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R. Simon b. Lakish said: "Whoever studies the Torah will prevent affliction from coming upon him, for it is said (Job 5, 7.), And the sons of fire take up their flight. By Uf (flight) is meant nothing else but the Torah, as it is said (Pr. 23, 5.) When thou letteth merely thine eye fly over it (i.e., if you study the Torah by merely glancing over it with your eyes), it is no more, (you will easily forget it). And Reshef (fire) means nothing else but affliction, as it is said (Deu. 32, 24.) Devoured with evil spirits." "Aye." exclaimed R. Jochanan, "even the school children know this! for it is said, (Ex. 15. 2.5.) And he said, if thou wilt deligently hearken unto the voice of the Lord and wilt do what is riqht in His eyes, etc. But it means thus: Upon him who is capable of studying the Torah, but does not do so the Holy One, praised be He! will bring repulsive suffering which will greatly disturb him; for it is said (Ps. 39, 3.) I was dumb in deep silence, I was quite still even from speaking good, but my pain greatly disturbed me. By tob (good) is meant nothing else but the Torah, for it is said (Pr. 4, 2.) For good doctrine do I give, etc." R. Zeira, and some say, R. Chanina b. Papa, said: "Come and see that the custom of the Holy One. praised be He! is not like the custom of mortal men. The custom of mortal men is that if a man sell a valuable thing to his fellow-man, the seller is sorry and only the buyer is happy; but the custom of the Holy One, praised be He! is not so. He bestowed the Torah on Israel and He rejoiced, for it is said (Ib. 4, 2.) For good doctrine do I give thee." Raba, and according to others R. Chisda, said: "If a man see that troubles are coming unto him, let him search his deeds, for it is said, (Lam. 3, 40) Let us search through and examine our ways and let us return unto the Lord. If he has investigated and found nothing wrong, then let him attribute it to a neglect of the study of the Torah. for it is said (Ps. 94, 12.) Happy is the man whom Thou admonisheth, O Lord, and teacheth out of Thy Torah. But if he investigated and did not find [neglect of the study of the Torah] then it is known that his affliction is the cause of God's love, for it is said (Pr. 3, 12.) Because whomsoever the Lord loveth He admonisheth." Raba, in the name of R. Sechorah, who quoted R. Huna, said: "Whomsover the Holy One, praised be He! loveth. He afflicteth, for it is said (Is. 53, 10.) But the Lord was pleased to crush him through disease. We might think that, even if he does not accept the affliction with resignation. It is therefore said (Ib.) When his soul hath brought the trespass-offering, i. e., just as a guilt offering must come with his acknowledgement, so also must this be accepted with resignation. And if he accept it with love what will be his reward? Then shall he see (his) seed live many days, (Ib.) and moreover his learning shall endure with him, as is said (Ib.) And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand." As to affliction, there is a difference of opinion between R. Jacob b. Ide and R. Acha b. Chanina. One holds that all such affliction which does not prevent one from studying the Torah is one of love, for it is said (Ps. 94, 12.) Happy is the man whom Thou admonisheth, O Lord, and teacheth from Thy Torah; and the other holds that such affliction which does not prevent one from praying is one which comes from love, for it is said (Ps. 66, 20.) Blessed he God who hath not removed my prayer nor His kindness from me. R. Abba, the son of R. Chiya b. Abba, said: "Thus said my father (R. Chiya) in the name of R. Jochanan; 'Both of these afflictions are the kind which come from love, for it is written (Pr. 3, 12.) Because whomsoever the Lord loveth He admonisheth; But what do we learn [from the passage] Thou teacheth him of the Torah. Do not read Tlamdenu (that he should be able to study the Torah); but read it Tlamdainu (Out of Thy Torah, Thou teacheth us) i. e., we learn from thine Torah [that one who is punished by God should be happy] namely, through the rule of a fortiori concerning the tooth and the eye; that if the loss of a tooth or an eye [stricken out by the master] which affects only one member of the human body, frees the slave, how much more then are afflictions, which affect the whole human body, capable of cleaning one of evil.'" And that is meant by R. Simon b. Lakish, for he said: "It is said Convenant (Brith) in connection with the word salt, and it is said Convenant (Brith) in connection with the word affliction. Covenant by salt — as it is written (Lev. 2, 13.) Thou shalt not suffer the salt of the covenant (Brith)! Covenant by affliction — as it is written (Deu. 28, 49.) These are the words of the covenant. (Brith) Just as the covenant of the salt was made to sweeten meat, so the covenant of affliction was made to cleanse man of all iniquities."

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Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael

(Exodus 14:3) "And Pharaoh will say about the children of Israel: They are nevuchim in the land": "nevuchim" is "confounded," as in (Joel 1:18) "How the beasts groan! The herds of cattle navochu!" Variantly: "nevuchim" — "bewildered," as in (Esther 3:15) "And the king and Haman sat down to feast, and the city of Shushan navochah." Variantly: "And Pharaoh said": He said and he did not know what he was saying. (i.e., unbeknownst to him he was prophesying. On the surface) he was saying that Moses was leading them without knowing where — but "nevuchim" (prophetically) intimates Moses, viz. (Devarim 32:49) "Ascend the Mount Avarim, Mount Nevo, (short for 'nevuchim')." Variantly: "And Pharaoh said," without knowing what he was saying, viz.: Israel are destined to cry ("livkoth" as in "nevochim") in the desert, viz. (Numbers 14:1) "And the entire congregation lifted their voices and the people cried (vayivku)" Israel are destined to fall in the desert, viz. (Ibid. 29) "In this desert shall your carcasses fall."

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Midrash Tanchuma

(Numb. 13:2:) “Send men for yourself.”⁸The midrash here understands the verse in this more literal sense. This text is related (to Prov. 10:26), “Like vinegar to the teeth and like smoke to the eyes, so is the lazy person to those who send him.” The spies were mighty ones, in that they spoke evil speech against the land, as stated (in Jer. 9:2), “For they have bent their tongues as a bow of falsehood, [and it is not for truth that they have grown mighty in the land.]” To what is the matter comparable?⁹Numb. R. 16:4. To a wealthy man who had a vineyard. Whenever he saw that the wine was good, he would say to his tenants, “Put it in my house”; but whenever he saw that it was sour, he would say to his tenants, “Put it in your houses.” So also here. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that the elders were worthy, he called them in His own name, as stated (in Numb. 11:16), “Gather me seventy men [from the elders of Israel].” When He saw that the spies were going to sin, he called them by Moses' name, as stated (in Numb. 13:2), “Send men for yourself.” (Numb. 13:2:) “Send men.” This text is related (to Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool is cutting off [his own] feet and drinking violence.” And were the spies fools? And has it not already been stated (in Numb. 13:2) “Send men (anashim).” And in every place that anashim is used, the men are righteous. Where is this shown? For so it says (in Exod. 17:9), “Then Moses said to Joshua, ‘Choose men (anashim) for us.’”¹⁰Numb. R. 16:5. And so it says (in I Sam. 17:12), “and in the days of Saul the man (Jesse) had come to an elderly age among men (anashim).” And so it [also] says (in I Sam. 1:11), “and if you grant your handmaid the seed of men (anashim).” Now you are calling these [spies] fools (as in Prov. 26:6), “The one who sends a message through a fool?” But these were only called fools because they had uttered malicious slander against the land, as stated (in Prov. 10:18), “and the one who utters slander is a fool.” But nevertheless they had [once] been great human beings, although they had made themselves foolish. So it is on account of them that Moses says (in Deut. 32:20), “for they are a perverse generation, children with no loyalty to them.” Thus they were chosen from all of Israel at the command of the Holy One, blessed be He, and at the command of Moses, as stated (in Deut. 1:23), “Now the plan seemed good in My eyes; so I took [twelve men (anashim)] from you, one for each tribe.” From where do you say that they were righteous? See that Moses did not want to send them until he had consulted with the Holy One, blessed be He, over each and every one. When he had said [for each one], “So-and-so from such-and-such tribe,” the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “They are acceptable.” Thus it is stated (in Numb. 13:3), “So Moses sent them from the Desert of Paran at the command of the Lord.” Then after that, at the end of forty days, they changed and made all that trouble. So they caused that generation to be afflicted with that punishment, as stated (in Deut. 32:20), “for they are a perverse generation.” Because when they were chosen, [they were] righteous. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 13:2, 16), “Send men for yourself […]. And these are the names of the men (anashim).”

