Мидраш к Шофтим 2:26

And he called to Moshe: Rabbi Tanchum Bar Chanilai opened (Psalms 103:20), “'Bless the Lord, His messengers (malachav), powerful ones who fulfill His word, etc.' About whom is the verse speaking? If the verse is speaking about the [angels], has it not already been stated, 'Bless the Lord, all of His Hosts?' Behold, it is only speaking about [people]. [About the angels,] since they are able to accomplish the errands of the Holy One, blessed be He, they are told, ' Bless the Lord, all of His Hosts'; but [about people], since they are not able to accomplish the errands of the Holy One, blessed be He, hence it states, 'Bless the Lord, His messengers,' and not 'all of His messengers.'” Another explanation: The prophets are called messengers. So is it written (Numbers 20:16), “and He sent a messenger and he took us out of Egypt.' And was it an angel of the Lord, and was it not Moshe? And [so] why is he called a messenger? Rather, from here [we see that] prophets are called messengers. And like it is (Judges 2:1) “And a messenger of the Lord came up from Bokhim.” Was it an angel of the Lord and was it not Pinchas? And [so] why did it call him a messenger? But rather Rabbi Simon said, “When Pinchas had the holy spirit come upon him, his face would burn like torches.” And our rabbis said, “Manoach's wife said to him (Judges 13:16), 'Behold, a man of God is coming towards me and his appearance is like the appearance of an angel of God' – she thought that he was a prophet and he was [actually] an angel.” Rabbi Yochanan said, “From their essence, the prophets were called messengers – so it is written (Chaggai 1:13), 'And Chaggai, the messenger of the Lord in the service of the Lord said.' Perforce you learn that from their essence, prophets were called messengers.” (Psalms 103:20) “Powerful ones who fulfill His word, etc.” – about what is the verse speaking? Rabbi Yitzchak said, “The verse is speaking about those that observe the sabbatical year. It is customary in the world that a man will fulfill a commandment for a day, for a Shabbat, for a month, but for the rest of the days of the year? And this one watches his field empty, watches his vineyard empty and he gives his purse and is silent – is there one more powerful than this one? And if you would say that it is not speaking about those that observe the sabbatical year, here it states, 'who fulfill his word' and later it states (Deuteronomy 15:2) 'This is the word of the Sabbatical.' Just like regarding the word that is stated later on, the verse is speaking about those that observe the Sabbatical year, so too the word stated here, - it is about those that observe the Sabbatical year that the verse is speaking. "Who fulfill His word" - Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rav Acha, "The verse is speaking about Israel when they were standing in front of Mount Sinai; as they had fulfilling precede hearing and said (Exodus 24:7), 'Everything that the Lord said, we will fulfill and we will hear.'" [The verse in Psalms continues] "To listen to the voice of His word" - Rabbi Tanchum Bar Chanilai said, "It is customary in the world that a load that is difficult for one [to carry] is comfortable for two, and [one difficult] for two is comfortable for four; and [so] would a load that is difficult for sixty multitudes be comfortable for one? All of Israel was standing in front of Mount Sinai and saying (Deuteronomy 5:22), 'if we continue to listen, etc.' and [yet] Moshe listens to the Voice of the word by himself and lives? You should know that it is so, as from all of them He only called to Moshe. Hence it states, 'And He called to Moshe.'"

