Raboyseyee and Ladies,
One Hit Wonder: The Curious Case of Eldad and Medad
A one-hit wonder is any person or entity that achieves mainstream popularity, often for only one piece of work, and becomes known among the general public solely for that momentary success. Though the term is most commonly used in regard to music performers with only one hit single, this week we shall meet two gentlemen who did not necessarily sing but their spoken words were quite impactful.
From time to time, the heylige Toirah will introduce us to a single character whom we meet briefly and then, just like that, they are forever gone from the script. Where did they go? Ver veyst? What became of them, ver veyst? Where did they come from? Also, ver veyst? So happens that this week, in one of the busiest parshas -where the action is fast and furious, with many amazing storylines all going on at once, mamish enough to make one dizzy- we will meet not one but two such characters. Their names: Eldad and Medad. We shall read lots more about them below ober, given that most of you suffer from ADD (and worse), here’s a roundup of the gantze parsha in one paragraph.
Aharoin was instructed to light the Menoirah; the Bichoirim (first born) were fired and replaced by the Levi’im who were consecrated into the temple service. We learn all about the laws of Pesach Shaynee- matzo anyone? We also learn about the pillars- clouds and fire- how they functioned and when. Moishe was commanded to fashion two silver trumpets; they were used to get the Yiddin ready to move on. The Yiddin began on what they thought was the final leg of their journey to the Promised Land, ober stay tuned, for the episode of the Meraglim, which derailed the plan; read all about it next week. Yisroy (Moishe’s shver), turned down an offer to join the Yiddin in their conquest of the land; he decided to return to his own people. The RBSO got angry when the Yiddin complained about the rigors of traveling through the desert. They also complained about having to eat only Munn (Manna) daily. Soon we’ll learn from the heylige Gemora and others that what really stuck in their craws were the newly imposed sexual restrictions, more on that another time as well. Moishe expressed his frustrations about dealing with the nation’s complaints to the RBSO. They were wearing him down. The RBSO instructed Moishe to assemble 70 elders who would assist him and to inform the people that they would have meat to eat, real meat. The assemblage got to work. We will meet Eldad and Medad who prophesized that Moishe would give way to Yehoshua as their new leader. The quail descended upon the camp and the people were punished for their loss of faith and lack of appreciation; many died. And at the very end, we will read the amazing story of Moishe, sibling rivalry, and some loshoin horo (badmouthing) spoken by them about Moishe and his Cushite Rebbitzen (wife). Miriam will be instantly punished with tzora’as (leprosy) but the ever-forgiving Moishe will daven to the RBSO for Miriam’s forgiveness. The end and plenty of time left for the kiddish club.
Let’s get back to Eldad and Medad who appear out of nowhere and then mamish pisukim later -in the same chapter- disappear forever from the script as if the RBSO fired them almost instantly. The good news? They fared much better than Eyr and Oinon, Yehudah’s sons, whom we met in Sefer Bereishis. They too were gone quickly -as in dead- in but a few pisukim. Who were Eldad and Medad? Where did they come from? Who were their parents? What role did they play? Were they good or bad guys? By the way, do any of you know anyone named Eldad or Medad? Maybe Eldad but anyone know any Medad’s? Does that mean they were bad?
Whomever they were, that’s exactly what makes Eldad and Medad so fascinating. They appeared suddenly -mamish like Kramer in many a Seinfeld episode- prophesied powerfully – more on what that means below- then disappeared forever from the heylige Toirah’s narrative. The heylige Ois -with much assistance from other sources- will help unpack the significance of their short stint.
Here’s what we know from the text of the heylige Toirah itself: Eldad and Medad show up in posik 26 of Bamidbar 11. They receive ruach hakoidesh (divine inspiration, the ability to predict the future) outside the Ohel Moed (the designated Tent Meeting Place). They prophesy publicly, creating lots of buzz, some confusion and tension. Yehoishua is not pleased with them and wants them detained and locked up. Ober Moishe defends them. And then? They’re gone! What the hec is the Ois talking about? What’s going on here? Ok, let us circle back, learn the story as presented and then plug a few holes.
