כְּטַל־חֶרְמ֗וֹן שֶׁיֹּרֵד֮ עַל־הַרְרֵ֪י צִ֫יּ֥וֹן כִּ֤י שָׁ֨ם ׀ צִוָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה אֶת־הַבְּרָכָ֑ה חַ֝יִּ֗ים עַד־הָעוֹלָֽם׃
אַזױ װי דער חרמון-טױ װאָס נידערטאױף די בערג פֿון צִיון;װאָרום דאָרטן האָט גאָט באַפֿױלן אַ ברכה, לעבן ביז אײביק.
Midrash Tanchuma
And it shall be if you listen to listen (Deuteronomy 28:1): If you listened a little, your end will be to listen much. Another interpretation: You will make your studies heard in front of the Holy One, blessed be He. When will you make your studies heard? Rabbi Yehudah says, "At the time that he comes to part from the world, as it is stated (Ecclesiastes 12:13), 'The end of the matter, everything is heard.'" And Rabbi Meir says, "until he completes his soul, as stated (Job 10:22), 'gloom and not arranged,' as he arranges his study." Another interpretation: "If you surely listen," your prayer will be heard, like Choni the Circle-maker. At the time that Israel required rain, they went into him and said to him, "Pray for us, as we need rain." Immediately, he drew a circle and stood inside it, to fulfill that which is stated (Habakuk 2:1), "I will stand on my watch." The rain began to drizzle. He said, "This is not what I requested, but rains of desire, blessing and freewill." The rain [then] began to fall in its accustomed way. What caused him to be one who prays, such that the Holy One, blessed be He listens to his prayers? [It was] because he listened to the words of the Torah. Another interpretation: If you listen in this world, you will listen [to it] in the world to come from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He. Rabbi Yonah the father of Rabbi Manna said in the name of Rabbi Levi who said in the name of Rabbi Abba, "The Torah was not supposed to have been given to Israel in this world. Why? Because everyone will learn it from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the future, in the world to come. [So] why was it given to them in this world? So that when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to teach them in the world to come, everyone will know in what section He is occupied." Therefore, if you listen in this world, you will listen in the world to come from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He. Another interpretation: If you merited to listen to words of the Torah that were given with many voices, you will merit to hear that voice about which it is written (Jeremiah 7:34), "the voice of gladness and the voice of joy." Another interpretation [of] "if you listen to listen": If you have listened to the voice of your teacher, your end is that others [will] listen to you. "To guard to do" (Deuteronomy 28:1). You should only study in order to do. Rabbi Yochanan said, "Anyone who studies [Torah] but does not do [what he studied], it would have been better had his placenta turned over his face (died in the womb). But if you merited to guard and to do, 'the Lord your God will set you high above (elyon)' (Deuteronomy 28:1)." Rabbi Levi said, "What is [the meaning of] elyon? It is like this thumb (alyon). If you merited, behold you will be above the four fingers, 'and the Lord your God will set you high above,' on condition. But if not, 'the stranger that is in your midst will rise higher and higher' (Deuteronomy 28:43)." "Blessed shall you be in your coming" (Deuteronomy 28:6), on condition [that it is] in your coming to the synagogues and study halls; "and blessed shall you be in your going," from the synagogues and study halls. "You shall be blessed in the city and you shall be blessed in the field" (Deuteronomy 28:3). It should have said, "You shall be blessed in the field and you shall blessed in the city," as it is from what he brings in from the field that he is blessed in the city. Rather what do we learn to say [from,] "You shall be blessed in the city and you shall be blessed in the field?" If you have come to the commandment in the city, do not say, "I was only commanded in the field to extract the priestly tithes and the [other] tithes outside." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Open your hand [to give tithes] also in the city." Another interpretation: "You shall be blessed in the city," with the commandments that you do in the midst of your house in the city, such as sukkah, mezuzah and parapet. "You shall be blessed in the field," [with the commandments that you do in the field], such as [leaving] gleanings, forgotten sheaves, and the corner [of the field]. Another interpretation: A man should not say, "If the Holy One, blessed be He, had given me a field, I would have extracted tithes from it. [But] now that I do not have a field, I will not give anything." The Holy One, blessed be He, says [in response], "See what I have written in My Torah, 'You shall be blessed in the city,' for those living in the city; 'and you shall be blessed in the field,' for those that have fields." "Blessed shall be your basket" (Deuteronomy 28:5). These are the first-fruits that you you bring up to Jerusalem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 26:4), "And the priest shall take the basket from your hand." "And your kneading bowl" (Deuteronomy 28:5), that is the challah tithe. "[Blessed shall be...] the calving (shegar) of your herd" (Deuteronomy 28:4). Rabbi Yehudah bar Shalom said, "That they shall be moving (shegurin) and coming out [effortlessly] like [from] the mouth of a box; 'and the lambing (ashterot) of your flock' (Deuteronomy 28:4), that they should be as strong as boulders (ashterot)." Another interpretation: "You shall be blessed in the city," this [refers to] Jerusalem, which is called a city, as it is stated (Lamentations 2:15), "Is this the city that they said was the perfection of beauty?" "And you shall be blessed in the field," this [refers to] Zion, as it is stated (Jeremiah 26:18), "Zion shall be plowed for a field." And when will the Holy One, blessed be He, show this blessing to Israel? When Jerusalem is rebuilt and the exiles are returned within her, as it is stated (Psalms 133:3), "As the dew of Hermon which runs down on the mountains of Zion, for there the Lord commanded the blessing, life forever." [May it happen] speedily in our day, Amen!
