말라기 1:15의 미드라쉬

And these are the names of the Sons of Israel that came into Egypt with Yaakov, every man came with his household – There it is written (Mishlei 13, 24): “He who spares the rod hates his son; but he who loves him disciplines him in his youth.” Ordinarily in the world, if a person says to his friend: “So-and-so hit your son”, he would be ready to reduce his livelihood. And why is it taught “ He who spares the rod hates his son”?! In order to teach you, that anyone who refrains from disciplining his son in the end causes him to fall into evil ways and will hate him. This is what we have found with Yishmael, who behaved wickedly on Avraham his father but did not rebuke him, with the result that he fell into evil ways and he hated him and he left from his house with nothing. What did Yishmael do when he was fifteen years old? He started to bring idols from the market and he would play with them and worship them as he had seen others do, immediately (Bereishit 21, 9) “And Sarah saw the son of the Egyptian Hagar that she had given birth for Avraham was fooling around etc…” And there is no fooling except for idol worship, like that it says (Shemot 32,6): And they rose up to fool around. Immediately (Bereishit 21,10): And she said to Avraham , Send out this maid-servant and her son, perhaps my son will learn from him. Immediately, (Bereishit 21,11) And this thing was very bad in the eyes of Avraham etc...on account of his son because he had become evil. (Bereshit 21,12) And G-d said to Avraham, do not let it be evil in your eyes etc... From here you can learn, that Avraham was secondary to Sarah in prophecy, following on, (Bereishit 21,14): And Avraham got up in the morning and he took bread and a bottle of water, to teach you, that he hated Yishmael because of his evil ways, and sent him and his mother Hagar empty-handed and expelled them from his house because of this. Do you really think that Avraham, of whom it is written (Bereishit 13,2): And Avraham was very rich in cattle etc... that he would send his wife and his son from his house empty-handed, without clothes or means of a livelihood?! Rather, this is to teach you, since he turned evil, he stopped thinking about him. What was his end? After he had been expelled, he sat at the cross-roads and was a bandit, as it says (Bereishit 16,12): And he was a wild man. And similar to this (Bereishit 25,28): And Yitzchak loved Esav, therefore he turned to evil ways, because he was not rebuked, like we were taught: Five transgressions the evil Esav transgressed on that day: He seduced an engaged lady, and killed a man, denied resurrection, and rejected the fundamentals of religion and spurned his birthright, that he desired the death of his father, and sought to kill his brother, as it says (Bereishit 27,41):May the days of mourning for my father be brought close etc.. And he forced Ya'acov to flee from his father. And he even went with Yishmael, to learn from his evil ways and to add to his wives, as it says (Bereshit 28,9): And Esav went to Yishmael. Similarly with David, that he did not rebuke or chastise his son Avshalom, he turned to evil ways and sought to kill his father, and he lay with concubines, and becoming the cause if his wandering, bare-footed and crying, and many thousands and myriads of Israelites were slaughtered, and he caused much suffering upon them which did not end. As it is written (Psalms 3,1): A song of David, when he fled from Avshalom his son, just as it was written after (Psalms 3,2) How great in number have my enemies become etc. And cultural evil is harsher on one's home than the war of Gog and Magog, for regarding the war of Gog and Magog it says: (Tehilim 2:1) "Why do the nations stir?" and later it is written: (Tehilim 3:2) "God, how many my enemies are!" And similarly David behaved with Adoniyah, he did not beat him in punishment, and did not get angry at him, and therefore he left to cultural evil, as is written: (Kings 1 1:6) "And his father never scolded him...and she bore him after Avshalom." Wasn't Avshalom the son of Maacha, while Adoniyahu was the son of Chagit? What does it mean, "she bore him after Avshalom"? Instead- since he [Avshalom] left to cultural evil, and his father never beat him, and it is written about Adoniyahu "his father never scolded him," he too left to cultural evil, and therefore it is written: "and she bore him after Avshalom." (Proverbs 13:24) "But he who loves him disciplines him in his youth" refers to the Holy Blessed One, who loves Israel, as it is written (Malachi 1:2) "I have loved you, says God," who increases their suffering. One can find three good gifts that the Holy Blessed One gave to Israel, and they were each given only by means of suffering: the Torah, the Land of Israel, and life in the World to Come. The Torah, as it is written: (Psalms 94:12) "How lucky is the man who You discipline, God, and to whom You teach Your Torah." The Land of Israel, as it is written: (Deuteronomy 8:5) "Bear in mind that the LORD your God disciplines you just as a man disciplines his son." What is written next? (Deuteronomy 8:7) "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land..." The World to Come, as it is written: (Proverbs 6:23) "For the commandment is a lamp, the teaching is a light, and the way to life is the rebuke that disciplines." And when anyone rebukes his son, the son increases his love for his father, and he honors him, as it is said: (Proverbs 29:17) "Discipline your son and he will give you peace." And it says: (Proverbs 19:18) "Discipline your son while there is still hope." And he increases his love for him, as it says: "But he who loves him disciplines him early," meaning because he disciplines him early, therefore he loves him. You find that Abraham disciplined Isaac his son and taught him Torah and guided him in his ways, as is written about Avraham: (Genesis 26:5) "In return for Avraham's obedience to my voice" and it is written: (Genesis 25:19) "These are the descendants of Isaac, son of Abraham," which teaches you that he was similar to his father in all ways- in beauty, in wisdom, in wealth, and in good deeds. You should know that he [Isaac] was thirty-seven years old when his he was bound by his father, and it is written: (Genesis 24:1) "And Abraham was old, advanced in age" and yet he bound him and positioned him like a lamb, and he did not refuse. Therefore: (Genesis 25:5) "Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac," Which is to say, "he who loves him disciplines him early." In the same manner, Isaac would discipline Jacob early, for Isaac taught him Torah and disciplined him in his house of study, as it says: (Genesis 25:27) "but Jacob was a mild man who stayed home." And he learned what his father taught him, and then he separated from his father and hid in the house of Ever to study Torah. Therefore he merited blessing and inherited the land, as it says: (Genesis 27:1) "Jacob lived in the land of his father's residence, in the land of Canaan." And even our Patriarch Jacob disciplined his sons, and beat them and taught them his ways, so that none of them would be disposable, as it is written: (Exodus 1:1) "These are the names of the sons of Israel who arrived to Egypt..." The verse equates them all to Jacob, for they were all righteous as he had been. This resolves: "But he who loves him disciplines him early."

When the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to give the Torah to Israel, He asked: “Will ye accept My Torah?” “Indeed,” they replied. “Then give me a surety that you will fulfill it,” He said. “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be our surety,” they answered. Whereupon He responded: “Your patriarchs required guarantors for themselves, since Abraham said: Whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? (Gen. 15:8); while Isaac loved the one I hated, as it is written: But Esau, I hate (Mal. 1:3); and Jacob declared: My way is hid from the Lord (Isa. 40:27).” “Then our children shall be our guarantors,” they exclaimed. The Holy One, blessed be He, immediately accepted them as sureties and gave the Torah to Israel, as it is said: Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou found strength (Ps. 8:3). Therefore, whenever Israel neglects the Torah, the Holy One, blessed be He, exacts punishment from the sureties, as is said: Thou hast forgotten the law; I will also forget thy children (Hos. 4:6).

(Deut. 7:12:) “And it shall come to pass if you heed [these statutes].” What is written above the matter (in Deut. 7:7)? “It is not because you are the most numerous of all the peoples [that the Lord desired you and chose you. Rather you are the least of all the peoples].” It is not because you are the most numerous of all the nations,” and it was not because you fulfilled more commandments than they; for the nations do more commandments that they were not commanded than you, and they magnify My name more than you. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:11-12), “For from the rising of the sun until its setting My name is great among the nations, [and in every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation; for My name is great among the nations]…. But you desecrate it when you say the table of the Lord is defiled, and its special food is treated with scorn [like ordinary] food.” (Deut. 7:7:) “Rather you were the least of all the peoples.” Rather, because you diminish yourselves for Me, therefore I love you.’ And so it says (in Mal. 1:2-3), “’I have loved you,’ says the Lord …. ‘But I have hated Esau….’” It also says (in Hos. 14:5), “I will heal their veering and love them voluntarily….” My soul has volunteered to love them, even though they were not worthy; and so it says (in Deut. 7:8), “Because the Lord loves you […].” It is written (in Is. 2:2), “And it shall come to pass that in the latter days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains….” This text is related (to Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), [your end shall greatly flourish].” [This verse is here] to teach you that everyone who is troubled (rt.: ts'r) from his beginning will have it well at his end. You have no one who was more troubled (rt.: ts'r) than Abraham, who was cast into a fiery furnace and went into exile from his ancestral home. Moreover, sixteen kings pursued him. He also stood the test of ten trials and buried Sarah. Yet in the end he had rest, as stated (Gen. 24:1), “Now Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the Lord blessed [Abraham in all things].” So too was Isaac troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, for the Philistines were jealous of him, [as stated] (in Gen. 26:16), “And Abimelech said unto Isaac, ‘Go away from us, [for you have become have become too powerful for us].’” But in the end they begged him [for mercy], as stated (in vs. 27-28), “And Isaac said unto them, ‘Why have you come unto me…?’ And they said, ‘We have clearly seen….’” Jacob also was troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, as stated (in Ps. 129:1), “’They have harassed me greatly from my youth,’ let Israel now say.” While he was in his mother’s belly, Esau sought to kill him, as stated (in Gen. 25:22), “But the children struggled [within her].” [Moreover,] when he received the blessings (according to Gen. 27:41), “Then Esau hated Jacob …, and Esau said in his heart, ‘Let the days of mourning for my father come, [and I will kill my brother Jacob]’.” So he fled to Laban and was troubled (rt.: ts'r) over his daughters, and after that Laban sought to kill him, as stated (in Deut. 26:5), “An Aramean would have destroyed my ancestor.”⁹This is required sense by the midrash. A more usual translation would read: A WANDERING ARAMEAN WAS MY ANCESTOR. He went away from him and encountered Esau, as stated (in Gen. 33:1), “Now Jacob raised his eyes and saw Esau coming….” There came upon him the trouble over Dinah, the trouble over Rachel and the trouble over Joseph. But in the end he had rest, [as stated] (in Gen. 47:12), “And Joseph sustained his father [and his brothers]….” Ergo (in Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), your end shall greatly flourish.” Another interpretation (of Is. 2:2), “the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains… and Mount Tabor shall become very tall.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the palace¹⁰Palterin. Gk.: praitorion; Lat. praetorium. children of a king. They went down from the city and killed lions, tigers, and bears in the forest. Then they brought them and hung them opposite the city gate, so that all the people in the city were amazed from those lions. The Holy One, blessed be he, did so with Sisera. [When] Sisera came against Israel on Mount Tabor; (according to Jud. 5:20), “The stars fought from the heavens; from their courses they fought with Sisera.”¹¹Cf. Pes. 118b, according to which the stars descended and heated the iron implements in Sisera’s army. All began to be amazed, for there had never been an event like this, when the stars came down from the heavens to make war with flesh and blood. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world the stars have fought on your behalf, but in the world to come (according to Zech. 14:3-4), ‘Then the Lord will come forth and fight with those nations [as when He fights in the day of battle]. And His feet shall stand in that day [upon the Mount of Olives]….’ And [so on through] all that section (of Zechariah).” Then everyone will see and point Him out with the finger, as stated (in Is. 25:9), “In that day they shall say, ‘See, this is our God; [we waited for Him, and He delivered us. This is the Lord; we waited for Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation].’”

That they make for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say: “Wherein hast Thou loved us?” (Mal. 1:2), and elsewhere it is written: But Esau I hated (ibid., v. 3). Once Turnus Rufus⁴Turnus (Tinneius) Rufus was the Roman governor of Judea in 132 C.E. asked R. Akiba: “Why does the Holy One, blessed be He, hate us, that it should be written But Esau I hated?” He replied: “I will tell you tomorrow.” The next day (Turnus Rufus) asked R. Akiba: “What did you dream about last night, and what did you see?” “I dreamed about two dogs last night,” Akiba answered. “One was named Rufus, and the other Rufina.” Turnus Rufus became infuriated and said to him: “How dare you call the dogs by my name and by the name of my wife? You are guilty of treason against the government.” R. Akiba responded: “Is there actually a difference between you and them? You eat and drink, and they do likewise; you are fruitful and multiply, and so do they; you die and they die; yet because I called them by your names, you have become angry. Should not the Holy One, blessed be He, who stretched out the heavens and established the earth, who causes death and gives life, hate you when you take a tree and call it by His name. Therefore, But Esau I hated.”

(Deut. 7:12:) “And it shall come to pass if you heed [these statutes].” What is written above the matter (in Deut. 7:7)? “It is not because you are the most numerous of all the peoples [that the Lord desired you and chose you. Rather you are the least of all the peoples].” It is not because you are the most numerous of all the nations,” and it was not because you fulfilled more commandments than they; for the nations do more commandments that they were not commanded than you, and they magnify My name more than you. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:11-12), “For from the rising of the sun until its setting My name is great among the nations, [and in every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation; for My name is great among the nations]…. But you desecrate it when you say the table of the Lord is defiled, and its special food is treated with scorn [like ordinary] food.” (Deut. 7:7:) “Rather you were the least of all the peoples.” Rather, because you diminish yourselves for Me, therefore I love you.’ And so it says (in Mal. 1:2-3), “’I have loved you,’ says the Lord …. ‘But I have hated Esau….’” It also says (in Hos. 14:5), “I will heal their veering and love them voluntarily….” My soul has volunteered to love them, even though they were not worthy; and so it says (in Deut. 7:8), “Because the Lord loves you […].” It is written (in Is. 2:2), “And it shall come to pass that in the latter days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains….” This text is related (to Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), [your end shall greatly flourish].” [This verse is here] to teach you that everyone who is troubled (rt.: ts'r) from his beginning will have it well at his end. You have no one who was more troubled (rt.: ts'r) than Abraham, who was cast into a fiery furnace and went into exile from his ancestral home. Moreover, sixteen kings pursued him. He also stood the test of ten trials and buried Sarah. Yet in the end he had rest, as stated (Gen. 24:1), “Now Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the Lord blessed [Abraham in all things].” So too was Isaac troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, for the Philistines were jealous of him, [as stated] (in Gen. 26:16), “And Abimelech said unto Isaac, ‘Go away from us, [for you have become have become too powerful for us].’” But in the end they begged him [for mercy], as stated (in vs. 27-28), “And Isaac said unto them, ‘Why have you come unto me…?’ And they said, ‘We have clearly seen….’” Jacob also was troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, as stated (in Ps. 129:1), “’They have harassed me greatly from my youth,’ let Israel now say.” While he was in his mother’s belly, Esau sought to kill him, as stated (in Gen. 25:22), “But the children struggled [within her].” [Moreover,] when he received the blessings (according to Gen. 27:41), “Then Esau hated Jacob …, and Esau said in his heart, ‘Let the days of mourning for my father come, [and I will kill my brother Jacob]’.” So he fled to Laban and was troubled (rt.: ts'r) over his daughters, and after that Laban sought to kill him, as stated (in Deut. 26:5), “An Aramean would have destroyed my ancestor.”⁹This is required sense by the midrash. A more usual translation would read: A WANDERING ARAMEAN WAS MY ANCESTOR. He went away from him and encountered Esau, as stated (in Gen. 33:1), “Now Jacob raised his eyes and saw Esau coming….” There came upon him the trouble over Dinah, the trouble over Rachel and the trouble over Joseph. But in the end he had rest, [as stated] (in Gen. 47:12), “And Joseph sustained his father [and his brothers]….” Ergo (in Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), your end shall greatly flourish.” Another interpretation (of Is. 2:2), “the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains… and Mount Tabor shall become very tall.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the palace¹⁰Palterin. Gk.: praitorion; Lat. praetorium. children of a king. They went down from the city and killed lions, tigers, and bears in the forest. Then they brought them and hung them opposite the city gate, so that all the people in the city were amazed from those lions. The Holy One, blessed be he, did so with Sisera. [When] Sisera came against Israel on Mount Tabor; (according to Jud. 5:20), “The stars fought from the heavens; from their courses they fought with Sisera.”¹¹Cf. Pes. 118b, according to which the stars descended and heated the iron implements in Sisera’s army. All began to be amazed, for there had never been an event like this, when the stars came down from the heavens to make war with flesh and blood. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world the stars have fought on your behalf, but in the world to come (according to Zech. 14:3-4), ‘Then the Lord will come forth and fight with those nations [as when He fights in the day of battle]. And His feet shall stand in that day [upon the Mount of Olives]….’ And [so on through] all that section (of Zechariah).” Then everyone will see and point Him out with the finger, as stated (in Is. 25:9), “In that day they shall say, ‘See, this is our God; [we waited for Him, and He delivered us. This is the Lord; we waited for Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation].’”

That they make for me an offering (Exod. 25:2). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say: “Wherein hast Thou loved us?” (Mal. 1:2), and elsewhere it is written: But Esau I hated (ibid., v. 3). Once Turnus Rufus⁴Turnus (Tinneius) Rufus was the Roman governor of Judea in 132 C.E. asked R. Akiba: “Why does the Holy One, blessed be He, hate us, that it should be written But Esau I hated?” He replied: “I will tell you tomorrow.” The next day (Turnus Rufus) asked R. Akiba: “What did you dream about last night, and what did you see?” “I dreamed about two dogs last night,” Akiba answered. “One was named Rufus, and the other Rufina.” Turnus Rufus became infuriated and said to him: “How dare you call the dogs by my name and by the name of my wife? You are guilty of treason against the government.” R. Akiba responded: “Is there actually a difference between you and them? You eat and drink, and they do likewise; you are fruitful and multiply, and so do they; you die and they die; yet because I called them by your names, you have become angry. Should not the Holy One, blessed be He, who stretched out the heavens and established the earth, who causes death and gives life, hate you when you take a tree and call it by His name. Therefore, But Esau I hated.”

