Midrash su Geremia 17:8

Our Rabbis have been taught: Three kings ruled over the entire world — Ahab, Ahasuerus, and Nebuchadnezzar. Ahab, son of Amri, as Obadiya said unto Elijah (I Kings 18, 10) As the Lord thy God liveth… he causeth that kingdom and nation to take an oath …; and if they were not under his dominion, how could he cause them to take an oath? Nebuchadnezzar, as it is written (Jer. 17, 8) And it will come to pass that the nation or kingdom which shall not serve Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and not place its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon. Ahasuerus, as stated in Sanhedrin. (Ib. b.) Are these all? Was not Solomon also king of the whole world? Solomon was not a king until the end of his life. This is right, according to those who hold he was first king and then a common man; but according to those who say he was a king, a common man, and then again a king, then why not count also him? Solomon was an exception, for he reigned over the beings above and below, as it is said (I Chr. 29, 23) Solomon sat on the throne of the Lord. [He is therefore not counted among the kings that reigned over the entire world]. But there is Sannacherib concerning whom it is written (Is. 46, 19 and II Kings 18) Which of all the gods of the lands have saved their countries from thy hand? There was Jerusalem, which was not subject to him. But there is Darius? As it is written (Dan. 6, 26) Darius the king wrote to all peoples, nations, and tongues that exist on the whole earth. Your peace shall be great. There were seven countries not under his dominion; as it is isTitten (Ib. ib. 2) It pleased DariuS; and he raised over his kingdom one hundred and twenty satraps. But there is Cyrus? As it is written (II Chr. 36) So said Cyrus, King of Persia: All the kingdoms of the earth the Lord hath given unto me. It is he only who thus glorified himself.

“He said: Bring the kerchief that is upon you, and hold it, and she held it. He measured six measures of barley, and placed it on her; and he came to the city” (Ruth 3:15).
“He said: Bring [havi (fem.)] the kerchief that is upon you,” – hava [masc.] is written,²²⁴In the standard version of the book of Ruth, this term is actually written havi, not hava. teaching that he spoke to her in masculine language so no one would sense.²²⁵That a woman was present. “And hold it,” teaching that she girded her loins like a man.²²⁶She was very powerful in her ability to carry so great a burden. “He measured six measures of barley, and placed it on her.” ²²⁷The literal translation is “six barleys” rather than six measures of barley. Rabbi Simon said: Bar Kappara expounded in Tzippori: Is it the way of a king²²⁸Boaz, who was a judge. to marry a woman with six grains of barley? Or is it the way of a woman to carry six se’a? Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said: By virtue of “he measured [vayamod] six barleys and he placed them on her,” she was privileged, and six righteous men emerged from her, and each one of them had six attributes [middot]: David, Hezekiah, Josiah, Ḥananya, Mishael, Azarya,²²⁹Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya are counted here as one, because they acted together and displayed the same characteristics (Matnot Kehuna). Daniel, and the messianic king.
David, as it is stated: “Skillful in playing, a mighty man of valor, a man of war, understands matters, a comely person, and the Lord is with him” (I Samuel 16:18). Hezekiah, as it is stated: “For abundant authority and boundless peace on the throne [of David]” (Isaiah 9:6). “He called his name: Wonder, adviser, leader, mighty, eternal father, prince of peace” (Isaiah 9:5). Some say: “For abundant authority [lemarbe hamisra]…,” lemarbe is written without a mem.”²³⁰Actually, it is written with a closed mem, usually found at the end of the word; an allusion to the fact that Hezekiah was disqualified from being the messianic king because he failed to sing God’s praises (Sanhedrin 94a). Josiah, as it is stated: “For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that spreads its roots near the river, [does not see when heat comes, its foliage will be fresh; and will not be anxious in a year of drought, and will not cease from producing fruit]” (Jeremiah 17:8). Ḥananya, Mishael, and Azarya, as it is stated: “Youths in whom there was no blemish, fair in appearance, [skillful in all wisdom, knowledgeable and understanding in thought, with ability to stand in the king's palace, and for him to teach them the writings and the language of the Chaldeans]” (Daniel 1:4). Daniel, as it is stated: “Since surpassing spirit, [knowledge, understanding, interpreting of dreams, declaring of riddles, and solving of problems were found in Daniel]” (Daniel 5:12). The messianic king, as it is stated: “The spirit of the Lord will rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom [and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord]” (Isaiah 11:2).

