사무엘하 6:24의 미드라쉬

He (the king) must not marry more than eighteen wives. Whence is it deduced? From (II Sam. 3, 2-5) And unto David were born sons in Hebron; and his first-born was Ammon, of Achinoam the Zezreelitess; and his second, Chileab, of Abigail, the wife of Nebal the Carmelite; and the third, Abshalom, the son of Maachah, the daughter of Thalmai the king of Geshur; and the fourth, Adonijah, the son of Chaggith; and the fifth, Shepliatiah, the son of Abital: and the sixth, Ithream by Eglah, David's wife. These were born to David in Hebron. And the prophet said (Ib., ib. 12, 8) And if that were too little, then would I add unto thee so much more like these, and like these. Now let us see! The number of the wives mentioned in the Scriptures is six. Like this, is six more; and again, like this, is again six more, of which the total is eighteen. But Michal was also his wife, [and why was she not mentioned]. Rab said: "Eglah is the same as Michal. And why was she named Eglah? Because she was beloved to him just as a calf is beloved to its mother." And so also reads the passage (Judges 14, 18) And he said unto them, if he had not ploughed with my calf, etc. But had, then, Michal children? Is it not written (II Sam. 6, 23) And Michal the daughter of Saul had no child until the day of her death? Said R. Chisda: "Prior to that incident she did have a child, but after that incident she did not have a child." But is it not written (Ib. 5, 13) And David took yet more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem. Hence it is to be supposed that he married more? This was to fulfill the number of eighteen. What are wives, and what are concubines? R. Juda said: "Wives are married by betrothal and marriage contract; concubines are wihtout both of these." R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "Four hundred children were born to David by the handsome captives. They had long locks and sat in golden coaches. They were placed with the chief officers of the military, and were the men of power of the house of David." R. Juda said again: "Thamar was a daughter of one of the [above-mentioned] handsome women, as it is said (II Sam. 13, 13) But now, O speak, I pray thee, unto the king; for he will not withhold me from thee. And if she were really his daughter, how could she say that the king would allow a sister to marry her brother? Infer from this, that she was one of the children born of one of the [above-mentioned] handsome women." (Ib. 13, 3) But Annon had a friend … and Jonadab was a very shrewd man. Said R. Juda in the name of Rab: "A shrewd man to do evil."

(Fol. 25) When R. Huna died, the Rabbis intended to place the Holy Scrolls on his bier. Whereupon R. Chisda said to them: "Shall we do a thing unto him when he is dead, which he opposed when alive? For R. Tachlipha said: 'I myself saw that when R. Huna wanted to sit down on a bed on which the Holy Scrolls were lying, he would remove the mattress on the floor and place the scrolls upon it and then sit down.' Hence he was of the opinion that one must not sit on a bed upon which the Holy Scrolls are placed." They were not able to remove the bed [with the body] through the door and the Rabbis contemplated to remove it through the roof, whereupon R. Chisda remarked: "We have been taught by him that the due respect for a deceased scholar demands that he be removed through the door opening." They then wanted to place him on a smaller bed, but R. Chisda again remarked: "We have been taught by him that the respect for a deceased scholar demands that he be removed in the bed upon which he died, for R. Juda said in the name of Rab: 'Whence do we infer that a scholar is to be removed in his original bed? It is said (II Sam. 6, 3) And they conveyed the ark of God in a new wagon,' " etc. They finally broke away the door posts, and carried him out. R. Abba then began the following eulogy: "Our Rabbi was worthy that the Shechina should rest upon him, but Babylon prevented it. (R. Nachman b. R. Chasda, and some say Chanan b. R. Chasda, thereupon raised the following objection (Ez. 1, 3) The words of the Lord (Haya) came expressly unto Ezekiel. [Hence Babylon did not prevent the visitation of the Shechina?] Whereupon his father tapped him on the foot, saying: "Have I not warned you not to intrude with your questions? The word Haya [used in Ezekiel], means it had been some time ago but not any more.") When his body arrived in the land of Israel, R. Ami and R. Assi were informed that R. Huna had arrived. And [assuming that he came alive] they remarked: "When we were in Babylon we could not raise our heads on account of him [for his great learning], and now the time has come when he has followed us here!" They were then told that his coffin had arrived. R. Ami and R. Assi went out [to pay their respects], but R. Ila and R. Chanina did not go out. They then began to deliberate where to place his remains, and concluded to place it alongside of R. Chiya. For they said: "R. Huna diffused the Torah among Israel as much as did R. Chiya." The question then came up as to who should do the interring. R. Chaga said to them: "I will do it, for I was his disciple since the age of eighteen. I always kept myself ritually clean, and I have served him since then and knew his ways; [I even remember] that once it happened when the strap of his Phylactery [of the head] turned over, and he fasted forty days." When R. Chaga brought in the coffin into the arch, he noticed that [R.] Juda was resting at the right of his father and [R.] Hezekiah at his left. He heard [R.] Juda saying to his brother: "Rise for it would not be proper to leave R. Huna outside of the arch." When he arose, a pillar of fire arose with him. R. Chaga became frightened and, lifting up the coffin of R. Huna, he left the arch. And the reason why R. Chaga was not injured was because he lifted up R. Huna's coffin [which protected him].

"And your staff with which you smote the Nile take in your hand, etc.": because of their (seditious) "murmurings." This is one of the three instances where Israel "murmured" against them (the L rd and Moses) and said: They (the following) are instruments of punishment, (but not of good): the incense, the ark, and the staff. They said: This incense is an instrument of punishment. It killed Nadav and Avihu, viz. (Leviticus 10:1) "And the sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, took each of them his coal-pan, etc." Therefore, let all of Israel know that it can (also) effect atonement, viz. (Numbers 17:12) "and he put on the incense and he atoned for the people." They said: This ark is an instrument of punishment. It smote the men of Beth Shemesh, viz. (I Samuel 6:19) "And He smote the men of Beth Shemesh because they looked into the ark of the L rd, etc." And it smote Uzzah, viz. (II Samuel 6:7) "and the wrath of the L rd burned against Uzzah … and he died there by the ark of G d." Therefore, let Israel know that it can (also) effect blessing, as it is written (Ibid. 11) "And the ark of the L rd remained in the house of Oved-Edom the Gittite … and the L rd blessed Oved-Edom, etc." They said: This staff is an instrument of punishment. It brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten upon the sea. Therefore, let them know that it can (also) effect (beneficent) miracles, as it is written "And your staff with which you smote the Nile, etc." … because of their "murmurings."

