Midrasz do Rodzaju 10:33

(Exod. 6:2–3:) SO GOD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND SAID UNTO HIM: I AM THE LORD, AND I APPEARED UNTO ABRAHAM,…. This text is related (to Ps. 50:7): HEARKEN, O MY PEOPLE, AND LET ME SPEAK, O ISRAEL, SO THAT I MAY ADMONISH YOU…. R. Jose b. R. Simon said: Before you stood on Mount Sinai and accepted my Torah, you were called Israel, just as the nations of the world were called <by names like> Sabteca and Raamah (in Gen. 10:7 // I Chron. 1:9). But when you stood at Mount Sinai and accepted my Torah, you were called MY PEOPLE. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 50:7): HEARKEN, O MY PEOPLE, AND LET ME SPEAK.¹See below, 5:15; PRK 12:23.

From Adam to the Flood was 1656 years, and this is their enumeration: Adam 130, Seth 105, Enosh 90, Kenan 70, Mahalalel 65, Jared 162, Enoch 65, Methuselah 187, Lamech 182, and Noah was six hundred years old, etc." (Genesis 7, 6). Enoch buried Adam, and lived after him 57 years. Methuselah exhausted his days just before the Flood. From the Flood to the division [of languages] was 340 years. Noah lived ten years after the division [of languages]. Our father Abraham was at the division [of languages] 48 years old. Rabbi Yosei said: Eber was so great a prophet that he [preemptively] named his son Peleg ["division"], [aided] by the Holy Spirit. [Eber having foreseen what was to come] as it says "in his days the earth was divided" (Genesis 10, 25).

“It was during the days of Aḥashverosh; that [hu] Aḥashverosh who reigned from India to Kush, one hundred and twenty-seven provinces” (Esther 1:1). Hu [appears] five [times] for evil, and five for good. Five for evil: “He [hu] was a mighty hunter”⁴Nimrod. (Genesis 10:9); “he is [hu] Esau, father of Edom” (Genesis 36:43); “this is [hu] Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 26:9); “he is [hu] King Aḥaz” (II Chronicles 28:22); “that [hu] Aḥashverosh” (Esther 1:1). Five for good: “Abram, he is [hu] Abraham” (I Chronicles 1:27); “that [hu] Aaron and Moses…that [hu] Moses and Aaron” (Exodus 6:26–27); “David was [hu] the youngest” (I Samuel 17:14); “he [hu], Yeḥizhiyahu” (II Chronicles 32:30); “he [hu], Ezra, came up from Babylon” (Ezra 7:6). Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of the Rabbis from there: We have one that is better than all of them: “He is [hu] the Lord our God; His judgments are throughout the land” (Psalms 105:7), whose attribute of mercy is forever.

Another explanation. Why did Scripture concern itself with the genealogy of the chiefs? Did the Holy One, blessed be He, have nothing else to write about other than the chief of Timna, the chief of Lotan, etc.? He did so to teach us that from the very beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, concerned himself with the genealogies of the idolatrous nations so that it would not be left to them to describe for mankind their sterility and their degeneracy. How did He do that? When He came to the genealogy of the sons of Ham, He said: The sons of Ham: Cush, and Mizraim … and Cush begot Nimrod (Gen. 10:6–8); thus He indicated that they had become defiant, as it is said: He began to be a mighty one in the earth (ibid., v. 8). Similarly, when He said: And Mizraim begot Ludim … whence went forth (ibid., vv. 13–14), He did not say “he bore him” but he went forth, thereby informing us that he was the product of an incestuous relationship.

Resh Lakish was bathing himself in the Jordan, when Rabba b. b. Ghana came to him and shook hands with him. "God detests you Babylonians," said Resh Lakish to him, for it is written (Song. 8, 9) If she be a wall, we will build upon her a palace of silver; and if she be a door, we will enclose her with boards of cedar. This means: If you were all strong as a wall, and went with Ezra, you would have been like silver, which can never rot; but since you did not, you were like an Erez (a cedar) which is subject to decay. What kind of cedar is it over which decay has power? Ulla said: Sasmagur [a sawing worm to which a cedar is subject to decay]. And why do we liken the period of the second Temple into a Sasmagur? R. Abba said, this refers to a Bath Kol, as we are taught in the following Baraitha: With the death of the last prophets, Hagi, Zecharia and Malachi, the prophetic spirit was withdrawn from Israel, but they partook of [acted under] the holy inspiration (Bath Kol). (Is it possible that Resh Lakish spoke with Rabba b. b. Chana? If Resh Lakish would not speak with R. Elazar, who was the principal man in Palestine, because it was a rule that to whomsoever Resh Lakish spoke in the street, any business could be entrusted without witnesses, should Resh Lakish, then, have spoken with Rabba b. b. Chana [an inferior man]? R. Papa said: "Substitute another person. Either it was Resh Lakish and Ze'ri, or Rabba b. b. Ghana and R. Elazar.") When Resh Lakish came to R. Jochanan and related to him how he had explained the passage, R. Jochanan said to him: "This is not the reason [explanation]. If all had come with Ezra, even then the Shechina would not have abided in the second Temple, since it is written (Gen. 9, 27) May God enlarge the boundaries of Japheth, and may He dwell in the tents of Shem (Fol. 10); signifying, that although God enlarges the boundaries of Japheth, his Shechina can only dwell in the tents of Shem. And how is it known that the Persians are descendants of Japheth? Because it is written (Gen. 10, 2) The sons of Japheth: Gomer and Magog and Madai and Jaban and Tubal and Meshekh and Thirass; and R. Joseph has been taught that Thirass is Persia.

“It was during the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem of Judah went to reside in the field of Moav, he, his wife, and his two sons” (Ruth 1:1).
“It was during the days when the judges judged” – Rabbi Yoḥanan began and said: “Hear My people and I will speak; [Israel, and I will forewarn you]” (Psalms 50:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One forewarns only one who can hear it. Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Simon said: In the past they were called Israel like all other nations: “Savta, Rama, and Savtekha” (Genesis 10:7);¹These are the names of nations listed in Genesis, chap. 10. from here forward, they are called only My people. “Hear My people and I will speak” – from where did you merit to be called My people? From “and I will speak” – from what you spoke before Me at Sinai and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “Hear My people” – [what I have said] in the past; “and I will speak” – in the future. “Hear My people” – in this world; “and I will speak” – in the World to Come. So I will have a response to the angels of the nations of the world who are destined to accuse them before Me and say: ‘Master of the universe, these worship idols and those worship idols, these engaged in forbidden sexual relations and those engaged in forbidden sexual relations, these spilled blood and those spilled blood, and these are going down to the Garden of Eden and those are going down to Gehenna?’
At that time, the advocate of Israel is silenced. That is what you say: “At that time Mikhael will stand” (Daniel 12:1). Is there sitting on high? Did Rabbi Ḥanina not say: There is no sitting on high, as it is written: “I approached one of those standing [kamaya]” (Daniel 7:16). What is this language kamaya? Standing [kayama], as it is written: “Seraphim stood above Him” (Isaiah 6:2), and it is written: “The entire host of heaven standing in His presence on His right hand and on His left” (see I Kings 22:19). And you say “will stand”?²Since angels always stand, what does it mean that the angel Mikhael will stand at that moment? [Rather,] what is “will stand”? It is stand silent, as you say: “Shall I wait, because they do not speak, amdu] and do not answer>?” (Job 32:16).
The Holy One blessed be He says to him: ‘Do you stand silent and not advocate on behalf of My children? By your life, I will speak in support of their righteousness and rescue My children.’ What righteousness? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yoḥanan, one says: Due to the righteousness that you established My world because you accepted My Torah, as had you not accepted My Torah, I would have restored it [the world] to emptiness and disorder, as Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: “Earth and all its inhabitants dissolve, [I set its pillars, selah]” (Psalms 75:4). The world would have already dissolved, had Israel not stood before Mount Sinai…³Referring to a midrash that appears in Shir HaShirim Rabba 1:9: “If Israel had not stood on Mount Sinai and said: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed’ (Exodus 24:7), the world would have dissolved and returned to emptiness and disorder.” The midrash there then continues as it does here. And who established the world? “I [anokhi] set its pillars” (Psalms 75:4). Due to the merit of anokhi, “I set its pillars, selah.”⁴Anokhi is the first word of the Ten Commandments. In other words, due to the merit of Israel’s future acceptance of the Ten Commandments and the entire Torah, God established the foundations of the world. One said: Due to the righteousness you did for yourselves in accepting My Torah, as had you not done so, I would have eliminated you from among the nations.
“God; I am your God” (Psalms 50:7) – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is sufficient for you that I am your patron. Reish Lakish said: Although I am your patron, how does My patronage help at trial?⁵The midrash is responding to the repetition in the verse: “God; I am your God.” God [Elohim] represents the attribute of justice, and the verse thus presents a tension between God being strictly just and God being particularly Israel’s God, i.e., their patron.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai taught: I am the God for all humankind, but I have designated My name only upon My people Israel. I am not called the God of all the nations, but rather, the God of Israel. “God [Elohim]; I am your God” – Rabbi Yudan interpreted the verse in reference to Moses: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Even though I called you “god to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1), “I am your God” – I am above you.’ Rabbi Abba bar Yudan interpreted the verse in reference to Israel: Although I called you god, as it is stated: “I said you are godlike [elohim]” (Psalms 82:6), “I am your God” – know that I am above you. The Rabbis interpreted the verse in reference to judges: Even though I called you elohim, as it is stated: “Do not curse elohim” (Exodus 22:27), know that I am above you. Then He said to Israel: ‘I accorded honor to the judges and called them elohim, and they demean them. Woe unto a generation that judges their judges.’

Another interpretation (of Lev. 6:2), “Command Aaron.” What is the function of Aaron here? Israel was bringing offerings whereas Aaron is mentioned, and Scripture says here, “Command Aaron.” But note, it is written (in Numb. 28:2), “Command the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘My offering, My bread,’” but here it says (in Lev. 6:2), “Command Aaron […], ‘This is the Torah of the one who ascends (h'lh).’”⁴The masoretic text vocalizes this word as ha’olah, which means, THE BURNT OFFERING, but the midrash interprets the word as though it were vocalized ha’oleh, which means, “The one who ascends,” with the ascending implying self-exaltation. So also Lev. R. 7:6. The Holy One, blessed be He, said (to warn Aaron and his sons), “Whenever someone raises (rt.: 'lh) himself up, his end is to go in the fire.”⁵M.Ps. 11:5. It is so stated (in Lev. 6:2, cont.), “that is the one which ascends upon the burning place.” The generation of the flood [suffered] because of what they said (in Job 21:15), “What is the Omnipresent that we should serve Him?” For that reason they were sentenced to the fire (of Gehinnom), as stated (Job 6:17), “at the time that they were heated, they were burnt in His heat,” and it is written (Job 22:20), “and the fire consumed their remnant.” And likewise the Sodomites, [as stated] (in Gen. 19:24), “Then the Lord rained down upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire.” When Pharaoh said (in Exod. 5:2), “Who is the Lord, [that I should heed His voice],” he exalted (rt.: 'lh) himself and said (in Ezek. 29:3), “my Nile is my own and I made it myself.” [He is] therefore (in the words of Lev. 6:2) “upon the burning place.” For so it says (in Ps. 18:14), “The Lord thundered in the heavens,” (Ps. 18:13), "From the illumination in front of Him, His clouds were pierced by hail and coals of fire.” And also when Sennacherib exalted (rt.: 'lh) himself and said (in II Kings 19:23 = Is. 37:24), “it is I who have ascended (rt.: 'lh) the mountain heights to the remotest parts of Lebanon.” And what happened to him? (II Kings 19:35:) “The angel of the Lord went out and smote [one hundred and eighty-thousand] in the camp of Assyria.” He had blasphemed (according to II Kings 19:23: cf. 18:17–35) through a messenger (mal'akh);⁶The parallel in Is. 37:24 reads “servant” instead of “messenger.” therefore (in II Kings 19:35 = Is. 37:36 // II Chron. 32:21) “the angel (mal'akh) of the Lord went out and smote.” What did he do to him? (Is. 10:16), “And under his glory there shall burn a burning like the burning of fire.” What is the meaning of “under his glory?” That it burned them from within and left alone their clothes on the outside, since a person's glory is his garment.⁷Cf. Sanh. 94a. And why did the Holy One, blessed be He, leave their clothes behind? Because they were descendants of Shem, as stated (in Gen. 10:22), “The sons of Shem are Elam, Asshur (Assyria)….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I am indebted to their father Shem, because he took the garment and covered his father's nakedness, as stated (in Gen. 9:23), “Then Shem and Japheth took the garment… [and they covered their father's nakedness].”⁸Cf. Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 2:21, which interprets the verse to show that Shem took the lead in this act. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, left their clothes alone and burned [only] their body. This is as it is written (Lev. 6:2), “that (i.e. the person who exalts himself) is the one which ascends (ha'oleh) upon the burning place.” And so too Nebuchadnezzar exalted (rt.: 'lh) himself and said (in Is. 14:14), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) upon the heights of a cloud; I will become like the Most High (rt.: 'lh).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Upon your life, was it not enough that you said in your heart (in vs. 13), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) to the heavens; above the stars of God I will set my throne,” but that you should say (in vs. 14), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) upon the heights of a cloud, I will become like the Most High (rt.: 'lh)?” And so he (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar) said to Hananiah and his friends (in Dan. 3:15), “’Now who is the God who shall deliver you out of my hand?’ I have burned His house and exiled His people. He did not stand against me in His house; so will He overcome me in my house?” What did he do? He threw them into the fiery furnace. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He gave a sign to the furnace and it became a highway.⁹PLTYA, from the Gk.: plateia. Buber suggests emending to PLNTYH, from the Gk.: planetes, i.e., “planets.” Whoever was designated to be burned was not burned and whoever was not designated to be burned was burned. So the fire went forth and burned half of the peoples. Thus you find, when they assembled for the dedication of the image, at first there were eight peoples, as stated (in Dan. 3:3), “Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the provincial officials assembled.” That makes eight peoples; but when they came in to see Hananiah and his friends, there were only four peoples written there (in vs. 27), “The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the royal companions assembled.” So where were [the other] four peoples?] It is simply that (in vs. 22) “the flame of the fire slew them.” Now Nebuchadnezzar also was burned by the fire, and the fright (i.e., repulsiveness) of [a body disfigured by] burning was put upon him.¹⁰For this interpretation, Jastrow, s.v., ‘immus. Why was all of him not burned? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Leave this evil man half of himself so that he may know against Whom he blasphemed.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “O wicked one, did you not say, ‘I do not want to live with the children of Adam, but (in Is. 14:14), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) upon the heights of a cloud?”’ By your life, (according to Dan. 4:22) ‘You shall be driven away from humans and your domicile will be with the wild animals outside.’” Just as He brought the plagues upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, so did He bring [punishment] upon Nebuchadnezzar. It is so stated (in Dan. 3:32), “The signs and wonders which the most high God has worked for me [it seemed good to me to make known].” This fright of [a body disfigured by] burning fell upon him. Therefore it is stated (in Lev. 6:2), “that is the one which ascends (h'lh) upon the burning place.” (Lev. 6.2) “That is the one which ascends upon the burning place.” This is the kingdom of Edom (Rome), which exalted (rt.: 'lh) itself, as stated (in Obad. 1:4), “Though you make [your abode] as high as the eagle, and though [your nest is set] among the stars,” and will be judged by fire, as stated (in Dan. 7:11), “I looked on until the beast was slain and its body destroyed, given over for burning in the fire.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Obad. 1:18), “The House of Jacob shall be fire, and the House of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau shall be straw; [… for the Lord has spoken].” And what did he say? Through Moses (in Lev. 6:2), “that is the one which ascends (ha'olah, rt.: 'lh) upon the burning place.” Then after that [Scripture says] (in Obad. 1:21), “Then saviors shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mountain of Esau.” Sisera also [was punished by fire] because he blasphemed. Thus it is written about him (in Jud. 4:3), “and he oppressed the Children of Israel with might,” [i.e.] with blasphemies and invectives.¹¹See M. Ps. 2:1, which derives this interpretation of WITH MIGHT (rt.: HZQ) from Mal. 3:13: YOUR WORDS HAVE BEEN MIGHTY (rt.: HZQ) AGAINST ME. See also below, 9:7. He was therefore punished by fire, as stated (in Jud. 5:20), “The stars fought from the heavens; from their courses they fought with Sisera.”¹²See Pes. 118b, according to which the stars descended and heated the iron implements in Sisera’s army. And in the world to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to exact retribution from Esau, what [will] Esau do? Wrapped in a prayer shawl like an elder, he comes and takes his seat beside Jacob. It is so stated, (in Obad. 1:4), “and though your nest is set among the stars.” Stars can only mean Israel, since it is stated (in Gen. 15:5), “look toward the heavens and count the stars …; so shall your seed be.” Jacob says to him, “My brother ('hy), you shall not be like me.” Thus it is stated (in Hos. 13:14), “my brother ('hy),¹³The unemended reading below, given in braces, shows that the midrash is reading the he in ‘HY as a het, so that the WHERE of the Masoretic Text cited here is to be interpreted as MY BROTHER. your words¹⁴Devarekha. YOUR WORDS is the translation required by the midrash. In the biblical context devarekha should be rendered, YOUR PLAGUES. are death; my brother ('hy), your descent (qtb) is to Sheol.”¹⁵A traditional translation of the line would read: WHERE IS YOUR PESTILENCE, O SHEOL? Your words are decrees which you decreed over me. You decreed two-edged decrees against me, that I should serve idols. If I had done so, I would have been condemned to death at the hands of Heaven; and if I had not served them, you would have killed me. Ergo (in Hos. 13:14), “my brother, your words are death.” (Ibid., cont.) “My brother ('hy), your descent (qtb) is to Sheol.” [Qtb] is a Hellenistic¹⁶From the Gk. adverb: Hellenisti. word, meaning to descend to Sheol.¹⁷Thus QTB is understood as coming from the Greek, kataba, an aorist imperative meaning, “descend.” When Esau descends to Sheol, Jacob will remain by himself. It is therefore stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall remain in it.” Now the one-third can only be Israel, since it is stated (in Is. 19:24), “Israel shall be a third.” So Israel – because they made themselves despised and lowly, as stated (Malachi 2:9), “And I also made you despised and lowly” – are avenged and redeemed by fire; as stated (in Zech. 2:9), “And I Myself, says the Lord, will be a wall of fire around it (i.e., around Jerusalem).” When Esau departs from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel remain, as stated (in Cant. 6:9), “[Only] one is my dove, my perfect one.” It also says (in Deut. 32:12), “The Lord alone did lead him, and there was no foreign God with Him.”

Behold, your days to die have approached: Moshe said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the Universe, With the word that I complemented You - as I said, 'Behold, to the Lord, your God, is the Heavens and the Heavens of the Heavens' (Deuteronomy 10:14) - You are shaming me?" Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, "You are similar to a bad neighbor who sees what comes in [the house], but does not see what goes out. So did you say about my children, 'Behold, the Children of Israel will not listen to me' (Exodus 6:12) - and you put out slander about My children."

