B. \u201cIs Ephraim a precious son to me? [Is he a child that is dandled? For as often as I speak of him, I still keep mentioning him]\u201d (Jer. 31:20).
\nC. Ten were called precious, and these are they: Torah, prophecy, understanding, knowledge, folly, riches, the righteous, the death of the faithful, faithfulness, and Israel.
\nD. Torah, whence? \u201cIt [wisdom] is more precious than rubies\u201d (Prov. 3:15).
\nE. Prophecy, whence? \u201cAnd the word of the Lord was precious in those days\u201d (1 Sam. 3:1).
\nF. Understanding, whence? \u201cThat which is precious of the spirit of man is understanding\u201d (Prov. 17:27).
\nG. Knowledge, whence? \u201cThe lips of knowledge are a precious jewel\u201d (Prov. 20:15).
\nH. Folly, whence? \u201cA little folly is more precious than wisdom and honor\u201d (Qoh. 10:1).
\nI. Riches, whence? \u201cPrecious is the capital of a diligent man\u201d (Prov. 12:27).
\nJ. The righteous, whence? \u201cHow precious are your friends to me, O God\u201d (Ps. 139:17).
\nK. The death of the faithful, whence? \u201cPrecious in the sight of the Lord is the death of the faithful ones\u201d (Ps. 116:15).
\nL. Faithfulness, whence? \u201cHow precious is your faithfulness, O God?\u201d (Ps. 36:8).
\nM. Israel, whence? \u201cIs Ephraim [=Israel] not a precious son to me?\u201d (Jer. 31:20).
\n2. A. Under ordinary circumstances, if a thousand people start [to study] Scripture, a hundred succeed. If a hundred start [to study] the Mishnah, ten succeed. [If] ten go on to Talmud, one succeeds. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cOne man among a thousand have I found [M\u2019LP, one who teaches, with the same consonants reads, \u2018out of a thousand\u2019] but a woman among all those have I not found\u201d (Qoh. 7:28).
\nB. [Margulies: What follows may be a later addition:] \u201cOne man among a thousand have I found\u201d refers to Abraham.
\nC. \u201cBut a woman among all those have I not found\u201d\u2014even Sarah.
\nD. Another possibility: \u201cOne man among a thousand have I found\u201d refers to Amram.
\nE. \u201cBut a woman among all those have I not found\u201d\u2014even Jochebed.
\nF. Another possibility: \u201cOne man among a thousand have I found\u201d refers to Moses.
\nG. \u201cBut a woman among all those have I not found\u201d refers to the women of the generation of the wilderness.
\nH. Rabbi said, \u201c[Not at all!] The women of the generation of the wilderness were entirely worthy. When they heard that they were forbidden [to have sexual relations with] their husbands, they immediately \u2018locked their doors.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cI place a high price on Israel.\u201d
\nB. R. Abba bar Kahana and R. Isaac:
\nC. R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cHad Pharaoh demanded the equivalent of the weight of each Israelite in precious stones and pearls, would the Holy One, blessed be he, not have paid it to him?\u201d
\nD. Said R. Isaac, \u201cNow did [God] not take them out for a price? [He sent] swarms and swarms of vermin, swarms and swarms of evil beasts. Are these not a price [to be paid]?\u201d
\nE. Accordingly: \u201cI place a high price on Israel.\u201d<\/p>\n
The theme that the compiler has chosen, out of the cited verse, is \u201cthe children of Israel.\u201d But that scarcely accounts for the assemblage of discrete materials on Jer. 31:20, none of them composed with Lev. 1:2 in mind, and, so far as I can see, the first two do not focus upon Israel in particular. No. 1 centers upon items called \u201cprecious,\u201d with its conventional form of a catalogue of items followed by appropriate proof texts. No. 2 provides three exegeses of Qoh. 7:28. My best guess is that the theme at hand is preciousness, or what is very rare, accounting then for the inclusion of the whole by reason of 2.A. The rest of the passage expresses misogyny. I cannot explain Rabbi\u2019s objection at end, 2.H. No. 3 provides yet another illustration of the notion of Israel\u2019s preciousness. This is pertinent, if only in a general way, to the final item on No. 1\u2019s list. Can we then conclude that the framer of the passage collected materials and then went in search of an appropriate verse on which to hang his composition? Or was the whole worked out with Lev. 1:2 in mind? Phrased in this way, the question dictates its only possible answer: the work of collection surely preceded its assignment to the present location. Then what provoked the work of gathering these disparate materials? The answer must be a plan to compose paragraphs relevant to 1.C, including, as a proof text only, Jer. 31:20.<\/p>\n
II:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[Is Ephraim a precious son] to me\u201d (Jer. 31:20).
\nB. Wherever in Scripture the words, \u201cto me,\u201d are written, [that to which the words refer] is not to be moved either in this world or in the world to come [see Sifre Deut. 92].
\nC. In reference to the priests, it is written, \u201cAnd they shall serve as priests to me\u201d (Ex. 40:15).
\nD. The Levites: \u201cAnd they shall take heave offering for me\u201d (Ex. 25:2).
\nE. Israel: \u201cFor to me belong the children of Israel\u201d (Lev. 25:45).
\nF. Heave offering: \u201cAnd they shall take up heave offering for me\u201d (Ex. 25:2).
\nG. Firstlings: \u201cFor to me belongs every firstborn\u201d (Num. 3:13).
\nH. The Sanhedrin: \u201cGather to me [seventy elders]\u201d (Num. 11:16).
\nI. The Land of Israel: \u201cFor to me belongs the land\u201d (Lev. 25:23).
\nJ. Jerusalem: \u201cThe city which I have chosen for me\u201d (1 Kings 11:36).
\nK. \u201cFor I have seen for myself a king among his sons\u201d (1 Sam. 16:1).
\nL. The sanctuary: \u201cAnd they shall make a sanctuary for me\u201d (Ex. 25:8).
\nM. The altar: \u201cAn altar of dirt you will make for me\u201d (Ex. 20:21).
\nN. To the offerings: \u201cYou shall watch to offer to me\u201d (Num. 25:2).
\nO. The anointing oil: \u201cThis will be for me a holy oil of anointing\u201d (Ex. 30:31).
\nP. Lo, every reference in Scripture to \u201cto me\u201d means that that to which reference is made will not be moved either in this world or in the world to come.<\/p>\n
The catalogue of thirteen items intersects with our passage only in its reference to the altar and the offerings. But that is surely not the point of the list, nor can we suppose that is why it has been inserted here. In fact the point of contact remains Jer. 31:20.<\/p>\n
II:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[Is] Ephraim [a precious son unto me]\u201d (Jer. 31:20).
\nB. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201c[Ephraim means] a courtier.\u201d
\nC. R. Joshua b. Nehemiah said, \u201cIt means an aristocrat.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Phineas, \u201cWith this crown was Ephraim crowned by our father, Jacob, when he departed to his eternal dwelling.
\nB. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Ephraim, head of the tribe, head of the session, one who is beautiful and exalted above all of my sons will be called by your name: [Samuel, the son of Elkanah, the son of Jeroham,] the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite\u2019 [1 Sam. 1:1]; \u2018Jerobaom son of Nabat, an Ephraimite\u2019 [1 Ki. 11:26]. \u2018And David was an Ephraimite, of Bethlehem in Judah\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 17:12).
\n3. A. \u201c[Is Ephraim a darling son unto me?] Is he a child that is dandled\u201d (Jer. 31:20).
\nB. What is the age of a child that is dandled? Two or three years old.
\nC. R. Aha in the name of R. Levi bar Sisi, \u201cFour years or five years old.\u201d
\n4. A. [Is Ephraim a darling son unto me? Is he a child that is dandled?] For as often as (MDY) I speak (DBRY) to him I still remember him (Jer. 31:20).
\nB. R. Judan in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana, \u201cSufficient (DYY) is [merely] speaking to him (DYBWRW).\u201d
\nC. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cEven when I say that I am not going to speak with him, I cannot bear it.\u201d
\n5. A. \u201cFor as often (MDY) as I speak to him (DBRY)\u201d\u2014
\nB. For surely (BWD\u2019Y) my speech is with him (DBRY), thus: \u201cSpeak to the children of Israel\u201d (Lev. 1:1).<\/p>\n
Now, at 5.B, the mystery of why the verse at hand has served to generate discourse is solved. All of the other passages were assembled because of their relevance to Jer. 31:20. That verse has been chosen as the basis for amplification of the cited verse of Leviticus because of the little item at No. 5. Such a claim would be incredible, were it not that we have already seen how a rather meandering passage, slyly ignoring the verse and substance of Leviticus, in fact was heading all the time toward that very verse. Yet it is not easy to imagine that the bulk of the materials was made up with the present purpose in mind. Rather I think the framer of Leviticus Rabbah had in hand a diverse collection of materials on Jer. 31:20. When he determined to link that verse to Lev. 1:1, he took the whole lot and threw it all in. II:III. 1, 2, 3, and 4, as much as all of the units II:I and II:II, in no way serve Lev. 1. So, in all, the original redaction of a rather sizable section had nothing to do with our pentateuchal verse but was made to serve it by a slight entry at the end of an existing composition.<\/p>\n
II:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Returning to the matter (GWPH): \u201cSpeak to the children of Israel\u201d (Lev. 1:2).
\nB. R. Yudan in the name of R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah [B\u2013P = Pesiqta de R. Kahana Sheqalim 15:2\u201317]: \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king who had an undergarment, concerning which he instructed his servant, saying to him, \u2018Fold it, shake it out, and be careful about it!\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018My lord, O king, among all the undergarments that you have, [why] do you give me such instructions only about this one?\u2019
\nD. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018It is because this is the one that I keep closest to my body.\u2019
\nE. \u201cSo too did Moses say before the Holy One, blessed be he, Lord of the Universe: \u2018Among the seventy distinct nations that you have in your world, [why] do you give me instructions only concerning Israel? [For instance,] \u201cCommand the children of Israel\u201d [Num. 28:2], \u201cSay to the children of Israel\u201d [Ex. 33:5], \u201cSpeak to the children of Israel\u201d \u2019 [Lev. 1:2].
\nF. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018The reason is that they stick close to me, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cFor as the undergarment cleaves to the loins of a man, so have I caused to cleave unto me the whole house of Israel\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Jer. 13:11).
\nG. Said R. Abin, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a king who had a purple cloak, concerning which he instructed his servant, saying, \u2018Fold it, shake it out, and be careful about it!\u2019
\nH. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018My Lord, O king, among all the purple cloaks that you have, [why] do you give me such instructions only about this one?\u2019
\nI. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018That is the one that I wore on my coronation day.\u2019
\nJ. \u201cSo too did Moses say before the Holy One, blessed be he, Lord of the Universe: \u2018Among the seventy distinct nations that you have in your world, [why] do you give instructions to me only concerning Israel? [For instance,] \u201cSay to the children of Israel,\u201d \u201cCommand the children of Israel,\u201d \u201cSpeak to the children of Israel.\u201d \u2019
\nK. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018They are the ones who at the [Red] Sea declared me to be king, saying, \u2018The Lord will be king\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 15:18).
\nL. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201c[The matter may be compared to an elder, who had a hood [signifying his office as Elder], concerning which he instructed his disciple, saying to him, \u2018Fold it, shake it out, and be careful about it!\u2019
\nM. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018My lord, Elder, among all the hoods that you have, [why] do you give me such instructions only about this one?\u2019
\nN. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018It is because that is the one that I wore on the day on which I was officially named an Elder.\u2019
\nO. \u201cSo too did Moses say before the Holy One, blessed be he, Lord of the Universe: \u2018Among the seventy distinct nations that you have in your world, [why] do you give instructions to me only concerning Israel?\u2019
\nP. He said to him, \u201c[It is because] they accepted my dominion on them at Mount Sinai, saying, \u2018Whatever the Lord has spoken we shall do and we shall hear\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 24:7).
\n2. A. Said R. Yudan, \u201cNow take note of how the Holy One, blessed be he, cherishes Israel.
\nB. \u201cFor he makes mention of them five times in a single verse of Scripture, in line with the following verse: \u2018And I have given the Levites as a gift to Aaron and his sons [from among the people of Israel, to do the service for the people of Israel at the tent of meeting, and to make atonement for the people of Israel, that there may be no plague among the people of Israel in case the people of Israel should come near the sanctuary]\u2019 \u201d (Num. 8:19).<\/p>\n
The inclusion of the opening unit, a tripartite repetition of the same idea in nearly the same words, but in the names of different authorities, is because of the citation, tangential to the construction, of Lev. 1:2, \u201cSpeak to the children of Israel.\u201d But the same phrase often occurs elsewhere. The point of the passage, however, has to do with Israel\u2019s particular relationship to God: Israel cleaves to God, declares God to be king, and accepts God\u2019s dominion. None of these ideas has bearing upon the issues of Lev. 1:2. The peripherality of the passage that interested our redactor, \u201cSpeak to the children of Israel,\u201d becomes blatant when we notice that the florilegium of verses is omitted in the third version. Still more probative evidence of the purpose for which the entire passage was put together comes to us at No. 2, which makes the point explicitly. In all, therefore, the redactional superscription, GWPH, meaning, we return to the main matter, is remarkably misleading. Nothing could be further from the point.<\/p>\n
II:V<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a king who had an only son. Every day he would give instructions to his steward, saying to him, \u2018Make sure my son eats, make sure my son drinks, make sure my son goes to school, make sure my son comes home from school.\u2019
\nB. \u201cSo every day the Holy One, blessed be he, gave instructions to Moses, saying, \u2018Command the children of Israel,\u2019 \u2018Say to the children of Israel,\u2019 \u2018speak to the children of Israel.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a person who was sitting and making a crown for the king. Someone passed by and said to him, \u2018What are you doing?\u2019
\nB. \u201cHe replied, \u2018Making a crown for the king.\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Whatever [precious stones] that you can affix [to the crown] you should affix, put on emeralds, put on jewels, put on pearls. For that crown is going to be put on the head of the king.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo too did the Holy One, blessed be he, say to Moses, \u2018In whatever way you can praise Israel, give that praise, if you can magnify them, do it, if you can adorn them, do it. Why? Because through [Israel] I am going to be glorified.\u2019 [That is] in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he said to me, You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified\u2019 \u201d (Is. 49:3).<\/p>\n
The fourth and fifth entries in the catalogue of parables in praise of Israel bear no closer relationship to the passage at hand than did the first three. The conclusion of the entire construction seems to be for rather general reasons. In this regard we recall the long sequence of passages about the tent of meeting, none of which proved distinctive or particularly relevant to the present context.<\/p>\n
II:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cEven the Scriptures paid honor to Israel.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018When any man of you brings an offering\u2019 [Lev. 1:2].
\nC. \u201cNow when [Scripture] proceeds to yet another [but less praiseworthy] topic, [how does it phrase matters?] \u2018When a man of you has on the flesh of his skin\u2019 is not written, but rather, \u2018When man will have on the flesh of his skin is rising\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:2).
\nD. R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah made two points [in this same manner]:
\nE. \u201cIt is written, \u2018But there shall be no needy among you\u2019 [Deut. 15:4].
\nF. \u201cNow when [Scripture] proceeds to yet another [but less praiseworthy] topic, [how does it phrase matters?]
\nG. \u201c \u2018For there shall be no needy in your midst\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018\u2026 from the midst of the land\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 15:11).
\nH. R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah made yet another point [in the same manner]:
\nI. \u201cIt is written, \u2018These shall stand to bless the people on Mount Gerizim\u2019 [Deut. 27:12].
\nJ. \u201cNow when [Scripture] proceeds to yet another [but less praiseworthy] topic, [how does it phrase matters?]
\nK. \u201c \u2018These will stand to curse the people\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018\u2026 these will stand concerning (\u02bfL) the curse\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 27:13).
\n2. A. R. Berekhiah, R. Helbo, and R. Ami in the name of R. Ilai: \u201cNot only so, but when punishment comes into the world, the righteous overcome it, in line with that which is written, \u2018These shall stand against (\u02bfL) the curse\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 27:13).<\/p>\n
Once discourse on the theme of Israel gets under way, it makes contact with the present passage at 1.A\u2013C. No. 2 is tacked on because of its pertinence to a proof text at 1.K. The entire construction thus pursued its own goals but we can understand why it is included, for part of a catalogue does utilize the verse at hand.<\/p>\n
II:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to this man (Adam) [to whom Scripture refers, \u2018When any man (Adam) of you brings an offering \u2026\u2019 (Lev. 1:2)], \u2018Man, let your offering be like the offering of the first man.\u2019
\nB. \u201cJust as the first man had everything under his dominion and so did not bring an offering that had been acquired by robbery or violence, so you, in whose dominion all things [do not fall], should offer nothing acquired by robbery or violence, and, if you conform, \u2018It will please the Lord more than an ox, [or a bull with horns and hoofs]\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 69:32). [In context: \u201cI will praise the name of God with a song, I will magnify him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord more than an ox \u2026 Let the oppressed see it and be glad \u2026 For the Lord hears the needy and does not despise his own that are in bonds\u201d (Ps. 69:30\u201333).]<\/p>\n
We now have a passage directly pertinent to Lev. 1:2, even though the verse does not seem to be cited explicitly. Yet there can be no missing the point. The reference in Lev. 1:2 to \u201cAdam,\u201d leads to the judgment that Adam\u2019s offering provides the paradigm for the offerings of Israel later on. Then Adam\u2019s situation, master of all things, owner of everything, serves to provide the base for the homily that people should not offer what they do not own. My guess is that the deeper implication is that God really owns everything, so people have to offer only thanksgiving offerings. Since at issue in most of the offerings of the present passage of Leviticus is not thanksgiving offerings but sin offerings of various sorts, perhaps the sense of the exegete was to contrast truly worthwhile offerings with those at hand. But, as it is, the point is not so elevated. It just indicates that people must offer what is theirs, and not what they have acquired, for example, by oppressing the poor.
\nMargulies prints in small type, II. VIII\u2013XII, which passages derive from Tanna debe Eliyyahu. He does not see them as part of the basic structure of Leviticus Rabbah.<\/p>\n
Parashah Three<\/p>\n
III:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWhen anyone brings a cereal offering as an offering to the Lord, [his offering shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it and put frankincense on it and bring it to Aaron\u2019s sons the priests. And he shall take from it a handful of fine flour \u2026]\u201d (Lev. 2:1\u20132).
\nB. R. Isaac opened [discourse by citing the following verse]:\u201c \u2018Better is a handful of quietness than both hands full of labor, and it is the desire of the spirit\u2019 [Qoh. 4:6].
\nC. \u201cBetter is the one who [learns by] repeating [and memorizing] two divisions [of the Mishnah] and is at home in them than the one who [learns by] repeating [a great many] laws, but is not at home in them.
\nD. \u201c \u2018\u2026 desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014he wants to be called a legal authority [which is why he has tried to learn more than he is able to accomplish].
\nE. \u201c[Along these same lines], better is the one who [learns by] repeating [and memorizing] laws and is at home in them than the one who [learns by] repeating [and memorizing] both laws and exegetical principles but is not at home in them.
\nF. \u201c \u2018\u2026 desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014he wants to be called a master of exegesis [of the law, through its overriding principles].
\nG. \u201cBetter is the one who [learns by] repeating [and memorizing] laws and exegetical principles and is at home in them than the one who [learns by] repeating [and memorizing] laws, exegetical principles, and Talmud, but is not at home in them.
\nH. \u201c \u2018\u2026 desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014he wants to be called a master of learning [and expert in the Talmud, so able to give practical decisions].
\nI. \u201cBetter is one who has [a total capital of only] ten gold coins, but who does business with them and earns his living with them, than one who goes and borrows [additional capital] on usurious rates.
\nJ. \u201cIn a proverb it says, \u2018He [who borrows] loses both what is his own and what is not his own.\u2019
\nK. \u201c \u2018\u2026 desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014for he wants to be known as a successful entrepreneur.
\nL. \u201c \u2018Better is the one who goes and works and gives charity from what he has earned than the one who goes and steals and seizes other people\u2019s property by violence and then gives to charity out of what in fact belongs to other people.
\nM. \u201cIn a proverb it says, \u2018she sells her body in exchange for apples, which she passes out among the sick.\u2019
\nN. \u201c \u2018\u2026 desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014for he wants to be known as a charitable person.
\nO. \u201cBetter is the one who has a vegetable patch and who fertilizes it and hoes it and makes a living from it than one who goes and undertakes to share-crop the plot of [a great many] others for half the harvest.
\nP. \u201cIn a proverb it says, \u2018If you rent one garden, you\u2019ll eat the birds too, but if you rent many gardens, the birds will eat you.\u2019
\nQ. \u201c \u2018Desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014he wants to be known as a big landowner.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Berekhiah [commenting on \u2018a handful of quietness\u2019 and reading the Hebrew, kaf nahat to mean, footfall], \u201cBetter is one footstep that the Holy One, blessed be he, took in the land of Egypt,
\nB. \u201cin line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And I shall pass through the land of Egypt\u2019 [Ex. 12:12],
\nC. \u201cthan the two handfuls of furnace-ash [thrown] by Moses and Aaron.
\nD. \u201cWhy? Because with the former came redemption, and with the latter came no redemption.\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, \u201c \u2018Better is a handful of quietness\u2019 [Qoh. 4:6]\u2014this refers to the Sabbath-day.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Than both hands full of labor\u2019\u2014this refers to the six days of work.
\nC. \u201c \u2018\u2026 the desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014one wants to work on [the six days of labor].
\nD. \u201cYou should know that that is the case, for Israel will be redeemed only on the Sabbath.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Through repentance (SWBH) and repose you will be saved\u2019 [Is. 30:15] [and that is on the Sabbath day] [meaning], in Sabbath repose you will be saved.\u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Jacob bar Qorshai, \u201c \u2018Better is a handful of quietness\u2019 [Qoh. 4:6]\u2014this refers to the world to come.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Than both hands full of labor\u2019\u2014this refers to this world.
\nC. \u201c \u2018\u2026 desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014Bad people want to do whatever they want in this world and to have the penalty exacted from them in the world to come.\u201d
\nD. That [statement of Jacob bar Qorshai] is in line with the following passage, which we have learned in the Mishnah: \u201c[Jacob] would say, \u2018Better is a single hour spent in repentance and good deeds in this world than the whole of the world to come. Better is one hour of serenity in the world to come than the whole of the life of this world\u2019 \u201d (Abot 4:17).
\n5. A. R. Isaac interpreted the cited verse (Qoh. 4:6) to refer to the tribes of Reuben and Gad: \u201cWhen the tribes of Reuben and Gad came into the land and saw how rich was the potential for sowing and planting there, they said, \u2018Better is a handful of quietness\u2019 in the [holy] Land \u2018than both hands full\u2019 in Transjordan.
\nB. \u201c \u2018\u2026 desire of the spirit\u2019\u2014it is what we want.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Let this land be given to your servants as a possession\u2019 [Num. 32:5].
\nD. \u201cThen they went and said, \u2018Did we not choose [Transjordan] for ourselves? [So we cannot retract.]\u201d
\n6. A. Another possibility [for interpreting Qoh. 4:6]: \u201cBetter is a handful of quietness\u201d\u2014this refers to the handful of cereal offering brought as a freewill offering by a poor person, [the handful of cereal sufficing].
\nB. \u201c\u2026 than both hands full of labor\u201d\u2014this refers to the finely ground incense of spices (Lev. 16:12) brought by the community as a whole.
\nC. [How so?] Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cI prefer the handful of cereal offering brought as a freewill offering by a poor person than the two hands full of finely ground incense of spices brought by the community as a whole,
\nD. \u201cfor the former bears with it expiation [for sin] while the latter does not bear with it expiation [for sin].\u201d
\nE. And what is [the measure of the handful of cereal offering]? It is a tenth of an ephah.
\nF. \u201cWhen anyone brings a cereal offering \u2026\u201d (Lev. 2:1).<\/p>\n
Once more we have a fully worked out exercise, in which a verse of Leviticus is juxtaposed to a verse lacking all obvious relationship. But when we note that Qoh. 4:6 refers to \u201chandful,\u201d and the opening verses of Lev. 2:1 likewise make reference to a handful, we are alert to the intent of the framer. Whether or not, therefore, he drew upon available exegetical materials pertinent to Qoh. 4:6, the plan is clear. How so? If we leap from 1.A\u2013B to No. 6, we see the entire message. But, of course, the redactor has given us a much larger repertoire of materials, all of them pertinent only to Qoh. 4:6. Accordingly at some prior point in the aggregation of the composition, the entire message was contained at 1.A\u2013B and 6. Provoked by reference to Qoh. 4:6, someone inserted masses of materials relevant to that passage. In any event we cannot doubt that the bulk of the interpolated materials had achieved completion prior to their encounter with the present passage.
\nCertainly No. 1 is a handsome and ample exposition, following self-evident formal lines carefully and meticulously, beginning to end. While No. 2 intersects with both Qoh. 4:6, \u201chands full,\u201d and Lev. 2:1, \u201chandful,\u201d it seems to me a mere serendipity. Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 prove disparate and miscellaneous, joined only by their tripartite exposition of the cited verse. So we see a two-stage process of formation\u2014one devoted to selecting and briefly explaining a verse of Scripture from the prophets or writings relevant to the cited passage of Leviticus, the other a miscellany of exegeses of the same intruded verse. Clearly, it is the former of the two stages (whether earlier or later in actual composition) that bears the principal message of the systematic exegesis of Leviticus. Then the message is that a meager offering, brought freely and not because of the need for repentance for sin, takes precedence over a lavish offering, provoked by the requirement to expiate sin.<\/p>\n
III:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cYou who fear the Lord, praise him! All you seed of Jacob, [glorify him and stand in awe of him, all you seed of Israel! For he has not despised or abhored the affliction of the afflicted, and he has not hid his face from him but has heard, when he cried to him]\u201d (Ps. 22:23\u201324).
\nB. \u201cYou who fear the Lord, praise him!\u201d
\nC. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cThis refers to those who fear Heaven.\u201d
\nD. R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cThis refers to righteous converts.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Hezekiah, R. Abbahu in the name of R. Eleazar [= Y. Meg. 1:10]: \u201cIf the righteous converts enter [into the world to come], Antoninus will enter at the head of all of them \u2026\u201d [This passage is not fully spelled out.]
\n3. A. What is the meaning of the verse, \u201cAll you seed of Jacob, glorify him\u201d?
\nB. This refers to the ten tribes.
\nC. If so, than what is the referent of the clause, \u201cStand in awe of him, all you seed of Israel\u201d?
\nD. Said R. Benjamin b. R. Levi, \u201cThis refers to Benjamin, who comes last.\u201d
\n4. A. \u201cFor he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted\u201d (Ps. 22:25)\u2014
\nB. Under ordinary circumstances, when two people come to court, one poor and one rich, to whom does the judge turn? Is it not to the rich man? But here: \u201cHe has not hid his face from him but has heard when he cried to him\u201d!
\n5. A. R. Haggai decreed a fast to bring down rain. He said, \u201cIt is not because I am worthy [of making such a decree and bringing down rain on account of my merit], but it is on account of that which is written: \u2018For he has not despised or abhorred the affliction of the afflicted.\u2019 \u201d
\n6. A. Just as he has not despised his prayer, so he did not despise his offering.
\nB. \u201cAnd when one brings a cereal offering\u201d (Lev. 2:1).<\/p>\n
Once more the main point comes at the end, No. 6. If all we had were Ps. 22:24 and then No. 6, we should come up with the entire point of the whole, so far as it refers to Leviticus at all. The point is that the offering of a poor man is accepted as much as his prayer. Then the prayer is primary, not the cereal offering. The rest is a composite on Ps. 22:23\u201324. 1.B\u2013D take up the relationship of marginal pietists, God-fearers, then full converts; that leads at No. 2 to a brief allusion to a sizable passage, found at Y. Meg. 1:11 and other places, on Antoninus. Nos. 3 and 4 pursue the phrase-by-phrase exegesis of the cited verse, and, as I said, No. 5 makes a contribution by telling a brief tale.<\/p>\n
III:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cLet the wicked abandon his way, and the man of evil his thoughts\u201d (Is. 55:7).
\nB. Said R. Biba b. R. Abina [= Y. Yoma 8:7], \u201cHow should a person recite the confession on the eve of the Day of Atonement?
\nC. \u201cA person has to say, \u2018I acknowledge everything that I did in the evil way in which I was standing, and the like of whatever I did I shall never do again. May it be your will, O Lord, my God, to forgive me for all my sins, and to bear with me for all my transgressions, and to atone for me for all my wicked deeds.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Let the wicked abandon his way, and the man of evil his thoughts\u2019 \u201d (Is. 55:7).
\nE. It is written, \u201cLet [him] abandon \u2026\u201d
\n2. A. \u201c[Let the wicked abandon his way, and the man of evil his thoughts], and let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him, [and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon]\u201d (Is. 55:7).
\nB. R. Isaac and R. Yose b. R. Hanina:
\nC. R. Isaac said, \u201cIt is like a man who fit together two boards and joined them to one another.\u201d
\nD. R. Yose b. Hanina said, \u201cIt is like a man who fit together two legs of a bed and joined them together.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cAnd let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him\u201d (Is. 55:7).
\nB. Rabbis and R. Simeon b. Yohai:
\nC. Rabbis say, \u201cAll forms of atonement [offerings] did the Holy One, blessed be he, show to Abraham, our father, [at the covenant \u2018between the pieces,\u2019 Gen. 15] except for the form of atonement gained through offering a tenth of an ephah of fine flour\u201d (Lev. 2:1).
\nD. R. Simeon b. Yohai said, \u201cAlso the form of atonement offering of the tenth of an ephah of fine flour did the Holy One, blessed be he, show to Abraham, our father.
\nE. \u201cThe word \u2018these\u2019 is used here [with reference to the meal offering, at Lev. 2:8: \u2018The meal offering that is made out of these\u2019], and the same word occurs elsewhere [with reference to the account of the covenant \u2018between the pieces\u2019: \u2018And he took him all these\u2019 (Gen. 15:10)].
\nF. \u201cJust as the word, \u2018these,\u2019 used in the present context refers to the tenth of an ephah of fine flour, so the word, \u2018these\u2019 used with reference to [the modes of expiatory offering described at Gen. 15] likewise encompasses the tenth of an ephah of fine flour.\u201d
\n4. A. \u201c\u2026 and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.\u201d
\nB. R. Judah b. R. Simon in the name of R. Zeirah: \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, further gave us a mode of attaining forgiveness out of what, in fact, belongs to him, namely, the tenth of an ephah of fine flour.
\nC. \u201cWhen anyone brings a cereal offering as an offering to the Lord \u2026\u201d (Lev. 2:1).<\/p>\n
This pastiche of materials relevant to Is. 55:7 aims, if not very directly, at Lev. 2:1. Once more we observe that only part of the composition serves the purposes of exegesis of Leviticus. We have a systematic construction addressed to Is. 55:7, with 1.B\u2013D, a completely autonomous unit, occurring at Y. Yoma 8:7, inserted whole. No. 2 (the meaning of which is not wholly clear) is joined to No. 1. Nos. 3 and 4 alone intersect with the present passage. If we did not have No. 3, No. 4 would be perfectly comprehensible on its own, that is, as a comment not pertinent to Gen. 15 but solely to Lev. 2:1. My guess is that Nos. 3 and 4 were joined to serve Gen. R., where the passage also occurs, but of course were repeated here because of their obvious relevance.
\nIn the balance, it is difficult to demonstrate that at the foundation lay a citation of Is. 55:7 followed by the substance of No. 4. It seems plausible to see Nos. 3 and 4 as the base, so Gen. R. as the original location. If so, the polemic is clear. The cheapest form of expiation offering also is God\u2019s special gift, the act of grace above all others. Expensive beasts serve no better than a handful of flour.<\/p>\n
III:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. [\u201cWhen anyone brings a cereal offering\u201d (Lev. 1:2).] Now what is written just after this statement?
\nB. \u201cAnd he shall take away its crop with the feathers [and cast it beside the altar on the east side, in the place for ashes, and he shall tear it by its wings, but shall not divide it asunder. And the priest shall burn it on the altar upon the wood that is on the altar; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord]\u201d (Lev. 1:16\u201317).
\nC. Said R. Tanhum b. R. Hanilai, \u201cA bird such as this flies about and swoops all over the place and eats everywhere, so what it eats constitutes stolen property and comes by violence. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Since this crop [of the bird] is filled with the result of thievery and violence, let it not be offered up on the altar.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThat is why it is said, \u2018And he shall take away its crop with the feathers \u2026\u2019
\nE. \u201cBy contrast, a domestic animal is raised at the crib of its owner and so does not eat whatever it finds anywhere, things that are stolen or come by violence. Therefore one may offer up the entire beast.
\nF. \u201cThat is why it is said, \u2018And the priest shall offer the whole [of the burnt offering of the flock or herd]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 1:13).
\n2. A. Since a person steals and gains through violence, come and see how much bother and effort [are necessary] before [food] comes out from it: from mouth to gullet, from gullet to stomach, from stomach to second stomach, from second stomach to maw, from maw to intestines, from the small winding intestine to the large winding intestine, from the large winding intestine to the mucal sieve, from mucal sieve to rectum, from rectum to anus, from anus outside (following Israelstam, p. 39).
\nB. So take note of how much bother and effort [are necessary] before its food exudes from it.<\/p>\n
The passage serves Lev. 1:16, not Lev. 2:1. The opening phrase, 1, is a feeble effort to provide some sort of linkage between the larger plan of the composition\u2014exegesis of Lev. 2:1\u2014and 1.B\u2013F. The point of No. 2 is unclear; it is tacked on because of the issue of stealing and violence in connection with getting food. But the passage does not relate either to No. 1 or to the larger context.<\/p>\n
III:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd he shall tear it by its wings but shall not divide it asunder, [and the priest shall burn it on the altar, upon the wood that is on the fire; it is a burnt offering, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord]\u201d (Lev. 1:17).
\nB. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cIf an ordinary fellow should smell the odor of the burning wings, it would turn his stomach, and yet you say, \u2018And the priest shall burn it on the altar\u2019 [Lev. 1:17].
\nC. \u201cWhy go to all this trouble? It is so that the altar may be ornamented by the offering of [even] a poorman [who cannot afford a beast, Lev. 1:10, but can afford a bird, Lev. 1:14].\u201d
\n2. A. King Agrippas wanted to offer a thousand bird offerings on a single day. He sent a message to the priest, \u201cLet no one beside me make an offering on this day.\u201d
\nB. A poor man came, with two birds in his hand, and said to [the priest], \u201cOffer these for me.\u201d
\nC. [The priest] said to him, \u201cThe king ordered me not to permit anyone but him to make an offering today.\u201d
\nD. [The poor man] said to him, \u201cMy Lord, priest, I catch four birds every day, two which I offer, and two which I use for a living. If you do not offer these two up, you cut my living in half.\u201d
\nE. The priest took them and offered them up.
\nF. In a dream King Agrippas foresaw [this message], \u201cA poor man\u2019s offering came before yours.\u201d
\nG. He sent a message to the priest, \u201cDidn\u2019t I tell you not to let anyone but me make an offering that day?\u201d
\nH. He sent words to him, \u201cMy lord, king, a poor man came, with two birds in his hand and said to me, \u2018Offer these for me.\u2019 I said to him, \u2018The king ordered me not to permit anyone but him to make an offering today.\u2019 He said to me, \u2018I catch four birds every day, two which I offer, and two which I use for a living. If you do not offer these two up, you cut my living in half.\u2019 Now should I not have offered them up?!\u201d
\nI. He said to him, \u201cYou did things right.\u201d
\n3. A. M\u02bfSH B: People were leading an ox to be offered, but it would not be led. A poor man came with a bundle of endive in his hand, and held it out to the beast, which ate it. [The ox] sneezed and expelled a needle, and it then allowed itself to be led on to be offered. [If the needle had not been expelled, it would have caused an internal perforation, resulting in a blemish invalidating the animal for sacrificial purposes (Israelstam, p. 40 n. 1). Lieberman in Margulies, p. 870, deletes.]
\nB. The owner of the ox saw a message in his dream: \u201cThe offering of a poor man came before yours.\u201d
\n4. A. M\u02bfSH B: A woman brought a handful of fine flour [for a cereal offering, in line with Lev. 2:1]. But the priest ridiculed her and said, \u201cSee what these women are bringing as their offerings! In such a paltry thing what is there to eat? And what is there to offer up?\u201d
\nB. The priest saw a message in his dream: \u201cDo not ridicule her on such an account, for it is as if she was offering up her own soul.\u201d
\nC. Now is it not a matter of an argument a fortiori? If concerning someone who doesn\u2019t offer up a living soul [of a beast] Scripture uses the word, \u201cSoul\u201d [When any soul (RSV: one) brings a cereal offering\u201d], if someone brings a [contrite] soul, how much the more is it as if this one has offered her own soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
Nos. 1, 2, and 3 prove continuous and deal with Lev. 1:17. No. 4 carries forward the polemic of the foregoing, in its stress on the worth of the poor person\u2019s offering. But No. 4 can stand independently as much as any of the first three items. It serves Lev. 2:1 by underlining the deep meaning of Scripture\u2019s use of the word, \u201csoul,\u201d translated also as \u201cany one.\u201d The meaning imputed to 4.C is familiar. God wants the sacrifice of a contrite heart. The priest should understand that the woman\u2019s paltry sacrifice is all she has, and perhaps more than she can afford. That message, of course, is delivered by Nos. 1\u20133 as well.
\nThe person who drew the materials together clearly can have had Lev. 1:17 and 2:1 in mind. But then an exegetical composition systematically and in order treating long sequences of scriptural verses, such as Gen. R., will have been well served. A collection such as this one, in which only a few verses are taken up, not systematically and not in their given order, will hardly have demanded this kind of composition at all. So if the passage at hand was written to serve the exegesis of Leviticus, then the literary requirements of the framer still did not envision the kind of document that Leviticus Rabbah turned out to be. For the larger number of passages do not go from one verse to the next, through a given chapter, as does Gen. R.<\/p>\n
III:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[When any one brings a cereal offering as an offering to the Lord, his offering shall be of fine flour; he shall pour oil upon it and put frankincense on it,] and bring it to Aaron\u2019s sons, the priests\u201d (Lev. 2:1\u20132).
\nB. R. Hiyya taught [= Sifra Nedabah IX:10], \u201c[That is the case] even if they are many. [Even if many priests have to be involved with the paltry offering, e.g., in measuring the flour, pouring on the oil, kneading it, putting on the frankincense, taking the handful, and the like, each priest must do his part, to show respect for the offering even of a poor man (Margulies citing Rabad).]\u201d
\nC. Said R. Yohanan [citing a proof text for the foregoing proposition], \u201c \u2018In the multitude of people is the king\u2019s glory\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 14:28).
\n2. A. \u201cAnd he shall take from it a handful of fine flour and oil, [with all of its frankincense, and the priest shall burn this as its memorial portion upon the altar, an offering by fire, a pleasing odor to the Lord. And what is left of the cereal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons]\u201d (Lev. 2:2\u20133).
\nB. \u201c\u2026 of the fine flour\u201d\u2014and not the whole of the fine flour.
\nC. \u201c\u2026 of the oil\u201d\u2014and not the whole of the oil.
\nD. Lo, [there was the case of] one brought his cereal offering from Gaul or Spain or those distant parts, and saw the priest taking [and offering only] a handful and eating the remainder. He said, \u201cWoe is me for all the trouble I went to, [merely] so that this one should eat.\u201d
\nE. People made him feel better, telling him, \u201cNow if this [priest], who has gone to the trouble of merely taking two steps, between the hall and the altar [Joel 2:17] gains merit to allow him to eat [the meal-offering remnant], you, who went to all this trouble, how much the more so [should you gain merit from this offering of yours]!\u201d
\nF. Moreover, \u201cAnd what is left of the cereal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons\u201d (Lev. 2:3). [Margulies: \u201cNot only does the officiating priest gain possession of the remainder, but he can pass on the right to his sons. The one who has brought the offering all the more so gains the right to pass on the merit of his deed to his children after him.\u201d]
\n3. A. [In Aramaic:] R. Hananiah bar R. Aha went to a certain place and found the following verse at the head of the order [of the reading of the Pentateuch in the synagogue on that Sabbath]: \u201cAnd what is left of the cereal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons\u201d (Lev. 2:3).
\nB. With what verse did he commence the discourse in that regard?
\nC. \u201cFrom men beneath your hand, O Lord, from men whose portion [in life is of the world, may their belly be filled with what you have stored up for them; may their children have more than enough; and may they leave something over to their babes]\u201d (Ps. 17:15).
\nD. [Understanding the Hebrew, MMTYM, men, as M(H) MTYM, who are (mighty) men, he proceeded:] \u201cWho are mighty men? They are the ones who took their portion from beneath your hand, O Lord.
\nE. \u201cAnd who might such a one be? It is the tribe of Levi.
\nF. \u201c \u2018From men whose position in life is of the world\u2019\u2014these are the ones who did not take a share in the land [but rather got their support from the leftovers of God\u2019s altar and agricultural dues].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Their portion in life\u2019\u2014this refers to the Holy Things of the sanctuary.
\nH. \u201c \u2018May their belly be filled with what you have stored up for them\u2019\u2014this refers to the Holy Things separated in the provinces [from the crops, that is, the priestly rations of various kinds supplied by the farmers].
\nI. \u201c \u2018May their children have more than enough\u2019\u2014\u2018Every male among the children of Aaron may eat of it\u2019 [Lev. 6:11].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018And may they leave something over to their babes\u2019\u2014\u2018And what is left of the cereal offering shall be for Aaron and his sons\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 2:3).
\n4. A. Aaron imparted merit [to eat Holy Things] to his sons, whether valid or invalid [for service at the altar, for blemished priests also may eat priestly rations].
\n5. A. So Scripture states, \u201cMy covenant with him was a covenant of life and peace, and I gave them [to him, that he might fear, and he feared me, he stood in awe of my name. True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. For the lips of a priest should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord of hosts]\u201d (Mal. 2:5\u20137) [= Sifra Shemini Mekhilta de Miluim 37].
\nB. \u201cMy covenant with him was a covenant of life and peace,\u201d for he pursued the interests of peace in Israel.
\nC. \u201cAnd I gave them to him, that he might fear, and he feared me\u201d for he accepted upon himself the discipline of the teachings of the Torah in a spirit of fear, awe, trembling, and quaking.
\n6. A. What is the meaning of the following clause: \u201cHe stood in awe of my name\u201d?
\nB. They say [= B. Hor. 12b, Ker. 5a]: When Moses poured out the anointing oil on Aaron\u2019s head, he trembled and fell backward, exclaiming \u201cWoe is me! I might well have committed sacrilege against the anointing oil [in using it in this way]!\u201d
\nC. The Holy Spirit answered him, \u201c \u2018Behold, how good and pleasant it is when brothers dwell in unity! [Ps. 123:1] [It is like the precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron, running down on the collar of his robes!] It is like the dew of Hermon, which falls on the mountains of Zion! [For there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life for evermore]\u2019 [Ps. 123:2\u20133].
\nD. \u201cJust as sacrilege does not apply to dew, so sacrilege does not apply to anointing oil.\u201d
\n7. A. \u201cIt is like precious oil upon the head, running down upon the beard, upon the beard of Aaron\u201d (Ps. 133:2).
\nB. Now did Aaron have two beards, that the cited verse should make reference to the word \u201cbeard\u201d two times, \u201cthe beard,\u201d \u201cthe beard of Aaron\u201d?
\nC. But: When Moses saw the anointing oil running down the beard of Aaron, he rejoiced as if it ran down his own beard,
\nD. As it is written, \u201cTrue instruction [torah] was in his mouth\u201d (Mal. 2:6). [The oil that had flowed down on the mouth and beard of Aaron represented true Torah.]
\n8. A. [Continuing from Sifra, B. San. 6b:] [\u201cTrue instruction (Torah) was in his mouth], and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity\u201d (Mal. 2:6).
\nB. \u201cTrue instruction was in his mouth\u201d\u2014for he never called what was unclean clean, or what was clean unclean.
\nC. \u201cAnd no wrong was found on his lips\u201d\u2014for he never declared prohibited what was permitted, nor did he declare permitted what was forbidden.
\nD. \u201cHe walked with me in peace and uprightness\u201d\u2014for he never entertained misgivings [Israelstam, p. 43] about the ways of the Omnipresent, just as Abraham never entertained misgivings.
\nE. \u201cAnd he turned many from iniquity\u201d\u2014for he turned sinners back to the study of the Torah.
\nF. And Scripture says, \u201cSincerely do they love you\u201d (Song 1:4).
\nG. What is written at the end of the passage? \u201cFor the lips of a priest should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is a messenger of the Lord of hosts\u201d (Mal. 2:7).<\/p>\n
The unifying topic of the pastiche of materials at hand concerns the priests\u2019 rights to what is left over of the cereal offering (Lev. 2:3). But we begin, No. 1, with a continuation of the theme of the foregoing parashah, the importance of the offering even of a poor person. Then, the exegesis goes forward on the immediately following verse, as if the plan were to provide amplification for each verse in sequence. No. 2 spells the matter out, first explaining the meaning of the verse, B\u2013C, then, D\u2013E, making explicit the deeper issue at hand. Once more the rights and role of the priesthood present a question mark. The solution is to assign to the lay Israelite still greater merit than accrues to the priest. So the polemic underlines the higher standing of ordinary folk, despite the liturgical primacy of the priesthood. If 2.E is integral, then Margulies\u2019s explanation of its relevance states this same matter still more forcefully. The priests enjoy the right to hand on their merit to their children; genealogy, after all, forms the basis for their primacy. But lay people enjoy that very same right. If the passage is not integral, then 2.E would serve as the opening salvo of No. 3, that is, citing the verse to be discussed prior to the exposition.
\nNo. 3 makes the point, by intersection of Lev. 2:3 and Ps. 17:15, that the Levites, inclusive of the priesthood, legitimately enjoy their share in the offerings because that takes the place of their right to hold a piece of land. Now the right to leave over part of their merit is seen in a different light. No. 4 is a brief addition, tacked on for obvious reasons.
\nNos. 5\u20138 provide an entirely independent exegesis, centered, upon Mal. 2:5\u20137. In fact we have two sets, Nos. 5, 8, and Nos. 6\u20137. The former, lifted from Sifra, accomplishing a systematic exegesis of the cited verses, make entirely conventional points. The latter treats Mal. 2:5\u20137 as it intersects with Ps. 133. So the whole was put together to serve as an account of Mal. 2:5\u20137. Why was it inserted here? The overall theme, the priesthood and its value, accounts for its positioning.
\nSo, in all, Nos. 5, 6\u20137, 8 were assembled on their own, then tacked on because of the general relevance to the theme of the larger construction. Nos. 2 and 3\u20134 clearly take up the explanation of the rule of Lev. 2:3 and justify the rights accorded to the priesthood by that rule. The principle construction of Nos. 2\u20134 is perfectly clear: the basis for bringing the whole together seems reasonable.<\/p>\n
Parashah Four<\/p>\n
IV:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[And the Lord said to Moses, \u2018Say to the people of Israel,] \u2018If [any one] soul sins [unwittingly in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done and does any one of them \u2026]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 4:1\u20132).
\nB. \u201cAnd moreover I saw under the sun, in the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness, wickedness was there\u201d (Qoh. 3:16).
\nC. R. Eliezer and R. Joshua:
\nD. R. Eliezer said, \u201c \u2018In the place of justice, wickedness was there\u2019\u2014in the place in which the great Sanhedrin of Israel was in session, deciding the legislation of Israel, \u2018wickedness was there\u2019\u2014there: \u2018All the princes of the king of Babylonia came in and sat in the middle gate\u2019 [Jer. 39:3].
\nE. (\u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018the middle gate\u2019 [= B. San. 103a]? There they served as intermediary for the [determination of] the law. In a proverb people say, \u2018Where the master hangs his armor, the shepherd hangs his pitcher\u2019 [so incongruous things may be stored together].)
\nF. \u201cAnd the Holy Spirit cries out, saying, \u2018In the place of righteousness, wickedness was there\u2019\u2014in a place concerning which is written, \u2018Righteousness lodged in her\u2019 [Is. 1:21].
\nG. \u201c \u2018But now murderers\u2019 [Is. 1:21]\u2014lo, they commit murder. There they killed Zechariah and Uriah.\u201d
\nH. R. Joshua said, \u201c \u2018In the place of justice there was wickedness\u2019 [speaks of] the place in which the attribute of justice [showed itself, namely,] in the matter of the Golden Calf,
\nI. \u201cAs it is written, \u2018Go to and fro, from gate to gate\u2019 [Ex. 32:27].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018There was wickedness,\u2019 for it is said, \u2018The Lord smote the people because they had made the calf\u2019 [Ex. 32:35].
\nK. \u201cAnd the Holy Spirit cries out, saying, \u2018In the place of righteousness, wickedness was there\u2019\u2014in the place in which I vindicated them and called them God-like, [saying,] \u2018I said, \u201cYou are God-like beings, and all of you are children of the Most High\u201d \u2019 [Ps. 82:6],
\nL. \u201cThere was wickedness there\u2019\u2014there they went and said to the gold calf, \u2018This is your god, O Israel\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 32:4).
\n2. A. [The verse, \u201cIn the place of justice, wickedness was there, and in the place of righteousness wickedness was there\u201d (Qoh. 3:16)] speaks of the generation of the Flood.
\nB. \u201cIn the place of justice, wickedness was there\u201d\u2014in the place in which the attribute of justice was carried out, namely, in regard to the generation of the wilderness,
\nC. as we have learned in the Mishnah, \u201cAs to the generation of the wilderness, they have no share in the world to come and they will not stand in justice\u201d (M. San. 10:3),
\nD. there: \u201cHe blotted out every living thing\u201d (Gen. 7:23).
\nE. And the Holy Spirit cries out, saying \u201c \u2018In the place of righteousness, wickedness was there\u2019\u2014in the place in which I vindicated them, and wrote concerning them, \u2018Their houses are safe, without fear, and no rod of God is upon them\u2019 [Job 21:9],
\nF. \u201c \u2018There was wickedness\u2019\u2014there: \u2018They say to God, Depart from us. We do not desire the knowledge of your ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? And what profit do we get if we pray to him?\u2019 \u201d (Job 21:14\u201315).
\n3. A. [Qoh. 3:16] speaks of the Sodomites.
\nB. \u201cIn the place of justice, wickedness was there\u201d\u2014in the place in which the attribute of justice was carried out, namely, against the Sodomites,
\nC. as we have learned in the Mishnah, \u201cThe men of Sodom have no share in the world to come, but they will stand in justice\u201d (M. San. 10:3),
\nD. \u201cThere is wickedness\u201d\u2014there: \u201cThen the Lord made brimstone and fire rain upon Sodom and Gomorrah\u201d (Gen. 19:24).
\nE. And the Holy Spirit cries out, saying, \u201c \u2018In the place of righteousness, wickedness was there\u2019\u2014in the place in which I vindicated them and wrote concerning their land, \u2018A land from which bread comes forth and underneath it it is turned up as if by fire, the stones thereof are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold\u2019 [Job 28:5\u20136].
\nF. (They say, When one of them [in Sodom] went to a truck gardener and said to him, \u201cGive me an issar\u2019s worth of vegetables,\u201d he would give them over, and the purchaser would shake the vegetables and find gold in the dust of the roots, so illustrating what Scripture says, \u201cIt has dust of gold.\u201d)
\nG. \u201c \u2018There is wickedness\u2019\u2014there they said, \u2018Let us go and wipe out the rule [of hospitality] from among us.\u2019
\nH. \u201c \u2018She did not strengthen the hand of the poor and needy\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 16:49).
\n4. A. R. Judah b. R. Simon interpreted the cited verse to speak of the incident at Shittim:
\nB. \u201c \u2018In the place of justice, wickedness was there\u2019\u2014in the place in which the attribute of justice was carried out, namely, in regard to the incident at Shittim,
\nC. \u201cfor it is written, \u2018Take the chiefs of the people and hang them up\u2019 [Num. 25:4].
\nD. \u201c \u2018There was wickedness\u2019\u2014there: \u2018And those who died in the plague [were twenty-four thousand]\u2019 [Num. 25:9].
\nE. \u201cAnd the Holy Spirit cries out, saying, \u2018In the place of righteousness, there is wickedness\u2019\u2014in the place in which I vindicated them from Balaam\u2019s curse and turned the curses into blessings for them, as it is written, \u2018And the Lord your God turned the curse into a blessing for you\u2019 [Deut. 23:6]\u2014
\nF. \u201c \u2018There is evil\u2019\u2014there: \u2018While Israel dwelt in Shittim [the people began to play the harlot with the daughters of Moab]\u2019 \u201d (Num. 25:1).
\n5. A. R. Levi and R. Isaac:
\nB. R. Levi said, \u201cThere are two things in the right hand [of God] and two in the [left] hand.
\nC. \u201cTwo things in the right hand are Torah and righteousness.
\nD. \u201cHow do we know that that is the case for Torah? \u2018At his right hand was a fiery law unto them\u2019 [Deut. 33:2].
\nE. \u201cHow do we know that that is the case for righteousness? As it is written, \u2018Your right hand is full of righteousness\u2019 [Ps. 48:11].
\nF. \u201cThe two things in his [left] hand are the soul and justice.
\nG. \u201cHow do we know that that is so for the soul? As it is written, \u2018In whose hand is the soul of every living thing\u2019 [Job 12:10].
\nH. \u201cHow do we know that that is so for justice? [As it is written,] \u2018And my hand takes hold of judgment\u2019 [Deut. 32:41].
\nI. \u201cNow the soul was placed \u2018in the place of justice [the attribute of justice],\u2019 yet did it sin? Did it go forth from \u2018the place of justice\u2019 and sin?\u201d
\nJ. R. Isaac said, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, said to the soul, \u2018I said to you, Only be strong in not eating the blood, for the blood is the soul\u2019 [Deut. 12:23], and yet you go forth and sin, [Margulies deletes:] stealing and seizing [what you should not have].\u201d
\nK. \u201cWhen any soul sins\u201d (Lev. 4:2).<\/p>\n
The relevance of the whole to Lev. 4:1 seems to me rather strained, but may be plausibly explained. Without a somewhat more direct point of encounter between the one and the other, we may well conclude that the entire construction, minus only the citation of Lev. 4:1, serves Qoh. 3:16 alone. But, as I shall suggest at the end, there may be a road from Lev. 4:2 to Qoh 3:16 through No. 5.
\nThe basic form throughout Nos. 1\u20134 is to read Qoh. 3:16 as a colloquy between the complainant, Israel, and the Holy Spirit. The former then asks why the paradox of \u201cwickedness in the place of justice,\u201d meaning, then, either bad things happening in the holy place, or, mostly, justice overdone, that is, excessive punishment. The latter explains that it is right that there should be wickedness where there is righteousness. Accordingly, at each point the opening element of the intersecting verse speaks for itself, while the second element is assigned to the Holy Spirit. Where the form breaks down, it is readily restored. Thus, as Margulies explains, the basic exegetical thesis at No. 1 concerning Qoh. 3:16 is as follows: the first part of the verse speaks for the community of Israel, the second part, for God. The community complains that, in the place of justice, conquerors have come (1.D), and then God replies at 1.F\u2013G. The reason that the city was conquered is that the Israelites killed prophets there. Then, in the same unit, Joshua has both elements of the verse address the same context: Israel\u2019s sin in Jerusalem. Margulies sees the opening clause as asking a question, in this case, why punishment was inflicted twice. Then the Holy Spirit answers, justifying the double penalty. At No. 2 the complaint is that the Sodomites suffered punishment in this world and in the next, and the Holy Spirit justifies the double jeopardy once again. No. 3 goes over exactly the same ground. The point of No. 4 is that the leaders died, so why did 24,000 Israelites have to perish also? The Holy Spirit then answers. God had turned a curse into a blessing, and yet all the people had gone and sinned just afterward.
\nAt No. 5 we have a separate item. If we look for balance between Levi\u2019s and Isaac\u2019s statements, B\u2013H, J, respectively, there is none. A search for a point of contact with the present setting on the surface proves still more barren since, however we treat I in respect to B\u2013H, J still ignores the supposed sense of the whole. Accordingly, we can explain the insertion of the passage by assuming that B\u2013H are made relevant by I. Then we have the paradox of the soul placed on trial for sinning in the place of justice, in line with F. If so, then the function of J is to explain what sin has been done.
\nNow how does J really help us? A glance at Mishnah-tractate Horayot, with its Talmuds, provides the answer. One of the repeated examples of an unwitting sin, for which the offering under discussion at Lev. 4 is required, is none other than the sin of consuming forbidden fat or blood. That matter, in one form or another, recurs in the conventional illustrative lists of the tractate. So what appears to be remote in fact explains why the intersecting verse, Qoh. 3:16, has found its place in the exegesis of the foundation verse, Lev. 4:2. First comes J\u2013K, then B\u2013I, and, in light of B\u2013I, Nos. 1\u20134, ready-made in the service of Qoh. 3:16, make their entry. Then everything before, Nos. 1\u20134, follows in the wake of No. 5. Given our understanding of the literary-aesthetic theory guiding our redactors, therefore, we can make sense of this rather odd passage and its place in the whole.<\/p>\n
IV:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAll the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite [soul] is not satisfied\u201d (Qoh. 6:7).
\nB. Said R. Samuel b. R. Ami, \u201cWhatever a man accomplishes in the doing of religious duties and good deeds does not suffice [to compensate] for the breath [of gossip] that goes forth from his mouth.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cYet his appetite is not satisfied\u201d (Qoh. 6:7)\u2014
\nB. R. Berekhiah and R. Qerosepai in the name of R. Yohanan (B. M.Q. 29a): \u201c[The exit of the soul from the body] may be compared to water rushing through bars\u201d (Jastrow s.v. PYTWRY, p. 1161. See Margulies, pp. 81\u201382, and Lieberman apud Margulies, p. 871).
\nC. R. Hananiah said, \u201cIt is like whirling waters rushing into the entrance of the channel\u201d (Jastrow).
\nD. Samuel said, \u201cIt is like the sound of the rope used to tie up a ship as it passes out of the porthole\u201d (Lieberman in Margulies).
\n3. A. R. Ishmael b. R. Isaac said, \u201cWhatever a man accomplishes in the doing of religious duties and good deeds \u2018is for his mouth\u2019 and not \u2018for the mouth\u2019 of his son or daughter.\u201d
\nB. Rabbis say, \u201c[\u2018All the toil of man is] for his mouth\u2019\u2014[but not that it brings] a bad smell.
\nC. [Continuing: \u201c \u2018Yet his appetite is not satisfied\u201d (Qoh. 6:7)]\u2014for the person knows that whatever he accomplishes in his labor is for himself, and therefore is not satisfied with [any number of] religious duties and good deeds [but wishes to do more of them].\u201d
\nD. Said R. Levi, \u201cThe matter may be compared to a townsman who was married to a princess. Even though he brings her all sorts of dainty foods to eat, he does not fully carry out his obligation [to treat her in a special way]. Why? Because she is a princess. So likewise whatever a person does with his soul, it is not as if he has carried out his obligation to it. Why? Because [the soul] comes from above.\u201d
\n4. A. There are three who are ingrates: earth, woman, and the soul.
\nB. How do we know that that is the case of the earth? \u201cThe earth is not satisfied with water\u201d (Prov. 30:16).
\nC. A woman? \u201cShe eats and wipes her mouth and says, \u2018I have done no wickedness\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 30:20).
\nD. The soul? \u201cNeither is the soul [appetite] satisfied\u201d (Qoh. 6:7).
\nE. Three take plenty and give plenty: earth, sea, and government.
\n5. A. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cSix times [with respect to sinning] the word \u2018soul\u2019 is written [Lev. 4:2, 26; 5:1, 15, 17, 19].
\nB. \u201cThese stand for the six days in which the world was created.
\nC. \u201cSaid to them the Holy One, blessed be he, to the soul, \u2018Whatever I have created on the six days of creation I made only in your favor, [and yet] you go and sin, steal, and grab.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. \u201cIf any soul sins unwittingly\u201d (Lev. 4:2).<\/p>\n
Since the entire construction is devoted to Qoh. 6:7, we must wonder how that verse was found to intersect with Lev. 4:2. Apart from the use of the word \u201csoul\u201d in both verses, I see no clear connection established by the present set of materials. Perhaps the redactor read Nos. 5 and 6 as a unit, so counting three, three, then six, but the connection then is not only merely formal but rather tenuous. For there is no point at which the two sets of three\u2014earth, woman, soul, then earth, sea, government\u2014come near to Lev. 4:2, except, once again, the appearance of the word \u201csoul,\u201d drawing in its wake Qoh. 6:7 as a proof text and, hence, the entire antecedent assemblage. Then we turn out to place the cart before the horse, by maintaining that the proof text, Qoh. 6:7, for a unit scarcely related to the base text at hand, Lev. 4:2, serves also to provoke citation of the intersecting verse, Qoh. 6:7, as the foundation for the entire construction! But I see no other explanation. So, in the end, I simply cannot make sense of the choice. That is not our only problem. The exact sense of the statements in No. 2 is not established; what we have, for both wording and explanation, is conjectural. Nos. 1, 3, and 4\u20135 go over the ground of insatiability of various sorts, with that treated as a virtue at Nos. 1 and 3 and as a bad trait at No. 4. The message of 5.C\u2013D is suspiciously like that of IV:I.5.J\u2013K.<\/p>\n
IV:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIt is not good for a soul to be without knowledge, and he who makes haste with his feet misses his way [sins]\u201d (Prov. 19:2).
\nB. Said R. Biba b. R. Abina, \u201c[The matter of unwitting sin may be compared] to a menstrual period that usually arrived at sunrise, but [a couple] forgot and engaged in sexual relations just before sunrise, \u2018without knowledge it is not good [for the woman, in fact, had already entered her period, unbeknownst].\u2019 [One should suspend relations twelve hours in advance.]
\nC. \u201cAnd if the couple had known and engaged in sexual relations, all the more so [did they sin].
\nD. \u201cAnd not only so, but: \u2018He who makes haste with his feet misses his way.\u2019 [The couple should not have been so hasty.]\u201d
\n2. A. Isaac b. R. Samuel b. R. Marta in the name of Rab: \u201c[If] before a person were two shops, one selling properly slaughtered meat and the other selling carrion, and one forgot and purchased from the one that was selling carrion, \u2018without knowledge, it is not good.\u2019
\nB. \u201cAnd if he had known, all the more so.
\nC. \u201cAnd not only so, but: \u2018He who makes haste with his feet misses his way.\u2019 [One surely should not make haste in such a case.]\u201d
\n3. A. R. Yohanan interpreted the cited verse (Prov. 19:2) to speak of a case that took place on the Sabbath:
\nB. \u201cThere were before a person two paths, one clear, the other full of thorns and pebbles. The person forgot and took the one full of thorns and pebbles [violating the Sabbath by walking on thorns, which he crushed on the Sabbath, or on pebbles, with which he made indentations in the soil, both actions being forbidden on the holy day], so \u2018without knowledge, it is not good.\u2019
\nC. \u201cAnd if he had known, all the more so.
\nD. \u201cAnd not only so, but: \u2018He who makes haste with his feet [in walking on the path] misses his way.\u2019 [The man should not have made his decision hastily.]\u201d
\n4. A. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nB. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIn the case of offerings brought in fulfillment of vows and freewill offerings, it is forbidden [to keep coming back to the Temple to make such offerings], but as to offerings brought on account of unwitting sin [such as are specified at Lev. 4] and guilt [as at Lev. 5\u20136], it is permitted [to come frequently to make such offerings].\u201d
\nC. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cAlso in the case of offerings brought in fulfillment of vows and thanksgiving offerings, it is permitted\u201d (see B. Hag. 7a).
\n5. A. [Referring back to Nos. 1\u20133] that is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cIt is not good for a soul to be without knowledge\u201d\u2014this refers to an inadvertent transgression.
\nB. \u201cAnd he who makes haste with his feet misses his way\u201d\u2014this refers to a deliberate transgression.
\nC. \u201cYou may know that this is the case [that even an unwitting transgression is called a sin], for lo, we speak of one who sins unwittingly, and yet you treat it as requiring a sin offering: \u2018When any one sins unwittingly\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 4:1).<\/p>\n
The point throughout is that an unwitting sin still constitutes something \u201cnot good,\u201d a sin done in haste. At hand are cases involving unwitting violation of menstrual laws (No. 1), food taboos (No. 2), and the Sabbath (No. 3). These are the three recurrent examples in tractate Horayot. For the sins described in these instances, the offering prescribed at Lev. 4:1ff. is brought. So the principle of selection of the proof text is clear: \u201cwithout knowledge, doing what is not good,\u201d \u201call the more so, making haste to sin.\u201d These will be then the causes of unwitting sin. No. 4 breaks the flow of discourse, which is reviewed and summarized at No. 5\u2014a nearly perfect construction.<\/p>\n
IV:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Returning to the main point (GWPH) [= B. Ber. 61a\u2013b]: Ten things serve the soul, and these are they: gullet for food, windpipe for [making] sound, liver for anger, bile for envy, lungs for absorbing fluid, first stomach for grinding food, spleen for laughter, maw for sleep, kidneys for counsel, heart for understanding, [and] the tongue concludes.
\nB. But the soul is above them all.
\nC. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to it [that is, the soul], \u201cI set you above them all, yet you go and sin, steal and grab.\u201d
\nD. \u201cWhen a soul sins unwittingly \u2026\u201d (Lev. 4:1). [Does a soul ever sin unwittingly?]<\/p>\n
The paradox is that, with the authority exercised by the soul over the rest of the body, there can be unwitting sin at all. But the point is that when a person sins, it is the soul that bears responsibility. IV:V continues this item, which stands at the head of an original discourse.<\/p>\n
IV:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cSpeak to the children of Israel, \u2018A soul \u2026\u2019 \u201d [\u201cIf any one sins unwittingly in any of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done\u201d] (Lev. 4:1)\u2014
\nB. [B. San. 91a\u2013b:] Why [does Scripture make explicit reference to] a soul, [rather than speaking of \u201ca man\u201d]?
\nC. [The intent is to] punish the soul.
\n2. A. R. Ishmael taught, \u201c[The matter of the soul\u2019s and body\u2019s guilt for sin may be] compared to the case of a king, who had an orchard, in which were excellent early figs. So he set up two guards to keep watch [over the orchard], one lame, one blind. He told them, \u2018Keep watch over the early figs.\u2019 He left them there and went his way.
\nB. \u201cThe lame guard said to the blind one, \u2018I spy some wonderful figs.\u2019
\nC. \u201cThe other said, \u2018Come on, let\u2019s eat.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThe lame one said, \u2018Now can I walk around?\u2019
\nE. \u201cThe blind one said, \u2018And can I see a thing?\u2019
\nF. \u201cWhat did they do? The lame one rode on the blind one and they picked the figs and ate them. Then they went back and each one took his original place.
\nG. \u201cAfter a while the king came back and said to them, \u2018Where are my figs?\u2019
\nH. \u201cThe blind one said to him, \u2018Can I see a thing?\u2019
\nI. \u201cThe lame one said, \u2018And can I walk around?\u2019
\nJ. \u201cSince the king was smart, what did he do? He had the lame one climb onto the blind one, and he judged the two of them as a single defendant. He said to them, \u2018This is how you did it when you went and ate the figs.\u2019
\nK. \u201cSo in time to come, the Holy One will say to the soul, \u2018Why did you sin before me?\u2019
\nL. \u201cAnd the soul will say before him, \u2018Lord of the age[s], am I the one that sinned before you? It is the body that sinned. From the day that I left it, have I committed a single sin?\u2019
\nM. \u201cSo the [Holy One] will say to the body, \u2018Why did you sin?\u2019
\nN. \u201cAnd it will say before him, \u2018Lord of the ages, it is the soul that committed the sin. From the day on which it left me, have I not been cast down before you like a shard on a garbage dump?\u2019
\nO. \u201cWhat will the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He will put the soul back into the body and judge them as a single defendant.
\n3. A. R. Hiyya taught, \u201c[The matter of the soul\u2019s guilt for sin may be compared] to the case of a priest who had two wives, one the daughter of a priest, the other the daughter of an Israelite.
\nB. \u201cHe gave them a piece of dough in the status of heave offering [which was to be kept in conditions of cultic cleanness], but they rendered it cultically unclean.
\nC. \u201cHe went and remonstrated with the daughter of the priest, but he left the daughter of the Israelite alone.
\nD. \u201cShe said to him, \u2018Our lord, priest, you gave it to both of us simultaneously. Why do you remonstrate with me and leave that one alone?\u2019
\nE. \u201cHe said to her, \u2018You are a priest\u2019s daughter and experienced [on account of growing up] in your father\u2019s house [in dealing with the rules of cultic cleanness], but that one is an Israelite\u2019s daughter and not experienced from her upbringing in her father\u2019s house.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Therefore I remonstrate with you.\u2019
\nG. \u201cSo in time to come, the Holy One, blessed be he, will say to the soul, \u2018Why have you sinned before me?\u2019
\nH. \u201cAnd the soul will say before him, \u2018Lord of the age[s], the body and I sinned simultaneously. Why then are you remonstrating with me but leaving that one alone?\u2019
\nI. \u201cHe will then say to the soul, \u2018You come from the upper world, a place in which people do not sin, while the body comes from the lower world, a place in which people sin. Therefore I remonstrate with you.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
This construction, completing IV:IV, represents a different approach to the exegesis of the cited verse, Lev. 4:1, from the one in which an intersecting verse is interpreted so as to illuminate the base verse. In IV:V we treat a problem in the base verse alone, the explicit reference to the soul. The answer is given in 1.C. Then we have two sizable parables, in which the answer to the question of why the soul and body are equally culpable is dramatically presented in colloquy. This kind of exegesis seems to me more accessible than the other, for the point not only is made explicitly but it is then repeated in an unmistakable way. But what the parables have to do with 1.C is unclear since they answer a question no one has asked.<\/p>\n
IV:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. Hezekiah taught, \u201c \u2018Israel is a scattered flock of sheep\u2019 [Jer. 3:17].
\nB. \u201cIsrael is compared to a sheep. Just as, in the case of a sheep, if one of its limbs is hurt, all its limbs feel it, so in the case of Israel: \u2018[O God, the God of the spirits of all flesh], shall one man sin, [and will you be angry with all the congregation?]\u2019 \u201d (Num. 16:22).
\n2. A. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of people in a ship, one of whom took out a borer and began boring beneath his place. His fellow travelers said to him, \u2018Why are you doing this?\u2019
\nB. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018What business is it of yours? Am I not drilling only under my own seat?\u2019
\nC. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018[We object] because you will flood the whole ship on us.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo did Job say, \u2018And even if it be true that I have erred, my error remains with myself\u2019 (Job 19:4).
\nE. \u201cHis fellows said to him, \u2018For he adds rebellion to his sin, [he claps his hands among us, and multiplies his words against God] [Job 34:37]. Onto us do you extend your sins [so that we are punished with you].\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Elasaah, \u201cA gentile asked R. Joshua b. Qorhah, saying to him, \u2018It is written in your Torah, \u201cIt is proper to follow [the example] of the many\u201d (Ex. 33:2). Now we are many more than you, so why do you not come to an agreement with us to join us in our idolatry?\u2019
\nB. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Do you have children?\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018You call my trouble to mind!\u2019
\nD. \u201c[Joshua] said to him, \u2018Why?\u2019
\nE. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018When they sit down at my table, this one says a blessing to a certain god, and that one says a blessing to another god, and they do not rise [from the table] before these have broken the skulls of those.\u2019
\nF. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018And have you drawn them into a unanimous agreement?\u2019
\nG. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018No.\u2019
\nH. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Before you tell me to come into an agreement with you [about idolatry], go and enforce an agreement among your children.\u2019
\nI. \u201cThe gentile was rebuffed and went his way. His disciples then said to him, \u2018Master, this one you dismissed with a mere reed, but what are you going to say to us?\u2019
\nJ. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018I am not going to send you away empty-handed. Six souls are written in regard to Esau, and many souls are stated in his regard, for it is written, \u201cAnd Esau took his wives, sons, daughters, and all the souls [in the plural] of his household\u201d \u2019 [Gen. 36:6].