(Numb. 13:1-2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Send men to explore the land of Canaan.’” Let our master instruct us: Is it permitted to set sail on the Great Sea (i.e., the Mediterranean) three days before the Sabbath?¹Numb. R. 16:1. Thus have our masters taught (in Shab. 19a): One does not set sail in a ship on the Great Sea three days before the Sabbath, when one wants to go to a distant place. If, however, one desires to set sail from Tyre to Sidon, for example, it is permitted for one to set sail even on the Sabbath eve, because it is a known fact that one can go [there] while it is still daylight. Now these words concern agents with freedom of action; but in the case of agents for [carrying out] a commandment, it is permitted for [such a] one to set sail on whatever day he wants. Why? Because he is an agent for [carrying out] a commandment, and an agent for [carrying out] a commandment overrides the Sabbath. And so you find with reference to the sukkah that they have taught (in Suk. 2:4), “Agents for [carrying out] a religious duty are exempted from [the requirements of] the sukkah.”²Suk. 25a (bar). You have none so dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, as an agent, when he is sent to carry out a religious duty and is risking his life to succeed in it. And you have none who were sent to carry out a religious duty and who risked their lives to succeed in their mission like those two whom Joshua ben Nun sent. Thus it is stated (in Josh. 2:1), “Then Joshua ben Nun sent two spies [from Shittim secretly, saying]….” Who were they? Our masters have taught, “These were Phinehas and Caleb.” They had gone and risked their lives in order to be successful in their mission. What is the implication of secretly (heresh), saying? That they made themselves out to be potters and cried, “Here are pots. Whoever wants [some], let him come and buy.” [Their ruse was] so that no one would notice them. Hence secretly (heresh) is written [in this verse, but] read it [as] clay (heres), (from which pots are made). [They had made themselves out to be potters] lest people say that they were spies. (Ibid., cont.:) “So they went and came to the house of a woman who was a harlot whose name was Rahab […].” She arose and received them. The king of Jericho became aware of them and heard that they had come to investigate the whole land, as stated (in vs. 2), “But it was told the king of Jericho [….].” When they came to look for them, what did Rahab do? She took them away to hide them. Phinehas said to her, “I am a priest, and the priests are comparable to the angels (mal'akhim), as stated (in Mal. 2:7), “For the lips of a priest preserve knowledge, and they seek Torah from his mouth, because he is a messenger (mal'akh) of the Lord of hosts.” Now an angel desiring [to be visible] is visible; and one desiring [to be invisible] is not visible. And the prophets are also comparable to angels. As so is it stated about Moshe (in Numb. 20:16), “and he sent a messenger (mal'akh) who brought us out of Egypt.” And was it an angel? And was he not Moses? Hence the prophets are likened to angels (mal'akhim). And so too is it stated (in Jud. 2:1), “An angel (mal'akh) of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, ‘I brought you up from Egypt…” And was he not Phinehas? It is simply that from here [it is shown] that the prophets are called angels. And so do you find with the wife of Manoah, as she said (in Jud. 13:6), “A man of God came to me; he looked like an angel (mal'akh) of God, very frightening.” And it likewise states (in Hag. 1:13), “And Hagai, the messenger (mal'akh) of God, spoke in the mission of the Lord to the people, saying.” Hence you have learned that the prophets were called angels. And it likewise states (in II Chron. 36:16), “And they mocked the messengers of God and disdained His words.” Hence Phinehas said to her, “I am a priest, when I desire [to be visible] I am visible; and when I desire [to be invisible], I am not visible. Now where is it shown that [Rahab] had only hidden Caleb? Where it is stated (in Josh. 2:4), “So the woman took the two men and concealed him.” It does not say, “hid them,” but rather “hid him³Him is a literal translation of the Masoretic text.” [This is] to teach you how much these two righteous men risked themselves to fulfill their mission. But the agents whom Moses sent were wicked. Where is it shown? From what they have read on the matter (in Numb. 14:36), “As for the men whom Moses sent to scout the land, those who came back and caused the whole community to mutter against Him by spreading calumnies about the land.” Ergo (in Numb. 13:2) “Send men.”

“It was in the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A man of Bethlehem of Judah went to reside in the fields of Moav; he, his wife, and his two sons” (Ruth 1:1).
“It was in the days when the judges judged [shefot hashofetim].” Woe to the generation that judged their judges, and woe to the generation whose judges require judgment, as it is stated: “They also did not heed their judges” (Judges 2:17). Who were they [those judges]? Rav said: They were Barak and Deborah. Rabbi Yehosha ben Levi said: They were Shamgar and Ehud. Rav Huna said: They were Deborah, Barak, and Yael. Shefot – one, shofetim – two, hashofetim – three.

Rabbi Levi said: Any place where [the phrase] “the hand of God” is stated, it is the plague of pestilence. The paradigm of them all is: “Behold, the hand of the Lord is [upon your cattle… a very severe pestilence]” (Exodus 9:3). Bar Kappara said: They demanded with the hand,¹¹⁴“Would that we had died by the hand of God in Egypt” (Exodus 16:3). and the hand¹¹⁵Regarding the generation of the wilderness, it is written: “And the hand of God was against them…until their demise” (Deuteronomy 2:14–15). harmed them. Rabbi Simon said: Among those who departed [the land of Israel] there was a plague;¹¹⁶This is derived from the fact that it states here: “The hand of the Lord has emerged against me [yatze’a bi],” which can be interpreted in the sense of biyatzi, “when I left.” among those who remained there was no plague. The students of Rabbi Neḥemya cite it from there: This is what is written: “Wherever they departed, the hand of the Lord was against them for evil” (Judges 2:15) – among those who departed there was a plague; among those who remained there was no plague. Rabbi Reuven said: Their children,¹¹⁷The children of those who departed Egypt. too, were suffering in their wake, and saying: ‘When will they die so we can enter the Land?’