Another interpretation (of Lev. 6:2 [9]): COMMAND AARON…. What is the function of Aaron here?⁷Tanh., Lev. 2:2. Israel was bringing offerings while Aaron waited. So the Scripture says here: COMMAND AARON. Note also, it is written (in Numb. 28:2): COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM: MY OFFERING, MY BREAD FOR MY FIRE OFFERING < … YOU SHALL TAKE HEED TO OFFER ME IN ITS DUE SEASON >, but here it says (in Lev. 6:2 [9]): COMMAND AARON < … >: THIS IS THE TORAH OF THE ONE WHO ASCENDS (H'LH).⁸The masoretic text vocalizes this word as ha’olah, which means, THE BURNT OFFERING, but the midrash interprets the word as though it were vocalized ha’oleh, which means, “The one who ascends,” with the ascending implying self-exaltation. So also Lev. R. 7:6. The Holy One said: Whenever someone raises (rt.: 'LH) himself up, his end is to go in the fire.⁹M.Ps. 11:5. [It is so stated (in Lev. 6:2 [9], cont.):] THAT IS THE ONE WHICH ASCENDS UPON THE BURNING PLACE…. The generation of the flood < suffered > because of what they said (in Job 21:15): WHAT IS THE ALMIGHTY THAT WE SHOULD SERVE HIM? AND WHAT DO WE PROFIT WHEN WE PRAY TO HIM? For that reason they were sentenced to the fire (of Gehinnom). And likewise the Sodomites, as stated (in Gen. 19:24): THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM AND UPON GOMORRAH BRIMSTONE AND FIRE. When Pharaoh said (in Exod. 5:2): WHO IS THE LORD, [THAT I SHOULD HEED HIS VOICE]? he exalted (rt.: 'LH) himself and said (in Ezek. 29:3): THE NILE IS MY OWN AND I MADE MYSELF. < He is > therefore (in the words of Lev. 6:2 [9]) UPON THE BURNING PLACE, for so it says (in Ps. 18:14 [13]): THE LORD THUNDERED {FROM HEAVEN} [IN THE HEAVENS], AND THE MOST HIGH GAVE FORTH HIS VOICE, HAIL AND COALS OF FIRE. And also when Sennacherib exalted (rt.: 'LH) himself and said (in II Kings 19:23 = Is. 37:24): IT IS I WHO HAVE ASCENDED (rt.: 'LH) THE MOUNTAIN HEIGHTS TO THE REMOTEST PARTS OF LEBANON…, what happened to him? (II Kings 19:35:) THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT OUT AND SMOTE < ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THOUSAND > IN THE CAMP OF ASSYRIA…. (According to II Kings 19:23: cf. 18:17–35) he had blasphemed through a messenger (mal'akh);¹⁰The parallel in Is. 37:24 reads “servant” instead of “messenger.” therefore (in II Kings 19:35 = Is. 37:36 // II Chron. 32:21:) THE ANGEL (mal'akh) OF THE LORD WENT OUT AND SMOTE < ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-THOUSAND > IN THE CAMP OF ASSYRIA. What did he do to him? (Is. 10:16): AND UNDER HIS GLORY THERE SHALL BURN A BURNING LIKE THE BURNING OF FIRE. What is the meaning of UNDER HIS GLORY? That it burned him from within and left alone his clothes on the outside, since a person's glory is his garment.¹¹Cf. Sanh. 94a. Why did the Holy One leave their clothes behind? Because they were descendants of Shem, as stated (in Gen. 10:22): THE SONS OF SHEM ARE ELAM, ASSHUR,…. The Holy One said: I am indebted to their father Shem, because he took the garment and covered his father's nakedness, as stated (in Gen. 9:23): THEN SHEM AND JAPHETH TOOK A GARMENT…, < AND THEY COVERED THEIR FATHER'S NAKEDNESS >.¹²Cf. Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 2:21, which interprets the verse to show that Shem took the lead in this act. Therefore, the Holy One left their clothes alone and burned < only > their body. (Lev. 6:2 [9]:) THAT (i.e. the person who exalts himself) IS THE ONE WHICH ASCENDS (ha'oleh) UPON THE BURNING PLACE…. And so < it was in the case of > [Nebuchadnezzar, < who > he exalted (rt.: 'LH) himself. He said (in Is. 14:14): I WILL ASCEND (rt.: 'LH) UPON THE HEIGHTS OF A CLOUD; I WILL BECOME LIKE THE MOST HIGH (rt.: 'LH). The Holy One said to him: O wicked one, was it not enough that you should say (in vs. 13): I WILL ASCEND (rt.: 'LH) < TO THE HEAVENS >; ABOVE THE STARS OF GOD I WILL SET MY THRONE, but that you should say (in vs. 14): I WILL ASCEND (rt.: 'LH) UPON THE HEIGHTS OF A CLOUD, on high (rt.: 'LH)? And so he (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar) said to Hananiah and his friends (in Dan. 3:15): {WHO IS} [NOW WHO IS] THE GOD WHO SHALL DELIVER YOU OUT OF MY HAND? I have burned his house and exiled his people. He did not stand against me in his house; so will he overcome me in my house? What did he do? He threw them into the fiery furnace. What did the Holy One do? He gave a sign to the furnace and it became a highway.¹³PLTYA, from the Gk.: plateia. Buber suggests emending to PLNTYH, from the Gk.: planetes, i.e., “planets”. Whoever was designated to be burned [was not burned and whoever was not designated to be burned] was burned. So the fire went forth and burned half of the peoples. Thus you find, when they assembled for the dedication of the image, at first there were eight peoples, as stated (in Dan. 3:3): THEN THE SATRAPS, THE PREFECTS, AND THE GOVERNORS, THE COUNSELORS, THE TREASURERS, THE JUDGES, THE MAGISTRATES, AND ALL THE PROVINCIAL OFFICIALS ASSEMBLED. That makes eight peoples; but when they came in to see Hananiah and his friends, there were only four peoples written there (in vs. 27): THE SATRAPS, THE PREFECTS, THE GOVERNORS, AND THE ROYAL COMPANIONS ASSEMBLED. {That makes four peoples.} [So where were four peoples?] It is simply that (in vs. 22) THE FLAME OF THE FIRE SLEW THEM. Now Nebuchadnezzar also was burned by the fire, and the fright (i.e., repulsiveness) of < a body disfigured by > burning was put upon him.¹⁴For this interpretation, Jastrow, s.v., ‘immus. Why was all of him not burned? The Holy One said: Leave this evil man half of himself so that he may know against whom he blasphemed. The Holy One said to him: O Wicked One, did you not say: I do not want to live with the children of Adam, but (in Is. 14:14): I WILL ASCEND (rt.: 'LH) UPON THE HEIGHTS OF A CLOUD? [By your life,] (according to Dan. 4:22 [25]) YOU SHALL BE DRIVEN AWAY FROM HUMANS. Just as he brought the plagues upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, so he brought < punishment > upon Nebuchadnezzar. It is so stated (in Dan. 3:32 [4:2]): THE SIGNS AND WONDERS WHICH THE MOST HIGH GOD HAS WORKED FOR ME IT SEEMED GOOD TO ME TO MAKE KNOWN. This fright of < a body disfigured by > burning fell upon him. Therefore it is stated (in Lev. 6:2 [9]): THAT IS THE ONE WHICH ASCENDS (H'LH) UPON THE BURNING PLACE….

The Rock, His action is perfect: Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" (Isaiah 55:6), and David said, "Pursue the Lord and His might, etc." (I Chronicles 16:11). Why did he [continue to] say, "seek His face always?" To teach you [that] the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - sometimes appears and sometimes does not appear; sometimes hears and sometimes does not want to hear; sometimes answers and sometimes does not answer; sometimes is pursued and sometimes is not pursued; sometimes is found and sometimes is not found; sometimes is close and sometimes is not close. How is this? He appeared to Moshe, as it is stated (Exodus 33:11), "And the Lord spoke to Moshe." He went back and disappeared from him, when he said to Him, "Please show me Your glory" (Exodus 33:18). And so [too,] He appeared to Israel at Sinai, as it is stated (Exodus 24:10), "And they saw the God of Israel," and it states (Exodus 24:17), "And the appearance of the glory of the Lord." [But] He went back and disappeared from them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:15), "since you did not see any picture," and it states (Deuteronomy 4:15), "the voice of words do you hear." And when Israel were in Egypt in torturous subjugation, "And God heard their moaning" (Exodus 2:24). [But] when they sinned, "The Lord did not hear your voice and did not listen to you" (Deuteronomy 1:45). He answered Shmuel at Mitspeh, as it is stated (I Samuel 7:9), "and Shmuel cried out to the Lord [...] and the Lord answered Shmuel." [But] He went back and did not answer Him, as it is stated (I Samuel 16:1), "And the Lord said to Shmuel, 'Until when are you mourning for Shaul.'" He answered David - and it stated (Psalms 34:5), "I have pursued the Lord and He answered me." [But] He went back and did not answer him, as it is stated (II Samuel 12:16), "and David fasted a fast, and he went in and laid down on the ground," and it is written (II Samuel 12:14), "also the child that is born to you will surely die." And at the time that Israel repents, He is found for them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:29), "And from there, you will seek the Lord, your God [and you will find Him]." But if they do not repent, "They will go with their sheep and cattle to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has cast them off" (Hosea 5:6). Sometimes He is close, as it is stated (Psalms 145:18), "Close is the Lord to all who call to Him"; [but] sometimes He is not close, as it is stated (Proverbs 15:29), "Far from evildoers is the Lord." And it is written (Numbers 6:26), "And the Lord shall lift His face"; but [another[ verse states (Deuteronomy 10:17), "Who does not lift the face." [Only] if [one] repents, He lifts His face to him. It is possible [that He does this] for all. [Hence] we learn to say "to you" (Numbers 6:26) - but not to another nation; as it is stated (Jeremiah 4:14), "Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem, in order that you be saved" - if they repent. But if not, "Even if you wash with natron [... your iniquity is before Me]" (Jeremiah 2:22). Hence Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found; call to Him in His being close." [There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who said to his servants, "Go out and announce in all of my dominion that I am sitting and judging financial cases. Anyone who has an issue with his fellow - let him come in front of Me, and I will judge him favorably, [now] before I sit to judge capital cases." And so [too,] did the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - say to Israel, "My sons, Know that I judge the world at these four periods: At Pesach about the grain; at [Shavouot] about the fruit of the trees; at Rosh HaShanah, all those that come to the world come in front of me like bnei Maron; and at [Sukkot] about the water. On three of these periods, I sit to judge financial cases, to make wealthy or make poor, to increase or to decrease. But on Rosh HaShanah, I judge capital cases, whether for death or life - as you say in the shofar blows of Rav, 'And upon it is said, about the provinces, etc.' But if you repent with a full heart, I will accept you and judge you favorably. As the gates of the Heavens are open and I will hear your prayers, since I 'observe from the windows, peer through the lattice,' [now] before I seal the judgement on Yom Kippur." Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, "[There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who resided in a province and the people of the province were angering him. The king got angry and went outside of it [a distance of] ten mil and he stayed there. A man saw him, [and] he said to the people of the province, 'Know that the king is angry with you and he is seeking to send his legions upon the city to destroy it. Go out and appease him and he will return to you, before he distances himself from you.' A clever man was there, [and] he said to them, 'Fools, While the king was with you, you did not seek to appease him. And now before he distances himself, go out to him. Maybe he will accept you.'" Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" - these are the ten days of repentance, that he is found among you, as so did Yechezkel say, "a wall between Me and them" (Ezekiel 43:8). This is "call to Him in His being close. Let the evildoer leave his path and a man his thoughts of iniquity and return to the Lord and He will have mercy upon him" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

(Gen. 41:8:) < AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING > THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED (rt.: P'M), in that it was beating against him like a gong (rt.: P'M). Another interpretation (of Gen. 41:8): THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED. It is written of Nebuchadnezzar (in Dan. 2:1): HIS SPIRIT WAS DEEPLY TROUBLED; and it is written of Pharaoh (in Gen. 41:8): THAT HIS SPIRIT WAS TROUBLED.¹³Tanh., Gen. 10:2; Gen. R. 89:5. Why? Pharaoh knew the dream but did not know its interpretation; therefore, he was confused by one confusion. But Nebuchadnezzar knew neither the dream nor its interpretation; therefore, < he was confused > by two confusions. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 2:1): NEBUCHADNEZZAR DREAMED DREAMS. R. Hiyya said: He dreamed one dream. Then why does it say: DREAMS (in the plural)? Because he had forgotten the dream. R. Jannay says: He dreamed two dreams, one of an image (in Dan. 2:31-35) and one of a tree (in Dan. 4:7-14).

Another interpretation (of Numb. 1:1-2): THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES IN THE SINAI DESERT…. This text is related (to Ps. 147:20): HE HAS NOT DONE SO FOR ANY NATION…., and also (to Ps. 148:14): HE HAS RAISED UP A HORN FOR HIS PEOPLE, PRAISE FOR ALL HIS SAINTS. <The situation> is comparable to a king who took <his> first wife and did not write her a marriage contract.³³Tanh., Numb. 1:5; Numb. R. 1:5. He divorced her and did not give her a bill of divorce. He did the same for the second and for the third, in that he did not write them either a marriage contract or a bill of divorce. {He did not act. However,} [In due time] when he saw a certain poor orphan, a woman of noble ancestry, he wanted to marry her. He said to his shoshevin (i.e., to his best man): Do not behave with her as with the previous ones. This is a woman of noble ancestry. She is modest in her actions and worthy. Write her a marriage contract <stating> in which week, in which year, in which month, on what day of the month, in which province,³⁴Gk.: eparchia. just as it is written in Esther (2:16): SO ESTHER WAS TAKEN UNTO KING AHASUERUS, UNTO HIS ROYAL PALACE IN THE TENTH MONTH, WHICH IS THE MONTH OF TEBETH, IN THE SEVENTH YEAR OF HIS REIGN. Thus the Omnipotent created the generation of the flood and did not write down when he created them. He removed them from the world and did not write down when he removed them. It is simply <stated> (in Gen. 7:11): ON THAT DAY ALL THE SPRINGS OF THE GREAT ABYSS BURST FORTH AND THE WINDOWS OF THE HEAVENS WERE OPENED.³⁵Note that the verse begins: IN THE SIX HUNDREDTH YEAR OF NOAH’S LIFE, IN THE SECOND MONTH, ON THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF THE MONTH; but this dating is apparently not definite enough. Moreover, it was similar for the generation of the dispersion (Gen. 10:1-9); [similar for the Sodomites;] and similar for the Egyptians. For them it is not written either when they were created or when they died. {He did not act. However,} When Israel arose, the Holy One said to Moses: I will not behave with these as with those previous ones. These are people of noble ancestry, descendants from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is there written for them in which month, on what day of the month, in which year, in which province, in which metropolis I raised up their horn and gave them a head held high. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 1:1): THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES IN THE SINAI DESERT, i.e., the province, IN THE TENT OF MEETING, i.e., the metropolis. In which year? (Ibid., cont.:) IN THE SECOND YEAR.³⁶The citation of this section of the verse differs somewhat in the Masoretic text, which reads: ON FIRST DAY OF THE SECOND MONTH, IN THE SECOND YEAR. In which month? (Ibid., cont.:) IN THE SECOND MONTH. On what day of the month? (Ibid., cont.:) ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH. (Ibid., cont.:) [AFTER THEIR EXODUS FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT,] i.e, the era.³⁷Gk. hupateia (“consulship”). Why (in vs. 2) TAKE A CENSUS (literally: RAISE THE HEAD) OF THE WHOLE CONGREGATION OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL…. To fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 147:20): HE HAS NOT DONE SO FOR ANY NATION…. What did he do? (Ps. 148:14): HE HAS RAISED UP A HORN FOR HIS PEOPLE, PRAISE FOR ALL HIS SAINTS, EVEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, A PEOPLE NEAR TO HIM. HALLELUJAH.

(Numb. 1:1-2) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert […,] ‘Take a census of the whole congregation.” This text is related (to Ps. 147:20), “He has not done so for any nation, and they do not know His laws, Hallelujah.” [The situation] is comparable to a king who took [his] first wife and did not write her a marriage contract.²¹Numb. R. 1:5. He divorced her and did not give her a bill of divorce. He did the same for the second and for the third. [In due time] when he saw a certain poor orphan, a woman of noble ancestry, he wanted to marry her. He said to his shoshevin (i.e., to his best man), “I want to marry this one, and I shall not behave with her as with the previous ones. This is a woman of noble ancestry. She is modest in her actions and worthy. Write her a marriage contract [stating] in which week, in which year, in which month, on what day of the month, in which era.” [This is] just as it is written in Esther (2:16), “So Esther was taken unto King Ahasuerus, unto his royal palace in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, created the generation of the flood and did not write down when He created them. He removed them from the world and did not write down when He removed them. It is simply [stated] (in Gen. 7:11), “on that day all the springs of the great abyss burst forth and the windows of the heavens were opened.”²²Note that the verse begins, “In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month.” But this dating is apparently not definite enough. And it was similar for the generation of the dispersion (Gen. 10:1-9); similar for the sodomites; and similar for the Egyptians. [However,] when Israel arose, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I will not behave with these as with those previous ones, as these are descendants from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Therefore it is written in which month, on what day of the month, in which year, in which era, in which province I raised up their horn and gave them a head held high.” It is therefore stated (in Numb. 1:1), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert,” i.e., the province; “in the tent of meeting,” i.e., the metropolis; “on the first day of the month,” i.e., the day; “in the second year,” i.e., the year.²³The citation of this section of the verse differs somewhat in the Masoretic text, which reads, “on the first day of the second month, in the second year. In which month? (Ibid., cont.) “In the second month.” [“After their Exodus from the land of Egypt,”] i.e., the era.²⁴Gk. hupateia (“consulship”). Why (in vs. 2) “Take a census (literally: raise the head) of the whole congregation of the Children of Israel…?” To fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 147:20), “He has not done so for any nation….” What did He do? He raised their heads, as stated (Ps. 148:14), “He has raised up a horn for His people, praise for all His saints, even the Children of Israel, a people near to Him. Hallelujah”.

(Lev. 7:11:) “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings." When they offered the sacrifice of the peace offerings, the Holy One, blessed be He, would lift up His face to (favor) them, as stated (in Numb. 6:26), “The Lord lift up His face unto you and grant you peace.” Is it possible for the Holy One, blessed be He, to [favor] mortals? Two verses contradict each other. One text says (in Ezek. 33:11), “Do I desire the death of the wicked?” The other text says (in I Sam. 2:25), “for the Lord took pleasure in slaying them.” How has He not taken pleasure in the death of the wicked? It is simply that before their verdict was sealed, He did not take pleasure; after a verdict was sealed, the Lord took pleasure in slaying them. And so Daniel said (in Dan. 10:21), “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth.” Our masters have said, “There was a story about our Holy Rabbi (i.e., about R. Judah the Prince) that when he was passing through Simonia (where he lived), all the people of the city came out to meet him.¹⁹yYev. 12:6 (13a); Gen. R. 81:2; cf. Yev. 105:1. They wanted an elder from him to teach Torah. He gave them R. Levi ben Sisi. They said to him, ‘Our teacher, what is the meaning of what is written in Daniel (10:21), “However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth?” Is there something false in the Torah that it [must specifically] say truth [here]?’ [When] he did not find an answer to give them, he immediately went away [from there and came] to Rabbi. He said to him, ‘I could not stand up before them. They asked me one thing, and I could not find out what to answer them.’ He said to him, ‘What was the [one] thing?’ He said to him, ‘”However, I will tell you what is inscribed in the record of truth.” Is there something false in the Torah?’ He said to him, ‘There was a great answer for you to give them.’ He said to him, ‘You had something to tell them: When someone sins, the Holy One, blessed be He, inscribes death for him. [And if] he repents, the record is canceled. [But if] he does not repent, it is inscribed in the record of truth.’” Here also one text says (in Numb. 6:26), “The Lord lift up His face unto you”; while another text says (in Deut. 10:17), “who does not lift up His face.” If He lifts it up, why does He not lift it up? It is simply that for the idolaters, [He is one] “who does not lift up His face,” but for Israel, “The Lord lift up His face unto you.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Just as Israel [favors] me, so do I [favor] them. And how do they [favor] Me? [When] someone poor from Israel has four children, he takes one loaf. They sit down and eat all that loaf, but they are not satisfied from what there is in it, [yet] they recite a blessing. Yet the verse [only] says (Deut. 8:10), ‘When you shall eat and be full, you shall bless.’ I shall also favor them, [as stated] (in Numb. 6:26), ‘The Lord lift up His face unto you.’” It is therefore stated (in Lev. 7:11), “This is the law of the sacrifice for peace offerings.”

