Midrasz do Kapłańska 7:10

1) (Vayikra 7:9) ("And every meal-offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is made in the stewing-pan and on the griddle, to the Cohein who offers it up, to him shall it be. (Vayikra 7:10) And every meal-offering mixed with oil or dry, to all the sons of Aaron shall it be, one man as well as another.") R. Yossi b. R. Yehudah said: Whence is it derived that if one said: "I vow (to bring) a burnt-offering of meal baked in an oven" that he should not bring half-cakes (challoth) and half-wafers (rekikim)? From "every meal-offering that is baked in the oven, and all that is made in the stewing-pan and on the griddle … and every meal-offering mixed with oil or dry." Just as the latter ("stewing-pan and griddle" and "mixed with oil or dry") are (respectively) two kinds, so, these ("cakes and wafers" — viz. Vayikra 2:4 ("baked in an oven…) cakes and wafers") are two kinds (and cannot combine with each other to constitute a vow connoting a single kind). "and all that is made in the marchesheth (stewing-pan) and the machavath (griddle)." These terms connote the vessels (themselves) and not their products. Just as a tanur ("oven") is a vessel, so marchesheth and machavath are vessels.

2) "to the Cohein who offers it up, to him shall it be.": I might think, to him alone; it is, therefore, written "to all the sons of Aaron shall it be." I might think, to all of them; it is, therefore, written "to the Cohein who offers it up." How is this to be reconciled? It is (divided among) the (particular) priestly household that offers it up.

(Lev. 19:23:) WHEN YOU COME INTO THE LAND AND PLANT. This text is related (to Eccl. 2:5): I MADE GARDENS AND ORCHARDS FOR MYSELF, AND IN THEM I PLANTED EVERY KIND OF FRUIT TREE. Do not all the children of Adam plant whatever they want?³⁸Tanh., Lev. 7:10. Whatever someone plants in the earth, it produces either pepper or something < else >. If someone plants, they produce, except that no one knows the place of every plant, < i.e. > where to plant it. However, because Solomon was wise, he planted all the species of trees, [as stated (ibid.): I MADE GARDENS AND ORCHARDS FOR MYSELF, IN WHICH I PLANTED EVERY KIND OF FRUIT TREE.] R. Jannay said: Solomon even planted peppers, but how did he plant them? It is simply that Solomon was wise and knew the root of the foundation of the world.³⁹See Eccl. R. 2:5:1. Where is it shown? (Ps. 50:2): OUT OF ZION GOD HAS SHINED FORTH AS THE PERFECTION OF BEAUTY. Out of Zion has all of the whole world been perfected. Why is it called < Foundation > Stone? Because out of it the world was founded.⁴⁰See above, Lev. 6:4, and the note there. Now Solomon knew which vein went to Cush and planted peppers on it. They produced immediately. See what he says (in Eccl. 2:5): AND IN THEM I PLANTED EVERY KIND OF FRUIT TREE.

(Numb. 22:39:) “Then Balaam went unto³⁸The Masoretic text reads both this and the following UNTO as WITH. Balak, and they came unto Kiriath-Huzoth (literally: city of markets),” where he had made market places for buying and selling.³⁹Numb. R. 20:17. He had [also] made a bazaar.⁴⁰’TLS. Cf. Gk.: katalusis (“settlement,” “resting place”). [His purpose was] to show him crowds⁴¹Gk.: ochloi. and say, “See what those [people] are coming to kill, people and infants who have done them no wrong.” (Numb. 22:40:) “Then Balak sacrificed an ox and a sheep.”⁴²Bible translations usually render “OX” and “SHEEP” as plurals, but the midrash is interpreting them as singular. The righteous say little and do much.⁴³BM 87a; ARN, A, 13; ARN, B, 23; see Ned. 21b. It is written of Abraham (in Gen. 18:5), “Let me bring a piece of bread that you may refresh your souls.” But after that (in vs. 6-7), “’Hurry up with three se'ah [of fine meal]….’ Then Abraham ran unto the herd.” But the wicked say a lot and do not even do a little. Balak said (in Numb. 22:17), “For I will surely honor you greatly….” When [Balaam] came, he only sent him an ox and a sheep. Balaam began gnashing his teeth at him, for he was greedy. He said [to himself], “Is this what he sent me? Tomorrow I will deliver a curse through his [own] property,” as stated (in Numb. 23:1), “Then Balaam said [unto Balak], ‘Build [seven altars] for me here, [and make ready for me here seven bulls and seven rams]….’” (Numb. 22:41:) “So it came to pass in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, [and from there he saw the edge of the people].” Balak was a more of a master of divinations and auguries than Balaam, for Balaam was being dragged along after him like a blind man.⁴⁴Numb. R. 20:18. What did the two of them resemble? Someone who had a knife in his hand but did not know [where to find] the [animal] joints, while his companion knew the joints but did not have a knife in his hand. Balak saw the places in which Israel would fall and (ibid.) “brought him up into the high places of Baal.” This was Baal Peor, where he saw that Israel would fall. (Numb. 23:1:) “Then Balaam said unto Balak, ‘Build seven altars for me here.’” Why seven altars? [They] corresponded to seven righteous ones from Adam to Moses, who built seven altars and had been accepted: Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Then [Balaam] said, “Why did you accept these? Was it not because of the service (the sacrifices) which they performed before you that you accepted them? Is it not [more] suitable for you to be served by seventy nations and not by [merely] one nation?” As it were, the holy spirit [answered him] (in Prov. 17:1), “Better a dry morsel with tranquility than a house full of quarrelsome feasting.” Better (in the words of Lev. 7:10) “a grain offering mixed with oil or dry” than (in Prov. 17:1) “a house full of quarrelsome feasting”;⁴⁵The words HOUSE and FEASTING can also mean “temple” and “sacrifice” respectively. for you want to introduce strife between Me and Israel. (Numb. 23:2-3:) “Then Balak did as Balaam had [spoken…]. And he said to Balak, ‘Stand beside your burnt offerings [...]’; so he went alone (rt.: shph).” [Balaam] had been at ease (rt.: shph) to curse. Thus he had been at ease until that moment, but from that moment on he was troubled.

