Miquéias 7:6 Midrash: Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Shemot Rabbah & Bereshit Rabbah

Another matter: “My beloved spoke up, and he said to me” (Song of Songs 2:10). He answered me by means of Elijah and said to me by means of the messianic king. What did He say to me? Rise, my love, my fair one” (Song of Songs 2:10). Rabbi Azarya said: “For, behold, the winter [hasetav] is past” (Song of Songs 2:11), this is the kingdom of the Cutheans,¹¹³This is a reference to the Roman Empire. which incites [mesita] the entire world and misleads it with its lies, just as it says: “If your brother, son of your mother incites you […saying: Let us go and serve other gods]” (Deuteronomy 13:7). “The rain is over and gone” (Song of Songs 2:11), this is the subjugation. “The blossoms [hanitzanim] have appeared in the land” (Song of Songs 2:12), the administrators [hanatzoḥot] have appeared in the land. Who are they? Rabbi Berekhya [said] in the name of Rabbi Yitzḥak: It is written: “The Lord showed me four craftsmen” (Zechariah 2:3), these are: Elijah, the messianic king, Malki Tzedek, and the one anointed for war.¹¹⁴This term is generally used for the priest who would address soldiers before a battle (see Deuteronomy 20:2). However, in this context it presumably refers to Messiah ben Yosef, as stated explicitly in Sukka 52b (Maharzu).
“The time of the nightingale [zamir] has arrived” (Song of Songs 2:12), the time for Israel to be redeemed has arrived, the time for the foreskin to be cut off [shetizamer] has arrived, the time for the Cuthean kingdom to be eliminated has arrived, the time for the kingdom of Heaven to be revealed has arrived, as it is stated: “The Lord will be king over the entire earth” (Zechariah 14:9). “The sound of the turtledove [hator] is heard in our land” (Song of Songs 2:12), what is that? It is the voice of the messianic king who proclaims and says: “How pleasant are the footsteps of the herald on the mountains” (Isaiah 52:7).
“The fig tree has formed its unripe figs” (Song of Songs 2:13), Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba said: Just before the messianic era, a great pestilence will come to the world and the wicked will be eliminated. “The vines in blossom have emitted fragrance” (Song of Songs 2:13), these are those who remain, and in their regard it is written: “[Of] the remaining in Zion and the remnant in Jerusalem, [holy will be said]” (Isaiah 4:3).
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: The Sabbatical cycle during which the son of David comes, in the first year it will be fulfilled what is stated: “I will bring rain upon one city and will not bring rain upon another city” (Amos 4:7). During the second, arrows of famine will be shot.¹¹⁵This means that there will be a partial famine; there will be food shortages, but not full-fledged starvation (Rashi to Sanhedrin 97a). During the third there will be a great famine, and men, women, and children will die, and pious individuals and men of action will become few, and the Torah will be forgotten from Israel. During the fourth there will be famine but not famine, plenty but not plenty.¹¹⁶It will not be a great year of famine or plenty but something in between. During the fifth there will be great plenty and they will eat, drink, and rejoice, and the Torah will be renewed and restored to Israel. During the sixth, sounds [kolot];¹¹⁷This term, which can also be translated as voices or thunderings, can refer to great world events, rumors of the coming of Messiah, or the sounds of the shofar associated with the coming of the Messiah. during the Sabbatical Year, wars;¹¹⁸The war of Gog and Magog will be waged, involving the Jewish people. during the year after the conclusion of the Sabbatical Year, the son of David will come.
