Midrasch zu Tehillim 132:17

The Holy One created twenty-two good attributes in His world. All of them were nullified and in the future the Holy One will return them to Israel in the time to come. They are: four for the first man, four for the generation of the flood, one for the generation of the dispersion, two for Sodom, six in the wilderness, six for Jerusalem, on for the ten tribes…Six for Jerusalem. First, the Gihon spring comes out from Jerusalem and waters the land of Israel. Hezekiah stood up and saw with his holy spirit and said: I know that Israel will be exiled from their land and the House will be destroyed, and if the Gihon remains in its place all the nations will come to here. He rose up and sealed it off, as it says "And he-Hezekiah-stopped up the source of the waters of the upper Gihon…" (Chronicles II 32:30) In the future the Holy One will return it to Israel and water their land, as it says "…and a spring shall emanate from the house of the Lord…" (Joel 4:18) Second, prophecy was given to them and then hidden away. In the future the Holy One will return it to Israel, to make every member of Israel a prophet, as it says "And it shall come to pass afterwards that I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh…" (Joel 3:1) Third, the priesthood was given to them and then hidden away. In the future the Holy One will return the high priesthood to Israel, as it says "And you shall be called the priests of the Lord…" (Isaiah 61:6) Fourth, the Sanhedrin and advisers were given to them and when a case came before them they would write the judgment on a piece of paper and place it in the ark, and an angel would descend in the night to absolve the innocent and convict the guilty. In the morning they would look at the paper and declare the judgment. In the future the Holy One will return them to Israel, as it says "And I will restore your judges as at first and your counsellors as in the beginning…" (Isaiah 1:26) Fifth, the Messiah was born and then hidden away. In the future the Holy One will console Israel with the Messiah, as it says "There I shall cause David's horn to sprout…" (Psalms 132:17) Sixth, Jerusalem was given to them and when they became corrupt it was destroyed. In the future the Holy One will rebuild it and gather Israel back in, as it says "The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel." (Psalms 147:2)

Another interpretation (of Exod. 25:3): AND THIS IS THE PRIESTLY SHARE…: [GOLD, SILVER, AND BRONZE]. GOLD corresponds to the kingdom of Babylon, concerning which is written (in Dan. 2:38): YOU (Nebuchadnezzar) ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD.²¹Tanh., Exod. 7:7; cf. Exod. R. 35:5; above, 3:15. SILVER: This denotes the kingdom of Media, concerning which is written (in Esth. 3:9): THREE THOUSAND TALENTS OF SILVER.²²The money was to be Haman’s payment into the treasury of the king of the Persians and Medes. AND BRONZE: This denotes the kingdom of Greece, which was the least of them all. (Exod. 25:5:) REDDENED (rt.: 'DM) RAM SKINS. This denotes the kingdom of Edom, as stated (in Gen. 25:25): THE FIRST (i.e., Esau) CAME FORTH RUDDY (rt: 'DM).²³See also above, Gen. 8:4. The Holy One said: Although you have seen these four kingdoms exalting over you, by your life, I am producing salvation for you out of the midst of slavery. What is written next (in Exod. 25:6)? OIL FOR LIGHTING (ma'or). What is the meaning of LIGHTING? This denotes the Messianic (Mashiah) King, as stated (in Ps. 132:17): THERE I WILL MAKE A HORN SPROUT FOR DAVID; [I HAVE PREPARED A LAMP FOR MY ANOINTED ONE (Mashiah)].²⁴Below, 8:6. When Daniel saw these [four] kingdoms, he was afraid. It is so stated (in Dan. 7:15): AS FOR ME, DANIEL, MY SPIRIT WAS DISTURBED <WITHIN ME; AND THE VISION OF MY HEAD ALARMED ME>. What did Daniel see? It is simply that, when Nebuchadnezzar saw the dream, Daniel came and interpreted it for him. He said to him (in Dan. 2:38): YOU (Nebuchadnezzar) ARE THE HEAD OF GOLD. (Dan. 2:32:) <THE HEAD OF THAT STATUE WAS OF FINE GOLD;> ITS BREAST AND ITS ARMS WERE OF SILVER. This <silver> denotes the kingdom of Babylon.²⁵Cf. the Oxford MS, marked, “Michael 577, no. 155”; Codex Vaticanus, Ebr., 34; and the parallels in Tanh., Exod. 7:7 and Exod. R. 35:5. They all read here, “Kingdom of Media,” and identify the other kingdoms to fit this rendering. (Dan. 2:39:) BUT ANOTHER KINGDOM SHALL ARISE AFTER YOU, INFERIOR TO YOU. (Dan. 2:32:) ITS BELLY AND ITS THIGHS WERE OF BRONZE. This denotes the kingdom of Media. (Dan. 2:39, cont.:) THEN YET A THIRD KINGDOM, ONE OF BRONZE, WHICH SHALL RULE OVER THE WHOLE EARTH. (Dan. 2:33:) ITS LEGS WERE OF IRON. This denotes the kingdom of Greece. (Dan. 2:40, 42:) BUT THE FOURTH KINGDOM SHALL BE AS STRONG AS IRON<….> {AND ITS} [THE] FEET²⁶The Masoretic Text renders, “AND THE TOES OF THE FEET.” WERE PARTLY {OF} IRON AND PARTLY {OF} CLAY. This is Edom. Why was it likened to iron and clay? Our masters have said: This wicked kingdom is going to use clay coinage.

(Exod. 27:20): OIL OF <BEATEN > OLIVES. How did they make the oil? Our teachers have taught: The olive trees which bore good fruit were known to them. They took them and crushed them. When the first oil came forth, they set it aside for the menorah. The second after that was for the oblations, to fulfill what is stated (in 27:20): CLEAR OIL OF BEATEN OLIVES FOR THE LIGHT.²¹See above, note 13. The Holy One said to Israel: In this world you were under obligation to the light of the Temple; but in the world to come, on the merit of that lamp, I will bring you the Messianic (Mashiah) King who is compared to a lamp, as stated (in Ps. 132:17): THERE WILL I MAKE A HORN SPROUT FOR DAVID; [I HAVE PREPARED A LAMP FOR MY ANOINTED ONE (Mashiah)].²²Above, Exod. 7:6. And not only that but I am making a light for you, just as Isaiah has said (in Is. 60:19): FOR THE LORD SHALL BE YOUR EVERLASTING LIGHT, YOUR GOD <SHALL BE> YOUR GLORY.