Miquéias 7:14 Midrash: Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Aggadat Bereshit

(Fol. 68) What is the meaning of the passage (Is. 5, 17) Then shall the sheep feed according to their wont, and the ruins of the fat ones shall sojourners eat? R. Menasha b. Jeremiah, in the name of Rab, said Kedabram (according to their wont), means Kimdubar Bam (as they were spoken of). What was spoken concerning them? Abaye said: "It refers to the end of the verse, And the ruins of the fat ones shall sojourners eat, which was explained by R. Joseph, 'The wealth of the wicked will be inherited by the just.' Raba then said to him: "This interpretation would have been correct had it been written Kharboth [in a coordinate way], but now that it is written V'charboth [as a compound], it must be different in meaning. Raba therefore said the passage is intended to mean what R. Chananel, in the name of Rab, said, for R. Chananel, in the name of Rab, said: "in the future, the righteous will have the power to revive the dead; for it is written here, Then shall the sheep feed according to their wont, and it is written there (Micha 7, 14) Let them feed in Bashan and Giggal, as in the days of old; i.e., Bashan refers to Elisha, the man of Bashan, as it is written (I Chr. 5, 12) Yanai and Shaphat in Bashan, and it is also written (II Kings 3, 11) Elisha, the son of shaphat, who poured water on the hands of Elijah; Gilead refers to Elijah, as it is said (I Kings 17, 1) And Elisha, the Tishbite, who was of the inhabitants of Gilead, said."

[2] Different interpretation: "God's anger I will raise." There are those who were struck and kicked, and there are those who were struck and asked their father why this belt is hanging on them. And there are those who said to their father, "Why is this belt hanging on me?" There are those who were struck and kicked, and this is Job, for when Satan struck him, he began to cry out, "Remove your rod from me, and let not dread of you terrify me." (Job 9:34). And I speak and am not afraid, as it says (I will speak) [I will speak up] and not be afraid, etc. (Job 9:35). A parable about Isratyotus (Suldaat in Greek) who became a thief. "The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: I have examined this and that, and all of the diseases come from Egypt. Similarly, Job's friends said to him: You have lost your hope (lepīs in Greek), which means expectation and hope", You said (I will speak) and we did not fear; they said, "Is it possible that you are speaking and not afraid?" The first human being, formed in the image and likeness of the Almighty, was unable to withstand hearing His voice, as it is said, "And they heard the voice of the Lord God" (Genesis 3:8).But when my wife wants to say to me, "So bless/curse God and die," (Job 2:9) I said to her, "Speak like one of the foolish women," etc. (Job 2:10). Therefore, (I will speak) [I will speak up] and not be afraid, for I am not like myself, I am not like the man who said",(Job 9:35) "The woman You gave me," etc. (Genesis 3:12). They said to him, "But Abraham heard Your words and could not stand," as it says, "And he fell on his face," etc. (Genesis 17:3), and so did Balaam fall and his eyes were open (Numbers 24:4). Even we hear His words and fall and you speak against Him and are not afraid, we are not like you," he said to them, "My heart is like yours, and I do not fall from you," etc. (Job 12:3). This is a story about King Hezekiah who became sick and turned his face towards the wall, as it says "And Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall" (Isaiah 38:2). It is said "remember now" (Isaiah 38:3), and what does "remember now" mean? When Israel sinned, God sent burning serpents upon them, and when they cried out to Moses, God told him to make a bronze serpent (Numbers 21:8-9). Whoever looked upon it would be healed. Hezekiah saw that Israel was committing sins and said, "Now anyone who needs to be healed will go to this and leave God." So, he destroyed the bronze serpent (2 Kings 18:4). The people asked him, "What are you doing? What Moses established, you are abolishing?" He replied, "Whoever needs to be healed should look up to God and be healed," as it says, "Look to Him and be radiant, so that your faces may never be ashamed" (Psalm 34:6). Likewise, it says, "There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah, either before him or after him" (2 Kings 18:5), "This is the one who cried out and asked his father. And who is the one who said to his father, 'Why is this strap hanging from me?' These are the Israelites, who said to God, 'You have dealt harshly with Your people' (Micah 7:14) and also said, 'I will raise up the Lord's anger...I will see His righteousness' (Micah 7:9)."

[4] Another explanation: Eli, he was very old. Three elders hastened their death because of their sons' wrongdoing. Isaac was first due to his troubles with his son Esau, who was bowing down to idols and offering incense to them, causing smoke to rise, which caused Isaac's eyes to become dim. Therefore it is written, "And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim" (Genesis 27:1). Likewise, Eli was old due to the troubles of his sons, as it is written, "And Eli was very old, and he heard all that his sons did" (1 Samuel 2:22). Even Samuel was old due to the troubles of his sons, as it is written, "And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment" (1 Samuel 8:1-3). Although all his days he was a prophet and judge, old age overtook him because of his sons' troubles, as it is written, "And his sons did not walk in his ways" (ibid.). Rabbi Simon said, "The sons of Eli were exonerated from this matter, as it is written, 'And they lay with the women who assembled at the door of the tent of meeting' (1 Samuel 2:22). Rather, this is what they did: they did not offer sacrifices at the appointed time, and the daughters of Israel brought them flour or doves for their purification, as it is written, 'And when the days of her purification are fulfilled' (Leviticus 12:6). And there it is written, 'The doors of the temple were open at the beginning of the tent of meeting' (1 Samuel 2:22)." And they were taking and passing the hours, and they were not offering sacrifices at their appointed time, and the daughters of Israel thought they were pure and went and served in their homes, as it is said, "This is what they do when they lay with women." It does not say "the people," but "the women." They were allowing women, who were impure due to relations with their husbands, to lie with them. Who caused them to do this? They were neglecting the sacrifices and not offering them at their appointed time, as it says, "Passing [over the offering] with the Lord" (1 Samuel 2:24). The word "sinning" is not written here, but "passing [over]." They were passing over the hours. God began to say to them, "Say to My children" (Jeremiah 2:2). God said to them, "You are spoiling your children by calling them 'My children.'" Solomon cried out, "Do not withhold discipline from a youth" (Proverbs 23:13). "You are a tribe," he said (Proverbs 5:14). They answered and said to him, "If so, Israel, if this is the case, then woe to your people in your tribe" (Micah 7:14).