Midrash sobre Lamentaciones 3:25

“The Lord is good to those who trust in Him, to the soul that seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25).
“The Lord is good to those who trust in Him” – is it, perhaps, to everyone?⁵⁵One might think that the Lord is good to everyone who trusts in Him. The verse states: “To the soul that seeks Him.”⁵⁶This is taken to mean that God is good only to those who seek Him alone and do not place their trust in anything else (Etz Yosef). Similarly, “Truly, God is good to Israel” (Psalms 73:1) – is it, perhaps, to everyone? The verse states: “To those pure of heart” (Psalms 73:1), to those whose heart is pure, who have no iniquity. Similarly, “Happy is the man whose strength is in You” (Psalms 84:6) – is it, perhaps, for everyone? The verse states: “Whose heart follows Your path” (Psalms 84:6), those in whose hearts the path of the Torah is paved. Similarly, “Be good, Lord, to those who are good” (Psalms 125:4) – is it, perhaps, for everyone? The verse states: “And to the upright of heart” (Psalms 125:4). Similarly, “The Lord is close to all who call Him” (Psalms 145:18) – is it, perhaps, for everyone? The verse states: “To all who call Him in truth” (Psalms 145:18). Similarly, “Who is God like You, bearing iniquity and overlooking transgression?” (Micah 7:18) – is it, perhaps, for everyone? The verse states: “For the remnant of His inheritance” (Micah 7:18).
“It is good to wait silently for the salvation of the Lord” (Lamentations 3:26).
“It is good to wait silently for the salvation of the Lord” – Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: After the Holy One blessed be He despairs of the righteous in this world, He then has mercy on them. That is what is written: “It is good to wait silently for the salvation of the Lord.”
“It is good for a man that he bear a yoke in his youth” (Lamentations 3:27).
“It is good for a man that he bear a yoke in his youth” – the yoke of Torah, the yoke of a wife, the yoke of labor.

There was a Min who said to R. Abina: "It is written (II Sam. 7, 23) And who is like Thy people, like Israel, the only nation on the earth? Why do you pride yourself over it? Are you not mingled among other nations, of whom it reads (Is. 40, 17) All the nations are as naught before Him?" And he answered: "A prophet of your own nation has testified concerning us (Ib. b), for it is written (Num. 23, 9) And among the nations it shall not be reckoned." R. Elazar raised the following contradictions: "It is written (Ps. 145, 9) The Lord is good to all, and it is also written (Lam. 3, 25) The Lord is good unto those that hope in Him. This question may be likened to one who possesses a fruit garden. When he waters it, he waters all of the trees, and when he covers up the roots, he does so only to the best of them."

