Midrash su Isaia 54:2

The way of the world is that one pours a full vessel into an empty one. Perhaps you can pour a full vessel into a full vessel?! All the world was water in water and you say “…into one place…” (Genesis 1:9) Rather from here we learn that a little can hold a lot. Similarly - “Moses and Aaron assembled the congregation in front of the rock…” (Numbers 20:10) R’ Chanina said: there was a space the size of the mouth of a small sieve there, and all of Israel stood there? Rather from here we learn that a little can hold a lot. Similarly – “The Lord said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take yourselves handfuls (chofneichem) of furnace soot…” (Exodus 9:8) R’ Huna said: and could Moshe’s handful hold eight handfuls (kamatzim)? That’s strange! Rather from here we learn that a little can hold a lot. There is no comparison between what one takes in a cupped handful (chofan) and what one takes in a closed handful (kamatz). A cupped handful is twice that of a closed and it is written “…and Moses shall cast it heavenward…” (ibid.) therefore Moshe’s cupped hand held eight closed handfuls. Rather from here we learn that a little can hold a lot. Similarly – R’ Yosi bar Chalifta said: “The length of the courtyard shall be one hundred cubits and the width fifty by fifty cubits,” (Exodus 27:18) and all of Israel stood there? That’s strange! Rather from here we learn that a little can hold a lot. Similarly - “And Joshua said to the children of Israel, Come here…” (Joshua 3:9) R’ Huna said: he stood them all up between the two poles of the ark. R’ Acha bar R’ Chanina said: he placed them between the two poles of the ark. The Rabbis said: he shrank them between the two poles of the ark. Yehoshua said to them: from the fact that the two poles of the ark could hold you, you know that Presence of the Holy One is among you. This is what is written “By this you shall know that the living God is in your midst…” (Joshua 3:10) So too regarding Jerusalem it is taught ‘they stood crowded together, but prostrated themselves with plenty of space between them. R’ Shmuel bar R’ Chana said in the name of R’ Acha: each one had four cubits, and a cubit of space to each side so that no one heard the prayer of his fellow. So too it will be in the time to come, as it says “At that time, they will call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord…” (Jeremiah 3:17) R’ Yochanan went up to visit R’ Chanina, he found him sitting and interpreting this verse ‘At that time, they will call Jerusalem the Throne of the Lord.’ He said to him: oh my teacher, can Jerusalem really hold the throne of the Lord? He replied: The Holy One said to her ‘spread out your length and breadth and receive your population.’ This is what is written “Widen the place of your tent…” (Isaiah 54:2) Why? “For right and left shall you prevail…” (Isaiah 54:3)

A story (This translation of דלמה follows the Penei Moshe on the Yerushalmi Berachot 7:3, Pesachim 5:5). R’ Elazar ben Azaryah and R’ Elazar haModa’i were sitting occupied with these verses: “At that time, they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the Lord…” (Jeremiah 3:17) R’ Elazar ben Azaryah said to R’ Elazar haModa’i: can Jerusalem really hold it? He replied: in the future the Holy One will say to her - spread out and widen to receive your population, “Widen the place of your tent…” (Isaiah 54:2) R’ Yochanan said: in the future Jerusalem will reach to the gates of Damascus, and why do I say this? “The prophecy of the word of the Lord in the land of Chadrach. And Damascus is His resting place…” (Zechariah 9:1) What is Hadrach? This is an argument of R’ Yodan and R’ Nechemiah. R’ Yodan says: this language of ‘chadrach’ refers to the King Messiah who will be sharp (chad) with the nations and soft (rach) to Israel. R’ Nechemia says: the name of the place is Chadrach. R’ Yosi ben Dormaskit said: by the Temple service! I am from Damascus and there is a place there that they call Chadrach. He said to him: what do you do with rest of the verse ‘And Damascus is His resting place’? Rather, just as a fig tree is narrow below and wide above, to in the future Jerusalem will spread out and rise and the exiles will come and take their rest beneath her. This is to fulfill what is written ‘And Damascus is His resting place’ when in truth His resting place is Jerusalem, as it says “This is My resting place forever; here I shall dwell for I desired it.” (Psalms 132:14) He said to him: and what do you do with the verse “…and the city shall be built on its mound…” (Jeremiah 30:18)? He replied: it will not move from its place in the future, but rather rise up and spread out to all sides and the exiles will come and take their rest beneath her to fulfill what is written ““For right and left shall you prevail…” (Isaiah 54:3) This refers to length, where do we learn breadth? This refers to length, from where do we learn width? The scripture says “…from the tower of Hananel until the king's wine-cellars.” (Zechariah 14:10) R’ Berachia said: until the ocean. R’ Zakai Raba said: to the pits of Yafo. They are not arguing – the one who says to the ocean understands the verse as referring to the cellars dug out by the King, king of kings, and the one who says to the pits of Yafo understands it as the pits dug by King Shlomo. We have length and breadth, from where do we learn height? “And it became wider and it wound higher and higher to the cells…” (Ezekiel 41:7) R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: in the future Jerusalem will rise and be lifted up until it reaches the Throne of Glory, until she says to the Holy One “The place is too narrow for me; move over for me so that I will dwell.” (Isaiah 49:20) R’ Yosi son of R’ Yirmiyah Dostai said in the name of R’ Levi: and you still do not know Jerusalem’s praiseworthiness. Rather, what is written “But I will be for it-says the Lord-a wall of fire around, and for glory I will be in its midst.” (Zechariah 2:9) From here you know the praiseworthiness of Jerusalem.