וַיֹּ֕אמֶר לָכֵ֖ן שְׁמַ֣ע דְּבַר־יְהוָ֑ה רָאִ֤יתִי אֶת־יְהוָה֙ יֹשֵׁ֣ב עַל־כִּסְא֔וֹ וְכָל־צְבָ֤א הַשָּׁמַ֙יִם֙ עֹמֵ֣ד עָלָ֔יו מִימִינ֖וֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלֽוֹ׃
Mikha berkata, “Karena itu, dengarlah firman Yang Mahakekal. Aku melihat Yang Mahakekal duduk di atas takhta-Nya, dan seluruh bala tentara langit berdiri di dekat-Nya, di sebelah kanan-Nya dan di sebelah kiri-Nya.”
Ruth Rabbah
“It was during the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land. A man from Bethlehem of Judah went to reside in the field of Moav, he, his wife, and his two sons” (Ruth 1:1).
“It was during the days when the judges judged” – Rabbi Yoḥanan began and said: “Hear My people and I will speak; [Israel, and I will forewarn you]” (Psalms 50:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One forewarns only one who can hear it. Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Simon said: In the past they were called Israel like all other nations: “Savta, Rama, and Savtekha” (Genesis 10:7);1These are the names of nations listed in Genesis, chap. 10. from here forward, they are called only My people. “Hear My people and I will speak” – from where did you merit to be called My people? From “and I will speak” – from what you spoke before Me at Sinai and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “Hear My people” – [what I have said] in the past; “and I will speak” – in the future. “Hear My people” – in this world; “and I will speak” – in the World to Come. So I will have a response to the angels of the nations of the world who are destined to accuse them before Me and say: ‘Master of the universe, these worship idols and those worship idols, these engaged in forbidden sexual relations and those engaged in forbidden sexual relations, these spilled blood and those spilled blood, and these are going down to the Garden of Eden and those are going down to Gehenna?’
At that time, the advocate of Israel is silenced. That is what you say: “At that time Mikhael will stand” (Daniel 12:1). Is there sitting on high? Did Rabbi Ḥanina not say: There is no sitting on high, as it is written: “I approached one of those standing [kamaya]” (Daniel 7:16). What is this language kamaya? Standing [kayama], as it is written: “Seraphim stood above Him” (Isaiah 6:2), and it is written: “The entire host of heaven standing in His presence on His right hand and on His left” (see I Kings 22:19). And you say “will stand”?2Since angels always stand, what does it mean that the angel Mikhael will stand at that moment? [Rather,] what is “will stand”? It is stand silent, as you say: “Shall I wait, because they do not speak,amdu] and do not answer>?” (Job 32:16).
The Holy One blessed be He says to him: ‘Do you stand silent and not advocate on behalf of My children? By your life, I will speak in support of their righteousness and rescue My children.’ What righteousness? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yoḥanan, one says: Due to the righteousness that you established My world because you accepted My Torah, as had you not accepted My Torah, I would have restored it [the world] to emptiness and disorder, as Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: “Earth and all its inhabitants dissolve, [I set its pillars, selah]” (Psalms 75:4). The world would have already dissolved, had Israel not stood before Mount Sinai…3Referring to a midrash that appears in Shir HaShirim Rabba 1:9: “If Israel had not stood on Mount Sinai and said: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed’ (Exodus 24:7), the world would have dissolved and returned to emptiness and disorder.” The midrash there then continues as it does here. And who established the world? “I [anokhi] set its pillars” (Psalms 75:4). Due to the merit of anokhi, “I set its pillars, selah.”4Anokhi is the first word of the Ten Commandments. In other words, due to the merit of Israel’s future acceptance of the Ten Commandments and the entire Torah, God established the foundations of the world. One said: Due to the righteousness you did for yourselves in accepting My Torah, as had you not done so, I would have eliminated you from among the nations.
