ד"א ויהי ביום כלות משה, אמר ר' יוחנן מהו ביו כלות, לשון כילוי, ביום שהוקם המשכן נתכלו המזיקין מן העולם, שעד שלא הוקם את המשכן היו מזיקין מצויין בעולם, כשהיה משה עולה בהר, היה אומר המזמור הזה, יושב בסתר עליון (תהלים צא א), שישב בסתרו של הקב"ה, בצל שדי יתלונן (שם), שלן שם ק"כ יום, אומר לה' מחסי (שם ב), שהוא מחסי ועשו לי כחומה, אלהי אבטח בו (שם), א"ל הקב"ה בי בטחת, [חייך] אני עומד לך, כי הוא יצילך מפח יקוש (שם ג), [מהו מפח יקוש], ממצודתו של צייד, תחת כנפיו תחסה צנה וסוחרה אמתו (תהלים צא ד), אמר ריש לקיש צינה אני נעשה לכל מי שהוא סוחר בתורה, לא תירא מפחד לילה (שם ה), [מכאן] שהיו מתייראין, מחץ יעוף יומם. אמר רבי ברכיה הכהן [ברבי], יש מזיק שהוא פורח כעוף, וקושט כחץ, מדבר באפל יהלוך מקטב ישוד צהרים (שם ו), זה קטב מרירי, שכל מי שרואה אותו אין לו חיים [בעולם] בין אדם בין בהמה ובין חיה, כיצד עשוי, ראשו דומה לעגל, וקרן אחת יוצאה מתוך מצחו, והוא שולט משבעה עשר בתמוז עד תשעה באב לפיכך כתיב מקטב ישוד צהרים, לא תאונה אליך רעה ונגע לא יקרב באהליך (שם שם י), עד אהליך, הוי עד יום שהוקם המשכן היו המזיקים מצויין, וביום שהוקם המשכן נתכלו, אמר (רשב"ג) [רשב"ל] מה לי ללמד מספר תהלים, נלמד ממקומו, יברכך ה' מן המזיקין, וישמרך מכל רע, אימתי ביום שהוקם המשכן, ויהי ביום כלות משה.
Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED. R. Johanan said: What is the meaning of ON THE DAY THAT <MOSES> HAD FINISHED (rt.: KLH)? <FINISHED is> a word for annihilation (rt.: KLH).116Tanh., Numb. 2:23; Numb. R. 12:3, end; cf. 23:9; similarly PRK 1:5; PR 5:10. On the day that the Tabernacle was erected the destructive demons (mazziqin) were annihilated (rt.: KLH) from the world. Before that Tabernacle was erected, the destructive demons had been common in the world. When Moses went up on the mountain, he said this Psalm (i.e., Ps. 91, which begins): WHOEVER DWELLS IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH, in that he (Moses) did dwell in the shelter of the Holy One.117Numb. R. 12:3, beginning. (Ibid., cont.:) HE LODGES IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY, in that he lodged there a hundred and twenty days. (Vs. 2) <I WILL> SAY TO THE LORD, MY REFUGE < AND MY FORTRESS (metsudah) >, in that he is my refuge and has become118‘ShWY. Buber omits the final letter of this word in his text, but has restored it where he cites the passage in n. 142. like a wall for me. (Ibid., cont.:) MY GOD, IN WHOM I TRUST. The Holy One said to him: You have put your trust in me; [by your life,] I am standing up for you. (Vs. 3:) THAT HE WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER. [What is the meaning of FROM THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER?] From the trap119Metsodah. The same written word voweled as metsudah means “fortress” and appears as such in the previous verse of the psalm. of a hunter. (Vs. 4:) YOU WILL TAKE REFUGE UNDER HIS WINGS; HIS TRUTH IS A SHIELD AND BUCKLER. Resh Laqish said: I have become a shield for whoever deals120Soher. The Buber text may be misreading this word. It should perhaps agree with the parallel in Tanh., Numb. 2:23, which reads hoseh. This reading