Bamidbar Rabbah
Another matter: “A man’s sacred items shall be his” – that is what is written: “Happy are all who fear the Lord, who follow His ways” (Psalms 128:1). It does not say: “Happy are Israelites, happy are priests, happy are Levites,” but rather, “happy are all who fear the Lord.” These are the proselytes who fear the Lord, as they are included in “happy,” just as it is stated regarding Israel: “Happy are you, Israel” (Deuteronomy 33:29). That is why it is stated in their regard: “Happy are all who fear the Lord.” Regarding which proselyte is “happy” stated? It is regarding a proselyte who is a righteous proselyte, but not those Samaritans, in whose regard it is written: “They would fear the Lord and worship their gods” (II Kings 17:33). Rather, it is regarding a proselyte who fears the Holy One blessed be He and follows the ways of the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Who follow His ways.”
“When you eat of the labor of your hands” (Psalms 128:2) – this is the proselyte, as he does not have the merit of ancestry. So he will not say: Woe is me, as I do not have the merit of ancestry, for all the good deeds that I will amass, I will have reward only in this world. That is why the verse makes known to the proselytes that based on his own merit, he will eat in this world and in the World to Come. That is what is written: “When you eat of the labor [yegia] of your hands” – these are the good deeds in which one toiled [yage’a] in this world, just as it says: “There those whose strength is sapped [yegi’ei] will rest” (Job 3:17). And it says: “Everything that you are capable of doing with your strength, do, [as there is no action, scheme, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave, where you are going]” Ecclesiastes 9:10). What is his reward? “You are happy and it is good for you” (Psalms 128:2). “You are happy” – in this world; and “it is good for you” – in the World to Come.
“Your wife is like a fruitful vine” (Psalms 128:3) – even though his wife converted with him and is not of the daughters of Israel, she is like the daughters of Israel. That is what is written: “Like a fruitful vine” – this is Israel, as it is stated: “You transported a vine from Egypt.” (Psalms 80:9). “Fruitful” – as it bears fruit and is not like a fruitless vine, as she will be privileged to bear children.
“At the side of your house” (Psalms 128:3) – when she conducts herself in accordance with the precepts of Jewish women, when she is modest, she merits that sons who are masters of Bible, masters of Mishna, and masters of good deeds will emerge from her. That is what is written: “Your children, like olive saplings” (Psalms 128:3). Just as this olive tree has olives for eating, olives for drying, and olives for oil, and its oil lights better than all the oils, and it does not have falling leaves, neither in the summer nor in the rainy season, so come the offspring of the proselytes; some of them are masters of Bible, some of them masters of Mishna, some masters of business, some are wise, some are understanding, some have knowledge of matters regarding the proper time,51Namely, knowledge regarding the Jewish calendar. and they have offspring who exist forever. “Around your table” (Psalms 128:3) – that your merit will stand for your children, as from your table, your offspring will merit great virtues.
“Indeed, so shall a man who fears the Lord be blessed” (Psalms 128:4) – as we find regarding Abraham and Sarah, who were proselytes, and Abraham was one who feared the Lord, he was blessed in this manner. So, all the proselytes who conduct themselves in accordance with their conduct will be blessed.
“May the Lord bless you from Zion” (Psalms 128:5) – it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He blesses them from the place that He blesses Israel. From where is it derived that the blessings emanate from Jerusalem? It is as it is stated: “Like the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion, [for there the Lord commanded the blessing of life, for eternity]” (Psalms 133:3), and it says: “May the Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life" (Psalms 128:5) – that they will merit to see the prosperity of Jerusalem in the future.