(Numb. 33:1:) “These are the stages of the Children of Israel.” [The matter] is comparable to a king whose son was ill.⁴Numb. R. 23:3. He brought him to a certain place to heal him. When they returned, his father began recounting the stages, “Here we slept. Here we cooled off. Here you had a headache.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Recount to them all the places where they provoked Me.” It is therefore stated (in Numb. 33:1), “These are the stages....” Another interpretation: Why did all these stages (places) merit to be written in the Torah? Since they received (accommodated) Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, will give them their reward in the future. It is so stated (in Is. 35:1-2), “The arid desert shall be glad.... It shall blossom abundantly, it shall also exult....” And if the desert [will receive] such for receiving Israel; one who receives a Torah scholar into his home, all the more so [will he be rewarded]. You find that in the future the desert will be a settlement and a settlement will be a desert. [That] a desert will be a settlement, as it states (Is. 41:8), “I will make a desert into a lake of water.” And where is it shown a settlement will be a desert in the future? It is so stated (Mal. 1:3), “And I have hated Esau....” Now there are no trees in the desert, but there will be trees there in the future, as stated (Is. 41:19), “I will put cedar and acacia in the desert....” Now there is no path there, as it is all sand and the caravan can only travel it at night with the light of the constellation.⁵To determine the direction of the journey, since there is no marked path. But there will be a path there in the future, as stated (Is. 43:19), “I will place a path in the desert.” And it is written (Is 35:8), “And there will be a highway there, and it shall be called the Sacred Way....”

“Better than both of them is one who has not yet been, who has not seen the evil actions that are done under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 4:3).
“Better than both of them is one who has not yet been” – these are the one thousand generations that were in God’s mind to have created. How many of them were eliminated? Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: Nine hundred and seventy-four generations, as it is stated: “He commanded the matter for one thousand generations” (Psalms 105:8).⁷God intended to give the Torah after one thousand generations, but He actually gave the Torah after just twenty-six generations.
Rabbi Yehoshua interpreted the verse regarding the Israelites at the time that they stood before Mount Sinai. Once they performed that act,⁸The sin of the Golden Calf Moses did not leave any corner of the ground on the mountain upon which he did not prostrate himself in prayer asking for mercy upon Israel, but he was not answered. Five angels of destruction harassed him: Anger, Destruction, Annihilation, Wrath, and Fury. Moses was fearful of them. What did he do? He relied on the actions of the patriarchs, and immediately mentioned them and said: “Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel Your servants” (Exodus 32:13). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, what claims do the patriarchs of the world have against Me? If I come to be exacting with them, I have claims against them. I have a claim against Abraham, who said: “How will I know that I will inherit it” (Genesis 15:8)? I have a claim against Isaac, as it is stated: “Isaac loved Esau” (Genesis 25:28), but I hated him, as it is stated: “And Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:3). I have a claim against Jacob, who said: “My way is hidden from the Lord” (Isaiah 40:27).’ Once [Moses] said: “To whom You took an oath by Yourself” (Exodus 32:13), for the sake of Your name, at that moment, the Holy One blessed be He was filled with mercy, as it is stated: “The Lord reconsidered…” (Exodus 32:14). Immediately, three of the angels of destruction, Anger, Destruction, and Annihilation, departed, and two remained: Wrath and Fury. That is what is written: “For I was in dread due to the Wrath and the Fury” (Deuteronomy 9:19). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, am I able to withstand the two of them? You bear one and I will bear one.’ That is what is written: “Arise, Lord, in Your wrath [be’appekha]…” (Psalms 7:7).⁹This is expounded to mean that God will arise against His angel, Wrath [af]. From where is it derived that Moses withstood one, the angel of Fury [Ḥema]? It is as it is stated: “He said He would destroy them, were it not for Moses, His chosen one, who stood before Him in the breach to turn back His fury” (Psalms 106:23).¹⁰This is expounded to mean that Moses stood in the breach against the angel of destruction, Fury [Ḥema]. It is regarding that moment that he said: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.¹¹Solomon thus states from the perspective of Moses: The dead, namely Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, were able to have a greater effect than the living, namely my associates and me.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman interpreted the verse regarding David. When Solomon built the Temple, he requested that fire descend from the heavens, but it did not descend. He sacrificed one thousand burnt offerings, but it did not descend. He prayed twenty-four prayers, but it did not descend, until he said: “Remember the good deeds of David your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42), [and then] it descended immediately, as it is stated: “When Solomon concluded praying, the fire descended” (II Chronicles 7:1). Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Le’ai and the Rabbis: Rabbi Yuda ben Rabbi Le’ai said: David came to life at that time. The Rabbis say: He brought his coffin. They do not disagree;¹²They do not disagree based on their own reasoning but based on verses (Etz Yosef, citing Yefe To’ar). the one who said David came to life at that time, that is what David himself said: “Lord, You have raised my soul from the grave…” (Psalms 30:4), and another verse says: “Lord God, do not reject the face of Your anointed” (II Chronicles 6:42), as he is alive before You. The one who said: He brought his coffin, that is what is written: “Remember the good deeds of David Your servant” (II Chronicles 6:42). It is regarding that moment that he said: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon interpreted the verse regarding Ezekiel. When he stood in the valley and said: “Dry bones, heed the word of the Lord” (Ezekiel 37:4), immediately, “the bones came together, each bone to its bone…” (Ezekiel 37:7). He said to them: ‘Initially I said to you: “Heed the word of the Lord, house of Jacob” (Jeremiah 2:4), but you did not heed; and now you are heeding. During your lifetimes you did not heed; after your deaths you heeded.’ Regarding that moment it is stated: “I praise the dead […more than the living]” (Ecclesiastes 4:2), like me and my associates.¹³The generation of Ezekiel did not heed the word of God, but those who had already died were heeding His word after death.

(Deut. 7:12:) AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IF YOU HEED <THESE STATUTES>. What is written above on the matter (in Deut. 7:7)? IT WAS NOT BECAUSE YOU WERE THE MOST NUMEROUS OF ALL THE PEOPLES, <THAT THE LORD DESIRED YOU AND CHOSE YOU. RATHER YOU WERE THE LEAST OF ALL THE PEOPLES>. The Holy One said to Israel: It was not because you were the most numerous of all the nations, and it was not because you fulfilled more commandments than they, for they magnify my name more than you.¹²Tanh., Deut. 3:3. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:11–12): FOR FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN UNTIL ITS SETTING MY NAME IS GREAT AMONG THE NATIONS, <AND IN EVERY PLACE INCENSE IS OFFERED TO MY NAME, EVEN A PURE OBLATION; FOR MY NAME IS GREAT AMONG THE NATIONS, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS>. BUT YOU DESECRATE IT WHEN YOU SAY THE TABLE OF THE LORD IS DEFILED, AND ITS SPECIAL FOOD IS TREATED WITH SCORN <LIKE ORDINARY> FOOD. (Deut. 7:7–8): RATHER YOU WERE THE LEAST OF ALL THE PEOPLES. IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE LORD'S LOVE FOR YOU. Because you diminish yourselves for me, I therefore love you, and so it says (in Mal. 1:2–3): I HAVE LOVED YOU, SAYS THE LORD …; BUT I HAVE HATED ESAU…. It also says (in Hos. 14:5 [4]): I WILL HEAL THEIR APOSTASY [AND LOVE THEM VOLUNTARILY]. What is the meaning of AND LOVE THEM VOLUNTARILY? My soul has volunteered to love them, even though they were not worthy; and so it says (in Deut. 7:8): BECAUSE THE LORD LOVES YOU….

(Deut. 7:12:) AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IF YOU HEED <THESE STATUTES>. What is written above on the matter (in Deut. 7:7)? IT WAS NOT BECAUSE YOU WERE THE MOST NUMEROUS OF ALL THE PEOPLES, <THAT THE LORD DESIRED YOU AND CHOSE YOU. RATHER YOU WERE THE LEAST OF ALL THE PEOPLES>. The Holy One said to Israel: It was not because you were the most numerous of all the nations, and it was not because you fulfilled more commandments than they, for they magnify my name more than you.¹²Tanh., Deut. 3:3. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:11–12): FOR FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN UNTIL ITS SETTING MY NAME IS GREAT AMONG THE NATIONS, <AND IN EVERY PLACE INCENSE IS OFFERED TO MY NAME, EVEN A PURE OBLATION; FOR MY NAME IS GREAT AMONG THE NATIONS, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS>. BUT YOU DESECRATE IT WHEN YOU SAY THE TABLE OF THE LORD IS DEFILED, AND ITS SPECIAL FOOD IS TREATED WITH SCORN <LIKE ORDINARY> FOOD. (Deut. 7:7–8): RATHER YOU WERE THE LEAST OF ALL THE PEOPLES. IT WAS BECAUSE OF THE LORD'S LOVE FOR YOU. Because you diminish yourselves for me, I therefore love you, and so it says (in Mal. 1:2–3): I HAVE LOVED YOU, SAYS THE LORD …; BUT I HAVE HATED ESAU…. It also says (in Hos. 14:5 [4]): I WILL HEAL THEIR APOSTASY [AND LOVE THEM VOLUNTARILY]. What is the meaning of AND LOVE THEM VOLUNTARILY? My soul has volunteered to love them, even though they were not worthy; and so it says (in Deut. 7:8): BECAUSE THE LORD LOVES YOU….

“Draw me; we will run after you . The king has brought me to his chambers; let us exult and rejoice in you. We will recount your love through wine; sincerely do they love you” (Song of Songs 1:4).
“Draw me; we will run after you.” Rabbi Meir said: When the Israelites stood before Mount Sinai to receive the Torah, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Am I giving you the Torah without assurance? Rather, bring Me good guarantors that you will observe it, and I will give it to you.’¹⁵⁶The midrash is expounding on the term “draw me [moshkheni],” which is related to the term collateral [mashkon], or “take collateral from me [mashkeni].” They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, our ancestors will be guarantors for us.’ He said to them: ‘Your ancestors need guarantors.’ To what is this matter analogous? It is to one who went to borrow from the king. [The king] said to him: ‘Bring me a guarantor and I will lend to you.’ He went and brought him a guarantor. [The king] said to him: ‘Your guarantor needs a guarantor.’ He went and brought him a second guarantor. [The king] said to him: ‘Your guarantor requires a guarantor.’ Once he brought him a third guarantor, he said: ‘Know that because of this, I am lending to you.’ So, too, when the Israelites stood to receive the Torah, He said to them: ‘Bring Me good guarantors that you will observe it, and I will give it to you.’ They said before him: ‘Master of the universe, our ancestors are guaranteeing for us.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘I have [claims against] your ancestors. Abraham, I have [a claim] against him, as he said: “How will I know” (Genesis 15:8).¹⁵⁷When God promised to give the Land to Abraham, Abaraham asked: “How will I know that I will inherit it?” instead of just trusting God’s promise. Isaac, I have [a claim] against him, as he loved Esau, and I hated him, as it is stated: “And Esau I hated” (Malachi 1:3); Jacob, who said: “My way is hidden from the Lord” (Isaiah 40:27). Rather, bring me effective guarantors and I will give it to you.’
They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, our prophets will be guarantors for us.’ He said to them: ‘I have [claims] against them, as it is stated: “And the shepherds were disloyal to me [and the prophets prophesied to the Baal]” (Jeremiah 2:8). And it is written: “Like foxes among the ruins, so are your prophets, Israel” (Ezekiel 13:4). Rather, bring me effective guarantors and I will give it to you.’ They said: ‘Our children are guaranteeing for us.’ The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘They are certainly good guarantors, I will give it to you on their account.’ That is what is written: “From the mouths of infants and sucklings You founded strength” (Psalms 8:3), and strength means only Torah, as it is stated: “The Lord will give strength to His people (Psalms 29:11). When payment is demanded from the borrower, but he lacks resources to pay, who is apprehended? It is the guarantor. That is what is stated: “You forgot the Torah of your God; I, too, will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6). Rabbi Aḥa said: “I, too,” [means that] as it were, I, too, am subject to forgetfulness. Who will say at the [reading of the] Torah before Me: Bless the blessed Lord? Is it not the sucklings? That is, due to the laxity of the Torah in you, your children were apprehended, as it is stated: “I struck your children in vain” (Jeremiah 2:30). As it were, I, too, am subject to forgetfulness. Who will say before Me: Bless the blessed Lord? Therefore, a person must introduce his son to Torah and train him in study, so that he will prolong his days in the world, as it is stated: “For with me your days will increase” (Proverbs 9:11).

Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Azarya. Rabbi Yudan said: The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, because You acted with my neighbors with the attribute of justice, and with me with the attribute of mercy, I will run after You,’ as Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: What was not done to the Generation of the Flood was done to the Ten Tribes. Regarding the Generation of the Flood it is written: “Only evil the entire day” (Genesis 6:5), and regarding the Ten Tribes it is written: “Woe, the devisers of iniquity who perform evil on their beds” (Micah 2:1). That is at night; in the morning, from where is it derived? “In the morning light they perform it, for it is in their power” (Micah 2:1). From them, no remnant remained, but from these, a remnant remained;¹⁶²The Generation of the Flood sinned only during the day and there were no survivors, while the Ten Tribes sinned night and day, and there were survivors. by what merit? Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted it to their credit, [as] Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: It was by the merit of, “behold a remnant remained in it, [who are brought forth]” (Ezekiel 14:22), “who bring forth” is not written here, but rather, “who are brought forth.” [This teaches that a remnant remained] in the merit of the righteous men and the righteous women, the prophets and the prophetesses, who would emerge from them.
Rabbi Ḥanina said: A statement was made regarding the coastal cities that was not stated regarding the Generation of the Flood: “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Keretim” (Zephaniah 2:5)—a nation that is liable to be punished with karet. By whose merit were they rescued? It was by the merit of one God-fearing person whom they produced each and every year. Rabbi Levi interpreted it to their credit: “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Keretim”—a nation that established [karat] a covenant,¹⁶³This is an allusion to the fact that some members of this nation converted and fulfilled the covenant of circumcision. This merit prevented the destruction of the nation at that time, but the punishment was only temporarily averted (Etz Yosef). as it is stated: “He established [vekharot] a covenant with him” (Nehemiah 9:8).
Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nehemiah said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: A statement was made regarding the tribes of Judah and Benjamin that was not stated regarding the Sodomites. Regarding the Sodomites it is written: “Their sin is very weighty” (Genesis 18:20), but regarding the tribes of Judah and Benjamin it is written: “He said to me: The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very very great” (Ezekiel 9:9). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: We have another verse: “The iniquity of the daughter of my people exceeded [the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands seized it]” (Lamentations 4:6). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: One hand did not seize another, they did not extend their hands to perform mitzvot; but these extended their hands to perform mitzvot.¹⁶⁴Rabbi Tanḥuma explains why Sodom was overthrown in a moment whereas the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were not, despite the fact that their sins were greater than those of Sodom. The Sodomites did not extend their hands to assist one another or perform mitzvot, whereas the tribes of Judah and Benjamin did. “The hands of merciful women [cooked their children, they were food for them]" (Lamentations 4:10). Why [did they act] in such a way? It was because they provided “food [levarot] for them in the disaster of the daughter of my people” (Lamentations 4:10).¹⁶⁵The midrash interprets the verse in Lamentations to mean the starving people of Jerusalem would give the small amount of food they had to others in order to attempt to console [lehavrot] them for the loss of family members. The reference to cooking their children is understood allegorically in the sense that they deprived them of food in order to console others. Thus, the verse states that the merciful women deprived their own children of food. Why did they act in such a way? In order to attempt to console others.

“For love is as intense as death” – the love that the Holy One blessed be He has for you is as intense as death. That is what is written: “I have loved you, said the Lord…” (Malachi 1:2). “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” – when they infuriate the Holy One blessed be He with their idol worship, as it is stated: “They would infuriate Him with strange gods” (Deuteronomy 32:16).
Another matter: “For love is as intense as death” – the love that Isaac had for Esau; that is what is written: “Isaac loved Esau” (Genesis 25:28). “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” – the jealousy Esau had for Jacob, as it is stated: “Esau hated Jacob [because of the blessing with which his father blessed him]” (Genesis 27:41).
Another matter: “For love is as intense as death” – the love that Jacob had for Joseph, as it is stated: “Israel loved Joseph more than his sons” (Genesis 37:3). “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” – the jealousy that his brothers had for him, as it is stated: “His brothers were jealous of him” (Genesis 37:11).
Another matter: “For love is as intense as death” – the love that Jonathan had for David, as it is stated: “Jonathan loved him as himself” (I Samuel 18:1). “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” – the jealousy that Saul had for David, as it is stated: “Saul eyed David with suspicion” (I Samuel 18:9).
Another matter: “For love is as intense as death” – the love that a man has for his wife, as it is stated: “Enjoy life with a woman whom you love” (Ecclesiastes 9:9). “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” – the jealousy that he has regarding her when he says to her: Do not speak with so-and-so, and she goes and speaks with him, and immediately, “a spirit of jealousy passes over him and he is jealous of his wife” (Numbers 5:14).
Another matter: “For love is as intense as death” – the love that the generation of persecution had for the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “For we are killed all day long for You” (Psalms 44:23). “Jealousy is as cruel as the grave” – as the Holy One blessed be He is destined to have great zealotry on behalf of Zion. That is what is written: “So said the Lord [of hosts]: I became zealous for Zion with great zealotry” (Zechariah 8:2). “Its sparks are the sparks of fire, a great conflagration” – Rabbi Berekhya said: Like the supernal fire; the fire does not quench water and the water does not extinguish fire.

