Midrash su Isaia 48:22

Our Rabbis were taught: It happened that Acher was riding upon his horse on the Sabbath, and R. Mair was walking behind him to learn the Torah from his mouth. He said to him: "Mair, turn thee backwards, for I have already measured by means of my horse's hoofs that up to this point is the legal limit of the Sabbath." R. Mair then said to him: "Return thyself also." Whereupon Acher replied. "Have I not answered thee already what I have heard from behind the curtain?" R. Mair forced him to enter a place of learning. He said to a child: "Repeat for me thy verse," [which thou hadst studied today.] He quoted to him: (Is. 48, 22) There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked. He brought him to another house of learning. Acher said to a child: "Repeat for me thy verse." The child quoted to him: (Jer. 2, 22) For though thou wash thee with nitre, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before Me. He then brought him to another place of learning, whereupon Acher said to a child: "Repeat for me thy verse." The child quoted: (Ib. 4, 30) And thou, (Ib. b) that are spoiled, what dost thou, that thou clothest thyself with scarlet, that thou deckest thee with ornaments of gold, that thou enlargest thine eyes with paint? In vain dost thou make thyself fair. He forced Acher to enter thirteen houses of learning and all quoted to him the same way. In the last one he said to the child: "Repeat for me thy verse." The child quoted to him (Ps. 50. 16) But unto the wicked (V'larasha) God saith: What hast thou to do to declare My statutes. That child was a stammerer and it sounded as if he had said Vle'elish [instead of V'larasha]. God saith, etc., whereupon Acher drew out a knife and cut the child into pieces and sent it to the thirteen houses of learning. According to others he only remarked: "If there had been a knife in my possession I would have cut him in pieces."

Alternatively, "proclaim peace unto it" (Deuteronomy 20), See how great is the power of peace. Come see, a human of flesh and blood, if one has an enemy and wonders what to do to the enemy. What does one do? One goes and honors another greater than the enemy so that as to do evil to the enemy. But the Holy One of Blessing is not like that, rather all the idol worshipers anger God, and they sleep and all the souls rise up to him. From where do we know this? As it says, "He in Whose hand is the spirit of all life" (Job 12:10). And in the morning God returns to each and every one their soul. From where do we know this? As it says "He gives breath to the people upon it" (Isaiah 42:5). Alternatively: A human of flesh and blood, if one's friend does evil to them, it does not leave their heart for ever. But the Holy One of Blessing is not so, rather Israel was in Egypt and the Egyptians enslaved them with mortar and brick, and after all the evil they did to Israel, the Torah has mercy on them and it says "You shall not abhor an Egyptian for you were a stranger in his land" (Deut.23:8), but rather pursue peace as it is written "seek peace and pursue it". (Psalms 34:15) Another interpretation: what is "seek peace and pursue it"? A story about Rabbi Meir: he was sitting and teaching, etc, that woman went home and it was Friday evening, and she discovered that her [Shabbat] light had gone out and her husband asked her: 'where were you, out this late?' and she answered: 'I was listening to Rabbi Meir expound on Torah.' And that man was a nincompoop, and told her: 'the only way you are getting into my house is if you spit on the face of Rabbi Meir'. And he expelled her from the house. Eliahu Hanavi, may he be mentioned for good, revealed all this to Rabbi Meir, and said to him: 'it was because of you that this woman was expelled from her house.' And Eliahu Hanavi, may he be mentioned for good, informed him of all the drama. What did Rabbi Meir do?He went and sat in the big Beit Midrash, and that woman came to pray and he saw her, and pretended to be blinking [with discomfort], and said in a loud voice: 'who here knows an incantation over the eye? And she said: I know. And she spit on his face. He said to her: now go and tell your husband: I did spit on Rabbi Meir's face, he said: go back to your husband. See! How great is the power of peace. Another word: Rabbi Akiva said: know how great is the power of peace! The Holy One of Blessing said that when a man feels jealous towards his wife the very Holy Name of God which is written in sanctity is to be erased in water, in order to send [a bomb of] peace between a sotah and her husband. Resh Lakish said: so great is peace that Scripture said lying words in order to set peace between Yosef and his brothers. At the time of their father's death they were afraid that he would take revenge upon them, and what did they say "your father commanded before his death to say: such you will say to Yosef [please forgive your brothers' offense and guilt] (Gen. 50:16-17) and we do not find such a command from Yaakov our father, rather, scripture said lying words because of the ways of peace. Another interpretation: Beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing gave it to Tzion, as it says: "Ask for the peace of Jerusalem" (Ps. 122:6). Another interpretation: So beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing gave it to the heaven, as it says: "The Maker of Peace on His heights / oseh shalom bimromav" (Job 25:2). Alternatively: So beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing gave it to near ones and far ones, as it says "Peace peace, to the far and to the near" (Isaiah 57:19). Alternatively: so beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing did not give it to the wicked, as it says "There is no peace, said Ad-nai, for the wicked" (Isaiah 48:22). Alternatively: so beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing gave it to Pinchas as his reward, as it says "Behold I give him my covenant of peace". (Numbers 25:12). Alternatively: So great is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing doesn't announce to Jerusalem that they will be redeemed except in peace, as it says "Announce peace..." (Isaiah 52:7). Alternatively: R. Levi said: so beloved is peace, that all the closings of blessings are in peace. The reading of the Shema closes in peace: "Spread a sukah of peace", prayer closes in peace, the priestly blessing closes in peace "And He shall give to you peace". Alternatively: so beloved is peace, that the Holy One of Blessing only comforts Jerusalem with peace. From where do we know this? As it is written "Behold I will extend peace to her like a river" (Isaiah 66:12). David said, 'I asked to hear what the Holy One of Blessing says about Israel, and I heard that God busies Godself with their peace', as it says "I will hear what God Ad-nai will speak, God will speak peace to His people, and unto his followers" (Psalms 85:9). R. Shimon Ben Chalafta said: See how beloved peace is, when the Holy One of Blessing wanted to bless Israel he found no vessel that could hold all the blessings to bless them with except for peace. From where do we know this? As it says "Ad-nai will give strength to his people, Ad-nai will bless his people with peace" / Ad-nai oz l'amo yiten. (Psalms 29:11)

