Midras Mikha 7:19: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Shemot Rabbah, Aggadat Bereshit & Midrash Tehillim

It is said above that the school of Hillel said: "He who abounds in kindness inclines [the scale of justice] towards the side of kindness." How does He do it? R. Eliezer said: "He presses on [the side containing the virtues], as it is said (Micah 7, 19) He will turn again. He will have compassion upon us, He will suppress our iniquities." R. Jose b. Chanina says: "He lifts up the scale of sins, as it is said (Ib. 18) He lifts up iniquity and forgiveth transgression." It was taught in the school of R. Ishmael that He pardons one sin after the other before they are put on the scales; and this is the divine custom." "Nevertheless," remarked Raba, "the sin itself is not blotted out, so that if one be found with more sins, this one is added to the rest." He who overlooks retaliation [does not insist on retaliation], all his transgressions will be pardoned; as it is said (Micah 7, 18) He pardoneth iniquity and forgiveth transgression. From whom does He remove iniquity? From him who forgiveth transgression [committed against him by his neighbor]. "R. Huna, the son of R. Joshua, fell sick, and R. Papa went to visit him. Observing that the patient was in a critical condition, he said to those present: "Make ready his provisions (shrouds)." Finally he recovered, and R. Papa was ashamed to see him. "Why did you consider him so sick?" said the family. "He was so, indeed," replied R. Papa, "but the Holy One, praised be He! said, that since he never insisted on retaliation, he shall therefore be forgiven," as it is said: "He pardoneth iniquity and forgiveth transgression." From whom does He remove in-friend's transgression." R. Acha b. Canina said: "The end of the passage is like a fat tail [that of an Arabian sheep] with a thorn [stuck] through it [that will stick those who lay hold of it.]" The remnant of His inheritance, and not all His inheritance; i.e., only those who conduct themselves (modestly) like a remnant.

Another matter, “behold, I will rain down bread for you from the heavens,” that is what is written: “There is none like You among the gods, Lord, and there are no deeds like Yours” (Psalms 86:8). Why is there none like You among the gods? Because there are none who can perform Your deeds. How so? The way of the world is that flesh and blood make a path on the way; is he, perhaps, able to make a path in the sea? But for the Holy One blessed be He it is not so, but rather, He makes for Himself a path in the midst of the sea, as it is stated: “Your way was through the sea, Your path through the mighty waters, Your footprints left no trace” (Psalms 77:20). Flesh and blood examine their documents. If someone finds that people owe him, he will produce the document and collect from them, but if he finds that he is in debt to a person, he will suppress it and not produce it. But the Holy One blessed be He is not so. If He finds that we are in debt to Him He suppresses it, as it is stated: “He will again have mercy upon us; He will suppress our iniquities” (Micah 7:19). But if He finds merit for us, He produces it, as it is stated: “The Lord has produced our righteousness” (Jeremiah 51:10).
Flesh and blood, when he seeks to build a palace, he builds the lower levels and afterward builds the upper levels. But the Holy One blessed be He is not so; after He created the upper levels, He created the lower levels, as it is stated: “In the beginning God created the heavens,” and only afterward, “and the earth” (Genesis 1:1). Flesh and blood, when he seeks to purchase a slave, if there are claimants,⁸Individuals who claim that the slave belongs to them rather than to the individual seeking to sell the slave. he does not purchase him, but the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather He says: “Or has a god sought to come and take for himself a nation from the midst of a nation?” (Deuteronomy 4:34). Flesh and blood, the disciple holds the torch before his master, but the Holy One blessed be He is not so: “The Lord was going before them by day [in a pillar of cloud, to guide them on the way, and by night in a pillar of fire, to illuminate for them]” (Exodus 13:21). Flesh and blood, the servant bathes the master, but the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather, “I will bathe you in water” (Ezekiel 16:9). Flesh and blood would dress his master, but the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather, “I clothed you in embroidery” (Ezekiel 16:10). Flesh and blood places shoes on the feet of his master, but the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather, “and shod you with taḥash” (Ezekiel 16:10). Flesh and blood bears his master, but the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather, “I have borne you on the wings of eagles” (Exodus 19:4). Flesh and blood, the master sleeps and the servant stands over him, but the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather, the Holy One blessed be He protects Israel, as it is stated: “Behold, the Guardian of Israel neither slumbers nor sleeps” (Psalms 121:4). For flesh and blood, water is from above them and bread is from below them,⁹Rain falls from the sky and wheat grows from the ground. but the Holy One blessed be He is not so, but rather, water is from below them, this is the well,¹⁰The well that miraculously accompanied Israel through the wilderness and provided them with water. as it is stated: “Rise, well…” (Numbers 21:17), and the bread is from above: “Behold, I will rain down [bread] for you [from the heavens].” That is, “there is none like You among the gods, Lord, and there are no deeds like Yours” (Psalms 86:8).

Chapter 32: Prophets [1] These are the nations that the Lord left to test Israel with (Judges 3). It is written, "Do not kill them, lest my people forget; make them totter by your power and bring them down, O Lord our shield" (Psalms 59:12). Since the time that the Lord was revealed to Moses, He was seen only through the hand of an angel, as it is written, "And the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire" (Exodus 3:2). This angel was Michael, who guarded Moses and Israel at the sea, as it is written, "And the angel of God, who was going before the camp of Israel" (Exodus 14:19). In Egypt, an angel was sent to take them out, as it is written, "And he sent an angel and brought us out of Egypt" (Numbers 20:16). When they came to the desert and made the Golden Calf, Moses destroyed the angel, and they did not seek him anymore. Moreover, the Lord said to him, "Guard yourself from him, and listen to his voice" (Exodus 23:21). When Moses heard that the Lord would not forgive their sin (Exodus 32:34), he began to say, "Why should we leave the one in whom it is written, 'Who is like you, O Lord, among the gods? Who is like you, majestic in holiness?' (Micah 7:18). He will bear our iniquities, etc." (Micah 7:19). Moses wanted to take the one in whom it is written that He will not forgive their sin. The Lord said to him, "If your face goes, I will go" (Exodus 33:15). He said to him, "This is what I will do: my face will go, and I will leave you" (Exodus 33:14). "And as long as Moses was alive, he was not permitted to see the angel, until Joshua stood in Jericho and was revealed, as it is said: 'And it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over against him.' (Joshua 5:13) The angel said to him, 'I ask of you not to reject me, just as Moses rejected me and I have been bound for many years. And now I have come to watch over you, as it is said: 'And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of the LORD am I now come.' (Joshua 5:14)". The angel said to him, "I ask of you not to reject me, just as Moses sculpted me, I have been bound for many years, and now I have come to protect you, as it is said 'And he said, No, but as captain of the army of the LORD I have now come' (Joshua 5:14). And at that hour, the Lord commanded an angel to spare human beings from the nations, so that they may repent, such as Rahab the harlot, and also so that Israel may learn from them how to make war. Therefore, it is said, "Do not kill them, lest my people forget" (Psalms 59:12). Israel should not forget how to wage war and they should also be tested with them. If they do not abandon them to the Lord and do not speak with arrogance, then I will also help them destroy their enemies. Move forward with courage and bring them down, O Lord, in the merit of whom? In the merit of Abraham, 'Fear not, Abram, I am a shield to you' (Genesis 15:1), and so Moses said, 'Happy are you, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper' (Deuteronomy 33:29). And he said to Joshua, 'You are old and advanced in years, and there remains yet very much land to possess' (Joshua 13:1). Nevertheless, I will expel them from before the children of Israel" (Joshua 13:6). Therefore, it is said, "These are the nations."