(Lev. 14:34:) WHEN YOU COME INTO THE LAND < OF CANAAN…, AND WHEN I PUT A PLAGUE OF LEPROSY IN A HOUSE OF THE LAND YOU POSSESS >. This text is related (to Ps. 73:1): BUT (akh) [GOD] IS GOOD TO ISRAEL. Could it < mean > to all < Israel >? The text reads (ibid., cont.): TO THE PURE IN HEART.⁴¹Lev. R. 17:1; Lam. R. 3:25 (9): M. Pss. 4:5. [Similarly you say on the matter (in Lam. 3:25): THE LORD IS GOOD TO THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM. Could it < mean > to all? The text reads (ibid., cont.:) TO THE SOUL THAT SEEKS HIM. Similarly you say on the matter (in Nahum 1:7): THE LORD IS GOOD, A SHELTER IN THE DAY OF TROUBLE. Could it < mean > to all? The text reads (ibid., cont.): AND HE KNOWS THOSE WHO SEEK REFUGE IN HIM. Similarly you say on the subject (in Ps. 145:9): THE LORD IS GOOD TO ALL. Could it < mean > to all? The text reads (ibid., cont.): AND HIS MERCY IS UPON ALL HIS WORKS. Similarly you say on the matter (in Ps. 84:6 [5]): BLESSED IS THE ONE WHOSE STRENGTH IS IN YOU. Could it < mean > to all? The text reads (ibid., cont.): IN WHOSE HEART ARE THE HIGHWAYS. These are the ones in whose hearts < lie > the pathways of the Law. Similarly on < the matter > (there is Ps. 125:4): DO GOOD, O LORD, TO THE GOOD. Could it < mean > to all? The text reads (ibid., cont.): AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE UPRIGHT IN THEIR HEARTS. Similarly on < the matter > (there is Ps. 145:18): THE LORD IS NEAR TO ALL WHO CALL TO HIM. Could it < mean > to all? The text reads (ibid., cont.): TO ALL WHO CALL TO HIM IN TRUTH. Similarly you say on the matter (in Micah 7:18): WHO IS A GOD LIKE YOU THAT FORGIVES INIQUITY, AND PASSES OVER THE TRANSGRESSION. Could it < mean > for all? The text reads (ibid., cont.): FOR THE REMNANT OF HIS HERITAGE. Therefore (in Ps. 73:1): GOD IS TRULY GOOD TO ISRAEL, TO THE PURE IN HEART. It does not say: "God is good to Israel"; instead < it reads >: BUT (akh) < GOD > IS GOOD < TO ISRAEL >. BUT (akh) < implies > a limitation.⁴²See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 1:8, and the parallels listed there. The afflictions which he brought upon them are good. < Good > for what? FOR THE PURE IN HEART, to purify < their heart > today for the world to come. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 73:1): BUT (akh) < GOD > IS GOOD < TO ISRAEL >, TO THE PURE IN HEART. (Ibid., vs. 3:) FOR I WAS ENVIOUS OF THOSE WHO RAGE (holelim) < WHEN > I SAW THE PROSPERITY OF THE WICKED. I saw their well-being, and I was envious. < I.e., I was envious > of those who commit profane acts continuously (halalim halalim),⁴³The midrash interprets holelim in Ps. 73:3, as coming from the same root as halalim by changing the h from the he in the Psalm to a het. as stated (in Job 15:20): A WICKED PERSON ACTS PROFANELY (metholel)⁴⁴Again the midrash interprets the Psalmist’s he as equivalent to the het used here in Job and in addition interprets the whole word as coming from the root HLL. In the biblical text of Job 15:20, metholel comes from the root HYL and means “writhe in torment.” ALL HIS DAYS. (Ps. 73:3:) THE PROSPERITY (shalom) OF THE WICKED: they dwell in quiet and tranquility. (Job 21:9:) THEIR HOUSES ARE SECURE (shalom), WITHOUT FEAR, NOR IS THE ROD OF GOD UPON THEM. (Ps. 73:4:) FOR THERE ARE NO PANGS AT THEIR DEATH, AND THEIR BODY ('WLM) IS SOUND. What pangs? You were not brought down to nothing,⁴⁵Cf. the parallel in Yalqut Shim‘oni, Pss., 808, which has a slightly different verb and can be translated: “You were anxious for nothing.” nor were you chained to suffering. (Ibid.:) AND THEIR BODY ('WLM) IS HEALTHY; therefore, they are as sound as the vestibule ('WLM) (of the Temple).

... “He does the will of those who fear Him…” (Tehillim 145:19) Meaning that Gd does not annul his prayers and gives him what he requests. This refers to David, of whom it is written “I am a companion to all who fear You…” (Tehillim 119:63) at the time when he was troubled over the Holy Temple, as it is written “Remember, O Lord, onto David all his affliction. That he swore to the Lord, he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob; That I shall not come into the tent of my house, and I shall not go up on the bed that was spread for me. I shall not give sleep to my eyes nor slumber to my pupils, Until I find a place for the Lord, dwellings for the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Tehillim 132:1-5) Since the Holy One saw that he stood there, troubled over the Holy Temple, He immediately sent Gad the prophet to him and showed him the place of the Holy Temple, as it is written “And Gad came to David on that day, and said to him, ‘Go up to erect an altar to the Lord in the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Jebusite.’” (Shmuel II 24:18) David went there immediately, as it says “And David went up according to the word of Gad, as the Lord had commanded. (Shmuel II 24:19) He found there the altar where Adam, the first man, made offerings, where Noach made offerings, where Avraham made offerings. Once he found it he began to measure, saying ‘from here to here will be the Courtyard, from here to here will be the Holy of Holies’ as it says “And David said, ‘This is the House of the Lord God…” (Divre HaYamim I 22:1) And how could he declare “…and this is the altar for burnt offerings for Israel” (ibid.)? This is what is meant that the Holy One does not nullify the desire of the righteous, but rather gives them what they seek in order to fulfill “He does the will of those who fear Him…” (Tehillim 145:19)