At the end of the persecution,⁶⁰After the death of Hadrian, emperor of Rome, who had outlawed Torah study and made other repressive decrees, and who had crushed the Bar Kokhva revolt. our Rabbis assembled in Usha; they were: Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Meir, Rabbi Yosei, Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili, and Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov. They sent to the elders of the Galilee and said: ‘Anyone who is learned, let him come and teach, and anyone who is not learned, let him come and study.’ They assembled, studied, and did everything that they needed to do. When the time arrived to take their leave, they said: ‘Are we to leave empty the place in which we were received?’⁶¹Will we leave without honoring and expressing our appreciation for the residents of the host city? They accorded honor to Rabbi Yehuda, who was a resident of the city; not that he was greater than they were in Torah, but rather because a person’s place entitles him to honor.
Rabbi Yehuda entered and expounded: “Moses would take the Tent and pitch it outside the camp at a distance from the camp… [and anyone who would seek the Lord would go out to the Tent of Meeting outside the camp]” (Exodus 33:7). “At a distance” is stated here, and there it is stated: “There shall be a distance between you and it a measure of approximately two thousand cubits” (Joshua 3:4). Just as “distance” that is stated here is two thousand cubits, so “distance” stated there is two thousand cubits. “And anyone who would seek Moses” is not written here, but rather, “who would seek the Lord.” From here we have learned that anyone who welcomes Torah scholars, it is as though he received the Divine Presence. You, our brethren, our Rabbis, Torah luminaries, those of you who suffered [by traveling] ten mil, or twenty, or thirty, or forty, in order to hear matters of Torah, all the more so that the Holy One blessed be He will not withhold your reward in this [world] and in the [World] to Come.
Rabbi Neḥemya entered and expounded: “An Amonite or Moavite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 23:4). It is taught: Two great nations were denied entrance into the congregation of the Lord. Why? “Due to the fact that they did not greet you with bread and water” (Deuteronomy 23:5). Did Israel need it at that time? Is it not so, that all forty years that Israel was in the wilderness, the spring would rise for them, the manna would fall for them, quail was available for them, the clouds of glory enveloped them, and the cloud pillar traveled before them, and you say: “that they did not greet you with bread and water”? Rabbi Elazar said: Proper etiquette is that when one comes from travel one greets him with food and drink. Come and see what the Holy One blessed be He repaid these two nations: “An Amonite or Moavite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord.” You, residents of Usha, who welcomed our Rabbis with your food, your drink, and your beds, the Holy One blessed be He will repay you a fine reward.
Rabbi Meir entered and expounded: “A certain elderly prophet was residing in Beit El” (I Kings 13:11). Who was this? This was Amatzya, the priest of Beit El. Rabbi Yosei said: 'Meir, there is much confusion here. Who was this? This was Yonatan ben Gershom ben Moses [Moshe]. That is what is written: “Yehonatan ben Gershom ben Menashe” (Judges 18:30). The nun in Menashe is suspended.⁶²It is written in a suspended manner, smaller than the other letters and not extending to the bottom of the line. If he merited, “ben Moshe”; if not, “ben Menashe.”⁶³If he were to repent, he would merit to be called the son of Moses, or Moshe; if the letter nun is removed from the name Menashe, what is left is Moshe. If he did not repent, he would be referred to as the son of Menashe. This is a prophetical reference to Menashe son of Hezekiah, who was a notoriously wicked king of Judah.
The students raised a question before Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman, they said to him: A priest to idol worship lived all those years?⁶⁴The Yehonatan mentioned in Judges was a priest to idol worship. If he was the grandson of Moses, and also the priest of Beit El mentioned in Kings, by what merit would he have lived from the time of Judges until the time of the events in Kings? He said to them: Yes, because he was discouraging vis-à-vis idol worship. How so? A person would come to worship, and he would say to him: ‘How old are you?’ He would say to him: Forty years old, or fifty, or sixty, or seventy years old, or however old he was. He would say to him: ‘How old are you, forty years old, or fifty, or sixty, or seventy, or eighty years, and this idol was crafted only five or twelve years ago, and you seek to forsake your God and worship it? That is contemptible.’ [The visitor] would then become embarrassed and would leave. A certain contemptible individual came, and [Yehonatan] said this to him. He said to [Yehonatan]: ‘Why are you sitting here and worshipping it?’ He said: ‘I take my salary and mislead him.’⁶⁵Yehonatan said that his employer, Mikha, believed that he worshipped the idol, but that was not actually the case. When David heard of him, he sent and brought him, and he said to him: ‘You are the grandson of that righteous one and you engage in idol worship?’ He said to him: ‘This is the tradition that I receive from the house of my grandfather: Sell yourself for idol worship but do not be beholden to people.’⁶⁶Take a job pertaining to idolatry if necessary, but do not be financially dependent on others. He said to him: ‘Heaven forbid, it is not so, but rather sell yourself to a labor that is foreign⁶⁷The confusion stemmed from the fact that the literal translation of avoda zara, the term used to connote idol worship, is foreign labor. to you, but do not be beholden to people.’ When David saw how fond he was of money, he appointed him officer of the treasury. They say: When David died, he returned to his evil ways.
That is what is written: “I, too, am a prophet like you…kiḥesh lo” (I Kings 13:18). What is kiḥesh lo? He lied to him. What did he lie to him? He fed him the bread of falsehood.⁶⁸He gave the prophet from Judah food, which the prophet from Judah ate for sustenance, but in fact that meal led to his death. It is written: “As they were sitting at the table, the word of the Lord was to the prophet who had caused him to return” (I Kings 13:20). Can the matters not be inferred a fortiori? If this one, who lied and fed him the bread of falsehood, was privileged to have the Divine Spirit rest upon him, you, our brethren, residents of Usha, who welcomed our Rabbis with the food of truth, and drink, and a bed, all the more so that the Holy One blessed be He will pay you a fine reward.
Rabbi Yosei entered and expounded: “The Ark remained in the house of Oved Edom the Gittite [for three months]” (II Samuel 6:11). “It was told to King David saying: The Lord has blessed the house of Oved Edom and everything that is his” (II Samuel 6:12). By what merit? “Because of the Ark of God” (II Samuel 6:12). With what did He bless him? With children; that is what is written: “[Oved Edom had sons: Shemaya the first…] Amiel the sixth and Yisakhar the seventh” (I Chronicles 26:4–5), and likewise it says: “All these were of the sons of Oved Edom, they and their sons” (I Chronicles 26:8). They said: He had eight sons and he had eight daughters-in-law and each one of them would give birth to two each month. How so? She was impure for seven [days] and pure for seven [days] and she would give birth.⁶⁹She would conceive on the night of her purification and miraculously give birth after a gestation period of seven days. Impure seven and pure seven and she would give birth. Sixteen each month for three months, that is forty-eight. And six of his own,⁷⁰He himself had another six children in those three months. that is fifty-four. And the eight of them, that is sixty-two. Is that not what is written: “Sixty-two for Oved Edom (I Chronicles 26:8).
The students raised a question before Rabbi Yoḥanan, they said to him: What is that which is written: “Peuletai the eighth” (I Chronicles 26:5)? He said to them: It is because he performed a great service for the Torah. What service did he perform for the Torah? He would kindle before the Ark one lamp in the morning and one lamp in the afternoon. The matters can be inferred a fortiori: If the Ark of God, which does not eat, drink, or speak, but there were two stone tablets in it, and he kindled one lamp on its behalf and he merited to be blessed for honoring it, you, our brethren, residents of Usha, all the more so.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai entered and expounded: “It was one day that Elisha traveled to Shunem and there was a prominent woman and she implored him to eat bread” (II Kings 4:8). Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said to him: Because it wrote “she implored him to eat bread,” she merited having her son revived. Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Ze’eira, and Rabbi Yoḥanan in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai, said: So great is sustenance that it causes the revival of the dead to occur not at its appointed time. The woman from Tzorfat, because she fed Elijah, merited having her son revived. The Shunamite, because she fed Elisha, merited having her son revived.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: Even lamps, even wicks, Elijah would take from place to place so as not to impose upon any person. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Did he eat from her food? Did not both she and he eat from his food, as it is written: “She and he ate” (I Kings 17:15). “He and she” is written.⁷¹According to tradition, the verse is written such that it states “he and she ate,” but when reading the verse one reads it as though it states “she and he ate.” This is because she was the host, but the sustenance was provided by God in Elijah’s merit. Rather, because she welcomed him hospitably and served him, she merited having her son revived. And you, residents of Usha, who perform acts of kindness, all the more so.
Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili entered and expounded: “Saul said to the Kenite: Go, withdraw, descend from among the Amalekites, lest I destroy you with them; for you performed kindness with all the children of Israel when they ascended from Egypt’" (I Samuel 15:6). Did Yitro,⁷²The Kenites are identified as the descendants of Yitro. in fact, perform kindness with all the children of Israel? Was it not with Moses alone that he performed it? Rabbi Elazar said: Yitro certainly performed kindness with Moses; that is what is written: “Call him and let him eat bread” (Exodus 2:20). Rabbi Simon said: That is not so. He fed him as his wages. As it is written: “He also drew water for us [and watered the flock]” (Exodus 2:19).⁷³The verse states “drew water” with a double Hebrew term, dalo dala. The midrash expounds the significance of that double term. Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda said: He drew for us and for our fathers.⁷⁴The daughters of Yitro had their own sheep in addition to the sheep of their father Yitro (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Neḥemya said: He drew for us and for the shepherds. The Rabbis say: He drew for us due to the merit of our fathers⁷⁵The reason for the contentiousness with the shepherds was that Yitro had forsaken Midianite idolatry. and he drew for the shepherds to make peace between them. And you say that he performed kindness with all of Israel? Rather, it is to teach you that anyone who performs kindness for one of the prominent leaders of Israel, they ascribe him credit as though he did so to all of Israel, and you, our brethren, residents of Usha, all the more so.⁷⁶You residents of Usha performed kindness for numerous prominent scholars, and you did not owe them a previous debt of gratitude like Yitro owed Moses.
Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov entered and expounded: “Moses and the priests, the Levites, spoke to all Israel, saying: Pay attention and hear Israel, this day you have become a people [to the Lord your God]” (Deuteronomy 27:9). Was it that day that they received the Torah? Had it not been forty years already since they received the Torah, and you say “this day”? Rather, it teaches that since Moses reviewed the Torah for them and they received it welcomingly, the Torah ascribed them credit as though they had received it that day from Mount Sinai. That is why it is stated: “This day you have become a people to the Lord your God.” And you, our brethren, residents of Usha, who hospitably welcomed our Rabbis, all the more so.

