Midrash su Isaia 60:22

“My eye will flow and will not cease, without respite. Until the Lord looks out and sees from Heaven” (Lamentations 3:49–50).
“My eye will flow and will not cease.… until the Lord looks out and sees from Heaven” – Rabbi Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: In three places we found the Divine Presence connected with the redemption. What is the source? “A stomping ground for wild donkeys, a pasture of flocks” (Isaiah 32:14).⁷⁶This is a reference to the Temple after its destruction. What is written thereafter? “Until a spirit will be poured upon us from on high and wilderness will become fertile land and fertile land will be considered as forest” (Isaiah 32:15). Similarly, “The smallest will become a thousand, and the youngest [a mighty nation; I am the Lord, at its time, I will hasten it]” (Isaiah 60:22), and it is written thereafter: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me” (Isaiah 61:1). And this, “My eye will flow,” and it is written thereafter: “Until the Lord looks out and sees from Heaven.”
“My eye distressed my soul over all the daughters of my city” (Lamentations 3:51).
“My eye distressed my soul” – Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: There were five hundred primary schools in Beitar, and the smallest among them had no fewer than three hundred children. They would say: If our enemies come against us, we will emerge and stab them with these quills. When the iniquities were the cause and the enemies came, they wrapped each and every one of them in his scroll and they burned them, and I am the only one of them who survived. I applied to myself the verse: “My eye distressed my soul over all the daughters of my city.”

“Just as you do not know the path of the wind, or how the bones grow in the womb of one who is pregnant; so you will not know the work of God, who does everything” (Ecclesiastes 11:5).
“Just as you do not know” – there are seven matters obscured from people, and they are the day of death, the day of consolation, the profundity of judgment, how one profits, what is in the heart of another, what is in a woman’s pregnancy, and this kingdom of Edom, when it will fall. The day of death, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Man [also] does not know his time” (Ecclesiastes 9:12). The day of consolation, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “I am the Lord; at its time I will hasten it” (Isaiah 60:22). The profundity of judgment, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “For judgment is God’s” (Deuteronomy 1:17). How one profits, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “This is the gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 5:18). What is in the heart of another, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “I am the Lord, who probes the heart” (Jeremiah 17:10). What is in a woman’s pregnancy, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “Or how the bones grow in the womb of one who is pregnant.” And this kingdom of Edom, when it will fall, from where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “For it is a day of vengeance in My heart” (Isaiah 63:4).

Another comment on why she was called Keturah: Her deeds were as pleasant as the fragrance of incense (ketar). And she bore him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, etc. (ibid. 25:2). Therefore Scripture says: Though thy beginning was small, yet thy end shall greatly increase (Job 8:7). The Holy One, blessed be He, proclaimed: The righteous beget good and wicked sons in this world, but in the world-to-come all of them shall be righteous and shall inherit the land forever (Isa. 60:2). And it says also: The smallest shall become a thousand, and the least a mighty nation; I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time (ibid., v. 22). And so may it be.

R. Alexandri said: "R. Joshua b. Levi raised the following contradiction: It is written: (Ib. 60, 22) "I, the Lord, will hasten it in its time." Hasten and in its time contradict each other, i.e., if they will be worthy, I will hasten it, and if not, they must wait till the appointed time will come." R. Alexandri said again: "R. Joshua b. Levi raised the following contradiction: It is written (Dan. 7, 13) Behold with the clouds of heaven came one like a son of man, … and it is also written: (Zech. 9, 9) Lowly, and riding upon an ass [hence he is poor]?" i.e., If they will be worthy, he will come with the clouds of heaven, and if not, he will come upon an ass." King Sabur said to Samuel: "You say that your Messiah will come upon an ass; let me send him the best horse of my stable." And he answered: "Do you possess a horse of a hundred colors as the ass of the Messiah?" R. Joshua b. Levi met Elijah standing at the entrance of the cave of R. Simon b. Jochai and asked him: "Will I have a share in the world to come?" And he answered: "If it will be the will of this Lord." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "I have seen two persons and the voice of the third have I heard." I then questioned them: 'When will the Messiah appear?' And they answered: 'Go and ask Messiah himself.' 'But where is he to be found?' 'At the gate of Rome.' 'And what is the sign [to recognize him]?' 'He goes among poor people afflicted with wounds. All the afflicted poor open the bandages of all their wounds, fix them and then dress them. And he opens one bandage, fixes the wound and dresses it, and then goes on to the next one, for the reason that when he might be called, there should be no delay [till all the wounds are dressed]. I went to him, and said: 'Peace be to thee, my master and teacher.' And he answered: 'Peace be with thee, bar Levi.' I asked him: 'When will the master appear?' He answered: 'This day.' I then went back to Elijah, and he questioned me as to what the Messiah said to me, and I told him that he said: 'Peace be with thee, bar Levi.' Elijah then said: 'I can assure you [now] of a share for thyself and for thy father in the world to come.' 'But he made a fool of me,' I said to Elijah, 'for he said that he will come this day.' And Elijah answered: 'The expression, this day, means as in (Ps. 95) Yea, this day, if you will hearken to his voice.' "

