Miquéias 5:1 Midrash: Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer, Midrash Tehillim, Aggadat Bereshit & Bereshit Rabbah

Whence do we know that this applies to the Torah? Because it is said, "The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old" (Prov. 8:22). "Of old" means before the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Garden of Eden? Because it is said, "And the Lord God planted a garden of old" (Gen. 2:8). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know this with reference to the Throne of Glory? Because it is said, "Thy throne is established of old" (Ps. 93:2). "Of old," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence do we know that Repentance (was premundane)? Because it is said, "Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world" (Ps. 90:2); and then in close proximity (we read), "Thou turnest man to contrition" (Ps. 90:3). "Before," i.e. before || the world was created. Whence do we know this with regard to the Temple? Because it is said, "A glorious throne, set on high from the beginning, is the place of our sanctuary" (Jer. 17:12). "From the beginning," whilst as yet the world had not been created. Whence we do know that the name of the Messiah (was premundane)? Because it is said, "His name shall endure for ever; before the sun Yinnôn was his name" (Ps. 72:17). "Yinnôn," before the world had been created. Another verse says, "But thou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, which art to be least among the thousands of Judah, from thee shall he come forth unto me who is to be ruler over Israel; whose ancestry belongs to the past, even to the days of old" (Mic. 5:2). "The past," whilst as yet the world had not been created.

“The Lord is in His Holy Temple. The Lord-His throne is in Heaven…” (Tehillim 11:4) When Israel does the will of the Makom ‘The Lord is in His Holy Temple,’ and when they do not do the will of the Makom ‘The Lord-His throne is in Heaven.’ R’ Elazar said: whether the Holy Temple is destroyed or not the Divine Presence doesn’t move from within it, as it says “The Lord is in His Holy Temple.” Even though His throne is in Heaven, His Presence is in the Holy Temple, as it says “…and My eyes and My heart shall be there at all times.” (Kings I 9:3) So too it says “…and He answered me from His holy mount to eternity.” (Tehillim 3:5) Even though it is just a mountain, it maintains its holiness. R’ Elazar said: see what is written “…for now you shall go forth from the city; and you shall dwell (shachantah) in the field…” (Micah 4:10) It is written as shechinati (My Presence), even though it is destroyed My Presence remains there. R’ Acha said: the Divine Presence never moved from the western wall, as it says “…behold, he is standing behind our wall…” (Shir haShirim 2:9) R’ Yanai said: when a king of flesh and blood enters his banquet hall, he does not know what is in the bed chamber. Not so the Holy One, rather ‘The Lord is in His Holy Temple. The Lord-His throne is in Heaven.’ He looks and sees the whole world, and no eye can grasp Him.

[4] Another interpretation: "And the Lord saw that Leah was hated. So she remained a barren woman in the wilderness..." (Jeremiah 12:8), what does it mean that "the Lord saw that Leah was hated"? God saw that Leah was destined to bear wicked children, and so he called her "hated." These wicked kings were Jehoram, Ahaziah, Joash, Menasseh, Amon, Jehoiakim, and Zedekiah. Jehoram is referred to as "he walked in the way of the kings of Israel, just as the house of Ahab did" (2 Kings 8:18). As for Ahaz, what is written about him? "And he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God, as his father David had done" (2 Kings 16:2). Isaiah said to him, "Ask for a sign from the Lord your God, whether it be in the depths or in the heights above" (Isaiah 7:11). Ahaz replied, "I do not want to test the Lord" (Isaiah 7:12). Joash, the third king, even though it is written about him that "Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him" (2 Kings 12:2), once Jehoiada the priest died, Joash became evil, as it is written: "When Jehoiada died, the officials of Judah came and paid homage to the king. Then the king listened to them. They abandoned the temple of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, and worshiped Asherah poles and idols" (2 Chronicles 24:17-18). "The fourth is Manasseh, as it is said, 'And he set up the image of Asherah, which he had made, in the house of which the Lord said...' (2 Kings 21:7). The fifth is Amon, as it is written of him, 'And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done, and among all the idols that Manasseh his father had made, Amon sacrificed and served them and did not humble himself before the Lord, as Manasseh his father had done' (2 Kings 21:20-22). The sixth is Jehoiakim, as it is written of him, 'And the rest of the deeds of Jehoiakim, and the abominations that he did...' (2 Kings 23:37), and not only that, but he also despised the word and drew the foreskin for himself. The seventh is Zedekiah, and what is written of him is, 'And he did what was evil in the sight of the Lord his God, and did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet, who spoke from the mouth of the Lord' (2 Kings 21:12). Thus, there were seven wicked kings, and therefore the prophet cries out, 'Woe to her who is pregnant with wickedness, to the daughter of seven! (Micah 5:1).' Therefore it is said, 'And the Lord saw that Leah was hated' (Genesis 29:31), see what will come out of the children of Leah, and he called her 'hated,' and the Lord saw that Leah was hated."