json/Midrash/Aggadah/Pesikta DeRav Kahanna/English/Sefaria Community Translation.json

{
    "language": "en",
    "title": "Pesikta DeRav Kahanna",
    "versionSource": "https://www.sefaria.org",
    "versionTitle": "Sefaria Community Translation",
    "versionTitleInHebrew": "תרגום קהילת ספריא",
    "actualLanguage": "en",
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    "heTitle": "פסיקתא דרב כהנא",
    "categories": [
        "Midrash",
        "Aggadah"
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            "[7] What is the connection between what is written above \"And Aharon will atone on its horns once a year\" (Shemot 30:10) and what is written after \"When you raise the head\" (Shemot 30:12)? It is written 'כי תשה' just as 'כי תשה' [when you make a loan, (Devarim 24:10) Moshe said: Master of the Universe, when Israel has merit, forgive them, and when Israel does not have merit, give them a loan as it were, once a year, so Yom Kippur will come and atone for them, \"for on this day atonement shall be made for you\" (Vayikra 16:30). \"Raise the head\" - Rabbi Yosi son of Rabbi Chanina said: this is a hint that they will be the first of the tribes to bring a sacrifice, and who are they? Reuven, as it says \"may Reuven live\" (Devarim 33:6). [\"The head of] the children of Israel\" [Why does God command a census?] Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani: What is this comparable to? To a king who had a set of undergarments and who commanded his servant saying, “Lay these out. Fold them. Take care of them.” The servant said to the king, \"My master, of all the undergarments you have, why have you only commanded me regarding this one?\" The king responded, \"These ones stick to my flesh.\"Such is what Moses said to the Holy Blessed One, \"Merciful One, of the 70 nations that exist in Your world, why are You only commanding me regarding Israel, as it says \"say further to the Israelite people\" (Vayikra 20:2); \"speak to the Israelite people\" (Shemot 30:31); \"say to the Israelite people\" (Shemot 33:5); \"speak to the Israelite people and say\" (Shemot 31:13); \"Command the Israelite people\" (Vayikra 24:2); \"you shall further instruct the Israelites\" (Shemot 27:20); \"When you take a census of the Israelite people\" (Shemot 30:12)? - God responds, \"Because they are cleaving to me.\" As is taught in Jeremiah 13:11 “For as the loincloth clings close to the loins of a man, so I brought close to Me the whole House of Israel and the whole House of Yehudah — declares Ad-nai — that they might be My people, for fame, and praise, and splendor.” Another idea: Rabbi Avin said: What is this comparable to? To a king who had crimson clothes and who commanded his servant saying, “Lay these ones out. Fold them. Take care of them.” The servant said to the king, \"My master, of all the crimson garments you have, why have you only commanded me regarding this one?\" The king responded, \"These are the ones I wore when I first became sovereign.” Such is what Moses said to the Holy Blessed One, \"Merciful One, of the 70 mighty nations that exist in Your world, why are You only commanding me regarding Israel? as it says \"say further to the Israelite people\" (Vayikra 20:2); \"speak to the Israelite people\" (Shemot 30:31); \"say to the Israelite people\" (Shemot 33:5); \"speak to the Israelite people and say\" (Shemot 31:13); \"Command the Israelite people\" (Vayikra 24:2); \"you shall further instruct the Israelites\" (Shemot 27:20); \"When you take a census of the Israelite people\" (Shemot 30:12)? - God responds, \"These are the ones who crowned me first as they crossed the sea when they said, ‘God will reign forever’ (Shemot 15:18).\" Rabbi Berachia said: this is similar to an Elder who had a traveling cloak and commanded his helper: \"Lay these ones out. Fold them. Take care of them.\" The servant said to the Elder, \"My master, of all the traveling cloaks you have, why have you only commanded me regarding this one?