Midrash sa Eclesiastes 8:2: Aggadat Bereshit, Midrash Tanchuma, Shir HaShirim Rabbah & Bamidbar Rabbah

Chapter 7: Torah. [1] "Go out from the ark" (Genesis 8:16). In the scriptures it is said: I do obey the king’s orders—[and don’t rush into uttering an oath by God.]" (Ecclesiastes 8:2) - the Holy Spirit said to Israel: "I adjure you that if the kingdom decrees something upon you, do not rebel against it in anything it decrees upon you. But if it decrees to abolish the Torah, the commandments, and the Sabbath, do not listen to them." As it says: "I am the king's servant, keep [his word] for every matter" (Ecclesiastes 8:2). However, regarding the oath of God, "Do not hurry to leave his presence" (Ecclesiastes 8:3). Just as Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah did when Nebuchadnezzar set up the statue, they were told, "What do you say that you are casting us into the fiery furnace, and the Lord will not save us? Whether He saves us or not, we will not bow down to the image," as it says, "But if not, let it be known to you" (Daniel 3:18). He said to them, "You are rebels." They replied, "The truth is clear," as it says, "There is a way that is straight before a person" (Daniel 3:14). They said to him, "We do not care about Nebuchadnezzar," as it says, "We will not be concerned with your words" (Daniel 3:16)." They said to him, "Whatever you decree upon us, we will do, and we will listen to you, and we will not rebel against you, except for Yom Kippur of our God. [Say to him] I do! “Obey the king’s orders, leave his presence, do not tarry in a dangerous situation, for he can do anything he pleases;" (Ecclesiastes 8:2-3). When Nebuchadnezzar heard this, he became angry, as it says: "Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury" (Daniel 3:19), and he threw them bound into the furnace, as it says: "And they cast them into the midst of the burning fiery furnace" (Daniel 3:23). When they descended, they lifted their eyes and said before the Lord: "Master of the Universe, it is revealed and known before You that we did not trust in anything except Your great Name, as it says: "Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name give glory" (Psalm 115:1). At that point, all the languages gathered, as it says: "Then the satraps, the prefects, and the governors, the counselors, the treasurers, the justices, the magistrates, and all the officials of the provinces gathered for the dedication of the image that King Nebuchadnezzar had set up" (Daniel 3:3). Immediately, the angels requested to descend and release them, but the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "Do these angels descend on account of any one of you? Rather, they descend on account of My name. I will descend and save them, as it is said, 'He executes justice for the oppressed...the Lord frees the bound.' (Psalm 146:7) Just as Moses freed the Israelites from the furnace, and the Holy One, blessed be He, removed the furnace and raised it up and leveled it with the ground, which had been low and deep. Once the angel descended and said to them, 'Go out from here,' then the Holy One, blessed be He, released them and performed miracles for them. He leveled the furnace with the ground, and they went out. They said to him, 'We will not go out without the permission of Nebuchadnezzar, lest people say that we fled from the furnace. "I do Obey the king’s orders" (Ecclesiastes 8:2) We were thrown in here by his permission, and we will go out by his permission." Once Nebuchadnezzar came and saw them, he was amazed and began to shout, 'Come out!' As it is said, 'The king cried out to bring in the astrologers...' (Daniel 2:2) Once the furnace had become level with the ground, they went out. They said to the angel, 'Now we will go out,' as it is said, 'Then they went out...' (Daniel 3:26) From whom did they learn this? From Noah. When he entered the ark, he did so with the permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, 'And the Lord said to Noah, "Enter the ark, you and all your household."' (Genesis 7:1) Once the earth dried up and the ark rested, as it is said, 'And the ark rested...' (Genesis 8:4) His children said to him, 'Let us go out from here.' He said to them, 'God forbid! We entered with the permission of the Holy One, blessed be He, and we will go out with His permission.' Once the Holy One, blessed be He, heard this, He immediately spoke to Noah, saying, 'Go out of the ark.' (Genesis 8:16) Therefore, it is said, 'I do Obey the king’s orders' (Ecclesiastes 8:2)

