Midrasz do Kapłańska 9:22

Our Rabbis were taught: Whence do we infer that we should mention the Patriarchs [in the prayer of Amida]? It is written (Ps. 29, 1) Ascribe unto the Lord, ye sons of the mighty. And whence do we infer that we should mention [in the Amida the power [of God]? It is written (Ib.) Ascribe unto the Lord glory and strength. And whence do we infer that the K'dusha [His Holiness] must be mentioned? It is written (Ib. 2) Ascribe unto the Lord the glory of His name; bow down to the Lord in the beauty of holiness. And what reason had they for placing the Benediction of Wisdom [fourth] after the Benediction K'dusha? Because it is said (Is. 29, 23) Then will they sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and the God of Israel will they reverence; and immediately follows: They also that were erring in spirit shall acquire understanding. And what reason had they in placing the Benediction concerning Repentance after Wisdom? Because it is written (Is. 6, 10) Lest his heart understand, and he will repent, and be healed. If so, we ought then to mention the section treating with Healing after Repentance [the sixth, instead of the eighth benediction]? This you cannot assume, for it is written (Ib. 55, 7) And let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him; and unto our God, for He will abundantly pardon. The section of Pardon is therefore arranged after Repentance. But why did they desire to rely on this [verse], and not rely on the former? Because there is another passage to the same effect (Ps. 103, 3) Who forgiveth all thy iniquities, who healeth all thy diseased, who redeemeth from the pit thy life. This means to say that both redemption and healing come after forgiveness. But there is a passage (Is. 6, 10) He will repent and be healed? [Hence healing follows repentance]? This healing, however, does not refer to disease, but to forgiveness. And what reason had they in arranging the prayer for Redemption in the seventh Benediction? Said Raba: "Because Israel is destined to be redeemed in the seventh (Sabbatical) year, it was therefore designated in the seventh benediction. But has not the master said that in the sixth [of the Sabbatical years], there will be different rumors, in the seventh year of the Sabbatical years [great] wars will break out, and at the close of the seventh year Mesiah b. David will appear? Hence in the seventh will there be war and not redemption. War will mark the beginning of the redemption. And what reason had they for arranging the prayer for Healing in the eighth Benedictions? "Because," said R. Akiba, "circumcision takes place on the eighth day, and requires healing; it was therefore designated in the seventh Benediction." And what reason had they for arranging the prayer for the Blessing of the Year in the ninth Benediction? "This prayer," said R. Alexandri, "is against those who raise prices, as it is written (Ps. 10, 15), Break Thou the arm of the wicked, etc. And David also said it in the ninth chapter." And what reason had they for arranging the prayer for the Reunion of the Exile after the Benediction of the Blessing [of the harvest] of the Year? Because it is written (Ezek. 36, 8) But ye, O mountains of Israel, ye shall send forth your boughs, and your fruit shall ye bear for my people Israel; for they are near at hand to come. And as soon as the reunion of the exile will take place, there will be the punishment of the wicked, as it is said (Is. 1, 25) I will turn my hand against thee, and purge away as with lye thy dross. And further (26) it is written: I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning. After the judgment of the wicked there shall no more exist any sinners. This includes the arrogant, as it is said (Ib.) But destruction shall come over transgressors and sinners together. And those that forsake the Lord shall perish, and when sinners will cease to exist, the strength of the righteous is exalted; as it is written (Ps. 75, 11) And all the strength of the wicked will I hew off, but the strength of the righteous shall be exalted. Righteous proselytes are included among the righteous; as it is said (Lev. 19, 32) Before the hoary head shalt thou rise up, and honor the old man. And immediately it follows: If a stranger sojourn with thee, ye shall not vex him. And where will their horn be exalted? In Jerusalem; as it is said (Ps. 122, 6) Pray ye for the peace of Jerusalem; may those that love ye prosper. And as soon as Jerusalem will be rebuilt David will come (Fol. 18) as it is said (Hos. 3, 5) After that will the children of Israel return and seek for the Lord their God and David their king. And together with David will come prayer, as it is said (Is. 57, 7) Even these will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. And as soon as prayer comes, service in the Temple will come with it, as it is said further: Their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be accepted upon My altar. And as soon as service comes, there will come a thanksgiving, as it is said (Ps. 50, 23) Who so offereth thanksgiving glorifieth Me. And what reason had they for placing the Blessing of the Priests after the Benediction of Thanks giving? Because it is written (Lev. 9, 22) And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them, and came down after he had offered the sin-offering and burnt-offering and peace-offering. Why not say that he blessed them before the service? You cannot possibly think so; for it is written: He came down after he had offered — it is not written to offer, but after offering. Then why not say it immediately after the Benediction concerning the [restoration of the Temple] Service? You cannot possibly think so, because it is written: Whoso offereth the thanksgiving (glorifieth Me. And why did they desire to rely on this [verse], and not rely on the former? Because common sense teaches that service and thanksgiving are the same thing. And what reason had they for placing [the Benediction concerning] Peace after the Blessing of Priests? Because it is written (Num. 6, 21) And they shall put my name upon the children of Israel and I will bless them; i.e., the blessing of the Holy One, praised be He! is peace, as it is said (Ps. 29, 11) The Lord will bless His people with peace. [Hence the arrangement of the Amida or Eighteen Benedictions.] Now [let us see], if one hundred and twenty elders, among whom there were many prophets, have arranged the Eighteen Benedictions in accordance with their orders, why was it necessary that Simon of Peculi should rearrange them? They had been forgotten, therefore he reintroduced the order.

