Midrash su Isaia 43:10

(Fol. 11) Our Rabbis were taught: "When the community of Israel is in trouble and one withdraws himself from them [refusing to share their sorrow], two ministering angels who accompany each man lay their hands upon his head and say: 'The Baraitha we are taught: "When the community when in distress shall not live to see the relief of the community.' " In another Baraitha we are taught that when the community is in distress one must not say: 'I will go to my house, eat, drink and make myself comfortable'; for concerning him the passage reads (Is. 22, 13) And behold {there are) joy and gladness, in staying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine; 'Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow) we must die'; and immediately follows: Truly this iniquity shall not be purged from you till you die. But a man must suffer (deny himself enjoyment), when the community suffers: for thus we find that Moses afflicted himself when the community suffered; as it is said (Ex. 17, 12) But when the hands of Moses became heavy, they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon. Did not Moses possess a pillow or bolster upon which he could have sat down? Yea; but Moses said thus: 'Since Israel lives in trouble I must therefore share their woes.' And he who afflicts himself in sympathy with the community, will live to see the relief of the community. One might perhaps say: 'Who will testify that I did not share the suffering of the community?' He should know that the stones and beams of his very house will bear testimony to this fact; as it is said (Hab. 2, 11) For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the woodwork will answer it." In the college of R. Shila it was said that the two angels who accompany a man will testify against him; as it is said (Ps. 91, 11) For his angels will he given charge concerning thee. R. Chidka says: "The soul of man will testify against him; as it is said (Micah 7, 4) Keep the doors of thy mouth from her that lieth in thy bosom." Still others say that the members of a man's body will testify against him; as it is said (Is. 43, 10) Ye are my witnesses, saith the Lord.

Those who depart clothed will return clothed, as it is said: It is changed as clay under the seal; and they stand as a garment (Job 38:14). Come and learn from Samuel. When Saul caused him to be brought up (by the witch of Endor), he said to the woman: “What does he look like?” And she answered: An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe (I Sam. 28:14). And Scripture states elsewhere: Moreover, his mother made him a little robe (ibid. 2:19). This teaches us that just as one departs (this life), so he will return. The reason for this is that the wicked should not say: “Some He puts to death, and others He restores to life.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Let them arise just as they departed, and then I will heal them. Why so? To confirm the verse Before Me there was no God formed, neither shall any be after Me (Isa. 43:10)

(Gen. 46:28:) NOW HE HAD SENT JUDAH AHEAD OF HIM UNTO JOSEPH. This text is related (to Is. 65:25): THE WOLF AND THE LAMB SHALL FEED TOGETHER….³⁰Tanh., Gen. 11:8; Gen. R. 95:1. Come and see how whatever the Holy One has smitten in this world is healed in the world to come. The blind are healed, as stated (in Is. 35:5): THEN THE EYES OF THE BLIND SHALL BE OPENED. The lame also are healed, as stated (in vs. 6): THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A HART. And the dumb shall be healed, as stated (ibid., cont.): AND THE TONGUE OF THE DUMB SHALL SHOUT FOR JOY. Everyone shall be healed, but just as one goes (to the grave), so he comes < back >.³¹Sanh. 91b; Eccl. R. 1:4:2; see yKil. 9:4 (32b). If he goes blind, he comes < back > blind. If he goes deaf, he comes deaf. If he goes lame, he comes lame. If he goes dumb, he comes dumb. Just as one goes clothed, so one comes clothed. Thus it is written (in Job 38:14): IT IS CHANGED LIKE CLAY UNDER A SEAL; THEY STAND FORTH AS < IN > A GARMENT. From whom do you learn this? From Samuel. When Saul raised him, what did he say to the woman (of Endor)? He said to her: What do you see, AND (according to I Sam. 28:14) SHE SAID: IT IS AN OLD MAN RISING, AND HE IS WRAPPED IN A ROBE; for he had been so clothed, as stated (in I Sam. 2:19): HIS MOTHER WOULD MAKE A LITTLE ROBE FOR HIM. So why is it that, just as one goes (to the grave), so one comes < back > ? So that the wicked of the world will not say: After they died, would the Holy One have healed them and later brought them < back >? It would seem that these are not the same ones (who died), but others. The Holy One said: If so, let them rise just as they went (to the grave), and afterwards I will heal them. Thus it is stated (in Is. 43:10): < SO THAT YOU MAY KNOW THAT > … BEFORE ME NO GOD WAS FORMED. Then later the beasts are healed, as stated (in Is. 65:25): THE WOLF AND THE LAMB SHALL FEED TOGETHER…. And why? Because it (the serpent)³²For this interpretation, see Gen. R. 95:1 and also 20:5. has brought everything to dust.