(Numb. 10:1–2:) “Then the Lord spoke [unto Moses saying], ‘Make two silver trumpets (hatsotserot).’” This text is related (to Ps. 24:7), “O gates, lift up your heads, be lifted up, you everlasting doors, [that the King of glory may come in].” When Solomon was bringing the ark into the Temple,¹⁷Numb. R. 15:13; above Exod. 2:6 and the note there. he began to say, “O gates, lift up your heads...,” because the openings were [too] low. [Then] he said, “Be lifted up you everlasting doors, that the King of glory may come in.” The gates said to him (in vss. 8 and 10), “Who is this king of glory? The gates immediately wanted to break his head [and would have done so,] if he had not said (in vs. 10), “The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah.” Again he said (in vs. 8), “The Lord strong and mighty [...].” He said to them, “Expand yourselves, for the King of glory is coming upon you. They immediately showed Him honor (kavod), and raised themselves up.¹⁸Lam. R. 2:9 (13). So the ark entered. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “You have shown Me honor. Upon your lives, when I destroy My house, no one will prevail against you.” You know that all the implements of the Temple went into exile in Babylon as stated (in Dan. 1:2), “Then the Lord gave King Jehoiakim of Judah into his hand, with some of the implements from the house of God; and he brought them to the land of Shinar.” But the Temple gates were hidden in their place, as stated (in Lam. 2:9), “Her gates have sunk into the ground.” [Another interpretation:] What is the meaning (of Ps. 24:10), “the Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory. Selah?” That He imparts some of His glory to those who fear Him.¹⁹Numb. R.15:13; see PRK 32:9 (= Suppl. 1:9); M. Pss. 90:1. How? He is called "God" (elohim, a term denoting a power), and he called Moses "elohim," as stated (in Exod. 7:1), “See I have set you as elohim to Pharaoh.” He (the Holy One, blessed be He,) causes the dead to live, and he imparted some of His glory to Elijah. Thus he (i.e., Elijah) caused the dead to live, as stated (in I Kings 17:23), “and Elijah said, ‘See your son is alive.’” Because the Holy One, blessed be He, imparts some of his glory to those who fear Him, He put His own clothing on the messianic king, as stated (in Ps. 21:6), “honor and majesty You shall lay upon him.” What is written about the Holy One, blessed be He, (in Ps. 47:6)? “God has ascended amid acclamation; the Lord with the sound of a horn (shofar).” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:5), ‘Then he became king in Jeshurun.’ Just as when the king goes forth, they sound trumpets before him, so also for you, (in Numb. 10:2:), ‘Make for yourself two silver trumpets.’ [This is] so that will they sound the trumpets before you when you take out and bring in Israel, as stated (Numb.10:3), ‘And they shall blow them and the whole community shall assemble before you.’” Hence (Numb. 10:2:), “Make for yourself two silver trumpets.” This text is related (to Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king, and do not associate with those who would differ.” But what is the meaning of “and the king?” Simply [this, to] make Him (i.e., the Holy One, blessed be He,) king over you.²⁰Numb. R. 15:14 cont. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king”: Be king over the evil drive, which is called a king, where it is stated (in Eccl. 9:14), “[There was a little city with few people in it,] and a great king came against it […].”²¹Cf. see above Gen. R. 11:1; 23:2; also Eccl. R. 4:13:1; 9:14:6, 9. Another interpretation (of Prov. 24:21), “and the king.” [More] than the king: Lest it be supposed that if the king says to you, “Worship an idol,” you should heed him;²²See above Gen. 2:15. the text reads (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Thus [when] Nebuchadnezzar told Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah to worship an idol, they did not heed him. Instead they said to him (in Dan. 3:18), “We will not serve your gods, nor will we pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.” Nebuchadnezzar said to them (in Dan. 3:14), “’Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego?’ Did not the Holy One, blessed be He, say this to you that you should obey royalty in whatever it tells you, where it is stated (in Eccl. 8:2), ‘I [say], “Keep the king's command?”’” They said to him, “You are king over us for taxes and crop levies;²³Lat.: annona. but in regard to the service of idols, Nebuchadnezzar and a dog [have] equal [authority].” (Dan. 3:16-17:) “Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, ‘O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to answer you in this [matter]. If our God [whom we serve is able to save us, He shall save us from the burning fiery furnace and from your hand O king].’” They said to him, “Whether He delivers us or whether He does not deliver us (in vs. 18), ‘be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods nor pay homage to the image of gold which you have set up.’” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king; and do not associate with those who would differ”; [i.e.,] in that Israel is called a third to all those that fear Him, but do not associate with those who say that there are two gods in the world, for the end of [such people] is to perish from the world. It is so stated (in Zech. 13:8), “And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the Lord, that two-thirds [in it] shall be cut off [and die], but one-third shall remain in it.” And who is the one-third? This is Israel as stated (in Is. 19:24), “And on that day Israel shall be a third [partner with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the earth].” Ergo (in Prov. 24:21), “Fear the Lord, my child, and the king.” Whoever is in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, becomes a king. From whom did you learn [that]? From Abraham because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, and became a king. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 22:12), “for now I know that you fear God.” But where is it shown that he became a king? It is written (in Gen. 14:17), “[And the king of Sodom came out to meet him …] at the Valley of Shaveh, i.e., the valley of the king.” What is the meaning of the Valley of Shaveh (rt.: shwh?] That they all became equal (rt.: shwh). So taking counsel (or taking wood),²⁴‘Etsah. The word can mean either “counsel” or “wood.” they cut cedars, made a throne, and set him over them as king. And you should not say [this] only [in the case of] Abraham alone. In the case of Moses [as well did this happen], because he was in fear of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 3:6), “then Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God.” And where is it shown that he became a king?] Where it is stated (in Deut. 33:5), “Then he became king in Jeshurun.”²⁵Thus the king of whom Prov. 24:21 demands obedience, is a king who fears the Holy One like Abraham or Moses. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “I have made you a king. As they blow trumpets before a king when he goes forth to war, so shall they blow trumpets before you when you go forth to war.” How is it shown? From that which they read about the matter (in Numb. 10:2), “Make two silver trumpets.”²⁶The context of the passage concerns the sounding of an alarm in time of war.

Go forth from the ark (Gen. 8:16). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: I counsel thee: keep the king’s command, and that in regard of the oath of God. Be not hasty to go out of His presence (Eccles. 8:2–3). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: If a government imposes harsh decrees upon you, I adjure you not to rebel against that government but rather to keep the king’s command. However, if the government should decree that you must violate the Torah and its commandments, do not hearken unto it. Say to that government: “I will keep the king’s command in whatever you desire, but with regard to an oath to God, Scripture states: Be not hasty to go out of His presence.” They want you to violate the commandments so that you will ultimately repudiate the Holy One, blessed be He. Hence, it says: In regard of the oath of God, be not hasty to go forth from His presence (ibid.).