Esnoga Bet Emunah

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Triennial Cycle (Triennial Torah Cycle) / Septennial Cycle (Septennial Torah Cycle)

Three and 1/2 year Lectionary Readings	Fourth Year of the Reading Cycle
Kislev 21, 5768 – Nov. 30/Dec. 1, 2007	Seventh Year of the Shmita Cycle

Candle Lighting and Havdalah Times

San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Brisbane, Australia:

Friday Nov. 30, 2007 – Candles at 5:17 PM Friday Nov. 30, 2007 – Candles at 6:10 PM

Saturday Dec. 1, 2007 – Havadalah 6:13 PM Saturday Dec. 1, 2007 – Havadalah 7:07 PM

Atlanta, Georgia, U.S. Singapore, Singapore

Friday Nov. 30, 2007 – Candles at 5:11 PM Friday Nov. 30, 2007 – Candles at 6:37 PM

Saturday Dec. 1, 2007 – Havadalah 6:09 PM Saturday Dec. 1, 2007 – Havadalah 7:28 PM

Cebu, Philippines Jakarta, Indonesia

Friday Nov. 30, 2007 – Candles at 5:07 PM Friday Nov. 30, 2007 – Candles at 5:37 PM

Saturday Dec. 1, 2007 – Havadalah 5:59 PM Saturday Dec. 1, 2007 – Havadalah 6:29 PM

For other places see: http://chabad.org/calendar/candlelighting.asp

Coming Festival: Chanukah

25^th of Kislev – 3^rd of Tebet 5768

Evening December 4 – Evening December 12, 2007

For further study see: http://www.betemunah.org/chanrabn.doc

http://www.betemunah.org/connection.doc; and http://www.betemunah.org/chanukah.doc

Shabbat	Torah Reading:	Weekday Torah Reading:
וַיִּשְׁלַח מֹשֶׁה
“Vayishlach Mosheh”	Reader 1 – B’midbar 20:14-21	Reader 1 – B’midbar 22:2-4
“And sent Mosheh”	Reader 2 – B’midbar 20:22-29	Reader 2 – B’midbar 22:5-7
“”	Reader 3 – B’midbar 21:1-3	Reader 3 – B’midbar 22:8-14
B’midbar (Numbers) 20:14 - 22:1	Reader 4 – B’midbar 21:4-9
Ashlamtah: Judges 11:12-21	Reader 5 – B’midbar 21:10-16
	Reader 6 – B’midbar 21:17-20	Reader 1 – B’midbar 22:2-4
Psalm 104:10-18	Reader 7 – B’midbar 21:21 – 22:1	Reader 2 – B’midbar 22:5-7
	Maftir – B’midbar 21:34 – 22:1	Reader 3 – B’midbar 22:8-14
N.C.: Matityahu 23:1-12	Judges 11:12-21

Roll of Honor:

This Torah commentary comes to you courtesy of His Honor Paqid Adon Hillel ben David and most beloved family, and that of Her Excellency Giberet Sarai bat Sarah and beloved family, as well as that of His Excellency Adon Barth Lindemann and beloved family and that of His Excellency Adon John Batchelor and beloved wife, and that of His Excellency Adon Ezra ben Abraham and his beloved wife Giberet Karmela bat Sarah. For their regular and sacrificial giving, providing the best oil for the lamps, we pray that G-d’s richest blessings be upon their lives and those of their loved ones, together with all Yisrael, amen ve amen! Also a great thank you to all who send comments to the list about the contents and commentary of the weekly Seder.

If you want to subscribe to our list and ensure that you never lose any of our commentaries, or would like your friends also to receive this commentary, please do send me an E-Mail to ravybh@optusnet.com.au with your E-Mail or the E-Mail addresses of your friends. Toda Rabba!

