. And they sweat fire in awe of the Holy One, Blessed be He, and from the fiery sweat, that river is made. And the Holy One, Blessed be He, sits on the Throne of Judgement and judges even the ministering angels, as it says: "If He cannot trust His own servants, and casts reproach on His angels" [Job 4:18]. And it is written: "He puts no trust in His holy ones; the heavens are not guiltless in His sight" [Job 15:15]. And when the ministering angels are brought to judgment, they renew themselves in that river of fire. Therefore, if the ministering angels were immersing in the river of fire, would not humans also be doing so? Immediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, sent it [the river of fire] away, and he [Moses] came upon Galizur, called Raziel, about whom it is said, "Is it not at the word of the Most High, that evil and good emanate?" [Lamentations 3:39] And why is his name Galizur? Because he reveals [gala] the taste of rock [tzur]. And why is his name Raziel? Because he is one who hears behind the curtain [ragod] what is decreed [gazer] to be, and he proclaims it in the world. And Elijah, who should be recalled for good, stands on Mount Horeb, and he hears the voice of the proclamation from His mouth, and he makes heard the voice in the world. As it is written: "For a bird of the air may carry the utterance" [Ecclesiastes 10:20] -- this is Raziel; "and a winged creature may report the word" [Ecclesiastes 10:20] -- this is Elijah.It is said about Galizur [Raziel] that he stands in front of the throne with his wings spread to receive the noxious breath from the mouth of the chayot, otherwise, all the ministering angels would be burned from the noxious breath of the chayot. And another vocation is said about Galizur: that he takes like an iron pan, which is made of fire, burning embers in the river Regyon, and he stands opposite the kings and ministers, leaders of the world, so that there luster should prevail and their awe befall the world. When Moses saw him, he trembled. Immediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, took him and removed him from there. He [Moses] encountered a regiment of Angels of Terror, who surround the Throne of Glory, those who are mighty of all the angels. And they wanted to burn him with the noxious breath of their mouths. Immediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, spread the luster of his glory and said to Moses: "Give them an answer." Moses our teacher said to them: "It is written in the Torah, 'I am the Lord your God Who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage' [Exodus 20:2]; perhaps you were enslaved in Egypt and went forth as free people, that you are in need of the Torah? It is written: 'You shall have no other Gods' [Exodus 20:3]; perhaps there is idol worship amongst you and you are in need the Torah? It is written: 'You shall not swear' [Exodus 20:7]; perhaps there are dealings amongst you that you are in need of the Torah regarding oaths? It is written: 'Remember the Sabbath day and sanctify it' [Exodus 20:8]; perhaps there is activity amongst you that you are in need of the Torah? It is written: 'Honor your father and mother' [Exodus 20:12]; perhaps you have a father and mother that you are in need of the Torah? It is written: 'You shall not murder' [Exodus 20:13]; perhaps there is bloodshed amongst you that you are in need of the Torah? It is written: 'You shall not commit adultery' [Exodus 20:13]; perhaps there are women amongst you that you need the Torah? It is written: 'You shall not steal' [Exodus 20:13]; perhaps there are finances in the firmament that you are in need of the Torah? It is written, "You shall not bear [false witness]' [Exodus 20:13]; perhaps there are false testimonies amongst you that you are in need of the Torah? It is written: 'You shall not covet' [Exodus 20:14]; perhaps there are houses and fields and vineyards amongst you that you are in need of the Torah?" Immediately, all the ministering angels retracted [their desire to burn Moses] and they admitted to his words to the Holy One, Blessed be He. And they said: "YHWH, our Master, 'How majestic is Your name throughout the earth, you who have covered the heavens with Your splendor!'" [Psalm 8:2] And He, the Holy One, Blessed be He, taught him [Moses] the whole Torah in forty days. And when he [Moses] came to descend [from the firmament] and saw the awesomeness of the angels, and the legions of awesome angels -- trembling [zia] angels, and shuddering [chalchala] angels, and quaking [ratat] angels --  immediately, shuddering [chalchala] took hold of him and he forgot it [the Torah] all at one moment. Immediately, the Holy One, Blessed be He, called to Yefefiah, Minister of Torah, who gave over to him [Moses] the Torah, fully prepared and preserved. And all the ministering angels became his [Moses's] admirer. And each one of them gave him something of healing and the hidden meaning of names that comes out of each and every section of Torah [parsha] and all their uses, as it says, "You went up to the heights, having taken captives, having received tribute of men" [Psalm 68:19]. And even the Angel of Death gave him something, as it is written: "He places the incense and made expiation for the people" [Numbers 17:12]. And this is the honorable use of that which was taught to him by Yefefiah, the Minister of Torah, and by Metatron, Minister of the Faces. And Moses gave it over to Elazar, and Elazar to his son Pinchas, who is Elijah the great and precious priest, he should be remembered for good. Amen.

