The word ‘prayer’ is a very wide term, and may mean prayer properly so called, or beseeching, crying, sighing, pleading, supplication, or petition. It can also be applied to adoration, praise and exaltation. It requires discrimination in its use. Thus we find that Job, the most righteous amongst non-Jewish prophets, had not employed the best phrases in its exercise, The words he used are: ‘I would order my cause before Him and fill my mouth with argument’ (Job 23. 4).

Contrast this with the manner of prayer adopted by Moses and Isaiah. The former tells his people, ‘I besought the Lord’ (Deut. 3. 23). Isaiah commenced his prayer with the words ‘O Lord, be gracious unto us; we have waited for Thee’ (Isa. 33. 2).

There is no time fixed when one can say he expects his prayer to be answered; we have indeed no claim on God’s mercy, and must leave the answering of our prayers to God’s own good time. Moses, for instance, was answered after praying for forty days (Deut. 9. 25). Daniel’s prayer was heard after twenty days (Dan. 10. 3). Jonah was answered after the lapse of three days (Jon. 2.), Elijah in one day (1 Kings 18.37). David, on occasions, received answers to his prayers as soon as he prayed (Ps. 69. 14); and there is an answering to prayer even before the petition is sent up heavenwards (Isa. 65. 24). — Deut. Rabba 2.

Moses could not understand why his craving to enter the land of promise, to lay his bones there, should not be satisfied, since Joseph had his wish granted and had his bones taken up and buried in Palestine. He was supplied with a tangible reason. Joseph, he was told, in all his vicissitudes never denied his race or his country, but on the contrary seems to have felt a pride in calling himself a Hebrew; so that it was but fitting that he should have his sepulchre in the land of which he was so proud. With Moses it was different. He posed as an Egyptian — Jethro’s daughters mentioned him as an ‘Egyptian man,’ and thereby he forfeited his right to have his resting-place in a country which he did not acknowledge. — Deut. Rabba 2.

Consider the immeasurable distance from us of what we know as God’s dwelling-place, the heavens; yet how near He is to us when we call upon Him. — Deut. Rabba 2.

‘What is the meaning,’ R. Samuel, son of Nachman, was asked, ‘of David praying to God to hear him in an acceptable time?’ ‘The gates of prayer,’ replied the Rabbi, ‘may sometimes be closed, in contradistinction of the gates of repentance, which are never closed.’ — Deut. Rabba 2.

‘There seems to be more than one Creator,’ said a sceptic to Rabbi Samuel. ‘Is it not written “In the beginning Elohim (the plural) created heaven and earth?” Further, “Let us make man in our likeness.”’ ‘Do you find it said,’ returned the sage, ‘they created, or are we told they saw or they said, or that man was formed in their image? In each instance you find the singular, and the ‘Elohim’ is applied to Him in whom is combined all power and all might.’ — Deut. Rabba 2.

People are prone to imitate their superiors and their teachers, hence the great and serious responsibility of religious teachers as to their conduct. There can be no greater injury to religion than that its teachers should disregard its teachings. — Deut. Rabba 2.

‘I have created somethings in pairs,’ says God, ‘such as heaven and earth, the sun and the moon, Adam and Eve, male and female in all animals, this life and the future life; but I am One.’ He that proclaims the absolute unity of God proclaims the kingdom of heaven. — Deut. Rabba 2.

In vain have you acquired knowledge if you do not impart knowledge to others. — Deut. Rabba 2.

God filleth the world, and the human soul filleth the human body. God supports the world, and the soul supports the body. God is unique in the world, the soul is unique in the body. God neither sleepeth nor slumbereth; the soul neither sleepeth nor slumbereth. God is pure, the soul is pure. God seeth and cannot be seen; the soul seeth and cannot be seen. Let the soul, which so far possesses the attributes of the Lord, praise and worship the Lord. — Deut. Rabba 2.

Let no man be deterred from repenting by knowing the great depth of his sin. Let him bear in mind that he does not come to a stranger but to his Heavenly Father. — Deut. Rabba 2.

When the Rabbis Eliazar, Joshua, and Gamaliel lived in Rome, a mandate went forth that no Jew should be suffered to live after the lapse of thirty days after the decree. Amongst the ministers of state was one devotedly attached to the Jews and Judaism (in secret). He informed Rabbi Gamaliel of the decision before it was made public, at the same time telling the Rabbi of his confidence that the great God of Israel would frustrate this evil decree. Returning home from his private interview with Rabbi Gamaliel, he informed his wife (who also was devoted to Jews and Judaism) of the decision arrived at concerning the destruction of the Jews, which was to be carried out in a few days. As there was no other way out of the difficulty she advised her husband to commit suicide by means of poison, which, at that time, it was the practice of the Romans to carry in the hollow of their signet rings for use in case of emergency. This advice was based on the fact that amongst the Romans, when the fixed time for the carrying out of a decree had elapsed, the decree was no longer in force; and as it was also customary to observe thirty days of mourning for the death of any statesman, during which time no steps could be taken for the carrying out of a newly enacted law, the law would through the death of the statesman and the subsequent mourning become, at all events for a time, inoperative if not entirely obsolete. This advice the statesman followed: he sucked out the poison concealed in the hollow of his ring, thirty days of mourning were proclaimed and observed, the decree lapsed and was not enacted. On further inquiry by the Rabbis it was found that the late statesman had secretly undergone circumcision and had been (in secret) a devout convert to Judaism. — Deut. Rabba 2.

