נָֽתְנ֡וּ אֶת־נִבְלַ֬ת עֲבָדֶ֗יךָ מַ֭אֲכָל לְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם בְּשַׂ֥ר חֲ֝סִידֶ֗יךָ לְחַיְתוֹ־אָֽרֶץ׃
Ibinigay nila ang mga bangkay ng Iyong mga lingkod bilang pagkain ng mga ibon sa himpapawid, ang laman ng Iyong mga tapat sa mga hayop ng lupa.
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses led Israel from the Red Sea and they went out to the wilderness of Shur. They walked three days in the wilderness and did not find water” (Exodus 15:22).
“Moses led Israel,”1The verse implies that the people did not travel willingly and therefore Moses had to direct them to move onward from the sea. that is what is written: “Do you thus requite the Lord?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). Rabbi Sheshe son of Rabbi Abba would write the heh below it and the lamed above it, as though to say: Alas, do you thus requite the Lord?2The heh in the word “do…the Lord [הלה']” appears slightly distinct from the rest of the word, implying that it stood for its own word, alas [hoy]. After all the miracles that He performed on your behalf; that He split the sea into twelve portions, and He submerged the Egyptians into the sea, and one of His hands was submerging them and one of His hands was rescuing you, as it is stated: “Your right hand, Lord, is glorious in strength; Your right hand, Lord, [smashes an enemy]” (Exodus 15:6). He took you up from the sea and gave you their silver and gold, as well as everything that was on their horses that were adorned with silver and gold. He fed you for forty years and did not leave you for even one moment. How many enemies came against you, but He did not allow you to flee, but rather He toppled them before you and protected you. It was not only from your enemies, but also from serpents and scorpions. He illuminated before you, as it is stated: “The Lord went before them by day [in a pillar of cloud…and by night in a pillar of fire, to illuminate for them]” (Exodus 13:21). You forgot all the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on your behalf. Mikha’s idol was crossing the sea with you, and you abandoned matters of Torah and fixated on other matters. “Is it to the Lord that you do this?”
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: Not only did Mikha’s idol cross with them, but they spoke contentiously toward God, as it is stated: “Whom You redeemed for You from Egypt, nations and their gods” (II Samuel 7:23).3This verse is generally understood to refer to what God did to other nations and their gods on behalf of Israel. It is interpreted here to mean that God took from Egypt Israel and its gods, a reference to the idol of Mikha.
Likewise, it says: “They were defiant at the sea, in the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7). Why twice?4Why “at the sea” and again “in the Red Sea.” Rather, at the sea they were defiant in that they did not wish to descend, were it not for the tribe of Judah that leapt first and sanctified the name of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “When Israel went out of Egypt…Judah became His holy one” (Psalms 114:1–2). From where is it derived that they were defiant while in the Red Sea? When they descended into the sea [the ground] was full of mortar, as it had been until then wet from the water, so it was like mortar, as it is stated: “You trampled the sea with Your horses, the roiling [ḥomer]5The word ḥomer can also be vocalized ḥemar, mortar. of mighty waters” (Habakkuk 3:15). Reuben was saying to Simeon: In Egypt “with mortar,” at the sea there is mortar. In Egypt, “with mortar and with bricks” (Exodus 1:14); at the sea: “The roiling [ḥomer] of mighty waters.” That is, “they were defiant at the sea, in the Red Sea.” After all these miracles, you repay Me with evil?
“Do you thus requite the Lord, vile and unwise people?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). It is regarding the generation of Jeremiah that he said this verse. “Vile [naval]…people,” who were rendered carcasses [nevelot], as it is stated: “They gave the carcasses of Your servants to birds of the heavens” (Psalms 79:2). Why? Because they were unwise, as it is stated: “Vile and unwise people.” Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: If the mightiest of the mighty is below, and the weakest of the weak is above, [the one above] will emerge victorious, and more so if the mighty is above and the weak is below. How much more so when the Holy One blessed be He, the mightiest of the mighty, is above, and you, flesh and blood, are below, must you not understand?6You must understand that you must submit to Him. You are a “vile and unwise people.”
“Is He not your Father, your Master [kanekha]?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). If you merit it, your father; just as a son is petulant with his father and he performs his will, so you are petulant before Him, and He performs your will.
Another matter, if He is your Father, why your Master; if He is your Master, why your Father? Rather, when Israel performs the will of the Omnipresent, He has mercy on them like a father on his sons. When they do not perform His will, He subjugates them like a slave. Just as a slave, whether he likes it or not, serves his master against his will, so too, you will perform the will of the Omnipresent against your will, whether you like it or not.
