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(Lev. 14:2:) “This shall be the law of the leper.” This text is related (to Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” Everything depends on the tongue. [If] one is acquitted, he is acquitted for life; [if] one is not acquitted, he is condemned to death. [If] one is engaged in Torah with his tongue, he is acquitted for life, inasmuch as the Torah is a tree of life, as stated (in Prov. 3:18), “[Wisdom] is a tree of life to those who take hold of it.” It (i.e., the Torah) is also one's healing for the evil tongue (i.e., slander), as stated (in Prov. 15:4), “A healing tongue is a tree of life.” But if one is occupied with slander, his soul is condemned to death, since slander is more harmful than the shedding of blood. Thus whoever kills takes only one life, but the one who speaks slander kills three people: the one who tells it, the one who accepts it, and the one about whom it is told.⁹PRK 4:2; Lev. R. 26:2; Numb. R. 19:2; Deut. R. 5:10; M. Pss. 12:2; yPe’ah 1:1 (16a). Doeg spoke slander against Ahimelech; and he (i.e., Ahimelech) was killed, as stated (in I Sam. 22:16), “But the king said, ‘You shall surely die, Ahimelech.’” Saul also was killed, [as stated] (in I Chron. 10:13), “So Saul died for the treachery which he had committed against the Lord.” And thus did Saul say (in II Sam. 1:9, to a young man), “Please stand over me and slay me, for death throes have seized me.” [The young man was] the accuser¹⁰Gk.: kategoros. of Nob, the city of priests [against Saul]. Now death throes (shbts) can only denote priesthood, since it is stated (in Exod. 28:13 with reference to high-priestly dress), “And you shall make gold brocade (rt.: shbts).” Doeg also was uprooted (shrsh) from the life of this world and from all life in the world to come. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 52:7), “God will also tear you down for ever; He will seize you, tear you away from your tent, and uproot (shrsh) you from the land of the living. Selah,” [i.e., He will uproot you] from life in the world to come. Who is more severe? One who smites with the sword or [one who] smites with the dart? Say the one who smites with the dart. The one who smites with the sword is only able to kill his companion if he draws near to him and touches him; but in the case of one who smites with the dart, it is not so. Rather one throws the dart wherever he sees him. Therefore, one who speaks slander is comparable to the dart, as stated (in Jer. 9:7), “Their tongue is a sharpened dart; it speaks deceit.” It also says (in Ps. 57:5), “people, whose teeth are spears and darts, and whose tongue a sharp sword.” See how harmful slander is, in that it is more harmful than adultery, shedding blood and idolatry.¹¹M. Pss. 52:2. Of adultery it is written (in Gen. 39:9, where Joseph is addressing Potiphar's wife), “then how shall I do this great evil and sin against God?” Of shedding blood it is written (in Gen. 4:13), “My sin is greater than I can bear.” Of idolatry it is written (in Exod. 32:31, with reference to the golden calf), “Alas, this people has sinned a great sin.” But when it (i.e., Scripture) mentions slander, it does not say "great" (in the masculine singular, as in Gen. 4:13), or "great" (in the feminine singular, as in Gen. 39:9 and Exod. 32:31), but "great" (in the feminine plural). Thus it is written (in Ps. 12:4), “The Lord shall cut off all flattering lips, [every] tongue speaking great things (in the feminine plural).” It is therefore stated (in Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” [Another interpretation (of Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”: Do not say, “Since I have license to speak, I am therefore speaking whatever I want.” See, the Torah has already warned you (in Ps. 34:14), “Keep your tongue from evil [and your lips from speaking deceit].” Perhaps you will say that you are suffering a loss. Are you not profiting instead? So the holy spirit proclaims (in Prov. 21:23), “The one who guards his mouth and his tongue guards his soul from trouble (tsarot).” Do not read this as “from trouble.” Instead [read it as], "from leprosy (tsar'at).” Another interpretation (of Prov. 18:21), “Death and life are in the power of the tongue”: Slander is so harmful that one does not produce it from his mouth without denying the Holy One, blessed be He.¹²M. Ps. 52:2. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 12:5), “Those who say, ‘By our tongues we shall prevail; our lips are with us, who is to be our Lord?’” The Holy One, blessed be He, as it were, cried out against those who speak slander (in Ps. 94:16), “Who will stand for Me against evildoers…?” Who can stand against them? And who will stand against them? Geihinnom? But Geihinnom also cries out, “I am unable to stand against them.” [Then] the Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I [will come at them] from above and you (Geihinnom), from below. I will hurl darts from above; and you will turn on them with burning coals from below.” Thus it is stated (in Ps. 120:4), “Sharp darts of the warrior along with burning coals of broom wood.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Do you want to be delivered from Geihinnom? Keep yourselves far away from the deceitful tongue. Then you will be acquitted in this world and in the world to come.” Thus it is stated (in Ps. 34:13), “Who is the one who desires life….” And it is [then] written (in vs. 14), “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit […].” Thus it is stated (in Lev. 14:2), “This shall be the law of the leper,” to teach you that one who speaks slander will have blemishes come to him, as it is stated, “This shall be the law of the leper (metsora'),” [i.e.] the one who proclaims evil (motsi' ra')¹³Above, 5:1; ySot. 2:1 (17d); ‘Arakh. 15b; Cf. Lev. R. 16:1. will find evil, in that he will have leprosy come upon him. See what is written about Miriam (in Numb. 12:1), “Then Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses.” Therefore (in vs. 10), “then Aaron turned unto Miriam, and there was [Miriam] with leprosy like the snow.” What is written elsewhere (in Deut. 24:9)? “Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam […].” And is it not all the more so? For if Miriam had this happen, when she only spoke against her beloved brother when he was absent¹⁴I.e., she spoke privately to Aaron with no desire to be hostile to Moses. Cf. Sifre, Numb. 12:1 (99:2). and was only intending to return him to his wife, how much the more so in the case of one who utters slander against his colleague? What is written above on the matter (in Deut. 24:8)? “Take care with the plague of leprosy [to watch diligently and do according to all that the priests and Levites shall teach…].” So the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, also afflicted with it Aaron, who was high priest. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 12:9), “And the anger of the Lord was kindled against them, [i.e.] against Aaron and against Miriam.” Aaron, however, was healed immediately; but Miriam, after seven days, as stated (in Numb. 12:15), “So Miriam was shut up [outside of the camp] for seven days.” Ergo (in Lev. 14:2), “This shall be the law of the leper (metsora').” The one who proclaims evil (motsi' ra') is the one who finds evil (motse' ra'). And thus you find with the primeval serpent, because he spoke slander [to Eve] against his Creator, for that reason he became leprous.¹⁵Cf. Gen. R. 19:4. What did he say? R. Joshua ben Levi said (citing Gen. 3:5), “’For God knows that on the day that you eat from it, your eyes shall be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.’ He said to her, ‘Every artisan hates his fellow [artisan].¹⁶The saying is proverbial. See Gen. R. 32:2; M. Pss. 11:6. Now when [the Holy One, blessed be He,] wanted to create His world, He ate from this tree. So he created His world. You [two] also eat from it. Then you will be able to create like Him.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to [the serpent], ‘You have spoken slander. Your end is to be stricken with leprosy.’” It is so stated (in Gen. 3:14), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, “Because you have done this, more cursed shall you be than all the beasts of the field.” With what did he curse ('araroh) him? With leprosy. Now a curse can only be leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:52), “for it is a malignant (mam'eret) leprosy.”¹⁷The argument assumes that ‘arirah and mam’eret share the same root. So also Exod. R. 3:13. R. Huna said in the name of R. Joshua ben Levi, “The scales which are on the snake are his leprosy.”¹⁸Gen. R. 20:4. And not only that, but when all the deformed are cured in the world to come, the snake shall not be cured.¹⁹Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 11:9; Tanh., Gen. 11:8; Gen. R. 95:1. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 3:14), “more cursed shall you be than all the beasts.” From here [we learn] that they all shall be healed, but [the serpent] shall not be healed. People shall be healed, as stated (in Is. 35:5), “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened….” It is also [written about] the wild beasts and the cattle (in Is. 65:25), “The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion like the ox shall eat straw, but the serpent's food shall be dust”; as he will never be healed, because he [was the one who] brought all mortals down to the dust. And what caused him to have [this punishment]? [It happened] because he had spoken slander.

...A royal lady once approached Rebbi Yosi. She said, “My god is great than yours!” He retorted, “And why?” When your God appeared to Moshe at the burning bush, Moshe had to cover his face,” She explains. “But when he first saw my god, the snake, he immediately ran away”. Rebbi Yosi replied, “May your bones disintegrate! When God revealed himself by the burning bush, he had nowhere to go—where would he run off to? The heavens? Sea? Dry land? Does God not fill the heavens and the earth! (Yermiah 23:24). A snake—a snake which is your god, as soon as one takes three or four steps away, he is saved!”

Alternatively: (Deuteronomy 17:14) "And you will say, 'I will appoint for me a king..." - Rabbi Yehudah said in the name of Rabbi Ilai: Israel was commanded about three things in their entrance to the land, and these are they: to erase the memory of Amalek, to appoint for them a king, and to build for them the Holy Temple. They appointed a king and they erased the memory of Amalek, why did they not [immediately] build the Holy Temple? Because there were informers amongst them. You should know, that Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Achav's generation were pagan worshippers, yet they went out to war and won. Why was this so? Because they did not have informers amongst them. Therefore they went out to war and won. You should know that when Ezevel wanted to murder all of the prophets of God, what did Ovadia do? He hid them in caves, as it says, (I Kings 18:13) "...how I hid a hundred men if the Lord's prophets by fifties in a cave..." And there wasn't anybody who told Achav, "Such and such did Ovadia do." But in Shaul's generation, they were all informers. You should know, that when Shaul was chasing after David, they all tattled to Shaul, as it says, (Psalms 52:2) "When Doeg the Adamite came..." (Psalms 54:2) "When the Ziphites came and said to Shaul..." Therefore, they fell in war. Differently: Said Rabbi Minah: Anyone who speaks ill [of others] causes the Presence to leave from below to above. You should know, what does David say? (Psalms 57:5) "My soul is among lions; I must lie among those who breathe forth fire, Even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows And their tongue a sharp sword." And what does it state afterwards? (Psalms 57:6) "Be exalted, O God, above the heavens..." Said David, "Master of the World! What is the Presence doing below? Remove the Presence to the firmament!" Differently: Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: Why is speaking ill of others called "the third speaking"? Because it murders three: The speaker, the accepter, the person spoken about. How do we know this? Doeg the speaker, Shaul the accepter, and Nov, the city of priests that was spoken about. Alternatively: Said Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman: They asked the snake, "Why are you found amongst the fences?" It responded, "For I breached the fence of the world!" They said to him, "Why do you walk on the ground and have your tongue drink up the ground?" He said, "It was caused to me for I spoke ill about the Creator." "What was his ill speaking? Rabbi Yehoshua of Siknin said in the name of Rabbi Levi, "The first snake spoke like a human. Since Adam and Eve did not want to eat from that tree, it began to speak ill of its Creator. It said: The Creator ate from that tree and created His world, so He commanded you not to eat from it and create another world (Cf. Genesis 3:5). So what did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He cut off its legs, and mutilated its tongue so that it could not speak. Alternatively: They asked the snake, "How do you benefit, that you bite so?" It said, "Before you ask me why, ask why of those who speak ill of others!" As its says, (Ecclesiastes 10:11) "If the snake bites before it is charmed, there is no advantage to the person who speaks [ill of others] (alt: charmer)." How did he benefit? By speaking ill of others. Alternatively: They said to the snake, "Why do you bite one limb, yet your poison spreads to all the limbs?" It said to them, "Before you ask me why, ask why of those who speak ill of others, who stand in Rome and murder in Syria, who stand in Syria and murder in Rome!" Come and see how harsh the power of ill speech is, that they were commanded to build a Holy Temple, but because their generation spoke ill of others, it was not built in their day.

