Midras Mikha 2:1: Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Bereshit Rabbah & Midrash Tehillim

Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Azarya. Rabbi Yudan said: The congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, because You acted with my neighbors with the attribute of justice, and with me with the attribute of mercy, I will run after You,’ as Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: What was not done to the Generation of the Flood was done to the Ten Tribes. Regarding the Generation of the Flood it is written: “Only evil the entire day” (Genesis 6:5), and regarding the Ten Tribes it is written: “Woe, the devisers of iniquity who perform evil on their beds” (Micah 2:1). That is at night; in the morning, from where is it derived? “In the morning light they perform it, for it is in their power” (Micah 2:1). From them, no remnant remained, but from these, a remnant remained;¹⁶²The Generation of the Flood sinned only during the day and there were no survivors, while the Ten Tribes sinned night and day, and there were survivors. by what merit? Rabbi Yitzḥak interpreted it to their credit, [as] Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said: It was by the merit of, “behold a remnant remained in it, [who are brought forth]” (Ezekiel 14:22), “who bring forth” is not written here, but rather, “who are brought forth.” [This teaches that a remnant remained] in the merit of the righteous men and the righteous women, the prophets and the prophetesses, who would emerge from them.
Rabbi Ḥanina said: A statement was made regarding the coastal cities that was not stated regarding the Generation of the Flood: “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Keretim” (Zephaniah 2:5)—a nation that is liable to be punished with karet. By whose merit were they rescued? It was by the merit of one God-fearing person whom they produced each and every year. Rabbi Levi interpreted it to their credit: “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, the nation of the Keretim”—a nation that established [karat] a covenant,¹⁶³This is an allusion to the fact that some members of this nation converted and fulfilled the covenant of circumcision. This merit prevented the destruction of the nation at that time, but the punishment was only temporarily averted (Etz Yosef). as it is stated: “He established [vekharot] a covenant with him” (Nehemiah 9:8).
Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nehemiah said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: A statement was made regarding the tribes of Judah and Benjamin that was not stated regarding the Sodomites. Regarding the Sodomites it is written: “Their sin is very weighty” (Genesis 18:20), but regarding the tribes of Judah and Benjamin it is written: “He said to me: The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very very great” (Ezekiel 9:9). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: We have another verse: “The iniquity of the daughter of my people exceeded [the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, and no hands seized it]” (Lamentations 4:6). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: One hand did not seize another, they did not extend their hands to perform mitzvot; but these extended their hands to perform mitzvot.¹⁶⁴Rabbi Tanḥuma explains why Sodom was overthrown in a moment whereas the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were not, despite the fact that their sins were greater than those of Sodom. The Sodomites did not extend their hands to assist one another or perform mitzvot, whereas the tribes of Judah and Benjamin did. “The hands of merciful women [cooked their children, they were food for them]" (Lamentations 4:10). Why [did they act] in such a way? It was because they provided “food [levarot] for them in the disaster of the daughter of my people” (Lamentations 4:10).¹⁶⁵The midrash interprets the verse in Lamentations to mean the starving people of Jerusalem would give the small amount of food they had to others in order to attempt to console [lehavrot] them for the loss of family members. The reference to cooking their children is understood allegorically in the sense that they deprived them of food in order to console others. Thus, the verse states that the merciful women deprived their own children of food. Why did they act in such a way? In order to attempt to console others.

