Midrasz do Samuela II 10:13

Another interpretation (of Ps. 37:14-15): THE WICKED HAVE DRAWN (rt.: PTH) A SWORD. This refers to Hanun ben Nahash. When his father died, David sent him his condolences. What did Hanun do? He took David's servants and made paradeigmata²⁷The Greek word means “examples.” {i.e., a mockery} of them, as stated (in II Sam. 10:4): SO [HANUN] TOOK DAVID'S SERVANTS, [SHAVED OFF ONE SIDE OF THEIR BEARDS, CUT THEIR GARMENTS IN HALF] < AT THEIR BUTTOCKS >…. < Hanun > immediately sent to Aram-maharam and hired thirty-two thousand chariots in addition to as many troops²⁸Gk.: ochlos. as he had.²⁹These figures follow I Chron. 19:7 and differ from those given in II Sam. 10:6. (I Chron. 19:7): THEN THEY CAME AND ENCAMPED AT MEDEBA. The Holy One said to him: O wicked one, you have started using (rt.: PTH) the sword. A sword shall enter the heart of that same person, as stated (in Ps. 37:15): THEIR SWORD SHALL ENTER THEIR OWN HEART. Immediately Joab and Abishai arose and killed all the troops, as stated (in II Sam. 10:13): THEN JOAB < AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM > WENT < INTO BATTLE AGAINST THE ARAMEANS >….

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM. He drew near to fight with him. Now this language is nothing but the language of warfare. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 10:13): SO JOAB AND {ALL} THE PEOPLE < WHO WERE WITH HIM DREW NEAR TO THE BATTLE >….¹⁹Gen. R. 93:6. Our masters have said: When Judah was filled with wrath, his hairs²⁰Tanh., Gen. 11:3, specifies: “Two hairs growing out from his heart.” would stand up and break through his garments. There are also those who say that he would take iron beans, put them in his mouth, and crunch them in it when his wrath would arise. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 44:18): THEN < JUDAH > DREW NEAR {AND SAID: PRAY (bi), MY LORD, you are bringing injustice (biyah) upon us.²¹Above, 11:5. Yesterday you told us: You shall bring your younger brother unto me; so we have brought him. Now you have taken him. Is this not injustice?}

(Gen. 19:24:) THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM < AND UPON GOMORRAH BRIMSTONE AND FIRE >…. Let our master instruct us: When a court has ordained a fast for the community so that rains may come down, and they do come down on that day, is it correct for them to finish it? Thus have our masters taught (in Ta'an. 25b [bar.]):⁶³The first half of the citation is also in Ta‘an. 3:9. IF THEY WERE FASTING, AND THE RAINS CAME DOWN BEFORE THE RISING OF THE SUN, THEY SHALL NOT FINISH IT. AFTER THE RISING OF THE SUN THEY SHALL FINISH IT. < THESE ARE > THE WORDS OF R. ME'IR, BUT R. JUDAH SAYS: BEFORE NOON THEY DO NOT COMPLETE IT; AFTER NOON THEY COMPLETE IT. And where did the generations (i.e., the sages) find support that they should fast on Monday and Thursday? < It is > simply < that >, when Israel committed that act (i.e., of the golden calf), Moses went up < onto the mountain > on a Thursday and came down on a Monday. How is it shown? R. Levi said: He went up on a Thursday. Now from Thursday through < the following > Thursday to the Thursday < after that > there are fifteen < days >. And from Sabbath eve through < the following > Sabbath eve to the Sabbath eve < after that > there are fifteen < days >, for a total of thirty. Also from Sabbath to Sabbath there are eight < days >, for a total of thirty-eight. Then a Sunday and a Monday make forty < days >⁶⁴The time Moses spent on Mount Sinai before he descended to discover Israel worshiping the golden calf. So Exod. 34:28; Deut. 9:9-11. Therefore, the sages have ruled that one should fast on Monday and on Thursday, on < the day of > Moses' ascent and on < that of > his descent. Now at the end of forty days they fasted and wept before Moses, so that the Holy One was filled with mercy for them and appointed that day for them as a day of atoning for their sins. And this was the Day of Atonement, as stated (in Lev. 16:30): FOR ON THIS DAY ATONEMENT SHALL BE MADE FOR YOU TO CLEANSE YOU. See how lovely repentance (rt.: ShVB) is! The Holy One said (in Mal. 3:7): RETURN (rt.: ShVB) UNTO ME AND I WILL RETURN (rt.: ShVB) UNTO YOU. For, if there are some sins on one's hand and that person returns to the Holy One, he credits him as if he had not sinned. Thus it is stated (in Ezek. 18:22): < NOT > ANY OF HIS SINS WHICH HE COMMITTED < SHALL BE REMEMBERED AGAINST HIM >…. But, when the Holy One has warned him a first time, and a second and a third, without him repenting, he exacts punishment from him, as stated (in Job 33:29): BEHOLD, GOD DOES ALL THESE THINGS < TWO OR THREE TIMES TO A PERSON >…. When he does not find pleasure in < such a > one, he immediately exacts punishment from him. You yourself know that it is so. When the Holy One desired to destroy Sodom and its people, Abraham stood and sought mercy for them. He thought that there might be hope for them, as stated (in Gen. 18:23): THEN ABRAHAM DREW NEAR AND SAID: < WILL YOU ALSO DESTROY THE RIGHTEOUS WITH THE WICKED > ? What is the meaning of DREW NEAR?⁶⁵Cf. Gen. R. 93:6. R. Joshua says: DREW NEAR is nothing but an expression relating to battle, as when it is stated (in II Sam. 10:13): SO JOAB AND THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM DREW NEAR TO THE BATTLE. R. Nehemiah says: It is nothing but an expression relating to prayer, as when it is stated (in I Kings 18:36): AND IT CAME TO PASS WHEN IT WAS TIME TO PRESENT THE MEAL OFFERING, THE PROPHET ELIJAH DREW NEAR…. But the sages say: DREW NEAR is nothing but an expression of entreaty, as when it is stated (in Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM AND SAID: < PRAY, MY LORD, PLEASE LET YOUR SERVANT SPEAK >…. Abraham said to the Holy One (in Gen. 18:25): FAR BE IT FROM YOU < TO DO SUCH A THING >…. And he sought mercy for them until (in vss. 26-33) < his request > went down from fifty to ten. When he found no merit for them, the Divine Presence departed from him, as stated (in vs. 33): THEN THE LORD WENT AWAY WHEN HE HAD FINISHED…. Immediately the retribution came upon them. {Thus it is stated} [Where is it shown? From what we read on the matter] (in Gen. 19:24): THEN THE LORD RAINED DOWN UPON SODOM < AND UPON GOMORRAH BRIMSTONE AND FIRE >.