Midrasz do Liczb 29:39

There was an incident involving Doeg ben Yosef who died and left a young son to his mother. She would measure him in handbreadths and donate his weight in gold to the Temple¹⁸²Literally, to Heaven. each and every year. When the siege encircled Jerusalem, his mother slaughterd him with her own hands and ate him: Jeremiah was lamenting before the Omnipresent and saying: “Shall women eat their fruit, the infants of their nurturing?” (Lamentations 2:20). The Divine Spirit responded to him: “Shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the Temple of the Lord?” (Lamentations 2:20). This is Zekharya ben Yehoyada.¹⁸³See Eikha Rabba, Prologue, 23.
Another matter, “for these I weep,” Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: For the departure of intelligence and for the departure of the Divine Presence. Is it possible that Zedekiah saw others plucking out his eyes and he did not have the intelligence to smash his head against the wall until his soul departed, but he rather caused his sons to be slaughtered before his eyes?¹⁸⁴Nebuchadnezzar had Zedekiah’s sons slaughtered before his eyes, and then had Zedekiah’s eyes blinded (II Kings 25:7). According to the Sages, they first inserted iron rods into his eyes but had not yet blinded him; they finished blinding him only after he saw his sons slaughtered (Tanḥuma, Vaetḥanan 1). The midrash here asks why Zedekiah did not kill himself to spare himself this torture. Rather, regarding that moment it is stated: “The heart of the king and the heart of the princes will fail…” (Jeremiah 4:9). Rabbi Neḥemya said: For the departure of priesthood and kingship. That is what is written: “These are the two anointed men who attend the Lord of all the land” (Zechariah 4:14); these are Aaron and David. Aaron is demanding his priesthood and David is demanding his kingdom.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: For dereliction in the study of Torah.¹⁸⁵This opinions interprets the verse “for these I weep” to mean due to these sins, namely the dereliction in the study of Torah. That is what is written: “These are the statutes and the ordinances” (Deuteronomy 12:1).¹⁸⁶This verse is stated regarding the Torah. The word “these” in Lamentations is thus connected to the words of Torah, referred to as “these” in Deuteronomy. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: For idol worship. That is what is written: “These are your gods, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). Zavdi ben Levi said: For the abrogation of the offerings. That is what is written: “These you shall perform to the Lord on your appointed days” (Numbers 29:39). The Rabbis said: For the abrogation of the [non-priestly] watches.¹⁸⁷The reference is to the groups of Israelites, corresponding to the twenty-four priestly watches, who would spend the week in prayer and Torah study so that the Temple service would be pleasing to God; see Taanit 26a. What benefit does the world have from the watches? On Monday they would fast on behalf of the seafarers. On Tuesday they would fast on behalf of the wayfarers. On Wednesday they would fast on behalf of the children, so that diphtheria would not afflict their mouths and cause them to die. On Thursday they would fast on behalf of the pregnant women, that they would not miscarry, and on behalf of the nursing women, that their children should not die. But is it not so that one may not fast on behalf of two matters simultaneously, as it is written: “We fasted and we requested from our God about this”? (Ezra 8:23). And a verse in Daniel says: “For them to request mercy from before the God of heaven regarding this secret” (Daniel 2:18), and not regarding two.¹⁸⁸Both verses mention requesting from God regarding “this,” in singular. Rather, it is like that which Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: For drought and exile one fasts for both of them simultaneously.¹⁸⁹They are related, because due to famine people wander from their homes in search of food. Similarly, miscarriage and the death of infants are closely enough related that one can pray regarding both simultaneously. However, one does not fast on the day before Shabbat or on the day following Shabbat, in deference to Shabbat.
“My eye, my eye sheds water.” Rabbi Levi said: This is analogous to a doctor who had pain in one eye. He said: ‘Let my eye weep for my eye.’ So too, Israel is called the eye of the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “For the eye of man and all the tribes of Israel is toward the Lord” (Zechariah 9:1). As it were, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Let My eye weep for My eye.’
“For a comforter, restorer of my soul, has grown distant from me.” What is the name of the messianic king? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The Lord is his name, as it is stated: “This is his name that they will call him: The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6). As Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is good for a province when its name is like that of its king, and the name of its king is like that of its God. It is good for a province when its name is like that of its king, as it is written: “The name of the city from that day shall be: The Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35). The name of its king like the name of its God, as it is stated: “This is his name that they will call him: The Lord is our righteousness” (Jeremiah 23:6).
