Midrash su Isaia 40:31

R. Nehorai says: "I will put aside all the worldly occupation and will teach my son only the Torah; for a man enjoys its benefit in this world and the capital remains for the future world. But other occupations are not so, and furthermore, when a person gets sick when he advances in age, or any misfortune should overcome him, on account of which he could not work, then he is exposed to the pangs of hunger. But the Torah is not so, it protects him from all evil things. Concerning his youth what does the passage say? (Is. 40, 31) Yet they that wait upon the Lord shall acquire new strength; and concerning the aged, what does the passage say? (Ps. 92, 15) They shall still bring forth fruit in old age. So also do we find concerning Abraham, our patriarch (Gen. 24, 1) And Abraham was old — and the Lord blessed Abraham in all things.. We infer that Abraham, our patriarch, observed the entire Torah even before it was given [unto Israel], as it is said (Ib. 26, 5) Because that Abraham harkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws."

R. Nehorai says: "I will put aside all the worldly occupations," etc. We are taught in a Baraitha that R. Nehorai says: "I will put aside all the worldly occupations and will teach my son only the Torah; for all other occupations are good for a man only during his youth, but when he becomes old, he is exposed to hunger when unable to perform his duty, while the Torah is not so. She stands with the man when he is young and gives him a good and lasting hope in his old age." "Concerning his youth, what does the passage say? (Is. 40, 31) Yet they that wait upon the Lord shall acqiure new strength, they shall mount up with wings as eagles. And concerning the aged, what does the passage say? (Ps. 92, 15) They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap and richness."

At the school of Elijah, it was taught: The righteous who will be restored in the future by the Holy One, praised be He! will never return to their dust, as it is said (Is. 4, 3) And it shall come to pass that whoever is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, everyone that is written down into life in Jerusalem. And as the Holy One exists forever, so also those who are mentioned in this verse will live forever. (Ib. b) And let one ask, What will they do during the one thousand years when the Holy One, praised be He! shall renew his world? For it is said (Ib. 2, 17) And exalted shall be the Lord alone on that day. The righteous in question will be supplied with wings similar to the wings of the eagles, and they will fly over the world, as it is said (Ps. 46, 3) Therefore will we not fear when the earth is transformed, and when mountains are moved into the heart of seas. And lest one may say that they will grieve, it is therefore said, (Is. 40, 31) Yet they that wait upon the Lord shall acquire new strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not become faint. But why not infer from the dead who were restored by Ezekiel, and who died again? He (Elijah) holds with him who says that in reality Ezekiel did not restore any dead to life at all, and the whole prophecy was only a parable [prophesying that the Jewish nation would be restored again], as we are taught in the following Baraitha: The dead whom Ezekiel restored arose on their feet, sang a song, and died again. And what kind of a song was it? The Lord makes one die justly, and mercifully restores him to life. Thus says R. Eliezer. But R. Joshua says: "The song was from (I Sam. 2, 6) The Lord killeth and maketh alive; he bringeth down to the grave, and bringeth up." R. Juda, however, says: "It was a real parable." R. Nechemiah said to him: "If it is real, then it is not a parable; and if a parable, then it is not real." Say, then, in reality it was only a parable. R. Eliezer b. R. Jose, the Galilean, however, says: "The dead who were restored by Ezekiel went to the land of Israel, married, and begat sons and daughters." Then arose R. Juda b. Bathyra to his feet, and said: "I myself am a descendant of them, and these are the phylacteries which I inherited from my grandfather, who told me that they were used by those restored." But who were they that were restored to life? Rab said: "They were the sons of Ephraim who erred concerning the promised time of the redemption from Egypt, as it is said (I Chron. 7, 20-23) And the sons of Ephraim: Shuthalach, and Bered his son, and Thachath his son, and Eladah his son, and Thakhath his son, and Zbad his son, and Eladah his son, and Eser and Elad whom the men of Gath that were born in that land slew… . And Ephraim their father mourned many days, and his brethren came to comfort him." Samuel, however, said: "They were the men who denied resurrection, as it is said (Ezek. 37, 11) Then said he unto me, Son of man, these bones are the whole house of Israel; behold, they say, Dried are our bones, and lost is our hope; we are quite cut off." R. Jeremiah b. Abah said: "They were the bodies of men in whom, there was no essence of any meritorious act, as it is said (Ib. ib. 4) O ye dry bones, hear ye the word of the Lord." And R. Isaac of Nabhar said: "They were the men concerning whom it is said (Ib. 8, 10) So I went in and saw; and behold there was every form of creeping thing, and cattle, abominations, and all the idols of the house of Israel, engraven upon the wall all round about. And it is written (Ib. 37, 2) And he caused me to pass by them all round about, etc." R. Jochanan said: "They were the dead of the valley of Dura, whom Nebuchadnezzar killed." This is what R. Jochanan said elsewhere, that from the river Achar to the city of Rabath in the valley of Dura there were young men of Israel who were exiled by Nebuchadnezzar the wicked, who were so beautiful that there were none similar to them under the sun; and the women of Chaldea became sick when they looked upon them. The king then commanded to slay them all and to tread upon their faces.

