Midrash sobre Gênesis 2:18

"against Suf": We are hereby taught that he rebuked them for what they did at the Red Sea (viz. Shemoth 14:11). R. Yehudah says: They rebelled in the midst of the sea, and they rebelled upon ascending from the sea, turning their backs upon Moses and traveling three journeys, viz. (Psalms 106:7) "And they rebelled at the sea, in the sea of Suf": — "at the Sea," upon ascending from it; — "in the sea," in its very midst. I might think that he rebuked them only at the beginning of a journey. Whence do I derive (that he also did so) between journey and journey? From "between Paran" and "between Tofel." "tofel and lavan (white)": They spoke vain words ("divrei tifluth" [as in "tofel"]) against the manna, saying that it was "white" (i.e. insubstantial), viz. (Bamidbar 21:5) "and our soul loathes this 'light' bread" — whereupon he said to them: "Fools, the very essence of kings is that they are fed only 'light' bread, so they not be seized with diarrhea — but you have grumbled at the good that I have given you, following the precedent of your father (Adam). I told him that I would make a helpmate for him (Bereshith 2:18), and for this good that I granted him he grumbled against Me, (Ibid. 3:12) 'The woman that You gave to me — she gave me from the tree and I ate.'"

There (in the north) is the abode of the destroying spirits, earthquakes, winds, demons, lightnings and thunders; thence evil issues forth into the world, as it is said, "Out of the north evil shall break forth upon all the inhabitants of the earth" (Jer. 1:14). Some say by ten Sayings was the world created || and in three (Divine attributes) are these (ten Sayings) comprised, as it is said, "The Lord by wisdom founded the earth; by understanding he established the heavens, by his knowledge the depths were broken up" (Prov. 3:19, 20). By these three (attributes) was the Tabernacle made, as it is said, "And I have filled him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, and with knowledge" (Ex. 31:3). Likewise with these three (attributes) was the Temple made, as it is said, "He was the son of a widow woman of the tribe of Naphtali, and his father was a man of Tyre, a worker in brass; and he was filled with wisdom and understanding and knowledge" (1 Kings 7:14). By these three attributes it will be rebuilt in the future, as it is said, "Through wisdom is an house builded; and by understanding it is established; and by knowledge are the chambers filled" (Prov. 24:3, 4).

And the Lord said: It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him a help-mate. And the Lord caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept. And he removed one of his ribs and building flesh around it he formed it into a woman, and brought it unto Adam; and Adam awoke from his sleep, and behold a woman was standing opposite him. And he said: This is bone from my bones, and she shall be called woman, because she has been taken from man. And Adam called her name Eve, for she was the mother of all living. And God blessed them and called their names man, Adam, on the day he created them. And the Lord said: Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth.

(Ib) Our Rabbis were taught: When a male orphan and a female orphan apply for support, the female orphan should be supported first and afterwards the male orphan, because it is customary for a man to go begging at the doors, but it is not customary for a woman to go begging at the doors. When a male orphan and a female orphan come and apply for [assistance] to be married we must first help the female orphan to marry and afterwards the male orphan, because the shame of a woman [unwedded] is greater than that of a man. Our Rabbis were taught: When an orphan comes and wants to marry, we (the charities) first rent a house for him, have it furnished and then we provide a wife for him, as it is said (Deut. 15, 8) Sufficient for his need, which requireth for him; i.e., sufficient for his need means a house; which requireth, means a bed, table, etc; for him, refers to a wife, and so says the passage ([en. 2, 18) I will make him a help meet for him.

(Ib. b) R. Nachman said in the name of Samuel: "Although a man has many children, he is nevertheless prohibited from remaining single [in case of his wife's death or divorce], for it is said (Gen. 2, 18) It is not good that the man should be alone."

R. Tanchum said in the name of R. Chanilai: "Every Judaean who has no wife lives without happiness, without blessing, and without good; without happiness, as it is written (Deut. 14, 26) And thou shalt rejoice, thou and thy household; without blessing, as it is written (Ez. 44, 30) To cause a blessing to rest on thy house; without good, as it is written (Ben. 2, 18) It is not good that the man should be alone." In Palestine it was said: "He [who is unmarried] is without Torah and without protection; i.e., without Torah, as it is written (Job 6, 13) Truly, am I not without my help in me, and is not Tushiya driven far away from me? Without protection, as it is written (Jer. 31, 21) The woman will go about [to protect] the husband." Raba b. Ulla said: "Also without peace, as it is written (Job 5, 24) And thou shalt know that there is peace in thy tent," etc.

