Йешайау 5:13 Мидраш: Bamidbar Rabbah, Esther Rabbah & Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

“The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, saying” (Numbers 3:14).
“In the wilderness of Sinai, saying” – that is what is written: “God settles individuals in a house” (Psalms 68:7). The Holy One blessed be He said: Even though people in this world were individuals, [I did not leave them as individuals]; rather, I made them fruitful and multiplied them and rendered them dynastic houses in which they would reside in this world. How so? David was an individual, and I rendered him a dynastic house, as it is stated: “House of David, so said the Lord” (Jeremiah 21:12). Aaron was an individual, and I rendered him a dynastic house, as it is stated: “House of Levi, bless the Lord” (Psalms 135:20); “house of Aaron, bless the Lord” (Psalms 135:19). Israel, too, were individuals, as it is stated: “Who is like your people Israel, one nation in the land…” (II Samuel 7:23), and God multiplied them, as it is stated: “The Lord your God has multiplied you” (Deuteronomy 1:10). That is, “God settles individuals in a house.”
Another matter: “God settles [individuals in a house]” (Psalms 68:7) – a certain noblewoman asked Rabbi Yosei ben Ḥalafta; she said to him: Everyone agrees that God created the world in six days. From six until now, what does He do? He said to her: He elevates ladders and lowers ladders. So-and-so, who was wealthy, will become poor, and so-and-so, who was poor, will become wealthy, as it is stated: “The Lord impoverishes and makes wealthy…” (I Samuel 2:7). Rabbi Berekhya said: That is not what he answered; but rather, this is what he said to her: He makes matches in His world and says: So-and-so man will marry so-and-so woman, and so-and-so woman will marry so-and-so man, and He settles them in houses. She said to him: I can make one thousand matches in one day. Rabbi Yosei was silent and went on his way. What did she do? She brought one thousand slaves and one thousand maidservants and matched them with each other. She said to them: So-and-so man will marry so-and-so woman, and so-and-so woman will marry so-and-so man. When they entered with them at night, an altercation broke out between them, and they stood and struck each other. In the morning they went to her; this one’s head was wounded, and that one, his hand was injured. She sent for Rabbi Yosei and related the incident to him. He said to her: If this matter is insignificant in your eyes, it is as difficult before the Omnipresent like the parting of the Red Sea. That is what is written: “God settles individuals in a house.” What is “God settles individuals”? The Holy One blessed be He sits and judges them; He brings this one from this place and that one from that place and settles them in one house. “He joyously [bakosharot] leads out prisoners” (Psalms 68:7) – he takes them from their houses, bound against their will, and makes matches between them. “Bakosharot” – if they do not merit, they weep [bokhin], but if they merit, they sing [meshorerin].¹⁸This is a portmanteau of the words bekhi and shirot – weeping and singing.
Another matter: “God settles individuals in a house” (Psalms 68:7) – that He makes a match for each and every one of them with a kindred soul.
Another matter: “God settles [individuals in a house]” (Psalms 68:7) – one who marries a wife suitable for him, the Holy One blessed be He renders them houses. Individual [yaḥid] is nothing other than an expression of greatness, just as it says: “One of [aḥad] the people¹⁹This is an allusion to Avimelekh, the king. almost lay with [your wife]” (Genesis 26:10), and it says: “Who is like your people Israel, one [eḥad] nation in the land” (II Samuel 7:23). From them He produces sons, masters of Torah, who issue rulings to prohibit [osrim] and permit [umakhshirim]. That is, “He joyously [bakosharot] leads out prisoners [asirim]” (Psalms 68:7). “But the rebellious” (Psalms 68:7) – but one who does not marry a wife suitable for him, ignorant sons emerge from him. That is what is written: “Dwell in a parched land [tzeḥiḥa]” (Psalms 68:7). Tzeḥiḥa is nothing other than an expression of thirst, just as it says: “Parched [tziḥe] with thirst” (Isaiah 5:13). What the verse said, “parched,” is that they were thirsty, [meaning] without Torah, just as what is written: “Not famine for bread and not thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the Lord.” (Amos 8:11).
