Midrasch zu Tehillim 144:14

And the time drew near that Israel must die (Gen. 47:29). It is stated in Scripture in reference to this verse: For we are strangers before Thee, and sojourners, as all our fathers were; our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is no hoping (I Chron. 29:15). Our days are as a shadow. Would that they were as the shadow of a wall or a tree,¹That our days might be as permanent as a wall. but the fact is that they are as the shadow of a bird, as it is said: His days are as a shadow that passeth away (Ps. 144:14).

R. Jochanan, when he finished the book of Job, would say: "The end of man is to die; the end of an animal is to be slaughtered; all are bound to die; happy is he who has been brought up to study the Torah and put his energy in the Torah; and is a source of pleasure to his Creator; he shall grow with a good name and shall depart from the world with a good name." It is concerning such a man that Solomon said in his wisdom (Ecc. 7, 1.) A good name is better than precious ointment. R. Meier was accustomed to say: "Learn with all thy heart and soul to know my (the Torah's) ways, and to watch upon the gates of my Torah; guard my learning in thy heart and let my fear be before thy eyes; guard thy mouth from all sins, cleanse and purify thyself from all guilts and iniquities and I shall then be with thee in all places." The Rabbis of Jabnai were accustomed to say: "I am a human being; so is my neighbor a human being. My work is in the city and his work is in the field; I rise early to my work and he rises early to his work; as he cannot excel in my work, so can I not interfere in his. Shall I say that I am advancing the cause of learning more than he? We are therefore taught 'Whether one [offers] much or little only the intention of his heart shall be for the sake of Heaven.' " Abaye was accustomed to say: "Man should" always be deliberate for the fear of God (consider in what manner he can serve Him best); reply softly; try to pacify anger, and speak peacefully with his brethren, with his relatives and with every man, even with the heathen; so that he may be beloved in Heaven and below (on the earth) and acceptable by men." It was related of R. Jochanan b. Zakai that never, was he greeted first by any one, even by a heathen; for he always greeted people first. Raba was accustomed to say: "The end of wisdom is repentance and good deeds, lest a man read and study and speak with contempt against his father or mother or teacher, or against those superior to him in wisdom or exceeding in number. For it is said (Ps. 111, 10.) The beginning of wisdom is the fear of God; a good understanding have all they who do God's commands. It does not say Who study God's commands, but Who do God's commands, i.e., to them who do it for God's sake, but not to them who do it for their own sakes. And as for the man who does [study the Torah] not for its own sake, it would have been more satisfactory had he not been created." Rab was wont to say: "The future world will not be like this world. In the future world there will be neither eating nor drinking nor multiplying nor business nor envy nor hatred nor competition; only the righteous will sit with their crowns upon their heads and will enjoy the Divine Glory, as it is written (Ex. 24, 11.) And they saw God and they ate and drank." Our Rabbis taught: "The promise which the Holy One, praised be He! made unto women is much greater than that which He made unto men. for it is said (Is. 32, 9.) Rise up, ye women that are at ease, hear my voice; Ye careless daughters, give ear unto my speech." Rab said unto E. Chiya: "Wherewith do women [who do not study the Torah] deserve Divine Grace?" "Because," answered he, "they bring their children into school to learn and send their husbands to the house of study, and wait for their return." When the Rabbis departed from the academy of R. Ami, and according to others from the academy of R. Chanina, they were accustomed to say: "Mayest thou see (enjoy) thy existence during thy lifetime, and thy future [reward be reserved] for the life of the world to come, and thy only hope shall be [to endure] for everlasting generations. May thy heart reason with understanding, thy mouth utter wisdom, and thy eyelids shall direct thee straight forward in the Laws, and thine eyes lighten in the enlightenment of the Torah; may thy countenance shine like the brilliant sky; thy lips utter knowledge and thy kidneys rejoice in uprightness, and thy feet run to listen to the words of the Ancient in Days." When the Rabbis departed from the academy of R. Chisda and according to some from the academy of R. Samuel b. Nachmeini, they were in the habit of saying: May our oxen be strong to labor (Ps. 144, 14). Rab and Samuel, and some say R. Jochanan and R. Elazar, [explain the above passage]. One said: "Alupheinu (our oxen), alludes to the Torah and Messubalim (strong to labor), alludes to meritorious deeds;" and the other said "Alupheinu alludes to both the Torah and meritorious deeds, and Messubalim alludes to afflictions." (Ib. b) May there he no breach, (Ib.) i.e., that our following be not like that of Saul's company of whom Do'ag the Adomite was one. Nor land complaint (Ib.), nor shall our following be like that of Elisha of whom Geichazi was one. In our streets (Ib.), i.e., that we may not have a son or a pupil that disgraces his education in public. Hearken unto me, ye stout hearted, that are far from righteousness (Is. 46, 12). Rab and Samuel, and according to others R. Jochanan and R. Elazar, explain the meaning of this passage. One said that this means that the whole world is supported only because of the Lord's righteousness, and those mentioned by Isaiah are sustained on account of their own merits; [hence Isaiah addressed himself to the righteous]; and the others held that the entire world is sustained according to its own merits; and those [mentioned by Isaiah] even of their own merits cannot be sustained, as R. Juda in the name of Rab said; for R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "Every day a Bath Kol (heavenly voice) goes forth from Mount Horeb and says: 'The entire world is sustained by virtue of Chanina my son and as for Chanina my son himself, one Kab of Karob beans is sufficient for his maintenance, from one Friday to another Friday.'" And this disagrees with R. Juda, for R. Juda said: "Who may be called Stout hearted [referred to by Isaiah]? The inhabitants of Gabaya, the fools." And R. Joseph said: "It may be proved by the fact that never was one of them converted to Judaism." R. Ashi said: "Those sons of Matha Mechasia may also be termed Stout hearted, for they observe the praise of the Torah twice a year, yet none of them was converted to Judaism."

