Midrash su Ezechiele 43:8

The Rock, His action is perfect: Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" (Isaiah 55:6), and David said, "Pursue the Lord and His might, etc." (I Chronicles 16:11). Why did he [continue to] say, "seek His face always?" To teach you [that] the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - sometimes appears and sometimes does not appear; sometimes hears and sometimes does not want to hear; sometimes answers and sometimes does not answer; sometimes is pursued and sometimes is not pursued; sometimes is found and sometimes is not found; sometimes is close and sometimes is not close. How is this? He appeared to Moshe, as it is stated (Exodus 33:11), "And the Lord spoke to Moshe." He went back and disappeared from him, when he said to Him, "Please show me Your glory" (Exodus 33:18). And so [too,] He appeared to Israel at Sinai, as it is stated (Exodus 24:10), "And they saw the God of Israel," and it states (Exodus 24:17), "And the appearance of the glory of the Lord." [But] He went back and disappeared from them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:15), "since you did not see any picture," and it states (Deuteronomy 4:15), "the voice of words do you hear." And when Israel were in Egypt in torturous subjugation, "And God heard their moaning" (Exodus 2:24). [But] when they sinned, "The Lord did not hear your voice and did not listen to you" (Deuteronomy 1:45). He answered Shmuel at Mitspeh, as it is stated (I Samuel 7:9), "and Shmuel cried out to the Lord [...] and the Lord answered Shmuel." [But] He went back and did not answer Him, as it is stated (I Samuel 16:1), "And the Lord said to Shmuel, 'Until when are you mourning for Shaul.'" He answered David - and it stated (Psalms 34:5), "I have pursued the Lord and He answered me." [But] He went back and did not answer him, as it is stated (II Samuel 12:16), "and David fasted a fast, and he went in and laid down on the ground," and it is written (II Samuel 12:14), "also the child that is born to you will surely die." And at the time that Israel repents, He is found for them, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 4:29), "And from there, you will seek the Lord, your God [and you will find Him]." But if they do not repent, "They will go with their sheep and cattle to seek the Lord, but they will not find Him; He has cast them off" (Hosea 5:6). Sometimes He is close, as it is stated (Psalms 145:18), "Close is the Lord to all who call to Him"; [but] sometimes He is not close, as it is stated (Proverbs 15:29), "Far from evildoers is the Lord." And it is written (Numbers 6:26), "And the Lord shall lift His face"; but [another[ verse states (Deuteronomy 10:17), "Who does not lift the face." [Only] if [one] repents, He lifts His face to him. It is possible [that He does this] for all. [Hence] we learn to say "to you" (Numbers 6:26) - but not to another nation; as it is stated (Jeremiah 4:14), "Wash your heart from evil, Jerusalem, in order that you be saved" - if they repent. But if not, "Even if you wash with natron [... your iniquity is before Me]" (Jeremiah 2:22). Hence Yishaiyahu said, "Pursue the Lord in His being found; call to Him in His being close." [There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who said to his servants, "Go out and announce in all of my dominion that I am sitting and judging financial cases. Anyone who has an issue with his fellow - let him come in front of Me, and I will judge him favorably, [now] before I sit to judge capital cases." And so [too,] did the Holy One, blessed be He - may His name be blessed - say to Israel, "My sons, Know that I judge the world at these four periods: At Pesach about the grain; at [Shavouot] about the fruit of the trees; at Rosh HaShanah, all those that come to the world come in front of me like bnei Maron; and at [Sukkot] about the water. On three of these periods, I sit to judge financial cases, to make wealthy or make poor, to increase or to decrease. But on Rosh HaShanah, I judge capital cases, whether for death or life - as you say in the shofar blows of Rav, 'And upon it is said, about the provinces, etc.' But if you repent with a full heart, I will accept you and judge you favorably. As the gates of the Heavens are open and I will hear your prayers, since I 'observe from the windows, peer through the lattice,' [now] before I seal the judgement on Yom Kippur." Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, "[There is a relevant] parable: To what is the matter similar? To a king who resided in a province and the people of the province were angering him. The king got angry and went outside of it [a distance of] ten mil and he stayed there. A man saw him, [and] he said to the people of the province, 'Know that the king is angry with you and he is seeking to send his legions upon the city to destroy it. Go out and appease him and he will return to you, before he distances himself from you.' A clever man was there, [and] he said to them, 'Fools, While the king was with you, you did not seek to appease him. And now before he distances himself, go out to him. Maybe he will accept you.'" Hence it is stated, "Pursue the Lord in His being found" - these are the ten days of repentance, that he is found among you, as so did Yechezkel say, "a wall between Me and them" (Ezekiel 43:8). This is "call to Him in His being close. Let the evildoer leave his path and a man his thoughts of iniquity and return to the Lord and He will have mercy upon him" (Isaiah 55:6-7).