“Daughters of Jerusalem,” the Rabbis say: Do not read it as “daughters of [benot] Jerusalem, but rather, builders of [bonot] Jerusalem. This is the Great Sanhedrin of Israel, which convenes and instructs them with regard to every question and judgment.
Another matter, “daughters of [benot] Jerusalem,” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Jerusalem is destined to become a metropolis for all countries, and to draw [people] to it in streams, for its glory, as it is stated: “Ashdod, its towns, [benoteha] and its surrounding areas; Gaza, its towns, and its surrounding areas up to ”¹⁹²The word Lasha does not appear in the verse and its inclusion in the text of the midrash appears to be an error (Etz Yosef). (Joshua 15:47). This is the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is written: “I will give them to you as daughters [levanot] and not due to your covenant” (Ezekiel 16:61). What is “levanot”? Towns. What is “not due to your covenant”? It is not due to your contract, but rather due to My contract.¹⁹³It is not because you have kept all of the responsibilities incumbent upon you due to our covenant; it is rather a gift from Me. Alternatively, the nations who will come to show honor to Jerusalem are not just the ten nations promised to Abraham in the Covenant of the Pieces, but rather are additional nations (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Beivai said in the name of Rabbi Reuven: “Sing, barren one, [who did not bear]” (Isaiah 54:1). What song is there for barrenness? Rather, “sing, barren one,” who did not bear children for Gehenna.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Israel was likened to a female, just as a female takes one-tenth of the property from her father and leaves, so, too, Israel inherited the land of the seven nations, which is one-tenth of the seventy nations. Because they inherited like a female, they sang songs in the feminine, as it is stated: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song [hashira hazot]¹⁹⁴These terms are in the feminine form. to the Lord” (Exodus 15:1). But, in the future, they are destined to inherit like a male, who inherits all his father’s property; that is what is written: “From the eastern side to the western side, Judah, one portion” (Ezekiel 48:7). “Dan one portion…Asher one portion” (Ezekiel 48:1–2), and all of them so, and they speak in the masculine, as it is stated: “Sing to the Lord a new song [shir ḥadash]” (Psalms 96:1); shira ḥadasha is not written, but rather shir ḥadash.
Rabbi Berekhya and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi [said]: Why was Israel likened to a female? Just as a female loads and unloads,¹⁹⁵This means that she becomes pregnant and gives birth. loads and unloads, and then unloads and does not load again, so, too, Israel is enslaved and redeemed, enslaved and redeemed, and is then redeemed and is never enslaved again. In this world, because their trouble is like the trouble of a female who gives birth,¹⁹⁶Their redemption is not permanent. they sing songs in the feminine; however, in the World to Come, where their trouble is not like the trouble of one who gives birth, they sing songs in the masculine. That is what is written: “On that day this song [hashir] will be sung” (Isaiah 26:1).

When Abraham went up to the land of Israel, the Holy One, blessed be He, had said to him: Lift up thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward; for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it (Gen. 13:14–15); therefore, when He desired to destroy the five cities, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I cannot destroy them without first consulting Abraham. If you should believe that the land was not part of Canaan, observe that it is written elsewhere: And the border of the Canaanite was from Sidon, as thou goest toward Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest toward Sodom and Gomorrah (Gen. 10:19). That is why, when He wanted to destroy them, He consulted Abraham, as it says: Shall I hide from Abraham, etc.

Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world say: He behaves like a brute with you. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, he destroyed them with water, as stated (in Gen. 7:6): WHEN THE FLOODWATERS CAME UPON THE EARTH. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, he destroyed them. And similarly, when the Egyptians came, he drowned them in water. And also in the case of these whom he has called (in Exod. 4:22) ISRAEL, MY FIRST-BORN SON, here he is destroying (mekhalleh) them! <He is> like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16): BECAUSE THE LORD WAS NOT ABLE TO BRING THIS PEOPLE INTO THE LAND WHICH HE HAS SWORN <TO GIVE> THEM, HE HAS SLAUGHTERED THEM IN THE DESERT. Moses said: Sovereign of the World, (according to vs. 14) THAT YOU, O LORD, ARE SEEN FACE TO FACE (literally: EYE TO EYE). What is the meaning of THAT <YOU> … ARE SEEN EYE TO EYE ('YN B'YN)?¹⁴Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. Simeon ben Laqish said: See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN). You say (in Numb. 14:12): I WILL SMITE THEM WITH PESTILENCE AND DISPLACE THEM; but I am saying (in vs. 19): PLEASE PARDON. We shall see whose <utterance> will stand. The Holy One said to him: By your life, Moses, yours shall stand, while mine is null <and void>. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 14:20): THEN THE LORD SAID: I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED. But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12): THEN I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION THAT IS GREATER AND MORE NUMEROUS THAN THEY, <that decree> was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, and in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12): LOOK! THESE ARE COMING FROM AFAR. AND LOOK! THESE ARE FROM THE NORTH AND FROM THE SEA (i.e., FROM THE WEST), AND THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM. Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond <the River> Sambatyon¹⁵Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the darkness.¹⁶Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. It is concerning them that Isaiah has said (in Is. 49:9): SAYING TO THE PRISONERS: GO FORTH, <i.e.,> to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.:) TO THOSE WHO ARE IN DARKNESS: SHOW YOURSELVES.¹⁷Higgalu. The verb can also mean “be exiled. These are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.:) THEY SHALL PASTURE ALONG THE ROADS, AND {UPON} [IN ALL] THE HEIGHTS SHALL BE THEIR PASTURE. These are those who are located in Daphne near Antioch.¹⁸According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness. Isaiah has said (in Is. 51:11): SO LET THOSE RANSOMED BY THE LORD RETURN AND COME TO ZION WITH EXALTATION, WITH JOY EVERLASTING UPON THEIR HEADS. LET THEM ATTAIN JOY AND GLADNESS; MAY SORROW AND SIGHING FLEE.

(Devarim 1:7) "Turn and journey" — the way to Arad and Charmah; "and come to the mountain of the Emori and to all its neighbors" — Ammon, Moav, and Mount Seir; "in the plain" — the forest plain; "in the mountain" — the "King's Mountain" (see Gittin 57a); "in the lowland" — of the south; "in the south and by the seacoast" — Ashkelon, Azza, Caesarea, etc.; "the land of the Canaani" — the border of Canaan, viz. (Bereshith 10:19) "And the border of the Canaani was from Tziddon … until Lasha (Kalda)";

And Noah and his sons dwelt in the land that the Lord pointed out to them, and they served ‎the Lord through all the days of their lives. And the Lord blessed Noah and his sons when they ‎left the ark, and the Lord said unto them: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth. And ‎become powerful and very numerous in the whole earth. And these are the names of the ‎sons of Noah: Japheth, Ham and Shem. And children were born unto them after the flood, for ‎they had taken unto themselves wives before the flood. And these are the names of the sons ‎of Japheth: Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras; ‎seven sons. And the sons of Gomer were: Ashkinaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. And the sons ‎of Magog were: Elichalof, and Labab. And the sons of Madai were: Achon, and Zeelo, and ‎Chazoni, and Lot. And the sons of Javan were: Elisha, and Tarshish, and Kittim, and Dadanim. ‎And the sons of Tubal were: Ariphi, and Kesed, and Taari. And the sons of Meshech were: ‎Dedan, and Zaron and Shebashni. And the sons of Tiras were: Benib, and Ghera, and Luperion, ‎and Ghelae. These are the sons of Japheth according to their families, and their numbers in ‎those days were about four hundred and sixty men. And these are the sons of Ham: Cush, and ‎Mizrain, and Phut, and Canaan, four sons. And the sons of Cush were: Seba, and Havilah, and ‎Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha. And the sons of Raamah were Sheba, and Dedan, and ‎Mizrain begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and Cas ‎luchim, and Caphtorim. And the sons of Phut were: Ghebut, and Hadon, and Benah, and Adon. ‎And the sons of Canaan were: Sidon, and Heth, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite, and the ‎Hivite and the Arkite, and the Sinite, and the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite. ‎These are the sons of Ham, according to their families, and their numbers in those days were ‎about seven hundred and thirty men. And these are the sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and ‎Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram, five sons. And the sons of Elam were: Shushan, and Mahul and ‎Harmon. And the sons of Asshur were: Miros and Makil. And the sons of Arphaxad were: ‎Salah, and Aner, and Ash kol. And the sons of Lud were: Peter and Bizon. And the sons of ‎Aram were: Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash. These are the sons of Ham according to their ‎families, and their numbers were in those days about three hundred families. These are the ‎generations of Shem: Shem begat Arphaxad, and Arphaxad begat. Selah, and Selah begat ‎Eber; and unto Eber were born two sons, the name of one was Peleg, for in his days the sons ‎of man became divided, and in his last days the earth also was divided; and his brother's name ‎was Joktan, because in his days the duration of the life of the sons of man became short ‎vened and lessened. And these are the sons of Joktan: Almodad, and Sheleph, and ‎Hazarmaveth, and Yerah, and Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah, and Obal, and Abimael, and ‎Sheba, and Ophir, and Havilah and Jobab; all these were the sons of Joktan. And his brother ‎Peleg begat Reu, and Reu begat Serug, and Serug begat Nahor, and Nahor begat Terah. And ‎Terah was eighty-three years old when he begat Haran and Nahor.‎

And it came to pass in the middle of the night, that the Lord smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt (Exod. 12:29). The Creator of the night divided the night precisely. The Lord smote all the first born. It was the Lord Himself who smote the firstborn and not His emissary (Moses). In fact, even though a man was elsewhere, and his firstborn was in Egypt, he died. How do we know that the firstborn of the Cuthites, Puthites, and Ludites were also slain? It is said: And smote all the firstborn in Egypt, the first fruits of their strength in the tents of Ham (Ps. 78:51).⁸Ham was the ancestor of Cush, Put, and Lud (Gen. 10:15). Only the firstborn of the Pharaoh remained alive in fulfillment of the verse However, it was for this that I raised you up (Exod. 9:16). And Ba’al Saphon was the only idol remaining, to mislead them, in fulfillment of the verse He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them (Job 12:23). Unto the firstborn of the captives (Exod. 12:29). Why were the firstborn of the captives punished? Because they had rejoiced in the decrees promulgated against Israel. Hence it is written: He that is glad at calamity shall not be unpunished (Prov. 17:5). You must not be of the opinion that only the captives reacted in that manner, for the slaves and handmaidens did likewise, as is said: Even unto the firstborn of the maidservants that is behind the mill (Exod. 11:5); that is, even those who were legally bound to the millers. Even their firstborn cattle were destroyed lest the people assert: “Our deities are powerful, and that is why punishment was imposed upon them (and not upon us).”

[(Exod. 39:33:) AND THEY BROUGHT THE TABERNACLE UNTO MOSES.] This text is related (to Prov. 31:25): {MAJESTY} [STRENGTH] AND SPLENDOR ARE HER CLOTHING; AND YOU WILL LAUGH²⁴Wattishaq. The biblical context certainly requires the verb to be translated, AND SHE LAUGHS; but wattishaq may also be rendered, AND YOU WILL LAUGH (in the masculine). It is this latter meaning that the midrash assumes throughout this section. AT THE LATTER DAY. There is a story about R. Abbahu.²⁵Gen. R. 62:2; Exod. R. 52:3; yAZ 3:1 (42c). When he was departing this world, the Holy One showed him his reward as it was prepared for him in the world to come. He made thirteen rivers of balsam²⁶Gk.: balsamon. pass before him. When he saw them, he was astonished and said: Are all these for Abbahu? Then he read to himself the verse (Is. 49:4): I HAVE USED UP MY STRENGTH FOR A VOID AND VANITY; SURELY MY JUDGEMENT IS WITH THE LORD AND MY RECOMPENSE IS WITH MY GOD. [Ergo (Prov. 31:25): AND YOU WILL LAUGH AT THE LATTER DAY.] Zavday ben Levi, Levi ben Paytam,²⁷Probably ben Petros. and R. Judah ben Levi, each of them individually, [cited] a verse at the time of their departure from the world.²⁸Above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 10:15, and the note there. One cited (Ps. 32:6): THEREFORE LET EVERY SAINT PRAY UNTO YOU <IN ANTICIPATION OF THE TIME OF DISCOVERY >…. The next cited (Ps. 31:20 [19]): HOW ABUNDANT IS THE GOOD <WHICH YOU HAVE LAID UP FOR THOSE WHO FEAR YOU>. And the other cited (Ps. 5:12 [11]): BUT LET ALL WHO TAKE REFUGE IN YOU REJOICE. <LET THEM EVER SING FOR JOY, AND YOU SHALL SHELTER THEM.> Ergo, at the time of their departure from the world, the Holy One showed them their reward. Ben 'Azzay said (Ps. 116:15): PRECIOUS IN THE EYES OF THE LORD IS THE DEATH OF HIS SAINTS. When does the Holy One show his righteous ones the honor which he has prepared for them? Near their death. Ergo (in Prov. 31:25): AND YOU WILL LAUGH AT THE LATTER DAY….²⁹Exod. R. 52:3; M. Pss. 92:8; see yBer. 9:3 (13d); Gen. R. 35:2; PRK 11:15. All these parallels identify R. Simon as R. Simon b. Johay.

(Lev. 5:1:) “And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing […, if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity].” This text is related (to Eccl. 5:1), “Do not be rash with your mouth, and let not your heart hasten to bring forth a word before God.” These [words refer to] people who vilify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He. Come and see, when the celestial beings were created, those below were created with half of the [divine] name, as stated (in Is. 26:4), “for through Yh,³⁸YH is the first half of the divine name, which the Hebrew spells out where the translation reads THE LORD. the Lord formed the worlds.”³⁹The midrash interprets tsur ‘olamim as FORMED THE WORLDS (i.e., this world and the world to come) rather than as the more usual EVERLASTING ROCK. For similar interpretations, see yHag. 2:1 (77c); Men. 29b; Gen. R. 12:10; M. Pss. 62:1; 114:3; cf. also M. Pss. 118:14. But why were they not created with all of it? So as not to mention the full name [of the Holy One, blessed be He] with him. Woe to those creatures who vilify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, in vain. See what is written about offerings (in Lev. 1:2), “When one of you presents an offering to the Lord.” It does not say "to the Lord, an offering," but “an offering to the Lord” (so that who changes his mind about an offering in mid-sentence not mention God’s name for no reason).⁴⁰Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 1:6; Ned. 10ab; Sifra to Lev. 1:2, Wayyiqra, Parashah 2; Sifre, Deut.32:3 (306); Gen. R. 1:13. And [yet] people vilify the name of the Lord in vain. It is therefore stated (in Eccl. 5:1), “Do not be rash with your mouth…. for God is in heaven and you are on earth.” For who would say that God is not in heaven and that people are not on earth? [Accordingly], Solomon has said, “Every time that the weakest of the weak is above, he defeats the warrior below.” Go and learn from Abimelech (in Jud. 9:53), “But a certain woman dropped an upper millstone on Abimelech's head and cracked his skull.”⁴¹Since the woman was above the warrior Abimelech in the tower of Thebez, her killing him is an example of a relatively weak person defeating a warrior from above. And if he was a warrior among warriors and there was none like him, and [yet] a woman [was able to] kill him from above, how much the more so in the case of the Holy One, blessed be He! See what is written about Him (in Dan. 4:32), “All the inhabitants of the earth are of no account, and He does as He wishes [with the host of heaven and with the inhabitants of the earth].” It is also written (in Ps. 47:3), “For the Lord most high is awesome, a great King over all the earth,” and people are below. (Eccl. 5:1:) “Therefore let your words be few.” So what is there for you to do? To put your hand upon your mouth and upon your ear in order to neither speak nor hear. Ergo (in Lev. 5:1), “If a soul sins.”⁴²These words also appear in Lev. 5:21 [6:2]. (Lev. 5:1:) [“And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing,] when he is a witness to what he has either seen or come to know, [if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity].” This text is related (to Prov. 29:24), “The one who shares with a thief hates his own soul; he hears swearing and does not speak out.” What has caused anyone to say of him, “If a soul sins?” [It is] simply because he did not come and tell a sage, “So-and-so blasphemed the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.” He therefore shares his iniquities with him, as stated (in Lev. 5:1), “if he does not speak out, he shall bear his iniquity.” Therefore Solomon has said (in Prov. 29:24), “The one who shares with a thief hates his own soul.” Just as when the thief is caught, his partner is convicted along with him;⁴³Cf. Lev. R. 6:2. so whoever hears blasphemy of the Holy One, blessed be He, and does not speak out is convicted along with him. And let no one say, “What denunciation (lashon hara’ah) do I say?” The Holy One, blessed be He, has said (in Lev. 5:1ff.), “’On every matter,’ there is a denunciation in it. [But] with cursing the name, there is no denunciation.” Why? Because [it is] just like a case of a person cursing his companion. When he hears him, it is of no concern to him. But if he has cursed his father in his presence, he puts his life on the line and says, “You have cursed my father.” Moses said (in Deut. 32:6), “Is He not your Father who created you?” (Lev. 5:1:) [“And if a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing,] when he is a witness to what he has seen.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “If you want to bear witness, bear witness; but if not, I will bear witness.” Thus it is stated (ibid.), “when he (He) is a witness.” And where is it shown that the Holy One, blessed be He, is called a witness? Where it is stated (in Jer. 29:23), “I am the One who knows and bears witness, says the Lord.” Come and see. All the parashioth written in this book have “mistake” written in them, except for this parashah, in which “mistake” is not mentioned.⁴⁴In fact, MISTAKE (shegagah), i.e., UNINTENTIONAL SIN, does appear in this parashah (in 5:15, 18). Elsewhere in Lev. the word only appears in 4:2, 22, 27; 22:4.) About him Solomon has said (in Eccl. 5:5), “Do not let your mouth cause your flesh to sin, and do not say before the angel that it was a mistake,” (in Eccl. 5:1), “for God is in the heavens.” It is comparable to two people who threw stones at an image of a king.⁴⁵Gk.: eikonion, a diminutive form of eikon. One was drunk, and one was in possession of his senses. Both of them were caught and went to trial. [The judge] rendered a [guilty] verdict⁴⁶Gk.: apophasis. against the one with his senses and acquitted the one who was drunk. So it is in the case of whoever sins. It is concerning him that “mistake” is written (in Lev. 4:2) – “When a soul sins by mistake (rt.: shgg) [against any of the Lord's commandments]….”; (and likewise in Lev. 4:13) “And if the whole congregation of Israel should err (rt.: shgg).” And [about] all of them; because they sinned by mistake, they bring an offering and it shall be forgiven them. It is so stated (in Numb. 15:26), “The whole congregation of the Children of Israel and the stranger who resides in their midst shall be forgiven because [it happened] to all the people by mistake.” But the one who blasphemes receives a [guilty] verdict, as stated (in Lev. 24:16) “And the one who blasphemes the name of the Lord shall surely be put to death.” It is also written (in Jer. 4:2), “And you shall swear, ‘As the Lord lives,’ in truth, in justice, and in righteousness; then shall nations bless themselves in Him, and Him shall they glory.” Scripture also says (in Deut. 10:20), “The Lord your God you shall fear, Him you shall serve, to Him you shall hold fast”; then after that, “and by Him you shall swear.”⁴⁷See Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 9:1; Numb. R. 9:1. (Ibid.:) “The Lord your God you shall fear,” so that you will be like those three of whom it is written, “he feared God (yr' 'lhym)”: Abraham, Joseph and Job. About Abraham it is written (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God (yr' 'lhym).” About Joseph it is written (in Gen. 42:18), “I fear (yr') God ('lhym).” About Job it is written (in Job 1:2), “he feared God (yr' 'lhym) and shunned evil.” (Deut. 10:20, cont.:) “Him you shall serve,” in that you will be busy with the Torah and with [fulfilling] the commandments. (Ibid. cont.:) “To him you shall hold fast,” in that you will honor the Torah scholars and benefit them with your property. Moses said to Israel, “Do not think that I have allowed you to swear by His name, even in truth. It is only, if all these conditions (mentioned earlier in the verse) abide with you, that you are entitled to swear; and if not, you are not entitled to swear [by His name], even in truth.” You shall not be like those of whom it is written (in Jer. 7:9), “[Will you …] swear falsely and sacrifice to Baal?” Rather, fulfill all these conditions and after that you are Mine, as stated (in Jer. 4:1), “If you return, O Israel, says the Lord, if you return unto Me [….]” Then after that [it says] (in vs. 2), “And you shall swear, ‘as the Lord lives’….” Our masters have said, “Even in truth one cannot swear.” Why? Thus have our masters taught (in Dem. 2:3): Let not someone from Israel be unrestrained in vows⁴⁸See also Ned. 20a. or in jesting, (or to lead one's companion astray with an oath by saying it is not an oath). There is a story about the royal mountain where there were two thousand towns, and all of them were destroyed because of a truthful oath that was unnecessary.⁴⁹Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 9:1; Numb. R. 9:1; cf. also Git. 57a. Now if one who swears in truth has this happen, how much the more so in the case of one who swears to a lie? How did they act? One would utter an oath to his companion that he was going to such and such a place to eat and drink. Then they would go and act to fulfill their oath. It is therefore stated (in Lev. 5:1), “If a soul sins in that it hears a voice swearing.” Now when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to judge all people in the world to come, He will judge them along with sorcerers and adulterers. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Mal. 3:5), “Then I will draw near to you in judgment; and I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against those who swear to a lie (in My name).” And I am finding them guilty and bringing them down to Gehinnom. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “With the mouth that I gave you to be praising and glorifying My name, you are reproaching, blaspheming, and swearing to a lie in My name? Since I created all people to praise Me, as stated (in Prov. 16:4), “The Lord has made everything for His own purpose.” So is it not enough for you that you do not praise Me, but [that] you blaspheme [Me as well]! The Scripture has said (in Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea, [for it cannot rest (rt.: shqt)].” [They are] just like this [kind of] sea which has waves in its midst exalting themselves upward. When each and every one of them reaches the sand, it is broken and returns (hozer).⁵⁰The word also means “repents.” And its companion also looks at it breaking, and [yet] exalts itself upward without repenting (hozer). So are the wicked, who look at one another and exalt themselves. Therefore, they are likened to the sea, as stated (in Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea….” So did all the generations, the generation of Enosh, the generation of the flood, and the generation of the dispersion (i.e., of the Tower of Babel), not learn from each other. Instead they were exalting themselves. Therefore they are compared to the sea (in Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea.” (Is. 57:20, cont.:) “For it cannot rest (rt.: shqt).” The wicked have no rest in the world, but the righteous have serenity (shqt), as stated (in Jer. 30:10), “and Jacob shall again have peace (shqt) and quiet with none to make him afraid.” Another interpretation (of Is. 57:20), “But the wicked are like the troubled sea.” Just as the sea has its dirt and mud in its mouth, so the wicked have their stench in their mouth. Thus it is stated (at the end of Is. 57:20), “and its waters toss up slime and mud.” It is not from choice that one hears blasphemies and invectives, but from the midst of the sins which are within him. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 5:1), “If a soul sins and hears a voice swearing….”⁵¹Most translations equate the sinning with the swearing. This more literal translation illustrates the point that the swearing comes from a soul which has already sinned. You find [that there are] three things under human control and three things not under human control ….⁵²Tanh., Gen. 6:12 (i.e., Toledot 12); Gen. R. 67:12. And not only [now] but even in the world to come. [So it is stated] (in Job 12:23), “He exalts (msgy') nations and destroys them.” The written text (ketiv) is “mshg'” (which means, misleads).⁵³In unpointed Hebrew the Sin (S) and the Shin (Sh) look alike. Since MShG’, which is pointed mashge’, can also be spelled with the extra yod (i.e., Y), the two words are interchangable in an unpointed text. Then He destroys them [and] brings them down to Abaddon,⁵⁴Abbadon is a name for Hell, which means “destruction.” while the righteous watch them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 66:24), “Then they shall go out and look at the corpses of the people who have rebelled against Me; their worms shall not die nor shall their fire be quenched”.