In the case of (Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:6:) I <AM THE LORD YOUR GOD>, because anyone who commits adultery with the wife of his acquaintance is, as it were, denying the Holy One. It is so stated (in Jer. 5:8, 12): <THEY WERE WELL-FED, LUSTY STALLIONS, EACH NEIGHING AT HIS NEIGHBOR'S WIFE…. > THEY HAVE DENIED THE LORD AND SAID: HE DOES NOT EXIST.
(Exod. 20:2 = Deut. 5:7:) <YOU> SHALL HAVE NO <OTHER GODS>, since it is written of him (in Exod. 20:5 = Deut. 5:9): FOR [I] THE LORD YOUR GOD AM A JEALOUS GOD. Also it is stated two times concerning the adulteress (in Numb. 5:14): IF THE SPIRIT OF JEALOUSY CAME OVER HIM, AND HE IS JEALOUS OF HIS WIFE. But why two times? Because it (i.e., the meal offering of the next verse)¹⁶So Rashi on Numb. 5:15. excites jealousy for the Holy One and for her husband, as stated (in Numb. 5:15): FOR IT IS A MEAL OFFERING OF JEALOUSY. Thus it is a case of two jealousies.
(Exod. 20:7 = Deut. 5:11:) YOU SHALL NOT TAKE THE NAME OF THE LORD YOUR GOD <IN VAIN>. <One breaks this commandment> because he commits adultery and swears in vain that he has not done so.
(On this commandment, see the end of the paragraph.)
(Exod. 20:12 = Deut. 5:16:) HONOR YOUR FATHER. When one commits adultery with the adulteress, she becomes pregnant from him. Then she says to her husband: I am pregnant from you. When the fetus is grown, it honors her husband, <since it> thinks that he is its father. Moreover, <the grown child> passes through the market and scorns the adulterer, since he thinks that he is not his father.
(Exod. 20:13 = Deut. 5:17:) YOU SHALL NOT MURDER. The adulterer goes in on condition that, if he is caught, he will kill or be killed.
(Exod. 20:13, cont. = Deut. 5:17, cont.:) YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT ADULTERY. Obviously <this commandment is broken>, because he is committing adultery.
(Exod. 20:13, cont. = Deut. 5:17, cont.:) YOU SHALL NOT STEAL. <This commandment is broken> because he is stealing his neighbor's spring (i.e., his wife's womb), and so it says (in Prov. 9:17): STOLEN WATERS ARE SWEET….
(Exod. 20:13, cont. // Deut. 5:17, cont.:) YOU SHALL NOT BEAR <FALSE WITNESS> AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR. <The commandment is broken> in that <the adulteress> bears false witness [to her husband] and says: I am pregnant from you.