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"Lord God, You have begun" (Deuteronomy 3:24): There is a [relevant] parable: To what is this comparable? To a king that saw an orphaned woman and sought to marry her. He sent to propose to her. She said, "I am not fit to marry the king." He sent [again] and proposed seven times, but she did not listen to him. After a while, she married the king. [Later,] the king got angry with her and sought to divorce her and marry another [woman]. The first one said, "I have no shame if you divorce me, as it is you who sought me to begin with. However since you are divorcing me, I plead with you, do not do to this [wife] like what you have done to me." So [too] did the Holy One, blessed be He, do to Moshe. He seduced him for seven days. And [Moshe] said to him (Exodus 4:10), "I am not a man of words." After a while, the Holy One, blessed be He, appeased him. [So] he went on His mission, and all of the miracles happened through him. In the end, [God] said to him, "For 'you shall not enter [the land]'" (Deuteronomy 32:52). [So] Moshe our teacher said to Him, "Master of the world, if You do not want me to bring them to the land, I have no shame, as 'You began,'" which is an expression of beginning; "but since You have decreed this upon me, do not do to the one who brings them like You have done to me, 'That he should go in front of them [...] and that he bring them' (Numbers 27:17)." "And the Lord said to me, 'It is enough (rav) for you; do not add'" (Deuteronomy 3:26). As your opponent has preceded you. As so did Iyov state (Job 31:35), "O that I had someone to give me a hearing; O that the Omnipresent would reply to my writ, or my opponent (eesh rivi) write a book (a bill of charges)!" And which book [is that]? "This is the book of the generations of Adam" (Genesis 5:1, as Adam brought death to the world). What did Job say? "Small and great are there, and the slave is free of his master" (Job 3:19). Therefore, "It is enough."

