Midrash for II Samuel 7:9

When Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi died, Rabbi Ila entered and eulogized him. “But wisdom, where will it be found, and where is the place of understanding?” (Job 28:12). “The deep says: It is not in me; and the sea says: It is not with me” (Job 28:14). “It is vanished from the eyes of all living and hidden from the birds of the heavens” (Job 28:21). There are four elements that are crucial for the function of the world, but if they are lost they have replacements. These are: “For there is a source of silver and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the dust, and copper is smelted from rock” (Job 28:1–2). A Torah scholar, if he dies, who will bring us his replacement? We, who lost Rabbi Simon, where will we find someone like him? Rabbi Levi said: The tribes found a lost item, and it is written: “Their hearts sank and they trembled” (Genesis 42:28).⁴The sons of Jacob were fearful when they found that the money of one of them had been returned to his sack, despite the fact that, generally speaking, finding money is cause for celebration. We, who lost Rabbi Simon bar Zavdi, from where will we find his replacement? That is, “but wisdom, where will it be found?”

When Rabbi Bon ben Rabbi Ḥiyya died, Rabbi Zeira came to eulogize him. “The sleep of the worker is sweet” (Ecclesiastes 5:11). I will tell you to what Rabbi Bon is comparable; to a king who had a vineyard and hired workers for it. There was one worker there who was more industrious in his work than all the others. When the king saw that he was extraordinarily industrious in his work, he grasped his hand and began taking long and short strolls with him. At evening time, the workers came to collect their wages. That worker came to collect his wages with them, and the king gave him wages like them. The workers began complaining. They said to him: ‘Our lord the king, it is we who exerted ourselves all day, and that one exerted himself for only two or three hours of the day, yet he is collecting his wages like us?’ The king said to them: ‘Why are you complaining? This one accomplished in two or three hours of the day what you did not accomplish in the entire day.’ So too, Rabbi Bon bar Ḥiyya accomplished in Torah what an experienced scholar does not accomplish in one hundred years.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Anyone who engages in Torah in this world, even in the future they do not allow him to sleep, but rather, they lead him into the study hall of Shem and Ever, of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and of Moses and Aaron. To what extent?⁵To what extent do they educate him in the future? It is until “I will give you great renown, like the renown of the great men of the world” (II Samuel 7:9).

(Ib. b) And I have made thee a great name, like the name of the great, etc. (II Sam. 7, 9). R. Joseph was taught: "This refers to what we say [in concluding a part of the Haftorah, 'The shield of David.'" (Gen. 12, 2) And I will make thee a great nation. Resh Lakish said: "This refers to the term 'God of Abraham' [used in the first section of the Eighteen Benedictions] ." (Ib.) And I will bless thee, refers to the term, 'The God of Isaac,' And I will make thy name great, refers to the term, 'The God of Jacob. I might assume that the conclusion [of the section above] should be made to embrace all three term?. Therefore it says (Ib.) And thou shall be a blessing; i.e., with thee should form the conclusion of the section, but not with them.

“Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats a little or a lot; but the satiety of the wealthy does not allow him to sleep” (Ecclesiastes 5:11).
“Sweet is the sleep of the laborer” – Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] emerged from the bathhouse, wrapped himself in his garments, and sat and attended to the needs of the people. His servant mixed him a cup.⁶⁷It was a mixture of wine and water. Because he was attending to the needs of the people, he was not free to receive it from him. The servant dozed and fell asleep. Rabbi turned around and looked at him and said: ‘Solomon spoke correctly: “Sweet is the sleep of the laborer, whether he eats a little or a lot; but the satiety of the wealthy does not allow him to sleep”; [this is referring to people] like me, as we are attending to the needs of the people, and we are not free even to sleep.’
Rabbi Berekhya said: To what is this matter analogous? It is to a king who had an orchard and he transferred it to his son. As long as his son did his bidding, the king would see what a beautiful tree there is in the world and would plant it in his son’s orchard. But whenever his son did not do his bidding, he would see what a beautiful, outstanding tree there was in the orchard, and he would uproot it. So, the king is the Holy One blessed be He, the orchard is the world, and some say it is the Israelites. As long as they do the bidding of the Holy One blessed be He, when He sees a righteous person in the nations of the world, like Yitro, Raḥav, and Ruth, and like Antoninus, He brings him and has him cleave to Israel. Whenever they do not do His bidding, He sees what righteous person there is in Israel and He takes him from them.

When Rabbi Bon ben Rabbi Ḥiyya died, Rabbi Zeira got up and eulogized him with this verse: “Sweet is the sleep of the laborer.” To what was Rabbi Bon ben Rabbi Ḥiyya comparable? To a king who had a vineyard and hired many laborers to work it. There was one worker who performed his labor much more efficiently than all the rest. What did the king do? He took him by his hand and went with him on long and short strolls. At evening time, the laborers came to collect their wages, and that laborer came with them, and he gave him his wages in full. The laborers began protesting; they said: ‘We toiled all day, and this one toiled for two hours, and the king gave him his wages in full?’ The king said to them: ‘Why are you protesting? This one toiled for two hours efficiently [and accomplished] what you did not [accomplish] in your toil over the whole day.’ So too, Rabbi Bon ben Rabbi Ḥiyya learned [more] Torah in twenty-eight years than a distinguished disciple can learn in one hundred years.
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Anyone who toils in Torah study in this world, in the World to Come they do not leave him to sleep, but they lead him to the study hall of Shem and Ever and of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and Aaron. Until when? Until “I will make a great name for you, like the names of the great ones in the world” (II Samuel 7:9).