וַיְהִ֣י בָרָ֔ד וְאֵ֕שׁ מִתְלַקַּ֖חַת בְּת֣וֹךְ הַבָּרָ֑ד כָּבֵ֣ד מְאֹ֔ד אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹֽא־הָיָ֤ה כָמֹ֙הוּ֙ בְּכָל־אֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם מֵאָ֖ז הָיְתָ֥ה לְגֽוֹי׃
Maka turunlah hujan es, dengan api yang berkobar-kobar di tengah-tengah hujan es itu. Hujan es itu sangat dahsyat; belum pernah terjadi yang seperti itu di seluruh tanah Mesir sejak negeri itu menjadi suatu bangsa.
Pesikta DeRav Kahana
"Go forth and gaze, daughters of Zion (tziyyon)" (Songs 3:11) -- children who are distinguished (m'tzuyanim) for Me [as opposed to the children of idolators] through circumcision, through haircutting, and through tzitzit. "... upon King Solomon (Shlomo)" (ibid.) -- upon the King to whom the peace (shalom) belongs (i.e., God Himself). Another interpretation: "Upon King Solomon" -- the King who brought peace between (hish'lim) His works with His creatures. He made peace between fire and Abraham our Father (i.e., when Nimrod threw Abraham into a furnace), he made peace between the sword and Isaac our Father (i.e., when intervening to prevent Isaac's sacrifice), [and] he made peace between an angel and Jacob our Father (Gen 32:25-31). Another interpretation: "Upon King Solomon" -- the King who makes peace with His creatures. Said Rabbi Yochanan, "The dominion and the dread [are with Him]" (Job 25:2).*The continuation of the verse, "He makes peace in His heights" (עשה שלום במרומיו) is incorporated into the daily Kaddish prayer. What follows is a description of the peace that God makes in His heights, which the Kaddish requests be brought down to Earth as well. Said Rabbi Ya'akov of K'far Chanan, "the dominion" -- that is Michael; "and the dread" -- that is Gabriel; "... are with Him" -- and they are made peaceful (mash'limim) with Him, and one does not bring harm upon the other. And Rabbi Yochanan said, in all its days, the sun has never sustained damage by the moon, nor has one zodiacal constellation preceded its fellow (i.e., out of order), nor has a zodiacal constellation ever seen what precedes it. The firmament is made of water, and the angel is made of fire, yet they reside with one another, and one does not bring harm upon the other. Said Rabbi Avin, it is not only that [He brings peace] between angel and angel, but even [within a single] angel itself -- half of it is fire and half of it is water, and He makes peace between them. And [each angel] has five aspects -- "and his body was like beryl, etc." (Dan. 10:6). And it is written, "And there was hail, and fire" (Ex. 9:24). Rabbi Yehuda said, bowls of hail filled with fire. Rabbi Nechemiah said, fire and hail intermingled with one another. Said Rabbi Chanin, the explanation of Rabbi Yuda (Yehuda) is that it is like the seed of a split pomegranate that can be seen from the outside (see Bamidbar Rabbah 12:8 (Sefaria tr.)) The explanation of Rabbi Nechemiah is that it is like is that it is like this lantern of a lamp (candila), in which water and oil are mixed as one, and it is kindled above them (ibid.).
"And there was hail, and fire igniting itself (mitlakachat) [within the hail]" (Ex. 9:24). What is the meaning of "mitlakachat"? Said Rabbi Yuda bar Simon, it perishes (mita) [and] regroups (mit'kariya) to perform its mission. Said Rabbi Acha, [this can be likened] to a king who had two strong legions (ligionot) that hated one another, but as soon as the king's war came upon them, they made peace between themselves. So too fire and hail hate one another but as soon as the war of the Holy One Blessed be He came upon Egypt, "there was hail, and fire igniting itself [within the hail]," a miracle within a miracle.