\" The Elder responded: \"These are the ones I wore when I first became an Elder\". Such is what Moses said to the Holy Blessed One, \"Merciful One, of the 70 mighty nations that exist in Your world, why are You only commanding me regarding Israel? as it says \"say further to the Israelite people\" (Vayikra 20:2); \"speak to the Israelite people\" (Shemot 30:31); \"say to the Israelite people\" (Shemot 33:5); \"speak to the Israelite people and say\" (Shemot 31:13); \"Command the Israelite people\" (Vayikra 24:2); \"you shall further instruct the Israelites\" (Shemot 27:20); \"When you take a census of the Israelite people\" (Shemot 30:12)? - God responds, \"These are the ones who received upon them the yoke of Heaven at Sinai, and said \"All that the Living Presence said we will do and we will hear\" (Shemot 24:7). Said Rabbi Yudan: come and see how much the Holy Blessed One loves Israel, to the point that they mentioned five times in one verse, see that is written thus: \"And from among the Israelites I formally assign the Levites to Aaron and his sons, to perform the service for the Israelites in the Tent of Meeting and to make expiation for the Israelites, so that no plague may afflict the Israelites when the Israelites come too near the sanctuary\" (Bamidbar 8:19).  Shime'on Bar Yochai compared to a king who gave his son over to a teacher and commanded him: feed my child, give my child [water to] drink, take my child from the house of study, bring my child back from the house of study - so too the Holy Blessed One desires to remember the children of Israel at every moment. Said Rabbi Yudah ben Rabbi Simon: this is comparable to one who sat and made a diadem to the king. Another passed and saw him, and asked: 'what are you doing?\" and he responded: 'a diadem for the king'. And the other said: 'do everything that you can, set all the precious stones you are able to, since the future of this diadem will actually be to be used by the king'. So too the Holy Blessed One said to Moshe: all the praise about Israel that you can say, do say in front of Me, all their glory that you can say, say, since in the future I will be glorified in them, as in “You are My servant, Israel in whom I glory.”(Isaiah 49:3)"
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            "And it came to pass at midnight (Ex 12:29)1. R. Tanchum of Jaffa in the name of R. Nunia of Caesaria  explicated  the following verse: And when I pondered how I might know this, it was wearisome in mine eyes (Ps 73:16) . David said, “No one can stand on the [moment of] midnight except for the Kadosh Baruch Hu . For me, [when I pondered how I might know this,] it was wearisome in mine eyes. Because no one can stand on the [moment of] midnight except for the Kadosh Baruch Hu, it is therefore said, “And it came to pass at midnight.”",
            "2. R. Acha explicated the following verse:  I am YHWH, that is My name; and My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images. (Is 42:8)  I am YHWH, that is My name. R. Acha stated: The Kadosh Baruch Hu said “I am YHWH, that is My name; it is the name that the first man called me. It is the name by which I made a stipulation with Myself. It is the name by which I made a stipulation with the ministering angels. My glory will I not give to another.” R. Menahama said in the name of R. Avin, “These [others] are the demons.” R. Nechemiah said in the name of R. Mina, “No one can distinguish between the drop  of a firstborn and one that is not of a firstborn, except for the Kadosh Baruch Hu. For me, [when I pondered how I might know this,] it was wearisome in mine eyes. Because no one can stand on the [moment of] midnight except for the Kadosh Baruch Hu, therefore [it is said], “And it came to pass at midnight.”",
            "3. [God] confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers; that saith of Jerusalem: 'She shall be inhabited'; and of the cities of Judah: 'They shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof';(Is 44:26) R. Berekiah said in the name of R Levi: Whoever confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers, do we not [therefore also] know that he will say of Jerusalem: 'She shall be inhabited'; and of the cities of Judah: 'They shall be built?' Rather [the apparent repetition may be understood by another text]: an angel appeared to our father Jacob and said to him, 'What is thy name?' And he said: 'Jacob.' And he said: 'Thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel;(Gen 32:28-29). The Kadosh Baruch Hu appeared [afterwards] to our father Jacob to fulfill the decree of the angel [in another verse]: And God said unto him: 'Thy name is Jacob: [thy name shall not be called any more Jacob, but Israel shall be thy name'; and He called his name Israel.]  (Gen 35:10) Jerusalem, of which all the prophets prophesied that it will be built, all the more so! Another interpretation: “[God] confirmeth the word of His servant” refers to Moses, [as he is called in another verse]: My servant Moses is not so. (Num 12:7)  “Performeth the counsel of His messengers” refers to Moses, [as he is called in another verse]: [God] sent a messenger, and brought us forth out of Egypt. (Num 20:16) The Kadosh Baruch Hu said to Moses, “Go, tell the people Israel that I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, [and will smite all the first-born in the land of Egypt.]” (Ex. 12:12) Moses went and said to Israel, “Thus saith the LORD: About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt.” (Ex 11:4) The Kadosh Baruch Hu said, “Already I have made my promise to Moses, And I said of him 'My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house.' (Num 12:7) Should I make a liar out of My servant Moses? No, instead Since Moses said “About midnight,” then I will go out at midnight. So it happened that it came to pass at midnight, [that the LORD smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt.]",
            "4. At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee because of Thy righteous ordinances. (Ps 119:62) Rabbi Pinchas said in the name of R. Elazar bar Menachem: What would David do? He would take up a harp and lyre and put them by his head [before he went to sleep], then at midnight he would get up and play them . When the scholars of Israel heard the music, they would say, “Well, if King David is engaged in Torah study [at this this hour], then we should be all the more so!” [Soon,] all of Israel could be found engaging in Torah study. Rabbi Levi said: There was a window above  David's bed open to the south. He would hang the harp across from the window and when the southern wind blew at midnight, it would whirl through the strings of the harp and play it. As it is written: when the instrument played (2Ki 3:15). It does not say “the instrument was played,” but “the instrument played,” as in, “the instrument played itself.” So it was that all of Israel heard the music [and knowing that king David was awake and studying] would say, “Well, if King David is doing so, then we should be all the more so!” [Soon,] all of Israel could be found engaging in Torah study. So it was that David said, “Awake, my glory; awake, harp and lyre; I will awake [at] dawn.” (Ps 57:9) [By this he means to say,] “I will awaken my honor before the honor of the One who created me. The importance of my honor is nothing compared to the honor of the One who created me. [Do not read], “I will awake [at] dawn.” Rather, [read it as] “I will wake the dawn, the dawn will not wake me.” His evil impulse would pester him and say to him, “David, It is the custom of kings to awaken (no sooner than) dawn, but you say 'I will wake the dawn?' It is the custom of kings to sleep in until the third hour of the day, but you say “At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto Thee  [because of Thy righteous ordinances.]” (Ps 119:62) What is meant by “because of Thy righteous ordinances”? [David meant] For the ordinances that You enforced against the wicked Pharaoh, and for the righteousness that You did for Sarah my elder. As it is written: And the LORD plagued Pharaoh and his house with great plagues [because of Sarai Abram's wife.] (Gen 12:17) Another interpretation: because of Thy righteous ordinances. [David meant] for the ordinances that You enforced against the peoples of the world, and for the righteousness that You have done with my two elders, [Boaz and Ruth]. For if he had entered her [when she came to him, or] cursed her at once from below , from whence would I have arisen? Instead, You put a blessing into his heart; [and he said:] “Blessed be thou of the LORD.” (Ruth 3:10)Another interpretation: because of Thy righteous ordinances. For the ordinances that You enforced against the Egyptians in Egypt,  and for the righteousness that You have done with our elders in Egypt, even though they had no mitzvot to save themselves  except for two; the blood of Passover and the blood of circumcision. As it is written: And when I passed by thee, and saw thee wallowing in thy bloods, I said unto thee: In thy bloods, live; [yea, I said unto thee: In thy bloods, live.] (Ez 16:6) Bloods : The blood of Passover and the blood of circumcision. ",