(Exod. 20:14; cf. Deut. 5:18:) YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR's HOUSE, AND YOU SHALL NOT COVET YOUR NEIGHBOR's WIFE. <The commandment is broken> because whoever covets his friend's wife and commits adultery with her, covets everything that belongs to his friend.¹⁷Cf. Lev. R. 23:12; Matthew 5:28. How? When he continues committing adultery with her and she bears <a child> from him, her husband thinks that it came from himself. When he comes to depart from the world, he thinks that this son is his and writes him a will¹⁸Gk.: diatheke. of all his assets. So he bequeaths to him whatever he has without knowing that he is not his son. It turns out that the adulterer covets whatever belongs to his friend.

The Seers (i.e., the prophets) were the ones who said the doubled letters, mantzepakh (mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf, which are the letters that have a different form when they appear at the end of a word). [The doubling of kaf that is found in Genesis 12:1,] "Lekh lekha (Go for yourself)," hints to Avraham that he will father Yitschak at one hundred years [of age] (as the numerical value of these two words is one hundred). [The doubling of mem that is found in Genesis 26:16,] "ki atsamta memenu (as you have become more powerful than us)" is a hint [to Yitschak] that hints that he and his seed will be powerful in both worlds. The doubling of nun [that is found in Genesis 32:12,] "Hatsileini na (Save me)" [is a hint to] Yaakov, [that] he will be saved in both worlds. The doubling of peh [that is found in Genesis 50:24,] "pakod yifkod (He will surely remember you)" [is a hint to] Yosef, [that] He will remember you in this world, and He will remember you in the world to come. The doubling of tzadi [that is found in Zachariah 6:12,] "hinei eesh, Tsemach shemo, ou'metachtav yitsmach (behold, a man called Branch shall branch out from the place where he is,)" is [referring to] the messiah. And so is it stated (Jermiah 23:5), "vahikimoti leDaveed tsemach tsadeek (and I will raise up a true branch of David)." ["The leader of fifty" (Isaiah 3:3)] ("Sixty were the queens" [Song of Songs 6:8]). Twenty-four books (of the Bible), and add to them eleven of the thirteen [books of the minor prophets] - besides Yonah which is by itself - and six orders of the Mishnah and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim, behold ["The leader of fifty"] ("Sixty were the queens"). "[Sixty were the queens] and eighty were the concubines" (Song of Songs 6:8). Sixty tractates and eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem corresponding to its gates. "And maidens without number" (Song of Songs 6:8). The study outside. "Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty warriors" (Song of Songs 3:7). [This] corresponds to the [number of] letters of [the priestly blessing,) "May the Lord bless you and keep you, etc." (Numbers 6:24-26). The Satan (HaSatan) has the numerical equivalent of the count of the days of the solar year, as he rules over all the year to slander, except for Yom Kippur. Rabbi Ami bar Abba said, "Avraham was missing five organs before he was circumcised and [before he] fathered. The [letter] hay (with a numerical value of five) was added [to his name] and he became complete and fathered, and he was called Avraham [corresponding to the complete set of organs, two hundred and forty-eight], the numerical count of his letters." [Regarding] Sarai, two Amoraim (later rabbinic teachers) differed. One said, "The [letter] yod [with a numerical count of ten that was taken from her] was divided into two, [to give] a hay to Avaraham and a hay to Sarah." And [the other] said, "The yod that was taken from Sarah raised a protest until Yehshoua came and had a yod added, as it is stated (Numbers 13:16), "and Moshe called Hoshea [...], Yehoshua." And it saved him from the counsel of the [other] spies. [The significance of the letters in the name,] Yitschak [is as follows]: Yod [with a numerical count of ten] corresponds to the ten trials [of Avraham]. [The letter] tsadi [with a numerical count of ninety, as] Sarah was ninety when he was born. [The letter] chet [with a numerical count of eight, as] he was circumcised on the eighth day. And the letter kof [with a numerical count of one hundred, as] Avraham was a hundred years old when he was born. Yaakov was called according to [the significance of the letters of] his [own] name: Yod [corresponds to] the tenth of his offspring going