Midrash su Ezechiele 7:11

A question. An Israelite is forbidden to steal from a fellow human being. No punishment for the performance of any prohibited act mentioned in the Torah is harsher than that administered for theft. R. Eliezer declared: The generation of the flood was guilty of every sin mentioned in the Torah, but only when they committed theft was it decreed that their memory should be obliterated in the floodwaters, as it is said: For the earth is filled with violence through them, and behold, I will destroy them with the earth (Gen. 6:13), and elsewhere it is written: Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; not one of them shall remain (Ezek. 7:11). R. Eliezer held: This verse teaches that Violence arose and stood upright, like a rod before God, and said to Him: Master of the Universe, Nought cometh from them, nor from their tumult, nor from their turmoil, neither is there eminence among them (ibid.).⁸Even violence could not tolerate the sin of theft.

(Ib. 6, 12) For all flesh has corrupted his way upon the earth. R. Jochanan said: "Infer from this that cattle, beast and men had intercourse with each other." R. Aba b. Cahana said: "All of them returned to their kind, except the bird Thushl'imi." (Ib ib. 13) The end of all the flesh is come before Me. R. Jochanan said: "Come and see how severe is the force of robbery, for although the generation of the flood had committed all kinds of crimes, nevertheless their evil decree was not sealed until they stretched out their hand to commit robbery, as it is said (Ib.) For all the earth is filled with violence through them, and I will destroy them with the earth, and it is also written (Eze. 7, 11) Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness; nought cometh from them, nor from their turmoil, neither is there eminency then; and there shall be no lamenting for them." R. Elazar said: "Infer from the last passage, that the violence has raised itself as a cane and placed itself before the Lord, saying, 'Sovereign of the Universe, nothing shall be left of them, etc'." At the college of R. Ishmael, it was taught: "Also Noah was included in that evil decree, but he found favor in the eyes of the Lord, as it is said (Gen. 6, 7) For it repenteth Me that I have made them. But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord." (Ib. ib. 6) And it repenteth the Lord that he had made man on the earth. When R. Dimi came from Palestine, he said: "The Holy One, praised be He! said, 'I have done well that I prepared for them graves in the earth'." Where is the inference? It is written here, Vayinachem (and the Lord bethought himself), and it is also written (Ib. 50) Vayinochem (And he comforted them). According to others, He said, "I have not done well that I prepared for them graves in the earth, [because they might have repented]. It is written here Vayinachem, and it is written there (Ex. 32, 14) Vayinachem (And the Lord repented) of the evil which He said He would do unto His people.