Midrash su Salmi 31:19

Rabbi Hunna in the name of Bar Kafra opened with (Psalms 31:19): "Let the lying lips be dumb, that speak against the righteous arrogantly with pride and contempt." Let them be bound, made dumb, and silenced. "Let them be bound and made dumb"--as it says (Exodus 4:11): "Or who made one mute, or deaf, or seeing, or blind? Was it not I, God?" and it says (Genesis 37:7): "We were binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf rose." (The word for 'sheaf' is similar to 'mute'.) "Let them be silenced"--as it sounds. "Which speak against the righteous"--the life of all worlds (God). "Arrogantly"--[on matters] he has hidden from his creatures (The word for 'arrogant' is similar to 'hidden'). "In pride"--to boast and say: "I can explain creation." "And contempt"--to hold My glory in contempt. As Rabbi Yossi Bar Chanina said: One who honor's oneself at the expense of one's friend has no share in the World to Come. How much more so with the honor of God! And it says afterward (Psalms 31:20): "How abundant is Your goodness that you have laid up for those who fear You." Those who fear You and not for those who hold Your awe in contempt. When a king builds a palace in a place of sewers, dunghills, and garbage, everyone who says: "This palace is built on sewers, dunghills, and garbage" discredits it. So too, everyone who says the universe was created from nothingness discredits it. Rabbi Hunna in the name of Bar Kafra said: If it were not written, it would be impossible to say it. "In the beginning God created" from what? "And the earth was empty."

When R. Dimi came from Palestine, he said: "Whence do we deduce that if one is aware that his debtor has nothing with which to pay, he must not pass him by? From the following verse (Ex. 22, 24) Thou shalt not be to him as a creditor." R. Ami and R. Assi both said: "The debtor feels as if he were punished with two sentences [fire and water], as it is said (Ps. 66, 12) Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water." R. Juda said, in the name of Rab: Who lends money to anyone without witnesses transgresses the commandment (Lev. 19, 14) Nor put a stumbling block before the blind." Resh Lakish adds that he causes a curse upon himself, as it is said (Ps. 31, 19) Let the lying lips be dumb which speak arrogantly against the righteous."

(Exod. 39:33:) AND THEY BROUGHT THE TABERNACLE UNTO MOSES…. This text is related (to Ps. 31:19 [18]): LET LYING LIPS BE DUMB THAT SPEAK HAUGHTILY AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUS. <The verse > speaks about Moses.²²Exod. R. 52:2. When the Holy One told him to make [a tabernacle], he immediately told them (in Exod. 35:5): TAKE FROM AMONG YOU AN OFFERING FOR THE LORD. So Moses was occupied with the Tabernacle. R. Hanina said: He was occupied with the Tabernacle for six months. For three months they made it, and for three months they had it folded away. Nevertheless they murmured about it and said: See, the Tabernacle is made. Did he not say that he would have his Divine Presence dwell with us? But the Holy One had intended the Tabernacle to go up in the month that our father Abraham had been told the good news about Isaac. He only acted when the month arrived.²³Cf. Tanh., Exod. 11:11, for a longer version. The Holy One said to him (in Exod. 40:2): ON THE FIRST DAY OF THE FIRST MONTH [YOU SHALL SET UP THE TABERNACLE OF THE TESTIMONY]. At that time the Holy One said (in Ps. 31:19 [18]): LET LYING LIPS BE DUMB THAT SPEAK HAUGHTILY AGAINST THE RIGHTEOUS. The very ones who were murmuring against the Tabernacle, began to carry it, with each and every one of them joining in the work, as stated (in Exod. 39:33): AND THEY BROUGHT THE TABERNACLE UNTO MOSES.