욥기 29:28의 미드라쉬

(Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” This text is related (to Job 29:2), “O that I were as in the months of old, [as in the days when God watched over me]!” In regard to this verse, Job spoke it when the afflictions had come upon him. He said, “’O that I were as in the months of old,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!” “As in the days when God watched over me!” [These words] teach that the infant is watched over while it is in its mother's belly. (Job 29:3:) “When His light shone over my head […].” From here you learn that the infant has light in its mother's belly. (Job 29:4:) “When I was in the days of my youth (horef),¹Horef also means “winter.” Buber notes here that in the following simile, the infant in the womb is being protected in the womb as the winter rain protects the soil. when God's company was over my tent.” [These words teach about the infant.] Just as the rain is at work in the soil for it to become muddy, so the infant is muddy in its mother's womb. Another interpretation [of] “when God's company was over my tent”: These words teach about the infant. Just as the infant gets muddy, so is a person muddied by sins, so that misfortunes come upon him. At that time [Job] said (in Job 29:2), “’O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!” What does he finally say (in vs. 4)? “When I was in the days of my youth.” R. Abbahu said, “The infant comes out of the mother's belly covered with slime and covered with blood; yet everyone praises and cherishes it, especially when it is a male.”²Tanh., Lev. 8:11; PRK 9:6. Ergo (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” (Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed.” [This text is related to (Ps. 139:5),] “You have formed me behind and before.” The text speaks of the first Adam.³Cf. Gen. R. 8:1; 14:5; Lev. R. 14:1; M. Pss. 139:6. R. Johanan said, “It is written about him that there were two creations. There is a double y (i.e., a double yod in Gen. 2:7), ‘The Lord God formed (yytsr) the human.’ One formation is in this world, and one is for the world to come. But in the case of cattle, wild beasts, and birds, for them [only] one formation is written (without a double y in Gen. 2:19), ‘So out of the earth the Lord God formed (ytsr) all the wild beasts of the field [and all the birds of the heavens].’ It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Simeon ben Laqish says, “Behind (in the sense of what comes] before the act of [his] creation. What is the reason? It is written (in Gen. 1:2), ‘and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters’; this spirit was the soul of the first Adam. It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Eleazar ben Pedat says, “Behind [refers] to an [later] event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an [earlier] event of the sixth day. How so? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, created six things on the sixth day. They were these: (1) the soul; (2) wild beasts; (3) cattle; (4) beasts of the earth; (5) Adam; and (6) Eve. Now Adam's soul was created first, as stated (in Gen. 1:24), ‘a living soul.’ Living soul can only be the soul of Adam, since it is stated (in Gen. 2:7), ‘and the human (Adam) became a living soul.’ Hence, before [refers] to the [first] event of the sixth day, and behind [refers] to the sixth day, since [the Holy One, blessed be He,] was occupied with him all of the sixth day. Ergo (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’ Behind [refers] to an event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an event of the sixth day.” R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “What is the meaning of ‘You have formed me behind and before?’ Having two faces, male and female. Hence it says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’”⁴Ber. 61a; ‘Eruv. 18a. Adam said, “After the Holy One, blessed be He, had created all the cattle and wild beasts, He created me.” So it is with the infant. Before it comes forth from its mother's belly, the Holy One, blessed be He, commands it, “Eat of this, do not eat of that, (in Lev. 11:29) ‘this shall be unclean for you.’” Then after it takes upon itself in its mother's belly all the commandments which are in the Torah, [only] after that it is born. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.”

(Lev. 12:1–2:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, SAYING: WHEN A WOMAN EMITS HER SEED AND BEARS A MALE. This text is related (to Job 29:2): O THAT I WERE AS IN THE MONTHS OF OLD, AS IN THE DAYS WHEN GOD WATCHED OVER ME! In regard to this verse, Job spoke it when the afflictions had come upon him.¹Tanh., Lev. 4:1. He said: O THAT I WERE [AS IN THE MONTHS OF OLD], and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly! AS IN THE DAYS WHEN GOD WATCHED OVER ME! < These words > teach that the infant is watched over while it is in its mother's belly.

(Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” This text is related (to Job 29:2), “O that I were as in the months of old, [as in the days when God watched over me]!” In regard to this verse, Job spoke it when the afflictions had come upon him. He said, “’O that I were as in the months of old,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!” “As in the days when God watched over me!” [These words] teach that the infant is watched over while it is in its mother's belly. (Job 29:3:) “When His light shone over my head […].” From here you learn that the infant has light in its mother's belly. (Job 29:4:) “When I was in the days of my youth (horef),¹Horef also means “winter.” Buber notes here that in the following simile, the infant in the womb is being protected in the womb as the winter rain protects the soil. when God's company was over my tent.” [These words teach about the infant.] Just as the rain is at work in the soil for it to become muddy, so the infant is muddy in its mother's womb. Another interpretation [of] “when God's company was over my tent”: These words teach about the infant. Just as the infant gets muddy, so is a person muddied by sins, so that misfortunes come upon him. At that time [Job] said (in Job 29:2), “’O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!” What does he finally say (in vs. 4)? “When I was in the days of my youth.” R. Abbahu said, “The infant comes out of the mother's belly covered with slime and covered with blood; yet everyone praises and cherishes it, especially when it is a male.”²Tanh., Lev. 8:11; PRK 9:6. Ergo (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” (Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed.” [This text is related to (Ps. 139:5),] “You have formed me behind and before.” The text speaks of the first Adam.³Cf. Gen. R. 8:1; 14:5; Lev. R. 14:1; M. Pss. 139:6. R. Johanan said, “It is written about him that there were two creations. There is a double y (i.e., a double yod in Gen. 2:7), ‘The Lord God formed (yytsr) the human.’ One formation is in this world, and one is for the world to come. But in the case of cattle, wild beasts, and birds, for them [only] one formation is written (without a double y in Gen. 2:19), ‘So out of the earth the Lord God formed (ytsr) all the wild beasts of the field [and all the birds of the heavens].’ It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Simeon ben Laqish says, “Behind (in the sense of what comes] before the act of [his] creation. What is the reason? It is written (in Gen. 1:2), ‘and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters’; this spirit was the soul of the first Adam. It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Eleazar ben Pedat says, “Behind [refers] to an [later] event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an [earlier] event of the sixth day. How so? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, created six things on the sixth day. They were these: (1) the soul; (2) wild beasts; (3) cattle; (4) beasts of the earth; (5) Adam; and (6) Eve. Now Adam's soul was created first, as stated (in Gen. 1:24), ‘a living soul.’ Living soul can only be the soul of Adam, since it is stated (in Gen. 2:7), ‘and the human (Adam) became a living soul.’ Hence, before [refers] to the [first] event of the sixth day, and behind [refers] to the sixth day, since [the Holy One, blessed be He,] was occupied with him all of the sixth day. Ergo (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’ Behind [refers] to an event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an event of the sixth day.” R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “What is the meaning of ‘You have formed me behind and before?’ Having two faces, male and female. Hence it says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’”⁴Ber. 61a; ‘Eruv. 18a. Adam said, “After the Holy One, blessed be He, had created all the cattle and wild beasts, He created me.” So it is with the infant. Before it comes forth from its mother's belly, the Holy One, blessed be He, commands it, “Eat of this, do not eat of that, (in Lev. 11:29) ‘this shall be unclean for you.’” Then after it takes upon itself in its mother's belly all the commandments which are in the Torah, [only] after that it is born. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.”

(Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” This text is related (to Job 29:2), “O that I were as in the months of old, [as in the days when God watched over me]!” In regard to this verse, Job spoke it when the afflictions had come upon him. He said, “’O that I were as in the months of old,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!” “As in the days when God watched over me!” [These words] teach that the infant is watched over while it is in its mother's belly. (Job 29:3:) “When His light shone over my head […].” From here you learn that the infant has light in its mother's belly. (Job 29:4:) “When I was in the days of my youth (horef),¹Horef also means “winter.” Buber notes here that in the following simile, the infant in the womb is being protected in the womb as the winter rain protects the soil. when God's company was over my tent.” [These words teach about the infant.] Just as the rain is at work in the soil for it to become muddy, so the infant is muddy in its mother's womb. Another interpretation [of] “when God's company was over my tent”: These words teach about the infant. Just as the infant gets muddy, so is a person muddied by sins, so that misfortunes come upon him. At that time [Job] said (in Job 29:2), “’O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me,’ and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly!” What does he finally say (in vs. 4)? “When I was in the days of my youth.” R. Abbahu said, “The infant comes out of the mother's belly covered with slime and covered with blood; yet everyone praises and cherishes it, especially when it is a male.”²Tanh., Lev. 8:11; PRK 9:6. Ergo (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.” (Lev. 12:2:) “When a woman emits her seed.” [This text is related to (Ps. 139:5),] “You have formed me behind and before.” The text speaks of the first Adam.³Cf. Gen. R. 8:1; 14:5; Lev. R. 14:1; M. Pss. 139:6. R. Johanan said, “It is written about him that there were two creations. There is a double y (i.e., a double yod in Gen. 2:7), ‘The Lord God formed (yytsr) the human.’ One formation is in this world, and one is for the world to come. But in the case of cattle, wild beasts, and birds, for them [only] one formation is written (without a double y in Gen. 2:19), ‘So out of the earth the Lord God formed (ytsr) all the wild beasts of the field [and all the birds of the heavens].’ It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Simeon ben Laqish says, “Behind (in the sense of what comes] before the act of [his] creation. What is the reason? It is written (in Gen. 1:2), ‘and the spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters’; this spirit was the soul of the first Adam. It therefore says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’” R. Eleazar ben Pedat says, “Behind [refers] to an [later] event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an [earlier] event of the sixth day. How so? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, created six things on the sixth day. They were these: (1) the soul; (2) wild beasts; (3) cattle; (4) beasts of the earth; (5) Adam; and (6) Eve. Now Adam's soul was created first, as stated (in Gen. 1:24), ‘a living soul.’ Living soul can only be the soul of Adam, since it is stated (in Gen. 2:7), ‘and the human (Adam) became a living soul.’ Hence, before [refers] to the [first] event of the sixth day, and behind [refers] to the sixth day, since [the Holy One, blessed be He,] was occupied with him all of the sixth day. Ergo (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’ Behind [refers] to an event of the sixth day, and before [refers] to an event of the sixth day.” R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “What is the meaning of ‘You have formed me behind and before?’ Having two faces, male and female. Hence it says (in Ps. 139:5), ‘You have formed me behind and before.’”⁴Ber. 61a; ‘Eruv. 18a. Adam said, “After the Holy One, blessed be He, had created all the cattle and wild beasts, He created me.” So it is with the infant. Before it comes forth from its mother's belly, the Holy One, blessed be He, commands it, “Eat of this, do not eat of that, (in Lev. 11:29) ‘this shall be unclean for you.’” Then after it takes upon itself in its mother's belly all the commandments which are in the Torah, [only] after that it is born. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 12:2), “When a woman emits her seed and bears a male.”

[(Job 29:3:) WHEN HIS LIGHT SHONE OVER MY HEAD. From here you learn that the infant has light in its mother's belly.]

(Job 29:4:) WHEN I WAS IN THE DAYS OF MY YOUTH (horef),²Horef also means “winter.” Buber notes here that in the following simile, the infant in the womb is being protected in the womb as the winter rain protects the soil. [WHEN THE GOD'S COMPANY WAS OVER MY TENT. These words teach about the infant.] Just as the rain is at work in the soil for it to become muddy, so the infant is muddy in its mother's womb. {WHEN THE GOD'S COMPANY WAS OVER MY TENT. These words teach about the infant.} Moreover, just as the infant stays muddy, [so is a person muddied] by sins, so that misfortunes come upon him. At that time < Job > said (in Job 29:2): O THAT I WERE AS IN THE MONTHS OF OLD, AS IN THE DAYS WHEN GOD WATCHED OVER ME, and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly! What does he finally say (in vs. 4)? WHEN I WAS IN THE DAYS OF MY YOUTH. R. Abbahu said: The infant comes out of the mother's belly covered with slime and covered with blood; yet everyone praises and cherishes it, especially when it is a male.³Tanh., Lev. 8:11; PRK 9:6. Ergo (in Lev. 12:2): WHEN A WOMAN EMITS HER SEED AND BEARS A MALE.

(Job 29:4:) WHEN I WAS IN THE DAYS OF MY YOUTH (horef),²Horef also means “winter.” Buber notes here that in the following simile, the infant in the womb is being protected in the womb as the winter rain protects the soil. [WHEN THE GOD'S COMPANY WAS OVER MY TENT. These words teach about the infant.] Just as the rain is at work in the soil for it to become muddy, so the infant is muddy in its mother's womb. {WHEN THE GOD'S COMPANY WAS OVER MY TENT. These words teach about the infant.} Moreover, just as the infant stays muddy, [so is a person muddied] by sins, so that misfortunes come upon him. At that time < Job > said (in Job 29:2): O THAT I WERE AS IN THE MONTHS OF OLD, AS IN THE DAYS WHEN GOD WATCHED OVER ME, and would that I had the days which I had when I was in my mother's belly! What does he finally say (in vs. 4)? WHEN I WAS IN THE DAYS OF MY YOUTH. R. Abbahu said: The infant comes out of the mother's belly covered with slime and covered with blood; yet everyone praises and cherishes it, especially when it is a male.³Tanh., Lev. 8:11; PRK 9:6. Ergo (in Lev. 12:2): WHEN A WOMAN EMITS HER SEED AND BEARS A MALE.

(Deut. 16:18:) “[You shall appoint] judges and law officers,” “judges” are magistrates, and “law officers” are administrators that supervise the people.¹¹Cf. Sifre to Deut. 16:18 (144). R. Eleazar said, “If there is no law officer, there is no judge. How so? When someone is found by a court to have a legal obligation to his companion, if there is no law officer who will collect from him when he withdraws from the court, there is no power in the hands of the judge to do anything to him. If, however, [a law officer is present], he delivers him into the hand of the law officer, and the law officer extracts compliance from him.” R. Eleazar ben Pedat said, “If it had not been for the law-enforcing office¹²Siteno, which is being read as sitero, as suggested by Jastrow, s.v. of Joab, David could not have enforced justice.” And so it says (in I Chron. 18:14-15 // II Sam. 8:15-16), “So David administered judgment and righteousness to all his people. And Joab ben Zeruiah was over the army.” Were David and Joab judges together? It is simply that whenever someone did not heed the judge, they delivered him into the hands of Joab, and he extracted [compliance] from him against his will. And so Job said (in Job 29:16-17), “I was a father to the poor […]. I broke the jaws [of the evildoer].”

."

(Deut. 16:18:) <YOU SHALL APPOINT> JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS <FOR YOURSELVES>: JUDGES operate in courts, and LAW OFFICERS operate in the community.¹⁸Tanh., Deut. 5:2; cf. Sifre to Deut. 16:18 (144). R. Eleazar said: If there is no law officer, there is no judge. How so? When someone is found by a court to have a legal obligation to his companion, if there is no law officer who will collect from him when he withdraws from the judges, there is no power in the hands of the judge to do anything to him. If, however, <a law officer is present>, he delivers him into the hand of the law officer, and the law officer extracts compliance from him. R. Eleazar ben Pedat said: If it had not been for the law-enforcing office¹⁹Siteno, which is being read as sitero, as suggested by Jastrow, s.v. of Joab, David could not have enforced justice. And so it says (in I Chron. 18:14–15 // II Sam. 8:15–16): SO {DAVID}²⁰The only difference between the versions of Chronicles and Samuel is that the name DAVID, which Buber chooses to bracket, appears only in the Samuel version. ADMINISTERED JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS TO ALL HIS PEOPLE, WHILE JOAB BEN ZERUIAH WAS OVER THE ARMY. Were David and Joab judges? It is simply that whenever someone did not heed the judge, they delivered him into the hands of Joab, and he extracted compliance from him against his will. And so Joab said (in Job 29:16–17): I WAS A FATHER TO THE POOR…. I BROKE THE JAWS OF THE EVILDOER.

The Holy One, blessed be He, would summon the angel in charge of souls¹⁰See Ginzberg, Legends, 1:56. and say to him: Bring Me a certain soul which is in the Garden of Eden, whose name is so-and-so, and whose form is such-and-such. All the souls that would exist in the future were fashioned with the first man, and they will exist to the end of the world. All of them were created on the sixth day of creation. They were designated to be the descendants of Adam, as it is said: Whatsoever cometh into being, the name thereof was given long ago (Eccles. 6:10). Then the angel departed to bring the soul to the Holy One, blessed be He. When the soul was brought in, it prostrated itself before the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He. At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, says to the soul: Enter the semen that is in this one’s hand. The soul opens its mouth and cries out: “Master of the Universe, I have always been satisfied with the place in which I dwelt from the day you created me, why do You desire that I enter this putrid drop? Now I am holy and pure, but then I will be cut off from the place of Thy glory.” Thereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, replied: The place which you are to enter is better for you than where you have dwelt. From the moment I created you it was only for this drop of semen. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, forced him to enter there though against his will. After that the angel turned around and placed the soul in the womb of his mother, and two angels were assigned to guard it lest it go out and fall. He placed a lighted candle at his head, as it is said: Oh, that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me; when His light shined over my head (Job 29:2).

