Midrash sobre Daniel 1:2

To tell the king his dreams. So they came and stood before the king. And the king said unto them: “I have dreamed a dream …” Then spoke the Chaldeans to the king in Aramaic: “O king, live forever! Tell thy servants the dream, and we will declare the interpretation” (Dan. 1:2–4). Nebuchadnezzar replied: I am aware that if I should describe my dream to you, you might interpret it inaccurately, and still insist that it is the correct explanation; therefore I say to you: Only tell me the dream, and I shall know that ye can reveal unto me the interpretation thereof (ibid., v. 9).

(Numb. 10:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying], ‘Make two silver trumpets (hatsotserot).’” This text is related (to Ps. 24:7), “O gates, lift up your heads, be lifted up, you everlasting doors, [that the King of glory may come in].” When Solomon was bringing the ark into the Temple,¹⁷Numb. R. 15:13; above Exod. 2:6 and the note there. he began to say, “O gates, lift up your heads...,” because the openings were [too] low. [Then] he said, “Be lifted up you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in.” The gates said to him (in vss. 8 and 10), “Who is this king of glory? The gates immediately wanted to break his head [and would have done so,] if he had not said (in vs. 10), “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Again he said (in vs. 8), “The Lord strong and mighty [...].” He said to them, “Expand yourselves, for the King of glory is coming upon you. They immediately showed Him honor (kavod), and raised themselves up.¹⁸Lam. R. 2:9 (13). So the ark entered. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “You have shown Me honor. Upon your lives, when I destroy My house, no one will prevail against you.” You know that all the implements of the Temple went into exile in Babylon as stated (in Dan. 1:2), “Then the Lord gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand, with some of the implements from the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar.” But the Temple gates were hidden in their place, as stated (in Lam. 2:9), “Her gates have sunk into the ground.” [Another interpretation:] What is the meaning (of Ps. 24:10), “the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah?” That He imparts some of His glory to those who fear Him.¹⁹Numb. R.15:13; see PRK 32:9 (= Suppl. 1:9); M. Pss. 90:1. How? He is called "God" (elohim, a term denoting a power), and he called Moses "elohim," as stated (in Exod. 7:1), “See I have set you as elohim to Pharaoh.” He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) causes the dead to live, and he imparted some of His glory to Elijah. Thus he (i.e., Elijah) caused the dead to live, as stated (in I Kings 17:23), “and Elijah said, ‘See your son is alive.’” Because the Holy One, blessed be He, imparts some of his glory to those who fear Him, He put His own clothing on the messianic king, as stated (in Ps. 21:6), “honor and majesty You shall lay upon him.” What is written about the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Ps. 47:6)? “God has ascended amid acclamation; the Lord with the sound of a horn (shofar).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:5), ‘Then he became king in Jeshurun.’ Just as when the king goes forth, they sound trumpets before him, so also for you, (in Numb. 10:2:), ‘Make for yourself two silver trumpets.’ [This is] so that will they sound the trumpets before you when you take out and bring in Israel, as stated (Numb.10:3), ‘And they shall blow them and the whole community shall assemble before you.’” Hence (Numb. 10:2:), “Make for yourself two silver trumpets.” This text is related (to Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king, and do not associate with those who would differ.” But what is the meaning of “and the king?” Simply [this, to] make Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) king over you.²⁰Numb. R. 15:14 cont. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Be king over the evil drive, which is called a king, where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14), “[There was a little city with few people in it,] and a great king came against it […].”²¹Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king.” [More] than the king: Lest it be supposed that if the king says to you, “Worship an idol,” you should heed him;²²See above Gen. 2:15. the text reads (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Thus [when] Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18), “We will not serve your gods, nor will we pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar said to them (in Dan. 3:14), “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2), ‘I [say], “Keep the king's command?”’” They said to him, “You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;²³Lat.: annona. but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog [have] equal [authority].” (Dan. 3:16-17:) “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you in this [matter]. If our God [whom we serve is able to save us, He shall save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your hand O king].’” They said to him, “Whether He delivers us or whether He does not deliver us (in vs. 18), ‘be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.’” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king; and do not associate with those who would differ”; [i.e.,] in that Israel is called a third to all those that fear Him, but do not associate with those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of [such people] is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds [in it] shall be cut off [and die], but one-third shall remain in it.” And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24), “And on that day Israel shall be a third [partner with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth].” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Whoever is in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes a king. From whom did you learn [that]? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God.” But where is it shown that he became a king? It is written (in Gen. 14:17), “[And the king of Sodom came out to meet him …] at the Valley of Shaveh, i.e., the valley of the king.” What is the meaning of the Valley of Shaveh (rt.: shwh?] That they all became equal (rt.: shwh). So taking counsel (or taking wood),²⁴‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood.” they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say [this] only [in the case of] Abraham alone. In the case of Moses [as well did this happen], because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 3:6), “then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” And where is it shown that he became a king?] Where it is stated (in Deut. 33:5), “Then he became king in Jeshurun.”²⁵Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. As they blow trumpets before a king when he goes forth to war, so shall they blow trumpets before you when you go forth to war.” How is it shown? From that which they read about the matter (in Numb. 10:2), “Make two silver trumpets.”²⁶The context of the passage concerns the sounding of an alarm in time of war.

