Midrash su Isaia 63:9

5. "An angel of the LORD appeared to him." It is written: "I sleep, but my heart is awake" (Song of Songs 5:2). I am sleeping [from performing] the commandments, but my heart is awake to perform them. "My undefiled [tamati]" (ibid.) at Sinai, for they attached themselves [nitmemu] to Me at Sinai and said: ‘"Everything the LORD had spoken we will do and obey’" (Exodus 24:7). R. Yannai said: Just as twins [te'omim] feel one another's s headaches, [so too] God said, as it were [as if He were our twin]: "’I am with him in sorrow" (Psalms 91:15). Another explanation: What is [the meaning of] "I am with him in sorrow"? When they have sorrows they only call out to the Holy One, Blessed be He. In Egypt, [as it is written] "And their cry came up unto God" (Exodus 2:23). By the sea [as it is written] "And the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord" (ibid. 14:10) and there are many other examples like these. And it says: "In all their sorrows He [too] was in sorrow" (Isaiah 63:9). The Holy One, Blessed be He said to Moses, You do not sense that I too dwell in sorrow just as Israel dwells in sorrow. But you should know: from the place I speak to you from within the thorn-bush, [that is a sign] as it were that I too am a partner in their sorrow. "An angel of the LORD appeared." R. Yohanan said: This is Michael. R. Hanina said, it was Gabriel. Whenever they saw R. Yose the tall, they used to say, There is our holy Rabbi! So too wherever Michael appears, he is the Glory of the Shechinah. "To him." What does ’"to him" [imply]‘? To teach that other men were with him, yet only Moses saw [the angel]. So too it is written regarding Daniel: "And only I Daniel saw the vision." (Daniel 10:7). "In a flame of fire..." to embolden him, so that when he would come to Sinai and saw the fires he should not be afraid of them. Another explanation of "In a flame [labat] of fire" - from the upper half of the bush, jut as the heart ([leb] is in the upper half of a man. "From within the bush." A Gentile once asked R. Joshua b. Karhah: Why did the Holy One, Blessed be He, see fit to speak to Moses from within a thorn-bush? [R. Joshua retorted]: If it had been a carob tree or a sycamore tree, would you not have asked the same question. However to send you away you without any answer is not possible, [so] why from within a thorn-bush? To teach you that there is no empty place devoid of the Shechinah, not even a [lowly] thorn-bush. "In a flame of fire." At first only one angel descended and stood in the center of the fire as an intermediary. Only afterwards did the Shechinah descend and spoke with him from within the thorn-bush. Rabbi Eliezer said: Just as the thorn-bush is the lowliest of all trees in the world, so too Israel were lowly and downtrodden in Egypt. Therefore the Holy One, Blessed be He revealed Himself to them and redeemed them, as it says (Exodus 3:8) "And I will go down and save them from the Egypt." Rabbi Yossi said: Just as the thorn-bush is the hardest of all the trees, and any bird that enters into it does not come out unharmed, so too the servitude in Egypt was harsher to God more than any other servitude in the world, as it says (Ibid. 7) "And the LORD said seen I have seen the poverty of My people." Why does the verse say "see I have seen" twice? For after they drowned them in the river they would then bury them in a building. This can be compared to someone who took a staff and hit two people, and the two of them received [a lashing] with a whip and know its suffering. So too the suffering and the servitude of Israel was revealed and known to the One who spoke and thereby was the world, as it says "For I know their pains." Rabbi Yohanan said: Just as this thorn-bush is used as a fence for a garden, so too Israel is a fence for the world. Alternatively, just as the thorn-bush grows near any water, so too Israel only grows in the merit of Torah which is called water, as it says (Isaiah 55:1) "Ho any thirsty one go to water." Alternatively, just as the thorn-bush grows in a garden or in a river, so too Israel are in this world and the next world. Alternatively, just as the thorn-bush produces thorns and roses, so too Israel contains righteous and wicked people. Rabbi Pinhas ha-Kohen the son of Rabbi Hama said: Just as this thorn-bush, if someone puts his hand in he does not feel anything, but when he takes it out it gets scratched; so too when Israel went down to Egypt no one noticed anything, but when they went out "The Lord plagued Pharaoh" (Genesis 12:17). Alternatively, "From with in the thorn-bush." Rabbi Nahman the son of Rabbi Shmuel the son of Nahman said: of all the trees, some produce one leaf, some two or three. A myrtle produces three, as it says (Leviticus 23:40) "A plaited tree". A thorn-bush however has five leafs. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said to Moses, Israel will only be redeemed in the merit of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and in your and Aaron's merit. Alternatively, "From with in the thorn-bush." He hinted to him [Moses] that he would live 120 years, the numerical value of the thorn-bush [הסנה - ה=5 ס=60, נ=50, ה=5]. "And he saw and behold the thorn-bush was consumed by fire." From here they said, Heavenly fire raises palm branches and burns but does not consume and is black. Earthly fire does not raise palm branches and is red, consumes and does not burn. And why did the Holy One, Blessed be He reveal Himself to Moses in this way? Because he [Moses] thought in his heart, saying, Maybe the Egyptians will destroy Israel. Therefore the Holy One, Blessed be He revealed Himself in a thorn-bush that was burning but not consumed. He said to him, just as the thorn-bush is burning but is not consumed, so too the Egyptians will not be able to destroy Israel. Alternatively, since the Holy One, Blessed be He was talking with Moses and he did not want stop his task [of minding the sheep], He showed him this thing so he would turn his face and see Him. You find this [intimated] from the beginning [of the verse]: "An angel of the LORD appeared to him" - yet Moses did not go. Once he stopped doing his task and went to see, immediately "God called him" (Exodus 3:4).

