Midrasz do Powtórzonego Prawa 2:31

The halakhah is: A Jew who was walking on the way Erev Shabbat and it grew dark, and he had in his hand coins or something else, what should he do? This is what our sages taught? One for whom the path grows dark [erev Shabbat] he should give his wallet to a non-Jew. And why is it permitted to give it to a non-Jew? R. Levi said, when the children of Noah were commanded, they were commanded only about seven things, and Shabbat was not one of them, therefore they allowed it to be given to a non-Jew. And R. Yose bar Hanina said: A non-Jew who keeps Shabbat before he accepts upon himself circumcision is obligated for the death penalty. Why? For they were not commanded to keep this. And why did you says that a non-Jew who keeps Shabbat is liable for the death penalty? R. Hiyya b. Abba said in the name of R. Yohanan: It is the way of the world that a king and a matron are having a discussion, and one who sticks their head in, are they not liable for death? Thus Shabbat is a matter between Israel and God, as it says, "Between me and the children of Israel." [Thus any non-Jew who puts himself between them before he accepts circumcision, is obligated for death.] ...

(Deut. 2:3:) “You have had enough of going about this mountain.” This text is related (to Cant. 2:7=3:5), “I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem by gazelles or by hinds of the field….” There are three oaths¹¹Actually there are four oaths, 2:7; 3:5; 5:8; and 8:4, and only the first two mention gazelles or hinds. in the book of Canticles that the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured [Israel].¹²Cf. Ket. 111a. Why? One in which the Holy One, blessed be He, adjured Israel not to reveal the end¹³Cf. Cant. R. 12:9:1.; [a second] that they would not force the end; [a third] that they would not rebel against the [other] kingdoms. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “If you fulfill the oaths, fine; but if not, I will permit your flesh [to be prey], as with gazelles or hinds of the field, [the injury of which] no one makes a claim or demands. So shall I not make a claim about your blood. (Deut. 2:31:) “And the Lord said unto me], ‘See I have begun to give Sihon and his land over to you.” It is also written (in Amos 2:9), “Yet I destroyed the Amorite¹⁴Although THE AMORITE implies the Amorite people in the biblical context, in the context of the midrash the singular AMORITE refers to Sihon. before (you) [them].” By virtue of what? By virtue of the Torah, which the sages had taught. Our masters have said, “Sihon was difficult [to overcome].¹⁵M. Pss. 136:11. His height was like a wall tower, and he was stronger than all creatures. He was taller than any tower on earth, but his feet reached to the earth. So no creature was able to stand before him, just as it says (Amos 2:9, cont.), “yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He bound the ministering angel that belonged to him and to his land. Then he cast him from his place and handed him over to Israel. Therefore it is written (ibid.), “yet I destroyed his fruit above and his roots below.” Our masters have said, “Sihon and Og were stronger than Pharaoh and his armies. And just as they uttered a song over the fall of Pharaoh, so were they worthy to utter a song at their fall. It is simply that David came and uttered a song over them, as stated (in Ps. 136:17, 19) ‘To the One who smote great kings […]; Sihon, king of the Amorites […].’”

(Deut. 2:31:) MOREOVER, THE LORD SAID {UNTO MOSES} [UNTO ME]: SEE I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE SIHON AND HIS LAND OVER TO YOU. [It is also written] (in Amos 2:9): YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITE¹²Although THE AMORITE implies the Amorite people in the biblical context, in the context of the midrash the singular AMORITE refers to Sihon. [BEFORE THEM, WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT]. By virtue of what? By virtue of the Torah, which the sages had taught. Our masters have said: Sihon was strong.¹³Below, Deut. 1a:8; M. Pss. 136:11. His height was like a wall tower, and he was stronger than all creatures. He was taller than any tower on earth, but his feet reached to the earth. So no creature was able to stand before him, just as it says (ibid., cont.): YET I DESTROYED HIS FRUIT ABOVE <AND HIS ROOTS BELOW>. What did the Holy One do? He bound the <angelic> prince that belonged to him and to his land. Then he cast him {in} [from] his place and handed him over to Israel. Our masters have said: Sihon and Og were stronger than Pharaoh and his armies; for just as they uttered a song over the fall of Pharaoh, so were they worthy to utter a song at their fall. It is simply that David came and uttered a song over them, as stated (in Ps. 136:10): TO THE ONE WHO SMOTE EGYPT THROUGH THEIR FIRST-BORN…. (vss. 17, 19) TO THE ONE WHO SMOTE GREAT KINGS …; SIHON, KING OF THE AMORITES….