The phrase which we have in our ritual, ‘Blessed be his name, whose glorious kingdom is for ever and ever,’ Moses brought down from heaven, where he heard these words from the angels when worshipping the Lord. We therefore utter this praise silently, being unworthy to use the praise which angels employ in their worship of God. On the Day of Atonement, however, when we shut the door to the outer world, when we strive after holiness, when indeed it is with us a day on which we are meant to be one with God, then we are like angels, and we are permitted to proclaim these words aloud. — Deut. Rabba 2.

Marriage conventions and agreements are not to be arranged without the consent of both parties to the contract, and the man is to pay the costs. — Deut. Rabba 3.

Sabbath observance outweighs all other commandments. — Deut. Rabba 3.

As patterns of honesty we have Rabbi Pinchas b. Joeer and Rabbi Simeon b. Shotoch. With the former, when he lived in a certain town in the north, two men deposited two bushels of barley and left the place. As they did not return for some time, and he feared that the barley would spoil, he used it for sowing, sold all the crops that grew from it, and put away the proceeds of the sale. When the men returned, after a considerable time, he handed them quite a little fortune, the proceeds of the grain they had left with him. R. Simeon b. Shotoch bought a camel of an Ishmaelite. It was the custom of the Ishmaelites to hang a strap studded with precious stones round the necks of their camels, and in this instance the Ishmaelite forgot to remove the strap before handing over the camel to the purchaser.

When his pupils saw the trinkets on the camel’s neck, they greatly rejoiced at their master’s good fortune, of which he did not seem to be aware. They received a deserved rebuke from the good man, who said, ‘I bought the camel and not the jewels; they belong to the Ishmaelite, and to him they shall be restored.’ — Deut. Rabba 3.

The Torah and righteousness are held in the right hand of the Lord. ‘From his right hand went a fiery law for them’ (Deut. 33. 2). ‘Thy right hand is full of righteousness’ (Ps. 48. 11). — Deut. Rabba 5.

Having clamoured for a king, the Jews learnt to their cost the great advantage of Theocracy. Saul caused many of them to fall by the sword of the Philistines (1 Saml. 4.). Through David’s act many of them perished by the plague (2 Saml. 24.). Ahab caused drought to visit them (1 Kings 17). Zedekiah brought about the destruction of the Temple. When they saw the baneful effects of human administration, they supplicated for God’s reign as before (Isa. 33.), and the Lord promised to be again their king (Zech. 14.). — Deut. Rabba 5.

Justice is one of the supports of God’s throne. — Deut. Rabba 5.

When no justice is done here below, it will be executed from above. — Deut. Rabba 5.

To do justice and righteousness is more acceptable to God than sacrifices (Prov. 21. 3). Sacrifices were in vogue only whilst the Temple was in existence, but justice and righteousness must exist with and without the Temple. Sacrifices atoned only for sins committed in error, not for presumptuous sin: justice and righteousness atone for all sins. — Deut. Rabba 5.

All men alike, both those who know the living God and those who know Him not, lose their lives, one may say, when they sleep; but God in his goodness restores their lives to all alike. — Deut. Rabba 5.

When Nathan the prophet brought to David the message that he was not to build God’s house, he prayed for his own speedy death, so that the building of God’s house might be expedited, but God said that he should live out his allotted time (2 Saml. 7.), because righteousness and justice, which David practised, were more acceptable to God than the building of the Temple and the offering of sacrifices. — Deut. Rabba 5.

The great Rabbi Meier, renowned for his learning and eloquence, was in the habit of holding discourses on Friday evenings previous to Divine service. These discourses commanded very large audiences, containing as they did a word in season for all classes of the community. The rich were exhorted to charity and compassion, the poor to hope and courage, employers to mildness and forbearance, and employees to fidelity and obedience. Parents carried away advice as to the training of their children. Teachers were impressed with the necessity of patience and endurance; and pupils were exhorted to obedience and diligence. Wives — for whose benefit especially the discourses were held — were taught the duties which are essential to make husbands and homes happy.

Amongst the women in the audience was one who had the misfortune to have a jealous husband. As soon as the sermon was over she hastened home, only to find the house in darkness and her husband ablaze with wrath, demanding to know where she had been. ‘As you are aware, my dear husband,’ the wife replied, ‘I, like others, appreciate so much the sermons and advice of the good and wise Rabbi, that, when able to do so, I like to hear him, and always feel that I carry away some useful lesson.’ This little speech only intensified the foolish man’s anger. ‘You shall not step over the threshold of my house,’ he cried, ‘without going to your beloved Rabbi and passing your hand over his face, or performing some other foolish act.’ The poor woman at first looked upon this ridiculous order as a foolish whim which would soon pass. Unfortunately the fool persisted in his folly, and the affair became known in the town, and could hardly have escaped the ears of Rabbi Meier himself. The neighbours prevailed upon the poor woman to comply with her husband’s wish. When however she appeared with her neighbour before the Rabbi, her courage failed her, but the sage, pleading weak eyesight, a remedy for which it was alleged would be the passing of a hand over the eyes, induced the woman to do this, and then told her to go home and tell her husband of her compliance with his wish. To his pupils, to whom the Rabbi’s conduct seemed strange, he explained that the good end of making peace between man and wife had justified this harmless subterfuge, since otherwise there would have been no peace for the poor woman. — Deut. Rabba 5.