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(Deut. 3:26), “Do not [ever] speak [unto me on this matter] again.]” This is related to what Job said (in Job 20:6-7), “Even though one's height ascends to the heavens, [and his head reaches the clouds]. He perishes forever, like his dung….” With reference to whom did Job say this verse? It only speaks with reference to the day of death. So even though one ascends to the heavens and makes himself wings like a bird; when his time to die arrives, his wings are broken, and he falls before the angel of death like an animal before the butcher. So also has David said (in Ps. 146:4), “His spirit departs; he returns to the ground.” And Job has already stated (in Job 3:19), “The small and the great are there, and the slave ('eved) is free from his master.” As even if his master bought him for thousands and thousands of gold coins, once [the slave’s] time to die has come, he cannot say, “He is my slave,” but rather he becomes free from his master. Another interpretation (of Job 20:6), “Even though one's height ascends to the heavens.” This refers to Moses, who ascended to the firmament and who came to the Araphel (the lower sky). Moreover, he was like the ministering angels in that he spoke with Him (i.e., with the Holy One, blessed be He,) face to face and received the Torah from His hand. When his time to die arrived, He said to him (in Deut. 31:14), “Behold the days are drawing near for you to die.” [Moses] said to Him, “Master of the world, is it for nothing that my feet have trodden Araphel? Is it for nothing that I have run before Your children like a horse, that my end be for the worm? R. Abbahu said, “To what is the matter comparable? To one of the nobles of the kingdom, who found a certain Hindu sword, which was unmatched [in the world] and who said, ‘This is suitable only for the king.’ What did he do? He brought it to the king as a gift.¹⁵Gk.: doron. The king said, ‘Cut off his head with it.’ So also Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, ‘By the word that I [used to] praise¹⁶Rt.: KLS. Cf. Gk.: kalos. you, when I said (in Deut. 10:14), “Behold (hen), the heavens [and the heavens of the heavens, the earth and all that is in it] belong to the Lord your God!’ By that [very] word (i.e., hen) You are decreeing death over me, when you say (in Deut. 31:14), “Behold (hen), the days are drawing near for you to die.”’”¹⁷Below, Deut. 11:6. He said to him, “Moses, I have already decreed¹⁸Rt.: QLS. Cf. Lat.: census; Gk.: kensos. death over the first Adam.” He said to him, “My master, the first Adam deserved to die. You decreed an easy commandment for him, and he transgressed it. Hence it is fitting for him to die. [God] said to him, “Consider Abraham, [who] sanctified My name in My world [but still died].” He said to him, “Master of the world, From Abraham there came out Ishmael, whose race provoked You to anger, as stated (in Job 12:6) ‘The tents of robbers prosper, [and those who provoke God have security, the ones whom God brought forth in His hand].’” He said to him, “Consider Isaac, who stretched out his neck upon the altar.” He said to him, “From Isaac there came out Esau, who in the future will destroy the Temple and burn Your sanctuary.” He said to him, “Consider Jacob, out of whom there came twelve tribes without any flaw.” He said to him “Jacob did not ascend into the firmament, his feet did not trod Araphel, he was not like the ministering angels, he did not receive Torah from Your hand and he did not speak with you face to face.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him (in Deut. 3:26), “Enough from you; do not [ever] speak [unto Me on this matter] again.” He said to Him, “Perhaps [future] generations will say, ‘If He had not found bad things in Moses, He would not have removed him from the world.” He said to him, “I have already written in my Torah (in Deut. 34:10), “Never again did there arise in Israel a prophet like Moses.” He said in front of Him, “The people will say] I did your will in my youth, but I did not do your will in my old age.” He said to him, “I have already written (in Deut. 32:51), “Because you acted faithlessly with me.”¹⁹Cf. Numb. 20:12. He said to Him, “Please let me enter the land [and spend] two or three years there, and after that let me die.” He said to him (in Deut. 32:52), “And there you shall not go.” He said to Him, “If I am not to enter while alive, let me enter after my death.” He said to him, “Not while you are alive, and not when you are dead.” He said in front of Him, “Why all this anger against me?” He said to him (according to Deut. 32:51), “Because you did not sanctify Me.” He said to him, “With all mortals you are guided two or three times by the principle of mercy, as stated (in Job 33:29), ‘Behold, God does all these things two or three times to a man’; yet in my case, when a single sin is found in me, you do not forgive me.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “See here, Moses, you have committed six sins, and I have not disclosed one of them. First you said, (in Exod. 4:13) ‘Please make someone else your agent’; secondly (in Exod. 5:23), ‘For ever since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Your name, [he has dealt worse with this people, and You have still not delivered Your people]’; thirdly (in Numb. 11:22) ‘If the sheep and cattle would be slaughtered for them , would it be [enough] for them’; fourthly (in Numb. 16:29), ‘The Lord did not send me’; fifthly (in Numb. 20:10), ‘Listen, you rebels, [shall we bring forth water for you from this rock]’;²⁰See above, the note at the end of Exod. 1:20. sixth (in Numb. 32:14), ‘And now you brood of sinners have arisen in place of your ancestors.’ But were Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob sinners, for you to say this to their children?” He said to Him, “I have learned so from You, when you said (in Numb. 17:3), ‘The censers of these who have sinned [at the cost of their lives].’ He said to him, “I said (ibid.), ‘At the cost of their lives,’ and not, ‘at the cost of their ancestors.’” He said in front of Him, “I am an individual, while Israel numbers sixty myriads (i.e., 600,000). They have sinned before You a lot of times; and when I sought mercy on their behalf, You forgave them. You took care of sixty myriads [because of me], yet You are not taking care of me.” He said to him, “Moses, a decree over a community is not like a decree over an individual. Furthermore, up to now [the] time was delivered into your hands, but from now [the] time is not delivered into your hands.” He said to Him, “Master of the universe, rise up from the seat of judgment and sit down upon the seat of mercy for me, so that I do not die. Then my sins shall be forgiven through torments which You shall bring on my body. So do not deliver me to the pangs of the angel of death. Moreover, if You do this, I will proclaim Your praise to all who come into the world, just as David has said (in Ps. 118:17), ‘I shall not die, but live [and recount the works of the Lord].’” He said to him (in vs. 20), “This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall come through it.” [From this it follows that] death has been ordained from time immemorial for the righteous and for all mortals. When Moses saw that they paid no attention to him, he went to the heaven and earth, where he said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “Before seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 51:6), ‘for the heavens shall vanish like smoke, and the earth shall wear out like a garment.’”²¹See ‘AZ 17a, for this verse applied to Eleazar ben Dordia in a similar way. He went to the stars and planets. He said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “Before seeking mercy for you, we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 34:4), ‘All the host of heaven shall rot away….’” He went to the mountains and hills. He said to them, “Seek mercy for me.” They said to him, “[Before seeking mercy for you,] we should seek mercy for ourselves, since it is stated (in Is. 54:10), ‘For the mountains shall move, and the hills shall be shaken.’”²²The translation of the verb tenses here differs from some biblical translations but fits the sense of the midrash. He went to the Great Sea. He said to it, “Seek mercy for me.” [The sea] said to him, “Son of Amram, how is today different from a couple of [other] days? Are you not the son of Amram, who came upon me with your rod, smote me, and divided me into twelve parts? For I was unable to stand before you because the Divine Presence was walking at your right hand. It is so stated (in Is. 63:12), ‘Who had His glorious arm walk at the right hand of Moses, who divided the waters before them […].’ So what has happened to you today?” When the sea reminded him what he had done in his youth, he cried out and said (in Job 29:2), “’O that I were as in the months of old, as in the days when God watched over me!’ When I passed through you, I was a world king; but now I am prostrate, and they pay no attention to me.” Immediately he betook himself to the arch[angel] of the [Divine] Presence and said to him, “Seek mercy for me, that I not die.” He said to him, “My master, Moses, why the exertion? This is what I have heard from behind the curtain:²³Pargod. Cf. Lat.: paragauda or [paragaudis] (a garment with a lace border); Gk.: Paragaudes (a garment with a purple border). That your prayer is not heard on this matter.” Putting his hands on his head, Moses sobbed and wept, as he said, “With whom shall I seek mercy for myself?” R. Simlay said, “At that time the Holy One, blessed be He, was full of anger over him, as stated (in Deut. 3:26), ‘But the Lord was angry with me […],’ until Moses began by uttering this Scripture (Exod. 34:6): ‘Then the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “the Lord, the Lord is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger…].’” Immediately the holy spirit was cooled off.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Moses, I have sworn two oaths, one that you should die and one to destroy Israel. To repeal both of them is impossible; so if you want to live, Israel will be destroyed.” He said before Him, “You are coming to me with a plot. You are seizing the rope at both ends. Let Moses and a thousand like him be destroyed, but do not let one person in Israel be destroyed.” He said to him, “Master of the Universe, should feet that have climbed up to the firmament, should a face that has greeted the Divine Presence, should hands that have received Torah from Your hands lick the dust? Woe!²⁴Vay. All mortals will say, “If Moses, who ascended on high, became like the ministering angels, spoke with Him face to face, and received Torah from His hand, had no reply for responding to the Holy One, blessed be He, how much the worse it will be for [mere] flesh and blood, who comes with no [merit from] Torah and with no [merit from the] commandments?” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Why all this anguish that you are experiencing?” He said, “Master of the world, I am afraid of the pangs of the angel of death.” He said to him, “I am not delivering you into his hands.” He said in front of Him, “Master of the universe, my mother Jochebed, who was distressed (literally, whose teeth were blunted) during her lifetime by two of her sons, will be distressed by my death.” He said to him, “So has it come up in [My] mind, and so is it the way of the world: every generation with its expositors, every generation with its administrators,²⁵Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”). every generation with its leaders. Up to now it has been your lot to serve in front of Me, but now your lot is over and the time of your disciple Joshua for him to serve [Me] has arrived.” He said to him, “My Master, if I am dying because of Joshua, let me go and become his disciple!” He said to him, “If you want to do that, go and do it.” Moses arose and went early to Joshua's door.²⁶Cf. the somewhat different account in Deut. R. 9:9. Now Joshua was seated expounding [Torah], so Moses stopped to bend his stature and put his hand on his mouth. But Joshua's eyes were hidden, and he did not see him, so that he (Moses) would be sorrowful and resign himself to death. When Israel came to Moses' door to study Torah, they asked and said, “Where did Moshe our master [go]?” [Others] said to them, “He got up early and went to the door of Joshua.” [So] they went and found him at the door of Joshua, with Joshua sitting and Moses standing. They said to Joshua, “What has come over you that Moses our master stands, while you sit?” When he raised his eyes and saw him, he immediately rent his clothes. Then sobbing and weeping, he said, “O my master, my master! My father, my father and lord!” Israel said to Moses, “Moses our master, teach us Torah.” He said to them, “I am not allowed.” They said to him, “We are not leaving you.” A heavenly voice (bat qol) came forth and said to them, “Learn from Joshua.” [So] they took upon themselves to sit and learn from the mouth of Joshua. Joshua sat at the head with Moses to his right and with [Elazar and Ithamar] to his left. So he sat and expounded in the presence of Moses. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said that R. Johanan said, “When Joshua opened by saying, ‘Blessed be the One who has chosen the righteous,” they took the traditions of wisdom from Moses and gave them to Joshua. Now Moses did not know what Joshua was expounding. After Israel arose [from the session], they said to Moses, “[Explain] the Torah [we have just heard] to us.” He said to them, “I do not know what to answer you.” So Moses our master was stumbling and falling. It was at that time that he said, “Master of the universe, up to now I requested life, but now here is my soul given over to You.” Then when he had resigned himself to death, the Holy One, blessed be He, opened by saying (in Ps. 94:16), “’Who will stand for Me²⁷In context, the word, me, here is self-referential to the author of Psalms, and not referring to God. against evildoers?’ Who will stand for Israel in the time of My wrath? Who will stand in the battle of My children? And who will stand and seek mercy for them, when they sin before Me?” At that time Metatron²⁸Lat.: metator (“measurer,” “one who marks out boundaries”). came and fell on his face. He said to Him, “Master of the world, [as] in Moses' life he belonged to You, so in his death he belongs to You.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Let me give you a parable. To what is the matter comparable? To a king who had a son. Now on each and every day, his father was angry with him and sought to kill him because he did not maintain respect for the father; but his mother rescued him from his hand. One day his mother died and the king wept. His servants said to him, ‘Our lord king, why are you weeping?’ He said to them, ‘It is not over my wife alone that I am weeping, but for my son; for many times when I was angry with him and wanted to kill him, did she rescue him from my hand?’” So also did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Metatron, “It is not over Moses alone that I am weeping, but over him and over Israel, for look at how many times that they angered Me, and I was angry with them; but he stood in the breach before Me to turn back My anger from destroying them.” They came and said to Moses, “The hour has arrived for you to depart from the world.” He said to them, “Wait for me until I bless Israel, for they have not found contentment from me all my days, because of the rebukes and warnings with which I rebuked them.” He began to bless each tribe separately. When he saw that the time was growing short, he included all of them in a single blessing. They came and said, “The hour has arrived for your soul to depart from the world.” He said to Israel, “I have caused you a lot of grief over the Torah and over the commandments, but now forgive me.” They said to him, “Our lord master, you are forgiven.” Israel also arose before him and said to him, “O Moses our master, we have angered you a lot and increased the burden upon you. Forgive us.” He said to them, “You are forgiven.” They came and said to him, “The moment has arrived for you to depart from the world.” He said, “Blessed be the name of the One who lives and abides forever.” He said to Israel, “If you please, when you enter the land, remember me and my bones, and you shall say, ‘Woe (oy) to the son of Amram, who ran before us like a horse but whose bones have fallen in the wilderness.’” They came and said to him, “The half moment has arrived.” He took his two arms and placed them on his heart. Then he said to Israel, “See the final end of flesh and blood.” They answered and said, “The hands which received the Torah from the mouth of the Almighty shall fall to the grave.” At that moment his soul departed with a kiss (from the Holy One, blessed be He),²⁹See MQ 28a. as stated (in Deut. 34:5), “Then Moses [the servant of the Lord] died there [in the Land of Moab at the command of the Lord (literally, by the mouth of the Lord)].”³⁰BB 17a; ARN, A 12:2; Cant. R. 1:2:5; Petirat Mosheh Rabbenu, recension A, in A. Jellinek, Bet ha-Midrasch (Leipzig: Vollrath, 1853-57), vol. I, p. 129; ibid., recension B, in Jellinek, vol. VI, p. 77. Now [the ones who] took care of his burial were neither Israel nor the angels but the Holy One, blessed be He, [Himself], as stated (in vs. 6), “Then He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) buried him (Moses) in the valley [in the Land of Moab].” And for what reason was he buried outside the land? So that those who die when outside the land might live [again] through his merit,³¹The translation here follows the traditional Tanhuma. Deut. 2:6. So also Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. The Buber text omits “might live again” and reads “through their merit.” as stated (in Deut. 33:21), “He has chosen the best for himself, [for there is an honored lawgiver's portion].” But when did Moses our master die? On the seventh of Adar,³²Seder ‘Olam Rabbah, 10; TSot. 11:7; Qid. 38a; see Meg. 13b; Sot. 12b. as stated (in Deut. 34:5), “Then Moses the servant of the Lord died there [in the Land of Moab].” It is also written (in vs. 8), “And the children of Israel mourned Moses [on the Plains of Moab for thirty days.]” And it is written (in Josh. 1:1), “And it came to pass after the death of Moses, [the servant of the Lord, the Lord spoke unto Joshua]”; (Josh. 4:19) “Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month (i.e., Nisan).” Reckon back thirty-three days [from then]. Ergo, he died on the seventh of Adar. And where is it shown that he was born on the seventh of Adar? Where it is stated (in Deut. 31:2), “He said to them, ‘I am one hundred twenty years old today.’”³³Since Moses spoke these words on the day of his death, his birthday must have been the same as the day of his death. What is the text teaching with, “today?” Today, I have fulfilled my days and any years. [It is there] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, fulfills the years for the righteous from day to day and from month to month, as stated (in Exod. 23:26), “I will fulfill the number of your days.”

