Midrash su Zaccaria 8:23

...R’ Yehoshua be Levi said: If the nations of the world knew how good the Holy Temple was for them, they would surround it with fortifications in order to guard it. It was better for them than it was for Israel, just as Shlomo ordered his prayer “And also to the stranger, who is not of Your people Israel…” (Kings I 8:41 and it is written “…and do according to all that the stranger calls You for…” (Kings I 8:43) But when it comes to Israel, what is written? “…and give to each man according to his ways, whose heart You know…” (Chronicles II 6:30) If it was appropriate, He would give, and if not He would not. Don’t say that (they should value) the Holy Temple. Rather, if it were not for Israel the rain would not fall and the sun would not shine, because in their merit the Holy One brings plenty to His world. In the world to come the nations of the world will see how the Holy One is with Israel and they will come to cleave to them, as it says “In those days, when ten men of all the languages of the nations…” (Zechariah 8:23)

Resh Lakish said: "Whoever observes carefully the precepts concerning Tzitzith will, as a reward, have two thousand eight hundred servants to wait upon him; for it is said (Zech. 8, 23.) Thus said the Lord of Hosts, 'In those days it shall come to pass that ten men out of all the languages of the nations, shall take hold — yea, they shall take hold of the skirts of him that is a Jew, saying. Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.' " We are taught that R. Nechemia says: "As a punishment for gratuitous hatred, the penalty is strife at the home of that man; and his wife will have miscarriages; and the sons and daughters of that man will die prematurely." R. Elazar, the son of R. Juda, said: "The punishment for the sin of neglecting to separate Challah is an unblessed harvest gathering; a curse will be sent upon the prices of food; and they will sow, but strangers will eat them up, as it is said (Lev. 26, 16.) Then will I also do this unto you; I will inflict on you terror, consumption and fever that consume the eyes and cause sorrow to the heart; and you shall sow your seed in vain, for your enemies shall eat it up. Do not read Behala (terror) but B'chala (on account of Challah), and if the separation of Challah is observed, then, blessings will follow, as it is said (Ezek. 44, 30.) And the first of your dough shall you give to the priest, to cause a blessing to rest on thy house." The punishment for the sin of neglecting laws concerning Terumah and tithes, is that the sky will withhold rain and dew; high prices [in food] will prevail; there will be no profits, and men will run about to earn a livelihood and will not succeed; as it is said (Job 24, 19.) Drought and heat speedily consume the snow waters; so doth the grave those who have sinned. What does that prove? In the academy of R. Ishmael it was taught that it means: "On account of your failure to discharge the duties which I commanded you to perform during the summer you will be robbed during the snow-water winter." But if they do give [Terumah and tithes] they will be blessed, as it is said (Malachi 3, 10.) Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse that there may be provision in my house, and prove me but herewith, saith the Lord of Hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing Aad b'li duy? What is meant by Aad b'li duy? Rami b. Chama in the name of Rab said: "Until your lips grow tired of saying it is enough;" The penalty for the sin of robbery is an invasion of locusts; famine prevails, and people will be fed on the flesh of their own sons and daughters; as it is said (Amos 4, 1.) Hear this word, O ye cows of Bashan, that are on the Mount of Samaria, who oppresseth the poor, who crusheth the needy. (Fol. 33a) Raba said: "For instance, those women of Mechuza who eat but do nothing [they force their husbands to deal dishonestly and to rob]; and it is also written (Ib. ib. 9.) I had smitten you with blasting and mildew, etc., and your vineyards, your fig-trees and your olive trees did the caterpillar devour. It is also written (Joel 1, 4.) What the caterpillar left hath the cankerworm eaten, and that which the cankerworm left hath the crickets eaten; and it is also written (Is. 9, 19.) And he snatcheth on the right hand and is (yet) hungry; and he eateth on the left hand, and is not (yet) satisfied; every man shall eat the flesh of his own arm. Do not read Zero'o (his arm) but read Zaro (his children)." As punishment for the sin of delaying sentence, perverting sentence, corrupting sentence, and neglecting to study the Torah, the sword [of an enemy], with its terrible preying system, pestilence and famine, will come. People will eat but will never be satisfied; they will eat their bread by weight; as it is written (Lev. 26, 25.) And I will bring over you the sword, avenging the quarrel of my covenant. And it is also written (Ib. ib. 26.) When I break unto you the staff of bread; and ten women shall bake your bread in one oven, and they shall deliver your bread by weight, and ye shall eat and not be satisfied, i.e., the word Brith (covenant) refers to the Torah, for it is written (Jer. 33, 25.) If my covenant (Brith) were not by day and night, etc., and it is written (Lev. 26, 43.) Because even they despised my ordinances. As punishment for the sin of swearing in vain, swearing falsely, defaming of the name of God, and desecration of the Sabbath, wild beasts multiply, cattle are destroyed, the people decrease, and the roads become desolate, as it is said (Lev. 25, 23.) And if notwithstanding these things, ye will not be reformed by me. Do not read B'aile (these things) but read it B'ala (swearing), and it is written (Ib. ib. 22.) And I will send out against you the beasts of the field, etc. [Hence we know that the above punishment is for swearing falsely]. It is written concerning swearing falsely (Ib. 19.) And ye shall not swear by my name falsely and thou shalt not thus profane the name of God (Chilalta); concerning the defamation of the name of God it is written (Ib. 22, 12.) So that they profane not my Holy name (T'chalalu), and concerning the desecration of the Sabbath, it is written (Ex. 31, 14.) Every one that defileth it (Mechalaleha) shall surely be put to death. We infer from the word, Chillul (profanation) which appears in all three places [that the punishment for defaming God's name and desecrating the Sabbath is the multiplication of wild beasts, as it is in the case of swearing falsely]. As a punishment for the sin of shedding blood, the Temple is destroyed and the Shechina departs from Israel, as it is written (Num. 35, 33.) And ye shall not defile, etc., and ye shall not render unclean the land which ye inhabit, in the midst of which I dwell, i.e., but if ye do render unclean the land which ye inhabit, then ye will neither inhabit it nor will I live in your midst. As a punishment for the sin of adultery, idolatry and for the neglect of the laws concerning land in the Sabbatical years and the years of Jubilee exile comes, and other nations come and occupy the places of those exiled; as it is written (Lev. 18, 2.) For all these abominations have the men of the land done, etc., and again (Ib.) And the land became defiled, etc. Wherefore I have visited its iniquity upon it, etc. It is also written (Ib. ib. 28.) That the land may not submit you forth when ye defile it. Concerning the warning against idolatry, it is written (Ib. 26, 30.) And I shall cast your carcasses, etc. It is also written further And I will make desolate your sanctuary, etc. And ye will be scattered among the nations. Concerning the warning in the matters of the Sabbatical year and the year of Jubilee, it is written (Ib. ib. 34.) Then shall the land satisfy its Sabbath, all the days of its desolation, when ye are in the land of the enemies, etc. All the days of its supposed desolation shall it rest.