            "5. R. Shimon Ben Yochai taught: Moses could not have known the exact moment, nor the approximate minute, nor the general time at night. This is why he said “About midnight.” (Ex 11:4) However, the Kadosh Baruch Hu knew the exact moment, and the approximate minute, and the general time at night. That is why God entered [without being early or late] by a hair's breadth. So who was it that divided [the hours of the night]? R. Benjamin bar Jafet in the name of R. Yohanan, the night divided itself.  Our Rabbis say that the Creator divided it. Here it says, “And it came to pass at midnight” (Ex 12:29) and elsewhere it says, “And he divided the night against them.”  (Gen 14:15) Rabbi Tanchuma said: Your father set out with Me at midnight, and I will set out with his children and midnight. The Rabbis said: the Kadosh Baruch Hu said, “your father set out with Me from last night until midnight, and I will set out with his children from midnight until the morning.” R. Yonatan said: The angel guarding over Egypt cannot fall except during the day. What is the reasoning? [From the verse] At Tehaphnehes also the day shall withdraw itself, when I shall break there the yokes of Egypt, and the pride of her power shall cease in her; [as for her, a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity.](Ez 30:18) [Elsewhere it also] says, In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt that speak the language [of Canaan, and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called the city of destruction. ] (Is  19:18) Which five cities are these? R. Hilkiah said in the name of R. Simon: Noa, Noph, Tehaphnehes, the City of Destruction, and the City of the Sun;  Noa is Alexandria, Noph is Memphis, Tehaphnehes is Hophnias, the City of Destruction is Sharakani, and the City of the Sun is Heliopolis. R. Yohanan ben Zakkai said: We have found both night and day referred to as “day,” as it is written: And there was evening and there was morning, one day. (Gen 1:5) R. Joshua bar R. Nechamah understood [the same claim] from this: Even the darkness is not too dark for Thee, but the night shineth as the day; the darkness is even as the light.(Ps 139:12) Darkness is [the same as] lightness to Me, and [only] human beings consider it night. This is what is meant [by saying] it was on the day that the firstborn of Egypt died [although it was midnight]. This is how [it happened]: They were afflicted with the deadly curse in evening time, then their bodies shook all night, and then they died in the day time. What is the reasoning? [Because] It is not written “All of us have all died,” but rather “All of us are dying ” (Ex 12:33) Then they went and died . As it is written: On the day that I struck down all the first-born [of the Land of Egypt] (Num 3:13), and further on it says, on the day that I sanctified all the firstborn to Me (paraphrase of Num 8:17 ). On this basis one may conclude  that it was on the very same day that the firstborn of Egypt died, which [God said], “on this day I have sanctified to me the firstborn [of the Israelites].”",
            "6. That God struck down all the firstborn of the Land of Egypt (Ex 12:29). [The text does not simply read] “the firstborn,” [but rather] “all the firstborn.” [The word “all” is meant to include both] the firstborn of man and the firstborn of woman, [that is,] the firstborn of [each] male and the firstborn of [each] female. This is how [it can be illustrated]: [In the case of] a single man who came to ten women and they gave birth to ten sons, each one would turn out to be a firstborn of a woman. [On the other hand, in the case of] ten men who all came to a [single] woman and they fathered ten sons,  each one would turn out to be a firstborn of a man. You might imagine  a house in which there was neither a firstborn of a man nor of a woman [and think, in such a case]“how could I fulfill the verse: for there was no house in which no one had died (Ex 12:30)?” Rabbi Abba bar Acha said: [in such a case,] the trustee  of the household would die, as it is written, “ Shimri the chief – for though he was not the firstborn, yet his father made him chief. (I Ch 26:10)” A Tanna said  in the name of R. Nathan: On the day that the firstborn of one of [the Egyptians] would die, [the Egyptian] would carve an icon of him and place it in the house.  On that day,  [the icon] was crushed, pulverized, and scattered, and it was as hard on the [Egyptian] as if he was burying his son again.  R. Yudan said: Since the Egyptians would entomb [their dead] in their own houses, [on that day] the dogs went into the catacombs, pulled out  the [bodies of] the firstborn from their tombs, and tore into them.  It was as hard on [each Egyptian] as if he was burying his son again. \n"
