Midrash su Levitico 26:6

“The Lord is righteous, for I have defied His word. Hear now all you peoples, and see my pain: My young women and young men have gone into captivity” (Lamentations 1:18).
“The Lord is righteous, for I have defied His word.” Who said this verse? Yoshiyahu said it. That is what is written: “After all this, when Yoshiyahu had established the House, Nekho king of Egypt came up to wage war at Karkemish on the Euphrates,” (II Chronicles 35:20), Karkasyon on the Euphrates. “[Yoshiyahu went out toward him.] He sent emissaries to him, saying: What is there between me and you, king of Judah? It is not against you today, but against the house with which I have war, and God has said that I should make haste” (II Chronicles 35:20–21). It is by the word of the Holy One blessed be He that I am ascending. “Restrain yourself from god who is with me” (II Chronicles 35:21), this is an expression of idol worship. “Yoshiyahu did not turn his face from him…and did not heed the words of Nekho from the mouth of God” (II Chronicles 35:22), this [alludes to] Jeremiah, who said to Yoshiyahu: ‘So I received from my teacher Isaiah: “I will provoke Egypt against Egypt”’ (Isaiah 19:2). He did not heed him. Rather, he said to him: ‘Did Moses, the teacher of your teacher, not say this: “A sword will not pass in the land” (Leviticus 26:6)? And the sword of that wicked one is passing in my land and my borders.’ But he did not realize that his entire generation was idol worshippers. He would send a pair of students to eradicate idol worship from their houses, but they would enter and not find anything. When they would go out [the residents] would say: ‘Close the doors,’ and when they would close the doors they would see it.²⁰²There were double doors leading into the house. Half the idol was on one door and half on the other. The halves did not look like anything separately, but when the doors were closed, the idol was visible. They would say of them: The one who came to repair is the one who came and ruined.²⁰³Although they divided the idol when they opened the doors, they put it back together when they closed the doors. Therefore: “The archers shot King Yoshiyahu” (II Chronicles 35:23). Rabbi Manei said: They fired three hundred arrows into him until his body became like a sieve. Jeremiah was listening to him to ascertain what he was saying:²⁰⁴He was listening to what Yoshiyahu was saying as he died. What was he saying? “The Lord is righteous, for I have defied His word,” His mouth and the mouth of his agent.

1) (Vayikra 26:6) "and you will lie down and not tremble": without fear of any animal. "and I will eliminate vicious beasts from the land." R. Yehudah says: He will eliminate them from the world. And thus is it written (Tehillim 92:1) "A psalm, a song for the day of Shabbath": for the cessation (mashbith [like "Shabbath"]) of harmful agents from the world. R. Shimon says: He will prevent them from causing harm. R. Shimon said: What redounds more to the praise of the L–rd, the absence of harmful agents or their existing but not causing harm? Certainly, the second.

2) And thus is it written (Isaiah 11:6-8) "And the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and a calf, a lion whelp and a fatling (will walk) together, and a young child will lead them. A cow and a bear will graze, and their young will lie down together; and a lion, like cattle, will eat hay. A suckling will play by a viper's hole, and a newly weaned child (will stretch) his hand to the 'lightener' of an adder." ("gemul yado hadah") We are hereby taught that a Jewish child is destined to stretch his hand into the ocular orb (thus, "lightener") of an adder and to extract bile from its mouth. And this (the italicized phrase) is the intent of "gemul yado hadah." This ("hadah") is a man-killing animal.

3) "and a sword will not pass through your land": Not only will they not come against you for war, but the passers (for war) will not (even) pass from one land (Eretz Yisrael) to the other, as they did in the days of Yoshiyahu (viz. II Chronicles 35:21)

