Midrash su Isaia 30:18

The Holy One of Blessing is High and Exalted, His throne is [also] High and Exalted. And from where do we know that the Holy One of Blessing is called "High and Exalted"? From (Isa. 57:15) "This is what [Ad-nai] High and exalted said". And from whre do we know that even His throne is High and Exalted? From (Isa. 6:1) "And I saw my Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne" etc. The Holy One of Blessing is called Justice as it says "I, Ad-nai, am the Speaker of Justice" (Isa. 45:19) - and from where do we know that even His throne is called Justice? From "Justice and Judgment are the foundation of Your throne" (Ps. 89:15)The Holy One of Blessing is called Judgment as it says "because a God of Judgment is Ad-nai" (Isa. 30:18) and even His throne is called Judgment, as it says "from there were sat thrones of Judgement (Ps. 122:5).The Holy One of Blessing is called Truth as it says "Ad-nai is a God of Truth" (Jer. 10:10) and even His throne is called Truth, as it says "And he readied in Lovingkindness a throne, and sits there in Truth (Isa. 16:5). The Holy One of Blessing is called Glory as it says "May the King of Glory enter" (Ps. 24:7) and even His throne is called Glory, as it says "A throne of Glory, high from the beginning" (Jer. 17:12). May the King of Glory come and sit on the Throne of Glory, in the Temple of Glory as it is said "and in His Temple everything says 'Glory!'" (Ps.29:9) The Holy One of Blessing is called Holy as it says "Holy, holy Holy is Ad-nai Tzevaot, the whole earth is filled with His Glory" (Isa. 6:3) and even His throne is called Holy, as it says "God sat on His throne of Holiness (Ps. 47:9). May the King of Holiness come and sit on the Throne of Holiness, in the great secret of holy ones, as it is said: “A God dreaded in the great secret of the holy ones” (Ps. 89:8). - How many thrones the Holy One of Blessing has!He has an Established throne, as it says "Your throne has been established ever since time" (Ps. 93:2). He has a throne of Justice and Judgment, as it says "Justice and Judgement are the foundation of Your throne" (Ps. 89:15). He has a throne of Lovingkindness, as it says "He readied in Lovingkindness a throne" (Isa. 16:5). He has a Throne of Yah, as it says "because there is a hand against the throne of Yah" (Ex. 17:16). He has a throne of Glory, as it says "a throne of Glory high from the beginning " (Jer. 17:12). He has a throne of Truth, as it says "He readied in Lovingkindness a throne and sits there in Truth" (Isa. 16:5). He has a Holy throne, as it says "God sat on his throne of Holiness"(Ps. 47:9). He has an eternal throne, as it says "Your throne, oh God is forever and ever"(Ps. 45:7). He has a throne of Mercy, as it says "To our Lord belongs Mercy and Forgivenesses" (Daniel 9:9). He has a throne of Sovereignty, as it says "and Sovereignty shall be Ad-nai's"(Obadiah 1:21). He has a High and Exalted throne, as it says "And I saw my Lord sitting on a high and exalted throne" (Isa. 6:1). May the High and Exalted King sit on the High and Exalted throne, blessed, and exalted, and higher than any blessing and praise.

(Fol. 45b) Hezekiah said, in the name of R. Jeremiah, who quoted R. Simon b. Jochai: "I could exempt the entire world from judgment from the time I was born until now (during my lifetime); and if Eliezer, my son, would be with me, I could do it for all men from the time the world was created till now. And if King Jotham ben Uzziah were with us, we could do it for all men from the time of the creation until the end of the world." Hezekiah said again, in the name of R. Jeremiah, who quoted R. Simon b. Jochai: "I see that the greatest men in the world are very few. If they are a thousand, I and my son are of them; if they are a hundred, I and my son are of them; and if they are only two, they are my son and I." Is this so? Has not the master said that eighteen thousand miles extends the first line of those who come to greet the Holy One, praised be He!, as it is said (Ezek. 45, 35) All around it shall he eighteen rods. This is not difficult to explain; the former refers to such who contemplate [Deity] through a lucid speculum, but the latter refers to such who contemplate [Deity] through a dim speculum. Are really those who contemplate [Deity] such a small number? Has not Abaye said: "There are no less than thirty-six upright men in the world who are greeting the Divine Presence every day, as it is said (Is. 30, 18) Happy are all those that wait for Him; and Him is expressed by the word Lo, whose numerical value is thirty-six. This is not difficult to explain; the latter refers to such that enter only when permitted, but the former refers to such that enter even without permission.