Similarly, R. Eliezer b. Yossi expounded (Isaiah 63:9) "In all of their afflictions, He was afflicted," (Ibid. 8) "And He said: 'Surely, they are My people, children who will not lie.'" But did He not know that they would lie? It is, therefore, written "Surely." (i.e., it was surely known to Him (that they would lie.) How, then, are we to understand (Ibid.) "and I will be their salvation"? __ He did not save them as men who were destined to anger Him, but as men who (by repentance) were not destined to be faithless to Him forever. And thus is it written (Psalms 78:36-37) "And they deceived Him with their mouths, and with their tongues they lied to Him, and their hearts were not constant with Him, and they were not faithful to His covenant" — in spite of which (Ibid. 38) "But He, being merciful, will forgive transgression," and (Isaiah 6:10) "The heart of this people has become fat, and its ears have become heavy, etc." (— in spite of which) (Ibid.) "if he repents, he will be healed."

And Moshe was a shepherd and a gentleman in a fire out of the bush. Rashbi tells what God Almighty discovered from my name and would talk to Moshe out of the bush, what this bush is tougher than any tree in the world and every bird that enters it does not go right out of it but cuts limb organs, so that Egyptian labor is difficult before the place of every slave in the world. A slave or slave Ben Horin never left Egypt but only Hagar said (Genesis 2: 2) and Pharaoh would go on him and send him and his wife and all that he had: Merom and he would talk to Moshe out of the bush as long as Israel was in such trouble

GEMERA: (Fol. 31) Let us see how the word lo is spelled? If it is spelled with Lamed Alef then it means is not, but if it is written Lamed Vav then it means to him, and why is the Mishnah in doubt as to the meaning of that word? Is it then a rule that wherever it is wTitten Lamed Alef that it means not? According to this then the passage (Is. 63, 9) In all their affliction he was afflicted. Where lo is spelled with Lamed Alef, does it also mean that he is not afflicted, and if you will say that this is of course the meaning of the passage, then how will you explain the next passage, And the Angel of His presence saved them and He carried them all the days of old? We must therefore say that the word [spelled with Lamed Alef] may be interpreted either way, no or to him .