\nK. \u201cBut Jacob [had] seventy souls, and yet, Scripture ascribes to him soul in the singular, for it is written, \u2018With seventy soul [in the singular] your fathers came down to Egypt\u2019 [Deut. 10:22].
\nL. \u201cSo since Esau served many gods, \u2018souls\u2019 is written in his regard, while since Jacob did not worship many gods, \u2018soul\u2019 is ascribed to him.
\nM. \u201cAs it is written, \u2018And the entire soul that went forth from the loins of Jacob was seventy soul [in the singular]\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 1:5).<\/p>\n
The main theme is the collective responsibility to atone for the misdeed of an individual. I assume that the point of contact with the base text is at Lev. 4:2: \u201cWhen a soul sins \u2026,\u201d alongside Lev. 4:13, \u201cIf the whole congregation of Israel commits a sin unwittingly.\u201d The operative category for tractate Horayot is the unwitting error of a judge or other authority, who has led the entire community to do what should not be done. Under such circumstances, all bear guilt for the error of one. Nos. 1 and 2 make this point. I see No. 3 as an effort to expand upon the same theme. Now people are not to follow the majority when it is in error. But the theme that joins the passage to the construction at hand and the point of the story are not really the same at all.<\/p>\n
IV:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yohanan and R. Joshua b. Levi:
\nB. R. Yohanan said, \u201cFive times is the word \u2018soul\u2019 written here, [that is] five times for the five scrolls of the Torah.\u201d
\nC. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cFive times the word \u2018soul\u2019 is written here, for the five ages which a person sees.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!\u2019 [Ps. 103:1].
\nE. \u201cThat is when a babe is still in his mother\u2019s womb.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits\u2019 [Ps. 103:2].
\nG. \u201cThat is when a babe leaves his mother\u2019s womb: \u2018Do not forget the goodness which I have bestowed up upon you.\u2019
\nH. \u201c \u2018Bless the Lord, O my soul, in all the places of his dominion\u2019 [Ps. 103:22].
\nI. \u201cThis a person says when he gains his full growth and goes forth to make a living.\u2019
\nJ. \u201c \u2018Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, you are very great, you are clothed in majesty\u2019 [Ps. 104:1].
\nK. \u201cThis a person says when he leaves [this life] for his eternal home.
\nL. \u201cAnd, finally, one for the world to come: \u2018Let sinners be consumed from the earth and let the wicked be no more! Bless the Lord, O my soul! Halleluyah!\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Samuel b. R. Nehamiah in the name of R. Nathan said [B. Ber. 9b], \u201cDavid had written one hundred and twenty [B. Ber. 9b:103] psalms, and in none of them did he conclude, \u2018Halleluyah,\u2019 until he saw the downfall of the evil, as it is said, \u2018Let sinners be consumed from the earth\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 104:35).<\/p>\n
I see no reason for the inclusion of this item, apart from its general relevance to Lev. 4:1, \u201cIf any soul sins unwittingly.\u201d<\/p>\n
IV:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. Why did the soul of David praise the Holy One, blessed be he (B. Ber. 10a)?
\nB. David said, \u201cJust as the soul fills the body, so the Holy One, blessed be he, fills the whole world, as it is written, \u2018Do I not fill the entire heaven and earth? says the Lord\u2019 [Jer. 23:24]. So let the soul, which fills the body, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, who fills the world.
\nC. \u201cThe soul supports the body, the Holy One [blessed be he] supports the world, for it is written, \u2018Even to your old age I am he, and to gray hairs [I will carry you]\u2019 [Is. 46:4]. So let the soul, which supports the body, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, who supports the world.
\nD. \u201cThe soul outlasts the body, and the Holy One, blessed be he, outlasts the world: \u2018They will perish, but you do endure, they will all wear out like a garment. [You change them like a garment and they pass away, but you are the same, and your years have no end]\u2019 [Ps. 102:26\u201327]. So let the soul, which outlasts the body, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, who outlasts the world.
\nE. \u201cThe soul in the body does not eat, and as to the Holy One, blessed be he, there is no eating so far as he is concerned, as it is written, \u2018If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and all that is in it is mine\u2019 [Ps. 50:12]. Let the soul in the body, which does not eat, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, before whom there is no eating.
\nF. \u201cThe soul is singular in the body, and the Holy One, blessed be he, is singular in his world, as it is said, \u2018Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is a singular Lord\u2019 [Deut. 6:4]. Let the soul, which is singular in the body, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, who is singular in his world.
\nG. \u201cThe soul is pure in the body, and the Holy One, blessed be he, is pure in his world: \u2018You who are of eyes too pure to behold evil\u2019 [Hab 1:13]. Let the soul, which is pure in the body, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, which is pure in his world.
\nH. \u201cThe soul sees but is not seen, and the Holy One, blessed be he, sees but is not seen, as it is written, \u2018[Am I a God at hand says the Lord, and not a God afar off?] Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven [and earth? says the Lord]\u2019 [Jer. 23:23\u201324]. Let the soul, which sees but is not seen, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, who sees but is not seen.
\nI. \u201cThe soul does not sleep in the body, and the Holy One, blessed be he, is not subject to sleep, as it is said, \u2018Lo, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps\u2019 [Ps. 121:4]. Let the soul, which does not sleep in the body, come and praise the Holy One, blessed be he, who is not subject to sleep: \u2018Lo, he slumbers not nor sleeps.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
This formally perfect construction makes no pretense at expanding upon a verse of Scripture. It does not fall into the category of Scripture exegesis at all, and so (to speak redundantly) cannot be called \u201ca midrash.\u201d What we have is a liturgical composition, with its enormous power attained through repetition of the same phrases and constructions, and its considerable theological force gained through the comparison of the soul to God. The point is to evoke the soul\u2019s natural duty to praise God because the human soul is like God. The reason the framer has inserted the liturgy here is its continuing the foregoing. But that is only in a general way. The point of contact is solely formal: the enumeration of traits of God.<\/p>\n
Parashah Five<\/p>\n
V:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIf it is the anointed priest who sins, [thus bringing guilt on the people, then let him offer to the Lord for the sin which he has committed a young bull without blemish]\u201d (Lev. 4:3).
\nB. \u201cWhen he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can set him right [RSV: behold him] [whether it be a nation or a man? that a godless man should not reign, that he should not ensnare the people]\u201d (Job 34:29\u201330).
\nC. R. Meir interpreted [the matter] (Gen. R. 36:1), \u201c \u2018When he is quiet\u2019\u2014in his world, \u2018when he hides his face\u2019\u2014in his world.
\nD. \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a judge who draws a veil inside and so does not see what goes on outside.
\nE. \u201cSo the people of the generation of the flood thought: \u2018The thick clouds cover him, so he will not see [what we do]\u2019 \u201d (Job 22:14).
\nF. They said to him, \u201cThat\u2019s enough from you, Meir.\u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cWhen he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can set him right?\u201d (Job 34:29)
\nB. When he gave tranquility to the generation of the flood, who could come and condemn them?
\nC. What sort of tranquility did he give them? \u201cTheir children are established in their presence, and their offspring before their eyes. [Their houses are safe from fear, and no rod of God is upon them]\u201d (Job 21:8).
\nD. R. Levi and rabbis:
\nE. R. Levi said, \u201cA woman would get pregnant and give birth in three days. [How do we know it?] Here, the word \u2018established\u2019 is used, and elsewhere: \u2018Be established in three days\u2019 [Ex. 19:15]. Just as the word \u2018established\u2019 used there involves a span of three days, so the word \u2018established\u2019 used here means three days.\u201d
\nF. Rabbis say, \u201cIn a single day a woman would get pregnant and give birth.
\nG. \u201cHere, the word \u2018established\u2019 is used, and elsewhere: \u2018And be established in the morning\u2019 [Ex. 34:2]. Just as the word \u2018established\u2019 stated there involves a single day, so the word \u2018established\u2019 used here involves a single day.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cAnd their offspring before their eyes\u201d\u2014for they saw children and grandchildren.
\nB. \u201cThey send forth their little ones like a flock, [and their children dance]\u201d (Job 21:11).
\nC. [The word for \u201cchildren\u201d means] \u201ctheir young.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Levi, \u201cIn Arabia for children they use the word \u2018the young.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. \u201cAnd their children dance\u201d (Job 21:11)\u2014
\nB. [\u201cthey dance\u201d] like devils.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd satyrs will dance there\u201d (Is. 13:21).
\n5. A. They say: When one of them would give birth by day, she would say to her son, \u201cGo and bring me a flint, so I can cut your umbilical cord.\u201d
\nB. If she gave birth by night, she would say to her son, \u201cGo and light a lamp for me, so I can cut your umbilical cord.\u201d
\nC. M\u02bfSH B: A woman gave birth by night and said to her son, \u201cGo and light a lamp for me, so I can cut your umbilical cord.\u201d
\nD. [In Aramaic:] When he went out to fetch it, a devil, Ashmadon [Asmodeus], head of the spirits, met him. While the two were wrestling with one another, the cock crowed. [Ashmadon] said to him, \u201cGo, boast to your mother that my time has run out, for if my time had not run out, I could have killed you.\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cGo, boast to your mother\u2019s mother that my mother had not cut my umbilical cord, for if my mother had cut my umbilical cord, I would have beaten you.\u201d
\nF. This illustrates that which is said: \u201cTheir houses are safe from fear\u201d (Job 21:9)\u2014from destroying spirits.
\n6. A. \u201cAnd no rod of God is upon them\u201d\u2014[for] their houses are free from suffering.
\nB. [And this further] illustrates that which is said: \u201cWhen he is quiet, who can condemn, | when he hides his face, who can put him right\u201d (Job 34:30).
\nC. When [God] hides his face from them, who can come and say to him, \u201cYou have not done right.\u201d
\nD. And how, indeed, did he hide his face from them? When he brought the flood on them.
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd he blotted out every living substance which was upon the face of the earth\u201d (Gen. 7:23).
\n7. A. \u201cWhether it be to a nation [or a man together)\u201d (Job 34:29)\u2014this refers to the generation of the flood.
\nB. \u201cOr to a man\u201d\u2014this refers to Noah.
\nC. \u201cTogether\u201d\u2014he had to rebuild his world from one man, he had to rebuild his world from one nation.<\/p>\n
On the surface, the sole point of contact between the base verse and the intersecting verse. Lev. 4:3 and Job 34:29\u201330, is in the uncited part of the passage of Job, \u201cthat he should not ensnare the people.\u201d The anointed priest has sinned and in so doing has brought guilt on the entire people. If, however, that is why the entire assembly of exegeses of Job has been inserted here, that theme plays no rule in making the collection of materials on Job. For at no point in the present unit (or in the next one) does the important segment of the passage of Job come under discussion. The interpretation of Job 34:29 in light of the story of the flood predominates here. No. 1 has Meir\u2019s view that the entire passage refers to God\u2019s failure to intervene, with special reference to the flood. No. 2 pursues the same line of thought. No. 3 illustrates the notion that their children \u201care established in their presence,\u201d and Nos. 3\u20134 continue to spell out the phrase-by-phrase exegesis of the same verse. No. 5 pursues the same line of thought. No. 6 shifts the ground of interpretation. Now God is \u201cquiet,\u201d but later, in \u201chiding his face,\u201d he brings punishment on them. No. 7 completes the exegesis of the cited passage of Job in line with the view that Job was a contemporary of Noah and spoke of his ties. Noah might then serve as the counterpart and opposite of the priest who brings guilt on the people. But that is by no means the clear intent of the passage at hand.<\/p>\n
V:II<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cWhen he is quiet, who can condemn\u201d (Job 34:29).
\nB. When he gave tranquillity to the Sodomites, who could come and condemn them?
\nC. What sort of tranquillity did he give them?
\nD. \u201cAs for the earth, out of it comes bread, but underneath it is turned up as by fire. Its stones are the place of sapphires, and it has dust of gold\u201d (Job 28:5\u20136).
\n2. A. \u201cThat path no bird of prey knows, and the falcon\u2019s eye has not seen it\u201d (Job 28:7).
\nB. R. Levi in the name of R. Yohanan bar Shahina: \u201cThe falcon [bar hadayya-bird] spots its prey at a distance of eighteen mils.\u201d
\nC. And how much is its portion [of food]?
\nD. R. Meir said, \u201c[A mere] two handbreadths.\u201d
\nE. R. Judah said, \u201cOne handbreadth.\u201d
\nF. R. Yos\u00e9 said, \u201cTwo or three fingerbreadths.\u201d
\nG. [In Aramaic:] And when it stood on the trees of Sodom, it could not see the ground because of the density of [the foliage of] the trees.
\n3. A. \u201cWhen he hides his face, who can put him right?\u201d\u2014
\nB. When he hid his face from them, who comes to say to him, \u201cYou did not do rightly\u201d?
\nC. And when did he hide his face from them?
\nD. When he made brimstone and fire rain down on them.
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen the Lord made brimstone and fire rain on Sodom and Gomorrah\u201d (Gen. 19:24).<\/p>\n
The second unit simply carries forward the exercise of reading Job 28:5ff., now in line with the story of Sodom and Gomorrah, rather than the Generation of the Flood.<\/p>\n
V:III<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation of \u201cWhen he is quiet, who can condemn? When he hides his face, who can set him right?\u201d (Job 34:29).
\nB. When he gave tranquillity to the ten tribes, who could come and condemn them?
\nC. What sort of tranquillity did he give them? \u201cWoe to those who are at ease in Zion, and to those who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria, the notable men of the first of the nations, to whom the house of Israel to come\u201d (Amos 6:1).
\n2. A. \u201cWoe to those who are at ease in Zion\u201d refers to the tribe of Judah and Benjamin.
\nB. \u201cThose who feel secure on the mountain of Samaria\u201d refers to the ten tribes.
\nC. \u201cThe notable men of the first of the nations\u201d who derive from the two noteworthy names, Shem and Eber.
\nD. When the nations of the world eat and drink, they pass the time in nonsense talk, saying, \u201cWho is a sage, like Balaam! Who is a hero, like Goliath! Who is rich, like Haman!\u201d
\nE. And the Israelites come after them and say to them, \u201cWas not Ahitophel a sage, Samson a hero, Korah rich?\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cPass over to Calneh and see, [and thence go to Hamath the great, then go down to Gath of the Philistines. Are they better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?]\u201d (Amos 6:2).
\nB. [Calneh] refers to Ctesiphon.
\nC. \u201cHamath the great\u201d refers to Hamath of Antioch.
\nD. \u201cAnd go down to Gath of the Philistines\u201d refers to the mounds of the Philistines.
\nE. \u201cAre they better than these kingdoms? Or is their territory greater than your territory?\u201d
\nF. \u201cO you who put far away the evil day\u201d (Amos 6:3) [refers to] the day on which they would go into exile.
\n4. A. \u201cAnd bring near the seat of violence?\u201d (Amos 6:3). This refers to Esau.
\nB. \u201cDid you bring yourselves near to sit next to violence\u201d\u2014this refers to Esau.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cFor the violence done to your brother Jacob, [shame shall cover you]\u201d (Obad. 1:10).
\n5. A. \u201c[Woe to] those who lie upon beds of ivory\u201d (Amos 6:4)\u2014on beds made of the elephant\u2019s tusk.
\nB. \u201cAnd stink on their couches\u201d (Amos 6:4)\u2014who do stinking transgressions on their beds.
\nC. \u201cWho eat lambs from the flock [and calves from the midst of the stall]\u201d (Amos 6:4).
\nD. They say: When one of them wanted to eat a kid of the flock, he would have the whole flock brought before him, and he would stand over it and slaughter it.
\nE. When he wanted to eat a calf, he would bring the entire herd of calves before him and stand over it and slaughter it.
\n6. A. \u201cWho sing idle songs to the sound of the harp [and like David invent for themselves instruments of music]\u201d (Amos 6:5).
\nB. [They would say that] David provided them with musical instruments.
\n7. A. \u201cWho drink wine in bowls\u201d (Amos 6:6).
\nB. Rab, R. Yohanan, and rabbis:
\nC. Rab said, \u201cIt is a very large bowl\u201d [using the Greek].
\nD. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIt was in small cups.\u201d
\nE. Rabbis say, \u201cIt was in cups with saucers attached.\u201d
\nF. Whence did the wine they drink come?
\nG. R. Aibu in the name of R. Hanina said, \u201cIt was wine from Pelugta, for the wine would entice (PTH) the body.\u201d
\nH. And rabbis in the name of R. Hanina said, \u201cIt was from Pelugta\u2019s [separation], since, because of their wine drinking, the ten tribes were enticed [from God] and consequently sent into exile.\u201d
\n8. A. \u201cAnd anoint themselves with the finest oils\u201d (Amos 6:6).
\nB. R. Judah b. R. Ezekial said, \u201cThis refers to oil of unripe olives, which removes hair and smooths the body.\u201d
\nC. R. Haninah said, \u201cThis refers to oil of myrrh and cinnamon.\u201d
\n9. A. And [in spite of] all this glory: \u201cThey are not grieved over the ruin of Joseph\u201d (Amos 6:6).
\nB. \u201cTherefore they shall now be the first of those to go into exile, [and the revelry of those who stretch themselves shall pass away]\u201d (Amos 6:7).
\nC. What is the meaning of \u201cthe revelry of those who stretch themselves\u201d?
\nD. Said R. Aibu, \u201cThey had thirteen public baths, one for each of the tribes, and one additional one for all of them together.
\nE. \u201cAnd all of them were destroyed, and only this one [that had served all of them] survived.
\nF. \u201cThis shows how much lewdness was done with them.\u201d
\n10. A. \u201cWhen he hides his face, who can set him right?\u201d (Job 34:29).
\nB. When he hid his face from them, who then could come and say to him, \u201cYou did not do right\u201d?
\nC. How did he hide his face from them? By bringing against them Sennacherib, the king of Assyria.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cIn the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah, Sennacherib, king of Assyria, came up [against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them].\u201d
\n11. A. What is the meaning of, \u201cand took them\u201d?
\nB. Said R. Abba b. R. Kahana, \u201cThree divine decrees were sealed on that day.
\nC. \u201cThe decree against the ten tribes was sealed, for them to fall into the hand of Sennacherib; the decree against Sennacherib was sealed, for him to fall into the hand of Hezekiah; and the decree of Shebna was sealed, to be smitten with leprosy.
\n12. A. \u201cWhether it be a nation [or a man]\u201d (Job 34:29)\u2014this refers to Sennacherib, as it is said, \u201cFor a nation has come up upon my land\u201d (Joel 1:6).
\nB. \u201c\u2026 or a man\u201d (Job 34:29)\u2014this refers to Israel: \u201cFor you, my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, are a man\u201d (Ez. 34:31).
\nC. \u201cTogether\u201d (Job 34:29)\u2014this refers to King Uzziah, who was smitten with leprosy.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Uzziah the King was a leper until the day he died\u201d (2 Chron. 26:21).
\n13. A. [Margulies: What follows treats \u201c\u2026 whether it be a nation or a man together\u201d (Job 34:29):] Now the justice of the Holy One, blessed be he, is not like man\u2019s justice.
\nB. A mortal judge may show favor to a community, but he will never show favor to an individual.
\nC. But the Holy One, blessed be he, is not so. Rather: \u201cIf it is the anointed priest who sins, [thus bringing guilt on the people,] then let him offer [for the sin which he has committed) a young bull [without blemish to the Lord as a sin offering]\u201d (Lev. 4:3\u20134).
\nD. \u201c[If the whole congregation of Israel commits a sin unwittingly, and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done and are guilty, when the sin which they have committed becomes known,] the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering\u201d (Lev. 4:13\u201314). [God exacts the same penalty from an individual and from the community and does not distinguish the one from the other. The anointed priest and the community both become subject to liability for the same offering, a young bull.]<\/p>\n
Finally, at No. 13, we come to the verse with which we began. And we find a clear point of contact between the base verse and the intersecting one, Job 34:29, as Margulies explains. Still, there is no clear reason for including a sustained exegesis of Amos 6:3ff. No. 1 completes the original exegesis by applying the cited verse to the ten tribes, first tranquil, then punished, as at V:I, II 1.C then links Amos 6:1 to the present context. Once Amos 6:1 makes its appearance, we work through the elements of Amos 6:1\u20137. That massive interpolation encompasses Nos. 2\u20139. No. 10 resumes where No. 1 left off. No. 11 is tacked on to 10.D, and then Nos. 12 and 13 continue the exegesis in terms of Israelite history of Job 34:29. Then, as I said, No. 13 stands completely separate from all that has gone before in V:I\u2013III.12.
\nWhat then is the primary intent of the exegete? It is to emphasize the equality of anointed priest and ordinary Israelites. The expiation demanded of the one is no greater than that of the other. Considering the importance of the anointed priest, the ceremony by which he attains office, the sanctity attached to his labor, we cannot miss the polemic. What the anointed priest does unwittingly will usually involve some aspect of the cult. When the community commits a sin unwittingly, it will not involve the cult but some aspect of the collective life of the people. The one is no more consequential than the other; the same penalty pertains to both. So the people and the priest stand on the same plane before God. And the further meaning of the verse of Job then cannot be missed. When God hides his face, in consequence of which the people suffer, it is for just cause. No one can complain; he is long-suffering but in the end exacts his penalties. And these will cover not unwitting sin, such as Scripture Leviticus knows, but deliberate sin, as with the Generation of the Flood, Sodom, and the Ten Tribes. There would then appear to be several layers of meaning in the exegetical construction, which we must regard as a sustained and unified one, a truly amazing achievement.<\/p>\n
V:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Abbahu, \u201cIt is written, \u201cTake heed that you do not forsake the Levite [as long as you live in your land]\u2019 [Deut. 12:19]. What follows thereafter? \u2018When the Lord your God enlarges your territory [as he has promised you]\u2019 [Deut. 12:20].
\nB. \u201cWhat has one thing got to do with the other?
\nC. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018In accord with your gifts will they enlarge your [place].\u2019 \u201d
\nD. R. Huna in the name of R. Aha, \u201cIf a slave brings as his offering a young bull, while his master brings a lamb, the slave takes precedence over his master.
\nE. \u201cThis is in accord with what we have learned in the Mishnah: \u2018If the young bull of the anointed priest and the young bull of the community are waiting [sacrifice], the young bull of the anointed priest takes precedence over the young bull of the community in all aspects of the sacrificial rite\u2019 \u201d (M. Hor. 3:6).
\n2. A. \u201cA man\u2019s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men\u201d (Prov. 18:16).
\nB. M\u02bfSH B: R. Eliezer, R. Joshua, and R. Aqiba went to the harborside of Antioch to collect funds for the support of sages.
\nC. [In Aramaic:] A certain Abba Yudan lived there.
\nD. He would carry out his religious duty [of philanthropy] in a liberal spirit, but had lost his money. When he saw our masters, he went home with a sad face. His wife said to him, \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you, that you look so sad?\u201d
\nE. He repeated the tale to her: \u201cOur masters are here, and I don\u2019t know what I shall be able to do for them.\u201d
\nF. His wife, who was a truly philanthropic woman\u2014what did she say to him? \u201cYou only have one field left. Go, sell half of it and give them the proceeds.\u201d
\nG. He went and did just that. When he was giving them the money, they said to him, \u201cMay the Omnipresent make up all your losses.\u201d
\nH. Our masters went their way.
\nI. He went out to plough. While he was ploughing the half of the field that he had left, the Holy One, blessed be he, opened his eyes. The earth broke open before him, and his cow fell in and broke her leg. He went down to raise her up, and found a treasure beneath her. He said, \u201cIt was for my gain that my cow broke her leg.\u201d
\nJ. When our masters came back, [in Aramaic:] they asked about a certain Abba Yudan and how he was doing. They said, \u201cWho can gaze on the face of Abba Yudan [which glows with prosperity]\u2014Abba Yudan, the owner of flocks of goats, Abba Yudan, the owner of herds of asses, Abba Yudan, the owner of herds of camels.\u201d
\nK. He came to them and said to them, \u201cYour prayer in my favor has produced returns and returns on the returns.\u201d
\nL. They said to him, \u201cEven though someone else gave more than you did, we wrote your name at the head of the list.\u201d
\nM. Then they took him and sat him next to themselves and recited in his regard the following verse of Scripture: \u201cA man\u2019s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men\u201d (Prov. 18:16).
\n3. A. R. Hiyya bar Abba called for charity contributions in support of a school in Tiberias. A member of the household of Siloni got up and pledged a litra of gold.
\nB. R. Hiyya bar Abba took him and sat him next to himself and recited in his regard the following verse of Scripture: \u201cA man\u2019s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men\u201d (Prov. 18:16).
\n4. A. [In Aramaic:] R. Simeon b. Laqish went to Bosrah. A certain Abba [Lieberman deletes: Yudan], \u201cthe Deceiver,\u201d lived there. It was not\u2014Heaven forfend\u2014that he really was a deceiver. Rather, he would practice [holy] deception in doing the religious duty [of philanthropy].
\nB. [In Aramaic:] He would see what the rest of the community would pledge, and he would then pledge to take upon himself [a gift equivalent to that of the rest of the] community.
\nC. R. Simeon b. Laqish took him and sat him next to himself and recited in his regard the following verse of Scripture: \u201cA man\u2019s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men\u201d (Prov. 18:16).<\/p>\n
We find neither a base verse nor an intersecting one. Rather, what will be the secondary verse\u2014Prov. 18:16\u2014comes in the distant wake of a problem presented by the information of Lev. 4. Specifically, we find reference to the sacrifice of the young bulls of the high priest, of the community, and of the ruler. The issue then naturally arises, which one comes first? The Mishnah answers that question, at M. Hor. 3:6. Reflection upon that answer generates the observation that the anointed priest comes first, as in Scripture\u2019s order, in particular when the offerings are of the same value. But if one offering is more valuable than the other, the more valuable offering takes precedence. Then comes secondary reflection on the fact that a person\u2019s gift establishes his rank even if it is on other grounds lower than what he otherwise would attain. No. 1 does not pursue that secondary reflection but invites it at 1.C. The invocation of Prov. 18:16 then is not on account of Lev. 4 at all. It must follow that Nos. 2\u20134 would better serve a compilation of materials on Deut. 12:19\u201320 than the present passage. What follows No. 1 serves a purpose in no way closely connected either to the sense or to the syntax of our passage. The entire complex, Nos. 2\u20134, occurs at Y. Hor. 3:4. It is lifted whole, attached because of the obvious relevance to No. 1. We find no pretense, then, that these stories relate in any way to Lev. 4.
\nFor the storyteller at No. 2, the climax comes at L\u2013M, the sages\u2019 recognition that their placing of Abba Yudan at the head of the list had made possible the serendipitous accident. Nos. 3 and 4 omit the miraculous aspect entirely.<\/p>\n
V:V<\/p>\n
1. A. Reverting to the base text (GWPH): \u201cIf it is the anointed priest who sins\u201d (Lev. 4:3).
\nB. This refers to Shebna.
\n2. A. \u201c[Thus says the Lord, God of hosts,] \u2018Come, go to this steward (SKN), to Shebna, who is over the household, [and say to him, \u2018What have you to do here and whom have you here, that you have hewn here a tomb for yourself, you who hew a tomb on the height and carve a habitation for yourself in the rock? Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong young man! He will seize firm hold on you, and whirl you round and round and throw you like a ball into a wide land; there you shall die, and there shall be your splendid chariots, you shame of your master\u2019s house. I will thrust you from your office and you will be cast down from your station]\u201d (Is. 22:15\u201319).
\nB. R. Eliezer said, \u201cHe was a high priest.\u201d
\nC. R. Judah b. Rabbi said, \u201cHe was steward.\u201d
\nD. In the view of R. Eliezer, who said he was a high priest, [we may bring evidence from Scripture,] for it is written, \u201cAnd I will clothe him with your robe [and will bind your girdle on him and will commit your authority into his hand]\u201d (Is. 22:21).
\nE. In the view of R. Judah b. Rabbi, who said he was steward, [we may bring evidence from Scripture,] for it is written, \u201cAnd I will commit your authority to his hand\u201d (Is. 22:21).
\nF. R. Berekiah said, \u201cWhat is a \u2018steward\u2019 (SWKN)? It is one who comes from Sikhni.\u201d
\n3. A. And he went up and was appointed komes opsarion [the Greek for chief cook] in Jerusalem.
\nB. That is in line with the prophet\u2019s condemnation, saying to him, \u201cWhat have you to do here, and whom have you here\u201d (Is. 22:16).
\nC. \u201cYou exile, son of an exile! What wall have you built here, what pillar have you put up here, and what nail have you hammered in here?!\u201d
\nD. R. Eleazar said, \u201cA person has to have a nail or a peg firmly set in a synagogue so as to have the right to be buried in that place [in which he is living].\u201d
\nE. \u201cAnd have you hewn here a tomb for yourself?\u201d (Is. 22:16). He made himself a kind of a dovecot and put his tomb on top of it.
\nF. \u201cYou who hew a tomb on the height\u201d (Is. 22:16)\u2014
\nG. R. Ishmael in the name of Mar Uqba, \u201cOn the height the decree was hewn out concerning him, indicating that he should not have a burial place in the land of Israel.\u201d
\nH. \u201cYou who carve a habitation for yourself in the rock\u201d (Is. 22:16)\u2014a stone coffin.
\nI. \u201cBehold, the Lord will hurl you away violently\u201d (Is. 22:17)\u2014one rejection after another.
\nJ. \u201c\u2026 hurl away violently (GBR)\u201d\u2014[since the word GBR also means cock:] said R. Samuel b. R. Nahman, \u201c[In Aramaic:], it may be compared to a cock which is driven and goes from place to place.\u201d
\nK. \u201cHe will seize a firm hold on you\u201d (Is. 22:17), [since the words for \u201cfirm hold\u201d may also be translated, \u201cwrap around,\u201d thus: \u201cAnd he will wrap you around\u201d] the meaning is that he was smitten with sara\u02bfat, in line with that which you find in Scripture, \u201cAnd he will wrap his lip around\u201d (Lev. 13:45).
\nL. \u201cAnd whirl you round and round [and throw you like a ball]\u201d (Is. 22:18)\u2014exile after exile.
\nM. \u201cLike a ball\u201d\u2014just as a ball is caught from hand to hand and does not fall to the ground, so [will it be for him].
\nN. \u201cInto a wide land\u201d\u2014this means Casiphia (Ezra 8:17).
\nO. \u201cThere you shall die and there shall be your splendid chariots\u201d (Is. 22:18)\u2014
\n4. A. In accord with the position of R. Eliezer, who said that Shebna had been a high priest, [the reference to the splendid chariots implies] that he had been deriving personal benefit from the offerings.
\nB. In accord with the view of R. Judah b. Rabbi, who said that he had been steward, [the reference to the splendid chariots implies] that he had derived personal benefit from things that had been consecrated for use in the upkeep of the sanctuary.
\nC. \u201cYou shame of your master\u2019s house\u201d (Is. 22:18).
\nD. In accord with the position of R. Eliezer, who said that Shebna had been a high priest, [the shame was] that he had treated the offerings in a disgraceful way.
\nE. In accord with the view of R. Judah b. Rabbi, who said that he had been steward, [the shame was] that he had treated both of his masters disgracefully, that is Hezekiah, on the one side, Isaiah on the other.
\n5. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Abba b. R. Kahana: \u201cWhat did Shebna and Joahaz [2 Kings 18:18] do? They wrote a message and attached it to an arrow and shot it to Sennacherib through the window. In the message was written the following: \u2018We and everyone in Jerusalem want you, but Hezekiah and Isaiah don\u2019t want you.\u2019 \u201d
\nB. Now this is just what David had said [would happen]: \u201cFor lo, the wicked bend the bow, they have fitted their arrow to the string\u201d (Ps. 11:2).
\nC. \u201cFor lo, the wicked bend the bow\u201d\u2014this refers to Shebna and Joahaz.
\nD. \u201cThey have fitted their arrow to the string\u201d\u2014on the bowstring.
\nE. \u201cTo shoot in the dark at the upright in heart\u201d (Ps. 11:2)\u2014at two upright in heart, Hezekiah and Isaiah.<\/p>\n
What the exegete contributes to the explanation of Lev. 4:3 is simply the example of how an anointed priest may sin. The rest of the passage is a systematic exposition of the verses about Shebna. But the entire matter of Shebna belongs here only within Eliezer\u2019s opinion that he was a high priest. That is a rather remote connection to the present passage of Leviticus. So because of the allegation that Shebna was high priest, the entire passage\u2014fully worked out on its own\u2014was inserted here. The redactor then appeals to theme, not to content, in drawing together the cited verses of Leviticus and Isaiah. Nos. 2 and 4 are continuous with one another. No. 3 inserts a systematic, phrase by phrase exegesis of Is. 22:15ff. No. 5 then complements the foregoing with yet further relevant material. So the construction, apart from No. 1, is cogent and well-conceived. Only linkage to Lev. 4:3 is farfetched.<\/p>\n
V:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIf it is the anointed priest who sins\u201d (Lev. 4:3).
\nB. [What follows occurs at T. Hor. 2:4, explaining M. Hor. 3:4, cited above at V:IV.1.E:] [If] the anointed high priest must atone [for a sin] and the community [SBWR for SRYK] must be atoned for [in line with Lev. 4:13], it is better that the one who [has the power to] make atonement take precedence over the one for whom atonement is made,
\nC. as it is written, \u201cAnd he will atone for himself and for his house\u201d (Lev. 16:17).
\nD. [\u201cHis house\u201d] refers to his wife.
\n2. A. \u201cIf it is the anointed priest who sins\u201d (Lev. 4:3)\u2014
\nB. Will an anointed priest commit a sin!
\nC. Said R. Levi, \u201cPity the town whose physician has gout [and cannot walk to visit the sick], whose governor has one eye, and whose public defender plays the prosecutor in capital cases.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201c[If it is the anointed priest who sins,] thus bringing guilt (L\u2019SMT) [on the people, then let him offer for the sin which he has committed a young bull \u2026]\u201d (Lev. 4:3).
\nB. Said R. Isaac, \u201cIt is a case of death (MWT) by burning (\u2019S) [inflicted on one who commits sacrilege by consuming offerings from the altar].\u201d
\nC. \u201cThe matter may be compared to the keeper of a bear, who ate up the rations of the bear. The king said, \u2018since he went and ate up the bear\u2019s rations, let the bear eat him.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo does the Holy One, blessed be he, say, \u2018since Shebna enjoyed benefit from things that had been consecrated to the altar [for burning], let fire consume him.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Aibu (Y. Ter. 8:3, A.Z. 2:3), \u201cM\u02bfSH B: Once there was a butcher in Sepphoris, who fed Israelites carrion and torn meat. On the eve of the Day of Atonement he went out drinking and got drunk. He climbed up to the roof of his house and fell off and died. The dogs began to lick him.
\nB. \u201c[In Aramaic:] They came and asked R. Hanina the law about moving his corpse away from the dogs [on the Day of Atonement].
\nC. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018 \u201cYou will be holy people to me, therefore you shall not eat any meat that is torn of beasts in the field, you shall cast it to the dogs\u201d (Ex. 22:30).
\nD. \u201c \u2018This man robbed from the dogs and fed carrion and torn meat to Israelites. Leave him to them. They are eating what belongs to them.\u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. \u201cHe shall bring the bull to the door of the tent of meeting before the Lord, [and lay his hand on the head of the bull and kill the bull before the Lord]\u201d (Lev. 4:4).
\nB. Said R. Isaac, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king, one of whose admirers paid him honor by giving him a handsome gift and by offering him lovely words of praise. The king then said, \u2018Set this gift at the gate of the palace, so that everyone who comes and goes may see [and admire] it,\u2019
\nC. \u201cas it is said, \u2018And he shall bring the bull [to the door of the tent of meeting].\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The opening units, Nos. 1\u20134, form a kind of appendix of miscellanies to what has gone before. No. 1 reaches back to V:IV, explaining the passage of the Mishnah cited there. No. 2 is joined to No. 3, which relates to the cited passage to Shebna. So Nos. 2\u20133 complete the discussion of V:V. It seems to me that No. 4 is attached to No. 3 as an illustration of the case of a public official who abuses his responsibility.
\nNo. 5 provides a fresh point, moving on to a new verse. There is no intersecting verse; the exegesis is accomplished solely through a parable.<\/p>\n
V:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[If the whole congregation of Israel commits a sin unwittingly and the thing is hidden from the eyes of the assembly, and they do any one of the things which the Lord has commanded not to be done and are guilty, when the sin which they have committed becomes known, the assembly shall offer a young bull for a sin offering and bring it before the tent of meeting;] and the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands [upon the head of the bull before the Lord]\u201d (Lev. 4:13\u201315).
\nB. [Since, in laying their hands (SMK) on the head of the bull, the elders sustain (SMK) the community by adding to it the merit they enjoy,] said R. Isaac, \u201cThe nations of the world have none to sustain them, for it is written, \u2018And those who sustain Egypt will fall\u201d (Ez. 30:6).
\nC. \u201cBut Israel has those who sustain it, as it is written: \u2018And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands [and so sustain Israel]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 4:15).
\n2. A. Said R. Eleazar, \u201cThe nations of the world are called a congregation, and Israel is called a congregation.
\nB. \u201cThe nations of the world are called a congregation: \u2018For the congregation of the godless shall be desolate\u2019 [Job 15:34].
\nC. \u201cAnd Israel is called a congregation: \u2018And the elders of the congregation shall lay their hands\u2019 [Lev. 4:15].
\nD. \u201cThe nations of the world are called sturdy bulls and Israel is called sturdy bulls.
\nE. \u201cThe nations of the world are called sturdy bulls: \u2018The congregation of [sturdy] bulls with the calves of the peoples\u2019 [Ps. 68:31].
\nF. \u201cIsrael is called sturdy bulls, as it is said, \u2018Listen to me, you sturdy [bullish] of heart\u2019 [Is. 46:13].
\nG. \u201cThe nations of the world are called excellent, and Israel is called excellent.
\nH. \u201cThe nations of the world are called excellent: \u2018You and the daughters of excellent nations\u2019 [Ex. 32:18].
\nI. \u201cIsrael is called excellent: \u2018They are the excellent, in whom is all my delight\u2019 [Ps. 16:4].
\nJ. \u201cThe nations of the world are called sages, and Israel is called sages.
\nK. \u201cThe nations of the world are called sages: \u2018And I shall wipe out sages from Edom\u2019 [Ob. 1:8].
\nL. \u201cAnd Israel is called sages: \u2018sages store up knowledge\u2019 [Prov. 10:14].
\nM. \u201cThe nations of the world are called unblemished, and Israel is called unblemished.
\nN. \u201cThe nations of the world are called unblemished: \u2018Unblemished as are those that go down to the pit\u2019 [Prov. 1:12].
\nO. \u201cAnd Israel is called unblemished: \u2018The unblemished will inherit goodness\u2019 [Prov. 28:10].
\nP. \u201cThe nations of the world are called men, and Israel is called men.
\nQ. \u201cThe nations of the world are called men: \u2018And you men who work iniquity\u2019 [Ps. 141:4].
\nR. \u201cAnd Israel is called men: \u2018To you who are men I call\u2019 [Prov. 8:4].
\nS. \u201cThe nations of the world are called righteous, and Israel is called righteous.
\nT. \u201cThe nations of the world are called righteous: \u2018And righteous men shall judge them\u2019 [Ez. 23:45].
\nU. \u201cAnd Israel is called righteous: \u2018And your people\u2014all of them are righteous\u2019 [Is. 60:21].
\nV. \u201cThe nations of the world are called mighty, and Israel is called mighty.
\nW. \u201cThe nations of the world are called mighty: \u2018Why do you boast of evil, O mighty man\u2019 [Ps. 52:3].
\nX. \u201cAnd Israel is called mighty: \u2018Mighty in power, those who do his word\u2019 [Ps. 103:20].<\/p>\n
We see two distinct types of exegeses, one to which the base passage is central, the other to which it is peripheral. Yet the two passages belong together, and we have every reason to suppose that they were made up as a single cogent statement. No. 1 focuses upon the double meaning of the word SMK, one, lay hands, the other, sustain, drawing the contrast stated by Isaac. Once such a contrast is drawn, a catalogue of eight further contrasts will be laid out. Since the opening set, 2.A\u2013B, depends upon the passage at hand, we must accept the possibility that Eleazar\u2019s statement has been constructed to work its way through the contrast established by Isaac. For both authorities make the same point. Even though the nations of the word are subject to the same language as is applied to Israel, they still do not fall into the same classification. For language is dual. When a word applies to Israel, it serves to praise, and when the same word applies to the nations, it underlines their negative character. Both are called congregation, but the nations\u2019 congregation is desolate, and so throughout, as the context of the passage cited concerning the nations repeatedly indicates. The nations\u2019 sages are wiped out; the unblemished nations go down to the pit; the nations, called men, only work iniquity. Now that is precisely the contrast drawn in Isaac\u2019s saying, so, as I said, the whole should be deemed a masterpiece of unitary composition. Then the two types of exegesis\u2014direct, peripheral\u2014turn out to complement one another, each making its own point.<\/p>\n
V:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cHow masterful are the Israelites, for they know how to find favor with their creator.\u201d
\nB. Said R. Yudan, [in Aramaic:], \u201cIt is like the case of Samaritan [beggars]. The Samaritan [beggars] are clever at beginning. One of them goes to a housewife, saying to her, \u2018Do you have an onion? Give it to me.\u2019 After she gives it to him, he says to her, \u2018Is there such a thing as an onion without bread?\u2019 After she gives him [bread], he says to her, \u2018Is there such a thing as food without drink?\u2019 So, all in all, he gets to eat and drink.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Aha [in Aramaic;], \u201cThere is a woman who knows how to borrow things, and there is a woman who does not. The one who knows how to borrow goes over to her neighbor. The door is open, but she knocks [anyhow]. Then she says to her neighbor, \u2018Greetings, good neighbor. How\u2019re you doing? How\u2019s your husband doing? How\u2019re your kids doing? Can I come in? [By the way], would you have such-and-such a utensil? Would you lend it to me?\u2019 [The neighboring housewife] says to her, \u2018Yes, of course.\u2019
\nD. \u201cBut the one who does not know how to borrow goes over to her neighbor. The door is closed, so she just opens it. She says [to the neighboring housewife], \u2018Do you have such-and-such a utensil? Would you lend it to me?\u2019 [The neighboring housewife] says to her, \u2018No.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. Said R. Hunia [in Aramaic:], \u201cThere is a tenant farmer who knows how to borrow things, and there is a tenant farmer who does not know how to borrow. The one who knows how to borrow combs his hair, brushes off his clothes, puts on a good face, and then goes over to the overseer of his work to borrow from him. [The overseer] says to him, \u2018How\u2019s the land doing?\u2019 He says to him, \u2018May you have the merit of being fully satisfied with its [wonderful] produce.\u2019 \u2018How are the oxen doing?\u2019 He says to him, \u2018May you have the merit of being fully satisfied with their fat.\u2019 \u2018How are the goats doing?\u2019 \u2018May you have the merit of being fully satisfied with their young.\u2019 \u2018And what would you like?\u2019 Then he says, \u2018Now if you might have an extra ten denars, would you give them to me?\u2019 The overseer replies, \u2018If you want, take twenty.\u2019
\nF. \u201cBut the one who does not know how to borrow leaves his hair a mess, his clothes filthy, his face gloomy. He too goes over to the overseer to borrow from him. The overseer says to him, \u2018How\u2019s the land doing?\u2019 He replies, \u2018I hope it will produce at least what [in seed] we put into it.\u2019 \u2018How are the oxen doing?\u2019 \u2018They\u2019re scrawny.\u2019 \u2018How are the goats doing?\u2019 \u2018They\u2019re scrawny too.\u2019 \u2018And what do you want?\u2019 \u2018Now if you might have an extra ten denars, would you give them to me?\u2019 The overseer replies, \u2018Go, pay me back what you already owe me!\u2019 \u201d
\nG. Said R. Hunia, \u201cDavid was one of the good tenant farmers. To begin with, he starts a psalm with praise [of God], saying, \u2018The heavens declare the glory of God, and the firmament shows his handiwork\u2019 [Ps. 19:2]. The Heaven says to him, \u2018Perhaps you need something?\u2019 \u2018The firmament shows his handiwork.\u2019 The firmament says to him, \u2018Perhaps you need something?\u2019
\nH. \u201cAnd so he would continue to sing: \u2018Day unto day utters speech, and night to night reveals knowledge\u2019 [Ps. 19:3].
\nI. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018What do you want?\u2019
\nJ. \u201cHe said before him, \u2018Who can discern errors?\u2019 [Ps. 19:13].
\nK. \u201c \u2018What sort of unwitting sin have I done before you!\u2019
\nL. \u201c[God] said to him, \u2018Lo, this one is remitted, and that one is forgiven you.\u2019
\nM. \u201c \u2018And cleanse me of hidden sins\u2019 [Ps. 19:13]. \u2018\u2026 from the secret sins that I have done before you.\u2019
\nN. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Lo, this one is remitted, and that one is forgiven to you.\u2019
\nO. \u201c \u2018Keep back your servant also from deliberate ones.\u2019 This refers to transgressions done in full knowledge.
\nP. \u201c \u2018That they may not have dominion over me. Then I shall be faultless\u2019 [Ps. 19:14]. This refers to the most powerful of transgressions.
\nQ. \u201c \u2018And I shall be clear of great transgression\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 19:14).
\nR. Said R. Levi, \u201cDavid said before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the age[s], you are a great God, and, as for me, my sins are great too. It will take a great God to remit and forgive great sins: \u201cFor your name\u2019s sake, O Lord, pardon my sin, for [your name] is great\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Ps. 25:11).<\/p>\n
Once more the construction appears from beginning to end to aim at a single goal. The opening statement, 1.A, makes the point, and the closing construction, Gff., illustrates it. In the middle come three apt narratives serving as similes, all told in Aramaic, and all following exactly the same pattern. Then the systematic account of a passage of Scripture is provided to make exactly the same point. I cannot state the exact sense of the passage on the heaven and the firmament, G, but from that point, the discourse is pellucid. Q\u2013R should be separated from G\u2013P, since what Levi\u2019s statement does is simply augment the primary passage. The unity of theme and conception accounts for the drawing together of the entire lot. To be sure, B\u2013F can serve other purposes. But since Hunia\u2019s statement, E\u2013F, introduces his exegesis of Ps. 19, the greater likelihood is that a single hand has produced the entire matter (possibly excluding Q\u2013R) to make a single point. Why did the redactor think the passage appropriate here? The offering for unwitting sin of Lev. 4, to which K makes reference in the progression through the types of sins, from minor to major, for which David seeks forgiveness, certainly accounts for the inclusion of the whole. Then whoever made up the passage did not find the stimulus in Lev. 4. For the rather general observation of 1.A states the framer\u2019s message. That message pertains to diverse contexts, as the exposition of Ps. 19 makes clear; nothing would compel someone to make up a passage of this sort to serve Lev. 4 in particular.<\/p>\n
Parashah Six<\/p>\n
VI:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIf any one sins, in that he hears a public adjuration to testify, [and, though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity]\u201d (Lev. 5:1).
\nB. \u201cBe not a witness [against your neighbor] without cause\u201d (Prov. 24:28).
\nC. This refers to Israel: \u201cYou are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God\u201d (Is. 43:12).
\nD. \u201c\u2026 against your neighbor \u2026\u201d (Prov. 24:28).
\nE. This refers to the Holy One, blessed be he: \u201cYour friend and your father\u2019s friend do not forsake\u201d (Prov. 27:10).
\nF. \u201c[Be not a witness against your neighbor without cause,] and do not deceive with your lips\u201d (Prov. 24:28).
\nG. After you inveigled me at Sinai and said to me, \u201cWhatever the Lord has spoken, we shall do and we shall hear\u201d (Ex. 24:7), forty days later you said to the calf, \u201cThis is your God, O Israel\u201d (Ex. 32:4).
\n2. A. Said R. Aha, \u201cThe following [passage represents] the Holy One, blessed be he, making excuses in defense of this party and of that party too. [How so?] It addresses Israel: \u2018Be not a witness against your neighbor [God] without cause\u2019 [Prov. 24:28].
\nB. \u201cAnd it says to the Holy One, blessed be he: \u2018Do not say, \u201cI will do to him as he has done to me; I will pay the man back for what he has done\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Prov. 24:29).
\nC. Said R. Phineas, \u201cIt is written, \u2018But like a man they transgressed the covenant,\u2019 [which applies to Israel].
\nD. \u201cBut here [in regard to God]: \u2018[I will not execute my fierce anger, I will not again destroy Ephraim,] for I am God and not man\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 11:9).
\n3. A. [In Aramaic:] Reuben had testimony to give in Simeon\u2019s case [that would help Simeon].
\nB. [Simeon] said to him, \u201cCome and testify in my behalf.\u201d
\nC. [Reuben said to him, \u201cOkay.\u201d But when they got to court, Reuben reneged [on his agreement].
\nD. To him does the Holy Spirit say, \u201cBut you deceived him with your lips\u201d (Prov. 24:29). After you seduced him with your lips and brought him in to court, did you then retract? Some time in the future, Reuben will have testimony favorable to Simeon. [Should Reuben have evidence which could help Simeon,] what will he do? Will he [have the right to] say, \u201cI will do to him as he has done to me, I will pay the man back for what he has done\u201d (Prov. 24:29)?
\nE. Now has the Torah not already laid down the decree: \u2018\u2026 and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity\u2019 [Lev. 5:1].\u201d<\/p>\n
The passage makes two distinct points, one on the surface, one beneath. The outstanding point comes at No. 3, that is, a clear exposition of the simple duty to give testimony, backed up by the Torah\u2019s law. Then the base text and the intersecting text deal with essentially the same matter. Proverbs 24:28\u201329 thus clarifies and enriches the meaning of the verse of Lev. 5:1. Yet that is not the principal issue at No. 1, expanded at No. 2. There the point is that once Israel had borne witness to God, it then reneged on its testimony. 1.G makes the matter explicit. Israel testified to God\u2019s divinity at Sinai, but then reneged in the incident of the golden calf. No. 1 clearly focuses on this other, more profound meaning of Lev. 5:1. No. 2 then makes the point abundantly clear. God says that while Israel had transgressed the covenant, still God is God and not man. No. 1 is not fully spelled out without No. 2, and the latter, of course, is incomprehensible without the former. So we have a kind of composite of two distinct approaches to the interplay between Lev. 5:1 and Prov. 24:28\u201329. I find stunning the net effect of primary and secondary layers of meaning superimposed on one another.<\/p>\n
VI:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe partner of a thief hates his own life. He hears the curse [of Lev. 5:1] but discloses nothing\u201d (Prov. 29:24).
\nB. M\u02bfSH B: The governor of Caesarea would [merely] flog the thieves, but he would execute the fences. The citizens ridiculed him, saying to him, \u201cDo things right! [Kill the thieves too.]\u201d
\nC. He went and made a proclamation through the city, saying, \u201cEverybody to the central square.\u201d
\nD. He brought weasels and put pieces of food before them, but he stopped up the holes [where the weasels would hide their food]. The weasels took the pieces of food, brought them to their holes, and, finding the holes stopped up, brought the pieces of food back to the original place.
\nE. This then showed that everything was the fences\u2019 fault.
\nF. Now, lo, [we have illustrated the matter of Prov. 29:24 on the basis of what the government did.] How can we show the same matter by means of an illustrative case?
\nG. Reuben stole from Simeon, and Levi knew about it. [Reuben] said to him, \u201cIf you don\u2019t squeal on me, we\u2019ll go halves.\u201d
\nH. Later this man [Levi] went to synagogue and heard the voice of the reader [of the Torah passage of the day] saying, \u201c[If anyone sins in that he hears a public adjuration to testify,] and though he is a witness, whether he has seen or come to know the matter, [yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity]\u201d (Lev. 5:1).
\nI. What should he do? Will he keep silence? But the Torah has already made its decree: \u201c\u2026 whether he has seen or come to know \u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
The base text and the intersecting one form a natural couple, and the point that illustrates the base text is amply clarified, both through an example of the art of government and through the illustrative case. This is surely the work of a single hand.<\/p>\n
VI:III<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to] the matter [of the false oath:] A false oath should not be a minor matter in your view, [for] Zechariah saw it.
\nB. \u201cAnd again I lifted my eyes and saw, and behold, a flying scroll! [And he said to me, \u2018What do you see?\u2019 I answered, \u2018I see a flying scroll; its length is twenty cubits, and its breadth ten cubits.\u2019 Then he said to me, \u2018This is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land; for everyone who steals shall be cut off henceforth according to it, and everyone who swears falsely shall be cut off henceforth according to it. I will send it forth,\u2019 says the Lord of hosts, \u2018and it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of him; who swears falsely by my name; and it shall abide in his house and consume it, both timber and stones\u2019]\u201d (Zech. 5:1\u20134).
\nC. What is the meaning of \u201cflying?\u201d \u201cFlying,\u201d in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen one of the seraphim flew to me\u201d (Is. 6:6).
\nD. \u201cAnd he said to me, \u2018What do you see?\u2019 And I answered, \u2018I see a flying scroll\u2019 \u201d (Zech. 5:2).
\nE. Said R. Aibu, \u201cEven the hide of an elephant or a camel does not reach the dimensions [specified here, twenty by ten], so how can you say this? But: \u2018This [that is, the scroll containing the names] is the curse that goes out over the face of the whole land.\u2019 \u201d
\nF. Whence did it go forth? From the entrance of the hall [of the sanctuary], in line with what we have learned in the Mishnah: \u201cThe doorway of the hall is twenty cubits high and ten cubits wide\u201d (M. Mid. 3:7), [the exact dimensions of the flying scroll].
\n2. A. Said R. Simon, \u201cWhy do they impose an oath on a person through a Torah scroll and bring before him blown up hides? It is to indicate: Yesterday this skin was full of sinews and bones, but now it is empty of them all. So a person who takes a false oath to his fellow will end up emptied of all his money.\u201d
\nB. R. Assi said, \u201c[That applies when a person takes an oath] falsely.\u201d
\nC. R. Jonah said, \u201c[That applies] even if he takes the oath in truth.\u201d
\nD. R. Yannai was in session and teaching the matter in accord with the view of R. Jonah [that one should not take an oath even if it is a true oath.]
\nE. (See Y. Shebu. 6:5:) A story: There was a woman who came to knead dough with her neighbor. She had three denars wrapped up in her kerchief. She took them out and put them before her. When she was sitting and arranging [the dough], the coins got mixed up in the loaf. She went looking for the money and did not find it. She said to her neighbor, \u201cDid you find my three denars?\u201d
\nF. The neighbor had three sons, and she said to her, \u201cMay my son be buried if I found them.\u201d And she buried him.
\nG. Later on [the woman who lost the coins again] asked her neighbor, \u201cDid you find the three denars?\u201d
\nH. She said to her, \u201cMay I bury my second son, if I found them.\u201d And she did indeed bury him.
\nI. Yet a third time she said to her, \u201cDid you find my three denars?\u201d
\nJ. She said to her, \u201cMay I bury my third son, if I found them.\u201d She buried him.
\nK. [The woman who had lost the money] said, \u201cShould I not go and offer condolences to my neighbor?\u201d She took a loaf of bread [with her, for the meal of consolation] and sat down. When she broke the bread, the three denars fell out!
\nL. This is in line with what people say: \u201cWhether innocent or guilty, don\u2019t get involved with oaths.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201c \u2018I shall send it forth,\u2019 says the Lord of hosts, and it shall enter the house of the thief and the house of him who swears falsely by my name\u201d (Zech. 5:4).
\nB. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah, \u201cThe menacing angels have no joints in their feet, for it is written, \u2018Satan \u2026 [came] from roaming to and fro in the earth and moving about therein\u2019 \u201d (Job 1:7).
\n4. A. Said R. Abba bar Kahana, \u201cThings which fire cannot consume, a false oath eats up. Fire ordinarily consumes wood, but stones? Yet here: \u2018\u2026 and consume it, both timber and stones\u2019 \u201d (Zech. 5:4).<\/p>\n
No. 1 invokes the intersecting verse, Zech. 5:1\u20134, because the passage refers explicitly to the false oath. That verse then is systematically expounded at Nos. 1, 3, and 4. No. 2 is inserted, perhaps in line with 1.D: the notion that the hide serves, as 2.A says. But the passage then goes its own way, introducing materials shared with Y. Shebu. 6:5. The printed text has much material omitted by Margulies; see his extended account, pp. 131\u2013136.<\/p>\n
VI:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yose b. R. Hanina interpreted the passages at hand to speak of the accused wife:
\nB. \u201c \u2018If any one sins\u2019 [Lev. 5:1]\u2014this is a woman who had sinned against her husband. This one supports and feeds her, and she goes and misbehaves with a perfect stranger.
\nC. \u201c \u2018In that he hears a public adjuration to testify\u2019 [Lev. 5:1]. \u2018Then let the priest make the woman take the oath of adjuration\u2019 [Num. 5:21].
\nD. \u201c \u2018Though he is a witness\u2019 [Lev. 5:1]. \u2018And there is no witness\u2019 [Num. 5:13].
\nE. \u201c \u2018Whether he has seen\u2019 [Lev. 5:1]. \u2018And she is undetected though she has defiled herself\u2019 [Num. 5:13].
\nF. \u201c \u2018\u2026 or known\u2019 [Lev. 5:1]. \u2018And it is hidden from the eyes of her husband\u2019 [Num. 5:13].
\nG. \u201c \u2018And it is hidden from the eyes of her husband\u2019 [Num. 5:13]\u2014and not from the eyes of her levirate husband [who cannot impose the rite upon her].
\nH. \u201c \u2018Yet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity\u2019 [Lev. 5:1]. If she does not confess to the priest: \u2018And her belly will swell and her thigh will fall away\u2019 \u201d (Num. 5:27).<\/p>\n
Num. 5:21 uses the same word, \u201coath of adjuration,\u201d as appears at Lev. 5:1. This triggers a systematic interposition of passages from Lev. 5:1 and Num. 5:13, 27. The passage is blemished only by the inclusion of G.<\/p>\n
VI:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Phineas interpreted the verses (Lev. 5:1) to speak of Israel at Mount Sinai:
\nB. \u201c \u2018If any soul sins\u2019 [Lev. 5:1]. \u2018And I saw, and lo, you had sinned against the Lord your God\u2019 [Deut. 9:16].
\nC. \u201c \u2018And heard the sound of a public adjuration\u2019 [Deut. 5:1]. \u2018His sound did we hear from the midst of the fire\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 5:21).
\n2. A. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cThey made a mutual agreement between them,
\nB. \u201cthat [God] would not reject them, and that they would not reject him.\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Isaac, \u201cThe [official] who wishes to impose an oath on his legions imposes it only by means of a sword,
\nB. \u201cas if to say, \u2018Whoever violates these conditions\u2014let a sword violate his neck\u2019 \u201d (continued at No. 8).
\n4. A. \u201cMoses took half the blood [and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, \u2018All that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will hear\u2019]\u201d (Ex. 24:6\u20137).
\nB. How did Moses know how much was half of the blood?
\nC. R. Judah b. R. Ilai said, \u201cThe blood divided up on its own.\u201d
\nD. R. Nathan said, \u201cMiracles were done to it. One half turned black, and half red.\u201d
\nE. R. Isaac said, \u201cAn echo came forth from Mount Horeb and said to Moses, \u2018This much is half the blood.\u2019 \u201d
\nF. Bar Qappara said, \u201cAn angel came down from heaven in the guise of Moses and divided the blood up.\u201d
\nG. R. Ishmael taught, \u201cMoses was an expert in the laws governing blood and in dividing it up.\u201d
\nH. \u201cAnd he put it in basins\u201d (Ex. 24:6).
\nI. R. Huna in the name of R. Abin said, \u201cThe word is written in the singular, [to indicate that] this one was not larger than that, nor that than this.\u201d
\nJ. [Moses] said before [God], \u201cWhat should we do with your share?\u201d
\nK. He said to him, \u201cSprinkle it on the people\u201d [\u201cAnd Moses took the blood and threw it upon the people and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words\u201d (Ex. 24:8)].
\nL. \u201cWhat should we do with their share?\u201d
\nM. \u201cSprinkle it on the altar: \u2018And half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 24:6).
\n5. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Hanina: \u201cHe took an oath to them, and they took an oath to him.
\nB. \u201cHe took an oath to them: \u2018I took an oath to you and I entered into a covenant with you\u2019 [Ex. Ez. 16:8].
\nC. \u201cThey took an oath to him: \u2018That you should enter into the covenant of the Lord your God and into his oath (alah)\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 29:11).
\nD. How do we know that the word alah means only an oath?
\nE. R. Nehemiah, R. Nahman of Jaffa, R. Aqiba of Caesarea: \u201cFor it is written, \u2018And the priest will impose an oath on the woman through the oath of adjuration (alah)\u2019 \u201d (Num. 5:21).
\n6. A. When the Israelites transgressed the agreement of Sinai, the Holy One, blessed be he, said to them, \u201cI too shall do the same to you\u201d (Lev. 26:16). [\u201cBut if you will not hearken to me \u2026 but break my covenant, I will do this to you \u2026\u201d (Lev. 26:14ff.)].
\nB. Said R. Phineas, \u201cIt is written, \u2018And they, being men, have transgressed the covenant\u2019 [Hos. 6:7].
\nC. \u201cBut as to the other: \u2018For I am God and not man\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 11:9).
\n7. A. Said R. Ahbah son of R. Zeira, \u201cIt is written, \u2018The Lord has done what he purposed, has carried (BS\u02bf) out his word [threat] as he ordained long ago\u2019 [Lam. 2:17].
\nB. \u201cHas the Holy One, blessed be he, done to us that which is written in the Torah: \u2018I will chastise you again sevenfold for your sins\u2019 [Lev. 26:18]?
\nC. \u201cDid he really do that? Heaven forefend. [Rather] \u2018BS\u02bf his word\u2019 means, \u2018He cut his word in half\u2019 [for the word BS\u02bf may bear that other meaning], that is to say, he effected a compromise.\u201d
\nD. R. Jacob of Kefar Hanin said, \u201cHe cut his purple cloak in half.\u201d
\n8. A. R. Berekhiah proved [the point of Isaac, above, No. 3] by citing the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd I will bring a sword upon you, that shall execute vengeance for the covenant\u201d (Lev. 26:25).
\nB. [Sifra Behuqotai 6:1:] [There was] vengeance for breaking the covenant and vengeance not for breaking the covenant [but for violating an oath].
\nC. What was the vengeance not on account of violating the covenant? It was blinding the eyes, for [the Babylonians] blinded the eyes of Zedekiah, king of Judah, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cTherefore thus says the Lord God, \u2018As I live, surely my oath which he despised and my covenant which he broke I will requite upon his head\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 17:19). [See Ez. 17:18: \u201cBecause he despised the oath and broke the covenant, because he gave his hand and yet did all these things, he shall not escape.\u201d]
\nD. What is the meaning of the reference to \u201cmy oath which he despised\u201d? This refers to the oath that he took to him.
\nE. \u201cAnd my covenant which he broke\u201d? This refers to the covenant at Sinai.
\nF. \u201cI will requite upon his head\u201d? R. Huna and R. Aha in the name of R. Yohanan said, \u201cThis refers to the blinding of the eyes, that is, an act that pertains to something in the head.\u201d
\nG. When they reached Babylonia, what did they say to Nebuchadnezzar? \u201cShadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, \u2018O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. If it be so, our God, whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image which you have set up\u2019 \u201d (Dan. 3:16\u201318).
\nH. The Holy One, blessed be he, said to them, \u201c \u2018As for you, also, because of the blood of my covenant with you\u2019 [Zech. 9:11]\u2014I remember the blood at Sinai, on which account: \u2018I will set your captives free from the waterless pit\u2019 \u201d (Zech. 9:11).
\nI. [The word for water, MYM, is now read as MWM, blemish, with the result that we conclude concerning the captive:] he was unblemished.
\nJ. Said R. Phineas, \u201c[In light of Zech. 9:11,] no longer does the verse apply: \u2018They have poured out their blood like water round about Jerusalem and have none to bury them\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 79:3).
\n9. A. \u201cAnd though he is a witness\u201d (Lev. 5:1). \u201cYou are my witnesses, says the Lord, and I am God\u201d (Is. 43:12).
\nB. \u201cWhether he has seen\u201d (Lev. 5:1). \u201cUnto you it has been shown\u201d (Deut. 4:35).
\nC. \u201cOr come to know the matter\u201d (Lev. 5:1). \u201cAnd you shall know this day and lay it on your heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath, there is no other\u201d (Deut. 4:39).
\nD. \u201cYet does not speak, he shall bear his iniquity\u201d (Lev. 5:1). Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to Israel, \u201cIf you will not declare my divinity among the nations of the world, I shall punish you.\u201d
\nE. When [must the Israelite declare God\u2019s divinity]?
\nF. \u201cWhen they say to you, \u2018Consult the mediums and the wizards [who chirp and mutter,\u2019 should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?]\u201d (Is. 8:19).<\/p>\n
The subterranean theme once more surfaces, the archetypal oath is Israel\u2019s oath to God at Mount Sinai. The recurrent conclusion is that Israel did indeed violate its oath, but God, nonetheless, will not exact full punishment. Israel remains God\u2019s first love. The passage exhibits a rather miscellaneous character, but the stated theme predominates throughout. No. 1 introduces the covenant at Sinai, and Nos. 2 and 3 comment on it. No. 3 continues at No. 8. The inserted materials work out verses relevant to the covenant at Sinai, Ex. 24:6ff. at No. 4, Deut. 29:11 at No. 5, Lev. 26:16ff. at Nos. 6, 7, 8. No. 9 interprets the clauses of Lev. 5:1 by reference to Deut. 4:35ff. Only 9.E\u2013F move on to other materials. 8.B\u2013J is inserted to amplify the proof text, not Isaac\u2019s point.
\nWhat is interesting here is that the theme of Lev. 5:1\u2014violating the oath\u2014clearly has directed the attention of the exegete to the intersecting verses he has chosen to work out. Up to now we have looked to intersecting verses to explain how they make contact with the base verse. But here the paramount focus is upon the theme of Lev. 5:1, not upon the systematic exegesis, in their own terms, of the intersecting verses. Nos. 4\u20137 seem to me important, as I said above, because they make the point that even though Israel violates the covenant, God does not. No. 8 then proves that point, since, after the destruction of 586 B.C., God still is shown clearly to favor Israel. No. 9 concludes where No. 1 left off, and it must follow the construction as a whole follows a careful aesthetic plan and makes a single point.<\/p>\n
VI:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. [With reference to Is. 8:18\u201319: \u201cBehold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion. And when they say to you, \u2018Consult the mediums and the wizards who chirp and mutter,\u2019 should not a people consult their God? Should they consult the dead on behalf of the living?\u201d] said R. Simeon, \u201cTwo verses [only] did Beeri [father of Hosea, Hos. 1:1] prophesy, and they were not enough to fill a scroll, so they are attached to the book of Isaiah.
\nB. \u201cAnd these are they: \u2018And when they say to you, Consult the mediums and the wizards\u2019 [Is. 8:19] and the neighboring verse\u201d (8:20).
\n2. A. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cEvery prophet, whose name and the name of whose father is made explicit, is a prophet son of a prophet. And anyone whose name is given, while the name of his father is not given, is a prophet but not the son of a prophet.\u201d
\nB. R. Eleazar in the name of R. Yos\u00e9 b. Zimra said, \u201cIt is written, \u2018And Haggai, the prophet, and Zechariah son of Iddo the prophet prophesied\u2019 [Ezra 5:1], so the latter was a prophet son of a prophet.
\nC. \u201cOne verse of Scripture says, \u2018Isaiah son of Amoz, the prophet\u2019 [2 Kings 20:1], and another verse of Scripture says, \u2018Isaiah the prophet, son of Amoz\u2019 [2 Kings 19:2]. This indicates that he was a prophet, son of a prophet.\u201d
\nD. [Responding to Yohanan\u2019s thesis, above, A], rabbis say, \u201cWhether his [father\u2019s] name is or is not made explicit, he still is a prophet son of a prophet.
\nE. \u201cFor note, Amos says to Amaziah, \u2018I am not a prophet nor the son of a prophet\u2019 [Amos 7:14]. Just as he really was a prophet, but said, \u2018I am not a prophet,\u2019 so too his father really was a prophet, but he said of him that his father was not a prophet.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cWho chirp\u201d (Is. 8:19)\u2014they are the ones who make chirping sounds.
\nB. \u201c\u2026 and mutter\u201d\u2014they are the ones who make muttering sounds.
\nC. \u201cShould not a people consult their god\u201d (Is. 8:19)? [In Aramaic:] Let every nation worship its god.
\n4. A. \u201cShould they consult the dead on behalf of the living\u201d (Is. 8:19).
\nB. Said R. Levi, \u201cThe matter may be compared to one who lost his son and went to seek him in the cemetery. A clever fellow there said to him, \u2018As to this son of yours, whom you have lost, is he alive or dead?\u2019
\nC. \u201cThe man said to him, \u2018Alive.\u2019
\nD. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018You big fool! Usually the dead are sought out by the living, but is there any need for the living to be sought among the dead?\u2019
\nE. \u201cSo our God lives and endures forever. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018But the Lord God is truth\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 10:10).
\nF. What is the meaning of \u201ctruth\u201d (Y. Ber. 1:5, San. 1:1)?
\nG. Said R. Abin, \u201cIt means, \u2018He is living God and king of the world\u2019 [Jer. 10:10].
\nH. \u201cBut the gods of the nations of the world are dead, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018They have a mouth but do not speak, eyes but do not see, ears but do not hear\u2019 [Ps. 115:5\u20136].
\nI. \u201cThey are dead. Now shall we leave the Life of the Ages and bow down to the dead?\u201d
\n5. A. \u201cTo the teaching and to the testimony! Surely for this word which they speak there is no dawn\u201d (Is. 8:20).
\nB. The Torah bears witness against us. [How so?] \u201cSurely for this word which they speak there is no dawn\u201d (Is. 8:20).
\nC. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nD. R. Yohanan said, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, if the Israelites do not say to the nations of the world: \u2018for this word which they speak there is no dawn,\u2019 [they will suffer. They must give the specified answer or there will be no dawn.]\u201d
\nE. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cIf for himself [the necromancer] does not give light, how will he give light for others?\u201d
\n6. A. Said R. Abba bar Kahana, \u201cDarkness and deep gloom served in this world, in line with that which is written in Scripture: \u2018There was thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days\u2019 [Ex. 10:22].
\nB. \u201cBut, by contrast, chaos and confusion never prevailed in this world.
\nC. \u201cWhere are they destined to prevail? In the great city of Rome, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018He shall stretch the line of confusion over it, and the plummet of chaos over its nobles\u2019 \u201d (Is. 34:11).
\nD. Rabbis say, \u201cConcerning the nations of the world, who did not carry out the teachings of the Torah, which was given out of darkness, Scripture says, \u2018For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness, the peoples\u2019 [Is. 60:2].
\nE. \u201cBut concerning Israel, which has kept the teachings of the Torah, which was given out of darkness\u2014this is what Scripture says: \u2018And it will come about, when you hear the voice from the midst of the darkness\u2019 [Deut. 5:20] \u2026 \u2018But the Lord will shine forth upon you and his glory shall be seen upon you\u2019 \u201d (Is. 60:2).<\/p>\n
The passage continues VI:V.9, that is, the citation of Is. 8:18\u201320 leads to the inclusion of a fairly sustained discussion of that verse. I see no point of contact with the interests of Lev. 5:1. Margulies finds at 5.E the reason for the inclusion of the whole. We recall that Yohanan has said the Israelites must proclaim God\u2019s divinity. Now he tells us what they must say to the nations, when the latter invite the Israelites to join in worshipping their gods. This seems to me somewhat remote. Nos. 1, 3, 4, and 5 simply work out a phrase-by-phrase exegesis of the cited passage. No. 2 is tacked on because of the reference to Beeri, Hosea\u2019s father, and No. 6 is attached because of the reference to there being no dawn.<\/p>\n
Parashah Seven<\/p>\n
VII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses,] \u2018Command Aaron [and his sons, saying, This is the law of the burnt offering\u2019]\u201d (Lev. 6:2 [RSV: 6:9]).
\nB. \u201cHatred stirs up strife, but love covers all offenses\u201d (Prov. 10:12).
\nC. The hatred that Israel brought between themselves and their father in heaven \u201cstirs up strife\u201d (MDNYM), [that is to say,] provoked judgments (DYNY DYNYM).