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: His name is Tzemaḥ, as it is stated: “Behold a man, Tzemaḥ is his name, and he will sprout [yitzmaḥ]” (Zechariah 6:12). Rabbi Yudan said: Menaḥem is his name, as it is stated: “For a comforter [menaḥem]…has grown distant from me.” Rabbi Ḥanina said: And they do not disagree; the numerical value of this equals the numerical value of that, Menaḥem equals Tzemaḥ.¹⁹⁰Menaḥem: mem – 40, nun – 50, ḥet – 8, mem – 40 = 138. Tzemaḥ: tzadi – 90, mem – 40, ḥet – 8 = 138. The following supports that [statement] of Rabbi Yudan in the name of Rabbi Aivu: There was an incident involving a certain person who was plowing. One of his oxen lowed. A certain Arab passed near him and said to him: ‘What are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am a Jew.’ He said to him: ‘Unharness your ox, untie your plow.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said to him: ‘The Temple of the Jews is destroyed.’¹⁹¹Therefore, you should mourn rather than work your field. He said to him: ‘How do you know?’ He said to him: ‘I know it from the lowing of your ox.’ While he was still conversing with him, it lowed again. He said to him: ‘Harness your ox, tie your plow, as the redeemer of the Jews was born.’ He said to him: ‘What is his name?’ He said to him: ‘His name is Menaḥem.’ ‘What is his father’s name?’ He said to him: ‘Hezekiah.’ He said to him: ‘Where do they live?’ He said to him: ‘In Birat Arva, that is in Bethlehem of Judah.’ That man sold his oxen, sold his plow, and became a seller of felt garments for children. He would enter a city and leave a city, enter a province and leave a province, until he arrived there.
All of the women of the village came to purchase from him, but the mother of a certain child did not purchase from him. He said to her: ‘Why are you not purchasing children’s garments of felt?’ She said to him: ‘Because my child has a harsh fate.’ He said to her: ‘Why?’ She said to him: ‘Because upon his arrival, the Temple was destroyed.’¹⁹²The Temple was destroyed on the day he was born. He said to her: ‘We rely on the Master of the universe that upon his arrival it was destroyed and upon his arrival it will be rebuilt.’ He said to her: ‘Take one of these felt garments for your child, I will come some time later to your house and collect your payment.’ She took it and she went. Some time later that man said: ‘I will go and see how that child is doing.’ He came to her, he said to her: ‘How is the child doing?’ She said to him: ‘Did I not say to you that he has a harsh fate? Even upon his arrival there was a foreboding omen. Since that time, winds and storms carried him away.’ He said to her: ‘Did I not tell you that upon his arrival it was destroyed and upon his arrival it will be rebuilt?’¹⁹³He was carried away by the wind because he is destined to serve a purpose in a supernatural manner, and bring about the building of the Temple.
Rabbi Avun said: Why must I learn this from Arabs, is it not an explicit verse? As it is written: “The Lebanon will fall by a mighty one” (Isaiah 10:34), and it is written immediately thereafter: “A branch will emerge from the trunk of Yishai and a shoot will sprout from his roots” (Isaiah 11:1).
The school of Rabbi Sheila said: Shilo is the name of Messiah, as it is stated: “Until Shilo will come” (Genesis 49:10); Sheila is written.¹⁹⁴The word Shilo in the verse is spelled with a heh at the end rather than a vav, such that it can also be read Sheila. This was stated by Rabbi Sheila’s students, who felt that if their generation was worthy, their mentor would be the messiah (Etz Yosef). The school of Rabbi Ḥanina said: Ḥanina is his name, as it is stated: “As I will not grant you clemency [ḥanina]” (Jeremiah 16:13). The school of Rabbi Yanai said: Yinon is his name, as it is written: “May his name be praised [yinon] as long as the sun shines” (Psalms 72:17). Rabbi Beivai of Sanegurya said: His name is Nehira, as it is stated: “Light [nehora] rests with Him” (Daniel 2:22), nehira is written. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel ben Rabbi Yitzḥak: If the messianic king is from the living, his name is David, and if he is from the dead, his name is David. Rabbi Tanḥuma said: I will say his source: “He increases deliverance to His king, shows kindness to His anointed, [to David and to his descendants, eternally]” (Psalms 18:51). “And to David” is not written here, but rather “to David and his descendants.”¹⁹⁵The verse says: To His anointed [meshiḥo], to David, identifying David as the messiah.
“My children have become desolate, because the enemy has prevailed.” Rabbi Aivu said: Like that shell of the gourd; the more [the shell] grows, the smaller [the fruit] is.¹⁹⁶The greater the percentage of the total fruit is shell, the smaller the edible fruit is (Arukh). The point is that the greater the success of the enemy, the greater the desolation of Israel. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said: Like this pig; the more that its offspring grow, the smaller it gets.¹⁹⁷Its energy is sapped by nursing its young (Matnot Kehuna).