Be not spiteful or revengeful, and do not harbour any wrong which you may have suffered at any one’s hands. In spite of all the wrongs and sorrows the Egyptians have inflicted on Israel, God does not allow us to abhor an Egyptian. — Deut. Rabba 5.

Slander no one, whether brother or not your brother, a Jew or non-Jew. — Deut. Rabba 6.

The greater your talent the greater your responsibility. — Deut. Rabba 7.

‘You are my sons,’ says God, ‘when you accept My behests.’ — Deut. Rabba 7.

Do not pray in the porch of the synagogue, but in the synagogue itself. The synagogue requires no מזוזה. — Deut. Rabba 7.

Although the study of the Torah is so earnestly demanded, yet it would seem preferable for one to remain in ignorance of it than to acquire knowledge thereof and set its teachings at naught. If a king had two gardeners, one an expert in his craft who raised beautiful trees only to hew them down, and the other less skilled but also less destructive, he would surely punish the former rather than the latter. — Deut. Rabba 7.

God says to Israel, ‘You are called my children, but you must take my law as your guide of life.’ It is as though a prince should ask his father to make it known throughout his kingdom that he is the king’s son. The father tells him: ‘Clothe yourself in purple and put on your coronet; then all will know that you are my son.’ — Deut. Rabba 7.

Joseph’s bones, which were brought up from Egypt, were buried by the children of Israel in Shechem (Jos. 24. 32) because they sold him in Shechem (Gen. 27.). When thieves have stolen a cask of wine, the owner might well say to them: You have stolen the wine, the least you can do is to take back the empty cask to the place whence you took it. — Deut. Rabba 8.

The Torah is not in heaven, nor with those who occupy their time in studying the heavenly bodies. — Deut. Rabba 8.

Rabbi Samuel was a great astronomer, but devoted only his spare moments to the study of astronomy. — Deut. Rabba 8.

By saying that the Torah is not in heaven, Moses meant to convey that there is no other Torah to come thence to supersede this Torah, and there is no other man to come and bring another Torah from heaven. — Deut. Rabba 8.

If you are anxious not to forget the subject you study, then it is necessary to pass what you read through your lips, not merely to read the subject up. If you do not utter the words you read you will forget them. — Deut. Rabba 8.

Remember that whatever evil it may be possible to avert or delay, there is no such possibility with death. Death is no respecter of persons, against it there is no appeal, and after it there is no remedy, nor can you suggest a substitute such as your slave, nor can you plead for delay, saying that you are not quite ready to meet it, nor can you create anything to protect you from it. — Deut. Rabba 9.

One of the reasons why Moses called upon heaven and earth as witnesses (Deut. 33.) is that by them the Torah was given (Deut. 4.). — Deut. Rabba 10.

Moses had more than one reason for addressing the heavens and the earth and calling them as witnesses. In the first place it should not be forgotten that Moses, whilst only a man, was a heavenly as well as an earthly man. He was no stranger to heaven, and if he had addressed himself to the earth only he would have been like one who, being made governor of a dominion, should address one part of the country under his charge and ignore the other. But there is a weightier reason, inasmuch as the heavens and the earth will not be indifferent spectators at Israel’s redemption, but will sing and shout and break forth in singing (Isa. 44. 33). Another important point: they were adjuncts at the giving of the Decalogue. Moreover, Israel had been compared to the stars of heaven and to the dust of the earth. — Deut. Rabba 10.

Moses, probably on account of his anxiety lest after his death the Israelites should go astray (Deut. 31. 29), prayed for everlasting life on earth. God said He could not gratify his wish, since in order to inherit the bliss of the future life he must give up earthly life. — Deut. Rabba 11.

The name of the angel who exercises in heaven the function of the usher of the court is Achazriel; the one who holds the position of secretary is Zagzuel, the chief of the Satanic ones is Smoel, and those fallen ones who became corrupted on seeing the beautiful daughters of man (Gen. 6. 2) are Uzoh and Azael. — Deut. Rabba 11.

Moses was greater than every one. Adam, the first man created in the image of God, one might be inclined to consider above Moses; but one has to remember how he used his dignified position: one could almost apply to him the words of the Psalmist, ‘Man that is in honour and understandeth not is like the beasts that perish’ (Ps. 49. 20). Then Noah might perhaps put in a claim, for he was saved by the Lord from the destructive flood. But remember that, though righteous enough to save himself, he could not save his generation of evil-doers; Whereas Moses was able by his prayer to save hundreds of thousands of workers of iniquity from destruction. They might be compared to the captains of two sinking ships, one of whom manages to save himself, while the ship and all on it go to the bottom of the sea; whereas the other saves his ship and all on it. Abraham has, at first sight, a good claim to tower above Moses, at all events in regard to hospitable disposition; but such is not the case in reality: for what Abraham was able to obtain and bestow in a settled place Moses obtained and supplied to the great multitude in the wilderness. Isaac, on account of his submission to be sacrificed, might perhaps be thought greater than Moses, but not if we bear in mind how willingly Moses offered to be annihilated himself rather than the flock he loved.

Even physically Moses was superior, for whilst Isaac became blind in his old age, of Moses, at one hundred and twenty years of age, we are told that his eye was not dim nor his natural forces abated.

