Psalmów 110:1 Midrasz: Midrash Tehillim, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael

“I will tell of the decree” (Psalms 2:7). They have been declared, in the decree of the Torah, and the decrees of the Prophets and the Writings. In the decree of the Torah, “Israel is my firstborn son” (Exodus 4:22). In the decree of the Prophets, “Behold my servant will prosper; he will be exalted and elevated” (Isaiah 52:13). What is written next? “This is my servant whom I support; [my chosen one; the delight of my soul]” (Isaiah 42:1). In the Writings: “God said to my lord, [Sit at my right hand while I make your enemies into your footstools]” (Psalms 110:1). “God said to me, “You are My son”” (Psalms 2:7). And another [prooftext from the] Writings says, “behold, [one like a son of man came] with the clouds of heaven” (Daniel 7:13) [a reference to the Messiah]. “God said to me, “You are My son”” (Psalms 2:7) Rabbi Yuden said, all of these retributions are [contained within] the decree of the King of Kings, the Holy One, blessed be He [regarding His Messiah]. Why so much? Because [His Messiah] toils in the Torah. Another interpretation of “You are My son” – from here [one can find an] answer to those who say that God [really and truly] has a son. And you can answer them: [God doesn’t say, “You] are a son unto me,” rather, [He says, as a mere term of endearment, “You] are my son,” like a slave who brings his master satisfaction, [such that his master] says to him, “I love you as if you were my son.” Rav Huna said, the afflictions [of Israel] were divided into three portions. One was taken by the forefathers of old, and by all of the generations; one [was taken] by the generation of the [Hadrianic] persecution; and one [is reserved for] the generation of the Messiah. And when his time comes, the Holy One, blessed be He, will say, “I must create [the Messiah] as a new creation.” And so, it is said, “I have fathered you this day” (Psalms 2:7). At that very moment, He created him. [It doesn’t mean that He created him ex nihilo, or fathered him as a father has a biological child. Rather, it means that God will transform this person into a Messiah]. And so too, it is said [regarding Adonijah,] “[and his mother] bore him after Absalom” (I Kings 1:6) [and yet the verse isn’t detailing a real birth, but a type of transformation]. Did the mother of Absalom give birth to Adonijah [after giving birth to Absalom – as a literal construal of this verse would suggest]? But wasn’t [Absalom] the son of Ma’acha, and wasn’t [Adonijah] the son of Hagit? Rather, just as this one made chariots and horsemen [to rebel against David his father], so did that one; just as this one was quarrelsome, so too was that one; and just as this one had an entourage of fifty men running before him, so too did that one. [In other words, after Absalom was all of those things; Adonijah was, so to speak, reborn in the likeness of Absalom, and did all of those things too; so too the Messiah will be remade to rise to the challenges before him].

R. Zechariah said in the name of R. Ishmael: "The Holy One, praised be He! desired to bring forth priesthood from Shem (son of Noah), as it is said (Gen. 14, 18) And Malkizedek, king of Salem, brought bread, and wine, and he was a priest of the most high God, but since he preceded the blessing of Abraham to that of the most Holy One, the Lord [decided] to bring it forht from Abraham, as it is said (Ib., ib., 19) and blessed be the most high God; i.e., Abraham said to Shem: 'Is it proper to utter the blessing of a servant before the blessing of his master?' Therefore it (priesthood) was brought forth from Abraham, as it is said (Ps. 110, 1) By David a psalm. The Eternal said unto my Lord, etc.; and immediately after this is written. The Lord hath sworn, and will not repent of it, thou shalt be a priest forever after the words of Malkizedek, i.e., on account of the words of Malkizedek. And this is the meaning of the passage (Gen. 14, 18) And he was a priest of the most high God; i.e., he was a priest, but not his children."

Another interpretation (of Cant. 4:6): UNTIL THE DAY BECOMES COOL. Until the kingdom of the Holy One appears in this world. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE SHADOWS FLEE, i.e., the shadows of the kingdom. (Ibid., cont.:) I WILL GO UNTO THE MOUNTAIN OF MYRRH, i.e., Jerusalem. Thus it is stated (in Cant. 5:1): WHEN I COME TO MY GARDEN, MY SISTER, MY BRIDE, I HAVE PLUCKED MY MYRRH ALONG WITH MY SPICE. (Josh. 5:3:) UNTO THE MOUND OF FORESKINS,²⁰Buber again suggests emending to fit Cant. 4:6: UNTO THE MOUND OF FRANKINCENSE. since he took the foreskins and made a mound of them. For that reason the Holy One was revealed to him, as stated (in Gen. 18:1): THEN < THE LORD > APPEARED UNTO HIM. Now when the angels saw this, they also came along with the Holy One, as stated (in Gen. 18:2): WHEN HE LIFTED HIS EYES AND LOOKED, BEHOLD, THERE WERE THREE MEN < STANDING NEAR HIM >. And so David gives praise (in Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH. What is the meaning of ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH? < With reference to > the Torah, its beginning is steadfast love,²¹See above, 4:1; below, 5:2. its end is steadfast love, and its middle is steadfast love. Its beginning is steadfast love. Where is it shown? You find that when the Holy One formed Eve, he adorned her and brought her to Adam, as stated (in Gen. 2:22): THEN THE LORD GOD BUILT THE RIB < WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM THE HUMAN INTO A WOMAN >. What is the meaning of BUILT? R. Abbahu said: In Arabia they call the plaited coiffure a "building."²²Cf. Ber. 61a; Shab. 95a; ‘Eruv. 18a; Nid. 45b; ARN, A, 4; Gen. R. 18:1; M. Pss. 25:11; above 4:1; below 5:2. Its end is steadfast love, < i.e., > at Moses' death when the Holy One attended him in his glory,²³BKBWDW: perhaps a misprint for BKBWRW, “at his burial.” as stated (in Deut. 34:6): AND HE BURIED HIM IN THE VALLEY. At the middle there is steadfast love in the case of Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 17:2): AND LET ME PUT MY COVENANT BETWEEN ME AND YOU. When the Holy One was revealed to him, he was sitting, as stated (in Gen. 18:1): < THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM > … AS HE WAS SITTING AT THE TENT DOOR IN THE HEAT OF THE DAY.²⁴Below, 8:28. Abraham went to stand up. The Holy One said to him: Do not trouble yourself to stand up. Sit down! It is so stated (in Ps. 110:1): THE LORD (God) SAID TO MY LORD (Abraham): SIT DOWN AT MY RIGHT HAND. Abraham said to him: Is this good manners for me to be sitting while you are standing? The Holy One said to him: Do not trouble yourself. You are an old man of a hundred years. Sit down! The Holy One said to him: By your life, because you are sitting while I stand, your children at the age of three years, at the age of four years, are going to be sitting in the academies and in the synagogues with me standing over them. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 82:1): GOD STANDS IN THE DIVINE CONGREGATION. Abraham began to praise²⁵Rt.: QLS, possibly related to the Gk.: kalos, which means “beautifully.” God (according to Ps. 18:36 [35]): YOU ALSO GAVE ME THE SHIELD OF YOUR SALVATION, when the kings had pursued < me >. It is so stated (in Gen. 15:1): FEAR NOT, ABRAM, I AM YOUR SHIELD. (Ps. 18:36 [35], cont.:) YOUR RIGHT HAND SUSTAINED ME, when you grasped the foreskin along with me as I was cutting. (Ibid., cont.:) AND YOUR CONDESCENSION MAGNIFIED ME, in that I was sitting while you were standing.