בָּרֲכ֣וּ יְ֭הוָה כָּל־צְבָאָ֑יו מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו עֹשֵׂ֥י רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃
Uwielbiajcie Boga wszystkie twory Jego; uwielbiaj duszo moja Boga.
Vayikra Rabbah
“He called to Moses, and the Lord spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying” (Leviticus 1:1).
“He called to Moses” – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai began: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries [malakhav], mighty in strength, who perform His bidding…” (Psalms 103:20). Regarding whom is the verse speaking?1The term malakhim most commonly refers to angels, God’s supernal emissaries, but can also refer to human beings. If the verse is speaking of the supernal, but is it not already stated: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts” (Psalms 103:21)? It is speaking, rather, of the earthly. Because the supernal are able to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts.” But because the earthly are unable to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries,” but not all his emissaries.2Because most human beings do not live up to God’s expectations, the verse does not state “Bless the Lord, all His emissaries.” It leaves out the word “all,” as God does not want the blessings of the wicked (Etz Yosef).
Another matter: The prophets were called malakhim – that is what is written: “He sent a malakh and took us out of Egypt…” (Numbers 20:16). Was it an angel? Was it not Moses? Why does it call him a malakh? It is because the prophets are called malakhim. Similarly, “The malakh of the Lord ascended from Gilgal to Bokhim” (Judges 2:1) – was it an angel? Was it not Pinḥas? Why does it call him a malakh? Rather, Rabbi Simon said: When the Divine Spirit would rest upon Pinḥas, his face would shine like a torch. The Rabbis say: What was Manoaḥ’s wife saying to him?“a man of God came to me, and his appearance was like the appearance of an angel of God” (Judges 13:6). She thought that he was a prophet, but he was none other than an angel. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: By their very nature the prophets are called malakhim.3The word malakh literally means emissary, and the role of a prophet is to present God’s word to the people (Rabbi David Luria). That is what is written: “Haggai, the malakh of the Lord, on mission from the Lord, said” (Haggai 1:13). Perforce, you learn that by their very nature, the prophets are called malakhim.
“Mighty in strength, who perform His bidding” (Psalms 103:20) – regarding whom is the verse speaking? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. The way of the world is that a person performs a mitzva for one day, for one week, for one month. But does one do so for the rest of the days of the year? Yet this one sees his field fallow, his vineyard fallow, and pays his land tax and remains silent. Is there anyone mightier than that? If you say that it is not speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, it is stated here: “Who perform His bidding [devaro],” and it is stated there: “This is the matter of [devar] the Sabbatical Year” (Deuteronomy 15:2). Just as when davar is stated there the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, so too, when davar stated here, the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. “Who perform His bidding” – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: The verse is speaking of Israel when they stood before Mount Sinai, for having preceded performance to heeding and having said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).4They undertook to perform God’s commands before even hearing what they were. This took great spiritual strength.
“Hearing His word” (Psalms 103:20) – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: The way of the world is that a burden that is difficult for one is easy for two; [one that is difficult] for two is easy for four. But can a burden that is difficult for six hundred thousand be easy for one? All of Israel was standing before Mount Sinai and saying: “If we continue to hear [the voice of the Lord our God, we will die]” (Deuteronomy 5:22), and Moses was hearing the voice of the divine speech himself, and he lived. Know that it is so, as from all of them, He called only Moses. That is why it is stated: “He called to Moses.”
“He called to Moses” – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai began: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries [malakhav], mighty in strength, who perform His bidding…” (Psalms 103:20). Regarding whom is the verse speaking?1The term malakhim most commonly refers to angels, God’s supernal emissaries, but can also refer to human beings. If the verse is speaking of the supernal, but is it not already stated: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts” (Psalms 103:21)? It is speaking, rather, of the earthly. Because the supernal are able to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, all His hosts.” But because the earthly are unable to successfully perform the tasks of the Holy One blessed be He, it is stated [of them]: “Bless the Lord, His emissaries,” but not all his emissaries.2Because most human beings do not live up to God’s expectations, the verse does not state “Bless the Lord, all His emissaries.” It leaves out the word “all,” as God does not want the blessings of the wicked (Etz Yosef).
Another matter: The prophets were called malakhim – that is what is written: “He sent a malakh and took us out of Egypt…” (Numbers 20:16). Was it an angel? Was it not Moses? Why does it call him a malakh? It is because the prophets are called malakhim. Similarly, “The malakh of the Lord ascended from Gilgal to Bokhim” (Judges 2:1) – was it an angel? Was it not Pinḥas? Why does it call him a malakh? Rather, Rabbi Simon said: When the Divine Spirit would rest upon Pinḥas, his face would shine like a torch. The Rabbis say: What was Manoaḥ’s wife saying to him?