What is meant by Thou shalt overlay it with gold, within and without? He said to him: Even though the wooden casket is to be inserted between them, handle it with the utmost care. Why? Because the Torah, the tablets, and even the broken tablets will be placed within it. Hence treat it with honor, since it is said: Thou shalt put them in the ark (Deut. 10:2); that is, both the (second) tablets and the broken tablets shall be placed inside it. And thou shalt put them in the ark. That is to say, even if you should see students of the Torah who are poor and unfortunate, treat them with respect, for the law is stored within them. And make a crown of gold (Exod. 37:2). Why? Because the Torah rests therein. There are three crowns, the crown of the Torah, the crown of priesthood, (and) the crown of kingship, but there is an additional crown, the crown of a good name, that excels them all. How do we know abut the crown of the Torah? It is said: That wisdom preserveth the life of him who has it (Exod. 7:12) both in this world and the world-to-come. Hence it is written: And made a crown of gold.

Another interpretation: Why did the Holy One give a revelation to Abraham? R. Judah the Levite spoke a parable:³³Gen. R. 49:2. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and gave it to his friend as a gift. After some days the king needed to cut down < some > beams from it. The king said: Although it was mine, I gave it to my friend. I shall not cut them until I consult with my friend. So < it was with > the Holy One. When he brought < Abraham > up into the land of Israel, he said to him (in Gen. 13:14f.): PLEASE LIFT UP YOUR EYES AND LOOK {TOWARD THE SEA AND TOWARD THE NORTH} … and it is also written (in the next verse): [FOR] ALL THE LAND WHICH YOU SEE, < TO YOU WILL I GIVE IT, AND TO YOUR SEED FOREVER >. When, therefore, the Holy One wanted to destroy those five cities, he said: I am not destroying them without Abraham knowing. If you should say that they were not part of the land of Canaan, see what is written (in Gen. 10:19): AND THE BORDER OF CANAAN WAS FROM ZIDON, < AS YOU GO TOWARD GERAR, UNTO GAZA; AS YOU GO TO SODOM, GOMORRAH, ADMAH, AND ZEBOIIM, UNTO LASHA >. He did not, therefore, destroy them until he had consulted with Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 18:17): THEN THE LORD SAID: SHALL I HIDE FROM ABRAHAM < WHAT I AM DOING >?

(Ib., ib., ib.) Now Hebron had been built seven years before Zo'am in Egypt. What does was built mean? Can it be taken literally? How is it possible that a man should build a house for his minor son, before he builds one for his grown-up son? For it is written (Gen. 10, 6) And the sons of Ham: Cush, Mizrayim, and Put, and Canaan. [Hence we see that Canaan was younger than Ham]. We must therefore say that she was fruitful, seven fold, over the city of Zo'an, and although there is no more stony place in the entire land of Israel than Hebron, this is the reason why it was devoted a cementery, and again there is no better land in the entire Asiatic region than that of Egypt, as it is said (Ib. 13, 10) Like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt; and there is no better ground in the entire land of Egypt than that of Zo'an, as it is written (Is. 30, 4) For his princes were at Zo'an. Nevertheless Hebron was seven times as rich in fruit production as Zo'an. Is this a fact that Hebron contains stony ground? Behold it is written (II Sam. 15, 7) And it came to pass at the end of forty years, that Abshalom said unto the king, 'Let me go, I pray thee, and fulfill my vow, which I have vowed unto the Lord at Hebron; 'which was explained by R. Ivia, and according to others by Rabba b. b. Chana that this means: "He desired to go to Hebron to bring sheep for an offering." And we are also taught in a Baraitha that rams came from Moab and sheep from Hebron [hence we see that it contained pasture plains]? From the very place we can infer that it was a stony ground, and just because it was stony, therefore it was devoted to pasture ground, which fattens sheep.

And Cush, the son of Ham, the son of Noah, took unto himself a wife at that time in his old ‎age, and he begat a son, and he called his name Nimrod, saying: At that time the sons of man ‎again began to rebel and to trespass against the will of God. And the boy grew up, and his ‎father loved him exceedingly, for he was unto him the son of his old age And Cush gave unto, ‎Nimrod the coats of skin which the Lord had made for Adam and Eve, when they were driven ‎from the garden of Eden. For after the death of Adam and Eve, their garments came into ‎possession of Enoch the son of Jared; And when Enoch, was taken up into heaven he gave ‎them unto Methuselah his son. And when Methuselah died he transmitted the garments unto ‎Noah, and Noah brought them with him into the ark where they remained until Noah left the ‎ark. And after leaving the ark, Ham the son of Noah, stole those garments from Noah, ‎unbeknown to his brothers, and he took them and id them away. And when Ham begat Cush ‎his first born, he gave the garments secretly unto Cush. And they remained with Cush many ‎days, and he kept them hidden from his brothers and sons. But finally when Cush begat ‎Nimrod, whom he loved above his other sons, Cush gave the garments unto Nimrod. And ‎when Nimrod grew up and was twenty-one years of age, he put on those garments. And as ‎soon as Nimrod had those garments upon him he felt himself grow very powerful, and the ‎Lord gave him power and, strength, and he became a mighty hunter in the earth, he was the ‎mighty hunter in the fields. And he hunted the animals, and he built altars and offered up ‎upon them all those animals unto the Lord. And Nimrod was possessed of more strength than ‎all his brothers. And he fought the battles of his brothers with all their enemies around them; ‎and God delivered all the enemies of his brothers into his hands. And the Lord gave him ‎success at all times in his battles, and he became the ruler of the earth, and therefore it was ‎current, when one armed his men in array of battle, that they would say of him: Like Nimrod ‎who was a mighty hunter upon the earth and succeeded in battle against enemies that were ‎too powerful for his brethren, and conquered them all, so may the Lord strengthen and save ‎these men to-day. And at the time when Nimrod was forty years of age, there was a war ‎between his brothers and the sons of Japheth, and his brethren were under the hand of their ‎enemy. And Nimrod strengthened himself at that time, and went forth and assembled all the ‎families of the sons of Cush, about four hundred and sixty men. And he hired also of their ‎friends and acquaintances about eighty men; and he gave them their hire, and went forth with ‎them to give battle. And while on his way Nimrod strengthened the hearts of the people that ‎went forth with him, and he said unto them: Be not afraid and be not alarmed, for all our ‎enemies will surely be given in to our hands, and ye shall do unto them as it seems good in ‎your own eyes. And they went all with great courage, about five hundred and forty men, and ‎they over powered the enemies and vanquished them.‎

Another interpretation (of Gen. 42:1): THEN JACOB SAW THAT THERE WAS GRAIN (ShBR)…. This text is related (to Ps. 146:5): BLESSED IS THE ONE WHOSE HELP IS THE GOD OF JACOB, WHOSE HOPE (SBR) IS IN THE LORD HIS GOD.²¹Gen. R. 91:1, 6; cf. Tanh., Gen. 10:5. The Holy One showed him that Joseph was alive.

(Numb. 13:22:) “Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.” [This verse is] to make known the excellence of the Land [of Israel], that its worst soil is better than the land of Egypt.²⁷Numb. R. 16:13, cont.; see Sifre, Deut. 7:12 (37); Sot. 34b. Thus when the children of Noah took possession of the world after the flood, they first built cities, but not in the best place. Instead they chose the worst of the Land of Israel; for Hebron is the worst [place] in the Land of Israel. But Zoan is the best which is in the land of Egypt, and this [city of Hebron] preceded it by seven years. If you should say, “No, the one who built the former did not build the other”; [then I can answer,] “It was the [same] generation; it was the [same] family (according to Gen. 10:6), ‘And the sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.’” Now they arose and built the one before the other. (Numb. 13:22:) “Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.” One man built them, and from the leftovers of the first, he built the second. (Numb. 13:23:) “Then they came to the Wadi Eshcol.” They did not want to take any of the fruits from the Land of Israel. If Caleb had not drawn his sword, gone down in front of them, and said to them, “If you do not take [some], then either you kill me or I will kill you,” they would not have taken [anything].²⁸Numb. R. 16:14; Sot. 34a, according to which neither Joshua nor Caleb were carrying anything. It is therefore stated (to Caleb in Josh. 14:9), “Surely the land on which your foot has trod shall be a portion for you.” (Numb. 13:23:) “And they bore it by pole with two.”²⁹The usual rendering of these words depicts the grape cluster resting on a pole suspended between two of the spies. There were not less than two poles, since it does not say, "two on a pole," but “by pole with two.”³⁰I.e., by pole, using two of them. Some also say three, “By pole,” [i.e.,] one [plus] “with two” for a total of three. And how heavy a load did each and every one have in hand? Go out and learn from the stones that they took from the Jordan, as stated (in Josh. 4:20), “And Joshua set up in Gilgal those twelve stones which they took from the Jordan.” What was the size of each and every one of them? A load of forty se’ah.³¹A se’ah is a measure of capacity. As a weight a se’ah usually means a se’ah of wheat. From here you can calculate that cluster of grapes. A person carries and lifts up [one] se’ah by himself. With his companion lifting [the load] up upon him, he carries two se'ah.³²Cf. Rashi, on Sot. 34a, according to whom each one could carry 40 se’ah on his shoulder. Now since a person plus a helper can carry three se’ah, with two men per pole there would be 120 se’ah of grapes per pole. Together with his companion he carries three [se'ah]. Ergo one calculates from here (the weight of the cluster). (Numb. 13:25:) “At the end of forty days then they returned from exploring the land.” But do you not find that they [only] went from south to north?³³Numb. R. 16:15. Moreover, would they have walked the whole [land] in forty days? It is simply that it was revealed to the Holy One, blessed be He, that they would come and utter slander, and that there would be decreed against that generation years of suffering (according to Numb. 14:34), “[every] day a year, you shall bear your iniquities forty years.” So the Holy One, blessed be He, caused their road to shrink (i.e., to close up) before them.

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

(Gen. 42:1, cont.:) THEN JACOB SAID TO HIS CHILDREN: WHY ARE YOU MAKING YOURSELVES CONSPICUOUS? Jacob said to them: Will you please hide yourselves, for there is nothing more harmful than the evil eye?²²Gen. R. 91:2, 6; Tanh., Gen. 10:8. And so you find in the case of the former tables (of the Torah), because they had been given in grandeur (before all eyes), they had been shattered. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 20:15 [18]): NOW ALL THE PEOPLE SAW THE THUNDERINGS. But when the second tables were given, no one saw them but Moses, since it is stated (in Exod. 34:3): BUT LET NO ONE COME UP WITH YOU…. So also Jerusalem would not have been destroyed except for the evil eye. Thus it is stated (in Lam. 2:15-16): IS THIS THE CITY WHICH THEY CALLED A PERFECTION OF BEAUTY, A JOY TO THE WHOLE EARTH? < ALL YOUR ENEMIES JEER OVER YOU; THEY HISS AND GNASH THEIR TEETH; THEY SAY: WE HAVE DESTROYED HER! INDEED, THIS IS THE DAY WE HAD HOPED FOR. WE HAVE FOUND IT; WE HAVE SEEN IT >. It also says (in Lam. 3:51): MY EYE DOES EVIL TO MY SOUL BECAUSE OF ALL THE DAUGHTERS OF MY CITY. Jacob therefore said: Do not look at yourselves. It is so stated (in Gen. 42:1): THEN JACOB SAID TO HIS CHILDREN: WHY ARE YOU MAKING YOURSELVES CONSPICUOUS? Rather walk privately (rt.: TsN'), as stated (in Micah 6:8): HE HAS TOLD YOU, O HUMAN, WHAT IS GOOD…. AND TO WALK HUMBLY (rt.: TsN') WITH YOUR GOD.

And then Nimrod placed officers over them, and took from their children hostages for ‎security, that all would be servants unto him and unto his brothers. And after Nimrod had thus ‎reduced the people to servitude, he would return home with his men. And after the ‎conquests of Nimrod increased and he always returned victoriously triumphant from the ‎battles with all their enemies around them, then the people all united and came unto Nimrod ‎and elected him their king, and they placed a royal crown upon his head. And Nimrod then ‎appointed princes, and judges, and generals over his people after the manner of kings, and for ‎his commander-in-chief Nimrod selected Terah the son of Nahor, and he elevated him in ‎greatness above all the other princes. And after he was sole ruler and could do according to his ‎own wishes, having overpowered all the enemies around him, Nimrod summoned all his ‎princes and they concluded to build him a city and a royal mansion. And they selected a large ‎valley opposite to the rising of the sun, and in that valley they built unto him a large and ‎spacious city. And Nimrod called the name of that city Shinar, for the Lord had discomfited all ‎his enemies before him, that he might conquer them. And Nimrod dwelt in Shinar and reigned ‎therein securely, and he carried on war against all his enemies, and he humbled them, and he ‎was successful in all his battles, and his kingdom grew exceedingly. And all nations and all ‎tongues heard of Nimrod's fame, and they assembled and came to bow down to the ground ‎before him, and they brought him gifts and he became their lord and king, and they dwelt with ‎him, all in the city of Shinar. And Nimrod was the sole ruler over the earth, and over all the ‎sons of Noah, and all were under his hand and advice. And the whole earth was of one ‎language, and of one speech. But Nimrod went no more in the ways of the Lord, and he ‎became more wicked than any of the men that lived before the flood, up to that day. And ‎Nimrod made gods of wood and of stone and bowed down to them, and he rebelled against ‎the Lord, and he taught all his servants and subjects his own evil ways. And Mardon, the son of ‎Nimrod, acted more wickedly yet than even his father, and whosoever heard of his actions, ‎would say: From the wicked cometh wickedness. And since then the saying was in the land: ‎From the wicked cometh wickedness; and it hath become an adage in the language of all men ‎from that time up to this very day. And Terah the son of Nahor, the chief of Nimrod's army, ‎was very great in those days, in the eyes of the king as well as in the eyes of all his servants, ‎and the king and the princes all loved him and exalted him. And Terah took unto himself a wife ‎and her name was Amthelah the daughter of Carnebah, and she conceived and bare a son in ‎those days. And Terah was seventy years old when she bare him, and Terah called the name ‎of the son born unto him Abram, saying: In these days the king has raised and exalted me over ‎all the princes that are with him.

(Numb. 27:5:) MOSES BROUGHT THEIR CAUSE <BEFORE THE LORD>. <This happened> according to what Moses said (in Deut. 1:17): BUT THE CASE WHICH IS TOO HARD FOR YOU <YOU SHALL BRING UNTO ME>.³⁴Tanh., Numb. 8:8 (end); Numb. R. 21:12; above, Gen. 10:6; Sifre to Deut. 1:17 (17); Sanh. 8a. <When> the daughters of Zelophehad came for a judgment, the Holy One said: Did you not say (ibid.): BUT THE CASE WHICH IS TOO HARD FOR YOU YOU SHALL BRING UNTO ME? In the case of the judgment which you do not know, see, the women have decided it.

