Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael Tractate Shirah, Chapter 7

(שמות טו,ט) [“אָמַר אוֹיֵב: אֶרְדֹּף, אַשִּׂיג, אֲחַלֵּק שָׁלָל, תִּמְלָאֵמוֹ נַפְשִׁי, אָרִיק חַרְבִּי, תּוֹרִישֵׁמוֹ יָדִי.”] “אָמַר אוֹיֵב”. זֶה הָיָה תְּחִלַּת הַפָּרָשָׁה, וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּן? שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ: (ויקרא ט,א) “וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי, קָרָא מֹשֶׁה”. זוֹ הָיְתָה תְּחִלַּת הַפָּרָשָׁה. וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּן? שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ: (ישעיה ו,א) “בִּשְׁנַת מוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ עֻזִּיָּהוּ, וָאֶרְאֶה אֶת אֲדֹנָי יֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רָם וְנִשָּׂא, וְשׁוּלָיו מְלֵאִים אֶת הַהֵיכָל.” זֶה הָיָה תְּחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר. וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּן? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ: (יחזקאל ב,א) “בֶּן אָדָם, עֲמֹד עַל רַגְלֶיךָ!” וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: (יחזקאל יז,ב) “בֶּן אָדָם, חוּד חִידָה!” זֶה הָיָה תְּחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר. וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּן? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ: (ירמיה ב,ב) “הָלֹךְ וְקָרָאתָ בְאָזְנֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם לֵאמֹר: כֹּה אָמַר יי: זָכַרְתִּי לָךְ חֶסֶד נְעוּרַיִךְ, אַהֲבַת כְּלוּלֹתָיִךְ, לֶכְתֵּךְ אַחֲרַי בַּמִּדְבָּר, בְּאֶרֶץ לֹא זְרוּעָה.” זֶה הָיָה תְּחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר. וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּן? מִפְּנֵי שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ: (הושע י,א) “גֶּפֶן בּוֹקֵק יִשְׂרָאֵל”. זֶה הָיָה תְּחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר. וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּן? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה. כַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ: (קהלת א,יב) “אֲנִי קֹהֶלֶת, הָיִיתִי מֶלֶךְ עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּירוּשָׁלִָם.” זֶה הָיָה תְּחִלַּת הַסֵּפֶר. וְלָמָּה נִכְתַּב כָּן? לְפִי שֶׁאֵין מֻקְדָּם וּמְאֻחָר בַּתּוֹרָה.

(Exodus 15:9) “The foe said: I shall pursue, etc.”: This appertains (chronologically) to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For “there is no before and after in the Torah.” Similarly, (Isaiah 6:1) “In the year of the death of King Uzziahu, etc.” This appertains to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For “there is no before and after in the Torah.” Similarly, (Ezekiel 2:1) “Son of man, stand on your feet” (Some say [Ibid. 17:1] “Son of man, propose a riddle.”) This appertains to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For “there is no before and after in the Torah.” Similarly, (Jeremiah 2:2) “Go and call out in the ears of Jerusalem.” This belongs in the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For “there is no before and after in the Torah.” Similarly, (Hoshea 10:1) “Israel is (like) a vine that has shed, etc.” This appertains to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For “there is no before and after in the Torah.” Similarly, (Koheleth 1:12) “I, Koheleth, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.” This appertains to the beginning of the parshah. Why is it written here? For “there is no before and after in the Torah.”

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The Mekilta and “ein mukdam u’meuchar baTorah” (אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה) – no before after in the Torah

The Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael is an ancient midrashic text that challenges conventional historical paradigms by emphasizing the timeless nature of the Torah. It presents the Torah as an eternally relevant guide that transcends the limitations of history and encourages readers to view it through a lens that intertwines past, present, and future.

The text discusses the concept of “ein mukdam u’meuchar baTorah” (אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה), which translates to “there is no before and after in the Torah.” This principle suggests that the Torah’s narrative is not always strictly chronological. The text presents several examples from different books of the Hebrew Bible to illustrate this idea:

1. Exodus 15:9 – A verse about the enemy’s intentions, which the text claims should chronologically be at the beginning of the parshah (section) but appears later.
2. Isaiah 6:1 – A verse describing events in the year of King Uzziah’s death, which is said to belong at the beginning of its section.
3. Ezekiel 2:1 (or 17:1) – A prophetic call to Ezekiel, which the text suggests should be at the start of its section.
4. Jeremiah 2:2 – God’s instruction to Jeremiah to speak to Jerusalem, which is said to belong at the beginning of its section.
5. Hosea 10:1 – A metaphorical description of Israel as a vine, which the text claims should be at the start of its section.
6. Ecclesiastes (Koheleth) 1:12 – Solomon’s introduction of himself as king, which is said to belong at the beginning of the book.

In each case, the text argues that these verses or passages appear out of their chronological order. The repeated phrase “Why is it written here?” followed by “For ‘there is no before and after in the Torah’” serves to emphasize this point.

This concept is significant in Jewish biblical interpretation for several reasons:

1. It allows for more flexible interpretation of the text, as events don’t have to be understood in strict chronological order.
2. It suggests that the Torah’s arrangement may be thematic or didactic rather than purely historical.
3. It provides a framework for reconciling apparent contradictions or inconsistencies in the narrative sequence.
4. It encourages readers to look for deeper connections between passages that might not be immediately apparent from their placement in the text.

By citing examples from various books (Torah, Prophets, and Writings), the text implies that this principle applies broadly across the Hebrew Bible, not just to the Torah, but to all the books of the Tanach.

References

ARNOW, D. Sh’fokh Hamatkha in the Mekhilta of Rabbi Ishmael.

Visotzky, B. L. (2014). Exodus in Rabbinic Interpretation. The Book of Exodus, 535-562.

Kaye, L. (2020). Sacred Time and Rabbinic Literature: New Directions for an Old Question. Journal of the American Academy of Religion, 88(4), 1154-1177.