Midrash sobre Job 12:18

“What shall I attest to you, to what shall I liken you, daughter of Jerusalem? To what shall I equate you, and comfort you, virgin daughter of Zion? For your breach is as vast as the sea; who can heal you?” (Lamentations 2:13).
“What shall I attest to you [a’idekh], to what shall I liken you?” How many prophets have I sent to warn [he’adti] you! Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] and Rabbi Natan, Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: One prophet in the morning and one prophet at dusk. That is what is written: “The Lord warned Israel and Judah by means of every prophet and every seer” (II Kings 17:13). Rabbi Natan said: Two prophets in the morning and two prophets in the evening. That is what is written: “I sent to you all My servants the prophets daily, time and again” (Jeremiah 7:25); “time,” in the morning, “and again,” in the evening.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” How many plunders have I given you? The plunder of Egypt, the plunder at the sea, the plunder of Siḥon and Og, the plunder of the thirty-one kings. In Arabia they call plunder adita.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” How many communions [viudin] have I communed with you: the Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, Shilo, Nov, Givon, and the two Temples.
Another matter, “what shall I attest to you [a’idekh]?” Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: With how many ornaments have I adorned you! Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with the Holy One blessed be He at Sinai, and there was a crown in the hand of each and every one of them, to crown each and every one of Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: One million two hundred thousand descended; one adorned [an Israelite], and one placed a crown on him. Rabbi Huna of Tzippori said: A weapon belt, just as it says: “He removes the restraints of kings and binds a belt on their waists” (Job 12:18).
“To what shall I liken you?” To what nation did I liken you? Which nation did I redeem with a mighty arm and bring upon its enemies ten plagues? For what nation did I split the sea, rain manna, swarm quails, and raise a well of water? Which nation did I envelop with the clouds of glory, bring near Mount Sinai, and give them My Torah? “Daughter of Jerusalem [Yerushalayim], the daughter who fears [yere’a] and is complete [umushlemet] for Me.
“To what shall I equate you, and comfort you?” Rabbi Yaakov of Kefar Ḥanan said: When I will equate them to you, I will comfort you. When the day of which it is written: “The Lord will be exalted” (Isaiah 2:11) arrives, then I will comfort you.
“Virgin daughter of Zion [tziyon],” children who are distinguished [metzuyanim] through circumcision, through haircuts, and through ritual fringes.
“For your breach is as vast as the sea; [who can heal you?]” Rabbi Ḥolfai said: He who is destined to heal the breach in the sea, He will heal you. Rabbi Avin said: He, before whom you recited song at the sea: “This is my God and I will exalt Him” (Exodus 15:2), He will heal you. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He will heal your prophets for you.¹¹⁵He will cause the prophets to give real prophecies, rather than the false prophecies that led Israel astray, as indicated in the upcoming section. Alternatively, the meaning is: Who should heal you? Your prophets (see Etz Yosef).

“Your neck is like the tower of David, built magnificently. One thousand bucklers are hung upon it, all the shields of the mighty” (Song of Songs 4:4).
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – regarding which David elevated [gidel] you in his book. Regarding what did David elevate you in his book? “Who split the Red Sea asunder, [His mercy endures forever. He led Israel through its midst]” (Psalms 136:13).¹⁴The fact that Israel was the recipient of this great miracle is a credit to them. “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – what is letalpiyot? It is the book that was stated by many mouths [piyot]. Ten people said the book of Psalms: Adam the first man, Abraham, Moses, David, Solomon. Regarding these five there is no dispute. Who are the other five? Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan: Rav said: Asaf, Heiman, Yedutun, the three sons of Koraḥ,¹⁵The three sons of Koraḥ are counted as one. and Ezra; Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Asaf, Heiman, and Yedutun are one,¹⁶Asaf is one of the sons of Koraḥ, and Yedutun is not the name of an author, as explained below. each of the three sons of Koraḥ, and Ezra. In the opinion of Rav, Asaf is not included among the sons of Koraḥ. In the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan, Asaf here is Asaf there;¹⁷The Asaf mentioned as an author of certain psalms (see, e.g., Psalms 50:1) is the same Asaf who was a son of Koraḥ (see Exodus 6:24, which mentions a son of Koraḥ named Aviasaf). however, because he was a Torah personality he was privileged to recite song with his brothers¹⁸The other sons of Koraḥ and to recite song on his own. In the opinion of Rav, it is a different Asaf, as it is stated: “With Asaf, who prophesied by means of the king” (I Chronicles 25:2).¹⁹The Asaf mentioned in this verse was a contemporary of King David and not a son of Koraḥ.
