Midrash su Isaia 3:6

R. Ketina said: "Even at the period of Jerusalem's downfall (of her moral decay) men of faith did not fail her, as it is said (Is. 3, 6) When a man will seize his brother in the house of his father [saying] thou hast a nice garment, thou shalt be our ruler; i.e., things which cause people to hide themselves under cover, like a garment, seem to be well under thy hand (thou art a scholar). And let this stumbling be under thy hand; i.e., things of which a man never gets at the true sense unless he first stumbles over it (the Torah) let this be under thy hand; (Yisa) He will lift up his hand on this day, saying I will not be a chief; etc. The words He will lift up his hand, refers to swearing, and so it says (Ex. 20, 7) Thou shalt not lift up thy hand to swear in the name of God. I will not be a chief; i.e., I will not be confined in the house of study. And in my house is neither bread nor clothing; i.e., I master neither Scripture nor Mishnah nor Gemara." Perhaps in that case, it is different, because if he would say "I did learn," beople might ask him, "Tell us what you know?" [Therefore he is bound to tell the truth.] But he might say that he learned and forgot. [Thus no one will be able to contradict him.] Why does he say that he never knew a thing? [We must therefore say that they really were trustworthy.] But has not Raba said: "Jerusalem would not have been destroyed were it not because men of faith ceased to exist, as it is said (Jer. 5, 1) Roam about through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that dealt justly, that seeketh truth; and I will pardon her." This is not difficult to explain. R. Ketina deals with men faithful in affairs of learning, and Rab deals with trustworthy men in business.

(Fol. 43) Rabba b. R. Huna expounded: "Just as the law concerning one who betroths a woman on condition that only one half should be betrothed to him, makes the betrothal unlawful, so also does the law hold concerning a woman being a half slave and a half free, that betrothal shall not be applied to her." R. Chisda then said to him: "How can you compare these two things? In the former case something has been left unbought, while in the latter case everything was bought [since she is only one-half free."] Thereafter Rabba b. R. Huna caused his interpreter to announce the reverse of his former decision, and he expounded in the following passage (Is. 3, 6) And let this stumbling he under thy hand; i.e., a man never gets at the true sense of the Torah unless he first stumbles over it. Although the Rabbis say that if one betroths a woman on condition," etc. (And he agreed with R. Chisda).

(Lev. 16:1:) “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death [of Aaron's two sons].” This is what Elihu said (to Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps.” Elihu was observing how the sons of Aaron went in to sacrifice and came out destroyed by fire.⁵⁵Cf. PRK 26(27):5; Lev. R. 20:5. He was amazed and said (ibid.), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps.” What did he see for him to say this? He said, “At a time when the priesthood had become weak in the hand of Aaron, what is written there (in Numb. 17:21)? ‘Then Moses spoke unto the Children of Israel; and their princes gave him a staff, a staff for each prince.’ So he wrote the name of each and every tribe on its staff. He also wrote the name of Aaron on the staff of Levi and put it in the middle, lest the Children of Israel say, ‘It smelled the Divine Presence and bore fruit.’ Moses said, ‘See, I am putting it in the middle so as not to give a pretext,’ as stated (in Numb. 17:21, cont.), ‘and the staff of Aaron was in the midst of their staffs.’ What is written there (in vs. 22-23)? ‘Then Moses placed the staffs before the Lord in the tent of the testimony. And it was on the morrow that Moshe came to the tent of testimony, and the staff of Aaron had sprouted […] and had borne almonds.’ The scriptural text lacked nothing. Why then, ‘and had born (rt.: gml) almonds (rt.: shqd)?’⁵⁶Numb. R. 18:23. It repaid (rt.: gml) anyone who was bent on (rt.: shqd) evil against the tribe of Levi. So while (in Numb. 17:16-24) even dry pieces of wood emitted an aroma among those who live in the world, sprouted blossoms, came out alive, and produced fruits; [yet] the sons of Aaron, who entered there alive, came out destroyed by fire.” So when Elihu beheld the one and the other, he said (in Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles.” When? (Lev. 16:1:) “Now the Lord spoke unto Moses after the death of Aaron's two sons.” As [all] four of [Aaron's sons] deserved to die; but Moses prayed for them, and his prayer produced half [a response]. When? When Israel made the calf, what is written there (in Deut. 9:20)? “And the Lord was very angry with Aaron to destroy (rt.: shmd) him.” Destruction (rt.: shmd) can only be annihilation of children. Thus it is stated (in Amos 2:9), “I destroyed (rt.: shmd) their (the Amorites') fruit above […].” When Moses prayed, his prayer produced half [a response]. (Lev. 16:1:) “After the death of Aaron's two sons.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Aaron, did I not write this in My Torah (in Exod. 22:8), ‘In every case of misappropriation, whether for a bull, for an ass or for a sheep….’ Do you not remember what you did with the bull, as stated (in Ps. 106:20), ‘Thus they exchanged their glory for the image of a bull?’”⁵⁷See Numb. R. 9:47. For alternate interpretations of Exod. 22:8 that use the same form, see BQ 54b. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For an ass.” This refers to the Egyptians, about whom it is written (in Ezek. 23:20), “whose flesh is like the flesh of asses.” They (the Egyptians among them) made for them a calf, whom Israel worshiped, as stated (in Numb. 11:4), “Then the rabble⁵⁸I.e., the Egyptians who joined Israel in the Exodus. which was in their midst.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For a sheep (seh).” This refers to Israel, as stated (in Jer. 50:17), “Israel is a scattered flock (seh).” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “For a garment,” [i.e.] that one about which it is written (in Is. 3:6), “you have a garment; you shall be our leader.”⁵⁹According to Numb. R. 9:47, the allusion is to Israel having made the golden calf their king. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Or any loss,” since it is written of them (i.e., of Israel in Jer. 50:6), “My people were lost sheep.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Of which one says, ‘This is it.” [This refers to] them when they said (in Exod. 32:8), “These are your gods, O Israel.” (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “The case of both parties shall come before God (the powers).” This refers to Moses of whom it is written (in Exod. 7:1), “See, I have set you as a power to Pharaoh,” [in that] Moses sat in judgment over them. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “The one whom God (the powers) condemns.” This refers to the judges.⁶⁰See above, Exod. 2:1, and the note there. (Exod. 22:8, cont.:) “Shall pay his neighbor double.” This refers to the two sons of Aaron. Ergo (in Lev. 16:1), “after the death of Aaron's two sons.”