Midrasz do Przysłów 11:7
בְּמ֤וֹת אָדָ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע תֹּאבַ֣ד תִּקְוָ֑ה וְתוֹחֶ֖לֶת אוֹנִ֣ים אָבָֽדָה׃
Ze śmiercią człowieka niegodziwego ginie jego nadzieja, a otucha silnych znika.
Kohelet Rabbah
“I have seen everything in the days of my vanity; there is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness, and there is a wicked person who endures in his wickedness” (Ecclesiastes 7:15).
“I have seen everything in the days of my vanity.” They asked Shmuel HaKatan, what is the meaning of what is written: “There is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness”? He said to them: ‘It is revealed and known before the One Who spoke and the world came into being that this righteous person is destined to be corrupted. The Holy One blessed be He says: I will remove him [from the world] while he is still in his state of righteousness, as it is stated: “There is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness.”’
“And there is a wicked person who endures in his wickedness.” As long as a person is alive, the Holy One blessed be He anticipates his repentance; once he dies the hope for his [repentance] is lost, as it is stated: “When a wicked person dies, hope is lost” (Proverbs 11:7). [This is analogous] to a group of robbers who were incarcerated in prison. One of them dug a tunnel and they all fled. One of them remained there and did not flee. When the jailer came, he began striking him with a stick. He said to him: ‘Luckless and unfortunate one, you had a tunnel before you and you did not flee?’ So too, in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will say to the wicked: ‘You had [the opportunity for] repentance before you, and you did not repent?’ Consequently, “the eyes of the wicked will fail” (Job 11:20).
Due to three matters, Rabbi Yoshiya said that the Holy One blessed be He is patient with the wicked in this world: Perhaps they will repent, or perform mitzvot for which the Holy One blessed be He will reward them in this world, or perhaps righteous children will emerge from them. We see that He was patient with Aḥaz, and Hezekiah emerged from him; with Amon, [and] Josiah emerged from him; [with] Shimi, [and] Mordekhai emerged from him.
“I have seen everything in the days of my vanity.” They asked Shmuel HaKatan, what is the meaning of what is written: “There is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness”? He said to them: ‘It is revealed and known before the One Who spoke and the world came into being that this righteous person is destined to be corrupted. The Holy One blessed be He says: I will remove him [from the world] while he is still in his state of righteousness, as it is stated: “There is a righteous person who perishes in his righteousness.”’
“And there is a wicked person who endures in his wickedness.” As long as a person is alive, the Holy One blessed be He anticipates his repentance; once he dies the hope for his [repentance] is lost, as it is stated: “When a wicked person dies, hope is lost” (Proverbs 11:7). [This is analogous] to a group of robbers who were incarcerated in prison. One of them dug a tunnel and they all fled. One of them remained there and did not flee. When the jailer came, he began striking him with a stick. He said to him: ‘Luckless and unfortunate one, you had a tunnel before you and you did not flee?’ So too, in the future, the Holy One blessed be He will say to the wicked: ‘You had [the opportunity for] repentance before you, and you did not repent?’ Consequently, “the eyes of the wicked will fail” (Job 11:20).
Due to three matters, Rabbi Yoshiya said that the Holy One blessed be He is patient with the wicked in this world: Perhaps they will repent, or perform mitzvot for which the Holy One blessed be He will reward them in this world, or perhaps righteous children will emerge from them. We see that He was patient with Aḥaz, and Hezekiah emerged from him; with Amon, [and] Josiah emerged from him; [with] Shimi, [and] Mordekhai emerged from him.
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Pesikta Rabbati
... The angels said before the Holy One, ‘Master of the World! Isn’t this Jerusalem?!’ as it is said “This is Jerusalem; in the midst of the nations I have placed her…” (Yechezkel 5:5) He replied to them, “But she exchanged My judgments for wickedness more than the nations…” (Yechezkel 5:6) They said to Him, “But they are Your people and Your inheritance, which You brought out with Your great strength…” (Devarim 9:29) He replied to them, “For My people have forgotten Me; they burn incense to vanity…” (Yirmiyahu 18:15) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the forefathers!’ He replied to them, “…the fathers are kindling fire…” (Yirmiyahu 7:18) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the children!’ He replied to them, “But they rebelled against Me and would not consent to hearken to Me…” (Yechezkel 20:8) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the tribe of Yehudah!’ “And Judah did what displeased the Lord…” (Melachim I 14:22) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the leaders!’ He replied to them, “Its heads judge for bribes…” (Micha 3:11) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the tribes!’ He replied to them, ‘and Gad, and Reuven and the half tribe of Menashe…’ They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the tribe of Dan!’ He replied to them, “And the children of Dan set up for themselves the graven image.” (Shoftim 18:30) They said to Him,’ act for the sake of the students!’ He replied to them, “…And those who hold onto the Torah did not know Me…” (Yirmiyahu 2:8) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the prophets!’ He replied to them, “[It was] for the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests…” (Eicha 4:13) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of the kings!’ He replied to them, “And the altars that were on the roof, [the roof of] Ahaz's upper chamber, which the kings of Judah had made…” (Melachim II 23:12) The ministering angels said to Him, ‘act for our sake!’ He replied to them, “But they mocked the messengers of God…” (Divre HaYamim II 36:16) They said to Him, ‘act for the sake of Your name which is called upon them!’ He replied to them, ‘they have profaned My holy name.’ They said to Him, ‘You do not want to be appeased, what is the image of their father doing by You?’ “He has cast down from heaven to earth the glory of Israel…” (Eicha 2:1) This statement with which they clothed You, what has it done to You?! If the thing were not written, it would be impossible to say “The Lord has done what He devised, He has carried out His word…” (Eicha 2:17) They said to Him, ‘Master of the World! Is this not Jerusalem about whom you wrote “Behold on [My] hands have I engraved you…”’ (Yeshayahu 49:16) He replied to them, “I, too, shall clap My hands, one upon the other, and I shall put My fury to rest…” (Yechezkel 21:22) Since Zion saw that He did not want to be appeased, she started up and said “The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me." (Yeshayahu 49:14) May it be Your will Lord our God and God of our fathers that Your Temple be rebuilt speedily in our days, that your Presence return within it, that You gather my exiles from the four corners of the world, that they rebuild the cities of Yehudah and settle Shechem and inherit it speedily. Amen.
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