"With the crown with which his mother adorned him on the day of his wedding" (Songs 3:11). Said Rabbi Yitzchak, we reviewed all of Scripture, and we were unable to find anywhere [where it said that] Bathsheba fashioned a crown for her son Solomon; rather, this [refers to] the Tent of Meeting, which is crowned with blue, and purple, and worm-scarlet. Said Rabbi Chunya, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai asked Rabbi Elazar b'Rabbi Yosei: "Might you have heard from your father what the meaning is of 'the crown with which his mother adorned him?" He said to him, "Yes." He said to him, "What is it?" He said to him, "It [refers to] a king who had an only daughter and he loved her excessively. He did not move from his love until he called her, 'My sister.' [After that] he did not move from his love until he called her, 'My mother.' Thus at the beginning of the Holy One Blessed be He's love for [the Children of] Israel, He called them 'My daughter' -- 'Listen, daughter, and see' (Ps. 45:11). He did not move from His love until He called them 'My sister,' as it is said, 'My sister, My darling' (Songs 5:2). [After that] He did not move from His love until he called them 'My mother,' as it is said, 'Listen to Me, My people, and to My nation (u'l'umi), etc.' (Is. 51:4). [Although read as u'l'umi,] it is written as 'u'l'ami' ('and to My mother')."*Note that although Masoretic orthography has ולאומי, it appears that the orthography that Rabbi Yosei had before him was ולאמי, which lends itself to the midrashic reading of "and to My mother." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai stood up and kissed him on the head, and said, "Even if I came only to hear this one thing from you, it would have sufficed for me."
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, in the name of Rabbi Levi, said, at the time that the Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses, "Make for me a dwelling place (mishkan, usually rendered as 'Tabernacle')," he had to bring four poles and stretch out the Tabernacle upon them. Rather, it teaches us that the Holy One Blessed be He showed Moses up on High red fire, green fire, black fire, [and] white fire, and [then] said to him, "Fashion for me a dwelling place." Moses said to the Holy One Blessed be He, "Master of the Universe! And from where can I find red fire, green fire, black fire, [and] white fire?" He said to him, "[Build it] based on the building-pattern which you are shown on the mountain"*i.e., Moses was to build the Tabernacle with materials that simulated the colors of the heavenly fires, but not with the fires themselves (see Shir HaShirim Rabbah 3:11) (Ex. 25:40). Rabbi Berachya in the name of Rabbi Levi: [This can be likened] to a king who presented himself to a member of his household in a garment completely covered with jewels. He said to him, "Fashion for me the like." He said to him, "My lord king, and from where can I find [the means] to fashion a garment completely covered with jewels?" He said to him, "You with your dyes, and I with my glory." Thus said the Holy One Blessed be He to Moses: "If you fashion for Me below that which I have up above, I will depart from my Heavenly Council and descend and contract (m'tzamtzem, i.e., reduce the infinite size of) my Shekhinah [in order to dwell] among you below." Just as above, [there are] "Seraphs standing in attendance" (Is. 6:2), so too below [there are] "[beams of] acacia wood standing in attendance" (Ex. 26:15). Just as above [there are] stars, so too below [there are] hooks. Said Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba, it teaches that the golden hooks in the Tabernacle resembled the stars that are affixed in the firmament.
"On the day of his wedding (chatunato)" (Songs 3:11) -- that was the wedding ceremony (chitonim, i.e., between God and Israel on Mount Sinai). "And the day of his heart's joy" (ibid.) -- that is the Tent of Meeting. Another interpretation: "On the day of his wedding" -- that is the Tent of Meeting; "And on the day of his heart's joy" -- that is the building of the Eternal House. Therefore it is said, "And it was on the day that Moses completed, etc."
"And there was hail, and fire igniting itself (mitlakachat) [within the hail]" (Ex. 9:24). What is the meaning of "mitlakachat"? Said Rabbi Yuda bar Simon, it perishes (mita) [and] regroups (mit'kariya) to perform its mission. Said Rabbi Acha, [this can be likened] to a king who had two strong legions (ligionot) that hated one another, but as soon as the king's war came upon them, they made peace between themselves. So too fire and hail hate one another but as soon as the war of the Holy One Blessed be He came upon Egypt, "there was hail, and fire igniting itself [within the hail]," a miracle within a miracle.