But then there is Jacob, who wrestled with an angel and prevailed over him; surely he is greater than Moses. But do not overlook the fact that Jacob contended with the angel where he was a stranger and Jacob was at home, whereas Moses went into the very home of the angels. There was never a man who possessed, like Moses, at one and the same time, such great and good qualities. He was a wise legislator, a great statesman, a skilful leader, a devout patriot, a tender friend, a pious priest, a most brilliant, and at the same time a very meek, man.

Whether we consider his great meekness, his wisdom, his prudence, his chivalry, his forgiving spirit, his unselfishness, his freedom from envy, his gentleness of disposition, or the sweetness of his nature, he was above every one, and the one man qualified to bless Israel. — Deut. Rabba 11.

Heaven and earth wept at the death of Moses. — Deut. Rabba 11.

Midrash Ruth

IN no instance is it permitted to hear the evidence of a witness in the absence of the litigants. — Mid. Ruth 1.

‘The words of God were scarce,’ etc. (1 Saml. 2.). That generation was known as a generation of hypocrites: they pretended to adhere to the religion of their fathers, but worshipped idols in secret, and the Holy Spirit did not rest upon them. — Ruth Rabba.

Woe to the generation whose judges need judging. Learning can suffer no greater blow than when those who possess knowledge of the Torah and learning in general disregard the teaching which the Torah imparts. Take, for example, one who eloquently enlarges on the words, ‘Thou shalt not wrest judgment, thou shalt not respect persons nor accept a bribe’ (Deut. 16.), or ‘You shall not afflict a widow or a fatherless child’ (Exod. 22.), and yet is known to disregard any or all of these grand teachings. Can one imagine a greater blow to the Torah? To such men may well be applied the words of the prophet Hosea, ‘Their mother hath become a harlot’ — the Torah, which is a mother to its possessors. — Mid. Ruth 1.

The following are the proper appellations for a corrupt judge: — Unrighteous, Perverter, Abomination, and Banned. — Mid. Ruth 1.

There were two obscure prophets whose prophecy was not made known, as only prophecy which was of any utility at the time or in the immediate future was published or recorded; but the prophecy of the prophets mentioned will be made known at a future time. — Mid. Ruth 2.

Moses, who always stood in the breach, has been compared to a shepherd who, when bringing home his flock for the night, finds the fence around their resting-place fallen in and has only time to put it up again on three sides, leaving on one side easy access to the wolf. This good shepherd placed himself on the open side, for the protection of his flock from the wolf and the lion. — Mid. Ruth 2.

Death is every one’s portion, but it is not given to every man to leave a good reputation behind him. No one feels the death of a man like his wife, or of a woman like her husband. — Mid. Ruth 2.

A great and good man sheds lustre on the place in which he happens to live. — Mid. Ruth 2.

A would-be convert to Judaism should not at once be admitted into the fold, but should be mildly dissuaded from the step he intends taking. If he persists, and is steadfast in his desire, he is to be admitted. — Mid. Ruth 2.

What Boaz meant by telling Ruth ‘Hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field’ (Ruth 2. 8) was to caution her against tainting her religion with the beliefs of any other. Having now become a Jewess she was to bear in mind the command which the Israelites heard and promised to keep, ‘Thou shalt have no other gods beside Me.’ — Mid. Ruth 2.

Ten priests and prophets descended from Rahab, upon whom rested the Holy Spirit, because she sent the spies away for three days, knowing that they would be safe after that. The following are the priests and prophets: Jeremiah, Hilkiah, Sariah, Machsia, Hanomel, Salom, Baruch, Neriah, Ezekiel and Booza. — Mid. Ruth 2.

In this life it may be given to an obscure individual to become famous, or to a distinguished man to sink into obscurity; but there are no such changes in the life to come; as you enter it so you remain; the great cannot become small, nor the small great. The grandson of Rabbi Joshua was once in a trance for three days. When he awoke his father asked him where he had been and what he had seen. He said he had been in a world of great confusion, where he saw a large number of men, some of whom he recognized as coming from this world. Here they had held most dignified and honoured positions, but there he found them amongst the most despised and contemptible. When Rabbi Jochanan and Resh Lakish called to inquire how the sick lad was progressing, the father related to them what his son said he had seen. Resh Lakish, noticing some incredulity on the part of the father, said, ‘Surely we have Scripture warrant for the lad’s vision: “Thus said the Lord God, remove the diadem and take off the crown, this shall not be the same; exalt him that is low and abase him that is high”’ (Ezkl. 21. 26). Rabbi Jochanan fully endorsed the view of his friend, and was pleased with the Scripture quotation. — Mid. Ruth 3.

In this life misdeeds may be redeemed, and a good life may at the eleventh hour be rendered worthless by backslidings in old age; but in the world to come there is finality, there is no retracting and no improving. There are some who associate here with those who lead a life of vice, and when they all come before the tribunal of God, one is put amongst the righteous and another is given a place amongst the ungodly. On beholding this he is inclined to think there is partiality in God’s judgment; for did not his friend, who is now in the company of the good, follow together with him the narrow track and did they not alike indulge their vicious inclinations? Let such a man understand and know that his associate in vice and wickedness at last repented and made every effort to redeem his past. Then he will say, ‘So will I do now to get myself out of this bad company.’ Then let him also understand that the world which he has now entered is like the sea, and the one whence he came like the dry land. He who goes to sea must fit himself out for the voyage whilst on land; for what he omits to take with him he will be unable to supply himself with at sea. — Mid. Ruth 3.

