Midras Yesaya 59:17: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition), Devarim Rabbah, Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael & Shir HaShirim Rabbah

We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Jose says: "Woe to the human beings who see and know not what they see; who stand and know not upon what they stand." Upon what does the earth stand? Upon the pillars, as it is said (Job 9, 6) Who shaketh the earth loose out of her place; The pillars stand upon the waters, as it is said (Ps. 136, 6) Who stretched out the earth above the waters; the waters upon the mountains, as it is said (Ib. 104, 6) Above the mountains stood the waters; the mountains upon the wind, as it is said (Amos 4. 13) He that wind, the wind upon the storm, as it is said (Ps. 148, 8) Stormy wind, fulfilled his word; the storm is suspended upon the supbort of the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Deut. 33, 27) And underneath are the everlasting arms. The sages however say: "The world stands upon twelve pillars, as it said (Ib. 32, 8) He set the bounds of the tribe according to the number of the sons of Israel." According to others, it stands upon seven pillars, as it is said (Prov. 9, 1) She had hewn out her seven pillars. R. Elazor b. Shamna says: "Upon one pillar, whose name is Zaddik (Righteous), as it is said (Ib. 10, 25) But the righteous (Zaddik) is an everlasting foundation." R. Juda said: "There are two firmaments, as it is said (Deut. 10, 14) Behold, to the Lord thy God belong the heavens and the heavens of the heavens." Resh Lakish said: "They are seven, viz.: Vilon (Curtain), Rakia (Expanse), Shchakim (Clouds), Zbul (Entertainment place), Maon (Dwelling), Machon (Residence), Araboth. Vilon serves no purpose whatever save that the luminaries enter through it in the morning and leave through it in the evening, by which means it renews daily the work of creation, as it is said (Is. 40, 22) … that stretched out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in. Rakia is that in which the sun and moon, the stars and constellations are set, as it is said (Gen. 1, 17) And God set them in the expansion of the heavens. Shehakim is that in which the millstones stand and grind manna for the righteous, as it is said (Ps. 78, 23) Then He ordained the skies from above, and the doors of heaven He opened and He let rain upon them manna to eat, and the corn of heaven gave He unto them. Zbul is that in which the heavenly Jerusalem and the Temple, and the altar are built there, where Michael the great [Arch-Angel] prince stands and offers sacrifices daily, as it is said (I Kings 8, 13) I have surely built Thee a house of habitation, a place for Thee to dwell in for ever, and whence do we know that the same is called Shamayim? It is said (Is. 63, 15) Look down from heaven (Misha-mayim) and behold, from the habitation (Zbul) of Thy Holiness, Maon is that in which are companies of ministering angels, who utter songs during the night and are silent during the day for the sake of the glory of Israel, as it is said (Ps. 42, 9) In the day time, the Lord will command His kindness, and in the night His songs shall be with me. (Resh Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah during the night time, the Holy One, praised be He! will stretch over him the thread of grace for the future world, which is compared unto day, as it is said: By the day the Lord gives His merciful command, and by night His song is with me." According to others Resh Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah in this world which is likened unto night, the Holy One, praised be He! will stretch over him the thread of grace in the world to come which is likened unto day, as it is said: By the day the Lord gives His merciful command, and by night His song is with me." R. Levi said: "Whoever interrupts his study of the Torah, and occupies himself with idle talk will, as a punishment, be fed with hot coals, as it is said (Job 30, 4) Who crops off mallows by the bushes, and have brumbush roots as their bread." And whence do we know that Maon refers to Heaven.? It is said (Deut. 26, 15) Look down from Thy habitation (Maon) of Thy holiness from the heavens. Machon is that in which are the treasures of snow and hail, and the upper chamber (store) of harmful dews and the upper chamber (store) of the raiins, and the chamber of the whirlwind and of the storm, and the retreat of noisome vabor; and their doors are made of fire, as it is said (Deut. 28, 12) The Lord will open unto thee His good treasure. Are then these treasures in Heaven? Behold, they are on the earth, for it is written (Ps. 148, 7) Praise the Lord from the earth, ye sea-monsters and all deeps; fire and hail; snow and vapor; the storm wind, that fulfill His word, hence everything exists on the earth? Said R. Juda in the name of Rab: "Originally they were