Abaye said: How many Sabbatical cycles like that have come, yet [the Messiah] did not come? Rather, it is as Reish Lakish said: In the generation in which the son of David will come, the assembly hall of the Sages will be for prostitution, the Galilee will be destroyed, the Gavlan¹¹⁹The Golan. will be desolate, and the residents of the Galilee will circulate from city to city and will receive no sympathy. The wisdom of scholars will be [considered] putrid,¹²⁰People will have no interest in or respect for their wisdom. those who fear sin and the people of kindness will be gathered,¹²¹They will pass away. truth will be lacking, and the face of the generation will be like the face of a dog.¹²²People will be brazen and have no inhibitions. From where is it derived that truth will be lacking? As it is stated: “Truth is lacking [nederet] and one who deviates from evil is deemed a fool” (Isaiah 59:15). Where does it go? The school of Rabbi Yanai says: It goes and sits in flocks [adarim] in the wilderness.¹²³Those who have the truth will be shunned and will gather in their own groups, apart from the rest of society.
The Rabbis say: In the generation in which the son of David will come, the Sages of the generation will die, the eyes of those who remain will fail due to sorrow and grief, many troubles and many evils will befall the public, and harsh decrees will be introduced and will be promulgated, [to the extent that] while the first one is extant another will come and be added to it.
Rabbi Nehorai said: In the generation in which the son of David will come, youths will humiliate elders and elders will stand before youths, “a daughter rises against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; a man’s enemies are the members of his household” (Micah 7:6), and a son will not be ashamed before his father. Rabbi Neḥemya says: Prior to the messianic era, poverty will proliferate, prices will be high, the vine will produce its fruit but the wine will spoil, and the entire monarchy will be transformed to heresy, but there will be no rebuke. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: The son of David will come only in a generation whose face is like that of a dog. Rabbi Levi said: The son of David will come only in a generation whose face is impudent and which is deserving of elimination. Rabbi Yanai said: If you see generation after generation reviling and blaspheming God, anticipate the footsteps of the messianic king. That is what is written: “For Your enemies revile the Lord; they revile the footsteps of Your anointed one” (Psalms 89:52). What is written thereafter? “Blessed be the Lord forever, amen and amen” (Psalms 89:53).

“Amalek came.” What is written prior to the matter? “The entire congregation of the children of Israel traveled…there was no water for the people to drink” (Exodus 17:1). For the people there was not, but for the flocks and the cattle there was.¹The water was fit for animals to drink but not for people. Immediately they came to engage in a dispute with Moses and said to him: “Why did you take us up out of Egypt [to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst]?” (Exodus 17:3).²This was unnecessarily quarrelsome, as there was actually water for the animals. From here, Rabbi Yehoshua would say: The house collapsed; too bad about the windows –“I and my livestock with thirst” (Exodus 17:3).³Rabbi Yehoshua noted that when people complain, they often complain even about matters that are relatively minor compared to the primary concern. Similarly, after complaining that they would die, the Israelites also added that their animals would die as well. Some say that a person’s animal is nothing other than his life;⁴They complained about the animals’ safety because the safety of one’s animals ensures the safety of one’s own life. when a person sets out on the road, if his animal is not with him, he will suffer.
Immediately, Moses stood in prayer, as it is stated: “Moses cried out to the Lord, saying” (Exodus 17:4). What is “saying”? He said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, inform me whether or not they will kill me.’ He said to him: ‘What concern is it of yours? “Pass before the people”’ (Exodus 17:5). What is “pass [avor]”? He said to him: ‘Overlook [avor] their words.’ Rabbi Meir says: What is avor? He said: ‘Emulate Me. Just as I repay evil with good, you, too, repay evil with good,’ as it is stated: “Who is a God like You, Who pardons iniquity and overlooks [veover] transgression” (Micah 7:18). Rabbi Yehuda says: Pardon [avor] their sins. Rabbi Neḥemya says: “Pass before the people,”⁵No need to fear them. Pass before them confidently. let one who has haughtiness come and speak against you.
“The Lord said to Moses: Pass before the people and take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile, and go” (Exodus 17:5).
