Bamidbar Rabbah

Sefaria · Midrash > Aggadah > Midrash Rabbah · 444 sections

16.20
“The entire congregation raised and sounded their voice and the people wept that night” (Numbers 14:1). “The entire congregation raised and sounded their voice” – this is what is written: “The words of a grumbler are like blows, and they descend into the chambers of the belly” (Proverbs 18:8). The matters that they grumbled after the Holy One blessed be He caused them great trouble, as had they not concurred with the spies, they would not have been stricken with them, but they followed them, as it is stated: “You grumbled [vateragenu] in your tents and said” (Deuteronomy 1:27). What is vateragenu? You sought the denigration [tartem genut] of the Land of Israel, which the Holy One blessed be He called “a good land.” “The entire congregation raised and sounded their voice” – this is what the verse said: “It has raised its voice against Me; therefore, I hated it” (Jeremiah 12:8). That voice that you cried caused you to be hated. Regarding that generation, Isaiah said: “On the day of your planting you will flourish [tesagsegi] and in the morning your seed will blossom” (Isaiah 17:11). On the day that He said to implant you in the ground, you became dross [sigim].15Instead of being planted in the land and flourishing, you became like dross. “And in the morning your seed will blossom” – before the heat of the day arrived, you blossomed.16When the plant blossoms early, the heat of the day withers it. Your faith withered even before you entered the heat of battle waged to conquer the Land. “The harvest will be lost on a day of affliction” (Isaiah 17:11) – on the day that I moved to give you the inheritance of your ancestors, you became a disgrace for the world. “And acute agony” (Isaiah 17:11) – this is the calamity that you sent as an inheritance for the generations, as they wept on the eve of the Ninth of Av. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘You wept a gratuitous weeping before Me, I will set it for you as weeping for the generations.’ From that moment, it was decreed that the Temple would be destroyed, so that Israel would be exiled among the nations, just as it says: “He raised His hand in their regard, to cast them down in the wilderness, and to cast their offspring among the nations and to scatter them among the lands” (Psalms 106:26–27). Raising the hand is corresponding to raising the voice.
16.21
“All the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, and the entire congregation said to them: If only we had died in the land of Egypt, or in this wilderness, if only we had died” (Numbers 14:2). “All the children of Israel complained against Moses and against Aaron, and the entire congregation said to them” – these are the Sanhedrins. “If only we had died in the land of Egypt” – this is analogous to a king, that one ascended to his podium to be judged. He expressed a matter from his mouth with which he incurred liability. The king put down the bill of indictment and convicted him on the basis of what he said. He said: ‘Based on what you expressed from your mouth I am sentencing you; it will befall you just as you said.’ So, too, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: “Your carcasses shall fall in this wilderness” (Numbers 14:29). “[Say to them:] As I live, the utterance of the Lord, surely as you spoke in My ears, so I shall do to you” (Numbers 14:28). They began saying: “Why does the Lord bring us…. They said, one to another: Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt. Moses and Aaron fell upon their faces before the entire assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. Joshua son of Nun, and Caleb son of Yefuneh, from those who scouted the land, rent their garments. They said to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, saying…If the Lord is favorably disposed to us, He will bring us…However, do not rebel against the Lord, and you…” (Numbers 14:3–9). They [the people] said to them [Moses and Aaron]: ‘You are not trustworthy for us; our brethren17The other spies. are more concerned about us than you are,’ as it is stated: “Where are we ascending? Our brethren have weakened our heart, saying” (Deuteronomy 1:28). “The entire congregation said to stone them with stones” (Numbers 14:10) – who were they? They were Moses and Aaron. “And the glory of the Lord appeared” (Numbers 14:10) – it teaches that they were casting stones and the cloud would receive them.18The pillar of cloud absorbed the stones and protected Moses and Aaron.
16.22
“The Lord said to Moses: Until when will this people provoke Me, and until when will they not believe in Me, with all the signs that I have performed in their midst?” (Numbers 14:11). “The Lord said to Moses: Until when will this people provoke Me [and until when will they not believe in Me]” – the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I screamed two screams19The verse includes the words “until when” twice. because of you; ultimately, you will scream four in the subjugation to the kingdoms.’ “How long, Lord? Will You forget me forever? How long will You hide Your face from me? How long must I devise plans…? For how long will my enemies tower over me?” (Psalms 13:2–3). I screamed: “Until when, for this evil congregation…” (Numbers 14:27), ultimately, you will scream: “For I am in great terror. And You, Lord, until when?” (Psalms 6:4). I will smite them with the pestilence and eliminate them and make you a nation greater and mightier than them (Numbers 14:12). “I will smite them with the pestilence” (Numbers 14:12) – Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, look to the covenant with their forefathers, to whom you took an oath that You would produce kings, prophets, and priests from them.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Are you not of their descendants? “I will render you a great nation”’ (Exodus 32:10). When Moses saw this, he took a different tack. “Moses said to the Lord: Egypt will hear…and they will say regarding the inhabitants of this land” (Numbers 14:13–14) – ‘they will say that He did not have the strength to sustain them.’ He said to him: ‘But did they not see the miracles and the mighty acts that I performed at the sea?’ [Moses replied:] ‘They will say: He was able to prevail against us, but is unable to prevail against thirty-one kings. Master of the universe, do it for Your sake: “And now, please, let the might of my Lord be great” (Numbers 14:17), and let the attribute of mercy overcome the attribute of justice. “As You spoke, saying” (Numbers 14:17) – did I not say before You: With what attribute do You judge your world; “please inform me of Your ways”? (Exodus 33:13). You passed [he’evarta] it before me: “The Lord passed [vayaavor] before him and proclaimed” (Exodus 34:6). Fulfill that attribute that You said to me: “The Lord, the Lord, God merciful and gracious” (Exodus 34:6). “Please pardon”’ (Numbers 14:19). The Holy One blessed be He accepted his words and conceded to him: “The Lord said: I have pardoned in accordance with your word” (Numbers 14:20) – as the Egyptians would have been destined to say as you said.
16.23
“However, as I live, and the entire earth shall be filled with the glory of the Lord” (Numbers 14:21). “However, as I live…” “[If] the men who came up from Egypt, from twenty years old and above [will see…]” (Numbers 32:11) – from twenty years old, whether he was with them in that counsel or whether he was not with them in that counsel. Less than twenty years old, and he has not grown two hairs,20Since he is a minor. whether he was with them in that counsel or whether he was not with them in that counsel, [he would enter]. If he grew two hairs and is less than twenty, if he was with them in that counsel, he would not enter; nevertheless, not one of them died less than sixty years old.21Reaching maturity for men has two conditions; the age of thirteen and two hairs (Nidda 45b). Those who were punished despite having been under twenty, because they had two hairs and had been with them in that counsel, did not die young. They were not allowed to enter, but they didn’t die before surpassing the age at which one may have died because of the punishment of karet. Come and see what is “between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve Him” (Malachi 3:18). This is analogous to a noblewoman who had a Kushite maidservant, and her husband [the king] went to a country overseas. All night, that maidservant was saying to that noblewoman: ‘I am fairer than you and the king loves me more than you.’ The noblewoman said to her: ‘Morning will come and we will know who is fair and who the king loves.’ So, likewise, the nations of the world would say to Israel: ‘Our actions are fine and the Holy One blessed be He wants us.’ That is why Isaiah said: Morning will come and we will know whom He wants, as it is stated: “The sentry said: The morning comes and also night” (Isaiah 21:12). The World to Come, which is called morning, will come, and we will know whom He wants. “You will return and see the difference between the righteous and the wicked” (Malachi 3:18). It is written: “Men are vanity; men are an illusion” (Psalms 62:10). Rabbi Ḥiyya said in the name of Rabbi Levi: All the vanities that Israel performs all the days of the year, “rise together on the scales [mozenayim]” (Psalms 62:10) – the Holy One blessed be He forgives them under the constellation of Libra [mozenayim] during the month of Tishrei; “For on this day he shall atone for you, to purify you” (Leviticus 16:30).
16.24
“Until when will this people provoke Me” – this is what is written: “You nullified [vatifre’u] all my counsel and are unwilling to receive my rebuke” (Proverbs 1:25). “They disdained all my rebuke” (Proverbs 1:30). What is vatifre’u? It is, rather, all the good that I counseled in your regard, you corrupted it and nullified [ufratem] it, as it is stated: “Vatifre’u all my counsel.” “I descended to deliver you from the hand of Egypt” (Exodus 3:8), but you did not do so.22This is a reference to God's call that they should abandon the idols of Egypt, and the refusal of the nation to do so in Egypt. See Ezekiel 20:5–8. You came to the sea and immediately ruined the plan, as it is stated: “They were defiant at the sea, at the Red Sea” (Psalms 106:7). With thousands of thousands and myriads of myriads of angels I descended for your benefit, and I would give each and every one of you two angels, one would gird him with his weapon and one would place a crown on his head. Rabbi Yehuda of Tzippori said: They tied weapons upon them. Rabbi Simai says: They dressed them in royal purple garments with the ineffable name engraved on it. All the days that it was in their possession, no evil matter would affect them, neither the angel of death, nor another matter. When they sinned, Moses said to them: “Now remove your ornament” (Exodus 33:5). At that moment, “the people heard this evil tiding” (Exodus 33:4). What is written: “The children of Israel were stripped of their ornament” (Exodus 33:6). What did the Holy One blessed be He do at the giving of the Torah? He brought the angel of death, He said to him: 'The entire world is in your domain, except for this nation that I chose for Me.' Rabbi Elazar son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili said: The angel of death said before the Holy One blessed be He: 'Was I created in the world for nothing?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: 'I created you so you can bereave idol worshippers, but you have no license over this nation.' See the counsel that the Holy One blessed be He counseled in their regard, that they will be alive and enduring: “But you, who cleave [to the Lord your God, all of you live today]” (Deuteronomy 4:4). Likewise it says: “The writing was the writing of God, engraved [ḥarut] on the tablets” (Exodus 32:16). What is ḥarut? Rabbi Yehuda says: Freedom [ḥerut] from the kingdoms. Rabbi Neḥemya says: From the angel of death. Rabbi [Yehuda Hanasi] says: From suffering. See the counsel that the Holy One blessed be He counseled in their regard, and they immediately corrupted that counsel within forty days. That is why it is stated: “You nullified all my counsel” (Proverbs 1:25). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘I said that you will not sin, and you will live and endure like Me, just as I live and endure for all eternity. “I had said: You are divine, like beings on High, all of you,” (Psalms 82:6), like the ministering angels that do not die. But after all that greatness, you sought to die; “yet as men [adam] you will die” (Psalms 82:7), like Adam the first man, whom I commanded one mitzva for him to perform it, and he would live and endure forever,’ as it is stated: “Behold, the man has become as one of us” (Genesis 3:22), and likewise: “God created man in his image” (Genesis 1:27) – that he would live and endure like Him. ‘But he corrupted his actions, nullified My decree, and ate from the tree. I said to him: “For you are dust [and will return to dust]” (Genesis 3:19). You, too, I said: “I had said: You are divine,” but you corrupted yourselves like Adam. “Yet, as Adam you will die.” Who caused this for them? “You nullified all My counsel.”’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘With the benefit that I brought upon you, with that, you infuriate. They came to the wilderness and I fed them manna for forty years, and not one of them needed to relieve himself for those forty years. Rather, they ate the manna and it became flesh for them,’ as it is stated: “Men ate the bread of the mighty [abirim]” (Psalms 78:25).23This is expounded as though it said eivarim, meaning limbs. With it they infuriated Him. One says to the other: ‘Do you not know that we have not relieved ourselves for several days, and a person who does not relieve himself for four days or five days, he dies.’ “And our soul loathes the insubstantial [hakelokel] bread” (Numbers 21:5), as it was light in their intestines. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘With what I benefitted them, they infuriated Me,’ as it is stated: “What more is there to do for my vineyard [that I did not do in it]?” (Isaiah 5:4).24In this metaphor, the Holy One blessed be He is the owner of the vineyard and Israel is the vineyard. The spies went and saw the land. You find that every place that Israel goes, it is recognized, as it is stated: “All who see them will recognize them” (Isaiah 61:9). The Holy One blessed be He said: If the Emorites see them, they will recognize that they are Israel and will kill them. Rather, what will I do? In each and every province that the spies would enter, the head of the province would be stricken, or its king would be stricken, so they would be occupied in taking their dead out and would not pay attention to the spies, so they would not kill them. But they infuriated with it; when they came to Moses, and to Israel, they said: ‘What is the land?’ Every place that they entered, they would see dead people, what benefit is there? “A land that consumes its inhabitants” (Numbers 13:32) – the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I believed that you would become like the patriarchs, “Like grapes in the wilderness” (Hosea 9:10), but I did not believe that you would become like Sodom, as it is stated: “For their vine is of the vine of Sodom”’ (Deuteronomy 32:32). “Why did I hope to produce grapes and it produced inferior ones?” (Isaiah 5:4). That is why it is stated: “Until when will this people provoke Me?”
16.25
Moses said to Him: “They heard that You, the Lord, are in the midst of this people…If You kill this people as one man [the nations who have heard your fame will say: Because of the inability of the Lord to bring this nation to the land which He swore to give them, he killed them in the desert]” (Numbers 14:14–16) – [Do not destroy them] so the nations of the world will not say that the gods of Canaan are stronger than the gods of Egypt. The gods of Egypt are false, but those of Canaan are substantial. “They will say regarding the inhabitants of the land” (Numbers 14:14). “Due to the Lord’s lack of ability [yekholet]” (Numbers 14:16) – because He did not have the ability to continue providing them with food, He took them out to kill them in the wilderness. The expression yekholet means nothing other than food, just as it says: “Twenty thousand kor of wheat, provision [makolet] for his household” (I Kings 5:25). Another matter, [do not destroy them] so the nations of the world will not relate to You as cruel, saying: ‘The generation of the Flood came and He eradicated them. The generation of the Dispersion came, the Sodomites came, the Egyptians came, and He eradicated them. These, too, whom He called: “My son, My firstborn” (Exodus 4:22), behold, He is eradicating them, like this Lilit,25The queen of the demons. who does not find anything, and turns against her children.’ So, it is, “due to the Lord’s lack of yekholet.”26This is expounded as though it says: The lack of victims to eradicate [lekhalot]. Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, “That with their very eyes [ayin be’ayin], You, [the Lord], were seen” (Numbers 14:14). What is “ayin be’ayin"? Reish Lakish said: That the scales are equal [me’uyan]. You say: “I will smite them with pestilence” (Numbers 14:12), and I say: “Please pardon” (Numbers 14:19). Let us see whose prevails, as it is stated: “I have pardoned in accordance with your word” (Numbers 14:20). Nevertheless, the decree of the Holy One blessed be He was not voided, as He said to Moses: “I will render you a nation greater [and mightier than they]” (Numbers 14:12), and He produced six hundred thousand from him, as it is stated: “But the sons of Rehavya were very numerous” (I Chronicles 23:17).27Rehavya was Moses’ grandson. But in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will gather them, as it is stated: “Behold, these will come from afar, and behold, these from the North and from the West, and those from the land of Sinim” (Isaiah 49:12). The exiles will come with them; the tribes that are situated beyond the Sambatyon River and beyond the mountains of darkness, they will gather and come to Jerusalem. Isaiah said: “To say to prisoners: Emerge” (Isaiah 49:9), these are those situated beyond the Sambatyon River. “To those in darkness: Reveal yourselves” (Isaiah 49:9), these are those situated beyond the clouds of darkness. “They will graze along the ways and on all the bare hills will be their pasture” (Isaiah 49:9), these are those who are situated in Daphne of Antioch. At that moment they will be redeemed, and come to Zion in joy, as it is stated: “The redeemed of the Lord will return and will come to Zion in song” (Isaiah 51:11).
16.26
“Until when, for this evil congregation that bring complaints against Me? I have heard the complaints of the children of Israel that they brought against Me” (Numbers 14:27). “Until when…” – halakha: A baby who has a stone in his hand, is it permitted to move him on Shabbat? Our Rabbis taught: A person may take his son even though there is a stone in his hand, and a basket with a stone inside it. You learn it from the generation of the wilderness, as the Holy One blessed be He was, as it were, bearing them in the wilderness, “as a man would bear his son” (Deuteronomy 1:31), and there were idols in their possession, as it is stated: “They made themselves a cast figure of a calf” (Nehemiah 9:18). Likewise you find when they crossed in the sea, the image of Mikha crossed with them, as it is stated: “Trouble [tzara]28The word tzara can also mean another wife. Thus it is used as a reference to idol worship, in which "another entity" is being brought into the relationship with God. will pass through the sea” (Zechariah 10:11). Nevertheless, the Holy One blessed be He did not abandon them. He said to Moses: ‘I split the sea for them and they infuriated Me,’ as it is stated: “How much did they defy Him?” (Psalms 78:40). ‘Here, too, they disseminated slander regarding the Land, and I am unable to tolerate it. Until when need I be tolerant of them? “Until when, for this evil congregation?”’ (Numbers 14:27).
16.27
Another matter, “Until when…” – this is what the verse said: “For from the rising of the sun to its setting, My name is great [among the nations]” (Malachi 1:11). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘The nations of the world respect Me, but you, how many miracles have I performed on your behalf, but you infuriate Me? Would you like to know? Eglon king of Moav was an uncircumcised heathen. Ehud son of Gera entered to him and when he mentioned My name, he accorded Me honor and rose from his throne,’ as it is stated: “Ehud said: I have the word of God for you. He rose from the throne” (Judges 3:20). This is to realize what is stated: “For from the rising…” In your regard, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘The nations of the world respect Me and accord Me honor, but you infuriate Me and I bear you.’ Until when need I be tolerant of them? “Until when, for this evil congregation?” The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘As it were, a person purchases a slave so the slave will take the lantern and illuminate for the purchaser. But, I did not do so, but rather, you are My slaves, “for the children of Israel are slaves to Me” (Leviticus 25:55), but I take the lantern and illuminate for you. ‘Another matter, the way of the world is that a person purchases a slave so that if he sets out on the way, his slave precedes him and prepares an encampment for him. But I did not do so, but rather, you are My slaves, and I would prepare an encampment for you, as it is stated: “The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord [was traveling before them]…to scout a resting place for them” (Numbers 10:33). ‘Another matter, the way of the world is that a person purchases a slave so that his slave would bake bread for him. But I did not do so; you are My slaves, but I baked bread from the heavens for you. As it says: “Men ate the bread of the mighty”’ (Psalms 78:25).
16.28
The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘I will eradicate them from before Me.’ He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, you are slow to anger. A slave, if his deeds are good and he heeds his master, and his master looks upon him favorably, they do not give credit to his master. When do they give credit? It is when the slave is wayward, but his master looks upon him favorably. So, too, You, do not look upon their stubbornness, as it is stated: “Do not turn to the stubbornness of this people”’ (Deuteronomy 9:27). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘For your sake, I will pardon them,’ as it is stated: “I have pardoned in accordance with your word” (Numbers 14:20).
17.1
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them: When you will come into the land of your dwellings, that I am giving to you” (Numbers 15:2). “When you will come into the land of your dwellings” – halakha: How many matters is a person obligated to perform for his son? Our Rabbis taught: There are five matters that a father is obligated to perform for his son.1 Tosefta Kiddushin 1:8. The father is the Holy One blessed be He, and the son is Israel. Just as the father is obligated to circumcise his son, so the Holy One blessed be He did for Israel, as He circumcised them by means of Joshua. “Make flint knives for yourself [and circumcise the children of Israel]” (Joshua 5:2). The father is obligated to redeem him, and the Holy One blessed be He redeemed Israel, as it is stated: “To redeem for Himself as a people” (II Samuel 7:23). To teach him Torah; the Holy One blessed be He taught Torah to Israel: “You shall teach them to your children” (Deuteronomy 11:19), and it is written: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you for your own benefit” (Isaiah 48:17). To teach him mitzvot; the Holy One blessed be He taught mitzvot to Israel. To marry a wife to him; the Holy One blessed be He said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply” (Genesis 1:28). The father is obligated to his son, to feed him and to give him to drink, to bathe him, to smear him with oil,2Oil was used as an ointment. and to clothe him. So, the Holy One blessed be He did for Israel. “I washed you with water and rinsed your blood…[and I anointed you with oil]. I clothed you in embroidery” (Ezekiel 16:9–10); “and My bread that I gave you” (Ezekiel 16:19); “rise, well,3A well of water. call to it” (Numbers 21:17). Just as the father gives property to his son, so the Holy One blessed be He did for Israel: “I gave you a desirable land” (Jeremiah 3:19). What is the son obligated to offer up to his father? It is a gift. So the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: “When you will come into the land…you will perform…a burnt offering…to the Lord” (Numbers 15:2–3).
17.2
In this way, Rabbi Tanḥuma bar Abba in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina, brother of Rabbi Aḥa ben Rabbi Ḥanina began: This is the portion of libations, as it is stated: “Or for a ram, you shall perform a meal offering…and wine as libation, one-third of a hin” (Numbers 15:6–7). From here forward: “It shall be, when you eat from the bread of the land…the first of your kneading you shall separate a loaf, as a gift” (Numbers 15:19–20). There is ḥalla below and libations above; that is why Rabbi Ḥanina began: “Go, eat your bread joyfully, and drink your wine goodheartedly” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). What is, “as God has already accepted your actions”? (Ecclesiastes 9:7). “Eat your bread joyfully” – this is the portion of ḥalla. “And drink your wine goodheartedly” – this is the portion of libations. What is, “as God has already accepted…”? This is having Israel enter the Land, as it is stated: “When you will come into the land…” Another matter, this verse is speaking concerning Abraham. When the Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: “Take, now, your son, your only one” (Genesis 22:2), Abraham arose early, took him with alacrity, led him, and took him up to Mount Moriah. Abraham said:4This was after the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Do not extend your hand against the lad” (Genesis 22:12). ‘Master of the universe, did you say “take, now” to me for nothing?’ He said to him: ‘No, it is to make you known [lehodiakha] throughout the world,’ as it is stated: “For I have known him [yedativ], so that he will command” (Genesis 18:19). Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai said: The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, I ascribe to you, that had I said to you to slaughter your soul, you would not delay for the sake of My name.’ As it is written: “And you did not withhold your son” (Genesis 22:12). It is already stated explicitly. What is the meaning of: “Your only one [yeḥidekha]”? (Genesis 22:12). This is your soul, as the soul is called yeḥida, as it is stated: “Rescue me from the sword, my soul [yeḥidati] from the grasp of the dog” (Psalms 22:21). Abraham said: ‘Master of the universe, I cannot descend from here without an offering.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Your offering is prepared from the six days of Creation.’ “Abraham lifted his eyes and saw that, behold, there was a ram” (Genesis 22:13), and our Rabbis taught that Abraham’s ram was created during twilight. Abraham took it and offered it up as a burnt offering in place of his son, just as it said: “He took the ram, and offered it up as a burnt offering” (Genesis 22:13). Is the verse incomplete? What is “in place of his son”? (Genesis 22:13). Abraham said: ‘Master of the universe, see it as though the blood of Isaac is sprinkled before You.’ He took the ram and flayed it and said: ‘So, see it as though it was the skin of Isaac that I flayed before You.’ He took it and absorbed its blood with salt, he said: ‘So, see it as though it is Isaac’s blood that is absorbed before You.’ He burned it and said: ‘So, see it as though Isaac’s ashes are piled atop the altar.’ Alternatively, what is “in place of his son”? The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, your son was sacrificed first, and the ram is in his place.’ At that moment, Abraham said: ‘I will not move from here until You take an oath to me that You will never again subject me to another ordeal, as God forbid, had I not heeded You, I would have lost everything that I strived for all my days.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, so it is,’ and He took an oath that he would not subject him to another ordeal, as it is stated: “He said: By Myself I have taken an oath, the utterance of the Lord” (Genesis 22:16). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Harsh afflictions and other ordeals were fit to befall Abraham, but they did not come.’ These are the afflictions; those that befell Job, were fit to befall Abraham, as it is juxtaposed to the portion: “It was after these matters, and it was told…Utz his firstborn, and Buz…” (Genesis 22:20–21). Utz was Job: “There was a man in the land of Utz, Job was his name” (Job 1:1). At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: “Go, eat your bread joyfully…as God has already accepted your actions” (Ecclesiastes 9:7). Another matter, “go, eat…” is speaking of Solomon; when he built the Temple and completed it, he made a dedication for seven days and made another seven days as a festival, but they forgot to observe Yom Kippur. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Divine Spirit emerged and said: “Go, eat your bread joyfully, and drink your wine goodheartedly, as God has already accepted your actions.”
17.3
Another matter, “when you will come into the land of your dwellings” – Rabbi Zakai of She’av said: Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, everywhere You call it the land of Canaan, but here you call it “the land of your dwelling”?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘As you live, I gave it to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all of them in the Bible;5Abraham (Genesis 15:7); Isaac (Genesis 26:3); Jacob (Genesis 28:13). that is why it is “the land of your dwelling.”’ Why did Canaan merit that the land was called by his name? It is because when he heard that Israel was coming, he evacuated the place. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You evacuated the place; the land will be called by your name. And I will give you a land as fine as your land.’ Which is that? It is Africa. What is written above? It is the portion of the spies: “they defiantly [vayapilu] ascended to the mountaintop” (Numbers 14:44) – they brought blackness upon its inhabitants.6Those who participated in the defiant ascent. They were all in blackness, as “the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord, and Moses, did not move from the midst of the camp” (Numbers 14:44), as they did not ascend with them. Moses said to them: ‘This is what the Holy One blessed be He said to me: “Do not ascend and do not wage war, as I am not in your midst” (Deuteronomy 1:42). You said: “Where are we ascending? Our brethren have melted [hemasu] our hearts, [saying: A people greater and taller than we, cities great and fortified…]”’ (Deuteronomy 1:28).7Moses said to them: “You, yourselves, said that in terms of physical strength, they are superior. I assured you that with God on our side we would prevail. Now that God is not in our midst, you seek to ascend?” What is “melted [hemasu] our hearts”? Our Rabbis said: From here they derived the measure of the pomegranates, as our Rabbis taught: The pomegranates from when they reach half [misheyimasu].8 Yerushalmi, Ma’asrot 1:2. “Hemasu our hearts, saying” – Moses said: ‘From the outset, you divided it.9Your hearts. “You all approached me” (Deuteronomy 1:22) – For good:10They requested that Moses, not God, speak to them. “All the heads of your tribes approached me” (Deuteronomy 5:20) – For evil.11They requested to send spies into the Land. “You all approached me and said” (Deuteronomy 1:22), and it is written: “You murmured in your tents, and you said: In the Lord’s hatred of us”’ (Deuteronomy 1:27). The Holy One blessed be He said: “I have loved you” (Malachi 1:2), and they say “In the Lord’s hatred of us”? They were expounding and saying: ‘Know that He hates us: A flesh and blood king has two sons and two fields, one that is watered by irrigation and one that is watered by rain. Does he not give to the one that the king loves, the one watered by irrigation, and to the one that he hates, he gives the one that is watered by rain? The land of Egypt is watered by irrigation and we were in it. The land of Canaan is watered by rain, and he took us out of Egypt to give us the land of Canaan. Nevertheless, “You girded each man his weapons of war… The Lord said to me: Say to them: Do not ascend and do not wage war” (Deuteronomy 1:41–42). [God said:] ‘I thought to ascend with you, but now, do not ascend, because it will be a descent for you.’ Nevertheless, “you girded [vataḥgeru]” – you all became as one.’12It was as though you were fastened to one another by a belt [ḥagora]. “You prepare yourself [vatahinu] to ascend the mountain” (Deuteronomy 1:41) – what is vatahinu? They were saying: From drop to drop, the hin13A hin is a measure of volume. is filled.14Even if we no longer merit miracles, through painstaking effort we will prevail. One verse says: “You sinned [Vatazidu]” (Deuteronomy 1:43) and one verse says: Vatahinu. What is vatazidu? They mocked [she'hezidu] the encampments of the Holy One blessed be He.15Until that point, they never left an encampment without the pillar of cloud and the Ark (see Numbers 9:15–23). “You ascended the mountain. The Emorites…emerged [against you and pursued you as do the bees]” (Deuteronomy 1:43–44). “The bees” – just as this bee, once it strikes a person it immediately dies; you, too, once one of them would touch you, his soul would depart. Just as the bee flies, they were flying above you. In the past, they would hear of your renown and die, as it is stated: “Peoples heard, they were agitated” (Exodus 15:14).16The following verse ends: “The inhabitants of Canaan dissipated” (Exodus 15:15). But now: “[The Emorites…]pursued…they smote you” (Deuteronomy 1:44). “You returned and wept before the Lord, but the Lord did not heed” (Deuteronomy 1:45). It is, as it were, that you rendered the attribute of justice as though it were cruel.17It totally overcame the attribute of mercy, which is represented by the name “the Lord.” Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Woe unto the wicked, as they render the attribute of justice as though it were cruel. “The Lord said: Rise, go on a journey” (Deuteronomy 10:11) – if I come to perform justice with you, you will not enter the Land. Rather, “rise, go on a journey [before the nation, and they will come and inherit the Land]” (Deuteronomy 10:11). That is, “when you will come into the land.”
17.4
“And you will perform a fire offering to the Lord, a burnt offering, or a peace-offering to fulfill a vow, or as a pledge, or at your appointed times, to create a pleasing aroma to the Lord, from the cattle, or from the flock” (Numbers 15:3). “And you will perform a fire offering to the Lord, a burnt offering, or a peace offering” – The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Anyone who sacrifices an offering to Me in this world does not sacrifice it for naught, but rather, he sacrifices it, and it is pleasant for Me. In the World to Come, too, he merits to sacrifice and I accept it and it is pleasant for Me,’ as it is stated: “The offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old and as in former years” (Malachi 3:4).