\nD. Said R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah, \u201cFor nearly nine hundred years hatred was pent up between Israel and their father in heaven [because of their idolatry in Egypt] from the time that they went forth from Egypt until Ezekiel arose. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of the land of Egypt into a land that I had searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, and most glorious of all lands,] and I said to them, \u201cCast away the detestable things your eyes feast on, [everyone of you, and do not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.\u201d But they rebelled against me and would not listen to me; they did not every man cast away the detestable things their eyes feasted on, nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt]\u2019 [Ez. 20:8].
\nE. \u201c \u2018But I dealt with them for the sake of my great name, that it not be profaned.\u2019 That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018But I acted for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations among whom they dwelt in whose sight I made myself known to them in bringing them out of the land of Egypt\u2019 [Ez. 20:9].
\nF. \u201c \u2018But love covers all offenses\u2019 (Prov. 10:12).
\nG. \u201cIt is the love with which the Holy One, blessed be he, loved Israel: \u2018I have loved you, said the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Mal. 1:2).
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHatred stirs up strife\u201d (Prov. 10:12).
\nB. [This refers to] the hatred which Aaron brought between Israel and their father in heaven.
\nC. \u201cStirs up strife\u201d (MDNYM)\u2014provoked judgments.
\nD. Said R. Assi, \u201c[Scripture] teaches that [Aaron] took a hammer and battered [the golden calf] before [the people], saying to them, \u2018See, there really is nothing in it.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThat is what the Holy One, blessed be he, told Moses: \u2018Him who has sinned against me shall I wipe out from my book\u2019 [Ex. 32:33].
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Moreover the Lord was very angry with Aaron, such as to destroy him\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 9:20).
\nG. Said R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi, \u201cThe word, \u2018destroy,\u2019 used here means only the extinction of sons and daughters.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the use of the same word in the following verse: \u2018And I destroyed his fruit from above and his root from beneath\u2019 [Amos 2:9].
\nI. \u201c \u2018But love covers all offenses\u2019 [Prov. 10:12]. [This refers to] the prayer that Moses said in [Aaron\u2019s] behalf [for he did have sons].\u201d
\nJ. What prayer did he say in his behalf?
\nK. R. Mana of Sha\u2019ab and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cFrom the beginning of the scroll [of Leviticus] to this point, it is written, \u2018And the sons of Aaron will offer\u2019 [Lev. 1:5], \u2018The sons of Aaron will place \u2026 \u2018[Lev. 1:7], \u2018The sons of Aaron will arrange\u2019 [Lev. 1:8], \u2018The sons of Aaron will burn\u2019 [Lev. 3:5].
\nL. \u201cSaid Moses before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the world, will the well be hated but its waters precious?
\nM. \u201c \u2018You paid respect to trees because of their offspring [which would be valuable in the agricultural life of the Holy Land],\u2019
\nN. \u201cas we have learned in the Mishnah: \u2018All trees may be used for burning on the altar fire except the olive tree and the vine [which are too valuable for that purpose]\u2019 [M. Tam. 2:3].
\nO. \u201c \u2018Will you not pay any honor at all to Aaron on account of his offspring?\u2019
\nP. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018By your life, on account of your prayer I shall bring him back, and not only so, but I shall make him the main act and his sons the sideshow\u2019: \u2018Command Aaron and his sons, saying\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 6:2).<\/p>\n
The exegesis accounts for Aaron\u2019s centrality in the cult despite his role in the incident of the golden calf. The drama is intensified when the exegete can point to the failure of the text in earlier passages to refer to Aaron at all, on the one side, and the contrasting emphasis, in consequence, of Aaron\u2019s name in the present passage, on the other. The intersecting verse then provides the primary message, the base verse the occasion for the message\u2014an ideal example of the genre.
\nThe unarticulated theme predominates, that is, how love can overcome even a long-term grudge. In the first instance, it is God\u2019s grudge against Israel for the idolatry they had practiced in Egypt, and, in the second, it is God\u2019s grudge against Aaron. So the message of the intersecting verse is specific, not general. Both entries make the same point concerning the intersecting verse. True, only one of them, No. 2, accounts for its inclusion here. Yet the pattern in both is the same, and that must mean they were constructed together. If so, the operative, but redactionally tangential, message is at No. 1. It is, once again, that God loves Israel and forgives Israel for sin. That is the case, no matter what Israel ever did.<\/p>\n
VII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise. For you have no delight in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, you would not be pleased.] The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit, [a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar\u201d (Ps. 51:19 [RSV: 15\u201319]).
\nB. Zabdi [Zebedee] son of Levi and R. Yos\u00e9 b. Pertos [Peter] and rabbis:
\nC. The first of them [Zabdi] said, \u201cDavid said before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the world, If you accept me back as a penitent [of my sin with Bath Sheba], then I shall know that Solomon, my son, will build the house of the sanctuary and will build the altar and offer on it all of the sacrifices specified in the Torah.\u2019
\nD. \u201c[And it was from] the following verse of Scripture [that he derived the answer]: \u2018The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit.\u2019 \u201d [So God did accept David\u2019s penitence.
\nE. The second [Yos\u00e9] said, \u201cHow do we know concerning one who has repented [his sin], that [Scripture] credits it to him as if he had gone up to Jerusalem, rebuilt the house of the sanctuary, built the altar, and offered on it all of the sacrifices that are specified in the Torah?
\nF. \u201cIt is from the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit.\u2019 \u201d
\nG. And rabbis say, \u201cHow do we know that the one who goes before the ark [to lead the congregation in prayer] must make mention of the Temple service and kneel [at that point], as is done in saying this blessing: \u2018Accept, O Lord, our God and dwell in, Zion, your city?\u2019
\nH. \u201cThere is he who wishes to derive the answer from the verse: \u2018The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit, [a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, then will you delight in right sacrifices \u2026] [The kneeling signifies the broken heart.]\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Abba bar Yudan, \u201cWhatever [blemish God] declared in valid in the case of a beast, he declared valid in the case of a man.
\nB. \u201cJust as he declared invalid in the case of a beast [to be brought for a sacrifice] \u2018one that was blind or broken\u2019 [Lev. 22:22], so he declared the same valid in the case of a man: \u2018A broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 51:19).
\n3. A. Said R. Alexandri, \u201cIn the case of an ordinary person, if he should make use of a broken pot, it is demeaning to him, but as to the Holy One, blessed be he, all the utensils that he uses are broken, as it is written, \u2018The Lord is near to those of broken heart\u2019 [Ps. 34:19], \u2018He heals broken hearts\u2019 [Ps. 147:3]. \u2018I dwell in the high and holy place with him that is of a contrite and humble spirit\u2019 [Is. 57:15]. \u2018The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 51:19).
\n4. A. Said R. Abba bar Yudan, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king, whose courtier paid him honor by giving him a jug of wine and a basket of figs.
\nB. \u201cSaid the king to him, \u2018Is this a gift!\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018My lord, O king, this is how I can pay honor to you at the moment. But when you enter your palace, you will know how I can pay honor to you. [So this is just a gift for the moment.]\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Moses, \u2018This is the law of the burnt offering. [Is this] [sole lamb] a burnt offering \u2026\u2019 [Lev. 6:9]. [It is paltry.]
\nE. \u201c[Moses] said before him, \u2018Lord of the world, for the moment this is what I can offer before you. But when \u201cyou do good to Zion in your good pleasure, rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls [not merely lambs] will be offered on your altar\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Ps. 51:18\u201319).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1\u20133 play on the theme of repentance, drawing a contrast between the burnt offering (Lev. 6:9) and the offering of a broken heart. No. 1 spells that out. No. 2 then works out the same point in exegesis of the same intersecting verse, and so does No. 3. What makes No. 4 striking is not only its return to the base verse but its route in getting back, which is Ps. 51. (In his notes, Margulies provides a better text for No. 4.) So both elements of Ps. 51:18\u201319 come into play. The entire construction must be regarded as a rather subtle exercise. The messages are two. First, God accepts repentance. But, second, Israel\u2019s repentence then should secure the rebuilding of the Temple. The polemic is not against sacrifice, as at Ps. 51:19, but in favor of Israel. The underlying message is that Israel did indeed sin, but its repentance brings about its restoration. In repentence it maintains the sacrificial cult even now, and, in consequence, in the future the cult will return to its full material glory.<\/p>\n
VII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. [To return to the] body [of the text, the topic of the burnt offering:] R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cA burnt offering is brought only on account of what stirs up the heart [to sin].\u201d
\nB. R. Levi said, \u201cAn available verse of Scripture makes that very point: \u2018The burnt offering (\u02bfolah) is on account of (\u02bfal) your spirit\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 20:32).
\nC. From whom do you derive [an example of that fact]? From Job\u2019s sons.
\nD. \u201cHis sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each on his day; and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and drink with them\u201d (Job 1:4).
\nE. R. Meir said, \u201cPrinces commonly invite their brothers and sisters to a banquet.\u201d
\nF. R. Tanhum b. R. Hiyya said, \u201cIt was because they had betrothed wives for themselves, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And Job sent and sanctified [betrothed wives for] them\u2019 \u201d (Job 1:5).
\nG. What is the meaning of \u201csanctified?\u201d
\nH. In the view of R. Meir, who said that princes commonly invite their brothers and sisters to a banquet, the meaning is that he invited them for a banquet on the following day [and they were to prepare for the event], in line with that which you find in Scripture: \u201cAnd to the people say, \u2018sanctify yourselves [and prepare] for the next day\u2019 \u201d (Num. 11:18).
\nI. In the view of R. Tanhum bar Hiyya, who said that he sanctified [betrothed] wives for them, he took care of their affairs and they went their way.
\nJ. That [proposition, stated at A,] is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cHe would rise early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all [for Job said, \u2018It may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their hearts\u2019]\u201d (Job 1:5).
\nK. R. Yudan raised the question, \u201cIs it the number of his days or the number of his sons and daughters or the number of all the sacrifices that are listed in the Torah?\u201d
\nL. And [as to the issue of Job as illustration of the proposition that the burnt offering is on account of what stirs up the heart], that is in line with what Job said, \u201cIt may be that my sons have sinned and cursed God in their heart\u201d (Job 1:5).
\nM. That then indicates that the burnt offering is brought only on account of what stirs up the heart [to sin].
\n2. A. R. Aha in the name of R. Hanana bar Pappa, \u201cSince when the Temple was standing, Israel would offer all of the offerings that are required in the Torah, what is the rule as to taking account of them at this time [at which there is no Temple]?
\nB. \u201cSaid to them the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018since you engage in studying their rules, I credit it to you as if you actually offered them.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. R. Huna made two statements.
\nB. R. Huna said, \u201cAll of the communities of exiles will be gathered back into the land only on account of the merit of the passages of the Mishnah [that they have memorized].
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Especially when they repeat [Mishnah-traditions and memorize them] among the gentiles, then will I gather them back\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 8:10).
\nD. R. Huna made yet a second statement.
\nE. R. Huna said, \u201cIt is written, \u2018For from the rising of the sun even to the setting of the sun, my name is great among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name\u2019 [Mal. 1:11]. Now in Babylonia is there [an incense offering accomplished by] the taking of a handful of incense and burning it up?
\nF. \u201cRather, the Holy One, blessed be he, has said, \u2018Since you engage in studying them, I credit it to you as if you offered them up.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. Samuel said, \u201c \u2018[And you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple and its appearance and plan, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.] And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, [portray the temple, its arrangements, its exits and its entrances, and its whole form, and make known to them all its ordinances and all its laws; and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe and perform all the laws and all its ordinances]\u2019 [Ez. 43:10\u201311].
\nB. \u201cNow at this time was the form of the temple house available?
\nC. \u201cBut the Holy One, blessed be he, has said, \u2018Since you engage in studying them, I credit it to you as if you built the Temple.\u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. Said R. Issi, \u201cWhat account do they start children\u2019s education in the Torah of the Priests [the book of Leviticus]? It would make more sense for them to start at Genesis.
\nB. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Since the sacrifices are pure and children are pure, let the pure come and engage in the study of the pure.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The proposition of No. 1 deals with the theme of the burnt offering, Lev. 6:1, but not in the context established by that passage. The basic point is expressed at 1.A, with two proof texts, 1.B and 1.L, repeated then at M. The remainder of the construction provides a rather leisurely account of Job 1:4\u20135, no detail of which is relevant to the present proposition at all. So 1.D\u2013I is inserted whole.
\nNos. 2\u20135 are far more pertinent to Lev. 6:1, \u201cThis is the Torah of the burnt offering.\u201d Since, for the sages, \u201cTorah\u201d stands for learning, the joining of the word \u201cTorah\u201d with the words \u201cburnt offering\u201d is understood to indicate that the category of Torah learning applies even to the sacrifices, with the result that the reward for studying, in general, applies to the study of the sacrifices, in particular. That reward then is specified. The several units obviously are formulated independent of the present context.<\/p>\n
VII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Berekhiah and R. Hanan in the name of R. Azariah of Kefar Hittaya, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to [the case of] a king who had two cooks. The first of the two made a meal for him and he ate it and liked it, and the second made a meal for him and he ate it and liked it.
\nB. \u201cNow we should not know which of the two he liked more, except that, since he ordered the second, telling him to make a meal like the one he had prepared, we know that it was the second meal that he liked more.
\nC. \u201cSo too, Noah made an offering and it pleased God, for it is said, \u2018And the Lord smelled the sweet smell\u2019 [Gen. 8:21].
\nD. \u201cIsrael made an offering to him and it pleased him, \u2018[My offering, my food for my offerings by fire, my pleasing odor,] you shall take heed to offer to me in its due season\u2019 [Num. 28:2].
\nE. \u201cNow we do not know which of the two he liked more, except that, since he commanded Moses, saying to him, \u2018This is the law of the burnt offering, it is the burnt offering\u2019 [repeating \u2018burnt offering\u2019] [Lev. 6:2], we know that the offering of Israel is the one that he liked more.\u201d
\nF. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen the offering of Judah and Jerusalem will be pleasing to the Lord as in the days of old and as in former years\u201d (Mal. 3:4).
\nG. \u201cAs in the days of old\u201d\u2014as in the days of Moses.
\nH. \u201cAnd as in former years\u201d\u2014as in the time of Solomon.
\nI. R. Ammi: \u201c \u2018As in the days of old\u2019\u2014in the days of Noah. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For this is like the days of Noah to me\u2019 [Is. 54:9].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018And as in former years\u2019\u2014as in the time of Abel, when there was no idolatry in the world.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Abin made two statements.
\nB. R. Abin said, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king who was reclining at a banquet, and the servants brought him a dish, and he ate it and liked it. He began to wipe the dish. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I will offer you burnt offerings which are to be wiped off\u2019 [Ps. 66:15]\u2014like one who wipes up his plate.\u201d
\nC. R. Abin made yet a second statement.
\nD. R. Abin said, \u201cThe matter may be compared to a king who was traveling in the wilderness. He came to the first stockade, and he ate and drank there. Then he came to the second stockade, and he ate and drank there, and also spent the night there\u201d [and \u201cthe burnt offering shall be upon the altar all night\u201d (Lev. 6:3)].
\nE. Thus why does the formulation of the passage create a puzzle for us concerning the burnt offering: \u201cThis is the Torah of the burnt offering, it is the burnt offering\u201d (Lev. 6:2), [that is, by repeating the specification that we speak of the burnt offering]?
\nF. \u201cIt is to indicate that the entire burnt offering is to be consumed by the flames.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exegesis\u2014omitting an intersecting verse\u2014takes up the repetition at Lev. 6:2 (6:9) of the words, \u201cthe burnt offering,\u201d so No. 1.1.F\u2013J are tacked on because of the theme of God\u2019s preferring one offering to some other. No. 2 then is a correlative parable, which makes the same point. My guess is that the point of contact comes at 2.D, the theme of the burnt offering \u201con the altar all night.\u201d But if so, 2.F is out of place.<\/p>\n
VII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd the fire of the altar shall be kept burning in it\u201d (Lev. 6:2).
\nB. Said R. Phineas, \u201c \u2018The fire of the altar shall be kept burning in it.\u2019 It is not written, \u2018\u2026 shall be kept burning on it,\u2019 but \u2018\u2026 in it.\u2019 [The meaning is that] the altar will be burning in the fire. [The altar itself burned.]\u201d
\nC. It was taught in the name of R. Nehemiah, \u201cFor nearly a hundred and sixteen years, [the fire] kept hold of it, yet its wood was not burned up, and its copper did not melt.\u201d
\nD. If you say that it was a thick layer [and that is why it did not melt], it was taught in the name of R. Hoshaiah, \u201cIt was the thickness of a Gordian denar.\u201d
\nE. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201c \u2018And you shall make an altar for the burning of incense\u2019 [Ex. 39:1]. The altar was burning [and giving off a scent] like incense.\u201d
\nF. And rabbis said, \u201c[In the verse cited in a moment] it is not written, \u2018And in the utensils of the oxen the flesh was boiled,\u2019 but \u2018And as for the utensils of the oxen, the flesh made them boil\u2019 [1 Kings 19:20]. The flesh [of the sacrifice] was boiled by the utensil [not requiring fire].\u201d<\/p>\n
Once more we look in vain for an intersecting verse. The present exegesis serves only the base verse, explaining the usage of the word for \u201cin it\u201d instead of \u201con it.\u201d The point then is that, by way of miracle, the altar itself was aflame and kept burning without melting down. C\u2013D make the same point explicitly, and F goes over the matter of a parallel, in which the container of the offering effected the cooking of the offering.<\/p>\n
VII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cIt is an ordinance and a decree that whoever is boastful before the Omnipresent is punished only by fire, [just as the fire offering, \u02bfolah, goes up on the fire and is burned up (Margulies)].
\nB. \u201cAs to the generation of the flood, because they were boastful and said, \u2018Who is the Almighty, that we should serve him\u2019 [Job 21:15], they were punished only by fire, as it is said, \u2018In time of heat they disappear, when it is hot, they vanish from their place\u2019 \u201d (Job 6:17).
\nC. What is the meaning of the word \u201cwhen it is hot?\u201d When it is boiling.
\nD. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cEvery drop [of rain] which the Holy One, blessed be he, brought down on them, did he heat up in Gehenna.
\nE. \u201cThat is indicated by the statement, \u2018When it is hot, they vanish from their place\u2019 \u201d (Job 6:17).
\nF. [Levi resumes,] \u201cAs to the Sodomites, because they were boastful and said, \u2018Let us go and cause the laws of hospitality to be forgotten from our midst,\u2019 they were punished only by fire.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he made to rain on Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire\u2019 [Gen. 19:24].
\nH. \u201cAs to Pharaoh, because he was boastful and said, \u2018And who is the Lord, that I should listen to his voice\u2019 [Ex. 5:2], he was punished only in fire, as it is written, \u2018So there was hail and fire flashing up amidst the hail\u2019 [Ex. 9:24].
\nI. \u201cAs to Sisera, because he was boastful and oppressed the Israelites, as it is written, \u2018And he oppressed the children of Israel forcefully\u2019 [Jud. 4:3]\u2014
\nJ. (what does \u201cforcefully\u201d mean? Said R. Isaac, \u201cIt means with blasphemy and cursing\u201d\u2014)
\nK. \u201c \u2018he was punished only with fire.\u2019
\nL. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018From heaven they fought [against Sisera]\u2019 [Jud. 5:20].
\nM. \u201cAs to Sennacherib, because he was boastful and said, \u2018Who are among the gods of these countries, who have delivered their country out of my hand\u2019 [Is. 36:20], he was punished only by fire.
\nN. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And under his glory there shall be kindled a burning like the burning of fire\u2019 [Is. 10:16].
\nO. \u201cAs to Nebuchadnezzar, because he was boastful and said, \u2018And who is God, that he will deliver you out of my hands?\u2019 [Dan. 3:15], he was punished only by fire.
\nP. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The flame of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego\u2019 [Dan. 3:22].
\nQ. \u201cAs to the wicked empire, because it is boastful and arrogant, saying, \u2018Whom have I in heaven, and Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I want besides you\u2019 [Ps. 73:25], it is destined to be punished by fire.
\nR. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[As to the fourth beast], as I looked, the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire\u2019 [Dan. 7:11].
\nS. \u201cBut as to Israel, because they are despised and humble in this world, they will be comforted only with fire.
\nT. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For I [Jerusalem shall be inhabited as villages without walls \u2026], for I will be to her a wall of fire round about\u2019 \u201d (Zech. 2:9 [RSV: 2:5]).<\/p>\n
The relevance to the theme at hand accounts for the inclusion, but not the construction, of this litany. Once we deal with a burnt offering, kept on the hearth on fire all night long, then the theme of fire will attract relevant materials. But the point at hand has nothing to do with the burnt offering.<\/p>\n
Parashah Eight<\/p>\n
VIII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe Lord said to Moses, \u2018This is the offering which Aaron and his sons shall offer [to the Lord on the day when he is anointed]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 6:13 [RSV: 6:19]).
\nB. R. Levi bar Hita opened [discourse with the following verse:] \u201c \u2018For God is judge. This one he humbles, and that one he lifts up\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 75:6).
\n2. A. A Roman lady asked R. Yos\u00e9 b. Halputa, saying to him, \u201cIn how many days did the Holy One, blessed be he, create his world?\u201d
\nB. He said to her, \u201cIn six days, as it is written, \u2018For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 31:17).
\nC. She said to him, \u201cWhat\u2019s he been doing since then?\u201d
\nD. He said to her, \u201cHe\u2019s been sitting and making matches, assigning Mr. So-and-so\u2019s daughter to Mr. Such-and-such, the wife of Mr. So-and-so [deceased] to Mr. Such-and-such, the estate of Mr. So-and-so to Mr. Such-and-such.\u201d
\nE. She said to him, \u201cYou know I have quite a number of slave boys and slave girls, and in a brief moment I can match them up too.\u201d
\nF. He said to her, \u201cIf it\u2019s such an easy thing to you, it\u2019s a very hard thing before the Omnipresent, [as difficult] as splitting the Red Sea, as it is written, \u2018God brings bachelors to dwell in a home [with a wife]\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 68:7).
\nG. R. Yos\u00e9 b. Halputa went along home. What did the lady do? She sent and called a thousand slave boys and a thousand slave girls and set them up in rows. She said to them, \u201cX marry Y, and W marry Z.\u201d [In Aramaic:] In the morning they came to her. One had a broken head, another a blind eye, a third a broken hand, a fourth a broken foot, a fifth said, \u201cI don\u2019t want this one,\u201d and a sixth said, \u201cI don\u2019t want that man.\u201d
\nH. She sent a message to him, \u201cYour Torah indeed is praiseworthy.\u201d
\nI. He replied to her, \u201cDid I not tell you, if it is such an easy thing in your eyes, it is a very hard thing before the Omnipresent, [as difficult] as splitting the Red Sea, as it is written, \u2018God brings bachelors to dwell in a home [with a wife]\u2019;
\nJ. \u201c \u2018he brings out prisoners into prosperity (BKWSRWT)\u2019 [Ps. 68:7].
\nK. \u201cWhat is the meaning of the word for prosperity? Weeping and singing (BKW SYRWT). These are weeping, and those are singing.
\nL. \u201cWhat does the Holy One, blessed be he? He brings them willy-nilly and matches them up.\u201d
\nM. R. Berekhiah told the story in the following version: \u201cR. Yos\u00e9 b. Halputa answered the woman [Margulies deletes: through the Holy Spirit]: \u2018He sits and makes ladders, bringing this one down and raising that one up, lowering this one and exalting that one, as it is written, \u201cFor God is judge. This one he humbles, and that one he lifts up\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Ps. 75:6).
\n3. A. R. Jonah of Bosrah and rabbis:
\nB. R. Jonah of Bosrah interpreted (Ps. 75:6) to speak of Israel: \u201cWith the word, \u2018this,\u2019 they were humbled, and with the word, \u2018this,\u2019 they were lifted up.
\nC. \u201cWith the word, \u2018this,\u2019 they were lifted up: \u2018This they shall give, every one that passes among them that are numbered, [a half a shekel for an offering to the Lord]\u2019 [Ex. 30:13].
\nD. \u201cWith the word, \u2018this,\u2019 they were humbled: \u2018As for this man, Moses, the man that brought us up out of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 32:1).
\nE. And rabbis interpreted the verse to speak [not of the people of Israel] but of Aaron: \u201cWith the word, \u2018this,\u2019 he was humbled, and with the word, \u2018this,\u2019 he was lifted up.
\nF. \u201cWith the word, \u2018this,\u2019 he was humbled: \u2018And I threw it into the fire and this [the gold calf] just came out\u2019 [Ex. 32:24].
\nG. \u201cWith the word, \u2018this,\u2019 he was lifted up: \u2018This is the offering which Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord on the day when he is anointed]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 6:13).<\/p>\n
No. 1 is completed by No. 3, for that is the only way in which we can make sense of the selection of the intersecting verse. No. 2 is inserted, then, solely because of Berekhiah\u2019s version of the same story. This is not impressive editing, but the base verse and intersecting one do work well together, 3.G.<\/p>\n
VIII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd he said to them, \u2018Out of the eater came something to eat, out of the strong came something sweet\u2019 \u201d (Jud. 14:14).
\nB. Said R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah, \u201cWhen the Holy Spirit began to ring in Samson, it was in three locations that it began.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the spirit of the Lord began to stir him in Mehaneh-dan, between Zorah and Eshtaol\u2019 \u201d (Jud. 13:25).
\nD. What is the meaning of, \u201c\u2026 between Zorah and Eshtaol?\u201d
\nE. R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis:
\nF. (Y. Sot. 1:8:) R. Judah said, \u201cWhen the Holy Spirit rested upon him, he could take in a single step a pace as from Zorah to Eshtaol.\u201d
\nG. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cWhen the Holy Spirit rested upon him, the hair [on his head] stiffened and knocked together like a bell, and the noise went from Zorah to Eshtaol.\u201d
\nH. (Y. lacks:) Rabbis said, \u201cWhen the Holy Spirit rested upon him, he could take two mountains and knock them together, just as an ordinary man could take two pebbles and knock them together.\u201d
\nI. \u201cThen Samson went down with his father and mother to Timnah, and he came to the vineyards of Timnah. And behold, a young lion [roared against him;] and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he tore the lion asunder as one tears a kid; [and he had nothing in his hand]\u201d (Jud. 14:5\u20136).
\nJ. \u201cWhen he came to Lehi, the Philistines came shouting to meet him, and the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and the ropes which were on his arms [became as flax that has caught fire, and his bonds melted off his hands, and he found a fresh jawbone of an ass, and put out his hand and seized it, and with it he slew a thousand men]\u201d (Jud. 15:14\u201315).
\nK. \u201cAnd the spirit of the Lord came mightily upon him, and he went down to Ashkelon and killed thirty men of the town and took their spoil [and gave the festal garments to those who had told the riddle]\u201d (Jud. 14:19).
\nL. He said, \u201cI shall go and see the carcass of the lion.\u201d \u201cAnd after a while he returned to take her; and he turned aside to see the carcass of the lion, and behold, there was a swarm of bees [in the body of the lion, and honey.] He scraped it out into his hands and went on, eating as he went; and he came to his father and mother and gave some to them, and they ate. But he did not tell them that he had taken the honey from the carcass of the lion\u201d (Jud. 14:8\u20139).
\nM. Now Samson was astonished [at what he had seen], saying, \u201cThe lion eats all the other beasts, but now food comes forth from him!\u201d
\nN. So Aaron and his sons eat all of the sacrifices, now let an offering come forth from him: \u201cThis is the offering which Aaron and his sons shall offer [to the Lord on the day when he is anointed]\u201d (Lev. 6:13 [RSV: 6:19]).<\/p>\n
The exegete finds a paradox at Lev. 6:13, expressed at 1.N. That is the purpose of including the construction. But, as usual, the exegesis of the intersecting verse takes up most attention. Fundamental to the whole are 1.A\u2013B, C, then D\u2013H, as well as the specifications at I, J, K, amplify the cited verse, C. But the exegesis of the base verse requires only A, M\u2013N. These appear to be tacked on to an existing construction, since B\u2013K do their work in splendid indifference to what the ultimate redactor wished to say. The point of his message is rather hostile to the priesthood. For, after all, the rather paltry offering of Aaron and his sons comes on the day on which they took up their lucrative positions, so it would appear a rather sarcastic observation.<\/p>\n
VIII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to the] body [of the matter]: said R. Idi, \u201cDavid greatly desired [to offer] offerings such as were brought by princes [heads of the tribes of Israel (Num. 7)]. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I will offer to you burnt offerings of fatlings, with the smoke of the sacrifice of rams; I will make an offering of bulls and goats\u2019 [Ps. 66:15].
\nB. \u201cNow you have no example of an offering that encompasses young bulls, rams, and sheep, except for the sacrifice of the princes, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And for the sacrifice of peace offerings, [two oxen, five rams, five male goats, and five males lambs a year old]\u2019 \u201d (Num. 7:17: the offering of Nahshon, son of Amminadab).
\n2. A. R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis:
\nB. R. Judah said, \u201cThe offering brought by the princes [at Num. 7:12ff.] was as precious before the Holy One, blessed be he, as the song that the Israelites sang at the Red Sea.
\nC. \u201cIn the song, it is written, \u2018This is my God, and I shall praise him\u2019 [Ex. 15:2]. And so too it is written, \u2018This is the offering\u2019 \u201d (Num. 7:17).
\nD. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cThe offering brought by the princes was as precious before the Holy One, blessed be he, as the two tablets of the covenant.
\nE. \u201cIn connection with the tablets it is written, \u2018On this side and on this side were they written\u2019 [Ex. 32:15]. And so too it is written, \u2018This is the offering \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Num. 7:17).
\nF. And rabbis say, \u201cThe offering brought by Aaron was as precious before the Holy One, blessed be he, as the offering brought by the princes.
\nG. \u201cIn connection with the offering brought by the princes, it is said, \u2018This is the offering \u2026\u2019 [Num. 7:17].
\nH. \u201cAnd in reference to the offering brought by Aaron, it is written, \u2018This is the offering which Aaron and his sons shall offer\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 6:13).
\n3. A. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cThe offering brought by Aaron was as precious before the Holy One, blessed be he, as were the twelve tribes [all together].
\nB. \u201cWhat is the Scriptural proof for that claim? The numerical value of the letters of the word \u2018this\u2019 (ZH) is seven for the Z and five for the H, lo, twelve in all. [Hence, \u2018This is the offering\u2019 covers the numerical value of the twelve of the twelve tribes.]\u201d<\/p>\n
The appearance of the word \u201cbody,\u201d normally indicating a return to the main point of discourse, is wildly out of place. For the point of the construction comes only at the end, No. 3. And No. 3 stands independent of the foregoing. The relationship after the fact is self-evident. But Berekhiah\u2019s saying can have been made up without reference to any element of No. 2. Once joined to No. 2, of course, No. 3 makes a good fit, because No. 3 picks up the theme of the twelve tribes and their princes\u2019 offering on which Num. 7\u2019s account rests. To come from the other end, No. 1 likewise serves as a good introduction to No. 2, since its proof text derives from Num. 7:17ff. But it too stands independent of No. 2. So we have three autonomous units, each of which can have been made up on its own, but all of which form a rather smooth exegesis of the offering of the princes, No. 2. How so? No. 1 introduces the matter, No. 2 spells it out, and No. 3 exploits the outcome. To all of this, Lev. 6:13 is hardly a critical element. On that basis we may not suppose that the passage has been constructed to serve Lev. 6:13.<\/p>\n
VIII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[This is the offering which Aaron and his sons shall offer to the Lord] on the day when he is anointed: a tenth of an ephah of fine flour [as a regular cereal offering]\u201d (Lev. 6:13).
\nB. (Y. Yoma 1:1:) R. Yohanan in the name of R. Simeon b. Yehosedeq, \u201c[The reference to the offering of Aaron] teaches that bringing the tenth ephah of fine flour is essential to the [rite of recognizing] the priority of Aaron and his sons [as priests. Without bringing the cereal offering on the day on which they are inducted, priests are not validly consecrated, and any offering they bring is null].\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cA tenth of an ephah of fine flour as a regular cereal offering [half of it in the morning and half in the evening]\u201d (Lev. 6:13).
\nB. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi said, \u201cCome and take note of how concerned is the Omnipresent not to waste Israel\u2019s resources.
\nC. \u201c[The law] has stated that if someone is obligated to bring an offering let him bring an ox: \u2018If his offering is a burnt offering of the herd\u2019 [Lev. 1:3].
\nD. \u201cIf he did not find resources to bring an ox, let him bring a lamb: \u2018If his offering is a lamb\u2019 [Lev. 3:7].
\nE. \u201cIf he did not find resources to bring a lamb, let him bring a goat: \u2018If his offering is a goat\u2019 [Lev. 3:12].
\nF. \u201cIf he did not find resources to bring [a goat], let him bring a bird: \u2018And if his offering is a bird\u2019 [Lev. 1:14].
\nG. \u201cIf he did not find resources to bring a bird, let him bring some cereal.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Cereal will be his offering\u2019 [Lev. 2:1].
\nI. \u201cAnd not only so, but no other offerings may be brought by halves [but must be offered complete], while this one may be brought by halves: \u2018Half of it in the morning and half in the evening\u2019 [Lev. 6:20].
\nJ. \u201cAnd not only so, but whoever offers up [such an offering] is credited by Scripture as if he had offered up [a sacrifice] from one end of the world to the other. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For from the rising of the sun [\u201chalf in the morning\u201d] to the setting of the sun [\u201chalf in the evening\u201d] my name is great among the nations, and in every place offerings are presented to my name, [even a pure meal offering]\u2019 \u201d (Mal. 1:11).<\/p>\n
No. 1 derives a normative rule from the verse at hand, something we have not seen to this point. The passage is not particular to our composition. No. 2 presents a systematic essay on how any small offering will suffice. The message, however, is ironic. Since a meal offering\u2014the least of them all\u2014serves as if one has offered up sacrifices over the entire world, the more costly sacrifices must be deemed excessive and unnecessary. The consecration of the high priest is accomplished by the most modest sort of offering, given by halves no less! In Joshua\u2019s construction there is no intersecting verse. Moreover, the exegesis of the base verse is secondary to the moral Joshua wishes to convey. The facts of the verse, rather than the details of its syntax or word choice, provide the base for the teaching.<\/p>\n
Parashah Nine<\/p>\n
IX:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThis is the law governing the sacrifice of peace offerings [\u2026 If he offers it for a thanksgiving]\u201d (Lev. 7:11\u201312).
\nB. \u201cHe who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me; [to him who orders his way aright I will show the salvation of God]\u201d (Ps. 50:23).
\nC. R. Huna in the name of R. Aha said, \u201c \u2018He who brings a sin offering as his sacrifice,\u2019 [or] \u2018he who brings a guilt offering as his sacrifice\u2019 is not written here, rather, \u2018He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Yudan in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana: \u201c \u2018Honors me\u2019 [with a single N, YKBDNY] is not written here, but rather, \u2018honors me\u2019 [with two Ns, thus YKBDNNY]. [The doubling of the N] means that such a one has honored me in this world and honored me in the world to come.
\nB. \u201cAnother interpretation: \u2018Honors me\u2019 [with two Ns] means one expression of honor after another.\u201d
\n3. A. Another interpretation: \u201c \u2018Honors me\u2019 refers to Achan, who sacrificed his impulse to do evil as a thanksgiving offering.\u201d
\nB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen Joshua said to Achan, \u2018My son, give honor to the Lord God of Israel and render a thanksgiving offering [RSV: praise] to him; and tell me now what you have done; do not hide it from me\u2019 \u201d (Josh. 7:19).
\nC. \u201cTo him who orders his way aright [I will show the salvation of God]\u201d (Ps. 50:23).
\nD. For [Achan] showed the way to those who repent.
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThe sons of Zerah: Zimri [understood as Achan], Ethan, Heman, Calcol, and Dara, five in all\u201d (1 Chron. 2:6).
\nF. Zimri:
\nG. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201c[Achan is called Zimri] because he did the same sort of deed that Zimri did.\u201d
\nH. R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cThe reason is that the Israelites were cut down [ZMR] on his account.\u201d
\nI. Ethan:
\nJ. This refers to Abraham, our father.
\nK. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cMaschil of Ethan the Ezrahite\u201d (Ps. 89:1).
\nL. Heman:
\nM. This refers to Moses: \u201cMoses is trusted [ne\u2019eman] in all my house\u201d (Num. 12:7).
\nN. Calcol:
\nO. This refers to Joseph [who sustained, KLKL, Egypt].
\nP. \u201cAnd Dara, five in all.\u201d
\nQ. Do we not know that they are five in all? But this [inclusive clause] teaches that Achan also was numbered with them [Abraham, Moses, Joseph] in the world to come.
\nR. \u201cI will show the salvation of God\u201d (Ps. 50:23).
\nS. This day you are troubled [\u201cThe Lord shall trouble you this day\u201d (Josh. 7:25)], but you will not be troubled in the world to come.<\/p>\n
The base text is Lev. 7:12, which refers to the thanksgiving, and not Lev. 7:11, which does not. The explicit citation of the beginning of a clause and the omission of the operative language, which comes only at the end, is routine. The intersecting verse refers to the thanksgiving as a sacrifice, and the point is expressed at 1.C. No. 2 provides an independent expansion of the intersecting verse. No. 3 carries this matter forward, because of the reference at Josh. 7:19 to giving honor to the Lord. Then the rest of No. 3 works its way through the interplay between Josh. 7:19 and Ps. 50:23. (The identification of Zimri and Achan comes to explicit expression at B. B.B. 15a.) What we have at No. 3 bears no relationship to the base verse. Once the intersecting verse is introduced, a set of materials pertinent to that verse very commonly will make an appearance. There is no reason to see No. 3 as an assemblage created for the purpose of the present composite, and, it must follow, the same is the case for No. 2. How so? 2.A clearly points toward 3.S. So the base verse and the intersecting verse complete their work at 1.C. The main point then is that the thanksgiving offering is superior to the others, because it does not accomplish anything for the sacrificer but express his gratitude to God. But that, of course, scarcely requires a sacrifice anyhow.<\/p>\n
IX:II<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201c[He who brings thanksgiving as his sacrifice honors me;] to him who orders his way aright [I will show the salvation of God]\u201d (Ps. 50:23). This [\u201cordering his way aright\u201d] refers to those who remove stones from the way.
\nB. Another interpretation: \u201cTo him who orders his way aright.\u201d This refers to the scribes, Mishnah teachers, and those who teach children in true faith.
\nC. Another interpretation: \u201cTo him who orders his way aright.\u201d This refers to the shopkeepers who sell [only] full-tithed produce to the public.
\nD. R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Yudan in the name of R. Menahem b. R. Yos\u00e9: \u201cThese are those who kindle light for the public [thoroughfare].\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cSaul attained the merit of taking over sovereignty [of Israel] only on account of his grandfather\u2019s [right action in] kindling light for the public [thoroughfare].
\nB. \u201cThey say that there were dark alleys between his house and the synagogue, so he would kindle lights in them so as to illuminate the public [thoroughfare].\u201d
\nC. One verse of Scripture states, \u201cAnd Ner [light] begat Kish\u201d (1 Chron. 8:33), while another states, \u201cKish, son of Abiel\u201d (1 Sam. 9:1). How so? He was really called Abiel, but because he would kindle light for the public [thoroughfare], he was called Ner [light].<\/p>\n
After four further interpretations of the meaning of the cited clause of Ps. 50:23, No. 1, a substantial secondary expansion as the last of these is worked out, No. 2.<\/p>\n
IX:III<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: [The Hebrew for] \u201cto him who orders his way aright\u201d [is] written with a shin [which sustains the meaning], one who calculates his way will greatly prosper.
\nB. M\u02bfSH B: Yannai was walking along the way and a man who was most elegantly fitted out met him.
\nC. [Yannai assumed from his fine clothing that he was a disciple of a sage], and said to the man, \u201cWill my lord accept our [Yannai\u2019s] hospitality?\u201d
\nD. He said to him, \u201cDo as pleases you.\u201d
\nE. [Yannai] took him home and asked him questions about Scripture, but did not find him [knowledgeable], likewise for Mishnah, likewise for Talmud, likewise for matters of lore.
\nF. [Yannai] said to him, \u201cSay the blessing [after meals].\u201d
\nG. The man said to him, \u201cLet Yannai say the blessing [of food after meals] in his own home.\u201d
\nH. Yannai said to him, \u201cCan you repeat what I shall say to you?\u201d
\nI. The man said, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nJ. He said to him, \u201cSay: A dog has eaten Yannai\u2019s bread.\u201d
\nK. The man arose and seized [Yannai], saying to him, \u201cDo you have my inheritance [control it], that you taunt me?\u201d
\nL. \u201cWell, what sort of inheritance of yours is with me [do I have]?\u201d
\nM. He said to him, \u201cThe [inheritance to which] children refer: \u2018Moses commanded the Torah for us as an inheritance [of the community of Jacob]\u2019 [Deut. 33:4]. \u2018The community of Yannai\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018the community of Jacob.\u2019 \u201d
\nN. When the two had become reconciled to one another, [Yannai] said to him, \u201cOn what basis, then, did you have the merit of eating at my table?\u201d
\nO. He said to him, \u201cIn my entire life, when I heard a nasty word, I never brought it back to the one about whom it was said, and when I saw two people fighting, I always brought peace between them.\u201d
\nP. He said to him, \u201cAll this [honorable behavior in] the right way (DRK\u2019RS) is to your credit, and I called you a dog!\u201d
\nQ. He recited concerning this man, \u201c \u2018To him who orders his way (DRK) aright I will show the salvation of God\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 50:23).
\n2. A. The word for [to him who orders his way aright] is written with a shin [which sustains the meaning,] one who calculates his way will greatly prosper.
\nB. This is in line with that which R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman said, \u201c[Honorable behavior in] the right way (DRK) came twenty-six generations before the Torah [and so is prior].\u201d
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cTo keep the way (DRK) of the tree of life\u201d (Gen. 3:23).
\nD. \u201cThe way\u201d refers to [honorable behavior in] the right way.
\nE. And afterward, \u201cThe tree of life\u201d refers to the Torah. [So derekh eres is prior to Torah learning.]
\n3. A. \u201cI will show the salvation of God\u201d\u2014
\nB. Said R. Abbahu, \u201cThis is one of the verses [to indicate that] the salvation of Israel is the salvation of the Holy One, blessed be he: \u2018The salvation that is yours is [also] ours\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 80:3).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse serves as the climax of No. 1. The exegesis rests on the reference to \u201cthe way\u201d (DRK) that is set correctly, for the rabbinic exegete calling to mind the matter of derekh eres, honorable and correct behavior. As soon as derekh eres comes up, of course, the complement and opposite, Torah, or learning in Torah, enters discourse. The result is the contrast between Yannai\u2019s knowledge of Torah and the man\u2019s ignorance, Yannai\u2019s lack of derekh eres for the man and the man\u2019s obvious mastery of derekh eres. The inclusion of the story therefore may be explained as a decision flowing out of conventional resonances: from derekh to derekh eres, from derekh eres to torah, then the polemical contrast between the learned boor and the ignorant saint. None of this has any bearing on the base verse. It forms part of the collection of materials closely linked to the intersecting one. No. 2 then makes the same point again, this time through exegetical, rather than narrative, discourse. No. 3 goes on to make a fresh point, which is left undeveloped.<\/p>\n
IX:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Phineas, \u201c[The priority of the thanksgiving offering] may be compared to the case of a king, to whom his tenant farmers and staff came to pay homage.
\nB. \u201cOne of them came and the king said, \u2018Who is this one?\u2019
\nC. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018He is your tenant.\u2019
\nD. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Take it [his offering] and display it.\u2019
\nE. \u201cAnother came, and the king said, \u2018Who is this one?\u2019
\nF. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018He is a member of your staff.\u2019
\nG. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Take it and display it.\u2019
\nH. \u201cAnother came and the king said, \u2018Who is this one?\u2019
\nI. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018He is neither your tenant farmer nor a member of your staff, and he has come only to pay honor to you.\u2019
\nJ. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Give him a throne and seat him on it [in honor].\u2019
\nK. \u201cSo too, a sin offering is brought because one has sinned, and a guilt offering is brought because one has sinned.
\nL. \u201cBut as to a thanksgiving offering, which is not brought because of sin: \u2018If he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he [God himself] shall offer it\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 7:12).<\/p>\n
The unit is autonomous. It bears no intersecting verse and concentrates only on the base one\u2019s statement, \u201cIf he offers it for a thanksgiving, then he shall offer \u2026\u201d The meaning is that if the sacrificer offers the animal as a thanksgiving, then God himself will offer it. This preference for the thanksgiving form of the offering, untainted as it is by sin, repeats the point at which we began at IX:I.<\/p>\n
IX:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe fool proclaims his guilt\u201d (Prov. 14:9).
\nB. R. Yudan said, \u201cThe idiot announces his own guilt, saying, \u2018Do I not owe a sin offering, and do I not owe a guilt offering?\u2019 [Assuming that an offering is sufficient to expiate his sin or guilt, he forgets that there may be a question of extirpation or even the death penalty for what he has done, assuming instead that his sin or guilt is for little (Margulies).]\u201d
\nC. R. Yudan in the name of R. Levi: \u201c[This verse refers to] people who in this world regard as permitted sexual relations with female slaves [since the penalty is merely bringing an offering for guilt]. The Holy One, blessed be he, in the world to come will hang them up by the hair of their head.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018But God will shatter the heads of his enemies, the hairy crown of him who walks in his guilty ways\u2019 [Ps. 68:22].
\nE. \u201c[In Aramaic, explaining the end of the verse:] Everyone will say, \u2018Let that man go [to perdition, because of] his guilt [offering], let that man go in his guilt [offering].\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe fool proclaims his guilt\u201d (Prov. 14:9).
\nB. This refers to a person who brought an offering but does not gain expiation through it [not repenting along with the offering].
\nC. What should he do?
\nD. Let him go to the tribe of Levi, concerning whom it is written, \u201cHe will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and he will purify the sons of Levi and refine them like gold and silver, till they present right offerings to the Lord\u201d (Mal. 3:3). [So the Levites will teach how to make a right offering, which is through repentance.]
\n3. A. \u201c\u2026 but the upright enjoy his favor\u201d (Prov. 14:9).
\nB. This refers to someone who brought an offering not on account of having sinned.
\nC. \u201cIf he offers it [merely] for a thanksgiving, then [God] shall offer \u2026\u201d (Lev. 7:12).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse, Prov. 14:9, is particularly apt, because, as Yudan points out, it deals with the proper and the improper way in which to bring a sacrifice. The sense imputed by Margulies to 1.B is justified in what follows at No. 2. An offering not accompanied by repentance is null. People assume that merely bringing an offering suffices, as in the case of 1.C. But they are wrong, 1.E. No. 2 makes the same point a second time. The Levites are purified and so learn how to make right offerings, that is, with repentance. No. 3 then makes the basic point that defines the polemic associated with Lev. 7:12. It would be difficult to imagine a more nuanced statement of that simple point.<\/p>\n
IX:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. [Y. Megillah 1:11.IV:] R. Eleazar and R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah:
\nB. R. Eleazar said, \u201cPeace offerings did the children of Noah offer up.\u201d
\nC. R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah said, \u201cBurnt offerings did the children of Noah offer up.\u201d
\nD. R. Eleazar objected to R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah, \u201c[And has it not been written,] \u2018And Abel brought of the firstlings of his flock and of their fat portions. [And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering]\u2019 [Gen. 4:4]? [This indicates that the animals were offered as peace offerings, of] which the fat portions are offered, [not the whole beast].\u201d
\nE. How does R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah [interpret] this [verse]? He offered up their fat parts [along with the whole beast].
\nF. R. Eleazar objected to R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah, \u201c[And lo, it is written,] \u2018And he sent young men of the people of Israel, [who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the Lord]\u2019 [Ex. 24:5]. [This verse explicitly refers to peace offerings.]\u201d
\nG. How does R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah interpret this verse? He reads it in accord with the view of him who said that they were whole in their body [reading the word for peace offerings as \u201cwhole\u201d], meaning that they were not flayed or chopped up.
\nH. R. Eleazar objected to R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah, \u201c[And lo, it is written], \u2018And Jethro, Moses\u2019 father-in-law, offered a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, [and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses\u2019 father-in-law before God]\u2019 [Ex. 18:12]. [This indicates that there were peace offerings as well as burnt offerings.]\u201d
\nI. How does R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah deal with this? He concurs with him who says that it was only after the giving of the Torah that Jethro converted.
\nJ. R. Huna said, \u201cJudah b. Rabbi and R. Yannai differed. One said, \u2018It was after the giving of the Torah that Jethro converted.\u2019 The other said, \u2018It was before the giving of the Torah that Jethro converted.\u2019 \u201d
\nK. He who maintains that it was prior to the giving of the Torah that Jethro converted concurs with him who says that the children of Noah offered peace offerings.
\nL. He who says that it was after the giving of the Torah that Jethro converted concurs with him who said that the children of Noah offered burnt offerings.
\nM. The following supports the position of R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah: \u201cAwake, O north wind, and come, O south wind! [Blow upon my garden, let its fragrance be wafted abroad. Let my beloved come to his garden, and eat its choicest fruits]\u201d (Song 4:16).
\nN. \u201cAwake, O north wind\u201d refers to the burnt offering, which is slaughtered at the north side of the altar.
\nO. And why does Scripture call it [the burnt offering] uri [awake]? It means that this is something that was sleeping [prior to the coming of Israel] and was then awakened [at the building of the Israelite cult].
\nP. \u201cAnd come, O south wind\u201d refers to peace offerings, which are slaughtered at the south side of the altar. Why call it [the peace offering]? It speaks of something \u201ccome south wind\u201d? [This then refutes Yos\u00e9\u2019s view after all.]
\nQ. Also this verse of Scripture supports the view of R. Yos\u00e9 b. Haninah: \u201cThis is the law of the burnt offering, this is [that same] burnt offering\u201d (Lev. 6:9) that the children of Noah had been offering. Now when [Scripture] came to peace offerings, it said, \u2018And this is the law of the sacrifice of peace offerings [which they will offer to the Lord]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 7:11).
\nR. \u201cWhich they offered\u201d is not written here, but rather, \u201cwhich they will offer.\u201d The meaning then is, \u201cfrom now on.\u201d [That supports Yos\u00e9\u2019s view that in olden times peace offerings were not offered.]
\nS. How does R. Eleazar deal with the verse that supports the position of R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Haninah, that is, \u201cAwake, O north wind, [and come, O south wind]\u201d?
\nT. [\u201cAwake, O north wind\u201d]: When the exiles who are located in the north will awake, they will come and make camp in the south.
\nU. \u201cLo, I shall bring them from the north country\u201d (Jer. 31:8).
\nV. When Gog, who is located in the north, will awake, he will come and fall in the south.
\nW. That accords with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cI will turn you about and lead you on and will bring you up from the uttermost parts of the north\u201d (Ez. 39:2).
\nX. When the anointed king [or: king messiah], who is now located in the north, will awake, he will come and rebuild the house of the sanctuary, which is located in the south.
\nY. That accords with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cI have roused up one from the north and he has come\u201d (Is. 41:25).
\nZ. R. Yos\u00e9 in the name of R. Benjamin b. R. Levi: \u201cNow in this world, when the north wind blows, the south wind does not blow, and when the south wind blows, the north wind does not blow. But in the world to come, the Holy One, blessed be he, will say, \u2018I shall bring an argestes wind into the world, which blows from two directions at once.\u2019
\nAA. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I will say to the north, \u201cGive up,\u201d and to the south, \u201cKeep not back\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Is. 43:6).
\nBB. R. Yohanan said, \u201cThe Torah teaches you proper conduct. For a bridegroom does not enter into the marriage canopy until the bride gives him permission to come in. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Let my beloved come into my garden and enjoy its precious fruits\u2019 [Song 4:16], and afterward, \u2018I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride\u2019 \u201d (Song 5:1).<\/p>\n
1. A\u2013R occurs with minor changes at Y. Meg. 1:11.IV, as indicated. The reason for including the passage is the shared theme of the thanksgiving offering. I see no message distinctive to the present context. The framer reveals no effort to demonstrate that the thanksgiving offering is superior in its moral character to any other offering. Lev. 7:11 is not the base verse but merely a proof text. The passage runs on, because the inclusion of a reference to Song 4:16 provokes further exegeses of that passage, none pertinent to the present matter. The entire construction therefore took shape without reference to Lev. 7:12, to which it is indifferent.<\/p>\n
IX:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Phineas and R. Levi and R. Yohanan in the name of R. Menahem of Gallia: \u201cIn time to come all offerings will come to an end, but the thanksgiving offering will not come to an end.<\/p>\n
B. \u201cAll forms of prayer will come to an end, but the thanksgiving prayer will not come to an end.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with that which is written, \u2018The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride,
\nD. \u201c \u2018the voice of them that say, \u201cGive thanks to the Lord of hosts\u201d \u2019 [Jer. 33:11]. This refers to the thanksgiving prayer.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Who bring a thanksgiving offering to the house of the Lord\u2019 [Jer. 33:11]. This refers to the offering of thanksgiving sacrifice.
\nF. \u201cAnd so did David say, \u2018Your vows are incumbent upon me, O God [I will render thanksgivings to you]\u2019 [Ps. 56:13].
\nG. \u201c \u2018I shall render thanksgiving to you\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018I shall render thanksgivings [plural] to you\u2019 [Ps. 56:13].
\nH. \u201cThe reference [of the plural usage], then, is to both the thanksgiving prayer and the thanksgiving offering.\u201d<\/p>\n
The inclusion of the passage is because of the theme of the offering, not the specific framing of the verses that discuss it. But it is appropriate for the present context.<\/p>\n
IX:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Aha, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a governor who came to a town along with bands of toughs [as his troops]. Someone said to his fellow, \u2018[In Aramaic:] That governor is terrifying.\u2019
\nB. \u201cThe other said to him, \u2018Just watch your step [that is, keep the discipline], and you\u2019ll have nothing to be afraid of.\u2019
\nC. \u201cSo too, when the Israelites heard the passage about the requirements of sacrifices, they became frightened. Moses said to them, \u2018Do not be afraid. Just keep yourselves busy with Torah, and you will have nothing to be afraid of.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018This is the Torah governing the burnt offering and the cereal offering\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 7:37).
\n2. A. [\u201cThis is the law of the burnt offering, the cereal offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, the consecration [offering] and the peace offerings\u201d (Lev. 7:37)]. Why are peace offerings listed at the end? Because they encompass many kinds.
\nB. Said R. Simon, \u201cIt is because the assorted dessert comes only at the end. Why? Because it encompasses many different things.
\nC. \u201cSo too, why are peace offerings listed last? Because they encompass many different things: sacrificial parts for the altar, breast and thigh for the priests, hide and meat for the owner.\u201d
\nD. R. Simeon said, \u201cHe who is at peace [with God] brings peace offerings [but does not have to bring sin offerings].\u201d<\/p>\n
Lev. 7:37 is given no intersecting verse, rather two exegeses based on its own wording. No. 1 rests upon the reference to the word \u201ctorah,\u201d bearing the (to the rabbi) obvious sense of Torah study. Study of Torah takes the place of offerings and achieves expiation. The dual sense of C is that, if the Israelites study Torah, they will not sin; but if they do sin, they may study the Torah of the various offerings, in place of the offerings\u2014a somewhat complex message. No. 2 then depends upon the order in which the offerings are listed, asking the obvious question about why the one at the end comes there. The question is answered twice, first at A plus B\u2013C, then at D. A\u2019s point is repeated by Simon. Then Simeon introduces a more figurative sense. What now follows is a long disquisition on peace, a pastiche of materials tacked on to pursue the theme of peace.<\/p>\n
IX:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that all other blessings are included in it: \u2018The Lord will give strength to his people, the Lord will bless his people with peace\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 29:11).
\n2. A. Hezekiah said two things.
\nB. Hezekiah said, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in the matter of how Scripture phrases religious duties. In the case of all other commandments, Scripture states [the conditional], \u2018If you see\u2019 [Ex. 23:5], \u2018If you meet\u2019 [Ex. 23:4], \u2018If it should happen\u2019 [Deut. 22:6]. Accordingly, if the opportunity to carry out a religious duty should come your way, you are supposed to do it, but if not, you are not expected to do it.
\nC. \u201cBut in this case: \u2018Seek peace and pursue it [unconditionally]\u2019 [Ps. 34:15]. [Not only do you] seek peace for your own locale, [but you must] pursue it in another.\u201d
\nD. Hezekiah made a second statement.
\nE. Hezekiah said, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in yet another way. In regard to all the journeyings [of the Israelites] it is written, \u2018They traveled \u2026 and they made camp\u2019 [Num. 33:6ff.]. They traveled in contention, and they made camp in contention.
\nF. \u201cWhen they came before Mount Sinai, all of them became a single camp. [How so?] \u2018The children of Israel made camps\u2019 is not written [in the plural], but rather, \u2018And Israel made a camp [in the singular]\u2019 [Ex. 19:2].
\nG. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Now has come the time for me to give the Torah to my children.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. Bar Qappara made three statements [about peace].
\nB. (Gen. R. 48:18:) Bar Qappara said, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that the Scripture used misleading language in the Torah so as to bring peace between Abraham and Sarah.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verses of Scripture: \u2018[So Sarah laughed to herself, saying,] After I have grown old and my husband is old, shall I have pleasure?\u2019 [Gen. 18:12]. But this was not what [God] told Abraham. Rather: \u2018[Why did Sarah laugh, and say, Shall I indeed bear a child,] now that I am old?\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 18:13).
\nD. Bar Qappara made yet another statement.
\nE. Bar Qappara said, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that the Scripture used misleading language in the prophetic writings so as to bring peace between a man and his wife.
\nF. \u201c \u2018[And the angel of the Lord appeared to the woman and said to her,] Behold now, you are barren and have not borne, but you will conceive and bear a son\u2019 [Jud. 13:3]. But this is not what he had said to Manoah. Rather: \u2018Of all that I said to the woman let her take heed\u2019 [Jud. 13:13]. [Manoah was not told that his wife was barren. Rather, she was not barren but could be made to conceive.] For all that, she [merely] needs some medicine.\u201d
\nG. Bar Qappara made yet another statement.
\nH. Bar Qappara said, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that if [Scripture says] the creatures of the upper world need peace, and they are not subject to jealousy, hatred, competition, contention, lawsuits, arguments, or even illiberality of spirit, [for] \u2018He makes peace in his high places\u2019 [Job 25:3],
\nI. \u201cthe creatures down here on earth, who certainly exhibit all these traits, all the more so [need peace, which then is the most important virtue].\u201d
\n4. A. (Gen. R. 100:8:) Said Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that Scripture used misleading language in order to bring peace between Joseph and his brothers.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: [\u2018And they sent a message to Joseph, saying, \u201cYour father commanded before he died, saying,] \u2018So shall you say to Joseph, Forgive, I pray you, the sin of the servants of the God of your father\u2019 \u201d \u2019 [Gen. 50:16\u201317].
\nC. \u201cBut we do not find in Scripture that Jacob had given any such instructions.\u201d
\n5. A. Said R. Yos\u00e9 the Galilean, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that even in times of war, one should open discourse with talk of peace.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018When you draw near to a city to fight against it, you will offer peace to it\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 20:10).
\n6. A. Said R. Yudan b. R. Joseph, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that the name of the Holy One, blessed be he, is Peace.
\nB. \u201cFor it is said, \u2018And he called him, \u201cLord, Peace\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Jud. 6:24).
\nC. Said R. Tanhum, \u201cOn the basis of this story, [we learn that] it is forbidden for a person to greet his fellow in a filthy place.\u201d
\n7. A. R. Ishmael taught, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that the great name [of God], which is written in a state of sanctification, did the Holy One, blessed be he, instruct to have blotted out in water, if only to bring peace between a man and his wife.\u201d
\nB. (Y. Meg. 1:4:) R. Meir would sit and expound [the Torah] on Sabbath nights. A certain woman would attend regularly. [Once] when his exposition ran on, she remained until he was finished. When she got home, she found that the lamp had gone out. Her husband said to her, \u201cWhere were you?\u201d
\nC. She said to him, \u201cI was in the session and listening to the exposition.\u201d
\nD. He said to her, \u201cYou will not come in here until you go and spit in the face of the expositor.\u201d
\nE. She stayed away [from home] one week, then a second, then a third. Her neighbors said to her, \u201cAre you people still mad at one another? Let us go with you to the expositor.\u201d
\nF. When R. Meir saw them, he understood through the Holy Spirit [what was going on]. He said to the women, \u201cAmong you is there a woman who is knowledgeable about whispering over [treating] a sore eye?\u201d
\nG. Her neighbors said to her, \u201cIf you go and spit in his face, you will be permitted to go back to your husband.\u201d
\nH. But when the woman sat down before him, she became afraid of him. She said to him, \u201cMy lord, I am not really an expert at whispering over a sore eye.\u201d
\nI. He said to her, \u201cSpit in my face seven times, and I\u2019ll get better.\u201d
\nJ. She spit in his face seven times. He said to her, \u201cGo and tell your husband, \u2018You said to do it once, but I did it seven times.\u2019 \u201d
\nK. His disciples said to him, \u201cMy lord, is that the way people should abuse the Torah? Could you not have told one of us to whisper [over your eye] for you?\u201d
\nL. He said to them, \u201cIs it not sufficient [honor] for Meir to be merely equal to his Creator?
\nM. \u201cFor R. Ishmael has taught, \u2018The greatness of peace is shown in that the great name [of God], which is written in a state of sanctification, did the Holy One, blessed be he, instruct to have blotted out in water, if only to bring peace between a man and his wife.\u2019 \u201d
\n8. A. R. Simeon b. Haleputa said, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown by the fact that, when the Holy One, blessed be he, created his world, he made peace between the creatures of the upper world and the ones of the lower world.
\nB. \u201cOn the first day, he created some in the upper world and some in the lower world. That is in line with the verse of Scripture: \u2018In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth\u2019 [Gen. 1:1].
\nC. \u201cOn the second day he created creatures of the upper world. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And God said, Let the firmament appear in the midst of the water\u2019 [Gen. 1:6].
\nD. \u201cOn the third day, he created creatures of the lower world, as it is said, \u2018And God said, Let the water be gathered together\u2019 [Gen. 1:9].
\nE. \u201cOn the fourth day, he created creatures of the upper world, as it is said, \u2018And God said, Let there be lights \u2026\u2019 [Gen. 1:14].
\nF. \u201cOn the fifth day he created creatures of the lower world, as it is said, \u2018Let the waters teem with creeping things\u2019 [Gen. 1:20].
\nG. \u201cOn the sixth day, he came to create man. God said, \u2018If I make him out of materials of the upper world, lo, the creatures of the upper world exceed the creatures of the lower world by one creature. If I make him of the lower world, lo, the creatures of the lower world will exceed the creatures of the upper world by one creature.\u2019
\nH. \u201cSo what did he do?
\nI. \u201cHe created him out of materials of both the upper world and the lower world.
\nJ. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Then the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground\u2019 [Gen. 2:7]. That is so that he would be one of the creatures of the lower world.
\nK. \u201c \u2018And he blew into his nostrils the breath of life\u2019 [Gen. 2:7]. Lo, in this regard, he was one with the creatures of the upper world.\u201d
\n9. A. R. Mani of Sha\u2019ab and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in that all of the blessings, good [tidings], and messages of consolation, which the Holy One, blessed be he, brings for Israel, conclude with reference to peace.
\nB. \u201cIn the recitation of the Shema, [the prayer ends], \u2018\u2026 who spreads his tent of peace \u2026\u2019
\nC. \u201cIn the case of the Prayer, \u2018\u2026 source of blessings, who makes peace.\u2019
\nD. \u201cIn the blessing said by the priests: \u2018And may he give you peace\u2019 [Num. 6:26].
\nE. \u201cI know that that is the case for blessings. How shall we find out whether that is the case, also, in the matter of the specification of sacrifices?
\nF. \u201c \u2018This is the law of the burnt offering, of the cereal offering, [of the sin offering, of the guilt offering, of the consecration, and of the peace offerings]\u2019 [Lev. 7:37].
\nG. \u201cI know that that is the case when the matter is stated as a summary. How do I know that that is also the rule when each item is treated by itself?
\nH. \u201c \u2018This is the law governing the burnt offering\u2019 [Lev. 6:2], \u2018This is the law governing the cereal offering\u2019 [Lev. 6:7], \u2018This is the law governing the sin offering\u2019 [Lev. 6:18], \u2018This is the law governing the guilt offering\u2019 [Lev. 7:1], \u2018This is the law governing the sacrifice of peace offerings\u2019 [Lev. 7:11], [thus specifying the peace offering at the end].
\nI. \u201cI know that that is the case when we speak of sacrifices brought by an individual. But how do I know that the same rule applies to offerings brought by the community?
\nJ. \u201c \u2018These you shall offer to the Lord at your appointed feasts, [in addition to your votive offerings and your freewill offerings, for your burnt offerings and for your cereal offerings and for your drink offerings and for your peace offerings]\u2019 [Num. 29:39].
\nK. \u201cI know only that that is the rule in this world. How do I know that it is the rule for the world to come?
\nL. \u201c \u2018Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river\u2019 \u201d [Is. 66:12].
\nM. Rabbis say, \u201cThe greatness of peace is shown in the fact that, when the anointed king comes, he will begin with peace, as it is said, \u2018How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger of good tidings, who announces peace\u2019 \u201d (Is. 52:7).<\/p>\n
The purpose of including the entire construction on peace is achieved in the final entry, 8.G\u2013H. Yet the passage at hand is merely part of the larger statement\u2014and surely not the point and goal for which the whole was put together. So the work of assembling materials on the theme of the importance of peace was completed before the entire assemblage was inserted here. IX:VIII.2.D, Simeon\u2019s statement, explains tacking on this massive collection. The items clearly have been drawn from a number of diverse sources. None has any point of contact with any other, apart from the overall theme. The work of sewing the whole group together consisted in adding, at the outset, the formula about how the following story or saying shows us the importance of peace. Then the rest follows. We need not assume that a single hand has revised the whole so as to include the opening formula. A common theological-literary convention on framing statements showing the importance of peace may well have defined discourse among various circles and settings. It comes down to the same thing.
\nFrom our viewpoint, the issue is whether or not the composite has been made up to serve the interests of the exegesis of Leviticus in particular. It has not. Further, we wish to know whether the passage was inserted where it is on account of the particular exegetical needs or promise of the base verse, Lev. 7:37. It was not. The work of making up the construction and its several components bears no relationship whatever to the exegesis of Leviticus. Including the composition proves at best an afterthought.<\/p>\n
Parashah Ten<\/p>\n
X:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses,] \u2018Take Aaron [and his sons with him, and the garments, the anointing oil, the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble all the congregation at the door of the tent of meeting]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 8:1\u20133).
\nB. (Gen. R. 39:6:) \u201cYou love righteousness and hate wickedness, [therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows]\u201d (Ps. 45:7).
\nC. R. Yudan in the name of R. Azariah interpreted the verse to speak of Abraham, our father:
\nD. \u201cWhen [Abraham] was pleading for mercy for the people of Sodom, he said before him, \u2018Lord of the world! You have taken an oath that you will not bring a flood upon the world.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For this is like the days of Noah to me; as I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so I have sworn that I will not be angry with you and will not rebuke you\u2019 [Is. 54:9].
\nF. \u201c \u2018Now [Abraham continued], it is a flood of water that you will not bring, but a flood of fire you will bring! Then you turn out to practice deception with regard to the oath.
\nG. \u201c \u2018If so, you will not carry out the obligation of your oath.\u2019
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse: \u2018Far be it from you to do such a thing!\u2019 [Gen. 18:25].
\nI. \u201cHe said before him, \u2018Far be it from you \u2026 shall not the judge of all the earth do justly\u2019 [Gen. 18:25].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018If [Abraham continued], you want true justice, there will be no world left, and if you want a world, there can be no strict justice.
\nK. [In Aramaic:] \u201c \u2018You hold the rope by both ends: You want a world, and you want true justice. If you don\u2019t let go a little, your world cannot endure.\u2019
\nL. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Abraham, you have loved righteousness\u2019 (Ps. 45:7). You love to show my creatures to be righteous.
\nM. \u201c \u2018You have hated wickedness.\u2019 You hate declaring them to be guilty.
\nN. \u201c \u2018Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.\u2019
\nO. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018above your fellows\u2019?
\nP. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018By your life, among the ten generations from Noah to you, I shall not speak with anyone of them, but one with you shall I speak.\u2019
\nQ. \u201c \u2018After these things, the word of the Lord came to Abraham\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 15:1).<\/p>\n
The intersecting text proves appropriate because of the shared reference to anointing someone with oil. Then the first focus of exegesis is not on a priest, such as Aaron, but on Abraham. Nothing in the exegesis of the intersecting verse leads us back to the base verse. However, in a moment we shall reach Aaron. Despite a few Aramaic translations, the passage reads smoothly. As at Gen. R. 39:6, the passage surely serves Gen. 15:1 more aptly than Lev. 8:1\u20133.<\/p>\n
X:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Azariah in the name of R. Judah b. R. Simon interpreted the verse [\u201cYou love righteousness and hate wickedness, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows\u201d (Ps. 45:7)] to speak of Isaiah:
\nB. \u201cSaid Isaiah, \u2018I was strolling in my study house, and I heard the voice of the Holy One [blessed be he] saying, \u201cWhom shall I send? And who will go for us\u201d [Is. 6:8].
\nC. \u201c \u2018 \u201cWhen I sent Micah, they hit him on the cheek.\u201d \u2019
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018They smite the judge of Israel with a rod upon the cheek\u2019 [Mic. 5:1].
\nE. \u201c \u2018 \u201cWhen I sent Amos, they called him the stammerer.\u201d \u2019
\nF. \u201c[Isaiah] said, \u2018The Holy One, blessed be he, had no one better upon whom to cause his Presence to rest than that tongue-tied stammerer!\u2019 \u201d
\nG. Said R. Phineas, \u201cWhy was he called Amos? Because his tongue was heavy-laden (amus).\u201d
\nH. \u201c \u2018 \u201cWhom shall I send, and who will go for us?\u201d \u2019
\nI. \u201cForthwith: \u2018And I said, Here am I! Send me!\u2019 [Is. 6:8].
\nJ. \u201c[God] said to him, \u2018Isaiah, my children are depraved, they are troublesome. If you agree to be humiliated and beaten up by my children, you may go on my mission, but if not, you may not go on my mission.\u2019
\nK. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018[I agree] on that condition: \u201cI gave my back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them who pulled out the hair\u201d (Is. 50:6). Am I not worthy of going on a mission to your children?\u2019
\nL. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Isaiah, You love righteousness. You love to show my children to be righteous.
\nM. \u201c \u2018 \u201cYou hate wickedness.\u201d You hate declaring them to be guilty.\u2019
\nN. \u201c \u2018Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.\u2019
\nO. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018above your fellows\u2019?
\nP. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018By your life! In the case of all other prophets, they each received the power of prophecy from another prophet: \u201cAnd he took of the spirit that was upon him and put it on the seventy elders\u201d [Num. 11:25]. \u201cAnd they said, \u2018The spirit of Elijah rests on Elisha\u2019 \u201d (2 Kings 2:15).
\nQ. \u201c \u2018But you [receive the gift of prophecy] directly from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be he: \u201cThe spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me\u201d [Is. 61:1].
\nR. \u201c \u2018By your life! All the other prophets prophecy prophecies without repetition, but you [will prophecy] words of consolation that are [even] repeated: \u201cArise, arise\u201d [Is. 51:9], \u201cAwake, awake\u201d [Is. 51:17], \u201cRejoice, yes, I will rejoice\u201d [Is. 61:10], \u201cI, even I, am he who comforts you\u201d [Is. 51:12], \u201cComfort you, comfort you, my people\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Is. 40:1).<\/p>\n
The form is identical to that of the foregoing. With the change in the identity of the hero of Ps. 45:7 comes a shift in the materials at hand. So the established form has no bearing on how the exegesis will play itself out. Aaron will now make his appearance, and, given the focus of our composition, placing him at the conclusion and climax is to be expected. Since X.I appears by itself at Gen. R., we can readily credit our compositor with the work of assembling the whole to serve Lev. 8:1.<\/p>\n
X:III<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana interpreted the verse to speak of Aaron [\u201cYou love righteousness and hate wickedness, therefore God, your God, has anointed you with oil of gladness above your fellows\u201d (Ps. 45:7)].