"And your staff with which you smote the Nile take in your hand, etc.": because of their (seditious) "murmurings." This is one of the three instances where Israel "murmured" against them (the L rd and Moses) and said: They (the following) are instruments of punishment, (but not of good): the incense, the ark, and the staff. They said: This incense is an instrument of punishment. It killed Nadav and Avihu, viz. (Leviticus 10:1) "And the sons of Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, took each of them his coal-pan, etc." Therefore, let all of Israel know that it can (also) effect atonement, viz. (Numbers 17:12) "and he put on the incense and he atoned for the people." They said: This ark is an instrument of punishment. It smote the men of Beth Shemesh, viz. (I Samuel 6:19) "And He smote the men of Beth Shemesh because they looked into the ark of the L rd, etc." And it smote Uzzah, viz. (II Samuel 6:7) "and the wrath of the L rd burned against Uzzah … and he died there by the ark of G d." Therefore, let Israel know that it can (also) effect blessing, as it is written (Ibid. 11) "And the ark of the L rd remained in the house of Oved-Edom the Gittite … and the L rd blessed Oved-Edom, etc." They said: This staff is an instrument of punishment. It brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians in Egypt and ten upon the sea. Therefore, let them know that it can (also) effect (beneficent) miracles, as it is written "And your staff with which you smote the Nile, etc." … because of their "murmurings."