(Exodus 12:25) "And it shall be, when you come to the land": The service is contingent upon their entering the land and thereafter. (In the desert they were obliged to observe only one Pesach, in the second year, by Divine command.) "as He has spoken": And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 6:8) "and I shall bring you to the land, etc." Similarly, (Ibid. 16:23) "This is what the L rd has spoken: 'A resting, a holy Sabbath, etc.'" And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 5) "And it shall be on the sixth day that they shall prepare, etc." Similarly, (Leviticus 10:3) "This is as the L rd spoke: With My near ones I will be sanctified." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 29:43) "And I will be appointed there for the children of Israel and it (the mishkan) will be sanctified by My glory" (i.e., by My glorifiers). Similarly, (Devarim 11:25) "The L rd your G d will put the dread and fear of you over the whole land … as He spoke to you." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 23:27) "My fright shall I send before you, and I shall confound all the people, etc." (Devarim 12:20) "When the L rd your G d broadens your boundary, as he spoke to you, etc." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 34:24) "for I shall drive out nations from before you and I shall broaden your boundary," (Ibid. 23:31) "And I shall set your boundary from the Red Sea, etc." Similarly, (Devarim 15:6) "for the L rd your G d will bless you as He spoke to you." And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 7:14) "Blessed shall you be over all other peoples." Similarly (Ibid. 26:18) "and the L rd has affirmed this day to make you His chosen people as He spoke to you." And where did He speak it? (Exodus 19:5) "then you shall be to Me chosen above all the peoples." Similarly (Devarim 26:19) "and to place you higher than all the nations … as He spoke." And whence did He speak it? (Ibid. 28:13) "And the L rd will make you the head, and not the tail. Similarly, (Isaiah 1:2) "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, as the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:1) "Hear, O heavens, and I shall speak." Similarly, (Isaiah 40:5) "The glory of the L rd shall appear, and all flesh will behold as one, for the mouth of the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:39) "See, now, that I — I am He, and there is no god beside Me." Similarly, (Isaiah 1:19-20) "If you acquiesce and pay heed, the good of the earth will you eat. But if you refuse and rebel, the sword will devour you; for the mouth of the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Leviticus 26:25) "… I will bring against you an avenging sword, etc." Similarly, (Isaiah 25:8) "He will destroy death forever … for the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:39) "I put to death and I bring to life, etc." Similarly, (Isaiah 58:14) "then you will rejoice in the L rd, and I will 'ride' you on the heights of the earth, etc." And where did He speak it? (Devarim 32:13) "He will 'ride' him on the heights of the earth, etc." Similarly, (Ezekiel 39:8) "Behold, it has come; it has arrived, says the L rd G d. This is the day of which I spoke." And where did He speak of it? (Devarim 32:42) "I will make My arrows drunk with blood, etc." Similarly, (Michah 4:4) "and each man will sit under his grapevine … for the mouth of the L rd of hosts has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Leviticus 26:6) "And I will place peace in the land, etc." Similarly, (Ovadiah 1:18) "And there will be no survivor of the house of Esav, for the mouth of the L rd has spoken." And where did He speak it? (Numbers 24:18-19) "And Edom (Esav) will become an inheritance … and a victor will issue from Jacob and will destroy all trace of Ir." Similarly, (Genesis 21:1) "And the L rd remembered Sarah (for motherhood) as He had said." "And where did He say it? (Ibid. 17:19) "And G d said: But Sarah your wife will bear, etc." Similarly, (Ibid. 21:1) "And the L rd did for Sarah as He had spoken." And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 15:4) "And the 'speaking' of the L rd was to him. This one (Ishmail) will not inherit you, etc." Similarly, (Yoel 4:8) "and I will sell your sons and your daughters, etc." And where did he speak it? (Genesis 9:25) "And he (Noach) said: Cursed is Canaan. A servant of servants will he be to his brothers." Similarly, (Devarim 17:16) "And the L rd said to you: You will not go back this way (to Egypt) again." And where did He say it? (Exodus 14:13) "For your seeing Egypt is (only) this day. You will see them no more forever." Similarly, (Isaiah 65:25) "The wolf and the lamb will graze together…said the L rd." And where did He say it? (Leviticus 26:6) "I will cut off wild beasts from the land." Similarly, (I Kings 11:2) "… of the nations of which the L rd said … You shall not come among them, etc." And where did He say it? (Devarim 7:3) "And you shall not intermarry with them, etc." Similarly, (I Kings 8:12) "The L rd has said that He will dwell in a thick cloud." And where did He say it? (Leviticus 16:2) "For in a thick cloud will I appear upon the (ark) cover." Similarly, (Malachi 3:17) "'and they will be Mine,' said the L rd." And where did He say it? (Exodus 19:5) "And you will be unto Me, chosen, etc." Similarly, (Yoel 3:5) "And all who call in the name of the L rd … as the L rd said." And where did He say it? (Devarim 28:10) "And all the peoples of the earth will see that the L rd's name is called upon you, etc." Similarly, (Isaiah 66:20-21) "And they will bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the L rd … And also from them will I take Cohanim and Levites, the L rd said." And where did He say this? (Devarim 29:28) "What is concealed (from us [e.g., who is a Cohein and who, a Levite]) is known to the L rd our G d." Here, too, (Exodus 12:25) "And it shall be, when you come to the land that the L rd will give you, as He has spoken, etc." And where did He speak it? (Ibid. 6:8) "And I shall bring you to the land, etc." (Exodus 12:26) "And it shall be, when your sons say to you, etc.": At that time, Israel was receiving bad tidings, that the Torah was destined to be forgotten. Others say they were receiving good tidings, that they were destined to see sons and sons of sons. (Exodus 12:27) "And the people bowed down and prostrated themselves": Why did they bow down? For it is written (Ibid. 13:18) "And the children of Israel went out of Egypt chamushim" — one out of five ("chamishah"). Others say one out of fifty ("chamishim"). And others say one out of five hundred ("chamesh me'oth"). R. Nehorai says; Upon my oath, not one in five hundred went out. For it is written (Ezekiel 16:7) "Numerous as the spouts of the field did I make you" (in Egypt), and (Exodus 1:7) "And the children of Israel were fruitful, and teemed" — One woman would bear six in one womb. And you say one in five hundred went out? And when did they die? In the three days of darkness, of which it is written (Exodus 10:23) "One man could not see another." The Jews buried their dead, and they were thankful and praised (the L rd) that their foes could not see (the dead) and rejoice in their downfall. (Ibid. 12:27) "Then you shall say that it is a Paschal sacrifice to the L rd.": R. Yossi Haglili said: The Jews would have deserved to die in Egypt (if not for the merit of the Paschal sacrifice) whereby the last of them consummated his sacrifice (and lived.) "Then you shall say that it is a Paschal sacrifice." We are hereby apprised that all who hear of or see the miracles that the Holy One Blessed be He wrought in Egypt must give praise. And thus is it written (Exodus 18:8-9) "And Moses related to his father-in-law all that the L rd did to Pharaoh and to Egypt. And Yithro rejoiced, etc." (Ibid. 28) "And the children of Israel went and they did": Reward is given for both the going and the doing. "and they did": Now did they already do? __ Their taking it upon themselves to do is regarded as their doing. "as the L rd commanded": We are hereby apprised of their eminence. Exactly as Moses and Aaron commanded them thus did they do. What is the intent of (the seemingly superfluous) "Thus did they do"? Moses and Aaron, too, did thus.