Eldad and Medad appear and then disappear in a total of 4 pisukim, that’s it. The heylige Toirah tells us that following a series of complaints by the Yiddin, an exasperated Moishe gets help when the RBSO provides him with a deputized group of seventy elders who will serve as his assistants in his dealings with the tumultuous and restless Yiddin. To become fully licensed and deputized -so to speak- these elders must first undergo a special “initiation rite.” They follow Moishe to the Tent of Meeting that stood at a distance from the encampment and stand with Moishe in a state of preparedness. And? The RBSO came down in a cloud to speak to Moishe at the Tent. Next, He –don’t ask me questions how the RBSO operates and gets things done, you just got to believe- extended some of the “spirit” (ru’ach) that was on Moishe and placed it -not physically of course- onto the adjacent selected elders. Shoin, and just like that, 70 elders -regular guys with some talent- were deputized and given some of the special powers that Moishe had. With their new energy and abilities to also act as shtikel (minor) prophets, they now had the spiritual authority necessary to aid Moishe in leading the people. Wow! The bottom line: Many movie scenes in our times are inspired by this magical transference of energy and power. Amazing.
The elders immediately hisnab‘ud, “prophesied,” or “spoke in ecstasy.” In plain English: The newly anointed elders began using their prophetic powers immediately by speaking in ecstasy. What that means exactly, ver veyst? Did they speak ecstasy, or did they smoke some, ver veyst, because the entire episode feels epes mamish so surreal. Let’s go veyter and let’s read the Hebrew and the translation.
במדבר יא:כו וַיִּשָּׁאֲר֣וּ שְׁנֵֽי אֲנָשִׁ֣ים׀ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶ֡ה שֵׁ֣ם הָאֶחָ֣ד אֶלְדָּ֡ד וְשֵׁם֩ הַשֵּׁנִ֨י מֵידָ֜ד וַתָּ֧נַח עֲלֵהֶ֣ם הָר֗וּחַ וְהֵ֙מָּה֙ בַּכְּתֻבִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יָצְא֖וּ הָאֹ֑הֱלָה וַיִּֽתְנַבְּא֖וּ בַּֽמַּחֲנֶֽה:
“Now two men named Eldad and Medad, remained behind in the camp, and the spirit rested upon them. They were among those who had been enrolled, but they did not go out to the Tent. And they spoke in ecstasy inside the camp.” As an aside this idea of speaking in ecstasy is also found in the Novee (1 Shmuel 10:5-7), let us read that posik now:
וַיָּבֹ֤אוּ שָׁם֙ הַגִּבְעָ֔תָה וְהִנֵּ֥ה חֶבֶל־נְבִאִ֖ים לִקְרָאת֑וֹ וַתִּצְלַ֤ח עָלָיו֙ ר֣וּחַ אֱלֹהִ֔ים וַיִּתְנַבֵּ֖א בְּתוֹכָֽם׃
And when they came there, to the Hill,-d he saw a band of prophets coming toward him. Thereupon the spirit of G-d gripped him, and he spoke in ecstasy among them.
The bottom line: when one is imbued with the gift of being able to have and share prophetic visions, one is then known to be speaking in ecstasy, whatever that means. Amazing and let’s read veyter as not everyone was happy to hear what Eldad and Medad had to say about their visions. The last two pisukim are fascinating: “When Moishe is informed about Eldad, Medad and ecstasy, of this Yehoshua attempts to intervene:
יא:כח וַיַּ֜עַן יְהוֹשֻׁ֣עַ בִּן־נ֗וּן מְשָׁרֵ֥ת מֹשֶׁ֛ה מִבְּחֻרָ֖יו וַיֹּאמַ֑ר אֲדֹנִ֥י מֹשֶׁ֖ה כְּלָאֵֽם: יא:כט וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ מֹשֶׁ֔ה הַֽמְקַנֵּ֥א אַתָּ֖ה לִ֑י וּמִ֨י יִתֵּ֜ן כָּל עַ֤ם י־הוה נְבִיאִ֔ים כִּי־יִתֵּ֧ן י־הוה אֶת רוּח֖וֹ עֲלֵיהֶֽם:
And Yehoshua son of Nun, Moishe’ attendant from his youth, spoke up and said, “My lord Moishe, imprison them!” 11:29 But Moishe said to him, Are you being zealous for me? “I wish that the entire people of the Lord were prophets and that the Lord would confer his spirit on them all.”