“So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words; rather, fear God” (Ecclesiastes 5:6).
“So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words; rather, fear God” – Rabbi said: If you saw harsh dreams or harsh and unnatural visions, or if you fear them, jump to three matters and you will be saved from them, as Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer: There are three matters that abrogate evil decrees, and they are: Prayer, charity, and repentance. All three are in one verse; this is what is written: “My people, upon whom My name is called, will submit, and pray, and seek My countenance, and repent their evil ways; I will hear from the heavens, and forgive their sin and heal their land” (II Chronicles 7:14). “And pray” – this is prayer; “and seek my countenance” – this is charity, as you say: “I will behold your countenance in righteousness” (Psalms 17:15);¹⁵The same Hebrew root, tzedek, or tzedaka, can be translated as either charity or righteousness. “and repent their evil ways” – this is repentance. Then, “I will hear from the heavens…” Rabbi Mona said: Fasting as well, as it is stated: “The Lord will answer you on your day of trouble” (Psalms 20:2).¹⁶From the fact that the verse says, “day,” and not time of trouble, the midrash understands that the reference is to a day of fasting.
Rabbi Ḥiyya and Rabbi Yosei say: A change of name and a change of action, as well. Some say even a change of place, as it is written: “Go for yourself from your land” (Genesis 12:1). A change of name [is derived] from Abraham our patriarch, as it is stated: “Your name will no longer be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham” (Genesis 17:5). Abram cannot beget, Abraham can beget; Sarai cannot bear a child, Sarah can bear a child.¹⁷God changed Abram’s name to Abraham and Sarai’s name to Sarah when they were ninety-nine and eighty-nine years old respectively and bereft of children. In the same context, He promised them that they would have many descendants (see Genesis 17:1–16). The implication is that although Abram and Sarai could not have children, their name changes would enable them to do so. A change in action, from Nineveh, as it is stated: “God saw their actions, [that they turned from their evil way; and God reconsidered the harm that He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it]” (Jonah 3:10).
Rabba bar Meḥseya and Ḥama bar Gurya say: A fast is effective for a dream like fire for tow. Rav Ḥisda said: On that day. Rav Yosef said: Even on Shabbat. Likewise, you find regarding Hezekiah king of Judah; when Hezekiah fell ill, the Holy One blessed be He said to Isaiah: ‘Go say to him: “Set your house in order, as you will die and will not live”’ (Isaiah 38:1). Hezekiah said to Isaiah: ‘Isaiah, the way of the world is that a person who goes to visit the ill says to him: May they have mercy upon you from Heaven, and the doctor goes to him and says: Eat this item and do not eat that item; drink this and do not drink that. Even if he sees him approaching death, he would not say to him: Set your house in order, so he will not be discouraged; yet you say to me: “Set your house in order, as you will die and will not live”? I, too, do not ascribe importance to you and I will not heed your words, and I adopt only what my ancestor¹⁸Solomon said: “So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities and many words…”’¹⁹Even prophetic dreams can be nullified and thereby rendered vanity, if one fulfills the conclusion of the verse, which states to “fear God.” This can be expressed via prayer, fasting, and repentance (Maharzu).
