Midrash sobre Êxodo 4:29

“Your cheeks are lovely with ornaments, your neck with beads” (Song of Songs 1:10).
“Your cheeks are lovely”—just as these cheeks were created only for speech, so too, Moses and Aaron were created only for speech; “with ornaments [batorim],” with two Torahs, written and oral.
Another matter, batorim, many Torahs; that is what is written: “This is the law [tora] of the burnt offering” (Leviticus 6:2); “this is the law [tora] of the meal offering” (Leviticus 6:7); “this is the law [tora] of the guilt offering” (Leviticus 7:1); “this is the law [tora] of the peace offering” (Leviticus 7:11). “This is the law [tora] of a person when he dies in a tent” (Numbers 19:14).
Another matter, batorim, with two countenances [te’arim], with two brothers, these are Moses and Aaron, whose countenances were favorable to each other. This one rejoiced over the prominence of the other and that one rejoiced over the prominence of the other. Rabbi Pinḥas said: It is written: “He will speak to the people on your behalf, and he will be a mouth for you, and you will be an elohim for him” (Exodus 4:16). [“He will be a mouth for you,”] a disseminator. “And you will be an elohim for him,” did Moses become a god for Aaron that you say: “And you will be an elohim for him”? Rather, this is what the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Moses, just as fear of Me is upon you, so too, your fear will be upon your brother.’ But he did not do so. Rather, “Moses and Aaron went and they assembled all the elders of the children of Israel; Aaron spoke all the matters” (Exodus 4:29–30). [Moses] equated his shoulder to [Aaon’s] shoulder,²⁵²They stood shoulder to shoulder and treated each other as equals. Thus, Moses did not send Aaron to do his bidding; they worked together. as this one still rejoiced over the prominence of the other, and that one over the prominence of the other.
From where [is it derived] that Aaron rejoiced over Moses’s prominence? As it is stated: “He will see you and he will rejoice in his heart” (Exodus 4:14). Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The heart that rejoiced over the prominence of Moses his brother will don the Urim and the Tumim. That is what is written: “You shall place the Urim and the Tumim in the breastplate of judgment and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart” (Exodus 28:30).
From where [is it derived] that Moses rejoiced over Aaron’s prominence? As it is stated: “It is like fine oil on the head, descending onto the beard, the beard of Aaron” (Psalms 133:2). Rabbi Aḥa said: Did Aaron have two beards, as it is written: “Descending onto the beard, the beard of Aaron”?²⁵³Why does it say the word beard twice? Rather, when Moses saw the anointing oil descending onto the beard of Aaron, it was comparable for him as though it descended onto the beard of Moses, and he rejoiced; therefore, it is stated: “Onto the beard, the beard of Aaron.”

(Exod. 4:29): THEN MOSES AND AARON WENT AND GATHERED <ALL THE ELDERS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL >. He said to them: Thus did the Holy One say (in Exod. 3:16): I HAVE SURELY THOUGHT OF YOU.⁹⁵Tanh., Exod. 1:24; Exod. R. 3:8; 5:13; PRE 48; cf. Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Gen. 50:25; also Gen. R. 97:6. It was a sign⁹⁶Gk.: semeion. for Israel. When any redeemer would come with this sign, I HAVE SURELY THOUGHT OF <YOU>, they would know that he was a true redeemer. Thus had Joseph told them (in Gen. 50:24): GOD WILL SURELY THINK OF YOU. When <Moses> (as instructed in Exod. 3:16) mentioned to them <the words >, "will surely think of," immediately (according to Exod. 4:31) THE PEOPLE BELIEVED. When Moses and Aaron said to them: Come with us to Pharaoh, the elders of Israel immediately took it upon themselves to go with them.