(Exodus 15:7) "And in the greatness of Your grandeur You break those who rise up against You": You have magnified Your grandeur against those who rise up against You. And who are those? Those who rise up against Your children. It is not written "those who rise up against us," but "those who rise up against You," whereby we are apprised that all who rise up against Israel are rising up, as it were, against the Holy One Blessed be He. Similarly, (Psalms 74:23) "Do not forget the vice of Your foes, the roar of those who rise against You always." Why? (Ibid. 83:4) "They have been subtle in counsel against Your people, etc." (Ibid. 139:21) "Will I not hate Your haters, O L rd, and battle with those who rise up against You?" Why? (Ibid. 22) (For) "I have hated them to the heights of hatred. I have deemed them my (own) enemies." Similarly, (Zechariah 2:12) "for whoever touches you touches the pupil of His eye." R. Yehudah says: It is not written "the pupil of the eye, but "the pupil of His eye" — the "eye" of the Holy One, as it were. Similarly, (Malachi 1:13) "And you say (of an offering) 'What a burden it is!' and you (thereby) sully it." It is actually written "Him," but Scripture here is euphemistic. Similarly, (I Samuel 3:13) "because of his knowing that his sons were blaspheming them and his not censuring them" — a euphemism (for "Me"). Similarly, (Iyyov 7:20) "Why did You make me a target for Yourself and a burden to myself" — a euphemism (for "You"). Similarly (Habakkuk 1:12) "Are You not of yore, O L rd my G d, my Holy one — we shall not die" — a euphemism (for "You"). Similarly, (Jeremiah 2:11) "Has a nation ever exchanged (its) god though they be no god? Yet My people has exchanged its glory" — a euphemism (for "My"). Similarly, (Psalms 106:20) "And they exchanged their glory for the image of an ox, etc." — a euphemism (for "Your"). (Numbers 11:15) "and let me not see my misfortune" — a euphemism (for "their"). Similarly, (II Samuel 20:1) "We have no portion in David … Each man to his tent ("ohalav"), O Israel" — a euphemism (for "god" ["elohav"]). (Ezekiel 8:17) "And, behold, they thrust the branch to their nostrils" — a euphemism (for "My"). (Numbers 12:13) "who leaves his mother's womb" — a euphemism (for "our"). Here, (Zechariah 2:12) likewise, "One who touches him (a Jew) touches the pupil of his eye" — a euphemism (for "G d's") eye. And all who help Israel, help, as it were, the Holy One Blessed be He, viz. (Judges 5:23) "Curse Meroz, said the angel of the L rd. Curse bitterly its dwellers. For they came not to the aid of the L rd, to the aid of the L rd among the warriors." He who rises up against Your children rises up against You. And who were they (who rose up against Him?) (Genesis 14:9) "Kedarlaomer and Tidal king of Goyim, etc." (Ibid. 15) "And he (Avram) deployed against them at night, he and his servants, and he smote them." And thus is it written (Isaiah 41:2-3) "Who roused (the exemplar of) righteousness, (i.e., Avram) from the east, summoned him to His service? … He pursues them. He passes on, unscathed." And thus is it written (Psalms 110:1-5) "This is the word of the L rd to my master (David). Sit at My right hand until I make your foes your footstool. The sceptre of your strength will the L rd send from Zion. Your people will offer themselves on the day of (the gathering of) your army. The L rd has sworn and He will not retract … The L rd is at your right hand, etc." You magnified Yourself greatly against Pharaoh and his army, viz. (Exodus 14:7) "And he (Pharaoh) took six hundred choice chariots, etc." — (Ibid. 15:4) "The chariots of Pharaoh and his host He cast into the sea." And thus Sisra and all his chariots, viz. (Judges 4:13) "And Sisra called up all his chariots" — (Ibid. 5:20) "From the heavens they warred" (against Sisra). Sancheriv and all of his ranks, viz. (Isaiah 37:24) "Through your servants you have blasphemed my L rd, etc.) — (II Chronicles 32:21) "and the L rd sent an angel who annihilated every warrior, etc." Nevuchadnezzar and all his hosts," viz. (Isaiah 14:83) "You said in your hearts: I will climb to the heavens, etc." Nevuchadnezzar said: I will make myself a little cloud and I will live within it, viz. (Ibid. 14) "I will mount the heights of a cloud, etc." The Holy One Blessed be He said: You wished to separate yourself from men. In the end, they will separate themselves from you, viz. (Daniel 4:25-30) "All this befell King Nevuchadnezzar, etc." (Ibid. 8:1-6) "King Belshazzar made a great banquet, etc." About this it is written (Habakkuk 2:15) "Woe unto him who makes his neighbor drink! You pour out your wrath even unto intoxication," and (Ibid. 16) "You will be sated with shame rather than glory." (Daniel 5:30) "That very night King Belshazzar was killed."

“I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem, by the gazelles, and by the hinds of the field, that you will not awaken, and you will not rouse love, until it pleases” (Song of Songs 2:7).
“I administer an oath to you, daughters of Jerusalem.” By what did He administer the oath? Rabbi Eliezer says: He administered the oath by the heavens and the earth;⁸⁰Just as heaven and earth constantly act in the manner prescribed for them from God, so too Israel should not violate its oath (Etz Yosef). “by the gazelles [bitzvaot],” by the host [tzava] of the heavens and by the host of the earth, with two hosts [tzevaot]; that is bitzvaot. “And by the hinds of the field,” these are the beasts of the field, just as it says: “For your covenant will be with the rocks of the field, and the beasts of the field will be at peace with you” (Job 5:23).
Rabbi Ḥanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Ḥanina said: He administered an oath to them by the patriarchs and the matriarchs. Bitzvaot, these are the patriarchs [avot], who established My stature [tzivyoni], and I imbued My stature in them. “And by the hinds of the field,” these are the tribes, just as it says: “Naphtali is a hind let loose” (Genesis 49:21).
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: He administered an oath by circumcision; bitzvaot, by a mitzva that has a sign [ot]; “and by the hinds of the field,” who shed their blood like the blood of the gazelle and the hind.⁸¹See, for example, Leviticus 17:13; Deuteronomy 15:22–23.
The Rabbis say: He administered an oath by the generation of persecution.⁸²Like the generation of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Bitzvaot, as they established My stature [tzivyoni] in the world, and I imbued My stature in them. “And by the hinds of the field,” who shed their blood for the sanctification of My name, like the blood of the gazelle and the hind. That is what is written: “For we are killed all day over You” (Psalms 44:23). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: If a person would say to me: Give your life for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One blessed be He, I will give it, provided that they kill me immediately. However, in the generation of persecution, I would not be able to withstand [the persecution]. What would they do in the generation of persecution? They would bring iron balls and heat them until they were white hot and place them under their [victims’] armpits and would take their lives. Or they would bring stalks of reeds⁸³Thin, sharp shards, similar to needles. and place them under their fingernail and would take their lives.⁸⁴In both examples cited, the victims would suffer a slow, torturous death. That is what David said: “To You, Lord, I lift [esa] my soul” (Psalms 25:1), I will give up [asi] is written,⁸⁵In fact, the word is written esa in the verse, not asi. The midrash means to say that the word esa should be interpreted as though it read asi, as David would not take his own life, as implied by the word esa, but might give up his life by maintaining his allegiance to God in the fact of enemies who would seek to prevent him from doing so. for they would give their lives for sanctification of the name of the Holy One blessed be He.
Rabbi Oshaya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Wait for Me⁸⁶Until the end of days. and I will render you like the host of the heavens.’ Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Meir: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you fulfill My oath I will render you like the heavenly host, and if not, I will render you like the earthly host.’ Rabbi Yosei bar Ḥanina said: There are two oaths here, one for Israel and one for the nations of the world. He administered an oath to Israel that they would not rebel against the kingdoms, and He administered an oath to the nations that they would not impose a harsh yoke upon Israel, for if they impose a harsh yoke upon Israel, they will cause the end of days to come before its time. Rabbi Levi said: It is written: “Behold, a king will reign in righteousness” (Isaiah 32:1). The Holy One blessed be He enthrones a wicked king over His nation only until He collects its debt and liquidates it.⁸⁷God grants wicked kings power over Israel only in order to punish Israel for its sins. Rabbi Abahu said in the name of Rabbi Tanḥum: What did the foremen of Israel say to Pharaoh? That is what is written: “Straw is not given to your servants… [your servants are beaten] and it the fault of your people” (Exodus 5:16). You are sinning against your people,⁸⁸Israel, the people who have come under your dominion (Matnot Kehuna). you are sinning against your nation,⁸⁹The Egyptians, who will be held accountable for Israel’s suffering. and you are causing your kingdom to be taken from you and to be given to another nation.
Rabbi Ḥelbo says: There are four oaths here.⁹⁰This is based on the fact that the expression “I administer an oath to you” appears four times in Song of Songs: 2:7, 3:5, 5:8, and 8:4 (Etz Yosef). He administered an oath to Israel that they would not rebel against the kingdoms; would not accelerate [the advent of] the end of days;⁹¹They should not over-engage in prayer that the end of days should arrive (Matnot Kehuna). would not reveal their secrets to the nations of the world; and they would not ascend as a wall from the Diaspora.⁹²They should not forcefully stage a mass immigration to Israel. If they did, why would the messianic king come to gather the exiles of Israel? Rabbi Onya said: He administered to them four oaths corresponding to the four generations that sought to accelerate [the advent of] the end of days, and failed, and they are: One during the days of Amram; one during the days of Deinai;⁹³He was one of the Jerusalem zealots during the period leading to the destruction of the Second Temple. See Sota 47a. one during the days of ben Kozeva;⁹⁴Shimon bar Kokhva. and one during the days of Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim, as it is stated: “The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows [yet they turned back on the day of battle. They did not keep the covenant of God]” (Psalms 78:9–10). Some say: One during the days of Amram; one in the generation of persecution; one during the days of ben Kozeva; and one during the days of Shutelaḥ ben Ephraim, as it is stated: “The sons of Ephraim were archers equipped with bows.” They had calculated the decree was issued when the Holy One blessed be He spoke with Abraham our patriarch between the pieces, but it began when Isaac was born.⁹⁵God told Abraham that his descendants would be strangers in a foreign land for four hundred years, and they would be enslaved (Genesis 15:13). Members of the tribe of Ephraim assumed that the four hundred years began from when God spoke to Abraham, but in fact they began thirty years later, when Isaac was born. What did they do? They gathered and went to war and they suffered many casualties. Why? It is because they did not believe in the Lord and did not trust His salvation. They violated the end of days and they violated the oath.⁹⁶They attempted to forcefully bring about redemption before the proper time.
“That you will not awaken, and you will not rouse [love, until it pleases],” Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Yudan said: The love that Isaac had for Esau, as it is stated: “Isaac loved Esau” (Genesis 25:28). What is “until it pleases”? Until it becomes the wish of the elder.⁹⁷From the fact that the verse does not say “you will not rouse the end of days,” or “you will not rouse redemption,” the midrash derives the idea that the love referred to in the verse is a factor that prevents the redemption of Israel. Thus, the midrash states that Isaac’s love for Esau, which was due to the honor he accorded Isaac, is a source of merit for Esau’s descendants, and prevents Israel from being redeemed from their dominion. This will be the case “until it becomes the wish of the elder,” i.e. Isaac, meaning until the merit of Esau has been used up (Midrash HaMevoar). Rabbi Berekhya said: The love that the Holy One blessed be He had for Israel, as it is stated: “I have loved you, said the Lord” (Malachi 1:2).⁹⁸The midrash is now interpreting the love mentioned in the verse as a cause of redemption for Israel. What is “until it pleases”? [Until it pleases] the heavenly kingdom: When the attribute of justice will so desire in and of itself, I will bring it with loud voice and will not delay. Therefore, it says: “Until it pleases.”

“Much water cannot extinguish love, and rivers cannot wash it away; if a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be scorned” (Song of Songs 8:7).
“Much water cannot extinguish love”; “Much water” – these are the nations of the world, as it is stated: “Ah, the uproar of many peoples” (Isaiah 17:12). “Cannot extinguish love” – the love that the Holy One blessed be He has for Israel, as it is stated: “I loved you, said the Lord” (Malachi 1:2). “And rivers cannot wash it away” – these are the nations of the world, just as it says: “On that day, the Lord will shave with a great razor those who are from across the River…” (Isaiah 7:20); “therefore, behold, the Lord is raising [upon them] the waters of the River, [mighty and many, the king of Assyria]” (Isaiah 8:7).
“If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love” – even if all the nations of the world open all their treasuries and give their money for the sake of one matter of the Torah,¹⁶Even if they would donate all their money in an attempt to gain atonement for causing Israel to fail to fulfill even one mitzva (Rabbi David Luria). they will never thereby gain atonement.
Another matter: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love” – even if all the nations of the world open all their treasuries and give their money for the sake of one matter of the Torah, and give all their money for the blood of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues,¹⁷Even if they would donate all their money in an attempt to atone for the execution of Rabbi Akiva and others by non-Jewish authorities in times of persecution. they will never thereby gain atonement.
Rabbi Yoḥanan was strolling and ascending from Tiberias to Tzippori, and Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba was next to him. They arrived at a certain agricultural estate. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘This agricultural estate was mine, and I sold it in order to engage in Torah study.’ They arrived at a certain vineyard. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘This vineyard was mine and I sold it in order to engage in Torah study.’ They arrived at a certain olive grove. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘The same is true regarding this.’ Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba began crying. [Rabbi Yoḥanan] said to him: ‘Why are you crying?’ He said to him: ‘I am crying because you did not leave anything for your old age.’ He said to him: ‘Ḥiyya my son, is it inconsequential in your eyes what I did, that I sold something that was given in six days, as it is stated: “For in six days the Lord made” (Exodus 20:11)?¹⁸Was it not worthwhile to sell something created in six days in order to gain something far more valuable? But the Torah was given in forty days, as it is stated: “He was there with the Lord forty days” (Exodus 34:28), and it is written: “I remained on the mountain forty days”’ (Deuteronomy 9:9). When Rabbi Yoḥanan died, his generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,” the love that Rabbi Yoḥanan had for the Torah, “he would be scorned [boz yavuzu lo].”¹⁹He will gain a portion of the plunder [biza] of the war of Gog and Magog (Yefe To’ar).
When Rabbi Oshaya of Teraya died, they saw his bier floating in the air. His generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,” that the Holy One blessed be He loved Rabbi Oshaya of Teraya, he would be scorned.²⁰He would be scorned for thinking that money is sufficient to attain this love.

(Exod. 26:7:) THEN YOU SHALL MAKE TENT SHEETS OF GOATS' HAIR <FOR A TENT OVER THE TABERNACLE;>…. This text is related (to Mal. 1:2): I HAVE LOVED YOU, SAYS THE LORD.²⁹Tanh., Exod. 7:9. Who spoke this verse? Malachi spoke it. When? When he rebuked Israel. Malachi said to them (in Mal. 3:8): WOULD ANYONE ROB GOD? <YET YOU ARE ROBBING ME.> They answered him (ibid., cont.): HOW ARE WE ROBBING YOU? Our masters have said of the generation of Malachi: He rebuked them, and they answered him. He said to them (ibid.): WOULD ANYONE ROB (QB') GOD? R. Levi said: That (i.e., QB') is an Arabic word.³⁰RH 26ab; M. Pss. 57:2. When an Arab comes to talk with his companion <and> says to him: Are you stealing (GNB) from us? <he says:> Are you robbing (QB') us? (Ibid.:) WOULD ANYONE ROB (QB') GOD. Then he said (ibid., cont.): BUT YOU SAY: HOW ARE WE ROBBING YOU? IN THE TITHE AND THE PRIESTLY SHARE, because they are not collecting them properly. Again he said to them (in Mal. 1:2): IS NOT ESAU JACOB'S BROTHER? And you say (ibid.): HOW HAVE YOU LOVED US? By universal custom, when someone has two sons, one first-born and one younger, who receives the most? The first-born. Esau came out < of the womb> first, as stated (in Gen. 25:25): THE FIRST (i.e., Esau) CAME FORTH RUDDY. It was proper for him to receive two shares, but I did not act in this way. Instead Jacob received two shares, this world and the world to come. Esau said so to Jacob (in Gen. 33:12): LET US GO ON OUR JOURNEY…. Let both of us walk in the world <together>.³¹Gen. R. 78:14; Deut. R. 1:20; Tanna deve Eliyahu Zuta 19; y‘AZ 2:1 (40c); cf. T‘AZ 3:4; PRE 37. Jacob said to him: Take your world and go away. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 33:14): PLEASE LET MY LORD GO AWAY…, UNTIL I COME TO MY LORD IN SEIR. R. Jacob said: I went through all the Scripture <to see> whether Jacob did or did not go to Seir, and I found no < indication that he did so>. Then when is he going <there>? In the Age to come, as stated (in Obad., vs. 21): FOR SAVIORS SHALL GO UP ON MOUNT ZION <TO JUDGE THE MOUNTAIN OF ESAU,>…. Therefore (in Mal. 1:2): YET I HAVE LOVED JACOB. Jacob is a partner with Esau in this world; {I <am a> } [but Esau is no] partner with Jacob in the world to come. Solomon said (in Prov. 5:17): LET IT BE FOR YOU ALONE AND NOT FOR STRANGERS ALONG WITH YOU.

Another matter: “After these matters, King Aḥashverosh promoted Haman” – there were calculations there. Who calculated? Rabbi Yehuda said: Haman calculated. He said: If Esther is a Jewess, she is my relative via my ancestor Esau; that is what is written: “Isn’t Esau a brother to Jacob” (Malachi 1:2); and if she is a gentile, all gentiles are affiliated with each other.

