Psalms 99:9 Midrash: Midrash Tanchuma & Bereishit Rabbah

(Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy.” Why? Because I have made you cling to My loins, as stated (in Jer. 13:11), “For as the girdle clings unto one's loins, [so I have made all the House of Israel and all the House of Judah cling to Me, says the Lord].” Therefore, “You shall be holy, because I, the Lord am holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, [i.e.,] to Israel, “I am not like flesh and blood. With a king of flesh and blood, mortals have no right to be called by his name. You yourself know that, when someone wants to accuse¹²Gk.: kategorein. his fellow, he calls him Augustus¹³Lat.: Augusta. The text should read Augustus. See Jastrow, s.v., Agusta (‘GWST’). so-and-so; and there is no life for him. But Israel is called by the name of the Holy One, blessed be He.” He is called God (Powers); and He has called Israel powers, as stated (in Ps. 82:6), “I said, ‘You are powers.’” He is called wise, as stated (in Job 9:4), “One wise of heart and mighty in strength”; and He has called Israel wise, as stated (in Deut. 4:6), “surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” God is called beloved, as stated (in Cant. 5:10), “My beloved is bright and ruddy”; and He has called them beloved, as stated (Cant. 5:1), “eat, friends, [and drink to excess, beloved ones].” He is called chosen, as stated (in Cant. 5:15), “stately (literally: chosen) as the cedars”; and He has called them chosen, as stated (in Deut. 7:6), “the Lord your God has chosen you.” He is called pious, as stated (in Jer. 3:12), “’For I am pious,’ says the Lord”; and He has called them pious, as stated (in Ps. 50:5), “Gather to me, my pious ones.” He is called holy, as stated (in Is. 6:3), “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts,” and also (Ps. 99:9), “for the Lord our God is holy”; and He has called Israel holy, as stated (in Lev. 19:2), “You shall be holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world you have been called holy. In the world to come (according to Is. 4:3), “And it shall come to pass that the one who is left in Zion and who remains in Jerusalem shall be called holy.”

He then said to him [Itzchak]: ‘Itzchak, my son do you what I see?’ ‘Yes,’ he replied. He said to his two servants: ‘Do you see what I see?’ ‘No,’ they answered. ‘Since you do not see it, “stay here with the donkey,” (Gen. 22:5), he bade them, because you are like the donkey, it follows that slaves are like cattle. The Rabbis proved [it from this verse spoken at] the Revelation: Six days you shall labor, and do all your work … you, nor your daughter, nor your man-servant, nor your maid-servant, nor your cattle (Ex. 20:10). R. Itzchak said: This place shall one day be alienated from its Owner. For ever? [No], for it is stated, “This is My resting-place forever; here will I dwell for I have desired it” (Ps. 132:14) — when he comes of whom it is written, “Lowly, and riding upon a donkey” (Zech. 1:9). “And I and the lad will go just there” — Ad Koh. Said R. Joshua b. Levi: We will go and see what is to be the eventual outcome of Koh. “And we will worship, and we will come back to you.” He informed him [through these words] that he [Itzchak] would return safely from Mount Moriah. R. Itzchak said: Everything happened as a reward for worshipping. Abraham returned in peace from Mount Moriah only as a reward for worshipping. “And we will worship, and we will come back to you.” Israel were redeemed only as a reward for worshipping: “And the people believed … then they bowed their heads and worshipped” (Ex. 4:31). The Torah was given only as a reward for worshipping: “And worship y’all afar off” (Ex. 24:1). Hannah was remembered only as a reward for worshipping: “And they worshipped before the Lord” (I Sam. 1:19). The exiles will be reassembled only as a reward for worshipping: “And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great horn shall be blown; and they shall come that were lost … and that were dispersed … and they shall worship Ad-nai in the holy mountain at Jerusalem” (Isa. 27:13). The Temple was built only as a reward for worshipping: “Exalt y’all Ad-nai our God, and worship at His holy mountain” (Ps. 99:9). The dead will come to life again only as a reward for worshipping: “O come, let us worship and bend the knee; let us kneel before Ad-nai our Maker (Ps 95:6).