While they were walking, they would lag behind by themselves singly and in pairs.⁹⁷Exod. R. 5:14. When they arrived at Pharaoh's palace,⁹⁸Lat.: Palatium. not even one of them was to be found with them (i.e., with Moses and Aaron). It is therefore stated (in Exod. 5:1): AFTERWARDS, MOSES AND AARON CAME <AND SAID UNTO PHARAOH>. And where were the elders? They had simply gone away. The Holy One said to them: What do you think? That I am not going to repay you? By your life, when Moses and Aaron go to receive the Torah, you are going up with them, but I am turning you back. It is so stated (in Exod. 24:14): BUT UNTO THE ELDERS HE HAD SAID: TURN BACK HERE….⁹⁹The Masoretic Text has: WAIT FOR US HERE…. The Holy one said to them: In this world you have not seen the glory of Torah, but in the world to come you shall be glorified in <the glory> of Torah.¹⁰⁰See below, 1:26. It is so stated (in Is. 24:23): THEN THE MOON SHALL BE ASHAMED, AND THE SUN SHALL BE ABASHED, FOR THE LORD OF HOSTS SHALL REIGN ON MOUNT ZION AND IN JERUSALEM. THEN <THE DIVINE> GLORY <SHALL STAND > IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS ELDERS.¹⁰¹This form, comparing this world and the world to come, is a common peroration to a parashah. It therefore seems likely that the triennial parashah ends here, even though the next section begins with Exod. 4:27, two verses before Exod. 4:29, which begins this section. See Jacob Mann, The Bible as Read and Preached in the Old Synagogue, Vol. I (Ktav, 1971), p. 372.

And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (Exod. 4:29). He told them: The Holy One, blessed be He, has said: I have surely remembered you (Exod. 3:16). This was a sign that was transmitted to them from the days of Abraham and Isaac. Jacob had transmitted it to Joseph when he told him: “Every redeemer who comes and says to you I have surely remembered is a truthful redeemer.” And when Moses came and said I have surely remembered, the people believed him forthwith. Moses and Aaron said to them: “Come with us and we will go unto Pharaoh.” At first the elders of Israel accompanied them, but later they slipped away singly, and then in pairs. When they arrived at Pharaoh’s palace, not a single person who had accompanied them, could be found, as it is written: And afterwards Moses and Aaron came (Exod. 5:1).

(Exod. 4:28:) AND MOSES TOLD AARON ALL THE WORDS OF THE LORD WITH WHICH HE HAD SENT HIM. Moses began telling him everything which the Holy One had told him, how he would go and how he would perform all the signs.¹¹⁸Tanh., Exod. 1:26; Exod. R. 5:11. As soon as they went, they made harmony with the elders, as stated (in Exod. 4:29): THEN MOSES AND AARON WENT AND GATHERED <ALL THE ELDERS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL >. The elders have always supported Israel,¹¹⁹Exod. R.3:8. and so it says (in Josh. 8:33): AND ALL ISRAEL, THEIR ELDERS, {THEIR} OFFICERS, AND THEIR JUDGES, STOOD ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ARK. When does Israel stand? When they have elders. Why? While the Temple existed, they were in consultation with the elders, as stated (in Deut. 32:7): ASK YOUR FATHER AND HE WILL INFORM YOU; YOUR ELDERS, AND THEY WILL TELL YOU. When anyone takes advice from the elders, then person is to be commended. You yourself know that, when Ben-hadad sent to the king of Israel and said to him (in I Kings 20:3): THUS SAYS BEN-HADAD: YOUR SILVER AND GOLD ARE MINE; <YOUR BEAUTIFUL WIVES AND CHILDREN ARE MINE>, the king of Israel sent to him <and said> (in vs. 4): AS YOU SAY, MY LORD KING, I AND ALL THAT I HAVE ARE YOURS. He sent to him a second time (in vs. 6): NEVERTHELESS TOMORROW ABOUT THIS TIME I WILL SEND MY SERVANTS TO YOU; AND THEY WILL SEARCH <YOUR HOUSE AND THE HOUSES OF YOUR SERVANTS >, LAY THEIR HANDS UPON EVERYTHING YOUR EYES DELIGHT IN, AND TAKE IT AWAY. [Was not] whatever he originally demanded {was not} a delight[?] He sought silver and gold, and they are a delight, as stated (in Hag. 2:7–8): AND THE DELIGHT OF ALL THE NATIONS SHALL COME, <AND I WILL FILL THIS HOUSE WITH GLORY, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. > THE SILVER IS MINE, AND THE GOLD IS MINE. He sought women, and they are a delight, as stated (in Ezek. 24:16): SON OF ADAM, SEE, I AM TAKING AWAY [FROM YOU] THE DELIGHT OF YOUR EYES (i.e., your wife) THROUGH PESTILENCE. [He sought] children, and they are a delight, as stated (in Hos. 9:16): AND I WILL PUT TO DEATH THE DELIGHTS OF THEIR WOMB. Ergo: Whatever he originally demanded was a delight. Then what is the meaning (in I Kings 20:4) of EVERYTHING YOUR EYES DELIGHT IN? Something more delightful than <any> delight, i.e., the Torah, as stated (concerning the judgments of the Holy One in Ps. 19:11 [10]): MORE DELIGHTFUL ARE THEY THAN GOLD, THAN MUCH FINE GOLD. When the king of Israel heard this, he said: This is not a matter for me but for the elders. Immediately (in I Kings 20:7–8): THEN THE KING OF ISRAEL CALLED {UNTO} [FOR] ALL THE ELDERS OF THE LAND AND SAID {TO THEM}: PLEASE COMPREHEND AND SEE HOW THIS MAN IS SEEKING EVIL; <FOR, WHEN HE SENT UNTO ME FOR MY WIVES, MY CHILDREN, MY SILVER, AND MY GOLD, I DID NOT REFUSE HIM. SO [ALL] THE ELDERS AND ALL THE PEOPLE SAID UNTO HIM: {NEVER} [DO NOT] HEED AND NEVER CONSENT. When he heard the advice of the elders, he arose. THEN (according to I Kings 20:21), THE KING OF ISRAEL WENT OUT AND SMOTE THE HORSES…. Ergo: They always consulted with the elders. So also Moses (in Exod. 19:7) SUMMONED THE ELDERS OF THE PEOPLE, and afterwards, the leaders and the judges. When did Israel have leaders? When they had elders. So here also (in Exod. 4:29): THEN MOSES AND AARON WENT AND GATHERED ALL THE ELDERS OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL. What is the meaning of GATHERED? That they appointed them as elders, just as the Holy One had told him (in Exod. 3:16): GO AND GATHER (i.e., appoint) THE ELDERS OF ISRAEL.¹²⁰Cf. Lev. 11:8. The Holy One has said: In this world I have distributed glory to the elders; and in the age to come I am also sharing glory with them, as stated (in Is. 24:23): THEN <THE DIVINE> GLORY <SHALL STAND> IN THE PRESENCE OF HIS ELDERS.¹²¹See above, 1:21.