And He called to Moshe: And why does it say, "And He called?" Rather it is is because it stated above (Exodus 40:35), "and Moshe could not come to the Tent of Meeting" - when the Divine Presence rested upon the Tent of Meeting. And he could not come since the cloud [of glory] was resting upon it. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, called him. "Saying": What is "saying?" To say to the Children of Israel. "A man from you that brings a sacrifice": Why does it state, "a man (adam)" and it does not say, "eesh?" It wants to say, when a man sins like Adam (the first man) started to sin - he should bring a sacrifice. Why does it state, "from the beast," when it [also] states, "from the cattle or the sheep?" Rather, it wanted to say [that we should] distinguish them from the beast; that his soul does not descend to the lowest pit like the beast, the soul of which descends below to the earth - as it is stated (Ecclesiastes 3:21), "Who knows if the [soul] of man ascends above, and the [soul] of the beast is the one that descends below." And truly does a man not know? Rather it is like the verse stated (Joel 2:14), "Who knows, [God] may turn and regret" - and this is its understanding: He "who knows" that he is a sinner, should "turn" to "God," and He will atone for him for all of his iniquities. What is "and regret?" Rather, He will relent about the bad that He planned to do to him. And likewise it is saying [here], "Who is the one that knows and understands and has intelligence and understanding - he will understand and know that the soul of man ascends above to the place from which it was fashioned, and the spirit of the beast descends below to earth." As so did King Shlomo, peace be upon him, state (Ecclesiastes 12:7), "and the spirit returns to God who gave it." And which spirit returns to "God who gave it?" These are the spirits of the righteous ones, the pious ones and the penitents who stand in front of Him in great stature. And that is the life that has no death with it, and the good which has [nothing] bad with it. This is the [meaning of] that which is written in the Torah (Deuteronomy 22:7), "so that it shall be good for you," forever. And we learned from the heard tradition, "'so that is shall be good to you,' in the world that is completely good; 'and you shall have length of days,' in the world that is completely long." And the reward of the righteous is that they will merit and live for the good. Happy is the man that merited good and delight; may the Omnipresent have us merit it with the righteous! And the early sages have already informed us that man does not have the ability to investigate and speak [about] the goodnesses of the world to come, as it has no measure, nor comparison nor model. And so did the verse state (Isaiah 64:3), "no eye has seen, God, but You, who acts for those who wait for Him" - meaning to say, the good that no eye has seen besides You, God. And that which they called it, "the world to come," is not because it is not found now. [Rather,] for us who are in this world now, it is [still] to come. And hence he says, the world to come - after a man leaves this world. And one who says that [first] this world is destroyed, and afterwards comes the world to come - the matter is not like that. Rather, when the righteous depart from the world, they immediately ascend and stand in this stature, as it is stated (Psalms 31:20), "How great is Your goodness that You have stored for those that fear You, that You have done for those that take refuge in You." But [the souls] of the evildoers float throughout the whole world and do not find rest for the soles of their feet. And they only ascend to the place from which they were fashioned [after] twelve months. What does it do [during this time]? It goes to the grave and comes back, and its seeing the body rotten and that it is maggots and worms is difficult for it. To what is the thing comparable? To a man that had a nice house and it fell. He goes to see it every day, that thorns are growing on it, brambles are covering its face and its stone fence is destroyed - and he cries and mourns over it, since he sees it like this. And so is the spirit floating throughout all of the world and coming back to the grave. And so did our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, say (Berakhot 18b), "Maggots are as harsh for the dead as a needle for the flesh of the living." And from where [do we know] that the soul mourns over it? As it is stated (Job 14:22), "But his flesh pains him, and his soul mourns over it." That is [the meaning of] "the beast" - and it is destroyed like a beast. And therefore it stated, "from the beast," and it stated "from the cattle and from the sheep" - since they will offer from the cattle and from the sheep, so that his soul not descend below like a beast. And why do we offer sacrifices from fowl, from lambs, from sheep and from goats, but not from fish - as it is stated, "if from the fowl is his burnt-offering sacrifice?" Rather, since they are flesh and blood like man and they come out of the belly of their mothers like man, [so too, do] they atone for a man. But fish are eggs - they come out of them and live. Our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said "Any image that the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the dry land, He [also] created in the ocean with fish." Rabbi Tarfon said, "The fish was designated from the six days of creation to swallow Yonah, as it is stated (Jonah 2:1), 'And the Lord designated a great fish.'" Yonah fled from his God on the fifth day. And why did he flee? Rather the first time, [God] sent him to restore the border of Israel; and his words were fulfilled, as it is stated (II Kings 14:25), "He restored the border of Israel." The second time, He sent him to Jerusalem to destroy it; but the Holy One, blessed be He, worked up His great mercies and relented from the bad, and did not destroy it. And [so] they would call him a false prophet. The third time, He sent him to Nineveh to destroy it. Yonah judged the case between him and himself - Yonah said: I know that the [other] nations are close to repentance. Now if I go on my mission, they will repent immediately and the Holy One, blessed be He, is long-suffering and of great kindness - at the time that they repent, He will immediately have mercy [on them]. And the Holy One, blessed be He will [resultantly] become enraged towards Israel, as He did at the time of Sancheriv. When Ravshakeh came to blaspheme the living God, he said, "You are saying that mere words of the lips is counsel and valor for war; now, on whom are you relying, that you have rebelled against me? And if you tell me, 'we are relying on the Lord, our God,' He is the one whose shrines and altars Hizkiyahu did away with" (II Kings 18:20, 22) - what did Hizkiyahu do at that time? "And Hizkiyahu prayed to the Lord and said, 'Lord, God of Israel, enthroned on the cherubs - You alone are God of all the kingdoms of the earth; You made the heavens and the earth. Lord, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see - hear the words that Sancheriv has sent to blaspheme the living God!' And Yishayahu son of Amots sent to Hizkiyahu, saying, 'Thus said the Lord, God of Israel, "I have heard that which you prayed to Me concerning King Sancheriv of Assyria. I will [delude] him, etc."' (II Kings 19:15-16, 20, 7)." And four hundred angels armed with swords and spears came and drove him away, etc. - "And it was on that night that an angel of the Lord went out and smote one hundred and eighty-five thousand in the Assyrian camp, and the following morning behold, they were all dead corpses. And King Sancheriv of Assyria moved and went and returned, and he stayed in Nineveh" (II Kings 19:25-26). He said to [his] sages, "Why is the love of the Holy One, blessed be He, with Israel more than all the nations of the world?" They said to him, "They had an ancient father and his name was Avraham, and he went to slaughter his son to bring up as a burnt-offering." He said to them, "Did he slaughter him?" They said to him, "No." He said to them, "[With] him, it was because it was his will to slaughter [his son, that] there was [such] love between him and his God." He said, "I will [then actually] slaughter my son and bring him up as a burnt-offering." And so did he do, as it is stated (II Kings 3:27), "And he took his first-born son, who was to reign in his place, and brought him up as a burnt-offering." [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "How much do the nations of the world, to whom I did not give statutes and judgments, do for My name; as it is stated (Malachi 1:11), 'and everywhere incense is presented for My name.'" [And] immediately, "and a great wrath came upon Israel" (II Kings 3:27). Therefore Yonah said, "The nations will repent and the anger of the Holy One, blessed be He, will be upon Israel; as He will say, 'The nations, to whom I did not give statutes and judgments - when I make a decree upon them and they know [about it], they immediately repent. But Israel is not like this, as I send them My prophets all the time, yet they are stiff-necked.' And therefore, 'a great wrath [will come] upon Israel.'" And not only does Israel call him a false prophet, but even the nations of the world [will] call him so. Yonah said, "I am fleeing from in front of Him to a place where His glory is not [found]. What shall I do? If I ascend to the heavens, His glory is there, as it is stated (Psalms 113:4), 'upon the heavens is His glory.' And if upon the earth, His glory is there [too], as it is stated (Isaiah 6:3), 'the whole earth is full of His glory.' Behold, I will flee to the sea, as His glory is not stated there." [So] he went down to Jaffa, but he did not find a ship to board there. And the ship that Yonah would board upon was two days' journey away from Jaffa, in order to test Yonah. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought a great storm in the sea and brought [the ship quickly] to Jaffa. And Yonah saw this and rejoiced in his heart and said, "Now, I know that my path is straight in front of me." And he did not know that the Holy One, blessed be He, was causing the thing to let him know that His glory was there (in the sea). He said to [the boatsmen], "I will come with you." And the way of all ships is that when a man exits from them, he gives his payment. But in the joy of Yonah's heart, He preceded and gave his wage [right away], as it is stated (Jonah 1:3), "And Yonah arose to flee to Tarshish from in front of the Lord [... and he gave its pay]." And they traveled the distance of a day, and a great storm came upon them in the sea from their right and from their left. And the way of all ships is to come and go in peace and quiet. And the ship upon which Yonah boarded was in great distress to break apart, as it is stated (Jonah 1:4), "And the Lord placed a great wind upon the sea." Rabbi Chaninah said, "[Men of all] the seventy languages were in the ship, and each and every one had his god in his hand." They said, "The god that answers and saves us from this distress, he is the [true] God." And they stood and each man cried out in the name of his god, but they did not help. [Meanwhile,] Yonah dozed off and was sleeping in the distress of his soul; and the captain came to him. He said to him, "Behold, we are standing between death and life, and you are dozing off? From which people are you?" He said to them, "I am a Hebrew." They said to him, "And have we not heard that the God of the Hebrews is great? 'Cry out to your God' (Jonah 1:6). Maybe He will do for us like all of His wonders at the Red Sea." He said to them, "This distress has come upon you because of me, as I am fleeing from in front of Him, as I thought that His glory was not in the sea, and now I see that His glory is on the dry land and in the sea." He said to them, "Because of me; 'Lift me and put me in the sea, and the sea will be quiet upon you' (Jonah 1:12)." Rabbi Shimon said, "The men did not accept from Yonah to drop him into the sea; and [so] they cast lots, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), 'and they cast lots, and the lot fell upon Yonah.'" What did they do? They took the vessels that were on the ship and threw them to the sea to make themselves lighter, but it did not help a bit. They sought to return to dry land, but they were not able, as it is stated (Jonah 1:13), "And the men rowed, etc." What did they do? They took Yonah and stood him upon the edge of the ship and said, "God of the world, Lord, 'do not put innocent blood upon us' (Jonah 1:14), as we do not know what is the nature of this man; yet he says to us with his mouth, 'because of me has this distress come upon you.'" They placed him [into the sea] until his knees, and the sea stopped from its fury. They [then] took him back towards them, and the sea stormed against them. They placed him [into the sea] until his navel, and the sea stopped from its fury. They [then] took him back towards them, and it stormed against them. They placed him completely [in the sea, and] the sea was immediately quiet from its fury, as it is stated (Jonah 1:15), "And they lifted Yonah and placed him, etc." "And the Lord designated a great fish to swallow Yonah, and Yonah was in the innards of the fish three days and three nights"(Jonah 2:1) - and Yonah entered its mouth, like a man that enters a large synagogue, and the two eyes of the fish were like opened windows giving light to Yonah. Rabbi Meir said, "A pearl was hanging in the innards of the fish, and it would give light to Yonah, like the sun lights up in its strength in the afternoon. And Yonah could see everything that was in the sea and that was in the depths, as it is stated (Psalms 97:11), "Light is planted for the righteous, and joy for the righteous of heart." The fish said to Yonah, "Do you not know that my time has come to be eaten into the mouth of the Leviathan?" He said to it, "Take me there and I will save you, and my soul." It took him to the Leviathan. He said to the Leviathan, "Because of you have I come to see your dwelling place in the sea. And not only that, but in the future I will come down to put a rope on your neck and to bring you up for the great meal of the righteous ones." He showed it his seal from Avraham, our father (his circumcision). The Leviathan saw it and fled the journey of two days from before Yonah. He said to the fish, "Behold, I saved you from the mouth of the Leviathan; [now] show me all that is in the sea and in the depths." And [so] it showed him the great river of the waters of the ocean, as it is stated (Yonah 2:6), "up to my soul was the deep." And it showed him the paths of the Red (literally Reed) Sea, as it is stated, "reeds are twined around my head." And it showed him the place from where the breakers of the sea and its waves go out, as it is stated (Yonah 2:4), "all Your breakers and waves passed over me." And it showed him the pillars of the Earth in its foundation, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), "the bars of the earth were around me forever." And it showed him Geihinnom, as it is written (Jonah 2:3), "from the belly of the pit I cried out; You heard my voice." And it showed him under the Chamber of God, as it is stated (Jonah 2:7), "I descended to the bases of the mountains." From here we learn that Jerusalem stands on seven mountains. And he saw the Stone of the Foundation there, set in the depths. And he saw the sons of Korach, standing and praying upon it. It said to Yonah, "Behold, you are standing under the Chamber of the Lord; pray and you shall be answered." Immediately Yonah said to the fish, "Stand in the place that you are standing, as I would like to recite a prayer." And the fish stopped. And Yonah began to pray in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the Universe, You have been called the One that brings down and raises up - behold, I have gone down, [now] raise me up; You have been called the One that brings death and that brings life - behold, my soul has reached death, [now] bring me life." And he was not answered until [this] came out from his mouth (Jonah 2:10): "that which I have vowed, I will fulfill, etc." - "That which I have vowed" to bring up the Leviathan in front of You, "I will fulfill" on the day of Israel's salvation, as it is stated, "But I, with loud thanksgiving, will sacrifice to You that which I have vowed." And immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, indicated [to the fish], and it spewed Yonah out to the dry land, as it is stated (Jonah 2:11), "And the Lord said to the fish, and it spewed Jonah out to the dry land." When the sailors saw all of the great miracles, signs and wonders that the Holy One, blessed be He, did with Yonah, they got up and every man cast away his god, as it is stated (Jonah 2:9), "They who preserve the vanities of emptiness forsake their kindness." And they went back to Jaffa and went up to Jerusalem, and they circumcised the flesh of their foreskin, as it is stated (Jonah 1:15), "And the men feared a great fear of the Lord, and they slaughtered a sacrifice to the Lord and they made vows" - and did they slaughter a sacrifice? Rather, [this was] circumcision, which is like the blood of a sacrifice. And each man of them vowed to bring his children and everything that he had to the God of Yonah. And they vowed and they fulfilled [it]. And about them is it said, the converts were righteous converts.

(Mal. 1:2:) I HAVE LOVED YOU, SAYS THE LORD. See how he has cherished you. From the earth to the sky is a journey of five hundred years.³²Hag. 13a (bar.); yBer. 1:1 (2c). And likewise from the first sky to the second, from the second to the third, from the third to the fourth, from the fourth to the fifth, from the fifth to the sixth, and from the sixth to the seventh. Now it is unnecessary to calculate from the hoofs of the beasts (in Ezek. 1:5–13),³³For these calculations, see Hag. 13a (bar.) but the throne is above all of them. See how I cherished you! <I loved you so much> that I forsook³⁴The translation here follows the parallel text in Tanh., Exod. 7:9. The Buber text has the passive (hophal), “I was forsaken.” them all and said to you: Make me tent sheets of goats' hair, and I will come to dwell with you. R. Joshua ben Levi said: If the peoples of the world had known how good the Tabernacle was for them,³⁵Lev. R. 1:11; Numb. R. 1:3. they would have surrounded it with encampments and fortifications.³⁶Lat.: castra. Why? Before the Tabernacle was erected, the divine word went forth and entered into the midst of the tents belonging to the peoples of the world. Then they were seized with panic, since it is stated (in Deut. 5:23 [26]): FOR WHO IS THERE OF ALL FLESH THAT HAS HEARD THE VOICE OF THE LIVING GOD FROM THE MIDST OF THE FIRE, AS WE HAVE, AND LIVED? You heard it and are alive, but the peoples of the world heard it and were seized with panic in the midst of their tents. And you should not only say < this > about the Tabernacle, but even the Temple was good for them. Where is it shown? That is what Solomon ordained in his prayer (in I Kings 8:41, 43 // II Chron. 6:32, 33): AND LIKEWISE, <WHEN> THE FOREIGNER, WHO IS NOT OF YOUR PEOPLE ISRAEL, <COMES FROM A FAR COUNTRY FOR THE SAKE OF YOUR NAME>…, MAY YOU HEARKEN UNTO <HIM IN YOUR> HEAVENLY <ABODE>….³⁷Above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 6:14. But when Israel came to worship, what does he say (in vs. 39)? AND GIVE TO EACH ONE ACCORDING TO [ALL] HIS WAYS, SINCE YOU KNOW HIS HEART…. Yet in the case of the foreigner, whether they do or do not do <what is right >, give him whatever he asks, (according to vs. 43, cont.) SO THAT ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE EARTH [MAY KNOW] <YOUR NAME>…. Therefore, the Temple was good for the peoples of the world. [R. Samuel bar Nahman said: Before the Temple was built, the world rested upon a throne³⁸Gk.: thronos. of two legs; but since the Temple has been built, the world is firmly established³⁹Rt.: BSS; cf. Gk.: basis. and stands in its place. And you should not <only> say: The Temple. Even the Tabernacle was good for the peoples of the world.] Therefore the Holy One said to Moses: Make me a tabernacle (rt.: ShKN), because I desire to dwell (rt.: ShKN) with my children. When the ministering angels heard that, they said to him: Sovereign of the World, why are you leaving heavenly beings and descending to earthly beings? Your glory is that you <dwell> in the heavens, YOU WHO (according to Ps. 8:2 [1]) HAVE SET YOUR MAJESTY OVER THE HEAVENS. The Holy One said to them: By your lives, I am doing just as you said. Habakkuk said (in Hab. 3:3): GOD IS COMING FROM TEMAN. Then afterwards (in the same verse): AND THE EARTH IS FULL OF HIS PRAISE. The Holy One said to them: Now how are you surprised over this? Look at how I cherish the earthly beings, so as to descend and dwell under tent sheets of goats' hair. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 26:7): THEN YOU SHALL MAKE TENT SHEETS OF GOATS' HAIR.

