Midrash sur Rois 2 23:37

And the seven prophetesses that prophecied to Israel, who were they? Sarah, Miriam, Deborah, Hannah, Abigail, Huldah and Esther. Sarah as it is written (Gen. 11, 29) The father of Milcah and the father of Yiscah. And R. Isaac said: "Yiscah refers to Sarah, but why was she called Yiscah? Because that signifies seeing, and she was a seer through the Holy Spirit and this is derived from the passage (Ib. 21, 12) Whatever Sarah tells you hearken to her voice. Miriam, as it is written (Ex. 15, 26) Then took Miriam the prophetess, the sister of Aaron. Was she then Aaron's and not Moses' sister." "This means," said R. Nachman, in the name of Rab, "that she had prophecied even when she had been only Aaron's sister [before Moses' birth] saying, 'In the future my mother will give birth to a child that will deliver the Israelites.' Finally, when Moses was born, the whole house was filled with light, and her father arose, and kissed her on her head, and saying to her, 'My daughter, thy prophecy is fulfilled.' Afterward, when he was cast into the river, her mother rose, saying to her, 'My daughter, what has become of thy prophecy?' And thus we understand the passage (Ib. 2, 4) And his sister placed herself afar off, to ascertain what would be done to him, to mean to know what would be the outcome of her prophecy." Deborah, as it is written (Jud. 4, 4) Now Deborah, a prophetess, the wife of Lapidoth. R. Isaac said: "This means that she prepared wicks for the lights in Mishkai. Hannah, as it is written (I Sam. 2, 1) And Hannah prayed and said, 'My heart is glad in the Lord, my horn is exalted through the Lord.' My horn is exalted, and not my flask. This refers to David and Solomon, who were anointed with oil taken from a horn, their dynasty endured; but Saul and Jehu, who were anointed with oil from a flask, their dynasties did not endure. (Ib. 2) There is none holy as the Lord; for there is none besides Thee; Neither is there any rock like our God." R. Juda b. Manassia said: "Do not read, Ein Biltecha [none besides Thee] but read Ein Lebalathecha [nothing could wear you out] . Come and see that the nature of the Holy One, praised be He! is not like the nature of frail man. The work of frail man exhausts its maker, but the Holy One, praised be He! is not so; He exhausts His work." Neither is there any rock like our God; Do not read Ein Tzur (rock), but read Ein Tzayer, (there is no sculptor like our God) for the custom of the world is to form a shape on the wall, but he can put into it neither breath, nor soul, nor entrails, nor bowels, but the Holy One, praised be He! He forms a shape within a shape (creates a body within a body) and puts into it breath, soul, entrails and bowels. Abigail, as it is written (I Sam. 25, 29-31) And the soul of my lord will be bound in the bond of life with the Lord thy God. When she departed she said to him. And when the Lord will do *** ood my Lord. She prophecied that he would be king. R. Nachman said: "This is the meaning of the current statement, 'A woman handles the shuttle while she talks,' or 'the duck bends its head down in walking, and its eyes look all around (it follows two pursuits at the same time.'" Huldah, as it is written (II Kings 22, 14) And Chilkiyaha the priest, and Achikam, and Achbor and Shaphan and Assahyah went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum the son of Tikvah. But how did Huldah prophecy in the place where Jeremiah lived? At the school of Rab it was explained that Huldah was a relative and therefore he was not particular about it. But why did King Joshiyah himself ignore Jeremiah and send a committee unto Huldah? R. Shila said: "Because women are compassionate." R. Jochanan said: "Because Jeremiah was not there, for he went to bring the ten tribes back [from the exile]." And whence do we infer that he did bring them back? It is written (Ex. 7, 13) For the seller shall not return to that which is sold. It is possible that the prophet should prophecy the suspension of the jubilee law when the law had already been abolished? We must therefore say that Jeremiah had caused the return [of the ten tribes] and Joshiyah b. Amon reigned over them. Whence do we infer this? It is written (II Kings 23, 17) What king of monument is that which I see? And the men of the city said to him, "It is the grave of the man of God, who came from Judah and proclaimed these things which thou hast done against the altar of Beth-El.' What had Joshiyah to do with the altar of Beth-El? From this we infer that Jeremiah returned [the ten tribes] from captivity when he began to practice the jubilee law and Joshiyah was king over them. And Esther, as it is written (Est. 5) Now it came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her royalty. It should be written, royal apparel. "Infer from this," said R. Elazar, in the name of R. Cahnina, "that she clothed herself in the Holy Spirit. Here it is written Vatilbash (she put on) and there (I Chr. 12, 18) A spirit, labsha (invested) Amassai. [Just as in the latter place the word Labsha is employed to signify the Holy Spirit, so here also Vatilbash signfies the Holy Spirit]." R. Nachman said: "Pride does not- fit women. Two women were proud, and they both had unlovely names; one was call Bee (Deborah) and the other was called Cat (Huldah). Of Deborah it is written (Jud. 4, 6) And she sent and called Barak but she did not go to him, and of Huldah it is written (II Kings 22, 15) Say unto the man that hath sent you to me; and she did not say, tell the king."