“May you see the children of your children. Peace upon Israel” (Psalms 128:6) – is it because the proselyte will see children of his children that peace will come upon Israel? Rather, the verse is speaking of a righteous proselyte, who merits to marry his daughter to a priest, and he merits that her sons, his grandsons, will stand as priests who bless Israel and say: “[The Lord] shall bless you.… the Lord shall shine.… the Lord shall lift…[and grant you peace]” (Numbers 6:24–26). That is why it is stated: “Peace upon Israel.” Just as we found regarding Raḥav the harlot, because she took the spies into her home and extricated them, the Holy One blessed be He ascribed to her as though she had performed it with Him and He gave her reward to her. As the verse says: The woman took the two men [and hid him]” (Joshua 2:4). It is not written here, “and hid them,” but rather “and hid him.” What reward did she receive? It is that her daughters married into the priesthood and bore children who stood and served atop the altar, and would enter the Temple and bless Israel with the ineffable name. These were Barukh son of Neriya, Seraya son of Maḥseya, Jeremiah son of Ḥilkiya, and Ḥanamel ben Shalum. We learned that the verse is speaking only of righteous proselytes. That is why it is stated: “May you see the children of your children. Peace upon Israel.”
Likewise, Moses alluded to this in the Torah, as after the portion of robbery from a proselyte, it is written: “A man’s sacred items shall be his,” saying that a proselyte who converts for the sake of Heaven merits that sons will emerge from his children that the sacred items will be theirs.
Likewise it says: “He loves the proselyte, to give him bread and garment” (Deuteronomy 10:18) – Aquila the proselyte entered before Rabbi Eliezer. He said to him: ‘Is all the affection of the proselyte: “He loves the proselyte, to give him bread and garment”?’ He said to him: ‘Is it insignificant in your eyes? A matter regarding which that elder deliberated: “And He will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear” (Genesis 28:20), and this one comes and He extends it to him with a reed.’52Rabbi Eliezer reprimanded him for failing to appreciate receiving something that Jacob struggled for.
He entered before Rabbi Yehoshua, and he began comforting him with his words. “Bread” – this is Torah, as it is stated: “Come, partake of my bread” (Proverbs 9:5). “And garment” – this is the cloak of the Sages. If a person merits Torah, he merits mitzvot. Moreover, they marry their daughters into the priesthood, and their grandchildren will sacrifice offerings atop the altar. “Bread” – this is the showbread; “and garment” – these are the vestments of the High Priest. That is in the Temple. How does this manifest in the outlying areas? “Bread” – this is ḥalla; “and garment” – this is the first shearing. That is why it is stated: “A man’s sacred items shall be his,” in the portion of the proselyte.
“When you eat of the labor of your hands” (Psalms 128:2) – this is the proselyte, as he does not have the merit of ancestry. So he will not say: Woe is me, as I do not have the merit of ancestry, for all the good deeds that I will amass, I will have reward only in this world. That is why the verse makes known to the proselytes that based on his own merit, he will eat in this world and in the World to Come. That is what is written: “When you eat of the labor [yegia] of your hands” – these are the good deeds in which one toiled [yage’a] in this world, just as it says: “There those whose strength is sapped [yegi’ei] will rest” (Job 3:17). And it says: “Everything that you are capable of doing with your strength, do, [as there is no action, scheme, knowledge, or wisdom in the grave, where you are going]” Ecclesiastes 9:10). What is his reward? “You are happy and it is good for you” (Psalms 128:2). “You are happy” – in this world; and “it is good for you” – in the World to Come.
“Your wife is like a fruitful vine” (Psalms 128:3) – even though his wife converted with him and is not of the daughters of Israel, she is like the daughters of Israel. That is what is written: “Like a fruitful vine” – this is Israel, as it is stated: “You transported a vine from Egypt.” (Psalms 80:9). “Fruitful” – as it bears fruit and is not like a fruitless vine, as she will be privileged to bear children.