R. Elazar said: "A Judaean who has no wife is not considered a man, for it is said (Gen. 5, 2) Male and female created He them and called their name Adam (man)." R. Elazar said further: "One who does not possess real estate is not considered a man, as it is said (Ps. 115, 16) The heavens are the heavens of the Lord: but the earth hath He given to the children of man." R. Elazar said further: "What is the meaning of the passage (Gen. 2, 18) I will make him (eizer) a help suitable for him (K'nedo) i.e., If he deserves well, she will be a help to him; if not, an opposition to him." According to others, R. Elazar raised the following contradiction. Since the text reads K'naggdo (opposing him), how can we read K'nigdo (corresponding to him?) This means, if he deserves well, she will be corresponding [in harmony with] him; if not, she will be a lash unto him."

“Enjoy life with a woman whom you love all the days of your life of vanity which He has given you under the sun, all the days of your vanity, as that is your portion in life, and in your toil that you toil under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 9:9).
“Enjoy life with a woman whom you love.” Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] said in the name of the holy congregation: Acquire for yourself a craft with Torah. What is the reason? “Enjoy life [with a woman]…”²⁷The midrash is interpreting the world “life” to refer to Torah, and the term “woman” to refer to a craft. One should have a craft with which to earn a livelihood, in addition to studying Torah. Why does he call them the holy congregation? It is because Rabbi Yosei ben Meshulam and Rabbi Shimon ben Menaseya, who would divide the day into three, one-third for Torah, one-third for prayer, and one-third for labor, were there. Some say: They would engage in Torah study during the days of winter, and in labor during the days of summer. Rabbi Yitzḥak ben Elazar would call Rabbi Yehoshua son of Rabbi Timi and Rabbi Burki the holy congregation, because they would divide the day into three, one-third for Torah, one-third for prayer, and one-third for labor.
It is taught: It is prohibited for a mourner to marry a woman until thirty days [pass]. Rabbi Yehuda says: Until three consecutive pilgrimage festivals pass, corresponding to the three times that it is written: Life, life, life. In what case is this said? In a case when he has sons; however, if he has no sons, or if he has minor sons, it is permitted due to diminution of procreation and to see to their needs.²⁸The mourner can marry a woman even within thirty days in order to fulfill the mitzva of procreation, or so that his new wife can take care of his young children. There was an incident and the wife of Rabbi Tarfon died, and when the grave was covered, he said to her sister amidst the mourning: ‘Enter my house²⁹Marry me. and raise your sister’s children.’ Even though he married her, he did not engage in conjugal relations until after thirty days. It is taught: It is prohibited for a mourner to go to a house of feasting until thirty days [have passed].
It was taught: The mitzvot incumbent upon a father regarding his son are to circumcise him and to redeem him, and also to teach him Torah, to teach him a trade, and to marry him to a woman. Some say: Also to teach him to swim in a river. To circumcise him, from where [is it derived]? As it is stated: “He that is eight days old shall be circumcised among you, every male” (Genesis 17:12). To redeem him, from where [is it derived]? As it is stated: “And all the first-born of man among your sons you shall redeem” (Exodus 13:13). To teach him Torah, from where [is it derived]? As it is stated: “You shall teach them” (Deuteronomy 11:19). To marry a woman, from where [is it derived]? As it is stated: “Take women and beget sons and daughters and take women for your sons” (Jeremiah 29:6). To teach him to swim in a river, from where [is it derived]? As it is stated: “You shall choose life” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
Anyone who does not have a wife is without goodness, without a helper, without joy, without blessing, without atonement. Without good, from where [is it derived]? [From the verse:] “It is not good for man to be alone” (Genesis 2:18). Without help, from where [is it derived]? [From the verse:] “I will make him a helper alongside him” (Genesis 2:18). Without joy, from where [is it derived]? [From the verse:] “You shall rejoice, you and your household” (Deuteronomy 14:26). Without blessing, from where [is it derived]? [From the verse:] “To place a blessing upon your house” (Ezekiel 44:30). Without atonement, from where [is it derived]? [From the verse:] “And he shall atone for himself and for his household” (Leviticus 16:11). Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: Without life as well, as it is stated: “Enjoy life with a woman whom you love.” Without peace, as it is stated: “You are peace and your house is peace” (I Samuel 25:6). Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Gamda said: He is not even a complete person, as it is stated: “He blessed them and He called their name Adam”³⁰The word adam, which is the name of the first man, simply means “person.” (Genesis 5:2) – when the two of them are not as one they are not called Adam. Some say it diminishes the Divine Image, as it is stated: “Because He created man in the image of God” (Genesis 9:6).