Ok, what the hec is going on here? What went down? Do we need some ecstasy to better understand this? The RBSO told Moishe to deputize 70 assistants. Moishe did so and they immediately began speaking ecstasy, whatever that means, but in this case, it means they had to ability to see some of the future and offer some prophecy about it. And Yehoishua wants them locked up? Did he see them as freaks? Did they commit a crime? Were they a danger to Moishe? Or to Yehoshua who wanted them locked up? Why taka did Yehoshua want them arrested? Was anything they said a real threat to him? To Moishe?
The emes is that we’ve all read these pisukim for decades but never really paid attention -maybe because Eldad and Medad appear and disappear in but 4 pisukim or maybe because there’s so much going on in the parsha- but this entire story is mamish amazing and spooky. What’s pshat here? What happened to them? Did they start their own religion and cult?
What prophecy did they offer? And the emes is that we don’t know because the heylige Toirah is mamish silent about what they predicted. But you all know the drill: When the heylige Toirah is silent, our sages of the medrish came to life; who was going to contradict them and prove them wrong? Shoin, let’s see what a few had to say about them and their short stint as superstars.
According to one medrish, their message was too controversial. Says the medrish Yalkut Shimoni that their nevuah was that “Moishe will die, and Yehoshua will bring Israel into the Land.” And for that reason, Yehoshua did not want them to become “celebrity prophets” who undermined Moishe’s leadership. Interestingly, upon hearing this, Moishe didn’t silence them; farkert. The Toirah tells us that Moishe defended them and wished that all the Yiddin would have such visions. Oib azoy, if taka Moishe defended them, what happened to them? Why did they disappear from the script?
Some suggest that their prophecy was a one-time mission -they delivered a specific message and that was it. Over and out! They were flashes in the pan, one hit wonders, empowered to deliver a specific message, and disappear while Moishe and Yehoshua were there to digest the news. And the good news? It’s taka emes that the heylige Toirah doesn’t mention them again but later sources do. Let’s check out what a few had to say, some of this may mamish blow your mind.
Says Targum Yoinoson (Bamidbar 11:26) that there was more -way more- to Eldad and Medad than meets the eye in the 4 pisukim and he offers a detailed backstory which includes these little-known but shocking factoids: Eldad and Medad were brothers, sons of Elitzofon ben Parnach and Yoicheved (Moishe’s mother). And if that’s true, that would make them half-brothers of Moishe, Aharoin, and Miriam! Who knew that? Yoicheved had yet another husband? More on that below. Their prophecy was about:
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- The wars at the end of days (Gog and Magog)
- The downfall of kingdoms
- The entry of the Yiddin into the Land
- The resurrection of the dead in the days of Mashiach
- That Moishe would die, and Yehoshua would lead the people.
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Wait a minute!! Did we just read that Yocheved, the mother of Moishe, Aharoin and Miriam, was also the mother Eldad and Medad? And the heylige Toirah just skipped over this information? How was that shayich? Taka an excellent question, one our sages mamish grappled with. Let’s dig further because only a very creative clear minded person -one who wrote many a medrish with incredible imagination- could weave this mosaic together for it make little sense even if it’s not emes.
Says the Targum Yoinoson azoy: Way back in Mitzrayim, when Paroy decreed that all male children should be drowned, Amram divorced his eishes chayil Yoicheved. That move ignited a movement and many others followed. So says the heylige Gemora (Soitah 12). Miriam and Aharoin had already been born during happier days for the Yiddin. It took the cajoling of Miriam to re-unite her parents, leading ultimately to Moishe’s birth. But what took place following their divorce? Was she (Yoicheved) alone? And Amrom? Seemingly not! Says Yoinoson that following her divorce, she married Elitzofon and that Eldad and Medad were offspring from that marriage. That makes them Moishe’s and Aharoin’s half-brothers. Well blow me down. And…………………….in case you’re wondering how Yoicheved could re-marry her ex-husband Amram and give birth to Moishe after marrying Elitzofon between marriages to Amrom, you’re not alone. Isn’t that strictly verboten? Ober let’s also remember that all this took place -if it did- before Matan Toirah, and avada, all (almost) was allowed. There were no real rules. Kosher!