backwards, Levi. Count from (the last son), Binaymin to Levi - there are ten sons, and Levi was the tenth. And he gave him as a tithe to the Omnipresent to fulfill [what he said] (Genesis 28:22), "all that You give to me, I will surely tithe it to You." [The letter] ayin [with a numerical count of seventy corresponds to the number of offspring he took to Egypt], "with seventy souls" (Deuteronomy 10:22). Kof corresponds to the [number of the] letters of the blessing [that he received], "And may He give you [etc.]" (Genesis 27:28). Take away the name [of God] from there, and one hundred [letters] remain. [The letter] bet [with a numerical count of two] corresponds to two angels [that he saw on the ladder in his dream] rising. Yehudah was called according to [the significance of the numerical count of the letters of] his [own] name: Thirty, corresponding to the thirty virtues of the monarchy. There were six hundred and thirteen letters on the tablets - from "I am" (Exodus 20:2) to "to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14) - corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments. And they were all given to Moshe at [Mount] Sinai; and in them are statutes and judgments, Torah and Mishnah, Talmud and aggadah. "The fear of the Lord is his treasure" (Isaiah 33:6). There is no greater characteristic than fear and humility, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:12), "And now Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you [besides to fear Him]." "The fear of" (Yirat) has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven; along with Torah and circumcision, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. [The numerical value of] fringes (tsitsit) is six hundred. [Add] eight strings and five knots, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. "[The man (David)] raised on high" (II Samuel 23:1) - [high (al)] has a numerical value of one hundred, corresponding to one hundred blessings. As on every day, one hundred men of Israel were dying. [So] David and ordained [the daily saying of] one hundred blessings. "And now Israel, what (mah) does the Lord, your God, ask of you" - read it as one hundred (meah), these are the hundred blessings. Once he ordained it, the pestilence ceased. "This is the law of the burnt-offering (olah), it is the burnt-offering" (Leviticus 6:2), [meaning] the yoke (ulah) of Torah and the yoke of repentance. "Two anointed ones" (Zechariah 4:14). These are David and Aharon who were anointed with the anointing oil, such that their anointing was for [all] the generations. With Aharon, it is written (Numbers 25:13), "It shall be for him and his descendants after him, a pact of priesthood for all time." With David it is written (Ezekiel 37:25), "and My servant David as their prince for all time." "Forgive all guilt and take the good (tov)" (Hosea 14:3). Israel said, "Master of the world, at the time that the Temple existed, we would offer a sacrifice and be cleansed. But now all we have in our hand is prayer." The numerical value of tov is seventeen. Prayer [consists of] nineteen [blessings]. Take away from them the blessing for the malfeasers that was composed at Yavneh, and "Let the sprout of David blossom," which they ordained for the sake of "Probe me, Lord, and try me" (Psalms 26:2). Rabbi Simon says, "'Forgive all guilt and take the good (tov).' The numerical value of tov in at-bash (matching letters based on how close they are to the center of the alphabet) is [the same as] soul (nefesh). Israel said, 'Behold the fat from us, from our souls. May it be Your will that it be atonement for us and "that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3).'" "And the Lord gave her conception (herayon)" (Ruth 4:13). [Herayon] has a numerical value of the [number of the] days of the nine months of birthing (two hundred and seventy one). The name of the angel that is appointed for conception is night, as stated (Job 3:3), "and the night [that it was] said, 'A man was conceived." The measure of the water of a mikveh (ritual bath) is forty seah corresponding to the [forty mentions] of well, written in the Torah. And [the volume of] how many eggs is the measure of the mikveh? Five thousand seven hundred and sixty. And a seah is a hundred and forty-four eggs. Forty-three and a fifth eggs is the measure of [what is required for] hallah [tithe]. And from where [do we know] that a mikveh requires forty seah? As it is written (Isaiah 8:6), "Since this nation has rejected the waters