D. 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 with the expiatory rite of Lev. 16. The formal traits are uniform, 1.A\u2013D. No. 2 amplifies the proof text of 1.D. No. 3 then takes up the second part of the proposition at hand. 3.C is tacked on, serving 3.A\u2013B as No. 2 serves No. 1.<\/p>\n
XXI:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[He shall bathe his body in water] and then put them on (WLBSM)\u201d (Lev. 16:4).
\nB. They must be worn out there (BLW SM) [and not used elsewhere or by another priest].
\nC. R. Hiyya taught, \u201cThis indicates that they must be stored away and may not be suitable for use on some other Day of Atonement.\u201d
\nD. R. Dosa said, \u201cThey are suitable for use by an ordinary priest.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cThere shall be no man in the tent of meeting [when he enters to make atonement in the holy place until he comes out]\u201d (Lev. 16:17).
\nB. R. Phineas and R. Hilkiah in the name of R. Abbahu: \u201cEven those concerning whom it is written, \u2018And their faces were human faces\u2019 [Ez. 1:10] will not be in the tent of meeting when he enters.\u201d
\n3. A. In the year in which Simeon the Righteous died, he told people, \u201cThis year I am going to die.\u201d
\nB. They said to him, \u201cHow do you know?\u201d
\nC. He said to them, \u201cEvery year an old man, dressed in white and cloaked in white garments, would enter with me and come out with me. This year he entered with me but did not come out with me.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Abbahu, \u201cAnd who would say that it was a man? Was it not the Holy One, blessed be he, and his glory, that would enter with him and come out with him?\u201d
\nE. Said R. Abbahu, \u201cAnd was not the high priest a man [so how can Scripture say, \u2018There shall be no man in the tent of meeting when he enters,\u2019 rather than, \u2018No man but the high priest\u2019]!\u201d
\nF. But it is in accord with that which R. Phineas said, \u201cWhen the Holy Spirit rested upon him, his face flamed like a torch. Concerning him Scripture says, \u2018For the lips of the priest keep knowledge [for he is the angel of the Lord of hosts]\u2019 \u201d (Mal. 2:7).<\/p>\n
We deal with two discrete verses of Scripture, Lev. 16:4, then Lev. 16:17. The dispute of No. 1.B\u2013C versus D is clear as given. Nos. 2 and 3 work through the matter of the high priest\u2019s being alone in the tent of meeting. The solution to Abbahu\u2019s problem, 3.E, is that the high priest on that occasion is in the status of an angel. So there really is no man in the tent of meeting, just as Lev. 16:17 states.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Two<\/p>\n
XXII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIf any man of the house of Israel kills [an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, to offer it as a gift to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man; he has shed blood; and that man shall be cut off from among his people. This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they slay in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting, and slay them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord]\u201d (Lev. 17:3\u20135).
\nB. \u201cFor the superfluities of the land are among all of them [and a king makes himself servant to the field]\u201d (Qoh. 5:8).
\nC. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah:
\nD. R. Judah said, \u201cEven things that you regard as superfluous [are \u2018for a profit\u2019] for the world, for example, bast for making ropes, twigs for a hedge for a vineyard. So even they serve for the benefit of the world.
\nE. \u201c \u2018A king makes himself servant to a field.\u2019 Even a king who rules from one end of the world to the other \u2018makes himself servant to a field.\u2019 If the earth yields a crop, he can do something, but if the earth does not yield a crop, he cannot do anything.
\nF. \u201cTherefore: \u2018He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver\u2019 [Qoh. 5:9]. If one loves money, he will not find satisfaction in money. For whoever covets and is greedy for money but has no real estate\u2014what enjoyment does he have [in his capital]?\u201d
\n2. A. R. Ishmael b. R. Tanhum, R. Nathan b. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Jeremiah: \u201cIt is written, \u2018They shall come down from their ships, [they shall stand upon the land]\u2019 [Ez. 27:29].
\nB. \u201cNow do we not know that they will stand upon the land [when they disembark]? But [the point is this:] Lo, if the ship of one of them sank in the sea, but he still owns real estate, \u2018He will stand upon the land.\u2019
\nC. \u201cBut if he has no real estate, you have no greater vanity than that.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Nehemiah said, \u201c \u2018For the superfluities of the land are among all of them.\u2019 Even things that you may regard as superfluities in the revelation of the Torah, for example, show fringes, phylacteries, and amulets for the doorpost, even they fall into the category of the revelation of the Torah [although laws concerning them are not spelled out].\u201d
\n4. A. \u201cAnd the Lord gave to me the two tablets of stone [written with the finger of God; and on them was written according to all the words]\u201d (Deut. 9:10).
\nB. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201c \u2018\u2026 on them,\u2019 \u2018and on them,\u2019 \u2018all \u2026 according to all,\u2019 \u2018things,\u2019 \u2018the things\u2019; \u2018commandment,\u2019 \u2018the entire commandment\u2019 [Deut. 8:1].
\nC. \u201c[Emphasizing the inclusive character of the formulations, e.g., emphasizing the \u2018and,\u2019 the \u2018according,\u2019 the \u2018the,\u2019 and the \u2018entire,\u2019 we treat the phrases as including] Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, Supplements, lore, and even what an experienced disciple is going to state before his master\u2014all of them were [originally] stated to Moses at Sinai.
\nD. \u201cFor it is said, \u2018Is there a thing of which it is said, \u201cSee, this is new\u201d?\u2019 [The Speaker\u2019s] companion answers, \u201cIt has been already in the ages before us\u201d (Qoh. 1:10).
\n5. A. \u201cA king makes himself servant to a field\u201d (Qoh. 5:8).
\nB. R. Judah and R. Huna:
\nC. R. Judah said, \u201c \u2018King\u2019 refers to a master of the Talmud. \u2018Makes himself servant to a field\u2019 refers to a master of the Mishnah, who arranges the law before him [the master of the Talmud].\u201d
\nD. R. Huna said, \u201c \u2018A king\u2019 refers to the master of the Mishnah. \u2018Makes himself servant to a field\u2019 refers to a master of Talmud, who readies the law before [the master of the Mishnah].\u201d
\n6. A. Therefore, \u201cHe who loves money will not be satisfied with money\u201d (Qoh. 5:10). He who loves Torah will not be satisfied with Torah.
\nB. For whoever covets and is greedy for teachings of Torah but has no disciple\u2014of what benefit to him is his learning?
\nC. R. Eleazar b. R. Abina said in the name of R. Aha: \u201cIf one has studied but not taught, you have no greater waste [vanity] than that!\u201d<\/p>\n
The first two of the sequence of five interpretations of the intersecting verse read it to speak first, of material possessions, second, of Torah. No. 1 takes up the former. Three elements of the verse define the exegetical task, first, the reference to what appears to be superfluous; second, the clause about the king as servant of a field; and finally, the saying about one who loves silver not being satisfied with silver. This m\u00e9lange of phrases then is given a single sense by Judah at No. 1, and by Nehemiah at No. 3. The latter viewed by itself is obviously truncated and inadequate to the task. In fact, Nos. 3, 5, and 6 are entirely in order. No. 1 bears a complement at No. 2. No. 3 enjoys a similar complement at No. 4. Nehemiah\u2019s point is that what looks to be superfluous in the Torah in fact is not, and No. 4 spells out that the language of the Torah is such as to encompass everything later on assigned to the status of the Torah. No. 5 proceeds to interpret within the thesis of Nehemiah the second of the three clauses, and No. 6 then provides the application of the same thesis to the third. So while the construction for the second thesis appears somewhat awkward, in fact it is as systematic and orderly as the treatment of the first hermeneutical approach to Qoh. 5:8\u20139.<\/p>\n
XXII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. And rabbis say, \u201c \u2018And the superfluities of the earth\u2019 [Qoh. 5:8] [is to be interpreted as follows:] \u2018Even things that you regard as superfluous in the world, such as flies, fleas, and gnats, also belong [within] the [purposeful] creation of the world.
\nB. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018And the heavens and the earth were finished [and all the host of them,\u2019 compassing flies, fleas, and gnats]\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 2:1).
\n2. A. \u201cA king is made servant to the field\u201d (Qoh. 5:8).
\nB. \u201cA king\u201d refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, concerning whom it is written, \u201cThe Lord is king, he is clothed in majesty\u201d (Ps. 93:1) [God is servant to Zion].
\nC. \u201cIs made servant to the field\u201d refers to Zion, concerning which it is written, \u201cZion will be ploughed like a field\u201d (Mic. 3:12).
\n3. A. Therefore: \u201cOne who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver\u201d (Qoh. 5:9): One who loves religious duties will not be satisfied with religious duties [successfully accomplished].
\nB. For whoever covets and is greedy for religious duties but does not have to his credit a religious duty [performed as he does] set up for coming generations\u2014what pleasure does he have?
\nC. You may know that this is the case, for lo, in the case of Moses, how many acts of religious duty and of righteousness did he carry out, and how many good deeds were to his credit. But he performed one religious duty as a model established for coming generations [and that is the important one for him].
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen Moses separated [three cities on the other side of the Jordan]\u201d (Deut. 4:41).<\/p>\n
The third thesis on the meaning of the three clauses, in the name of rabbis, does not invoke a single theory to cover and join all three elements. The first element concerns matter of creation, the second Zion, the third religious duties.<\/p>\n
XXII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd the superfluities of the earth with all\u201d (Qoh. 5:8).
\nB. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to the prophets, \u201cIf you do not carry out my mission, I shall have no messengers.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Aha, \u201cWith anything at all does the Holy One, blessed be he, carry out his mission, even with a snake, a scorpion, a frog, or a gnat.\u201d
\n2. A. Titus, the wicked, entered the house of the Holy of Holies, with his sword drawn in his hand. He pierced the two veils.
\nB. He took two whores and spread out a scroll of the Torah under them and fucked them on the altar.
\nC. And his \u201csword\u201d came out covered with blood.
\nD. There are some who say that it was covered with the blood of the holy things.
\nE. And there are some who say it was covered with the blood of the goat of the Day of Atonement.
\nF. He began to curse and blaspheme toward Heaven, saying, \u201cThe one who makes war with a king in the desert and conquers him is not the same as the one who makes war with the king in his own palace and conquers him!\u201d
\nG. What did he do? He collected all the utensils of the house of the sanctuary and put them into a single net and lowered them into a boat. When he had embarked, a powerful storm broke over the sea.
\nH. He said, \u201cIt appears to me that the power of the god of this nation rules only in water.
\nI. \u201cThe generation of Enosh was punished only by water, the generation of the Flood was punished only by water, the generation of the Dispersion was punished only by water, Pharaoh and his entire army were punished only by water. So as to me, when I was in his house and in his domain, he could not stand against me. Now he has gotten here before me.\u201d
\nJ. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cBy your life! By the least of all the creatures that I created in the six days of Creation I shall exact punishment of that wicked man.\u201d
\nK. Forthwith the Holy One, blessed be he, signaled to the sea and it ceased from its fury.
\nL. When [Titus] reached Rome, the citizens of Rome came out and celebrated him: \u201cVictor over the barbarians!\u201d
\nM. Then they heated the bath for him and he went in and bathed. When he came out, they mixed for him a double shot of a drink for after the bath.
\nN. The Holy One, blessed be he, prepared a gnat for him, and it flew into his nose. It just kept eating its way in until it reached his brain. It began to bore into his brain.
\nO. He said, \u201cCall the physicians to split open that wicked man\u2019s [my] skull, so that I may know how the god of that nation exacted vengeance from that wicked man [me].\u201d
\nP. Forthwith they called the physicians, who split open his skull, and they found in it something like a young pigeon, weighing two litres.
\nQ. Said R. Eleazar b. R. Yose, \u201cI was there, and they put the pigeon on one side and two litre weights on the other side, and each one weighed exactly what the other did.\u201d
\nR. They took it and put it into a bowl. Just as this one [the pigeon] changed, so that one changed.
\nS. When the gnat flew off, the soul of the wicked Titus flew off.<\/p>\n
No. 2 serves to support Aha\u2019s view. The exegesis of the intersecting verse consists in the dispute of No. 1. The rest is autonomous and inserted whole.<\/p>\n
XXII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation of \u201cAnd the superfluities of the earth.\u201d
\nB. R. Tanhuma said [what follows], so too R. Menahama, R. Berekhiah, R. Helbo, and R. Aha repeated the story:
\nC. There was a man who was standing on the bank of a river and saw a frog carrying a scorpion across the river. He said, \u201cThis [frog] is appointed to carry out its mission.\u201d
\nD. The frog carried it across the river and went its way and then [when the scorpion had] carried out its mission, [the frog] came and brought it back to its place.
\n2. A. R. Phineas in the name of R. Yohanan of Sepphoris: \u201cThere was a case of a man who was standing and digging in a valley in Bet Shipa. He saw a certain sort of grass and picked it and made it into a wreath for his head. A snake came by. The man hit it and killed it.
\nB. A charmer came along and stopped. He saw the snake and said, \u201cI am amazed at whoever killed that snake.\u201d
\nC. The man said, \u201cI am the one who killed it.\u201d
\nD. [The charmer] looked up and saw the grass made into a wreath on the man\u2019s head. He said to him, \u201cIt is true that you killed it.\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cCan you lift up the grass from your head?\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nG. When he had lifted up the wreath, he said to him, \u201cCan you touch the snake with this stick?\u201d
\nH. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nI. When he touched the snake, its limbs forthwith fell apart.
\n3. A. R. Yannai was once in session repeating [traditions] at the gate of the city. He saw a snake coming along in an agitated way. He drove it away on one side, and it came back on the other side.
\nB. He said, \u201cThis is appointed to carry out its mission.\u201d
\nC. Forthwith a report circulated in the town: \u201cSo-and-so, son of So-and-so\u2014a snake has bit him and he has died.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Eleazar was sitting and defecating in the privy. A Roman came along and made him get up and sat down in his place. [Eleazar] said, \u201cThis is not for nothing.\u201d
\nB. Forthwith a snake came and struck and killed that Roman. Eleazar recited the following verse in his own regard: \u201c \u2018And I shall give a man (Adam) in your place\u2019 [Is. 43:4]\u2014\u2018I shall give an Edomite (Edom) in your place.\u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. R. Isaac b. Eleazar was standing at the crag by the sea at Caesarea, and he saw a thigh bone rolling along and coming toward him. [He picked it up] and sought to put it away, but it continued rolling. He said, \u201cThis is appointed to carry out its mission.\u201d
\nB. After some days a courier passed by. The bone rolled over between his feet, and the courier stumbled over it and fell and died.
\nC. They went and searched him and found that he was carrying evil decrees against the Jews of Caesarea.
\n6. A. R. Simeon b. Halapta was someone who studied [natural] things. He had an orchard. One time he was sitting in it. There was in the orchard a sycamore tree. He saw that a hoopoe was building itself a nest in it. He said, \u201cI don\u2019t want to have that unclean bird in this orchard.\u201d R. Simeon b. Halapta went and destroyed the nest.
\nB. The hoopoe came and repaired it.
\nC. R. Simeon b. Halapta went and destroyed it.
\nD. The hoopoe went and repaired it.
\nE. What did R. Simeon b. Halapta do? He went and brought a board and put it over the cranny of the tree and nailed it in.
\nF. What did the hoopoe bird do? It went and brought a certain kind of herb and put it over the nail and burned it.
\nG. What did R. Simeon b. Halapta do? He said, \u201cIt is best for me to hide away that herb so that thieves will not learn to do the same thing and destroy the entire world.\u201d
\n7. A. The she-ass of R. Yannai ate a certain herb and was blinded. Then it ate another herb and regained its sight.
\nB. There was the case of two men who were walking along in the paths around Tiberias, one blind and the other sighted. The man with eyesight supported the other. They sat down to rest by the wayside.
\nC. It happened that they ate that herb.
\nD. The blind man regained his sight, and the sighted man became blind.
\nE. So they did not leave the spot before the one who had been blind was supporting the one who had had eyesight.
\n8. A. There was a case concerning one who was coming up from Babylonia. He sat down to rest by the wayside, and he saw two birds fighting with one another on the road, and one of them killed the other. The other bird went and brought a certain herb and put it on the dead bird and brought it back to life.
\nB. The man said, \u201cIt would be wise for me to take this sort of herb and with it raise the dead of the Land of Israel.\u201d
\nC. As he was going along, he saw a dead fox moldering on the way. He said, \u201cIt would be wise to try out the herb on this fox.\u201d He put some on the fox, and it came back to life.
\nD. He went along and came up until he reached the Ladder of Tyre. When he reached the Ladder of Tyre, he saw a dead lion moldering in the way. He said, \u201cIt would be wise to try out the herb on the lion.\u201d He put some of the herb on the lion and it came back to life.
\nE. [The lion] went and ate the man.
\nF. That is the meaning of the saying which people pass around: \u201cIf you do good to the bad, you have done a bad thing. Do not do good to the bad, and the bad will not get at you.\u201d
\n9. A. Said R. Tanhuma, \u201cEven with water does the Holy One, blessed be he, carry out his mission.
\nB. \u201cThere was the case of a man suffering from boils who went down to immerse in the lake at Tiberias. It so happened that he floated into the well of Miriam and was healed.\u201d
\nC. Where is Miriam\u2019s well?
\nD. Said R. Hiyya b. R. Abba, \u201cIt is written, \u2018It is seen upon the face of Yeshimon\u2019 [Num. 21:20]. Whoever goes up to the top of Mount Yeshimon will see a kind of small sieve in the lake at Tiberias. This is the well of Miriam.\u201d
\nE. Said R. Yohanan b. Mare, \u201cOur rabbis surveyed it, and it is directly opposite the middle gate of the old synagogue of Tiberias.\u201d<\/p>\n
The entire set carries forward the proposition of the preceding one, which is that nothing is superfluous and everything has its mission.<\/p>\n
XXII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. Toma b. R. Pappa in the name of R. Judah b. R. Simon: \u201c[During] the prohibition of high places the Israelites in the wilderness offered sacrifices [on high places], until the tabernacle was set up.
\nB. \u201cFor we have learned there [M. Zeb. 14:4]: \u2018Before the tabernacle was set up, the high places were permitted, and the sacrificial service was done by the firstborn. When the tabernacle was set up, the high places were prohibited, and the sacrificial service was done by priests.\u2019
\nC. \u201cAnd the Israelites [made sacrifices despite] the prohibition of high places in the wilderness, and [as a result] punishment came upon them.
\nD. \u201cThe nations of the world were saying, \u2018These carry out service to his name, and yet he kills them.\u2019
\nE. \u201cTherefore the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Moses, \u2018Go say to Israel: \u201cIf any man of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, [to offer it as a gift to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood guilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices which they slay in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the door of the tent of meeting, and slay them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord]\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Lev. 17:3\u20135).<\/p>\n
This passage brings us back to the base verse with which we began. But there is no connection, so far as I can see, to the intersecting verse (compare Margulies, p. 511, to p. 5). This passage cannot serve as a conclusion to XXII:I\u2013IV. It is autonomous. The way in which the exegete proposed to regain his base verse, after the systematic exegesis of the intersecting one, therefore is not at hand.<\/p>\n
XXII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cHe who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man; [he who sacrifices a lamb, like him who breaks a dog\u2019s neck; he who presents a cereal offering like him who offers swine\u2019s blood; he who makes a memorial offering of frankincense, like him who blesses an idol]\u201d (Is. 66:3).
\nB. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nC. R. Yohanan said, \u201cWhoever steals something worth even a penny from his fellow is regarded as if he killed him.
\nD. \u201cAnd numerous verses of Scripture [serve to prove] this [proposition]:
\nE. \u201c \u2018He who slaughters an ox is like him who kills a man\u2019 [Is. 66:3]
\nF. \u201c \u2018He learned to seize prey, he ate a man\u2019 [Ez. 19:6].
\nG. \u201c \u2018So is the way of everyone who is greedy, it is as if he took the life of the owner\u2019 [Prov. 1:19].
\nH. \u201c \u2018For the robbery of the children of Judah, as they shed innocent blood\u2019 [Joel 3:19].
\nI. \u201c \u2018And they said to the king, \u201cThe man that consumed us [and planned to destroy us, so that we should have no place in all the territory of Israel, let seven of his sons be given to us, so that we may hang them up before the Lord at Gibeon on the mountain of the Lord]\u201d \u2019 [2 Sam. 21:5\u20136].
\nJ. \u201cDid [Saul] actually kill [the Gibeonites] or conspire against them? But because he wiped out Nob, the city of the priests, which had provided food for them, Scripture regarded it as if he had killed them.\u201d
\nK. R. Simeon b. Laqish transposed the texts: \u201c \u2018He who kills a man is like him who slaughters an ox; he who breaks a dog\u2019s neck is like him who sacrifices a lamb; he who offers swine\u2019s blood is like him who presents a cereal offering; he who blesses an idol is like him who makes a memorial offering of frankincense. These have chosen their own ways, [and the soul delights in their abominations\u2019]\u201d (Is. 66:3).
\n2. A. R. Eleazar asked R. Haninah,
\nB. and there are those who say that R. Hanina asked R. Eleazar, but is it possible that the master should ask the disciple [such a question]? Rather, he wanted only to examine him\u2014
\nC. He said to him, \u201cWhat is the meaning of the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Two things I ask of thee, [deny them not to me before I die; remove far from me] falsehood and lying; [give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with the food that is needful for me,] lest I be full and deny thee, [and say, Who is the Lord? lest I be poor and steal and profane the name of my God]\u2019 [Prov. 30:7\u20139].
\nD. \u201cWhich of the two things is the more serious crime, the former [idolatry, saying \u2018Who is the Lord?\u2019] or the latter [stealing and profaning the name of God]?\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cThe second.\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cWe find that the Holy One, blessed be he, forgave idolatry, but he did not forgive profanation of the divine name.
\nG. \u201cAnd how do we know that the Holy One, blessed be he, forgave idolatry? As it is said, \u2018As for you, O House of Israel, [thus says the Lord God]: \u201cGo serve everyone of you his idols, [now and hereafter, if you will not listen to me\u201d \u2019] [Ez. 20:39].
\nH. \u201cAnd it further is written, \u2018But my holy name you shall no more profane [with your gifts and your idols]\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 20:39).
\n3. A. The Israelites in the wilderness [made sacrifices despite] the prohibition of high places and [as a result] punishment came upon them.
\nB. The nations of the world were noticing this and saying, \u201cThese carry out service in his name, and yet he kills them.\u201d
\nC. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Moses, \u201cGo, say to Israel, \u2018Be careful not to make offerings when high places are prohibited.\u2019
\nD. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel: \u201cIf any man of the house of Israel kills [an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, and does not bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, to offer it as a gift to the Lord before the tabernacle of the Lord, blood guilt shall be imputed to that man]\u201d (Lev. 17:3ff.).<\/p>\n
The cited text is taken to refer to slaughtering a beast outside of the cult, and so to speak directly to the rule of Lev. 17:3. But the treatment of the verse at No. 1 in no way refers to Lev. 17:3, which is not formally a base verse. Yohanan\u2019s view is expressed at 1.C. There both the intersecting verse and the base verse serve as proof texts for Yohanan\u2019s proposition. Then the interests of the exegesis of neither verse may be said to dictate the construction. Simeon b. Laqish treats only the cited verse. He accuses the people of treating as trivial the most serious offenses, for example, if someone kills a man, people regard it as no more blameworthy than if he had slaughtered an ox, and so on. The people did not know good from evil. No. 2 then is tacked on to Simeon b. Laqish\u2019s statement. No. 3 serves as a conventional subscription, with no relationship whatever to the antecedent materials. In all, the construction cannot be declared a success, if we want to find the base verse illuminated by the intersecting one. It is a construction of a different order entirely.<\/p>\n
XXII:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Ishmael and R. Aqiba:
\nB. R. Ishmael said, \u201c[The provision of slaughter of beasts at the door of the tabernacle] constituted a remission of a generally prohibited action.
\nC. \u201cFor the Israelites had been forbidden to eat meat under secular circumstances at all in the wilderness [and could eat only meat that derived from an animal that had been slaughtered as an offering of the cult]. So Scripture now served only to permit them to eat meat under secular circumstances by means of appropriate [ritual] slaughter in accord with the cultic requirements.\u201d
\nD. R. Aqiba said, \u201cLo, [the provision of slaughter of beasts at the door of the tabernacle] constituted the imposition of a prohibition against what had formerly been a generally permitted action.
\nE. \u201cFor the Israelites in the wilderness had killed animals by stabbing them and eating them. The Scripture then served only to prohibit that action and to limit them to killing all beasts through appropriate [ritual] slaughter in accord with the cultic requirements.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Ishmael taught, \u201cSince the Israelites in the wilderness had been forbidden to eat meat under secular circumstances [but could do so only if the animal had been slaughtered as an offering of the cult], therefore Scripture admonished them to bring their offerings to the priests, so that a priest might slaughter and receive [the animal\u2019s blood].
\nB. \u201cEven though the owner of the beast sat all day long and gave thought [to the purpose for which the animal was to be slaughtered, e.g., to an idol], everything is in the end determined by the intention of the one who actually slaughters the beast.\u201d
\n3. A. And why does Scripture make reference to the act of slaughter two times, \u201cIf any man \u2026 kills an ox \u2026 or kills it \u2026\u201d (Lev. 17:3)?
\nB. It was taught in the name of R. Yudan, \u201cThese refer to the two rules governing proper slaughter: (1) the greater part of the two vital organs of the throat, the windpipe and the gullet, must be cut in the case of a beast, and (2) the greater part of one of them in the case of fowl.\u201d<\/p>\n
The sense, rather than the language, of the base verse comes under discussion. The issue, as is clearly phrased at 1.B, D, is whether the intent is to prohibit something formerly permitted, or to permit something formerly prohibited, as explained at C, E. No. 2 then expands upon Ishmael\u2019s view. No. 3 provides a quite separate exegesis, now of the language of the base verse.<\/p>\n
XXII:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Phineas in the name of R. Levi, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a prince who developed a craving and habitually ate carrion meat and terefah meat. The king said, \u2018This one will always eat at my table, so on his own he will desist.\u2019
\nB. \u201cLikewise, since the Israelites in Egypt lusted after idolatry and would bring their offerings to satyrs,
\nC. \u201cand satyrs can only be demons, as it is said, \u2018They sacrifice to demons, not gods\u2019 [Deut. 32:17], and demons can only be satyrs, as it is said, \u2018And satyrs will dance there\u2019 [Is. 13:21],
\nD. \u201cthe Israelites in the wilderness made sacrifices despite the prohibition of high places and [as a result] punishment came upon them.
\nE. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Let them bring offerings to me any time in the tent of meeting, so that they will be separated from idolatry and so be saved.\u2019
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture, \u2018If any man of the house of Israel \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 17:3).<\/p>\n
My sense is that this passage develops Ishmael\u2019s viewpoint, XXII:VII. 2. B. The Israelites in the wilderness had improper intentions, so they were required to bring their animals to the priest for slaughter. At any rate the point of the present passage is entirely clear. Now the notion that the Israelites had been punished even though they made sacrifices closely links to Lev. 17:3. We realize why they were punished, and how Lev. 17:3 averted the evil decree. Only C breaks the flow of discourse, so, at last, we have a well-constructed passage.<\/p>\n
XXII:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Yose b. R. Haninah, \u201cSacrifice on a high place [once the prohibition had taken effect] could be permitted only by a prophet.
\nB. \u201cWhat is the Scriptural basis for that view?
\nC. \u201c \u2018Take heed that you do not offer your burnt offerings [at every place that you see,] but at the place which the Lord your God will choose\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 12:13).
\nD. Did Elijah make an offering on a high place at the time that the high places were forbidden?
\nE. Said R. Simlai, \u201cThe Divine Word had told him [that it was all right to do so.]
\nF. \u201c[That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And at the time of the offering of the oblation Elijah the prophet gave ear and said, \u201cO Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and that I am your servant,] and that I have done all these things at your word\u201d \u2019 [1 Kings 18:36].
\nG. \u201cIt was on account of your word that I have done so.\u201d
\nH. R. Yohanan b. R. Mareh derived that proposition from the following: \u201cThen Joshua built [an altar in Mount Ebal to the Lord, the God of Israel as Moses, the servant of the Lord, had commanded the people of Israel]\u201d (Josh. 8:30).
\nI. I know only that that is the case [that the high place was built at the word of a prophet] of Joshua [Mount Ebal]. How do we know [that the same is so of that built by] Gideon?
\nJ. \u201cAnd it came to pass that same night that the Lord said to him, \u2018Take your father\u2019s bullock [\u2026 and build an altar \u2026 on the top of this stronghold]\u2019 \u201d (Jud. 6:25).
\nK. R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cSeven transgressions were permitted through the bullock offered by Gideon: the wood came from an Asherah; the stones on which it was offered were invalid; the beast had been designated for idolatry; it had been worshipped; it was done by a nonpriest; it was at night; and it was at the time at which high places were prohibited.\u201d
\nL. I know only that that is the case in respect to Gideon.
\nM. How do I know [that it applies also to the altar built by] Samuel?
\nN. \u201cSo Samuel took a sucking lamb [and offered it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord and Samuel cried to the Lord for Israel, and the Lord answered him]\u201d (1 Sam. 7:9).
\nO. Said R. Ba bar Kahana, \u201cThree transgressions were committed through the lamb offered by Samuel: It and its hide [were offered up, without flaying]; it was yet too young; and Samuel was a Levite [not a priest].\u201d
\nP. Said R. Jonah, \u201cAs to that matter, there is nothing to be derived from the case.\u201d
\nQ. And he who wants to derive a lesson should accord with that which was said by R. Samuel bar Nahman, \u201c \u2018Then he would come back to Ramah, for his home was there, [and there also he administered justice to Israel. And he built there an altar to the Lord]\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 7:17).<\/p>\n
The general theme of sacrificing on the high places unites the construction at hand to Lev. 17:3. But nothing in the base verse interests the framers, whose materials are not particular to the present collection at all but occur at Y. Meg. 1:11\u201312.<\/p>\n
XXII:X<\/p>\n
1. A. [\u201cWho executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord permits what is forbidden\u201d (Ps. 146:7).] \u201cWho executes justice for the oppressed\u201d refers to Israel, concerning whom is written, \u201cThus says the Lord, the children of Israel are oppressed\u201d (Jer. 50:33).
\nB. \u201cWho gives food to the hungry\u201d (Ps. 146:7) refers to Israel, concerning whom it is written, \u201cAnd he afflicted you and made you suffer hunger\u201d (Deut. 8:3).
\nC. \u201cThe Lord permits what is forbidden\u201d (Ps. 146:7): \u201cWhat I forbade to you, I have permitted to you.
\nD. \u201cI forbade the abdominal fat in the case of domesticated cattle but permitted it in the case of wild beasts.
\nE. \u201cI forbade you to eat the sciatic nerve in a wild beast, but I permitted it to you in fowl.
\nF. \u201cI forbade you beasts not killed through proper slaughter in the case of fowl, but I permitted the same in the case of fish.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Aha, R. Bisna, and R. Jonathan in the name of R. Meir: \u201cMore that I prohibited to you, I permitted to you.
\nB. \u201cI forbade you to have sexual relations in the presence of menstrual blood, but I permitted you to have sexual relations despite the presence of hymeneal blood.
\nC. \u201cI forbade you [to have sexual relations with] a married woman but I permitted you [to have sexual relations with] a captive woman [regardless of her marital status].
\nD. \u201cI forbade you [to have sexual relations with] a brother\u2019s wife [or widow], but I permitted you [to marry] the deceased childless brother\u2019s widow.
\nE. \u201cI forbade you to marry a woman along with her sister, but I permitted you to do so after the sister [you married] had died.
\nF. \u201cI forbade you to wear a garment made of mixed species [wool and linen], but I permitted you to wear a linen cloak with show fringes made of wool.
\nG. \u201cI forbade you to eat the meat of a pig, but I permitted you to eat the tongue of a fish [which tastes like pork].
\nH. \u201cI forbade you to eat abdominal fat [of a beast], but I permitted you to eat ordinary fat.
\nI. \u201cI forbade you to eat blood, but I permitted you to eat liver.
\nJ. \u201cI forbade you to eat meat with milk, but I permitted you to eat the cow\u2019s udder.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Menahama, R. Aha, R. Yohanan in the name of R. Jonathan: \u201cIn place of whatever I forbade to you, I permitted something to you.
\nB. \u201cIn place of the prohibition of certain kinds of fish [you may eat] the Leviathan, a clean fish.
\nC. \u201cIn place of the prohibition of certain kinds of fowl [you may eat] ziz, a clean bird.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I know all the fowl of the mountains, and the ziz of the fields is mine\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 50:11).
\nE. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cWhen it spreads its wings, it darkens the orb of the sun.
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Does the nes soar by your wisdom, [and spread its wings toward the south]\u2019 \u201d (Job 39:26).
\nG. And why is it called a ziz? Because it has many kinds of tastes, a taste on this side (MZH), a taste on that side (MZH).
\n4. A. In place of the prohibition of certain domesticated beasts, [you may eat] \u201cCattle on a thousand hills\u201d (Ps. 50:10).
\nB. R. Yohanan, R. Simeon b. Laqish, and rabbis:
\nC. R. Yohanan said, \u201cIt is a single beast, but it crouches down on a thousand hills, and a thousand hills provide [fodder] for it in diverse grasses, and it eats.
\nD. \u201cWhat is the verse of Scripture supporting this view? \u2018Surely the mountains bring forth food for it\u2019 \u201d (Job 40:20).
\nE. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cIt is a single beast, but it crouches down on a thousand hills, and a thousand hills provide for it diverse kinds of food fit for consumption by the righteous, and it eats them.
\nF. \u201cWhat verse of Scripture supports this view? \u2018And Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, [and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people that have sought me]\u2019 \u201d (Is. 65:10).
\nG. And rabbis say, \u201cIt is a single beast, but it crouches down on a thousand hills, and a thousand hills produce for it all sorts of domesticated beasts, and it eats [of them].
\nH. \u201cWhat is the verse of Scripture that proves that point? \u2018All the beasts of the field play there\u2019 \u201d (Job 40:20).
\nI. But is it possible that a cow should eat a cow?
\nJ. Said R. Tanhuma, \u201cGreat are the deeds of our God. But how egregious, too, are the deeds of the Holy One, blessed be he.\u201d
\nK. From whence does it [the vast beast under discussion, the behemoth] drink?
\nL. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nM. R. Yohanan said, \u201cWhatever the Jordan pours forth for six months the beast can drink in a single gulp.
\nN. \u201cWhat is the verse of Scripture that proves that fact? \u2018Behold, if a river overflows, it does not tremble\u2019 \u201d (Job 40:23).
\nO. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cWhatever the Jordan pours forth for twelve months, the beast can drink in a single gulp.
\nP. \u201cWhat is the verse of Scripture that proves that fact? \u2018It is confident, for the Jordan rushes forth to its mouth\u2019 \u201d (Job 40:23).
\nQ. And all that water contains [merely enough] to wet its mouth.
\nR. R. Huna in the name of R. Joseph said, \u201cThere is not even enough to wet its mouth.\u201d
\nS. And whence does it drink?
\nT. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201cA river flows forth from Eden, called the Jubal, and that is whence it drinks.
\nU. \u201cAnd what is the Scriptural proof for this view? \u2018That spreads out its roots by Yubal\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 17:8).
\n5. A. Said R. Meir, \u201c \u2018[But ask the beasts, and they will teach you, the birds of the air, and they will tell you, or speak to the fields of the earth, and they will teach you, and the fish of the sea will declare to you. Who among these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?]\u2019 [Job 12:7\u20139].
\nB. \u201c \u2018Ask of the beasts and they will teach you\u2019 refers to Behemoth.
\nC. \u201c \u2018The birds of the air, and they will tell you\u2019 refers to the ziz of the fields.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Speak to the fields, and they will teach you\u2019 refers to the Garden of Eden.
\nE. \u201c \u2018And the fish of the sea will declare to you\u2019\u2014this refers to Leviathan.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The relevance to Lev. 17:3 of this construction is tenuous. The Israelites were forbidden to eat meat slaughtered in secular settings, so Lev. 17:3. But that sort of meat, not slaughtered for a sacrifice, later on would be permitted, when the Israelites entered the Promised Land. Accordingly, what had been forbidden would later on be permitted, as at Nos. 1\u20133. That is the sole point of contact\u2014and it is not made explicit! The materials run on in their own path, therefore, without the slightest interest in the base verse or even in its theme.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Three<\/p>\n
XXIII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[And the Lord said to Moses, Say to the people of Israel, I am the Lord your God.] You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt [where you dwelt, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you]\u201d (Lev. 18:1\u20133).
\nB. R. Isaac opened [discourse by citing the following verse]: \u201c \u2018As a rose among thorns, [so is my love among maidens]\u2019 \u201d (Song 2:2).
\nC. R. Isaac interpreted the verse to speak of Rebecca: \u201c \u2018And Isaac was forty years old when he took as his wife Rebecca, daughter of Bethuel, the Aramaean of Paddan-aram, sister of Laban the Aramaean\u2019 [Gen. 25:20].
\nD. \u201cWhy does Scripture find it necessary to say that she was the sister of Laban the Aramaean? Has not the fact that she was the daughter of Bethuel the Aramaean already been stated?
\nE. \u201cWhy does Scripture find it necessary to say that she was the daughter of Bethuel? Has not the fact that she was the sister of Laban the Aramaean already been stated?
\nF. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018The girl\u2019s father is a deceiver, her brother is a deceiver, and the people in the place where she grew up are deceivers. This righteous woman has emerged from their midst. Among them she is like \u2018a rose among thorns.\u2019 \u201d
\nG. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Simon brings proof from the following verse [for the same proposition]: \u201c \u2018And Isaac sent Jacob away, and he went to Paddan-aram, to Laban, son of Bethuel, the Aramaean, brother of Rebecca, mother of Jacob and Esau\u2019 [Gen. 28:5]. He included them all in the same circle of deception.\u201d<\/p>\n
The point is that Rebecca did not follow the patterns of her surroundings. In due course, the theme at hand, Israel\u2019s not aping the Egyptians or Canaanites, will emerge along the same lines.<\/p>\n
XXIII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Eleazar interpreted the same verse to speak of those who came forth from Egypt: \u201c \u2018Like a rose among thorns:\u2019
\nB. \u201cJust as it is difficult to pick a rose [among thorns], so it was hard to redeem the Israelites from Egypt.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Or has God tried to come to take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 4:34).
\n2. A. R. Joshua b. R. Nehemiah in the name of R. Samuel b. Pazzi: \u201c \u2018A nation from the midst of a people\u2019 is not written here, nor [do we find], \u2018a people from the midst of a nation,\u2019 but, \u2018a nation from the midst of a nation.\u2019
\nB. \u201cFor [the Egyptians] were uncircumcised, and the Israelites also were uncircumcised. The Egyptians grew [ceremonial] locks, and so did the Israelites. The Egyptians wore garments made of mixed species, and so did the Israelites.
\nC. \u201cTherefore by the measure of strict justice, the Israelites ought not have been redeemed from Egypt.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nahmani, \u201cIf the Holy One, blessed be he, had not bound himself by an oath, the Israelites would never have been redeemed from Egypt.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Therefore say to the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I shall take you out of the burdens of Egypt\u2019 [Ex. 6:6].
\nF. \u201cThe language, \u2018therefore,\u2019 can refer only to an oath, as it is said, \u2018Therefore I take an oath concerning the house of Eli\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 3:14).
\n3. A. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201c \u2018You have redeemed your people with your arm\u2019 [Ps. 77:16]\u2014with naked power (tyranny).\u201d
\nB. Said R. Yudan, \u201cFrom the phrase, \u2018To go and take a nation from the midst of another nation\u2019 to the phrase \u2018great terrors\u2019 [Deut. 4:34] are seventy-two letters.
\nC. \u201cShould you claim there are more, you should deduct from the count the last reference to \u2018nation [= Egypt],\u2019 which does not count.\u201d
\nD. R. Abin said, \u201cIt was for the sake of his name that he redeemed them, and the name of the Holy One, blessed be he, consists of seventy-two letters.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once No. 1 introduces a proof text, 1.C, the remainder of the construction concentrates its exegesis on the cited text, even though nothing at Nos. 2 or 3 bears any close, formal relationship to No. 1. The notion that it was difficult to redeem the Israelites, however, may be held to have expanded to the conception that the condition of the Israelites themselves made it difficult for God to redeem them. So No. 2 may relate in some secondary way, but No. 3 is completely irrelevant and therefore must have been drawn along because it is part of an established composite.<\/p>\n
XXIII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Judah b. R. Simon in the name of R. Azariah interpreted the cited verse to speak of Israel before Mount Sinai:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Like a rose among thorns:\u2019 The matter may be compared to a king who had an orchard. He planted in it rows upon rows of figs, grapevines, and pomegranates. After a while the king went down to his vineyard and found it filled with thorns and brambles. He brought woodcutters to cut it down. But he found in the orchard a single red rose. He took it and smelled it and regained his serenity and said, \u2018This rose is worthy that the entire orchard be saved on its account.\u2019
\nC. \u201cSo too the entire world was created only on account of the Torah. For twenty-six generations, the Holy One, blessed be he, looked down upon his world and saw it full of thorns and brambles, for example, the Generation of Enosh, the Generation of the Flood, and the Sodomites.
\nD. \u201cHe planned to render the world useless and to destroy it, as it is said, \u2018The Lord sat enthroned at the flood\u2019 [Ps. 29:10].
\nE. \u201cBut he found in the world a single red rose, Israel, that was destined to stand before Mount Sinai and to say before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Whatever the Lord has said we shall do and we shall hear\u2019 [Ex. 24:7].
\nF. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, Israel is worthy that the entire world be saved on its account.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The intersecting text once more is expounded within the framework of the base text. The result is a harmonious union of proposition and image.<\/p>\n
XXIII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Hanan of Sepphoris interpreted the verse to speak of acts of loving kindness [that one may do by helping others carry out their liturgical obligations]:
\nB. \u201cTen [men] entered a synagogue to say their prayers, but they did not know how to say the Shema and to go before the ark [to recite the Prayer]. But there was among them one who did know how to say the Shema and how to go before the ark.
\nC. \u201cAmong them he was like \u2018a rose among thorns.\u2019
\nD. \u201c[The matter may further be compared] to the case of ten [men] who went in to greet the bride, but did not know how to say the blessings for the bride and groom. But there was among them one who knew how to say the blessing for bride and groom.
\nE. \u201cAmong them he was like \u2018a rose among thorns.\u2019
\nF. \u201c[The matter may further be compared] to ten who went into a house of mourning, but did not know how to say the blessing for mourners. But one among them did know how to say the blessing for mourners.
\nG. \u201cAmong them he was like \u2018a rose among thorns.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Eleazar Hisma went to a certain place. The people said to him, \u201cDoes the rabbi know how to recite the Shema?\u201d
\nB. He said to them, \u201cNo.\u201d
\nC. They said to him, \u201cDoes the rabbi know how to come near [to recite the prayer before the ark]?\u201d
\nD. He said to them, \u201cNo.\u201d
\nE. They said to him, \u201cIt is for nothing that people call you a rabbi!\u201d
\nF. His face turned white. He went to R. Aqiba, and he looked sick. He said to him, \u201cWhat\u2019s with you? You look sick.\u201d
\nG. He repeated the story to him.
\nH. He said to him, \u201cDoes the rabbi wish to learn?\u201d
\nI. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nJ. After he had learned, he went to the same place. They said to him, \u201cDoes the rabbi know how to recite the Shema?\u201d
\nK. He said to them, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nL. \u201cDoes the rabbi know how to draw near [the ark to recite the prayer]?\u201d
\nM. He said to them, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nN. They said to him, \u201cLo, Eleazar has regained the power of speech,\u201d and they called him R. Eleazar Hisma [= who can speak].
\nO. R. Jonah would teach his disciples even the blessing for bride and groom, and even the blessing for mourners, saying to them, \u201cYou should be masters in every detail.\u201d<\/p>\n
We have now left the base verse entirely and deal only with illustrations of the stated simile, things \u201clike a rose among thorns.\u201d No. 1 gives several examples of the same basic idea, and No. 2 tacks on a story relevant to the examples but not to the simile. The point of No. 2 is that rabbis studied other things than everyday liturgy.<\/p>\n
XXIII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Hanina son of R. Idi interpreted the verse to speak of the current generations:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Like a rose among thorns:\u2019 Just as, when the north wind blows on the rose, it bends southward, and a thorn pricks it, and when the south wind blows, it bends northward, and a thorn pricks it, and all the while, the heart [of its stem] points upward,
\nC. \u201cso even though Israel is enslaved among the nations of the world by surcharges, head taxes, and confiscations, nonetheless their heart points upward toward their father in heaven.
\nD. \u201cSo did David say, \u2018My heart is steadfast, O God, my heart is steadfast. I will sing and make melody!\u2019 [Ps. 57:8]. And what is further written? \u2018My eyes are always toward the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 25:15).
\n2. A. R. Abihu interpreted the cited verse to speak of the coming redemption:
\nB. \u201c \u2018Like a rose among thorns:\u2019 Just as when a householder wants to pick a rose, he burns [the thorns] around it and plucks it,
\nC. \u201cso: \u2018The Lord has commanded concerning Jacob that those who are around him should be his enemies\u2019 [Lam. 1:17].
\nD. \u201cFor example, Halamo [which is gentile, is enemy] to Naweh [which is Israelite], Susita to Tiberias, Qastra to Haifa, Jericho to Nauran, Lud to Ono.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018This is Jerusalem. I have set her in the midst of the gentiles\u2019 [Ez. 5:5].
\nF. \u201cTomorrow, when redemption comes to Israel, what will the Holy One, blessed be he, do to them? He will bring a flame and burn [the area] around [Israel].
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the peoples will be as burnings of lime, as thorns cut down that are burned in fire\u2019 \u201d (Is. 33:12).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse now is made to address Israel\u2019s present and future condition. Though surrounded by thorns, the rose, Israel, still remains loyal to God and will be saved as a rose is plucked, by fire. 2.B continues at 2.F.<\/p>\n
XXIII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cLike a rose among thorns:\u201d
\nB. Just as roses are only for occasions of rejoicing,
\nC. so Israel was created only for carrying out religious duties and doing good deeds.
\n2. A. Another interpretation of \u201cLike a rose among thorns:\u201d
\nB. Just as a rose is only for the scent, so the righteous were created only for the redemption of Israel.
\n3. A. Another interpretation of \u201cLike a rose among thorns:\u201d
\nB. Just as a rose is placed on the table of kings at the beginning and end of a meal, so Israel will be in both this world and the world to come.
\n4. A. Another interpretation of \u201cLike a rose among thorns:\u201d
\nB. Just as a rose is made ready for the Sabbath and festivals, so Israel is made ready for the coming redemption.
\n5. A. Another interpretation of \u201cLike a rose among thorns:\u201d
\nB. Just as it is easy to tell a rose from the thorns, so it is easy to tell the Israelites from the nations of the world.
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAll those who see them will recognize them\u201d (Is. 61:9).
\n6. A. Another interpretation of \u201cLike a rose among thorns:\u201d
\nB. Just as a rose wilts so long as the hot spell persists, but [when the hot spell passes] and dew [TL for SL] falls on it, the rose thrives again, so for Israel, so long as the shadow of Esau falls across the world, as it were Israel wilts.
\nC. But when the shadow of Esau passes from the world, Israel will once more thrive.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cI shall be like the dew for Israel. It will blossom like a rose\u201d (Hos. 14:6).<\/p>\n
The stress on the intersecting verse continues to play on the theme the base verse and its interests, Israel\u2019s superiority over the gentiles. All of the similes play out the theme of redemption.<\/p>\n
XXIII:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to Moses, \u2018Say to Israel, \u201cMy children, when you were in Egypt, you were like a rose among thorns. Now you come into the land of Canaan, you shall be like a rose among thorns.
\nB. \u201c \u2018 \u201cBe careful not to do deeds like those of this party or that.\u201d \u2019
\nC. \u201cTherefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u2018You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you. You shall not walk in their statutes\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 18:3).
\n2. A. R. Isaac opened [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018Son of man, there were two women, [the daughters of one mother; they played the harlot in Egypt; they played the harlot in their youth]\u2019 [Ez. 23:2].
\nB. \u201cBoth of them came from one mother, both of them from one sac.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The sons of Ham: Cush and Egypt, Put and Canaan\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 10:6).
\nD. Said R. Honia, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a king who had an only daughter, and he gave her a dwelling in an alleyway, in which all of the other residents turned out to be whores.
\nE. \u201cHe went and gave her a dwelling in another alley, in which all the other inhabitants turned out to be whores and witches.
\nF. \u201cHer father said to her, \u2018My daughter, be careful not to act either like these or like those.\u2019
\nG. \u201cSo when the Israelites were in Egypt, the Egyptians were whoremasters, \u2018whose members were like those of asses\u2019 [Ez. 23:20].
\nH. \u201cAnd when they came into the land of Canaan, the Canaanites were whoremasters and sorcerers, \u2018Because of the multitude of harlotries of the well-favored whore, the mistress of sorcery\u2019 [Nah. 3:4].
\nI. \u201cSaid to them the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018My children, be careful not to do the things that these do or that those do.
\nJ. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[You shall not do] as they do in the land of Egypt\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 18:3).<\/p>\n
This is a particularly powerful statement involving the base verse\u2019s principal images as well as the simile of the intersecting verse. No. 1 sets the stage for No. 2. Isaac makes the point that the Egyptians and the Canaanites are indistinguishable, 2.C. Honia then spells out the problem. Since Lev. 18 speaks mainly of prohibited sexual relationships, Honia\u2019s emphasis upon the sexual licentiousness of both the Egyptians and the Canaanites accords with both the cited proof texts and the base text. It would be difficult to point to a more successful composition of this genre.<\/p>\n
XXIII:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd now men cannot look on the light [when it is bright in the skies, when the wind has passed and cleared them]\u201d (Job 37:21).
\nB. It has been taught (T. Ber. 7:6): He who sees the sun commencing its [new] cycle [of twenty-eight years], the moon commencing its [new] cycle [at nineteen years], stars in their paths or planets reentering their orbits, or the firmament in its purity, says, \u201cBlessed is he who has formed creation.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Huna, \u201cThat which you have said applies only to the rainy season, and only after a span of three days [of continuous rain].\u201d
\nD. \u201cAnd now men cannot look on the light [when the wind has passed and cleared them]\u201d (Job 37:21).
\n2. A. R. Berekhiah and R. Jeremiah in the name of R. Hiyya bar Abba: \u201cR. Levi bar Sisi in Nehardea gave the [following] exposition: \u2018They saw the God of Israel [and there was under his feet the like of a brick work of sapphire stone\u2019 (Ex. 24:10).] This was before they were redeemed.
\nB. \u201cBut after they were redeemed, where the brick work was normally kept, there it was put away.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201c \u2018A brick work of sapphire\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018like a brick work of sapphire.\u2019 [The meaning is that] both it [the Torah] and all the implements that belong to it were given, it, the basket, and the trowel were given.\u201d
\nD. Bar Qappara said, \u201cBefore the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt, as it were, [the Torah] was written in the firmament. After they were redeemed, it no longer appeared in the firmament.
\nE. \u201cWhat is the Scriptural proof text for this view? \u2018It is like the very heaven in its purity\u2019 [Ex. 24:10], when it is clear of clouds.\u201d<\/p>\n
The connection to Lev. 18:3 hardly is self-evident. Margulies thinks that No. 2 was meant to lead the intersecting verse, Job 37:21, back to the base verse. The text at hand is grossly defective.<\/p>\n
XXIII:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Ishmael taught, \u201c \u2018You shall not do as they do in the land of Egypt, where you dwelt, and you shall not do as they do in the land of Canaan \u2026 I am the Lord your God\u2019 [Lev. 18:3\u20134].
\nB. \u201cAnd if not, it is as if I am not the Lord your God.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Hiyya taught, \u201c[The text states,] \u2018I am the Lord your God\u2019 two times [Lev. 18:4, 5].
\nB. \u201cI am the one who exacted punishment from the Generation of the Flood and from the men of Sodom and Gomorrah and from Egypt.
\nC. \u201c \u2018I am going to exact punishment from anyone who does as they did.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. The Generation of the Flood were kings. They were blotted out of the world only because they were drowning in promiscuity.
\nB. Said R. Simlai, \u201cIn every case in which you find prostitution, mass slaughter comes into the world and kills the good and the bad.\u201d
\nC. R. Huna in the name of R. Yos\u00e9 said, \u201cThe Generation of the Flood were blotted out of the world only because they composed hymeneal songs even for pederasty and bestiality.\u201d
\nD. R. Azariah in the name of R. Joshua b. R. Simon and R. Joshua b. Levi in the name of Bar Qappara: \u201cWe find that with all things the Holy One, blessed be he, is long-suffering, except for prostitution.
\nE. \u201cAnd there are many verses of Scripture [that prove that fact]:
\nF. \u201c \u2018When men began [to multiply on the face of the ground] \u2026 the sons of God saw that the daughters of men were fair \u2026 The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great [in the earth] \u2026 So the Lord said, I will blot out [man, whom I have created \u2026 for I am sorry that I ever made them\u2019]\u201d (Gen. 6:1\u20137).
\n4. A. As to the Sodomites:
\nB. R. Joshua b. Levi in the name of Bar Pedaiah: \u201cThat entire night Lot was standing and marshaling arguments in their defense. When they came and said to him, \u2018Where are the men \u2026 bring them out, that we may know them\u2019 [Gen. 19:5] sexually,
\nC. \u201cforthwith: \u2018The men said to Lot, Whom else do you have here?\u2019 [Gen. 19:12]. Up to this point you had an opening to marshall arguments in their defense. But from this point you have no more opening to marshall arguments in their defense. Rather: \u2018Your son-in-law, sons, daughters \u2026 for we will destroy this place\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 19:13).
\n5. A. \u201cI am the Lord\u201d (Lev. 18:4):
\nB. \u201cI am he who exacted punishment from Samson, Amnon, and Zimri, and I am going to exact punishment from whoever does as they did.
\nC. \u201c1 am he who rewarded Joseph, Jael, and Palti. I am going to reward whoever does as they did.\u201d
\nD. What [do we find in the case of] Joseph?
\nE. Said Rabban Simeon b. Gamaliel, \u201cJoseph was given what belonged to him [by virtue of his righteous deeds]:
\nF. \u201cSince his mouth did not kiss [a married woman and so commit] a transgression: \u2018According to your mouth shall all the people be ruled\u2019 [Gen. 41:40].
\nG. \u201cSince his neck did not bend [to commit] a transgression: \u2018He put a golden chain around his neck\u2019 [Gen. 41:42].
\nH. \u201cSince his hands did not caress [a married woman] in transgression: \u2018And Pharaoh removed his seal [from his hand and placed it on the hand of Joseph]\u2019 [Gen. 41:42].
\nI. \u201cSince his body did not touch [a married woman and so commit] a transgression: \u2018He clothed him in fine linen clothing\u2019 [Gen. 41:42].
\nJ. \u201cSince his feet did not carry him to [commit] a transgression, let him come and ride in a chariot: \u2018He made him ride in the second chariot\u2019 [Gen. 41:43].
\nK. \u201cSince his mind did not plan to [commit] a transgression, let it come and salute [his] wisdom: \u2018And they called before him, Abrech, [meaning: father as to wisdom, youth as to years].\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The composition as a whole dwells on the deeds of Egypt and Canaan that the Israelites are not to imitate, with particular reference to sexual misdeeds. The procedure is orderly, from the Generation of the Flood and Sodom and Gomorrah, in No. 2, to the Generation of the Flood, No. 3, and Sodom and Gomorrah, No. 4. No. 5 then dwells on the rewards coming to the one who obeys the religious duty stated at Lev. 18:3. Accordingly, the editor has followed a cogent program.<\/p>\n
XXIII:X<\/p>\n
1. A. There are three who fled from committing a transgression, and the Holy One, blessed be he, joined his name to theirs.
\nB. And these are they: Joseph, Jael, and Palti.
\nC. How do we know it in the case of Joseph: \u201cHe appointed it in Jehoseph for a testimony\u201d (Ps. 81:6).
\nD. What is the meaning of adding the h to the name of Joseph [hence, YH]? It means that the Lord [YH] himself gives testimony in his behalf that he never laid a hand on the wife of Potiphar.
\nE. How do we know it in the case of Jael? \u201cAnd Jael went out to meet Sisera \u2026 and she covered him with a blanket [semikhah]\u201d (Jud. 4:18).
\nF. What is the meaning of the word, semikhah?
\nG. The rabbis here [in the land of Israel] say, \u201cIt means that she covered him with a scarf.\u201d
\nH. Rabbis from over there [in Babylonia] say, \u201cIt was with a cloak.\u201d
\nI. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cWe have searched through the entire Scripture and found no object that is called a semikhah [SMY KH]. Then what is the meaning of the word? It is written with a shin, hence [SMY KH], Shemi koh: \u2018My name is here.\u2019 \u201d
\nJ. \u201c \u2018[Attaching] my name gives testimony concerning her that she did not lay a hand on that wicked man.\u2019 \u201d
\nK. How do we know it in the case of Palti?
\nL. One verse of Scripture says, \u201cAnd Saul gave Michal his daughter to Palti\u201d (1 Sam. 25:44).
\nM. And another verse of Scripture says, \u201cAnd Ishbosheth sent and took her from the man, from Paltiel\u201d (2 Sam. 3:15).
\nN. [In one place] he is called Palti, and [in the other] Paltiel. [Accordingly, God\u2019s name was attached to his.] Who then took away the name Palti and handed over the name Paltiel?
\nO. It is God who gives testimony concerning him that he never laid a hand on David\u2019s wife.\u201d<\/p>\n
The established theme continues, with no reference at all to the base verse.<\/p>\n
XXIII:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Yos\u00e9, \u201cThere are three who were overwhelmed by sexual desire, but who made an oath [to resist]: Joseph, David, and Boaz.
\nB. \u201cHow do we know it in the case of Joseph?
\nC. \u201c \u2018How shall I do such a great wickedness and sin against God\u2019 \u201d (Gen 39:9).
\nD. R. Huna in the name of R. Idi: \u201cThis verse of Scripture does not say, \u2018And sin against the Lord,\u2019 but rather, \u2018\u2026 against God.\u2019 [The meaning is that] he imposed an oath on his passion, \u2018By God! I shall not sin and I shall not do this evil thing!\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. [Yos\u00e9 continues:] \u201cHow do we know it in the case of David? \u2018But David said to Abishai, \u2026 As the Lord lives, the Lord will smite him \u2026\u2019 [1 Sam. 26:9\u201310].\u201d
\n3. A. To whom did he take the oath?
\nB. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nC. R. Yohanan said, \u201cHe took the oath to his passion.\u201d
\nD. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cHe took the oath to Abishai:
\nE. \u201c \u2018As the Lord lives! If you touch him, I shall mix your blood with his.\u2019
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018But David said to Abishai, Do not destroy him, [for who can put forth his hand against the Lord\u2019s anointed and be guiltless?\u2019]\u201d (1 Sam. 26:9).
\n3. A. [Yos\u00e9 continues:] \u201cHow do we know it in the case of Boaz?