“Mighty in strength, who perform His bidding” (Psalms 103:20) – regarding whom is the verse speaking? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. The way of the world is that a person performs a mitzva for one day, for one week, for one month. But does one do so for the rest of the days of the year? Yet this one sees his field fallow, his vineyard fallow, and pays his land tax and remains silent. Is there anyone mightier than that? If you say that it is not speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, it is stated here: “Who perform His bidding [devaro],” and it is stated there: “This is the matter of [devar] the Sabbatical Year” (Deuteronomy 15:2). Just as when davar is stated there the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year, so too, when davar stated here, the verse is speaking of those who observe the Sabbatical Year. “Who perform His bidding” – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: The verse is speaking of Israel when they stood before Mount Sinai, for having preceded performance to heeding and having said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7).4They undertook to perform God’s commands before even hearing what they were. This took great spiritual strength.
“Hearing His word” (Psalms 103:20) – Rabbi Tanḥum bar Ḥanilai said: The way of the world is that a burden that is difficult for one is easy for two; [one that is difficult] for two is easy for four. But can a burden that is difficult for six hundred thousand be easy for one? All of Israel was standing before Mount Sinai and saying: “If we continue to hear [the voice of the Lord our God, we will die]” (Deuteronomy 5:22), and Moses was hearing the voice of the divine speech himself, and he lived. Know that it is so, as from all of them, He called only Moses. That is why it is stated: “He called to Moses.”
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
Michael, the angel, descended and took Levi, and brought him up before the Throne of Glory, and he spake before Him: Sovereign of all || the universe ! This is Thy lot, and the portion of Thy works. And He put forth His right hand and blessed him, that the sons of Levi should minister on earth before Him, like the ministering angels in heaven. Michael spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all worlds ! Do not such who serve the king have provision of their food given to them? Therefore He gave to the sons of Levi all holy things which accrue to His Name, as it is said, "They shall eat the offerings of the Lord made by fire, and his inheritance" (Deut. 18:1).
Midrash Tehillim
I bless the Lord, my God, with great exaltation, splendor and majesty. The King of flesh and blood cannot clothe himself in His garments, but the Holy One, blessed be He, clothes human beings in His garments, as it is said (Psalm 21:6): "You endow him with eternal blessings; You gladden him with the joy of Your presence." This is what the verse (1 Chronicles 29:11) means when it says, "Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, the power, the glory, the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heavens and on the earth is Yours; Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and You are exalted as head over all." Rabbi Huna said: What does it mean that God is exalted as head over all? It means that everything praises the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said (Psalm 113:3): "From the rising of the sun to its setting, the name of the Lord is praised." And there is no greater praise for the Holy One, blessed be He, than the praise of Israel, as it is said (Isaiah 43:21): "This people I have formed for Myself, that they might declare My praise." You should know that it is written above, "Bless the Lord, all His hosts, you ministers of His, who do His will" (Psalm 103:21). "Mighty ones who do His bidding, obedient to His spoken command" (Psalm 103:20). If it was necessary to say that what a person hears he should do, why is it written so? Rather, regarding Israel, the verse speaks of their standing at Sinai and placing their actions before their hearing, as it is said (Exodus 24:7): "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will hear." Just as Israel praises the Holy One, blessed be He, the angels also praise Him after Israel, as it is said (Psalm 148:2): "Praise Him, all His angels; praise Him, all His hosts." And what is written after that? "Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars" (Psalm 148:3). These are the angels, as it is said (Isaiah 24:21): "On high, the Lord will punish the hosts of heaven, and on earth, the kings of the earth." "He is exalted as head over all." And there is no head other than Israel, as it is said (Exodus 30:12): "When you take a census of the Israelite people according to their enrollment, each shall pay the Lord a ransom for himself." And it says (Jeremiah 2:3): "Israel was holy to the Lord, the first fruits of His harvest." Another interpretation of "exalted as head over all" is that Rabbi Simon said: "You are the head of all those who praise You." And You are exalted above all blessings and praises, as it is said (Psalm 89:6): "Who in the skies can compare with the Lord? Who among the heavenly beings is like the Lord?" Who can recount the Lord's mighty acts or declare His praises? If a person tries to express the Lord's praises, he will become tongue-tied, as it is said (Job 37:19): "Teach us what we shall say to Him, for we cannot order our words because of darkness." You should know that this is what David meant when he composed one hundred and forty-five psalms of praise the Lord, as it is said (Psalm 145:21) 'My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless His holy name forever and ever.' All things culminate in the number 248, which is the number of limbs in a person, as it is said (ibid. 35) 'All my bones shall say: Lord, who is like unto Thee?' David did not leave out any limb in his praise of the Lord. He said to them, 'What do you think? Because I culminated in the praise of the Lord in all these things, perhaps I touched one of the myriad praises due to Him? Now I am at the top of the culminations' (Psalm 145:1) 'I will exalt Thee, my God, O King, and bless Thy name forever and ever.' Rabbi Af also said, even when the mouths of the righteous in the future will speak like a stream that never ceases, never will they exhaust the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He. Rather, it should be said that in memory of Your great goodness they will say, there is no writing here, only they will pour forth their praises like a stream. Let it be for all to the head. Even so, David said (Psalm 145:3) 'Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised...'"...