As soon as the last man of Israel ascended from the Jordan, the water of the Jordan returned to its place, as it is said (Josh. 4, 18) And it came to pass, when the priests that bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up out of the midst of the Jordan as soon as the soles of the priest's feet were drawn up unto the dry ground, that the waters of the Jordan returned unto their place, and flowed over all its banks, as aforetime. It is thus found that the ark and the priest, its bearer, was on one side of the Jordan and Israel was on the other side of the Jordan, hence the ark carried its own bearers and crossed the Jordan, as it is said (Ib., ib. 11) And it came to pass, when all the people had finished passing over the Jordan, that the ark of the Lord passed over it with the priests in the presence of the people. Concerning this it happened that Uzzah was punished, as it is said (II Sam. 6, 6) And when they came to the threshing floor of Nachon, Uzzah put forth his hand to the ark of God and took hold of it; for the oxen shook it. Thereupon the Holy One, praised be He, said unto Uzzah: "The Holy Ark carries its own bearers, how much the more could it carry itself!" Therefore (Ib., ib. 7)

(II Sam. 6, 13) And it happened that, when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had progressed six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a failing, and again it is written concerning the same (I Chr. 15, 26) That they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. How are both passages to be reconciled? Saul R. Papa b. Samuel: "On each and every pace, they slaughtered an ox and a fatling and on every six paces they sacrificed seven oxen and seven fatlings." "Whereupon R. Chisda said to him: "According to this then the entire land of Israel must have been turned into a sacrificing altars?" R. Chisda therefore said: "This means that on every six rounds of six paces they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams." It is written (Ib. 13, 9) The threshing floor of Kidon, and again it is written concerning the same (II Sam. 6, 6) The threshing floor of Nachon. How are both of these names to be reconciled? Said R. Jochanan: "In the beginning it was called Kidom (a spear) and finally [after it had been kept in the house of Obod Edom], it was called Nachon [preparing place, for that place prepared the ark to be taken over into the tabernacle which David constructed for it].

(II Sam. 6, 13) And it happened that, when the bearers of the ark of the Lord had progressed six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a failing, and again it is written concerning the same (I Chr. 15, 26) That they offered seven bullocks and seven rams. How are both passages to be reconciled? Saul R. Papa b. Samuel: "On each and every pace, they slaughtered an ox and a fatling and on every six paces they sacrificed seven oxen and seven fatlings." "Whereupon R. Chisda said to him: "According to this then the entire land of Israel must have been turned into a sacrificing altars?" R. Chisda therefore said: "This means that on every six rounds of six paces they sacrificed seven bullocks and seven rams." It is written (Ib. 13, 9) The threshing floor of Kidon, and again it is written concerning the same (II Sam. 6, 6) The threshing floor of Nachon. How are both of these names to be reconciled? Said R. Jochanan: "In the beginning it was called Kidom (a spear) and finally [after it had been kept in the house of Obod Edom], it was called Nachon [preparing place, for that place prepared the ark to be taken over into the tabernacle which David constructed for it].

(Numb. 27:5:) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].” Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” the Holy One, blessed be He, weakened his ability.¹⁷Numb. R. 21:12; above, Gen. 10:6; Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it.” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, see [that even] the women know it.”

(Numb. 27:5:) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].” Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” the Holy One, blessed be He, weakened his ability.¹⁷Numb. R. 21:12; above, Gen. 10:6; Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it.” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, see [that even] the women know it.”

(Numb. 27:5:) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].” Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” the Holy One, blessed be He, weakened his ability.¹⁷Numb. R. 21:12; above, Gen. 10:6; Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it.” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, see [that even] the women know it.”

... “And David went and he took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh- gilead… And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son…” (Shmuel II 21:12-13) What did David do? He went and gathered all the elders and great ones of Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and came to Yavesh-gilead. He found the bones of Shaul and his son Yonatan, placed them in a casket and crossed back over the Jordan, as it says “And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father and they did all that the king commanded…” (Shmuel II 21:14) What does ‘in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father’ mean? It comes to teach us that they brought them to the border of Jerusalem and buried them there. Zela is next to Jerusalem, as it says “And Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite, which is Jerusalem…” (Yehoshua 18:28) ‘and they did all that the king commanded’ And what did the king command? He commanded that they carry Shaul’s casket from tribe to tribe. As Shaul’s casket entered each tribe’s territory all the men, women and children came out in order to perform an act of loving kindness to Shaul and his sons and thereby all of Israel would fulfill its obligation to loving kindness. This went on until they reached the land of his portion on the border of Jerusalem. Since the Holy One saw that they did loving kindness to Shaul and fulfilled the judgement of the Givonites He was immediately filled with mercy and sent rain upon the land, as it says “And God was entreated for the land after that.” (Shmuel II 21:14) From this we learn how close the Holy One brings those that are far away, even though they converted not for the sake of heaven. There is no need to even mention how he draws near righteous converts, “O Lord, all the kings of the earth will acknowledge You…” (Tehillim 138:4)

R. Nechemiah opened in honor of the one who exercised hospitality [toward strangers] and preached: And Saul said unto the Kenite, 'Go. depart, get you down from the midst of Amalekites lest I destroy thee with them, whereas ye acted kindly with the children of Israel at their coming up out of Egypt (I Sam. 15, 6). "Behold, can this not be concluded through the rule of a fortiori? If Jethro who did not come near Moses for anything else but his own honor was so rewarded, how much more then should a man he rewarded, who takes learned men in his house, feeds them, gives them drink and lets them enjoy of his wealth?' R. Jose opened in honor of the one who is hospitable and preached: Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, because thou wert a stranger in his land (Deu. 23, 8). "Can this not be concluded through the rule of a fortiori? If the Egyptians who came nigh unto Israel for their own benefit only, as is said (Gen. 47, 6.) And if thou knowest that there are among them men of activity, then appoint them rulers over my cattle, were so protected; how much more then, should he be protected who takes in a learned man and gives him food and drink and lets him enjoy of their wealth?" R. Elazar, the son of R. Jose, the Galilean opened in honor of him who is hospitable to the stranger: And the Lord blessed ObedEdom. and all his household, (II Sam. 6, 11). "Behold, we can infer this through the rule of a fortiori; if keeping the house clean, in honor of the Holy Ark with the Tablet, which neither eats nor drinks, was blessed, how much more will he be blessed who keeps a learned man and gives him food and drink and permits him to enjoy of his wealth?" Of what did the blessing (of Obed-Edom) consist? R. Juda b. Zabida said: "It was that Chamoth and her eight daughters-in-law each gave birth to six at a time, as it is said (I Chr. 26, 5.) Pe'ulthai the eighth because God blessed him, etc., sixty-two were all that Obed-Edom had."