Rabbi Taḥalifa of Caesarea says in the name of Rabbi Pila: Come and see how many miracles the Holy One blessed be He performs for a person, but he does not know. Were one to eat bread as is, it would descend to his innards and scratch them. But the Holy One blessed be He created a water source in his throat7Rabbi Pila interprets the term “your Master [kanekha]” as an allusion to the esophagus [kaneh]. The simple fact that one has saliva, which aids in swallowing food, is a great gift that God provided humanity, which they do not even recognize as such (Maharzu). that causes the bread to descend in peace. “He made you, and He established you [vayekhonenekha]” (Deuteronomy 32:6). He made you with everything that you need. After all this, “is it to the Lord that you do this,” you go and speak superfluous matters?
Another matter, “is it to the Lord that you do this?” He said to them: After He performed all these miracles on your behalf, you refuse Him? As it is written: “They were defiant at the sea, in the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7); “at the sea,” on the seashore; “in the Red Sea,” in its plain sense. At that moment, the angel of the sea became filled with rage and sought to wash them away, until the Holy One blessed be He rebuked it and the water dried, as it is stated: “He rebukes the sea and dries it” (Nahum 1:4). And it says: “He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried” (Psalms 106:9). When Moses saw this, he led them from the sin at the sea. That is why it is stated: “Moses led Israel.”
“Moses led Israel,”1The verse implies that the people did not travel willingly and therefore Moses had to direct them to move onward from the sea. that is what is written: “Do you thus requite the Lord?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). Rabbi Sheshe son of Rabbi Abba would write the heh below it and the lamed above it, as though to say: Alas, do you thus requite the Lord?2The heh in the word “do…the Lord [הלה']” appears slightly distinct from the rest of the word, implying that it stood for its own word, alas [hoy]. After all the miracles that He performed on your behalf; that He split the sea into twelve portions, and He submerged the Egyptians into the sea, and one of His hands was submerging them and one of His hands was rescuing you, as it is stated: “Your right hand, Lord, is glorious in strength; Your right hand, Lord, [smashes an enemy]” (Exodus 15:6). He took you up from the sea and gave you their silver and gold, as well as everything that was on their horses that were adorned with silver and gold. He fed you for forty years and did not leave you for even one moment. How many enemies came against you, but He did not allow you to flee, but rather He toppled them before you and protected you. It was not only from your enemies, but also from serpents and scorpions. He illuminated before you, as it is stated: “The Lord went before them by day [in a pillar of cloud…and by night in a pillar of fire, to illuminate for them]” (Exodus 13:21). You forgot all the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on your behalf. Mikha’s idol was crossing the sea with you, and you abandoned matters of Torah and fixated on other matters. “Is it to the Lord that you do this?”
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Ilai said: Not only did Mikha’s idol cross with them, but they spoke contentiously toward God, as it is stated: “Whom You redeemed for You from Egypt, nations and their gods” (II Samuel 7:23).3This verse is generally understood to refer to what God did to other nations and their gods on behalf of Israel. It is interpreted here to mean that God took from Egypt Israel and its gods, a reference to the idol of Mikha.
Likewise, it says: “They were defiant at the sea, in the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7). Why twice?4Why “at the sea” and again “in the Red Sea.” Rather, at the sea they were defiant in that they did not wish to descend, were it not for the tribe of Judah that leapt first and sanctified the name of the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “When Israel went out of Egypt…Judah became His holy one” (Psalms 114:1–2). From where is it derived that they were defiant while in the Red Sea? When they descended into the sea [the ground] was full of mortar, as it had been until then wet from the water, so it was like mortar, as it is stated: “You trampled the sea with Your horses, the roiling [ḥomer]5The word ḥomer can also be vocalized ḥemar, mortar. of mighty waters” (Habakkuk 3:15). Reuben was saying to Simeon: In Egypt “with mortar,” at the sea there is mortar. In Egypt, “with mortar and with bricks” (Exodus 1:14); at the sea: “The roiling [ḥomer] of mighty waters.” That is, “they were defiant at the sea, in the Red Sea.” After all these miracles, you repay Me with evil?
“Do you thus requite the Lord, vile and unwise people?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). It is regarding the generation of Jeremiah that he said this verse. “Vile [naval]…people,” who were rendered carcasses [nevelot], as it is stated: “They gave the carcasses of Your servants to birds of the heavens” (Psalms 79:2). Why? Because they were unwise, as it is stated: “Vile and unwise people.” Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta said: If the mightiest of the mighty is below, and the weakest of the weak is above, [the one above] will emerge victorious, and more so if the mighty is above and the weak is below. How much more so when the Holy One blessed be He, the mightiest of the mighty, is above, and you, flesh and blood, are below, must you not understand?6You must understand that you must submit to Him. You are a “vile and unwise people.”
