Tales and Maxims from the Midrash. Samuel Rapaport

the perpetual light in the Temple, says God unto Israel, so will I bring unto you Him, Messiah, who is the personification of light, 'the sun of righteousness' promised through Malachi.--Midr. Tanchuma Tetzava.

      Our father Abraham, by his meritorious life, won for himself the blessing. 'Tell the stars, if thou art able to number them,' He said unto him; 'so shall be thy children.' Isaac's ready compliance with God's demand to sacrifice his life evoked the promise, 'I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven.' Jacob was heartened with the prospect, 'And thy seed shall be as the dust of the earth.' That which God promised to Abraham He has already fulfilled in that Moses was able to address to his people the words, 'The Lord your God hath multiplied you, and behold, you are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.'

      Balaam was constrained to acknowledge the impossibility of 'counting the dust of Jacob,' and it might seem as if the prophet Hosea looked forward to the speedy realization of the promise made to Isaac when he gave utterance to the sentiment, 'Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured or numbered.' The fulfilment, however, will not come about until the time of the Messiah, when the heathen shall be altogether absorbed and God will pour out His Spirit upon all flesh.--Numb. Rabba 2.

      The honour and majesty with which David tells us (Ps. 104.) that God is clothed, He will bestow on Messiah. As it is said, 'His glory is great in Thy salvation, honour and majesty hast Thou laid upon Him.'--Numb. Rabba 14.

      Seeing in his spirit of prophecy that the time would come when the משכן, 'Mishkan' (the Sanctuary) would cease to exist and the Shechinah dwell no more in Israel's midst, Moses was anxious to know by what means the sins of his people would then be expiated. The Almighty vouchsafed the information that He would choose a righteous man from their midst, and make him a משכן (pledge) for them, and through him their sins would be forgiven.--Exod. Rabba 35.

      The prophets formerly recorded the good deeds performed by man, but now Elijah and Messiah record them and God puts His seal on the record.--Levit. Rabba 34.

      'Fear not, Abraham; I am thy shield and thine exceeding great reward,' refers to the glorious epoch of Messiah. The Patriarch was apprehensive lest the covenant made with him might not prove lasting because of the sins of his descendants. God here gave him the assurance that, though his descendants fall into sin, there shall be one great and noble amongst them, who will be qualified to say to the avenging angel, 'Stay thy hand.' 'Him will I accept and he shall be a pledge for my people.'--Midr. Song of Songs 1.

      'The sceptre shall not depart from Judah nor a lawgiver from between his feet until "Shiloh" come,' refers also to Messiah, who is to enlighten Israel on the words of the Torah, and point out the errors of the people. Rabbi Chanan, on the other hand, holds that the teaching of Messiah will not be addressed to Israel, whose knowledge of the law of God will be all-sufficient. Rather will his task be to instruct the Gentiles: in the words of the prophet Isaiah (11. 10), 'To him shall the Gentiles seek, and he shall assemble the outcast of Israel.'--Gen. Rabba 98.

      The faithful of Israel are desirous of sepulture in the land of Palestine because, at the advent of Messiah, the resurrection will take place there before any other part of the world, but that will be the resurrection of the righteous only.--Gen. Rabba 96.

      The general resurrection of the dead is appointed for the day of judgment, and when it takes place the revived souls will sing angelic songs.--Midr. Eccles. 1.

      The death of the righteous is even like the Day of Atonement, in that each secures forgiveness for the sins of Israel.--Levit. Rabba 20.

      A time has been appointed by God for the coming of Messiah. Yet if Israel but repent his sins, the glorious redemption will be hastened, and Messiah will make His appearance before the appointed time.--Exod. Rabba 25.

      Great indeed will be the time of the approaching advent of Messiah. The wicked will be trodden down as ashes under the feet of the righteous, the trees will send forth their fragrance, and concerning the righteous it will be said, 'He that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy.'