17.5
“Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, and they shall prepare for themselves a fringe on the corners of their garments for their generations, and they shall put on the fringe of the corner a sky blue thread” (Numbers 15:38). “They shall prepare for themselves a fringe” – that is what is written: “Light is sown for the righteous…” (Psalms 97:11). “The Lord desired because of his righteousness” (Isaiah 42:21) – the Holy One blessed be He sowed the Torah and the mitzvot in order to bequeath to Israel life in the World to Come. He did not leave any matter in this world for which He did not give a mitzva to Israel. One goes out to plow – “do not plow with an ox and a donkey” (Deuteronomy 22:10); to sow – “Do not sow your vineyard [diverse kinds]” (Deuteronomy 22:9); to reap – “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); kneading – “the first of your kneading, ḥalla” (Numbers 15:20); slaughtering – “he shall give the priest the foreleg, the jaw, [and the maw]” (Deuteronomy 18:3); a bird’s nest – sending away [the mother bird] from the nest;18See Deuteronomy 22:6–7. undomesticated animals and birds – “he shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust” (Leviticus 17:13); planting – “you shall seal its fruit”19The fruit that grows during the first three years after a tree is planted may not be used. (Leviticus 19:23); burying the dead – “you shall not cut yourselves” (Deuteronomy 14:1); cutting hair – “you shall not round [the edge of your head]” (Leviticus 19:27); building a house – “you shall make a parapet for your roof” (Deuteronomy 22:8), “you shall write them on the doorposts” (Deuteronomy 6:9); clothing oneself with a garment – “they shall prepare for themselves a fringe.” “They shall prepare for themselves” – not from what has already been prepared; that one should not take out strings and prepare it from them, but rather, the mitzva is to bring white and sky blue and prepare.20One should not use strings that have been left hanging at the edge of the clothing itself for the fringes. One should bring other strings and tie them as fringes. When? When there is sky blue; however, now, we have only white, as the sky blue has been sequestered. “On the corners” – not in the middle, but only on the corner; “a thread [petil]” – one is required to twine them [lefotelan]. Rabbi Meir said: In what way is sky blue different from all sorts of colors? It is that sky blue is similar to the firmament, and the firmament is similar to the Throne of Glory, as it is stated: “They saw the God of Israel [and under His feet was like a configuration of sapphire brick and like the very heavens in purity]” (Exodus 24:10).21Sky blue is similar to the color of a sapphire brick, and in Ezekiel 1:26 the throne of God is described as having the appearance of a sapphire brick. “It shall be for you a fringe, and you shall see it, and remember all the commandments of the Lord and perform them, and you shall not rove after your heart and after your eyes, after which you stray” (Numbers 15:39). “So that you will remember, and perform all My commandments, and be holy to your God” (Numbers 15:40). “It shall be for you a fringe” – that it should be seen. How much is its measure? Beit Shammai say: Four fingerbreadths, and Beit Hillel say: Three. How many strings? Beit Shammai say: Four, and Beit Hillel say: Three. “And you shall see it” – to the exclusion of a night garment. Or, is it only to the exclusion of a blind man? It then says: “So that you will remember” – it gave seeing and it gave remembering; remembering for one who cannot see, seeing for one who sees. “And you shall see it [oto]” – oto but not ota,22Masculine, nor feminine; had the reference been to the fringe [tzitzit], it would have been feminine. Therefore it must refer to the Throne of Glory; that is what you see when you look at the tzitzit. if you do so, it is as though you see the Throne of Glory, that is similar to sky blue. “And you shall see it, and remember” – vision engenders memory, memory engenders action, as it is stated: “So that you will remember, and perform” (Numbers 15:40). Why? “For it is not an empty thing for you” (Deuteronomy 32:47). This is analogous to a homeowner who was weighing and paying taxes and writing receipts. His father said to him: ‘My son, be careful with the receipts, as your life is subject to it.’ So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: “For it is not an empty thing for you, as it is your life…” (Deuteronomy 32:47).
17.6
“You shall not rove after your heart” – the heart and the eyes are the mediators of the body, as they cause the body to stray. “So that you will remember, and perform all My commandments” – this is analogous to one cast into the water. The captain extended the rope and said to him: ‘Grasp this rope in your hand and do not let it go, as if you let it go, you will have no life.’ This, too, is what the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘As long as you cleave to the mitzvot – “but you, who cleave to the Lord your God, all of you live today”’ (Deuteronomy 4:4). Likewise it says: “Hold fast to admonition, do not let go; safeguard it, as it is your life” (Proverbs 4:13). “And be holy” – when you perform the mitzvot, you are sanctified, and dread of you will be cast over the idolaters. If you forsake the mitzvot, you become profaned. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘In this world, by means of the evil inclination you forsake the mitzvot, but in the future, I will uproot it from you,’ as it is stated: “And I will place My spirit within you, [and I will act so that you will follow My statutes, and My ordinances you will observe and perform]” (Ezekiel 36:27).
18.1
“Koraḥ, son of Yitzhar son of Kehat son of Levi, and Datan and Aviram, sons of Eliav, and On, son of Pelet, sons of Reuben, took” (Numbers 16:1). “Koraḥ, son of Yitzhar son of Kehat…” – this is what is written: “A treacherous [nifsha] brother is worse than a fortified city” (Proverbs 18:19). This is Koraḥ, who entered into a dispute with Moses, rebelled, and was stripped of the honor that he had acquired. Nifsha is nothing other than rebellion, just as it says: “The king of Moav rebelled [pasha] against me” (II Kings 3:7). “And strife is like the bolts of a palace [armon]” (Proverbs 18:19) – the earth elevated its bolts1The midrash is explaining that the doors and bolts of the depths of the earth will open and swallow him. due to the iniquity relating to armon,2Armon means palace, and is deemed as referring to God and to Moses. that he entered into a dispute with Moses and with the Omnipresent.
18.2
“Took [vayikaḥ]” – vayikaḥ is nothing other than persuading with gentle words, that persuaded all the prominent leaders of Israel, and the Sanhedrin after him [Koraḥ]. In Moses’s regard, it is written: “Moses and Aaron took [vayikaḥ] these men” (Numbers 1:17); and likewise, “take [kaḥ] Aaron, and his sons with him” (Leviticus 8:2); likewise it says: “Take [keḥu] words with you” (Hosea 14:3); and likewise, “the woman was taken [vatukaḥ] to Pharaoh’s palace” (Genesis 12:15). That is, vayikaḥ Koraḥ – he persuaded them with gentle words. “Koraḥ…took” – what led him to enter into a dispute? It was by means of Elitzafan, son of his father’s brother, who became the prince over his family, “the prince of the patrilineal house of the families of the Kehatites was Elitzafan son of Uziel” (Numbers 3:30). Koraḥ said: ‘My father and his brothers were four brothers – “the sons of Kehat: Amram and Yitzhar and Hevron and Uziel” (Exodus 6:18). Amram, the firstborn, his son Aaron merited the High Priesthood, and Moses, kingdom. Who is worthy of taking the second position? Is it not the second, as it is stated: “The sons of Kehat: Amram and Yitzhar”? I am the son of Yitzhar, I was worthy of becoming prince of my family, but he arranged that the son of Uziel, the youngest of my father’s brothers, will be greater than I.3Uziel was the prince of the Kehat family. I will enter into a dispute with him and void everything that he has accomplished.’ That is why, “Koraḥ took.”
18.3
“Koraḥ…took” – what is written prior to this matter? “They shall make for themselves a fringe [tzitzit]” (Numbers 15:38). Koraḥ interrupted and said to Moses: ‘A garment that is crafted completely of sky blue wool, would it be exempt from tzitzit?’ He said to him: ‘It is obligated in tzitzit.’ Koraḥ said to him: ‘A garment that is crafted completely of sky blue wool does not exempt itself, but four threads exempt it? A house that is filled with Torah scrolls, would it be exempt from mezuza?’ He said to him: ‘It is obligated in mezuza.’ He said to him: ‘The whole Torah in its entirety, which consists of two hundred and seventy-five paragraphs, does not exempt the house, but one paragraph4Actually there are two paragraphs in the mezuza. that is in the mezuza exempts the house?’ He said to him: ‘You were not commanded these matters, but rather, you are fabricating them from your heart.’ That is what is written: “Koraḥ took.” Vayikaḥ is nothing other than an expression of division, like the matter that is stated: “To what does your heart take you [yikaḥakha]?” (Job 15:12). That is what Moses says to them, as it is stated: “Is it not enough…that the God of Israel has set you apart?” (Numbers 16:9). The Sages said that Koraḥ was an extremely wise man, and among the bearers of the Ark, as it is stated: “But he did not give to the sons of Kehat, because the sacred service is upon them” (Numbers 7:9), and Koraḥ was the son of Yitzhar the son of Kehat. When Moses said: “They shall place on the fringe of the corner a sky blue thread” (Numbers 15:38), he immediately commanded, and they prepared two hundred and fifty sky blue garments, and the two hundred and fifty leaders of the Sanhedrin, who stood against Moses, as it is stated: “They arose before Moses, and two hundred and fifty people from the children of Israel, princes of the congregation, the distinguished of the convocation” (Numbers 16:2), wrapped themselves in them. Koraḥ stood and made a feast for them and they all wrapped themselves in the sky blue garments. Aaron’s sons came to take their gifts, the breast and the thigh.5The meat at the feast was from animals which were sacrificed as peace offerings. The breast and thigh of the peace offering belonged to the priests (Maharzu). They stood and confronted them. They said to them: ‘Who commanded you to take these, was it not Moses? We will not give anything. The Omnipresent did not say so.’ They came and informed Moses. He went to placate them. They, immediately, stood against him to confront him – “before Moses” (Numbers 16:2). “And two hundred and fifty people of the children of Israel” – who were they? They were Elitzur son of Shedeur6He was the prince of the tribe of Reuben, and his counterparts were the princes of the other tribes. The princes also joined the rebellion. and his counterparts – “These men who were designated by name” (Numbers 1:17). Although the verse did not make them public, it provided their distinguishing features, and from the verses, you understand that it is them. To what is this matter analogous? It is to a wellborn person who is found stealing garments from the bathhouse, but the owner of the stolen goods did not want to make him public. He began providing distinguishing features. They said to him: ‘Who stole your garments?’ He said to them: ‘That wellborn person of stature, with fine teeth, black hair, and a fine nose.’ Once he provided his distinguishing features, they knew who he was. Here, too, even though the verse did not identify them, it came and provided their distinguishing features, and you know who they are. It is stated elsewhere: “These are the distinguished of the congregation, the princes of the tribes of their fathers; they are the heads of the thousands of Israel. Moses and Aaron took these men who were designated by name [beshemot]” (Numbers 1:16–17). And here it is stated: “Princes of the congregation, distinguished of the convocation, people of renown [shem]. They assembled against Moses and against Aaron” (Numbers 16:2–3).
18.4
“Koraḥ took” – he took his garment and went to take counsel from his wife. When the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “Take the Levites from among the Israelites and purify them. So shall you do to them, to purify them…and they shall pass a razor over all their flesh” (Numbers 8:6–7), he [Moses] immediately did so to Koraḥ. He [Korah] began circulating among Israel, but they did not recognize him. They said to him: ‘Who did this to you?’ He said to them: ‘Moses did it to me. Moreover, he took me by my arms and my legs, and they waved me, and said: You are hereby pure. He brought his brother Aaron, adorned him like a bride, and seated him in the Tent of Meeting.’ Moses’s enemies immediately began provoking Israel against him, and said: ‘Moses is king, his brother Aaron, High Priest, his sons, deputy High Priests. Teruma is to the priest, tithe,7The Levite is obligated to give one-tenth of the first tithe that he receives to the priest. to the priest, twenty-four gifts, to the priest.’ “They assembled against Moses and against Aaron, and they said to them: You have too much, as the entire congregation, all of them are holy, and the Lord is among them, and why do you elevate yourselves over the assembly of the Lord?” (Numbers 16:3). Immediately, “they assembled against Moses.” Immediately, “they said to them.” Rabbi Levi said: At that moment, Koraḥ gathered his congregation and said to them [to Moses and Aaron]: ‘You have increased the burden upon us more than the enslavement in Egypt. It was preferable for us under Egypt than it is under your control.’ They sought to stone him [Moses]. That is why, “Moses heard and he fell on his face” (Numbers 16:4). Moses said to them: ‘It is not kingdom I seek, nor does my brother Aaron [seek] the High Priesthood, as it is stated: “Aaron, what is he that you complain against him?”’ (Numbers 16:11). Moses said [to God]: ‘Master of the universe, is this not what You commanded me: “You, draw near to you Aaron your brother and his sons with him”? (Exodus 28:1). But they are standing against us to kill us.’ “He spoke to Koraḥ and to his entire congregation, saying: Morning, the Lord will disclose who is His, and who is holy and will bring him near to Him, and whom He shall choose, He will bring near to Him” (Numbers 16:5). He said: “Morning, the Lord will disclose who is His” – why is it so?8Why does it say “morning [boker]” and not “in the morning [baboker]”? Rabbi Natan said: The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘If all the magicians of the world gathered and sought to transform morning into evening they would not succeed. Just as I distinguished between light and darkness, so I distinguished Aaron to sanctify him with sanctity of the highest order.’ Immediately, “Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram, sons of Eliav, and they said: We will not go up” (Numbers 16:12). “We will not go” and “we will not come” are not written here, but rather “we will not go up.” “A fool’s mouth is ruin for him” (Proverbs 18:7); they opened their mouths for punishment, saying that they would die in descent and not in ascent. Just as they said, so they died: “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss” (Numbers 16:33). Moses said: ‘Since they did not want to go to me, I will come to them. Perhaps they will be ashamed, and reconsider,’ as it is stated: “Moses arose and went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25). When they saw him, they began to curse and blaspheme, as it is stated: “Datan and Aviram emerged standing” (Numbers 16:27). Do people typically emerge sitting, kneeling, or falling? Rather, when they emerged, they were cursing and blaspheming. Emerging and standing are stated here, and emerging and standing are stated regarding Goliath the Philistine, as it is written: “The champion emerged…[The Philistine said: I blasphemed….] The Philistine approached every morning and evening and stood for forty days” (I Samuel 17:4, 10, 16). Just as emerging and standing there was with cursing and blaspheming,9See I Samuel 17:45. here, too, it is with cursing and blaspheming. That is why Moses began and said: “If these die like the death of all people…[God did not send me]” (Numbers 16:29), [and therefore] “the earth opened its mouth” (Numbers 16:32). Come and see how grave is dispute, as anyone who assists in a dispute, the Holy One blessed be He eradicates his memory, as it is written: “Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men” (Numbers 16:35). Rabbi Berekhya said: How grave is dispute? The court on High punishes only from twenty years old and above; the earthly court, from thirteen years old and above. In Koraḥ’s dispute, day-old babies were burned and swallowed in the deepest abyss, as it is written: “[Datan and Aviram had come out and they stood at the entrance of their tents] with their wives, and their children, and their infants” (Numbers 16:27), [and it is written:] “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss” (Numbers 16:33). That is why it is written: “Koraḥ took.”
18.5
“Koraḥ, son of Yitzhar son of Kehat son of Levi” – why is it not written: Son of Jacob or son of Israel? That is what the verse said:10When Jacob blessed his children. “Let myself not come in their counsel” (Genesis 49:6) – these are the spies; “let my glory not be associated with their assembly” (Genesis 49:6) – this is Koraḥ. Jacob said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, neither regarding the spies, nor in Koraḥ’s dispute, let my name be mentioned with those wicked ones. When should my name be mentioned? When their lineage is recorded and they are standing upon the platform’11They are performing the Levite service in the Temple. – “son of Taḥat, son of Asir, son of Evyasaf, son of Koraḥ, son of Yitzhar, son of Kehat, son of Levi, son of Israel” (I Chronicles 6:22–23). “And Datan and Aviram” – from here they said: ‘Woe unto the wicked one, woe unto his neighbor,’ as Datan and Aviram were neighbors of Koraḥ, who was situated in the south, as it is written: “The families of the sons of Kehat shall encamp on the side of the Tabernacle to the south” (Numbers 3:29). The banner of Reuben was adjacent to them, as it is stated: “The banner of the camp of Reuben is to the south” (Numbers 2:10). But the banner of Judah was in the east, and Issachar and Zebulun were with him, as it is stated: “Those encamping at the front, to the east, are the banner of the camp of Judah” (Numbers 2:3). Moses and Aaron were adjacent to them, as it is written: “Those encamped in front of the Tabernacle, to the east, in front of the Tent of Meeting: Moses, Aaron, and his sons” (Numbers 3:38). Because they were adjacent to the Torah, they merited becoming masters of Torah, as it is written: “Judah, My lawgiver” (Psalms 60:9), and it is written: “From the children of Issachar, possessors of understanding of the times” (I Chronicles 12:33), and it is written: “From Zebulun, those who ply the scribe’s quill” (Judges 5:14). But Datan and Aviram, who were neighbors of a disputant, were stricken with him and were eliminated from the world.
18.6
“Koraḥ assembled…against them” (Numbers 16:19) – He said to them: ‘“The entire congregation, all of them are holy” (Numbers 16:3), and all of them heard at Sinai: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2), “and why do you elevate yourselves over the assembly of the Lord?” (Numbers 16:3). Had you heard it alone, and they had not heard, you could say it, but now, all of them heard. Why do you elevate yourselves?’ Moses was immediately shaken due to the dispute, because this was already their fourth wrongdoing. This is analogous to a king’s son who wronged his father. His dear friend placated him [the king] once, twice, three times. When he committed a fourth wrongdoing, the hands of the king’s dear friend were rendered powerless. He said: ‘How many times can I impose upon the king?’ So it was with Moses. They sinned with the calf – “Moses prayed” (Exodus 32:11). “The people were as complainers” (Numbers 11:1) – “Moses prayed” (Numbers 11:2). Regarding the spies – “Moses said: Egypt will hear…” (Numbers 14:13). Regarding Koraḥ’s dispute, he said: ‘How much can I impose upon the Omnipresent?’ That is why: “Moses heard and he fell on his face” (Numbers 16:4).
18.7
“He spoke to Koraḥ…Morning” – what did he see that led him to say: “Morning”? Moses said: ‘Perhaps they said this matter as a result of food and drink.’ He said: ‘Perhaps, in any case, they will repent.’ That is why it is stated: “Morning, the Lord will disclose.” He said to them: ‘I do not have permission to enter now. There is no eating and drinking before Him; however, it is because of us, because we have eaten and drunk.’ Another matter, Moses said to them: ‘The Holy One blessed be He imposed boundaries in His world. Are you able to mix day and night? That is what the verse said initially: “It was evening, it was morning” (Genesis 1:5); “God distinguished between the light and the darkness” (Genesis 1:4) for the use of the world. Just as He distinguished between the light and the darkness for the use of the world, so He distinguished Israel from the nations, as it is stated: “I have distinguished you from the peoples to be Mine” (Leviticus 20:26). And so, He distinguished Aaron, as it is stated: “Aaron was set apart to sanctify Him with sanctity of the highest order” (I Chronicles 23:13). If you are able to remove that distinction that He distinguished between light and darkness, you can nullify this.’ That is why he said to them: “Morning, the Lord will disclose who is His, and who is holy, and will bring him near to Him” (Numbers 16:5) – he is already designated – “and whom He shall choose, He will bring near to Him” (Numbers 16:5).
18.8
“This you shall do: take for you fire pans, Koraḥ, and all his congregation” (Numbers 16:6). “And place fire in them, and place incense upon them before the Lord tomorrow, and it will be the man whom the Lord will choose, he is the holy one; it is too much for you, sons of Levi” (Numbers 16:7). “This you shall do: take for you fire pans…And place fire in them, and place incense upon them before the Lord tomorrow” – what did he see that led him to say so? He said to them: ‘In the ways of the gentiles, there are many protocols and many priests. Do they all gather together at the same time? But we have only one Lord, one Torah, one protocol, one altar, and one High Priest. You are two hundred and fifty men seeking the High Priesthood. I, too, want that. “Therefore, you and your entire congregation” (Numbers 16:11). “This you shall do: take for you fire pans, Koraḥ, and his entire congregation” – you have the service that is most beloved of all, it is the incense, more beloved than all the offerings. But a deadly poison was placed within it, by means of which Nadav and Avihu were burned.’ That is why he forewarned them: “It will be the man whom the Lord will choose, he is the holy one” (Numbers 16:7). I am telling you, so you will not incur liability. The one among you who will be chosen, will emerge alive, but all of you will be eliminated. “It is too much for you, sons of Levi” – I have told you. Were they not fools, that he forewarned them in this manner, but they accepted the contest upon themselves? They sinned against their souls, as it is stated: “The firepans of these sinners against their souls” (Numbers 17:3). But Koraḥ, who was clever, what did he see that led him to this foolishness? His eye deceived him. He saw a great dynasty emerging from him. Samuel, who is the equivalent of Moses and Aaron, as it is stated: “Moses and Aaron among his priests, and Samuel among those who called His name” (Psalms 99:6). Twenty-four watches emerging from his descendants, all prophesying with the divine spirit, as it is stated: “All of these were sons of Heiman,12“From the sons of the Kehatites: Heiman the singer, son of Yoel, son of Samuel…son of Koraḥ” (I Chronicles 6:18, 22). [the king's seer in matters of God]” (I Chronicles 25:5). He said: ‘Is it possible that all this greatness will emerge from me, and I will be silent?’ But he did not see well. It was because his sons repented, and they emerged from them. But Moses saw. That is why he [Koraḥ] came to participate, based on his presumption regarding what he heard from the mouth of Moses, that all of them would be eliminated, and one would survive: “It will be the man whom the Lord will choose, he is the holy one.”
18.9
“Moses said to Koraḥ: Hear now, sons of Levi” (Numbers 16:8). “Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has distinguished you from the congregation of Israel, to bring you near to Him, to perform the service of the Tabernacle of the Lord, and to stand before the congregation to serve them?” (Numbers 16:9). “Moses said to Koraḥ” – does one who goes to speak to Yosef, say to Shimon: ‘Listen’?13If he is speaking with Koraḥ, why does he say to the sons of Levi: Listen? Some say: He was asking him to reconsider, and saying gentle words before him. When he saw that he did not heed, he [Moses] said: ‘Before others begin participating with him,’ he began to speak to them: “Hear now, sons of Levi” – is the honor that you have insignificant? “Is it not enough for you that the God of Israel has distinguished you…?” “He brought you near, and all your brethren the sons of Levi with you, and you will seek the priesthood as well?” (Numbers 16:10). “Therefore, you and your entire congregation have congregated against the Lord. And Aaron, what is he that you complain against him?” (Numbers 16:11). He returned to [speak to] Koraḥ: “He brought you near, and all your brethren the sons of Levi” – because he was a prominent leader of the tribe, his brethren became ancillary to him. “Therefore, you and your entire congregation have congregated against the Lord” – this dispute is not against us, but rather, against the Holy One blessed be He. This is analogous to a king who had many slaves and wished to render one of them a free man and invest him with a branch.14A symbol of authority. He then appointed him a senior adviser. His counterparts stood against him. People said: ‘Had he, himself, come and taken that prominence for himself, they acted appropriately in standing against him. Now that it is his master who acted on his behalf, anyone who stands against him, is he not standing against his master?’ So, too, Moses said to them: ‘Had my brother Aaron taken the priesthood for himself, you would have acted appropriately when you objected to him. Given that it is the Holy One blessed be He who granted it to him, He, who prominence, might, and kingdom, are His, anyone who stands against Aaron, is he not standing against the Holy One blessed be He?’ That is why it is written: “And Aaron, what is he that you complain against him?” Come and see the piety of Aaron the righteous. When Moses poured the anointing oil on his head, Aaron was shaken and terrified. He said to Moses: ‘My brother, perhaps I was not worthy to be anointed with the sacred oil, and I misused it and incurred liability for karet, as the Holy One blessed be He said: “On a person’s flesh it shall not be smeared”?’ (Exodus 30:32). That is why the verse attested in his regard: “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brothers to dwell together in unity. Like fine oil on the head, descending onto the beard, the beard of Aaron…like the dew of Ḥermon” (Psalms133:1–3). The verse juxtaposed the anointing oil to the dew of Hermon. Just as there is no misuse of the dew of Ḥermon, so, there is no misuse of the oil descending onto Aaron. That is why, “have congregated against the Lord.” With all these matters, Moses placated Koraḥ, but you do not find that he responded anything to him. It is because he was clever in his wickedness. He said: ‘If I respond to him, I know that he is exceedingly wise and he will overcome me with his words, and I will perforce submit to him. It is preferable that I do not relate to him.’ When Moses saw that it is to no avail, he took his leave of him.
18.10
“Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram, sons of Eliav and they said: We will not go up” (Numbers 16:12). “Moses sent to summon Datan and Aviram” – they, too, remained in their wickedness and did not bother to answer him. “They said: We will not go up” – the mouths of the wicked ones thwarted them, and a covenant is made with the lips, as they died and descended into the deepest abyss after they descended alive into the abyss. “Is it not enough that you took us up from a land flowing with milk and honey, to kill us in the wilderness? Will you also reign over us?” (Numbers 16:13). “Is it not enough that you took us up…. Will you…reign over us?” On what basis do you elevate yourself over us? What favor have you performed for us? You took us out of Egypt, which is “like the garden of the Lord” (Genesis 13:10), and into the land of Canaan you did not take us. Rather, we are in the wilderness and plague is rampant in our midst. “Yet you did not take us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and give us an inheritance of field and vineyard; will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up” (Numbers 16:14). “Moses was very incensed, and said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering; not one donkey did I take from them, nor did I wrong any one of them” (Numbers 16:15). “Will you gouge out the eyes of these men? We will not go up. Moses was very incensed” – why? It is because a person who deliberates with another and argues, and he responds to him, he has satisfaction. But if he does not respond to him, he is aggrieved. “Moses…said to the Lord: Do not turn to their offering” – do not accept them in repentance. The verse should have said: Do not turn to their service. What is “to their offering”? Thus Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, I know that these have a portion in that meal offering that they sacrificed, as it is stated: “Besides the daily offering and its meal offering” (Numbers 29:19), and it was of all of Israel that sacrificed. Since these withdrew from your children, do not look to their portion. Let the fire leave it and fail to consume it.’ “Not one donkey did I take from them” – even what was within my right to take, I did not take from them.15The midrash wonders: What is the great virtue of not taking an item that is not his? The way of the world is that a person who acts on behalf of the consecration, takes his wages from the consecration. But when I was descending from Midian to Egypt, it would have been within my rights to take a donkey from them, as I was descending for their purposes, but I did not take.16“Moses took his wife and his sons and mounted them on the donkey and they returned to the land of Egypt” (Exodus 4:20). Likewise, the righteous Samuel said: ‘“Here I am; testify against me before the Lord, and before His anointed: Whose ox did I take? Whose donkey did I take?” (I Samuel 12:3). The ox that I would sacrifice on their behalf as an offering, and ask for mercy upon them, and likewise, to anoint a king over them; it was from my own, as it is stated: “Take a calf with you” (I Samuel 16:2). Likewise it says: “As there is a feast offering today for the people at the private altar” (I Samuel 9:12); I did not take from theirs.’ [Samuel said:] ‘When I would circulate, and see to their judgments and their needs, and I would circulate in all the cities of Israel, as it is stated: “He would go each and every year and make the rounds of Beit El, [Gilgal, and the Mitzpa, and he would judge Israel in all those places]” (I Samuel 7:16). The way of the world is that litigants go to the judge, but I would go and circulate from city to city and from place to place, and the donkey was mine.’ Likewise, Moses said: ‘“When they have a matter, it comes before me and I adjudicate” (Exodus 18:16), but I did not do so, but rather, I went to them. “Nor did I wrong one of them” – I did not find the innocent guilty, nor did I exonerate the guilty.’ “Moses said to Koraḥ: You and your entire congregation, be before the Lord: you, and they, and Aaron, tomorrow” (Numbers 16:16). When Moses saw they were steadfast in their haughtiness, he said to them: “You and your entire congregation…” Koraḥ went that entire night and was misleadingIsrael and saying to them: ‘What, do you think that I am engaged in taking all this prominence for myself? I seek to have this prominence circulate among all of us, as Moses took the kingship for himself, and the High Priesthood, he gave to his brother.’ He would go and cajole each and every tribe in a manner appropriate for them, until they joined him. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Koraḥ assembled the entire congregation” (Numbers 16:19). They all approached, speaking as he did. Immediately, “the Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: Separate yourselves from the midst of this congregation [that I may annihilate them in an instant.] They fell on their faces” (Numbers 16:20 –22).
18.11
“They fell on their faces, and said: God, God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin, and You will rage against the entire congregation?” (Numbers 16:22). “And said” – They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, a flesh and blood king against whom a province rebelled, and twenty or thirty of them stood and cursed the king or his emissaries, he sends his legions there and introduces chaos among them and kills the good with the wicked, because he does not identify who among them rebelled and who did not rebel, who honored the king and who cursed [him]. But You, who knows a person’s thoughts and what the heart and the kidneys counsel, You understand the inclinations of Your creations, You know who sinned and who did not sin, who rebelled and who did not rebel, and You know the spirit of each and every one of them.’ That is why it is stated: “God of the spirits of all flesh, shall one man sin…?” The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘You have spoken well. I will divulge who has sinned and who has not sinned.’
18.12
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying” (Numbers 16:23) “Speak to the congregation, saying: Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram” (Numbers 16:24). “The Lord spoke to Moses, saying…Withdraw from around the dwellings of Koraḥ” – although Moses heard it directly from the Omnipotent, he did not say to them: “Withdraw” until he went and forewarned them, as it is stated: “Moses arose and went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25). This was to make known the extent of their wickedness as, although he went on foot to them, it is difficult to placate these wicked ones. What did they do? They did not wish to come out on their own to confront him. When Moses saw this, he said: ‘It was incumbent upon me to go this far.’ “He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men, and do not touch anything that is theirs, lest you be destroyed for all their sins” (Numbers 16:26). “He spoke to the congregation, saying: Depart now, away from the tents of these wicked men” – our Rabbis taught: Four are characterized as wicked: One who extends his hand toward another to strike him, even though he did not strike him, is characterized as wicked, as it is stated: “He said to the wicked one: Why do you strike your counterpart” (Exodus 2:13). “Did you strike” is not written, but rather, “do you strike [takeh].”17The word takeh is in the future tense. One who borrows but does not pay, as it is stated: “Wicked is one who borrows and does not repay; righteous is one who is gracious and gives” (Psalms 37:21). One who has insolence, and is not ashamed in the presence of one who is greater than he, as it is stated: “The wicked man is insolent before him, but the upright discerns his way” (Proverbs 21:29). And one who is a disputant, as it is stated: “Depart now away from the tents of these wicked men.” Two of them [wicked characteristics] were in Datan and Aviram, insolence and dispute [maḥloket]. Maḥloket: mem – maka [smiting]; ḥet – ḥaron [fury]; lamed – likui [punishment]; kof – kelala [curse]; tav – to’eva [abomination]. Some say, takhlit [end], as it brings extermination to the world. “They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ, Datan, and Aviram, and Datan and Aviram emerged and stood at the entrance of their tents, with their wives, and their children, and their infants” (Numbers 16:27). “They withdrew from around the dwelling of Koraḥ” – when they saw that Israel had departed from around them, they emerged cursing and blaspheming, as it is stated: “Datan and Aviram emerged standing” (Numbers 16:27), and elsewhere it is written: “The Philistine approached every morning and evening and stood for forty days” (I Samuel 17:16).18See above, Bemidbar Rabba 16:4. “Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me to perform all these actions, as it is not from my heart” (Numbers 16:28). “If these die like the death of all people, and the destiny of all people will be visited upon them, the Lord has not sent Me” (Numbers 16:29). “Moses said: With this you will know that the Lord has sent me…. If these die like the death of all people” – to what is this matter comparable? It is to the patron of a king’s daughter, who had her proof in his possession.19He kept the proof that she had been a virgin before her wedding night – a sheet with blood on it. One of the guests stood and cursed the groomsman and alleged that the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.20On her wedding night. The patron stood and confronted the king: 'If you do not demand that retribution be exacted, and you do not take this one out and put him to death before everyone, I, too, will say that, apparently, the king’s daughter had not been a virgin.’ The king immediately said: ‘It is preferable for me to put this one to death and not have the patron disseminating slander about my daughter.’ So, Koraḥ entered into a dispute with Moses and said: ‘From his heart and at his initiative, Moses said all these matters.’ Moses began and said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘If these die in their beds in the manner that people die, and the doctors enter and visit them in the manner that all the ill are visited, I, too, will deny and say: “The Lord did not send me” (Numbers 16:29), and I fabricated it in my heart.’ This is one of three prophets who spoke in this style: Elijah, Mikhaihu, and Moses. Elijah said: “God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today it will be known that You are God in Israel, and I am Your servant, and at Your word I performed all these matters. Answer me, Lord, answer me, and this people will know that You, Lord, are God, and it is You who have turned their heart back” (I Kings 18:36–37). ‘If you do not answer my plea, I will say: It is You who turned their hearts back.’ Likewise, Mikhaihu said to Ahab: “If you return in peace” (I Kings 22:28), I, too, say: “The Lord did not speak through me” (I Kings 22:28). “But if the Lord creates a creation, and the ground opens its mouth and swallows them and everything that is theirs, and they descend alive into the abyss, you shall know that these people have scorned the Lord” (Numbers 16:30). Likewise, Moses: “If these die like the death of all people…” The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘What do you seek?’ He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, “but if...a creation” – if You created a mouth to the earth, that is excellent; but if not, “the Lord creates [yivra]” – let Him create [yivra] it a mouth now.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “You decide something, and He will fulfill it for you, and light will shine upon your ways” (Job 22:28).
