Pisqa’ 352¹

1

“Bless, HASHEM, his bounty” (Dt.33:11)—

This refers to property.

On this basis they taught:

The majority of Priests are wealthy.

In the name of Abba Hadarus,² they taught:

Indeed, He says:

“I was once a lad,

but now I’ve grown old,

yet I’ve never seen the Righteous abandoned,

his offspring lacking bread” (Ps.37:25)—

this is the offspring of Aaron.

“And accept the work of his hands” (Dt.33:11)—

he makes Israel acceptable to their

Father in Heaven.

“Strike the loins of his foes” (Dt.33:11)—

for anyone who lays claim before him

to the Priesthood will immediately fall.

Another word:

“Strike the loins of his foes” (Dt.33:11)—

this refers to Qorah,

“How may his adversaries rise up?” (Dt.33:11)—

this is king Uzziah of Judah

[who was struck with leprosy for offering incense at the Altar (2Chron.26:16-21)].

2

“Benjamin He called an intimate of HASHEM!” (Dt.33:12)—

beloved is Benjamin, for he is called

the intimate (yedid) of the All-Present.

For many love the king,

but the most beloved of all

is the one whom the king loves.

Six are called intimates:

The Blessed Holy One is called an intimate,

for it is said:

“I will sing now to My intimate one” (Is.5:1).

Abraham is called an intimate,

as it is said:

“What is My intimate one doing in My Abode?” (Jer.11:15).

Benjamin is called an intimate,

as it is said:

“Benjamin he called an intimate of HASHEM!” (Dt.33:12).

Solomon is called an intimate,

as it is said:

“And he sent it in the hand of Nathan the Prophet,

and he called his name, Intimate of Yah” (2Sam.12:25).

Israel is called intimates,

as it is said:

“And I have placed the intimate one of my soul in the hand of her enemies,” (Jer.12:7)

The Abode of Holiness is called an intimate,

for it is said:

“How intimate is Your dwelling place” (Ps.84:3).

Let an intimate, the son of an intimate,

come to build an intimate house,

for an intimate!

 

That is:

Let Israel, who are called intimates,

descendants of Abraham,

who is called an intimate,

come to build the Abode of Holiness,

which is called an intimate,

in the territory of Benjamin,

who is called an intimate,

for the Blessed Holy One,

Who is called an Intimate!³

“He shall rest securely next to Him” (Dt.33:12)—

Actually, securely has the sense of safety.

And so does He say:

“And they shall dwell securely in the wasteland, and sleep in the forest.” (Ezek.34:25)

3

“He shelters him” (Dt.33:12)—

with the construction of the first Abode.

“The entire day” (Dt.33:12)—

with the construction of the final Abode.

“As he rests between His shoulders” (Dt.33:12)—

it is already built,

with its ornaments,

for the coming future.

Another word:

“He shelters him” (Dt.33:12)—

in this eon.

“The entire day” (Dt.33:12)—

until the days of Messiah.

“As he rests between His shoulders” (Dt.33:12)—

[the shelter is] already built,

with its ornaments,

for the coming future.⁴

And so do you find of Abraham,⁵

That he saw it built, he saw it a ruin,

And, then again, he saw it rebuilt,

as it is said:

“And Abraham called the name of that place, HASHEM will see” (Gn.22:14)—

you see that it was already built

[and ready for divine viewing].

“As is said these days, on the mountain” (Gn.22:14)—

You see that now it is a ruin.

“HASHEM will appear”(Gn.22:14)—

it as already built,

with its ornaments,

for the coming future.

And so do you find of Isaac, that

He saw it built, he saw it a ruin,

And, then again, he saw it rebuilt,

As it is said:

“Indeed, the scent⁶ of my son” (Gn:27:27)—

you see that it was already built.

“Is like the scent of the field” (Gn.27:27)—

You see that now it is a ruin.

“With which HASHEM has blessed him” (Gn.27:27)—

it is already built,

with its ornaments,

for the coming future.

as it is said:

“For there has HASHEM ordained the blessing

of life for all eternity” (Ps.133:3)

And so do you find of Jacob, that

he saw it built, he saw it a ruin,

and, yet again, he saw it rebuilt,

as it is said:

“How awesome is this place!” (Gn.28:17)—

you see that it was already built.

“This is nothing” (Gn.28:17)—

you see that now it is a ruin.

“But the Abode of God!” (Gn.28:17)—

already built,

with its ornaments,

for the coming future.

4

“As he rests between (bein) His shoulders”⁷ (Dt.23:12)—

that is, whether (bein) it is a ruin

or whether (bein) it is not a ruin,

[it is a holy place].

And, similarly, He says:

“HASHEM , God of Heaven, has given me

all the kingdoms of the Earth, and has ordered me

to build Him an Abode in Jerusalem” (2Chron.36:23).

Another word:

“As he rests between His shoulders” (Dt.23:12)—

Take your typical ox.