Reuben, thou art My firstborn, My might and the first fruits of My strength; the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. unstable as water, have not thou the excellency (Gen. 49:3–4). Thou art my firstborn. You are my firstborn, the product of the first drop of semen I produced in eighty years.¹⁴Cf. Genesis Rabbah 98:4, “in eighty-four years.” In fact, I did not even experience nocturnal pollution before then. My firstborn. Are you like me? The excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power. Three crowns were available to you: priesthood, kingship, and the right of the firstborn. The excellency of dignity alludes to the priesthood, as is said: And Aaron lifted up his hands (Lev. 9:22); the excellency of power refers to kingship, as it is said: And he will give power unto his king (I Sam. 2:10); the birthright is indicated by the double portion he received, as is said: By giving him a double portion (Deut. 21:17). But you have lost them all. Why? Because you are as unstable as water, and therefore have not thou the excellency.

(Gen. 49:3, cont.:) MY MIGHT AND THE FIRST FRUIT OF MY STRENGTH, EXCELLING IN ELEVATION, in that the high priesthood had been designated for you, and there is no ELEVATION but the high priesthood. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 9:22): THEN AARON ELEVATED HIS HANDS TOWARD THE PEOPLE AND BLESSED THEM.⁵¹Gen. R. 99 (another version):6 (= p. 1277 in the Theodor-Albeck edition).

17) (Vayikra 9:22): "And Aaron lifted his hands to the people and he blessed them (the priestly blessing)": At that time he attained to the priestly gifts and to the lifting of the hands (in the priestly blessing) for himself and for his future generations until the resurrection.

18) (Vayikra 9:22): "And he came down from offering the sin-offering and the burnt-offering and the sin-offerings": Having acquitted himself of his offerings, he descended from the altar in joy.

29) (Vayikra 9:22): "And Aaron lifted his hands to the people and he blessed them (the priestly blessing), and he came down from offering the sin-offering and the burnt-offering and the peace-offerings." The verse is (to be understood as) inverted, (i.e., First "he came down, etc." and then "Aaron lifted his hands, etc."). In going down, he lifted his hands and blessed the people. "and he blessed them": while standing. You say "while standing," but perhaps (it could be done) standing or not standing! It is, therefore, written (Devarim 10:8): "to stand before the L–rd to serve Him and to bless in His name." Blessing is being likened to serving. Just as serving is "standing," so is blessing. And thus is it written (II Divrei Hayamim 30:27): "And the Cohanim and the Levites stood up, and He heard their voice, and their prayer came to His holy abode in heaven." In the generation of Chizkiyahu, king of Judah, when they occupied themselves with Torah, what is written of them? "and their prayer came to His holy abode in heaven." In other generations, when they served idolatry, what is written of them? (Isaiah 1:15): "And when you spread out your hands (in prayer), (I will hide My eyes from you, etc.")