1) I might think that (the above) are permitted (to be brought on the festival, but are not mandatory); it is, therefore, written (of the same) (Bamidbar 29:39) "These you shall offer to the L–rd on your festivals." If to permit, they have already been permitted (according to our assumption). If so, why is the latter stated? To make them mandatory — that all of them must be brought on the festival.

3) I might think that if one festival passed and he did not bring them, he transgresses (Devarim 23:22) "You shall not delay (to pay it.") It is, therefore, written (Bamidbar 29:29) "These shall you offer to the L–rd on your festivals." He does not transgress "You shall not delay" until all the (three) festivals of the year have passed. R. Shimon says: Three consecutive festivals, with the festival of matzoth first.

R. Hanina declared: We learn this as well from another verse: These ye shall offer unto the Lord in your appointed seasons (Num. 29:39). It does not say “Ye have offered” but rather Ye shall offer, thereby indicating that you should continue to make your offerings at the appointed seasons in the years to come. Hence it follows that the man who completes the erection of a new home or purchases new vessels must recite a blessing upon that occasion.

Said Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Great is peace, for all blessings are included with it, "Adonai grants strength to His people, Adonai blesses his people with peace" (Psalm 29:11). Ḥizkiyah said two things. Ḥizkiyah said: Great is peace, for all the commandments are written this way: "When you see" (Exodus 23:5), "when you encounter" (Exodus 23:4), "when you come across" (Deuteronomy 22:6). If a commandment comes to you you are bound to do it, but if not you are not bound to do it. But here it says "Seek peace and pursue it" (Psalm 34:15) – seek it for your place, and pursue it for other places. Ḥizkiyah said also: Great is peace, for of all the encampments it is written thus (Numbers 33) "And they set out... and they encamped" – they would set out divided and would encamp divided. When they all came before Mt. Sinai it was done as one encampment, as it is written (Exodus 19:2) "And Israel encamped there"—it isn't written "And the Israelites encamped there" in the plural, but "and Israel encamped there" in the singular!—Because of this the Holy Blessed One said, "Here is the gate where I will give the Torah to My children." Bar Kappara said three things. Bar Kappara said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Torah so as to impose peace between Abraham and Sarah, as it is written "After I am withered shall I have pleasure? And my husband is so old!" (Genesis 18:12) But to Abraham He didn't say that but rather "And I am so old!" (Genesis 18:13). Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for the scriptures use words of fiction in the Prophetic books to impose peace between husband and wife, as it is said, "Look, you are barren and have borne no children, but you will conceive and bear a son" (Judges 13:3), but to Manoaḥ He didn't say that but rather "All that I said to the woman she should follow" (Judges 13:13) – in all that she still needs markers. Bar Kappara also said: Great is peace, for if the celestials who have no jealousy or hatred or rivalry or strife or quarrels or debates or evil eye require peace, as it is written (Job 25:2) "He who makes peace in the heavens," how much more so the mortals who have all those traits? Said Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel: Great is peace, because the writings spoke works of fiction in the Torah to impose peace between Joseph and his brothers, as it is written (Genesis 50:17) “Thus say to Yosef, please forgive” - but we do not find Jacob commanding any such thing! Said Rabbi Yosei the Galilean: Great is pace, for even in a time of war we only open with peace, as it is written (Deuteronomy 20:10) "When you approach a city to make war on it, call out to it for peace." Said Rabbi Yudan son of Rabbi Yosei: Great is peace, for the name of the Holy Blessed One is called peace, as it is written "And he called it "Adonai is peace" (Judges 6:24). Said Rabbi Tanḥum son of Yudan, from here we derive that it is forbidden for one to call out "Peace" to a companion in a filthy place. Taught Rabbi Yishmael: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife. (See