Midrash for Proverbs 25:14

(Fol. 9) R. Jochanan said: "Rain is not withheld except for such men as promise publicly to give charity and then do not fulfill their promise; as it is said (Prov. 25, 14) Like clouds and wind without rain, so is he that boasteth himself of a false gift." R. Jochanan said again: "What is the significance of the passage (Deut. 14, 22) Thou shalt truly tithe. [It signifies that thou shalt] give tithes in order that thou mayest become rich." R. Jochanan met a child of Resh Lakish. "Tell me thy verse [which thou didst study today]," said he to the child. "Asser T'Asser" (thou shalt truly tithe) was the child's reply. "But what does Asser T'asser mean? the child then asked R. Jochanan. "It means," said R. Jochanan, "give tithes in order that thou mayest become rich." The child then asked: "Whence dost thou know this?" And he replied: "Go and try it, [and see if it is not so]." "But is it then allowed to try God," rejoined the child? "Behold it is written (Deut. 6, 16) Ye shall not tempt the Lord thy God." Whereupon R. Jochanan said: "Thus said R. Hosea: 'In all other things [it is not allowed to tempt God] except in tithes; for it is said (Mal. 3, 10) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be provision in my house, and prove me but herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing, until it be more than enough.'" "Had I come to that verse, [in my studies,"] remarked the child, "I would not have needed thee, nor R. Hosea, thy Rabbi."

(Fol. 29) How were the witnesses frightened? R. Juda said: "Thus it was said to them" (Pr. 25, 14) Like clouds and wind without rain, so is a man that vaunteth falsely of a gift. Raba said: "This is no frightening, as they may think that according to the popular saying, Seven years of famine do not pass the gate of a man with a profession." "Therefore," said Raba, "it was said to them (Ib., ib. 18) As a maul, and a sword, and a sharp arrow, so is a man who beareth false witness against his neighbor." R. Ashi, however, maintains that even this is not sufficient, as they may think, even in time of an epidemic one does not die before his time. Therefore said he: "I was told by Nathan b. Mar Zutra that it was said to them that false witnesses are disgraced even by their own employers, as it is written (I Kings 21, 13) And there came in two men, sons of Belial, and seated themselves opposite to him, and testified against him, saying: Noboth has blasphemed God and the King."

... “And David went and he took the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son from the men of Jabesh- gilead… And he brought up from there the bones of Saul and the bones of Jonathan his son…” (Shmuel II 21:12-13) What did David do? He went and gathered all the elders and great ones of Israel, crossed the Jordan River, and came to Yavesh-gilead. He found the bones of Shaul and his son Yonatan, placed them in a casket and crossed back over the Jordan, as it says “And they buried the bones of Saul and Jonathan his son in the country of Benjamin in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father and they did all that the king commanded…” (Shmuel II 21:14) What does ‘in Zela, in the tomb of Kish his father’ mean? It comes to teach us that they brought them to the border of Jerusalem and buried them there. Zela is next to Jerusalem, as it says “And Zelah, Eleph, and the Jebusite, which is Jerusalem…” (Yehoshua 18:28) ‘and they did all that the king commanded’ And what did the king command? He commanded that they carry Shaul’s casket from tribe to tribe. As Shaul’s casket entered each tribe’s territory all the men, women and children came out in order to perform an act of loving kindness to Shaul and his sons and thereby all of Israel would fulfill its obligation to loving kindness. This went on until they reached the land of his portion on the border of Jerusalem. Since the Holy One saw that they did loving kindness to Shaul and fulfilled the judgement of the Givonites He was immediately filled with mercy and sent rain upon the land, as it says “And God was entreated for the land after that.” (Shmuel II 21:14) From this we learn how close the Holy One brings those that are far away, even though they converted not for the sake of heaven. There is no need to even mention how he draws near righteous converts, “O Lord, all the kings of the earth will acknowledge You…” (Tehillim 138:4)