[(Lev. 14:2:) THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER.] And thus you find with the primeval serpent, because he spoke slander < to Eve > against his creator, for that reason he became leprous.²¹Cf. Gen. R. 19:4. What did he say? R. Joshua ben Levi said (citing Gen. 3:5): FOR GOD KNOWS THAT ON THE DAY THAT YOU EAT FROM IT, < YOUR EYES SHALL BE OPENED > [….] He said to her: Every artisan hates his fellow < artisan >.²²The saying is proverbial. See Gen. R. 32:2; M. Pss. 11:6. Now when < the Holy One > wanted to create his world, he ate from this tree. So he created his world. You < two > also eat from it. Then you will be able to create like him. The Holy One said to < the serpent >: You have spoken slander. Your end is to be stricken with leprosy. It is so stated (in Gen. 3:14): SO THE LORD GOD SAID UNTO THE SERPENT: < BECAUSE YOU HAVE DONE THIS, MORE CURSED SHALL YOU BE THAN ALL THE CATTLE, THAN ALL THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD…. > With what did he curse him? With leprosy. Now a curse ('arirah) can only be leprosy, since it is stated (in Lev. 13:52): FOR IT IS A MALIGNANT (mam'eret) LEPROSY.²³The argument assumes that ‘arirah and mam’eret share the same root. So also Exod. R. 3:13. R. Huna of Sha'av said [in the name of] R. Joshua ben Levi: The scales {i.e., the colors} which are on the snake are his leprosy.²⁴Gen. R. 20:4. And not only that, but when all the deformed are cured in the world to come, the snake shall not be cured.²⁵Above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 11:9; Tanh., Gen. 11:8; Gen. R. 95:1. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 3:14): MORE CURSED SHALL YOU BE THAN ALL THE CATTLE, < THAN ALL THE BEASTS OF THE FIELD >. What is the meaning of THAN ALL? That they all shall be healed, but < the serpent > shall not be healed. The children of Adam shall be healed, as stated (in Is. 35:5–6): {THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A HART…. } THEN THE EYES OF THE BLIND SHALL BE OPENED…. [THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A HART…. ] It is also written about the wild beasts and the cattle (in Is. 65:25): THE WOLF AND THE LAMB SHALL FEED TOGETHER, < AND THE LION LIKE THE OX SHALL EAT STRAW >; but the snake shall not have healing, since it is stated (ibid., cont.:) BUT THE SERPENT'S FOOD SHALL BE DUST. R. Helbo said: Even though he may eat all the delicacies in the world, to him they only taste like dust. Moreover, it shall also be like this in the world to come. (Is. 65:25): BUT THE SERPENT'S FOOD SHALL BE DUST, for he shall have no healing, because he < was the one who > brought mortals down to the dust. And what caused him to have < this punishment >? < It happened > because he had spoken slander. Ergo (in Lev. 14:2:) THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER. In this book there are a lot of laws. {(Lev. 7:1:) THIS IS THE LAW OF THE GUILT OFFERING.} (Lev. 6:2 [9]:) THIS IS THE LAW OF THE BURNT OFFERING. [(Lev. 7:1:) THIS IS THE LAW OF THE GUILT OFFERING.] (Lev. 7:11:) THIS IS THE LAW OF THE SACRIFICE FOR PEACE OFFERINGS. And here also (in Lev. 14:2) I have established the law of the leper: THIS SHALL BE THE LAW OF THE LEPER….

What is written above concerning the matter (in Gen. 12:1): NOW THE LORD SAID UNTO ABRAHAM: GO < FROM YOUR NATIVE LAND > … UNTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU. "Unto such and such a land" is not written here, but UNTO THE LAND THAT I WILL SHOW YOU. So Abraham was on the move until he came to the land of Israel. May the name of the Holy One be blessed!³¹Tanh., Gen. 3:5. He desired to test the righteous one and to make his good works known. For his sake there immediately came a famine. When he encountered the famine, he said to his wife, Sarah: See, there is a famine here. Our masters have said: There was never a famine in the world more severe than < that > one. Abraham said to Sarah: Consider Egypt. It would be nice to settle there inasmuch as famine has come. The supply is available there, and meat is plentiful. Let us go there. At that time they went down to Egypt. When they arrived at the gate³²Gk.: pule. of Egypt, Abraham said to Sarah: My girl³³Literally: “daughter.” For a similar use of “daughter,” see Ruth 8:2, Ps. 45:11 [10]. Egypt is a place of whoredom, as stated (in Ezek. 23:19-20): … < SHE WAS A WHORE IN THE LAND OF EGYPT, AND SHE LUSTED OVER THEIR PARAMOURS > WHOSE FLESH IS LIKE THE FLESH OF ASSES. Let us, however, put you in a box and lock you in it. Then he did so. When they arrived at the gate of Egypt, the customs officers said to him: What are you carrying in the box? He said to them: Beans. They said to him: No, it is pepper. Give us the duty for pepper. He said to them: I shall hand it over. They said to him: It is not that. Rather this box is full of gold coins. He said to them: I shall hand you over the duty for gold coins. When they saw that he was accepting whatever they would say about it, they said: Unless he had something of value in his possession, we < could > not be raising the price for him. At that moment they said to him: You are not moving from here until you open the box. Then he said to them: It is up to me to give you whatever you want, but you are not to open the box. Nevertheless, they insisted on opening the box against his will and saw Sarah. When they saw her, they said: In the case of one like this, it is not seemly to touch her. Immediately they took < her > and brought her to Pharaoh. So they brought her into his palace³⁴Lat.: palatium. When Abraham saw that they had taken her and brought her unto Pharaoh, Abraham began to cry. < Sarah > also said: Sovereign of the World, Abraham came with you under a promise,³⁵Gen. R. 42:2. since you had said to him (in Gen 12:3): I WILL BLESS THOSE WHO BLESS YOU. Now I did not know anything except that, when he told me that you had said to him (in Gen. 12:1): GO, I believed your words. But now, < when > I have been left isolated from my father, my mother, and my husband, this wicked man has come to mistreat me. He (Abraham) had acted because of your great name and because of our trust in your words. The Holy One said to her: By your life, nothing evil shall harm you, as stated (in Prov. 12:21): NO HARM SHALL BEFALL THE RIGHTEOUS, BUT THE WICKED ARE FULL OF EVIL. So in regard to Pharaoh and his house, I will make an example³⁶Gk.: dogma or deigma. of them. Thus it is written (in Gen. 12:17): THEN THE LORD AFFLICTED PHARAOH AND HIS HOUSE WITH GREAT PLAGUES AT THE WORD OF SARAI.