Rashi & Targum Pseudo Jonathan

for: B’midbar (Numbers) ) 20:14 – 22:1

RASHI	TARGUM PSEUDO JONATHAN
14. Moshe sent emissaries from Kadesh to the King of Edom (saying), "This is what your brother Yisrael declares; you know of all the hardship that we have encountered.	14. Then Mosheh sent messengers from Rekem unto the king of Edom, saying, Thus says your brother Israel. You have known all the trouble that has found us;
15. Our forefathers went down to Egypt and we remained in Egypt for a long time; the Egyptians mistreated us and our forefathers.	15. that our fathers went down into Mizraim and dwelt in Mizraim many days, and the Mizraee afflicted us and our fathers.
16. Then we cried out to Adonai, and He heard our voice, He sent an emissary and led us out of Egypt; now we are in Kadesh, a city at the edge of your border.	16. And we prayed before the Lord, who heard our prayers, and sent one of the ministering angels to lead us out of Mizraim: and, behold, we are in Rekem, a city built on the side of your border.
17. Please let us pass through your land, we will not pass through any field or vineyard, and we will not drink well water; we will travel by the king's road, we will not turn aside to the right or left, until we have passed through your territory."	17. Let us now pass through your land: we will not seduce virgins, nor carry off the betrothed, nor commit adultery: on the king's highway, under the heavens, we will go forward, and turn not to the right or to the left, to do any injury in the public way while we pass through your border. [JERUSALEM. Let us now pass through your country. We will do no kind of mischief, neither seduce virgins nor seek the wives of the men; by the highway of the king we will proceed, nor turn to the right or the left till we have passed through your coast.]
18. Edom responded, "You shall not pass through me (my land), lest I go out against you with the sword!"	18. But Edomea answered him, You will not go through my coast, lest I come to meet you with the unsheathed sword.
19. B’ne Yisrael said, "We will go up by the highway, and if we or our cattle drink your water we will pay for it, it is just nothing, we only want to pass through on foot."	19. And Israel said to him, We would go by the king's highway; if we drink your waters, I and my cattle, I will give you the price of their value. I will only pass through, wiyout doing wrong.
20. Then (Edom) responded, "Do not pass through"! Edom came to confront [B’ne Yisrael] with a massive number of people and a strong hand.	20. But he said, You will not pass through. And Edomea came out to meet him with a large army and with a strong hand.
21. Edom refused to allow Yisrael to pass through its territory, and Yisrael turned aside from him.	21. So Edomea would not suffer Israel to pass through his coast; and Israel turned away from him, because it was commanded from before the Word of the Heavens that they should not set battle in array against them, forasmuch as the time was not yet come when the punishment of Edom should be given into their hands. [JERUSALEM. And Israel turned away from them; for so was the commandment of their Father who is in heaven, that they should not set against them the array of war.]
22. They traveled from Kadesh, and the entire community of B’ne Yisrael came to Mount Hor.	22. And the whole congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from Rekem, and came unto Mount Umanom.
23. Adonai spoke to Moshe and Aharon at Mount Hor, at the border of the land of Edom, saying.	23. And the Lord spoke unto Mosheh in the Mount Umanom, on the coast of the land of Edom, saying:
24. "Aharon will now be gathered (die) to his people, for he shall not enter the land that I have given to B’ne Yisrael, because you defied My word at the waters of dispute.	24. Aharon will be gathered unto his people; for he will not enter into the land which I have given unto the children of Israel, because you were rebels against My Word at the Waters of Contention.
25. Take Aharon and his son Elazar, and bring them up to Mount Hor.	25. Take Aharon and Elazar his son, and make them come up to Mount Umanom.
26. Remove Aharon's vestments and dress his son Elazar in them; Aharon will be gathered in and die there."	26. And you will strip Aharon of his vestments, the adornment (glory) of the priesthood, and put them on Elazar his son; but Aharon will be gathered, and die there.
27. Moshe did as Adonai commanded; and they went up Mount Hor in the presence of the entire community.	27. And Mosheh did as the Lord commanded him. And they ascended Mount Umanom, in the view of all the congregation.
28. Moshe then removed Aharon's vestments and dressed Aharon's son, Elazar, in them; Aharon died there on top of the mountain, and Moshe and Elazar descended from the mountain.	28. And Mosheh stripped Aharon of his vestments, [JERUSALEM. And Mosheh drew off from Aharon] the priestly decoration, and put them on Elazar his son; and Aharon died there on the summit of the mountain and Mosheh and Elazar came down from the mount.
29. The entire community saw that Aharon died; and they wept for Aharon thirty days, the entire house of Yisrael.	29. And when the soul of Aharon was at rest, the Cloud of Glory was lifted up on the first day of the month Ab; and all the congregation beheld Mosheh come down from the mountain with rent garments; and he wept and said, Woe unto me, for you, my brother Aharon, the pillar of Israel's prayers! And they too wept for Aharon thirty days, the men and the women of Israel. [JERUSALEM. And all the congregation beheld Mosheh come down from the height of the mountain, with garments rent and dust upon his head, weeping and saying, Woe unto me, for you, my brother Aharon, the pillar of the prayers of the sons of Israel, who made atonement for them once every year! In that hour the sons of Israel believed that Aharon was dead; and all the congregation of the children of Israel wept for Aharon thirty days.]
1. The Canaanite King of Arad heard--- who lived in the south--- that Yisrael had come by the route of the spies; he attacked Yisrael, and he took from them a captive.	1. And Amalek, who had dwelt in the south, and changed, and came and reigned in Arad, heard that the soul of Aharon was at rest, that the pillar of the Cloud which for his sake had led the people of the house of Israel had been taken up, and that Israel was coming by the way of the explorers to the place where they had rebelled against the Lord of the world. For, when the explorers had returned, the children of Israel abode in Rekem, but afterward returned from Rekem to Motseroth, in six encampments during forty years, when they journeyed from Motseroth, and returned to Rekem by the way of the explorers, and came unto Mount Umanom, where Aharon died; (and,) behold, he came and arrayed battle against Israel, and captured some of them with a great captivity. [JERUSALEM. And when the Kenaanite, king Arad, who dwelt in the south, heard that Aharon was dead, that holy man on account of whose merit the Cloud of Glory had protected Israel; that the pillar of the Cloud had been taken up; and that the prophetess Mizraim was dead, on whose account the well had flowed, but had (since) been hidden; he answered and said, You servants of war, come and let us set battle in line against Israel; for we will find the way by which the explorers came up. Therefore they set battle in line against Israel, and carried away some of them with a great captivity.]
2. Yisrael made a vow to Adonai and said, "If You will deliver this people into my hand, I shall consecrate their cities."	2. And Israel vowed a vow before the Lord and said, If You will indeed deliver this people into my hand, I will destroy their cities.
3. Adonai heard Yisrael's voice, and He delivered the Canaanites (into Yisrael's hand), and he (Yisrael) destroyed them and [consecrated] their cities; the region was named Chorma.	3. And the Lord heard Israel's prayer, and delivered up the Kenaanites, and he destroyed them and their cities. And he called the name of the place Hormah.
4. They then traveled from Mount Hor by the Reed Sea route, in order to circle around the land of Edom; traveling was insufferable to the people.	4. And they journeyed from Mount Umanom, by the way of the Sea of Suph, that they might compass the land of Edom; and the soul of the people was wearied in the way.
5. The people spoke out against G-d and Moshe, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? There is no food and no water, and we are disgusted with this rotten bread."	5. And the people thought (wickedly/lawlessly) in their heart, and talked against the Word of the Lord, and contended with Mosheh, saying: Why did you bring us up from Mizraim to die in the wilderness; for there is neither bread nor water, and our soul is weary of manna, this light food?
6. Adonai sent against the people the consuming snakes, and they bit the people, and many people of Yisrael died.	6. And the bat-kol fell from the high heaven, and thus spoke: Come, all men, and see all the benefits which I have done to the people whom I brought up free out of Mizraim. I made manna come down for them from heaven, yet now turn they and murmur against Me. Yet, behold, the serpent, whom, in the days of the beginning of the world, I doomed to have dust for his food, has not murmured against me: but My people are murmuring about their food. Now will the serpents who have not complained of their food come and bite the people who complain. Therefore did the Word of the Lord send the basilisk serpents, and they bit the people, and a great multitude of the people of Israel died. [JERUSALEM. The bat‑kol came forth from the midst of the earth, and a voice was heard from the heights, See, all men, and listen and hear, all you children of flesh. The serpent, whom I cursed at the beginning, and said to him, Dust will be your food, has not complained about his food. I led forth My people from Mizraim free, and caused the manna to descend for them from heaven; I made the quails to come over to them, and the well to spring up from the deep; yet now they again complain before Me on account of the manna, saying, Our soul is aggrieved by this light bread: therefore will the serpent who has not complained of his food come and bite this people who have murmured about their food. So the Word of the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people, and a great multitude of Israel died.]
7. The people came to Moshe and said, "We have sinned by speaking against Adonai and you; pray to Adonai that He remove the snakes from us." Moshe prayed on behalf of the people.	7. And the people came to Mosheh, and said: We have sinned, in thinking and speaking against the glory of the Lord's Shekinah, and in contending with you. Pray before the Lord to remove the plague of serpents from us. And Mosheh prayed for the people.
8. Adonai said to Moshe, "Make yourself [the image of] a consuming snake, and place it upon a banner; and anyone bitten will look at it and live."	8. And the Lord said to Mosheh, Make you a serpent of brass, and set it upon a place aloft; and it will be that when a serpent has bitten any one, if he behold it, then will he live, if his heart be directed to the Name of the Word of the Lord.
9. Moshe made a copper snake and placed it on the banner; whenever a snake bit a person, he would gaze upon the copper snake and live.	9. And Mosheh made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a place aloft; and it was, when a serpent had bitten a man, and the serpent of brass was gazed at, and his heart was intent upon the Name of the Word of the Lord, he lived. [JERUSALEM. And Mosheh made a serpent of brass, and set it upon a high place; and it was that when any one had been bitten by a serpent, and his face was uplifted in prayer unto his Father who is in heaven, and he looked upon the brazen serpent, he lived.]
10. B’ne Yisrael traveled on and camped in Ovot.	10. And the children of Israel journeyed from thence, and pitched in Oboth;
11. They traveled from Ovot and camped in the wasteland passes in the wilderness, facing Moav, eastward of the sun.	11. and they journeyed from Oboth, and encamped in the plain of Megistha, in a desert place which looks toward Moab from the rising of the sun.
12. They traveled from there and camped in the valley of Zered.	12. Thence they journeyed and encamped in a valley abounding in reeds, osiers, and mandrakes.
13. They traveled from there and camped opposite Arnon, in the wilderness, extending from the Emorite border; Arnon being the Moav border between Moav and the Emorite.	13. And they journeyed from thence, and encamped beyond the Arnon, in a passage of the desert that stretcheth from the coast of the Amoraah; for Arnon is the border of Moab, situated between Moab and the Amoraah; and therein dwelt a priesthood of the worshippers of idols.
14. Concerning this will be told in the Book of the Wars of Adonai, "He gave at the Reeds (Sea) and the valleys of Arnon.	14. Therefore it is said in the book of the Law, where are recorded the wars of the Lord: Eth and Heb, who had been smitten with the blast of the leprosy, and had been banished beyond the confine of the camp, made known. to Israel that Edom and Moab were concealed among the mountains in ambush, to destroy the people of the house of Israel. But the Lord of the world made a sign to the mountains, which pressed one to another so that they died: and their blood flowed through a valley on the brink of the Arnon (or, a valley adjoining Arnon). [JERUSALEM. Therefore it is said in the Book of the Law of the Lord, which is likened to a Book of Wars: The miracles and mighty acts which the Lord wrought for His people, the sons of Israel, when they stood by the Red Sea, so did He with them when they were at the fords of the vale of Arnona. When the children of Israel were passing through the vale of Arnona, the Moabites were hidden in the caverns of the valley, saying: When the Bene Israel are coming through, we will go forth to prevent them, and will slay them. But the Lord of all the world, the Lord, who knew what was in their hearts, for before Him that which is within the reins is manifest,‑the Lord signed to the mountains, and their heads here and there were brought together, and the chiefs of their mighty ones were crushed, and the valleys were overflowed with the blood of the slain. But Israel walked above upon on the top of the hills, and knew not the miracle and mighty act which the Lord was doing for them in the valley of Arnon.]
15. And the spillage in the valleys when it turned to dwell at Ar, and then leaned on the border of Moav.	15. And the effusion of the streams of their blood flowed to the habitations of Lechaiath, which were, however, delivered from this destruction, because they had not been in their counsels; and, behold, it was unto the confine of Moab. [JERUSALEM. But Lechaiath, the city which took no part in their counsel, was delivered from them; and, behold, it is by the confines of the Moabites.]
16. From there, to the well; this is the well of which Adonai said to Moshe, 'Gather the people and I will give them water.' "	16. And from thence was given to them (the Israelites) the living well, the well concerning which the Lord said to Mosheh, Assemble the people and give them water.
17. It was then that Yisrael sang this song: "Arise, O well, sing to it!	17. Then, behold, Israel sang the thanksgiving of this song, at the time that the well which had been hidden was restored to them through the merit of Miriam: Spring up, O well, spring up, O well! sang they to it, and it sprang up: the well [JERUSALEM. Behold then sang Israel this song of praise: Spring up, O well! they sang to it, and it sprang up:]
18. The well dug by princes, that the nobles of the nation excavated, through the lawgiver, with their staffs; from the wilderness a gift	18. which the fathers of the world, Abraham Izhak, and Jakob dug: the princes who were of old dug it, the chiefs of the people: Mosheh and Aharon, the scribes of Israel, found it with their rods; and from the desert it was given to them for a gift. [JERUSALEM. the well which Abraham, Izhak, and Jakob, the princes of the world, at the beginning did see, the sages of the world, the Sanhedrin the seventy wise men who were appointed by name beheld it: Mosheh and Aharon, the scribes of Israel, found it with their rods, and from the desert it was given to them as a gift.]
19. The gift (traveled) to the valley, and from the valley to the heights.	19. And from thence it was given to them in Mattana; turning, it went up with them to the high mountains, and from the high mountains it went down with them to the hills surrounding all the camp of Israel, and giving them drink, every one at the door of his tent. [JERUSALEM. And from thence the well was given to them at Mattana, turning it became strong overflowing streams, and again it ascended to the top of the mountains,]
20. And from the heights to the valley that is in the field of Moav, at the top of the peak that overlooks the wastelands."	20. And from the high mountains it descended with them to the lower hills, but was hidden from them on the borders of Moab, at the summit of the hill looking toward Bethjeshimon, because there they neglected the words of the Law. [JERUSALEM. and went down with them to the ancient valleys; but the well was hidden from them when on the borders of Moab, on the head of the height which overlooketh toward Abeth Jeshimon.]
21. Yisrael sent emissaries to Sichon, King of the Emorite, saying.	21. Then sent Israel messengers to Sihon, king of the Amorites, saying:
22. "Let me pass through your land, we will not turn aside into the fields and vineyards, we will not drink well water; we will go by the King's road until we have passed through your territory."	22. I would pass through your country. We will not carry off the betrothed, nor seduce virgins, nor have to do with the wives of men; by the highway of the King who is in the heavens we will go, until we have passed through your border.
23. But Sichon did not allow Yisrael to pass through his territory; Sichon gathered all his people and went out against Yisrael to the wilderness; he came to Yohatz and attacked Yisrael.	23. But Sihon would not permit Israel to pass through his limit, but constrained all his people, and came out to Jahaz, and made war against Israel.
24. Yisrael defeated him with the edge of the sword and took possession of his land; from Arnon to the Yabok, as far as Amon['s border], because Amon's border was impregnable.	24. And Israel smote him with the anathema of the Lord, that he would destroy (him) with the edge of the sword; and he took possession of his country, from Arnon unto the Jabbok, unto the border of the children of Ammon; because Rabbath, which is the limit of the children of Ammon, was strong; and so far was their boundary.
25. Yisrael took all these cities; Yisrael settled in all the cities of the Emorite, in Cheshbon and all its daughters.	25. And Israel took all those cities, and dwelt in all the cities of the Amorites, in Heshbon, and in all her villages.
26. For Cheshbon was then a city of Sichon, King of the Emorites, and he had waged war against the first king of Moav, and took all his land from his hand, as far as Arnon.	26. For Heshbon was the city of Sihon, king of the Amorites; for he had beforetime made war with the King of Moab, and had taken all his country from his hand unto the Arnon.
27. Concerning this, the parable tellers say: "Come to Cheshbon, may it be built and established as the city of Sichon.	27. Therefore, say the young men, (or the chosen ones,) using proverbs: The righteous who rule their passions say, Come let us reckon (Heshbon) the strength of a good work by the recompense, and the recompense of an evil work by the strength for whoso is watchful and diligent in the law is builded up and perfected; [JERUSALEM. Therefore say they who speak in proverbs, Ascend.]
28. For, a fire went forth from Cheshbon, a flame from Sichon's capital; it consumed Ar, of Moav, the masters of Arnon's heights.	28. for mighty words like fire go forth from the lips of the righteous, the masters of such thought, (calculation, heshbona,) and powerful merit like flames from those who are read and devoted in the law: their fire devours the foe and the adversary, who are reckoned before them as the worshippers of the idol altars in the valley of Arnona. [JERUSALEM. Because the men of their people like fire come out of Heshbon, making war as flames of fire from the city of Sihon: the kings of the Amoraee are slain, the villages of the Moabite cities are destroyed, and the priests are slaughtered who sacrificed before the idols of Arnona.]
29. Woe to you, O Moav, you are destroyed, people of Kemosh, he rendered your sons as refugees, and your daughters captives, of Sichon, King of Emori.	29. Woe to you, you haters of the just! you have perished, you people of Kemosh, haters of the words of the law, in whom there is no righteousness/generosity, unless he waste you to bring you captive unto the place where they teach. the law, and their sons and daughters be removed by captivity of the sword to be near them who consult in its counsels the instructors and those anointed with the law. [JERUSALEM. Woe to you of Moab! you are consumed, destroyed, O worshippers of the idol of Kemosh; your sons and daughters bound by the collar are carried into the captivity of Sihon, king of the Amorites.]
30. Their kingdom was uprooted from Cheshbon as far as Divon; we made them desolate as far as Nofach near Medva."	30. The wicked/lawless have said, In all this there is nothing lofty to the sight; but your numbers will perish until the falsehood of your souls be ended, and the Lord of the world destroy them till their lives have expired, and they have come to nothing, as the cities of the Amorites have perished, and the palaces of their princes from the great gate of the house of the kingdom to the street of the smiths which is nigh to Medeba. [JERUSALEM. And the kingdom has ceased from Heshbon, and the ruler from Dibon, and his ways are made desolate unto the smithies which are near to Medaba.]
31. Yisrael settled in the land of the Emorite	31. And Israel, after they had destroyed Sihon, dwelt in the land of the Amorites.
32. Moshe sent [men] to spy on Ya'zer, and they captured its surrounding villages, and drove out the Emorites that were there.	32. And Mosheh sent Kaleb and Phineas to examine Makbar, and they subdued the villages, and destroyed the Amorites who were there.
33. They then turned and headed toward the Bashan; and Og, King of the Bashan, came out against them he with all his people, to wage war at Edre'i.	33. Then they turned, and went up by the way of Mathnan; and Og, the king of Mathnan, came out to meet us, he and all his people, to give battle at Edrei.
34. Adonai said to Moshe, "Do not be afraid of him, for into your hand I have delivered him and all his people and territory; do to him as you have done to Sichon, King of the Emorite, who lives in Cheshbon."	34. And it was, when Mosheh saw Og, he trembled before him, stricken with fear: but he (soon) answered and said, This is Og the Wicked/Lawless, who taunted Abraham our father and Sarah, saying: You are like trees planted by the water channels, but bring forth no fruit: therefore has the Holy One, blessed be He, spared him to live through generations, that he might see the great multitude of their children, and be delivered into our hands. Then spoke the Lord unto Mosheh: Fear him not, for I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people and country; and you will do to him as you have done to Sihon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon.
35. And they killed him (Og), his sons, and all his people, leaving no survivors; and they took possession of his land.	35. Now it was, after Og the Wicked/Lawless had seen the camp of Israel spreading over six miles he said with himself, I will make war against this people, that they may not do to me as they have done to Sihon: so went he and tare up a mountain six miles in size, and brought it upon his head to hurl it upon them. But the Word of the Lord forthwith prepared a reptile which ate into the mountain and perforated it, and his head was swallowed up within it; and he sought to withdraw it, but could not, because his back teeth and his front ones were drawn hither and thither. And Mosheh went and took an axe of ten cubits, and sprang ten cubits, and struck him on the ankle of his foot, and he fell, and died beyond the camp of Israel. Thus it is written. And they smote him and his sons and daughters, and all his people, till none of them remained to escape; and they took possession of his land. [JERUSALEM. And Israel dwelt in the land of the Amorites. And Mosheh sent to explore Makvar, and they took the villages, and destroyed the Amorites who were there. [JERUSALEM. And when Mosheh saw Og, he said, Is not this Og the Wicked/Lawless, who taunted Abraham and Sarah, and said, They are like fair trees by fountain of water, but give no fruit? Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, has kept him alive for many years, till the time that he should see their children and children's children, and fall by their hands. Therefore the Lord said to Mosheh, Fear him not, for I have delivered him into your hand, and all his people, and all his land; and you will do to him as you have done to Sichon, king of the Amorites, who dwelt in Heshbon.]
1. B’ne Yisrael traveled and camped in the western plains of Moav, across the Yarden from Yericho.	1. And the children of Israel journeyed, and encamped in the plains of Moab, near the passage of the Jordan (toward) Jericho.

