Midrash sur Isaïe 30:33

Rabbi Yehudah Bar Simon opened with (Daniel 2:22): "He reveals the deep and secret. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him." "He reveals the deep"--this is Hell, as it says (Proverbs 9:18): "He does not know there are spirits there," and it says (Isaiah 30:33): "deep and large". "And secret"--this is Paradise, as it says (Isaiah 4:6): "for a cover and refuge from storm and rain," and it says (Psalms 31:21): "You hide them in the cover of Your presence." Alternatively, "he reveals the deep and secret"--these are the acts of the wicked, as it says (Isaiah 29:15): "Woe to the ones who seek deep from God to make their counsel secret." "And secret"--these are the acts of the wicked, as the verse states. "He knows what is in the dark"--these are the acts of the wicked, as it says in Isaiah: "Their acts are in the dark." "The light dwells with Him"--these are the acts of the righteous, as it is written (Proverbs 4:18): "The path of the righteous is like the light at dawn," and it says (Psalms 97:11): "Light is sown for the righteous." Rabbi Abba Srungia said: "The light dwells with Him"--this is the Messiah, as it says (Isaiah 60:1): "Arise, shine, for your light has come." Rabbi Yehudah Bar Simon said: From the beginning of the creation of the world, "he revealed the dark and secret". "In the beginning God created the heavens," but it is not explained. Where is it explained? Here (Isaiah 40:22): "He stretches out the heavens like a curtain." "And the land," but it is not explained. Where is it explained? Here (Job 37:6): "For He says to the snow: 'Fall on the earth.'" and (Job 38:38) "When the dust runs into a mass, and the clods cleave together." "And God said: 'Let there be light,'" and it is not explained. Where is it explained? (Psalms 104:2) "You cover Yourself with light like a garment."

R. Joshua b. Levi said: "Gehenna has seven names; Grave, Place of Destruction, Dungeon. Horrible Pit, Miry Clay, Shadow of Death, and Subterranean Land. Grave, as it is written (Jonah 2, 3.) Out of the depth of the grave have I cried. Place of Destruction, as it is written (Ps. 88, 12.) Shall thy kindness be related in the grave, and thy righteousness in the place of destruction? Dungeon, as it is written (Ib. 16, 10.) For Thou wilt not abandon my soul to the grave; Thou wilt not suffer thy pious to see dungeon. And Horrible Pit, and Miry Clay, as it is written (Ib. 40, 3.) And he brought me up out of the horrible pit, and of the miry clay. Shadow of Death, as it is written (Ib. 107, 10.) Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death; and it is known by tradition under the name of Subterranean Land.'" Is there no other name [for Gehenna]? Behold, there is also Gei Hinom? This means only a valley which is as deep as Gehenna and to which people go to practice lewdness. There still remains the name, Topheth, as it is written (Is. 30, 33.) For already of old is Topheth made ready. This means that whoever is persuaded by his evil impulse, will fall in there. Concerning the locality of Paradise. Resh Lakish said: 'If it is in Palestine, its gate must be in the city of Beth Shean, [since it yields the best fruits]; If Paradise is situated in Araby then its gate is in the city of Beth Gerem [the most productive spot]. And if it is between the rivers it must be in Damaskanun." In Babylon, Abaye would praise the fruit growing on the other side of the Euphrates and Rabba would praise the fruit of the City of Harphania.

Whence do we know that this applies to the Torah? Because it is said, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old" (Prov. 8:22). "Of old" means before the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Garden of Eden? Because it is said, "And the Lord God planted a garden of old" (Gen. 2:8). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know this with reference to the Throne of Glory? Because it is said, "Thy throne is established of old" (Ps. 93:2). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know that Repentance (was premundane)? Because it is said, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world" (Ps. 90:2); and then in close proximity (we read), "Thou turnest man to contrition" (Ps. 90:3). "Before," i.e. before || the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Temple? Because it is said, "A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary" (Jer. 17:12). "From the beginning," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence we do know that the name of the Messiah (was premundane)? Because it is said, "His name shall endure for ever; before the sun Yinnôn was his name" (Ps. 72:17). "Yinnôn," before the world had been created. Another verse says, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art to be least among the thousands of Judah, from thee shall he come forth unto me who is to be ruler over Israel; whose ancestry belongs to the past, even to the days of old" (Mic. 5:2). "The past," whilst as yet the world had not been created.