Midrasz do Wyjścia 13:19

(Fol. 9b) MISHNAH: And so also do we find in connection with good deeds: Miriam waited for Moses once, as it is said (Ex. 2, 4) And his sister placed herself afar off, therefore did all Israel wait for her seven days in the wild forest, as it is said (Num. 12, 15) And Miriam was up without the camp seven days, the people did not set forward until Biriam was brought in again. Joseph took upon himself the duty of interring his father and there was none equal to Joseph among his brothers, as it is said (Gen. 50, 7) And Joseph went up to bury his father, and who is greater than Joseph who was in return attended by Moses (Moses merited to take care of the bones of Joseph, and there was none greater in Israel than Moses), as it is said (Gen 13, 19) And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him. Who is greater than Moses whom none else but the Shechina attended [after his death], as it is said (Deut. 34, 6) And He buried him in the valley. Not only of Moses alone is this said, but it includes all the righteous as it is said (Is. 58, 8) And before thee shall go thy righteousness, the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward.

"Who is greater than Joseph, who in return was attended by no one else than Moses." Our Rabbis were taught: "Come, see how beloved meritorious deeds were to our teacher Moses; for, while all Israel was busy with the spoils of Egypt, he occupied himself with meritorious deeds, as it is said (Pr. 10, 8) The wise in heart will accept commandments; but, he that is a fool in his speaking will stumble. But how did Moses know where Joseph was buried? It was said that Serach, the daughter of Asher, was of the previous generation and to her Moses went and asked whether she knew where Joseph was buried, and she said: "An iron casket was made by the Egyptians wherein he was placed and sunk in the River Nile, so that the water of the Nile should be blessed through him." Thereupon Moses went and stationed himself on the brink of the Nile and said: "Joseph the time which the Holy One, praised be He, gave an oath to redeem Israel has expired; the oath with which thou hast adjured Israel is now to be fulfilled. If thou wilt reveal thyself, well, but if not, then we shall be free from the obligation of thy oath." Immediately did the casket of Joseph float the water, and be not surprised that iron floats on the water, for so also do we find in the passage (II Kings 6, 5) But as one was felling a beam, the axe had fallen into the water; and he cried and said, 'Alas, my Lord, it was also borrowed, etc., and cast it in there and made the iron to swim. Is this not a fortiori? If for Ellisha who was only the disciple of Elijah and Elijah who was the disciple of Moses could cause iron to float on water, how much more easily could Moses himself do so? R. Nathan said: "Joseph was buried in the royal cemetery, Moses thereupon went and stationed himself on the royal cemetery and said: 'Joseph the time at which the Holy One, praised be He, gave this oath to redeem Israel has expired; and the oath which thou hast besworn Israel must now be fulfilled. If thou wilst. reveal thyself, well, but if not then we shall be free from the obligation of thy oath." At that moment the casket of Joseph began to tremble, whereupon Moses [having revealed his place] took it and brought it to him, and during all the years that Israel was in wilderness the ark of Joseph was carried side by side with the ark of the Shechina. This caused all passersby to ask, "What is the reason for these two arks?" And when they were told that one contained a dead body and the other the Shechina. The inquirers would ask, "How is it that a dead body is to be placed near the ark of the Shechina?" Whereupon they were told: (Ib. b) "This is because the one who lies in the ark has fulfilled everything that is written in the Torah, which is placed in the other ark." Is it possible that Joseph's body was left to the charge of Moses and the entire people of Israel did not attend it? Behold it is written (Josh. 24, 32) And the bones of Joseph which the children of Israel have brought up out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem, and again granted that Israel would not have attended it, is it possible that his children would not have attended it? Behold, it is written in the same passage, And it remained inheritance of the children of Joseph. His children said: "Let us leave our Father to be attended by the entire people of Israel, for it will be a greater honor for him to be attended by a multitude of people." And again Israel said: "Let us leave it attended by Moses for it would be a greater honor than to be attended by inferior men." (Ib., ib., ib.) They buried in Shechecm. Why in Shechem? They said: "From Shechem was he (Joseph) stolen, (See Gen. 37, 14-29) and let us bring back the loss to Shechem." But the passages contradict each other, it is written (Gen. 13, 19) And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him, for he had caused the children of Israel to swear, etc., and in the previous passage it is written. And the bones of Joseph which the children of Israel had brought out of Egypt, they buried in Shechem. Said R. Chama b. R. Chanina: "Whoever starts a thing and does not complete it, and another comes and finishes it. Scripture considers the one who finished it as having performed the entire task." R. Elazar says: "Such a man [who begins a thing and does not finish] is even removed from his high position, as it is written (Gen. 38, 1) And it came to pass at that time that Juda went down from his brothers." R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: "Such a man will bury even his wife and children, as it is said (Ib., ib., 12) And the daughter of Shuah. Juda's wife, died and again it is written there, And Er and Onan both died."

