The Midrash of Thirty-Two Attributes

There are thirty-three exegetical rules by which aggadic passages are interpreted. They are: 1) extension; 2) limitation; 3) extension after extension; [ . . . ]

1) How is the rule of “extension” applied? There are three expressions that indicate extension: et, gam, and af. Et serves to amplify and extend. We see this in the verse: The Lord took note of [et] Sarah as He had promised (Genesis 21:1). Had this been written without the word et—“The Lord noted Sarah as He had promised”—I would have said that Sarah was singled out and that only she came to God’s attention and conceived. Therefore, the Torah said et, which indicates that this applied to all, teaching that all barren women were noted, together with her. [ . . . ]

2) How is the rule of “limitation” applied? There are three expressions that indicate limitation: akh, rak, and min. How does akh serve as a limitation? Only [akh] Noah was left (Genesis 7:23). What is taught by the use of akh? This teaches that Noah was spitting blood from the cold [as related in Midrash Tanḥuma, Noah 9:3]. We therefore see that the word akh serves as a limitation [i.e., the word akh restricts the sense of the verb]. How does rak serve as a limitation? Surely [rak] the fear of God is not in this place (Genesis 20:11). What is taught by the use of rak? Could it be that there was no fear of God whatsoever? Therefore, the Torah said rak, which limits its meaning. For the people had some small amount of fear of God, so it was necessary to include a limitation when he said that they did not fear. Once they heard it themselves, they became fearful. [ . . . ] How does min serve as a limitation? And the people stood by Moses from [min] the morning to the evening (Exodus 18:13). Moses might have been judging the entire day. If so, when did his students learn [from him]? Therefore, the Torah said min, as a limitation, to teach that he was not sitting [and judging] the entire day; rather, the sages estimated [that he taught from dawn] until the sixth hour [of the day, namely, noon]. [ . . . ]

3) How is the rule of “extension after extension” applied? Your servant has killed also the lion, also the bear (1 Samuel 17:36). Had the verse said only “lion and bear,” I would have said that he had killed only two wild animals. When he says: also the lion, also the bear, we have three extensions. This teaches that there were five wild animals—a lion with two cubs, and a bear with its cub.

4) How is the rule of “limitation after limitation” applied? They said, Has the Lord spoken only [ha-rak akh] through Moses? (Numbers 12:2). Rak is a limitation and akh is a limitation.¹ Miriam said, “Did the Holy One speak only through Moses and not through Aaron? Yet He spoke with me before He spoke with Moses, and He spoke with Aaron before He spoke with me!” How do we know that He spoke with Miriam before Moses? As it says: Then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister (Exodus 15:20). Was she not also Moses’ sister? Rather, she began to prophesy when she was Aaron’s sister, even before Moses was born. And how do we know that He spoke with Aaron before Moses? As it says: There came a man of God to Eli and said to him, “Thus said the Lord: Did I reveal Myself to the house of your father in Egypt, when they in Egypt were in bondage to Pharaoh’s house?” (1 Samuel 2:27). [ . . . ]

12) How is the rule that teaches “anything introduced as a comparison to illustrate and explain something else itself receives in this way a better explanation and elucidation” applied? As when fire kindles brushwood, and fire makes water boil (Isaiah 64:1). In the story of creation, we were never informed that the flames of the fire reached the firmament, but when discussing the story of the giving of the Torah, the prophet says: Oh, that You would rend the heavens, that You would come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence (Isaiah 63:19). The actions that You performed at the time of Creation, You repeated also when the Torah was given. This teaches that when the Holy One said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters (Genesis 1:6), even though it had been created on the first day, it was not properly polished until the fire emanated from above and licked the face of the firmament. In this case, the story of creation came to inform us about the giving of the Torah, and, in the end, is informed by it.

13) How is the rule that teaches “when the general is followed by the particular, the latter is specific to the former and merely defines it more exactly” applied? And God created man in His image (Genesis 1:27) is a general statement, which is followed by a particular description of His actions: Then the Lord God formed man (Genesis 2:7); So the Lord God cast a deep sleep upon the man (Genesis 2:21); And the Lord God fashioned the rib (Genesis 2:22). To the listener, this sounds as if it is a different story, when, in fact, it is describing the specifics of the original story. [ . . . ]

29) Interpretation according to the numerical value of the letters [gematria]²—how do we know that we use the principle of the numerical value of the letters in aggadah? It has already been said: numbering three hundred and eighteen and went in pursuit as far as Dan (Genesis 14:14)—this refers to Eliezer, whose name equals the numerical value of that number.

30) Interpretation by means of switching letters—it has already been said: Behold, I will raise up against Babylon, and against them that dwell in Leb-kamai, a destroying wind (Jeremiah 51:1). Using the principles of gematria and switching the letters of Leb-kamai by means of the at-bash³ system, you find it is equal to Kasdim [Chaldeans].

31) Interpretation by dividing a word into notarikon⁴—how do we know that we use the principle of notarikon? The verse teaches: Avraham=Av hamon [father to multitudes]; Karmel=rakh mal, something that is soft [rakh] and can be husked [nimlal] by hand.

32) How is the rule that teaches “some events in the Bible take place at an earlier time than the events that precede them refer to, and vice versa” applied? The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep in the temple of the Lord (1 Samuel 3:3). But surely no one was permitted to sit in the Temple aside from kings from the house of David, as it says: Then David the king went in and sat before the Lord, and he said, “Who am I, O Lord God, and what is my house, that You have brought me thus far?” (2 Samuel 7:18). So how can the verse teach: Samuel was laid down to sleep in the temple of the Lord? Rather, we must interpret this phrase as if it took place beforehand: The lamp of God had not yet gone out, and Samuel was laid down to sleep in his usual place.

33) How is the rule that teaches “some portions of the Bible refer to an earlier period than the sections which precede them refer to, and vice versa” applied? He answered, “Bring Me a three-year-old heifer” (Genesis 15:9). Where do we find this incident written? Following the story of the war with the kings. Yet the event took place five years before Abraham left Haran, as it says: At the end of the four hundred and thirtieth year (Exodus 12:41).