Midrash su Isaia 59:3

(Fol. 139a) We are taught that R. Jose b. Elisha said: "If thou seest a generation in which many troubles come, go and investigate the Judges of Israel, for it is said (Micah 3, 9.) Hear this, I pray you, O ye heads of Jacob, and ye princes of the house of Israel, that abhor justice, and make crooked all that is straight. And it is further written; They built up Zion with bloody guilt, and Jerusalem with wrong. Her chiefs judge for bribes, and her priests teach for reward, and her prophets divine for money, and yet will they lean upon the Lord, etc. They are all wicked, yet they all lean upon Him who created the world with his command. Therefore will the Holy One, praised be He! bring upon them three misfortunes for the three sins of which they are guilty; as it is said (Ib. ib. 12.). Therefore for your sake, shall Zion he ploughed up as a field, and Jerusalem shall become ruinous heaps, and the mount of the house, forest-covered high places. And the Holy One, praised be He! will not cause the Shechina to rest in Israel until such wicked judges and officers shall be destroyed from Israel, as it is said (Is. 1, 25.) And I will turn my hand against thee, and purge away as with lye thy dross, etc. And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning." Ulla said: "Jerusalem will not be redeemed except through righteousness, as it is said (Ib. ib. 27.) Zion shall be redeemed through justice, and her converts through righteousness." R. Papa said: "When the haughty will cease to exist, then the magicians (Sadducees) will cease; when the corrupt judges will cease, then also will the bribed officers cease to exist. When the haughty will cease, then will the magicians cease to exist, as it is said (Ib. ib. 25.) And I will purge away, as with lye thy dross etc. When the corrupt judges will cease to exist, then also will the bribed officers cease, for it is written (Zeph. 3, 15.) The Lord hath removed thy punishment, he hath cleared away thy enemy." R. Malai, in the name of R. Eliezer, the son of R. Simon, said: "What is meant by the passage (Is. 14, 5.) BroJcen hath the Lord the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of rulers? The staff of the wicked, refers to the judges who make themselves a staff (of support) to their sextons; The sceptre of rulers, refers to the learned men that are in the families of the wicked judges." Mar Zutra said: "This refers to teachers who give instruction in communal laws to ignorant disciples, who afterwards become judges [incapable of judging rightfully]." R. Elazar b. Malai, in the name of Resh Lakish, said: "What is meant by the passage (Is. 59, 3.) For your hands are defiled with blood and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken falsehood, and your tongue uttereth deception? For your hands are defiled with blood, refers to the judges. And your fingers with iniquities, refers to the scribes of the judges [who write false documents] Your lips have spoken falsehood. refers to the attorneys [who teach people to plead falsely"]. And your tongue uttereth deception, refers to the litigants themselves."

... Teach us o teacher: toward where should one who prays orient his heart? This is what our Rabbis taught: one should orient his heart toward the place of the Holy of Holies (Berachot 4:5). R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: if one is praying outside of the land, he should orient his heart to the land of Israel. If one is praying within the land of Israel, he should orient his heart to Jerusalem. If one is praying in Jerusalem, he should orient his heart to the Holy Temple. If one is praying in the Holy Temple, he should orient his heart to the Holy of Holies. R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model (talpiyot)…” (Song of Songs 4:4) What does talpiyot mean? The hill (tel) toward which all turns (peniyot) are directed. And after all this praise, it is written “Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars.” (Zechariah 11:1) And so too they said “He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) Israel said to Him: Master of the World! How long will it be like this? Did You not write in Your Torah “…the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay” (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) You need to rebuild it and to console us, not at the hands of an angel but You in Your glory. The Holy One said to them: by your life, so I will do! As it says “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) And I am the one who consoles you. From where do we learn this? From that which they read in the prophets “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)