(Numb. 34:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel [and say unto them], “When you come into the Land of Canaan, [this is the land]....”’” [“This is the land”]⁶These words occur also in Deut. 34:4 (cited below). The midrash, therefore, interprets the two passages together. What follows in Numb. 34:3ff. describes what Israel is about to receive, while Deut. 34:4 (cited below) speaks of the promise to Israel’s future seed and adds that Moses shall see it. teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, showed Moses all that had been and all that was going to be.⁷Numb. R. 23:5. He showed him Samson arising from Dan, and Barak [arising] from Naphtali. So also it was for every generation with its expounders, every generation with its leaders,⁸Gk.: pronoos. every generation with its sages, every generation with its wicked, every generation with its righteous, as stated (in Deut. 34:4,) “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob....” [This] teaches that He showed him gehinnom. Moshe said in front of Him, “Master of the world, who is sentenced to it?” He said to him, “The wicked and those that rebel against Me, as stated (in Is. 66:24), “And they went out and saw the corpses of the people....” Moshe began to fear. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (as in Deut. 34:4), “I have shown it to your eyes, but you will not pass there.” And what is the meaning of “This is the land which I swore to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, saying?” [The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses,] “The oath that I swore to them I have fulfilled for their children.” It is therefore stated (in Deut. 34:4), “saying.”⁹The Hebrew here can imply the giving of one’s solemn word. (Numbers 34:2:) “This is the land that shall fall to you as your portion.” And does the land fall? But is it not written (in Eccl. 1:4), “but the land stands forever?” It is simply that when the spies came and put out slander on the land and said (in Numb. 13:33), “And we saw the Nephilim there,” and they said (in Numb. 12:31), “it is stronger than us,” Moshe got angry. [Then] all of Israel said, “Moses, our teacher, if these spies were two [or] three, it would be correct for us to trust [them], as stated (Deut. 17:6), ‘By the testimony of two witnesses....’ And behold, they are ten, (as in Deut. 1:28), ‘To where shall we go up?’” As it were, [they were complaining that] the Master of the house is not able to remove his vessels (the inhabitants) from there. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took the ministering angel of the land and bound him and put him down in front of them, as stated (Deut. 1:21), “See the Lord, your God, has placed in front of you....” And was [the land] in front of them? It is simply that He put down its ministering angel. And He said to them (in Deut. 1:21, cont.), “Go up and possess..., do not fear and do not tremble,” not from the Nephilim and not from the people that [you say] are bigger and more numerous than us. (Ezek. 45:1:) “When you allot the land as an inheritance....” This text is related (to Psalms 16:6), “Portions of land fell to me in pleasantness, even a beautiful inheritance for me.” “Portions of land fell to me.” These are the twelve tribes, since the land was divided to the twelve tribes, as stated (in Ezek. 47:13), “Thus said the Lord God, ‘These shall be the boundaries of the land that you shall allot to the twelve tribes of Israel.’” “In pleasantness,” in the merit of the Torah, about which it is stated (in Prov. 22:18), “As it is pleasant that you should store them in your belly....” “Even a beautiful inheritance for me.” There is a man who is handsome but his clothing is ugly, and one is ugly but his clothing handsome. But Israel is not like this. They are handsome and their clothing is handsome. They adorn the land and the Land of Israel adorns them. Hence it is stated (in Ps. 16:6), “Even a beautiful inheritance for me.” And so too is it stated (in Job 29:14), “I clothed myself in righteousness and it clothed me.”

