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Today, it is an honor to share selections from the “Midrash Tanhuma” in “The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Volume 4: Medieval Hebrew.” This scripture teaches that righteousness lives on, and that both action and intention shape one’s relationship with God and community. THE MIDRASH “When Moses said to the people, “After the Lord your God shall ye walk” (Deuteronomy 13.), they took alarm at the formidable, or rather impossible, task imposed upon them. “How,” said they, “is it possible for man to walk after God, who has His way in the storm and in the whirlwind, and the clouds are the dust of His feet” (Nahum 1.), “whose way is in the sea and His path in the great waters” (Psalm77.). Moses explained to them that to walk after God meant to imitate humbly His attributes of mercy and compassion by clothing the naked, visiting the sick, and comforting the mourner. A fatality seems to have been attached to Shechem in connection with Israel's sorrows. […] O woman, what mischief thou causes! Even the worshiping of idols did not cause such trouble and loss of life as a woman caused. The making and worshiping of the golden calf caused the loss of three thousand men (Exodus 32.), but through a woman at Shittim twenty-four thousand were the victims. Good men lift up their eyes and look one straight in the face; bad, wicked men drop their eyes. […]” “We read: “Israel loved Joseph” (Genesis 37.), “The Lord loves the gates of Zion” (Psalm 87.). Joseph's brothers hated him; “My heritage is unto me as a lion in the forest, it cries out against me, therefore I hate it” (Jeremiah 12.). Joseph speaks of making sheaves; there are sheaves in connection with Zion (Psalm 126.). Joseph dreamed: “When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion we were like them that dream” (Psalm 126.). Joseph was asked, “Will thou rule over us?” “Say unto Zion thy God rules” (Isaiah 3.). Joseph was asked whether his father and brothers would prostrate themselves before him. “They shall bow down to thee with their face toward the earth” (Isaiah 49.). […]”“There is a tendency with every man to become humble when near his death. It matters not where the body is buried; the spirit goes whither it is destined. Jacob's objection to being buried in Egypt was due to the fact that the Egyptians practiced witchcraft by means of dead bodies, and he would not have his body utilized for such abominable practices.”