The ministering angels asked: Who is the one who caused the Shekhinah to depart from Israel? He replied: I have removed My Shekhinah from such-and-such place in which I have beheld a judge perverting justice, and I have forsaken that place, as is said: For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, saith the Lord; I will set him in safety at whom they puff (Ps. 12:6). What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He unsheathes His sword before the judge to remind him that there is a judge on high, as is said: Be ye afraid of the sword; for wrath bringeth the punishments of the sword, that ye may know there is a judgment (Job 19:29). Shadin (“judgment, involvement”) is written here to indicate (by its similarity to Shaddai [Almighty]) that when a judge judges truthfully, the Shekhinah does not depart form that place, as it is said: When the Lord raised them up judges, then the Lord was moved to judge, and save them out of the hands of their enemies, all the days of the judge (Judg. 2:18). Thus it is written: Keep ye justice, and do righteousness; for My salvation is here to come (Isa. 56:1), that is, then I will associate Myself with you.

(Exod. 7:8–9:) THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES AND UNTO AARON, SAYING: WHEN PHARAOH SPEAKS UNTO YOU, < SAYING > PRODUCE YOUR MIRACLE, <YOU SHALL SAY UNTO AARON: TAKE YOUR ROD AND CAST IT DOWN BEFORE PHARAOH. IT SHALL BECOME A SERPENT>. This text is related to (Is. 46:10): DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING, AND FROM OF OLD, THINGS THAT HAVE NOT <YET> HAPPENED, SAYING: MY PLAN SHALL COME TO PASS AND I WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL MY DESIRE (HPTs).⁶⁹Tanh., Exod. 2:11; Exod. R. 9:1. What is the meaning of DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING? The Holy One declares from the start what is going to happen in the end. Where is it shown? Where he said so to Moses (in Deut. 31:16): BEHOLD, YOU ARE SOON TO SLEEP WITH YOUR ANCESTORS. THEN THIS PEOPLE WILL ARISE AND GO WHORING <AFTER THE ALIEN GODS OF THE LAND>…. He told him what Israel was going to do after Joshua had been dead for some years. (Ibid.:) AND GO WHORING AFTER THE ALIEN GODS OF THE LAND. And so they did (according to Jud. 2:11): THEN THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL DID EVIL IN THE EYES OF THE LORD AND THEY WORSHIPPED THE BAALS…. (Deut. 31:16, cont.:) THEY WILL FORSAKE ME AND BREAK MY COVENANT. (Cf. Jud. 2:12:) THEY FORSOOK THE LORD {AND DID NOT WORSHIP HIM}. Ergo (in Is. 46:10): DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING. R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: Whoever hears this verse is thinking: Is there a love of strife⁷⁰Gk.: philoneikia. above? (Cf. Is. 46:10, cont.:) SAYING: MY PLAN SHALL COME TO PASS, AND I WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL MY DESIRE. Why so? Because the Holy One does not desire (HPTs) to convict any creature, as stated (in Ps. 5:5 [4]): FOR YOU ARE NOT A GOD WHO DELIGHTS (HPTs) IN WICKEDNESS….⁷¹Tanh., Gen. 4:8; M. Pss. 5:7. And so it says (in Ezek. 33:11): I DO NOT DESIRE (rt.: HPTs) THE DEATH OF THE WICKED <BUT THAT THE WICKED TURN FROM HIS WAY AND LIVE.>… Ergo (in Is. 46:10): SAYING: MY PLAN SHALL COME TO PASS, AND I WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL MY DESIRE (HPTs). Thus the Holy One desires (HPTs) to declare all his creatures righteous, as stated (in Is. 42:21): THE LORD WAS DELIGHTED (HPTs) BECAUSE OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, TO MAGNIFY AND GLORIFY TORAH.⁷²On this interpretation of Is. 42:21, see also Mak. 3:16; ARN, A, 41:21; Targum to Is. 42:21. Ergo (in Is. 46:10): AND I WILL ACCOMPLISH ALL MY DESIRE.