A census of Israel was taken on ten different occasions. The first occurred when they descended to Egypt, as is said: Thy fathers went down into Egypt with three score and ten persons (Deut. 10:29). Again, when they came out of Egypt, as it is said: And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand men (Exod. 12:37). Once in the Book of Numbers (it was taken) with reference to the standards (Num. 2:21); once with regard to the spies (Num. 13);¹⁵There is no biblical evidence that a census was taken at the time of the spies.. in the days of Joshua when the land was divided (Josh. 18:10); twice in the time of Saul, as is said: And he numbered them with lambs in Telaim (I Sam. 14:4) and He numbered them with pebbles in Bezek (ibid. 11:8). What is indicated by the word Telaim? When they were prosperous, he counted them by means of their lambs (telayim), but when they were poor in deeds, he counted them with stones. What is bezek? It is a stone. He took a stone for each one of them and then totaled the stones. A census was taken in the days of David, as is said: Joab gave up the sum, the number of the people to the king (II Sam. 24:9); and again at the time of Ezra: The whole congregation together was forty and two thousand, three hundred and three score (Ezra. 2:14). In the time-to-come (a census will be taken), as is said: The flock shall again pass into the hands of Him that counteth them (Jer. 33:13), and in this instance: When thou takest the sum.

The Rabbis interpret the verse regarding those who departed from Egypt. “There are sixty queens,” these are the six hundred thousand [men] from the age of twenty and above who departed [from Egypt]. “And eighty concubines,” these are the eight hundred thousand Israelites from the age of twenty and below who departed. “And young women without number,” there is no limit and no tally of the proselytes.
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The nations of the world have enumeration but do not have a tally.³⁰At times the Torah lists their descendants, but it does not give a total number. They have enumeration:“the children of Yefet, Gomer and Magog” (Genesis 10:2). But Israel has enumeration and a tally, as it is written: “Their count according to the number of every male…[their count was seven thousand five hundred]” (Numbers 3:22); “their count,” this is the enumeration, “according to the number,” this is the tally.
Likewise, “Yoav gave the sum of the number of the census to the king…” (II Samuel 24:9), “sum,” this is the enumeration, “census,” this is the tally. If you say that we are testifying about ourselves, did not the wicked Bilam testify in our regard, as it is written: “Who has counted the dust of Jacob,” this is the enumeration, “or tallied one quarter of Israel” (Numbers 23:10), this is the tally.

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].

(Gen. 42:3:) SO JOSEPH'S TEN BROTHERS WENT DOWN < TO BUY GRAIN IN EGYPT >. Jacob said to them: Will you please not < all > enter by one gate²⁷Gk.: pyle. because of the evil eye?²⁸Tanh., Gen. 10:8; Gen. R. 91:6; cf. 91:2; cf. also above, 10:8; below, 10:17. And so they did. When they entered, they did not all enter as a unit, but each and every one all by himself. What did Joseph do? He posted guards over the entrance gates of Egypt. He said: Let each and every one who enters have his name and the name of his father written under your supervision. Then you are to bring their names to me. So, when the children of Jacob entered, each and every one all by himself, he (a guard) said: What is your name? So he told him: Reuben ben Jacob. And so it was with each and every one of them. < A guard > would write down his name and the name of his father. Then they brought < the names > to Joseph. Joseph immediately recognized them, as stated (in Gen. 42:8): SO JOSEPH RECOGNIZED HIS BROTHERS. He began to recall the dreams, as stated (in Gen. 42:9): NOW JOSEPH REMEMBERED THE DREAMS THAT HE HAD DREAMED ABOUT THEM. (Vs. 7:) BUT HE BECAME A STRANGER UNTO THEM, AND HE SPOKE HARSHLY WITH THEM. He began to treat them harshly, AND (ibid., cont.) HE SAID TO THEM: WHERE DO YOU COME FROM? When they said: From the land of Canaan, he said to Simeon and Levi: Are you accustomed to pillaging people just as you did at Shechem (in Gen. 34:25-26)? Ergo (in Gen. 42:7): AND HE SPOKE HARSHLY WITH THEM.

(Gen. 42:8:) SO JOSEPH RECOGNIZED HIS BROTHERS, when they fell into his hands. (Gen. 42:8, cont.:) BUT THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM,²⁹I.e., treat him like a brother. when he had fallen into their hands.³⁰Gen. R. 91:7. David said (in Ps. 80:2 [1]): GIVE EAR, O SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL, WHO LEADS JOSEPH LIKE A FLOCK.³¹Cf. Gen. R. 91:5; Tanh., Gen. 10:7; PR 29/30B:1 (= 29:6 in the Breslau edition); M. Pss. 80:2. Thus has R. Tanhuma expounded (on Gen. 42:2): GO DOWN THERE (RDW) < means > that he saw that they would go down and be enslaved in Egypt for two hundred and ten (i.e., the numerical value of RDW) years.³²Tanh., Gen. 10:8; Gen. R. 91:2. Another interpretation of GO DOWN. < These words are > to teach you that anyone who buys produce from the marketplace has a going down (in status).³³Gen. R. 91:6. It is assumed here that such trade signifies misfortune, since normally one’s own land provided for basic needs. See Men. 103b. (Gen. 42:3:) SO JOSEPH'S TEN BROTHERS WENT DOWN. "The children of Israel" is not written here but JOSEPH'S < TEN > BROTHERS. < It is so written > because at the beginning they had not treated him with brotherhood, in that they had sold him. Then they had finally repented and said: When shall we go down to Egypt and return Joseph to our father? So, when their father told them to go down to Egypt, they all went with one mind to return him. It is therefore written (in Gen. 42:3): SO JOSEPH'S < TEN > BROTHERS WENT DOWN. And why ten? Because it was up to them to end the divine punishment and annul the decree (of Gen. 15:13). You therefore find in the case of Sodom that Abraham went down from fifty < righteous > to ten.³⁴The midrash is alluding to Abraham bargaining with the Holy One over the fate of Sodom in Gen. 18:22-33. When he did not find ten, Abraham the Righteous was silent. Moreover, because there were not ten < righteous > in the generation of the flood, they were not saved. Indeed, there were none there except Noah, his three sons, and their wives, i.e., eight.

R. Joshua the son of Nehemiah said: The third was always the most precious. Adam had three sons, Cain, Abel, and Seth; and Seth was the most beloved, as it is said: This is the book of the generations of Adam, and that is followed by the sentence And begot a son in his own likeness (Gen. 5:3). Noah had three sons, as it is said: And Noah begot three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth (ibid. 6:10), and though Japheth was the eldest, only Shem merited greatness. Amram had three children, Miriam, Aaron, and Moses, and it is written: Had not Moses His chosen stood before him (Ps. 106:23). Concerning the tribes of Reuben, Simeon and Levi, Levi was the most important, as it is said: At that time the Lord separated the tribe of Levi (Deut. 10:8). Among the kings Saul, David, and Solomon, Solomon was the most beloved, as it is said: Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord (I Chron. 29:23). In the case of months, the third month is the most precious, as it is stated: In the third month (the Torah was given).

(Gen. 42:8:) SO JOSEPH RECOGNIZED HIS BROTHERS, when they fell into his hands. (Gen. 42:8, cont.:) BUT THEY DID NOT RECOGNIZE HIM,²⁹I.e., treat him like a brother. when he had fallen into their hands.³⁰Gen. R. 91:7. David said (in Ps. 80:2 [1]): GIVE EAR, O SHEPHERD OF ISRAEL, WHO LEADS JOSEPH LIKE A FLOCK.³¹Cf. Gen. R. 91:5; Tanh., Gen. 10:7; PR 29/30B:1 (= 29:6 in the Breslau edition); M. Pss. 80:2. Thus has R. Tanhuma expounded (on Gen. 42:2): GO DOWN THERE (RDW) < means > that he saw that they would go down and be enslaved in Egypt for two hundred and ten (i.e., the numerical value of RDW) years.³²Tanh., Gen. 10:8; Gen. R. 91:2. Another interpretation of GO DOWN. < These words are > to teach you that anyone who buys produce from the marketplace has a going down (in status).³³Gen. R. 91:6. It is assumed here that such trade signifies misfortune, since normally one’s own land provided for basic needs. See Men. 103b. (Gen. 42:3:) SO JOSEPH'S TEN BROTHERS WENT DOWN. "The children of Israel" is not written here but JOSEPH'S < TEN > BROTHERS. < It is so written > because at the beginning they had not treated him with brotherhood, in that they had sold him. Then they had finally repented and said: When shall we go down to Egypt and return Joseph to our father? So, when their father told them to go down to Egypt, they all went with one mind to return him. It is therefore written (in Gen. 42:3): SO JOSEPH'S < TEN > BROTHERS WENT DOWN. And why ten? Because it was up to them to end the divine punishment and annul the decree (of Gen. 15:13). You therefore find in the case of Sodom that Abraham went down from fifty < righteous > to ten.³⁴The midrash is alluding to Abraham bargaining with the Holy One over the fate of Sodom in Gen. 18:22-33. When he did not find ten, Abraham the Righteous was silent. Moreover, because there were not ten < righteous > in the generation of the flood, they were not saved. Indeed, there were none there except Noah, his three sons, and their wives, i.e., eight.

(Exodus 13:11) "And it shall be, when the L rd brings you to the land of the Canaanite": Canaan merited that the land be called by his name. What did he do (to deserve this)? When Canaan heard that Israel would enter the land, he arose and made way for them — whereupon the Holy One Blessed be He said: You made way for My children: I will call the land by your name and I will give you a land as beautiful as yours. Which is that? Africa. And it is written (Genesis 10:15) "And Canaan begot Tziddon, his first-born, and Cheth," and (Ibid. 23:5-6) "… and the sons of Cheth answered Abraham: Hear us my lord, etc." — whereupon the Holy One Blessed be He said: You honored My loved one; I, likewise, will call the land by your name.

(Gen. 43:14:) AND³⁵Sections 11, 12, and 13 are missing from Buber’s Oxford MS and are added by Buber from Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. MAY GOD ALMIGHTY GRANT YOU MERCY. Let our master instruct us: How many Tefillot³⁶The Tefillah, also called the Eighteen Benedictions or the ‘Amidah, forms the central intercession of the Jewish liturgy. is one obligated to pray in a day?³⁷Tanh., Gen. 10:9. Thus have our masters taught: One does not pray more than the three Tefillot which the ancestors of the world instituted.³⁸Ber. 26b (bar.); yBer. 4:1 (7a); cf. Ber. 4:1; Abraham instituted the morning Tefillah, as stated (in Gen. 19:27): NOW ABRAHAM WENT EARLY IN THE MORNING UNTO THE PLACE WHERE HE HAD STOOD ('MD) BEFORE THE LORD. Isaac instituted the Tefillah of the minhah (the Tefillah in the afternoon), as stated (in Gen. 24:63): NOW ISAAC WENT OUT TO BOW DOWN (rt.: SWH) IN THE FIELD TOWARD EVENING. Jacob instituted the evening Tefillah, as stated (in Gen. 28:11): WHEN HE CAME (rt.: PG')³⁹The parallel text in the traditional Tanhuma (Gen. 10:9) explains that ‘MD, SWH, and PG‘ all denote prayer and finds the evidence in Ps. 106:30, Ps. 102:1, and Jer. 7:16 respectively. TO A CERTAIN PLACE.⁴⁰See Acts 10:9. Now it is also written about Daniel (in Dan. 6:11): AND THREE TIMES A DAY [HE KNELT ON HIS KNEES]. But < the text > did not explain at what hour. David came and explained (in Ps. 55:18 [17]): EVENING, MORNING, AND NOON < I COMPLAIN AND MOAN; AND HE HEARS MY VOICE >. Therefore, one is not authorized to pray more than three Tefillot in a day.⁴¹TBer. 3:8; Ber. 31a; see yBer. 4:1 (7a). But R. Johanan said: And would that one might go on praying all day long!⁴²Cf. Deut. R. 2:1 and M. Sam. 2, which argue against reciting the three services at one time. Antoninus asked Our Holy Rabbi: Is it permitted to pray at every hour? He said to him: It is forbidden. He said to him: Why? He said to him: Lest you treat the Most High with frivolity. He did not accept < this answer > from him. What did he do? He went to him early in the morning. He said to him: Greetings, Lord.⁴³Gk.: Kyrie chaire. An hour later he came in to him. He said to him: {'MNH RTWQ} [Imperator]!⁴⁴The Latin word originally designated a general, but in imperial times imperator became the title of Roman emperors. Buber has taken this reading from the traditional Tanhuma because he can make no sense of his manuscript, which reads: ’MNH RTWQ. An hour later he < again > said to him: Shalom to you, O King. He said to him: Why are you being disrespectful to the monarchy? He said to him: Let your ears hear what you are putting forth from your mouth. If you, who are flesh and blood, say this in the case of someone who asks after you every hour, how much the more so in the case of one who is disrespectful to the Supreme King of Kings, the Holy One. Thus one should not bother him all the time.

A mortal king is praised as mighty, though he may be weak, and as rich, merciful, and handsome, because they wish to flatter him. But concerning the Holy One, blessed be He, they say: The great God, the mighty God, and the awful (Deut. 10:17); The Lord will go forth as a mighty man (Isa. 42:13); There is none like unto thee, O Lord (Jer. 10:6). They say He is rich, and indeed there are no limits to his wealth, For behold, unto the Lord thy God belongeth the heaven, and the heaven of heavens (Deut. 10:14). And it is written also: The sea is His, and He made it, and His hands formed the dry land (Ps. 95:5); The earth is the Lord’s, and the fullness thereof (ibid. 24:1); Mine is the silver, and Mine is the gold (Hag. 2:8); Behold, all souls are Mine; as the soul of the father, so also the soul of the son (Ezek. 18:4).

The second king was Nimrod, who ruled from one end of the world to the other, for all the creatures were dwelling in one place and they were afraid of the waters of the flood, and Nimrod was king over them, as it is said, "And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel" (Gen. 10:10).

[(Gen. 43:14:) AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY (ShDY) GRANT YOU MERCY.] What was the reason for Jacob to bless them with < the formula > GOD ShDY?⁴⁶Tanh., Gen. 10:10; below, 10:16. To teach you that a lot of afflictions had come upon him. While he was in his mother's womb, Esau had contended with him, as stated (in Gen. 25:22): BUT THE CHILDREN STRUGGLED TOGETHER WITHIN HER.⁴⁷Cf. PRK 3:1. And so it says (in Amos 1:11): BECAUSE HE PURSUED HIS BROTHER WITH THE SWORD AND DESTROYED HIS WOMB. "His womb" is < what is > written.⁴⁸DESTROYED HIS WOMB would normally be read as a metaphor and translated by an expression such as “cast off all pity.” Because of Esau he fled to Laban. See how many troubles there were! (Gen. 31:40:) THUS I WAS: BY DAY SCORCHING HEAT CONSUMED ME…. < Look at > how, when he left, < Laban > pursued after him to kill him, [as stated (in Gen. 31:23)]: AND PURSUED AFTER HIM FOR A JOURNEY OF {THREE} [SEVEN] DAYS. He escaped from him; Esau came with the intention of killing him. On account of him he lost all that gift⁴⁹Gk.: doron. (according to Gen. 32:15 [14]): TWO HUNDRED SHE-GOATS…. He went away from Esau; the trouble about Dinah came (in Gen. 34). Then after that, the trouble with Rachel < dying > (in Gen. 35:19). Then, after these troubles, he was intending to rest a bit, until there came the trouble about Joseph (in Gen. 37); and after that, the trouble with his father, Isaac, who died (in Gen. 35:29) ten years after the sale of Joseph. So the Scripture has cried out (in Job 3:26): I WAS NOT TRANQUIL, NOT QUIET, HAD NO REST; AND TROUBLE CAME. After that there came upon him the trouble with Simeon (in Gen. 42:24); and after that, the trouble with Benjamin (in Gen. 42:36; 43:3-15). He therefore prayed (in Genesis 43:14) AND MAY GOD ShDY. Now he says: The one who said: Enough (DY), to the heavens and to the earth should say: Enough (DY), to my afflictions. For, when the Holy One created the heavens and the earth, they continued expanding until the Holy One said to them: Enough (DY).⁵⁰See above, 1:11; 3:25. below, 10:16. It is therefore written (in Gen. 43:14): GOD WHO IS ENOUGH (ShDY).

The great city of God: Why was Nineveh called a great city of God? Because they were evil through their bodies in forbidden sexual relations, as it is written, "How can I do this great evil and sin before God (Genesis 39:9)?

"and I shall smite": I might think, through an angel or through a messenger; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 29) "and the L rd (Himself) smote every first-born" — not through an angel or a messenger. "and I smote every first born": even from different places. Whence do I derive (the same) even for the first-born of Egypt who were in other places? (From Psalms 136:10) "He smote Egypt through their first-born" (connoting, even if they were not in Egypt). Whence do I derive (the same for) the first-born of Cham and Cush? (viz. Genesis 10:6) From (Psalms 78:51) "And He struck every first-born in Egypt, the first fruit of their strength in the tents of Cham." "from man until beast": The initiator of the transgression was struck first. Similarly, (Genesis 7:23) "And all that existed on the face of the earth was blotted out — from man to beast, etc." Similarly, (Exodus 14:4) "And I will be honored through (the downfall of) Pharaoh and his entire host." Similarly, (Devarim 13:16) "Smite the inhabitants of that city … and its cattle." Similarly, (Numbers 5:27) "and her belly ('first in the transgression') will swell, and her thigh will fall." Here, too, "And I shall smite every first-born in the land of Egypt from man until beast." The initiator of the transgression was struck first. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If in His measure of punishment — the lesser (measure) — the initiator of the transgression is smitten first, how much more so in His measure of beneficence — the greater (measure) — (is the initiator of the mitzvah rewarded first)!

(Gen. 44:5, 13:) IS NOT THIS THE ONE FROM WHICH MY LORD DRINKS … ? SO THEY RENT THEIR CLOTHES…. The Holy One said to them: You caused your father's clothes to be rent for nothing (in Gen. 37:34); so you are rending < your clothes > for nothing.⁵³Gen. R. 84:20; 92:8. (Gen. 44:5, cont.:) THEN EACH ONE LOADED HIS ASS. Not one of them was required for his ass.⁵⁴Tanh., Gen. 10:10, probably has the correct reading: “Not one of them was required to assist his companion.” So they arose and, striking Benjamin on his shoulder, said to him: Oh you thief, you son of a thief, you have shamed me! You are your mother's son. Thus did she {your mother} shame our father (according to Gen. 31:19): AND RACHEL STOLE THE HOUSEHOLD GODS < OF HER FATHER >. By virtue of these blows with which they smote him on his shoulders, he was worthy of having the Divine Presence rest on his shoulders. It is so stated (of Benjamin in Deut. 33:12): AND HE (the Lord) DWELLS BETWEEN HIS SHOULDERS.

(Ibid., cont.:) GOD HAS FOUND OUT THE CRIME OF YOUR SERVANTS. Do not read: "He has found out" but: "He has caused < others > to find out." Two < of us > brothers never enter a banquet hall together because of the < evil > eye. Now all of us find ourselves in a single garden bed through a single offense which took place at our hands. He said to them: This brother of yours was not with you at that time. They said to him: Everything found with the thief is seized with him. He said to them: But, if in the case of your former brother, who neither stole nor caused you grief, you said (in Gen. 37:33 // 44:28): HE HAS BEEN TORN TO BITS; how much the more < are these words applicable > in the case of this one who has stolen and caused you grief! Go, say to his father: HE HAS BEEN TORN TO BITS. Now are not < these > words an argument a fortiori? And, if an unfortunate incident which came about through righteous ones (like Joseph) has been sustaining the whole world,⁵⁶Cf. the parallel version in Tanh., Gen. 10:10: “So if, in the case of an unfortunate incident which comes about through this righteous person, he has been sustaining all who come into the world…. ” In this version the reference is more clearly to Joseph’s misfortune which resulted in his feeding the world during the famine. how much the more so in the case of merit which the Holy One brings about through them!⁵⁷See above, note 35.