“I know that everything that God does, it will be forever, one cannot add to it, nor can one subtract from it; God did so, so they would fear before Him” (Ecclesiastes 3:14).
“I know that everything that God does, it will be forever…” Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: It would have been fitting for Adam, the first man, to have lived and endured forever.⁵⁴As the verse states that “everything God does, it will be forever,” and God created Adam. Why was death imposed upon him? “God did so, so they would fear before Him.”
Rabbi Elazar said: From the beginning of the creation of the world it is stated: “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered” (Genesis 1:9). To what purpose? “And let the dry land appear” (Genesis 1:9). Why, then, is it written: “He calls upon the waters of the sea and pours them on the face of the earth; the Lord is His name” (Amos 9:6)? [He did so] twice, once in the generation of the flood and once in the generation of the dispersion, because “God did so, so they would fear before Him.”
Reish Lakish said: It is written: “This entire matter that I command you, you shall take care to perform, do not add to it and do not subtract from it” (Deuteronomy 13:1). But the righteous add to it and do not subtract from it. Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: From here [it may be derived] that an altar outside the Temple can be permitted only by a prophet, and Elijah stood and sacrificed at the peak of the Carmel.⁵⁵Once the Temple was constructed it became prohibited to offer a sacrifice in any other place. However, Elijah the prophet did so on Mount Carmel in a confrontation with idolatrous priests, in order to demonstrate to the people the truth of God and the falsehood of idolatry. See I Kings chapter 18. Rabbi Samlai of Broyera said: [Elijah] said to Him: “It was by Your word that I performed all these matters” (I Kings 18:36).
Rabbi Ḥanina said: It is written: “Your house and your kingdom will remain steadfast” (II Samuel 7:16). When? “If your descendants observe My covenant…” (Psalms 132:12). If not, “I will exact retribution for their transgression with a rod” (Psalms 89:33). Rabbi Yudan said: Great is fear [of God], as the heavens and the earth were created only due to fear; that is what is written: “God did so, so they would fear before Him.” Rabbi Yirmeya said: Great is fear, as Solomon concluded two books that he wrote with nothing other than fear. That is what is written in the book of Proverbs: “Grace is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised” (Proverbs 31:30). In this book, it is written: “The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God [and keep His commandments, for this is all of man]” (Ecclesiastes 12:13).
Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish was ascending from Ḥamat Gader, and Rabbi Yonatan encountered him. [R’ Yonatan] said to him: ‘How does my master interpret these verses?’ [Reish Lakish] transmitted the matter to him and this is how these verses are read.⁵⁶The reference is to the verses the midrash will now quote. The common theme is that the natural world is meant to maintain its basic structure, as indicated by the verse: “I know that everything that God does, it will be forever.” The Holy One blessed be He decreed that the heavenly shall be the heavenly and the earthly shall be the earthly. Moses rose and transformed the heavenly into the earthly and the earthly into the heavenly. That is what is written: “Moses ascended to God” (Exodus 19:3); “The Lord descended on Mount Sinai” (Exodus 19:20).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that the earthly shall eat and drink and that the heavenly shall not eat and shall not drink. Abraham rose and made the heavenly eat and drink; that is what is written: “He stood over them under the tree and they ate” (Genesis 18:8).⁵⁷The midrash assumes that Abraham’s guests, whom he had given to eat, were angels. Were they eating? Rabbi Natan said: They appeared to be eating; each bit would disappear in turn. Moses rose and made the earthly not eat and drink; that is what is written: “He was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, he did not eat bread and he did not drink water” (Exodus 34:28).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that sea shall be sea and that dry land shall be dry land. Moses rose and transformed sea into dry land. That is what is written: “The children of Israel came into the midst of the sea on dry land” (Exodus 14:16). Elisha, the disciple of his disciple, transformed dry land into sea. That is what is written: “Make this valley full of trenches…[that valley will be filled with water]” (II Kings 3:16–17).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that the heavens shall laud him, as it is stated: “The heavens relate the glory of God” (Psalms 19:2). Moses rose and silenced them, as it is stated: “Listen heavens, and I will speak” (Deuteronomy 32:1). Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that the sun and the moon shall laud him, as it is stated: “From the rising of the sun until its setting, the name of God is praised [mehulal]” (Psalms 113:3); it is written mehalel [praises].⁵⁸The word praised [mehulal] is written without a vav, such that it can be vocalized mehalel [praises]. Thus, instead of the verse stating “the name God is praised,” the verse can be read “the name of God it praises.” Joshua, [Moses’s] disciple, rose and silenced them, as it is stated: “Sun, stand still in Givon; and Moon, in the valley of Ayalon” (Joshua 10:12).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that summer shall be summer and that winter shall be winter. Samuel rose and transformed summer into winter, as it is stated: “Is it not wheat harvest today? [I will call to the Lord and He will send thunder and rain]” (I Samuel 12:17).⁵⁹In the land of Israel, it generally rains only during the winter. The wheat harvest occurs in late spring. Elijah rose and transformed winter into summer, as it is stated: “There shall not be dew or rain these years, except by my word” (I Kings 17:1).
Likewise, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that day shall be day and night shall be night. Jacob, our patriarch, rose and transformed day into night, as it is stated: “He encountered the place, and stayed the night there, because the sun had set [ki va]” (Genesis 28:11); in fact, He extinguished [kava] the sun.⁶⁰God made the sun set early so that Jacob would spend the night in that location. The Rabbis say: The Holy One blessed be He set the sun prematurely and spoke with him in private. This is analogous to a friend of the king who would visit him infrequently. The king would attend to all the residents of the province on his request, and he would say: ‘Extinguish the torches and lamps so I can speak with my friend in private.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He concealed the sun prematurely and spoke with Jacob in private. Deborah and Barak rose and transformed night into day. That is what is written: “Deborah and Barak ben Avinoam sang…on that day” (Judges 5:1). Rabbi Pinḥas and Rabbi Ḥilkiyya [said] in the name of Rabbi Simon: Six miracles were performed on that day: On that day they came,⁶¹The people came to Deborah to ask for help in the war against the Canaanites. on that day they sent for him⁶²She sent for Barak. and he sent.⁶³Barak sent messengers to marshal the forces. On that day they waged war. On that day Sisera was killed. On that day they distributed the spoils. On that day they recited a song, as it is stated: “Deborah and Barak ben Avinoam sang…on that day.”⁶⁴These events, some of which individually took longer than the average length of a day, all took place on the same miraculously lengthy day.

