Мидраш к Мишлей 10:27

(Fol. 8) Rabba b. b. Ghana, in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Pr. 10, 27) The fear of the Lord increases man's days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened? The fear of the Lord increases the days, alludes to the first Temple, during whose existence of four hundred and ten years there were only eighteen High-priests. And the years of the wicked will be shortened, alludes to the second Temple, which existed four hundred and twenty years, but more than three hundred High-priests succeeded each other during that period. Deduct the forty years during which Simeon the Righteous ministered, and eighty years of Jochanan, the High-priest's, ministry, and ten years of Ishmael b. Favi, and according to others, also the eleven years of R. Eliezer b. Charsum, and computing, you will see that subsequently not even one High priest completed his year. R. Jochanan b. Turtha said: "Why did all of this happen? Because they were appointed to the priesthood through bribery [and not because of their merits], for R. Assi said: 'A Tarkabful of denarim did Martha b. Boethus bring to king Jannai, until she succeeded in making him appoint Joshua b. Gamla [her husband], as the High-priest.'" R. Jochanan b. Turtha said further: "Why was Shiloh destroyed? Because two sins were committed there: adultery and the disgraceful treatment of sacrifices; as it is written (I Sam. 2, 33) Now Eli was very old, and heard that his sons were in the habit of doing unto all Israel, etc.; and although Samuel b. Nachmemi, in the name of R. Jochanan, said: "Whoever says that the children of Eli sinned, errs, because (Ib. b) they only prolonged the confinement bird sacrizces; nevertheless since Scripture censures them in this way [by charging them with sin], we understand that adultery prevailed. Mistreatment of sacrifices, as it is written (Ib. ib., 15) before the fat was … And if the man said unto him: 'Let the fat … for the men despised the offering of the Lord."

