R. Abbin [Berabbi] the Levite said: As Joseph was offering his praise, his master saw him murmuring with his mouth.¹⁴⁵., Numb. 2:30; Numb. R. 14:3. He said to him: Joseph, what are you saying. Then he answered and said to him: I am offering praise to the Holy One. He said to him: I want to see your God. Joseph said to him: Consider Helios, who is merely one of his several attendants.¹⁴⁶) and “attendant” (shammash) would have the same spelling, i.e., ShMSh. If you cannot look at his attendant, how much the less can you look at his own glory.¹⁴⁷ The Holy One said to him: Because of you I am appearing to him. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 39:3): WHEN HIS MASTER SAW THAT THE LORD WAS WITH HIM…. R. Abbin Berabbi the Levite said: What is the meaning of {(Ps. 24:8 or 10): WHO IS THIS KING OF GLORY?} [(Ps. 24:9:) AND THE KING OF GLORY SHALL COME IT]? The one who shares some of his glory with those who fear him, i.e., the Holy One.¹⁴⁸ In the case of a king of flesh and blood, no one else uses his scepter, but the Holy One gave his scepter to Moses, as stated (in Exod. 4:20): AND MOSES TOOK THE ROD OF GOD IN HIS HAND. Moreover, no one else sits on his throne, [but the Holy One had Solomon sit on his throne], as written (in I Chron. 29:23): THEN SOLOMON SAT UPON THE THRONE OF THE LORD AS KING. No one else rides on his horse, [but the Holy One had Elijah ride on his horse]. Now which horse belongs to the Holy One? Storm and whirlwind. Thus it is stated (in Nahum 1:33): THE LORD IS IN THE WHIRLWIND, AND THE STORM IS HIS ROAD. So it is written (in II Kings 2:11): AND ELIJAH WENT UP IN A WHIRLWIND INTO THE HEAVENS. Ergo: The Holy One shares his glory with those who fear him. He has also given his attire to the Messianic King, as stated (in Ps. 21:6 [5]): HONOR AND MAJESTY YOU BESTOW UPON HIM; for the attire of the Holy One is HONOR AND MAJESTY, [as stated] (in Ps. 104:1): YOU HAVE PUT ON [HONOR AND MAJESTY]. What is written about the Holy One (in Jer. 51:56)? [FOR THE LORD IS A GOD] OF RECOMPENSE;¹⁴⁹) as “THEIR DEEDS.” HE SHALL REPAY IN FULL,] for he repays the good according to their good deeds and the evil according to their evil deeds. What is written about Joseph (in Gen. 49:22)? JOSEPH IS A FRUITFUL SON.¹⁵⁰) by a word like “bough” or “vine.” The Holy One said to him: Joseph, there shall be peace upon the eye which closed and did not look at any of the Egyptian women.¹⁵¹ Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): DAUGHTERS¹⁵² STEP UPON THE WALL (i.e., to gaze). R. Reuben said: what is the meaning of UPON THE WALL ('LY SHwr)?¹⁵³ The Holy One said: It is for me ('LY) to pay a reward (SKR) for that eye. Our Masters have taught (in Zev. 14:4, 5, 6, 7, 8) that they would eat in the sanctuary inside the hangings, but in Shiloh (which lay in Ephraimite territory) they would eat outside the sanctuary as far away as the eye could see.¹⁵⁴. 118b. Whatever Joseph did, the Holy One rewarded him. What is written (in Gen. 39:12)? AND HE LEFT HIS CLOAK {WITH HER} [IN HER HAND], FLED, AND WENT OUTSIDE]. The Holy One said ot him: [By your life,] when the children of Israel go out from Egypt, the sea is going to see your coffin and flee.¹⁵⁵ 4; Gen. R. 84:5; M. Pss. 114:9. It is so stated (in Ps. 114:3): THE SEA SAW IT AND FLED. What did it see? [It saw] that Joseph had kept all of the Ten Commandments. Simeon, the man of Kitron, says: It saw the bones of Joseph.¹⁵⁶ And in addition, when Joseph's coffin (aron) proceeded before the ark (aron), the peoples of the world saw it and said: What is the nature of this ark which is proceeding along with the ark of the Torah? Then Israel answered them and said: This confirms what is written in this ark. And what was in the ark? The Ten Commandments. Now Joseph fulfilled all of them before they were given from Sinai. The Holy One said to Joseph: Joseph, although I have rewarded you with a little reward in this world, the main fund remains for you in the world to come, when Israel is redeemed with an everlasting redemption. Through the merit of Jacob and through your merit, they will be redeemed, a stated (in Ps. 77:16 [15]): WITH YOUR MIGHTY ARM YOU REDEEMED YOUR PEOPLE, THE DESCENDANTS OF JACOB AND JOSEPH. SELAH.

footnotes: ¹⁴⁵ Tanh ¹⁴⁶ In an unvowelled Hebrew text “sun” (shemesh ¹⁴⁷ See above. Exod. 8:6; below, Numb. 3:15. ¹⁴⁸ Above, Exod. 2:7, and the other parallels listed there. ¹⁴⁹ Biblical translations commonly render “RECOMPENSE” (gemulot ¹⁵⁰ So literally. Biblical translations usually render “son” (ben ¹⁵¹ Cf. Gen. R. 98(99):18. ¹⁵² Again English versions generally read “boughs” or the like. ¹⁵³ Numb. R. 14:6. ¹⁵⁴ See Zev ¹⁵⁵ See Mekhilta deRabbi Ishmael, Beshallah, ¹⁵⁶ Gen. R. 87:8).

The End of Parashah Naso