Midrash Rabba for: B’midbar (Numbers) 20:14 – 22:1

15. AND MOSES SENT MESSENGERS... THUS SAYS YOUR BROTHER ISRAEL (XX, 14). This bears on what Scripture says, That has no slander upon his tongue, nor does evil to his fellow, nor takes up a reproach against his neighbor (Ps. XV, 3). Usually if a man doing business with his neighbor is provoked by that neighbor, he parts company with him and does not want to see him. Moses, however, although punished on account of Israel - as it says, They angered Him also at the waters of Meribah, and it went ill with Moses because of them (ib. CVI, 32) -- yet did not cast off their burden from him, but SENT MESSENGERS. YOU KNOW ALL THE TRAVAIL THAT HAS BEFALLEN US (XX, 14). They said to him [Edom]: YOU KNOW how the Holy One, blessed be He, had said: Know of a surety that your seed will be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and will serve them; and they will afflict them four hundred years (Gen. XV, 13); yet we have been enslaved, while you were free. HOW OUR FATHERS WENT DOWN (XX, 15), to meet that affliction. This may be compared to the case of two brothers against whose grandfather a bill of indebtedness was produced, and one of them paid it. After a time he asked for the loan of an article from his brother and said to him: ‘You know that the payment of that debt really devolved on both of us and that it was I who paid it. Do not refuse me the article I am asking for! ' HOW OUR FATHERS WENT DOWN TO EGYPT (ib.). How do the FATHERS fit into the context, which goes on to say: AND THE EGYPTIANS DEALT ILL WITH US AND WITH OUR FATHERS (ib.)? It indicates that as long as Israel is in distress they [the Patriarchs in heaven] are also in distress. LET US PASS, I PRAY, THROUGH YOUR LAND ... NEITHER WILL WE DRINK OF THE WATER OF THE WELL (ib. 17). WATER OF THE WELL? It should have said, 'Water of the wells,' should it not? The Torah teaches you a rule of good conduct. If a man goes to a country that is not his, though he possesses all his requirements, he should not eat of what he has, but should leave over his own and buy from the shopkeeper, so as to do him a good turn. In the same manner Moses said to Edom: ‘We have a well with us and we eat manna, yet, do not suppose that we will give you only trouble. You will make a profit for yourself!’ The Holy One, blessed be He, also spoke to Moses in the same way: You will purchase food of them for money (Deut. II, 6). Moses told Israel: 'Loosen your purse-strings that they will not say: "They were slaves! They are poor!" Show them your wealth, and let them know that you have lost nothing by the bondage! It says, And afterward will they come out with great substance (Gen. XV, 14)! Let them know that you lack nothing! Nor is it your own that you are giving’; as it says, For the Lord your God has blessed you ... these forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing (Deut. II, 7). WE WILL GO ALONG THE KING'S HIGHWAY (XX, 17). They implied: We will muzzle our cattle. WE WILL NOT TURN ASIDE TO THE RIGHT HAND NOR TO THE LEFT (ib.). This was the most difficult undertaking of all; ‘for,’ they said to Edom, 'in all countries around us we are free to slay and to plunder, but in your borders WE WILL NOT TURN ASIDE TO THE RIGHT HAND NOR TO THE LEFT.’ AND EDOM SAID UNTO HIM: YOU WILL NOT PASS THROUGH ME (ib. 18). This bears on the text, I am all peace; but when I speak, they are for war (Ps. CXX, 7). And whence can we infer that the Holy One, blessed be He, actually told Moses so, namely, ‘They will not allow you to pass; and it [the refusal] is not all due to them, for it is I who desire it.’ From the fact that it says, Contend not with them; for I will not give you of their land (Deut. II, 5), and it is written, Thus Edom refused to give Israel passage (Num. XX, 21). After that they sent to the king of Moab and he refused. Although this is not expressly stated in the present context, it is explicitly mentioned in the Book of Judges. This fact teaches that the whole book breathes the Holy Spirit, for among all the judges there was none less esteemed than Jephthah, yet he stated it plainly; as it says, Then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying: Let me, I pray, pass through your land; but the king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of Moab; but he would not (Judg. XI, 17). Moses also hinted as much, when he said, As the children of Esau that dwell in Seir, and the Moabites that dwell in Ar, did unto me (Deut. II, 29).

16. AND THEY JOURNEYED FROM KADESH; AND ... CAME (XX, 22). This bears on what Scripture says: Because you have joined yourself with Ahaziah [a wicked/lawless king], the Lord has made a breach in your works (II Chron. XX, 37). Because Israel had associated themselves with the wicked/lawless nation in order to pass through their land, they lost a righteous/generous man [Aaron]. For this reason the section dealing with Aaron's being gathered to his people immediately follows the section dealing with the king of Edom; thus: Israel turned away from him [Edom]. AND THEY JOURNEYED FROM KADESH (XX, 21 f.). What is implied by the expression: EVEN THE WHOLE CONGREGATION (ib. 22)? It means that they were then a complete congregation, a congregation that was to enter the Land, those who had come out of Egypt having died, and these belonging to the people about whom it is written, You are alive every one of you this day (Deut. IV, 4). What is the implication of the expression THE MOUNT OF THE MOUNT (XX, 22)?5 It was a mountain on top of a mountain, like a small apple perched on top of a big one. Although the cloud went before them, lowering the high places and raising the low, the Holy One, blessed be He, left this mountain as a specimen, that people might know what miracles the Holy One, blessed be He, wrought for them. He left not a mountain in the wilderness, that they might not grow fatigued in climbing up and down. Moreover, although the cloud made the whole wilderness perfectly level, it used to leave an elevated spot where the Tabernacle might rest, and it allowed three mountains to remain; viz. Mount Sinai for the Divine Presence, Mount Nebo for the burial of Moses, and Mount Hor for the burial of Aaron.

17. [AARON WILL BE GATHERED (XX, 24)]. This teaches that the righteous/generous are informed of the day of their death, so that they will bequeath their crowns to their children. Why did not Aaron die in the same way as Miriam, in whose case no human being was aware of the death [at that time]? Why was Moses told, AARON WILL BE GATHERED? This may be illustrated by the parable of a king who had two financial officers. These did nothing without the king's knowledge. One of them had a fine field on the king's estate, and the king required it. The king said: ‘Although it is my domain I will not take it away before informing them.’ So also said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘These two old men, both righteous/generous, never did anything without My knowledge. Now, therefore, when I am about to take them away, I must not do so before letting them know.’ Therefore it says, AARON WILL BE GATHERED. Moses said to Him: 'Sovereign! Allow him to remain with the children of Reuben and the children of Gad! [Sc. On the eastern side of the Jordan]’ Said He to him: HE WILL NOT ENTER INTO THE LAND WHICH I HAVE GIVEN UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL (ib.), implying: The delay in his death is holding back the giving of the land. Do you wish that he should not die and that Israel will not enter the land? This is the reason why it says, WHICH I HAVE GIVEN UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL.

