Talmud Bavli
Talmud Bavli

Midrash for Sotah 66:1

ורבי יהודה האי (דברים כה, ט) וענתה ואמרה מאי עביד ליה מיבעי ליה לאגמורי ללוים דבלשון הקודש

What, then, does R. Judah make of the phrase 'and she shall answer and say'?<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since he does not follow the Rabbis in basing upon it the rule that the formula must be in Hebrew. ');"><sup>1</sup></span> — He requires it for the purpose of deducing that the Levites [must pronounce the blessings and curses] in the holy tongue.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Since the phrase 'answer and say' occurs in Deut. XXVII, 14. ');"><sup>2</sup></span>

Sifrei Bamidbar

(Bamidbar 6:27) "And they shall place My name": Why is this stated? It is written (Ibid. 23) "Thus shall you bless the children of Israel" — with the explicit Name (the Tetragrammaton). — But perhaps with an epithet (only). It is, therefore, written "And they shall place My name" — My distinctive name (Yod-Keh-Vav-Keh). I might think, even in the borders (of Jerusalem). It is, therefore, written here "And they shall place My name," and elsewhere (Devarim 12:5) "to place My name there." Just as there, the Temple; here, too, the Temple. In the sanctuary, with the explicit Name; in the province, with an epithet. "and I shall bless them": Why is this stated? (Ibid. 23) "Thus shall you bless, etc." tells us only of a blessing [by the Cohanim] to Israel. Whence do I derive a blessing for the Cohanim themselves? From "and I shall bless them." Variantly: "and I shall bless them": So that Israel not say that their blessings are dependent upon the Cohanim; it is written "and I shall bless them." So that the Cohanim not say We shall bless Israel, it is written "and I shall bless them." I shall bless My people Israel, as it is written (Devarim 2:7) "For the L-rd your G-d has blessed you in all the work of your hands," (15:6) "as He spoke to you," viz. (7:13) "And He will love you and bless you and multiply you, and bless etc.", and (28:12) "The L-rd will open for you His goodly treasure, the heavens," and (Ezekiel 34:14) "In a goodly pasture will I graze them," and (Ibid. 15) "I will feed My flock."
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