(Deut. 3:26), “Do not [ever] speak [unto me on this matter] again.]” This is related to what Job said (in Job 20:6-7), “Even though one's height ascends to the heavens, [and his head reaches the clouds]. He perishes forever, like his dung….” With reference to whom did Job say this verse? It only speaks with reference to the day of death. So even though one ascends to the heavens and makes himself wings like a bird; when his time to die arrives, his wings are broken, and he falls before the angel of death like an animal before the butcher. So also has David said (in Ps. 146:4), “His spirit departs; he returns to the ground.” And Job has already stated (in Job 3:19), “The small and the great are there, and the slave ('eved) is free from his master.” As even if his master bought him for thousands and thousands of gold coins, once [the slave’s] time to die has come, he cannot say, “He is my slave,” but rather he becomes free from his master. Another interpretation (of Job 20:6), “Even though one's height ascends to the heavens.” This refers to Moses, who ascended to the firmament and who came to the Araphel (the lower sky). Moreover, he was like the ministering angels in that he spoke with Him (i.e., with the Holy One, blessed be He,) face to face and received the Torah from His hand. When his time to die arrived, He said to him (in Deut. 31:14), “Behold the days are drawing near for you to die.” [Moses] said to Him, “Master of the world, is it for nothing that my feet have trodden Araphel? Is it for nothing that I have run before Your children like a horse, that my end be for the worm? R. Abbahu said, “To what is the matter comparable? To one of the nobles of the kingdom, who found a certain Hindu sword, which was unmatched [in the world] and who said, ‘This is suitable only for the king.’ What did he do? He brought it to the king as a gift.¹⁵Gk.: doron. The king said, ‘Cut off his head with it.’ So also Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘By the word that I [used to] praise¹⁶Rt.: KLS. Cf. Gk.: kalos. you, when I said (in Deut. 10:14), “Behold (hen), the heavens [and the heavens of the heavens, the earth and all that is in it] belong to the Lord your God!’ By that [very] word (i.e., hen) You are decreeing death over me, when you say (in Deut. 31:14), “Behold (hen), the days are drawing near for you to die.”’”¹⁷Below, Deut. 11:6. He said to him, “Moses, I have already decreed¹⁸Rt.: QLS. Cf. Lat.: census; Gk.: kensos. death over the first Adam.” He said to him, “My master, the first Adam deserved to die. You decreed an easy commandment for him, and he transgressed it. Hence it is fitting for him to die. [God] said to him, “Consider Abraham, [who] sanctified My name in My world [but still died].” He said to him, “Master of the world, From Abraham there came out Ishmael, whose race provoked You to anger, as stated (in Job 12:6) ‘The tents of robbers prosper, [and those who provoke God have security, the ones whom God brought forth in His hand].’” He said to him, “Consider Isaac, who stretched out his neck upon the altar.” He said to him, “From Isaac there came out Esau, who in the future will destroy the Temple and burn Your sanctuary.” He said to him, “Consider Jacob, out of whom there came twelve tribes without any flaw.” He said to him “Jacob did not ascend into the firmament, his feet did not trod Araphel, he was not like the ministering angels, he did not receive Torah from Your hand and he did not speak with you face to face.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Deut. 3:26), “Enough from you; do not [ever] speak [unto Me on this matter] again.” He said to Him, “Perhaps [future] generations will say, ‘If He had not found bad things in Moses, He would not have removed him from the world.” He said to him, “I have already written in my Torah (in Deut. 34:10), “Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.” He said in front of Him, “The people will say] I did your will in my youth, but I did not do your will in my old age.” He said to him, “I have already written (in Deut. 32:51), “Because you acted faithlessly with me.”¹⁹Cf. Numb. 20:12. He said to Him, “Please let me enter the land [and spend] two or three years there, and after that let me die.” He said to him (in Deut. 32:52), “And there you shall not go.” He said to Him, “If I am not to enter while alive, let me enter after my death.” He said to him, “Not while you are alive, and not when you are dead.” He said in front of Him, “Why all this anger against me?” He said to him (according to Deut. 32:51), “Because you did not sanctify Me.” He said to him, “With all mortals you are guided two or three times by the principle of mercy, as stated (in Job 33:29), ‘Behold, God does all these things two or three times to a man’; yet in my case, when a single sin is found in me, you do not forgive me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “See here, Moses, you have committed six sins, and I have not disclosed one of them. First you said, (in Exod. 4:13) ‘Please make someone else your agent’; secondly (in Exod. 5:23), ‘For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, [he has dealt worse with this people, and You have still not delivered Your people]’; thirdly (in Numb. 11:22) ‘If the sheep and cattle would be slaughtered for them , would it be [enough] for them’; fourthly (in Numb. 16:29), ‘The Lord did not send me’; fifthly (in Numb. 20:10), ‘Listen, you rebels, [shall we bring forth water for you from this rock]’;²⁰See above, the note at the end of Exod. 1:20. sixth (in Numb. 32:14), ‘And now you brood of sinners have arisen in place of your ancestors.’ But were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sinners, for you to say this to their children?” He said to Him, “I have learned so from You, when you said (in Numb. 17:3), ‘The censers of these who have sinned [at the cost of their lives].’ He said to him, “I said (ibid.), ‘At the cost of their lives,’ and not, ‘at the cost of their ancestors.’” He said in front of Him, “I am an individual, while Israel numbers sixty myriads (i.e., 600,000). They have sinned before You a lot of times; and when I sought mercy on their behalf, You forgave them. You took care of sixty myriads [because of me], yet You are not taking care of me.” He said to him, “Moses, a decree over a community is not like a decree over an individual. Furthermore, up to now [the] time was delivered into your hands, but from now [the] time is not delivered into your hands.” He said to Him, “Master of the universe, rise up from the seat of judgment and sit down upon the seat of mercy for me, so that I do not die. Then my sins shall be forgiven through torments which You shall bring on my body. So do not deliver me to the pangs of the angel of death. Moreover, if You do this, I will proclaim Your praise to all who come into the world, just as David has said (in Ps. 118:17), ‘I shall not die, but live [and recount the works of the Lord].’” He said to him (in vs. 20), “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall come through it.” [From this it follows that] death has been ordained from time immemorial for the righteous and for all mortals. When Moses saw that they paid no attention to him, he went to the heaven and earth, where he said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “Before seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 51:6), ‘for the heavens shall vanish like smoke, and the earth shall wear out like a garment.’”²¹See ‘AZ 17a, for this verse applied to Eleazar ben Dordia in a similar way. He went to the stars and planets. He said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “Before seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 34:4), ‘All the host of heaven shall rot away….’” He went to the mountains and hills. He said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “[Before seeking mercy for you,] we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 54:10), ‘For the mountains shall move, and the hills shall be shaken.’”²²The translation of the verb tenses here differs from some biblical translations but fits the sense of the midrash. He went to the Great Sea. He said to it, “Seek mercy for me.” [The sea] said to him, “Son of Amram, how is today different from a couple of [other] days? Are you not the son of Amram, who came upon me with your rod, smote me, and divided me into twelve parts? For I was unable to stand before you because the Divine Presence was walking at your right hand. It is so stated (in Is. 63:12), ‘Who had His glorious arm walk at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them […].’ So what has happened to you today?” When the sea reminded him what he had done in his youth, he cried out and said (in Job 29:2), “’O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me!’ When I passed through you, I was a world king; but now I am prostrate, and they pay no attention to me.” Immediately he betook himself to the arch[angel] of the [Divine] Presence and said to him, “Seek mercy for me, that I not die.” He said to him, “My master, Moses, why the exertion? This is what I have heard from behind the curtain:²³Pargod. Cf. Lat.: paragauda or [paragaudis] (a garment with a lace border); Gk.: Paragaudes (a garment with a purple border). That your prayer is not heard on this matter.” Putting his hands on his head, Moses sobbed and wept, as he said, “With whom shall I seek mercy for myself?” R. Simlay said, “At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, was full of anger over him, as stated (in Deut. 3:26), ‘But the Lord was angry with me […],’ until Moses began by uttering this Scripture (Exod. 34:6): ‘Then the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “the Lord, the Lord is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger…].’” Immediately the holy spirit was cooled off.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Moses, I have sworn two oaths, one that you should die and one to destroy Israel. To repeal both of them is impossible; so if you want to live, Israel will be destroyed.” He said before Him, “You are coming to me with a plot. You are seizing the rope at both ends. Let Moses and a thousand like him be destroyed, but do not let one person in Israel be destroyed.” He said to him, “Master of the Universe, should feet that have climbed up to the firmament, should a face that has greeted the Divine Presence, should hands that have received Torah from Your hands lick the dust? Woe!²⁴Vay. All mortals will say, “If Moses, who ascended on high, became like the ministering angels, spoke with Him face to face, and received Torah from His hand, had no reply for responding to the Holy One, blessed be He, how much the worse it will be for [mere] flesh and blood, who comes with no [merit from] Torah and with no [merit from the] commandments?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Why all this anguish that you are experiencing?” He said, “Master of the world, I am afraid of the pangs of the angel of death.” He said to him, “I am not delivering you into his hands.” He said in front of Him, “Master of the universe, my mother Jochebed, who was distressed (literally, whose teeth were blunted) during her lifetime by two of her sons, will be distressed by my death.” He said to him, “So has it come up in [My] mind, and so is it the way of the world: every generation with its expositors, every generation with its administrators,²⁵Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”). every generation with its leaders. Up to now it has been your lot to serve in front of Me, but now your lot is over and the time of your disciple Joshua for him to serve [Me] has arrived.” He said to him, “My Master, if I am dying because of Joshua, let me go and become his disciple!” He said to him, “If you want to do that, go and do it.” Moses arose and went early to Joshua's door.²⁶Cf. the somewhat different account in Deut. R. 9:9. Now Joshua was seated expounding [Torah], so Moses stopped to bend his stature and put his hand on his mouth. But Joshua's eyes were hidden, and he did not see him, so that he (Moses) would be sorrowful and resign himself to death. When Israel came to Moses' door to study Torah, they asked and said, “Where did Moshe our master [go]?” [Others] said to them, “He got up early and went to the door of Joshua.” [So] they went and found him at the door of Joshua, with Joshua sitting and Moses standing. They said to Joshua, “What has come over you that Moses our master stands, while you sit?” When he raised his eyes and saw him, he immediately rent his clothes. Then sobbing and weeping, he said, “O my master, my master! My father, my father and lord!” Israel said to Moses, “Moses our master, teach us Torah.” He said to them, “I am not allowed.” They said to him, “We are not leaving you.” A heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said to them, “Learn from Joshua.” [So] they took upon themselves to sit and learn from the mouth of Joshua. Joshua sat at the head with Moses to his right and with [Elazar and Ithamar] to his left. So he sat and expounded in the presence of Moses. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said that R. Johanan said, “When Joshua opened by saying, ‘Blessed be the One who has chosen the righteous,” they took the traditions of wisdom from Moses and gave them to Joshua. Now Moses did not know what Joshua was expounding. After Israel arose [from the session], they said to Moses, “[Explain] the Torah [we have just heard] to us.” He said to them, “I do not know what to answer you.” So Moses our master was stumbling and falling. It was at that time that he said, “Master of the universe, up to now I requested life, but now here is my soul given over to You.” Then when he had resigned himself to death, the Holy One, blessed be He, opened by saying (in Ps. 94:16), “’Who will stand for Me²⁷In context, the word, me, here is self-referential to the author of Psalms, and not referring to God. against evildoers?’ Who will stand for Israel in the time of My wrath? Who will stand in the battle of My children? And who will stand and seek mercy for them, when they sin before Me?” At that time Metatron²⁸Lat.: metator (“measurer,” “one who marks out boundaries”). came and fell on his face. He said to Him, “Master of the world, [as] in Moses' life he belonged to You, so in his death he belongs to You.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Let me give you a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a son. Now on each and every day, his father was angry with him and sought to kill him because he did not maintain respect for the father; but his mother rescued him from his hand. One day his mother died and the king wept. His servants said to him, ‘Our lord king, why are you weeping?’ He said to them, ‘It is not over my wife alone that I am weeping, but for my son; for many times when I was angry with him and wanted to kill him, did she rescue him from my hand?’” So also did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Metatron, “It is not over Moses alone that I am weeping, but over him and over Israel, for look at how many times that they angered Me, and I was angry with them; but he stood in the breach before Me to turn back My anger from destroying them.” They came and said to Moses, “The hour has arrived for you to depart from the world.” He said to them, “Wait for me until I bless Israel, for they have not found contentment from me all my days, because of the rebukes and warnings with which I rebuked them.” He began to bless each tribe separately. When he saw that the time was growing short, he included all of them in a single blessing. They came and said, “The hour has arrived for your soul to depart from the world.” He said to Israel, “I have caused you a lot of grief over the Torah and over the commandments, but now forgive me.” They said to him, “Our lord master, you are forgiven.” Israel also arose before him and said to him, “O Moses our master, we have angered you a lot and increased the burden upon you. Forgive us.” He said to them, “You are forgiven.” They came and said to him, “The moment has arrived for you to depart from the world.” He said, “Blessed be the name of the One who lives and abides forever.” He said to Israel, “If you please, when you enter the land, remember me and my bones, and you shall say, ‘Woe (oy) to the son of Amram, who ran before us like a horse but whose bones have fallen in the wilderness.’” They came and said to him, “The half moment has arrived.” He took his two arms and placed them on his heart. Then he said to Israel, “See the final end of flesh and blood.” They answered and said, “The hands which received the Torah from the mouth of the Almighty shall fall to the grave.” At that moment his soul departed with a kiss (from the Holy One, blessed be He),²⁹See MQ 28a. as stated (in Deut. 34:5), “Then Moses [the servant of the Lord] died there [in the Land of Moab at the command of the Lord (literally, by the mouth of the Lord)].”³⁰BB 17a; ARN, A 12:2; Cant. R. 1:2:5; Petirat Mosheh Rabbenu, recension A, in A. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch (Leipzig: Vollrath, 1853-57), vol. I, p. 129; ibid., recension B, in Jellinek, vol. VI, p. 77. Now [the ones who] took care of his burial were neither Israel nor the angels but the Holy One, blessed be He, [Himself], as stated (in vs. 6), “Then He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) buried him (Moses) in the valley [in the Land of Moab].” And for what reason was he buried outside the land? So that those who die when outside the land might live [again] through his merit,³¹The translation here follows the traditional Tanhuma. Deut. 2:6. So also Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. The Buber text omits “might live again” and reads “through their merit.” as stated (in Deut. 33:21), “He has chosen the best for himself, [for there is an honored lawgiver's portion].” But when did Moses our master die? On the seventh of Adar,³²Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, 10; TSot. 11:7; Qid. 38a; see Meg. 13b; Sot. 12b. as stated (in Deut. 34:5), “Then Moses the servant of the Lord died there [in the Land of Moab].” It is also written (in vs. 8), “And the children of Israel mourned Moses [on the Plains of Moab for thirty days.]” And it is written (in Josh. 1:1), “And it came to pass after the death of Moses, [the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke unto Joshua]”; (Josh. 4:19) “Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month (i.e., Nisan).” Reckon back thirty-three days [from then]. Ergo, he died on the seventh of Adar. And where is it shown that he was born on the seventh of Adar? Where it is stated (in Deut. 31:2), “He said to them, ‘I am one hundred twenty years old today.’”³³Since Moses spoke these words on the day of his death, his birthday must have been the same as the day of his death. What is the text teaching with, “today?” Today, I have fulfilled my days and any years. [It is there] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills the years for the righteous from day to day and from month to month, as stated (in Exod. 23:26), “I will fulfill the number of your days.”