\nB. \u201c \u2018As the Lord lives! Lie down until the morning\u2019 \u201d (Ruth 3:13).
\n4. A. R. Yudan and R. Honia:
\nB. R. Yudan said, \u201cFor that entire night, his passion kept him in distress and enticed him with arguments, saying to him, \u2018You are unmarried, and she is unmarried, you are looking for a wife, and she is looking for a husband. Go and have sexual relations with her, and let her be acquired for you as a wife through an act of sexual relations.\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe took an oath to his passion: \u2018As the Lord lives!\u2019
\nD. \u201cAnd to the woman he said, \u2018Lie down until the morning.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. Said R. Honia, \u201c \u2018A wise man is strong (B\u02bfWZ)\u2019 [Prov. 24:5]: A wise man was Boaz (BW\u02bfZ).
\nF. \u201c \u2018A man of knowledge increases strength\u2019 [Prov. 24:5]: for he overcame his passion through an oath.\u201d<\/p>\n
The theme introduced at XXIII:IX\u2013X continues here, carrying forward the theme and mode of argument of the preceding passage.<\/p>\n
XXIII:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe eye of the adulterer also waits for the twilight, [saying, \u2018No eye shall see me,\u2019 and he [God] who dwells in secret puts on a face]\u201d (Job 24:15).
\nB. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cYou should not say that [only one who] actually commits adultery is called an adulterer. But one who commits adultery merely with his eyes also is called an adulterer,
\nC. \u201cas it is said, \u2018The eye of the adulterer waits for the twilight.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Now the adulterer sits and watches, [saying,] \u201cWhen will twilight come, when will evening come?\u201d
\nB. \u201cIn the twilight, in the evening of the day\u201d (Prov. 7:9).
\nC. But he does not know that he who sits in the secret place of the world, the Holy One, blessed be he, so shapes the features of the embryo\u2019s face as to expose him [as the father of the child].
\nD. This is in line with what Job says, \u201c \u2018Does it seem good to you to oppress [and to despise the work of your hands and favor the designs of the wicked]?\u2019 [Job 10:3].
\nE. \u201cThis one [the woman\u2019s husband] supports and feeds [the wife], but [God] shapes the features of the embryo\u2019s face in the other man\u2019s likeness!
\nF. \u201c \u2018To despise the work of your hands\u2019 [Job 10:3]. Since you have labored all those forty days [to make the embryo] now will you go and spoil it?
\nG. \u201c \u2018And favor the designs of the wicked\u2019 [Job 10:3]. Is this appropriate to your dignity, to stand between the adulterer and adulteress?\u201d
\nH. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cJob, you really do owe me an apology. But will people say as you have said, \u2018Do you have eyes of flesh\u2019 [Job 10:4]?
\nI. \u201cBut,\u201d said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLo, I shall so shape the features of the embryo\u2019s face in the other\u2019s likeness as to expose him [the adulterer, as the father of the child].\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of an apprentice of a potter, who stole a lump of potter\u2019s clay, and his master found out about the theft.
\nB. \u201cWhat did [the master] do?
\nC. \u201cHe went and made it into a utensil and left it before [the disciple].
\nD. \u201cWhy did he do this? To let him know that his master had detected the theft.
\nE. \u201cSo said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lo, I shall so shape the features of the embryo\u2019s face in his likeness as to expose [the adulterer as the father of the child].\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. R. Judah b. R. Simon in the name of R. Levi b. Parta: \u201cIt is written, \u2018The Rock that formed you have you weakened (teshi)\u2019 [Deut. 32:18].
\nB. \u201cYou have exhausted (hittastem) the strength of the Creator.
\nC. \u201cThe matter may be compared to an artist who was sitting and drawing the features of the king.
\nD. \u201cJust as he was finishing his drawing, they came and told him, \u2018The king has been changed.\u2019
\nE. \u201cForthwith the artist\u2019s hands trembled. He said, \u2018Whose [picture] shall we make, the one of the former or the one of the new [king]?\u2019
\nF. \u201cSo too for all forty days the Holy One, blessed be he, is engaged in shaping the embryo. At the end of the forty days the mother goes and plays around with someone else. Forthwith: \u2018The hands of the Creator tremble. He says, \u2018Whose [likeness] shall we make, the one of the former or the one of the new [father]?\u2019
\nG. \u201cThis is an example of the statement, \u2018The Rock that formed you have you weakened.\u2019 You have exhausted the strength of the Creator.\u201d
\nH. In the word teshi (TSY) the Y is written smaller than the other letters. [There is no similar instance in Scripture.]
\n5. A. Said R. Isaac, \u201cWe find that in the case of all those who commit transgression, the thief benefits, and the victim loses, the robber benefits, and the victim loses.
\nB. \u201cBut here both of them benefit!
\nC. \u201cWho then is the victim? It is as if it were the Holy One, blessed be he, who [has to] destroy the marks of identification [that he has already given to the embryo].\u201d<\/p>\n
The exposition of the theme of adultery forms part of the larger account of the deeds of Egypt and Canaan that the Israelites are not to imitate. The issue is now adultery. Nothing in the base verse, Lev. 18:3, makes an impact upon the materials at hand. No. 1 stands by itself. Nos. 2\u20135 spin out the exegesis of Job 24:15, on adultery, invoking yet a separate verse, at Deut. 32:18. The reason that I see No. 2, and the remainder of the set, as an exposition of Job 24:15 is its stress on the futility of the adulterer\u2019s hope to keep his deeds secret. Because God gives the consequent child the adulterer\u2019s features, the world knows the truth. In order to make this point, Job 10:3 is read as a dialogue between Job and God on this very point. Job calls into question the fairness of the embryo looking like the adulterer, 2.D\u2013G. Then God answers him, 2.H\u2013I. No. 3 then goes over the same matter, repeating the point through a parable. No. 4 takes up the matter and attaches it to the exposition of Deut. 32:18. No. 5 repeats the point.<\/p>\n
XXIII:XIII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Miasha, grandson of R. Joshua b. Levi, said, \u201cWe find that whoever sees [a woman\u2019s] private parts and does not feast his eyes on them acquires sufficient merit to receive the face of the Presence of God.
\nB. \u201cWhat is the Scriptural proof of that proposition?
\nC. \u201c \u2018He who shuts his eyes from looking upon evil\u2019 [Is. 33:15]. What is written immediately afterward? \u2018Your eyes will see the king in his beauty\u2019 \u201d (Is. 33:17).<\/p>\n
The established theme goes forward, but there is no direct contact with the verses at hand.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Four<\/p>\n
XXIV:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cYou shall be holy [for I the Lord your God am Holy]\u201d (Lev. 19:2).
\nB. \u201cBut the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice, [and the holy God shows himself holy in righteousness]\u201d (Is. 5:16).
\nC. It has been taught: Said R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201cWhen is the name of the Holy One, blessed be he, magnified in his world?
\nD. \u201cWhen he applies the attribute of justice to the wicked.
\nE. \u201cAnd there are many verses of Scripture [that prove that point]:
\nF. \u201c \u2018Thus I shall magnify myself and sanctify myself and make myself known [in the eyes of many nations]\u2019 [Ez. 38:23].
\nG. \u201c \u2018The Lord has made himself known, he has executed judgment\u2019 [Ps. 9:7].
\nH. \u201c \u2018I will make myself known among them when I judge you\u2019 [Ez. 35:11].
\nI. \u201c \u2018And it shall be known that the hand of the Lord is with his servants, [and his indignation is against his enemies]\u2019 [Is. 66:14].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018This time I shall make them know [my hand and my might]\u2019 [Jer. 16:21].
\nK. \u201c \u2018That you may know the hand of the Lord\u2019 [Jos. 4:24].
\nL. \u201cAnd this verse: \u2018But the Lord of hosts is exalted in justice\u2019 \u201d (Is. 5:16).<\/p>\n
The connection to the base verse is not drawn yet. All we have is an extensive exposition of Simeon\u2019s proposition through citation of proof texts.<\/p>\n
XXIV:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi, \u201cIt is written, \u2018But you, O Lord, are on high forever\u2019 [Ps. 92:8].
\nB. \u201cYour hand is always on top.
\nC. \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, when a mortal king sits in judgment, when he hands down an acquittal, everybody praises him, but when he hands down a verdict of guilty, nobody praises him. Why? Because people know that passion affects his judgment.
\nD. \u201cBut with the Holy One, blessed be he, that is not how things are.
\nE. \u201cRather, whether it is the attribute of goodness or the attribute of punishment: \u2018But you, O Lord, are on high forever.\u2019 Your hand is on top.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Huna in the name of R. Aha produces the following verse: \u201c \u2018A Psalm of David. I will sing of mercy and of justice, to you, O Lord, will I sing\u2019 [Ps. 101:1].
\nB. \u201cSaid David before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the world, if you act mercifully with me, I shall sing, if you impose justice on me, I shall sing. One way or the other: \u2018To you, O Lord, shall I sing.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Tanhum b. R. Yudan, \u201cIt is written, \u2018In God, whose word I praise, in the Lord, whose word I praise\u2019 [Ps. 56:11].
\nB. \u201cIf it is with the attribute of justice that he comes to deal with me: \u2018In God, whose word I praise.\u2019
\nC. \u201cIf it is with the attribute of mercy that he comes to deal with me: \u2018In the Lord, whose word I praise.\u2019
\nD. \u201cOne way or the other: \u2018In the Lord, whose word I praise.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. And rabbis say, \u201c \u2018I suffered distress and anguish. Then I called on the name of the Lord\u2019 [Ps. 116:3\u20134]. \u2018I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the Lord\u2019 [Ps. 116:13].
\nB. \u201cOne way or the other: \u2018Then I called on the name of the Lord.\u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. Said R. Yudan b. R. Philia, \u201cThat is the meaning of what Job said: \u2018The Lord has given, and the Lord has taken, let the name of the Lord be blessed\u2019 [Job 1:21].
\nB. \u201cIf he gave, he gave in mercy, and if he took, he took in mercy.
\nC. \u201cAnd not only so, but when he gave, he did not consult with any creature, and when he took, he did consult with his court.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Eleazar, \u201cIn any context in which you find the words, \u2018the Lord \u2026 and the Lord \u2026,\u2019 it is, as it were, a reference to him and his court.
\nE. \u201cThe generative source of all of them: \u2018And the Lord has spoken ill concerning you\u2019 \u201d (1 Kings 22:23).
\n6. A. Said R. Yudan, \u201cIt is written, \u2018You, O Lord, are on high forever more\u2019 [Ps. 92:9].
\nB. \u201cYou give high status in your world. You gave the priesthood to Aaron forever: \u2018It is an everlasting covenant of salt\u2019 [Num. 18:19].
\nC. \u201cYou gave the monarchy to David forever: \u2018Should you not know that the Lord, God of Israel, gave the monarchy [over Israel to David for ever]\u2019 [2 Chron. 13:5].
\nD. \u201cYou gave holiness to Israel forever: \u2018Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19:2).<\/p>\n
The base verse is reached through a circuitous path. The stress, as in XXIV:I, is on God\u2019s righteousness, on the power that he reveals when he does justice in the world. When we come to the concluding unit, however, the issue of God\u2019s elevation\u2014Ps. 92:9\u2014is different. The point now is that when God raises up a person, caste, or people, it is forever. So the issue is no longer God\u2019s being exalted through justice but the justice of God\u2019s exaltation of others. The conceptual link to the intersecting text cited earlier, Is. 5:16, may lie in the notion of the exaltation of God, which then is carried forward at Ps. 92:8. But then both intersecting verses are essentially beside the point. For the theme throughout is God\u2019s justice, but at the end no one claims that God\u2019s justice is expressed through the priesthood, monarchy, or people. That is not the issue. In all, it is only at No. 6 that the intersecting text, Ps. 92:8, makes sense in relationship to the base verse. But the further exposition of the intersecting verse is not conventional, since what we have is simply a sequence of other (\u201cintersecting\u201d) verses which say something like the messsage of the original one.<\/p>\n
XXIV:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cMay he send you help from the sanctuary [and give you support from Zion]\u201d (Ps. 20:2).
\nB. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Simon: \u201cThere was a case of a townsman, Abba Yose b. Yohanan of Sitor, who was sitting and repeating [Torah traditions] at the mouth of a fountain. A certain spirit, who was living there, appeared to him and said to him, \u2018You know that for many years I have been living here, and you, your wives, and children have come out here evening, morning, and noon, and you have never been hurt. Now you should know that there is an evil spirit who wants to take up residence here, and he will injure people.\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Now what should we do?\u2019
\nD. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Go and warn the people of the village and say to them, \u201cWhoever has a hoe, shovel, or spade should come out here tomorrow at first light and watch the water. And when they see a ripple in the water, let them strike their iron tools together and say, \u2018May ours win, may ours win!\u2019 \u201d And let them not leave there until they see a clot of blood on the face of the water.\u2019
\nE. \u201cHe went and warned the townspeople and said to them, \u2018Whoever has a hoe, shovel, or spade, come out here tomorrow at first light, and watch the water. And when you see a ripple in the water, strike the iron tools together and say, \u201cMay ours win, may ours win.\u201d And do not leave there until they see a clot of blood on the face of the water.\u2019
\nF. \u201cNow there is an argument a fortiori: if the spirits, who were not created so as to receive help, need help, we, who were created so as to receive help, all the more so [need help].
\nG. \u201cThus: \u2018May he send you help from the sanctuary\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 20:2).<\/p>\n
None of this has any bearing on the base verse at hand.<\/p>\n
XXIV:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cMay he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion\u201d (Ps. 20:2).
\nB. Said R. Levi, \u201cWhatever goodness, blessing, and consolation that the Holy One, blessed be he, is going to give to Israel will come only from Zion.
\nC. \u201cSalvation is from Zion: \u2018Oh that the salvation of Israel would come from Zion\u2019 [Ps. 14:7].
\nD. \u201cStrength is from Zion: \u2018The staff of your power the Lord will send from Zion\u2019 [Ps. 110:2].
\nE. \u201cA blessing is from Zion: \u2018Blessed is the Lord from Zion\u2019 [Ps. 135:21].
\nF. \u201cThe ram\u2019s horn [of redemption] is from Zion: \u2018Sound the ram\u2019s horn in Zion\u2019 [Joel 2:1].
\nG. \u201cDew, blessing, and life are from Zion: \u2018Like the dew of Hermon, that descends on the mountains of Zion\u2019 [Ps. 133:3].
\nH. \u201cTorah is from Zion, as it is said, \u2018For from Zion will Torah go forth\u2019 [Is. 2:3].
\nI. \u201cHelp and support are from Zion: \u2018May he send you help from the sanctuary and give you support from Zion\u2019 [Ps. 20:2].
\n2. A. \u201c \u2018From the sanctuary\u2019 \u201d: from the sanctifying power of deeds that are to your credit.
\nB. \u201cAnd give you support from Zion\u201d (siyyun) (Ps. 20:2): on account of the distinction (siyyun) of the deeds that are to your credit.
\nC. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to Moses, \u201cGo, say to the children of Israel, \u2018My children, just as I am separate, so must you be separate. Just as I am holy, so must you be holy.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. \u201c \u2018You shall be holy\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19:2).<\/p>\n
No. 1 utilizes the cited verse to make its own point, stated at 1.B, and then No. 2 interprets Ps. 20:2 as an intersecting verse, as if it might focus its discourse about the base verse. Accordingly, the construction imitates the standard one for our collection but is totally unsuccessful, because Ps. 20:2 is not set up as an intersecting verse to begin with.<\/p>\n
XXIV:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Hiyya taught, \u201c[The statement, \u2018Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel\u2019 (Lev. 19:2)] teaches that the entire passage was stated on the occasion of the gathering [of the entire assembly.]
\nB. \u201cAnd what is the reason that it was stated on the occasion of the gathering [of the entire assembly]? Because the majority of the principles of the Torah depend upon [what is stated in this chapter of the Torah].\u201d
\nC. R. Levi said, \u201cIt is because the Ten Commandments are encompassed within its [teachings].
\nD. \u201c \u2018I am the Lord your God\u2019 [Ex. 20:2], and here it is written, \u2018I am the Lord your God\u2019 [Lev. 19:2].
\nE. \u201c \u2018You shall have no [other gods]\u2019 [Ex. 20:3], and here it is written, \u2018You shall not make for yourselves molten gods\u2019 [Lev. 19:4].
\nF. \u201c \u2018You shall not take [the name of the Lord your God in vain]\u2019 [Ex. 20:7], and here it is written, \u2018You shall not take a lying oath by my name\u2019 [Lev. 19:12].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Remember the Sabbath day\u2019 [Ex. 20:8], and here it is written, \u2018You will keep my Sabbaths\u2019 [Lev. 19:3].
\nH. \u201c \u2018Honor your father and your mother\u2019 [Ex. 20:12], and here it is written, \u2018Each person shall fear his mother and his father\u2019 [Lev. 19:3].
\nI. \u201c \u2018You shall not murder\u2019 [Ex. 20:13], and here it is written, \u2018You shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor\u2019 [Lev. 19:16].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018You shall not commit adultery\u2019 [Ex. 20:13], and here it is written, \u2018Do not profane your daughter by making her a harlot\u2019 [Lev. 19:29].
\nK. \u201c \u2018You shall not steal\u2019 [Ex. 20:13], and here it is written, \u2018You shall not steal and you shall not deal falsely\u2019 [Lev. 19:11].
\nL. \u201c \u2018You shall not bear false witness [against your neighbor]\u2019 [Ex. 20:13], and here it is written, \u2018You shall not go about as a talebearer among your people\u2019 [Lev. 19:16].
\nM. \u201cYou shall not covet\u2019 [Ex. 20:14], and here it is written, \u2018And you shall love your neighbor as yourself\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19:18).
\n2. A. R. Yohanan in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: \u201cThere are three chapters that Moses gave us in writing in the Torah, and each one of them contains sixty specifications of religious duties, and these are they:
\nB. \u201cThe passage dealing with Passover [Ex. 12], the one on civil damages [Ex. 21f.], and the one beginning, \u2018You shall be holy\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19).
\nC. R. Levi in the name of R. Shila of Kepar Tamerata said, \u201cEach contains seventy.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Tanhuma, \u201cBut in fact they do not differ from one another. The one who regards the chapter on Passover as containing seventy [specifications of religious duties] includes in the passage the rules governing the phylacteries.
\nE. \u201cThe one who holds that the chapter on civil damages encompasses seventy such specifications includes with it the passage on the Sabbatical Year.
\nF. \u201cAnd the one who treats the passage on holiness [Lev. 19] as encompassing the specification of seventy religious duties includes in his count the passage dealing with prohibited sexual relationships.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 provides an elegant comparison of the Ten Commandments with rules at Lev. 19. It is formally and substantively a perfect exercise. No. 2 also succeeds in treating the substance of the chapter at hand in comparison to equivalent legal passages. The exegesis in both instances treats the whole of the construction rather than details.<\/p>\n
XXIV:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. And why is the passage dealing with prohibited sexual relations (Lev. 18) joined to the passage on holiness (Lev. 19)?
\nB. It is to teach you that every place in which you find [rules serving as] a fence against prohibited sexual relations, you find sanctification.
\nC. This accords with that which R. Judah b. Pazzi said, for R. Judah b. R. Pazzi said, \u201cWhoever keeps himself far from prohibited sexual relations is called holy.\u201d
\nD. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi brings proof for that proposition from the case of the Shunammite woman:
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture, \u2018And she said to her husband, \u201cBehold now, I perceive that this is a holy man of God, [who is continually passing our way]\u201d \u2019 \u201d (2 Kings 4:9).
\nF. Said R. Judah, \u201cHe is holy, but his servants are not holy.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture, \u2018And Gehazi approached to thrust her away\u2019 \u201d (2 Kings 4:27).
\nH. Said R. Yos\u00e9 b. R. Haninah, \u201cFor he thrust her away by the glory of her beauty, the cleavage between her breasts.\u201d
\nI. R. Abin said, \u201cIt [E] teaches that he never laid eyes on her.\u201d
\nJ. And rabbis say, \u201cIt is that she did not see a drop of semen on his sheets at any time.\u201d
\nK. The maid of R. Ishmael b. R. Isaac said, \u201cI have taken care of the clothing of my master and I have never seen a bad thing on his garments.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Joshua b. Levi, \u201cOn what account is the passage dealing with prohibited sexual relations joined to the passage, \u2018You shall be holy\u2019?
\nB. \u201cIt is to teach you that every place in which you find [rules serving as] a fence against prohibited sexual relations, you find sanctification.
\nC. \u201cAnd there are many relevant proof texts: \u2018[They shall not marry] a harlot or a woman who has been defiled \u2026 You shall consecrate him, for he offers the bread of your God; [he shall be holy to you, for I the Lord who sanctify you am holy]\u2019 [Lev. 21:7\u20138].
\nD. \u201c \u2018A widow or divorcee [or a woman who has been defiled or a harlot, these he shall not marry; but he shall take as a wife a virgin of his own people,] that he may not profane his children among his people, [for I am the Lord who sanctify him]\u2019 [Lev. 21:14\u201315].
\nE. \u201c \u2018None of you [shall approach] anyone near of kin to him [to uncover nakedness. I am the Lord]\u2019 [Lev. 18:6].
\nF. \u201cAnd this verse: \u2018Speak to the entire congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, \u2018You shall be holy\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19:2).<\/p>\n
Yet a further treatment of the arrangement of materials by appropriate juxtapositions of themes raises and answers a familiar question. Nos. 1 and 2 go over the same ground and deliver the same message, the one by reference to examples of heroes, biblical and rabbinic, the other by providing proof texts.<\/p>\n
XXIV:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Yudan in the name of R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of a king who had an undergarment, concerning which he instructed his servant, saying to him, \u2018Shake it, fold it, [and be careful about it]!\u2019 \u201d etc. [The passage is at II:IV.1.A\u2013F.]
\n2. A. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of a priest of great physical strength, who was walking along the way. A layman [who did not observe cultic cleanness] met him and said to him, \u2018May I walk with you along the way [to enjoy your protection against thugs]?\u2019
\nB. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018My son, I am a priest, and I have to walk along the path, and it is not my way to walk among graves [so that I may preserve cultic cleanness]. If you are willing to walk with me [where I walk], well and good, but if not, I shall have to leave you and go my way.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. So said Moses to Israel, \u201cFor the Lord your God walks about in the midst of the camp to afford protection for you\u201d (Deut. 23:15).
\nB. What is the meaning of the phrase, \u201cTo afford protection (HSL) for you?\u201d
\nC. Two Amoras:
\nD. One said, \u201c \u2018To shield you,\u2019 as it is written, \u2018To be a shade (SL) upon his head\u2019 \u201d (Jonah 4:6).
\nE. And the other said, \u201c \u2018To empty out all of the property of the nations of the world and to hand them over to you,\u2019 in line with the usage of the word in the following verse, \u2018And you will despoil (NSL) Egypt\u2019 (Ex. 3:22).\u201d
\n4. A. It is on condition that \u201cYour camp will be holy, that he not see a licentious matter (DBR) in you\u201d (Deut. 23:15):
\nB. \u201cLicentious speech (DBWR).\u201d
\nC. R. Samuel b. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cThis refers to foul talk.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 simply alludes to a familiar explanation of Israel\u2019s special holiness. No. 2 makes that point that Israel must remain holy if it hopes to have God in its midst. The story at No. 2 takes for granted the rule that priests avoid corpse contamination and hence stay on the roads, under which no one will be buried. Continuing the foregoing, No. 3 then cites a verse in which God\u2019s presence in Israel is specified, and the remainder of Nos. 3 and 4 then expound that verse\u2014a secondary accretion to develop the theme of No. 2 out of what I assume were available materials.<\/p>\n
XXIV:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Abin said two things.
\nB. R. Abin said, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of a king who had a wine cellar over which he set guards, some Nazirites [forbidden to drink wine], and some of them drinkers. In the evening he came to pay them off.
\nC. \u201cHe gave the drinkers two portions, and to the Nazirites he gave one.
\nD. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018Our lord, O king, did not all of us guard the wine cellar together? Why then do you pay these twice what you give us?\u2019
\nE. \u201cSaid the king to them, \u2018These are drinkers, and they ordinarily drink wine. But you are Nazirites, and you do not drink wine. Therefore I pay them twice what I pay you [since they had to put forth more effort to guard the cellar].\u2019
\nF. \u201cSo it is with the creatures of the upper world, because they have no passion among them, they have a single level of sanctity, as it is said, \u2018And the sense by the word of the holy ones\u2019 [Dan. 4:14].
\nG. \u201cBut the creatures of the lower world, because they are subject to great passion, would that they may endure with two layers of sanctity [as their protection]!
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, \u201cYou shall be holy\u201d \u2019 [Lev. 19:2]. \u2018And you will sanctify yourselves and you will be holy\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 20:7).
\n2. A. R. Abin made yet a second statement: \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of townsfolk who made three crowns for the king.
\nB. \u201cWhat did the king do? He put one on his head, and two on the heads of his sons.
\nC. \u201cSo every day the creatures of the upper world lay crowns before the Holy One, blessed be he, in the form of three declarations of his holiness, saying, \u2018Holy, holy, holy.\u2019
\nD. \u201cWhat does the Holy One, blessed be he, do?
\nE. \u201cHe puts one on his head, and two on the head of Israel.
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Speak to all the congregation of the people of Israel and say to them, \u201cYou shall be holy\u201d \u2019 [Lev. 19:2]. \u2018And you will sanctify yourselves and you will be holy\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 20:7).<\/p>\n
Abin explains the double reference to Israel\u2019s holiness in two ways, Nos. 1 and 2. His points are clear as stated.<\/p>\n
XXIV:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cThere are two lessons that Moses gave us in writing in the Torah, and we may derive both [lessons] from the passage dealing with the wicked Pharaoh.
\nB. \u201c[The first lesson:] A verse of Scripture states, \u2018And you shall be only above\u2019 [Deut. 28:13].
\nC. \u201cMay one suppose, [as high] as I [God]?
\nD. \u201cScripture says, \u2018Only,\u2019 which serves to limit the matter. \u2018My rank is above your rank.\u2019
\nE. \u201cWe learn that fact from the passage dealing with the wicked Pharaoh: \u2018You shall be over my house\u2019 [Gen. 31:30].
\nF. \u201cMay one suppose [that Joseph will be] equivalent to me [Pharaoh]? Scripture says, \u2018Only in the throne shall I be greater than you\u2019 [Gen. 41:40]. \u2018My rank will be greater than yours.\u2019
\nG. \u201c[The second lesson is] in the following verse: \u2018Say to all the congregation of the people of Israel, You shall be holy\u2019 [Lev. 19:2].
\nH. \u201cIs it possible that [Israel will be holy] like me?
\nI. \u201cScripture says, \u2018For I am holy\u2019 [Lev. 19:2].
\nJ. \u201c \u2018My level of holiness is above your level of holiness.\u2019
\nK. \u201cAnd we learn that fact from the passage dealing with the wicked Pharaoh: \u2018And Pharaoh said to Joseph, I am Pharaoh\u2019 [Gen. 41:44].
\nL. \u201cIs it possible [that Joseph would be] equivalent [to him]?
\nM. \u201cScripture states, \u2018I am Pharaoh.\u2019 \u2018My rank will be higher than your rank.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cFrom the \u2018I\u2019 stated by a mortal you may learn the meaning of the \u2018I\u2019 stated by the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nB. \u201cJust as through the \u2018I\u2019 used by a mortal, when Pharaoh said to Joseph, \u2018I am the Pharaoh,\u2019 [Joseph] acquired all that glory,
\nC. \u201cwhen the \u2018I\u2019 of the Holy One, blessed be he, is realized, how much the more so [will Israel be glorified]!
\nD. \u201c[It is as in these verses:] \u2018Until old age, I am he\u2019 [Is. 46:4].
\nE. \u201c \u2018Thus said the Lord, king of Israel and its redeemer, \u201cI am the first\u201d \u2019 [Is. 44:6].
\nF. \u201c[\u2018I the Lord, am the first,] and with the last, I am he\u2019 \u201d (Is. 41:4).<\/p>\n
The exercise of XXIV:IX.2 is repeated here, now with the somewhat more complicated exegetical problem of deriving the positive lessons from the negative example of Pharaoh\u2019s discourse with Joseph. The reason the passage is included is clear at 1.G\u2013I. None of these materials was formed for the particular purpose of stringing together exegeses of Lev. 19:2ff.; all of them take up the contents or the themes that occur in a variety of biblical passages.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Five<\/p>\n
XXV:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWhen you come into the land and plant [all kinds of trees for food, then you shall count their fruit as forbidden; three years it shall be forbidden to you, it must not be eaten. And in the fourth year all their fruit shall be holy, an offering of praise to the Lord. But in the fifth year you may eat of their fruit, that they may yield more richly for you: I am the Lord your God]\u201d (Lev. 19:23\u201325).
\nB. \u201cShe [= wisdom, Torah] is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; [and those who hold her fast are called happy]\u201d (Prov. 3:18).
\nC. R. Huna in the name of R. Aha: \u201c[The meaning is] that the words of Torah should not appear in your sight like the case of a man who had a daughter of marriageable age, whom he wanted to attach to anyone [he could find].
\nD. \u201cRather: \u2018My son, if you receive my words and treasure up my commandments with you [then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God]\u2019 [Prov. 2:1].
\nE. \u201cIf you have merit, you will receive my words.\u201d
\nF. R. Hunia in the name of R. Benjamin b. Levi: \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of a king who said to his son, \u2018Go out and take up trading.\u2019
\nG. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Father, I am afraid, by land of thugs, and by sea of pirates.\u2019
\nH. \u201cWhat did his father do for him? He took a staff and hollowed it out and put an amulet in it and handed it over to his son, saying to him, \u2018Let this staff be in your hand, and you will not have to be afraid of anybody.\u2019
\nI. \u201cSo said the Holy One, blessed be he, to Israel, \u2018My children, keep yourselves busy in the Torah, and you will not have to be afraid of anybody.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. [With reference to \u201cShe is a tree of life to those that lay hold of her,\u201d including those who support the ones who actually study Torah, and now speaking of the following verse: \u201cCursed be he who does not confirm the words of this law by doing them\u201d (Deut. 27:26)], had the cited verse stated, \u201cCursed be he who does not study [the words of this Torah],\u201d there would be no enduring [for Israel, since most of the Jews do not study the Torah].
\nB. But [it says], \u201cCursed be he who does not confirm \u2026,\u201d [and the Jews do carry out the teachings of the Torah].
\nC. If it had said, \u201cShe is a tree of life to those that labor in her,\u201d there would be no enduring.
\nD. But [it says], \u201cShe is a tree of life to those that lay hold of her,\u201d [by supporting and following the ones who do study the Torah].
\n3. A. R. Huna said, \u201cIf a person stumbles into a transgression so that he becomes liable to death at the hands of Heaven, what should he do so that he may live?
\nB. \u201cIf he was trained to recite a single page of Scripture, let him recite two, if he was trained to repeat one chapter of Mishnah, let him repeat two.
\nC. \u201cAnd if he was not trained either to recite Scripture or to repeat Mishnah, what should he do so as to live?
\nD. \u201cLet him go and take up the responsibility of communal leader or charity collector, and he will live.
\nE. \u201cFor if it had said \u2018Cursed be he who does not study \u2026,\u2019 there would be no enduring. But [it says], \u2018Cursed be he who does not confirm.\u2019
\nF. \u201cIf it had said, \u2018It is a tree of life to those that labor in it,\u2019 there would be no enduring, but [it says], \u2018It is a tree of life to those that lay hold of it.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. \u201cFor wisdom is a defense as money is a defense\u201d (Qoh. 7:12).
\nB. R. Aha in the name of R. Tanhum b. R. Hiyya: \u201cIf one had learned Torah and taught it, kept and done [its teachings], but had the power to protest [wrongdoing] and did not protest, or to support [disciples of sages] and did not support them, lo, this one falls into the category of cursed.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[Cursed be he] who does not confirm \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 27:26).
\nD. R. Jeremiah in the name of R. Hiyya: \u201cIf one did not study [Torah] and did not carry out [its teachings], did not keep them and did not teach them to others, and did not have the power to support [disciples of sages] but [nonetheless] he did so, [or] did not have the power to protest [wrongdoing] but nonetheless he did so, lo, this one falls into the category of blessed.\u201d<\/p>\n
The exposition of the base verse rests upon its reference to a \u201ctree,\u201d and as we see in the intersecting verse, that is understood to invoke the theme of the Torah, \u201cthe tree of life.\u201d Accordingly, here we have the case of an intersecting verse which, to the rabbinical exegetes in general, makes explicit reference to the theme of the base verse. The sense of No. 1 is not entirely articulated at C\u2013E. The point is that the Torah should be regarded as a desirable bride and not as the leftover. How that links to F\u2013I, I cannot say. The point now is that the Torah protects Israel. Perhaps that reinforces the notion that the Torah is very valuable and not to be viewed as something forced upon Israel. Nos. 2, 3, and 4 go over the notion that people who do not study the Torah should at least support those who do. This rather general notion does not carry forward the proposition of No. 1, only the theme.<\/p>\n
XXV:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Huna and R. Jeremiah in the name of R. Hiyya b. R. Abba: \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, is going to provide shade and canopies in the Garden of Eden for those who carry out religious duties alongside those who study Torah.
\nB. \u201cAnd there are three verses of Scripture [that so indicate].
\nC. \u201c \u2018For wisdom is a defense as money is a defense\u2019 [Qoh. 7:12]. [Money given to support disciples of sages serves as wisdom, that is, study of Torah.]
\nD. \u201c \u2018Happy is the man who does this, [and the son of man that supports it]\u2019 [Is. 56:2] [that is, supports study of Torah, as much as studies it].
\nE. \u201c \u2018And the verse at hand: \u2018It is a tree of life [even to those that support it]\u2019 [Prov. 3:18].
\n2. A. Simeon, the brother of Azariah, said in his name\u2014
\nB. Now was not Simeon greater [in learning] than Azariah?
\nC. But because Azariah went into trade and provided for Simeon, therefore the law was taught in his [Azariah\u2019s] name.
\nD. Along these same lines: \u201cAnd of Zebulun he said, \u2018Rejoice, Zebulun, [in your going out, and Issachar in your tents]\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 33:18).
\nE. Now was Issachar not greater than Zebulun? But because Zebulun went voyaging on the sea in trade and came home and provided for Issachar, his reward was given to him for his labor. Therefore the verse was cited in his name.
\n3. A. \u201cRejoice, Zebulun, in your going out, and Issachar in your tents\u201d (Deut. 33:18).
\nB. Said R. Tanhuma, \u201cWhoever goes forth en route [to war] and does not have his heart set on war in the end will fall in war. But that is not the case for the tribe of Zebulun. Whether or not they set their heart [on war], when they go forth to war, they conquer.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Of Zebulun fifty thousand seasoned troops, equipped for battle with all the weapons of war, to help David not with a double heart [that is, with singleness of purpose]\u2019 [1 Chron. 12:33].
\nD. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018not with a double heart\u2019?
\nE. \u201cWhether they had set their heart [on war] or did not set their heart [on war], they went out to war and conquered.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Judah b. Pedaiah gave the following exposition: \u201cWho will remove the dirt from your eyes, O first Man, for you were unable to stand firm on what you had been commanded [concerning the forbidden fruit] for a single moment, while lo, your children have to wait three years for the unready fruit.\u201d
\nB. Said R. Huna, \u201cWhen Bar Qappara heard this, he said, \u2018Judah, son of my sister, has given a fine exposition.\u201d
\nC. \u201cWhen you come into the land, you will plant all kinds of trees for food \u2026\u201d (Lev. 19:23).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1\u20133 carry forward the antecedent discussion about the worth of supporting those who study the Torah as much as those who actually study it. No. 1 reads the cited verses along these lines. No. 2 then introduces a separate example of the same proposition. The proof text of No. 2, Deut. 33:18, is then given its own exegesis in No. 3. No. 4 presents a genuinely fresh idea, relevant to the base verse but not to the intersecting one.<\/p>\n
XXV:III<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Judah b. R. Simon opened [discourse by citing the following verse]: \u201cAfter the Lord your God will you walk\u201d (Deut. 13:5).
\nB. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cNow is it possible for a mortal man to walk after the Holy One, blessed be he,
\nC. \u201chim concerning whom it is written, \u2018In the sea is your way, and your path is in the mighty water\u2019 [Ps. 77:20]?
\nD. \u201cAnd yet you say, \u2018After the Lord your God will you walk!\u2019
\nE. \u201cNow it is further said, \u2018And to him will you cleave\u2019 [Deut. 13:5].
\nF. \u201cAnd is it possible for a mortal to go up to heaven and to cleave to fire,
\nG. \u201chim concerning whom it is written, \u2018For the Lord your God is consuming fire\u2019 [Deut. 4:24].
\nH. \u201c \u2018His throne was of fiery flames \u2026 a river of fire\u2019 [Dan. 7:9\u201310]?
\nI. \u201cAnd yet you say, \u2018To him will you cleave!\u2019
\nJ. \u201cBut from the very beginning of the creation of the world, [the Holy One] was occupied first of all only in the planting of trees in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the Lord God planted the Garden of Eden\u2019 [Gen. 2:8].
\nK. \u201cSo you too, when you enter the Land of Israel, you should first of all be occupied in the planting of trees.\u201d
\nL. \u201c \u2018When you come into the land, you will plant [all kinds of trees for food]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19:23).<\/p>\n
The fresh reading of the base verse generates the ironic exegesis of the cited verse. People cannot be \u201clike God\u201d except by planting orchards, as God did in creating the world. Lev. 19:23 is read as imperative. The intersecting verses, Deut. 13:5, then serves as a pretext for the principal exposition, rather than forming the focus of exegesis on its own.<\/p>\n
XXV:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi opened [discourse by citing the following verse]: \u201c \u2018I made great works; I built houses [and planted vineyards] for myself; [I made myself gardens and parks and planted in them all kinds of fruit trees]\u2019 [Qoh. 2:24].
\nB. \u201c \u2018I made great works\u2019: Said the Holy one, blessed be he, to Moses, \u2018Go and say to the original patriarchs, \u201cI made great works. I have done great things for your children, in line with everything to which I stipulated with you.\u201d \u2019
\nC. \u201c \u2018I built houses\u2019: \u2018Houses filled with every good thing\u2019 [Deut. 6:11].
\nD. \u201c \u2018I planted vineyards for myself:\u2019 \u2018Vineyards and olive trees that you did not plant\u2019 [Deut. 6:11].
\nE. \u201c \u2018I made myself pools [from which to water the forest of growing trees]\u2019 [Qoh. 2:6]: \u2018And fully dug wells, which you did not dig\u2019 [Deut. 6:11].
\nF. \u201c \u2018Fountains and depths\u2019 [Qoh. 8:7], \u2018from which to water the forest of growing trees\u2019 [Qoh. 2:6].
\nG. Said R. Levi, \u201cNot even reeds for arrows did the Land of Israel lack.\u201d
\nH. \u201c \u2018I made myself gardens and parks:\u2019 \u2018A land of wheat and barley\u2019 [Deut. 8:8].
\nI. \u201c \u2018I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees:\u2019 \u2018When you come into the land, you will plant [all kinds of trees for food]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19:23).<\/p>\n
Lev. 19:23 is now made to serve the exposition of the intersecting verse, which is read as God speaking to the patriarchs, with the message that he had done what he had promised. The exposition runs smoothly, beginning to end.<\/p>\n
XXV:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWho has put wisdom in the inward parts of the clouds\u201d (Job 38:36)
\nB. What is the meaning of \u201cinward parts?\u201d In the private places.
\nC. \u201cOr who has given understanding to the cock\u201d (Job 38:36).
\nD. What is the meaning of \u201ccock?\u201d Rooster.
\nE. Said R. Levi, \u201cIn Arabia, they call a chicken a hen.\u201d
\nF. When a hen\u2019s young are little, it collects them, puts them under its wings, warms them, and grubs for them. But when they are big, if one of them wants to get near her, she pecks at his head and says to him, \u201cGo, grub in your own dunghill.\u201d
\nG. So when the Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years, the manna came down, the well spurted up, the quail was always at hand for them, the clouds of glory encompassed them, and the pillar of cloud journeyed before them. When they entered the Land of Israel, Moses said to them, \u201cEach one of you must now take his spade and go out and plant trees.
\nH. \u201c \u2018When you come into the land, you will plant \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 19:23).
\n2. A. Hadrian (may his bones be ground up) was walking through the paths of Tiberias. He saw an old man standing and digging holes to plant trees. He said to him, \u201cOld man, old man, if you got up early [to do the work, when you were young], you would not have stayed late [to plant in your old age].\u201d
\nB. He said to him, \u201cI got up early [and worked in my youth] and I stayed late [working in my old age], and whatever pleases the Master of heaven, let him do.\u201d
\nC. He said to him, \u201cBy your life, old man! How old are you today?\u201d
\nD. He said to him, \u201cI am a hundred years old.\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cNow you are a hundred years old, and you are standing and digging holes to plant trees! Do you honestly think that you\u2019re going to eat the fruit of those trees?\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cIf I have the merit, I shall eat it. But if not, well, just as my forefathers labored for me, so I labor for my children.\u201d
\nG. He said to him, \u201cBy your life! If you have the merit of eating of the fruit of these trees, be sure to let me know about it.\u201d
\nH. After some time the trees produced figs. The man said, \u201cLo, the time has come to tell the king.\u201d
\nI. What did he do? He filled a basket with figs and went up and stood at the gate of the palace.
\nJ. [The guards] said to him, \u201cWhat is your business here?\u201d
\nK. He said, \u201cTo come before the king.\u201d
\nL. When he had gone in, he said to him, \u201cWhat are you doing here?\u201d
\nM. He said to him, \u201cI am the old man you met. I was the one who was digging holes to plant trees, and you said to me, \u2018If you have the merit of eating the fruit of those trees, be sure to let me know.\u2019 Now I in fact did have the merit, and I ate of their fruit, and these figs here are the fruit of those trees.\u201d
\nN. Then said Hadrian, \u201cI order you to bring a chair of gold for him to sit on.
\nO. \u201cI order you to empty this basket of his and fill it with golden denars.\u201d
\nP. His servants said to him, \u201cAre you going to pay so much respect to that old Jew?\u201d
\nQ. He said to him, \u201cHis Creator honors him, and should I not honor him?\u201d
\nR. The wife of the neighbor [of that man] was wicked. She said to her husband, \u201cSon of darkness, see how the king loves figs and trades them for golden denars.\u201d
\nS. What did [the man] do? He filled a sack with figs and went and stood before the palace.
\nT. They said to him, \u201cWhat is your business here?\u201d
\nU. He said to them, \u201cI heard that the king loves figs and trades them for golden denars.\u201d
\nV. They went and told the king, \u201cThere is an old man standing at the gate of the palace carrying a sackful of figs. When we asked him, \u2018What are you doing here,\u2019 he told us, \u2018I heard that the king loves figs and trades them for golden denars.\u2019 \u201d
\nW. [The king] said, \u201cI order you to set him up before the gate of the palace. Whoever goes in and out is to throw [a fig] in his face.\u201d
\nX. Toward evening they freed him and he went home. He said to his wife, \u201cFor all the honor [that I got], I owe you!\u201d
\nY. She said, \u201cGo and boast to your mother that they were figs and not etrogs, that they were soft and not hard!\u201d<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse serves only to allow the exegete to speak of the conduct of the hen with its offspring, so as to make the point that when the Israelites were in the wilderness and weak, God provided for them, but when they reached the land, they were to plant trees to provide for themselves. I see no important connection between No. 2 and the base verse except for the shared theme of tree planting.<\/p>\n
XXV:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Huna in the name of Bar Qappara said, \u201cAbraham, our father, sat and constructed an argument a fortiori [as follows]:
\nB. \u201cThe matter of uncircumcision is stated with regard to a tree [Lev. 19:23] and the matter of uncircumcision is stated with regard to a man.
\nC. \u201cJust as the matter of uncircumcision stated with regard to a tree applies to the place at which it produces fruit,
\nD. \u201cso the uncircumcision stated with regard to a man applies to the place in which he produces progeny.\u201d
\nE. Said R. Hanan b. R. Pazzi, \u201cAnd did Abraham, our father, actually know anything about constructing arguments a fortiori or arguments based on analogy?
\nF. \u201cBut he found an intimation of the matter in the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And I will set my covenant between me and you, [and I will make you multiply very much]\u2019 [Gen. 17:2].
\nG. \u201c[The mark of the covenant is to be] in the place at which a man is fruitful and multiplies.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Ishmael taught, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, wanted to take the priesthood away from Shem [as its progenitor], as it is said, \u2018And Melchizedek, king of Salem, brought out bread and wine; he was priest of God Most High. [And he blessed (Abraham) and said, \u201cBlessed be Abram by God Most High, maker of heaven and earth, and blessed be God Most High who has delivered your enemies into your hand\u201d]\u2019 [Gen. 14:18\u201319].
\nB. \u201cSince he placed the blessing of Abraham before the blessing of the Omnipresent, Abraham said to him, \u2018Now does one place the blessing of the servant before the blessing of his master?\u2019
\nC. \u201cThe Omnipresent removed [the priesthood] from Shem and handed it over to Abraham, as it is said, \u2018The Lord says to my lord, [Sit at my right hand.]\u2019 [Ps. 110:1]. And after that statement it is written, \u2018The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind, You are a priest forever after the matter of Melchizedek\u2019 [Ps. 110:4]. It is on account of the matter of Melchizedek.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018He was priest of God Most High\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 14:18).
\n3. A. R. Ishmael and R. Aqiba:
\nB. R. Ishmael said, \u201cAbraham was high priest, as it is said, \u2018The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. [You are a priest forever]\u2019 [Ps. 110:4].
\nC. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018And you will circumcise the flesh of your foreskin\u2019 [Gen. 17:11].
\nD. \u201cNow where was he to make the mark of circumcision [since as we now see, it could apply to the ear, mouth, heart, and body equally, so far as biblical usage is concerned]?
\nE. \u201cIf he were to circumcise his ear, he would then not be fit to make an offering.
\nF. \u201cIf he were to circumcise his mouth, he would not be fit to make an offering.
\nG. \u201cIf he were to circumcise his heart, he would not be fit to make an offering.
\nH. \u201cAt what point, then, could he make the mark of circumcision and yet be [unblemished and thus] fit to make an offering? It could only be circumcision of the body [at the penis].\u201d
\nI. R. Aqiba says, \u201cThere are four sorts of uncircumcision.
\nJ. \u201c \u2018Uncircumcision\u2019 is stated with regard to the ear: \u2018And lo, their ears are uncircumcised\u2019 [Jer. 6:10].
\nK. \u201c \u2018Uncircumcision\u2019 is stated with regard to the mouth: \u2018And I am of uncircumcised lips\u2019 [Ex. 6:30].
\nL. \u201c \u2018Uncircumcision\u2019 is stated with regard to the heart: \u2018And all of the house of Israel are of uncircumcised heart\u2019 [Jer. 9:25].
\nM. \u201cYet it is written, \u2018Walk before me and be perfect [and unblemished]\u2019 [Gen. 17:1].
\nN. \u201cWhence then could he be circumcised? If he should be circumcised at the ear, he would not be perfect.
\nO. \u201cIf he should be circumcised at the mouth, he should not be perfect.
\nP. \u201cIf he should be circumcised at the heart, he should not be perfect.
\nQ. \u201cWhere then could he be circumcised and be perfect?
\nR. \u201cOne must say, \u2018This refers to the circumcision of the body.\u2019 \u201d
\nS. Nagra said, \u201cIt is written, \u2018[Circumcise] at eight days of age\u2019 [Gen. 17:12].
\nT. \u201cWhere then should one place the mark of circumcision?
\nU. \u201cIf one circumcises at the ear, he will be unable to hear.
\nV. \u201cIf he did so at the mouth, he will be unable to speak.
\nW. \u201cIf he did so at the heart, he will be unable to think.
\nX. \u201cWhere should he be circumcised and remain able to hear, speak, and think?
\nY. \u201cIt must follow that this refers to circumcision of the body.\u201d
\nZ. Said R. Tanhuma, What Negra says is most reasonable.
\n4. A. \u201cAnd the uncircumcised male who is not circumcised\u201d (Gen. 17:14).
\nB. R. Yudan in the name of R. Isaac and, R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Isaac, and there is one who teaches it in the name of R. Yose b. Halapta, \u201c \u2018And the uncircumcised male \u2026\u2019 [Gen. 17:14].
\nC. \u201cNow is there such a thing as an uncircumcised female?
\nD. \u201cBut the point is that at the place which people examine to know whether one is male or female, there they make the mark of circumcision [on the male].\u201d<\/p>\n
The reference of the base verse to \u201cuncircumcision\u201d with regard to the trees, Lev. 19:23, accounts for the introduction of the theme of circumcision. But it is only at No. 1 that the base verse makes its impact, and then only by an allusion to Lev. 19:23, which is not explicitly cited. From that point onward, the passage pursues its own interests. No. 2 is necessary to set the stage for No. 3. No. 4 then proves the same proposition as No. 3.<\/p>\n
XXV:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Levi bar Sisi gave the following exposition: \u201c \u2018And you were a whore with the sons of Egypt, your neighbors, large of flesh\u2019 [Ez. 16:26]. What does \u2018large of flesh\u2019 mean?
\nB. \u201cNow did one have one leg and another three?\u201d
\nC. \u201cRabbi said, \u2018They had large penises.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Berekhiah and R. Simon in the name of R. Samuel bar Nehemiah, \u201cIt is written, \u2018And [Joshua] circumcised the children of Israel at the Hill of Foreskins\u2019 [Josh. 5:3].
\nB. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018Hill of Foreskins?\u2019 That it was in the shape of a mountain made of foreskins.\u201d<\/p>\n
The theme of circumcision continues. The base verse is not in view.<\/p>\n
XXV:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cHis legs are alabaster columns, [set upon bases of fine gold]\u201d (Song 5:15).
\nB. \u201cHis legs\u201d refer to the world.
\nC. \u201cAlabaster columns (SS):\u201d For [the world] rests on the six (SST) days of creation, for it is written, \u201cFor in six days did God create the world\u201d (Ex. 20:11).
\nD. \u201cSet upon bases of fine gold:\u201d This refers to words of Torah, \u201cwhich are more to be desired than fine gold\u201d (Ps. 19:11).
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cSet upon bases of fine gold\u201d refers to the sections of the Torah which are interpreted both in light of what precedes them and also in light of what follows them.
\nB. To what may they be compared?
\nC. R. Huna in the name of Bar Qappara said, \u201cTo a column that has a base on the bottom and a capitol on the top.
\nD. \u201cSo too are the sections of the Torah to be interpreted both in light of what precedes them and also in light of what follows them.\u201d [This proposition is now illustrated.]
\n3. A. \u201cWhen you come into the land and plant all kinds of trees for food\u201d (Lev. 19:23).
\nB. And it is written [in the immediately preceding verses], \u201cIf a man lies carnally with a woman [who is a slave] \u2026\u201d (Lev. 19:20\u201322).
\nC. Now what has one matter got to do with the other?
\nD. But [it is to teach] that one who weeds [and farms] with his fellow gradually becomes part of the household. Since he comes and goes in his house, he becomes suspect [of having sexual relations] with his slave girl.
\nE. He says, \u201cIs it not a sin offering that I now owe, is it not a guilt offering? I\u2019ll bring a sin offering, I\u2019ll bring a guilt offering.\u201d
\nF. For R. Yudan in the name of R. Levi said, \u201cThose who in this world treat slave girls as though they are [sexually] permitted are destined to hang by the scalp of their head in the world to come.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018But God will shatter the heads of his enemies, the hair crown of him who walks in his guilty ways\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 68:21).
\nH. What is the meaning of \u201cwalks in his guilty ways\u201d?
\nI. Everybody says, \u201cLet that man go in his guilt, let that man go in his guilt.\u201d
\n4. A. Passages of the Torah also may be interpreted in light of what follows them.
\nB. For it is said, \u201cFor three years it shall be [as though] uncircumcised for you\u201d (Lev. 19:23).
\nC. And it is written, \u201cYou shall not eat any flesh with the blood in it\u201d (Lev. 19:26).
\nD. What has one thing got to do with the other?
\nE. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to Israel, \u201cYou are prepared to wait for the uncircumcised fruit tree for three years; and for your wife do you not wait, while she observes the period of her menstruation?
\nF. \u201cFor your uncircumcised tree you are prepared to wait for three years; and for [meat of] your beast are you not prepared to wait until the blood is fully drained from it?\u201d
\n5. A. And who observed the religious duty governing the blood?
\nB. It was Saul, for it is said, \u201cThen they told Saul, Behold the people are sinning against the Lord [by eating with the blood. And he said, You have dealt treacherously; roll a great stone to me here.] And Saul said, Disperse yourselves among the people [and say to them, Let every man bring his ox or his sheep] and slay them here; [and eat, but do not sin against the Lord by eating with the blood]\u201d (1 Sam. 14:33\u201334).
\nC. What is the meaning of \u201chere (BZH)\u201d? Rabbis say, \u201cA knife fourteen fingers long did he show them, B stands for two, Z for seven, H for five, so he said to them, \u2018In this manner will you slaughter and eat meat [with a knife of proper length].\u2019 \u201d
\nD. How did the Holy One, blessed be he, reward him?
\nE. One has to say, it was on the day of battle.
\nF. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cSo on the day of the battle there was neither [sword nor spear] found [in the hand of any of the people with Saul and Jonathan; but with Saul and Jonathan his son (weaponry) was found. And the garrison of the Philistines went out to the pass of Mickmash]\u201d (1 Sam. 13:22).
\nG. First it says, \u201cwas not found,\u201d and then it says, \u201cBut \u2026 was found!\u201d Who provided it to him?
\nH. R. Haggai in the name of R. Isaac said, \u201cAn angel provided him [with the needed weapons].\u201d
\nI. And rabbis say, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, provided him with the needed weapons.\u201d
\n6. A. It is written, \u201cAnd Saul built an altar to the Lord; it was the first altar built to the Lord\u201d (1 Sam. 14:35).
\nB. How many altars had the earlier ancients already built\u2014Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua\u2014and yet you say, \u201cIt was the first [altar]!\u201d
\nC. Rabbis say, \u201cThat one was the first built by kings.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Yudan, \u201cBecause he was ready to give his life for this matter, Scripture treated it in his behalf as if he were the first one who built an altar to the Lord.\u201d
\n7. A. Said R. Simeon b. Yosi b. Laqoniah, \u201cNow in this world, a person builds a building, and someone else uses it.
\nB. \u201cA person may plant a tree, and someone else eats its fruit.
\nC. \u201cBut in the age to come: \u2018They shall not build and another inhabit, [they shall not plant and another eat] \u2026 They shall not work in vain\u2019 (Is 65:22\u201323).
\nD. \u201c \u2018And their seed shall be known among the nations\u2019 \u201d (Is. 61:9).<\/p>\n
Now we reach a fine exposition of the context of the base verse, Lev. 19:23, in relationship to related verses. No. 1 sets the stage by introducing the exegetical basis. No. 2 then makes the main point, which applies, specifically, at Nos. 3 and 4 to Lev. 19:23. Nos. 5\u20136 then spin out exegeses of the verses cited in the preceding, and No. 7 ends the discussion of Lev. 19:23 with an eschatological promise. So the construction is tight at Nos. 2\u20134 and 7, and bears the conventional amplification at Nos. 5\u20136.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Six<\/p>\n
XXVI:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[And the Lord said to Moses,] Speak to the priests, [the sons of Aaron, and say to them]\u201d (Lev. 21:1).
\nB. R. Tanhum b. R. Hanilai opened [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture]: \u201c \u2018The sayings of the Lord are pure sayings\u2019 [Ps. 12:7].
\nC. \u201c[That is to say] the sayings of the Lord are sayings, but the sayings of mortals are not.
\nD. \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances when a mortal king comes into a town, and the townsfolk laud him, if their praise pleases him, he says to them, \u2018Tomorrow I am going to build for you public baths and bathhouses, tomorrow I am going to bring you a water pipe [for fresh water].\u2019 But then he goes to sleep and does not awake [in the morning]. So where is he, and where are his sayings?
\nE. \u201cBut the Holy One, blessed be he, is not like that.
\nF. \u201cRather: \u2018The Lord, God, is truth\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 10:10).
\nG. What is the meaning of \u201ctruth\u201d?
\nH. Said R. Abin, \u201cIt means that he is \u2018the living God and eternal king\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 10:10).
\n2. A. \u201c[The sayings of the Lord are] pure\u201d (Ps. 12:7).
\nB. R. Yudan in the name of R. Isaac, R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Eleazar, R. Jacob of Kepar Hanin in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: \u201cWe find that the Scripture rearranged two or three words [as a circumlocution] in the Torah so as not to bring an unseemly word out of [God\u2019s] mouth.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Of every clean beast you will take for yourself seven, male and female, and from every beast that is not clean \u2026\u2019 [Gen. 7:2].
\nD. \u201c \u2018And from every unclean beast\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Of every beast that is not clean, two, male and female\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 7:2).
\nE. Said R. Yudan b. R. Manasseh, \u201cEven when Scripture came to introduce the signs of unclean beasts, the Scripture commenced only with the signs of clean [beasts], as in the following cases:
\nF. \u201c \u2018The camel, because it does not part the hoof\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Because it chews the cud [but does not \u2026]\u2019 [Lev. 11:4].
\nG. \u201c \u2018The rockbadger, because it does not part the hoof\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Because it chews the cud [but does not \u2026]\u2019 [Lev. 11:5].
\nH. \u201c \u2018The hare, because it does not part the hoof\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Because it chews the cud [but does not \u2026]\u2019 [Lev. 11:6].
\nI. \u201c \u2018The pig, because it does not chew the cud\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Because it parts the hoof [but does not \u2026]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 11:7).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse uses the word \u201csaying\u201d shared with the base verse, \u201csay to them.\u201d The exegete therefore makes two points about the intersecting verse. First of all, it deals with the principal parts of the sentence, \u201cThe sayings of the Lord are sayings,\u201d and explains that what the Lord says is reliable, while what mortals say is not, because the Lord is eternal, and mortals are not. No. 2 then deals with the second matter, the adjective \u201cpure.\u201d The point of interest then is standard, explaining how Scripture avoids ascribing to God sayings that are inappropriate, for example, in their phrasing or word choice. The specific context of the base verse has yet to attract exegetical attention.<\/p>\n
XXVI:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yose of Malehayya and R. Joshua of Sikhnin, in the name of R. Levi: \u201cChildren in David\u2019s time, before they had tasted the taste of sin [reached sexual maturity], were able to expound the Torah in forty-nine different ways to reach a decision on uncleanness, and in forty-nine different ways to reach a decision on cleanness.
\nB. \u201cAnd David prayed for them: \u2018You, O Lord, protect them\u2019 [Ps. 12:7].
\nC. \u201cPreserve their learning in their heart.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Protect them forever from this generation\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 12:7).
\nE. \u201cFrom the generation that deserves destruction.\u201d
\n2. A. After all this glory, [that generation of disciples] went out to war and fell.
\nB. It was because there were renegades among them.
\nC. That is in line with what David says, \u201cMy soul is in the midst of lions. I lie down among them that are aflame, sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, their tongues sharp swords\u201d (Ps. 57:4).
