Midrash su Lamentazioni 3:6

R. Oshiya said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Zech. 11, 7) And I had taken unto me two staves; the one I called Graciousness (No'am), and the other I called Concord (Choblim): i.e., No'am refers to the scholars of Palestine who are polite to one another while discussing halacha. Choblim, refers to the scholars of Babylon who wounded [each other's feelings] while discussing halacha." (Ib. 4, 14) Then he said to me: 'They are the two sons of Yizhari (clear oil), that stand by the Lord, etc. (Ib., ib. 3) And two olive trees are naer it.' R. Isaac said: "This refers to the scholars of Palestine, who please each other during halachik discussions like olive oil; and the two olive trees near it, refer to the Babylonian scholars who enrage one another with bitterness during halachik discussions," just as an olive tree is bitter." It is written (Ib. 5, 9) Then did I lift up my eyes and looked, and behold, there came out two women, having the wind in their wings, and they had wings like the wings of a stork; and they lifted up the Ephah between the. earth and the heaven. Then said I to the angel that spoke to me, 'Whither are these bearing away the Ephah?' And he said unto me: 'To build a home for it in the land of Shinar.' R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: "These two women refer to cringing submissions [to power] and haughtiness [to the weak], which came to Babylon." Did then haughtiness come to Babylon? Behold the master said elsewhere: "Ten measures of haughtiness came down upon the world of which nine were taken by Elam and the one measure was given to the entire world." Yea, their intention was to go to Babylon, but they were dragged along to Elam. You can also infer this from [the expression] of the passage to build (intended) a house in the land of Shinar. The explanation is sustained. Is then haughtiness not frequent also in Babylon? Behold the master said: "The symptom for haughtiness is poverty and [nine out of ten measures of] poverty went to Babylon." The poverty mentioned here refers to the Torah, as it is written (Songs 8, 5) We have a little sister and she has yet no breasts, whereupon R. Jochanan said: "This refer to Elam, which merited to [have cholars to] learn, but not to teach others." What is the meaning of the word Babel (Babylon)? R. Jochanan said: "A mixture of Scripture, Mishnah and Talmud." (Lam 3, 6) In dark places hath He set ms to dwell. R. Jeremiah said: "This refers to Babylon" [where the scholars are not agreeable to one another].

“He wore away my flesh and my skin, broke my bones” (Lamentations 3:4).
“He wore away my flesh” – this is the community. “And my skin” – this is the Sanhedrin; just as the skin protects the flesh, so the Sanhedrin protects the community. “Broke my bones [atzmotai]” – my mighty ones [itzumai], people who were like mighty warriors [benei haatzumim].
“He built against me and surrounded me with gall and hardship” (Lamentations 3:5).
“He built against me and surrounded me with gall [rosh]” – this is Nebuchadnezzar, as it is written in his regard: “You are the head [reisha] of gold” (Daniel 2:38). “And hardship” – this is Nevuzaradan. Alternatively: “Gall” – this is Vespasian; “and hardship” – this is Trajan.
“He settled me in darkness, like those long dead” (Lamentations 3:6).
“He settled me in darkness, like those long dead” – Rabbi Shmuel said: Four are considered as dead: A blind person, as it is stated: “He settled me in darkness, like those long dead.” A leper, as it is stated: “Let her not be like a corpse” (Numbers 12:12).¹⁰Aaron said this in reference to Miriam, who was afflicted with leprosy, when he asked Moses to pray on her behalf. One who does not have children, as it is written regarding Rachel: “Give me children, and if not, I am dead” (Genesis 30:1). And one who has become impoverished, as it is stated: “All the men [seeking your life] have died” (Exodus 4:19). Were they, in fact, dead? Rather, they had become impoverished.¹¹The Sages identified the men seeking Moses’s life as Datan and Aviram (see Avoda Zara 5a). They were not yet dead, as they later participated in Koraḥ’s uprising (see Numbers 16:1–2).

(Fol. 64b) R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: "Wherever you find the words nitzim, or nitzabim [written in the Pentatuch,] it refers to no one but Dathan and Abiram." If so, then how will you explain the passage (Ex. 4, 19) For the men are dead, etc., referring to Dathan and Abiram, and yet on occasions which happened many years later the words nitzim and nitzabim are found mentioned in the Torah? Resh Lakish therefore explained that they became poor." Resh Lakish said: "A man who has no children is accounted as dead, as it is said (Gen. 30, 1) Give me children or else die, and we are taught in a Baraitha that four are accounted as dead: — The pauper, the leper, the blind man, and he who is childless. That a pauper is accounted as dead we derive from the above quoted passage: For the men are dead; the leper, we derive from the following passage (Num. 12, 12) Let her not be as a dead-born child; That a blind one is accounted as dead we derive from this passage (Lam. 3, 6) In dark places hath He set me to dwell, like the dead of olden times; and that one who is childless is accounted as dead we infer from the passage. Give me children or else I die."