Another matter: “God settles individuals [in a house]” (Psalms 68:7) – who was it? These are Amram and Yokheved, by virtue of whose merit “He joyously leads out prisoners” (Psalms 68:7) – these are Israel, who were enslaved in Egypt. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He matched Yokheved with Amram, so that a redeemer would emerge from them and redeem Israel.
Another matter: “God settles individuals [in a house]” (Psalms 68:7) – these are Israel, who descended as individuals with seventy people, and the Holy One blessed be He rendered them houses, as it is stated: “The children of Israel were fruitful and prolific…” (Exodus 1:7). “He joyously leads out prisoners” (Psalms 68:7) – because they distanced themselves from licentiousness, He took them out of Egypt. Likewise, Solomon says: “A locked garden is my sister, my bride; [a locked fountain, a sealed spring]” (Song of Songs 4:12). “A locked garden” – these are the virgins. “A locked fountain” – these are the married women. “A sealed spring” – these are the single women. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: Due to their merit, I am redeeming My children. That is what is written: “Your branches [shelaḥayikh] are a pomegranate orchard” (Song of Songs 4:13) – by merit of this, I have sent you out [shelaḥayikh]. “It was when Pharaoh sent out [beshalakh]” (Exodus 13:17) – that is, due to the upright [kesherot] women, Israel departed from Egypt. That is why it is stated: “He joyously [bakosharot] leads out prisoners.”
Another matter: “He joyously [bakosharot] leads out prisoners” (Psalms 68:7) – what is bakosharot? When Israel departed from Egypt, they departed only at a propitious time [bakosharot]. Rabbi Akiva said: He took them out only in a month during which it was propitious to depart; not in Tamuz, due to the heat, and not in Tevet, due to the cold, but in Nisan, which is propitious for setting out on a journey, neither extreme heat nor extreme cold. If you say Tishrei, there are rainy seasons.²⁰Tishrei is followed by the rainy season, when it is difficult to travel, whereas Nisan is followed by mild weather. That is bakosharot.
Another matter: Bakosharot – Rabbi Elazar said: Bakosharot: Those who were weeping [bokhin], these are Israel and Moses: “Behold, a boy weeping” (Exodus 2:6), and likewise, “The children of Israel sighed…” (Exodus 2:23). They are singing [meshorerin] now, as it is stated: “Then Moses and the children of Israel sang” (Exodus 15:1); that is bakosharot.
Another matter: Bakosharot – Rabbi Elazar ben Azarya said: There are weeping [bekhiya] and singing [veshira] here. The Egyptians were weeping because they were despoiled, as Israel despoiled them and emptied their houses, as it is stated: “They stripped Egypt” (Exodus 12:36). Israel was singing, as they were loaded with the spoils of their enemies. That is, bakosharot.
Another matter: The master of a slave weeps because his slave fled before him. A slave sings because he was extricated from slavery. So, the Egyptians wept because Israel fled, as it is stated: “It was told to the king of Egypt that the people had fled” (Exodus 14:5). Israel was reciting song because they were extricated from slavery. That is bakosharot.
Another matter: By virtue of what merit did Israel depart from Egypt? Rabbi Ḥilefai said: It is by virtue of the merit of Jacob, as it is stated: Bakosharot, as likewise, it says: “He strove [vayasar] with an angel and prevailed; he wept [bakha] and pleaded with him” (Hosea 12:5).
Another matter: Bakosharot – our Rabbis say: It is by virtue of the women, the upright [hakesherot] matriarchs, as it is stated: Bakosharot. It is not written here bekhishron, but bakosharot,²¹In the feminine. the fair and upright.
Another matter: Bakosharot – due to the upright [haksherim] who were in their midst, they departed. Who were the upright among them? This is the tribe of Levi, as although Israel were idol worshippers in Egypt, the tribe of Levi would worship the Holy One blessed be He and circumcise themselves. That is why Moses lauds them before his death, as it is stated: “Because they observed Your saying, and they upheld Your covenant” (Deuteronomy 33:9). That is, due to the upright who were in their midst, Israel departed from Egypt.
