Pesiqta de-Rav Kahana is a collection of homilies grouped around the Torah readings for festivals and special occasions. It is one of the oldest Midrashim, dating to some time in the sixth or early seventh century, predating the Islamic conquest. This homily was intended for the Ten Days of Penitence between Rosh ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur.

1 “Yet the righteous holds on his way, and he that has clean hands enhances strength” (Job 17:9). “The righteous” is the Holy One, of whom it is said “The Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness” (Ps. 11:7); “and he that has clean hands” is also the Holy One, to whom it is said “You who are of eyes too clean to behold evil” (Hab. 1:13); “he … enhances strength” is again the Holy One who enhances the strength of the righteous to enable them to do His will.

Another comment: “The righteous holds on his way” applies to Moses, of whom it is said “He persisted in executing the righteousness of the Lord, and His ordinances with Israel” (Deut. 33:21); “and he that has clean hands” also applies to Moses who was able to say to the people, “I have not taken one ass from them” (Num. 16:15); “he … enhances strength” also applies to Moses who enhanced the strength of the Almighty, as when he said, “And now, I pray, let the strength of the Lord be enhanced” (Num. 14:17). Thereby—as Rabbi Jacob bar Abba citing Rabbi Yose bar Rabbi Hanina, and the Rabbis citing Rabbi Yohanan taught—Moses meant: May the strength of Your mercy be enhanced, so that the measure of mercy prevail over the measure of justice: “And now, I pray, let the strength of the Lord be enhanced [to this end]” (ibid.).

Rabbi Yudan told a parable of a strong man who was exercising with a block of stone that came from a stonecutter. A passer-by saw him and said: Your strength is marvelous. May your strength be enhanced by your exercise, as the strength of the Mighty One’s mercy is enhanced by His exercise of it: “And now, I pray, let the strength of the Lord be enhanced” (ibid.).

Rabbi Azariah, citing Rabbi Judah bar Rabbi Simon, said: Whenever righteous men do the Holy One’s will, they enhance the strength of the Almighty. [This is to say that Moses’ doing of God’s will gave God the strength to hold back from destroying Israel.] Hence Moses’ plea, “And now, I pray, let the strength of the Lord be enhanced” (ibid., I was answered). On the other hand, when men do not do His will, then, if they dare say such a thing, “The Rock that begot you, you weaken” (Deut. 32:18).

Rabbi Judah bar Rabbi Simon, citing Rabbi Levi ben Perata, said: Whenever Israel do the Holy One’s will, they enhance the power of the Almighty, as shown by the verse “When we are with God, we increase [His] valor” (Ps. 60:14); but when Israel do not do His will, they “are gone without strength before the persecutor” (Lam. 1:6). Rabbi Aba said: Just as when Israel went into exile, they had to yield to the pressure of a powerful persecutor, so, when they are redeemed, they will be redeemed by the pull of a powerful redeemer. Note that the Hebrew word for “persecutor” is given here in the text not in its briefer form rdf but in its full form rdfn in order to signify the fullness of the persecutor’s power; so, too, the “redeemer” is given here in the text not in its briefer form g’l but in its full form gw’l, as in the verse “A redeemer (gw’l) will come to Zion” (Is. 59:20).

Rabbi Isaac said: Except for one thing, Moses acknowledged the truth of all God told him. Moses, speaking boldly to the Holy One, complained: Master of universes, when a man sins, You are too patient in punishing him—collect from him at once what is due You. The Holy One replied: As you live, [for Israel’s sake] you will have need of such patience from Me. And where in Scripture is Moses shown to have need of God’s patience? The place where Scripture tells the incident of the spies who returned with an evil report about the Land—“The Lord be long in acts of patience” (Num. 14:18). We have no verses in Scripture to prove that, except for one thing, Moses admitted the truth of all God had told him. However, as we know from two verses, Moses admitted that God had to have patience. [One of the verses is cited just above: “The Lord be long in acts of patience.”] The other is [the verse “O God, Lord of vengeances” (Ps. 94:1)] which is mentioned by Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai in reporting the following incident:

“While passing by a synagogue whose congregation consisted of people who had come from Babylon [to Palestine], I heard the voice of a young-one recite ‘Your testimonies are very sure … O Lord, for prolonging of days’ (Ps. 93:5) and go on to recite the verse which directly follows it, ‘O Lord, God of vengeances?’ (Ps. 94:1). [It came to me, then, what was meant by this verse: not vengeance impatiently taken all at once, but vengeance taken as painlessly as possible—that is, as the plural indicates—vengeance taken only a little at a time].”

