Midrasz do Psalmów 146:7

(Fol. 35b) Our Rabbis were taught: When the poor, the rich or the wicked man shall appear before the Divine Judgment, the poor man will be asked: "Why hast thou not studied the Law?" If he answers: "He was poor and had to earn his maintenance [and therefore had no time to study], he will be answered, "Wast thou then poorer than Hillel the Elder?" Concerning Hillel the Elder it was said that every day he went to work and earned a Tarpeik, of which one-half he gave away to the porter of the college [for admission], and by the other half he and his family lived. Once it happened that he did not earn anything, and the porter would not admit him. He ascended the roof and swung himself over to an opening where he sat down so that he might listen to the words of the living God, from the mouth of Shemaia and Abtalian. It was added that this happened on Friday, during the season of Tebeth (winter) and he was besnowed. When it dawned, Shemaia said to Abtalian: "Brother, why is it that every day light is visible in the academy at this time, and now it is yet dark? Is it such a cloudy day?" They raised their eyes, and saw the figure of a man above the window. When they went up, they found on him a layer of snow three cubits thick. After removing the snow, they took him down, washed him, dressed him with oil, placed him before a fire, remarking: "Such a man deserves that even the Sabbath should be violated for his sake." When the rich man is asked: "Why hast thou not studied the Law?" if he answers: "Because he was a rich man with many estates and had no time to study," they will answer him: "Wert thou then richer than R. Elazar b. Charsum?" Of R. Elazar b. Charsum it was said that his father had bequeathed to him a thousand towns of laud, and a thousand ships on the sea, and he himself used to put a bundle [containing his necessities] on his shoulder, and travel from town to town and from land to land to study the Law. Once his own servants found him, and put him to hard labor. He said to them: "I pray you, let me go to study the Torah." They replied: "We swear, by R. Elazar b. Charsum's life that we will not let you go before you work." He went and paid them a big sum of money in order that they should let him study, for he never saw his servants, but studied the Torah by day and by night. When the wicked man is asked: "Why hast thou not studied the Law?" if he replies that he was handsome, and was troubled by his inclinations, they will answer him and ask whether he was more troubled by his inclinations than Joseph the Righteous? It was said of Joseph, the Righteous, that every day Potiphar's wife used to try to seduce him by her talk. The clothes she used to put on in the morning [to attract his attention] she did not put on in the evening, and vice versa. "Listen to me; do what I ask of you," she pleaded with him, to which he answered, "No!" "I will imprison thee," she threatened him, and he replied (Ps. 146, 7), "The Lord looseneth the prisoners." "I will bend your loftiness," she warned him, his reply was (Ib.) "The Lord raiseth up those who are bowed down." She said to him: "I will blind you." He answered (Ib. 8) "The Lord causeth the blind to see." She gave him a thousand talents of silver, but he was averse to her. Consequently Hillel will cause the conviction of the poor; R. Eliezer b. Charsum, the conviction of the rich, and Joseph, the conviction of the wicked man.

And God remembered Rachel (Gen. 30:22). Scripture states elsewhere: He executeth justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:7). This verse alludes to Israel. R. Phinehas the priest, the son of Hama, explained: This teaches us that there were seventy nations in Egypt, but only Israel was treated unjustly. Who dealt justly with them? He who executeth justice for the oppressed.

Another comment on He executeth justice for the oppressed: This alludes to the righteous Joseph, whose mistress wronged him, when she said: The Hebrew servant came in unto me (Gen. 39:17). “I will sever your pay if you do not hearken to me,” she told him, and he replied: He who giveth bread to the hungry (Ps. 146:7) will feed me. “I will put you in chains,” she shouted, and he retorted: The Lord looseth those that are bound up (ibid.). “I will blind your pretty eyes,” she cried; and he answered: The Lord openeth the eyes of the blind (ibid., v. 8). Finally, she said to him: “I will have you banished,” and he retorted: The Lord preserveth strangers (ibid., v. 9).

And God remembered Rachel (Gen. 30:22). This bears upon what is stated in the verse The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together; and all that took them captives hold them fast; they refuse to let them go. The Redeemer is strong; the Lord of Hosts is His name. He will thoroughly plead their cause (Jer. 50:33–34). The Holy One, blessed be He, does indeed executeth justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:7).