situated in Heaven, but David prayed for them and caused them to be brought down, on the earth." He entreated Him: "Sovereign of the Universe! (Ib. 5, 5) For thou art not a God, that hath pleasure in wickedness; evil cannot abide with Thee, i.e., Thou art a righteous God! O God! and therefore evil cannot abide with Thee. And whence do we know that the Maon refers to heaven, it is said (I Kings 8, 43) Mayest Thou listen in Heaven, the place of Thy dwelling (Maon). Araboth is that place in which dwell righteousness. Justice and grace; the treasures of life, the treasures of blessing, and the souls of the righteous, as well as the spirits and souls which are about to be created, also the dew with which the Holy One, praised be He! will revive the dead. That there dwell righteousness and justice, we find in the following passage (Ps. 89, 15) Righteousness and justice are the prop of Thy throne. That there is grace, we infer from the following passage (Is. 59, 17) And He put on righteousness as a coat of mail. That the treasures of peace exist there, we infer from the following passage (Judges 6, 24) And He called it (the altar) Adonay-Shalom (the eternal of peace). That the treasures of life exist there we infer from the following passage (Ps. 36, 10) For with Thee is the source of life. That the treasures of blessing exist there, we infer from the following passage (I Sam. 25, 20) Yet will the soul of my lord, be bound in the bound of life with the Lord thy God. That the spirits and souls which are about to be created abide there, we infer from the following passage (Is. 57, 16) When the spirit from before Me is overwhelmed, and the souls which I have made. That there exists the dew with which the Holy One, praised be He! will survive the dead, we infer from the following passage (Ps. 68, 10) Rain of beneficience didst thou pour down, O God! There also are celestials and seraphim, and holy being and ministering angels and the Divine throne of glory, and the King, the living God, the high and exalted, sitting over them among the clouds, as it is said (Ib. ib. 5) Exalt Him who rideth upon the heavens; the everlasting is His name. And whence do we know that Araboth refers to heaven? A. Abahu said: "We infer from the similar words, Richiba, Richiba; it is written here, 'Exalt him who rideth (Rdchab) upon the heavens, and it is also written (Deut. 33, 26) Who rideth (Rochab) to help thee upon the heavens." And darkness and cloud and thick darkness surround Him, as it is said (Ps. 18, 12) He made darkness his hiding place, etc. Now is there darkness in the presence of the Lord? Is it not written (Dan. 2, 22) He is that revealeth what is deep and secret: He knoweth what is in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with Him? This presents no difficulty. (Fol. 13) The one refers to that which is within, the other to that which is without. R. Acha b. Jacob said: "There still is another firmament above the heads of the Holy being, for it is said (Ez. 1, 22) And the likeness of a vault was ever the head of the living creatures, shining like the glitter of the living crystal. So far hast thou permission to speak. Thenceforth thou hast not permission to speak. For thus it is written in the book of Ben Sira: "Search not into that which is concealed from thee; that which is hidden from thee do not try to penetrate; consider only that which thou hast permission. Thou must have nothing to do with mysteries."

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might” (Deuteronomy 6:5). What is “with all your heart, with all your soul” – with each and every soul that He created for you.⁷⁷Every aspect of the soul, represented by the five names mentioned below (Etz Yosef). Alternatively, with all of a person’s inclinations and energy (see Maharzu). Rabbi Meir said: For each and every breath that a person takes, he is obligated to laud his Creator. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Let everyone who breathes praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6).⁷⁸Rabbi Meir interprets the phrase “everyone who breathes [kol haneshama]” to mean “for every breath [kol neshima].” Rabbi Simon said: The soul is called the following five names: Ruaḥ, nefesh, neshama, ḥaya, yeḥida. The Rabbis say: Come and see that the Holy One blessed be He fills His world, and [a person’s] soul fills his body. The Holy One blessed be He bears His world, and the soul bears the body. The Holy One blessed be He is One in His world, and the soul is one in the body. The Holy One blessed be He does not sleep, and the soul does not sleep. The Holy One blessed be He is the pure One in His world, and the soul is the pure one in the body. The Holy One blessed be He sees but is not seen, and the soul sees but it is not seen. Let the soul that sees but is not seen come and laud the Holy One blessed be He, who sees but is not seen.