\nD. \u201cMy soul is in the midst of lions\u201d refers to Abner and Amasa, who were lions in the Torah.
\nE. \u201cI lie down among them that are aflame\u201d refers to Doeg and Ahitophel, who were burning with gossip.
\nF. \u201cSons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows\u201d refers to the men of Keilah: \u201cWill the men of Keilah hand me over?\u201d (1 Sam. 23:11).
\nG. \u201cTheir tongues are sharp swords\u201d refers to the Ziphites: \u201cWhen the Ziphites came and said to Saul, \u2018Does David not hide himself with us?\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 23:19).
\nH. At that moment said David, \u201cNow what is the Presence of God doing in the world? \u2018Be exalted, O God, above the heavens\u2019 [Ps. 57:5]. Remove your Presence from their midst!\u201d
\nI. But the generation of Ahab was made up of idolators. But because there were no renegades among them, they would go out to war and win.
\nJ. That is in line with what Obadiah said to Elijah: \u201cHas it not been told my lord what I did when Jezebel killed the prophets of the Lord, how I hid a hundred men of the Lord\u2019s prophets by fifties in a cave and fed them with bread and water?\u201d (1 Kings 18:13).
\nK. If bread, why water? But this teaches that it was harder to bring the water than the bread.
\nL. Elijah proclaimed on Mount Carmel, saying, \u201cAnd I alone remain as a prophet to the Lord\u201d (1 Kings 18:22).
\nM. Now the entire people were well informed [that there were other prophets who had survived], but they did not reveal it to the king.
\n3. A. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nahman, \u201cThey said to the snake, \u2018On what account are you commonly found among fences?\u2019
\nB. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Because I broke down the fence of the world [causing man to sin].\u2019
\nC. \u201cOn what account do you go along with your tongue on the ground?
\nD. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Because my tongue made [it happen] to me.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018Now what pleasure do you have [from it all]? A lion tramples but also devours [the prey], a wolf tears but also devours, while you bite and kill [but do not devour what you kill].\u2019
\nF. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Does the snake bite without a charm?\u2019 [Qoh. 10:11] Is it possible that I do anything that was not commanded me from on high?\u201d
\nG. \u201c \u2018And on what account do you bite a single limb, but all the limbs feel it?\u2019
\nH. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Now are you saying that to me? Speak to the slanderer, who says something here and kills [his victim] in Rome, says something in Rome and kills [his victim] at the other end of the world.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. And why is [the slanderer] called \u201cthe third party\u201d?
\nB. It is because he kills three: the one who speaks [slander], the one who receives it, and the one about whom it is said].
\nC. But in the time of Saul, [slander] killed four: Doeg, who said it, Saul who received it, Abimelech, about whom it was said, and Abner.
\nD. And why was Abner killed?
\nE. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cBecause he made a joke out of the shedding of the blood of young men.
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And Abner said to Joab, \u201cLet the young men get up and play before us\u201d \u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 2:14).
\nG. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cBecause he put his name before David\u2019s name.\u201d
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And Abner sent messengers to David right away, saying, Whose is the land?\u2019 (2 Sam. 3:12).
\nI. \u201cHe wrote, \u2018From Abner to David.\u2019 \u201d
\nJ. And rabbis say, \u201cIt was because he did not wait for Saul to become reconciled with David.
\nK. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Moreover, my father, see, yes, see the skirt of your robe in my hand\u2019 [1 Sam. 24:11]. Abner said to him, \u2018What do you want of this man\u2019s boasting! The [cloth] was caught in a thornbush.\u2019
\nL. \u201cWhen they came within the barricade, he said to him, \u2018Will you not answer, Abner?\u2019 [1 Sam. 26:14]? Concerning the piece of the cloak you said that it was caught in a thornbush. \u2018Have the spear and the water jar also been caught in the thornbush?\u2019 \u201d
\nM. And there are those who say, \u201cIt was because he had the power to protest against Saul in regard to Nob, the city of priests, and he did not do so.\u201d<\/p>\n
Margulies sees No. 1 as an exposition of the notion that God\u2019s words are pure, thus 1.A. The \u201csilver refined in the furnace on the ground purified seven times\u201d of Ps. 12:6 yields the figure of forty-nine, important at 1.A. Then the exposition moves right on to Ps. 12:7, \u201cDo you, O Lord, protect us, guard us ever from this generation.\u201d While No. 2 appears to carry forward the thought of No. 1, that is only at 2.A\u2013B. At that point the power of the renegade is subject to systematic exposition, 2.A\u2013B, as against 2.I. The remainder of the passage at hand explores the secondary materials introduced at 2.C. The upshot is to contrast God\u2019s pure speech with humanity\u2019s gossip, but I am not inclined to see that as the purpose of the composition. No 3 plays on the theme of impure speech, gossip; it is inserted whole, because it allows for 4.A\u2013B to preface 4.C, and that passage clearly is in close relationship to No. 2. The remainder of No. 4 then works out further materials important to No. 2.<\/p>\n
XXVI:III<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Tanhum b. R. Hanilai, \u201cThere are two passages which Moses handed us in writing in the Torah, and they are both [about things that are] pure.
\nB. \u201cAnd on whose account were they given? On account of the tribe of Levi, concerning which it is written, \u2018As silver tried in a furnace on the ground\u2019 [Ps. 12:7].
\nC. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018And he shall purify the sons of Levi\u2019 [Mal. 3:3].
\nD. \u201cNow what are these passages? They are the ones concerning the Red Cow [Num. 19:1ff.) and [how the priests are to deal with] corpses [Lev. 21:1ff.]: \u2018And the Lord said to Moses, Speak to the priests, [the sons of Aaron, and say to them that none of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people\u2019]\u201d (Lev. 21:1).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse, Ps. 12:7, now decisively joins the base verse. It turns the whole\u2014Ps 12:7 in its entirety\u2014into an expansion and clarification of Lev. 21:1.<\/p>\n
XXVI:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The heavens recount the glory of God; and the firmament proclaims his handiwork.] Day to day pours forth speech, [and night to night declares knowledge. There is no speech, nor are there words; their voice is not heard; yet their line goes out through all the earth and their words to the end of the world]\u201d (Ps. 19:1\u20134).
\nB. It has been taught (Ber. 1:1): On the first day of the spring season in Nisan, and on the first day of the fall season of Tishre, the day and the night are equal above.
\nC. From that time onward, the day borrows from the night, or the night borrows from the day.
\nD. \u201cDay to day pours forth speech\u201d [without elaborate provision for recompense].
\nE. But [that is not how things are here] down on earth, for how many deeds and decrees there are [to secure compensation].
\nF. \u201cTheir line goes out through all the earth\u201d (Ps. 19:4).
\nG. R. Shalom in the name of R. Ahba son of R. Zira: \u201c[The matter may be compared] to the case of one who received dominion from the king.
\nH. \u201cBefore he reaches the borders of his province, he walks along like an ordinary person. But once he reaches the borders of his province, he walks about like a nobleman.
\nI. \u201cSo before they go forth to the world: \u2018There is no speech, there are no words\u2019 [Ps. 19:3].
\nJ. \u201cBut once they go forth to the world, how many deeds and decrees there are! \u2018Their line goes out through all the earth\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 19:4).<\/p>\n
The verse, Ps. 19:3, receives an exegesis in its own terms. Only at XXVI:V do we reach the base verse. 1.J. should be deleted.<\/p>\n
XXVI:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi: \u201cThe matter may be compared to an Israelite and a priest who were smitten with epilepsy.
\nB. \u201cThe physician prescribed for them a well-tested amulet and gave orders to the Israelite [that he avoid cemeteries], but ignored the priest.
\nC. \u201cSaid the priest to him, \u2018My lord, physician, did you not give the amulet to both of us simultaneously? Why then do you give orders to the Israelite but you leave me alone?\u2019
\nD. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018This is an Israelite, who ordinarily will walk among graves. [He should not do so wearing the amulet.] But you are a priest, and you do not ordinarily walk among graves. Therefore I gave orders to the Israelite, but I left you alone.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThus, because the passion to do evil is not found among the creatures of the upper world, a single act of speech suffices for them,
\nF. \u201cas it is said, \u2018The matter is by the decree of the watcher, and the sentence is by the word of the holy ones\u2019 [Dan. 4:14]. [Thus there is only a single reference to \u2018word.\u2019]
\nG. \u201cBut as to the creatures of the lower world, among whom the passion to do evil is commonplace, would that they could stand through two acts of speech!
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The Lord said to Moses, \u201cSpeak to the priests the sons of Aaron and say to them\u201d \u2019 [Lev. 21:1] [thus two acts of speaking].\u201d<\/p>\n
Now the base verse\u2019s two references to an act of speaking is explained. Mortals require two warnings to avoid uncleanness. \u201cDay to day pours forth speech\u201d (Ps. 19:2) is then taken to mean that each day there are two acts of speaking (Margulies) and the rest flows.<\/p>\n
XXVI:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe fear of the Lord is clean [enduring for ever]\u201d (Ps. 19:9).
\nB. Said R. Levi, \u201cOn account of the fear that marked Aaron before the Holy One, blessed be he, he had gained merit and so was handed over to him this passage that will never be removed either from him or from his children or from his descendants to the end of all generations.
\nC. \u201cAnd what passage is this? It is the passage concerning [the conduct of the priests with regard to the dead]: \u2018And the Lord said to Moses, say to the priests \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 21:1).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verses of Ps. 19 now produce yet another connection to the base verse. The tie is explicitly spelled out.<\/p>\n
XXVI:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. What is written just prior to the present passage? \u201cA man or a woman who is a medium or a wizard shall be put to death\u201d (Lev. 20:27).
\nB. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201c \u2018A man\u2019 refers to Saul. \u2018A woman\u2019 refers to a woman who divines by a ghost\u201d (1 Sam. 28:7).
\n2. A. R. Levi in the name of R. Hama b. R. Hanina: \u201cIt would have been better for Saul to consult the Urim and Thumin, which belong to the upper world, and not to inquire through the ghost or familiar spirit, which belong to the lower world.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with what Saul says to his servants, \u2018Seek out for me a woman who is a medium, that I may go to her and inquire of her\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:7).
\nC. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cWhat was Saul like at that moment? He was like a king who entered a city and made a decree, saying, \u2018Let all the roosters be slaughtered this night.\u2019
\nD. \u201cHe wanted to go out on a journey [and needed to be awakened in the morning]. He said, \u2018Aren\u2019t there any roosters here to crow?\u2019
\nE. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018You are the one who gave orders to have them slaughtered.\u2019
\nF. \u201cSo yesterday: \u2018And Saul had put the mediums and the wizards out [of the land]\u2019 [1 Sam. 28:3]. And today: \u2018Then Saul said to his servants, \u201cSeek out for me a woman who is a medium, [that I may go to her and inquire of her].\u201d And his servants said to him, \u201cBehold, there is a medium at Endor\u201d \u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:7).
\nG. \u201cSo Saul disguised himself\u201d (1 Sam. 28:8). The word is written with a shin, producing the meaning, \u201cHe went forth free\u201d from the kingship.
\nH. \u201cHe put on other garments\u201d (1 Sam. 28:8): the garments of ordinary folk.
\nI. \u201cAnd he went, with two men with him\u201d (1 Sam. 28:8): this refers to Abner and Amasa.
\nJ. Said R. Isaac, \u201cThe Torah thereby teaches you rules of proper conduct, that a person should not go off on a trip with less than two others with him.
\nK. \u201cFor if someone goes forth with less than two others with him, in the end he will be made a servant of servants.\u201d
\nL. Said R. Aibu, \u201cTwo acted properly, Abraham and Saul.
\nM. \u201cAbraham: \u2018And he took two of his servants with him\u2019 [Gen. 22:3].
\nN. \u201cAnd Saul: \u2018And he went with two men with him\u2019 [1 Sam. 28:8]. This refers to Abner and Amasa.\u201d
\nO. \u201cAnd they came to the woman by night\u201d (1 Sam. 28:8). Now was it actually night? But the verses teach that that hour was as dark for them as night.
\nP. \u201cAnd he said, \u2018Divine for me by a spirit, and bring up for me whomever I shall name to you.\u2019 And the woman said to him, \u2018Surely you know what Saul has done, [how he has cut off the mediums and the wizards from the land. Why then are you laying a snare for my life to bring about my death?\u2019] But Saul swore to her by the Lord, \u2018As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:8\u201310).
\nQ. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cWhat was Saul like at that moment? He was like a woman who was with her lover and took an oath by the life of her husband. So Saul inquired of a familiar spirit and took an oath to her, \u2018As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.\u2019 \u201d
\nR. \u201cThen the woman said, \u2018Whom shall I bring up for you?\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:11).
\nS. Should it be one of those who said, \u201cWho is the Lord [that I should listen to his voice]\u201d (Ex. 5:2).
\nT. [Or] should it be one of those who said, \u201cWho is like you among the gods, O Lord\u201d (Ex. 15:11).
\nU. He said to her, \u201cSamuel, master of the prophets, bring up for me.\u201d
\nV. She did what she did, said what she said, and he came up. When she saw him, she was frightened, as it is said, \u201cWhen the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice, and the woman said to Saul, \u2018Why have you deceived me? You are Saul\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:12).
\nW. How did she know at that moment that he was Saul? It is as they say, [When the ghost comes up], not for an ordinary person does it come up as it does for a king. For an ordinary person it comes up with its head downward and its feet upward. But for a king it comes up with its feet downward and its head upward.
\nX. \u201cThe king said to her, \u2018Have no fear. What do you see?\u2019 And the woman said to Saul, \u2018I see gods coming up out of the earth\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:13).
\nY. When he heard the word \u201cgods,\u201d he was frightened.
\nZ. And there are those who say, \u201cMany elders came up with him at that hour.\u201d
\nAA. \u201cHe said to her, \u2018What is his appearance?\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:14).
\nBB. Did he not know him?
\nCC. Three things are stated concerning him who brings up [the dead] by means of necromancy.
\nDD. The one who brings him up sees him but does not hear his voice.
\nEE. The one who requires him hears his voice but does not see him.
\nFF. And the one who does not need him does not hear his voice and does not see him.
\nGG. So in the case of Samuel, the woman who brought him up saw him but did not hear his voice.
\nHH. Saul, who needed him, heard his voice but did not see him.
\nII. Abner and Amasa, who did not need him, did not hear his voice and did not see him.
\nJJ. \u201cAnd she said, \u2018An old man is coming up, and he is wrapped in a robe\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:14).
\nKK. That is in line with the verse, \u201cAnd his mother made him a little robe\u201d (1 Sam. 2:19).
\nLL. At that moment, \u201cSaul knew that it was Samuel, and he bowed with his face to the ground and did obeisance\u201d (1 Sam. 28:14).
\nMM. \u201cThen Samuel said to Saul, \u2018Why have you disturbed me [by bringing me up]?\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:15).
\n3. A. Rabbi would explain the meaning of verses of Scripture. When he came to these verses, he would weep:
\nB. \u201cFor lo, he who forms the mountains and creates the wind and tells a man his thought\u201d (Amos 4:13). Even things that have no substance whatsoever are written down in a person\u2019s record in his notebook.
\nC. Who writes them down? \u201cHe who makes the morning gloom\u201d (Amos 4:13).
\nD. And this verse also: \u201cSeek the Lord, all you humble of the earth, seek righteousness, seek humility, perhaps you will be hidden on the day of the wrath of the Lord\u201d (Zeph. 2:3).
\nE. And this verse also: \u201cHate evil, love good, establish justice in the gate, perhaps the Lord of hosts will show you grace, O remnant of Joseph\u201d (Amos 5:15).
\nF. And this verse also: \u201cFor God will bring every evil deed unto judgment\u201d (Qoh. 12:14).
\nG. And this verse also: \u201cLet him put his mouth in the dust, perhaps there may be hope\u201d (Lam. 3:29).
\nH. And this verse also: \u201cThen Samuel said to Saul, Why have you disturbed me\u201d (1 Sam. 28:15).
\nI. He said to him, \u201cYou should have not disturbed your Creator, but rather me. You have made an idol of me.
\nJ. \u201cDid you not know that just as they exact punishment from the one who worships [an idol], so they exact punishment from the one who is worshipped as an idol?
\nK. \u201cAnd not only so, but since I thought that it was the Day of Judgment, I brought Moses along with me!\u201d
\nL. Now is it not an argument a fortiori: If Samuel, the master of the prophets, concerning whom it was written, \u201cSamuel was established to be a prophet of the Lord\u201d (1 Sam. 3:20), was afraid of the day of judgment, all other people all the more so [should be afraid of it]!
\n4. A. \u201cSaul answered, \u2018I am in great distress, for the Philistines are warring against me [and God has turned away from me and answers me no more, either by prophets or by dreams; therefore I have summoned you to tell me what I shall do]\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:15)
\nB. Said R. Isaac b. R. Hiyya, \u201c \u2018The heart knows its own bitterness\u2019 [Prov. 14:10]. Why did he not tell him both by the Urim and by the Thummim?
\nC. \u201cFor if he had so spoken to him by the Urim and the Thummim, he would have said to him, \u2018You were the one who did evil when you slew Nob, the city of the priests.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. \u201cAnd Samuel said, \u2018Why then do you ask me, since the Lord has turned from you and become your enemy (\u02bfRYK)\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:16). It is on account of those concerning him it is written, \u201cAnd the sons of Aaron, the priests, shall arrange \u2026 (\u02bfRK)\u201d (Lev. 1:8).
\nE. \u201cThe Lord has done to you as he spoke by me, for the Lord has torn the kingdom out of your hand and has given it to your neighbor, David\u201d (1 Sam. 28:17).
\nF. He said to him, \u201cWhen you were with me, you said to me, \u2018To your neighbor who is better than you\u2019 [1 Sam. 15:28]. But now you say, \u2018To your neighbor, to David.\u2019 \u201d
\nG. He said to him, \u201cWhen I was with you, I was in the world of lies, and I was afraid of you, lest you kill me. So I phrased matters to you in a duplicitous way. But now that I am dwelling in the world of truth, you will hear from me only truth, for I am not afraid of you.\u201d
\nH. \u201cMoreover the Lord will give Israel also with you into the hand of the Philistines\u201d (1 Sam. 28:19).
\nI. He said to him, \u201cThen should I not flee?\u201d
\nJ. He said to him, \u201cIf you flee, you will be saved.\u201d
\nK. He said to him, \u201cBut should I not make preparation for battle?\u201d
\nL. He said to him, \u201cIf you make preparation for battle, you will be victorious, but if you accept for yourself the rightness of the attribute of justice, tomorrow: \u2018you and your sons shall be with me\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 28:19).
\nM. What is the meaning of \u201cwith me\u201d?
\nN. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cWith me, within my circle [of righteous men].\u201d
\nO. When Saul heard the words of Samuel, he was afraid.
\nP. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThen Saul fell at once full length upon the ground, filled with fear, because of the words of Samuel; and there was no strength in him, for he had eaten nothing all day and all night\u201d (1 Sam. 28:20).
\nQ. Now when he came back to Abner and Amasa, they said to him, \u201cWhat did Samuel say to you?\u201d
\nR. He said to them, \u201cIf you do battle, you will win. Not only so, but your two sons will be appointed generals.\u201d
\nS. Forthwith he went out to battle and took his three sons with him: Jonathan, Abinadab, and Malkishua.
\nT. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cAt that moment the Holy One, blessed be he, said to the ministering angels, \u2018Come and see a creature whom I created in my world, the work of art that I have fashioned in my world. Under ordinary circumstances, a man who goes to a celebration does not take his sons with him, on account of the evil eye. But this one goes down to war, and he knows that he will be slain, and yet takes his sons with him, rejoicing that the attribute of justice will overtake him.\u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. It was for five sins that Saul died:
\nB. \u201cAnd Saul died on account of the sacrilege, which he did against the Lord\u201d (1 Chron. 10:13).
\nC. Because he slew Nob, the city of the priests, because he had pity for Agag, king of Amalek.
\nD. \u201cOn account of the word of the Lord, which he did not keep\u201d (1 Chron. 10:13).
\nE. Because he did not listen to Samuel, who said to him, \u201cSeven days you shall wait, until I come to you\u201d (1 Sam. 10:8), but he did not do so.
\nF. \u201cAnd also because he consulted a medium, seeking guidance\u201d (1 Chron. 10:13),
\nG. \u201cand he did not seek guidance from the Lord. Therefore the Lord slew him [and turned the kingdom over to David, the son of Jesse]\u201d (1 Chron. 10:14).
\n6. A. \u201cAnd Saul said to the priest, Withdraw your hand\u201d (1 Sam. 14:19).
\nB. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi said, \u201cThis passage teaches that the Holy One, blessed be he, showed to Moses each generation and its sages, each generation and its wise men, each generation and its interpreters, each generation and its judges, each generation and its officers, each generation and its priests, each generation and its Levites, each generation and its kings.
\nC. \u201cWhen he saw him showed him Saul, king of Israel, falling by the sword, he said before him, \u2018Lord of the world! Is this appropriate respect for your children? Should the king who stands over them fall by the sword first of all!\u2019
\nD. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018And are you speaking to me? Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, for they are drawing up the indictment against him!\u2019 \u201d
\nE. \u201cAnd the Lord said to Moses, Speak to the priests\u201d (Lev. 21:1).<\/p>\n
The principle that one passage relates to some other, upon which it sheds light, explains the observation at No. 1. As soon as the matter of necromancy enters, thoughts turn immediately to Saul, and No. 2 presents a vast exposition of the verses of Scripture that report Saul\u2019s encounter with the witch of Endor. The principle accounting for the layout of the materials is not difficult to discern. What we have is mainly a systematic exposition of successive verses on Saul and the witch of Endor. Inserted materials are self-evident. For instance, No. 4 continues No. 2. Nos. 5 and 6 are added because of their self-evident relevance to the theme at hand. No. 6 shows us how we regain Lev. 21:1\u2014an unusually circuitous but artful route.<\/p>\n
XXVI:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd the Lord said to Moses, Say to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them\u201d (Lev. 21:1).
\nB. R. Yohanan in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai: \u201cIn any passage in which is stated, \u2018And he said,\u2019 \u2018And he said,\u2019 two times, it is necessary to provide an exposition.\u201d
\n2. A. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd he said to the man clothed in linen, and he said, \u2018Go in among the whirling wheels [underneath the cherubim, fill your hands with burning coals from between the cherubim]\u2019 [Ez. 10:2].
\nB. What is the meaning of \u201cand he said,\u201d \u201cand he said,\u201d two times?
\nC. It teaches that the Holy One, blessed be he, spoke to the angel, and then the angel [spoke] to the cherub: \u201cNow the Holy One, blessed be he, has instructed me to take from you two coals and I have no right to go into your domain. So do me a kindness and give me two coals from on top of the altar.\u201d
\nD. What is written there? \u201c[And a cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubim to the fire that was between the cherubim] and took some and put it into the hands of the man clothed in linen, who took it and went out\u201d (Ez. 10:7).
\nE. What is the meaning of \u201che took some and put it\u201d?
\nF. Said R. Phineas, \u201cHe cooled it off and then gave it to him.\u201d
\nG. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi says, \u201cFor six and a half years those coals were smoldering in the hands of Gabriel. He was hoping that the Israelites would repent, but they did not do so. When they did not repent, he came to throw [the coals] on them, so as to exterminate Israel. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, to Gabriel, \u2018Gabriel, slowly, slowly! There are among them people who act charitably with one another.\u2019
\nH. \u201cFor it is said, \u2018The cherubim appeared to have the form of a human hand under their wings\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 10:8).
\nI. Said R. Abba b. R. Kahana, \u201cJust as the creatures of the lower world need charity from one another, so is the case with the creatures of the upper world.
\nJ. \u201cWhat is the scriptural verse that proves that point? \u2018Your charity [righteousness], O God, reaches the high heavens. You who have done great things, O God, who is like you\u2019 [Ps. 71:18].
\nK. \u201cWho is like you among the creatures of the upper world, who is like you among the creatures of the lower world, who like you overcomes the attribute of mere justice [and deals mercifully instead].\u201d
\n3. A. Along these same lines: \u201cAnd a man of God came near and spoke to the king of Israel and said, \u2018Thus says the Lord\u2019 \u201d (1 Kings 20:28).
\nB. What is the meaning of, \u201cAnd he said,\u201d \u201cAnd he said,\u201d two times?
\nC. At the first act of speech, he said to him, \u201cIf the king of Aram comes into your power, do not have pity on him.\u201d
\nD. In the second act of speech, he said to him, \u201cHow many traps and how many nets did I spread for that man, and I brought him into your power, and you have let him go in peace. \u2018Therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people\u2019 \u201d (1 Kings 20:43).
\n4. A. And along these same lines: \u201cAnd King Ahasuerus said, and he said to Esther the queen\u201d (Est. 7:5).
\nB. What is the meaning of, \u201cAnd he said,\u201d \u201cAnd he said,\u201d two times?
\nC. Rabbi in the name of R. Eleazar said, \u201cBefore he realized that she was Jewish, he spoke with her directly. But when he realized that she was Jewish, he spoke with her through an interpreter. The king would speak to the interpreter, and the interpreter would speak to Esther, the Queen.\u201d
\n5. A. And, finally, this passage: \u201cSpeak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them\u201d (Lev. 21:1).
\nB. What is the meaning of \u201csay\u201d and \u201csay\u201d two times?
\nC. At the first act of speech, he said to him, \u201cNone of them shall defile himself for the dead among his people\u201d (Lev. 21:1).
\nD. And in the second act of speech, he said to him, \u201cIf a neglected corpse should come into your power, take care of him.\u201d
\nE. Now in this world, a priest must contract corpse uncleanness to take care of a neglected corpse.
\nF. But in the world to come, what is written?
\nG. \u201cHe will swallow up death forever\u201d (Is. 25:8).<\/p>\n
The composition focuses upon the meaning of the repeated reference to speaking, exhibited also by the base verse. The basic point is not particular to the passage at hand, but the construction was organized to serve it, for No. 5 is placed at the climax, with an eschatological conclusion.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Seven<\/p>\n
XXVII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWhen a bull or sheep [or goat is born, it shall remain seven days with its mother; and from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as an offering by fire to the Lord]\u201d (Lev. 22:27).
\nB. \u201cYour righteousness is like the mountains of God, [your judgments are like the great deep; man and beast you save, O Lord]\u201d (Ps. 36:6).
\nC. R. Ishmael and R. Aqiba:
\nD. R. Ishmael says, \u201cWith the righteous, who carry out the Torah, which was given \u2018from the mountains of God,\u2019 the Holy One, blessed be he, does righteousness \u2018like the mountains of God.\u2019
\nE. \u201cBut with the wicked, who do not carry out the Torah, which was given \u2018from the mountains of God,\u2019 the Holy One, blessed be he, seeks a strict accounting, unto \u2018the great deep.\u2019
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Your judgments are like the great deep\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 36:6).
\nG. R. Aqiba says, \u201cAll the same are these and those: the Holy One, blessed be he, seeks a strict accounting with [all of] them in accord with strict justice.
\nH. \u201cHe seeks a strict accounting with the righteous, collecting from them the few bad deeds that they did in this world, in order to pay them an abundant reward in the world to come.
\nI. \u201cAnd he affords prosperity to the wicked and gives them a full reward for the minor religious duties that they successfully accomplished in this world, in order to exact a full penalty from them in the world to come.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Meir says, \u201cThe righteous are comparable to their abode [like the mountains of God] and the wicked are comparable to their dwelling [like the great deep].
\nB. \u201cThe righteous are comparable to their abode: I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel will be their fold\u2019 [Ez. 34:14].
\nC. \u201cThe wicked are comparable to their abode: \u2018In the day when he went down to the netherworld, [I caused the deep to mourn and cover itself for him]\u2019 (Ez. 31:15).\u201d
\nD. R. Judah b. Rabbi said, \u201cT caused to mourn (H\u2019BLTY)\u2019 is written, I brought down (HWBLTY).\u2019
\nE. \u201cYou should notice that they do not make a cover for a bowl of silver, gold, copper, iron, tin, or lead [Num. 31:22] but only [for one] of clay, for it is a material of the same sort [as the bowl].
\nF. \u201cSo said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Gehenna is dark, and the wicked are dark, and the deep is dark. Let the dark come and cover the dark in the dark,\u2019
\nG. \u201cas it is said, \u2018For [the wicked] comes in vanity and departs in darkness and his name is covered with darkness\u2019 \u201d (Qoh 6:4).
\n3. A. R. Jonathan in the name of R. Josiah would rearrange the elements of this verse: \u201c \u2018Your righteousness over your judgments [prevails] like the mountains of God over the great deep.\u2019
\nB. \u201cJust as these mountains conquer the great deep, so that it may not rise up and flood the entire world, so the deeds of the righteous overcome punishment, keeping it from spreading over the world.
\nC. \u201cJust as these mountains have no end, so the reward of the righteous in the world to come will know no end.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Your judgments are like the great deep\u2019 [Ps. 36:6]:
\nE. \u201cJust as there is no searching out the great deep, so there is no searching out the punishment that is coming upon the wicked in the age to come.\u201d
\n4. A. Another interpretation: \u201cYour righteousness is like the mountains of God:\u201d Just as these mountains are sown and bring forth fruit, so the deeds of the righteous bring forth fruit.
\nB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cTell the righteous that it shall be well with them, for they shall eat the fruit of their deeds\u201d (Is. 3:10).
\nC. \u201cYour judgments are like the great deep:\u201d Just as the great deep is not sown and does not bring forth fruit, so the deeds of the wicked do not bear fruit.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cWoe to the wicked. It shall be ill with him, for what his hands have done shall be done to him\u201d (Is. 3:11).
\n5. A. Another interpretation: \u201cYour righteousness is like the mountains of God\u201d: Just as the mountains are [readily] visible, so the deeds of the righteous are [readily] visible.
\nB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cMay they fear you in the sun\u201d (Ps. 72:5).
\nC. \u201cYour judgments are like the great deep\u201d: Just as the deep is hidden [from view], so the deeds of the wicked are hidden [from view].
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cWhose deeds are in the dark\u201d (Is. 29:15).
\n6. A. Another interpretation: \u201cYour righteousness is like the mountains of God\u201d:
\nB. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cThe act of righteousness which you did with Noah in the ark is \u2018like the mountains of God.\u2019
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the ark rested \u2026 on the mountains of Ararat\u2019 [Gen. 8:4].
\nD. \u201c \u2018Your judgments are like the great deep\u2019: The judgments which you meted out to his generation you exacted from them even to the great deep.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And on that day the springs of the great deep broke open\u2019 [Gen. 7:11].
\nF. \u201cAnd not only so, but, when you remembered him, it was not him alone that you remembered, but him and everyone that was with him in the ark.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And God remembered Noah and all the living creatures\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 8:1).
\n7. A. Another interpretation: \u201cYour righteousness is like the mountains of God\u201d:
\nB. R. Joshua b. Hananiah went to Rome. There he saw marble pillars covered with tapestries, so that in the hot weather they should not crack from expansion and in the cold weather they should not crack from contraction.
\nC. When he went out, he met a poor man with a mat of reeds underneath him and a mat of reeds on top of him.
\nD. Concerning the marble pillars he recited the following verse of Scripture: \u201cYour righteousness is like the mountains of God.\u201d
\nE. He said, \u201cWhere you give, you give lavishly.\u201d
\nF. Concerning the poor man he recited this verse: \u201cYour judgments are like the great deep.\u201d
\nG. \u201cWhere you smite, you pay close attention to every little detail.\u201d
\n8. A. A tale: Alexander of Macedonia went to the king of Kasia, beyond the mountains of darkness. He came to a certain town, called Cartagena, and it was populated entirely by women.
\nB. They came out before him and said to him, \u201cIf you make war on us and conquer us, word will go out about you in the world that you destroyed a town of women. But if we do battle with you and conquer you, word will go forth about you in the world that you made war on women and they beat you. And you\u2019ll never be able to hold up your head again among kings.\u201d
\nC. At that moment he turned his face away and left. After he went away, he wrote on the door of the gate of the city, saying, \u201cI, Alexander the Macedonian, a king, was a fool until I came to the town called Cartagena, and I learned wisdom from women.\u201d
\nD. He came to another town, and it was called Africa. They came out and greeted him with golden apples, golden pomegranates, and golden bread.
\nE. He said, \u201cIs this what you eat in your country?\u201d
\nF. They said to him, \u201cAnd is it not this way in your country, that you have come here?\u201d
\nG. He said to them, \u201cIt is not your wealth that I have come to see, but it is your justice that I have come to see.\u201d
\nH. While they were standing there, two men came before the king for justice.
\nI. This one kept himself far from thievery, and so did that. One of them said, \u201cI bought a carob tree from this man. I dug it open and found a jewel in it. I said to him, \u2018Take your jewel. I bought a carob. A jewel I didn\u2019t buy.\u2019 \u201d
\nJ. The other said, \u201cWhen I sold the carob to that man, I sold him the carob tree and everything that is in it.\u201d
\nK. The king called one of them and said to him, \u201cDo you have a male child?\u201d
\nL. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nM. The king called the other and said to him, \u201cDo you have a daughter?\u201d
\nN. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nO. Then the king said to them, \u201cLet this one marry that one, and let the two of them enjoy the jewel.\u201d
\nP. Alexander of Macedonia began to express surprise.
\nQ. He said to him, \u201cWhy are you surprised? Did I not give a good judgment.\u201d
\nR. He said to him, \u201cYes, you did.\u201d
\nS. He said to him, \u201cIf this case had come to court in your country, how would you have judged it?\u201d
\nT. He said to him, \u201cWe should have cut off the head of this party and cut off the head of that party, and the jewel would have passed into the possession of the crown.\u201d
\nU. He said to him, \u201cDoes rain fall on you?\u201d
\nV. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nW. \u201cAnd does the sun rise for you?\u201d
\nX. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nY. He said to him, \u201cAre there small cattle in your country?\u201d
\nZ. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nAA. \u201cWoe to you! It is on account of the merit of the small cattle that you are saved.\u201d
\nBB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cMan and beast you save, O Lord\u201d (Ps. 36:7).
\nCC. \u201cMan on account of the merit of the beast do you save, O Lord.\u201d
\nDD. \u201cMan because of beast you save, O Lord.\u201d
\n9. A. So did the Israelites say before the Holy One, blessed be he: \u201cLord of the world, we are mere men. Save us like a beast, for we are drawn after you.\u201d
\nB. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cDraw me, we will run after you\u201d (Song 1:4).
\nC. \u201cAnd whither are we drawn after you? To the Garden of Eden.\u201d
\nD. For it is written, \u201cThey feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights\u201d (Ps. 36:9).
\nE. Said R. Eleazar b. R. Menahem, \u201c \u2018Your delight\u2019 is not written here, but rather, \u2018Your delights.\u2019 On the basis of that fact we may conclude that every righteous person has an Eden unto himself.\u201d
\n10. A. Said R. Isaac, \u201cJudgment is stated with regard to man, and judgment is stated with regard to beast.
\nB. \u201cThe judgment stated with regard to a man: \u2018And on the eighth day, he shall be circumcised\u2019 [Lev. 12:3].
\nC. \u201cAnd the judgment stated with regard to the beast: \u2018When a bull or sheep or goat is born, it shall remain seven days [with its mother]; and from the eighth day on, it shall be acceptable as an offering by fire to the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 22:26).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse is worked out in reference to the righteous, compared to the mountains of God, and the wicked\u2014those subject to judgment\u2014compared to the great deep. This general approach links Nos. 1\u20137. Once people read the verse in this way, the range of conclusions they propose is fairly standard. There are a few secondary developments, but in the main a single pattern is followed, for example, at Nos. 3\u20136. The only connection I can see between the Alexander fables and the intersecting verse is the reference to the \u201cmountains of darkness.\u201d No. 9 is added because of the conclusion of No. 8. No. 10, however, is entirely germane to our base verse. But it is tacked on, since the connection to the preceding is tenuous. It too relies on Ps. 36:7. But it has no relationship to the earlier reading of the verse.<\/p>\n
XXVII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWho has given me anything beforehand, that I should repay him? [Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine]\u201d (Job 41:11 [Heb. 41:3]).
\nB. R. Tanhuma interpreted the verse to speak of a bachelor who was living in a town and who gave wages for scribes and Mishnah teachers: \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018It is my responsibility to pay him back for his goodness and to give him a male child.\u2019
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[He who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord], and he will repay him for his deed (Prov. 19:17).
\n2. A. Said R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar, \u201cAn echo is going to proclaim on the tops of the mountains, saying, \u2018Whoever has worked with God\u2019\u2014whoever has worked with God shall come and collect his reward.\u201d
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018In time it will be said to Jacob and to Israel, \u201cWhat has God worked\u201d \u2019 [Num. 23:23].
\nC. \u201cNow let him come and collect his reward.\u201d
\nD. \u201cAnd the Holy Spirit says, \u2018Who has given me anything beforehand? I shall repay him\u2019 [Job. 41:11].
\nE. \u201cWho praised me before I gave him a soul, who was circumcised in my name before I gave him a male child, who made a parapet for me before I gave him a roof, who made a mezuzah for me before I gave him a house, who made a sukkah for me before I gave him a place [for it], who made a lulab for me before I gave him money, who made show fringes for me before I gave him a cloak, who separated peah for me before I gave him a field, who separated heave offering for me and tithe before I gave him a harvest, who separated dough offering for me before I gave him dough, who separated an offering for me before I gave him a beast!
\nF. \u201cWhen a bull or a sheep or a goat [is born]\u201d (Lev. 22:26).<\/p>\n
One who does his religious duties before he is obligated to do so is praised, in line with the cited verse of Job. That is the point of No. 1, and it is made still more explicit at No. 2. But one can do religious duties only if through God\u2019s grace he gets the opportunity: \u201cWhatever is under the whole heaven is mine,\u201d so 2:E. The intersecting verse recovers the base verse because the latter speaks of when a bull or sheep is born\u2014that is, by God\u2019s grace. Only then can one make an offering (Margulies).<\/p>\n
XXVII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Jacob b. R. Zabedi in the name of R. Abbahu opened [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity, [when they turn to them for aid. Then they will know that I am the Lord God]\u2019 [Ez. 29:16].
\nB. \u201cIt is written, \u2018Above him stood the seraphim: [each had six wings, with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew]\u2019 [Is. 6:2].
\nC. \u201c \u2018With two he flew\u2019\u2014singing praises.
\nD. \u201c \u2018With two he covered his face\u2019\u2014so as not to gaze upon the Presence of God.
\nE. \u201c \u2018And with two he covered his feet\u2019\u2014so as not to let them be seen by the face of the Presence of God.
\nF. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018And the soles of their feet were like the sole of a calf\u2019s foot\u2019 [Ez. 1:6].
\nG. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018They made for themselves a molten calf\u2019 [Ex. 32:8].
\nH. \u201cSo [in covering their feet, they avoided calling to mind the molten calf,] in accord with the verse, \u2018And it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 29:16).
\n2. A. There we have learned in the Mishnah (M. R.H. 3:2): \u201cAll [horns] are suitable except for that of a cow.\u201d
\nB. Why except for that of the cow? Because it is the horn of a calf.
\nC. And it is written, \u201cThey made for themselves a molten calf\u201d (Ex. 32:8).
\nD. So [in not using the horn of a cow, they avoid calling to mind the molten calf, in accord with the verse], \u201cAnd it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity\u201d (Ez. 29:16).
\n3. A. It has been taught: On what account does a wife accused of infidelity not drink from a cup used by another woman [the water that brings a curse]? So that people should not say, \u201cOut of this cup another woman drank the water and died.\u201d
\nB. This is in line with the verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity\u201d [Ez. 29:16].
\n4. A. There we have learned: \u201cAnd you shall kill the woman and the beast [that lay with her]\u201d (Lev. 20:16). If a human being has sinned, what sin did the beast commit?
\nB. But since through that beast a disaster has come upon a human being, the Torah has said that it should be stoned.
\nC. Another consideration: That a beast should not walk through the market and people should say, \u201cThat is the beast on account of which So-and-so was stoned to death.\u201d
\nD. This is in line with the verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd it shall never again be the reliance of the house of Israel, recalling their iniquity\u201d (Ez. 29:16).
\n5. A. And so too here: \u201cWhen a bull or a sheep or a goat is born\u201d (Lev. 22:27).
\nB. Now is it born as a bull and not as a calf? But because it is said, \u201cThey made for themselves a molten calf,\u201d therefore the Scripture refers to it as a bull and not as a calf: \u201cA bull, a sheep, a goat.\u201d<\/p>\n
Here is a classic example of the systematic exposition of an intersecting verse, leading, at the climax, to a new insight into the meaning of the base verse. The same point is made again and again, so that, when we reach the base verse, we readily grasp the pertinence of the intersecting verse. That diverse materials have been assembled is self-evident. What is striking is how they have been put together to make a single, entirely cogent point, five times over and fully spelled out.<\/p>\n
XXVII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThat which is already has been, [that which is to be already has been. God seeks that which is pursued]\u201d (Qoh. 3:15).
\nB. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah:
\nC. R. Judah says, \u201cIf someone should say to you that had the first Adam not sinned and eaten from that tree, he would have lived and endured even to this very day, tell him, It already has been.\u2019 Elijah lives and endures forever.
\nD. \u201cThat which is to be already has been:\u2019 If someone should tell to you, it is possible that the Holy One, blessed be he, in the future is going to resurrect the dead, say to him, \u2018It already has been.\u2019 He has already resurrected the dead through Elijah, Elisha, and Ezekiel in the valley of Dura.\u201d
\nE. R. Nehemiah says, \u201cIf someone should say to you that it is possible that to begin with the world was entirely made up of water in water, say to him, \u2018It already has been,\u2019 for the ocean is full of diverse water.
\nF. \u201cThat which is to be already has been:\u2019 If someone should say to you, the Holy One, blessed be he, is going to dry [the sea] up, say to him, It already has been.\u2019 \u2018And the children of Israel walked on dry land through the sea\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 15:19).
\n2. A. R. Aha in the name of R. Simeon b. Halapta: \u201cWhatever the Holy One, blessed be he, is destined to do in the age to come already has he shown to [humanity] in this world.
\nB. \u201cThat he is going to resurrect the dead: he has already resurrected the dead through Elijah, Elisha, and Ezekiel.
\nC. \u201cThat he is going to bring [people] through water on to dry land: \u2018When you pass through water, I am with you\u2019 (Is. 43:2). He has already brought Israel through [water] with Moses: \u2018And the children of Israel walked on dry land through the sea\u2019 [Ex. 15:19].
\nD. \u201c \u2018And through rivers they shall not overwhelm you\u2019 [Is. 43:2]. This he has already accomplished through Joshua: \u2018On dry land the Israelites crossed the Jordan\u2019 [Josh. 4:22].
\nE. \u201c \u2018When you walk through fire you shall not be burned\u2019 [Is. 43:2]. This he has already accomplished through Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.
\nF. \u201c \u2018And the flame shall not consume you\u2019 [Is. 43:2]. This he has already accomplished: \u2018[The fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men \u2026] no smell of fire had come upon them\u2019 [Dan. 3:27].
\nG. \u201cThat God will sweeten bitter water, he has already accomplished through Moses: \u2018The Lord showed him a tree, and he threw it into the water, and the water became sweet\u2019 [Ex. 15:25].
\nH. \u201cThat God will sweeten what is bitter through something bitter, he has already accomplished through Elisha: \u2018Then he went to the spring of water and threw salt into it and said, Thus says the Lord, I have made this water wholesome\u2019 [2 Kings 2:21].
\nI. \u201cThat God blesses what is little [and makes it much], he already has accomplished through Elijah and Elisha: \u2018For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, \u201cThe jar of meal shall not be spent, and the cruse of oil shall not fail, [until the day that the Lord sends rain upon the earth]\u201d \u2019 [1 Kings 17:14].
\nJ. \u201cThat God visits barren women, he has already accomplished through Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, and Hannah.
\nK. \u201c \u2018The wolf and the lamb will pasture together,\u2019 [Is. 65:25], he has already accomplished through Hezekiah: \u2018The wolf shall dwell with the lamb\u2019 [Is. 11:6].
\nL. \u201c \u2018And kings will be your tutor\u2019 [Is. 49:23] he has already accomplished through Daniel: \u2018Then the king Nebuchadnezzer fell upon his face and worshipped Daniel\u2019 [Dan. 2:46].<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse is thoroughly explained through Scriptural examples, all of which make the point that whatever people believe will happen already has happened. The rather extensive illustration of that proposition occupies the entire passage. Margulies\u2019s text, which I have translated, greatly differs from the standard printed one, as he explains ad loc. The base verse is reached in the next passage.<\/p>\n
XXVII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cGod seeks what has been driven away\u201d (Qoh. 3:15).
\nB. R. Huna in the name of R. Joseph said, \u201cIt is always the case that \u2018God seeks what has been driven away\u2019 [favoring the victim].
\nC. \u201cYou find when a righteous man pursues a righteous man, \u2018God seeks what has been driven away.\u2019
\nD. \u201cWhen a wicked man pursues a wicked man, \u2018God seeks what has been driven away.\u2019
\nE. \u201cAll the more so when a wicked man pursues a righteous man, \u2018God seeks what has been driven away.\u2019
\nF. \u201c[The same principle applies] even when you come around to a case in which a righteous man pursues a wicked man, \u2018God seeks what has been driven away.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Yose b. R. Yudan in the name of R. Yose b. R. Nehorai says, \u201cIt is always the case that the Holy One, blessed be he, demands an accounting for the blood of those who have been pursued from the hand of the pursuer.
\nB. \u201cAbel was pursued by Cain, and God sought [an accounting for] the pursued: \u2018And the Lord looked [favorably] upon Abel and his meal offering\u2019 [Gen. 4:4].
\nC. \u201cNoah was pursued by his generation, and God sought [an accounting for] the pursued: \u2018You and all your household shall come into the ark\u2019 [Gen. 7:1]. And it says, \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]\u2019 [Is. 54:9].
\nD. \u201cAbraham was pursued by Nimrod, \u2018and God seeks what has been driven away\u2019: \u2018You are the Lord, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur\u2019 [Neh. 9:7].
\nE. \u201cIsaac was pursued by Ishmael, \u2018and God seeks what has been driven away\u2019: \u2018For through Isaac will seed be called for you\u2019 [Gen. 21:12].
\nF. \u201cJacob was pursued by Esau, \u2018and God seeks what has been driven away\u2019: \u2018For the Lord has chosen Jacob, Israel for his prized possession\u2019 [Ps. 135:4].
\nG. \u201cMoses was pursued by Pharaoh, \u2018and God seeks what has been driven away\u2019: \u2018Had not Moses His chosen stood in the breach before Him\u2019 [Ps. 106:23].
\nH. \u201cDavid was pursued by Saul, \u2018and God seeks what has been driven away\u2019: \u2018And he chose David, his servant\u2019 [Ps. 78:70].
\nI. \u201cIsrael was pursued by the nations, \u2018and God seeks what has been driven away\u2019: \u2018And you has the Lord chosen to be a people to him\u2019 [Deut. 14:2].
\nJ. \u201cAnd the rule applies also to the matter of offerings. A bull is pursued by a lion, a sheep is pursued by a wolf, a goat is pursued by a leopard.
\nK. \u201cTherefore the Holy One, blessed be he, has said, \u2018Do not make offerings before me from those animals that pursue, but from those that are pursued: \u2018When a bull, a sheep, or a goat is born\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 22:27).<\/p>\n
Now the intersecting verse leads right back to the base verse and makes its point in a powerful way. God favors the persecuted over the persecutor, the pursued over the pursuer. This point is made in an abstract way at No. 1, and then through a review of the sacred history of Israel at No. 2. The intent of the whole is established at the outset, so we have a unitary composition. Still, 2.A\u2013C speak of an accounting for blood, and 2.D\u2013K resort to slightly different rhetoric.<\/p>\n
XXVII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cO my people, what have I done to you, in what have I wearied you? Testify against me\u201d (Mic. 6:3).
\nB. Said R. Aha, \u201c \u2018Testify against me\u2019 and receive a reward, but \u2018Do not bear false witness\u2019 [Ex. 20:13] and face a settlement of accounts in the age to come.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nahman, \u201cOn three occasions the Holy One, blessed be he, came to engage in argument with Israel, and the nations of the world rejoiced, saying, \u2018Can these ever [dare] engage in an argument with their creator? Now he will wipe them out of the world.\u2019
\nB. \u201cOne was when he said to them, \u2018Come, and let us reason together, says the Lord\u2019 [Is. 1:18]. When the Holy One, blessed be he, saw that the nations of the world were rejoicing, he turned the matter to [Israel\u2019s] advantage: \u2018If your sins are as scarlet, they shall be white as snow\u2019 [Is. 1:18].
\nC. \u201cThen the nations of the world were astonished, and said, \u2018This is repentance, and this is rebuke? He has planned only to amuse himself with his children.\u2019
\nD. \u201c[A second time was] when he said to them, \u2018Hear, you mountains, the controversy of the Lord\u2019 [Mic. 6:2], the nations of the world rejoiced, saying, \u2018How can these ever [dare] engage in an argument with their creator? Now he will wipe them out of the world.\u2019
\nE. \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, saw that the nations of the world were rejoicing, he turned the matter to [Israel\u2019s] advantage: \u2018O my people, what have I done to you? In what have I wearied you? Testify against me\u2019 [Mic. 6:3]. \u2018Remember what Balak king of Moab devised\u2019 [Mic. 6:5].
\nF. \u201cThen the nations of the world were astonished, saying, \u2018This is repentence, and this is rebuke, one following the other? He has planned only to amuse himself with his children.\u2019
\nG. \u201c[A third time was] when he said to them, \u2018The Lord has an indictment against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways\u2019 [Hos. 12:2], the nations of the world rejoiced, saying, \u2018How can these ever [dare] engage in an argument with their creator? Now he will wipe them out of the world.\u2019
\nH. \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, saw that the nations of the world were rejoicing, he turned the matter to [Israel\u2019s] advantage. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018In the womb he [Jacob = Israel] took his brother [Esau = other nations] by the heel [and in his manhood he strove with God. He strove with the angel and prevailed, he wept and sought his favor]\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 12:3\u20134).
\n3. A. Said R. Yudan b. R. Simeon, \u201cThe matter may be compared to a widow who was complaining to a judge about her son. When she saw that the judge was in session and handing out sentences of punishment by fire, pitch, and lashes, she said, \u2018If I report the bad conduct of my son to that judge, he will kill him now.\u2019 She waited until he was finished. When he had finished, he said to her, \u2018Madam, this son of yours, how has he behaved badly toward you?\u2019
\nB. \u201cShe said to him, \u2018My lord, when he was in my womb, he kicked me.\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe said to her, \u2018Now has he done anything wrong to you?\u2019
\nD. \u201cShe said to him, \u2018No.\u2019
\nE. \u201cHe said to her, \u2018Go your way, there is nothing wrong in the matter [that you report].
\nF. \u201cSo, when the Holy One, blessed be he, saw that the nations of the world were rejoicing, he turned the matter to [Israel\u2019s] advantage:
\nG. \u201c \u2018In the womb he took his brother by the heel\u2019 [Hos. 12:3].
\nH. \u201cThen the nations of the world were astonished, saying, \u2018This is repentence and this is rebuke, one following the other? He has planned only to amuse himself with his children.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. \u201cAnd how have I wearied you?\u201d (Mic. 6:3).
\nB. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king, who sent three messengers to a certain city, and the inhabitants of the city stood up before them and paid them service in awe, trembling, fear, and trepidation.
\nC. \u201cSo the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Israel, \u2018I sent you three messengers, Moses, Aaron, and Miriam.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Now did they eat any of your food? Did they drink any of your drink? Did they impose upon you in any way? Is it not through their merit that you are maintained?
\nE. \u201c \u2018The mana was through the merit of Moses, the well through the merit of Miriam, and the clouds of glory through the merit of Aaron.\u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. Said R. Isaac, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king who sent his proclamation to a city. What did the inhabitants of the city do? They stood up and bared their heads and read the proclamation in awe, trembling, fear, and trepidation.
\nB. \u201cSo the Holy One, blessed be he, said to Israel, \u2018As to the proclamation of the Shema and the proclamation of mine [the Torah] [that I sent you], I did not impose on you by telling you to read [the Shema] either standing on your feet or having bared your heads, but only [at your convenience:] \u201cWhen you sit in your house and when you walk by the way\u201d \u2019 \u201d [Deut. 6:7].
\n6. A. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I handed ten beasts to you, three in your domain, and seven not in your domain.
\nB. \u201c \u2018The three in your domain: \u201cthe ox, sheep, and the goat\u201d [Deut. 14:4].
\nC. \u201c \u2018The seven not in your domain: \u201cthe hart, gazelle, roebuck, wild goat, pygarg, antelope, and mountain sheep!\u201d [Deut. 14:5].
\nD. \u201c \u2018I did not trouble you, and I did not tell you to go up into the mountains and to tire yourselves in the fields to bring me an offering of those beasts that are not within your domain.
\nE. \u201c \u2018I asked only for those that are in your domain, the ones that grow at your crib: \u201cOx, sheep or goat\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Lev. 22:27).<\/p>\n
The systematic exposition of the intersecting verse, Mic. 6:3, establishes a basic point, that God really does not trouble Israel, which leads us to the intersecting verse as climactic evidence of that point. God does not demand that the Israelites go to a great deal of trouble to find for the sacrifices animals not readily at hand. But before we reach that simple point, we work through a somewhat more complicated message. Whenever God begins a process of inquiry against Israel, the reaction of the nations of the world is such as to warn God off and to make him turn the process into an affirmation of God\u2019s love for Israel. This point comes in a number of versions, all of them following a single pattern of rhetoric and argument. There is a secondary motif, that, as Micah says, God does not impose inconvenience on Israel.<\/p>\n
XXVII:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Levi opened [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018Behold you are nothing, and your work is nought; [an abomination is he who chooses you]\u2019 [Is. 41:24].
\nB. \u201c \u2018Nothing\u2019\u2014from nill, from a foul secretion.
\nC. \u201c \u2018Nought\u2019 (M\u2019P\u02bf)\u2014from the hundred (M\u2019H) outcries (P\u02bfYWT) that a woman cries out when she is sitting on the birth stool, ninety-nine are for death, and one for life.\u201d
\n2. A. It has been taught: she bears three names, \u201cthe revived,\u201d \u201cthe pledged,\u201d and \u201cthe broken.\u201d
\nB. \u201cThe revived,\u201d because she died and was brought back to life.
\nC. \u201cThe pledged,\u201d because she had been pledged to death, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cIf you take your neighbor\u2019s garment as a pledge.\u201d
\nD. \u201cThe broken,\u201d because she was broken unto death.
\n3. A. \u201cAn abomination is he who chooses you\u201d (Is. 41:24).
\nB. Even though the infant emerges from his mother\u2019s belly filthy and soiled, covered with secretions and blood, everybody caresses and kisses him.
\n4. A. Another interpretation: \u201cBehold, you are nothing\u201d (Is. 41:24):
\nB. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cThe word \u2018behold\u2019 (HN) is Greek, \u2018hina,\u2019 meaning one.
\nC. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I have only one nation among the nations of the world.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. \u201cNothing:\u201d This refers to those about which it is written, \u201cThe nations are nothing before Him\u201d (Is. 40:17).
\nE. \u201cAnd your work is nought\u201d (Is. 41:24):
\nF. Said R. Levi, \u201cAll the good and comforting works that the Holy One, blessed be he, is going to do for Israel are only on account of a single exclamation (P\u02bfYYH) which you made before Me at Sinai, when you said, \u2018Everything that the Lord has said we shall do and we shall hear\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 24:7).
\nG. \u201cAn abomination is he who chooses you\u201d (Is. 41:24):
\nH. That abomination concerning which it is written, \u201cThey made for themselves a molten calf\u201d (Ex. 22:8), is the same abomination [that] they shall bring to me as an offering:
\nI. \u201cBull or sheep or goat\u201d (Lev. 22:27).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse, Is. 41:24, bears two distinct interpretations. In the first\u2014Nos. 1\u20133\u2014the verse is made to refer to the condition of the newborn child. In the second, No. 4, it refers to Israel, its redemption and God\u2019s forgiveness of Israel\u2019s sin with the golden calf. The stress then is on the sacrificial system as a mode of overcoming and expiating the idolatry of the people in the wilderness. The issue of the golden calf, already familiar, evidently strikes the exegetes as important in explaining the verse at hand. We shall see further instances of the same concern.<\/p>\n
XXVII:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cBy their wickedness they make the king glad, [and the princes by their adultery]\u201d (Hos. 7:3).
\nB. Now why was the bull recognized as the first of all of the offerings [\u201cbull, sheep, goat\u201d] (Lev. 22:27)?
\nC. Said R. Levi, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a highborn lady who got a bad name on account of [alleged adultery with] one of the lords of the state.
\nD. \u201cThe king looked into the matter and found nothing. What did the king do? He made a banquet and sat the [accused] man at the head of the guests.
\nE. \u201cWhy so? To show that the king had looked into the matter and found nothing.
\nF. \u201cSo the nations of the world taunt Israel and say to them, \u2018You made the golden calf!\u2019
\nG. \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, looked into the matter and found nothing. Accordingly, the bull was made the first among all the offerings: \u2018Bull, sheep, goat\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 22:27).
\n2. A. R. Huna, R. Idi in the name of R. Samuel b. R. Nahman: \u201cThe [true] Israelites were saved from that act. For if the Israelites had themselves made the calf, they ought to have said, \u2018These are our gods, O Israel.\u2019 It was the proselytes who came up with Israel from Egypt [who made the calf]: \u2018And also a mixed multitude came up with them\u2019 [Ex. 12:38].
\nB. \u201cThey are the ones who made the calf. They taunted them, saying to them, \u2018These are your gods, O Israel\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 32:8).
\n3. A. Said R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cIt is written, \u2018An ox knows its owner, and an ass its master\u2019s crib, but Israel does not know\u2019 [Is. 1:3].
\nB. \u201cDid they really not know? Rather, they trampled under heel [God\u2019s commandments]. [They did not pay adequate attention and sinned by inadvertence (Margulies).]\u201d
\nC. Along these same lines: \u201cFor my people is foolish. Me they have not known\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 4:22). Did they not know? Rather, they trampled under heel.
\nD. Along these same lines: \u201cAnd she did not know that it was I who gave her the grain, wine, and oil\u201d (Hos. 2:8). Did she not know? Rather, she trampled under heel.<\/p>\n
No. 1 carries forward the familiar line of thought that the sin of the calf had long since been found to be null. The intersecting text provokes 1.C. No. 2 then explains why: the true Israelites did not commit the sin at all. I am puzzled by No. 3; I do not see its relevance to the passage at hand, nor does it relate to what follows. Margulies proposes that it carries forward the view that the prophets exaggerated Israel\u2019s guilt, but in fact Israel was not deliberately sinning at all. It is not that they were worse than the beasts but rather that they paid no attention and so sinned through inadvertence. This seems to me plausible.<\/p>\n
XXVII:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cA bull, a sheep, or a goat\u201d (Lev. 22:27):
\nB. \u201cA bull\u201d on account of the merit of Abraham, as it is said: \u201cAnd Abraham ran to the herd and took a calf\u201d (Gen. 18:7).
