Midrash sa Isaias 43:21: Otzar Midrashim, Midrash Lekach Tov, Bamidbar Rabbah & Midrash Tehillim

A Tale of Rabbi Kahana: Rabbi Kahana and his wife were blessed by God with a (only) son, whom they named Saliq. And when the boy was just five years old, Rabbi Kahana seized him with his hand and wished to take him from their home to the House of Study to learn Torah. The boy's mother spoke up and said to [Rabbi Kahana] "where are you taking my boy?" [Rabbi Kahana] replied "we must entrust him to someone who is able to teach him Torah." She responded to him "it would be far better for both of us to die than for for us to witness our son's departure. He must not leave us, neither to study Torah nor to pursue a trade." Her husband replied "quickly, fetch your marriage contract and I will read it and pay what is stipulated in it per the conditions of a divorce settlement." She said to him "what blemish do you see in me that you wish to divorce me. For is it not written: "If a man marries a woman and it happens that she does not find favor in his eyes for he has found something indecent about her, and he will write for her a certificate of divorce..." (Deuteronomy 24:1). Her husband replied and said "there is no greater blemish than your action, for you preventing my son from drinking the Living Waters (i.e., the words of Torah). And "water" is none but Torah. As it is written "all those who are thirsty, come to the waters" (Isaiah 55:1). And it is written "For they are life to those who find them" (Proverbs 4:22). The wife then said "let us make a compromise between you and I." Says he, "how so?" She replied "go to the marketplace and find us an expert rabbi, and offer an agreement for him to teach our son at home for many days and years, and I will attend to him honorably, and [prepare his meals and launder his clothes]." Immediately, the husband ran to the marketplace and found a wise man sitting and tying his tzitzit (tassels) in seven loops. [Rabbi Kahana] said to the [Wise Man] "peace be upon you, Rabbi." The [Wise Man] replied "peace be upon you, my lord." [Rabbi Kahana] asked "what is your name?" The [Wise Man] replied "my name is Eliezer the Small One." [Rabbi Kahana] then asked "do you have a wife and children?" The [Wise Man] replied "indeed, and they are here with me. My wife is the Torah." As it is written "enjoy happiness with a woman you love all the fleeting days of life that have been granted to you under the sun—all your fleeting days. For that alone is what you can get out of life and out of the means you acquire under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:9). The Wise Man continued "And the children of my master are my students, they are now men of Torah." And indeed, each person is obligated to teach their child Torah once they reach the age of six or seven. As it is written "This people I formed for Myself so that they will declare My praise." (Isaiah 43:21). [The Hebrew word "this" (זו) contains the numbers six (ו) and seven (ז)]. Immediately, the woman said to the Wise Man "you will teach my son at our home and my son Saliq will not leave the entrance of my home." The Wise Man replied "I accept your proposal." Immediately, Rabbi Kahana wrote an employer's contract for Rabbi Eliezer. And similarly, Rabbi Eliezer wrote an employee's contract for Rabbi Kahana and taught [Rabbi Kahana's] son Saliq. And so it happened that from the day of his birth from his mother's womb, Saliq never once crossed the doorway of his home. Instead, he remained and studied for twenty-five years, until he reached the age of thirty. And Rabbi Kahana paid Rabbi Eliezer the Small one thousand measurements of gold.

Like a lily among the thorns. Just as the lily is pleasant among the thorns, and everyone can distinguish between the lily and the thorns, so Israel is distinct among the nations, and is distinguished from all their impurities and unpleasantness, like a lily among the thorns. And if it leans one way or the other, it is torn by the thorns. Thus, if Israel deviates from the path of the ETERNAL, immediately the nations of the world converge on their leaves, strike them, and punish them. Like a lily among the thorns. Just as this lily is difficult to gather from among the thorns, so Israel is difficult to redeem from among the nations. Like a lily among the thorns. Just as this lily is nothing but fragrance, so Israel was created for fragrance, to praise God, as it says “The people I formed for Myself that they might declare My praise” (Isaiah 43:21). Like a lily among the thorns. Just as the lily withers in a hamsin, so Israel is pained because of Esau, as it says, “And no survivor shall be left of the House of Esau” (Ovadia 1:18). Immediately, Israel sprouts up, as it says “I will be to Israel like dew; it shall blossom like the lily” (Hosea 14:16). Israel is like a lily, when it is small, it is called a “crocus,” and when it is large, it is called a “lily.” Because Israel among the nations has varied types of trouble, it is called “a lily among the thorns.”