Nothing upon it is higher than his shoulders.

So, too, the Abode of Holiness

is higher than the entire world.

And, similarly, He says:

“Then you shall arise and ascend

to the place in which HASHEM your God shall choose” (Dt.17:8).

And He says:

“Then many peoples will go—

let us ascend to the Mountain of HASHEM!” (Is.2:3)

He does not say:

“Let Gad come from the east,

let Dan come from the west.”

Rather, He says:

“Many peoples” (Is.2:3)—

[will ascend as one toward Jerusalem].

5

Rabbi says:

Wherever the boundaries of the Land are mentioned,

He says that

the border descended, or the border was drawn—

Yet, here He states:

“Then the border ascended into

The Valley of Ben-Hinnom along the southern flank of the Jebusites—

namely, Jerusalem” (Josh.15:8)—

this teaches that

The Chosen Abode was built in the tribal allotment of Benjamin.

R. Meir says:

The Chosen Abode was built in the tribal allotment of Benjamin.

But a [triangular] plot

—shaped like the head of a bull—

extended from his allotment into the allotment of Judah,

as it is stated:

“[Jerusalem] rests between

[the] shoulders [of Benjamin and Judah]” (Dt.23:12)—

How do I explain the verse:

“The scepter⁸ shall never depart from Judah” (Gn.49:10)?

This [represents] the Carved-Stone Chamber

[where the Sanhedrin met.]

It was located in the tribal allotment of Judah,

As it is said:

“Now, He rejected the tent of Joseph,

and did not choose the tribe of Ephraim,

So He chose the tribe of Judah,

Mount Zion, which He loved” (Ps78:67-68).

But a larger structure⁹ was built in

the tribal allotment of Joseph in Shiloh.

6

R. Judah says:

The Abode of Holiness was within

the tribal allotment of Judah,}¹⁰

For it is said:

“And you, Bethlehem Ephrata

—who are too young to be numbered

among the thousands of Judah—

from you shall come forth one

who will be a ruler of Israel” (Mic.5:1).¹¹

Actually, Ephrata is a name for Bethlehem,

as it is said:

“Then Rachel died and was buried along the road

to Ephrat, which is Bethlehem” (Gn.35:19)

 R. Meir says:

Rachel died in the tribal allotment

of her son, Benjamin,

as it is said:

“Now when I came from Paddan to the land of Canaan

—along the road, while still a distance from Ephrata—

Rachel died on me” (Gn.48:7).¹²

Actually, Ephrata is a name for Bethlehem,

as it is said:

“And you, Bethlehem Ephrata!” (Mic.5:1).

Shall I infer that Rachel died in the tribal allotment

of her son, Joseph?

The Teaching states:

“In fact, we have heard of her in Ephrat,

where we found her in the fields of Jaar” (ya`ar; Ps.132:6)—

[that is, in the allotment of]

one who is compared to a beast of the forest (ya`ar).

And who is this? Benjamin!¹³

For it is said:

“Benjamin is a wolf, tearing his prey” (Gn.49:27)—

Benjamin earned the right to have the Presence

take shelter in his allotment.

7

And so do you find that

when Joshua allotted

the Land of Israel to the tribes,

he divided the fertile fields of Jericho

into plots of 500 by 500 cubits.

And he gave to

the descendants of Yonadav b. Rekhab

the best portion,

from which they fed for 440 years,

as it is said:

“And so it was, that

in the four hundred and eightieth year,

he began to build the Abode of HASHEM”(1Ki.6:1).

Subtract those 40 years that

Israel was in the wasteland,

and it turns out they fed

from the fields of Jericho for 440 years,

And once the Presence took shelter

in the allotment of Benjamin,

the Rekhabites cleared the area before them,

as it is said:

“And the descendants of the Kenite,

the father-in-law of Moses,

ascended from the city of dates¹⁴

with the descendants of Judah.” (Judg.1:16)

8

And Moses spoke with Hobab b. Reuel,

the Midianite, father-in-law of Moses:

We are journeying to the place that

HASHEM promised to give to us” (Nu.10:29)—

Now, can you even imagine that

Moses told Jethro:

Come and we’ll give you a share in the Land?

Well, isn’t it already stated:

“Come along with us, and we’ll treat you right!” (Nu.10:29)

What is the Teaching saying?

“For HASHEM has promised well to Israel!’ (Nu.10:29)—

this refers to the fertile fields of Jericho.

For the grand-children of Jethro would feed

from them before the Chosen Abode

had been built for the tribes—

[thus Moses offered Jethro

a share in the produce, but not a share in the Land].

“But he said: I will not go!” (Nu.10:30)—

he added:

Tomorrow, when you apportion

the Land of Israel to the tribes—

which tribe among you would give me

so much as a single vineyard within his allotment?

Or, even a single mound to plant within his allotment?

Rather, I will go back to my own land,

and will eat the fruit of my own land,

and drink the wine of my vineyards!

 

And, so do you find regarding Israel that

they abandoned a place of fruits, food, and drink,

in order to scratch in the wilderness,

and study Torah from Yaavetz (cf. 1Chron.2:55),

who was Otniel b. Kenaz (cf. Josh.15:17)¹⁵

Indeed, He says [in one place]:

“Now, David acquired

the threshing floor and the oxen

for fifty silver sheqels” (2Sam.24:24).

But elsewhere, He says:

“So, David gave to Arnon for the place

600 sheqels worth of gold” (1Chron.21:25).

Now, it’s impossible to say, “gold sheqels,”

for the verse has already said “silver sheqels”;

And, it’s impossible to say, “silver sheqels”,

for it has already said “gold sheqels!”

On this basis, you can say:

David acquired the plot for the price of silver,

but he weighed it out in gold

[to the advantage of Arnon].

 

Similarly, it’s impossible to say, “fifty” (2Sam.24:24),

where elsewhere the verse has already said, “600” (1Chron.21:25),

just as it’s impossible to say “600” in one verse,

but “fifty” in the other! ¹⁶

On this basis, you can say:

As soon as David saw that

the place was appropriate

as the site of the Chosen Abode,

he arose and collected fifty sheqels

from each and every tribe.

We find a total of 600 sheqels from all the tribes!¹⁷

9

For what reason

did Benjamin deserve that the Presence

should shelter in his tribal allotment?

An analogy—

A king visited his sons on occasion,

and each and every one said:

Let him take shelter with me!

The youngest of them all said:

Is it possible that my father

will ignore my older brothers

to take shelter with me?

And then he arose,

with his face sour, and his soul gloomy.

The king said:

Have you seen my youngest son arise

with his face sour and his soul gloomy?

Accordingly, let my food and drink

come at your expense,

but I’ll take my lodging with him.

Thus said the Blessed Holy One:

The Chosen Abode will be

in the tribal allotment of Benjamin,

but the offerings will come from all the tribes.

Another word:

For what reason

did Benjamin deserve that the Presence

should shelter in his tribal allotment?

                                   For all the tribes were born beyond the Land,

but Benjamin was born in the Land.

10

Another word:

All the tribes shared in the sale of Joseph,

but Benjamin had no share in the sale.

Said the Blessed Holy One:

If I tell them to build me the Chosen Abode,

whenever they petition Me in prayer,

I will not be filled with mercy for them,

since they were not filled with mercy

for their brother.

Another word:

For what reason

did Benjamin deserve that the Presence

should shelter in his tribal allotment?

An analogy—

A certain king had many children.

When they grew up,

each and every one went

and grabbed a place for himself.

The youngest of them

was his father’s favorite.

He ate and drank with him.

The king leaned upon him when he went out,

and he leaned upon him when he returned.

So, too, with Righteous Benjamin.

He was the youngest of the tribal ancestors,

and Jacob, his father, ate and drank with him.

He leaned upon him when he went out,

and he leaned upon him when he returned.

Said the Blessed Holy One:

The place where this Righteous One, [Jacob,]

placed his hand [while leaning on his son,]

there I will have my presence take shelter,

For it is said:

“As he rests between His shoulders” (Dt.23:12).

1. H:364-368; JN2:429-434.
2. Abba Hadarus (cf. Pisqa’ 308.3, “Abba Hadores”) is an obscure figure. For speculations about his name and activities, see F:347, l.3.
3. //ARNB, 43.
4. Unit 3 begins with a mirror-image doublet based upon the three-fold division of the clauses of Dt.33:12, each of which is linked to thematically similar midrashic references.
5. The opening doublet of 352.3 yields to a triplet organized by the names of the three Patriarchs. The image of the Temple built, destroyed, and then restored is the model for the patriarchal visions of the eternal Temple that is “already built, with its ornaments, for the coming future.
6. A reference to the incense once offered in the Temple. But that scent has been replaced by a ploughed-over field.
7. One “shoulder-blade” symbolizes the past protection offer to Benjamin (Israel) by the Temple in his midst and one represents its future glory. In the interim between past and future does Israel now “rest.”
8. Heb: shevet; can mean either “scepter” or “tribe.” By linking the term to the governmental body, the Sanhedrin, the midrashic reading, in the present case at least, prefers to read “scepter” as a metaphor for “authority.”
9. Presumably, the shrine at Shiloh, when it stood. See Ps.78:60.
10. The bracketed material is supplied by F:411, ls.8-9, but contradicts the common view that part of the Temple was built in the territory of Benjamin.
11. The point of citing Mic. 5:1is to defend the claim that the Temple was entirely in the territory of Judah.
12. Cf. T. Sotah11:11.
13. Cf. T. Sotah11:11.
14. I.e., Jericho.
15. Cf. ARNA, 35.
16. Sifre Nu. 42.
17. F:412, n.6 notes that 352.8 has uneven attestation in mss versions and editions.