Further said R. Samuel b. Nachmeini in the name of R. Jonathan: "He who says that Solomon sinned, errs, because it is written (I Kings 11, 4.) And his heart was not undivided with the Lord, his God, like the heart of David, his father. It is true that his heart was not as undivided with God as was his father's, nevertheless he did not sin. But how shall we explain the passage (Ib. 11, 1.) And it came to pass, at the time that Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart? This, R. Nathan explained, for R. Nathan raised the question of contradiction. It is written And it came to pass at the time when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart (to sin). Behold, it is written in the same chapter — His heart was not like that of David, his father, nevertheless, he did not sin. [We must therefore say that] His wives tried to 'turn away' his heart toward idolatry, but he did not practice it. But it is written (Ib. 11, 7.) Then did Solomon build a high-place for Kemosh, the abomination of Mo'ab. This also means that he only wanted to, but did not build. But according to this, does the passage (Josh. 8, 30.) Then Joshua built an altar unto the Lord, also mean that he wanted to but did not build? Surely we must say that in this case, it means he did build! Then why not the same in the previous case? But [the incident of Solomon] means, as it stated (in the Baraitha) R. Jossi says: And the high-places that were before Jerusalem, which were to be right of the mount of Mishcha which Solomon, the King of Israel had built for Ashtarta, the abomination of the Zidonians, etc. "Is it possible that neither King Assa nor Jehoshaphat had cleaned them out until Joshiyahu came and cleaned them out? Did not Assa and Jehoshaphat cleanse the land of Israel of all the idols? But [it is intended rather] for the purpose of comparing the former (Solomon) to the latter (Joshiyahu); just as in the case of the latter, it is assigned to him although he did not destroy them [merely for having abolished those that were established after the death of Assa and Jehoshaphat]. The same rule is to be followed in the case of the former (Solomon); although he did not build, but since he did not restrain [when done by his wives], the blame is credited to him." But it is written (I Kings 11, 6.) And Solomon did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord. Because Solomon should have restrained his wives and did not do so, Scripture credits him with having committed the deed himself. R. Juda in the name of Samuel said: "It would have been better for that pious man (Solomon) had he been a slave in an idolatrous temple, only that it might not be written about him. And he did what is evil in the eyes of the Lord." R. Juda said in the name of Samuel: "When Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh, she brought to him about a thousand different musical instruments. Each of these was used in the worship of the separate idols, which she named unto him, and yet he did not object to it." R. Juda said further in the name of Samuel: "When Solomon married the daughter of Pharaoh Gabriel, went down and stuck a reed into the sea, and it gathered about it a bank on which the great city of Rome was built." In a Baraitha we were taught that on the day, when Jeroboam introduced the two golden calves (as idols), a hut was built (on the site of Rome), and this grew to be Greek Italy.

R. Yudan opened the discussion with the verse: The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver; the heart of the wicked is little worth (Prov. 10:20). The tongue of the righteous is as choice silver alludes to the prophet Iddo. The heart of the wicked is little worth refers to Jeroboam. Scripture states: And behold, there came a man of God out of Judah by the word of the Lord unto Beth-el, and Jeroboam was standing by the altar to offer; and he cried against the altar by the word of the Lord, and said: “O altar, altar” (I Kings 13:1–2). Why is the word altar repeated twice? R. Abba the son of Kahana said: Because there were two altars, one at Bethel and one at Dan. Why did he say: Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and upon thee shall he sacrifice the priests of the high places that offer upon thee, and man’s bones shall be burnt upon thee? (ibid., v. 2)? It does not say in the verse “the bones of Jeroboam” but rather man’s bones. You learn from this that he (the prophet) was respectful toward the government. And it came to pass, when the king heard the saying of the man of God, which he cried against the altar in Beth-el, that Jeroboam put forth his hand from the altar, saying: “Lay hold on him.” And his hand, which he put forth against him, dried up, so that he could not draw it back (ibid., vv. 4–5).