(Numb. 28:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, ‘Command the Children of Israel, [and say unto them], “My offering, My bread for My fire offering….”’” Let our master instruct us: Regarding the meal offerings that were offered upon the altar, how were they offered? Thus have our masters taught (in Men. 5:1–2):³³See above, Lev. 1:7. All meal offerings were offered unleavened except the leavened [cakes] in the thank offering and the two loaves (of Pentecost) which were offered leavened. R. Meir says, “The leaven is separated from its own [dough], and [it is from this that] they are leavened.” R. Judah says, “Even that is not the best [method]; one should bring the leaven, put it into the [measure], and fill the measure [with flour].” [The sages] said to him, “Even that [method] resulted in too little or too much.” All meal offerings were kneaded in lukewarm water and one watched them lest they become leavened; and if the remnants of it became leavened, one transgressed a negative commandment, as stated (in Lev. 2:11), “No meal offering which you offer to the Lord shall be made with leaven.” Thus one may become culpable in the kneading of [leaven], in rolling it, and in baking it. There is nothing more pleasing for you than the offerings. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Say to those Israelites, ‘I did not tell you to offer me sacrifices because I have a need for them, since the whole world is Mine, and I created the animal from which you offer a sacrifice in front of Me.’”³⁴Numb. R. 21:16; see Men. 110a; PRK 6:1; PR 16:1; 48:3; Tanh., Exod. 8:14. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and everything in it belong to Me.” R. Judah bar Simon said, “It is not that I require to eat anything which I commanded you to offer as My offering, My bread; as there is not eating or drinking in front of Me.” R. Simon said, “There are thirteen attributes of mercy that are written about the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 34:6), ‘And the Lord passed over his face….’ Is there a merciful one that delivers his victuals to a cruel one?” Ergo (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you.” R. Judah bar Simon said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I have delivered ten [kinds of] clean animals to you (for food).³⁵See also PR 16:1; Numb. R. 20:5; 21:16. Three are in your possession, and seven are not in your possession. Now these are those which are in your possession (according to Deut. 14:4), “the bull, the sheep, and the goat.” And these are those which are not in your possession (according to Deut. 14:5), “The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.” I did not burden you to have you seek them in the mountains and the hills, in order to bring Me a sacrifice from those [which are not in your possession]. Rather [your sacrifices come] from those which are in your possession, which grew up at your feeding trough.’” Ergo (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you.” R. Isaac said, “It is written (in Numb 28:2), ‘My offering, My Bread, for My burnt offering.’ Is there eating and drinking in front of Me? And if you say there is eating and drinking in front of Me, [you should] learn from the ministering angels, as stated (in Ps. 104:4), ‘His servants flaming fire.’” From what are they [then] sustained? R. Judan said in the name of R. Isaac, “They are nourished from the radiance of the Divine Presence, as stated (in Prov. 16:15), ‘The light of the king’s face is light.‘” R. Simeon ben Laqish said, [Regarding (Numb. 28:6),] “The regular burnt offering done at Mount Sinai,” “And did they do it at Mount Sinai? It is simply that if you will say that that there is eating and drinking in front of Him, learn from Moshe, our teacher. Observe what is written about him (in Exod. 34:28), ‘And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he neither ate bread nor drank water.’ If there was eating and drinking in front of Me, he would have eaten and drank from what I eat and drink. And if Moses who [only] fulfilled the errand of God, ‘neither ate bread nor drank water,’ all the more so is it true of the Holy One, blessed be He.” Ergo (in Ps. 50:12), “If I am hungry, I would not tell you.” R. Hiyya bar Abba said, “So did the Holy One blessed be He say: ‘My [other] creatures do not need My creatures (people). In your days have you heard one saying, “Let this vine produce wine,” and it produces much wine, [or] “Let this olive tree produce oil,” and it produces much wine. My creatures do not need My creatures and I should need My creatures?’” R. Jannai said, “It is customary that when a man is walking by a river, it is impossible for him not to drink two or three log. Now all the water that is in the world would fill the hollow of My hand, as stated (in Is. 40:12), ‘Who has measured the waters in the hollow of His hand?’ But [yet] I have written about your log (in Numb. 28:7), ‘to be poured in the sacred precinct as an offering of fermented drink to the Lord,’ which is an expression of drinking, an expression of satiation, an expression of inebriation.” I have created one animal in My world, and you are not able to support its victuals. And which is it? That is (in Psalms 50:10), “the behemoths on a thousand mountains.” R. Johanan, R. Joshua ben Levi and the Sages [disagreed about this]. R. Johanan said, ‘It was one animal crouching on a thousand mountains and it would pasture on a thousand [different] mountains each day, as stated, (in Job 40:20), ‘The mountains yield him produce.’” R. Joshua ben Levi says, “It was one animal crouching on a thousand mountains and a thousand mountains would produce many types of food, for the righteous to eat in the future to come, as stated (in Is. 65:10), ‘Sharon shall become a pasture for flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for cattle to lie down.’” And the Sages say, “It crouches upon the thousand mountains, and the thousand mountains produce animals every day and it eats [them].” What is the explanation? As it states (in Job 40:20, cont.), “and all the beasts of the field play there.” Is it possible for a grazing animal to eat a grazing animal? R. Tanchuma says, “Great is the work of our God and how great are His acts.” And from where does it drink? R. Joshua ben Levi and the Sages [disagreed about this]. R. Joshua ben Levi says, “It drinks up with one swallow all that the Jordan produces in six months, as stated (in Job 40:23), ‘He can restrain the river from its rushing; [he is confident the Jordan will gush at his command].’ [And the sages say, “Twelve months….”]³⁶See Numb. R. 21:18. But it only has a moistening of the mouth [from it].” And [so] from where does it drink? R. Shimon ben Gamliel taught (form Gen. 2:10), “’A river issues from Eden to water the garden’ and its name is Yuval, as stated (in Jer. 17:8), ‘sending forth its roots by a stream (yuval),’ and it drinks from it.” R. Chiya taught in the name of R. Meir (from Job 12:7), “’But ask the beasts, and they will teach you; the birds of the sky, they will tell you’: ’But ask the beasts,’ this is the behemoth; ‘the birds of the sky,’ this is the ziz of the Omnipresent (a giant bird). (Job 12:8:) ‘Or speak to the earth, it will teach you; the fish of the sea, they will inform you’: ‘Or speak to the earth,’ this is the Garden of Eden; ‘The fish of the sea,’ that is the leviathan. (Job 12:9:) ‘Who among all these does not know that the hand of the Lord has done this?’” You have one king and his name was Solomon, as stated (about the lavishness of his meals in I Kings 5:2-3), “Solomon’s daily provisions consisted of thirty kor of semolina, and sixty kor of [ordinary] flour, ten fattened oxen….” R. Yehuda bar Zvidah said, “Solomon had a thousand wives and each and every one would make him like this every day, as she thought he would eat with her. [And] Nehemiah the governor did not [even] have the ability to reckon his meal, as stated (in Neh. 5:18), ‘And although what was prepared for each day came to one ox….’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘My children, it is not because there is eating and drinking in front of Me. Rather it is because of the smell, that you shall be pleased and give the pleasant smell in front of Me.’”