18.13
“The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, and their households, and all the people who were with Koraḥ, and all the property” (Numbers 16:32). “Opened” – Rabbi Yehuda said: At that moment, several mouths were opened in the earth, as it is stated: “[That the earth opened its mouth…] in the midst of all Israel” (Deuteronomy 11:6). Rabbi Neḥemya said: But is it not written: “The earth opened its mouth”? He said to him: How, then, do you realize: “In the midst of all Israel”? It is, rather, that the earth became like a funnel. Wherever one of them was standing, he would roll and come to it. The result is that you realize: “In the midst of all Israel” and you realize: “The earth opened its mouth.” “And all the yekum [that was at their feet]” (Deuteronomy 11:6) – this is the property that stands a person on his feet.21Yekum is expounded as though it was yakim – it causes one to stand. Our Rabbis said: Even if the garments were in the possession of the launderer, they would roll, come, and be swallowed with them. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: Even a needle of theirs that was borrowed [she’ula] in the hands of an Israelite, was also swallowed, as it is stated: “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss [sheola]” (Numbers 16:33). Why to that extent? It is because he entered into a dispute with the Holy One blessed be He. Nevertheless, in the future, they are destined to ascend. Rabbi Yehuda ben Beteira teaches that they have a portion in the World to Come, as it is stated: “They were lost from the midst of the assembly” (Numbers 16:33).22But not from the World to Come. Regarding David it says: “I have strayed like a lost sheep. Seek Your servant, as I have not forgotten Your mitzvot” (Psalms 119:176). Just as what was lost stated in David’s regard is destined to be sought; here, too, what was lost is destined to be sought. And so, Hannah prayed on their behalf: “The Lord puts to death and brings to life; He lowers to the abyss and elevates” (I Samuel 2:6).
18.14
“A treacherous [nifsha] brother is worse than a fortified [oz] city, and strife is like the bars of a palace” (Proverbs 18:19); this is Koraḥ, who betrayed [pasha] the Torah that is strength, as it is stated: “The Lord gives strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace” (Psalms 29:11). “And strife is like the bars of a palace” – did he not know that his adversaries were as sturdy as the bar of a palace? These are Moses and Aaron. Just as the bar does not move, the same is true of Moses, as it is stated: “The middle bar inside the planks will extend from end to end” (Exodus 26:28).
18.15
Job said: “He will dwell in desolate cities, in houses in which one would not live, which are destined to become heaps. He will not become rich, and his wealth will not endure; nothing of his will extend over the earth. He will not turn away from darkness; the flame will dry his shoots, and they will pass away from the breath of his mouth. Let him not trust in futility that misleads, for futility will be his compensation. He will wither before his time, and his treetop will not be green. He will shed his unripe grapes like a vine, and he will cast off his blossoms like an olive tree. For the company of the hypocrite will be desolate, and fire will consume the tents of bribery” (Job 15:28–34). “He will dwell in desolate cities, in houses in which one would not live, which are destined to become heaps” – this is Koraḥ, who was a treasurer in Pharaoh’s palace, and had the keys of his treasuries in his possession. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘What benefit do you have? You do not control them, as it is stated: “Houses in which one would not live, which are destined to become heaps [legalim].”’ For whom are they destined? It if for those who are exiled [golim], for Israel who were exiled from Egypt. But Koraḥ, he will not become rich, and his wealth will not endure – even when he dies, it will not endure.23It will not be transferred to his heirs. “Nothing of theirs will extend over the earth. He will not turn away from darkness” – he will never turn away from the darkness.24The darkness of Gehenna. “The flame will dry his shoots [yonakto]” – our Rabbis said: Koraḥ’s wife, when she descended to Gehenna, she extinguished it.25According to this explanation, it is saying that she would never leave there. There is an alternative explanation that she extinguished its fire. She was so wicked that the fire that was designated to burn her was so great that it extinguished the fire of Gehenna. “And they will pass away from the breath of his mouth” – so he will not say: ‘Samuel is destined to emerge from Me and for his sake, I will be spared.’ He [Korah], too, “will pass away from the breath of his mouth. Let him not trust in futility that misleads” – the Holy One blessed be He is shouting at the two hundred and fifty who entered into the dispute along with him: ‘Do not believe, he is mistaken: Do not trust him when he has strayed.’ “It will be concluded before his time” – before his time to die arrives, he will cause himself to die. “He will shed his unripe grapes like a vine” – this is his wife. “He will cast off his blossoms like an olive tree” – these are his children. 26See Psalms 128:3: “Your wife is like a fruitful vine...Your children like olive saplings….” Why? "For the company of the hypocrite will be desolate, and fire will consume the tents of bribery” – “Fire emerged from before the Lord” (Numbers 16:35).
18.16
Another matter, it does not say: Koraḥ “disputed,” “assembled,” “spoke,” “commanded,” but rather, “took.” What did he take? He took nothing; rather, his heart took him. The verse said: “To what does your heart take you, and what do your eyes intimate?” (Job 15:12). Rabbi Levi said: Why did Koraḥ enter into a dispute with Moses? He said: ‘I am the son of oil, “son of Yitzhar,” (Numbers 16:1), as it is stated: “[And He will bless…] and your wine [vetiroshekha], and your oil [veyitzharekha], the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks, in the land regarding which He took an oath to your forefathers to give to you” (Deuteronomy 7:13). “Vetiroshekha” – this is wine. Veyitzharekha – this is oil. Every liquid into which you place oil, it is on top. Moreover, it is written: “He said: These are the two anointed dignitaries [benei hayitzhar],27Literally, “sons of oil.” who attend the Lord of the entire land” (Zechariah 4:14). Does oil have children? Rather, these are Aaron and David, who were anointed with anointing oil. Aaron took the priesthood, and David, the kingship. I. who am the son of oil, am not anointed, and should become priest and king.’ Immediately, he entered into a dispute with Moses.
18.17
“He took” – his heart took him. “For it is not an enemy who disparages me, which I could bear; nor is it one of my foes who promotes himself over me, from whom I could hide” (Psalms 55:13). This is Doeg and Aḥitofel who would disparage me.28David. They were not my enemies, but they disparage me, and do not call me by my name, but rather: “Why did the son of Yishai not come?” (I Samuel 20:27),”; “I saw the son of Yishai” (I Samuel 22:9); “Behold, I saw a son of Yishai” (I Samuel 16:18). That is, “for it is not an enemy who disparages me, which I could bear.” “But it is you, my equal, my guide, my companion” (Psalms 55:14). “My equal, my guide [alufi]” – that he was a person of great stature in Torah.29Alufi is expounded as related to the Aramaic yalif – learn or derive. “My companion [umyuda’i] – he would deliberate with them in matters of halakha.30Umyuda’i is expounded as related to the words vaad and daat – a meeting over matters of knowledge. “We took sweet counsel together” (Psalms 55:15). What is, “we walked in the House of God with feeling [beragesh]”? (Psalms 55:15). It is as we learned: The bull was sacrificed with twenty-four31When a bull of a public offering was sacrificed in the Temple as a burnt offering, twenty-four kohanim participated in the sacrifice. See Yoma 26b. so that the crowd [harogesh] would be animated [margish], as it is stated: “We walked in the House of God beragesh.” “May He bring up death upon them” (Psalms 55:16) – Rabbi Elazar said: There was counsel of heresy within them. To what were they32Doeg and Ahitofel. comparable? It is to a building that is filled with straw. There were holes in the [walls of the] building and straw would enter them. Time passed,33The building was no longer fit for use. and the straw that had been in those holes began coming out. Everyone knew that it had been a building for straw. So, Doeg and Aḥitofel, there were no mitzvot in them at the outset. Even though they become masters of Torah, they were as they had been at the outset. That is, “For evil is in their dwelling place, inside them” (Psalms 55:16). Another matter, it is speaking in Moses’s regard. “For it is not an enemy” – but rather from my family, he will disparage me. “We took sweet counsel together” – Aaron and Koraḥ, the two of them were equal. “We walked in the House of God with feeling” – this one slaughters and brings it near and that one sprinkles the blood. “May He bring up death upon them” – he brought death upon himself. “They and everything that was theirs descended…” (Numbers 16:33).
18.18
“It is too much for you, sons of Levi” (Numbers 16:7) – the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘You struck with a rod and with what you struck, you are stricken. You said: “It is too much for you [rav lakhem].” Tomorrow, you will hear: “Enough for you [rav lakh]”’ (Deuteronomy 3:26).34“Enough for you, do not continue speaking to Me anymore about this matter” – the matter of entering the Land of Israel.
18.19
“It was, as he concluded speaking all these words, the ground that was beneath them split” (Numbers 16:31) – to teach you that the Holy One blessed be He causes punishments to develop from any place that He chooses. “They and everything that was theirs descended alive into the abyss, and the earth covered them, and they were lost from the midst of the assembly” (Numbers 16:33). “Alive into the abyss” – some say that they live and endure to this day. “Covered them” – they were eliminated, but not their positions of authority, as others were appointed leaders of thousands and leaders of hundreds. “All Israel that were around them fled due to their sound, as they said: Lest the earth swallow us” (Numbers 16:34). “All Israel…fled due to their sound” – as they were screaming with their voices: ‘Moses our teacher, save us!’ “Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” (Numbers 16:35). “Fire emerged from the Lord, and consumed the two hundred and fifty men, the presenters of the incense” – these were swallowed and those were consumed, and Koraḥ was standing among the consumed, as Moses said: “And you and Aaron, each his firepan” (Numbers 16:17). Koraḥ was stricken more that all of them, as he was consumed and swallowed. Why were two sentences executed upon him? It is because had he been consumed and not swallowed, the swallowed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they are swallowed and he is spared? Had he been swallowed and not consumed, the consumed would have protested that is was none other than Koraḥ who brought this punishment upon them, and they were consumed and he was spared? That is why he was sentenced to two deaths. The fire first blazed before the eyes of the consumed, in whose hands were the firepan and the incense that was in it. The fire folded him into a ball and the fire rolled him until it brought him to the mouth of the earth with the swallowed, as it is stated: “The earth opened its mouth and swallowed them, and their households, and all the people who were with Koraḥ, and all the property” (Numbers 16:32).
18.20
“And On son of Pelet” (Numbers 16:1) – why was his name On? It is because all his days were spent in acute mourning.35He regretted his association with Koraḥ and the rest. “Son of Pelet” – a son for whom wonders [pelaot] were performed. Rav said: On ben Pelet, his wife saved him. She said to him: ‘What is in it for you in this dispute? If Aaron is the High Priest, you are a disciple, if Koraḥ is the High Priest, you are a disciple.’ She said to him: ‘I know that the entire assembly is holy, as it is stated in their regard: “The entire congregation, all of them are holy”’ (Numbers 16:3). What did she do? She gave him wine and got him intoxicated and lay him in bed. She sat at the door, she and her daughter, and she unbound her hair. Anyone who came for her husband On would withdraw. Meanwhile, they were swallowed. This is what is written: “The wise among women builds her house” (Proverbs 14:1) – this is On’s wife. “And the foolish will destroy it with her hands” (Proverbs 14:1) – this is Koraḥ’s wife. “They arose before Moses…princes of [nesi’ei] the congregation” (Numbers 16:2) – the outstanding of the congregation.36Nesi’ei is expounded to mean those raised [nisa’im] above the congregarion. “Distinguished of the convocation [mo’ed]” – who know how to intercalate the years and to determine months.37Mo’ed is expounded in the sense of appointed times. “People of renown” – that have great renown in all areas. “Moses heard” (Numbers 16:4) – what did he hear? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: It teaches that they suspected him regarding a married woman, as it is stated: “They were jealous [vaykanu] of Moses in the camp” (Psalms 106:16) – Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzḥak said that Rav said: It teaches that everyone warned [kinei] his wife concerning Moses.38This is the first step of the sota process, where a husband warns his wife not to enter into isolation with a certain man. “[Moses arose and] went to Datan and Aviram” (Numbers 16:25) – Reish Lakish said: From here is learned that one does not perpetuate a dispute. Rav said: Anyone who perpetuates a dispute is in violation due to: “And he shall not be like Koraḥ and like his congregation” (Numbers 17:5). Rav Asi said: He39Anyone who perpetuates a dispute. is fit to be afflicted with leprosy. Here it is written: “As the Lord spoke to him at the hand of Moses” (Numbers 17:5), and there it is written: “The Lord said to him further: Bring your hand…[and behold, his hand was leprous]” (Exodus 4:6). Rabbi Ḥisda said: Anyone who enters into a dispute with his teacher, it is as though he enters into a dispute with the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “Who agitated against the Lord” (Numbers 26:9).40The verse is referring to Datan and Aviram. Rabbi Yosei bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: Anyone who quarrels with his teacher, it is as though he does so with the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “These are the waters of strife, where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord” (Numbers 20:13). Rabbi Ḥanina said: Anyone who states a grievance against his teacher, it is as though he states a grievance against the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “Your complaints are not against us, but against the Lord” (Exodus 16:8). Rabbi Abbahu said: Anyone who thinks ill of his teacher, it is as though he thinks ill of the Divine Presence, as it is stated: “The people spoke against God and against Moses: Why did you take us up from Egypt….” (Numbers 21:5). Rava expounded: What is it that is written: “The sun, the moon, stand in their abode [zevula]”? (Habakkuk 3:11).It teaches that the sun and the moon ascended to zevul.41The fourth of the seven heavens. They said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, if you perform justice for the son of Amram, we will emerge; if not, we will not emerge,’ until He shot arrows at them. He said to them: ‘For My honor, you did not protest,42When people worshiped the sun or the moon you did not protest. but for the honor of flesh and blood, you protested?’ Today, until He strikes them, they do not emerge.43The sun and moon do not rise since they are protesting because of God's honor. Rava expounded: What is it that is written: “But if the Lord creates a creation”? (Numbers 16:30). Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, if there is a creation of Gehenna, fine; but if not, let the Lord create it.’ What did he mean? You say to actually create it, but is it not written: “There is nothing new under the sun”? (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Rather, it is to bring the opening [of Gehenna] near. “But Koraḥ’s sons did not die” (Numbers 26:11). It is taught in the name of our Rabbi: A place was fortified for them in Gehenna. Rabba bar bar Ḥana said: One time I was walking along the way, and a certain Arab said to me: ‘Come and I will show you the place of those of Koraḥ who were swallowed.’ I went and I saw two fissures from which smoke was emerging. He took a woollen fleece, soaked it in water, placed it on the tip of his spear and inserted it there. It was singed and fell. He said to me: ‘Listen; what do you hear?’ And I heard that this is what they were saying: ‘Moses and his Torah are truth, and they44They are referring to themselves, having entered into a dispute with Moses. are liars.’ He said to me: ‘Every thirty days, Gehenna returns them here like meat in a cauldron, and they say this: Moses and his Torah are truth.’ But in the future, the Holy One blessed be He is destined to take them out. In their regard, Hannah said: “The Lord puts to death and brings to life; He lowers to the abyss and elevates” (I Samuel 2:6).
18.21
Mem, nun, tzadi, peh, kaf, the double letters,45These letters are written differently when they appear as the last letter of a word. were stated by the prophets. Kaf kaf alludes to Abraham: “Lekh lekha” (Genesis 12:1) – he will beget a son at the age of one hundred.46The letter kaf appears twice in lekh lekha. Lamed – 30 + kaf – 20 = 50 x 2 = 100. Mem mem is for Isaac: “For you have grown much mightier than we [mimenu]” (Genesis 26:16).47The letter mem appears twice in mimenu. An alternative term meaning “than we” could have been employed, but wasn’t. He alluded to him that he and his descendants would be mighty in two worlds. Nun nun for Jacob: “Deliver me, please [hatzileni na]” (Genesis 32:12); deliver in two worlds. Peh peh to Israel, [when God said] to Moses: “I have remembered you [pakod pakadeti]” (Exodus 3:16). Tzadi tzadi – “Behold a man, Tzemaḥ is his name, [and he will sprout [yitzmaḥ…]” (Zechariah 6:12). And it says: “I will establish for David a righteous offshoot [tzemaḥ tzadik] and he will reign as king and succeed, and he will perform justice and righteousness in the land” (Jeremiah 23:5). “A leader of fifty” (Isaiah 3:3) – twenty-four books; add to them eleven of the twelve minor prophets, excluding Jonah, which stands alone, six orders of Mishna, and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim48The Torat Kohanim is a midrash halakha on Leviticus. At the time that this midrash was written, the Torat Kohanim was apparently divided into nine large chapters. – that is fifty. “They are sixty queens” (Song of Songs 6:8) – sixty tractates; “and eighty concubines” (Song of Songs 6:8) – eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem, corresponding to its entrances; “and young women without number” (Song of Songs 6:8) – external Mishna.49Tannaitic statements which were not incorporated into the Mishna. “Behold the bed of Solomon: There are sixty valiant men around it” (Song of Songs 3:7) – sixty letters of the Priestly Benediction.50Numbers 6:24–26. “Three hundred and eighteen” (Genesis 14:14) – it is Eliezer.51The number of members of his household whom Abraham took to recover Lot corresponds to the numerical value of Eliezer: alef – 1 + lamed – 30 + yod –10 + ayin – 70 + zayin – 7 + reish – 200 = 318. “Because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice, and kept My commission, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws” (Genesis 26:5) – at the age of three he recognized Him.52Abraham heeded God’s voice for ‘ekev’ years: ayin – 70 + kof – 100 + beit – 2 = 172. He lived a total of one hundred and seventy-five years. He recognized God at age three. HaSatan – three hundred and sixty-four,53Heh – 5 + sin – 300 + tet – 9 + nun – 50 = 364. the number of days in the solar year that he [the Satan] has license to inform on all of them, excepting Yom Kippur. Rav Ami said in the school of Rabbi Abba: Abraham, as long as he was not circumcised and had not begot a son, was lacking a heh. The heh was added, he became whole, and he begot a son at the sum of his letters.54Alef – 1 + beit – 2 + reish – 200 + heh – 5 + mem – 40 = 248, the number of limbs in a person’s body. “A woman of valor is the crown of her husband” (Proverbs 12:4) – this is Sarah. Sarai was her name; two amora’im have a dispute regarding this: One said: The yod was split in two, heh for Abraham and heh for Sarah.55Yod is ten and heh is five. And one said: The yod that was taken from Sarah objected, until Joshua [Yehoshua] came and Moses added a yod56Yehoshua's name, originally, was Hoshea. – may the Lord rescue you [Ya yoshiakha] from the counsel of the spies.57Yehoshua is a portmanteau of ya yoshiakha. The yod of Isaac [Yitzḥak] corresponds to the ten ordeals; tzadi,to the ninety years of age that Sarah was when he was born; ḥet, to the eight days [of age] at which he was circumcised; kof, Abraham was one hundred years of age.58When Isaac was born. Jacob [Yaakov] was named for himself. Yod corresponds to the tenth. Calculate from Benjamin until Levi;59Counting backwards from Benjamin, Levi is the tenth. he is the tenth. Ayin – “with seventy people” (Deuteronomy 10:22);60This is the number of people with whom Jacob descended to Egypt. kof – corresponding to the letters in the blessing of: “May God give you” (Genesis 27:28). Beit remains. It is corresponding to the two angels that ascended.61When Jacob left Canaan to go to Aram. The tablets contained six hundred and thirteen mizvot, corresponding to the letters from “I am” (Exodus 20:2) until “that is your neighbor’s” (Exodus 20:14), no more and no fewer. All of them were given to Moses at Sinai, among them statutes, ordinances, Torah, Mishna, Talmud, and aggada. “Fear of the Lord, that is his treasure” (Isaiah 33:6). Among all the attributes, there are none greater than fear and humility62Since humility is not mentioned elsewhere in this portion of the midrash, Matnot Kehuna and Etz Yosef write that it should be erased. – “Now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you? Only to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 10:12). The numerical value of yirat is six hundred and eleven,63Yod – 10 + reish – 200 + alef – 1 + tav – 400 = 611. and of Torah is six hundred and eleven.64Tav – 400 + vav – 6 + reish – 200 + heh – 5 = 611. Add fear and Torah to them;65When a gematria is used, sometimes the word or words being discussed are used to add 1 to the gematria. Thus, 611 + Torah + yirat = 613. the result is six hundred and thirteen. Tzitzit – the Rabbis taught: Eight strings that are drawn and five knots, two above66Adjacent to the corner of the garment. and three below, that is six hundred and thirteen.67Tzadi – 90 + yod – 10 + tzadi – 90 + yod – 10 + tav – 400 = 600 + 8 strings + 5 knots = 613. The days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five years; Isaac, one hundred and eighty years; Jacob, one hundred and forty-seven years. When you add them together, the result is five hundred and two years. That is, likewise, the distance between the heavens and earth: “Like the days of the heavens over the earth” (Deuteronomy 11:21).68The preceding phrase is: “regarding which the Lord has taken an oath to your forefathers.” And "the days of the heavens over the earth" is interpreted as the time that it would take to walk from the earth to the heavens. “[These are David’s last words: The utterance of David son of Yishai, and the utterance of the man] raised on high [al]” (II Samuel 23:1) – this corresponds to one hundred blessings.69The numerical value of al is 100: Ayin – 70 + lamed – 30 = 100. Each day one hundred men of Israel would die. David came and instituted for them one hundred blessings. Once he instituted them, the plague was halted. Al – the yoke [ol]70Both al and ol are written with an ayin and lamed. of Torah and the yoke of suffering. “Forgive all iniquity, and accept good [tov], and instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips” (Hosea 14:3). Israel said: ‘Master of the universe, when the Temple was extant, we would sacrifice an offering and gain atonement; now, we have nothing in our hand other than prayer.’ The numerical value of tov is seventeen; prayer contains nineteen blessings?71The Amida. Exclude from there the blessing of the heretics,72This refers to the twelfth blessing in the Amida. that they instituted it in Yavne, and “the offshoot of David”73This refers to the fifteenth blessing of the Amida. that they instituted after him because of: “Examine me, Lord, and test me” (Psalms 26:2).74See Sanhedrin 107a, where David fails the test of Bathsheba. Rabbi Simon says: On the basis of a numerical cypher, “and accept good [tov]” equals the value of nefesh [person].75With the atbash cypher, the distance of a letter from the beginning of the alphabet is measured, and it is replaced bythe letter that is the same distance from the end of the alphabet. Tet – nun; vav – peh; beit – shin: tov becomes nefesh. Israel said: ‘When the Temple was extant, we would burn fats and the other portions on the altar and gain atonement. Now, here are our fats, our blood, and our souls. May it be Your will that they will serve as atonement on our behalf’ – “instead of bulls we will pay the offering of our lips.” “The Lord granted her pregnancy [herayon]” (Ruth 4:13). Its numerical value is two hundred and seventy-one.76This is the number of days in nine full months, plus the first day of the tenth month. The measure of water in a ritual bath is forty se’a, which corresponds to the number of times that the water of a well [be’er] is written in the Torah. How many egg bulks are in a ritual bath? There are five thousand seven hundred and sixty. Each and every se’a is one hundred and forty-four egg-bulks. Ḥalla is forty-three and one-fifth egg-bulks. From where is it derived that one requires forty se’a for a ritual bath? “The water of Shilo’aḥ that flows slowly [le’at]” (Isaiah 8:6), whose numerical value is forty. One who is separating ḥalla must, by Torah law, separate one from forty-three and one-fifth [egg-bulks], in accordance with the numerical value of ḥalla.77Ḥet – 8 + lamed – 30 + heh – 5 = 43. The primary categories of labor are forty less one, as it is written: “These are the matters [eleh hadevarim]…” (Exodus 35:1).78The following verse begins: “Six days labor shall be performed…” Eleh – thirty-six,79Alef – 1 + lamed – 30 + heh – 5 = 36. devarim – two,80Devarim (matters) is written in the plural. The minimum plural possible is two. hadevarim –three;81Deriving an additional one from the heh prefix. that is forty less one. “Forty he shall flog him, he shall not add” (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponding to the forty curses that the serpent, Eve, Adam, and the ground were cursed. The Sages deducted one due to “he shall not add.” Those who recommended acquittal would have a majority of one, and thus the iniquities are fewer.82Iniquities can refers to people who the court puts to death by mistake. According to that explanation, the midrash here explains that in order to prevent the iniquity of mistakenly killing somebody, for acquittal a majority of one is sufficient, but a majority of two is required for a guilty verdict. It is preferable when convicting that at least a majority of two will prevail, rather than one. “Sheshakh” (Jeremiah 25:26, 51:41) is Babylon [Bavel] in the atbash cypher. “[Son of] Tave’al” (Isaiah 7:6) according to the albam83Alef becomes lamed. The alphabet is divided in two in the middle, with eleven letters in each group. The first letter in the first group – aleph – is replaced by the first letter in the second group – lamed. The second letter – bet – is replaced by mem, etc. cypher is Remala.84The son of Tave’al, mentioned in the verse, is a reference to Pekaḥ ben Remalyahu, king of Israel. “With this [bezot] shall Aaron enter the Sanctum: with a young bull as a sin offering, and a ram as a burnt offering” (Leviticus 16:3), bezot is an allusion to the first Temple, that would stand four hundred and ten years.85Beit – 2 + zayin – 7 + alef – 1 + tav – 400 = 410.