Said Hadrian to one of the Rabbis, ‘I am better than Moses, your teacher, because I am alive and he is dead; and you are aware that your King Solomon said, A living dog is better than a dead lion.’ ‘Could you prohibit anything, say the kindling of light or fire for only three days?’ asked the Rabbi. ‘Certainly,’ replied Hadrian. In the evening Hadrian and Rabbi Joshua went up to the top of the house to sit down in the cool of the night, when the latter, observing smoke coming out of one of the chimneys of a house, asked his friend how it was that his prohibition was disregarded. Hadrian replied that in the house whence the smoke came there lived a man of distinction, who being unwell probably found it desirable to have a fire lit in his house. ‘And yet,’ retorted the Rabbi, ‘You consider yourself superior to Moses, although whilst you are living your law — which would only entail inconvenience for a day or so — is at once set at nought; whereas the law of Moses, who said we must not kindle a fire on the Sabbath day, — which means fifty-two days in each year — is strictly observed by rich and poor though he is dead.’ — Mid. Ruth 3.

‘Lord, make me to know mine end,’ prayed David (Ps. 39.), i.e. ‘Tell me exactly when I shall die.’ ‘That,’ said God, ‘is a thing hidden from all men.’ ‘Then may I know,’ persisted David, ‘the measure of my days what it is.’ To which he received the answer: ‘Threescore and ten years.’ He was further told that he would die on a Sabbath day. David, who had an objection to being kept above ground longer than was absolutely necessary, asked again that he might die on a Friday, so that he could come to his resting-place on the day of his death, which would be impossible were he to die on the Sabbath day. This wish of his to die a day earlier was not granted; and the reason given was that, as he was the sweet singer of Israel, God would prefer the hymns and prayers offered by him to the thousand burnt offerings which his son and successor would offer. — Mid. Ruth 3.

The earth has wings (Isa. 24.), the sun has wings (Mal. 3.), the cherubim have wings (1 Kings 8.), and the seraphim have wings (Isa. 6.); but the righteous and those who are compassionate and merciful are sheltered under none of these wings, but under the wings of the Most High God. — Mid. Ruth 5.

It is a great and good thing for a man to have the blessings of a good man. — Mid. Ruth 6.

One of the characteristics of the righteous is that their aye is aye, and their nay is nay. — Mid. Ruth 7.

Do not sit down in the presence of one who is greater than you unless he invites you to do so. — Mid. Ruth 7.

Whilst expounding in the college of Tiberias on some texts of Holy Writ, Rabbi Meier was informed that his former great master, Elisha b. Abuya, was riding on horseback notwithstanding that it was the Sabbath day. Rabbi Meier went out to see his master, and was asked by the latter upon what text he was preaching. R. Meier told him, on the words ‘The Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning’ (Job 42.). He was further questioned as to what interpretation he put on the text, and replied that the meaning was that Job was richer than he formerly was. Elisha criticised his pupil’s version, and said it was not the one that Rabbi Akiba taught. He had maintained that Job’s blessings consisted in his having repented of the reflections on God’s judgment which he had expressed in former days. Having thus broken the ice, Rabbi Meier, after further discussions of other Scriptural texts, ventured to suggest to his great teacher the necessity of repentance, of imitating Job, and bringing down upon himself the blessings of Job’s latter days. ‘For me,’ observed Elisha, ‘there is no hope; I am beyond the possibility of receiving pardon for my misdeeds.’ In further conversation he mentioned, amongst other things, the anomalies he had observed in the course of his life, that those who live in defiance of God’s laws enjoy their lives and perfect immunity from punishment, whilst on the contrary those who scrupulously carry them out bring about their own destruction. ‘Thus, for instance,’ he continued, ‘I have seen a man commit the double sin of climbing up a tree on the Sabbath day and robbing a nest of the dam and her young, and climbing down, without any mishap to himself; whilst on another occasion I saw — not on a Sabbath day — a man who found a birds’ nest, and scrupulously observed the Scriptural injunction, and sent the dam away and took the young ones; but no sooner had he climbed down than he was bitten by a snake, and thus perished in the very act for which God promised long life. I therefore denounced all belief in futurity or in reward and punishment. Moreover,’ he went on, ‘one Sabbath day, when it was also the Day of Atonement, I rode on horseback past a synagogue, and I distinctly heard an echo exclaiming: “The words of the prophet Malachi. Return unto Me and I will return unto you” apply to every one except to Elisha ben Abuya, who rebelled against God, and not for lack of better knowledge.’

Some time after this Rabbi Meier visited his old master, who was lying on a bed of sickness. Said Elisha to his pupil, ‘To what extent can a man indulge in sin and still hope to be received by God if he repents?’ Rabbi Meier quoted the words of the Psalmist: ‘Thou turnest man back to dust, and sayest, Return ye children of men;’ when he observed his old master shed tears. When Elisha, not long after this, died, the good man rejoiced, saying that he had reason to hope that his old master repented before his death. In the course of instructing his pupils, R. Meier was asked by some of them, ‘If you were to pray for one’s salvation, for whom would you pray first?’ He answered, ‘For my father, and then for my teacher.’ When they expressed their surprise he explained to them that in the event of danger to the Torah, i.e. of the scroll being burned, the scroll is to be rescued together with the ark in which it is encased. Thus he was sure that Elisha — in whom was the Torah — would be saved for the sake of the Torah that was within him. When after the death of Elisha his daughters required pecuniary assistance, they applied to Rabbi Judah Hanasi. His first impulse was to decline their request, thinking of the words of the Psalmist, ‘Let there be none to extend mercy unto him, neither let there be any to favour his fatherless children’ (Ps. 109.). The daughters, noticing R. Judah’s hesitation to help them, anticipated him by saying, ‘We cannot plead our father’s piety, but only his great learning.’ In the course of conversation the Rabbi detected great godliness in Elisha’s daughters, and had provision made for them. He added, ‘If this is the offspring of one who acquired the knowledge of the Torah without at the same time being blessed with the spirit of piety, how much better must it be in the case of one who makes the study of the Torah his life’s aim for the sake of his Heavenly Father.’ — Mid. Ruth 7.