“Take with you some of the elders of Israel,” so they will be witnesses, so they will not say to you: ‘There were springs there.’ “Your staff with which you struck the Nile,” he said before Him: ‘Master of the universe, this staff is a staff of punishment. It rendered the water in Egypt putrid and it brought the ten plagues upon the Egyptians.’ The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘My nature is not like the nature of flesh and blood. He strikes with a chisel and heals with a bandage, but I, with what I strike, I heal.’ That is why it says: “And take in your hand your staff with which you struck the Nile,” so that everyone will know that it is [a staff] of blessing.
“Behold, I am standing before you there upon the rock at Ḥorev; you shall strike the rock and water will emerge from it, and the people will drink. Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel” (Exodus 17:6).
“He called the place Masa and Meriva, due to the dispute of the children of Israel and due to their trying of the Lord, saying: Is the Lord in our midst, or not?” (Exodus 17:7).
“You shall strike the rock.” What is “you shall strike the rock”? The Holy One blessed be He said to him: ‘If they request from this rock, produce it for them, and if from that rock give it to them.’⁶It did not matter which rock was chosen. This was so that the Israelites could not claim that Moses had brought forth water naturally from a rock with a hidden water source. When the water emerged, it provided for all the tents of Israel.
What is written there? “He called the place Masa and Meriva” (Exodus 17:7). What dispute [meriva] was there? Rabbi Yehuda, Rabbi Neḥemya, and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda says: They said: ‘If He is Master over all creations just as He is Master over us, we will worship Him, but if not, we will rebel against Him.’ Rabbi Neḥemya says [they said]: ‘If He provides us our sustenance like a king who is present in the province, and the residents of the province do not require anything from him, we will worship Him, but if not, we will rebel against Him.’ The Rabbis say [they said]: ‘If we contemplate in our heart and He knows what we are contemplating, we will worship Him, but if not, we will rebel against Him.’ The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘If you sought to challenge Me, let the wicked one come and challenge you.’ Immediately, “Amalek came.” What is written there? “Is the Lord in our midst, or not? Amalek came” (Exodus 17:7–8). How does this relate to that? It is analogous to a child who was riding on his father’s shoulders and saw his father’s friend. He said to him: ‘Have you seen father?’ His father said to him: ‘You are riding on my shoulders and you ask about me? I will cast you down and the enemy will come and dominate you.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘I bore you on clouds of glory and you say: “Is the Lord in our midst”? Therefore, let the enemy come and dominate you.’ That is, “Amalek came.”

“God was with [et] the lad, and he grew. He lived in the wilderness and became an archer” (Genesis 21:20).
“God was with the lad [et hanaar], and he grew” – Rabbi Yishmael asked Rabbi Akiva, saying to him: ‘Because you studied under Naḥum of Gam Zo for twenty years, [who taught:] The words akh and rak are restrictive expressions, et and gam are inclusive expressions, [I ask you] what is the meaning of the et that is written here?’ He said to him: ‘Had it said: “God was the lad” that would have been difficult; instead, [the Torah writes] “with the lad.” He said to him: “For it is not an empty thing for you [mikem]” (Deuteronomy 32:47); if it appears empty, it is from you [mikem],⁴²If you find something in the Torah that appears devoid of significance, it is because of your own ignorance. because you do not know how to expound. The correct explanation is, rather, “et hanaar” refers to him, his donkey drivers, his camel drivers, and the members of his household.’
“Became an archer [roveh kashat]” – he grew [rava] and his obstinacy [vekashyuto] remained with him.⁴³The difference between the two versions is whether the word imo is spelled with an ayin or with an alef. He grew [rava] and trained as an archer; he became greater [rava] than all the archers.
“He lived in the wilderness of Paran and his mother took him a wife from the land of Egypt” (Genesis 21:21).
“He lived in the wilderness of Paran” – Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Toss a stick into the air, and it will fall on its base.⁴⁴This saying means that a person has a tendency to go back to his roots eventually. So, too, because it is written: “She had an Egyptian maidservant and her name was Hagar” (Genesis 16:1); “his mother took him a wife from the land of Egypt.”