Midrash for Hosea 2:9
וְרִדְּפָ֤ה אֶת־מְאַהֲבֶ֙יהָ֙ וְלֹֽא־תַשִּׂ֣יג אֹתָ֔ם וּבִקְשָׁ֖תַם וְלֹ֣א תִמְצָ֑א וְאָמְרָ֗ה אֵלְכָ֤ה וְאָשׁ֙וּבָה֙ אֶל־אִישִׁ֣י הָֽרִאשׁ֔וֹן כִּ֣י ט֥וֹב לִ֛י אָ֖ז מֵעָֽתָּה׃
And she shall run after her lovers, but she shall not overtake them, And she shall seek them, but shall not find them; Then shall she say: ‘I will go and return to my first husband; For then was it better with me than now.’
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
Further said R. Jochanan in the name of R. Jose: "One chastisement in the heart of man (self reproach) is better than many lashes, as it is said (Hos. 2, 9.) And she will pursue her lovers, then will she say, 'I will go and return to my first husband; for if was better with me then than now.'" Resh Lakish said: "It is better than one hundred stripes, as it is said (Pr. 17, 10.) A reproof penetrateth more deeply into a wise man than a hundred lashes into a fool."
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