Midrash su Salmi 145:17

R. Simon said in the name of R. Joshua b. Levi: Manzapak [מנצפ"ך] is a Mosaic halahhah from Sinai. R, Jeremiah said in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba: They are what the zofim [i.e. prophets] instituted. It once happened on a stormy day that the Sages did not attend the House of Assembly [i.e. the Academy]. Some children were there and they said, 'Come and let us make a House of Assembly. Why are there written [two different forms when the following letters come in the middle or end of a word respectively] mem [מ] mem [ם], nun [נ] nun [ן], tzadi [צ], tzadi [ץ], pai [פ] pai [ף]? It teaches [that the Torah was transmitted] from utterance [מאמר] to utterance, from Faithful [נאמן] to faithful, from Righteous [צדיק] to righteous, from mouth [פה] to mouth, and from hand [כף] to hand. From utterance to utterance — from the utterance of the Holy One, blessed be He, to the utterance of Moses. From Faithful to faithful— from theAlmighty, who is designated, "God, faithful King," to Moses, who is designated faithful, as it is written, "He [Moses] is faithful in all My house" (Numbers 12:7). From Righteous to righteous— from God, who is designated righteous, as it is written, "The Lord is righteous in all His ways" (Psalms 145:17), to Moses who is designated righteous, as it is written, "He executed the righteousness of the Lord" (Deuteronomy 33:21). From mouth to mouth — from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, to the mouth of Moses. From hand to hand: from the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, to the hand of Moses. They completed them and they grew to be great sages in Israel; some say that they were R. Eliezer, R. Joshua and R. Akiba. They applied to them the verse, "Even a child is known by his doings, etc." (Proverbs 20:11).

R. Jochanan in the name of R. Jose said: "Whence do we learn that we must not attempt to appease a man at the moment of his excitement? It is written (Ex. 33, 14.) My presence shall walk before you, and I will give thee rest, i.e., the Holy One, praised be He! said unto Moses. "Wait for me until my excitement shall subside and I shall then give thee rest.' " Is wrath [to be ascribed] to the Holy One — praised be He? Yea! As it is taught; And a God who is angry every day (Ps. 7, 12). And how long does His anger last? For a moment. And how long lasts a moment? One fifty-eight thousand eight hundred and eighty-eighth part of an hour; and this is meant by the word Regga (moment); and no creature is able to determine that exact moment [when the anger arises] except Bilam the wicked, for it is written (Num. 24, 16.) And knoweth the knowledge of the most High. How is it possible? If he did not know even the temperament of his animal, how could he acquire a knowledge of the Most High? We must therefore say that he knew how to determine the exact hour in which the Holy One, praised be He! is angry. And this is meant by the prophet who said to Israel (Micha 6, 5.) O my people, do but remember what Balak the king of Moab resolved in order to know the gracious benefits of the Lord. What is meant by The gracious benefits of the Lord. R. Elazar said: "Thus said the Holy One, praised be He! unto Israel. 'Do but remember how many gracious benefits I bestowed unto ye, that I kept myself back from becoming angry during all the days of Bilam, the wicked; for my anger might have inflicted a great misfortune upon them [in that generation].' And this is meant by Bilam when he said. (Num. 23, 8.) How shall I denounce, whom God hath not denounced? And how shall I defy, when the Lord hath not defied?" And how long endureth His anger? A Regga (moment). How long does a Regga last? R. Abin and according to some R. Abina said: "A Regga lasts as long as it takes to utter it." And whence do we learn that God is angry? It is said (Ps. 30, 6.) For His anger is momentary, (but) life rests upon his favor. And if you wish I say from this (Is. 26, 20.) Hide thyself but for about a moment, until anger passeth away. And when is He angry? Abaye said: "During the first three hours of the day, when the crest of the cock becomes white and he stands on one leg." But the cock stands like that all the time? At all times it has red stripes [in the white crest], but in that particular hour there are no red stripes whatsoever. A certain heretic was in the neighborhood of R. Joshua b. Levi, and annoyed him exceedingly, questioning him about various passages. One day R. Joshua b. Levi took a cock, tied it to his bed and watched it, thinking that as soon as he would notice the sign, he would curse the heretic. But before the time came, sleep overtook him. So he said: "I learn from this [incident] that it is not proper to do such a thing: And he is beneficent in all His work, it is written (Ps. 145, 17.) and it is also written (Pr. 17, 26.) Punishment, even to the just, is not good." It was taught in the name of R. Meier: "At the time when the sun rises and all the heathen Kings of the East and West, with their crowns upon their heads, prostrate themselves before the sun, there-upon the Holy One, praised he He! immediately becomes angry."

