קוּמָ֤ה יְהוָ֗ה אֵ֭ל נְשָׂ֣א יָדֶ֑ךָ אַל־תִּשְׁכַּ֥ח עניים [עֲנָוִֽים׃]
Ah! Seigneur, lève-toi! Dieu puissant, brandis ta main, n’oublie point les humbles.
Vayikra Rabbah
Another matter, “when a woman conceives and bears a male child” – that is what is written: “You granted me life and grace, and Your command preserved my spirit” (Job 10:12). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said three [things, the first of which is]: The way of the world is that if a person takes a purse of coins and places the opening facing downward, do the coins not scatter? But the fetus is situated in his mother’s womb and the Holy One blessed be He protects it so that it will not fall out and die. Is this not praise? That is, “You granted me life and grace.”
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said another: The way of the world is that the animal walks with its body horizontal and the fetus is situated inside its womb like a sack, but the woman walks erect and the fetus is situated inside her womb and the Holy One blessed be He protects it so that it will not fall out and die. That is, “You granted me life and grace.”
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said another: The way of the world is that the teats of an animal are in a place [near the entrance to] its womb, and the offspring suckles in the place of its shame. But the woman, her breasts are in a place of beauty, and the baby suckles in the place of her glory. Is that not life and grace? That is, “You granted me life and grace.”
Rabbi Elazar said: If a person were to remain in hot water for a short while, would he not die? Yet the innards of a woman are boiling and the fetus is situated in her womb, and the Holy One blessed be He protects it so that it will not become a fetal sac, it will not become a placenta, and it will not become a sandal. Is that not life and grace? That is, “You granted me life and grace.”
Rav Taḥlifa of Caesarea said: If a person eats slice after slice, does the second not force the first downward? The woman, how much food does she eat, how many drinks does she drink, but it does not force the fetus downward. Is that not life and grace?
Rabbi Simon said: A woman’s womb is constructed compartments upon compartments, rings upon rings, bands upon bands. When she sits on the birthing stool, she does not cast it out all at once. In the parable it is said: One band is loosened, two bands are loosened.12The bands preventing the fetus from falling out are loosened gradually so that the process of birth occurs in a gradual and safe manner.
Rabbi Meir said: All nine months that the woman does not see blood, by right she should see. What does the Holy One blessed be He do? He diverts it upward to her breasts and transforms it into milk so that when the offspring emerges, he will have food to eat. This is especially if he is a male, as it is stated: “When a woman conceives and bears a male child.”13One should be thankful for all the care and kindness God has granted from the time of conception until birth, and even more so if the baby is a male (Etz Yosef).
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said another: The way of the world is that the animal walks with its body horizontal and the fetus is situated inside its womb like a sack, but the woman walks erect and the fetus is situated inside her womb and the Holy One blessed be He protects it so that it will not fall out and die. That is, “You granted me life and grace.”
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said another: The way of the world is that the teats of an animal are in a place [near the entrance to] its womb, and the offspring suckles in the place of its shame. But the woman, her breasts are in a place of beauty, and the baby suckles in the place of her glory. Is that not life and grace? That is, “You granted me life and grace.”
Rabbi Elazar said: If a person were to remain in hot water for a short while, would he not die? Yet the innards of a woman are boiling and the fetus is situated in her womb, and the Holy One blessed be He protects it so that it will not become a fetal sac, it will not become a placenta, and it will not become a sandal. Is that not life and grace? That is, “You granted me life and grace.”
Rav Taḥlifa of Caesarea said: If a person eats slice after slice, does the second not force the first downward? The woman, how much food does she eat, how many drinks does she drink, but it does not force the fetus downward. Is that not life and grace?
Rabbi Simon said: A woman’s womb is constructed compartments upon compartments, rings upon rings, bands upon bands. When she sits on the birthing stool, she does not cast it out all at once. In the parable it is said: One band is loosened, two bands are loosened.12The bands preventing the fetus from falling out are loosened gradually so that the process of birth occurs in a gradual and safe manner.