And Moses took the bones of Joseph (Exod. 13:19). How did Moses know where Joseph’s grave was to be found? They say that only Serah the daughter of Asher had survived from that generation, and that she revealed to Moses where Joseph’s grave was located. The Egyptians had made a metal coffin for him and then sunk it into the Nile. Moses went to the bank of the Nile with a pebble upon which were engraved the words “Ox, arise,”³Mekhilta de-R. Ishmael says that the Tetragrammaton was engraved on the pebble and called out: “Joseph, Joseph, the time has come for the Holy One, blessed be He, to redeem his children. The Shekhinah and Israel and the clouds of glory await you. If you will reveal yourself, good, but if not, we shall be free of your vow.”⁴Joseph had made the brothers swear that they should carry his bones out of Egypt (Gen. 50:25). Whereupon Joseph’s coffin floated to the surface. Do not be surprised at this, for it says elsewhere: As one was felling a beam, the axehead fell into the water, and he cried, and said: “Alas, my master,” for it was borrowed, and the man of God said: “Where fell it” … and he showed him the place. And he cut down a stick, and he cast in thither, and made the iron to swim (II Kings 6:5–6). We can logically conclude that since Elisha, who was only Elijah’s disciple, was capable of making the iron float, surely Moses, Elijah’s teacher, could do as much.⁵Reasoning here by kal vehomer (an inference from the lesser to the more important), the first of R. Ishmael’s rules of interpretation.

Rabbi Berekhya said: Performing acts of kindness is in the Torah at its beginning, in its middle, and at its end. It is at its beginning, as it is written: “The Lord God built the rib [that he took from the man, into a woman, and He brought her to the man]” (Genesis 2:22). [This verse] teaches that the Holy One Blessed be He braided Eve’s hair, and brought her to Adam, and he became the groomsman for them; as in the coastal towns, they call braiding, building. It is in its middle, as it is written: “The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), teaching that He visited him.²⁸God visited Abraham, who was recovering from his circumcision. “God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), this is the blessing of the mourners.²⁹He came to console Isaac upon the death of Abraham. At its end, as it is stated: “He buried him in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6).³⁰God buried Moses.
Rabbi Ḥanin said: What is the measure of recompense [for acts of kindness]? Jacob died in the land of Egypt. For whom was it fitting to tend to him? Is it not the Holy One blessed be He, who said to him: “I will descend with you to Egypt [and I will also take you up]” (Genesis 46:4)? Joseph came and snatched the mitzva for himself, as it is written: “Joseph ascended to bury his father” (Genesis 50:7). Joseph died in Egypt. For whom was it fitting to tend to him? Is it not the tribes, to whom he administered an oath, as it is stated: “Joseph administered an oath [to the sons of Israel, saying: God will surely remember you, and you shall carry up my bones from here]” (Genesis 50:25). Moses came and snatched the mitzva for himself, as it is stated: “Moses took Joseph’s bones” (Exodus 13:19). Moses died, and the Holy One blessed be He, in His glory, repaid him, as it is stated: “He buried him in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

Because Miriam waited an hour for Moses, as it is said: And his sister stood far off (Exod. 2:4), the Holy One, blessed be He, waited for her in the desert, with the clouds of glory, the Levites, and the priests, for seven days as is said; And the people journeyed not till Miriam was brought in again (Num. 12:15). For he had straightly sworn the children of Israel (Exod. 13:19). He had made his brothers swear that they would cause their sons, the children of Israel, to take a vow that they would bring his body out from Egypt. Why did he compel his brothers to vow rather than his own sons? He said to himself: If I impose this vow upon my sons, the Egyptians may not permit them to fulfill it. For if they should tell the Egyptians: “Our father brought his father out of the land,” they may reply: “Your father was a king, and therefore he forced his brothers to promise to do this.”

