Midrash sa Habakuk 3:17: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tanchuma, Midrash Mishlei & Bereshit Rabbah

(Exod. 29:1:) AND THIS IS THE THING WHICH YOU SHALL DO TO THEM…: TAKE A YOUNG BULL OF THE HERD, <acquired> through purchase and not from plunder.⁴⁵Cf. PRK 27:6, which applies the same caution to procuring a lulav. (Ibid., cont.:) AND TWO RAMS <WITHOUT BLEMISH>, a ram on either side and the bull in the middle. Why three < animals >? To correspond to the three glories of the world (i.e., the patriarchs). The bull corresponds to Abraham (in Gen. 18:7): THEN ABRAHAM RAN UNTO THE HERD. (Exod. 29:1): AND TWO RAMS [WITHOUT BLEMISH]. <These> [correspond to] Isaac and Jacob. (Ibid., cont.:) ALSO UNLEAVENED BREAD. By their merit I will bless their bread. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: When the offerings used to be brought, an Arbelian se'ah <of wheat> produced a se'ah of fine flour, a se'ah of regular flour, a se'ah of coarser meal,⁴⁶Lat.: cibarium. a se'ah of coarse bran, <and> a se'ah of variegated flour; but now one brings a se'ah of wheat to grind and only takes away as much as he brought plus a little extra.⁴⁷yPe’ah 7:4 (20a); ySot. 1:8 (17b); 9:14 (24b). Why? Because the shewbread has ceased. See how the offerings which were offered upon the altar were beneficial for them! For whatever was offered from a species blessed that species. R. Hiyya bar Abba said: Even the establishment of an altar was done only for the atonement of Israel. Why was it named an altar (MZBH)? M, because it pardons (mohel) the sins of Israel; Z, because it is a good memorial (zikkaron) for Israel; B, because it is a blessing (berekhah) for Israel; <and> H, because it is life (hayyim) for Israel. The unleavened bread and the shewbread blessed the bread, and the first fruits blessed the fruit of the tree. <There is> a story about R. Johanan ben Eleazar, who dwelt under a fig tree; and the fig tree was full of beautiful figs. A dew came down and the figs absorbed honey. The wind kneaded them with the dust. A certain goat came and dripped milk in the honey. Then he called his students and said to them: Come and see an example⁴⁸Gk.: deigma. resembling the world to come. And why all this? Because the offerings were brought <to the altar>. <There is> a story about a certain scribe, who went up to Jerusalem each and every year. Now the people of Jerusalem knew him to be mighty in the Torah. They said to him: Take fifty gold coins each and every year and dwell with us. He said to them: I have one vine which is for me the most beautiful of them all, and it bears me three crops⁴⁹Gk: diphoros (“bearing fruit twice in the year”). in each year. So it bears six hundred barrels in each year. The first bears three hundred; the second, two hundred; and the third, one hundred. So I sell them at a very dear price, but all this gain is <attributable> to Jerusalem, on account of the libation of wine which they offer. When they abrogated it, all these good things were withheld. So you find that, when Israel was exiled to Babylon, Ezra said to them: Go up to the land of Israel. But they were unwilling. The Holy One said: When you offered the shewbread, you sowed little and brought in much. Now, however, (as in Hag. 1:6) YOU HAVE SOWN MUCH AND BROUGHT IN LITTLE; YOU EAT WITHOUT HAVING ENOUGH.⁵⁰Below, Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 7:7. (Ibid., cont.:) YOU DRINK WITHOUT HAVING ENOUGH, ever since the libation of wine has ceased,⁵¹So Tanh., Exod.8:13. The Buber text writes the verb with an added Y and would be translated: “Ever since he has abrogated libation of wine.” (Ibid., cont.:) YOU HAVE PUT ON CLOTHES, WITHOUT BEING WARM, ever since they abrogated the vestments of priesthood. The prophet has said (in Hab. 3:17): FOR THE FIG TREE SHALL NOT BLOSSOM, ever since they abrogated the first fruits. (Ibid., cont.:) THERE IS NO YIELD ON THE VINES, ever since they abrogated the drink offerings. (Ibid., cont.:) THE WORK OF THE OLIVE HAS FAILED, ever since they abrogated the oil of olives for the light. (Ibid., cont.:) AND FIELDS OF GRAIN PRODUCE NO FOOD. What is the meaning of AND FIELDS OF GRAIN (WShDMWT)? AND FIELDS OF CATTLE (WShDY BHMWT). <Therefore, THE FIELDS PRODUCE NO CATTLE >, ever since they abrogated the < commandments pertaining to> firstlings. (Ibid., cont.:) THE FLOCK HAS BEEN CUT OFF FROM THE FOLD, ever since they have abrogated the daily sacrifices. (Ibid., cont.:) THERE IS NO HERD IN THE STALLS, ever since they abrogated the bulls <which they offered>.⁵²The bracketed words are from Tanh., Exod. 8:13. R. Simeon ben Gamaliel said (in Sot. 9:12): SINCE THE DAY THAT THE TEMPLE WAS DESTROYED THERE HAS BEEN NO DAY IN WHICH THERE WAS NO CURSE. It is so stated (in Ps. 7:12 [11]): AND GOD IS ANGRY EVERY DAY. In the world to come, however, the Holy One will restore the blessings which <the land> had acquired, as stated (in Ezek. 36:8): BUT YOU, O MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL, SHALL BRING FORTH YOUR BRANCHES AND RAISE UP YOUR FRUIT FOR MY PEOPLE ISRAEL, BECAUSE THEY ARE SOON TO COME.