(Job 20:6): EVEN THOUGH ONE'S HEIGHT ASCENDS TO THE HEAVENS. This refers to Moses, who ascended to the firmament and whose feet trod on Araphel (the lower sky). Moreover, he was like the ministering angels in that he spoke with him (i.e., with the Holy One) face to face and received the Torah from his hand. When his time to die arrived, he said to him (in Deut. 31:14): BEHOLD THE DAYS ARE DRAWING NEAR FOR YOU TO DIE. <Moses> said to him: Sovereign of the world, is it for nothing that my feet have trodden Araphel? Is it for nothing that I have run before your children like a horse? Is my end the worm and the maggot? R. Abbahu said: To what is the matter comparable? To one of the nobles of the kingdom, who found a certain Hindu sword, which was unmatched [in the world] and who said: This is suitable only for the king. What did he do? He brought it to the king as a gift.¹⁹Gk.: doron. The king said: Cut off his head with it. So also Moses said to the Holy One: By the word that I <used to> praise²⁰Rt.: KLS. Cf. Gk.: kalos. you, when I said (in Deut. 10:14): BEHOLD (hen), <THE HEAVENS AND THE HEAVENS OF THE HEAVENS, THE EARTH AND ALL THAT IS IN IT> BELONG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD! by that <very> word (i.e., hen) you are decreeing death over me, when you say (in Deut. 31:14): BEHOLD (hen), THE DAYS ARE DRAWING NEAR FOR YOU <TO DIE>.²¹Below, Deut. 11:6. He said to him: I have already decreed²²Rt.: QLS. Cf. Lat.: census; Gk.: kensos. death over the first Adam. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, [the first] Adam deserved to die. You decreed an easy commandment for him, and he transgressed it. But I should not die. He said to him: Consider Abraham, who sanctified my name in the world but <still> died. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, consider <the fact that> out of him there came Ishmael, whose race provoked you to anger, as stated (in Job 12:6) THE TENTS OF ROBBERS PROSPER, AND THOSE WHO PROVOKE GOD HAVE SECURITY, THE ONES WHOM GOD BROUGHT FORTH IN HIS HAND. He said to him: consider Isaac, who stretched out his neck upon the altar. He said to him: Out of him there came Esau the Wicked, who destroyed your sanctuary and burned your temple. He said to him: Consider Jacob, out of whom there came twelve tribes. He said to him Jacob did not ascend into the firmament, his feet did not trod Araphel, he did not receive Torah from your hand, and he did not speak with you face to face. The Holy One said to him (in Deut. 3:26): ENOUGH FROM YOU! DO NOT <EVER> SPEAK <UNTO ME ON THIS MATTER> AGAIN. He said to him: Perhaps <future> generations will say: If he had not found evil things in Moses, he would not have removed him from the world. He said to him: I have already written in my Torah (in Deut. 34:10): NEVER AGAIN DID THERE ARISE IN ISRAEL A PROPHET LIKE MOSES. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, perhaps [the people will say] I did your will in my youth, but I did not do your will in my old age. He said to him: I have already written (in Deut. 32:51): [BECAUSE YOU ACTED FAITHLESSLY WITH ME] <AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AT THE WATERS OF MERIBATH-KADESH IN THE WILDERNESS OF ZIN>, BECAUSE YOU DID NOT SANCTIFY ME <AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL>.²³Cf. Numb. 20:12. He said to him: If you are willing, let me enter the land [and spend] two or three years [there], and after that let me die. He said to him: It is an irrevocable decision from me. He said to him: If I am not to enter while alive, let me enter after my death. He said to him: Not while you are alive, and not when you are dead. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, why all this anger against me? (According to Deut. 32:51) BECAUSE HE DID NOT SANCTIFY ME. He said to him: With all mortals you are guided two or three times by the principle of mercy, as stated (in Job 33:29): BEHOLD, GOD DOES ALL THESE THINGS TWO OR THREE TIMES TO A MAN; yet in my case, when a single sin is found in me, you do not forgive me. The Holy One said to him: See here, Moses, you have committed six sins, and I have not disclosed one of them. (1) In the first place you said (in Exod. 4:13) PLEASE MAKE SOMEONE ELSE YOUR AGENT. (2, in Exod. 5:23:) FOR EVER SINCE I CAME TO PHARAOH TO SPEAK IN YOUR NAME, [HE HAS DEALT WORSE WITH THIS PEOPLE, AND YOU HAVE STILL NOT DELIVERED YOUR PEOPLE]. (3, In Numb. 16:29:) THE LORD DID NOT SEND ME. (4, In Numb. 16:30:) BUT IF THE LORD CREATES SOMETHING NEW. (5, In Numb. 20:10:) LISTEN, YOU REBELS, <SHALL WE BRING FORTH WATER FOR YOU FROM THIS ROCK>?²⁴See above, the note at the end of Exod. 1:20. (6, Numb:32:14:) AND NOW YOU BROOD OF SINNERS HAVE ARISEN IN PLACE OF YOUR ANCESTORS. But were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sinners, for you to say this to their children? He said to him: I have learned so from you, when you said (in Numb. 17:3 [16:38]): THE CENSERS OF <THESE> WHO HAVE SINNED <AT THE COST OF THEIR LIVES>. He said to him: I said (ibid.): AT THE COST OF THEIR LIVES, and not: "At the cost of their ancestors." He said to him: Sovereign of the World: I am an individual, while Israel numbers sixty myriads (i.e., 600,000). They have sinned before you a lot of times; and when I sought mercy on their behalf, you forgave them. You took care of sixty myriads because of me, yet you are not taking care of me. He said to him: Moses, a decree over a community is not like a decree over an individual. Furthermore, up to now time was delivered into your hands, but now time is not delivered into your hands. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, rise up from the seat of judgment and sit down upon the seat of mercy for me, so that I do not die. Then my sins shall be forgiven through torments which you have brought on my body. So do not deliver me into the bonds of the angel of death. Moreover, if you do this, I will proclaim your praise to all who come into the world, just as David has said (in Ps. 118:17–18): I SHALL NOT DIE, BUT LIVE AND RECOUNT THE WORKS OF THE LORD. <THE LORD HAS PUNISHED ME SEVERELY, BUT HE DID NOT HAND ME OVER TO DEATH.> He said to him (in vs. 20): THIS IS THE GATE OF THE LORD; [THE RIGHTEOUS SHALL COME THROUGH IT.] From this it follows that for the righteous and for all mortals death has been ordained from time immemorial. When Moses saw that they paid no attention to him, he went to heaven and earth, where he said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: Instead of us seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 51:6): FOR THE HEAVENS SHALL VANISH LIKE SMOKE, AND THE EARTH SHALL WEAR OUT LIKE A GARMENT.²⁵See ‘AZ a for this verse applied to Eleazar ben Dordia in a similar way. He went to the sun and the moon. He said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: Instead of us seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 24:23): THEN THE MOON SHALL BE ASHAMED, AND THE SUN SHALL BE ABASHED. He went to the stars and planets. He said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: [Instead of us seeking mercy for you,] we should seek mercy for ourselves, [since it is stated] (in Is. 34:4): ALL THE HOST OF HEAVEN SHALL ROT AWAY [….] He went to the mountains and hills. He said to them: Seek mercy for me. They said to him: We should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 54:10): FOR THE MOUNTAINS SHALL MOVE, AND THE HILLS SHALL BE SHAKEN.²⁶The translation of the verb tenses here differs from some biblical versions but fits the sense of the midrash. He went to the Great Sea. He said to it: [Seek mercy for me. The sea] said to him: Son of Amram, how is today different from a couple of <other> days? Are you not the son of Amram? <Are you not the one> who came upon me with your rod, smote me, and divided me into twelve parts? For I was unable to stand before you because the Divine Presence was walking at your right hand. It is so stated (in Is. 63:12): WHO HAD <HIS GLORIOUS ARM> WALK AT THE RIGHT HAND OF MOSES, <WHO DIVIDED THE WATERS BEFORE THEM>…. So now what has happened to you? When the sea reminded him what he had done in his youth, he cried out and said (in Job 29:2): O THAT I WERE AS IN THE MONTHS OF OLD, <AS IN THE DAYS WHEN GOD WATCHED OVER ME>! When I stood by you, I was a king in the world; but now I am prostrate, and they pay no attention to me. Immediately he betook himself to the Arch<angel> of the <Divine> Presence and said to him: Seek mercy for me, that I not die. He said to him: My Master, Moses, why is this a problem? This is what I have heard from behind the Curtain:²⁷Pargod. Cf. Lat.: paragauda or [paragaudis] (a garment with a lace border); Gk.: Paragaudes (a garment with a purple border). that your prayer has not been heard on this matter. Putting his hands on his head, Moses sobbed and wept, as he said: With whom shall I seek mercy for myself? R. Simlay said: At that time the Holy One was full of anger over him, as stated (in Deut. 3:26): BUT THE LORD WAS ANGRY WITH ME, until Moses began by uttering this scripture: (Exod. 34:6:) [THEN THE LORD PASSED BEFORE HIM AND PROCLAIMED:] THE LORD: THE LORD IS A MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS GOD, <SLOW TO ANGER>…. Immediately the Holy Spirit cooled him off. The Holy One said to Moses: Moses, I have sworn two oaths, one that you should die and one to destroy Israel. To repeal both of them is impossible; so if you want to live, Israel will be destroyed. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, are you coming to me with a plot? You are seizing the rope at both ends. Let Moses and a thousand like him be destroyed, but do not let one person in Israel be destroyed. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, should feet that have climbed up to the firmament, should a face that has greeted the Divine Presence, should hands that have received Torah from your hand lick the dust? Woe²⁸Vay. to all mortals. They will say: If Moses, who ascended on high, became like the ministering angels, spoke with him face to face, and received Torah from his hand, had no reply for responding to the Holy One, how much the worse it will be for <mere> flesh and blood, who comes with no Torah and with no commandments? The Holy One said to Moses: Why all this sorrow over which you are sorrowing? He said: Sovereign of the World, I am afraid of the bonds of the angel of death. He said to him: I am not delivering you into his hands. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, my mother [Jochebed], who was put to shame (literally: whose teeth were blunted) during her lifetime by two of her sons, will be put to shame by my death. He said to him: This has come to mind, but this is the way of the world: every generation with its expositors, every generation with its administrators,²⁹Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”). every generation with its leaders. Up to now it has been your lot to serve <me>, [but now the lot of your disciple Joshua has arrived for him to serve <me>]. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, if I am dying because of Joshua, let me go and become his disciple! He said to him: If you want to do that, go and do it. Moses arose and went early to Joshua's door.³⁰Cf. the somewhat different account in Deut. R. 9:9. Now Joshua was seated expounding <Torah>, so Moses stopped to bend his proud stature and put his hand on his mouth. But Joshua's eyes were hidden, and he did not see him, so that he (Moses) would be sorrowful and resign himself [to death]. When Israel came to Moses' door, they found him at the door of Joshua with Joshua sitting and Moses standing. They said to Joshua: What has come over you that Moses our Master stands, while you sit? When he raised his eyes and saw him, he immediately rent his clothes. Then sobbing and weeping, he said: O my Master, my Master! My Father, my Father and Lord! Israel said to Moses: Moses our Master, teach us Torah. He said to them: I have no authority. They said to him: We are not leaving you. A heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said to them: Learn from Joshua. They took upon themselves to sit and learn from the mouth of Joshua. Joshua sat at the head with Moses to his right and with Eleazar and Ithamar to his left. So he sat and expounded in the presence of Moses. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: R. Johanan said: When Joshua opened by saying: Blessed be the one who has chosen the righteous and their Mishnaic teaching, they took the traditions of wisdom from Moses and gave them to Joshua. Now Moses did not know what Joshua was expounding. After Israel arose <from the session>, they said to Moses: Close off the Torah for us. He said to them: I do not know what to answer you. So Moses our Master was stumbling and falling. It was at that time that he said: Sovereign of the World, up to now I wanted to live, but now here is my soul given over to you.. Then when he had resigned his soul to death, the Holy One opened by saying (in Ps. 94:16): WHO WILL STAND FOR ME AGAINST EVILDOERS? Who will stand for Israel in the time of my wrath? Who will stand in the battle of my children? And who will stand and seek mercy for them, when they sin before me? At that time Metatron³¹Lat.: metator (“measurer,” “one who marks out boundaries”). came and fell on his face. He said to him: Sovereign of the World, <as> in Moses' life he belonged to you, so in his death he belongs to you. The Holy One said to him: Let me give you a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a son. Now on each and every day his father was angry with him and sought to kill him, because he did not maintain respect for his father; but his mother rescued him from his hand. One day his mother died and the king wept. Her servants said to him: Our Lord King, why are you weeping? He said to them: It is not over my wife alone that I am weeping, but for my son; for many times when I was angry with him and wanted to kill him, she rescued him from my hand. So also did the Holy One say to Metatron: It is not over Moses alone that I am weeping, but over him and over Israel, for look at how many times that they angered me, and I was angry with them; but he stood in the breach before me [to turn back my anger from destroying them]. They came and said to Moses: The hour has arrived for you to depart from the world. He said to them: Wait for me until I bless Israel, for they have not found contentment from me all my days, because of the rebukes and warnings with which I rebuked them. He began to bless each tribe separately. When he saw that the time was growing short, he included all of them in a single blessing. They came and said: The hour has arrived for your soul to depart from the world. He said to Israel: I have caused you a lot of grief over the Torah and over the commandments, but now forgive me. They said to him: Our Lord Master, you are forgiven. Israel also arose before him and said to him: O Moses our Master, we have angered you a lot and increased the burden upon you. Forgive us. He said to them: You are forgiven. They came and said to him: The moment has arrived for you to depart from the world. He said: Blessed be the name of the one who lives and abides forever. He said to Israel: If you please, when you enter the land, remember me and my bones. They said: Woe (oy) to the son of Amram, who ran before us like a horse but whose bones have fallen in the wilderness. They came and said to him: The half moment has arrived. He took his two arms and placed them on his heart. Then he said to Israel: See the final end of flesh and blood. My two hands with which I received the Torah from the mouth of the Almighty shall fall in the grave. At that moment his breath departed with a kiss (from the Holy One),³²See MQ 28a. as stated (in Deut. 34:5): THEN MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD DIED THERE <IN THE LAND OF MOAB AT THE COMMAND OF THE LORD (literally: ON THE MOUTH OF THE LORD)>.³³BB 17a; ARN, A 12:2; Cant. R. 1:2:5; Petirat Mosheh Rabbenu, recension A, in A. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch (Leipzig: Vollrath, 1853-57), vol. I, p. 129; ibid., recension B, in Jellinek, vol. VI, p. 77. Now <the ones who> took care of his burial were neither Israel nor any of the angels but the Holy One <himself>, as stated (in vs. 6): THEN HE (THE HOLY ONE) BURIED HIM (MOSES) IN THE VALLEY <IN THE LAND OF MOAB>…. And for what reason was he buried outside the land? So that those who die when outside the land might live again through his merit,³⁴The translation here follows the traditional Tanhuma. Deut. 2:6. So also Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. The Buber text omits “might live again” and reads “through their merit.” as stated (in Deut. 33:21): HE HAS CHOSEN THE BEST FOR HIMSELF, <FOR THERE IS AN HONORED LAWGIVER'S PORTION, WHERE HE CAME AT THE HEAD OF THE PEOPLE. HE CARRIED OUT THE LORD's RIGHTEOUSNESS AND HIS ORDINANCES FOR ISRAEL>. But when did Moses our Master die? On the seventh of Adar,³⁵Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, 10; TSot. 11:7; Qid. 38a; see Meg. 13b; Sot. 12b. as stated (in Deut. 34:5): THEN MOSES THE SERVANT OF THE LORD DIED THERE <IN THE LAND OF MOAB>…. It is also written (in vs. 8): AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL MOURNED MOSES ON THE PLAINS OF MOAB FOR THIRTY DAYS. And it is written (in Josh. 1:1–2): AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE DEATH OF MOSES, THE SERVANT OF THE LORD, <THE LORD SPOKE UNTO JOSHUA BEN NUN, MOSES' ATTENDANT, SAYING>: MOSES MY SERVANT IS DEAD. (Josh. 4:19:) NOW THE PEOPLE CAME UP FROM THE JORDAN ON THE TENTH DAY OF {THIS} [THE FIRST] MONTH (i.e., Nisan). Reckon back from those thirty-three days. Ergo, he died on the seventh of Adar. And where is it shown that he was born on the seventh of Adar? Where it is stated (in Deut. 31:2): HE SAID TO THEM: I AM ONE HUNDRED TWENTY YEARS OLD TODAY.³⁶Since Moses spoke these words on the day of his death, his birthday must have been the same as the day of his death. What is the significance of TODAY? <It is there> to teach you that the Holy One fulfills the years for the righteous from day to day and from month to month, as stated (in Exod. 23:26): I WILL FULFILL THE NUMBER OF YOUR DAYS.