“The name of the man was Elimelekh, and the name of his wife Naomi, and the name of his two sons Maḥlon and Khilyon, Efratites of Bethlehem in Judah. They came to the field of Moav, and they were there” (Ruth 1:2).
“The name of the man was Elimelekh” – once trouble came, you went and abandoned them. “A man from Bethlehem of Judah” (Ruth 1:1) – that is what the verse says: “Our oxen [alufeinu]¹⁴The word aluf can also mean leader. The midrash is reading the verse to refer to Elimelekh as a leader of the people. are laden [mesubalim]; [there is no breach, none have gone out; there is no outcry in our plazas]” (Psalms 144:14). Rabbi Yoḥanan says: It is not written here: Bearing [sovelim],¹⁵As in, the leaders bear the burdens of the people. but rather: “Are laden [mesubalim].” When the lesser bear the burden [sovelim] of the greater, “there is no breach [peretz]” – there is no outbreak [pirtza] of plague, as you say: “A plague broke out among them” (Psalms 106:29). “None have gone out [yotzet]” (Psalms 144:14) – there is no emergence of a plague, as you say: “Fire emerged [vatetzeh] from before the Lord” (Leviticus 9:24). “There is no outcry” (Psalms 144:14) – there is no outcry of plague, as you say: “All Israel that were around them fled at their cry” (Numbers 16:34).¹⁶This verse appears in the story of Koraḥ, which concludes with a plague (Numbers 16–17). Reish Lakish reverses the order of the verse: When the greater tolerate¹⁷He reads alufeinu mesubalim to mean, ‘our leaders bear [tolerate].’ the lesser there is no breach of exile, as it is written: “Through breaches they will go out” (Amos 4:3). “None have gone out” – to exile, as it is written: “Cast them from before Me and let them go out” (Jeremiah 15:1). “There is no outcry” – of exile, as it is written: “Behold the sound of the outcry of the daughter of my people” (Jeremiah 8:19), and it is written: “And the outcry of Jerusalem has risen up” (Jeremiah 14:2). Rabbi Luliani said: When the lesser heed the greater, but the greater do not bear the burden of the lesser, about them Scripture states: “The Lord will enter into judgment” (Isaiah 3:14). “The name of the man was Elimelekh” – when trouble came, you [Elimelekh] went and abandoned them: “A man from Bethlehem of Judah went” (Ruth 1:1).