And Moses told Aaron all the words of the Lord (Exod. 4:29). Moses began to reveal to him everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, had told him, and that he was to go perform the miracles. Whereupon the two of them went to the elders, as it is said: And Moses and Aaron went and gathered together all the elders of the children of Israel (Exod. 4:39). The elders are always held responsible for the survival of Israel. That is why Scripture says: And all Israel, and their elders and officers, and their judges, stood on this side of the ark and on that side (Josh. 8:33). When do (the people of) Israel survive? When they have elders among them. Thus, when the Temple was erected, they consulted the elders, as is said: Ask thy father, and he will declare unto thee, thine elders, and they will tell thee (Deut. 32:7). Any one who consults his elders will not blunder. This is confirmed in the episode wherein Ben-hadad sent messengers to the king of Israel. “Thus saith Ben-hadad: Thy silver and thy gold is mine; thy wives also, and thy children, even the goodliest are mine.” The king of Israel answered and said: “It is according to thy saying, my lord, O king; I am thine, and all that I have” (I Kings 20:3). Later He sent another messenger to him saying: But I will send my servants unto thee tomorrow about this time, and thy shall search thy house, and the houses of thy servants, and it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes, they shall put it in their hand and take it away (I Kings 20:6). Does this verse imply that the things he (Ben-hadad) demanded at first were not desirable? He had asked for silver and gold, and surely they are desirable, as it is said: And the choicest things of all nations shall come (Hag. 2:7). He had demanded women, and that, indeed, is good to possess, as it is said: Son of man, behold, I take away from thee the desire of thine eyes in a plague (Ezek. 24:16).³⁴Ezekiel’s wife was taken from him. He desired their children, and they surely are precious, as is said: Yet will I slay the beloved fruit of their womb (Hos. 9:6). The fact is that everything he wanted was desirable. What, then, is meant by And it shall be that whatsoever is pleasant in thine eyes? It refers to that which is most pleasant, the Torah, as it is said: More to be desired are they then gold, yea, then much fine gold (Ps. 19:11).