Jérémie 9:4 Midrash : Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Aggadat Bereshit

Rab took leave of R. Chiya, and the latter said to him: "May the Merciful save thee from the thing that is worse than death." Is there then a thing that is worse than death? [Rab thought to himself]. He proceeded to look into the matter until he found the passage (Ecc. 7, 26) And I find as more bitter than death the woman. Rab was often annoyed by his wife, so that when he asked her to prepare for him lentile, she would prepare small peas for him; and when he asked for peas, she would prepare lentile. When his son Chiya grew up he used to reverse [the orders, and thus the result was just what Rab wanted.] "Thy mother improved herself," Rab once remarked to his son. To which his son replied: "I caused it, because I had reversed the orders." Whereupon Rab said to him: "This is what people say: "Thy own descendant will teach thee sense.' However, thou shalt not do so [any more], because it is said (er. 9, 4) They have taught their tongue to speak falsehood, they weary themselves to commit iniquity." R. Chiya was often vexed by his wife, [nevertheless] when he found anything [suitable for her] he would tie it up in his cloak and bring it to her. When Rab [once] said to him: "Behold she is annoying the master" [and why yet bring her presents?] He answered: "It is sufficient for us that they raise our children and prevent us (Ib. b) from sin." R. Juda discussed the following passage with his son Isaac: And I find as more bitter than death the woman. The latter asked: "Who, for example?" "Like thy mother," came the reply. Is that so? Did not R. Juda teach R. Isaac his son: "One does not find pleasure only in his first wife, as it is said (Pr. 5, 18) Thy fountain will be blessed; and rejoice with the wife of thy youth." And when the latter asked him: "Who, for example?" to which the reply came, "Like your mother." She was irascible, nevertheless could be easily appeased with a word. What constitutes a bad wife? Abaye said: "One who has a tray ready for her husband, and has a mouth ready for him [to scold."] Rab said: "One who prepares a tray for him, and turns her back to him."

[2] Another interpretation: "And it came to pass at that time that Judah went down." (Hosea 12:1) This is referring to the tribe of Judah. "Ephraim surrounds me with falsehood." (Ibid.) This is in reference to what is written, "They have denied the Lord and said, 'He is not!'" (Jeremiah 5:12) "And with deceit, the House of Israel." (Hosea 12:1) The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Even with their deceit, they call upon Me," as it is written, "Your dwelling is in the midst of deceit." (Jeremiah 9:4) Therefore, they are subject to descent. "Judah still goes down with them to battle against the enemy." (Hosea 12:2) Come and see how I cherish you, that even when you sin and are subject to descent, I am with you, as it is written, "Judah still goes down with them." This is like what I said to Jacob, "I will go down with you to Egypt and I will also surely bring you up." (Genesis 46:4) Similarly, in Babylon, I sent you into exile for your benefit, as it is written, "And when they ascend, so do I." (Isaiah 43:14) As it is written regarding Samuel, "And Samuel grew, and the Lord was with him." (I Samuel 3:19) Similarly, regarding Solomon, "And the Lord magnified Solomon exceedingly on high." (I Chronicles 29:25) And regarding David, "David went and became great, and the Lord of Hosts was with him." (II Samuel 5:10) When you are in a state of descent, I am with you, as it is written, "Judah still goes down with them." In every place where these two tribes meet, they hate each other, and they are antagonistic to each other. Judah and Joseph are different from each other in this regard. And the children of Israel asked, "Who shall go up for us against the Canaanites first, to fight against them?" (Judges 1:1) And the Lord said, "Judah shall go up." (Judges 1:2) And what is written? "And the House of Joseph also went up against Bethel, and the Lord was with them." (Judges 1:22) And it is written, Ephraim became a trained heifer, But preferred to thresh; [i *Lit. “passed over the comeliness of its neck.”placed a yoke Upon her sleek neck.-i] I will make Ephraim [*Taking rkb in the sense of the Arabic krb.do advance plowing;-j] Judah [*Emendation yields “Israel.”] shall do [main] plowing! Jacob shall do final plowing!(Hosea 10:11) You say that just as the Anointed One who will arise from Joseph and the Anointed One who will arise from Judah are not jealous of each other, as it is written: "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim" (Isaiah 11:13), so too will the antagonism between the sects come to an end in the future when they are united. However, in this world, since they are not connected to each other, they envy each other. As long as they are in this state of descent, they remain lowly. But in the future, when they are connected to each other, they will rise up, as it is written: "The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together" (Hosea 2:2), and at that time they will ascend from the earth (Hosea 2:2). God said, "Now that you are united, you have risen up, and I am also elevated with you," as David said: "The princes of the peoples gather together, even the people of the God of Abraham" (Psalm 47:10), for which reason it is said, "Judah will yet go up to God." When the nations rise up, Israel descends, and when Israel rises up, the nations descend. In the days of Rehoboam, when they sinned, they descended and the nations ascended, as it is written: "Now it came to pass in the fifth year of King Rehoboam, that Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem" (1 Kings 14:25). In the days of Hosea, when they sinned, they descended and the nations ascended, as it is written: "In his days Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up, and Jehoiakim became his servant" (2 Kings 24:1). In the days of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, when they sinned, they descended and the nations ascended, as it is written: "Now it came to pass in the ninth year of his reign, in the tenth month, in the tenth day of the month, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came, he and all his army, against Jerusalem, and pitched against it" (2 Kings 25:1). However, in the future, the opposite will happen. As it is written, "Son of man, wail over the multitude of Egypt, and cast them down" (Ezekiel 32:18), and "I will bring you down with those who descend into the Pit" (Ezekiel 26:20), and Israel will ascend, as it is written, "The children of Judah and the children of Israel will be gathered together" (Hosea 2:2), and the Holy One, blessed be He, will be with them, as it is written, "God is greatly exalted over all gods" (Psalm 97:9).