Мидраш к Бамидбар 14:27

(Lev. 19:2:) “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Before I created My world, the ministering angels praised My name through you and sanctified Me through you by saying (in I Chron. 16:36), ‘Blessed is the Lord God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting.’” When the first Adam was created, the angels said, “Master of the world, is this the one in whose name we are praising You?” He told them, “No. This person is a thief, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 3:17), ‘and you ate of the tree.’” [When] Noah came, they said to Him (i.e., to the Holy One, blessed be He), “Is this the one?” He told them, “[No]. This person is a drunkard, since it is stated (of him in Gen. 9:21), ‘Then he drank of the wine [and became drunk].’” [When] Abraham came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This is a stranger (ger), from which Yishmael came out.” [When] Isaac came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “This one loves My enemy, as stated (in Gen. 25:28), ‘Now Isaac loved Esau.’” When Jacob came, they said to Him, “Is this the one?” He told them, “Yes, for so it says (in Gen. 35:10), ‘God said to him, “Your name shall no longer be Jacob, but your name shall be Israel.”’ So all Israel was called by his name.” At that time the Holy One, blessed be he, sanctified them because of His name, as stated (in Is. 49:3), “Israel, in whom I will be glorified.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Since you were sanctified for My name before I created My world, be holy as I am holy.” It is so stated (in Lev. 19:2), “[You shall be holy,] because I am holy.” To what is the matter comparable? To a king who betrothed a wife. He said to her, “Because you have been betrothed (literally, sanctified) to my name, I am a king and you, a queen. Just as it (i.e., my name) is an honor for me, so it is an honor for you. Why? Because you are my wife.” Thus the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “Go and sanctify (i.e., go and betroth) Israel,” as stated (in Exod. 19:10), “and sanctify (rt.: qdsh) them today and tomorrow.” The Holy One, blessed be He, sanctified them and said to them (in Exod. 19:6), “But you shall be for Me a kingdom of priests, a holy (rt.: qdsh) nation.” Why? (Lev. 19:2:) “Because I the Lord am holy.” And you also shall be sanctified (rt.: qdsh) just as you have sanctified Me, as stated (in Lev. 19:2) “Speak unto the whole congregation of the Children of Israel, and say unto them, ‘You shall be holy (rt.: qdsh).’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said unto them, “If you are worthy, you shall be called a congregation of holy ones (rt.: qdsh); [but if] you are unworthy, you shall be called an evil congregation, as stated (Numb. 14:27) ‘How long shall this evil congregation?’”

“Remember my affliction and my anguish, wormwood and gall” (Lamentations 3:19).
“Remember my affliction and my anguish [umrudi]” – the congregation of Israel says before the Holy One blessed be He: Master of the universe, remember the afflictions with which I was afflicted, the rebellion [umrudi] that I carried out against You, and the suffering with which You sated me, “wormwood and gall.” These are expiated by those.
“You will remember, and my soul is despondent within me” (Lamentations 3:20).
“You will remember” – Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: This is analogous to a king who went out to war. His sons were with him and were provoking him. The next day, the king went out alone and his sons were not with him. The king said: If only my sons were with me, even if they would be provoking me. So too, the king is the Holy One blessed be He, and His sons are Israel. When Israel would go out to war, the Holy One blessed be He would go out with them. When they angered Him, He did not go out with them. But when Israel was no longer in the Land [of Israel], He said: If only Israel was with Me, even if they would be angering Me. We have three verses: “Would that I would be in the wilderness, in a wayfarers’ lodging place” (Jeremiah 9:1); would that My people be with Me as they were at the outset, when they were in the wilderness.⁴⁶This is expounded from the term for lodging place [melon], which is similar to the word for complaining [malinim], used to describe the Israelites’ complaints in the wilderness (see Numbers 14:27) (Etz Yosef). And it is written: “Son of man, the house of Israel dwelled in their land…” (Ezekiel 36:17).⁴⁷The verse continues: “They defiled it in their way and by their doings; their way before Me was as the impurity of a menstruating woman.” The implication is that despite the impurity, God wants them “before Me.” And this, “You will remember, and My soul is despondent within Me.”
Rabbi Yudan said: “You will remember” – I know that You remember the nations of the world.⁴⁸You remember what they did to me and You will punish them. But what can I do, “my soul is despondent within me.” The parable says: Until the fat one grows lean, the soul of the lean one expires.
“This I will reply to my heart; therefore I have hope” (Lamentations 3:21).
“This I will reply to my heart; therefore I have hope” – Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: To what is this matter analogous? To a king who married a noblewoman and wrote for her a very substantial marriage contract, saying to her: ‘I will prepare for you such and such number of wedding canopies, and I am giving you such and such number of gowns of purple wool.’ The king left her and went to a country overseas, and he was delayed there. Her neighbors came to her and were teasing her and saying to her: ‘The king left you, went to a country overseas, and he is not going to return to you.’ She was crying and sighing. When she would enter her house, she would take her marriage contract and read it. She would see in her marriage contract: I will prepare such and such number of wedding canopies, and I am giving you such and such number of gowns of purple wool, and she would be immediately comforted. Ultimately, the king came. He said to her: ‘My daughter, I am astonished, how did you wait for me all those years?’ She said to him: ‘My lord, the king, were it not for the substantial marriage contract that you wrote and gave to me, my neighbors would have caused my demise.’ So too, idolaters provoke Israel and say to them: ‘Your God has concealed His face from You and caused His Divine Presence to depart from you. He will never return to you.’ They cry and sigh. When they enter the synagogues and study halls, read the Torah, and find that it is written: “I will turn to you, and make you fruitful.… I will place My Sanctuary in your midst.… I will walk in your midst” (Leviticus 26:9, 11–12), they are comforted. Tomorrow, when the end of the redemption comes, the Holy One blessed be He will say to Israel: ‘My children, I am astonished over you, how did you wait for Me all those years?’ They will say before Him: ‘Master of the universe, were it not for Your Torah that You gave us, the nations would have caused our demise.’ That is why it is stated: “This (zot) I will reply to my heart,” and zot is nothing other than Torah, as it is stated: “And this [vezot] is the Torah” (Deuteronomy 4:44). Likewise, David said: “Had Your Torah not been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction” (Psalms 119:92). “Therefore I have hope” in Him, and we proclaim the unity of His name twice daily and say: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one” (Deuteronomy 6:4).

As soon as Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he said to his sons: Get you down thither, and buy for us from them, etc. And Joseph’s ten brethren went down (ibid. 42:2–3). Why did all ten go? Because in that number resides the power to set aside retribution.⁴Because ten comprise a minyan and so they could beseech God as a congregation. For example, when the Holy One, blessed be He, was about to destroy Sodom, our patriarch Abraham pleaded for heavenly mercy in their behalf. He spoke first of fifty men, but finally reduced the number to ten, as it is said: Peradventure ten shall be found there (ibid. 18:31). Ten men also comprise a congregation, as is said: How long shall I bear with this evil congregation (Num. 14:27), and God standeth in the congregation of God (Ps. 82:1). Hence Scripture states: Joseph’s ten brethren went down (Gen. 42:3). Just as in the case of Sodom, Scripture speaks here of ten. And the sons of Israel came to buy among those that came (Gen. 42:5), in order that no one would recognize them. The Holy One, blessed be He, declared: Because you have said: We shall see what will become of his dreams (ibid. 37:20), his dream was fulfilled. Joseph saw his brothers and recognized them, but they did not recognize him, for they had felt no compassion for him, while Joseph recognized them because he pitied them.