(Deut. 2:31): SEE I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE SIHON AND HIS LAND OVER TO YOU. BEGIN <TO TAKE> POSSESSION <OF HIS LAND>. This text is related (to Amos 2:9): YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITE²⁶Although THE AMORITE implies the Amorite people in the biblical context, in the context of the midrash the singular AMORITE refers to Sihon. BEFORE YOU,²⁷The Masoretic Text reads BEFORE THEM. WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT AND WHO WAS AS STRONG AS THE OAKS. R. Johanan said:²⁸Cf. Deut. R. 1:24. Sihon's thighbone was eighteen cubits according to the cubits of the children of his generation.²⁹Gk.: kole. (Deut. 3:1:) AND OG, KING OF BASHAN. Abba Saul says: I used to bury the dead.³⁰Nid. 24:b. One time I ran after a deer and entered within the thighbone of a corpse. Moreover, I ran after it for three parasangs,³¹Persian miles of about four thousand yards each. Persian: farsang; Gk.: parasaggai. without reaching the deer and without the thighbone ending. I asked: Who is he? And they said to me: This is the thighbone of Og, King of Bashan.

(Deut. 2:31): SEE I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE <SIHON AND HIS LAND> OVER TO YOU (in the singular). He did not say: "To you (in the plural)," but TO YOU (in the singular), <i.e.,> because of you (in the singular). Now it was not because Israel possessed good works that I handed them over, but because of you. Moses said: You are sending an Angel. I have no need for him, (in the words of Exod. 33:15) IF YOUR PRESENCE DOES NOT GO ALONG. The Holy One said: Is it because of the angel that you are making a complaint? By your life, it shall not be an angel but a single hornet that I will send, and it shall finish them; for so it says (in Josh. 24:12): I SENT THE HORNET BEFORE YOU, <WHICH DROVE OUT THOSE TWO KINGS OF THE AMORITES FROM BEFORE YOU>.

(Deut. 2:31): SEE I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE <SIHON AND HIS LAND> OVER TO YOU. What is written there (in Deut. 2:24)? <SEE, I HAVE GIVEN SIHON, THE AMORITE KING OF HESHBON, INTO YOUR HAND ALONG WITH HIS LAND. BEGIN TO TAKE POSSESSION,> AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE. But they did not do so. Rather (we read in vs. 26:) THEN I SENT MESSENGERS <FROM THE DESERT OF KEDEMOTH UNTO KING SIHON OF HESHBON WITH WORDS OF PEACE>. The Holy One said: I said: AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE, but you are talking of peace. (Is. 48:22:) THERE IS NO PEACE, SAYS THE LORD, FOR THE WICKED. See, the words of peace are so great that Israel nullified what he had told them (in Deut. 2:24): AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE. Still he was not angry with them.

29 (Numb. 20:17) “Please let us pass through your land.”⁸⁹As Buber suggests in note 370, the citation is probably a misreading for Numb. 20:22: LET ME PASS THROUGH YOUR LAND. This alternate reading better fits the context. As he had sent to inform the king of Edom that he would do no damage to him, so did he send to this one. (Deut. 2:28) “You shall sell me food for money, and water with money….”: It is customary for water to be given gratis, but I am giving payment for it. (Numb. 21:22) “We will go by the king's highway [until we have passed through your territory]”: But in another place it is written (in Deut. 2:29), “until I have crossed [the Jordan].” To what is the matter comparable? To one guarding a vine or fig tree. When someone comes and says, “Let me pass through here, so that I may gather grapes from the vineyard,” he says to him, “It is only because of you that I am sitting on guard, and you would come to gather [the grapes]?” So it was with Sihon. He received wages from all the kings of Canaan; and they would bring taxes up to him, for he would crown them. Moreover he and Og were considered the equivalent of them all, since it is stated (in Ps. 136:19-20), “Sihon, king of the Amorites…; and Og, king of Bashan, and all the royalty of Canaan.” Israel said to [Sihon], “Let us pass through your land⁹⁰“Let us pass through your land” is similar but not quite equal to either Numb. 20:17 or Numb. 21:22. to conquer the kings.” He said to them, “I am sitting here to guard them from you.” (Numb. 21:23) “So Sihon did not allow Israel to cross on his territory; instead Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel”: The Holy One, blessed be He, only did this to deliver him into their hand without trouble. As it is written (in Numb. 21:34 = Deut. 3:2), “to Sihon, king of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon (i.e., with calculation).”⁹¹The stress on the Holy One acting with fore-thought was suggested by the words, IN HESHBON, which can also be translated WITH CALCULATION. If Heshbon had been full of mosquitos, no mortal could have conquered it; and if Sihon had been in a valley, no mortal could have overpowered him. And it goes without saying [that it could not be conquered], since he was a warrior and dwelt in a fortified city. [Ergo,] (in Numb. 21:34 = Deut. 3:2), “who dwelt in Heshbon.” If he and his troops⁹²Gk.: ochloi. had dwelt [scattered about] in his towns, Israel would have worn themselves out to prevail against him and conquer each and every town. Instead the Holy One, blessed be He, gathered them together so as to deliver them into their hand without trouble. And so it said (in Deut. 2:31), “See I have begun to give Sihon [and his land] over to you.” They killed all his warriors who had come out against them. Then they returned for the women and infants without exertion. It is therefore written (in Numb. 21:23,25), “Sihon gathered all his people together […]. And Israel took all of these cites.”