³⁷Cf. yKet. 7:11 (31d). In that very hour an angel came down from the heavens with a rod in his hand. < When > Pharaoh came to take off her shoe, he smote him with his hand. < When > he came to touch her clothes, he would smite him. And the angel would consult with Sarah on each and every blow. If she said that he should be afflicted, he was afflicted. When she would say: Wait for him until he recovers himself, the angel would wait for him, as stated (in Gen. 12:17): AT THE WORD OF SARAI. What is the meaning of AT THE WORD OF SARAI? That < here > is not stated "On the matter of," nor "over the cause of," nor "for the sake of," nor "in consequence of," but AT THE WORD OF SARAI.³⁸Like the other alternatives, AT THE WORD OF would generally be understood idiomatically in the sense of “on account of,” but the midrash argues for the expression to be taken literally. Thus, if she said that he should be afflicted, he was afflicted; and, if not, he was not afflicted. R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite said: The Holy One did not allow a wicked man to occupy himself with a righteous woman. Our masters have said: < When > he came to take off her shoe, leprosy immediately came over him,³⁹Cf. Lev. R. 16:1. and his governors⁴⁰Gk.: eparchoi. were also afflicted with him—also the princes, also the servants, and also his family. And the walls also were afflicted along with him,⁴¹On walls having leprosy, see Lev. 14:34-53. as stated (in Gen. 12:17): THEN THE LORD AFFLICTED PHARAOH AND HIS HOUSE. Why? (Ibid., cont.:) AT THE WORD OF SARAI, ABRAM'S WIFE….

The rabbis said: Slander is considered so grievous a sin that death was imposed upon Adam because of it. The serpent appeared and told Adam and Eve: “God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be open,and ye shall be as God (Gen. 3:5). It was the fruit of this very tree that He ate when He created this world. Now, every craftsman hates a rival craftsman, but if you should eat of this tree, you too shall become divine.”³⁰Cf. Midrash on Psalms 1:9, Bereshit Rabbah 19:4. They listened to him and thus brought death upon themselves and their descendants unto the end of all generations. Whence do we know this? We know it from the words Behold man (Gen. 3:22). The word Behold alludes only to death, as it is written: Behold, thy days approach that thou must die (Deut. 31:14).

(Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has on the skin of his flesh.” This text is related (to Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness. [This verse is] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, does not delight in convicting a person, as stated (in Ezek. 33:11), “As I live, says the Lord, it is not My delight for the wicked to die.” In what does He delight? In vindicating (rt.: tsdq) His people. Thus it is stated (in Is. 42:21), “The Lord was delighted because of His [servant's] vindication (tsdq)…,”⁴⁰This is the interpretation of the midrash and of the new JPS translation. [i.e.] because of His people's vindication (tsdq)] and not [their] conviction. So also you find that in the case of the first Adam, when he created him, He set him in the Garden of Eden. Then He gave him a command and said to him, “Eat this, but do not eat from this, for (according to Gen. 2:17) ‘on the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die.’” [When] he transgressed, he brought a sentence⁴¹Gk.: apophasis. upon himself. [And then] the Sabbath came, and He acquitted him.⁴²Heb.: pinnahu. This word means “removed him” as well as “acquitted him.” In other words, Adam’s acquittal meant that his sentence was reduced from death to removal from the Garden. So M. Pss. 92:3. He began to talk with him [about] whether he would repent. It is so stated (in Gen. 3:9), “The Lord God called unto Adam and said, ‘Where are you?’” [This means, “What is your state?”] The Lord can only mean the quality of mercy, as stated (in Exod. 34:6), “The Lord, the Lord is a merciful and gracious God.” For him He had the quality of mercy precede the quality of strict justice. Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness,” in that He does not delight in convicting a person. He began to talk with him, as stated (in Gen. 3:11-12), “Who told you that you were naked? Then the man said, ‘The woman….’” He left Adam alone and began to talk with the woman, as stated (in vs. 13), “Then the Lord God said to the woman….” But when He came to the serpent He did not talk with him. Instead He immediately gave him a sentence, as stated (in vss. 14–15), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this …. I will put enmity between you [and the woman]….’” [Then] He returned to the woman and said to her (in vs. 16), “I will greatly multiply your pain in pregnancy.” And when He returned to the man, He did not convict him. Rather He intimated to him that he should repent. Where is it shown? R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Levi, “When He said to him (in vs. 19), ‘By the sweat of your brow shall you eat bread, [until you return …].’ ‘You return’ can only be mean repentance, since it is stated (in Hos. 14:2), ‘Return O Israel, to the Lord your God, as you have stumbled in your iniquity.’” When [Adam] did not repent, He expelled him from the Garden of Eden, as stated [(in Gen. 3:24), “And He drove out the man.” Ergo I would say (in Ps. 5:5), “For you are not a God who delights in wickedness.” What is the meaning of (ibid., cont.), “evil may not abide with You.” R. Tanhuma bar Hanila'i in the name of R. Berekhyah said in the name of R. Johanan, “Before the Holy One, blessed be He, stand only angels of peace and angels of mercy, but the angels of wrath are far from Him. It is so stated (in Numb. 14:15), ‘the Lord, of long patience.’ Do we not already know that He is of long patience? But rather what is the meaning of He is ‘of long patience?’ That the angels of wrath are far from Him, as stated (in Is. 13:5), ‘They come from a far land from the end of the heavens, even the Lord and the weapons of his wrath.’” Another interpretation (of Ps. 5:5, cont.), “evil may not abide with You”: R. Johanan said, “If you do not pursue evil, evil will not pursue you, nor will it dwell with you. Ergo, (Ps. 5:5, cont.), ‘evil may not abide with You,’ as ‘abide with You,’ can only mean dwelling, as stated (Exodus 2:48), ‘And if a stranger dwells with you.’” Another interpretation (of Ps. 5:5, cont.), “evil may not abide with You”: R. Eleazar ben Pedat said in the name of R. Johanan, “The name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not mentioned in connection with evil but only in connection with good.” You know that it is so. When the Holy One, blessed be He, created the light and the darkness and gave them names, [Scripture] mentioned His name in connection with the light but did not mention His name in connection with the darkness.⁴³Gen. R. 1:6. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 1:5), “And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night.” Behold, it mentioned His name with the light; but when it comes to the dark it doesn’t say, “and God called the darkness night,” but “He called [the darkness] night.” So also you find that, when He created Adam and Eve, [Scripture] mentioned His name in connection with them, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), “Then God blessed them…”; but when He cursed them, it did not mention His name in connection with them. [Thus it is stated] (in Gen. 3:16-17), “And unto the woman He said […]. And unto Adam He said.” Now if you say [that] behold, [Scripture] mentioned [His name] in connection with the serpent when He cursed him, since it is written (in Gen. 3:14), “So the Lord God said unto the serpent, ‘Because you have done this, more cursed shall you be’”; the sages have taught thus: The Holy One, blessed be He, has mentioned His name in connection with three things, even though they stood for evil: In connection with the inciter, i.e., the serpent, since he incited the woman and said (in Gen. 3:5), “’For God knows that on the day that you eat from it, your eyes shall be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil,’ like Him. Just like He created His world, you [two] will be able to create worlds like Him. [But He doesn’t want this,] as every artisan hates his fellow [artisan].” So because he incited her and spoke slander, [Scripture] mentions His name in connection with [the serpent]. In connection with one who transgresses the words of the sages, as is stated (in Jer. 11:3), “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Cursed is the one who does not heed the words of this covenant.’” In connection with one who puts his trust in flesh and blood, as stated (in Jer. 17:5), “Thus says the Lord, ‘Cursed is the man who trusts in a human being, who makes flesh his strength and whose heart turns from the Lord.’”
So also you find in the case of Noah, [that Scripture used (God’s) name] when he blessed his sons, as stated (in Gen. 9:26), “And he said, ‘blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem…;’” but when he cursed Canaan, [Scripture did not mention the name of the Holy One, Blessed be He, in connection with him], as stated (in vs. 25), “And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan….’” So also you find in the case of Elisha the prophet, that when the king of Aram came to fight against Israel, he consulted with his servants and made pits [to trap] them. He said, “When Israel comes to fight against us, they will fall into the pits,” as stated (in II Kings 6:8-9), “When the king of Aram was fighting against Israel, [he consulted with his servants, saying, ‘My camp shall be in such and such a place.’ But the man of God sent unto the king of Israel [saying], ‘Take care [not to pass this place, because the Aramaeans are camping there.]’” So the Holy One, blessed be He, does nothing (according to Amos 3:7) without having revealed His purpose unto His servants the prophets. When Israel passed by once and twice without falling in, the king of Aram took notice and said to his servants (in II Kings 6:11), “Will you not tell me which of us is for the king of Israel?” His servants said to him (in vs. 12-14), “’[It is because] Elisha, the prophet that is in Israel, tells the king of Israel the words which you speak in your bedroom.’ So he said, ‘Go and see [where he is, so that I can send and seize him,’ and it was told to him, saying, ‘Behold he is in Dothan.’ Then he sent horses and chariots and a heavy force there.” Immediately Elisha’s youth rose and saw that horses, riders and a force encircled the city. Immediately he cried out (in vss. 15-16), “and said [unto him], ‘Alas, my Lord, what shall we do?’ Then he said, ‘Fear not, for there are more with us than with them.’” Immediately Elisha prayed and mentioned the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in vs. 17), “Then Elisha prayed and said, ‘Lord, please open his eyes and let him see’; so the Lord opened the eyes of the servant and he saw, and there was the hill full of fiery horses and chariots round about Elisha!” Immediately Elisha arose and cursed the Aramaeans (in vs. 18), and he said, “’Please smite this nation with a blinding light’; so He smote them with a blinding light according to the word of Elisha.” Now [Scripture] did not mention the name, but when [Elisha] prayed over them again for their eyes to be opened, he said (in vs. 20), “O Lord, open the eyes of these men that they may see.” Ergo, the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned in connection with good, but not with evil. So also you find that when the prophet saw the four chariots that were compared to the four kingdoms (that would rule over Israel), [it states (in Zech. 6:1),] “and I lifted my eyes, and behold, four chariots were coming out between the two mountains….” But when it spoke about the redemption, [it states (in Zech. 2:3),] “Then the Lord showed me four smiths.” So also you find that when the five angels of destruction came to destroy Jerusalem, as stated (in Ezek. 9:2), “And here were six persons coming by way of the upper gate [which faces north, each with his weapon of destruction in his hand]”; Gabriel was sent with them, as it is written (in Ezek. 10:2), “Then He spoke unto the person clothed in linen and said, ‘Go in among the wheelwork.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel, “Fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim and scatter them over the city,” as it is written (in Ezek. 10:2), “Then He spoke unto the person clothed in linen and said, ‘Go in among the wheelwork [under the cherub, and fill your hands with coals of fire from among the cherubim, and scatter them over the city].’”