Midrasch zu Könige II 22:14

...And in Jonah it is written, "I would rather die than live." Jonah was the son of the woman of Zarfat. He had already died once, and knew that he would have rest, and Elijah did not die. And so he said, "am I not better than my ancestors?"

And the seven prophetesses that prophecied to Israel, who were they? Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther. Sarah as it is written (Gen. 11, 29) The father of Milcah and the father of Yiscah. And R. Isaac said: "Yiscah refers to Sarah, but why was she called Yiscah? Because that signifies seeing, and she was a seer through the Holy Spirit and this is derived from the passage (Ib. 21, 12) Whatever Sarah tells you hearken to her voice. Miriam, as it is written (Ex. 15, 26) Then took Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron. Was she then Aaron's and not Moses' sister." "This means," said R. Nachman, in the name of Rab, "that she had prophecied even when she had been only Aaron's sister [before Moses' birth] saying, 'In the future my mother will give birth to a child that will deliver the Israelites.' Finally, when Moses was born, the whole house was filled with light, and her father arose, and kissed her on her head, and saying to her, 'My daughter, thy prophecy is fulfilled.' Afterward, when he was cast into the river, her mother rose, saying to her, 'My daughter, what has become of thy prophecy?' And thus we understand the passage (Ib. 2, 4) And his sister placed herself afar off, to ascertain what would be done to him, to mean to know what would be the outcome of her prophecy." Deborah, as it is written (Jud. 4, 4) Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth. R. Isaac said: "This means that she prepared wicks for the lights in Mishkai. Hannah, as it is written (I Sam. 2, 1) And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is exalted through the Lord.' My horn is exalted, and not my flask. This refers to David and Solomon, who were anointed with oil taken from a horn, their dynasty endured; but Saul and Jehu, who were anointed with oil from a flask, their dynasties did not endure. (Ib. 2) There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none besides Thee; Neither is there any rock like our God." R. Juda b. Manassia said: "Do not read, Ein Biltecha [none besides Thee] but read Ein Lebalathecha [nothing could wear you out] . Come and see that the nature of the Holy One, praised be He! is not like the nature of frail man. The work of frail man exhausts its maker, but the Holy One, praised be He! is not so; He exhausts His work." Neither is there any rock like our God; Do not read Ein Tzur (rock), but read Ein Tzayer, (there is no sculptor like our God) for the custom of the world is to form a shape on the wall, but he can put into it neither breath, nor soul, nor entrails, nor bowels, but the Holy One, praised be He! He forms a shape within a shape (creates a body within a body) and puts into it breath, soul, entrails and bowels. Abigail, as it is written (I Sam. 25, 29-31) And the soul of my lord will be bound in the bond of life with the Lord thy God. When she departed she said to him. And when the Lord will do *** ood my Lord. She prophecied that he would be king. R. Nachman said: "This is the meaning of the current statement, 'A woman handles the shuttle while she talks,' or 'the duck bends its head down in walking, and its eyes look all around (it follows two pursuits at the same time.'" Huldah, as it is written (II Kings 22, 14) And Chilkiyaha the priest, and Achikam, and Achbor and Shaphan and Assahyah went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah. But how did Huldah prophecy in the place where Jeremiah lived? At the school of Rab it was explained that Huldah was a relative and therefore he was not particular about it. But why did King Joshiyah himself ignore Jeremiah and send a committee unto Huldah? R. Shila said: "Because women are compassionate." R. Jochanan said: "Because Jeremiah was not there, for he went to bring the ten tribes back [from the exile]." And whence do we infer that he did bring them back? It is written (Ex. 7, 13) For the seller shall not return to that which is sold. It is possible that the prophet should prophecy the suspension of the jubilee law when the law had already been abolished? We must therefore say that Jeremiah had caused the return [of the ten tribes] and Joshiyah b. Amon reigned over them. Whence do we infer this? It is written (II Kings 23, 17) What king of monument is that which I see? And the men of the city said to him, "It is the grave of the man of God, who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which thou hast done against the altar of Beth-El.' What had Joshiyah to do with the altar of Beth-El? From this we infer that Jeremiah returned [the ten tribes] from captivity when he began to practice the jubilee law and Joshiyah was king over them. And Esther, as it is written (Est. 5) Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her royalty. It should be written, royal apparel. "Infer from this," said R. Elazar, in the name of R. Cahnina, "that she clothed herself in the Holy Spirit. Here it is written Vatilbash (she put on) and there (I Chr. 12, 18) A spirit, labsha (invested) Amassai. [Just as in the latter place the word Labsha is employed to signify the Holy Spirit, so here also Vatilbash signfies the Holy Spirit]." R. Nachman said: "Pride does not- fit women. Two women were proud, and they both had unlovely names; one was call Bee (Deborah) and the other was called Cat (Huldah). Of Deborah it is written (Jud. 4, 6) And she sent and called Barak but she did not go to him, and of Huldah it is written (II Kings 22, 15) Say unto the man that hath sent you to me; and she did not say, tell the king."