(Gen. 27:3:) NOW THEN, PLEASE TAKE YOUR IMPLEMENTS, < YOUR QUIVER AND YOUR BOW, AND GO OUT TO THE FIELD >. R. Isaac the Smith said: [YOUR IMPLEMENTS] alludes to the Kingdom of Babylon.³²Gen. R. 63:13. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 1:2): THEN THE LORD GAVE KING JEHOIAKIM OF JUDAH INTO HIS HAND, WITH SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTS FROM THE HOUSE OF GOD. YOUR QUIVER (teli) alludes to [the kingdom of] Media. Thus it is stated (in Esth. 9:25): SO THEY (the Medes and the Persians) HANGED (talu) HIM (Haman) AND HIS SONS ON THE TREE. AND YOUR BOW alludes to Greece.³³Gk.: iones. Thus it is stated (in Zech. 9:13): FOR I WILL BEND JUDAH TO ME; A BOW < I WILL FILL WITH EPHRAIM; I WILL STIR UP YOUR CHILDREN, O ZION, AGAINST THE CHILDREN OF GREECE >. AND GO OUT TO THE FIELD alludes to Edom.³⁴Edom had become a common code word for Rome. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 32:4 [3]): TO THE LAND OF SEIR, THE FIELD OF EDOM.

(Numb. 10:1–2:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE <UNTO MOSES SAYING>: MAKE TWO SILVER TRUMPETS (hatsotserot). This text is related (to Ps. 24:7): O GATES, LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, [BE LIFTED UP, YOU EVERLASTING DOORS,] <THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN>. When Solomon was bringing the ark into the Temple,³⁹Tanh. Numb. 3:9; Numb. R. 15:13; above Exod. 2:6 and the note there. he began to say: O GATES, LIFT UP YOUR HEADS, because the openings were <too> low. [Then he said:] BE LIFTED UP YOU EVERLASTING DOORS, THAT THE KING OF GLORY MAY COME IN. The gates said to him (in vss. 8 and 10): WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY? The gates immediately wanted to devour him <and would have done so,> if he had not said (in vs. 10): THE LORD OF HOSTS, HE IS THE KING OF GLORY. SELAH. Again he said (in vs. 8): THE LORD STRONG AND MIGHTY. He said to them: Expand yourselves, for the king of glory is coming upon you. They immediately paid him homage (kavod), raised up honor (kavod) for him, and raised themselves up.⁴⁰Lam. R. 2:9 (13). So the ark entered. The Holy One said to them: You have paid me homage. When I destroy my house, no one will prevail against you. You know that all the implements of the Temple went into exile in Babylon as stated (in Dan. 1:2): THEN THE LORD GAVE KING JEHOIAKIM OF JUDAH INTO HIS HAND, [WITH SOME OF THE IMPLEMENTS FROM THE HOUSE OF THE GOD; AND HE BROUGHT THEM TO THE LAND OF SHINAR]. But the temple gates were hidden in situ, as stated (in Lam. 2:9): HER GATES HAVE SUNK INTO THE GROUND.

13 (Numb. 10:1–2) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying, ‘Make two silver trumpets (hatsotserot)’”: This text is related (to Ps. 24:7), “O gates, lift up your heads, [be lifted up, you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in].” When Solomon was bringing the ark into the Temple, he began to say, “O gates, lift up your heads...,” because the openings were [too] low. [Then] he said, “Be lifted up you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in.” The gates said to him (in vss. 8 and 10), “Who is this king of glory? The gates immediately wanted to break his head [and would have done so,] if he had not said (in vs. 10), “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Again he said (in vs. 8), “The Lord strong and mighty [...].” He said to them, “Expand yourselves, for the King of glory is coming upon you. They immediately showed Him honor (kavod), and raised themselves up.¹⁹Lam. R. 2:9 (13). So the ark entered. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “You have shown Me honor. Upon your lives, when I destroy My house, no one will prevail against you.” You know that all the implements of the Temple went into exile in Babylon as stated (in Dan. 1:2), “Then the Lord gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand, with some of the implements from the house of God; [and he brought them to the land of Shinar].” But the Temple gates were hidden in their place, as stated (in Lam. 2:9), “Her gates have sunk into the ground.” What is the meaning (of Ps. 24:10), “the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah?” That He imparts some of His glory to those who fear Him.²⁰ See PRK 32:9 (= Suppl. 1:9); M. Pss. 90:1. How? He is called "God" (elohim, a term denoting a power), and he called Moses "elohim," as stated (in Exod. 7:1), “See I have set you as elohim to Pharaoh.” He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) causes the dead to live, and he imparted some of His glory to Elijah. Thus he (i.e., Elijah) caused the dead to live, as stated (in I Kings 17:23), “and Elijah said, ‘See your son is alive.’” And He put His own clothing on the messianic king, as stated (in Ps. 21:6), “honor and majesty You shall lay upon him.” What is written [about the Holy One, blessed be He], (in Ps. 47:6)? “God has ascended amid acclamation; the Lord with the sound of a horn (shofar).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:5), ‘Then he became king in Jeshurun.’ Just as when the king goes forth, they sound trumpets before him, so also for you, (in Numb. 10:2:), ‘Make for yourself two silver trumpets.’ [This is] so that will they sound the trumpets before you when you take out and bring in Israel, as stated (Numb.10:3), ‘And they shall blow them and the whole community shall assemble before you.’” Hence (Numb. 10:2:), “Make for yourself [two silver trumpets].”