18.22
May the name of the King of kings the Holy One blessed be He be blessed, as He created His world with wisdom and understanding, His wonders are unfathomable, and His greatness is unquantifiable, as it is written: “He gathers the water of the sea like a heap, he places the depths in storehouses” (Psalms 33:7). What is “gathers…like a heap”? When the Holy One blessed be He created His world, He said to the angel of the sea: ‘Open your mouth and swallow all the primordial water.’ He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, it is sufficient for me if I can withstand my own.’ He began to weep. He kicked him and killed him, as it is stated: “With His power, He calmed the sea, and with His understanding, He crushed Rahav” (Job 26:12). You find that the name of the angel of the sea is Rahav. What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He crushed it and trampled it and the sea received it, as it is stated: “And tramples upon the heights of the earth” (Amos 4:13). He placed sand for them86The water in the oceans. as doors and a bar, as it is stated: “Who dammed the sea with doors” (Job 38:8). And it is written: “Will you not fear Me – the utterance of the Lord – will you not tremble before Me? For I set the sand as a boundary for the sea” (Jeremiah 5:22). And it is written: “I said: You shall come this far and not continue” (Job 38:11). The sea said to Him: ‘If so, my sweet waters will intermingle with the salty.’ He said to it: ‘No, each and every one has a storehouse of its own,’ as it is stated: “He places the depths in storehouses.” If you say that it is a great wonder why all the water on the sea does not intermingle, the face that the Holy One blessed be He created in people is the size of a span; how many founts are in it, but they do not intermingle with one another. Tears of the eyes are salty, excretions of the ears are fatty, mucous of the nose is foul, while the saliva of the mouth is sweet. Why are the tears of the eyes salty? It is because were a person to weep uninterruptedly over the deceased, he would become immediately blinded. Because they are salty, he stops and does not weep. Why are the excretions of the ear fatty? It is so that when a person hears harsh tidings, were he to grasp it directly in his ear, it would be retained and he would die. Because they are fatty, he takes it in in this one and he lets it out with the other. Why is the mucous of the nose foul? It is so that when a person smells a foul odor, were it not for the fact that the mucous of the nose is foul and stops it, he would immediately die. Why is the saliva of the mouth sweet? It is because sometimes one eats food that is objectionable; if the saliva of his mouth was not sweet, his soul would no longer be restored to him. Moreover, it is because he reads in the Torah, in whose regard it is written: “And sweeter than honey” (Psalms 19:11). That is why the saliva of the mouth is sweet. Can the matters not be inferred a fortiori? If in the size of a span there are several founts, all the more so in the vast sea, in whose regard it is stated: “There is the sea, vast and broad; an innumerable swarm is in it” (Psalms 104:25). It is to teach you that the Holy One blessed be He accomplished His mission in all manners, and did not create anything for naught. At times He accomplishes His mission by means of a frog, at times, by means of a hornet, and at times, by means of a scorpion. Rabbi Ḥanin of Tzipori said: There was an incident involving a certain scorpion who went to perform the mission of the Holy One blessed be He across the Jordan. The Holy One blessed be He appointed for it a certain frog, and it crossed upon it. That scorpion went and stung the person.87That was the scorpion's mission. Likewise, there was an incident involving a certain reaper, who was reaping and gathering in the Beit Tofet valley. When the heat of the day came, he took some of the grass and tied it to his head. A large serpent came upon him, and he arose and killed it. A snake charmer passed by him, he saw that he had killed the serpent. He said to him: ‘Who killed that serpent?’ He said: ‘It was I.’ He saw the grass on his head.88According to Etz Yosef, the grass on his head protected him from the poison of the snake. He said to him: ‘Would you agree to remove the grass that is on your head? Then you can boast that you killed it.’ He did so, approached it, and he did not manage to touch it before he fell apart, limb by limb. Rabbi Yannai was sitting and interpreting verses at the entrance of his city. He saw a snake, trembling, and approaching the city. If one would seek to stop it from here, it would go there, and if one would seek to stop it from there, it would go here. He said: ‘This one is going to perform its mission.’ When it entered the city an outcry emerged in the city: ‘So-and-so son of so-and-so, a snake bit him and he died.’ Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Elazar was strolling on the rocky coast of Caesarea. He found a certain femur cast along the road. He would conceal it from here and would find it from there. He said: ‘It seems to me that this is prepared to fulfill its mission.’ Days later, an emissary of the empire passed, stumbled over it, fell, and died. They investigated after him and found in his hand harsh edicts written against the Jews. There was an incident involving two people who were walking along the road, one sighted and one blind. They sat to eat and extended their hands to the vegetation of the field and ate. The one who had been sighted was blinded, and the one who had been blind became sighted. They did not move from there until the one who had been supported by the other was now supporting him. There was an incident involving one who was going from the Land of Israel to Babylon. While he was eating bread, he saw two birds fighting one another. One of them killed the other. It went and brought grass and placed it on its mouth, and revived it. That person went and took the grass that had fallen from the bird and went to revive the dead with it. When he reached the Promontory of Tyre, he found a lion cast aside and dead. He placed the grass on its mouth and revived it. The lion stood and ate him. They say a parable: Do not do good to the wicked, and evil will not befall you. There was an incident in Siḥin in which a certain blind person entered the water to immerse himself. He happened upon Miriam’s well, immersed himself and was cured. The wicked Titus entered the chamber of the Holy of Holies while he was cursing and blaspheming. He stood and cut the curtain, took a Torah scroll, spread it, brought two prostitutes, and committed a sin with them. He drew his sword and cut the Torah scroll. A miracle was performed and blood began flowing out of it. He began taking credit, saying that he [Titus] had killed Him [God]. He continued exalting himself. When he reached the sea, the sea was gradually growing stormier. He said: ‘The God of these, His strength is only in the sea. If He wishes, let Him climb onto dry land and we will see who prevails.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one son of a wicked one, a tiny creature, the least significant of all My creatures, I will send against you to eliminate you from the world.’ A gnat entered his nose and he died an unnatural death. Why is it called a lowly creature? It is because it ingests, but does not egest. Sometimes it is by means of a hornet, as it is stated: “I will send the hornet before you” (Exodus 23:28). Our Rabbis said: When the Holy One blessed be He sent the hornet before Israel to kill the Emorites, see what is written in their regard: “I destroyed the Emorite from before them, whose height was like the height of cedars and who was strong as the oaks; I destroyed his fruit from above…” (Amos 2:9). It would enter into his right eye and release its poison, and he would be split in two, fall, and die, as this is the way of the Holy One blessed be He, to accomplish his mission by means of the slightest entities. To all those who exalt themselves over Him, he sent a slight creature to exact retribution from them, to inform you that their might is not genuine. In the future, the Holy One blessed be He is destined to exact retribution from the nations by means of slight entities, as it is stated: “It will be on that day that the Lord will whistle for the fly that is at the edge of the rivers of Egypt and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria” (Isaiah 7:18).
18.23
"And Moses spoke to the children of Israel, and all their princes gave him a staff for each prince, a staff for each prince according to their father's houses, twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron among their staffs (Number 17:21). “It was on the next day, and Moses came into the Tent of the Testimony, and, behold, the staff of Aaron of the house of Levi had blossomed, it had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud, and bore almonds” (Numbers 17:23). “And Aaron’s staff” (Numbers 17:21) – some say it is the staff that was in Judah’s hand, as it is stated: “And the staff that is in your hand” (Genesis 38:18). And some say it is the staff that was in Moses’s hand and it blossomed on its own, as it is stated: “And behold, the staff of Aaron… had blossomed.” Some say: Moses took one beam and cut it into twelve planks, and he said to them: ‘All of you take your staffs from one beam.’ Why did Moses do so? “Refraining from a quarrel is honor for a man, and every fool will be exposed” (Proverbs 20:3). It is so they would not say that his staff was moist and blossomed. The Holy One blessed be He decreed regarding the staff, and the ineffable name that appeared on the frontplate [tzitz] was found upon it, as it is stated: “It had produced a blossom, and had sprouted a bud [tzitz]” (Numbers 17:23). It blossomed that night and produced a fruit, “and boree almonds [vayigmol shekedim]” (Numbers 17:23). It repaid [gamal] everyone who had striven [shoked] against the tribe of Levi. Why almonds and not pomegranates and not nuts? It is because Israel was likened to them.89Israel was likened to pomegranates and nuts, and what happened to Aaron’s staff was meant as an admonition for the people of Israel. That staff was in the hand of each and every king until the Temple was destroyed, and it was sequestered. And that staff is destined to be in the hand of the messianic king soon, in our day, as it is stated: “The Lord will send your rod of strength from Zion; rule in the midst of your enemies” (Psalms 110:2).
19.1
“This is the statute of the Torah that the Lord commanded, saying: Speak to the children of Israel, and they shall take to you an unflawed red heifer, in which there is no blemish, and upon which a yoke was not placed” (Numbers 19:2). “This is the statute of” – that is what the verse said: “Who can generate the pure from the impure? Is it not the One?” (Job 14:4), like Abraham from Teraḥ, Hezekiah from Aḥaz, Yoshiya from Amon, Mordekhai from Shimi, Israel from idolaters, the World to Come from this world. Who did this? Who commanded this? Who decreed this? Is it not the One of the world? There, we learned: If there is a bean-sized snow-white leprous mark on a person, he is impure. If it spread on all of him, he is pure. Who did this? Who commanded this? Who decreed this? Is it not the One of the world? There, we learned: A woman whose fetus died in her womb and the midwife extended her hand and touched the fetus, the midwife is impure with seven-day impurity and the woman remains ritually pure until the offspring emerges.1Ḥullin 71a. As long as the corpse is in the house2The womb is referred to as “the house” of the fetus. the house is pure. When it emerges from within it, it is impure.3The mother becomes impure when the fetus comes out, because she touched it. Who did this? Who commanded this? Who decreed this? Is it not the One of the world? We learned there: Those dealing with the heifer, from beginning to end, impurify their garments,4Mishna Para 4:4. but it itself purifies garments. The Holy One Blessed be He said: ‘I instituted a statute, I issued a decree; you are not permitted to violate My decree.’
19.2
“This is the statute of the Torah” – “the sayings of the Lord are pure sayings […refined seven times]” (Psalms 12:7). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: We find that the Holy One blessed be He added two or three words in the Torah so as not to express a matter of impurity from His mouth: “From the pure animals, and from the animals that is not pure” (Genesis 7:8); “and of the animals that are not pure” (Genesis 7:2).5Rather than employ the term impure [teme’a] the Torah employs the term “not pure [lo tehora].” Rabbi Yudan said: When it [the Torah] came to introduce the signs of the impure animal, it also opened with the signs of purity. It is not written here, “the camel, because it does not have split hooves,” but rather, “[the camel,] because it brings up the cud [but does not have split hooves]” (Leviticus 11:4). It is not written here, “and the hare, because it does not have split hooves,” but rather, “[and the hare,] because it brings up the cud [but does not have split hooves]” (Leviticus 11:6). It is not written here, “and the pig, because it does not bring up the cud,” but rather, “[and the pig,] because it has split hooves […but does not bring up the cud]” (Leviticus 11:7). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Children who were in the era of David, before they experienced the taste of sin they were able to expound the Torah forty-nine aspects impure and forty-nine aspects pure.6This expression means that they could analyze a question and give forty-nine reasons to explain why something should be considered pure and forty-nine reasons to explain why it should be considered impure. David would pray for them and say: “You, Lord, preserve them” (Psalms 12:8) – keep their Torah in their heart. “Keep them secure, from this generation, forever” (Psalms 12:8). After all this praise, they would go out to war and fall, because there were slanderers in their midst. That is what David said: “Amid lions, I lie among the eager, [men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a honed sword]” (Psalms 57:5). “Amid lions” – this is Avner and Amasa, who were lions in Torah. “I lie among the eager” – these are Do’eg and Aḥitofel, who were eager for slander. “Whose tongues are a honed sword” – these are the Zifites, as it is stated: “When the Zifites came and said to Saul [is not David hiding in our midst?]” (Psalms 54:2). At that moment David said: “Rise above the heavens, God” (Psalms 57:6) – remove Your Divine Presence from their midst. But the generation of Ahab were all idolaters, but because there were no slanderers in their midst they would go out to war and prevail. This is what Ovadya said to Elijah: “Was it not told to my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord? I concealed [the Lord’s prophets…and I provided them with bread and water” (I Kings 18:13) – if bread, why water? Rather, it teaches that it was more difficult to bring the water than the bread.7This is a parenthetical clause. – But Elijah proclaims on Mount Carmel: “I alone remain a prophet of the Lord” (I Kings 18:22), and the entire people knows but do not reveal it to the king. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: They said to the serpent: ‘Why are you found between fences.’ It said: ‘I breached the fence of the world.’ ‘And why do you proceed with your tongue slobbering?’ It said: ‘It is what caused it to me.’ ‘Why is it that every beast bites and does not kill, but you bite and kill?’ It said to them: “If the serpent bites without a whisper,8From Heaven. there is no advantage to the charmer [baal halashon]” (Ecclesiastes 10:11) – ‘is it possible that I would do anything that was not stated to me from on High?’ ‘Why do you bite one limb and all the limbs feel it?’ It said to them: ‘You say it to me? Say it to the master of the tongue [baal halashon],9The slanderer. who is here and kills in Rome.’ Why is it10Slander called third?11Slander is referred to as lishna telita’i, a triple tongue. See, for example, Targum Yonatan, Leviticus 19:16. It is because it kills three: The one who speaks it, the one who receives it, and the one about whom it is spoken. During the era of Saul, four: It killed Do’eg, who spoke it; Saul, who received it; Aḥimelekh, about whom it was spoken; and Avner son of Ner.12The last explanation of why Avner was killed connects him to the punishment for slander. Why was he killed? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: It is because he gave precedence to his name over that of David. That is what is written: “Avner sent messengers to David from his place, saying: Whose is the land?” (II Samuel 3:12). He [Avner] wrote: From Avner to David. Reish Lakish said: It is because he made a game of the blood of the lads, as it is stated: “Avner said to Yoav: Let the lads rise now and play before us” (II Samuel 2:14). The Rabbis say: It is because he did not wait for Saul to reconcile with David, as it is stated: “My father, see, indeed, see the corner of your robe [in my hand, for as I cut off the corner of your robe and did not kill you…]” (I Samuel 24:11). Avner said to him [Saul]: What do you seek to prove from the [corner of] your garment?13Do you seek to prove that David does not want to kill you? It was severed with a thorn.14By saying so, Avner prevented reconciliation between Saul and David. When they came to the circle,15The circle of soldiers sleeping around the king, who was in the middle of the circle (I Samuel 26:7). he said to him: “Will you not answer, Avner?” (I Samuel 26:14). Regarding the corner, you said it was severed by a thorn. Were the spear and the jug also severed by a thorn? Some say: It is because he should have protested regarding Nov but he did not protest. Rabbi Ḥanan ben Pazi interpreted the verse regarding the portion of the heifer, in which there are seven of everything: Seven heifers,16Heifer is mentioned seven times. seven burnings,17Seven items must be burned. seven sprinklings,18Numbers 19:4. seven immersions,19Seven individuals involved in the process must immerse themselves. seven impure,20Seven people who require sprinkling of the purification water. seven pure,21Seven are thereby purified. seven priests.22Priest is mentioned seven times. If a person will say to you: They are five,23The word priest is written only five times. say to him: Moses and Aaron are included, as it is stated: “The Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying: This is the statute of the Torah” (Numbers 19:1–2).
19.3
“This is the statute of the Torah…” – Rabbi Yitzḥak began: “All this I attempted with wisdom; I said: I will become wise, but it is distant from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23). It is written: “God granted wisdom to Solomon…[like the sand that is on the seashore]” (I Kings 5:9). What is “like the sand”? The Rabbis say: He granted him wisdom corresponding to that of all of Israel, as it is stated: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea…” (Hosea 2:1). Rabbi Levi said: Just as the sand is a barrier for the sea,24Thus, the sea is "contained" by the sand barrier. so too, wisdom was contained within Solomon. The parable they say: You lack knowledge, what have you acquired; you acquired knowledge, what are you lacking? “A man with no constraint to his spirit is a breached city without a wall” (Proverbs 25:28). “Solomon’s wisdom exceeded the wisdom of all the people of the east” (I Kings 5:10) – what was the wisdom of the “people of the east”? They were knowledgeable and clever in divination by bird calls. Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel said: Regarding three matters I praise the people of the east: They do not kiss on the mouth, but rather on the hand; they do not bite with their mouth, but they cut with a knife; and they seek counsel only in a spacious area, as one consults only in the field. “And all the wisdom of Egypt” (I Kings 5:10) – what was the “wisdom of Egypt”? You find that when Solomon sought to build the Temple, he sent to Pharaoh Nekho. He said to him: Send me craftsmen, at their standard wages, as I seek to build the Temple. What did he do? He assembled all his astrologers. They looked and saw people who were destined to die that year, and sent them to him. When they came to Solomon, he saw by means of the Divine Spirit that they would die in that year. He gave them their shrouds and sent them to him. He sent to him: Did you not have shrouds with which to bury your dead? Here they are for you, they and their shrouds. “He became the wisest of all people [haadam]” (I Kings 5:11) – Adam the first man, what was his wisdom? You find that when the Holy One blessed be He sought to create Man, He consulted with the ministering angels. He said to them: “Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26). They said before Him: “What is man that You remember him” (Psalms 8:5)? He said to them: ‘Man, whom I seek to create, his wisdom is greater than yours.’ What did He do? He assembled all the animals, beasts, and birds and passed them before them. He said to them:25To the angels.‘What are the names of these?’ They did not know. When He created Adam, he passed them before him. He said to him: ‘What are the names of these?’ He said: ‘This one it is fitting to call bull, this one lion, this one horse, this one donkey, this one camel, and this one eagle,’ as it is stated: “Adam called names” (Genesis 2:20). He said to him: ‘And you, what is your name?’ He said to him: ‘Adam.’ ‘Why?’ ‘It is because I was created from the earth [adama].’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘I, what is My name?’ He said to Him: ‘Lord.’ ‘Why?’ ‘It is because You are Lord over all the creations.’ That is what is written: “I am the Lord, it is My name” (Isaiah 42:8) – it is My name that Adam the first man called Me. It is My name that I stipulated between Me and Myself; it is My name that I stipulated between Me and My creations. “More than Eitan the Ezraḥite” (I Kings 5:11) – this is Abraham, as it is stated: “A contemplation by Eitan the Ezraḥite” (Psalms 89:1).26See Bava Batra 15a. “Heiman” (I Kings 5:11) – this is Moses, as it is stated: “Not so My servant Moses; [in all My house he is faithful [ne’eman]]” (Numbers 12:7). “And Kalkol” (I Kings 5:11) – this is Joseph, as it is stated: “Joseph sustained [vaykhalkel]…” (Genesis 47:12). The Egyptians said: Did not this slave reign over us only due to his wisdom? What did they do? They brought seventy tablets and wrote on them seventy languages. They would cast them before him, and he would read each and every one in its language. Moreover, he could speak in the sacred tongue, which they did not have the ability to understand, as it is stated: “He established it as a precept for Joseph [bihosef] [when he went out over Egypt]; I learned a language I had not known” (Psalms 81:6).27The Holy One blessed be He added a heh to Joseph’s name, granting him the ability to understand languages that he had previously been unable to understand. “Darda” (I Kings 5:11) – this is the generation [dor] of the wilderness, which had knowledge [de’a]. “Sons of Maḥol” (I Kings 5:11) – as the Holy One blessed be He pardoned [maḥal] them for the act of the calf. “He spoke three thousand parables; [and his songs [shiro] were one thousand and five]” (I Kings 5:12) – Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: We reviewed all of the verses and found that Solomon prophesied only close to eight hundred verses. Rather, it teaches that in each and every verse that he said there were two or three interpretations, just as it says: “[A wise admonisher in a heedful ear is] a nose ring of gold and an adornment of fine gold” (Proverbs 25:12).28These are two parables for one scenario. The Rabbis say: Three thousand parables for each and every verse, and one thousand and five songs for each parable. It is not written here, “his songs [shirav],” but rather, “its song [shiro]” – the song of the parable. “He spoke to the trees” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible for a person to speak to trees? Rather, Solomon said: Why is a leper purified with the highest of the high and the lowest of the low, the cedar and the hyssop?29Leviticus 14:1–7. It is because he exalted himself like the cedar that he was afflicted with leprosy. Once he humbled himself like the hyssop, he was healed by the hyssop. “He spoke to the animals and to the birds” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible for a person to speak to animals and birds? Rather, he said: Why is an animal permitted with two signs and the bird with one sign?30When an animal is slaughtered both the trachea and esophagus must be cut, but when a bird is slaughtered it is sufficient to cut one of them. It is because the animal was created from dry land. But the bird, one verse says from the earth, as it is written: “The Lord God formed from the ground every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens” (Genesis 2:19). And one verse says: “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly [above the earth]” (Genesis 1:20). Bar Kappara says: They were created from the mud in the sea. Rabbi Avin said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: Nevertheless, the legs of the rooster are like the scales of the fish. “And to crawling creatures” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible for a person to speak to crawling creatures? Rather, Solomon said: Why is it that the eight creeping animals that are written in the Torah, one who traps them or wounds them incurs liability,31On Shabbat. but the other creeping animals, he is exempt? It is because they have hides. “And to the fish” (I Kings 5:13) – is it possible to say this? Rather, why do animals, beasts, and birds require ritual slaughter, but fish do not require ritual slaughter? It is, rather, from this verse: “Will flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them…[if all the fish of the sea will be gathered for them]” (Numbers 11:22). Yaakov of Kefar Niboraya issued a ruling in Tyre regarding fish, that they require ritual slaughter. Rabbi Ḥagai heard, and sent and summoned him. He said to him: ‘From where did you issue this ruling?’ He said to him ‘from here: “Let the water swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly [above the earth]” (Genesis 1:20) – just as the bird requires ritual slaughter, so too, fish require ritual slaughter.’ He said to them: ‘Recline him and flog him.’ He said to him: ‘Is a person who speaks matters of Torah flogged?’ He said to him: ‘You did not issue a proper ruling.’ He said to him: ‘From where?’ He said to him: ‘From here: “Will flocks and cattle be slaughtered for them…if all the fish of the sea will be gathered for them” (Numbers 11:22) – these require ritual slaughter and these require gathering.’ He [Yaakov of Kefar Niboraya] said: ‘Strike your striking, as it is favorable for absorbing.’32Absorbing lessons for the future. Yaakov of Kefar Niboraya issued a ruling in Tyre regarding an Israelite man who consorted with a gentile woman and begot a son, that the son is circumcised on Shabbat. Rabbi Ḥagai heard, and sent and summoned him. He said to him: ‘From where did you arrive at this?’ He said to him: ‘As it is written: “They verified their lineages by their families, by their patrilineal houses” (Numbers 1:18).’33Since lineage is determined by the father, he claimed that if the father is Jewish, the son is Jewish. He said to them: ‘Bend him over and flog him.’ He said to him: ‘Is a person who speaks matters of Torah flogged?’ He said to him: ‘You did not issue a proper ruling.’ He said to him: ‘From where do you prove it to me?’ He said to him; ‘If a member of the nations were to come to you and say: I wish to become a Jew provided that I can be circumcised on Shabbat day or on Yom Kippur, does one desecrate the Shabbat for him or not? Is it not so, that one desecrates the Shabbat only for the son of the daughter of an Israelite alone?’ He said to him: ‘From where do you derive this?’ He said to him: ‘It is written: “Now, let us establish a covenant with our God to send away all the wives, and those born from them, according to the counsel of the Lord” (Ezra 10:3).’ He said to him: ‘Are you flogging me on the basis of Tradition?’34The Prophets and the Writings. He said to him: ‘It is written: “Let it be done in accordance with the Torah”’ (Ezra 10:3). He said to him: ‘From what Torah?’ He said to him: ‘From what Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: It is written: “You shall not marry them” (Deuteronomy 7:3). Why? “Because he will divert your son from following Me” (Deuteronomy 7:4). Your son who comes from an Israelite woman is called your son, but your son who comes from a Kushite woman is not called your son, but rather, her son.’35See Yevamot 17a. He said: ‘Strike your striking, as it is favorable for absorbing.’ Solomon said: Regarding all these I was able to comprehend, but the portion of the red heifer I investigated, I asked, and I searched; “I said: I will become wise, but it is distant from me” (Ecclesiastes 7:23).
19.4
“Who is like the wise man, and who knows the meaning of a matter?” (Ecclesiastes 8:1). “Who is like the wise man” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, in whose regard it is written: “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom” (Proverbs 3:19). “And who knows the meaning of a matter” – this is the Holy One blessed be He, who explained the Torah to Moses. “The wisdom of a man illuminates his face” (Ecclesiastes 8:1) – Rabbi Yudan said: Great is the ability of the prophets, who liken the image of the greatness On High to the form of a person, as it is stated: “I heard the voice of a man by the Ulai” (Daniel 8:16).36A reference to the voice of the Holy One blessed be He. Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon said from here: “And upon the likeness of the throne was a likeness, like the appearance of a man, upon it from above” (Ezekiel 1:26). “And the boldness of his face is changed” (Ecclesiastes 8:1) – as He changes from the attribute of justice to the attribute of mercy for the sake of Israel. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Regarding each and every matter that the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses, He would say to him its means of impurity and its means of purification. When He reached the portion of: “Say to the priests” (Leviticus 21:1),37The portion addresses the prohibition against a priest becoming impure with impurity imparted by a corpse. Moses said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, if he becomes impure, with what will his purification be effected?’ He did not answer him. At that moment, Moses’s face paled. When he reached the portion of the red heifer, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘At that moment when I said to you the portion of: “Say to the priests,” and you said to Me: With what will his purification be effected, I did not answer you. This is his purification:’ “They shall take for the impure from the ashes of the burning of the purification” (Numbers 19:17).
19.5
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: There are four matters that the evil inclination decries, as “statute” is written in their regard: A brother’s wife, mixed species, the scapegoat, and the red heifer. A brother’s wife, as it is written: “The nakedness of your brother’s wife [you shall not uncover]” (Leviticus 18:16), but without children: “Her brother-in-law shall consort with her” (Deuteronomy 25:5). And it is written regarding the nakedness of a brother’s wife: “You shall observe all My statutes” (Leviticus 20:22).38The verse refers to all of the forbidden relations mentioned in the chapter, including a brother’s wife. Mixed species: “You shall not wear a mixture of fibers [wool and linen together]” (Deuteronomy 22:11), but a linen cloak with woolen fringes is permitted. And it is written in its regard: “You shall observe My statutes…[and clothing of mixed fiber shall not be placed on you]” (Leviticus 19:19). The scapegoat, as it is written: “And the one who dispatches the goat to Azazel shall wash his garments” (Leviticus 16:26), but it itself [the scapegoat] atones for others. And it is written in its regard: “This shall be for you an eternal statute” (Leviticus 16:34). The heifer, from where is it derived? It is as we learn: Those dealing with the heifer, from beginning to end, impurify their garments,39Mishna Para 4:4. but it itself purifies garments. And a statute is written in its regard: “This is the statute of the Torah.”
19.6
“They shall take to you a…red heifer” – Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: To you I am revealing the rationale of the heifer, but for another, it is a statute, as Rav Huna said: It is written: “When I set a time, I will judge with equity” (Psalms 75:3), and it is written: “It will be on that day, there will not be light, pleasant [yekarot] vekipaon” (Zechariah 14:6). Yikfaon is written.40See II Kings 6:6, where the word vayazef meaning: It floated, is translated by Targum Yonatan as ukfa. Thus yikfaon is interpreted as “will float.” Matters that are obscured from you in this world41“There will not be light.” are destined to float to the surface [tzofim] in the World to Come, like that blind person who can see [detzafi], as it is written: “I will lead the blind on a way they did not know” (Isaiah 42:16). And it is written: “These are the matters that I have done, and I did not abandon them” (Isaiah 42:16). It is not written here, “I will do,” but rather, “I have done,” as I have already done for Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Matters that were not revealed to Moses were revealed to Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. “Everything obscured [yekar] his eye has seen” (Job 28:10) – this is Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues. Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: He intimated that all the heifers will cease, but yours will endure.42This is expounded from: “They shall take to you.”
19.7
Rabbi Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina: When Moses ascended on High, he heard the voice of the Holy One blessed be He, who was sitting and engaging in the portion of the red heifer and saying the halakha in the name of the one who said it. Rabbi Eliezer says: A calf within its first year, a heifer within its second year.43Mishna Para 1:1. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, may it be Your will that he be from my descendants.’ He said to him: ‘As you live, he is from your descendants.’ That is what is written: “And the name of one, Eliezer” (Exodus 18:4), the name of that special one.
19.8
A certain idolater asked Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai: ‘These actions that you perform seem to be a type of sorcery. You bring a heifer, burn it, crush it, and take its ashes. One of you becomes impure from a corpse, one sprinkles upon him two or three drops, and you say to him: You are purified.’ He said to him: ‘Has a spirit of insanity never entered you?’ He said to him: ‘No.’ ‘Have you seen a person into whom a spirit of insanity has entered?’ He said to him: ‘Yes.’ He said to him: ‘And what do you do to him?’ He said to him: ‘We bring roots, smoke them beneath him, and sprinkle water on it, and it flees.’ He said to him: ‘Let your ears hear what you express from your mouth. The same is true of this spirit, this spirit of impurity, as it is written: “I will remove the prophets and the spirit of impurity from the land” (Zechariah 13:2). We sprinkle upon it the water of sprinkling, and it flees.’ After he left, his students said to him: ‘You rebuffed this one with a reed.44It was not a particularly compelling response. What do you say to us?’ He said to them: ‘As you live, it is not the corpse that impurifies, and it is not the water that purifies. Rather, the Holy One blessed be He said: I instituted a statute, issued a decree; you are not permitted to violate My decree, as it is written: “This is the statute of the Torah.”’ Why are all the offerings male and this is female? Rabbi Aivu said: This is analogous to the son of a maidservant who defecated in a king’s palace. The king said: Let his mother come and wipe the excrement clean. So, the Holy One blessed be He said: Let the heifer come and atone for the act of the calf.
19.9
“Take the staff…and give the congregation and their animals to drink” (Numbers 20:8) – from here, that the Holy One blessed be He spares Israel’s property.45This is indicated by God’s concern for their animals. “Moses and Aaron assembled the assembly to before the rock, and he said to them: Hear now, defiant ones; will we bring out water for you from this rock” (Numbers 20:10). “Moses and Aaron assembled the assembly to before the rock” – likewise it says: “Assemble the entire congregation at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Leviticus 8:3).46This is an area too small to hold the entire congregation. It teaches that each and every one saw himself as though he were standing before the rock. Likewise, when they crossed the Jordan, all of Israel entered between the staves of the Ark, as it is stated: “Joshua said to the children of Israel: Come here, and hear the words of the Lord [your God]” (Joshua 3:9). Here all Israel were standing and witnessing the miracles at the rock. They began to say, ‘Moses knows the nature of the rock; if he seeks to [perform a miracle] let him cause water to flow from this one.’47There were those who said: Moses wants to extract water from a specific rock because he knows that from that rock, or from the area of that rock, it is possible to extract water. If he claims that he will miraculously extract water, let him extract it from this rock which we choose. As a result, Moses was in a quandary. [He thought:] If I listen to them, I will void the words of the Omnipresent, and the Holy One blessed be He: “He traps the wise with their craftiness” (Job 5:13). Moses was very cautious all those forty years not to become exasperated with them, because he was afraid of the oath that the Holy One blessed be He took: “If any man among these men…will see” (Deuteronomy 1:35).48God took an oath that from that generation only Caleb and Joshua would enter the Land of Israel. While this implied that Moses and Aaron would not enter, it was not explicit. Therefore, Moses was afraid that even if he only became angry at them he would be included in their punishment. They said to him: ‘Just as you wish to cause water to flow from another rock, cause it to flow from this one.’ He screamed at them: “Listen now, hamorim” (Numbers 20:10). Hamorim has several interpretations: Hamorim –defiant ones; hamorim – fools, as in the cities of the sea, they call fools morim; hamorim – who teach their teachers; hamorim – shooter of arrows: “The archers [hamorim], the men…found him” (I Samuel 31:3); “the archers [hamorim bakeshet]” (I Chronicles 10:3). “Moses raised his hand, and he struck the rock with his staff twice, and a great deal of water came out, and the congregation and their animals drank” (Numbers 20:11). “Moses raised his hand, and he struck the rock” – he struck it once, the rock began dripping scant water, as it is stated: “Behold, He struck the rock so that water trickled [vayazuvu]” (Psalms 78:20), like a zav, who drips drops. They said to him: Son of Amram, this is water for nursing babies or those just weaned. He immediately grew impatient with them and struck it twice. Much water emerged and washed away everyone who had been mocking him, as it is stated: “And streams were flowing” (Psalms 78:20). Nevertheless, Moses did it only from the rock that the Holy One blessed be He had told him. From where is it derived that that rock about which Israel spoke as well as each and every rock that was in that place were producing water? It is as it is stated: “He split boulders…[and gave them drink]” (Psalms 78:15). “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have faith in Me, to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel; therefore, you will not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them” (Numbers 20:12). Why was Aaron included? It is as it is stated: “The Lord said to Moses and Aaron: Because you did not have faith in Me.” This is analogous to a creditor who came to take possession of the granary of the borrower, and took his and his neighbor’s. He said to him: ‘If I am liable, what sin did my neighbor commit?’ So too said Moses our teacher: ‘I became impatient; what sin did Aaron commit?’ This is why the verse lauds him:49Lauds Aaron, who did not complain. “Of Levi he said: Your Tumim and Your Urim for Your virtuous one, whom You tested at Masa, [You challenged him at Mei Meriva]” (Deuteronomy 33:8).