Another matter: Bakosharot – by virtue of what merit did Israel depart from Egypt? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is because the Holy One blessed be He foresaw that they are destined to craft a Tabernacle for Him, as it is stated: “They will know that I am the Lord their God, who took them out of the land of Egypt” (Exodus 29:46) in order “that I may dwell among them” (Exodus 29:46). That is, it was only by virtue of the merit of the Tabernacle that Israel departed from Egypt.
By virtue of what merit did the tribe of Levi depart? Was it, perhaps, by virtue of the Tent of Meeting that they, too, departed? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: No, it was by virtue of their own merit that they departed. Therefore, when he came to count Israel at the beginning of the book, He mentions the Tent of Meeting and the exodus from Egypt, as it is stated: “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai, in the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 1:1), and it mentions immediately, “[in the second year] of their exodus from the land of Egypt” (Numbers 1:1), to inform you that Israel departed from Egypt only by virtue of the merit of the Tent of Meeting. But the children of Levi, who departed by virtue of their own merit, when it came to count them, it does not mention in their passage the Tent of Meeting, nor the exodus from Egypt. That is what is written: “The Lord spoke to Moses in the wilderness of Sinai…saying” (Numbers 1:1).

Rabbi Azarya began: “Do not see wine in its redness, for one who sets his eye on the cup will walk the straight path” (Proverbs 23:31). Rabbi Azarya said: “Do not see wine in its redness [yitadam]” – as he will lust [yitav] for menstrual blood [dam] and for the blood of discharge [ziva]. “For one who directs his eye to the cup [kos]” – kis is written, a euphemism;¹This is a euphemism for licentiousness. that is what you say: “We will have one purse [kis] for all of us” (Proverbs 1:14). “Will walk the straight path”²The midrash understands this phrase in the verse to be ironic. – ultimately his wife says: I have seen like a red rose, and he does not separate from her. Rabbi Asi said: If he is a Torah scholar, he will ultimately purify the ritually impure, and impurify the ritually pure.
Alternatively, “do not see wine in its redness” – it will certainly cause him to flush. “For one who sets his eye on the cup” – he fixes his eyes on the cup and the storekeeper fixes his eye on the purse. “Will walk the straight path [bemeisharim]” – ultimately, he will render his house a plain [meishra].³Meaning it will be empty. He says: Whatever this bronze cup does an earthenware cup does, and he sells it and drinks wine with its proceeds. Whatever this bronze pot does an earthenware pot does, and he sells it and drinks wine with its proceeds. Rabbi Yitzḥak bar Raddifa said in the name of Rabbi Ami: Ultimately, he will sell all the vessels in his house and drink wine with [what he gets for] them.
Rabbi Aḥa said: There was an incident involving a certain person who sold all the vessels in his house and drank wine with [what he got for] them. His sons said: This father of ours is not leaving us anything. What did they do? They gave him to drink, they lifted him up and carried him, and placed him in a certain cemetery. Some wine merchants passed the gate of the cemetery and heard the angaria [military unit commandeering provisions] was in the city. They unloaded their burden in that cemetery. They said: Let us go and see what is being said in the city. The old man awoke from his slumber and saw a wineskin that had been placed above his head. He untied it and put it in his mouth and drank. He drank until he fell asleep. After three days, his sons said: Should we not go and see how our father is doing? They went and found him and there was a wineskin in his mouth. They said: Here, too, your Creator has not forsaken you. Since you have it from Heaven, we don’t know what we to do with you. They made an arrangement among themselves that each of them [in turn] would provide him with drink on each day.
It is written:⁴These verses relate to the drinker of wine referred to above, and describe the results of drunkenness. “You will be like one lying in the midst of the sea, like one who lies atop a mast” (Proverbs 23:34). You will be like this ship that is becalmed on the high seas.⁵Some understand this to mean: “like a ship that is tossed on the high seas.” “Like one who lies atop a mast,” – like a rooster that sits on a rope and goes constantly to and fro; like a captain who sits atop a mast and goes constantly to and fro. “They struck me, but I did not feel it” (Proverbs 23:35) – they struck him, but he did not feel. “They beat me, but I did not know” – they exploit him, but he is unaware. He drinks five kustin⁶A measure of liquid volume, about a third of a liter. of beer and they say to him: ‘You drank ten kustin.’ If you say that he will awaken from his sleep and forget it, Scripture says [about the drunk]: “When will I awaken? I will continue to seek it” (Ibid.).