Another interpretation: "All of the commandment" (Deuteronomy 8:1). If you have began with a commandment, finish all of it. Why? Rabbi Yochanan said, "Anyone who began with a commandment, and afterwards another comes and finishes it, it will be called according to the name of the one who finishes it." From who do you learn [this]? From Moshe. When Israel left Egypt, what is written? "And Moses took the bones of Yosef with him" (Exodus 13:19). All of the people were involved in the plunder and he was taking care of Yosef's bones. He went and stood among the coffins. He called out and said, "Yosef, Yosef, the time has come for the Holy One, blessed be He, to redeem His children. The Divine Presence awaits [you], and Israel and the clouds of glory await [you]. If you will make yourself appear good, but if not, we will be free of your vow." [Whereupon] his coffin immediately stirred, and [Moses] took it and departed. Moshe departed in the wilderness and did not enter the Land. [So] Israel brought in Yosef's bones and buried them. And the commandment was draped upon them, as it is stated (Joshua 24:32), "The bones of Joseph, which the Children of Israel had brought up from Egypt, were buried at Shekhem." Therefore He said to them, "All of the commandment." Rabbi Yannai said, "Anyone who begins a commandment but does not finish it will bury his wife and two of his sons." From who do you learn [this]? From Yehudah, [where it is stated (Genesis 37:26),] "And Yehudah said to his brothers, 'What gain (betsa) etc.?'" They sat to prepare for the bread [and eat their meal]. He said to them, "We are going to kill our brother and then recite a blessing [over the bread]?" As it is stated (Psalms 10:3), "the one that loots (botsea) and blesses reviles the Lord." Hence is it written, "What gain, etc." "Come, let us sell him to the Yishmaelites" (Genesis 37:27). And they listened to him, as he was a king. And had he said to them to bring him back to his father, they would have listened to him. But rather he began with the commandment and did not finish it. Hence one who begins with a commandment should finish all of it. Rabbi Yochanan said, "Anyone who learns Torah but does not fulfill it, it is better for him to have his placenta roll over his face [and smother him], as it is stated (Deuteronomy 8:1), 'guard to keep.'" Rabbi Acha said, "Anyone who guards it to keep it, merits that the holy spirit should descend upon him, as stated (Psalms 89:1), 'A psalm of wisdom (maskil) of Eitan the Ezrachite, etc.' And so [too] did He say to Yehoshua (Joshua 1:8), 'Let not this Book of the Torah cease from your mouth... [and then will you comprehend (taskil)].'" Hence is it written, "to guard to keep."

“If you do not know, fairest among women, go out in the footsteps of the flock, and herd your kids by the tents of the shepherds” (Song of Songs 1:8).
“Go out in the footsteps of [be’ikvei] the flock.” Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Akiva, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer says: From the coal-baked loaf that the Israelites took in their hands from Egypt, from which they ate for thirty-one days, as Rabbi Shila said: You know that there were sixty-two meals for the Israelites from this coal-baked loaf, [you know] what I [God] will do for them at the end, ultimately [be’akev].²³¹The midrash draws an allusion to this from the term be’ikvei in the verse, and portrays God as responding to Moses’s doubts by assuring him that just as He provided for Israel miraculously in the desert, He will provide at the end of days as well. That is what is written: “There will be abundance of grain in the land” (Psalms 72:16). Rabbi Akiva says: From the fact that I surrounded them with clouds of glory, just as you say: “The Lord was going before them by day…. The pillar of cloud by day…departed not [from before the people]” (Exodus 13:21–22), you know what I will do at the end, ultimately. That is what is written: “There will be a shelter for them for shade by day” (Isaiah 4:6). The Rabbis say: From what I gave them to eat in the wilderness, that was sweeter than milk and honey, you know what I will do for them at the end, ultimately, as it is stated: “It will be on that day, that the mountains will drip nectar” (Joel 4:18).
Another matter, “go out in the footsteps of the flock,” [God] said to him [Moses]: ‘Ultimately, the entire flock will depart and you will depart last.’ It is not that Moses was indolent, but rather, the Israelites were engaged in plunder and Moses was engaged in the mitzva of Joseph, just as you say: “Moses took Joseph’s bones with him” (Exodus 13:19).
Another matter, “go out in the footsteps of the flock,” He said to him: ‘Ultimately, this entire generation will die, and you will be like them.’ What was the cause of this matter? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It was due [to his conduct] at the bush, as Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: All the seven days of the bush, the Holy One blessed be He was enticing Moses to go on His mission to Egypt, as it is stated: “Moses said to the Lord: I am not a man of words, not yesterday, not the day before, and not since You spoke to Your servant” (Exodus 4:10). These are six days, and the day on which he was standing, that is seven.²³²The Midrash elsewhere (Shemot Rabba 3:14) explains that the words of this verse imply that the dialogue extended for seven days, and expounds the verse as follows: “I am not a man of words,” one; “yesterday,” two; “neither [gam],” three; “the day before,” four; “nor [gam],” five; “since,” six; “You spoke,” seven. Ultimately, [Moses] said to the Holy One blessed be He: “Send by means of whomever You will send” (Exodus 4:13). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘By your life, I will bind this for you in the corner of your garment.’²³³I will remember this and will ultimately punish you for it.
When did the Holy One blessed be He pay him back him? Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Ḥelbo, and Rabbi Levi, one said: For all seven days of the inauguration [of the Tabernacle], Moses served in the High Priesthood. He believed that it was his. Ultimately, it was said to him: ‘It is not yours, it is your brother Aaron’s.’ That is what is written: “It was on the eighth day, Moses called Aaron” (Leviticus 9:1).
Rabbi Ḥelbo said: All seven days of Adar, Moses was appeasing and entreating before the Holy One blessed be He that he might enter the land. Ultimately, He said to him: “For you will not cross this Jordan” (Deuteronomy 3:27). “Herd your kids,” the kids are entering, the goats are not entering. “By the tents of the shepherds,” the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘I will tell you until when you will stand over My people and herd them.’ “By the tents of [mishkenot] the shepherds [ro’im]”—on the thorns,²³⁴This is a reference to Siḥon and Og. that is on the land of the wicked [ra’im] and hard men who had been in it, Siḥon and Og.²³⁵Moses led the Israelites until they had conquered the lands of Siḥon and Og, but he did not take them any further.