“The Kehatite,” that is what is written: “For My name's sake, I will defer My wrath and for My praise, I will exercise forbearance with you, so as not to eradicate you” (Isaiah 48:9). It is speaking of Israel. “For My name's sake, I will defer My wrath,” this is Israel, upon whom the Holy One blessed be He designated His name: “I am the Lord your God” (Exodus 20:2). And He joined His name¹⁰El. with their name, Israel. That is why He deferred His wrath against Israel, that He did not eliminate them, but rather, He collected from them¹¹He punished them. little by little in exile in order to absolve them. He did not seek to eradicate them, so his name would not be desecrated because of them. As we find when Israel was in Egypt, they rebelled against the Holy One blessed be He and the Holy One blessed be He wished to eliminate them, but He deferred His wrath with them for His name’s sake and did not do so, just as it says: “I said to pour My fury upon them, to spend My wrath upon them within the land of Egypt. But I acted for My name’s sake, so that it would not be profaned before the eyes of the nations” (Ezekiel 20:8–9). Likewise, when Israel departed, in the wilderness they rebelled against Him, and the Holy One blessed be He sought to eradicate them but He deferred His wrath with them for His name’s sake, as it is stated: “I said to pour My fury upon them [in the wilderness to eradicate them. But I acted for My name’s sake, so that it would not be profaned before the eyes of the nations…]” (Ezekiel 20:13–14). Likewise, the generation of the wilderness rebelled against the Holy One blessed be He and He sought to eradicate them, but He deferred His wrath with them for His name’s sake, and He took an oath that He would exact retribution against them with the servitude of the kingdoms, but he did not effect eradication, as it is stated: “I said I would pour My fury [upon them…in the wilderness]. But I restrained My hand, [and I acted for the sake of My name, that it not be profaned]” (Ezekiel 20:21–22). “I also raised My hand [to them in the wilderness, to disperse them among the nations and to scatter them through the lands]” (Ezekiel 20:23). “For My praise, I will exercise forbearance with you” (Isaiah 48:9), so that the name of the Holy One blessed be He will not be profaned through them; He will bring them the sealed redemption, as it is stated: “I will sanctify My great name that was profaned among the nations… I will take you from the nations…[and I will bring you to your land]” (Ezekiel 36:23–24).
Another matter, “I will exercise forbearance [oḥotam] with you” (Isaiah 48:9), because Israel was created to recite the praise of the Holy One blessed be He, just as it says: “This people, I formed for Myself; [they will recite My praise]” (Isaiah 43:21). For that purpose, so that His name would be praised in their midst, the Holy One blessed be He seals it [ḥotma] for good. Just as it says: “Place me as a seal [hotam] upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm” (Song of Songs 8:6). That caused them not to be eliminated in exile. That is, “so as not to eradicate you.”
Another matter, “for My name's sake, I will defer My wrath” (Isaiah 48:9), it is speaking of the Kehatites [hakehati]. To what is the matter comparable? It is to a king who had a son who joined robbers. They were apprehended and his son was apprehended with them. The king said: ‘What shall I do? Shall I execute the robbers? That is impossible, as my son is with them. For the sake of my son, I will free them now.’ So, the Levites were the bearers of the Tabernacle. The Holy One blessed be He was looking at Koraḥ and his congregation, who were destined to dispute with Moses and Aaron. The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘What shall I do to these? To kill them now is impossible, as they are intermingled with the other righteous ones.’ So as not to harm all of them with the attribute of justice, the Holy One blessed be He took half His name, and added ya [yod heh] to it [the word kehat], the Holy One blessed be He rendered it hakehati, heh at the beginning and yod at the end, that is ya, in order to provide them with protection until their day would come. That is, “for My name's sake, I will defer My wrath…” That is why hakehati is written here.