\nB. \u201cWhen the Israelites did that dreadful deed, first of all they went to Hur. They said to him, \u2018Come, make a God for us\u2019 [Ex. 32:1]. When he would not listen to them, they ganged up on him and killed him.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Also on your skirts is found the lifeblood of guiltless poor. You did not find them breaking in, yet in spite of all these things, [you say, \u201cI am innocent\u201d]\u2019 [Jer. 2:34] It was because [Hur and the elders] did not do [what they wanted and say], \u2018These are your Gods\u2019 [Ex. 32:2].
\nD. \u201cThen they went to Aaron. They said to him, \u2018Come, make a god for us.\u2019
\nE. \u201cWhen Aaron heard this, he was frightened. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And Aaron was frightened and he understood from the slaughtering\u2019 [Ex. 33:5]. He was afraid when he saw the slaughtered man before him.
\nF. \u201cSo Aaron said, \u2018What shall I do? Lo, they have killed Hur, who was a prophet. Now if they kill me too, and I am a priest, then the verse of Scripture will be fulfilled in their deed: \u201cShould priest and prophet be slained in the sanctuary of the Lord\u201d [Lam. 2:20], and then the Israelites will forthwith go into exile [as penalty for their deed. Better build the cow]\u2019 \u201d (see B. San. 7a).
\n2. A. Another interpretation of, \u201cAnd Aaron saw [this and built an altar before it\u201d (Ex. 32:5).
\nB. What did he see? \u201cIf they build it, this one will bring a stone, and that one will bring a stone, and the work will be done all at once. If I build it, I shall drag the work on, and during that time, Moses, our lord, will come down.\u201d
\nC. \u201c[Furthermore, if they build it,] the acts of service on it will be for the purpose of idolatry. But if I build it, I shall build it for the sake of the Holy One, blessed be he.\u201d
\nD. \u201cAnd Aaron proclaimed and said, \u2018Tomorrow there will be a feast to the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 32:5). It is not written \u201cTomorrow there will be a feast to the calf\u201d but \u201cto the Lord.\u201d
\n3. A. Another interpretation of, \u201cAnd Aaron saw this and built an altar before it\u201d (Ex. 32:5):
\nB. What did he see? He said, \u201cIf they built it, the [guilt for this terrible] sin will be assigned to them. It is better that it should be assigned to me and not to all Israel.\u201d
\nC. R. Abba bar Yudan in the name of R. Aha, \u201cThe matter may be compared to a prince who became very arrogant and took a sword to slice up his father.
\nD. \u201cHis tutor said to him, \u2018Don\u2019t you trouble yourself. Let me do it, and I\u2019ll slice him up.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThe king looked at him and said to him, \u2018I know full well the real intent of your plan. You thought it is better that the guilt for the sin apply to yourself and not to my son. By your life, you will never set foot outside of my palace, and the best food of my table you will eat, and twenty-four taxes you will collect.\u2019 \u201d
\nF. \u201c \u2018You will not set foot outside my palace:\u2019 \u2018From the sanctuary he will not go forth\u2019 [Lev. 21:12].
\nG. \u201c \u2018And the best food of my table you will eat\u2019: \u2018That which is left of the meal offering will belong to Aaron and his sons\u2019 (Lev. 2:3).
\nH. \u201c \u2018Twenty-four taxes you will collect\u2019: this refers to the twenty-four gifts that are owing to the priesthood, which were assigned to Aaron and his sons.\u201d
\n4. A. \u201cHe said to Aaron, \u2018You love righteousness.\u2019 You love to show my children to be righteous.
\nB. \u201c \u2018You hate wickedness\u2019 You hate declaring them to be guilty.
\nC. \u201c \u2018Therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows.\u2019
\nD. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018above your fellows\u2019?
\nE. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018By your life! Of the entire tribe of Levi, only you will be selected to serve as high priest: Take Aaron and his sons with him\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 8:2).<\/p>\n
When we reach Aaron, we find that the basic form is somewhat expanded. However, recognizing that Nos. 2 and 3 interrupt the established pattern, we may move from No. 1 directly to No. 4, with the result that the appropriate version is at hand. The climax then is powerful, bringing us back from the intersecting verse, very amply spelled out through application to the patriarch, prophet, and now priest and the base verse. The net effect, of course, is to vindicate Aaron, despite his having built the calf. But this is accomplished only by making the priest\u2019s vindication depend upon his devotion to the people. Still, No. 3 carries the matter to an extreme. The concluding lines, No. 4, surely achieve complete success by the aesthetic criteria of the present genre.<\/p>\n
X:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cRescue those who are being taken away to death; hold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter\u201d (Prov. 24:11)
\nB. [In Aramaic:] Antonius came up to our master [Judah the Patriarch]. He found him in session, with his disciples before him. He said to him, \u201cAre these the ones of whom you boast?\u201d
\nC. He said to him, \u201cYes, the least of them can resurrect the dead.\u201d
\nD. After some time one of the servants of Antonius lay dying.
\nE. He sent word to him, \u201cSend me one of your disciples, so that he can resurrect this one from death.\u201d
\nF. He sent one of his disciples to him. And there are those who say that it was R. Simeon b. Hilputa. He went and found him lying down. He said to him, \u201cHow can you lie down, while your master [Antonius] is standing on his feet!\u201d The man forthwith stirred and got up.
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cRescue those who are being taken away to death\u201d (Prov. 24:11) refers to the sons of Aaron.
\nB. \u201cHold back those who are stumbling to the slaughter\u201d (Prov. 24:11) [refers to the fact] that they [always] were at the side of death [should they transgress the rules of the cult while they did their work].
\n3. A. Said R. Hanan, \u201cIt is written, \u2018And he took it from their hand and fashioned it with an engraving tool and made it a molten calf\u2019 (Ex. 32:4).
\nB. \u201cLet the act of taking in the present context come and make atonement for the act of taking of that earlier context.\u201d
\nC. Two [of Aaron\u2019s sons] died (Lev. 16:1) and two remained alive
\nD. \u201cTake Aaron and his sons\u201d (Lev. 8:2).<\/p>\n
No. 1 provides a story about rescuing one who was dying; it bears no relationship to the present context. The intersecting verse is linked to the base verse at Nos. 2 and 3. No. 2 refers to the general fact that for error in conduct of the cult, a priest could incur the death penalty. That sets the stage for the point of No. 3. Quite how 3.C. fits in I cannot yet say, for 3.A\u2013B lead directly to 3.D.<\/p>\n
X:V<\/p>\n
1. A. Judah b. Rabbi and R. Joshua b. Levi:
\nB. Judah b. Rabbi said, \u201cRepentance achieves [only] part, while prayer achieves the complete [atonement].\u201d
\nC. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cRepentance achieves the whole [of atonement], while prayer achieves only part [of atonement].\u201d
\nD. In the view of R. Judah b. Rabbi, who has said that repentance achieves [only] part [of the needed atonement], from whom do you derive proof?
\nE. It is from Cain, against whom a harsh decree was issued, as it is written, \u201cA fugitive and a wanderer will you be on the earth\u201d (Gen. 4:12). But when Cain repented, part of the harsh decree was removed from him.
\nF. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen Cain went away from the presence of the Lord and dwelt in the land of the wanderer [Nod], east of Eden\u201d (Gen. 4:16). \u201cIn the land of a fugitive and a wanderer\u201d is not written here, but rather, only \u201cin the land of the wanderer.\u201d [The matter of being a fugitive is thus annulled.]
\nG. \u201cThen Cain went away\u201d (Gen. 4:16).
\nH. Whence did he go away?
\nI. R. Yudan in the name of R. Aibu said, \u201cHe tossed [God\u2019s] words behind him and crept out, as if he could deceive the Most High.\u201d
\nJ. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon: \u201cHe went out like a cheater, as if one could practice deceit against his Creator.\u201d
\nK. R. Huna in the name of R. Hanana b. R. Isaac said, \u201cHe left happy.
\nL. \u201cThat is in line with the usage of the following verse: \u2018And so, lo, he goes out to meet you, [and when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart]\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 4:14).
\nM. When he had left [God], the first man met him, saying to him, \u201cWhat happened at your trial?\u201d
\nN. He said to him, \u201cI repented and copped a plea.\u201d
\nO. When the first man heard this, he began to slap his own face, saying, \u201cSo that\u2019s how strong repentance is, and I never knew!\u201d
\nP. At that moment, the first man pronounced [this Psalm], \u201cA Psalm, the song for the Sabbath day\u201d (Ps. 92:1) [which says, \u201cIt is a good thing to make a confession to the Lord\u201d (Ps. 92:2)].
\nQ. Said R. Levi, \u201cIt was the first man who made up that psalm.\u201d
\n2. A. In the view of Judah b. Rabbi, who said that prayer accomplishes the whole of the necessary atonement? From whence do you derive proof? It is from Hezekiah.
\nB. The allotted time for Hezekiah\u2019s rule was only fourteen years. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd it happened in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah [Sennacherib, king of Assyria came up against all the fortified cities of Judah and took them]\u201d (Is. 36:1).
\nC. But when Hezekiah prayed, fifteen more years were added to his rule.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cBehold, I will add fifteen years to your life\u201d (Is. 38:5).
\n3. A. In the view of R. Joshua b. Levi, who has said that repentance effects the whole of the required atonement, from whom do you derive evidence? From the inhabitants of Anathoth:
\nB. \u201cTherefore thus says the Lord concerning the men of Anathoth, who seek your life and say, Do not prophecy \u2026, Behold, I will punish them; the young men shall die by the sword; [their sons and their daughters shall die by famine; and none of them shall be left. For I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, the year of their punishment]\u201d (Jer. 11:21\u201323).
\nC. But because they repented, they enjoyed the merit of being listed in the honorable genealogies: \u201cThe men of Anathoth were one hundred twenty-eight\u201d (Ezra 2:23; Neh. 7:27).
\n4. A. If, furthermore, you do not [wish to] derive the proof from the men of Anathoth, [that repentance accomplishes the whole of atonement], then derive it from the case of Jeconiah.
\nB. For it is written, \u201c[Is this man Coniah] a despised, broken pot (\u02bfSB), a vessel no one cares for? [Why are he and his children hurled and cast into a land which they do not know?]\u201d (Jer. 22:28).
\nC. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201c[The meaning of] a broken pot (\u02bfSB) is a bone (\u02bfSM) of marrow, which, when you break it open, turns out to contain no marrow.\u201d
\nD. R. Helbo said, \u201cIt may be compared to a date wrapper, which, when you shake it out, turns out to contain nothing.\u201d
\nE. \u201cA vessel no one cares for\u201d (Jer. 22:28):
\nF. R. Hama b. R. Hanina said, \u201cIt may be compared to piss pots.\u201d
\nG. R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman said, \u201cIt may be compared to blood-letters\u2019 jugs.\u201d
\nH. Said R. Zira, \u201c[In Aramaic:] I heard something from R. Ishmael b. R. Isaac, who expounded the present passage, but I don\u2019t remember what it was.\u201d
\nI. Said to him R. Aha Arika, \u201cThis is what it was. \u2018Thus says the Lord, \u201cWrite this man down as childless, a man who shall not succeed in his days; for none of his offspring shall succeed in sitting on the throne of David and ruling again in Judah\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Jer. 22:30).
\nJ. He said to him, \u201cYes. [And now I recall:] \u2018In his days, he shall not succeed,\u2019 but in the day of his son, he shall succeed.\u201d
\n5. A. R. Aha b. Rabbi and R. Abin b. R. Benjamin in the name of R. Abba b. R. Pappi: \u201cThe greatness of repentance is shown in that it can annul an oath and a decree.
\nB. \u201cHow do we know that it can annul an oath?
\nC. \u201c \u2018As I live, says the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim \u2026 were the signet ring on my right hand, yet I would tear you off and give you into the hand of those who seek your life\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 22:24).
\nD. Said R. Haninah b. R. Isaac, \u201cIt is not actually written, \u2018I shall remove you,\u2019 but rather, \u2018I shall restore you.\u2019 The meaning then is, \u2018From there I shall restore you in repentance.\u2019 The very source of his retribution will become the source of his restoration.\u201d
\nE. [Aha and Abin continue:] \u201cHow do we know that the same is the case for an evil decree?
\nF. \u201c \u2018Write this man down as childless\u2019 [Jer. 22:30].
\nG. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018The sons of Jeconiah, Assir Shealtiel, his son\u2019 \u201d [1 Chron. 3:17].\u201d
\n6. A. Said R. Phineas b. R. Jeremiah, \u201cHe is called Assir [the prisoner], because he was chained in jail.
\nB. \u201cHe was called \u2018Shealtiel\u2019 [God planted] because from him was planted the royal house of David.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Tanhuma, \u201cAssir [the prisoner] refers to the Holy One blessed be he, who imprisoned himself through an oath.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Shealtiel\u2019 because [God] brought the question [of the validity of the oath] to the heavenly court, and they released him from his vow.\u201d
\n7. A. In the view of R. Joshua b. Levi, who has said that prayer only accomplishes part of the required atonement, from whom do you derive proof?
\nB. It is from Aaron, against whom a decree was issued.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse: \u201cMoreover the Lord was very angry with Aaron, to have destroyed him\u201d (Deut. 9:20).
\nD. R. Joshua of Sikhnin said in the name of R. Levi, \u201cThe meaning of the word \u2018destruction\u2019 used here is only the utter extinction of all offspring, sons and daughters alike.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following usage: \u2018And I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from beneath\u2019 \u201d (Amos 2:9).
\nF. Yet when Moses prayed on behalf of Aaron, only two of his sons died [Nadab and Abihu], while the other two survived.
\nG. \u201cTake Aaron and his sons with him\u201d (Lev. 8:2).<\/p>\n
We now see that X:IV.3 serves as an introduction to the issue of the power of prayer and repentance. Specifically, it shows that prayer achieves only part of the necessary atonement for sin. How do we know? Because, as we now see, two of Aaron\u2019s sons did survive, while the other two, Nadab and Abihu, perished. That proves that the prayer did only a little good, as Joshua b. Levi says.
\nThe composition at hand is rather protracted, because it makes it own points, moving in a leisurely way through various proof texts. The main point is repeated in regard to Cain, the men of Anathoth, Jeconiah, and Aaron. Aaron\u2019s sin and atonement form the goal of the entire construction. The principal purpose of the ultimate redactor then is to point to the survival of two of Aaron\u2019s sons, referred to at Lev. 8:2, despite Aaron\u2019s sin. This then is joined to the death of the other two sons, Lev. 16:1, and the explanation for that tragedy is at hand.
\nIf we ask ourselves what passages in the composite show repentance suffices, or proof that prayer alone suffices\u2014we find the answer at 1.A\u2013C, carried out by D\u2013F and No. 2 for Judah b. Rabbi, then by No. 3 and No. 7 for Joshua b. Levi. No. 5 takes the view of Joshua b. Levi, but does not state the proposition at hand. Everything else is interpolated, serving to complete discussion of a cited verse, to extend or amplify a theme, to use available materials, or otherwise to fill what the framers deem to be the gaps.
\nOnce more we see that a rather sizable construction is worked out on its own and only afterward inserted. Without the citation of the base verse at 7.G, the passage would stand fully and completely expressed. So the persons responsible for including the whole here have done their work with only a minimum of effort. It is impossible here to maintain that Prov. 24:11 has provided an intersecting verse for Lev. 8:2! The present construction works out all of its ideas without reference to the former suffices and simply by tacking on the latter\u2014an editorial artifice.<\/p>\n
X:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses, \u2018Take Aaron and his sons with him,] and the garments [and the anointing oil and the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread, and assemble all the congregation at the door of the tent of meeting]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 8:1\u20133).
\nB. R. Simon said, \u201cJust as the sacrifices effect atonement, so [wearing of the] garments effects atonement.
\nC. \u201cThis is in accord with the following teaching, which we have learned in the Mishnah [M. Yoma 7:5]: \u2018The high priest serves in eight garments, and an ordinary priest in four: tunic, underpants, headcovering, and girdle. The high priest in addition wears the breastplate, apron, upper garment, and frontlet.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThe tunic serves to effect atonement for those who wear garments made up of mixed fabrics [deriving from both vegetable matter and animal matter, such as linen and wool].
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he made from him a tunic of many colors\u2019 [Gen. 37:3].
\nF. \u201cUnderpants serve to effect atonement for licentiousness.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And you shall make linen underpants for them to cover the flesh of nakedness\u2019 [Ex. 28:42].
\nH. \u201cThe headcovering serves to effect atonement for arrogance.
\nI. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And you will set the headcovering on his head\u2019 [Ex. 29:6].
\nJ. \u201cThe girdle: There is he who maintains that it is on account of deceivers, and he who holds it is on account of thieves.\u201d
\nK. Said R. Levi, \u201cThe girdle was thirty two cubits, and he wound it toward the front and the back.\u201d
\nL. [Simon continues:] \u201cThe breastplate serves to effect atonement for those who corrupt justice.
\nM. \u201cThis is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And you shall put in the breastplate of judgment\u2019 [Ex. 28:30].
\nN. \u201cThe apron serves to effect atonement for idolatry.
\nO. \u201cThis is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[For the children of Israel shall dwell many days without king or prince without sacrifice or pillar,] without apron or teraphim. [Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the Lord]\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 3:4).
\nP. The upper garment: R. Simon in the name of R. Nathan said, \u201cFor two matters there is no possibility of atonement, yet the Torah has [still] assigned a mode of atonement to them, and these are they: gossip and unintentional manslaughter.
\nQ. \u201cWhat is it that serves as atonement in the view of him who maintains that while there is no real possibility of atonement for gossip, yet the Torah has assigned to it a mode of atonement?
\nR. \u201cIt is the little bells of the priest\u2019s robe.
\nS. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018A golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, round about on the skirts of the robe. And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers, and its voice shall be heard when he goes into the holy place before the Lord, and when he comes out, lest he die\u2019 (Ex. 28:34\u20135).
\nT. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Let the voice come and effect atonement for what the voice has done.\u2019
\nU. \u201cHe who commits unintentional manslaughter has no means of atonement, yet the Torah has assigned atonement to such a deed. And what is that means of atonement? It is the death of the high priest.
\nV. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018But after the death of the high priest the one guilty of manslaughter may return to the land of his possession\u2019 [Nm. 35:28].
\nW. \u201cThe frontlet:
\nX. \u201cThere is he who maintains that it serves to make atonement for those who are shameless, and there is he who holds that it serves to make atonement for those who blaspheme.
\nY. \u201cHe who holds that it serves to make atonement for those who are shameless derives evidence from the case of the daughters of Zion.
\nZ. \u201cHere it is written, It shall be upon Aaron\u2019s forehead\u2019 [Ex. 28:38].
\nAA. \u201cThere it is written, \u2018You [daughters of Zion] had a harlot\u2019s forehead, but you refused to be ashamed\u2019 [Jer. 3:3].
\nBB. \u201cHe who maintains that it serves to attain atonement for those who blaspheme draws evidence from the case of Goliath.
\nCC. \u201cHere it is written, \u2018It will be on his forehead forever\u2019 [Ex. 28:38].
\nDD. \u201cAnd in regard to Goliath it is written, \u2018and the stone sank into his forehead\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 17:49).<\/p>\n
The systematic exegesis serves not Lev. 8:1\u20133 but M. Yoma 7:5. The entire construction is inserted, therefore, solely for thematic reasons. In fact, the whole occurs at Y. Yoma 7:3. As we see, the list of the garments, supplied by the Mishnah, is then provided with both the theological-moral exegesis and secondary proof texts in support of the proposed exegesis. The purpose is to show that each garment serves to expiate some specific sin, and then the proof texts serve the successive allegations, all within the agendum of M. Yoma 7:5. I see no point of intersection with Lev. 8:1\u20133, and, it goes without saying, the texts cited do not constitute intersecting verses.<\/p>\n
X:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[And David put his hand in his bag and took out a stone and slung it and struck the Philistine on his forehead; the stone sank into his forehead], and he fell on his face to the ground\u201d (1 Sam. 17:49).
\nB. Why was it on his face?
\nC. In the first place, you may explain that it was so that that righteous man, [David], should not have to take the trouble to walk [the length of the body], six cubits and a span.
\n2. A. Another interpretation: Why on his face?
\nB. It was on account of [the image of] Dagon, his god, which was placed over his heart.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd I will cast your carcasses in the manner of the carcasses of your idols\u201d (Lev. 26:30).
\n3. A. Another interpretation: Why on his face?
\nB. Let the mouth which ridiculed and blasphemed be buried in dirt.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cBury them in the dust together, bind their faces in the hidden place\u201d (Job 40:13).
\n4. A. Another interpretation: Why on his face?
\nB. It is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cYour enemies shall come fawning to you, and you shall tread upon their high places\u201d (Deut. 33:29).<\/p>\n
The present complex is tacked on because of the citation of 1 Sam. 17:49, above. The set of materials on that verse evidently traveled together. We therefore look in vain for a point of contact even with the theme at hand.<\/p>\n
X:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses, Take Aaron and his sons with him, and the garments,] the anointing oil, [the bull of the sin offering, the two rams, and the basket of unleavened bread] [Lev. 8:1\u20132].
\nB. R. Judah b. R. Ilai said, \u201cWith the anointing oil which Moses made in the wilderness were miracles done from beginning to end [Y. Hor. 3:2, Y. Sheq. 6:13].
\nC. \u201c[For at the outset] there were only twelve logs, as it is said, \u2018\u2026 and of olive oil, a hin\u2019 [Ex. 30:24].
\nD. \u201cNow if there was not sufficient oil for putting oil on the wood, how much the more so [that the oil was insufficient for much else]!
\nE. \u201cFor how much did the fire, the wood, the pot feed on it,
\nF. \u201cwith it were anointed Aaron and his sons for all the seven days of consecration, the golden altar and all its utensils,
\nG. \u201cwith it were anointed the copper altar and all its utensils, the table and all its utensils, the lampstand and all its utensils, the laver and its base,
\nH. \u201cfrom it were anointed high priests and kings. [And yet it sufficed!]\u201d
\nI. Even a high priest son of a high priest requires anointing, even down to the tenth successive generation.
\nJ. [A king (anointed) at the outset (of a dynasty) requires anointing.] But the son of an anointed king does not, [for it is said, \u201cArise, anoint him; for this is he\u201d (1 Sam. 16:12).] [This one requires anointing. But his son does not require anointing.]
\nK. [They anoint a king who is son of a king only on account of dissension.] Why was Solomon anointed at all? Because of the struggle with Adonijah; Joash, because of Athaliah;
\nL. Jehoahaz, because of Jehoiakim, his brother, who was two years older than he, [was anointed].
\nM. Now the whole [of the twelve hin of oil] will remain for the age to come, for it is said, \u201cIt will be holy [anointing oil for all your generations]\u201d (Ex. 30:31).
\nN. They anoint kings only over a spring: \u201cCause Solomon my son to ride on my own mule, and bring him down to Gihon: [and let Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet there anoint him king over Israel]\u201d (1 Kings 1:33\u201334).
\nO. [You must say, they anointed him with oil from a balsam tree.]
\nP. They anoint kings only from a horn. Saul and Jehu, who were anointed from a cruse, had a transient reign. David and Solomon, who were anointed from a horn, had an enduring reign.<\/p>\n
The passage, which occurs with slight variations at the places of Y. indicated, serves as an anthology on the anointing oil and in no way intersects with the passage at hand.<\/p>\n
X:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c\u2026 and the bull of the sin offering and the two rams\u201d (Lev. 8:2).
\nB. R. Huna in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cHe arranged them like a kind of a hill, with a ram on one side and the other, and the bull in the middle.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201c\u2026 and assemble all the congregation at the door of the tent of meeting\u201d (Lev. 8:3).
\nB. (Gen. R. 5:7) Said R. Eleazar, \u201cAll of the Israelites added up to six hundred thousand, so how can you say, \u2018\u2026 at the door of meeting\u2019?
\nC. \u201cBut this is one of the [miraculous] instances in which what is less was able to contain what is more.\u201d
\n3. A. Along these same lines: \u201cLet the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place\u201d (Gen. 1:9).
\nB. Ordinarily someone will pour the contents of a jug full of water into an empty one. But who can pour a full jug into a full jug? Now the whole world was full of water, and yet you say, \u201c\u2026 let the waters under the heavens be gathered together\u201d?
\nC. But this is one of the [miraculous] instances in which what is less was able to contain what is more.
\n4. A. Along these same lines: \u201cFill your two hands with soot of the furnace\u201d (Ex. 9:8).
\nB. Said R. Huna, \u201cThe volume of a handful is not the same as the volume of a fistful. The handful\u2019s volume is twice that of a fistful, four handfuls are the same as eight fistfuls. The handfuls of Moses would then hold eight fistfuls, and yet you say, \u2018And Moses threw it [all\u2014his and Aaron\u2019s] up to heaven\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 9:8). [This would indicate that Moses\u2019 hand held eight fistfuls.]
\nC. But this is one of the [miraculous] instances in which what is less was able to contain what is more.
\n5. A. Along these same lines: \u201cThe length of the court was a hundred cubits \u2026\u201d (Ex. 27:18).
\nB. Said R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Halapta, \u201cThe length of the courtyard was [only] a hundred cubits, and yet all of the Israelites were able to stand in it.\u201d
\nC. But this is one of the [miraculous] instances in which what is less was able to contain what is more.
\n6. A. Along these same lines: \u201cAnd Moses and Aaron gathered the assembly on the rock\u201d (Num. 20:10).
\nB. Said R. Hanan, \u201c[The rock] was no larger than a sieve, and yet all Israel were able to stand on it!\u201d
\nC. But this is one of the [miraculous] instances in which what is less was able to contain what is more.
\n7. A. Along these same lines: \u201cJoshua said to the children of Israel, \u2018Come here and hear the word of the Lord your God\u2019 \u201d (Jos. 3:9).
\nB. R. Hunia said, \u201cHe set them between the two staves of the ark.\u201d
\nC. R. Huna said, \u201cHe stood them between the two staves of the ark.\u201d
\nD. Rabbis said, \u201cHe crowded them in between the two staves of the rock.\u201d
\nE. \u201cAnd Joshua said, \u2018This is how you will know that the living God is in your midst\u2019 \u201d (Jos. 3:10).
\nF. Because the space between the two staves of the ark holds [you all], you should know that the living God is in your midst.
\n8. A. So too was the case in Jerusalem, for we have learned in the Mishnah: They were crowded when they were standing, but had plenty of room to prostrate themselves\u201d (M. Abot 5:5).
\nB. What is the meaning of \u201cplenty of room\u201d?
\nC. R. Ishmael b. R. Onia in the name of R. Aha: \u201cThere was a space of four cubits between each one and the next, and a cubit on each side, so that no one should hear the sound of the prayer of his fellow.\u201d
\nD. So too will matters be worked out in the age to come, for it is written, \u201cIn that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord, and all the nations shall be gathered into it, [to the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem]\u201d (Jer. 3:17).
\nE. R. Yohanan went up to pay a call on R. Hanina. He found him occupied with the study of the cited verse: \u201cIn that day they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the Lord \u2026\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cMy lord, how can Jerusalem hold them all?\u201d
\nG. He said to him, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, will say to them, \u2018Stretch out, expand, and receive your population.\u2019 Thus: \u2018Enlarge the place of your tent, [and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out, hold not back, lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes]\u2019 (Is. 54:2). Why? \u2018For you will spread abroad to the right and to the left, and your descendants will possess the nations and will people the desolate cities\u2019 \u201d (Is. 54:3).<\/p>\n
Once more the text at hand, Lev. 8:3, finds a place in a miscellany, organized to make a single important point. The composite has certainly not been assembled for the purposes of amplification of Lev. 8:3; rather, our passage serves the interests of the compositor who wishes to point to certain miraculous events of a single category or classification. Margulies notes that the order of items varies from one version to the next. Our compositor set No. 2 at the head, for obvious reasons. I see no other contribution particular to the exegesis of Leviticus.<\/p>\n
Parashah Eleven<\/p>\n
XI:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cOn the eighth day [(of consecrating Aaron), Moses called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel, and he said to Aaron, \u2018Take a bull calf for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering, both without blemish, and offer them before the Lord]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 9:1).
\nB. \u201cWisdom has built [her house, she has set up her seven pillars. She has slaughtered her beasts, she has mixed her wine, she has also set her table. She has sent out her maids to call from the highest places in the town, \u2018Whoever is simple, let him turn in here.\u2019 To him who is without sense, she says, \u2018Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine I have mixed. Leave simpleness and live, and walk in the way of insight\u2019]\u201d (Prov. 9:1\u20136).
\nC. R. Jeremiah b. R. Eleazar interpreted the verse (Prov. 9:1\u20134) to speak of the creation of the world.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Wisdom has built her house.\u2019 This refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, who created the entire world in wisdom.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018With wisdom the Lord founded the earth\u2019 [Prov. 3:19].
\nF. \u201c \u2018She has set up her seven pillars\u2019 refers to the seven days of the creation of the world, as it is said, \u2018For in six days the Lord made the world\u2019 [Ex. 31:17].
\nG. \u201c \u2018She has slaughtered her beasts\u2019 [Prov. 9:2]. \u2018Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, [cattle]\u2019 [Gen. 1:24].
\nH. \u201c \u2018She has mixed her wine\u2019 [Prov. 9:2]. \u2018Let the water be gathered together under the heaven\u2019 [Gen. 1:9].
\nI. \u201c \u2018She has also set her table.\u2019 \u2018And God said, Let the earth put forth grass bearing seed\u2019 [Gen. 1:11].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018She has sent out her maids to call.\u2019 This refers to Adam and Eve.
\nK. \u201c \u2018From the highest places in the town\u2019 [Prov. 9:3]. For the Holy One, blessed be he, exalted them up by calling them divinities.
\nL. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And you will be like God\u2019 [Gen. 3:5].
\nM. \u201cAnd at the climax of all of this glory: \u2018Whoever is simple, let him turn in here\u2019 [Prov. 9:4].
\nN. \u201cThey abandoned the counsel of the Holy One, blessed be he, and went and followed the counsel of the snake.
\nO. \u201cOn this account, \u2018To him who is without sense, she says [Come eat of my bread and drink of the wine I have mixed]\u2019 \u2018For dust you are and to dust you will return\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 3:19).<\/p>\n
Of the four systematic exegeses of Prov. 9:1\u20134, the first, at hand, interprets the cited verses to deal with the creation of the world, Gen. 1:1ff. What follows applies the same verses to the eschatological rebuilding of the temple, the Torah, and the tent of meeting. As we may expect, only the fourth and climactic exercise brings us to the passage at hand.<\/p>\n
XI:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Jonah in the name of R. Abba bar Jeremiah interpreted (Prov. 9:1\u20134) to speak of [the fate of] Gog in the world to come.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Wisdom has built her house [Prov. 9:1] refers to the house of the sanctuary: \u201cBy wisdom is a house built\u201d [Prov. 24:3].
\nC. \u201c \u2018She has set up her seven pillars\u2019 [Prov. 9:1]. These [seven pillars] are the seven years of Gog.\u201d
\nD. For R. Jonah in the name of R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cFor those entire seven years they will burn for fuel the handles of swords, spears, and knives. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Then those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go forth and make fires of the weapons and burn them, shields and bucklets, bows and arrows, handpikes and spears, [and they will make fires of them for seven years; so that they will not need to take wood out of the field or cut down any out of the forests, for they will make their fires of the weapons \u2026 On that day I will give to Gog a place for burial in Israel]\u2019 [Ez. 39:9\u201311].
\nE. [The original statement, A\u2013C, continues:] \u201cAnd those seven years for the righteous will serve as a prenuptial feast for the world to come.
\nF. \u201cThe mnemonic will be, \u2018One who joins in the prenuptial feast will join in the nuptial banquet.\u2019
\nG. \u201c \u2018She has slaughtered her beasts\u2019 [Prov. 9:2]. \u2018The flesh of the mighty will you eat\u2019 [Ez. 39:18].
\nH. \u201c \u2018She has mixed her wine\u2019 [Prov. 9:2]. \u2018The blood of the princes of the earth will you drink\u2019 [Ez. 39:18].
\nI. \u201c \u2018She has also set her table\u2019 [Prov. 9:2]. \u2018And you shall be filled at my table with horses and riders, [with mighty men and all kinds of warriors, says the Lord God]\u2019 [Ez. 39:20].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018She has sent out her maids to call\u2019 [Prov. 9:3]. This refers to Ezekiel: \u2018As for you, son of man, thus says the Lord God: Speak to the birds of every sort and to all beasts of the field, [Assemble, Come, gather from all sides to the sacrificial feast which I am preparing for you, a great sacrificial feast upon the mountains of Israel, and you shall eat flesh and drink blood. You shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, or of rams, of lambs, and of goats, of bulls, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And you shall eat fat till you are filled, and drink blood till you are drunk, at the sacrificial feast which I am preparing for you. You shall be filled at my table, with horses and riders, with mighty men and all kinds of warriors, says the Lord God\u2019]\u201d (Ez. 39:17\u201320).<\/p>\n
Having related the Temple and its cult to the creation of the world, we come now to the restoration of the Temple at the end of time, after the eschatological war of Gog and Magog. Apart from D, F, the passage moves smoothly from point to point, working its way through the elements of the intersecting verse. The formal plan is the same as before, essentially simply juxtaposing clauses of Prov. 9:1\u20134 and those of Ez. 39:9\u201320, pass., just as XI:I did the same with Gen. 1:1ff.<\/p>\n
XI:III<\/p>\n
1. A. Bar Qappara interpreted (Prov. 9:1\u20134) to refer to the Torah:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Wisdom has built her house.\u2019 This [refers to] the Torah: \u2018The Lord created me at the beginning of his work, the first of his acts of old\u2019 [Prov. 8:22].
\nC. \u201c \u2018She has set up her seven pillars.\u2019 This refers to the seven scrolls of the Torah.\u201d
\nD. Are they not only five?
\nE. Bar Qappara treats the portion from the beginning of the book of Numbers, \u201cAnd God spoke\u201d (Num. 1:1) up to \u201cAnd it came to pass, when the ark journeyed\u201d (Num. 10:35) as a single book, and from that passage to, \u201cAnd when it rested\u201d (Num. 10:36) as yet another, and from that passage to the end of the scroll as yet another, so there are seven [with the book of Numbers counted as three separate scrolls].
\nF. [Bar Qappara continues:] \u201c \u2018She has slaughtered her beasts.\u2019 This refers to the penalties [specified in the Torah\u2019s law].
\nG. \u201c \u2018She has mixed her wine.\u2019 This refers to the arguments of exegesis of Scripture from such arguments as minor to major and analogy of expressions.
\nH. \u201c \u2018She has also set (\u02bfRK) her table.\u2019 This refers to the rules of setting the value (\u02bfRK) of persons who vow their own worth.
\nI. \u201c \u2018She has sent out her maids to call.\u2019 This refers to Israel.
\nJ. \u201c \u2018From the highest places in the town.\u2019 This refers to the fact that the Holy One, blessed be he, exalted them, calling them divine: \u2018I said, You are god-like beings and all of you are children of the most high\u2019 [Ps. 82:6].
\nK. \u201cAfter all of this glory: \u2018Who is simple, let him turn in here.\u2019 They abandoned the counsel of the Holy One, blessed be he, and went and said to a calf, \u2018This is your god, O Israel\u2019 [Ex. 32:4].
\nL. \u201cOn this account: \u2018I say, you are gods, sons of the most high, all of you; nevertheless, you shall die like men and fall like any prince\u2019 \u201d [Ps. 82:6\u20137].<\/p>\n
The next exercise carries the interpretation of the intersecting verse to the Torah. Here there are few proof texts, C, F\u2013I, so the contents of the Torah, in general, serve to provide the points of contact. The internal gloss, E, is the sole formal imperfection, but a necessary one.<\/p>\n
XI:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Abba bar Kahana interpreted the cited passage to speak of the tent of meeting:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Wisdom has built her house\u2019 refers to Bezallel: \u2018And I shall fill him with the spirit of God\u2019 [Ex. 31:3].
\nC. \u201c \u2018She has set up her seven pillars.\u2019 This refers to the seven days of consecration.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[And you shall not go out from the door of the tent of meeting] for seven days, until the days of your ordination are completed\u2019 [Lev. 8:33].
\nE. \u201c \u2018She has slaughtered her beasts.\u2019 This refers to the offerings [of consecration].
\nF. \u201c \u2018She has mixed her wine.\u2019 This refers to the libations.
\nG. \u201c \u2018She has also set her table.\u2019 This refers to the laying forth of the show bread on the table of the altar.
\nH. \u201c \u2018She has set out her maids to call.\u2019 This refers to Moses.
\nI. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018On the eighth day Moses called [Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 9:1).<\/p>\n
We come finally to the stunning climax of the entire construction, at which the intersecting verse joins the base verse. The exegetical program also is completed with the return to the issue of the sacrificial cult, the counterpart and complement to the world of creation with which we began. On the basis of themes, I am inclined to regret the inclusion of XI.III, Israel, since the movement from creation to destruction and eschatological restoration to consecration is so smooth. But how could the exegetical artist have omitted all reference to Israel, the centerpiece and cause for both the destruction and the restoration? So, in all, the entire composite is perfect both in its adherence to a single, disciplined form and in its specification of its theological theme. And Moses, not Aaron, is the focus.<\/p>\n
XI:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWith the merciful you show yourself merciful, with the innocent you show yourself innocent, with the pure you show yourself pure, with the crooked you show yourself perverse. [For you deliver a humble people, but the haughty eyes you bring down]\u201d (Ps. 18:26\u201327).
\nB. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah:
\nC. R. Judah interpreted the verse to speak of Abraham, our father.
\nD. \u201cWhen Abraham came in a spirit of mercy [to travelers], the Holy One, blessed be he, dealt with him in a merciful way; when he acted in an innocent way, the Holy One, blessed be he, dealt with him in an innocent way; and when he dealt with him in a crooked way, the Holy One, blessed be he, dealt with him in a crooked way, and when he sought a frank statement of his affairs, the Holy One, blessed be he, made a frank statement about his affairs.
\nE. \u201cWhen did he come in a spirit of mercy?
\nF. \u201cWhen he said, \u2018My Lord, do not go away, I pray you, from your servant, [and he stood by them under the tree while they ate]\u2019 [Gen. 18:3].
\nG. \u201cWhat is written there? \u2018And Abraham was still standing before the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 18:22).
\nH. Said R. Simon, \u201cIt is an improvement made by scribes. In fact, it was the Presence of God that was waiting for him.\u201d
\nI. [Judah continues:] \u201cWhen did he come in a blameless spirit?
\nJ. \u201cWhen he said to him, \u2018Perhaps there will lack five of the fifty righteous men. [Will you destroy the entire city for the lack of the five?] [Gen. 18:28].
\nK. \u201cWhat is written there?
\nL. \u201c \u2018I shall not destroy the city if I find there forty-five righteous men\u2019 [Gen. 18:28].
\nM. \u201cWhen did he deal with him in a crooked way?
\nN. \u201cWhen he said to him. \u2018And I go childless\u2019 [Gen. 15:2] [without directly saying what he wanted].
\nO. \u201cWhat is written there?
\nP. \u201c[In an equally roundabout way, God replied]: \u2018This man will not inherit your estate\u2019 [Gen. 15:4].
\nQ. \u201cWhen did he seek a frank statement of his affairs?
\nR. \u201cWhen he said to him, \u2018How shall I know that I shall inherit it?\u2019 [Gen. 15:8].
\nS. \u201cWhat is written there? \u2018You should know for certain that your seed will be a stranger\u2019 [Gen. 15:13].\u201d
\nT. R. Nehemiah interpreted the passage to speak of Moses.
\nU. \u201cWhen he came in a spirit of mercy the Holy One, blessed be he, dealt with him in a merciful way; when he acted in an innocent way, the Holy One, blessed be he, dealt with him in an innocent way; when he dealt with him in a crooked way, the Holy One, blessed be he, dealt with him in a crooked way, and when he sought a frank statement of his affairs, the Holy One, blessed be he, made a frank statement about his affairs.
\nV. \u201cWhen did he come in a spirit of mercy?
\nW. \u201cWhen he said to him, \u2018Why is the bush not burned up?\u2019 [Ex. 3:3].
\nX. \u201cHe said to him [In Aramaic:] \u2018Because my glory is present in it.\u2019
\nY. \u201cWhen did he act in an innocent way?
\nZ. \u201cWhen he said to him, \u2018Show me, I pray you, your glory\u2019 [Ex. 33:18].
\nAA. \u201cWhat is written there? \u2018I shall cause all my goodness to pass before you\u2019 [Ex. 33:19].
\nBB. \u201cWhen did he deal in with him in a crooked way? When he said to him, \u2018And when they say to me, what is his name? what should I answer them?\u2019 [Ex. 3:13].
\nCC. \u201cWhat did he say to him? \u2018This is my name\u2019 for the time being, \u2018I am what I am\u2019 [Ex. 3:14].
\nDD. \u201cAnd when did he seek a frank statement of his affairs? When he said to him, \u2018And now, go, and I shall send you to Pharaoh, so that you may bring forth my people, the children of Israel, out of Egypt\u2019 [Ex. 3:10].
\nEE. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Send, I pray you, whomever you will send\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 4:13).<\/p>\n
The connection to the base verse becomes clear only in what follows. The entire construction is attached only because of EE.<\/p>\n
XI:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yudan in the name of R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Judah and R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Joshua b. Qorhah: \u201cFor the entire forty years during which the Israelites were in the wilderness, Moses did not hesitate to serve as high priest.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Moses and Aaron among his priests\u2019 [hence of equal rank]\u201d (Ps. 99:6).
\nC. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Simon brings proof for that proposition from the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The sons of Amram: Aaron and Moses. Aaron was set apart to consecrate the most holy things, [that he and his sons forever should burn incense before the Lord and minister to him and] pronounce blessings in his name forever. But the sons of Moses, the man of God, were named among the tribe of Levi\u2019 \u201d (1 Chron. 23:13\u201314).
\n2. A. Said R. Eleazar b. R. Yos\u00e9 [Y. Yoma 1:1], \u201cIt is perfectly clear to us that it was in the white [priestly] garment that Moses performed acts of service all the seven days [of consecrating Aaron and his sons].\u201d
\nB. R. Tanhum b. R. Yudan taught the same thing: \u201cFor all seven days of consecration, Moses served as high priest, but the Presence of God did not alight on him.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[And (once Aaron took over, only then:) fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed the burnt offering and the fat upon the altar;] and when all the people saw it [showing God\u2019s presence], they shouted and fell on their faces\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 9:24).
\n3. A. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nahman, \u201cFor all seven days of the [burning] bush, the Holy One, blessed be he, was trying to entice Moses to go on his mission to Egypt.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[But Moses said to the Lord, Oh, my Lord, I am not eloquent,] either heretofore or since you have spoken to your servant\u2019 [Ex. 4:10]. Lo, [he now refers to] six [days of converse, three \u2018heretofore\u2019 and three \u2018since\u2019].
\nC. \u201cOn the seventh day he said to him, \u2018Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, whomever you will send [but not me]\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 4:13).
\nD. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Moses, You have said to me, \u201cSend whomever you will send\u201d! By your life, I shall hang this [stubbornness] on you!\u2019 \u201d
\nE. When did he exact the penalty from him [for such talk]?
\nF. R. Berekhiah said, \u201cR. Levi and R. Helbo [disputed this point].\u201d
\nG. R. Levi said, \u201cFor the entire [first] seven days of Adar Moses besought through prayer and pleading that he might enter the Land of Israel. But on the seventh day, [God] said to him, \u2018For you will not cross this Jordan\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 3:27).
\nH. R. Helbo said, \u201cDuring the entire seven days of consecration [of the priesthood], Moses served as high priest, and he took for granted that the office would be his. On the seventh day, God said to him, \u2018It is not your job at all. It belongs to Aaron, your brother.\u2019
\nI. \u201c \u2018On the eighth day (Moses) called Aaron and his sons and the elders of Israel \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 9:1).<\/p>\n
The discussion of Moses, XI:V, is carried forward, now with the purpose of bringing us to Lev. 9:1, Moses calling on Aaron and completing the rite of consecrating the priesthood. No. 1 simply makes the point that Moses and Aaron were equal in the high priesthood. No. 2, shared with Y. Yoma 1:1, insists however that Moses did not wear the garments that signify one as a high priest. Only Aaron was fully accepted as high priest. No. 3 finds its context here, because it explains, in the end, why Moses was not named high priest. It ends, then with the passage specifying that Aaron was called to be high priest. So the sequence of themes runs smoothly, even though the construction as a whole is a pastiche of formally diverse materials. The passage thus continues the foregoing. In a somewhat circuitous way the framer does indeed explore the possibilities of Ps. 18:26\u201327 as the intersecting verse for Lev. 9:1. But to classify the former as the intersecting verse for the latter as base verse would constitute an error. My judgment is that the need of explaining the place of Moses at Lev. 9:1\u2014and throughout the rite of consecrating the high priest\u2014accounts for the creation of XI:V\u2013VI. The principle of aggregation and organization is thematic (the figure of Moses) and propositional (the high priesthood was denied to Moses for denying God\u2019s call to his mission).<\/p>\n
XI:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Tanhuma and R. Hiyya the Elder state the following matter, as does R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Eleazar the Modite, \u201cThe following exegetical principle came up in our possession from the Exile:
\nB. \u201cAny passage in which the words, \u2018And it came to pass,\u2019 appear is a passage that relates misfortune.\u201d
\nC. R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman in the name of R. Nathan: \u201cThis exegetical principle also came up in our possession from the Exile:
\nD. \u201cAny passage, in which the words \u2018And it came to pass in the days of \u2026\u2019 appear is a passage that relates misfortune.\u201d
\nE. Said R. Ishmael b. R. Nathan, \u201cThere are five such passages.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days of Amraphel\u201d (Gen. 14:1).
\nB. What misfortune took place in that connection?
\nC. \u201cThese kings made war with Bera\u201d (Gen. 14:2).
\nD. The matter may be compared to the ally of a king who came [to live in] a province. On his account the king felt obligated to protect that entire province. Barbarians came and attacked him. Now when the barbarians came and attacked him, the people said, \u201cWoe, the king is not going to want to protect the province the way he used to [since it has caused him trouble].\u201d
\nE. So too, Abraham was the ally of the King, the Holy One, blessed be he, and in his regard it is written, \u201cAnd in you shall all the families of the earth be blessed\u201d (Gen. 12:3). So it was on his account that the Holy One, blessed be he, felt obligated to protect the entire world.
\nF. When the Chaldeans came and attacked him, [the peoples] said, \u201cWoe! The Holy One, blessed be he, is not going to want to protect the world the way he used to, [since it has caused him trouble].\u201d
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen they turned back and came to En Mishpat [source of justice], that is, Kadesh [holy], [and subdued all the country of the Amalekites]\u201d (Gen. 14:7).
\nH. Said R. Aha, \u201cThey sought only to attack the orb of the Eye of the world.
\nI. \u201cThe eye that had sought to exercise the attribute of justice in the world did they seek to blind.\u201d
\nJ. \u201cThat is Kadesh\u201d (Gen. 14:7).
\nK. Said R. Aha, \u201cIt is written, \u2018That is \u2026\u2019 The meaning is, that is the one who has sanctified the name of the Holy One, blessed be he, by going down into the fiery furnace.\u201d
\nL. When the barbarians came and attacked, they began to cry, \u201cWoe, woe!\u201d
\nM. \u201cIn the days of Amraphel\u201d (Gen. 14:1).
\n3. A. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days of Ahaz\u201d (Is. 7:1).
\nB. What was the misfortune that took place at that time?
\nC. \u201cThe Syrians on the east and the Philistines on the west [devour Israel with open mouth]\u201d (Is. 9:12).
\nD. The matter [the position of Israel] may be compared to a king who handed over his son to a tutor, who hated [the son]. The tutor thought, \u201cIf I kill him now, I shall turn out to be liable to the death penalty before the king. So what I\u2019ll do is take away his wet nurse, and he will die on his own.\u201d
\nE. So thought Ahaz, \u201cIf there are no kids, there will be no he-goats. If there are no he-goats, there will be no flock. If there is no flock, there will be no shepherd. If there is no shepherd, there will be no world.
\nF. So did Ahaz plan, \u201cIf there are no children, there will be no disciples; if there are no disciples, there will be no sages; if there are no sages, there will be no Torah; if there is no Torah, there will be no synagogues and schools; if there are no synagogues and schools, then the Holy One, blessed be he, will not allow his Presence to come to rest in the world.\u201d
\nG. What did he do? He went and locked the synagogues and schools.
\nH. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cBind up the testimony, seal the Torah [teaching] among my disciples\u201d (Is. 8:16).
\nI. R. Huniah in the name of R. Eleazar: \u201cWhy was he called Ahaz? Because he seized (ahaz) synagogues and schools.\u201d
\nJ. R. Jacob stated in the name of R. Aha, \u201cI derive the same view from the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I will wait for the Lord, who is hiding his face from the house of Jacob, and I will hope in him\u2019 [Is. 8:17].
\nK. \u201cYou have no more trying hour than that moment concerning which it is written, \u2018And I shall surely hide my face on that day\u2019 [Deut. 31:18].
\nL. \u201cFrom that hour, \u2018I will hope unto him\u2019 [Is. 8:17].
\nM. \u201cFor he has said, \u2018For it will not be forgotten from the mouth of his seed\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 31:21).
\nN. What good did [hoping] do for [Isaiah]?
\nO. \u201c \u2018Behold, I and the children whom the Lord has given me [are signs and portents in Israel from the Lord of hosts, who dwells on Mount Zion]\u2019 \u201d (Is. 8:18).
\nP. Now were they his children? Where they not his disciples?
\nQ. But it is on the basis of this usage that we know that a man\u2019s disciple is regarded as his son.
\nR. Now since everyone saw that Ahaz had seized the synagogues and schools, they began to cry out, \u201cWoe! woe!\u201d
\nS. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days of Ahaz\u201d (Is. 7:1).
\n4. A. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah\u201d (Jer. 1:3).
\nB. What sort of misfortune took place at that time?
\nC. \u201cI look on the earth, and lo, it was waste and void\u201d (Jer. 4:23).
\nD. The matter may be compared to the case of the royal edicts which came into a province. In every province in which the royal edicts came, people jumped up and tore their hair, reading the edicts in fear and trembling, breaking out into a cold sweat. But when the edicts came into the province in which the king lived, the people went and tore up the edicts and burned them.
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd as Jehudi read three or four columns\u2014that is, three or four verses\u2014[the king would cut them off with a penknife and throw them into the fire in the brazier until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier]\u201d (Jer. 36:23).
\nF. When they reached the fifth verse, \u201cHer adversaries are become the head\u201d (Lam. 1:5),
\nG. \u201che cut it with a penknife and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier\u201d (Jer. 36:23).
\nH. When the people saw all this, they began to cry out, \u201cWoe, woe.\u201d
\nI. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days of Jehoiakim\u201d (Jer. 1:3).
\n5. A. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus\u201d (Est. 1:1).
\nB. What sort of misfortune took place at that time?
\nC. \u201c\u2026 to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate all Jews, [young and old, women and children, in one day]\u201d (Est. 3:13).
\nD. The matter may be compared to the case of a king who had a vineyard, and three of his enemies attacked it.
\nE. One of them began to clip off the small branches, the next began to take the pendants off the grape clusters, and the last of them to uproot the vines altogether.
\nF. Pharaoh began by clipping off the small branches.
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cEvery son that is born will you throw into the river\u201d (Ex. 1:22).
\nH. Nebuchadnezzar began to clip off the pendants of the grape clusters.
\nI. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd he carried away captive the craftsmen and smiths, a thousand\u201d (2 Kings 24:16).
\nJ. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Judah and the rabbis:
\nK. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Judah said, \u201cThere were a thousand craftsmen and a thousand smiths.\u201d
\nL. Rabbis say, \u201cThis group and that group all together added up to a thousand.\u201d
\nM. R. Judah b. R. Simon said, \u201cThis refers to the disciples of sages.\u201d
\nN. R. Samuel b. R. Isaac said, \u201cThey are the council members.\u201d
\nO. The evil Haman began to uproot the vines altogether.
\nP. He wanted to uproot Israel from its roots, to sell them off at every [slave] market.
\nQ. That is in line with the statement, \u201c\u2026 to destroy, to slay, and to annihilate\u201d (Est. 3:13).
\nR. When everybody saw that Ahasuerus had sold and Haman had bought [the Jews], they began to cry, \u201cWoe, woe.\u201d
\nS. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus\u201d (Est. 1:1).
\n6. A. \u201cAnd it came to pass in the days in which the judges ruled\u201d (Ruth 1:1).
\nB. What sort of misfortune took place at that time?
\nC. \u201cThere was a famine in the land\u201d (Ruth 1:1).
\nD. The matter may be compared to a province which owed taxes in arrears to the king, so the king sent a revenuer to collect. What did the inhabitants of the province do? They went and hung him, hit him, and robbed him. They said, \u201cWoe is us when the king gets word of these things, What the king\u2019s representative wanted to do to us, we have done to him.\u201d
\nE. So when an Israelite did something wrong, what the judge had had to inflict on the defendant, the defendant would inflict on the judge.
\nF. Said to them the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cYou humiliate your judges! Lo, I shall bring against you something which you will not be able to withstand, and what is it? It is famine.\u201d
\nG. \u201cAnd there was a famine in the land\u201d (Ruth 1:1).
\n7. A. Simeon b. Abba in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cAny context in which the words \u2018And it came to pass \u2026\u2019 appear serves to signify either misfortune or good fortune.
\nB. \u201cIf it is a case of misfortune, it is misfortune without parallel.
\nC. \u201cIf it is a case of good fortune, it is good fortune without parallel.\u201d
\n8. A. R. Ishmael came and introduced this distinction: \u201cAny context in which the words \u2018And it came to pass \u2026\u2019 occur signifies misfortune, and any context in which the words \u2018And it shall come to pass \u2026\u2019 are used signifies good fortune.\u201d
\nB. They objected [to this claim], \u201cAnd God said, \u2018Let there be light, and it came to pass [that there was] light\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 1:3).
\nC. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not represent good fortune, for in the end the world did not have the merit of actually making use of that light.
\nD. \u201cFor R. Judah b. R. Simon said, \u2018With the light that the Holy One, blessed be he, created on the first day of creation a person could look and see from one side of the world to the other. When the Holy One, blessed be he, saw that the generation of Enosh and the generation of the flood were going to be corrupted, he went and hid that light from them.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he held their light back from the wicked\u2019 [Job 38:15].
\nF. \u201cWhere did he hide it? In the Garden of Eden: \u2018Light is sown for the righteous, and rejoicing for the upright in heart\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 97:11).
\nG. They further objected, \u201cAnd it came to pass that there was evening and morning, one day\u201d (Gen. 1:5).
\nH. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune. For whatever God created on the first day of creation is destined to be wiped out.
\nI. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For the heaven shall vanish away like smoke, [and the earth shall wax old like a garment]\u2019 \u201d (Is. 51:6).
\nJ. They further objected, \u201cAnd it came to pass that there was evening and it came to pass that there was morning, a second day \u2026, a third day \u2026, a fourth day \u2026, a fifth day \u2026, a sixth day \u2026\u201d (Gen. 1:8, 13, 19, 23, 31).
\nK. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune. For everything which God created on the six days of creation [was incomplete and] requires further processing. Wheat has to be milled, mustard to be sweetened, lupine to impart sweetness.\u201d
\nL. They further objected, \u201cAnd it came to pass that the Lord was with Joseph, and Joseph was a prosperous man\u201d (Gen. 39:2).
\nM. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune, for on this account, that \u2018bear\u2019 came his way.\u201d
\nN. They further objected, \u201c \u2018And it came to pass on the eighth day [that Moses called Aaron and his sons (for consecration into the priesthood)]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 9:1).
\nO. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune. For on that same day Nadab and Abihu died.\u201d
\nP. They further objected, \u201cAnd it came to pass on the day on which Moses made an end [of setting up the tabernacle]\u201d (Num. 7:1).
\nQ. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune. For on the day on which the Temple was built, [the tabernacle] was hidden away.\u201d
\nR. They further objected, \u201cAnd it came to pass that the Lord was with Joshua, and his fame was in all the land\u201d (Jos. 6:27).
\nS. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune. For on that same day Jair was killed, who was worth the majority of the Sanhedrin.
\nT. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the men of Ai killed about thirty-six men of them [and chased them before the gate \u2026 and the hearts of the people melted and became as water]\u2019 [Jos. 7:5].
\nU. \u201cIt is not written, \u2018Thirty six,\u2019 but rather, \u2018about thirty six.\u2019
\nV. \u201cSaid R. Yudan bar Menasseh, \u2018This refers to Jair, who was worth the majority of the Sanhedrin [= 36].\u2019 \u201d
\nW. They further objected, \u201cAnd it came to pass that David was successful in all his ways, and the Lord was with him\u201d (1 Sam. 18:14).
\nX. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune. For on that account: \u2018And Saul eyed David from that day onward\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 18:9).
\nY. They further objected, \u201cAnd it came to pass that the king dwelt in his palace, and the Lord gave him rest round about\u201d (2 Sam. 7:1).
\nZ. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify good fortune. On that very day, Nathan the prophet came to him and said, \u2018You will not build the house\u2019 \u201d (1 Kings 8:19).
\nAA. They said to him, \u201cWe have given our [objections]. Now give your [proofs about good fortune].\u201d
\nBB. He said to them, \u201c \u2018And it shall come to pass on that day that a man will keep alive a young cow and two sheep, [and because of the abundance of milk which they give, he will eat curds]\u2019 [Is. 7:21]. \u2018And it shall come to pass in that day that living waters shall go out of Jerusalem\u2019 [Zech. 14:8]. \u2018And it shall come to pass that he will be like a tree planted on streams of water\u2019 [Ps. 1:3]. \u2018And it shall come to pass that he will be like a tree planted by water\u2019 [Jer. 17:8]. \u2018And it shall come to pass that the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples [as dew from the Lord, as showers upon the grass]\u2019 [Mic. 5:6]. [All of these usages signify good fortune.]\u201d
\nCC. They raised the following objection: \u201cAnd it shall come to pass on the day on which Jerusalem is taken \u2026\u201d (Jer. 38:28).
\nDD. He said to them, \u201cThis too does not signify misfortune. For on that day the Israelites received a full pardon for all their sins.
\nEE. \u201cThat is in line with what R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman said, \u2018The Israelites received a full pardon for all their sins on the day on which the Temple was destroyed.\u2019
\nFF. \u201c \u2018That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThe punishment of your iniquity is completed, daughter of Zion, and he will no more take you away into exile\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Lam. 4:22).<\/p>\n
The long passage serves equally well in any of the contexts to which its materials prove relevant. The introductory unit, No. 1, makes the point of it all quite clear. No. 2 contains a minor interpolation, 2.H\u2013K. Otherwise its discourse provides the model for the rest. No. 3 bears somewhat heavier freight, since from G\u2013H, the main line jumps to R. The interpolated materials go over the same ground. I am not entirely sure what point J\u2013Q are meant to make. No. 4 shows us the ideal form, for now the cited verses tell the story, 4.E\u2013G. No. 5 has a secondary interpolation at 5.J\u2013M. My translation of the concluding phrase of P is conjectural. No. 6 refers to a story about how judges were treated, but does not spell it out. So the version appears truncated. At No. 8 we shift to the systematic testing of the proposition announced at the outset. At 8.N\u2013O we come to the sole point at which the enormous construction at hand intersects with our passage. There can be no doubt that the editorial work was complete before the insertion of the whole into the present composition. The decision to include so large a composite on account of so trivial a point of contact demands attention.<\/p>\n
XI:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[On the eighth day Moses called Aaron and his sons] and the elders of Israel\u201d (Lev. 9:1).
\nB. Said R. Aqiba, \u201cThe people of Israel is to be compared to a bird. Just as a bird cannot fly without wings, so Israel cannot do a thing without their elders.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Halputa, \u201cThe great thing about the wisdom [of age] is that if people are old [and wise], they are beloved [on that account], while if they are young [but wise], their youth is regarded as peripheral [because their wisdom overcomes it].\u201d
\n3. A. For R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cIt is not only in one or in two places alone that we find that the Omnipresent has paid respect to the elders.
\nB. \u201cIn the case of the bush, it is written, \u2018Go and bring together the elders of Israel\u2019 [Ex. 3:16].
\nC. \u201cIn Egypt: \u2018And you and the elders of Israel will come\u2019 [Ex. 3:18].
\nD. \u201cAt Sinai: \u2018Come up to the Lord \u2026 and seventy of the elders of Israel \u2026\u2019 [Ex. 24:14].
\nE. \u201cIn the wilderness: \u2018Gather to me seventy men of the elders of Israel\u2019 [Num. 11:16].
\nF. \u201cIn the tent of meeting: \u2018\u2026 and the elders of Israel\u2019 [Lev. 9:1].
\nG. \u201cSo too in time to come, the Holy One, blessed be he, will pay his respect to the elders: \u2018\u2026 and before his elders shall be glory\u2019 \u201d (Is. 24:23).
\n4. A. R. Bibi and R. Reuben in the name of R. Haninah: \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, is destined to appoint for himself a session of the elders of his own.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion and in Jerusalem and before his elders he will manifest his glory\u2019 [Is. 24:23].
\nC. \u201c \u2018And before elders glory\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018and before his elders glory.\u2019 [Thus he will make his own appointments.]\u201d
\n5. A. R. Abin in the name of R. Simeon b. R. Joshua: \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, is destined to go into session in a half-circle with the righteous in session before him. It is comparable to the case of Ahab, \u2018king of Israel and Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, sitting on their thrones, arrayed in their robes, at the threshing floor [at the entrance of the gate of Samaria]\u2019 [1 Kings 22:10].
\nB. \u201cNow were they sitting at an actual threshing floor? But it was in line with that which we have learned in the Mishnah: \u2018The Sanhedrin would sit [in a half-circle, as] in a threshing floor so that they could see one another\u2019 [M. San. 4:3].
\nC. \u201cSaid Solomon, \u2018I saw him packed in among them.\u2019 \u201d That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cHer master is known in the courts, as he [the Master, God] sits with the elders of the land\u201d (Prov. 31:23).<\/p>\n
Returning to the list of persons at Lev. 9:1, we take up the next item, \u201cthe elders,\u201d and this leads the compositor to provide us with a long set of materials on that theme. One item, 3.F, invokes the verse at hand. The construction thus falls into the category of that which has preceded. No. 4 is tacked on because of 3.G, and No. 5 because of the allegation of No. 4 that God will have his own session of elders. So the principle of organization and agglutination is clear; the interests of exegesis of Leviticus are not at issue.<\/p>\n
XI:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. (Y. Meg. 2:4:) R. Berekhiah and R. Helbo and Ulla Bira\u2019ah and R. Eleazar in the name of R. Haninah: \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, is destined to dance at the head of the line of the righteous in the time to come.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Consider well her ramparts (HYLH)\u2019 [Ps. 48:13]\u2014her dance (HWLH).
\nC. \u201cThey will dance before him like young girls and, as it were, point to him in praise and say, \u2018For this is God, our God, forever and ever,\u2019 [Ps. 48:14].
\nD. \u201c \u2018He will be our guide forever (\u02bfLMWT)\u2019 [Ps. 48:14]\u2014forever. [One may read the word to mean] with youthfulness, with liveliness.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Like maidens\u2019\u2014in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018In the midst of maidens, playing upon timbrels\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 68:25).
\nF. Aqilas translated \u02bfLMWT as \u201cathanasia,\u201d that is, deathlessness, a world in which there is no death.
\nG. The word \u02bfLMWT may further be translated in the plural, meaning, two worlds: \u201cHe will guide us\u201d in this world; \u201cHe will guide us\u201d in the world to come.<\/p>\n
The notion that God participates in the court, setting up and calling his own into session, may have struck the redactor as reason to include this item as well, in which God leads the dance in the world to come. I can think of no other reason for attaching this set to the preceding one.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twelve<\/p>\n
XII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying,] \u2018Drink no wine nor strong drink, [you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die; it shall be a statute forever throughout your generations]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 10:9).
\nB. R. Azariah opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018Do not look upon wine when it is red [when it sparkles in the cup and goes down smoothly. At the last it bites like a serpent and stings like an adder]\u2019 [Prov. 23:31\u20132].
\nC. \u201c \u2018Do not look upon wine when it is red\u2019 (YT\u2019DM)\u2014for [when drunk] one will lust after blood (YT\u2019W DM).
\nD. \u201cOne will lust after the blood of a menstruating woman or the blood of a woman subject to flux.
\nE. \u201c \u2018When it sparkles in the cup.\u2019 [The passage is written, not kos, cup, but] kis, at the bag.
\nF. \u201cThat is a euphemism [for the sexual organs], in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018If they say \u2026, Cast in your lot among us, let us all have one purse [a gang-bang]\u2019 [Prov. 1:14].
\nG. \u201c \u2018\u2026 and goes down smoothly\u2019 [Prov. 23:31]\u2014in the end [even though] his wife does things smoothly, saying to him, \u2018I have seen something like a red lily [marking her menstrual cycle],\u2019 he will not desist [from sexual relations].\u201d
\nH. Said R. Issi, \u201cIf he is a disciple of sages, he will end up declaring what is clean to be unclean, and what is unclean to be clean.\u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cDo not look upon the wine when it is red.\u201d Certainly it makes one red.
\nB. \u201cWhen it sparkles in the cup.\u201d It is written, \u201cin the purse.\u201d
\nC. [The drinker] looks at the cup, the storekeeper at the purse.
\nD. \u201c\u2026 and goes down smoothly\u201d (Prov. 23:31). In the end he will make his house smooth [and bare].
\nE. R. Isaac b. R. Radipa in the name of R. Ami: \u201cIn the end he will sell everything in his house so as to drink wine with the proceeds.
\nF. \u201cHe will say, \u2018What this brass pot can do, a clay pot can do.\u2019 So he sells the brass pot and drinks wine with the proceeds. \u2018What this copper ladle can do, a clay ladle can do,\u2019 so he sells it and drinks wine with the proceeds.\u201d
\n3. A. Said R, Aha, \u201cThere is the case of a man who sold all his household goods to buy wine with the proceeds, the very beams of his house to buy wine with the proceeds.
\nB. \u201cHis children complained, saying, [in Aramaic:] \u2018Will this old man of ours leave the world without leaving us a thing after he dies? What can we do with him? Let\u2019s go and make him drink and get him drunk and put him on a slab and take him out and say he\u2019s dead and lay him on his bier in the graveyard.\u2019 They did just that, taking him and getting him drunk and bringing him out and leaving him in the cemetery.
\nC. \u201cWine merchants passed by the gate of the graveyard. Some of the wine merchants were passing by to go into that town. They heard that the corvee tax [of personal labor] was being levied in that town. They said, \u2018Come and let\u2019s unload the wine skins in this grave and get out of here.\u2019 That\u2019s just what they did. They unloaded their burdens in the cemetery and went off to find out about the uproar in the town. Now that man was lying there, [and the merchants] saw him and took for granted that he was dead.
\nD. \u201cWhen the man woke up from his sleep, he saw a skin of wine hanging above his head. He untied it and put the spout in his mouth and drank. When he was feeling good, he began to sing. After three days, his children said to one another, \u2018Shouldn\u2019t we go and see how father is doing, whether he\u2019s alive or dead?\u2019
\nE. \u201cThey came and found him with a wine skin spout in his mouth, and he was sitting and drinking. They said to him, \u2018Even here your Creator has not abandoned you among the dead, but he has left you among the living. Since this is [the fate] that Heaven has given to you, we don\u2019t know what we can do to you.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Let\u2019s go and bring him back, and provide for him, and arrange some sort of permanent provision for him.\u2019 They set things up so that each one would provide him with drink for one day.\u201d
\n4. A. \u201cYou will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea, like one who lies on the top of a mast. [\u2018They struck me,\u2019 you will say, \u2018but I was not hurt; they beat me, but I did not feel it. When shall I awake? I will seek another drink]\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 23:34\u201335).
\nB. \u201cYou will be like one who lies down in the midst of the sea\u201d\u2014like a boat tossed on the high seas, going down and up, down and up.
\nC. Just as a ship is shaken in the ocean, so in the end a habitual drunkard is shaken out of his wits.
\nD. \u201cLike one who lies on the top of a mast\u201d\u2014like a helmsman who sits on top of the masthead and falls asleep, as the mast sways to and fro underneath him.
\nE. Another interpretation: \u201cLike one who lies on top of a mast\u201d\u2014like a cock which sits on the top of a pole and falls asleep, as the pole sways to and fro underneath it.
\n5. A. \u201cThey struck me, but I was not hurt\u201d (Prov. 23:35). They hit him, but he did not feel it.
\nB. \u201cThey beat me, but I did not feel it\u201d (Prov. 23:35).
\nC. They overcharge him, but he does not know it.
\nD. If he drank five xestes [of beer], they say to him, \u201cYou drank ten.\u201d
\nE. If he drank ten, they say to him, \u201cYou drank twenty.\u201d
\nF. Should you wish to say, when he wakes up from his sleep, he will forget [wine], Scripture states, \u201cWhen shall I awake? I will seek another drink\u201d (Prov. 23:35).
\n6. A. \u201cWho has woe? Who has sorrow? Who has strife? Who has complaining? Who has wounds without cause? Who has redness of eyes? Those who tarry long over wine, those who go to try mixed wine\u201d (Prov. 23:29\u201330).
\nB. Who has woe? Who has sorrow?
\nC. R. Huna said, \u201cHe who does not enjoy studying Torah.\u201d
\nD. \u201cWho has strife? Who has complaining?\u201d One who is sued, one who has quarrels.
\nE. \u201cWho has wounds without cause?\u201d [In Aramaic:] one who has causeless injuries.
\nF. \u201cWho has redness of eyes?\u201d [In Aramaic:] One who has irritated eyes.
\n7. A. There was a case of a man who would ordinarily drink twelve xestes of wine every day.
\nB. One day he drank only eleven. He wanted to go to sleep, but sleep did not come. He got up in the darkness and went to the innkeeper, saying to him, \u201cSell me an xestes of wine.\u201d
\nC. He said to him, \u201cNo. I\u2019m not able to open for you, because it\u2019s already dark.\u201d
\nD. He said to him, \u201cIf you don\u2019t give it to me, my sleep will not come to me.\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cJust now the town watchmen went by here, and I am afraid on account of the watchmen, so I can\u2019t give you [what you want].\u201d
\nF. The man looked up and saw a hole in the door. He said to him, \u201cPush a straw through that hole, then you pour on the inside, and I\u2019ll drink out here.\u201d
\nG. The man pressed him. What did he do? He stuck a straw though the hole in the door, and as the innkeeper poured out wine inside, the man drank it outside. When he finished, he fell asleep in a corner before the door.
\nH. The watchman came upon him by the door and found him asleep. Thinking that he was a thief, they beat him, but he did not feel it, and they wounded him, but he did not know it. They reddened his eye, and he did not see a thing.
\nI. People recited concerning him, \u201cWho has wounds without cause?\u201d Who has causeless injuries?
\nJ. \u201cWho has redness of eyes?\u201d Who has irritated eyes?
\nK. Whom do such things afflict? \u201cThose who tarry long over wine, those who go to try mixed wine\u201d (Prov. 23:30).
\n8. A. \u201cThose who tarry long over wine\u201d (Prov. 23:30)\u2014they are the ones who get into the bar first and leave last.
\nB. \u201cThose who go to try mixed wine\u201d\u2014these are people who go looking for wine.
\nC. When they hear that someone has a fine vintage, they go running after him and say, \u201cSo-and-so\u2019s wine is great, So-and-so\u2019s wine is red. Give us some and let\u2019s drink. So-and-so\u2019s wine is sparkling, give us some and let\u2019s drink it.\u201d
\n9. A. \u201cIn the end it bites like a snake and stings [PRS, also: separates] like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as a viper distinguishes (PRS) between death and life, so wine caused a separation (PRS) between Adam and Eve.