This is what God said to Israel: My children what do I seek from you? I seek no more than that you love one another, and honor one another, and that you have awe for one another

If you will walk in my statutes: This is what is written (Psalms 119:59), "I considered my ways and I turned my feet to your testimonies." David said, "Master of the universe! On each and every day I would consider and say, 'To place x and to the home of y am I walking,' but my feet would bring me to the synagogues and to the Houses of Study. - this is what is written, "I considered my ways and I turned my feet to your testimonies." Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Acha, "'I considered' the giving of the reward for the [fulfillment of] the commandments and the loss for the sins, 'and I turned my feet to your testimonies.'" Rabbi Menachem the son-in-law of Rabbi Elazar BeRebbe Avina said, "'I considered,' what You wrote us in the Torah, 'If you will walk in my statutes' and what is written there? 'And I will give peace in the land' (Leviticus 26:6). [Likewise (Leviticus 26:14)] 'And if you will not listen to me,' what is written there? 'And I will add to punish you'" (Leviticus 26:18). Rabbi Abba the son of Rabbi Chiya said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan, "'I considered' the blessings and 'I considered' the curses - the blessing are from [the first letter,] alef to the [last letter,] tav; the curses are from [the letter,] vav to [the letter before it,] hay - and not only that, but they are backwards (in reverse order). Rabbi Avin said, "[The intention is that God is saying,] 'If you merit it, behold, I will reverse for you the curses into blessings.'" When is that? When you observe my Torah. This is what is written, "If you will walk in my statutes."