19.10
“Because you did not have faith in Me” – did he not say a matter more egregious than this, as he said: “Will flocks and cattle be slain for them, and will it suffice for them? If all the fish of the sea will be gathered for them, will it suffice for them” (Numbers 11:22)? There too there is a lack of faith, and it is greater than this one. Why did He not decree against him there? To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king who had a close friend who would act arrogantly with harsh words when it was between him and the king, and the king did not take offense from him. Sometime later, he acted arrogantly in the presence of the legions. He [the king] decreed that he be put to death. Here, too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘The first one that you did was between Me and you. Now, in the presence of the multitudes, it is not possible [to tolerate]’ – as it states: “to sanctify Me in the eyes of the children of Israel.”
19.11
“Because you did not have faith in Me” – that is what the verse said: “There is futility that is performed on the earth, in that there are righteous who receive as accords with the action of the wicked, and there are wicked who receive as accords with the action of the righteous. I said that this too is futility” (Ecclesiastes 8:14). You find when He cursed the serpent and said to it: “Cursed are you…” (Genesis 3:14), He did not allow it to plead anything, as the serpent could have said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You said to Adam: Do not eat, and I said to him: Eat. Why are You cursing me?’ He did not allow it to plead anything. Aaron could have said: ‘I did not transgress Your words; why am I being put to death?’
19.12
“Therefore, you will not bring” – to what is the matter comparable? It is to two women who are being flogged in court; one committed an act of licentiousness, and one ate unripe Sabbatical Year fruit. The one who ate the unripe Sabbatical Year fruits said to them: ‘I implore you, inform the people for what I am being flogged, so they will not say that I too committed an act of licentiousness.’ They brought unripe Sabbatical Year fruits and hung then on her and said: ‘That one committed an act of licentiousness and was flogged, and this one ate unripe Sabbatical Year fruits and was flogged.’ So too, Moses our teacher said: ‘You decreed upon me that I will die in the wilderness with this generation that angered You,’ as it is stated: “How often did they defy Him in the wilderness and distress Him in the desolate land” (Psalms 78:40). ‘Now they will say throughout the generations that I am like them. Let it be written in my regard for what I was punished.’ That is why He wrote: “Because you did not have faith.”
19.13
The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘In what capacity do you seek to enter the land?’ This is analogous to a shepherd who went out to herd the king’s flocks and the flocks were taken. The shepherd sought to enter the king’s palace. The king said to him: 'If you enter now, what will the people say? They will say that you caused the flocks to be taken.'50Therefore, go back and try to retrieve the flock. Here too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Is it to your credit that you took out six hundred thousand, buried them in the wilderness, and you are taking in another generation? Now they will say that the generation of the wilderness has no share in the World to Come. Rather, remain alongside them and come with them,’ as it is stated: “He brings the heads of the people; he performed the righteousness of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 33:21). That is why it is written: “You will not bring this assembly” – but rather, the one that departed with you.
19.14
“These are the waters of dispute, where the children of Israel quarreled with the Lord, and He was sanctified through them” (Numbers 20:13). “These are the waters of dispute” – from here you learn that from ancient times it was determined that Moses would be punished due to water. See what is written: “They turned back, and came to Ein Mishpat, which is Kadesh, and smote the entire field of the Amalekites, as well as the Emorites, who lived in Ḥatzetzon Tamar” (Genesis 14:7) – the spring [ein] of the judgment [mishpat] of Moses. “These are the waters of dispute” – this is analogous to the son of kings who took a stone and blinded his eye. His father would say regarding every stone: This is the one that blinded my son’s eye. That is why it is stated: “These are the waters of dispute.”51This is an expression of sorrow, just like the statement of the king that the rock blinded his son is an expression of sorrow.
19.15
“Moses sent messengers from Kadesh to the king of Edom: So said your brother Israel: You know all the travail that we have encountered” (Numbers 20:14). “Moses sent messengers…So said your brother Israel” – this is what the verse said: “He who does not gossip with his tongue, nor does evil to his neighbor, nor tolerates disgrace for his relative” (Psalms 15:3). The way of the world is that a person who engages in commerce with another and he angered him, he withdraws from him and does not wish to see him. Moses, even though he was punished by means of Israel, as it is stated: “They provoked at the waters of Meriva, and Moses suffered [on their account]” (Psalms 106:32), he did not remove their burden from upon him,52The midrash interprets the end of the verse as, “he does not consider himself to be disgraced on account of his relative,“ rather, he continues to work on behalf of his relative. but rather, he “sent messengers.” “Our ancestors descended to Egypt, and we lived in Egypt many years, and the Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors” (Numbers 20:15) “You know all the travail that we have encountered” (Numbers 20:14) – he said to him: ‘You know that when the Holy One blessed be He said: “Know, that your descendants will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and they will be enslaved to them, and they will oppress them, four hundred years” (Genesis 15:13), we were enslaved, but you are a free man.’ “Our ancestors descended” – it was due to that oppression. This is analogous to two brothers, where a promissory note was issued against their grandfather and one of them paid it off. Sometime later, one began asking to borrow an item from his brother. He said to him: ‘You know that that debt was on both of us, but it is I who repaid it. Do not reject me regarding the item that I am asking to borrow.’ “Our ancestors descended to Egypt” – what is the nature of the ancestors here, as it is stated: “And the Egyptians mistreated us and our ancestors”? It is because anytime that Israel is in distress, they too, are in distress. “Please, let us pass through your land; we will not pass through a field or through a vineyard, and we will not drink well water; we will go on the king’s way; we will not turn right or left until we pass your border” (Numbers 20:17). “Please, let us pass through your land…[we will not drink] well water” – it should have said “water of pits.”53Well is singular, but pits is plural. The Torah teaches you etiquette, that one who goes to a land that is not his and has [enough for] his needs in his possession, he should not eat from what is in his possession, but rather, his shall be placed aside and he should purchase from the storekeeper in order to benefit him. So, Moses said to him: ‘The well accompanies us and we eat manna; do not say that we are an imposition upon you. You will be earning income for yourself’; so, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: “You shall purchase food from them with silver” (Deuteronomy 2:6). Moses said to them: ‘Loosen your purse strings, so they will not say: They were slaves, they are poor. Show them your wealth, and they will know that you did not lose because of the enslavement. “Afterward they will emerge with great wealth” (Genesis 15:14) – and they will know that you are lacking nothing, and it is not from your own that you are giving, as it is stated: “For the Lord your God blessed you…these forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing”’ (Deuteronomy 2:7). “We will go on the king’s way” – as we will muzzle our animals. “We will not turn right or left” – this is the most difficult of all, as they said to him: In all of our surroundings we have permission to kill and pillage, but within your borders, “we will not turn right or left.” “Edom said to him: You shall not pass through me, lest I come out toward you with the sword” (Numbers 20:18). “Edom said to him: You shall not pass through me” – this is what the verse said: “I am peace; but when I speak, they are for war” (Psalms 120:7). From where is it derived that this is what the Holy One blessed be He said to him, that: ‘They will not allow you to pass, and it is not all from them, because it is I who wants it,’ as it is stated: “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you from their land” (Deuteronomy 2:5), and it is written: “Edom refused to allow Israel” (Numbers 20:21). Then they sent to the king of Moav, and he was unwilling. Although it is not explicit here, it is explicit in Judges, teaching that it is all in the Divine Spirit, as there was no one among all of them of insignificant stature as Yiftaḥ,54Everything written in the Bible was written with the Divine Spirit, and since Yiftaḥ’s statement is quoted it is certainly a correct description of what had occurred even though he was of insignificant stature. and he stated it explicitly, as it is stated: “Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom, saying: Please let me pass through your land; but the king of Edom would not heed. They also sent to the king of Moav, but he was unwilling” (Judges 11:17). Moses also intimated: “Like the children of Esau, who live in Seir, [and the Moavites, who live in Ar,] did for me” (Deuteronomy 2:29).
19.16
“They traveled from Kadesh, and the children of Israel, the entire congregation, came to Hor Mountain” (Numbers 20:22). “They traveled from Kadesh and…came” – this is what the verse said: “Because you allied yourself with Ahaziah, the Lord has breached your works” (II Chronicles 20:37). Because they drew near to that wicked one to pass through his land, they lost that righteous one. That is why the gathering of Aaron was juxtaposed just after the portion of the king of Edom. “Israel turned away from him” (Numbers 20:21). “They traveled from Kadesh” – what is “the entire congregation”? It is a complete congregation, the congregation that is entering the land. It is because those who departed from Egypt died, and these are from those in whose regard it is written in the verse: “All of you are alive today” (Deuteronomy 4:4). What is “Hor Mountain [Hor Hahar]”? It is a mountain atop a mountain, like a small apple atop a large apple. Although the cloud that went before them would lower the elevations and raise the depressions, the Holy One blessed be He left this mountain as a sample, so they would be aware of the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on their behalf, as He did not leave a mountain in the wilderness, so they would not be exerting themselves and ascending and descending. Moreover, although the cloud would render the entire wilderness a plain, it would leave an elevation for the Tabernacle that would encamp there, and it left three mountains: Mount Sinai for the Divine Presence, Mount Nevo for Moses’s burial, and Hor Mountain for Aaron’s burial.
19.17
“Aaron will be gathered to his people, for he will not come into the land that I have given to the children of Israel, because you defied My directive at the waters of dispute” (Numbers 20:24). It teaches that they inform the righteous of the day of their death, so they can bequeath their crown to their sons. Why did Aaron not die as Miriam died, that no person knew about her, but rather, it was said to Moses: “Aaron will be gathered”? This is analogous to a king who had two treasurers, and they would not do anything without the king’s knowledge.55Unlike Moses and Aaron, Miriam did not have an official position. One of them had a significant position before the king, and the king had to take the position [and give it to someone else]. The king said: Even though he is under my control, I will not take his position until I inform him. So, the Holy One blessed be He said: These two elders, they did not do anything without My knowledge. Now that I am removing them, I will not remove them until I inform them. That is why it is stated: “Aaron will be gathered.” He said to Him: ‘My Master, leave him with the children of Reuben and the children of Gad.’ He said to him: “That I have given to the children of Israel” – ‘his death is delaying the giving of the land. Is it your desire that he not die and Israel will not enter the land?’ That is why it is stated: “That I have given to the children of Israel.”
19.18
“Because you defied My directive” – this is what the verse said: “The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous” (Proverbs 10:3) – this is Adam the first man, as all the righteous who will descend from him, death was decreed upon them. They do not pass away until they see the countenance of the Divine Presence and reprimand Adam the first man and say to him: ‘You caused death for us.’ He responds: ‘I have one sin attributed to me, but there is not one of you who does not have more than four iniquities.’ From where is it derived that they see the countenance of the Divine Presence and they reprimand Adam the first man? It is as it is stated: “I said: I will not see the Lord, the Lord in the land of the living; I will no longer behold a person [adam] among the inhabitants of the world” (Isaiah 38:11). The righteous are punished with death for minor transgressions,56Because the righteous are punished with death for their own transgressions, Adam the first man is not ensnared on the grounds that they died because of him. so Adam the first man will not be ensnared by them, as it is stated: “The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous.”57As mentioned in the beginning of the paragraph, this verse refers to Adam and is interpreted here to mean that he will not suffer because of the death of the righteous. That is why it is stated: “Because you defied My directive.”
19.19
“Take Aaron and Elazar his son, and take them up Hor Mountain” (Numbers 20:25). “Strip Aaron of his vestments, and dress Elazar his son in them; and Aaron will be gathered, and die there” (Numbers 20:26). “Take Aaron.… Strip” – the Holy One blessed be He said to him: You comfort him as he is bequeathing his crown to his sons, while you are not bequeathing [your crown] to your sons. “Moses did as the Lord commanded, and they went up to Hor Mountain before the eyes of the entire congregation” (Numbers 20:27). “Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments and dressed Elazar his son in them, and Aaron died there at the top of the mountain; and Moses and Elazar descended from the mountain” (Numbers 20:28). “Moses stripped Aaron of his vestments, and dressed [Elazar his son] in them” – but is it not so, that if a High Priest goes outside of the Temple Mount58The camp of the Levites in the desert was the equivalent of the Temple Mount (Zevaḥim 116b). in his priestly vestments that he is flogged forty, as they are wool and linen? Rather, it is to inform you that with the expression that he introduced him into the priesthood: “Take Aaron” (Leviticus 8:2), with that same expression he said to him to ascend the mountain.59There was a special dispensation in this case allowing Aaron to wear the clothing of the High Priest outside of the Temple Mount. “Moses did as the Lord commanded” – to teach you that even though he said to him an evil decree against Aaron, he did not delay.
19.20
“The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished, and they wept for Aaron thirty days, the entire house of Israel” (Numbers 20:29). “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished” – when Moses and Elazar descended from the mountain, the entire assembly gathered around them and said to them: ‘Where is Aaron?’ They said to them: ‘He died.’ They said: ‘How could the angel of death harm him, a person who stood against the angel of death and stopped him, as it is stated: “He stood between the dead and the living [and the plague was checked]” (Numbers 17:13)? If you bring him, fine; if not, we will stone you.’ At that moment, Moses stood in prayer and said: ‘Master of the universe, deliver us from suspicion.’ Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He opened the cave and showed him to them, as it is stated: “The entire congregation saw that Aaron had perished.” “The Canaanite, king of Arad, who dwells in the south, heard that Israel came via Atarim. He waged war against Israel, and took captives from them” (Numbers 21:1). What is written thereafter? “The Canaanite, king of Arad” – you find that when Aaron died, the clouds of glory dissipated, and they [Israel] appeared like a woman whose hair is exposed. Who was the “king of Arad”? This is Amalek, as it is stated: “Amalek dwells in the southern region; and the Hittites, the Yevusites and the Emorites dwell on the mountain; and the Canaanites live along the sea and alongside the Jordan” (Numbers 13:29). It [Amalek] was dwelling in the breach.60They dwelled in the south near the border. When he heard that Aaron had died and that the clouds of glory had dissipated, he immediately provoked them. “Via Atarim” – the great scout [tayar] that had scouted [tar] the way for them, as it is stated: “The Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was traveling before them” (Numbers 10:33).61The following verse states: “The cloud of the Lord was upon them by day, when they traveled from the camp” (Numbers 10:34). “He waged war against Israel.” If he was Amalek, why is he called “Canaanite”? It is because Israel was prohibited from waging war against the children of Esau,62Amalek was a grandson of Esau. as it is stated: “Do not provoke them, for I will not give you from their land even the tread of a foot, because I have given Mount Seir to be an inheritance to Esau” (Deuteronomy 2:5). When Amalek came, it provoked them once, twice. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: This one is not prohibited for you like the children of Esau. It is for you like the Canaanites, in whose regard it is stated: “You shall utterly destroy them” (Deuteronomy 20:17). That is why he was called Canaanite. Amalek had always been a chastising whip for Israel. You find when they said: “Is the Lord in our midst?” (Exodus 17:7), immediately, “Amalek came” (Exodus 17:8). “They said one to another: Let us appoint a leader and return to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4) – “the Amalekite and the Canaanite descended” (Numbers 14:45). And here: “The Canaanite, king of Arad…heard.” You find that when Aaron died, Amalek set out against them, and they traveled seven journeys in reverse, as it is stated: “The children of Israel traveled from Be’erot Benei Yaakan to Mosera; there Aaron died” (Deuteronomy 10:6). Did Aaron die there? Did he not die at Hor Mountain, as it is stated: “Aaron died there at the top of the mountain”? The verses prove that they are seven journeys in reverse, to teach you that they traveled in reverse.63See Numbers 33:30–39 which lists the journeys from Mosera to Hor Mountain.
19.21
“They traveled from Hor Mountain via the Red Sea, to circumvent the land of Edom, and the soul of the people grew restive on the way” (Numbers 21:4). “They traveled from Hor Mountain…and the soul of the people grew restive on the way” – but is it not written: “You gave Your benevolent spirit to educate them” (Nehemiah 9:20)? It is, rather, that those who departed from Egypt, upon whom death was decreed, saw no satisfaction or benevolent spirit in the wilderness. Likewise it says: “Your children will be wandering [ro’im]64This is expounded in the sense of the Aramaic raava, satisfaction. The midrash explains that the children of those in the first generation had satisfaction, not the first generation themselves, upon whom death was decreed. in the wilderness” (Numbers 14:33). That is the people, whose soul grew restive on the way.65Namely, the remnants of the first generation grew restive. “The people spoke against God and against Moses: Why did you bring us up from Egypt to die in the wilderness; for there is no bread and there is no water, and our soul loathes this insubstantial bread” (Numbers 21:5). “The people spoke against God and against Moses” – they drew a parallel between the servant and his Maker. “Our soul loathes this insubstantial bread” – that generation was unable to taste anything of the fruits of the Land [of Israel]. Rabbi Akiva said: When the merchants would reveal to them a basket that came with the fruits of the land, they would die, as it is stated: “If any man among these men, this wicked generation, will see [the good land]” (Deuteronomy 1:35) – all good that comes from the Land [of Israel]. That is why: “And the soul of the people grew restive” (Numbers 21:4) – it is they who murmured: “And our soul loathes.”
19.22
“The Lord sent the fiery serpents against the people, and they bit the people, and a large multitude of Israel died” (Numbers 21:6). “The Lord sent the fiery serpents against the people” – what did He see that led Him to exact retribution against them with serpents? It is because the serpent began with slander first and was cursed, but they did not learn from it. The Holy One blessed be He said: Let the serpent that began with slander first come and exact retribution against the slanderers, as it is stated: “One who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him” (Ecclesiastes 10:8). Another matter: Why did He exact retribution against them with serpents? The serpent, even if it eats all the delicacies in the world, they transform into dust in its mouth, as it is stated: “A serpent, dust will be its food” (Isaiah 65:25). But these eat the manna, which transforms into many tastes, as it is stated: “[They craved.…] He granted them their request” (Psalms 106:14–15). And it says: “These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have not lacked anything” (Deuteronomy 2:7). Let the serpent, which eats many kinds but there is one taste in its mouth, exact vengeance against those who eat one kind but taste many types. “The fiery serpents” – that burn the soul. Rabbi Yudan says: “The fiery serpents” – as the cloud would burn them and craft them into a fence for the camp. This is to inform you that the miracles that the Holy One blessed be He performed on their behalf, it was them that He unleashed against them.
19.23
“The people came to Moses and said: We sinned, for we spoke against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord, and He will remove the serpent from us. Moses prayed on behalf of the people” (Numbers 21:7). “The people came to Moses and said: We sinned” – they knew that they had spoken against Moses, and they prostrated themselves before him and said: “Pray to the Lord, and He will remove [the serpent] from us” – it was a single serpent. “[Moses] prayed” – to inform you of Moses’s humility; he did not hesitate to plead for mercy on their behalf, and to inform you of the power of repentance. Once they said: “We sinned,” he was immediately placated before them, as the one from whom forgiveness is asked must not become cruel. Likewise it says: “Abraham prayed to God, and God healed [Avimelekh]” (Genesis 20:17). Likewise it says: “The Lord restored Job’s loss when he prayed for his friends” (Job 42:10). From where is it derived that if one wronged another and he says to him: I sinned, that he is called a sinner if he does not forgive him? It is as it is stated: “I too, far be it from me to sin against the Lord, to cease to pray on your behalf. (I Samuel 12:23). When? It was when they came and said: We sinned, as it is stated: <“All the people said to Samuel: Pray on behalf of your servants…for we have added evil upon all our sins”> “The people said to Samuel: We have sinned because we transgressed the directive of the Lord and your words” (I Samuel 12:19).66The bracketed verse that appears in the Hebrew without vocalization and in English in pointed brackets is the actual verse. The verse that appears unbracketed and with vocalization is the non-existent verse that appears in the midrash. He responded: “Far be it from me to sin against the Lord.” “The Lord said to Moses: Craft for yourself a fiery serpent, and place it upon a standard; it will be, that anyone who was bitten, if he will see it he will live” (Numbers 21:8). “The Lord said to Moses: Craft for yourself a fiery serpent…it will be, that anyone who was bitten” – not only one who was bitten by a serpent, but rather “anyone who was bitten” – even if he was bitten by a cobra, a scorpion, a wild beast, or a dog. “Moses crafted a bronze serpent and placed it on the standard [nes]” (Numbers 21:9) – he cast it into the air and it remained.67The word nes can also mean, “the miracle.”
19.24
“The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Ovot” (Numbers 21:10). “The children of Israel traveled, and encamped in Ovot” (Numbers 21:10) – they became enemies [oyevim] to the Omnipresent. “They encamped at Iyei HaAvarim” (Numbers 21:11) –they were filled with transgressions [averot]. “They encamped in the Zered Ravine” (Numbers 21:12) – the ravine had no more than the capacity of a span [zeret],68A zeret is a half-cubit. but they were unable to cross it for thirty-eight years, as it is stated: “Now rise, and cross yourselves over the Zered Ravine” (Deuteronomy 2:13). And it is written: “The days that we went from Kadesh Barne’a until we crossed the Zered Ravine were thirty-eight years, until the demise of the entire generation” (Deuteronomy 2:14). “From there they traveled, and encamped across [me’ever] the Arnon” (Numbers 21:13) – as the Holy One blessed be He reconciled with them.69Me’ever is expounded to mean that they emerged from the fury [me’evrat] of the Holy One blessed be He.
19.25
“Then Israel sang this song: Rise, well; give voice for it” (Numbers 21:17). “Then Israel sang this song” – this song was recited at the conclusion of forty years, and the well was given to them at the beginning of forty. What did the reason that led it to be written here? This matter is expounded previous to it: “Therefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord: Vahev [by storm [besufa], and the tributaries of the Arnon]” (Numbers 21:14) – the Holy One blessed be He performed on their behalf signs and miracles at the tributaries of the Arnon like the miracles that He performed on their behalf at the Red Sea [Yam Suf]. What are the miracles of the tributaries of Arnon? A person stands on this mountain and speaks to another on that mountain, and it is at a distance of seven mil.70To walk from one to the other, one has to climb down from one mountain and then up the other. The way descends into the ravine and ascends, and Israel’s path was to cross in the ravine. All the nations gathered there, endless multitudes. Some were positioned in the ravine. Above them the ravine was caves, and opposite the caves were projections of boulders like breasts [shadayim], as it is stated: “And the outpouring of [ve’eshed] the ravines” (Numbers 21:15). The multitudes entered the caves and said: When Israel descends into the ravine, these will confront them in the ravine and those above from the caves; we will kill them all. When Israel reached that place, He did not require them to descend below through the ravine, but rather intimated to the mountains, and the breast-like projections of this mountain entered into the caves, and they all died. The mountains brought their peaks adjacent to one another and became a smooth road. It is unknown which mountain moved adjacent to the other. That ravine interposes between the domain of the Land of Israel and the domain of the land of Moav, as it is stated: “For Arnon is the border of Moav, between Moav and the Emorites” (Numbers 21:13). The mountain that was in the land of Moav, the one with the caves, did not move. The mountain from the Land of Israel, in which there were breast-like projections, moved adjacent to the mountain opposite it. Why did it move? It is because it is of the Land of Israel. This is analogous to a maidservant71This a metaphor for the mountain. who saw the son of her master72This is a metaphor for the children of Israel. coming to her. She leapt from her place and preceded him and received him. The boulders entered into the caves and crushed all those mighty ones; and the well descended into the ravine and swelled, and eliminated all of the multitudes just as the sea eliminated them. That is why it juxtaposed: “Vahev by storm [besufa]” (Numbers 21:14), to “the tributaries of the Arnon” (Numbers 21:14). Israel passed atop those mountains but were unaware of all these miracles. The Holy One blessed be He said: I will inform My children how many multitudes I eliminated from before them. The well descended into those caves and took out unfathomable numbers of skulls, arms, and legs. Israel returned to seek the well and saw it emerging full from the ravine and taking out limbs upon limbs. From where is it derived that the well informed them? It is as it is stated: “And the outpouring of the ravines.… and from there to the well” (Numbers 21:15–16). Was it from there? Was it not with them from the beginning of forty years? It is, rather, that it descended to publicize the miracles, and Israel was standing over the ravines and saying: “Rise, well, give voice for it” (Numbers 21:17), and they recited song over them.
19.26
“Then Israel sang” – why is Moses not mentioned there? It is because he was punished by means of water, and a person does not laud his executioner. Why is the name of the Holy One blessed be He not mentioned in it? This is analogous to a ruler who prepared a feast for the king. The king said: ‘Is my close friend there?’ They said to him: ‘No.’ He said: ‘I too will not go there.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said: Since Moses is not mentioned there, I too am not mentioned there. “A well that princes dug, that the nobles of the people excavated, with a ruler’s staff, with their canes. And from the wilderness to Matana” (Numbers 23:18). “A well that princes dug, that the nobles of the people excavated” – was there digging there? Rather, it was given due to the merit of the patriarchs, who were called princes, as it is stated: “He opened a rock and water flowed.… For He remembered His sacred word to Abraham His servant” (Psalms 105:41–42). “That the nobles of the people excavated, with a ruler’s staff, with their canes” – the princes stood atop it drawing with their staffs, each and every one to his tribe and to his family. The space between the banners was filled with water flowing with a powerful current. A woman who needed to go to her friend from one banner to another would go by ship, as it is stated: “They went batziyot in the river” (Psalms 105:41). Tziyot means nothing other than ships, as it is stated: “A mighty ship [vetzi] will not cross it” (Isaiah 33:21). The water emerged outside the camp and surrounded it in a broad swath, as it is stated: “He leads me in circles of righteousness for His name’s sake” (Psalms 23:3). It causes endless varieties of vegetation and trees to grow, as it is stated: “He lies me down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters” (Psalms 23:2). All the days that they were in the wilderness, they made use of it in this way. That is why they lauded: “Rise, well.… that princes dug” (Numbers 21:17–18). “And from the wilderness to Matana”73The word matana means a gift. – it was given to them in the wilderness to serve them. Another matter: Why was it given in the wilderness?74The midrash here interprets the verse as referring to the Torah. It is because had it been given to them in the Land [of Israel], the tribe within whose boundary it was would say: I take precedence in its regard. That is why it was given in the wilderness, so that they would all be equal in its regard. Moreover, why was it given in the wilderness? Just as the wilderness is not sown and not cultivated, so, one who accepts the yoke of Torah, they unload the yoke of earning a livelihood from him. Just as the wilderness is exempt from tax,75Nothing grows there, so there is nothing to tax. so, masters of Torah are free men in this world. Another matter: In the wilderness – who sustains the Torah?76This is a reference to one who knows the content of the Torah. It is one who conducts himself like a wilderness and withdraws himself from everything. “And from Matana to Naḥaliel, and from Naḥaliel to Bamot. And from Bamot to the canyon that is in the field of Moav, by the top of Pisga, and overlooks the surface of the wasteland” (Numbers 21:19–20). “And from Matana to Naḥaliel, and from Naḥaliel to Bamot” – three places, corresponding to the three courts in Jerusalem that would explain the Torah to all of Israel. “From Matana to Naḥaliel” – this is the Sanhedrin that was on the Temple Mount.77Naḥaliel can be read as the portion [naḥalat] of God [El] (see Eshed Haneḥalim). “And from Naḥaliel to Bamot” – this is the Sanhedrin that was in the Courtyard, alongside the altar.78Bama can refer to an altar (see Eshed Haneḥalim). “And from Bamot to the canyon that is in the field of Moav” – this was the Sanhedrin that was in the Chamber of Hewn Stone, in the area of Ruth,79This refers to the tribal portion of Judah, as Ruth was an ancestor of King David from the tribe of Judah. who came from the field of Moav – “she is a young Moavite woman who returned with Naomi from the field of Moav” (Ruth 2:6). “And overlooks the surface of the wasteland” – this is the well that accompanied them until it entered the sea of Tiberias. One who stands upon the surface of the wasteland80Mount Nevo. sees it in the sea like an oven full, and that is the well that is overlooked from the surface of the wasteland.
19.27
“Israel sent messengers to Siḥon, king of the Emorites, saying” (Numbers 21:21). “Israel sent messengers” – this is what the verse said: “Trust in the Lord and perform good; dwell in the land and cultivate faith” (Psalms 37:3), and it says: “Turn away from evil and perform good; seek peace and pursue it” (Psalms 34:15). But the Torah did not insist upon pursuing mitzvot, but rather: “If a bird’s nest should happen before you” (Deuteronomy 22:6); “if you encounter [your enemy’s ox]” (Exodus 23:4); if you see – “if you see a donkey” (Exodus 23:5); “when you beat your olive tree” (Deuteronomy 24:20); “when you harvest your vineyard” (Deuteronomy 24:21); “when you enter another’s vineyard” (Deuteronomy 23:25). If they present an opportunity, you are commanded in their regard, but not to pursue them. But peace, “seek peace” – in your place; “and pursue it” – elsewhere. This is what Israel did. Although the Holy One blessed be He said to them: “Begin taking possession, and provoke war with him” (Deuteronomy 2:24), they pursued peace: “Israel sent messengers to Siḥon.… let me pass” (Numbers 21:21–22).81The verse as quoted here in Hebrew includes the word “please [na].” It does not appear in the actual verse. It does appear in Judges 11:17, regarding a similar message sent to the king of Edom.
19.28
“Israel sent” – all matters of Torah require one another, as perhaps this one is cryptic and that one is expansive. Here it is stated: “Israel sent,” but elsewhere it attributed the mission to Moses, as it is stated: “I sent messengers from the wilderness of Kedemot” (Deuteronomy 2:26). And it is written: “Israel sent messengers to the king of Edom” (Judges 11:17), and it is written: “Moses sent messengers from Kadesh [to the king of Edom].… Let us pass” (Numbers 20:14,17). These verses require one another, as Moses is Israel and Israel is Moses, to teach you that the leader of the generation is the entire generation.
19.29
“Siḥon did not allow Israel to pass within his border, and Siḥon gathered his entire people and came out toward Israel to the wilderness, and he came to Yahatz; and he fought against Israel” (Numbers 21:23). “Please, let us pass through your land” (Numbers 20:17) – just as he sent to the king of Edom that he would not harm him, so he sent to this one: “You will sell me food for silver […and water for silver]” (Deuteronomy 2:28) – typically, water is given for free, but we will pay its price. “We will go on the king’s way […until we pass your border]” (Numbers 20:17). Elsewhere it is written: “Until I will cross [the Jordan]” (Deuteronomy 2:29). I will tell you a parable, to what is the matter comparable? It is to a watchman who took his wages to guard a vine or a fig tree. One came and said to him: ‘Move from here, as I am harvesting the vineyard.’ He said to him: ‘I am sitting here and guarding only against you, and you are coming to harvest it?’ So, Siḥon took his payment from all the kings of the land of Canaan, and they would pay him taxes, as he would crown them as kings. He and Og were equal to them all, as it is stated: “Siḥon king of the Emorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan” (Psalms 135:11). Israel said: ‘Let us pass through your land to conquer the kingdom.’ He said to them: ‘I am sitting here only to guard them from you’ – “Siḥon did not allow Israel to pass within his border.” “Siḥon gathered” – the Holy One blessed be He acted with forethought to deliver him into their hands with no trouble. It is written: “Siḥon king of the Emorites, who resides in Ḥeshbon” (Deuteronomy 1:4). Were Ḥeshbon filled with gnats, no person would be able to conquer it; were Siḥon in a valley, no person could gain control over him; and it goes without saying when he is a mighty warrior and located in a fortified city. “Who resides in Ḥeshbon” – had he been residing in his cities, he and his multitudes, Israel would have exhausted themselves in the attempt to conquer each and every city. Instead, the Holy One blessed be He assembled them [the Emorites] before them to deliver them into their hands with no trouble. Likewise it says: “See, I have begun delivering before you” (Deuteronomy 2:31) – they killed all his mighty warriors who had emerged to meet them, and returned against the women and children without exertion. That is why it is written: “Siḥon gathered.” “Israel took all these cities” (Numbers 21:25).