⁴⁴Cf. below, Lev. 8:5. Gabriel came and stood at the wheel. The cherub said to him, “What do you desire?” He said to him, “Thus and so has the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded me.” He said to him, “Take [them].” He said to him, “You put them in my hand.” Immediately (according to Ezek. 10:7), “Then the cherub stretched out his hand from among the cherubim [unto the fire that was among the cherubim…].” R. Johanan said in the name of R. Simeon ben Johay, “If the coals had not been cooled off [while passing] from the hand of a cherub to the hand of Gabriel, there would not have remained of the enemies of Israel (a euphemism, meaning Israel) a [single] survivor or refugee.”⁴⁵Yoma 77a. For more details, see Lam. R. 1:13 (41). So the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to do what was evil, not by Himself, but through an angel. In the age to come, however, He will do what is good by Himself, as stated (in Ezek. 36:25), “I will sprinkle pure water upon you….” Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “For You are not a God who delights in wickedness; evil may not abide with You.” What is the meaning of (Ps. 5:5) “and evil may not abide with You?” [It is] that [Scripture] does not cause the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, to rest upon evil, except for two [evil] sayings upon which the Holy One, blessed be He, did cause His name to rest. These are the following: (The first one is Dan. 9:14:) “So the Lord watched over evil and brought it upon us, because the Lord our God is righteous.” Was it because the Lord our God is righteous (tsaddik), that He brought the evil? It is simply that the Holy One, blessed be He, was charitable (tzekekah) to us when He first brought about the exile to Babylon of Jeconiah before the exile of Tsidikiyah. And what was charitable? That He first brought about the exile of Jeconiah to Babylon along with the artisans, the smiths, and all the valiant men. Now [those] descended to Babylon and they established a [framework] for Torah [study]. For if it had not happened like that, the Torah would have been forgotten in the exile. It is simply that those who believed in the words of Jeremiah went forth with the Torah. [They included (according to II Kings 24:16)] “a thousand artisans and smiths.” What is the meaning of “artisans (hrsh)?”⁴⁶Git. 88a; Sanh. 38a; Yalqut Shim‘oni, Dan., 1066. When they opened with words of Torah, all [present] became as those who are (deaf-)mute (hrsh). [And what is the meaning of] “smiths (rt.: sgr)?” After they closed (rt.: sgr) it, there was no one in all Israel who was able to open it. Ergo (in Dan. 9:14), “because the Lord our God is righteous.” So He acted justly during that exile in that He watched over it, and He still performed a great kindness for Israel [with reference to that exile]. How? In [the month of] Tebet they were scheduled to go into exile from Jerusalem, for so does [Scripture] say (in Ezek. 24:1-2), “[Then the word of the Lord came unto me in the ninth year of the tenth month on the tenth day of the month, saying,] ‘Son of man, write down the name of the day, [this very day;] on this very day [the king of Babylon laid siege to Jerusalem].’” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He said, “If they go forth now in the cold, they will die.” What did He do for them? He waited for them and sent them into exile during the summer. This is what the prophet says (in Jer. 8:13), “I will utterly gather them, says the Lord.” "Gather" ('sp) can only mean "exile," since it is stated (in Micah 2:12), “I will gather Jacob, all of you.” Hence, this too was a great kindness. Now, the second [evil saying associated with the name of the Holy One, blessed be He] is (Ezek. 9:4:) “And the Lord said unto him, ‘Pass through the midst of the city, [through the midst of Jerusalem and mark (the letter) taw⁴⁷The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For various interpretations of its meaning, see the parallel version in Shab. 55a. on the foreheads of those people who moan and groan over all the abominations] ….’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Gabriel, “Go and write an ink taw upon the foreheads of the righteous, so that the angels of destruction will have no dominion over them. Then upon the foreheads of the wicked write a blood taw so that the angels of destruction will have dominion over them.” [The] prosecution⁴⁸Gk.: kategoria, i.e., “accusation,” “charge.” Here the concept is hypostatized as a separate being. came in before the Holy One, blessed be He, [and said to him], “Master of the world, how do the former differ from the latter?” He said to it, “The former are completely righteous, and the latter are completely wicked.” It said to Him, “It was in their power to protest, but they did not protest.” He said to it, “It was revealed and known to Me that, if they had protested, [the sinners] would not have accepted their [protest].” It said to Him, “Master of the world, if it was revealed and known in front of You, was if revealed in front of them? Hence they should have protested against them and demeaned themselves for the sanctification of Your name and take beatings from Israel upon themselves, just as the prophets endured [them].” So look at how many woes Jeremiah suffered from Israel; also Isaiah, of whom it is written (in Is. 50:6), “I gave my back to the smiters and my cheeks to the tearers of hair.” And [so with] the rest of the prophets. Immediately (in Ezek. 9:6) He spoke again to the angels of destruction, “[Kill off] old folk, youth ….” This also was a kindness, in that the Holy One, blessed be He, mitigated His wrath [by striking out] against Jerusalem, as stated (in Lam. 4:11), “The Lord has completed (klh) His wrath.” For if He had not done so, all Israel would have received a verdict of destruction (klyh). Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “and evil may not abide with You,” because the Holy One, blessed be He, does not cause His name to rest upon evil. So also even in the case of the wicked of Israel, He allotted them glory and did not mention them for evil. When He came to the offerings, He said to Moses (in Lev. 1:2), “Speak unto the Children of Israel and say unto them, ‘When one of you presents an offering to the Lord,’” [i.e.] “from Israel” and not from the idolaters. However, when He came to mention leprosy spots, He said (in Lev. 13:2), “When anyone has,” only saying “anyone.” Ergo (in Ps. 5:5), “and evil may not abide with you.”

(Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed, the one belonging to Solomon (rt.: shlm), with sixty warriors around it […].” What reason did Solomon (rt.: shlm), have to be concerned with a bed?⁵¹Cant. R. 3:7:2, 4. When it said, “There is his bed,” it is simply that [the verse] was only concerned with the King to whom peace (rt.: shlm) belongs (God). (Ibid.:) “There is his bed.” This is the Temple.⁵²Numb. R. 11:3. But why was the Temple compared to a bed? It is simply that just as a bed is only for being fruitful and multiplying, so it was with the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying, as stated (in I Kings 8:8 = II Chron. 5:9), “The poles grew long.”⁵³This literal interpretation of the Hebrew text was seen to imply that the poles miraculously lengthened while within the Temple. See Tanh., Exod. 7:11. It also says (in II Chron. 3:6), “the gold was gold from Parvaim (as if from prh),” which produced fruit (rt.: prh). And so it says (in I Kings 7:2), “And he built the house of the Forest of Lebanon.” Why was it compared to a forest? Just as a forest is fruitful and multiplies, so it is in the case of the Temple. Whatever was in it was being fruitful and multiplying. It is therefore stated (in Cant. 3:7), “There is his bed.” (Ibid., cont.:) “With sixty warriors.” These are the sixty letters that are in the priestly blessing (in Numb. 6:24-26). (Cant. 3:8:) “All of them equipped with a sword,” because in each and every [verse of the priestly blessing] the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, is mentioned, “The Lord⁵⁴This translation follows the common practice of substituting THE LORD for the Divine Name. bless you […]; The Lord make [His face] shine […]; The Lord lift up [His face …].” (Cant. 3:8, cont.:) “Each with his sword on his thigh.” What is the reason for the thigh to be mentioned here? Simply that, even if one sees in his dream a sword being drawn, placed over his neck, and [then] cutting off his thigh, he rises early in the morning and goes to the synagogue,⁵⁵There may be an allusion here to circumcision. See Numb. R. 11:3; Cant. R. 3:7:4. from the fear [of what] he saw at night in his dream; then [when] he sees the priests raising their hands, the bad dream is cancelled from him. It is therefore stated (Cant. 3:8, cont.), “because of fear at night.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless My children, as stated (in Numb. 6:23), “Thus shall you bless [the Children of Israel].” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In the past I needed to bless My creatures.⁵⁶Above, Gen. 3:5; Tanh., Gen. 3:4; Numb. 2:9, cont.; Numb. R. 11:2; PRK 31 (suppl. 1):11. I blessed the first Adam and his wife, as stated (in Gen. 1:28), ‘Then God blessed them.’ I blessed Noah and his children, as stated (in Gen. 9:1), ‘Then God blessed Noah and his children.’ I blessed Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 24:1), ‘and the Lord had blessed Abraham in everything.’” [Then] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham, “From now on behold, the blessings are being delivered to you.” Thus it is stated (in Gen. 12:2), “and you are to be a blessing.” Abraham begot two [children], Ishmael and Isaac, but he did not bless them. A parable:⁵⁷Gen. R. 61:6. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard⁵⁸Pardes. Cf. the Gk.: paradeisos. [and] gave it to a tenant. Now in the midst of that orchard was one tree with an elixir of life…. Then Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes, as stated (in Gen. 49:28), “All these are the tribes of Israel, twelve in number, and this is what [their father] spoke to them [when he blessed them…].” From now on, said the Holy One, blessed be He, behold, the blessings are being delivered to you; and the priests will bless Israel.

In connection with the inciter, i.e., the serpent, when he incited the woman and said (in Gen. 3:5): FOR GOD KNOWS < THAT ON THE DAY THAT YOU EAT FROM IT, YOUR EYES SHALL BE OPENED >…. So because he incited, < Scripture > mentions his name in connection with < the serpent >.
In connection with one who transgresses the words of the sages, as is stated (in Jer. 11:3): THUS SAYS THE LORD, [THE GOD OF ISRAEL]: CURSED IS THE ONE WHO DOES NOT HEED….
In connection with one who makes flesh and blood his patron,⁵⁷Lat.: patronus; Gk.: patronos or patron. as stated (in Jer. 17:5): THUS SAYS THE LORD: CURSED IS THE MAN WHO TRUSTS IN A HUMAN BEING, WHO MAKES FLESH HIS STRENGTH AND WHOSE HEART TURNS FROM THE LORD.

The serpent argued with itself, saying: If I go and speak to Adam, I know that he will not listen to me, for a man is always hard (to be persuaded), as it is said, "For a man is churlish and evil in his doings" (1 Sam. 25:3); but behold I will speak to Eve, for I know that she will listen to me; for women listen to all creatures, as it is said, "She is simple and knoweth nothing" (Prov. 9:18). The serpent went and spake to the woman: || Is it (true that) you also have been commanded concerning the fruit of the tree? She said (to him): Yes, as it is said, "Of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden" (Gen. 3:8). And when the serpent heard the words of Eve, he found a way through which he could enter (to approach her), so he said to her: This precept is nought else except the evil eye, for in the hour when ye eat thereof, ye will be like Him, a God. Just as He creates worlds and destroys worlds, so will ye be able to create worlds and to destroy worlds. Just as He slays and brings to life, so also will ye be able to kill and to bring to life, as it is said, "For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened" (Gen. 3:5).