\nC. \u201cA sheep\u201d on account of the merit of Isaac, as it is written, \u201cAnd he looked, and behold, a ram caught by its horns\u201d (Gen. 22:13).
\nD. \u201cA goat\u201d on account of the merit of Jacob, as it is written in his regard, \u201cNow go to the flock and get me two good kid goats\u201d (Gen. 27:9).
\n2. A. What is the meaning of \u201cgood\u201d?
\nB. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Helbo: \u201cGood for you, good for your children.
\nC. \u201cGood for you, for on their account you will receive indications of blessing.
\nD. \u201cGood for your children, for on their account you will have atonement on the Day of Atonement: \u2018For on this day atonement will be made for you\u2019 [Lev. 16:30], [including the atonement of the sacrifice of the goat]\u201d (Lev. 16:9).<\/p>\n
The exegesis of the verse is clear as specified. The several beasts now are related to the patriarchs, a fairly standard approach to the amplification of Scripture. The secondary development of Gen. 27:9 presents no problems.<\/p>\n
XXVII:X<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[When a bull or sheep or goat is born,] it shall remain seven days with its mother; [from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable as an offering by fire to the Lord]\u201d (Lev. 22:27).
\nB. Why for seven days?
\nC. So that the beast may be inspected, for if the dam should have gored it, or if some disqualifying blemish should turn up on it, lo, it will be invalid and not be suitable for an offering.
\nD. For we have learned (M. Nid. 5:1): \u201cThat which goes forth from the side [delivered by Caesarean section]\u2014they do not sit out the days of uncleanness and the days of cleanness [Lev. 12:1ff.] on its account, and they are not liable on its account for an offering.
\nE. \u201cR. Simeon says, \u2018Lo, this is like one that is born [naturally] [so that the rules of Lev. 12:1ff. do apply].\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIt shall remain seven days with its mother\u201d (Lev. 22:27).
\nB. Why for seven days?
\nC. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi said, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king who came into a town and made decrees, saying, \u2018None of the residents who are here will see me before they first see my lady.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018You will not make an offering before me until a Sabbath shall have passed over [the animal that is to be offered], for seven days cannot pass without a Sabbath, and [for the same reason] the rite of circumcision [takes place on the eighth day] so that it cannot take place without the advent of a Sabbath.
\nE. \u201c \u2018And from the eighth day on it shall be acceptable [as an offering by fire to the Lord]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 22:27).
\n3. A. Said R. Isaac, \u201cA rule is written with regard to a man, and the same rule is written with regard to a beast:
\nB. \u201cThe rule with regard to a man: \u2018And on the eighth day the flesh of his foreskin will be circumcised\u2019 [Lev. 12:3].
\nC. \u201cThe same rule with regard to a beast: \u2018And from the eighth day on, it shall be acceptable\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 22:27).<\/p>\n
The connection of 1.D\u2013E to 1.A\u2013C is not at all clear. The interpretation given by 1. A\u2013C presents no surprises. No. 2 introduces the matter of the Sabbath, which any reference to eight days should provoke. No. 3 is familiar from X:I.<\/p>\n
XXVII:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd whether the mother is a cow or a ewe, [you shall not kill both her and her young in one day]\u201d (Lev. 22:28).
\nB. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi: \u201cIt is written, \u2018A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel\u2019 [Prov. 12:10].
\nC. \u201c \u2018A righteous man has regard\u2019 refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, in whose Torah it is written, \u2018You will not take the dam with the young\u2019 [Deut. 22:6].
\nD. \u201c \u2018But the mercy of the wicked is cruel\u2019 refers to Sennacherib, the wicked one, concerning him it is written, \u2018The mother was dashed into pieces with her children\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 10:14).
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cA righteous man has regard for the life of his beast\u201d refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, in whose Torah it is written, \u2018And whether the mother is a cow or a ewe, you shall not kill both her and her young in one day\u2019 [Lev. 22:28].
\nB. \u201cBut the mercy of the wicked is cruel\u201d refers to the wicked Haman, concerning whom it is written, \u201cTo destroy, to slay, to obliterate all Jews\u201d (Est. 3:13).
\n3. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cWoe for the wicked, who make conspiracies against Israel, each one saying, \u2018My plan is better than your plan.\u2019
\nB. \u201cEsau said, \u2018Cain was a fool, since he killed his brother while his father was yet alive. He did not know that his father would continue to be fruitful and multiply. That is not how I am going to do things.\u2019 Rather: \u2018The days of mourning for my father are approaching; [only upon his death] will I kill my brother Jacob\u2019 [Gen. 27:41].
\nC. \u201cPharaoh said, \u2018Esau was a fool. For he said, \u201cThe days of mourning for my father are approaching.\u201d But he did not know that his brother would continue to be fruitful and multiply in the lifetime of his father. That is not how I am going to do things. But while they are still little, under their mother\u2019s belly, I will strangle them.\u2019 That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Every son that is born you shall cast into the river\u2019 [Ex. 1:22).
\nD. \u201cHainan said, \u2018Pharaoh was a fool, for he said, \u2018Every son that is born \u2026\u2019 He did not realize that the daughters would marry husbands and be fruitful and multiply with them. That is not how I am going to do things. Rather: \u2018To destroy, to slay, to obliterate all Jews\u2019 \u201d (Est. 3:13).
\nE. Said R. Levi, \u201cSo, too, Gog, in time to come, is going to say the same, \u2018The ancients were fools, for they made conspiracies against Israel and did not know that they have a patron in Heaven. That is not how I am going to do things. First I shall seek a confrontation with their patron, and afterward I shall seek a confrontation with them.\u2019 That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and against his anointed\u2019 [Ps. 2:2].
\nF. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Wicked man! Do you seek a confrontation with me? By your life, I shall make war with you.\u2019 That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The Lord will go forth as a mighty man\u2019 [Is. 42:13].
\nG. \u201c \u2018And the Lord will go forth and fight against those nations\u2019 [Zech. 14:3].
\nH. \u201cAnd what is written there? \u2018The Lord will be king over all the earth\u2019 \u201d [Zech. 14:9].<\/p>\n
The exegeses of Lev. 22:27ff., VIII\u2013XI reach a climax and conclusion with an eschatological motif. The first two units treat Prov. 12:10 in an entirely appropriate way, tying it closely to the substance of the base verse. But it is not a construction built on the basis of the intersecting verse. Nos. 1 and 2 make essentially the same point, one with Sennacherib, the other with Haman. Levi\u2019s systematic picture of Cain, Esau, and Haman then is tacked on because of the prior allusion to Sennacherib and Haman. Nothing in No. 3 alludes to the base verse. And yet the theme still resonates: the cruelties of the wicked, now the ever-increasing, but ever-more-futile, folly of the wicked who conspire against Israel. The cruelty of each is what joins No. 3 to Nos. 1\u20132. Nonetheless, it is difficult to deny that No. 3 was framed for its own purpose, prior to its serving to amplify the reference to Haman at No. 2.<\/p>\n
XXVII:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd when you sacrifice a thanksgiving sacrifice to the Lord\u201d (Lev. 22:29).
\nB. 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.
\nC. \u201cAll forms of prayer will come to an end, but the thanksgiving prayer will never come to an end.
\nD. \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, the voice of them that say, \u201cGive thanks to the God 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 thanksgiving offering.
\nF. \u201cAnd so did David say, \u2018Your vows are incumbent upon me, O God I shall 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]. The reference [of the plural usage] then is to both the thanksgiving prayer and the thanksgiving offering.\u201d<\/p>\n
The passage serves the next verse in sequence, Lev. 22:29. But it treats the theme, rather than the particular statement at hand, and serves equally well at IX:VII, above.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Eight<\/p>\n
XXVIII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[When you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest,] you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest\u201d (Lev. 23:10).
\nB. \u201cWhat does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun? [A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever]\u201d (Qoh. 1:3).
\nC. Said R. Benjamin b. R. Levi, \u201cSages proposed to hide away the scroll of Qohelet, for they found in it[s teachings] matters that tended toward heresy.
\nD. \u201cThey said, \u2018Lo, is this the whole of Solomon\u2019s wisdom, which he came along to teach: \u201cWhat does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?\u201d May one then suppose that that is the case even for the [man\u2019s] toil over Torah?\u2019
\nE. \u201cThey retracted and ruled, \u2018He did not phrase matters as \u201call the toil\u201d but \u201call the toil for his own benefit.\u201d [The meaning of Solomon therefore must be] for the toil that pertains to oneself, he does not profit, thus [implying] one does profit from the toil that pertains to the Torah.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Samuel b. R. Isaac, \u201cSages proposed to hide away the scroll of Qohelet, for they found in it[s teachings] matters that tended toward heresy.
\nB. \u201cThey said, \u2018Lo, is this the whole of Solomon\u2019s wisdom, which he came along to teach: \u201cRejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. [But know that for all these things, God will bring you into judgment]\u2019 \u201d (Qoh. 11:9)?
\nC. \u201cMoses stated, \u2018\u2026 not to follow after your own heart and your own eyes, [which you are inclined to go after wantonly]\u2019 [Num. 15:39], and yet [Solomon] has said, \u2018Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes!\u2019
\nD. \u201c \u2018[Accordingly, he would imply] there is neither justice nor a Judge, so the penalty of flogging has been annulled!\u2019
\nE. \u201cBut when [Solomon further] stated, \u2018But know that for all these things, God will bring you judgment\u2019 (Qoh. 11:9), they stated, \u2018Well has Solomon spoken.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. [With regard to the statement, \u201cWhat does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun?\u201d (Qoh. 1:3)], R. Huna and R. Aha in the name of R. Ilpai: \u201c[Solomon means] one toils under the sun but lays up treasures above the sun [in Heaven].\u201d
\nB. R. Yudan said, \u201c[He means the toil that one does in study of Torah only] under the sun [after sunrise] does not [yield gain], but [what he studies] before the sun [has risen] does yield [gain].\u201d
\n4. A. R. Levi and rabbis:
\nB. R. Levi said, \u201c[God says,] \u2018What do people gain as a reward who accumulate treasures of religious actions and good deeds? It is sufficient for them that I make the light [of the sun] to shine on them.\u2019 \u201d
\nC. Rabbis say, \u201cWhat do people gain as a reward who accumulate treasures of religious actions and good deeds? It is sufficient for them that the Holy One, blessed be he, in the age to come is going to renew the light of their faces to shine like the orb of the sun.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018But those who love him are as the sun when it goes forth in its strength\u2019 \u201d (Jud. 5:31).
\n5. A. Said R. Jonah, \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, when someone buys a litra of meat, take note of how much trouble and effort he encounters until he has cooked it.
\nB. \u201cBut the Holy One, blessed be he, brings up the wind and brings forth clouds and brings down rain and brings up plants and dries them and spreads a table before every individual.
\nC. \u201cShould you not bring him the sheaf of the first fruits?\u201d<\/p>\n
The composite contains two distinct materials, those at Nos. 1\u20134, exercises on the intersecting verse, and No. 5, which takes up the substance of the base verse and ignores the intersecting one entirely. I assume that no explicit link between Qoh. 1:3 and Lev. 23:10 is drawn because to the exegetes it was self-evident. Once we refer to the fruit of a harvest, the negative evaluation of one\u2019s gain from all his labor will come to mind. At any rate, Nos. 1\u20134 labor solely on that matter, trying to explain (away) Solomon\u2019s view by harmonizing it with that of sages. At issue then is, first, the worth of study of Torah, which must be affirmed, Nos. 1 and 3. The power of Heaven to distinguish good from bad deeds, No. 2, has no bearing upon the base verse, only on the theme introduced at 1.C. It must follow that Nos. 1 and 2 were joined together before being set whole into the present context. No. 3 then reverts to the exegesis of the intersecting verse, and No. 4 continues the theme, but not the sentiment or problematic, of No. 3. No. 5, at the end, simply gives a reason for the commandment of Lev. 23:10. So the construction is formed of three available compositions, Nos. 1\u20133, 3\u20134, and 5. No. 5 continues at XXIII:II.<\/p>\n
XXVIII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances when a person washes his garment in the rainy season, how much trouble and effort does he encounter before he is able to dry it.
\nB. \u201cBut [God says,]: \u2018I bring up the wind and bring forth clouds and bring down rain and bring up plants and dry them and spread a table before every individual.
\nC. \u201c \u2018Should you not bring me the sheaf of the first fruits?\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Benaiah, \u201cCome and take note of how much trouble and effort do people undergo in bringing the sheaf of the first fruits!\u201d
\nB. That is in line with the following Mishnah passage that we have learned (at M. Menahot 10:4): \u201cThey reaped it and put it into baskets. They brought it to the courtyard [of the Temple]. They parched it in fire, so as to carry out the requirement that it be parched with fire\u201d [Lev. 2:14], the words of R. Meir. And sages say, \u201cWith reeds and with stems of plants do they [first] beat it [to thresh it], so that it not be crushed. And they put it into a tube, and the tube was perforated, so that the fire affect all of it.\u201d They spread it out in the courtyard, and the breeze blows over it. They put it into a grist mill and took out from it a tenth ephah, which is sifted through thirteen sieves.
\nC. (M. Menahot 10:3:) \u201cHow did they do it? Agents of the court go forth on the eve of [the afternoon before] the festival [of Passover]. And they make [the grain] into sheaves while it is still attached to the ground, so that it will be easy to reap. And all the villagers nearby gather together there [on the night after the first day of Passover], so that it will be reaped with great pomp.\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201c[God says, \u2018In making the crops possible], I serve as your chef, and should you not give me a taste of what I have cooked for you, so that I may know what [further spices] it needs? [The first cutting of the grain represents that taste].\u2019
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with what David says, \u2018Rain as a free gift pour down, O God\u2019 [Ps. 68:10].
\nC. \u201cIf [the crop] requires rain, then it is a matter of \u2018a free gift.\u2019 If [the crop] requires dew, then \u2018Pour down, O God.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201c[God says,] \u2018I serve as your watchman [over your crop] and should you not give me the wage of my watch?\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Eleazar, \u201cIt is written, \u2018Neither do they say in their heart, \u201cLet us now fear the Lord our God, who gives the former rain and the latter rain in due season\u201d \u2019 [Jer. 5:24]. Lo, he has given, and do you now maintain that you do not need him?
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with what is written, \u2018Who keeps for us the statutes of the weeks of the harvest\u2019 [Jer. 5:24]. May he keep us from the parching winds, may he keep us from the harmful dew. And when [do these come]? They come during the seven weeks between Passover and Pentecost [during which the sheaf of the first fruits is offered every day].\u201d
\n5. A. R. Hiyya taught, \u201cIt is written, \u2018[And you shall count from the morrow after the sabbath from the day that you brought the sheaf of the wave offering;] seven complete weeks shall they be\u2019 [Lev. 23:15].
\nB. \u201cWhen are the weeks complete? When the priestly watches of Jeshua and Shekheniah come [to take up their duties in the cultic service of the Temple, that is, ninth and tenth in the order of the twenty-four priestly watches that divide up the year in the Temple service].\u201d
\n6. A. Simeon the son of rabbi made a banquet in celebration [of the marriage] of his son. He went and invited all the rabbis, but neglected to invite Bar Qappara.
\nB. [Bar Qappara] went and wrote on the gate, \u201cAfter his joy, he will die. So what profit is there in his rejoicing?\u201d
\nC. [Simeon] said, \u201cWho did this to me? Is there someone whom we did not call?\u201d
\nD. [His servants] said to him, \u201cIt is Bar Qappara whom you neglected to invite.\u201d
\nE. He said, \u201cLo, it would be distasteful to invite him by himself [too late]. Go and make another dinner party and invite all the rabbis and invite him.\u201d [This they did.]
\nF. On the occasion of each dish which the servants brought before the guests, [Bar Qappara] told three hundred parables about a certain fox. So [listening respectfully, the other guests] did not taste the dish before it got cold. As a result, [the waiters] took each dish away untasted, just as it had come in.
\nG. Said R. Simeon son of rabbi to his steward, \u201cHow come the dishes come back untouched?\u201d
\nH. He said to him, \u201cThere is an elder sitting there, and on the occasion of the bringing of each dish, he tells three hundred parables, so the food grows cold, and the people do not eat it.\u201d
\nI. [Simeon] went to him and said, \u201cWhat did I do to you, that you are spoiling my banquet?\u201d
\nJ. He said to him, \u201cDid I need your banquet? Did not Solomon say, \u2018What does man gain by all the toil at which he toils under the sun\u2019 [Qoh. 1:3]? What is written directly thereafter? \u2018A generation goes, and a generation comes, but the earth remains forever\u2019 \u201d (Qoh. 1:4).
\nK. After the two had become reconciled with one another and made peace, [Bar Qappara] said to him, \u201cNow if in this world, which does not belong to you, the Holy One, blessed be he, has poured out abundant prosperity for you, in the world to come, which does belong to you, how much the more [will he do for you]!\u201d
\n7. A. Said R. Simeon, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, said to this man, \u2018Lo, you have plowed and harvested, made sheaves and smoothed the sheaves, Lo, the sheaf has been made. If I do not bring forth a little breeze for you, are you going to be able to winnow it?
\nB. \u201c \u2018Even the fee for that wind are you able to pay?\u2019
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And what gain has he that he toiled for the wind\u2019 \u201d (Qoh. 5:16).<\/p>\n
No. 1 completes the theme introduced above. The rainy season comes to an end at Passover. At that point the grain is dry and ready. God makes possible what a human being cannot do, so 1.A\u2019s contrast to 1.B. I do not see why the sizable citation of M. Men. 10:4, then 10:3, is attached. Benaiah\u2019s statement, 2.A, does not really fit in with what has gone before. It serves only as a pretext for citing the Mishnah\u2019s rules. No. 3, by contrast, reverts to the theme of No. 1, namely, justification for bringing the sheaf of the first grain. (For the lexical problems, I of course follow Margulies; compare Lieberman, p. 879 to p. 653.) Nos. 4 and 5 form a little anthology of materials relevant to the sheaf of first grain. No. 4 explains why the sheaf is owing for the seven weeks from Passover to Pentecost. No. 5 adds its own point, referring to the course of priestly families, as explained at 5.B. No. 6 is inserted only because of the reference, 6.J, to the intersecting verse. No. 7, for its part, draws a closer link between the established theme and a verse parallel to the intersecting one. In all, we have little more than a hodgepodge of compositions relevant to the overall theme or the intersecting verse but not to one another. Only now do we revert to the base verse\u2014and through an essentially formal statement, ignoring what has gone before.<\/p>\n
XXVIII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Abin, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to Israel, \u2018My children, come and take note of the difference between you and me. When you give the sheaf, you give one for all of you. But when you take the sheaf [at the time of the manna], you take \u201cA sheaf for each head, in accord with the number of all your souls\u201d \u2019 [Ex. 16:16].
\nB. \u201cAnd it is not of wheat but of barley [a cheaper grain, that you give me the sheaf].
\nC. \u201cAnd even so, take care to bring it in its due season.\u201d
\n2. A. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cWhen you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest\u201d (Lev. 23:10).<\/p>\n
The point of No. 1 is clear: God gives much and demands little. It seems to me that the reversion to the base verse, No. 2, serves an editorial purpose, underlining the completion of discourse begun at XXVIII:I. I see no indissoluble and substantive link between the citation of the base verse and the homily to which it is attached.<\/p>\n
XXVIII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cHis harvest the hungry eat, and he takes it even without a buckler; and the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d (Job 5:5).
\nB. \u201cHis harvest\u201d refers to the four kingdoms (of Gen. 14:1).
\nC. \u201cThe hungry eat\u201d refers to our father, Abraham.
\nD. \u201cAnd he takes it even without a buckler\u201d\u2014without a sword, without a shield, but with prayer and supplications.
\nE. This is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cHe led forth his trained servants [empty-handed, understanding the Hebrew word RK as empty], those born of his house, three hundred and eighteen\u201d (Gen. 14:14).
\nF. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cIt was Eliezer alone [whom Abraham took with him]. And how do we know? [The numerical value of the letters that make up the Hebrew name] Eliezer adds up to three hundred and eighteen.
\nG. \u201cAnd the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d\u2014who trampled on the wealth of the four kingdoms? It was Abraham and all those who were allied with him.
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHis harvest\u201d refers to Pharaoh.
\nB. \u201cThe hungry eat\u201d refers to Moses.
\nC. \u201cAnd he takes it even without a buckler\u201d\u2014without a sword, without a shield, but with prayer and supplications.
\nD. \u201cAnd the Lord said to Moses, \u2018Why do you cry out to me?\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 14:15).
\nE. \u201cAnd the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d\u2014who trampled the wealth of Pharaoh? It was Moses and all those who were allied with him.
\n3. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHis harvest\u201d refers to Sihon and Og.
\nB. \u201cThe hungry eat\u201d refers to Moses.
\nC. \u201cAnd he takes it even without a buckler\u201d\u2014without a sword, without a shield, but with a [mere] word.
\nD. \u201cAnd the Lord said to Moses, \u2018Be not afraid of him, because I have given him into your hand\u2019 \u201d (Num. 21:34).
\nE. \u201cAnd the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d\u2014who trampled on the wealth of Sihon and Og? It was Moses and all those who were allied with him.
\n4. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHis harvest\u201d refers to the Canaanites.
\nB. \u201cThe hungry eat\u201d refers to Joshua.
\nC. \u201cAnd he takes it even without a buckler\u201d\u2014without a sword, without a shield, but with hailstones.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Bethhoron, the Lord threw down great stones from heaven upon them [as far as Azekah, and they died; there were more who died because of the hailstones than the men of Israel killed with the sword]\u201d (Josh. 10:11).
\nE. \u201cAnd the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d\u2014who trampled upon the wealth of the Canaanites? It was Joshua and all those who were allied with him.
\n5. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHis harvest\u201d refers to Sisera.
\nB. \u201cThe hungry eat\u201d refers to Deborah and Barak.
\nC. \u201cAnd he takes it even without a buckler\u201d\u2014without a sword, without a shield, but [solely] by means of good deeds.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cWas shield or spear to be seen among forty thousand in Israel?\u201d (Jud. 5:8).
\nE. \u201cAnd the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d\u2014who trampled on the wealth of Sisera? It was Deborah and Barak and all those who were allied with them.
\n6. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHis harvest\u201d refers to Sennacherib.
\nB. \u201cThe hungry eat\u201d refers to Hezekiah.
\nC. \u201cAnd he takes it even without a buckler\u201d\u2014without a sword, without a shield, but [solely] through prayer.
\nD. \u201cAnd Hezekiah the king and Isaiah ben Amoz, the prophet, prayed concerning this matter\u201d (2 Chron. 32:20).
\nE. \u201cAnd the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d\u2014who trampled on the wealth of Sennacherib? It was Hezekiah and all those who were allied with him.
\n7. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHis harvest\u201d refers to Haman.
\nB. \u201cThe hungry eat\u201d refers to Mordecai.
\nC. \u201cAnd he takes it even without a buckler\u201d\u2014without a sword, without a shield, but solely with sack and ashes, as it is said, \u201cMany lay in sackcloth and ashes\u201d (Est. 4:3).
\nD. \u201cAnd the thirsty pant after their wealth\u201d\u2014who trampled upon the wealth of Haman? It was Mordecai and Esther and all those who were allied with them.
\n8. A. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to Israel, \u201cMy children, I have fed you the harvest of the kingdoms. Take care that others not come and eat your harvest.\u201d
\nB. Therefore Moses admonished the Israelites, saying to them, \u201cWhen you come into the land which I give you and reap its harvest, you shall bring the sheaf of the first fruits of your harvest to the priest\u201d (Lev. 23:10).<\/p>\n
The construction must come from a single hand, rigidly following a self-evident pattern in interpreting the sequence of clauses of the intersecting verse. The whole is made up of seven instances, after any one of which it would have been equally appropriate to insert No. 8. The sheaf is interpreted as a means of securing the land. Where do we find the connection between the intersecting verse and the base verse? It seems to me there is none. We have a theme\u2014God\u2019s handing the kingdoms over to the Israelites\u2014and not a detailed reading of the clauses of Job 5:5 in terms of the giving of the sheaf at Lev. 23:10. True, God fed the wealth of the enemies to the Israelites, who were hungry and ate solely by virtue of their faith and good deeds. But the real tie is merely verbal, the linking of the harvest under discussion at Job 5:5 to the harvest to which Lev. 23:10 refers. The common word-choice then allows the established, exegetical tradition for Job 5:5, independent of No. 8, to be reframed in terms of the substance of Lev. 23:10 by No. 8. If that is the case, then the entire exegetical tradition on the intersecting verse had taken shape prior to the focusing of that tradition upon the sheaf of first fruits to which Lev. 23:10 alludes.<\/p>\n
XXVIII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd he shall wave the sheaf before the Lord\u201d (Lev. 23:11).
\nB. How did one wave [the sheaf]?
\nC. R. Hama b. R. Uqba in the name of R. Yose b. R. Hanina: \u201cForward and backward, upward and downward:
\nD. \u201cForward and backward, so as to counteract damaging winds, upward and downward so as to counteract destructive dew.\u201d
\nE. R. Simon in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201c[Forward and backward, upward and downward.]
\nF. \u201cForward and backward\u2014to him to whom the entire earth belongs.
\nG. \u201cUpward and downward\u2014to him to whom both the upper world and the lower world belong.\u201d
\nH. Said R. Abin, \u201cThat is the view of R. Judah and R. Nehemiah.\u201d
\nI. R. Jacob bar Abba in the name of R. Judah b. R. Simon, \u201cThat is the view of R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish.<\/p>\n
The amplification of the cited verse consists in the provision of relevant information rather than in citation of an intersecting verse. T. Men. 7:19D contains the same formula as C.<\/p>\n
XXVIII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yohanan said, \u201cThe religious duty concerning the waving of the sheaf of first grain should not be a minor matter in your view. For it was on account of the merit of that religious duty that Abraham, our father, inherited the land.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And I shall give to you and to your seed after you the land of your sojourning\u2019 [Gen. 17:8].
\nC. \u201cThat is on the following condition: \u2018And God said to Abraham, \u201cAnd you will keep my covenant\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Gen. 17:9).
\n2. A. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cThe religious duty concerning the waving of the sheaf of first grain should not be a minor matter in your view. For it is on account of the merit of that religious duty that peace is restored between a man and his wife.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Then the man shall bring his wife to the priest, and bring the offering required of her, a tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he shall pour no oil upon it and put no frankincense on it, [for it is a cereal offering of jealousy]\u2019 [Num. 5:15]. [Further: \u2018And the priest shall take the cereal offering of jealousy out of the woman\u2019s hand and shall wave the cereal offering before the Lord\u2019 (Num. 5:25).]
\nC. And to what religious duty [does this refer]? To the sheaf of the first fruits that requires waving.
\nD. \u201c[Accordingly,] it is on account of the merit of the flour of barley [used for both the woman\u2019s jealousy offering and the sheaf of first grain] that peace is restored between a man and his wife.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Abbahu stated the matter, [as did] R. Joshua b. Levi, R. Samuel bar Nahman, and rabbis.
\nB. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cIt [the merit accruing to the religious duty of waving the sheaf of first grain] is what stood up for [the Israelites] in the time of Gideon.
\nC. \u201cFor it is written: \u2018When Gideon came, behold, a man was telling a dream to his comrade, and he said, \u201cBehold, I dreamed a dream, and lo, a cake of barley bread tumbled into the camp of Midian and [came to the tent and struck it so that it fell\u201d \u2019]\u201d (Jud. 7:13).
\nD. What is the meaning of the word for cake, selil?
\nE. R. Levi said, \u201cIt is written, \u2018Bare, salul.\u2019 For that entire generation was bare of righteous men. Then on what account were they redeemed? It was on account of the merit accruing to the cake of barley bread. And what was it? It was the religious duty of waving the sheaf of first grain [made up of barley].\u201d
\nF. R. Samuel bar Nahman said, \u201cIt [the merit accruing to the religious duty of waving the sheaf of first grain] is what stood up for [the Israelites] in the time of Hezekiah.
\nG. \u201cFor it is said, \u2018And every stroke of the staff of punishment which the Lord lays upon them will be to the sound of timbrels and lyres; battling with battles of waving he will fight with them\u2019 [Is. 30:32]. Now was there such a thing as \u2018battles of waving\u2019 at that time?
\nH. \u201cTo what then is reference made? It is to the religious duty of offering the sheaf of first grain, which requires waving.\u201d
\nI. Rabbis say, \u201cIt [the merit accruing to the religious duty of waving the sheaf of first grain] is what stood up for [the Israelites] in the time of Ezekiel.
\nJ. \u201cFor it is said, \u2018And you, take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt, and put them into a single vessel, and make bread of them\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 4:9).
\nK. [Since this was a mixture of grain, how can it be called only a barley cake, as at Ez. 4:12: \u201cAnd you shall eat it as a barley cake\u201d?] Samuel said, \u201cHe put in more barley [than the other grains].\u201d
\nL. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201c[He put in] things that clear the bowels [as barley does].\u201d
\nM. R. Hiyya bar Abba said, \u201cThere [in Babylonia] they make it into a dried cake, which [even] a dog will not taste.\u201d
\nN. [Referring to Ezekiel\u2019s trial,] a noble lady asked R. Yose b. Halapta, \u201cHow much distress did that righteous man suffer! How many man slaves and woman slaves he owned, and they all rejected the food and drink [that he gave them]!\u201d
\nO. He said to her, \u201c[That tale] is to tell you that so long as the Israelites are in distress, the righteous suffer distress along with them.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Levi said, \u201cIt [the merit accruing to the religious duty of waving the sheaf of first grain] is what stood up for [the Israelites] in the time of Haman.
\nB. \u201cWhen Mordecai saw that Haman was coming to meet him, he was afraid.
\nC. \u201cHe was in session, with his disciples before him. He said to them, \u2018Stand up [and go away] from me, so that you will not be burned by the coals with which that wicked man is coming to kill me.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018Whether we shall be among the dead or the living, we are with you.\u2019
\nE. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018If so, let us arise for prayer and perish while we are praying.\u2019
\nF. \u201cWhen they had completed their prayer, they went into session and dealt with the religious duty of offering the sheaf of first grain.
\nG. \u201cHaman came to them and said to them, \u2018What are you working on?\u2019
\nH. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018The religious duty of offering the sheaf of first grain, which [the priests] used to offer in the sanctuary.\u2019
\nI. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018And as to that sheaf, what is it, gold or silver?\u2019
\nJ. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018It is neither gold nor silver, nor even wheat, but merely barley.\u2019
\nK. \u201cHe said to them, \u2018And how much was it worth, ten centenaria [= 3,000 manehs]?\u2019
\nL. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018Much less, ten manehs.\u2019
\nM. \u201cWhen Mordecai had finished his prayer, Haman came to him, saying to him, \u2018Elder, put on this purple garment, for your sheaf of first grain, worth ten manehs, has vanquished the ten thousand centenaria of mine [which I paid to the king for the right to kill you].\u2019
\nN. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018Is that man [you] not a fool? Do you not see [before you] a man who is unwashed, in sackcloth and in fasting? For what do I need to put on a royal robe of purple and to adorn myself?\u2019
\nO. \u201c[Haman] said to him, \u2018What do you then want?\u2019
\nP. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018To wash first.\u2019
\nQ. \u201cHaman went to find a bathhouse keeper, but he did not succeed, for Queen Esther had given orders that no bathhouse keeper should open his establishment on that day on which that Jew [Mordecai] was going to be hanged.
\nR. \u201c[Haman] went and heated an oven and drew the bathwater and washed him. When he had washed him, he dressed him in the purple robe. He then said to him, \u2018Elder, set this wreath [on your head], for your sheaf of first grain, worth ten manehs, has vanquished the ten thousand centenaria of mine.\u2019
\nS. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018Is that man not a fool? Do you not see that my hair is overgrown?\u2019
\nT. \u201c[Haman] said to him, \u2018What do you then want?\u2019
\nU. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018To get a haircut first.\u2019
\nV. \u201cHaman went to find a barber, but he did not succeed. He went home and brought a pair of scissors from his house and gave him a haircut. After he had given him a haircut, he began to sigh.
\nW. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018Why are you sighing?\u2019
\nX. \u201c[Haman] said to him, \u2018Is it not a woe for that man, who used to appoint the minister in charge of all matters, the minister in charge of the king\u2019s appointments, now is turned into a bathhouse keeper and a barber!\u2019
\nY. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018But don\u2019t I know that your father came from Kepar Qirynos, and was a barber and a bathhouse keeper? And he prepared women\u2019s make-up, and these are his very shears!\u2019
\nZ. \u201cAfter he had given him a haircut, he dressed him in the wreath. He said to him, \u2018Elder, ride on this horse, for your sheaf of first grain, worth ten manehs, has vanquished the ten thousand centenaria of mine!\u2019
\nAA. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018Is that man not a fool? Do you not see that I am an old man. Can I ride on a horse?\u2019
\nBB. \u201c[Haman] said to him, \u2018What is it that you want?\u2019
\nCC. \u201c[Mordecai] said to him, \u2018Bend your back down for me, so that I can ride, and I\u2019ll ride.\u2019
\nDD. \u201cHe bent his back down for him, and he mounted up.
\nEE. \u201cThis was meant to fulfill the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And your enemies will dwindle away before you and you shall tread on their high places\u2019 [Deut. 33:29].
\nFF. \u201cWhile he was riding, he began to praise the Holy One, blessed be he: \u2018I will extol you, O Lord, for you have drawn me up, and have not let my foes rejoice over me. O Lord my God, I cried to you for help, and you have healed me. O Lord, you have brought up my soul from Sheol, and restored me to life among those gone down to the pit\u2019 [Ps. 30:1\u20133].
\nGG. \u201cHis disciples said, \u2018Sing praises to the Lord, O you his saints and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger is but for a moment, and his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning\u2019 [Ps. 30:4\u20135].
\nHH. \u201cHaman said, \u2018As for me, I said in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. By your favor, O Lord, you had established me as a strong mountain. You hid your face, I was dismayed\u2019 [Ps. 30:6\u20137].
\nII. \u201cEsther said, \u2018To thee, O Lord, I cried, and to the Lord I made supplication; what profit is there in my death, if I go down to the pit? Will the dust praise you? Will it tell of your faithfulness?\u2019 [Ps. 30:8\u20139].
\nJJ. \u201cThe congregation of Israel said, \u2018Hear, O Lord, and be gracious to me! O Lord, be my helper. You have turned for me my mourning into dancing, you have loosed my sackcloth and girded me with gladness\u2019 [Ps. 30:10\u201311].
\nKK. \u201cAnd the holy spirit says, \u2018That glory may praise you and not be silent. O Lord, my God, I will give thanks to you forever\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 30:12).
\nLL. [Commenting on E\u2013F, above], said R. Phineas, \u201cIt was with the recitation of the Shema that he had been occupied, and he did not interrupt the recitation at all: \u2018That glory may praise you and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give thanks to you forever\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 30:12).<\/p>\n
This anthology of materials on the importance of the religious duty of waving the sheaf of first grain begins with a matched pair, Nos. 1\u20132. The formal base is blatant. No. 3 then assigns to the same matter power to save and redeem Israel, citing passages in which a barley cake figures in a salvific tale, Gideon, Hezekiah, Ezekiel. No. 4 proceeds with a separate example. It is wholly Levi\u2019s version, since, as we see at the end, Phineas would not have regarded the story of Haman and Mordecai as relevant to the reward for waving the sheaf of first grain. 4.F accounts for the inclusion of the entire matter. But that is no minor detail, since it is part of the recurrent triad of action, M, R, Z. Accordingly, those who selected the composition for inclusion here made a good choice. I cannot then imagine how to revise the tale to conform to Phineas\u2019s picture, but the exegesis of Ps. 30 will not change much.<\/p>\n
Parashah Twenty-Nine<\/p>\n
XXIX:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month, [you shall observe a day of solemn rest, a memorial proclaimed with blast of trumpets]\u201d (Lev. 23:24). [This is the day of judgment, on the New Year.]
\nB. \u201cForever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens\u201d (Ps. 119:89).
\n2. A. It was taught in the name of R. Eliezer, \u201cOn the twenty-fifth day of Elul, the world was created.\u201d
\nB. The following statement of Rab accords with the view of R. Eliezer, for it has been taught in the verses Rab [assembled] to accompany the sounding of the ram\u2019s horn on the New Year, \u201cThis day [marks] the beginning of your works, a memorial to the first day. \u2018For it is a statute of Israel, an ordinance of the God of Jacob\u2019 [Ps. 81:4]. And concerning all countries, on that [day] it is declared, which is destined for the sword and which for peace, which for famine and which for plenty. On that day all creatures are judged, to be recorded for life or for death.\u201d
\n3. A. [Since the New Year is the sixth day following the creation of the world, which took place on the twenty-fifth of Elul], you find that on the first of Tishri [the New Year] the first man was created [because he was created on the sixth day of creation].
\nB. In the first hour [the thought of creating him] entered [God\u2019s mind], in the second [God] consulted the ministering angels, in the third he collected [dust], in the fourth, he kneaded it, in the fifth he made it an unformed mass, in the sixth he blew into it the breath [of life], in the seventh, he stood him on his feet, in the eighth, he put him into the Garden of Eden, in the ninth [God] gave him a commandment, in the tenth [Adam] violated his commandment, in the eleventh [God] judged him, in the twelfth [God] gave him a pardon.
\nC. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cAdam, lo, you serve as omen for your children. Just as you came to judgment before me and I gave you a pardon, so your children will come before me in judgment, and I shall give them a pardon.
\nD. \u201cWhen? On the New Year.\u201d
\nE. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
No. 1 simply cites the base verse and the intersecting one. The relevance of the intersecting verse is not clear. But the verse continues, \u201cYour faithfulness endures to all generations, you have established the earth and it stands fast\u201d (Ps. 119:90). Now the theme of what follows is, first, creation, and, second, God\u2019s judgment and mercy, which endures. I am inclined to see No. 3 as a working out of the themes of the intersecting verse\u2014creation, faithfulness\u2014in the setting of the day specified by the base verse. No. 2 then establishes that creation took place six days before the New Year, leaving the sixth day to coincide with the New Year. No. 3 carries forward the important matter: on the sixth day of creation, the New Year, Adam was created, sinned, but was forgiven. So the whole seems to me continuous in the redactors\u2019 exposition of a single theme and thought, even though the basic materials that they used are distinct and composite.<\/p>\n
XXIX:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Nahman commenced (discourse by citing the following verse): \u201c \u2018Then fear not, O Jacob my servant, says the Lord, nor be dismayed, O Israel, for lo, I will save you from afar, and your offspring from the land of their captivity. Jacob shall return and have quiet and ease, and none shall make him afraid\u2019 [Jer. 30:10].
\nB. \u201cThe verse speaks of Jacob: \u2018And he dreamed that there was a ladder set up on the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven, and behold the angels of God were ascending and descending on it\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 28:12).
\nC. Said R. Samuel b. R. Nahman, \u201cNow do you think that they were ministering angels? Were they not only the princes of [representing] the nations of the world. [God] showed [Jacob] the prince of Babylonia going up seventy steps, the one of Media going up fifty-two steps, the one of Greece one hundred eighty steps. And as to the one representing Edom [Rome], he kept going up and [Jacob] did not know how many [steps he was going up, thus how long he would rule].
\nD. \u201c[Jacob] said before him, \u2018Lord of the ages! Will you say that he too is subject to decline?\u2019
\nE. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Jacob! Even if you see that he reaches heaven, I shall bring him down.\u2019
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Though you make your nest as high as the eagle, and though you set it among the stars, I will bring you down from there\u2019 \u201d (Obad. 1:4).
\nG. R. Berekhiah, R. Helbo in the name of R. Simeon b. Menassia in the name of R. Meir: \u201cHe showed him the prince of Babylonia going up and coming down, and the one of Media going up and coming down, and the one of Greece going up and coming down, and also the one of Edom going up and coming down.
\nH. \u201cHe said before him, \u2018Lord of the ages! Is it the case that just as these are subject to decline, so I too am subject to decline?\u2019
\nI. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Fear not. For the [sort of] ascent that you will make, there is no descent.\u2019 Nonetheless, he feared and did not ascend.\u201d
\nJ. R. Berekhiah, R. Helbo, and R. Simeon b. Menassia: \u201cMeir expounded [the following verse:] \u2018Nonetheless they still sinned and did not believe in his wondrous works\u2019 [Ps. 78:32]. [This verse] speaks of Jacob, who did not believe and so did not ascend.
\nK. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Jacob! If you had believed and ascended, you would never again have gone down. Now that you did not believe and did not ascend, lo, your sons will be held fast among the nations and wander aimlessly among the kingdoms, from one to the next, from Babylonia to Media, from Media to Greece, and from Greece to Edom.\u2019
\nL. \u201cHe said before him, \u2018Lord of the ages, is it forever?\u2019
\nM. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Then fear not, O Jacob my servant \u2026 nor be dismayed, O Israel, for lo, I will save you from afar\u2019 [Jer. 30:10]: from Gallia and Aspamea and nearby lands.
\nN. \u201c \u2018And your offspring from the land of their captivity:\u2019 \u2018Jacob shall return from Babylonia.
\nO. \u201c \u2018And have quiet\u2019 from Media.
\nP. \u201c \u2018And ease\u2019 from Greece.
\nQ. \u2018And none shall make him afraid\u2019 on account of Edom.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cI will make a full end of all the nations\u201d (Jer. 30:11). As to the nations of the world, because they make a full end [when they harvest even the corner of] their field, \u201cI will make a full end of all the nations among whom I scattered you.\u201d
\nB. But as to Israel, because they do not make a full end [when they harvest, for they leave the corner of] their field, therefore: \u201cBut of you I will not make a full end\u201d (Jer. 30:11).
\nC. \u201cI will chasten you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished\u201d (Jer. 30:11). I shall chasten you through suffering in this world, so as to leave you unpunished in the world to come.
\nD. When? On the New Year.
\nE. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
The rule about leaving the corner of the field to the poor, Lev. 23:22, comes just before Lev. 23:23\u201324, the base verse. No. 2 is an autonomous composition, resting on Jer. 30:11 as its intersecting verse and bearing no relationship to No. 1. For its part, No. 1 in its own terms reveals no connection whatsoever to Lev. 23:23\u201324. The verse with which Nahman commenced discourse is fully worked out on its own. The entire composition of No. 1 serves not Lev. 23:23\u201324 but Gen. 28:12. It appears, therefore, that we have in hand two distinct statements, Nos. 1 and 2, joined to serve Jer. 30:10\u201311. Then the whole set found its place here because of No. 2. Obviously, the principal focus is Jacob, hence Gen. 28:12, and inclusion here represents a secondary redactional act.<\/p>\n
XXIX:III<\/p>\n
[Margulies follows MSS order, rather than that of the printed text, while preserving the paragraph number of each pericope as it is assigned in the printed text.]<\/p>\n
1. A. Judah b. R. Nahmani in the name of R. Simeon b. Laqish commenced [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018God has gone up with the shofar blast, the Lord at the sound of the shofar\u2019 [Ps. 47:5].
\nB. \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, ascends to take his seat on the throne of justice on the New Year, it is for the sake of strict justice that he ascends.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018God has gone up with the shofar blast.\u2019
\nD. \u201cBut when Israel take up their shofars and sound them, forthwith: \u2018The Lord at the sound of the shofar.\u2019
\nE. \u201cWhat does the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He rises from the throne of judgment and takes his seat on the throne of mercy. He is filled with mercy for them and for them turns the measure of justice into the measure of mercy.\u201d
\nF. When?
\nG. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
The exploration of the theme of the shofar on the New Year continues along lines set forth in the preceding. The intersecting verse now is far more to the point and serves only the base verse at hand. That is because the intersecting verse refers explicitly to the shofar.<\/p>\n
XXIX:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Josiah commenced [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201cBlessed is the people that knows the sound of the shofar blast. O Lord, in the light of your face do they walk the way\u201d (Ps. 89:16).
\nB. R. Abbahu interpreted the verse as follows: \u201cIt speaks of five elders when they come together to intercalate the year. What does the Holy One, blessed be he do? He leaves his counselors and brings his presence to rest among them. At that moment the ministering angels say [the acclamation], \u2018Look at this! Look at this! Is this power! Is this power! Is this ornament! Is this ornament! Should he, concerning whom it is written, \u201cA God in the great council of the holy ones, great and terrible above all that are round about him\u201d [Ps. 89:8]\u2014should such a one leave his counselors and descend and bring his presence to rest among the lower beings!\u2019
\nC. \u201cBut [he does so for], if they should make an error, the Holy One, blessed be he, enlightens their eyes [in deciding the law in the right] way.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018O Lord, they walk the way in the light of your face\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 89:16).
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cBlessed is the people that knows the sound of the shofar blast\u201d (Ps. 89:15).
\nB. Said R. Josiah, \u201cNow do not the nations of the world know how to make a blast [on a trumpet]? How many horns, bucinae, and trumpets do they have. Yet you say, \u2018Blessed is the people that knows the sound of the shofar blast!\u2019
\nC. \u201cBut: \u2018Blessed is the people that knows how to propitiate their Creator with the sound of the shofar blast.\u2019
\nD. \u201cWhat does the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He rises from the throne of judgment and takes his seat on the throne of mercy. He is filled with mercy for them and for them turns the measure of justice into the measure of mercy.\u201d
\nE. When?
\nF. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
At No. 2 the intersecting verse directly intersects with the base verse. At No. 1 the issue is entirely different. Accordingly, once again, the intersecting verse is subjected to diverse interpretations, and because of the pertinence of one of these, the entire construction on the intersecting verse then is inserted. The theme of the shofar blast commences; in the next units various verses that refer to it are explained in line with themes of the New Year, particularly justice and mercy. The formulaic conclusion, 2.E\u2013F, surely is the final redactional stage.<\/p>\n
XXIX:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Jeremiah commenced [discourse by citing the following verse]: \u201c \u2018The wise man\u2019s path of life leads upward, that he may avoid Sheol beneath\u2019 [Prov. 15:24].
\nB. \u201c \u2018The path of life\u2019 refers to the Torah, for it is written, \u2018For the religious duty is a lamp, and the Torah is light, and the reproofs of discipline are the way of life\u2019 [Prov. 6:23].
\nC. \u201c \u2018The wise man\u2019s path \u2026 leads upward\u2019 refers to one who looks deeply into the Torah\u2019s religious duties, [learning] how to carry them out properly.
\nD. \u201c \u2018That he may avoid Sheol beneath.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. What then is written just prior to this same matter [of the New Year]?
\nB. \u201cWhen you harvest your crop of your land, you will not make a full end of the corner of your field\u201d (Lev. 23:22).
\nC. The nations of the world, because they make a full end [when they harvest even the corner] of their field, \u201cI will make a full end of all the nations among whom I have driven you\u201d (Jer. 30:11).
\nD. But Israel, because they do not make a full end [when they harvest, for they leave the corner of] their field, therefore, \u201cBut of you I will not make a full end\u201d (Jer. 30:11).
\nE. \u201cI will chasten you in just measure, and I will by no means leave you unpunished\u201d (Jer. 30:11).
\nF. When? On the New Year.
\nG. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
The point of the opening exegesis is that one should pay attention to the context in which religious duties are laid forth in the Torah. That leads us to the familiar matter of No. 2. I take it that No. 1 has been included only on account of No. 2. I see no indissoluble link between No. 1 and No. 2; the latter seems tacked on rather awkwardly, that is, at 1.C, \u201cleading upward,\u201d and 2.A.<\/p>\n
XXIX:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Berekhiah commenced [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018Blow the shofar horn at the new moon, when it is concealed for our feast day\u2019 [Ps. 81:4].
\nB. \u201cNow is there not a new moon every lunar month?
\nC. \u201cRather: \u2018when it is concealed.\u2019
\nD. \u201cBut is not the new moon concealed every month?
\nE. \u201cRather: \u2018for our feast day.\u2019
\nF. \u201cBut, is it not the case that there is [the month of] Nisan, when the new moon to begin with is concealed, and in that month, there is a feast day [namely, Passover]? [Does one blow the shofar on Nissan? No!]
\nG. That is a month in which the festival comes by itself [while in the month of Tishri when the new year falls, there are several festivals].
\nH. \u201cSo you have no month in which the new moon is concealed, in which there is a festival, and in which the festival begins on the first day of the lunar month, except for the month of Tishri.\u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201c[Blow the horn] at the new moon\u201d (Ps. 81:4).
\nB. Renew your deeds.
\nC. \u201cThe shofar horn (SWPR):\u201d Beautify (SPRW) your deeds.
\nD. Said to them the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cMy children, if you beautify your deeds, I shall make you like a shofar, which takes in [breath] at one end and puts it forth at the other.\u201d
\nE. When? On the New Year.
\nF. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
Reviewing relevant biblical passages on sounding the shofar horn, we reach Ps. 81:4. No. 1 provides proof that the reference is to the first day of Tishri, the New Year, in particular. No. 2 presents exegeses of words of the verse in light of the prevailing theme of judgment and atonement at the New Year.<\/p>\n
XXIX:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThus says the Lord, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: \u2018I am the Lord your God, who teaches you to profit, [who leads you in the way you should go]\u2019 \u201d (Is. 48:17).
\nB. \u201cI train you as a herdsman trains an ox.\u201d
\n2. A. The same object bears three names: staff, goad, and lead.
\nB. Staff (MLMD), because it shows (MLMD) the way for a cow so as to plough in order to give sustenance for its owner.
\nC. Goad (MRD\u02bf), because it imparts knowledge (MWRH D\u02bfH) to the cow.
\nD. Lead (DRBW), for it provides understanding (MSRH BYNH) to the cow.
\nE. Now is it not an argument a fortiori? If for a cow a man makes a goad, then for his [own] impulse to do evil, which leads him away from the life of this world and from the life of the world to come as well, how much the more so [should he make a goad]!
\n3. A. \u201cWho leads you in the way you should go\u201d (Is. 48:17).
\nB. R. Levi in the name of R. Hama b. R. Hanina: \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of someone who had to bring a case before his own father.
\nC. \u201cHis father said to him, \u2018My son, if you want to be acquitted before me in this case, retain as your counsel Mr. So-and-So, and you will be acquitted by me in this case.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo did the Holy One, blessed be he, say to Israel, \u2018My children, if you want to be acquitted before me in this case, you should make mention before me the merit accruing on account of the patriarchs, and you will be acquitted before me in this case.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. And when?
\nF. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).
\n4. A. \u201c[In the seventh month, on] the first [day of the month]\u201d (Lev. 23:24):
\nB. This refers to Abraham, for it is written, \u201cAbraham was the first, and he inherited the land\u201d (Ez. 33:24).
\nC. \u201cA memorial proclaimed with the blast of trumpets\u201d (Lev. 23:24):
\nD. This refers to Isaac, for it is written, \u201cAnd \u2026 looked and behold, a ram caught by its horns in a bush\u201d (Gen. 22:13).
\nE. \u201cA holy convocation\u201d (Lev. 23:24):
\nF. This refers to Jacob, for it is written, \u201cListen to me O Jacob, and Israel, whom I have convoked\u201d (Is. 48:12).
\nG. When will you make mention before me of the merit of the patriarchs and be acquitted before me in judgment?
\nH. On the New Year: \u201cIn the seventh month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1 and 2 simply deal with the cited verse in its own terms. The intersecting verse, Is. 48:17, leads to No. 3, which brings us back to the base verse and its theme of divine judgment and forgiveness on the New Year. No. 4 begins with the base verse. Perhaps the reference to Is. 48:12 is a mere serendipity. But the autonomous composition at No. 4 surely finds a natural place alongside Nos. 1\u20133. So it appears that the organizing principle lay in drawing together materials on Is. 48:17, including those relevant to Lev. 23:24.<\/p>\n
XXIX:VIII.A<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Hiyya bar Mare in the name of R. Levi commenced [discourse by citing the following verse:] \u201c \u2018Sons of Adam are vanity, and sons of man are a lie; if they are placed in the balance, they go up; they are together lighter than a breath\u2019 [Ps. 62:9].
\nB. \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, people say, Mr. So-and-so is marrying Miss Such-and-such. [This is why] \u2018Sons of men are vanity.\u2019 [That is, it is a vain act on the part of men to speak as if they initiate marriage, for it is God who does so].\u201d
\nC. \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances, people say Miss Such-and-such is married to Mr. So-and-so. [This is why] \u2018the sons of man are a lie.\u2019 [It is a lie that man initiates marriage for it is God who does so.]\u201d
\nD. \u201cIf they are placed in the balance, they go up; they are together lighter than breath\u201d [This part of the verse is now explained]:
\nE. Said R. Hiyya bar Mare [reply to D], \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Even before they were made of nothing in their mother\u2019s womb, I designated them and matched them for one another.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cAll of the vanities and lies that the Israelites do in this world\u2014Abraham, our father, is worthy of effecting atonement for all of them.
\nB. \u201cWhat is the Scriptural proof text? \u2018He was the greatest man among the Anakim\u2019 \u201d (Josh. 14:15).
\nC. When does he effect atonement for them in the scales? It is in the month that is subject to the constellation of Libra [the scales]. And which month is subject to the constellation of Libra? One must say that it is Tishri.
\nD. Tishri is written in such a way as to mean, \u201cMay [the month] release (TSRY) and annul and effect atonement for our liabilities.\u201d
\nE. When? On the New Year.
\nF. \u201cIn the seventh month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
The point of No. 1 is that, while people think they make decisions about marriages, in fact, God has decreed the matter long before. The relationship of No. 2 to the cited proof text, 1.A, depends upon the reference to \u201cthe scales,\u201d which serves to link No. 2 to the intersecting verse. That reference is fundamental to No. 2, since 2.B refers explicitly to Libra, the scales in this system\u2019s Zodiac. The rest then works matters out quite clearly, 2.D\u2013E. It therefore appears that the common theme, \u201cthe scales,\u201d in someone\u2019s mind served to link No. 1 to No. 2, and No. 2 then required inclusion of the passage here.<\/p>\n
XXIX:VIII.B<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIn the seventh (SBY\u02bfY) month, on the first day of the month\u201d (Lev. 23:24):
\nB. A month which is sated (MSWB\u02bf) in the performance of religious duties,
\nC. [for] the New Year is in it, the Day of Atonement is in it, the [religious duty of building a] tabernacle [sukkah] is in it, the [religious duty of taking] the palm branch [lulab] is in it, so too with the citron [etrog], the myrtle, the willow.
\n2. A. Another matter: \u201cIn the seventh month\u201d (Lev. 23:24):
\nB. A month which is sated with all things: the vintage is in it, the threshing floor is in it, all sorts of delicious things are in it.<\/p>\n
The play on the words for seventh and sated accounts for both No. 1 and No. 2.<\/p>\n
XXIX:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. Another matter: \u201cIn the seventh (SBY\u02bfY) month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).
\nB. R. Berekhiah would call [that month] the month of the oath (SBW\u02bfT\u2019), namely, the month in which the Holy One, blessed be he, took an oath (NSB\u02bf) to our father, Abraham, \u201cthat I shall redeem your sons.\u201d
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd he said, \u2018By Myself have I taken an oath,\u2019 says the Lord\u201d (Gen. 22:16).
\nD. What need was there for this oath?
\nE. R. Bibi bar Abba in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cAbraham said before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the ages! It is perfectly evident before the throne of your glory that, when you said to me, \u201cTake your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac,\u201d [Gen. 22:2], I had every right to answer you and to say to you, \u201cYesterday you said to me, \u2018For through Isaac shall seed be called forth for you\u2019 [Gen. 21:12]. And today you say to me, \u2018Take your son, your only son.\u2019 \u201d
\nF. \u201c \u2018But just as I had every right to reply to you, but made no reply to you, so, when the descendants of Isaac will come to the toils of transgression and bad deeds, you must remember in their behalf the binding of Isaac, their father, and therefore effect atonement for them.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The theme of the New Year, the forgiveness of sins on account of the merit of the binding of Isaac, is linked to the common root, SB\u02bf, since it serves for both \u201coath\u201d and \u201cseven.\u201d<\/p>\n
XXIX:X<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Judah b. R. Simon in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: \u201cIt is written, \u2018And Abraham raised his eyes, and he saw, and behold, a ram\u2019 [Gen. 22:13].
\nB. \u201c[That verse] teaches that the Holy One, blessed be he, showed Abraham a ram tearing itself out of one thicket and getting caught in another, over and over again. He said to him, \u2018So will your children be trapped among the nations and entangled among the kingdoms, but in the end they will be redeemed through the horn of a ram [sounded on the New Year].\u2019
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And in that day a great trumpet will be blown\u2019 \u201d (Is. 27:13).
\n2. A. R. Abba, son of R. Papi, and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cIt is written, \u2018And Abraham raised his eyes, and he saw, and behold, a ram trapped in a bush by its horns\u2019 [Gen. 22:13].
\nB. \u201c[That verse] teaches that the Holy One, blessed be he, showed Abraham a ram tearing itself out of one thicket and getting caught in another, over and over again. He said to him, \u2018So will your children be trapped by transgressions and entangled by troubles, but in the end they will be redeemed through the horn of a ram.\u2019
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Then the Lord will appear over them, and his arrow go forth like lightning; the Lord God will sound the trumpet, and march forth in the whirlwinds of the south. The Lord of hosts will protect them\u2019 [Zech. 9:14\u201315].
\nD. \u201cMay the Lord of hosts protect you, may the Lord of hosts protect us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The construction\u2014a matched pair\u2014rests upon the exegesis of a base verse, followed not by an intersecting verse but by a proof text, 1.C, 2.C. The inclusion of the whole is for obvious reasons. 2.D looks to be liturgical, not exegetical. I cannot account for its inclusion.<\/p>\n
XXIX:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIn the seventh month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).
\nB. Under all circumstances the seventh is preferred.
\nC. Above [in Heaven], the seventh is preferred. [There are seven heavens:] the veil, the firmament, the heights, the most high, the habitation, the established, and the clouds.
\nD. [Of the last-named, it is written,] \u201cCast up a highway for him who rides through the clouds\u201d (Ps. 68:4).
\nE. Among kinds of land, the seventh is preferred: land, earth, ground, valley, dry land, territory, and world: \u201cAnd he will judge the world in righteousness\u201d (Ps. 96:13).
\nF. Among generations, the seventh is preferred: Adam, Seth, Enosh, Kenan, Mehallel, Jered, and Enoch: \u201cAnd Enoch walked with God\u201d (Gen. 5:24).
\nG. Among patriarchs, the seventh is preferred: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kehath, Amram, and Moses: \u201cAnd Moses went up to God\u201d (Ex. 19:3).
\nH. Among kings the seventh is preferred: Saul, Ishbosheth, David, Solomon, Rehoboam, Abijah, and Asa: \u201cAnd Asa called to the Lord his God\u201d (2 Chron. 14:10).
\nI. Among sons the seventh is preferred: \u201cUsam, the sixth, and David, the seventh\u201d (1 Chron. 2:15).
\nJ. Among years the seventh is preferred: \u201cAnd in the seventh year the land will have a sabbath of rest\u201d (Lev. 25:4).
\nK. Among days the seventh is preferred: \u201cAnd God blessed the seventh day\u201d (Gen. 2:3).