Another matter, “a time to be born” – from the time to be born, it is the time to die. From the moment that a person is born, it is decreed upon him how many years he will live. If he merits, he will complete his years. If not, his life will be shortened, as it is written: “The fear of the Lord will increase days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened” (Proverbs 10:27). This is the opinion of Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbis say: If he merits, his life will be extended; if not, his life will be shortened. If he merits, his life will be extended, as it is stated: “Behold, I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5). He said to them: From his own it is added to him.⁸If one had his original life expectancy shortened, it will be restored. Thus, regarding the verse cited from Isaiah, the fifteen years restored Hezekiah to his original life expectancy. Know [that this is so,] as it is written: “Behold, a son is born to the house of David, Josiah is his name…” (I Kings 13:2), and Menashe⁹The order of the succession of the monarchy was Hezekiah, Menashe, Amon, Josiah. had not yet entered the world.¹⁰The prophecy about Josiah had been delivered hundreds of years earlier. When Hezekiah was granted the additional fifteen years, Menashe, his son, had not yet been born. Clearly, from the outset, Hezekiah was always supposed to have lived long enough to beget Menashe, Josiah’s grandfather. They said to him: Is it written: A son will be born to the house of David from Hezekiah? That is not stated, but rather “to the house of David,” [and it could have been] a son from a different [branch] of the royal house of David.
This supports what the Sages, our rabbis said: There was an incident involving one of the prominent men of Tzippori, who had occasion to circumcise [his son], and the residents of Ein Te’ena came up to honor him and Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta came up with them. When they came to the city gates, they came across the sound of lads standing and playing before one courtyard. They saw Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta, who was distinguished and handsome. They said to him: ‘You will not move from here until you dance for us a bit.’ He said to them: ‘This is inappropriate for me, as I am an elderly man.’ He reprimanded them, but they were not daunted and did not submit. He lifted his glance and saw that the courtyard [was going to be] overturned.¹¹Due to their impudence in insisting that Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta dance for them, the courtyard would be destroyed. He said to them: ‘Repeat after me what I say: Go and say to this owner of this courtyard: “If you are sleeping, awaken, as the beginning of sin is sweet but its end is bitter.”’ From the sound of their words the owner of that courtyard awakened, and he emerged, and fell at [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta’s] feet. He said: ‘Rabbi, I beg of you, do not pay attention to their words, as they are young and foolish.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘What can we do for you, the edict has already been issued.¹²The courtyard will be destroyed. However, I will delay it for you [so you have enough] time to take out everything that you have in the courtyard.’ When he had taken out everything that he had in the courtyard, that courtyard was lifted up and then crashed down [and was destroyed].
They went to fulfill the mitzva of circumcision, and the father of the boy was giving them aged wine to drink, and saying: ‘Drink of this fine wine, as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will [also] give you to drink of it at his wedding.’ They answered him: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ From the sound of their words, Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta emerged into the darkness,¹³He set out to return home even though it was night. he was accosted by the emissary of the people.¹⁴The angel of death. [The angel of death] said to him: ‘Is it because you rely on your good deeds that you are going out at a time that is not a time?’¹⁵For people to be outside. [Rabbi Shimon bar Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘You, who are you?’ He said to him: ‘I am the emissary of the people.’ He said to him: ‘Why do you look forlorn?’ He said: ‘It is from the sound of the harsh words that I hear from people every day.’ He said to him: ‘What are they?’ He said to him: ‘That baby that you circumcised today, I have the document of his [fate, which states] that I am to take him from here in thirty days. His father gave you to drink and said: “Drink this fine wine as I trust in the Master of Heaven that I will give you to drink of it at his wedding.” I heard and I was sad, because your prayer¹⁶The prayer the guests had said to the father: ‘Just as you brought him to circumcision, so may you bring him to Torah and to the wedding canopy.’ abrogates it.’ [Rabbi Shimon ben Ḥalafta] said to him: ‘By your life, show me my fate.’ He said to him: ‘I have no control over yours and not over your colleagues.’ He said to him: ‘Why?’ He said: ‘It is because each and every day you exert yourself in Torah and mitzvot and perform acts of righteousness, and the Holy One blessed be He adds years to your lifetimes.’ He said to him: ‘May it be the will of the Holy One blessed be He that just as you do not control our fates, so you will not have license to violate our words and our plea for mercy from Heaven.’ The baby lived.¹⁷This proves that, contrary to Rabbi Akiva’s statement, people can live beyond their predetermined life expectancy.
Rabbi Akiva said: What is [the significance of] this incident for us? I do not have an incident, but rather a verse: “I will fill the number of your days” (Exodus 23:26). Moses, how many mitzvot did he fulfill and how many acts of righteousness, and ultimately, it was stated to him: “Behold, your days are approaching to die” (Deuteronomy 31:14); that is: “A time to be born [and a time to die].”
Another matter, “a time to be born and a time to die” – when a man is born, the Holy One blessed be He waits up to twenty years for him to marry a woman. If he reached the age of twenty and did not marry a woman, the Holy One blessed be He says to him: It is “a time to be born” for you,¹⁸A time for you to have children. but you did not wish to do so; this is nothing other than “a time to die.” Some say: One waits only a bit before that which will burn him.¹⁹Since a man is liable to lose his life if he is not married by the age of twenty, he would do well not to wait until close to that age, and marry even before the age of twenty.
“A time to plant,” in peacetime; “and a time to uproot that which is planted,” in wartime.

...The Rabbis say: God finds it hard to decree death upon the righteous. Whence this? For it is said, "Grievous in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints (Psalms 116:15). And this is the proof. God should have spoken to Moses thus: "Behold you are about to die." God, however, did not speak in this way, but spared him and attached death to the days. Whence this? From what we read about the matter, "Behold, your days approach, to die."

The Holy One said to Abimelech ben Gideon (of Jud. 9): O wicked one, see the honor that Abimelech paid to Abraham! Now you have arisen and killed your brothers, (according to vs. 5): SEVENTY MEN ON ONE STONE. Woe to that man, for thus Solomon has spoken (in Eccl. 10:8): THE ONE WHO DIGS A PIT WILL FALL INTO IT. Accordingly, he also was not killed other than by means of a stone, as stated (in vs. 53): THEN A CERTAIN WOMAN CAST A MILLSTONE < UPON ABIMELECH'S HEAD AND BROKE HIS SKULL >. The Holy One said to him: I have written in my Torah (in Prov. 10:27): THE FEAR OF THE LORD INCREASES ONE'S DAYS, BUT THE YEARS OF THE WICKED WILL BE SHORTENED. Now you have killed your brothers. By your life, I am shortening the years of that man (i.e., Abimelech). He therefore only reigned three years, as stated (in Jud. 9:22): NOW ABIMELECH RULED OVER ISRAEL THREE YEARS.