Midrasch zu Jeschijahu 9:16

(Fol. 8 b) R. Chiya b. Abba was teaching the Bible to the children of Resh Lakish, and according to others he was teaching them the Mishna. It happened that the teacher's child died. On the first day Resh Lakish did not visit him, but on the second day he took Juda b. Nachmeni, his interpreter, with him and went to console him. "Come, say something in regard to the lost child," remarked Resh Lakish to his interpreter. The latter began the following (Deut. 32, 19) "And the Lord saw this and He was angry; because of the provoking of His sons and of His daughters; i.e., a generation in which the parents were insulting, the Holy One, praised be He! — will make Him angry at their sons and daughters [and cause them to die while young."] According to another authority, the dead was a young man, and he applied the following passage (Is. 9, 16) Therefore shall the Lord have no joy in their young men, neither shall He have compassion upon their fatherless and widows; for everyone is a hypocrite and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh wantoness, for all this His anger is not turned away, but His hand still remaineth stretched out. What does but His hand still remaineth stretched out, mean? R. Chanan b. Rab said: "This means that if one makes his mouth turpid and speaks obscenity, even if a Divine decree granting him happiness had been sealed for him for seventy years it would be turned into evil." He came with the purpose to console, and he grieved him? He said thus to him: "Thou hast been [found] worthy to be seized [to suffer] for the [sin of the] generation." He then said to his interpreter: "Come and say something concerning the glorification of the Holy One, praised be He!" He began to say: "O God, who art great in Thy greatness! Mighty and powerful in Thy magnitude! Who revivest the dead by Thy word. Thou causest inexpressible wonders and numberless miracles. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, who revivest the dead." He then said to his interpreter: "Rise and say something in honor of the mourners." Whereupon he began to say: "Our brethren, who are worn out and crushed by this bereavement, lay your heart to examine this. This is a thing which exists for ever more. Such is the way (the course of events) since the days of creation. Many have drunk the [cup of grief] and many will yet drink it, as the former [generation] drank it so will the latter [generation] drink it. Our brethren, He who comforts the mourners shall comfort you." Abaye said: "Many have drunk the cup of bitterness, one is allowed to say; but 'many will drink it,' one should not say. 'As the former [generation] drank [the cup of bitterness,'] it should be said, but 'so the latter [generation] will drink' should not be said; for R. Simon b. Lakish said, and so it was also taught in the name of R. Jose, that a man shall never open his mouth for Satan (i.e., invite misfortune by ominous words)." Said R. Joseph: "Where is the passage to prove this? (Is. 1, 9) Like Sodom should we have been, unto Gomorrah should we have been compared; and what did the passage reply to this? (Ib. ib. 10) Hear the word, ye rulers of Sodom," etc. He then said to his interpreter: "Say something in honor of the consoling of the friends of the mourner." He opened and said: "Our brethren who practice loving kindness, and the sons of [the patriarchs who practiced] loving kindness, who adhere to the covenant of Abraham our patriarch, concerning whom it is said (Gen. 18, 19) For I know him, that he will command his children and his household, etc. Our brethren, He who is the master of loving kindness will repay you for your kindness." He again asked his interpreter to say something concerning Israel at large, whereupon he began, and said: "Sovereign of the Universe! Deliver, save, rescue, and help Thy people Israel from pestilence, from the sword, from being a sport [to the enemy,] from blast, from mildew, and from all other calamities which break forth and visit a community. Before we call upon Thee shalt Thou answer us. Praised art Thou who wardeth off an epidemic."