      The seven years preceding the coming of the Son of David will be distinguished by the following signs: The first year rain will be scarce and partial; in the second year pangs of hunger will be felt; during the third year a severe famine will be experienced, and many human beings will die; men of renown and piety will perish, so that the Torah will be forgotten in Israel. This famine will be the last of the ten predestined for the world; the other nine occurred during the lives of Adam, Lemech, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Elijah, Elisha, the Judges, and King David. The fourth year will be marked neither by famine nor by plenty, but the fifth year will be one of prosperity, when the earth will bring forth abundance. There will then be joy in all parts of the earth, and a revival of study and knowledge of the Torah will be noticeable in the ranks of Israel. The sixth year will be full of rumours of war, and the seventh year will see the actual dread visitation of war. After all these signs have come to pass, at the end of the seventh year, the Son of David will make His appearance. According to other opinions, prior to the coming of Messiah the world will be terribly corrupt; there will be no compassion amongst men, great derision and contempt for the Torah and for piety will be universal, and truth will be almost unknown. Men will be as shameless of their evil doings as the very animals, and the few righteous who still exist will be in exceeding great distress. Persecution will be rife everywhere, the youth will have no respect for the aged, so that the aged will even rise before the presence of the young. The daughter will rebel against her mother, and a man's worst enemies will be those of his own household. The reigning powers will become infidel, and none will be found to raise his voice in protest, so that mankind will seem to merit nought but extermination. If, therefore, we behold the generations becoming ever more corrupt, there is therein good reason to anticipate the advent of Messiah.--Midr. Song of Songs 2.

      The צמח ('Zemach'), mentioned by Jeremiah (23. 5) and by Zechariah (6. 12) is the Messiah.--Numb. Rabba 18.

      Unlike the kings of this earth, God bestows some of His possessions and dignities upon beings of flesh and blood. He set Solomon upon His own throne (1 Chron. 29. 23). He caused Elijah to ride upon His own horse; that is to say, upon the storm and whirlwind. To Moses, He gave God's rod, and upon the head of Messiah He placed His own crown.--Exod. Rabba 8. and Tanchuma Voera.

      Many and varied are the things that in the Bible are designated 'the first.' The month of the Egyptian exodus God named the first month of the year (Exod. 12. 2). He revealed Himself as 'the first' to the prophet Isaiah (44. 6). Zion, too, is styled 'the first' (Jer. 117). Of Esau also the epithet is used (Gen. 25.) And, lastly, Messiah is mentioned as 'the first' (Isa. 41. 27).

      There is this intimate connexion between them, that God, who is the first, will rebuild Zion the first, and bring retribution on Esau (= Rome), known as the first, at the time of the advent of Messiah the first, in the month (= Nissan) which was appointed as the first.--Exod. Rabba 15.

      Five things brought about the redemption of the Israelites from Egypt: (1) The sufferings of the people (2) their repentance; (3) the merits of their ancestors (4) the expiration of the time fixed for their captivity (5) the mercy of their God. These same causes will operate towards the realization of Israel's Messianic hopes and lead to the last redemption through Messiah.--Deut. Rabba 2.

      There will be a great difference between the Egyptian and the last redemption. 'When you were delivered from Egypt,' says God to Israel, 'you had to depart in haste; at the last deliverance you shall not go in haste nor by Right, (Isa. 52. 12). At the Egyptian deliverance I, in my manifestation, went before you (Exod. 13. 21). At the last deliverance 'the Lord will go before you and the God of Israel will be your reward.' (Isa. 52. 12).--Exod. Rabba 19.

      'All your former redemptions,' God says to Israel, have been accomplished through the instrumentality of men, and were, consequently, not lasting in their effect. You were delivered from Egypt through Moses and Aaron; you were rescued out of the hands of Sisera by Deborah and Barak; from the power of Midian you were saved by Shamgar. I myself will be your last and your everlasting Redeemer.'--Tanchuma Achray.

      Great chariots, precious stones and other valuable gifts will the nations bring to Messiah. This means that the nations will bring Israel