Les Psaumes 71:19 Midrash : Eikhah Rabbah & Vayikra Rabbah

“From on high He sent fire into my bones, and He crushed them; He spread a net for my feet, He turned me back. He rendered me desolate, suffering all day” (Lamentations 1:13).
“From on high He sent fire into my bones.” Rabbi Ami asked Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani, he said to him: ‘Because I heard about you, that you are a master of aggada, what is [the meaning of] that which is written: “For Your righteousness [vetzikatekha], God, reaches on high”?’ (Psalms 71:19). He said to him: ‘Just as those below are required to perform charity [tzedaka] with one another, so those on high are required to perform charity with one another.’
Rabbi Yoḥanan said in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Any place where it is stated: “He said, he said,”¹⁵¹Wherever the term “he said” appears twice in the introduction to a single statement. it is stated only to be expounded. That is what is written: “He said to the man clothed in linen, and He said: Come to between the galgal [beneath the cherub, and fill your hands with smoldering coals from between the cherubs, and cast them upon the city]” (Ezekiel 10:2). What is “He said,” “He said,” twice? It is that the Holy One blessed be He spoke to the angel, and the angel [then] said to the cherub: ‘Even though the Holy One blessed be He decreed upon me to take the coals, I am not allowed to enter behind your partition. Rather, perform an act of kindness and give me two of your coals so I will not be burned.’ That is what is written: “He carried it and placed it into the cupped hands of the one clothed in linen” (Ezekiel 10:7). What is “he carried it and he placed it”? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: He cooled them and placed them in his hand.
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin [said] in the name of Rabbi Levi: For six years the coals were dimly smoldering in Gabriel’s hand, and he believed that Israel would repent. When they did not repent, he sought to cast them upon them in rage. The Holy One blessed be He summoned him and said to him: ‘Gabriel, Gabriel! Slowly, slowly, for there are among them those who perform charity with one another.’ That is what is written: “On the cherubs the form of a man’s hand was seen beneath their wings” (Ezekiel 10:8).¹⁵²The hand represents the Holy One blessed be He preventing Gabriel from casting the coals on them.
Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Levi: What holds up the supernal and the earthly? It is the charity that Israel performs with the hand. That is what is written: “For Your righteousness, God, reaches on high” (Psalms 71:19).¹⁵³The verse is interpreted to mean that the merit of the charity that God commanded Israel to perform “reaches on high,” in that it supports even the heavens.
Similarly, “The man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, and said: So said the Lord: [Because Aram said: The Lord is a God of mountains and not a God of lowlands, I will deliver all this great multitude into your hand, and you will know that I am the Lord]” (I Kings 20:28). What is “and said” twice? It is that in the first statement he said to him: ‘If ben Hadad comes under your control, have no pity on him.’ In the second statement, he said to him: ‘How many traps have I laid, how many signals have I sent, how many conquests did I perform before I subdued him before you, and now you have freed him in peace?’ Therefore, “your life shall be in place of his life, and your people instead of his people” (I Kings 20:42).
Similarly, “King Aḥashverosh said and he said to Queen Esther” (Esther 7:5). What is “he said,” “he said,” twice? Rav said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: Before he sensed that she was Jewish, he would speak to her directly. Once he sensed that she was Jewish, King Aḥashverosh spoke to the translator and the translator spoke to Queen Esther.
Similarly, “The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, sons of Aaron, and say to them” (Leviticus 21:1). Why do I need these two sayings? It is that in the first saying, He said to him: “He shall not become impure from a corpse among his people” (Leviticus 21:1). In the second, He said to him: ‘If you come upon a corpse that it is a mitzva to bury, impurify yourself for it.’¹⁵⁴Although a priest is forbidden from becoming impure from a corpse, if there is a corpse that has no one to bury it, it is a mitzva for anyone, even a priest, to see to the burial. Since in this world you impurify yourself for a corpse that it is a mitzva to bury, in the future you will not become impure from any corpse, for there will be no death in the future, as it is stated: “He will eliminate death forever” (Isaiah 25:8).
Alternatively, “for Your righteousness, God, reaches on high, [for the great deeds You have done]” these are the two luminaries.¹⁵⁵This refers to the sun and the moon. “God, who is comparable to You” (Psalms 71:19), in that You suppress the attribute of justice. At that moment, the accuser leapt before the Throne of Glory and said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, will this wicked one arrogantly say: I destroyed the house of the Lord and burned His Temple? If it is so,¹⁵⁶If the Temple must be destroyed. let fire descend from on high and burn it.’ Immediately, what is written: “From on high He sent fire into my bones.” Rabbi Yehoshua said: That is why the prophet rebukes Babylon and says to it: “Take a millstone and grind flour” (Isaiah 47:2). Everyone grinds wheat, yet it says “grind flour”? Rather, Jerusalem said to the daughter of Babylon: Had war not been waged against me from on high, could you have waged war against me? Had fire not been sent against me from on high, could you have overcome me? Rather, you killed a dead lion. You ground already ground flour. You set fire to a burned city. That is why it says: “From on high He sent fire into my bones and He crushed them [vayirdena].” What is “and He crushed them [vayirdena]”? Moved them, just as you say: “He scooped [vayirdehu] it into his hands” (Judges 14:9).¹⁵⁷The midrash is interpreting the word vayirdena to mean “he moved them” rather than “He crushed them.” Thus, the verse is interpreted to mean that God sent fire from on high against the Temple, and the enemy merely moved the burned bones.
Alternatively, vayirdena [means] ruled, just as it says: “He will rule [veyerd] from sea to sea” (Psalms 72:8). Alternatively, vayirdena [means] subjugated, just as it says: “For he subjugated [rodeh] the entire region beyond the River” (I Kings 5:4). Alternatively, vayirdena [means] plowing [radya], as it is taught: Rufus plowed the Sanctuary. Rabbi Beiva of Rangaya said: Vayirdena, he saw [vayar] the attribute of justice [din] harming it.
“He spread a net for my feet.” Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: If you see benches filled with Babylonians situated in the Land of Israel, anticipate the footsteps of the Messiah. What is the source? “He spread [paras] a net for my feet.”¹⁵⁸This is expounded as a reference to Persia [paras]. When the Persians, whose empire included Babylon, spread their net in the Land of Israel, it will be a harbinger of the Messiah. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: If you see a Persian horse tied in the Land of Israel, anticipate the footsteps of the Messiah. What is the source? “This will be peace: When Assyria [will come into our land and when it will tread in our palaces, we will raise against it seven shepherds, and eight princes of men]” (Micah 5:4). “He turned me back,” away from the priesthood, away from the kingdom. “He rendered me desolate,” set for destruction; “suffering all day,” [sent] to the gallows.