The prophet declared: For though the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olives shall fail, and the fields shall yield no food; the flocks shall be cut off from the herd, and there shall be no herd in the stall (Hab. 3:17). For though the fig tree shall not blossom alludes to the time when the commandment of the firstborn was suspended. Neither shall fruit be in the vines indicates that the libations were suspended. The labor of the olives shall fail refers to when the oil for the light was suspended. And the fields shall yield no food implies that offering of the early fruits was suspended. The flocks shall be cut off from the fold resulted from the suspension of the daily sacrifices. And there shall be no herd in the stalls signifies that the sacrifice of the bullock was suspended.

[1] (Proverbs 23:5): "When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings" - Rabbi Ishmael said: Three things have returned to their place: Torah, Israel, and silver and gold. Israel was across the river, as it is written (Joshua 24:2): "Joshua said to all the people, 'Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, 'Your fathers lived beyond the River...''" And how do we know they returned to their place? It is said (Jeremiah 27:22): "They shall be carried to Babylon, and there shall they be, until the day that I visit them, says the Lord." Silver and gold were from the land of Egypt, as it is said (Exodus 3:22): "Every woman shall ask of her neighbor and the woman who lives in her house, articles of silver and articles of gold," and how do we know they returned to their place? It is said (2 Chronicles 12:9): "So Shishak king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house; he took everything. He also took away the shields of gold which Solomon had made." The Torah was from heaven, as it is said (Deuteronomy 4:36): "Out of heaven He let you hear His voice," but when Israel sinned with the Golden Calf, the tablets were broken and the writing flew back to its place, as it is said, "When you set your eyes on it, it is gone. For wealth certainly makes itself wings, like an eagle that flies toward the heavens." Rabbi Yochanan said: Even though the tablets were broken, they were renewed, as it is said (Deuteronomy 10:1): "At that time the Lord said to me, 'Cut out for yourself two tablets of stone like the former ones, and come up to Me on the mountain, and make an ark of wood for yourself.'" And what was written on the first was written on the last, as it is said (Deuteronomy 10:4): "He wrote on the tablets, like the first writing, the Ten Commandments." Rabbi Eliezer asked Rabbi Joshua, "Rabbi, when were the first tablets given to Israel?" He said, "On Yom Kippur." He said, "Where is the proof?" He said, "Just as He did forty days the first time, so He did forty days the second time." He said, "Count from the day the tablets were broken until Yom Kippur, you find eighty days!" [He said,] "Forty that He waited on earth, and forty that He ascended to heaven and descended." He said, "Rabbi, what is the meaning of this verse: (Haggai 1:6): 'You have sown much, but harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes'?" [He said,] "You have sown much, but harvest little - from the cessation of the Omer; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied - from the cessation of the showbread; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk - from the cessation of the libations; you put on clothing, but no one is warm enough - from the cessation of the priestly garments; and he who earns, earns wages to put into a purse with holes - from the cessation of the shekels." And he further said to him: "Rabbi, what is the meaning of this verse: (Habakkuk 3:17): 'Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls'?" [He said,] "Though the fig tree should not blossom - from the cessation of the firstfruits; and there be no fruit on the vines - from the cessation of the libations and wine offerings; though the yield of the olive should fail - from the cessation of the oil for lighting and anointing oil; and the fields produce no food - from the cessation of the continual and additional offerings; though the flock should be cut off from the fold - from the cessation of the sacrifices; and there be no cattle in the stalls - from the cessation of the peace offerings. But tomorrow, when the Temple will be rebuilt speedily in our days, what does he say? (Jeremiah 30:18): 'The city will be rebuilt on its ruin, and the palace will stand in its proper place, and from them will proceed thanksgiving and the voice of those who celebrate,' and it is written: (Habakkuk 3:19): 'The Lord God is my strength, and He has made my feet like hinds' feet, and makes me walk on my high places. For the choir director, with my stringed instruments.'"...