“Is He not your Father, your Master [kanekha]?” (Deuteronomy 32:6). If you merit it, your father; just as a son is petulant with his father and he performs his will, so you are petulant before Him, and He performs your will.
Another matter, if He is your Father, why your Master; if He is your Master, why your Father? Rather, when Israel performs the will of the Omnipresent, He has mercy on them like a father on his sons. When they do not perform His will, He subjugates them like a slave. Just as a slave, whether he likes it or not, serves his master against his will, so too, you will perform the will of the Omnipresent against your will, whether you like it or not.
Rabbi Taḥalifa of Caesarea says in the name of Rabbi Pila: Come and see how many miracles the Holy One blessed be He performs for a person, but he does not know. Were one to eat bread as is, it would descend to his innards and scratch them. But the Holy One blessed be He created a water source in his throat7Rabbi Pila interprets the term “your Master [kanekha]” as an allusion to the esophagus [kaneh]. The simple fact that one has saliva, which aids in swallowing food, is a great gift that God provided humanity, which they do not even recognize as such (Maharzu). that causes the bread to descend in peace. “He made you, and He established you [vayekhonenekha]” (Deuteronomy 32:6). He made you with everything that you need. After all this, “is it to the Lord that you do this,” you go and speak superfluous matters?
Another matter, “is it to the Lord that you do this?” He said to them: After He performed all these miracles on your behalf, you refuse Him? As it is written: “They were defiant at the sea, in the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7); “at the sea,” on the seashore; “in the Red Sea,” in its plain sense. At that moment, the angel of the sea became filled with rage and sought to wash them away, until the Holy One blessed be He rebuked it and the water dried, as it is stated: “He rebukes the sea and dries it” (Nahum 1:4). And it says: “He rebuked the Red Sea and it dried” (Psalms 106:9). When Moses saw this, he led them from the sin at the sea. That is why it is stated: “Moses led Israel.”
Midrash Tehillim
Psalm of Asaph. O God, nations have entered Your inheritance. And if this psalm was meant to be a lament. Similarly, you say (2 Samuel 15:30) "David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went." Yet it is written "psalm". This is what the verse means (Proverbs 21:15) "It is joy for the righteous to do justice." The righteous pay their debt and sing to God. Similarly, Asaph says "Psalm of Asaph, O God." It is like a king who had a son who was difficult and did not listen to his father. What did the king do? When he was angry, he entered his son's chamber and tore and cut until it was all ripped apart and threw the son out. The king said, "I did wrong by tearing my son's chamber. I could have done it better, and I did not kill him in my anger because if I did, my brother's son would inherit me, and it is better that my son inherits me." Similarly, Asaph said that God did wrong by releasing his anger on trees and stones and not on his children. As it says (Lamentations 4:11) "The Lord has exhausted His anger; He has poured out His blazing wrath." How has He kindled a fire in Zion? Therefore, Asaph said, "You let them enter, and it is not written in the Torah (Numbers 1:51) 'But the outsider who comes near shall be put to death.' Not only the outsider, but also Aaron's holy sons who entered to offer were burned. Similarly, "And so did Uzziah not enter except for your honor, to burn incense before you, and he came out as a leper, and not only that but the earth trembled. And these uncircumcised ones who signed to enter, God said to him, "These entered without permission, therefore I struck them down. But those who entered with permission, I commanded them to enter as it says, 'Behold, I am calling to all the families of the earth' (Jeremiah 1:15)." God said, "What did the name Jerusalem do? It made itself a ruin, but I will renew it as it says, 'Instead of bronze I will bring gold' (Isaiah 60:17)." He said before Him, "Master of the universe, behold, You are renewing these, Your sons who were killed. What will You do, as it says, 'They gave the corpses of Your servants as food to the birds of the sky, the flesh of Your pious ones to the beasts of the earth' (Psalms 79:2)? Were they pious? But isn't it written, 'Jerked horses and eager warriors, every man staring ahead to the fight, jeering at them' (Jeremiah 6:23)?" Asaph said, "Once judgment was passed on them, they were pious." And similarly it says, 'If the wicked son deserves a beating, he is called your brother before you afflict him' (Deuteronomy 25:2). At first, he is called wicked, and after he is punished, he is called your brother, as it says, 'And your brother was humbled before your eyes' (Deuteronomy 25:3)."