(Numb. 21:21:) “Then Israel sent messengers.” All the words of Torah are necessary to each other, for what one covers over the other opens up.¹⁴⁶Numb. R. 19:28. It is stated here (in Numb. 21:21), “Then Israel sent messengers,” while in another place [Scripture] ascribes the sending to Moses. [Thus] it is stated (in Deut. 2:26), “Then I sent messengers from the Desert of Kedemoth [unto King Sihon of Heshbon with words of peace].” In another place [it is stated (in Numb. 20:14)], “Moses sent from Kadesh messengers to the king of Edom.” These verses require one another, as Moses is Israel and Israel is Moses. [This comes] to teach you that the head of a generation is surely equivalent to the whole generation. (Numb. 20:17:) “Please let us pass through your land.”¹⁴⁷As Buber suggests in note 370, the citation is probably a misreading for Numb. 20:22: LET ME PASS THROUGH YOUR LAND. This alternate reading better fits the context and also agrees with the parallel in Numb. R. 19:29. As he had sent to inform the king of Edom that he would do no damage, so did he send to this one.¹⁴⁸The bracketed words come from the parallel in Numb. 19:19 and are necessary for the sense of the argument. (Deut. 2:28), “You shall sell me food for money, and water with money….” It is customary for water to be given gratis, but I am giving payment for it. (Numb. 21:22) “We will go by the king's highway [until we have passed through your territory].” But in another place it is written (in Deut. 2:29), “until I have crossed the Jordan.” The matter is comparable to one guarding a vine or fig tree. When someone comes and says, “Let me pass through here, so that I may gather grapes from the vineyard,” he says to him, “It is only because of you that I am sitting on guard, and you would come to gather [the grapes]?” So it was with Sihon. He received wages from all the kings of Canaan; and they would bring taxes up to him, for he would crown them. Moreover he and Og were considered the equivalent of them all, since it is stated (in Ps. 136:19-20), “Sihon, king of the Amorites…; And Og, king of Bashan.” Israel said to [Sihon], “Let us pass through your land¹⁴⁹“Let us pass through your land” is similar but not quite equal to either Numb. 20:17 or Numb. 21:22. to conquer the kings.” He said to them, “I am sitting here to guard them from you.” (Numb. 21:23:) “So Sihon did not allow Israel to cross on his territory; instead Sihon gathered all his people together and went out against Israel.” The Holy One, blessed be He, only did this to deliver him into their hand without trouble. As it is written (in Numb. 21:34 = Deut. 3:2), “to Sihon, king of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon (i.e., with calculation).”¹⁵⁰The stress on the Holy One acting with fore-thought was suggested by the words, IN HESHBON, which can also be translated WITH CALCULATION. If Heshbon had been full of mosquitos, no mortal could have conquered it; and if Sihon had been in a valley, no mortal could have overpowered him. And it goes without saying [that it could not be conquered], since he was a warrior and dwelt in a fortified city. [Ergo,] (in Numb. 21:34 = Deut. 3:2), “Sihon, king of the Amorites who dwelt in Heshbon.” If he and his troops¹⁵¹Gk.: ochloi. had dwelt [scattered about] in his towns, Israel would have worn themselves out to prevail against him and conquer each and every town. Instead the Holy One, blessed be He, gathered them together so as to deliver them into their hand without trouble. And so it said (in Deut. 2:31), “See I have begun to give Sihon [and his land] over to you.” They killed all his warriors who had come out against them. Then they returned for the women and infants without exertion. It is therefore written (in Numb. 21:23), “instead Sihon gathered all his people together.”

