Midrash sa Isaias 45:11: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Shir HaShirim Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

[(Numb. 27:16:) LET THE LORD, THE GOD OF THE SPIRITS <OF ALL FLESH>, APPOINT <SOMEONE OVER THE CONGREGATION>.] This text is related (to Is. 45:11): REGARDING THE THINGS TO COME, WOULD YOU QUESTION ME CONCERNING MY CHILDREN AND COMMAND THE WORK OF MY HANDS?¹¹Although the two verbs in this citation are imperative, both the biblical context and the interpretation of the midrash regard these commands as unthinkable suggestions. A parable: To what is the matter comparable?¹²Tanh., 8:11; Numb. R. 21:2, cont. To a king who took a wife and had a best man (shoshevin). Every time that the king was angry with his wife, the best man would placate¹³Rt. PYS. Cf. the Gk.: peisis or peisa (“persuasion”). him and the king would be reconciled. When the best man was about to die, he began to make a request of the king. He said to him: would you please pay attention to your wife. The king said to him: Instead of you charging me concerning my wife, charge my wife concerning me, that she be careful about my honor. So did the Holy One, as it were, say to Moses: Instead of you charging me (in Numb. 27:16): LET THE GOD OF THE SPIRITS OF ALL FLESH <APPOINT SOMEONE OVER THE CONGREGATION>, charge them concerning me, that they be diligent about my honor. What is written below (in Numb. 28:1–2)? THEN THE LORD SPOKE UNTO MOSES, SAYING: COMMAND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, AND SAY UNTO THEM: MY OFFERING, MY BREAD FOR MY FIRE OFFERING….

R. Eliezer Hamodai says: "Why do you cry out to Me?" I do not have to be commanded for the children of Israel, (Isaiah 45:11) "For My children and the work of My hands would you command Me?" Are they not "readied" before Me from the six days of creation? (Jeremiah 31:36) "Just as these laws (of nature) will not depart from before Me, says the L–rd, so the children of Israel will not cease from being a nation before me for all time."

Another matter, “your cheeks are lovely with ornaments [batorim],” when they read matters of Torah in their sequence [betoreihen]; the halakhot of Passover on Passover, the halakhot of Shavuot on Shavuot, and the halakhot of Sukkot on Sukkot. Just as you say: “When the turn [tor] of each and every young woman would come” (Esther 2:12). “Your neck with beads,” Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Ḥama ben Rabbi Ḥanina: These are the portions of the Torah that are linked to each other, lead one to another, leap one to another,²⁵⁶That which is unclear or missing from one passage is clarified or filled in from a different passage (Matnot Kehuna). are comparable one to another, and are related one to another. Like this, that is written: “To these the land will be divided as an inheritance” (Numbers 26:53). What is written there? “The daughters of Tzelofḥad approached” (Numbers 27:1), “the daughters of Tzelofḥad speak correctly” (Numbers 27:7), and it is written thereafter: “Ascend to this highland of Avarim” (Numbers 27:12),²⁵⁷The midrash cites verses from three consecutive passages: Moses took a census of the Israelites, following which God commanded that the Land of Israel be eventually divided among those counted in that census (Numbers 26:1–56). The daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to request that although only men were counted in the census, since their father had died without sons, his portion should go to his daughters. Moses consulted God, who said that in a case where a man dies without sons, he is inherited by his daughters (Numbers 27:1–11). Then God commanded Moses to ascend to Avarim, where he would die, and Moses asked God to appoint a successor to lead the Israelites, and God appointed Joshua (Numbers 27:12–23). which is Mount Nevo.²⁵⁸See Deuteronomy 32:49. What does this have to do with that? Since the land was divided, the daughters of Tzelofḥad came to Moses to receive their portion and Moses recused himself from their case. That is what is written: “Moses brought their case before [the Lord]” (Numbers 27:5). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Moses, from their case you recuse yourself, but you do not remove yourself from before Me?²⁵⁹You continue pleading before Me to allow you to enter the Land. “Ascend to this highland of Avarim.”’²⁶⁰Moses was told that he may see the Land from the mountain, and that after seeing the Land he would die without entering it. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing for Israel?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Is it necessary for you to command Me regarding My children; “will you command Me regarding My handiwork” (Isaiah 45:11)? Before you command Me regarding My children,²⁶¹Moses’s request is expressed in a somewhat assertive manner: “Let the Lord appoint a man” (Numbers 27:16). command My children in My regard.’ This is that is written: “Command the children and say to them” (Numbers 28:2).²⁶²This introduces the command to bring the daily continual offerings. To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king’s wife who was departing from the world. She said to him: ‘By the life of my lord, the king, I command you regarding my children.’ He said to her: ‘Before you command me regarding my children, command my children in my regard.’ So it was when Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, since You are expelling me from the world, what leaders are You appointing over them?’