Midrash su Salmi 11:6

(Exodus 15:5) "so that the depths should cover them": Now are there depths there (at the bottom of the sea)? Is it not dry ground? What, then, is the intent of "should cover them"? __ The lower depths (under the earth) ascended to the upper depths and the torrents embattled them. Thus, "the depths should cover them." (The water) covered the firmament over them and darkened the stars over them, viz. (Ezekiel 32:8) "All the lights of the heavens I will darken above you, and I will bring darkness to your land," and (Isaiah 13:10) "For the stars of heavens and their constellations will not give their light. (For) the sun will be dark when it rises, etc." And it is written (Ezekiel 30:18) "And in Techafnefess the day will be darkened when I break there the power of Egypt… (For) a cloud shall cover it. And (Isaiah 13:11) "and I shall requite to the world (its) evil, etc." Jonah descended to one depth, viz. (Jonah 2:6) "The depth surrounded me," and they descended to two depths, viz. (Exodus 15:5) "The depths covered them." Jonah descended into one metzulah (whirlpool, viz. Jonah 2:4), and they descended into two, (Exodus, Ibid.) "metzuloth." And it is written (Nechemiah 9:11) "And their pursuers You cast into metzuloth, as a stone into raging waters." (Exodus, Ibid. "They descended into the metzuloth": Now are there metzuloth there? Is it not dry land? We are hereby apprised that the Great Sea (the Mediterranean) burst into it (the Red Sea) and the torrents embattled them. Thus, "They descended into the metzuloth." "as a stone": "As one metes it out, so, is it meted out to him." They said (Exodus 1:16) "and you see upon the (birth;) stones, etc." — wherefore You, likewise made the waters like stones to them, and the waters struck them upon the stones. Thus, "as a stone." Variantly: "as a stone": This was the middle state. The wicked among them were tossed about like stubble (viz. 7); the "moderate," like stone (here); the "better," like lead (viz. 10). Variantly: "as a stone": because their hearts were hard as stone. But Your goodness and Your many lovingkindnesses and Your mercies are upon us, and Your right hand is stretched out to all who enter the world, "Your right hand," being written twice (viz. 15:6). (Psalms 44:4) "… but Your right hand, Your arm, and the light of Your countenance — for You favored them," and (Isaiah 45:23) "By Myself I have sworn. From My mouth has gone forth righteousness, a word that will not turn back." (Exodus 15:6) "Your right hand, O L rd, is grand in power": ("nedari bakeach") Comely (na'eh) are You, and grand (adir [acronym of "nedari"]) in power. For You gave a grace period to the generation of the flood to repent. And they did not repent, as it is written (Genesis 6:3) "My spirit shall not contend (in Me) forever, etc." And You did not decree (destruction upon them) until they had consummated their evil before You. And thus do you find with the men of the tower (of Bavel), that You gave them a grace period for repentance and they did not repent. As it is written (Ibid. 11:6) "Behold, they are one people, and all of them have one language, and this is what they begin to do! And now, etc. "Now" connotes (an opening for) repentance, viz. (Devarim 10:12) "And now, O Israel, what does the L rd your G d ask of you" (but to repent). And You did not decree destruction upon them (the men of the tower) until they had consummated their evil before You. And thus do you find with the men of Sodom, that You gave them a grace period for repentance and they did not repent. As it is written (Genesis 18:20-21) "And the L rd said: The outcry of Sodom and Gomorrah, because it has become great … I shall go down now and I shall see, etc." (Ibid. 19:24) "And the L rd rained down upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire": If they repent — rain; if not, brimstone and fire. It is written here "rain," and elsewhere (Psalms 11:6) "rain." Just as there (ab initio) "rain," so, here, (ab initio) "rain." — But perhaps, just as here, "brimstone and fire," there, too, brimstone and fire! __ It is, therefore, (to negate this) written (Genesis, Ibid.) "from the L rd, from heaven" (and evil does not descend [ab initio] from the L rd.) And You did not decree (destruction) upon them until they had consummated their evil. And thus with Egypt. You brought ten plagues upon Egypt, and You did not decree destruction upon them until they had consummated their evil. Variantly: "Your right hand, O L rd, is grand in power. Your right hand" — twice. When Israel do the will of the L rd, they, as it were, convert the "left" to the "right." And when they do not do the will of the L rd, they convert the "right" to the "left," viz. (Eichah 2:3) "He has turned back His right hand before the foe." When Israel do His will, there is no sleep before Him, viz. (Psalms 121:9) "He does not slumber and He does not sleep." And when they do not do His will, there is, as it were, "sleep" before Him, viz. (Ibid. 78:66) "Then the L rd woke as a sleeper, as a warrior rousing himself from wine." And when Israel do His will, there is no wrath before Him, viz. (Isaiah 27:4) "I have no wrath." And when they do not do His will, there is wrath before Him, viz. (Devarim 11:17) "and the wrath of the L rd will burn against you." When Israel do His will, He wars for them, viz. (Exodus 14:14) "The L rd will war for you." And when they do not do His will, He wars against them, viz. (Isaiah 63:10) "And He turned into a foe of theirs; He warred against them." (Exodus 15:6) "Your right hand, O L rd, will break the foe": It is not written "broke the foe," but "will break the foe," in the future, viz. (Habakkuk 3:12) "In fury You will tread the earth; in wrath You will trample nations." "breaks the foe": This is Pharaoh, viz. (Exodus 15:9) "The foe (in this context, Pharaoh) said, etc." Variantly: This is Esav, viz. (Ezekiel 36:2) "Because the foe has said against you 'He'ach!', etc."