Immediately, “Hezekiah turned his face to the wall [hakir] [and prayed to the Lord]” (Isaiah 38:2). To which wall did he direct his face? Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: He directed his face to the wall of Raḥav, as it is written: “Because her house was upon the side of [bekir] the wall” (Joshua 2:15). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, Raḥav rescued two souls for You and how many souls did You rescue for her?’ It was taught that Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai says: Even if her family numbered two hundred people and they cleaved to two hundred [additional] families [through marriage], they were all rescued by her merit. It is not written here, “all her family,” but rather, “they took out all her families” (Joshua 6:23). ‘My ancestors who assembled all the converts to You,²⁰See II Chronicles 2:16. all the more so.’²¹By their merit, You should rescue me.
Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: It was to the wall of the Shunamite woman that he directed his eyes, as it is written: “Let us make a [small] walled attic” (II Kings 4:10). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, this Shunamite woman made one wall for Elisha, and you revived her son; my ancestors who did all this tribute for you,²²This is a reference to the building of the Temple. all the more so.’
Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: It was to the walls of his heart that he directed his eyes, as it is stated: “My innards, my innards, I am trembling; the walls of my heart, my heart is murmuring” (Jeremiah 4:19). “His heart”²³This is interpreted as an allusion to the fact that Hezekiah turned to his own heart. is written.²⁴In standard editions of the Bible, it is in fact written “my heart,” not “his heart” as stated in the midrash. He said before him: ‘Master of the universe, I have surveyed the two hundred and forty-eight limbs that You formed in me, and I did not find that I angered You with any of them; all the more so that my life should be granted to me.’²⁵He said: Since it is Your way to forgive those who sin to You, all the more so should You grant me life given that I have not sinned (Etz Yosef).
The Rabbis say: He directed his eyes to the walls of the Temple, as it is written: “By their placing their threshold near My threshold…[with but a wall between Me and them]” (Ezekiel 43:8). He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, my ancestors were great men, but were unable to pray in the Temple at all times;²⁶As they were married, they would become impure when they would have relations with their wives, and it would then be prohibited for them to enter the Temple. rather they would stand in their houses and pray, with a wall between them and the Temple. I, when I pray, have no wall between me and the Temple;²⁷Hezekiah had not married; see Berakhot 10a. all the more so that my life should be given to me.’
Immediately, “the word of the Lord was to Isaiah” (Isaiah 38:4),²⁸The following verses state: “Go, and say to Hezekiah…thus says the Lord, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; behold.… I will add to your days fifteen years.” [when] he had not [even] departed from there. Isaiah said before the Holy One blessed be He: ‘Master of the universe, initially, you said this to me and now you say that to me. How can I go and say so?’ [God] said to [Isaiah]: ‘He is humble and will accept it from you. Moreover, what you spoke has not yet become public, as it is written: “It was, Isaiah had not departed…”’ (II Kings 20:4). When Isaiah went to him, [Hezekiah] said to him: ‘Did I not say this to you initially: I do not ascribe importance to you and I will not heed your words; [I adopt] only what my ancestor said: “So it is with a multitude of dreams and vanities…”’

(Exodus 12:7) "And they shall take from the blood": I might think either by hand or by vessel; it is, therefore, written (Ibid. 22) "And you shall dip it in the blood which is in the saf," whereby we are apprised that he digs out a trough in the lintel and slaughters (the lamb, [the blood dripping]) into it, "saf" signifying a lintel, as in (Ezekiel 43:8) "When they placed their threshold ('sipam') next to My threshold," and (Isaiah 6:4) "And the posts of the threshold ('sippim') shook." These are the words of R. Yishmael. R. Akiva says: "saf" signifies a vessel, as in (I Kings 7:50) "And the 'sippoth' and the snuffers, and the basins and the spoons, etc."