Тегилим 147:4 Мидраш: Shemot Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma & Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)

These are the names [shemot] of the children of Israel who came to Egypt; Jacob and his sons, every man came with his household.⁷This is a paraphrase of Exodus 1:1 and Genesis 46:8. Israel is equated to the host of the heavens. Shemot is stated here and shemot is stated regarding the stars, as it is stated: “He sets a number for the stars and calls them all by name” (Psalms 147:4). The Holy One blessed be He, too, when they descended to Egypt, counted their numbers, how many they were. Because they are analogized to stars, He called them all by name; that is what is written: “These are the names of the children of Israel.”

(Is. 40:26:) WHO CREATED THESE? [THE ONE WHO SENDS FORTH THEIR HOST BY NUMBER. HE CALLS THEM ALL BY <A SINGLE> NAME.] It is written (ibid.): HE CALLS THEM ALL BY <A SINGLE > NAME. But one scriptural verse says, NAMES (i.e., Ps. 147:4): [HE GIVES NAMES TO THEM ALL]. If <Ps. 147:4 says> NAMES, why <does Is. 40:26 say> BY <A SINGLE> NAME? If <Is. 40:26 says> BY <A SINGLE> NAME, why <does Ps. 147:4 say> NAMES? It is simply that, when the Holy One wishes, he calls them all as a single <unit>; but when he wishes <otherwise>, he calls each and every one by his own name, <e.g.> Michael and Gabriel. Ergo (in Is. 40:26): HE CALLS THEM ALL BY <A SINGLE> NAME.

Another interpretation: David said (in Ps. 147:3): WHO HEALS THE BROKEN HEARTED…. These are the tribes since they had a broken heart, saying <that> Joseph might kill them. (Ps. 147:4:) HE RECKONS (rt.: MNH) THE NUMBER OF THE STARS.¹⁴Exod. R. 1:3. These are the tribes. Just as these stars only go forth by < their > names, as stated (ibid., cont.): HE GIVES THEM ALL NAMES; and likewise, when they come in, they come in with a reckoning (minyan, rt.: MNH), as stated (in Ps. 147:4): HE RECKONS (rt.: MNH) THE NUMBER OF THE STARS; so <also> in the case of the tribes, when they entered Egypt, it is written (in Deut. 10:22): WITH SEVENTY SOULS DID YOUR ANCESTORS GO DOWN TO EGYPT. Also, when they left, (according to Exod. 12:37): ABOUT SIX HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN ON FOOT. And before¹⁵The translation follows an emendation in Midrash Tanhuma (Jerusalem: Eshkol: n.d.), vol. 1, appendix, p. 89, n. 7. the tribes went down to Egypt, their names were specified (in Gen. 46). Also, when they entered Egypt, their names were specified, as stated (in Exod. 1:1): NOW THESE ARE THE NAMES OF THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.