“Flee, my beloved, and be like a gazelle or a young deer on the mountains of spices” (Song of Songs 8:14).
“Flee, my beloved, and be like a gazelle [tzevi]” – [flee] to the hosts [tzava] On High, who praise Your glory with one voice, in one melody; “on the mountains of spices” – in the upper heavens of heavens.⁵⁹In this exposition, the midrash has interpreted the verse as directed toward God.
Another matter: “Flee, my beloved” – from the Diaspora, in which we are located and are sullied with iniquities. “And be like a gazelle” – render us pure like a gazelle;⁶⁰The gazelle is one of the rare undomesticated animals that is “pure,” in the sense that it is permitted to eat it. “or a young deer [haayalim]” – accept our prayers like an offering of goats and rams [eilim]. “On the mountains of spices” – come to have a fine fragrance by the merit of our patriarchs, whose fragrance rises before You like spices. This is the Garden of Eden, which is entirely spices. That is why it is stated: “On the mountains of spices.”
Another matter: “The one who dwells in the gardens, companions” (Song of Songs 8:13) – Rabbi Yirmeya [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥiyya the Great: If two colleagues debate a matter of halakha and yield to one another in halakha, the verse states in their regard: “Then those who fear the Lord spoke [nidberu] one to another, and the Lord listened and heard” (Malachi 3:16); and dibbur is an expression of nothing other than subduing, as it is stated: “He subdues [yadber] peoples beneath us” (Psalms 47:4). Moreover, if they were mistaken, The Holy One blessed be He corrects their error for them. What is the source? “The Lord listened and heard, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and those who think of His name” (Malachi 3:16). “The Lord… heard and [a book of remembrance] was written” – [this indicates] that He writes it on their hearts, just as it says: “On their heart I will write it” (Jeremiah 31:32). “A book of remembrance [was written] before Him” – that He reminds them of it. For whom? “For those who fear the Lord and those who think of His name.”
Rabbi Yudan said: When Israel is reading the Torah in groups,⁶¹This is based on the similarity of the word groups [ḥavurot] and companions [ḥaverim]. “your voice, let me hear it” (Song of Songs 8:13). If not, “flee, my beloved.” Rabbi Zeira said: When Israel recites Shema in unison, with one voice, with one melody, “your voice, let me hear it.” If not, “flee, my beloved.”
“Flee, my beloved” – Rabbi Levi said: [This is analogous] to a king who made a feast and invited guests. Some of them were eating and drinking and blessing the king, and some of them were eating and drinking and cursing the king. The king sensed it and sought to introduce commotion at his feast and break it up. A noblewoman entered and advocated on their behalf. She said to him: My lord the king: Instead of looking at those who are eating and drinking and cursing you, look at those who are eating and drinking and blessing you and praising your name. So too, when Israel are eating and drinking, blessing, praising, and lauding the Holy One blessed be He, He hears their voices and is appeased. When the nations of the world eat and drink, curse, blaspheme, and scorn the Holy One blessed be He with the licentiousness that they mention, at that moment, the Holy One blessed be He considers even destroying His world. The Torah enters and advocates and says: Master of the universe, instead of looking at those who blaspheme and anger You, look at Your people Israel, who bless, praise, and laud Your great name with Torah, hymns, and praise. The Divine Spirit shouts: “Flee, my beloved”; flee from the nations of the world and cleave to Israel.
“And be like a gazelle” – just as this gazelle, while it is sleeping, one of its eyes is open and one of its eyes is closed, so too: when Israel performs the will of the Holy One blessed be He, He looks upon them with His two eyes; that is what is written: “The eyes of the Lord are to the righteous” (Psalms 34:16). But when they do not perform the will of the Holy One blessed be He, He looks upon them with one of His eyes, as it is stated: “Behold, the eye of the Lord is toward those who fear Him, [toward those who await His mercy, to deliver their souls from death, and to keep them alive in famine]” (Psalms 33:18–19).⁶²Even when they do not sufficiently fulfill the will of God, He still protects them due to whatever fear of God they still do have, although He does so with “one eye.” He protects them from death and famine but does not grant them abundance.
