시편 89:2 미드라쉬: Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer & Midrash Tehillim

(Exodus 15:13) "You have led forth in lovingkindness (chesed)": You have done chesed with us, for we were without (redeeming) deeds, viz. (Isaiah 63:7) "The lovingkindnesses of the L–rd will I proclaim, etc.", (Psalms 89:2) "The lovingkindnesses of the L–rd will I ever sing, etc." And the world in its very beginning was built only with chesed, viz. (Ibid. 3) "I said that the world (with) chesed will be built."

Rabbi Miasha said: Cain was born, and his wife, his twin-sister, with him. Rabbi Simeon said to him: Has it not already been said, "And if a man shall take his sister, his father's daughter, or his mother's daughter, and see her nakedness, and she see his nakedness; it is a shameful thing"? (Lev. 20:17). From these words know that there were no other women whom they could marry, and these were permitted to them, as it is said, "For I have said, The world shall be built up by love" (Ps. 89:2). With love was the world built up before the Torah had been given. Rabbi Joseph said: Cain and Abel were twins, as it is said, "And she conceived, and bare (with) Cain" (Gen. 4:1). At that hour she had an additional capacity for child-bearing (as it is said), "And she continued to bear his brother Abel" (Gen. 4:2).

"The word of God stands firm in the heavens forever. Isaiah said (Isaiah 40:8), 'The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.' Similarly, David said (Psalm 89:3), 'Forever, O Lord, your word is firmly fixed in the heavens.' And why is it standing firm without change, not based on one witness or two, but every supreme court appoints it? And so it says (Psalm 89:8), 'O Lord God of hosts, who is mighty as you are, O Lord, with your faithfulness all around you?' And so Daniel says (Daniel 4:14), 'According to the decree of the watchers, the sentence is announced, and the decision of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.' And it says (Daniel 2:28), 'But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days.' And why does it say 'and a great army'? They said that a great army is appointed over it. Therefore it says (Daniel 4:31), 'The sentence is by the decree of the watchers, the decision by the word of the holy ones, to the end that the living may know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will and sets over it the lowliest of men.' Job said (Job 23:13), 'But he is unchangeable, and who can turn him back? What he desires, that he does.' They said to Micah, 'What have you seen?' He said (1 Kings 22:19-20), 'I saw the Lord sitting on his throne, and all the host of heaven standing beside him.' " And the Lord said, "Who will entice [him]...?" (2 Samuel 24:1). And one [commentator] says this [means] one thing, and another [commentator] says [it means] another thing. But they all agree upon it. Therefore it is said: "Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in heaven" (Psalms 119:89). What is the meaning of "Your word stands firm in heaven"? What is this thing that stands firm in heaven? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Upon what do the heavens stand? Upon that which I said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters,' and it was so" (Genesis 1:6-7). And it is written, "For He spoke, and it was; He commanded, and it stood" (Psalms 33:9). That very thing which He said, He made. Therefore it is said (Psalms 148:5), "He commanded, and they were created." In the word of the Lord, the heavens were made, and in that very thing with which He created them, they stand forever. Therefore it is said, "Forever, O Lord, Your word stands firm in heaven" (Psalms 119:89). "Your faithfulness endures to all generations" (ibid. v. 90). The heavens and the earth stand [firm] based on faith, as it is said (ibid. 89:3), "The world stands firm with Your kindness." And likewise it says (Proverbs 20:9), "Who can say, 'I have purified my heart, I have cleansed myself from my sins'?" And (Job 15:15), "Behold, He does not trust in His holy ones; even the heavens are not pure in His eyes." And who can escape, as everything stands in judgment. Therefore it is said (Micah 1:3), "For behold, the Lord is coming out of His place, and He will descend and tread on the high places of the earth. And the mountains will melt under Him, and the valleys will split open like wax before the fire, like water poured down a steep slope" (Micah 1:3-4).