18. BECAUSE YOU REBELLED AGAINST MY WORD (XX, 24). This bears on what Scripture says, The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous/generous to famish (Prov. X, 3). It applies to Adam. All the righteous/generous men that are to spring from him, and against whom death is decreed, will not depart this life without beholding the presence of the Shechinah, and they will reprove Adam by saying to him: 'You have brought mortality upon us.’ Adam will answer them: ‘As for me, I have only one sin to my account, while in your case there is not a single man among you who has not at least four transgressions to his account!’ How do we know that they behold the presence of the Shechinah and reprove Adam? Because the text has it, I said: I will not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the living; I will behold man (adam) no more with the inhabitants of the world (Isa. XXXVIII, 11) [Hezekiah was told by Isaiah that this would happen to him because of his sin. This proves that the righteous/generous do see Him]. The righteous/generous are punished with death for slight transgressions. This is in order that Adam might not be called to account by them; as it says, ‘The Lord will not suffer the soul of the righteous/generous to famish.’ [Here in the sense of grieve. God would not suffer Adam to bear the mortification of thinking that he alone was responsible for the death of the righteous.] This is the reason why it says, BECAUSE YOU REBELLED AGAINST MY WORD.

19. TAKE AARON... AND STRIP (XX, 25 f.). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘You can comfort him with the assurance that he is bequeathing his crown as an inheritance to his children, whereas you will not do so to yours. AND MOSES STRIPPED AARON OF HIS GARMENTS, AND PUT THEM UPON ELEAZAR (ib. 28).

But, surely, if a High Priest goes out in priestly garments beyond the Temple Mount he receives the forty stripes, does he not, since these garments contain a combination of wool and linen? [Such garments were otherwise forbidden (cf. Deut. XXX, 11). By special dispensation they were permitted to the High Priest inside the Temple.] True, but it serves to inform you that with the same expression with which He inducted him into the priesthood, saying to Moses: Take Aaron [and his sons with him, and the garments] (Lev. VIII, 2), He also told him to ascend the mountain. [He was invested with the dignity of the High Priesthood by means of the garments and in his sons’ presence. He was to ascend the mountain now to die, but not before he saw his own son similarly invested.] AND MOSES DID AS THE LORD COMMANDED (XX, 27). This serves to teach you that although He bade him put into effect an evil decree against Aaron he did not dally.

20. AND WHEN ALL THE CONGREGATION SAW THAT AARON WAS DEAD (XX, 29). When Moses and Eleazar descended from the mountain, all the congregation assembled against them and said to them: 'Where is Aaron?’ They answered them: ‘He is dead.’ The others objected: ‘How could the Angel of Death strike him? He was a man who had withstood the Angel of Death and had restrained him; as it is written: And he stood between the dead and the living and the plague was stayed (Num. XVII, 13)! If you bring him back, well and good; if not, we will stone you!' Thereupon Moses resorted to prayer, and said: ‘Sovereign of the Universe! Deliver us from suspicion.’ Straightway the Holy One, blessed be He, opened the cave and showed Aaron to them; as is borne out by the text, AND WHEN ALL THE CONGREGATION SAW THAT AARON WAS DEAD. What is written after this? AND THE CANAANITE THE KING OF ARAD WHO DWELT IN THE SOUTH, HEARD THAT ISRAEL CAME BY THE WAY OF ATHARIM; AND HE FOUGHT AGAINST ISRAEL (XXI, 1). You find that when Aaron died, the clouds of glory departed, and Israel appeared like a woman whose hair has been uncovered. Who was the king of Arad? It was Amalek; as is borne out by the text, Amalek dwells in the land of the South; and the Hittite, and the Jebusite, and the Amorite, dwell in the mountains; and the Canaanite dwells by the sea, and along by the side of the Jordan (Num. XIII, 29). Amalek dwelt in the gap on the border, and when he heard that Aaron was dead and that the clouds of glory had departed he straightway attacked them. BY THE WAY OF ATHARIM. ATHARIM alludes to the Great Scout [the ark] who explored the way for them; as it says, And the ark of the covenant of the Lord went before them three days’ journey, to seek out a resting-place for them (ib. X, 33). AND HE FOUGHT AGAINST ISRAEL. If he was in reality Amalek why was he called by the name of Canaanite? For this reason: Israel was forbidden to fight against the children of Esau; as it says, Contend not with them; for I will not give you of their land, no, not so much as for the sole of the foot to tread on; because I have given Mount Seir unto Esau for a possession (Deut. II, 5). Now when Amalek [a descendant of Esau] came and waged war against them, a first time and a second time, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: ‘This nation is not forbidden to you as are the children of Esau. They are like Canaanites to you, of whom it says, You will utterly destroy them’ (ib. XX, 17). This is the reason why they were called Canaanite. The Amalekites were ever a strap of chastisement for Israel. You find that as soon as they said, Is the Lord among us? (XVII, 7) [showing like of faith and gratitude], Came Amalek (ib. 8). When They said one to another: Let us make a captain, and let us return into Egypt (Num. XIV, 4), Then the Amalakite and the Canaanite... came down (ib. 45). And here, THE CANAANITE, THE KING OF ARAD... HEARD. You find that when Aaron died, the Amalekites went out against them and they had to turn back seven stages. This may be inferred from the fact that it says, And the children of Israel journeyed from Beeroth-bene-jaakan to Moserah; there Aaron died (Deut. X, 6). Now, did Aaron die there? Did he not die on Mount Hor; as it says, Aaron died there in the top of the mount (Num. XX, 28)? The Scriptural verses [Of Num. XXXIII, 32 ff., describing the stages mentioned above in Israel's journeys in the reverse direction] prove that these [The stages between Mount Hor and Moserah] represent seven stages backwards. This serves to teach you that they had turned back.

21. AND THEY JOURNEYED FROM MOUNT HOR ... AND THE SOUL OF THE PEOPLE BECAME IMPATIENT BECAUSE OF THE WAY (XXI, 4). But is it not written, To lead them in the way ... You gave also Your good Spirit to instruct them (Neh. IX, 19 f.)? [Proving that they were well cared for?] True, but those survivors who had come out of Egypt, and against whom the decree of death had been passed, did not experience in the wilderness any spiritual joy nor goodness of spirit. In the same strain it says, And your children will be wanderers in the wilderness and you will know My displeasure (Num. XIV, 33 f.). These were the people whose soul became impatient because of the way. AND THE PEOPLE SPOKE AGAINST GOD, AND AGAINST MOSES (XXI, 5). They put the servant on the same level as his Master. OUR SOUL LOATHES THIS LIGHT BREAD (ib.). This was because that generation were unable to taste any of the fruit of the Land. R. Akiba remarked: When merchants showed them a basket that had come full of the fruit of the Land they used to die, as it says, Surely there will not one of these men, even this evil generation, see the good land (Deut. I, 35), as much as to say: any good that comes from the Land. Accordingly, THE SOUL OF THE PEOPLE BECAME IMPATIENT BECAUSE OF THE WAY. It was those people who had murmured OUR SOUL LOATHES.

22. AND THE LORD SENT FIERY SERPENTS AMONG THE PEOPLE (XXI, 6). What reason did He see for punishing them by means of serpents? Because the serpent (Gen. III,1 f.], who was the first to speak slander, had been cursed, and they did not learn a lesson from him. The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore, said: ‘Let the serpent, who was the first to introduce slander, come and punish those who speak slander.’ This accords with the text, Whosoever brakes through a fence, a serpent will bite him (Eccl. X, 8). Another reason why He punished them by means of serpents: Even if the serpent eats all the daintiest things in the world, his food changes in his mouth to dust; as it says, Dust is the serpent's food (Isa. LXV, 25). These people, however, ate the manna which changed into many tastes; as it says, He gave them their request (Ps. CVI, 15) [i.e. all the tastes that they desired to experience], and as it says, These forty years the Lord your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing (Deut. II, 7).3 Let the serpent, who eats many kinds of food and has but one taste in his mouth, come and punish those who eat one kind of food and experience the tastes of many.

FIERY (SERAFIM) SERPENTS. They are so called because they burn the soul [leaving the body intact]. R. Judan explains that those same SERAFIM SERPENTS, so called because the cloud used to burn (soref) them and make of them a wall round the camp so as to acquaint them with the miracles the Holy One, blessed be He, was working for them-those very serpents He let loose upon them.

23. AND THE PEOPLE CAME TO MOSES, AND SAID: WE HAVE SINNED (XXI, 7). They realized that they had spoken against Moses and they prostrated themselves before him and said: PRAY UNTO THE LORD, THAT HE TAKE AWAY THE SERPENT5 FROM US (ib.). It was actually only one serpent! AND MOSES PRAYED (ib.). This serves to acquaint you with the meekness of Moses who did not hesitate to beg mercy for them, and to acquaint you also with the power of repentance, for as soon as they said, WE HAVE SINNED, he was immediately reconciled to them, for he that is in a position to forgive should not be cruel. In the same strain it says, And Abraham prayed [For Abimelech who had wronged him, and asked his forgiveness] unto God; and God healed (Gen. XX, 17). A similar instance is, And the Lord changed the fortune of Job, when he prayed for his friends (Job XLII, 10) [who had previously offended him]. How can we infer that when a man offends against his fellow and says to him: ‘I have sinned,’ the offended party, if he does not forgive him, is called a sinner? From the text which says, As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you (I Sam. XII, 23). When did he tell them this? When they came and said: ‘We have sinned’; as is borne out by the text, Pray for your servants ... for we have added unto all our sins this evil (ib. 19). To this he replied: ‘Far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord’. AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: MAKE FOR YOURSELF A FIERY SERPENT ... AND IT WILL COME TO PASS, THAT EVERY ONE THAT IS BITTEN, WHEN HE SEES IT, WILL LIVE (XXI, 8). Not merely one bitten by the serpent but, He said, EVERY ONE THAT IS BITTEN, even one bitten by an asp, a scorpion, a wild beast, or a dog. AND MOSES MADE A SERPENT OF BRASS, AND SET IT UP BY A MIRACLE (ib. 9) [upon the pole]. He cast it into the air and it stayed there.