“Who prophesied” – Rav and Rabbi Yoḥanan: Rav said: “To Yedutun” (Psalms 39:1) – who prophesied;²⁰This psalm was written by the individual named Yedutun who is mentioned as having prophesied (See I Chronicles 25:1). “regarding Yedutun” (Psalms 77:1) – regarding the punishments [dinin] that befell him and Israel. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “To Yedutun” [means] that [the psalmist] prophesied regarding the decrees [datin] and the punishment that befell him and Israel.²¹Even the Yedutun mentioned in Psalms 39 is not the name of a person. Rabbi Huna [said] in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Even though ten people said the book of Psalms, of all of them, it is not attributed to them, but exclusively to David king of Israel. They stated a parable: to what is this matter analogous? It is to a group of people who seek to recite a hymn to the king. The king said: You are all pleasant, you are all pious, you are all qualified to recite a hymn before me. However, so-and-so will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet. So too, when ten righteous people sought to recite the book of Psalms, the Holy One blessed be He said to them: You are all pleasant, pious, and qualified to recite a hymn before Me; however, David will recite it on behalf of all of you. Why? Because his voice is sweet. That is what is written: “The sweet singer of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Who sweetly sings the psalms of Israel? It is David son of Yishai.
“One thousand bucklers are hung upon it” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who stood at the sea and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of what came after one thousand generations.²²The Torah was given after one thousand generations (see Bereshit Rabba 28:4; Kohelet Rabba 7:28). The first nine hundred seventy-four generations that were supposed to exist were erased because they were not worthy, and there were twenty-six generations from Adam to Moses.
“All the shields of the mighty” – to include one who stands and controls his inclination and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time; his entire generation depends upon him. By means of whom was the Red Sea split for you? It was by means of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Moses and Aaron.
Rabbi Yoḥanan interpreted the verse regarding Israel before Mount Sinai: the flock that stood at Mount Sinai did not stand with lightheartedness. “Behind your braid [tzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – they would contract [metzamtzemin] themselves with each and every divine statement.²³They would huddle together in an expression of humility and unity. They would not stand with lightheartedness, but rather with fear, trembling, and agitation. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan cites it from here:²⁴This statement should appear after Rabbi Yehoshua’s statement that Israel was absolved of its sins at Sinai, which implies that the nations of the world, who did not receive the Torah, were still held accountable for their sins (Maharzu). It is written: “And the nations will be destroyed [ḥarov yeḥeravu]” (Isaiah 60:12) – from Ḥorev they will be destroyed, they received their death sentence.
“Your hair is like a flock of goats [that streams down [shegaleshu] from Mount Gilad]” (Song of Songs 4:1) – Rabbi Yehoshua said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The mountain from whose midst you took away [shegelashtem], I rendered it a memorial for the nations of the world. Which is this? This is Mount Sinai. What is it that you took away from its midst? “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2) – defined matters, two hundred and forty-eight positive commandments and three hundred and sixty-five negative commandments. “That have come up from bathing” (Song of Songs 4:2) – all of them were cleansed of iniquity. Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Mesharshiya say in the name of Rabbi Idi: In all the additional offerings it is written: “And one goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 28:15), “and [one] goat as a sin offering” (Numbers 28:22). However, regarding Shavuot it is not written that there is a sin offering, to teach you that they did not have sin or iniquity attributed to them.
“That are all paired” (Song of Songs 4:2) – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: On the day that the Lord descended onto Mount Sinai to give the Torah to Israel, six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with him, and in the hand of each and every one of them was a crown with which to crown an Israelite, [one] for each and every one of Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana [said] in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: One million two hundred thousand ministering angels descended with the Holy One blessed be He to Sinai; one would adorn [an Israelite] with a crown and one would gird a zoni on him. What is a zoni? Rabbi Huna the Great of Tzippori said: It is a belt [zonam], just as it says: “He loosens the bonds of kings and girds a belt on their waists” (Job 12:18). “And there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 4:2) – that not one of them was harmed.
