Midrash sobre Isaías 3:10

Our Rabbis were taught: It happened with the King Monbas, who had distributed his treasure and that of his parents, in the years of famine, that his brothers and the whole household murmured against him, saying: "Your ancestors saved [treasures] and increased the savings of their ancestors, and you distribute thine and that of thy ancestors." And he rejoined: "My ancestors stored up treasures here below, and I store up treasures in heaven, as it is said (Ps. 85, 12) Truth will grow up out of the earth and righteousness will look down from heaven. My ancestors stored away [treasures] in a place which could be reached by a [human] hand, but I have stored away in a place that can be reached by no [human] hand, as it is said (Ib. 89, 15) Righteousness and justice are the prop of Thy throne; kindness and truth precede Thy presence. My ancestors stored away [treasures] which yielded them no interest, and I have stored away [treasures] which yield interest, as it is said (Is. 3, 10) Say ye to the righteous, that he hath done well; for the fruit of their doing shall they eat. My ancestors have stored away money in their treasury, but I have stored away the saved souls in my treasury, as it is said (Prov. 11, 30) The fruit of the righteous is of the tree of life; and the wise draweth souls to himself. My ancestors have stored away for their descendants, but I have saved for myself, as it is said (Deut. 34, 13) … and unto thee shall it be as righteousness before the Lord thy God. My ancestors have stored away [treasures] for this world, but I have stored away [treasures] for the world to come, as it is said (Is. 58, 8) … and before thee shall go thy righteousness; the glory of the Lord shall be thy reward."

(Fol. 40) Raba raised the following objection before R. Nachman: "We are taught in a Mishnah, these are the things of which a man enjoys the interest for his reward in this world, while the principal remaineth for him in the world to come. They are: honoring his father and mother, the practice of loving kindness, hospitality, making peace between man and his associates, and above all the study of the Torah. Concerning honoring father and mother, it is written (Deut. 5. 16) In order ihat thy days may be prolonged, and in order that it may go well with thee; concerning loving kindness it is written (Pr. 21, 21) He that pursueth righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor; and concerning bringing peace, it is written (Ps. 34, 15) Seek peace and pursue it. And R. Abahu explained that we infer this from the similar words R'dipha R'dipha (pursue); it is written here, seek peace and pursue it, (rod-phrhu); and again it is written (Pr. 21, 21) He that pursueth (rodeph) righteousness and kindness will find life, righteousness and honor; [Hence both hare the same merits]. Concerning studying the Torah, it is written (Deut. 30, 20) For it (the Torah) is thy life, and the length of thy days. If so, tlien concerning the sending away of the bird, it is also written (Ib. 22, 7) in order that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live many days. Then why did not the Mishnah count this also? "The Tanna left it out," [was R. Nachman's reply]. Is this then possible, since our Tannah states: "These are the things." How can you say he left something unmentioned?" Therefore said Raba: "R. Idi explained this to me [with the following verse]: (Is. 3, 10) Say it to the righteous, that he has done well; for the fruit of their deeds shall they eat. Is there then a righteous man that is good and a righteous man that is not good? We must therefore say that a righteous man who is good towards heaven and also towards man is a righteous that is good; who is good towards heaven but conducts himself badly towards man is a righteous man that is not good. Similar to this case (Ib., ib. 11) Woe unto the wicked who doth evil; for the recompense of his hands shall be bestowed on him. Are there then wicked who do evil and wicked who do not evil? We must therefore say that the wicked who act wickedly towards heaven and towards man, this is a wicked man who does evil; but a wicked man who acts wickedly towards heaven and not towards man, this is a wicked who doeth not evil." [Hence wherever the passage does not state for the fruit … shall they eat, it yields no fruit in this world]. Meritorious rewards have a capital and also the fruit bearing on the principal, as it is said Say it to the righteous that he hath done well; for the fruit, etc; while iniquities have merely principal but no fruit yielding, as it is said Woe unto the wicked who does evil, etc. If so, then how will the following passage (Pr. 1, 31) Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices, be explained? This means that a crime which bears fruit [if it is carried out] it will also yield fruit [in the punishment], but a crime which bears no fruit [is not carried out] it will yield no fruit in the punishment. The merit of a good intention does the Holy One, praised be He! [in rewarding] add to that of a good deed, as it is said (Mal. 3, 16) Then conversed those that fear the Lord; one with another, and the Lord listened and heard it; and there was written a book of remembrance before Him, over those that feared the Lord and for those who respected His name. Said R. Assi: What does and for those who respected His name, mean? "Even when one intended to observe a commandment, but was incidentally prevented from doing so. Scripture credits him as if he had actually observed it." Bad intentions, the Holy One, praised be He, however, does not add to deeds, as it is said (Ps. 66, 18) If I had looked on wickedness with my heart, the Lord would not have heard. But how will the following passage (Jer. 6, 19) Behold, I will bring evil upon these people, the fruit of their thoughts, be explained? This means that an evil intention which bears fruit (is carried out), the Holy One, praised be He! adds to deeds; but such evil thoughts which bear no fruit, the Holy One, praised be He! does not add to deeds, but is there not a passage (Ez. 14, 5) In order that I may grasp the house of Israel by their heart? Said R. Acha b. Jacob: "The last passage refers to idolatry, for the master said elsewhere: The crime of idolatry is so severe that whoever denies it is as he admits the truthfulness of the entire Torah." Ulla said: "The last passage means as R. Huna explained it, for R. Huna said: 'As soon as a man commits a crime once, and twice, it becomes to him a privileged thing.' How can one think that it is a privilege? We must therefore say that it appears to him like a privileged thing." R. Abahu, in the name of R. Chanina, said: "It is preferable for a man to commit a transgression secretly, but not to profane Heaven's name," etc. [Fully explained in Volume 3, page 29].

Was light created on the first day? Is it not written (Gen. 1, 17) And God set them in the expansion of the heaven, and further it is written (Ib. 1, 19) And it was evening and it was morning the fourth day? We must therefore explain this as R. Elazar said: "The light which the Holy One created on the first day, was so bright that Adam saw by its means from one end of the world to the other. As soon as the Holy One, praised be He! observed the generation of the flood and the generation of the dispersion, and looked into their corrupt deeds, He took the light from the world and concealed it for the righteous in the world to come, as it is said (Job 38, 15) But from the wicked their light is withholden, and the high arm is broken. And for whom was it concealed? For the righteous in the future world, as it is said (Gen. 1, 3) And God saw the light, that it was good (Tob). And the word Tob applies to righteous, as it is said (Is. 3, 10) Say ye to the righteous that He hath done well (Tob). And whenever He looks at the light which He has concealed for the righteous. He rejoices, as it is said (Ps. 13, 9) The light of the righteous rejoiceth. In this, however, the Tanaim of the following Baraitha differ: "The light which the Holy One, praised be He! created on the first day was so great that Adam looked and saw by its means from one end of the world to the other." This is the opinion of R. Jacob. But the sages say: "This refers to the luminaries which were created on that first day, but which were not hung up until the fourth day."