A time to love and a time to hate; a time for war and a time for peace” (Ecclesiastes 3:8).
“A time to love,” in peacetime, “and a time to hate,” in wartime; “a time for war,” in wartime, “and a time for peace,” in peacetime.

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin interpreted the verses regarding Israel. “A time to be born and a time to die” – the Holy One blessed be He said: For a brief time I was the midwife for My children, as it is written: “As for your birth, on the day you were born” (Ezekiel 16:4).²⁶The verse quoted is followed by verses in which God describes Israel as an abandoned, bloodied baby, whom He cared for and nursed to health. This is a parable for God saving Israel from Egypt. “And a time to die,” as it is written: “In this wilderness they will expire and there they will die (Numbers 14:35). “No man was left of them, except Caleb son of Yefuneh, and Joshua son of Nun” (Numbers 26:65).
“A time to plant,” as it is stated: “I will plant them on their land” (Amos 9:15), “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” as it is written: “The Lord uprooted them from upon their land” (Deuteronomy 29:27). “A time to kill,” as it is written: “He killed all who delighted the eye” (Lamentations 2:4), “and a time to heal,” as it is written: “Behold, I am bringing it a remedy and cure” (Jeremiah 33:6). “A time to breach,” as it is written: “Each woman would depart through the breaches” (Amos 4:3), “and a time to build,” as it is written: “I will build it as in the days of old” (Amos 9:11). “A time to weep,” as it is written: “She will weep at night” (Lamentations 1:2), “and a time to laugh,” as it is written: “Then our mouths will be filled with laughter” (Psalms 126:2). “A time to mourn,” as it is written: “The Lord God of hosts declared that day for weeping and lamentation” (Isaiah 22:12), “and a time to dance,” as it is written: “The squares of the city will be filled [with boys and girls playing in its squares]” (Zechariah 8:5). “A time to cast stones,” as it is written: “The sacred stones are spilled” (Lamentations 4:1), “and a time to gather stones,” as it is written: “Behold, I am laying a stone foundation in Zion” (Isaiah 28:16). “A time to embrace,” as it is stated: “And his right hand embraces me” (Song of Songs 2:6), “and a time to refrain from embrace,” as it is stated: “The Lord will banish man” (Isaiah 6:12).
“A time to seek,” as it is written: “From there you will seek the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 4:29), “and a time to lose,” as it is written: “Beware, lest your heart be seduced…you will be swiftly eradicated” (Deuteronomy 11:16–17). “A time to keep [lishmor],” as it is written: “Behold, the Keeper [Shomer] of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalms 121:4), “and a time to discard,” as it is written: “He cast them to another land” (Deuteronomy 29:27). “A time to rend,” as it is written: “The Lord has rent the kingdom of Israel” (I Samuel 15:28), “and a time to sew,” as it is written: “They will become one in your hand” (Ezekiel 37:17). “A time to be silent,” as it is written: “I have kept silent for a long time” (Isaiah 42:14), “and a time to speak,” as it is written: “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:2). “A time to love,” as it is written: “I have loved you, said the Lord” (Malachi 1:2), “and a time to hate,” as it is written: “She raised her voice against me; therefore I hated her” (Jeremiah 12:8). “A time for war,” as it is written: “He was transformed into their enemy” (Isaiah 63:10), “and a time for peace,” as it is written: “Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river” (Isaiah 66:12).

(Lev. 17:1, 3:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, ‘Speak to Aaron saying, “…. If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters.”’” The holy spirit proclaims (in Mal. 1:11), “From the rising of the sun to its setting, My name shall be great among the gentiles.” From the time that the sun rises until it sets, the praise⁶¹Qillus. Cf. the Greek, kalos (“beautiful”). of the Holy One, blessed be He, never ceases from its mouth, as stated (in Ps. 113:3), “From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is praised.” And you find it so when Joshua waged war with Gibeon. What is written there (in Josh. 10:12)? “Then Joshua spoke to the Lord…, ‘O sun, be quiet (dom)⁶²Although dom can mean “stand still”, it commonly means, “be quiet” in the sense of “be silent.” It is this latter sense which the midrash is stressing here. at Gibeon.’” [When] Joshua wanted to silence the sun, he did not say to it, "O sun, stand still ('amod) at Gibeon," but “Be quiet (dom).” Why did he say, “Be quiet?” Because every hour that it is traveling, it is praising the Holy One, blessed be He; and as long as it praises [the Holy One, blessed be He], it has the power to travel [its course]. Joshua therefore told it to be silent, as stated (ibid.), “O sun, be quiet at Gibeon.” The sun said to Joshua, “May someone younger be saying, ‘Be quiet,’ to someone older? I was created on the fourth [day], while human beings were created on the sixth; and are you saying, ‘Be quiet,’ to me?” Joshua said to [the sun], “When a young free person has an elderly slave, does he not say to him, ‘Be silent?’ In the case of our father Abraham, the Holy One, blessed be He, delivered (rt.: pnh) heaven and earth to him, as stated (in Gen. 14:19), ‘Then he blessed him, and said, “Blessed be Abram of God most high, acquirer (rt.: pnh)⁶³Apart from the context in the midrash, a traditional biblical translation would read: CREATOR. of heaven and earth.”’ And not only that, but you bowed down to Joseph, as stated (in Gen. 37:9), ‘here were the sun, the moon, [and eleven stars bowing down to me.’ So would you speak against me?]” Ergo (in Josh. 10:12), “O sun, be quiet at Gibeon.” The sun said to Joshua, “And so are you decreeing over me that I am to be quiet?” He said to it, “Yes.” It said to him, “Then who will speak the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He?“ He said to him, “You be quiet, and I will speak the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He,” as stated (in Josh. 10:12), “Then (az) Joshua spoke to the Lord.” Now az can only be a hymn, since it is stated (in Exod. 15:1), “Moses sang then (az).”⁶⁴THEN is understood as the object of the verb SANG. See Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 1:32; Exod. 4:12. (Mal. 1:11:) “And in every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation.” R. Ammi asked R. Samuel bar Nahman, “Is it correct that ‘In every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation?’⁶⁵See Numb. R. 13:4. The Torah warns (in Deut. 12:13-14), ‘Take heed that you do not offer up your burnt offerings in any place that you see. But only in the place that [the Lord] will choose….’ So also it says (in Lev. 17:3-4) ‘If any single person from the House of Israel slaughters an ox, a lamb, or a goat in the camp…. And does not bring it unto the entrance of the tent of meeting…, [bloodguilt shall be imputed to that person.’ So how can you] say (in Mal. 1:11), ‘and in every place incense (muqtar) is offered to My name, [even a pure oblation]?’” R. Samuel bar Nahman said to him (i.e., to R. Ammi), “What is a pure oblation (minhah) which is burned (muqtar) in every place and offered to the name of the Holy One, blessed be He?⁶⁶The Hebrew wording of this question reproduces almost exactly the wording in Mal. 1:11. This is the prayer of the afternoon service (minhah). Incense (muqtar) can only be the prayer of the afternoon service (minhah), since it is stated (in Ps. 141:2), ‘Let my prayer be set forth as the incense before you….’ [It also says] (in I Kings 18:36), ‘And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the oblation (minhah), Elijah drew near.’”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): HOW LONG SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>? This text is related (to Mal. 1:11): FOR FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN [EVEN] TO WHERE IT SETS MY NAME SHALL BE GREAT AMONG THE GENTILES. The Holy One said: The nations of the world honor me; but as for you, how many miracles have I performed for you?.²³Numb. R. 16:27. Still you provoke me. Do you want to know <the facts>? Eglon, king of Moab, was uncircumcised. Then Ehud ben Gera entered where he was; and as soon as he mentioned my name to him, he showed me honor and rose from his seat, as stated (in Jud. 3:20): NOW WHEN EHUD CAME UNTO HIM, HE WAS SITTING BY HIMSELF IN HIS COOL UPPER ROOM. THEN EHUD SAID: I HAVE A WORD FROM GOD FOR YOU; SO HE AROSE FROM HIS SEAT. <This was> to fulfill what was said (in Mal. 1:11): FOR FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN [EVEN] TO WHERE IT SETS MY NAME SHALL BE GREAT AMONG THE GENTILES. The Holy One said: The nations of the world honor me; and they show me respect. Yet when you provoke me, I plead with you. How long do I tolerate <you>? (Numb. 14:27:) HOW LONG SHALL THIS EVIL CONGREGATION <BE MURMURING AGAINST ME>?

And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ hair for a tent (Exod. 26:7). Scripture says elsewhere in allusion to this verse: I have loved you, saith the Lord, yet ye say: “Wherein hast thou loved us?” (Mal. 1:2). Malachi uttered this verse in rebuking Israel. He said to them: Will a man rob God? Yet ye rob Me (ibid. 3:8). And they replied: Wherein have we robbed thee¹²Their response seems to indicate that they were robbing the prophet and not the Almighty.? (ibid.). Our sages declared: Malachi rebuked his generation, but they replied to him: Wherein have we robbed Thee?

R. Levi opened [his discourse] (with Ps. 9:6), “You have rebuked the nations; you have destroyed the wicked one”: “You have rebuked the nations.” This refers to Amalek, of which it is written (in Numb. 24:20), “First among the nations (to attack Israel) was Amalek.”³⁰PRK 3:5; cf. PR 12:5. (ibid., cont.:) “You have destroyed the wicked one.” This refers to Esau, of whom it is stated (in Mal. 1:4), “and they shall call them (i.e., Edom) a country of wickedness.” If someone says to you, “Jacob also is included [among the wicked one],” say to such a one, "’You have destroyed wicked ones (in the plural)’ is not written here, but ‘You have destroyed the wicked one (in the singular).’” (Ps. 9:6, cont.:) “You have blotted out their name for ever and ever,” as stated (Deut. 25:19), “You shall blot out the remembrance [of Amalek]….” (Ps. 79:12:) “And return sevenfold unto the bosom (heq) of our neighbors [their taunt with which they have taunted you, O Lord].” R. Judan bar Gadya, R. Joshua ben Levi, and the masters [differ].³¹PRK 3:6; Lam. R. 3:64 (9); PR 12:10; 13:1. R. Judan bar Gadya said, “Remember what [our neighbor Amalek] did to us in the penis, which is attached to the lap (heq) [i.e., to the center] of a man.” And this agrees with what R. Hanina bar Shilqa, R. Joshua ben Levi and R. Jochanan said, “What did the House of Amalek do to Israel?³²Below, section 14. They cut off their penes and flung them heavenward, as they said, ‘This is what You have chosen, take for Yourself what You have chosen.’ This is related to the verse (in Ps. 9:6), ‘their taunt with which they have taunted You, O Lord.’” R. Joshua [ben Levi] said, “It should be remembered what they did in the Torah, as it is written about it (in Ps. 12:7), ‘refined sevenfold.’” And the masters said, “It should be remembered what they did to the Temple, which was the bosom (heq) [i.e., the center] of the earth, as stated (with reference to the Temple in Ezek. 43:14), ‘And from the lap (heq) of the earth³³A more usual translation would read: AND FROM THE BASE ON THE GROUND. to the lower ledge, two cubits.’” When Samuel came, he repaid them, as stated (in I Sam. 15:33), “then Samuel hewed Agag.” What did he do to him? R. Abba bar Kahana said, “He cut olive-sized pieces from his flesh and fed them to ostriches. This is what is written (in Job 18:13), ‘It shall consume pieces of his flesh; the firstborn of death shall consume his pieces’;³⁴Job 18 may well have seemed related to Agag’s fate in that vs. 17 mentions the perishing of HIS REMEMBRANCE, an expression linked with Agag (here in I Sam. 15:2) and Amalek (in Deut. 25:17–19). See Braude and Kapstein, Pesikta de Rab Kahana, p. 49, n. 42. in that [Samuel] chose a cruel (mar)³⁵Braude and Kapstein, ibid., n. 43. also point out here that mar in Aramaic is an honorific title suitable for a king like Agag. death for him.” But the masters say, “[Samuel] set up four poles³⁶Gk.: kontoi. and stretched him upon them.” It also says (in I Sam. 15:32), “and Agag said, ‘Surely the bitterness (mar) of death is at hand (sr),’” [meaning,] “Do they thus put princes (sr)³⁷This SR is spelled with a sin and is a homonym for the SR in I Sam. 15:32, which is spelled with a samekh. to death with harsh deaths?” R. Samuel bar Avdimi said, “He judged him by the justice of the peoples of the world (instead of by Torah) without witnesses and without a warning.” Rabbi said, “He castrated him (rt.: srs) him, as stated (in I Sam. 15:33), ‘But Samuel said, “As your sword has made women bereaved, so shall your mother be bereaved among women.”’” R. Levi said, “Moses also gave a hint to Israel in the Torah (about Agag's castration), since it is stated (in Deut. 25:11-12), ‘When two men get into a fight with each other, and the wife of one draws near [to save her husband from the hand of the one smiting him, if she puts out with her hand and grabs [the other man] by his genitals.] Then you shall cut off her hand….’ What is written after that (in vs. 17), ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’” Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, are You telling us to remember?³⁸PRK 3:7; PR 12:10; 13:1. You remember; as forgetfulness is common among us. But with You there is no forgetfulness.” Thus (in Deut. 25:17), “Remember what Amalek did to you.” He did to us, and he did not do to You? (Ps. 137:7:) “Remember against the children of Edom, O Lord, the day of [the destruction of] Jerusalem, [how they said, ‘Aru, 'aru (rt.: 'rh, rt.: 'rh) her to the foundation].’” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said, “'Aru, 'aru [means], paggeru, paggeru (destroy, destroy), even as [the word is] used (in Jer. 51:58), ‘Babylon's broad wall shall be utterly demolished ('ar'er tit'ar'ar, rts.: 'rr, 'rh).’” R. Levi said, “['Aru, 'aru means,] empty, empty, even as [the word is] used (in Gen. 24:20), ‘She hastened to empty (te'ar, rt: 'rh) her jar into the trough.’” In the opinion of the one who said, “paggeru, paggeru (destroy, destroy),” ['aru, 'aru means] to its foundations is intended (meaning, down to them but not to the foundation per se). [But] in the opinion of the one who said, “pannun, pannun (empty them, empty them)” [the words mean,] empty its foundations. What is the meaning of Amalek ('mlq)? People ('m) of the locust (ylq).³⁹PRK 3:8. The translation is following Buber’s suggestion here in n. 71, who would read YLQ (“locust”) instead of LQ (“lapping” or “greedy”). Buber also notes that he suggests the same emendation in his edition of PRK 3:8, n. 98. The emendation is also made by Zundel in ‘Ets Yosef, citing such a textual variant in Yalkut Shimoni. They spread out like the zahla locust. [Alternatively] Amalek ('mlq) is a people ('am) who came to lap up (l’leq) the blood of Israel like a dog.⁴⁰Cf. PR 12:12. R. Levi said in the name of R. Simeon ben Halafta, “To what may Amalek be likened? To a fly who is inflamed [with passion] after an [open] wound. So was Amalek inflamed like a dog [with passion] after Israel.”⁴¹Cf. PR 12:12. As the Israelites went out of Egypt, [Amalek] heard that they were redeemed, and came against them upon the [Reed] Sea. But [Israel] mentioned the explicit name [of God], and [Amalek] was bewildered, as stated (Exod. 15:15), “Then the captains of Edom were bewildered.” (Deut. 25:17:) “On the way as you came out of Egypt.” It is taught (in a baraita) in the name of R. Nathan: Amalek came four hundred parasangs (i.e., a little over 900 miles) to fight with Israel in Rephidim, as stated (in Numb. 13:29),⁴²See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 17:8; Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, ‘Amaleq, 1. “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negeb […].” And he [dwells] in the interior beyond all of them (i.e., beyond all the tribes listed in this passage).⁴³The description hardly fits the geography. For an explanation of what the text seems to mean, see Enoch Zundel in his commentary ‘Ets Yosef on Tanh., Deut. 6:9, who says that when the Israelites came out of Egypt, they were west of the land of Israel with Amalek dwelling in the southern horn to the east and with all the other peoples on the west side. There are four hundred parasangs from the land of Amalek to the place where Israel entered the Negeb. Moreover, the land of Israel midrashically is four hundred parasangs square. (Deut. 25:17:) “On the way as you came out of Egypt.”⁴⁴PRK 3:9. R. Levi said, “He came upon them from the wayside like a bandit.”⁴⁵Gk.: lestai, reading lestes for lestim in accord with Buber’s n. 77. The confusion between the two forms is common. See Jastrow, s.v. LYSTYS. It is comparable to a king who had a vineyard which he had enclosed with a fence and in which he had put a biting dog. The king said, “Whenever anyone comes to break through the fence, the dog will bite him.” One day the king's son came and broke through the fence. The dog bit him. Whenever he wanted to bring to mind the transgression of his son who broke through to the vineyard, he would say to him, “You remember how the dog bit you.” Similarly, whenever the Holy One, blessed be He, wants to bring to mind the sin of Israel - what they did in Rephidim, when they said (in Exod. 17:7) “Is the Lord present among us or not” - He says to them (in Deut. 25:17), “Remember what Amalek did to you.” (Deut. 25:18:) “How he encountered you [on the way].” R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and the masters [differ].⁴⁶PRK 3:10; cf. PR 12:13. R. Judah says, “’How he encountered (qr, rt.: qrh) you, [i.e.,] defiled you. [It is] just as you say (in Deut. 23:11), “who is unclean because of what he encounters (rt.: qrh) at night (i.e., a nocturnal emission).’” R. Nehemiah said, “He actually called (qr') you. What did Amalek do? He went down to the Egyptian hall of records⁴⁷Gk.: archeion; Lat.: archivum. and obtained the records⁴⁸Gk.: tomoi. on the tribes, where their names were inscribed against them for the number of bricks. Then he would stand outside [Israel's protective] cloud and call out (rt.: qrh) to them, ‘Reuben, Simeon, Levi, come out, for I am your brother; and I want to transact business⁴⁹Gk.: pragmateia. with you.’ When they came out, he killed them.” And the masters say, “He cooled (qr) you, i.e., he made Israel [appear] lukewarm (rt.: qrr) before others.” R. Huniya said, “A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a boiling bath⁵⁰‘MBTY: Gk.: embate. into which no creature is able to descend. A certain ruffian came and leaped down into it. Even though he was scalded, he made it cool to others. So also when Israel came out of Egypt, and the Holy One, blessed be He, divided the sea before them, while the Egyptians were drowned in its midst, fear of them fell upon all the peoples, as stated (in Exod. 15:15-16), ‘Then were the chiefs of Edom bewildered…. [Terror and fright fell upon them].’ When Amalek came and joined in battle with them - even though he received his [scalding] at their hands - he made [Israel appear] lukewarm (in battle) before the peoples of the world.”

