Midrash su Isaia 12:71

(Fol. 24b) (I Sam. 6, 12) (Vayisharna) And the cows went straight forward. What does the expression Vayisharna mean? Said R. Jochanan in the name of R. Mair: "They sang a song." And R. Zutra b. Tubiah, in the name of Rab, said: "They have straightened their faces to look upon the ark, and sang a song." What was their song? R. Jochanan in the name of R. Mair said (Ex. 15, 1) Then sang Moses, etc. R. Jochanan himself, however, said (Is. 12, 4) And ye shall say on that day, Give thanks unto the Lord, call on His name, etc. And R. Simon b. Lakish said: "The song the orphan chapter (a chapter in which the author's name is not mentioned) (Ps. 98, 1) Oh sing unto the Lord a new song; for He Hath done marvelous things, etc." And R. Elazar said (Ib. 99, 1) The Lord reigneth; let the people tremble. R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said (Ib. 93, 1) The Lord reigneth; He is clothed in majesty. R. Isaac Naphcha said: Sing, O ark, in beauty shining; Thou adorned with chains of gold — ever close the Word enshrining — glittering with gems untold." R. Ashi taught the saying of R. Isaac Naphcha in connection with this (Num. 10, 55) And it came to pass, when the ark set forward that Moses said, etc. And what did Israel say? Whereupon R. Isaac said: "Sing, O ark, etc."

Reuben, Simeon, and all the other tribes were mentioned because of the future redemption of Israel. Reuben: I have surely seen the affliction of my people (Exod. 3:7). Simeon: And God heard their groaning (ibid. 2:24). Levi: Many nations will attach themselves to the Lord (Zech. 2:15). Judah: I will give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, for though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away and Thou comfortest me (Isa. 12:1). Issachar: For thy ways shall be rewarded (Jer. 31:16). Zebulun: I have surely built thee a house of habitation (I Kings 8:13). Benjamin: The Lord hath sworn by His right hand (Isa. 62:18). Dan: And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge (Gen. 15:14). Naphtali: Thy lips, O my bride, drop honey (Song 4:11). Gad: Now the manna was like coriander seed (Num. 11:7). Asher: And all the nations shall call you happy (Mal. 3:12). Joseph: The Lord will set His hand again the second time (Isa. 11:1).

“Let us exult and rejoice in you.” Ten expressions of joy are employed in Israel’s regard: Gila, sisa, simḥa, rina, pitzḥa, tzahala, alatza, elza, ḥedva, terua. Gila, “rejoice [gili] greatly, daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 9:9); sisa, “I will be gladdened [sos asis] in the Lord” (Isaiah 61:10); simḥa, “rejoice [simḥu] with Jerusalem” (Isaiah 66:10); rina, “sing [roni] and rejoice, daughter of Zion” (Zechariah 2:14); pitzḥa, “burst [pitzḥi] into song and rejoice” (Isaiah 54:1); tzahala, “shout [tzahali] and sing” (Isaiah 12:6); alatza, “my heart rejoices [alatz] in the Lord” (I Samuel 2:1); elza, “my heart exults [vaya’aloz], and with my song I give thanks to Him” (Psalms 28:7); ḥedva, “the children of Israel…performed [the dedication of this House of God with joy [beḥedva]]” (Ezra 6:16); terua, “shout with joy [hariu] to the Lord, all the earth” (Psalms 98:4), “shout [hariu] to God with a joyous voice” (Psalms 47:2). There are some who remove terua and insert ditza, just as you say: “Anguish rejoices [tadutz] before it” (Job 41:14); it dances like that mudfish.

“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” (Ruth 2:9).
“Let your eyes be on the field that they reap, and go after them; have I not commanded the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go to the vessels, and drink from what the young men have drawn” – “your eyes,” these are the Sanhedrin. The two hundred and forty-eight limbs in a person follow only the eyes; that is what is written: “Your eyes…and go after them.” “Not to touch you” – not to push away.¹⁶⁸Not to assert that you are disqualified from marrying a natural-born Jew. “When you are thirsty, go to the vessels” – these are the righteous, who are called vessels, as it is stated: “How the mighty have fallen and the vessels of war are lost“ (II Samuel 1:27).¹⁶⁹The verse is referring to Saul and Yonatan. “Drink from what the young men have drawn” – this is the house of the Drawing [of the Water].¹⁷⁰A ritual performed on Sukkot when the Temple stood; see Mishna Sukka 5:1–4. Why is it called “drawing”? It is because they would draw the Divine Spirit from there, as it is stated: “You shall draw water with joy from the wells of salvation” (Isaiah 12:3).

JUDAH (rt.: YDH) (in Is. 12:1): AND IN THAT DAY YOU SHALL SAY: I GIVE THANKS (rt.: YDH) TO YOU, O LORD.