That this is the significance of the verse is shown, according to Rabbi Isaac and Rabbi Tanhum bar Rabbi Hiyya, who cited Rabbi Yohanan, [by the fact that the plural “vengeances” is paralleled] by the plural “patiences” (Num. 14:18 where the verse does not say “long in patience,” but “long in patience”).

[In going on to describe God’s attributes, Moses says], “The Lord … long in mercy, lifting up iniquity” (Num. 14:18). Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Yose bar Rabbi Hanina differ in their comments on this. Rabbi Eleazar said: When one weighs the scale of justice to balance the evil deeds on the one pan with his good deeds on the other pan, and You lifts out from the one pan of iniquities one of the writs of pardon which are between the good deeds [in the other pan] tip the scale, for what is meant by the words “this tipping of the scales” (Num. 14:18) is “lifting one weight from the other pan.”

Rav Tanhum said in the name of Rabbi Abbahu: If one dare even to mention such a thing, forgetfulness is not one of God’s attributes, yet in order to forgive us He makes Himself be one who forgets. And the proof is: “Who is a God like You, who forgives iniquity and passes by transgression” (Mic. 7:18). David said likewise: “You forget the iniquity of Your people, and thus You ever pardon all their sin” (Ps. 85:3).

3 [Continuing, Moses speaks of God as] “Clearing, the iniquity of fathers” (Num. 14:18). That is, God clears those who repent of the wrongs they are charged with, but does not clear those who do not repent. “[He] clears [transgressors who repent] in this world, but does not clear transgressors who wait to repent] in the world-to-come. [Moses goes further to describe God as] “Visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children—upon the third, and upon the fourth of the fathers.” Consider the implications of these verses by analogy with generation levels, one level above the other: on one there is wine; on another oil; still another, honey; and on still another, water. If a fire begins on one of the levels, what is above it will extinguish the fire. But if all four levels should have oil on them, all four will burn down. Likewise, if children persist, generation after generation, in the wicked ways of their forefathers, punishment therefor will be visited upon them. But if there should be an alternating of the generations, with one generation righteous and the next wicked, and so on, then “The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers,” etc. (Deut. 24:16). Hearing this, Moses rejoiced, saying, “In Israel there is no destroyer of grape vines who is also the son of a destroyer of grape vines.”¹⁰⁴

4 [Moses prayed to God]: “Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people, according unto the greatness of Your lovingkindness” (Num. 14:19). Rabbi Yose bar Rabbi Hanina and Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman differ in their comments on this verse. According to one, the Holy One replied to Moses, “‘From Egypt even till now’ (ibid.)—have they not sinned against Me?” But according to the other, it was Moses who, acknowledging Israel’s guilt in the words “‘from Egypt until now,’” went on to plead with the Holy One: “Master of universes, have You not pardoned and forgiven them in the past? Even so, pardon and forgive them in the future.”

Rabbi Alexandri told a parable of two men who presented written petitions to the king. One presented it in his own name; it was granted in his name; however, but in the name of his ancestor. The other presented his petition in his ancestor’s name, but it was granted to him in his own name.

Thus Hezekiah presented a petition in his own name: “Remember, O Lord, I beseech You, how I have walked before You in truth,” etc. (2 Kings 20:3); but it was granted in the name of his ancestor: “I will defend this city for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake” (2 Kings 20:6). Moses presented a petition in the name of his ancestry, but it was granted in his own name. He presented it in the name of his ancestry, but it was granted in his own name: “I have pardoned according to your word” (Num. 14:20).

103. Trans. W. G. Braude, I. J. Kapstein, Pesikta de-Rab Kahana, Rav Kahana’s Compilation of Discourses for Sabbaths and Festal Days (Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society, 1975), pp. 386–9. This section is 26 in the Hebrew printed editions.

104. There will be no sinner who will continue in the evil ways of his parent.