Midrasz do Jeremiasza 1:6

In the case of Jeremiah, the Holy One, blessed be He, told him: Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee (Jer. 1:5). Then said I: “Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak; for I am a child (ibid., v. 6). The Holy One, blessed be He, thereupon responded: Say not: “I am a child”; for to whomsoever I shall send thee, thou shalt go, and whatsoever I shall command thee, thou shalt speak (ibid., v. 7); that is, against your will you will go, and against your will you will speak.

Another interpretation (of Job 23:13): BUT HE HAS ONENESS; SO WHO CAN TURN HIM? <AND WHATEVER HIS SOUL DESIRES, HE DOES>. Because he stands alone in his world, no one refutes his words. Look at how much Jonah resisted going on his mission; yet it is stated (in Jonah 3:3): THEN JONAH AROSE AND WENT UNTO NINEVEH IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LORD'S COMMAND…. <When> Jeremiah said to the Holy One (in Jer. 1:6): I AM <BUT> A LAD, the Holy One said to him (in vs. 7): DO NOT SAY: I AM <BUT> A LAD; FOR, WHEREVER I SEND YOU, YOU SHALL GO…. He did not budge until he went on the mission of the Holy One. Ergo (in Job 23:13): AND WHATEVER HIS SOUL DESIRES, HE DOES. In the case of Moses also: When the Holy One said to him (in Exod. 3:10): COME, I WILL SEND YOU UNTO PHARAOH, Moses said (in Exod. 4:13): PLEASE MAKE SOMEONE ELSE YOUR AGENT. The Holy One had said to him: I am saying to you: COME, I WILL SEND YOU; but you say: PLEASE MAKE SOMEONE ELSE YOUR AGENT. Let us see whose <will> prevails. He did not budge until he went (on his mission), as stated (in Exod. 4:18): THEN MOSES WENT (on his mission) AND (afterwards) RETURNED UNTO HIS FATHER-IN-LAW JETHER (i.e., Jethro).⁶⁷The midrash interprets the verse as referring to two separate acts, the fulfilling of the divine mission as represented by the verb WENT and the return to Jether. Exod. R. 4:4 explains further that apart from this interpretation the word WENT would be superfluous.

Jeremiah said: I cannot speak, for I am a child (Jer. 1:6). However, the Holy One, blessed be He, replied to him: Say not: “I am a child”; for to whomsoever I shall send thee, thou shalt go (ibid.). He did not leave where he was until he went where he was commanded to go. Hence, And what His soul desireth, even that He doeth. Moses said: Send, I pray thee, by the hand of him whom thou wilt send (Exod. 14:13). And he did not depart until he went (where he was commanded to go).

It is written (in Job 23:13): BUT HE HAS ONENESS; SO WHO CAN TURN HIM? AND WHATEVER HIS SOUL DESIRES, HE DOES.⁷⁸Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Beshallah 7; Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 1:14; Tanh., Exod. 1:18; Cant. R. 1:9:1; see Exod. R.4:3. R. Papias interpreted: Because he stands alone in his world, there is no one to interfere with him. Whatever he wants, he does. R. Aqiva said to him: Enough from you, Papias! One does not < so > interpret here. Rather, he does everything according to the Law. What is the meaning of HAS ONENESS? < That >, just as the petitioner petitions < here > below, so < it is > above. Just as the Sanhedrin conducts proceedings below, so < it is > above, as stated (in I Kings 22:19): I SAW THE LORD SITTING UPON HIS THRONE, AND ALL THE HEAVENLY HOST WAS STANDING BY HIM TO HIS RIGHT AND TO HIS LEFT. Is there a left {and right} above? And has it not already been stated (in Exod. 15:6): YOUR RIGHT HAND, O LORD, GLORIOUS IN POWER, < YOUR RIGHT HAND SHATTERS THE ENEMY > ? It is simply that the ones < on the right > tip the balance toward the side of merit, and the ones < on the left > tip the balance toward the side of guilt. Ergo, everything < proceeds > with justice. And, just as one who is a petitioner petitions < here > below, so < it is > above. Where is it shown? Where Daniel has said so (in Dan. 4:14 [17]): THE RULING IS BY THE DECREE OF THE WATCHERS, AND THE PETITION {BY} THE WORD OF THE HOLY ONES. Now you say: Because he stands alone in his world, he does whatever he wants! What is the meaning of HAS ONENESS (in Job 23:13)? R. Pinhas bar Hama the Priest said: Because he alone in his world knows justice for his creatures. [R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite < said >: Because he alone in the world knows the temperament of his creatures.] The one to whom he says: Go on my mission, goes. Hence it says (in Job 23:13): AND WHATEVER HIS SOUL DESIRES, HE DOES. So also Jeremiah stated (in Jer. 1:6): I AM < BUT > A LAD. The Holy One said to him: DO NOT SAY: I AM < BUT > A LAD. So also with Sodom, he conducted the proceedings in their court and saw that their guilt merited destruction. Then after that he sent them (the angels) to destroy them. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 19:1): THEN THE TWO ANGELS CAME TO SODOM.

... Jeremiah said: when I was coming up to Jerusalem, I lifted up my eyes and saw a woman sitting on the mountaintop, her clothes were black and her hair unkempt. She cried: I am seeking who will comfort me! And I cried: I am seeking who will comfort me! I came near and spoke with her, and I said to her: if you are a woman, then speak with me. If you are a spirit, then go away from me. She answered and said to me: Do you not recognize me? I am the one who had seven children. Their father went away to a land across the sea and as I was going up to cry for him, a prophet said to me ‘the house collapsed on your seven children and killed them.’ I do not know for whom I am crying and for whom my hair is unkempt.I answered and said to her: you are no better than my mother Zion, who was made a pasture for the beasts of the field. She answered and said to me: I am your mother Zion, I am she – the mother of seven, so it is written “She who bore seven has been cut off…” (Jeremiah 15:9) Jeremiah said to her: the blows you have received are like those of Job. Job’s sons and daughters were taken from him, your sons and daughters were taken from you. From Job I took his silver and gold, from you I have taken your silver and gold. I cast Job into the trash heap, you I have made into a heap of trash. And just as I came back and consoled Job, so too in the future I will return and console you. I doubled Job’s sons and daughters, and in the future I will double your sons and daughters. I doubled Job’s gold and silver, and in the future I will do so for you. I shook the trash from Job, and of you it is said “Shake yourselves from the dust, arise, sit down, O Jerusalem…” (Isaiah 52:2) Flesh and blood built you and flesh and blood destroyed you. But In the time to come I will build you, because thus it is written “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) Amen! May the Holy One fulfill what is written about us speedily and in our day “And the redeemed of Zion shall return, and they shall come to Zion with song, with joy of days of yore shall be upon their heads; they shall achieve gladness and joy, and sadness and sighing shall flee.” (Isaiah 35:10)