Midrasch zu Zephaniah 1:2

So he acted justly during that exile in that he watched over it, and he still performed a great kindness for < Israel > with reference to that exile. How? In < the month of > Tebet they were scheduled to go into exile from Jerusalem, for so does < Scripture > say (in Ezek. 24:1–2): < THEN THE WORD OF THE LORD CAME UNTO ME IN THE NINTH YEAR OF THE TENTH MONTH ON THE TENTH DAY OF THE MONTH, SAYING >: SON OF ADAM, WRITE DOWN THE NAME OF THE DAY, [THIS VERY DAY;] ON THIS VERY DAY THE KING OF BABYLON LAID SIEGE TO JERUSALEM. What did the Holy One do? He said: If they go forth now in the cold, they will die. What did he do for them? He waited for them and sent them into exile during the summer.⁶³This sentence follows the parallel in Tanh., Exod. 4:9. The Buber text, which reads: “He waited for them during the summer and sent them into exile,” makes little sense. This is what the prophet says (in Jer. 8:13): I WILL UTTERLY DESTROY THEM, SAYS THE LORD. "Destroy" ('SP) can only mean "exile," since it is stated (in Zeph. 1:2): I WILL REMOVE ('SP) ALL THINGS < FROM THE FACE THE EARTH >…. Now, the second < evil saying associated with the name of the Holy One > is (Ezek. 9:4:) AND THE LORD SAID UNTO HIM: PASS THROUGH THE MIDST OF THE CITY, THROUGH THE MIDST OF JERUSALEM AND MARK < THE LETTER > TAW⁶⁴The last letter of the Hebrew alphabet. For various interpretations of its meaning, see the parallel version in Shab. 55a. ON THE FOREHEADS OF THOSE PEOPLE < WHO MOAN AND GROAN OVER ALL THE ABOMINATIONS >…. The Holy One said to Gabriel: Go and write an ink taw upon the foreheads of the righteous, so that the angels of destruction will have no dominion over them. Then upon the foreheads of the wicked write a blood taw so that the angels of destruction will have dominion over them. < The > prosecution⁶⁵Gk.: kategoria, i.e., “accusation,” “charge.” Here the concept is hypostatized as a separate being. came in before the Holy One, [it said to him]: Sovereign of the World, how do the former differ from the latter? He said to it: The former are completely righteous, and the latter are completely wicked. It said to him: It was in their power to protest, but they did not protest. He said to it: It was revealed and known to me that, if they had protested, they would not have accepted their < protest >. It said to him: Sovereign of the World, how does the one group differ from the other. After all, it was in their power to demean themselves for the sanctification of your name and take beatings from Israel upon themselves, just as the prophets endured < them >. So look at how many woes Jeremiah suffered from Israel; also Isaiah, of whom it is written (in Is. 50:6): I GAVE MY BACK TO THE SMITERS…., and the rest of the prophets. Immediately (in Ezek. 9:6) he spoke again to the angels of destruction: [KILL OFF] OLD FOLK, YOUTH, MAIDENS, SMALL CHILDREN, AND WOMEN, < BUT DO NOT TOUCH ANYONE WHO BEARS THE TAV UPON HIMSELF >. This also was a kindness, in that the Holy One {interceded with} [mitigated] his wrath against Jerusalem, as stated (in Lam. 4:11): THE LORD HAS COMPLETED (KLH) HIS WRATH. For if he had not done so, all Israel would have received a verdict of destruction (KLYH). Ergo (in Ps. 5:5 [4]): AND EVIL MAY NOT ABIDE WITH YOU, because the Holy One does not cause his name to rest upon evil. So also in the case of Israel, he allotted them glory and did not mention them for evil. When he came to the offerings, he said to Moses (in Lev. 1:2): SPEAK UNTO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL AND SAY UNTO THEM: WHEN ONE OF YOU PRESENTS AN OFFERING TO THE LORD, < i.e. > OF YOU, and not the peoples of the world. However, when he came to mention leprosy spots, he said (in Lev. 13:2): WHEN ANYONE HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH < … >. It does not say: "One of you," but WHEN ANYONE HAS ON THE SKIN OF HIS FLESH < A SWELLING OR A SORE OR A BRIGHT SPOT >. Ergo (in Ps. 5:5): AND EVIL MAY NOT ABIDE WITH YOU.