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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The portion and lot which have fallen to Me, My soul liveth thereby, as it is said, "The lots have fallen unto me in pleasures; yea, I have a goodly heritage" (Ps. 16:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, descended with the seventy angels, who surround || the throne of His glory, and they confused their speech into seventy nations and seventy languages. Whence do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, descended? Because it is said, "And the Lord God came down to see the city and the tower" (Gen. 11:5). This was the second descent.

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Eikhah Rabbah

Rabbi Yoḥanan began: “A prophecy of the Valley of Vision” (Isaiah 22:1) – the valley about which all the seers prophesy, the valley from which all the seers originated, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Every prophet the name of whose city was not articulated was a Jerusalemite. “Valley of Vision” – as they cast the words of the seers to the ground.⁹³The residents treated the prophecies with derision, reflected in the term valley, as a valley is low ground. “What, indeed, happened to you, that you all ascended to the roofs?” (Isaiah 22:1). Did they in fact ascend to the roofs? Rabbi Levi said: These are the arrogant.
“Full of tumult [teshuot]” (Isaiah 22:2) – Rabbi Elazar ben Yaakov said: This expression is used in three senses: Troubles, tumult, and gloom. Troubles, as it is stated: “Does not hear the troubles [teshuot] caused by the oppressor” (Job 39:7); tumult, as it is stated: “Full of tumult [teshuot].” Gloom, as it is stated: “Darkness, gloom [shoa], and desolation” (Job 30:3).
“Clamorous city” (Isaiah 22:2) – a city of commotion; “merry town” (Isaiah 22:2) – a lively city; “your slain are not slain by the sword and they did not die in war” (Isaiah 22:2) – what are they? “Bloated by famine and ravaged by plague” (Deuteronomy 32:24).
“All your officers wandered together; from the bow [mikeshet] they were bound” (Isaiah 22:3) – due to their stubbornness [kashyutam], they were delivered to the kingdoms. Alternatively, “all your officers wandered together; from the bow they were bound” – as [the enemies] would untie the strings of their bows and bind with them. “All those found among you were bound together, they fled afar” (Isaiah 22:3) – they distanced themselves from hearing the words of Torah, just as it says: “From afar the Lord has appeared to me” (Jeremiah 31:2).
“Therefore, I said: Turn from me, I will weep bitterly” (Isaiah 22:4) – Reish Lakish said: On three occasions the ministering angels sought to recite song before the Holy One blessed be He but He did not allow them to do so. These are: In the generation of the Flood, at the sea, and upon the destruction of the Temple. Regarding the generation of the Flood, what is written? “The Lord said: My spirit shall not abide in man forever” (Genesis 6:3).⁹⁴The midrash interprets the word abode [yadon] in the sense of singing praise [yaron], such that the verse means that God’s praise will not always be able to be sung over the occurrences regarding mankind. This interpretation is based on the fact that the Hebrew letters dalet and resh look very similar and are sometimes interchanged (Etz Yosef). At the sea it is written: “One did not approach the other the entire night” (Exodus 14:20).⁹⁵The terminology of this verse is reminiscent of the verse in Isaiah (10:3) describing the angels singing song to God. Regarding the destruction of the Temple it is written: “Therefore, I said: Turn from me, I will weep bitterly; do not rush to comfort me” (Isaiah 22:4). It is not written here: Do not continue [to comfort me], but rather, “do not rush [ta’itzu].” The Holy One blessed be He said to the ministering angels: The words of comfort that you are reciting before Me, they are insults [ni’utzin] for Me. Why? “For it is a day of turmoil, trampling and confusion [mevukha] from the Lord, God of hosts” (Isaiah 22:5) – a day of turbulence, a day of plundering, and a day of weeping [bekhiya]. “Of the Valley of Vision” (Isaiah 22:1) – it is the valley about which all the seers prophesy. “Breaching the wall and crying [vesho’a] to the mountain” (Isaiah 22:5) – for they were breaching the walls of their houses, using [the materials] for shields, and placing them atop their citadels [sho’eihem].
“Elam carried the quiver” (Isaiah 22:6) – Rav said: This is a collection of arrows. “Among chariots of men are horsemen, and Kir bared a shield” (Isaiah 22:6), for they were breaching the walls [kirot] of their houses and using [the materials] for shields. “And it was that your choicest valleys [amakayikh] filled with chariots” (Isaiah 22:7) – Rav said: To the full depth of [umkah] the sea waters. “And the horsemen directed themselves [shot shatu] to the gate” (Isaiah 22:7) – like weaving [mishteyei] they went and like weaving they came,⁹⁶They crossed like the warp and woof strings on a loom. and they appeared to be many.
“He laid bare the covering of Judah” (Isaiah 22:8) – exposing what was covered. “You looked on that day to the weapons in the house of the forest” (Isaiah 22:8) – Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: The Israelites had a weapon at Sinai, and the ineffable name was etched upon it. When they sinned it was taken from them. That is what is written: “The children of Israel were stripped of their ornament from Mount Ḥorev” (Exodus 33:6). How was it taken from them? Rabbi Aivu and the Rabbis: Rabbi Aivu said: It peeled off on its own. The Rabbis say: An angel descended and peeled it off.
“You saw that the breaches of the city of David were many.… And you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke the houses to fortify the wall” (Isaiah 22:9–10) – this teaches that they would shatter their houses and add to the wall. But did Hezekiah not already do so? Is it not written: “He took courage and rebuilt the entire breached wall…” (II Chronicles 32:5)?⁹⁷Isaiah criticized the people for adding to the wall, whereas Hezekiah similarly rebuilt the walls as protection from his enemies and was not criticized. Hezekiah, however, put his trust in the Lord, God of Israel, but you did not put your trust in Him. That is what it says: “You did not look to the One who planned it, and you did not see the One who fashioned it long ago” (Isaiah 22:11).
“The Lord, God of hosts, called on that day for weeping and for lamentation” (Isaiah 22:12) – the ministering angels said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, it is written: “Majesty and glory are before Him” (Psalms 96:6), and You say this?’ He said to them: ‘I will teach you. That is what it says: “Disrobe and bare yourselves, and place a belt upon your waist” (Isaiah 32:11) – this is how you shall lament. “Smiting upon the breasts” (Isaiah 32:12) – on the first destruction and on the second destruction. “Over pleasant fields” (Isaiah 32:13) – on the house of My delight, which I made like a field. That is what it says: “Zion will be plowed like a field” (Micah 3:12). “Over a fruitful vine” (Isaiah 32:12) – this is Israel, just as it says: “You transported a vine from Egypt” (Psalms 80:9).’
Another matter: “The Lord, God of hosts, called on that day…” (Isaiah 22:12) – that is what was stated in the verse by the sons of Koraḥ through the Divine Spirit: “These I remember, and pour out my soul within me, [how I passed on with the throng and led them to the house of God]” (Psalms 42:5). Regarding whom did the sons of Koraḥ recite this verse? Regarding the congregation of Israel, as the congregation of Israel said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, I remember the security, tranquility, and calm in which I existed, and now it has grown distant from me. I am weeping and moaning and saying: If only I could be restored to the earlier times when the Temple was built, and You would descend to it from heaven On High and rest Your Divine Presence upon me. The nations of the world would laud me, and when I would request mercy for my iniquities, You would answer me. But now I am in shame and humiliation.’ They also said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, my soul is desolate within me when I pass by Your Temple and it is destroyed, and a still small voice within it says: The place where the descendants of Abraham sacrificed offerings before You, the priests would stand on the platform, and the Levites would laud with their lyres, shall foxes prance in it? That is what is written: “On Mount Zion, which is desolate; foxes walk upon it” (Lamentations 5:18). But what shall I do? My iniquities have brought this upon me, the false prophets who were in my midst misled me from the path of life to the path of death.’ That is why it is stated: “These I remember, and pour out my soul within me…”
Another matter: “The Lord, God of hosts, called on that day for weeping and for lamentation…” (Isaiah 22:12) – when the Holy One blessed be He sought to destroy the Temple, He said: As long as I am inside it, the nations of the world will not touch it. So, I will avert My eyes from it, and I will take an oath that I will not attend to it until the time of the end of days. Then the enemies will come and destroy it. Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He took an oath by His right hand, and withdrew it behind Him. That is what is written: “He withdrew His right hand from before the enemy” (Lamentations 2:3). At that moment, the enemies entered the Sanctuary and burned it. Once it was burned, the Holy One blessed be He said: I no longer have an abode on the earth; I will remove My Divine Presence from it, and I will ascend to My original location. That is what is written: “I will go and return to My place, until they will be punished and they seek My presence” (Hosea 5:15). At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He was weeping and saying: Woe is Me for what I have done. I rested My Divine Presence below for the sake of Israel. Now that they have sinned, I have returned to My original place. Heaven forbid that I have become a laughingstock to the nations and a mockery to the people. At that moment, Metatron⁹⁸This is the name of an important angel. came and fell on his face and said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I will weep but You shall not weep.’ He said to him: ‘If you do not allow Me to weep now, I will enter a place into which you have no authorization to enter, and I will weep, as it is stated: “But if you will not heed it, my soul will weep in concealed places due to your arrogance…”’ (Jeremiah 13:17).
The Holy One blessed be He said to the ministering angels: ‘Come and let us go, you and I, and let us see what the enemies did in My Temple.’ Immediately, the Holy One blessed be He and the ministering angels went, with Jeremiah before Him. When the Holy One blessed be He saw the Temple, He said: Certainly, this is My Temple and this is My resting place that enemies entered and did in it as they pleased. At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He was weeping and saying: Woe is Me for My Temple. My children, where are you? My priests, where are you? My beloved, where are you? What could I do for you? I warned you but you did not repent. The Holy One blessed be He said to Jeremiah: ‘Today I am like a person who had an only son, made a wedding canopy for him, and he died within his wedding canopy; do you not feel pain for Me or for My son? Go and call Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Moses from their graves, as they know how to weep.’ [Jeremiah] said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, I do not know where Moses is buried.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘Go, stand on the bank of the Jordan, raise your voice, and call: Son of Amram, son of Amram, arise and see your flock who have been consumed by enemies.’ Immediately, Jeremiah went to the Cave of Makhpela and said to the patriarchs of the world: ‘Arise, as the time has arrived that you are summoned before the Holy One blessed be He.’ They said to him: ‘Why?’ He said to them: ‘I do not know,’ because he feared that they would say: In your days this befell our children? Jeremiah left them and stood on the bank of the Jordan, and called out: ‘Son of Amram, son of Amram, arise, the time has arrived that you are summoned before the Holy One blessed be He.’ He said to him: ‘What is different about today that I am summoned before the Holy One blessed be He?’ Jeremiah said to him: ‘I do not know.’ Moses left him and went to the ministering angels, as he was familiar with them from the time of the giving of the Torah. He said to them: ‘Ministers On High, do you know why I am summoned before the Holy One blessed be He?’ They said to him: ‘Son of Amram, do you not know that the Temple has been destroyed and Israel has been exiled?’ He was screaming and weeping until he reached the patriarchs of the world. Immediately, they rent their garments, placed their hands on their heads, and were screaming and weeping until the gates of the Temple. When the Holy One blessed be He saw them, immediately, “the Lord, God of hosts, called on that day for weeping and for baldness and for donning sackcloth” (Isaiah 22:12). Had it not been for the verse that is written, it would have been impossible to say it. They were weeping and walking from this gate to that gate like a person whose deceased relative is lying before him. The Holy One blessed be He was lamenting and saying: Woe to a king who was successful in his youth and in his old age was not successful.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: When the Temple was destroyed, Abraham came before the Holy One blessed be He weeping, pulling out his beard, tearing out the hair of his head, striking his face, rending his garments, ashes on his head, and he was walking in the Temple and lamenting and screaming. He said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Why am I different from all nations and tongues that I have come to this state of shame and humiliation?’ When the ministering angels saw him, they too composed lamentations standing in rows and saying: “[Behold, their angels cry out outside.…] The highways are desolate, wayfarers have ceased; [he breached the covenant, rejected cities, regarded no man]” (Isaiah 33:7–8). What is “the highways are desolate”? The ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘The highways to Jerusalem that You prepared so that travelers would never cease from them, how have they become desolation?’ “Wayfarers have ceased” – the ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘The ways upon which Israel would travel on the festivals, how have they become idle?’ “Breached the covenant” – the ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, the covenant of their patriarch Abraham has been breached, by means of whom the world was settled, and by means of whom You were recognized in the world as God on High, Maker of the heavens and the earth.’ “Rejected cities” – the ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Have You rejected Jerusalem and Zion after You chose them?’ That is what is written: “Did You reject Judah, did Your soul loathe Zion…?” (Jeremiah 14:19). “Regarded no man [enosh]” – the ministering angels said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘You did not consider Israel even like the generation of Enosh, who were the originators of idol worshippers.’ At that moment, the Holy One blessed be He attended to the ministering angels. He said to them: ‘Why are you composing lamentations like this, standing in rows?’ They said to Him: ‘Master of the universe, why did You not pay attention to Abraham, Your beloved, who came to Your House and lamented and wept?’ He said to them: ‘From the day that My beloved passed away from before Me to his eternal home, he did not come to My House, and now: “What has My beloved to do in My House?”’ (Jeremiah 11:15).
Abraham said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe: Why did You exile my children, deliver them into the hand of the nations, kill them with all kinds of uncommon deaths, and destroy the Temple, the place where I elevated my son Isaac as a burnt offering before You?’ The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘Your children sinned and violated the entire Torah and the twenty-two letters that are in it.’ That is what is written: “All Israel have violated Your Torah” (Daniel 9:11). Abraham said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, who will testify against Israel that they violated Your Torah?’ He said to him: ‘Let the Torah come and testify against Israel.’ Immediately, the Torah came to testify against them. Abraham said to it: ‘My daughter, you have come to testify against Israel that they violated your mitzvot, and you have no shame before me? Remember the day that the Holy One blessed be He circulated you among every nation and they did not want to accept you, until my descendants came to Mount Sinai and accepted you and honored you. Now you come to testify against them on their day of distress?’ Once the Torah heard this, it stood to one side and did not testify against them.
The Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham: ‘Let the twenty-two letters come and testify against Israel.’ Immediately, the twenty-two letters came. Alef came to testify against Israel that they violated the Torah. Abraham said to it: ‘Alef, you are the leader of all the letters, and you come to testify against Israel on their day of distress? Remember the day that the Holy One blessed be He revealed Himself on Mount Sinai and began with you, “I am [anokhi]⁹⁹Anokhi begins with the letter alef. the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2) – no nation other than my descendants accepted you, and you come to testify against my descendants?’ Immediately, alef stood to one side and did not testify against them.
Bet came to testify against Israel. Abraham said to it: ‘My daughter, have you come to testify against my descendants, who are diligent in the five books of the Torah, as you are at the head of the Torah?’ That is what is written: “In the beginning [bereshit]¹⁰⁰Bereshit, the first word of the Torah, begins with a bet. God created” (Genesis 1:1). Immediately, bet stood to one side and did not testify at all.
Gimel came to testify against Israel. Abraham said to it: ‘My daughter, have you come to testify against my descendants that they violated the Torah? Is there any nation who fulfills the mitzva of ritual fringes, which you appear at its head?’ That is what is written: “You shall make for yourselves twisted threads [gedilim]” (Deuteronomy 22:12).¹⁰¹Gedilim, which in Hebrew is the first word of this verse, begins with a gimel. Immediately, gimel stood to one side and did not testify at all. When all the letters saw that Abraham had silenced them, they were ashamed, stood by themselves, and did not testify against Israel.
Immediately, Abraham began [speaking] before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe, at one hundred years You gave me a son. When he achieved cognition and was a thirty-seven-year-old young man, You said to me: Sacrifice him as a burnt-offering before Me. I became like a cruel person to him and had no mercy on him. Rather, I, myself, bound him. Will You not remember this on my behalf and have mercy on my descendants?’
Isaac began and said: ‘Master of the universe, when my father said to me: “God, Himself, will see to the lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Genesis 22:8), I did not delay fulfillment of Your words, and I was bound willingly upon the altar and extended my neck under the knife. Will You not remember this on my behalf and have mercy on my descendants?’
Jacob began and said: ‘Master of the universe, did I not remain in Laban’s house for twenty years? When I departed from his house, the wicked Esau encountered me and sought to kill my children, and I endangered my life on their behalf. Now they are delivered into the hand of their enemies like sheep to slaughter after I raised them like chicks and suffered the travails of child raising on their behalf, as most of my days I experienced great suffering for their sake. Will You not now remember this on my behalf to have mercy on my descendants?’
Moses began and said: ‘Master of the universe, was I not a loyal shepherd over Israel for forty years? I ran before them like a horse in the wilderness, yet when the time came for them to enter the land, You decreed against me that my bones would fall in the wilderness. Now that they have been exiled you sent to me to lament them and weep over them.’ This is the parable that people say: From the goodness of my master it is not good for me, and from his evil it is bad for me.
At that moment, Moses said to Jeremiah: ‘Go before me so I may go and bring them. I would like to see who is going to restrain them.’¹⁰²If I bring them back no one will dare stand in their way. Jeremiah said: ‘It is impossible to go on the way due to the corpses.’¹⁰³I am a priest, and it is prohibited for me to contract impurity imparted by a corpse. He said to him: ‘Nevertheless.’ Immediately, Moses went and Jeremiah was before him, until they reached the rivers of Babylon. They saw Moses and said to each other: ‘The son of Amram has come from his grave to redeem us from the hand of our adversaries!’ A Divine Voice emerged and said: ‘It is a decree from before Me.’ Immediately, Moses said to them: ‘My children, to return you is impossible, as the decree has already been issued. Rather, the Omnipresent will return you speedily.’ He left them. At that moment, they raised their voice in great weeping until their weeping ascended On High. That is what is written: “By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept” (Psalms 137:1).
When Moses came to the patriarchs of the world, they said to him: ‘What have the enemies done to our descendants?’ He said: ‘Some of them they killed, some of them they tied their hands behind them, some of them were bound in iron chains, some of them were stripped naked, some of them died on the way and their carcasses were left for the bird of the heavens and the animals of the earth, and some of them were cast in the sun hungry and thirsty.’ Immediately, they all began weeping and lamenting: ‘Woe over what has befallen our children! How have you become like orphans without a father; how do you lie in the afternoon and in the summer without garment and without covering; how have you walked on mountains and on gravel with shoes removed and without sandals; how have you carried bundles filled with sand; how have your hands been bound behind you; how have you been unable to swallow even the spittle in your mouths?’ Moses began and said: ‘Cursed sun! Why did you not darken when the enemy entered the Temple?’ The sun responded to him: ‘Moses, loyal shepherd, how could I darken, they did not allow me and did not relent from me, as they took me with sixty rods of fire and said to me: Go and shine your light.’
Again Moses began and said: ‘Woe over your radiance, Temple, how has it gone dark? Woe that its time to be destroyed arrived, the Sanctuary was burned, schoolchildren killed, and their fathers sent to captivity, exile, and the sword.’ Again Moses began and said: ‘O captors, by your lives! You killers, do not kill cruelly and do not implement total annihilation, do not kill a son in the presence of his father, or a daughter in the presence of her mother, for the time will come when the Master of heaven will settle the score with you.’ But the wicked Chaldeans did not do so, but rather, would seat the son on his mother’s lap and say to his father: Rise and slaughter him. The mother would cry and her tears would fall on him, and his father would hang his head. He also said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, You wrote in Your Torah: “An ox or a sheep, it and its offspring you shall not slaughter on one day” (Leviticus 22:28). But have they not killed many, many children and their mothers, and yet You are silent!’
At that moment, Rachel our matriarch interjected before the Holy One blessed be He and said: ‘Master of the universe, it is revealed before You that Your servant Jacob loved me abundantly and worked for my father seven years for me. When those seven years were completed and the time for my marriage to my husband arrived, my father plotted to exchange me with my sister for my husband. The matter was extremely difficult for me when I became aware of that plot, and I informed my husband and gave him a signal to distinguish between my sister and me so that my father would be unable to exchange me. Afterward, I regretted what I had done and suppressed my desire. I had mercy on my sister, so that she would not be led to humiliation. In the evening they exchanged me with my sister for my husband, and I transmitted to my sister all the signals that I had given to my husband, so that he would think that she is Rachel. Moreover, I entered beneath the bed on which he was lying with my sister. He would speak with her and she would be silent, and I would respond to each and every matter that he said, so that he would not identify my sister’s voice. I performed an act of kindness for her, I was not jealous of her, and I did not lead her to humiliation. If I, who is flesh and blood, was not jealous of my rival, and I did not lead her to humiliation and shame, You who are a living and eternal merciful King, why were You jealous of idol worship that has no substance, and You exiled my descendants, and they were killed by sword, and the enemies did to them as they pleased?’ Immediately, the mercy of the Holy One blessed be He was aroused and He said: ‘For you, Rachel, I will restore Israel to its place.’ That is what is written: “So said the Lord: A voice is heard in Rama, wailing, bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children; she refuses to be consoled for her children, as they are not” (Jeremiah 31:14). And it is written: “So said the Lord: Restrain your voice from weeping, and your eyes from tears, as there is reward for your actions.… And there is hope for your future, the utterance of the Lord, and your children will return to their borders” (Jeremiah 31:15–16).

