욥기 24:19의 미드라쉬

R. Chisda said: "Rains are not withheld except for the sin of neglecting the duty of [giving] T'rumath and tithes; as it is said (Job 24, 19) Draught and heat speedily consume the snow waters." What does that prove? In the college of R. Ishmael it was taught that this 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 winter of snow-water....

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.

Chapter 3: It is stated: Three go down to Gehinnom and don't go up: The one who has an affair with someone's wife and the one who whitens the face (embarrasses) of his friend in public and the one who swears falsely in the name of God, and some say even the one who is honored through the dishonor of his friend and the one who causes friction between a man and his wife to bring strife between them. On every Sabbath eve, they bring them to two snowy mountains and leave them there, and at the Sabbath's departure, they return them to their places, and an angel goes out and pushes them and returns them to their places in Gehinnom. And from them (the mountains) they take snow and put it beneath their underarms in order to cool them during the six weekdays, and the Holy One Blessed Is He says to them: Evil ones, Woe to you that even in Gehinnom you are stealing, as it is said: "May drought and heat snatch away their snow waters, And Sheol, those who have sinned." (Job 24:19, read homiletically as they will snatch away snow waters), as if to say: even in Sheol they sinned.

(Ibid. 12) "Always the eyes of the L-rd your G-d are in it (from the beginning of the year to the end of the year," i.e., for good), and elsewhere it is written (Psalms 104:32) "He looks to the earth and it trembles; He touches the mountains and they smoke." How are these verses to be reconciled? When Israel does the L-rd's will — "Always the eyes of the L-rd your G-d are in it," and they are not harmed. When Israel do not do the L-rd's will — "He looks to the earth and it trembles; He touches the mountains and they smoke." Variantly: "Always the eyes of the L-rd your G-d are in it": sometimes for good; sometimes for ill. How so for good? If Israel were wicked on Rosh Hashanah and scant rain was decreed upon them (for the year), and they repented — to add to them (the rains) is impossible, for the decree has already gone forth; but the Holy One Blessed be He brings them down upon the land in their (optimum) time, when it is in need of them. How so for ill? If Israel were absolutely righteous on Rosh Hashanah, and abundant rain was decreed upon them, and they repented (of their good) — to detract from them (the rains) is impossible, for the decree has already gone forth; but the Holy One Blessed be He brings them down upon the land, not in their (optimum) time, when it is not in need of them, upon deserts and seas, as it is written (Job 24:19) "Dryness, also heat, will steal from the days of snow. They have sinned unto Sheol": What you have done against Me in the days of heat (i.e., at harvest time) — that you have not separated terumoth and tithes — will steal the rains from you.