“On the mountains of spices” – Rabbi Simon said: The Holy One blessed be He said: Wait for Me until I sit in judgment on their mountains, that is, their guardian angels, who are situated with Me in Heaven. That is what is written: “On the mountains of spices.”⁶³The word spices [besamim] can also be vocalized to read bashamayim, in Heaven. Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Like this: “You shall take for yourself chief spices” (Exodus 30:23) – chief.⁶⁴The word “chief” in the verse is unnecessary, as the continuation of the verse details exactly which spices should be brought. This indicates that the word spices refers to that which is “chief,” of primary importance. Consequently, the verse in Song of Songs can be understood to refer to the guardian angels of the nations, even without reading besamim and bashamayim (Yefe Kol). Camels bearing gold, and “spices”⁶⁵This is based on I Kings 10:2, which describes what the Queen of Sheba brought to Solomon, and states that she brought “camels that bore spices and gold.” – gold and spices.⁶⁶This sentence is difficult to understand, and some commentaries suggest that it does not belong in the text (see Yefe Kol). Some suggest that the midrash is highlighting, based on the verse in Kings, that gold and spices are items associated with royalty and greatness. Therefore, the reference to spices in the verse in Song of Songs can refer to the guardian angels of the nations, which represent their ultimate level of power and greatness.
Rabbi Ḥonya [said] regarding the statement of Rabbi Yitzḥak: The Holy One blessed be He does not exact retribution from a nation below until He humbles its guardian angels above. There are five verses in this regard. One, as it is written: “It will be on that day that the Lord will reckon with the host of the heavens in Heaven” (Isaiah 24:21), and thereafter “with the kings of the earth” (Isaiah 24:21). Two, “how have you fallen from the heavens, shining morning star” (Isaiah 14:12), and thereafter, “you have been felled to the ground” (Isaiah 14:12). Three, “For my sword has been sated in the heavens” (Isaiah 34:5), and thereafter, “it shall descend upon Edom” (Isaiah 34:5). Four, “to bind their kings with fetters” (Psalms 149:8), and thereafter, “and their nobles with iron chains” (Psalms 149:8). Rabbi Tanḥuma said: “To bind their kings with fetters” – these are the guardian angels above, “and their nobles with iron chains,” these are the rulers below. Five, “to execute judgment as it is written” (Psalms 149:9), and thereafter, “this is glory for all His devoted ones, Halleluya” (Psalms 149:9).
The greatness of Israel is likened to four matters: to the grain harvest, to the grape harvest, to spices, and to a birthing mother. To the grain harvest: When a field is reaped before its time, even its straw is no good, but at its time, it is good. That is what is written: “Extend the scythe, as the harvest is ripe” (Joel 4:13). It is likened to the grape harvest: When a vineyard is harvested before its time, even its vinegar is no good, but at its time, it is good. So too, “sing about it, a vineyard of wine” (Isaiah 27:2) – when the vineyard becomes [ready to produce] wine, pluck it. It is likened to spices: Just as spices that are harvested when they are soft and moist, their fragrance does not diffuse; but when they are dry and are then harvested, their fragrance diffuses. It is likened to a birthing mother: When a woman gives birth before her time, the offspring does not survive. When she gives birth at her time, it lives. Thus, it is written: “Therefore, He will give them up until the time that the birthing mother gives birth” (Micah 5:2). Rabbi Aḥa said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: “I am the Lord, at its time I will hasten it” (Isaiah 60:22) – if you do not merit, at its time. If you merit, I will hasten it.⁶⁷Redemption will come by a particular time, but if Israel merits, it will come sooner. So may it be His will, speedily in our days, amen.

What did it see to state [that it is] "a night of watchings?" That on it He enacted greatness for the righteous in the same way that He did so for the Jews in Egypt. And on it He rescued Hizkiyahu, and on it He rescued Chanania and his fellows, and on it He rescued Daniel from the lion's den, and on it Eliyahu and the Messiah will become great, as it is stated (Isaiah 21:12), "The watchman said, 'the morning has come, and also the night.'" There is a parable of a woman who was expecting her husband who took a journey to a nation overseas. He said to her, "Let this be a sign in your hand: At the time you see that sign, know that I am coming and I have almost come." So [too], Israel from when Edom arose: The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "This sign will be in your hands - be infomred that I will save you on the day that I enacted your salvation and on that night. And if not, do not believe it - the time has not approached," as it is stated (Isaiah 60, 22), "I am the Lord, in its time I will hasten it." And I would [also] say (Haggai 2: 6-22), "One more; it is a bit and I will shake the heavens and the earth, etc. And I will overturn the throne of kingdoms, etc." "And in the same way that I overturned Egypt, so [too] will I overturn the idol worshipers," as it is stated, (Isaiah 60:12) "and the nations shall be utterly destroyed." And I would [also] say (Job 38:13), "To take hold of the corners of the earth."