Another matter: “Look from the peak of Amana” – this is Abraham in whose regard it is written: “And he believed in the Lord” (Genesis 15:6). “From the peak of Senir” – this is Isaac. Just as Senir is hostile to plowing [soneh nir], so too, Isaac was subject to an ordeal only once. “And Ḥermon” – this is Jacob. Just as all the good of the Ḥermon is in its lower reaches, so too, priesthood is from Jacob, Levites are from Jacob, kingdom is from Jacob.¹¹⁴Jacob was the last of the patriarchs.
“From the dens of lions” – these are Siḥon and Og; just as the lion is haughty, so Siḥon and Og were haughty and mighty, as there was a distance of only one day’s walk between this one and that one, and this one did not come to the aid of that one, and that one did not come to the aid of this one. “From the mountains of leopards” – these are the Canaanites. Just as this leopard is impudent, so the Canaanites were impudent. That is what is written: “Not a man remained in the Ai [or Beit El who did not come out after Israel]” (Joshua 8:17).
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Elazar: It would have been fitting for Israel to have sung song over the downfall of Siḥon and Og, and it would have been fitting for Hezekiah to have sung song over the downfall of Sennacherib, as it is written: “But Hezekiah did not reciprocate according to the reward bestowed upon him” (II Chronicles 32:25). “As his heart had grown haughty” (II Chronicles 32:25). You see Hezekiah, a king and a righteous man, and you say “as his heart had grown haughty”? Rather, his heart had grown too haughty to sing a song. Isaiah came to Hezekiah and his associates. He said to them: “Sing to the Lord” (Isaiah 12:5). They said to him: Why? “For He has performed grandeur” (Isaiah 12:5). They said to him: It is already “known throughout the land” (Isaiah 12:5). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Hezekiah said: The Torah in which I engage atones for the [absence of] song.¹¹⁵Hezekiah thought that because he had caused Torah to be known throughout the land, he was above singing songs of praise.
Rabbi Levi said: Hezekiah said: Why do we need to recount the miracles and mighty exploits of the Holy One blessed be He? They are already known from one end of the world to the other. Has the sun not stood in the middle of the sky¹¹⁶See II Kings 20:11. and they [thus] saw the miracles and mighty exploits of the Holy One blessed be He to the end of the world?
Rabbi Yishmael ben Rabbi Yosei says in the name of Rabbi Abba: Pharaoh king of Egypt and Tirhaka king of Kush were already involved in that miracle and came to aid Hezekiah. Sennacherib sensed their presence. What did the wicked Sennacherib do to them? At nightfall he bound them; at midnight, the angel emerged and struck Sennacherib’s troops. That is what is written: “The angel of the Lord emerged and smote the Assyrian camp” (Isaiah 37:36). In the morning, Hezekiah arose early and found them bound. He said: It seems that these came only to aid me. He untied them and they went and related the miracles and mighty exploits of the Holy One blessed be He. That is what is written: “Thus says the Lord: The product of Egypt and the merchandise of Kush” (Isaiah 45:14). “The product of Egypt” – this is Pharaoh king of Egypt; “and the merchandise of Kush” – this is Tirhaka king of Kush. “And the Sabeans, men of stature” (Isaiah 45:14) – these are their armies. “Will pass over to you” (Isaiah 45:14) – this is Hezekiah and his associates. “They will be yours (Isaiah 45:14)” – they are already at peace with you. “They will follow you and pass in chains (Isaiah 45:14)” – in manacles. “They will prostrate themselves to you” (Isaiah 45:14) – this is Jerusalem. “They will pray before you” (Isaiah 45:14) – this is the Temple. What would they say? “There is only God with you; there is none other except for God” (Isaiah 45:14). Isaiah said before the Holy One blessed be He: Master of the universe, “indeed [akhen] You are God who conceals Himself” (Isaiah 45:15). What is “akhen”? Where [ekhan] are You hiding, God? Indeed, You have the dynamism, and You conceal Yourself? [God] said to him: “God of Israel, Savior” (Isaiah 45:15) – I will then take vengeance.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Had Hezekiah recited song over the downfall of Sennacherib, he would have become the messianic king and Sennacherib [would have been] Gog and Magog, but he did not do so. Rather, he said: “Now I know that the Lord has rescued His anointed one.… Some come on chariots [and some on horses but we will make mention of the name of the Lord our God]” (Psalms 20:7–8). What is written thereafter? “Deliver us, Lord. The King will answer us on the day we call” (Psalms 20:10).¹¹⁷These verses are attributed here to Hezekiah, and he refers to a future king as “His anointed one [meshiḥo],” an allusion to the Messiah, in realization that he himself would no longer be able to be the Messiah (Maharzu).

Another interpretation: He said to him: Sovereign of the World, you have been proclaimed (in Micah 7:18): WHO IS A GOD LIKE YOU, FORGIVING SIN AND PASSING OVER TRANSGRESSION? (Gen. 4:13:) MY SIN IS GREATER THAN I CAN BEAR. The Holy One said to him: You have repented. By your life, I am revoking one decree from you. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 4:16): AND CAIN WENT OUT FROM BEFORE THE LORD AND DWELT IN THE LAND OF NOD. While he was going away, the first Adam met him. He said to him: What happened about your sentence. He said: If I had not confessed, I should already have disappeared from the world. Adam said at that time (in Ps. 92:2 [1]): IT IS GOOD TO CONFESS TO THE LORD. In this world individuals confess to the Holy One, but in the world to come they all confess to him. So it is stated (in Is. 12:1): I WILL CONFESS TO YOU, O LORD; FOR, THOUGH YOU WERE ANGRY WITH ME, YOUR ANGER IS TURNED AWAY, AND YOU COMFORT ME.