19.30
“For Ḥeshbon was the city of Siḥon, king of the Emorites, and he fought against the first king of Moav, and took all his land from his possession, until Arnon” (Numbers 21:26). “For Ḥeshbon was the city of Siḥon” – this is what the verse said: “For the Lord loves justice” (Psalms 37:28). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Do not besiege Moav” (Deuteronomy 2:9), and Ḥeshbon was Moavite, as it is stated: “For Ḥeshbon was the city of Siḥon king of the Emorites, [and he fought against the first king of Moav and took all his land from his possession, until Arnon.]” Israel came and took Ḥeshbon, which belonged to Siḥon, and everything that he had taken from Moav, as had they taken it from him, it would have been unjust robbery in their hand. Rather, Siḥon took it from Moav, and Israel from Siḥon; therefore, they were exempt from robbery. That is why it is written: “For Ḥeshbon was the city of Siḥon.” “Therefore, the allegorists will say: Come to Ḥeshbon. The city of Siḥon will be built and established” (Numbers 21:27). “For a fire emerged from Ḥeshbon, a flame from the city of Siḥon; it consumed Ar of Moav, the lords of the high places of Arnon” (Numbers 21:28). “Therefore, the allegorists will say” – this is Bilam and his father, whom Siḥon hired to curse Moav, and they said: “The city of Siḥon will be built and established.… for a fire emerged from Ḥeshbon…it consumed Ar of Moav.” They cursed Moav that they would be delivered into his hand, “Woe to you, Moav” (Numbers 21:29).
19.31
“Moses sent to spy on Yazer, and they captured its environs and dispossessed the Emorites who were there” (Numbers 21:32). “Israel dwelled in the cities of the Emorites” (Numbers 21:25) – Yazer remained; “Moses sent to spy on Yazer.” Those spies were diligent. They said: We are certain of Moses’ prayer, but he already sent spies in the past and they brought about a mishap. We will not do so, but rather we will put our faith in the Holy One blessed be He and wage war. They did so and killed “the Emorites who were there.”
19.32
“They turned and ascended via the Bashan, and Og king of Bashan emerged against them, he and his entire people, to the battle at Edre’i” (Numbers 21:33). “They turned [vayifnu] and ascended” – some say that they waged the war with Siḥon in Elul. They performed the festival [of Sukkot] in Tishrei, and the war with Og was after the festival, just as it says: “You shall turn [ufanita] in the morning and go to your tents” (Deuteronomy 16:7). “Og king of Bashan emerged” – as the Holy One blessed be He assembled them [the army of Og] before them to deliver them into their hand. “The Lord said to Moses: Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand, him and his entire people and his land; and you shall do to him as you did to Siḥon king of the Emorites, who resides in Ḥeshbon” (Numbers 21:34). “The Lord said to Moses: Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand” – this is what the verse said: “Happy is a person who is always afraid” (Proverbs 28:14). That is the attribute of the righteous; even though the Holy One blessed be He promises them, they do not divest themselves of fear. Likewise with Jacob: “Jacob was afraid” (Genesis 32:8) – why was he afraid? He said: ‘Perhaps I was sullied with something while at Laban’s, and it is written: “He shall not see a shameful matter in you, and turn from behind you” (Deuteronomy 23:15) – and the Holy One blessed be He would have forsaken me.’ Moses, too, like his patriarch, grasped fear. Why was he afraid? He said: ‘Perhaps Israel committed a trespass in the war with Siḥon, or were sullied with transgression.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Do not fear” – they all completed their acquisitions justly. “Do not fear him” – as no mighty warrior had stood in the world who was tougher than he, as it is stated: “As only Og king of the Bashan remained from the rest of the Refaim” (Deuteronomy 3:11). He remained from the mighty warriors killed by Amrafel and his allies, as it is stated: “They smote the Refaim at Ashterot Karnayim” (Genesis 14:5), and this is their remnant, like olives that remain among the pomace, as it is stated: “The survivor came and told Abram the Hebrew; and he was dwelling on the plains of Mamre the Emorite, brother of Eshkol and brother of Aner, and they were allies of Abram” (Genesis 14:13) – this is Og, and it depicts him as a remnant, as it is stated: “From the rest of the Refaim.” His intention was that Abram go out and be killed. The Holy One blessed be He granted him the reward of his legs,82The reward for his effort to come and report to Abram what had befallen Lot. and he lived all those years. But He collected from him, as he fell by the hand of his descendants. When Moses came to wage war with him, he feared him. He said: ‘I am one hundred and twenty years old, and this one is more than five hundred. If he did not have merit, he would not have lived all these years.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Do not fear him, for I have delivered him into your hand” – kill him by your hand. “You shall do to him as you did to Siḥon…” – “We destroyed [vanaḥarem]83The term ḥerem can mean destroyed or proscribed. them, [as we did to Siḥon]” (Deuteronomy 3:6). But is it not written: “But all the animals, and the spoils of the cities, we looted for ourselves” (Deuteronomy 3:7)? It is, rather, that they proscribed [heḥerimu] the corpses, to derive no benefit from them. “They smote him, his sons [banav], [and his entire people]” (Numbers 21:35) – “his son [beno]” is written,84In our version of the Bible banav is written (see Minḥat Shai, Bemidbar 21:35). as he had a son tougher than he was. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘In this world, you eradicate the nations a little at a time, but in the future, I will eliminate them all at once,’ as it is stated: “Nations will be burnings of lime, cut thorns ignited with fire” (Isaiah 33:12).
19.33
Another matter: “Then Israel sang” (Numbers 21:17) – this is one of three matters85The third matter relates to the vanquishing of Siḥon, which is first mentioned in Numbers 21:21–24. that Moses said before the Holy One blessed be He, and He said to him: You have taught Me. He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, from where do Israel know what they have done?86Namely, from where could they have known that the golden calf was a sin. Did they not grow in Egypt, and all of Egypt are idolaters. When You gave the Torah, You did not give it to them, and they were not standing there, as it is stated: “The people stood at a distance” (Exodus 20:18), and You gave it only to me, as it is stated: “To Moses, He said: Ascend to the Lord” (Exodus 24:1). When You gave the commandments, You did not give them to them. You did not say: “I am the Lord your God [eloheikhem],”87“Your” in the plural. but rather: “I am the Lord your God [elohekha]” (Exodus 20:2).88“Your” in the singular. You said it to me. Did I, perhaps, sin?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘As you live, you have spoken well. You have taught Me. From now on I will speak with the expression: “I am the Lord your God [eloheikhem].”’ The second, when the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Reckoning the iniquity of the fathers upon children” (Exodus 34:7). Moses said: ‘Master of the universe, how many wicked men begot righteous men? Shall they be taking from the iniquities of their fathers? Teraḥ worshipped idols, and Abraham his son was righteous. Likewise, Hezekiah was righteous, and Aḥaz his father was wicked. Likewise, Yoshiya was righteous, and Amon his father was wicked. Is it appropriate for the righteous to be stricken for the iniquity of their fathers?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘You have taught Me. As you live, I am voiding My words and fulfilling your words,’ as it is stated: “Fathers shall not be put to death for children, and children shall not be put to death for fathers” (Deuteronomy 24:16) – ‘and as you live, I will write them in your name,’ as it is stated: “As it is written in the book of the Torah of Moses that the Lord commanded, [saying: Fathers will not be put to death for children, and children will not be put to death for fathers]” (II Kings 14:6). The third, when the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wage war with Siḥon even if he does not seek to wage with you; you provoke war with him,’ as it is stated: “Rise, and travel, and cross the Arnon ravine; [see, I have placed Siḥon king of Ḥeshbon, the Emorite, and his land in your hand; begin taking possession, and provoke war with him]” (Deuteronomy 2:24). But Moses did not do so; rather, what is written: “I sent messengers” (Deuteronomy 2:26). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: As you live, I am voiding My words and fulfilling your words, as it is stated: “When you approach a city to wage war against it, you shall call to it for peace” (Deuteronomy 20:10). When Siḥon did not accept, the Holy One blessed be He toppled him before them, as it is stated: “We smote him” (Deuteronomy 2:33). Moreover, even those who concealed themselves in the caves to kill them, the Holy One blessed be He intimated to the mountain and it crushed them, as it is stated: “You broke the heads of crocodiles on the waters. [You] crushed the heads of leviathan” (Psalms 74:13–14). The folk proverb says: If you gave bread to a child, inform his mother. The Holy One blessed be He said: How will Israel know the good that I performed on their behalf? What did He do? He distanced the mountains from one another, and the streams in the ravines washed them out,89The streams washed the remains out of the caves where they were located. as it is stated: “The outpouring of the ravines” (Numbers 21:15). Israel was passing and reciting song: “Then Israel sang” (Numbers 21:17). Israel said: ‘It is incumbent upon You to perform miracles on our behalf, and it is incumbent upon us to bless and laud Your name.’ “Salvation belongs to the Lord. Your blessing is upon Your people, Selah” (Psalms 3:9). It was due to the water that the decree was issued against Moses, and he is not mentioned in the song. Moses said: Master of the universe, after all the miracles that You performed on their behalf, will I die at their hand? From the wilderness You gave them the Torah, as it is stated: “From the wilderness to Matana” (Numbers 21:18).90Matana means gift, referring here to the Torah. And it became their heritage [naḥalu] under my guidance, as it is stated: “And from Matana to Naḥaliel” (Numbers 21:19) – God became their heritage [naḥalu El]. And once it became their heritage, You decreed death upon me,” as it is stated: “From Naḥaliel to Bamot” (Numbers 21:19) – from the ravine [naḥal] came [ba] death [mot]. “And from Bamot to the canyon that is in the field of Moav” (Numbers 21:20), as it is stated: “He buried him in the canyon in the land of Moav” (Deuteronomy 34:6). Job said: “Who does not show favor to princes and does not prefer the wealthy over the poor, as they are all His handiwork” (Job 34:19).
20.1
“Balak son of Tzipor saw all that Israel had done to the Emorites” (Numbers 22:2). “Balak son of Tzipor saw” – this is what the verse said: “The Rock, His actions are perfect, as all His ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4). The Holy One blessed be He did not leave the nations of the world recourse in the future to say: ‘You distanced us.’ What did the Holy One blessed be He do? Just as He established kings, sages, and prophets for Israel, so He established for the idolaters. He established Solomon king over Israel and over all the earth, the same He did for Nebuchadnezzar. This one built a Temple and recited several songs and paeans; that one destroyed it, cursed, blasphemed, and said: “I will ascend above the heights of the clouds, [I will be comparable to the Most High]” (Isaiah 14:14). He gave David wealth and he purchased a Temple1This is a reference to the wealth that David set aside for the purpose of building the Temple. to His name, and he gave wealth to Haman and he purchased an entire nation, to slaughter it. Every prominence that Israel took, you find that the nations took a corresponding prominence. He established Moses for Israel and Bilam for the idolaters. Look at what distinguishes between the prophets of Israel and prophets of idolaters: The prophets of Israel cautioned Israel to refrain from transgressions, as it is stated: “You, Son of man, I have appointed you as a sentinel [for the house of Israel. You shall hear a matter from My mouth and you shall warn them from Me]” (Ezekiel 33:7). But a prophet that stood from the gentiles established a breach in order to eliminate people from the world.2Bilam plotted to have Moavite women corrupt Israel. Moreover, all the [Jewish] prophets were with the attribute of mercy toward Israel and toward the idolaters, as Jeremiah says: “Therefore, my heart will sigh like flutes for Moav” (Jeremiah 48:36). And likewise Ezekiel: “You, son of man, raise a lament for Tyre” (Ezekiel 27:2). But that one [Bilam] was cruel; he stood to uproot an entire nation gratuitously. That is why the portion of Bilam was written; to inform why the Holy One blessed be He removed the Divine Spirit from the idolaters, as this one stood from them, and look at what he did.
20.2
“Balak son of Tzipor saw” – what did he see? He saw the calamity that is destined to befall Israel from all its enemies, as all of them would come with wars and enslavement that they were able to endure. But this [one]3Bilam. is like a person who expresses a matter and uproots an entire nation. “Balak saw” – it is preferable for the wicked to be blind, as their eyes bring evil to the world. Regarding the generation of the Flood, it is written: “The sons of the great saw” (Genesis 6:2) and it is written: “Ḥam father of Canaan saw” (Genesis 9:22). And it is written: “Pharaoh’s officials saw her” (Genesis 12:15), and likewise all of them.4All of the wicked. And here, “Balak saw.” “Balak saw” – this is analogous to a king who deployed guards to protect him from an enemy army. He was certain in their regard that they were mighty. The enemy army passed and killed them, and he was full of trepidation in his regard. Likewise, Balak saw what they did to Siḥon and Og, to whom he was paying a wage to protect him, and he was fearful in his regard. Furthermore, he saw the miracles in the Arnon ravine.5See Bemidbar Rabba 19:25, 33.
20.3
“Moav was very alarmed by the nation because they were numerous, and Moav was dreaded by the children of Israel” (Numbers 22:3). “Moav was…alarmed [vayagor]” – what is vayagor? When Israel appeared to the Amonites, they appeared garbed for peace, but to the Moavites, they appeared armed for war, as it is written: “You will approach opposite the children of Amon; do not besiege them [tetzurem] [and do not provoke [titgar] them]” (Deuteronomy 2:19). “Do not tetzurem” – do not cause them [tatzar] any kind of trouble [tzara]; “and do not titgar them” – any kind of provocation [girui]. But regarding Moav, He said: “Do not besiege Moav, and do not provoke war with them” (Deuteronomy 2:9). War you may not wage, but whatever you can seize from them, seize. That is why they appeared armed to Moav, so they [the Moavites] gathered in their cities, as vayagor is nothing other than an expression of gathering, as it is stated: “One who gathers [oger] during the summer is a wise son” (Proverbs 10:5). Another matter, vayagor is an expression meaning stranger [ger]; they considered themselves strangers in the world.6The Moavites viewed themselves as strangers while the Israelites were the permanent residents. Meaning, they were afraid that the Israelites would overcome them, turning them into strangers in their own land. They said: ‘They descended to Egypt to sojourn there, but they seized it and would rent houses to them, as it is stated: “Each woman will borrow…from her neighbor and from the resident of her house”’ (Exodus 3:22). Another matter, vayagor, an expression of fear, as they were afraid because they saw all the nations in the possession of Israel, as Siḥon came and took the land of Moav: “And he battled against the first king of Moav, [and took all his land from his possession]” (Numbers 21:26), and Og took all the land of the children of Amon, as it is stated: “As only Og, king of the Bashan [was left…in Raba of the children of Amon]” (Deuteronomy 3:11). Israel came and took it from both of them, and there is no injustice.7Even though Israel were not allowed to conquer Amon or Moav, they were allowed to conquer lands that had belonged to Amon and Moav that had been conquered by Siḥon and Og. These would see their land in Israel’s possession and would say: ‘Did the Holy One blessed be He not say to them: “As I will not give you of its land as an inheritance”? (Deuteronomy 2:9). But our land is before them.’ That is why they were afraid.8They were afraid that Israel would also try to conquer Moav. “Moav was dreaded [vayakotz]” – they saw themselves as thorns [kotzim] before them.
20.4
“Moav said to the elders of Midyan: Now this assembly will lick clean all our surroundings, as the ox licks clean the grass of the field. And Balak son of Tzipor was king of Moav at that time” (Numbers 22:4). “Moav said to the elders of Midyan” – what is the nature of the presence of the elders of Midyan here?9In the land of Moav. It is because they were seeing Israel achieving victory in an unnatural way. They said: ‘Their leader achieved prominence in Midyan, we will ascertain from them what are his attributes.’ The elders of Midyan said to them: 'His power is only in his mouth.' They said to them: 'We, too, will come against them with a person whose power is in his mouth.' “Moav said to the elders of Midyan” – but do you not find that the Midyanites waged war against the Moavites, as it is stated: “Who smote Midyan in the field of Moav” (Genesis 36:35), and the enmity between them is permanent. This is analogous to two dogs that were fighting with one another. A wolf came against one of them. The other said: ‘If I do not help it, today it will kill that one and the next day it will come against me.’ That is why Moav aligned with Midyan. “Now this assembly will lick clean all our surroundings, as the ox licks clean [the grass of the field]” – just as the ox, its might is in its mouth, so, too, these, their power is in their mouths. Just as the ox, in everything that it licks clean there will be no sign of blessing; these too, in every nation that they touch, there will be no sign of blessing. Just as an ox gores with its horns; these, too gore with their prayers, as it is stated: “And his horns are the horns of the wild ox” (Deuteronomy 33:17). “And Balak son of Tzipor was king of Moav at that time” – was he not initially a prince, as it is stated: “[…the Midyanite chiefs,] Evi and Rekem [and Tzur...the princes of Sihon]”? (Joshua 13:21).10Tzur is identified as being Balak (Matnot Kehuna). In Bemidbar Rabba 20:25, the daughter of Tzur says that her father is Balak. It is, rather, that once Siḥon was killed, they crowned him in his place at that time, as the circumstances caused him [to be appointed].
20.5
“He sent messengers to Bilam son of Beor, to Petor, that is by the river, in the land of the members of his people, to summon him, saying: Behold, a people emerged from Egypt; behold, it has covered the face of the earth, and it sits across from me” (Numbers 22:5). “He sent messengers” – the Holy One blessed be He performed miracles on their behalf. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘I redeem you and perform miracles on your behalf, but you defy Me. Come and see seven redemptions that I redeemed you, and you were obligated to praise Me seven praises corresponding to the seven redemptions. Likewise, it says: “The Lord said to the children of Israel: Was it not by the Egyptians, by the Emorites, by the children of Amon, by the Philistines, the Sidonians, Amalek, and Maon [that you were oppressed], and you called to Me, and I saved you from their hand” (Judges 10:11–12); these are seven redemptions. And you defied Me with seven idols, as it is stated: “The children of Israel continued to perform evil in the eyes of the Lord, and they worshipped the Be'alim, and the Ashtarot, [and the gods of Aram, and the gods of Sidon, and the gods of Moav, and the gods of the children of Amon, and the gods of the Philistines…]” (Judges 10:6). And so, He rebukes them: “My people, what did I do to you, and how did I exhaust you?” (Micah 6:3). In what way did I cause you exertion? Did I, perhaps, say to you: Bring Me burnt offerings from the animals in the mountains? There are three animals in your possession: “An ox, a sheep, and a goat” (Deuteronomy 14:4), and seven that are not in your possession: “A deer, a gazelle, a fallow deer, a wild goat, an oryx, an aurochs, and a wild sheep” (Deuteronomy 14:5). Did I cause you exertion to bring an animal that is not in your possession? Did I not command you only from the animal that is in your possession, as it is stated: “An ox, or a sheep, or a goat, when it is born…[shall be accepted as a fire offering to the Lord]” (Leviticus 22:27). Likewise, “from animals, from cattle or from the flock [you shall bring your offering]” (Leviticus 1:2). When Siḥon and Og went out to wage war against you, did I not topple them before you? Did I cause you exertion? Did I, perhaps, say to you to bring an offering in their regard? Did Balak ben Tzipor not see that I performed all the miracles on your behalf and hired Bilam against you but I transformed the curses into blessings?’
20.6
“Balak…saw” – when his emissaries came to Bilam, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Who are [these] men…?” (Numbers 22:9). Bilam said to Him: “Balak son of Tzipor, king of Moav, sent to me” (Numbers 22:10). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: This is one of three people whom the Holy One blessed be He examined but found them to be a jug of urine.11A vessel that is only worthy of contemptible use. They are Cain, Hezekiah, and Bilam. Cain, when the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Where is your brother Abel?’ he sought, as it were, to mislead. He should have said: ‘Master of the universe, the concealed and the revealed are revealed before You, and You are asking me regarding my brother?’ Instead, he said to Him: “I do not know; am I my brother’s keeper?” (Genesis 4:9). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘This is how you speak? “The voice of your brother's blood cries out to Me from the ground. [Now, you are cursed…]”’ (Genesis 4:10–11). Hezekiah, when he recovered from his illness, Merodakh Baladan sent him a gift, as it is stated: “At that time, Merodakh Baladan…sent [scrolls and a gift to Hezekiah]” (Isaiah 39:1). Isaiah came and said to him: “What did those men say, and from where did they come to you?” (Isaiah 39:3). He [Hezekiah] should have said to him: ‘You are a prophet of the Omnipresent, and you are asking me?’ Instead, he began boasting: “They came to me from a distant land, from Babylonia” (Isaiah 39:3). Isaiah said to him: ‘Since that is what you said: “Behold, days are coming and everything that is in your house…will be carried [to Babylonia]…From your sons, who will descend from you…they will be officials in the palace of the king of Babylon”’ (Isaiah 39:6–7). Likewise, the wicked Bilam, when Balak sent to him, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: “Who are these men with you?” (Numbers 22:9), he should have said: ‘Master of the universe, everything is revealed before You and nothing is obscured from You, and You are asking me?’ Instead he said to him: “Balak son of Tzipor, king of Moav, sent to me.” The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Since that is how you speak, “do not curse the people” (Numbers 22:12). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Wicked one of the world, it is written in Israel’s regard: “For one who touches you, touches the pupil of his eye” (Zechariah 2:12),12The term “pupil of His eye” is expounded to mean the apple of the eye of the Holy One blessed be He, something very dear to Him. and you go to accost them and curse them? Let his eye be removed, as it is stated: “One with an open eye”13"An open eye" is explained as meaning that Bilam can see with only one eye. (Numbers 24:3), to realize: “For one who touches you, touches the pupil of his eye.”’
20.7
“He sent messengers to Bilam son of Beor, to Petor” – it was his city. Some say he was a moneychanger [shulḥani],14Petora means table [shulḥan] in Aramaic. as the kings of the gentiles would consult with him like a moneychanger to whom everyone brings his money.15So, too, people would bring their money to Bilam, for his counsel. Some say he was initially an interpreter of dreams, but then he reverted to being a sorcerer and reverted to [prophesy by] the Divine Spirit. “In the land of the members of his people” – as Balak was from there, and he [Bilam] had told him that he would ultimately reign. “To summon him” – as he wrote to him: ‘Do not think that it is only my mission that you are performing and that I, alone, will honor you. If you uproot them, you will be honored by all the nations, and Canaan and the Amalekites will prostrate themselves to you.’ “Behold, a people emerged from Egypt” – he [Bilam] said to him: ‘Of what concern is it to you?’ He said to him: ‘“Behold, it has covered the face of the earth [ein haaretz]” – they shut the eyes [einayim] upon which the land relies, Siḥon and Og, they destroyed them and covered their eyes. What can I do?’ “And it sits across from me [mimuli]” – mimuli is written without a vav,16The word "mimuli" can be written mem, mem, vav, lamed, yod. In the verse here, the vav was left out which makes it possible to connect it to the word amilam. just as it says: “In the name of the Lord, for I will cut them down [amilam]” (Psalms 118: 10). “And now, please go curse this people for me, as they are too mighty for me; perhaps I will be able to smite them, and I will drive them from the land, for I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed” (Numbers 22:6). “And now, please go curse [ara] [this people] for me” –“what is “ara for me”? I can overcome them a bit, like a person who picks [oreh] figs.17A few at a time, since they do not all ripen at the same time. “As they are too mighty for me” – not that they are powerful, and their armies are numerous, but rather that they are victorious with their mouths. This is something that I am unable to do. “Perhaps I will be able to smite them” – what did this one see, that led him to provoke [them]; did the Holy One blessed be He not say to them [Israel] that they may not take their land? It is, rather, that they18The Moavites. were sorcerers and diviners greater than Bilam, as it is stated: “Balak saw”; however, they were unable to understand the matters accurately. Likewise, it says: “You are wearied in the abundance of your devising; let now the astrologers, the stargazers…save you [from what will come upon you]” (Isaiah 47:13). He [Balak] saw in his astrology that Israel would fall into his hands. That is why he made his daughter available to wantonness, and twenty-four thousand of them fell. That is why he provoked [them]. But he did not know how. That is why, “perhaps I will be able to smite [nakeh] them” – like one who deducts [shemenakeh] one twenty-fourth per se’a.19The assumption is that this is the percentage of waste found in the grain (Bava Batra 93b). Likewise, for each twenty-four thousand of Israel, one thousand was missing.20Twenty-four thousand people died due to the sin relating to the wantonness of the daughters of Moav and the consequent worship of the idle of Baal Peor. If multiplied by twenty-four the number is 576,000 which is close to the number of men older than twenty. “I will drive them from the land” – he was seeking to prevent them only from entering the Land. “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed” – how did he know? It is because at the time that Siḥon sought to wage war against Moav, he feared that they were mighty, and hired Bilam and his father to curse Moav, as it is stated: “Therefore the allegorists will say” (Numbers 21:27), and it is written: “A fire emerged from Ḥeshbon” (Numbers 21:28), and it is written: “Woe to you, Moav” (Numbers 21:29). That is why he said: “For I know that he whom you bless is blessed.”
20.8
“The elders of Moav and the elders of Midyan went, with the tools of sorcery in their hands, and they came to Bilam, and spoke to him the words of Balak” (Numbers 22:7). “The elders of Moav and the elders of Midyan went, with the tools of sorcery in their hands” – they brought in their hands all sorts of tools of sorcery, with which they would perform sorcery, so that he [Bilam] would be unable to make excuses. The tools of sorcery were in the hand of the elders of Midyan, who said: ‘If he comes with us, he will succeed. If he delays for even a short time, he will be of no use.’ When he said to them: “Spend the night here” (Numbers 22:8), the elders of Midyan went, as they knew by means of their sorcery that he would provide no benefit.
20.9
“God came to Bilam, and said: Who are these men with you?” (Numbers 22:9). “God came to Bilam, and said: Who are these men?” This is what the verse said: “He who misleads the upright on an evil path will fall into his own pit” (Proverbs 28:10) –this is Bilam. Initially the people would conduct themselves with uprightness, but through his words, they would conduct themselves with wantonness. Regarding the early generations: “Rachel came with the flock” (Genesis 29:9); “the priest of Midyan had seven daughters” (Exodus 2:16).21The fathers were able to send their daughters with the flocks without concern that the male shepherds would engage with them in wanton behavior. Bilam stood and misled the people with regards to wanton behavior. Just as he misled, he was misled. With the counsel that he provided, he fell, and the Holy One blessed be He misled him, as it is written: “He exalts the nations and He eliminates them” (Job 12:23). When He said to him: “Who are these men with you?” that wicked one said: ‘I do not know about them.’22Bilam understood that God was telling him that He did not know who those people were. [Bilam thought:] There is a moment when He does not know, and I will wreak upon His children anything that I want. This is why He said it;23“Who are these men with you?” in order to mislead him. “Bilam said to God: Balak son of Tzipor, king of Moav, sent to me” (Numbers 22:10). Another matter, “who are these men with you…Bilam said to God: Balak son of Tzipor.” He began boasting and said: ‘Even though You do not honor me and do not cause my renown to spread throughout the world, the kings ask for me.’ “Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt, it has covered the face of the earth; now, come curse them for me; perhaps I will be able to wage war against them, and drive them away” (Numbers 22:11). “Behold, the people that has come out of Egypt…now, come curse [kava] them for me” – it is to inform that he hated more than Balak, as Balak did not say kava, but rather, ara; but this one said kava explicitly.24In Numbers 22:6, Balak uses the word ‘ara’ in his message to Bilam, but here, when Bilam is supposedly repeating Balak’s request, he uses the word ‘kava’ instead. Ara is a milder form of curse than kava. He [Balak] said: “I will drive them from the land”; but he [Bilam] said: “drive them away” – from this world and from the World to Come. 10 “God said to Bilam: You shall not go with them; you shall not curse the people, as it is blessed” (Numbers 22:12). “God said to Bilam: You shall not go with them” – he said to Him: ‘If so, I will curse them where I am.’ He said to him: “You shall not curse the people.” He said to Him: 'If so, I will bless them.' He said to him: 'They do not need your blessing,' “as it is blessed.” They say to the hornet: Neither from your honey nor from your sting.’ “Bilam arose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak: Go to your land, as the Lord refused to allow me to go with you” (Numbers 22:13). “Bilam arose in the morning, and said to the princes of Balak” – Bilam did not say to them: ‘He did not give me permission to go and to curse,’ but rather, “to allow me to go with you.” Rather, [Bilam said:] ‘He said to me: It is not in keeping with your standing to go with these, but rather, with those greater than they are, because He desires my honor.’ That is why: “Balak continued sending additional princes, more numerous and more prestigious [than those]” (Numbers 22:15).
20.10
“For I will honor you greatly, and anything that you say to me I will do, only please go curse this people for me” (Numbers 22:17). “For I will honor you greatly” – I will give you more than what you have been accustomed to take in the past. “Bilam answered and said to the servants of Balak: If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold, I would be unable to violate the directive of the Lord my God, to perform a small or a great matter” (Numbers 22:18). “Bilam answered and said…If Balak were to give me his house full of silver and gold” – from here you learn that there were three characteristics in him: An evil eye, a haughty spirit, and a greedy soul. An evil eye, as it is written: “Bilam lifted his eyes, and saw Israel dwelling according to its tribes” (Numbers 24:2).25It would have been sufficient to write that he saw. The fact that it is prefaced by the lifting of his eyes indicates that in his jealousy, he sought to harm them with his evil eye. A haughty spirit, as it is written: “As the Lord refused to allow me to go with you.”26As explained above, Bilam claimed that God sought to honor him. A greedy soul, as it is stated: “Were Balak to give me his house full of silver and gold.” Had he sought to hire armies to wage war against them, it is uncertain whether they would have prevailed or fallen. Is it not worth his while to give that and ensure victory?27The midrash is explaining Bilam's line of reasoning. You learn that this is what he requested. “I would be unable to violate” – he prophesies that he is unable to nullify the blessings that they were given by the Divine Presence. “Now, please, you, too, remain here this night, and I will know what more the Lord will speak to me” (Numbers 22:19). “Now, please, you, too, remain here” – what is “you, too”? Ultimately, you will go frustrated, like the first ones. “I will know what more the Lord” – he prophesies that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to add blessings for them [Israel] through him.
