a path aside from the crowd, they said: "Behold the son of Amram,
who makes it impossible for us to follow the simple
commandment, to hone a sage." Then Moses said: "If I did this you
were not content, and if I did that you were not content! I can no
longer bear you alone. 'The Eternal, your God, hath multiplied you,
and behold, ye are this day as the stars of heaven for multitude.
The Lord, God of you fathers, make you a thousand times so many
as ye are, and bless you, as he hath promised you!"

The Israelites were not content with this blessing of Moses, and
said to him: "O our teacher Moses, we do not desire thee to bless
us, we have had much greater blessings given to us. God spoke to
our father Abraham: 'I will bless thee and in multiplying I will
multiply thy seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which
is upon the sea shore,' and thou dost limit our blessings." Moses
cried: "I am only a creature of flesh and blood, limited in my
powers, hence is my blessing limited. I give you my blessing, but
the blessing of God remains preserved for ye, and He will bless
you unlimitedly, and multiply you as the fish of the sea and the
sands on the seashore, as the star in the sky and the plants on the
earth." [163]

After he had bestowed his blessing upon them, he asked them to
propose capable pious men, that he might appoint them as judges
and leaders over them. He said: "If a man were to present himself
to me as a candidate for this position of honor, I alone should not
be able to decide to what tribe he belonged, and whence he came;
but you know them, and hence it is advisable for you to propose
them. Do not think, however, that I feel I must abide by your
choice, for it depends solely upon me, whether or not I shall