The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: In this world you sin because of the evil inclination within you, and therefore you are subservient to other nations. Nevertheless, My Shekhinah will not depart from you, as it is said: In all their afflictions He was afflicted (Isa. 63:9). In their rejoicing, He rejoiced, as is said: Because I rejoice in Thy salvation (I Sam. 2:1). And He also said: I will rejoice in Jerusalem and rejoice in My people (Isa. 65:49). And it says also: And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee (ibid. 62:5). Hence, all the paths of the Lord are mercy and truth.

Our masters say: < It was > because their eyes strayed away from the Divine Presence. They (i.e., Nadab and Abihu) said: Moses did not do so, when (according to Exod. 24:9–10) he went into the firmament and beheld the Divine Presence; for he had no need of either eating or drinking. With us also, when we behold the Divine Presence, we shall have no need of either eating or drinking. Even so, (according to vs. 11): THEY BEHELD GOD, but they did need to eat and drink, as stated (ibid., cont.): AND THEY ATE AND DRANK. From that time the Holy One sought to stretch out his hand against them. The Holy One said: I shall wait until the Tabernacle is made. Then when they enter to sacrifice (rt.: QRB), I shall carry out the divine judgment upon them. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 16:1, cont.): WHEN THEY DREW NEAR (rt.: QRB) BEFORE THE LORD, THEY DIED. BEFORE THE LORD is written two times (in Numb. 3:4): BUT NADAB AND ABIHU DIED BEFORE THE LORD, WHEN THEY OFFERED ALIEN FIRE [BEFORE THE LORD]. Why two times? The Holy One said: Bring out the dead from before me, for so it is written (in Lev. 10:4): DRAW NEAR AND CARRY YOUR BROTHERS AWAY FROM BEFORE THE SANCTUARY. When Israel, as it were, is in trouble, he also is with them; for so it is written (in Is. 63:9): IN ALL THEIR TROUBLE, IT TROUBLED HIM. R. Meir said (concerning Exod. 14:30): SO THE LORD SAVED (WYWSh', voweled as wayyosha') < ISRAEL > ON THAT DAY: The written text (ketiv) < reads > SO < THE LORD > WAS SAVED (WYWSh', voweled wayyiwwasha') < ON THAT DAY WITH ISRAEL >.⁷⁰Below, 6:18; below, Numb. 1:10; Tanh. Lev. 6:12; Numb. R. 2:2; cf. Exod. R. 30:24. R. Abbahu said: See what is written (in Ps. 80:3 [2]): BEFORE EPHRAIM AND MANASSEH⁷¹The Masoretic Text reads: BEFORE EPHRAIM, BENJAMIN, AND MANASSEH. STIR UP YOUR MIGHT AND COME TO SAVE US. To you and to us belongs the redemption. The Holy One said: In the world to come I will redeem you. Then you shall be happy, and I will be happy. [It is so stated] (in Ps. 104:31): MAY THE LORD BE HAPPY IN HIS WORKS. (Ps. 149:2:) LET {THE LORD} [ISRAEL] BE HAPPY IN ITS MAKER.]

(Exodus 17:15) "And Moses built an altar and he called its name 'the L rd is my miracle.'" Moses (hereby) said: The miracle that the L rd wrought (for me) — He wrought it for Himself (i.e., for the sanctification of His name.) And thus do you find: Whenever a miracle is performed for Israel, that miracle, as it were, is before Him — "The L rd is my miracle." (Isaiah 63:9) "In all of their afflictions, He was afflicted." Joy to Israel — Joy to Him. (I Samuel 2:1) "I rejoice in Your salvation!"

And Moses built an altar, and called the name of it Adonai-nissi (Exod. 17:15). Moses said to the Israelites: The miracle that the Holy One, blessed be He, performed, was only for the sake of His name, since they were not worthy of having a miracle performed for their sake. You find that whenever a miracle was performed for Israel, the miracle was for His sake, as it is said: In all their afflictions He was afflicted (Isa. 63:9). And Israel’s joys were His joys, as it is said: Because I rejoice in thy salvation (I Sam. 2:1). Thus it says: I will rejoice in Jerusalem and joy in My people (Isa. 65:19). It likewise says: And as the bridegroom rejoiceth over the bride, so shall thy God rejoice over thee (ibid. 62:5). Amen, and so may it be.