20.11
“God came to Bilam at night, and He said to him: If the people came to summon you, rise, go with them; however, only the matter that I will speak to you, shall you do” (Numbers 22:20). “God came to Bilam at night” – this is what the verse said: “In a dream, in a night vision, when deep sleep falls upon men…Then He uncovers the ears of men…to turn a person away from an action and suppress pride in man” (Job 33:15–17). The Holy One blessed be He concealed from him that his going would eradicate him from the world and lead him to the pit of perdition.28As opposed to the compassion shown by God in other cases, as described in the verse from Job. “To restore his soul from perdition, to be enlightened with the light of life” (Job 33:30); as he eradicated his soul in his going, as when a person goes to sin, the Satan dances for him, until he completes the transgression. Once he eradicates him, he then informs him. Likewise it says: “He follows her unconsciously, like an ox comes to the slaughter…until an arrow splits his liver, like the hastening of a bird to the snare, [not knowing that it is at the cost of his life]” (Proverbs 7:22–23). The Holy One blessed be He obscured from the wicked Bilam29God obscured from Bilam the fact that his desire to curse Israel was sinful. until he went and eradicated his soul. When he left his honor and realized the situation in which he was, he began pleading for his soul: “Let my soul die the death of the upright” (Numbers 23:10).
20.12
“God came to Bilam at night” – this is what the verse said: “It is a night of vigilance of the Lord…it is this night…[for all the children of Israel for their generations]” (Exodus 12:42). All the miracles that were performed on behalf of Israel, and with which retribution was exacted against the wicked, were at night: “God came to Lavan the Aramean in a dream at night” (Genesis 31:24); “God came to Avimelekh in a dream at night” (Genesis 20:3); “It was at midnight” (Exodus 12:29),30The plague of the firstborn. and it is written: “There was the cloud and the darkness and it illuminated the night” (Exodus 14:20).31At the Red Sea. “He deployed against them at night” (Genesis 14:15),32The war against the four kings. and likewise all of them. Another matter, why did He appear to Bilam at night? It is because he was not worthy of the Divine Presence; He would speak with all the prophets of the gentiles33The gentiles had prophets before Israel was chosen as the people of God at Sinai. at night. Likewise, Elifaz says: “In thoughts from visions of the night” (Job 4:13). Likewise, Elihu says regarding the fact that He spoke with him at night.34See Job 33:14–15. The Sages identify Elihu as Bilam (Yerushalmi, Sotah 5:6). “If the people came to summon you, rise, go with them” – from here you learn that on the path that a person wishes to go, they lead him. For initially it was stated to him: “Do not go” (Numbers 22:12). Once he was impudent and insisted on going, he went, as it is written: “God’s wrath was enflamed because he went” (Numbers 22:22). The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Wicked one, I do not seek the eradication of the wicked; however, since you wish to go and be eradicated from the world: “rise, go.”’ “However, only the matter [that I will speak to you, shall you do]” – to teach you that he went with forewarning; nevertheless, he arose early. “Bilam arose in the morning, and saddled his donkey, and he went with the princes of Moav” (Numbers 22:21). He himself awoke early and stood with alacrity. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Evil one, their patriarch Abraham preceded you to bind Isaac his son: “Abraham awoke early in the morning and saddled his donkey…”’ (Genesis 22:3). “He went with the princes of Moav” – to teach you that he was as happy as they were regarding the calamity of Israel.
20.13
“God's wrath was enflamed because he was going, and the angel of the Lord stood on the way as an impediment to him, and he was riding on his donkey, and his two lads were with him” (Numbers 22:22). “God's wrath was enflamed because he was going, and the angel of the Lord stood” – it was an angel of mercy, that was transformed for him into an impediment. “His two lads were with him” – this is the way of the world, that a person who sets out on the way needs two to serve him, and they then serve one another. “The donkey saw the angel of the Lord standing on the road, and his sword was drawn in his hand, and the donkey turned from the road, and went into the field. Bilam struck the donkey, to turn it to the road” (Numbers 22:23). “The donkey saw the angel of the Lord…[and his sword was drawn in his hand]” – was the angel unable to blow on him and remove his spirit without drawing his sword? But is it not written regarding Sennacherib: “An angel of the Lord came out and smote…in the camp of Assyria” (Isaiah 37:36), and it is written: “When He blows on them [they wither]” (Isaiah 40:24), their lives. Rather, this is what he said to him: ‘The mouth is granted to Jacob, as it is stated: “The voice is the voice of Jacob, but the hands are the hands of Esau” (Genesis 27:22), and it is written: “You shall live by your sword” (Genesis 27:40). All the nations, their lives are by their sword, and you will exchange your craft and come upon them with theirs? I, too, will come upon you with yours: “And his sword was drawn in his hand.”’
20.14
“God's angel then stood on a narrow path through the vineyards, a fence on this side and a fence on that side” (Numbers 22:24). “The donkey turned from the road, and went” (Numbers 22:23) – this wicked one is going to curse an entire nation that has not wronged him, and strikes his donkey so that it will not go into the field, and it is written: “The angel of the Lord stood on a narrow path through the vineyards” (Numbers 22:24). Could he not have gone after him?35Why did the angel need to conceal himself in ambush rather than confronting Bilam directly? Rather, this is the attribute of the Holy One blessed be He. A flesh-and-blood king sends an executioner to kill a person, the executioner follows him for many days. The one who incurred liability for death eats and drinks, and the executioner follows him relentlessly from place to place. But before the Holy One blessed be He, it is not so. The executioner stands in his place, and one who incurred liability for death comes to him on foot. So that the angel would not be troubled to go after Bilam, he preceded him to the road. “The angel of the Lord stood on a narrow path [bemishol] [through the vineyards]” – He said to him: ‘Are the vineyards36Israel is likened to God’s vineyard (Song of Songs 7:13). sold like foxes [shualim]?’37Based on Song of Songs 2:15. Do you think that you will be able to ruin the vineyards in exchange for the money you received? “A fence on this side [mizeh] and a fence on that side [mizeh]” – you will be unable to overcome them, as in their hands are: “Tablets inscribed on both their sides; from this side [mizeh] and from that side [umizeh] they were inscribed” (Exodus 32:15). “The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and it was pressed to the wall, and it pressed Bilam's foot against the wall, and he carried on striking it” (Numbers 22:25) “The angel of the Lord moved forward, and stood in a narrow place, where there was no way to turn right or left” (Numbers 22:26). “The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and it was pressed to the wall…. The angel of the Lord continued passing” – what did he see that led him to precede him three times, before he appeared to him? He [the angel] showed him the signs of the patriarchs. Initially, there was space on this side, and from that side, “and the donkey turned from the road, and went” (Numbers 22:23). In the second, there was space to move only to one side. In the third, “there was no way to turn right or left.” What were these signs? If he sought to curse the descendants of Abraham, he would find from this side and from that side the descendants of Ishmael and the descendants of Ketura. If he sought to curse the descendants of Isaac, he would find the descendants of Esau on one side, “it was pressed to the wall.” The descendants of Jacob, he found no dross in them. That is why it said in the third: “In a narrow [tzar] place” – this is Jacob, as it is written: “Jacob was very frightened and distressed [vayetzer]” (Genesis 32:8). “Where there was no way to turn right or left” – as there is no dross in any of his descendants. “The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and it lay down beneath Bilam, and Bilam's wrath was enflamed, and he struck the donkey with the staff” (Numbers 22:27). “The donkey saw the angel of the Lord, and it lay down beneath Bilam, and Bilam's wrath was enflamed, and he struck the donkey with the staff [bamakel]”38The word makleh means demeans (see Deuteronomy 27:16). – due to the humiliation with which it humiliated him. “The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and it said to Bilam: What did I do to you, that you struck me these three times?” (Numbers 22:28). “The Lord opened the mouth of the donkey” – to inform him that the mouth and the tongue are in His control. If he seeks to curse, his mouth is in His control. “It said to Bilam: What did I do to you that you struck me these three times [regalim]?” – it alluded to him: You are seeking to uproot a nation that celebrates three pilgrimage festivals [regalim]. “Bilam said to the donkey: Because you abused me; had there been a sword in my hand, I would have killed you now” (Numbers 22:29). “Bilam said to the donkey: Because you abused [hitalalt] me.” Even though he speaks in the holy tongue, the language of an idolater is despicable.39The choice of the word hitalalt has connotations of sexual abuse, as in Judges 19:25, in the context of the concubine in Giva. “Had there been a sword in my hand” – this is analogous to a doctor who comes to cure one bitten by a snake with his tongue.40By use of a spell. On the way, he saw a certain gecko and began seeking a rod to kill it. They said to him: 'This one you are unable to overcome, how did you come to cure one bitten by a snake with your tongue?' So, the donkey said to Bilam: 'You are unable to kill me unless you have a sword in your hand. How do you seek to uproot an entire nation?' He was silent and did not find an answer. The princes of Moav began wondering, as they witnessed a miracle without precedent in the world. “The donkey said to Bilam: Am I not your donkey, that you have ridden upon me from your start until this day? Have I made it a habit to do thus to you? He said: No” (Numbers 22:30). Some say that he said to them: 'It is not mine.' It responded to him: “Am I not your donkey that you have ridden upon me from your start until this day?” You learn that he was not elderly, as the donkey was older than he was. “Have I made it a habit to do thus to you?” Once it spoke, it died, so they would not be saying: ‘This is the one that spoke,’ and render it an object of worship. Another matter, “have I made it a habit to do thus to you?” The Holy One blessed be He spared the honor of that wicked one, so they would not say: ‘This is the one that dismissed Bilam.’ If the Holy One blessed be He spares the honor of the wicked, it goes without saying regarding the honor of the righteous. Likewise it says: “And a woman who shall approach to any animal to mate with her, you shall kill the woman and the animal” (Leviticus 20:16), so they will not say: ‘This is the animal by means of which so-and-so woman was put to death.’ This is to inform you that the Holy One blessed be He spares the honor of people, knows their needs, and sealed the mouth of the animal. Were it to speak, one would be unable to subjugate it and withstand it, as this is the dumbest of the animals and the wisest of the wise men. When it spoke, he was unable to withstand it.
20.15
“The Lord uncovered the eyes of Bilam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing on the way, and his sword was drawn in his hand. And he bowed his head, and he prostrated himself before him” (Numbers 22:31). “The Lord uncovered the eyes of Bilam” – was he blind? It is to inform that the eye, too, is in his control. “He prostrated himself before him” – because he spoke to him. “The angel of the Lord said to him: For what did you smite your donkey these three times? Behold, I emerged to be an obstacle, because your way is contrary to me” (Numbers 22:32). “The angel of the Lord said to him: For what did you smite…?” – did the angel come to seek redress for the affront of the donkey by him? Rather, he said to him: ‘If this donkey, that has no merit and no covenant of the patriarchs, I was commanded to seek redress for its affront by you, the entire nation that you are seeking to uproot it, that has merit and a covenant of the patriarchs, all the more so.’ “Behold, I emerged to be an obstacle, because your way is contrary [yarat] to me” – it feared [yara], it saw [raata], it turned [nateta].41Yarat is an acronym of yara, raata, nateta. Alternatively, yarat, using the atbash cipher42The first letter is paired with the last letter of the alphabet, the second letter with the penultimate one, and so on, i.e. alef – tav, beit – shin. Yarat therefore becomes magen: yod – mem, reish – gimel, tet – nun. is magen – protector. “The donkey saw me, and turned from before me these three times; had it not turned from before me, then now I would have indeed slain you and spared it” (Numbers 22:33). “The donkey saw me…I would have indeed slain you and spared it.” From here you learn that he43The angel. killed the donkey. “Bilam said to the angel of the Lord: I have sinned, for I did not know that you were standing opposite me on the way; now, if it is wrong in your eyes, I will turn back” (Numbers 22:34). “Bilam said to the angel of the Lord: I have sinned” – as he was a clever wicked man, and knew that only repentance can stand before punishment, as anyone who sins and says: ‘I have sinned,’ the angel has no permission to touch him. “For I did not know…now, if it is wrong in your eyes [to continue on this path], I will turn back.” He said to him: ‘I did not go until the Holy One blessed be He said to me: “Rise, go with them,” (Numbers 22:20) and you are saying to me that I should turn back. Is this His craft? Did He not say so to Abraham, to sacrifice his son, and then: “The angel of the Lord called…He said: Do not extend your hand”? (Genesis 22:11–12). He is accustomed to say something and an angel reverses it. Now He says to me: “Go with them”; now, "if it is wrong in your eyes, I will turn back.”’ “The angel of the Lord said to Bilam: Go with the men; but only the matter that I will speak to you, shall you speak. Bilam went with the princes of Balak” (Numbers 22:35). “The angel of the Lord said to Bilam: Go with the men” – because your lot is with them, and you will be eradicated from the world. “Bilam went with the princes of Balak” – it teaches that just as they were happy to curse, he, too, was happy.
20.16
“Balak heard that Bilam had come, and went out to meet him, to the city of Moav, which is on the border of Arnon, which is on the edge of the border” (Numbers 22:36). “Balak heard that Bilam had come” – it teaches that he sent emissaries to Balak to apprise him. “And went out to meet him, to the city of Moav” – to their metropolis. What did he see that led him to greet him at the border? He said that these borders were set from the days of Noah, so that no nation would enter the border of another; and these are coming to ruin it. He was showing him how they breached and passed the border of Siḥon and Og, as though he was complaining about them. “Balak said to Bilam: Did I not send to you to summon you? Why did you not come to me? Is it true that I cannot honor you?” (Numbers 22:37). “Balak said to Bilam: Did I not send to you to summon you…Is it true that I cannot honor you?” He prophesied that ultimately he would leave from him in disgrace. He answered him accordingly: “Behold, I have come to you; now, will I be able to speak anything?" (Numbers 22:38). I do not have permission to say what I wish.
20.17
“Balak took Bilam” (Numbers 22:41), “they came to Kiryat Ḥutzot” (Numbers 22:39)44Literally, a city of marketplaces. – as he established markets of commerce and established for him an animal market, in order to show him a massive population, saying: ‘Look at who they are coming to kill; people and babies who have not wronged them.’ Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep, and he sent to Bilam and to the princes that were with him. (Numbers 22:40) “Balak slaughtered cattle and sheep” (Numbers 22:40) – the righteous say little and perform much, like Abraham, as it is stated: “I will take a piece of bread” (Genesis 18:5), and then: “Hurry, three se’a of high quality flour [knead, and make cakes]. And Abraham hurried to the cattle…” (Genesis 18:6–7). The wicked say much and do not perform even a little. Balak said: “I will honor you greatly” (Numbers 22:17), but when he came, he sent him only one cattle and sheep.45Because they are described in the singular in the verse (Numbers 22:40), it is expounded to mean that he sent him one young bull and one sheep. Bilam began gnashing his teeth, as he had a greedy soul. He said: ‘This is what he sent to me. Tomorrow I will issue a curse on his property’: “Bilam said to Balak: Build for me here seven altars, [and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams]” (Numbers 23:1).
20.18
“It was in the morning, and Balak took Bilam and brought him up to the heights of Baal, and he saw from there the edge of the people” (Numbers 22:41). “It was in the morning, and Balak took Bilam and brought him up to the heights of Baal” – Balak was a sorcerer and a diviner greater than Bilam, who was following him like a blind man. To what is the matter comparable? It is to one who has a knife but is unfamiliar with the joints, and his counterpart is familiar with the joints but does not have a knife. The two of them were similar.46Bilam and Balak were such a pair. Balak would see the places at which Israel would fall, and he took him to the heights of Baal Peor, as he saw that Israel would fall there. “Bilam said to Balak: Build for me here seven altars, and prepare for me here seven bulls and seven rams” (Numbers 23:1). “Bilam said to Balak: Build for me here seven altars” – why seven altars? They are corresponding to the seven altars that seven righteous men built, from Adam to Moses, and they were accepted: Adam, Abel, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses. He was saying: ‘Why did You accept all these? Was it not because of the worship that they worshipped before You that You accepted them? Is it not fitting for You that you will be worshipped by seventy nations, and not by one nation?’ The Divine Spirit answered him: ‘“Dry [ḥareva] bread is better” (Proverbs 17:1), a meal offering that is mixed with oil47A voluntary meal offering. or dry.48The meal offering of a sinner. “Than a house full of offerings of strife” (Proverbs 17:1), as you seek to introduce strife between Me and Israel.’ “Balak did as Bilam had spoken, and Balak and Bilam offered up a bull and a ram on each altar” (Numbers 23:2). “Bilam said to Balak: Stand with your burnt offering, and I will go; perhaps the Lord will happen upon me and He will show me some matter, and I will tell you. He went alone” (Numbers 23:3). “Balak did as…and…offered up…. He went alone [shefi].” His intention was to curse, as until that moment, he was calm [shafui], but from that moment, he was troubled.49He was no longer able to act according to his intent. “God happened upon Bilam, and he said to Him: The seven altars I have prepared, and I offered up a bull and a ram on each altar” (Numbers 23:4). “God happened upon50The phrase “happened upon” indicates that the revelation was not part of a planned relationship, as opposed to Moses, for example, who was called before he was spoken to. Bilam” – He said to him: 'Wicked one, what are you doing?' He said: “The seven altars I have prepared.” This is analogous to a moneychanger who is deceiving regarding weights. The market supervisor came and sensed this in his regard. He said to him: 'You are deceiving regarding weights.' He said to him: 'I have already sent a gift to your house.' So it is with Bilam. The Divine Presence said to him: 'Wicked one, what are you doing?' He said to Him: “The seven altars I have prepared.” He said to him: “A meal of greens, [and love there], is better [than a fattened ox, and hatred with it]” (Proverbs 15:17). The feast that Israel prepared in Egypt and ate with unleavened bread and bitter herbs is better than the bulls that you sacrifice in your hatred. “The Lord placed speech in Bilam's mouth, and He said: Return to Balak, and so shall you speak” (Numbers 23:5). “The Lord placed speech in Bilam's mouth” – He contorted his mouth and restrained it, like a person affixing a nail into a board. Rabbi Elazar says: An angel was speaking:51God sent an angel to bless Israel, and the voice of the angel came out of the mouth of Bilam (Matnot Kehuna). “He said: Return to Balak, and so shall you speak.” “He returned to him, and, behold, he was standing with his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moav” (Numbers 23:6). “He returned to him, and, behold, he was standing with his burnt offering, he, and all the princes of Moav”– they were standing and awaiting when he would come.
20.19
“He took up his parable, and said: From Aram, Balak leads me, the king of Moav from the highlands of the east; Go, curse Jacob for me, and go, censure Israel” (Numbers 23:7). “He took up his parable, and said: From Aram, [Balak] leads me [yanḥeni]” – he began and said: ‘I was of the exalted [haramim], but Balak took me down to the pit of perdition.’ Yanḥeni, just as it says: “Wail [neheh] for the multitude of Egypt, and cast it down…[with those who descend into the pit]” (Ezekiel 32:18). Another matter, “from Aram” – with the exalted [im ram], I was exalted, but Balak caused me to descend from my prominence. This is analogous to one who accompanies a king. He saw a robber, forsook the king, and walked with the robber. When he returned to the king, the king said to him: 'Go with the one with whom you walked, as it is not possible for you to accompany me.' So, Bilam had been attached to the Divine Spirit, and returned to be a sorcerer, as he had been initially, as it is stated: “Bilam son of Beor the sorcerer” (Joshua 13:22). That is why he screamed: ‘I was exalted and Balak took me down.’ Another matter, “from Aram, [Balak] leads me” – he said to him: 'We are both equal in our being ingrates. Had it not been for Abraham their patriarch, there would be no Balak, as it is stated: “It was when God destroyed the cities of the plain, God remembered Abraham, and He sent Lot” (Genesis 19:29). Had it not been for Abraham, Lot would not have escaped Sodom, and you are from the descendants of Lot. Had it not been for Jacob their patriarch, I would not be in the world, as Lavan had sons only due to the merit of Jacob.' Initially, it is written: “Rachel came with the flock” (Genesis 29:9). If he had sons, how is his daughter herding? When Jacob went there, he was granted sons, as it is stated: “Jacob heard the statement of Laban’s sons” (Genesis 31:1). Likewise he [Laban] said to him [Jacob]: “I have divined, and the Lord has blessed me on your account” (Genesis 30:27). “Go, curse [Jacob] for me” – one who curses, curses himself,52The Hebrew phrase “ara li” which is translated "curse for me" can also be read to mean "curse me" (Matnot Kehuna). as, so it is written: “And he who curses you, I will curse” (Genesis 12:3), and it says: “Cursed be those who curse you” (Genesis 27:29). “Go, curse Jacob for me, and go, censure Israel” – had he asked me to curse another nation, e.g., the descendants of Abraham and Isaac, I would have been able.53This is because Abraham and Isaac had descendants not only from Israel, but from Ishmael and Esau. But Jacob, a king who selects a portion for himself and another stands and disparages it, will he live? These are His lot, His inheritance, His treasured possession, as it is stated: “For the portion of the Lord is His people, Jacob the lot of His inheritance” (Deuteronomy 32:9). And it is stated: “You will be My treasured possession” (Exodus 19:5). “And go, censure Israel” – this is analogous to a king who took a crown and placed it on his head, and a person said ‘That, it is nothing,’ will he live? These, it is written in their regard: “Israel, in whom I glory [etpa’ar]” (Isaiah 49:3).54Pe’arim is a term meaning hats or crowns, (see Isaiah 3:20). “How will I curse whom God has not cursed? How will I censure whom the Lord has not censured?” (Numbers 23:8). “How will I curse whom God has not cursed?” When they were deserving of being cursed, they were not cursed. When Jacob entered to take the blessings, he entered deceitfully, as it is stated: “And the hides of the kids of the goats, [she placed on his hands and on the smoothness of his neck]” (Genesis 27:16). His father said: “Who are you?” (Genesis 27:18). He said to him: “I am Esau your firstborn” (Genesis 27:19). One who expresses falsehood from his mouth, is he not deserving of being cursed? Moreover, he was blessed, as it is written: “Indeed, he shall be blessed” (Genesis 27:33). How then will I curse whom God has not cursed? Another matter, “How will I curse whom God has not cursed?” The way of the world is that a legion that rebelled against the king incurs liability for death. These denied Him and rebelled, and said: “This is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4).55Referring to the Golden Calf. Should He not have eliminated them? But even at that moment, He did not move from love for them. He accompanied them with clouds of glory, and the manna and the spring did not stop for them. Likewise it says: “When they crafted themselves a cast figure of a calf…but You in Your great mercy did not forsake them in the wilderness; the pillar of cloud did not withdraw from over them by day…You did not withhold Your manna from their mouth, and You gave them water for their thirst” (Nehemiah 9:18–20). How, then, can I curse them? “How will I curse whom God has not cursed”? When He commanded them regarding the blessings and the curses, regarding the blessings, He mentioned them, as it is stated: “These shall stand to bless the people” (Deuteronomy 27:12). But, regarding the curses, He did not curse them directly, as He says: “These will stand for the curse on Mount Eival” (Deuteronomy 27:13). When they sin, and He says to bring a curse upon them, He does not write that He will bring it [directly], but in the blessings, He, Himself, blesses them [directly], as it is stated: “The Lord your God will place you supreme…” (Deuteronomy 28:1); “the Lord will command for you the blessing” (Deuteronomy 28:8). But regarding the curses, He would not curse them directly, as it says: “It shall be that if you do not heed [the voice of the Lord your God…] all these curses will come upon you” (Deuteronomy 28:15); on their own. That is, “how will I curse whom God has not cursed?” “For from the top of precipices I will see it, and from hills I behold it; behold, it is a people that will dwell alone, and will not be reckoned among the nations” (Numbers 23:9). “For from the top of precipices I will see it” – this is to inform of the hatred of that wicked one, as from his blessings, you ascertain his thoughts.56He intended to curse the "tops of precipices" but in the end, blessed them. The "tops of the precipices" refers to the patriarchs (as mentioned in the continuation of the midrash), who are the roots of the tribes. To what is the matter comparable? It is to a person who comes to chop down a tree. One who is not expert, cuts each and every branch and exhausts himself. But the clever man exposes the roots and cuts. So that wicked one said: ‘Why should I curse each and every tribe? I will go to their root.’ He came to harm them, but found that they were hard. That is why he said: “For from the top of precipices I will see it.” Another matter, “for from the top [of precipices]” – these are the patriarchs; “and from the hills” – these are the matriarchs. “Behold, it is a people that will dwell alone” – and when He causes them joy, He causes them joy by themselves, as it is stated: “The Lord will guide them alone” (Deuteronomy 32:12). When the nations in this world rejoice, they57Israel. eat with each and every kingdom, but it does not cost them from their portion, as it is stated: “and will not be reckoned among the nations.” “Who has counted the dust of Jacob, or tallied one quarter of Israel? Let me die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his” (Numbers 23:10). “Who has counted the dust of Jacob” – who can enumerate the mitzvot that they perform regarding dust? “You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10); “you shall not sow your vineyard with diverse kinds” (Deuteronomy 22:9); “A pure man shall gather the ashes of the heifer” (Numbers 19:9);58See Numbers 19:17, where the word used in Hebrew for dust (afar) is also used for ashes. “the priest shall take from the dirt that is on the floor of the Tabernacle” (Numbers 5:17); “three years shall it be as forbidden unto you” (Leviticus 19:23), and likewise regarding all of them. “Or tallied one quarter [rova] of Israel” – their procreation [reviit]. Who can count the population that emerged from those who snatch and love the mitzvot? “She said to her: Is the taking of my husband insignificant…[Rachel said: Therefore, he will lie with you tonight]” (Genesis 30:15); “Here is my maidservant Bilha, consort with her” (Genesis 30:3); “Leah saw that she had ceased bearing; [she took Zilpa her maidservant and gave her to Jacob as a wife]” (Genesis 30:9); “Sarai Abram’s wife took Hagar… [and gave her to her husband Abram as a wife]” (Genesis 16:3). “Let me die the death of the upright” – this is analogous to a butcher who comes to slaughter a king’s cow.59He was doing so to harm the king, at the behest of his enemies. The king began to look. Once he sensed that the king was looking, he began casting the knife aside, petting it, and filling the trough before it. He began to say: ‘May my soul depart,60The phrase "my soul departs" means "I sympathize with myself," that instead of doing one thing, I had to do the opposite. as I came to slaughter it, but I left it alone.’ So, Bilam said: ‘May my soul depart, as I came to curse, but I will bless.’ “He took him to the field of Tzofim, to the top of the peak, and he built seven altars, and offered up a bull and a ram on each altar” (Numbers 23:14). “He took him to the field of Tzofim, to the top of the peak” – it is a peak where there are breaches, as it is stated: “Ascend to the top of the peak” (Deuteronomy 3:27).61In that place, something negative will happen to Israel and "breach" their security. Is there a breach greater than that that he saw through divination, and he believed that there they would be eliminated.
