Midrasz do Ezechiela 3:22

R. Gidel in the name of Rab said (Fol. 8) "Whence do we infer that one may bind himself with an oath to perform a commandment? It is said (Ps. 119, 106) I have sworn, and I will perform, etc." Behold every one is bound by the Sinaic oath to perform the commandments? We must therefore say that he means it is proper to swear [to perform a religious act] in order to urge upon himself its fulfillment. R. Gidel in the name of Rab said further: "Whoever says to his associate, let us get up in the morning and study this chapter, the one that proposed it is supposed to get up first, as it is said (Ezek. 3, 22) And He said unto him, arise, go forth into the valley, etc. And I arose, and went forth into the valley; and, behold, there was the glory of the Lord standing."

{R. said:} [Another interpretation:] AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME: R. Simeon ben Zera said: Who is as humble as the Holy One? The student says to his master: Rabbi, teach me one chapter. Then he says to him: Go on ahead to such and such a place. But the Holy One said to Ezekiel (in Ezek. 3:22): GO OUT INTO THE PLAIN [AND I WILL SPEAK WITH YOU]. Then Ezekiel went out and found the Holy One, who had gone there ahead of him. It is so stated (in vs. 23): THEN I AROSE AND WENT OUT TO THE PLAIN; AND, LO, THERE WAS THE GLORY OF THE LORD. Ergo (in Ps. 18:36 = II Sam. 22:36): AND YOUR HUMILITY HAS MAGNIFIED ME.

Why did He speak to the prophets outside the land of Israel? Because of the merit of the patriarchs, as it is stated: A voice is heard in Ramah (Jer. 31:15). And after that it is written: Thus saith the Lord: “Refrain thy voice from weeping” (ibid., v. 16). Even outside the land (however), He spoke to the prophets only in places that were ritually clean, as in the case of Daniel: As I was by the side of the great river, which is Tigris (Dan. 10:4), and also: And I was by the stream Ulai (ibid. 8:3).⁶The rivers offered the opportunity to obtain ritual cleanliness. Ezekiel said to Him: As I was among the captives by the river Chebar (Ezek. 1:1). This was the Tigris. When did He speak to him? Outside the land only after he had previously spoken to him in the land, as it is said: Rise, go forth into the plain, and I will there speak with thee (ibid. 3:22).

And the Lord said unto Moses and Aaron: “This is the ordinance of the passover” (Exod. 12:43). There are chapters of the Torah in which a general statement is made at the beginning of the chapter, and a particular statement is made at its end. And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests (Exod. 19:6) is a particular statement, while the verse These are the words which thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel (ibid.) is a general statement. This is the statue of the law (Num. 19:2) is a general statement, while the verse That they bring thee a red heifer (ibid.) is a particular statement. This is the ordinance of the Passover (Exod. 12:43) is a general statement, whereas There shall no alien eat thereof (ibid.) is a particular statement. Whenever a general statement is followed by a particular one, the general statement does not include more than is contained in the particular.¹⁰The fourth of the thirteen rules of interpretation developed by R. Ishmael. This is the ordinance of the Passover. This passage deals with the Passover in Egypt. How then do we know about Passover in subsequent generations? Scripture informs us of this in the verse According to all the statutes of it, and according to all the ordinances thereof, shall ye keep it (Num. 9:3). There shall no alien eat thereof (Exod. 12:43) alludes also to a renegade Jew and a Gentile. Every man’s servant that is bought for money (ibid., v. 44). (The verse states:) Every man’s servant. Does this mean that the servant of a woman or of a child is excluded? Scripture says: That is bought for money, which implies (every servant that was purchased).

Is there any condescension greater than that shown by the Holy One, blessed be He? R. Abba ben Aha said: Ordinarily, a student in the presence of his master will wait for the master to depart before he leaves, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Ezekiel: “Arise, go forth into the plain, and I will speak there with thee”; then I arose, and went forth into the plain; and, behold, the Glory of the Lord stood there, as the glory which I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell on my face (Ezek. 3:22–23). This tells us that the Holy One, blessed be He, permitted him to depart first. Is there an example of condescension greater than this? Similarly it is expressed in the verse Moses spoke, and God answered him loudly (Exod. 19:19). Should not the verse say: “The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke, and Moses answered him loudly”? And it is written elsewhere: And the Lord said unto me: “This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, neither shall any man enter it, for the Lord, the God of Israel hath entered in by it” (Ezek. 44:1). But on the Sabbath day it shall be opened, and in the day of the new moon it shall be opened (ibid. 46:1). The honor of a human king demands that he enter through the largest gate rather than through a small one, but the Holy One, blessed be He, entered through the smallest gate.

And He said: Take, please, your son, etc. (22:2). Said God to him: ‘Take, I beg you" — please —Your son.’ ‘Which son? I have two sons’ he said. ‘Your only son,’ replied He. ‘This one is the only one of his mother, and this one is the only one of his mother.’ "The one you love"—‘Is there a limit to the affections?’ "Itzchak" said He. And why did God not reveal it to him without delay? In order to make him [Itzchak] even more beloved in his eyes and reward him for each and every word spoken. This agrees with the opinion of Rabbi Yohanan, who said: "Get out of your country" (Gen. 12:1) means from your province; “And from your kindred” (Gen. 12:1)—from your neighborhood; “And from your father’s house"(Gen. 12:1)—literally your father’s house. “To the land that I will show you” (Gen. 12:1). Why did He not reveal it to him there and then? In order to make it more beloved in his eyes and to reward him for each and every word said, and for each and every step taken. Rabbi Levi b. Hayata said: ‘Get you’ is written twice, and we do not know which was more precious [in the eyes of God] the first or the second. But when it is written, “And get you to the land of Moriah” (22:2) it follows that the second occasion was more precious than the first. "And go yourself to the land of Moriah" Rabbi Chiya Raba and Rabbi Yanai [disagree]: one says to the place from which instruction (hora’ah) goes out to the world, and the other says to the place from which awe (yirah) goes out to the world. Similarly regarding the Holy of Holies (devir), Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yanai [disagree]: one says from the place from which the commandments (dibra’ot) go out to the world, and one says from the place from which speech (dibur) goes out to the world. Similarly regarding the ark (aron), Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Yanai [disagree]: one says to the place from which the light (ha’orah) goes out to the world, and one says to the place where awe (yirah) goes out to the world. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said that from there the Holy One instructs [mor'eh] the nations of the world and brings them down [moridam] to Gehinnom. Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai said, to the place which is aligned [ra'ui] with the Holy Temple above. Rabbi Yudan said, to the place where there will be an appearance [mar'eh] to you. Rabbi Pinchas said, to the place of the Master [marvatah] of the World. The Rabbis said, to the place where the incense is offered – this is what it says “…I will go to the mountain of myrrh and to the hill of frankincense.” (Shir HaShirim 4:6) "And offer Him there as a burnt-offering (Gen. 22:2). Rabbi Yudan bar Simon said: He [Avraham] said to Him: ‘Master of the Universe! Can there be a sacrifice without a priest?’ The Holy One of Blessing replied ‘I have already appointed you to be a priest’ as it is written, ‘You are a priest for ever’ (Ps. 110:4). "On one of the mountains which I will tell you of (Gen. 22:2). Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer the son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: The Holy One of Blessing first places the righteous in doubt and suspense, and then reveals to them the real meaning of the matter, as it is written "to the land that I will show you (Gen. 12:1); "On one of the mountains which I will tell you"; "And make to it the proclamation that I bid you (Jonah 3:2); similarly, "Arise, go out into the plain and I will there speak with you (Ezek. 3:22).