"With the crown with which his mother adorned him on the day of his wedding" (Songs 3:11). Said Rabbi Yitzchak, we reviewed all of Scripture, and we were unable to find anywhere [where it said that] Bathsheba fashioned a crown for her son Solomon; rather, this [refers to] the Tent of Meeting, which is crowned with blue, and purple, and worm-scarlet. Said Rabbi Chunya, Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai asked Rabbi Elazar b'Rabbi Yosei: "Might you have heard from your father what the meaning is of 'the crown with which his mother adorned him?" He said to him, "Yes." He said to him, "What is it?" He said to him, "It [refers to] a king who had an only daughter and he loved her excessively. He did not move from his love until he called her, 'My sister.' [After that] he did not move from his love until he called her, 'My mother.' Thus at the beginning of the Holy One Blessed be He's love for [the Children of] Israel, He called them 'My daughter' -- 'Listen, daughter, and see' (Ps. 45:11). He did not move from His love until He called them 'My sister,' as it is said, 'My sister, My darling' (Songs 5:2). [After that] He did not move from His love until he called them 'My mother,' as it is said, 'Listen to Me, My people, and to My nation (u'l'umi), etc.' (Is. 51:4). [Although read as u'l'umi,] it is written as 'u'l'ami' ('and to My mother')."*Note that although Masoretic orthography has ולאומי, it appears that the orthography that Rabbi Yosei had before him was ולאמי, which lends itself to the midrashic reading of "and to My mother." Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai stood up and kissed him on the head, and said, "Even if I came only to hear this one thing from you, it would have sufficed for me."
Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, in the name of Rabbi Levi, said, at the time that the Holy One Blessed be He said to Moses, "Make for me a dwelling place (mishkan, usually rendered as 'Tabernacle')," he had to bring four poles and stretch out the Tabernacle upon them. Rather, it teaches us that the Holy One Blessed be He showed Moses up on High red fire, green fire, black fire, [and] white fire, and [then] said to him, "Fashion for me a dwelling place." Moses said to the Holy One Blessed be He, "Master of the Universe! And from where can I find red fire, green fire, black fire, [and] white fire?" He said to him, "[Build it] based on the building-pattern which you are shown on the mountain"*i.e., Moses was to build the Tabernacle with materials that simulated the colors of the heavenly fires, but not with the fires themselves (see Shir HaShirim Rabbah 3:11) (Ex. 25:40). Rabbi Berachya in the name of Rabbi Levi: [This can be likened] to a king who presented himself to a member of his household in a garment completely covered with jewels. He said to him, "Fashion for me the like." He said to him, "My lord king, and from where can I find [the means] to fashion a garment completely covered with jewels?" He said to him, "You with your dyes, and I with my glory." Thus said the Holy One Blessed be He to Moses: "If you fashion for Me below that which I have up above, I will depart from my Heavenly Council and descend and contract (m'tzamtzem, i.e., reduce the infinite size of) my Shekhinah [in order to dwell] among you below." Just as above, [there are] "Seraphs standing in attendance" (Is. 6:2), so too below [there are] "[beams of] acacia wood standing in attendance" (Ex. 26:15). Just as above [there are] stars, so too below [there are] hooks. Said Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba, it teaches that the golden hooks in the Tabernacle resembled the stars that are affixed in the firmament.
"On the day of his wedding (chatunato)" (Songs 3:11) -- that was the wedding ceremony (chitonim, i.e., between God and Israel on Mount Sinai). "And the day of his heart's joy" (ibid.) -- that is the Tent of Meeting. Another interpretation: "On the day of his wedding" -- that is the Tent of Meeting; "And on the day of his heart's joy" -- that is the building of the Eternal House. Therefore it is said, "And it was on the day that Moses completed, etc."