Another version of who Eldad and Medad were goes like this: Pick the one you like best for the shabbis tish. The Ksav v’Kabbolo quotes that a certain scholar (unnamed) sent a letter to Rav Amram Gaon saying he saw the graves of Eldad and Medad and on their tombstones is written “Brothers of Aharoin from the father but not the mother.” What? According to this version, Yoicheved was Amrom’s aunt and became forbidden to him with the giving of the Toirah. In other words: before Matan Toirah, marrying the tanta (aunt) seemed normal, ober with Revelation this relationship became verboten and Amram immediately divorced her. Gevaldig! What happened next? Let’s see. Nu, I see you’re stuck here and wondering – Amram married his Tanta? Ok-so he did, no big deal: Incest is best, so they say. Following the divorce, he was lonely and nebech tzibrochin (broken apart) but not for long as he immediately remarried and had two other children named in a way to emphasize that they came from a kosher marriage: Eldad – “ainoy dodah,” meaning not from my aunt and Medad – “mi hu dodasi” who is my aunt. The relationship between Eldad, Medad and Moishe, Aharoin, and Miriam in this version is mamish farkert (the opposite) of the Targum we just studied, but so what? It’s medrish and who says it has to make sense or be true? In any event, in this version, they are half-brothers through the same father. Moreover, the writer of this pshat questions the authenticity of this legend; In other words: He wrote it but didn’t believe it.
His reasoning is quite logical: If Amram divorced Yoicheved only after Revelation, that only leaves two intervening years until the episode of where Eldad and Medad became prophets. Could Mrs. Amram -during those two years- have given birth to two kids and could they have become prophets when they were not yet two years old? Too much to swallow, ver veyst? Can two-year-olds also be prophets?
Back to Targum Yoinoson who said this: Eldad gave prophecy that Moishe would die in the desert, and that Yehoshua would lead the Yiddin into the Promised Land. Indeed, a Novee he was because both his predictions came true. He was 2 for 2, maybe at the age of 2. Not to be outdone, Medad predicted that quail would fall from the sky to feed the Yiddin the meat they so craved. The next day, quail fell. He too was right. On the other hand, both prophesized about the battle of Goig and Mogoig which has yet to take place but of course, it still can, and mistama will one day, especially if some our sworn enemies get their hands on a certain bomb or figure out a way to load them onto drones. Will it start in Los Angles where all hell has broken loose? Mistama not because President Trump has, or will have it under control very shorty. Can we even imagine our plight right now under the Harris administration?
Let us review: Who were Eldad and Medad and how were they able to survive the 40-year midbar adventure when everyone else from their generation including Moishe, Aharoin, Miriam, and the other zekaynim (elders) with whom they served, didn’t make it over? In a few weeks as we close out Sefer Bamidbar with parshas Matos and Massei, the heylige Toirah (35:20-28) provides the answer when it lists the names of the Nisi’im (leaders) who will head each sheyvet during the process of dividing and inheriting the land for their tribesman. Says the medrish (Tanchuma) in our parsha, azoy: Two of those Nisi’im were Eldad and Medad who both had new identities. One leader was named Elidad ben Kislon and Medad became Kemuel ben Shiftam.
Not to be left out, the goyim, also fascinated by Eldad and Medad, chimed in and in Christian sources (The Shepherd of Hermas, an early text (~2nd century CE), mentions Eldad and Medad as models of true prophets. Avada we don’t rely on the goyim as an authoritative source for us Yiddin, ober the fact that Eldad and Medad are discussed shows that their legacy reached beyond Jewish texts.
The bottom line: Whomever they were, whomever their parents were or were not, and notwithstanding what they predicted and prophesied about, according to the medrish, they did not at all disappear. Farkert: Seemingly they were from the only males to have survived the 40-year midbar stint and made their way into the Promised Land. Neither Moishe nor Yehoshua did.
A gittin Shabbis
The Oisvorfer Ruv
Yitz Grossman