Rabbi Meir said: All nine months that the woman does not see blood, by right she should see. What does the Holy One blessed be He do? He diverts it upward to her breasts and transforms it into milk so that when the offspring emerges, he will have food to eat. This is especially if he is a male, as it is stated: “When a woman conceives and bears a male child.”13One should be thankful for all the care and kindness God has granted from the time of conception until birth, and even more so if the baby is a male (Etz Yosef).
Midrash Tehillim
"God arose, His enemies scattered; His foes fled before Him." (Psalm 68:1-2) Rabbi Pinchas, in the name of Rabbi Oshaya, said that God established five standing positions for David in the Book of Psalms. Four of them correspond to the four kingdoms that he saw in a vision through the Holy Spirit and how they would subjugate Israel, and God stood by each one of them. The fifth position corresponds to the kingdom of Gog, who will come to Israel with strength and say to God, "Arise, Lord, lift up Your hand." David said to God, "My Lord, there is no one to join with her except You." What is meant by "Arise, Lord, lift up Your hand"? It can be compared to a strong man who was crossing a river with his son when he grabbed his hand to help him pass. When they reached the middle of the river, the current became stronger and the rope snapped, causing his son to be carried away by the current. Immediately, the father cried out and said, 'Father, raise your hand and save me from drowning.' So too, the four kingdoms rule over the waters, as it is stated, 'Woe to the multitude of many people' (Isaiah 17:12), and Israel is drowning within it, as it is stated, 'I am sinking in deep mire, and there is no standing' (Psalm 69:3). If not for the Holy One, blessed be He, being with them, they would not have been able to escape, as it is stated, 'When you pass through the waters, I will be with you' (Isaiah 43:2). And when David saw that sin causes them to become stronger like a current of a river to wash away Israel, he began to cry out, 'Arise, O Lord, with Your hand, save me from drowning.' Therefore, he says, 'Arise, O Lord, remember Your oath' (Psalm 10:12). He said to him, 'As your soul lives, I raise My hand, as it is stated, "For I lift up My hand to heaven"' (Deuteronomy 32:40), and it is stated, 'Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations' (Isaiah 49:22)."
Pesikta Rabbati
... Teach us oh, teacher: once the Ninth of Av has ended, is everything permitted? R’ Chiyah the Great taught like this: once the Ninth of Av has ended, one is permitted to do anything. Why? Because it is like the case of a person whose dead is laid out before him, who is forbidden to eat meat or drink wine. Once the dead is buried, the mourner is permitted to do so. So to on the Ninth of Av one is a mourner – once the day has ended one is permitted to do anything. Even though we are permitted, we must always have a sigh in our hearts until the Holy One returns to her. The Holy One said to them: by your lives! I burnt her, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) I will build her, as it says “Yet again will I rebuild you, then you shall be built, O virgin of Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:3) Zion said to Him: Behold, I have been sitting thus for many years! I have counted the days from old and I have not been redeemed, therefore I have despaired. She said that my master has abandoned me. And from where do we learn that Zion said this? From that which is written regarding it “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) ... Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me…” (Isaiah 49:14) What is written before this? “Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, and mountains burst out in song, for the Lord has consoled His people, and He shall have mercy on His poor.” (Isaiah 49:13) Once Zion saw that the prophet recalled His people and His poor, but did not mention Zion or Jerusalem she said ‘the Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Immediately the Holy One replied and said to her: just as it is impossible for a woman to forget her sucking child, so to I am not able to forget you, “Shall a woman forget her sucking child, from having mercy on the child of her womb?” (Isaiah 49:15) She said to Him: Master of the world! How is that possible? There is no end to the evils I have done! I caused Your Holy Temple to be destroyed and I killed the prophets. R’ Berachia the Kohen said in the name of Rebbe: the Holy One said to her, I will forget your evil but I will not forget your good. “…These too shall forget, but I will not forget you.” (ibid.) I have forgotten “"These are your gods, O Israel…” (Exodus32:4) but “I am the Lord, your God…” (Exodus 20:2) I will not forget.