(Numb. 35:9–11:) “And the Lord spoke [unto Moses, saying], ‘Speak unto the Children of Israel, and say unto them, “When you cross the Jordan to the Land of Canaan, you shall provide yourselves with cities [to be cities of refuge, where a killer may flee who has taken a life by mistake].”’” This text is related (to Ps. 25:8), “The Lord is good and straightforward; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.” (Ibid., vs. 6:) “Be mindful of Your mercies, O Lord, and of Your steadfast love.” David said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, were it not for Your mercies, which took precedence for the first Adam, he would not have survived.³¹Numb. R. 23:13. Although You said to him (in Gen. 2:17), ‘For on the day that you eat from it, you shall surely die,’ You did not act in that way. Instead You excluded him from the Garden of Eden, as stated (in Gen. 3:24), ‘So he drove out the man.’ So why was he driven out? Because he had brought death to [all future] generations. He should have died immediately; but because You were merciful to him, You [simply] drove him out. It is the same with one who kills by mistake, when he goes into exile into the cities of refuge.” It is therefore stated (in Ps. 25:6), “Be mindful of Your mercies, O Lord, and of Your steadfast love….” When Moses arose, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to [him] (in Numb. 35:11), “You shall provide yourselves with cities [to be cities of refuge].” Moses said, “Master of the world, when someone takes a life by mistake in the south or in the north, how will he know where the cities of refuge are, that he should flee to it?” He said to him (in Deut. 19:3), “’You yourself shall prepare (rt.: tkn) the road (derekh).’ You yourself shall make the roads [to these cities] straight (rt.: tkn), so that [anyone fleeing to them] will not go astray for the blood avenger to find him and kill him, when (according to Deut 19:6) ‘he did not incur the death penalty.’” He said to him, “How?” He said to him, “Erect road markers³²stelai; Lat.: stelae. directing (rt.: tkn) [such a refugee] to the cities of refuge, so that he will know how to go there; and on every marker inscribe, ‘[Involuntary] killers to the cities of refuge,’ as stated (in Deut. 19:3), ‘You yourself shall prepare (rt.: tkn) the road (derekh).’” Thus David has said (in Ps. 25:8), “The Lord is good and straightforward; therefore He instructs sinners in the way (derekh).” [Now] if for killers He has made a way and a road (derekh; rt.: drk), for them to flee and escape death), how much the more so in the case of the righteous. (Ps. 25:9:) “He leads (rt.: drk) the lowly in justice.”

And (Adam) was at his leisure in the garden of Eden, like one of the ministering angels. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am alone in My world and this one (Adam) also is alone in his world. There is no propagation before Me and this one (Adam) has no propagation in his life; hereafter all the creatures will say: Since there was no propagation in his life, it is he who has created us. It is not good for man to be alone, as it is said, "And the Lord God said, It is not good for man to be alone; I will make him an help meet for him …" (Gen. 2:18).

Rabbi Jehudah said: If he be worthy she shall be an help meet for him; if not, she shall be against him to fight him.

The Holy One, blessed be He, introduced death through the serpent, which had been predestined for that purpose, as it is said: Now the serpent was more subtle (ibid. 3:1). It was foreseen by the Holy One, blessed be He, that Adam would eat the apple and would die because of its subtlety, as it is written: For in the day that thou eatest thereof, thou shalt die (ibid., v. 3). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to her (Eve): This is no mere parable. He was already destined for that end, as it is written: Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil (ibid., v. 22). In the future, a flood will descend upon the world, but Noah and his sons will escape, as it is written: Noah was a just man in his generation, etc. (ibid. 6:9). He foresaw that a righteous man would arise, and that the world would be preserved through him, and that after him Abraham would come, as it is written: Abraham was one (Ezek. 33:24).