“At the side of your house” (Psalms 128:3) – when she conducts herself in accordance with the precepts of Jewish women, when she is modest, she merits that sons who are masters of Bible, masters of Mishna, and masters of good deeds will emerge from her. That is what is written: “Your children, like olive saplings” (Psalms 128:3). Just as this olive tree has olives for eating, olives for drying, and olives for oil, and its oil lights better than all the oils, and it does not have falling leaves, neither in the summer nor in the rainy season, so come the offspring of the proselytes; some of them are masters of Bible, some of them masters of Mishna, some masters of business, some are wise, some are understanding, some have knowledge of matters regarding the proper time,51Namely, knowledge regarding the Jewish calendar. and they have offspring who exist forever. “Around your table” (Psalms 128:3) – that your merit will stand for your children, as from your table, your offspring will merit great virtues.
“Indeed, so shall a man who fears the Lord be blessed” (Psalms 128:4) – as we find regarding Abraham and Sarah, who were proselytes, and Abraham was one who feared the Lord, he was blessed in this manner. So, all the proselytes who conduct themselves in accordance with their conduct will be blessed.
“May the Lord bless you from Zion” (Psalms 128:5) – it teaches that the Holy One blessed be He blesses them from the place that He blesses Israel. From where is it derived that the blessings emanate from Jerusalem? It is as it is stated: “Like the dew of Hermon descending upon the mountains of Zion, [for there the Lord commanded the blessing of life, for eternity]” (Psalms 133:3), and it says: “May the Lord bless you from Zion. May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life" (Psalms 128:5) – that they will merit to see the prosperity of Jerusalem in the future.
“May you see the children of your children. Peace upon Israel” (Psalms 128:6) – is it because the proselyte will see children of his children that peace will come upon Israel? Rather, the verse is speaking of a righteous proselyte, who merits to marry his daughter to a priest, and he merits that her sons, his grandsons, will stand as priests who bless Israel and say: “[The Lord] shall bless you.… the Lord shall shine.… the Lord shall lift…[and grant you peace]” (Numbers 6:24–26). That is why it is stated: “Peace upon Israel.” Just as we found regarding Raḥav the harlot, because she took the spies into her home and extricated them, the Holy One blessed be He ascribed to her as though she had performed it with Him and He gave her reward to her. As the verse says: The woman took the two men [and hid him]” (Joshua 2:4). It is not written here, “and hid them,” but rather “and hid him.” What reward did she receive? It is that her daughters married into the priesthood and bore children who stood and served atop the altar, and would enter the Temple and bless Israel with the ineffable name. These were Barukh son of Neriya, Seraya son of Maḥseya, Jeremiah son of Ḥilkiya, and Ḥanamel ben Shalum. We learned that the verse is speaking only of righteous proselytes. That is why it is stated: “May you see the children of your children. Peace upon Israel.”
Likewise, Moses alluded to this in the Torah, as after the portion of robbery from a proselyte, it is written: “A man’s sacred items shall be his,” saying that a proselyte who converts for the sake of Heaven merits that sons will emerge from his children that the sacred items will be theirs.
Likewise it says: “He loves the proselyte, to give him bread and garment” (Deuteronomy 10:18) – Aquila the proselyte entered before Rabbi Eliezer. He said to him: ‘Is all the affection of the proselyte: “He loves the proselyte, to give him bread and garment”?’ He said to him: ‘Is it insignificant in your eyes? A matter regarding which that elder deliberated: “And He will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear” (Genesis 28:20), and this one comes and He extends it to him with a reed.’52Rabbi Eliezer reprimanded him for failing to appreciate receiving something that Jacob struggled for.
He entered before Rabbi Yehoshua, and he began comforting him with his words. “Bread” – this is Torah, as it is stated: “Come, partake of my bread” (Proverbs 9:5). “And garment” – this is the cloak of the Sages. If a person merits Torah, he merits mitzvot. Moreover, they marry their daughters into the priesthood, and their grandchildren will sacrifice offerings atop the altar. “Bread” – this is the showbread; “and garment” – these are the vestments of the High Priest. That is in the Temple. How does this manifest in the outlying areas? “Bread” – this is ḥalla; “and garment” – this is the first shearing. That is why it is stated: “A man’s sacred items shall be his,” in the portion of the proselyte.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
Another interpretation (of Gen. 27:27): LIKE THE ODOR OF A FIELD.45See Gen. R. 65:23. He foresaw that he was going to build Zion and offer sacrifices in its midst; so he blessed him. Now A FIELD can only be Zion, since it is stated (in Micah 3:12): ZION SHALL BE PLOWED AS A FIELD. (Gen. 27:27, cont.:) < A FIELD > WHICH THE LORD HAS BLESSED. That is what he wrote about (in Ps. 133:3): LIKE THE DEW OF HERMON < WHICH COMES DOWN UPON THE HILLS OF ZION >.