\nL. Among months the seventh is preferred: \u201cIn the seventh month\u201d (Lev. 23:24).<\/p>\n
We are given nine examples of the same proposition, announced at the outset. Clearly, this composition was arranged with the present passage in mind.<\/p>\n
XXIX:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish were in session, raising a question about traditions. Kahana came by. They said, \u201cLo, here comes the authority for the tradition. Let us arise and raise our question for him.\u201d
\nB. They arose and asked him as follows: \u201cWe have learned [at M. R.H. 4:1], \u2018In the case of the festival day of the New Year that coincided with the Sabbath, in the sanctuary they would sound the shofar horn, but not in the countryside. When the house of the sanctuary was destroyed, Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai made the ordinance that they should sound the shofar horn wherever a court was located.\u2019
\nC. \u201cNow if it is a matter of Torah law [that the shofar is sounded], then it should override [the considerations of Sabbath rest even] in the provinces. And if it is not [a matter of Torah law], then even in the sanctuary, [sounding the shofar horn] should not override [the considerations of Sabbath rest].\u201d
\nD. He said to them, \u201cOne verse of Scripture states, \u2018You will have a day for sounding the horn\u2019 [Num. 29:1]. Another verse of Scripture says, \u2018A Sabbath of remembrance of the sounding of the horn, a holy convocation\u2019 [Lev. 23:24].
\nE. \u201cNow how [may the two verses be harmonized]? On an occasion on which [the holiday] coincides with an ordinary day [not a Sabbath], \u2018You will have a day for sounding the horn\u2019 [Num. 29:1]. On an occasion on which [the holiday] coincides with the Sabbath, \u2018A Sabbath of remembrance of the sounding of the horn, a holy convocation,\u2019 [Lev. 23:24], meaning that they make mention [of the sounding of the horn] but they do not sound [the horn].\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201cIt should override the sabbath restrictions in the sanctuary, where people know the proper time for the beginning of the new month [of Tishri, so there is no possibility of doubt about the matter]. But it should not override the restrictions of the Sabbath in the provinces, where people do not know the proper time for the beginning of the new month.\u201d
\nB. R. Simeon b. Yohai taught, \u201c \u2018You will have a day for sounding the horn, and you shall prepare [a burnt offering]\u2019 [Num. 29:1\u20132]. [You therefore sound the horn] where the offerings are prepared.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Huna and R. Mesharshia in the name of R. Idi: \u201cOn what account is it written concerning all other festival days that a sin offering [must be prepared], while in regard to Pentecost, there is no reference to a sin offering? [Rather, \u2018With one male goat, to make atonement for you\u2019 (Num. 28:30).]
\nB. \u201c[The answer is given as follows:] Said the Holy One, blessed be he, to them, \u2018Since [on Pentecost] you accept my Torah, I credit it to you as if you had not sinned before me.\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Tahalipa of Caesarea, \u201cIn regard to all other additional offerings, it is written, \u2018And you will offer up.\u2019 But in this regard [that is, in respect to the New Year], it is written, \u2018And you will prepare [a burnt offering] [Num. 29:2]. How so?
\nB. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to Israel, \u2018My children, since you have come before me to judgment and gone forth with a pardon, I credit it to you as if on this very day you were made [afresh] before me, as if today I created you as a new creation.\u2019
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For as the new heavens and the new earth [which I will make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your descendants and your name remain]\u2019 \u201d (Is. 66:22).<\/p>\n
No. 1 focuses upon a problem of Mishnah interpretation, to which the proof texts, the present text and its counterpart at Num. 29:1, are secondary. No. 2 carries forward discourse on the same problem. Once the pertinent passage of Num. 29:1 comes to the fore, the exegesis of that passage takes over. Then the themes associated with the New Year, already amply presented in relationship to Lev. 23:24, are replayed in discussion of Num. 29:2. No. 3 was joined to No. 4 before insertion here.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty<\/p>\n
XXX:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered in the produce of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord seven days \u2026] And you shall take on the first day [the fruit of goodly trees, branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook, and you shall rejoice before the Lord your God for seven days]\u201d (Lev. 23:39\u201340).
\nB. R. Abba bar Kahana commenced [discourse by citing the following verse]: \u201cTake my instruction instead of silver, [and knowledge rather than choice gold]\u201d (Prov. 8:10).
\nC. Said R. Abba bar Kahana, \u201cTake the instruction of the Torah instead of silver.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Why do you weigh out money? Because there is no bread\u2019 (Is. 55:2).
\nE. \u201c \u2018Why do you weigh out money to the sons of Esau [Rome]? [It is because] \u201cthere is no bread,\u201d because you did not sate yourselves with the bread of the Torah.
\nF. \u201c \u2018And [why] do you labor? Because there is no satisfaction\u2019 [Is. 55:2].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Why do you labor while the nations of the world enjoy plenty? \u2018Because there is no satisfaction,\u2019 that is, because you have not sated yourselves with the wine of the Torah.
\nH. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the wine I have mixed\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 9:5).
\n2. A. R. Berekhiah and R. Hiyya, his father, in the name of R. Yos\u00e9 b. Nehori, said, \u201cIt is written, \u2018I shall punish all who oppress him\u2019 [Jer. 30:20] even those who collect funds for charity [and in doing so, treat people badly], except [for those who collect] the wages to be paid to teachers and repeaters of Mishnah traditions.
\nB. \u201cFor they receive [as a salary] only compensation for the loss of their time, [which they devote to teaching and learning rather than to earning a living].
\nC. \u201cBut as to the wages [for carrying out] a single matter in the Torah, no creature can pay the [appropriate] fee in reward.\u201d
\n3. A. It has been taught: On the New Year, a person\u2019s sustenance is decreed [for the coming year],
\nB. except for what a person pays out [for food in celebration] of the Sabbath, festivals, the celebration of the New Month,
\nC. and for what children bring to the house of their master [as his tuition].
\nD. If he adds [to what is originally decreed], [in Heaven] they add to his [resources], but if he deducts [from what he should give], [in Heaven] they deduct [from his wealth]. [Margulies, p. 688, n. to 1.5, links this statement to Prov. 8:10.]
\n4. A. R. Yohanan was going up from Tiberias to Sepphoris. R. Hiyya bar Abba was supporting him. They came to a field. He said, \u201cThis field once belonged to me, but I sold it in order to acquire merit in the Torah.\u201d
\nB. They came to a vineyard, and he said, \u201cThis vineyard once belonged to me, but I sold it in order to acquire merit in the Torah.\u201d
\nC. They came to an olive grove, and he said, \u201cThis olive grove once belonged to me, but I sold it in order to acquire merit in the Torah.\u201d
\nD. R. Hiyya began to cry.
\nE. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cWhy are you crying?\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cIt is because you left nothing over to support you in your old age.\u201d
\nG. He said to him, \u201cHiyya, my disciple, is what I did such a light thing in your view? I sold something which was given in a spell of six days [of creation] and in exchange I acquired something which was given in a spell of forty days [of revelation].
\nH. \u201cThe entire world and everything in it was created in only six days, as it is written, \u2018For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth\u2019 [Ex. 20:11].
\nI. \u201cBut the Torah was given over a period of forty days, as it was said, \u2018And he was there with the Lord for forty days and forty nights\u2019 [Ex. 34:28].
\nJ. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018And I remained on the mountain for forty days and forty nights\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 9:9).
\n5. A. When R. Yohanan died, his generation recited concerning him [the following verse of Scripture]: \u201cIf a man should give all the wealth of his house for the love\u201d (Song 8:7), with which R. Yohanan loved the Torah, \u201che would be utterly destitute\u201d (Song 8:7).
\nB. When R. Hoshaiah of Tiria died, they saw his bier flying in the air. His generation recited concerning him [the following verse of Scripture]: \u201cIf a man should give all the wealth of his house for the love,\u201d with which the Holy One, blessed be he, loved Abba Hoshaiah of Tiria, \u201che would be utterly destitute\u201d (Song 8:7).
\nC. When R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon died, his generation recited concerning him [the following verse of Scripture]: \u201cWho is this who comes up out of the wilderness like pillars of smoke, perfumed with myrrh and frankincense, with all the powders of the merchant?\u201d (Song 3:6).
\nD. What is the meaning of the clause, \u201cWith all the powders of the merchant\u201d?
\nE. [Like a merchant who carries all sorts of desired powders,] he was a master of Scripture, a repeater of Mishnah traditions, a writer of liturgical supplications, and a poet.
\n6. A. Said R. Abba bar Kahana, \u201cOn the basis of the reward paid for one act of \u2018taking,\u2019 you may assess the reward for [taking] the palm branch [on the festival of Tabernacles].
\nB. \u201cThere was an act of taking in Egypt: \u2018You will take a bunch of hyssop\u2019 [Ex. 12:22].
\nC. \u201cAnd how much was it worth? Four manehs.
\nD. \u201cYet that act of taking is what made Israel inherit the spoil at the sea, the spoil of Sihon and Og, and the spoil of the thirty-one kings.
\nE. \u201cNow the palm branch, which costs a person such a high price, and which involves so many religious duties\u2014how much the more so [will a great reward be forthcoming on its account]!\u201d
\nF. Therefore Moses admonished Israel, saying to them, \u201cAnd you shall take on the first day \u2026\u201d (Lev. 23:40).<\/p>\n
1.B seems to me to employ Is. 55:2 as an intersecting verse for the base verse of Prov. 8:10. That, at any rate, is the force of the exegesis of 1.C\u2013G. Then the citation of Prov. 9:5 presents a secondary expansion of what has been said about Is. 55:2, that is, 1.F\u2013G lead us directly to H. What has happened to Lev. 23:39? In fact, 1.B\u2013H are inserted whole because of the use of the key word, \u201ctake,\u201d at Lev. 23:39 and Prov. 8:10. From that point, Lev. 23:39 plays no role whatsoever. It is only at No. 6 that Lev. 23:39\u2014with stress on the word \u201ctake\u201d\u2014recurs. The theme of the intervening passages is established at 1.B, namely, Torah and the value and importance of study of Torah. Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 all present variations on amplifications of that theme. I cannot follow Margulies in linking No. 3 to the intersecting verse. No. 5 is attached because of No. 4, and No. 4 because of its homily on the Torah. Since No. 6 ignores all that has gone before, and since No. 6 alone alludes to 1.A, we have to regard as remarkable the insertion of the rather sizable construction, 1.B through 5.E. In some other passages we see subtle connections between the base verse, or, at least, the theme of the base verse, and the exegesis of the intersecting verse, and the secondary exegetical expansions of verses introduced in connection with the intersecting one. But here I see none. Even the key word, \u201ctake,\u201d does not recur beyond the intersecting verse. So the editorial principle accounting for the inclusion of 1.B\u20135.E is the occurrence of a single shared word, that alone. That seems to me uncommon in our document. As to No. 6, of course, the homily rests on the key word, \u201cTake,\u201d and that is made explicit. But No. 6 does not rest upon the exegesis of any intersecting verse; it is a simple exegetical homily. 6.F, of course, is secondary, a redactional filling we shall see again.<\/p>\n
XXX:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cYou show me the path of life, [in your presence] there is fulness of joy\u201d (Ps. 16:11).
\nB. Said David before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cShow me the open gateway to the life of the world to come.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Yudan said, \u201cDavid said before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the ages, \u201cShow me the path of life.\u201d \u2019
\nB. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to David, \u2018If you seek life, look for fear, as it is said, \u201cThe fear of the Lord prolongs life\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Prov. 10:27).
\nC. R. Azariah said, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, said to David, \u2018David, if you seek life, look for suffering (YYSWRYN), as it is said, \u201cThe reproofs of discipline (MWSR) are the way of life\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Prov. 6:23).
\nD. Rabbis say, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, said to David, \u2018David, if you seek life, look for Torah,\u2019 as it is said, \u2018It is a tree of life to those that hold fast to it\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 3:18).
\nE. R. Abba said, \u201cDavid said before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the ages, \u201cShow me the path of life.\u201d \u2019
\nF. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Start fighting and exert yourself! Why are you puzzled? [Lieberman, p. 880, to p. 692]. Work and eat: \u201cKeep my commandments and live\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Prov. 4:4).
\n3. A. \u201cThe fulness (SWB\u02bf) of joy\u201d (Ps. 16:11):
\nB. Satisfy (SB\u02bfNW) us with five joys: Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, Supplements, and Lore.
\n4. A. Another matter: \u201cIn your presence is the fulness of joy\u201d (Ps. 16:11):
\nB. Read not \u201cfulness (SWB\u02bf)\u201d but \u201cseven (SB\u02bf).\u201d These are the seven groups of righteous men who are going to receive the face of the Presence of God.
\nC. And their face is like the sun, moon, firmament, stars, lightning, lilies, and the pure candelabrum that was in the house of the sanctuary.
\nD. How do we know that it is like the sun? As it is said, \u201cClear as the sun\u201d (Song 6:10).
\nE. How do we know that it is like the moon? As it is said, \u201cAs lovely as the moon\u201d (Song 6:10).
\nF. How do we know that it is like the firmament? As it is said, \u201cAnd they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament\u201d (Dan. 12:3).
\nG. How do we know that it is like the stars? As it is said, \u201cAnd they that turn the many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever\u201d (Dan. 12:3).
\nH. And how do we know that it is like the lightning? As it is said, \u201cTheir appearance is like torches, they run to and fro like lightning\u201d (Nah. 2:5).
\nI. How do we know that it is like lilies? As it is said, \u201cFor the leader: upon the lilies\u201d (Ps. 80:1).
\nJ. How do we know that it will be like the pure candelabrum? As it is said, \u201cAnd he said to me, \u2018What do you see?\u2019 And I said, \u2018I looked and behold [there was] a candelabrum all of gold\u2019 \u201d (Zech. 4:2).
\n5. A. \u201cAt your right hand is bliss for evermore\u201d (Ps. 16:11).
\nB. Said David before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLord of the ages, now who will tell me which group is the most beloved and blissful of them all?\u201d
\nC. There were two Amoras [who differed on this matter]. One of them said, \u201cIt is the group that comes as representative of the Torah and commandments, as it is said, \u2018With a flaming fire at his right hand\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 33:2).
\nD. And the other said, \u201cThis refers to the scribes, the Mishnah repeaters, and those who teach children in their fear, who are going to stand at the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I keep the Lord always before me, because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 16:8).
\nF. \u201c[You show me the path of life, in your presence there is fulness of joy,] in your right hand are pleasures for evermore\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 16:11).
\n6. A. Another matter: \u201cYou show me the path of life\u201d (Ps. 16:11) speaks of Israel.
\nB. Israel stated before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLord of the ages, \u2018Show me the path of life.\u2019 \u201d
\nC. Said to them the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLo, you have the ten days of repentence between the New Year and the Day of Atonement.\u201d
\n7. A. \u201cIn your presence there is fulness (SWB\u02bf) of joy\u201d (Ps. 16:11):
\nB. Read only \u201cseven (SB\u02bf) joys.\u201d These are the seven religious duties associated with the Festival [Tabernacles].
\nC. These are they: the four species that are joined in the palm branch, [the building of] the Tabernacle, [the offering of] the festal sacrifice, [the offering of] the sacrifice of rejoicing.
\n8. A. What is the meaning of the phrase, \u201cIn your right hand are pleasures for evermore (NSH)\u201d (Ps. 16:11)?
\nB. Said R. Abin, \u201cThis refers to the palm branch. It is comparable to one who is victor (NWSH) and so takes the branch as [a sign of his victory].
\nC. \u201cThe matter may be compared to two who came before a judge. Now we do not know which one of them is the victor. But it is the one who takes the palm branch in his hand who we know to be the victor.
\nD. \u201cSo is the case of Israel and the nations of the world. The [latter] come and draw an indictment before the Holy One, blessed be he, on the New Year, and we do not know which party is victor.
\nE. \u201cBut when Israel goes forth from before the Holy One, blessed be he, with their palm branches and their citrons in their hands, we know that it is Israel that are the victors.\u201d
\nF. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cAnd you shall take on the first day \u2026 [branches of palm trees]\u201d (Lev. 23:40).<\/p>\n
The base verse is not explicitly cited, but the intersecting verse\u2014Ps. 16:11\u2014leads us to it, after a long and majestic sequence of exegeses of the three elements of the intersecting verse. When we do reach the base verse, the connection turns out to be tight and persuasive. Nos. 6\u20138 show us the ideal form, that is, a clause-by-clause reading of the intersecting verse within a coherent hermeneutic. If then we look back to the earlier materials, Nos. 2\u20135, we find a somewhat less cogent exegesis of the three clauses. No. 2 reads the verse as a statement by David. No. 4 would look to be interpolated, were it not for No. 5, which brings us back to David, and which refers to the materials exposition of No. 4. Then the original repertoire of key words\u2014Torah, commandments, and the like\u2014is reviewed. Nos. 6\u20138 go over the same verse with respect to Israel, introducing the matter of the New Year, Day of Atonement, and Festival. Then each clause suitably links to the several themes at hand. 8.F of course is tacked on.<\/p>\n
XXX:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cHe will regard the prayer of the destitute [and will not despise their supplication]\u201d (Ps. 102:17).
\nB. Said R. Abin, \u201cWe are unable to make sense of David\u2019s character. Sometimes he calls himself king, and sometimes he calls himself destitute.
\nC. \u201cHow so? When he foresaw that righteous men were going to come from him, such as Asa, Jehoshaphat, Hezekiah, and Josiah, he would call himself king as it is said, \u2018Give the king your judgments, O God\u2019 [Ps. 72:1].
\nD. \u201cWhen he foresaw that wicked men would come forth from him, for example, Ahaz, Manasseh, and Amon, he would call himself destitute, as it is said, \u2018A prayer of one afflicted, when he is faint [and pours out his complaint before the Lord]\u2019 [Ps. 102:1].
\n2. A. R. Alexandri interpreted the cited verse (Ps. 102:1) to speak of a worker. [The one afflicted is the worker. The word for faint, \u02bfTP, bears the meaning, cloak oneself, hence in prayer. The worker then has delayed his prayer, waiting for the overseer to leave, at which point he can stop and say his prayer. So he postpones his prayer (Margulies).] [So Alexandri says], \u201cJust as a worker sits and watches all day long for when the overseer will leave for a bit, so he is late when he says [his prayer], [so David speaks at Ps. 102:1: \u2018Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry come to you\u2019].\u201d
\nB. \u201cThat [interpretation of the word \u02bfTP] is in line with the use in the following verse: \u2018And those that were born late belonged to Laban\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 30:42).
\nC. What is the meaning of \u201cthose that were born late\u201d?
\nD. R. Isaac bar Haqolah said, \u201cThe ones that tarried.\u201d
\n3. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHe will regard the prayer of the destitute individual [and will not despise their supplication]\u201d (Ps. 102:17):
\nB. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cAs to this verse, the first half of it is not consistent with the second half, and vice versa.
\nC. \u201cIf it is to be, \u2018He will regard the prayer of the destitute [individual],\u2019 he should then have said, \u2018And will not despise his supplication.\u2019
\nD. \u201cBut if it is to be, \u2018He will not despise their supplication,\u2019 then he should have said, \u2018He will regard the prayer of those who are destitute.\u2019
\nE. \u201cBut [when David wrote,] \u2018He will regard the prayer of the individual destitute,\u2019 this [referred to] the prayer of Manasseh, king of Judah.
\nF. \u201cAnd [when David wrote,] \u2018He will not despise their supplication,\u2019 this [referred to] his prayer and the prayer of his fathers.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he prayed to him, and he was entreated (Y\u02bfTR) of him\u2019 \u201d (2 Chron. 33:13).
\nH. What is the meaning of the phrase, \u201cHe was entreated of him\u201d?
\nI. Said R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon, \u201cIn Arabia they call a breach an athirta [so an opening was made for his prayer to penetrate to the Throne of God]\u201d (Slotki, p. 385, n. 3).
\nJ. \u201cAnd he brought him back to Jerusalem, his kingdom\u201d (2 Chron. 33:13).
\nK. How did he bring him back?
\nL. R. Samuel b. R. Jonah said in the name of R. Aha, \u201cHe brought him back with a wind.
\nM. \u201cThat is in line with the phrase, \u2018He causes the wind to blow.\u2019 \u201d
\nN. At that moment: \u201cAnd Manasseh knew that the Lord is God\u201d (2 Chron. 33:13). Then Manasseh said, \u201cThere is justice and there is a judge.\u201d
\n4. A. Another interpretation: \u201cHe will regard the prayer of the destitute\u201d (Ps. 102:17) refers to the generation of Mordecai.
\nB. \u201cAnd will not despise their supplication\u201d\u2014for he did not despise either his prayer or the prayer of his fathers.
\n5. A. R. Isaac interpreted the verse to speak of these generations which have neither king nor prophet, neither priest nor Urim and Thummim, but who have only this prayer alone.
\nB. \u201cSaid David before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the ages, \u201cDo not despise their prayer. \u2018Let this be recorded for a generation to come\u2019 \u201d \u2019 [Ps. 102:18].
\nC. \u201cOn the basis of that statement, [we know that] the Holy One, blessed be he, accepts penitents.
\nD. \u201c \u2018So that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord\u2019 [Ps. 102:18].
\nE. \u201cFor the Holy One, blessed be he, will create them as a new act of creation.\u201d
\n6. A. Another interpretation: \u201cLet this be recorded for a generation to come\u201d (Ps. 102:18):
\nB. This refers to the generation of Hezekiah, which was tottering toward death.
\nC. \u201cSo that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord\u201d (Ps. 102:18): for the Holy One, blessed be he, created them in a new act of creation.
\n7. A. Another interpretation: \u201cLet this be recorded for a generation to come\u201d (Ps. 102:18):
\nB. This refers to the generation of Mordecai, which was tottering toward death.
\nC. \u201cSo that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord\u201d (Ps. 102:18): for the Holy One, blessed be he, created them in a new act of creation.
\n8. A. Another interpretation: \u201cLet this be recorded for a generation to come\u201d (Ps. 102:18):
\nB. This refers to these very generations, which are tottering to death.
\nC. \u201cSo that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord\u201d (Ps. 102:18):
\nD. For the Holy One, blessed be he, is going to create them anew, in a new act of creation.
\n9. A. What do we have to do [in order to reach that end]? Take up the palm branch and citron and praise the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nB. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying, \u201cYou shall take on the first day \u2026\u201d (Lev. 23:30).<\/p>\n
Until the very final lines, No. 9, we have no reason at all to associate the exegesis of Ps. 102:17\u201318 with the theme of the Festival. On the contrary, all of the materials stand autonomous of the present \u201cbase verse,\u201d and none of them hints at what is to come at the end. On that basis I regard the construction as complete prior to its insertion here, with a redactional hand contributing only No. 9 to validate the inclusion of an otherwise irrelevant exegetical exercise. The established pattern\u2014the tripartite exegesis of Ps. 102:17, 18\u2014is worked out at No. 1 (supplemented by Nos. 2 and 3), then Nos. 4\u20138.<\/p>\n
XXX:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c \u2018Let the field exult and everything in it.\u2019 [Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy before the Lord, for he comes, for he comes to judge the earth]\u201d (Ps. 96:12\u201313).
\nB. \u201cLet the field exult\u201d refers to the world, as it is said, \u201cAnd it came to pass, when they were in the field\u201d (Gen. 4:8) [and determined to divide up the world between them].
\nC. \u201cAnd everything in it\u201d refers to creatures.
\nD. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThe earth is the Lord\u2019s, and all that is in it\u201d (Ps. 24:1).
\nE. \u201cThen shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy\u201d (Ps. 96:12).
\nF. Said R. Aha, \u201cThe forest and all the trees of the forest.
\nG. \u201cThe forest refers to fruit-bearing trees.
\nH. \u201c \u2018And all the trees of the forest\u2019 encompasses those trees that do not bear fruit.\u201d
\nI. Before whom? \u201cBefore the Lord\u201d (Ps. 96:13).
\nJ. Why? \u201cFor he comes\u201d on New Year and on the Day of Atonement.
\nK. To do what? \u201cTo judge the earth: He will judge the world with righteousness, and the peoples with his truth\u201d (Ps. 96:13).
\nL. On that basis what do we have to do? We take a citron, boughs of leafy trees, a palm branch, and a willow [branch], and give praise before the Holy One, blessed be he: \u201cAnd you shall take on the first day \u2026\u201d (Lev. 23:40).<\/p>\n
Ps. 96:12\u201313 supplies direct connections to the theme of Tabernacles, with its reference to trees of the wood, exultation and rejoicing, judgment, and the like. These topics are explicitly read into the intersecting verse at the end, but I am inclined to see the whole as a single and unified construction, with 1.F\u2013H as an interpolated comment.<\/p>\n
XXX:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cI wash my hands in innocence [and go about your altar, O Lord, singing aloud a song of thanksgiving, and telling all your wondrous deeds]\u201d (Ps. 26:6\u20137).
\nB. [What I require I acquire] through purchase, not theft.
\nC. For we have learned there: \u201cA stolen or dried up palm branch is invalid. And one deriving from an asherah or an apostate town is invalid\u201d (M. Suk. 3:1A\u2013B).
\nD. \u201cAnd go about your altar, O Lord\u201d (Ps. 26:7).
\nE. That is in line with what we have learned there (M. Suk. 4:5): Every day they circumambulate the altar one time and say, \u201cWe beseech you, O Lord, save now. We beseech you, O Lord, make us prosper now [Ps. 118:25]. R. Judah says, \u201c \u2018I and him, save now.\u2019 \u201d On that day they circumambulate the altar seven times.
\n2. A. \u201cSinging aloud a song of thanksgiving\u201d (Ps. 26:7)\u2014this refers to the offerings.
\nB. \u201cAnd telling all your wondrous deeds\u201d (Ps. 26:7):
\nC. Said R. Abin, \u201cThis refers to the Hallel Psalms [Ps. 113\u2013118], which contain [praise for what God has done] in the past, also [what he has done] during these generations, as well as what will apply to the days of the Messiah, to the time of Gog and Magog, and to the age to come.
\nD. \u201c \u2018When Israel went forth from Egypt\u2019 [Ps. 114:1] refers to the past.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Not for us, O Lord, not for us\u2019 [Ps. 115:1] refers to the present generations.
\nF. \u201c \u2018I love for the Lord to hear\u2019 [Ps. 116:1] refers to the days of the Messiah.
\nG. \u201c \u2018All the nations have encompassed me\u2019 [Ps. 118:10] speaks of the time of Gog and Magog.
\nH. \u201c \u2018You are my God and I shall exalt you\u2019 [Ps. 118:28] speaks of the age to come.\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 makes a point quite distinct from No. 2. \u201cThe innocence\u201d of Ps. 26:6 refers to the fact that one must not steal the objects used to carry out the religious duty of the waving of the palm branch at Tabernacles. I assume that the allusion to Tabernacles in Ps. 26:6\u20137 is found in the referring to circumambulating the altar, such as is done in the rite on that day, as 1.C makes explicit. No. 2 then expands on the cited verse in a different way. To be sure, the Hallel Psalms are recited on Tabernacles, but they serve all other festivals as well. Only No. 1 therefore relates to the established context of Lev. 23:40. It follows that the exegeses of Ps. 26:6\u20137 were assembled and only then utilized\u2014both the relevant and also the irrelevant parts\u2014for the present purpose.<\/p>\n
XXX:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd you will take for yourselves\u201d (Lev. 23:40).
\nB. R. Hiyya taught, \u201c[You take the required species] through purchase and not through thievery.\u201d
\nC. \u201cFor yourselves\u201d\u2014for every one of you. They must be yours and not stolen.
\n2. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cOne who takes a stolen palm branch\u2014to what is he comparable? To a thief who sat at the cross roads and mugged passersby.
\nB. \u201cOne time a legate came by, to collect the taxes for that town. [The thug] rose before him and mugged him and took everything he had. After some time the thug was caught and put in prison. The legate heard and came to him. He said to him, \u2018Give back what you grabbed from me, and I\u2019ll argue in your behalf before the king.\u2019
\nC. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Of everything that I robbed and of everything that I took, I have nothing except for this rug that is under me, and it belongs to you.\u2019
\nD. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Give it to me, and I\u2019ll argue in your behalf before the king.\u2019
\nE. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018Take it.\u2019
\nF. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018You should know that tomorrow you are going before the king for judgment, and he will ask you and say to you, \u201cIs there anyone who can argue in your behalf,\u201d and you may say to him, \u201cI have the legate, Mr. So-and-so, to speak in my behalf,\u201d and he will send and call me, and I shall come and argue in your behalf before him.\u2019
\nG. \u201cThe next day they set him up for judgment before the king. The king asked him, saying to him, \u2018Do you have anyone to argue in your behalf?\u2019
\nH. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018I have a legate, Mr. So-and-so, to speak in my behalf.\u2019
\nI. \u201cThe king sent for him. He said to him, \u2018Do you know anything to say in behalf of this man?\u2019
\nJ. \u201cHe said to him, \u2018I do indeed have knowledge. When you sent me to collect the taxes of that town, he rose up before me and mugged me and took everything that I had. That rug that belongs to me gives testimony against him.\u2019
\nK. \u201cEveryone began to cry out, saying, \u2018Woe for this one, whose defense attorney has turned into his prosecutor.\u2019
\nL. \u201cSo a person acquires a palm branch to attain merit through it. But if it was a stolen one, [the branch] cries out before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018I am stolen! I am taken by violence.\u2019
\nM. \u201cAnd the ministering angels say, \u2018Woe for this one, whose defense attorney has turned into his prosecutor!\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The theme of the preceding, the prohibition against using a stolen palm branch, is given two further treatments. Except in a formal way none of this pretends to relate to the specific verses of Lev. 23:40ff., nor do we find an intersecting verse.<\/p>\n
XXX:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[On the fifteenth day of the seventh month, when you have gathered the produce of the land, you shall keep the feast of the Lord seven days;] on the first day [shall be a solemn rest]\u201d (Lev. 23:40).
\nB. This in fact is the fifteenth day, yet you speak of the first day!
\nC. R. Mana of Sheab and R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi said, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a town which owed arrears to the king, so the king went to collect [what was owing]. [When he had reached] ten mils [from the town], the great men of the town came forth and praised him. He remitted a third of their [unpaid] tax. When he came within five mils of the town, the middle-rank people came out and acclaimed him, so he remitted yet another third [of what was owing to him]. When he entered the town, men, women, and children, came forth and praised him. He remitted the whole [of the tax].
\nD. \u201cSaid the king, \u2018What happened happened. From now on we shall begin keeping books [afresh].\u2019
\nE. \u201cSo on the eve of the New Year, the great men of the generation fast, and the Holy One, blessed be he, remits a third of their [that is, Israel\u2019s] sins. From the New Year to the Day of Atonement outstanding individuals fast, and the Holy One, blessed be he, remits a third of their [that is, Israel\u2019s] sins. On the Day of Atonement all of them fast, men, women, and children, so the Holy One, blessed be he, says to Israel, \u2018What happened happened. From now on we shall begin keeping books [afresh].\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Aha, \u201c \u2018For with you there is forgiveness\u2019 [Ps. 80:4]. From the New Year forgiveness awaits you.
\nB. \u201cWhy so long? \u2018So that you may be feared\u2019 [Ps. 80:4]. To put your fear into creatures.
\nC. \u201cFrom the Day of Atonement to the Festival, all the Israelites are kept busy with doing religious duties. This one takes up the task of building his tabernacle, that one preparing his palm branches. On the first day of the Festival, all Israel stand before the Holy One, blessed be he, with their palm branches and citrons in their hands, praising the name of the Holy One, blessed be he. The Holy One, blessed be he, says to them, \u2018What happened happened. From now on we shall begin keeping books [afresh].\u2019 \u201d
\nD. Therefore Moses admonished Israel: \u201cAnd you shall take on the first day \u2026\u201d (Lev. 23:40).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1 and 2 go over the same matter. It seems to me that Aha\u2019s version puts into concrete terms the basic point of Levi\u2019s. 2.D is out of place, since it ignores the antecedent materials and takes as its proof text a formula in no way important in the preceding. Once more the ultimate redactor\u2019s hand is in evidence.<\/p>\n
XXX:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cOn the first day\u201d (Lev. 23:40):
\nB. By day and not by night.
\nC. \u201cOn the \u2026 day\u201d\u2014even on the Sabbath.
\nD. \u201cOn the first day\u201d\u2014only the first day [of the Festival] overrides the restrictions [of Sabbath rest. When the Sabbath coincides with other than the first day of the Festival, one does not carry the palm branch.]
\n2. A. \u201c[And you shall take \u2026] the fruit of a goodly tree [branches of palm trees and boughs of leafy trees and willows of the brook]\u201d (Lev. 23:40).
\nB. R. Hiyya taught, \u201c \u2018A tree\u2019: the taste of the wood and fruit of which is the same. This is the citron.\u201d
\nC. \u201cGoodly (HDR)\u201d: Ben Azzai said, \u201c[Fruit] that remains [HDR] on its tree from year to year.\u201d
\nD. Aqilas the proselyte translated [HDR] as, \u201cThat which dwells by water (Greek: hudor).\u201d
\nE. \u201cBranches of a palm tree\u201d (Lev. 23:40): R. Tarfon says, \u201c[As to branch of palm tree (KPWT)], it must be bound. If it was separated, one has to bind it up.\u201d
\nF. \u201cBoughs of leafy trees:\u201d The branches of which cover over the wood. One has to say, \u201cThis is the myrtle.\u201d
\nG. \u201cWillows of the brook:\u201d I know only that they must come from a brook. How do I know that those that come from a valley or a hill [also are valid]? Scripture says, \u201cAnd willows of a brook.\u201d
\nH. Abba Saul says, \u201c \u2018And willows of the brook\u2019 refers to the requirement that there be two, one willow for the palm branch, and a willow for the sanctuary.\u201d
\nI. R. Ishmael says, \u201c \u2018The fruit of goodly trees\u2019 indicates one; \u2018branches of palm tree\u2019 also one; \u2018boughs of leafy trees,\u2019 three; \u2018willows of the brook,\u2019 two. Two [of the myrtles] may have the twigs trimmed at the top, and one may not.\u201d
\nJ. R. Tarfon says, \u201cEven all three of them may be trimmed.\u201d<\/p>\n
We have a mass of exegetical materials, linking laws of the Festival to the verses of Scripture at hand. No. 1 conducts an inquiry into law, and No. 2 provides a word-for-word exegesis of the cited verse.<\/p>\n
XXX:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe fruit of goodly (HDR) trees:\u201d this refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, concerning whom it is written, \u201cYou are clothed with glory and majesty (HDR)\u201d (Ps. 104:1).
\nB. \u201cBranches of palm trees:\u201d this refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, concerning whom it is written, \u201cThe Righteous One shall flourish like a palm tree\u201d (Ps. 92:13).
\nC. \u201cBoughs of leafy trees:\u201d this refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, concerning whom it is written, \u201cAnd he stands among the leafy trees\u201d (Zech. 1:8).
\nD. \u201cAnd willows of the brook:\u201d this refers to the Holy One, blessed be he, concerning whom it is written, \u201cExtol him who rides upon the willows, whose name is the Lord\u201d (Ps. 68:5).<\/p>\n
The base text is systematically read in line with intersecting verses referring to God. The species are read as symbolizing, in sequence, God, the patriarchs and matriarchs, Torah institutions, and Israel.<\/p>\n
XXX:X<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe fruit of goodly (HDR) trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40):
\nB. This refers to Abraham, whom the Holy One, blessed be he, honored (HDR) with a goodly old age,
\nC. as it is said, \u201cAnd Abraham was an old man, coming along in years\u201d (Gen. 24:1).
\nD. And it is written, \u201cAnd you will honor (HDR) the face of an old man\u201d (Lev. 19:32).
\nE. \u201cBranches (KPWT) of palm trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40):
\nF. This refers to Isaac, who was tied (KPWT) and bound upon the altar.
\nG. \u201cAnd boughs of leafy trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40):
\nH. This refers to Jacob. Just as a myrtle is rich in leaves, so Jacob was rich in children.
\nI. \u201cWillows of the brook\u201d (Lev. 23:40):
\nJ. This refers to Joseph. Just as the willow wilts before the other three species do, so Joseph died before his brothers did.
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe fruit of goodly trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40):
\nB. This refers to Sarah, whom the Holy One, blessed be he, honored with a goodly old age, as it is said, \u201cAnd Abraham and Sarah were old\u201d (Gen. 18:11).
\nC. \u201cBranches of palm trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40): this refers to Rebecca. Just as a palm tree contains both edible fruit and thorns, so Rebecca produced a righteous and a wicked son [Jacob and Esau].
\nD. \u201cBoughs of leafy trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40): this refers to Leah. Just as a myrtle is rich in leaves, so Leah was rich in children.
\nE. \u201cAnd willows of the brook\u201d (Lev. 23:40): this refers to Rachel. Just as the willow wilts before the other three species do, so Rachel died before her sister.<\/p>\n
The powerful result of the exegesis is to link the species of the Festival to the patriarchs and matriarchs of Israel. It is continuous with the foregoing, linking the species to God, and with what is to follow, as the species will be compared to Israel\u2019s leadership, on the one side, as well, finally, to ordinary people, on the other.<\/p>\n
XXX:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe fruit of goodly trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40): this refers to the great Sanhedrin of Israel, which the Holy One, blessed be he, honored (HDR) with old age, as it is said, \u201cYou will rise up before old age\u201d (Lev. 19:32).
\nB. \u201cBranches (KPWT) of palm trees\u201d (Lev. 23:40): this refers to disciples of sages, who compel (KWPYN) themselves to study Torah from one another.
\nC. \u201cBoughs of leafy trees:\u201d this refers to the three rows of disciples who sit before them.
\nD. \u201cAnd willows of the brook\u201d (Lev. 23:40): this refers to the court scribes, who stand before them, one on the right side, the other on the left, and write down the opinions of those who vote to acquit and those who vote to convict.<\/p>\n
The reading of the symbols of the Festival as a parable of Israel\u2019s life continues, as noted above, now with reference to the (imaginary) national government.<\/p>\n
XXX:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe fruit of goodly trees\u201d refers to Israel.
\nB. Just as a citron has both taste and fragrance, so in Israel are people who have [the merit of both] Torah and good deeds.
\nC. \u201cBranches of palm trees\u201d (Lev. 23:30): refers to Israel. Just as a palm has a taste but no fragrance, so in Israel are people who have [the merit of] Torah but not of good deeds.
\nD. \u201cBoughs of leafy trees:\u201d refers to Israel. Just as a myrtle has a fragrance but no taste, so in Israel are people who have the merit of good deeds but not of Torah.
\nE. \u201cWillows of the brook:\u201d refers to Israel. Just as a willow has neither taste nor fragrance, so in Israel are those who have the [merit] neither of Torah nor of good deeds.
\nF. What does the Holy One, blessed be he, do for them? Utterly to destroy them is not possible.
\nG. Rather, said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLet them all be joined together in a single bond, and they will effect atonement for one another.
\nH. \u201cAnd if you have done so, at that moment I shall be exalted.\u201d
\nI. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cHe who builds his upper chambers in heaven\u201d (Amos 9:6).
\nJ. And when is he exalted? When they are joined together in a single bond, as it is said, \u201cWhen he has founded his bond upon the earth\u201d (Amos 9:6).
\nK. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel: \u201cAnd you shall take \u2026\u201d (Lev. 23:40).<\/p>\n
The final exegesis reaches its climax here, concluding, then, with the redactional subscript. The composition follows a single program, beginning to end, as it rehearses the several intersecting realms of Judaic symbol systems. Always at the climax come Torah and good deeds. 1.K is tacked on.<\/p>\n
XXX:XIII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Judah in the name of R. Simeon b. Pazzi commenced [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018Hear my son and take my sayings\u2019 [Prov. 4:10].
\nB. \u201c[God speaks,] \u2018Many acts of taking have I commanded you, so as to give you opportunities for attaining merit.
\nC. \u201c \u2018I said to you, \u201cThat they take for you a red cow\u201d [Num. 19:2]. Now could it be for my sake? No. It is in order to purify you, as it is said, \u201cAnd the clean person will sprinkle the unclean\u201d (Num. 19:19).
\nD. \u201c \u2018I said to you, \u201cAnd they shall take up heave offering for me\u201d (Ex. 25:2). Is it not so that I might dwell with you: \u201cAnd make me a sanctuary\u201d \u2019 (Ex. 25:8).
\nE. \u201cIt is as if the Holy One, blessed be he, had said, \u2018Take me and I shall dwell among you.\u2019 It is not written here, \u2018And they will take up heave offering,\u2019 but rather, \u2018And they shall take up heave offering for me.\u2019 [That is to say,] \u2018It is I whom you are taking.\u2019
\nF. \u201c \u2018I said to you, \u201cAnd you shall take for yourself pure olive oil, beaten for the light\u201d [Ex. 27:20]. Now do I really need light from you? Is it not the case that \u201cLight dwells with him\u201d [Dan. 2:22]. But it was in order to give you the opportunity to attain merit and to effect atonement for your souls, which are compared to light, as it is written, \u201cGod is the light for the soul of man\u201d (Prov. 20:27).
\nG. \u201c \u2018And now I have said to you, \u201cAnd you shall take for yourself on the first day \u2026\u201d (Lev. 23:40), so as to give you the opportunity to attain merit for yourself, to bring down rain for you.\u2019
\nH. \u201cOn that account it is said, \u2018And you will take for yourself \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 23:40).<\/p>\n
Simeon b. Pazzi\u2019s catalogue of commandments introduced by the word, \u201ctake,\u201d makes the point that, in each case, the act of taking benefits the one who does it, specifying the particular benefit in each instance, and so too with respect to Tabernacles.<\/p>\n
XXX:XIV<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cAnd you will take for yourself\u201d (Lev. 23:40):
\nB. R. Mani opened [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018All my bones shall say, [\u201cLord, who is like you\u201d]\u2019 [Ps. 35:10].
\nC. \u201cThis verse is stated only on account of the palm branch.
\nD. \u201cThe spine of the palm branch is like the spinal column of a man.
\nE. \u201cThe [leaf of the] myrtle is like the eye, the willow, the mouth, the citron, the heart.
\nF. \u201cSaid David, \u2018None among all the limbs is of greater importance than these, which outweigh the entire body.\u2019
\nG. \u201cAccordingly, [with the species of the Festival], \u2018All my bones shall say \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 35:10).<\/p>\n
The species are now made to serve as an analogy for the human body, so that, when a person takes them up on the Festival, it is as if the entire body praises God. Ps. 35:10 is not subjected to extensive exegesis on its own terms, leading us back to the base verse, so we cannot cite this as an example of an intersecting base verse construction.<\/p>\n
XXX:XV<\/p>\n
1. A. Another matter: Despite all that wisdom which is ascribed to Solomon, \u201cWisdom and knowledge are granted to you\u201d (2 Chron. 1:12), \u201cAnd Solomon\u2019s wisdom excelled\u201d (1 Kgs. 5:10), \u201cFor he was wiser than all men\u201d (1 Kgs. 5:11), [Solomon] sat and pondered these four species.
\nB. For it is said, \u201cThere are three things which are too wonderful for me\u201d (Prov. 30:18), the Passover, unleavened bread, bitter herbs.
\nC. \u201cAnd four which I do not know\u201d (Prov. 30:18), that is, the four species, [the meaning of] which he sought to fathom.
\nD. [Solomon said,] \u201c \u2018The fruit of goodly trees\u2019 [Lev. 23:40]: Who can say that this is the citron? Every tree produces goodly fruit.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Branches of palm trees\u2019 [Lev. 23:40]: The Torah has said, \u2018Take two branches of palm trees with which to give praise, and a person takes only the palm branch, the core of the palm tree [alone].\u2019
\nF. \u201c \u2018And boughs of leafy trees\u2019 [Lev. 23:40]: Who can tell me that it is a myrtle? Lo, it says elsewhere, \u2018Go to the mountain and fetch olive branches, oil-tree branches, myrtle branches\u2019 [Neh. 8:15].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Willows of the brook\u2019 [Lev. 23:40]: All trees grow by water.
\nH. \u201c[Thus:] \u2018Four which I do not know\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 30:18).
\nI. [Then] he went and mentioned them elsewhere, [for it says,] \u201cThey are three which are stately in their march, and four which are stately in going\u201d (Prov. 30:29).
\nJ. Four refers to the four species which every Israelite runs to purchase in order to give praise to the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nK. Now they appear to be small things in peoples\u2019 sight, but they are great before the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nL. And who explained to Israel that these four species are, in fact, the citron, the palm branch, the myrtle, and the willow?
\nM. It was the sages (HKMYM), as it was said, \u201cThey are exceedingly wise (HKMYM)\u201d (Prov. 30:24).<\/p>\n
The exegetical question of how do we know Scripture speaks of the particular species that are required is framed in a dramatic setting. The question is phrased in a strong way, first in relationship to Prov. 30:18 for the symbols of Passover and Tabernacles, then in a specific argument applied to Lev. 23:40. The answer proves less concrete than the question, Prov. 30:29 providing little help. Then the final answer derives from Prov. 30:24, placing the entire matter in the lap of sages.<\/p>\n
XXX:XVI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi: \u201c[God speaks], \u2018Through the merit [attained in fulfilling the commandment], \u201cAnd you will take for yourself on the first day \u2026\u201d [Lev. 23:40], lo, I shall be revealed to you first; I shall exact punishment for you from the first one; I shall build for you first; and bring to you the first one.\u2019 \u201d
\nB. \u201c \u2018I shall be revealed for you first,\u2019 as it is said, \u2018I the Lord am first\u2019 [Is. 41:4].
\nC. \u201c \u2018I shall exact punishment for you from the first one\u2019 refers to the wicked Esau, as it is written, \u2018And the red one came forth first\u2019 [Gen. 24:24].
\nD. \u201c \u2018And I shall build for you first\u2019 refers to the house of the sanctuary, concerning which it is written, \u2018You throne of glory, on high from the first\u2019 [Jer. 17:12].
\nE. \u201cAnd I shall bring to you the first one, namely, the king messiah, concerning whom it is written, \u2018The first to Zion I shall give\u2019 \u201d (Is. 41:27).<\/p>\n
The eschatological-salvific character of the Festival is now spelled out in specific detail. Esau, that is, Rome, will be punished, the Temple will be rebuilt, and the Messiah will come, all by virtue of the merit attained in observing the Festival.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty-One<\/p>\n
XXXI:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[The Lord said to Moses,] \u2018Command the people of Israel to bring you pure oil [from beaten olives for the lamp, that a light may be kept burning continually]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 24:1\u20132).
\nB. \u201cYour righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens. [You who have done great things, O God, who is like you?]\u201d (Ps. 71:19).
\nC. R. Ammi asked R. Samuel bar Nahman, saying to him, \u201cSince I have heard that you are a master at matters of lore, what is the meaning of the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Your righteousness, O God, reaches the high heavens\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 71:19)?
\nD. He said to him, \u201cJust as the creatures of the lower world need charity from one another, so the creatures of the upper world also need charity from one another.\u201d
\nE. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd he spoke to the man [clothed in linen]\u201d (Ez. 10:2).
\nF. The entire commencement of the passage above, \u201cSpeak to the priests,\u201d [is relevant here] (see XXVI:VIII).
\n2. A. \u201cYou who have done great things\u201d (Ps. 71:19).
\nB. This refers to the two great lights [of the heaven], as it is written, \u201cAnd God made the two great lights\u201d (Gen. 9:16).
\nC. \u201cO God, who is like you?\u201d (Ps. 71:19).
\nD. Who is like you among the creatures of the upper world, who is like you among the creatures of the lower world?
\nE. Who is like you, for you subdue the attribute of strict justice and give light to the creatures of the upper world and those of the lower world.
\nF. You give light to all those who pass through the world, but you [nonetheless] lust after the light of Israel:
\nG. \u201cCommand the people of Israel to bring you \u2026\u201d (Lev. 24:2).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse introduces the theme of God in the heavens and on earth. No. 1 makes its own point, and, while served by Ez. 10:2 as a proof text, does not aim at the base verse. No. 2, by contrast, does; its point is well focused. While God makes the lights that serve the entire world, God nonetheless wants the light brought by Israel. 2.D\u2013F present a secondary expansion of the intersecting verse in what appears to be liturgical rhetoric.<\/p>\n
XXXI:II<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Isaac commenced [discource by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018Your word is most refined\u2019 (Ps. 119:140).
\nB. \u201cIt is like a refiner who runs the gold through the crucible two or three times, until he has purified it.
\nC. \u201cSo the cited passage [concerning the olive-oil lamp] is stated a second and yet a third time [at Ex. 27:20; Lev. 24:2, and Num. 8:1].
\nD. \u201cNow does this not produce an argument a fortiori: if this rather modest passage of the Torah has been stated a second and yet a third time, all the other passages\u2014how much the more so [are they stated more than once, first at Sinai, second, in the tent of meeting, third at the plains of Moab] (Margulies, p. 716, n. to 1. 4).
\nE. \u201cCommand the people of Israel \u2026\u201d (Lev. 24:2).<\/p>\n
The exegesis now focuses upon the repetition of the same commandment, 1.C. The solution, as spelled out by Margulies, is to treat the repetition as figurative for the entire corpus of commandments.<\/p>\n
XXXI:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWould you call, and I answer you?\u201d (Job 14:15).
\nB. This is in line with that which you read in the following verse: \u201cThen you will call, and the Lord will answer\u201d (Is. 58:9).
\nC. \u201cThat you would desire (KSP) the works of your hands?\u201d (Job 14:15).
\nD. [The meaning is,] \u201cWill your soul desire things from what your own hands have made?\u201d
\nE. This is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd now you have gone away because you longed (KSP) greatly\u201d (Gen. 31:30).
\nF. Said Job before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLord of the world, the creatures of the upper world and those of the lower world are in your domain, \u2018so would you desire the works of your hands\u2019?
\nG. \u201cBut you [nonetheless] care for the works of your hands.\u201d
\nH. \u201cCommand the people of Israel \u2026\u201d (Lev. 24:2).<\/p>\n
The point is already familiar. The fact that God wants the Israelites to provide light creates the paradox that the Creator depends upon what he has created. This is an indication that God pays attention to and cares for creation.<\/p>\n
XXXI:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Bar Qappara commenced [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018For you light my lamp\u2019 (Ps. 18:29).
\nB. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to this man, \u2018Your lamp is in my hand, and will my lamp be in your hand?\u2019
\nC. \u201c \u2018Your lamp is my hand:\u2019 \u2018The spirit of man is the lamp of the Lord\u2019 [Prov. 20:27].
\nD. \u201c \u2018Will my lamp be in your hand?\u2019 \u2018That a light may be kept burning continually\u2019 [Lev. 24:2].
\nE. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018If you light my lamp, lo, I shall light your lamp.\u2019 \u201d
\nF. \u201cCommand the people of Israel \u2026\u201d (Lev. 24:2).
\n2. A. \u201cYour head (R\u05d0SK) crowns you like Carmel, [and your flowing locks are like purple; a king is held captive in the tresses)\u201d (Song 7:5).
\nB. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cThe least (RS) among you are as precious to me as Elijah, who came up to the top (R\u2019S) of Mount Carmel.\u201d
\nC. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Elijah went up to the top (R\u2019S) of Carmel and bowed himself down upon the earth and put his face between his knees\u201d (1 Kings 18:42).
\nD. Why did he put his face between his knees? He said before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLord of the world, if we do not have [sufficient] merit, [then at least] gaze upon the mark of the covenant.\u201d
\nE. \u201cAnd your flowing (DLT) locks are like purple\u201d (Song 7:5):
\nF. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cThe poorest (DL) among you are as precious to me as David.\u201d
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd he who stumbles among them on that day shall be like David\u201d (Zech. 12:8).
\nH. And some say [that the poorest] are as precious as Daniel, concerning whom it is written, \u201cAnd he cloaked Daniel in purple\u201d (Dan. 5:29).
\nI. \u201cThe king is held captive in the tresses\u201d (Song 7:5):
\nJ. \u201cThe king\u201d refers to the King of kings of kings, for it is written, \u201cThe Lord is king, clothed in majesty\u201d (Ps. 93:1).
\n3. A. \u201cCaptive in the tresses\u201d (RHTYM) (Song 7:5): For God bound himself by an oath that he would bring his Presence to rest among the rafters (RHT) of our father, Jacob.
\nB. On account of whose merit [will this take place]?
\nC. R. Abba bar Kahana and R. Levi:
\nD. R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cIt is on account of the merit of Abraham, for it is written, \u2018To the herd did Abraham run\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 18:7).
\nE. R. Levi said, \u201cIt was on account of the merit of Jacob, for it is written concerning him, \u2018And he set the rods, which he had peeled, over against the flocks in the gutters (RHTYM) (Gen. 30:38).\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201c \u2018King\u2019 refers to Moses, concerning whom it is written, \u2018And there will be a king in Jeshurun\u2019 (Deut. 33:5).
\nB. \u201c \u2018Captive in the tresses\u2019 [refers to Moses,] for the Holy One, blessed be he, made a decree concerning [Moses] that he may not enter the Land of Israel. [So he was held captive.]
\nC. \u201cOn what account? On account of the running (RHTYM) that took place at the Water of Rebellion. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018It is the Water of Rebellion\u2019 \u201d (Num. 20:13).
\n5. A. R. Judah compared the matter (of Moses at Num. 20:13) in a parable: \u201cTo what is the matter likened? To a king who made a decree, saying, \u2018Whoever gathers and eats figs of the Seventh Year will be made to march around the parade field.\u2019 A woman, daughter of good and distinguished family, went and gathered and ate figs of the Seventh Year. They began to parade her about the parade field [in disgrace]. She cried out, saying to the king, \u2018By your grace, My Lord, O king, hang these figs around my neck, so that people won\u2019t say, \u201cIt appears that she is guilty of sexual depravity or witchcraft.\u201d When people see the dates around my neck, they will know that it is on their account that I am paraded about in disgrace.\u2019
\nB. \u201cSo said Moses before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Write in your Torah the reason that I am not going to enter the Land of Israel, so that the Israelites will not say, \u201cIt would appear that Moses forged the Torah, or said something in it that he had not been commanded.\u201d \u2019
\nC. \u201cSaid to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018By your life! I shall write it down so that people will know that it was only on account of the affair at the Water.\u2019
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Because you rebelled against my commandment in the wilderness of Zin\u2019 \u201d (Num. 27:14).
\n6. A. R. Simeon compared the matter in a parable: \u201cTo what is the matter likened? To a king who was traveling on the road, with his son with him in the chariot. When they came to a narrow spot, the coach turned over on his son. The son\u2019s eye was blinded, his hand cut off, and his leg broken. Whenever the king came near that spot, he would call the tragedy to mind, saying \u2018Woe is me! This is where my son was injured, here his eye was blinded, here his hand was cut off, here his leg was broken.\u2019
\nB. \u201cSo the Holy One, blessed be he, on three separate occasions makes mention in his Torah of the waters of rebellion, as if to say, \u2018This is where I killed Moses, this is where I killed Aaron, this is where I killed Miriam.\u2019
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018There judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock, they heard my words, that they are sweet\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 141:6).
\n7. A. R. Nahman said, \u201c \u2018The king\u2019 [of Song 7:5] refers to Moses, for it is written, \u2018And there will be a king in Jeshurun\u2019 [Deut. 33:5].
\nB. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to Moses, \u2018I appointed you king over Israel. The way of acting as king is to make a decree and have others carry it out. So you will make a decree and the Israelites will carry it out: \u201cCommand the people of Israel\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Lev. 24:2).<\/p>\n
The same point is made, that God does offer a fair exchange, symbolized by the commandment to keep a lamp burning in the sanctuary. The clear understanding, of course, is that God dwells in the sanctuary and requires the light continually. This is transformed into a paradox. The relevant point of Nos. 2\u20137 is reached only at the very end, the stress being on Moses to issue a command. That is the goal of the compositor of the whole, since the intersecting verse concludes with a reference to a king. But, as is clear, the intersecting verse is carefully worked out, clause by clause, wholly in its own terms. The intersecting verse for Nos. 2\u20137, Song 7:5, contains three elements, and, as we see, there is a systematic interpretation of them, Nos. 2\u20133, Elijah, 4\u20136, Moses, and 7, Moses. The inserted materials, Nos. 5 and 6, amplify the matter of the Water of Rebellion but play no role in the larger construction. Then, as I said, No. 7 brings us to the point at which the intersecting verse reaches the base verse.<\/p>\n
XXXI:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Joshua in the name of R. Aha commenced (discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture:] \u201c \u2018A wise man scales the city of the mighty men [and brings down the stronghold in which they trust]\u2019 (Prov. 21:22).
\nB. \u201c \u2018Mighty men (GBRYM)\u2019 is what is written, for all of them are male (GBRYM) and none is a female.
\nC. \u201c \u2018A wise man scales (\u02bfLH) \u2026\u2019 refers to Moses: \u2018And Moses went up (\u02bfLH) to God\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 19:3).
\n2. A. \u201cAnd brings down the stronghold in which they trust\u201d (Prov. 21:22):
\nB. R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis:
\nC. R. Judah said, \u201c \u2018Stronghold\u2019 refers to Torah, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The Lord will give a stronghold to his people\u2019 [Ps. 29:11].
\nD. \u201c \u2018Trust\u2019\u2014for it had been the trust of the angels. They had thought that the Torah was given [as their exclusive possession], until the Holy One, blessed be he, said to them, \u2018And it will not be found in the land of the living\u2019 [Job. 28:13]. [The angels live forever. The Torah does not belong among them.]\u2019 \u201d
\nE. R. Nehemiah said, \u201c \u2018Strong\u2019 refers to Torah.
\nF. \u201c \u2018Trust\u2019 [alludes to the fact that] in [the Torah] itself is [reason for] trust, and reward [for carrying out its teachings] is right alongside it.\u201d
\n3. A. Rabbis say, \u201c \u2018Strong\u2019 refers to Torah.
\nB. \u201c \u2018Trust\u2019 \u201d\u2014for whoever labors in it may trust that he will issue a decree, and others will carry out his decree.
\nC. \u201cSo did the Holy One, blessed be he, say to Moses, \u2018Moses, you have labored a great deal in my Torah. You therefore will issue a decree, and others will carry it out.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. Therefore: \u201cCommand the children of Israel \u2026\u201d (Lev. 24:2).<\/p>\n
The point of the concluding homily, No. 3, is the same as given above.<\/p>\n
XXXI:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIs there any number to his armies? [Upon whom does his light not arise?]\u201d (Job. 25:3).
\nB. Rabbi and rabbis:
\nC. Rabbi said, \u201cOne verse of Scripture states, \u2018Is there any number to his armies\u201d \u2019 [Job 25:3], while yet another verse of Scripture states, \u2018A thousand thousands ministered to him\u2019 [Dan. 7:10]. [There is then a specific number]. Still another verse of Scripture states, \u2018The chariots of God are myriads, [even thousands upon thousands]\u2019 [Ps. 68:18].
\nD. \u201cAccordingly, this provides us with the count of a single army, but there is no number assigned to his armies.\u201d
\nE. Rabbis say, \u201cOne verse of Scripture states, \u2018Is there any number to his armies?\u2019 [Job 25:3], while yet another verse of Scripture states, \u2018A thousand thousands ministered to him\u2019 [Dan. 7:10].