Midrash Tanchuma
Another interpretation (of Lev. 6:2), “Command Aaron.” What is the function of Aaron here? Israel was bringing offerings whereas Aaron is mentioned, and Scripture says here, “Command Aaron.” But note, it is written (in Numb. 28:2), “Command the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘My offering, My bread,’” but here it says (in Lev. 6:2), “Command Aaron […], ‘This is the Torah of the one who ascends (h'lh).’”4The masoretic text vocalizes this word as ha’olah, which means, THE BURNT OFFERING, but the midrash interprets the word as though it were vocalized ha’oleh, which means, “The one who ascends,” with the ascending implying self-exaltation. So also Lev. R. 7:6. The Holy One, blessed be He, said (to warn Aaron and his sons), “Whenever someone raises (rt.: 'lh) himself up, his end is to go in the fire.”5M.Ps. 11:5. It is so stated (in Lev. 6:2, cont.), “that is the one which ascends upon the burning place.” The generation of the flood [suffered] because of what they said (in Job 21:15), “What is the Omnipresent that we should serve Him?” For that reason they were sentenced to the fire (of Gehinnom), as stated (Job 6:17), “at the time that they were heated, they were burnt in His heat,” and it is written (Job 22:20), “and the fire consumed their remnant.” And likewise the Sodomites, [as stated] (in Gen. 19:24), “Then the Lord rained down upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire.” When Pharaoh said (in Exod. 5:2), “Who is the Lord, [that I should heed His voice],” he exalted (rt.: 'lh) himself and said (in Ezek. 29:3), “my Nile is my own and I made it myself.” [He is] therefore (in the words of Lev. 6:2) “upon the burning place.” For so it says (in Ps. 18:14), “The Lord thundered in the heavens,” (Ps. 18:13), "From the illumination in front of Him, His clouds were pierced by hail and coals of fire.” And also when Sennacherib exalted (rt.: 'lh) himself and said (in II Kings 19:23 = Is. 37:24), “it is I who have ascended (rt.: 'lh) the mountain heights to the remotest parts of Lebanon.” And what happened to him? (II Kings 19:35:) “The angel of the Lord went out and smote [one hundred and eighty-thousand] in the camp of Assyria.” He had blasphemed (according to II Kings 19:23: cf. 18:17–35) through a messenger (mal'akh);6The parallel in Is. 37:24 reads “servant” instead of “messenger.” therefore (in II Kings 19:35 = Is. 37:36 // II Chron. 32:21) “the angel (mal'akh) of the Lord went out and smote.” What did he do to him? (Is. 10:16), “And under his glory there shall burn a burning like the burning of fire.” What is the meaning of “under his glory?” That it burned them from within and left alone their clothes on the outside, since a person's glory is his garment.7Cf. Sanh. 94a. And why did the Holy One, blessed be He, leave their clothes behind? Because they were descendants of Shem, as stated (in Gen. 10:22), “The sons of Shem are Elam, Asshur (Assyria)….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I am indebted to their father Shem, because he took the garment and covered his father's nakedness, as stated (in Gen. 9:23), “Then Shem and Japheth took the garment… [and they covered their father's nakedness].”8Cf. Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 2:21, which interprets the verse to show that Shem took the lead in this act. Therefore, the Holy One, blessed be He, left their clothes alone and burned [only] their body. This is as it is written (Lev. 6:2), “that (i.e. the person who exalts himself) is the one which ascends (ha'oleh) upon the burning place.” And so too Nebuchadnezzar exalted (rt.: 'lh) himself and said (in Is. 14:14), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) upon the heights of a cloud; I will become like the Most High (rt.: 'lh).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Upon your life, was it not enough that you said in your heart (in vs. 13), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) to the heavens; above the stars of God I will set my throne,” but that you should say (in vs. 14), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) upon the heights of a cloud, I will become like the Most High (rt.: 'lh)?” And so he (i.e., Nebuchadnezzar) said to Hananiah and his friends (in Dan. 3:15), “’Now who is the God who shall deliver you out of my hand?’ I have burned His house and exiled His people. He did not stand against me in His house; so will He overcome me in my house?” What did he do? He threw them into the fiery furnace. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He gave a sign to the furnace and it became a highway.9PLTYA, from the Gk.: plateia. Buber suggests emending to PLNTYH, from the Gk.: planetes, i.e., “planets.” Whoever was designated to be burned was not burned and whoever was not designated to be burned was burned. So the fire went forth and burned half of the peoples. Thus you find, when they assembled for the dedication of the image, at first there were eight peoples, as stated (in Dan. 3:3), “Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the judges, the magistrates, and all the provincial officials assembled.” That makes eight peoples; but when they came in to see Hananiah and his friends, there were only four peoples written there (in vs. 27), “The satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the royal companions assembled.” So where were [the other] four peoples?] It is simply that (in vs. 22) “the flame of the fire slew them.” Now Nebuchadnezzar also was burned by the fire, and the fright (i.e., repulsiveness) of [a body disfigured by] burning was put upon him.10For this interpretation, Jastrow, s.v., ‘immus. Why was all of him not burned? The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Leave this evil man half of himself so that he may know against Whom he blasphemed.