Midrash sa Deuteronomio 22:10: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tehillim, Devarim Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

(Deut. 21:10:) WHEN YOU GO OUT TO WAR <AGAINST YOUR ENEMIES, AND THE LORD YOUR GOD GIVES THEM INTO YOUR HAND> AND YOU TAKE THEM CAPTIVE. Our masters have taught (Avot 4:2): <ONE> GOOD DEED BRINGS ABOUT <ANOTHER> GOOD DEED, AND <ONE> TRANSGRESSION BRINGS ABOUT <ANOTHER> TRANSGRESSION. (Deut. 21:11–12:) AND WHEN YOU SEE AMONG THE CAPTIVES A BEAUTIFUL WOMAN <WHOM YOU DESIRE TO TAKE FOR A WIFE, YOU SHALL BRING HER INTO YOUR HOUSE, > WHERE SHE SHALL SHAVE HER HEAD, so that she will not find favor in his eyes.¹Tanh., Deut. 6:1; see Deut. R. 6:4. What is written after that (in vs. 15):) WHEN A MAN HAS TWO WIVES. Two wives in <one> house <means> strife in the house. And moreover (ibid., cont.:) ONE LOVED AND THE OTHER HATED, or both of them hated. What is written after that (in vs. 18)? IF ONE HAS A DEFIANT AND REBELLIOUS SON. Whenever anyone marries a pretty face, there results from it A DEFIANT AND REBELLIOUS SON. Thus we find it so in the case of David, because (as suggested by II Sam. 3:3) he had lusted for Maacah bat Talmai king of Geshur, while he had gone to war.²By having sexual relations while at war with Saul (II Sam. 3:1), David was disobeying the Mosaic law of warfare. See Deut. 20:7–8. So Absalom came out of him <in this union>, who wanted to kill him and (according to II Sam. 16:22) slept with his wives before the eyes of all Israel and in broad daylight. Also because of him several myriads from Israel were killed. So he made discord in Israel. Also killed were Shimei [ben Gera] (in I Kings 2:46), Sheba ben Bichri (in II Sam. 20:22), Ahithophel (in II Sam. 17:23), Mephibosheth,³There seems to be some confusion between Mephibosheth who was a son of Saul that David had killed (in II Sam. 21:8) and the Mephibosheth who was Saul’s grandson and who was falsely accused of betraying David for Absalom (II Sam. 16:3; but cf. 19:24–30). and Ishbosheth (in II Sam. 4:7). Moreover <David> had Ziba rule over the whole house of Saul (II Sam. 16:4; cf. II Sam. 9:9). It is also taught: R. Jose says:⁴Sanh. 72a. Is it because A DEFIANT AND REBELLIOUS SON ate half a pound⁵Gk.: litra. of meat and drank half a log of wine that Torah says for one to go out to the place for <execution by> stoning (cf. Deut. 21:18–21)? It is simply that Torah has foreseen the end of A DEFIANT AND REBELLIOUS SON, that he ends up squandering his father's assets with wastrels with whom he eats and drinks, until he seeks what he has been accustomed to and does not find it.⁶Cf. Luke 15:14–16. Then he goes out to the crossroads, where he kills people and robs⁷Melastem, from the Gk.: lestes (“robber”). them. So Torah is saying: Let him die innocent and not die guilty, for the death of the wicked is fitting for them and fitting for the world. And what is written after that (in vs. 22)? AND WHEN SOMEONE IS GUILTY OF A CRIME PUNISHABLE BY DEATH AND IS PUT TO DEATH. If he is delivered from the one,⁸I.e., the preventive punishment as A DEFIANT AND REBELLIOUS SON. he is not delivered from the other. We have learned (in Avot 4:2): THAT <ONE> TRANSGRESSION BRINGS ABOUT <ANOTHER> TRANSGRESSION; <ONE> GOOD DEED/COMMANDMENT BRINGS ABOUT <ANOTHER> GOOD DEED/COMMANDMENT.⁹In the text of Avot the clauses are reversed. For the correct order, see the beginning of the paragraph. Note also that the word for GOOD DEED (mitswah) also means COMMANDMENT and that the midrash has both meanings in mind. Where is it shown (in Scripture)? Where it is stated (in Deut. 22:6–7): WHEN YOU COME ACROSS A BIRD NEST…. YOU MUST SURELY LET <THE MOTHER> GO …, IN ORDER THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH YOU AND YOU MAY LENGTHEN YOUR LIFE. What is written after that (in vs. 8)? [WHEN YOU BUILD A NEW HOUSE, <YOU SHALL MAKE A PARAPET FOR YOUR ROOF>.] You have the right to build a house and make a parapet. What is written after that (in vs. 9)? YOU SHALL NOT SOW YOUR VINEYARD WITH TWO KINDS OF SEED. You do have a right to <possess> a vineyard and to sow a field. What is written after that (in vs. 10)? YOU SHALL NOT PLOW WITH AN OX AND AN ASS <TOGETHER>. You do have a right to <possess> oxen and asses. What is written after that (in vs. 11)? YOU SHALL NOT WEAR INTERWOVEN STUFF, <WOOL AND FLAX TOGETHER>. You do have the right to nice clothes of wool and of linen (but not in combination). What is written after that (in vs. 12)? YOU SHALL MAKE YOURSELVES TASSELS. You have a right to the commandment on tassels. What is written after that (in vs. 13)? WHEN A MAN TAKES A WIFE. A man has a right to a wife and children. We learn (in Avot 4:2): THAT <ONE> GOOD DEED/COMMANDMENT BRINGS ABOUT <ANOTHER> GOOD DEED/COMMANDMENT; therefore the parashot are dependent on each other.