Not good[, the adam being alone]” [Gn 2:18]: Taught [R’ Yaakov]: Anyone (man) that has no woman lives without good . . . R’ Simon in the name of R’ Yehoshua ben Levi said: Even without peace . . . R’ Yehoshua of Sakhnin in the name of R’ Levi said: Even without life . . . R’ Chiya bar Gomdi said: He is not even a whole human / adam shalem, for it says: “And He blessed them and called their name Adam”. [Gn 5:2]

“Why should a living man complain? A man for his sins.” (Eicha 3:39) R’ Aba bar Yodan said, ‘what is it that person complains while he is still alive? It is enough that he lives!’ R’ Berachia said, ‘I lived next to you, he lives and complains.’ R’ Levi said, ‘what is it that a person complains to the Life giver of the worlds? Rather, if one wants to complain, let him complain of his sins. R’ Yodan said, ‘let him stand up like a man and confess his sins, and not complain. Rebbe said, ‘the Holy One said 'malcontents, the children of malcontents they are!' I busied myself with finding Adam a companion, “…I will make him a helpmate opposite him." (Bereshit 2:18) and he complains before me, saying "The woman whom You gave [to be] with me, she gave me…" (Bereshit 3:12) Even Yaakov did so to Me! I made it My business to make his son king in Egypt, “Now Joseph was the ruler over the land…” (Bereshit 42:6) and he complains saying "...My way has been hidden from the Lord..." (Is. 40:27) Even his sons did so to Me in the wilderness - I made it My business to choose out for them refined food, like that which kings eat, in order that none of them would have indigestion or be seized with diarrhea, and they complain before me saying "...we are disgusted with this rotten bread." (Bamidbar 21:5). Even Zion did so to Me! I busied myself with her to remove the kingdoms from the world, have I not already removed Bavel, Maday and Greece and in the future will remove this wicked kingdom? And she complains before me, saying "The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me." (Is. 49:14)

(Gen. 11:1:) NOW THE WHOLE EARTH HAD ONE LANGUAGE. What is written above on the matter (in Gen. 10:32)? THESE ARE THE FAMILIES OF NOAH'S DESCENDANTS.⁹⁴Tanh., Gen. 2:18. Then after that < comes >: NOW THE WHOLE EARTH HAD ONE LANGUAGE. Solomon has said (in Prov. 27:22): IF YOU POUND THE FOOL IN A MORTAR WITH A PESTLE [ALONG WITH THE GRAIN, HIS FOLLY WILL NOT LEAVE HIM].⁹⁵See Gen. R. 38:2. In the case of one who beats the fool, while that one is raising the rod to give him a second blow, he forgets the first time. WITH A PESTLE ALONG WITH THE GRAIN: While he is raising < the rod for > the first time, it is already forgotten. Thus HIS FOLLY WILL NOT LEAVE HIM.

You find that in the story of the flood generation < their deeds > were specified, but that in the story of the dispersion generation < their deeds > were not specified.¹⁰⁷The bracketed additions are from Tanh., Gen. 2:18. In reference to the story of the flood generation, Job has explained it where it is stated (in Job 24:2f.): THEY DISPLACE BOUNDARIES, [THEY CARRY OFF FLOCKS AND PASTURE THEM], THEY DRIVE AWAY THE DONKEYS OF THE ORPHANS. What is the meaning of THEY DISPLACE BOUNDARIES? That one would enter another's boundary, and the other would enter the boundary of the first one. < What is the meaning of > THEY CARRY OFF FLOCKS AND PASTURE THEM? [That they were carrying off each other's flocks.] THEY DRIVE AWAY THE DONKEYS OF THE ORPHANS: When they saw a donkey in the hands of an orphan, they would immediately take it from him. (Job 24:3, cont.:) THEY SEIZE THE WIDOW'S OX AS A PLEDGE, a widow whose husband had died and left her a single ox. When she went out to pasture it, they immediately would take it from her. (Job 24:7:) THEY SPEND THE NIGHT NAKED WITHOUT CLOTHING. When < the other > people saw that they were acting in this way, they would take off their clothes and go about naked. Moreover, a lot of things < have been passed over > merely so as not to bother you.¹⁰⁸I.e., many other examples could be given.

