Midrash for Exodus 20:20

Rabbi said: Blessings³⁷In the sense of good deeds. bring blessings upon their purveyors; curses³⁸In the sense of evil deeds. bring curses upon their purveyors. Blessings bring blessings upon their purveyors, as it is written: “A whole and just weight shall be [yours]” (Deuteronomy 25:15), and if you do so: “shall be yours” (Deuteronomy 25:15). Curses bring curses upon their purveyors, as it is written: “You shall not have in your purse different weights, large and small” (Deuteronomy 25:13), and if you do so, the Holy One blessed be He said: ‘You sought to use large and small? By your life, that wicked one [who uses corrupt weights] will not manage to possess even something small,’ as it is written: “You shall not have in your purse.” Similarly, “you shall not make with Me [gods of silver and gods of gold]” (Exodus 20:20). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘You sought to make for Me “gods of silver and gods of gold” – by your life, that wicked one will not manage to make even one of wood,’ as it is written: “You shall not make for yourselves” (Exodus 20:20).

(Lev. 26:3:) “If you walk in My statutes….” This text is related (to Hos. 9:17), “My God will reject them because they did not heed Him….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have said that you would be set in security, as stated (in Amos 9:15), ‘And when I plant them in their land, [they shall never again be uprooted]….’ When? (Lev.: 26:3, 5:) ‘If you walk in My statutes […] You shall eat your fill of bread.’ But you did not so act.” Instead (according to II Kings 17:9), “The Children of Israel attributed things which were not right to the Lord.” [So] I have also set upon you things which I did not write in My Torah. [It is so stated] (in Deut. 28:61), “Moreover [the Lord will bring upon you] every disease and every plague which is not written [in this book of the Torah].” Now what were the “things they attributed, which were not right to the Lord?” As Isaiah said (in Is. 1:4), “They have forsaken the Lord […];” do not say, “They have forsaken ('zbw) [Me],” but “They,” as it were, “have made me worth forsaking ('yzbw) (i.e., caused me to be cruel).” Now I was called (in Exod. 34:6), “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God.” But through their sins, they have made Me cruel and changed My trait of mercy to cruelty, as stated (in Lam. 2:5), “The Lord has become like an enemy, He swallowed Israel.” It also says (in Is. 63:10), “But they rebelled, and grieved His holy spirit; then He became their enemy, and Himself made war against them.” Therefore, Hosea said, “Who has brought this about for you? [It was] because you did not heed Him, (in Hos. 9:17), ‘My God will reject them because they did not heed Him.’” It is also written (in Deut. 28:65), “And among those nations you shall find no peace. Another interpretation (of Lev. 26:3, 4, 14, 19) “If you walk in My statutes…, then I will give you your rains in their season…. But if you do not heed Me…. I will make your heavens like iron”: It also says so (in Hag. 1:10), “For that reason the heavens over you have withheld dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.” Because of your sins, the nations are also afflicted. R. Joshua ben Levi said, “If the nations had known that they are afflicted because of the sins of Israel, they would have raised two armies²Gk.: stratiai. to guard each and every person of Israel in order that they keep the Torah and not sin. However, it was not enough for the nations that they were not watching over Israel, but in addition they stopped them from [fulfilling] the commandments.” As when Israel sins, all the whole world is afflicted, as stated (in Hag. 1:10), “For that reason the heavens over you have withheld dew.” But if [the Israelites] do not sin, all the world is blessed on their account, as stated (in Gen. 26:4), “and through your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Exod. 20:19-20), “You yourselves have seen that I spoke with you from the heavens. Along with Me you shall not make gods of silver, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.” So if you sin [and pray to me], I will not answer you, as stated (in Zech. 7:13), “And it came to pass that, as He called, and they did not heed; ‘So let them call, and I will not heed,’ [says the Lord of hosts].” Therefore (according to Exod. 20:20), “Along with Me you shall not make gods of silver.”

We are taught in a Baraitha (Ex. 20, 20) And in order that His fear may be before your faces. This refers to shamefulness. (Ib.) That ye shall not sin. Infer from this that shame brings it about that one should be afraid to commit a sin. From this passage our sages infer that it is a good sign for a man to be shameful. Acherim say: "Whoever feels ashamed will not be quickened to sin, and whoever has no bashfulness it is assured that his ancestors were not present on Mt. Sinai [when the Torah was given unto Israel.]