Midrasz do Psalmów 144:9

(Numb. 8:5-6:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying], ‘Take the Levites.’” Let our master instruct us: How many strings were on the harp which the Levites played?¹Numb. R. 15:11. So said R. Judah:²T‘Arakh. 2:7; ‘Arakh. 13b. There were seven (shb') strings on that harp, as stated (in Ps. 16:11), “In Your presence there is fullness (rt.: sb')³Since the S here is a Hebrew sin in the unpointed text SB‘ is identical with ShB‘. of joy.” Do not read [the word pointed as] sova' ("fullness") but [as] sheva' ("seven"). So also did David say (in Ps. 119:164), “With seven a day do I praise You.⁴M. Pss. 81:3; PR 21:1. A more traditional translation of Ps. 119:164 would read: SEVEN TIMES A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU. Moreover, in the days of the messiah it will be made with eight [strings]. Therefore David has stated concerning the instrumental music (in Ps. 6:1), “For the leader; with instrumental music on the eight-stringed harp.” Furthermore in the future it will be made of ten [strings] as stated (in Ps. 144:9), “O God, let me sing to You a new song; let me play for You on a ten-stringed harp.” And who ordained them? Samuel and David, as stated (in I Chron. 9:22), “David and Samuel the seer ordained them in their office of trust.” Moreover, they [were the ones who] set up the divisions for singing. Now the Levites would stand on their platform and sing before the One who spoke for the world to come into being. See the love with which the Holy One, blessed be He, loved the Levites. So from the beginning the Holy One, blessed be He, chose them to serve Him. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “The Levites are extremely dear to Me. Take them in My name for a position of authority.” From where is it shown? From what they read on the matter (in Numb. 8:6), “Take the Levites.”

(Numb. 8:5-6:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE <UNTO MOSES SAYING>: TAKE THE LEVITES. Let our master instruct us: How many strings were on the harp which the Levites played?³²Tanh. Numb. 3:7; Numb. R. 15:11} Thus did R. Judah teach:³³T‘Arakh. 2:7; ‘Arakh. 13b. There were seven (shB') strings on that harp, as stated (in Ps. 16:11): IN YOUR PRESENCE THERE IS FULLNESS (rt.: SB')³⁴Since the S here is a Hebrew sin in the unpointed text SB‘ is identical with ShB‘. OF JOY. Do not read <the word pointed as> sova' ("fullness") but <as> sheva' ("seven"). So also did David say (in Ps. 119:164): WITH SEVEN A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU.³⁵M. Pss. 81:3; PR 21:1. A more traditional translation of Ps. 119:164 would read: SEVEN TIMES A DAY DO I PRAISE YOU. Moreover, in the days of the Messiah it will be made with eight <strings>. Therefore David has stated concerning the instrumental music (in Ps. 6:1): FOR THE LEADER; WITH INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC ON THE EIGHT-STRINGED HARP. Furthermore in the age to come it will be made of ten <strings> as stated {SING TO GOD A NEW SONG…. }³⁶No Psalm has exactly these words but SING TO THE LORD A NEW SONG…. appears in Pss. 96:1; 98:1; and 149:1; as well as in Is. 42:10. [(in Ps. 144:9): O GOD, LET ME SING TO YOU A NEW SONG; LET ME PLAY FOR YOU ON A TEN-STRINGED HARP.] And who ordained them? Samuel and David. It is so stated (in I Chron. 9:22): DAVID AND SAMUEL THE SEER ORDAINED THEM IN THEIR OFFICE OF TRUST. Moreover, they <were the ones who> set up the divisions for singing. Now the Levites would stand on their platform and sing before the one who spoke for the world to come into being. See the love with which the Holy One loved the Levites. So from the beginning the Holy One chose them to serve him. Therefore, the Holy One said to Moses. Levites are extremely dear to me. Take them in my name for a position of authority. {Thus it is stated:} [From where is it shown? From what they read on the matter] (in Numb. 8:6): TAKE THE LEVITES.

Rabbi Levi son of Rabbi says: A pure Menorah came down from heaven, as The Holy One Who is Blessed said to Moshe "You will make a Menorah of pure gold [alt: a pure Menorah of gold]" (Shmot 25:31) [Moshe] responded: how will we make it? [God] responded "It will be made of hammered work [mikshah]" (Shmot 25:31). Nevertheless, Moshe struggled [nitkasha] and went down and forgot its manner of work. He went up and said: My Master, how will we make it? [God] said "It will be made of hammered work." Nevertheless, Moshe struggled and went down and forgot. He went up and said: My Master, I forgot it. [God] showed Moshe and Moshe still struggled. [God] said to him: "See and do" (Shmot 25:40), and took a Menorah of fire and showed him how it was made. Nevertheless, it was a struggle for Moshe. The Holy One Who is Blessed said to him: Go to Betzalel, and he will make it. [Moshe] told Betzalel and he immediately made it. He was amazed and said: For me, how many times did the Holy One Who is Blessed show me and I struggled to make it, but for you, who never saw it, you make it from your thoughts! Betzalel, you were standing in the shadow of God [b'tzel el] when the Holy One Who is Blessed showed me how to make it. Therefore, when the Temple was destroyed, the Menorah was hidden. And this is one of the five things that was hidden: the ark, the Menorah, the fire, the holy spirit, and the cherubs. When the Holy One Who is Blessed returns in [God]'s mercy and builds [God]'s house and sanctuary, [God] will bring them back to their place to make Jerusalem rejoice, as it says, "The arid desert shall be glad, The wilderness shall rejoice" (Isaiah 35:1), "It shall blossom abundantly, It shall also exult" (Isaiah 35:2).

Cain spake before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the worlds ! "My sin is too great to be borne" (Gen. 4:13), for it has no atonement. This utterance was reckoned to him as repentance, as it is said, "And Cain said unto the Lord, My sin is too great to be borne" (ibid.); further, Cain said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Now will a certain righteous one arise on the earth and mention Thy great Name against me and slay me. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He took one letter from the twenty-two letters, and put (it) upon Cain's arm that he should not be killed, as it is said, "And the Lord appointed a sign for Cain" (Gen. 4:15). The dog which was guarding Abel's flock also guarded his corpse from all the beasts of the field and all the fowl of the heavens. Adam and his helpmate were sitting and weeping and mourning for him, and they did not know what to do (with Abel), for they were unaccustomed to burial. A raven (came), one of its fellow birds was dead (at its side). (The raven) said: I will teach this man what to do. It took its fellow and dug in the earth, hid it and buried it before them. Adam said: Like this raven will I act. He took || the corpse of Abel and dug in the earth and buried it. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave a good reward to the ravens in this world. What reward did He give them? When they bear their young and see that they are white they fly from them, thinking that they are the offspring of a serpent, and the Holy One, blessed be He, gives them their sustenance without lack, as it is said, "Who provideth for the raven his food, when his young ones cry unto God, and wander for lack of meat" (Job 38:41). Moreover, that rain should be given upon the earth (for their sakes), and the Holy One, blessed be He, answers them, as it is said, "He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry" (Ps. 147:9).