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “O wicked one, did you not say, ‘I do not want to live with the children of Adam, but (in Is. 14:14), “I will ascend (rt.: 'lh) upon the heights of a cloud?”’ By your life, (according to Dan. 4:22) ‘You shall be driven away from humans and your domicile will be with the wild animals outside.’” Just as He brought the plagues upon Pharaoh and upon Egypt, so did He bring [punishment] upon Nebuchadnezzar. It is so stated (in Dan. 3:32), “The signs and wonders which the most high God has worked for me [it seemed good to me to make known].” This fright of [a body disfigured by] burning fell upon him. Therefore it is stated (in Lev. 6:2), “that is the one which ascends (h'lh) upon the burning place.” (Lev. 6.2) “That is the one which ascends upon the burning place.” This is the kingdom of Edom (Rome), which exalted (rt.: 'lh) itself, as stated (in Obad. 1:4), “Though you make [your abode] as high as the eagle, and though [your nest is set] among the stars,” and will be judged by fire, as stated (in Dan. 7:11), “I looked on until the beast was slain and its body destroyed, given over for burning in the fire.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said (in Obad. 1:18), “The House of Jacob shall be fire, and the House of Joseph a flame, and the house of Esau shall be straw; [… for the Lord has spoken].” And what did he say? Through Moses (in Lev. 6:2), “that is the one which ascends (ha'olah, rt.: 'lh) upon the burning place.” Then after that [Scripture says] (in Obad. 1:21), “Then saviors shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the Mountain of Esau.” Sisera also [was punished by fire] because he blasphemed. Thus it is written about him (in Jud. 4:3), “and he oppressed the Children of Israel with might,” [i.e.] with blasphemies and invectives.11See M. Ps. 2:1, which derives this interpretation of WITH MIGHT (rt.: HZQ) from Mal. 3:13: YOUR WORDS HAVE BEEN MIGHTY (rt.: HZQ) AGAINST ME. See also below, 9:7. He was therefore punished by fire, as stated (in Jud. 5:20), “The stars fought from the heavens; from their courses they fought with Sisera.”12See Pes. 118b, according to which the stars descended and heated the iron implements in Sisera’s army. And in the world to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to exact retribution from Esau, what [will] Esau do? Wrapped in a prayer shawl like an elder, he comes and takes his seat beside Jacob. It is so stated, (in Obad. 1:4), “and though your nest is set among the stars.” Stars can only mean Israel, since it is stated (in Gen. 15:5), “look toward the heavens and count the stars …; so shall your seed be.” Jacob says to him, “My brother ('hy), you shall not be like me.” Thus it is stated (in Hos. 13:14), “my brother ('hy),13The unemended reading below, given in braces, shows that the midrash is reading the he in ‘HY as a het, so that the WHERE of the Masoretic Text cited here is to be interpreted as MY BROTHER. your words14Devarekha. YOUR WORDS is the translation required by the midrash. In the biblical context devarekha should be rendered, YOUR PLAGUES. are death; my brother ('hy), your descent (qtb) is to Sheol.”15A traditional translation of the line would read: WHERE IS YOUR PESTILENCE, O SHEOL? Your words are decrees which you decreed over me. You decreed two-edged decrees against me, that I should serve idols. If I had done so, I would have been condemned to death at the hands of Heaven; and if I had not served them, you would have killed me. Ergo (in Hos. 13:14), “my brother, your words are death.” (Ibid., cont.) “My brother ('hy), your descent (qtb) is to Sheol.” [Qtb] is a Hellenistic16From the Gk. adverb: Hellenisti. word, meaning to descend to Sheol.17Thus QTB is understood as coming from the Greek, kataba, an aorist imperative meaning, “descend.” When Esau descends to Sheol, Jacob will remain by himself. It is therefore stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds in it shall be cut off and die, but one-third shall remain in it.” Now the one-third can only be Israel, since it is stated (in Is. 19:24), “Israel shall be a third.” So Israel – because they made themselves despised and lowly, as stated (Malachi 2:9), “And I also made you despised and lowly” – are avenged and redeemed by fire; as stated (in Zech. 2:9), “And I Myself, says the Lord, will be a wall of fire around it (i.e., around Jerusalem).” When Esau departs from the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, and Israel remain, as stated (in Cant. 6:9), “[Only] one is my dove, my perfect one.” It also says (in Deut. 32:12), “The Lord alone did lead him, and there was no foreign God with Him.”