(Fol. 69) R. Anan sent the following message unto R. Huna: "Huna, our friend, peace unto you! When that woman will appear before you, you will please order to collect for her one-tenth of the estate." R. Shesheth was sitting before R. Huna [when the above message arrived.] R. Huna said to R. Shesheth: "Go and say to him the following: "And he should suffer a ban if he will not deliver the message, Anan, Anan! From real estate [shall I order to collect,] or from movable estate? Also [inform me] who sits at the head at the Marze'ach's meal?'" R. Shesheth [reluctantly] went to R. Anan and addressed him: "The master is my teacher, and R. Huna is the master's teacher, and if he would not have threatened with a ban [him who would not deliver the message] I would not have said it to the master: 'Anan, Anan, from real estate [should we order to collect,] or from movable property? And who sits at the head at the Marze'ah's meal?'" R. Anan thereupon went and complained before Mar Ukba, saying: "See master, how brusque R. Huna sent to me, 'Anan, Anan,' and he asked me about Marze'ach which I do not know even the meaning of the word," "Tell me (Ib. b) the entire story," the latter said to him. Whereupon he informed him that so and so was the case. "Oh," remarked Mar Ukba, "a man who knows not the meaning of Marze-ach ought not address R. Huna, our friend. Marze'ach means mourner, as it is written (Jer. 16, 5) For thus saith the Lord: Enter not into the house of mourning (Marze'ach)," etc. R. Abahu said: "Whence do we infer that a mourner is to sit at the head [when he eats the mourner's meal?] It is said (Job 29, 25) I chose out their way, and sat as chief, and dwelt as a king in the army, as one that comforteth the mourners. The word yenachem (comforteth) intimates to being comforted by others, [hence it refers to the mourner himself."] R. Nachman b. R. Isaac disputed this and said: "It is written in the passive mood," [hence it refers to the visitors.]. Mar Zutra said: "We infer it from the following (Amos 6, 7) And the revelry of them that stretched themselves shall pass away; i.e., he who is bitter [of soul] and distracted through bereavement is made the chief of those banqueting."