“…seventy shekels according to the holy shekel…” (Numbers 7:13) Seventy in parallel to the seventy nations which descended from him (from Adam). Another explanation. Why seventy? In parallel to the seventy verses from the beginning of the book of Genesis to the curse of the snake. R’ Pichas said: there are two enemies who were not cursed until seventy verses had been completed about them – the snake and Haman the wicked. Regarding the snake, from “In the beginning…” (Genesis 1:1) until “…cursed be you more than all the cattle…” (Genesis 3:14) is seventy verses. Regarding Haman, from “After these events, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman…” (Esther 3:1) until “And they hanged Haman…” (Esther 7:10) is seventy verses. For the purpose of seventy he was hanged on fifty (cubits of wood). Another explanation. In parallel to the seventy holy names from ‘In the beginning’ until the story of the snake. And if you say there is one more (than seventy) “…and you will be like gods…” (Genesis 3:5) is not a holy name. Another explanation. In parallel to the seventy years before Terach gave birth to Avraham, as it says “And Terach lived seventy years…” (Genesis 11:26) Two people lived in two generations for seventy years. Kenan in the first generation, “And Kenan lived seventy years…” (Genesis 5:12) and Terach in the second generation. Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy days which they wept over Yaakov the pious, as it says “…and the Egyptians wept over him for seventy days.” (Genesis 50:3) Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy days of goodness which the Holy One gave to Israel – seven days of Passover, eight days of Sukkot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Shavuot and the fifty two days of Shabbat in the solar year make seventy. Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy names of the Holy One, the seventy names of Israel, the seventy names of the Torah, the seventy names of Jerusalem. Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy years that Adam took away from his life and gave to David ben Yishai. It was fit that he live for a thousand years, as it says “…for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) And a day to the Holy One is a thousand years, as it says “For a thousand years are in Your eyes like yesterday, which passed, and a watch in the night.” (Psalms 90:4)

[Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS.] The Holy One said: In the past I needed to bless my creatures.⁶⁵Above, Gen. 3:5; Tanh., Gen. 3:4; Numb. 2:9, cont.; Numb. R. 11:2; PRK 31 (suppl. 1):11. I blessed the first Adam and his wife, as stated (in Gen. 1:28): THEN GOD BLESSED THEM…. I blessed Noah and his children, as stated (in Gen. 9:1): THEN GOD BLESSED NOAH AND HIS CHILDREN. I blessed Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 24:1): AND THE LORD HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN EVERYTHING. <Then> the Holy One said: From now on behold, the blessings are being delivered to you. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 12:2): AND YOU ARE TO BE A BLESSING. What did Abraham do? He begot two <children>, Ishmael and Isaac, but he did not bless them. A parable:⁶⁶Gen. R. 61:6. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard⁶⁷Pardes. Cf. the Gk.: paradeisos. <and> gave it to a tenant. Now in the midst of that orchard was a one tree with an elixir of life and another tree with the elixir of death grafted upon it. The tenant said: If I water the tree with the elixir of life, the tree with the elixir of death will drink. The tenant said: I shall work and finish my time. Then whatever the king wants to do in his garden he may do.⁶⁸Cf. Matthew 13:24–30. The king is the Holy One, and the garden is the world. The Holy One delivered it to Abraham. He said to him (in Gen. 12:2): AND YOU ARE TO BE A BLESSING. What did Abraham do? He had two children, one righteous and one wicked, Ishmael and Isaac. Abraham said: If I bless Isaac, Ishmael will want me to bless him, and he is wicked. I am only flesh and blood. When I depart from the world, the Holy One will do his will. When Abraham did depart, the Holy One revealed himself to Isaac and blessed him, as stated (in Gen. 25:11): AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM THAT GOD BLESSED HIS SON ISAAC. Then Isaac blessed Jacob, and Jacob blessed the twelve tribes, as stated (in Gen. 49:28): ALL THESE ARE THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL, TWELVE IN NUMBER, <AND THIS IS WHAT THEIR FATHER SPOKE TO THEM WHEN HE BLESSED THEM … >. From now on, said the Holy One, behold, the blessings are being delivered to you; and the priests will bless my children.

But the fruit of the tree in the middle of the garden, God has said, "You shall neither eat of it nor touch it, or you will die!" (Genesis 3:3). Thus it is written, "Do not add onto God's words, or God will punish you, as you will be a liar" (Proverbs 30:6). Rabbi Chiyya taught: That means that you must not make the fence more than the principal thing, lest it fall and destroy the plants. Thus, the Holy One, blessed be, has said, "But of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, you must not eat, for on the day you partake of it, you will surely die" (Genesis 2:17). Eve did not say this, but rather, "You shall neither eat of it nor touch it" (Genesis 3:3). When the serpent saw her exaggerating in this manner, he grabbed her and pushed her against the tree. "So, have you died?" he asked her. "Just as you were not stricken when you touched it, so will you not die when you eat from it."

Another comment on this matter. Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He: But perhaps they will not believe me, nor hearken to my voice (Exod. 4:1). And He said: What is that in thy hand? (ibid., v. 2). The word is written as mazeh (“what is this?”), but it may be read as mi-zeh (“with this”): “With this that is in your hand you will be punished,³¹Indicating that he would be punished for striking the rock with the rod (see Num. 20:7–13). for you have spoken slanderously against My children, just as the serpent spoke slanderously.” And He said: For God doth know (Gen. 3:5) that My son’s children are believers, and the descendants of believers. They are believers, because it is written: And the people believed (Exod. 4:31), and the descendants of believers, because it is written: And he believed in the Lord (Gen. 15:6). Just as I smote the snake with leprosy, so you shall be smitten by it, place your hand in your bosom. And he put his hand into his bosom; and behold, when he withdrew it, it was leprous and as white as snow (Exod. 4:6). And if it shall come to pass that they do not believe you (ibid., v. , 8), then you shall smite the waters of the Nile and they shall turn into blood. This was also a sign to him that he would be judged in the future because of water, as it is said: Out of the rock, etc. (Gen. 20:8).