Vayikra Rabbah
Rabbi Levi said: It is a fitting statute that anyone who is haughty is sentenced only in fire, as it is stated: “It is the burnt offering [ola]25Ola is expounded to mean one who exalts himself. on the pyre” (Leviticus 6:2). The generation of the Flood, because they were haughty and said: “What is the Almighty that we should serve Him…?” (Job 21:15), were sentenced only in fire, as it is stated: “When scorched, they disappear [nitzmatu]” (Job 6:17). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Their scorching was absolute, just as it says: “In perpetuity [latzemitut] to the purchaser” (Leviticus 25:30). “In its heat they dwindle from their place” (Job 6:17). What is “in its heat”? It is in boiling water. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Holy One blessed be would boil each and every drop that He brought upon the generation of the Flood in Gehenna. That is what is written: “In its heat they dwindle from their place.”
The people of Sodom, because they were haughty and they said: We will cause the passersby to be forgotten from our midst, just as it is written: “He drives a shaft away from habitation, [which is forgotten by passersby]” (Job 28:4), they were sentenced only with fire, “The Lord rained down on Sodom [brimstone and fire]” (Genesis 19:24).
Wicked Pharaoh, because he was haughty and said: “Who is the Lord that I should heed His voice” (Exodus 5:2), was sentenced only in fire, “There was hail and fire flashing…” (Exodus 9:24).
Wicked Sisera, because he was haughty and oppressed Israel, just as it is written: “He oppressed the children of Israel harshly” (Judges 4:3). What is “harshly”? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: With curses and blaspheming.26See Malachi 3:13–14, where it states: “Your words have been harsh against Me, said the Lord” regarding those who said “it is vain to worship God.” He was sentenced only in fire, “The stars27The stars are balls of fiery gases. from their courses waged war [with Sisera]” (Judges 5:20).
Sennacherib, because he was haughty and said: “Who is it among all the gods of these lands [that delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord will deliver Jerusalem from my hand?]” (Isaiah 36:20). He was sentenced only in fire, “Instead of his glory, a burning will burn…” (Isaiah 10:16).
Nebuchadnezzar, because he was haughty and said: “Who is the god who will save you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15), was sentenced only in fire, “they were killed by a flame of fire” (Daniel 3:22).
The evil empire,28Rome. because it curses, blasphemes and says: “Whom do I have in Heaven?” (Psalms 73:25), is judged only in fire, “I was seeing until the beast was slain, its body destroyed, and it was consigned to the burning of fire” (Daniel 7:11).
But Israel, who are scorned and downtrodden in this world, will be comforted only with fire, as it is stated: “I will be for it, the utterance of the Lord, a wall of fire all around” (Zechariah 2:9).
The people of Sodom, because they were haughty and they said: We will cause the passersby to be forgotten from our midst, just as it is written: “He drives a shaft away from habitation, [which is forgotten by passersby]” (Job 28:4), they were sentenced only with fire, “The Lord rained down on Sodom [brimstone and fire]” (Genesis 19:24).
Wicked Pharaoh, because he was haughty and said: “Who is the Lord that I should heed His voice” (Exodus 5:2), was sentenced only in fire, “There was hail and fire flashing…” (Exodus 9:24).
Wicked Sisera, because he was haughty and oppressed Israel, just as it is written: “He oppressed the children of Israel harshly” (Judges 4:3). What is “harshly”? Rabbi Yitzḥak said: With curses and blaspheming.26See Malachi 3:13–14, where it states: “Your words have been harsh against Me, said the Lord” regarding those who said “it is vain to worship God.” He was sentenced only in fire, “The stars27The stars are balls of fiery gases. from their courses waged war [with Sisera]” (Judges 5:20).
Sennacherib, because he was haughty and said: “Who is it among all the gods of these lands [that delivered their land from my hand, that the Lord will deliver Jerusalem from my hand?]” (Isaiah 36:20). He was sentenced only in fire, “Instead of his glory, a burning will burn…” (Isaiah 10:16).
Nebuchadnezzar, because he was haughty and said: “Who is the god who will save you from my hands?” (Daniel 3:15), was sentenced only in fire, “they were killed by a flame of fire” (Daniel 3:22).
The evil empire,28Rome. because it curses, blasphemes and says: “Whom do I have in Heaven?” (Psalms 73:25), is judged only in fire, “I was seeing until the beast was slain, its body destroyed, and it was consigned to the burning of fire” (Daniel 7:11).
But Israel, who are scorned and downtrodden in this world, will be comforted only with fire, as it is stated: “I will be for it, the utterance of the Lord, a wall of fire all around” (Zechariah 2:9).