(Numb. 7:48:) ON THE SEVENTH DAY IT WAS THE PRINCE OF THE CHILDREN OF EPHRAIM. This text is related (to Ps. 60:9 [7]): GILEAD IS MINE AND MANASSEH IS MINE; EPHRAIM ALSO IS MY CHIEF STRONGHOLD; JUDAH IS MY SCEPTER. Resh Laqish said: If the heretics (minim) should say to you that the Holy One does not enliven the dead, say to them: See here, Elijah (of Gilead) [bears witness] that he has enlivened the dead [through his hand].¹³⁰., Numb. 2:28; cf. Numb. R. 14:1. Ergo (in Ps. 60:9 [7]): GILEAD IS MINE. (Ibid., cont.:) AND MANASSEH IS MINE. If the heretics should say to you that the Holy One does not receive repentant sinners, say to them: See here, Manasseh bears witness that I received him through repentance, since it is stated (in II Chron. 33:13): WHEN HE (i.e., Manasseh) PRAYED UNTO HIM, HE (i.e., the Holy One) GRANTED HIS REQUEST, [HEARD HIS ENTREATY,] AND RESTORED HIM TO JERUSALEM AND TO HIS KINGDOM. Ergo (in Ps. 60:9 [7]): AND MANASSEH IS MINE. (Ibid., cont.:) EPHRAIM ALSO IS MY CHIEF STRONGHOLD. If the heretics say to you that the Holy One does not attend to (PQD) barren women, [say to them:] See here, Elkanah [of Mount Ephraim] bears witness that I attended to (PQD) his wife Hannah, as stated (in I Sam. 2:21): FOR THE LORD VISITED (PQD) HANNAH; SO SHE CONCEIVED AND BORE THREE SONS AND TWO DAUGHTERS. Ergo (in Ps. 60:9 [7]): EPHRAIM ALSO IS MY CHIEF STRONGHOLD …. (Ibid., cont.:) JUDAH IS MY SCEPTER. If someone says to you that the Holy One does not rescue from the fire, see here, Hananiah and his friends bear witness that I rescued them from the fire, as stated (in Dan. 1:6): NOW AMONG THOSE FROM THE CHILDREN OF JUDAH WERE [DANIEL, HANANIAH, MISHAEL, AND AZARIAH]. Ergo (in Ps. 60:9 [7]): JUDAH IS MY SCEPTER.

footnotes: ¹³⁰ Tanh