(Gen. 11:3:) THEN THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER: COME, LET US FORM BRICKS. The Holy One caused everything that they made to prosper in their hands in order to laugh at them in the end. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 2:4): THE ONE SITTING IN THE HEAVENS SHALL LAUGH. Now had they not built, they would have said: If we had built the tower, we should¹¹⁰“We should” follows Tanh., Gen. 2:18. The Buber text, which translates, “They would,” lacks the letter (nun). have ascended to the heavens and fought with him.¹¹¹Cf. Sanh. 109a. What did the Holy One do? He made things prosper in their hands to make known that those in the world are nothing. Then after [that] he laughed at them and banished them, as stated (in Gen. 11:8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM OUT OF THERE. [(Gen. 11:4:) THEN THEY SAID: COME, LET US BUILD OURSELVES A CITY AND A TOWER WITH ITS TOP IN THE HEAVENS TO MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES.] R. Simeon bar Johay said: They took an idol and put it on top of the tower. [They said:] If the Holy One issues decrees against it, it will be against him and inhibit him. This expression, MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES, is nothing but an expression of idolatry. Thus is stated (in Exod. 23:13): YOU SHALL NOT MENTION THE NAME OF OTHER GODS.¹¹²Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Kaspa 4; see Sanh. 109a; Gen. R. 38:8. The Holy One said to them: You say (in Gen. 11:4, cont.): LEST WE BE DISPERSED. I am dispersing you. Thus it is stated (in vs. 8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM. < This dispersing was > to fulfill what is stated (in Prov. 10:24): WHAT THE WICKED ONE FEARS SHALL COME UPON HIM.

ה He said to him, "The angels appointed for healing: Sanoy, Sansanoy, Semangalof. When the Holy Blessed One created the first Adam alone, They said, (Genesis 2:18) 'It is not good for this Adam to be alone.' They created for him a wife out of the Earth like he had been, and called her Lilith. Immediately they began to challenge each other. She said, 'I will not lie below,' and he said, 'I will not lie beneath you, but only on top. For you are fit only to be in the bottom position, while I am to be the superior one.' Lilith responded, 'We are equal to each other inasmuch as we were both created from the Earth.' But they would not listen to one another. When Lilith saw this, she pronounced the Ineffable Name and flew away into the world's air. Adam stood in prayer before his Creator and said, 'Sovereign of the universe! The woman you gave me has run away from me.' Immediately, the Holy Blessed One sent these three angels to bring her back. The Holy Blessed One said to Adam, 'If she agrees to come back, good. If not, she must permit one hundred of her children to die every day.' They departed and pursued her, and overtook her in the midst of the sea, in the mighty waters wherein the Egyptians would ultimately drown. They told her God's word, but she did not wish to return. The angels said, 'We shall drown you in the sea.' She said to them, 'Let me be. I was created only to cause illness to infants. I have dominion over them for eight days after birth if they are male, and if female, after birth for twenty days.' When the angels heard Lilith's words, they insisted on taking her. But she swore to them by the name of the living and eternal God, 'Whenever I see you or your names or your forms in an amulet, I will have no power over that infant.' She also agreed to have one hundred of her children die every day. Accordingly, every day one hundred demons perish, and for the same reason, we write their names on the amulets of young children, and she sees them, she remembers her oath, and the child is healed." After some time, the king said to him, "I have one daughter who sneezes [note- a euphemism for passing gas] one thousand sneezes in an hour. Heal her." He said to him, "Send her to me in the morning with her guards and I will heal her." In the morning, she came to him with her guards. When he saw her, he began to get angry. She said to him, "Why did you get angry?" He said to her, "Your father has decreed upon me to sneeze a thousand sneezes before him tomorrow and in two days, and I am afraid that he will kill me. He has waited for me for three days, and I do not know what I will do." She said to him, "Do not worry about this- I will go in your place and I will sneeze before him a thousand sneezes for you and for myself." He said to her, "Since that is the case, stay with me for three days and do not sneeze during them, and be 'prepared for the third day.' Immediately, every time when the sneeze came to her, she would stand on her feet and stretch between her eyes, as he had told her, and she suffered with herself and closed her mouth little by little, and the sneeze ended from her entirely. After three days, no sneeze came from her mouth. On the third day, he took her to her father and said to her, "Go sneeze two thousand sneezes for your father." She went before him, and she could not sneeze even one time. Immediately, he stood up and kissed him. He began asking him questions. He said to him:

"unto him": This is a wife (i.e., he is to be provided even with a wife), as it is written (Bereshith 2:18) "I shall make unto him a wife fit for him."