Another interpretation of “Blessed is the person” (Psalms 1:1) – these are the children of Korah who didn’t walk in the counsel of their father, as it is said, “Move away from the tents of these wicked people” (Numbers 16:26); “in the way of sinners” (Psalms 1:1) [also refers to the Korah rebellion, as it is said,] “the firepans of those sinners” (Numbers 17:3); “and the company of scoffers” (Psalms 1:1) – this refers to Korah, since he scoffed over Moses and over Aaron. What did he do? He assembled all the congregation, as it is said, “Korah gathered the entire community against them” (Numbers 16:19). He began to scoff, and he said to them, “There was a widow in my neighbourhood, and she had two young orphaned daughters, and she owned a single field. She came to plough [her field], and Moses said to her, “You shall not plough with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10). She came to sow [her seeds in her field] and Moses said to her “You shall not sow two types of seed together in your field” (Leviticus 19:19). She came to harvest, and to make bundles [of her harvested crop], and he told her to leave the forgotten gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corners [of her field, for poor people to gather]. She came to thresh [her produce] and he said to her [that she must give] a gift [to the priest], the tithe [of a Levi to a priest], the tithe of an Israelite to a Levite, and the second tithe [to be eaten by its owner in Jerusalem during specific years of the agricultural cycle]. She made herself right with the law and gave [all of these taxes] to him. What did she do? She sold her field and bought two sheep, in order to dress herself with their shearings, and to benefit from their offspring. When they gave birth, Aaron came and said to her, “Give me the first born, because the Holy One, blessed be He, told me, “[You shall consecrate to the Lord you God] all the male firstlings that are born in your herd and in your flock” (Deuteronomy 15:19).” She made herself right with the law and gave them to him. The time for shearing came along and she sheared them. [Aaron] said to her, “Give me the first of your shearing, because the Holy One, blessed be He, told me, “The first of the shearings of your flock should be given to him” (Deuteronomy 18:4).” She said [to herself], “I don’t have the strength to withstand this person, behold, I’m going to slaughter them and eat them.” Once she had slaughtered them, he said, “Give me the foreleg, the jaw, and the stomach.” She said to him, “Even after I slaughtered them, I wasn’t saved from his hand, let [the sheep] be proscribed to me [as if to say, I altogether wash my hands of these sheep!]” He told her to give him [what remained of the sheep], for so the scripture says, “Everything that has been proscribed shall be yours” (Numbers 18:14).” He took [the remains of the sheep] and he went on his way. He left her and her two daughters weeping. Can such appropriation be according to the law?! This is wretched looting! All of this they do, and they hang it upon the Holy One, blessed be He!” From here [we can see that] he was a scoffer. “But his delight is in the Torah of God” (Psalms 1:2), this refers to his children who sang a song [of praise to God], and they said, “We are obligated to honour our father, let us apportion honour [instead] to Moses our teacher. They stood, and they established themselves [as being on the side of Moses] because of the honour [due to] Moses; “and on His Torah he meditates [day and night]” (ibid.), this refers to the children of Korah. When the congregation of Korah were swallowed up, his children were [left standing on a pillar of earth that didn’t sink down; rising from the depths] like the mast of a ship, as it is says, “and they became an example” (Numbers 26:10). [The verse is referring to those who died, serving as an example. But the Midrash re-reads the verse creatively to suggest that Korah’s righteous children were left standing like a ship’s mast, since the word for an example, in this verse, נס, can also mean a banner; like one finds on the mast of a ship – the wicked people who died were one sort of example, and the children of Korah were a different sort of example]. Rabbi [Yehuda Ha-Nassi] says all of the [earth] surrounding them was torn away, but the earth upon which [the children of Korah] was standing was not torn. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, the three [children of Korah] were not standing in the same place. Rather, each one of them was standing in their own location, and they [were left looking] like three pillars. This accords with the teaching [that says], “Upon what does the world stand? Upon three pillars.” There are those that say [that these three pillars] are the three forefathers. There are those that say [that these three pillars] are Chananya, Mishael, and Azariya [from the book of Daniel]. And there are those that say [that these three pillars are] the three children of Korah. “Not so the wicked” (Psalms 1:4) — this refers to Korah and his congregation. “For God knows the way of the righteous” (Psalms 1:6) — this refers to the children of Korah; “but the way of the wicked is doomed” (ibid.) — this refers to Korah and his congregation.

This is what the verse said: “For they are a graceful adornment for your head [roshekha]” (Proverbs 1:9) – the Rabbis said: Matters of Torah are grace for your infirmity [rashiyutekha]. How so? A learned person, when he grows old, everyone [still] comes and surrounds him and asks him about matters of Torah.
Another interpretation, what is “for they are a graceful adornment [livyat] for your head”? Rabbi Pinḥas bar Ḥama said: Wherever you go, mitzvot accompany [melavot] you. “If you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof” (Deuteronomy 22:8). If you install a door for yourself, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house” (Deuteronomy 6:9). If you don new garments, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall not wear a mixture of fibers” (Deuteronomy 22:11). If you go to cut your hair, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall not round the edge of your head” (Leviticus 19:27). If you have a field and go to plow in it, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10). If you sow it, mitzvot accompany you, as is stated: “You shall not sow your vineyard with diverse kinds” (Deuteronomy 22:9). If you reap it, mitzvot accompany you, as it is stated: “When you reap your harvest in your field, and you forget a sheaf in the field, [you shall not return to take it]” (Deuteronomy 24:19). The Holy One blessed be He said, [moreover]: ‘Even when you are not occupied with any activity at all, but are [simply] walking on the road, mitzvot accompany you.’ From where is this derived? It is as it is stated: “If a bird's nest will happen before you.”