Rabbi Azariah said: Know thou the efficacy of charity. Come and see from the instance of Shallum, son of Tikvah, who was one of the important men of his generation, giving charity every day. What did he do? He filled the bottle with water, and sat at the entrance of the city, and he would give water to every person who came on the way, restoring his soul to him. On account of the charity which he did, the Holy Spirit rested upon his wife, as it is said, "So Hilkiah the priest… went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah" (2 Kings 22:14). Originally his name was "the son of Sachrah"; just as thou dost say, "Merchandise is better than the circulation of money" (Prov. 3:14). One Scripture text || says, "The son of Sachrah." When her husband died, the charitable deeds of her husband ceased, and all Israel went forth to show loving-kindness to Shallum, son of Tikvah. But they spied the band, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha, and he came to life, as it is said, "And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived" (2 Kings 13:21); and afterwards he begat Chanameel, as it is said, "Behold, Chanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee" (Jer. 32:7).

(Bamidbar 10:29) "And Moses said to Chovav (Yithro) the son of Reuel the Midianite, the father-in-law of Moses": Was Chovav the father-in-law of Moses, or Reuel, viz. (Shemot 2:8) "And they came to Reuel, their father, etc."? — (Judges 4:11) "And Chever the Kenite had separated from the Kenites, from the children of Chovav, the father-in-law of Moses" (indicates that) his name was Chovav and not Reuel. How, then, are we to understand "And they came to Reuel their father"? We are hereby apprised that the young children called their father's father "father." R. Shimon b. Menassia says: His name was Reuel, "the friend (re'a) of G-d," viz. (Shemot 5:12) "And Aaron and all the elders of Israel came to eat bread with Moses' father-in-law before G-d." R. Dostai says: His name was Keini, for he had separated from the provocative deeds of the kanai ("the provokers"), who provoke the L-rd, viz. (Devarim 32:21) "They provoked Me (kinuni) with a no-god," and (Ezekiel 8:3) "where was the seat of the provocative image of provocation ("semel hakinah hamekaneh"). R. Yossi says: His name was Keini, for he had acquired (kanah) Torah for himself. R. Yishmael b. R. Yossi says: His name was Reuel, for he had befriended G-d, viz. (Proverbs 27:10) "Your Friend and the Friend of your father do not forsake." R. Shimon b. Yochai says: He had two names — Chovav and Yithro. "Yithro," because he added a section ("Yithro") to the Torah, viz. (Shemot 18:21) "And (Yithro said) you shall see from all the people men of valor, etc." Now were these things (of appointing judges) not known to Moses from Sinai, viz. (Ibid. 23) "If you do this thing and G-d commands you"? And why did they escape Moses? To credit the thing to Yithro. "Chovav," because he loved ("chivev") the Torah. For we find no other proselyte who loved the Torah as Yithro did. And just as Yithro loved the Torah, so did his descendants love the Torah, viz. (I Chronicles 2:55) "and the families of scribes who dwelt in Yabetz: Tirathim, Shimathim, Suchathim. (These were the Kenites, etc.") "Tirathim" — because they heard the teruah from Mount Sinai. "Tirathim" — because they cried out ("mathri'im) and fasted. "Tirathim" — because they did not shave themselves ("ta'ar" is a blade). "Tirathim" — because they sat in the gates ("tara" is a gate) of Jerusalem. "Shimathim" — because they did not anoint themselves with oil (because of their mourning over the destruction of the Temple). "Suchathim" — because they dwelt in succoth. "who dwelt in Yabetz": They left Yericho