Midrash sobre Isaías 60:1

Rabbi Yehudah Bar Simon opened with (Daniel 2:22): "He reveals the deep and secret. He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him." "He reveals the deep"--this is Hell, as it says (Proverbs 9:18): "He does not know there are spirits there," and it says (Isaiah 30:33): "deep and large". "And secret"--this is Paradise, as it says (Isaiah 4:6): "for a cover and refuge from storm and rain," and it says (Psalms 31:21): "You hide them in the cover of Your presence." Alternatively, "he reveals the deep and secret"--these are the acts of the wicked, as it says (Isaiah 29:15): "Woe to the ones who seek deep from God to make their counsel secret." "And secret"--these are the acts of the wicked, as the verse states. "He knows what is in the dark"--these are the acts of the wicked, as it says in Isaiah: "Their acts are in the dark." "The light dwells with Him"--these are the acts of the righteous, as it is written (Proverbs 4:18): "The path of the righteous is like the light at dawn," and it says (Psalms 97:11): "Light is sown for the righteous." Rabbi Abba Srungia said: "The light dwells with Him"--this is the Messiah, as it says (Isaiah 60:1): "Arise, shine, for your light has come." Rabbi Yehudah Bar Simon said: From the beginning of the creation of the world, "he revealed the dark and secret". "In the beginning God created the heavens," but it is not explained. Where is it explained? Here (Isaiah 40:22): "He stretches out the heavens like a curtain." "And the land," but it is not explained. Where is it explained? Here (Job 37:6): "For He says to the snow: 'Fall on the earth.'" and (Job 38:38) "When the dust runs into a mass, and the clods cleave together." "And God said: 'Let there be light,'" and it is not explained. Where is it explained? (Psalms 104:2) "You cover Yourself with light like a garment."

(Numb. 8:2:) “When you set up the lamps.” This text is related (to Is. 42:21), “The Lord was delighted because of His [servant's] righteousness to magnify and glorify Torah.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, It was not because I need your light that I am telling you to light a lamp.³Below Numb. 3:5; Numb. R. 15:2. Rather [I am doing so] in order to have you acquire merit (by fulfilling a commandment).” It is likewise written, (in Dan. 2:22), “and the light dwells within Him”; and [similarly] it says (in Ps. 139:12), “Even darkness is not dark to You; for night shines as the day, and darkness becomes like the light.” [Scripture says these things] to inform you that He does not need the lamps of flesh and blood. You yourself know [this truth]. When a person builds a house and makes windows within [his house], he makes windows narrow on the outside and broad on the inside, so that the light will enter from the outside and shine on the inside. But when Solomon built the Temple, he did not make the windows like that.⁴See above Exod. 8:5; PRK 21:5; Lev. R. 31:7. Rather they were narrow on the inside and broad on the outside so that the light would go out from the Temple and shine outside. It is so stated (in I Kings 6:4), “And for the house he made windows broad and narrow.”⁵Literally: CLEAR and CLOSED. While the Hebrew is obscure the translation here follows the Targum in order to fit the midrashic context. [This text] is to inform you that He is all light and that He has no need for its light. So why did He command you [to set up the lamps]? In order to have you acquire merit (by fulfilling a commandment). It is therefore stated (in Numb. 8:2), “When you set up the lamps.”⁶Beha‘aloteka et-hanerot. These words can also mean, IN ELEVATING YOU WITH THE LAMPS. Ergo (in Is. 42:21), “The Lord was delighted because of His [servant's] righteousness.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Be careful to light lamps for My sake, and I will shine a great light for you in the future to come.” It is so stated (in Is. 60:3), “And nations shall walk by your light, even kings by the brightness of your rising.”

Another interpretation (of Numb. 8:2): [WHEN YOU SET UP THE LAMPS.] This text is related (to Is. 42:21): THE LORD WAS DELIGHTED BECAUSE OF HIS <SERVANT'S> RIGHTEOUSNESS TO MAGNIFY AND GLORIFY TORAH. The Holy One, as it were, said to Moses: Say to Israel: It was not because I need your light that I am telling you to light a lamp.⁶Below Numb. 3:7; Tanh. Numb. 3:2; Numb. R. 15:2. Rather <I am doing so> in order to have you acquire merit (by fulfilling a commandment), and so it says (in Is. 42:21): THE LORD WAS DELIGHTED BECAUSE OF HIS <SERVANT'S> RIGHTEOUSNESS. It is written about him, as it were, (in Dan. 2:22): HE KNOWS WHAT IS IN THE DARKNESS, AND THE LIGHT DWELLS WITHIN HIM; and similarly it says (in Ps. 139:12): EVEN DARKNESS IS NOT DARK TO YOU; [FOR NIGHT SHINES AS THE {LIGHT} [DAY], AND DARKNESS BECOMES LIKE THE LIGHT]. <Scripture says these things> to inform you that I do not need you. You yourself know <this truth>. Come and see. When a person builds a house and makes windows within [his house], he wants the light to enter. <So> he makes windows narrow on the outside and broad on the inside. Why? So that the light will enter from the outside and shine on the inside. But when Solomon built the Temple, he did not make the windows like that.⁷See above Exod. 8:5; PRK 21:5; Lev. R. 31:7. Rather they were narrow on the inside and broad on the outside so that the light would go out from the Temple and shine outside. It is so stated (in I Kings 6:4): AND FOR THE HOUSE HE MADE WINDOWS BROAD AND NARROW.⁸Literally: CLEAR and CLOSED. While the Hebrew is obscure the translation here follows the Targum in order to fit the midrashic context. <This text> is to inform you that all light is his and that he has no need for some of your <light>. So why did I command you <to set up the lamps>? In order to have you acquire merit (by fulfilling a commandment). It is therefore stated (in Numb. 8:2): WHEN YOU SET UP THE LAMPS.⁹Beha‘aloteka et-hanerot. These words can also mean: IN ELEVATING YOU WITH THE LAMPS. Ergo (in Is. 42:21): THE LORD WAS DELIGHTED BECAUSE OF HIS <SERVANT'S> RIGHTEOUSNESS. And not only that, but if you are careful to light lamps for my sake, I will shine a great light for you in the world to come, as stated (in Is. 60:1, 3): ARISE SHINE FOR YOUR LIGHT IS COME [….] AND NATIONS SHALL WALK BY YOUR LIGHT, EVEN KINGS BY THE BRIGHTNESS OF YOUR RISING.