Numbers 5:19-23). Rabbi Meir was sitting and discoursing on Shabbat evening. There was this one woman who would sit and listen to him give his lecture. Once she waited until the lecture ended, went home, and found the light had gone out. Her husband said to her, "Where have you been?" She said to him, "I was sitting and listening to the voice of the lecturer." He said to her, "Thus and more I vow: I will not let you enter here until you go and spit in the lecturer's face!" She stayed away one Shabbat, another, a third. Her neighbors said to her, "Are you still angry at each other? Let's come with you to the lecture." When Rabbi Meir saw them, he figured it out through the holy spirit. He said to them, "Is there here a woman knowledgeable in treating eyes?" Her neighbors said to her, "If you go spit in his eye you will unbind your husband." When she sat down in front of him she became afraid of him, and said to him, "Rabbi, I am not knowledgeable in treating eyes." He said to her, "Even so, spit in my eye seven times, and I will be cured." She did so. He said to her, "Go tell your husband you told me to do it once and I spat seven times. His disciples said to him, "Rabbi, should people thus abuse the Torah? Couldn't one of us offered a treatment for you?" He said to them, "Is it not enough for Meir to be like his Maker?" For it had been taught: Great is peace, for even the Great Name written in holiness, the Holy Blessed One said to blot out in water so as to impose peace between husband and wife." Said Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta: Great is peace, for when the Holy Blessed One created His universe He made pace between the upper and lower parts. On the first day He created some of the upper and lower parts, as it is written "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1). On the second He created some of the upper parts, as it is written "And God said, 'let there be a firmament'" (Genesis 1:6). On the third He created some of the lower parts, as it is written, "And God said, 'gather the waters'" (Genesis 1:9). On the fourth some of the upper parts — "Let there be lights in the heavenly firmament" (Genesis 1:14). On the fifth He created some of the lower parts — "And God said, 'Let the waters swarm'" (Genesis 1:20). On the sixth He came to create humanity. He said, "If I create him from more upper parts, then the upper parts will outnumber the lower by one creation. If I create him from more lower parts, then the lower parts will outnumber the upper by one creation." What did He do? He made him from upper parts and from lower parts, as it is written "And Adonai God created humanity from the dust of the earth" (Genesis 2:7) — lower parts, "and blew into his nostrils the breath of life (Genesis 2:7) — upper parts. Rabbi Manei of Sh'av and Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Great is peace for all blessings and goodnesses and mercies that the Holy Blessed One gives to Israel are sealed with peace. The reading of the Shema — "spreads the shelter of peace." The standing prayer — "He who makes peace." The Priestly Blessing — "and grant you peace" (Numbers 6:26). And I only know this regarding blessings, so where do we derive this for sacrifices? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering, of the grain-offering, and of the sin-offering, and of the guilt-offering, and of the fulfillment-offerings, and of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:37). I only know this in general, so where do we derive this in detail? "This is the Torah of the burnt-offering" (Leviticus 6:2), "This is the Torah of the grain-offering" (Leviticus 6:7), "This is the Torah of the sin-offering" (Leviticus 6:18), "This is the Torah of the guilt-offering" (Leviticus 7:1), "This is the Torah of the peace-offering" (Leviticus 7:11). I only know this for individual sacrifices, so where do we derive this for communal sacrifices? The verse (Numbers 29:39) says, "Do these for Adonai on your set times," but finishes with "your peace-offerings." I only know this in this world, so from where do we derive this in the next? "I will extend to her peace like a wadi" (Isaiah 66:12). The Rabbis said, great is peace for when the messianic king will come he will only open with peace, as it is written, "How pleasant on the mountains are the feet of the messenger proclaiming peace!" (Isaiah 52:7)