What is meant by in all manner of service? It means that the men were compelled to do women’s work, and the women, men’s work. An Egyptian would say to the man: “Get up! Knead the dough and bake the bread”; and to the woman, he would say: “Fill this barrel with water, chop down this tree, go out to the garden to bring me some herbs.” Who dealt justly with them? He who executeth justice for the oppressed (Ps. 146:7). He giveth bread to the hungry, because they hungered for redemption; The Lord looseth the prisoners, when He released their bonds and redeemed them, as it is said: He bringeth out the prisoners into prosperity (Ps. 68:7). Hence, He executeth justice for the oppressed refers to the Israelites.

The ministering angels were about to descend from heaven to rescue Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego when the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: “They descended for the sake of My Name, therefore I shall descend to rescue them and release them,” as it is said: Who executeth justice for the oppressed, the Lord looseth the prisoners (Ps. 146:7). Forthwith, He released them by raising the furnace, which was extremely deep, until it was level with the ground. When the angel beheld what had transpired, he said to them: “Depart from this place, for the Holy One, blessed be He, has already released you. He performed miracles in your behalf and has raised the furnace level with the ground.” They replied: “We shall not depart from this place without the king’s permission lest he say we escaped from the furnace. I keep the king’s command; that is, by his command we were cast into the furnace, and only at his command shall we depart.” When Nebuchadnezzar approached and saw what had taken place he was astounded, and he spoke, saying: Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, ye servants of God Most High, come forth, and come hither (Dan. 3:26). The verse does not say “Come up” but merely Come forth, and come hither, thereby indicating that the furnace had been raised level with the ground. Inasmuch as they had been cast into the furnace at his command, they would come forth only at his command. Where did they learn this? They learned it from Noah, who entered the ark at the command of the Holy Omnipotent One, blessed be He, as it is said: Come, thou and all thy house (Gen. 7:1), and finally he left it at His command when He said to him: Go forth from the ark (ibid. 8:16).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 29:31): WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED. < She was hated >, not because she was abhorrent to her husband, but because she had scolded him when Jacob had worked seven years for Rachel. Now his mother had said to him (in Gen. 27:44): AND YOU ARE TO STAY WITH HIM (Laban) FOR A WHILE, and he had stayed seven years. (Gen. 29:21, 23:) THEN JACOB SAID UNTO LABAN: GIVE ME MY WIFE…. AND, WHEN IT WAS EVENING, HE TOOK HIS DAUGHTER LEAH < AND BROUGHT HER TO HIM >. ALL NIGHT SHE PRETENDED TO BE RACHEL. When he arose in the morning (according to Gen. 29:25), THERE WAS LEAH. He said to her: Daughter of a swindler, why did you trick me? She said to him: < What about > you! Why did you trick your father? When he said to you: Is this my son Esau, you said to him (in Gen. 27:19): I AM ESAU YOUR FIRST-BORN. Now you are saying: Why have you tricked me? And did your father not say < to Esau > (in Gen. 27:35): YOUR BROTHER CAME WITH DECEIT? So because of these things with which she scolded him, he began to hate her. The Holy One said: There is no cure for this but sons. Then her husband will desire her. Thus (in Gen. 29:31): WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED, HE OPENED HER WOMB. David also gives praise (in Ps. 146:7): THE ONE WHO EXECUTES JUSTICE FOR THE OPPRESSED.³³Gen. R. 71:2.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 8:16): GO FORTH FROM THE ARK. This text is related (to Eccl. 8:2-3): I < SAY >: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND, AND BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD, < DO NOT BE DISMAYED >.