R. Simon b. Pazi said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, who spoke in the name of bar Kappara: "Whoever sheds tears upon the death of an upright person, the Holy One, praised be He! will number and store it in His treasure, as it is said (Ps. 56, 9.) My wandering hast Thou well numbered; put Thou my tears into thy bottle; behold they are numbered by Thee." R. Juda in the name of Rab said: "Whoever is slow to mourn the death of a Chacham (scholar) is destined to be buried alive, as it is said (Jos. 24, 30.) And they buried him on the border of his inheritance at Timnath Serach, which is on the mountain of Ephraim, on the north side of Mt. Ga'ash. i.e., Ga'ash (storm). We infer from this that the mountain stormed at them (Israel) and wished to destroy them [because they did not mourn the death of Joshua] . R. Chiya b. Abba in the name of R. Jochanan said: "Whoever is slow to mourn the death of a scholar will not live long. This is a retaliation, as it is said (Is. 27, 8.) In measure, by driving him forth, thou strivest with him." The following objection was raised to R. Jochanan by R. Chiya b. Abba: "And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders that lived many days after Joshua (Judg; 2, 7.) [Hence they were not punished.]" "Thou Babylonian!" said R. Jochanan to him, "it says many days but not many years." According to this interpretation, the passage (Deu. 11, 21.) In order that your days may he multiplied, and the days of your children, would also mean days and not years. When it alludes to a blessing, it is different. R. Chiva b. Abba in the name of R. Jochanan said also: "If one brother dies, all the remaining brothers should feel anxious [examine their deeds]. If a member of a society should die, let the whole society become anxious. According to some, this is so only when the most important one among them should die, and according to others, only when the least important one should die."

1 A legal teaching: Is it permitted to set sail on the Great Sea (i.e., the Mediterranean) three days before the Sabbath? Our masters taught (in Shab. 19a): One does not set sail in a ship on the Great Sea three days before the Sabbath, when one wants to go to a distant place. If, however, one desires to set sail from Tyre to Sidon, for example, it is permitted for one to set sail even on the Sabbath eve, because it is a known fact that one can go [there] while it is still daylight. Now these words concern agents with freedom of action; but in the case of agents for [carrying out] a commandment, it is permitted for [such a] one to set sail on whatever day he wants. Why? Because he is an agent for [carrying out] a commandment, and an agent for [carrying out] a commandment overrides the Sabbath. And so you find with reference to the sukkah that they have taught (in Suk. 2:4), “Agents for [carrying out] a religious duty are exempted from [the requirements of] the sukkah.”¹Suk. 25a (bar). You have none so dear to the Holy One, blessed be He, as an agent, when he is sent to carry out a religious duty and is risking his life to succeed in it. And you have none who were sent to carry out a religious duty and who risked their lives to succeed in their mission like those two whom Joshua ben Nun sent. Thus it is stated (in Josh. 2:1), “Then Joshua ben Nun sent two [spies] from Shittim [secretly, saying]….” Who were they? Our masters have taught, “These were Phinehas and Caleb.” They had gone and risked their lives in order to be successful in their mission. What is the implication of secretly (heresh)? That they made themselves out to be potters and cried, “Here are pots. Whoever wants [some], let him come and buy.” [Their ruse was] so that no one would notice them. [Hence secretly (heresh) is written [in this verse,] but read it [as] clay (heres), (from which pots are made). [They had made themselves out to be potters] lest people say that they were spies. (Ibid., cont.) “So they went and came to the house of a woman who was a harlot whose name was Rahab […]”: She arose and received them. The king of Jericho became aware of them and heard that they had come to investigate the whole land, as stated (in vs. 2), “But it was told the king of Jericho [….].” When they came to look for them, what did Rahab do? She took them away to hide them. Phinehas said to her, “I am a priest, and the priests are comparable to the angels (mal'akhim), as stated (in Mal. 2:7), “For the lips of a priest preserve knowledge, and they seek Torah from his mouth, because he is a messenger (mal'akh) of the Lord of hosts.” Now an angel desiring [to be visible] is visible; and one desiring [to be invisible] is not visible. And from where is it known that the prophets are also comparable to angels. As so is it stated about Moses (in Numb. 20:16), “and he sent a messenger (mal'akh) who brought us out of Egypt.” And was it an angel? And was he not Moses? Hence the prophets are likened to angels (mal'akhim). And so too is it stated (in Jud. 2:1), “An angel (mal'akh) of the Lord came up from Gilgal to Bochim and said, ‘I brought you up from Egypt…” And was he not Phinehas? It is simply that from here [it is shown] that the prophets are called angels. Hence Phinehas said to her, “I am a priest, and I do not need to hide. Hide my colleague, Caleb, and I will stand in front of them but they will not see me.” And so did she do, as stated (in Josh. 2:4), “So the woman took the two men [and hid him].” It does not say, “hid them,” but rather “hid him²Him is a literal translation of the Masoretic text.” Behold that she did not hide Phinehas, but rather [only] Caleb. [This is] to teach you how much these two righteous men risked themselves to fulfill their mission. But the agents whom Moses sent were wicked. Where is it shown? From what they have read on the matter (in Numb. 13:2) “Send men.”