이사야 46:3의 미드라쉬

(Deut. 32:1:) “Give ear, O heavens, and let me speak; let the earth hear the words of my mouth.” This text is related (to Prov. 16:26), “The soul of a laborer labors for him, because his mouth (i.e., hunger) urges him on.” Why did Moses call to the heavens and the earth at the time of his passing away? [It was] simply to teach you that he called them to charge them concerning himself. He said to them, “Behold, the Holy One, blessed be He, has decreed over me that I am to die. Set your mind on how you will receive me in glory, so that you look at me as if I were alive and speaking words of Torah for the world.” (Deut. 32:1:) “Give ear, O heavens,” as I have already told you (in Deut. 4:26), “I have called heaven and earth to witness against you today.” See to it that you do not accuse¹Rt.: QTRG, from the Greek verb kategorein. Israel after my death,²See III Enoch 26:12 = Sefer Enoch: Seder Ruhot, in A. Jellinek, Beth ha-Midrasch (Leipzig: C. W. Vollfath, 1853–57), vol. 5, pp. 179–180. but be mindful, as if I were alive, standing up to ask mercy for [Israel]. Isaiah said (in Is. 1:2), “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth.” What was the reason for Isaiah saying, “Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth?” [It was] simply to teach you that all the words of the prophets are equivalent. Moses said, “Give ear, O heavens,” and Isaiah said, “Hear, O heavens.” R. Aqiva said, “[This] teaches that when Moses uttered the Torah, he was in the heavens, and that he was speaking with the heavens like one who is speaking with his friend, since he said, ‘Give ear, O heavens.’ But when he saw that the earth was far from him, he said, ‘Let the earth hear the words of my mouth.’ In the case of Isaiah, however, because he was on earth, he said, ‘Hear, O heavens,’ [since they were] far from him. After that he said, ‘And give ear, O earth, because it was near to him. (Is. 1:2, cont.:) “For the Lord has spoken.” They said to him, “Isaiah our teacher, if the Holy One, blessed be He, had spoken, would not the earth have quaked? Has it not already been stated (in Ps. 68:9), ‘The earth quaked, and the heavens [poured], because of the God of Sinai, [because of God, the God of Israel].’ The waters also trembled, as stated (in Ps. 93:4), ‘Than the roarings of many waters....’ When? [When] (in Exod. 20:1) ‘God spoke all these words, saying.’ If he had spoken with you, would you have lived?” It is comparable to a governor who entered a city. A prefect³Gk.: strategos. of that city came. When the governor came to speak with them, they became bewildered. In a few days, a certain bumpkin came. He said to them, “This is my friend, and I am accustomed to speak with him.” They said to him, “We cannot speak with him, but if he is your friend, speak with him on our behalf, and then [speak] with us [and let us know what he says].” [Similarly,] Israel said to Isaiah, “In our case he has called us his children, as stated (in Exod. 4:22), ‘Israel is My first-born son.’ It is also written (in Is. 46:3), ‘[Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob …,] the ones who have been borne by Me from birth, [carried from the womb].’ When He spoke with us at Sinai, our soul departed with His word. Should He speak with us [again], we shall die. But you are our master; draw near and listen, just as Moses our master did.” And what was this crown (status) that Isaiah had? What is stated (in Is. 49:5), “And now the Lord has spoken, the One who formed me in the womb to be His servant […].” Therefore is it stated (in Is. 32:1:) “Hear, O heavens….”

(Is. 1:2, cont.:) FOR THE LORD HAS SPOKEN. They said to Isaiah: If the Lord had spoken, would not the earth have quaked? Moreover, there is the text (of Ps. 68:9 [8]): THE EARTH QUAKED, AND THE HEAVENS POURED, <BECAUSE OF THE GOD OF SINAI, BECAUSE OF GOD, THE GOD OF ISRAEL>. The waters also trembled, as stated (in Ps. 93:4): THAN THE ROARINGS OF MANY WATERS. When? <When> (in Exod. 20:1) GOD SPOKE ALL THESE WORDS, SAYING. If he had spoken with you, would you⁴So the parallel text in Tanh., Deut. 10:1. The Biber text reads “I.” have lived? It is comparable to a governor who entered a city. A prefect⁵Gk.: strategos. of that city came. When the governor came to speak with them, they became bewildered. A certain bumpkin came. The governor said to them: This is my friend, and am accustomed to speak with him. They said to him: We cannot speak with him, but if he is your friend, speak with him on our behalf. Similarly, Israel said to Isaiah: In our case he has called us his children, as stated (in Exod. 4:22): ISRAEL IS MY FIRST-BORN SON. It is also written (in Is. 46:3) <HEARKEN UNTO ME, O HOUSE OF JACOB …,> THE ONES WHO HAVE BEEN BORNE BY ME FROM BIRTH, <CARRIED FROM THE WOMB>. When he spoke with us at Horeb, our soul departed at his word. Should he speak with us <again>, we shall die. But you are our master. You draw near and listen, just as Moses our Master did. And what was this protection that Isaiah had? What is stated (in Is. 49:5): AND NOW THE LORD HAS SPOKEN, THE ONE WHO FORMED ME IN THE WOMB TO BE HIS SERVANT…. He therefore said (in Is. 32:1:) HEAR, O HEAVENS….

Another interpretation: "Number all the first-born males..." (Numbers 3:40) This is what is written (Song of Songs 6:8-9): "There are threescore queens ... My dove, my undefiled, is but one ..." Compare in parable to a person who had a sales-bundle of glass stones and would bring them them to the market, but would not notice their number, since he would not bring them out by number. He would go in to put them away and would not put them away by number, since he would not care about them, as they were glass. But he had one sales-bundle of precious pearls, and he would take it and bring it out by number and put it away by number. Similarly, so to speak, the Holy One Blessed be He said to the nations of the world, "I have not assigned a number. Why? Because they are not important to me at all. As it says (Isaiah 40:17), 'All the nations are as nothing before Him.' But you are My children, as it says, (Isaiah 46:3), 'that are borne [by Me] from the birth ...' Therefore, I count you all the time." Therefore, it is said "Number all the first-born males." That is: "There are threescore queens ... My dove, my undefiled, is but one ..." - these are Israel.

“…and the people shall go out and gather what is needed for the day…” (Exodus 16:4) This is what is written “Blessed is the Lord; every day…” (Psalms 68:20) The Holy One said to Israel: with the measure that a man measures with, so he is measured. I gave you the Torah in order that you be occupied with it every day, as it says “Fortunate is the man who listens to me to watch by my doors day by day…” (Proverbs 8:34) And so too “Yet they seek Me daily…” (Isaiah 58:2) By your lives, I will satisfy you with food from the heavens every day, as it says “…and the people shall go out and gather what is needed for the day, so that I can test them, whether or not they will follow My teaching.” (Exodus 16:4) Furthermore, I will bless you every day, as it says “Blessed is the Lord; every day God lavishes upon us…” (Psalms 68:20) When you do My will I will call you “…borne from birth…” (Isaiah 46:3) and I will fill up (ma’amis) for you the cup of salvation in the merit of the Holy Temple, which is called a ‘stone of burden’ (maamasa), as it says “And it shall come to pass on that day that I will make Jerusalem a stone of burden for all peoples…” (Zechariah 12:3)