(One verse (Exodus 12:40) states "And the habitation of the children of Israel in the land of Egypt was four hundred and thirty years," and another, (Genesis 15:13) "and they shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years." How are these two verses to be reconciled? Thirty years before the birth of Isaac, the covenant between the pieces (at which the above was said) was made, (and after his birth until the exodus four hundred years elapsed.) Rebbi says: One verse states: "and they shall serve them and they shall afflict them four hundred years," and another, (Ibid. 16) "and the fourth generation will return here." How are these two verses to be reconciled? If they repent, I will redeem them by generations (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the tribes). If not, I will redeem them by years. "And the habitation of the children of Israel in Egypt and in other lands was four hundred and thirty years." This is one of the verses that they (the seventy-two elders changed) in transcribing (the Torah) for King Ptolemy, viz. (Megillah 9a): Once King Ptolemy assembled seventy-two elders and placed each in a separate house (without telling them why he was doing so), and he said to each of them: "Transcribe for me [into Greek] the Torah of Moses your teacher." The Holy One Blessed be He placed goodly counsel in the heart of each, and they all wrote as one (Genesis 1:1): "G d created in the beginning" [so that Ptolemy could not structure the words as: "In the beginning, god was created."] [They wrote] (Ibid. 1:26): "I will make a man in image and form" [and not, literally: "Let us make a man, etc.", so that he would not be able to argue for a plurality of gods]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 2:2): "And He finished on the sixth day, and He rested on the seventh day" [and not, literally: "And G d finished His work on the seventh day," so that he could not argue that G d worked on the seventh day]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 5:2): "Male and female He created him" [and not, literally: "Male and female He created them" (which Ptolemy could use as an argument for the creation of two separate bodies)]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 11:7): "Let Me go down and confound their tongue" [and not, literally: "Let us go down", so that he would not find support for his polytheistic views]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 18:12): "And Sarah laughed bikrovehah" ["among her neighbors", and not, literally: "bekirbah" ("within her"), so that Ptolemy would not question why Sarah should be punished for laughing, and not Abraham, if they both laughed inwardly]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 49:7): "For in their wrath they killed an ox" [instead of: "a man" (so as not to give Ptolemy a pretext to call Jews murderers)], "and in their willfulness they razed a manger" [instead of: "an ox"]. [They wrote] (Exodus 4:20): "And Moses took his wife and his sons and he rode them on the bearer of men" [instead of "on the ass" (so that he not say that Moses lacked a horse or a camel)]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 12:40): "And the sojourning of the Jews, their dwelling in Egypt and in other lands was four hundred years." [(and not just: "their dwelling in Egypt," as per the verse, which would be open to dispute by Ptolemy's reckoning)]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 24:5): "And he sent the dignitaries of the children of Israel" [lest "youths" be taken demeaningly]; (Ibid. 11): "And to the dignitaries of the children of Israel, He did not stretch forth His hand." [They wrote] (Numbers 16:15): "Not one desirable object of theirs" [(instead of, literally: "Not one ass of theirs")] have I taken" [thus preventing Ptolemy from contending that it was only an ass that Moses