(Numb. 21:21:) THEN ISRAEL SENT MESSENGERS <UNTO SIHON, KING OF THE AMORITES>. All the words of Torah are necessary to each other, for what one covers over the other opens up.²⁰¹Tanh., Numb. 6:23; Numb. R. 19:28. It is stated here (in Numb. 21:21): THEN ISRAEL SENT MESSENGERS, while in another place <Scripture> ascribes the sending to Moses. [Thus it is stated] (in Deut. 2:26): THEN I SENT MESSENGERS FROM THE DESERT OF KEDEMOTH <UNTO KING SIHON OF HESHBON WITH WORDS OF PEACE>. <Both verses are necessary> to teach you that the head of a generation is surely equivalent to the whole generation. (Numb. 20:17:) PLEASE LET US PASS THROUGH YOUR LAND.²⁰²As Buber suggests in note 370, the citation is probably a misreading for Numb. 20:22: LET ME PASS THROUGH YOUR LAND. This alternate reading better fits the context and also agrees with the parallel in Numb. R. 19:29; however, the parallel in Tanh., Numb. 6:23 agrees with the Buber text as written. As he had sent to inform the king of Edom <that he would do no damage, so did he send to this one>²⁰³The bracketed words come from the parallel in Numb. 19:19 and are necessary for the sense of the argument. (in Deut. 2:28): YOU SHALL SELL ME FOOD FOR MONEY…. It is customary for water to be given gratis, but I am giving payment for it. (Numb. 21:22:) WE WILL GO BY THE KING's HIGHWAY [UNTIL WE HAVE PASSED THROUGH YOUR TERRITORY]. In another place it is written (in Deut. 2:29): UNTIL HAVE CROSSED THE JORDAN. <The matter> is comparable to one guarding a vine or fig tree. When someone comes and says: Let me pass through here, so that I may gather grapes from the vineyard, he says to him: It is only because of you that I am sitting on guard. So would you come to gather the grapes? So it was with Sihon. He received wages from all the kings of Canaan; and they would bring taxes up to him, for he had made them kings. Moreover he and Og were considered the equivalent of them all, since it is stated (in Ps. 136:19–20): SIHON, KING OF THE AMORITES …; AND OG, KING OF BASHAN. Israel said to <Sihon>: Let us pass through your land²⁰⁴“Let us pass through your land” is similar but not quite equal to either Numb. 20:17 or Numb. 21:22. to conquer the kings. He said to them: I am sitting here to guard them from you. (Numb. 21:23:) SO SIHON DID NOT ALLOW ISRAEL TO CROSS ON HIS TERRITORY. INSTEAD SIHON GATHERED ALL HIS PEOPLE TOGETHER AND WENT OUT AGAINST ISRAEL. The Holy One acted with forethought to deliver him into their hand without trouble. It is written (in Numb. 21:34 = Deut. 3:2): TO KING SIHON OF THE AMORITES WHO DWELT IN HESHBON (i.e., WITH CALCULATION).²⁰⁵The stress on the Holy One acting with fore-thought was suggested by the words, IN HESHBON, which can also be translated WITH CALCULATION. If Heshbon had been full of mosquitos, no mortal could have prevailed against it; and it goes without saying that he was a warrior and dwelt in a fortified city. If he and his troops²⁰⁶Gk.: ochloi. had dwelt < scattered about> in his towns, Israel would have worn themselves out to prevail against him and conquer each and every town. Instead the Holy One gathered them together so as to deliver them into their hand without [trouble. And so it said (in Deut. 2:31): SEE I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE SIHON <AND HIS LAND> OVER TO YOU. They killed all his warriors who had come out against them. Then they returned for the women and infants without] exertion. It is therefore written (in Numb. 21:23): INSTEAD SIHON GATHERED ALL HIS PEOPLE TOGETHER.