(Gen. 8, 19) After their families. R. Jochanan said: "Infer from this that each family was placed separately." R. Chana b. Bizna said: "Eliezer, the servant of Abraham, questioned Shem the senior (son of Noah). 'As all the animals were placed separately, where was your family placed?' And he answered: 'We had great trouble in the ark to feed all the animals. The creature whose habit it is to eat in the daytime we had to feed by day, and those whose habit it is to eat in the night, we had to feed by night. A chamoleon, my father did not know what its food was. It happened one day that he cut a pomegranate and a worm fell out of it, and the chamoleon consumed it, and from that time he prepared its food from bran that had become wormy. The lion's fever fed its vital energies, as Rab said: Not less than six and not more than twelve days one can live in fever without taking any food. The phoenix my father found that it slept in a corner of the ark, and to his question, 'Dost thou need any food,' it answered, 'I saw thou wert very busy, and I thought I would not trouble thee.' And he blessed her that it should never die, and concerning it says the passage (Job 29, 18) As the chaul (phoenix) shall I have many days'."

[(Gen. 27:28:) SO MAY GOD GIVE TO YOU.] It is written (in Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN UNTO WATER.⁵¹Cf. Gen. R. 66:1. Who spoke this verse? Job spoke it about himself, about the Temple, and about Jacob. In what way did he say about himself: MY ROOT IS OPEN … ? The doors of his house were open to those passing by, especially to Torah scholars. What is the meaning of UNTO (ele) WATER? To the rams (ele) of Torah and its warriors. It is just as you say (in Dan. 8:4): I SAW THE RAM CHARGING SEAWARD AND NORTHWARD. ["To water"] is not written here (in Job 29:19), but UNTO (ele) WATER, because the house of Job was opened to < such > wayfarers. Therefore (in Job 29:19, cont.): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES (qatsir). R. Hanina said: Everybody saw that when Job harvested his field, there were clouds gathered over his harvest (qatsir) because it would not have recovered its freshness from the burning heat.⁵²Cf. MS 1240 from the De Rossi library in Parma: “Because he would plant it away from the burning heat.” Ergo (in Job 29:19): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES (qatsir).

Another interpretation (of Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN UNTO WATER. This refers to the Temple because its gates were open to the Torah. Thus it is stated (in Is. 55:1): HO, ALL WHO ARE THIRSTY, COME TO THE WATERS (of Torah). < It is > just as our masters have taught (in Sanh. 11 [10]:2):⁵³Cf. THag. 2:9; TSanh. 7:1; ySanh. 1:4 (19c); Sanh. 88b. THERE WERE THREE LAW COURTS THERE: ONE AT THE OPENING TO THE TEMPLE MOUNT, ONE AT THE OPENING TO THE TEMPLE COURT, AND ONE IN THE HALL OF HEWN STONES. Ergo (in Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN < UNTO WATER (of Torah) >…. What is the meaning (of ibid., cont.): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES. That the dew does not [move] from there, as stated (in Ps. 133:3): LIKE THE DEW OF HERMON < WHICH COMES DOWN UPON THE HILLS OF ZION >.

Another interpretation (of Job 29:19): MY ROOT IS OPEN UNTO WATER. This was Jacob pursuing < the water of Torah > in the academies which were open to the Torah. Therefore (ibid., cont.): AND DEW SHALL LODGE ON MY BRANCHES? For, when he comes to his father to receive ten blessings, he begins for YOU with dew (in Gen. 27:28): SO MAY GOD GIVE YOU FROM THE DEW OF HEAVEN….