\nF. \u201cAccordingly, before the house of the sanctuary was destroyed, praise for the Holy One, blessed be he, would go up whole and complete [there being no number to his armies]. But when the house of the sanctuary was destroyed, it is as if the Holy One, blessed be he, cut down on the number of his retinue.
\nG. \u201cHe said, \u2018It is not really appropriate that his praise should ascend as it had ascended [before].\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201cUpon whom does his light not arise?\u201d (Job 25:3).
\nB. Among all those who ever passed through the world, who has ever come and said, \u201cThe sun did not give light for me by day, and the moon did not give light for me by night?\u201d
\nC. So you give light for the creatures of the upper world and for the creatures of the lower world, and you give light for all those who pass through the world, and yet you lust after the light of Israel (see XXXI:I.2).
\nD. \u201cCommand the people of Israel \u2026\u201d (Lev. 24:2).<\/p>\n
No. 2 makes a direct connection to the passage at hand. There is no connection between No. 1 and the present matter. Once more the intersecting verse is fully worked out in its own terms and only afterward joined to the present context.<\/p>\n
XXXI:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Haninah, \u201cThere were windows in the house of the sanctuary, from which light shown outward into the world.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018He made for the house windows that were broad and narrow\u2019 (1 Kings 6:4).
\nC. \u201cThey were transparent and opaque, narrow on the inside and broad on the outside, so as to draw the light outward into the world.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cWhen a king builds a palace, he makes the windows so that they are narrow on the outside and broad on the inside, so as to bring the light inside. But the windows of the house of the sanctuary were not that way.
\nB. \u201cRather, they were narrow on the inside and broad on the outside, so as to draw the light outward into the world.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Besallaah: \u201cIt is written, \u2018[And there were windows round about in it and in its vestibule,] like the windows of the others\u2019 [Ez. 40:25].
\nB. \u201cIs is not written, \u2018Like these windows,\u2019 but rather, \u2018like the windows of the others.\u2019 They were dim and opaque, narrow on the inside and broad on the outside, so as to draw the light outward into the world.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Simeon b. Yehosedeq asked R. Samuel b. Nahman, \u201cSince I heard that you are a master of lore, [I ask you this question:] When did the light go forth into the world?\u201d
\nB. He said to him, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, cloaked himself in it as in a garment and he illuminated the entire world from the splendor of his glory.\u201d
\nC. He said this to him in a whisper [as if it were a teaching of dubious authority].
\nD. He said to him, \u201cThat is, in point of fact, a well-known verse of Scripture: \u2018Who covers yourself with light as with a garment\u2019 [Ps. 104:2], so why do you repeat this to me in a whisper?\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cJust as others told it to me in a whisper, so I repeat it to you in a whisper. And if it were not for the fact that R. Isaac had expounded the same matter in public, it would not be permitted to repeat it [at all].\u201d
\nF. Before that time, what did people maintain?
\nG. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cFrom the place of the house of the sanctuary, light went forth to the world.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the east, and the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory\u2019 [Ez. 43:2].
\nI. \u201cThe word, \u2018glory,\u2019 refers only to the house of the sanctuary, in line with this verse: \u2018You throne of glory, on high from the beginning, you place of our sanctuary\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 17:12).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1\u20134 all go over the same ground. I assume that the general theme, light, made the composition seem relevant here. Nos. 1\u20133 repeat one idea in a single way, and No. 4 states it somewhat differently.<\/p>\n
XXXI:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Abina said two things, R. Berekhiah said two things, and rabbis said two things.
\nB. R. Abina said two things.
\nC. R. Abina said, \u201c[God speaks,] \u2018The orb of the sun is one of my servants, yet when it goes forth to the world, no creature can feast its eyes on it.\u2019 That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018A stream of fire issued and came forth from before him\u2019 [Dan. 7:10].
\nD. \u201c \u2018Now do I really need your light?\u2019 \u201d
\nE. Said R. Aha, \u201c \u2018The Lord was pleased for his righteousness\u2019 sake\u2019 [Is. 42:21]. I made [the statement about kindling a lamp in the sanctuary] only in order to give you opportunity to attain merit [to make you righteous].\u201d
\nF. R. Abina made yet another statement: \u201cLightning is one of the products of the fire that is above, and yet, when it comes forth, from one end of the world to the other its light glows.
\nG. \u201c \u2018Now do I really need your light?\u2019 \u201d
\nH. Said R. Aha, \u201c \u2018The Lord was pleased for his righteousness\u2019 sake\u2019 [Is. 42:21],\u201d just as above (E).
\n2. A. R. Berekhiah made two statements.
\nB. R. Berekhiah said, \u201cAs to the eyeball, no one can see through the dark mass of it or through the white mass of it but [only] through the darkest part of the dark of it.
\nC. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Now if I could create light out of darkness, do I need your light?\u2019 \u201d
\nD. Said R. Aha, \u201cThe Lord was pleased for his righteousness\u2019 sake\u2019 \u201d (Is. 42:21).
\nE. R. Berekhiah made yet another statement.
\nF. R. Berekhiah said, \u201c \u2018The earth was unformed and void\u2019 [Gen. 1:2]. Now what is written after that verse? \u2018And God said, \u201cLet there be light\u201d \u2019 [Gen. 1:3].
\nG. \u201cGod said, \u2018Now if I am able to create light from darkness, do I need your light?\u2019 \u201d
\nH. Said R. Aha, \u201c \u2018The Lord was pleased for his righteousness\u2019 sake\u2019 \u201d (Is. 42:21).
\n3. A. Rabbis said two things.
\nB. Rabbis said, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to the fetus, \u2018During all those nine months that you were in your mother\u2019s belly, who gave light for you? Was it not I?\u2019 That is in line with what Job said, \u2018When his lamp shone upon my head\u2019 [Job. 29:3].
\nC. \u201c \u2018If, during the nine months you are in your mother\u2019s womb, I provided light for you, and do I need your light?\u2019 \u201d
\nD. Rabbis made yet another statement: \u201c \u2018He reveals deep and mysterious things; [he knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with him]\u2019 [Dan. 2:22].
\nE. \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Light dwells with me, light dwells alongside me, and do I need your light?\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The several authorities make exactly the same point. There is no recourse to a base verse. But I do not see that the passage makes any sense if it is not to highlight the paradox represented by Lev. 24:2\u2019s requirement that Israel provide the light, and so to make exactly Aha\u2019s point\u2014over and over again.<\/p>\n
XXXI:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. Rab said, \u201cWhen the orb of the sun and of the moon come in to take leave before the Holy One, blessed be he, their eyes grow dim because of the splendor of the Presence of God, and while they seek to go forth to illuminate the world, they see nothing.
\nB. \u201cWhat does the Holy One, blessed be he, do for them? He shoots arrows before them, and they follow after in their light.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The sun and the moon stand still in their habitation; at the light of your arrows, they go [at the shining of your glittering spear]\u2019 \u201d (Hab. 3:10).
\n2. A. R. Hoshaiah, son of R. Shimi of Caesarea, in the name of R. Isaac b. R. Zeir: \u201cThe orb of the sun never sets before it has turned into a kind of dried up lump of blood.
\nB. \u201cWhat is the scriptural proof for that proposition? \u2018He rejoices like a groom to run his course (\u2019RWH),\u2019 [Ps. 19:6], and the word, \u2018course (\u2019RH),\u2019 refers only to the woman\u2019s [menstrual period (\u2019RH)].
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Sarah had ceased to follow after the course of women (\u2019RH)\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 18:11).
\n3. A. Said R. Levi, \u201cEveryday the Holy One, blessed be he, sits in judgment over the orb of the sun and the moon, for they do not want to go forth to illuminate the world.
\nB. \u201cWhat do they say? \u2018Mortals offer incense to us and bow down to us.\u2019 \u201d
\nC. Said R. Yusta bar Shunam, \u201cWhat does the Holy One, blessed be he, do to them? He sits in judgment on them, and they are forced to go forth and illuminate the world upon their course.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Every morning he brings his light to right. It does not fail\u2019 [Zeph. 3:5].
\nE. \u201cWhat is the meaning of \u2018it does not fail\u2019? It never ceases.
\nF. \u201c \u2018But the unrighteous does not know shame\u2019 [Zeph. 3:5].
\nG. \u201cThose that bow down to [the sun and the moon] are shameless. They see how the [sun and moon] are smitten [by the passage of the stars], and yet they are not confounded.\u201d<\/p>\n
This collection of singletons moves on to its own points of interest, stressing that what others worship, the sun and moon, are pale reflections of God\u2019s glory. The polemic now is against idolatry and bears no point of intersection with the theme of the eternal light of Lev. 24:2.<\/p>\n
XXXI:X<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cTo bring you pure oil from [beaten olives for the lamp]\u201d (Lev. 24:2):
\nB. R. Hiyya taught (Sifra Emor XIII:I), \u201cOlive oil, not sesame oil, nut oil, radish oil, or almond oil, but olive oil, from olives.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Abin, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king whose legions rebelled against him. But one of his legions did not rebel. Said the king, \u2018Out of that legion which did not rebel against me will come commanders, lieutenants, and governors.\u2019
\nB. \u201cSo too did the Holy One, blessed be he, say, \u2018The olive brought light to the world in the time of Noah.\u2019 That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the dove came back to him toward evening, and lo, a branch of an olive leaf was in its mouth\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 8:11).
\nC. What is the meaning of \u201colive leaf\u201d? Torn off, in line with the usage in the following verse: \u201cJoseph was certainly torn [by a wild beast]\u201d (Gen. 37:33).
\nD. Said R. Berekhiah, \u201cIf [the dove] had not torn it, it would have turned into a great tree.\u201d
\nE. Whence did [the dove] bring it?
\nF. R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cFrom the Mount of Olives [the dove] brought the olive branch.\u201d
\nG. R. Levi said, \u201cIt brought it from the [unflooded] branches of the Land of Israel.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with what people say, \u2018The earth of the Land of Israel was not smitten by the water of the Flood.\u2019
\nI. \u201cThat is further what the Holy One, blessed be he, said through Ezekiel: \u2018Son of man, say to her, \u201cYou are a land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the day of indignation\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Ez. 22:24).
\nJ. [Rejecting this view,] said R. Yohanan, \u201cEven the cones of millstones were dissolved by the water. [So where did the dove get the olive branch]?\u201d
\nK. R. Mare said, \u201cThe gates of the Garden of Eden opened up for it and thence it brought it.\u201d
\nL. Said to him R. Abbahu, \u201cIf it had brought [the olive branch] from there, should [the dove] not have brought something better, such as cinnamon or balsam?\u201d
\nM. [Indeed, it did, but] it gave [Noah] a hint, saying to him, \u201cMy lord, Noah, from the hand of the Holy One, blessed be he, [I\u2019d rather have] something [even] more bitter than this than something sweet from your hand!\u201d<\/p>\n
After the legal exegesis, No. 1, we move to a set of materials on the reason the olive, in particular, is selected for the lamp, No. 2. The secondary expansion of the matter leads to comments on the olive branch brought back by the dove to Noah.<\/p>\n
XXXI:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cOutside the veil of the testimony in the tent of meeting, [Aaron shall keep it in order from evening to morning before the Lord continually; it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations]\u201d (Lev. 24:3).
\nB. Said R. Eleazar b. Shammua, \u201cOn account of the merit of Aaron\u2019s keeping it \u2018in order from evening to morning before the Lord continually,\u2019 you will be saved from the fire that is burning in Gehenna [Margoliot], concerning which it is written, \u2018For a hearth [Gehenna] is ordered of old\u2019 \u201d (Is. 30:33).
\nC. Said R. Hanan, \u201cOn account of the merit of keeping \u2018the light burning continually\u2019 [Lev. 24:2], you will attain the merit of receiving the lamp of the king messiah.
\nD. \u201cWhat is the proof text for that proposition? \u2018There will I make a horn sprout up for David, I order a lamp for my anointed\u2019 [Ps. 132:17].
\nE. \u201c \u2018I rejoiced when they said to me, \u201cLet us go to the house of the Lord\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Ps. 122:1).<\/p>\n
The concluding unit predictably links the keeping of the light to salvation from hell and salvation for the messiah\u2019s coming.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty-Two<\/p>\n
XXXII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cOn every side the wicked walk [as the reviled is exalted among the sons of men\u201d (Ps. 12:8).
\nB. R. Judah and R. Nehemiah.
\nC. R. Judah said, \u201c[The meaning of the cited verse is] \u2018round about the wicked, the righteous walk.\u2019 How so? When the righteous go forth from the Garden of Eden and see that the wicked are judged in Gehenna, their souls rejoice.
\nD. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018They shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men [who have rebelled against me]\u2019 [Is. 66:24].
\nE. \u201cAt that moment they praise and give glory to the Holy One, blessed be he, for the suffering that he brought on them in this world [so that they enjoy the world to come].
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018In that day you will say, \u201cI shall give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me [in this world], [your anger is turned and you comfort me]\u201d \u2019 [Is. 12:1].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Your anger is turned\u2019 against the nations of the world.
\nH. \u201c \u2018And you comfort me\u2019 through their [suffering].
\nI. \u201cWhen? \u2018When the reviled [Israel] is exalted (KRWM)\u2019 [Ps. 12:8].
\nJ. \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, exalts the vineyard (KRM) that is despised in his world. And the vineyard of the Holy One, blessed be he, can only be Israel, as it is said, \u2018For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel\u2019 \u201d (Is. 5:7).
\nK. Said to him R. Nehemiah, \u201cMy noble lord, how long are you going to twist verses of Scripture against us?
\nL. \u201cBut the meaning of the cited verse is that it is around the righteous that the wicked walk, as it is written, \u2018On every side the wicked walk\u2019 [Ps. 12:8].
\nM. \u201cHow so? When the wicked come up out of Gehenna and see how the righteous dwell happily in the Garden of Eden, their soul shrivels inside them.
\nN. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The wicked shall see and be vexed\u2019 [Ps. 112:10].
\nO. \u201cWhen? \u2018When the reviled is exalted\u2019 [Ps. 12:8]. When the Holy One, blessed be he, exalts in his world those religious duties that are despised [by the gentiles].
\nP. \u201c \u2018Why are you going out to be stoned [to death]?\u2019 \u2018Because I circumcised my son.\u2019
\nQ. \u201c \u2018Why are you going forth to be burned [to death]?\u2019 \u2018Because I kept the Sabbath day.\u2019
\nR. \u201c \u2018Why are you going forth to be put to death?\u2019 \u2018Because I ate unleavened bread [on Passover].\u2019
\nS. \u201c \u2018Why are you going to be flogged with the strap?\u2019 \u2018Because I built a tabernacle [for the Festival], because I took up the palm branch [on the Festival],\u2019 \u2018\u2026 because I put on phylacteries,\u2019 \u2018\u2026 because I inserted blue thread [into the fringes of my garment],\u2019 \u2018\u2026 because I kept the will of my father who is in heaven.\u2019
\nT. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he said to me, \u201cWhat are these wounds [that are on your hands?\u201d Then he shall answer, \u201cThose with which I was wounded in the house of those who caused me to be loved]\u201d \u2019 [Zech. 13:6].
\nU. \u201c \u2018These wounds have caused me to be loved by our father who is in heaven.\u2019 When? \u2018When the reviled is exalted.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. [\u201cWhen the reviled is exposed\u201d (Ps. 12:8)]: When the Holy One, blessed be he, exposes the surface [flesh] of bastards [that is, their brazenness and shame].
\nB. But has he not already exposed them through Moses?
\nC. \u201c[Now an Israelite woman\u2019s son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel; and the Israelite woman\u2019s son and a man of Israel quarreled in the camp; and the Israelite woman\u2019s son blasphemed the name and cursed. And they brought him to Moses \u2026 And the Lord said to Moses,] \u2018Bring out of the camp him who cursed \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 24:10\u201313).<\/p>\n
Margulies\u2019s text does not cite the base verse, which occurs only at 2.C. The point is that the son of the Israelite woman and Egyptian man\u2014in the category, for the present purpose, of a bastard\u2014was exposed for what he was, so No. 2. The intersecting verse seems to me chosen because of its reference to vileness being exalted. But then, as we see, the sense is turned around in No. 1. Judah has vileness mean \u201cthe reviled,\u201d meaning Israel, exalted in the world to come. Nehemiah has \u201cthe reviled,\u201d meaning those who carry out their religious duties, vindicated by God\u2019s special love for their suffering on his account. The two then concur that the cited verse speaks of the reversal of affairs, when those that are reviled are exalted, and vice versa. None of this has any bearing on Lev. 24:10\u201313. No. 2, as I said, reads \u201cexalted\u201d in the sense of \u201craised up for exposure,\u201d and the rest follows. So, in all, the construction adheres to that pattern that provides for the intersecting verse an exegesis that is first irrelevant, then entirely relevant, to the base verse. Occasionally, the first of the two exegeses of the intersecting verse may exhibit some bearing upon the base verse, but here it does not.<\/p>\n
XXXII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cEven in your thought do not curse the king, nor in your bedchamber curse the rich; [for a bird of the air will carry your voice, or some winged creature tell the matter]\u201d (Qoh. 10:20).
\nB. Said R. Abin, \u201c[God says,] \u2018You should not curse and blaspheme before me with that very capacity for thought that I gave you beyond [what I gave] to domesticated beasts, wild animals, and fowl.
\nC. \u201c \u2018For you I created two eyes and for them two eyes, for you two ears and for them two ears. I made you like them. [Yet] to him [namely, to man] they must keep silent\u2019 (so Margulies, p. 736, n. to 1. 7).
\nD. \u201c \u2018He is like the beasts that keep silent\u2019 [Ps. 49:20]. [God speaks], \u2018I have silenced them on account of the honor owing to you.\u2019
\nE. \u201c \u2018How many favors have I done for you, and yet you do not understand.\u2019 \u2018Man in his honor does not understand\u2019 [Ps. 49:20].\u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cEven in your thought do not curse the king\u201d (Qoh. 10:20). Do not curse the king who came before you.
\nB. \u201cNor in your bedchamber curse the rich.\u201d Do not curse the rich man who came before you.
\nC. \u201cFor a bird of the air will carry your voice\u201d (Qoh. 10:20).
\nD. Said R. Jeremiah bar Eleazar, \u201cThis refers to a raven and the art of bird divination.\u201d
\nE. \u201cOr some winged creature will tell the matter\u201d (Qoh. 10:20).
\nF. R. Levi said, \u201cThe wall has ears, the road along the ground has ears.\u201d
\n3. A. Another interpretation: \u201cEven in your thought do not curse the king\u201d (Qoh. 10:20). Do not curse the king [who rules] in your own generation.
\nB. \u201cNor in your bedchamber curse the rich.\u201d Do not curse the rich man [who thrives] in your own generation.
\nC. \u201cFor a bird of the air will carry your voice\u201d (Qoh. 10:20).
\nD. Said R. Judah bar Simon, \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, to David, \u2018David, is this the [appropriate] way you should have spoken before me: \u201cAll my enemies shall be ashamed and sorely troubled\u201d [Ps. 6:10]? Who is your enemy? Is it not Saul. Is this not written: \u201cOn the day on which the Lord saved him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul\u201d \u2019 (Ps. 18:1)?
\nE. \u201cAt that moment David said before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Lord of the ages. Do not count it against me as a deliberate sin but as an error.\u2019
\nF. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018An error of David\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 7:1).
\n4. A. Another interpretation: \u201cEven in your thought do not curse the king\u201d (Qoh. 10:20):
\nB. The King of the world you should not curse.
\nC. \u201cNor in your bedchamber curse the rich\u201d (Qoh. 10:20): The Rich One of the world you should not curse.
\nD. \u201cFor a bird of the air will carry your voice\u201d (Qoh. 10:20).
\nE. Said R. Levi, \u201cThere is a voice that goes forth for good and there is a voice that goes forth for evil.
\nF. \u201cThere is a voice that goes forth for good: \u2018And the Lord heard the voice of your speaking, when you spoke to me, and the Lord said to me, \u201cThey have spoken well in all that they have said\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Deut. 5:23).
\nG. What is the meaning of the phrase, \u201cThey have spoken well in all that they have said\u201d?
\nH. R. Hiyya bar Abba and Bar Qappara: one said, \u201cThe good that they did was as valued as the good that comes from the preparation of the lamps.\u201d
\nI. The other said, \u201cThe good that they did was as valued as the good that comes from the preparation of the incense.\u201d
\nJ. [Levi resumes his discourse:] \u201cThere is a voice that goes forth for evil: \u2018And the Lord heard all the voice of your words and he grew angry\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 1:34).
\nK. R. Hama in the name of R. Tahalipa, his father-in-law, said, \u201cThe Holy One, blessed be he, said, \u2018To you it appears to be anger, but to me it does not appear to be anger.\u2019
\nL. \u201c \u2018Wherefore I swore in my anger\u2019 [Ps. 95:11]. \u2018In my anger I swore, but I retract.\u2019
\nM. \u201c \u2018If they shall come to my rest\u2019 [Ps. 95:11]. \u2018To this rest they will not come, but they shall come to another rest [in the age to come].\u2019 \u201d
\nN. R. Levi in the name of Bar Qappara said, \u201cThe matter may be compared to the case of a king who grew angry with his son and made a decree that he might not join him in his palace.
\nO. \u201cWhat did the king then do [when he regretted his wrathful oath]? He went and tore down the palace and rebuilt it and brought his son [to live] with him into the [new palace].
\nP. \u201cThus he turned out to carry out his [original] oath and at the same time to bring his son in.
\nQ. \u201cSo said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018Wherefore I swore in my anger that they should not enter into my rest\u2019 [Ps. 95:11].
\nR. \u201c \u2018To this rest they will not enter, but they will enter another rest.\u2019 \u201d
\nS. \u201c[For a bird of the air will carry your voice] or some winged creature tell the matter\u201d (Qoh. 10:20):
\nT. Said R. Abin, \u201cWhen a man sleeps, the body tells it to the soul, the soul to the spirit, the spirit to the angel, the angel to the cherub, the cherub to the winged creature, and the winged creature will tell the matter before Him who spoke and brought the world into being.\u201d
\n5. A. Another matter: \u201cEven in your thought do not curse the king\u201d (Qoh. 10:20). This refers to Moses, concerning whom it is written, \u201cAnd there will be a king in Jeshurun\u201d (Deut. 33:8).
\nB. \u201cNor in your bedchamber curse the rich\u201d (Qoh. 10:20). This refers to Moses.
\nC. And whence did Moses get rich?
\nD. Said R. Hanan, \u201cOut of the sapphire quarry which the Holy One, blessed be he, created for him in his tent [for the hewing of the tablets of the law] did Moses get rich.
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the Lord said to Moses, \u201cHew for yourself two tablets\u201d [Ex. 34:1]. What is left over from the hewing is yours.\u2019
\nF. \u201cAnd that time Moses said, \u2018The blessing of the Lord is what makes one rich\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 10:22).
\nG. \u201cFor a bird of the air will carry your voice\u201d (Qoh. 10:20), for he flew like a bird and goes up to heaven.
\nH. \u201cOr some winged creature [= God himself] tell the matter\u201d (Qoh. 10:20): for it was told to Moses from Sinai, \u201cBring forth him that cursed outside the camp\u201d (Lev. 24:14).<\/p>\n
The relevance of the intersecting verse to the base verse is not so farfetched as it appears on the surface. God is the \u201cwinged creature,\u201d Margulies points out, in line with Ps. 36:8, which speaks of taking shelter beneath God\u2019s wings. Margulies is surely right, and the exercise therefore is remarkably subtle, since, until the very end, it is hardly obvious that the intersecting verse in any way makes contact with the base verse. The exegesis of the intersecting verse is diverse. No. 1 treats the speaker of the verse as God. The passage at hand, however, ignores the second and third elements of the intersecting verse. Nos. 2, 3, 4, and 5 have in common an interest in all three elements. Since No. 4 makes the same point as No. 1\u2014God now is the focus\u2014we may take it as certain that No. 1 is distinct from what follows. Nos. 2 and 3 are matched, and it seems to me the same is so of Nos. 4 and 5\u2014God, then Moses. No. 4 is heavily augmented but manages to complete the work on the several elements of the verse at hand. No. 5 likewise bears some interpolated materials. It goes without saying that the substance of the message imputed to the intersecting verse in no way relates to the sense of the base verse, even at the end.<\/p>\n
XXXII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cNow an Israelite woman\u2019s son, [whose father was an Egyptian,] went out [among the people of Israel]\u201d (Lev. 24:10).
\nB. R. Levi said, \u201cHe went out of his world [giving up his life]. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And a champion went out [and lost his life]\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 17:4).
\n2. A. R. Berekhiah said, \u201cHe went out [taking his leave] from the preceding passage [finding there grounds for apostasy].
\nB. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018You shall take fine flour [and bake twelve cakes with it\u2019 (Lev. 24:5). Does a king usually eat hot bread or cold [stale] bread? [Surely the former.]
\nC. \u201cFor we have learned there [at M. Men. 11:9E:] \u2018The show bread is eaten neither less than nine nor more than eleven days [after being baked].\u2019 \u201d [This passage is incomplete.]
\n3. A. R. Hiyya taught, \u201cIt was from the passage dealing with pedigrees that he went out [and that is what caused his blasphemy].\u201d [This is now spelled out.]
\nB. He came to place his tent in the camp of Dan. They said to him, \u201cWhat right have you to put your tent in the area of the camp of Dan?\u201d
\nC. He said to them, \u201cI was born of a daughter of Dan.\u201d
\nD. They said to him, \u201cScripture states, \u2018A man with his own standard, according to his ensigns, by their father\u2019s house\u2019 [Num. 2:2], and not \u2018by their mother\u2019s house.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. He went to the court of Moses [to make his claim] and left the loser and went and blasphemed.<\/p>\n
The three interpretations of the \u201cgoing out\u201d answer different questions. No. 1 deals with the question of what the man left\u2014that is, his life; Nos. 2 and 3 explain why he blasphemed. No. 2 is obviously defective.<\/p>\n
XXXII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWhose father was an Egyptian\u201d (Lev. 24:10).
\nB. Rabbis and R. Levi:
\nC. Rabbis say, \u201cEven though there were no mamzerim [children born in violation of the law of appropriate unions] at that time [since Israelite women did not engage in sexual relations with Egyptian men], he was in the status of a mamzer.\u201d
\nD. R. Levi said, \u201cHe was in fact a mamzer.\u201d
\nE. How so? The taskmasters were Egyptians and the officers were Israelites. A taskmaster oversaw ten officers, and an officer oversaw ten ordinary people. It turned out that a taskmaster oversaw a hundred and ten men.
\nF. One time a taskmaster came early in the morning to an officer and said to him, \u201cGo and call together your group of ten.\u201d When he went into his house, his wife smiled at [the taskmaster].
\nG. The taskmaster said, \u201cThat woman belongs to that man [me].\u201d He went out and hid behind the ladder. When the woman\u2019s husband had gone out, he went in and made sport with her.
\nH. [The husband] turned around and saw [the taskmaster] leaving his house. When [the taskmaster] realized that he had seen him going forth from his house, he beat him all day long and said, \u201cHarder! harder!\u201d He was planning to kill him [in that way].
\nI. At that moment the Holy Spirit aroused Moses. That is the meaning of the statement, \u201cHe looked this way and that\u201d (Ex. 2:12).
\nJ. What is the meaning of, \u201cHe looked this way and that\u201d?
\nK. He perceived what [the taskmaster] had done to him in the house and what he was going to do to him in the field. He said, \u201cIt is not enough for him that he made sport with his wife, but now he wants to kill him!\u201d
\nL. Forthwith: \u201cHe saw that there was no man\u201d (Ex. 2:12).
\nM. What did he see? R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis:
\nN. R. Judah said, \u201cHe saw that there was no one else who would rise up and act zealously for the sake of the Holy One, blessed be he, by killing him, so he went and acted zealously for the sake of the Holy One, blessed be he, and killed him.\u201d
\nO. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cHe saw that there was no one who would rise up and make mention in his regard of the name [of God] and kill him, so he went and made mention of the name of God and killed him.\u201d
\nP. Rabbis say, \u201cHe saw that nothing of value would ever come forth from that man, from his children, or from his descendants for all generations.\u201d
\nQ. Forthwith: \u201cHe smote the Eqyptian\u201d (Ex. 2:12).
\nR. With what did he kill him?
\nS. R. Isaac said, \u201cHe killed him with his fist. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And to smite with the fist of wickedness\u2019 \u201d (Is. 58:4).
\nT. R. Levi said, \u201cHe smote him with the Mystery of Israel [by stating the Ineffable Name].\u201d
\nU. [Supply: That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201c \u2018Is it to kill me that you intend?\u2019 And he hid him in the sand\u201d (Ex. 2:12). He hid him on account of Israel, who are compared to sand.] That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd the number of the people of Israel will be like the number of grains of sand on the seashore\u201d (Hos. 2:2).<\/p>\n
The exegesis of Lev. 24:10 asks how an Egyptian man could have fathered a child by an Israelite woman. Levi\u2019s idea dominates, since everything from D onward spells out in narrative the consequence of his thesis. There are two additional units, integral to the exposition of Levi\u2019s view, L\u2013Q and R\u2013U.<\/p>\n
XXXII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cA garden locked is my sister, my bride, a garden locked, a fountain sealed\u201d (Song 4:12).
\nB. [Regarding the sister as Israel, and the locked garden as evidence that Israelite women did not commit sexual relations with Egyptians], said R. Phineas, \u201cA garden locked\u2019 refers to the virgins. \u2018A garden locked\u2019 refers to women who had had sexual relations. \u2018A fountain sealed\u2019 refers to the males.\u201d
\nC. It was taught in the name of R. Nathan, \u201c \u2018A garden locked, a garden locked\u2019\u2014these refer to two modes of sexual relations, frontwards, backwards.\u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cA garden locked\u201d (Song 4:12):
\nB. R. Phineas in the name of R. Hiyya bar Abba: \u201cBecause the Israelites locked themselves up [and avoided] licentious sexual behavior with the Egyptians, they were redeemed from Egypt.
\nC. \u201cOn that account was \u2018Your being sent forth\u2019 [lit.: Your shoots are an orchard of pomegranates, with all choicest fruits] [Song 4:13].
\nD. \u201cThat interpretation is in line with the following: \u2018And it came to pass, when Pharaoh sent forth \u2026\u2019 [Ex. 13:17]. [The \u2018shoots\u2019 of Song 4:13 calls to mind the \u2018sending forth\u2019 of Pharaoh, and the Israelites were sent forth by virtue of the fact that they had protected the integrity of their \u2018shoots,\u2019 their offspring.]\u201d
\n3. A. R. Huna in the name of R. Hiyya bar Abba: \u201cSarah went down to Egypt and fenced herself off from sexual licentiousness and all the other [Israelite] women were kept fenced off on account of the merit that she had attained.
\nB. \u201cJoseph went down to Egypt and fenced himself off from sexual licentiousness, and all the other [Israelite] men kept fenced off on account of the merit that he had attained.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Hiyya bar Abba, \u201cIt was truly worthy that through the fence that kept people from licentious behavior, Israel should be redeemed.\u201d
\n4. A. R. Huna in the name of Bar Qappara: \u201cIt was on four counts that the Israelites were redeemed from Egypt:
\nB. \u201cBecause they did not change their names [from Jewish to Egyptian ones], because they did not change their language, because they did not gossip, because they did not go beyond the bounds of sexual decency.
\nC. \u201cBecause they did not change their names: Reuben and Simeon\u2014whoever went down Reuben and Simeon came up bearing the same names.
\nD. \u201cThey did not call Reuben, Rufus, Judah, Julian, Joseph, Justus, or Benjamin, Alexander.
\nE. \u201cBecause they did not change their language: Elsewhere it is written, \u2018And a refugee came and told Abram the Hebrew\u2019 [Gen. 14:13]. Here it is written, \u2018The God of the Hebrews has met with us\u2019 [Ex. 3:18].
\nF. \u201cAnd it is written, \u2018For my mouth it is that speaks with you\u2019 [Gen. 45:12]. That was in the holy language.
\nG. \u201cBecause they did not gossip: For it is written, \u2018Speak into the ears of the people [and let them ask \u2026 jewels or silver from their neighbors]\u2019 [Ex. 11:2]. Now you find that this matter [of taking away the wealth of Egypt] had been set in trust with them for twelve months [prior to the actual exodus], but not a single one of them turned out to have revealed the secret, and not a single one of them squealed on his fellow [Jews].
\nH. \u201cBecause they did not go beyond the bounds of sexual decency: You may find evidence that that was the case, for there was only a single [Israelite] woman who actually did so, and Scripture explicitly identified her: \u2018And the name of his mother was Shulamit, daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan\u2019 [Lev. 24:11]. [So she was the only one who bore a child to an Egyptian man.]\u201d
\n5. A. \u201cShulamith\u201d (Lev. 24:11).
\nB. R. Levi said, \u201cIt was because she went around chattering, \u2018Peace (SLM) to you! Peace to you! Peace to you!\u2019 \u201d
\nC. \u201cDaughter of Dibri\u201d (Lev. 24:11).
\nD. R. Isaac said, \u201cIt was because she brought disaster (DBR) on her son.\u201d
\nE. \u201cOf the tribe of Dan\u201d (Lev. 24:11).
\nF. It was a disgrace to him, a disgrace to his mother, a disgrace to his family, a disgrace to his tribe, from which he came forth.<\/p>\n
The theme of the preceding\u2014Israelite women protected their sexual purity from Egyptian men\u2014is worked out here. These conventional materials provide proof texts rather than exegeses to make their points. Nos. 1 and 2 work on the intersecting verse. Nos. 3 and 4 take up the established theme. Then No. 5 reads into the mother\u2019s name the conclusions drawn in the preceding\u2014a neat progression.<\/p>\n
XXXII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201c[Though called by the same name or title,] some are named and [blessed \u2018may he] rest in peace\u2019], others are named [and cursed \u2018may his bones] rot.\u2019
\nB. \u201cNamed and blessed: \u2018Behold, I have called by name Bezelel, son of Uri, son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah\u2019 [Ex. 31:2].
\nC. \u201cNamed and cursed: \u2018Achan, son of Karmi, son of Zabdi, son of Zarhi, of the tribe of Judah\u2019 [Josh. 7:1].
\nD. \u201cNamed and blessed: \u2018Now there was a certain man of Ramathaim-zophim of the hill country of Ephraim\u2019 [1 Sam. 1:1].
\nE. \u201cRemembered and cursed: \u2018Now there was a man of the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Micah\u2019 [Jud. 17:1].
\nF. \u201cRemembered and blessed: \u2018Remember the children of Levi\u2019 [Num. 3:15].
\nG. \u201cRemembered and cursed: \u2018I remember what Amalek did\u2019 [1 Sam. 15:2].
\nH. \u201cRemembered and blessed: \u2018Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam\u2019 [Deut. 24:9].
\nI. \u201cRemembered and cursed: \u2018Remember what Amalek did to you\u2019 [Deut. 25:17].
\nJ. \u201cRemembered and blessed: \u2018And David was the son of an Ephraimite man [1 Sam. 17:12].
\nK. \u201cRemembered and cursed: \u2018Jeroboam son of Nabat, the Ephraimite\u2019 [1 Kgs. 11:26].
\nL. \u201cRemembered and blessed: \u2018There was a Jewish man in Susa, the capital [\u2026 Mordecai]\u2019 [Est. 2:5].
\nM. \u201cRemembered and cursed: \u2018A man, an adversary, and an enemy \u2026 [Haman]\u2019 [Est. 7:6].
\nN. \u201cRemembered and blessed: \u2018For Mordecai, the Jew \u2026\u2019 [Est. 10:3].
\nO. \u201cRemembered and cursed: \u2018For Haman, son of Hammedatha the Amalekite\u2019 [Est. 9:24].
\nP. \u201cRemembered and blessed: \u2018And with him was Oholiab, son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan\u2019 [Ex. 38:23].
\nQ. \u201cRemembered and cursed: \u2018And the name of his mother was Shulamith, daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 24:11).
\n2. A. Rab said, \u201cUnder no circumstances does a mamzer live more than thirty days.\u201d
\nB. Said R. Hunia, \u201cOnce every sixty or seventy years, the Holy One, blessed be he, brings a great pestilence over the world and wipes out the mamzers, but he takes the people of valid pedigree with them [Y. Yeb. 8:3.V.M.:] [so as not to publicize the sins of the sinners]. What is the Scriptural proof for that statement? \u2018Yet he also is wise and brings evil\u2019 [Is. 31:2].
\nC. \u201cNow it was hardly necessary for the verse of Scripture to say more than, \u2018He brings good.\u2019 [Why then does it add that God is wise?] It is to teach you that even the evil that he brings to the world is brought through [his] wisdom.\u201d
\nD. \u201c \u2018And his word (DBR) he does not call back\u2019 [Is. 31:2]. He does not call back his pestilence (DBR).
\nE. \u201cWhy so? \u2018He will rise against the house of evildoers and against the court of those that do evil\u2019 \u201d (Is. 31:2).
\nF. That [statement above, that God wipes out valid and invalid folk alike, so as not to publicize the sin of the sinners], accords with what R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201c \u2018In the place in which the burnt offering is killed shall the sin offering be killed, before the Lord\u2019 (Lev. 6:25).
\nG. \u201cWhy so? This is so as not to publicize the sins [of the sinners].\u201d<\/p>\n
The theme of No. 1 is fully spelled out, reaching its climax at the end. No. 2 pursues the matter of the imperfect genealogy of the villain of Lev. 24:10ff. But, in point of fact, the mother\u2019s name is spelled out. So the inclusion of the passage is solely because of the theme of the mamzer.<\/p>\n
XXXII:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. When R. Zeira came up here, he heard people saying, \u201cmamzer boy\u201d and \u201cmamzer girl.\u201d He said to them, \u201c[Why is this? Lo, note] that which R. Huna stated, \u2018A mamzer does not live more than thirty days.\u2019 \u201d
\nB. Said to him R. Jacob bar Aha, \u201cI was with you when R. Ba and R. Huna in the name of Rab stated, \u2018A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. Under what circumstances? When the matter is not known. But if the matter is known, he may live [a good long life].\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. That accords with what happened in the time of R. Berekhiah. A Babylonian came up here, and it was known of him that he was a mamzer. He came to him. He said to him, \u201cRabbi, give me [charity].\u201d
\nB. R. Berekhiah said to him, \u201cGo, but tomorrow appear in the congregation, and I shall publicly provide you something from the community chest.\u201d
\nC. The next day he came to him and found him in session expounding lessons in the synagogue. He waited until he finished. When he had finished his exposition, he came to him. Then R. Berekhiah said to them, \u201cBrethren, provide for this one, who is a mamzer.\u201d They allotted him [what he needed].
\nD. When the congregation had gone out, he said to him, \u201cRabbi, I asked you for sustenance for this life, and you have cut off the life of that man [me].\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cBy your life! I have given you life. For R. Ba in the name of R. Huna in the name of Rab stated, \u2018A mamzer lives only thirty days. Under what circumstances? When the matter is not known. But if the matter is public, he lives a good long life.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. R. Meir and R. Yos\u00e9:
\nB. R. Meir says, \u201cmamzers will never be clean in the world to come. What is the proof text? \u2018A mongrel people [mamzer] shall dwell in Ashdod\u2019 [Zech. 9:6]. They bring mud to a muddy place and thorns to thorns.\u201d
\nC. R. Yos\u00e9 said, \u201cThey will be clean in the world to come. Lo, Scripture says, \u2018I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean\u2019 [Ez. 36:25].
\nD. Said to him R. Meir, \u201cLo, it says, \u2018And you shall be clean from [some of] all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 36:25).
\nE. Said to him R. Yos\u00e9, \u201cRabbi, if Scripture had said, \u2018\u2026 all your uncleannesses and from all your idols,\u2019 and then nothing more, I should have ruled in accord with your view. When Scripture says, \u2018I shall clean you,\u2019 it means, even from the mamzers.\u201d
\nF. Said R. Huna, \u201cIf the law is not in accord with R. Yos\u00e9, generations to come will be destitute.\u201d<\/p>\n
The entire section consists of an anthology of materials on the theme of the mamzer. These materials are shared, nearly verbatim, with Y. Qid. 3:13.<\/p>\n
XXXII:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cBut I returned and considered all the oppressions [that are practiced under the sun. And behold, the tears of the oppressed, and they had no one to comfort them]\u201d (Qoh. 4:1).
\nB. Hanina the tailor interpreted the cited verse to speak of mamzers: \u201c \u2018But I returned and considered all the oppressions\u2019\u2014this refers to mamzers.
\nC. \u201c \u2018And behold, the tears of the oppressed\u2019\u2014the mothers of these people committed a transgression, and as a result [people] put these [poor folk] away.
\nD. \u201cThe father of this one had sexual relations with a woman of prohibited pedigree. But what did this one do? And what does it matter to this one?
\nE. \u201c \u2018And they had no one to comfort them.\u2019 Rather: \u2018On the side of their oppressors there was power\u2019 [Qoh. 4:1].
\nF. \u201cThis refers to Israel\u2019s great Sanhedrin, which comes against [mamzers] with the power of the Torah and puts [mamzers] away, on the count of the following verse: \u2018A mamzer shall not enter the congregation of the Lord\u2019 [Deut. 23:3].
\nG. \u201c \u2018And they had no one to comfort them.\u2019 Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018It is my task to comfort them.\u2019
\nH. \u201cFor in this world, there may be dross, but in the world to come, said Zechariah, \u2018I have seen them all gold, [that is,] pure gold.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201cAnd he said to me, \u2018What do you see,\u2019 and I said, \u2018I see, and behold, a wholly golden candelabrum, with a bowl [guleh] on top of it\u2019 \u201d (Zech. 4:2).
\nB. What is the meaning of the phrase, \u201cAnd a guleh on top of it\u201d?
\nC. Two Amoras: One of them said, \u201c[Guleh, to be read as] golah, exile.\u201d
\nD. The other said, \u201cGo\u05d0alah, meaning, redeemer.\u201d
\nE. In the view of the one who said that it is to be read, golah, exile, the Israelites were exiled to Babylonia, and the Presence of God went into exile with them [at their head]. That is in line with the following verse: \u201cOn your account I have been sent to Babylonia\u201d (Is. 43:14).
\nF. The one who said that it is to be read go\u05d0alah, meaning redeemer, or savior, [cites the following verse]: \u201cOur Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is his name\u201d (Is. 47:4).
\nG. \u201cThe breaker is gone up [before them, they have broken forth and passed on, by the gate, and are gone out from it; and their king passed on before them, and the Lord at the head of them]\u201d (Mic. 2:13). [The operative phrase is at the end, \u201cThe Lord is at the head of them.\u201d]<\/p>\n
The anthology on the mamzer concludes with an eschatological passage, carrying forward the theme that, in the age to come, the mamzer too will be purified, as Yos\u00e9 said above. None of this has any bearing upon the passage at hand; it is the theme, not the substance of the verse, that dictates what is found relevant. The exegesis of the proof text of Zech. 4:3 is autonomous of what has gone before. Obviously, 2.A concludes No. 1. But it also inaugurates an independent composition.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty-Three<\/p>\n
XXXIII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cDeath and life are in the power of the tongue\u201d (Prov. 18:21).
\nB. Aqilas translated, \u201cA spoon-knife, [that is, a utensil that has a knife at one end, a spoon at the other, thus] death on one side, life on the other.\u201d
\nC. Bar Sira said, \u201c[If a person] had before him a coal, if he blows on it, it burns higher. [If] he spits on it, it goes out [Ben Sira 28:12]. [Both come from the same mouth, that is, breath or spit.]\u201d
\nD. R. Hiyya bar Abba said, \u201c[If] there was a basket of dates before a person, [if] he ate [of the dates] before [by stating the required formula] he tithed [the basket], there is \u2018death in the power of the tongue,\u2019 while [if] he tithed [the basket, also by merely stating a required formula], and then ate [of the dates], there is \u2018life in the power of the tongue.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. Said R. Yannai, \u201c[If] before a person was a loaf of bread from which tithes and offerings had not been designated, if he ate [of the bread] before [by stating the required formula] he tithed [the bread], there is \u2018death in the power of the tongue,\u2019 while [if] he tithed [the bread, as above] and then ate it, there is \u2018life in the power of the tongue.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. Rabban Gamaliel said to Tabi, his slave, \u201cGo, buy us a good piece of meat from the market.\u201d
\nB. He went and brought him tongue.
\nC. After a while he said to him, \u201cGo and buy us a poor piece of meat from the market.\u201d
\nD. He went and brought him tongue.
\nE. He said to him, \u201cWhen I said to you, \u2018Go, buy us a good piece of meat from the market,\u2019 you went and brought us tongue, and when I said to you, \u2018Go, buy us a poor piece of meat from the market,\u2019 you went and brought us tongue!\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cMy lord, from [tongue come] good things, and from [tongue come] bad things.
\nG. \u201cWhen it is good, there is nothing better, and when it is bad, there is nothing worse.\u201d
\n3. A. Rab made a banquet for his disciples. He brought before them soft tongues and hard tongues. They began to select the soft ones and to leave the hard ones. He said to them, \u201cMy disciples, note what you are doing when you select the soft ones and leave the hard ones.
\nB. \u201cSo should your tongues be, soft for one another.\u201d
\n4. A. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cAnd if you sell to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another\u201d (Lev. 25:14).<\/p>\n
The conventional meaning imputed to Lev. 25:14 is that \u201cwronging\u201d here refers to injuring one another through acts of speech. That accounts for the selection of the intersecting text, which directly makes the same point. The illustrative materials repeat the matter in diverse ways. No. 1 works out the intersecting verse, and Nos. 2 and 3 go over the established lesson. There can be no doubt that, for the framers of this passage, the exegesis of Lev. 25:14 comes prior to the selection of the intersecting text, hence also of 1.C\u2013E, not to mention the secondary materials that follow.<\/p>\n
XXXIII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cHe showed me: behold, the Lord was standing beside a wall built with a plumb line (\u2019NK) [with a plumb line in his hand]\u201d (Amos 7:7).
\nB. [He was standing] beside a wall of wrongs. [The Hebrew, \u2019NK, in Aramaic is translated \u201cwrong.\u201d]
\n2. A. \u201cAnd in his hand was a plumb line\u201d (Amos 7:7).
\nB. He was like a creditor who was standing with the bond [of debt] in his hand.
\nC. Along these same lines: \u201cA new king arose\u201d (Ex. 1:8).
\nD. He was like a creditor who was standing with the bond in his hand.
\nE. Along these same lines: \u201cAnd the seven years of famine arose\u201d (Gen. 41:30).
\nF. It was like a creditor who was standing with the bond in his hand.
\nG. And along these same lines: \u201cAnd Balak son of Zippor saw\u201d (Num. 22:2).
\nH. He was like a creditor who was standing with the bond in his hand.
\nI. And along these same lines: \u201c[You saw, O king, and behold,] a great image. This image, mighty [and of exceeding brightness, stood before you]\u201d (Dan. 2:31).
\nJ. It was like a creditor who was standing with the bond in his hand. [In each case, the \u201ccreditor\u201d is standing and waiting to exact collection of what is owing to him.]
\n3. A. \u201cAnd the Lord said to me, \u2018Amos, what do you see\u2019 And I said, \u2018A plumb line\u2019 \u201d (Amos 7:8).
\nB. What is the meaning of the word for plumb line (\u2019NK)?
\nC. This refers to the great Sanhedrin of Israel, which adds up to the number [of seventy-one, the same as the numerical value of the letters of the word] \u2019NK.
\n4. A. \u201cAnd the Lord said, \u2018Behold, I am setting a plumb line [in the midst of my people Israel]\u2019 \u201d (Amos 7:8).
\nB. Said R. Judah bar Simon, \u201cJust as a pot on the fire does not hold its weight but diminishes (\u2019NKH) [through the fire\u2019s action], so the Holy One, blessed be he, said, \u2018I shall diminish you through suffering in this world, but in the world to come: \u201cI will not continue to be angry with them any longer\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Amos 7:8).
\n5. A. R. Isaac bar Eleazar and R. Tabyomi in the name of R. Jeremiah, R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Eleazar: \u201cIn regard to all other transgressions, it is written, \u2018Forgiving iniquity and transgression\u2019 [Ex. 34:7].
\nB. \u201cBut in this case [when it speaks of hurting another party through words], \u2018I shall not continue to pardon\u2019 \u201d (Amos 7:8).<\/p>\n
The selection of Amos 7:7\u20138 presumably derives from No. 5, which then understands that the Hebrew for the Aramaic \u2019WNY, that is, the word for \u201cwrong one another\u201d used Lev. 25:14, is \u2019NK. This then leads the exegete to Amos 7:7. But the exegesis, Nos. 1\u20134, essentially ignores the sense of Lev. 25:14, established above, and goes its own way.<\/p>\n
XXXIII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cI saw the Lord standing over the altar (MZBH)\u201d (Amos 9:1).
\nB. He was standing over that generation, to slay it (ZBH).
\nC. \u201cAnd he said, \u2018Smite the capitals\u2019 \u201d (Amos 9:1). This refers to Josiah, king of Judah.
\nD. \u201cUntil the thresholds shake\u201d (Amos 9:1). This refers to his counselors.
\n2. A. \u201cAnd shatter them (BS\u02bfM) on the heads of all the people\u201d (Amos 9:1).
\nB. R. Simeon bar Abba in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cTheir [acts of] robbery (BS\u02bfM) are at the head of all [their sins, and so] stand out most of all\u201d (see Margulies, p. 761 to p. 760, n. to l. 5].
\nC. R. Yudan in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cThe matter may be compared to a basket full of sins. Which among them draws the strongest indictment? It is thievery.\u201d
\nD. R. Phineas in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cThe matter may be compared to a group of people, among whom were idolators, murderers, fornicators. But the act of thievery [of which] all of them [were guilty] was the most weighty of all [of their sins].\u201d
\nE. Said R. Jacob bar Aha in the name of R. Yohanan, \u201cEzekiel made a list of twenty-four sins, and among them all, he concluded [the list] only with robbery: \u2018Behold, therefore, I have smitten my hand on your acts of robbery (BS\u02bfK)\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 22:13).
\nF. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cYou shall not wrong one another\u201d (Lev. 25:14).<\/p>\n
Now the base verse is read to refer to committing acts of thievery or robbery, for example, by stealing one another\u2019s land. Once that reading is established, then attention comes to play on the word BS\u02bf, thievery, which yields several meanings, as is clear at Amos 9:1 and what follows in No. 2. The redactional subscript neatly ties the matter together.<\/p>\n
XXXIII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd the people of Israel did according to all that the Lord had commanded Moses [so they pitched by their standards]\u201d (Num. 2:34).
\nB. Now where was Aaron [to whom Num. 2:34 also was addressed: \u201cThe Lord spoke to Moses and to Aaron \u2026\u201d]?
\nC. R. Joshua b. Nehemiah, R. Levi bar Hiyyata, and R. Ba, son of R. Hiyya bar Ba: \u201cWhen [Aaron] came to check out their genealogy, [the people] ridiculed him, saying to him, \u2018Are you coming to check out our genealogies? Before you check out our genealogies, go and check out your own son. To whom was Eleazar, your son, married? Was it not to the daughter of Putiel, [an idolator]?\u201d
\nD. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018And Eleazar, son of Aaron, took a wife for himself from the daughters of Putiel\u2019 [Ex. 6:25].
\nE. \u201cWhen the Holy One, blessed be he, saw that they were humiliating him, he came and established his genealogy: Phineas, son of Eleazar, son of Aaron the priest\u2019 [Num. 25:11].
\nF. \u201c[It was as if to say,] \u2018A priest, son of a priest, a zealot, son of a zealot, one who appeases [my] wrath, son of one who appeases [my] wrath.\u2019 [For] \u2018he appeased my wrath, therefore say, \u201cBehold, I give him my covenant of peace\u201d \u2019 [Num. 25:12].
\nG. \u201cTherefore the Holy One, blessed be he, gave precedence to the honor owing to Aaron over the honor owing to Moses.
\nH. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018These are the generations of Aaron and Moses\u2019 [Num. 3:1].
\nI. \u201c \u2018Moses and Aaron\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Aaron and Moses.\u2019 \u201d
\nJ. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel: \u201cAnd if you sell to your neighbor or buy from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another\u201d (Lev. 25:14).<\/p>\n
The sense of \u201cwrong\u201d now extends to humiliating or dishonoring the neighbor, hence the relevance of the available homily about Aaron\u2019s son, which otherwise in no way intersects with the present passage. But the notion of \u201cwrong\u201d as \u201cridicule\u201d recurs at the very end of the Parashah.<\/p>\n
XXXIII:V<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAbijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter; [so there fell slain of Israel five hundred thousand picked men]\u201d (2 Chron. 13:17).
\nB. What is the meaning of \u201ca great slaughter?\u201d
\nC. Said R. Aba b. Kahara, \u201cHe removed [the Israelite\u2019s] noses.\u201d
\nD. That is in line with what is written, \u201cThe point of recognition of their faces witnesses against them\u201d (Is. 3:9). [This refers to the nose.]
\nE. R. Issi said, \u201cHe set up guards over them for three days [so that they could not be buried], until their faces were disfigured. [Y. Yeb. 16:3.II adds: That is in line with what is written, \u2018I have made their widows more in number than the sand of the seas; (I have brought against the mothers of young men a destroyer at noonday; I have made anguish and terror fall upon them suddenly)\u2019 (Jer. 15:8).]\u201d
\nF. And so we learned there (M. Yeb. 16:3A\u2013B, E): \u201cThey derive testimony concerning the identity of a corpse only from the appearance of the whole face with the nose even though there are signs of the corpse\u2019s identity on his body or garments \u2026 They give testimony about the identity of a corpse only during a period of three days after death.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cJeroboam did not recover his power in the days of Abijah; and the Lord smote him and he died\u201d (2 Chron. 13:20).
\nB. Said R. Samuel bar Nahman, \u201cDo you think that this refers to Jeroboam? It refers only to Abijah.\u201d
\nC. And why was he smitten?
\nD. R. Yohanan, R. Simeon b. Laqish, and rabbis.
\nE. R. Yohanan said, \u201cBecause he humiliated Jeroboam in public. This is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018[And now you think to withstand the kingdom of the Lord in the hand of the sons of David,] because you are a great multitude and have with you the golden calves which Jeroboam made you for Gods\u2019 \u201d (2 Chron. 13:8).
\nF. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cIt was because he despised Ahihah the Shileonite: \u2018And certain worthless scoundrels gathered about him [and defiled Rehoboam the son of Solomon, when Rehoboam was young and irresolute and could not withstands them]\u2019 [2 Chron. 13:7]. [It was because he cried out against Ahijah the Shilonite.]\u201d
\nG. Rabbis say, \u201cIt was because idolatry came about through his deed, and he did not wipe it out. That is in line with what is written, \u2018And Abijah pursued Jeroboam, and took cities from him, Bethel with its villages [and Jeshanah with its villages and Ephron with its villages]\u2019 [2 Chron. 13:19]. And it is written, \u2018And he set one in Bethel, and the other he put in Dan\u2019 \u201d (1 Kings 12:29).
\nH. Now it is an argument a fortiori: Now if a king humiliated another king, Scripture indicates he was punished, he who humiliates his fellow, how much the more so [will he be punished]!
\nI. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel: \u201cYou shall not wrong one another\u201d (Lev. 25:14).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1 and 2 form a whole, inserted here because of 2.E, which then is served by the editorial subscript, 2.H\u2013I. The sense of \u201cwronging\u201d then is public humiliation, and the rest follows. The version at Y. Yeb. 16:3 lacks 2.H\u2013I, but otherwise is virtually identical.<\/p>\n
XXXIII:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to the main] body [of the text at hand:] R. Hiyya, son of R. Ada of Jaffa: \u201c \u2018And if you sell\u2019 [Lev. 25:14] [may be read,] \u2018And if you are sold\u2019 [Lev. 25:14].
\nB. \u201cYou are going to be sold to the nations of the world. Join your Creator with you, as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did when they said to Nebuchadnezzar, \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, whether we are delivered or not delivered, 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 [Dan. 3:16\u201318].
\nC. \u201cNebuchadnezzar answered and said to them, \u2018Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, [that you do not serve my gods or worship the golden image which I have set up? Now if you are ready \u2026, to fall down and worship the image \u2026, well and good\u2019]\u201d (Dan. 3:14).
\nD. What is the meaning of the word, \u201cIs it true (HSD\u05d0)\u201d?
\nE. R. Abba bar Kahana said, \u201cReally?\u201d
\nF. R. Yos\u00e9 bar Hanina said, \u201cDesolation (SDW).\u201d
\nG. Said R. Yos\u00e9 bar Haninah, \u201cHe said to them, \u2018Have you come here to turn my idol into desolation?\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Yohanan made two statements. R. Judah bar Simon made two statements. R. Samuel bar Nahman made two statements. And rabbis made one statement.
\nB. R. Yohanan said two things: \u201c[Nebuchadnezzar] said to them, \u2018Now does not the very principle of idolatry not come from you? Is it not written, \u201cWhose graven images are from Jerusalem and Samaria\u201d [Is. 10:10]? And now have you come here to turn my idol into desolation?\u2019 \u201d
\nC. R. Yohanan made another statement. \u201cHe [that is, Nebuchadnezzar] said to them, \u2018When you were in your own country, you would send your troops to buy models of idols, and you made them for yourselves in marble. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cThe images of the Chaledeans incised in vermilion\u201d [Ez. 23:14]. And now have you come here to turn my idol into desolation?\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. R. Judah bar Simon made two statements:
\nB. \u201c[Nebuchadnezzar] said to them, \u2018When you were in your own country, you would form bands and bands (PSQYWT) for idolatry. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd you opened your legs (PSQ) to every passerby\u201d [Ez. 16:25]. And now have you come here to turn my idol into desolation?\u2019 \u201d
\nC. R. Judah bar Simon made yet another statement: \u201c[Nebuchadnezzar] said to them [following Lieberman, Greek in Jewish Palestine (New York: Jewish Theological Seminary of America, 1942), pp. 49\u201350:], \u2018When you were in your own land, you used to form unanimous processions (MWNYWT) for idolatry, as it is said, \u201cAnd the voice of a harmonious multitude (MWN) being at ease was therein\u201d \u2019 [Ez. 23:42].
\nD. \u201cThe word \u2018being at ease\u2019 means that they were seated at the table. [That is to say, harlots placed drunkards at the table, who came from the wilderness.]
\nE. \u201cThe final word of the verse means \u2018drunkards.\u2019 \u201d
\nF. \u201cThey put bracelets on their hands\u201d (Ez. 23:42).
\nG. R. Judah bar Simon said, \u201cThe word for \u2018bracelets\u2019 refers to male hustlers.\u201d
\nH. \u201cThen I said of her that was worn out by adulteries\u201d (Ez. 23:43).
\nI. What is the meaning of the word for \u201cher that was worn out\u201d?
