Kaisipang Hudyo sa Isaias 54:10: Akeidat Yitzchak

We find the following statement in Midrash Rabbah Parshat Eykev, concerning the covenant between G'd and Israel: Rabbi Shimon said "what is this subject comparable to? To the king who married a lady of aristocratic descent." She brought two irises with her into the marriage. Therefore, the king also gave her two irises. When his wife later on lost those flowers, her husband took his flowers back from her also. After a while , when his wife had regained her standing, she restored the flowers and the husband also gave her back his flowers. You will note that Abraham bestowed two qualities on his children, i.e "righteousness and justice." (Genesis 18,19) To match this, G'd had equipped Abraham's children with two qualities also, "loving kindness and mercy," as it is written in Deut. 7,9, "and He will preserve for you the covenant and the kindness. It is further written in Deut. 13,18 "He will give you mercy and have mercy on you." When Israel lost its distinctive qualities, G'd withdrew His contribution as we read in Amos 6,12, "you turned justice into gall and the fruit of the righteous into wormwood." So G'd says "I have withdrawn My peace from this people, and the loving kindness and mercy." (Jeremiah 16,5) When the Jewish people cleanse themselves, as is written "Zion is being redeemed through justice and its penitent sinners through righteousness," (Isaiah 1,27) G'd also restores kindness and mercy. We read in Isaiah 54,10, "even if mountains were to disappear as well as the hills be shaken, My kindness will not depart from you and My covenant of peace will not be shaken, says the Lord who has mercy upon you." Since Israel contributed its share, G'd contributes His own share, and places it on the head of His chosen lady, as is written "I betroth you unto Me through righteousness and justice, through loving kindness and mercy. (Hoseah 2,21)

8) The prophet Isaiah 54,10 refers to an oath by G-d rather than to a covenant. What is the difference, and why are different terms used for the same event? We also have a number of questions in connection with the building of the tower of Babel that require clarification:

To come back to our opening Midrash. Rabbi Menachem is concerned with the arguments of those who ask to see the evidence of reward and punishment. He points to our Parshah as proof that there is such visible evidence. Rabbi Hunna addresses himself to those who deny a system of reward and punishment altogether, and points out that our Parshah implies that life would not make sense at all unless there was such a thing as reward and punishment. Rabbi Chiyah addresses himself to another aspect of the blessings and curses in our Parshah.