R. Levi opened <his discourse> (with Ps. 9:6 [5]): YOU HAVE REBUKED THE NATIONS; YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE WICKED ONE <YOU HAVE BLOTTED OUT THEIR NAME FOR EVER AND EVER>. YOU HAVE REBUKED THE NATIONS. This refers to Amalek, of which it is written (in Numb. 24:20): FIRST AMONG THE NATIONS (to attack Israel) WAS AMALEK.³⁷Tanh., Deut. 6:9; PRK 3:5; cf. PR 12:5. (Ibid., cont.:) YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE WICKED ONE. This refers to Esau, of whom it is stated (in Mal. 1:4): AND THEY SHALL CALL THEM (i.e., Edom) A COUNTRY OF WICKEDNESS. If someone says to you: Jacob also is <included> in the total <number of people with wicked descendants>, say to such a one: "You have destroyed wicked ones (in the plural)" is not written here, but YOU HAVE DESTROYED THE WICKED ONE (in the singular). [This refers to Esau the Wicked]. YOU HAVE BLOTTED OUT THEIR NAME FOR EVER AND EVER>. (Deut. 25:19): YOU SHALL BLOT OUT THE REMEMBRANCE OF AMALEK….

I have loved you (Mal. 1:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: See how much I love you. The distance of the earth to the firmament is a distance of five hundred years’ journey, and the distance from the first firmament to the second firmament is also a distance of five hundred years’ journey, and the distance from each firmament to the next is another five hundred years’ journey, making the total distance through the universe a seven thousand years’ journey.¹⁴The seven firmaments plus the intervening areas total a distance of seven thousand walking years. And the step of the beasts¹⁵The legendary beast that draws the Divine Chariot (Hagigah 13a). is a distance of five hundred and fifteen years’ journey, and there is no need to estimate the distance above the hoofs of the beasts to the heavenly throne! And the Throne is above them all.

The enemy ends their ruins forever (Psalm 9:6): The enemies end, but their ruins continue forever. For instance, Constantine built Constantinople, Philippus built Philippi, Antiochus built Antioch, Alexader built Alexandria, Seleucus built Seleucia. They ended, but their ruins continue. And You, in a sense, destroyed their cities. Zion and Jerusalem Your Holy City have become as a desert wilderness. (See Isaiah 64:9) Their monikers, they are lost. But the LORD forever abides. Another interpretation of The enemy ends their ruins — like Caesaria and Rome. and their cities You destroyed "if Edom says, We are crushed..." (Malachi 1:4) etc. Philippos asked Rabbi Elasa: "How could the prophet say if Edom says, We are crushed, they may rebuilt but I will destroy (ibid.), when look, all the cities we built persist!" He said to him, "No, the point of the verse isn't against the buildings but rather against the foresight. For whether you sit and plan in your hearts to build up against us to destroy us, he will destroy your foresight." He said to him "By your life! Thus we sit every year to destroy you, and one would fall and come and be annuled for us!"

Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:23-24), “Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel: The Lord bless you and keep you.” “Bless you,” with wealth; “and keep you,” so that may do good works (mitswot). (Vs. 25:) “The Lord make His face shine,” and raise up children from you to be Torah scholars. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 6:23), “For the commandment (mitzvah) is a lamp, and Torah is [a light].” Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:25), “The Lord make His face shine (from he'ir) [upon you],” to raise up priests from you, who kindle fire (from he'ir) upon the altar. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:10), “you will not⁵⁹In the biblical context, the sense would be “may you not.” kindle fire (from he'ir) on My altar in vain.” (Numb. 6:25, cont.:) “And be gracious to you.” R. Hiyya the Great taught, “May the Lord encamp with you.”⁶⁰So did R. Hiyya understand the word translated AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU (WYHNK), and the word can indeed be understood as coming from the root HNH (“encamp”). Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:25), “and be gracious to you,” to raise up prophets from you. Thus it is stated (in Zech. 12:10), “And I will pour out upon the House of David and upon anyone dwelling in Jerusalem a spirit of grace and mercy.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:25), “and be gracious to you.” May He set His grace upon you in whatever place you go. Thus it is stated (in Esth. 2:17), “and she won grace and favor.” (Numb. 6:26:) “The Lord lift up His face unto you.” But another text says (of the Holy One, blessed be He, in Deut. 10:17), “who does not lift up His face (i.e., show favor).” How can this be?⁶¹Sifre, Numb. 6:26 (42); PRK 24(suppl. 7):1. [If] one has repented before judgment is sealed, (Numb. 6:26:) “The Lord lift up his face (i.e., show favor).” When judgment has been sealed, (Deut. 10:17:) “who does not lift up His face.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:24), “The Lord bless you and keep you.” Along with the blessing there is a keeping.⁶²Numb. R. 11:5. A king of flesh and blood has a friend in Syria, but he dwells in Rome; when the king sent for him, he arose and came to him, and [the king] gave him a hundred pounds⁶³Gk.: litrai; cf. Lat.: librae. of gold; [but when] he loaded it up and set out on the road, bandits⁶⁴Gk.: lestai. fell upon him. They took everything that he had given him and everything [else] that he had with him. Do you suppose that he could have kept him from the bandits? For that reason it is stated (in Numb. 6:24), “The Lord bless you and keep you.”⁶⁵See the parallel in Numb. R. 11:5, which expands here: “THE LORD BLESS YOU with abundance AND KEEP YOU from bandits.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:24), “The Lord bless you and keep you.” May He bless you with money, that there not be a tax collection in the province, and that a tax collector not come to the province and say to you, “Give your gold.” Rather (as in Numb. 6:24), “The Lord bless you and keep you.” Another explanation. “Bless you” refers to sons (who can produce wealth), [while] “keep you” refers to daughters, since the females need keeping. And so it says (in Ps. 121:5), “The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade [on your right hand].” (Numb. 6:25:) “The Lord make His face shine upon you. May He make the light of His face shine for you.” Now “make shine” (y'r) can only mean life, since it is written (in Prov. 16:15), “In the light of the king's face there is life.” It also says (in Ps. 118:27), “The Lord is God and has given light (y'r) to us.” And similarly it says (in Ps. 67:2), “May God be gracious to us and bless us; [may He make His face shine for us].” (Numb. 6:26:) “The Lord lift up his face.” Does the Holy One, blessed be He, lift up His face for a creature? Moreover, is it not already written (in Deut. 10:17), “who does not lift up His face (i.e., show favor).”⁶⁶Numb. R. 11:7. It is simply that, just as they lift up their faces (show favor) to Me, so do I lift up My face to them. How so? I have written in the Torah (in Deut. 8:10), “Then you shall eat, be full, and bless [the Lord your God].” So when a person sits down with his children and the children of his house, and when there is not enough before them to be full, they [still] lift their faces to Me as they give the blessing. Moreover, they exercise meticulous care [to recite a blessing] for [something as small] as an olive, for [something as small] as an egg. Therefore (in Numb. 6:26), “The Lord lift up his face unto you […].”⁶⁷Ber. 20b. (Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel], ‘Say to them.’” “Say (amor)” is written] fully (i.e., with the o represented by the vowel letter, waw).⁶⁸Numb. R. 11:4. Say to them, i.e., to the priests, “[It does] not [follow that], because I told you to bless Israel, that you will bless them [as though] in forced labor⁶⁹Gk.: aggareia; Lat.: angaria. and in sudden haste. Rather you shall bless them (fully) with religious devotion (kawwanah) of the heart, so that the blessing will be fully effective with them. It is therefore stated, “Say” fully, to say that a person should wish his fellow well with a full [heart].

10) And R. Shimon was wont to say (Malachi 1:16) "Who among you, too, would (not) close doors (the doors of the Temple) and not kindle My altar for nothing, says the L–rd of hosts. And I desired no gift from your hand." There are two things which serve the body and which people do not desist from doing and for which they do not take payment. The two things which a man asks of his neighbor — Light this candle for me and close the door after me — which people do not desist from doing and for which they do not take payment, you did not do them for Me for nothing (i.e., I rewarded you for them). Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If things for which people do not take payment, you did not do for Me for nothing, things for which they do take payment, how much more so (will you be richly reworded for them)!

And God spoke all these words, saying: “I am the Lord thy God” (Exod. 20:1). R. Isaac said: All the prophets received the inspirations for their future prophesies at Mount Sinai. How do we know this to be so? It is written: But with him that standeth here with us this day before the Lord our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day (Deut. 29:14). That standeth here with us this day refers to those who were already born, and with him that is not here alludes to those who were to be born in the future. Hence they are not with us this day. “Not standing here with us this day” is not written in this verse, but rather Is not here with us this day. This alludes to the souls who were to be created in the future, since standing here could not be said of them. They were included in the general statement. And that is why the verse states: The burden of the word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi (Mal. 1:1). It does not say “of Malachi,” but merely by Malachi, indicating that the prophecy had been transmitted to him previously at Sinai. Similarly Isaiah said: Come ye near unto Me, hear ye this: From the beginning I have not spoken in secret; from the time that it was, there am I; and now the Lord hath sent me, and His spirit (Isa. 48:16). Isaiah is saying here that at the time the Torah was given I received the prophecy. Hence it says: from the time that it (the Torah) was, there am I; and now the Lord God hath sent me, and His spirit, but until now He did not give me permission to prophesy.

What does the term ben Baladan mean? It was said that Merodach's father was a king whose appearance was changed to that of a dog. And his son Beladan sat on the throne. And when he used to sign his name, he did so in conjunction with his father's for the sake of his honor. And to this the passage refers (Mal. 1, 6) A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master, i.e., a son honoreth his father, as just mentioned, and a servant his master, as in (Jer. 52, 12-13) And in the fifth month on the tenth day of the month, which was the nineteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, came Nebusaradan, the captain of the guard, (who) served the king of Babylon, unto Jerusalem. And he burnt the house of the Lord, etc. (Ib., b) Was then Nebuchadnezzar at that time in Jerusalem? Behold it is written (II Kings 25, 20) And Nebusaradan, the captain of the guard, took these, and conducted them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And R. Abahu said that Riblah is identical with Antukhia? R. Chisda and R. Isaac b. Abdimi [differed as to the explanation of the passage]; one said that the image of Nebuchadnezzar was engraved on his (Nebusaradan's) carriage, and the other said that the fear of Nebuchadnezzar rested upon him, so that it always appeared to him that he was standing by him. Raba said: "Three hundred mules loaded with iron axes which could cut iron (steel) were given to Nebusaradan by Nebuchadnezzar while going to attack Jerusalem. And all of them were swallowed (broken) at one gate of Jerusalem, as it is said (Ps. 74, 6) And now they hew in pieces the carved work thereof altogether with hatchets and hammers." Seeing this he thought to return, saying: "I fear that I might meet the same fate as Sennacherib." But a heavenly voice was heard: "Tramp, son of a tramp, Nebusaradan, jump now [to Jerusalem] for the time has come that the Sanctuary be destroyed and the Temple be burnt." At that time one axe remained with him [from all he had] and with it he struck the gate, and it opened, as it is said (Ib. ib. 5) [The enemy] is known as one that lifteth up high axes against the thickets of a forest. Then he slew every one coming under his hand till he reached the Temlpe and then kindled it. However, the Temple arose heavenward, but it was pressed down by Heaven, as it is said (Lam. 1, 15) The Lord hath trodden as in a wine press the virgin, the daughter of Judah. Nebusaradan became proud of all this, whereupon a Bath Kol (heavenly voice) was heard saying: "You slew a vanquished nation, a burnt temple have you burned, ground flour have you ground," as it is said (Isa. 47, 2) Take the mill and grind meal; uncover thy locks, strip off the train, uncover the thigh, pass over the rivers. It is not said, And grind wheat, but Grind meal.

An idolater asked Rabban Gamliel, "Why was the Holy One, Blessed be He revealed to Moses in the Burning Bush?" Rabban Gamliel replied to him, "If God had been revealed in a carob tree or a fig tree, you would have asked me the same thing, and I could not send you away without an answer. This teaches you that there is no place in the world devoid of the Shekhinah."

This heap is witness between me and thee (Gen. 31:48). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: And crushed Balaam’s foot against the wall (Num. 22:25). The heap alluded to in our text was the very wall at which Balaam violated the promise he had made to Jacob, as it is said: I will not pass over this heap to harm you (Gen. 31:52). Balaam and Laban were one and the same,¹³Sanhedrin 105a. See Ginzberg, Legends of the Jews 6:123. for it is said of him: An Aramean was destroying my father (Deut. 26:5). Balaam was called an Aramean, because he desired to annihilate Israel, as is said: Come, execrate Israel (Num. 23:7). Hence, it was the very wall that had borne witness to the oath that he had made that called him to account, as is written: The hand of the witness shall be first upon him (Deut. 17:7). And Jacob swore by the Fear of his father, Isaac (Gen. 31:53). This righteous man did not swear by the name of the king, but rather on the life of his father. He did it just as a man who desires to prove the truth of this remarks says: “I swear by the life of my father.” He swore this oath only out of respect, as is written: A son shall honor his father (Mal. 1:6).

(Lev. 17:1 & 3:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING…. IF ANY SINGLE PERSON FROM THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL SLAUGHTERS AN OX, A LAMB, OR A GOAT IN THE CAMP. The Holy Spirit proclaims (in Mal. 1:11): FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN TO ITS SETTING [MY NAME SHALL BE GREAT AMONG THE GENTILES AND IN EVERY PLACE INCENSE IS OFFERED TO MY NAME, EVEN A PURE OBLATION].⁷²Tanh., Lev. 6:9. From the time that the sun rises until it sets, the praise⁷³Qillus. Cf. the Greek, kalos (“beautiful”). of the Holy One never ceases from its mouth, as stated (in Ps. 113:3): FROM THE RISING OF THE SUN TO ITS SETTING, THE NAME OF THE LORD IS PRAISED. And you find it so when Joshua waged war with Gibeon. What is written there (in Josh. 10:12)? THEN JOSHUA SPOKE TO THE LORD…: O SUN, BE QUIET (dom)⁷⁴Although dom can mean “stand still”, it commonly means, “be quiet” in the sense of “be silent.” It is this latter sense which the midrash is stressing here. AT GIBEON. < When > Joshua wanted to silence the sun, he did not say to it: "O Sun, stand still ('amod) at Gibeon," but BE QUIET (dom). Why did he say; BE QUIET? Because every hour that it is traveling, it is praising the Holy One; and as long as it praises < the Holy One >, it has the power to travel < its course >. Joshua therefore told it to be silent, as stated (ibid.): O SUN, BE QUIET AT GIBEON. The sun said to Joshua: Is someone younger saying, BE QUIET, to someone older? I was created on the fourth < day >, while human beings were created on the sixth; so are you saying, BE QUIET, to me? Joshua said to < the sun >: When a young free person has an elderly slave, does he not say to him: Be silent? In the case of our father Abraham, the Holy One delivered (rt.: PNH) heaven and earth to him, as stated (in Gen. 14:19): THEN HE BLESSED HIM, AND SAID: BLESSED BE ABRAM OF GOD MOST HIGH, ACQUIRER (rt.: PNH)⁷⁵Apart from the context in the midrash, a traditional biblical translation would read: CREATOR. OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. And not only that, but you bowed down to Joseph, as stated (in Gen. 37:9): HERE WERE THE SUN, THE MOON, AND ELEVEN STARS BOWING DOWN TO ME. [So would you speak against me?] Ergo (in Josh. 10:12): O SUN, BE QUIET AT GIBEON. The sun said to Joshua: And so are you decreeing over me that I am to be quiet? He said to it: Yes. It said to him: Then who will speak the praise of the Holy One? You be quiet, and I will speak the praise of the Holy One, as stated (in Josh. 10:12): THEN (az) JOSHUA SPOKE TO THE LORD. Now az can only be a hymn, since it is stated (in Exod. 15:1): MOSES SANG THEN (az).⁷⁶THEN is understood as the object of the verb SANG. See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 1:32; Exod. 4:12. (Mal. 1:11): AND IN EVERY PLACE INCENSE IS OFFERED TO MY NAME, < EVEN A PURE OBLATION >. R. Ammi asked R. Samuel bar Nahman: Is it correct that IN EVERY PLACE INCENSE IS OFFERED TO MY NAME?⁷⁷See Numb. R. 13:4. The Torah warns (in Deut. 12:13–14): TAKE HEED THAT YOU DO NOT OFFER UP YOUR BURNT OFFERINGS IN ANY PLACE THAT YOU SEE, BUT ONLY IN THE PLACE THAT < THE LORD > WILL CHOOSE…. So also it says (in Lev. 17:3–4): IF ANY SINGLE PERSON FROM THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL SLAUGHTERS AN OX, A LAMB, OR A GOAT IN THE CAMP…, AND DOES NOT BRING IT UNTO THE ENTRANCE OF THE TENT OF MEETING…, < BLOODGUILT SHALL BE IMPUTED TO THAT PERSON >. But < there seems to be a contradiction when > the prophet says (in Mal. 1:11): AND IN EVERY PLACE INCENSE (muqtar) IS OFFERED TO MY NAME, < EVEN A PURE OBLATION >. R. Samuel bar Nahman said to him (i.e., to R. Ammi): What is A PURE OBLATION (minhah) which is burned (muqtar) IN EVERY PLACE and offered to the name of the Holy One?⁷⁸The Hebrew wording of this question reproduces almost exactly the wording in Mal. 1:11. This is the prayer of the afternoon service (minhah). INCENSE (muqtar) can only be the prayer of the afternoon service (minhah), since it is stated (in Ps. 141:2): LET MY PRAYER BE SET FORTH AS THE INCENSE BEFORE YOU…. [It also says] (in I Kings 18:36): AND IT CAME TO PASS AT THE TIME OF THE OFFERING OF THE OBLATION (minhah), < THE PROPHET > ELIJAH DREW NEAR < AND SAID >….⁷⁹Since Elijah carried out this minhah on mount Carmel, it could not have been a temple sacrifice. Thus here also minhah must refer to the afternoon service.