Jeremiah asked the Holy One four things at the hour when he separated from Him, on two he received an answer and on two he did not. They are: despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting. Since Jeremiah saw the outlandish judgments which He brought upon Jerusalem he stood astonished, saying: is it possible that the Holy One will return to them after this? Then he asked the Holy One about these four things. So it says at the end of the scroll of lamentations “Why do You forget us forever, forsake us so long?” (Lamentations 5:20) “For if You have utterly rejected us, You have been exceedingly wroth against us.” (Lamentations 5:22) This is like a king who had a matron who was very beloved to him. Because the matron knew that the king loved her too much she violated the king’s honor and transgressed his decrees. One time decreed upon her that his servants come and drag her by her hair. Her dear friend who was present stood astonished, and seeing this immediately ran to come before the king. He said to him: my master the king, tell me what you intend. If you intend to return to her, then a man should rule over his wife. If you do not intend to return to her, you should divorce her that she can go and marry another. So Jeremiah said before the Holy One: Master of the World! “Have You indeed rejected Judah? Has Your soul despised Zion?” (Jeremiah 14:19) If Your intention is to return to her “Why have You smitten us and we have no cure?” (ibid.) He replied: go to your teacher, and to the teacher of your teacher – Moshe, the teacher of all the prophets. This is what I said to him at the end of all the curses: “But despite all this, while they are in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor will I reject them…” (Leviticus 26:44) Here we see that on two he received an answer and on two he did not. Since Zion saw that Jeremiah asked four things of the Holy One - despising, rejection, abandonment and forgetting – and that the Holy One answered him about despising and rejection but not about abandonment and forgetting, she began to make claims regarding the other two. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Another explanation. And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and has forgotten me.’ The verse doesn’t say this, but rather ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’ Why does it say ‘the Lord and the Lord’? She said to Him: even the two attributes of mercy which are written about You “Lord, Lord, benevolent God, Who is compassionate and gracious…” (Exodus 34:6) have abandoned me and forgotten me. Another explanation. He forfeited me to all the nations, gleanings, forgotten sheaves and the corners of the fields as it says “When you reap the harvest of your Land…you shall leave these for the poor person and for the stranger.” (Leviticus 23:22) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me (azavtani).’ He loaded me up with many punishments as it is written “You shall surely help along with him (azov ta’azov).” (Exodus 23:5) Another explanation. ‘The Lord has forsaken me.’ That is, made me worth abandoning, as it is written “…and the Lord shall pour out their vessels.” (Isaiah 3:17) This comes to teach that He hinted to their springs and they poured forth and they were sunk in blood and abandoned and they cast them away. The Holy One said to them: complainers the sons of complainers! I was engaged with the first man, in order to make him a helpmate, as it says “…I shall make him a helpmate opposite him,” (Genesis 2:18) and he complained about Me, “The woman whom You gave to be with me she gave me…” (Genesis 3:12) I was engaged with Yaakov’s son to make him king over Egypt, “Now Joseph was the ruler over the land…” (Genesis 42:6) and He complained before Me, saying “My way has been hidden from the Lord…” (Isaiah 40:27) Even his sons did the same in the wilderness! I was engaged in choosing for them an easy food like that which kings eat, so that not one of them should be seized by indigestion or diarrhea, and they complained before Me, saying “…and we are disgusted with this rotten bread.” (Numbers 21:5) So too Zion did to Me. I was engaged in removing the kingdoms from the world, haven’t I already removed Babylon, Maday and Greece? I was about to cause the fourth kingdom to pass away and she complained before Me, saying ‘You have abandoned me, You have forgotten me.’ Another explanation. Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One: You have forgotten that might which my children mentioned before you at the sea “The Eternal's strength…” (Exodus 15:2) Another explanation. “And Zion said, ‘The Lord has forsaken me, and the Lord has forgotten me.’” (Isaiah 49:14) Forsaken is the same as forgotten! R’ Elazar said: Knesset Yisrael said before the Holy One – Master of the World! A man who marries another wife in addition to his first still remembers the actions of the first, but You have forsaken me. The Holy One replied to her – my daughter, I created twelve constellations in the firmament opposite the twelve tribes and for each constellation I created thirty troops, and for each troop I created thirty routes, and on each route I created thirty legions, and for each legion I created thirty camps, and for each camp I created thirty squares, and for each square I created three hundred and sixty-five stars like the number of the days of the solar calendar. All of these I created only for you, and you say ‘He has forgotten me, He has abandoned me?!’ “Shall a woman forget her sucking child (ulah)…” (Isaiah 49:15) I will never forget the burnt offerings (olot) and firstborns which you offered before Me. She said before Him - Master of the World! Since there is no forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe then You will not forget what I did with the Golden Calf? He replied to her – I will also forget this. She said before Him – Master of the World! Since there is forgetting before Your Holy Throne, maybe you will forget what I did at Mount Sinai? He said to her “I will not forget you.” (ibid.)