창세기 10:19의 미드라쉬
וַֽיְהִ֞י גְּב֤וּל הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ מִצִּידֹ֔ן בֹּאֲכָ֥ה גְרָ֖רָה עַד־עַזָּ֑ה בֹּאֲכָ֞ה סְדֹ֧מָה וַעֲמֹרָ֛ה וְאַדְמָ֥ה וּצְבֹיִ֖ם עַד־לָֽשַׁע׃
가나안의 지경은 시돈에서부터 그랄을 지나 가사까지와 소돔과 고모라와 아드마와 스보임을 지나 라사까지였더라
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
“Daughters of Jerusalem,” the Rabbis say: Do not read it as “daughters of [benot] Jerusalem, but rather, builders of [bonot] Jerusalem. This is the Great Sanhedrin of Israel, which convenes and instructs them with regard to every question and judgment.
Another matter, “daughters of [benot] Jerusalem,” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Jerusalem is destined to become a metropolis for all countries, and to draw [people] to it in streams, for its glory, as it is stated: “Ashdod, its towns, [benoteha] and its surrounding areas; Gaza, its towns, and its surrounding areas up to”192The word Lasha does not appear in the verse and its inclusion in the text of the midrash appears to be an error (Etz Yosef). (Joshua 15:47). This is the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is written: “I will give them to you as daughters [levanot] and not due to your covenant” (Ezekiel 16:61). What is “levanot”? Towns. What is “not due to your covenant”? It is not due to your contract, but rather due to My contract.193It is not because you have kept all of the responsibilities incumbent upon you due to our covenant; it is rather a gift from Me. Alternatively, the nations who will come to show honor to Jerusalem are not just the ten nations promised to Abraham in the Covenant of the Pieces, but rather are additional nations (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Beivai said in the name of Rabbi Reuven: “Sing, barren one, [who did not bear]” (Isaiah 54:1). What song is there for barrenness? Rather, “sing, barren one,” who did not bear children for Gehenna.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Israel was likened to a female, just as a female takes one-tenth of the property from her father and leaves, so, too, Israel inherited the land of the seven nations, which is one-tenth of the seventy nations. Because they inherited like a female, they sang songs in the feminine, as it is stated: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song [hashira hazot]194These terms are in the feminine form. to the Lord” (Exodus 15:1). But, in the future, they are destined to inherit like a male, who inherits all his father’s property; that is what is written: “From the eastern side to the western side, Judah, one portion” (Ezekiel 48:7). “Dan one portion…Asher one portion” (Ezekiel 48:1–2), and all of them so, and they speak in the masculine, as it is stated: “Sing to the Lord a new song [shir ḥadash]” (Psalms 96:1); shira ḥadasha is not written, but rather shir ḥadash.
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi [said]: Why was Israel likened to a female? Just as a female loads and unloads,195This means that she becomes pregnant and gives birth. loads and unloads, and then unloads and does not load again, so, too, Israel is enslaved and redeemed, enslaved and redeemed, and is then redeemed and is never enslaved again. In this world, because their trouble is like the trouble of a female who gives birth,196Their redemption is not permanent. they sing songs in the feminine; however, in the World to Come, where their trouble is not like the trouble of one who gives birth, they sing songs in the masculine. That is what is written: “On that day this song [hashir] will be sung” (Isaiah 26:1).
Another matter, “daughters of [benot] Jerusalem,” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Jerusalem is destined to become a metropolis for all countries, and to draw [people] to it in streams, for its glory, as it is stated: “Ashdod, its towns, [benoteha] and its surrounding areas; Gaza, its towns, and its surrounding areas up to
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Israel was likened to a female, just as a female takes one-tenth of the property from her father and leaves, so, too, Israel inherited the land of the seven nations, which is one-tenth of the seventy nations. Because they inherited like a female, they sang songs in the feminine, as it is stated: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song [hashira hazot]194These terms are in the feminine form. to the Lord” (Exodus 15:1). But, in the future, they are destined to inherit like a male, who inherits all his father’s property; that is what is written: “From the eastern side to the western side, Judah, one portion” (Ezekiel 48:7). “Dan one portion…Asher one portion” (Ezekiel 48:1–2), and all of them so, and they speak in the masculine, as it is stated: “Sing to the Lord a new song [shir ḥadash]” (Psalms 96:1); shira ḥadasha is not written, but rather shir ḥadash.
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi [said]: Why was Israel likened to a female? Just as a female loads and unloads,195This means that she becomes pregnant and gives birth. loads and unloads, and then unloads and does not load again, so, too, Israel is enslaved and redeemed, enslaved and redeemed, and is then redeemed and is never enslaved again. In this world, because their trouble is like the trouble of a female who gives birth,196Their redemption is not permanent. they sing songs in the feminine; however, in the World to Come, where their trouble is not like the trouble of one who gives birth, they sing songs in the masculine. That is what is written: “On that day this song [hashir] will be sung” (Isaiah 26:1).
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Midrash Tanchuma
When Abraham went up to the land of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to him: Lift up thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it (Gen. 13:14–15); therefore, when He desired to destroy the five cities, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I cannot destroy them without first consulting Abraham. If you should believe that the land was not part of Canaan, observe that it is written elsewhere: And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou goest toward Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest toward Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 10:19). That is why, when He wanted to destroy them, He consulted Abraham, as it says: Shall I hide from Abraham, etc.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Sifrei Devarim
(Devarim 1:7) "Turn and journey" — the way to Arad and Charmah; "and come to the mountain of the Emori and to all its neighbors" — Ammon, Moav, and Mount Seir; "in the plain" — the forest plain; "in the mountain" — the "King's Mountain" (see Gittin 57a); "in the lowland" — of the south; "in the south and by the seacoast" — Ashkelon, Azza, Caesarea, etc.; "the land of the Canaani" — the border of Canaan, viz. (Bereshith 10:19) "And the border of the Canaani was from Tziddon … until Lasha (Kalda)";
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
Another interpretation: Why did the Holy One give a revelation to Abraham? R. Judah the Levite spoke a parable:33Gen. R. 49:2. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and gave it to his friend as a gift. After some days the king needed to cut down < some > beams from it. The king said: Although it was mine, I gave it to my friend. I shall not cut them until I consult with my friend. So < it was with > the Holy One. When he brought < Abraham > up into the land of Israel, he said to him (in Gen. 13:14f.): PLEASE LIFT UP YOUR EYES AND LOOK {TOWARD THE SEA AND TOWARD THE NORTH} … and it is also written (in the next verse): [FOR] ALL THE LAND WHICH YOU SEE, < TO YOU WILL I GIVE IT, AND TO YOUR SEED FOREVER >. When, therefore, the Holy One wanted to destroy those five cities, he said: I am not destroying them without Abraham knowing. If you should say that they were not part of the land of Canaan, see what is written (in Gen. 10:19): AND THE BORDER OF CANAAN WAS FROM ZIDON, < AS YOU GO TOWARD GERAR, UNTO GAZA; AS YOU GO TO SODOM, GOMORRAH, ADMAH, AND ZEBOIIM, UNTO LASHA >. He did not, therefore, destroy them until he had consulted with Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 18:17): THEN THE LORD SAID: SHALL I HIDE FROM ABRAHAM < WHAT I AM DOING >?
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy