Midrash su Osea 12:4

(Lev. 22:27:) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat […].” This text is related (to Micah 6:3), “My people, what have I done to you and how have I wearied you; testify against Me.”⁵¹PRK 9:5; Lev. R. 27:6; Numb. R. 10:1. R. Aha said, “Testify against Me (i.e., prove me wrong by keeping the commandments), and receive a reward. And do not testify (against your neighbor falsely), and receive a settlement of accounts.” R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “On three occasions the Holy One, blessed be He, came to dispute with Israel, when the nations of the world rejoiced: At that time, when He said to them (in Is. 1:18), ‘Please come and let us dispute together,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were rejoicing, He reversed [the punishment] for the better. He said (ibid.), ‘though your sins be as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow […].’ When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said, ‘Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? He has only come to amuse Himself with His children (and not to dispute with them seriously).’ In the second [occasion], when He said to them (in Micah 6:2), ‘[Hear, O mountains, the claim of the Lord …] for the Lord has a claim with His people, and He will dispute with Israel,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that, He reversed [the punishment] for the better and said (in Micah 6:5), ‘My people, please remember what King Balak of Moab plotted and what Balaam answered him….’⁵²Cf. PR 48:1. When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said, ‘Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? He has only come to amuse Himself with His children.’ The third [occasion] when He said (in Hos. 12:3), ‘The Lord has a claim with Judah,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that, He reversed [the punishment] for the better and said (in Hos. 12:4) ‘In the womb he grabbed his brother by the heel […].’” [The situation] is similar to a woman who complained to the judge about her son and brought him for trial. Everyone came to see. They said, one to another, “See that this woman has brought her son to be killed in the case.” When the woman saw this and heard what they said, she reversed [her mind] to speak with different words. When she came before the judge, he said to her, “What has your son done to you?” She said to him, “When he was in my womb, he kicked me.” He said to her, “Has he done anything else to you?” She said, “No.” He said to her, “There is no legal offense at all.” Everyone was astonished and said, “Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? She only came to amuse herself with her son.” So they left with embarrassment on their faces. So too did the Holy One, blessed be He, go back and reverse His rebuke to love, and the nations of the world left confounded. (Micah 6:3:) “And how have I wearied you?” R. Berekhyah said, “[The situation] is similar to a king who sent his proclamation⁵³Gk.: prostagma. to a province. What did the people of the province do? When they received it, they uncovered their heads, and read it in fear, in awe and in trembling. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel, ‘The reading of the Shema is My proclamation. I did not burden you and I did not tell you that you were to read it either standing upon your feet or with your heads uncovered, but (according to Deut. 6:7) “when you are sitting in your house, when you are walking on the road, when you are lying down, and when you are getting up.”’” Another interpretation (of Micah 6:3), “and how have I wearied you”: R. Judah bar Simon said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I have delivered ten [kinds of] beasts to you (for food).⁵⁴See also PR 16:1; Numb. R. 20:5; 21:16. Three are in your possession, and seven are not in your possession. Now these are those which are in your possession (according to Deut. 14:4), “the bull, the sheep, and the goat.” And these are those which are not in your possession (according to Deut. 14:5), “The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.” I did not burden you, nor did I tell you to go up into the mountains or tire yourselves out in the fields in order to bring Me a sacrifice from those [which are not in your possession]. Rather [your sacrifices come] from those which are in your possession, which grew up at your feeding trough. This is what is stated (in Lev. 22:27), “A bull or a sheep or a goat.”’”

[Another interpretation of (Lev. 22:27): A BULL OR A SHEEP < OR A GOAT >. This text is related] (to Micah 6:3): MY PEOPLE, WHAT HAVE I DONE TO YOU? AND HOW HAVE I WEARIED YOU? TESTIFY AGAINST ME.⁶⁰Tanh., Lev. 8:10; PRK 9:5; Lev. R. 27:6; Numb. R. 10:1. R. Aha said: TESTIFY AGAINST ME (i.e., prove me wrong by keeping the commandments), and receive a reward. (Exod. 20:13 [16]): DO NOT BEAR FALSE WITNESS AGAINST YOUR NEIGHBOR, and you will receive settlement of accounts. R. Samuel bar Nahman said: On three occasions the Holy One came to dispute with Israel, when the nations of the world rejoiced and said: How can these people dispute with their creator? Now he will finish them off. At that time, when he said to them (in Is. 1:18): PLEASE COME AND LET US DISPUTE TOGETHER, they rejoiced and said: Now he will finish them off. When the Holy One saw that they were rejoicing, he reversed < the punishment > for the better. He said (ibid.): THOUGH YOUR SINS BE AS SCARLET, < THEY SHALL BECOME AS WHITE > AS SNOW < …. > When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said: Is this an answer? Or is this a rebuke? They said: He has only come to amuse himself with his children (and not to dispute with them seriously). The second < occasion > was when he said to them (in Micah 6:2): HEAR, O MOUNTAINS, THE LAWSUIT OF THE LORD < …; > [FOR THE LORD HAS A LAWSUIT WITH HIS PEOPLE, AND HE WILL DISPUTE WITH ISRAEL]. The nations of the world rejoiced and said: Now he will finish them off. When the Holy One saw that, he reversed < the punishment > for the better and said (in Micah 6:5–6): MY PEOPLE, PLEASE REMEMBER WHAT KING BALAK OF MOAB PLOTTED…. WITH WHAT SHALL I COME BEFORE THE LORD?⁶¹Cf. PR 48:1. The nations of the world were astonished and said: Is this an answer? Or is this a rebuke? He has only come to amuse himself with his children. The third < occasion > was when he said (in Hos. 12:3 [2]): THE LORD HAS A LAWSUIT WITH JUDAH [AND WILL PUNISH JACOB ACCORDING TO HIS WAYS]. The nations of the world said: Now the Holy One will finish them off. When the Holy One saw that, he reversed < the punishment > for the better. (Hos. 12:4 [3]:) IN THE WOMB HE GRABBED HIS BROTHER BY THE HEEL…. < The situation > is similar to a woman who complained to the judge about her son. When she {decided} [saw] that the judge was sentencing {her} [the] people to death, [she said]: If I make known the offense of my son, he will say to kill him. What did she do? She hung around [until] he had finished his cases. He said to her? What was your son's offense? She said to him: When he was in my womb, he kicked me. He said to her: But has he done anything to you now? She said: No. He said to her. Be gone! There is no legal offense at all. The nations of the world were astonished [and said]: He has {not} [only] come to amuse himself with his children.

In the case of the sacrifices, also it is so. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘The Ox is pursued by the lion, the goat is pursued by the leopard, the lamb by the wolf; do not offer unto Me from those that pursue but from those that are pursued.’ Hence if is written, “When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth …It may be accepted for an offering” (Lev. 22:27).

Jacob was seventy-seven years old when he went forth from his father's house, and the well went before him. From Beer-Sheba as far as Mount Moriah is a journey of two days, || and he arrived there at midday, and the Holy One, blessed be He, met him, as it is said, "And he met in the place, and tarried there all night, because the sun was set" (Gen. 28:11). Why is the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, called Maḳom? Because in every place where the righteous are He is found with them there, as it is said, "In every place (Maḳom) where I record my name I will come unto thee, and bless thee" (Ex. 20:21). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Jacob ! The bread is in thy bag, and the well is before thee, so that thou mayest eat and drink and sleep in this place. He said before Him: Sovereign of all the worlds ! Till now the sun has still fifty degrees to set, and I am lying down in this place. And (thereupon) the sun set in the west, although not in its proper time. Jacob looked and saw the sun setting in the west, and he tarried there, as it is said, "And he tarried there all night, because the sun was set" (Gen. 28:11).

Again the angel said to him: "Let me go" (Gen. 32:26). Jacob answered him: I will not let thee go until thou hast blessed me; and he blessed him, as it is said, "And he blessed him there" (Gen. 32:29). Again he said to him: "Let me go" (Gen. 32:26). He answered him: I will not let thee go until thou tellest me what thy name is. And (the angel) called his name Israel like his own name, for his own name was called Israel. Jacob wished to prevail over the angel, and to throw him down upon the earth. What did the angel do? He took hold of the sinew of the hip, which was upon the hollow of Jacob's thigh, and he lifted the sinew of his hip (out of its place), and it became like the fat of the dead. Therefore the children of Israel are forbidden to eat of the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the animal's thigh, as it is said, "Therefore the children of Israel eat not the sinew of the hip which is upon the hollow of the thigh" (Gen. 32:82).