We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Nathan said: "The following passages bore and penertate to the depth (i.e., no one can fathom their exact meaning) viz., (Habak. 2, 3) For there is yet a vision for the appointed time, and it speaketh of the end, and it will not deceive: Though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not be delayed." It is in accordance neither with our Rabbis who lectured about this from (Dan. 7, 25) And they will be given up into his hand until a time, and times and half a time, nor with R. Simlai, who lectured about this from (Ps. 80, 6) Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears to drink in great measure; and also not in accordance with R. Akiba, who used to lecture about this from (Hag. 2, 6) For thus said the Lord … Yet one thing more [will I do], it is but little, when I will cause the heavens and the earth to quake and the sea and the dry land. But we observe that the first kingdom endured seventy years, the second fifty-two, and the kingdom of Bar Kochba, two years and a half. What does, Speaketh of the end, mean? R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jonathan: "May despair come upon those who sit and figure the time for the arrival of the Messiah [because they usually err] and when the appointed time comes and the Messiah does not appear, they say that he will not come any more. But every one has to wait for him, as it is said (Ib. ib) Wait for him, because he will surely come. And lest one say, 'We are waiting but He does not wait, therefore it is said (Is. 30, 18) And therefore will the Lord wait to be gracious unto you, and therefore will he exalt himself, to have mercy upon you.' But if He and we are awaiting, who prevents him from coming? The Divine Attribute of Justice prevents it. But if the Divine Attribute of Justice prevents it, then what is the use of our waiting? To receive reward for waiting, as it is said (Ib. ib) Happy are those that wait for him. Abaye said: "There are no less than thirty-six righteous men in every generation who receive the appearance of the Shekhina, as it is said (Ib.) Happy are those that wait for him (Lo); the word Lo in numerical value amounts to thirty-six." Is this so? Did not Raba say that the first row [of righteous men] in front of the Omnipotent, contains eighteen thousand parsas, as it is said (Ezek. 48, 35) All round it shall be eighteen thousand rods? This presents no difficulty. The former speaks of those who contemplated [Deity] through a lucid speculum, aud the latter speaks of those who contemplated [Deity] through a dim speculum. But are there, indeed, so many [righteous]? Did not R. Simon b. Jochai say: "I see that those who enjoy the Divine presence in the future world are very few. If they are a thousand, I and my son are included, etc., and if they are only two, they are I and my son?" This presents no difficulty. The former speaks of those who enter after getting permission, and the latter speaks of those who enter without permission.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 2:4): THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH WHEN THEY WERE CREATED. This text is related (to Job 25:2): DOMINION AND AWE ARE WITH HIM. Thus Job had said (in 23:3): OH THAT I KNEW WHERE I MIGHT FIND HIM [THAT I MIGHT COME TO HIS ABODE]. R. Abba bar Kahana said: If he is in a temple above, I will come to his abode; and if he is in a temple below, I will come to his abode. Now HIS ABODE (rt.: KWN) is nothing but a temple, as stated (in Ezra 3:3): AND THEY SHALL SET THE ALTAR UPON ITS BASE (rt.: KWN). Ergo he says: This < abode > is a temple. (Job 23:4:) LET ME LAY MY CASE (mishpat) BEFORE HIM. His friends said to him: Do you not know that he is called the God of justice (mishpat)? It is so stated (in Is. 30:18): FOR THE LORD IS A GOD OF JUSTICE (mishpat). (Job 23:4, cont.:) AND FILL MY MOUTH WITH PROTESTS. He said to him: If that man's mouth would close, (according to vs. 5) I WOULD KNOW {WHAT} WORDS HE WOULD ANSWER ME [AND UNDERSTAND WHAT HE WOULD-SAY TO ME]. Oh that he would answer me point for point as to whether I have sinned or not sinned. (Job 23:8:) SEE, I GO EAST, AND HE IS NOT THERE; AND WEST, BUT I DO NOT PERCEIVE HIM. R. Johanan said: You learn from here that the Divine Presence is in the west. I went south and north without finding him (cf. vs. 9). Why? (Job 23:10:) BECAUSE HE KNOWS THE WAY I TAKE. WHEN HE HAS TRIED ME, I SHALL COME FORTH LIKE GOLD. His friends said to him: Job, how long will you pester with words? Are we not telling you that you cannot go out to meet him and speak insolently with him? They said to him: Can you speak insolently with Michael?

(Gen. 39:1:) WHEN JOSEPH WAS TAKEN DOWN TO EGYPT, < POTIPHAR, A EUNUCH OF PHARAOH AND CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD, BOUGHT HIM >. This text is related (to Ps. 37:28): FOR THE LORD LOVES JUSTICE AND DOES NOT ABANDON HIS SAINTS. Why does the Holy One love justice? Because he is called the Lord of Justice where it is stated (in Is. 30:18): FOR THE LORD IS A GOD OF JUSTICE. It also says (in Deut. 32:41): MY HAND LAYS HOLD ON JUSTICE.

... Teach us oh, teacher: once the Ninth of Av has ended, is everything permitted? R’ Chiyah the Great taught like this: once the Ninth of Av has ended, one is permitted to do anything. Why? Because it is like the case of a person whose dead is laid out before him, who is forbidden to eat meat or drink wine. Once the dead is buried, the mourner is permitted to do so. So to on the Ninth of Av one is a mourner – once the day has ended one is permitted to do anything. Even though we are permitted, we must always have a sigh in our hearts until the Holy One returns to her. The Holy One said to them: by your lives! I burnt her, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) I will build her, as it says “Yet again will I rebuild you, then you shall be built, O virgin of Israel…” (Jeremiah 31:3) Zion said to Him: Behold, I have been sitting thus for many years! I have counted the days from old and I have not been redeemed, therefore I have despaired. She said that my master has abandoned me. And from where do we learn that Zion said this? From that which is written regarding it “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) ... Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me…” (Isaiah 49:14) What is written before this? “Sing, O heavens, and rejoice, O earth, and mountains burst out in song, for the Lord has consoled His people, and He shall have mercy on His poor.” (Isaiah 49:13) Once Zion saw that the prophet recalled His people and His poor, but did not mention Zion or Jerusalem she said ‘the Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Immediately the Holy One replied and said to her: just as it is impossible for a woman to forget her sucking child, so to I am not able to forget you, “Shall a woman forget her sucking child, from having mercy on the child of her womb?” (Isaiah 49:15) She said to Him: Master of the world! How is that possible? There is no end to the evils I have done! I caused Your Holy Temple to be destroyed and I killed the prophets. R’ Berachia the Kohen said in the name of Rebbe: the Holy One said to her, I will forget your evil but I will not forget your good. “…These too shall forget, but I will not forget you.” (ibid.) I have forgotten “"These are your gods, O Israel…” (Exodus32:4) but “I am the Lord, your God…” (Exodus 20:2) I will not forget.