matches the wording of the Psalm and results in the rendering, “for whoever takes refuge (hoseh) in the Torah.” The parallel in Numb. R. 12:3, however, agress with the Buber text. in the Torah. (Vs. 5:) YOU SHALL NOT BE AFRAID OF ANY TERROR BY NIGHT. [From here] <we learn> that they were afraid. (Ibid., cont.:) NOR OF THE ARROW THAT FLIES BY DAY. Rabbi Berekhyah the Priest [Berabbi] said: There is a destructive demon (mazziq) that flies like a bird and shoots forth like an arrow.121Deut. R. 6:6. (vs. 6:) OF THE PESTILENCE THAT WALKS IN THE DARKNESS, OF THE PLAGUE THAT LAYS WASTE AT NOONDAY. This is the plague demon, Meriri; for whoever sees him will not survive [in the world], whether he be human, cattle, or wild beast. How does it happen? His head resembles a calf with one horn coming out of the middle of his forehead, and he has dominion from the seventeenth of Tammuz (around July) to the ninth of Av (around August).122Lam. R. 1:3 (29). The first breach in the walls of Jerusalem was made on Tammuz 17, and the Temple was destroyed on Av 9, exactly three weeks later. This period was also the hottest time of the year. It is therefore written (in vs. 6 & 10): OF THE PLAGUE THAT LAYS WASTE AT NOONDAY…. THERE SHALL NO EVIL COME UNTO YOU, NEITHER SHALL PESTILENCE COME NEAR YOUR TENT. Ergo: until the day that the Tabernacle was erected, the destructive demons (mazziqin) were common.123See PRK 1:5. On the day that the Tabernacle was erected they were annihilated (rt.: KLH). {R. Simeon b. Gamaliel} [R. Simeon b. Laqish] said: What <reason> is there for me to learn <this> from the book of Psalms? It is <to be> learned from its <proper> place (in Numb. 6:24): THE LORD BLESS YOU <to keep you> from the destructive demons AND KEEP YOU from all evil. When? On the day that the Tabernacle was erected. (Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED.
ד"א ויהי ביום כלות משה, אמר ר' יוחנן מהו ביו כלות, לשון כילוי, ביום שהוקם המשכן נתכלו המזיקין מן העולם, שעד שלא הוקם את המשכן היו מזיקין מצויין בעולם, כשהיה משה עולה בהר, היה אומר המזמור הזה, יושב בסתר עליון (תהלים צא א), שישב בסתרו של הקב"ה, בצל שדי יתלונן (שם), שלן שם ק"כ יום, אומר לה' מחסי (שם ב), שהוא מחסי ועשו לי כחומה, אלהי אבטח בו (שם), א"ל הקב"ה בי בטחת, [חייך] אני עומד לך, כי הוא יצילך מפח יקוש (שם ג), [מהו מפח יקוש], ממצודתו של צייד, תחת כנפיו תחסה צנה וסוחרה אמתו (תהלים צא ד), אמר ריש לקיש צינה אני נעשה לכל מי שהוא סוחר בתורה, לא תירא מפחד לילה (שם ה), [מכאן] שהיו מתייראין, מחץ יעוף יומם. אמר רבי ברכיה הכהן [ברבי], יש מזיק שהוא פורח כעוף, וקושט כחץ, מדבר באפל יהלוך מקטב ישוד צהרים (שם ו), זה קטב מרירי, שכל מי שרואה אותו אין לו חיים [בעולם] בין אדם בין בהמה ובין חיה, כיצד עשוי, ראשו דומה לעגל, וקרן אחת יוצאה מתוך מצחו, והוא שולט משבעה עשר בתמוז עד תשעה באב לפיכך כתיב מקטב ישוד צהרים, לא תאונה אליך רעה ונגע לא יקרב באהליך (שם שם י), עד אהליך, הוי עד יום שהוקם המשכן היו המזיקים מצויין, וביום שהוקם המשכן נתכלו, אמר (רשב"ג) [רשב"ל] מה לי ללמד מספר תהלים, נלמד ממקומו, יברכך ה' מן המזיקין, וישמרך מכל רע, אימתי ביום שהוקם המשכן, ויהי ביום כלות משה.