\nJ. Aqilas translated it, \u201cOld whore.\u201d [Lieberman, p. 50, states, \u201cAccordingly, R. Juda\u2019s conception of the meaning of this verse is as follows: \u2018And the voice of a harmonious multitude being at ease was therein; and with men of the common sort they (that is, the harlots) seated drunkards who came from the wilderness. Near themselves they placed (male prostitutes) with beautiful crowns upon their heads.\u2019 \u201d]
\nK. R. Judah bar Simon said, \u201cThis word for old harlot (BLH) in fact can refer only to idolatry. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And I shall punish Bel in Babylonia\u2019 [Jer. 51:44].
\nL. [Judah finishes, \u201cNechadnezzar said,] \u2018And now have you come here to turn my idol into desolation?\u2019 \u201d
\n4. A. R. Samuel bar Nahman made two statements. R. Samuel bar Nahman said, \u201c[Nebuchadnezzar] said to them, \u2018Was your idol not made out of silver and gold? For it is said, \u201cWith their silver and gold they made themselves idols\u201d [Hos. 8:4]. But my idol is entire made of gold, pure gold, for it is written, \u201cNebuchadnezzar the king made an idol out of gold\u201d [Dan. 3:1]. And now have you come here to turn my idol into desolation?\u2019 \u201d
\nB. R. Samuel bar Nahman made yet a second statement. \u201c[Nebuchadnezzar] said to them, \u2018Did not Moses write for you as follows in the Torah: \u201cAnd there you served gods that were the work of man\u2019 \u201d? [Deut. 4:28]
\nC. \u201cThey said to him, \u2018My lord, O king, This service did not involve worship but rather labor in taxes, fines, head taxes, and arnonae.\u2019 \u201d
\nD. Said R. Samuel bar Nahman, \u201cThere [in Babylonia] they call the kings gods.
\nE. \u201c[A. Samuel concludes, \u2018Nebuchadnezzar said,] \u201cAnd now have you come to turn my idol into desolation?\u201d \u2019 \u201d
\n5. A. And rabbis made one statement. \u201c[Nebuchadnezzar] said to them, \u2018Did not Jeremiah write as follows: \u201cBut if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar, [king of Babylonia, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylonia, I will punish that nation with the sword, famine, and pestilence, says the Lord], until I have consumed it by his hand\u201d [Jer. 27:8].
\nB. \u201c \u2018Now [Nebuchadnezzar continued,] Either you will carry out the first half of that verse, or I shall carry out the second half.\u2019
\nC. \u201cForthwith: \u2018Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered the king, \u201cO Nebuchadnezzar \u2026\u201d \u2019 [Dan. 3:16].
\nD. \u201cIf he is called \u2018king\u2019 then why make mention of Nebuchadnezzar, and if he is Nebuchadnezzar, why call him king? But this is what they said to him, \u2018So far as service in taxes, fines, head taxes, and arnonae, you indeed are king. You are king over us. But in this matter, about which you address to us, saying, \u201cServe \u2026!\u201d you are [merely] Nebuchadnezzar, and your name is [merely] Nebuchadnezzar. So far as we are concerned, you and any dog are equal.\u2019 \u201d
\n6. A. [The elements of the name now are taken apart:] Nebu\u2014bark (NBH) like a dog.
\nB. Chad\u2014swell like a utensil (KD).
\nC. Nezzar\u2014chirp (NSR) like a cricket.
\nD. Forthwith: He barked like a dog, swelled like a pitcher, and chirped like a cricket.
\n7. A. It is written, \u201cI keep the king\u2019s command (lit.: mouth)\u201d (Qoh. 8:2).
\nB. Said R. Levi, \u201cI keep the command of the King of kings of kings, the Holy One, blessed be he.
\nC. \u201c[I speak of] that mouth which said at Sinai, \u2018I am the Lord your God\u2019 [Ex. 20:2].
\nD. \u201cIn regard (DBRT) of [the oath of God]\u201d (Qoh. 8:2):
\nE. On the count of: \u201cAnd God said all these things\u201d (DBRYM) (Ex. 20:1).
\nF. \u201cThe oath of God\u201d (Qoh. 8:2).
\nG. \u201cYou shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain\u201d (Ex. 20:7).
\nH. For in this age the nations of the world wrong Israel [with words]. But in the age to come, said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cI am going to feed [Israel] of the flesh [of gentiles] and give them to drink of their blood.\u201d
\nI. For it is written, \u201cAnd I shall feed those who wrong you with words with their own flesh, and they shall get drunk with their own blood\u201d (Is. 49:26).<\/p>\n
The exegetical exercise moves on to the reading of the operative verb in the passive, \u201cWhen you are sold,\u201d followed by a rather systematic account of Nebuchadnezzar and the Jewish martyrs, No. 1. Because of 1.G, the enormous account of Nos. 2\u20135 is attached. (I see No. 6 as an appendix to No. 5.) In each instance the same rhetorical program comes to full expression; all that varies is the proof text. The \u201cintersecting verse\u201d of No. 7 is Qoh. 8:2. 7.G reverts to the notion of \u201cwrong\u201d at Lev. 25:14 as \u201cwrong with words.\u201d So we come full circle through the inclusion of No. 7, returning to the point at which, at the outset of the Parashah, we began. If that is correct, then we see a remarkably deft hand. The editor has moved us through the various meanings of the word \u201cwrong\u201d and joined his final message\u2014the treatment of one another by the nations of the world, not by the Israelites\u2014to the meaning introduced at the beginning.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty-Four<\/p>\n
XXXIV:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cBlessed is he who considers the poor. [The Lord delivers him in the day of trouble; the Lord protects him and keeps him alive; he is called blessed in the land; you do not give him up to the will of his enemies]\u201d (Ps. 41:1\u20132).
\nB. R. Abba bar Jeremiah in the name of R. Meir said, \u201cThis refers to one who enthrones his impulse to do good over his impulse to do evil.\u201d
\nC. Isi said, \u201cThis refers to one who gives a coin to a poor person.\u201d
\nD. R. Yohanan said, \u201cThis refers to one who buries a neglected corpse.\u201d
\nE. Rabbis say, \u201cThis refers to one who [helps a person] flee from the [oppressive] kingdoms.\u201d
\nF. R. Huna said, \u201cThis refers to one who visits the sick.\u201d
\nG. For R. Huna said, \u201cWhoever visits the sick takes away one sixtieth of [whatever ails the patient].\u201d
\nH. They objected to R. Huna, \u201cIf so, let sixty people visit him and let him climb down [from his bed and go] with them to the marketplace.\u201d
\nI. He said to them, \u201cIt is indeed one-sixtieth, but that is on condition that each loves him as much as he loves himself. But in any event they help him.\u201d
\nJ. In the view of Abba bar Jeremiah in the name of R. Meir, who said, \u201cThis refers to one who enthroned the impulse to do good over the impulse to do evil,\u201d \u201cThe Lord protects him\u201d (Ps. 41:2) from the impulse to do evil.
\nK. In the view of Isi, who said, \u201cThis refers to one who gives a coin to a poor person,\u201d \u201cAnd keeps him alive\u201d (Ps. 41:2).
\nL. In the view of R. Yohanan, who said, \u201cThis refers to one who buries a neglected corpse,\u201d \u201cHe is called blessed in the land\u201d (Ps. 41:2).
\nM. In the view of rabbis, who said, \u201cThis refers to one who [helps a person] flee from the [oppressive] kingdoms,\u201d \u201cYou do not give him up to the will of his enemies\u201d (Ps. 41:2).
\nN. In the view of R. Huna, who said, \u201cWhoever visits the sick takes away one-sixtieth of [whatever ails the patient],\u201d \u201cThe Lord sustains him on his sickbed\u201d (Ps. 41:3).
\n2. A. Said R. Jonah, \u201c \u2018Blessed is he who gives to the poor\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Blessed is he who considers the poor.\u2019 What that must mean is that he reflects about how he may assist him.\u201d
\nB. This is what R. Jonah would do. When he would see the child of great and good parents who had lost his money and yet was ashamed of taking [charity], he would go to him and say to him, \u201cI heard that you have received an inheritance overseas. Now here is this item, and when you recover your wealth, you can give it back to me.\u201d
\nC. When he would hand over the object, he would say to the poor person, \u201cI\u2019m giving it to you as a gift.\u201d
\n3. A. R. Levi in the name of R. Hama b. R. Haninah said, \u201cTwenty-two times is the word \u2018blessed\u2019 used, and only in the case of this one is the recompense stated alongside.
\nB. \u201cAnd what is the recompense that the person receives? \u2018The Lord delivers him in the day of trouble\u2019 [Ps. 41:1].
\nC. \u201cThe \u2018day of trouble\u2019 refers only to the day of judgment for Gehenna.\u201d
\nD. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cIf your brother becomes poor [and sells part of his property, then his next of kin shall come and redeem what his brother has sold]\u201d (Lev. 25:25).<\/p>\n
The theme of poverty, Lev. 25:25, leads to the first in a long sequence of exegeses of verses that refer to poverty. No. 1 runs on entirely autonomous of the base verse. No. 2 provides a second account of the intersecting verse. Without the subscript, 3.C, No. 3 would be equally distant from the base verse. Accordingly, the entire construction is built around the intersecting verse. Nothing that is said responds to details in the base verse. The connection between the intersecting and the base verses is effected solely by the common theme, poverty. So that theme alone is what accounts for the selection of the intersecting verse.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cHe who is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, [and he will repay him for his deed]\u201d (Prov. 19:17).
\nB. Said R. Eleazar, \u201cIt is written, \u2018He gives bread to all flesh\u2019 [Ps. 136:25], and this one comes along and takes over [the merit of performing that] religious duty. [Accordingly], said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018It is my obligation to repay him in kind.\u2019 That is the meaning of the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he will repay him his deed\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 19:17).
\n2. A. R. Tanhuma stated the following, R. Haggai in the name of R. Hiyya the Elder, [also] R. Nahman said it, R. Mana in the name of R. Yudan b. Simeon, and rabbis in the name of R. Simeon b. Laqish: \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances the borrower is made into the servant of the lender.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018The borrower is servant of the lender\u2019 [Prov. 22:7]. [So too, \u2018\u2026 lends to the Lord \u2026,\u2019 means that God becomes the servant of the one who is kind to the poor.]\u201d
\n3. A. R. Phineas in the name of R. Reuben: \u201cTo whoever gives a coin to a poor man the Holy One, blessed be he, gives a coin.\u201d
\nB. Now does he give a coin? Does he not give him only his soul?
\nC. How so?
\nD. [If] a loaf of bread is selling for ten pennies, and a poor man is standing there, ready to buy, but has only nine, and someone comes along and gives him a coin so that the poor man can buy the loaf of bread and eat it and restore his soul, then the Holy One, blessed be he, says to him, \u2018You too, when your soul is fluttering about, planning to leave your body [e.g., during a dangerous illness], lo, I shall restore it to your body.\u201d
\nE. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cIf your brother becomes poor \u2026\u201d (Lev. 25:25).<\/p>\n
The new intersecting verse produces the proposition that God pays back a person who helps the poor. No. 1 makes that point. No. 2 moves in a daring direction, taking the proposition but not the proof text of No. 1. No. 3 then repeats the same proposition, in a more conventional framework. The subscript once again is all that serves to the base verse to link the composition on the stated proposition.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cA man who is kind benefits himself, but a cruel man hurts himself\u201d (Prov. 11:17).
\nB. \u201cA man who is kind benefits himself\u201d refers to Hillel the Elder.
\nC. When Hillel the Elder would take leave of his disciples, he would walk along. His disciples said to him, \u201cMaster, where are you going?\u201d
\nD. He would say to them, \u201cTo carry out a religious duty.\u201d
\nE. They said to him, \u201cAnd what is the religious duty that Hillel is going to do?\u201d
\nF. He said to them, \u201cTo take a bath in the bathhouse.\u201d
\nG. They said to him, \u201cAnd is this a religious duty?\u201d
\nH. He said to them, \u201cYes. Now if as to the king\u2019s statues, which they set up in their theaters and circuses, someone is appointed to scour and wash [the icons], and people pay him a wage on that account, and not only so, but he is exalted with the great men of the realm,
\nI. \u201cwe, who are created in the image, in the likeness, as it is written, \u2018For in the image of God he made man\u2019 [Gen. 9:6], all the more so [is it a religious duty to wash ourselves]!\u201d
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cA man who is kind benefits himself\u201d (Prov. 11:17)\u2014this refers to Hillel the Elder.
\nB. When Hillel the Elder would take leave of his disciples, he would walk along. His disciples said to him, \u201cMaster, where are you going?\u201d
\nC. He said to them, \u201cTo do a favor for a guest which is in the house.\u201d
\nD. They said to him, \u201cDo you have guests every day?\u201d
\nE. He said to them, \u201cIs not the miserable soul a guest in the body? For today it is here, and tomorrow it is not here!\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cAnother interpretation: \u2018A man who is kind benefits himself\u2019 [Prov. 11:17] [means that] he is a beneficent man.
\nB. \u201cBut a cruel man hurts himself\u201d (Prov. 11:17).
\nC. Said R. Alexandri, \u201cThis refers to someone who has an occasion for rejoicing but does not draw in his relatives with him because [they are] poor.\u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Aibu, \u201c \u2018You shall give to him freely\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 15:10).
\nB. Said R. Nahman, \u201c \u2018[You shall give to him freely, and your heart shall not be grudging when you give to him,] because for this [the Lord your God will bless you\u2019 [Deut. 15:10]. This is a wheel, and it turns for everyone. [So at some point everyone may become needy.]\u201d
\nC. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cIf your brother becomes poor \u2026\u201d (Lev. 25:25).<\/p>\n
Nos. 1 and 2 treat the intersecting verse in isolation from the theme of the base verse. No. 3 brings in the theme of poverty, No. 4 provides an exegesis of a different base verse, Deut. 15:10. Then the subscript alone is what validates inclusion of the entire construction on the common topic.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThe poor man and the mediocre man [lit.: oppressor] meet together; the Lord gives light to the eyes of both\u201d (Prov. 29:13).
\nB. \u201cThe rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the maker of them all\u201d (Prov. 22:2).
\nC. \u201cThe poor man\u201d refers to someone impoverished in knowledge of the Torah.
\nD. \u201cThe mediocre\u201d refers to one who has mastered [at most] a division or two divisions [of the Mishnah].
\nE. The poor man says to the mediocre, \u201cRepeat for me a chapter,\u201d and [if] he repeated it for him, then \u201cthe Lord gives light to the eyes of both\u201d (Prov. 29:13).
\nF. Both of them acquire the life of the world to come.
\nG. \u201cThe rich and the poor meet together\u201d (Prov. 22:2).
\nH. \u201cThe rich man\u201d refers to someone rich in knowledge of the Torah, and \u201cthe poor man\u201d refers to someone impoverished in knowledge of the Torah.
\nI. The poor man says to the rich man, \u201cTeach me a chapter, but he did not teach it to him. He said to him, \u2018What need do I have to sit down and repeat for you a chapter dealing with liquids or one dealing with when people recite [the Shema]? Go and repeat Mishnah traditions with people at your own level.\u2019
\nJ. \u201cThe Lord is the maker of them all\u201d (Prov. 22:2):
\nK. The one who made this man a sage can just as well make him an idiot, and the one who made this one an idiot can just as well make him a sage.
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cThe poor man and the average man meet together; [the Lord gives light to the eyes of both]\u201d (Prov. 29:13).
\nB. \u201cThe poor man\u201d refers to one who is impoverished in property.
\nC. \u201cThe average man\u201d refers to someone who makes a decent living.
\nD. The poor man said to the average man, \u201cGive me [help, as a] religious duty,\u201d and he did so, then \u201cthe Lord gives light to the eyes of both\u201d (Prov. 29:13).
\nE. This one [who was poor] acquires the means of living for the moment, while that one [who gave] acquires a share in the life of the world to come.
\nF. \u201cThe rich and the poor meet together\u201d (Prov. 22:2).
\nG. The rich man here is one who is rich in property, and the poor man is one who is impoverished in property.
\nH. Said the poor man to that rich man, \u201cGive me [help, as a] religious duty,\u201d and he did not give anything to him.
\nI. \u201cThe Lord is maker of them all\u201d (Prov. 22:2).
\nJ. He who made this man rich can make him poor, and he who made that man poor can make him rich.\u201d
\nK. Said the rich man to that poor man, \u201cWhy don\u2019t you go to work and get yourself something to eat? Look at those thighs, look at that belly, look at those layers of fat!\u201d
\nL. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIt is not enough for you that you have not given him something of your own. But you have now brought a curse on what I have given to him.\u201d
\nM. Therefore: \u201cIf he has gotten a son, there is nothing in his hand\u201d (Qoh. 5:13) of all that [the rich man] had had. [The son inherits nothing.]
\nN. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cIf your brother becomes poor \u2026\u201d (Lev. 25:25).<\/p>\n
The composition is built upon the exegesis of two verses, Prov. 29:13 and 22:2, which permit a contrast between a proper, and an improper, transaction, first in reference to study of Torah, then in reference to charity. This second entry permits inclusion
\nhere of the entire construction, and the editorial subscript underlines why. But the passage is autonomous, hardly organized around the theme at hand. Rather there is a prior exegetical program, based upon the intersection of the two passages of Proverbs and the contrast drawn between them.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Tanhum bar Hiyya commenced [discourse by citing the following verse of Scripture]: \u201cIn the day of prosperity be joyful [and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other, so that man may not find out anything that will be after him]\u201d (Prov. 7:14).
\nB. Said R. Tanhum bar Hiyya, \u201cOn the day on which things are good for your fellow, be with him in his rejoicing, and do not cast a spell of envy upon him.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Aha, \u201c \u2018In the day of prosperity be joyful and in the day of adversity consider\u2019 [Prov. 7:14]:
\nD. \u201cOn a day of adversity of your fellow, reflect about his need so as to know how you may attain merit [through assisting him] and sustain him, so that you may receive a reward for helping him.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Tanhum bar Hiyya would do things this way. When his mother would buy a litra of meat from the market for him, she would purchase two, one for him, the other for the poor.
\nB. When she would buy a bundle of vegetables from the market, she would buy two, one for him and one for the poor.
\nC. This was on the count of the following: \u201cGod has made the one as well as the other\u201d (Qoh. 7:14)\u2014the poor and the rich.
\nD. It is so that the one may attain merit [through the support] of the other, so that each may provide the other with the occasion for attaining merit.
\nE. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cIf your brother becomes poor \u2026\u201d (Lev. 25:25).<\/p>\n
The theme of poverty brings us to yet another verse of Scripture on the subject. The equality of rich and poor is now explained through the occasion for merit provided by the one for the other. The point of the story of No. 2 in no way reflects the interpretation provided at 1.B, though Tanhum is hero of both. No. 2 illustrates 1.C\u2013D. The subscript is all that joins the whole to the present passage.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cMany times he delivered them, but they were rebellious in their purposes and were brought low through their iniquity\u201d (Ps. 106:43).
\nB. In the time in which the judges ruled the Israelites would worship an idol and [therefore] be subjugated by the kingdoms, but would repent and forthwith were redeemed.
\nC. To what extent [did this process continue]?
\nD. Two Amoras: one said, \u201cUntil they were impoverished [of the merit of] the religious duties [they had carried out].\u201d
\nE. The other said, \u201cUntil they had become impoverished of their property, so that not one of them had enough even to bring the offering that comes from a poor person.
\nF. \u201cThat is in line with the use of the word for poor in the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And if he be poor [and his means do not suffice \u2026]\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 14:21).
\n2. A. Seven names apply: poor, impoverished, despised, dispossessed, denuded, crushed, lowly.
\nB. \u201cPoor\u201d as the word indicated.
\nC. \u201cImpoverished\u201d because he is left to desire everything.
\nD. \u201cDespised\u201d because he is held in contempt by everybody, in line with the following verse: \u201cThe wisdom of a despised person is held in contempt\u201d (Qoh. 9:16).
\nE. \u201cDispossessed\u201d because he is dispossessed of all his possessions.
\nF. \u201cDenuded\u201d because he is denuded of all his property.
\nG. \u201cCrushed\u201d because he is laid low. He sees something but does not eat it, sees something but does not drink it.
\nH. \u201cLowly (MK)\u201d because he is lower than everybody, he is turned into a bottommost threshhold.
\nI. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to them, \u201cIf your brother becomes poor (YMWK) \u2026\u201d (Lev. 25:25).<\/p>\n
The word for \u201cbrought low\u201d is one of those that signifies poverty, hence the relevance of the intersecting verse. That meaning then serves the second of the two Amoras. No. 2 is joined because the same word occurs at the end and climax of its catalogue. The subscript is not a mere formality, since it uses the final word on the list of seven.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Zeira, \u201cEven the ordinary speech of the inhabitants of the Land of Israel is Torah.
\nB. \u201cHow so? Someone says to his fellow, \u2018Attain merit [by giving] me [charity].\u2019 \u2018Acquire merit for yourself through me [by giving me charity].\u2019 \u2018Add merit to yourself through me.\u2019 [In these usages the ordinary folk reflect the teaching of the Torah that through giving charity a person acquires merit.]\u201d
\nC. R. Haggai said, \u201c[One may also say,] \u2018Look at me, reflect on me.\u2019 [That is to say,] \u2018Look at me, what I was, and reflect on me, what I am now.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. R. Mana in the name of R. Isaac: \u201cIt is written, \u2018And those riches perish through an evil disposition\u2019 [Qoh. 5:13].
\nB. \u201c[They are lost] through the evil disposition that prompts one to put a poor man in his place, answering him and saying, \u2018Why don\u2019t you go and work and get yourself food! See those strong thighs, see that fat belly, see those blobs of fat!\u2019
\nC. \u201cSays to that man the Holy One, blessed be he, \u2018It is not enough for you that you don\u2019t give him a bit of what you have. But you bring a curse on what I have given to him [through others].\u2019 Therefore [the miser] \u2018will produce a son, and he will have nothing in his hand\u2019 [Qoh. 5:13] of everything that the [rich man] had possessed.\u201d<\/p>\n
It seems to me that No. 1 is inserted because of its relevance to the theme of charity. Why No. 2 is added is not entirely clear, since it goes over familiar ground. The absence of the customary subscript also is noteworthy.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Simon in the name of R. Eleazar stated four examples [of showing kindness].
\nB. R. Simon in the name of R. Eleazar said, \u201cWho is he who did a deed of kindness for someone who did not need kindness? It was Abraham with the ministering angels.
\nC. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018And he was standing over them under the tree, and they ate\u2019 [Gen. 18:8].
\nD. \u201cNow did the [angels] really eat?
\nE. Said R. Yudan, \u201cThey appeared as if they ate, and then they left in the order in which they had come.\u201d
\nF. [Simon continues], \u201cNow see how the Holy One, blessed be he, paid back his sons: the manna, the well, the quail, and the clouds of glory that surrounded them.
\nG. \u201cNow it is a matter of an argument a fortiori: if in the instance of someone who did a deed of kindness for someone who did not require it, we see how [lavishly] the Holy One, blessed be he, repaid his sons, he who carries out a deed of kindness for someone who really needs it\u2014how much the more so [will God pay back his descendants]!\u201d
\n2. A. R. Simon in the name of R. Eleazar gave yet another example.
\nB. R. Simon in the name of R. Eleazar said, \u201cWho are they who did not do a deed of kindness with those who did not need kindness? It was Ammon and Moab with Israel.
\nC. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018It is because of the fact that they did not greet you with bread and water\u2019 [Deut. 23:5].
\nD. \u201cNow did the Israelites actually need these things? And is it not so that during the entire period of forty years that the Israelites were in the wilderness the manna came down for them, and the well spurted up, and the quail was everywhere available, and the clouds of glory surrounded them. So did the Israelites really need these things?\u201d
\nE. Said R. Levi, \u201cIt is simply a matter of common decency. When someone comes in from the road, they receive and greet him with food and drink.\u201d
\nF. [Simon continues,] \u201cNow how did the Holy One, blessed be he, pay them back? \u2018An Ammonite and a Moabite shall not enter the congregation of the Lord\u2019 [Deut. 23:4].
\nG. \u201cNow this fact produces an argument a fortiori: If in the case of one who did not do an act of kindness to someone who did not need such an act of kindness, we see how the Holy One, blessed be he, paid them back for what was coming to them, he who does not do an act of kindness for someone who really does need an act of kindness\u2014how much the more so [will God punish him]!\u201d
\n3. A. R. Simon in the name of R. Eleazar gave yet a third example.
\nB. \u201cWho did an act of kindness with someone to whom he owed it? It was Jethro with Moses.
\nC. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018He said to his daughters, \u201cWhere is he? Call him and let him eat bread\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Ex. 2:20).
\nD. R. Eleazar said, \u201cJethro most certainly did an act of kindness with Moses, for it is written, \u2018Why have you abandoned the man? Call him and let him eat bread\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 2:20).
\nE. R. Simon said, \u201cThis was not a matter of kindness. He gave him food merely as part of his wages [so there was no act of grace]. For it is written, \u2018And moreover raising, he raised [water for us]\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 2:19).
\nF. [Explaining the dual use of the verb,] R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and rabbis:
\nG. R. Judah said, \u201cHe raised us and for our fathers.\u201d
\nH. R. Nehemiah said, \u201cHe raised [water] for us and for the shepherds.\u201d
\nI. Rabbis say, \u201cHe raised for us on account of the merit of our fathers, and for the shepherds so as to keep the peace with them.\u201d
\nJ. When did the Holy One, blessed be he, pay him back?
\nK. R. Eliezer, son of R. Yos\u00e9 the Galilean said, \u201cIn the time of Saul. \u2018And Saul said to the Kenites [descendants of Jethro], \u201cGo, depart \u2026 lest I destroy you \u2026 for you showed kindness to all the children of Israel\u201d \u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 15:6).
\nL. [Simon continues,] \u201cNow did Jethro show kindness to all the children of Israel? Was it not only with to Moses alone that he showed kindness. But this serves to teach you that whoever does an act of kindness for one of the great authorities of Israel is credited as if he had done it for all Israelites.
\nM. \u201cIt is then a matter of an argument a fortiori: Now if in the case of someone who did an act of kindness for someone to whom he owed it, we see how the Holy One, blessed be he, repaid him with an ample reward, how much the more so [will one be rewarded who does an act of kindness for someone to whom he is not indebted at all]!\u201d
\n4. A. R. Simon in the name of R. Eleazar gave yet a further example: \u201cWho is he who did an act of kindness for someone who needed that act of kindness? It was Boaz with Ruth.
\nB. \u201cFor it is said, \u2018And Boaz said to her at mealtime, \u201cCome here\u201d \u2019 [Ruth 2:14], that is to say, draw nigh.
\n5. A. \u201cAnd eat bread\u201d (Ruth 2:14)\u2014bread of the harvesters. \u201cAnd dip your bread in vinegar\u201d (Ruth 2:14), for it was the ordinary practice of harvesters to dip their bread in vinegar in a heat wave.
\nB. Said R. Jonathan, \u201cFrom this passage we learn that people bring out various kinds of vinegar during the time of threshing.\u201d
\nC. \u201cAnd she sat alongside the harvesters\u201d (Ruth 2:14)\u2014certainly beside those who were harvesting.
\nD. \u201cAnd he handed her a bit (QLY)\u201d (Ruth 2:14)\u2014a very tiny bit did he give her with his fingertips.
\nE. And is it not written, \u201cShe ate and was satisfied and left food over\u201d (Ruth 2:14)?
\nF. Said R. Isaac, \u201cYou might derive one of two lessons from that statement. It is possible that a blessing rested in the hand of that righteous man, or that a blessing rested in the belly of that righteous woman. But on the basis of what the passage states, \u2018And she ate and was satisfied and left food over,\u2019 it appears that the blessing rested in the belly of the righteous woman.\u201d
\n6. A. Said R. Isaac bar Mirion, \u201cThe Torah teaches you common courtesy. When a person carries out a religious duty, he should do it with a whole and happy heart.
\nB. \u201cFor if Reuben had known that the Holy One, blessed be he, would write concerning him, \u2018And Reuben heard and he saved him from their hand,\u2019 [Gen. 37:21], he would have picked him up on his shoulder and carried him and brought him back to his father.
\nC. \u201cIf Aaron had known that the Holy One, blessed be he, would write concerning him, \u2018And even now lo, he is coming forth to meet you, and when he sees you, he will rejoice in his heart\u2019 [Ex. 4:14], he would have come forth to receive him with flutes and dancing.
\nD. \u201cIf Boaz had known that the Holy One, blessed be he, would write concerning him, \u2018And he handed her parched corn\u2019 [Ruth 2:14], he would have brought her fatted calves and fed them to her.\u201d
\n7. A. R. Kohen, R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi: \u201cIn times past, a person would carry out a religious duty, and the prophets would write it down. But now that there are no prophets, who is going to write it down? It will be Elijah and the King Messiah, and the Holy One, blessed be he, will seal [the record] in their behalf.
\nB. \u201cFor it is written [showing the prophets\u2019 former recording], \u2018Then that they feared the Lord spoke with one another; and the Lord heard and paid attention and a book of remembrance was written before him, [for them that thought upon his name]\u2019 \u201d (Mal. 3:16).
\n8. A. It was taught in the name of R. Joshua, \u201cMore [good] than the householder does for the poor person, the poor person does for the householder.
\nB. \u201cFor lo, Ruth says to Naomi, \u2018The man\u2019s name in behalf of whom I worked today is Boaz\u2019 [Ruth 2:19].
\nC. \u201cIt is not written, \u2018Who worked with me,\u2019 but rather, \u2018With whom I worked.\u2019
\nD. \u201cShe thereby said to her, \u2018I carried out a great many good projects in his behalf today on account of the piece of bread that he gave me.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
The long exposition of the value of helping the poor, or doing deeds of kindness to those that do not need them, do need them, are not owed them, and are owed them, finds its place only for the most general reasons of a common theme, helping the poor. There is no interest at all in details of the rule of Lev. 25:25. Nos. 1\u20133 pose no problems. No. 4 lacks the expected argument a fortiori: of course it is easy to supply one. No. 5 simply pursues a phrase-by-phrase commentary on Ruth 2:14. No. 6 then appends a comment formulated in its own terms but relevant to Ruth 2:14. Nos. 7 and 8 then provide an ample reason for helping the poor, first, that Elijah and the King Messiah take note of it, second, that the poor person helps the householder, essentially the same thing phrased in a different way. The pertinent of No. 8, of course, accounts for the inclusion of No. 7 as well. So virtually the whole of the passage from No. 4 onward is inserted as a complete construction on Ruth 2:14ff. None of this can have been composed to serve our passage.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Kohen, \u201c \u2018Because \u2026\u2019 (Ya\u02bfan ubeya\u02bfan) [Lev. 26:43]. The letters that form the word \u2018because\u2019 (ya\u02bfan) are the letters that spell poor man (\u02bfny).\u201d
\nB. Said R. Shila of Neweh, \u201cAs to the word for poor man, ebyon, with regard to the needy, give (HB) your wealth (HWN) [which is] his [anyhow].\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Abin, \u201cWhen a poor man stands at your door, the Holy One, blessed be he, is standing at his right hand.
\nB. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018For he stands at the right hand of the poor man\u2019 [Ps. 109:31].
\nC. \u201c \u2018If you have given him [a worthy gift], know that my Name stands at his right hand and is going to give you your reward.
\nD. \u201c \u2018And if you do not give him, know that my Name is standing at his right hand and is going to exact punishment from that man [that is, from you].\u2019
\nE. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018To save him from those that judge his soul\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 109:31).
\n3. A. Said R. Aibu, \u201cYou will surely give him\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 15:10).
\nB. Said R. Nahman, \u201cFor on this account (GLL) [Deut. 15:10]: This world is likened to a waterwheel (GLGL), with the full pail being emptied and the empty one being filled.\u201d
\n4. A. It was taught in the name of R. Eliezer, \u201cVengeance against Israel is in the hand of the poor among them, while vengeance against Edom is in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be he, and Israel.
\nB. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018For I will lay my vengeance upon Edom by the hand of my people Israel\u2019 [Ez. 25:14].
\nC. \u201cVengeance against Israel is in the hand of the poor among them: \u2018And he will cry out against you to the Lord, and it will be counted as a sin against you\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 15:9).<\/p>\n
All we have is a collection of miscellanies about poverty and the duty to support the poor.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:X<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Abbahu in the name of R. Eliezer: \u201cWe have to be grateful to deceivers among [the poor], for were it not for the deceivers [who pretended to be in need when they were not, Israelites would suffer condemnation, as stated in the immediately preceding paragraph].
\nB. \u201c[Otherwise], when one of them beseeched help from someone, and the latter refused him, forthwith [the beseeched] would be punished by death.
\nC. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018And he will cry out against you to the Lord, and it will be counted as a sin against you,\u2019 [Deut. 15:9], and it is written, \u2018The soul that is guilty of sin will die\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 18:20).
\n2. A. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish went down to bathe in the public baths of Tiberias. A needy person met them and said to them, \u201cAcquire merit through [helping] me.\u201d
\nB. They replied to him, \u201cWhen we come back, we shall acquire merit through [helping] you.\u201d But when they came back, they found him dead.
\nC. They said, \u201cSince we did not take care of you when you were alive, we shall take care of you now that you are dead.\u201d
\nD. When they were washing [the body prior to burial], they found a purse containing five hundred denars suspended from his neck. They said, \u201cBlessed be he who favored sages and their teachers.
\nE. \u201cFor did not R. Abbahu say in the name of R. Eliezer, \u2018We have to be grateful to deceivers among the [poor], for were it not for the deceivers [who pretended to be in need when they were not, Israelites would suffer condemnation]. Otherwise when one of them would beseech help from someone, and the latter refused him, forthwith [the beseeched] would be punished by death. For it is written, \u201cAnd he will cry out against you to the Lord, and it will be counted as sin against you,\u201d [Deut. 15:9], and it is written, \u201cThe soul that is guilty of sin will die\u201d \u2019 \u201d (Ez. 18:20).<\/p>\n
The weaving of the two stories is tight, with No. 1 quoted verbatim in No. 2. The inclusion of the whole is on account of the secondary expansion of the exegesis of Deut. 15:9, and the entire construction is part of the large anthology on helping the poor.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Judah b. R. Simon in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: \u201cUnder no circumstances should you permit the religious duty owed to a poor man appear in your view to be a light thing, for losing [the merit accruing in carrying it out] brings on twenty-four curses, and the reward [for carrying it out] involves twenty-four blessings.
\nB. \u201cHow do we know that losing [the merit] involves twenty-four curses? [Sic! I count twenty.] For it is written, \u2018Appoint a wicked man against him, [let an accuser bring him to trial. When he is tried, let him come forth guilty; let his prayer be counted as sin. May his days be few; may another seize his goods. May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow. May his children wander about and beg. May the be driven out of the ruins they inhabit. May the creditor seize all that he has. May strangers plunder the fruits of his toil. Let there be none to extend kindness to him, nor any to pity his fatherless children. May his posterity be cut off. May his name be blotted out in the second generation. May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord, and let not the sin of his mother be blotted out. Let them be before the Lord continually. And may his memory be cut off from the earth]\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 106:6\u201315).
\nC. \u201cWhy all this? \u2018For he did not remember to show kindness, [but pursued the poor and needy and the brokenhearted to their death]\u2019 [Ps. 106:16].
\nD. \u201cHow do we know that the reward for carrying it out brings twenty-four blessings? For it is written, \u2018Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, [and bring the homeless poor into your house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am. If you take away from the midst of you the yoke, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noonday. And the Lord will guide you continually and satisfy your desire with good things and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water whose waters fail not. And your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt; you shall raise up the foundations of many generations; you shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in. If you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, from doing your pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight and the holy day of the Lord honorable; if you honor it, not going your own ways or seeking your own pleasure or talking idly,] then you shall take delight in the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Is. 58:7\u201314).
\n2. A. Said R. Simon, \u201c \u2018Is it not that you will share your bread\u2019 is not what is written here, but rather, \u2018Has your bread not been shared,\u2019 meaning, it already has been divided up.
\nB. \u201cOn the New Year it is decreed for a person concerning his profits and losses [in the coming year].\u201d<\/p>\n
No. 1 carries forward the established theme. Most of the cited verses do not appear in the MSS, which simply allude to a few words in each. No. 2 not only provides a secondary exegesis of a cited verse but also forms a bridge to the next unit. The remainder of this Parashah consists of a phrase-by-phrase commentary and amplification of Is. 58:7\u201314. Explicit reference at the end is made to the present passage, since fourteen blessings are counted in the cited verses, with the other ten to be located elsewhere.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Simeon b. Yohai fell asleep on the night of the New Year. He saw in his dream that his sisters\u2019 sons were being asked to hand over six hundred denars as a fine [to the government]. He compelled them to take the job as charity supervisors [for the community]. They said to him, \u201cWho will put out [the necessary funds]?\u201d
\nB. He said to them, \u201cYou put out the money and write it down, and at the end of the year we shall make a reckoning, and I shall make it up to you.\u201d
\nC. At the end of the year, a slanderous report circulated about them that they had been [illegally] trading in silk. A distinguished government representative came to them and said to them, \u201cEither make a purple cloak for the king or pay over a fine of six hundred denars.\u201d He then seized and imprisoned them.
\nD. When R. Simeon b. Yohai heard about it, he went to them and said to them, \u201cHow much did you lay out [for the poor]?\u201d
\nE. They said to him, \u201cElder, here is the written [account], read it.\u201d
\nF. He read the written [account] and found that they had laid out six hundred denars less six. He said to them, \u201cGive me six denars and I shall get you out.\u201d
\nG. They said, \u201cDo you see that elder? He is demanding six hundred denars from us, and you tell us, \u2018Give me six denars and I shall get you out!\u2019 \u201d
\nH. He said to them, \u201cGive me six denars, and the rest is none of your business.\u201d
\nI. They took and gave [R. Simeon] six denars, and he put the [six hundred] into [the official\u2019s] palm and he turned [away] and [they] went out.
\nJ. When they had gotten out, they said to him, \u201cDid you know that we would be subject to a fine?\u201d
\nK. He said to them, \u201cBy your lives! From the night of the New Year I have known that you would be fined six hundred denars.\u201d
\nL. They said to him, \u201cIf you had told us, we would have given even these six denars for carrying out the religious duty.\u201d
\nM. He said to them, \u201cHad I told you, you would not have believed me, and I would have had to persuade you.\u201d<\/p>\n
The story is included as an illustration of XXXIV:XI.2. Otherwise there is no point of contact except for the shared theme.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:XIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[Is it not to share your bread with] the hungry\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\nB. If you have merit, [you will share your bread] for the need of Jacob, and, if not, it will be for the satisfaction of Esau [the Roman government].
\n2. A. \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7). Who are the homeless poor? They are those who have suffered poverty from their childhood.
\nB. Said R. Isaac, \u201cIt is like the case of the blind man, whom people call, \u2018Full of light.\u2019 So it is said, \u2018And bring the homeless poor into your house\u2019 \u201d (Is. 58:7).
\n3. A. \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7): who are the homeless poor? They are the householders who have lost their property.
\nB. What caused them to become impoverished? It was because they did not put out their hands in carrying out their religious duties, and so they did not carry out the will of their father in heaven.
\nC. Thus it is said, \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\n4. A. \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7): this refers to the mourners, bitter of spirit, whose soul is distressed.
\nB. What will cheer them up? It is wine, for it is written, \u201cAnd wine for the bitter of spirit\u201d (Prov. 31:6).
\nC. Thus it is said, \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house.\u201d
\n5. A. \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7): this refers to disciples of sages, who come into the houses of common folk and make them prosper by teaching words of Torah.
\nB. Therefore it is said, \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\n6. A. \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7). Who are the homeless poor? They are sages and their disciples, who teach Israel to tell the difference between unclean and clean, prohibited and permitted, and who teach them to carry out the will of their father in heaven.
\nB. Therefore it is said, \u201cAnd bring the homeless poor into your house\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\n7. A. R. Abin said, \u201cHere it is said, \u2018Bring,\u2019 and elsewhere it is said, \u2018You will bring the first fruits of your land\u2019 [Ex. 23:19; 34:26].
\nB. \u201cJust as the \u2018bringing\u2019 stated elsewhere refers to first fruits, so \u2018bringing\u2019 stated here refers to first fruits.\u201d [So it is proved that help to the poor is equivalent to bringing first fruits to the Temple.]<\/p>\n
The exegesis of Is. 58:7, introduced above, is now carried forward. Nos. 1\u20132 complete the matter. From that point we have a set of exegeses based upon meanings imputed to the words for \u201chomeless poor.\u201d<\/p>\n
XXXIV:XIV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWhen you see the naked to cover him\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\nB. R. Abba bar Zabeda, Rab, and R. Yohanan:
\nC. One said, \u201cWhen it comes to providing funds for clothing, they carefully look into the matter [to ascertain the worthiness of the beggar], but when it comes to providing the necessities of life, they do not carefully look into the matter.\u201d
\nD. Another said, \u201cEven when it comes to providing clothing, they do not carefully look into the matter, on account of the covenant of Abraham our father.\u201d
\n2. A. \u201cAnd not to hide yourself from your own flesh\u201d (Is. 58:7):
\nB. Bar Qappara said, \u201cRegard his flesh as equivalent to your own flesh.\u201d
\nC. For Bar Qappara taught, \u201cThere is no one who does not come to that condition [of poverty]. If he does not become impoverished, it will be his son, if not his son, then his grandson.\u201d
\n3. A. \u201cAnd not to hide yourself from your own flesh\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\nB. R. Jacob bar Aha in the name of R. Eleazar: \u201cThis refers to a woman whom one has divorced. [A man must continue to care for her.]\u201d
\n4. A. R. Yos\u00e9 the Galilean had a bad wife, who humiliated him in front of his disciples.
\nB. His disciples said to him, \u201cMaster, divorce her, for she does not respect you.\u201d
\nC. He said to them, \u201cI should then owe her a considerable sum for maintenance, and I therefore cannot divorce her.\u201d
\nD. One time he and R. Eleazar b. Azariah were in session and studying [the law]. When they had completed their studies, [Yos\u00e9] said to [Eleazar], \u201cMaster, listen to [me] and come to my house.\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cAll right.\u201d
\nF. When they got to his house, [the wife] turned her face and left the room.
\nG. [Yos\u00e9] saw a pot set on the stove and said to her, \u201cIs there anything in the pot?\u201d
\nH. She said to him, \u201cVegetable stew.\u201d
\nI. He went and uncovered it and found chickens.
\nJ. R. Eleazar b. Azariah understood the implications of what he was seeing and hearing. He said to him, \u201cRabbi, she said there was only vegetable stew, but lo, we find chickens.\u201d
\nK. He said to him, \u201cMaster, it was a miracle.\u201d
\nL. When they had finished eating and drinking, he said to him, \u201cMaster, divorce this wife of yours, for she does not respect you.\u201d
\nM. He said to him, \u201cI should then owe her a considerable sum for maintenance, so I can\u2019t be rid of her.\u201d
\nN. He said to him, \u201cBut we shall provide the money for her maintenance, so you can let her go.\u201d He provided the necessary sum for her maintenance, and he divorced her. He married a woman much better than she.
\nO. The sins of that other woman whom he had divorced caused her [grief,] for she went and married the town watchman. After some time he fell into suffering, being blinded. She would lead him through the whole town [in search of alms], but she did not bring him to the neighborhood in which R. Yos\u00e9 the Galilean lived. Since that man knew the town very well, he said to her, \u201cWhy do you not lead me into the neighborhood in which R. Yos\u00e9 the Galilean lives? For I hear that he carries out many religious duties [and supports the poor].\u201d
\nP. She said to him, \u201cI am his divorced wife, and I don\u2019t have the strength to look at his face.\u201d
\nQ. One time they came to that neighborhood. The man began to beat her, and they humiliated themselves in the marketplace. R. Yos\u00e9 the Galilean looked out and saw them disgracing themselves in the marketplace. He took them and settled them in a house that he owned, and he provided them with food all the rest of their lives.
\nR. This was on the count of the verse, \u201cAnd not to hide yourself from your own flesh\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\n5. A. In the time of R. Tanhuma, the Israelites needed rain. They came to him, saying to him, \u201cMaster, make a decree of a fast, so that it will rain.\u201d
\nB. He made a decree of a fast one time, then a second, and it did not rain.
\nC. On the third occasion, he went up and preached to them, saying, \u201cLet the entire people give out [charity and so carry out that] religious duty.\u201d
\nD. One man went and took what he had in the house and he went out to give it away in the marketplace. His former wife, whom he had divorced, met him and said to him, \u201cAcquire merit through me, for from the day on which you put that woman out of your house, she has not seen any pleasure.\u201d
\nE. He saw that she was in tatters and in great distress, and he was filled with pity for her and gave her [charity], on the count, \u201cAnd not to hide yourself from your own flesh\u201d (Is. 58:7).
\nF. Someone saw the incident and he went and told R. Tanhuma, saying to him, \u201cWhile you\u2019re sitting here, a great sin is being committed there.\u201d
\nG. He said to him, \u201cWhat did you see?\u201d
\nH. He said to him, \u201cI saw Mr. So-and-so tarrying with a woman whom he divorced and [even] giving her some coins. Now if he were not suspect on her account, he would not have tarried with her and given her money!\u201d
\nI. R. Tanhuma sent and summoned him. He said to him, \u201cMy son, don\u2019t you know that the whole world is in trouble? Human beings are in trouble, cattle are in trouble, and [yet] you go and tarry with the woman you divorced [and so bring sin on the community as a whole], and not only so, but you give her money! Don\u2019t you know that that is improper?\u201d
\nJ. He said to him, \u201cBut are you not the one who preached, \u2018And not to hide yourself from your own flesh\u2019 [Is. 58:7]? And you furthermore said for everyone to go out and share [the wealth, and so carry out] the religious duty [of charity]. So I took what I had in my house and I went out to give it away as a religious duty in the marketplace, and the woman whom I had divorced met me and said to me, \u2018Acquire merit through me, for from the day that I left your house, I have not seen any pleasure.\u2019 Since I saw her in tatters and in great distress, I was filled with pity for her, and I gave her [what I had], on the count of, \u2018And not to hide yourself from your own flesh\u2019 \u201d (Is. 58:7).
\nK. At that moment R. Tanhuma raised his face to heaven and said, \u201cNow if this mean-spirited mortal, who does not owe maintenance [to his former wife], when he saw her in tatters and in great distrss, was filled with pity for her and so gave her [what she needed],
\nL. \u201cwe, who are your children, descendants of your tried and true servants, children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whose maintenance you do owe, how much the more so [should you be filled with mercy pity for us and give us what we need]!\u201d
\nM. At that moment the rains came and the world found relief.<\/p>\n
The entire construction, devoted to the exegesis of Is. 58:7, spells out the meaning of not hiding oneself from his own flesh, meaning, the woman whom he has divorced. The several stories have been strung together whole and complete; there is no point at which the ultimate redactor has made any contribution whatsoever.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:XV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThen shall your light break forth like the dawn, and things of yours that have been delayed [lit.: your healing] shall spring up speedily\u201d (Is. 58:8).
\nB. Said R. Jeremiah b. Eleazar, \u201cEven that concerning which it has been written, \u2018And you shall prolong days\u2019 [and so have to wait] [Deut. 22:7] \u2018shall spring up speedily.\u2019 \u201d
\n2. A. \u201cYour righteousness shall go before you\u201d (Is. 58:8)\u2014
\nB. Whatever work you do will be for your own sake.
\nC. Therefore: \u201cThe glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard\u201d (Is. 58:8).
\n3. A. \u201cThen you shall call, and the Lord will answer\u201d (Is. 58:9).
\nB. This is in line with that which is written, \u201cYou will call, and I shall answer you\u201d (Job 14:15).
\n4. A. \u201cYou shall cry, and he will say, \u2018Here I am.\u2019 If you take away from the midst of you the yoke\u201d (Is. 58:9).
\nB. This refers to retaining bonds that have already been paid off [and should be canceled, lest they be used fraudulantly to collect a debt that is null].
\n5. A. \u201cThe pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness\u201d (Is. 58:9).
\nB. If you see your fellow fleeing from the government, if he goes in one direction, say, \u201cLo, he has gone in the other direction,\u201d and if he went in the other direction, say, \u201cLo, he has gone in that direction.\u201d
\n6. A. \u201cIf you pour yourself out for the hungry\u201d (Is. 58:10).
\nB. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201cIf you have nothing to give him, at least comfort him with words. Say to him, \u2018My heart goes out to you, for I have nothing to give you.\u2019 \u201d
\n7. A. \u201cAnd satisfy the desire of the afflicted\u201d (Is. 58:10).
\nB. If you do so: \u201cThen shall your light rise in the darkness, and your gloom be as the noonday. Then the Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your desire with good things (SHSHWT)\u201d (Is. 58:11).
\nC. Said R. Tabyomi, \u201cIf you have done so, lo, you are like your Creator, him concerning whom it is written, \u2018My Beloved [God] is white (SH) and ruddy\u2019 \u201d (Song 5:10).
\n8. A. \u201cAnd make your bones strong\u201d (Is. 58:11):
\nB. The Hebrew letters for the word \u201cmake strong\u201d, Y H L S, stand for, \u201cHe will loosen [you of your troubles], arm, deliver, and give you rest.\u201d
\nC. \u201cHe will loosen,\u201d in accord with the following proof text: \u201cAnd she will remove his shoe from his foot\u201d (Deut. 25:9).
\nD. \u201cHe will arm,\u201d in line with the following proof text: \u201cYou will cross over armed\u201d (Deut. 3:18).
\nE. \u201cHe will save,\u201d in line with the following proof text, \u201cSave me, O Lord, from an evil man\u201d (Ps. 140:2).
\nF. \u201cHe will give rest.\u201d It is on the basis of that meaning of the word that sages ordained [the prayer] for [Grace after Meals of] the Sabbath, \u201cBe pleased and give us rest.\u201d
\n9. A. \u201cAnd you shall be like a watered garden\u201d (Is. 58:11)\u2014
\nB. This refers to the Garden of Eden.
\nC. \u201cAnd like a spring of water whose waters fail not\u201d (Is. 58:11)\u2014like that spring of water that is going to come forth from the house of the Holy of Holies, as it is said, \u201cAnd it will come to pass on that day that living water will flow forth from Jerusalem\u201d (Zech. 14:8).<\/p>\n
The phrase-by-phrase exegesis of the cited passage continues. There are some plays on words that I cannot capture in English.<\/p>\n
XXXIV:XVI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd your ancient ruins shall be rebuilt\u201d (Is. 58:12).
\nB. R. Tarfon gave to R. Aqiba six silver centenarii, saying to him, \u201cGo, buy us a piece of land, so we can get a living from it and labor in the study of Torah together.\u201d
\nC. He took the money and handed it out to scribes, Mishnah teachers, and those who study Torah.
\nD. After some time R. Tarfon met him and said to him, \u201cDid you buy the land that I mentioned to you?\u201d
\nE. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cIs it any good?\u201d
\nG. He said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d
\nH. He said to him, \u201cAnd do you not want to show it to me?\u201d
\nI. He took him and showed him the scribes, Mishnah teachers, and people who were studying Torah, and the Torah that they had acquired. He said to him, \u201cIs there anyone who works for nothing? Where is the deed covering the field?\u201d
\nJ. He said to him, \u201cIt is with King David, concerning whom it is written, \u2018He has scattered, he has given to the poor, his righteousness endures for ever\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 112:9).
\n2. A. \u201cAnd you shall be called the repairer of the breach\u201d (Is. 58:12):
\nB. R. Abin in the name of R. Berekhiah the Elder: \u201cSaid the Holy One, blessed be he, This breach was mine to repair, but you went and repaired it. I credit it to you as if you were equivalent to the one who stood in the breach, for it is written, \u2018If it had not been for Moses, his chosen, who stood before him in the breach\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 106:23).
\n3. A. \u201cThe restorer of streets to dwell in\u201d (Is. 58:12):
\nB. Said R. Judah b. bar Simon, \u201cA poor man sits and raises a complaint: \u2018What am I and what is Mr. So-and-so! Yet Mr. So-and-so lives in his house, and I have to live here. Mr. So-and-so sleeps in his bed, and I sleep on the ground.\u2019
\nC. \u201cNow if you go and give him [what he needs], \u2018I shall credit it to you as if you made peace between me and him,\u2019 as it is written, \u2018He will take hold of my strength, he will make peace with me\u2019 \u201d (Is. 27:5).
\n4. A. \u201cIf you turn back your foot from the Sabbath, [from doing your pleasure on my holy day]\u201d (Is. 58:13).
\nB. It has been taught [T. Shab. 17:10]: \u201cA person should not walk along in a town so that it will grow dark and he may go and purchase produce, nor along the border of the district so that he may take a bath forthwith at the end of the Sabbath.\u201d
\n5. A. \u201cFrom doing your business on my holy day\u201d (Is. 58:13):
\nB. On the basis [of this statement, we learn that] a person is forbidden to walk about in his vineyard on the Sabbath so as to find out what it needs.
\nC. There is the tale of a pious man who went out to take a walk in his vineyard on the Sabbath to find out what it might require. He saw a breach there [in the wall] and on the Sabbath gave thought to fencing it up. At the end of the Sabbath he said, \u201cSince I gave thought on the Sabbath to fencing it up, God forbid, I shall never fence it up.\u201d
\nD. How did the Holy One, blessed be he, pay him back? He set up a caper bush there and it grew and filled up the breach, and the man made his living from that caper bush for the entire rest of his life.
\n6. A. \u201cAnd call the Sabbath a delight\u201d (Is. 58:13): this refers to the Sabbath that celebrates Creation.
\nB. \u201cAnd the holy day of the Lord honorable\u201d (Is. 58:13): this refers to the Day of Atonement.
\nC. \u201cIf you honor it\u201d (Is. 58:13): this refers to the first day of the Festival.
\nD. \u201cNot doing your ordinary duties\u201d (Is. 58:13): this refers to the intermediate days of the festival [on which it is forbidden to do ordinary menial labor].
\nE. \u201cOr doing your own business or talking idly\u201d (Is. 58:13):
\nF. On the basis of this statement we learn that a person is forbidden from beseeching [in prayer] his material needs on the Sabbath.
\nG. R. Zeira asked before R. Hiyya bar Ba, saying to him, \u201cAs to those who on the Sabbath recite the prayer, \u2018Our shepherd, sustain us and feed us,\u2019 what is the law?\u201d
\nH. He said to him, \u201cThat is the proper [and accepted] formula of blessings.\u201d
\n7. A. \u201cOr talking idly\u201d (Is. 58:13):
\nB. When the mother of R. Simeon b. Yohai would blather on too long on the Sabbath, he would say to her, \u201cMother, it is the Sabbath,\u201d and she would shut up.
\n8. A. \u201cThen you shall take delight in the Lord\u201d (Is. 58:14).
\nB. This makes a total of fourteen [blessings].
\nC. What are the other ten [of the twenty-four mentioned above, XXXIV:XI.1.A]?
\nD. He said to him, \u201cThey are with Jacob, concerning whom it is written: \u2018I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father\u2019 [Is. 58:14].
\nE. \u201cAnd what are they? \u2018May God give you [of the dew of heaven and of the fatness of the earth and plenty of grain and wine]. Let peoples serve you and nations bow down to you. [Be lord over your brothers, and may your mother\u2019s sons bow down to you\u2019]\u201d (Gen. 27:28\u201329).<\/p>\n
I do not see the relevance of the story at No. 1 to the cited clause of Is. 58:12. The other materials, of diverse sorts, fit fairly well the purposes of the framer of the whole. It goes without saying that the entire construction deals only tangentially with the established theme of help for the poor.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty-Five<\/p>\n
XXXV:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cWhen I think of your ways, I turn my feet to your testimonies\u201d (Ps. 119:59).
\nB. Said David before the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cLord of the ages, everyday I take thought and say, To such and such a place, I am going to walk,\u2019 \u2018To such and such a house I am going to walk,\u2019 but my feet always bring me to synagogues and study houses.
\nC. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I turn my feet to your testimonies\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 119:59).
\n2. A. R. Hunah in the name of R. Aha said, \u201c \u2018When I think of your ways\u2019 of giving a reward for performing religious duties and of exacting a penalty for transgressions, \u2018I turn my feet to your testimonies.\u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. R. Menahem, son-in-law of R. Eleazar b. Abina, said, \u201c \u2018When I think\u2019 of what you have had written down for us in the Torah, \u2018If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them\u2019 [Lev. 26:3],
\nB. \u201cthen what is written thereafter? \u2018Then I will give peace in the land\u2019 (Lev. 26:6).
\nC. \u201c \u2018And if you do not obey me\u2019 [Lev. 26:14] then what is written thereafter? \u2018Then I will chastise you again\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:18).
\n4. A. R. Ba, son of R. Hiyya bar Ba, and R. Hiyya in the name of R. Yohanan said, \u201c \u2018I think\u2019 of blessings and I think of curses.
\nB. \u201c \u2018I think\u2019 of blessings from A to Z, \u2018I think\u2019 of curses from F to E, and not only so, but they are reversed [E to F, that is, only one, not even two].\u201d
\nC. How so?
\nD. Said R. Abun, \u201cIf you attain merit, lo, I shall turn curses into blessings for you.
\nE. \u201cUnder what circumstances?
\nF. \u201cWhen you keep my Torah: \u2018If you walk in my statutes \u2026\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:3).<\/p>\n
The intersecting verse is chosen because of its reference to \u201cways\u201d and \u201cfeet,\u201d intersecting with the metaphor of the base verse, \u201cIf you walk in my statutes.\u201d Nos. 1 and 2 ignore the base verse, while, in the case of No. 2, stating its exact point, and Nos. 3 and 4 allude to it directly. No. 3 presents a formal comment, No. 4 a substantive one.<\/p>\n
XXXV:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cAnd now, my sons, listen to me: [happy are those who keep my ways]\u201d (Prov. 8:32).
\nB. Scripture speaks of Jacob, concerning whom it is written, \u201cThen Jacob made a vow, saying, \u2018If God will be with me [and will keep me in this way that I go and will give me bread to eat and clothing to wear, so that I come again to my father\u2019s house in peace]\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 28:20).
\nC. Rabbis and R. Assi:
\nD. Rabbis say, \u201cFor all matters God responded to him, but in the matter of sustenance he did not respond to him.
\nE. \u201c \u2018If God will be with me\u2019 [Gen. 28:20]. \u2018And lo, I shall be with you\u2019 [Gen. 28:15].
\nF. \u201c \u2018And will keep me in this way\u2019 [Gen. 28:20]. \u2018And I will keep you wherever you go\u2019 [Gen. 28:15].
\nG. \u201c \u2018So that I come again to my father\u2019s house in peace\u2019 [Gen. 28:21]. \u2018And I will bring you back to this land\u2019 [Gen. 28:15].
\nH. \u201cBut in the matter of sustenance, he did not respond to him [there being no reference to that matter at Gen. 28:15].\u201d
\nI. Said R. Assi, \u201cAlso in regard to sustenance he responded to him: \u2018For I will not abandon you\u2019 [Gen. 28:15]. Now the word \u2018abandon\u2019 refers only to sustenance. For it is written, \u2018I have never seen a righteous person abandoned, or his descendant seeking bread\u2019 [Ps. 37:25]. [Here the context clearly is food.]\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Hoshaia, \u201cHappy is the man who has heard such [a message] from the mouth of his Creator [as Jacob heard].\u201d
\nB. Said R. Hananah bar Pappa, \u201c \u2018Happy,\u2019 \u2018happy\u2019 [that is, the word occurs twice in Prov. 8]. \u2018I am happy and you are happy when the conditions that I have stipulated for you are carried out.\u2019 \u201d
\nC. Said R. Aha, \u201cAlso to his [Jacob\u2019s] descendants [did God] make the same statement: \u2018And now, my sons, listen to me\u2019 [Prov. 8:32].