24 (Numb. 11:16) “Gather Me [seventy men from the elders of Israel]”: But did you not have elders before? Here now it is written concerning Mount Sinai (in Exod. 24:9), “Then there went up Moses […] and the seventy elders of Israel”; and this parashah (with Numb. 11:16) comes after that. So where were the[se earlier] elders? It is simply that, when Israel did those things which are stated (in Numb. 11:1), “Now the people were as murmurers […] then the fire of the Lord burned against them,” they were all destroyed by fire at that time. It is simply that their burning was like the burning of Nadab and Abihu, for they also had acted with disrespect on ascending Sinai, when they saw the Divine Presence. It is so stated (in Exod. 24:11), “they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” Was there eating and drinking there? To what is the matter comparable? To a servant who attended his master while [holding] a slice of bread in his hand and taking bites from it. Similarly had they acted with disrespect as though eating and drinking. So the elders along with Nadab and Abihu deserved to be destroyed by fire on that day; but because the giving of Torah was dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, He therefore did not want to harm them and bring calamity to them on that day. This is what is written (ibid.), “But He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) did not raise His hand against the nobles of the Children of Israel.” From this you may infer that they deserved to have a hand raised [against them]. After a time, however, He collected their debt: Nadab and Abihu were also destroyed by fire as they entered the tent of meeting, while the elders were destroyed by fire when they were filled with lusting, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the rabble (ha'safsuf) which was in their midst became filled with lust.” Who were the rabble (ha'safsuf)? R. Simeon ben Menasya and R. Simeon bar Abba [differed on the matter]. One said, “These were the proselytes who came up with them from Egypt and who were gathered (ne'esafim) together with them as stated (in Exod. 12:38), ‘And a mixed multitude went up with them.’” But the other said, “Rabble can only be a Sanhedrin, since it is stated (in Numb. 11:16), ‘Gather (esfah) Me seventy men.’” What [else] is written there (in Numb. 11:1)? “Then the fire of the Lord burned against them and consumed them in the outskirts (qetseh) of the camp,” [i.e.,] among the selected (muqetsim) in the camp. And where is it shown that those elders who went up onto the mountain were destroyed by fire? Where it is stated (in Ps. 106:18), “And fire broke out in their company ('edah),” since company ('edah) can only be a Sanhedrin as stated (in Numb. 15:24), “And it shall come to pass that if it was done [by mistake] away from the eyes of the congregation ('edah).”⁵¹I.e. the leaders of the congregation. So Rashi on Numb. 15:24. It is also written (in Lev. 4:13), “And if the whole congregation ('edah) of Israel⁵²This expression was often interpreted as denoting the Sanhedrin. So Sifra to Lev. 4:13 (42: Wayyiqra parashah 4); R. Meir in Hor. 5a; Rashi on Lev. 4:13. should err.” And likewise it says (in Ps. 78:31), “When God’s anger flared up at them, He slew their sturdiest,” these were the Sanhedrin; “struck down the chosen of Israel,” these were the chosen ones that were called elders, about whom it is written (in II Sam. 6:1), “And David still added to the chosen among Israel.” Then they wept again and demanded meat. Now you might say, “What they wanted was animal flesh? Did it not come about that the manna became whatever they wanted inside of their mouths, as stated (in Ps. 106:15), ‘So He gave them what they asked for...’?” And in case you should say that they did not have oxen and cattle in the desert, has it not already stated (in Exod. 12:38), “And a mixed multitude went up with them and flocks and herds.” And in case you should say they ate them in the desert, is it not written (in Numb. 32:1), “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had much livestock?” From here R. Simeon said, “It was not meat for which they lusted, since it says so (in Ps. 78:27) – ‘And He rained down flesh (she'er) upon them like dust.’ Now she'er must denote illicit intercourse since it is stated (in Lev. 18:6), ‘None of you shall approach any close (she'er) relation to him.’ Ergo, it [really] says that they desired to permit illicit intercourse for themselves; and so it says (in Numb. 11:10), ‘Now Moses heard the people weeping for their families.’”⁵³See Yoma 75a according to which they were weeping here because of the family relations with whom they were forbidden to have intercourse. Thus when they desired such [relations] (ibid. cont.), “the Lord was very angry and it was bad in the eyes of Moses.” At that time Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, (in vs. 11), “’Why have you mistreated Your servant […]?’ In the past there was one with me who would bear the burden of Israel, but now I am alone.” Thus it is written (in vs. 14-15), “I am not able to bear [all] this people alone…. So if You are dealing like this with me, please truly kill me.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Appoint other elders instead of those elders.” It is so stated] (in vs. 16), “Gather Me seventy men.”

(Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me seventy man (sic)⁶³The midrash is ignoring the fact that Hebrew uses singular nouns with large numbers in order to build an interpretation on this singular usage. from the elders of Israel.”⁶⁴Numb. R. 5:23. This text is related (to Prov. 22:11), “The one who loves purity of heart has grace on his lips, has a king as his friend.” Why did He not say to him (in Numb. 11:16), “seventy men" (with "men" in the plural), instead of “seventy man.” It is simply that He said to him, “seventy man (ish) [with the singular ish indicating] singular individuals,⁶⁵I.e. singular individuals like the one described in Prov. 22:11. because they were to be like Me and you, as stated (Exod. 15:3:) “The Lord is a Man (ish) of war,” [and it is likewise] stated (Numb. 12:3), “Now the man (ish) Moses was very humble.” (Numb. 11:16:) “Gather Me [seventy men from the elders of Israel].” But did you not have elders before?⁶⁶Numb. R. 15:24. Here now it is written concerning Mount Sinai (in Exod. 24:9), “Then there went up Moses […] and the seventy elders of Israel”; and this parashah (with Numb. 11:16) comes after that. So where were the[se earlier] elders? It is simply that, when Israel did those things which are stated (in Numb. 11:1), “Now the people were as murmurers […] then the fire of the Lord burned against them,” they were all destroyed by fire at that time. It is simply that their burning was like the burning of Nadab and Abihu, for they also had acted with disrespect on ascending Sinai, when they saw the Divine Presence. It is so stated (in Exod. 24:11), “they beheld God, and they ate and drank.” Was there eating and drinking there? To what is the matter comparable? To a servant who attended his master while [holding] a slice of bread in his hand and taking bites from it. Similarly had they acted with disrespect as though eating and drinking. So the elders along with Nadab and Abihu deserved to be destroyed by fire on that day; but because the giving of Torah was dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, He therefore did not want to harm them and bring calamity to them on that day. This is what is written (ibid.), “But He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) did not raise His hand against the nobles of the Children of Israel.” From this you may infer that they deserved to have a hand raised [against them]. After a time, however, they were destroyed by fire. Nadab and Abihu were destroyed by fire as they entered the tent of meeting, while the elders were destroyed by fire when they were filled with lusting, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the rabble (ha'safsuf) which was in their midst became filled with lust.” Who were the rabble (ha'safsuf)? R. Simeon ben Menasya and R. Simeon bar Abba [differed on the matter]. One said, “These were the proselytes who came up with them from Egypt and who were gathered (ne'esafim) together with them as stated (in Exod. 12:38), ‘And a mixed multitude went up with them.’” But the other said, “Rabble can only be a Sanhedrin, since it is stated (in Numb. 11:16), ‘Gather (esfah) Me seventy men.’” What [else] is written there (in Numb. 11:1)? “Then the fire of the Lord burned against them and consumed them in the outskirts (qetseh) of the camp,” [i.e.,] among the selected (muqetsim) in the camp. And where is it shown that those elders who went up onto the mountain were destroyed by fire? Where it is stated (in Ps. 106:18), “And fire broke out in their company ('edah),” since company ('edah) can only be a Sanhedrin as stated (in Numb. 15:24), “And it shall come to pass that if it was done [by mistake] away from the eyes of the congregation ('edah).”⁶⁷I.e. the leaders of the congregation. So Rashi on Numb. 15:24. It is also written (in Lev. 4:13), “And if the whole congregation ('edah) of Israel⁶⁸This expression was often interpreted as denoting the Sanhedrin. So Sifra to Lev. 4:13 (42: Wayyiqra parashah 4); R. Meir in Hor. 5a; Rashi on Lev. 4:13. should err.” And so did David say (in Ps. 78:31), “When God’s anger flared up at them, He slew their sturdiest,” these were the Sanhedrin; “struck down the chosen of Israel,” these were the chosen ones that were called elders, about whom it is written (in II Sam. 6:1), “And David still added to the chosen among Israel.” Then they wept again and demanded meat. Now you might say, “What they wanted was flesh? Did it not come about that the manna became whatever they wanted inside of their mouths, as stated (in Ps. 106:15), ‘So He gave them what they asked for...’?” And in case you should say that they did not have oxen and cattle in the desert, has it not already stated (in Exod. 12:38), “And a mixed multitude went up with them and flocks and herds.” And in case you should say they ate them in the desert, is it not written (in Numb. 32:1), “Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had much livestock?” From here R. Simeon said, “It was not meat for which they lusted, since it says so (in Ps. 78:27), ‘And He rained down flesh (she'er) upon them like dust.’ Now she'er must denote illicit intercourse since it is stated (in Lev. 18:6), ‘None of you shall approach any close (she'er) relation to him.’ Ergo, it [really] says that they desired to permit illicit intercourse for themselves; and so it says (in Numb. 11:10), ‘Now Moses heard the people weeping for their families.’”⁶⁹See Yoma 75a according to which they were weeping here because of the family relations with whom they were forbidden to have intercourse. Thus when they desired such [relations] (ibid. cont.), “the Lord was very angry and it was bad in the eyes of Moses.” At that time Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, (in vs. 11), “’Why have you mistreated Your servant […]?’ In the past there was one with me who would bear the burden of Israel, but now I am alone.” Thus it is written (in vs. 14-15), “I am not able to bear [all] this people alone…. So if You are dealing like this with me, please truly kill me.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Appoint other elders instead of those elders.” It is so stated] (in vs. 16), “Gather Me seventy men.” (Numb. 11:17:) “Then I will come down and speak with you there.” [This verse is] to inform you that the day for appointing elders was as dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, as the day for the giving of Torah.⁷⁰Numb. R. 15:25. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 19:11), “for on the third day the Lord will come down”; and also (in Numb. 11:17) with reference to appointing the elders, “I will come down,” is written. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and hired a guard for it. Then he gave him the payment of a guard for him to guard the orchard. After a time the guard said to him, “I cannot guard all of it myself. Rather give me others to guard it with me.” The king said to him, “I have given the entire orchard into your keeping, and I have given you all the payment for guarding it; but now you would say to me, ‘Go and bring others to guard it with me.’ See I am bringing others to guard with you, but observe that I am not giving them their payment from what belongs to me. Rather it is from your payment which I have given you that they are receiving their payment.” Similarly did the Holy One, blessed be He, speak to Moses. When [Moses] said to Him, “I cannot [do everything] alone,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “I have given you understanding and knowledge to sustain⁷¹PRNS. Cf. Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). My children. Moreover, I did not want others, simply so that you would have strength and knowledge and so that you would stand alone in that greatness. But now you are the one who wants others. Be aware that they will receive [payment], not from what is Mine, but from what is yours.” It is so stated (in Numb. 11:17.), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them [...].” Nevertheless Moses did not lack anything. You should know that after forty years He said to Moses (in Numb. 27:18, 20), “Take Joshua ben Nun …. And put some of your glory upon him.” Then what is written about Joshua (in Deut. 34:9)? “Now Joshua ben Nun was filled with the spirit of wisdom.” Why? (Ibid. cont.:) “Because Moses had laid his hands upon him.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world [only] individuals have prophesied, but in the world to come all Israel shall become prophets.” It is so stated (in Joel 3:1), “And it shall come to pass afterward that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh so that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy.”⁷²See also above Gen. 10:4; cf. Deut. R. 6:14. So did R. Tanchuma bar Abba expound.

This was one of three things that Israel complained against, saying they were instruments for punishment. These are: the incense, the ark, and the staff. The incense was an instrument of punishment, for it brought distress to Nadab and Abihu. That is why He informed them that incense was to be used for atonement, as is said: And he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people (Num. 17:12). They said that the ark was a tool for retribution, for He killed Uzzah and the men of Beth-shemesh there, as is said: And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God (II Sam. 6:7). And it is written elsewhere: And He smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had gazed upon the ark of the Lord, even He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand men; and the people mourned (I Sam. 6:19). But He revealed to them that it was also an instrument of blessing, as is written: And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his house (II Sam. 6:11).

