Дварим 10:18 Мидраш: Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Kohelet Rabbah & Bamidbar Rabbah

(Lev. 1:1:) “Then [the Lord] called unto Moses.” Let our master instruct us: When the one who leads the prayers makes a mistake by not saying the benediction on the cursing of the heretics (birkat haminim), from where do we know that it is necessary to have him repeat [the benediction]? Thus have our masters taught: When the one leading the prayers makes a mistake in any of the [other] benedictions, they do not have him repeat; [if he does so] in the [twelfth] benediction concerning the heretics, they force him to repeat it.⁹YBer. 5:4 (19c) (bar.); Ber. 29a (bar.). See Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 16:4; 47:4; 93:4; 95:4; 96:2; 108:31; 117:3; 137:2; Epiphanius, Panarion (Haereses), 29:9; Jerome on Is. 2:18; 49:7; 52:4. This benediction has been the subject of much scholarly debate by many interpreters, including myself in “The Gospel of John and the Jews: The Story of a Religious Divorce,” AntiSemitism and the Foundations of Christianity, edited by Alan T. Davies (New York, Paulist, 1979), pp. 84–88, 95–97, and in “The Date of Luke-Acts,” Luke-Acts: New Perspectives from the Society of Biblical Literature Seminar, edited by Charles H. Talbert (New York: Crossroad, 1984), 56, 61, 62. We suspect that he may be a heretic and therefore have him repeat, so that if there is a heretical side to him, he will be cursing himself with the community responding, “Amen.” So also [do we treat] whoever does not say [benediction 14], "who builds Jerusalem," since they will suspect that he may be a Cuthite (Samaritan). R. Assi said, “If a proselyte takes upon himself [all] the words of Torah except for one, they do not accept him.¹⁰Cf. TDem. 2:6; Bek. 30b. And not only that, but [the same rule applies] even in the case of a single minute detail out of [all] the minute details in the Torah or out of the minute details from the scribes (rabbis). R. Judah bar Shallum said, “You find forty-eight times in the Torah where the Torah warns against [harming] the proselytes and, corresponding [to these forty-eight warnings], it warns against idolatry [forty-eight times as well].¹¹BM 59b; see Hor. 13a. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘It is enough that he forsakes his idolatry and comes to you; therefore I am warning you about him, because I love him, as stated (in Deut. 10:18), “and [He] loves the proselyte¹²Heb.: ger. Although this word meant “sojourner” in biblical times, it had come to mean “proselyte” and is so understood here. in giving him food and clothing.”’”

Our sages stated in the name of R. Eleazar the son of Pedat: The Holy One, blessed be He, likens Himself to the humblest of men in seven places in the Torah. It is written: For the Lord your God, He is God of Gods, and the Lord of Lords, the great God, the mighty and the awful (Deut. 10:17), and this is followed by the verse: He doth execute justice for the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger (ibid., v. 18). It says likewise: For though the Lord be high, yet regardeth He the lowly (Ps. 138:6), and also: Thus saith the High and Lofty One that inhabiteth eternity and whose name is holy: I dwell in the high and holy places, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble (Isa. 57:15). Similarly, Scripture says: Thus saith the Lord: The heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool (ibid. 66:1), and that is followed by: And on this man will I look, even on him that is poor and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at My word (ibid., v. 2). Elsewhere it is written: The Lord is King forever and ever. The nations are perished out of His land (Ps. 10:16), and that is followed by the verse: Lord, Thou hast heard the desire of the humble (ibid., v. 17). Scripture says: Sing unto God, sing praises to His Name. Extol Him that rideth upon the skies, whose name is the Lord; and exult ye before Him (ibid. 68:5), and after that is written: A father of the fatherless, the judge of the widows (ibid., v. 6). Likewise the verse Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, who keepeth truth forever, who executeth justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:6–7) is followed by: He upholdeth the fatherless, and the widow; and the way of the wicked He maketh crooked (ibid., v. 9).

[(Lev. 1:1–2:) THEN <THE LORD> CALLED UNTO MOSES <AND SPOKE UNTO HIM>…: SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL <…>: WHEN ONE OF YOU PRESENTS AN OFFERING.] Let our master instruct us: When the one who leads the prayers makes a mistake by not saying the benediction on the cursing of the heretics (minim), is it necessary to have him repeat <the benediction>?¹⁰Tanh., Lev. 1:2. Thus have our masters taught: When the one leading the prayers makes a mistake in any of the <other> benedictions, they do not have him repeat; <if he does so> in the <twelfth> benediction concerning the heretics, they force him to repeat it.¹¹yBer. 5:4 (19c) (bar.); Ber. 29a (bar.)]. See Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho, 16:4; 47:4; 93:4; 95:4; 96:2; 108:31; 117:3; 137:2; Epiphanius, Panarion (Haereses), 29:9; Jerome on Is. 2:18; 49:7; 52:4. This benediction has been the subject of much scholarly debate by many interpreters, including myself in “The Gospel of John and the Jews: The Story of a Religious Divorce,” AntiSemitism and the Foundations of Christianity, edited by Alan T. Davies (New York, Paulist, 1979), pp. 84–88, 95–97, and in “The Date of Luke-Acts,” Luke-Acts: New Perspectives from the Society of Biblical literature Seminar, edited by Charles H. Talbert (New York: Crossroad, 1984), 56, 61, 62. We suspect that he may be a heretic and therefore have him repeat, so that if there is a heretical side to him, he will be cursing himself with the community responding: Amen. So also <do we treat> whoever does not say <benediction 14>, "Who builds Jerusalem," since they will suspect that he may be a Samaritan. R. Jose said: If a proselyte takes upon himself <all> the words of Torah except for one, they do not accept him.¹²Cf. TDem. 2:6; Bek. 30b. And not only that, but <the same rule applies> even in the case of a single minute detail out of <all> the minute details in the Torah or out of the minute details from the scribes. R. Judah bar Shallum said: You find forty-eight times in the Torah where the Torah warns against <harming> the proselytes and, with reference to them, it warns against idolatry.¹³BM 59b; see Hor. 13:a. The Holy One said: It is enough that he forsakes his idolatry and comes to you; therefore I am warning you about him, because I love him, as stated (in Deut. 10:18): AND <HE> LOVES THE PROSELYTE¹⁴Heb.: ger. Although this word meant “sojourner” in biblical times, it had come to mean “proselyte” and is so understood here. IN GIVING HIM FOOD AND CLOTHING.