Aggada -- Translations into English; Bible. Old Testament -- Legends; Jewish legends; Midrash -- Translations into English
There were two other cases beside these two in Moses' career on which
he could not pass judgement without appealing to God. These were the
claims of Zelophehad's daughters to the inheritance of their father,
and the case of the unclean that might not participate in the offering
of the paschal lamb. Moses hastened in his appeal to God concerning the
two last mentioned cases, but took his time with the two former, for on
these depended human lives. In this Moses set the precedent to the
judges among Israel to dispatch civil cases with all celerity, but to
proceed slowly in criminal cases. In all these cases, however, he
openly confessed that he did not at the time know the proper decision,
thereby teaching the judges of Israel to consider it no disgrace, when
necessary, to consult others in cases when they were not sure of true
judgement. [455]
THE UNGRATEFUL MULTITUDE
When God commanded Israel to set out from Sinai and continue their
march, the Israelites were glad, for during their stay in that place
they had throughout eleven days received new laws daily, and they hoped
that after having departed from the holy mountain they would receive no
further laws. Hence, instead of making a day's march from Sinai, as God
had commanded them, they marched incessantly for three days, in order
to be as far as possible from the holy spot. They behaved like a boy
who runs quickly away after dismissal from school, that his teacher
might not call him back. Although this antipathy to His laws vexed God,
He did not therefore forsake them, but let the Ark move before them as
long as they desired to continue the march. For it was by this token
that the Israelites knew that the Shekinah was among them, as God had
promised them. As often as they broke camp or pitched camp Moses would
say to them: "Do what the Shekinah within the Ark bids you do." But
they would not believe Moses that the Shekinah dwelt among them unless
he spoke the words: "Rise up, Lord, and let Thine enemies be scattered;
and let them that hate Thee flee before Thee," whereupon the Ark would
begin to move, and they were convinced of the presence of the Shekinah.
The Ark furthermore gave the signal for breaking camp by soaring up
high, [456] and then swiftly moving before the camp at a distance of
three days' march, until it found a suitable spot upon which Israel
might encamp. [457]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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