“Let all their wickedness come before You, and do to them as You did to me for all my transgressions, for my sighs are many and my heart is suffering” (Lamentations 1:22).
“Let all their wickedness come before You, and do to them,” bring upon them what You brought upon me. Be exacting with them as You were exacting with me. “And do [veolel] to them,” pluck their infants [olelateihon] as You plucked my infants.
“For my sighs are many and my heart is suffering.” You find that in the matter that Israel sinned, with that they were punished, and with that they were comforted. They sinned with rosh, they were punished with rosh, and they were comforted with rosh. They sinned with rosh, as it is written: “Let us appoint a leader [rosh] and return to Egypt” (Numbers 14:4). They were punished with rosh, as it is written: “Every head [rosh] is ill” (Isaiah 1:5). And they are comforted with rosh, as it is written: “Their king passed before them, and the Lord is at their head [berosham]” (Micah 2:13).
They sinned with the ear, as it is written: “They made their ears hard of hearing” (Zechariah 7:11). They were punished with the ear, as it is written: “That anyone who hears it, both his ears will ring” (I Samuel 3:11). They are comforted with the ear, as it is written: “Your ears will hear a matter from behind you, saying: [This is the way, walk in it, when you go right and when you go left]” (Isaiah 30:21).
They sinned with the eye, as it is written: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and they walk with outstretched necks and painted eyes” (Isaiah 3:16). They were punished with the eye, as it is written: “My eye, my eye sheds water” (Lamentations 1:16). They are comforted with the eye, as it is written: “For with their own eyes they will see the return of the Lord to Zion” (Isaiah 52:8).
They sinned with af, as it is written: “Behold, they extend the branch to their nose [af]” (Ezekiel 8:17). They were punished with af, as it is written: “I, too [af], will walk with them indifferently” (Leviticus 26:41). They are comforted with af, as it is written: “And despite [ve’af gam] this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not have spurned them and will not have rejected them, to destroy them, to violate My covenant with them” (Leviticus 26:44).
They sinned with the mouth, as it is written: “Every mouth speaks depravity” (Isaiah 9:16). They were punished with the mouth, as it is written: “They consumed Israel with every mouth” (Isaiah 9:11). They are comforted with the mouth, as it is written: “Then will our mouths be filled with laughter” (Psalms 126:2).
They sinned with the tongue, as it is written: “They drew their tongues, their bow of falsehood” (Jeremiah 9:2). They were punished with the tongue, as it is written: “The tongue of the suckling cleaved [to the roof of his mouth in thirst]” (Lamentations 4:4). They are comforted with the tongue, as it is written: “And our tongues with song; [then will they say among the nations: The Lord has done great things for them]” (Psalms 126:2).
They sinned with the heart, as it is written: “They made their hearts as adamant, not to hear” (Zechariah 7:12). They were punished with the heart, as it is written: “Every heart is suffering” (Isaiah 1:5). They are comforted with the heart, as it is written: “speak to the heart of Jerusalem” (Isaiah 40:2).
They sinned with the hand, as it is written: “Your hands are filled with blood” (Isaiah 1:15). They were punished with the hand, as it is written: “The hands of merciful women cooked their children” (Lamentations 4:10). They are comforted with the hand, as it is written: “The Lord will continue setting His hand again, a second time [to recover the remnant of His people…]” (Isaiah 11:11).
They sinned with the foot, as it is written: “For their feet run to evil” (Proverbs 1:16). They were punished with the foot, as it is written: “Before your feet stumble on the mountains of the night (Jeremiah 13:16). They are comforted with the foot, as it is written: “How pleasant are the feet of the herald upon the mountains” (Isaiah 52:7).
They sinned with hu, as it is written: “They denied the Lord and said: He [hu] is not” (Jeremiah 5:12). They were punished with hu, as it is written: “He was transformed into their enemy, He [hu] waged war against them” (Isaiah 63:10). They are comforted with hu, as it is written: “I, it is I, who [hu] am your Comforter” (Isaiah 51:12).
They sinned with zeh, as it is written: “For this [zeh] man Moses” (Exodus 32:1). They were punished with zeh, as it is written: “For this [zeh] [our heart] is suffering” (Lamentations 5:17). They are comforted with zeh, as it is written: “Behold, this [zeh] is our God, we hoped to Him [that He would save us; this is the Lord to whom we hoped, we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation]” (Isaiah 25:9).
They sinned with fire, as it is written: “The children gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire...[in order to anger Me]” (Jeremiah 7:18). They were punished with fire, as it is written: “From on high He sent fire into my bones” (Lamentations 1:13). They are comforted with fire, as it is written: “I will be for it,²¹⁶Jerusalem. the utterance of the Lord, a wall of fire all around” (Zechariah 2:9).
They sinned with yesh, as it is written: “Is [hayesh] the Lord among us or not?” (Exodus 17:7). They were punished with yesh, as it is written: “Is there any [yesh] pain like my pain?” (Lamentations 1:12). They are comforted with yesh, as it is written: “To bequeath substance [yesh] to those who love me, and I will fill their storehouses” (Proverbs 8:21).
They sinned doubly, as it is written: “Jerusalem has committed a sin [ḥet ḥata]” (Lamentations 1:8).²¹⁷The Hebrew verse employs the word sin [ḥet] twice, such that a literal translation would be “Jerusalem has sinned a sin.” They were punished doubly, as it is written: “For it has received from the hand of the Lord double for all its sins” (Isaiah 40:2). They are comforted doubly, as it is written: “Comfort, comfort [naḥamu naḥamu] My people” (Isaiah 40:1).
End of the First Alphabetical Acrostic

As a punishment for the sin of lascivious talk, many oppressions and severe decrees are renewed, and the youth of Israel die, and orphans and widows cry and receive no answer as it is said (Is. 9, 16.) Therefore will the Lord have no joy in their young men, and on their fatherless children, and on their widows will he have no mercy; for every one is an hypocrite and an evil-doer, and every mouth speaketh scandalous words. For all this anger is not turned away, but His hand still remaineth stretched out. What is meant by And his hand still remaineth stretched out? R. Chanan b. Raba said: "Everybody knows why a bride enters the nuptial chamber, yet he who speaks about it with profane language, even if a divine decree granting seventy years of happiness were sealed for him. such decree would be changed to evil against him." Raba b. Shila in the name of R. Chisda said: "Whosoever defiles his mouth (by lascivious talk) has Gehenna made deeper for him; for it is said (Pr. 22, 14.) A deep pit for the mouth of strange words (immoral talk)." R. Nachman b. Isaac said: "Even he who but listens to such talk and remains silent will have the same punishment inflicted upon him; for it is said (Ib.) And he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein." R. Oshia said: "He who makes himself free [from all other thoughts] devoting himself entirely to sin, shall have bruises and wounds spread upon him, as it is said (Ib. 20, 30.) The bruises of a wound are a means of cleansing for the evil. Moreover he will be punished with dropsy, for immediately following is said And stripes (will reach) the inner chamber of the body. R. Nachman b. Isaac said: "The sign of an evil act is dropsy."