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Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael

(Exodus 12:25) "And it shall be, when you come to the land": The service is contingent upon their entering the land and thereafter. (In the desert they were obliged to observe only one Pesach, in the second year, by Divine command.) "as He has spoken": And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 6:8) "and I shall bring you to the land, etc." Similarly, (Ibid. 16:23) "This is what the L rd has spoken: 'A resting, a holy Sabbath, etc.'" And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 5) "And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare, etc." Similarly, (Leviticus 10:3) "This is as the L rd spoke: With My near ones I will be sanctified." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 29:43) "And I will be appointed there for the children of Israel and it (the mishkan) will be sanctified by My glory" (i.e., by My glorifiers). Similarly, (Devarim 11:25) "The L rd your G d will put the dread and fear of you over the whole land … as He spoke to you." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 23:27) "My fright shall I send before you, and I shall confound all the people, etc." (Devarim 12:20) "When the L rd your G d broadens your boundary, as he spoke to you, etc." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 34:24) "for I shall drive out nations from before you and I shall broaden your boundary," (Ibid. 23:31) "And I shall set your boundary from the Red Sea, etc." Similarly, (Devarim 15:6) "for the L rd your G d will bless you as He spoke to you." And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 7:14) "Blessed shall you be over all other peoples." Similarly (Ibid. 26:18) "and the L rd has affirmed this day to make you His chosen people as He spoke to you." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 19:5) "then you shall be to Me chosen above all the peoples." Similarly (Devarim 26:19) "and to place you higher than all the nations … as He spoke." And whence did He speak it? (Ibid. 28:13) "And the L rd will make you the head, and not the tail. Similarly, (Isaiah 1:2) "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, as the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:1) "Hear, O heavens, and I shall speak." Similarly, (Isaiah 40:5) "The glory of the L rd shall appear, and all flesh will behold as one, for the mouth of the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:39) "See, now, that I — I am He, and there is no god beside Me." Similarly, (Isaiah 1:19-20) "If you acquiesce and pay heed, the good of the earth will you eat. But if you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you; for the mouth of the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Leviticus 26:25) "… I will bring against you an avenging sword, etc." Similarly, (Isaiah 25:8) "He will destroy death forever … for the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:39) "I put to death and I bring to life, etc." Similarly, (Isaiah 58:14) "then you will rejoice in the L rd, and I will 'ride' you on the heights of the earth, etc." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:13) "He will 'ride' him on the heights of the earth, etc." Similarly, (Ezekiel 39:8) "Behold, it has come; it has arrived, says the L rd G d. This is the day of which I spoke." And where did He speak of it? (Devarim 32:42) "I will make My arrows drunk with blood, etc." Similarly, (Michah 4:4) "and each man will sit under his grapevine … for the mouth of the L rd of hosts has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Leviticus 26:6) "And I will place peace in the land, etc." Similarly, (Ovadiah 1:18) "And there will be no survivor of the house of Esav, for the mouth of the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Numbers 24:18-19) "And Edom (Esav) will become an inheritance … and a victor will issue from Jacob and will destroy all trace of Ir." Similarly, (Genesis 21:1) "And the L rd remembered Sarah (for motherhood) as He had said." "And where did He say it? (Ibid. 17:19) "And G d said: But Sarah your wife will bear, etc." Similarly, (Ibid. 21:1) "And the L rd did for Sarah as He had spoken." And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 15:4) "And the 'speaking' of the L rd was to him. This one (Ishmail) will not inherit you, etc." Similarly, (Yoel 4:8) "and I will sell your sons and your daughters, etc." And where did he speak it? (Genesis 9:25) "And he (Noach) said: Cursed is Canaan. A servant of servants will he be to his brothers." Similarly, (Devarim 17:16) "And the L rd said to you: You will not go back this way (to Egypt) again." And where did He say it? (Exodus 14:13) "For your seeing Egypt is (only) this day. You will see them no more forever." Similarly, (Isaiah 65:25) "The wolf and the lamb will graze together…said the L rd." And where did He say it? (Leviticus 26:6) "I will cut off wild beasts from the land." Similarly, (I Kings 11:2) "… of the nations of which the L rd said … You shall not come among them, etc." And where did He say it? (Devarim 7:3) "And you shall not intermarry with them, etc." Similarly, (I Kings 8:12) "The L rd has said that He will dwell in a thick cloud." And where did He say it? (Leviticus 16:2) "For in a thick cloud will I appear upon the (ark) cover." Similarly, (Malachi 3:17) "'and they will be Mine,' said the L rd." And where did He say it? (Exodus 19:5) "And you will be unto Me, chosen, etc." Similarly, (Yoel 3:5) "And all who call in the name of the L rd … as the L rd said." And where did He say it? (Devarim 28:10) "And all the peoples of the earth will see that the L rd's name is called upon you, etc." Similarly, (Isaiah 66:20-21) "And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the L rd … And also from them will I take Cohanim and Levites, the L rd said." And where did He say this? (Devarim 29:28) "What is concealed (from us [e.g., who is a Cohein and who, a Levite]) is known to the L rd our G d." Here, too, (Exodus 12:25) "And it shall be, when you come to the land that the L rd will give you, as He has spoken, etc." And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 6:8) "And I shall bring you to the land, etc." (Exodus 12:26) "And it shall be, when your sons say to you, etc.": At that time, Israel was receiving bad tidings, that the Torah was destined to be forgotten. Others say they were receiving good tidings, that they were destined to see sons and sons of sons. (Exodus 12:27) "And the people bowed down and prostrated themselves": Why did they bow down? For it is written (Ibid. 13:18) "And the children of Israel went out of Egypt chamushim" — one out of five ("chamishah"). Others say one out of fifty ("chamishim"). And others say one out of five hundred ("chamesh me'oth"). R. Nehorai says; Upon my oath, not one in five hundred went out. For it is written (Ezekiel 16:7) "Numerous as the spouts of the field did I make you" (in Egypt), and (Exodus 1:7) "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and teemed" — One woman would bear six in one womb. And you say one in five hundred went out? And when did they die? In the three days of darkness, of which it is written (Exodus 10:23) "One man could not see another." The Jews buried their dead, and they were thankful and praised (the L rd) that their foes could not see (the dead) and rejoice in their downfall. (Ibid. 12:27) "Then you shall say that it is a Paschal sacrifice to the L rd.": R. Yossi Haglili said: The Jews would have deserved to die in Egypt (if not for the merit of the Paschal sacrifice) whereby the last of them consummated his sacrifice (and lived.) "Then you shall say that it is a Paschal sacrifice." We are hereby apprised that all who hear of or see the miracles that the Holy One Blessed be He wrought in Egypt must give praise. And thus is it written (Exodus 18:8-9) "And Moses related to his father-in-law all that the L rd did to Pharaoh and to Egypt. And Yithro rejoiced, etc." (Ibid. 28) "And the children of Israel went and they did": Reward is given for both the going and the doing. "and they did": Now did they already do? __ Their taking it upon themselves to do is regarded as their doing. "as the L rd commanded": We are hereby apprised of their eminence. Exactly as Moses and Aaron commanded them thus did they do. What is the intent of (the seemingly superfluous) "Thus did they do"? Moses and Aaron, too, did thus.

