Midrash su Ezechiele 1:8

Further said R. Jose, the son of R. Chanina, in the name of R. Eliezer b. Jacob: "A man should never stand upon an elevated place while praying, but upon a low place shall he stand and pray, as it is said (Ps. 130, 1.) Out of the depth have I called Thee. O Lord." We have also a Baraitha to the same effect: "A man should never stand either upon a chair or upon a bench nor upon an elevated place while praying, but upon a low place shall he stand and pray because pride cannot exist before the Lord, as it is written (Ib.) Out of the depth have I called Thee, O Lord, and it is also written (Ib. 102, 1.) A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed." Again said R. Jose, the son of R. Chanina in the name of R. Eliezer b. Jacob: "He who prays should keep his feet straight (one near the other), for it is said (Ez 1, 8.) Their feet were straight feet." And R. Jose, the son of R. Chanina, in the name of R. Eliezer b. Jacob, said further: "What means the passage (Lev. 19, 26.) Ye shall not eat upon the blood? Ye shall not eat before ye pray on behalf of your blood (life)." R. Isaac said in the name of R. Jochanan, who spoke in the name of R. Jose, the son of R. Chanina, who in turn, quoted R. Eliezer b. Jacob: "Concerning one who eats and drinks, and then prays, of him the passage says: (I Kin. 14, 9.) And me hast thou cast behind thy back. Do not read Geivecha (thy back) but read it Geiyecha (thy pride), i. e., the Holy One, praised be He! said: 'Only after this one had become haughty [through eating] he took upon himself the Heavenly Kingdom.'"

R. Cahana, in the name of R. Ishmael, the son of R. Jose, said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ps. 19, 1) To the chief musician, a Psalm of David; i.e., the word Lamnatze'ach means: Sing unto Him whosoever is happy even when victorious over Him. Come and see how the nature of the Holy One, praised be He! differs from the nature of frail man. The nature of frail man is to grieve if anyone gets defeated, but if the Holy One, praised be He! is defeated. He is happy and rejoiceth, as it is said (Ib. 106, 23) He therefore spoke of destroying them, had not Moses His elect, etc. [Hence he called Moses His elect, although he appeased the Lord's anger]." R. Cahana also said, in the name of R. Ishmael, the son of R. Jose, and, according to the Rabbis, he said it in the name of R. Simon b. Lakish, who quoted R. Juda, the Nasi: "What is the meaning of the passage (Ez. 1, 8) And hands of man [were visible] from beneath their wings. It is written Yado (his hand, in the singular). This alludes to the hand of the Holy One, praised be He! which is spread out beneath the wings of the Chayoth to accept those who repent and are rejected by the Divine attribute of justice."

THE POWER OF REPENTANCE
REPENTANCE and good deeds are a shield against punishment. Rabbi Ishmael said: If repentance had not been created, the world would not stand. But since repentance has been created, the right hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, is stretched forth to receive the penitent every day, and He says, Repent, ye children of men. "Repent, ye children of men" (Ps. 90:8). Know thou the power of repentance. Come and see from Ahab, king of Israel, for he had robbed, coveted, and murdered, as it is said, "Hast thou killed, and also taken possession?" (1 Kings 21:19). He sent and called for Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, who gave him thrice daily forty stripes, and in fasting and with prayer he rose up early and retired late, before the Holy One, blessed be He, and he did not return any more to his evil deeds. His repentance was accepted, as it is said, || "Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me? Because he humbleth himself before me, I will not bring the evil in his days" (1 Kings 21:29).