Midrash sobre Jeremías 2:3

R. Judah bar Shallum said: The world was created for the sake of Israel.⁹See 4 Ezra 6:55, 59; 7:11; 8:1; Gerim 1:5; Lev. R. 36:4. "From of old" is not written here (in Gen. 1:1), nor is "from the start" written here, but IN THE BEGINNING. What is the meaning of IN THE BEGINNING? This is Israel, which is called BEGINNING. It is so stated (in Jer. 2:3): ISRAEL IS HOLY TO THE LORD, THE BEGINNING OF HIS HARVEST. {From what < verse is it shown > that they were called BEGINNING? In the verse where it is stated:} [Where < is the original proposition shown >? From what we read on the subject:] IN THE BEGINNING GOD CREATED….

R. Simeon explained: A king never stands in his field while it is being sowed or plowed or hoed, he does so only while the grain is being stacked. Abraham hoed, as it is said: Arise, walk through the land (ibid. 13:17), and Isaac sowed, as it is said: And Isaac sowed in the land (ibid. 26:12). The King did not stand beside anyone until Jacob came, for he stacked the first fruits, as it is said: Israel is the Lord’s hallowed portion, and the first fruits of the increase (Jer. 2:3). Then the Holy One, blessed be He, stood beside him (Gen. 28:13). Therefore, Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Ps. 146:5). Resh Lakish declared: Whose hope is in the Lord his God refers to Joseph, who was the hope of the world while dwelling in Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to Jacob that his hope was in Egypt, as it is said: Now Jacob saw that there was hope in Egypt (reading sever, “hope,” for shever, “grain”).

And the children of Israel journeyed from Rameses to Succoth (Exod. 12:37). The distance from Rameses to Succoth is forty parasangs (approx. 43 miles), yet Moses’ voice could be heard at Succoth. Do not be surprised at this, for even the dust that Moses hurled into the air soared about for forty days, as it is said: And it shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt (Exod. 9:9). If the dust could spread over the whole of Egypt, which takes forty days to traverse, how much more likely it is that his voice could traverse forty parasangs. R. Akiba said: Succoth refers to the clouds, as it is said: For over all the glory shall be a canopy (sukkah) (Isa. 4:5). Likewise, in the future, And there shall be a canopy (sukkah) for a shadow in the daytime (ibid., v. 6). Besides children (Exod. 12:37). That is, besides little ones and women. And they baked cakes (ibid., v. 39). Actually, they did not manage to bake cakes. The word cakes refers to a cake baked on coal, as it is said: But make me thereof a little cake first, and bring it forth unto me (I Kings 17:13). An amazing miracle was performed for them by means of the cakes. They ate them twice a day for thirty days, until the manna descended for them. Neither had they prepared for themselves any victuals (Exod. 12:39). This was to demonstrate Israel’s worth, since they did not complain and say: “How can we cross the desert and the sea if we have no provisions?” This teaches us that they trusted Him. Concerning them, it is expressly stated in the post-Mosaic writing: Go, and cry in the ears of Jerusalem (Jer. 2:2). What was their reward for their faithfulness? Israel is the Lord’s hallowed portion (ibid., v. 3).