and went to Yabetz, to the desert of Judah in the south of Arad to learn Torah from him (Yabetz), viz. (Ibid. 4:10) "And Yabetz called out to the G-d of Israel … and G-d granted him what he requested." They were chassidim, who entreated G-d for someone to learn from, and he was a chassid who entreated G-d for someone to teach. The chassidim came to learn from the chassid, as it is written (Judges 1:16) "And the sons of the Keini, the father-in-law of Moses, etc.", and (Jeremiah 25:12) "Go to the house of the Rechavim and speak to them, and bring them to the house of the L-rd, etc.", and (Ibid. 6) "And they said: We will not drink wine for Yonadav the son of Rechav our father commanded us, saying … and a house you shall not build and seed you shall not sow … so that you may live many years on the land where you live" — Since this house (the Temple) is destined to be destroyed, see it as if it is already destroyed. (Ibid. 8-10) "And we heeded the vice of Yonadav ben Rechav our father … and we live in tents, for we heeded and did according to everything that Yonadav our father commanded us." And whence is it derived that the sons of Yonadav ben Rechav were of the sons of the sons of Yithro? For it is written (I Chronicles 2:55) "These were the Keinites, who descended from Chammath, the father of the house of the Rechavim." And what was their reward for this? (Jeremiah 35:18) "And to the Rechavim Jeremiah said: Thus said the L-rd of hosts, the G-d of Israel: Because you have heeded the command of Yonadav your father … (19) there will not be cut off from Yonadav ben Rechav one who stands before Me all of the days." R. Yehoshua says: Now may proselytes enter the sanctuary? Rather, they sat in the Sanhedrin and taught Torah. Others say: Some of their daughters were wed to Cohanim and their descendents entered the sanctuary. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If those, who drew near (to Israel), were thus drawn near by the L-rd, then Israelites who do the will of the L-rd, how much more so (will He draw them near!) And thus do you find with Rachav Hazonah. What is written (of her)? (I Chronicles 4:21) "And the families of the house of the linen work, of the house of Ashbea": "the families" — Rachav Hazonah ("the feeder"), who kept an inn to feed her family. "the linen work" — She hid the spies among the linens. "the house of Ashbea" — The spies swore ("nisb'u") to her (to spare her family). Eight prophets, issued from Rachav Hazonah: Yirmiyahu, Chilkiyahu, Serayah, Machseyah, Baruch, Neriah, Chanamel, and Shalom. R. Yehudah says: Chuldah the prophetess was also of the descendants of Rachav Hazonah, as it is written (II Kings 22:14) "And Chilkiyahu the Cohein and Achikam and Achbor and Shafan and Asayah went to Chuldah the prophetess, the wife of Shalom the son of Tikvah, etc." And it is written (Joshua 2:18) "behold, when we (the spies) come to the land, you (Rachav) shall bind this line (tikvah) of scarlet thread, etc." Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If she, who came from a people of whom it is written (Devarim 20:16) "You shall not spare any soul," because she drew near (to Israel), was thus drawn near by the L-rd, then Israelites, who do the will of the L-rd, how much more so (will He draw them near!) And thus do you find with the Giveonites. What is written of them? (I Chronicles 4:22) "And Yokim and the men of Chezeva. "And Yokim" — Joshua fulfilled ("kiyem") for them his oath (to spare them). "Chezeva" — they deceived ("kizvu") Joshua, saying (Joshua 9:9) "From a very distant land did your servants come," and not from Eretz Yisrael." Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If these, who came from a people consigned to destruction, because they drew near (to Israel), were thus drawn near by the L-rd, then Israelites, who do the will of the L-rd, how much more so (will He draw them near)! And thus do you find with Ruth the Moavitess. What did she say to her mother-in-law (Ruth 1:16-17) "Your people is my people, and your G-d is my G-d. Where you will die, I will die." The L-rd said to her: You have lost nothing. kingdom is yours in this world and in the world to come. What is written (of her)? (I Chronicles 4:22) "and Yoash and Saraph, who had dominion in Moav." Yoash and Saraph are Machlon and Kilyon (viz. Ruth 1:2-6) "Yoash" — they despaired (nithya'ashu) of redemption. "Saraph" — they were liable to (the penalty of) burning, to the L-rd. "who had dominion over Moav" — they married Moavite women and left Eretz Yisrael and went and sojourned in the field of Moav. (I Chronicles, Ibid.) "and Yashuvilechem" — this is Ruth the Moavitess, who returned and dwelt in Beth Lechem. (Ibid.) "And these are ancient things" — each is discussed in its place. (Ibid. 23) "These are 'the keepers'" — the sons of Yonadav ben Rechav, who kept the oath of their father. "and the dwellers among the plants" — Solomon, who was like a (flourishing) plant in his kingdom. "and gedeirah ("the fence") — Sanhedrin, who sit and delimit the "fences" of Torah. "With the king in his work they sat there" — Ruth the Moavitess did not die until she saw Solomon, the grandson of her grandson (Yishai) sitting on his throne of kingdom, as it is written (I Kings 2:19) "And he (Solomon) sat on his throne, and he placed a seat for the mother of the king" — the mother of kingdom (i.e., Ruth). "and she sat at his right hand": as he busied himself with the work of the Temple, viz.: (I Chronicles, Ibid.) "with the king in his work they sat there. Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If she, who was of the people of whom it is written (I Kings 11:2) "You shall not come into them, and they shall not come into you," because she drew near (to Israel), she was drawn near by the L-rd, then Israelites, who do the will of the L-rd, how much more so! And if you would ask: But where do we see this (that the L-rd draws them near) with Israel? It is written (Shemot 1:15) "And the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, the first of whom was named Shifrah; and the second, Puah": Shifra is Yocheved (Moses' mother). Puah is Miriam (Moses' sister). "Shifra" — because she "beautifies (meshapereth) the child. "Puah" — because she "coos" (poeh) to the child. Variantly: "Shifra" — because Israel was fruitful (paru) and multiplied in her days. "Puah" — because she moaned (poah) and wept over her brother, as it is written (Ibid. 2:4) "And his sister stood from afar to know what would be done with him." (Ibid. 1:16) "And he (Pharaoh) said: When you deliver the Hebrew women … (17) and the midwives feared G-d … (21) and He made for them (the midwives) houses": I would not know what these "houses" were if not for (I Kings 9:10) "And it was at the end of twenty years that Solomon built the two houses — the house of the L-rd and the house of the king." "the house of the L-rd" — the priesthood; "the house of the king" — royalty. Yocheved attained to priesthood, and Miriam, to royalty. As it is written (I Chronicles 4:4) "These were the sons of Chur, the first-born of Efrathah, the father of Beth-lechem": "Efrathah" — Miriam, who married Calev, viz.: (I Chronicles 2:19) "And Calev took Efrath, and she bore to him Chur," and (Ibid. 50) "These were the sons of Calev, the son of Chur, the first-born of Efrathah, the father of Beth-lechem. "Efrathah" — This is the (royal) house of David, as it is written (I Samuel 17:12) "And David was the son of an Efrati man of Beth-lechem."