(Numb. 23:1:) THEN BALAAM SAID [UNTO BALAK]: BUILD <SEVEN ALTARS> FOR ME HERE, <AND MAKE SEVEN BULLS AND SEVEN RAMS READY FOR ME HERE>…. Why seven altars? <They> corresponded to seven righteous ones from Adam to Moses, who built seven altars and had been accepted: Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Then <Balaam> said: Why did you accept these? Was it not because of a liturgy which they performed before you that you accepted them? Is it not <more> suitable for you to be served by seventy nations and not by <merely> one nation? The Holy Spirit answered him (in Prov. 17:1): BETTER A DRY MORSEL WITH TRANQUILITY THAN A HOUSE FULL OF QUARRELSOME FEASTING. Better (in the words of Lev. 7:10) A GRAIN OFFERING MIXED WITH OIL OR DRY than (in Prov. 17:1) A HOUSE FULL OF QUARRELSOME FEASTING;⁵³The words HOUSE and FEASTING can also mean “temple” and “sacrifice” respectively. for you want to introduce strife between me and Israel.

18 (Numb. 22:41) “So it came to pass in the morning that Balak took Balaam and brought him up to the high places of Baal, [and from there he saw the edge of the people]”: Balak was a more of a master of divinations and auguries than Balaam, for [Balaam] was being dragged along after him like a blind man. What did the two of them resemble? Someone who had a knife in his hand but did not know [where to find] the [animal] joints, while his companion knew the joints but did not have a knife in his hand. Balak saw the places in which Israel would fall and (ibid.) “brought him up into the high places of Baal.” [This was Baal] Peor, where he saw that Israel would fall. (Numb. 23:1) “Then Balaam said unto Balak, ‘Build seven altars for me here’”: Why seven altars? [They] corresponded to seven righteous ones from Adam to Moses, who built seven altars and had been accepted: Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. Then [Balaam] said, “Why did you accept these? Was it not because of the service (the sacrifices) which they performed before you that you accepted them? Is it not [more] suitable for you to be served by seventy nations and not by [merely] one nation?” The holy spirit answered him (in Prov. 17:1), “Better a dry morsel with tranquility.” Better (in the words of Lev. 7:10) “a grain offering mixed with oil or dry” than (in Prov. 17:1) “a house full of quarrelsome feasting”;²⁸The words HOUSE and FEASTING can also mean “temple” and “sacrifice” respectively. for you want to introduce strife between Me and Israel. (Numb. 23:2-3) “Then Balak did […] and he offered. [...]; so he went alone (rt.: shph)”: [Balaam’s] intent was to curse; for he had been at ease rt.: shph) until that moment, but from that moment on he was troubled. (Numb. 23:4) “Then God encountered Balaam”: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You evil man! What are you doing?” (Ibid., cont.) “And [Balaam] said unto him, ‘I have prepared the seven altars [and offered a ram and a bull on each altar]’:” [The matter] is comparable to a money-changer who lies about the weights. When the head of the marketplace came, he noticed him. He said to him, “What are you doing inflating and lying about the weights?” [The money changer then] said to him, “I have already sent a gift²⁹Gk.: doron. to your house.” So also it was in the case of Balaam. The holy spirit cried out to him. It said to him, “You evil man! What are you doing.” He said to it (in Numb. 23:4), “I have prepared the seven altars [and offered a ram and a bull on each altar].” It said to him (in Prov. 15:17), “’Better a meal of vegetable greens [where there is love than a fattened ox with hatred in it].’ Better the dinner of unleavened bread and bitter herbs which Israel ate in Egypt, than bulls which you offer with hands of [hatred].” (Numb. 23:5) “So the Lord put a word (davar) in Balaam's mouth,” which twisted his mouth and pierced it,³⁰Both “twisted” and “pierced” connote the use of a bit on a horse. as one would drive a nail into a board. R. Eliezer (understanding davar as word) says, “An angel was speaking,” [as stated] (in Numb. 23:5), “Return unto Balak and speak thus.” (Numb. 23:6) “So he returned unto him, and there he was standing beside his burnt offerings with all the ministers of Moab,” who stood anxiously awaiting [the time] when he would come.