\nC. That accords with what Judah b. R. Ilai said, \u201cThe tree from which Adam ate was a grape vine.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For their grapes are grapes of poison, their clusters are bitter; [their wine is the poison of serpents, and the cruel venom of asps]\u2019 [Deut. 32:32].
\nE. \u201cIt follows that grape vines brought bitterness into the world.\u201d
\n10. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt stings like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as an adder distinguishes between death and life, so wine caused a separation between Noah and his sons in the matter of slavery.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cNoah was the first tiller of the soil. He planted a vineyard, and he drank of the wine, became drunk, and lay uncovered in his tent. And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and told his two brothers outside. Then Shem and Japheth took a garment, laid it upon both their shoulders, and walked backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; their faces were turned away, and they did not see their father\u2019s nakedness. When Noah awoke from his wine and knew what his youngest son had done to him \u2026\u201d
\nD. On that account: \u201cHe said, Cursed be Canaan; a slave of slaves shall he be to his brothers\u201d (Gen. 9:20\u201325).
\n11. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt stings like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as an adder distinguishes between death and life, so wine caused a separation between Lot and his daughters in the matter of bastardy.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cCome, let us make our father drink wine, and we will lie with him, that we may preserve offspring through our father. So they made their father drink wine that night; and the firstborn went in and lay with her father; he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. And on the next day the firstborn said to the younger, Behold, I lay last night with my father; let us make him drink wine tonight also; then you go in and lie with him, that we may preserve offspring through our father. So they made their father drink wine that night also; and the younger arose and lay with him, and he did not know when she lay down or when she arose. Thus both the daughters of Lot were with child by their father\u201d (Gen. 19:32\u201336).
\nD. On that account: \u201cNo Ammonite or Moabite shall enter the assembly of the Lord\u201d (Deut. 23:3).
\n12. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt stings like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as an adder distinguishes between death and life, so did wine cause a separation between the ten tribes in the matter of the exile.
\nC. That is in line with what is written: \u201cWoe to those who rise early in the morning, that they may run after strong drink, who tarry late in the evening till wine inflames them\u201d (Is. 5:11).
\nD. \u201c\u2026 who drink wine in bowls \u2026\u201d (Amos 6:6).
\nE. On this account: \u201cTherefore they shall now be the first of those who go into exile\u201d (Amos 6:7).
\n13. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt stings like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as an adder distinguishes between life and death, so did wine cause a separation between the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the matter of the exile.
\nC. For it is written, \u201cThese also reel with wine and stagger with strong drink; [the priest and the prophet reel with strong drink, they are confused with wine, they stagger with strong drink]\u201d (Is. 28:7).
\nD. These and also those [are subject to judgment].
\n14. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt stings like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as an adder distinguishes between life and death, so did wine cause a separation between Ahasuerus and Vashti, the queen, in the matter of the death penalty.
\nC. For it is said, \u201cOn the seventh day, when the heart of the king was merry with wine, he commanded Mehuman, Biztha, Harbona, Bigtha, Abagtha, Zethar, and Carkas, the seven eunuchs who served King Ahasuerus as chamberlains, to bring Queen Vashti before the king with her royal crown, in order to show the peoples and the princes her beauty. For she was fair to behold. But Queen Vashti refused to come at the king\u2019s command conveyed by the eunuchs. At this the king was enraged and his anger burned within him\u201d (Est. 1:10\u201312).
\nD. He wanted to bring her in naked, but she did not accept his command. Therefore he became angry with her and killed her. After he had killed her, he began to wonder [at what he had done].
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAfter these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her\u201d (Est. 2:1).
\n15. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt stings like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as an adder distinguishes between life and death, so wine caused a separation between one reign and another in the matter of the death [of a reigning monarch].
\nC. For it is written: \u201cKing Belshazzar made a great feast for a thousand of his lords and drank wine in front of the thousand. Belshazzar, when he tasted the wine, commanded that the vessels of gold and of silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem be brought, that the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines might drink from them. Then they brought in the golden and silver vessels which had been taken out of the temple, the house of God in Jerusalem, and the king and his lords, his wives, and his concubines drank from them. They drank wine and praised the gods of gold and silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone]\u201d (Dan. 5:1\u20134).
\nD. On this account: \u201cThat very night Belshazzar the Chaldean king was slain, and [Darius the Mede received the kingdom \u2026]\u201d (Dan 5:30).
\n16. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt stings like an adder\u201d (Prov. 23:32).
\nB. Just as an adder distinguishes between life and death, so wine caused a separation between Aaron and his son in the matter of the death penalty.
\n17. A. R. Ishmael expounded, \u201cThe two sons of Aaron died only because they entered [the tent of meeting] when they were drunk.\u201d
\nB. R. Phineas in the name of R. Levi, in regard to this statement of R. Ishmael: \u201cThe matter may be compared to a king who had a reliable steward. But he observed the man standing at the doorway of a [wine] shop. He cut off his head without revealing the reason and appointed another one as steward in place of the first.
\nC. \u201cNow we do not know on what account he killed the first. But from his instructions to the second, we may draw the proper conclusion, for he said, \u2018Do not go into that [wine] shop.\u2019 So we know on what account he killed the first.
\nD. \u201cSo here it is written, \u2018And fire came forth from the presence of the Lord and devoured them and they died before the Lord\u2019 [Lev. 10:2].
\nE. \u201cNow we do not know on what account they were put to death. But from what the Holy One, blessed be he, instructed Aaron, saying to him, \u2018Drink no wine nor strong drink, [you nor your sons with you, when you go into the tent of meeting, lest you die]\u2019 [Lev. 10:8], we may draw the conclusion that they were put to death only on account of wine.\u201d
\nF. [Because Aaron remained silent at the death of his sons], he gained the merit of having the formulation of Scripture show him special regard, directing to him alone the divine instruction: \u201c[And the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying,] Drink no wine nor strong drink\u201d (Lev. 10:8\u20139).<\/p>\n
At No. 1 the danger posed by wine is to proper sexual conduct, at No. 2, to the drinker\u2019s estate. No. 3 provides a rather elaborate illustration of the point of No. 2. Nos. 4, 5, 6\u20137, and 8 work out further clauses of the intersecting verse. No. 9 moves us toward the base verse, beginning a rather majestic progress toward the point. We then see that the intersecting verse and the overall theme constitute astute choices\u2014Prov. 23:32 and the theme of wine. The opening and closing sections, Prov. 23:29\u201331, 34\u201335, turn out to serve as introduction because of their theme, while the true intersecting verse is the one left for the end, Prov. 23:32. All of this is very subtle and strong. Nos. 9\u201317 then present a series of applications of Prov. 23:32\u2014the true intersecting verse\u2014reaching the climax at Lev. 10:9, at which the discourse had commenced. The sequence is Adam and Eve, Noah, Lot, the exile of northern Israel, Judah and Benjamin\u2019s exile, Ahasuerus and Vashti, Belshazzar, and then, to bring us to our desired topic, Aaron and his sons. Obviously, the chronology is revised to serve the interests of Leviticus Rabbah. No. 16 belongs after No. 11. But the revised sequence of materials is all that our compositor has contributed. Everything else is routine. None of the items pertains to our passage except the last one (17.F belongs below). Once more we see that the framer has taken whole and complete a set of materials worked out to serve the amplification of a verse unrelated to the present context, and he then has made only the most minor revisions to suit his own purpose.<\/p>\n
XII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Isaac opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018Your words were found and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart, for I am called by your name, O Lord, God of Hosts. [I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice; I sat alone, because your hand was upon me]\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 15:16\u201317).
\n2. A. Said R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, said to Moses, \u2018Moses, in the future, I am going to meet with Israel and be sanctified by them in this house.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory; [I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar; Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests]\u2019 [Ex. 29:43\u201344].
\nC. \u201cThis statement was said to Moses at Sinai, but he was not informed [as to its meaning] until the matter was realized through his own action.
\nD. \u201cWhen did this take place? It was on the eighth day [of consecration of Aaron and the priesthood].
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And when all the people saw it, they shouted and fell on their faces\u2019 [Lev. 9:24].
\nF. \u201cSaid Moses before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLord of the ages! Who is more beloved than my brother Aaron and I, through whom this house is to be sanctified?\u2019
\nG. \u201cWhen the two sons of Aaron went in to make an offering and came out burned up, Moses said to Aaron, \u2018Aaron, my brother! Your sons died only for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One, blessed be he. This is what the Lord has said, \u201cI will show myself holy among those who are near me, [and before all the people I will be glorified]\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Lev. 10:3).
\n3. A. Along these same lines, you find the following:
\nB. \u201cThere I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory\u201d (Ex. 29:32).
\nC. This statement was said to Moses at Sinai, but he was not informed as to its meaning until the matter was realized through his own action.
\nD. But when the matter came to hand, he said to Aaron, \u201cAaron, my brother, at Sinai it was said to me, \u2018I am going to meet with Israel and to be sanctified by them in this house, and I shall sanctify [the house] through a great man.\u2019 Now I was supposing that it was either through me or through you that this house would be sanctified. But now it turns out that your two sons are more beloved than we.\u201d
\nE. When Aaron heard this, realizing that his sons had been God-fearing [lit.: known to Heaven], he kept silent [at their death].
\nF. He received a good reward for his humble silence.
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Aaron kept silent\u201d (Lev. 10:3).
\nH. What reward did he receive for his silence? He gained the merit of having the formulation of Scripture show him special regard, directing to him alone the divine instruction: \u201cAnd the Lord spoke to Aaron, saying, Drink no wine nor strong drink\u201d (Lev. 10:8\u20139).<\/p>\n
We have two nearly identical versions of the same matter, an exegesis of the story of the death of Aaron\u2019s sons. Now, however, it is not because they were drunk, but because of God\u2019s wish to be sanctified through them. I see no important differences between No. 2 and No. 3, except that the latter is a somewhat clearer expression of the matter. But how No. 1 pertains I simply do not understand. If the intent is to identify Aaron and his sons with Jeremiah\u2019s statement, then the matter is not made explicit.<\/p>\n
XII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Torah of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple;] the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes; [the fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether]\u201d (Ps. 19:7\u20139).
\nB. Hezekiah taught, \u201cWords of Torah are a crown for the head, a necklace for the neck, a balm for the heart, a salve for the eyes, an anointment for a wound, and a cup of root drink for the bowels.
\nC. \u201c \u2018A crown for the head:\u2019 \u2018For they are a fair garland for your head\u2019 [Prov. 1:9].
\nD. \u201c \u2018A necklace for the neck:\u2019 \u2018And pendants for your neck\u2019 [Prov. 1:9].
\nE. \u201c \u2018A balm for the heart:\u2019 \u2018The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart\u2019 [Ps. 19:8].
\nF. \u201c \u2018A salve for the eyes:\u2019 \u2018The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes\u2019 [Ps. 19:8].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Anointment for a wound:\u2019 \u2018It will be a healing to your flesh\u2019 [Prov. 3:8].
\nH. \u201c \u2018A cup of root drink for the bowels:\u2019 \u2018And refreshment to your bones\u2019 [Prov. 3:8].
\nI. \u201cAnd how do we know that [words of Torah] are absorbed by the two hundred and forty-eight limbs which are in [the body]?
\nJ. \u201cScripture says, \u2018[For they are life to him who finds them,] and healing to all his flesh\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 4:22).
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart\u201d (Ps. 19:7)\u2014these are the sons of Aaron.
\nB. \u201cThe commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes\u201d\u2014they had such merit that the divine speech focused upon them and upon their father while they were yet alive.
\nC. He had such further merit that the Scripture showed him special favor by speaking about him all by himself: \u201c[And God spoke to Aaron, saying,] \u2018Drink no wine nor strong drink\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 10:8\u20139).<\/p>\n
The text now is Ps. 19:7\u20139, as indicated at No. 1. The point of contact comes only in No. 2, which is a familiar procedure. The message is of course familiar; the specification of Aaron is what is subject to comment.<\/p>\n
XII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. [To the] body [of the matter]: Said R. Tanhuma, \u201cIf one drinks the proper amount, that is wine [drinking]. If one drinks more than the proper amount, that is [drunkenness and the drinker is an] ass.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Yudan, \u201cAll trees are called after the name of their fruit.
\nB. \u201cA fig tree is called by the name of a fig, a pomegranate tree is called by the name of its fruit, an apple tree is called by the name of its fruit.
\nC. \u201cBut a vine has three names. It is called a vine, coming from it are grapes; and coming from grapes is wine.
\nD. \u201cThat is to tell you, just as in the case of grapes, if you do not press them, you will not bring anything out of them, so he who drinks a great deal of wine in the end will vomit everything in his intestines.\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Tanhuma, \u201c[The prohibition of priests\u2019 drinking wine is based on the following reasoning:] The mother [of the wine, namely, the vine] cannot stand up [under its weight], so will you be able to stand up under it?
\nB. \u201cA vine without supports cannot stand up.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Simon, \u201cFor offerings [of wine libations], I have set a measure [of how much wine is to be used], but for you yourself you will not set a limit [but you may not drink at all].
\nD. \u201cFor offerings [of wine libations] I have set a measure: \u2018And their drink offerings shall be half a hin of wine for a bullock, a third for a ram, and a fourth for a lamb\u2019 [Num. 28:14].
\nE. \u201cBut for you yourself, you do not set any measure at all [but may not drink wine].\u201d
\n4. A. Bar Qappara said, \u201cWhen a substance [whose Hebrew name] stands for a numerical value of 70 goes in [to the mouth], a word with that same numerical value comes out [of the mouth]: \u2018When wine goes in [the Hebrew letters of which stand for 70], secrets come out,\u2019 [and the numerical value of the word secret also is 70].\u201d
\n5. A. R. Abin made two statements.
\nB. R. Abin said, \u201cWhy do they hold wine in goatskins? To tell you [that] yesterday this skin was full of sinews and bones, but now it is utterly empty. So he who drinks too much wine will end up forgetting the two hundred forty-eight limbs that are in his body.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Lest they drink and forget what has been decreed (MHWQQ)\u2019 [Prov. 31:15]. The word is written MHQQ, [the numerical value of the letters of which is 248].\u201d
\nD. R. Abin said yet another saying: \u201c \u2018Why do they hold wine in goatskins?\u2019 To tell you [that] yesterday this skin was full of vein sinews and bones, and now it is a worthless piece of naked hide. So he who drinks too much wine will end up being made worthless on its account.\u201d<\/p>\n
The materials at hand constitute little more than a catalogue of sayings about wine, vines, and grapes and the like. No. 3 comes close to the verse under discussion. The remainder\u2014Nos. 1, 2, 4, 5\u2014simply supply further sayings in the spirit of the opening conglomerate, XII:I.<\/p>\n
XII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Yudan, \u201cDuring the entire seven-year period in which Solomon built the house of the sanctuary, he did not drink any wine.
\nB. \u201cWhen he had built the house of the sanctuary, and [in celebration] married Pharaoh\u2019s daughter, that very night he drank some wine.
\nC. \u201cThere were two dances in celebration that night, one, the rejoicing over the building of the house of the sanctuary, and the other, the rejoicing over the daughter of Pharaoh.
\nD. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Which one shall I accept, this or that?\u2019
\nE. \u201cAt that moment it entered God\u2019s mind to destroy the Temple.
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018This city has aroused my anger (\u2018P) and wrath [from the day it was built to this day, so that I will remove it from my sight because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah, which they did to provoke me to anger]\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 32:31).
\nG. Said R. Hillel b. R. Wallas, \u201cIt may be compared to someone who passes by a filthy place and turns up his nose (\u2018P).\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Hunia, \u201cEighty different dances did Pharaoh\u2019s daughter dance that night.\u201d
\nB. R. Isaac b. Eleazar said, \u201cThree hundred different dances did Pharaoh\u2019s daughter dance that night.\u201d
\n3. A. Now Solomon slept to the fourth hour of the day, with the keys of the house of the sanctuary kept under his head.
\nB. That is in line with that which we have learned in the Mishnah (M. Ed. 6:1): \u201cThe morning burnt offering is offered at the fourth hour.\u201d
\nC. Lo, what did [Pharaoh\u2019s daughter] do for him? She made a kind of canopy and set stars and planets in it and spread it over his bed. When he wanted to get up, he saw it and supposed that it was still night, so he slept until the fourth hour.
\nD. His mother then came in and rebuked him.
\nE. And there is he who says that it was Jeroboam b. Nabat who came in and rebuked him.
\nF. And could [Jeroboam] have done any such thing?
\nG. R. Haggai in the name of R. Isaac: \u201cHe went and gathered eighty thousand men of his tribe [Ephraim] and went in and rebuked him.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018When Ephraim spoke, people trembled. He was exalted in Israel. But he incurred guilt through Baal and died\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 13:1).
\nI. \u201cWhen Ephraim spoke, people trembled\u201d\u2014when Jeroboam spoke of the incontinence of Solomon, the Holy One, blessed be he, said to him, \u201cWhy do you rebuke him?\u201d
\nJ. [God continues:] \u201c \u2018He was exalted in Israel\u2019\u2014he is a prince in Israel.
\nK. \u201cBy your life, I shall give you a taste of the kind of authority that he wields, and you will not be able to endure it.\u201d
\nL. When [Jeroboam] entered his dominion, forthwith: \u201cHe incurred guilt through Baal and died\u201d (Hos. 13:1).
\nM. Rabbis say, \u201cIt was most certainly his mother who went in and rebuked him.
\nN. \u201cShe took her slipper and slapped him this way and that, saying to him, \u2018What my child\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 31:2).
\nO. Said R. Oshaiah, \u201c \u2018What my son,\u2019 is not written, but \u2018What my child!\u2019 \u201d.
\nP. \u201cShe said, \u2018My son, you are already grown up! Your father married many women and when Nathan, the prophet, came and said to him, \u201cBehold, a son shall be born to you; he shall be a man of peace. I will give him peace from all his enemies round about; for his name shall be Solomon, and I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days\u201d [1 Chron. 22:9],
\nQ. \u201c \u2018then every one of David\u2019s wives [including me] said, \u201cIf I produce Solomon, I shall make an offering of every sacrifice that is listed in the Torah.\u201d
\nR. \u201c \u2018Now I am standing and my sacrifices are in my hand, but you are still sleeping!\u2019 \u201d
\nS. \u201cGive not your strength to women, your ways to those who destroy kings\u201d (Prov. 31:3).
\nT. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cHis mother said to him, \u2018My son, the men of the generation of the flood were kings, but because they were drowning in pornographic filth, they were blotted up out of the world.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. \u201cIt is not for kings, O Lemuel, [it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed, and pervert the rights of all the afflicted]\u201d (Prov. 31:4).
\nB. Said R. Abin, \u201cThey do not hand over the dominion to one who takes issue with the teachings of God, but with him who does the teachings of God.\u201d
\nC. \u201cIt is not for kings to drink wine.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Abin, \u201cLet kings not drink wine, lest they forget and say something like him [that is, Pharaoh] who said, \u2018Who is the Lord, that I should listen to his voice\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 5:2).
\nE. \u201cOr for rulers to desire strong drink\u201d (Prov. 31:4).
\nF. It is written, \u201cOr\u201d (\u2018W), meaning woe to one on account of strong drink.
\n5. A. R. Hanana b. R. Pappa and rabbis:
\nB. R. Hanana b. R. Pappa said, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I had a great house, and I destroyed it only on account of wine.\u2019 \u201d
\nC. Rabbis said, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I had two rulers, and I killed them only because of wine.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. That is in line with the following teaching of R. Ishmael: \u201cThe two sons of Aaron died only because they went into the sanctuary when they were drunk.\u201d
\nE. R. Phineas in the name of R. Levi: \u201cThe matter may be compared to a king who appointed a reliable steward,\u201d etc., as stated above, up to \u201cDrink no wine nor strong drink\u201d (Lev. 10:9).
\n6. A. For in this world, wine is a stumbling block to the world. But in the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be he, will turn it into a source of joy.
\nB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd in that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the streambeds of Judah shall flow with water, and a fountain shall come forth from the house of the Lord, and water the valley of Shittim\u201d (Joel 3:18).<\/p>\n
The composite continues with materials relevant to wine and the dangers of strong drink, that is, a collection of the theme of Lev. 10:9. The point of intersection is reached in a rather desultory way, at 5.C\u2013D, which then explicitly refers to, but (in the present text) does not cite verbatim, materials already given above. No. 1 is strikingly appropriate because it relates the prohibition against drinking to the building of the sanctuary. The contact then is broad, for the theme of the building of the sanctuary by Solomon forms the counterpart to the consecration of the priesthood by Moses. No. 2 carries forward the theme of No. 1, that is, Solomon\u2019s corruption\u2014drinking, sleeping late. No. 2 is continuous with No. 3. The goal of the whole is to bring us to Prov. 31:1\u20134. That returns us to the main point, namely, the danger of wine, especially for rulers. No. 4 then continues the exegesis of what turns out to be the intersecting verse around which the entire construction is framed, Prov. 31:4. No. 4, as I said, reverts explicitly to the passage at hand, linking Lev. 10:8\u2019s prohibition against wine drinking to Lev. 10:12\u2019s death of Nadab and Abihu. No. 6 writes a strong conclusion to the whole\u2014an eschatological finale. In all, even though the passage appears to be run-on and diffuse, in fact it reveals a careful exegetical program, with an intersecting verse fully and completely worked out. Indeed, the spelling out of that verse remains far closer to the interests of the base verse(s) than is usually the case.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirteen<\/p>\n
XIII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Phineas and R. Jeremiah in the name of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018He whose ear heeds the admonition of life will abide among the wise. [He who ignores instruction despises himself, but he who heeds admonition gains understanding]\u2019 [Prov. 15:31\u201332].
\nB. \u201c \u2018He whose ear heeds the admonition of life\u2019 refers to the sons of Aaron [who kept their peace], [delete:] who had been threatened by death.
\nC. \u201c \u2018\u2026 will abide among the wise.\u2019 They had such merit that the divine speech focused explicitly upon them, as much as upon their father and their father\u2019s brother [Moses], while [all of them were] alive.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[And Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and Ithamar, his sons who were left \u2026\u2019 (Lev. 10:12)]. \u2018Now Moses diligently inquired [about the goat of the sin offering, and behold, it was burned. And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron who were left, saying, \u2018Why have you not eaten the sin offering in the place of the sanctuary, since it is a thing most holy and has been given to you that you may bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the Lord?\u201d]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 10:16\u201317).
\n2. A. [\u201cNow Moses diligently inquired \u2026\u201d (Lev. 10:16)]. What is the meaning of \u201cdiligently inquired\u201d?
\nB. It means making two inquiries.
\nC. He said to them, \u201c(1) If you slew [the beast], why did you not eat it? (2) But if you were not planning to eat it, then why in the world did you slaughter it?\u201d
\n3. A. Forthwith: \u201cAnd he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron [who were left]\u201d (Lev. 10:16).
\nB. And because he lost his temper, the knowledge of the correct law left him.
\nC. Said R. Huna, \u201cIn three contexts Moses lost his temper, with the result that knowledge of the law left him.
\nD. \u201cThese are they: in the matters of the Sabbath, metal utensils, and the bereaved prior to the burial of the deceased.
\nE. \u201cHow do we know the case of the Sabbath?
\nF. \u201c \u2018Some of them left some of [the mana] until the morning, [and it got wormy and rotted], and Moses lost his temper with them\u2019 [Ex. 16:20].
\nG. \u201cSince he had lost his temper, he forgot to tell them the laws of the Sabbath.
\nH. \u201cWhat in fact did he say to them? \u2018Eat it today, [for today is a sabbath to the Lord. Today you will not find it in the field]\u2019 [Ex. 16:25]. [So he forgot to tell them that they should gather an extra portion on the day preceding the Sabbath].
\nI. \u201c[How do we know Moses was angry and forgot to mention] the matter of metal utensils?
\nJ. \u201c \u2018And Moses was angry with the officers of the army, [the commanders of thousands and the commanders of hundreds, who had come from service in the war]\u2019 [Num. 31:14].
\nK. \u201cSince he lost his temper, knowledge of the right law left him. He therefore forgot to inform them of the laws governing metal utensils. And since he had forgotten to inform them, Eleazar, the priest, did so in his stead: \u2018And Eleazar the priest said to them the men of war [who had gone to battle, \u201cThis is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded Moses: only the gold, silver, bronze, iron, tin, and lead, everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire and it shall be clean]\u201d \u2019 [Num. 31:21\u201322].
\nL. \u201c[Eleazar] said to them, \u2018It was to Moses, my lord, that [God] gave the commandment, and not to me that he gave it.\u2019
\nM. \u201c[How do we know Moses was angry and forgot to mention] the matter of the bereaved who has not yet buried his deceased?
\nN. \u201c \u2018And he was angry with Eleazar and Ithamar, the sons of Aaron [who were left and who had not yet buried their deceased brothers, Nadab and Abihu].\u2019
\nO. \u201cSince he lost his temper, he forgot to tell them that a priest who has not yet buried his deceased is forbidden to eat Holy Things.\u201d
\n4. A. \u201c[And he was angry with the sons of Aaron] who were left, saying \u2026\u201d (Lev. 10:16).
\nB. R. Phineas and R. Judah b. R. Simon:
\nC. R. Phineas said, \u201cHe said to them, \u2018The good ones died, and the bad ones were left!\u2019 \u201d
\nD. R. Judah b. R. Simon said, \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Even you\u2014would that you had not survived!\u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. \u201cAnd Aaron said to Moses\u201d (Lev. 10:19):
\nB. It was with a statement that was contrary.
\nC. [That usage is in line] with what we find in the following verses: \u201cThe man who was lord of the land spoke harshly with us\u201d (Gen. 42:30).
\n6. A. \u201c[And Aaron said to Moses,] \u2018Behold, today they have offered their sin offering [and their burnt offering before the Lord, and yet such things as these have befallen me? If I had eaten the sin offering today, would it have been acceptable in the sight of the Lord?\u2019]\u201d (Lev. 10:19).
\nB. He said to him, \u201cToday my sons have died. Shall I make an offering today? Today my sons have died. Shall I eat holy things today too?\u201d
\nC. At this point Aaron constructed an argument a fortiori for Moses: \u201cNow if in the case of food in the status of tithe, which enjoys a diminished status of sanctification, lo, such food is forbidden for a mourner who has not yet buried his deceased to eat, [then] a sin offering, which enjoys a very considerable status of sanctification, all the more so should be forbidden for a priest who has suffered a bereavement but not yet buried his deceased [to eat].\u201d
\nD. Forthwith: \u201cAnd Moses listened\u201d (Lev. 10:20).
\nE. He made a proclamation throughout the entire camp, saying, \u201cI am the one who erred in making the law, so Aaron, my brother, has instructed me.\u201d
\n7. A. Eleazar also had known the law, but he kept silence. Ithamar had known the law, but he too kept silent.
\nB. They therefore enjoyed the merit of having the divine speech make explicit reference to them, as much as to their father and to their father\u2019s brother, [Moses].
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron saying to them \u2026\u201d (Lev. 11:1).
\nD. In this regard, R. Hiyya taught, \u201c \u2018Saying to them\u2019 encompasses the sons, Eleazar and Ithamar, as well.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is a very strong and cogent treatment of the assigned verse, Lev. 10:12, in light of the intersecting verse, Prov. 15:31. What is surprising is that the intersecting verse plays so slight a role, while the base verse completely dominates the exegetical process. Only No. 1 treats the intersecting verse at all. (I see an allusion to it at 6.D.) Nos. 2\u20137 focus upon the passage of Leviticus itself. The centerpiece is at No. 2, which continues in Nos. 3, 4, 5, and 6\u20137. Clearly, the exegete worked with two facts: first, that the two sons had died on that same day (which the narrative says explicitly at Lev. 10:19), and, second, that the bereaved priest who has yet to bury his deceased may not eat Holy Things. Those two facts then serve the narrator very well indeed. No. 3 is a perfect exposition, with no problems of style whatever, and it leads right to the passage subject to exegesis. Nos. 4, 5, and 6 then take up the close reading of other verses in context, and No. 7 makes a familiar point. The passage as a whole cannot fall into the classification of exegesis of the intersecting verse but rather that in which the focus is upon the base verse.<\/p>\n
XIII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Simeon b. Yohai opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018He stood and measured the earth; he looked and shook [YTR = released] the nations; [then the eternal mountains were scattered as the everlasting hills sank low. His ways were as of old]\u2019 [Hab. 3:6].
\nB. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, took the measure of all the nations and found no nation but Israel that was truly worthy to receive the Torah.
\nC. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, further took the measure of all generations and found no generation but the generation of the wilderness that was truly worthy to receive the Torah.
\nD. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, further took the measure of all mountains and found no mountain but Mount Moriah that was truly worthy for the Presence of God to come to rest upon it.
\nE. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, further took the measure of all cities and found no city but Jerusalem that was truly worthy in which to have the house of the sanctuary built.
\nF. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, further took the measure of all mountains and found no mountain but Sinai that was truly worthy for the Torah to be given upon it.
\nG. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, further took the measure of all lands and found no land but the Land of Israel that was truly worthy for Israel.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018He stood and took the measure of the earth.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201cHe looked and released the nations\u201d (Hab. 3:6).
\nB. Rab said, \u201cHe released their blood, he released their wealth.
\nC. \u201cHe released their blood: \u2018You shall save nothing that breathes\u2019 [Deut. 20:16].
\nD. \u201cHe released their wealth: \u2018And you shall consume the spoil of your enemies\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 20:14).
\nE. R. Yohanan said, \u201cHe pushed them into Gehenna.
\nF. \u201cThat [interpretation of the Hebrew word for release (HTR)] is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018\u2026 with which to leap (NTR) on the earth\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 11:21).
\nG. R. Huna the Elder, of Sepphoris, said, \u201cHe unloosed their girdle [the source of their strength].
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018He unloosens the bond of kings and binds a girdle on their loins\u2019 \u201d (Job 12:18).
\n3. A. Ulla Biraah in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: \u201cThe matter [of the reference to \u2018releasing the nations\u2019] is to be compared to the case of one who went out to the threshing floor [for harvesting his crop], taking his dog and ass with him.
\nB. \u201cHe loaded his ass with five seahs of grain, and his dog with two. The dog went along panting. He took one seah off the dog, but it continued to pant. He took off the second, but it continued to pant. He said to it, \u2018Now you\u2019re carrying nothing, yet you\u2019re continuing to pant!\u2019
\nC. \u201cSo as to even the seven religious duties that the children of Noah accepted: since they could not endure under their burden, the [nations] went and loaded them onto Israel. [So the nations were released from the seven religious duties assigned to the children of Noah, and the Israelites assumed that burden as well.]\u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Tanhum b. R. Hanilai, \u201cThe matter [of releasing the nations] may be compared to a physician who went to pay a call on two sick persons. One of them [he judged] to have the strength to live, and the other of them [he judged] not to have the strength to live.
\nB. \u201cTo the one who he judged to be able to survive, he said, \u2018Such and so you must not eat.\u2019
\nC. \u201cBut to the one who he judged to be unable to survive, he said, \u2018Whatever he wants [to eat], give him.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo the nations of the world, who are not going to enjoy the world to come: \u2018Every moving thing that lives will be food for you, as the green herb have I given you everything\u2019 (Gen. 9:3).
\nE. \u201cBut to Israel, who will enjoy the world to come: \u2018[And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, Say to the people of Israel,] These are the living things which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 11:1\u20132).<\/p>\n
The passage reaches the base verse only at the end. But once we see the main point, we can also understand the appropriateness of the intersecting verse. Then the entire passage forms a strikingly cogent discourse on (1) the intersecting verse and (2) the main point (theme) of the base verse. The main point is that Israel must observe certain restrictions on what it may eat and may not eat. The nations are not subject to those restrictions. No. 4 then shows us the purpose. Yet once we see it, we also understand how Nos. 1\u20133 contribute to the climax reached at No. 4. No. 1 simply tells us, on the basis of the cited verse, Hab. 3:6, that God sifted all possibilities before choosing Israel, the generation of the wilderness, Sinai. The other entries\u2014Jerusalem, Moriah (Zion), and the Land of Israel\u2014do not contribute to our particular proposition. So the whole construction took shape in its own terms and then was found entirely serviceable for the present context. No. 2 completes the exegesis of the intersecting verse. Nos. 3 and 4 then lead us to the base verse. No. 3 makes its main polemical point, and No. 4 then restates the point in terms distinctive to the present context. In all, I do not think a single element can have been removed; the whole is unified and very carefully laid out.<\/p>\n
XIII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cEvery word of God is refined; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him\u201d (Prov. 30:5).
\nB. Rab said, \u201cThe religious duties were handed over only to refine human beings through them.\u201d
\nC. Why so much [engagement]?
\nD. \u201cHe is a shield to those who take refuge in him\u201d (Prov. 30:5) [and through the practice of religious duties gives people the opportunity to gain merit].
\n2. A. Said R. Yudan b. R. Simeon, \u201cBehemoth and Leviathan will serve as the beasts of chase for the righteous in the world to come.
\nB. \u201cAnd any person who has not come as a spectator to the wild-beast contests of the nations of the world in this age will enjoy the merit of witnessing them in the world to come.
\nC. \u201cHow will they be properly slaughtered [for Israelite consumption]? The Behemoth will hit the Leviathan with its horns and tear him, and the Leviathan will hit the Behemoth with its fins and pierce him.
\nD. \u201cThen the righteous will say, \u2018Now is this a valid mode of slaughter?\u2019 [Obviously not!]\u201d
\nE. For have we not learned in the following passage of the Mishnah: \u201cAll persons are suitable to carry out an act of slaughter, and with any sort of sharp instrument do they carry out the act of slaughter, and at all times do they slaughter [a beast]\u2014except [when] a scythe, saw, or teeth [cut out of a dead animal are used for slaughter], because they [cause pain through] choking\u201d (M. Hul. 1:2).
\nF. Said R. Abba bar Kahana, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Torah comes forth from me\u2019 [Is. 51:4]. It is an innovation in the law of the Torah that has come forth from me [that on an ad hoc basis such a mode of slaughter will be valid, even though, in the law overall, it is not].\u201d
\n3. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Isaac: \u201cA great banquet will the Holy One, blessed be he, prepare for his righteous servants in the world to come, and everybody who did not eat carrion and meat from torn beasts in this world will enjoy the merit of joining in the banqueting in the world to come.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The fat of an animal that dies of itself [carrion] and the fat of one that is torn by beasts may be put to any other use, but on no account shall you eat it\u2019 [Lev. 7:24], so that you may indeed eat of it in the world to come.
\nC. \u201cAccordingly, Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u2018These are the living things which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 11:2).
\n4. A. [\u201cThese are the living things which you may eat among all the beasts that are on the earth\u201d (Lev. 11:2)]. R. Hiyya taught, \u201c[The cited verse] teaches that Moses took a wild beast and showed it to Israel and said to them, \u2018This beast you may eat, and that beast you may not eat.\u2019
\nB. \u201c \u2018These you may eat of all that are in the waters\u2019 [Lev. 11:9].
\nC. \u201c \u2018This you may eat and this you may not eat.\u2019
\nD. \u201c \u2018And these you shall have in abomination among the birds, [they shall not be eaten, they are an abomination]\u2019 [Lev. 11:13].
\nE. \u201cThese you shall treat as an abomination, and these you shall not treat as an abomination.\u2019
\nF. \u201c \u2018And these are unclean to you [among the swarming things that swarm upon the earth]\u2019 [Lev. 11:29].
\nG. \u201c \u2018This one is unclean, and this one is not unclean.\u2019
\nH. \u201c \u2018These are the living things which you may eat\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 11:2).<\/p>\n
Once again we work from a general theme to the specific verse at hand. The intersecting verse at No. 1 is appropriately chosen because of 1.D. The polemic is that it is through practice of religious duties, in context, food taboos, that Israel gains merit. What immediately follows is the result of merit, namely, entry into the world to come. Then the compositor shows his hand. In the world to come Israel may eat exactly those foods that they may not eat in this world. God will then permit what he has now prohibited. This then reinforces the point of No. 1. So while the two passages in every aspect appear to be entirely distinct from one another, by juxtaposing them the framer has stated a powerful apology for the food taboos. No. 3 then repeats the main point of No. 2 and makes it explicit at 3.B. No. 4 adds what appears to be a rather mundane observation. It is important, however, because it ties up the entire package of materials and allows no one to miss the main point. Once more it would be difficult, within the present genre and its conventions, to imagine a more stunningly perfect composition.<\/p>\n
XIII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to] the body [of the matter = \u201cThis \u2026 you may eat\u201d], said R. Abbahu, \u201cIt was a kind of fiery skull that the Holy One, blessed be he, showed to Moses. He said to him, \u2018If [during a slaughter] the membrane of the brain is perforated, in any measure at all, [the beast is] invalid[ly slaughtered and may not be eaten].\u2019 \u201d
\nB. And Rabbis say, \u201c \u2018This is the living thing [which you may eat]\u2019 [Lev. 11:2].
\nC. \u201cThat beast which would survive even after being torn you may eat, and that beast which would not survive after being torn you may not eat.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cIf you have merit, you shall eat. If you do not have merit, you shall be eaten\u2014by the kingdoms.\u201d
\nB. Said R. Aha, \u201cIt is written, \u2018If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword (HRB); [for the mouth of the Lord has spoken]\u2019 [Is. 1:19\u201320].
\nC. \u201cYou shall eat carobs (HRWB).\u201d
\nD. For R. Aha said, \u201cWhen a Jew has [to resort to eating] carobs, he carries out repentance.
\nE. \u201cAnd as becoming is poverty for the Jews as a red ribbon on the chest of a white horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 is only tangentially relevant, reviewing as it does rules of proper slaughter. No. 2 serves as a prologue for the long account of XIII:V, which follows. It introduces the theme of the relationship between the food taboos and Israel\u2019s fate among the nations. So at hand is nothing more than a miscellany.<\/p>\n
XIII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah, \u201cAll the prophets foresaw what the pagan kingdoms would do [to Israel].
\nB. \u201cThe first man foresaw what the pagan kingdoms would do [to Israel].
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018A river flowed out of Eden [to water the garden, and there it divided and became four rivers]\u2019 [Gen. 2:10]. [The four rivers stand for the four kingdoms, Babylonia, Media, Greece, and Rome].\u201d
\n2. A. R. Tanhuma said it, [and so did] R. Menahema [in the name of] R. Joshua b. Levi: \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, will give the cup of reeling to the nations of the world to drink in the world to come.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018A river flowed out of Eden (YDN)\u2019 [Gen 2:10], the place from which justice [DYN] goes forth.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201c[There it divided] and became four rivers\u201d (Gen 2:10)\u2014this refers to the four kingdoms.
\nB. \u201cThe name of the first is Pishon (PSWN); [it is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there]\u201d (Gen. 2:11\u201312).
\nC. This refers to Babylonia, on account [of the reference to Babylonia in the following verse:] \u201cAnd their [the Babylonians\u2019] horsemen spread themselves (PSW)\u201d (Hab. 1:8).
\nD. [It is further] on account of [Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s being] a dwarf, shorter than ordinary men by a handbreadth.
\nE. \u201c[It is the one which flows around the whole land of Havilah\u201d (Gen. 2:11).
\nF. This [reference to the river\u2019s flowing around the whole land] speaks of Nebuchadnezzar, the wicked man, who came up and surrounded the entire Land of Israel, which places its hope in the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cHope in God, for I shall again praise him\u201d (Ps. 42:5).
\nH. \u201cWhere there is gold\u201d (Gen. 2:11)\u2014this refers to the words of Torah, \u201cwhich are more to be desired than gold, more than much fine gold\u201d (Ps. 19:11).
\nI. \u201cAnd the gold of that land is good\u201d (Gen. 2:12).
\nJ. This teaches that there is no Torah like the Torah that is taught in the Land of Israel, and there is no wisdom like the wisdom that is taught in the Land of Israel.
\nK. \u201cBdellium and onyx stone are there\u201d (Gen. 2:12)\u2014Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, and lore.
\n4. A. \u201cThe name of the second river is Gihon; [it is the one which flows around the whole land of Cush]\u201d (Gen. 2:13).
\nB. This refers to Media, which produced Haman, that wicked man, who spit out venom like a serpent.
\nC. It is on account of the verse: \u201cOn your belly will you go\u201d (Gen. 3:14).
\nD. \u201cIt is the one which flows around the whole land of Cush\u201d (Gen. 2:13).
\nE. [We know that this refers to Media, because it is said:] \u201cWho rules from India to Cush\u201d (Est. 1:1).
\n5. A. \u201cAnd the name of the third river is Tigris (HDQL), [which flows east of Assyria]\u201d (Gen. 2:14).
\nB. This refers to Greece [Syria], which was sharp (HD) and frivolous (QL) in making its decress, saying to Israel, \u201cWrite on the horn of an ox [= announce publicly] that you have no portion in the God of Israel.\u201d
\nC. \u201cWhich flows east (QDMT) of Assyria\u201d (Gen. 2:14).
\nD. Said R. Huna, \u201cIn three aspects the kingdom of Greece was in advance (QDMH) of the present evil kingdom [Rome]: in respect to shipbuilding, the arrangement of camp vigils, and language.\u201d
\nE. Said R. Huna, \u201cAny and every kingdom may be called \u2018Assyria\u2019 (\u2018SR = powerful), on account of all of their making themselves powerful (MT\u2019SRYM) at Israel\u2019s expense.\u201d
\nF. Said R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Hanina, \u201cAny and every kingdom may be called Nineveh (NNWH), on account of their adorning (NWY) themselves at Israel\u2019s expense.\u201d
\nG. Said R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Hanina, \u201cAny and every kingdom may be called Egypt (MSRYM), on account of their oppressing (MSYRYM) Israel.\u201d
\n6. A. \u201cAnd the fourth river is the Euphrates (PRT)\u201d (Gen. 2:14).
\nB. This refers to Edom [Rome], since it was fruitful (PRT), and multiplied through the prayer of the elder [Isaac at Gen. 27:39].
\nC. Another interpretation: \u201cIt was because it was fruitful and multiplied, and so cramped his world.\u201d
\nD. Another explanation: Because it was fruitful and multiplied and cramped his son.
\nE. Another explanation: Because it was fruitful and multiplied and cramped his house.
\nF. Another explanation: \u201cParat\u201d\u2014because in the end, \u201cI am going to exact a penalty (PR\u02bf) from it.\u201d
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cI have trodden (PWRH) the winepress alone\u201d (Is. 63:3).
\n7. A. (Gen. R. 42:2:) Abraham foresaw what the evil kingdoms would do [to Israel].
\nB. \u201c[As the sun was going down,] a deep sleep fell on Abraham; [and lo, a dread and great darkness fell upon him]\u201d (Gen. 15:12).
\nC. \u201cDread\u201d (\u2019YMH) refers to Babylonia, on account of the statement, \u201cThen Nebuchadnezzer was full of fury (HMH)\u201d (Dan. 3:19).
\nD. \u201cDarkness\u201d refers to Media, which brought darkness to Israel through its decrees: \u201cto destroy, to slay, and to wipe out all the Jews\u201d (Est. 7:4).
\nE. \u201cGreat\u201d refers to Greece.
\nF. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cThe verse teaches that the kingdom of Greece set up one hundred twenty-seven governors, one hundred and twenty-seven hyparchs, and one hundred twenty-seven commanders.\u201d
\nG. And rabbis say, \u201cThey were sixty in each category.\u201d
\nH. R. Berekhiah and R. Hanan in support of this position taken by rabbis: \u201c \u2018Who led you through the great terrible wilderness, with its fiery serpents and scorpions [and thirsty ground where there was no water]\u2019 [Deut. 8:15].
\nI. \u201cJust as the scorpion produces eggs by sixties, so the kingdom of Greece would set up its administration in groups of sixty.\u201d
\nJ. \u201cFell on him\u201d (Gen. 15:12).
\nK. This refers to Edom, on account of the following verse: \u201cThe earth quakes at the noise of their [Edom\u2019s] fall\u201d (Jer. 49:21).
\nL. There are those who reverse matters.
\nM. \u201cFear\u201d refers to Edom, on account of the following verse: \u201cAnd this I saw, a fourth beast, fearful, and terrible\u201d (Dan. 7:7).
\nN. \u201cDarkness\u201d refers to Greece, which brought gloom through its decrees. For they said to Israel, \u201cWrite on the horn of an ox that you have no portion in the God of Israel.\u201d
\nO. \u201cGreat\u201d refers to Media, on account of the verse: \u201cKing Ahasuerus made Haman [the Median] great\u201d (Est. 3:1).
\nP. \u201cFell on him\u201d refers to Babylonia, on account of the following verse: \u201cFallen, fallen is Babylonia\u201d (Is. 21:9).
\n8. A. Daniel foresaw what the evil kingdoms would do [to Israel].
\nB. \u201c[Daniel said], I saw in my vision by night, and behold, the four winds of heaven were stirring up the great sea. And four great beasts came up out of the sea, [different from one another. The first was like a lion and had eagles\u2019 wings. Then as I looked, its wings were plucked off \u2026 And behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear \u2026 After this I looked, and lo, another, like a leopard \u2026 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; and it had great iron teeth]\u201d (Dan. 7:3\u20137).
\nC. If you enjoy sufficient merit, it will emerge from the sea, but if not, it will come out of the forest.
\nD. The animal that comes up from the sea is not violent, but the one that comes up out of the forest is violent.
\nE. Along these same lines: \u201cThe boar out of the wood ravages it\u201d (Ps. 80:14).
\nF. If you enjoy sufficient merit, it will come from the river, and if not, from the forest.
\nG. The animal that comes up from the river is not violent, but the one that comes up out of the forest is violent.
\nH. \u201cDifferent (SNYN) from one another\u201d (Dan. 7:3).
\nI. Hating (SN\u2019N) one another.
\nJ. This teaches that every nation that rules in the world hates Israel and reduces them to slavery.
\nK. \u201cThe first was like a lion [and had eagles\u2019 wings]\u201d (Dan. 7:4).
\nL. This refers to Babylonia.
\nM. Jeremiah saw [Babylonia] as a lion. Then he went and saw it as an eagle.
\nN. He saw it as a lion: \u201cA lion has come up from his thicket\u201d (Jer. 4:7).
\nO. And [as an eagle:] \u201cBehold, he shall come up and swoop down as the eagle\u201d (Jer. 49:22).
\nP. [People] said to Daniel, \u201cWhat do you see?\u201d
\nQ. He said to them, \u201cI see the face like that of a lion and wings like those of an eagle: \u2018The first was like a lion and had eagles\u2019 wings. Then, as I looked, its wings were plucked off, and it was lifted up from the ground [and made to stand upon two feet like a man and the heart of a man was given to it]\u2019 \u201d (Dan. 7:4).
\nR. R. Eleazar and R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah:
\nS. R. Eleazar said, \u201cWhile the entire lion was smitten, its heart was not smitten.
\nT. \u201cThat is in line with the following statement: \u2018And the heart of a man was given to it\u2019 \u201d (Dan. 7:4).
\nU. And R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cEven its heart was smitten, for it is written, \u2018Let his heart be changed from a man\u2019s\u2019 \u201d (Dan. 4:17).
\nV. \u201cAnd behold, another beast, a second one, like a bear. [It was raised up one side; it had three ribs in its mouth between its teeth, and it was told, Arise, devour much flesh]\u201d (Dan. 7:5).
\nW. This refers to Media.
\nX. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cIt is like a bear.\u201d
\nY. It is written, \u201cSimilar to a wolf\u201d (DB); thus, \u201cAnd a wolf was there.\u201d
\nZ. That is in accord with the view of R. Yohanan, for R. Yohanan said, \u201c \u2018Therefore a lion out of the forest [slays them]\u2019 [Jer. 5:6]\u2014this refers to Babylonia.
\nAA. \u201c \u2018A wolf of the deserts spoils them\u2019 [Jer. 5:6] refers to Media.
\nBB. \u201c \u2018A leopard watches over their cities\u2019 [Jer. 5:6] refers to Greece.
\nCC. \u201c \u2018Whoever goes out from them will be savaged\u2019 [Jer. 5:6] refers to Edom.
\nDD. \u201cWhy so? \u2018Because their transgressions are many, and their backslidings still more\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 5:6).
\nEE. \u201cAfter this, I looked, and lo, another, like a leopard [with four wings of a bird on its back; and the beast had four heads; and dominion was given to it]\u201d (Dan. 7:6).
\nFF. This [leopard (NMR)] refers to Greece, which persisted (MNMRT) impudently in making harsh decrees, saying to Israel, \u201cWrite on the horn of an ox that you have no share in the God of Israel.\u201d
\nGG. \u201cAfter this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrible and dreadful and exceedingly strong; [and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped the residue with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it; and it had ten horns]\u201d (Dan. 7:7).
\nHH. This refers to Edom [Rome].
\nII. Daniel saw the first three visions on one night, and this one he saw on another night. Now why was that the case?
\nJJ. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nKK. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIt is because the [terror caused by the fourth beast, that is, Rome] would be greater than [the terror caused by] the other three [together].\u201d
\nLL. And R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cIt outweighed them.\u201d
\nMM. R. Yohanan objected to R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201c \u2018Prophesy, therefore, son of man, clap your hands [and let the sword come down twice; yea, thrice. The sword for those to be slain; it is the sword for the great slaughter, which encompasses them]\u2019 [Ez. 21:14\u201315]. [So the single sword of Rome weighs against the three others].\u201d
\nNN. And how does R. Simeon b. Laqish interpret the same passage? He notes that [the threefold sword] is doubled (Ez. 21:14), [thus outweighs the three swords, equaling twice their strength].
\n9. A. Moses foresaw what the evil kingdoms would do [to Israel].
\nB. \u201cThe camel, rock badger, and hare\u201d (Deut. 14:7). [Compare: \u201cNevertheless, among those that chew the cud or part the hoof, you shall not eat these: the camel, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. The rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you, and the pig, because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed, but does not chew the cud, is unclean to you\u201d (Lev. 11:4\u20138).]
\nC. The camel (GML) refers to Babylonia, [in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cO daughter of Babylonia, you who are to be devastated!] Happy will be he who requites (GML) you, with what you have done to us\u201d (Ps. 147:8).
\nD. \u201cThe rock badger\u201d (Deut. 14:7)\u2014this refers to Media.
\nE. Rabbis and R. Judah b. R. Simon.
\nF. Rabbis say, \u201cJust as the rock badger exhibits traits of uncleanness and traits of cleanness, so the kingdom of Media produced both a righteous man and a wicked one.\u201d
\nG. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cThe last Darius was Esther\u2019s son. He was clean on his mother\u2019s side and unclean on his father\u2019s side.\u201d
\nH. \u201cThe hare\u201d (Deut 14:7)\u2014this refers to Greece. The mother of King Ptolemy was named \u201cHare\u201d [in Greek: lagos].
\nI. \u201cThe pig\u201d (Deut. 14:7)\u2014this refers to Edom [Rome].
\nJ. Moses made mention of the first three in a single verse and the final one in a verse by itself (Deut. 14:7, 8). Why so?
\nK. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish.
\nL. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIt is because [the pig] is equivalent to the other three.\u201d
\nM. And R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cIt is because it outweighs them.\u201d
\nN. R. Yohanan objected to R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201c \u2018Prophesy, therefore, son of man, clap your hands [and let the sword come down twice, yea thrice]\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 21:14).
\nO. And how does R. Simeon b. Laqish interpret the same passage? He notes that [the threefold sword] is doubled (Ez. 21:14).
\n10. A. (Gen. R. 65:1:) R. Phineas and R. Hilqiah in the name of R. Simon: \u201cAmong all the prophets, only two of them revealed [the true evil of Rome], Assaf and Moses.
\nB. \u201cAssaf said, \u2018The pig out of the wood ravages it\u2019 (Ps. 80:14).
\nC. \u201cMoses said, \u2018And the pig, [because it parts the hoof and is cloven-footed but does not chew the cud]\u2019 [Lev. 11:7].
\nD. \u201cWhy is [Rome] compared to a pig?
\nE. \u201cIt is to teach you the following: Just as, when a pig crouches and produces its hooves, it is as if to say, \u2018See how I am clean [since I have a cloven hoof],\u2019 so this evil kingdom acts arrogantly, seizes by violence, and steals, and then gives the appearance of establishing a tribunal for justice.\u201d
\nF. There was the case of a ruler in Caesarea, who put thieves, adulterers, and sorcerers to death, while at the same time telling his counselor, \u201cThat same man [I] did all these three [crimes] on a single night.\u201d
\n11. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe camel\u201d (Lev. 11:4).
\nB. This refers to Babylonia.
\nC. \u201cBecause it chews the cud (M\u02bfLH GRH) [but does not part the hoof]\u201d (Lev. 11:4).
\nD. For it brings forth praises [(MQLS) with its throat] of the Holy One, blessed be he. [The Hebrew words for \u201cchew the cud\u201d\u2014bring up cud\u2014are now understood to mean \u201cgive praise.\u201d GRH is connected with GRWN, throat, hence, \u201cbring forth (sounds of praise through) the throat.\u201d]
\nE. R. Berekhiah and R. Helbo in the name of R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman: \u201cWhatever [praise of God] David [in writing a psalm] treated singly [item by item], that wicked man [Nebuchadnezzar] lumped together in a single verse.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and extol and honor the King of heaven, [for all his works are right and his ways are just, and those who walk in pride he is able to abase\u2019 [Dan. 4:37].
\nG. [Nebuchadnezzar said only the word], \u201c \u2018Praise\u2019\u2014[but David devoted the following entire Psalm to praise]: \u2018O Jerusalem, praise the Lord\u2019 [Ps. 147:12].
\nH. \u201c \u2018Extol\u2019\u2014\u2018I shall extol you, O Lord, for you have brought me low\u2019 [Ps. 30:2].
\nI. \u201c \u2018Honor the king of heaven\u2019\u2014\u2018The Lord reigns, let the peoples tremble! [He sits enthroned upon the cherubim, let the earth quake]\u2019 [Ps. 99:1].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018For all his works are right\u2019\u2014\u2018For the sake of thy steadfast love and thy faithfulness\u2019 [Ps. 115:1].
\nK. \u201c \u2018And his ways are just\u2019\u2014\u2018He will judge the peoples with equity\u2019 [Ps. 96:10].
\nL. \u201c \u2018And those who walk in pride\u2019\u2014\u2018The Lord reigns, he is robed in majesty, [the Lord is robed, he is girded with strength]\u2019 [Ps. 93:1].
\nM. \u201c \u2018He is able to abase\u2019\u2014\u2018All the horns of the wicked he will cut off\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 75:10).
\nN. \u201cThe rock badger\u201d (Lev. 11:5)\u2014this refers to Media.
\nO. \u201cFor it chews the cud\u201d\u2014for it gives praise to the Holy One, blessed be he: \u201cThus says Cyrus, king of Persia, \u2018All the kingdoms of the earth has the Lord, the God of the heaven, given me\u2019 \u201d (Ezra 1:2).
\nP. \u201cThe hare\u201d\u2014this refers to Greece.
\nQ. \u201cFor it chews the cud\u201d\u2014for it gives praise to the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nR. Alexander the Macedonian, when he saw Simeon the Righteous, said, \u201cBlessed be the God of Simeon the Righteous.\u201d
\nS. \u201cThe pig\u201d (Lev. 11:7)\u2014this refers to Edom.
\nT. \u201cFor it does not chew the cud\u201d\u2014for it does not give praise to the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nU. And it is not enough that it does not give praise, but it blasphemes and swears violently, saying, \u201cWhom do I have in heaven, and with you I want nothing on earth\u201d (Ps. 73:25).
\n12. A. Another interpretation [of GRH, cud, now with reference to GR, stranger:]
\nB. \u201cThe camel\u201d (Lev. 11:4)\u2014this refers to Babylonia.
\nC. \u201cFor it chews the cud\u201d [now: brings up the stranger]\u2014for it exalts righteous men: \u201cAnd Daniel was in the gate of the [Babylonian] king\u201d (Dan. 2:49).
\nD. \u201cThe rock badger\u201d (Lev. 11:5)\u2014this refers to Media.
\nE. \u201cFor it brings up the stranger\u201d\u2014for it exalts righteous men: \u201cMordecai sat at the gate of the king [of Media]\u201d (Est. 2:19).
\nF. \u201cThe hare\u201d (Lev. 11:6)\u2014this refers to Greece.
\nG. \u201cFor it brings up the stranger\u201d\u2014for it exalts the righteous.
\nH. When Alexander of Macedonia, [a Greek,] saw Simeon the Righteous, he would rise up on his feet. They said to him, \u201cCan\u2019t you see Jews [elsewhere], that you stand up before this Jew [and honor him]?\u201d
\nI. He said to them, \u201cWhen I go forth to battle, I see something like this man\u2019s visage, and I conquer.\u201d
\nJ. \u201cThe pig\u201d (Lev. 11:7)\u2014this refers to Rome.
\nK. \u201cBut it does not bring up the stranger\u201d\u2014for it does not exalt the righteous.
\nL. And it is not enough that it does not exalt them, but it kills them.
\nM. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cI was angry with my people, I profaned my heritage; I gave them into your hand, [you showed them no mercy; on the aged you made your yoke exceedingly heavy]\u201d (Is. 47:6).
\nN. This refers to R. Aqiba and his colleagues.
\n13. A. Another interpretation [now treating \u201cbring up the cud\u201d (GR) as \u201cbring along in its train\u201d (GRR)]:
\nB. \u201cThe camel\u201d (Lev. 11:4)\u2014this refers to Babylonia.
\nC. \u201cWhich brings along in its train\u201d\u2014for it brought along another kingdom after it.
\nD. \u201cThe rock badger\u201d (Lev. 11:5)\u2014this refers to Media.
\nE. \u201cWhich brings along in its train\u201d\u2014for it brought along another kingdom after it.
\nF. \u201cThe hare\u201d (Lev. 11:6)\u2014this refers to Greece.
\nG. \u201cWhich brings along in its train\u201d\u2014for it brought along another kingdom after it.
\nH. \u201cThe pig\u201d (Lev. 11:7)\u2014this refers to Rome.
\nI. \u201cWhich does not bring along in its train\u201d\u2014for it did not bring along another kingdom after it.
\nJ. And why is it then called \u201cpig\u201d (HZYR)? For it restores (MHZRT) the crown to the one who truly should have it [namely, Israel, whose dominion will begin when the rule of Rome ends].
\nK. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd saviors will come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mountain of Esau [Rome], and the kingdom will then belong to the Lord\u201d (Ob. 1:21).<\/p>\n
While the sheer volume of material prevents the construction from exhibiting that striking unity we have seen up to now, still there is a single structure and theme that run throughout, a familiar one. The food taboos differentiate Israel from gentiles. Hence the discussion of the food taboos will introduce the theme of the antipathy of the gentiles for Israel, on the one side, and the gentiles\u2019 hostile actions against the Israelites, on the other. Israel, of course, stands for a nation; as such it suffers from other nations. There is no hint that individual Israelites play a role in the complaint of the framers. The nations at hand are Babylonia, Media, Greece, and Rome, time and again differentiated from the first three. The matter unfolds rather majestically, introducing first one theme\u2014the nations\u2019 role in the history of Israel, their hostile treatment of Israel\u2014and then the next, the food taboos, finally bringing the two themes together. How so? The climax is to identify each of the successive kingdoms with the four explicitly tabooed animals of Lev. 11:1\u20138: camel, rock badger, hare, pig. Then, as we see, the reasons for the taboo assigned to each of them are worked out, in a triple sequence of plays on words, with special reference to the secondary possibilities presented by the words for \u201cchew the cud,\u201d \u201cbring up GRH.\u201d So while the first impression is that a diverse set of materials has been strung together, upon a closer glance we see quite the opposite: a purposive and careful arrangement of distinct propositions, each leading to, and intensifying the force of, the next. That is why at the climax comes the messianic reference to Israel\u2019s ultimate inheritance of the power and dominion of Rome. Let us briefly survey the individual components.
\nAt Nos. 1\u20139, the enormous construction works its way through the opening proposition, 1.A. No. 1 treats Adam as the first prophet, and No. 2 develops the same verse as is used as the proof text of No. 1. No. 3 then builds the case announced at No. 1.B. We find, therefore, that the main point is that Adam foresaw the Babylonians\u2019 conquest of the Land of Israel. But since the proof text will demand attention for each of its elements, 3.H\u2013K are tacked on. Nos. 4\u20136 complete the systematic account, so we have a clear reference to Babylonia, Media, Greece, and Rome. Nos. 7, 8, 9, and 10 spell out the allusions to Abraham, Daniel, and Moses, respectively.
\nClearly, basic to No. 7 are A\u2013E, F\u2013P, with the match at C\u2013E, J\u2013K as against M\u2013P. Seen in this way, the passage is remarkably well crafted. No. 8 does not flow so smoothly, being impeded by diversions throughout. After the citation of the pertinent verse, 8.B, we have to move to K. But here again the expected form and exposition fail. Instead we have an exposition of Jeremiah\u2019s references to the four kingdoms\u2014remarkably out of place. If we then reconstruct what is required to match the first two, and fourth, entries, we refer to 8.A\u2013B, K\u2013L, X\u2013Y, GG\u2013JJ. No. 9 is surprising, since it starts us at Deut. 14:7 rather than Lev. 11:4ff. No. 9 turns to Deut. 14:7, taking that simple list of three forbidden beasts and conducting the expected exegesis. C, D, E, and F then explain why each of the beasts stands for the several kingdoms. Only the comparison of Rome to the pig is not explained. No. 10 then takes up that matter. It is formally different from the foregoing, but necessary to complete its theme and thought.
\nNo. 11 then reverts to Lev. 11:4, a whole new exposition, now beginning a series of exegeses of the language for \u201cchewing\u201d or \u201cbringing up\u201d the cud (GRH). The basic pattern is shown at 11.A\u2013D, N\u2013T. The inserted materials really do not belong. No. 12 follows a very strict formal pattern and contains no interpolations. Only N is tacked on. L is integral, as shown at 13.K. No. 13, for its part, adheres still more closely to the basic pattern since it exhibits a formulaic quality in its language. That Nos. 11, 12, and 13 constitute a single carefully worked out exposition of a single idea in a single pattern seems to me self-evident. But these materials reach their climax at 13.J\u2013K. And, in my view, the framer of the whole, Nos. 1\u201310, then 11\u201313, had exactly that goal in mind. So, as is commonly the case, the composite shows the hand of a purposeful editor.<\/p>\n
Parashah Fourteen<\/p>\n
XIV:I<\/p>\n
1. A. (Gen. R. 8:1:) \u201c[The Lord said to Moses, Say to the people of Israel,] If a woman conceives [and bears a male child, then she shall be unclean seven days]\u201d (Lev. 12:1\u20132).
\nB. \u201cYou beset me (SRTNY) behind and before [and lay your hand upon me]\u201d (Ps. 139:5).
\nC. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cIf a man has sufficient merit, he will inherit two worlds, this world and the world to come.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018You beset me behind [this world] and before [the world to come].\u2019
\nE. \u201cAnd if not, then he must come and give a full accounting of himself: \u2018And lay your hand upon me\u2019 [Ps. 139:5].
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Withdraw your hand far from me\u2019 \u201d (Job 13:20).
\n2. A. Said R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman, \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, created the first human being (Adam), he made him an androgyne.
\nB. \u201cThen he sawed him in half and produced two backs [bodies], one body on either side.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, made the first human being, he made him with two faces. Then he sawed him in two and made him into two separate bodies, one for the male and one for the female.\u201d
\nD. They objected, \u201c \u2018And he took one of his ribs (SL\u02bf)\u2019 [which indicates that woman was made out of a man\u2019s rib, not out of a splitting of the androgyne with two backs and two faces].\u201d
\nE. He said to them, \u201cIt means, \u2018[One of] his two sides,\u2019 in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And for the second side (SL\u02bf) of the tabernacle, at the north\u2019 [Ex. 26:20]. [Thus the word translated \u2018rib\u2019 may also be translated \u2018side.\u2019]\u201d
\n3. A. R. Berekiah and R. Helbo in the name of R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman: \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, created the first human being, he made him an unformed mass, and he spread from one end of the world to the other.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Your eyes have seen my unformed shape\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 139:16).
\nC. R. Judah b. R. Simon in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, created the first human being, he created him so that he filled the entire world.
\nD. \u201cHow do we know that it was from east to west? \u2018West and east (QDM) [behind and before] you have formed me\u2019 [Ps. 139:5].
\nE. \u201cHow do we know that it was from north to south as well? \u2018From one end of the heaven to the other end of the heaven\u2019 [Deut. 4:32].
\nF. \u201cHow do we know that it was through the entire height of the world as well? Scripture states, \u2018And You lay your hand upon me [thus, his body reached to God\u2019s hand in the heavens]\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 139:5).
\n4. A. R. Eleazar said, \u201c[When the cited verse refers to] \u2018behind,\u2019 it is to the first day, and to \u2018before,\u2019 it is to the last day.\u201d
\nB. In the view of R. Eleazar, [that is the meaning of the words,] for R. Eleazar said, \u201c \u2018Let the earth bring forth a living soul\u2019 [Gen. 1:24].
\nC. \u201cThe living soul referred to here is the spirit of the first human being.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201c \u2018Behind\u2019 refers to the last day, and \u2018before\u2019 refers to the first day.\u201d
\nE. In the view of R. Simeon b. Laqish, [that is the meaning of the cited words], for R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201c \u2018And the spirit of God hovered [over the face of the deep]\u2019 [Gen. 1:2]. This refers to the spirit of the king messiah.\u201d
\n5. A. Said R. Ishmael b. Tanhum, \u201c \u2018Behind\u2019 refers to all acts [of creation], and \u2018before\u2019 refers to all punishments [for improper behavior].
\nB. \u201cIf a person attains merit, they say to him, \u2018You came before the act of creating the world.\u2019 If not, they say to him, \u2018A gnat came before you in the works of creation, a snail came before you in the order of creation.\u2019 \u201d
\nC. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cAlso [the human being\u2019s] praise [for God] comes only at the end [of the procession].
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Beasts and all cattle, creeping things and winged fowl, [kings of the earth \u2026 old men and children will praise the name of the Lord]\u2019 [Ps. 148:10].
\nE. \u201cAnd afterward: \u2018The kings of the earth and all nations \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 148:11).
\nF. Said R. Simlai, \u201cJust as the creation of man came after the creation of domestic cattle, wild beasts, and fowl, so the law (torah) concerning man was given after the law concerning domesticated cattle, wild beasts, and fowl.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018This is the torah governing domesticated beast\u2019 [Lev. 11:15].
\nH. \u201cAnd afterward: \u2018If a woman conceives and bears a male child\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 12:2).<\/p>\n
The relevance of the intersecting verse is thematic, to begin with, since the verse uses a word meaning creation or formation, hence, as is made explicit, the meaning of the verse is that God has created man for and aft. The base verse speaks of a woman\u2019s conceiving a man-child, so, as is clear, the creation of a human being forms the linguistic and thematic program of the whole. But the road from the intersecting verse to the base verse turns out to lie through a quite different homily entirely, which is that humanity had best be humble about its standing in creation. The rules governing the human being come after those covering beasts (No. 5). So the intersecting verse, fully exposed both in theme and in language, yields a message remarkably uninterested in the base verse\u2019s contents and language. The point of intersection lies merely in its position in the larger framework of Leviticus\u2014not much of a message. No. 1 interprets the intersecting verse\u2019s verb, \u201cbeset,\u201d in terms of the root, \u201ccreate.\u201d Nos. 2\u20134 continue the same exploration of that sense of the word. No. 5 reverts to the meaning of \u201cbeset,\u201d in the sense of judgment, retribution. But it is hardly at No. 5 alone that we read the verse in such a way as to bring us back to the general theme of creating life. The entire construction focuses upon that single theme, so, as I said, the framer of the passage has made a good choice of an intersecting verse. To be sure, the passage as a whole serves its larger setting at Gen. R. far better than it does here. Apart from 5.G\u2013H, nothing dictates its inclusion at the present location.<\/p>\n
XIV:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cI will fetch my knowledge from afar and ascribe righteousness to my Maker\u201d (Job 36:3).
\nB. Said R. Meir, \u201cThis term [\u2018I will fetch\u2019 or \u2018lift up my mind\u2019] bears two different senses, one in regard to song, the other in regard to music.
\nC. \u201cWhen it is used with regard to song, it refers to the prosperity of the righteous, and when it is used with speech, it refers to the misfortune of the wicked.
\n2. A. [\u201cI express praise for those who were distant but drew near, to my Maker I ascribe righteousness\u201d (Job 36:3)]. Now one may say [the meaning of the verse is as follows]: Concerning those who were far away, who were brought near [to God], I shall ascribe righteousness to my Maker. To my Maker I shall ascribe righteousness.\u201d
\nB. Said R. Nathan, \u201cWe call to mind the name of Abraham, our father, who came from a distant place.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and he saw the Place [Omnipresent] from a distance\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 22:4).
\nD. Said R. Hanan b. R. Papa, \u201cWe must call to mind the name of the Holy One, blessed be he, for we were distant from him, and he has brought us near to him.\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Haggai, \u201c[We call to mind] things which are a distance of five hundred years from us.
\nB. \u201cFor while ordinary creatures are sleeping in their beds, the Holy One, blessed be he, brings back the winds, brings up the clouds, brings down rain, raises up the crops, dries them, and sets a table of food before each and every creature.\u201d
\nC. R. Samuel b. R. Onia in the name of R. Aha: \u201cThis verse, if Elihu [a character in the book of Job] had said it on his own, is true praise, but if it was said by the Holy Spirit, then it is the truest of praises.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Levi made three statements.
\nB. R. Levi said, \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, if a man leaves an ounce of silver with his fellow in private, and the other returns to him a litra of gold in public, will not the recipient be grateful to the donor?
\nC. \u201cSo as to the Holy One, blessed be he, people leave with him a little white drop [of semen] in private, and the Holy One, blessed be he, in return gives them whole and beautiful souls in public. Is this not a cause of praise!
\nD. \u201cAccordingly: \u2018I ascribe righteousness to my Maker, and to my Maker I ascribe righteousness.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. R. Levi said another thing.
\nF. R. Levi said, \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, when a man is in prison and no one pays any attention to him, and someone comes and lights a lamp for him there, will the prisoner not be grateful to him?
\nG. \u201cSo too a fetus is buried in his mother\u2019s womb, and the Holy One, blessed be he, lights a lamp for him.
\nH. \u201cThat is the meaning of what Job said: \u2018When his lamp shone upon my head, and by his light I walked through darkness\u2019 [Job 29:3].
\nI. \u201cIs this not reason for praising God?
\nJ. \u201cAccordingly: \u2018I will ascribe righteousness to my Maker, and to my Maker I ascribe righteousness.\u2019 \u201d
\nK. R. Levi said yet a third thing:
\nL. \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, when a man is in prison and no one pays any attention to him, and someone comes and frees him from there, will he not be grateful to him?
\nM. \u201cSo the fetus is imprisoned in his mother\u2019s womb, and the Holy One, blessed be he, releases him and brings him forth from there.
\nN. \u201cThat is all the more so if it is a male: \u2018If a woman conceives and bears a male child!\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 12:2).<\/p>\n
We find four interpretations (Nos. 1\u20134) of Job 36:3, the fourth of which reaches the base verse. The elements of the verse are treated in succession: \u201clift up knowledge,\u201d then \u201cfrom afar,\u201d with two interpretations, and, finally, \u201cascribe righteousness.\u201d The point of contact with our passage lies not through the interpretation of the components of the intersecting verse, however, but only through a secondary parable introduced to explain why one \u201cascribes righteousness to his Maker\u201d\u2014not much of a connection.<\/p>\n
XIV:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cYou have granted me life and steadfast love, and your care has preserved my spirit\u201d (Job 10:12).
\nB. R. Abba b. R. Kahana made three statements in this regard.
\nC. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, if someone takes a moneybag and turns its mouth downward, will the coins not scatter?
\nD. \u201cBut the fetus is kept [upside down] in the mother\u2019s belly, and the Holy One, blessed be he, guards it so that it does not fall and perish.
\nE. \u201cIs this not an example of \u2018life and steadfast love?\u2019 \u201d
\nF. R. Abba b. R. Kahana made yet a second statement.
\nG. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances a beast goes along crouching, with the fetus in its womb in the form of a bag [and so well protected].
\nH. \u201cBut a woman walks along erect, and the fetus is in the mother\u2019s belly. But the Holy One, blessed be he, guards it so that it does not fall and perish.
