Midrash sobre Daniel 2:42
וְאֶצְבְּעָת֙ רַגְלַיָּ֔א מנהון [מִנְּהֵ֥ין] פַּרְזֶ֖ל ומנהון [וּמִנְּהֵ֣ין] חֲסַ֑ף מִן־קְצָ֤ת מַלְכוּתָא֙ תֶּהֱוֵ֣ה תַקִּיפָ֔ה וּמִנַּ֖הּ תֶּהֱוֵ֥ה תְבִירָֽה׃
E como os dedos dos pés eram em parte de ferro e em parte de barro, assim por uma parte o reino será forte, e por outra será frágil.
Eikhah Rabbah
“The yoke of my transgressions is preserved in His hand, becoming entangled, coming upon my neck, sapping my strength. The Lord delivered me into the hands of those against whom I cannot stand” (Lamentations 1:14).
“The yoke of my transgressions is preserved [niskad] in His hand,” I was calm [seduka] regarding my iniquities. I believed that He would pardon me for all my iniquities when I heard that my promissory note was ripped on high.159When God said to Moses that He pardoned the people for the sin of the Golden Calf, they thought they were entirely pardoned, but in fact God had merely agreed not to annihilate them completely, but rather to punish them incrementally.
Another matter, niskad is written with a shin.160The word niskad is written with a sin rather than a samech. A sin can also be read as a shin when it is not vocalized, as it is the same letter. Thus, the word can be read nishkad. The Holy One blessed be He strove [shakad] to find how to bring the calamity upon me. He said: If I exile them during the season of Tevet,161Winter. they will suffer from cold and die. Rather, I will exile them during the season of Tamuz,162Summer. as even if they sleep in the streets and squares, not one of them will be harmed.
Another matter, niskad, He strove [shakad] to find how to bring the calamity upon me. He said: If I exile them during the season of Tevet, there are no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree. Rather, I will exile them during the season of Tamuz, when there are grapes on the vine, figs on the fig tree, and even the leaves do not wither.
Another matter, niskad, He strove [shakad] to find how to bring evil upon me. He said: If I exile them through the wilderness, they will die of starvation. Rather, I will exile them through Armenis, where there are cities and districts, and food and drink are found there.
Another matter, niskad, I was calm [sekuda] regarding my iniquities. I believed that He would pardon me for all my iniquities. However, “becoming entangled [yistargu],” He brought alternating [serigot] rulers upon me]. He brought them upon me in pairs: Babylon and the Chaldeans, Media and Persia, Greece and Macedonia, Edom and Ishmael. He brought them upon me, alternating: Babylon was harsh, Media was moderate; Greece was harsh, Edom was moderate; the Chaldeans were harsh, Persia was moderate; Macedonia was harsh, and Ishmael was moderate. Likewise, “some of the kingdom will be strong, and some of it will be brittle” (Daniel 2:42). Despite all these I did not deny my God; rather, “coming [alu] upon my neck.”163This is expounded as though it were written ulo, His yoke, such that the verse would read: “His yoke is upon my neck.” And [Israel] declares the unity of His name twice daily and says: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
“The yoke of my transgressions is preserved [niskad] in His hand,” I was calm [seduka] regarding my iniquities. I believed that He would pardon me for all my iniquities when I heard that my promissory note was ripped on high.159When God said to Moses that He pardoned the people for the sin of the Golden Calf, they thought they were entirely pardoned, but in fact God had merely agreed not to annihilate them completely, but rather to punish them incrementally.
Another matter, niskad is written with a shin.160The word niskad is written with a sin rather than a samech. A sin can also be read as a shin when it is not vocalized, as it is the same letter. Thus, the word can be read nishkad. The Holy One blessed be He strove [shakad] to find how to bring the calamity upon me. He said: If I exile them during the season of Tevet,161Winter. they will suffer from cold and die. Rather, I will exile them during the season of Tamuz,162Summer. as even if they sleep in the streets and squares, not one of them will be harmed.
Another matter, niskad, He strove [shakad] to find how to bring the calamity upon me. He said: If I exile them during the season of Tevet, there are no grapes on the vine and no figs on the fig tree. Rather, I will exile them during the season of Tamuz, when there are grapes on the vine, figs on the fig tree, and even the leaves do not wither.
Another matter, niskad, He strove [shakad] to find how to bring evil upon me. He said: If I exile them through the wilderness, they will die of starvation. Rather, I will exile them through Armenis, where there are cities and districts, and food and drink are found there.
Another matter, niskad, I was calm [sekuda] regarding my iniquities. I believed that He would pardon me for all my iniquities. However, “becoming entangled [yistargu],” He brought alternating [serigot] rulers upon me]. He brought them upon me in pairs: Babylon and the Chaldeans, Media and Persia, Greece and Macedonia, Edom and Ishmael. He brought them upon me, alternating: Babylon was harsh, Media was moderate; Greece was harsh, Edom was moderate; the Chaldeans were harsh, Persia was moderate; Macedonia was harsh, and Ishmael was moderate. Likewise, “some of the kingdom will be strong, and some of it will be brittle” (Daniel 2:42). Despite all these I did not deny my God; rather, “coming [alu] upon my neck.”163This is expounded as though it were written ulo, His yoke, such that the verse would read: “His yoke is upon my neck.” And [Israel] declares the unity of His name twice daily and says: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).
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