Midrash su Isaia 21:7
וְרָ֣אָה רֶ֗כֶב צֶ֚מֶד פָּֽרָשִׁ֔ים רֶ֥כֶב חֲמ֖וֹר רֶ֣כֶב גָּמָ֑ל וְהִקְשִׁ֥יב קֶ֖שֶׁב רַב־קָֽשֶׁב׃
E quando vede una truppa, cavalieri a coppie, una truppa di asini, una truppa di cammelli, ascolterà diligentemente con molta attenzione.
Eikhah Rabbah
“The Lord forsook His altar, cursed His Temple; He gave into the hand of the enemy the walls of its palaces. They raised their voice in the House of the Lord, like a day of festival” (Lamentations 2:7)
“The Lord forsook His altar.” Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: [This is analogous] to the residents of a province who set tables for the king. They provoked him and he tolerated them. The king said to them: ‘Are you not provoking me only due to the table that you set for me? Here it is thrown in your faces.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Are you not angering Me only due to the offerings that you sacrificed to Me? Here it is thrown in your faces.’ That is what is written: “The Lord forsook His altar, cursed His Temple.”
Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Ḥelbo, and Rabbi Aivu said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani: You find that at the moment that the gentiles entered the Temple they placed their hands under the nape of their necks, turned their faces upward, and cursed and blasphemed. They crafted an enclosure [masger] of spears with their tips in the ground.96This was in order to imprison the priests that they captured, and to express their contempt for the Temple by sticking their spears into its floor (Midrash HaMevoar). That is what is written: “He gave [hisgir] into the hand of the enemy the walls of its palaces. They raised their voice in the House of the Lord, like a day of festival.” Rabbi Ḥanina, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Meyasha said in the name of Rabbi Yanai: It was due to that voice that Babylon fell, as it is written: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the statues of its gods are broken to the ground” (Isaiah 21:9).97A previous verse in the passage states “he will listen very attentively” (Isaiah 21:7), an allusion to the blasphemous statements of the Babylonians (Maharzu).
Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Ḥelbo, and Rabbi Aivu said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani: This kingdom,98Rome. too, did likewise. That is what is written: “They raised their voice in the House of the Lord, like a day of festival.” Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Meyasha [said] in the name of Rabbi Yanai: It too is supposed to fall only due to that voice. That is what is written: “From the sound of Babylon being seized” (Jeremiah 50:46).99The midrash interprets the verse to mean: Due to the sound, Babylon was seized. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The sound of troubles, disturbances, and darkness ascends to the great city of Tyre.100Tyre is used here as a reference to Rome. See, in this regard, Bereishit Rabba 61:7. Why? Because the voice of Esau is prosecuting.101There is prosecution against it in heaven due to the ‘voice of Esau,’ the blasphemy of Rome. That is what is written: “The sound of tumult comes from the city, a sound from the Sanctuary: the sound of the Lord exacting retribution upon His enemies” (Isaiah 66:6).
“The Lord forsook His altar.” Rabbi Ḥagai said in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: [This is analogous] to the residents of a province who set tables for the king. They provoked him and he tolerated them. The king said to them: ‘Are you not provoking me only due to the table that you set for me? Here it is thrown in your faces.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Are you not angering Me only due to the offerings that you sacrificed to Me? Here it is thrown in your faces.’ That is what is written: “The Lord forsook His altar, cursed His Temple.”
Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Ḥelbo, and Rabbi Aivu said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani: You find that at the moment that the gentiles entered the Temple they placed their hands under the nape of their necks, turned their faces upward, and cursed and blasphemed. They crafted an enclosure [masger] of spears with their tips in the ground.96This was in order to imprison the priests that they captured, and to express their contempt for the Temple by sticking their spears into its floor (Midrash HaMevoar). That is what is written: “He gave [hisgir] into the hand of the enemy the walls of its palaces. They raised their voice in the House of the Lord, like a day of festival.” Rabbi Ḥanina, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Meyasha said in the name of Rabbi Yanai: It was due to that voice that Babylon fell, as it is written: “Fallen, fallen is Babylon, and all the statues of its gods are broken to the ground” (Isaiah 21:9).97A previous verse in the passage states “he will listen very attentively” (Isaiah 21:7), an allusion to the blasphemous statements of the Babylonians (Maharzu).
Rabbi Berekhya, Rabbi Ḥelbo, and Rabbi Aivu said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani: This kingdom,98Rome. too, did likewise. That is what is written: “They raised their voice in the House of the Lord, like a day of festival.” Rabbi Huna, Rabbi Aḥa, and Rabbi Meyasha [said] in the name of Rabbi Yanai: It too is supposed to fall only due to that voice. That is what is written: “From the sound of Babylon being seized” (Jeremiah 50:46).99The midrash interprets the verse to mean: Due to the sound, Babylon was seized. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: The sound of troubles, disturbances, and darkness ascends to the great city of Tyre.100Tyre is used here as a reference to Rome. See, in this regard, Bereishit Rabba 61:7. Why? Because the voice of Esau is prosecuting.101There is prosecution against it in heaven due to the ‘voice of Esau,’ the blasphemy of Rome. That is what is written: “The sound of tumult comes from the city, a sound from the Sanctuary: the sound of the Lord exacting retribution upon His enemies” (Isaiah 66:6).
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