Leviticus Rabbah 32

¹“The son of an Israelite woman, and he was the son of an Egyptian man, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and an Israelite man fought in the camp. The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed; they brought him to Moses. And the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:10–11). “The son of an Israelite woman…went out” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya: Rabbi Yehuda says: That is what is written: “Around the wicked will walk” (Psalms 12:9) – the righteous walk around the wicked. How so? When the righteous emerge from the Garden of Eden and see the wicked being judged in Gehenna, their soul is joyous within them. That is what is written: “They will emerge and see the corpses of the people who betray Me” (Isaiah 66:24). At that moment, they give praise and thanks to the Holy One blessed be He for the suffering that He inflicted upon them in this world. That is what is written: “You will say on that day: I thank You, Lord, that You were angry with me; Your wrath has turned against” (Isaiah 12:1) the nations of the world, and “You comfort me” (Isaiah 12:1) through them. When? “As lowliness is lifted up [ kerum ]” (Psalms 12:9) – when the Holy One blessed be He will exalt a lowly vineyard [ kerem ] in His world. The vineyard of the Holy One blessed be He is none other than Israel, as it is stated: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the people of Judah, the plant of His delight” (Isaiah 5:7). Rabbi Neḥemya said to him: Until when are you going to distort the Bible for us? Rather, the wicked walk around the righteous, as it is written: “Around, the wicked will walk” (Psalms 12:9). How so? When the wicked ascend from Gehenna and see the righteous sitting tranquilly within the Garden of Eden, their soul diminishes within them. That is what is written: “The wicked one sees and is angered” (Psalms 112:10). When? “As lowliness is lifted up ” – when the Holy One blessed be He will exalt the mitzvot that are treated with contempt. ‘Why are you going out to be stoned?’ ‘Because I circumcised my son.’ ‘Why are you going out to be burned?’ ‘Because I observed Shabbat.’ ‘Why are you going out to be beheaded?’ ‘Because I ate unleavened bread.’ ‘Why are you being lashed with a whip?’ ‘Because I made a sukka , because I took a palm branch, because I donned phylacteries, because I placed sky-blue wool [on my garment], because I performed the will of my Father in Heaven.’ That is what is written: “One will say to him: What are those wounds?” (Zechariah 13:6). [He will answer:] ‘These wounds caused me to be beloved to my Father in Heaven.’ Another matter: When is “as lowliness is lifted up [ kerum ]” – when the Holy One blessed be He will publicize the origin [ karman ] of the mamzerim . They were already publicized by Moses, as it is stated: “Take out the blasphemer” (Leviticus 24:14). ²“Even in your thought do not curse a king” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – Rabbi Avin said: Do not curse and blaspheme before Me with the intelligence that I granted you beyond that of the animal, beast, and bird. I created two eyes for you, and they have two eyes; you have two ears, and they have two ears. I made you similar to them, as it is stated: “He is comparable to animals, which perish [ nidmu ]” (Psalms 49:21). Nidme in the verse, which it mentions in a slightly different form, nidme . is nothing other than silence. I silenced them in your honor. How many favors have I performed for you, but you do not understand, as it is stated: “Man, in honor, does not understand” (Psalms 49:21). Another matter: “Even in your thought, do not curse a king” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) who is before you. “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) that is before you. “As the birds of the heavens will carry the sound” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – Rabbi Yirmeya ben Elazar said: This is the raven and the art of bird divination. “And a winged creature will tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – Rabbi Levi said: There are ears on the road and ears to the wall. Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) who is in your generation. “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) that is in your generation. “As the birds of the heavens will carry the sound” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: The Holy One blessed be He said to David: ‘Should you have said this: “My enemies will be exceedingly ashamed and frightened” (Psalms 6:11)? Who was your enemy? Was it not Saul? Is it not written: “On the day the Lord saved him from the hands of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul” (Psalms 18:1)?’ At that moment, David said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, do not tally it among my intentional sins, but rather among my unwitting sins [ shegagot ].’ That is what is written: “A meditation [ shigayon ] by David” (Psalms 7:1). Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – do not curse the King of the universe. “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – the Wealthy One of the universe. “As the birds of the heavens will carry the sound” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – Rabbi Levi said: There is a beneficial sound that emerges and a detrimental sound [that emerges]. A beneficial [sound]: “The Lord heard the sound of your words as you spoke to me, [and the Lord said to me: I heard the sound of the words of this people that they spoke to you; they did well in everything that they spoke]” (Deuteronomy 5:25). What is: “They did well [ hetivu ] in everything that they spoke”? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ada and bar Kappara: One said: It is like the preparation of [ hatavat ] the lamps, and one said: It is like the preparation of the incense. There is a detrimental sound: “The Lord heard the sound of your words, and He was enraged and took an oath, saying” (Deuteronomy 1:34). Rabbi Taḥlifa said: The Holy One blessed be He said: For them it is rage, but for Me, what rage is there? “That I took an oath in My wrath” (Psalms 95:11) – I took an oath in My wrath, but changed My mind. “That they would not come to My resting place” (Psalms 95:11) – they will not come to this resting place, but they will come to another resting place. Rabbi Levi said in the name of bar Kappara: This is analogous to a king who grew angry at his son and decreed that he shall not enter the palace with him. What did the king do? He stood and demolished it, rebuilt it, and brought his son into the palace with him. The result is that he observed his oath and brought in his son. So, the Holy One blessed be He said: “That I took an oath in My wrath that they would not come to My resting place” – they will not come to this resting place, but they will come to another resting place. “And a winged creature will tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – Rabbi Avin said: When a person is asleep, the body tells the soul [what it has done], the soul [tells it] to the spirit, the spirit to the angel, the angel to the cherub, the cherub to the winged creature, 10:20). “and a winged creature will tell the matter”; before whom? Before the One who spoke and the world came into being. Another matter: “Even in your thought do not curse a king” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – this is Moses, as it is written: “There was a king in Yeshurun” (Deuteronomy 33:5). “And in your bedrooms do not curse the wealthy” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – this is Moses. From where did Moses become wealthy? Rabbi Ḥanin said: The Holy One blessed be He created a sapphire mine for him in his tent, and it is from there that he became wealthy. That is what is written: “Carve [ pesol ] for yourself [two tablets of stone]” (Exodus 34:1) – the waste [ pesolet ] shall be for you. At that moment, Moses said: The blessing of the Lord, it will make wealthy” (Proverbs 10:22). “As the birds of the heavens” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – as he flew like a bird and ascended heavenward. “And a winged creature will tell the matter” (Ecclesiastes 10:20) – as it was told to Moses at Sinai: “Take out the blasphemer” (Leviticus 24:14). ³“The son of an Israelite woman…went out” – from where did he go out? Rabbi Levi said: He went out of his world, just as it says: “The champion went out” (I Samuel 17:4). Rabbi Berekhya said: He went out of the previous portion and said: It is written: “You shall take fine flour and you shall bake it” (Leviticus 24:5). It is the way of a king to eat hot bread. Is it perhaps to eat cold? It is as we learned there: The showbread is eaten no fewer than nine days and no more than eleven days [after it is baked]. How so? It is baked on the day before Shabbat and eaten on [the following Shabbat], on the ninth [day from when it was baked]. If a Festival occurs on the day before Shabbat it is eaten on the tenth day. If the two festival days of Rosh HaShana occur it is eaten on the eleventh, 11:9. as it appears in Tanḥuma . , Leviticus 23, where this is explained at greater length. The midrash is asserting that the blasphemer scoffed at the mitzva of the showbread, and it was that which ultimately led to his blaspheming God. Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: He went out from the portion of the lineage. He sought to pitch his tent in the camp of Dan. They said to him: ‘What leads you to pitch your tent in the camp of Dan?’ He said to them: ‘I am from one of the daughters of Dan.’ They said to him: ‘It is written: “Each man by his banner with the insignias of his patrilineal house” (Numbers 2:2) – and not his matrilineal house.’ He entered the court of Moses and lost his case. He stood and blasphemed. ⁴“And he was the son of an Egyptian man” – the Rabbis and Rabbi Levi: The Rabbis say: Even though there were no mamzerim at that time, he was a mamzer . is the child of a married Jewish woman and a Jewish man who is not her husband. In this instance the father was an Egyptian man, and therefore her son was not technically a mamzer . However, he was a mamzer in the eyes of the people. Rabbi Levi said: He was a full-fledged mamzer . even if the paramour was a gentile. How [did it come to pass]? The taskmasters were Egyptian, and the foremen were Israelites. A taskmaster was appointed over ten foremen, and a foreman was appointed over ten men. The result is that a taskmaster was appointed over one hundred men. One time, a taskmaster went early to a foreman; he said to him: ‘Go and gather your group.’ When he entered, his wife flirted with him. He said: She is mine. He went and concealed himself behind the ladder. When her husband left, he sinned with her. [The husband] looked behind him and saw [the taskmaster] emerging from his house. Once [the taskmaster] knew that he saw him, he went to him and was beating him that entire day. He said to him: ‘Work well, work well’; he intended to kill him. At that moment the Divine Spirit inspired Moses. That is what is written: “He turned this way and that” (Exodus 2:12). What is “this way and that”? He saw what [the taskmaster] had done to him in the house and in the field. He said of him: Is it not enough that he sinned with his wife, but he seeks to kill him? Immediately, “he saw that there was no man” (Exodus 2:12) – Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis: Rabbi Yehuda says: He saw that there was no one to stand and be zealous in the name of the Holy One blessed be He and kill him. Rabbi Neḥemya says: He saw that there was no one to stand and invoke the name of God against him and kill him. The Rabbis say: He saw that there was no hope destined to emerge from him, from his sons, and from the descendants of his sons until the end of all the generations. Immediately, “he smote the Egyptian” (Exodus 2:12). Rabbi Yitzḥak said: He killed him with a fist, just as it says: “To smite wickedness with a fist” (Isaiah 58:4). Rabbi Levi said: He killed him with the secret of Israel, ). just as it says: “The number of the children of Israel will be like the sand of the sea” (Hosea 2:1). ⁵Another matter: “The son of an Israelite woman…went out” – that is what is written: “A locked garden is my sister, my bride; a locked fountain, a sealed spring” (Song of Songs 4:12). Rabbi Pinḥas said: “A locked fountain” – these are the virgins. “A locked garden” – these are the married women. “A sealed spring” – these are the males. It is taught in the name of Rabbi Natan: “A locked garden,” “a locked fountain” – these are two forms of intercourse, typical and atypical. Another matter: Rabbi Pinḥas said in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: “A locked garden” (Song of Songs 4:12) – because Israel restrained themselves from licentiousness in Egypt, they were delivered from Egypt. As a result, “your branches [ shelaḥayikh ]” (Song of Songs 4:13) – your being sent out [ shiluḥayikh ], ]” to mean “your being sent out [ shiluḥayikh ],” which is the result of what was indicated in the previous verse, namely that they restrained themselves from licentiousness. just as it says: “It was when Pharaoh sent out [ beshalaḥ ]” (Exodus 13:17). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba: Sarah our matriarch descended to Egypt and restrained herself from licentiousness, and all the women restrained themselves by her merit. Joseph descended to Egypt and restrained himself from licentiousness, and all of Israel restrained themselves by his merit. Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: The restraint from licentiousness was itself sufficient for Israel to have been redeemed on its account. Rav Huna said in the name of bar Kappara: Due to four matters, Israel was redeemed from Egypt: Because they did not change their name, their language, they did not speak slander, and there was not one among them who was found to be steeped in licentiousness. They did not change their name; Reuben and Simeon descended [to Egypt], and Reuben and Simeon ascended. They did not call Judah Rupa, nor Reuben Luleyani, nor Joseph Leisteis, and nor Benjamin Alexandri. They did not change their language. There it is written: “The survivor came and told Abram the Hebrew” (Genesis 14:13), and here: “They said: The God of the Hebrews called upon us” (Exodus 5:3); and it is written: “That it is my mouth that is speaking to you” (Genesis 45:12) – in the sacred tongue. They did not speak slander, as it is stated: “Speak now in the ears of the people, [and they shall ask each man from his neighbor and each woman from her neighbor, silver vessels and gold vessels]” (Exodus 11:2). You find that this matter had been entrusted to them for twelve months, and not one of them informed on another. And there was not one among them who was found to be steeped in licentiousness. Know that it was so, as there was one, and the verse publicized her, as it is stated: “And the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:11). “Shelomit” – as Rabbi Levi said: She was very talkative in greetings: Greetings to you, greetings to you. “Daughter of Divri” – that she caused a matter [ davar ] to befall her son. “Of the tribe of Dan” – it is a disgrace for him, a disgrace for his family, a disgrace for the tribe from which he emerged. ⁶Rav said: A mamzer never lives more than thirty days. Rabbi Ḥunai said: Once in seventy years the Holy One blessed be He brings a great plague to the world and eradicates the mamzerim and takes the upright with them. What is the source? “He too is wise, and He brings misfortune” (Isaiah 31:2). The verse should have said: “He brings