\nI. \u201cIs this not an example of \u2018life and steadfast love?\u2019 \u201d
\nJ. R. Abba b. R. Kahana made yet a third statement.
\nK. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, a beast has its teats where its womb is located, so that the infant has to suck from where her pudenda are.
\nL. \u201cBut a woman has her breasts in a beautiful part of her body, so that the infant sucks from a place of dignity.
\nM. \u201cIs this not an example of \u2018life and steadfast love?\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Eleazar, \u201cIf someone should remain in an oven for a brief while, will he not die? But a woman\u2019s belly is boiling hot, and the fetus is located in her belly.
\nB. \u201cBut the Holy One, blessed be he, guards it, so that it will not turn into an abortion, an afterbirth, or a sandal-like fetus. Is this not an example of \u2018life and steadfast love?\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Tahalipa of Caesarea, \u201cIf someone should eat one piece of bread after another, will not the second push out the first [through his bowels]?
\nB. \u201cBut how much food does a woman eat, and how much liquid does she drink, and it does not push out the fetus.
\nC. \u201cIs this not an example of \u2018life and steadfast love?\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Simon, \u201cA woman\u2019s belly consists of any number of cavities, coils, and bands. Yet when she sits on the travailing stool, she does not expel the fetus all at once.\u201d
\nB. In a popular proverb, people say, \u201cWhen one band is loosened, two bands are loosened [since things are so tied together].\u201d
\n5. A. Said R. Meir, \u201cDuring the entire nine months of pregnancy, a woman does not see a drop of blood. But she really should.
\nB. \u201cWhat does the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He takes the blood up to her breasts and turns it into milk, so that when the fetus is born, it will have food to eat.\u201d
\n6. A. [And that is all the more so if it is a male [that these signs of favor apply].
\nB. \u201cIf a woman conceives and bears a male child\u201d (Lev. 12:2).<\/p>\n
The selected verse deals with the theme of childbirth, but, once more, at No. 6, the exegetes only with some difficulty find a route back to Lev. 12:2. And then the point of contact\u2014other than the shared theme\u2014is rather forced (since I have had to insert it in square brackets!). Abba b. R. Kahana\u2019s three statements establish the point of the whole. At Nos. 2, 3, the form is repeated with essentially unoriginal materials. No. 4 is defective. 3.C should appear at 4.C. The same is so at 5.C. The rest is tacked on, to the conclusion.<\/p>\n
XIV:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cOr who shut in the sea with doors, when it burst forth from the womb; [when I made clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors and said, \u2018Thus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stayed?]\u2019 \u201d (Job 38:8\u201311).
\nB. R. Eliezer, R. Joshua, and R. Aqiba:
\nC. R. Eliezer said, \u201cJust as there are doors to a house, so there are doors to a woman.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Because it did not shut the doors of my mother\u2019s womb\u2019 \u201d (Job 3:10).
\nE. R. Joshua said, \u201cJust as there are keys to a house, so there are keys to a woman.
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And God heard her and opened up her womb\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 30:22).
\nG. R. Aqiba said, \u201cJust as there are hinges (SYR) in a house, so there are hinges in a woman.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018She knelt and gave birth, for her hinges [SYR = pang] were suddenly upon her\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 4:19).
\n2. A. \u201cWhen it burst forth from the womb\u201d (Job 38:8)\u2014for it raised itself up to go forth.
\nB. \u201cWhen I made clouds its garment\u201d (Job 38:9)\u2014this refers to the sac.
\nC. \u201cAnd thick darkness its swaddling band\u201d (Job 38:9)\u2014this refers to the placenta.
\nD. \u201cAnd prescribed bounds for it\u201d\u2014this refers to the nine months of gestation.
\nE. \u201cAnd I set bars\u201d\u2014this refers to the first three months.
\nF. \u201c\u2026 and doors\u201d\u2014this refers to the middle three months.
\nG. \u201cAnd said, Thus far shall you come and no further\u201d\u2014this refers to the third trimester.
\nH. \u201cAnd here shall your proud waves (GLYK) be stayed\u201d\u2014
\nI. R. Aibu said, \u201c[In place of \u2018waves\u2019], read, \u2018on account of your pride in your ordure (GLLYK).\u2019
\nJ. \u201cFor when this fetus comes forth, it is full of ordure and all sorts of nauseating things, and yet everybody wants to fondle and kiss it [that is, take pride in it].
\n3. A. And all the more so if it is a male.
\nB. \u201cIf a woman conceives and bears a male child\u201d (Lev. 12:2).<\/p>\n
Once more, we systematically work our way through a verse, read to refer to the conception and birth of a child. The connection to the base verse is the same mechanical reference we have seen several times\u2014that is, no important point of contact at all.<\/p>\n
XIV:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cBehold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me\u201d (Ps. 51:5).
\nB. R. Aha said, \u201cThe word \u2018iniquity\u2019 is written out fully [\u02bfWWN], to indicate that even the most pious person cannot exist without a certain [sinful] side to his nature.
\nC. \u201cSaid David before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the ages. Did Jesse, my father, have the intention [in engaging in sexual relations] of producing me? Did he not have the intention only of meeting his own sexual needs?
\nD. \u201c \u2018You may know that that is the case, for when they had done with their sexual relations, this one turned his face to one side, and that to the other.
\nE. \u201c \u2018And you were the one who made sure that every drop [of semen] got [to where it should go].\u2019
\nF. \u201cThat is the meaning of what David said, \u2018When my father and my mother had abandoned me, the Lord will gather me in\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 27:10).
\n2. A. \u201cAnd in sin did my mother conceive me\u201d (Ps. 51:5).
\nB. Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, \u201cA woman absorbs [the semen and becomes pregnant] only right after her menstrual period or very near that time.\u201d
\n3. A. And that is all the more so if it is a male.
\nB. \u201cIf a woman conceives and bears a male child\u201d (Lev. 12:2).<\/p>\n
Here again the verse forms the center of interest, and the reversion to the base verse is merely through repetition of a formula.<\/p>\n
XIV:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cYou search out my way [of conducting sexual relations] and my lying down, and are acquainted with all my ways\u201d (Ps. 139:3).
\nB. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nC. R. Yohanan said, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, creates a human being only from a drop of white which is in [the semen].\u201d
\nD. How does R. Yohanan interpret the word, \u201cYou search out\u201d?
\nE. It may be compared to a person who threshes and so puts the straw on one side and the chaff on the other so as to keep the grain clean of refuse.
\nF. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cHe does not allow any drop to go to waste, but he sows part of a drop for the brain, part for the bones, and part for the veins.\u201d
\n2. A. And all the more so if it is a male.
\nB. \u201cIf a woman conceives and bears a male child\u201d (Lev. 12:2).<\/p>\n
Yonanan\u2019s view is that the human being is created out of the purest part of the semen. Simeon b. Laqish says all of the semen is used. The connection self-evidently is merely formal.<\/p>\n
XIV:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cGive a portion to seven and also to eight\u201d (Qoh. 11:2).
\nB. \u201cGive a portion to seven\u201d refers to the seven days of a woman\u2019s menstrual period.
\nC. \u201cAnd also to eight\u201d\u2014this refers to the eight days prior to circumcision.
\nD. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIf a woman observes the days of her menstrual period [without having sexual relations during that time], I shall give you a son, and you will get to circumcise him on the eighth day.
\nE. \u201cAnd on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised\u201d (Lev. 12:3).<\/p>\n
We move on to the next verse of the passage. The cited verse is, at last, formally pertinent, with its reference to eight. The explanation of the reference to eight in both verses is provided by the homily.<\/p>\n
XIV:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to the] body [of the discourse]:
\nB. The male child is from the woman, and the female from the man.
\nC. How may we prove that the male child is from the woman?
\nD. \u201cAnd his Jewish wife bore Jered the father of Gedor, [Heber the father of Soco], and Jekuthiel the father of Zanoah\u201d (1 Chron. 4:18). \u201cMoreover, his concubine, whose name was Reumah, bore Tebah, Gaham, Tahash, and Maacah\u201d (Gen. 22:24). \u201cIf a woman conceives and bears a male child\u201d (Lev. 12:2).
\nE. How may we prove that the female child is from the man?
\nF. \u201cBethuel became the father of Rebekah\u201d (Gen. 22:23). \u201c\u2026 and Dinah, his daughter\u201d (Gen. 46:15). \u201cAnd the name of the daughter of Asher was Serah\u201d (Num. 26:46).
\n2. A. The matter may be compared to two artists. This one draws a picture of the face of that one, and that one draws a picture of the face of this one. [That is, a woman produces a child in the image of the man, and vice versa.]
\nB. Said R. Abin, \u201cThere is no book that tells its own story.\u201d
\nC. The matter may be compared to the case of two who went into a bathhouse. The one that perspires first leaves first. [So if the male reaches orgasm first, he will dictate the sex of the child, which will be female, and if the female reaches orgasm first, she will dictate the sex of the child, which will be male.]
\n3. A. It has been taught [in T. Nid. 4:10, Y. Nid. 3:3:] What is the appearance of the fetus? At the beginning of its formation it looks like a rashon-locust. Its two eyes are like two drippings of a fly. Its two ears are like two drippings of a fly. Its two arms are like two threads of crimson. The opening of its mouth is like a hair. Its penis is like a lentil. If it is female, its sexual organ is like the longitudinal split of a barley grain.
\nB. It does not have a span of hands and feet. And the rest of its limbs are like attached pieces of unformed matter. And concerning it, it is stated explicitly in the received tradition: \u201cThy eyes beheld my unformed substance\u201d (Ps. 139:16).
\n4. A. How does the fetus rest in the mother\u2019s belly?
\nB. It is folded up, lying closed like a writing tablet. Its head is lying between its knees. Its two hands rest on its shoulders. Its two heels rest on its two buttocks. Its mouth is closed, and its belly button is open.
\nC. It eats what its mother eats, and it drinks what its mother drinks.
\nD. It does not produce excrement, lest it kill its mother.
\nE. When it goes forth to the air of the world, what is open [that is, its belly button] is shut, and what is shut is open [its mouth].<\/p>\n
This is little more than an encyclopedia of materials about the fetus. I see no pretense at linking the passage to Lev. 12:2, except for the rather casual citation of the verse at 1.D. But the main point of No. 1 is that the male dictates the sex of the female child, and vice versa. This is asserted at No. 1 and then explained at No. 2.C. Nos. 3 and 4 bear no connection whatsoever to anything at hand.<\/p>\n
XIV:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. The House of Shammai and the House of Hillel:
\nB. The House of Shammai says, \u201cThe formation of the fetus in this world is not comparable to the formation of the fetus in the world to come. In this world, the fetus starts with the skin and flesh and ends with the sinews and bones. But in the world to come, the fetus will start with the bones and sinews and finish with the skin and flesh.
\nC. \u201cFor so it is written, in regard to the dead of the vision of Ezekiel: \u2018And I looked, and lo, there were sinews upon them, and [then] the flesh came up and skin covered them above, but there was no breath in them\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 37:8).
\nD. Said R. Hiyya b. R. Ba, \u201cThe passage of Ezekiel supplies no proof for that proposition. To what may the dead whom Ezekiel saw be compared? To someone who went into a bath, when he undresses, he leaves his clothes in a pile, so the article of clothing that he took off first he puts on last.\u201d
\nE. The House of Hillel says, \u201cJust as is the formation of the fetus in this world, so is the formation of the fetus in the world to come. In this world, the fetus starts with the skin and flesh and ends with the sinews and bones. So in the world to come, the fetus will start with the bones and sinews and finish with the skin and flesh.
\nF. \u201cFor so Job states, \u2018Remember, I ask, that you fashioned me as clay \u2026 surely you will pour me out as milk\u2019 [Job 10:9].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Have you not poured me out as milk\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018You will pour me out as milk\u2019 [in time to come].
\nH. \u201c[\u2018You will curdle me like cheese\u2019 (Job 10:10).] \u2018You have curdled me like cheese\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018You will curdle me like cheese.\u2019
\nI. \u201c[\u2018And you will cover me with skin and flesh\u201d (Job 10:11).]
\nJ. \u201cIt does not say, \u2018[You have covered me],\u2019 but \u2018You will cover me.\u2019 \u201d
\nK. [\u2018And you will weave me of bones and sinews\u201d (Job 10:11).]
\nL. It does not say, \u2018[And you wove me],\u2019 but \u2018You will weave me.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201cLife and favor you have done with me\u201d (Job 10:12).
\nB. A woman\u2019s womb is always filled with blood, and some of it goes forth through her menstrual flow.
\nC. But by the grace of the Holy One, blessed be he, a drop of white fluid goes and falls into it, and forthwith the fetus is formed.
\nD. [The matter may be compared] to milk which one has put into a bowl. If one then puts into it a curdling agent, the milk begins to curdle, but if not, the milk continues to flow loose.
\n3. A. Said R. Abbahu, \u201cIt was a great act of kindness that the Holy One, blessed be he, performed for a woman in this world, that he did not begin the making of the fetus with the sinews and bones.
\nB. \u201cFor if the fetus had begun to take shape with the sinews and bones, the fetus would burst through the woman\u2019s belly and come forth.\u201d
\n4. A. For in this world, a woman gives birth in pain. But in regard to the world to come, what is written?
\nB. \u201cBefore she will go into labor, she will have brought forth; before her pain comes, she will have been delivered of a male child\u201d (Is. 66:7).<\/p>\n
The concluding unit carries forward the interest of the preceding in collecting materials thematically relevant to the formation of the fetus and related matters. It seems to me that No. 1 may be concluded by No. 4. Nos. 2 and 3 revert to the theme of God\u2019s grace to women, as at XIV:III. But the entire collection exhibits no clear cut theme, let alone a proposition subject to argument and proof. The exegesis of the passage of Lev. 12:2 is long since forgotten. We have not got even an intersecting verse. All we deal with is a grab bag of ready-made compositions on the stated theme.<\/p>\n
Parashah Fifteen<\/p>\n
XV:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,] \u2018When a man has on the skin of his body [a swelling or an eruption or a spot, and it turns into a leprous disease on the skin of his body, then he shall be brought to Aaron the priest, or to one of his sons the priests, and the priest shall examine the diseased spot on the skin of his body; and if the hair in the diseased spot has turned white and the disease appears to be deeper than the skin of his body, it is a leprous disease; when the priest has examined him, he shall pronounce him unclean]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:1\u20133).
\nB. \u201cWhen he gave to the wind its weight, and meted out the waters by measure; [when he made a decree for the rain, and a way for the lightning of the thunder; then he saw it and declared it, he established it and searched it out]\u201d (Job 28:25\u201327).
\nC. Said R. Joshua b. R. Nehemiah, \u201cWhen the wind goes forth to the world, the Holy One, blessed be he, breaks it on the mountains and weakens it in the valleys, and says to it, \u2018Be careful that you not injure any of my creatures.\u2019
\nD. \u201cWhat is the biblical warrant for this statement?
\nE. \u201c \u2018For the wind that is from me becomes faint\u2019 [Is. 57:16].
\nF. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018becomes faint?\u2019 It becomes weak, in line with the usage of the same word in the following verse: \u2018When my spirit is faint\u2019 [Ps. 142:4].
\nG. \u201cWhy all this?
\nH. \u201c \u2018I have made souls [who are not to be injured]\u2019 \u201d (Is. 57:16).
\nI. R. Huna in the name of R. Aha, \u201cBecause of the souls I have made\u201d (Is. 57:16).
\n2. A. Said R. Huna, \u201cIn three contexts the wind went forth not by measure and sought to destroy the entire world, and these are they:
\nB. \u201cFirst in the time of Job, second in the time of Jonah, and third in the time of Elijah.
\nC. \u201cHow do I know that that was the case in the time of Job?
\nD. \u201c \u2018And behold a great wind came from across the wilderness\u2019 [Job. 1:19].
\nE. \u201cIn the time of Jonah? \u2018And the Lord brought up a great wind\u2019 \u201d (Jonah 1:4).
\nF. \u201cIn the time of Elijah? \u2018And a great and powerful wind \u2026\u2019 \u201d (1 Kings 19:11).
\nG. Said R. Yudan b. R. Shalom, \u201cIt is said that the wind in the time of Job was for him alone, and the one in the time of Jonah was for him alone. You have only the one in the time of Elijah that affected the entire world.
\nH. \u201cFor it is written in that regard, \u2018Go forth and stand upon the mountain before the Lord, [and behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord]\u2019 \u201d (1 Kings 19:11).
\n3. A. \u201c\u2026 and meted out the waters by measure\u201d (Job. 28:25).
\nB. Said R. Yudan b. R. Ishmael, \u201cEven rains which come down upon the world come down only by measure.
\nC. \u201cWhat is the text that indicates it?
\nD. \u201c \u2018For he draws up (YGR\u02bf) the drops of water, [he distills his mist in rain]\u2019 [Job 36:27].
\nE. \u201cThis [usage of \u2018draw up\u2019] is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And a deduction shall be made [drawn up (NGR\u02bf)] from your valuation\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 27:18).<\/p>\n
Beyond the base text, No. 1 is devoted to the exposition of the proof text. No. 2 expands upon the clause under discussion at No. 1, and No. 3 proceeds to the next clause of the same verse.<\/p>\n
XV:II<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation [for] \u201cWhen he gave to the wind its weight\u201d (Job. 28:25):
\nB. Said R. Aha, \u201cEven the Holy Spirit, when it rests upon the prophets, does so only by [calculated] weight [according to what each prophet can bear].
\nC. \u201cThere is he who prophesies a single scroll, and there is he who prophesies two scrolls.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Simon, \u201cTwo verses [alone] did Beeri prophesy, and they did not fill up an entire scroll, so they were covered in [the book of] Isaiah.
\nE. \u201cAnd these are they: \u2018And when they shall say to you, [\u201cConsult the mediums and the wizards\u201d]\u2019 [Is. 8:19], and the neighboring verse\u201d [Is. 8:20] [see VI:VI].
\nF. \u201cAnd metes out the waters by measure\u201d (Job 28:25).
\nG. Said R. Yudan b. R. Samuel, \u201cEven teachings of Torah, [which is compared to water], which were given from above, were given only by measure:
\nH. \u201cAnd these are they [the measures]: Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, and lore.\u201d
\nI. There is he who has sufficient merit to master [only] Scripture, and there is he who has sufficient merit to master Mishnah, and so too Talmud or lore. But there is he who has sufficient merit to master all of them.
\n3. A. Another interpretation for \u201cWhen he gave to the spirit its weight\u201d (Job 28:25):
\nB. Under ordinary circumstances, people say, \u201cMr. So-and-so is of an expansive spirit, for to him is given a liberal spirit, while Mr. Such-and-such is of a niggardly spirit, for to him is given a petty spirit.\u201d
\nC. \u201cAnd metes out the waters by measure\u201d (Job 28:25):
\nD. A person is balanced, half water, half blood.
\nE. When he attains merit, the water does not exceed the blood, and the blood does not exceed the water.
\nF. When he sins, there may be times that the water exceeds the blood, so that the man suffers from dropsy.
\nG. There may be times that the blood exceeds the water, and he becomes leprous.
\nH. \u201cA man\u201d (Lev. 13:2): [the word for man, adam, is to be read] O-dam, thus: Or [if it is the] blood [that exceeds \u2026].<\/p>\n
We now reach the base text, and the point of intersection marks a climax. No. 1 takes up the two components of Job 28:25 under discussion, in sequence, 1.A\u2013F, G\u2013I, and then No. 2 does the same, 2.A\u2013B, C\u2013G. The point of No. 1 is that people are subject to natural limitations of intellect and learning; thus some prophesy more, some less; some learn one thing, some another. The point of No. 2 is that people likewise exhibit diverse gifts of the spirit or characteristics, some liberal, some niggardly. So too, they are half water, half blood, and the rest flows down to the pun on the word Adam, which is the goal of the whole. So while No. 1 looks to be autonomous of No. 2, in fact the two constructions mirror one another, each one working through the two clauses of the intersecting verse. The message of each construction is essentially the same as that of the other, namely, people should adhere to a golden mean, knowing and accepting themselves as they are and recognizing their natural limitations. The leper is one who does not.<\/p>\n
XV:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWho has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain [and a way for the thunderbolt, to bring rain on a land where no man is, on the desert in which there is no man]\u201d (Job 38:25).
\nB. [As to the meaning of the word STP, cleave a channel], said R. Berekhiah, \u201cThere are places in which they call a hair a follicle [shitfa].\u201d
\nC. There is the case of a pious man who went into session and expounded as follows: \u201cYou have no hair for which the Holy One, blessed be he, did not create its own channel [follicle] [so that each should draw sustenance from its own source and not from that of any other hair].\u201d
\nD. The next day he intended to go [out of the Holy Land] to make a living. His wife said to him, \u201cYesterday you went into session and expounded as follows: \u2018You have no hair for which the Holy One, blessed be he, did not create its own hole [follicle], so that not one of them should derive sustenance from any other.\u2019 And now do you intend to go [abroad] to seek your living? Stay home [in the Holy Land] and let your Creator provide for you.\u201d
\nE. He obeyed her and stayed home, and his Creator provided for him.
\n2. A. \u201cAnd a way for the thunderbolt\u201d (Job 38:25):
\nB. It is even the case that for each and every sound of thunder that comes forth from the firmament did the Holy One, blessed be he, make a path by itself.
\nC. And why all this effort? So that it not ravage the world.
\nD. And it is even the case that for each and every drop of rain that falls from the firmament did the Holy One, blessed be he, make a rivulet for itself.
\nE. And why all this effort? So that it not flow free and ravage the world.
\n3. A. Another interpretation: \u201cAnd a way for the thunderbolt\u201d (Job 38:25):
\nB. Said R. Abin, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a vegetable patch.
\nC. \u201cSo long as the spring flows in it, the vegetables are dark [retaining their color and freshness (Israelstam, p. 190, n. 3)].
\nD. \u201cWhen the spring ceases to flow, the follicle turns white.
\nE. \u201cSo [if] a person enjoys merit: \u2018Black hair grows up in it; the scalp is healed: he is clean\u2019 [Lev. 13:37].
\nF. \u201cBut if not: \u2018And the hair in the leprosy spot turned white\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:3).
\n4. A. \u201cMan (adam)\u201d (Lev. 13:2)\u2014\u201c\u2026 or blood.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once again, we pursue the exegesis of the intersecting verse in such a way as to bring us back to the base verse. No. 1 takes up the first clause of the intersecting verse, No. 2 the second. When we reach No. 3, we intersect with the base verse. Abin\u2019s exegesis concerns the first part of the intersecting verse, \u201cWho has cleft a channel for the torrents of rain,\u201d so Margulies. The connection then would be rather general, namely, the reference to the availability of a channel for water brings to mind the case of a garden without such a channel, and the rest follows. Why No. 4 is tacked on is clear from the pattern we have already noted in reference to Lev. 12:2. It is evidently a convention to repeat, at the end of an exegesis, a recurrent formula, whether or not the contents of the formula prove relevant or not.<\/p>\n
XV:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cCondemnation is ready for scoffers, and flogging for the backs of fools\u201d (Prov. 19:29).
\nB. Punishments are always ready for scoffers and for transgressors.
\nC. Under ordinary circumstances when a person is riding an ass, sometimes [the ass] is recalcitrant, so the rider hits it, and sometimes, even if it is not recalcitrant, [the rider] still will hit it.
\nD. But here: \u201cCondemnation is ready [only] for scoffers\u201d (Prov. 19:29).
\nE. \u201cAnd flogging\u201d (Prov. 19:29).
\nF. Said R. Abin, \u201c[the word for flogging, MHLWMWT, may be read MHH LMWT, hence] \u2018beaten to death.\u2019 [One suffering leprosy looks like a corpse.]
\nG. \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a woman of high rank who came to the king\u2019s palace. When she saw whips hanging from the walls, she was frightened. The king said to her, \u2018Do not be afraid. These are for the man slaves and the woman slaves. But you [are here] to eat, drink, and be merry.\u2019
\nH. \u201cSo too, when the Israelites heard the passage dealing with leprosy spots, they were frightened. Said to them Moses, \u2018Do not be afraid. These are for the nations of the world. But you [are here] to eat, drink, and be merry.\u2019
\nI. \u201c \u2018When a man among you\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018When a man has on the skin of his body a swelling [the absence of \u201camong you\u201d implies a man from other nations]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:2).
\nJ. \u201cMany are the pangs of the wicked; but steadfast love surrounds him who trusts in the Lord\u201d (Ps. 32:10).
\n2. A. (Y. Shab. 16:1:) Rabbi and R. Ishmael b. R. Yose were in session and dealing with the scroll of Lamentations on the eve of the ninth of Ab [that fell on a Friday] at dark.
\nB. They omitted one alphabet [of the scroll, that is, a chapter], saying, \u201cTomorrow we shall complete it.\u201d
\nC. When Rabbi got up, he stubbed his little toe. In his own regard he recited the following verse: \u201cMany are the pangs of the wicked\u201d (Ps. 32:10).
\nD. Said to him R. Ishmael b. R. Yose, \u201cMy lord, even if we were not dealing with that passage [I should have reason to cite, now all the more so:] \u2018The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord, [was seized for their corrupt deeds]\u2019 [Lam. 4:20]. Now that we are in fact dealing with that exact passage, all the more so [does it apply that] \u2018the breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord\u2019 [that is, Rabbi, suffers on account of our sins].\u201d
\nE. When Rabbi reached home [on the Sabbath, the sun having set], he put a dry sponge on his sore toe and wrapped reed grass around it on the outside.
\nF. Said R. Ishmael, \u201cOn the basis of these deeds of his, we have learned three things:
\nG. \u201c[1] sponge does not draw out the blood but only protects the wound. [Absorbing liquid is forbidden on the Sabbath.]
\nH. \u201c[2] they wrap reed grass available at home around it because that is regarded as ready [in advance of the holy day, hence available for use on that day];
\nI. \u201c[3] they do not recite passages of the Holy Scriptures from the time of the late afternoon prayer onward, but they do repeat and expound them.
\nJ. \u201cStill, if it is necessary to look up a passage, one may take the scroll and examine it.\u201d
\nK. And Samuel said, \u201c[It is permitted to handle in the house] a tiny sherd or a tiny piece of reed grass.\u201d
\nL. R. Yudan taught in the name of Samuel, \u201cIt is permitted on the Sabbath to handle the stopper of a jar and its shards, but if one already has tossed them into the rubbish heap, it is forbidden to carry them about on the Sabbath.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Eliezer and R. Tanhum of Bosrah in the name of R. Jeremiah: \u201cEven an evil person who has repented [of his wickedness]: \u2018[If he now] trusts in the Lord, then steadfast love will surround him\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 32:10).<\/p>\n
This miscellaneous collection contains one important point of intersection with Lev. 13:2, 1.G\u2013I. The pattern at hand, however, does not conform to the one in which the intersecting verse leads us back to the base verse because No. 1 reaches its lesson at J, Ps. 32:10. So we have the problem of determining the status of Ps. 32:10. If, as it would appear, it states the main point of No. 1, then we have two \u201cintersecting verses,\u201d and the base verse is subordinate. The argument in favor of that view lies in the substance of the story told at No. 1. Since the woman exemplifies the one who trusts in the Lord, she need not fear the pangs of the wicked. It is difficult to separate Ps. 32:10 from the passage. But it may serve only to introduce the tale about Rabbi, as a kind of superscription. I regard the former view as necessarily the right one. Why? If Ps. 32:10 does not pertain to the first story, we cannot explain the insertion of No. 2 at all! But if we have Ps. 32:10 as the punch line of No. 1, then we see why the framer of the passage, working with a full repertoire of materials relevant to Ps. 32:10, has also included the materials of No. 2, not to mention No. 3.
\nWhat is interesting is the implication that leprosy spots affect scoffers and transgressors, on the one side, but do not affect Israel, on the other. The point must then be that Israel will be unaffected when it frees itself of scoffers and transgressors. But that is only if we read the treatment of the two clauses of the intersecting verse as if they contained a single, continuous message, and I am inclined to see 1.A\u2013D as separate from what follows.<\/p>\n
XV:V<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to the] body [of the matter]: What is written prior to the present topic?
\nB. \u201cIf a woman conceives and bears a male child\u201d (Lev. 12:2).
\nC. And what is written thereafter?
\nD. \u201cWhen a man has on the skin of his body \u2026\u201d (Lev. 13:2).
\nE. What has one thing got to do with the other?
\nF. Said R. Tanhum b. R. Hanilai, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of an ass that fell sick and was cauterized [by the veterinarian]. What caused the offspring to come forth with a mark [of cauterization]? It was because its mother had fallen sick and been cauterized.
\nG. \u201cSo who was it that caused the offspring to come forth afflicted with leprosy marks? It was its mother, who did not take precautions [not to have sexual relations during] her menstrual period.\u201d
\nH. Said R. Abin, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a vegetable patch, in which a spring flowed. So long as the spring flows into it, the patch grows lichen. So too he who has sexual relations with his wife when she is menstruating in the end will cause her to produce offspring afflicted by leprosy.\u201d
\nI. R. Abin cited in regard [to the one afflicted by leprosy the following verse of Scripture]: \u201c \u2018The fathers have eaten sour grapes, and the teeth of the sons are set on edge\u2019 [Ez. 18:2].
\nJ. \u201cBut they recited concerning their fathers, \u2018Our fathers sinned, and are no longer [alive], but we have borne the burden of their sins\u2019 \u201d (Lam. 5:7).<\/p>\n
The exegesis of the juxtaposition of the two subjects produces a single answer in two versions, Tanhum\u2019s and Abin\u2019s. Abin\u2019s then adds secondary expansion\u2014how the children feel about all this.<\/p>\n
XV:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Abin in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cIt is written, \u2018And if she cannot afford a lamb, [then she shall take two turtledoves or two young pigeons, one for a burnt offering and the other for a sin offering; the priest shall make atonement for her, and she shall be clean]\u2019 [Lev. 12:8].
\nB. \u201cWhat is then written directly thereafter? \u2018When a man has on the skin of his body [a swelling or an eruption or a spot \u2026]\u2019 [Lev. 13:2].
\nC. \u201cWhat has one thing got to do with the other?
\nD. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I told you to bring an offering on account of the birth of a child, but you did not do it. By your life! I am going to make it necessary for you to come to the priest anyhow.
\nE. \u201c \u2018And [the person bearing the mark] shall be brought to Aaron the priest\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:2).
\n2. A. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cWhy was the passage dealing with the dough offering [Num. 15:20] juxtaposed with one dealing with idolatry [Num. 15:22]?
\nB. \u201cIt is to tell you that whoever carries out the religious duty of separating the dough offering is as if he has nullified idolatry. And whoever treats as null the religious duty of separating dough offering is as if he has served an idol.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Eleazar, \u201c \u2018For a harlot may be hired for a loaf of bread, [but an adulteress stalks a man\u2019s very life]\u2019 [Prov. 6:26].
\nD. \u201cWho made you stumble through prostitution? It was because you ate a loaf of bread that had not been properly tithed [by your wife].\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cIt is written, \u2018And every man\u2019s holy things shall be his; [whatever any man gives to the priest shall be his]\u2019 [Prov. 5:10].
\nB. \u201cAnd after that passage it is further written, \u2018If any man\u2019s wife goes astray and acts unfaithfully against him\u2019 [Num. 5:12].
\nC. \u201cWhat has one thing to do with the other?
\nD. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I am the one who said, \u201cGive your gift to the priest,\u201d but you did not do it. By your life! I shall make it necessary for you to bring [not your bread but] your wife to a priest: \u201cThen the man shall bring his wife to the priest [to put her to the test of the adulterous woman]\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Num. 5:15).<\/p>\n
The mode of inquiry introduced at XV:V is carried forward at No. 1. Once the passage makes its appearance, parallel inquiries are introduced as well. The principle of agglutination then is a common method of exegesis, a single question addressed to diverse contexts. While we cannot claim the entire passage has been assembled to serve the interests of Leviticus, still, the arrangement is entirely suitable for the present setting.<\/p>\n
XV:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Levi, \u201c[Deeds that are worthy of] blessing bless the ones who do them, and [deeds that are worthy of a] curse bring a curse to the ones who do them.
\nB. \u201c \u2018A perfect and just weight you shall have, [a perfect and just measure you shall have, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you]\u2019 [Deut. 25:15].
\nC. \u201cIf you do things this way, you shall have what to take and what to give, what to buy and what to sell.
\nD. \u201c[Deeds that are worthy of a] curse bring a curse to the ones who do them:
\nE. \u201c \u2018You shall not have in your bag two kinds of weights, a large and a small; you shall not have in your house two kinds of measures, [a large and small]\u2019 [Deut. 25:13\u201314].
\nF. \u201cIf you do things that way, you shall not have what to take and what to give, what to buy and what to sell.
\nG. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I told you not to make a large measure and a small one, but you have done just that! By your life, you will not have enough [wealth] in hand even to make use of a small measure, [since you will not need even a small measure for buying and selling, having nothing to buy or sell].\u2019
\nH. \u201cAlong these same lines: \u2018 \u201cYou will not make, along with me, gods of silver or gods of gold\u201d [Ex. 20:20]. But you have done just that! By your life! You will not have enough [resources] to make gods even of wood or stone.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
Perhaps appeal to the juxtaposition of Deut. 25:13\u201314 and 15 is meant to run parallel to the appeals to juxtaposition treated in the earlier pericopes. But if that rather remote possibility does not explain why the present passage has been included, then I have no idea at all what made Levi\u2019s statement seem pertinent to the larger context. The general observation that people get what they deserve\u2014including, then, leprosy also\u2014seems too remote to explain anything.<\/p>\n
XV:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. It has been taught (Sifra Negaim Pereq 4:3:) How do [priests] examine a leprosy spot?
\nB. A man is examined as one who hoes or one who harvests olives, as one who hoes in respect to the private parts, and as one who harvests olives in regard to the armpit.
\nC. And a woman [is examined] as one who weaves [Sifra: who rolls out dough] and as one who suckles her infant, as one who weaves [Sifra: rolls out dough] with respect to the private parts, and as one who suckles her infant with regard to the area under the breast. As one who weaves at a loom with regard to the armpit of the right hand.
\nD. R. Judah says, \u201cAlso as one who spins flax with regard to the left.\u201d
\nE. Just as one is examined with respect to a leprosy sign, so he is examined with respect to shaving himself [after the leprosy sign has been declared clean, during the rite of purification].
\n2. A. It has been taught (M. Neg. 2:5:) All leprosy signs does a person examine, except for his own.
\nB. R. Meir says, \u201cAlso not those of his relatives.\u201d
\n3. A. Who inspected the leprosy sign of Miriam?
\nB. If you claim that it was Moses who examined it, can one who is not a priest examine leprosy signs? If you say that it was Aaron who did so, [we know that] a relative may not examine leprosy signs.
\nC. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cI shall serve as priest to her. I shall shut her up, I am the one who will declare her clean.\u201d
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd the people did not undertake a journey until Miriam was brought in again [having been declared clean]\u201d (Num. 12:14).
\nE. Said R. Simon, \u201cThe people were with the Indwelling Presence of God, and God\u2019s presence was waiting on her.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Levi in the name of R. Hama b. R. Haninah, \u201cMoses was greatly pained by this matter: \u2018Is it appropriate to the standing of my brother, Aaron, that he should examine leprosy signs?\u2019
\nB. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Now does the priest not enjoy the benefit of the twenty-four gifts [that are given to the priests]?\u2019 \u201d
\nC. In a proverb people say, \u201cHe who eats palm\u2019s heart will be flogged by a stick of a dried-up palm.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The compositor has inserted two whole passages bearing upon the theme at hand. No. 1 amplifies Lev. 13:3, the matter of the examination, and No. 2 does the same. Then No. 3 introduces the case of Miriam, afflicted with leprosy. No. 4 reverts to the basic matter of the priest\u2019s task of examining leprosy signs, pointing out that it is a minimal service, considering the benefits accorded to the priesthood. None of these materials in any sense can be called exegetical.<\/p>\n
XV:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cA swelling (lifting up, S\u2019T), [or eruption (SPHT) or a spot (BHRT)]\u201d (Lev. 13:2).
\nB. \u201c[A swelling] refers to Babylonia.\u201d
\nC. That is on account of the following statement: \u201cAnd you shall lift up (NS\u2019T) this proverb against the King of Babylonia and say, \u2018How has the oppressor ceased, the exactress of gold (MDHBH) ceased\u2019 \u201d (Is. 14:4).
\nD. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201c[Babylonia was] a kingdom that said, \u2018Measure and hand over\u2019 (MDD HBY\u2019).\u201d
\nE. R. Ishmael b. R. Nahan said, \u201cIt was a kingdom that reddened (MDHBT) the face of anyone when he came near it.\u201d
\nF. R. Tabyomi said, \u201cIt is on account of a mouth of gold.\u201d
\nG. And rabbis say, \u201cIt was on acount of its having a head of gold: \u2018You are the head of gold\u2019 \u201d (Dan. 2:38).
\nH. \u201cEruption\u201d (SPHT) refers to Media, which produced Haman, that wicked man, who inflamed [Media\u2019s] people like a snake, on the account of, \u201cOn your belly will you go\u201d (Gen 3:14).
\nI. \u201cBright spot\u201d (BHRT) refers to Greece, which publicizes (MHBRT) its [harsh] decrees, saying to Israel, \u201cWrite on the horn of an ox that you have no portion in the God of Israel.\u201d
\nJ. \u201cA spot of leprosy\u201d (Lev. 13:2) refers to Edom, which originated in the strength of the old man [Isaac, who blessed Esau].
\nK. It was on account of the statement, \u201cAnd it shall be on the skin of his body\u201d (Lev. 13:2).
\n2. A. Now in this world, a priest examines spots of leprosy, but in the world to come, the Holy One, blessed be he, has said, \u201cI shall declare you clean.\u201d
\nB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cI shall pour out on you waters that purify, and you will be clean\u201d (Ex. 36:25).<\/p>\n
No. 1 goes through a familiar sequence (see XIII:V), now with reference to Lev. 13:2\u2019s entries. The predicate\u2014the nation, its deed\u2014in each case in standard. Only the subject, the component of a verse of Scripture, shifts. No. 2 completes the symbolization of history by introducing the world to come, when the system will be transformed. D\u2013G are intruded. Otherwise, the entirely conventional form predominates.<\/p>\n
Parashah Sixteen<\/p>\n
XVI:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThis shall be the law of the leper [for the day of his cleansing]\u201d (Lev. 14:2).
\nB. \u201cThere are six things which the Lord hates, and seven which are an abomination to him: [haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to do evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers]\u201d (Prov. 6:16\u201319).
\nC. R. Meir and rabbis:
\nD. R. Meir said, \u201cSix and seven add up to thirteen.\u201d
\nE. And rabbis say, \u201cSeven [is the number of abominations].\u201d
\nF. How do rabbis interpret the use of \u201cAnd\u201d [\u201cAnd seven\u201d (Prov. 6:16)]?
\nG. This refers to the seventh on the list [gossiping], which is the worst of the lot.
\nH. And which one is it? It is \u201che who sows discord among brothers.\u201d
\nI. And what are the others? \u201cHaughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to do evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and a man who sows discord among brothers\u201d (Prov. 6:17\u201319).
\n2. A. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cAnd all of those who do such things are smitten with leprosy.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Haughty eyes\u2019 [is shown] by the case of the daughters of Zion, \u2018because the daughters of Zion are haughty, and [walk with outstretched necks, glancing wantonly with their eyes, mincing along as they go, tinkling with their feet, the Lord will smite with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion, and the Lord will lay bare their secret parts]\u2019 \u201d (Is. 3:16\u201317).
\nC. \u201cBecause the daughters of Zion are haughty\u201d\u2014because they carry themselves [stiffly as] spears and walk arrogantly.
\nD. \u201cAnd walk with outstretched necks\u201d\u2014for one of them would put on her jewelry and would stretch her neck forward to show her jewelry.
\nE. \u201cGlancing wantonly with their eyes\u201d\u2014
\nF. R. Nissi of Caesarea said, \u201cFor they would paint their eyes with red paint.\u201d
\nG. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cWith red collyrium.\u201d
\nH. \u201cMincing along as they go\u201d\u2014When one of them was tall, she would bring two short ones, one to walk on either side of her, so that she would appear to float above them. But if one of them was short, she would wear thick sandals, so that she would look taller.
\nI. \u201cTinkling with their feet\u201d\u2014
\nJ. R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cFor she would make the figure of a dragon [with bells] on her slippers.\u201d
\nK. And rabbis say, \u201cShe would bring an eggshell and fill it with balsam and put it under the heal of her sandal. When she would see a bunch of boys, she would stamp on it and break the shell, and the odor would go through them like the poison of a snake.\u201d
\nL. Now the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Jeremiah, \u201cWhat are such people as these doing here? Let them get up and go into exile from here.\u201d
\nM. And Jeremiah so would say to them, \u201cRepent, before the enemy comes.\u201d
\nN. They said to him, \u201cIf the enemy comes against us, what can they do to us, who say, \u2018Let him make haste, let him speed his work, that we may see it; [let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it]\u2019 [Is. 5:19]. A general will see me and take me, a hyparch will see me and take me, a commander will see me and take me and seat me on a chariot.
\nO. \u201c \u2018So let the purpose of the Holy One of Israel draw near, and let it come, that we may know it\u2019 [Is. 5:19]\u2014
\nP. \u201cso that we may know whose [opinion] will be brought to reality, ours or his!\u201d
\nQ. Once their sins had proved sufficient cause, and the enemy came, they made themselves up and came out before them like whores.
\nR. A general saw one and took her, a hyparch saw one and took her, a commander saw one and took her and seated her on a chariot.
\nS. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLet their opinion not come true.\u201d
\nT. What did he do? \u201cThe Lord smote (SPH) with a scab the crown of the head of the daughters of Zion\u201d (Is. 3:17).
\n3. A. R. Eleazar and R. Yose b. R. Haninah.
\nB. R. Eleazar said, \u201cHe smote them with leprosy.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For a swelling, an eruption (SPHT) or a spot\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 14:56).
\nD. And R. Yose b. R. Haninah said, \u201cHe brought up swarms of lice onto their heads.\u201d
\nE. R. Hiyya b. R. Abba said, \u201cHe made them into slave women used as beasts of burden?\u201d
\nF. What are beasts of burden? Enslaved women [Aramaic].
\n4. A. R. Berekhiah and Hilpai b. R. Zebed in the name of R. Isi: \u201cWhat is the meaning of the word sippah [SPH\u2014smote with a scab]? To flow.
\nB. \u201cSo as to preserve the holy seed, so that the holy seed should not be diluted among the peoples of the earth\u201d (see Ezra 9:2).
\n5. A. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, I know that the nations of the world will not keep away from those who suffer from leprosy.\u201d
\nB. What did he do?
\nC. \u201cThe Lord will lay bare their secret parts\u201d (Is. 3:17).
\nD. The Holy One, blessed be he, made a gesture at her source, and it produced blood until it filled up the chariot.
\nE. And the conqueror speared the woman with his spear and laid her before his chariot, and the chariot rolled over her and split her.
\nF. That is what Jeremiah referred to in saying, \u201cGet out! Unclean! Men cried to them, Get out, Get out, Do not touch!\u201d (Lam. 4:15).
\nG. R. Reuben said, \u201cThe Hebrew word for \u2018get out,\u2019 \u2018suru,\u2019 is the Greek word for \u2018sweep,\u2019 \u2018siron\u2019 [prob. meaning].\u201d
\n6. A. \u201cA lying tongue\u201d (Prov. 6:17).
\nB. The proof [that one who lies is smitten by leprosy derives] from Miriam.
\nC. \u201cAnd Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses\u201d (Num. 12:1).
\nD. And how do we know that she was smitten with leprosy?
\nE. As it is said, \u201cAnd the cloud departed from on the tent\u201d (Num. 12:10).
\n7. A. \u201cAnd hands that shed blood\u201d (Prov. 6:17).
\nB. [We learn that God hates such a person] from Joab.
\nC. For it is said, \u201cAnd the Lord will return his blood upon his [Joab\u2019s] own head\u201d (1 Kings 2:32).
\nD. And how do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nE. \u201cMay it fall upon the head of Joab, [and upon all his father\u2019s house, and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous or who holds a spindle or who is slain by the sword or who lacks bread]\u201d (2 Sam. 3:29).
\n8. A. \u201cA heart that devises wicked plans\u201d (Prov. 6:18).
\nB. [We know that God hates such a one] from the case of Uzziah, who planned to humiliate the high priesthood.
\nC. And how do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cAnd the Lord smote the king, and he became a leper\u201d (2 Kings 15:5).
\n9. A. \u201cFeet that make haste to run to do evil\u201d (Prov. 6:17).
\nB. [We learn that this is one God despises] from the case of Gehazi, for it is said, \u201cGehazi, the servant of Elisha the man of God, said, \u2018See, my master has spared this Naaman the Syrian, in not accepting [from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something from him]\u2019 \u201d (2 Kings 5:20).
\nC. And how do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. \u201cTherefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cleave to you [and to your descendants forever. So he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow]\u201d (2 Kings 5:27).
\n10. A. \u201cA false witness who breathes out lies\u201d (Prov. 6:19).
\nB. [We know that God hates this from the case] of Israel, who gave false testimony by saying to the calf, \u201cThis is your God, O Israel\u201d (Ex. 32:4).
\nC. And how do we know that they were smitten with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cAnd Moses saw the people, that it had broken out, for Aaron had made it break out\u201d (Ex. 32:25).
\nE. What is the meaning of \u201cbreaking out\u201d?
\nF. R. Yohanan said, \u201cThis teaches that an epidemic of leprosy and discharge broke out among them.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture [referring to the leper]: \u2018And his head will be broken out\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:45).
\n11. A. \u201cAnd a man who sows discord among brothers\u201d (Prov. 6:19).
\nB. [The precedent derives] from Pharaoh, who brought discord between Abraham and Sarah.
\nC. How do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cAnd the Lord smote Pharaoh with great leprosy signs, as well as his house\u201d (Gen. 12:17).
\n12. A. Said Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel, \u201cOnce I was walking from Tiberias to Sepphoris. An old man came my way and said to me, \u2018My lord, there are twenty-four different kinds of skin disease, and only for ratan [a kind of leprosy] is sexual relations bad.\u2019 \u201d
\nB. Said R. Pedat, \u201cAnd that was what hit the wicked Pharaoh.\u201d
\n13. A. Therefore Moses warned Israel and said to them, \u201c \u2018This is the law of the leper (mesora)\u2019\u2014the law of the gossip (mosi ra)\u201d (Lev. 14:2).<\/p>\n
The theme of leprosy, rather than the specific formulations of the base text, defines the organizing principle and explains\u2014right up front\u2014the selection of the intersecting verse. It would be difficult to point to a tighter or more carefully composed construction, since Yohanan, 2.A, tells us the purpose of the exegesis and how it will work. With his guidance, we see the outlines of the basic formulation, readily picking out materials added for amplification or clarification. (Would that we could so simply account for the choice of every intersecting verse!) Since the \u201csowing of discord among brothers\u201d involves gossip, moreover, the selection is not only for formal and external reasons. The intersecting verse itself contains indications of its pertinence to the theme at hand. The absence, then, of a base verse in the formal sense in no way impedes the substantive or aesthetic success of the whole.
\nIt seems to me that 1.C\u2013H are secondary and needless. Then we move from the intersecting verse directly to No. 2, that is, Yohanan\u2019s explicit linking of the intersecting verse to the base theme. But, as we soon see, the theme, leprosy, merges with the language of the base verse, for mesora, leper, is linked to mosi ra. Then the bulk of the exemplificatory materials deal with people who sin by things that they say. Whether or not we assign 2.B to Yohanan, the rest of No. 2 cannot be his. So the explication of the whole is the work of the compositor, who has collected or made up the clause-by-clause amplifications of the intersecting verse. When we reach the end of No. 2, we find inserted materials on Is. 3:17, Nos. 3 and 4. No. 5 then completes the matter. Nos. 6\u201311 (the last supplemented by No. 12) then systematically work through the remainder of the intersecting verse, following a very well disciplined pattern. No. 13 signs off with a formulaic exegesis, essentially ignoring all that has gone before.<\/p>\n
XVI:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWho is the man who desires life [and covets many days, that he may enjoy good? Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit]\u201d (Psalm. 34:12\u201313).
\nB. There was the case of a peddler who was making his rounds in the villages near Sepphoris, proclaiming, \u201cWho wants to buy the elixir of life! Come and buy.\u201d
\nC. He came into the village of Akhbara, near the home of R. Yannai, who was in session, studying in his chamber. [Yannai] heard him shouting, \u201cWho wants to buy the elixir of life? Come and buy!\u201d
\nD. R. Yannai looked out at him and said, \u201cCome up here and sell to me.\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cYou don\u2019t need it, neither you nor people like you.\u201d
\nF. [Yannai] urged him nonetheless and he came up to him. [The peddler] took out a scroll of the Psalms and showed him the verse, \u201c \u2018Who is the man who desires life, and covets many days that he may enjoy good?\u2019
\nG. \u201cWhat is written after that verse? \u2018Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good, seek peace and pursue it\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 34:13\u201314).
\nH. Said R. Yannai to him, \u201cFor my whole life I have been reading this verse of Scripture, but I did not know how to explain it, until this peddler came and told me.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cWho is the man who wants life?\u201d (Ps. 34:12).
\nB. Said R. Haggai, \u201cSo too did Solomon announce: \u2018Who keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps his soul from troubles (MSRWT)\u2019 [Prov. 21:23]. [That is,] he keeps his soul from leprosy (MSR\u02bfT).\u201d
\n3. A. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201c \u2018This is the law of the leper\u2019 (Lev. 14:2)\u2014the law of the gossip.\u201d<\/p>\n
The relevance of the verse, No. 1, once more proves thematic rather than linguistic. The tale works out the relevance of the intersecting verse, which is then underlined at No. 3. No. 2 provides a still better intersecting verse than No. 1, since now there is a clear point of intersection of language, not only theme.<\/p>\n
XVI:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThough his height mount up to the heavens [and his head reach to the clouds, he will perish forever like his own dung; those who have seen him will say, Where is he?]\u201d (Job 20:6\u20137).
\nB. \u201cThough his height mount up to the heavens\u201d\u2014the word for \u201cheight\u201d means \u201con high.\u201d
\nC. \u201cAnd his head reach to the cloud\u201d\u2014to the cloud [in Aramaic].
\nD. \u201cHe will perish forever like his own dung\u201d\u2014
\nE. Just as shit stinks, so he stinks.
\nF. \u201cThose who have seen him will say, \u2018Where is he?\u2019 \u201d\u2014
\nG. They will see him but not recognize him.
\nH. For so it is written in regard to the friends of Job: \u201cThey raised their eyes up at a distance but they did not recognize him\u201d (Job 2:12).
\n2. A. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nB. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIt is forbidden to walk to the east side of a mesora closer than four cubits.\u201d
\nC. And R. Simeon said, \u201cCloser than a hundred cubits.\u201d
\nD. But they do not really differ.
\nE. The one who has said that one may come no closer than four cubits speaks of a time at which the wind is not blowing.
\nF. And the one who has said that one may come no closer than a hundred cubits speaks of a time at which the wind is blowing.
\nG. Even at a distance of a hundred cubits [under such conditions] it is forbidden to go.
\n3. A. R. Meir would not eat an egg from the lepers\u2019 alley.
\nB. R. Ammi and R. Assi would not go into the lepers\u2019 alley.
\nC. R. Simeon b. Laqish, when he saw one of them in the town, would throw stones at him, saying to him, \u201cGo home. Don\u2019t dirty up the other people.\u201d
\nD. R. Hiyya taught: \u201c \u2018He will dwell by himself\u2019 [Lev. 13:46]. He will dwell alone.\u201d
\nE. R. Eleazar b. R. Simon, when he would see one of them, would hide himself from him, on account of what is written concerning him.
\n4. A. \u201cThis is the law of the leper\u201d (Lev. 14:2)\u2014the law of the gossip.<\/p>\n
My best guess on why the intersecting verse is taken to speak of a leper derives from Job 20:12, \u201cThough wickedness is sweet in his mouth and though he hides it under his tongue \u2026\u201d Perhaps that statement made the exegetes see the entire passage as referring to the person who gossips, hence the leper. The systematic exegesis of the verse explains its components and assumes that each refers to the leper. Nos. 2 and 3 then amplify the idea that the leper is to be avoided, disappears, and is no more seen. No. 4 then adds the expected formal link.<\/p>\n
XVI:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cBut to the wicked God says, \u2018What right have you to recite my statutes [or take my covenant on your lips? For you hate discipline and you cast my words behind you. If you see a thief, you are a friend of his, and you keep company with adulterers]\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 50:16\u201318).
\nB. Ben Azzai was in session and expounding, and the fire licked round about him.
\nC. They came and told R. Aqiba, \u201cBen Azzai is in session and expounding, and the fire is licking round about him.\u201d
\nD. He came to him and said, \u201cAre you dealing with the innermost chambers of the Chariot vision?\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cNo. I am only stringing together a chain of teachings of the Torah to those of the prophets, and teachings of the prophets to those of the writings, and on that account, the teachings of the Torah are rejoicing as on the very day on which they were given from Sinai.
\nF. \u201cFor was not the very essence of the giving of the words of Torah from Sinai done through fire?
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the verse: \u2018And the mount was burning with fire, up to the very heart of heaven\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 4:11).
\n2. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cWe find in the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings, that the Holy One, blessed be he, takes no delight whatsoever in praise coming from a wicked person.
\nB. \u201cWhence that proof in the Torah? \u2018And the leper \u2026 shall cover his upper lip [and shall cry, Unclean, unclean]\u2019 [Lev. 13:45].
\nC. \u201cWhence that proof in the Prophets? \u2018[Now the king was talking with Gehazi, the servant of the man of God, saying, Tell me all the great things that Elisha has done. (But Gehazi, who was wicked, did not get to speak of God\u2019s miracle, done through Elisha, for)] while he was telling the king how Elisha had restored the dead to life, [behold, the woman whose son he had restored to life appealed to the king for her house and her land. And Gehazi said, My lord, O King, here is the woman, and here is her son whom Elisha restored to life]\u2019 \u201d (2 Kings 8:4\u20135).
\nD. Now is it possible that she was standing behind the door?
\nE. Rabbis said, \u201cEven if she had been located at the other end of the world, the Holy One, blessed be he, would have flown her and brought her so that that wicked man would not get the chance to report the wonders done by the Holy One, blessed be he.\u201d
\nF. (Levi continues:) \u201cIn the case of the Writings, whence?
\nG. \u201c \u2018But to the wicked, God says, What right have you to recite my statutes\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 50:16).
\n3. A. R. Eleazar in the name of R. Yose b. Zimra: \u201cA human body has two hundred forty-eight limbs, some of them bent, some of them standing up.
\nB. \u201cThe tongue is located between the two cheeks, and a watercourse is located underneath it, arranged in any number of folds.
\nC. \u201cCome and see how many fires it has caused!
\nD. \u201cNow if it were upright and standing, how much the more so!\u201d
\n4. A. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cThis is the law of the leper\u201d (Lev. 14:2)\u2014the law of the gossip.<\/p>\n
So far as I can see, the point of the introductory tale, about Ben Azzai, is simply that a particularly exemplary mode, now illustrated, of exegesis is to string together verses of Torah, Prophets, and Writings that say the same thing or illustrate the same point. No. 2 then makes its own point, 2.A. For that purpose, Lev. 13:45 and Ps. 50:16 serve as part of a construction with its own interests. Accordingly, we do not have a composition based upon an intersecting and base verse (or even theme). No. 3 is thematically relevant to the present topic. No. 4 is merely conventional.<\/p>\n
XVI:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cLet not your mouth lead your flesh into sin\u201d (Qoh. 5:5).
\nB. R. Joshua b. Levi applied the verse to speak of those who promise in public to give charity and then fail to do so:
\nC. \u201cLet not your mouth lead your flesh into sin\u201d\u2014do not give the power to one of your limbs to lead all of your limbs into sin. \u201cYour mouth will lead your entire body into sin.\u201d
\nD. \u201c \u2018And do not say before the messenger [that it was a mistake; why should God be angry at your voice and destroy the work of your hands?]\u2019 [Qoh. 5:5].
\nE. \u201cThe messenger is the leader of the community [who collects charity funds].
\nF. \u201c \u2018That it was an error.\u2019 \u2018I made a pledge but I did not make a pledge.\u2019
\nG. \u201c \u2018Why should God be angry at your voice\u2019\u2014at that very voice that made a pledge but did not pay it up.
\nH. \u201c \u2018And destroy the work of your hands.\u2019 Even the little property that you have, you will bring into disarray.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Benjamin interpreted the verse to speak of those who misinterpret the Torah:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Let your mouth not lead your flesh into sin\u2019\u2014
\nC. \u201cDo not give the power to one of your limbs to lead all of your limbs into sin. Your mouth will lead your entire body into sin.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Do not say before the messenger\u2019\u2014this [refers to] the master.
\nE. \u201c \u2018That it was a mistake.\u2019 He pretended that he had studied Scripture, but he had never studied; [he pretended he] had repeated Mishnah traditions but had never repeated them.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Why should God be angry at your voice?\u2019
\nG. \u201cAt that very voice that misinterpreted the words of Torah [by pretending to know things that the person really did not know].
\nH. \u201c \u2018And destroy the work of your hands\u2019\u2014even the few tractates that you actually do know, you bring into disarray.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Hananiah interpreted the verse to speak of those who gossip.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Do not let your mouth lead your flesh into sin\u2019\u2014do not give the power to one of your limbs to lead all of your limbs into sin. Your mouth will lead your entire body into sin.
\nC. \u201c \u2018Do not say before the messenger\u2019\u2014this [refers to] the messenger who oversees the body.
\nD. \u201c \u2018That it was a mistake.\u2019 \u2018I gossiped and yet I did not gossip.\u2019
\nE. \u201c \u2018Why should God be angry at your voice?\u2019
\nF. \u201cAt that very voice that expressed gossip.
\nG. \u201c \u2018And destroy the work of your hands\u2019\u2014even the few limbs that you have in your body you will bring into disarray [through leprosy].\u201d
\n4. A. R. Mani interpreted the verse to speak of vowing:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Do not let your mouth lead your flesh into sin\u2019\u2014do not give the power to one of your limbs to lead all of your limbs into sin. Your mouth will lead your entire body into sin.
\nC. \u201c \u2018Do not say before the messenger\u2019\u2014this [refers to] the elder [who has the power to examine the vow and release it].
\nD. \u201c \u2018That was an error.\u2019 \u2018I vowed but I did not vow.\u2019
\nE. \u201c \u2018Why should God be angry at your voice?\u2019\u2014at that very voice that took a vow but did not pay it.
\nF. \u201c \u2018And destroy the work of your hands\u2019\u2014even those few religious duties that you have to your credit you bring into disarray.\u201d
\n5. A. Rabbis for their part interpret the verse to speak of Miriam:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Let not your mouth lead your flesh into sin\u2019\u2014
\nC. \u201cDo not give the power to one of your limbs to lead all of your limbs into sin. Your mouth will lead your entire body into sin.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Do not say before the messenger\u2019\u2014[this refers] to Moses.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he sent forth a messenger and took us out of Egypt\u2019 (Num. 20:16).)
\nF. \u201c \u2018That it was an error.\u2019 \u2018For we have done foolishly and we have sinned\u2019 [Num. 12:11].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Why should God be angry at your voice?\u2019 At that voice: \u2018And the Lord was angry at them and he departed\u2019 [Num. 12:9].
\nH. \u201c \u2018And destroy the work of your hands.\u2019 \u201d
\nI. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cMiriam sinned with her mouth, but all the rest of her limbs [also] were smitten.
\nJ. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And when the cloud removed from over the tent, behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow\u2019 \u201d (Num. 12:10).
\n6. A. Said R. Joshua b. Levi, \u201cA word is worth a penny, but silence is worth two.\u201d
\nB. For we have learned (in M. Abot 1:17): Simeon, his son, says, \u201cAll my days I have grown up among the sages, and I have found no virtue for the body better than silence. Interpretation is not the main thing, but deed, and whoever talks too much brings sin.\u201d<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse is thoroughly explained in terms of five different theories, Nos. 1\u20135, about which sorts of people sin by speaking in some way or another. These are, first, promising to give charity and failing to do so, pretending to know the Torah but not knowing it, gossiping, vowing, Miriam in particular. No. 6 tacks on some miscellanies about not talking too much. The pattern imposed on the several exegeses is blatant. The relevance to the larger context of Parashah Sixteen is self-evident at Nos. 3 and 5. The construction has been organized to allow for a climax at one relevant point, the figure of Miriam. It would have been better had the framer put gossiping at No. 4. The formal character of the exegeses is shown in the repeated formulas, for example, for \u201cLet not your mouth lead your flesh into sin.\u201d The formative work lay in selecting pertinent themes for the exemplification of the intersecting verse. What was said about those themes was essentially a matter of repeating a convention.<\/p>\n
XVI:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Joshua b. Levi, \u201cThe word \u2018torah\u2019 [law] occurs with regard to the leper on five different occasions:
\nB. \u201c \u2018This is the Torah governing a spot of leprosy\u2019 [Lev. 13:59].
\nC. \u201c \u2018This is the Torah governing him on whom is a spot of leprosy\u2019 [Lev. 14:32].
\nD. \u201c \u2018This is the Torah governing every spot of leprosy and itch\u2019 [Lev. 14:54].
\nE. \u201c \u2018This is the Torah governing leprosy\u2019 [Lev. 14:57].
\nF. \u201cAnd the encompassing reference: \u2018This will be the Torah governing the leper\u2019 [Lev. 14:2]\u2014the Torah governing the common gossip.
\nG. \u201cThis teaches you that whoever repeats gossip violates all five scrolls of the Torah.\u201d
\n2. A. Therefore Moses admonished the Israelites, saying to them, \u201cThis will be the Torah governing the leper (mesora)\u201d (Lev. 14:2)\u2014the Torah governing the gossip.<\/p>\n
No. 1 systematically surveys the pertinent verses to make its point. No. 2 repeats the conventional conclusion, as out of place here as in all its other points of appearance.<\/p>\n
XVI:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe priest shall command them to take for him who is to be cleansed two living clean birds [and cedarwood and scarlet stuff and hyssop]\u201d (Lev. 14:4).
\nB. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cBirds chirp a lot. This one who speaks gossip.
\nC. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Let the one with a voice [the bird] come and effect atonement for what the voice [of the gossip has done].\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. And R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cThe birds must be freeranging, [not raised in captivity], [but which nonetheless] have eaten the bread [of the penitent] and drunk of his water.
\nB. \u201cNow is there not an argument a fortiori: if birds, who eat of a man\u2019s bread and drink of his water, effect atonement for him, a priest, who derives from Israel the benefit of the twenty-four priestly gifts, all the more so [should have the power to effect atonement for Israel].\u201d
\nC. In a proverb people say, \u201cHe who eats of the heart of the palm will be flogged with the frond of a palm.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 makes a relevant point. No. 2 is aimed at the validation of the priests\u2019 power to effect atonement for Israelites and has no bearing on the present context.<\/p>\n
XVI:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Aha, \u201cA person is responsible that ailments should not come upon him.\u201d
\nB. This view of R. Aha derives from what R. Aha said [about the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018And the Lord will remove on your account every ailment\u2019 [Deut. 7:15].
\nC. \u201cIt is on your account that ailments come upon you.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Honia and R. Jacob Ephrata in the name of R. Eliasa: \u201c \u2018And the Lord will remove from you every ailment\u2019 [Deut. 7:15]. This refers to burning.\u201d
\nB. R. Jacob b. R. Aha in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201c \u2018And the Lord will remove from you every ailment\u2019 [Deut. 7:15] This refers to depressing thoughts.\u201d
\nC. And R. Abin said, \u201cThis refers to the evil impulse. For in the beginning it is sweet but at the end it is bitter.\u201d
\nD. R. Tanhuma in the name of R. Eleazar, and R. Menahama in the name of Rab: \u201c \u2018And the Lord will remove from you every ailment\u2019 This refers to bile.\u201d
\nE. This is in line with the view of R. Eleazar: \u201cNinety-nine die of bile and one by the hands of Heaven.\u201d
\nF. Rab and R. Hiyya the Elder both say, \u201cNinety-nine die of the evil eye and one at the hands of Heaven.\u201d
\nG. R. Haninah and R. Nathan both say, \u201cNinety-nine die of cold, and one at the hands of Heaven.\u201d
\nH. Rab is consistent with his setting, and R. Haninah likewise is consistent with his setting.
\nI. Rab is consistent, for Rab lived in Babylonia, where the evil eye was commonplace.
\nJ. R. Haninah is consistent, because he lived in Sepphoris, where it was very cold.
\n3. A. Antoninus said to Our Holy Rabbi [Judah the Patriarch], \u201cPray for me.\u201d
\nB. He said to him, \u201cMay you be saved from cold.\u201d
\nC. He said to him, \u201cThat\u2019s no prayer. With one extra cover, the cold goes its way.\u201d
\nD. He said to him, \u201cMay you be saved from heat.\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cLo, that is the prayer that you should say for me.
\nF. \u201cFor it is said, \u2018There is no hiding from his heat\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 19:7).
\n4. A. R. Samuel b. R. Nahman in the name of R. Nathan, \u201cNinety-nine die of heat, and one at the hands of Heaven.\u201d
\nB. And rabbis say, \u201cNinety-nine die of transgression, and one at the hands of Heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n
I take it that the main point is Aha\u2019s observation that since gossips bring leprosy on themselves, people in general are responsible for whatever ailments they suffer. The bulk of the rest, serving Deut. 7:15, is at Y. Shab. 14:3, with very minor changes and rearrangements. Inclusion here in no way serves the exegesis of the passage at hand.<\/p>\n
XVI:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd the priest shall command them to kill one of the birds [in an earthen vessel over running water]\u201d (Lev. 14:5).
\nB. Why does the priest kill one bird and leave the other?
\nC. It is to tell you that just as it is impossible for the slain bird to return to life, so it is impossible for the leprosy marks to return.
\nD. At that moment the Holy One, blessed be he, calls to his legions and tells them, \u201cSee that it was not for nothing that I smote this man.\u201d
\n2. A. But: \u201cBecause of the iniquity of his covetousness I was angry, I smote him, I hid my face and was angry. But he went on backsliding in the way of his own heart\u201d (Is. 57:17).
\nB. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201cThe one who vomits returns to his vomit.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018As a dog returns to his vomit, [so is a fool who repeats his folly]\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 26:11).
\nD. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201c[He went on backsliding in the way of his own heart\u2019 (Is. 57:17)] means, \u2018The fool returns to the way of his folly.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018A fool repeats his folly\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 26:11).
\n3. A. \u201cI have seen his ways, but I will heal him; [I will lead him and requite him with comfort, creating for his mourners the fruit of the lips\u201d [Is. 57:18]. The opening phrase in Aramaic means, \u201cI will heal him].\u201d
\nB. \u201cI will lead him\u201d (Is. 57:18)\u2014I will guide him.
\nC. \u201cI will requite him in comfort, creating for his mourners (\u2019BYLYW)\u201d\u2014this refers to his limbs (\u2019YBRYM), which are in mourning for him.
\n4. A. \u201cCreating [for his mourners] the fruit of the lips\u201d (Is. 57:18).
\nB. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cIf the lips of a man are fluent in prayer, he may be confident that his prayer is heard.
\nC. \u201cWhat is the text that indicates it?
\nD. \u201c \u2018You will strengthen their heart, you will incline your ear\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 10:17).
\n5. A. \u201cPeace, peace [to the far and to the near, says the Lord, and I will heal him]\u201d (Is. 57:19).
\nB. If he is \u201cnear,\u201d he is already at peace in and of himself.
\nC. But if it is to \u201cthe one who is far\u201d\u2014
\nD. R. Huna and R. Yudan in the name of R. Aha, \u201cThis refers to the leper, who was put away at a distance but then brought near.\u201d
\n6. A. \u201cSays the Lord, I will heal him\u201d (Is. 57:19). \u201cI will heal him in himself.\u201d
\nB. \u201cHeal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed, save me, and I shall be saved, for you are my praise\u201d (Jer. 17:14).<\/p>\n
The opening allegation, that the leper will not return to his folly, No. 1, is what accounts for the long exegesis of Is. 57:17. The passage goes over the notion that God heals the sinner. This is then a secondary expansion of the introductory and important point. While the leper was smitten on account of the sin of gossip, once he is purified he is not likely to return to his sin. The work on Is. 57:17\u201319 then flows fairly smoothly, with a number of translations into Aramaic of the Hebrew words. Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 systematically work through the elements of the cited verse. No. 6 then concludes with an intersecting verse of Jeremiah, also referring to God\u2019s healing. The unit makes for a strong conclusion to a picture of the sins of the leper.<\/p>\n
Parashah Seventeen<\/p>\n
XVII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses and Aaron,] When you come into the land of Canaan, [which I give you for a possession, and I put a leprous disease in a house in the land of your possession, then he who owns the house shall come and tell the priest, \u2018There seems to me to be some sort of disease in my house\u2019]\u201d (Lev. 14:33\u201334).
\nB. \u201cTruly God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart. [But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had well nigh slipped, for I was envious of the arrogant, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked]\u201d (Psalm. 73:1\u20133).
\nC. Is it possible [to suppose that God is good] to everybody?
\nD. Scripture says, \u201c\u2026 to those who are pure in heart.\u201d These are those whose heart is pure in [doing] religious duties.
\nE. \u201cBlessed are the men whose strength is in you, [in whose heart are the highways to Zion]\u201d (Ps. 84:5).
\nF. Is it possible to suppose [that this applies] to everybody?
\nG. Scripture says, \u201c\u2026 to those in whose heart are the highways \u2026\u201d These are the ones in whose heart are paved the ways of the Torah.
\nH. \u201cDo good, O Lord, to those who are good, [and to those who are upright in their hearts]\u201d (Ps. 125:4).
\nI. Is it possible to suppose [that this applies] to everybody?
\nJ. Scripture says, \u201c\u2026 to those who are upright in their hearts.\u201d
\nK. \u201cThe Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, [yea, he knows them that trust in him]\u201d (Nah. 1:7).
\nL. Is it possible to suppose [that this applies] to everybody?
\nM. Scripture says, \u201cHe knows them that trust in him.\u201d
\nN. \u201cThe Lord is good to those who wait for him\u201d (Lam. 3:25).
\nO. Is it possible to suppose [that this applies] to everybody?
\nP. Scripture states, \u201cTo the soul that seeks him\u201d (Lam. 3:25).
\nQ. \u201cThe Lord is near to those that call on him\u201d (Ps. 145:18).
\nR. Is it possible to suppose [that this applies] to everybody?
\nS. Scripture says, \u201cTo those that call upon him in truth\u201d (Ps. 145:18).
\nT. \u201cWho is God like you, pardoning iniquity and passing over transgression [for the remnant of his inheritance]\u201d (Mic. 7:18).
\nU. Is it possible to suppose [that this applies] to everybody?
\nV. Scripture says, \u201cFor the remnant of his inheritance.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cBut as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had well nigh slipped\u201d (Ps. 73:2).
\nB. Rab and Levi:
\nC. One said, \u201c[The Asaph who wrote Psalm 73] was Asaph, son of Korach.\u201d
\nD. The other said, \u201cIt was some other Asaph.\u201d
\nE. He who said it was Asaph son of Korach interprets the cited verse to say, \u201cI was nearly thrown into Gehenna with my father.\u201d
\nF. And the one who said it was some other Asaph interprets the same verse, \u201cI was nearly thrown into Gehenna with wicked people.\u201d
\n3. A. Why? \u201cFor I was envious of the arrogant\u201d (Psalm. 73:2)\u2014those who are confused.
\nB. These are people whose heart is full of evil and madness.
\nC. R. Levi called them arrogant, those who bring mourning to the world.
\n4. A. \u201cWhen I saw the prosperity (SLWM) of the wicked\u201d (Ps. 73:3). But I shall also see the recompense (BSLWMN) of the wicked.
\nB. \u201cFor they have no pangs; their bodies are sound and sleek (ulam)\u201d (Ps. 73:4).
