Midrash su Isaia 22:17

When Reuben descended to the pit during the night to rescue his brother, and found that Joseph was no longer there, he tore his clothing and wept. He returned to his brothers and told them: The child is not; and as for me, whither shall I go? (ibid., v. 30). They related to him what had transpired and told him about the pact they had entered into. And he remained silent. Though it is written about the Holy One, blessed be He: He declareth His word to Jacob (Ps. 147:19), He did not disclose this matter to him because of the pact of excommunication. That is why Jacob said: Joseph is without doubt torn in pieces (Gen. 37:33). R. Mana maintained: The tribes were punished because they sold Joseph, and their sin was not forgiven until they died. Hence Scripture says of them: Surely, this iniquity shall not be expiated by you until you die (Isa. 22:17).

To what does a council of wicked men refer? To the following: Shebna, would expound [in his college] with thirteen great men, and Hezekiah would expound with only eleven. When Sancherib came to attack Jerusalem, Shebna wrote a note and shot it with an arrow [into Sancherib's camp]. The note read: "Shebna and his party are willing to make peace, but Hezekiah and his party are not willing to make peace, as it is said (Ps. 11, 2) For lo, the wicked bend their bow, they arrange their arrow upon the string." And Hezekiah feared, since, perhaps the inclination of the Holy One, praised be He! would be towards the majority, whose desire was to deliver themselves to the enemy, that he would also have to deliver himself to them. The prophet then came to him saying (Is. 8, 12) Say ye not a conspiracy, concerning all whereof this people do say: A conspiracy; i.e., they are only a council of wicked men, and [a measure passed in] a council of wicked men does not hold. He (Shebna) went and hewed out a cave for a grave for himself amongst the graves of King David's house, and this is why the prophet said to him(Ib. 22, 16, 17) What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewn out for thyself here a sepulchre? … Behold, the Lord will hurl thee up and down with a man's throw. Rab said: "From this is to be inferred that the sufferings of homelessness are harder for a man to bear than for a woman." R. Jose b. Chanina said: "From this we infer that Shebna was punished with leprosy, for it is written here: He will roll you up (A'ate) as a bundle, and it is written [concerning a leper] (Lev. 13, 45) And he shall cover (Ya'ate) himself up to the upper lip. (Ib) He will roll thee up as a bundle, and [toss thee] like a ball unto a country of ample space." It was taught in a Baraitha: His (Shebna's) desire was to disgrace the house of his master, and therefore he himself was put to shame; for when he came out to Sancherib with his party, Gabriel shut the gate in the face of his party. And when Sancherib questioned him: "Where is thy party?" he answered: "They have rebelled and retracted." "Are you making sport of me!" Sancherib exclaimed, and they bored holes in his heels, tied them to the tails of their horses, and dragged his body over thorns.

The third trial was his migration from his father's house and from the land of his birth; and He brought him to Haran, and there his father Terah died, and Athrai his mother. Migration is harder for man than for any other creature. Whence do we know of his migration? Because it is said, "Now the Lord said || unto Abram, Get thee out" (Gen. 12:1).