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Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael

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Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael

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... Teach us oh, teacher: once the Ninth of Av has ended, is everything permitted? R’ Chiyah the Great taught like this: once the Ninth of Av has ended, one is permitted to do anything. Why? Because it is like the case of a person whose dead is laid out before him, who is forbidden to eat meat or drink wine. Once the dead is buried, the mourner is permitted to do so. So to on the Ninth of Av one is a mourner – once the day has ended one is permitted to do anything. Even though we are permitted, we must always have a sigh in our hearts until the Holy One returns to her. The Holy One said to them: by your lives! I burnt her, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) I will build her, as it says “Yet again will I rebuild you, then you shall be built, O virgin of Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:3) Zion said to Him: Behold, I have been sitting thus for many years! I have counted the days from old and I have not been redeemed, therefore I have despaired. She said that my master has abandoned me. And from where do we learn that Zion said this? From that which is written regarding it “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) ... Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me…” (Isaiah 49:14) What is written before this? “Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, and mountains burst out in song, for the Lord has consoled His people, and He shall have mercy on His poor.” (Isaiah 49:13) Once Zion saw that the prophet recalled His people and His poor, but did not mention Zion or Jerusalem she said ‘the Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Immediately the Holy One replied and said to her: just as it is impossible for a woman to forget her sucking child, so to I am not able to forget you, “Shall a woman forget her sucking child, from having mercy on the child of her womb?” (Isaiah 49:15) She said to Him: Master of the world! How is that possible? There is no end to the evils I have done! I caused Your Holy Temple to be destroyed and I killed the prophets. R’ Berachia the Kohen said in the name of Rebbe: the Holy One said to her, I will forget your evil but I will not forget your good. “…These too shall forget, but I will not forget you.” (ibid.) I have forgotten “"These are your gods, O Israel…” (Exodus32:4) but “I am the Lord, your God…” (Exodus 20:2) I will not forget.

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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

THE DEATH OF SARAH AND THE STORY OF ISAAC AND REBECCA
SIX (people) were called by their names before they were created, and they are: Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Solomon, Josiah, and King Messiah.

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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

Rabbi Jehudah said: Rebecca was barren for twenty years. After twenty years (Isaac) took Rebecca and went (with her) to Mount Moriah, to the place where he had been bound, and he prayed on her behalf concerning the conception of the womb; and the Holy One, blessed be He, was entreated of him, as it is said, "And Isaac intreated the Lord" (ibid. xxv. 21). The children were contending with one another within her womb like mighty warriors, as it is said, "And the children struggled together within her" (ibid. 22). The time of her confinement came round, and her soul was nigh unto death owing to her pains. And she went to pray in the place whither she and Isaac had gone, as it is said, "And she went to inquire of the Lord" (ibid.). What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? Jacob took hold of the heels of Esau to make him fall, as it is said, "And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel" (ibid. 26). Hence thou mayest learn that the descendants of Esau will not fall until a remnant || from Jacob will come and cut off the feet of the children of Esau from the mountain of Seir, as it is said, "Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands" (Dan. 2:45). Another Scripture text says, "Vengeance is mine, and a recompence, at the time when their foot shall slide" (Deut. 32:35).

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Pesikta Rabbati

... Teach us o teacher: toward where should one who prays orient his heart? This is what our Rabbis taught: one should orient his heart toward the place of the Holy of Holies (Berachot 4:5). R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: if one is praying outside of the land, he should orient his heart to the land of Israel. If one is praying within the land of Israel, he should orient his heart to Jerusalem. If one is praying in Jerusalem, he should orient his heart to the Holy Temple. If one is praying in the Holy Temple, he should orient his heart to the Holy of Holies. R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model (talpiyot)…” (Song of Songs 4:4) What does talpiyot mean? The hill (tel) toward which all turns (peniyot) are directed. And after all this praise, it is written “Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars.” (Zechariah 11:1) And so too they said “He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) Israel said to Him: Master of the World! How long will it be like this? Did You not write in Your Torah “…the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay” (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) You need to rebuild it and to console us, not at the hands of an angel but You in Your glory. The Holy One said to them: by your life, so I will do! As it says “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) And I am the one who consoles you. From where do we learn this? From that which they read in the prophets “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)

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Rabbi Shela said: All the children (of the Israelites) whom the Egyptians cast into the river did not die, for the river cast them up, and threw them into the desert of Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, brought a rock to the mouth of each one, and a rock to the side of each one. The rock which was at his mouth was feeding him with honey and milk, and the rock which was at their side was anointing them with oil, like a lying-in woman who anoints her son, as it is said, "And he made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the flinty rock" (Deut. 32:13). When Israel came to the sea, they saw the Holy One, blessed be He, and they recognized Him, and praised Him, and sanctified Him, as it is said, "This is my God, and I will praise him" (Ex. 15:2).

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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

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Sifrei Devarim

Variantly: "and the wrath of the L-rd will burn against you": I might think (the intent is that) they will be exterminated; it is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "and He will hold back the heavens, etc." Five types of punishments are destined to come upon you. And this is the intent of (Ibid. 32:23) "My arrows shall I end in them" — My arrows will end, but they will not end. And thus is it written (Eichah 4:11) "The L-rd has 'ended' His anger; He has spilled out His burning wrath."

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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

Rabbi Azariah said: Amalek was a descendant of Esau, and because of his ancestor's enmity he came against them to punish them. The cloud was surrounding the camp of Israel like a city surrounded by a wall. The adversary and enemy were unable to touch them, but (when) anyone needed a ritual bath the cloud excluded him from the camp of Israel, because the camp of Israel was holy, as it is said, "Therefore shall thy camp be holy" (Deut. 23:14), and (then) Amalek was smiting and slaying the hindmost of those who were beyond the cloud, as it is said, "And he smote the hindmost of thee, all that were feeble behind thee" (Deut. 25:18).