(Deut. 2:31): SEE I HAVE BEGUN TO GIVE <SIHON AND HIS LAND> OVER TO YOU. What is written there (in Deut. 2:24)? <SEE, I HAVE GIVEN SIHON, THE AMORITE KING OF HESHBON, INTO YOUR HAND ALONG WITH HIS LAND. BEGIN TO TAKE POSSESSION,> AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE. But they did not do so. Rather (we read in vs. 26:) THEN I SENT MESSENGERS <FROM THE DESERT OF KEDEMOTH UNTO KING SIHON OF HESHBON WITH WORDS OF PEACE>. The Holy One said: I said: AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE, but you are talking of peace. (Is. 48:22:) THERE IS NO PEACE, SAYS THE LORD, FOR THE WICKED. See, the words of peace are so great that Israel nullified what he had told them (in Deut. 2:24): AND ENGAGE HIM IN BATTLE. Still he was not angry with them.

R. Juda said: "If a man dies and leaves none to mourn his death, ten men shall go to his place [where he died] and sit there [seven days]." It once happened that a man, in the neighborhood of R. Juda, died, and left none to mourn his death; so R. Juda went there every day with ten men and sat in the place where he died. After seven days [the spirit of the dead person] appeared to R. Juda in a dream and said to him, "Mayest thou be as comforted as thou didst comfort me." (Ib. b) R. Abuhu said: "Whatever is said in the presence of a dead body, he knows until the closing of the tomb." Concerning this there is a difference of opinion between R. Chiya and R. Simon, the son of Rabbi. One said that the dead knows "until the closing of the tomb" and the other said, "until his body is consumed." The one that said until the body is consumed derives it from the passage (Job 14, 22.) But his body on him feeleth pain [proving that as long as the body exists it feels]. The other who said, until the closing of the tomb, derives it from the following passage (Ecc. 12, 7.) When the dust will return to the earth as it was [showing that as soon as it is buried, knowledge ceases]. Our Rabbis taught: "And the spirit will return unto God, who gave it (Ecc. 12, 7), i.e., return [the soul] to Him just as He gave it to you. He gave it to you, purified; return it purified. This may be likened unto the mortal king who distributed clothes to each of his servants. The wise among them folded and put them into a box. The foolish among them put them on and performed their daily work in them. On a certain day, the king demanded the return of these clothes. The wise men returned their clothes clean and pressed, but the foolish returned them in a dirty and worn condition. The king was pleased with the action of the wise men, but was full of fury at the fools. He thereupon ordered that the clothes of the wise be stored and that they themselves depart in peace, but the clothes of the fools were to be laundered and they themselves be sent to prison. So doeth also the Holy One. praised be He! Concerning the bodies of the righteous. He saith (Is. 57, 2.) He shall come (to his Father) in peace; they shall repose in their resting place; and concerning their souls He saith (I Sam. 25, 29.) Yet will the soul of my Lord be bound in the bond of life with the Lord, thy God. Concerning the bodies of the wicked, He saith (Is. 48, 22.) There is no peace, saith the Lord, unto the wicked, and concerning their souls. He saith (I Sam. 25, 29.) And the souls of thy enemies will He hurt away, as out of the sling." We are taught that R. Eliezer said: "The souls of the righteous are reserved underneath the throne of the Divine Majesty, as it is written (Ib.) Yet will the soul of my Lord be bound in the bond of life, while the souls of the wicked are becoming more and more greasy, as it is said (Ib.) And the soul of thy enemies will He hurl away, as out of the sling." Rabba asked of R. Nachman: "How is it with the souls of the average persons?" R. Nachman replied: "I might have died without telling you this thing. Thus said Samuel: 'The souls of both, the average and the wicked are given over to the angel Dumah; the former, however will have rest while the latter will have no rest at all.'"

Haman took the apparel and the horse and went to Mordecai. (Haman) said to him: Arise, and put on the purple of the king. (Mordecai) said to him: Villain! Dost thou not know that for three days I have put on sack-cloth with ashes, sitting on the ashes, because of that which thou hast done to me? Now take me to the bath-house, and afterwards will I put on the purple of the king. And he washed him and dressed him. (Haman) said to him: Mount and ride upon the horse. He said to (Haman): On account of the affliction of the fast I have no strength to mount and ride upon the horse. What did Haman do? He lowered himself, || and Mordecai put his foot upon his neck, and he mounted and rode upon the horse. Mordecai said: Blessed be the Omnipresent, who hath not let aught of His words fall to the earth, to fulfil that which is said, "But thou shalt tread upon their high places" (Deut. 33:29). Mordecai betook himself to his seat of honour at the king's gate, whilst Haman was hurried along, and he went "to his house mourning and having his head covered" (Esth. 6:12), because of that which had happened to him.