20.20
“He said to Balak: Stand here with your burnt offering, and I will be happened upon there” (Numbers 23:15). “The Lord happened upon Bilam, and placed speech in his mouth, and said: Return to Balak, and so shall you speak” (Numbers 23:16). “He built seven altars…stand here with your burnt offering…. The Lord happened upon Bilam, and placed speech in his mouth” – like a person who places an iron bit in an animal’s mouth and restrains it, and leads it to wherever he wishes. So, the Holy One blessed be He restrained his mouth. When he said to him: "Return to Balak" and bless them, he said: ‘What, am I going there to disappoint him [Balak]?’ He sought to go off on his own. The Holy One Blessed be He placed an iron bit for him. “Return to Balak, and so you shall speak.” He came to him, and, behold, he was standing with his burnt offering, and the princes of Moav with him. Balak said to him: What did the Lord speak?” (Numbers 23:17). “He came to him, and, behold, he was standing with his burnt offering” – initially, it is written in his regard: “He, and all the princes of Moav” (Numbers 23:6). When they saw that it was to no avail, they left him, and only some of the princes of Moav remained with him.62Before it said “all” the princes of Moav, and now it only says “the princes of Moav.” “Balak said to him: What did the Lord speak?” He [Balak] saw that he [Bilam] was not under his own control, to say what he would have wanted; he [Balak] sat himself down and was mocking him. When Bilam saw that he was mocking him, Bilam said to him: 'Stand, you are not permitted to sit when the words of the Omnipresent are being said.' “He took up his parable and said: Rise, Balak, and hear; listen to me, son of Tzipor” (Numbers 23:18). “Rise, Balak, and hear; listen to me, son of Tzipor” – both of them were worth one hundred dinars, sons of [men worth] half that, as they rendered themselves greater than their fathers. “God is not a man, that He will deceive, or the son of man, that He will reconsider; will He say and not perform, or speak and not fulfill it?” (Numbers 23:19). “God is not a man, that He will deceive” – He is not like flesh and blood, as flesh and blood acquires friends, finds others better than they are, and forsakes the first ones. But He is not so. It is impossible for Him to reconsider the oath of the initial patriarchs. “He will say and not perform”63The simple understanding is that this statement is a rhetorical question, but it is expounded and interpreted as a statement. – He says to bring evil upon them, but if they repent, he nullifies the evil. You find written in the Torah: “One who sacrifices to gods will be destroyed” (Exodus 22:19). They crafted the calf and were deserving of elimination, and I thought to curse them and eradicate them. A short time later they repented and he nullified it: “The Lord reconsidered the evil” (Exodus 32:14). Likewise in many places, as He said regarding Yekhonya: “As no man of his descendants will succeed” (Jeremiah 22:30), and it says: “I will overturn the thrones of kingdoms, and I will destroy the strength of the kingdoms of the nations” (Haggai 2:22). “On that day, the utterance of the Lord of hosts, I will take you, Zerubavel son of She’altiel,64See II Chronicles 17–19, and the Radak on verse 18; he explains that all the people mentioned in verse 18 were the sons of She’altiel. My servant, the utterance of the Lord, and I will make you like a signet upon my heart.”65This is an allusion to “place me as a signet upon your heart” (Song of Songs 8:6). He abrogated what He had said to his father: “As I live, the utterance of the Lord, for if Konya66This is a reference to Yehoyakhin the son of Yehoyakim, who was exiled to Babylonia eleven years before the destruction of the Temple. See II Kings 24:8–17. son of Yehoyakim king of Judah, would be a signet upon My right hand, then from there I would sever you” (Jeremiah 22:24). Likewise, regarding the people of Anatot: “There will be no remnant of them” (Jeremiah 11:23). When they repented, He sustained them, as it is written: “The people of Anatot, one hundred [and twenty-eight]” (Nehemiah 7:27). “He did not behold evil in Jacob, and did not see sin in Israel; the Lord his God is with him, and the blast of the King is in its midst” (Numbers 23:21). “He did not behold evil in Jacob” – He does not look at the transgressions that they have made, but rather, He looks only at the matters of which they are proud. “The Lord his God is with him, and the blast of the King is in its midst.” ‘[Balak,] you said to me: “Go, please, curse Jacob for me” (Numbers 22:6). An orchard that has a guard, the thief cannot damage it, but if he is sleeping, the thief enters. But these, “Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalms 121:4). How can I harm them?’ “The Lord his God is with him” – Balak said to him: 'Since you cannot touch them due to Moses, their functionary, see what will be with the one that will replace him.' He said to him: 'He is tough like him; "and the blast of the King is in its midst" – he sounds an uninterrupted shofar blast, and an interrupted shofar blast topples a wall.'67See Joshua 6:20. “God, who took them out of Egypt, is like the horns of the wild ox for them” (Numbers 23:22). “God, who took them out of Egypt” – [Bilam said to Balak:] ‘You said to me: “A people emerged from Egypt” (Numbers 22:5), on their own. That is not so, but rather, He took them out.’ “Like the horns [ketoafot] of the wild ox” – this is His mode: If they sin a little, he lowers them like a bird, as it is stated: “Ephraim, its glory will fly away like a bird [keof yitofef]” (Hosea 9:11). If they merit, He elevates them like a cloud, as it is stated: “Who are these who fly like a cloud?” (Isaiah 60:8). “For there is no divination in Jacob, and no sorcery in Israel; now, it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, what God has wrought” (Numbers 23:23). “For there is no divination in Jacob, and no sorcery in Israel” – you circulate, divine, and engage in sorcery; in what way will you dominate them? They are not so. When they need to wage war against an enemy, the High Priest stands and dons the Urim and the Tumim and consults with the Holy One blessed be He. All the nations engage in sorcery and divination, and these [Israel] smash them with their repentance, as it is stated: “Who negates the omens of deceivers, and leads diviners astray” (Isaiah 44:25). “Now, it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, what God has wrought” – his eye saw Israel in the future, sitting before the Holy One blessed be He like a student before his teacher, and asking Him regarding each and every portion [in the Torah]: ‘Why was it written?’ Likewise it says: “For its merchandise will be for those who sit before the Lord,68Here, too, Israel are referred to as students who sit before God. to eat to satiation and for elegant garments” (Isaiah 23:18), and it says: “But your Teacher will no longer be concealed, and your eyes will see your Teacher” (Isaiah 30:20). The ministering angels will see them and ask them: ‘What did the Holy One blessed be He instruct you?’ It is because they are unable to enter their demarcated area,69This refers to the area where Israel sits, as students before their teacher. The verse states that they will be told what God has wrought, and the midrash explains that this means to the exclusion of the angels. as it is stated: “Now, it will be said to Jacob…” “Behold, a people will rise like a lion cub, and like a lion, will raise itself; it will not lie down until it has devoured prey, and the blood of the slain it will drink” (Numbers 23:24). “Behold, a people will rise like a lion cub” – there is no nation in the world like them. They sleep from the Torah and the mitzvot,70When they are asleep they do not study Torah or fulfill commandments. and rise from their sleep like lions, quickly recite Shema, and crown the Holy One blessed be He as king. They become like lions and go out to engage in labor and commerce. If one encounters any obstacle, or if demons come to harm any of them, he crowns the Holy One blessed be He as king. “It will not lie down until it has devoured prey” – when he recites: “The Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4), the demons are consumed from before him, and they whisper after him: ‘Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and for all time,’ and they flee. With the reciting of Shema, he is passed from the day watchmen to the night watchmen. When he comes to sleep, he commits his spirit to the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Into Your hand I commit my spirit” (Psalms 31:6). When he awakens, he crowns the Holy One blessed be He as king and the night watchmen pass him to the day watchmen, as it is stated: “My soul awaits the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, watchmen for the morning” (Psalms 130:6). That is why Bilam says: ‘What nation is like this one?’ “And the blood of the slain [ḥalalim] it will drink” – he prophesies that Moses will not die until he takes revenge against him and against the five kings of Midyan, as it is stated: “It will not lie down until it has devoured prey” – this is Bilam. That is, “and the blood of the slain71The Hebrew word is ḥalalim, which is in the plural. it will drink.” “They killed the kings of Midyan among their slain” (Numbers 31:8). “With the holy vessels” (Numbers 31:6) – this is the frontplate on which it was written: “Sacred to the Lord” (Exodus 28:36). “And the trumpets for sounding the blasts in his hand” (Numbers 31:6). Moses said to Israel: ‘The wicked Bilam performs sorcery for them and flies, and causes the five kings to fly. Show him the frontplate upon which the name of the Holy One blessed be He is inscribed, and they will fall.’ Know that, indeed, it is written: “They killed the kings of Midyan among72The Hebrew can also be translate "on their slain" implying that they fell on the slain from above. their slain: Evi, Rekem…and Bilam son of Beor” (Numbers 31:8). What did that wicked one seek with the kings of Midyan? Is it not written: “Bilam rose, and went, and returned to his place”? (Numbers 24:25).73His place was in Petor, not in Midyan. It is rather that when he heard that twenty-four thousand fell by his counsel, he went to collect his wages. That is why Bilam son of Beor was mentioned with the five kings of Midyan.
20.21
He took up his parable, and said: The saying of Bilam the son of Beor, and the saying of the man whose eye is opened (Numbers 24:3). “He took up his parable, and said” – halakha, one who eats but did not wash his hands, for what is he liable? Our Rabbis taught: Washing hands before food is optional, after food, is an obligation.74The gemara refers to washing hands before the meal as a mitzva, and after the meal as an obligation ( see Hullin 105a–b). There was an incident at the time of persecution involving a certain storekeeper of Israel, who would cook [both] kosher meat and pig meat and sell it, so they would not sense that he was Jewish. This was his custom; anyone who entered his store and did not wash his hands, he would know that he was an idolater, and would place pig meat before him. Anyone who washed his hands and recited a blessing, he would know that he was of Israel and would feed him kosher meat. On one occasion, a Jew entered to eat there and did not wash his hands. He [the storekeeper] was under the impression that he was an idolater. He placed pig meat before him, and he ate without reciting a blessing. He came to settle the bill with him for the bread and the meat. He said to him: 'You owe me such and such, from the meat that you ate, as a piece costs ten maneh.’75This is emended to say maa, as a maneh is worth one hundred dinar, an unreasonably exorbitant price. He said to him: 'Yesterday I ate it for eight and today, you seek to take ten from me?' He said to him: 'That which you ate was pig.' When he told him this, his hair stood on end, he was panicked and upset. He said to him discreetly: 'I am a Jew, and you gave me pig meat?' He responded 'May a plague come upon you, as when I saw that you ate without washing your hands and without reciting a blessing, I was under the impression that you were an idolater.' From here the Rabbis taught: First waters caused one to eat pig meat; final ones killed a person. There was an incident involving a certain person who ate legumes, and did not wash his hands, and went to the market and his hands were filthy from the legumes. Another saw him. He went and said to the man’s wife: 'Your husband told me to tell you a sign that he ate legumes now. Send him that ring.' She gave it to him. Some time later, her husband came, he said to her: 'Where is the ring?' She said to him: 'So-and-so came with your signs and I gave it to him.' He became filled with rage against her and killed her. Therefore, if anyone does not wash his hands after food it is tantamount to killing a person. That is why the Holy One blessed be He cautioned Israel even regarding a minor mitzva, as it is stated: “For it is not an empty matter for you, it is your life” (Deuteronomy 32:47) – even a matter of a mitzva that you deem empty and minor, in it is life and longevity. The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘If you observe My mitzvot, I will topple your enemies before you,’ as it is stated: “If only My people would listen to Me…I would subdue their enemies in an instant” (Psalms 81:14–15). When Bilam saw how Israel were observing the minor mitzvot, he said: ‘Who can curse these, who observe His mitzvot and His name is associated with them, as it is stated: “The Lord his God is with him”? (Numbers 23:21). One who curses them, it is as though he curses the presence of the Divine Presence, as his name is associated with them.’ He began transforming them into parables: “He took up his parable and said:” (Numbers 23:7, 18) – this is what the verse said: “He who blesses his friend in a great voice [early in the morning, it will be considered a curse for him]” (Proverbs 27:14). When Bilam came to curse Israel, the Holy One blessed be He distorted his tongue and he began to bless, as it is stated: “But the Lord your God was unwilling to heed Bilam, and the Lord your God transformed [for you the curse into a blessing]” (Deuteronomy 23:6). The Holy One blessed be He invested his voice with power and his voice carried from one end of the world to the other end, so that the nations would hear that he was blessing them. From where is it derived? Rabbi Elazar HaKapar said: It is written elsewhere: “A great voice that did not cease [yasaf]” (Deuteronomy 5:19), as it would go from one end [misof] of the world to the other end, and here it is written: “He who blesses his friend in a great voice…[it will be considered a curse for him]” As he said to him: “Come and I will counsel you”76This verse refers to the advice that Bilam gave to Balak, to lure Israel to sin, which resulted in a plague which killed twenty-four thousand people from Israel. See Sanhedrin 106a. (Numbers 24:14), and killed twenty-four thousand of Israel. Is there a curse like this one?
20.22
“Israel was dwelling in Shitim, and the people began to engage in harlotry with the daughters of Moav” (Numbers 25:1). “Israel was dwelling in Shitim” – halakha, due to the merit of several matters, Israel was redeemed from Egypt. Our Rabbis taught: Due to the merit of four matters, Israel was redeemed from Egypt: Because they did not change their names; because they did not change their language; [because] they did not reveal their secrets, as Moses said to them: “Each woman will borrow from her neighbor silver vessels and gold vessels” (Exodus 3:22) – this was entrusted to them for twelve months and not one of them revealed it to the Egyptians, and [because] they did not behave with licentiousness, as it is written: “A locked garden is my sister, my bride” (Song of Songs 4:12) – these were the males; “a locked fountainhead, a sealed spring” (Song of Songs 4:12) – these were the maidens. Know that there was one,77Who had a child from an Egyptian. and the verse publicized her: “The son of an Israelite woman went out, [and he was the son of an Egyptian man]” (Leviticus 24:10). All those forty years, they did not sin until they came to the Shitim. That is why it is written: “Israel was dwelling in Shitim, and the people began to engage in licentiousness” – Shitim, because they performed foolishness [shtut]. “One who commits adultery with a woman lacks a heart” (Proverbs 6:32).78“Lacks a heart” in the sense that he is a fool. Throughout Proverbs, somebody who "lacks a heart" is a fool. I Kings 3:12 describes that Solomon was granted a "wise heart." “The people began to engage in licentiousness” – there are springs that produce the mighty, and some [that produce] the weak, some fair and some ugly, some chaste, and some steeped in lewdness. The Shitim spring was one of harlotry, and it provided water for Sodom. You find that they said: “Where are the men who came to you tonight? Bring them out to us, [and we will be intimate with them]” (Genesis 19:5). Because that spring was cursed, the Holy One blessed be He is destined to dry it, as it is stated: “A spring will emerge from the House of the Lord and will irrigate the Shitim ravine” (Joel 4:18). From the time of Abraham, not one of them behaved with harlotry. When they arrived at the Shitim and drank its water, they behaved with harlotry.
20.23
“The people began to engage in harlotry with the daughters of Moav” – come and see what is written upon their exodus from Egypt: “Speak to the children of Israel, and they will return and encamp before Pi HaḤirot” (Exodus 14:2).What is Pi HaḤirot? It is a place designated for harlotry. Because they conducted themselves chastely, it was called Pi HaḤirot.79Harlotry is not mentioned explicitly, but rather ḥirot, an allusion to ḥerut, freedom. But these, who abandoned themselves to the men,80The Etz Yosef writes that this should read "women" instead of "men." it is written “the people began to engage in harlotry [with the daughters of Moav].” “The people began” – every place that it says “the people,” it is an expression of denigration, but everywhere that it says “Israel,” it is an expression of praise. “The people were as complainers” (Numbers 11:1); “the people spoke against God and against Moses” (Numbers 21:5); “the people wept that night” (Numbers 14:1); “until when will this people scorn Me?” (Numbers 14:11); “Moses saw the people, that it was exposed” (Exodus 32:25); “the people assembled around Aaron” (Exodus 32:1), and likewise, all of them. “The people began to engage in harlotry” – cast a staff into the air, it falls on its place of origin. The one who began with harlotry initially, ultimately completed it. Their mothers began with lewdness.81Lot and his daughter were the ancestors of Moav (Genesis 19:30–37). “The elder said to the younger…let us give our father wine to drink, and we will lie…it was the next day and the elder said to the younger: Behold, I lay last night…” (Genesis 19:31–32, 34). Her sister taught her; that is why the verse spared the younger, and did not state what she had done explicitly, but rather, “she lay with him” (Genesis 19:35). But regarding the elder it is written: “She lay with her father.” She who began with harlotry initially, her daughters completed the task after her; “to engage in harlotry with the daughters of Moav." “They invited the people to the offerings of their gods, and the people ate, and prostrated themselves to their gods” (Numbers 25:2). “They invited the people to the offerings of their gods” – they went in accordance with his82Bilam’s. counsel, as it is stated: “Behold, they were for the children of Israel, by the word of Bilam, to commit trespass against the Lord” (Numbers 31:16). They crafted curtains for them and seated harlots in them and in their hands were all types of precious vessels. An elderly woman would sit outside and watch over the young woman, who was inside the shop. When an Israelite would pass to purchase an object in the market, the elderly woman would say to him: 'Young man, do you not want linen garments from Beit She’an?' She would show him and say: 'Go inside and you will see fine objects.’ The elderly woman would say for more,83A more expensive price. and the young woman for less. From that point on, the young woman would say: 'You are like a member of the household, choose for yourself.' There was a bottle of wine with her, and the wine of gentiles had not yet been prohibited. A young woman would come out adorned and perfumed and seduce him. She would say to him: 'Why is it that we love you and you hate us? Take this vessel for yourself at no cost. Is it not that “we are all the children of one man” (Genesis 42:11), the sons of Teraḥ, father of Abraham? You do not wish to eat from our slaughter and from our cooking, we have calves and roosters; slaughter in accordance with your mitzva and eat.' Immediately, she would give him wine to drink and Satan was inflamed within him, and he strayed after her, as it is stated: “Harlotry, wine and new wine capture the heart” (Hosea 4:11). Some say: Bilam commanded them not to give them to drink, so they would not be judges as those intoxicated with wine, but rather as intentional sinners. When he would proposition her, she would say to him: ‘I will not submit to you until you slaughter this to Peor, and prostrate yourself to it.’ He would say: ‘To idolatry I do not prostrate myself.’ She would say to him: ‘You are doing nothing more than exposing yourself.’84Worship to Peor was undertaken by means of defecating before it. He strayed after her and did so. This is what the Sages said: One who defecates to Baal Peor, that is its worship, as it is stated: “They prostrated themselves to their gods.”85After having worshiped Peor by defacating, they then proceeded also to bow down to Peor. “Israel adhered to Baal Peor, and the wrath of the Lord was enflamed against Israel” (Numbers 25:3). “Israel adhered [vayitzamed] to Baal Peor” – initially, they would enter discreetly, but ultimately, they would enter in pairs [tzemidim], as in a yoke [tzemed] of cattle. Alternatively, like a person who is constant [tzamid] in his labor. Vayitzamed – like “bracelets [tzmidim] on her hands” (Genesis 24:22). Rabbi Levi said: This is a harsher decree than the calf, as regarding the calf it is written: “Remove the gold rings” (Exodus 32:2), but here, vayitzamed, like bracelets.86There they donated earrings for idolatry, but here, bracelets, which are larger. At the calf, three thousand fell, but here, twenty-four thousand. “The Lord said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them for the Lord opposite the sun, and the enflamed wrath of the Lord will be withdrawn from Israel” (Numbers 25:4). “The Lord said to Moses: Take all the leaders of the people, and hang them” – Rabbi Yudan said they hanged the leaders of the people because they did not reprove the people. Rabbi Neḥemya said: He did not hang the leaders of the people, but rather, the Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: 'Empanel for them heads of the Sanhedrin, and they will judge all those who went to Peor.'87“Hang them” means: Have the leaders of the people hang the sinners. He said: 'Who will inform them?' He said to him: ‘I will publicize them. Anyone who erred, the cloud will move from above him and the sun will shine upon him in the midst of the congregation. Everyone will know who erred and will hang him.’ Know that it is so: “So Moses said to Israel's officials: Each of you slay those of his men [who attached themselves to Baal Peor]” (Numbers 25:5).
20.24
“Behold, a man from the children of Israel came and brought near to his brethren the Midyanite woman, before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel. And they were weeping at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting” (Numbers 25:6). “Behold, a man from the children of Israel came and brought near to his brethren” – what did he see that led him to do so? It is to teach you that he neither accorded deference to Heaven nor to people. In his regard it is stated: “A spiteful and arrogant man, scoffer is his name; he acts with spiteful ire” (Proverbs 21:24). She88The Midyanite woman. said to him: 'I will submit only to Moses your teacher, as my father is a king.' He said to her: 'I am as great as he is. I will bring you before their eyes.' He seized her by her forelock and brought her to Moses. He said to him: 'Son of Amram: Is this one permitted or prohibited?' He said: 'She is prohibited to you.' Zimri said to him: 'But the one who you took is a Midyanite.'89Moses married Tzipora, who was a Midyanite. Immediately, Moses was incapacitated and a halakha escaped from him.90He forgot the halakha. They all bawled in their weeping, as it is written: “And they were weeping.” Why were they weeping? It is because their hands were rendered powerless at that moment. To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king’s daughter who adorned herself to enter the wedding canopy and to sit on the palanquin, but was found sinning with another; the hands of her father and her relatives were rendered powerless. So, Israel, at the conclusion of forty years, encamped on the Jordan to cross into the Land of Israel, as it is stated: “They encamped along the Jordan, from Beit Yeshimot until Avel Shitim on the plains of Moav” (Numbers 33:49), and there they behaved with harlotry, and the hands of Moses and the hands of the righteous were rendered powerless. “And they were weeping” – when he was standing against six hundred thousand, “He took the calf that they had crafted [and burned it in the fire…]” (Exodus 32:20), and [yet here] his hands were rendered powerless? It is, rather, for the sake of Pinḥas, so he could come and take that for which he was worthy.91See the next verse. Because he [Moses] was tentative, “no man knows his burial place” (Deuteronomy 34:6), to teach you that a person must be bold as a leopard, light as an eagle, swift as a deer, and strong like a lion to perform the will of his Maker. From here you learn that He is scrupulous with the righteous up to a hairbreadth.
20.25
“Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw, and he arose from the midst of the congregation, and he took a spear in his hand” (Numbers 25:7). “Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, saw” – did all of them not see? But is it not written: “Before the eyes of Moses, and before the eyes of the entire congregation of the children of Israel”? (Numbers 25:6). It is, rather, that he saw the action and recalled the halakha: One who engages in intercourse with an Aramean woman, zealots strike him. “He arose from the midst of the congregation” – from where did he arise? It is, rather, that they were debating the matter, whether or not he [Zimri] had incurred liability to be put to death. He [Pinḥas] volunteered and took a spear in his hand. He took the sharp iron tip in his hand and placed it in his midsection92Beneath his garments, to conceal it. and began leaning on the wood handle, because he feared his93Zimri’s. tribe that surrounded him. When he reached them, they said to him: 'Why did you come?' He said to them: 'I, too, have come to satisfy my needs.' They allowed him, and he entered, as had it not been so, they would not have allowed him to enter. “He came after the man of Israel into the tent, and stabbed both of them, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly. The plague was stopped from the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:8). “He came after the man of Israel into the tent” – he stabbed them both, one atop the other, into the impurity of the two of them, so there will not be any in Israel saying that there had been no impurity there. He was zealous for the name of the Holy One blessed be He, and He performed for him twelve miracles. One miracle, they were in the process of separating from one another and an angel reattached them. The second miracle, the angel shut their mouths so they could not scream. The third, He directed the spear to correspond with her belly, so that his [Zimri's] male organ could be seen in her female organ, because of the quibblers, so they would not say: ‘He [Pinhas], too, entered and satisfied his needs.’ The fourth, He lengthened the iron tip so that it could stab both of them. The fifth, He infused strength in his arm so he could lift both of them. The sixth, He infused strength in the wood so it could bear both of them. The seventh, they did not fall from the weapon, but remained in their place. The eighth, the angel reversed them on the spearhead, into the proper position, to display their disgrace to all. The ninth, they did not bleed, so Pinḥas would not be impurified. The tenth, the Holy One blessed be He preserved their spirits, so they would not die and he would be impurified. The eleventh, the angel elevated the lintel so that the two of them could emerge between his shoulders, suspended before the eyes of all. The twelfth, when he emerged, the members of his [Zimri’s] tribe sought to strike him. The angel descended and afflicted them. When Pinḥas saw that he [the angel] was seeking to eradicate them, he slammed them to the ground, stood, prayed, and expelled him [the angel], as it is written: “Pinḥas stood and prayed [vayfalel]” (Psalms 106:30); that he was performing the judgment, as it is stated: “He shall give it in court [biflilim]…” (Exodus 21:22). “Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” (Numbers 25:9). And it is written: “Those who died in the plague were twenty-four thousand” – to teach you that any time that they fall, they are counted. This is analogous to a wolf that pounced on the flock. The owner of the flock said to the shepherd: ‘Calculate how many are missing.’ It is to inform the extent to which harlotry distances, as this was an individual, and through him, twenty-four thousand of Israel fell. This is what the verse said: “The wrath of a king is as messengers of death, but a wise man will pacify it” (Proverbs 16:14). This is analogous to a king who was passing and a group of lads was standing, and one of them cursed the king. The king was filled with rage against them. One resident that was among them came and slapped the one who cursed the king across his face. The rage of the king was immediately assuaged. So, who caused the rage of the Holy One blessed be He to be pacified, and all of Israel was not eradicated? You must say it is Pinḥas, to realize what is stated: “But a wise man will pacify it.” The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘In this world, because of sin they can be counted. But in the future: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured and cannot be counted”’ (Hosea 2:1). May it be soon, amen, may it be His will.
21.1
“Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest, has caused My wrath to be withdrawn from the children of Israel, in that he was zealous on My behalf among them, and I did not destroy the children of Israel in My zealotry” (Numbers 25:11). “Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest” – the Holy One blessed be He said: By right, he should receive his reward: “Therefore, say: Behold, I am giving him My covenant of peace” (Numbers 25:12) – great is peace, which He gave to Pinḥas, as the world is conducted only through peace, and the Torah in its entirety is peace, as it is stated: “Its ways are ways of pleasantness, and all its pathways are peace [shalom]” (Proverbs 3:17). If a person comes from the road, one greets him with peace [shalom]. Likewise in the morning, one greets him with peace. And at night, likewise, one greets with peace. Shema Yisrael concludes with the blessing: Who spreads a canopy of peace over His people. 1This refers to the final blessing after the recitation of Shema in the evening service. Today we use this conclusion to the blessing on Shabbat and Festivals. One concludes the Amida with peace. One concludes the Priestly Benediction with peace. Rabbi Shimon be Ḥalafta said: The only vessel that holds blessing is peace, as it is stated: “The Lord will give strength to His people; the Lord will bless His people with peace. (Psalms 29:11).
21.2
2This section belongs before or after section 14 although it appears in the midrash here.“Moses spoke to the Lord, saying” (Numbers 27:15). “May the Lord, God of the spirits of all flesh, appoint a man over the congregation” (Numbers 27:16). “Moses spoke to the Lord.… May the Lord…appoint” – halakha: If one sees numerous multitudes of people, he recites: Blessed are You, Lord our God, Ruler of the universe, who knows all secrets. Just as their faces are not similar to one another, so their dispositions are not identical to one another, but rather, each has a disposition of his own. Likewise, it says: “To set the calibration of the wind [laruaḥ]” (Job 28:25) – of the spirits of each and every person. Know that it is so, as thus Moses requested from the Holy One blessed be He at the time of death; he said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, the dispositions of each and every one are revealed and known before You, and the dispositions of Your children are not similar to one another. When I depart, I implore You, appoint a leader over them who will bear each and every one in accordance with his dispositions,’ as it is stated: “May the Lord, [God of the spirits]…appoint.” It does not say “spirit,” but rather “spirits.” “Command the children of Israel, and say to them: My offering, My food, for My fires, for a pleasing aroma to Me, you shall take care to present to Me at its appointed time” (Numbers 28:2). That is what the verse said: “They asked Me about what is coming; will you command Me about My sons and about My handiwork?” (Isaiah 45:11). To what is this matter comparable? It is to a king who married a woman, and he had a groomsman. Any time the king would be angry at his wife, the groomsman would placate him and he would be reconciled with his wife. The groomsman was dying, and he began asking the king: ‘I implore you, please direct your attention to your wife.’ The king said to him: ‘If you are commanding me regarding my wife, command my wife in my regard that she should be careful regarding my honor.’ So, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Instead of you commanding Me: “May the Lord…appoint” (Numbers 27:16), command them that they should be diligent regarding My honor.’ What is written: “Command the children of Israel…My offering, My food” – first set for them the order of the offerings.
21.3
What did the Holy One blessed be He see that led Him to trace Pinḥas’s lineage after that incident? When Zimri son of Salu was stabbed, the Sages said that Zimri had six names:3Etz Yosef, Reshash, and Radal suggest that the correct reading is five names (see Sanhedrin 82b). Zimri, son of Salu; Shaul, son of the Canaanite woman; Shelumiel, son of Tzurishadai; Zimri – because he became upon that Midianite woman like a rotten [hamuzeret] egg.4He was so exhausted from his sexual activity that he was like an egg that would not produce a fledgling. The name Zimri shares the same root as muzeret. Son of Salu – a son who magnified [sila] his family’s iniquity. Shaul – as he lent [shehishil] himself for transgression. Son of the Canaanite woman – as he performed a Canaanite act. What was his name? Shelumiel. You find that when Zimri was stabbed, the tribes stood near him and said: Have you seen, this son of Putiel, whose mother’s father5A midrash states that Pinḥas’s mother was a descendant of Yitro, who was also called Putiel (see Shemot Rabba 7:5). fattened calves for idol worship, killed a prince of Israel? That is why the verse came to trace his lineage: “Pinḥas, son of Elazar, son of Aaron the priest.” “Therefore, say: Behold, I am giving him My covenant of peace” (Numbers 25:12). “Therefore, say: Behold, I am giving him My covenant of peace” – as he is still alive.6The Etz Yosef explains that this is a reference to the view that Pinḥas is Elijah, and therefore he is still alive. Likewise it says: “My covenant was with him, life and peace, and I gave it to him for the fear that he feared Me, and because he was in awe of My name” (Malachi 2:5). “It shall be for him, and for his descendants after him, a covenant of an eternal priesthood; because he was zealous for his God, and he atoned for the children of Israel” (Numbers 25:13). “It shall be for him, and for his descendants after him…and he atoned” – did he sacrifice an offering, that atonement is stated in his regard? It is, rather, to teach you that anyone who sheds the blood of the wicked, it is as though he sacrificed an offering. “The name of the Israelite man who was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman, was Zimri son of Salu, prince of a Simeonite patrilineal house” (Numbers 25:14). “The name of the Israelite man who was slain, who was slain with the Midianite woman” – just as the Holy One blessed be He engages in praise of the righteous to publicize it in the world, so, He engages in defamation of the wicked to publicize them in the world. Pinḥas, He publicized him for praise; Zimri, for defamation. In their regard it is stated: “The memory of the righteous is for blessing, and the name of the wicked will rot” (Proverbs 10:7). “Prince of a Simeonite patrilineal house” – as anyone who tarnishes himself, tarnishes his family with him. “Zimri son of Salu” – the verse is astonished in his regard: “One who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him” (Ecclesiastes 10:8). His ancestor was initially zealous regarding harlotry, as it is stated: “The two sons of Jacob, Simeon and Levi, took [each man his sword…and slew all the males]” (Genesis 34:25), and this one breached the fence that his ancestor had established. “And the name of the Midianite woman who was slain: Kozbi daughter of Tzur; he was head of the nations of a patrilineal house in Midian” (Numbers 25:15). “And the name of the…woman who was slain…he was head of the nations of a patrilineal house…” – to inform you of the extent to which the Midianites devoted themselves [to cause Israel to sin]. They even renounced a king’s daughter, as it is stated: “They killed the kings of Midian among those who were slain [Evi, and Rekem, and Tzur, and Ḥur, and Reva, the five kings of Midian]” (Numbers 31:8) – Tzur was the greatest of them all. He was a king and renounced his daughter; who would not renounce? Because he demeaned himself and publicized his daughter in disgrace, the verse demoted him and wrote him third. But he was the king over all of them: “He was head of the nations of a patrilineal house in Midian.”
21.4
“Assail the Midianites and smite them” (Numbers 25:17). “For they assailed you, with their deceits that they deceived you in the matter of Peor, and in the matter of Kozbi daughter of the prince of Midian, their sister, who was slain on the day of the plague in the matter of Peor” (Numbers 25:18). “Assail the Midianites” – Why? “For they assailed you” – from here the Sages said: One who comes to kill you, kill him first. Rabbi Shimon says; From where is it derived that one who causes a person to sin is worse than one who kills him? It is because one who kills, kills in this world, but he has a share in the World to Come, but one who causes him to sin kills him in this world and in the World to Come. Two nations greeted Israel with the sword, and two with a transgression. The Egyptians and the Edomites greeted them with the sword – “The enemy said: I will pursue, I will overtake…I will draw my sword” (Exodus 15:9); “Edom said to him: You will not pass through me, lest I come out toward you with the sword” (Numbers 20:18). And two did so with transgression, the Amonites and the Moavites.7Sifrei Bemidbar 131 states that Amonite women were also involved in the harlotry at Shitim. Regarding those who greeted them with the sword, it is written: “You shall not despise an Edomite…you shall not despise an Egyptian” (Deuteronomy 23:8). However, regarding those who greeted them with transgression to cause Israel to sin: “An Amonite or a Moavite shall not enter…even the tenth generation…forever” (Deuteronomy 23:4).

The Sefaria Midrash Rabbah, 2022. Via Sefaria (sefaria.org), Sefaria-Export. Version source: https://www.sefaria.org/texts Licence: CC-BY. Source.