good.” Rather, it is to teach you that even when the Holy One blessed be He brings misfortune to the world, He does so with wisdom. “He does not retract His words [ devarav ]” (Isaiah 31:2) – He does not remove His plague [ devaro ]. Why is this necessary? “He will rise up against the house of evildoers” (Isaiah 31:2). This is like that which Reish Lakish said: “In the place where the burnt offering is slaughtered the sin offering shall be slaughtered” (Leviticus 6:18). Why is this necessary? It is so the sinners will not be publicized. Reish Lakish said: There are those whom one mentions and blesses, and there are that one mentions and curses. One mentions and blesses, “Betzalel, son of Uri, son of Ḥur, [of the tribe of Judah]” (Exodus 31:2). One mentions and curses Akhan, son of Karmi, son of Zarḥi (see Joshua 7:1). One mentions and blesses, “count the children of Levi” (Numbers 3:15). One mentions and curses, “remember what Amalek has done to you” (Deuteronomy 25:17). One mentions and blesses, “there was a man of Judah […and his name was Mordekhai]” (Esther 2:5). One mentions and curses, “a man who is and adversary and an enemy, [this wicked Haman]” (Esther 7:6). One mentions and blesses, “because Mordekhai of Judah” (Esther 10:3). One mentions and curses, “because Haman son of Hamedata” (Esther 9:24). One mentions and blesses, “David son of an Efratite” (I Samuel 17:12). One mentions and curses, “Yerovam, son of Nevat, an Efratite” (I Kings 11:26). One mentions and blesses, “there was a certain man from Ramatayim…[and his name was Elkana]” (I Samuel 1:1). One mentions and curses, “there was a certain man from the Ephraim highlands, and his name was Mikhaihu” (Judges 17:1). One mentions and blesses, “and with him was Oholiav [son of Aḥisamakh of the tribe of Dan]” (Exodus 38:23). One mentions and curses, “and the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:11). ⁷Rabbi Zeira, when he ascended to here, he would hear voices calling mamzer and mamzeret . . He said: Has what Rav Huna said: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days, gone away? Rabbi Yaakov bar Rav Aḥa said: It is like that which Rava and Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. When? In a case where [his status] is not public knowledge; but if it becomes public knowledge, he lives. In the days of Rabbi Berekhya, a certain Babylonian ascended to here, and Rabbi Berekhya knew that he was a mamzer . He went to [Rabbi Berekhya] and said to him: ‘Garner merit through me.’ Rabbi Berekhya said: ‘Go on your way and come tomorrow, and I will give you a stipend from the public fund.’ He went to him the next day and found him sitting and speaking in the synagogue. He waited until he finished. When he finished his sermon, he went to him. Rabbi Berekhya said to them: ‘My brethren, garner merit through this man, who is a mamzer .’ They provided him with a stipend. When they left there, he said to him: ‘Rabbi, I asked you for temporal life, and you have cut short the life of this man.’ , he would not be able to marry and start a family. He said to him: ‘As you live, I have granted you life, as Rava and Rav Huna said in the name of Rav: A mamzer does not live more than thirty days. When? In a case where [his status] is not public knowledge; but if it becomes public knowledge, he lives.’ ⁸Another matter: “The son of an Israelite woman…went out” – that is what is written: “I again saw all the oppressed” (Ecclesiastes 4:1). Daniel the tailor interpreted the verse regarding mamzerim . “Behold the tears of the oppressed” (Ecclesiastes 4:1) – the parents of these performed transgressions, and these miserable ones, why is it their concern? because of the illicit relationship through which he was conceived. Daniel the tailor therefore interprets the “tears of the oppressed” as referring to mamzerim , who suffer due to the misdeeds of others. So, the father of this one consorted with a forbidden woman; what did this one do, and why is it his concern? “But there is no comforter for them” (Ecclesiastes 4:1). “And power from the hand of their oppressors” (Ecclesiastes 4:1) – from the hand of the Great Sanhedrin of Israel that comes upon them by the authority of the Torah and distances them, because of: “A mamzer shall not enter into the assembly of the Lord” (Deuteronomy 23:3). “But there is no comforter for them” (Ecclesiastes 4:1) – the Holy One blessed be He says: It is incumbent upon Me to comfort them, as in this world they are tainted, but in the future, Zechariah said: I see it and it is all pure gold. That is what is written: “I saw, and behold, a candelabrum of gold in its entirety, with a gula at its top” (Zechariah 4:2). Two amora’im : One said: Exile [ gola ], and one said: Its redeemer [ go’alah ]. The one who said gola : As they were exiled to Babylon and the Divine Presence was exiled with them, as He said: “For your sake I sent to Babylon” (Isaiah 43:14). The one who said: Go’alah , its Redeemer: As it is stated: “Our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts is His name” (Isaiah 47:4). And it is written: “The one who breaches went up before them; they breached and passed the gate…their king passed before them, and the Lord is at their head” (Micah 2:13).