Midrash Song of Songs

ELISHA B. ABUYA used to make it his duty to call at infant schools and endeavour by his idle talk to divert the children’s attention from religious instruction and direct them to frivolous matters. — Mid. Song of Songs 1.

Scrupulousness causes cleanliness, which again leads to purity, and purity brings holiness, holiness meekness, and this prompts a fear of sin, a fear of sin begets saintliness, and saintliness brings the Holy Spirit. — Mid. Songs 1.

Moses, Aaron and Miriam died by having their souls drawn out by God’s kiss. Mid. Songs 1.

The nations of the world are not justified in thinking that, because Israel is rebellious, God will change them for another nation. It is as though a black maid should expect her master to divorce his wife and marry her, because her mistress’s hand had turned black. — Mid. Songs 1.

‘I am black but comely’ (Songs 1. 5). So says the house of Israel: I am, to my knowledge, black, yet my God considers me comely. I am truly black with my deeds, but I am comely if the acts of my Patriarchs are accounted to me. And in Egypt I was at times black and at times comely. The same may be said about me concerning my position at the Red Sea; there too I was both black and comely. Black, as the Psalmist says: ‘Our fathers understood not thy wonders in Egypt, they remembered not the multitude of thy mercies, but provoked at the sea, even the Red Sea’ (Ps. 106.). But I was comely at the Red Sea when I said, ‘He is my God, and I will prepare Him an habitation.’ — (Exod. 15.).

The same maybe said regarding myself in Marah, when the people murmured against Moses saying, ‘What shall we drink?’ (Exod. 15.); but we were yet comely when Moses cried unto the Lord, who showed him a tree to sweeten the water for us. Or in Rephidim, when in consequence of our rebellion the place was named Massa and Meriba; yet we may be called even there comely, when Moses built an altar and called it Adonoi Nissi. We were black in Horeb, where the golden calf was made, but are we not comely even there when we say, ‘All that the Lord hath said we will do and be obedient?’ (Exod. 24.). We were black in the wilderness: ‘How oft did they provoke in the wilderness?’ (Ps. 78.), and yet I am not devoid of comeliness there, if we see that the cloud covered the Tabernacle on the day the Mishkan was reared up (Numb. 9.). Further, I am surely black in the history of the spies when they brought up an evil report (Numb. 13.), but there is my comeliness in Joshua and Caleb. I am verily black in Shittim (Numb. 25.), yet there is my comeliness in Phineas. If I am made black by Achan (Joshua 7.) I am made comely by Joshua. The kings of Israel rendered me black, but the kings of Judah rendered me comely. And though I am a mixture of blackness and comeliness through all these enumerated events and conditions of things, I am perfectly comely in my prophets. — Mid. Songs 1.

What wisdom considers to be her very crown, meekness looks upon as her mere sandal. — Mid. Songs 1.

Do not look upon a parable or simile lightly, for some difficult passages of Scripture may be explained through them; just as one may find anything lost in a dark place by the aid of a candle. — Mid. Songs 1.

The consecratory Psalm (30.) was actually Solomon’s composition, although it bears David’s name. — Mid. Songs 1.

The Torah has been compared to wine, water, oil, and honey and milk. Just as we find water all over the earth’s surface, so do we find the Torah; water will never cease from this globe, neither will God’s laws cease. Water comes from the heavens, and the Torah came from heaven. There is a noise when water descends, and the Torah descended amidst thunders. Water quickens the thirsty soul; so does the Torah quicken him who is thirsty for knowledge. Water cleanses impurities, and God’s laws do the same. Water coming down by drops can form a river; so if a man acquires Torah bit by bit he may eventually become a great scholar. Water, unless one is thirsty, cannot be drunk with any degree of pleasure; in the same way, unless one has a craving for the Torah, its study, if enforced, will become a burden. Water runs from high places and seeks the lower portions of the earth; so the Torah will not remain with the haughty man, but rather seeks out the lowly. Water is not kept in golden or silver vessels, but is best kept in earthenware; so the Torah will not be retained except by him who is meek of spirit. A man of distinction will not think it beneath his dignity to ask for water from the meanest individual, neither is any one too great to despise instruction from the most insignificant person. One may drown in water if one cannot swim; so, unless one possesses a thorough knowledge of the Torah and all its meanings, one may be drowned in it. But it may be said that water gets stale if kept for a time in a vessel, and that the same should apply to the Torah. Remember therefore that it is also likened to wine, which improves with age. Again, water leaves no trace on him who tastes it, and the same, it might be said, must be the case with the Torah. But here again we must remember the comparison of the Torah to wine. Just as wine has a visible effect on one who drinks it, so the studious man is at once known when one looks at him. Water does not rejoice the heart, and it might be concluded that the same is true of the Torah; hence it is likened to wine, since each rejoices the heart. Yet wine is sometimes injurious; not so the Torah, which is compared with oil. As oil is capable of anointing any part of the human body, so is the Torah an anointment to its possessor. But oil again has a bitter taste before it is purified; is this, then, equally true of the Torah? No; for the Torah is compared to milk and honey, each of which has an agreeable taste, while when blended they have healing properties as well as sweetness. — Mid. Songs 1.