24. AND THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL JOURNEYED, AND PITCHED IN OBOTH (XXI, 10). OBOTH signifies that they became enemies (oyebim) to the Omnipresent. AND PITCHED AT IJE - ABARIM (ib. 11). This signifies that they were full of transgression (‘abera). AND PITCHED AT THE BROOK ZERED (ib. 12). This implies that though the brook was merely the size of a full span (zereth), they were unable to cross it for thirty-eight years; as is proved by the text, Now rise up, and get you over the brook Zered (Deut. II, 13), and it is written, The days in which we came from Kadesh-barnea, until we were come over the brook Zered, were thirty and eight years; until all the generation... were consumed (ib. 14). FROM THENCE THEY JOURNEYED, AND PITCHED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARNON (XXI, 13). This implies that the Holy One, blessed be He, was reconciled to them.

25. THEN SANG ISRAEL THIS SONG (XXI, 17). This song was sung at the end of the forty years, and the well was given to them at the beginning of the forty years. What is the reason then why it was written here? This subject must be expounded by reference to what precedes it, viz., Wherefore it is said in the book of the Wars of the Lord: Vaheb is Suphah, and the valleys of Arnon (ib. 14). This text implies that the Holy One, blessed be He, wrought for them signs and miracles in the valleys of Arnon like the miracles that He had wrought for them at the Red Sea. What was the nature of the miracles in the valleys of Arnon? A man could stand on the top of one mountain and speak with his neighbor on the top of the other mountain, yet he would be seven miles away from him! Now the road [to the Promised Land] ran down into the valley and ascended. Israel, on their way, had to pass through the midst of the valley. All the nations assembled at that spot, armies without end, and some of them took up positions within the valley. The mountain above them was riddled with caves. Opposite these caves, in the mountain facing this one, there were numerous rocky projections resembling breasts (shadayim); as is borne out by the text; AND THE ESHED (slope) OF THE VALLEYS (ib.15). The armies entered into the caves, thinking: When Israel come down into the valley, those who are in the valley will confront them, and those who are above will harass them from the caves, and so we shall slay them all. When, however, Israel reached that spot He did not make it necessary for them to descend to the bottom of the valley, but signaled to the mountains, and the breasts of the mountain referred to entered into the caves, and all the occupants were killed. Furthermore, the mountains brought their heads close to each other and formed a level road, and it was impossible to tell one mountain from the next. That valley was the boundary between the Land of Israel and the land of Moab; as it says, FOR ARNON IS THE BORDER OF MOAB, BETWEEN MOAB AND THE AMORITES (ib.,3). The mountain in the land of Moab in which the caves were did not move, while the mountain from the Land of Israel in which were the rocky projections resembling breasts moved and joined the mountain opposite. Why did it move? Because it belonged to the Land of Israel. It may be compared to the case of a handmaid who, on seeing her master's son coming to her, advanced quickly to meet him and welcomed him [The handmaid is the mountain, the master is God, and the son is Israel]. The rocky projections entered into the caves and crushed all the mighty men in them. The well descended into the valley [which had remained intact, although the tops of the mountains had touched] and there it swelled and destroyed all the armies [who had been stationed there] in the same manner as the Red Sea had destroyed those [of the Egyptians]. For this reason Vaheb in Suphah and the valleys of Arnon are placed side by side for comparison. Israel passed along the top of those mountains and did not know of all the miracles. Said the Holy One, blessed be He: ‘I will let My children know how many armies I have destroyed on their account.’ The well descended into the caves and brought out skulls, arms, and legs innumerable. Israel returned in search of the well and saw it coming from the valley full, carrying limbs upon limbs. How can it be inferred that it was the well that made these facts known? Because it says, AND THE SLOPE OF THE VALLEYS .... AND FROM THENCE TO THE WELL (XXI, 15 f). Now was the well given them from thence? Had it not been with them since the beginning of the forty years? It had; but it had gone down to proclaim the miracles, and Israel, standing by the valleys, said to the well: SPRING UP, O WELL -- SING YE UNTO IT (ib. 17), and as they stood there they sang a song.

26. THEN SANG ISRAEL (XXI, 17). Why is Moses not mentioned in this context? Because he owed his punishment to water, and no man praises his executioner. Why is not the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, mentioned? This may be illustrated by the case of a governor who made a feast for the king. The king asked: ‘Will my friend be there?’ ‘No,’ he was told. Said he: ‘Then I also am not going there.’ In the same way the Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘Since Moses is not mentioned there; I also will not be mentioned there.’ THE WELL, WHICH THE PRINCES DUG, WHICH THE NOBLES OF THE PEOPLE DELVED (ib. 18). But was there any digging in this connection? No, but it means that the well was given to them by reason of the merit of the Patriarchs who are called princes; as may be inferred from the text, He opened the rock, and waters gushed out.... For He remembered His holy word unto Abraham His servant (Ps. CV, 41 f.). WHICH THE NOBLES OF THE PEOPLE DELVED, WITH THE SCEPTRE, AND WITH THEIR STAVES. This implies that the princes stood by the well and drew the water with their staves, each one to his own tribe and to his own family. The space between the standards was filled with water flowing with sustained vigor. If a woman had to go to her friend who belonged to another standard she would go in a ship; as it says, They went in ziyyoth on the river (Ps. loc. cit.), and ’ziyyoth’ cannot but denote ships; as is proved by the text, Neither will gallant ship (zi) pass thereby (Isa. XXXIII, 21). The water flowed on outside the camp and encircled a large tract of land; as it says, He guides me in straight paths [lit.’ circles’] for His name's sake (Ps. XXIII, 3). It caused numerous varieties of grass and trees to spring forth, as it says, He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters (ib. 2). During the whole period that they were in the wilderness they continued to use the well in this way. Consequently they sang in their praise, SPRING UP, O WELL ... WHICH THE PRINCES DUG. AND FROM THE WILDERNESS A MATTANAH [meaning ‘gift’] (XXI, 18). This implies that it was given (nittenah) to them in the wilderness to serve their needs. Another exposition: Why was it [i.e. ‘the well’, which the Midrash now takes as a metaphor for the Torah] given in the wilderness? Because, if it had been given to them in the Promised Land, the tribe in whose territory it was given would have said: ‘I have a prior claim to it.’ Consequently it was given in the wilderness, so that all should have an equal claim to it. And another reason why it was given in the wilderness is this: As the wilderness is neither sown nor tilled, so if one accepts the yoke of the Torah he is relieved of the yoke of earning a living; and as the wilderness does not yield any taxes from crops, so scholars are free men in this world. Another reason why it was given in the wilderness: Who preserves the Torah? He who makes himself like a wilderness and segregates himself from worldly matters. AND FROM MATTANAH TO NAHALIEL; AND FROM NAHALIEL TO BAMOTH (XXI, 19). Three places; corresponding to the three courts of law in Jerusalem, which explained the Torah to Israel. FROM MATTANAH TO NAHALIEL alludes to the Sanhedrin on the Temple Mount [the heritage of God (nahalath el)]. FROM NAHALIEL TO BAMOTH alludes to the Sanhedrin in the Temple Court beside the altar [the altar was erected on a high place (bamah)]. AND FROM BAMOTH TO THE VALLEY THAT IS IN THE FIELD OF MOAB (ib.) alludes to the Sanhedrin in the Chamber of Hewn Stones which was in the territory of Ruth who came from the land of Moab; as it says, It is a Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the field of Moab (Ruth II, 6). WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE DESERT (XXI, 20). This alludes to the well, which accompanied them until it entered the sea of Tiberias [Sea of Kinnereth, or Gennesaret, in Galilee]. One who stands in the desert observes inside this sea, as it were, a [cavity] the size of an oven. That is the well WHICH CAN BE SEEN IN THE DESERT.

28. AND ISRAEL SENT MESSENGERS (XXI, 21). The words of the Torah are necessary to each other, for what one verse leaves unsaid the other discloses. So here it says, AND ISRAEL SENT. While in another passage Scripture attributes the sending to Moses; as it says, And I sent messengers out of the wilderness of Kedemoth (Deut. II, 26). It is also written, Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom (Judg. XI, 17), and it is written, Moses sent messengers from Kadesh... Let us pass (Num. XX, 14 ff.). These Scriptural texts are necessary to each other, for Moses is Israel and Israel are Moses. This serves to teach you that the chief of a generation is the whole generation [cf. Er. 41a: The body follows the head].

29. LET ME PASS THROUGH YOUR LAND (XXI, 22). As he had sent to inform the king of Edom that he would not cause him any damage, so he sent to this one. You will sell me food for money ... and give me water for money (Deut. II, 28). Water is generally given away gratis, but we will pay for it. WE WILL GO BY THE KING'S HIGHWAY (XXI, 22). But in another passage it is written, Until I shall pass over the Jordan (Deut. II, 29)?3 I will illustrate the matter to you by a parable. To what may it be compared? To a watchman who received wages for watching a vine or a fig-tree, and to whom someone came and said: ‘Go away from here, for I want to cut off the grapes from the vineyard.’ The other replied: ‘The sole reason why I stay here on guard is because of you, and you come to cut it down, do you?’ The same was the case with Sihon. He received payment from all the kings of Canaan. These used to bring him taxes, since he appointed them as kings. He and Og were equal to all the others; as is borne out by the text, Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan (Ps. CXXXV, 11). Israel said to him [Sihon]: ’Let me pass through your land’ to conquer the kings. Said he to them: ‘The sole reason why I am here is to protect them against you!’ AND SIHON WOULD NOT SUFFER ISRAEL TO PASS THROUGH HIS BORDER; BUT SIHON GATHERED ALL HIS PEOPLE TOGETHER (XXI, 23). The Holy One, blessed be He, brought this about designedly, so as to deliver him into their hands without trouble. It is written, Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon (Deut. III, 2), as much as to say that if Heshbon had been full of mosquitoes no human being could have conquered it, and if Sihon had been living in a plain no human being could have prevailed over him. It goes, therefore, without saying that [he was invincible, seeing that] he was himself powerful and that he dwelt in a fortified city. ‘Who dwelt at Heshbon.’ Had he and his armies remained each in a different town Israel would have worn themselves out in conquering each town separately. But it was not so. The Holy One, blessed be He, assembled them in face of Israel in order to deliver them into their hands without trouble. In the same strain it says, Behold, I have begun to deliver up Sihon... before you (ib. II, 31). Israel slew all the strong men who had come out against them and then turned back to take the women and little ones without exertion. Accordingly it is written, ’Sihon gathered all his people together’ (Num. XXI, 23), And Israel took all these cities (ib. 25).