of Shiloach that flow gently (le'at)." The numerical value of le'at is forty. Behold the measure of a seah is a tefach by a tefach with the height of [sixteen] tefach [and a fifth]. And one who separates the measure of the hallah [tithe] must separate [one part in forty three] and a fifth [from Torah writ like the numerical value of hallah]. Forty lashes (which are actually thirty-nine) is from Torah writ, as it is written (Exodus 35:1), "These (eleh) are the things which the Lord commanded." [The numerical count of] "eleh" is thirty-six; "things" (being plural) is two; "the things" [indicates an additional] one - behold, forty minus one (thirty-nine). "He shall strike him forty, he shall not add" (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponds to the forty curses received by the snake, Chava, Adam and the ground, and the sages lessened one, because of "he shall not add." A Sanhedrin is twenty-three, so [that it is possible for] those advocating innocence to have one more (than twenty), and those advocating guilt to have two more. It is best for the two to come and push off one. The numerical value of anathmea (cherem) is two hundred and forty-eight. And Shmuel said, when it takes force it takes force on [all] two hundred and forty-eight organs, and when it leaves, it leaves from two hundred and forty-eight limbs, as it is written (Habakuk 3:2), "in anger, remember to have mercy (rachem, which is made up of the same letters as cherem)." It is written,"tirash," but we read it [as] tirosh. [If] he merits, he becomes a rosh (leader); [if] he does not merit, he becomes a rash (poor person). Our rabbis, may their memory be blessed said, "A man is recognized by three things: by his purse, by his glass and by his anger. Tavel is Ramaliah. Seshach is Bavel (Babylon) [according to] its numerical value of in at-bash. The numerical value of Gog and Magog is seventy, as they are the seventy nations [of the world].

One basin of silver – corresponding to the Torah which is compared to wine, as it is stated (Proverbs 9:5), “and drink from the wine that I have mixed.” And since it is the custom of wine to be drunk form a basin, as you say (Amos 6:6), “Who drink from wine basins” – therefore, he brought “a basin that is seventy shekel of the holy shekels.” Why? Just like the numerical equivalent of wine is seventy, so too are there seventy faces to the Torah. Why does it state “one” about the bowl? Corresponding to the Torah that must be one, as you say (Numbers 15:16), “One Torah and one statute shall there be for you.” Why does it state “one” about the basin? Because the words of the written Torah and the words of the Oral Torah were all given by one shepherd – all of them were stated by one God to Moshe at Sinai. Why were they of silver? Corresponding to the Torah, about which it is stated (Psalms 12:7), “The words of the Lord are pure words, silver purged in a crucible, etc.” Both of them filled with fine flour, etc. – Scripture and Mishnah are full, since one does not contradict its fellow. Fine flour – as you say (Psalms 19:11), “drippings (nofet) of the comb” – like flour that one can see on top of the sieve (napah). Mixed with oil – that is Torah, which is required to be mixed with good deeds; like that which we learned (Avot 2:2),” Excellent is the study of the Torah together with a worldly occupation; for the exertion [expended] in both of them causes sin to be forgotten.” That is for the offering – as at that time, he brings a pleasantness of spirit to his Creator, when a man is involved in Torah study and is a master of good deeds and guards himself from sin. One ladle – corresponding to the tablets that were written by the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, as you say (Exodus 32:16), “The tablets were God’s work, and the writing was God’s writing, etc.” Ten of gold – these are the ten statements (commandments) that were written on the tablets, as you say (Deuteronomy 10:4), “And He wrote on the tablets like the first writing, etc.” Gold – like you say (Song of Songs 5:14), “His hands are rods of gold”; and it states (Psalms 19:11), “More precious than gold, etc.” Full of incense – since the six hundred and thirteen commandments are mixed in them. And so do you find that there are six hundred and thirteen letters from “I” (the first word in the ten commandments) to “of your friend” (the last word), corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments; and there are seven letters lacking, corresponding