(Bamidbar 12:14) "And the L-rd said to Moses: Now if her father had spat in her face, etc." R. Achi b. R. Yoshiyah said: There were "two rebukes," viz.: If her father of flesh and blood had rebuked her, she would (sit) in shame (sequestered) for seven days, does it not follow that if (her Father) He who spoke and brought the world into being (rebuked her), (she should be sequestered) fourteen (days)! But "it suffices that what is derived from an argument a fortiori be as that which it is derived from" — Just as her father, seven; so, He who spoke and brought the world into being, seven. (Ibid.) "Let her be sequestered seven days outside the camp, and then let her be gathered in.": The Holy One Blessed be He sequestered her, and the Holy One Blessed be He declared her tamei and the Holy One Blessed be He declared her clean. (Ibid. 12:15) "And the people did not journey until Miriam had been gathered in": to teach that "with the measure that a man measures, so is he measured." Miriam waited for Moses a short while, viz. (Shemot 2:4) "And his sister stationed herself at a distance, etc."; therefore, the Shechinah, the ark, the Cohanim, the Levites, and the seven clouds of glory did not journey until Miriam had been gathered in. Joseph merited taking the bones of his father (for burial), and there were none among his brothers greater than he, viz. (Bereshit 50:7-9) "And Joseph went up to bury his father … and there went up with him both chariots and riders." Who was greater among us than Joseph, only Moses meriting bringing him to burial. And there is none in Israel greater than he, viz. (Shemot 13:19) "And Moses took the bones of Joseph with him." Who is greater among us than Moses, none but the Holy One Blessed be He bringing him to burial, viz. (Devarim 34:6) "And He buried him in the valley of the land of Moav": R. Yehudah says: If it (the above) were not an explicit verse, it would be impossible to say it. Where did Moses die? In the portion of Reuven, viz. (Ibid. 1) "And Moses went up from the steppes of Moav to Mount Nevo." This is the territory of the sons of Reuven, viz. (Bamidbar 32:37-38) "And the sons of Reuven built Cheshbon and Elalei and Kiryathayim and Nevo." And he was buried only in the territory of Gad, viz. (Devarim 33:20-21) "And to Gad he said: Blessed be he who broadens Gad … and he saw the best for himself. For there the portion of the lawgiver (Moses) is hidden." From the portion of Reuven to that of Gad is four mils. Those four mils — Who carried him"? We are hereby taught that Moses was (carried) in the "hand" of the Holy One Blessed be He the four mils from the portion of Reuven to that of Gad, while the ministering angels extolled him in song, (Ibid.) "He wrought the righteousness of the L-rd and His judgments with Israel." And He thus gathers in not only Moses, but all of the righteous, as it is written (Isaiah 58:8) "And your righteousness shall go before you, and the glory of G-d will gather you in." (Bamidbar, Ibid. 16) "And afterwards the people journeyed from Chatzeiroth": This journey was after Miriam was gathered in.