Midrash su Isaia 56:4

If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge (Exod. 22:25). The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: How guilty are your sins before Me, yet I have been patient with you. And though your soul ascends unto Me at twilight each day to render an accounting and is found guilty,²⁷There is a tradition that the soul ascends to heaven while the body is sleeping. nevertheless I return the soul to you. Just as you are obligated to me, so also are you obligated to them (the poor). If thou at all take thy neighbor’s garment to pledge, thou shalt restore it to him by that the sun goeth down; for that may be his only covering (Exod. 22:25). You have one thing that belongs to Me, and therefore, if you take your neighbor’s garment to pledge, and do not return his pledge to him, I will not return your soul to you. Scripture says of this: Takest thy neighbor’s garment. And it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto Me that I will hear; for I am gracious (ibid., v. 26). If anyone complains to Me of injustice, saying: “Master of the Universe, I am a man and he is a man, yet he sleeps on his bed, but where can I sleep?” I will listen to him for I am gracious. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I pay attention to the complaints of the lonely ones in this world, but in the day to come, It shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer (Isa. 56:4). The prophet also said: For, O people that dwelleth in Zion at Jerusalem, thou shalt weep no more (ibid. 30:19).

Rabbi Jochanan in the name of R. Jose said: "To him who observes the Sabbath, with enjoyments, will be given boundless inheritance, as it is written (Is. 58, 14.) Then Shalt thou find delight in the Lord, etc., And I will cause thee to enjoy the inheritance of Jacob, thy father. Not such inheritance as was promised to Abraham, (Gen. 13. 14) Arise and walk through the land to its length and breadth, and not as it was promised to Isaac (Ib. 26, 3.) I will give thee all that this land contains, but as it was promised to Jacob (Ib. 28, 14.) And thou shall spread abroad, to the West, and to the East, to the North, and to the South." R. Nachman b. Isaac said: "He will be saved from the subjugation of exile; for it is written (Is. 58, 14.) And I will cause thee to tread upon the high places of the earth; it is also written there (Deu. 33, 39.) And thou shalt tread upon their high places." R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "To him who observes the Sabbath, with enjoyment, will be granted his heart's desires, for it is said (Ps. 37, 4.) And delight thyself in the Lord, and He will give thee the wishes of thy heart. The word delight is not understood in its real meaning. Since it says (Is. 58, 13.) And if thou call the Sabbath delight; then we knew that it means delight of the Sabbath. R. Chiya b. Abba in the name of R. Jochanan said: "He who observes the Sabbath properly, according to its commandment, even if he worship idols, as did the generation of Enosh, will be pardoned, for it is said (Is. 56, 2) Happy is the man that ever doth thus, etc., by not violating it. Do not read it, M'chalelo (violating it), but read it Machul-lo (pardoned) him)." R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "If Israel had strictly observed the first Sabbath, no nation or race would have been able to dominate over them, for it is said (Ex. 16, 27.) And it came to pass on the seventh day, that there went out some of the people to gather (the Manna) but did not find them. Immediately following is written: Then came Amalek." R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai. said: "If Israel would observe two Sabbaths, only, according to the strict requirements of the law, they would at once be redeemed, for it is written (Is. 56, 4.) Thus saith the Lord unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and immediately following is written, Even them will I bring to my holy mountain."

(Exodus 22:20) "And a stranger you shall not afflict and you shall not oppress him": You shall not afflict him with words and you shall not oppress him in money matters. Do not say to him: "Yesterday you worshipped the deity of Nevo, and (the flesh of) swine is still between your teeth, and you would dare contend with me!" And whence is it derived that if you taunt him he can taunt you in return? From "And a stranger you shall not afflict … for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" — whence R. Nathan derived "Do not attribute a blemish of your own to your neighbor." Beloved are the strangers, for in many places you are exhorted concerning them: "And a stranger you shall not afflict", (Devarim 10:19) "And you shall love the stranger", (Exodus 23:9) "And you have known the soul of the stranger." R. Eliezer says: Because a stranger's past is to his disadvantage, Scripture exhorts concerning him in many places. R. Shimon b. Yochai says: It is written (Judges 5:31) "And His lovers are like the rising of the sun in its might", and it is written (Devarim 10:18) "And He loves the stranger, etc." Now who is greater? One who loves the King or one whom the King loves? Certainly, one whom the King loves. Beloved are the strangers, for by every epithet that Israel is called, the strangers are called. Israelites are called "servants," as it is written (Leviticus 25:55) "For unto Me the children of Israel are servants." And the strangers are called "servants," as it is written (Isaiah 56:6) "… to love the name of the L rd and to be servants unto Him." Israelites are called "ministers," as it is written (Ibid. 6:6) "And you, 'priests of the L rd' shall you be called; 'ministers of our G d' will it be said of you." And the strangers are called "ministers," as it is written (Ibid. 56:6) "… and the strangers who join the L rd to minister unto Him." Israelites are called "lovers," as it is written (Ibid. 41:8) "the seed of Abraham, My lover." And the strangers are called "lovers" (i.e., beloved), as it is written (Devarim 10:18) "And He loves the stranger." "Covenant" is written of Israel, viz. (Genesis 17:13) "And My covenant (i.e., circumcision) shall be in your flesh." And it is also written of strangers, viz. (Isaiah 56:4) "and they hold fast to My covenant." "Acceptance" is written of Israel, viz. (Exodus 28:38) "for acceptance for them before the L rd." And "acceptance" is written of strangers, viz. (Isaiah 56:7) "their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices for acceptance upon My altar." "Watching" is written of Israel, viz. (Psalms 121:4) "He neither slumbers nor sleeps, the Watcher of Israel." And "watchers" is written of the strangers, viz. (Ibid. 146:9) "The L rd watches the strangers." Abraham called himself a stranger, viz. (Genesis 23:4) "A stranger and a sojourner am I with you." David called himself a stranger, viz. (Psalms 119:19) "I am a stranger in the land," and (I Chronicles 29:15) "For we are strangers before You and sojourners as all of our ancestors. As a shadow are our days upon the earth, without a prospect." And it is written (Psalms 39:13) "For a stranger am I with You, a sojourner as all of my ancestors." Beloved are the strangers (i.e., the proselytes), as witness Abraham's not being circumcised until the age of ninety-nine. For if he were circumcised at twenty or thirty, a stranger could become a proselyte only if he were younger than thirty — wherefore the L rd prolonged commanding him until he was ninety-nine, so as not to bar the door to future proselytes. And thus do you find (the L rd's esteem for the stranger-proselyte) in the four classes who respond before Him who spoke and brought the world into being, (Isaiah 44:5) "One shall say: 'I am the L rd's'; another shall call in the name of Yaakov; another shall mark his arm 'of the L rd'; and in the name of Israel he shall be called": "I am the L rd's" — these are the fearers of Heaven, untainted by sin. "another shall call in the name of Yaakov" — these are the minors (who died in childhood), the sons of the wicked in Israel. "another shall mark his arm 'of the L rd'" — these are the penitents. "and in the name of Israel he shall be called — these are the righteous strangers (i.e., the proselytes).

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

And Hezekiah saw the messengers, and his heart was puffed with pride, and he showed them all the treasures of the kings of Judah, and all the treasures of the Holy of Holies in the Temple, and further, he opened the Ark of the Covenant, and he showed them the tables of the Law, and he said to them: With this do we wage war and conquer, as it is said, "And Hezekiah was glad of them, and shewed them the house of his precious things" (Isa. 39:2). The Holy One, blessed be He, was angry with him, and He said to him: Was it not enough for thee to have shown them all the treasures of the kings of Judah and all the treasures of the Holy of Holies? Moreover, thou hast opened for them the Ark, and hast shown them the tables, the work of My hand. By thy life! They shall come up and take away all the treasures of the kings of Judah, and all the treasures of the Holy of || Holies, as it is said, "Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon" (Isa. 39:6). Instead of the tables of the Law, they shall take of thy sons to be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon, as it is said, "And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon" (Isa. 39:7). These were Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were made eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon, and they did not beget children. Concerning them the Scripture says, "For thus saith the Lord to the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths,… Unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a memorial and a name better than of sons and of daughters; I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off" (Isa. 56:4, 5).