창세기 11:29의 미드라쉬

And the seven prophetesses that prophecied to Israel, who were they? Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther. Sarah as it is written (Gen. 11, 29) The father of Milcah and the father of Yiscah. And R. Isaac said: "Yiscah refers to Sarah, but why was she called Yiscah? Because that signifies seeing, and she was a seer through the Holy Spirit and this is derived from the passage (Ib. 21, 12) Whatever Sarah tells you hearken to her voice. Miriam, as it is written (Ex. 15, 26) Then took Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron. Was she then Aaron's and not Moses' sister." "This means," said R. Nachman, in the name of Rab, "that she had prophecied even when she had been only Aaron's sister [before Moses' birth] saying, 'In the future my mother will give birth to a child that will deliver the Israelites.' Finally, when Moses was born, the whole house was filled with light, and her father arose, and kissed her on her head, and saying to her, 'My daughter, thy prophecy is fulfilled.' Afterward, when he was cast into the river, her mother rose, saying to her, 'My daughter, what has become of thy prophecy?' And thus we understand the passage (Ib. 2, 4) And his sister placed herself afar off, to ascertain what would be done to him, to mean to know what would be the outcome of her prophecy." Deborah, as it is written (Jud. 4, 4) Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth. R. Isaac said: "This means that she prepared wicks for the lights in Mishkai. Hannah, as it is written (I Sam. 2, 1) And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is exalted through the Lord.' My horn is exalted, and not my flask. This refers to David and Solomon, who were anointed with oil taken from a horn, their dynasty endured; but Saul and Jehu, who were anointed with oil from a flask, their dynasties did not endure. (Ib. 2) There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none besides Thee; Neither is there any rock like our God." R. Juda b. Manassia said: "Do not read, Ein Biltecha [none besides Thee] but read Ein Lebalathecha [nothing could wear you out] . Come and see that the nature of the Holy One, praised be He! is not like the nature of frail man. The work of frail man exhausts its maker, but the Holy One, praised be He! is not so; He exhausts His work." Neither is there any rock like our God; Do not read Ein Tzur (rock), but read Ein Tzayer, (there is no sculptor like our God) for the custom of the world is to form a shape on the wall, but he can put into it neither breath, nor soul, nor entrails, nor bowels, but the Holy One, praised be He! He forms a shape within a shape (creates a body within a body) and puts into it breath, soul, entrails and bowels. Abigail, as it is written (I Sam. 25, 29-31) And the soul of my lord will be bound in the bond of life with the Lord thy God. When she departed she said to him. And when the Lord will do *** ood my Lord. She prophecied that he would be king. R. Nachman said: "This is the meaning of the current statement, 'A woman handles the shuttle while she talks,' or 'the duck bends its head down in walking, and its eyes look all around (it follows two pursuits at the same time.'" Huldah, as it is written (II Kings 22, 14) And Chilkiyaha the priest, and Achikam, and Achbor and Shaphan and Assahyah went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah. But how did Huldah prophecy in the place where Jeremiah lived? At the school of Rab it was explained that Huldah was a relative and therefore he was not particular about it. But why did King Joshiyah himself ignore Jeremiah and send a committee unto Huldah? R. Shila said: "Because women are compassionate." R. Jochanan said: "Because Jeremiah was not there, for he went to bring the ten tribes back [from the exile]." And whence do we infer that he did bring them back? It is written (Ex. 7, 13) For the seller shall not return to that which is sold. It is possible that the prophet should prophecy the suspension of the jubilee law when the law had already been abolished? We must therefore say that Jeremiah had caused the return [of the ten tribes] and Joshiyah b. Amon reigned over them. Whence do we infer this? It is written (II Kings 23, 17) What king of monument is that which I see? And the men of the city said to him, "It is the grave of the man of God, who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which thou hast done against the altar of Beth-El.' What had Joshiyah to do with the altar of Beth-El? From this we infer that Jeremiah returned [the ten tribes] from captivity when he began to practice the jubilee law and Joshiyah was king over them. And Esther, as it is written (Est. 5) Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her royalty. It should be written, royal apparel. "Infer from this," said R. Elazar, in the name of R. Cahnina, "that she clothed herself in the Holy Spirit. Here it is written Vatilbash (she put on) and there (I Chr. 12, 18) A spirit, labsha (invested) Amassai. [Just as in the latter place the word Labsha is employed to signify the Holy Spirit, so here also Vatilbash signfies the Holy Spirit]." R. Nachman said: "Pride does not- fit women. Two women were proud, and they both had unlovely names; one was call Bee (Deborah) and the other was called Cat (Huldah). Of Deborah it is written (Jud. 4, 6) And she sent and called Barak but she did not go to him, and of Huldah it is written (II Kings 22, 15) Say unto the man that hath sent you to me; and she did not say, tell the king."

