Midrash sa Jeremias 2:35: Aggadat Bereshit, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Midrash Tehillim

Chapter 11: Prophets [1] "The Lord's wrath I will bear [for I have sinned against Him]" (Micah 7:9). As it says, "I acknowledged my sin to You, and so on" (Psalm 32:5), the assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the Universe, at first I said, 'I have not sinned,' and You brought suffering upon me, as it says, 'Now I will bring charges against you [because you say, "I have not sinned"]." (Jeremiah 2:35). But now I say, 'I have sinned, have mercy on me,' as it is written, 'The Lord's wrath I will bear, for I have sinned against Him,' and so on" (Micah 7:9). And when I went into exile, they said to me, "Who gave Jacob to the despoilment [and Israel to the plunderers]?" (Isaiah 42:24), "I said, isn't it God, we have sinned against Him" and so on (Isaiah 42:24). Even now I say, "For I have sinned against Him," and so on (Micah 7:9), for confession is pleasing to me, as it says, "He who conceals his sins will not succeed, but he who confesses and abandons them will find mercy" (Proverbs 28:13). When David committed that act and Nathan the prophet came and rebuked him, and David said to him, "I have sinned greatly in, what I have done" (2 Samuel 12:13), what did Nathan say to him? "The Lord has taken away your sin, you shall not die" (2 Samuel 12:13). And what did [Bathsheba] ask for? She said to him, "Just as you have brought Noah out of the darkness into the light, do the same for me, [bring me out into the light and I will see His righteousness]" (Micah 7:9). He said to her, "And so I will do." And once he heard this, he began to say, "Do not rejoice over me, my enemy," and so on (Micah 7:8).

[(Gen. 38:1:) THAT JUDAH WENT AWAY.] This text is related (to Is. 55:8): FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT YOUR THOUGHTS, AND YOUR WAYS ARE NOT MY WAYS. < The matter > is comparable to a king of flesh and blood when he sits down to judge someone. The judge says to him: Say whether you have killed or not killed. If he says to him: I killed, the judge kills him; but if he does not confess, he does not kill him. However, the Holy One is not like this. Over the one who confesses the Holy One has mercy, as stated (in Prov. 28:13): BUT WHOEVER CONFESSES AND FORSAKES < HIS TRANSGRESSIONS > SHALL OBTAIN MERCY. R. Simeon ben Halafta says: The Holy One said to Jerusalem: For what reason have I brought all these judgments upon you? Because you said: I have not sinned, as stated (in Jer. 2:35): BEHOLD, I AM BRINGING YOU TO JUDGMENT FOR SAYING: I HAVE NOT SINNED. However (according to Prov. 28:13): BUT WHOEVER CONFESSES AND FORSAKES < HIS TRANSGRESSIONS > SHALL OBTAIN MERCY. Ergo (in Is. 55:8): FOR MY THOUGHTS ARE NOT < YOUR THOUGHTS, AND YOUR WAYS ARE NOT MY WAYS >. R. Jose ben Qetsartah said: Flesh and blood makes a path on the mountain or in the valley. Could one possibly make < a path > in the waters? It is written of the Holy One, however, (in Ps. 77:20 [19]): YOUR WAY WAS IN THE SEA, [AND YOUR PATH IN THE GREAT WATERS]. He makes his way wherever he wants.

"To the conductor, on the tune of "Lilies." A Psalm of David. Hear, O Shepherd of Israel, You Who leads Joseph like a flock; You Who are enthroned upon the cherubim, shine forth. As for the verse (Song of Songs 2:2), "As a lily among thorns, so is my beloved among the daughters," Rabbi Acha said, "The Holy One, blessed be He, said, 'Let your deeds be moist like this lily.'" Our sages explained that this chapter was fulfilled in the days of Yoel ben Pethuel. The Rabbis said, "Why was his name called Pethuel? Because he would meditate at his gate like a virgin." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Nehemiah said in the name of Rabbi Yitzchak, "When the prophet judges a person, he does not judge him by saying, 'You have sinned,' but rather by saying, 'Have you not sinned?' As it is written (Jeremiah 2:35), 'Behold, I will judge you for saying, "I have not sinned."' And it is written (1 Samuel 7:6), 'They said there, "We have sinned to the Lord."' And it is written (1 Chronicles 5:13), 'The name of the firstborn was Yoel.' And another verse states (1 Chronicles 2:24), 'The name of the firstborn was Aviah.' Rabbi Yehuda bar Siman and the Rabbis said, "Just as the latter was a wicked person, so was the former a wicked person." Rabbi Yehuda said, "He changed his deeds and became like his father." Rabbi Acha said, "He (Yoel) is the same person as his father (Aviah)."...