had not taken]. [They wrote] (Deuteronomy 4:19): ["all the host of heaven …] which the L rd your G d bequeathed for illumination to all the peoples under the heavens" [and not, as in the verse: "which the L rd your G d bequeathed to all the peoples under the heavens," thus preventing him from construing this verse as a license for idolatry]. [They wrote] (Ibid. 17:3): "and he go and serve other gods … which I did not command to serve" [instead of, as per the verse: "which I did not command", lest he misconstrue it as: "which I did not command to exist" (and which "forced themselves" into creation against My will)]. And instead of (Leviticus 11:6): "And the arneveth (hare) […it is unclean to you"], they wrote: "the slender-legged"; for Ptolemy's wife was called "Arneveth", and Ptolemy would [otherwise] say: "The Jews have poked fun at me and put my wife's name in the Torah!" (Megillah 9a) (Exodus 12:41) "and it was at the end of four hundred and thirty years": We are hereby apprised that when the time arrived, the L rd did not delay them for one moment. On the fifteenth of Nissan the ministering angels came to Abraham to apprise him (that Isaac would be born); (on the fifteenth of Nissan he was born) and on the fifteenth of Nissan the decree went forth (in the covenant) between the pieces, it being written "And it was at the end" — there was one end for all of them. "and it was on this very same day that all the hosts of the L rd went forth": (The Shechinah, too, went forth with them.) And thus do you find, that whenever Israel is in bondage, the Shechinah is with them, viz. (Exodus 24:10) "And they saw the G d of Israel, and under His feet, as the work of a sapphire brick" (the sign of that bondage). And what is written of their redemption? (Ibid.) "and as the appearance of the heavens in brightness." And it is written (Isaiah 63:9) "In all of their sorrows, He sorrowed." This tells me only of communal sorrows. Whence do I derive (the same for) those of the individual? From (Psalms 91:15) "He will call upon Me and I will answer Him; I am with him in sorrow," and (Genesis 39:20-21) "And Joseph's master took him and placed him in the prison house … and the L rd was with Joseph, etc.", and (II Samuel 7:23) "… before Your people whom You have redeemed from Egypt, a nation and its G d." R. Eliezer says: Idolatry passed with Israel in the sea, viz. (Zechariah 10:11) "And a 'rival' passed in the sea, and struck waves in the sea." Which was that? The idol of Michah (viz. Shoftim 17:4). R. Akiva said (on II Samuel 7:23): Were it not explicitly written, it would be impossible to say it, Israel saying before the L rd, as it were, "You redeemed Yourself!" And thus do you find, that wherever they were exiled, the Shechinah was with them. They were exiled to Egypt — the Shechinah was with them, viz. (I Samuel 2:27) "Did I not reveal Myself to your father's house when they were in Egypt? They were exiled to Bavel — the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Isaiah 43:14) "For your sake I was exiled to Bavel." They were exiled to Eilam — the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Jeremiah 49:38) "and I set My throne in Eilam." They were exiled to Edom — the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Isaiah 63:1) "Who is This coming from Edom, His garments crimsoned, from Batzrah?" And when they return in the future, the Shechinah will be with them, viz. (Devarim 30:3) "And veshav the L rd your G d." It is not written "veheshiv" ("He will return" [you]), but "veshav" ("He [Himself] will return.") and it is written (Song of Songs 4:8) "With Me from Levanon (the Temple), My bride (Israel); with Me from Levanon come." Now is she (Israel) coming from Levanon? Is she not ascending to Levanon? (The intent is: You and I were exiled from Levanon) and we will ascend) together) to Levanon.