(Bamidbar 12:1) "And Miriam and Aaron spoke (vatedaber) against Moses": "dibbur" in all places connotes "harsh" speech, as in (Bereshit 42:30) "The man, the lord of the land, spoke ("dibber") roughly to us," (Bamidbar 21:5) "and the people spoke ("vayedaber") against G-d and against Moses." And "amirah" in all places connotes imploration as in (Bereshit 19:7) "And he said (vayomer): Do not, I pray you, my brothers, do ill," (Bamidbar 12:6) "And He said (vayomer): Hear, I pray you, My words." "And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses": We are hereby apprised that both spoke against him, but that Miriam spoke first. This was not her practice, but the occasion demanded it. Similarly (Jeremiah 36;6) "And you (Baruch) shall go and read from the scroll, on which you have written from my (Jeremiah's) mouth, the word of the L-rd in the ears of the people" — not that it was Baruch's practice to speak before Jeremiah, but the occasion demanded it. "and Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses": How did Miriam know that Moses had ceased from marital relations (with his wife Tzipporah)? Seeing that Tzipporah did not adorn herself as other (married) women did, she asked her for the cause and was told: "Your brother is not 'particular' about this thing" (intercourse, [being constantly "on call" for the word of G-d]). Thus Miriam learned of the matter. She apprised Aaron of it and they both spoke of it (as being a troublesome precedent for others.) Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If Miriam, whose intent was not to berate her brother, but to praise him, and not to diminish propagation (in Israel), but to increase it, and who spoke thus privately — If she was thus punished, then one who intends to speak against his brother, in defamation and not in praise, and to diminish propagation and not to increase it, and in public — how much more so (is he to be punished!) Similarly, a fortiori from the instance of Uzziah (viz. II Chronicles 16-19) If King Uzziah, whose intent (in offering the incense) was not self-aggrandizement or personal honor but the glory of his Master, was thus punished, how much more so one who intends the opposite! (Bamidbar, Ibid.) "… Because of the Cushite woman": Scripture hereby apprises us that whoever beheld her attested to her beauty. And thus is it written (Bereshit 11:29) "… the father of Milkah and the father of Yiskah": Yiskah is Sarah: Why was she called "Yiskah"? For all gazed upon ("sochim") her beauty, as it is written (Ibid. 12:15) "And Pharaoh's officers saw her and praised her to Pharaoh." R. Eliezer the son of R. Yossi Haglili said: "Tzipporah" (Moses' wife) — Why was she called "Tzipporah"? "Tzfu ur'uh" ("Look and see") how beautiful this woman is! "the Cushite (Ethiopian) woman": Now was she an Ethiopian? Wasn't she a Midianite, viz. (Shemot 2:16) "And the priest of Midian had seven daughters, etc." What is the intent of "Cushite"? Just as a Cushite is exceptional in his skin, so Tzipporah was exceptional in her beauty — more so than all the women. Similarly, (Psalms 7:1) "A Shiggayon of David, which he sang to the L-rd concerning Cush (Saul), a Benjaminite." Now was he a Cushite? (The intent is:) Just as a Cushite is exceptional in his skin, so Saul was exceptional in his appearance, as it is written of him (I Samuel 9:2) "… from his shoulder and upwards, taller than all of the people." Similarly, (Amos 9:7) "Are you not like Cushites to Me, O children of Israel?" Now were they Cushites? (The intent is:) Just as a Chushite is exceptional in his skin, so, is an Israelite exceptional in mitzvoth. Similarly, (Jeremiah 32:7) "And Eved-melech the Cushite heard": Now was he a Cushite? Was he not Baruch? But, just as a Cushite is exceptional in his skin, so, was Baruch ben Neriah exceptional in his deeds, more so than any of the others in the king's palace. (Bamidbar, Ibid.) "for he had taken a Cushite woman": Why is this written? Is it not written (immediately before) "about the Cushite woman that he had taken"? — There are those who are beautiful in appearance, but not in deed; in deed, but not in appearance, viz. (Proverbs 11:22) "Like a golden ring in the snout of a pig is a beautiful woman lacking in sense. Tzipporah was beautiful in both — wherefore it is written "about the Cushite woman that he had taken, for he had taken a Cushite woman."