(Bamidbar 6:24) "The L-rd bless you": with the explicit blessing (Devarim 28:3-6) "Blessed shall you be in the city and blessed shall you be in the field … Blessed shall be your basket and your remainder. Blessed shall you be in your coming in and blessed shall you be in your going out." "The L-rd bless you": with possessions "and keep you": with possessions. R. Nathan says: May He bless you with possessions and keep you — in body. R. Yitzchak says "and keep you": from the evil inclination, as it is written (Proverbs 3:26) "For the L-rd will be with you in your trust, and He will guard your feet from entrapment." Variantly: "and keep you": from all evil, viz. (Psalms 121:4-7) "He neither slumbers nor sleeps, the Keeper of Israel … at your right hand … By day the sun … The L-rd will keep you from all evil." Variantly: "and keep you": from mazikkin (destructive agents), viz. (Ibid. 91:11) "For His angels will He charge for you to keep you in all your ways." Variantly: "and keep you": He will keep for you the covenant of your fathers, viz. (Devarim 7:12) "… then the L-rd your G-d will keep for you the covenant and the lovingkindness which He swore to your fathers." Variantly: "and keep you": He will keep for you the "end" (i.e., the time of redemption). And thus is it written (Isaiah 21:11-12) "A prophecy concerning Duma (Edom): He (Israel) calls to Me from Seir: 'Keeper, what of the night?' 'Keeper, what of the night?' The Keeper says: 'Morning is coming and also night, etc.'" Variantly: "and keep you": He will keep your soul at the time of death, viz. (I Samuel 25:29) "and my master's soul will be bound up (after death) in the bond of life." From this I would understand both (the soul of) the righteous and the wicked to be intended. It is, therefore, written (Ibid.) "but the soul of your foes will He hurl away from the hollow of a sling." Variantly: "and keep you": He will keep your feet from Gehinnom, viz.: (Ibid. 2:9) "He will keep (from Gehennom) the feet of His pious ones." Variantly: "and keep you": He will keep you in the world to come, viz. (Isaiah 4:31) "But those who trust in the L-rd will renew strength. They will lift their wings as eagles, etc."

(Gen. 6:4, cont.:) THESE WERE THE MIGHTY MEN THAT WERE OF OLD, THE MEN WITH A NAME, < i.e., > men whose names have been specified above (in Gen. 4:18): Mehujael, since the Holy One (i.e., El) blotted (mihah) their names from the world; Methushael (ibid.), since God (El) drove him out (nethasho). THE MEN WITH A NAME,¹¹³Tanh. Gen. 1:12. because they were obstinate and rebellious against the Holy One. Thus it is stated (in Job 21:14): YET THEY SAY TO GOD: DEPART FROM US…. R. Isaac said: Why were they rebellious? Because they would sow one year and it would produce a harvest for forty years. R. Samuel bar Ammi said: Why were they rebellious? Because they were seeing children and children's children; yet they < themselves > were not dying. The Holy One said: From now on (according to Gen. 8:22) WHILE THERE ARE DAYS ON EARTH, < THERE SHALL BE NO CESSATION OF > SOWING AND HARVEST; i.e., they were begetting and burying. (Ibid., cont.:) COLD AND HEAT; i.e., < while > afflictions had not come upon them, from now on they would be afflicted by fire and snow. There is a story about a certain student of R. Aqiva¹¹⁴Tanh., Gen. 1:13; yMSh 4 at the end (55c); see Lam. R. 1:1 (16). who was told in a dream: You are dying in < the month of > Adar, and you shall not see Nisan. That which you have sown you shall not reap. He came to R. Aqiva. He said to him: You will die in glory (addirut), you shall not come to the hands of temptation (nissayon), and that which you have begotten you shall not bury. The Holy One said: In this world, because the evil drive exists, afflictions < also > exist among the children of Adam; but in the world to come I am rooting them out from you. It is so stated (in Ezek. 36:26): I WILL REMOVE THE HEART OF STONE FROM YOUR FLESH. I am also reviving your {ancestors} [wings]; for thus has Isaiah stated (in Is. 40:31): BUT THEY THAT WAIT FOR THE LORD SHALL RENEW THEIR STRENGTH; [THEY SHALL MOUNT UP WITH WINGS AS EAGLES].

An earthly king has dukes and viceroys who share with him in the burden of rule, and thus also share in the honor with which he is honored. But not so with The Holy Blessed One. God has no duke and no viceroy and no lieutenant. No other does God's work, only God alone. No other bears the burden, only God alone. Therefore, only God alone is to be praised.