Midrash sobre Números 11:18

19 Another interpretation (of Numb. 11:16), “Gather Me seventy men [from the elders of Israel]”: When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Gather Me seventy men,” Moses said, “How shall I manage to get [them] from all the tribes?⁴² Sifre to Numb. 11:24-26 (95). If I get five each from every tribe, they will not add up to the number seventy. There will [only] be sixty. And if we get six each from every tribe, they will add up to the number seventy-two. But if I get five from one tribe and six from another, I shall be imposing jealousy among the tribes.” What did Moses do? He took seventy-two pieces of paper and wrote “elder” on them plus two other blank pieces of paper. Then he mixed them up and put them in the urn. He said to them, “Come and take your papers.” If a paper with ‘elder’ written on it came up in [a person's] hand he knew that he had been appointed an elder, but if a blank one came up in his hand he knew that he had not been appointed. Then the officer-in-charge would say to him, “Look there is another paper there with ‘elder’ written upon it. If you had been worthy of being appointed, [a paper with ‘elder’] would have come up in your hand.” When [Moses had followed this procedure] the elders were appointed. Eldad and Medad were there, but they excluded themselves. [They said,] “We are not worthy to be in the number of the elders.” Now because they excluded themselves, they were found [to have become] superior to the elders in five respects. The elders only prophesied for the morrow as stated (in Numb. 11:18), “And you shall say to the people, ‘Purify yourselves for the morrow,’” but these men prophesied what was going to happen at the end of forty years as stated (in Numb. 11:26), “But two men had remained in the camp; [the name of the one was Eldad and the name of the other was Medad…; and they were…] prophesying in the camp.” But what were they prophesying? Some say [they were prophesying] about the downfall of Gog, while others say [they were prophesying that] Moses would die and Joshua would bring Israel into the Land. You yourself know that they so prophesied, since it is what Joshua told Moses (in vs. 28), “Then Joshua ben Nun, Moses' attendant from his youth, answered.” And it is written (in vs. 27), “But a lad ran and told Moses.” And who was it? It was Moses' son, Gershom. The elders did not enter the land, but these did enter the land. Eldad is [so listed] (in Numb. 34:21) [as] Elidad ben Chislon. Medad is [so listed] (in Numb. 34:24) [as] Kemuel ben Shiphtan. The elders were not designated by their names, [but these were designated by their names]. The elders had their prophecy cease, since their prophecy was from what belonged to Moses, even as the Scripture has said (in Numb. 11:17), “and I will set aside some of the spirit which is upon you and put it on them”; but these [two] had their prophecy from that which belonged to the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Numb. 11:26), “and the spirit rested upon them.” Now if you say, “Since the elders had their prophecy from what belonged to Moses, might it not have lessened his prophecy somewhat?” [The answer is] no. To what may Moses be compared? To a lamp which was lit and⁴³Sifre to Numb. 11:17 (93). everyone lights up from it; yet its light is in no way diminished. So also in the case of Moses. Although the prophets took of his prophecy, the prophecy of Moses was in no way diminished. [It is so stated] (in Deut. 34:10), “And never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.”

The elders only prophesied for the morrow as stated (in Numb. 11:18): AND YOU SHALL SAY TO THE PEOPLE: [PURIFY YOURSELVES FOR THE MORROW], but these men prophesied what was going to happen at the end of forty years as stated (in Numb. 11:26–27): BUT TWO MEN HAD REMAINED IN THE CAMP. [THE NAME OF THE ONE WAS ELDAD AND THE NAME OF THE OTHER WAS MEDAD …; <AND THEY WERE … > PROPHESYING IN THE CAMP.] But what were they prophesying? Some say <they were prophesying> about the downfall of Gog and Magog, while others say they were prophesying that Moses would die and Joshua would bring Israel into the land. You yourself know that they so prophesied, since it is stated (in vs. 28): THEN JOSHUA BEN NUN, MOSES' ATTENDANT FROM HIS YOUTH, ANSWERED AND SAID: MY LORD MOSES RESTRAIN THEM. (vs. 27): BUT A LAD RAN AND TOLD MOSES…. And who was it? It was Moses' son Gershom.
The elders did not enter the land, but these did enter the land. Eldad is <so listed> (in Numb. 34:21) <as> ELIDAD BEN CHISLON. Medad is <so listed> (in Numb. 34:24) <as> KEMUEL BEN SHIPHTAN.
The elders were not designated by their names, but these were designated by their names.
The elders had their prophecy cease, but these did not have their prophecy cease. It is so stated (of the seventy in Numb. 11:25): THEY PROPHESIED BUT DID NOT CONTINUE.
In the case of the elders, their prophecy was from what belonged to Moses, even as the Scripture has said (in Numb. 11:17): AND I WILL SET ASIDE SOME OF THE SPIRIT <WHICH IS UPON YOU AND PUT IT ON THEM>; but these <two> had their prophecy from that which belonged to the Holy One, as stated (in Numb. 11:26): AND THE SPIRIT RESTED UPON THEM.

(Bamidbar 11:18) "And to the people you shall say: Hithkadshu for tomorrow": (The connotation of) "Hithkadshu" is: Prepare yourselves for calamity, as in (Jeremiah 12:3) "Hakdishem for the day of killing," (Ibid. 22:7) "Vekidashti against your destroyers." (Bamidbar, Ibid. 20) "Until a month of days": This is stated of the mediocre. They would languish in their beds for thirty days until their souls expired. Of the wicked it is written (Ibid. 33) "The flesh was yet between their teeth" — As soon as they put it between their teeth, their souls would expire. (Ibid. 20) "and it will be loathsome to you": You will repel it more than you courted it. "for you have despised the L-rd who is in your midst.": The L-rd said to them: What caused you to say such things? My having reposed My shechinah among you. For if I had removed My shechinah from you, you would not have (swelled with pride to) utter such things.