\nD. \u201cThe word for happy [at Prov. 8:32] is written in the plural, meaning, \u2018Happy am I and happy are you when all these conditions that I have stipulated with you are carried out.\u2019 \u201d
\nE. Under what circumstances? When you keep my Torah: \u201cIf you walk in my statutes\u201d (Lev. 26:3).<\/p>\n
No. 1 is autonomous of the base verse, and No. 2 works its way back from the intersecting to the base verse. Yet it is only at the subscript, 2.E, that the base verse occurs, and without the subscript No. 2\u2019s message, coherent with No. 1\u2019s, is complete.<\/p>\n
XXXV:III<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to] the body [of the matter:]
\nB. Said R. Eleazar, \u201c[In Greek:] Before the king, the law is not written down. [That is, the king is not subject to the law but has the right to violate it.]
\nC. \u201cUnder ordinary circumstances a mortal king makes a decree. Then, if he wishes, he carries it out, and if not, in the end he enforces it through the agency of others.
\nD. \u201cBut the Holy One, blessed be he, is not that way. He makes a decree and he is the first one of all to carry it out.
\nE. \u201c \u2018You shall rise up before the hoary head and honor the face of the old man and fear your God; I am the Lord\u2019 [Lev. 19:32].
\nF. \u201c \u2018I am he who first of all carried out the religious duty of rising before an old man.\u2019 [See XI:V. God stood before Abraham.]\u201d<\/p>\n
Margulies, p. 821 note to line 3, maintains that the passage is inserted to correlate with \u201cin my statutes\u201d of Lev. 26:3, that is, \u201cif you walk in my statutes\u201d means, \u201cin the statutes that I myself observe.\u201d But that seems far too general, for the passage as it stands contains no hint that that is the framer\u2019s intent, and Lev. 19:32 is left unexemplified.<\/p>\n
XXXV:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Another interpretation: \u201cIf you walk in my statutes\u201d (Lev. 26:3).
\nB. [God speaks,] \u201cThe statutes by which I ordained heaven and earth. If my covenant is not with day and night, if I have not made the statutes governing heaven and earth\u2019 [Jer. 33:25].
\nC. \u201cThe statutes by which I ordained the sun and the moon, as it is said, \u2018Thus said the Lord who gives the sun for a light by day, the statutes of the moon and the stars for a light by night\u2019 [Jer. 31:35].
\nD. \u201cThe statutes by which I ordained the sea: \u2018When he set the statute for the sea\u2019 [Prov. 8:29].
\nE. \u201cThe statutes by which I ordained the sand: \u2018Who set the sand for the boundary of the sea, an everlasting statute\u2019 [Jer. 5:22].
\nF. \u201cThe statutes by which I ordained the deep: \u2018When he ordained a statute for a circle upon the face of the deep\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 8:27).
\nG. The words for statute and circle (HWQ, HWG) serve to provide an analogy.<\/p>\n
The exegesis of usages of the word \u201cstatute\u201d makes the point that the statutes governing Israel\u2019s life, Lev. 26:3, and those governing the natural world are one and the same, analogous to one another. Exercises on the meaning of the word \u201cstatutes\u201d now proceed.<\/p>\n
XXXV:V<\/p>\n
1. A. R. Levi in the name of R. Hama bar Haninah said, \u201c[They are called] statutes (HWQYM) because they are incised (HQWQ) against the impulse to do evil, in line with this verse: \u2018Woe to those who decree (HHWQQYM) unrighteous decrees (HQQY)\u2019 \u201d (Is. 10:1).
\nB. Said R. Levi, \u201cIt may be compared to a desolate place which was besieged by marauders. What did the king do? He set up a military camp to protect it.
\nC. \u201cSo did the Holy One, blessed be he, say, \u2018The Torah is a rock, and the impulse to do evil is a rock. A rock will guard a rock.
\nD. \u201cThe Torah is a rock: \u2018And I gave you tablets of rock\u2019 (Ex. 24:12).
\nE. \u201cThe impulse to do evil is a rock: \u2018And I shall remove the heart of rock from your flesh\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 36:26).<\/p>\n
Once more the meaning of the word \u201cstatutes\u201d is developed, first through a syllogism, then through an analogy to make the same point.<\/p>\n
XXXV:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. Said R. Abba b. Eliashib, \u201c[The reference at Lev. 26:3 to statutes is to] statutes which bring a person into the life of the world to come.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem\u2019 [Is. 4:3]\u2014for he is devoted to [study of] Torah, which is called the tree of life.\u201d
\n2. A. It has been taught in the name of R. Eliezer, \u201cA sword and a scroll wrapped together were handed down from heaven, as if to say to them, \u2018If you keep what is written in this [scroll], you will be saved from the sword,
\nB. \u201c \u2018and if not, in the end [the sword] will kill you.\u2019 \u201d
\nC. \u201cWhence is that proposition to be inferred? \u2018He drove out the man, and at the east of the Garden of Eden he placed the cherubim, and a flaming sword which turned every way, to guard the way to the tree of life\u2019 [Gen. 3:4].
\nD. \u201cThe [first] reference to \u2018the way\u2019 refers to the rules of proper conduct, and the second reference, \u2018[the way to] the tree of life\u2019 refers to the Torah.\u201d
\n3. A. It was taught in the name of R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201cA loaf and a rod wrapped together were given from heaven.
\nB. \u201cIt was as if to say to them, \u2018If you keep the Torah, lo, here is bread to eat, and if not, lo, here is a staff with which to be smitten.\u2019
\nC. \u201cWhence is that proposition to be inferred? \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\u2019 \u201d (Is. 1:19\u201320).
\n4. A. [Reading the word, eaten, in the active, eat, and the word for sword, HRB, as carob, HRWB:] You will eat carobs.
\nB. Said R. Aha, \u201cIsrael needs [to be so hungry that they will eat] carobs [so that] they will repent.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Aqiba, \u201cPoverty is as becoming for a daughter of Jacob as a red ribbon on the head of a white horse.\u201d<\/p>\n
The study of the possible meaning of statutes now broadens, since the proof texts ignore the key word altogether. No. 1 links \u201cstatutes\u201d to study of Torah. No. 2 does the same. No. 3 expands on this matter, repeating the essential point of Lev. 26:3 without alluding to the verse or its imagery at all. No. 4 then is tacked on to 3.C\u2019s proof text. But it too goes over the basic proposition of Lev. 26:3. None of these materials has been framed with the base verse in mind, and all of them prove in a general way to be relevant to it. But the compiler made no effort to sharpen the point of relevance.<\/p>\n
XXXV:VII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201c[If you walk in my statutes] and keep my commandments and do [or: make] them\u201d (Lev. 26:3).
\nB. Said R. Hama bar Hinena, \u201cHe said to them, \u2018If you keep the Torah, I shall credit it to you as if you had made [the commandments],\u2019 as it is written, \u2018And make them\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:3).
\nC. Said R. Hinena bar Pappa, \u201cHe said to them, \u2018If you keep the entire Torah, I shall give you rain,\u2019 as it is said, \u2018\u2026 and observe my commandments and do them.\u2019 Then it is written, \u2018Then I will give you your rains in their season\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:4).
\nD. Said R. Aqiba, \u201cHe said to them, \u2018If you keep the Torah, I shall command the earth to multiply seed,\u2019 as it is said, \u2018And the land shall yield its increase\u2019 [Lev. 26:4].
\nE. \u201cAnother interpretation: He said to them, \u2018If you keep the Torah, I shall bless the trees of the field and the fruit trees to multiply their produce,\u2019 as it is said, \u2018And the trees of the field shall yield their fruit\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:4).
\nF. Said R. Hinena bar Pappa, \u201cHe said to them, \u2018If you keep the Torah, I shall credit it to you as if you had made yourselves\u2019: \u2018And you shall make them\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:3).
\n2. A. R. Hiyya taught, \u201c[The reference to doing them] refers to one who studies [Torah] in order to practice it and not to one who studies it not in order to practice it.
\nB. \u201cFor he who studies not in order to practice [the teachings of the Torah] would have been better off had he not been born.\u201d
\nC. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cHe who studies not in order to practice would have been better off had his afterbirth been turned over his face and he not come out into the world.\u201d
\nD. Said R. Aha, \u201cHe who studies in order to practice [the commandments] attains [sufficient] merit [to receive] the Holy Spirit.
\nE. \u201cWhat is the proof text? \u2018This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall make your way prosperous and then you shall have good success\u2019 (SKL) [Josh. 1:8].
\nF. \u201cThe reference to having \u2018good success\u2019 alludes only to the Holy Spirit, in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Successful inspiration (SKL) for Ethan the Ezrahite\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 89:1).<\/p>\n
No. 1 works out two themes, first, the double meaning of the word for make\/do. Hence, if you do, it is as if you made, 1.B, F. The other theme is simply a restatement of the principal message of the cited verse, 1.C, D, E. No. 2 is autonomous but relevant. One must not only study the Torah but also practice what it teaches. In that proposition I see nothing particular to the passage at hand.<\/p>\n
XXXV:VIII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThen I will give your rains in their season\u201d (Lev. 26:4):
\nB. Said R. Jonathan, \u201cThree things were given to the world as a gift, and these are they: the Torah, [heavenly] luminaries, and rain.
\nC. \u201cHow do we know the case of the Torah? \u2018And he gave to Moses when he had finished talking with him\u2019 [Ex. 31:18].
\nD. \u201cHow do we know the case of the heavenly luminaries? \u2018And God gave them in the firmament of the heaven\u2019 [Gen. 1:17].
\nE. \u201cHow do we know the case of rain? \u2018Then I will give your rains in their season\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:4).
\nF. R. Azariah in the name of R. Simeon b. Laqish: \u201cAlso peace [comes as a gift], as it is said, \u2018And I shall give peace in the land\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:6).
\nG. R. Joshua bar Nehemiah said, \u201cAlso salvation, as it is said, \u2018And give me the shield of your salvation\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 18:36).
\nH. R. Isaac bar Merion said, \u201cAlso travel on the Great Sea [is possible only as a gift of God], as it is said, \u2018Thus said the Lord, who has given a way in the sea\u2019 [Is. 43:16]. For if the Scripture had not stated, \u2018Who gives a way in the sea,\u2019 when a person entered [the ocean] he would die forthwith.\u201d
\nI. R. Tanhuma said, \u201cAlso the Land of Israel, as it is said, \u2018And he gave them the lands of the gentiles\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 105:44).
\nJ. Rabbis say, \u201cAlso mercy, as it is said, \u2018He gave them also for mercy\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 106:46).
\nK. And some say, \u201cAlso vengeance over Edom, as it is said, \u2018And I shall give my vengeance over Edom\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 25:14).<\/p>\n
The base verse appears among a catalogue of verses in which the word \u201cgive\u201d occurs in a similar context. The passage has not been constructed for use in the present context but has been inserted whole.<\/p>\n
XXXV:IX<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThen I shall give you your rains in their season\u201d (Lev. 26:4).
\nB. That is on Wednesdays [not on Thursdays or on Fridays, when bringing provisions to market for observance of the Sabbath will be impeded].
\nC. You say that that is on Wednesdays. But perhaps is it on the eve of the Sabbath [Friday]?
\nD. They said, \u201cEven though the years should be [drought stricken] like the years of Elijah, and rain should come on Friday, it is only a sign of a curse for the world.\u201d
\nE. Lo, [therefore] how shall I interpret the verse, \u201cI shall give you your rains in their season\u201d (Lev. 26:4)?
\nF. It must mean on Wednesdays.<\/p>\n
The clarification of the proper season for rain amplifies the cited verse. The mode of argument is distinctive to a different kind of collection from the one at hand.<\/p>\n
XXXV:X<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThen I shall give you your rains in their season\u201d (Lev. 26:4)\u2014at night [not in the daytime].
\nB. There is this precedent. In the time of Herod, rain fell at night, and at dawn the sun shone, the wind blew, the earth dried up, and the workers went out to work knowing that their work [in building the Temple] was for the sake [and with the approval] of Heaven.
\n2. A. \u201cThen I shall give you your rains in their season\u201d (Lev. 26:4)\u2014on Friday nights.
\nB. There is this precedent. In the time of Simeon b. Shetah and in the time of Queen Alexandra Salome, the rain would fall on Friday nights, from one week to the next, until the wheat grew to the size of kidneys, the barley the size of olive pits, and lentil the size of golden denars.
\nC. Sages collected some of them and left them for coming generations to see.
\nD. Why so? In order to show how much [trouble] sin causes, to illustrate that which is said, \u201cYour sins have turned away these things, and your iniquities have withheld good from you\u201d (Jer. 5:25).<\/p>\n
The two specifications of the best time for rain, bearing illustrations in each case, add information to the cited verse.<\/p>\n
XXXV:XI<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThen I will give you your rains in their season\u201d (Lev. 26:4)\u2014[your rains], not rain for all other lands.
\nB. How then shall I carry out the verse, \u201cAnd through you will all the families of the earth be blessed\u201d (Gen. 28:14)?
\nC. The meaning is that there will be plenty in the Land of Israel and famine in all other lands, and people will come and buy their necessities from you, and so make you rich with their money.
\nD. This is in line with that which is said concerning Joseph, \u201cAnd Joseph gathered up all the money that was found in the land of Egypt\u201d (Gen. 47:14).
\nE. And it is written, \u201cAnd as your days, so shall your strength (DB\u2019) be\u201d (Deut. 33:25). This means that all the countries will overflow (DB\u2019) with silver and bring it to the Land of Israel.<\/p>\n
The familiar mode of exegesis, established in the preceding units, continues here. Once a proposition has been linked to the base verse, the proposition, not the base verse (let alone an intersecting verse) is subjected to a flowing, point-to-point exegesis.<\/p>\n
XXXV:XII<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cThen I will give you your rains in their season\u201d (Lev. 26:4).
\nB. How much rain must come down for the earth to produce [crops]?
\nC. R. Meir says, \u201cAs many as two.\u201d
\nD. R. Yos\u00e9 says, \u201cAs many as three.\u201d
\nE. In the view of R. Meir, who said, \u201cAs many as two,\u201d what is involved is the former rain and the latter rain, the former rain in Kislev, the latter rain in Nisan.
\nF. In the view of R. Yos\u00e9, who said, \u201cAs many as three,\u201d what is involved is the former rain and the latter rain, the former rain in Kislev, the latter rain in Nisan, as well as the rain that comes inbetween [December and April], so lo, there are three in all.
\nG. R. Dosetai bar Yannai said, \u201cUp to five: \u2018For he says to the snow, \u201cFall on the earth; [likewise to the shower, rain, and to showers of his mighty rain]\u201d \u2019 [Job 37:6]. Shower rain, shower\u2014lo, three; showers, two more, five in all.\u201d
\nH. And rabbis say, \u201cSeven, these five plus the former rain and the latter rain, the former rain in Kislev, the latter rain in Nisan, lo, seven.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Abbahu, \u201cI was passing by the synagogue of copper smelters in Lud, and I heard the sound of R. Samuel bar Nahman in session and expounding [as follows]: \u2018Rabbis said in the name of R. Hezekiah, \u201cWhenever the Israelites carry out the will of the Holy One, blessed be he, he carries out one act of remembrance for the land. Forthwith it produces [a harvest].
\nB. [Hezekiah continues:] \u201cWhat is the proof text for this view? \u2018You have remembered the earth and watered her, greatly enriching (\u02bfSR) her\u2019 [Ps. 65:10]. If you have attained merit, \u2018greatly enriching (\u02bfSR) her,\u2019 and if not, \u2018greatly tithing (\u02bfSR) her,\u2019 for the ground will yield only one-tenth of the [seed that has been planted].\u201d \u2019 \u201d
\n3. A. R. Berekhiah, R. Helbo, R. Pappi in the name of R. Eleazar: \u201cThere are times that rain comes on account of the merit of a single man, a single vegetation, a single field.
\nB. \u201cAll three of them may be proved by reference to a single verse of Scripture: \u2018Ask rain from the Lord in the season of the spring rain, from the Lord who makes the storm clouds, who gives a man showers of rain, to everyone the vegetation in the field\u2019 [Zech. 10:1].
\nC. \u201c \u2018A man\u2019\u2014not men.
\nD. \u201c \u2018Vegetation\u2019\u2014not many sorts of vegetation.
\nE. \u201c \u2018Field\u2019\u2014not fields.\u201d
\n4. A. \u201cBring the whole tithe into the storehouse \u2026 that there shall be more than sufficiency\u201d (Mal. 3:10) [on the meaning of the final words of the verse,] R. Jonah, Simeon bar Ba in the name of R. Yohanan: \u201cA matter for which it is impossible for you to say, \u2018Enough,\u2019\u2014that is a blessing. [If, however, you can say, \u2018Enough,\u2019 that is no real blessing.]\u201d
\nB. R. Berekhiah, R. Helbo, R. Abba bar Illai in the name of Rab: \u201c[More than sufficiency] means, \u2018Until your lips get tired of saying, \u201cEnough blessing! Enough blessing!\u201d \u2019 \u201d
\nC. Said R. Simeon bar Hilepata, \u201cFor in this world, rain may be the mark of trouble for the world.
\nD. \u201cPeople who go out on the highways are inconvenienced by it. People who sail on the seas are inconvenienced by it. People who tread the vintage are inconvenienced by it. So too are those who plaster roofs.
\nE. \u201cBut in the age to come, the Holy One, blessed be he, will turn rain [consistently] into a blessing,
\nF. \u201cas it is said, \u2018And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing, and I will cause the shower to come down in its season; there will be showers of blessing\u2019 \u201d (Ex. 34:26).<\/p>\n
No. 1 is phrased in a Talmudic rhetoric and makes no pretense at dealing with the verse at hand, which serves as merely another proof text. The editor\u2019s inclusion of the passage is for that reason only. Nos. 2, 3, and 4 simply add to the anthology on the subject of rain. Now even the base text is absent; all we have is the established theme.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty-Six<\/p>\n
XXXVI:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cOf old you laid out the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands\u201d (Ps. 102:25).
\nB. The House of Shammai and the House of Hillel:
\nC. The House of Shammai say, \u201cThe heaven was created first, and then the earth.\u201d
\nD. The House of Hillel say, \u201cThe earth was created first, then the heaven.\u201d
\nE. This party brings a proof text for its opinion, and that party brings a proof text for its view.
\nF. In the view of the House of Shammai, who maintain that the heaven was created first and then the earth, we may make a comparison. To what is the matter comparable?
\nG. To the case of a king who made a throne. Only after he made the throne did he make its footstool. Thus: \u201cSo says the Lord, \u2018The heaven is my throne, and the earth the dust at my feet\u2019 \u201d (Is. 66:1).
\nH. In the view of the House of Hillel, who maintain that the earth was created first and then the heaven, we may make a comparison. [To what is the matter comparable?]
\nI. To the case of a king who built himself a palace. Only after he builds the lower floors does he build the upper floors.
\nJ. So it is written, \u201cMy hand laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand [then] spread out the heaven\u201d (Is. 48:13).
\nK. Said R. Haninah, \u201cAlso the following verse of Scripture supports the position of the House of Hillel: \u2018Of old you laid out the foundations of the earth,\u2019 and afterward: \u2018and the heavens are the work of your hands\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 102:25).
\nL. Said R. Judah, \u201cFrom the very passage of Scripture which is adduced in support of the position of the House of Shammai, the House of Hillel find proof to dismiss that same position.
\nM. \u201cIn the view of the House of Shammai, who maintain that the heaven was created first and then the earth, [the following proof text confirms their position:] \u2018In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth\u2019 [Gen. 1:1].
\nN. \u201cIn the view of the House of Hillel, who say that the earth was created first, then the heaven: \u2018And the earth was unformed and void\u2019 [Gen. 1:2], indicating that the earth already was in being.\u201d
\n2. A. R. Yohanan said in the name of sages, \u201cAs to the act of creation, heaven came first. As to the process of finishing off creation, the earth came first.
\nB. \u201cAs to the act of creation, the heaven came first: \u2018In the beginning God created [the heaven and the earth]\u2019 [Gen. 1:1].
\nC. \u201cAs to the process of finishing off creation, the earth came first: \u2018On the day on which the Lord God made heaven and earth\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 2:4).
\n3. A. Said R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201cI am amazed that the fathers of the world [the Houses of Shammai and Hillel] were split on the question of the creation of the world, for I say, Heaven and earth were created only like a pot and its lid [that is, in a single act].
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018My hand established the earth, and my right hand spread out the heaven. When I call them, they stand up together\u2019 \u201d (Is. 48:13).
\nC. Said R. Eleazar b. R. Simeon, \u201cAccording to this opinion of my father, sometimes heaven precedes earth, sometimes earth precedes heaven. But he [really] teaches that they are both equal [having been created at the same instant].\u201d
\n4. A. (T. Ker. 4:14: R. Simeon says,) \u201cIn every place [Scripture] has given precedence to the creation of heaven over the creation of earth. In one place, however, it says, \u2018On the day of the Lord God\u2019s creating of earth and heaven\u2019 [Gen. 2:4], teaching that the two are deemed equivalent.
\nB. \u201cIn every place Scripture has given precedence to Moses over Aaron. But in one place it says, \u2018It is Aaron and Moses\u2019 [Ex. 6:26]. This teaches that the two are deemed equivalent.
\nC. \u201cIn every place Scripture has given precedence to Joshua over Caleb. But in one place it says, \u2018Except for Caleb, the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua, the son of Nun\u2019 [Num. 32:12]. This teaches that the two are deemed equivalent.
\nD. \u201c[M. Ker. 6:9I\u2013L:] In every place Scripture has given precedence to the honor of the father over that of the mother. In one place, however, it says, \u2018You shall fear everyone his mother and his father\u2019 [Lev. 19:3]. This teaches that the two are deemed equivalent.
\nE. \u201cIn every place Scripture has given precedence to doves before young pigeons. But in one place it says, \u2018A young pigeon or a dove for a sin offering\u2019 [Lev. 12:6]. This teaches that the two of them are deemed equivalent.
\nF. \u201cIn every place Scripture has given precedence to Abraham over the other patriarchs. But in one place it says, \u2018And I remembered my covenant with Jacob, [\u2026 Isaac \u2026 and Abraham \u2026]\u2019 [Lev. 26:42]. This teaches that the three are deemed equivalent to one another.\u201d<\/p>\n
Since the base verse, Lev. 26:42, is cited at the end, we can see the principle by which the redactor selected the materials at hand. The principle of aggregation comes at the end, 4.E\u2013F. The point the compositor wished to make is that various important things, occurring in a given order, in fact are equivalent to one another, as a reversal, even one time only, of the established order in which they are ordinarily listed, indicates. Then No. 1\u2019s dispute, joined to its complements at Nos. 2 and 3, is presented whole. There is no intersecting verse: the proof texts themselves are not worked out but only cited in a context they do not define. But 3.C is the bridge to No. 4. No. 4 is given whole, as it occurs at Tosefta and Mishnah, with only F, the concluding lines added and pertinent here. To achieve the required effect, however, the framer has had to reorganize the order in which the items appear in the Tosefta\u2019s and Mishnah\u2019s versions.<\/p>\n
XXXVI:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cYou did bring a vine out of Egypt; [you did drive out the nations and plant it. You did clear the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land. The mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches]\u201d (Ps. 80:8\u201310).
\nB. Just as, in the case of a vine, people do not plant it among unbroken clods but break up the ground beneath it and afterward plant it, so in the case of Israel: \u201cYou did drive out the nations and plant it\u201d (Ps. 80:8).
\nC. Just as in the case of a vineyard, people do not plant the shoots in a haphazard way but in rows, so the Israelites encamped in the wilderness in rows and according to their standards: \u201cEvery man with his own standard, according to the ensigns\u201d (Num. 2:2).
\nD. Just as in the case of a vine, it thrives in accord with the space that you are able to create round about it, so with Israel, you cleared away thirty-one kings, and afterward: \u201cYou did clear the ground for it; it took deep root and filled the land\u201d (Ps. 80:9).
\nE. Just as the vine is the lowliest of all trees, so Israel are low in this world, but in the world to come they are going to inherit from one end of the world to the other.
\nF. Just as in the case of a vine, a single shoot sprouts from it and ultimately eclipses all trees, so in the case of Israel, a single righteous man shoots out from it and rules from one end of the world to the other.
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Joseph was the ruler over the earth\u201d (Gen. 42:6). \u201cAnd the Lord was with Joshua\u201d (Josh. 6:27). \u201cAnd the name of David went forth through all the lands\u201d (1 Chron. 14:17). \u201cAnd Solomon ruled over all kingdoms\u201d (1 Kings 5:1). \u201cFor Mordecai was great in the house of the king and his reputation traveled among all provinces\u201d (Est. 9:4).
\nH. Just as in the case of a vine, the leaves cover the grape clusters, so are the Israelites: the common folk cover the disciples of sages.
\nI. Just as in the case of the vine, there are large grape clusters and small ones. So in the case of Israel, there are people who are completely righteous and others who are only middling.
\nJ. Just as in the case of the vine, there are great grape clusters and small grape clusters, and the larger one is lower than the smaller one, so in the case of Israel, whoever is greater than his fellow in knowledge of the Torah appears to be lower than his fellow.
\nK. Just as in the case of the vine, there are grapes and raisins, so in the case of Israel, there is [knowledge of] Scripture, Mishnah, Talmud, and lore.
\nL. Just as in the case of the vine, there will be wine and vinegar, this one bearing its blessing and that one bearing its blessing, so in the case of Israel, people are obligated to say a blessing over bad things that happen just as they are obligated to say a blessing over the good.
\nM. For the good: \u201cBlessed \u2026 who is good and does good.\u201d For the bad: \u201cBlessed is \u2026 the true judge.\u201d
\nN. Just as the [fruit of the] vine requires three blessings [to be said after consuming the fruit of the vine (M. Ber. 6:8)], so Israel are blessed with three blessings: \u201cMay the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord lift up the light of his face to you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up his face to you and give you peace\u201d (Num. 6:24\u201326).
\nO. Just as in the case of the vine, anyone who drinks wine has his face glisten and his teeth set on edge, so in the case of Israel, whoever joins issue with them in the end gets his just deserts from them as at the outset.
\nP. Just as in the case of the vine, at the outset it is trodden underfoot but in the end it ascends to the table of kings, so in the case of Israel, they appear to be oppressed in this world, but in the world to come they are going to inherit from one end of the world to the other.
\nQ. [That is in line with the following verse of Scripture:] \u201cAnd kings will be your nursemaids\u201d (Is. 49:23). \u201cThe Lord your God will place you above\u201d (Deut. 28:1).
\nR. Just as [the fruit of the] vine ascends to the table of kings at the beginning and at the end of the meal, so will Israel be in this world and in the world to come.
\nS. Just as the vine climbs over one prop after another, so does Israel become more numerous than each king[dom].
\nT. Just as in the case of the vine, they train it to grow over high cedars, so in the case of Israel: \u201cThe mountains were covered with its shade, the mighty cedars with its branches\u201d (Ps. 80:10).
\nU. Just as in the case of the vine, the one who guards it climbs above it and watches it, so in the case of Israel, their guardian stands above them and guards them, as it is written, \u201cLo, the guardian of Israel does not slumber or sleep\u201d (Ps. 121:4).
\nV. Just as a vineyard rests upon a reed, so Israel rests upon the merit accruing for study of the Torah, which is written with a reed.
\nW. Just as a vineyard rests upon dry wood while it remains fresh, so Israel rests upon the merit of the patriarchs, even though they are asleep [dead]: \u201cAnd I shall remember my covenant with Jacob\u201d (Lev. 26:42).<\/p>\n
The intersecting text is beautifully worked out, so as to lead us, in the end, to the base text. It would be difficult to point to a more effective exercise in the genre at hand. There are only a few intruded items, none of them blatant. The whole is a composition carefully conceived, beginning to end.<\/p>\n
XXXVI:III<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cBe assured, an evil man will not go unpunished, [but those who are righteous will be delivered]\u201d (Prov. 11:21).
\nB. Bar Qappara said, \u201cAhaz and all the evil kings of Israel will have no share in the world to come.
\nC. \u201cWhat is the proof text? \u2018All their kings are fallen, there is none among them who calls to me\u2019 \u201d (Hos. 7:7).
\nD. Yet surely [Ahaz] is counted in the chronology of kings: \u201cIn the time of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah\u201d (Is. 1:1).
\nE. R. Aha in the name of R. Eleazar, R. Yos\u00e9 in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cIt was because he was capable of shame [that he was enumerated, despite his not getting a portion of the world to come].
\nF. \u201cHow so? When the prophet came to rebuke him, he would go out to an unclean place and turn his face to an unclean place, as if to say that the Presence of God [resting upon the prophet] will not come to rest in an unclean place.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018And the Lord said to Isaiah, \u201cGo forth to meet Ahaz, [you and Shearjashub, your son, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool] on the highway to the Fuller\u2019s Field\u201d \u2019 [Is. 7:3]. Do not read \u2018fuller\u2019 (KWBS) but rather \u2018cast down\u2019 (KWBS), teaching that he cast his face down [to the earth in shame].\u201d
\nH. Rabbi said, \u201cIt was because he was punished through his firstborn son: \u2018And Zichri, a mighty man of Ephraim, slew Maaseiah, the king\u2019s son, and Azrikam, ruler of the house, and Elkanah, who was second to the king\u2019 \u201d (2 Chron. 28:7).
\nI. R. Hoshaiah the Elder said, \u201cIt was because his father was a righteous man.\u201d
\nJ. But Manasseh his father was not a righteous man!
\nK. But in the case of Ahaz, his father was a righteous man and his son was a righteous man; in the case of Manasseh, while his father was a righteous man, his son was an evil man.
\nL. This is the point of what Hezekiah said, \u201c \u2018Behold, for my peace it is bitter to me, bitter\u2019 [Is. 38:17]. \u2018It is bitter to me,\u2019 for before me was Ahaz, and \u2018it is bitter to me,\u2019 for after me is Manasseh.\u201d
\nM. Said R. Simon, \u201c[With reference to Prov. 11:21: \u2018Be assured, an evil man will not go unpunished, but the seed of those who are righteous will be delivered\u2019]. It is not written, \u2018The seed of a righteous man will be delivered,\u2019 but, \u2018The seed of those who are righteous will be delivered.\u2019
\nN. \u201cThe meaning is that the seed that slips between two righteous men will be delivered.\u201d
\n2. A. Said R. Phineas, \u201cWhoever performs a single religious duty in this world and seeks to receive its reward forthwith: \u2018An evil man will not go unpunished\u2019 [Prov. 11:21]. He is an evil man, for he will not leave anything to his children.\u201d
\nB. Said R. Simon, \u201cIt is like a man who says, \u2018Here is a sack, here is a sela, here is a seah of wheat. Get up and take it [now, leaving nothing as an inheritance for later on].\u2019
\nC. \u201cSo had the founding fathers wanted to collect their reward for the religious duties that they carried out in this world, whence would there be any merit standing up for their children after them?
\nD. \u201c \u2018Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:42).<\/p>\n
The point of the collection once more is reached at the end. But the intersecting text, 1. A., is separated from the base text by a long discourse on the problem of Ahaz. The relevance of the whole, however, is self-evident, since it is the problem presented by Ahaz that leads directly to discourse on Prov. 11:21, 1.M\u2013N. Then No. 2 treats the same verse in a way that leads us directly to the base verse. So, as usual, No. 1 is attached to No. 2, and then the whole to the present composition.<\/p>\n
XXXVI:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cBut now thus says the Lord, he who created you is Jacob, and he who formed you is Israel\u201d (Is. 43:1).
\nB. R. Phineas in the name of R. Reuben said, \u201c[Said] the Holy One, blessed be he, to his world, \u2018O my world, my world! Shall I tell you who created you? Shall I tell you who formed you? Jacob is the one who created you, Israel is the one who formed you,\u2019 as it is written, \u2018He who created you is Jacob, and he who formed you is Israel\u2019 \u201d (Is. 43:1).
\nC. R. Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of R. Levi said, \u201cBehemoth was created only on account of the merit of Jacob, as it is written, \u2018Behold now behemoth, which I made with you\u2019 \u201d (Job 40:15).
\nD. R. Joshua b. Nehemiah in the name of R. Haninah bar Isaac: \u201cThe heaven and the earth were created only on account of the merit of Jacob.
\nE. \u201cWhat is the proof text? \u2018For he established a testimony on account of Jacob\u2019 [Ps. 78:5], and \u2018testimony\u2019 can mean only heaven and earth, as it is written, \u2018I call heaven and earth to testify against you this day\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 4:26).
\nF. R. Berekhiah said, \u201cThe heaven and earth were created only on account of the merit of Jacob, whose name is Israel.
\nG. \u201cWhat is the proof text? \u2018On account of the beginning did God create heaven and earth\u2019 [Gen. 1:1]. And \u2018beginning\u2019 refers only to Israel, as it is written, \u2018Israel is holy to the Lord, the beginning of his harvest\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 2:3).
\nH. Said R. Benaiah, \u201cThe heaven and earth were created only on account of the merit of Moses.
\nI. \u201cFor it is written, \u2018And he chose a beginning part [namely Moses] for himself\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 33:21).
\nJ. Said R. Abbahu, \u201cEverything was created only on account of the merit of Jacob.
\nK. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Not like these is the portion of Jacob, for he [that is, Jacob] is the one who formed everything\u2019 \u201d (Jer. 10:16).
\n2. A. R. Berekhiah and R. Levi in the name of Samuel bar Nahman: \u201cAbraham was saved from the furnace of fire only because of the merit of Jacob.
\nB. \u201cThe matter may be compared. To what is it like? It is like the case of someone who was judged before the ruler, and the judgment came forth from the ruler that he was to be put to death through burning.
\nC. \u201cThe ruler perceived through his astrological science that [the condemned man] was going to beget a daughter, who was going to be married to a king. He said, \u2018This one is worthy to be saved through the merit of the daughter that he is going to beget, who is going to be married to a king.\u2019
\nD. \u201cSo in the case of Abraham, judgment against him came forth from Nimrod that he was to be put to death through burning. But the Holy One, blessed be he, foresaw that Jacob was going to come forth from him. So he said, \u2018That one is worthy of being saved on account of the merit of Jacob.\u2019
\nE. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018Thus said the Lord to the House of Jacob, who redeemed Abraham\u2019 \u201d (Is. 29:22).
\nF. And rabbis say, \u201cAbraham himself was created only on account of the merit of Jacob.
\nG. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For I have known him, that he may charge is children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice\u2019 (Gen. 18:19).
\nH. \u201cNow righteousness and justice are only with Jacob, for it is written, \u2018You have made justice and righteousness in Jacob\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 99:4).<\/p>\n
The entire passage scarcely deals with the theme of Lev. 26:42, which is not cited at any point. What we have is an anthology of materials about Jacob, at No. 1 following a fairly clear pattern.<\/p>\n
XXXVI:V<\/p>\n
1. A. Why (at Lev. 26:42) are the patriarchs listed in reverse order [Jacob, Isaac, Abraham]?
\nB. It is as if to say, if the deeds of Jacob are insufficient, there are the deeds of Isaac, and if the deeds of Isaac are insufficient, there are the deeds of Abraham.
\nC. Each one of them is sufficient for [his merit] to sustain [the world].
\n2. A. And why is the matter of remembrance stated with respect to Abraham and Jacob but not with respect to Isaac?
\nB. R. Berekhiah and rabbis:
\nC. R. Berekhiah said, \u201cIt was because he was a child born of sorrow.\u201d
\nD. And rabbis say, \u201cThey regard the ashes of Isaac as if they were piled up on the altar.\u201d
\n3. A. And why is the word \u201ceven\u201d used with respect to Abraham and Isaac but not with respect to Jacob?
\nB. It was because the fruit of the bed of Jacob, our father, was whole [and unblemished], while from the bed of Abraham came forth dross, Ishmael and the sons of Keturah, and from the bed of Isaac came forth dross, Esau and all of his nobles.
\nC. But in the case of Jacob, his bed was unblemished, for all the sons that were born of him were righteous men.
\n4. A. I know that that is the case of the patriarchs. How do I know that [God remembers the merit of the matriarchs]?
\nB. Scripture uses the accusative particle (\u05d0T) three times, and these refer only to the matriarchs,
\nC. for it is said, \u201cThere they buried Abraham and [accusative particle] Sarah his wife\u201d (Gen. 49:31).
\n5. A. And when why, when the Scripture (at Lev. 26:42) makes mention of the patriarchs, does it make mention of the merit of the land with them?
\nB. Said R. Simeon b. Laqish, \u201c[The matter may be compared] to a king who had three sons and one handmaiden raised them all. When, therefore, the king would ask about how his sons were, he would also say, \u2018Tell me about the welfare of the one who raises them.\u2019
\nC. \u201cSo the Holy One, blessed be he, makes mention of the merit of the fathers and alongside he makes mention of the merit of the land: \u2018Then I will remember my covenant with Jacob, [and I will remember my covenant with Isaac and my covenant with Abraham,] and I will remember the land\u2019 \u201d (Lev. 26:42).<\/p>\n
The exegesis of the traits of Lev. 26:42 is coherent. Each question addresses the base verse and answers it by reference to pertinent proof texts or facts. Now we see the basis for the exegetical interests of XXXVI:I. But that passage would have been better located right after this one, with its rather generalized concern for the order in which various important items are listed. We must regard the position of XXXVI:I as an anomaly.<\/p>\n
XXXVI:VI<\/p>\n
1. A. [Returning to] the body [of the matter:] How long does the merit of the patriarchs endure?
\nB. R. Tanhuma made this statement, Rab in the name of R. Hiyya the Elder, R. Menehama said it, R. Berekhiah and R. Helbo in the name of R. Abba bar Zabeda: \u201cDown to Jehoahaz. \u2018But the lord was gracious to them and had compassion on them [and he turned toward them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them; nor has he cast them from his presence until now]\u2019 [2 Kings 13:23].
\nC. \u201cUntil now [the time of Jehoahaz, 2 Kings 13:22] the merit of the patriarchs has endured.\u201d
\nD. R. Joshua b. Levi said, \u201cUntil the time of Elijah: \u2018And it came to pass at the time of the evening offering, that Elijah the prophet came near and said, \u201cO Lord, [the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, this day let it be known that you are God\u201d \u2019 [1 Kings 18:36]. Thus, to this day the merit endured, but not afterward.]\u201d
\nE. Samuel said, \u201cDown to the time of Hosea: \u2018Now will I uncover her shame in the sight of her lovers, and no man will [ever again] deliver her out of my hand\u2019 [Hos. 2:12].
\nF. \u201c \u2018Man\u2019 refers then to Abraham, as it is said in Scripture: \u2018And now, return the wife of the man\u2019 [Gen. 20:7].
\nG. \u201c \u2018Man\u2019 refers only to Isaac, as it is said, \u2018Who is this man?\u2019 [Gen. 24:65].
\nH. \u201c \u2018Man\u2019 refers only to Jacob, as it is said, \u2018Jacob, a quiet man, dwelling in tents\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 25:27).
\nI. R. Yudan said, \u201cDown to the time of Hezekiah: \u2018That the government may be increased [and of peace there be no end \u2026 the zeal of the Lord of hosts [thus: not the merit of the patriarchs] does this\u2019 \u201d (Is. 9:6).
\nJ. R. Yudan bar Hanan in the name of R. Berekiah said, \u201cIf you see that the merit of the patriarchs is slipping away, and the merit of the matriarchs is trembling, then go and cleave to the performance of deeds of loving kindness.
\nK. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018For the mountains will melt (YMWSW), and the hills will tremble, [but my love will not depart from you]\u2019 [Is. 54:10].
\nL. \u201c \u2018Mountains\u2019 refers to the patriarchs, and \u2018hills\u2019 to the matriarchs.
\nM. \u201cHenceforward: \u2018But my love will not (YMWS) depart from you\u2019 \u201d (Is. 54:10).
\nN. Said R. Aha, \u201cThe merit of the patriarchs endures forever. Forever do people call it to mind, saying, \u2018For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not fail you nor destroy you nor forget the covenant he made with your fathers\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 4:31).<\/p>\n
The theme of the patriarchs, occurring at Lev. 26:42, accounts for the inclusion of this elegant exercise.<\/p>\n
Parashah Thirty-Seven<\/p>\n
XXXVII:I<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cIt is better that you not vow than that you vow and not pay\u201d (Qoh. 5:5).
\nB. R. Meir and R. Judah:
\nC. R. Meir said, \u201c \u2018It is better that you should not vow\u2019 but better still is he who vows and pays\u201d
\nD. \u201cWhat is the proof text? \u2018Vow and pay to the Lord your God\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 76:12).
\nE. R. Judah says, \u201c \u2018It is better that you should not vow\u2019 but better still is he who does not vow at all.
\nF. \u201cBut one brings his lamb to the Temple court [not in advance making a vow to do so], and [only] there he declares it to be consecrated and slaughters it as an offering [without prior commitments, which he may not be able to carry out].
\nG. \u201cWhat is the proof text? \u2018But if you forbear to vow, it will be no sin against you\u2019 \u201d (Deut. 23:23).
\n2. A. Said R. Huna, \u201cThere was the case of one who took a vow and did not pay off his vow, and he went and sailed on the Great Sea and his ship sank in the Great Sea.\u201d
\n3. A. Said R. Samuel bar Nahman, \u201cWhoever takes a vow and delays paying his vow in the end will worship an idol, commit fornication, and spill blood.
\nB. \u201cFrom whom do you learn all three possibilities? From our father, Jacob, for, on account of his taking a vow and delaying its fulfillment, he ended up guilty of all three.
\nC. \u201cHow do we know that in the case of idolatry? For it is written, \u2018And Jacob said to his house and to all those who were with him, \u201cTake away the strange gods\u201d \u2019 [Gen. 38:2].
\nD. \u201cFornication? \u2018And Dinah, the daughter of Leah, went out and Shechem, the son of Hamor, saw her\u2019 [Gen. 34:1\u20132].
\nE. \u201cAs to bloodshed: \u2018And it came to pass, on the third day, when they were in pain\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 34:25).
\n4. A. And rabbis say, \u201cWhoever takes a vow and delays carrying out his vow in the end will bury his wife.
\nB. \u201cFrom whom do you learn that fact? From our father, Abraham, for, on account of his taking a vow and delaying fulfilling his vow, he buried his wife,
\nC. \u201cas it is said, \u2018And on my account [for late fulfillment of my vow] when I came from Paddan, Rachel died because of me\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 48:7).
\n5. A. Said R. Samuel b. R. Isaac, \u201cWhoever takes a vow and delays fulfilling his vow causes his own death.
\nB. \u201cWhat is the proof text? \u2018[When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not be slack to pay it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin in you.] But if you refrain from vowing \u2026\u2019 [Deut. 23:21\u201322]. And it is written, \u2018The soul that sins will die\u2019 \u201d (Ez. 18:4).
\n6. A. Said R. Simeon b. Yohai, \u201cJust as in the case of vows, one [who delays] violates the commandment not to break one\u2019s word and not to defer to pay it [Num. 30:3; Qoh. 5:3], so the same considerations apply to pledges of one\u2019s value.\u201d
\nB. Therefore Moses admonishes Israel, saying to him, \u201cWhen a person makes a special vow of persons to the Lord at your valuation\u201d (Lev. 27:2).<\/p>\n
The general theme, vowing, is tied to the base verse, Lev. 27:2, only at the end. Just as one must not delay paying his vow, so he must not delay paying off his pledge of valuation. Then we work backward from that analogy of vowing in general to the pledge of valuation, and the earlier materials find their comfortable niche.<\/p>\n
XXXVII:II<\/p>\n
1. A. \u201cFor according to the work of a man he will requite him, [and according to his ways he will make it befall him]\u201d (Job 34:11).
\nB. There was the case of a man who had two sons. One of them carried out many religious duties, while the other did nothing at all. The one who carried out many religious duties sold off his house and everything he had so as to be able to carry out religious duties.
\nC. One day, on the festival of Hoshanah [Rabbah, the seventh day of Tabernacles], his wife gave him ten pulsin [bits of uncoined metal] and said to him \u201cGo to the market and buy something for your children [to eat].\u201d
\nD. When he went out to the market, the charity collector met him and said to him, \u201cLo, here comes the master of religious duties.\u201d He said to him, \u201cGive your share in the performance of this religious duty, for we want to buy a wedding dress for a certain orphan girl.\u201d
\nE. He took the bag of pulsin [which his wife had given him] and handed it over to them. Then he was ashamed to go to his wife. What did he do? He went to the synagogue. He saw there some of the citrons which the children toss about on the day of Hoshannah [Rabbah].
\nF. For we learn there (M. Suk. 4:7): \u201cFrom the hands of the children they take their palm branches, and they eat their citrons.\u201d
\nG. He took them from them and filled a sack with them and sailed on the Great Sea, until he reached the overseas town.
\nH. It so happened that the king of that place had trouble [that day] in his bowels. His physicians said to him, \u201cIf you had one citron of those that the Jews carry about on the day of Hoshannah, you could eat that citron and be healed in a moment.\u201d
\nI. They went and searched through the entire city, through the entire province, and they could not find one. They went and found that man, sitting on his sack. They said to him, \u201cDo you have anything to sell?\u201d
\nJ. He said to them, \u201cI am a poor man, and I have nothing here.\u201d
\nK. They opened his sack and they found the citrons. They said to him, \u201cWhat are these?\u201d
\nL. He said to them, \u201cThey are things which the Jews [use in their] prayers on the day of Hoshannah.\u201d
\nM. They carried [the sack] and brought it up to the king. It so happened that he ate of the citrons and was healed.
\nN. He said, \u201cEmpty his sack and fill it with denars.\u201d They did so.
\nO. The king said to him, \u201cAsk anything you want for yourself, and I shall do it for you.\u201d
\nP. He said to him, \u201cI ask that what is mine be given back to me, and that everyone should come out to meet me.\u201d They did so.
\nQ. When he came to the wharf, a herald went before him, and all the people came out to meet him.
\nR. His brother and his brother\u2019s children came out to meet him. As they were crossing a river, a current in the river carried them off and drowned them. So the man turned out to recover his own house and to inherit his [brother\u2019s] property and what was not his brother\u2019s property [but his own].
\nS. This is to fulfill the text: \u201cFor according to the work of a man he will requite him\u201d (Job 34:11).
\n2. A. Another interpretation: \u201cFor according to the work of a man he will requite him\u201d (Job 34:11).
\nB. This refers to Moses, concerning whom it is written, \u201cAnd it came to pass in those days that Moses grew up, and he went out to his brothers and looked on their burdens\u201d (Ex. 2:11).
\nC. What did he see?
\nD. He saw the burden of a man on a woman, and the burden of an adult on a child, and the burden of a young man on an old man.
\nE. He went into session and he restored their proper burdens, [working things out] between a man and a woman, an adult and a child, a young man and an old man.
\nF. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cYou went into session and straightened out the burdens of my children. By your life, you will in the future go into session and sort out the vows of my children from one another, distinguishing those of a man and a woman, an adult and a child, a young man and an old man.\u201d
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd the Lord said to Moses, Say to the people of Israel, When a man makes a special vow of persons to the Lord at your valuation, [then your valuation of a male from twenty years old up to sixty years old shall be fifty shekels of silver \u2026 If the person is a female, your valuation shall be thirty shekels. If the person is from five years old up to twenty years old, your valuation shall be for a male twenty shekels and for a female ten shekels]\u201d (Lev. 27:1\u20135).<\/p>\n
The version of the tale at hand produces some problems, but, from our perspective, the principal one is the pertinence to the established theme. After 1.A, vowing fades away and generous contributions to charity become the primary point of insistence. So it is the intersecting verse that dictates inclusion of the tale: the niggardly brother got his just deserts. The real question is No. 2. It seems to me the relevance of the intersecting verse is to the notion that, in the vows of which the base verse, Lev. 27:1ff., speaks, people sort out those who take the vows of valuation in accord with their age. That is precisely what Moses does in the story of No. 2. So the point of contact seems to me clear and unmistakable, and the intersecting verse now in content as much as in formal exegesis does link to the base verse\u2019s content\u2014a satisfying exercise.<\/p>\n
XXXVII:III<\/p>\n
1. A. [Back to] the body [of the matter]:
\nB. The story is told of Rabban Gamaliel, who was going on the road from Acre to Akhzib, and Tabi, his servant, was walking in front of him, and R. Ilai was walking behind him.
\nC. He found a loaf of cheap bread on the road. [He said to Tabi, his slave, \u201cTake the loaf.\u201d (Y. A.Z. 1:9)]
\nD. He saw a gentile coming toward him. He said to him, \u201cMabgai, Mabgai, take this loaf of bread.\u201d
\nE. R. Ilai ran after [Mabgai] and said to him, \u201cWhat is your name?\u201d
\nF. He said to him, \u201cMabgai.\u201d
\nG. \u201cAnd where do you come from?\u201d
\nH. \u201cFrom one of the [nearby] station-keeper\u2019s villages.\u201d
\nI. \u201cNow did Rabban Gamaliel ever in your whole life meet you?\u201d
\nJ. He said to him, \u201cNo.\u201d
\nK. And from what he said we learn three things:
\nL. We learn that the leaven of a gentile is permitted immediately after Passover (see M. Pes. 2:2).
\nM. [On the basis of this event we learn that] Rabban Gamaliel divined by the Holy Spirit that his name was Mabgai.
\nN. And that they do not pass by food [but pick it up].
\nO. (Y. A.Z. 1:9 adds:) And that they follow the status of the majority of those who travel the roads [in a given place, in this instance, gentile] (T. Pes. 2:15).
\nP. R. Jacob bar Zabedai in the name of R. Abbahu: \u201cThat rule [about not walking past food, but stopping and picking it up] was valid in the past, but now they do pass by foodstuffs because of the possibility of witchcraft.\u201d
\nQ. When they reached Akhzib, they ate and drank there.
\nR. When he was leaving Akhezib, someone came along and besought from him [absolution of] his vow. Rabban Gamaliel said to Ilai [who was with him], \u201cDo you reckon that we have drunk so much as a quarter-log of Italian wine?\u201d
\nHe said to him, \u201cYes.\u201d He said to the one who asked the question, \u201cTravel with us until the effect of our wine has worn off.\u201d He walked with them to the Ladder of Tyre.
\nS. Once they got to the Ladder of Tyre, Rabban Gamaliel got off [his ass] and wrapped himself in his cloak and sat down and declared his vow to be absolved.
\nT. From these statements of his we learn three things: [that a quarter-log of wine causes drunkenness] (Y. A.Z. 1:9),
\nU. [that traveling wears down the effects of wine] (Y. A.Z. 1:9),
\nV. that [sages] do not grant absolution from vows or give decisions when they are drunk,
\nW. and that they do not absolve vows either while riding on an ass or while walking or while standing,
\nX. but only sitting down and wrapped in a cloak (T. Pes. 2:16).
\nY. On what grounds did he unbind him?
\nZ. Said R. Yohanan, \u201cThus he opened the discourse for him: There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts but the tongue of the wise brings healing\u2019 [Prov. 12:18]. Whoever takes a vow is worthy of being thrust through with a sword!
\nAA. \u201c \u2018But the tongue of the wise brings healing.\u2019 [This may be compared] to one who has taken a vow not to eat bread. Woe to him if he eats, woe to him if he does not eat. If he eats, he violates his vow. If he does not eat, he sins against his soul. What should he do? Let him go to sages and beseech absolution from his vow, as it is written, \u2018But the tongue of the wise brings healing.\u2019 \u201d<\/p>\n
By contrast to the foregoing, the sole reason for including this item is the theme shared with Lev. 27:2, taking vows. But at issue is not taking but remitting them, so the connection is remote.<\/p>\n
XXXVII:IV<\/p>\n
1. A. Four opened [their prayers of petition] by taking vows, three asking not in the proper way, while the Holy One, blessed be he, responded to them in the proper way, and one asking not in the proper way, and the Holy One, blessed be he, responded to him not in the proper way.
\nB. These are they: Eliezer, servant of Abraham; Caleb; Saul; and Jephthah.
\nC. Eliezer asked not in the proper way, for it is written, \u201cLet the maiden to whom I shall say, [\u2018Pray, let down your jar that I may drink,\u2019 and who shall say, \u2018Drink, and I will water your camels\u2019\u2014let her be the one whom you have appointed for your servant Isaac. But this I shall know that you have steadfast love to my master]\u201d (Gen. 24:14).
\nD. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIf a serving girl, a gentile girl, or a whore, should come forth, would you turn out even then to say, \u2018Let her be the one whom thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac\u2019 \u201d (Gen. 24:14)?
\nE. What did the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He appointed Rebecca for him: \u201cBefore he had done speaking, [behold, Rebecca, who was born to Bethuel \u2026 came out with her water jar upon her shoulder]\u201d (Gen. 24:15).
\nF. Caleb asked in an improper way, but the Holy One, blessed be he, responded to him in a proper way.
\nG. \u201cAnd Caleb said, \u2018Whoever smites Kiriath sepher [and takes it\u2014to him will I give Achsah my daughter as wife]\u2019 \u201d (Josh. 15:16).
\nH. Said he to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIf a gentile, a slave, or a mamzer [should take the city], would you give him your daughter [as a wife]?\u201d
\nI. What did the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He responded to him in a proper way and appointed for him Othniel, son of Kenaz, for it is written, \u201cAnd Othniel, son of Kenaz, son of Caleb, took it\u201d (Josh. 15:17).
\nJ. Saul asked in an improper way, but the Holy One, blessed be he, responded to him in a proper way.
\nK. For it is written, \u201cAnd the men of Israel said, \u2018Have you seen this man who has come up? Surely he has come up to defy Israel; and the man who kills him the king will enrich with great riches and will give him his daughter [and make his father\u2019s house free in Israel]\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 17:25).
\nL. Said the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIf a slave, or a gentile [should smite him], would you give him your daughters?\u201d
\nM. What did the Holy One, blessed be he, do? He responded to him in a proper way and appointed David for him, as it is said, \u201cAnd David said to the men [who stood by him, \u2018What will be done for the man who kills this Philistine]\u2019 \u201d (1 Sam. 17:26).
\nN. Jephthah asked not in a proper way, and the Holy One, blessed be he, responded to him not in a proper way.
\nO. He asked not in a proper way, as it is said, \u201cAnd Jephthah made a vow [to the Lord and said, \u2018If you will give the Ammonites into my hand,] then whoever comes forth [from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return victorious from the Ammonites, shall be the Lord\u2019s, and I will offer him up for a burnt offering]\u2019 \u201d (Judges 11:20\u201331).
\nP. Said to him the Holy One, blessed be he, \u201cIf a camel or an ass or a dog should come forth from your house, would you then offer him up as a burnt offering before me?\u201d
\nQ. What did the Holy One, blessed be he, do to him? He responded to him not in a proper way and designated his daughter, as it is said, \u201cThen Jephthah came to his home at Mizpah, and behold, his daughter came out to meet him [with timbrels and with dances; she was his only child; beside her he had neither son nor daughter]. And when he saw her, [he rent his clothes and said, \u2018Alas, my daughter! you have brought me very low and you have become the cause of great trouble to me]\u2019 \u201d (Judges 11:34\u201335).
\n2. A. Could not he not get the someone to release him from his vow? But Jephthah said, \u201cI am a king, and I shall not go to Phineas,\u201d and Phineas said, \u201cI am high priest, and I am not going to go to a common person.\u201d
\nB. Between the one and the other, that poor girl perished.
\nC. In a proverb people say, \u201cBetween the midwife and the woman in travail, the poor woman\u2019s baby will die.\u201d
\nD. And both of them were guilty for her blood.
\nE. From Phineas the Holy Spirit was taken away, as it is said, \u201cPhineas, the son of Eleazar, was ruler over them; in times past the Lord with him\u201d (1 Chron. 9:20). He had been with him in times past but not now.
\nF. Jephthah\u2019s limbs fell off of him limb by limb, and he was therefore buried in many places.
\nG. That is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u201cAnd Jephthah died and was buried in the cities of Gilead\u201d (Judges 12:7).
\nH. It is not written, \u201cin a city of Gilead,\u201d but rather, \u201cin the cities of Gilead.\u201d
\nI. This teaches that a limb would fall off from him here and was buried where it fell, and a limb would fall off of him in another place and was buried where it fell.
\n3. A. R. Yohanan and R. Simeon b. Laqish:
\nB. R. Yohanan said, \u201cHe became liable for money for purchase of an offering to be offered on the altar [in her place].\u201d
\nC. R. Simeon b. Laqish said, \u201cHe did not become liable for money [for the stated purpose].\u201d
\nD. For we have learned (see M. Tem. 5:6), \u201cIf one made a statement [of substitution] concerning something which is suitable to be offered on the altar, let it be offered on the altar. If he spoke of something which is not suitable to be offered on the altar, let it not be offered on the altar, and not only so, but even the matter of the consecration of the value of said beast does not apply.\u201d
\n4. A. Said R. Jacob bar Abina, \u201cWhoever makes a vow and pays off his vow may be certain that his prayer has been heard.
\nB. \u201cWhat is the Scriptural proof for that statement? \u2018Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion, and to you shall vows be performed\u2019 [Ps. 65:1].
\nC. \u201cAnd what is written directly afterward? \u2018O you who hear prayer, to you shall all flesh come\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 65:2).
\n5. A. Said R. Aha, \u201cWhoever takes a vow and pays off his vow acquires such merit that he will pay off his vow [in time to come] in Jerusalem.
\nB. \u201cThat is in line with the following verse of Scripture: \u2018I shall pay off my vows to the Lord\u2019 [Ps. 116:18].
\nC. \u201cWhere? \u2018In the courtyards of the house of the Lord, in the midst of Jerusalem, praise the Lord\u2019 \u201d (Ps. 116:18).
\nD. \u201cPraise the Lord for he is good, for his mercy is forever\u201d (Ps. 106:1).<\/p>\n
The hodgepodge of materials on vows and remission of vows brings us to yet another collection at No. 1. I assume that the reference in the preceding to the remission of vows accounts for the selection of this long account, complemented by Nos. 2 and 3. Nos. 4\u20135 then complete the matter with which the Parashah began, carrying out one\u2019s vows, ending on the (now predictable) messianic note.<\/p>\n
@book{Neusner_2003,
\nplace={Eugene, OR},
\ntitle={Judaism and Scripture: The Evidence of Leviticus Rabbah},
\npublisher={Wipf and Stock Publishers},
\nauthor={Neusner, Jacob},
\nyear={2003}}<\/p>\n
Exportiert aus Logos Bibelsoftware, 18:31 14. September 2019.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
D. R. Levi said, \u201cOn account of excessive pride. E. \u201c \u2018Do not put yourself forward in the king\u2019s presence or stand in the place of the great\u2019 \u201d (Prov. 25:6). None of this has any bearing on our passage. XXI:XI 1. A. \u201c[With this shall Aaron come into the holy place:] with a young bull [for … <\/p>\n