30. FOR HESHBON WAS THE CITY OF SIHON (XXI, 26). This bears on the text, For the Lord loves justice (Ps. XXXVII, 28). The Holy One, blessed be He, had said to Moses: ‘Be not at enmity with Moab’ (Deut. II, 9). Now Heshbon had belonged to Moab, as is proved by the text, FOR HESHBON WAS THE CITY OF SIHON THE KING OF THE AMORITES, WHO HAD FOUGHT AGAINST THE FORMER KING OF MOAB, AND TAKEN ALL HIS LAND, etc. (XXI, 26). Israel, then, came and took Heshbon, which now belonged to Sihon, and all that the latter had taken from Moab. Had they taken it directly from Moab they would have had in their possession something which they had robbed unjustly. But it was not so. Sihon took it from Moab and Israel took it from Sihon, and so they were free from the charge of robbery. This is the reason why it is written, FOR HESHBON WAS THE CITY OF SIHON. WHEREFORE THEY THAT SPEAK IN PARABLES SAY (XXI, 27). THEY THAT SPEAK IN PARABLES alludes to Balaam and his father, whom Sihon had hired to curse Moab, and it was they who had said, LET THE CITY OF SIHON BE BUILT AND ESTABLISHED! FOR A FIRE IS GONE OUT OF HESHBON... IT HAS DEVOURED ALL OF MOAB (ib. 27 f.). They cursed Moab that it might be delivered into Sihon's hands, saying, WOE TO YOU, MOAB! (ib. 29).

31. AND ISRAEL DWELT IN ALL THE CITIES OF THE AMORITES (XXI, 31). Only Jazer remained unconquered, and so MOSES SENT TO SPY OUT JAZER (ib. 32). These spies were eager to go and said: ‘We have confidence in the prayer of Moses. He had already sent spies on a former occasion and they had brought misfortune. We will not do as they had done, but we will trust in the Holy One, blessed be He, and wage war.’ They did so and slew the Amorites that were there [cf. Numbers XXI,32].

32. AND THEY TURNED AND WENT UP (XXI, 33). According to some authorities Israel fought the battle with Sihon in Elul, celebrated the Festival in Tishri, and after the Festival they undertook the wars against Og. This may be inferred by analogy with the text, And you will turn [this expression, similar to that used in our text, occurs in a passage that speaks of an act that was to follow the celebration of one of the three festivals] in the morning, and go unto your tents (Deut. XVI, 7). AND OG THE KING OF BASHAN WENT OUT AGAINST THEM, HE AND ALL HIS PEOPLE (XXI, 33). This implies that the Holy One, blessed be He, had assembled them in face of Israel in order to deliver them into their hands. AND THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: FEAR HIM NOT; FOR I HAVE DELIVERED HIM INTO YOUR HAND (ib. 34). This bears on what Scripture says, Happy is the man that fears always (Prov. XXVIII, 14). This in fact is the nature of the righteous/generous. Although the Holy One, blessed be He, assures them, they do not cast off fear. It was the same with Jacob; as it says, Jacob was greatly afraid (Gen. XXXII, 8). Why was he afraid? He thought: Perhaps I have soiled myself with some sin during my stay at Laban's, and the text states, That He see no unseemly thing in you, and turn away from you (Deut. XXIII, 15), and so the Holy One, blessed be He, may forsake me. Moses also held on to fear, like his ancestor. Why was he afraid? He thought: Perhaps Israel have committed a trespass in the war against Sihon [Having taken some of the devoted spoil; cf. Josh. VIII, 1], or have soiled themselves by the commission of some transgression. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘Do not be afraid, for they have all shown themselves perfectly righteous/generous. FEAR HIM NOT. There did not exist in the world a man of might more difficult to overcome than he; as may be inferred from the text, For only Og king of Bashan remained of the remnant of the Rephaim (Deut. III, 11). He had been the only survivor of the strong men whom Amraphel and his colleagues had slain; as may be inferred from the text, And smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim (Gen. XIV, 5). And this man was the refuse among them, like the hard olives that escape being mashed. This may be inferred from the fact that it says, And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram the Hebrew--now he dwelt by the terebinths of Mamre the Amorite, brother of Eshcol, and brother of Aner; and these were confederate with Abram (Gen. XXV, 13)--this man that had escaped was Og -while our own text also describes him as a remnant; for it says, ’Of the remnant of the Rephaim.’ It was his intention that Abram should go out and be killed. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave him the reward that his feet had earned him, and he lived all those years, but He collected his debt from him in that he fell by the hand of Abraham's children. Moses, on coming to make war with him, was afraid. He thought: I am a hundred and twenty years old while he is over five hundred. If it were not that he possessed some merit, he would not have lived all these years. Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him: FEAR HIM NOT; FOR I HAVE DELIVERED HIM INTO YOUR HAND (XXI, 34). Slay him, He implied, with your own hand. And you will do to him as thou didst unto Sihon ... and we utterly destroyed them (Deut. III, 2 ff.). But is it not written, All the cattle, and the spoil of the cities, we took for a prey unto ourselves (ib. 7)? You must conclude, then, that they utterly destroyed the human bodies so as not to derive any benefit from them. SO THEY SMOTE HIM, AND HIS SONS (XXI, 35). The written form is ‘his son (beno)’. This implies that he had a son who was more formidable than he himself. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: ‘In this world you will consume the heathens little by little. In the time to come, however, I will exterminate them at one stroke’; as it says, And the peoples will be as the burnings of lime, as thorns cut down, that are burned in the fire (Isa. XXXIII, 12).

33. Another exposition of the text, THEN SANG ISRAEL (XXI, 17). This is one of the three things said by Moses to the Holy One, blessed be He, to which the latter replied: ‘You have taught Me something.’ He said to Him [when interceding for Israel on the occasion of the making of the Golden Calf]: Sovereign of the Universe! How can Israel realize what they have done? Were they not reared up in Egypt? And are not all the Egyptians worshippers of idols? Moreover, when You gave the Torah You did not give it to them! They were not even standing near by: as it says, And the people stood afar off (Ex. XX, 18)! You gave it only to me; as it says, And unto Moses He said: Come up unto the Lord (ib. XXIV, 1). When You gave the commandments You did not give it to them! You did not say, "I am the Lord your [plural] God," but “I am the Lord your [singular] God (ib. XX, 1). You did say it to me! Have I sinned?’ ‘By your life,’ said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, ‘you have spoken well! You have taught Me something! From now onward I will use the expression, "I am the Lord your God” ‘The second occasion was when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children (ib. 5). Moses said to him: 'Sovereign of the Universe! Many are the wicked/lawless who have begotten righteous/generous men. Will the latter bear some of the iniquities/lawlessness of their fathers? Terah worshipped images, yet Abraham his son was a righteous/generous man. Similarly Hezekiah was a righteous/generous man, though Ahaz his father was wicked/lawless. So also Josiah was righteous/generous, yet Amon his father was wicked/lawless. Is this proper, that the righteous/generous should be punished for the iniquity/lawlessness of their fathers?’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘You have taught Me something! By your life, I will cancel My words and confirm yours’; as it says, The fathers will not be put to death for the children, neither will the children be put to death for the fathers (Deut. XXIV, 16). ‘And by your life, I will record these words in your name’; as it says, According to that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, as the Lord commanded, saying: The fathers will not, etc. (II Kings XIV, 6). The third occasion was when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘Make war with Sihon. Even though he does not seek to interfere with you, you must open hostilities against him’; as it says, Rise you up, take your journey, and pass over the valley of Arnon... and contend with him [Sihon] in battle (Deut. II, 24). Moses, however, did not do so but, in accordance with what is written lower down, Sent messengers (ib. 26). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: ‘By your life, I will cancel My own words and confirm yours’; as it says, When you draw near unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it (ib. XX, 10). Seeing that Sihon did not accept their overtures, the Holy One, blessed be He, cast him down before them; as it says, And we smote him (ib.II, 33). Nay, more; even as regards those who had hidden themselves in caves in order to kill Israel the Holy One, blessed be He, signaled to the mountain and it crushed them; as it says, You did shatter the heads of the sea-monsters in the waters. You did crush the heads of leviathan (Ps. LXXIV, 13 f.). There is a popular proverb which says: ‘If you give a piece of bread to a child, inform his mother.’ The Holy One, blessed be He, therefore, said: ‘How will Israel know what favor I have conferred upon them?’ What did He do? The mountains moved away from each other and the brooks swept the bodies away; as it says, And the flow of the brooks [slope of the valleys] (Num. XXI, 15), and Israel passed by and sang a hymn. THEN SANG ISRAEL. Israel reasoned thus: It is Your duty to perform miracles for us, and our duty to bless and praise Your name; Salvation belongs unto the Lord; the blessing of You be upon Your people. Selah (Ps. III, 9). As it was in connection with water that the decree against Moses was made, he was not mentioned in the song. Moses argued: ‘Sovereign of the Universe! After all the miracles which You have wrought for them, must I die at their hands? Out of the wilderness You gave them the Torah; as it says, "From the wilderness to mattanah--gift" (Num. XXI, 18); and at my hands they received it as a heritage; as it says, "From Mattanah Nahaliel" (ib. 19),7 implying that they received God as a heritage (nahalu el). Now as soon as they have received the heritage You have decreed death against me; as it says, "From Nahaliel Bamoth" (ib.) which implies that after the inheritance came death (ba maweth)! And from Bamoth to the valley that is in the field of Moab’ (ib. 20). This is explained by the text, And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab (Deut. XXXIV, 6). In reference to this Job said: That respects not the persons of princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor. For they are all the work of His hands (Job XXXIV, 19).