Israel said: ‘Master of the universe, this soul that lauds you, until when will it be placed in the dust⁷⁹Until when will the soul have to endure the physical body; alternatively, until when will the soul be held back from achieving its potential due to the hardships of life (see Etz Yosef; Anaf Yosef). [as it is written:] “Our soul is stooped in the dust”’ (Psalms 44:26)? The Holy One blessed be He said to them: As you live, the End will come, and your souls will rejoice. That is why Isaiah comforts them and says: “I will be gladdened in the Lord; my soul will exult in my God” (Isaiah 61:10).
Rabbi Berekhya said: In ten places the Holy One blessed be He called Israel “bride.”⁸⁰The midrash here proceeds to list only nine such instances, but elsewhere (Shir HaShirim Rabba 4:8:3) it lists the tenth: “A locked garden is my sister, my bride” (Song of Songs 4:12), which should be included here as well. They are: “With Me from Lebanon, My bride” (Song of Songs 4:8); “I came to My garden, My sister, My bride” (Song of Songs 5:1); “you have charmed Me, My sister, My bride” (Song of Songs 4:9); “how fair is your loving, My sister, My bride” (Song of Songs 4:10); “your lips drip nectar, My bride” (Song of Songs 4:11); “like the gladness of a groom with a bride” (see Isaiah 62:5); “the sound of a groom and the sound of a bride” (Jeremiah 33:11); “that you will don all of them like jewelry and you will tie them like a bride” (Isaiah 49:18); “and like a bride who bedecks herself with her ornaments” (Isaiah 61:10). Corresponding to them, Israel adorns the Holy One blessed be He with ten garments [levushin].⁸¹The reference is to ten instances in which Israel praises God with metaphors involving forms of the word garments [levushin]. They are: “I donned [lavashti] righteousness, and it clothed me [vayilbasheni]”; “like a robe and a mitre was my justice” (Job 29:14) – these make two. “He donned [vayilbash] righteousness like armor” (Isaiah 59:17); “He donned [vayilbash] garments of vengeance as His costume [tilboshet]” (Isaiah 59:17) – these make five. “His garment was like white snow” (Daniel 7:9); “why is there red on your garment” (Isaiah 63:2); “The Lord reigns; He is clothed [lavesh] in grandeur. The Lord is clothed [lavesh], girded with strength” (Psalms 93:1); “You are clothed [lavashta] in splendor and glory” (Psalms 104:1) – these make ten.
Another matter: “I will be gladdened in the Lord” (Isaiah 61:10) – to what is the matter comparable? It is to a woman whose husband, son, and son-in-law went to a country overseas…, as it is written in the Pesikta⁸²The midrash here does not provide the full account of this analogy, but it is provided in Pesikta deRav Kahana 22:3 and Shir HaShirim Rabba 1:4:8. until: “I will be gladdened.”

He revealed Himself to them as a rider, viz. (Ibid. 18:11) "And He mounted a cherub and flew, etc." He revealed Himself to them in mail and helmet, viz. (Isaiah 59:17) "He donned righteousness as mail, and a helmet of salvation on His head." He revealed Himself to them with a spear, viz. (Habakkuk 3:11) "by the light of the flash of Your spear," and (Psalms 35:3) "and draw spear and (don) buckler, etc." He revealed Himself to them with bow and arrows, viz. (Habakkuk 3:9) "The nakedness of Your bow will be revealed," and (II Samuel 22:15) "And He sent forth arrows, etc." He revealed Himself to them with shield and buckler, viz. (Psalms 91:4) "Shield and bucker is His Your truth, and (Ibid. 35:2) "Take up buckler and shield."