Midrash su Geremia 49:24
רָפְתָ֥ה דַמֶּ֛שֶׂק הִפְנְתָ֥ה לָנ֖וּס וְרֶ֣טֶט ׀ הֶחֱזִ֑יקָה צָרָ֧ה וַחֲבָלִ֛ים אֲחָזַ֖תָּה כַּיּוֹלֵדָֽה׃
Damasco è debolmente incerato, si gira per fuggire, e il tremito le si è impadronito; Angoscia e fitte l'hanno presa, come una donna in travaglio.
Shir HaShirim Rabbah
Rabbi Papis expounded: “They exchanged their glory for the cast image of a [grass-eating] bull” (Psalms 106:20). I might understand that it was the heavenly bull;239This is one of the four beasts that draw the Divine Chariot. the verse [therefore] states: “Grass-eating.” Rabbi Akiva said to him: ‘Enough, Papis.’240Were that the meaning, it would have been sufficient to write “an eating bull.” He said to [Rabbi Akiva]: ‘And how do you interpret [the phrase]: “they exchanged their glory for the cast image of a [grass-eating] bull”?’ [Rabbi Akiva answered: ‘Perhaps it is a bull typical] of the rest of the days of the year?241Perhaps it was an image of a bull when it is clean and nice looking. The verse states “grass-eating,” you do not have anything as repugnant and repulsive as a bull when it is eating grass.’242This is because the bull drools a lot while eating. Rabbi Yudan says in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: The Egyptian magicians performed sorcery for them and it appeared to be undulating [meratet] before them, just as you say: “Damascus has weakened. It turned to flee but was seized with trembling [retet]” (Jeremiah 49:24).
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