to the seven days of creation – to teach you that the whole world was only created in the merit of the Torah. That is full of incense (ketoret) – since the [letter] kof changes to a dalet [in] at-bash gar-dak (switching the early letters in the aleph-bet with the corresponding later letters), and the [numerical] count of the word then comes to six hundred and thirteen. Another explanation: full of incense – as between each and every statement written on the tablets, the sections and the details were written. And it comes out like that which Chananiah the son of the brother of Rabbi Yehoshua said: “His hands are rods of gold” – these are the two tablets of the covenant upon which were written, ‘written by the finger of God.' “Rods of gold” – just like these rods, between one large rod and another large rod, there are small rods; so too, between each and every statement, the sections of the Torah were written and its details. One bull of the herd – corresponding to the priests; one ram – corresponding to the Levites; one lamb – corresponding to Israel, as they all accepted the Torah as Sinai. One goat for a sin offering – corresponding to the converts that would convert in the future and were there; as everyone is fitting, as it is stated (Leviticus 18: 5), “which a man shall do and live by them.” It does not state, “priests, Levites and Israelites,” but rather “a man.” [This] teaches that, behold, even an idolater that converts and is involved in Torah is like a high priest. And for peace offerings, two oxen (bakar) – corresponding to the two Torahs; as anyone who checks (mevaker) and sacrifices his inclination to do everything that is written in them is making peace twice – peace above and peace below; as it is stated (Isaiah 27:5), “But if he holds fast to My refuge, peace will he make with Me, with Me he will make peace.” Five rams, five he-goats, and five yearling lambs - corresponding to three verses of the Torah in which the six Orders of the Mishnah are [indicated]. And they are [each] of two sections, and each and every section is made of five words, and these are them (Psalms 19:8-10): “The Torah of the Lord is perfect, restoring the soul; the decrees of the Lord, etc.... The ordinances of the Lord, etc.; the commandments of the Lord, etc.... The fear of the Lord, etc.; the judgments of the Lord, etc.” Hence they offered these three types of sacrifices as peace offerings, corresponding to the three verses in which the six Orders of the Mishnah are [indicated]. It comes out like that which Rabbi Tanchuma said: “The Torah of the Lord is perfect, [restoring the soul], etc.” – this is the Order of Women that warns a man to separate from sexual prohibitions in order to save him from death, like the one that says (Proverbs 5:19), “All who go to her cannot return and find again the paths of life.” And it states (Proverbs 5:16), “It will save you from the forbidden woman, etc.” “The decrees of the Lord [are trustworthy], etc.” – this is the Order of Seeds, as one has trust in the world’s Life and sows. “The ordinances of the Lord, [are just, rejoicing the heart], etc.” – this is the Order of Appointed Time that has all of the holidays in it, about which it is written (Deuteronomy 16:14), “And you shall rejoice in your holidays.” “The commandments of the Lord [are lucid, making the eyes light up,]. etc.” – this is the Order of Holy Things, which enlightens the eyes [to differentiate] between profane things and holy things. “The fear of the Lord [is pure], etc.” – this is the Order of Purities, which separates between purity and impurity. “The judgments of the Lord, etc.” – this is the Order of Damages, in which there are most of the laws. And hence they offered five of each type corresponding to the five words written for each and every Order. And why were five words written for each and every order? Corresponding to the Torah which is five books, [in order] to teach you that [the sections of the Mishnah] are bodies of Torah. Why is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, written in [the section of the verse relating to] each and every Order? Since He testifies upon them, that He stated them to Moshe from His mouth, in the same way that He stated the five books of the Torah. That was the offering of Netanel, etc. - once the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that he brought offerings according to the Orders of the Torah, He began to praise his sacrifice – “that was the offering of Netanel son of Tzuar.”