“The Lord said to Moses: Speak to the priests, sons of Aaron [and say to them].” Wherever it says: “he said, he said,” it requires expounding.³⁵Wherever the verse uses the term said (or speaking) twice for the same statement, such as “speak to the priests…and say to them,” it requires expounding. “King Aḥashverosh said and he said to Queen Esther: [Who is he…who is so presumptuous to do so?]” (Esther 7:5). Why “he said,” “he said” [twice]? He said to her: If it is he,³⁶Haman. fine, but if it is not he, say that it is he. Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: Before he was aware that she was Jewish, he would speak to her through a translator. When he became aware of her identity, he began speaking to her [directly].
On a similar note, “The man of God approached and said to the king of Israel, and he said: So said the Lord” (I Kings 20:28). “Said,” “he said” – when ben Hadad falls into your hands, do not spare him. In the second saying, he said to him: You should know how many snares and nets I spread for him until he came to your hand. Now, if he will be missing, “your life will be for his life, and your people for his people” (I Kings 20:42).³⁷God provided Ahab and the Israelites a military victory over ben Hadad and the Arameans. When ben Hadad pleaded for mercy, Ahab allowed him to go free and return to his land. The prophet informed him that as a result, he and his people would suffer.
On a similar note, “He said to the man clothed in linen, and he said: [Come to between the galgal beneath the cherub and fill your hands with smoldering coals from between the cherubs, and cast them upon the city]” (Ezekiel 10:2). The Holy One blessed be He spoke to the angel and the angel [then spoke] to the cherub. He said to him: ‘The Holy One blessed be He decreed upon me [to take the coals], but I do not have license to enter within your partition. Please perform an act of kindness for me and give me two of your coals, so I will not be burned.’ Immediately, “he carried it and placed it into the hands of the one clothed in linen” (Ezekiel 10:7). Rabbi Pinḥas said: He cooled them and gave them to him. Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: For six years the coals were dimly smoldering in Gabriel’s hand, and he believed that Israel would repent. When they did not repent, he sought to cast them down and uproot their source. The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Gabriel, Gabriel, there are among them people who perform charitable acts for one another,’ as it is stated: “On the cherubs the form of a man’s hand was seen” (Ezekiel 10:8).³⁸The hand represents the Holy One blessed be He preventing Gabriel from casting the coals on them. Rabbi Abba said in the name of Rabbi Berekhya: What sustains the supernal and earthly worlds? It is the charitable acts [hatzedaka] that one performs with his hand. That is what is written: “For Your righteousness [vetzidkatekha], God, reaches the heavens…” (Psalms 71:19). Here, too, “speak to the priests, sons of Aaron, and say to them.” The first saying is that for a mitzva corpse he may become impure.³⁹If a priest comes across a mitzva corpse, i.e., a corpse that has no one to attend to its burial, he must attend to it even though it means he will become ritually impure. The second is that for others, he may not become impure. That is why it is stated: “Speak…and say.”

“Command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you pure virgin olive oil for the lighting, to kindle a lamp continually” (Leviticus 24:2).
“Command the children of Israel, and they shall take to you…olive oil…” – that is what is written: “Your righteousness, God, reaches on High” (Psalms 71:19). Rabbi Ami asked Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman; he said to him: ‘Because I heard about you that you are a master of aggada, what is [the meaning of the verse]: “Your righteousness [vetzidkatekha], God, reaches on High”?’ He said to him: ‘Just as the earthly beings need charity [tzedaka] from one another, so the supernal beings need charity from one another.’ That is what is written: “He said to the man clothed in linen” (Ezekiel 10:2) and the entire introduction at the beginning of the portion: “Speak to the priests” (Leviticus 21:1).¹The midrash references a discussion cited earlier (Vayikra Rabba 26:8) which explains, based on the verse in Ezekiel, how the angels engage in acts of kindness and charity toward one another.
“For You have performed great deeds” (Psalms 71:19) – these are the two great lights, as it is stated: “The two great lights” (Genesis 1:16). “God, who is comparable to You?” (Psalms 71:19) – who is comparable to You among the supernal beings, who is comparable to You among the earthly beings? Who is comparable to You, in that You subdue the attribute of justice? You illuminate for the supernal and for the earthly. You illuminate for all who enter the world, yet You desire Israel’s light. That is what is written: “Command the children of Israel.”