\nC. \u201cYou did not make them shrivel up with ailments, nor did you make them swell because of sin.\u201d
\nD. \u201cThey are sound and sleek (ulam)\u201d\u2014You made them as sound as the ulam [hall of the Temple].\u201d
\nE. For we have learned in the Mishnah [M. Mid. 3:7]: \u201cThe doorway of the hall (ulam) was forty [cubits] high and twenty wide, five main beams of oak were on top of it.\u201d
\n5. A. R. Dosetai b. R. Yannai in the name of R. Meir and rabbis:
\nB. R. Dosetai b. R. Yannai in the name of R. Meir said, \u201cA woman weaves one ma\u02bfah\u2019s weight of thick, and one ma\u02bfah\u2019s weight of thin thread. The former is used for tassels and patterns, and the latter for fringes. [By contrary analogy, these men live uninterruptedly smooth lives (Margulies).]\u201d
\nC. Rabbis say, \u201cThey do not have sufferings on account of sins on account of which they die.
\nD. \u201cBut they are healthy right down to the day of judgment.\u201d
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cHe made the hall of the throne where he might judge, even the hall of judgment\u201d (1 Kings 7:7).
\n6. A. \u201c[They are not in trouble as other men are], they are not stricken like other men\u201d (Ps. 73:5).
\nB. \u201cThey are not troubled like other men\u201d\u2014for ploughing, sowing, harvesting.
\n7. A. \u201cThey are not stricken [smitten with a leprosy sign] like other men\u201d (Ps. 73:5).
\nB. Said R. Hamnuna, \u201cAnd even those concerning whom it is written, \u2018And you, my sheep, sheep of my pasture, are men\u2019 (Ez. 34:31).
\nC. \u201cThey are not afflicted with leprosy.\u201d
\n8. A. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cWhen you come into the land of Canaan\u201d (Lev. 14:34).<\/p>\n
The intersecting passage is Ps. 73:1\u20135, and the principal verse, reached only at the end, Ps. 73:5, refers to those not smitten with a plague of leprosy. No. 1 treats the cited passage only as part of a structure with its own program, a repeated reading of part of a verse and asking for the limitation supplied by the remainder of the same verse. No. 2 deals with the ascription of Ps. 73 to Asaph. Only at No. 3 do we reach the intersecting passage. The main point is that the wicked are not smitten as Israel is. Their punishment is a different one. The leprosy affliction of a house is limited to Israelites\u2019 property, for reasons to be explained at XVII:II. So the exegesis rests on the explicit reference to \u201ca house of your possession,\u201d and not one belonging to a gentile. But, as we see, that position is taken for granted and worked out in a rather secondary way through the selection and exegesis of the intersecting verse(s). Nos. 3\u20137 then work through the intersecting passage. They repeatedly attribute to the men under discussion a serene and uninterruptedly happy life. All of this leads them to a catastrophic fate at the last judgment. Israel suffers now, but that is a privilege and a mark of grace. The interpretation of 5.B follows Margulies. No. 8 tacks on a standard formula.<\/p>\n
XVII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe possessions of his house will be carried away [dragged off in the day of God\u2019s wrath. This is the wicked man\u2019s portion from God, the heritage decreed for him by God]\u201d (Job 20:28\u201329).
\nB. They will drag and remove [what is in his house].
\nC. When [will this take place]?
\nD. On the day on which the Holy One, blessed be he, pours out his anger on that man.
\nE. How so?
\nF. A person says to his neighbor, \u201cLend me a qab of wheat,\u201d and the other says, \u201cI don\u2019t have any.\u201d
\nG. \u201cA qab of barley \u2026,\u201d \u201cI don\u2019t have any.\u201d
\nH. \u201cA qab of dates,\u201d and he says to him, \u201cI don\u2019t have any.\u201d
\nI. A woman says to her friend, \u201cLend me a sieve,\u201d and she says, \u201cI don\u2019t have any.\u201d
\nJ. \u201cA sifter,\u201d and she says, \u201cI don\u2019t have any.\u201d
\nK. What does the Holy One, blessed be he, do?
\nL. He brings leprosy signs into his house, and since [the owner] has to bring all of his utensils out into the street, everyone sees and says, \u201cDidn\u2019t he say, \u2018I don\u2019t have any?\u2019 Now see how much wheat he has! How much barley he has! How many dates he has! A curse on the house of those who live therein!\u201d
\n2. A. R. Isaac b. Eleazar brings proof for the same proposition from the following word, that appears in a verse of Scripture: \u201cIf the plague in the walls of the house be sheqaarurot\u201d (Lev. 14:37: deep green).
\nB. \u201cThe house sinks (sheqa) on account of such cursed people (arurot).\u201d
\n3. A. Therefore Moses admonished the Israelites, saying to them, \u201cWhen you come into the land of Canaan\u201d (Lev. 14:34).<\/p>\n
The cited verse serves well, since the story speaks of carrying out the possessions of the man\u2019s house. The same point is made twice, once through the story of No. 1, then through the wordplay of No. 2. No. 3 is tacked on as usual.<\/p>\n
XVII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. [Back to] the body [of discourse:] For ten reasons do plagues of leprosy come: idolatry, promiscuity, murder, profanation of God\u2019s name, blasphemy of God\u2019s name, robbing from the community, stealing what does not belong to a person, arrogance, gossiping, and grudging [\u201cthe evil eye\u201d].
\n2. A. On account of idolatry:
\nB. [The case derives] from Israel, which gave false testimony against the Holy One, blessed be he, by going and saying to a calf, \u201cThis is your God, O Israel\u201d (Ex. 32:4).
\nC. How do we know that they were afflicted with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cAnd Moses saw the people, that it had broken out, [for Aaron had made it break out]\u201d (Ex. 32:25).
\nE. For an epidemic of leprosy and discharge had broken out among them.
\n3. A. Promiscuity:
\nB. [The case derives] from the daughters of Zion: \u201cBecause the daughters of Zion are haughty\u201d (Is. 3:16).
\nC. How do we know that they were afflicted with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cThe Lord will smite with a scab the heads of the daughters of Zion\u201d (Is. 3:17).
\n4. A. Murder:
\nB. [The case derives] from Joab: \u201cAnd the Lord will return his blood upon his own head\u201d (1 Kings 2:32).
\nC. How do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. \u201cMay it fall upon the head of Joab [and upon all his father\u2019s house and may the house of Joab never be without one who has a discharge or who is leprous]\u201d (2 Sam. 3:29).
\n5. A. Profanation of God\u2019s name:
\nB. [The case derives] from Gehazi: \u201cGehazi, the servant of Elishah, the man of God, [said, \u2018See, my master has spared this Naaman, the Syrian, in not accepting from his hand what he brought. As the Lord lives, I will run after him and get something (me\u2019umah) from him]\u2019 \u201d (2 Kings 5:20).
\nC. What is the meaning of \u201csomething (me\u2019umah)?\u201d From the blemish (mumah) which afflicts him.
\nD. And how do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nE. \u201cTherefore the leprosy of Naaman will cleave to you and to your descendants forever. [So he went out from his presence a leper, as white as snow]\u201d (2 Kings 5:27).
\n6. A. On account of blasphemy of God\u2019s name:
\nB. [The case derives] from Goliath: \u201cAnd the Philistine cursed David [by his God]\u201d (1 Sam. 17:43).
\nC. And how do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cThis day the Lord will shut you up [as a leper] through my hands\u201d (1 Sam. 17:46).
\nE. And \u201cshutting up\u201d can mean only leprosy, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd the priest will shut him up for seven days\u201d (Lev. 13:21).
\n7. A. On account of robbing from the community:
\nB. The case derives from Shebna, who made personal use of things that had been consecrated to the Temple.
\nC. And how do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. \u201cBehold, the Lord will hurl you away violently. O you strong young man, he will wrap you around and around\u201d (Is. 22:17).
\nE. This \u201cwrapping around\u201d can refer only to leprosy, as it is said, \u201cAnd he will wrap around his upper lip\u201d (Lev. 13:45).
\n8. A. Stealing what one does not own:
\nB. [The case derives] from Uzziah, who planned to plunder the high priesthood.
\nC. And how do we know that he was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cAnd Uzziah the king was a leper\u201d (2 Chron. 26:21).
\n9. A. And how do we know that [leprosy comes on account of] arrogance?
\nB. \u201cBut when he was strong, he grew proud, to his destruction. For he was false to the Lord his God and entered the temple of the Lord [to burn incense on the altar of incense]\u201d (2 Chron. 26:16).
\n10. A. On account of gossiping:
\nB. The case derives from Miriam: \u201cAnd Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses\u201d (Num. 12:1).
\nC. And how do we know that she was smitten with leprosy?
\nD. As it is said, \u201cAnd when the cloud was removed from the tent, [behold Miriam was leprous]\u201d (Num. 12:10).
\n11. A. And on account of grudging?
\nB. That is in accord with that which R. Isaac b. Eleazar said, \u201cDeep green (sheqa\u02bfarurot)\u201d (Lev. 14:37)\u2014the house sinks because of the curse [as above].\u201d
\n12. A. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cWhen you come into the land of Canaan\u201d (Lev. 13:3\u20134).<\/p>\n
While the passage is sizable, it presents no problems, following the announced plan and going over familiar materials. Only No. 9 is slightly defective. It is interesting to note that the same materials may serve diverse purposes.<\/p>\n
XVII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Huniah in the name of R. Joshua b. R. Abin and R. Zechariah, son-in-law of R. Levi, in the name of R. Levi: \u201cThe merciful Lord does not do injury to human beings first. [First he exacts a penalty from property, aiming at the sinner\u2019s repentance.]
\nB. \u201cFrom whom do you derive that lesson? From the case of Job: \u2018The oxen were plowing and the asses feeding beside them; [and the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you\u2019 (Job 1:14). Afterward: \u2018Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother\u2019s house, and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead\u2019 (Job 1:19).]\u201d
\nC. Now were the oxen plowing, and the asses feeding beside them?
\nD. Said R. Hama b. R. Hanina, \u201cThis teaches that the Holy One, blessed be he, showed him a paradigm of the world to come.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The plowman shall overtake the reaper\u2019 \u201d (Amos 9:13).
\nF. \u201cAnd the Sabeans fell upon them and took them and slew the servants [with the edge of the sword]\u201d (Job 1:15).
\nG. Said R. Abba b. R. Kahanan, \u201cThey left Kepar Qurenos and went through all of the Abelin towns and came to the Tower of the Dyers and died there.\u201d
\nH. \u201cOnly I alone have escaped to tell you\u201d (Job 1:15).
\nI. Said R. Yudan, \u201cWhenever we find the word \u2018only\u2019 used, it serves to limit [the sense of the passage], thus even he survived only broken and beaten.\u201d
\nJ. Said R. Huna, \u201cFrom the use of the word \u2018alone,\u2019 we derive the fact that he meant, \u2018I alone have the task of telling you.\u2019 And even here, once Job had heard his bitter news, the messenger forthwith perished.\u201d
\nK. \u201cWhile he was yet speaking, there came another and said, \u2018The Chaldeans formed three companies and made a raid upon the camels and took them [and slew the servants with the edge of the sword; and I alone have escaped to tell you]\u2019 \u201d (Job 1:17).
\nL. R. Samuel b. R. Nahman said, \u201cWhen Job heard this [bitter news of his], he began to mobilize his forces for war.
\nM. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Because I stood in great fear of the multitude, and the contempt of families terrified me\u2019 [Job 31:34].
\nN. \u201cHe said, \u2018This people is contemptible: \u2018Behold the land of the Chaldeans, this people that was not\u2019 [Is. 23:13]. Would that it were not! It has come only to put me in dread of it.
\nO. \u201cWhen they told him, \u2018A fire of God fell from heaven [and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you]\u2019 [Job 1:16],
\nP. \u201cJob said, \u2018Now if this blow is from Heaven, what can I do about it! A voice from heaven has fallen, and what can I do? \u2018So that I kept silence and did not go out of doors\u2019 [Job 31:34].
\nQ. \u201cSo he took a potsherd with which to scrape himself, in line with the verse, \u2018He took a potsherd with which to scrape himself and sat among the ashes\u2019 \u201d (Job 2:8).
\n2. A. So too it was in Egypt [that God punished the Egyptian herds, before he punished the people themselves]: \u201cHe gave over their cattle to the hail and their flocks to thunderbolts\u201d (Ps. 78:48).
\nB. And afterward: \u201cHe smote their vines and fig trees and shattered the trees of their country\u201d (Ps. 105:33).
\nC. And afterward: \u201cHe smote all the firstborn in their land, the first issue of all their strength\u201d (Ps. 105:36).
\n3. A. So it was in the case of Mahlon and Chilion [Elimelech\u2019s and Naomi\u2019s sons]: first the attribute of justice smote their property, and afterward: \u201cBoth Mahlon and Chilion died\u201d (Ruth 1:5).
\n4. A. So when leprous plagues afflict a person, first they afflict his house. If he repents, the house requires only dismantling [of the affected stones alone]. If not, the house requires demolishing.
\nB. Lo, when they hit his clothing, if he repents, the clothing requires only tearing. If he did not repent, the clothing requires burning.
\nC. Lo, if one\u2019s body is affected, if he then repents, he may be purified.
\nD. If the affliction comes back, and if [he does] not repent, \u201cHe shall dwell alone in a habitation outside the camp\u201d (Lev. 13:46).<\/p>\n
The main point, pertinent to the leprosy affliction of houses and garments, is that God first punishes the sinner\u2019s property, and only then his person. This point is established through an extensive account of the case of Job, with the text of Job subjected to systematic exegesis, as we should expect. Then a few further cases are adduced to make the same point. No. 1 bears some heavy interpolations at Cff. The focus of interest is upon the exposition of the materials of Job, not the point at hand. Nos. 2, 3, and 4 show us a more economical form. We note that there is no base verse; the construction rests upon a principle, stated at 1.A, and not upon the exposition of texts and their linguistic particularities.<\/p>\n
XVII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWhen you come into the land of Canaan [which I gave you for a possession]\u201d (Lev. 14:34).
\nB. Seven nations [lived there], so how can you refer to it as \u201cthe land of Canaan\u201d [alone]?
\nC. Rabbis say, \u201c[The Scripture in so stating matters means to] indicate that just as Ham committed a sin, and Canaan was smitten, so too, if Israel sins, the land will be cursed.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Eliezer and rabbis:
\nB. R. Eliezer said, \u201c[It is called the land of Canaan] because Canaan was father of all of them.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Canaan became the father of Sidon his firstborn, Heth, [the Jebusites, the Amorites, the Girgashites, the Hivites, the Arkites, the Sinites, the Arvadites, the Zemarites, and the Hamathites\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 10:15)].
\nD. And rabbis say, \u201c[It is called by the name of Canaan] because all of them were traders, [who are called \u2018Canaanites\u2019 as a generic], in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Whose merchants are princes, whose Canaanites [traders] are the honorable of the land\u2019 \u201d (Is. 23:8).
\n3. A. Said R. Yose b. Dosa, \u201cEliezer [Abraham\u2019s associate] was a Canaanite, and because he faithfully served that righteous man [Abraham], he was removed from the category of those who were cursed and placed into the category of those who were blessed.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verses of Scripture: \u2018And he said, \u2018Cursed be Canaan\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 9:25).
\nC. \u201cAnd he said, \u2018Come in [Eliezer], you who are blessed by the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Gen 24:31).
\nD. R. Jacob b. R. Judah in the name of R. Nathan of Bet Gubrin made use of the following for his leave-taking: \u201cNow if Eliezer, because he faithfully served that righteous man, was removed from the category of those who were cursed and placed into the category of those who were blessed, our brothers, O Israel, who pay honor to their great masters, all the more so [will be blessed]!\u201d
\n4. A. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cWhen you come into the land of Canaan\u201d (Lev. 14:34).<\/p>\n
The question, 1.B, is given three answers, 1.C, 2.B\u2013C, and 2.D. No. 3 is a thematic accretion and No. 4 a conventional, formulary subscription.<\/p>\n
XVII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd I put a leprous disease [in a house in the land of your possession]\u201d (Lev. 14:34).
\nB. R. Hiyya taught [Sifra Negaim 5:4], \u201cNow was it good news for them that leprous plagues were going to come upon them?\u201d
\nC. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cWhen the Canaanites heard that the Israelites were coming into their land, they went and hid their valuables in the walls [of their houses] and in the fields.
\nD. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I never gave a promise to their fathers that I was going to bring their sons into a devastated land, but rather into a land filled with all good things.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And houses filled with every good thing\u2019 [Deut. 6:11].
\nF. \u201cWhat then did the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He brought a plague of leprosy into [each] one\u2019s house, and when [the Israelite] went to tear it down [because of leprosy], he found a jewel in the wall.
\nG. \u201cHe had his field smitten with blight, and when he went to turn over the soil, he found a jewel underneath it.\u201d
\n2. A. Now who came and told the Canaanites that the Israelites were coming to their land?
\nB. Said R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman (Y. Sheb. 6:1), \u201cJoshua sent them three orders: \u2018He who wants to leave may leave; to make peace with us may make peace; to make war against us may make war.\u2019
\nC. \u201cThe Girgashites evacuated, therefore a land more beautiful than their original country was given to them.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I shall come and take you away to a land like your own land\u2019 [Is. 36:17]. This refers to Africa.
\nE. \u201cThe Gibeonites made peace with them: \u2018The inhabitants of Gibeon made peace with Joshua\u2019 [Josh. 10:1].
\nF. \u201cThirty-one kings made war and fell\u201d (Jos. 12:9\u201324).<\/p>\n
Once again, at issue is simply the substance of the base verse itself, and no lesson is drawn relevant to the larger theme at hand.<\/p>\n
XVII:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a leprous disease] in a house in the land of your possession\u201d (Lev. 14:34).
\nB. This refers to the house of the sanctuary [that is, the Temple]: \u201cBehold, I am going to profane my sanctuary, the pride of your power\u201d (Ez. 24:21).
\nC. \u201cThen he who owns the house shall come\u201d (Lev. 14:35). This is the Holy One, blessed be he: \u201cBecause of my house, that has been destroyed\u201d (Haggai 1:9).
\nD. \u201cAnd he shall tell the priest\u201d (Lev. 14:35). This refers to Jeremiah: \u201cThe words of Jeremiah b. Hilkiah, one of the priests who was in Anathoth\u201d (Jer. 1:1).
\nE. \u201cThere seems to me to be some sort of disease in my house\u201d (Lev. 14:35). This refers to the filth of idolatry. Some say it refers to the image set up by Manassah.
\nF. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd behold northward of the gate of the altar is this image of jealousy in the entry (BBY\u2019H)\u201d (Ezek. 8:5).
\nG. What is the meaning of \u201cin the entry?\u201d
\nH. R. Aha said, \u201c \u2018Woe, woe (BYY\u2019, BYY\u2019), the tenant is evicting the landlord!\u2019 \u201d
\nI. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cIt is written, \u2018For the bed is too short to stretch oneself on it\u2019 [Is. 28:20]. The bed cannot hold the wife, her husband, and her lover all together. [God cannot abide with an idol in the temple.]
\nJ. \u201cBut: \u2018And the covering too narrow (SRH) to wrap oneself in it\u2019 [Is. 28:20]. You have caused much trouble (SRH) to him concerning whom it is written, \u2018He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap (Ps. 33:7).
\nK. \u201cThen the priest shall command that they empty the house\u201d (Lev. 14:36). \u201cAnd [Shishak, king of Egypt] took the treasures of the house of the Lord\u201d (1 Kings 14:26).
\nL. \u201cAnd he shall break down the house\u201d (Lev. 14:45). \u201cAnd he [Nebuchadnezzar] destroyed this house\u201d (Ezra 5:12).
\nM. \u201cAnd he shall carry [the stones, timber, and plaster] outside of the city to an unclean place\u201d (Lev. 14:45). This refers to Babylonia: \u201cAnd the people he carried away into exile in Babylonia\u201d (Ezra 5:12).
\nN. Is it possible that [the exile] was to be forever?
\nO. Scripture says, \u201cAnd they shall take other stones\u201d (Lev. 14:42).
\nP. \u201cTherefore, thus says the Lord God, Behold I lay for a foundation stone in Zion, a tried stone, an expensive cornerstone of reliable foundation. He who believes will not make haste\u201d (Is. 28:16).<\/p>\n
The exegesis of the base verse is accomplished through a phrase-by-phrase citation of base verse and diverse proof texts. The purpose, accomplished through the whole, is to read the base verse as a paradigm for the destruction of the Temple. The intersecting verses then treat details of the base verse in light of that fundamental hermeneutic. The total effect is powerful indeed. Margulies quite persuasively draws a parallel between this passage and XV:IX. The account of the nations of the world has its counterpart here, with the association of the destruction of the house with the destruction of the Temple and the eschatological climax. Only 1.G\u2013J appear to break the flow of the exposition. Otherwise the established formal pattern\u2014verse matched by verse\u2014consistently governs.<\/p>\n
Parashah Eighteen<\/p>\n
XVIII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses and Aaron, \u2018Say to the people of Israel,]
\n\u201cWhen any man has a discharge from his body, [his discharge is unclean]\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Lev. 15:1\u20132).
\nB. \u201cRemember your creator in the days of your youth\u201d (Qoh. 12:1).
\nC. We have learned in the Mishnah (M. Abot 3:1): \u201cAqabiah b. Mehalalel says, \u2018Contemplate three things, and you will not come to commit a transgression. Know whence you have come, from a fetid drop; and where you are going, to worms and corruption; and before whom you are going to have to give a full accounting of yourself, before the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. R. Abba b. R. Kahana in the name of R. Pappi and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cAll three matters did Aqabiah derive by exegesis from a single word [that is, BWR\u2019K, \u2018your Creator\u2019]:
\nE. \u201cRemember your well (be\u2019erka), your pit (BRK), and your Creator (BWR\u2019K).
\nF. \u201c \u2018Remember your well\u2019\u2014this refers to the fetid drop.
\nG. \u201c \u2018Remember your pit\u2019\u2014this refers to worms and corruption.
\nH. \u201c \u2018Remember your Creator\u2019\u2014this refers to the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, before whom one is destined to render a full accounting.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cIn the days of your youth\u201d (Qoh. 12:1) means in the days when you are young, while your strength is yet with you.
\nB. \u201c[Remember your Creator in the days of your youth,] before the evil days come\u201d (Qoh. 12:1)\u2014this refers to the time of old age.
\nC. \u201cWhen the years draw near, when you will say, \u2018I have no pleasure in them\u2019 (Qoh. 12:1). This refers to the time of the coming of the Messiah, at which there will no longer be consideration either of merit or of liability.\u201d
\nD. \u201cBefore the sun and the light and the moon and the stars are darkened\u201d (Qoh. 12:2). [The sun] refers to the appearance of the face.
\nE. \u201cThe light\u201d (Qoh. 12:2) refers to the forehead.
\nF. \u201cThe moon (Qoh. 12:2) refers to the nose.
\nG. \u201cThe stars\u201d (Qoh. 12:2) refers to the protruding cheek bones.
\n3. A. \u201cAnd the clouds return after the rain\u201d (Qoh. 12:2).
\nB. R. Levi made two statements on this matter, one with reference to colleagues, the other in reference to the ignorant.
\nC. The one with reference to colleagues: \u201cWhen one comes to weep, his eyes will overflow with tears.\u201d
\nD. The one with reference to the ignorant: \u201cWhen one comes to urinate, feces will come out first [for one will not control his natural functions].\u201d
\n4. A. \u201cIn the day when the keepers of the house tremble, and the strong men are bent, and the grinders of grain cease because they are few, and those that look through the windows are dimmed\u201d (Qoh. 12:3).
\nB. \u201cIn the day when the keepers of the house tremble\u201d refers to one\u2019s knees.
\nC. \u201cAnd the strong men are bent\u201d refers to one\u2019s ribs.
\nD. R. Hiyya b. R. Nehemiah says, \u201cThis refers to his arms.\u201d
\nE. \u201cAnd the grinders of grain cease\u201d refers to the stomach.
\nF. \u201cFor they are few\u201d refers to the teeth.
\nG. \u201cAnd those that look through the windows are dimmed\u201d refers to the eyes.
\nH. R. Hiyya b. R. Nehemiah says, \u201cThis refers to the laps of the lungs, from which sound comes forth.\u201d
\n5. A. \u201cAnd the doors on the street are shut, when the sound of the grinding is low\u201d (Qoh. 12:4).
\nB. \u201cAnd the doors on the street are shut\u201d refers to the joints.
\nC. \u201cWhen the sound of the grinding is low\u201d refers to the fact that the stomach is not grinding.
\n6. A. \u201cAnd one rises up at the voice of a bird\u201d (Qoh. 12:4). When an old man hears the sound of birds chirping, he thinks, \u201cRobbers have come to attack me.\u201d
\nB. \u201cAnd all the daughters of song are brought low\u201d refers to one\u2019s lips.
\nC. R. Hiyya b. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cThis refers to the kidneys, which propose, while the heart disposes.\u201d
\n7. A. \u201cThey are afraid also of what is high, and terrors are in the way; the almond tree blossoms, and the grasshopper is a burden\u201d (Qoh. 12:5).
\nB. \u201cThey are afraid also of what is high.\u201d When people call an old man to go to such-and-such a place, he asks, \u201cAre there steps to go up there? Are there steps to go down there?\u201d
\nC. \u201cAnd terrors are in the way.\u201d
\nD. R. Abba b. R. Kahana and R. Levi:
\nE. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201cFear of traveling falls on him.\u201d
\nF. The other said, \u201cHe begins to set limits to a journey, saying, \u2018Up to such-and-such a place I have the strength to go, but to such-and-such a place I have not got the strength to go.\u2019 \u201d
\nG. \u201cThe almond tree blossoms.\u201d This refers to his ankles.
\nH. \u201cAnd the grasshopper is a burden.\u201d This refers to the nut of the spinal column [that is, a vertebra].
\n8. A. Hadrian (may his bones be crushed) asked R. Joshua b. Hananiah, saying to him, \u201cFrom what part of the body will the Holy One, blessed be he, cause a person to sprout in the age to come?\u201d
\nB. He said to him, \u201cFrom the nut of the spinal column.\u201d
\nC. He said to him, \u201cProve it.\u201d
\nD. He brought one before him. He put it in water, but it did not dissolve. He ground it in grinding wheels, but it was not pulverized. He put it into fire, but it was not burned. He put it on an anvil and began hitting it with a hammer. The anvil split and the hammer broke, but nothing came of it.
\n9. A. \u201cAnd desire fails\u201d (Qoh. 12:4). This refers to that desire which brings peace between man and wife.
\n10. A. R. Simeon b. Halputa would customarily go up to greet Rabbi [Judah the Patriarch] at the beginning of each lunar month. When [Simeon] grew old, he remained at home for he could not go up to see him any longer. But one day he did go. [Rabbi] said, \u201cWhat has so engaged you that you have not come up to see me as you used to do?
\nB. He said to him, \u201cWhat was once near is now far, what was once far is now near. Two things have become three. What brought peace at home has now failed.\u201d
\nC. \u201cWhat was once near is now far\u201d\u2014this refers to the eyes, which could see things from afar, but now, even things near at hand they do not see.
\nD. \u201cWhat was once far is now near\u201d\u2014this refers to the ears, which used to hear things when they were said only once or twice, but now do not hear things even if they are said a hundred times.
\nE. \u201cTwo things have become three\u201d\u2014[once two legs, now] a staff and the two legs.
\nF. \u201cWhat brought peace at home has now failed\u201d\u2014this refers to the [physical] desire which brings peace between man and wife.
\n11. A. \u201cBecause man goes to his eternal home\u201d (Qoh. 12:5).
\nB. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cThis teaches that each and every righteous person has an eternal home [designated for him in particular].
\nC. \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of a king who came into a town, with his generals, hyparchs, and soldiers. Even though the entire unit enters by the same gate, each unit is encamped in accord with its standing.
\nD. \u201cLikewise even though every individual tastes the flavor of death, every righteous person has an eternal home [designated for him in particular].\u201d
\n12. A. \u201cAnd the mourners go about the streets\u201d (Qoh. 12:5)\u2014this refers to the worms.
\nB. \u201cBefore the silver cord is snapped [or the golden bowl is broken or the pitcher is broken at the fountain or the wheel is broken at the cistern]\u201d (Qoh. 12:6).
\nC. \u201cBefore the silver cord is snapped\u201d refers to the backbone.
\nD. \u201cOr the golden bowl is broken\u201d refers to the skull.
\nE. R. Hiyya b. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cThis refers to the gullet, which rejects gold and lets silver run.\u201d
\nF. \u201cOr the pitcher is broken at the fountain\u201d (Qoh. 12:6)\u2014this refers to the belly.
\nG. R. Abba b. R. Pappi and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cAfter three days [in the grave] a person\u2019s belly bursts open and erupts into the mouth and says [to the person], \u2018Here is what you stole, grabbed, and put into me!\u2019 \u201d
\nH. R. Haggai in the name of R. Isaac finds proof for that proposition from the following verse: \u201cAnd I will spread shit on your faces, the shit of your sacrifices\u201d (Mal. 2:3)\u2014even the shit of your sacrifices.
\nI. Bar Qappara said, \u201cFor three days the spirit of deep mourning seizes the mourner. Why? Because the features of the deceased\u2019s face still are to be discerned.
\nJ. \u201cFor it has been taught [in the Mishnah, M. Yeb. 16:3:] \u2018They adduce evidence as to a corpse\u2019s identity only from the features of the face, including the nose, and they give testimony only within three days [of the deceased\u2019s death].\u2019 \u201d
\n13. A. \u201cOr the wheel is broken at the cistern\u201d (Qoh. 12:6).
\nB. Two Amoraic teachers [explained the word for wheel, GLGL, variously]:
\nC. One said, \u201c[The word GLGL refers to] something comparable to the boulders (GLYLY\u2019) of Sepphoris.\u201d
\nD. The other said, \u201c[It refers to] something like the clods of Tiberias.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The clods of the valley are sweet to him\u2019 \u201d (Job 21:33).
\n14. A. \u201cAnd the dust returns to the earth as it was, but the spirit returns to God, who gave it\u201d (Qoh. 12:7).
\nB. R. Phineas and R. Hilkiah in the name of R. Simon: \u201cWhen does the spirit return to God? When the dust has returned to the earth as it was.
\nC. \u201cBut if not: \u2018The souls of your enemies he shall sling out as from the hollow of a sling\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 23:29).
\nD. R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah taught the following in the name of R. Abdimi of Haifa, \u201c[The matter of the disposition of the soul] may be compared to the case of a priest who ate his cultic food in a state of cultic cleanness. He handed over to a priest who did not observe the rules of cultic cleanness with regard to consecrated food a loaf of bread in the status of heave offering [hence, consecrated food].
\nE. \u201cWhat did he say to him?
\nF. \u201c \u2018See that I am in a state of cultic cleanness, and so too are my house and utensils. So too this loaf of bread that I am handing over to you is in a state of cultic cleanness. Now if you hand it back to me in the condition in which I am giving it over to you, lo, that is well and good, but if not, I shall simply throw it in your face [since you will have ruined it by violating its condition of cultic cleanness.\u2019
\nG. \u201cSo did the Holy One, blessed be he, say to this man, \u2018See here, I am in a state of cultic cleanness, and the place of my dwelling [the Temple] is in a state of cultic cleanness, and my servants are in a state of cultic cleanness, and the soul that I am handing over to you is in a state of cultic cleanness. If you return it to me in the condition in which I hand it over to you, well and good, but if not, I am going to burn it in your very presence.\u2019 \u201d
\n15. A. All of these matters (Qoh. 12:1\u20137) pertain to the time of a person\u2019s old age. But as to one\u2019s youth, if a person sins, he is smitten with a flux (Lev. 15:1) or with leprosy.
\nB. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cWhen any man has a discharge from his body, his discharge is unclean\u201d (Lev. 15:2).<\/p>\n
The linkage of this vast systematic exegesis of Qoh. 12:1\u20137 to the base verse, Lev. 15:2, is tenuous. Indeed, it is, at best, a formality. We are left to wonder why the framer has chosen so elegant and sustained, but irrelevant, construction for his collection on Leviticus. The substance of the composition, however, leaves no puzzles. It is carefully worked out; the interpolated materials all belong and prove integral to meaning, if not to form.
\nNos. 2\u20137 and 9 provide a phrase-by-phrase exegesis of the intersecting verse(s), Qoh. 12:1\u20135. The set forms a unitary discourse, with few interpolations. The passage begins, No. 1, with an exegesis of the same verse, Qoh. 12:1, in line with M. Abot 3:1. But including the passage is a mere formality, since the main exegetical work on the intersecting verse is conducted at Nos. 2\u20137 (+8), 9, and thereafter. No. 10 repeats 9.A, which is why it is tacked on. The exegetical work resumes at Nos. 11\u201314 and, with a few valuable additions to the basic pattern, concludes with a formal tie to the base verse, No. 15.<\/p>\n
XVIII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cDread and terrible are they; their justice and dignity proceed from themselves\u201d (Hab. 1:7).
\nB. \u201cDread and terrible\u201d refers to the first Man.
\nC. R. Judah b. R. Simon in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, created the first man, he created him so that he filled the entire world.
\nD. \u201cWhence [do we know that it was] from east to west? \u2018Back and front [KDM, also meaning east] have you formed me\u2019 (Ps. 139:5).
\nE. \u201cFrom north to south? \u2018From one end of the heaven to the other end\u2019 (Deut. 4:32).
\nF. \u201cIn the space of the universe? \u2018You placed your hand upon me [indicating that the first man\u2019s body reached to God\u2019s hand in the heaven]\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 139:5).
\nG. \u201cTheir justice and dignity proceed from themselves\u201d (Hab. 1:7).
\nH. This refers to Eve.
\nI. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThe woman whom you gave to be with me is the one who gave me of the tree, and I ate\u201d (Gen. 3:2).
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cDread and terrible\u201d refers to Esau.
\nB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Rebecca took the most coveted garments of Esau, her elder son\u201d (Gen. 27:15). [This clothing came from Nimrod, so Esau was more of a hunter than he, hence, \u201cdread and terrible\u201d (Israelstam, p. 228, no. 2).]
\nC. \u201cTheir justice and dignity proceed from themselves\u201d (Hab. 1:7).
\nD. This refers to [the prophet] Obadiah.
\nE. Said R. Isaac, \u201cObadiah was a proselyte of Edomite origin, and he gave a prophecy concerning Edom, \u2018And there shall not be any remnant of the house of Esau for the mouth of the Lord has spoken it\u2019 \u201d (Ob. 1:18).
\n3. A. Another interpretation: \u201cDread and terrible\u201d refers to Sennacherib.
\nB. \u201cWho among all the gods of the lands has saved their country from my hand\u201d (Is. 36:20).
\nC. \u201cTheir justice and dignity proceed from themselves\u201d (Hab. 1:7).
\nD. This refers to his sons: \u201cAnd it came to pass, as Sennacherib was worshipping in the house of Nisroch, his god, [that Adrammelech and Sarezer, his sons, smote him with the sword]\u201d (2 Kings 19:37).
\n4. A. Another interpretation: \u201cDread and terrible\u201d refers to Hiram, king of Tyre.
\nB. \u201cSon of man, say to the prince of Tyre, thus says the Lord God, \u2018Because your heart was lifted up, and you said, I am God \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 28:2).
\nC. \u201cTheir justice and dignity proceed from themselves\u201d (Hab. 1:7).
\nD. This refers to Nebuchadnezzar.
\nE. Said R. Simon, \u201cThere is a tale that Hiram was the husband of Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s mother. He rose against him and killed him [which explains how the justice owing to Hiram came out of his own fold].\u201d
\nF. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd I brought fire out of your midst and it consumed you\u201d (Ez. 28:18).
\n5. A. Another interpretation: \u201cDread and terrible\u201d refers to Nebuchadnezzar: \u201cAnd you said, I shall go up to heaven\u201d (Is. 14:13).
\nB. \u201cTheir justice and dignity proceed from themselves\u201d (Hab. 1:7).
\nC. This refers to Evil Merodach.
\nD. They say, \u201cDuring those seven years which passed over Nebuchadnezzar [Dan. 4:22], they took Evil Merodach and made him king in the other\u2019s place. When he came back, he took him and imprisoned him. And whoever went into that prison never came out, as it is said, \u2018He did not open the house of his prisoners\u2019 \u201d (Is. 14:17).
\nE. Then, when Nebuchadnezzar died, they went back to Evil to make him king. He said to them, \u201cI shall not listen to your proposal. At the outset I did listen to you, and he took me and put me into prison, and now [when he comes back], he will kill me.\u201d
\nF. He did not believe them [that the former had died] until they dragged [Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s corpse] and threw it before him.
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd you are cast forth, away from your grave like an abhorred offshoot\u201d (Is. 14:19).
\nH. Said R. Eleazar b. R. Abina, \u201cAnd furthermore, each of his enemies came and speared him with a sword, fulfilling that which is stated in the following verse: \u2018In the garment of the slain ones, thrust through with the sword\u2019 \u201d (Is. 14:19).
\n6. A. Another interpretation: \u201cDread and terrible\u201d refers to Israel.
\nB. \u201cI said, You are God[-like beings]\u201d (Ps. 82:6).
\nC. \u201cTheir justice and dignity [or swelling] proceed from themselves\u201d (Hab. 1:7).
\nD. For Israelites may be smitten with flux and with leprosy [which punishes them for their sins, and comes from their very bodies].
\nE. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cWhen any man has a discharge from his body\u201d (Lev. 15:2).<\/p>\n
The well-constructed set makes the point that the great men, and the nation, are punished for their sins in such a way that the punishment derives from them themselves (Margulies). Margulies sees the word S\u2019T (\u201cdignity\u201d) as the link to leprosy, the word also bearing the meaning \u201cswelling.\u201d The pertinence to Lev. 15:2 is blatant and beautifully spelled out. I see nothing out of place; the expansions and amplifications are needed. The result is a complete success for the genre. No. 1 contains an interpolation, 1.C\u2013F. The basic form then is clear from 1.B, H\u2013I. Eve, who emerged from Adam, caused his punishment. In the case of Esau, Obadiah as the source of the punishment is spelled out, 2.E, a valuable gloss. So we move along a rather strange line of people who sinned through their arrogance: Adam, Esau, Sennacherib, Hiram, Nebuchadnezzar, then: Israel! But the part of Israel under discussion is the part punished through the affliction, through natural, internal causes, of leprosy or flux.<\/p>\n
XVIII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIn the day on which you planted, you acted basely; [in the morning your seed germinated]\u201d (Is. 17:11, following Israelstam\u2019s rendering).
\nB. (God speaks:) \u201cOn the day on which I planted you for myself as a nation, you turned into dross.\u201d
\nC. \u201cYou are the dross of silver\u201d (Ez. 22:18). This refers to the dross.
\nD. \u201cYou put on a false face.\u201d
\nE. \u201cLike the silver of dross plating of an earthen vessel [are the smooth lips with an evil heart]\u201d (Prov. 26:23).
\nF. This refers to the base metal, for you acted basely against me.
\nG. \u201cBut they flattered him with their mouths; they lied to him with their tongues; their heart was not steadfast toward him; [they were not true to his covenant]\u201d (Ps. 78:37).
\nH. \u201cIn the morning your seed sprouted up\u201d (Is. 17:11).
\nI. R. Hama b. R. Hanina and R. Ishmael b. R. Nehemiah:
\nJ. R. Hama b. R. Hanina said, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to someone who had a field with vegetables. He got up in the morning and found that the entire field had withered.\u201d
\nK. R. Ishmael b. R. Nahman said, \u201c[It may be compared] to someone who had a field full of flax. He got up in the morning and found that the entire crop had turned to capsules [no longer good for linen (Israelstam)].\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cYet the harvest will flee away (ND)\u201d (Is. 17:11).
\nB. You have brought (NDYTM) on yourselves the harvest of the foreign governments, the harvest of violating prohibitions, the harvest of the angel of death.
\nC. For R. Yohanan in the name of R. Eliezer, son of R. Yose the Galilean, said, \u201cWhen the Israelites stood before Mount Sinai and said, \u2018All that the Lord has said we shall do and we shall hear\u2019 [Ex. 24:7]. At that very moment the Holy One, blessed be he, called the angel of death and said to him, \u2018Even though I have made you world ruler over all of my creatures, you have no business with this nation. Why? For they are my children.\u2019 That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018You are the children of the Lord your God\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 14:1).
\nD. And it says, \u201cAnd it happened that when you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness\u201d (Deut. 5:20).
\nE. Now was there darkness above? And is it not written, \u201cAnd the light dwells with Him\u201d (Dan. 2:22)?
\nF. That (D) refers to the angel who is called, \u201cDarkness.\u201d
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture:
\nH. \u201cAnd the tablets were the word of God \u2026 engraven (HRWT) on the tablets\u201d (Ex. 32:16). Read not \u201cengraven\u201d but \u201cfreedom\u201d (HYRWT).
\nI. R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis:
\nJ. R. Judah says, \u201cFreedom from the angel of death.\u201d
\nK. And R. Nehemiah said, \u201cFreedom from the gentile kingdoms.\u201d
\nL. And rabbis said, \u201cFreedom from suffering.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cIn a day of inheritance (NHLH) [and incurable pain]\u201d (Is. 17:11).
\nB. \u201cOn the day on which I gave you the Torah as an inheritance.\u201d
\nC. \u201cAnd unbearable pain\u201d (Is. 17:11).
\nD. R. Yohanan and rabbis:
\nE. R. Yohanan said, \u201cYou have brought on yourselves an ailment that causes pain and discharges.\u201d
\nF. And rabbis say, \u201cYou have brought on yourself an ailment that is overwhelming and saps strength.
\nG. \u201cWhat is it? It is flux and leprosy.\u201d
\n4. A. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cWhen any man has a discharge from his body\u201d (Lev. 15:2).<\/p>\n
I find puzzling some of the language of No. 1, and cannot improve on Israelstam\u2019s efforts, as marked. But the message seems to me reasonably clear. On the very occasion on which the Israelites received the Torah, they misbehaved. The image of Is. 17:11 then is exploited, through wordplays, to make that point. The exegesis of Is. 17:11 continues at No. 2, which produces the same message as No. 1, and No. 3. What is interesting is that the basic message\u2014that the Israelites turned bad at their very beginning\u2014is essentially consistent through all three exegeses of the intersecting verse. The base verse is not really given at No. 4. It is rather the fundamental idea that leprosy and flux come as punishment of sin, joined to the further notion that Israel became subject to leprosy and flux at the very moment at which the nation came into being. To be sure, 2.G\u2013L refer back to 2.C; 2.D\u2013F seem slightly jarring. But it is a minor flaw in what is otherwise an impeccable construction.<\/p>\n
XVIII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cWhen the Israelites stood before Mount Sinai and said, \u2018All that the Lord has spoken we shall do and we shall hear\u2019 [Ex. 24:7], among them there were no people afflicted with flux, no lepers, no cripples, no blind, no dumb, no deaf, no idiots, no imbeciles, no fools.
\nB. \u201cConcerning that hour Scripture says, \u2018You are wholly fair, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you\u2019 [Song 4:7].
\nC. \u201cWhen they had sinned, not many days passed before there were found among them people afflicted with flux, lepers, cripples, blind, dumb, deaf, idiots, imbeciles, and fools.
\nD. \u201cConcerning that hour what does Scripture then state? \u2018And they shall send out of the camp every leper and everyone afflicted with flux\u2019 \u201d (Num. 5:2).
\n2. A. On what account were the Israelites declared liable for flux and leprosy?
\nB. R. Honia in the name of R. Hoshiah: \u201cIt was because they maligned their great men, saying, \u2018So-and-so\u2019s family\u2014what do they amount to? Aren\u2019t they just a bunch of lepers?\u2019
\nC. \u201cThis is meant to teach you that leprosy spots come only on account of gossip.
\nD. \u201cIt was on that account that the Israelites became liable to suffer from flux and leprosy.\u201d
\nE. R. Tanhuma said, \u201cIt was because they were maligning the ark and saying, \u2018That ark slays the people who carry it.\u2019
\nF. \u201cAnd leprosy spots come only on account of gossip. On that account the Israelites became liable to suffer from flux and leprosy.\u201d
\nG. Rabbis say, \u201cIt was on account of the calf, for it was written in that regard, \u2018And Moses saw the people, that it had broken out\u2019 [Ex. 32:25]\u2014that among the people flux and leprosy had broken out.
\nH. \u201cHow do we know? For it is said, \u2018His [the leper\u2019s] clothing will be disheveled and his hair will be broken out\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:45).
\nI. R. Judah b. R. Simon said, \u201cIt was on account of the complainers, for it is said, \u2018But at a whole month, until it comes out at your nostrils and becomes loathsome to you, [because you have rejected the Lord who is among you]\u2019 \u201d (Num. 11:20).
\nJ. What is the meaning of \u201cloathsome (LZR\u2019)?\u201d
\nK. R. Huna said, \u201cVomiting (LZWRN\u2019) and swelling.\u201d
\nL. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cCroup.\u201d
\nM. R. Abbahu said, \u201cIt served as a warning (L\u2019ZHRH).\u201d
\nN. R. Abiathar said, \u201cA grating abdominal pain\u201d (so Israelstam).
\nO. R. Simeon b. Yohai said, \u201c[The word, lezara, means (Israelstam)] \u2018Only in respect thereof, you must keep at a distance more than you draw near.\u2019 \u201d [(Israelstam, p. 232, n. 4:) \u201cReferring, apparently, to lepers, who are to be removed from the camp or city. Or perhaps: the quails to which the passage refers will eventually become more loathsome to you than they are now desirable in your eyes.\u201d]
\nP. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cFrom that time [that they were told it would become loathsome,] they became strangers (ZRYM) (zarim) to the tent of meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 continues the point made above, and No. 2 then constructs a sizable program, with four reasons for the appearance of leprosy and flux among the Israelites in the wilderness. The addition of 2.J\u2013P brings some difficult language, at 2.O, but I think the main purpose is clear throughout. I see here neither a base verse nor an intersecting verse, nor even the formulaic subscription.<\/p>\n
XVIII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cJust as a mortal [king] imposes the sentence of exile, so the Holy One, blessed be he, imposes the sentence of exile.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Command the children of Israel, that they expel from the camp [every leper, etc.]\u2019 [Num. 5:2].
\nC. \u201cA mortal [king] imposes imprisonment, and the Holy One, blessed be he, imposes imprisonment: \u2018And the priest will lock up the one afflicted with a leprosy spot\u2019 [Lev. 13:4].
\nD. \u201cA mortal [king] decrees banishment, and the Holy One, blessed be he, decrees banishment: \u2018All by himself he will dwell outside the camp\u2019 [Lev. 13:46].
\nE. \u201cA mortal [king] imposes the penalty of flogging, and the Holy One, blessed be he, imposes the penalty of flogging: \u2018Forty stripes will he smite him\u2019 [Deut. 25:3].
\nF. \u201cA mortal [king] collects a fine, and the Holy One, blessed be he, collects a fine: \u2018And he will punish him with a fine of a hundred pieces of silver\u2019 [Deut. 22:19].
\nG. \u201cA mortal [king] gives a royal donation, and the Holy One, blessed be he, gives a royal donation: \u2018Lo, I bring rain for you, bread from heaven\u2019 [Ex. 16:4].
\nH. \u201cA mortal [king] passes out rations, and the Holy One, blessed be he, passes out rations: \u2018Take a census\u2019 [Num. 1:2].
\nI. \u201cA mortal [king] imposes a head tax, and the Holy One, blessed be he, imposes a head tax: \u2018An omer for a head for the entire number of your souls\u2019 [Ex. 16:16].
\nJ. \u201cA mortal [king] imposes a flogging on account of the testimony of witnesses, but the Holy One, blessed be he, will impose a penalty on the basis of his own view: \u2018I have wounded, and I heal, and none besides me can save\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 32:39).
\nK. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi said, \u201cA mortal [king] wounds with a scalpel and heals with a salve.
\nL. \u201cBut the Holy One, blessed be he, heals with that with which he wounds: \u2018For I shall restore your health, and from out of your wounds I shall bring healing to you, says the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 30:17).<\/p>\n
The elegant construction at 1.A\u2013J is included only because it allows for K\u2013L to be introduced. The stunning point of K\u2013L is that, just as the flux or leprosy derive from the person\u2019s own body, so the healing for the flux or leprosy derive from the victim himself. \u201cOut of your own wounds I will bring healing to you\u201d in this context means that, by suffering flux or leprosy, the Israelite repents. This then brings about healing. So the message is a powerful and compelling one. We note, of course, that it is never expressed. Yet when we consider the polemic of the preceding entries, with their stress on the sinner\u2019s having caused his own leprosy, on leprosy and flux as a penalty for certain sinful behavior, for which the sinner must atone, the concluding section requires no amplification. Its point is clear and accessible, even though it is not stated explicitly.<\/p>\n
Parashah Nineteen<\/p>\n
XIX:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIf a woman has a discharge of blood for many days [not at the time of her impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness]\u201d (Lev. 15:25).
\nB. \u201cHis head is the finest gold; [his locks are wavy, black as a raven]\u201d (Song 5:11).
\nC. \u201cHis head\u201d refers to Torah, as it was written, \u201cThe Lord made me [the Torah] as the head [beginning] of his way\u201d (Prov. 8:22), [a verse to be read in line with that which] R. Huna said in the name of R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cThe Torah preceded the creation of the world by two thousand [years].
\nD. \u201c \u2018Then I was with him as a nursling, and I was all delight, day by day, playing always before him\u2019 [Prov. 8:30].
\nE. \u201cAnd a day for the Holy One, blessed be he, is a thousand years, as it is said, \u2018For a thousand years in your sight are as yesterday, when it is past\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 90:4).
\nF. \u201cFinest gold\u201d (Song 5:11) refers to teachings of Torah, as it is said, \u201cMore to be desired than gold, yes, more than much fine gold\u201d (Ps. 19:11).
\nG. Things that were created from the beginning, [that is, from the Torah], are engraved out of the finest gold.
\n2. A. \u201cHis locks are wavy\u201d (Song 5:11)\u2014this refers to the lines [incised into the scroll of the Torah, on which the writing is located].
\nB. \u201cBlack as a raven\u201d (Song 5:11). This refers to the letters [of the Torah, inscribed in black ink].
\n3. A. [\u201cHis locks\u201d (QWWSWTYW) (Song 5:11):]
\nB. As to the pointed strokes (QWSY), [above the letters of the Torah] R. Eliezer would find meaning in them.
\nC. And as to the pointed strokes, R. Joshua would find meaning in them.
\n4. A. \u201cWavy\u201d (TLTLYM):
\nB. By whom are [words of Torah truly] carried out?
\nC. By those who are as \u201cblack (SHR) as a raven,\u201d by one who gets up early (MSHYR) [to study] in them, and goes to bed late [to study] in them.
\nD. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah, \u201cMastering teachings of Torah demands rising at dawn [and working on them through the day]. How then will one earn his living?
\nE. \u201c \u2018Who will provide the raven with his food\u2019 [Job 38:41]. Learn from the example of Elijah, who got up early and went to bed late so as to study Torah. \u2018Did I [God] not prepare for him the ravens,\u2019 who \u2018brought him bread and meat in the morning\u2019 [1 Kings 17:6].
\nF. \u201cWhence did they bring it to him? From the table of Jehoshaphat.\u201d
\nG. Said R. Samuel b. R. Ammi, \u201cMastering teachings of Torah demands rising at dawn [and working on them through the day]. Hence how will one earn his living?
\nH. \u201c \u2018Who will provide the raven with his food\u2019 [Job 38:41].
\nI. \u201cThus if just like a raven, a man does not behave heartlessly to himself, his children, and his dependents, he will not have the merit of studying Torah. [He must be willing to endure and impose poverty so as to spend his time studying the Torah instead of earning his living.]\u201d
\n5. A. R. Assa had a curious mind. He saw a raven making a nest, producing eggs, and hatching fledglings. He took [the fledglings], put them into a new pot, and covered them up for three days. He opened the top to find out what they had been doing, and found the they had produced excrement, and the excrement yielded gnats, and the fledgings hopped to them and ate them.
\nB. R. Assa cited concerning them the following verse of Scripture: \u201cWho will provide the raven with his food\u201d (Job 38:41).
\n6. A. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nB. R. Yohanan said, \u201cChanting in the study of Torah takes place only by night: \u2018Rise up, chant in the night\u2019 \u201d (Lam. 2:19).
\nC. R. Simeon ben Laqish said, \u201cIt is both by day and by night, for it is said, \u2018And you will meditate in it [the Torah] day and night\u2019 \u201d (Josh. 1:8).
\nD. R. Simeon b. Laqish was explaining the meaning of Scripture. When he reached these verses, \u201cShe gets up while it is still night,\u201d (Prov. 31:15), and \u201cRise up, chant in the night\u201d (Lam. 2:19), he said, \u201cWell did R. Yohanan teach me.\u201d
\nE. He went and said, \u201cDo you not see how my studying of the Torah makes my face shine? Why? Because it belongs to the night as well as to the day.\u201d<\/p>\n
The opening segment cites its base verse but requires us to wait in suspense until XIX:III on how the intersecting verse, Song 5:11, will come full circle back to that base verse. The exegesis of the intersecting verse treats that quotation as the base and proceeds to introduce a secondary set of intersecting verses, reading all of them in reference to the Torah, its symbolism and its study. 1.C\u2013E are interpolated. The rest of No. 1 and all of No. 2 show us a familiar pattern of word-by-word exegesis. No. 3 looks to me deeply flawed. No. 4 builds on the play on words between SHR as black and SHR as dawn. In fact we find the same thing twice, 4.D\u2013F and 4.G\u2013I. No. 5 is tacked on to No. 4 because of the allusion to Job 38:41. No. 6 is added, so far as I can see, because it is thematically one with the main point of No. 4. So in all the work is done systematically and carefully.<\/p>\n
XIX:II<\/p>\n
1. A. [With reference to the verse, \u201cHis head is the finest gold; his locks (TLTLYM) are wavy, black as a raven\u201d (Song 5:11),] R. Hanan of Sepphoris interpreted [the reference to the locks (TLTLYM) to speak of] a pile (TLWLYT) of dirt:
\nB. \u201c \u2018What does a fool say? \u2018Who can ever hope to remove this [pile of dirt]?\u2019
\nC. \u201cWhat does a smart person say? \u2018Lo, today I\u2019ll take away two basket loads, and tomorrow I\u2019ll take away two, and in the end I\u2019ll take away the entire pile.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo what does a fool say? \u2018Who in the world can study the whole Torah? The tractate of Damages [referring to Baba Qamma, Baba Mesiah, and Baba Matra] has thirty chapters, and the tractate of Utensils has thirty chapters [of Mishnah]!\u2019
\nE. \u201cWhat does a smart person say? \u2018Lo, I\u2019ll learn two laws today, and two laws tomorrow, until I have finished reciting the entire Torah.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Yohanan, \u201c \u2018Wisdom is too high for a fool; [in the gate he does not open his mouth]\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 24:7).
\nB. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a loaf of bread suspended in the air in a house.
\nC. \u201cWhat does a fool so say? \u2018Who can bring it down?\u2019
\nD. \u201cWhat does a smart person say? \u2018Didn\u2019t somebody else go and hang it up? So I\u2019ll go and bring two sticks and tie them together and pull it down.\u2019
\nE. \u201cSo what does a fool say? \u2018Who can ever learn the Torah which is in the heart of a sage?\u2019
\nF. \u201cWhat does a wise man say? \u2018Didn\u2019t he learn it from somebody else? So I\u2019ll study two laws by day and two laws by night until I have learned the entire Torah just like him.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cThe matter may be compared to a basket with a hole. The owner hired workers to fill it up.
\nB. \u201cWhat does a fool say? \u2018What good can I do? The basket takes in here and lets out there.\u2019
\nC. \u201cWhat does a smart person say? \u2018Do I not collect a wage for each barrel?\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo what does a fool say? \u2018What good do I do if I learn Torah and then forget it?\u2019
\nE. \u201cBut what does a wise man say? \u2018Does the Holy One, blessed be he, not pay a reward for the effort?\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Zeirah, \u201c[As to the statement, \u2018His locks (QWS) are in curls\u2019 (TLTLYM),] even things that you regard in the Torah as [useless] thorns (QWS) in fact are mounds (TLTLYM).
\nB. \u201cThey have the power to destroy the entire world and to turn it into a mound (TL).
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following statement: \u2018And it shall be a mound forever; it shall never be rebuilt\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 13:17).
\n5. A. R. Alexandri b. R. Agri and R. Alexandri bar Habrin (see Margulies, p. 419 n. 5) say, \u201cIf everybody in the world got together to bleach one wing of a raven, they could not do it. So if all the nations of the world got together to uproot a single teaching from the Torah, they could not do it.
\nB. \u201cFrom whom do you derive that lesson? From King Solomon. It was because he tried to uproot a single teaching from the Torah that he came under indictment.\u201d
\nC. And who indicted him?
\nD. R. Judah b. Levi said, \u201cIt was the letter Y in the word yarbeh [increase] that indicted him [as will now be explained].\u201d
\nE. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cThe Book of Deuteronomy went up and spread itself out before the Holy One, blessed be he, saying to him, \u2018Lord of the World! Solomon has uprooted me and made me into a forgery. For any legal document in which two or three minor matters are found to be null is entirely null.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Now lo, King Solomon wants to pull up one of my Y\u2019s.\u2019
\nG. \u201cIt is written, \u2018He will not multiply (YRBH) wives for himself\u2019 [Deut. 17:17]. But he has multiplied (HRBH) wives for himself.
\nH. \u201c \u2018He will not multiply (YRBH) horses for himself\u2019 [Deut. 17:16], and he has multiplied (HRBH) horses for himself.
\nI. \u201c \u2018He will not multiply silver and gold\u2019 [Deut. 17:17]. And he has multiplied silver and gold.\u2019
\nJ. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Go your way. Lo, Solomon and a hundred like him will be null, but a single Y of yours will never be null.\u2019 \u201d
\n6. A. R. Huna in the name of R. Aha, \u201cThe Y that the Holy One, blessed be he, took out of the name of Sarah [when he changed it from Sarai (SRY) to Sarah (SRH)] he divided into two. Half of it went to Abraham, and half to Sarah.\u201d
\nB. Said R. Joshua b. Qorhah, \u201cThe Y that had belonged to Sarah went up and prostrated itself before the Holy One, blessed be he. It said before him, \u2018Lord of the World, You have pulled me up out of the name of that righteous woman.\u2019
\nC. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Go in peace. In the past, you were located in the name of a woman, and at the end of the name at that, but now, lo, I shall put you in the name of a man, and at the beginning of his name.\u2019 \u201d That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Moses called Hoshea ben Nun Joshua [Yehoshua]\u201d (Num. 13:16).
\n7. A. It is written, \u201cHear, Israel, the Lord, our God, is one (\u2019HD) Lord\u201d (Deut. 6:4).
\nB. \u201cIf you turn the D into an R (\u2019HR) [in the Hebrew word one], you will destroy the whole world, [since you will not read, \u2018is one, but is another Lord\u2019].\u201d
\nC. It is written, \u201cYou shall not bow down to any other (\u2019HR) god\u201d (Ex. 32, 34:13).
\nD. If you turn the R [of the word other] into a D (\u2019HD), you will destroy the entire world [by reading, \u201cYou will not bow down to one God\u201d].
\nE. It is written, \u201cYou will not profane (THLLW) my Holy name\u201d (Lev. 22:32).
\nF. If you turn the H of the word of profane into an H, you will destroy the entire world [by reading, \u201cYou will not praise (THLLW) my holy name\u201d].
\nG. It is written, \u201cEvery soul will praise (THLL) the Lord\u201d (Ps. 103:6).
\nH. If you turn the H into an H, you will destroy the entire world [by reading, \u201cEvery soul will profane (THLL) the Lord\u201d].
\nI. It is written, \u201cThey have acted deceptively against (B) the Lord\u201d (Jer. 5:12).
\nJ. If you turn the B into a K, you will destroy the entire world [by reading, \u201cThey have acted deceptively, like (K) the Lord\u201d].
\nK. It is written, \u201cAgainst (B) the Lord they have acted treacherously\u201d (Hos. 5:7).
\nL. If you turn the B into a K, you will destroy the world [by reading, \u201cThe have acted treacherously, like (K) the Lord\u201d].
\nM. It is written, \u201cThere is none holy like the (K) Lord\u201d (1 Sam. 2:2).
\nN. If you turn the K into a B, you will destroy the world [by reading, \u201cThere is nothing holy in (B) the Lord\u201d].
\nO. \u201cFor there is none beside you (BLTK)\u201d (1 Sam. 2:2). For R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cEverything wears out (BLH), but you do not wear out.
\nP. \u201c \u2018For there is none beside you (BLTK)\u2019\u2014for there is none that wears you out (BLWTK). [No one can outlive you or supersede you.]\u201d<\/p>\n
Once the intersection verse yields a reference to \u201ca pile,\u201d it becomes possible to weave the theme study of Torah into yet another pattern. Now the point\u2014Nos. 1\u20133\u2014is that just as, by slow but steady work, one may remove a pile of dirt, so, by slow and steady work, one may master the Torah. Yet another sense of \u201cmound\u201d is produced at No. 4. No. 5 then reverts to the reference, in the intersecting verse, to \u201cblack as a raven,\u201d and that yields 5.A\u2013B. Everything beyond that point, 5.C\u2013J, 6, 7, develops the entirely tangential theme that the various letters of the Hebrew alphabet play an important role in the framing of the Torah\u2019s rules. None of the added materials pretends to relate to the intersecting verse. And, of course, we await the appearance of the base verse.<\/p>\n
XIX:III<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Judah b. R. Simon interpreted [the intersecting verse\u2019s reference to \u201cblack as a raven\u201d (Song 5:11) to speak of] disciples of sages:
\nB. \u201cOne verse of Scripture states, \u2018Black as a raven,\u2019 and another verse of Scripture states, \u2018His appearance is like Lebanon [white] choice as the cedars\u2019 [Song 5:15].
\nC. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018Their appearance is like torches, they run to and fro like lightning\u2019 [Nahum 2:5].
\nD. \u201cNow all of these verses refer to sons of Torah. They appear as if they are ugly and gloomy [black] in this world, but in the world to come, their faces will [glow] like torches.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Simeon b. R. Isaac interpreted [the intersecting verse to refer to] various passages of the Torah:
\nB. \u201cEven though they appear as if they are ugly, as if they are gloomy [black] for recitation in public, for instance, the laws governing flux and leprosy spots,
\nC. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, has said, \u2018Lo, they are pleasing to me.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Pleasing to the Lord is the meal offering of Judah and Jerusalem\u2019 [Mal. 3:4].
\nE. \u201cYou may know that that is the case, for lo, the passage [of Scripture] covering the man who suffers from flux and the woman who suffers from flux are not stated as a single passage [in one account], but this one is spelled out by itself, and that one is spelled out by itself.
\nF. \u201c[How so?] \u2018When any man has a discharge from his body\u2019 [Lev. 15:2], \u2018If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 15:25).<\/p>\n
At last we find the road back to the base verse. What has struck the exegete about the base verse is specified at 2.E. That has then led to the line of thought that brought him to Song 5:11. No. 1 sets the stage for No. 2, which shows that the larger construction has been carefully planned, not constituting a mere accident in which diverse statements about Song 5:11 have been thrown together. That that is certain is proved, moreover, by the stress, throughout, upon Song 5:11 as an expression of Torah talk. XIX:I.1 has the verse refer to Torah, so too No. 2, and right on down. Accordingly, apart from the obvious secondary expansions and interpolations, we are able to see once again how a sustained and subtle composition may emerge in the exposition of the intersecting verse, first on the general theme of the base verse, and, at the climax and conclusion, on the very specific wording of the base verse.<\/p>\n
XIX:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Kohen opened [discourse by citing the following verse]: \u201c \u2018Through sloth [restraint] the roof sinks in, [and through indolence the house leaks]\u2019 [Qoh. 10:18].
\nB. \u201c[Through sloth]\u201d\u2014\u201cBecause the Israelites were restrained from encamping in separate divisions before Mount Sinai [but camped as a unified group, see 19:1],
\nC. \u201c \u2018The roof sank down\u2019: \u2018The Lord came down on to Mount Sinai\u2019 [Ex. 19:20]. \u2018He bowed the heavens and came down\u2019 (Ps. 18:10).
\nD. \u201c \u2018And through indolence\u2019: through Israel\u2019s distaste for making camp in separate divisions before Mount Sinai,
\nE. \u201c \u2018The house leaks\u2019: \u2018Also the clouds dripped water\u2019 \u201d (Jud. 5:4). [The Torah was revealed only to a unified nation.]
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThrough sloth [the roof sinks in]:\u201d
\nB. Because the Israelites were slothful about repenting in the time of Jeremiah,
\nC. \u201cThe roof sinks in\u201d: \u201cAnd the covering of Judah was laid bare: [Is. 22:8], [referring to] the uncovering of [secrets] that had been covered.
\nD. \u201cThrough indolence [the house leaks]\u201d: Because the Israelites were indolent about repenting in the time of Jeremiah,
\nE. \u201cThe house leaks\u201d: \u201cFor behold, the Lord has commanded, and the great house will be smitten into splinters, and the small house into chips\u201d (Amos 6:11).
\nF. The two [the great house: the kingdom of Israel, the ten tribes, and the small house: Judah] are not equivalent to one another. [The great house was demolished, the small one merely damaged.]
\n3. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThrough sloth the roof sinks in:\u201d Because a person is slothful about covering his head as is appropriate,
\nB. \u201cthe roof sinks in\u201d: lo, he becomes rheumatic.
\nC. \u201cThrough indolence\u201d: Because a person is indolent about drying his body as is appropriate,
\nD. \u201cthe house leaks\u201d: his body produces open sores.
\n4. A. R. Kohen interpreted the cited verse to speak of a woman:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Through sloth the roof sinks in\u2019: Because a woman is slothful about covering herself as is appropriate,
\nC. \u201c \u2018the roof sinks in\u2019: \u2018and he shall uncover her nakedness he has made naked her fountain, [and she has uncovered the fountain of her blood\u2014both of them shall be cut off from among their people]\u2019 [Lev. 20:18].
\nD. \u201c \u2018And through indolence\u2019: Because this woman is indolent about examining herself during her menstrual period, she menstruates a great deal [and her period is prolonged]:
\nE. [Thus] \u201c \u2018If a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, [not at the time of her impurity]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 15:25).
\n5. A. Tabitha, the slave of Rabban Gamaliel, was checking up on the condition of jars of wine [to see which ones had turned to vinegar]. When she felt [that her period had begun, so that she should be careful not to touch the wine and impart cultic impurity to the jugs she might touch], she sat [and ceased to examine them].
\nB. He said to her, \u201cHave they turned?\u201d
\nC. She said to him, \u201cNo.\u201d
\nD. When he understood what had happened, he said to her, \u201cWoe! My wine is gone [and is now useless, since it is cultically unclean]!\u201d
\nE. She said to him, \u201cBefore touching each jug, I examined myself, and I perceived [that my period\u2019s flow had actually gotten underway] only in connection with touching this [particular jug alone].\u201d
\nF. He said to her, \u201cMay your soul be restored to you, just as you have restored to me my soul.\u201d<\/p>\n
The citation of the intersecting verse, 1.A, in Kohen\u2019s name, then produces the final and climatic exegesis, No. 4. Intervening are three others, both negative and positive. It seems to me that Nos. 3 and 4 are matched, giving two examples of the same point. No. 5 then provides an illustration for No. 4\u2019s example. The construction as a whole therefore hangs together rather well.<\/p>\n
XIX:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cFor many days Israel was without the true God, without a teaching priest, and without the Torah\u201d (2 Chron. 15:3).
\nB. Who prophesied this verse? It was Azariah b. Obed who prophesied this verse.
\nC. He said, \u201cThe days are going to come upon Israel when it will be \u2018without the true God,\u2019 for the attribute of divine justice will not be carried out;
\nD. \u201c \u2018and without a teaching priest,\u2019 for the high priesthood is destined to be null;
\nE. \u201c \u2018and without Torah,\u2019 for the great Sanhedrin is destined to be null.\u201d
\nF. When that generation heard this message, their hands grew weak. An echo came forth and said to them, \u201cStrengthen the weak hands\u201d (Is. 35:3).
\n2. A. R. Yudan and R. Phineas:
\nB. R. Yudan said, \u201c \u2018Strengthen the weak hands [and make firm the feeble knees. Say to those who are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not!]\u2019 [Is. 35:3\u20134]. [Strengthen the hands] that appear to be weak, make firm the knees that appear to be feeble.\u201d
\nC. R. Phineas said, \u201c \u2018Strengthen the weak hands\u2019 that you have made weak through your evil deeds.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Make firm the feeble knees\u2019 that you have enfeebled through your evil deeds.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cSay to those who are of a fearful heart\u201d (Is. 35:4):
\nB. R. Hoshaiah the Elder said, \u201cTo those whose heart is crushed, as it is said, \u2018They crush the wall thereof\u2019 \u201d (Nahum 2:6).
\nC. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201c[Those who are of crushed hearts] are such as the ones who wish to hasten the end [of history], as it is said, \u2018And she hastened and brought down her jug\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 24:18).
\n4. A. \u201cBe strong, fear not!\u201d (Is. 35:4).
\nB. It is because the Israelites were saying, \u201cMy tears have been my bread\u201d (Ps. 42:4), an echo came forth and said to them, \u201cBehold, your God will come with vengeance\u201d (Is. 35:4).
\nC. The one who is going to requite the nations of the world: \u201cThe recompense of God He will come and save you\u201d (Is. 35:4).
\n5. A. \u201cFor many days Israel [was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without the Torah]\u201d (2 Chron. 15:3).
\nB. Now was it really a matter of many days? [No,] but because they were days of anguish, the author calls them many.
\nC. Along these same lines: \u201cAnd it came to pass after many days, and the word of the Lord came to Elijah\u201d (1 Kings 18:1).
\nD. R. Berekhiah and R. Helbo in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cIt was a matter of three months at the outset and three months at the end and twelve in the middle, so in all, eighteen months.\u201d
\nE. And were they so many? [No.]
\nF. But because they were days of anguish, therefore the author calls them many.
\nG. And along these same lines: \u201cAnd it came to pass in the course of those many days [that the king of Egypt died]\u201d (Ex. 2:23).
\nH. Now were they many? [No.] But because they were days of anguish, therefore the author calls them many.
\nI. And along these same lines: \u201cMany days, one hundred eighty days\u201d (Est. 1:4).
\nJ. Now were they many days? [No.] But because [they were days of anguish, the author therefore calls them many].
\n6. A. And there is the following verse: \u201cIf a woman has a discharge of blood for many days\u201d (Lev. 15:25).
\nB. R. Hiyya taught [Y. Yoma 2:4], \u201cThe reference to \u2018days\u2019 is to two days, and to \u2018many\u2019 means that three days in all [are under discussion].
\nC. \u201cFrom that time onward [if a woman continues to produce blood], the woman is not regarded as a menstruant but as a \u2018sick\u2019 woman [that is, afflicted by flux in line with Lev. 15:25].\u201d
\nD. \u201cAnd a menstruating woman in her menstrual period\u201d is not written here but rather, \u201cAnd a sick woman in her menstrual period\u201d (Lev. 15:33).
\n7. A. R. Simlai said, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, has assigned to this woman great pain. After she has observed the three flux [zibah] days [during which any flow of blood is deemed flux and therefore subject to the rules laid out at Lev. 15:25ff.], she goes and observes seven menstrual [niddah] days [during which any blood that she should produce is regarded as menstrual blood].
\nB. \u201cAnd the Torah so regards her: \u2018And a sick woman in her menstrual period\u2019 [Lev. 15:33].
