מדרש אויף במדבר 17:17

(Exodus 14:1-2) "And the L–rd said to Moses, saying: Speak to the children of Israel that they return and encamp": R. Shimon b. Yochai says: Wherever it is written "saying and tell them," it (i.e., the command that follows) is for all generations, and wherever it is not written, (as in this instance) it is for that time alone. Rebbi says: Even where it is not written, it is for all generations, except for three instances, here, (Ibid. 25:1), and (Numbers 17:17). "that they return and encamp before Pi Hachiroth": What were these "chiroth"? (Two rocks, which were) not slanting, but straight; not open (between them), but surrounded (by stones, not affording passage between them); not round, but square; not man-made, but Heaven-made; with (the figure of) open eyes; one (in the figure of) a male, and (the other in the figure of) a female. These are the words of R. Eliezer. R. Yehoshua says: Hachiroth on one side, Migdol on the other side; the sea before them and Egypt behind them.

“She conceived again, and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard that I am hated, He gave me this as well. She called his name Simeon” (Genesis 29:33).
“She conceived again, and bore a son, and said: Because the Lord heard [shama] that I am hated, He gave me this as well. She called his name Simeon [Shimon]” – this one is destined to produce an enemy.¹¹Zimri ben Salu (see Numbers 25:14). Who will heal his wound? It is Pinḥas, who is destined to be produced from Levi.
“She conceived again, and bore a son, and said: Now, this time, my husband will accompany [yillaveh] me, as I have borne him three sons; therefore, he called his name Levi” (Genesis 29:34).
“She conceived again, and bore a son…therefore, he called his name Levi” – Rabbi Yudan said: This Levi is destined to accompany the children to their Father in Heaven.
“Therefore [al ken], he called his name” – everywhere that al ken is stated, it is a large population.
“She conceived again, and bore a son, she said: This time I will thank the Lord. Therefore, she called his name Judah, and she ceased bearing” (Genesis 29:35).
“She conceived again, and bore a son; she said: This time I will thank [odeh] the Lord. [Therefore, she called his name Judah [Yehuda]]” – Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Levi: This is analogous to a priest who descended to the threshing floor. One gave him a kor¹²A kor is 30 seim. The equivalent of about 250 liters. of tithe, but he showed him no gratitude. And one gave him a handful of non-sacred produce, and he showed him gratitude. He [the first man] said to him: ‘My lord priest, I gave you a kor, and that one gave you only a handful, and you show gratitude to him?’ He said to him: ‘You gave me from my portion, but that one gave me from his own; that is why I showed him gratitude.’ So, because the matriarchs believed that this one would have three, and that one would have three, when Leah bore a fourth son, she said: “This time I will thank the Lord.”

That is what is written: “Take from them one staff for each [mateh mateh] patrilineal house” (Numbers 17:17) – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: My children have stumbled [matu matu]; they stumbled with the calf, they stumbled with the spies. Rabbi Levi said: Two tribes ascended to greatness – the tribe of priesthood and the tribe of kingship. You find that everything that is written regarding this one is written regarding that one: Anointment for this one, anointment for that one; mateh for this one¹³Numbers 17:23. and mateh for that one;¹⁴Psalms 110:2. covenant of salt for this one,¹⁵Numbers 18:19. covenant of salt for that one;¹⁶II Chronicles 13:5. “this time”¹⁷Genesis 29:34. for this one and “this time”¹⁸Genesis 29:35. for that one; crown [nezer] for this one,¹⁹Leviticus 8:9. crown [nezer] for that one;²⁰II Kings 11:12. approach for this one²¹Exodus 28:1. and approach for that one;²²Jeremiah 30:21. pedigree for this one²³Numbers 3:1–-4. and pedigree for that one;²⁴Ruth 4:18–22. frontplate for this one²⁵Leviticus 8:9. and frontplate for that one.²⁶Psalms 132:18.
Rabbi Levi said: “He will not withdraw His eyes [einav] from the righteous” (Job 36:7) – “His eyes” – his likeness [eino]²⁷He has descendants who are in his likeness. See Maharsha Megillah 13b., like the person who says: ‘The sample of [einohi] fruit.’²⁸Somebody who wants to sell fruit shows a sample. The sample shows the quality of the entire stock. “And kings upon the throne” (Job 36:7)²⁹This is the end of the verse quoted above, but it is not part of the flow of this passage. – Leah adopted the wisdom of thanks [hodaya], and masters of thanks [hodaya] were produced from her. Judah – “Judah recognized them, and said: She is more righteous than I”³⁰Hodaya can also mean to acknowledge. (Genesis 38:26); David said: “Give thanks [hodu] to the Lord, for He is good,” (Psalms 136:1); Daniel said: “I thank and praise [mehoda] You, God of my fathers” (Daniel 2:23).
Rachel adopted the wisdom of silence, and masters of silence were produced from her. Benjamin: “chalcedony [yashefe]” (Exodus 28:20),³¹This stone on the breastpiece of the High Priest had the name of Benjamin inscribed on it. there is a mouth [yesh peh]; he knew of the sale of Joseph, but did not tell. Saul: “But the matter of the kingship…he did not tell him” (I Samuel 10:16). Esther: “Esther did not disclose her birthplace or her people” (Esther 2:20).
“Therefore [al ken], she called his name” – everywhere that al ken is stated, it is a large population.
“And she ceased [vataamod] bearing” – who establishes [maamid] the woman’s standing in her house? It is her children.