]“To whom is there woe? To whom alas? To whom strife? To whom talk? To whom wounds without cause? To whom redness of eyes? To those who linger over wine”] (Proverbs 23:29-30). “To whom is there woe? To whom alas?” Rav Huna said: To one who does not toil in Torah study. “To whom strife?” – to whom disputes? “To whom talk” – to whom prattle? “To whom wounds without cause” – to whom wounds for nothing? “To those who linger over wine” (Proverbs 23:30).
There was an incident involving a certain man who was accustomed to drink twelve kistin of wine every day. One day he drank eleven kistin, and he lay down but sleep would not come. He awoke in the dark and went to the storekeeper. He said to him: ‘Sell me one kista.’ He [the storekeeper] said to him: ‘I will not open for you, because it is dark and I fear the watchmen.’ He directed his eyes and saw a hole in the door. He said to him: ‘Give me from it through the hole, you will position it inside and I will drink it outside.’ He did so for him. He drank and fell asleep before the door. The watchmen passed by him; they thought he was a thief, they struck him and they wounded him. They proclaimed about him: “To whom wounds without cause” – to whom wounds for nothing? “To whom redness of eyes” – to whom eyes red like the sun?
All these befall whom? “Those who linger over wine” – this is one who enters the store first and leaves last. “To those who come to assess the mixture” – to one who hears that this [particular] person has fine wine and pursues him. What is written about him at the end? “Its [wine’s] end is that it bites like a serpent and secretes [poison] like an adder” (Proverbs 23:32). Just as this adder separates between death and life, so wine separated between Adam and Eve, as Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: The tree from which Adam the first man ate was a grape [vine]. That is what is written: “Their grapes are grapes of gall, bitter clusters for them” (Deuteronomy 32:32). These brought bitterness to the world.
Alternatively, “and secretes [yafrish] like an adder” – just as this adder separates [mafrish]⁷The verb lehafrish can mean both to secrete and to separate. between death and life, so, wine separated between Noah and his sons for enslavement. That is what is written: “He drank from the wine and was intoxicated and he was exposed inside the tent” (Genesis 9:21), as a result⁸ Subsequently, Noah’s son Ham, father of Canaan, “saw the nakedness of his father.” he [Noah] said: “Cursed is Canaan [a slave of slaves he shall be to his brothers]” (Genesis 9:25).
“And secretes [yafrish] like an adder” – just as this adder separates [mafrish] between death and life, so wine separated between Lot and his daughters for mamzerut.⁹The status of a child born from incest. That is what is written: “They gave their father to drink that night” (Genesis 19:33), as a result he said: “Lot’s two daughters conceived from their father” (Genesis 19:36).
Alternatively, “and secretes like an adder” – just as this adder separates between death and life, so wine separated between Aaron and his sons for death, as it is taught: Rabbi Shimon says: The sons of Aaron died only because they entered the Tent of Meeting intoxicated with wine. Rabbi Pinḥas in the name of Rabbi Levi said: This is comparable to a king who had a loyal member of his household. He found him standing at the entrance of his house, and he decapitated him without saying anything and appointed another member of his household in his stead. We do not know the reason that he killed the first one. It is only from what he commanded the second one and said to him: ‘Do not enter the house’ that we know why he killed the first one. Likewise, “Fire emerged from before the Lord and consumed them” (Leviticus 10:2) – we do not know the reason they died. It is only from what he commanded Aaron and said to him “You shall not drink wine or intoxicating drink” (Leviticus 10:9), that we know that they died only due to the wine.