(Numb. 1:1:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses in the Sinai desert, in the tent of meeting.” Before the tent of meeting was set up, He spoke with him in the bush, as stated (in Exod. 3:4), “and God called him from the bush.¹³Numb. R. 1:3. After that He spoke with him in Midian, as stated (in Exod. 4:19), “Then the Lord said unto Moses in Midian.” After that He spoke with him in Egypt, as stated (in Exod. 12:1), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses and unto Aaron in the land of Egypt.” After that He spoke with him at Sinai, as stated (in Lev. 25:1), “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses on Mount Sinai.” When the tent of meeting was set up, He said, “Humility is beautiful,” as stated (in Micah 6:8), “and to walk humbly with your God.” [So] He began to speak with him in the tent of meeting. Likewise David also says (in Ps. 45:14), “All glorious is the king's daughter within; her clothing is of gold brocade.” “The king's daughter” – that is Moses, as stated (Exod. 2:10), “and she brought him to the daughter of Pharaoh, and he was a son to her.” And it is written (in Is. 19:4), “And I will deliver the Egyptians into the hand of a harsh lord.” – these¹⁴Since LORD (adonim) is a plural of excellence or majesty, it is readily seen as representing a plurality of plagues. are the plagues which came upon the Egyptians; (ibid., cont.) “and a strong king shall rule over them” – this is Moses, who was king of Torah, which is called strength, where it is stated (in Ps. 29:11), “The Lord will grant strength to His people.” Ergo (in Ps. 45:14), “All glorious is the king's daughter within.” (Ibid., cont.) “Her clothing is of gold brocade.” This is Aaron, since it is stated (in Exod. 28:13), “And you shall make a gold brocade.” Hence, our masters have said, “Every bride who conceals herself (because of modesty), even though she be an [ordinary] Israelite woman, is worthy of being married to a priest and to raise up high priests, since it is stated (in Ps. 45:14), ‘All glorious is the king's daughter within; her clothing is of gold brocade.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “My honor is like this” – that He speak from within, as stated (in Numb. 7:89), “When Moses went into the tent of meeting to speak with Him, he would hear the voice speaking unto him.” R. Joshua ben Levi said, “If the people of the world had known how auspicious the Temple was for them, they would have surrounded it with military encampments¹⁵Lat. castra. in order to protect it,¹⁶Lev. R. 1:11. since it was more auspicious for them than for any of Israel; for thus did Solomon set forth in his prayer (in I Kings 8:41-42), ‘And likewise, unto the foreigner, who is not of Your people Israel […] may You hearken [unto him] from heaven […] and do according to all that the foreigner cries out unto You.’ But when he comes to Israel, what is written? (In II Chron. 6:30) ‘and You shall give to each one according to all his ways, since You know his heart.’ Solomon said, ‘Master of the universe, if he is worthy, give to him; if he is not worthy, do not give to him.’” Moreover, you should not [only] say that the Temple [was auspicious for them]. In fact, if it had not been for Israel, no rain would ever have come down¹⁷Cf. Gen. R. 39:12. nor would the sun have shown; for it was through their merit that rain falls and that the Holy One, blessed be He, has [the sun] shine in this world. And in the future, the peoples of the world shall see, how the Holy One, blessed be He, clings to Israel, and they shall cling to them [as well], as stated (in Zech. 8:23), “Let us go with you for we have heard that God is with you.”