This was one of three things that Israel complained against, saying they were instruments for punishment. These are: the incense, the ark, and the staff. The incense was an instrument of punishment, for it brought distress to Nadab and Abihu. That is why He informed them that incense was to be used for atonement, as is said: And he put on the incense, and made atonement for the people (Num. 17:12). They said that the ark was a tool for retribution, for He killed Uzzah and the men of Beth-shemesh there, as is said: And the anger of the Lord was kindled against Uzzah; and God smote him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God (II Sam. 6:7). And it is written elsewhere: And He smote of the men of Beth-shemesh, because they had gazed upon the ark of the Lord, even He smote of the people seventy men, and fifty thousand men; and the people mourned (I Sam. 6:19). But He revealed to them that it was also an instrument of blessing, as is written: And the ark of the Lord remained in the house of Obed-edom the Gittite three months; and the Lord blessed Obed-edom and all his house (II Sam. 6:11).

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

12 And it is written (in Numb. 27:5) “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: Some say that [God] made this become too hard for Moses, as there are righteous people that become [overly] proud in matters of a commandment, and [so] the Holy One, blessed be He, weakens their ability. You find that David said (in Ps. 119:54), “Your statutes were songs for me,” [meaning] they are light and customary for me like songs. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, your end will be to err about something that [even] the schoolchildren know about.” At the time that he brought up the ark, he erred and put in on a cart, as stated (in II Sam. 6:3),” They loaded the ark of God onto a new cart.” [So God] suspended the ark in the air and the oxen became dislodged from under it. [Then] Uzzah approached to support it, but (according to II Sam. 6:7,) “God struck him down on the spot,” as an error in study is considered as wanton. Immediately (in II Sam. 6:8), “David was distressed because the Lord had inflicted a breach upon Uzzah.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say, ‘Your statutes were songs for me?’ Did you not learn (in Numb. 7:9), ‘But to the Kohathites he did not give; since theirs was the service of the [most] sacred objects, their porterage was by shoulder?’” [So David] began to ponder and say (in I Chron. 15:13), “The Lord our God burst out against us, for we did not seek Him like the law.” And so too, [this happened] with Moses. Because he said (in Deut. 1:17), “But the case which is too hard for you, you shall bring unto me and I will hear it,” [the Holy One, blessed be He,] weakened his ability.¹³ Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. The matter is comparable to a moneychanger who said to his student, “If coins come to you to be exchanged, exchange them, but if pearls should come to you, bring them to me.” [When] a ring of baubles came to him, [the student] brought it to [this] teacher. [But] then the teacher went and showed it to another [money changer]. So too here. Moses said (in Deut. 1:17), “The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me and I will hear it].” [But] when the daughters of Zelophehad came to him, [God] made it too hard for him. (Numb. 27:5-7) “And Moses brought their cause before the Lord. [And the Lord said…,] ‘The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly,’” such is the law. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Did you not say (ibid.), ‘The case which is too hard for you, [you shall bring unto me]?’ In the case of the judgment which you do not know, [see that even] the women determine it.” 13 Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:5), “Moses brought their cause [before the Lord]”: R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “Our master Moses knew this judgment, but they first came before chiefs of tens. They said to them, ‘It is a judgment concerning inheritance, and this is not for us but for those greater than us.’ They came before the chiefs of fifties. [When] they saw that the chiefs of ten had shown them honor, the chiefs of fifty said, ‘[In our case] also there are those greater than us.’ So also [they came before] the chiefs of hundreds, the chiefs of thousands, and the princes. They all responded to them in a similar way, because they did not want to open their mouths before one who was greater than them. [So] they went in front of Elazar. He said to them, Behold there is Moses our teacher’ These and those came in front of Moses. Moses said, ‘If I tell them the decision, I shall be appropriating the greatness.’ He said to them, ‘In my case also there is One greater than I.’ Therefore (in Numb. 27:5), ‘Moses brought their cause [before the Lord].’” He answered him with (in vs. 7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak correctly.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, acknowledged their utterance. (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “You shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: Give them [also] chattel and their father's birthright in the assets of Hepher. They took three portions: The portion of their father, who was among those who had come out from Egypt; his portion with his brothers in the assets of Hepher; and since he was the first born, he took two portions. Another interpretation (of Numb. 27:7), “you shall indeed grant them [possession of an inheritance among the brothers of their father]”: After they [already] received [their share] on the other side of the Jordan, they came before Joshua and Elazar in the land of Canaan, as stated (in Josh. 17:4), “Now they (i.e., the daughters of Zelophehad) came before Elazar the priest, Joshua ben Nun, and the princes and said, ‘The Lord commanded Moses [to give us an inheritance along with our male kin’].” Moreover, our ancestor Jacob also knew that they were receiving [an inheritance] on this side [of the Jordan as well as on that side], since it is stated (in Gen. 49:22), “daughters¹⁴English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. step over a wall.” This [wall] is the Jordan, which became a wall [for Moses] so that he would not enter the land. Thus Jacob said to Joseph, “Your daughters shall receive a share on this [side of the Jordan] as well as on that [side].” (Numb. 27:7, cont.) “And you shall transfer to them the inheritance of their father”: With reference to inheritance of a son it is stated (in vs. 9), “and you shall give,” but with reference to a daughter, [it says (in vs. 8),] “and you shall transfer.”¹⁵The Hebrew is slightly different here from what is written in vs. 7. There the word you is singular while here the “you” is plural, as in vs. 8. Thus she may transfer an inheritance from tribe to tribe.¹⁶So BB 109b. (Numb. 27:11) “And it shall be a statutory judgment for the Children of Israel”: [The word judgment] teaches that inheritances [can only] be carried out through judges.

R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is not kiddush Hashem (sanctification of the name of G-d) for the words of the righteous to be in force in their lifetime and to be voided after their death. R. Elazar b. R. Shimon said; I subscribe to the words of R. Yossi rather than to father's words, that it is kiddush Hashem. For so long as the righteous are in the world, blessing is in the world. When the righteous depart from the world, blessing departs from the world. And thus do you find with the ark of G-d, which went down to the house of Oved-edom the Gittite, for the sake of which he was blessed, viz. (II Samuel 6:12) "And King David was told: The L-rd has blessed the house of Oved-edom and all that he has because of the ark of G-d." Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If Oved-edom was blessed because of the ark, which was made neither for gain nor loss, but only for the fragments of the tablets within it, how much more so (is one blessed in the merit of) the righteous, for whose sake the world was created!