21 The Seers (i.e., the prophets) were the ones who said the doubled letters, mantzepakh (mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf, which are the letters that have a different form when they appear at the end of a word). [The doubling of kaf that is found in Genesis 12:1,] "Lekh lekha (Go for yourself)," hints to Avraham that he will father Yitschak at one hundred years [of age] (as the numerical value of these two words is one hundred). [The doubling of mem that is found in Genesis 26:16,] "ki atsamta memenu (as you have become more powerful than us)" is a hint [to Yitschak] that hints that he and his seed will be powerful in both worlds. The doubling of nun [that is found in Genesis 32:12,] "Hatsileini na (Save me)" [is a hint to] Yaakov, [that] he will be saved in both worlds. The doubling of peh [that is found in Exodus 3:15, is a hint to] Israel, to Moshe,"pakod pakadeti etchem (I have surely remembered you)." The doubling of tsadi [that is found in Zachariah 6:12,] "hinei eesh, Tsemach shemo, [ou'metachtav yitsmach] (behold, a man called Branch shall branch out from the place where he is,)" is [referring to] the Messiah. And so is it stated (Jermiah 23:5), "vahikimoti leDavid tsemach tsadeek [...] (and I will raise up a true branch of David [...])." "The leader of fifty" (Isaiah 3:3). Twenty-four books (of the Bible); add to them eleven of the thirteen [books of the minor prophets] - besides Yonah which is by itself - and six orders of the Mishnah and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim, behold fifty. "Sixty were the queens," (Song of Songs 6:8), sixty tractates; "and eighty were the concubines," eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem corresponding to its gates.; and maidens without number," the study outside. "Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty warriors" (Song of Songs 3:7). [This corresponds to] the sixty letters of the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). Three hundred and eighteen [souls mentioned in Genesis 14:14 is the numerical equivalent of] Eliezer. "Inasmuch (ekev) as Avraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My commandments, My laws, and My teachings" (Genesis 26:5) - he recognized him when he was three (the numerical equivalent of ekev, being three less than that of Avraham). The Satan (HaSatan) has the numerical equivalent of three hundred and sixty-four, the count of the days of the solar year that he rules over all of them to slander, excepting Yom Kippur. Rabbi Ami beiRabbi Abba said, "Avraham was missing five organs before he was circumcised and [before] he fathered. The [letter] hay (with a numerical value of five) was added [to his name] and he became complete and fathered [corresponding to the complete set of organs, two hundred and forty-eight], the numerical count of his letters." "A woman of valor is the crown of her husband" (Proverbs 12:4) - that is Sarah. Her name had been Sarai. Two Amoraim (later rabbinic teachers) differed. One said, "The [letter] yod (with a numerical count of ten that was taken from her) was divided into two, [to give] a hay to Avaraham and a hay to Sarah." And [the other] said, "The yod that was taken from Sarah raised a protest until Yehoshua came and Moshe added to him a yod - the Lord save you from the counsel of the [other] spies. [The significance of the letters in the name,] Yitschak [is as follows]: Yod (with a numerical count of ten) corresponds to the ten trials [of Avraham]. [The letter] tsadi (with a numerical count of ninety), [as] Sarah was ninety when he was born. [The letter] chet (with a numerical count of eight), [as] he was circumcised on the eighth day. And the letter kof (with a numerical count of one hundred), [as] Avraham was a hundred years old when he was born. Yaakov was called according to [the significance of the letters of] his [own] name: Yod [corresponds to] the tenth of his offspring going backwards. Count from (the last son), Binaymin to Levi - there are ten sons, [and Levi] was the tenth. [The letter] ayin (with a numerical count of seventy corresponds to the number of offspring he took to Egypt), "with seventy souls" (Deuteronomy 10:22). Kof corresponds to the [number of the] letters of the blessing [that he received minus the name of God, "And may He give you etc." (Genesis 27:28)]. [The letter] bet (with a numerical count of two) remains, corresponding to two angels (that he saw on the ladder in his dream) rising. There were six hundred and thirteen commandments in the tablets - corresponding to the letters from "I am" (Exodus 20:2) to "to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14) - corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments - no less and no more. And they were all given to Moshe at [Mount] Sinai; and in them are statutes and judgments, Torah and Mishnah, Talmud and aggadah. "The fear of the Lord is his treasure" (Isaiah 33:6). There is no greater characteristic than fear and humility, [as it is stated] (Deuteronomy 10:12), "And now Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you besides to fear Him [...]