Israel is compared to oil. As berries do not yield their oil except when they are crushed, so Israel will not show his greatness except under the stress of persecution. As oil will not mix with other liquids, so Israel will not assimilate with other nations. Oil does not effervesce; so Israel is modest in speech. If a drop of water is put into a vessel full of oil, a drop of oil will fall out; so if an atom of levity is put into the heart of a wise man, an atom of his knowledge will be lost. Oil brings light; so Israel is the light of the world (Isa. 60.). Oil has no echo, neither has Israel in this world. — Mid. Songs 1.

Any one who brings another under the wings of the Shechinah may be said to have created him. So it was said concerning Abraham and Sarah, ‘The souls they have made in Haran’ (Gen. 12.) because of the souls they had rescued from idolatry and brought to the knowledge of God. — Mid. Songs 1.

The Israelites were asked what security they could offer that the Torah about to be intrusted to them would be strictly observed by them. All proffered security, such as the Patriarchs, was rejected; but when they mentioned their children as security these were accepted. Therefore the prophet is charged to tell them, ‘Thou hast forgotten the Torah of thy God, so will I also forget thy children’ (Hosea 4.). — Mid. Songs 1.

From the point of view of religious observance one may say that poverty becomes the Jew; in poverty he is an observant Jew. Rabbi Akiba used to say, Poverty becomes a Jew as a red bridle becomes a white horse. — Mid. Songs 1.

King Solomon’s mind may well be compared to a hidden treasure, of the existence of which no one was aware until an expert pointed out the spot and its contents. His was a most brilliant mind, lying dormant till it was inspired from above, and then he became a veritable light to the Torah in his exposition, by prose, poetry, and simile, of many of its obscure passages. — Midrash Songs I.

Israel is justified in pleading for God’s special protection, since concurrently with God’s work on their behalf the light of the knowledge of God is brought about. The redemption from Egypt had the effect that such as Jethro, Rahab, and others were brought under the wings of the Shechinah. The miracles wrought on behalf of Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah also caused a large number of proselytes to Judaism. — Mid. Songs 1.

Rabbi Simeon b. Jochuah made it a point to cement affection between man and wife. A man came to him once from Sidon and asked him to grant him a divorce from his wife, as his ten years of conjugal bliss had brought him no offspring. The wise Rabbi, who read impulsiveness in the man’s character, told him to go home and make a sort of a feast in commemoration of the coming event. ‘I see no reason,’ he said, ‘why, a divorce should not be celebrated in some way, similar to the tying of the marriage knot.’ The man, in expectation of his approaching freedom, was right glad of the opportunity of making merry, and gave a banquet; and being in good spirits he said to his wife: ‘See, I am prepared to give you the most valuable thing in my house to take with you if you offer no obstacle to our divorce, and will return to your father’s house.’ When, after the banquet, he fell into a deep slumber, she got her servants to carry him to her father’s house, whither she went herself.

On awakening and finding himself in the house of the man with whom he was about to sever his relationship he asked his wife who was by his side the meaning of all this. ‘I have done nothing against your expressed wish,’ said his spouse it was only last evening that you offered me the most precious thing in your house.’ The man was very much touched by this manifestation of true affection on the part of his wife, and when they appeared again before the Rabbi the following day, the sly sage could not conceal a smile as he asked the man what he could do for him. ‘My wife and I have come to ask your prayers on our behalf, so that the Lord may grant us an heir or heirs.’ The good man prayed to God to grant their desire, if in his wisdom it seemed good for them, and the couple did not remain childless for very many days. — Mid. Songs 1.

Ben Azai was in a deep study, and to those who passed him it seemed as if he was sitting in the midst of a flame. They told Rabbi Akiba of it, who went to him and asked him whether he was studying any mystery. ‘Not at all,’ said Ben Azai. ‘I was looking up the Pentateuch, the Prophets and the Hagiographa, and rejoiced over their contents as though I had been one of those who received the Torah at the foot of Sinai when God proclaimed His word in the midst of fire.’ — Mid. Songs 1.

On the day on which Solomon married Necha, Pharaoh’s daughter, the foundation of Rome-Israel’s persecutor and oppressor — was laid by the angel Michael. — Mid. Songs 1.

When Jeroboam erected the two golden calves, they tried likewise to erect two cottages in Rome, but they fell in as often as they were put up. There was near by an old man, named Abbé Kolon, who told the builders that unless water were brought from the river Euphrates to mix with the lime, no building would stand there, and he offered to fetch the water from the Euphrates. He took large casks, and posing as a wine merchant made his way unopposed to the river Euphrates, where he filled his casks with water of that river and returned to Rome. The water being used for the mixing of the lime and sand, the houses were successfully erected. Mid. Songs 1.