Another interpretation (of Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED. R. Johanan said: What is the meaning of ON THE DAY THAT <MOSES> HAD FINISHED (rt.: KLH)? <FINISHED is> a word for annihilation (rt.: KLH).116Tanh., Numb. 2:23; Numb. R. 12:3, end; cf. 23:9; similarly PRK 1:5; PR 5:10. On the day that the Tabernacle was erected the destructive demons (mazziqin) were annihilated (rt.: KLH) from the world. Before that Tabernacle was erected, the destructive demons had been common in the world. When Moses went up on the mountain, he said this Psalm (i.e., Ps. 91, which begins): WHOEVER DWELLS IN THE SHELTER OF THE MOST HIGH, in that he (Moses) did dwell in the shelter of the Holy One.117Numb. R. 12:3, beginning. (Ibid., cont.:) HE LODGES IN THE SHADOW OF THE ALMIGHTY, in that he lodged there a hundred and twenty days. (Vs. 2) <I WILL> SAY TO THE LORD, MY REFUGE < AND MY FORTRESS (metsudah) >, in that he is my refuge and has become118‘ShWY. Buber omits the final letter of this word in his text, but has restored it where he cites the passage in n. 142. like a wall for me. (Ibid., cont.:) MY GOD, IN WHOM I TRUST. The Holy One said to him: You have put your trust in me; [by your life,] I am standing up for you. (Vs. 3:) THAT HE WILL DELIVER YOU FROM THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER. [What is the meaning of FROM THE SNARE OF THE FOWLER?] From the trap119Metsodah. The same written word voweled as metsudah means “fortress” and appears as such in the previous verse of the psalm. of a hunter. (Vs. 4:) YOU WILL TAKE REFUGE UNDER HIS WINGS; HIS TRUTH IS A SHIELD AND BUCKLER. Resh Laqish said: I have become a shield for whoever deals120Soher. The Buber text may be misreading this word. It should perhaps agree with the parallel in Tanh., Numb. 2:23, which reads hoseh. This reading matches the wording of the Psalm and results in the rendering, “for whoever takes refuge (hoseh) in the Torah.” The parallel in Numb. R. 12:3, however, agress with the Buber text. in the Torah. (Vs. 5:) YOU SHALL NOT BE AFRAID OF ANY TERROR BY NIGHT. [From here] <we learn> that they were afraid. (Ibid., cont.:) NOR OF THE ARROW THAT FLIES BY DAY. Rabbi Berekhyah the Priest [Berabbi] said: There is a destructive demon (mazziq) that flies like a bird and shoots forth like an arrow.121Deut. R. 6:6. (vs. 6:) OF THE PESTILENCE THAT WALKS IN THE DARKNESS, OF THE PLAGUE THAT LAYS WASTE AT NOONDAY. This is the plague demon, Meriri; for whoever sees him will not survive [in the world], whether he be human, cattle, or wild beast. How does it happen? His head resembles a calf with one horn coming out of the middle of his forehead, and he has dominion from the seventeenth of Tammuz (around July) to the ninth of Av (around August).122Lam. R. 1:3 (29). The first breach in the walls of Jerusalem was made on Tammuz 17, and the Temple was destroyed on Av 9, exactly three weeks later. This period was also the hottest time of the year. It is therefore written (in vs. 6 & 10): OF THE PLAGUE THAT LAYS WASTE AT NOONDAY…. THERE SHALL NO EVIL COME UNTO YOU, NEITHER SHALL PESTILENCE COME NEAR YOUR TENT. Ergo: until the day that the Tabernacle was erected, the destructive demons (mazziqin) were common.123See PRK 1:5. On the day that the Tabernacle was erected they were annihilated (rt.: KLH). {R. Simeon b. Gamaliel} [R. Simeon b. Laqish] said: What <reason> is there for me to learn <this> from the book of Psalms? It is <to be> learned from its <proper> place (in Numb. 6:24): THE LORD BLESS YOU <to keep you> from the destructive demons AND KEEP YOU from all evil. When? On the day that the Tabernacle was erected. (Numb. 7:1): SO IT CAME TO PASS ON THE DAY THAT MOSES HAD FINISHED.