." "The fear of" (Yirat) has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven; and Torah has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven - and Torah and fear [of God] along with them, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. [The numerical value of] fringes (tsitsit) [is six hundred] - the rabbis taught: [Add] eight [strings] and five [knots], behold that is six hundred and thirteen. The days of Avraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, [of] Yitzchak were one hundred and eighty years [and of] Yaakov were a hundred and forty-seven years. When you put them together, it is found to be five hundred and two years. And so is the distance of the the heavens to the earth, "like the the days of the heavens above the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:21). "[The man (David)] raised on high" (II Samuel 23:1) - [high (al) has a numerical value of one hundred] corresponding to one hundred blessings. As on every day, one hundred men of Israel were dying. [So] David came and ordained [the daily saying of] one hundred blessings. Once he ordained them, the pestilence ceased. High (al) [corresponds to] the yoke (ulah) of Torah and the yoke of suffering. "Forgive all guilt and take the good (tov) that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3). Israel said, "Master of the world, at the time that the Temple existed, we would offer a sacrifice and be cleansed. But now all we have in our hand is prayer." The numerical value of tov is seventeen. Prayer [consists of] nineteen blessings. Take away from them the blessing for the malfeasers that was composed at Yavneh, and "Let the sprout of David blossom," which they ordained after it for the sake of "Probe me, Lord, and try me" (Psalms 26:2). Rabbi Simon says, "Take tov [in at-bash (matching letters based on how close they are to the center of the alphabet), which is the same] as the numerical value of soul (nefesh). Israel said, 'At the time that the Temple existed, we would incinerate the fats and the innards and be cleansed. But now behold our fat, our blood and our souls. May it be Your will that it be atonement for us and "that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3).'" "And the Lord gave her conception (herayon)" (Ruth 4:13). [Herayon] has a numerical value of two hundred and seventy one (the number of the days of the nine months of birthing). The measure of the water of a mikveh (ritual bath) is forty seah [corresponding to the forty mentions] of well water, written in the Torah. And [the volume of] how many eggs is the measure of the mikveh? Five thousand seven hundred and sixty. Each seah is a hundred and forty-four eggs. Forty-three and a fifth eggs is the measure of [what is required for] challah [tithe]. And from where [do we know] that a mikveh requires forty seah? As it is written (Isaiah 8:6), "Since this nation has rejected the waters of Shiloach that flow gently (le'at)." The numerical value [of le'at] is forty. And one who separates the measure of the challah [tithe] must separate one part in forty three and a fifth from Torah writ like the [numerical] value of challah. The main categories of work [on Shabbat] are forty minus one (thirty-nine), as it is written (Exodus 35:1), "These (eleh) are the things which the Lord commanded." [The numerical count of] "eleh" is thirty-six; "things" (being plural) is two; "the things" [indicates an additional] one - behold, forty minus one. "He shall strike him forty, he shall not add" (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponds to the forty curses that the snake, Chava, Adam and the ground were cursed - and the sages lessened one, because of "he shall not add." Those [judges] advocating innocence are more those advocating guilt. [For] it is best for the two to come and push off one. Seshach is Bavel (Babylon) [according to] its numerical value in at-bash. Tavel is Ramlah [according to] its numerical value in al-bam (another numerical scheme). "Thus (bezot) shall Aaron enter the shrine; with a bull of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering" (Leviticus 16:3). Bezot (which has a numerical count of four hundred and ten) is a hint to the first Temple that stood for four hundred and ten years.