6 (Numb. 34:2) “This is the land that shall fall to you as your portion”: And does the land fall? But is it not written (in Eccl. 1:4), “but the land stands forever?” It is simply that when the spies came and put out slander on the land, Moses got angry. [Then] all of Israel said, “Moses, our teacher, if these spies were two [or] three, it would be correct for us to trust [them], as stated (Deut. 17:6), ‘By the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ And behold, they are ten, (as in Deut. 1:28), ‘To where shall we go up; our kinsmen have taken the heart out of us, saying, “We saw there a people stronger and taller than we.”’” As it were, [they were complaining that] the Master of the house is not able to remove his vessels (the inhabitants) from there. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took the ministering angel of the land and bound him and put him down in front of them, as stated (Deut. 1:21), “See the Lord, your God, has placed in front of you....” And was [the land] in front of them? It is simply that He put down its ministering angel. And He said to them (in Deut. 1:21, cont.), “Go up and possess..., do not fear and do not tremble,” not from the Nephilim and not from the numerous people. (Ezek. 45:1) “When you allot the land as an inheritance....”: This text is related (to Ps. 16:6), “Portions of land fell to me in pleasantness, even a beautiful inheritance for me.” “Portions of land fell to me”: These are the twelve tribes, since the land was divided to the twelve tribes, as stated (in Ezek. 47:13), “Thus said the Lord God, ‘These shall be the boundaries of the land that you shall allot to the twelve tribes of Israel.’” “In pleasantness,” in the merit of the Torah, about which it is stated (in Prov. 22:18), “As it is pleasant that you should store them in your belly [...].” There is a man who is handsome but his clothing is ugly, and one who is ugly but his clothing handsome. But [regarding] Israel, they adorn the land and the Land adorns them. Hence it is stated (in Ps. 16:6), “Even a beautiful inheritance for me.” And so too is it stated (in Job 29:14), “I clothed myself in righteousness and it clothed me.” It is written (in Josh. 7:19), “Then Joshua said unto Achan, ‘My son, please give glory to the Lord God of Israel [and make a confession to Him; please tell me what you have done, do not hide it from me.]’” Achan said to him, “Am I to die because of this thing that you are saying?” When Achan saw [the situation], he said in his heart, “Now I shall be entrapped by the lot. Then I shall be found untrue (rt.: 'mn) and deemed a liar before Joshua.” At that moment Achan said to Joshua, “Why are you casting lots between me and my house? Let me cast lots between you and Phinehas! If the lot does not come up for both of you, I also shall believe (rt.: 'mn) [in it].” At that moment (according to Josh. 7:19) Joshua said to Achan, “My son, please give glory to the Lord God of Israel and make a confession to Him. Please tell me what you have done.” Achan said to him, “You also tell me what you have done.” Immediately discord broke out in Israel, so that [Achan's] tribe of Judah arose in strife and killed one group in Israel after another. When Achan saw this, he said in his heart, “If anyone saves a single life in Israel, it is as though he had saved the entire world; yet in my case, it has been through me that several people in Israel have been killed. I am a sinner and one who causes [others] to sin. It is better [for me] to confess my transgression before the Holy One, blessed be He, and before Joshua, so that no calamity come about through me.” What did Achan do? He arose and made his voice heard, so that the whole congregation turned to him. He said to Joshua (in vs. 20), “’(Truly) I am the one who sinned before the Lord God of Israel; thus and so (literally, like this and like this) is what I have done.’ So it was not this alone, but I have already misappropriated other [things].”⁶See Gen. R. 85:14, according to which Achan had acted dishonestly in the person of his great grandfather, Zerah, the son of Judah by Tamar. Joshua said to him, “Indeed I also knew that you were responsible for the situation; (Josh. 7:19,) ‘please tell me what you have done. Do not hide it from me.’” (Vs. 21) “I saw among the spoils”: [He said,] “I have seen what is written in the Torah (in Deut. 20:14), ‘you may eat the spoils of your enemies.’” (Josh. 7:21, cont.) “A fine shinar mantle”: [He continued,] “Now do not say that I am poor and in need, for there is no one in the tribe [of Judah] wealthier than I. Immediately (there follows vs. 22), “Then Joshua sent messengers, and they ran to the tent and behold buried in his tent was the silver […].” For what reason did Joshua send them? So that the tribe of Judah would not steal them (i.e., the stolen articles) and continue in the discord. Joshua therefore sent quickly, and (according to vs. 23) “they brought them unto Joshua and unto all the Children of Israel; and they spread them out before the Lord.” What is the significance of “and they spread them out?” Joshua said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, is it because of these that You have been angry with Your children? Here they are set before you.” Immediately [we read] (in vs. 24), “Then Joshua took Achan ben Zerah, the silver, the mantle, and the wedge of gold, together with his sons and his daughters,” [the latter] in order to teach them a lesson; “his ox, his ass, […] and his tent,” for burning. (Vs. 24, cont.) “And all Israel [Joshua took] with him,” to see his punishment so that they would not become accustomed to acting in this way. (Vs. 24, cont.) “And they brought them up to the Valley of Achor (akhor; rt.: 'kr).” (Vs. 25) “Then Joshua said, ‘Just as you have afflicted (rt.: 'kr) us, [may the Lord afflict (rt.: 'kr) you] this day:’”⁷Without the bracketed words, the verse would read: HOW YOU HAVE AFFLICTED US THIS DAY! This day [only] is he to be afflicted ('akhur; rt.: 'kr), but he will have a share in the world to come. (Vs. 25, cont.) “Then all Israel pelted him with stones,” him alone; “and they burned them with fire”: The text is speaking of his wealth, for so it had been told [Joshua] by the Almighty (in vs. 15), “And it shall come to pass that the one who has been seized with what has been proscribed shall be burned with fire....” If so, what do we learn from the verse (vs. 15, cont.), “him, and all that he has?” [This passage] is only to teach you that Achan had confessed that he had stolen them on the Sabbath, when he took them out of Jericho and buried them in the midst of his tent. Thus he was stoned for profaning the Sabbath and burned because he had transgressed the ban. And where is it shown? You find that the Holy One, blessed be He, said so to Joshua (in Josh. 6:2–4), “See, I have given Jericho into your hands, along with its king and the mighty warriors. So you shall go around the city with all the men of war to encompass the city one time, thus shall you do for six days. [… but on the seventh day you shall go around the city seven times].” [This passage serves] to teach you that Jericho was conquered on the Sabbath. Now Joshua did this thing on his own, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gave his consent. Joshua said (to himself), “The Sabbath is holy, as stated (in Exod. 31:14), ‘You shall keep the Sabbath, because it is holy for you.’ And whatever we conquer shall be holy.” It is so stated (in Josh. 6:19), “But all the silver and gold, and the vessels of bronze and iron, are holy to the Lord.” And where is it shown that he received consent? Where it is stated (in Josh. 6:17), “The city and everything in it are to be proscribed for the Lord.” At that time (according to Josh. 7:26) “the Lord turned from His burning anger.” Concerning [this matter], it is stated (in Prov. 16:14), “The king's anger is like messengers of death, and whoever is wise will appease it.” This refers to Joshua, who caused the burning anger of the Lord to turn away from Israel.

... Teach us o teacher: toward where should one who prays orient his heart? This is what our Rabbis taught: one should orient his heart toward the place of the Holy of Holies (Berachot 4:5). R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: if one is praying outside of the land, he should orient his heart to the land of Israel. If one is praying within the land of Israel, he should orient his heart to Jerusalem. If one is praying in Jerusalem, he should orient his heart to the Holy Temple. If one is praying in the Holy Temple, he should orient his heart to the Holy of Holies. R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model (talpiyot)…” (Song of Songs 4:4) What does talpiyot mean? The hill (tel) toward which all turns (peniyot) are directed. And after all this praise, it is written “Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars.” (Zechariah 11:1) And so too they said “He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) Israel said to Him: Master of the World! How long will it be like this? Did You not write in Your Torah “…the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay” (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) You need to rebuild it and to console us, not at the hands of an angel but You in Your glory. The Holy One said to them: by your life, so I will do! As it says “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) And I am the one who consoles you. From where do we learn this? From that which they read in the prophets “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)

In the future life the Holy One, blessed be He, will cause the reviving dew to descend, and He will quicken the dead and renew all things, as it is said, "Thy dead shall live" (Isa. 26:19). They are the Israelites, who died trusting in His name. || "My dead bodies shall arise" (ibid.). They are the heathens, who are like the carcase of the beast; they shall arise for the day of judgment, but they shall not live. "Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust" (ibid.). They are the righteous, for they dwell in the dust. "For thy dew is as the dew of light" (ibid.). The dew of the righteous is not the dew of darkness, but (it is) the dew of light, as it is said, "For thy dew is as the dew of light" (ibid.); and it gives healing to the earth, as it is said, "And the earth shall cast forth the dead" (ibid.). And what is the meaning of "And the earth shall cast forth the dead"?

Variantly: You will be plowing in the time of harvesting, and harvesting in the time of plowing, as Iyyov said (Iyyov 29:19) "and the dew rested on my harvest."