MOSES AT THE BURNING BUSH
THE fifth descent was when He came down to the thorn-bush, as it is said, "And I am come down || to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians" (Ex. 3:8). He abandoned the entire mountain, and descended into the thorn-bush, and He abode therein. And the thorn-bush was (an emblem of) grief and distress, and it was full of thorns and thistles. Why did He abide in the midst of the thorn-bush which was (an emblem of) grief and distress? Because He saw Israel in great grief and He also dwelt with them, thus fulfilling that which is said, "In all their affliction He was afflicted" (Isa. 63:9).

"and let Your haters flee before You": Now are there "haters" before Him who spoke and brought the world into being? The intent is, rather, that all who hate the righteous are, as it were, haters of the L-rd. Similarly, (Shemot 15:7) "and in the greatness of Your grandeur you destroy those who rise against You." Now are there any who "rise" before the L-rd? The intent is, rather, that all who rise against the righteous are, as it were, "rising" against the L-rd. And, similarly (Psalms 74:23) "Forget not the voice of Your adversaries, the ever rising roar of those who rise against You," and (Psalms 83:3) "For Your foes are tumultuous; Your haters have raised their heads," and (Psalms 4) "They have been subtle in counsel against Your people," and (Psalms 138:21-22) "Will I not hate Your haters, O L-rd? Will I not battle with those who rise up against You? I have hated them to the heights of hatred. I have deemed them my (own) enemies." And thus is it written (Zechariah 2:12) "Whoever touches you (Israel) touches the pupil of His eye": It is not written "the pupil of the eye," but "the pupil of His eye" — that of the L-rd, as it were, Scripture resorting to a euphemism (for "the eye of the L-rd"). Similarly, (Job 7:20) "Why do You make me Your target for Yourself, and a burden to myself?" — ("myself") a euphemism (for "to You"?) Similarly, (Ezekiel 8:17) "and they thrust the branch to their nostrils" — a euphemism for ("My"). Similarly, (Chabakkuk 1:12) "Are You not of yore, O L-rd, my holy G-d, and we shall not die" — a euphemism (for "You"). Similarly, (Psalms 106:20) "They exchanged their glory for the image of a bull feeding on grass" — a euphemism (for "G-d"). Similarly, (Bamidbar 11:15) "And if You will do thus to me, kill me, I pray You, if I have found favor in Your eyes, and let me not witness my evil" — a euphemism (for "them" and "their," respectively). Similarly, (Ibid. 12:12) "who comes out of his mother's womb, and half his flesh being consumed" — a euphemism (for "our"). And if one helps the righteous, it is as if he is helping the L-rd, viz. (Judges 5:23) "'Curse Meroz!' said the angel of the L-rd. 'Bitterly curse her dwellers. Because they do not come to the holy of the L-rd, to the help of the L-rd among the mighty.'" R. Shimon b. Elazar says: There is nothing more "beloved" in a man's body than his eye. When a man is hit on his head, he closes only his eyes. And Israel is thus compared, viz. (Zechariah 2:12) "Whoever touches you (Israel) touches the pupil of His eye." R. Yossi b. Elazar says: He (the "toucher") is regarded as one who sticks a finger into His eye and gouges it out. Pharaoh, who "touched," what did I do to him? (Shemot 15:4) "Pharaoh's chariots and his army He cast into the sea." Sisra, who "touched," what did I do to him? (Judges 5:20) "From heaven the stars fought. From their courses they fought against Sisra." Sancherev, who "touched," what did I do to him? (II Kings 19:35) "And an angel of the L-rd went out and smote in the camp of Ashur, etc." Nevuchadnezzar, who "touched," what did I do to him? (Daniel 4:30) "and he ate grass like cattle." Haman, who "touched," what did I do to him? (Esther 8:7) "and they hanged him on a tree." And thus you find that as long as Israel were subjugated in Egypt, the Shechinah was with them in their servitude, viz. (Shemot 22:10) "And they saw the G-d of Israel, and under His feet, the likeness of a sapphire brick" (viz. Ibid. 1:14) "And thus is it written (Isaiah 63:9) "In all of their afflictions, He was afflicted." This tells me only of communal afflictions. Whence do I derive (the same for) individual afflictions? From (Psalms 91:15) "When he calls Me, I will answer him. With him will I be in affliction." And it is written (Bereshit 39:20-21) "And Joseph's master took him in and the L-rd was with Joseph." And thus is it written (II Samuel 7:23) "… before your people whom You redeemed from Egypt — a nation and its G-d" (together with them). R. Akiva says: If it were not explicitly written, it would be impossible to say it — Israel said before the L-rd: "You have redeemed Yourself!" You find that whenever they were exiled, the Shechinah was exiled with them, viz. (I Samuel 2:27) "Was I not exiled to your father's house when they were in Egypt in the house of Pharaoh?" When they were exiled to Bavel, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Isaiah 43:14) "For your sake I was sent to Bavel." When they were exiled to Edom, the Shechinah was with them, viz. (Ibid. 63:1) "Who is this, coming from Edom, etc.?" And when they return, the Shechinah will return with them, as it is written (Devarim 30:3) "And the L-rd will return, etc." It is not written "and the L-rd will return your captivity," but "and the L-rd will return with your captivity." And it is written (Song of Songs 4:8) "With Me, from Levanon, My bride, with Me from Levanon will you come."