Pisqa’ 318¹

1

“Then Yeshurun grew fat, and he kicked” (Dt.32:15).

As they became satisfied, they rebelled.

And so do you find that

the people of the generation of the Deluge

rebelled against the Blessed Holy One,

only because of over-eating and over-drinking,

as well as easy living.

Now, what is said of them?

“Their homes are at peace, free of fear” (Job.21:9)

{The lacuna in this tradition here is filled in Sifre Devarim’s version of Pisqa 43.4}²

2

And so do you find that

the people of the Tower rebelled against the Blessed Holy One

only because of easy living,

as it is said:

“Now, all the earth had worked smoothly”³ (Gn.11:1).

And so do you find that

The men of Sodom rebelled only because of over-eating,

as it is said:

“As for the land, bread springs from it!” (Job.28:5).

{The lacuna omits traditions paralleled at Pisqa 43.5-6}

And, similarly, He says:

“This is the iniquity of Sodom:

Arrogance, abundant bread, comfortable ease!” (Ezek.16:49)⁴.

3

Now, one time,

Rabban Shimon b. Gamliel, R. Joshua,

R. Elazar b. Azariah,, and R. Akiva

Were entering Rome, etc.⁵

{Pisqa’ 43.8 records parallels to the traditions omitted here}

4

And so do you find that

the people of the wasteland rebelled only because of

over-eating and over-drinking,

as it is said:

“So the people sat to eat and drink, and they arose to carouse” (Ex.32:6)

Now, what is said of them?

“How quickly do they abandon the path!” (Ex.32:8).

Said the Blessed Holy One to Moses:

Tell Israel:

Once you enter the Land, you are destined to rebel

only because of over-eating, over-drinking, and easy-living!

For it is said;

“When I have brought them to the soil which I swore to their ancestors

–dripping with milk and honey—

then they will eat to satiety, fatten up, and turn to other gods” (Dt.31:20).

Said Moses to Israel:

Once you enter the Land, you are destined to rebel

only because of over-eating, over-drinking, and easy-living!

For it is said:

“Lest you eat to satiety (Dt.8:12) . . . and your herds and flocks increase” (Dt.8:13) . . .

and your heart grows haughty, as you forget HASHEM your God” (Dt.8:14).

5

And so do you find that

the sons and daughters of Job endured retribution

only because of over-eating and over-drinking,

as it is said:

“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine

in their eldest brother’s house, when a great wind came” (Job.1:18).

And, similarly, you find with the Ten Tribes, that

they were sent into exile only because of over-eating, over-drinking, and easy-living,

For it is said:

“Laying on their ivory couches (Am.6:4) . . . swilling wine from the jug” (Am.6:6),

“now, therefore, they shall be deported at the head of the exiles.” (Am.6:7).

And so do you find that

in the days of Messiah, they are destined to rebel

only because of over-eating and over-drinking,

for it is said:

“Then Yeshurun grew fat, and he kicked,

and he abandoned the God Who formed him” (Dt.32:15).

An analogy—

A certain man had a calf.

He groomed it, combed it, and fed it leeks,

all in the hope that it would plow for him.

When the calf grew up, his master put a yoke on him.

But he bucked and broke the yoke,

snapping off its decorations as well.

And, so He says:

“Beams of wood did you break,

but you have replaced them with bars of iron” (Jer.28:13).

6

“You became fat” (Dt.32:15)—

that is, during the reign of Jeroboam [King of Israel].

“You grew soft” (Dt.32:15)—

during the reign of Ahab [King of Israel].

“You were coarse” (Dt.32:15)—

all this during the reign of Yehu [King of Israel].

Another word:

“You became fat” (Dt.32;15)—

during the reign of Ahaz [King of Judah]

“You grew soft” (Dt.32:15)—

during the reign of Menasseh [King of Judah].

“You were coarse” (Dt.32:15)—

all this, during the reign of Zedekiah [King of Judah].

Another word:

“You became fat, you grew soft, you were coarse” (Dt.32:15)—

When a person has fat inside him, it shows up outside on his hips.

And so He says:

“His face is covered with his fat and his hips with blubber!” (Job.15:27).

Another word:

“You became fat, you grew soft, you were coarse” (Dt.32:15)—

These [three] clauses allude to

the three generations before the days of Messiah,

For it is said:

“And his land is filled with horses, and chariots beyond number;

and his land is filled with silver and gold,

and treasuries beyond counting;

and his land is filled with idols—

to his own handiwork he prostrates himself!” (Is.2:7-8)

7

“And he abandoned the God Who formed him” (Dt.32:15)—

And, so He says:

“Now, two evils have my people committed:

They have abandoned Me . . .

and carved cisterns which can hold no water” (Is.2:13).