“God; I am your God” (Psalms 50:7) – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is sufficient for you that I am your patron. Reish Lakish said: Although I am your patron, how does My patronage help at trial?5The midrash is responding to the repetition in the verse: “God; I am your God.” God [Elohim] represents the attribute of justice, and the verse thus presents a tension between God being strictly just and God being particularly Israel’s God, i.e., their patron.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai taught: I am the God for all humankind, but I have designated My name only upon My people Israel. I am not called the God of all the nations, but rather, the God of Israel. “God [Elohim]; I am your God” – Rabbi Yudan interpreted the verse in reference to Moses: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Even though I called you “god to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1), “I am your God” – I am above you.’ Rabbi Abba bar Yudan interpreted the verse in reference to Israel: Although I called you god, as it is stated: “I said you are godlike [elohim]” (Psalms 82:6), “I am your God” – know that I am above you. The Rabbis interpreted the verse in reference to judges: Even though I called you elohim, as it is stated: “Do not curse elohim” (Exodus 22:27), know that I am above you. Then He said to Israel: ‘I accorded honor to the judges and called them elohim, and they demean them. Woe unto a generation that judges their judges.’
“It was during the days when the judges judged” – Rabbi Yoḥanan began and said: “Hear My people and I will speak; [Israel, and I will forewarn you]” (Psalms 50:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: One forewarns only one who can hear it. Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Simon said: In the past they were called Israel like all other nations: “Savta, Rama, and Savtekha” (Genesis 10:7);1These are the names of nations listed in Genesis, chap. 10. from here forward, they are called only My people. “Hear My people and I will speak” – from where did you merit to be called My people? From “and I will speak” – from what you spoke before Me at Sinai and said: “Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “Hear My people” – [what I have said] in the past; “and I will speak” – in the future. “Hear My people” – in this world; “and I will speak” – in the World to Come. So I will have a response to the angels of the nations of the world who are destined to accuse them before Me and say: ‘Master of the universe, these worship idols and those worship idols, these engaged in forbidden sexual relations and those engaged in forbidden sexual relations, these spilled blood and those spilled blood, and these are going down to the Garden of Eden and those are going down to Gehenna?’
At that time, the advocate of Israel is silenced. That is what you say: “At that time Mikhael will stand” (Daniel 12:1). Is there sitting on high? Did Rabbi Ḥanina not say: There is no sitting on high, as it is written: “I approached one of those standing [kamaya]” (Daniel 7:16). What is this language kamaya? Standing [kayama], as it is written: “Seraphim stood above Him” (Isaiah 6:2), and it is written: “The entire host of heaven standing in His presence on His right hand and on His left” (see I Kings 22:19). And you say “will stand”?2Since angels always stand, what does it mean that the angel Mikhael will stand at that moment? [Rather,] what is “will stand”? It is stand silent, as you say: “Shall I wait, because they do not speak,
The Holy One blessed be He says to him: ‘Do you stand silent and not advocate on behalf of My children? By your life, I will speak in support of their righteousness and rescue My children.’ What righteousness? Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yoḥanan, one says: Due to the righteousness that you established My world because you accepted My Torah, as had you not accepted My Torah, I would have restored it [the world] to emptiness and disorder, as Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: “Earth and all its inhabitants dissolve, [I set its pillars, selah]” (Psalms 75:4). The world would have already dissolved, had Israel not stood before Mount Sinai…3Referring to a midrash that appears in Shir HaShirim Rabba 1:9: “If Israel had not stood on Mount Sinai and said: ‘Everything that the Lord has spoken we will do and we will heed’ (Exodus 24:7), the world would have dissolved and returned to emptiness and disorder.” The midrash there then continues as it does here. And who established the world? “I [anokhi] set its pillars” (Psalms 75:4). Due to the merit of anokhi, “I set its pillars, selah.”4Anokhi is the first word of the Ten Commandments. In other words, due to the merit of Israel’s future acceptance of the Ten Commandments and the entire Torah, God established the foundations of the world. One said: Due to the righteousness you did for yourselves in accepting My Torah, as had you not done so, I would have eliminated you from among the nations.
“God; I am your God” (Psalms 50:7) – Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is sufficient for you that I am your patron. Reish Lakish said: Although I am your patron, how does My patronage help at trial?5The midrash is responding to the repetition in the verse: “God; I am your God.” God [Elohim] represents the attribute of justice, and the verse thus presents a tension between God being strictly just and God being particularly Israel’s God, i.e., their patron.
Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai taught: I am the God for all humankind, but I have designated My name only upon My people Israel. I am not called the God of all the nations, but rather, the God of Israel. “God [Elohim]; I am your God” – Rabbi Yudan interpreted the verse in reference to Moses: The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Even though I called you “god to Pharaoh” (Exodus 7:1), “I am your God” – I am above you.’ Rabbi Abba bar Yudan interpreted the verse in reference to Israel: Although I called you god, as it is stated: “I said you are godlike [elohim]” (Psalms 82:6), “I am your God” – know that I am above you. The Rabbis interpreted the verse in reference to judges: Even though I called you elohim, as it is stated: “Do not curse elohim” (Exodus 22:27), know that I am above you. Then He said to Israel: ‘I accorded honor to the judges and called them elohim, and they demean them. Woe unto a generation that judges their judges.’
Bamidbar Rabbah
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I have hereby taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of every firstborn, first issue of the womb from the children of Israel, and the Levites shall be Mine. For every firstborn is Mine; on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I sanctified to Me every firstborn in Israel, from man to animal; they shall be Mine; I am the Lord” (Numbers 3:11–13).
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I have hereby taken…”: “I [vaani]” – joyfully, “hereby [hineh]” – willingly; the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. His students said to him: Our teacher, because it says: “I [vaani] am hereby [hineni] bringing the flood, water” (Genesis 6:17), do I hear that there is joy before the Omnipresent? He said to them: There is joy before the Omnipresent when those who anger Him are eradicated. Likewise it says: “With the good of the righteous the city exults…” (Proverbs 11:10); and it says: “You have broken the teeth of the wicked…” (Psalms 3:8); and it says: “Salvation belongs to the Lord…” (Psalms 3:9); and it says: “The Lord is King forever and ever; [nations have] perished [from His land]” (Psalms 10:16); and it says: “May sinners be eliminated [from the earth, and may the wicked be no more]” (Psalms 104:35); and it says: “And with the eradication of the wicked there is singing” (Proverbs 11:10).
Rabbi Natan says: “I [vaani]” – I add to their love.15That is, God’s love for them. Hineh – joyfully; likewise it says: “Behold [hineh], he too is going out to meet you, and he will see you and rejoice in his heart” (Exodus 4:14). The Rabbis say: Everywhere that vaani is stated, it is, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He and His court. The paradigm of them all: “And the Lord [vadonai] spoke evil of you” (I Kings 22:23).16I Kings 22:19–22 contains a description of the heavenly court.
“The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: I have hereby taken…”: “I [vaani]” – joyfully, “hereby [hineh]” – willingly; the statement of Rabbi Yishmael. His students said to him: Our teacher, because it says: “I [vaani] am hereby [hineni] bringing the flood, water” (Genesis 6:17), do I hear that there is joy before the Omnipresent? He said to them: There is joy before the Omnipresent when those who anger Him are eradicated. Likewise it says: “With the good of the righteous the city exults…” (Proverbs 11:10); and it says: “You have broken the teeth of the wicked…” (Psalms 3:8); and it says: “Salvation belongs to the Lord…” (Psalms 3:9); and it says: “The Lord is King forever and ever; [nations have] perished [from His land]” (Psalms 10:16); and it says: “May sinners be eliminated [from the earth, and may the wicked be no more]” (Psalms 104:35); and it says: “And with the eradication of the wicked there is singing” (Proverbs 11:10).
Rabbi Natan says: “I [vaani]” – I add to their love.15That is, God’s love for them. Hineh – joyfully; likewise it says: “Behold [hineh], he too is going out to meet you, and he will see you and rejoice in his heart” (Exodus 4:14). The Rabbis say: Everywhere that vaani is stated, it is, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He and His court. The paradigm of them all: “And the Lord [vadonai] spoke evil of you” (I Kings 22:23).16I Kings 22:19–22 contains a description of the heavenly court.
Midrash Tanchuma
Men, who are his equal, sit at the right or the left of a mortal king, but the Holy One, blessed be He, sits on His throne while all others stand before Him, as it is said: I saw the Lord sitting on His throne, and all the hosts of heaven standing by Him on His right hand and on His left hand, etc. (I Kings 22:19). And it says elsewhere: And ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him (Dan. 7:10). Above Him stood the seraphim (Isa. 6:2); and: I came near unto one of them that stood by (Dan. 7:16).