Chapter 4: Every twelve months they (the evil ones) are made into ashes and the wind scatters them under the feet of the righteous, as it is written: "And you shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet." (Malachi 3:21), and after that, their souls return into them and they go out from Gehinnom and their faces are black like the bottom of a pot and they affirm the righteousness of the judgement over them and say: You have sentenced us properly, You have judged us properly. Lord, righteousness is Yours, but we are shamefaced, as of this day. But the nations of the world, the worshipers of foreign worship, they judge them in seven pyres of fire and in every individual pyre [they are judged for] twelve months. And the River of Fire goes out from under the Throne of Glory and descends on them and goes from one end of the world to its other end. And there are seven pyres in Gehinnom (reading בגיהנם as per mss.) (In the Midrash Rut HaNe'elam they detailed the seven pyres. See Zohar Chadash: 33, and see also Zohar: Terumah: 150b that there is a place in Gehinnom that is called boiling excrement ..., also in Midrash Tehillim 11:6), and in each individual pyre there are six thousand houses, and in each individual house there are six thousand windows, and in each individual window there are six thousand jugs of bitterness, and all of them are prepared for the scribes and for the judges that did not act reasonably, and concerning that time Solomon said: "And in the end you roar, When your flesh and body are consumed..." (Proverbs 5:11), and not one of them escapes, unless there is Torah and good deeds in him. After all of this, the Holy One Blessed Is He has mercy on His creations, as it is said: "For I will not always contend, I will not be angry forever: Nay, I who make spirits flag, Also create the breath of life." (Isaiah 57:16).

[(Gen. 19:24:) THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN.] This text is related (to Ps. 11:6): UPON THE WICKED HE SHALL RAIN COALS; FIRE, BRIMSTONE, AND BURNING WIND SHALL BE THE PORTION OF THEIR CUP. This portion was prepared before the world was created, as stated (ibid.): THE PORTION OF THEIR CUP. What is the meaning of THE PORTION OF THEIR CUP? (Ps. 75:9:) FOR IN THE HAND OF THE LORD THERE IS A CUP FOAMING WITH WINE, FULL OF MIXED WINE; AND OUT OF THIS HE POURS. < AS FOR ITS DREGS, SURELY ALL THE WICKED OF THE EARTH SHALL DRAIN THEM OUT AND DRINK THEM. > FOR IN THE HAND OF THE LORD THERE IS A CUP…. Lest you say that it was not full, the text says: FULL OF MIXED WINE. Lest you say: They did not drink from it, the text says: OUT OF THIS HE POURS. AS FOR ITS DREGS, SURELY ALL THE WICKED OF THE EARTH SHALL DRAIN THEM OUT AND DRINK THEM. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 11:6): THE PORTION OF THEIR CUP. From that cup they drank, as stated (in Ps. 11:6): THE PORTION OF THEIR CUP.

(Exod. 16:4:) THEN THE LORD SAID UNTO MOSES: BEHOLD, I WILL RAIN DOWN BREAD FROM THE HEAVENS FOR YOU. This text is related (to Job 36:31): FOR THROUGH THESE THINGS HE JUDGES PEOPLES. These things are the heavens; through them he judges the peoples of the world. You yourself know that, when the generation of the flood sinned, he judged them through those < heavens >, as stated (in Ps. 11:6): HE WILL RAIN DOWN SNARES UPON THE WICKED…. Ergo (in Job 36:31): FOR THROUGH THESE THINGS HE JUDGES PEOPLES…. When the people of Sodom sinned, he judged them through the heavens, as stated (in Gen. 19:24): THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM….⁶⁶Cf. Exod. R. 25:1. Also when Sisera sinned, he judged him through the heavens, as stated (in Jud. 5:20): <THE STARS > FOUGHT FROM THE HEAVENS …. Through the heavens he judges the peoples. (Job 36:31, cont.:) HE GIVES FOOD IN ABUNDANCE. From those < heavens > we know that he gave nourishment to Israel. To what is the matter comparable? To a baker who was standing at the oven.⁶⁷Cf. above, Gen. 4:19; Gen. R. 51:2. When his enemy entered, he raked up burning coals, and put them on his head. When his friend entered, he took out <some> hot bread. Thus <the oven> gave him the burning coals and the bread. Both of them came out of the oven. So the Holy One brought down fire upon the Sodomites and burned them up, but for Israel he brought down manna from heaven, as stated (in Exod. 16:4): BEHOLD, I WILL RAIN DOWN <BREAD FROM THE HEAVENS > FOR YOU….