13) Rebbi says: What is the intent of "And Moses declared the festivals of the L–rd to the children of Israel"? Because we learned only that the daily burnt-offering and the Paschal lamb override the Sabbath, it being written concerning them "in its appointed season," whence do we derive that the other communal offering also overrides the Sabbath? From "These shall you offer to the L–rd in your appointed seasons." But we did not hear (the same for) the omer and what is offered along with it and the two loaves and what is offered along with them. Therefore, in "And Moses declared the festivals of the L–rd to the children of Israel" Scripture established a set time ("festival" ["moadim"] = appointed times) for all of the offerings (even if the Sabbath must be overridden).

(Devarim 12:5) "and you shall come there … (6) and you shall bring there": Why is this stated (i.e., it is essentially stated elsewhere). Because it is written (Vayikra 23:37) "These are the festivals of the L-rd, which you shall call holy callings to present a fire-offering to the L-rd, a burnt-offering and a meal-offering, sacrifice and drink-offerings, the thing of the day in its day."

I might think that this is optional; it is, therefore, written (Bamidbar 29:39) "These shall you offer to the L-rd on your festivals." If to permit them, they have already been permitted. If so, why is it written "These shall you offer to the L-rd on your festivals"? To make them mandatory, that all are to be sacrificed on the festival.

"on the festival of matzoth, and on the festival of Shavuoth, and on the festival of Succoth": Because it is written (Ibid. 12:5) "and you shall come there (6) and you shall bring there your sacrifices, etc.," I might think (that if he fails to do so) on the first festival he is in transgression of (Ibid. 23:33) "You shall not delay to pay it"; it is, therefore, written (Bamidbar 29:39) "These shall you offer to the L-rd on your festivals." I might think (that he is in transgression if he does not offer them on the first) two festivals; it is, therefore, written "on the festival of matzoth, and on the festival of Shavuoth, and on the festival of Succoth." We are hereby taught that he is not in transgression until all the festivals of the year have passed. R. Shimon says: Three festivals in order, and Succoth last. R. Elazar b. Shimon says: It need not be written "the festival of Succoth," for that is the subject of the verse. Why is it written? To indicate that it (i.e., passing it) is the cause (of the transgression).

(Bamidbar 29:39) "These shall you offer to the L-rd on your festivals, aside from, etc.": These are the vows and the gift-offerings that he vows on the festival, that he is to bring them on the festival. You say this, but perhaps Scripture speaks of the vows and the thank-offerings of the whole year? (This is not so, for Devarim 12:5-6) "And you shall come there and you shall bring there … your vows and your gifts" already speaks of the vows and gifts of the whole year. How, then, am I to understand "These shall you offer to the L-rd on your festivals"? As referring to the vows and the gift-offerings that he vows on the festival, that they are to be brought on the festival. "aside from your vows" These are the bird-pairs of the zavim and the zavoth (those with a genital flow), which (bird-pairs) the Torah permitted to be brought on a festival. "aside from your vows … (31) And Moses said to the children of Israel": (The purpose of "And Moses said" is) to conclude the foregoing. For if I read "aside from your vows … (30:2) And Moses spoke," I would not know to what it ("And Moses spoke") referred, (to what precedes or to what follows?) It is, therefore, written "from your vows … And Moses said," to conclude what precedes. These are the words of R. Yishmael.