How were the Ten Commandments given? Five on one tablet and five on the other. "I am the L rd your G d," and opposite it "You shall not kill," whereby Scripture apprises us that spilling blood is tantamount to "diminishing" the likeness of the King. An analogy: A king of flesh and blood enters a province, sets up statues of himself, makes images of himself, and mints coins in his likeness. After some time, they upset his statues, break his images, devalue his coins — and "diminish" the likeness of the king. Likewise, Scripture equates spilling blood to "diminishing" the likeness of the King, as it is written (Genesis 9:6) "One who spills the blood of man … (For in the image of G d did He make man.") It is written "There shall not be unto you any other gods in My presence," and, opposite it, "You shall not commit adultery," whereby Scripture apprises us that idolatry is tantamount to adultery. As it is written (Ezekiel 16:32) "You are the (very essence of the) adulterous woman, who (though) living with her husband, (still) takes strangers," and (Hoshea 3:1) "And the L rd said again to me: "Go and love a woman beloved by her husband, and playing the harlot under him — just as the L rd loves the children of Israel, while they turn to other gods…" It is written "You shall not take the name of the L rd your G d in vain," and, opposite it, "You shall not steal," whereby we are apprised that one who steals, in the end comes to swear in vain, as it is written (Jeremiah 7:9) "Shall one steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely (… and go after the gods of others, etc.?" And it is written (Hoshea 4:2) "swearing, lying, murdering, stealing, (committing) adultery…" It is written "Remember the Sabbath day to sanctify it," and, opposite it, "You shall not testify (falsely)," whereby Scripture apprises us that one who desecrates the Sabbath thereby testifies before Him who spoke and brought the world into being that He did not create His world in six days and did not rest on the seventh day, and that one who keeps the Sabbath thereby testifies before Him who spoke and brought the world into being that He created His world in six days and rested on the seventh day, as it is written (Isaiah 43:10) "You are My witnesses, says the L rd … that I am He. Before Me no god was created and there will be none after Me." It is written "Honor your father and your mother," and, opposite it, "You shall not covet," whereby Scripture apprises us that whoever covets, in the end comes to beget a son who curses his father and honors one who is not his father. This is why the Ten Commandments were given, five on one tablet and five on the other. These are the words of R. Chanina b. Gamliel. The sages say: (They were given) ten on one tablet and ten on the other. As it is written (Devarim 5:19) "These things (the ten commandments) the L rd spoke … And He wrote them on two tablets of stone." And (Song of Songs 4:5) "Your two breasts are like two fawns, twins of a gazelle." And (Ibid. 5:14) ("The tablets of) His hands are wheels of gold, set with emeralds."...

This is what God said to Israel: My children what do I seek from you? I seek no more than that you love one another, and honor one another, and that you have awe for one another

"For You, You alone, have I sinned . . . That You may be justified when You speak" (Ps. 51:6). To whom may David be compared? To a man who broke a limb, and came to a doctor. The doctor marveled and said: "How great is thy break! I am much distressed on your account." The man with the broken limb said: "Art you distressed on my account? Was not my limb broken for your sake, since the fee is to be yours?" Just so David said to the Holy One, blessed be He: For You, You only, have I sinned: If You receive me, then if You say to transgressors "Why haven't you repented?" all transgressors will submit to You, for all of them will behold me [David], and I shall surely bear witness that You receive the penitent. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Behold, I have given him [David] for a witness to the peoples (Isa. 55:4). And God gave as a witness not only me, David, but all Israel, since it is said You are My witnesses, said the Lord, and My servant whom 1 have chosen (Isaiah 43:10).