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            "Rabbi Yochanan sat and expounded., \"How did the water became for the Jews like a wall [at the splitting of the Sea]?\" Rabbi Yochanan expounded, \"It was like lattice-work.\" Serach bat Asher looked out and said, \"It wasn't like that - it was like a glass window.\" Rabbi Yochanan sat and expounded, \"All the souls coming with Yaakov to Egypt, who came out of his loins, etc.\" (Genesis 46:26). With Yosef and his two sons, behold they are still lacking one (in order to add up to seventy)! Rabbi Levi in the name of R. Chama bar Chanina: \"That is Yocheved, who was born at the gate of Egypt.\" And some say, \"Serach bat Asher completed the number of Israel. 'I am one of those who seek the welfare of the faithful in Israel' (II Samuel 20:19). It is I that has completed the number of Israel. I have completed, being faithful for the faithful.\" Rabbi Tanchum bar Haanilai said, \"The Holy One blessed be He Himself entered with them. And what is the explanation? 'He is your praise and He is your God' (Deuteronomy 10:21). What is written after it? 'Numbering seventy people, your forefathers went down to Egypt' (Deuteronomy 10:22).\" "
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            "Bar Kaparah opened: And the Lord God of Hosts called [read midrashically as the Lord God called to the Hosts] on that day for crying and mourning and baring of the head, and wearing sackcloth. (Isaiah 22:12). The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to the ministering angels: A human king who mourns, what does he do? They said to him, he hangs sackcloth on his entrance. He said to them, I too will do this: “I clothe the skies in darkness [and make sackcloth their covering]” (Isaiah 50:3). And he asked them further: A human king who mourns, what does he do? They said to him, he covers the torches. He said to them, I too will do this: “The sun and moon are darkened and the stars withdraw their shining” (Joel 4: 15). And he asked them further: A human king who mourns, what does he do? They said to him, he goes barefoot. He said to them, I too will do this: “The Lord’s way is in whirlwind and storm and the clouds are the dust on his feet” (Nahum 1:3).  And he further asked them: A human king who mourns, what does he do? They said to him, he sits and is silent. He said to them, I too will do this: “He sits alone and is silent for he has imposed it” (Lamentations 3:28). And he further asked them: A human king who mourns, what does he do? They said to him, he overturns the couches. He said to them, I too will do this: “I watched as thrones were set in place” (Daniel 7:9).  And he further asked them: A human king who mourns, what does he do? They said to him, he rends his garments. He said to them, I too will do this: “The Lord has done as he intended; he has fulfilled his word” (batzah emrato)  (Lamentations 2:17). What does “he has fulfilled his word” mean? Rabbi Ya’akov of Kefar Hanan said, he rends (mevazei’a) his garment.  And he further asked them: A human king who mourns, what does he do? They said to him, he sits and wails. He said to them, I too will do this: “How does it sit desolate?!” (Lamentations 1:1).  "
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            "3) Yehudah bar Nachman opened [the discussion] in the name of Reish Lakish: \"God ascends amidst acclamation, etc.\" (Psalms 47:6) - when the Holy One, blessed be He, ascends to sit on His throne of justice, He ascends with justice, as it is written, \"God ascends amidst acclamation.\" But when the Jewish people take the shofars and blow, the Holy One, blessed be He, rises from His throne of justice and sits on His throne of mercy, as it is written, \"the Lord, amidst the blow of the shofar.\" So He becomes full of mercy and has mercy upon them; and He turns the trait of justice into the trait of mercy for them. When? \"In the seventh month\" (Leviticus 23:24)."
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            "\"Good and upright is Ad-nai; therefore He shows sinners the way.\" (Ps. 25:8) They asked Wisdom: What should the punishment for the sinner be? She replied: \"Evil pursues sinners\" (Prov. 13:21). They asked Prophecy: What should the punishment for the sinner be? She replied: \"The soul that sins shall die\" (Ezekiel 18:4). They asked Torah: What should the punishment for the sinner be? She replied: S/he shall bring a Guilt-Offering (Asham) and it will be atoned. They asked the Holy One of Blessing: What should the punishment for the sinner be? God replied: Let the person do teshuvah and it will be atoned. That's why it's written: \"Good and upright is Ad-nai etc.\" Rabbi Pinchas said: Why is God good? Because God is upright. Why is God upright? Because God is good - \"therefore God shows sinners the way\", that God teaches to the sinners the way of doing teshuvah, and that's why Hosea warned Israel, and said: \"Return, Israel [up to God, because you stumbled in your sin]\" (Hosea 14:2)"
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