Our Rabbis were taught: During a prosperous year in Israel, a space wherein a S'ah of seed is sown would produce five myriad Khor of grain. In the tilled districts of Z'oan, one measure of seed produced seventy Khor; for we are taught that Rabbi Maier said: "I myself have witnessed in the vale of Beth She'an an instance of one measuse of seed producing seventy Khors." And there is no better land anywhere than the land of Egypt; for it is said (Gen. 13) As the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. And there is no better laud in all Egypt than Zo'an, where several kings resided; as it is written (Is. 30, 4) His princes were in Z'oan!" In all Israel there was no other stony soil than Hebron, for this reason it was devoted for a burying place: and yet Hebron was seven times more prolific than Zo'an, as it is written (Num. 13, 22), Now Hebron was built seven years before Zo'an in Egypt. What does that mean? Shall we assume that it means literally? How is it possible that one should build a house for his smallest son at first? Since it is said (Gen. 10, 6) And the sons of Ham, Cush, Mizriam (Egypt), Phut, and Canaan. It must therefore mean that it was seven times more prolific than Zo'an, This is only in the stony soil of the land of Israel, but in the suitable soil [the increase] is five hundred times. All this applies to a year of average return; but in one of special prosperity it is written (Gen. 26, 12) Then Isaac sewed in that land, and received in the same year a hundred-fold.

[Another interpretation] (of Gen. 43:14): AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY GRANT YOU MERCY. Let our master instruct us: Where have they ordained that one says a blessing over the food? Where it is stated (in Deut. 8:10): THEN YOU SHALL EAT, BE FULL, AND BLESS. So much for after < the meal >. Where < is it ordained for > before the meal? R. Hiyya taught in the name of R. Aqiva:⁵⁸Ber. 35a. (according to Lev. 19:24:) < ALL ITS FRUIT SHALL BE > SET ASIDE FOR PRAISES TO THE LORD. < These words > teach that one needs a blessing before < a meal > and after it (since PRAISES is plural). The Holy One said: Just as I need to bring down rain, cause winds to blow, and bring down dews; so you need to bless me and be strictly observant in praying to me.⁵⁹Tanh., Gen. 10:10. Do not see yourself in the time of prosperity despising prayer.⁶⁰The parallel in Tanh. reads: “Do not be scornful in the time of prosperity so as not to pray.” Then, when trouble arrives, you would stand up and pray! No, my child, do not do this; but, before trouble comes, you should pray ahead of time, as stated (in Job 36:19): WILL YOUR CRY FOR HELP BE MAKE READY WHEN THERE IS NO TROUBLE, AND ALL YOUR POWERFUL FORCES?⁶¹Biblical translations generally emend the text. The present translation is required by the context of the midrash. So also in Sanh. 44b. You know that in the case of our father Jacob, when Benjamin was with him and he did not know what was going to happen to him, he began to pray ahead of time. It is so stated (in Gen. 43:14): AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY GRANT YOU MERCY BEFORE THE MAN THAT HE MAY RELEASE TO YOU YOUR OTHER BROTHER AND BENJAMIN. And so the proverb says (in Ecclesiasticus 38:1): HONOR THE PHYSICIAN BEFORE YOU HAVE NEED OF HIM.⁶²The proverb is cited in Aramaic and probably circulated separately. The parallel account in the traditional Tanhuma, however, cites R. Eleazar (ben Pedat) as attributing the Aramaic saying to Ben Sira’s book, where it appears in 38:1. yTa‘an. 3:6 (66d) also gives the saying in Aramaic but simply attributes it to R. Laezar (= Eleazar ben Pedat). Exod. R. 21:7 and PR 25:2 attribute the saying to Eleazar (ben Pedat) but cite it in Hebrew. What is the meaning of (Job 36:19): ALONG WITH ALL YOUR POWERFUL FORCES? That < those who pray ahead of time > in this way have made POWERFUL FORCES.

(Numb. 13:22:) NOW HEBRON WAS BUILT SEVEN YEARS <BEFORE ZOAN IN EGYPT>. <This verse is> to make known the excellence of the land of Israel, that its worst soil is better than the land of Egypt.³²Tanh., Numb. 4:8; Numb. R. 16:13, cont.; see Sifre, Deut. 7:12 (37); Sot. 34b. Thus when the children of Noah inherited the world after the flood, they first built cities, but not in the best place. Instead they chose the worst of the land [of Israel, for Hebron is the worst <place> in the land of Israel.] But Zoan is the best which is in the land of Egypt, and this <city of Hebron> preceded it by seven years. If you should say: No, the one who built the former did not build the other, <I can answer:> It was the <same> generation; it was the <same> family (according to Gen. 10:6): AND THE SONS OF HAM: CUSH, MIZRAIM, PUT, AND CANAAN. Now they arose and built the one before the other. (Numb. 13:22:) NOW HEBRON WAS BUILT SEVEN YEARS BEFORE ZOAN IN EGYPT.³³Hebron is in the land of Canaan, Zoan is in the land of Ham, and seven years is much less than a generation.

Thy right hand, O Lord (Exod. 15:6). This verse indicates that the Lord’s right hand is stretched out to receive repentant sinners. Though You set a time for the generation of the flood in which to do penance, as it is said: My spirit shall not abide in man forever (Gen. 6:3), You did not decree their destruction until they committed their most evil acts before You. Similarly, You set a time limit in which the men of the Tower of Babel were to repent, yet You did not decree their extinction until they performed their most wicked acts, as it is said: And now nothing will be withholden from them (ibid. 11:6). The expression and now is employed only to signify that they had an opportunity to repent, as is said: And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee? (Deut. 10:12); And now, O Israel, hearken unto the statutes (ibid. 4:1); And yet now hear, O Jacob (Isa. 44:1).

Another interpretation (of Ps. 32:6): IN ANTICIPATION OF THE TIME OF DISCOVERY (MTs'). In anticipation of the departure (rt.: MTsH) of the soul. {R. Joshua} [R. Ishmael] said: One should pray in anticipation of the departure of the soul, for there is nothing harder than the departure of the soul.⁶⁴Tanh., Gen. 10:10. How does it pass away? R. Johanan said: It is like the pittore which passes out through the opening of a weshet {i.e., the rope when one is drawing it through a < hawse > hole in a ship to tie it up with it}.⁶⁵This scribal addition in Buber’s MS is essentially the interpretation of Rashi on Ber. 8a and of the pseudo-Rashi on MQ 28b-29a; but cf. Jastrow, p. 1161, s.v. pittore for an alternative interpretation. See also Eccl. R. 6:6:1; Lev. R. 4:2. So is the soul when it leaves (yots'ah) a person. Thus a person must not trust in himself until the day of his death; and so have our masters taught (in Avot 2:4): DO NOT TRUST [IN YOURSELF] UNTIL THE DAY OF YOUR DEATH.⁶⁶Cf. a shorter version of the following story in yShab. 1:3 (3b); above, 1:27. Once upon a time there was a certain man, a sectarian (min) whose master would teach him and say: DO NOT TRUST IN YOURSELF UNTIL THE DAY OF YOUR DEATH. But he took issue with the words of his master. The Holy One said: This one has come to take issue with the Torah. What did he do to him? He tempted him. Now he went out on the Day of Atonement into a certain garden and saw a certain young woman, who was beautifully and tastefully adorned. There she stood before him, and he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her. He talked with her. She said to him: I am someone's wife. He said to her: That's all right. She said to him: I am the wife of a priest. He said to her: That's all right. She said to him: I am menstruating. He said to her: That's all right. And he did not move until he had had sexual intercourse with her. He went home and sat olophyzon⁶⁷A variant of the Greek olophyromenos, which means “lamenting.” {i.e., distressed}, thinking about what had come over him. Then his masters came up to visit him, and month after month they found him like someone who was sick, saying: What have I done? Yet he was not sick. What did the Holy One do? He said: How long will he grieve? The Holy One nodded to the same female demon (shedah). So she came and stood before him. She said to him: How long will you grieve? I am that woman with whom you had sexual intercourse. I am a spirit. < It happened > simply because you differed with the words of the sages who have said (in Avot 2:4): DO NOT TRUST IN YOURSELF UNTIL THE DAY OF YOUR DEATH. David also has agreed, saying: One must pray concerning the departure of his soul. He therefore said (in Ps. 32:6): < THEREFORE LET EVERY SAINT PRAY UNTO YOU > IN ANTICIPATION OF THE TIME OF DISCOVERY (i.e., in anticipation of the time of departure).

He is fearful refers to Abraham, for he was told: Fear not. Whom did Abraham fear? He was afraid of Shem, the son of Noah, for he had slain the descendant of Elam, and Elam was one of Shem’s sons, as it is written: The sons of Shem: Elam, Asshur, etc. (Gen. 10:22). He was terrified because he had killed him. He said to himself: “I have slain the son of this righteous man, now he will curse me and I shall die.” The Holy One, blessed be He, replied: Fear not, for not only will he not curse you, but he will go forth to meet you bearing gifts and will bless you, as it is said: And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought forth bread and wine … and he blessed him, and said: “… blessed be God the Most High, who hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand” (Gen. 14:18–20). What is the meaning of the word migen (“delivered”)? It indicates that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed a miraculous feat (manganah) when He delivered (migen) your enemies into your hand. Abraham grasped the dust and hurled it at his enemies, and the Holy One, blessed be He, converted the dust into arrows, bows, and spears, as it is said: His sword maketh them as the dust, His bow as the driven stubble. He pursueth them and passeth on safely (Isa. 41:2–3).

Another interpretation (of Eccl. 10:7): I HAVE SEEN SLAVES ON HORSEBACK. < The text > speaks about Midianites (in Gen. 37:36): THE MIDIANITES SOLD HIM INTO EGYPT. R. Abbin bar Hama the Levite said: The children of a female slave were selling, and the children of a male slave were buying.⁴⁵Eccl. R. 10:7:1. Although the Buber text has the singular “child” in both parts of this sentence, the plural verbs require a collective sense. “The child of the female slave” refers to the descendants of Ishmael, whose mother was Abraham’s female slave, Hagar (Gen. 16:1, 15). “The child of the male slave” denotes the descendants of Egypt (Mizraim), whose father was Ham (Gen. 10:6). According to Yalqut Shim‘oni, Exod., 168 (citing Divre haYamim, edited by A. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch [Leipzig: Vollrath, 1853—1877], vol. II, pp. 1 — 11), all Ham’s children were slaves (see Gen. 9:22-25). Between the former and the latter Joseph was sold.

How was Shem rewarded? When Aaron’s two sons entered the tent of meeting to offer a strange fire, There came forth fire from before the Lord and consumed them (Lev. 10:2). Their souls were consumed but not their clothing or their bodies, as it is said: them (ibid.). This happened because they were descended from Shem. This concerns the righteous. Whence do we know about what happens to wicked men? When Sennacherib departed from Jerusalem, the bodies of his forces were consumed but not their clothing. Why did this happen to them? Because they too were the descendants of Shem the son of Noah, as it is said: The sons of Shem: Elam, and Asshur, and Arpachshad (Gen. 10:22). And it is written: God enlargeth Japheth (ibid. 9:27); yet even so: And he shall dwell in the tents of Shem (ibid., v. 26).

And Peleg, the son of Eber, died at that time in the forty-eighth year of the life of Abram, the ‎son of Terah, and all the day's of Peleg were two hundred and thirty nine years. And after the ‎lord had scattered all the sons of man over the whole face of the earth, on account of the sins ‎they committed in building the tower, they became divided into many parties, and they ‎separated from each other towards the four winds of the earth. And each family had its own ‎language, and its own land, and its own cities. Thus the sons of man built many cities in. all the ‎places whither they have been driven, and they called their cities after their own names, or ‎after the names of their sons, or after certain things that occurred unto them. And the sons of ‎Japheth, the son of Noah, went and built unto themselves cities in the place whither they ‎were scattered, and they called the cities according to their names. And the sons of Japheth ‎became divided upon the face of the earth, into many parties and languages. And these are ‎the names of all their families and cities which they built unto themselves in those days after ‎the destruction of the tower. These are the sons of Japheth, and their families: Gomer, and ‎Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras; these are the sons of ‎Japheth according to their - generations. And the sons of Gomer, according to their cities are ‎Phrancum that dwell in the land of Phranceah by the rivers Phranceah and Senah. And the ‎sons of Riphath are the Britonim that dwell in the land of, Britania, by the river Sedah, which ‎empties its waters into the great sea of Gihon, which is the ocean. And the sons of Togarmah ‎are ten families, and these are their names: Bular, and Pharzinah, and Bungar, and Elikanom, ‎and Ragbub, and Torki, and Bid, and Zabuh, and Ingal, and Tulmaz. All these scattered and ‎dwelt on the north side and built cities for themselves, and they called their cities after their ‎own names; these are the people that dwelt by the rivers Hithla and Italah up to this day. And ‎Angori, and Bular, and Pharzinah dwelt by the great river Dobnaz, and the names of their cities ‎are also according to the names of their families. And the sons of Javan are the Javanim that ‎dwell in the land of Makedunia. And the children of Madai are the Anulum that dwell in the ‎land of Bursan. And the sons of Tubal are those that dwell in the land of Tushkanah by the river ‎Pashiah. And the sons of Meshech are Shibashni; and the sons of Tirus, are Rushash and ‎Boshai and Angolis. All these families went and built for themselves cities, the cities situated ‎on the Jasibus, and on the river Kura which empties its waters into the river Tragan.‎

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

Another interpretation (of Gen. 43:14): AND MAY GOD ALMIGHTY (ShDY).⁷⁰Tanh., Gen. 10:10; above, 10:12. R. Alexandri said: Blessed is the man upon whom chastisements come.⁷¹Gen. R. 92:1. Then the Holy One says to them: Enough (DY) for you, because (Sh) there is an end to them. Who was this man? This was Jacob when he said to his children: GOD ShDY. May God say to my chastisements: Enough (DY) for you. Ergo: GOD ALMIGHTY (ShDY).

13 (Numb. 13:21) “So they went up and explored the land”: How?¹⁸ Sot. 35a. When they entered a town, a pestilence afflicted the nobility; and the people of the town were busy with their burial so when they entered, no mortal saw them. For this reason they said (in vs. 32), “The land through which we passed [… is a land that eats up its inhabitants].” It was through the [very] miracles which the Holy One, blessed be He, did for them that they spread slander. (Numb. 13:22) “And they went up to the Negeb and they came to Hevron, and Ahiman, Sheshai, and Talmai were there,” who were extremely strong, as stated (Deut. 9:2), “whom you have known and about whom you have heard.” (Numb. 13:22) “Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt”: [This verse is] to make known the excellence of the Land [of Israel], that its worst soil is better than the land of Egypt.¹⁹ See Sifre, Deut. 7:12 (37); Sot. 34b. Thus when the children of Noah took possession of the world after the flood, they first built cities, but not in the best place. Instead they chose the worst of the Land of Israel; for Hebron is the worst [place] in the Land of Israel. But Zoan is the best which is in the land of Egypt, and this [city of Hebron] preceded it by seven years. If you should say, “No, the one who built the former did not build the other”; [then I can answer,] “It was the [same] generation; it was the [same] family (according to Gen. 10:6), ‘And the sons of Ham were Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan.’” Now they arose and built the one before the other. (Numb. 13:22,) “Now Hebron was built seven years before Zoan in Egypt.”

25 Moses said to Him (in vss. 14, 15), “Now they have heard that You, O Lord, are in the midst of this people. If then You slay this people like one man.” So the nations of the world would not say, “The gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt; the gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are of land watered by rain (i.e., of Ba'al).” (Numb. 14:14, 16) “They will say unto the inhabitants of this land […] Because he was not able (yekholet),” i.e., because He did not have the means to supply enough food, He brought them out to have them die in the desert. Now the word, yekholet can only refer to food, since it is stated (in I Kings 5:25 [11]), “and Solomon gave Hiram twenty thousand measures of wheat as food (makkolet) for his household.” Another interpretation: Lest the nations of the world think of You as cruel. That is to say: When the generation of the flood came, He destroyed them. And similarly, when the generation of the dispersion came, and when the Sodomites came, and when the Egyptians came, He destroyed them And also in the case of these whom He has called (in Exod. 4:22), “My first-born son,” He is destroying (mekhalleh) them! He is like that Lilith (keLilit). When she does not find anything else, she turns on children. So (in Numb. 14:16), “Because the Lord was not able.” Moses said, “Sovereign of the world, (according to vs. 14) ‘[that…] You […], o Lord, are seen face to face (literally: eye to eye).’” What is the meaning of “[that...] are seen eye to eye ('YN B'YN)?”⁴⁵Similarly Deut. R. 5:13. R. [Simeon ben] Laqish said, “See, the scales are balanced (rt.: 'YN).” “You say (in Numb. 14:12), “’I will smite them with pestilence’; but I am saying (in vs. 19), ‘Please pardon.’ We shall see whose utterance will stand.” It is so stated (in Numb. 14:20), “Then the Lord said, ‘I have pardoned them as you asked.’” But nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One which he had uttered to Moses (in Numb. 14:12), “then I will make you into a nation that is greater,” that decree was not repealed. He raised up from him sixty myriads, as stated (in I Chron. 23:17), “but the sons of Rehabiah were very numerous.” And in the world to come the Holy One shall gather them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 49:12), “Look! These are coming from afar. And look! These are from the north and from the sea (i.e., from the west), and these from the land of Sinim.” Moreover, the exiles shall come with them, also the tribes who are located beyond the River Sambatyon⁴⁶Gk.: Sabbatikos (“Sabbatical”). See Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Exod. 34:10; ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c); Gen. R. 73:6; Lam. R. 2:5 (9); PR 31:10; above, Gen. 10:17, it was beyond, or on an island in, this legendary river that at least some of the ten tribes were exiled. See also Tanh., Exod. 9:33; Gen. R. 11:5, PR 23:8; according to which the river carried stones in its current during the whole week but rested on the Sabbath. See also Pliny, HN 31:18 (24); Sanh. 65b. Cf. Josephus, BJ 7:5:1 (96–99), according to whom the Sabbath was the only day on which the river flowed. and beyond the hills of darkness.⁴⁷Cf. Ezek. 34:12. They shall be gathered and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said (in Is. 49:9), “Saying to the prisoners, ‘Go forth,’” i.e., to those who are located beyond the Sambatyon. (Ibid., cont.,) “To those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves,’”⁴⁸higgalu. the verb can also mean “be exiled. these are those who are located beyond the cloud of darkness. (Ibid., cont.,) “They shall pasture along the roads, and in all the heights shall be their pasture,” these are those who are located in Daphne of Antioch.⁴⁹According to ySanh. 10:6 or 5 (29c) the exiles were divided into three parts: one beyond the Sambatyon River, one to Daphne at Antioch, and one into a cloud cover. At that time they shall be redeemed and come to Zion with gladness, as stated (in Is. 51:11), “So let those ransomed by the Lord return [and come to Zion with exaltation, with joy everlasting upon their heads. Let them attain joy and gladness; may sorrow and sighing flee].”

