## Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim

###### Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim 5:1
[Midrash Tanchuma, Shoftim 5:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Midrash%20Tanchuma/s/Shoftim/r/5:1)

**תִּתֵּן** לְךָ, וְלֹא לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם. דָּבָר אַחֵר, תִּתֵּן לְךָ, מְלַמֵּד, שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ הַדִּינִין עַל שֵׁם מֹשֶׁה. זֶה אֶחָד מִשְּׁלֹשָׁה דְּבָרִים שֶׁמָּסַר מֹשֶׁה נַפְשׁוֹ עֲלֵיהֶן וְנִקְרָא עַל שְׁמוֹ. נָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הַתּוֹרָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי שָׁם עִם ה' אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם וְאַרְבָּעִים לַיְלָה (שמות לד, כח). וְנִקְרֵאת עַל שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: זִכְרוּ תּוֹרַת מֹשֶׁה עַבְדִּי (מלאכי ג, כב). נָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְעַתָּה אִם תִּשָּׂא חַטָּאתָם וְגוֹ' (שמות לב, לב). וְנִקְרְאוּ עַל שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לֵךְ רֵד כִּי שִׁחֵת עַמְּךָ (שם פסוק ז). נָתַן נַפְשׁוֹ עַל הַדִּינִין, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּךְ אֶת הַמִּצְרִי, וַיֵּצֵא בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי וְגוֹ', וַיֹּאמֶר מִי שָׂמְךָ לְאִישׁ שָׁר וְשׁוֹפֵט וְגוֹ' (שם ב, יב-יד). לְפִיכָךְ נִקְרְאוּ עַל שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לוֹ וְגוֹ' צִדְקַת ה' עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל (דברים לג, כא).

**Midrash Tanhuma-Yelammedenu, trans. Samuel A. Berman:**
(Deut. 16:18:) “You shall appoint [judges and law officers] for yourselves”; and not for the peoples of the world. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:18), “You shall appoint [judges and law officers] for yourselves (literally, yourself)”: [This] teaches that the judges were called in the name of Moses. Moreover, this is one of three things over which Moses risked his life and were called by his name.¹³ 1 on Exod. 15:1; Exod. R. 30:4; Numb. R. 12:9. He offered his life over the Torah, [as stated (in Exod. 34:28),] “And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights.” And it was called by his name, as stated (in Mal. 3:22), “Remember [the] Torah of My servant Moses.” He offered his life over Israel, as stated (in Exod. 32:32), “But now, if You will forgive their sin, [well and good; but if not, please blot me out].” And they were called by his name, as stated (in Exod. 32:7, in which the Holy One, blessed be He, tells Moses), “Go down, for your people have acted basely.” He also offered his life over the judges, as stated (in Exod. 2:12-14), “he smote the Egyptian [and hid him in the sand]. When he went out on the second day, [there were two Hebrew men fighting; so he said to the wicked one, ‘Why would you strike your comrade?’] But he said, ‘Who appointed you a prince and a judge?’” For that reason they were called in his name, as stated (in Deut. 33:21), “He chose for himself the best… he executed the Lord’s judgments, and His decisions for Israel.”

footnotes:
¹³ Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Shirata,