Midrash su Isaia 43:12

R. Juda b. Nachmeni, the interpreter of Resh Lakish lectured again: "What is the meaning of the passage (Micha 7, 5) Trust ye not in a friend, put ye not confidence in a familiar friend? This means, if the evil spirit say to thee, Go and commit a sin for the Holy One, praised be He! will forgive thee, be not persuaded, as it is said: Trust ye not in an evil (Ro'a); put ye not confidence in a familiar friend, this refers to none else than the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Jer. 3, 4) My father, Thou art; the friend (Aluph) of my youth art Thou. Perhaps one will say, who will testify against me? The stones and the timbers of his house will bear witness against him, as it is said (Hab. 2, 11) For the stone will cry out of the wall, and the beam out of the wood (work) will answer it. "We are taught in a Baraitha: R. Shila says the two angels which accompany a man will testify against him, as it is said (Ps. 91, 11) For his angels will he give charge concerning thee, to guard thee on all thy ways. R. Zerika says the soul of a man will testify against him, as it is said (Mie. 7, 5) From her that lieth in thy bosom guard the doors of thy mouth. What is this that lieth in a man's bosom? We must say, it is the soul. The sages say: "The members of a man's body testify against him, as it is said (Is. 43, 12) And ye are My witness, saith the Lord, and I am God."

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."...

(Exodus 31:14) "for it is holy to you": We are hereby apprised that the Sabbath confers holiness upon Israel. "Why is that man's shop closed?" "Because he is a Sabbath observer." "Why is that man not working?" "Because he is a Sabbath observer." He testifies about Him who spoke and brought the world into being that He created His world in six days and rested on the seventh. And thus is it written (Isaiah 43:12) "And you are My witnesses, says the L rd, that I am the Almighty."

(Exodus 15:16) "Until Your people, O L rd, pass over (the Arnon); until there pass over (the Jordan) this people whom You have acquired": For all the world is Yours, and You have no people but Israel, viz. (Isaiah 43:12) "This people have I fashioned for Myself." Four are called "acquisitions": Israel — viz. "this people whom You have acquired." Heaven and earth — viz. (Genesis 14:22) "Acquirer of heaven and earth." The Temple — viz. (Psalms 78:54) "this mountain (the Temple mount) that He acquired." The Torah — viz. (Mishlei 8:22) "The L rd acquired me (Torah) (in) the beginning of His way" (the creation). Let Israel come, who are called "acquisition," to the land, that is called "acquisition," and build the Temple, His "acquisition," in the merit of the Torah, which is called "acquisition." Thus — "this people whom You have acquired."

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

(Devarim, Ibid.) "together, the tribes of Israel" — when they constitute one unit, and not when they are divided into many factions, as it is written (Amos 9:6) "Who builds His heights in the heavens and His bond on earth endures." — R. Shimon b. Yochai says: This is analogous to one's bringing two ships, connecting them with braces and bars, and building stately edifices upon them. So long as the ships are bound, the edifices endure; once the ships separate, the edifices no longer endure. So, with Israel: When they do the will of the L-rd, their heights are in the heavens and His bond on earth endures. Similarly, (Shemoth 15:20) "This is my G-d and I will extol Him ("ve'anvehu"): When I acknowledge Him, He is "beautiful" ("naveh, as in ve'anvehu"), and (even) when I do not acknowledge Him," He is "beautiful." Similarly, (Isaiah 43:12) "And you are My witnesses, says the L-rd, and I am G-d ("Kel")": When you are My witnesses, I am G-d, and if you are not My witnesses I am not G-d" (i.e., I do not manifest Myself as "Kel"). Similarly, (Psalms 23:1) "To You I have raised my eyes, Who dwells in Heaven." If not, I would not dwell in heaven. Here, too, "together, the tribes of Israel" — when they are one bond (agudah), and not when they are of many agudoth (factions). Thus, "together the tribes of Israel."