And the sons of Elishah are, the Alemania; and they also went and built for themselves cities, ‎and those cities are situated between the moun tains of Jub and of Shubtham. And these ‎families conquered Italah and they dwelt there even unto this day. And the children of Kittim ‎are the Romim that dwell in the valley of Kanphia, by the waters of Tiberu. And the sons of ‎Dodanim are the families that dwell in the cities by the sea Gihon in the land of Bordenah. ‎These are the families of the sons of Japheth and their languages, after they were scattered ‎abroad through the building of the tower; and they called their cities also after their own ‎names or after some of their occurrences. And these are the names of all their cities, named ‎after their families, which they built in those days, after the tower. And the sons of Ham are: ‎Cush and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan according to their families and their cities. All these ‎families went and built for themselves cities, as they found suitable localities, and they called ‎their cities after the names of their sires: Cush and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the ‎sons of Mizraim are: Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and ‎Casluhim, and Caph torim; seven families, and all these dwelt by the river Shihor, which is the ‎river of Egypt; and when they built their cities they called them after their own names. And the ‎sons of Pathrus and the sons of Casluh inter married with each other, and from them came the ‎Pilishtim, and the Agathim, and the Gerarim, and the Gathim, and the Ekronim, altogether five ‎families. These also built cities for themselves, calling their names after the names of their ‎sires, even to this day. And the sons of Canaan also built cities for themselves, calling them ‎after their own names, eleven cities, and suburbs beyond number. - - And four men went ‎away from the family of Ham, and they came to the land of the plain, and these are the names ‎of the four men: Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim. And these men built unto ‎themselves four cities in the land of the plain, calling the names of the cities after their own ‎names. And they dwelt in those cities, with their children and with all that was theirs, and they ‎were very fruitful and they multiplied themselves greatly, and they dwelt securely. And Seir, ‎the son of Hori, the son of Hivi, the son of Canaan, went away and discovered a valley opposite ‎Mount Paran, and he built a city therein and he dwelt there with his seven sons and his ‎household. And he called the city which he built, Seir, after his own name; this is the land of ‎Seir even to this day. These are the families of the sons of Ham according to their tongues and ‎cities, whither they have been scattered after the destruction of the tower.‎

And the sons of Elishah are, the Alemania; and they also went and built for themselves cities, ‎and those cities are situated between the moun tains of Jub and of Shubtham. And these ‎families conquered Italah and they dwelt there even unto this day. And the children of Kittim ‎are the Romim that dwell in the valley of Kanphia, by the waters of Tiberu. And the sons of ‎Dodanim are the families that dwell in the cities by the sea Gihon in the land of Bordenah. ‎These are the families of the sons of Japheth and their languages, after they were scattered ‎abroad through the building of the tower; and they called their cities also after their own ‎names or after some of their occurrences. And these are the names of all their cities, named ‎after their families, which they built in those days, after the tower. And the sons of Ham are: ‎Cush and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan according to their families and their cities. All these ‎families went and built for themselves cities, as they found suitable localities, and they called ‎their cities after the names of their sires: Cush and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan. And the ‎sons of Mizraim are: Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, and ‎Casluhim, and Caph torim; seven families, and all these dwelt by the river Shihor, which is the ‎river of Egypt; and when they built their cities they called them after their own names. And the ‎sons of Pathrus and the sons of Casluh inter married with each other, and from them came the ‎Pilishtim, and the Agathim, and the Gerarim, and the Gathim, and the Ekronim, altogether five ‎families. These also built cities for themselves, calling their names after the names of their ‎sires, even to this day. And the sons of Canaan also built cities for themselves, calling them ‎after their own names, eleven cities, and suburbs beyond number. - - And four men went ‎away from the family of Ham, and they came to the land of the plain, and these are the names ‎of the four men: Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim. And these men built unto ‎themselves four cities in the land of the plain, calling the names of the cities after their own ‎names. And they dwelt in those cities, with their children and with all that was theirs, and they ‎were very fruitful and they multiplied themselves greatly, and they dwelt securely. And Seir, ‎the son of Hori, the son of Hivi, the son of Canaan, went away and discovered a valley opposite ‎Mount Paran, and he built a city therein and he dwelt there with his seven sons and his ‎household. And he called the city which he built, Seir, after his own name; this is the land of ‎Seir even to this day. These are the families of the sons of Ham according to their tongues and ‎cities, whither they have been scattered after the destruction of the tower.‎

That no slave should enter Egypt to buy grain,
That no one person should walk behind two donkeys, and
That no one should enter until he had written down his name, his father's name, and his grandfather's name.⁷⁵Tanh., Gen. 10:8; Gen. R. 91:10; above, 10:8, 10.

Another Matter: "When You shall enter into the land of Cana'an [the land of Israel]..." (ויקרא יד, לד) There are seven Nations [in Cana'an] and you [only] mention the land of Cana'an. Our sages said it alluded to that what H'am (the father of Cana'an) Castrated him (Noach) and Cana'an was stricken - also here Yisrael sins and the land is caused to be cursed. Rabbi Eliezer Son of Yaakov and Rabanan / our sages [differ in opinions] Rabbi Eliezer says [it is called such] "since Cana'an was the father of all of them [the 6 other nations, who were in Cana'an / Israel when Yehoshua went to conquer them.] This what it says [regarding it] (Bereshit 10:15) "And Cana'an gave birth to Tzidon, his first born and Het. And our sages say [it is called such] for they are all merchants - like it says in (Yeshaya 23,8) "That their merchants are princes like the Naneah / movers - the honored of the land. Rabbi Yossi Son of Dosa said - Eliezer is Cana'an - and since he served that righteous one [Avraham Avinu / our forefather] he went out from the category of being cursed to and came into the category of being blessed. - Thus is what is written (Bereshit 9:25) "And he [Noach] said Cursed is Cana'an" [the son of Noach's son H'am] and it is written Come blessed one of Hash-m"...

And part of the sons of Shem, father of all the sons of Eber, went also away and built for ‎themselves cities in the various places whereunto they have been scattered, calling their cities ‎after their own names. And the sons of Shem were: Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, ‎and Aram, and they built for themselves cities, calling the names of all their cities after their ‎own names. And Asshur, the son of Shem, went away with his entire household, at that time a ‎great many people, and they departed very far away into a * land which they discovered. And ‎they found a very spacious valley in the land of their discovery, and they built in it four cities, ‎calling their names after their own names and occurrences. And these are the names of all the ‎cities which the sons of Asshur built unto themselves: Nineveh, and Resen, and Calah, and the ‎city of Rehoboth; and the sons of Asshur dwelt in them even unto this day. And the sons of ‎Aram, they also went and built for themselves a city, and they called the name of the city Uz, ‎after the name of their oldest brother, and they dwelt in it; this is the land of Uz even unto this ‎day. And in the second year after the tower, a certain man, by the name of Bela, from the ‎house of Asshur, left the land of Nineveh, and he went to sojourn wherever he would find a ‎suitable place for himself and his household. And they came unto the cities of the plain ‎towards Sodom, and they dwelt there. And the man arose, and built a small city and he called ‎her name Bela after his own name; and this is the land of Zoar, even unto this day. And these ‎are all the families of the sons of Shem, according to their tongues and all their cities whither ‎they have been scattered upon the earth, after the tower. And every province, and city, and ‎family of the families of the sons of Noah built for themselves, after that, a great many cities. ‎And they set up governments in all their cities to rule the people by their laws; and so did all ‎the families of the sons of Noah forever. And Nimrod, the son of Cush, was still in the land of ‎Shinor and he ruled over it, and he dwelt therein, and he built many cities in the land of Shinar. ‎And these are the names of the cities which he built—four cities in all—and he called their ‎names according to the occurrences connected with the building of the tower. The first city he ‎called Babel, saying: There the Lord con fused the speech of the whole earth. The second city ‎he called Aroch, saying: Thence the Lord had scattered me and my people. The third city he ‎called Ochad, saying: A great battle occurred in that place. And the fourth city he called Culnah, ‎saying: At that place my princes and warriors completely dispersed, and all rebelled against ‎me. And after Nimrod had built those cities in the land of Shinar, he and the rest of his people, ‎with their princes and heroes, dwelt in them,

And the whole earth was of one language (Gen. 11:1). What is written in Scripture before this verse? These are the families of the sons of Noah … and of these were the nations divided in the earth (Gen. 10:32). This is followed by the verse and the whole earth was of one language.

[(Numb. 20:29:) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died.”] What is written after this (in Numb. 21:1)? “When the Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, heard [that Israel had come….].” And who was this king of Arad? This [was Amalek, since it is stated (in Numb. 13:29), “Amalek dwells in the land of the Negeb.” Now he dwelt in the gap (in the border), and when he heard that Aaron was dead and that the clouds of glory had departed, he immediately engaged them in battle. (Numb. 21:1, cont.:) “By way of Atharim (a place name interpreted as coming from twr),”¹²⁰The actual root is ’TR. [meaning] the great scout (rt.: twr) that had scouted (rt.: twr) the way for them. It is so stated (in Numb. 10:33), “and the ark of the covenant of the Lord traveled ahead of them three days' journey to seek (rt.: twr) out a resting place for them.” (Numb. 21:1, cont.:) “He fought against Israel.” That was Amalek. [So] why did [Scripture] call him a Canaanite? Because Israel was forbidden to fight with the children of Esau, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 2:5), “Do not engage them in battle [...].” When Amalek came and engaged in battle with them a second time, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “This [nation] is not forbidden like the children of Esau. Just look. They are like Canaanites, of whom it is stated (in Deut. 20:17), ‘Rather you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Canaanites, […].’” For that reason he was called a Canaanite; and from time immemorial Amalek has been a strap for the punishment of Israel. You find that when they said (in Exod. 17:7), “Is the Lord amongst us or not,” immediately (in Exod. 17:8), “And Amalek came.” And here (in Numb. 20:29:) “Then all the congregation saw that Aaron had died,” [is followed by (Numb 21:1),] “When the Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwelt in the Negeb, learned that Israel was coming by the way of Atharim, he engaged Israel in battle and took some of them captive.” [And also (in Numb. 14:4),] “And they said – one man to his brother – let us appoint a head and return to Egypt,” [is followed by (Numb. 14:45),] “And the Amalekites and the Canaanites... came down and dealt them a shattering blow at Hormah.” You find that, when Aaron died, Amalek went out against them; and Israel retreated back seven stages [of their journey]. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 10:6), “Then from the wells of Bene-Jaakan the Children of Israel journeyed to Moserah; there Aaron died.” Did Aaron die there? Did he not die on Mount Hor, as stated (in Numb. 20:28) “and Aaron died there on Mount Hor?”¹²¹yYoma 1:1 (38ab); ySot. 1:10 (17d); cf. Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Wayassa‘ 1, on Exod. 15:22. And [so] the verses are evidence of seven stages backwards (from Mount Hor to Moserah) to teach you that [Israel] had retreated.

Another explanation: "And it was in the middle of the night" - David said (Psalms 77:7), "I recall my music at night:" The congregation of Israel said, "I recall the breakings, that You broke the enemies for my sake at night." And [the term], 'my music' (niginati) only means breaking, as you would say (Lamentations 3:63), "I am their song." And I [would also] say (Genesis 14:20), "who gave over (migen) your enemies into your hand." Sancheriv came against us - You broke him at night, as it is stated (II Kings 19:35), "And it was on that night and the angel of the Lord came out and he smote in the camp of Assyria." Rabbi Nechemia said, "Come and see the love of the Holy One, blessed be He for Israel; as behold, the ministering angels - who are mighty of strength, doers of His will - the Holy One, blessed be He, made them guardians over Israel. And who are they? Michael and Gavriel, as it is stated (Isaiah 62:6), 'Upon your walls Jerusalem, I have appointed guardians.' And when Sancheriv came, Michael went out and smote them; and Gavriel, from the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, saved Chanania and his friends." Why was it like that? Rather the Holy One, blessed be He, made a condition with them. When? When He wanted to go down to save Avaraham from the fiery pit: Michael and Gavriel said in front of Him, "We will go down to save him." He said [back] to them, "If [even] one of you would go down there to the pit, you would save him, but [since Avraham] went down for My name, then I will go down and save him," as it is stated (Genesis 15:7), "I am the Lord who took you out of the Ur Kasdim (understood here as the fire of Kasdim);" "but I will give you a time [to go down and save others."] When did they go down? "Since you were prepared to save him for My honor, you, Michael [will descend] against the camp of Assyria; and you, Gavriel [will descend] against the camp of Kasdim (the Chaldeans)." When Gavriel went down to save Chanania, Mishael and Azaria, he tore the fire and came out and set aflame all those that had thrown them in, as it is stated (Daniel 3:22), "those men that raised Shadrakh, Meshakh, etc." And some say, "Four nations died there: At first, it is written (Ibid. 3), 'Then were gathered the satraps, the prefects, the governors[, etc.]' and the advisers of the king and, here, four [of them] are lacking, as it states (Ibid. 27), 'And the satraps gathered.'" Hence Chanania said (Psalms 117:1), "Praise the Lord, all nations;" Mishael said (Ibid.), "exalt him all peoples;" and Azaria said (Ibid. 2), "Since His kindness has overwhelmed us;" and the angel said (Ibid.), "'and the truth of the Lord is forever' - what He said to me when I went down to save Avraham is true." And so [too with] Michael, [God] did what He told him, as it is stated (II Kings 19:35), "And it was on that night and the angel of the Lord came out." It was taught, "All of the commanders and the dukes were drinking wine and left their receptacles thrown out. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Sancheriv, 'You have done yours,' as it is stated (Ibid. 23), 'By the hand of your messengers have you cursed;' 'I too [will act] by the hand of my messenger.'" What did He do to him? "And under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire." (Isaiah 10:16) What is [meant by] "and under his glory?" That He burned his body from the inside and left his clothing on the outside, since the glory of a person is his clothing. And why did He leave his clothing? Rather, since they were the descendants of Shem, as it is stated (Genesis 10:22), "The sons of Shem were Eilam and Ashur (Assyria)." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I am indebted to Shem, their father, as he and Yafet took their clothing and covered the nakedness of their father," as it is stated (Genesis 9:23), "And Shem and Yafet took the cloak." Hence, the Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Michael, "Leave their clothing and burn their souls." What is written there? "And they arose in the morning and, behold, dead corpses." This is [the meaning of] that which is written (Psalms 101:8), "In the mornings, I will annihilate the evildoers of the world." And Hizkiyahu and Israel were sitting and saying Hallel (Psalms of praise recited on festivals), as it was the night of Pesach, and they were afraid to say [it] now - Jerusalem was being conquered by his hand. When they woke up early in the morning to stand and read the Shema and to pray, they found their enemies were dead corpses. Hence, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Yeshaya (Isaiah 8:3), "'and call his name, "quick take booty, fast loot"' and be quick to loot booty; and the [other] one call 'with us is the Power (Imanuel),' to say that I am with him," as it is stated (II Chronicles 32:8), "with him is the forearm of flesh but with us is the Lord, our God." And just like the Holy One, blessed be He, acted in this world by the hand of Michael and Gavriel, so [too] in the future to come, he will act through them, as it is stated (Obadiah 1:21), "And the saviors will come up on Mount Zion to judge the mountain of Esav" - this is [referring to] Michael and Gavriel. And our Holy Rabbi said, "This is Michael by himself, as it is stated (Daniel 12:1), 'And at that time, Michael will stand, the great minister who stands for the children of Your people.'" As he [is the one that] demands the needs of Israel and speaks for them, as it is stated (Zechariah 1:12), "And the angel of the Lord answered and said, 'Lord of hosts, until when when will you not have mercy on Jerusalem?'" And I will [also] say (Daniel 10:21), "and none is being strong with Me except for Michael, your minister." Rabbi Yose said, "To what are Michael and Samael similar? To a defender and a prosecutor standing in court. This one is speaking and that one is speaking. [When] this one finished his words and that one his words, that defender knows that he has won. [Then] he begins to praise the judge, that issues the verdict. That prosecutor [then] requests to add something. The defender [then] says to him, 'Be quiet and let us hear from the judge.' So is it that Michael and Samael stand in front of the Divine Presence; and the Satan [Samael] prosecutes and Michael deliberates on the merit of Israel, and [then] the Satan comes to speak and Michael silences him. Why? As it is stated (Psalms 85:9), 'I will hear what the Power, the Lord, will speak, as He will speak peace about His people.'" This is [the meaning of] "I recall my music at night" - about the miracle of Hizkiyahu. Another explanation: "I recall my music at night" - I recall what you have done for us in Egypt, and the plots (menagnin) that you did to the Egyptians. How is it? At first, when the Holy One, blessed be He, requested to bring plagues upon the Egyptians, He said to bring the plague of the firstborn first, as it is stated (Exodus 4:23), "behold I am killing your son, your firstborn." [Pharaoh] started to say (Exodus 5:2), "Who is the Lord that I should listen to His voice?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said [to Himself], "If I bring the plague of the firstborn first, he will send them [right away], but rather I will bring other plagues upon him (first). And in its heels (beekev zot), I will bring them all," as it is stated, "And the Lord smote every firstborn." Hence David praises (Psalms 90:11), "Who knows the boldness of Your anger" - who knows your plots that You do in the sea, as it is stated (Psalms 77:20), "In the sea is Your way and Your path in the great waters, and Your footsteps (eekvotekha) were not known" - things that you do afterward (beekev), who [can] know?

[(Gen. 15:1:) FEAR NOT, ABRAM.] This text is related (to Prov. 28:14): BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO IS ALWAYS AFRAID, BUT THE ONE WHO HARDENS HIS HEART WILL FALL INTO EVIL.⁸⁷Tanh., Gen. 3:15. It is also written (in Prov. 14:16): A WISE PERSON FEARS AND TURNS AWAY FROM EVIL.⁸⁸Cf. Gen. R. 44:2. Who is he? This is Abraham. And of what was he afraid? Of Shem, whose sons he killed, Chedorlaomer king of Elam and his three sons. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 10:22): THE SONS OF SHEM: ELAM, ASSHUR, ARPACHSHAD, LUD, AND ARAM. So he was afraid, saying: I have killed the children of a saint, and now he will curse me so that I die. What did he do? He went out to meet him there in order to mollify him. It is so stated (in Gen. 14:18): AND MELCHIZEDEK KING OF SALEM < … >. The Holy One said: By your life I will not curse you but bless you. Thus it is stated (in the next verse): THEN HE BLESSED HIM, AND SAID: BLESSED BE ABRAM…. He said to him: Because you have killed my sons, I am blessing you. Thus it is stated (in vs. 20): AND BLESSED BE GOD MOST HIGH, WHO HAS DELIVERED YOUR ENEMIES INTO YOUR HAND…. What is the meaning of WHO HAS DELIVERED (MGN) YOUR ENEMIES? The Holy One made a charm (MNGN')⁸⁹The Buber text here has MGYNH, but the word should probably be read as MNGN’ (Gk.: magganon) in agreement with the traditional Tanhuma and Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 44. For another variation (MGNH), see Codex Vaticanus 34. See also Gen. R. 44:4. and overthrew them before you. So taking dust, our father Abraham scattered it over them, and it became arrows and bows.⁹⁰Sanh. 108b; Gen. R. 43:3; M. Pss. 110:2. Then taking straw, he scattered it over them, and it became swords and spears. Thus it is stated (in Is. 41:2): WHO HAS AROUSED RIGHTEOUSNESS FROM THE EAST?… [HE RENDERS HIS SWORD LIKE DUST, HIS BOW LIKE DRIVEN CHAFF.] This refers to Abraham, of whom it is next stated (in vs. 3): HE PURSUES THEM AND PASSES ON IN PEACE. Thus it says (in Gen. 14:20): WHO HAS DELIVERED YOUR ENEMIES INTO YOUR HAND…. The Holy One said: Are you < still > afraid after these things? (Gen. 15:1:) FEAR NOT, ABRAM. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 28:14): BLESSED IS THE ONE WHO IS ALWAYS AFRAID.

{Thus it is stated} (in Gen. 9:18): THE CHILDREN OF NOAH, WHO WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK, WERE [SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH]. Was Shem really the oldest in that he comes first? Is it not also written (in Gen. 10:21): < AND UNTO SHEM > … THE BROTHER OF JAPHETH, WHO WAS THE OLDEST? Why < then > did Shem precede Japheth? Because he was worthy (kasher) and virtuous for his creator.

