Psalmów 47:10 Midrasz: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Devarim Rabbah & Aggadat Bereshit

Raba expounded: "What is the meaning of the passage (Songs 6, 2) How beautiful are thy steps in sandals. It means. How beautiful were the steps of Israel, when they made a pilgrimage to celebrate the festival. The prince's daughter, daughter of Abraham, our father, who was called a prince; as it is said (Ps. 47, 10) The princes of the people are gathered together, the people of the God of Abraham. Why is the God of Abraham [mentioned], and not the God of Isaac or Jacob? The God of Abraham [is mentioned, because Abraham] was the first proselyte." R. Cahana said that R. Nathan b. Minyumi expounded in the name of R. Tanchum: "What is the meaning of the passage (Gen. 37, 24) And the pit was empty; there was no water in it. Since the passage says the pit was empty, do I not know that there was no water in it? And what is intimated by saying there was no water? Indeed there was no water, but there were serpents and scorpions in it."

“Daughter of a nobleman,” the daughter of Abraham who was called noble, just as it says: “The noblemen of the people have assembled, the people of the God of Abraham…” (Psalms 47:10).¹⁹The midrash thus interprets the verse as referring to Israel as daughter of Abraham. “Your rounded thighs,” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: All the luxuries and delicacies in which Israel luxuriates, and enjoys in this world, are by the merit of circumcision, which is between the thighs. Rabbi Ḥiyya said: What did the Sages see that led them to establish healing in the eighth blessing?²⁰Of the Amida prayer. It corresponds to circumcision, which was given [to be performed] on the eighth [day]. That is what is written: “My covenant was with him, life and peace” (Malachi 2:5). “Like ornaments [ḥala’im],” how many illnesses [ḥalayim] result from it, how many babies are circumcised and die as a result.²¹The merit of this mitzva is great because the Jewish people observe it scrupulously despite the danger (Etz Yosef). Rabbi Natan said: There was an incident where I came to the province of Cappadocia and there was a certain woman there who bore male children and they would be circumcised and die. She circumcised the first and he died, the second and he died, the third and he died. She brought the fourth [child] before me, and I saw that its flesh was yellow. I examined him and I did not find the blood of circumcision in him. They said to me: ‘Should we circumcise him?’ I said to them: ‘Wait and leave him until the blood of circumcision comes to him, as we learned there:²²Mishna Shabbat 19:5. A sick child, one does not circumcise him until he heals. They left him [for a while, and then] circumcised him, and he survived, and they named him Natan after me.’ That is “like ornaments.”
Another matter, “like ornaments,” to what were these ornaments similar? Rabbi Ḥonya and the Rabbis, Rabbi Ḥonya said: To a capital of a pillar. The Rabbis say: To the hollow of a pearl. Who crafted it? “The handiwork of a master craftsman,” the handiwork of the Holy One blessed be He in the world. Rabbi Shmuel said: [This is analogous] to a king who had an orchard. He planted rows of nut trees, apple trees, and pomegranate trees and gave them to his son. He said to him: My son, I demand nothing of you, only that when these trees produce fruit, bring me a sample of them and give me a taste so that I may see my handiwork and rejoice in you. So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel, My children, I demand nothing of you, only that when a firstborn son will be born to one of you, he shall consecrate it to My name. That is what is written: “Consecrate every firstborn to Me” (Exodus 13:2). And when you ascend on your way to the pilgrim festivals take him and all your males to appear before Me. Therefore, Moses cautioned Israel: “Three times during the year [all your males shall appear before…the Lord]” (Exodus 23:17).²³Since one who is uncircumcised cannot ascend for the pilgrimage festival (see Yevamot 72a), it is implied that the son has been circumcised.

Another matter: “You will return to the Lord your God” – there is nothing greater than repentance. There was incident where our Rabbis, Rabbi Eliezer, Rabbi Yehoshua, and Rabban Gamliel, were in Rome. The Emperor’s ministers issued an edict, saying: Within thirty days there will not be a Jew in the entire world.⁵¹This decree, which was not announced to the public, was set to take effect in thirty days. One of the ministers of the king feared Heaven. He came to Rabban Gamliel and revealed the matter to him. The Rabbis were very upset. That one who feared Heaven said to them: ‘Do not be upset. Within thirty days, the God of the Jews will stand with them.’ After twenty-five days, he revealed the matter to his wife. She said to him: ‘Twenty-five days have passed.’ He said to her: ‘Five more days.’ His wife was more righteous than he. She said to him: ‘Do you not have a ring?⁵²The ministers wore rings with a hollow containing poison (see Matnot Kehuna). Suck on it and die. The ministers’ [meetings] will be suspended for thirty more days in your [honor], and the edict will be annulled.’⁵³The Romans had a policy that if one of the ministers died, their meetings would be suspended for thirty days, and any edicts that had been decreed but not yet put into effect would be cancelled (Etz Yosef). He heeded her, sucked his ring, and died. Our Rabbis heard and went to his wife to console her. Our Rabbis said: ‘Pity for a ship that set sail and did not remit the tariff’; in other words, this righteous man was not circumcised. His wife said to them: ‘I know what you are saying, but, as you live, the ship did not pass before it remitted its tariff.’ She immediately entered an inner room and brought out to them a box containing the foreskin with blood-soaked rags placed upon it. Our Rabbis read this verse in his regard: “Ministers of the peoples have assembled, the people of the God of Abraham. For the shields of the earth belong to God; He is greatly exalted” (Psalms 47:10). What is “shields of the earth”? The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘I have become a powerful shield,’ as it is stated: “I am a shield for you” (Genesis 15:1) – for this one, I will become many shields.⁵⁴The Rabbis said this as though from God’s perspective, about the deceased minister, thereby comparing him favorably to Abraham. How so? The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: “I will render you a great nation and I will bless you and I will render your name great” (Genesis 12:2), and then he circumcised himself, but to this one I promised nothing. What is, “he is greatly exalted”? He is more greatly exalted than Abraham.
Another matter: “You will return to the Lord your God” – Rabbi Shmuel Peragrita said in the name of Rabbi Meir: To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king’s son who took to evil ways, and the king would send his tutor after him and say to him:⁵⁵The tutor would speak to the prince on behalf of the king. ‘Repent, my son.’ The son would send him, and said to his father: ‘How can I have the audacity to return? I am ashamed before you.’ His father would send [the tutor] and [have him] say to [his son]: ‘My son, is there a son who is ashamed to return to his father? If you return, will you not be returning to your father?’ So, the Holy One blessed be He sent Jeremiah to Israel when they sinned, and He said to him: ‘Go and say to My children: Repent.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Go, and proclaim these matters…[repent, deviant Israel]” (Jeremiah 3:12). Israel would say to Jeremiah: ‘How can we have the audacity to return to the Holy One blessed be He?’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “We will lie in our shame, and our humiliation will cover us, [as we have sinned to the Lord our God]” (Jeremiah 3:25). The Holy One blessed be He would send [Jeremiah] and say [to Israel]: ‘If you repent, will you not be returning to your Father?’ From where is this derived? “For I have been a Father to Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:8). Rabbi Azarya said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Jeremiah: ‘Go and say to Israel: As you live, I am not renouncing you. You said to Me at Sinai: “My innards yearn for Him” (Song of Songs 5:4); this is what I too say to you.’ From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Is Ephraim a dear son to Me…[My innards yearn for him]” (Jeremiah 31:19).