Midrash sur Rois 1 1:40

(Fol. 90b) We are taught in a Mishna that there was a round place for collecting the ashes in the middle of the altar, and there were at times in it nearly as much as three hundred cors of ashes. "This must be an exaggeration," remarked Raba. R. Ami said: "The Pentateuch, the Prophets and the sages are wont to speak in a hyperbolical language. That the sages speak in a hyperbolical language, as quoted above; that the Pentateuch speaks in a hyperbolical language, we find in the following verses (Deut. 1, 28) Cities great and walled up to heaven; that the Prophets speak in a hyperbolical language, we find in the following verse (I Kings 1, 40) So that the earth rent with the sound of them." R. Isaac said: "In three places did the Rabbis use a hyperbolical language. They are: In connection with the ash-pile [in the altar] in connection with the vine, and in connection with the veil [of the Temple]. As to the ash-pile it was stated above; as to the vine, we find in the following Mishna: There was a golden vine at the entrance of the Temple, trailing on crystals, on which people, who donated fruit or grape clusters, would suspend on it. R. Elazar b. Zadok said: "It happened once that three hundred priests were summoned to clear [the vine of such offerings]." The veil refers to the following Mishna: Rabban Simon b. Gamaliel says in the name of R. Simon, the High-priest's substitute: "The thickness of the veil [of the Temple] was a hand-breadth. It was woven of seventy-two cords, each cord consisting of twenty-four strands. Its length was forty cubits, by twenty in width. It was made by eighty-two myriads of damsels, and two such veils were made every year. It took three hundred priests to immerse and cleanse it [if it becomes unclean]." (Fol. 91) R. Joshua b. Levi said: "The passage states (Gen. 32, 26) And he wrestled with him. This means that they did like a man wrestles with his friend, when his hand reaches the right thigh of his friend." R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: "The Angel appeared to him in the guise of a heathen, as the master said [elsewhere] that of an Israelite is joined by a heathen on the road, the latter should join at the right side of the Israelite." R. Samuel b. Acha said before R. Papa, in the name of Raba b. Ulla that the Angel appeared to Jacob in the guise of a scholar, as the master said [elsewhere] whoever walks at the right side of his teacher is to be considered an ignorant [hence he walked at the left of Jacob and thus reached Jacob's right thigh]. The Rabbis, however, maintain that he appeared at the back of Jacob and hit him at both thighs. But how will the Rabbis explain the passage, as he wrestled with him [which means that they had a frontal encounter]? This they explain in the way of the other interpretation of R. Joshua b. Levi, who said: "Infer from the above passage that the dust [caused by their wrestling] went upward until it reached the Divine throne; for it is written here (be'he'abko) as he wrestled with him, and again there is a passage (Nahum 1, 3) And the clouds are the dust (Abak) of His feet.