(Gen. 9:25:) AND HE SAID: CURSED BE CANAAN. Ham looked; is Canaan cursed?⁸³Gen. R. 36:7. R. Judah said: The curse does not coexist with a blessing. < Ham could not be cursed > because it is stated (in Gen. 9:1): THEN GOD BLESSED [NOAH AND HIS CHILDREN. R. Nehemiah said:] Canaan had looked and told his father; so the curse had returned to its source. For that reason it is stated (in Gen. 9:25): CURSED BE CANAAN. Our masters have said: When Noah was in the ark, he said: Oh, that my children had slaves so that, while they were seated, those < slaves > would go forth before them. When, however, I go out from the ark, whomever I beget I shall make into slaves for them. He said to him (Ham): You did not allow me to beget a fourth son who would be a slave for his brothers.⁸⁴See Sanh. 70a, according to which Rav maintained that Ham had castrated his father. By your life, I am making your fourth son a slave. Thus it stated (in Gen. 9:25): AND HE SAID: CURSED BE CANAAN; [A SLAVE OF SLAVES SHALL HE BE TO HIS BROTHERS]. Resh Laqish said: Behold, those from Ham are slaves forever, but the children of Shem go forth into the world free. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 15:12, 17): IF THERE IS SOLD TO YOU < A FELLOW HEBREW, MAN OR WOMAN … IN THE SEVENTH YEAR YOU SHALL SET HIM FREE >…. THEN YOU SHALL TAKE AN AWL < AND PUT IT THROUGH HIS EAR INTO THE DOOR >. What is written there (in vs. 17)? AND HE SHALL BE YOUR SLAVE FOREVER. Here, however, is a slave of slaves, < i.e., > a slave who does not take his freedom and never goes away. What caused this curse for him? < It came about > because he had treated his father with contempt. So also the Holy One is going to exact punishment from the children of Ham and humiliate them at the hands of the king of Assyria, as stated (in Is. 20:4): SO SHALL THE KING OF ASSYRIA DRIVE OFF < THE CAPTIVES OF EGYPT AND THE EXILES OF NUBIA > … [NAKED AND BAREFOOT]. What is the meaning of NAKED AND BAREFOOT? That he would humiliate them and parade them naked. Now, in regard to Japheth, who honored his father, how does the Holy One repay him? When Gog (Japheth's descendant) comes, the Holy One will overshadow him and cover him over, as stated (in Ezek. 39:11): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY THAT I WILL GIVE UNTO GOG A BURIAL PLACE THERE IN ISRAEL. And how did he reward Shem? When the sons of Aaron came in to offer sacrifice, their bodies (according to Lev. 10:2) were burned but their clothes were not burned.⁸⁵Cf. Shab. 113b; Sanh. 52a, according to which their bodies were not burned. Why? Because they were children of Shem. That is how it is with the righteous. But where is it shown about the wicked? When Sennacherib went up to Jerusalem, and all his soldiers with him, their bodies were burned and their clothes were not burned. Why? Because they were children of Shem, as stated (in Gen. 10:22): THE SONS OF SHEM ARE ELAM, ASSHUR, ARPACHSHAD, LUD, AND ARAM.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 27:33): Why did he tremble? Because he had blessed the younger before the elder; for he had intended to bless both of them. So he called Esau in order to bless him first, since he was the elder. Then afterwards, < he would call > Jacob. So he intended. Why? Because before the Holy One it is difficult to supplant a genealogical chain, to replace primogeniture. So note that he only called Esau. On what basis do you say that he wished to bless Jacob? On the basis of what Jacob said, {and he said} [to his mother] (in Gen. 27:12): THEN I WILL BRING UPON MYSELF A CURSE INSTEAD OF A BLESSING. He said to her: Even the blessing which he was going to give me, in the end he will not give me. Isaac only trembled when he said: What sin is on my hands that the genealogical chain should be ruined at my hands, for me to bless the younger < first > and the elder afterwards? And so you find: In every place Moses comes before Aaron;⁹²Cf. Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Pisha, 1. but when it comes to genealogy, Aaron is before Moses. Thus it is stated (in Numb. 3:1): NOW THESE ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF AARON AND MOSES. R. Abba said in the name of R. Johanan of the Bet Guvrin: In the case of Reuben also, when that event (the selling of Joseph) happened at his hands, his father gave his birthright to Joseph. Thus it is stated (in I Chron. 5:1): AND THE SONS OF REUBEN, THE FIRST-BORN OF ISRAEL. NOW HE IS FIRST-BORN; BUT, WHEN HE HAD DEFILED HIS FATHER'S BED, HIS BIRTHRIGHT WAS GIVEN TO (JOSEPH) [THE SONS JOSEPH BEN ISRAEL]. Hence the birthright belonged to Joseph. In the genealogy, however, he was not able to keep his birthright away from him, as stated (in Exod. 6:14): THE SONS OF REUBEN THE FIRST-BORN OF ISRAEL. "Now he was the first-born" is not written here (in I Chron. 5:1), but: NOW HE IS THE FIRST-BORN. So also in the case of the sons of Noah, Japheth was the oldest: but because Shem was more righteous, < Scripture > counts him first in every place.⁹³See above, 2:19. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 9:18): AND THE CHILDREN OF NOAH WHO WENT FORTH FROM THE ARK WERE SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH. In regard to genealogy, however, < Scripture > mentions Japheth as being the eldest. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 10:21): AND UNTO SHEM THERE WERE CHILDREN BORN. HE WAS ALSO FATHER TO ALL THE CHILDREN OF EBER < AND > THE BROTHER OF JAPHETH, WHO WAS THE OLDEST.⁹⁴The last eight words can be, and commonly are, translated: THE ELDER BROTHER OF JAPHETH. See Gen. R. 37:7. R. Tanhuma said: But you also have to learn < through > greater insight, that Shem was second to Japheth. Therefore, you find that Noah sired a son at < an age of > five hundred years. It is written (in Gen. 5:32): AND NOAH WAS FIVE HUNDRED YEARS OLD; < AND NOAH BEGOT SHEM, HAM, AND JAPHETH >. Now the flood took place (according to Gen. 7:11): IN THE SIX HUNDREDTH YEAR OF NOAH'S LIFE…. {Since} it is also written of Shem that he sired a son at < the age of > a hundred years, {he was lacking two} [two years after the flood). It is so stated (in Gen. 11:10): THESE ARE THE DESCENDANTS OF SHEM: SHEM WAS A HUNDRED YEARS OLD WHEN HE BEGOT ARPACHSHAD, TWO YEARS AFTER THE FLOOD. If he had been the eldest, it would have been necessary to say only: HE BEGOT ARPACHSHAD, TWO YEARS AFTER THE FLOOD. You also learn from here that Japheth was two years older than Shem according to the reckoning of my calculation. Here also (in Gen. 27:33), Isaac only trembled when he said: What sin is there on my hands that I have blessed the younger before the elder and have changed the order? Jacob went out and Esau came in, as stated (in Gen. 27:30): AND JACOB HAD JUST GONE OUT…. He (Esau) said to his father (in vs. 32): I AM [YOUR SON], YOUR FIRST-BORN, ESAU. His father began saying: Who is this one who entered and received the blessings? The Holy Spirit said to him: It was Jacob. He said to him (in vs. 33): AND I HAVE EATEN OF EVERYTHING. R. Isaac said: In that dish Isaac had a taste OF EVERYTHING that the Holy One had created during the six days of creation.⁹⁵Tanh., Gen. 6:11; Gen. R. 67:2. Also R. Judah b. R. Shallum said in the name of R. Ayyevu: In that dish Isaac had a taste of whatever is stored up for the righteous in the days to come. [Isaac said to him: In that dish I tasted everything that the Holy One has created]. Esau said to him: Daddy, [tell me:] What is that dish? Isaac said to him: < Whatever I ask for >. I asked for pheasant;⁹⁶Gk.: phasianos. I tasted it. Esau said to him: Daddy, tell me the basic < ingredient >. He said to him: It was meat. R. Hananyah b. R. Isaac said: When Esau heard this, he began striking his face. He said: Woe to that man, as stated (in Gen. 27:34): AND HE LET OUT A GREAT AND BITTER CRY…. Esau said: He fed me pottage of lentils, and I gave him my birthright. Now he has fed Daddy meat. You must know with what blessings he blessed him! HE BEGAN TO CRY AND SAY: IS HE NOT RIGHTLY NAMED JACOB (rt.: 'QB)? [FOR HE HAS CHEATED (rt.: 'QB) ME THESE TWO TIMES. HE TOOK MY BIRTHRIGHT; AND, SEE, NOW HE HAS TAKEN MY BLESSING.] His father said to him: So what should I do for you? He said to him: He has already taken my birthright. Isaac said to him: Over this matter I was sorry. He also said: Perhaps I transgressed a commandment of the Law in blessing the younger before the elder. Now that I have already blessed him, (according to Gen. 27:33:) HE SHALL ALSO BE BLESSED.

(Gen. 11:1:) NOW THE WHOLE EARTH HAD ONE LANGUAGE. What is written above on the matter (in Gen. 10:32)? THESE ARE THE FAMILIES OF NOAH'S DESCENDANTS.⁹⁴Tanh., Gen. 2:18. Then after that < comes >: NOW THE WHOLE EARTH HAD ONE LANGUAGE. Solomon has said (in Prov. 27:22): IF YOU POUND THE FOOL IN A MORTAR WITH A PESTLE [ALONG WITH THE GRAIN, HIS FOLLY WILL NOT LEAVE HIM].⁹⁵See Gen. R. 38:2. In the case of one who beats the fool, while that one is raising the rod to give him a second blow, he forgets the first time. WITH A PESTLE ALONG WITH THE GRAIN: While he is raising < the rod for > the first time, it is already forgotten. Thus HIS FOLLY WILL NOT LEAVE HIM.

Rabbi 'Aḳiba said: They cast off the Kingdom of Heaven from themselves, and appointed Nimrod king over themselves; a slave son of a slave. Are not all the sons of Ham slaves? And woe to the land when a slave rules, as it is said, "For a servant, when he is king" (Prov. 30:22).

Rabbi 'Aḳiba said: They cast off the Kingdom of Heaven from themselves, and appointed Nimrod king over themselves; a slave son of a slave. Are not all the sons of Ham slaves? And woe to the land when a slave rules, as it is said, "For a servant, when he is king" (Prov. 30:22).

Rabbi Chakhinai said: Nimrod was a mighty hero, as it is said, "And Cush begat Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one in the earth" (Gen. 10:8). Rabbi Jehudah said: The coats which the Holy One, blessed be He, made for Adam and his wife, were with Noah in the ark, and when they went forth from the ark, || Ham, the son of Noah, brought them forth with him, and gave them as an inheritance to Nimrod. When he put them on, all beasts, animals, and birds, when they saw the coats, came and prostrated themselves before him. The sons of men thought that this (was due) to the power of his might; therefore they made him king over themselves, as it is said, "Wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen. 10:9).

Rabbi Chakhinai said: Nimrod was a mighty hero, as it is said, "And Cush begat Nimrod, who began to be a mighty one in the earth" (Gen. 10:8). Rabbi Jehudah said: The coats which the Holy One, blessed be He, made for Adam and his wife, were with Noah in the ark, and when they went forth from the ark, || Ham, the son of Noah, brought them forth with him, and gave them as an inheritance to Nimrod. When he put them on, all beasts, animals, and birds, when they saw the coats, came and prostrated themselves before him. The sons of men thought that this (was due) to the power of his might; therefore they made him king over themselves, as it is said, "Wherefore it is said, Like Nimrod, a mighty hunter before the Lord" (Gen. 10:9).

(Gen. 11:3:) THEN THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER. What is the meaning of TO ONE ANOTHER?¹⁰³Cf. Gen. R. 38:8. Ethiopia to Egypt, [Egypt to Put (of Libya)], Put to Canaan.¹⁰⁴The listing follows Gen. 10:6.

And it was, when men begun (Gen. 6:1) - said Rabbi Simon: In three places this language is used, and it means rebellion. "[And to Seth, in turn, a son was born, and he named him Enosh;] it was then that men began [to invoke Ad-nai by name.]" (Gen. 4:26); "[Cush also begot Nimrod,] he began to be [a man of might on earth.] (Gen. 10:8). They answered back to him: behold, it is written "[and Ad-nai said, 'If, as one people with one language for all] this is how they have begun to act, [then nothing that they may propose to do will be out of their reach.] (Gen. 11:6) - he answered to them: here the Holy One bent the head of Nimrod and said: ""this" [one] will make them rebel against Me." "To increase on Earth" - that they were spilling their seed on the trees and the stones, and because they were associating in depravity He increased the females for them, as it is written "and daughters were born for them" (Gen. 6:1). he wife of Rabbi Shimeon Bar Ami gave birth to a girl. His father-in-law Rabbi Chia Rabbah said to him: The Holy One of Blessing began to bless you! He asked: From where [do you derive this?] He said: "And it was, when men begun to increase, daughters were born for them". [Rabbi Shimeon] went to his father, who said to him: The Babylonian made you happy. He said: Yes, and this he said to me. The father said to him: Even so, there is need for wine and there is need for vinegar, the need for wine is greater than the need for vinegar; there is need for wheat and there is need for barley, the need for wheat is greater than the need for barley. From the moment a man marries his daughter away, and brings out his belongings, he says to her: 'may you never long for here [home]' Rabban Gamliel married his daughter off, she said to him: Dad, bless me. He answered: 'may you never long for here [home].' A son was born to her, she said: Dad, bless me. He said "may the word 'vay' never cease from your lips". She said to him: Dad, two happy moments I had and you gave me curses! He said to her: Both of them are blessings, if you feel content in your home you wll not long for here, and if your son lives 'vay' will not cease from your lips: 'Vay, my son does not drink enough!' 'Vay, my son does not eat enough!' 'Vay, today my son didn't go to the synagogue!'

(Numb. 11:17:) THEN I WILL COME DOWN AND SPEAK WITH YOU THERE. <This verse is> to inform you that the day for appointing elders was as dear to the Holy One as the day for the giving of Torah.¹⁰⁵Tanh. Numb. 3:16, cont.; Numb. R. 15:25. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 19:11): FOR ON THE THIRD DAY THE LORD WILL COME DOWN … <UPON MOUNT SINAI>; and also (in Numb. 11:17) with reference to appointing the elders, I WILL COME DOWN is written. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had an orchard and hired a guard for it. Then he gave him the payment of a guard for him to guard to orchard. After a time the guard said to him: I cannot guard all of it myself. Rather give me others to guard it with me. The king said to him: I have given the entire orchard into your keeping, and I have given you all the payment for guarding it; but now you would say to me: Go and bring others to guard it with me. See I am bringing others to guard with you, but observe that I am not giving them their payment from what belongs to me. Rather it is from your payment which I have given you that they are receiving their payment. Similarly did the Holy One speak to Moses. When <Moses> said to him: I cannot <do everything> alone; the Holy One said to him: I have given you understanding and knowledge to sustain¹⁰⁶PRNS. Cf. Gk.: pronoos (“prudent”). my children. Moreover, I did not want others, merely so that you would have strength and knowledge and so that you would stand alone in that greatness. But now you are the one who wants others. Be aware that they will receive <payment>, not from what is mine, but from what is yours. It is so stated (in Numb. 11:17.): AND I WILL SET ASIDE SOME OF THE SPIRIT WHICH IS UPON YOU <AND PUT IT ON THEM>. Nevertheless Moses did not lack anything. You should know that after forty years he said to Moses (in Numb. 27:18, 20): TAKE JOSHUA BEN NUN … AND PUT SOME OF YOUR GLORY UPON HIM. Then what is written about Joshua (in Deut. 34:9)? NOW JOSHUA BEN NUN WAS FILLED WITH THE SPIRIT OF WISDOM. Why? (Ibid. cont.:) BECAUSE MOSES HAD LAID HIS HANDS UPON HIM. The Holy One said: In this world individuals have prophesied, but in the world to come all Israel shall become prophets. It is so stated (in Joel 3:1 [2:28]): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS AFTERWARD THAT I WILL POUR OUT MY SPIRIT UPON ALL FLESH SO THAT YOUR SONS AND YOUR DAUGHTERS SHALL PROPHESY.¹⁰⁷See also above Gen. 10:4; cf. Deut. R. 6:14; also Acts 2:16ff.

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

"The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan (Genesis 10:2)": Rabbi Samuel son of Ammi said: "This is Africa, Germania, Media, Macedonia Isania". "And Tiras": Rabbi Simon said: "This is Persia". The Rabbis said: "Thrace". "The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Genesis 10:3)": Asia, Adiabene, and Germania. Rabbi Berechya said: "Germanica". "The descendants of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish (Genesis 10:4)": Hellas, Italia, Dardania. One verse says: "the Dodanim" and a different verse says "the Rodanim (1 Chronicles 1:7)". Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Chanin: Rabbi Simon said: "Dodanim" because they are the children of the uncles [dodin] of Israel, Rodanim because they went and attack [rodin] them". Rabbi Chanina said: "When Israel was placed in a high position they came and said to them, we are the children of your uncle [dod-khen], and when they are placed in a low position they come and attack [rodin] them".

"The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan (Genesis 10:2)": Rabbi Samuel son of Ammi said: "This is Africa, Germania, Media, Macedonia Isania". "And Tiras": Rabbi Simon said: "This is Persia". The Rabbis said: "Thrace". "The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Genesis 10:3)": Asia, Adiabene, and Germania. Rabbi Berechya said: "Germanica". "The descendants of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish (Genesis 10:4)": Hellas, Italia, Dardania. One verse says: "the Dodanim" and a different verse says "the Rodanim (1 Chronicles 1:7)". Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Chanin: Rabbi Simon said: "Dodanim" because they are the children of the uncles [dodin] of Israel, Rodanim because they went and attack [rodin] them". Rabbi Chanina said: "When Israel was placed in a high position they came and said to them, we are the children of your uncle [dod-khen], and when they are placed in a low position they come and attack [rodin] them".

"The descendants of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan (Genesis 10:2)": Rabbi Samuel son of Ammi said: "This is Africa, Germania, Media, Macedonia Isania". "And Tiras": Rabbi Simon said: "This is Persia". The Rabbis said: "Thrace". "The descendants of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath, and Togarmah (Genesis 10:3)": Asia, Adiabene, and Germania. Rabbi Berechya said: "Germanica". "The descendants of Javan: Elishah and Tarshish (Genesis 10:4)": Hellas, Italia, Dardania. One verse says: "the Dodanim" and a different verse says "the Rodanim (1 Chronicles 1:7)". Rabbi Simon and Rabbi Chanin: Rabbi Simon said: "Dodanim" because they are the children of the uncles [dodin] of Israel, Rodanim because they went and attack [rodin] them". Rabbi Chanina said: "When Israel was placed in a high position they came and said to them, we are the children of your uncle [dod-khen], and when they are placed in a low position they come and attack [rodin] them".

And lest you say: He who built the one did not build the other. (This is not so,) for it is written (Bereshith 10:6) "And the sons of Cham (the son of Noach): Kush, Mitzrayim, Fut and Canaan": Cham, who built the one (Chevron) built the other (Tzoan). Is it conceivable that first he built the ugly and then he built the beautiful! It must be that first he built the beautiful (Chevron), and then (with its "refuse") built the ugly (Tozan)! Because (the soil of) Chevron was choicer than that of Mitzrayim, it was, therefore, built first. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If Chevron, the "refuse" of Eretz Yisrael is choicer than the choicest of Egypt, the choicest of all the (other) lands, how choice must Eretz Yisrael be!