Midrash su Esdra 4:6

“The sentries patrolling the city found me, they struck me, they wounded me; the guards of the walls took my mantle from upon me” (Song of Songs 5:7).
“The sentries patrolling the city found me” – these are “Tatenai, the governor of Avar Nahara” (Ezra 5:3) and his associates.³¹They demanded to know who had allowed the Jews to rebuild the Temple. “They struck me, they wounded me” – “they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem” (Ezra 4:6). “The guards of the walls took my mantle from upon me” – the walls of Jerusalem.³²The guards of the walls of Jerusalem, namely the Jews who were rebuilding the walls, “took my mantle” in that they rebuilt the walls in a less impressive manner than the manner in which the walls had originally been built. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: In the past, the wall was built with stones of eight cubits and stones of ten cubits.³³See I Kings 7:10. However, here: “It is built with great [gelal] stones” (Ezra 5:8), stones that are rolled [degilgul].³⁴They were too heavy to carry, but could be rolled. By contrast, the stones in the past were much larger and could not even be rolled.
Another matter: “The sentries…found me” – the tribe of Levi,³⁵This was when the Levites were mobilized by Moses to punish those who worshipped the Golden Calf (Exodus 32:26). in whose regard it is written: “For they observed Your word” (Deuteronomy 33:9). “Patrolling the city” – just as it says: “Pass back and forth from gate to gate” (Exodus 32:27). They struck me, they wounded me” – just as it says: “Each man slay his brother” (Exodus 32:27). They “took my mantle from upon me” – this is weaponry. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: The weapon that was given to Israel at Ḥorev, the ineffable name was etched upon it. When they sinned it was taken from them. How was it taken? Rabbi Aivu said: It was peeled on its own. The Rabbis say: An angel descended and peeled it. “Guards of the walls,” [these are] the guards of the walls of Torah.³⁶The Levites served as teachers of Torah and as sages who enacted decrees to safeguard observance of the Torah.

Rabbi Ḥanina bar Ada began: [“The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace, and the lips of a fool will swallow him” (Ecclesiastes 10:12).] “The words of the mouth of a wise man are grace” – that is Cyrus, as it is stated: “So said Cyrus king of Persia: The Lord, God of the heavens, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and He has commanded me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah” (Ezra 1:2). “And the lips of a fool will swallow him” – as he (Cyrus) said: “He is the God who is in Jerusalem”¹²The implication being that He is only the god of Jerusalem, which demonstrates Cyrus’ foolishness. (Ezra 1:3).
“The beginning of the words from his mouth is foolishness and the result from his mouth is evil debauchery” (Ecclesiastes 10:13). What is the foolishness? “Any of you from all His people, may his God be with him…”¹³“His God,” implying that other nations have their own gods. (Ezra 1:3). “The result from his mouth is evil debauchery,” as he decreed, saying: Whoever crossed the Euphrates, crossed; and whoever has not crossed, shall not cross.
Another matter: “The beginning of the words...” that is Aḥashverosh, as it is stated: “In the reign of Aḥashverosh, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote a libel against the residents of Judah and Jerusalem.” (Ezra 4:6). “The result from his mouth is evil debauchery,” as he went up and cancelled the work on the Temple. When everyone saw that it was so, they began screaming: ‘Woe [vai];’ “it was [vayhi] during the days of Aḥashverosh” (Esther 1:1).

“The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness, and the end of his mouth is evil debauchery” (Ecclesiastes 10:13).
“The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness” – as [Cyrus] said: “He is the God, who is in Jerusalem” (Ezra 1:3).⁶⁶Implying He is God only in Jerusalem. “And the end of his mouth is evil debauchery” – as he recanted and abrogated his decrees and said: Whoever has crossed⁶⁷The Euphrates has crossed, and whoever has not crossed shall not cross.
Another matter: “The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness” – this is Aḥashverosh, as it is stated: “And in the reign of Aḥashverosh, at the beginning of his reign, they wrote libel [against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem]” (Ezra 4:6). “And the end of his mouth [is evil debauchery]” – as he arose and abrogated the labor of the construction of the Temple.⁶⁸Aḥashverosh, who is also identified as Artaḥshasta, began his reign with the foolish decree to stop the rebuilding of the Temple due to the libel, and he continued to prevent its rebuilding for the remainder of his reign.