Midrash · Aggadah

Midrash Tanchuma, V'Zot HaBerachah 5/מדרש תנחומא·וזאת הברכה ה׳

אוְאָתָה מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא גָּדוֹל וּמְהֻלָּל שְׁמוֹ בְּכָל צָבָא שֶׁלּוֹ, שֶׁאֵין מִדּוֹתָיו כְּמִדַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם. מִדַּת בָּשָׂר וָדָם, אִם הַמֶּלֶךְ יוֹצֵא בְּפָמַלְיָא שֶׁלּוֹ, הוּא נָאֶה וְיֵשׁ בְּצִבְאוֹתָיו נָאִים מִמֶּנּוּ, הוּא גִּבּוֹר וְיֵשׁ בְּצִבְאוֹתָיו גִּבּוֹרִים מִמֶּנּוּ. אֲבָל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֵין בְּכָל רִבְבוֹתָיו כָּמוֹהוּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֵין כָּמוֹךָ בָּאֱלֹהִים, ה' (תהלים פו, ח). וְאוֹמֵר: מִי כָמֹכָה בָּאֵלִים ה' וְגוֹ' (שמות טו, יא). מִימִינוֹ אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ, מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה בִּימִין. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, כָּל מִי שֶׁרוֹצֶה לַעֲסֹק בַּתּוֹרָה, יִרְאֶה עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ עוֹמֵד בָּאֵשׁ. לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר: אֵשׁ דָּת לָמוֹ. אַף חֹבֵב עַמִּים, אָמַר מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, שְׁנֵי עֻלִּין אַתָּה מֵטִיל עַל בָּנֶיךָ, עֹל תּוֹרָה וְעֹל שִׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, כָּל הָעוֹסֵק בַּתּוֹרָה, נִצֹּל מִשִּׁעְבּוּד מַלְכֻיּוֹת וְכָל קְדֹשָׁיו בְּיָדֶךָ. וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ, תַּנֵּי רַב יוֹסֵף, אֵלּוּ תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים שֶׁעוֹסְקִין בַּתּוֹרָה וּמְכַתְּתִין אֶת רַגְלֵיהֶם מֵעִיר לְעִיר וּמִמְּדִינָה לִמְדִינָה לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה, וּפוֹרְקִין מֵעַצְמָם עֹל מַלְכוּת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, וְהֵם תֻּכּוּ לְרַגְלֶךָ, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהֵן לוֹקִין בַּהֲלִיכָתָן, אֵין זָזִין מִמִּשְׁכְּנוֹתֶיךָ, אֶלָּא יִשָּׂא מִדַּבְּרֹתֶיךָ שָׂכָר מְרֻבֶּה, שֶׁנּוֹשְׂאִין וְנוֹתְנִין בְּמִלְחַמְתָּהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה. תּוֹרָהּ צִוָּה לָנוּ מֹשֶׁה וְגוֹ', מַהוּ מוֹרָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב. יְרֻשָּׁה הִיא לִקְהִלַּת יַעֲקֹב, שֶׁכָּל הָעוֹסֵק בָּהּ לִשְׁמָהּ, זוֹכֶה לְנַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אָז תִּתְעַנֵּג עַל ה' וְגוֹ' וְהַאֲכַלְתִּיךָ נַחֲלַת יַעֲקֹב אָבִיךְ (ישעיה נח, יד).

1(Deut. 33:2, cont.:) “He arrived ('t')¹⁵ from holy myriads.”¹⁶ 31(suppl. 1):16. [This] teaches that the Holy One, blessed be He, is greater and His name is more praised than all His hosts; since His attributes are not like the attribute of flesh and blood.¹⁷ 31 (suppl. 1):16. [Consider] the character of flesh and blood. If the king comes out with his retinue,¹⁸ he is handsome; but among his hosts there are some more handsome than he. He is valiant, but among his hosts there some more valiant than he. In the case of the Holy One, blessed be He, however, there is no one like Him among all His myriads. It is so stated (in Ps. 86:8), “There is no one like You among the powers, O Lord.” It also says (in Exod. 15:11), “Who is like You among the powers, O Lord ]...].” (Deut. 33:2, cont.:) “At His right hand is a fiery law.” [This] teaches that the Torah was given only by the right hand.¹⁹ 31 (suppl. 1):17. R. Johanan said, “Whoever wants to be engaged with the Torah should see himself as if he were standing in the fire. It is therefore stated (ibid.), ‘a fiery law.’” (Deut. 33:3:) “Indeed He shows love to the peoples (by letting them rule over Israel).”²⁰ 31 (suppl. 1):18; see BB 8a. Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, you have placed two yokes upon Your children, the yoke of Torah and the yoke of enslavement to empires.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Whoever is engaged with the Torah is delivered from enslavement to [foreign] kingdoms, [as stated] (in ibid., cont.), “all their holy ones are in Your hand.” (Deut. 33:3, cont.:) “And they are pounded (rt.: tkh)²¹ at Your feet.” Rav Joseph taught, “These are the disciples of the sages, who beat (rt.: ktt) their feet from city to city in order to learn Torah and cast off the yoke of the kingdom (government taxes and obligations) from upon them”. Another interpretation (of Deut. 33:3), “and they are pounded at Your feet”: Although they are beaten, they do not move from Your dwellings, but (ibid., end) “they take up (from) Your words,” a great reward; as they take up and bring (discuss) in the war (debate) of the Torah. (Deut. 33:4:) “Moses charged us with Torah, as the inheritance for the Congregation of Jacob.” It is an inheritance for the Congregations of Jacob, for whoever engages in it for its own sake is worthy of the inheritance of Jacob, as stated (in Is. 58:14), “Then you shall take delight in the Lord…, and I will feed you the inheritance of your father Jacob.”