(Bamidbar 6:22-23) "And the L-rd spoke to Moses, saying: Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying: Thus shall you bless, etc.": Because the entire section deals with Cohanim, Aaron and his sons are brought into the context of "saying" (dibbur). For this is the rule: Wherever the "dibbur" is to the Cohanim, the action (of that section) is that of the Cohanim. Where the "dibbur" is to Israel as a whole, the action is that of Israel. Where the "dibbur" is to all men, the proselytes are to be included. "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel": in the holy tongue. — But perhaps any tongue is permitted. It is, therefore, written (Devarim 27:12) "These shall stand to bless the people." Just as there, in the holy tongue, so, here, in the holy tongue. R. Yehudah says: This (i.e., the above identity) is not needed, for wherever "aniyah" ("answering"), "amirah" ("saying") or "cachah" ("thus") is written, the holy tongue is intended. "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel" — standing. You say, standing; but perhaps either standing or not standing is permitted. It is, therefore, written "These shall stand to bless the people." It is written here "blessing" and there, "blessing." Just as "blessing" there is standing, so, "blessing" here. R. Nathan says: This (derivation) is not needed, for it is written (of the Cohanim, Devarim 10:8) "… to stand before the L-rd, to minister unto Him, and to bless His name." Blessing is likened to ministering. Just as ministering is standing, so, blessing. "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel": with raised hands. You say, with raised hands; but perhaps either with or without raised hands is permitted. It is, therefore, written (Vayikra 9:22) "And Aaron lifted his hands to the people and he blessed them." Just as there, with raised hands, so, here. R. Yonathan says: But perhaps just as there, Rosh Chodesh, offering, and the high-priest, so, here (these elements must obtain)! It is, therefore, written (Devarim 18:5) "For him (a Cohein) did the L-rd your G-d choose from all of your tribes to stand and minister in the name of the L-rd, he and his sons all of the days." His sons are likened to him. Just as he, with raised hands, so, his sons with raised hands. "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel": with the explicit name (the Tetragrammaton [yod-keh-vav-keh]). You say, with the Tetragrammaton. But, perhaps, only with an epithet. It is, therefore, written (Ibid. 27) "And they shall place My name on the children of Israel" — the name that is distinctive with Me. I might think that this obtains even in those places bordering (on Jerusalem). It is, therefore, written here "And they shall place My name," and, elsewhere, (I Kings 11:36) "to place My name there." Just as there, the Temple, so, here, the Temple. In the Temple, with the Tetragrammaton; elsewhere, with an epithet. These are the words of R. Yoshiyah. R. Yonathan says (Shemot 20:21) "Wherever I mention My name, etc.": This is an inverted verse, (to be understood as) "Wherever I am revealed to you, there shall you mention My name." Where am I (i.e., My shechinah) revealed to you? In the Temple. You, too, may mention My name only in the Temple — whence they ruled: It is forbidden to utter the explicit Name (the Tetragrammaton) in the borders (of Jerusalem). "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel": This tells me only of a blessing for (the men of) Israel. Whence do I derive (the same for) women, proselytes, and bondsmen? From "Say to them" — to all of them. Whence do I derive a blessing for the Cohanim (by the L-rd)? From (6:27) "and I shall bless them (the Cohanim)." "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel": face to face. You say face to face, but perhaps face to back is intended! It is, therefore, written "Say to them" (as a man speaks to his neighbor) face to face. "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel": in a loud voice so that the entire congregation can hear." — But perhaps in a whisper is intended. — It is, therefore, written "Say to them" — so that the entire congregation can hear. And whence is it derived that the prayer leader must tell them (the Cohanim) to say? From "Say to them."