“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3) – this is the voice before the divine speech; just as it says: “The entire people responded with one voice” (Exodus 24:3). “Your speech is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3) – this is the voice that is after the divine speech, as it is stated: “The Lord heard the sound of your words…the Lord said to me: I heard the sound of the words…they did well in everything that they spoke” (Deuteronomy 5:25). What is “they did well [heitivu] in everything that they spoke”? Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Ada and bar Kappara: one said it was done well like the removal [hatava] of the ashes from the lamps of the candelabrum,²⁵This is performed after the flames are extinguished, a reference to what they said after the commandments. and one said it was done well like the preparation [hatava] of the incense.”²⁶This is performed before the incense is burned, a reference to what they said before the commandments. At that moment, Moses began lauding them: “Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty [hareikan] among you is packed with mitzvot like this pomegranate. It goes without saying: “Behind your braid [letzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – regarding which David elevated [gidel] you in his book. Regarding what did David elevate you in his book? “God, when You emerged before Your people” (Psalms 68:8). What is written thereafter? “The earth quaked…[this is Sinai; at the presence of God, the God of Israel]” (Psalms 68:9). Likewise, “The mountains flowed before the Lord; [this is Sinai before the Lord, God of Israel]” (Judges 5:5), as the verse did not need to say: “This is Sinai before the Lord, God of Israel.”²⁷It mentions Israel in order to accord them honor. “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – a book that was stated by many mouths [piyot].
“One thousand bucklers” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who stood before Mount Sinai and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of what came after one thousand generations.²⁸Moses You relied not only upon him, but rather, “all the shields of the mighty” – to include anyone who arises and controls and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time. Their entire generations depend upon them. By means of whom was the Torah given? It was by means of “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Moses and Aaron.

Another interpretation (of Hab. 3:6): HE AROSE AND MEASURED THE EARTH, because he wanted to return the world to the measurements of his waters, when the nations did not want to accept the Torah. If it had not been for Israel accepting it, the world would have returned to the measurements of his waters. < It is > just as you say (in Is. 40:12): WHO HAS MEASURED THE WATERS IN THE HOLLOW OF HIS HAND? But when Israel accepted it, the earth was still, as stated (in Ps. 76:9 [8]): THE EARTH WAS AFRAID AND WAS STILL. So it is from there (i.e., from Sinai) that the gentiles received their judgement.³⁹Gk.: apophasis. (Hab. 3:6, cont.:) HE LOOKED AND MADE NATIONS TREMBLE (rt.: NTR). How did he make < them > tremble (hittir, rt.: NTR)? R. Abba bar Kahana said in the name of R. Johanan: He proscribed (dam hittir)⁴⁰Literally: he permitted their blood < to be shed >. them {seven peoples}, as stated (in Is. 60:12): AND THE NATIONS SHALL BE DESTROYED. R. Simeon ben Johay says: {He proscribed (hittir dam) them {seven peoples} and their possessions.} [Otherwise, compare what is said (in Numb. 13:16): TO SPY OUT (latur) THE LAND.] R. Aha said: He had them jump into Gehinnom, for it is stated (in Lev. 11:21): < KNEE JOINTS ABOVE THEIR FEET > TO LEAP (rt.: NTR) WITH UPON THE GROUND.⁴¹Below, Deut. 11:3. R. Huna of Sepphoris said: He untied (hittir) their girdles.⁴²Gk.: zonai. Compare what is said (in Job 12:18): HE UNDOES THE BOND OF KINGS, [AND BINDS A GIRDLE ON THEIR LOINS]. R. Tanhum ben Hanila'i said: He permitted (hittir) what was forbidden, abhorrent creatures and creeping things. Why? The matter is comparable to a physician who went to visit two patients.⁴³Lev. R. 13:2. He saw that one of them was in danger. He said to the children of his house: Tell him to eat whatever he wants. He saw the other, who was recovering. He said to the children of his house: Such and such food he may eat; such and such food he may not eat. They said to the physician: What < difference > did you see between the two of them [that you said to the one who was in danger: Let him eat whatever he wants, but said to the one who was recovering: Such and such food he may eat; such and such food he may not eat]. The physician said to them: When I saw that the one was dying, I said: Give him < any food > because he is going to die; [but let the other one watch himself, because there is life in him]. So also the Holy One has permitted (hittir) abhorrent creatures, creeping things, and all the transgressions for gentiles, who serve stars, because they are < destined > for Gehinnom. But in the case of Israel, because they are < destined > for life in paradise, he has said to them {(in Lev. 11:44): AND BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.} (in Lev. 11:43): YOU SHALL NOT MAKE YOURSELVES LOATHSOME. [(Lev. 11:44): AND BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.] This you may eat and this you may not eat. Why? Because they are alive, as stated (in Deut. 4:4): BUT YOU WHO CLUNG TO THE LORD YOUR GOD ARE ALL ALIVE TODAY. Ergo (in Hab. 3:6): HE AROSE AND MEASURED THE EARTH; [HE LOOKED AND PERMITTED (rt.: NTR) GENTILES < WHAT IS FORBIDDEN >]…..⁴⁴So R. Tanhum ben Hanila’i has reinterpreted the more traditional, AND MADE NATIONS TREMBLE.