Jacob went to Beersheba for the purpose of hewing down the groves which Abraham had planted there. When on his deathbed Jacob was inspired by the Holy Spirit and told that the Shechinah would dwell amongst his descendants when they returned to their fatherland. The middle beam of the Mishkan had to reach from one end to the other, and measured thirty-two cubits (Exod. 26. 28), and was made of the timber which Jacob had hewn down in Beersheba. The Israelites had carried this timber with them to Egypt and preserved some during their captivity. Subsequently they took this timber with them at the Exodus. Thus we have it stated: ‘and every man with whom was found shittim wood for the work of the service brought it.’ — Mid. Songs 1.

Formerly learning was a thing sought after, but now we are become spiritually sick we grow dainty, and choose only light reading or what we consider comforting and promising words. So a man when in robust health does not pick and choose his food, but when less robust he must have light morsels such as will tempt his appetite. — Mid. Songs 2.

Israel at the Exodus may well be compared to a prince just recovered from illness. When his tutor suggests study, the king decides to allow his son some time after his convalescence to recover his strength before he begins to read. Israel did not at once recover from the sufferings they had endured in Egypt, and their Heavenly Father decided to let them have a three months’ rest, and feed them with manna and quails, before they approached their school, Sinai, to receive instruction. — Mid. Songs 2.

Nebuchadnezzar was indeed the proverbial gale coming from the north, and sweeping everything before it in the south. — Mid. Songs 3.

Sleep is most agreeable and beneficial in the earlier part of the night. — Mid. Songs 3.

In the plague of hail which was sent on Egypt there were two opposite elements mingled together. There was hail, and fire mingled with the hail (Exod. 9.). It is like a king ruling over various nationalities which are enemies to one another, yet the legions the king sends against an enemy bury their opposition and unite to fight for the king’s cause. — Mid. Songs 3.

A preacher must be well conversant with the whole twenty-four books of the Bible. If he is deficient in the knowledge of one of these books it is as bad as if he had no acquaintance with any of them. He must be meek, and even humble; every act of his life should testify to his worth, and withal if his hearers do not like his preaching he is to desist from it. — Mid. Songs 4.

The Psalms were composed by ten individuals: Adam, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon, Asaph, Heman, Jeduthun, Korah’s three sons (taken as one of the composers), and Ezra. But although they were composed by ten different individuals, David’s name alone is connected with them. It is like a company of musicians who appear before a king, and are told: ‘Although you are, everyone of you, efficient in your art, yet I wish the one with the sweetest voice to sing before me.’ — Mid. Songs 4.

The Sanhedrin were known by the designation, ‘The eyes of the community.’ — Mid. Songs 4.

During the existence of the Temple there were plenty of wicked men such as Ahaz and his followers, Manasseh and his associates, and Amon and his companions. On the contrary, when the Temple was destroyed, the people were conspicuous for the good men amongst them, like Daniel and his associates in righteousness, Mordecai and his followers, and Ezra and his people. — Mid. Songs 4.

Do not, like a simpleton, be deterred from study by thinking ‘How can I meet the formidable task of acquiring all that is to be known?’ Rather argue like a wise man, ‘Others have done it, so it can be done.’ Try a little by day and a little by night, and in the course of time your task will be accomplished. — Mid. Songs 5.

The Torah or knowledge increases, and the intellect becomes keener by proper study, and any difficult matter submitted to scholars will find solution; as a structure will be satisfactorily erected by skilful workmen each contributing his skill. — Mid. Songs 5.

The second Temple was deprived of the following five blessings which the first Temple had enjoyed: (1) The fire that came down from heaven for the altar. (2) The anointing oil. (3) The ark. (4) The Holy Spirit. (5) The Urim and Thummim. — Mid. Songs 8.

With the death of the three last of the latter prophets, viz. Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi, the Holy Spirit (prophecy) ceased, but use was made of the בת קל echo. Once at the assembly of the wise men in Jericho they heard the echo proclaim, ‘There is one amongst you who is well worthy of the Holy Spirit, but alas the present generation is unworthy of it.’ They thought of Hillel the elder. At his death they lamented him with the words, ‘Oh that saintly man, that meek man, that pupil of Ezra.’ — Mid. Song of Songs 8.

Midrash Ecclesiastes

THE prophet Amos stuttered. — Mid. Eccles. 1.

King Solomon was like the clever statesman adopted in the king’s house, who when asked by his august master what token of his favour he wished, asked for the king’s daughter. Solomon, when asked by the King of Kings for his wish, asked for wisdom. — Mid. Eccles. 1.

At the resurrection men will be revived and will have the same infirmities and defects that they may have had during their former life; so that there may be no mistake as to whether those that are resuscitated are the same as those who were known to be dead. — Mid. Eccles. 1.

If those who are in authority at present should be inferior men to those who were in authority before them, one is not permitted to slight them on that account, but is bound to pay them the tribute of respect due to their position. — Mid. Eccles. 1.

There is no hard and fast rule as to any part with which books in Holy Writ should open. — Mid. Eccles. 1.

Man as a rule does not allude to his low estate, except when he comes out of it and gets into an improved position. — Mid. Eccles i.

The Sanhedrin sat at a table in the form of a half moon, or horseshoe, so that they should be able to see each other. — Mid. Eccles. 1.

No man dies possessing half of what he wishes to possess. — Mid. Eccles. 1.

In one sense there is an advantage in failing memory; if man’s memory did not fail, there would be no study of the Torah. — Mid. Eccles. 1.