(Exodus 13:3) "And Moses said to the people: Remember this day when you went out of Egypt, etc." I know only that the exodus from Egypt is mentioned in the daytime. Whence do I derive (the same for) the evenings? From (Devarim 16:3) "… so that you remember the day of your going out of Egypt all the days of your life": "the days of your life" — the days; "all the days of your life" — (to include) the nights, as per Ben Zoma. The sages say: "the days of your life" — in this world; "all the days of your life" — to include the days of the Messiah. Ben Zoma said to them: Israel is destined not to mention the exodus from Egypt in time to come, it being written (Jeremiah 23:7-8) "Therefore, behold, days are coming, says the L rd, when it will no more be said: 'As the L rd lives, who brought up the children of Israel from the land of Egypt, but as the L rd lives, who brought up and who brought the seed of the house of Israel from the land of the north.'" R. Nathan says: "who brought up and who brought": The exodus from Egypt is mentioned in time to come. And whence is it derived that we say "Blessed are You, O L rd our G d, and the G d of our fathers, the G d of Abraham, the G d of Isaac, and the G d of Jacob"? From (Exodus 3:15) "and G d said further to Moses: Thus shall you say to the children of Israel: The L rd, the G d of your fathers, the G d of Abraham, the G d of Isaac, and the G d of Jacob, sent me to you." And whence is grace over meals derived? From (Devarim 8:10) "and you shall eat and you shall be sated" — this is the first blessing. "for the land" — this is the second blessing. "the good" — this is "who builds Jerusalem," viz. (Ibid. 3:25) "the good land … and the Levanon." "that he gave you" — who gave all good to us (this is the blessing of "hatov vehametiv"). R. Chiyya b. Nachmani said in the name of R. Yishmael: It is already written (Ibid. 8:10) "and you shall eat and you shall be sated, etc." What would be lacking if it were not written "that He gave to you"? (It is written to signify that you must thank Him) both for His measure of good and for His measure of punishment. This tells me that a blessing is required after eating. Whence do I derive that it is required (also) before eating? R. Yishmael says: It follows a fortiori, viz.: If one who has eaten to satiety requires a blessing, how much more so, one who is hungry! R. Nathan says: It is written (I Samuel 9:13) "As soon as you enter the town, you will find him before he ascends the mount to eat; for the people will not eat until he comes, for he will first bless the offering, etc." R. Yitzchak says: It is written (Exodus 23:25) "And you shall serve the L rd your G d, and He will bless your bread and your water." When is it "your bread"? Before you have eaten it. This tells me only of food as requiring a blessing before it and after it. Whence do I derive (the same for) Torah? R. Yishmael says: It follows a fortiori, viz.: If food, which is only temporal, requires a blessing before and after it, how much more so Torah, which is eternal! R. Yehudah b. Betheira says: It is written (Devarim 8:10) "and you shall eat and you shall be sated and you shall bless … for the good land." What is lacking that "good" supplies? This ("good") is Torah, as it is written (Mishlei 4:2) "for a taking of 'good' have I given to you." R. Chanina, the son of the brother of R. Yehoshua says: It is written (Devarim 32:3) "When I call upon the name of the L rd" — the blesser; "give grandeur to our G d" — the answerers. And what do they answer? "Blessed is the L rd who is blessed forever." And when he mentions His name, they respond "Blessed is the name of the glory of His kingdom forever." And thus did David say (Psalms 34:4) "Exalt the L rd with me, and let us extol His name forever." Rebbi says (Mishlei 10:7) "the remembrance of the Tzaddik is for blessing": When he mentions the Tzaddik, "the Life of the worlds" — (Psalms 145:17) "the L rd is a tzaddik in all of His ways — let it be for blessing "Amen!"