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: What was not done [even] by the generation of the Flood was done by the ten tribes.¹⁴The ten tribes were even more sinful than the generation of the Flood. Regarding the generation of the Flood it is written: “And that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the day” (Genesis 6:5), while regarding the ten tribes it is written: “Woe, the devisers of iniquity and the evildoers on their beds” (Micah 2:1) – that is at night. From where is it derived during the day as well? The verse states: “They perform it at the morning light” (Micah 2:1).¹⁵The generation of the Flood sinned all day, but the ten tribes sinned both by day and by night. [Yet] from these [the generation of the Flood], no remnant remained, whereas from those [the ten tribes] there was a remnant. However, it is due to the merit of the righteous men and women that were destined to arise from them. That is what is written: “But behold, a remnant has remained in it who are being taken out, sons and daughters” (Ezekiel 14:22). It is not written here, “they are taking out [motziim] sons and daughters,” but rather: “who are being taken out [mutza’im],¹⁶Mutza’im can also mean: those who will emerge. sons and daughters” – due to the merit of the righteous men and women who were destined to descend from them.
Rabbi Berekhya said: What was not done by the people of Sodom was done by the tribe of Judah and Benjamin. Regarding the people of Sodom it is written: “And their sin because it is very grave” (Genesis 18:20), but regarding the tribe of Judah it is written: “The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is very, very great” (Ezekiel 9:9). [Yet] from these [the people of Sodom], no remnant remained, whereas from those [Judah and Benjamin] there was a remnant. However, that one, “[Sodom], which was overthrown in a moment” (Lamentations 4:6) – because they did not extend their hands to do charitable deeds; “and no hands seized [ḥalu] it” (Lamentations 4:6) – Rabbi Tanḥum said: Hand did not reach out [ḥalat] to hand [to assist one another]. But these [Judah and Benjamin] did extend their hands to do charitable deeds: “The hands of merciful women cooked their children” (Lamentations 4:10). Why to that extent? “They were food [levarot] for them in the disaster of the daughter of my people” (Lamentations 4:10).¹⁷The verse is not to be understood literally, but means that these women kept food from their own children in order to provide first meals [havraa] for their mourning friends.
Rabbi Ḥanin said: What is not stated regarding the generation of the Flood is stated regarding coastal cities: “Woe to the inhabitants of the seacoast, nation [goy] of the Keretites” (Zephaniah 2:5) – a nation that was worthy of total annihilation [karet].¹⁸Whereas the generation of the Flood had Noah, who survived. So by what merit did they in fact endure? It is by the merit of one gentile [goy], by the merit of one God-fearing man, whom they would produce each year. Rabbi Levi interpreted it favorably: A nation that established [karat] a covenant,¹⁹The subject of that verse is the Philistines, who had made a covenant with Abraham (Genesis 21:27) and Isaac (Genesis 26:28). just as it says: “And established [vekharot] a covenant with him” (Nehemiah 9:8).

Another thing is a Psalm for the dedication song. This is what the scripture says (Psalm 32:13): "The Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him." Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nehemiah said that the measure of punishment is primary, and it does not yield good fruit, while the measure of good produces good fruit, as it says (Hosea 10:12): "Sow righteousness for yourselves, reap the fruit of unfailing love." What does God do? He collects a person's sins and then gives them their reward. The rabbis said that even if God does not immediately collect a person's sins, as it says (Ezra 9:13): "You, our God, have punished us less than our sins deserved." Rabbi Elazar and Rabbi Yosei bar Hanina said, "The hand with the scales is like the hand with sins and the hand with merits." And what does God do? He inclines the scales toward mercy, as it says (Psalm 32:13): "The Lord's unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him." Rabbi Yosei bar Hanina said, "What does God do? He snatches the bill of sins that is in one hand and the merits are immediately decided." As it says (Micah 7:18): "Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance?" Rabbi Nehemiah said, "If a Gentile intends to commit a transgression, even if God did not carry it out, He considers it as if he did it." For he says (Deuteronomy 26:5), "An Aramean tried to destroy my father." But where did Laban destroy Jacob? Rather, because he intended to do so, the scripture considers it as if he had done it. And if a non-Jew intends to perform a mitzvah, it is not written for him until he does it, as it says (Daniel 6:15), "Even until the sun rose." And the Holy One, blessed be He, did not consider it against him until he did it. And if an Israelite intends to commit a sin but does not do it, the Holy One, blessed be He, does not write it until he does it, as it says (Micah 2:1), "Woe to those who devise iniquity and work evil upon their beds." David said, "If I had seen iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have heard me" (Psalms 66:18). And if one intends to perform a mitzvah but is prevented from doing so, the Holy One, blessed be He, considers it as if he had done it. Know that David intended to build the Temple, and even though he did not build it, it was written in his name, as it says, "A psalm, a song for the dedication of the House, by David" (Psalms 30:1). From this we learn that anyone who is distressed over a matter is called by his name, as we find with Moses, who was distressed over the Torah and is called by his name, as it says (Malachi 3:22), "Remember the Torah of Moses, My servant." Similarly, David, who was distressed over the Temple, is called by his name, as it says, "A psalm, a song for the dedication of the House, by David."