... “Moab is my washbasin…” (Tehillim 60:10) When Israel entered into their land in order to inherit it, the Holy One forbid them to conquer these three nations, as it says “Do not distress the Moabites…” (Devarim 2:9) So too regarding Edom it is written “You shall not provoke them…” (Devarim 2:5) From where do we learn that they were not to conquer the land of the Pelishtim? Because it is written “God did not lead them [by] way of the land of the Philistines for it was near…” (Shemot 12:17) The oath which Avraham swore to Avimelech was still near in time, “And now, swear to me here by God, that you will not lie to me or to my son or to my grandson…” (Bereshit 21:23) His grandson was still alive. In the future the Holy One will permit Israel to conquer all three, as it says “And they shall fly of one accord against the Philistines in the west, together they shall plunder the children of the East; upon Edom and Moab shall they stretch forth their hand, and the children of Ammon shall obey them.” (Yeshayahu 11:14) And it is translated as ‘they will join shoulder to shoulder as one to wipe out the Phillistines.’ Therefore it says “…Philistia, join me…” (Tehillim 60:10), Edom and Moav are their occupation as it says “Moab is my washbasin; on Edom I will throw my lock…” (ibid.)

Another interpretation (of Ps. 77:11 [10]): THIS IS MY ENTREATY (rt.: HLT).⁵⁷So does R. Alexandri understand HLWTI, not as WEAKNESS. R. Alexandri said: All these things which came upon us happened because we did not entreat (rt.: HLH) the Holy One, and this word (ENTREATY) can only be a word for prayer. It is so used (in Mal. 1:9): AND NOW ENTREAT (rt.: HLT) THE FAVOR OF GOD! (Ps. 77:8 [7]:) WILL THE LORD FOREVER REJECT AND NEVER AGAIN BE FAVORABLE? In the past, when Moses was angry with Israel, the Holy One would placate him. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 33:11): <THE LORD WOULD SPEAK UNTO MOSES FACE TO FACE AS ONE SPEAKS UNTO HIS FRIEND. > THEN HE WOULD RETURN UNTO THE CAMP….

Similarly it is written: For he who toucheth thee toucheth the apple of his eye (Zech. 2:12). “My eye” should be written here, for it refers, as it were, to the Heavenly One. However, the text was modified by the scribes of the Great Synagogue.¹¹The men of the great Synagogue were the scribes, prophets, and Pharisees in the period after Ezra. See Lauterbach, Rabbinic Essays, p. 191, n. 36. The scribes made changes in the biblical text in order to eliminate anthropomorphisms and irreverent expressions. According to the Babylonian Talmud, Nedarim 37b, these changes are Sinaitic traditions. The verse Ye say also: “Behold, what a weariness is it! And ye have snuffed at it” (Mal. 1:13) was likewise altered. The verse I will judge his house forever, for the iniquity, in that he knew that his sons did bring a curse on themselves, and he rebuked them not (I Sam. 3:13) was also modified. In the like manner, the verse Why hast thou set me as a mark for thee, so that I may burden to myself (Job 7:20) was changed. The verse Art not Thou from everlasting, O Lord, My God, my Holy One? We shall not die (Hab. 1:12) was modified also. Again the verse Hath a nation changed its gods which are yet no gods? But My people hath changed its glory for that which doth not profit (Jer. 2:11) was altered. Similarly, Thus they exchange their glory for the likeness of an ox that eateth grass (Ps. 106:2) was changed. The verse I will change their glory to shame (Hos. 4:7) was likewise modified. In the case of Also against his three friends was his wrath kindled, because they had found no answer, and yet had condemned Job (Job 32:3) they changed the text. Similarly, but Abraham stood yet before the Lord (Gen 18:22) is another illustration of this. Again, in the verse And if Thou deal thus with me, kill me, I pray Thee, out of hand, if I have found favor in Thy sight, and let me not look upon my wretchedness (Num. 11:15) they changed the text. Similarly in the passage Let her not, I pray, be as one head, of whom the flesh is half consumed when He cometh out of his mother’s womb (ibid. 12:12) they altered the verse. And likewise, the verse What portion have we in David? Neither have we inheritance in the son of Jesse; to your tents, O Israel; now see to thine own house, David. So Israel departed unto their tents (I Kings. 12:16) was altered, for in the Second Book of Chronicles (10:16) it is written concerning this episode to his tent rather than unto their tents.

27 Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27), “How long”: This text is related (to Mal. 1:11), “For from the rising of the sun [even] to where it sets, My name shall be great among the gentiles.” The Holy One said, “The nations of the world honor Me; but as for you, how many miracles have I performed for you? Still you provoke Me. Do you want to know [the facts]? Eglon, king of Moab, was uncircumcised. Then Ehud ben Gera entered where he was; and as soon as he mentioned My name to him, he showed Me honor and rose from his seat,” as stated (in Jud. 3:20), “then Ehud said, ‘I have a word from God for you’; so he arose from his seat.” This was to fulfill what was said (in Mal. 1:11), “For from the rising [of the sun to where it sets my name shall be great among the gentiles].” The Holy One said, “The nations of the world honor Me; and they show Me respect. Yet when you provoke Me, I plead with you. How long do I tolerate you?” (Numb. 14:27) “How long shall this evil congregation?” The Holy One said, “As it were, someone buys himself a servant, so that the servant may take the lantern⁵³Gk.: phanos. and give light to the one who bought him; but I did not do so. Rather, though you are My servants, [as stated] (in Lev. 25:55), ‘For to Me the Children of Israel are servants,’ I have taken the lantern and given light to them.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): By universal custom one buys himself a servant so that, if he sets out on the road, his slave will go ahead and prepare for him safe and well supplied quarters;⁵⁴Gk.: etoimasia (“preparation”). but I have not done so. Rather, though you are My servants, I prepared quarters for you, as stated (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord [traveled ahead of them three days' journey] to seek out a resting place for them.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 14:27): By universal custom one buys himself a servant so that his servant will bake bread for him, but I did not do so. Rather, though you are My servants, I baked for you bread from the heavens.” And so it says (in Ps. 78:25), “Each one ate the bread of the mighty.”

R. Hama the son of Hanina stated: How would I put thee among the sons is an expression that indicates enmity, as in the verse: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman (ibid. 3:15). A great love existed between Me and you, as it is said: I have loved you (Mal. 1:2), but ye have engendered hatred upon yourselves. R. Joshua the son of Levi said: How would I put thee among the sons implies that though I defended you, you have condemned yourselves, for the word put thee is an expression that indicates guilt, as in the verse If there is put upon him a ransom (Exod. 21:30). R. Berechiah argued: Put thee is an expression that implies neglect, as in the verse And I will put it to waste; it shall not be pruned nor hoed, but there shall come up briars and thorns (Isa. 5:6). You were as precious to Me as a beautiful vineyard is to the man who plows it, clears it of stones, and hoes it, but then you declared yourselves free of Me. Wherefore, when I looked at it that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes (ibid., v. 4).

3 Another interpretation (of Numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land of your habitations”: R. Zakkay of Sha'av (in Galilee) said, “Israel said, ‘Sovereign of the World, in every other place You call this the Land of Canaan, but here (in Numb. 15:2) it is “the land of your habitations.”’ The Holy One said to them, ‘By your life, I gave it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and all of [the references] are from scripture. Since the son inherits from the father, therefore (in Numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land of your habitations.”’” And why did Canaan merit to have the land called by its name? When they heard that Israel was coming, they evacuated the place. The Holy One, said, “You evacuated the place. [Hence] the land will be called by your name, and I will give you a land as fine as your land.” And which is this? Africa. What is written above in the section on the spies (in Numb. 14:44)? “But they presumed (rt.: 'pl) to go up.” They brought darkness (rt.: 'pl) to its dwellers and they all remained in darkness (rt.: 'pl). (Ibid., cont.) “But the ark of the covenant of the Lord and Moses did not depart from the camp”: Thus they did not go up with them. Moses said, “Thus did the Holy One say (in Deut. 1:42), ‘You shall neither go up nor fight, for I am not in your midst.’ Now you have said (in Deut. 1:28) ‘Where are we going up to? Our brothers have caused our hearts to melt (with fear)….’” What is the meaning of melt (hemassu)? Our masters have said, “From here one deduces how they tithed the pomegranates.⁶yMa‘as. 1:2 (48d). Thus have our masters taught (in Ma'as. 1:2): They tithe pomegranates, when they become soft (rt.: MSS).” Moses said to them, “From the beginning you have been of two minds on the matter.” (Deut 1:22) “Then you all drew near unto me”: On the positive side (in Deut. 5:20), “and all of the heads of your tribes approached me.” But on the negative side (in Deut. 1:22), “Then you all drew near unto me and said, [‘Let us send men ahead of us to explore the land for us’]”; and it is written (in vs. 27), “And you murmured in your tents and said, ‘It is because the Lord hated us.” The Holy One says to them (in Mal. 1:2), “I have loved you!” But they say, (in Deut. 1:27), “It is because the Lord hated us.” They interpreted the verse and said, “You yourself know that He hates us. Take the case of a king of flesh and blood who has two sons. Now he also has two fields, one with irrigation and one watered by rain. Is it not that the field with irrigation will be given to whichever one the king loves, while the one watered by rain will be given to that one whom he hates? The land of Egypt has irrigation, and we were in its midst, while the land of Canaan has rain. So He brought us out from Egypt to give us the land of Canaan. Nevertheless (according to Deut. 1:41–42), “and each of you girded on his weapons of war, and you ventured to go up into the hill country. But the Lord said unto me, ‘Say to them, “Do not go up and do not fight.”’” I had intended to go up with you; but now, “Do not go up.” For you it will be a downfall. Nevertheless (according to vs. 41), “[each of] you girded,” and you all had become a single unit. (Ibid., cont.) “And you ventured to go up into the hill country”: What is the meaning of “and you ventured (rt.: hyn)?” That they were saying, “Drop by drop, the hin⁷A liquid measure equal to about a gallon and a half. will be filled.”⁸I.e., they had accumulated almost enough sin to overflow their allotted measure. One text (Deut. 1:43) says, “and you acted presumptuously”; while another text (Deut. 1:41) says, “and you ventured (rt.: HYN).” What is the meaning of “and you acted presumptuously?” That they acted presumptuously against the encampments (hanayot, rt.: HNH) of the Holy One.”⁹ I.e., they ignored the fact that the ark of the covenant had not departed out of the camp (Numb. 14:44). (Deut. 1:43-44) “To go up into the hill country. Then the Amorites [that dwelt in that hill country came out to meet you, and they pursued you as do the bees]”: What is the meaning of “bees?” Just as the bee immediately dies when it strikes someone, so also it was with you. When one of them touched you, his soul immediately departed. Just as the bee flies, so did they fly about you. In the past, when they merely heard a report of you, they died. It is so stated (in Exod. 15:14), “When the peoples hear, they tremble.” Now (in Deut. 1:44) “and they pursued you […] and crushed you.” (Deut. 1:45) “So you returned to weep before the Lord, but the Lord would not heed”: You, as it were, made strict justice as though it were brutal. (Deut. 10:11) “And the Lord said [unto me], ‘Arise, continue the journey’”: Now if I had come to execute justice with them, they would not be entering the land. Instead, “Arise, continue the journey.” Ergo (in numb. 15:2), “When you come unto the land.”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. (Vs. 24:) THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU. Along with the blessing there is the keeping. <THE LORD> BLESS YOU by keeping <you> in abundance.⁶⁹Tanh., Numb. 2:10. AND KEEP YOU, so that may do good works (mitswot). (vs. 25:) THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE…. May he raise up children from you to be Torah scholars. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 6:23): FOR THE COMMANDMENT (mitzvah) IS A LAMP, AND TORAH IS <A LIGHT>. (Numb. 6:25:) THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE (from he'ir) <UPON YOU>. May he raise up priests from you, who kindle fire (from he'ir) upon the altar. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:10): YOU WILL NOT⁷⁰In the biblical context, the sense would be “may you not.”} KINDLE FIRE (from he'ir) ON MY ALTAR IN VAIN. (Numb. 6:25, cont.:) AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. R. Hiyya the Great taught: May the Lord encamp with you.⁷¹So did R. Hiyya understand the word translated AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU (WYHNK), and the word can indeed be understood as coming from the root HNH (“encamp”). Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:25): AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. May he raise up prophets from you. Thus it is stated (in Zech. 12:10): AND I WILL POUR OUT UPON THE HOUSE {OF JUDAH} [OF DAVID AND UPON ANYONE DWELLING IN JERUSALEM] A SPIRIT OF GRACE AND MERCY. Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:25): AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. May he set his grace upon you in whatever place you go. Thus it is stated (in Esth. 2:17): AND SHE WON GRACE AND FAVOR. (Numb. 6:26:) THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU <AND GRANT YOU PEACE>. But another text says (of the Holy One in Deut. 10:17): WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE (i.e., SHOW FAVOR). How can this be?⁷²Sifre, Numb. 6:26 (42); PRK 24(suppl. 7):1. <If> one has repented before judgment is sealed, (Numb. 6:26:) THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE (i.e., show favor). When judgment has been sealed, (Deut. 10:17:) WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE. Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:24): THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU. Along with the blessing there is a keeping.⁷³Numb. R. 11:5. A king of flesh and blood has a friend in Syria, but he dwells in Rome. When the king sent for him, he arose and came to him. He gave him a hundred pounds⁷⁴Gk.: litrai; cf. Lat.: librae. of gold. <When> he loaded it up and set out on the road, bandits⁷⁵Gk.: lestai. fell upon him. They took everything that he had given him and everything <else> that he had with him. Do you suppose that he could have kept him from the bandits? For that reason it is stated (in Numb. 6:24): THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU.⁷⁶See the parallel in Numb. R. 11:5, which expands here: “THE LORD BLESS YOU with abundance AND KEEP YOU from bandits.” Another interpretation: May he BLESS YOU with money. BLESS YOU refers to sons (who can produce wealth), while KEEP YOU refers to daughters, since the females need keeping. And so it says (in Ps. 121:5): THE LORD IS YOUR KEEPER; THE LORD IS YOUR SHADE ON YOUR RIGHT HAND. [(Numb. 6:25:) THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU.] May he make the light of his face shine for you. Now MAKE SHINE (Y'R) can only mean life, since it is written (in Prov. 16:15): IN THE LIGHT OF THE KING's FACE THERE IS LIFE. It also says (in Ps. 118:27): THE LORD IS GOD AND HAS GIVEN LIGHT (Y'R) TO US. And similarly it says (in Ps. 67:2[1]): MAY GOD BE GRACIOUS TO US AND BLESS US; MAY HE MAKE HIS FACE SHINE FOR US. (Numb. 6:26:) THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE…. Does the Holy One lift up his face for a creature? Moreover, <the Holy One> caused to be written (in Deut. 10:17): WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE (i.e., SHOW FAVOR).⁷⁷Numb. R. 11:7. It is simply that, just as they lift us their faces to me, so do I lift up my face to them. How so? I have written in the Torah (in Deut. 8:10): THEN YOU SHALL EAT, BE FULL, AND BLESS <THE LORD YOUR GOD>. So when a person sits down with his children and the children of his house, and when there is not enough before them to be full, they <still> raise their faces to me as they give the blessing. Moreover, they exercise meticulous care for <something as small> as an olive, for <something as small> as an egg. Therefore (in Numb. 6:26): THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU.⁷⁸Ber. 20b.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:23): THUS SHALL YOU BLESS THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. (Vs. 24:) THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU. Along with the blessing there is the keeping. <THE LORD> BLESS YOU by keeping <you> in abundance.⁶⁹Tanh., Numb. 2:10. AND KEEP YOU, so that may do good works (mitswot). (vs. 25:) THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE…. May he raise up children from you to be Torah scholars. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 6:23): FOR THE COMMANDMENT (mitzvah) IS A LAMP, AND TORAH IS <A LIGHT>. (Numb. 6:25:) THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE (from he'ir) <UPON YOU>. May he raise up priests from you, who kindle fire (from he'ir) upon the altar. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:10): YOU WILL NOT⁷⁰In the biblical context, the sense would be “may you not.”} KINDLE FIRE (from he'ir) ON MY ALTAR IN VAIN. (Numb. 6:25, cont.:) AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. R. Hiyya the Great taught: May the Lord encamp with you.⁷¹So did R. Hiyya understand the word translated AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU (WYHNK), and the word can indeed be understood as coming from the root HNH (“encamp”). Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:25): AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. May he raise up prophets from you. Thus it is stated (in Zech. 12:10): AND I WILL POUR OUT UPON THE HOUSE {OF JUDAH} [OF DAVID AND UPON ANYONE DWELLING IN JERUSALEM] A SPIRIT OF GRACE AND MERCY. Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:25): AND BE GRACIOUS TO YOU. May he set his grace upon you in whatever place you go. Thus it is stated (in Esth. 2:17): AND SHE WON GRACE AND FAVOR. (Numb. 6:26:) THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU <AND GRANT YOU PEACE>. But another text says (of the Holy One in Deut. 10:17): WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE (i.e., SHOW FAVOR). How can this be?⁷²Sifre, Numb. 6:26 (42); PRK 24(suppl. 7):1. <If> one has repented before judgment is sealed, (Numb. 6:26:) THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE (i.e., show favor). When judgment has been sealed, (Deut. 10:17:) WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE. Another interpretation (of Numb. 6:24): THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU. Along with the blessing there is a keeping.⁷³Numb. R. 11:5. A king of flesh and blood has a friend in Syria, but he dwells in Rome. When the king sent for him, he arose and came to him. He gave him a hundred pounds⁷⁴Gk.: litrai; cf. Lat.: librae. of gold. <When> he loaded it up and set out on the road, bandits⁷⁵Gk.: lestai. fell upon him. They took everything that he had given him and everything <else> that he had with him. Do you suppose that he could have kept him from the bandits? For that reason it is stated (in Numb. 6:24): THE LORD BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU.⁷⁶See the parallel in Numb. R. 11:5, which expands here: “THE LORD BLESS YOU with abundance AND KEEP YOU from bandits.” Another interpretation: May he BLESS YOU with money. BLESS YOU refers to sons (who can produce wealth), while KEEP YOU refers to daughters, since the females need keeping. And so it says (in Ps. 121:5): THE LORD IS YOUR KEEPER; THE LORD IS YOUR SHADE ON YOUR RIGHT HAND. [(Numb. 6:25:) THE LORD MAKE HIS FACE SHINE UPON YOU.] May he make the light of his face shine for you. Now MAKE SHINE (Y'R) can only mean life, since it is written (in Prov. 16:15): IN THE LIGHT OF THE KING's FACE THERE IS LIFE. It also says (in Ps. 118:27): THE LORD IS GOD AND HAS GIVEN LIGHT (Y'R) TO US. And similarly it says (in Ps. 67:2[1]): MAY GOD BE GRACIOUS TO US AND BLESS US; MAY HE MAKE HIS FACE SHINE FOR US. (Numb. 6:26:) THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE…. Does the Holy One lift up his face for a creature? Moreover, <the Holy One> caused to be written (in Deut. 10:17): WHO DOES NOT LIFT UP HIS FACE (i.e., SHOW FAVOR).⁷⁷Numb. R. 11:7. It is simply that, just as they lift us their faces to me, so do I lift up my face to them. How so? I have written in the Torah (in Deut. 8:10): THEN YOU SHALL EAT, BE FULL, AND BLESS <THE LORD YOUR GOD>. So when a person sits down with his children and the children of his house, and when there is not enough before them to be full, they <still> raise their faces to me as they give the blessing. Moreover, they exercise meticulous care for <something as small> as an olive, for <something as small> as an egg. Therefore (in Numb. 6:26): THE LORD LIFT UP HIS FACE UNTO YOU.⁷⁸Ber. 20b.