Ketubim Targum Tehillim (Psalms) 104:10-18

JPS Translation	TARGUM
1. Bless the LORD, O my soul. O LORD my God, You are very great; You are clothed with glory and majesty.	1. Bless, O my soul, the name of the Lord. O Lord my God, You are greatly exalted; You have put on praise and splendor.
2. Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain;	2. Who wraps himself in light like a sheet, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain.
3. Who lays the beams of Your upper chambers in the waters, who makes the clouds Your chariot, who walks upon the wings of the wind;	3. Who covers his chambers with water like a building with beams; who placed His chariot, as it were, upon swift clouds; who goes on the wings of an eagle.
4. Who makes winds Your messengers, the flaming fire Your ministers.	4. Who made His messengers as swift as wind; His servants, as strong as burning fire.
5. Who did establish the earth upon its foundations, that it should not be moved for ever and ever;	5. Who lays the foundation of the earth upon its base, so that it will not shake for ages upon ages.
6. You did cover it with the deep as with a vesture; the waters stood above the mountains.	6. You have covered over the abyss as with a garment; and the waters split on the mountains, and endure.
7. At Your rebuke they fled, at the voice of Your thunder they hasted away -	7. At Your rebuke, they will flee, flowing down; at the sound of Your shout, they will be frightened, pouring themselves out.
8. The mountains rose, the valleys sank down - unto the place which You had founded for them;	8. They will go up from the abyss to the mountains, and descend to the valleys, to this place that You founded for them.
9. You did set a bound which they should not pass over, that they might not return to cover the earth.	9. You have placed a boundary for the waves of the sea that they will not cross, lest they return to cover the earth.
10. Who sends forth springs into the valleys; they run between the mountains;	10. Who releases springs into rivers; they flow between the mountains.
11. They give drink to every beast of the field, the wild asses quench their thirst.	11. They water all the wild animals; the asses will break their thirst.
12. Beside them dwell the fowl of the heaven, from among the branches they sing.	12. The birds of heaven will settle on them; they will give out a sound of singing from among the branches.
13. Who waters the mountains from Your upper chambers; the earth is full of the fruit of Your works.	13. Who waters the mountains from His upper treasury; the earth will be satisfied with the fruit of Your deeds.
14. Who causes the grass to spring up for the cattle, and herb for the service of man; to bring forth bread out of the earth,	14. Who makes grass grow for beasts, and herbs for the cultivation of the son of man, that bread may come forth from the earth;
15. And wine that makes glad the heart of man, making the face brighter than oil, and bread that stays man's heart.	15. And wine that gladdens the heart of the son of man, to make the face shine by oil; and bread will support the heart of the son of man.
16. The trees of the LORD have their fill, the cedars of Lebanon, which He has planted;	16. The trees that the Lord created are satisfied, the cedars of Lebanon that He planted:
17. Wherein the birds make their nests; as for the stork, the fir-trees are her house.	17. Where the birds make nests; the stork’s dwelling is in the cypresses.
18. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are a refuge for the conies.	18. The high mountains are for the wild goats; the rocks are security for the conies.

The Midrash on Psalms (Midrash Tehillim): Psalm 104:1-18

I. Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God; You are very great; You are clothed with glory and majesty (Ps. 104:1). Elsewhere, this is what Scripture says: Your’s, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory ... Your’s is the kingdom, O Lord, and in it the head is exalted above all (I Chron. 29:11). R. Huna asked: Who is referred to by the head? You find that all things offer praise to the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said From the rising of the sun unto the going down thereof the Lord’s name is praised (Ps. 113:3), yet to the Holy One, blessed be He, no praise means more than the praise offered by Israel, The people which I formed for Myself, that they might tell of My praise (Isa. 43:21). This you can see for yourself from the preceding Psalm, where it is written Bless the Lord, you angels of His, you mighty in strength, that do His word, hearkening unto the voice of His word (Ps. 103:20). One would expect the verse to put hearkening unto the voice of His word before that do His word,’ for ordinarily a man must first hearken to word of what he is to do before he does it. Why, then, does the verse read this way? Because it is speaking of the people of Israel who stood at Sinai, willing to do the will of God even before hearkening to word of what they were to do, for they said: All that the Lord hath spoken we will do, and then hearken (Ex. 24:7). After Israel offer praise, the angels follow them in offering praise, as is evident from the next verse in the Psalm, Bless the Lord, all you His hosts (Ps. 103:21), these being the angels, of whom it is said “The Lord will punish the host of the high heaven on high” (Isa. 24:21). Hence the head in Your’s is the kingdom … and in it the head is exalted above all is none other than Israel, of whom it is said “You exalt the head, the children of Israel” (Ex. 30:52); in the same way, holiness is none other than Israel, as in the verse “Israel is holiness Unto the Lord” (Jer.2:3).

II. In another comment, the verse is read And You are exalted as head above all (I Chron. 29:11). R. Simon taught: As the head is above the body, so are You above all the praises wherewith men exalt You; You are high above every blessing and every praise, as is said Who can express the mighty acts of the Lord? (Ps. 106:2)—that is, “Who can declare the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He?” If a man endeavor to speak of all the glory of the Holy One, blessed be He, he will forfeit his life. As Elihu said: If a man speak, surely he will be destroyed (Job 37:20). You can see for yourself that all His glory cannot be expressed. Even after David had composed one hundred and forty-seven Psalms of praise, he said that he had still to speak the praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, for he said: My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord (Ps. 145:21).

The essence of all praise is David’s praising of God with the two hundred and forty-eight parts of the body, as is said All my bones will say: “Lord, who is like unto You?” (Ps. 35:10). David did not leave out a single part of the body: there was not one with which he did not praise the Holy One, blessed be He. Yet David said to all the parts: Do you think that in exalting the Holy One, blessed be He, with all these praises I have touched upon even one tiny portion of the multitudes of myriads of the glories of the Holy One, blessed be He? At this moment I am only at the beginning of my praise of Him: A Psalm of praise; of David. I will extol You, my God, O King (Ps. 145:1).

Rabbi taught: Even if the mouths of righteous/generous men were changed into springs ceaselessly pouring out praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, do you suppose that then they could pour forth His glory, the whole of it? Never! For it is written They will pour forth the memory of Your great goodness (Ps. 145:7): It is not written “They poured forth,” but They will pour forth —that is, they will have to go on pouring forth praise like a spring which gushes up more and more. Hence You are exalted as head above all. David also said: O Lord my God, You art very great (Ps. 104:1).

III. Another comment on Bless the Lord, O my soul. Elsewhere, this is what Scripture says: The Lord will command the blessing with you in your barns (Deut. a8:8). You will find it true that every single thing has an angel in charge of it. When a man proves worthy, angels of peace are assigned to be with him; but when a man proves unworthy, angels of destruction are assigned to be with him. Hence it is said The Lord will command the blessing with you in your barns—if you have separated your tithes in the field, My blessing will be with you: Blessed will you be in the city, and blessed will you be in the field (ibid. 28:3).

R. Ze’era taught: Even the common talk of Israel is worthy of study. In proof, consider the common saying: It depends on you, who is assigned to be with you.

R. Meir observed: Which is the greater, he who is borne up by another or he who bears another up? Admit that it is he who is borne up. Again, which is the greater, He who watches over another, or he that is watched over by another? Admit that it is he who is watched over. Why? Because if he did not have good works, he would not be borne up, or watched over, for it is said He will give His angels charge over you, to watch over you in all your ways. They will bear you upon their hands (Ps. 91:11-12). When a man is worthy, ministering angels go with him and watch over him so that no evil thing will befall him, as is said There will no evil befall you (ibid. 91:10). When David saw that the presence of angels was so precious and beautiful a blessing, with his soul and with all the parts of his body he blessed, in return, the Holy One, blessed be He, as is said Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name (Ps. 103:1).

IV. In further exposition of Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, You are very great (Ps. 104:1), R. Berechiah said in the name of R. Eleazar and also in the name of R. Joshua: You were great in the world before the world was created. But after You did create Your world, it is written You are very great. You were great before the children of Israel went forth out of Egypt. But after they went forth out of Egypt, it is written You are very great. You were great before the Prophets offered praise to You. But after the Prophets offered praise to You, it is written You are very great.

You are clothed with glory and majesty (ibid.). R. Simeon ben Jehozadak interrogated R. Samuel bar Nahmani, saying: “How did the Holy One, blessed be He, create the light?” R. Samuel bar Nahmani replied: “God covered Himself with a white garment and suffused the world with His light.” But since R. Samuel bar Nahmani gave his reply in a whisper, R. Simeon ben Jehozadak pressed him further: “Is this not said outspokenly in the verse Who covers Yourself with light as with a garment (ibid. 104:2)?” Thereupon R. Samuel bar Nahmani said to him: “As in a whisper I received this tradition, so in a whisper I answered you.”

R. Berechiah said: Had I not heard that R. Isaac expounded this verse in public, I, too, would not expound it in public.

And whence did the Holy One, blessed be He, diffuse the light? R. Berechiah said In the name of R. Isaac, God diffused it from the Holy Temple, as is said And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east … and the earth’s light came from His glory (Ezek. 43:2).

V. Another exposition of You are clothed with glory and majesty. A mortal, when he is strong, is not beautiful, and when beautiful, is not strong. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is both strong and beautiful, for He has the two attributes of glory and majesty. God gave glory to Moses, as is said And you will put some of your glory upon him (Num. 27:20); and God gave majesty to Joshua, of whom it is said His firstling bullock, majesty is his (Deut. 33:17). God also gave glory to Solomon, as is said And the Lord ... bestowed upon him such royal glory as had not been on any king before him in Israel (I Chron. 29:25).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: In the time-to-come, I will give glory and majesty to the king Messiah, as is said For You meet him with choicest blessings ... Glory and majesty do You lay upon him (Ps. 25:4,6). And God gives glory and majesty not only to the king Messiah, but also to every man who labors diligently in the Torah. For in the verse The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure therein (Ps. 111:2), the works of the Lord means the Torah, as it is said “And the tables were the work of God” (Ex. 32:16). And what is to be the wage of the man who labors diligently in the Torah? His wage is glory and majesty (Ps. 151:3). Hence You are clothed with glory and majesty.

VI. Who makes of water the roof beams of His upper chambers (Ps. 104:3). R. Phinehas taught in the name of R. Meir: The marvelous heavens—are they made of such chemicals as natron, or lixivium? Indeed, you would have no way of knowing what they are made of, but because Scripture says, Who makes of water the roof beams of His upper chambers, you must conclude that the heavens are made of water.

Who makes the clouds His chariot (ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, came on two clouds for the sake of Israel. On one cloud God came unto Egypt, as is said Behold, the Lord rides upon a swift cloud, and comes unto Egypt (Isa. 59:1). And on the other cloud God came unto Sinai, as is said “Lo, I come unto you in a thick cloud” (Ex. 19:9).

Who walks upon the wings of the wind (Ps. 104:3). R. Huna bar Papa taught: A mortal—him, his chariot carries; but the Holy One, blessed be He, He carries His chariot. A mortal—his chariot carries him, his chariot being a material thing; but the Holy One, blessed be He, walks upon the wings of the wind.

VII. Who makes His angels winds (Ps. 104:4). R. Johanan taught: The angels were created on the second day. Angels that serve as messengers, they are made of wind. Angel, in fact, means “messenger,” as is said And Israel sent messengers (Num. 21:21). And angels that serve as ministers, they are made of fire, for the verse concludes His ministers a flaming fire (Ps. 104:4).