The Blessed Holy One said to them:

According to the measure you measured out to Me

do I measure out to you!

“I have deserted my home, I have abandoned my inheritance!” (Jer.2:7)

[And He states:]

“And He abandoned the Dwelling at Shiloh” (Ps.78:60)

And it says:

“For You have abandoned Your people, the house of Jacob!” (Is.2:6)

Another word:

“And he abandoned the God Who formed him” (Dt.32:15)—

accordingly, it is stated:

“Then He brought me to the inner courtyard

—and see!—

between the Forecourt and the Altar there were about twenty five men,

With their rear parts facing the Sanctuary of HASHEM” (Ezek.8:16).

R. Dosethai b. Judah says:

Don’t vocalize the text[ in the conventional way]:

“And he abandoned the God who formed him,

so he spurned the Rock of his deliverance” (Dt.32:15).

Rather, vocalize it [as follows]:

“So the Rock of his deliverance spurned him.”

And it is stated accordingly:

“Do not have contempt for us, for the sake of Your Name;

do not spurn the Throne of Your Glory!” (Jer.14:21)

8

“They taunted Him with strange images” (Dt.32:16)–

for they went and made horrid⁶ things.

And, so He says

[Concerning Asa, king of Judah]:

“And even his mother, Maakah, he removed from her throne,

for making a phallic image⁷ for Asherah” (1Ki.15:13).

“And with abominations did they enrage Him” (Dt.32:16)—

this refers to [a male] bedding a male.

And, so He says:

“Now do not bed down with a male as you do with women—

this is abominable” (Lv.18:22).

And, finally, it says:

“But there were men in the Land who made prostitution their calling” (1Ki.14:24).

“And they slaughtered to the demons, who were no gods;

to gods they had never recognized” (Dt.32:17)—

If they had only served

the sun, the moon, the stars, and the constellations—

objects which are needed by the world,

and from which the world gains benefit—

there would be no double-reason for jealousy!⁸

But, of course, they serve objects which do them no good,

and, in fact, harm them!

9

“Demons” (Dt.32:17)—

What is the way of a demon?

They enter a person and gain control over him.⁹

“To gods they had never recognized” (Dt.32:17)—

namely, to gods unknown even to the nations of the world!

“New ones, recently arrived” (Dt.32:17)—

to the extent that, whenever one of the nations encounters in image,

he thinks: this must be a Jewish icon!

And, similarly, He states:

“The kingdoms of the god-lings,

with more icons then Jerusalem or Samaria!” (Is.10:10)—

this teaches that Jerusalem and Samaria

supplied the rest of the world with master-copies [of images]!

“Whom your ancestors did not dread”¹⁰ (Dt.32:18)—

because the hair of their ancestors

didn’t stand up in dread before them!

Another word:

“Whom your ancestors did not dread” (Dt.32:18)—

that is, your ancestors did not dread

finding out if the images were effective or not.

Another word:

“Whom your ancestors did not dread” (Dt.32:18)—

do not vocalize this text in the conventional way:

“Whom your ancestors did not dread.”

Rather, vocalize it:

“To whom your ancestors paid no mind” ¹¹—

for, even though they slaughtered and burned incense to them,

they had no reverence for them,

in accord with what has been said:

“But to Cain, and his gift, He paid no mind” (Gn.4:5).

1. H:325-328; JN2:345-348.
2. The bracketed text, in a copyist’s Aramaic, alerts the reader that the lacuna in Pisqa’ 318.1 (F:361, l.6) is filled at Pisqa’ 43.4, part of a massive parallel within Sifre, Pisqa’ot 43 and 318.Two further scribal abridgements follow here at 318.2 3 (F:361, ls.9, 11).
3. Heb: safah ‘akhat; literally, “one language.” In oral midrashic performance, the letter sin of safah can be vocalized as shin. The result is the word, shafah, which connotes “level,” “smooth” (BDB: 1045, s.v., sh-f-h, citing Is. 40:4).
4. All textual witnesses cite Ezek.16:48, which is not germane to this context.
5. //B. Mak.24b and Pisqa’ 43.8.
6. Heb: zar; literally, “strange, foreign,” yields zarut (“horrid, a source of disgust and horror).
7. Heb: mifletzet; literally, “a horror.” BDB: 814 supplies: “its use is not quite certain.” See Basser, p. 126
8. Not only are the demons no gods, but they were previously scarcely known by Israel!
9. Cf. Sifra, ‘akharei mot, per. 9:8.
10. Heb: sa`ar: literally: “to be acquainted with,” and by extension: “to regard with fear.” Assonant also with words of related roots (s-`-r), such as “hair” and “goats.”
11. Heb: sha`ah; root: sh-`-h, “to gaze, consider, be anxious.” Assonant with the root, s-`-r. See above note.