Midrasz do Izajasza 43:7

Said Rabbi Yochanan: Once I was walking on a path and I came across a man who was collecting firewood. I spoke to him but he did not respond to me. Afterwards he approached me and said "Rabbi, I am dead and not alive", I said to him: "If you are dead - why do you need the firewood?". He responded: "Rabbi, listen carefully to what I am saying to you, when I was alive, my friend and I were doing a sin in my palace and when we came here we were sentenced to punishment by fire, when I gather wood they burn my friend, and when my friend gathers wood they burn me". I asked him: "Till when do you have to endure this punishment?" He told me: "When I came here I left my wife pregnant and I know she is pregnant with a son, therefore, please take caution with him and from the time he is born until he is five years old take him to he house of his rabbi to learn biblical verse (mikrah) because when he can say Barchu Et Hashem HaMevorach then I will be saved from the punishment of Gehenna".

GEMARA: Our Rabbis were taught: The house of Garmu was skilled in making the show-bread, but did not want to teach it to others. The sages sent for professional bakers from Alexandria, who could bake as well, but could not remove it from the oven [unbroken]. They heated the oven from outside ,and baked it outside, while the house of Garmu heated it inside and baked it inside; the show-bread of the former bakers became mouldy, while that of the latter never became mouldy. When the sages heard this, they said: "All that the Lord hath created. He created only for His glory, as it is said (Is. 43, 7) Everyone that is called by my name, I have created for my glory. So the house of Garmu had to be invited again to resume their post. The sages sent for them, but they did not come; so the sages doubled their wages whereupon they came. Prior to their return their wages amounted to twelve hundred dinarim a day, and henceforth they received twenty-four hundred dinarim; this statement is according to R. Meir. R. Juda, however, says: "Their previous salary was twenty-four hundred dinarim, and thenceforth, forty-eight hundred dinarim." The sages then inquired of them: "Why are you unwilling to instruct others?" They replied: "Our family knows by tradition that this Temple is destined to be destroyed and perhaps an unworthy person will learn it [to make the show-bread] and go and serve idols thereby." For the following their memory was praised; their children were never seen to use pure flour, lest they be suspected of taking it from the show-bread. They did it to fulfil the passage (Num. 32, 22) And ye be thus guiltless before the Lord, and before Israel.

R. Chama b. Chanina said: "Ten Chupas were made by the Holy One, praised be He! for Adam the first in paradise, as it is said (Ezek. 28, 13) In Eden the garden of God didst thou abide; every precious stone was thy covering, the sardius, the topaz, and the diamond, the chrysolite, the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the emerald, and the carbuncle, and gold." Mar Zutra said: "Eleven," — as he counts all the precious stones. R. Jochanan said: "The gold was less in value than all, for it is placed last." What do the workmanship of thy settings and of thy sockets, mean? R. Juda said in the name of Rab: "Thus said the Holy One, praised be He! to Hiram, the King of Tyre: When I created the world, I looked at the land and observed that thou wouldst rebel, deeming thyself a god. I therefore created holes and apertures in men." And according to others. He said thus: "I saw that thou wouldst rebel (Ib. b) and I have therefore decreed death over Adam the first." What do the words (Is. 4, 5) Upon her places of assembly, mean? Rabba, in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "Jerusalem in the future world will not be like Jerusalem in this world. In the latter every one who likes to enter does so, but in that of the future world only those who shall be invited will enter." Rabba said again in the name of R. Jochanan: "In the future world, the righteous will be named with the names of the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Ib. 43, 77) Every one that is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed; yea, whom I have made." Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jonathan: "The following three will be named with the name of the Holy One, praised be He — the righteous, Messiah and Jerusalem. The righteous, as said above; the Messiah, as it is written (Jer. 23) And this is his name whereby he shall be called — the Lord our Righteousness; and Jerusalem, as it is written (Ezek. 48, 35) And the name of the city from that day, 'The Lord is there.' Do not read shamah there, but shmah (her name)." R. Elazar said: "In the future, 'holy' will be said before the righteous as now it is said before the Holy One, praised be He! as it is said (Is. 4, 3) And it shall come to pass that whoever is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall he called holy — every one that is written down unto life in Jerusalem." Rabba said again in the name of R. Jochanan: "The Holy One, praised be He! will elevate Jerusalem three parsas, as it is said (Zech. 14, 10) And she herself shall be elevated, and be inhabited on her former site." What does former site mean? It means that it will be increased to its former size. And whence do you know that the size of the former Jerusalem was three parsas? Rabba said: "There was a certain old man who told me that he had seen the first Jerusalem, and the size thereof was three parsas." And lest one say that it would be difficult to ascend, therefore the passage reads (Is. 60, 8) Who are these that are like a cloud, etc. R. Papa said: "Infer from this that the clouds are at a height of three parsas from the ground."