\nC. \u201cIt is not written, \u2018And a woman who is sick in her flux [zibah] period [period of flux]\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018And a sick woman in her menstrual period.\u2019 \u201d
\n8. A. R. Yohanan in the name of R. Eleazar, son of R. Yose the Galilean says, \u201cNow if the Scripture refers to this woman as a \u2018sick\u2019 woman, because she has kept apart two or three days,
\nB. \u201cwe who have been kept apart from the house of our life, from the house of our sanctification [that is, the Temple], from our glory for so many years, so many ages, so many epochs, all the more [that we are sick]!\u201d<\/p>\n
The reference to \u201cmany days\u201d of a flux, Lev. 15:2, draws attention to other passages in which the phrase \u201cmany days\u201d occurs. That accounts for the selection of the intersecting verse. Here, however, it is difficult to see an underlying theme running through the several expositions of the intersecting verse. At the outset they appear to be discrete and episodic. Because 1.G cites Is. 35:3, that secondary \u201cintersecting\u201d verse takes over and is subjected to a full treatment at Nos. 2, 3, 4. Then No. 5 provides the second approach to the intersecting verse with which we began, and this draws us closer to the base verse. Now the theme is pertinent to the base verse, namely, days of anguish. Then we reach the \u201cmany days\u201d of Lev. 15:25 at No. 6 and beyond. The use of the word DWH, translated as \u201csick,\u201d is spelled out. First we distinguish menstrual uncleanness from flux uncleanness, 6.B\u2013C, which distinction rests on when the blood appears. If it is during the woman\u2019s normal menstrual cycle, she is regarded as unclean as a menstruant. If it appears during the eleven days between one cycle and the next, this is the flux under discussion, 6.C, D. No. 7 goes over exactly the same matter. No. 8 then concludes with an eschatological treatment of the theme at hand. So apart from the intrusion of discussion of the cited verse of Isaiah, the passage holds together rather well.<\/p>\n
XIX:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIf a woman has a discharge of blood for many days, [not at the time of her impurity, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her impurity, all the days of the discharge she shall continue in uncleanness; as in the days of her impurity, she shall be unclean]\u201d (Lev. 15:25).
\nB. Who carried out the religious duty of observing flux uncleanness?
\nC. It was Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, king of Judea, who carried out the religious duty of observing flux uncleanness.
\n2. A. They say: When Nebuchadnezzar came up to destroy Jerusalem, he came up and took up residence at Daphne in Antioch. The great Sanhedrin went down to greet him. They said to him, \u201cHas the time for the destruction of this house come yet?\u201d
\nB. He said to him, \u201cNo. But Jehoiakim, king of Judea, has rebelled against me. Give him to me, and I shall go my way.\u201d
\nC. They went and said to Jehoiakim, \u201cNebuchadnezzar wants you.\u201d
\nD. He said to them, \u201cNow is this how you do things? Do you set aside one human life on account of another? Shall you set aside my life in order to save your lives? Is it not written, \u2018You will not return a slave to its master\u2019?\u201d (Deut. 23:16).
\nE. They said to him, \u201cIs this not what your forefather did to Sheba, son of Bichri? \u2018[But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David; give him up alone, and I will withdraw from the city. And the woman said to Joab,] Behold his head shall be thrown to you over the wall\u2019 \u201d (2 Sam. 20:21).
\nF. When he did not listen to them, they went and took him and let him down the city wall.
\nG. In what condition did they let him down?
\nH. R. Eliezer and R. Samuel b. R. Nahman:
\nI. R. Eliezer said, \u201cThey let him down alive, for it is said, \u2018They put him in a cage with hooks\u2019 (HHYM) [Ez. 19:9]\u2014alive (HYYM).\u201d
\nJ. R. Samuel b. R. Nahman said, \u201cThey let him down dead, as it is said, \u2018So that his voice would no longer be heard on the mountains of Israel\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 19:9).
\nK. Said R. Joshua b. Levi, \u201cI can support the opinions of both of them.
\nL. \u201cThey let him down while he was alive, but he was delicate, and died at their hands.\u201d
\nM. What did Nebuchadnezzar do to him?
\nN. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah:
\nO. R. Judah said, \u201cThey took him and brought him around to all the cities of Israel and judged him in a show trial and killed him and cut open an ass and stuffed his corpse into it, as it is said, \u2018He will be buried with the burial of an ass\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 22:19).
\nP. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cThey took him and brought him around to all the cities of Israel and judged him in a show trial and killed him and chopped up his flesh into bits the size of olive\u2019s bulks and threw him to the dogs, as it is said, \u2018He will be buried with the burial of an ass\u2019 [Jer. 22:19]. Now exactly where is an ass buried? Is it not in the belly of a dog?\u201d
\n3. A. This reflects the prophet\u2019s censure of him, when he said, \u201cAnd the rest of the facts regarding Johoiakim, and the abominations that he did, and that which is found regarding him, [behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah]\u201d (2 Chron. 36:8).
\nB. R. Yohanan and three Amoras:
\nC. One of them said, \u201c[His abomination was that] he wore garments made of diverse kinds of fabric [wool and flax together forbidden by Dt. 22:9\u201311].\u201d
\nD. Another said, \u201cHe drew forward his foreskin [so that his mark of circumcision was obscured].\u201d
\nE. Yet another said, \u201cIt was that he had a tattoo incised in his flesh.\u201d
\nF. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIt was that he had sexual relations with his mother, his daughter-in-law, and his father\u2019s wife [stepmother].\u201d
\nG. R. Yohanan said, \u201cThe point is that, through the doorway through which [as a fetus] he had gone forth, he went back.\u201d
\nH. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cIt was that he left women widows.\u201d
\nI. What is the meaning of \u201cwidows?\u201d It was that they were left husbandless.
\nJ. For he killed the husbands, raped the wives, and confiscated their money for the royal treasury.
\nK. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cHe [sexually] knew their widows, destroyed their cities, and desolated the land and its fullness at the sound of his roaring\u201d (Ez. 19:7).
\n4. A. When he killed him, he put on the throne Jeconiah, his son, in his place, and went back to Babylonia.
\nB. All the residents of his city came out and praised him. They said to him, \u201cWhat did you do?\u201d
\nC. He said to them, \u201cJehoiakim, king of Judea, rebelled against me, and I killed him and put on his throne Jeconiah, his son, in his place.\u201d
\nD. They said to him, \u201cIn a proverb people say, \u2018Do not rear the gentle puppy of a vicious dog, all the more so the vicious puppy of a vicious dog.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. Forthwith he listened to them and went back and took up residence once again at Daphne near Antioch. The great Sanhedrin again came forth to meet him. They said to him, \u201cHas the time for destroying this house now come?\u201d
\nF. He said to them, \u201cNo, but give me Jeconiah, son of Jehoiakim, and I shall go my way.\u201d
\nG. They went and said to Jeconiah, \u201cNebuchadnezzar wants you.\u201d
\nH. What did Jeconiah do? He went and gathered together all the keys to the house of the sanctuary and went up to the roof of the house of the sanctuary and said before him, \u201cLord of the world! Since we did not have the merit of being trustworthy guardians before you, henceforward here are your keys back!\u201d
\n5. A. Two Amoras:
\nB. One said, \u201cA kind of a fiery hand came forth and took them from his hand.\u201d
\nC. The other said, \u201cFrom the moment that he threw them upward, they simply never came down again.\u201d
\nD. And what did the young men of Israel do? They went up to the roofs of their houses and threw themselves off the roofs of their houses, but they fell down and died,
\nE. as it is said, \u201cThe burden concerning the valley of the vision: What is wrong with you, now, that you have all gone up to the roofs\u201d (Is. 22:1).
\n6. A. What did Nebuchadnezzar do to him? He went and took him and put him into prison, and whoever in the time of that wicked man was imprisoned never came forth from there forever.
\nB. This is in line with the following verse: \u201cAnd those whom he has imprisoned he did not release\u201d (Is. 14:17).
\nC. Jeconiah went into exile, and the great Sanhedrin went into exile with him, as it is said, \u201cIs this man Coniah a despised broken image (eseb)? [Is he a vessel in which is no pleasure? Therefore they are cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into the land which they know not]\u201d (Jer. 22:28).
\nD. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201cLike a skull bone.\u201d
\nE. The remainder is entirely as given above, up to: He freed him from his vow [see XI:VII].
\n7. A. At that moment the Sanhedrin went into session and considered the question: \u201cNow, in our times will the kingdom of the house of David come to an end, the house concerning which it is written, \u2018And his throne is like the sun before me\u2019 [Ps. 89:17]? What shall we do? Let us go and win the favor of the queen\u2019s governess, and the governess will win the favor of the queen, and the queen will win the favor of the king.\u201d
\nB. What was the name of Nebuchadnezzar\u2019s wife?
\nC. R. Hananiah said, \u201cShemiram was her name.\u201d
\nD. R. Abin said, \u201cShemirameth was her name.\u201d
\nE. Rabbis said, \u201cShemiram was her name.\u201d
\nF. It was because she was born in a thunder[storm] (ra\u02bfam).
\nG. When Nebuchadnezzar came to have sexual relations with her, she said to him, \u201cYou are a king. Is not Jeconiah a king too? You want to do your sexual duty. Does not Jeconiah want to do his sexual duty?\u201d
\nH. Forthwith he gave orders, and they gave him a wife.
\nI. How did they let her down to him?
\nJ. R. Shobetai said, \u201cThey let her down to him through a little window.\u201d
\nK. And rabbis say, \u201cThey chopped open the plaster and let her down to him.\u201d
\nL. Now when he came to have sexual relations with her, she said to him, \u201c[You know,] I saw a spot [of blood] like a red rose.\u201d So he separated from her forthwith and did not have sexual relations with her.
\nM. She went away and counted [the days of her period and the necessary clean days thereafter] and immersed in a ritual bath. When he again came to have sexual relations with her, she said to him, \u201c[You know,] I saw a spot like a red rose.\u201d So [once more] he forthwith separated from her and did not have sexual relations with her.
\nN. Said to them the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIn Jerusalem you did not observe the religious duty of watching out for flux uncleanness, but here you are observing that religious duty!\u201d
\nO. \u201cAs for you also, because of the blood of your covenant [I shall send forth your prisoners out of the pit]\u201d (Zech. 9:11).
\nP. You have called to his mind the blood that was at Sinai!
\nQ. On that account, \u201cI shall send forth your prisoners from the waterless pit\u201d (Zech. 9:11).
\nR. Said R. Shobetai, \u201cHe did not move from the spot until the Holy One, blessed be he, had forgiven him for all of his sins.
\nS. \u201cConcerning that moment Scripture says, \u2018My beloved is wholly fair, there is no blemish on you\u2019 \u201d (Song 4:7).
\n8. A. A miracle was done for him, and, while standing up, his wife became pregnant [with the fetus of] Shealtiel, though a woman never becomes pregnant if she has sexual relations standing up,
\nB. as it is said, \u201cAnd the sons of Jeconiah, the captive: Shealtiel, his son\u201d (1 Chron. 3:17).
\nC. \u201cThe captive\u201d\u2014for the Holy One, blessed be he, imprisoned himself by an oath concerning him.
\nD. He was called Shealtiel, for he asked (S\u2019L) the heavenly court, and they released him from his vow.<\/p>\n
The reason for including this story is self-evident since, at the climax, 7.N, comes the very law under discussion. But the message of the story is not only that Jews should observe the menstrual taboo. The context dictates the content: the destruction of the Temple in 586, the fate of the Jews\u2019 king afterward. It was by keeping the taboo that the king produced an heir, who turned out to be Israel\u2019s savior. So observing the taboo at hand bears eschatological and salvific consequence. That message, of course, would have impressed anyone from 70 onward: the system of cultic and ritual observance weighs in the balance of not merely sanctification but salvation. The materials themselves pose few problems. We note a tendency toward repetition of what appear to be disjunctive patterns, for example, a dispute about the meaning of a word or phrase, which seems to interrupt the unfolding of the tale, turns out to reappear and so to define a pattern and to be integral (at some layer in the spinning out of the whole), not merely episodic. It seems to me we have a continuous narrative composed of Nos. 2, 4, 6 (with the reference at the end to materials already given above), 7.A, G, L\u2013S. No. 8 is a useful addition.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty<\/p>\n
XX:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord spoke to Moses] after the death of the two sons of Aaron, [when they drew near before the Lord and died]\u201d (Lev. 16:1).
\nB. R. Simeon b. R. Abayye opened [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture]: \u201c \u2018Since one fate comes to all, to the righteous and the wicked, [to the good (supply: and the evil), to the clean and the unclean, to him who sacrifices and him who does not sacrifice]\u2019 [Qoh. 9:2].
\nC. \u201c \u2018The righteous\u2019 refers to Noah: \u2018And Noah was righteous\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 6:9).
\nD. Said R. Yohanan, son of R. Eliezer, son of R. Yose the Galilean, \u201cWhen Noah went forth from the ark, the snake bit him, and the lion maimed him, so that he was not fit [having suffered blemishes] to make an offering, so his son, Shem, made an offering in his place.\u201d
\nE. (Simeon continues:) \u201cAnd \u2018to the wicked\u2019 refers to Pharaoh Necho [2 Kings 23:29].
\nF. \u201cWhen he wanted to sit in Solomon\u2019s throne, he did not know how it worked, and a snake bit him and a lion maimed him. So this one [Noah] died [maimed in a condition of frailty], and that one [Necho] died [maimed in a condition of frailty]. Is it not so, then, that \u2018one fate comes to all?\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201cTo the good [and the evil], to the clean and the unclean\u201d (Qoh. 9:2).
\nB. \u201cThe good\u201d refers to Moses, for it is said, \u201cAnd she looked at him, for he was good\u201d (Ex. 2:2).
\nC. R. Meir says, \u201cIt was because he had been born already circumcized.\u201d
\nD. \u201cThe clean [or pacifier]\u201d refers to Aaron, who was responsible for the (cultic purification) of Israel, as it is said, \u201cHe walked with me in peace and uprightness [and did turn many away from iniquity]\u201d (Mal. 2:6).
\nE. \u201cAnd to the unclean\u201d refers to the spies. These [Moses and Aaron] reported good things about the land of Israel, and those reported bad things about the land of Israel. These did not enter the land of Israel, but those also did not enter the land of Israel.
\nF. Is it not so, then, that \u201cone fate comes to the good and to the clean and to the unclean\u201d?
\n3. A. \u201cTo him who sacrifices [and him who does not sacrifice\u201d (Qoh. 9:2)]. \u201c[To him who sacrifices]\u201d refers to Josiah: \u201cAnd Josiah sacrificed of the flock, lambs and kids\u201d (2 Chron. 35:7).
\nB. \u201cAnd to the one who does not sacrifice\u201d (Qoh. 9:2) refers to Ahab, who brought about the cessation of sacrifices from the altar.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Ahab sacrificed for himself an abundance of animals from the flock and herd\u201d (2 Chron. 18:2). The reference to \u201cfor himself\u201d indicates that it was for himself that he made the sacrifice, and he did not sacrifice offerings [to God].
\nD. Now this one died in a hail of arrows, and that one died in a hail of arrows.
\nE. Is it not so, then, that \u201cone fate comes to him who sacrifices and to him who does not sacrifice\u201d?
\n4. A. \u201cAs to the good man, so is the sinner [and he who swears is as he who shuns an oath]\u201d (Qoh. 9:2).
\nB. \u201cAs to the good man\u201d refers to David: \u201cAnd he sent and brought him, and he was ruddy, with a lovely face, and good appearance\u201d (1 Sam. 16:12).
\nC. Said R. Isaac, \u201c \u2018He was of good appearance\u2019 in knowledge of the law, for whoever looked upon him would remember what he had learned.\u201d
\nD. \u201cSo is the sinner\u201d refers to Nebuchadnezzar: \u201cBreak off your sin through righteousness\u201d (Dan. 4:24).
\nE. This one [David] built the house of the sanctuary and ruled for forty years, while that one destroyed it and ruled for forty-five years.
\nF. Is it not the case of a single fate[\u2019s affecting them both]?
\n5. A. [\u201cAnd he who swears is as he who shuns an oath\u201d (Qoh. 9:2).] \u201cHe who swears\u201d refers to Zedekiah: \u201cAnd he also rebelled against King Nebuchadnezzar\u201d (2 Chron. 36:13).
\nB. \u201cAs he who shuns an oath\u201d (Qoh. 9:3) refers to Samson: \u201cAnd Samson said to them, \u2018You take an oath to me\u2019 \u201d (Jud. 15:12).
\nC. This one died with his eyes having been put out, and that one died with his eyes having been put out.
\nD. Is it not the case of a single fate\u2019s affecting them both?
\n6. A. Another interpretation of the verse, \u201cSince one fate comes to all, to the righteous and to the wicked\u201d (Qoh., 9:2).
\nB. \u201cThe righteous\u201d refers to [supply: the sons of] Aaron, concerning whom it is written, \u201cHe walked with me in peace and uprightness [and did turn many away from iniquity]\u201d (Mal. 2:6).
\nC. \u201cAnd to the wicked\u201d refers to the congregation of Korach, concerning whom it is written, \u201cDepart, please, [from the tents of these wicked men]\u201d (Num. 16:26).
\nD. The latter went in to make an offering when they were divided by contentiousness, and they ended up burned. And these went in to make an offering not divided by contentiousness, and they too ended up burned.
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAfter the death of the two sons of Aaron\u201d (Lev. 16:1).<\/p>\n
The main point is not merely that everybody dies, no matter what, but that both good and evil people die in exactly the same circumstance or condition. That makes 1.D integral to No. 1. Nos. 2\u20136 pose no problems. Addition of \u201csons of\u201d to \u201cAaron\u201d at 6.B is demanded by the context. The construction as a whole is cogent and unified, beginning to end.<\/p>\n
XX:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Levi opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018I say to the boastful (HWLLYM), [Do not boast, and to the wicked, Do not lift up your horn]\u2019 [Ps. 75:4].
\nB. \u201cThe word \u2018to the boastful\u2019 refers to those who create confusion. They are people whose hearts are filled with evil intrigues (HWLHWLYWT).\u201d
\nC. R. Levi called them \u201cwoe makers\u201d because they bring woe into the world.
\n2. A. \u201cAnd to the wicked, Do not lift up your horn\u201d (Ps. 75:4).
\nB. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to the wicked, \u201cThe righteous men do not make merry in My world, but you seek to make merry in My world.
\nC. \u201cThe first man did not make merry in My world, but you seek to make merry in My world.\u201d
\nD. R. Levi in the name of R. Simeon b. Menassia said, \u201cThe round end of the first man\u2019s heel was brighter than the orb of the sun, how much more his face!\u201d
\nE. R. Levi in the name of R. Hama b. R. Hanina: \u201cThirteen canopies did the Holy One, blessed be he, weave for the first man in the Garden of Eden.
\nF. \u201cThis is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018You were in Eden, [the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering, carnelian, topaz, and jasper, chrysolite, beryl, and onyx, sapphire, carbuncle, and emerald; and wrought in gold were your settings and your engravings]\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 28:13).
\nG. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cThey were eleven.\u201d
\nH. And rabbis say, \u201cTen.\u201d
\nI. But there is no real disagreement between them. The one who maintains that there were thirteen treats the reference, \u201cEvery precious stone was your covering,\u201d to count as three.
\nJ. The one who holds that there were eleven treats that reference as indicating only one.
\nK. And the one who maintains that there were ten does not treat that reference as counting even one of them.
\nL. Yet after all this glory: \u201cFor you are dirt, and you go back to dirt\u201d (Gen. 3:19).
\n3. A. Abraham did not make merry in My world, and yet you make merry in My world.
\nB. To Abraham was born a son when he was one hundred years old, and yet in the end, the Holy One, blessed be he, said to him, \u201cTake your son, [your only son, whom you have loved, and offer him \u2026 for a burnt offering]\u201d (Gen. 22:2).
\nC. Now Abraham, our father, made a journey of three days. After three days, he saw a cloud on top of a mountain. He said, \u201cIt appears to me that this is the place at which the Holy One, blessed be he, told me to offer up Isaac, my son.\u201d
\nD. He said to Isaac, \u201cDo you see anything?\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cI see a cloud on top of the mountain.\u201d
\nF. He said to Ishmael and to Eliezer, \u201cDo you see anything?\u201d
\nG. They said to him, \u201cNot a thing.\u201d
\nH. He said to them, \u201cSince you do not see anything, and this ass here does not see anything, \u2018You stay here with the ass\u2019 (Gen. 22:5)\u2014you are people that are like an ass.\u201d
\nI. He took Isaac, his son, and took him up mountains and down valleys. He took him up one of the mountains and built an altar and laid out the wood and arranged the offering and took a knife to slay him. Now if from Heaven he had not been instructed, saying, \u201cDo not put your hand [to the boy and do nothing to him]\u201d [Gen. 22:12], [Isaac] would have been slaughtered.
\nJ. You should know that that is the case, for when Isaac came back to his mother, she said to him. \u201cWhere were you, my son?\u201d
\nK. And he said to her, \u201cFather took me and walked me up mountains and down valleys.\u201d
\nL. She said, \u201cWoe is the son of this unfortunate woman! If the angel of heaven had not made his appearance, you would already have been slaughtered.\u201d
\nM. He said to her, \u201cIndeed so.\u201d
\nN. At that mount she let out six cries of woe, corresponding to the six soundings of the ram\u2019s horn.
\nO. They say that she had not finished the matter off before she died.
\nP. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her\u201d (Gen. 23:2).
\nQ. Whence did he come?
\nR. R. Judah b. R. Simon said, \u201cFrom Mount Moriah did he come, and Abraham was murmuring in his heart, saying, \u2018Perhaps, God forbid, some sort of disqualifying blemish was found in him, so that my offering was not accepted from me!\u2019
\nS. \u201cAn echo came forth and said to him, \u2018Go, eat your bread in rejoicing\u2019 \u201d (Qoh. 9:7).
\n4. A. The Israelites did not make merry in My world:
\nB. \u201cIsrael rejoiced in his maker\u201d is not written here, but rather, \u201c\u2026 will rejoice\u201d (Ps. 149:2).
\nC. They are going to rejoice in the works of the Holy One, blessed be he, in the age to come.
\n5. A. It is as if to say that the Holy One, blessed be he, did not make merry in his world, and yet you are making merry in My (God\u2019s) world.
\nB. \u201cThe Lord has rejoiced in his works\u201d is not written here, but rather, \u201cThe Lord will rejoice in his works\u201d (Ps. 104:31).
\nC. The Holy One, blessed be he, is destined to rejoice in the works of the righteous in the age to come.
\n6. A. Elisheba, daughter of Amminadab, did not make merry in My world, and yet you are making merry in My world.
\nB. Elisheba saw five crowns in a single day: her levirate husband as king; her brother as patriarch; her husband as high priest; her two sons as prefects of the priesthood; and Phineas, her grandson, as the priest anointed for war.
\nC. When her sons went in to make an offering, they came out burned, and her rejoicing turned to mourning.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAfter the death of the two sons of Aaron\u201d (Lev. 16:2).<\/p>\n
What strikes the exegete is the contrast between the rejoicing of Aaron and his family at their consecration to the priesthood and the mourning that overtakes them on the day of their celebration. This then leads to the observation that the boastful or the ones who rejoice soon come to mourning. This point is made concerning Adam, No. 2, a section bearing heavy interpolations. I assume the reference is to the marriage canopy. The main point is made at 2.E, L. Then we have the case of Abraham, whose rejoicing was turned to mourning at Sarah\u2019s death, and, finally, the wife of Aaron and mother of Nadab and Abihu. The reference to the Israelites and to God are not of the same order and do not advance the discussion. The next item shows us what is critical here, which is the contrast between rejoicing and mourning at one and the same day, and that must exclude Nos. 4 and 5.<\/p>\n
XX:III<\/p>\n
1. A. Abba b. R. Kahana opened [his discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u2018I said of laughter, \u201cIt is mad,\u201d [and of pleasure, \u201cWhat use is it\u201d]\u2019 (Qoh. 2:2).
\nB. \u201cIf joy is only mixed, then what use is rejoicing?\u201d
\nC. There was the case of one of the great lords of Kabul, who married off his son. On the fourth day [of the week of rejoicing], he invited guests to his house.
\nD. After they had eaten and drunk and made merry, he said to his son, \u201cGo up and bring us a jug of wine from the upper room.\u201d
\nE. When he got up there, a snake bit him and he died.
\nF. He waited for him to come down, but he did not come down. He said, \u201cShall I not go up and see what\u2019s going on with my son?\u201d
\nG. He went up and found that a snake had bitten him and he had died, and he was sprawled out between the jugs.
\nH. He waited until the guests had finished their meal.
\nI. He said to them, \u201cMy lords, is it not to say a blessing for my son as a groom that you have come? Say a blessing for him as mourners. Is it not to bring my son into the marriage canopy that you have come? Rather, bring him to his grave.\u201d
\nJ. R. Zakkai from Kabul gave a eulogy for him, \u201c \u2018I said of laughter, It is mad\u2019 \u201d (Qoh. 2:2).<\/p>\n
The point is the same as the foregoing.<\/p>\n
XX:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yudan of Galia opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018Is it at your command that the eagle mounts up [and makes his nest on high? On the rock he dwells and makes his home in the fastness of the rocky crag. Thence he spies out the prey; his eyes behold it afar off]\u2019 [Job 38:27\u201329].
\nB. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to Aaron, \u2018Aaron, at your word I brought my Presence to rest on the ark, or at your word I took my Presence away from the ark.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201c \u2018The first sanctuary: \u201cOn the rock he dwells and makes his home\u201d [Job 38:28]\u2014one night\u2019s stay.
\nB. \u201c \u2018The second sanctuary: \u2018In the fastness of the rocky crag\u2019\u2014many nights\u2019 stay.\u201d
\nC. For we have learned in the Mishnah (M. Yoma 5:2): Once the ark was taken away, [there remained a stone from the days of the earlier prophets, called Shetiyyah. It was three fingerbreadths high, and on it did (the high priest) put (the firepan).]
\nD. (T. Yoma 2:14:) And why was the rock called Shetiyyah (\u201cfoundation\u201d)?
\nE. Said R. Yose b. Halaphta, \u201cFor from it the world was founded as it is written, \u2018Out of Zion, the perfection of the world\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 50:2).
\nF. (Y. Yoma 5:3:) What was the prayer of the high priest on the Day of Atonement when he came out of the sanctuary?
\nG. He says, \u201cMay it be pleasing to you that the year be a year of rain, drying out, and dew, a year of pleasure, a year of liberality, a year of inexpensive market prices, a year of abundance, a year of trading,
\nH. \u201cand may your people, the house of Israel, not stand in need of one another\u2019s help,
\nI. \u201cand may your people Israel not lord it over one another,
\nJ. \u201cand do not pay attention to the prayer of travelers [that it not rain].\u201d
\nK. Rabbis of Caesarea say, \u201c[We pray] for our brothers of Caesarea, that they not lord it over one another.\u201d
\nL. Rabbis of the south say, \u201cWe pray for our brothers of the south that their houses not turn into their tombs.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cThence he spies out the prey\u201d (Job 38:29).
\nB. From there he would spy out [or foresee] food for the entire year.
\nC. \u201cHis eyes behold it afar off\u201d (Job 38:29)\u2014from the beginning of the year he would know what would come at the end of the year.
\nD. How so? When he would look at the pillar of smoke ascending from the pile, if it arose toward the west, he would know that the west would enjoy plenty. If it ascended toward the east, he would know that the east would enjoy plenty, and so forth for each direction.
\nE. If it went straight up to the firmament, he would know that the entire world would enjoy plenty.
\nF. After all of this glory: \u201cHis young ones suck up blood; [and where the slain are, there is he\u201d (Job 38:30).
\nG. [Aaron] saw his young writhing on the ground and he kept silent.
\nH. He said, \u201cWhere the slain are, there is he\u201d [referring to] the presence of God.
\nI. R. Yudan in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi, R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba said, \u201c \u2018Come near and take up your brothers from before the ark\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018from before the presence of the Holy One\u2019 (Lev. 10:4).
\nJ. \u201cIt was like a man who says to his fellow, \u2018Remove this corpse from before this mourner! How long should this mourner be pained?\u2019 \u201d
\nK. \u201cAfter the death of the two sons of Aaron\u201d (Lev. 16:2).<\/p>\n
The verse is read as God\u2019s discourse with Aaron, No. 1. But the identification with Aaron is exploited only at No. 3. The point of No. 2 is that \u201cthe rock\u201d is identified with the first sanctuary, the rocky crag with the second. Margulies finds at 2.B the claim that the Presence of God was in the second temple as much as in the first, as against those who maintained the second temple was not really legitimate and God did not favor it. Then the reference to the stone, Shetiyyah, in place of the ark that had graced the first temple, makes good sense. The rest of the passage, 2.D\u2013L, is inserted because of its thematic relevance to the cult in the second temple. But only at No. 3 do we read the intersecting verse in terms of Aaron in particular. The relevance is carefully delineated, F\u2013H, and then expanded, I\u2013J. K is tacked on, a formality as we have come to expect. It is the theme, not the language of the cited verse, that generates the exegesis of the cited verse. In that sense we may hardly speak of a \u201cbase verse\u201d at all.<\/p>\n
XX:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Ahba b. R. Zeira opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018At this also my heart trembles and leaps out of its place\u2019 [Job 37:1].
\nB. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018trembles (WYTR) and leaps\u2019?
\nC. \u201cThe usage is in line with the meaning of the same words in the following verse: \u2018Wherewith to leap (LNTR) upon the earth\u2019 [Lev. 11:21].
\nD. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018The sons of Aaron were not like his staff. The staff of Aaron came in dried up and went out full of sap, as it is said, \u201c[And on the morrow Moses went into the tent of the testimony; and behold,] the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted and put forth buds [and produced blossoms and it bore ripe almonds]\u201d [Num. 17:8].\u2019
\nE. \u201cThe wicked Titus went into the house of the Holy of Holies with his drawn sword in his hand. He cut into the curtain and his sword came out covered with blood. He went in in peace and came out in peace.
\nF. \u201cYet the sons of Aaron went in to make an offering and came out burned up.\u201d
\nG. \u201cAfter the death of the two sons of Aaron\u201d (Lev. 16:2).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse speaks of the heartbreak of the fate of Aaron\u2019s sons contrasted with the fate of Titus. This theme is familiar.<\/p>\n
XX:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Berekhiah opened [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture: \u201c \u2018To impose a fine on a righteous man is not good; [to flog noble men for the sake of uprightness]\u2019 [Prov. 17:26].
\nB. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Even though I punished Aaron and took his two sons from him, it is not good.\u2019 But it was \u2018to flog noble men for the sake of uprightness\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 17:26).
\nC. \u201cAfter the death of the two sons of Aaron\u201d (Lev. 16:2).
\n2. A. It was taught in the name of R. Eliezer: \u201cNadab and Abihu died only because they gave instruction in the presence of Moses, their master.\u201d
\nB. There was the case of a disciple who gave instruction in the presence of his master, R. Eliezer. He said to Imma Shalom, his wife, \u201cHe is not going to live out the week.\u201d The Sabbath had not come before he died.
\nC. His students came and said to him, \u201cRabbi, are you then a prophet?\u201d
\nD. He said to them, \u201c \u2018I am not a prophet nor the disciple of a prophet\u2019 [Amos 7:14], but this is the tradition which I have received: \u2018Any [disciple] who teaches a law in his master\u2019s presence is liable to the death penalty.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
XX:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. It was taught: It is forbidden for a disciple to teach a law in the presence of his master\u2014until he will be twelve mils away from him, the breadth of the camp of Israel.
\nB. Now what is the Scriptural basis for that statement?
\nC. \u201cThey encamped by the Jordan from Beth-Jeshimoth as far as Abelshittim [in the plains of Moab]\u201d (Num. 33:49).
\nD. And how long is that distance? It is twelve mils, [that is, the breadth of the camp of Israel].
\nE. R. Tanhum bar Jeremiah was in Happar, and a question was brought to him, and he gave instruction, so too a second time. Someone said to him, \u201cAnd did you not teach us, Rabbi, \u2018It is forbidden for a disciple to teach a law in the presence of his master\u2014until he will be twelve mils away from him, the breadth of the camp of Israel?\u2019 Now lo, R. Mana, your master, dwells in Sepphoris!\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cMay a curse come upon me, if I knew it!\u201d From that moment he gave no further instruction [in that place, at that time].<\/p>\n
The entire passage is borrowed from Y. Git. 1:2 and produces neither a base verse nor an intersecting one. The point of No. 1 is to introduce the idea that Aaron\u2019s sons were penalized for a bad thing that they had done. 1.C recurs as a convention; it plays no role in the substance of the matter. No. 2 and all of XX:VII are borrowed verbatim from Y. Git. 1:2.<\/p>\n
XX:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. Bar Qappara in the name of R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar: \u201cOn account of four matters did the two sons of Aaron die: because of drawing near to the holy place, because of the offering [they made], because of bringing strange fire, and because they did not take counsel with one another.
\nB. \u201cBecause of drawing near: for they entered the inner sanctum.
\nC. \u201cBecause of the offering: for they offered a sacrifice which had not been commanded.
\nD. \u201cBecause of the strange fire: it was fire from the kitchen that they brought in.
\nE. \u201cBecause they did not take counsel with one another, as it is written, \u2018And Nadab and Abihu, each one of them, took his censer\u2019 [Lev. 10:1].
\nF. \u201c \u2018Each one took his censer\u2019\u2014each one on his own account, for they did not take counsel with one another.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar, \u201cAt four passages [Lev. 10:1; 16:1; Num. 3:4; 26:61] Scripture makes mention of the death of the sons of Aaron, and at each point Scripture also makes mention of their offense.
\nB. \u201cWhy so? To let you know that this was the only sin for which they were responsible.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Eleazar the Modite, \u201cCome and see how painful is the death of the sons of Aaron before the Omnipresent, for each passage in which Scripture makes mention of their death, it also specifies their offense.
\nD. \u201cWhy so? So that no one in the world should have an excuse to say that they were responsible for a whole range of improper actions in secret, on which account they perished.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exegesis is thematic and not linguistic. The use of proof texts is peripheral. No. 1 provokes the issue settled at No. 2, so the composition is unitary.<\/p>\n
XX:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Mani of Sheab, R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cOn account of four matters did the sons of Aaron die, and in connection with each one of them the death penalty is specified in Scripture:
\nB. \u201cBecause they were drunk, and in that regard the death penalty is specified in Scripture: \u2018Wine and strong drink you shall not drink \u2026 lest you die\u2019 [Lev. 10:9];
\nC. \u201cbecause they were not wearing the required garments [for the priestly service], and in that regard the death penalty is specified in Scripture: \u2018And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons when [they go into the tent of meeting \u2026 lest they bring guilt upon themselves and die]\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 28:43).
\nD. Which garments had they left off? Said R. Levi, \u201cThey had left off the robe, concerning which the death penalty is specified in Scripture: \u2018And it shall be upon Aaron when he ministers \u2026 [lest he die]\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 28:35).
\nE. [Mani and Joshua continue:] \u201cBecause they entered the sanctuary not having washed their hands and feet: \u2018And they shall wash their hands and feet, lest they die\u2019 [Ex. 30:21]. And it is written, \u2018When they go into the tent of meeting, [they shall wash with water, lest they die]\u2019 [Ex. 30:20];
\nF. \u201cand because they had no children, concerning which the death penalty is specified. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And Nadab and Abihu died, and they had no children\u2019 \u201d (Num. 3:4).
\nG. Abba Hanan said, \u201cIt was because they had no wives, while it is written: \u2018And he shall atone for himself and for his house\u2019 [Lev. 16:6], and one\u2019s house is his wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
This nicely constructed thematic exposition carries forward the topic of the preceding. There is no base text or proof text; it is the general theme that is worked out.<\/p>\n
XX:X<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Levi said, \u201cThey were snooty. Many unmarried women were sitting gloomy [sad] and waiting for them. But what did they have to say about themselves? \u2018Our father\u2019s brother is king, our mother\u2019s brother is patriarch, our father is the high priest, we two are deputy high priests! What woman is worthy of us?\u201d
\nB. R. Menahama in the name of R. Joshua b. Nehemiah: \u201c \u2018Fire devoured their young men, [and their maidens had no marriage song]\u2019 [Ps. 78:63].
\nC. \u201cAnd why did \u2018fire devour their young men?\u2019 Because \u2018their maidens had no marriage song.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. [And the fact that they were power hungry may] further [be shown in] the following:
\nB. \u201cAnd he said to Moses, \u2018Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 24:1).
\nC. This teaches that Moses and Aaron went first, then Nadab and Abihu went after them, while all Israel followed after them. So the two brothers said, \u201cIn a little while these two old men will die, and you and I are going to lord it over this community.\u201d
\nD. R. Yudan in the name of R. Aibu said, \u201cThey said this out loud to one another.\u201d
\nE. R. Phineas said, \u201cThey merely thought it in their hearts.\u201d
\nF. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, said to them, \u2018Do not take pride today concerning what will be tomorrow\u2019 [Prov. 27:1]. Many foals have died and had their hides turned into saddles for their mothers\u2019 backs.\u201d
\n3. A. [And the fact that they were power hungry] may further [be shown in] the following:
\nB. \u201cAnd he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; [they beheld God and ate and drank]\u201d (Ex. 24:11).
\nC. Said R. Phineas, \u201cOn the basis of this verse we learn that they were entitled to have the hand laid on them [but God did not do so].\u201d
\nD. R. Hoshaia said, \u201cDid a loaf of bread go up with them at Sinai, that it should be stated, \u2018And they beheld God [and ate and drank]\u201d (Ex. 24:11)?
\nE. \u201cThis teaches that they feasted their eyes on the Presence of God, like a man who stares at his fellow while eating and drinking.\u201d
\nF. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIt was actual eating [not merely thinking about food].
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018In the light of the king\u2019s face is life\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 16:15).
\nH. Said R. Tanhuma, \u201cThis teaches that they uncovered their heads and acted arrogantly and feasted their eyes on the Presence of God.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cMoses did not feast his eyes on the Presence of God, but he benefited from the Presence.
\nB. \u201cHow do we know that he did not feast his eyes on the Presence of God? \u2018And Moses hid his face\u2019 [Ex. 3:6].
\nC. \u201cAnd how do we know that he benefited from the Presence? \u2018And Moses did not know that a beam of light shown from his face\u2019 [Ex. 34:29].
\nD. \u201cAs a reward for the fact that \u2018Moses hid his face,\u2019 he had the merit [stated in the following verse]: \u2018And the Lord spoke to Moses face to face\u2019 [Ex. 33:11].
\nE. \u201cAs a reward for the fact that \u2018He was afraid\u2019 [Ex. 3:6], he had the merit [stated in the following verse]: \u2018And the people were afraid to come near him\u2019 [Ex. 34:30].
\nF. \u201cAs a reward for his refraining from \u2018looking upon\u2019 [the face of God] [Ex. 3:6], he had the merit [stated in the following verse]: \u2018And he will look upon the likeness of the Lord\u2019 [Num. 12:8].
\nG. \u201cNadab and Abihu, for their part, did feast their eyes upon the Presence of God, but then they did not benefit from the Presence of God.\u201d
\n5. A. A further [proof for the fact that they were snooty and so were punished derives from the following]:
\nB. \u201cNadab and Abihu died before the Lord\u201d (Num. 3:4).
\nC. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cNow did they die before the Lord? [Was it not before their father?]
\nD. \u201cBut this teaches that it is hard for the Holy One, blessed be he, when the children of the righteous die while the parents are yet alive.\u201d
\nE. R. Phineas of Jaffa raised the following question before R. Phineas b. R. Hama in the name of R. Simon: \u201cHere Scripture says, \u2018Before the Lord,\u2019 \u2018Before the Lord\u2019 [Num. 3:4], two times, while elsewhere Scripture states, \u2018Before their father\u2019 (1 Chron. 24:2), only one time. [Why so?]
\nF. \u201cWhat this teaches is that it was twice as hard on the Holy One, blessed be he, as it was on their father.\u201d
\n6. A. \u201cIn the wilderness of Sinai\u201d (Num. 3:4).
\nB. Said R. Meir, \u201cHow was it in the wilderness of Sinai that they died? [Surely it was at the tent of meeting.] But this teaches that it was at Mount Sinai that they received their death sentence.
\nC. \u201cThe matter may be compared to the king who was marrying off his daughter, and some sort of irregularity turned up with regard to the best man. Said the king, \u2018If I kill them now, I shall mingle my daughter\u2019s joy [with sorrow]. So tomorrow I shall have my happy day, and it is better that the deed be done on my happy day than on my daughter\u2019s.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018If I kill Nadab and Abihu now, I shall mingle the rejoicing of the Torah [with sorrow].
\nE. \u201c \u2018Tomorrow my time of rejoicing will come, and it is better [that the deed be done] on my happy day than on the happy day of the Torah.\u2019
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018On the day of his wedding, and on the day on which his heart was happy\u2019 [Song 3:11].
\nG. \u201c \u2018On the day of his wedding\u2019 refers to Mount Sinai, and \u2018on the day on which his heart was happy\u2019 refers to the consecration of the tent of meeting.\u201d<\/p>\n
The catalogue of the sins of Nadab and Abihu unfolds, Nos. 1\u20135. (No. 6 simply carries forward the exegesis of No. 5\u2019s proof text.) What the exegete does is continue to survey all references to the death of Nadab and Abihu and to exploit the possibilities of each. As before, we find no base text nor an intersecting one. The discourse focuses on themes, not upon language. The overall theme is clearly enunciated and carefully followed, through No. 4. No. 5 seems to me not to fall into place, for 5.A promises\u2014with \u201ca further \u2026\u201d\u2014what in fact the passage does not deliver. Rather the point is that God was more pained than Aaron at the death of Aaron\u2019s sons. No. 6, however, surely justifies the view that the entire complex serves to underline the culpability of the deceased.<\/p>\n
XX:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[But Nadab and Abihu died before the Lord when they offered unholy fire before the Lord in the wilderness of Sinai;] and they had no children\u201d (Num. 3:4).
\nB. R. Jacob b. R. Abayye in the name of R. Aha, \u201cLo, if they had had children, the [sons] would have taken presence over [the brothers] Eleazar and Ithamar [as high priests].
\nC. \u201cFor we have learned there [T. Sheq. 2:15]: \u2018Whoever takes precedence in inheritance takes precedence in matters of dignity [inheriting office], so long as that person conforms to the customs of his fathers.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201cSo Eleazar and Ithmar served as priests in the presence of Aaron their father\u201d (Num. 3:4).
\nB. R. Issac said, \u201cIt was when he was alive.\u201d
\nC. R. Hiyya b. R. Abba said, \u201cIt was after he died.\u201d
\nD. In conformity with the view of R. Isaac, who said that it was while he was yet alive, here the word \u201cpresence\u201d is written, and elsewhere it says, \u201cAnd Haran died in the presence of Terah his father\u201d (Gen. 11:28). Just as the use of the word \u201cpresence\u201d in that other context indicates that this was while [Terah] was alive, so here the meaning is the same.
\nE. In the view of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba, who has said that they ministered only after his death, we find support in the following: here the word \u201cpresence\u201d is used, and in another verse you find the following: \u201cAnd Abraham arose from before the presence of his deceased\u201d (Gen. 23:3). Just as in that latter usage the word indicates that it was after death, so here we find the same meaning.
\nF. In the view of R. Isaac, who said that it was while Aaron was yet alive, [how do we explain the fact that they ministered during their father\u2019s lifetime]?
\nG. The reason was that when Aaron suffered some form of cultic disqualification, Eleazar served in his place.
\nH. When Eleazar likewise suffered a cultic disqualification, Ithamar served in his place.
\n3. A. (Y. Yoma 1:1:) There is the case of Simeon b. Qimhit, who went to take a walk with an Arabian king, [following Y.\u2019s version: on the Day of Atonement at twilight], and a spurt of spit [from the king\u2019s mouth] splattered on [the priest\u2019s] garment and so rendered him unclean. Judah his brother went in and served in his stead as high priest. On that day, their mother [Qimhit] [had the pleasure of] seeing two sons in the office of the high priest.
\nB. They say: Seven sons did Qimhit have, and all of them served in the high priesthood. They sent and said to Qimhit, \u201cNow what kinds of good deeds [did you do to merit such glory]?\u201d
\nC. She replied to them, \u201cMay [a terrible thing] happen to me, if [even] the beams of my house ever once gazed upon the hair of my head or the thread of my chemise in my entire life [because of modesty].\u201d
\nD. They said, \u201cAll meal [QMH] is fine, but the meal of Qimhit is the finest of fine flour.\u201d
\nE. They recited in her regard the following verse: \u201cThe princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes\u201d (Ps. 45:13).
\n4. A. In the view of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba, who said that it was after he had died, [first] Aaron died and Eleazar served in his place, then Eleazar died, and Ithamar served in his place.<\/p>\n
The exegesis of the proof texts important in the concluding units of XX:X, particularly Num. 3:4, is carried forward at Nos. 1, 2, and 4. There is no break from the end of XX:X to the beginning of XX:XI. The issue of interest is at Nos. 2 and 4. No. 3 is inserted whole, for obvious reasons.<\/p>\n
XX:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Abba, \u201cOn what account is the story of the death of Miriam [Num. 20] juxtaposed to the rules [Num. 19] governing preparation of the ashes of the red cow [to be sued for purification rites in the case of corpse uncleanness]?
\nB. \u201cIt is to teach that, just as the red cow achieves atonement, so the death of Miriam achieved atonement.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Yudan, \u201cOn what account is the story of the death of Aaron juxtaposed to the story of the breaking of the tablets [of the law]? It is to teach that the death of Aaron was as hard on the Holy One, blessed be he, as the breaking of the tablets.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Hiyya b. R. Abba, \u201cOn the first day of Nisan the two sons of Aaron died. So why does the [divine author of Scripture] make mention of their death [only in connection with] the Day of Atonement [Lev. 16]?
\nB. \u201cIt is to teach that just as the Day of Atonement achieves atonement, so the death of the righteous achieves atonement.
\nC. \u201cHow do we know that the Day of Atonement achieves atonement? \u2018For on this day will atonement be made for you\u2019 [Lev. 16:30].
\nD. \u201cAnd how do we know that the death of the righteous achieves atonement? \u2018And they buried the bones of Saul [and his son Jonathan in the land of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father; and they did all that the king commanded.] And after that God heeded supplications for the land\u2019 \u201d (2 Sam. 21:14).<\/p>\n
We close with a more favorable view of Nadab and Abihu. Now they are righteous, and with their death Israel gained atonement. In the parallel at Y. Yoma 1:2, the order is the sons of Aaron, Miriam and Aaron. Here the sons of Aaron come last, to provide a climax appropriate to the passage at hand.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-One<\/p>\n
XXI:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWith this shall Aaron come [into the holy place: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering]\u201d (Lev. 16:3).
\nB. \u201cThe Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? [The Lord is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?]\u201d (Ps. 27:1).
\nC. R. Eleazar interpreted the cited verse to speak of [Israel at] the Red Sea:
\nD. \u201c \u2018My light:\u2019 \u2018It gave light by night\u2019 [Ex. 14:20].
\nE. \u201c \u2018And my salvation:\u2019 \u2018Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord\u2019 [Ex. 14:13].
\nF. \u201c \u2018Whom shall I fear:\u2019 \u2018Do not fear\u2019 [Ex. 14:13].
\nG. \u201c \u2018The Lord is the stronghold of my life:\u2019 \u2018The Lord is my strength and song\u2019 [Ex. 15:2].
\nH. \u201c \u2018Of whom shall I be afraid:\u2019 \u2018Trembling and fear fell on them\u2019 [Ex. 15:16].
\nI. \u201c \u2018When evildoers come near me to eat up my flesh, [my adversaries and foes shall stumble and fall]\u2019 (Ps. 27:2):] \u2018And Pharaoh drew near\u2019 [Ex. 14:10].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018To eat my flesh\u2019 [Ps. 27:2]: \u2018Said the enemy, I shall pursue, I shall overtake [my lust shall be satisfied upon them]\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 15:9).
\n2. A. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nahman, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018This wicked man will not leave the world before he declares the sentence against himself from his own mouth.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Said the enemy, I will pursue, [I will overtake].\u2019 \u2018We will overtake\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018I will be pursued, I will be overtaken.\u2019
\nC. \u201c \u2018My desire will have its fill of them\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018My desire will have its fill for him.\u2019
\nD. \u201c[The meaning is that] they will fill their desire from him.
\nE. \u201c \u2018I will put my sword\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018I will draw my sword,\u2019 [meaning], \u2018I will leave my sword white in them [doing them no injury].\u2019
\nF. \u201c \u2018My hand will destroy them\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018My hand will cause him to inherit.\u2019 [The meaning is,] \u2018I shall give him over as an inheritance [all of] my wealth and my honor.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. (Eleazar continues:) \u201c \u2018My adversaries and foes\u2019 [Ps. 27:2]: \u2018But overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea\u2019 [Ps. 136:15].
\nB. \u201cFrom this point forward [in the cited Psalm] it is Israel that is speaking:
\nC. \u201c \u2018If a host encamp against me\u2019 [Ps. 27:3]: the host of the Egyptians.
\nD. \u201c \u2018My heart shall not fear\u2019 [Ps. 27:3]. \u2018If war rise up against me:\u2019 if the Egyptians should come against me.
\nE. \u201c \u2018In this I shall trust\u2019 (Ps. 27:3): In this which you have promised us in the Torah: \u2018The Lord will fight for you, and you shall only be still\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 14:14).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse, Ps. 27:1ff., is systematically worked out at Nos. 1 and 3, clause by clause, in relationship to the salvation at the Red Sea. The sense of No. 2 rests upon reading the cited words as passive, rather than active, constructions. The text at hand is not entirely flawless. The principal components of the exegesis of the intersecting verse, however, emerge clearly. Only much later do we recover the base verse. The sole point of contact here is at 3.E, the reference to \u201cin this,\u201d the same word as we find at the beginning of the base verse. When we do reach the base verse, it will be through the theme, not merely shared words or phrases.<\/p>\n
XXI:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Samuel b. R. Nahman interpreted [the intersecting verse to speak of] the Philistines:
\nB. \u201c \u2018When evildoers drew near me\u2019 [Ps. 27:2] refers to Goliath: \u2018And the Philistine drew near morning and night\u2019 [1 Sam. 17:16].
\nC. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018And the Philistine came on and drew near to David\u2019 [1 Sam. 17:41].
\nD. \u201c \u2018To eat my flesh\u2019 [Ps. 27:2]: \u2018The Philistine said to David, \u201cCome to me, and I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and to the beasts of the field\u201d \u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 17:44).
\n2. A. R. Abba b. R. Kahana said, \u201c[Goliath had to tell David to come to him because] the earth held him fast.\u201d
\nB. R. Tanhuma said, \u201cI shall give scriptural proof for that proposition. \u2018And I shall come to you\u2019 is not what is written here, rather: \u2018Come to me.\u2019 That teaches that the earth held him fast.\u201d
\nC. R. Yannai in the name of R. Simeon b. R. Yannai: \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, put two hundred forty-eight locks on his two hundred forty-eight limbs.\u201d
\nD. At that moment David said, \u201c \u2018Do not, O Lord, grant the desires of the wicked\u2019 [Ps. 140:8]. Do not grant him his lust.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Do not let loose his bit\u2019 [Ps. 140:8]. Do not unloose it.
\nF. \u201c \u2018May they be high, sela\u2019 (ib.). Strengthen his bond [so that he cannot get loose].\u2019 \u201d
\nG. R. Yudan said, \u201c[Goliath] wanted David, because he had lovely eyes and was handsome. Thereupon David said, \u2018Do not, O Lord, grant the desires of the wicked\u2019 [Ps. 140:8]\u2014his lust. \u2018But he will give the desire of the righteous\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 10:24).
\nH. And rabbis say, \u201cHe smote him with leprosy, as you find in Scripture: \u2018He said, This day will the Lord shut you up through my hand\u2019 [1 Sam. 17:46]. And the words \u2018shut up\u2019 refers only to leprosy, as you find in the verse: \u2018And the priest will shut up one afflicted by a leprosy sign\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 13:4).
\n3. A. [Samuel b. R. Nahman continues:] \u201c \u2018My adversaries and foes, they stumbled and fell\u2019 [Ps. 27:2]: \u2018And the stone sank into his forehead, and he fell\u2019 [1 Sam. 17:49].
\nB. \u201cFrom that point on, it is David who said [the remainder of the Psalm] before the Holy One, blessed be he:
\nC. \u201c \u2018Though a host encamp against me\u2019 [Ps. 27:3]: the camp of the Philistines.
\nD. \u201c \u2018My heart shall not fear\u2019 [Ps. 27:3].
\nE. \u201c \u2018Though war arise against me\u2019 [Ps. 27:3]: war against the Philistines.
\nF. \u201c \u2018In this will I trust\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 27:3).
\nG. \u201cIn this\u201d (Ps. 27:3):
\nH. Said R. Levi, \u201c \u2018In the Scripture [farewell blessing] which Moses wrote in the scroll of the Torah for my forefathers: \u201cAnd this is what he said of Judah: [Hear, O Lord, the voice of Judah and bring him in to his people. With your hands contend for him and be a help against his adversaries]\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Deut. 33:7).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1 and 3 work out the intersecting verse in relationship to David\u2019s war with the Philistine, Goliath. No. 2 pursues a secondary theme, in two parts, 2.A\u2013F and 2.G, H.<\/p>\n
XXI:III<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Joshua b. Levi interpreted [the intersecting verse to speak] of the Amalekites:
\nB. \u201c \u2018When evildoers come near me\u2019 [Ps. 27:2] refers to the Amalekites: \u2018And the Amalekites made a raid on the Negeb and on Ziklag\u2019 [1 Sam. 30:1].
\nC. \u201c \u2018To eat my flesh\u2019 [Ps. 27:2]: \u2018David\u2019s two wives also had been taken captive\u2019 [1 Sam. 30:5].
\nD. \u201c \u2018My adversaries and foes:\u2019 \u2018And David smote them from twilight until the evening of the next day\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 30:17).
\n2. A. What is the meaning of \u201cof the next day?\u201d
\nB. Said R. Joshua b. Levi, \u201cTwo nights and one day.
\nC. \u201cWho provided light for him during the nights?
\nD. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, provided light for him during the nights, through comets and lightning.
\nE. \u201cIt is to this that David speaks: \u2018For you illumine my lamp\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 18:29).
\n3. A. (Joshua b. Levi continues:) \u201cFrom that point [in the Psalm,] it is David who speaks.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Though a host encamp against me\u2019\u2014the camp of the Amalekites.
\nC. \u201c \u2018My heart shall not fear.\u2019
\nD. \u201c \u2018Though war arise against me:\u2019 the war of the Amalekites.\u201d
\nE. \u201cIn this I shall trust\u201d (Ps. 27:3).
\nF. Said R. Levi, \u201cIn the Scripture [farewell blessing] which Moses wrote in the scroll of the Torah for my forefathers: \u2018And this is what he said of Judah\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 33:7).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1 and 3 work out the intersecting verse in terms of David\u2019s war with the Amalekites. Once again, in the middle is an inserted amplification of a detail of the secondary proof texts.<\/p>\n
XXI:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Rabbis interpret [the intersecting] verse to speak of the New Year and Day of Atonement:
\nB. \u201c \u2018My light\u2019 [Ps. 27:1] is on the New Year.
\nC. \u201c \u2018And my salvation\u2019 [Ps. 27:1] is on the Day of Atonement.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Whom shall I fear\u2019 [Ps. 27:1]: \u2018The Lord is my strength and my song\u2019 [Ex. 15:2].
\nE. \u201c \u2018When evildoers come near me\u2019 [Ps. 27:2] refers to the princes [of heaven] who represent the nations of the world.
\nF. \u201c \u2018To eat my flesh\u2019 [Ps. 27:2]: For the princes representing the nations of the world come and draw an indictment against Israel before the Holy One, blessed be he, saying before him, \u2018Lord of the world, these [nations] practice idolatry and those [Jews] practice idolatry. These practice fornication and those practice fornication. These shed blood and those shed blood. Why then do these [nations of the world] go down to Gehenna and those do not go down?\u2019
\nG. \u201c \u2018My adversaries and foes\u2019 [Ps. 27:2]: You find that the number of days in the solar year are three hundred sixty-five, but the number of names of Satan are three hundred and sixty-four.
\nH. \u201cFor on all the days of the year, Satan is able to draw up an indictment, but on the Day of Atonement, Satan is not able to draw up an indictment.
\nI. \u201cSaid the Israelites before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Though a host encamp against me\u2019\u2014the host of the nations of the world,
\nJ. \u201c \u2018My heart shall not fear\u2019 [Ps. 27:3].
\nK. \u201c \u2018Though war arise against me\u2019\u2014the war of the nations of the world.
\nL. \u201c \u2018In this I shall trust\u2019 [Ps. 27:3].
\nM. \u201cIn this which you have promised me: \u2018With this will Aaron come\u2019 [Lev. 16:3] [on the Day of Atonement].\u201d<\/p>\n
Now we reach the base verse and the climax is stunning and successful. Since Lev. 16 speaks of the rite of the Day of Atonement, the relevance of the language, \u201cin this,\u201d read also \u201cwith this,\u201d is entirely clear at last. The link to Lev. 16:3, posited at the outset, turns out to be sound. I see no flaws in the text at hand, which follows a well-established formal pattern. The entire construction, XXI:I\u2013IV, therefore must be regarded as a unity, carefully planned and executed from beginning to end, reviewing the crises in Israel\u2019s life: at the Red sea, with Pharaoh, with the Philistines, with the Amalekites, and then, in a stunning shift, with Satan. So the past history of Israel is reappropriated as a metaphor for the human condition of the Israelite, facing a supernatural enemy but saved by God\u2019s favor. The Day of Atonement then is not merely the event of the cult described in Lev. 16, but a day of national salvation from enemies in this world and above. In contemporary liturgy, Ps. 27 is read during the entire month of Elul, leading up to the Days of Awe.<\/p>\n
XXI:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cFor by wise guidance (THBWLWT) you can wage your war [and in abundance of counselors there is victory]\u201d (Prov. 24:6).
\nB. R. Nathan and R. Aha in the name of R. Simon: \u201cIf you have collected bundles upon bundles (HBYLWT) of transgressions, then collect against them bundles upon bundles of religious duties [successfully accomplished].
\nC. \u201c[The correspondence of transgression and duty is now spelled out:] \u2018Haughty eyes\u2019 [Prov. 6:17]: \u2018And they shall be for frontlets between your eyes\u2019 [Deut. 6:8].
\nD. \u201c \u2018A lying tongue\u2019 [Prov. 6:18]: \u2018And you will teach your children\u2019 [Deut. 11:19].
\nE. \u201c \u2018Hands shedding innocent blood\u2019 [Prov. 6:18]: \u2018And you shall bind them for a sign upon your hands\u2019 [Deut. 6:8].
\nF. \u201c \u2018A heart that devises wicked thoughts\u2019 [Prov. 6:18]: \u2018And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart\u2019 [Deut. 6:6].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Feet hastening to run to do evil\u2019 [Prov. 6:18]: A person should always run to carry out the religious duty of circumcision, which applies between the knees.
\nH. \u201c \u2018A false witness who breathes out lies\u2019 [Prov. 6:19]: \u2018You are my witnesses, says the Lord\u2019 [Is. 43:10].
\nI. \u201c \u2018Who sows discord among brothers\u2019 [Prov. 6:19]: \u2018Say to wisdom [= Torah], you are my sister\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 7:4).
\n2. A. R. Yohanan interpreted the [intersecting] verse to speak of helmsmen.
\nB. For R. Yohanan said, \u201cA person should always make himself a helmsman on the lookout for how to do a religious duty.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Yose b. R. Haninah interpreted the verse to speak of pledges [taken for a loan]: \u201cIf you take a pledge (HBL)\u201d (Ex. 22:25).
\n4. A. R. Benaiah interpreted the verse to speak of study of paragraphs of the Mishnah.
\nB. For R. Benaiah said, \u201cA person should always bury himself in passages of the Mishnah, for if he should knock [on the doors of the Torah], they will open for him,
\nC. \u201cif [he wants knowledge of] the Talmud, it will be Talmud, and if lore, it will be of lore.\u201d
\nD. R. Eleazar in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: \u201cA pillar of iron is the Mishnah.\u201d<\/p>\n
The connection between the intersecting and the base verses is given in the following passage, XXI:VI. Here we have four interpretations, three of them along essentially the same lines, in which the word for guidance, THBWLWT, and that for bundle, HBYLH, are joined. The upshot throughout is that one needs to gather together bundles of religious virtues, whether the practice of religious duties, No. 1, or the study of Torah, Nos. 2 and 4. In so describing matters, I treat 1.C\u2013I as tied to 1.B. Prov. 6:17 serves as an intersecting verse on its own. The notion of balancing \u201cbundles\u201d of transgressions against \u201cbundles\u201d of religious duties successfully accomplished is justified, for Prov. 6:17 proves a remarkably good choice to make that point. Nos. 2, 3, and 4 are not well developed.<\/p>\n
XXI:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yudan interpreted [the intersecting verse, Prov. 24:6, cited above] to speak of the high priest when he goes into the house of the holy of holies [\u201cwith this he shall come\u201d (Lev. 16:2)]:
\nB. \u201cHe has bundles and bundles of religious duties [as above] successfully achieved, to his credit:
\nC. \u201cMerit in Torah learning: \u2018And this is the Torah\u2019 [Deut. 4:44].
\nD. \u201cThe merit of circumcision: \u2018This is my covenant, which you shall observe\u2019 [Gen. 17:10].
\nE. \u201cThe merit of observance of the Sabbath: \u2018Happy is the man who does this\u2019 [Is. 56:2].
\nF. \u201cThe merit of Jerusalem: \u2018This is Jerusalem\u2019 [Ez. 5:5].
\nG. \u201cThe merit of the tribes: \u2018And this is what he spoke\u2019 [Gen. 49:28].
\nH. \u201cThe merit of Judah: \u2018And this is for Judah\u2019 [Deut. 33:7].
\nI. \u201cThe merit of Israel: \u2018This, your stature [is like a palm tree]\u2019 [Song 7:5].
\nJ. \u201cThe merit of heave offering: \u2018And this is the heave offering\u2019 [Ex. 25:3].
\nK. \u201cThe merit of the tithes: \u2018[Bring you the whole tithe into the storehouse] and try me now with this\u2019 [Mal. 3:10].
\nL. \u201cThe merit of the offerings: \u2018With this shall Aaron come\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 16:3).<\/p>\n
The survey of passages in which the words \u201cwith this\u201d occur supplies a list of the things with which the high priest gains merit, and of course returns us to our base verse. The tie to the intersecting verse is firm, however, since 1.B makes an explicit reference to the preceding exegesis of Prov. 24:6. The power of the passage, therefore, is to link the intersecting verse cited and worked out earlier to the base verse that forms the centerpiece of discussion.<\/p>\n
XXI:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. What is written prior to the verse under discussion? \u201c[The Lord spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before the Lord and died,] and the Lord said to Moses, \u2018Speak to Aaron your brother [not to come at all times into the holy place]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 16:1\u20132).
\nB. Said R. Abin, \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Go and comfort him with words.\u2019 This is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Speak to the heart of Jerusalem\u2019 \u201d (Is. 40:2).
\n2. A. \u201cNot to come at all times\u201d (Lev. 16:2).
\nB. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cThis matter was very painful to Moses. He said, \u2018Woe is me! Perhaps Aaron has been pushed out of his holy precinct.\u2019
\nC. \u201c \u2018At all times\u2019 [Lev. 16:2]: The word \u2018time\u2019 may refer to an hour, a day, a year, a dozen years, seventy years, and forever.
\nD. \u201cThe word \u2018time\u2019 refers to hour: \u2018Not to come at all times.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThe word \u2018time\u2019 may refer to a day: \u2018You shall drink water by measure [from time to time]\u2019 [Ez. 4:11].
\nF. \u201cThe word \u2018time\u2019 may refer to a year: \u2018And it came to pass, at the return of the year, at the time\u2019 [2 Sam. 11:1].
\nG. \u201cThe word \u2018time\u2019 may refer to twelve years: \u2018Until the time that his word came to pass\u2019 [Ps. 105:19]. [The reference is to Joseph\u2019s being freed from prison, at the age of thirty years, after twelve years of imprisonment in Egypt (Slotki, p. 270, n. 4).]
\nH. \u201cThe word \u2018time\u2019 may refer to seventy years: \u2018When seventy years have been fulfilled for Babylonia\u2019 [Jer. 29:10], and it says, \u2018When the time of his land comes\u2019 [Jer. 27:7].
\nI. \u201cThe word \u2018time\u2019 may refer to forever: \u2018And you have put gladness in my heart more than the time of the increase of their grain and wine\u2019 [Ps. 4:8].
\nJ. (Judah b. R. Simon continues:) \u201c \u2018Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIt is not as you are thinking. It is not the sense of \u2018time\u2019 referring to an hour, a day, a year, twelve years, seventy years, or forever. But whenever he wants to come in, let him come in. But he must come in in accord with the following order.\u201d \u2019 \u201d
\nK. R. Judah b. R. Ilai said, \u201cIt must be with thirty-six bells and thirty-six pomegranates.\u201d
\nL. And rabbis said, \u201cIt must be with seventy-two bells and seventy-two pomegranates.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 stands by itself. No. 2 takes up the meaning of the word \u201ctime,\u201d joining together two distinct discussions, first, the range of meanings associated with the word \u201ctime,\u201d 2.C\u2013I, and second, the message that Moses is to deliver to Aaron, 2.A\u2013B, J. The elision of the two passages is successful.<\/p>\n
XXI:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. There is the story concerning R. Hananiah b. Hakhinai and R. Simeon b. Yohai. They went to study Torah with R. Aqiba in Bene Beraq. They remained there thirteen years. R. Simeon b. Yohai sent to find out what was going on in his household. R. Haninah b. Hakhinai did not send to find out what was going on in his household.
\nB. His wife sent word to him, saying, \u201cYour daughter has reached maturity. Come and marry her off.\u201d Even so, he did not go.
\nC. R. Aqiba perceived through the Holy Spirit and said to [his disciples], \u201cWhoever has a daughter who has reached maturity should go and marry her off.\u201d [The disciple] understood, obeyed, arose, asked permission to leave, and went his way.
\nD. He wanted to go into his house but he found that it had been moved to a different location (Lieberman, p. 876 to p. 485). What did he do? He went and sat where women fill their jugs with water. He heard the voice of little girls saying, \u201cDaughter of Hakhinai, it\u2019s your turn to fill your jug and go along.\u201d
\nE. What did he do? He went after her until she went into his house. He went in after her without warning. His wife had scarcely laid eyes on him before her soul departed.
\nF. He said before him, \u201cLord of the world! This poor woman\u2014is this her reward after thirteen years [of waiting].\u201d At that moment her soul returned to her body.
\n2. A. Said R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201cThere are four whom the Holy One, blessed be he, hates, and I do not love them:
\nB. \u201chim who holds onto his penis while he urinates; him who has sexual relations naked; him who reports intimate things of his marriage to third parties; and him who goes into his house without warning.
\nC. \u201cAnd one need hardly add, into his fellow\u2019s house.\u201d
\nD. Rab said, \u201cDo not enter a town without warning, and do not enter a house without warning.
\nE. \u201cIf your daughter has reached maturity, free your slave and give her to him.\u201d
\n3. A. When R. Yohanan would go to pay a call on R. Hanina, he would clear his throat [to announce his presence].
\nB. Now is it not an argument a fortiori: if one who wants to go into the home of his mortal friend has to clear his throat, a high priest who wants to enter the house of the Holy of Holies all the more so [must do so].
\nC. That is in line with the following: \u201cAnd its sound [that of the bells] will be heard\u201d (Ex. 28:35).<\/p>\n
The relevance to the foregoing becomes clear at the end. That is, we speak now of the bells that the priest wears when he enters the Holy of Holies. None of this has much to do with the base verse. It is simply tacked on.<\/p>\n
XXI:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWith this shall Aaron come [into the holy place]\u201d (Lev. 16:3).
\nB. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi, \u201c[By saying] \u2018with this,\u2019 Scripture gave him the good word that he would live four hundred and ten years [the numerical value of the letters of the word (BZ\u2019T) being four hundred and ten].\u201d
\nC. Now can you really mean that Aaron would live for four hundred and ten years?
\nD. But because the priest served in good faith in the first sanctuary, eighteen high priests held office, from him to his son and grandson [for a total of four hundred and ten years].
\nE. But in the second sanctuary there were twenty-two.
\nF. There are those who say that there were eighty-three.
\nG. There are those who say that there were eighty-four.
\nH. Among them, Simeon the Righteous served for forty-five years.
\nI. When they turned around and began to sell the office for money, the years of their tenure were cut short.
\n2. A. There is the story of someone who sent with his son two measures filled with silver with strikes of silver. Someone else went and sent with his son two measures of gold filled with gold with strikes of gold.
\nB. They said, \u201cThe foal has upset the candlestick.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Aha would recite the following verse concerning them: \u201c \u2018Fear of the Lord prolongs days\u2019 [Prov. 10:27]\u2014this applies to those who served in the first sanctuary.
\nB. \u201c \u2018But the years of the wicked are cut short\u2019 [Prov. 10:27]\u2014this refers to those who served in the latter sanctuary.\u201d<\/p>\n
The relevance is at 1.B. The rest spells out the meaning.<\/p>\n
XXI:X<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Hananiah, associate of the rabbis: \u201cOn what account does the high priest serve in eight garments [Y. Yoma 7:3]? It is for the circumcision, which is eight days [after birth], in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that] my covenant with Levi may hold, [says the Lord of hosts]\u2019 \u201d (Mal. 2:4).
\nB. R. Simon in the name of R. Joshua: \u201cWhy does not the high priest serve in golden garments? It is because the prosecution cannot become the defense, so as not to give Satan an opening [following Y.:] \u2018Yesterday in their regard it is written concerning them, \u201cSo Moses returned to the Lord and said, Alas, this people have sinned a great sin; they have made for themselves gods of gold\u201d [Ex. 32:31]. Today is he going to stand and serve in golden garments?!\u2019 \u201d
\nC. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cTo spare Israel excessive expense.\u201d
\nD. R. Levi said, \u201cOn account of excessive pride.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Do not put yourself forward in the king\u2019s presence or stand in the place of the great\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 25:6).<\/p>\n
None of this has any bearing on our passage.<\/p>\n
XXI:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[With this shall Aaron come into the holy place:] with a young bull [for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering]\u201d (Lev. 16:3).
\nB. This [young bull stands for] our patriarch, Abraham, with reference to the following verse: \u201cAnd Abraham ran to the herd\u201d (Gen. 18:7).
\nC. \u201cAnd a ram for a burnt offering\u201d (Lev. 16:3): With the merit accruing on account of Isaac, with reference to the following verse: \u201cAnd lo, another ram [beside Isaac], caught by its horns in the bush\u201d (Gen. 22:13).
\nD. \u201c[And he shall take from the congregation of the people of Israel two male] goats [for a sin offering and one ram for a burnt offering]\u201d (Lev. 16:5): With the merit accruing on account of Jacob, with reference to the following verse: \u201cGo, I pray you, to the flock, and take for me from there two good kids of the goats\u201d (Gen. 27:9).
\n2. A. What is the meaning of \u201cgood\u201d [in the verse just now cited]?
\nB. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Helbo: \u201c \u2018Good\u2019 for you, and \u2018good\u2019 for your children. Good for you, since on their account you will receive the indication of blessings. Good for your children, for on their account atonement will be made for them on the Day of Atonement.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For on this day atonement will be made for you\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 16:30).
\n3. A. I now have shown only [that the high priest goes into the Holy of Holies protected by the merit of] the patriarchs. How do we know [that the High Priest is protected also by the merit of] the matriarchs?
\nB. Scripture refers to the word \u201clinen\u201d four times (at Lev. 16:4) [alluding to the four matriarchs].
\nC. R. Berekhiah and R. Jeremiah in the name of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba: \u201cAs is the mode of service on high, so is the mode of service down below. Just as in the mode of service on high: \u2018One man in the midst of them clothed in linen\u2019 [Ez. 9:2], so in the mode of service below: \u2018He shall put on the holy linen coat [and shall have the linen breeches on his body and be girded with the linen girdle and wear the linen turban]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 16:4).<\/p>\n
The exegesis aims to link the offerings of the Day of Atonement with the patriarchs and matriarchs, so takes the route, once more, of broadening the symbolic system associated<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
B. \u201cIs Ephraim a precious son to me? [Is he a child that is dandled? For as often as I speak of him, I still keep mentioning him]\u201d (Jer. 31:20). C. Ten were called precious, and these are they: Torah, prophecy, understanding, knowledge, folly, riches, the righteous, the death of the faithful, faithfulness, and Israel. … <\/p>\n