⁴⁶Tanh., Gen. 2:10; Lev. R. 33:6. The Holy Spirit said to them: I made you swear that if a kingdom makes decrees over you, you shall not rebel against it in respect to anything which it has commanded concerning you. Rather, I < SAY >: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND. However, if it commands you to abolish the Torah, the commandments and the Sabbath, do not obey them. I < SAY > KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND, in respect to anything which is necessary, but BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD, DO NOT BE DISMAYED. LEAVE HIS PRESENCE; [DO NOT REMAIN IN SOMETHING EVIL]. Why? Because they will not separate you from the commandments, unless you deny the Holy One. Ergo: BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD. And thus did Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah do when Nebuchadnezzar set up the image. They said to him: What do you think? That when you cast us into the midst of a fiery furnace, the Holy One will not save us? Whether he saves or does not save us, we will not bow down to the image. Thus it is stated (in Dan. 3:17): IF OUR GOD WHOM WE SERVE IS ABLE TO SAVE US, HE SHALL SAVE US FROM THE BURNING FIERY FURNACE AND FROM YOUR HAND. O KING. It is also written after this (in vs. 18): BUT IF NOT, BE IT KNOWN TO YOU, O KING, THAT WE SHALL NOT SERVE YOUR GODS NOR PAY HOMAGE TO THE IMAGE OF GOLD WHICH YOU HAVE SET UP. Nebuchadnezzar said to them: Are you telling the truth? It is so stated (in vs. 14): IS IT TRUE, SHADRACH, MESHACH, < AND ABEDNEGO >? They said to him: WE DO NOT {CARE} [NEED] TO ANSWER YOU IN THIS MATTER. They said to him: With respect to whatever you may decree for us, crop taxes,⁴⁷Lat.: annona. imposts, poll taxes, we shall obey you; but with regard to denying the Holy One, we will not obey you. (Eccl. 8:2f.:) BECAUSE OF THE OATH OF GOD, DO NOT BE DISMAYED. LEAVE HIS PRESENCE. When he heard that from them, he began to be angry, as stated (in Dan. 3:19): THEN NEBUCHADNEZZAR WAS FILLED WITH RAGE. When they had heated the furnace, they threw them in bound. When they had descended into the midst of the furnace, they raised their eyes to the Holy One, Blessed Be He, and said: Sovereign of the Universe, you know that we have not trusted in our works but in your name. (Ps. 115:1:) NOT UNTO US, O LORD, NOT UNTO US, BUT UNTO YOUR NAME GIVE GLORY…. Behold now, this wicked man had assembled all the tongues, as stated (in Dan. 3:3): THEN WERE ASSEMBLED THE SATRAPS…. {(Ps. 115:2:) WHY SHOULD THE NATIONS SAY < WHERE NOW IS THEIR GOD > ?} Immediately the angels wanted to go down to free them. The Holy One said to them: Was it for your name that they descended (into the furnace)? For my name they descended, and I will descend to free them. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 146:7): [THE ONE WHO EXECUTES JUSTICE FOR THE OPPRESSED]…. THE LORD FREES THOSE WHO ARE BOUND. The Holy One freed them immediately, flooded the furnace, and raised them up.⁴⁸Cf. Sanh. 92b (bar.), according to which the furnace was raised. Then he leveled it (the furnace) to the ground, since it was deep. When the angel saw that, he said to them: Come out of there; for behold, the Holy One has freed you, performed miracles for you, and leveled the furnace to the ground. Come forth! They said to him: We are not coming forth without Nebuchadnezzar lest they say: They fled from the furnace. (Eccl. 8:2:) I < SAY >: KEEP THE KING'S COMMAND: With his permission we entered into here, and with his permission we are going forth. When Nebuchadnezzar came and saw them, he was astonished. He began crying out to them, as stated (in Dan. 3:26): HE SPOKE AND SAID: SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO, SERVANTS OF THE GREAT GOD [GET OUT AND COME]. "Get out and come up" is not written here, but GET OUT AND COME. Hence < one may conclude > that the furnace was leveled to the ground. They immediately said to the king: Now we will leave. Thus it is stated (ibid., cont.): THEN SHADRACH, MESHACH, AND ABEDNEGO CAME OUT [FROM THE MIDST OF THE FIRE]. From whom had they learned < what to do >? From Noah, who had entered the ark with the permission of the Holy One. Now it is stated (in Gen. 8:15-16): AND GOD SPOKE UNTO NOAH < … > GO FORTH FROM THE ARK. For when the earth had dried out and the ark had come to rest, as stated (in Gen. 8:4): SO THE ARK CAME TO REST, his sons said to him: Let us go out. He said to them: Heaven forbid! With the permission of the Holy One we entered, and with the permission of the Holy One we will leave. When the Holy One heard that, he immediately gave them permission, as stated (in Gen. 8:15-16): AND GOD SPOKE UNTO NOAH < … > GO FORTH FROM THE ARK.