VIII. On You did cover the deep as with a vesture (Ps. 104:6), R. Judah and R. Nehemiah differed. R. Judah maintained: The earth, what does it stand upon? Upon the waters, for it is said To Him that stretched out the earth upon the waters (Ps. 136:6); and the waters stand upon pillars of mountains, as is said The waters stood above the mountains (Ps. 104:6); the pillars of mountains stand upon the wind, as is said He that forms the mountains, and creates the wind (Amos 4:13); and the wind stands upon the storm, as is said Stormy wind, sustaining His word (Ps. 148:8). R. Nehemiah taught: The earth is upon the waters, and the waters are upon pillars of mountains, as is said The waters stood above the mountains (Ps. 104:6); and, as it is also written, The waters ... go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which You have founded for them (ibid. 104:8). And by Unto the place which You have founded for them is meant the Ocean.

IX. You have set a bound that they may not pass over … He sends the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills ... Above them the inhabitants of the sky have their dwelling place (Ps. 104:9, 10, 12). R. Ishmael and R. Akiba differed. R. Akiba maintained that springs refers to pools of water out in the valleys. In these pools lepers (whose presence under a roof brings the degree of uncleanness that a dead body brings) are required to immerse themselves when they are healed; and the inhabitants of the sky are the ministering angels hovering above [when the lepers are healed]. But R. Ishmael said to R. Akiba: You ought to give up this kind of exegesis, and turn to study of the treatises “Signs of Leprosy” and “Tents.”

Then R. Ishmael said: The inhabitants of the sky are the fowl of heaven which make their habitation among the trees, and from the midst thereof their praise of the Holy One, blessed be He, rises up, as is said From among the branches (‘afayim) they give voice to a song (Ps. 104:12). R. Ishmael added—some say, that R. Yudan said it in the name of R. Ishmael: the uncommon word ‘afayim means “branches,” as in The branches (‘afyeh) thereof were fair, and the fruit thereof much (Dan. 4:9).

Samuel said: I stand stock-still at three sounds, not knowing what they signify: the sound of a tent-peg being driven into the ground; the sound a horse gives off when it gets heated in its galloping; the sound of the winds when among branches they make a sound.

X. In a different exposition, the verse is read Upon them the fowl of the heaven make their habitation (Ps. 104:12)—that is, [heathen] nations of the earth, like birds of prey, gather against the children of Israel and work upon them, trying to make them forsake the Holy One, blessed be He. Nevertheless, the children of Israel do not forsake God, as is said: From among the weary ones they give voice to a song (ibid.) – that is, twice daily the children of Israel voice the unity of the Holy One, blessed be He, saying, Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4).

XI. He causes the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb to be worked by man (Ps. 104:14). By herb is meant flax which is worked into linen to clothe man.

To bring forth bread out of the earth (ibid.). R. Jacob bar Aha said that R. Nehemiah and the Rabbis differed in their exposition of these words. R. Nehemiah taught: Note that these words which the Sages introduced into the benediction “Blessed art You ... who brings forth bread out of the earth,” imply that God used to bring forth bread out of the earth. But the Rabbis maintained that the time when God will bring forth bread out of the earth is yet to come, as it is said There will be hand-sized corn in the earth (Ps. 72:16).

XII. And bread that stays man’s heart (Ps. 104:15). R. Isaac taught: In three places in Scripture we are told that bread stays the heart: Of Abraham it is written that he said, And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay you your heart (Gen. 18:5); in the Book of Judges, it is written Stay your heart with a morsel of bread (Judg. 19:5); and in this Psalm it is written And bread that stays man’s heart.

XIII. The trees of the Lord have their fill, the cedars for Lebanon which He has planted (Ps. 104:16). R. Hanina taught: The trees of the Lord in Eden had their fill of water, they had their fill of days, they had their fulfillment in their seedlings.

R. Hanina also said: Not for the world’s need were the cedars created. Wherefore, then, were they created? For the glory of God: in The cedars for Lebanon, which He has planted, Lebanon clearly means the Temple, described in Scripture as That goodly hill and Lebanon (Deut. 3:25). Hence The cedars for Lebanon, which He has planted.

Resh LaItish taught: Not for the world’s need was gold created. Wherefore, then, was it created? For the glory of God in the sanctuary, as is said All the gold that was used for the work in all the work of the sanctuary (Ex. 38:2.4). Thus also Scripture says, And the gold of that land is for a goodly place (Gen. 2:12), the goodly place being the sanctuary, described in Scripture as That goodly hill, and Lebanon (Deut. 3:25).

XIV. The birds in The cedars for Lebanon ... wherein the birds make their nests (Ps. 104:17) are the Levites. As to the meaning of hãsidah, “stork,” in the concluding words of the verse, As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house (ibid.), R. Huna bar Papa and R. Simon differed. One said: The stork is called hasidah because she lets herself be stepped on. But the other said: Because she has compassion for her companions. And there are others who say: Because she is given to deeds of loving-kindness among her neighbors.

But according to R. Judah bar Simon, the concluding words refer only to the tribe of Levi who were called hasidim, “holy ones,” as is said And to Levi he said: Your Thummim and your Urim be with your holy one (Deut. 33:8).

25. The high mountains are for the wild-goats (Ps. 104:18). R. Yudan taught: The Holy One, blessed be He, would not have created His heaven and His earth had it not been for Abraham, as is said The generating of the heaven and the earth was on account of hbr’m (Gen. 2:4), the letters of hbr’m being the very letters that make up the name Abraham (‘brhm). And R. Yudan went on to say: If you marvel that God should have created His heaven and His earth for Abraham, note that it is written The high mountains are for the wild-goats. Now, if the high mountains were created solely for the wild-goats, surely it can be maintained that the world was created solely because of the merit of Abraham.

Ashlamatah: Judges 11:12-21

12. And Jephthah sent messengers unto the king of the children of Ammon, saying: 'What have you to do with me, that you are come unto me to fight against my land?'

13. And the king of the children of Ammon answered unto the messengers of Jephthah: 'Because Israel took away my land, when he came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon even unto the Jabbok, and unto the Jordan; now therefore restore those cities peaceably.'

14. And Jephthah sent messengers again unto the king of the children of Ammon;

15. and he said unto him: 'Thus says Jephthah: Israel took not away the land of Moab, nor the land of the children of Ammon.

16. But when they came up from Egypt, and Israel walked through the wilderness unto the Red Sea, and came to Kadesh;

17. then Israel sent messengers unto the king of Edom, saying: Let me, I pray, pass through your land; but the king of Edom hearkened not. And in like manner he sent unto the king of Moab; but he would not; and Israel abode in Kadesh.

18. Then he walked through the wilderness, and compassed the land of Edom, and the land of Moab, and came by the east side of the land of Moab, and they pitched on the other side of the Arnon; but they came not within the border of Moab, for the Arnon was the border of Moab.

19. And Israel sent messengers unto Sihon king of the Amorites, the king of Heshbon; and Israel said unto him: Let us pass, we pray, through your land unto my place.

20. But Sihon trusted not Israel to pass through his border; but Sihon gathered all his people together, and pitched in Jahaz, and fought against Israel.

21. And the LORD, the God of Israel, delivered Sihon and all his people into the hand of Israel, and they smote them; so Israel possessed all the land of the Amorites, the inhabitants of that country.

Midrash of Matityahu (Matthew) 23:1-12

1. Then Yeshuah spoke to the congregations and to his Talmidim saying,
2. The Sages and the Pharisees sit upon the seat (Greek: kathedra) of Mosheh.
3. So now, observe and practice concerning everything – as much as they will tell you! But do not do according to their works because they say but they don’t practice.
4. They make great requirements and place great burdens on the shoulders of men [which is alright but the problem is] while they themselves don’t lift a finger [to help bear them].
5. All of their actions they do for the sake of appearances before men – for [whom] they enlarge their T’fillin [phylacteries] and lengthen their Tsitsiyot [fringes of their Tallitot – prayer mantles].
6. They have an affection for the places of honor at the Moadim [festivals], to sit in the seats of honor in the Synagogue,
7. to be greeted in the market-place, and to be called Rabbi by men.
8. Do not desire to be called Raban, for you have one Rabbi and you are all brothers.
9. You are not to call [anyone] upon the earth Father because you have One Father Who is in the heavens,
10. And you are not to be called Raban because you have one Rabbi – the Messiah.
11. The great among you will minister unto you.
12. Whoever will elevate himself will be made lowly, and whoever will make himself lowly will be elevated.

The Rabbi’s Private Prophetic Study

For those of you, who want to know how this Torah Seder fits into the general architecture of Sefer B’midbar (Book of Numbers) perhaps this small diagram from Prof. Duane L. Christensen (The Unity of the Bible: Exploring the Beauty and Structure of the Bible, New York: Paulist Press, 2003) will help.

THE THREE MENOROT [Candelabras] OF SEFER B’MIDBAR

Menorah I – Preparing to Enter the Promised Land – Num 1:1 – 12:16

A. Military census and arrangement of the wilderness camp – Num. 1:1 – 2:34

B. Census of the Levites – Num. 3:1 – 4:49

C. Purification of the camp – Num. 5:1 – 6:27

X. Offerings from tribal leaders and consecration of the Levites – Num. 7:1- 8:26

C. Second observance of Passover (at Sinai)—the journey begins – Num. 9:1-23

B. Instructions on blowing trumpets to signal Israel is on the march – Num. 10:1-10

A. The trek from Sinai to Kadesh – Num. 10:11 – 12:16

Menorah II – From an “Unholy War” to the wars of Ha-Shem – Num. 13:1 – 25:9

A. The reconnaissance of Canaan and Israel’s unholy war – Num. 13:1 – 14:45

B. Cultic regulations – Numbers 15:1-41

C. Encroachment on the part of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and On – Num. 16:1-35

X. Aaron’s budding rod—shows special status of his priesthood – Num. 17:1-28

C. Responsibility of Aaronic priesthood and other Levites – Num. 18:1-32

B. Purification from contamination by a corpse – Num. 19:1-22

A. The trek from Kadesh to Shittim and the wars of Ha-Shem – Num. 20:1 – 25:9

Menorah III – Preparing for Life in the Promised Land – Num. 25:10 – 36:13

A. From sin at Peor to Zelophehad’s daughters (inheritance rights) – Num 25:10 - 27:1

B. Joshua commissioned to succeed Moses for Eisodus into Cisjordan – Num. 27:12-23

C. Cultic calendar for life in the land [+ addendum on vows] – Num. 28:1 – 30:16

X. Holy war vs. Midian - cleansing the contamination of Peor – Num. 31:1-54

C. Allotment of land in Transjordan – Num. 32:1-4

B. The trek from Egypt to the Jordan for Eisodus into Cisjordan – Num. 33:1 – 35:34

A. Heiresses must marry within their clan (Zelophehad’s daughters) – Num. 36:1-13

For the meaning of the various places (stops) of the children of Israel during the 40 years wandering through the dessert please see: http://www.betemunah.org/stages.doc

Shalom Shabbat!

Hakham Dr. Yosef ben Haggai