(Deut. 1:28, cont.:) THEY ARE A PEOPLE LARGER AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN WE. He said to them: From the beginning you have been of two minds on the matter. <On the positive side> (according to Deut. 1:22): THEN YOU ALL DREW NEAR UNTO ME AND SAID: LET US SEND MEN AHEAD OF US <TO EXPLORE THE LAND FOR US>; but it is written <on the negative side> (in vs. 27): YOU MURMURED IN YOUR TENTS AND SAID: IT IS BECAUSE THE LORD HATED US THAT HE BROUGHT US OUT <FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT>. The Holy One says to them (in Mal. 1:2): I HAVE LOVED YOU! But they say (in Deut. 1:27): IT IS BECAUSE THE LORD HATED US THAT HE BROUGHT US OUT. Jose b. R. Hanina said, while teaching in the name of R. Ishmael: There is a common⁴⁸Gk.: idiotes (“commoner”). proverb that says: What lies in your heart concerning your companion is what lies in my heart concerning me. (Deut. 1:27:) IT IS BECAUSE THE LORD HATED US <THAT HE BROUGHT US OUT>. They interpreted <the verse> and said: You yourself know that he hates us. <Take the case of> a king of flesh and blood who has two sons. Now he also has two fields, one with irrigation and one watered by rain. <The field> with irrigation will be given to whichever one the king loves, while the one watered by rain will be given to that one whom he hates. The land of Egypt has irrigation, and we were in its midst, while the land of Canaan has rain.⁴⁹Cf. above, Numb. 4a:5. So he brought us out from Egypt [to give us the land of Canaan]. Nevertheless (according to Deut. 1:41–42): AND EACH OF YOU GIRDED ON HIS WEAPONS OF WAR, AND YOU VENTURED TO GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY. BUT THE LORD SAID UNTO ME: SAY TO THEM: DO NOT GO UP AND DO NOT FIGHT. I had intended to go up with you, but now: DO NOT GO UP. For you it will be a downfall; going up is not for you. Nevertheless (according to vs. 41), [EACH OF] YOU GIRDED ON <HIS WEAPONS>, and you all had become a single unit. (Ibid., cont.:) AND YOU VENTURED TO GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY. What is the meaning of AND YOU VENTURED (rt.: HYN)) TO GO UP INTO THE HILL COUNTRY? That they were saying: Drop by drop the hin⁵⁰A liquid measure equal to about a gallon and a half. will be filled.⁵¹I.e., they had accumulated almost enough sin to overflow their allotted measure. One text (Deut. 1:43) says: AND YOU ACTED PRESUMPTUOUSLY; while another text (Deut. 1:41) says: AND YOU VENTURED (rt.: HYN). What is the meaning of AND YOU ACTED PRESUMPTUOUSLY? That they acted presumptuously against the pleasures (hanayot, rt.: HNH)⁵²The initial letter here is a he. Cf. the parallel in Numb. R. 17:3, where the initial letter is a het. With such an emendation the text would read: “They acted presumptuously against the encampments of the Holy One.” I.e., they ignored the fact that the ark of the covenant had not departed out of the camp (Numb. 14:44). of the Holy One.

It is written of Israel (in Deut. 7:7): THE LORD HAS DELIGHTED IN YOU AND CHOSEN YOU. It is also written (in Gen. 34:3): AND HE (Shechem) LOVED THE MAIDEN (Dinah). Now you would not know what that love was; [however, from the fact that he set his soul upon her, you do know what love was]. How much the more so in the case of the Holy One, when he said to Israel (in Mal. 1:2): I HAVE LOVED YOU! (According to Deut. 7:7:) THE LORD HAS DELIGHTED IN YOU; you do not know how. We do, however, learn from Shechem, as stated (in Gen. 34:8): THE SOUL OF MY SON, SHECHEM, LONGS FOR YOUR DAUGHTER. R. Abbahu said: We have learned from putrid secretion (i.e., mere mortals). It is written about Shechem (in Gen. 34:3): AND HIS SOUL CLUNG TO JACOB'S DAUGHTER DINAH; and it is written about Israel (in Deut. 4:4): BUT YOU WHO CLUNG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY.

Another interpretation (of Cant. 5:16): HIS PALATE (i.e., what he says) IS MOST SWEET: If a king of flesh and blood has a friend, he loves him. So, if that friend becomes ill,⁷⁵Heb.: HLH, a word that can also be pointed to mean “sweeten.” he sends away to inquire after his health. Then, if he loves him even more, he goes to visit him. < But > if he went out into lodgings,⁷⁶Gk.: xenia. is it thinkable that the king would go out with him? However, < it was > the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, < who > loved Jacob, as stated (in Mal. 1:2): YET I HAVE LOVED JACOB. When Deborah⁷⁷Instead of DEBORAH (Rebekah’s nurse) Yalqut Shim‘oni, Cant., 991, reads, “Rebekah” here. died (in Gen. 35:8), < the Holy One > came to visit him; and, when he went out into lodgings, he was with him. It is so stated (in Gen. 28:15): AND SEE, I AM WITH YOU. When he returned, he was with him, as stated (in Gen. 31:3): THEN GOD SAID UNTO JACOB: < RETURN UNTO THE LAND OF YOUR ANCESTORS WHERE YOU WERE BORN >, AND I WILL BE WITH YOU.

Another interpretation (of Cant. 5:16): HIS PALATE (i.e., what he says) IS MOST SWEET: If a king of flesh and blood has a friend, he loves him. So, if that friend becomes ill,⁷⁵Heb.: HLH, a word that can also be pointed to mean “sweeten.” he sends away to inquire after his health. Then, if he loves him even more, he goes to visit him. < But > if he went out into lodgings,⁷⁶Gk.: xenia. is it thinkable that the king would go out with him? However, < it was > the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One, < who > loved Jacob, as stated (in Mal. 1:2): YET I HAVE LOVED JACOB. When Deborah⁷⁷Instead of DEBORAH (Rebekah’s nurse) Yalqut Shim‘oni, Cant., 991, reads, “Rebekah” here. died (in Gen. 35:8), < the Holy One > came to visit him; and, when he went out into lodgings, he was with him. It is so stated (in Gen. 28:15): AND SEE, I AM WITH YOU. When he returned, he was with him, as stated (in Gen. 31:3): THEN GOD SAID UNTO JACOB: < RETURN UNTO THE LAND OF YOUR ANCESTORS WHERE YOU WERE BORN >, AND I WILL BE WITH YOU.

... “He will save him because He delights in him.” (Tehillim 22:9) R’ Shimon ben Lakish said that the Holy One expressed His love for Israel with three languages of affection, with ‘cleaving,’ with ‘desiring,’ and with ‘wanting.’ With cleaving – “But you who cleave to the Lord your God are alive…” (Devarim 4:4) With desiring – “…did the Lord desire you…” (Devarim 7:7) With wanting – “…for the Lord wants you…” (Yeshayahu 62:4) We learn all of these from that wicked one of the story of “And Dinah went out…” (Bereshit 34:1) With cleaving – “And his soul cleaved to Dinah…” (Bereshit 34:3) With desiring – “My son Shechem his soul desires your daughter.” (Bereshit 34:8) With wanting – “…because he wanted Jacob's daughter…” (Bereshit 34:19) R’ Aba bar Elisha added two more, with love and with speaking to the heart. With love, as it says “I loved you, said the Lord…” (Malachi 1:2) With speaking to the heart, as it says “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem…” (Yeshayahu 40:2) We learn these also from the story of that wicked one – “…he loved the girl and spoke to the girl's heart.” (Bereshit 34:3) “He will save him because He delights in him.”

4 Another interpretation: Why did all these stages (places) merit to be written in the Torah? Since they received (accommodated) Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, will give them their reward in the future. It is so stated (in Isaiah 35:1-2), "The arid desert shall be glad.... It shall blossom abundantly, it shall also exult...." And if the desert [will receive] such for receiving Israel; one who receives a Torah scholar into his home, all the more so [will he be rewarded]. You find that in the future the desert will be a settlement and a settlement will be a desert. And where is it shown a settlement will be a desert in the future? It is so stated (Malachi 1:3), "And I have hated Esav and will make his hills a desolation." And where is it shown a desert will be a settlement in the future? It is so stated (Isaiah 41:8), "I will make a desert into a lake of water." Now there are no trees in the desert, but there will be trees there in the future, as stated (Isaiah 41:19), "I will put cedar and acacia in the desert...." Now there is no path there, as it is all sand. But there will be a path there in the future, as stated (Isaiah 43:19), "I will place a path in the desert […]." And it states (Isaiah 35:8), "And there will be a highway there, and it shall be called the Sacred Way [...]."

"in the L-rd's hatred of us": Is it possible that the Holy One Blessed be He hates Israel? Is it not written (Malachi 1:2) "I have loved you, said the L-rd"? It is, rather, they, who hate the Holy One Blessed be He (as per the folk saying: "As you are disposed to another you think him disposed to you.")

Another explanation: "And God said all of these things, saying" - Rabbi Yitzchak said, What the prophets were to prophesy in the future in each generation, they received from Mount Sinai. As Moshe said to Israel (Deuteronomy 29:14), "But with those here with us standing today and with those not here with us today." It does not say [at the end of the verse], "with us standing today," but rather, "with us today"; these are the souls that will be created in the future, who do not have substance, about whom "standing" is not mentioned. For even though they did not exist at that time, each one received that which was his. And so [too], it states (Malachi 1:1), "The burden that God spoke to Israel by ['in the hand of'] Malachi" - it does not state, "in the days of Malachi," but rather "in the hand of Malachi," as the prophecy was already in his hand from Mount Sinai, but until that time, he was not given permission to prophesy. Likewise Yeshayahu said (Isaiah 48:16), "from the time it was, was I there." Yeshayahu said, "From the time the Torah was given at Sinai, I was there and received this prophecy, except [only] 'now did God send me and His spirit'" - until now, he was not given permission to prophesy. And it was not only of the prophets who receive their prophecy from Sinai, but also the sages who arise in each generation - each of them received what was his from Sinai. And so [too] it states (Deuteronomy 5:19), "These things did the Lord speak to your entire congregation, [...] a great voice and it did not cease": Rabbi Yochanan said, "One voice was split into seven voices and they were divided into seventy languages"; Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said, "From it prophesied all of the prophets who arose." The Sages said that it did not have an echo. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, "What is [the meaning of] 'The voice of the Lord is in strength' (Psalms 29:4)? Can one really say this? Isn't it true that, with even one angel, no creature can stand up to his voice, as it states (Daniel 10:6), 'And its body was like beryl (tarshish) [...] and the voice of its words was like the voice of the multitude.' And does the Holy One, blessed be He, about Whom it is written (Jeremiah 23:24), 'do I not fill the heavens and the earth,' need to speak in strength? Rather, 'The voice of the Lord is in strength' - in the strength of all of the voices." And this verse supports the view of Rabbi Yochanan: "The Lord gives the word, the announcers are a great host" (Psalms 68:12).

"Four are among the tiniest on earth, and yet they are the wisest of the wise" (Proverbs 30:24) these relate to the various empires and monarchs. "Ants are a folk without power, and yet they prepare food for themselves in summer" (Proverbs 30:25). This refers to the Empire of Babylon. As it is written "Behold the land of Chaldea. This is the people that has ceased to be. Assyria founded it to station ships" (Isaiah 23:13). "The badger is a folk without strength, and yet it makes its home in the rock" (Proverbs 30:26). This refers to the Persian-Median Empire. And what is the meaning of "and yet it makes its home in the rock?" This refers to Ahasuerus and Cyrus who sought to rebuild the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. "The locusts have no king, and yet they all march forth in formation" (Proverbs 30:27). This refers to Alexander the Macedonian, for he overtook the entire world as locusts fly through the air. "You can catch the lizard in your hand, and yet it is found in royal palaces" (Proverbs 30:28). This refers to Edom (i.e., the Roman Empire), for of all the small creatures, none are despised like it. And so it is written "And I hated Esau" (Malachi 1:3). And what is the meaning of "and yet it is found in royal palaces?" This also refers to Edom (i.e., Roman Empire), for they destroyed the Holy Temple. "You can catch the lizard in your hand" Said Rabbi Jeremiah, this is Edom the wicked nation, for everything established there in Israel is now destroyed and forgotten.

31) (Vayikra 8:29): "And Moses took the breast and waved it, a wave-offering before the L–rd. From the ram of the miluim to Moses was it for a portion, as the L–rd had commanded Moses": We are hereby taught that the Holy One Blessed be He does not hold back the reward of any creature. And thus is it written (Malachi 1:10): "Who among you, too, would (not) close doors and not kindle My altar for nothing"? (see Chapter 16:10).

And Abraham rebuked Avimelech: R. Yosi ben R. Hanina said: Rebuke leads to love, as it says, rebuke a wise man and he will love you. Such indeed is R. Yosi ben Hanina’s view, for he said: Love unaccompanied by rebuke is not love. Resh Lakish said: Rebuke leads to peace; hence, ‘And Abrahman reproved Avimelech’. Such is his view, for he said: Peace unaccompanied by rebuke is not peace.

AND IT CAME TO PASS FROM THE TIME THAT HE APPOINTED HIM, etc. (XXXIX, 5). R. Simeon b. Yohai taught: Wherever the righteous go, the Shechinah accompanies them. Thus when Isaac went down to Gerar, a blessing went with him, as it says, And Isaac sowed in that land...and the Lord blessed him (Gen. XXVI, 12). Jacob went down to Laban, and a blessing went with him: And the Lord hath blessed thee whithersoever I turned (ib. XXX, 30). Joseph went down to Potiphar, and a blessing went with him, and it says, AND THE LORD BLESSED THE EGYPTIAN'S HOUSE FOR JOSEPH'S SAKE.