Alternatively, “and secretes like an adder” – just as this adder separates between death and life, so wine separated between the ten tribes and the tribes of Judah and Benjamin for exile. That is what is written: “Woe! Those who rise early in the morning pursue intoxicating drink; those who tarry late, wine will inflame” (Isaiah 5:11), as a result: “Therefore, My people is exiled for lack of knowledge” (Isaiah 5:13).
Alternatively, “and secretes like an adder” – just as this adder separates between death and life, so wine separated the tribe of Judah and the tribe of Benjamin for exile. That is what is written: “These too erred with wine and strayed with intoxicating drink” (Isaiah 28:7); these and those.¹⁰Not only the ten tribes of Israel but also the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were eventually exiled.
Alternatively, “and secretes like an adder” – just as this adder separates between death and life, so wine separated between kingdom and kingdom for death. That is what is written: “Belshatzar said, as he tasted the wine” (Daniel 5:2), as a result it says: “During that night, Belshatzar the Chaldean king was killed” (Daniel 5:30).
Alternatively, “and secretes like an adder” – just as this adder separates between death and life, so wine separated between Aḥashverosh and Vashti for death. That is what is written: “On the seventh day, when the king was merry with wine” (Esther 1:10) – as a result he became angry and killed her.

R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "He who withholds from imparting an Halacha to a disciple is considered as if he would rob him of the inheritance of his ancestors, for it is said (Deut. 33, 4) The law which Moses commanded us is the inheritance of the congregation of Israel. Hence the law is considered as an inheritance to all Israel since the creation of the world." R. Chana b. Bizna, in the name of R. Simon the Pious said: "He who withholds (or denies) the explanation of an Halacha to a disciple, even the embryos in the entrails of their mothers, curse him, as it is said (Prov. 11, 26) Him that withholdeth corn, (Fol. 92) (l'om) the people will (ye'kabuhu) denounce, and the word l'am refers to embryos, as it is said (Num. 23, 8) How shall I denounce (Kabo) whom God … , and Bar means the Torah, as it is said (Ps. 2) And if one do teach." What will be his reward for such? Raba, in the name of R. Shesheth, said: "He will be rewarded with the blessing with which Joseph was blessed, as it is said (Pr. 11, 26) But blessing will be heaped upon the head of the one (Mashbir) that selleth it, and Mashbir refers to Joseph; as it is said (Gen. 48, 6) And Joseph, he was the governor over the land, he it was that sold corn to all the people." R. Shesheth said again: "He who teaches the Torah in this world will be rewarded by teaching it in the world to come, as it is said (Prov. 11, 25) He that refresheth [others] will do the same in the future." Mar Zutra said: "Whence do we infer the resurrection from the Torah? It is said (Deut. 33, 6) May Reuben live, and not die, i.e., he may live in this world, and not die in the world to come." Rabina says: From the following (Dan. 12, 2) And many of those that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to disgrace and everlasting abhorrence. And R. Ashi said: From (Ib. ib. 13) But thou, go [thy way] toward the end; and thou shalt rest, and arise for thy lot at the end of the days. R. Elazar said: "A leader of a congregation, who leads them humbly, will be rewarded by leading the same in the world to come, as it is said (Is. 49, 10) For he that hath mercy on them will lead them, and by springs of water will he guide them." R. Elazar said again: "Wisdom is of great importance, as it was placed between two divine names (I Sam. 2, 3) For a God of knowledge is the Lord." Another thing said R. Elazar: "Every man who possesses wisdom may consider himself as if the Temple were built in his days, as both wisdom and temple are placed between two divine names." R. Elazar said further: "He who possesses no knowledge does not merit that one should have mercy upon him, as it is said (Is. 27, 11) For it is not a people of understanding; therefore he that made it will not have compassion upon it, and he that formed them will not be gracious unto them." R. Elazar said also: "He who feeds one who does not possess any knowledge, will suffer as a reward for it, as it is said (Ob. 1, 7) They that eat thy bread have struck thee secretly a wound, there is no understanding in them." R. Elazar said again: "A man that has no knowledge will finally be exiled, as it reads (Is. 5, 13) Therefore are my people led into exile, for want of knowledge."