Pisqa’ 271
1
“You began to show Your servant Your greatness” (Dt.3:24)—
You [began when You]
released me from my vow.2
The moment You said to me:
“Go and bring out from Egypt my people, the descendants of Israel” (Ex.3:10),
I said before You:
I’m unable, for I already swore
to Jethro that I would not abandon him,
as it is said:
“And Moses bound (ho’il) himself to stay with the man.” (Ex.2:21)—
acually, the term “bond” (ho’elah) implies an oath (shevu`ah),
for it is said:
“And Saul imposed a bond (yo`el) on the people” (1 Sam.14:24).3
Another word:
“You began” (Dt.3:24)—
You opened a space for me
to stand in prayer before You on behalf of Your children,
while they still stank from the Deed of the Calf,
for it is said:
“Just release Me, and I will destroy them!” (Dt.9:14)
Now, did Moses actually grab the Holy One?
Rather, this is what he said to Him:
Master of the World!
You opened a space for me
to stand in prayer before You on behalf of Your children.
So I stood and prayed for them,
and You heard my prayer,
and You pardoned their sin.
So I assumed that
since I included them in my prayer, they did not pray for me.
But isn’t this a matter of logic?
If the prayer of an individual
on behalf of a multitude is heard,
all the more so should the prayer of a multitude
on behalf of an individual be heard!
2
“To show Your servant”4 (Dt.3:24).
Some called themselves servants,
and the Blessed Holy One called them servants.
And some called themselves servants,
but the Blessed Holy One did not call them servants.
And some did not call themselves servants,
yet the Blessed Holy One called them servants.
Abraham called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“Do not pass Your servant by” (Gn.18:3).
And the
Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“On behalf of Abraham, My servant” (Gn.26:24)
Jacob called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“Which You have done for Your servant” (Gn.32:11).
And the All-Present called him a servant,
for it is said:
“And you are Israel, My servant” (Is.41:8).
Moses called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“To show Your servant” (Dt.3:24).
And the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“Not so is Moses, My servant” (Nu.12:7)
David called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“I am Your servant, the son of Your maidservant” (Ps.116:16).
And the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“For My sake, and for the sake of My servant, David” (2 Ki.3:10).
[and, finally, it is said:]
“And My servant, David, will be their ruler forever” (Ezek.37:28).
[Then,] Isaiah called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“Created from the womb to serve Him” (Is.49:5).
And the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“As my servant, Isaiah, walked, naked and barefoot” (Is.20:3).
3
[Now, as for those who were not called servants:]
Samuel called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“Speak—for Your servant is listening” (1 Sam.3:10).
But the Blessed Holy One did not call him a servant.
Samson called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“You have given Your servant” (Jud.15:18).
But the Holy One did not call him a servant.
Solomon called himself a servant,
for it is said:
“You have given Your servant a discerning heart” (1 Ki.3:9),
but the Holy One did not call him a servant.
Rather, He applied the term to his father, David,
as it is said:
“For the sake of My servant, David” (1 Ki.11:13)
4
[And, as for those making no claim to be servants:]
Job did not call himself a servant,
but the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“Have you noticed my servant, Job?” (Job2:3).
Joshua did not call himself a servant,
but the Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“And Joshua b. Nun, the servant of HASHEM, died” (Josh.24:29),
Caleb did not call himself a servant,
but the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“My servant, Caleb” (Nu.14:24).
Elyakim did not call himself a servant,
but the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“And I called My servant, Elyakim” (Is.22:20)
Zerubavel did not call himself a servant,
but the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“I will take Zerubavel b. Shealtiel, My servant” (Hag.2:23).
Daniel did not call himself a servant,
but the Blessed Holy One called him a servant,
for it is said:
“Daniel, servant of the Living God” (Dan.6:21)
Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah did not call themselves servants,
but the Blessed Holy One called them servants,
for it is said:
“Shadrach, Mishach, and Eved-nego, My servants” (Dan.3:26).
The early Prophets did not call themselves servants,
but the Blessed Holy One called them servants,
for it is said:
“He reveals His mystery to His servants, the Prophets” (Am.3:7)5
5
“Your greatness” (Dt.3:24)—
[“Your goodness”] is the primary sense applied
to each appearance of “Your greatness” in the Torah.6
“And the strong hand” (Dt.3:24)—
these are the ten blows
that the Holy One brought upon the Egyptians in Egypt,
for of them it is said:
“Stretch out your hand!” (Ex.8:1).
6
“Whose deeds no god (‘el) on Heaven or Earth can match” (Dt.3:24).
For the nature of flesh and blood
is unlike the nature of the Blessed Holy One.
This is the nature of flesh and blood—
[when] a governor rules over his province,
he fears his associates will depose him.
[But, said Moses:]
You, Who has no associate—why won’t You absolve me?
A king of flesh and blood—
[when he] sits at his podium,
he fears his subordinates will depose him.
[But, said Moses:]
You, Who has no subordinate—why won’t You absolve me?7
7
“Who can match Your deeds” (Dt.3:24)—
in Egypt,
“Or Your mighty acts” (Dt.3:24)—
at the sea?
Another word:
“Who can match Your deeds” (Dt.3:24)—
at the Jordan [Josh.3:9-17]?
- H:49-52; JN1:69-71
- Cf. Sifre Nu 134.
- See Pisqa’ 4.1
- Hebrew: `eved. The word can mean “slave” as well as “servant.”
- Cf. the loose parallel to 27.2 at ANRB:43.
- Heb: binyan ‘av. “, family resemblance” of two terms in Scripture that permits the meaning of one usage to govern others of the same type. // Sifre Nu., 134.
- Cf. Mechilta Ishmael, `amaleq, par.2.