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Midrash Tehillim

“For the conductor, a psalm of David, a song. Silence is praise to You, O God in Zion…” (Psalms 65:1-2) This is what Scripture says “I was silent from time immemorial; I am still, I restrain Myself. Like a travailing woman will I cry…” (Isaiah 42:14) And it says “Concerning these will You restrain Yourself, oh Lord…”(Isaiah 64:11) He said to them “I have no wrath…” the aspect of judgment dictates that I stay silent, “…would that I were thorns and brier in war!” (Isaiah 27:4) Thus said the Holy One: I am able to act, but the aspect of judgment constrains Me to silence. This is why it says ‘silence is praise to You’. You are able to hold silent and everyone praises You for being silent for that which was done to You in Zion and for the voice that was raised against Your Sanctuary, as it says “…they raised a clamor in the House of the Lord, as on a day of a festival.” (Lamentations 2:7) What voice did they raise? They said “Our hand was triumphant!” (Deuteronomy 32:27) and “Then He will say, "Where is their deity, the rock in which they trusted.” (Deuteronomy 32:37) This is ‘silence is praise to You’. You are silent and I am silent, as it says “Sit silent for the Lord and hope for Him…” (Psalms 37:7)

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... Another reading: “Comfort, oh comfort My people” (Isaiah 40:1) Said the Holy Blessed One: Who needs to be comforted? For one whose wife died, not the husband? Thus was Zion analogized - “He has made me dwell in darkness, Like those long dead” (Lamentations 3:6). Is it not Me who you need to comfort ‘Comfort Me Comfort Me My people’? Similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To one whose two children were taken captive during their father’s life. To whom do we offer comfort, not to the father? So too, “My children have gone forth from me And are no more” (Jeremiah 10:20). Similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To one whose house burned down. To whom do we offer comfort, not to the owner of the house? So this must be the Holy Blessed One, whose house was burned down, as it says: “He burned the House of the LORD” (Kings II 25:9). Similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To one whose vineyards were cut down. Do we not offer comfort to the owner of the vineyard? So too, “For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts Is the House of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). And similarly, to what may this matter be compared? To a shepherd whose flocks were ravaged by a lion. To whom do we offer comfort, not to the shepherd? So too, “My people were lost sheep” (Jeremiah 50:6). Nevertheless, go and appease the House of Israel — immediately, all of the prophets enter and approach her. And she says to them: “Why then do you offer me empty consolation? Of your replies only the perfidy remains.” (Job 21:34) Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Do your words need polishing? Until this moment my ears have been filled with the chastisements that you have rebuked me with, and now you come to comfort me?? Hosea walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “I will be to Israel like dew” (Hosea 14:6). She said: yesterday you told me “Ephraim is stricken, Their stock is withered; They can produce no fruit” (9:16) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Joel walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “And in that day, The mountains shall drip with wine” (Joel 4:18). She said: yesterday you told me “Wake up, you drunkards, and weep, Wail, all you swillers of wine— For the new wine that is denied you!” (1:5) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Amos walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “In that day, I will set up again the fallen booth of David” (Amos 9:11). She said: yesterday you told me “Fallen, not to rise again, Is Maiden Israel” (5:2) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Micah walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “Who is a God like You, Forgiving iniquity And remitting transgression” (Micah 7:18). She said: yesterday you told me “All this is for the transgression of Jacob, And for the sins of the House of Israel” (1:5) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Nahum walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “Never again shall scoundrels invade you” (Nahum 2:1). She said: yesterday you told me “The base plotter Who designed evil against the LORD Has left you” (1:11) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Habakuk walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “You have come forth to deliver Your people, To deliver Your anointed” (Habakuk 3:13). She said: yesterday you told me “How long, O LORD, shall I cry out And You not listen, Shall I shout to You, “Violence!” And You not save?” (1:2) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Zephaniah walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “At that time, I will search Jerusalem with lamps [And I will punish the men Who rest untroubled on their lees]” (Zephaniah 1:12). She said: yesterday you told me “A day of darkness and deep gloom” (1:15) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Hagai walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “while the seed is still in the granary, and the vine, fig tree, pomegranate, and olive tree have not yet borne fruit. For from this day on I will send blessings” (Hagai 2:19). She said: yesterday you told me “You have sowed much and brought in little” (1:6) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Zecharia walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “and I am very angry with those nations” (Zecharia 1:15). She said: yesterday you told me “The LORD was very angry with your fathers.” (1:2) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? Malachi walked to comfort her. He said: The Holy Blessed One send me to you to comfort you. She said to him: what do you have [in your hand]? He said to her: “And all the nations shall account you happy, for you shall be the most desired of lands—said the LORD of Hosts.” (Malachi 3:12). She said: yesterday you told me “I take no pleasure in you” (1:10) and now you say thus to me — which should I believe, the first or the second?? The Holy Blessed One said to Avraham: Walk, comfort Jerusalem — maybe she will receive comfort from you. Avraham walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I receive comfort from you when you made me [Jerusalem] like a mountain, as it says: “On the mount of God there is vision” (Genesis 22:14)? Yitzchak walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I accept comfort from you, from whom Eisav the Wicked emerged who made me a field and whose sons burned me with fire? Yaakov walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I accept comfort from you, who made me as if I didn’t exist “This is none other than the abode of God’ (Genesis 28:17)? Moshe walked and said to her: receive comfort from me. She said to him: How can I accept comfort from you, who wrote curses and harsh decrees about me, as it is written: “Wasting famine, ravaging plague” (Deuteronomy 32:24)? Immediately, they all walked before the Holy Blessed One and said: Master of the Universe — she does not accept our comfortings, as it is written: “Unhappy, storm-tossed one, uncomforted!” (Isaiah 54:11). The Holy Blessed One said: I and you shall walk to comfort her, i.e. “Comfort O comfort my people” — ‘Comfort Her, O comfort her, my people.’ It is not fitting that anyone but me should walk, because I have transgressed what it written in the Torah: “you must not work your firstling ox” (Deuteronomy 15:19) and Israel I called “My first-born son” (Exodus 4:22) and I told them “Put your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon” (Jeremiah 27:12). I wrote in my Torah: “You shall not hate your kinsfolk in your heart” (Leviticus 19:17) and I hated her — therefore it is upon me to appease her. I wrote in my Torah: “You shall not turn over to his master a slave” (Deuteronomy 23:16) and I passed them over to idol-worshippers, as it says: “Unless their Rock had sold them, The LORD had given them up” (Deuteronomy 32:30). I wrote in my Torah: “you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field” (Leviticus 19:9) and I vented [play of the word for “reap”] my anger upon them, as it says: “The LORD vented all His fury” (Lamentations 4:11). I wrote in my Torah: “he who started the fire must make restitution (Exodus 22:5), and I ignited her on fire, as it says: “From above He sent a fire” (Lamentations 1:13), and I will build a fire in the future, as it says: “And I Myself—declares the LORD—will be a wall of fire all around it” (Zechariah 2:9). Immediately, the Holy Blessed One walked to her and said: My Daughter, why all of this anger? She said before God: Master of the Universe, is it not justified that I be angry — you dispersed me among the nations, and cursed me with evil curses, and whipped me until my face looked like the rim of the caldron, and despite all of this I sanctified Your great name! The Holy Blessed One said to her: corresponding to the meritorious deeds you did there are accounts that must be repaid, as you transgressed what is written in the Torah: “Honor your father and mother” (Exodus 20:12), and regarding you it is written: “Fathers and mothers have been humiliated within you” (Ezekiel 22:7); it is written: “Whoever sheds the blood of man [By man shall his blood be shed]” (Genesis 9:6), and regarding you it is written: “Base men in your midst were intent on shedding blood” (Ezekiel 22:9); it is written: “You shall not murder; you shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:13), and regarding you it is written: “[False] swearing, dishonesty, and murder, And theft and adultery are rife” (Hosea 4:2). She said before God: Master of the Universe, since you dispersed me among the nations, is it not justified that I not keep Shabbat and fulfill your mitzvot? God said to her: My Daughter, the time has come to be redeemed. Immediately, she said before God: Master of the Universe, I shall nor be comforted until you show me those same wicked people who caused me to suffer and disgraced Your name. Immediately God said to her: My Daughter, I will surely bring them and exact revenge from them in front of you until they are eating their own flesh, as it says: “I will make your oppressors eat their own flesh, They shall be drunk with their own blood as with wine. And all mankind shall know That I the LORD am your Savior, The Mighty One of Jacob, your Redeemer” (Isaiah 49:26). Immediately she said: Who shall give You to me like a brother? Like which brother — like Cain to Hevel, he killed him; like Yishmael to Yitzchak, he hated him; like Eisav to Yaakov, he also hated him; like Yosef’s brothers to Yosef, they also hated him; rather like Yosef to his brothers, [you find] after all of the troubles they put him through, it is written: “And so, fear not. I will sustain you and your children.” Thus he reassured them, speaking kindly to them” (Genesis 50:21), and we know this from a kal va’chomer: If Yosef could speak to his brothers kind and comforting words, then when the Holy Blessed One came to comfort Jerusalem, all the more so. You find that everything that Jeremiah smote, Isaiah cam and healed. Jeremiah said: “There is none to comfort her” (Lamentations 1:2), Isaiah came and healed: “Comfort, oh comfort My people” (Isaiah 40:1).

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Yalkut Shimoni on Nach

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