וּמִ֤י מְכַלְכֵּל֙ אֶת־י֣וֹם בּוֹא֔וֹ וּמִ֥י הָעֹמֵ֖ד בְּהֵרָֽאוֹת֑וֹ כִּֽי־הוּא֙ כְּאֵ֣שׁ מְצָרֵ֔ף וּכְבֹרִ֖ית מְכַבְּסִֽים׃
Ngunit sino ang makatitiis sa araw ng kanyang pagdating? At sino ang makatatayo kapag siya'y nagpakita? Sapagkat siya'y tulad ng apoy ng nagdadalisay ng metal, at tulad ng sabon ng mga tagalaba.
Midrash Tanchuma
R. Yohanan declared: Woe unto us on judgment day, woe unto us on the day of rebuke, for if Joseph could cause them to faint by saying “I am your brother Joseph,” what will happen when the Holy One, blessed be He, arises to judge us, since it is written about Him: Who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when he appeareth? (Mal. 3:2), and For no man shall see Me and live (Exod. 3:20)? If a mere human could confound his brothers, how much more so will we be confounded when the Holy One, blessed be He, examines us concerning our arrogance toward the commandments and our transgressions of the Torah.
Shemot Rabbah
Another matter: “I am the Lord your God” – that is what is written: “A lion has roared; who will not fear?” (Amos 3:8). And that is what is written: “Who would not fear You, King of the nations? For it befits You” (Jeremiah 10:7). The prophets said to Jeremiah: ‘What did you see that led you to say “King of the nations”? All the prophets call Him King of Israel, and you call Him “King of the nations”?’ He said to them: ‘I heard from Him: “I appointed you a prophet for the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). I said “King of the nations” to say: If He does not spare His children and the members of His household, will He spare others?’ As it is stated: “You are awesome from Your Sanctuary” (Psalms 68:36). “Who would not fear You, King of the nations?” Who will not fear You?10After seeing what You have done to Israel, they will all fear You.
This is analogous to a usurer who filled his purse with gold coins, and he was standing and shouting: Whoever wants should come and borrow. Everyone would hear and flee, saying: When he comes to collect his debt from the borrower, who can withstand him? So too, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He descended to Sinai to give the commandments so the world would not collapse, as it is stated: “The earth quaked, the heavens rained [before God, this is Sinai]” (Psalms 68:9), and likewise: “The mountains flowed before the Lord; [this is Sinai]” (Judges 5:8), and likewise: “The pillars of the heavens sag” (Job 26:11). And Israel was trembling, as it is stated: “and all the people [who were in the camp] trembled” (Exodus 19:16). And the mountain was trembling, as it is stated: “The entire mountain trembled greatly” (Exodus 19:18). Why was all this? It is only because He spoke commandments of life. The prophet shouts: “A lion has roared; who will not fear?” (Amos 3:8). Rabbi Yirmeya said: If at a time when He gives life to the world, “the earth quaked,” when He comes to exact retribution against the wicked who violated the words of the Torah, all the more so, as it is stated: “Who can stand before His fury” (Nahum 1:6), “Who can endure the day of His coming?” (Malachi 3:2). If when He is appeased no person can withstand His power, when He rises in His enflamed wrath, who will stand before Him? That is, “who would not fear You, King of the nations?” (Jeremiah 10:7).
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – that is what is written: “They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion” (Hosea 11:10). Rabbi Simon said: This is analogous to a king who entered his palace; his queen heard, made room for him, and was trembling. If the queen is afraid, what will the maidservants and slaves do? So too, when the Holy One blessed be He revealed himself to give the Torah to Israel, they heard the sounds and died, as it is stated: “My soul departed as He spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6). If it is true for Israel, for the idolaters it is all the more so.
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – the Rabbis say in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: Baltza asked Rabbi Akiva, he said to him: ‘From where was the noise generated?’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘When the Holy One blessed be He looks at the houses of idol worship and its worshippers, how they are situated in serenity and tranquility in the world, and He sees His Temple destroyed and given into the hands of idolaters, as it were, He is jealous and roars. Immediately, the heavens and the earth quake, as it is stated: “[The Lord] will roar from Zion, and from Jerusalem He will project His voice” (Joel 4:16). What does Israel do? As it were, He defends them, as it is stated: “But the Lord is shelter for His people” (Joel 4:16).
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – come and see, the Temple is called lion [arye], as it is stated: “Oh Ariel, Ariel” (Isaiah 29:1). The royal house of David is called a lion, as it is stated: “[Take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel and say:] How your mother was a lioness; among lions she crouched” (Ezekiel 19:1-2). Israel is called a lion, as it is stated: “Judah is a lion cub” (Genesis 49:9). Nebuchadnezzar is called a lion, as it is stated: “A lion rose from its thicket” (Jeremiah 4:7), and he destroyed the Temple, seized the kingship of the house of David, and exiled Israel. The Holy One blessed be He says: “Where is the lions’ den?” (Nahum 2:12). Where are My children? At that moment: “He will roar over His abode” (Jeremiah 25:30).
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Do you accept the Ten Commandments?’ They said to Him: ‘Yes,’ as it is stated: “With a ten-stringed lute [alei asor] and with harp” (Psalms 92:4). It is incumbent upon me [alai] to accept the Ten [eser] Commandments. What is “the Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy” (Amos 3:8)? Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: When the Holy One blessed be He gave the Torah, no bird tweeted, no fowl flew, no bull lowed, no wheels11Of the Divine Chariot flew, seraphs did not say: “Holy, holy” (see Isaiah 6:3), the sea did not tremble, people did not speak, but rather, the entire world was quiet and silent. The voice emerged: “I am the Lord your God.”
Likewise it says: “These words the Lord spoke to your entire assembly…with a great voice, and it went on no more” (Deuteronomy 5:19) – Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: What is “and it went on no more”? When a person calls to another, his voice has an echo, but the voice that was emerging from the mouth of the Holy One blessed be He did not have an echo. If you are astonished by this, Elijah, when he came to Carmel, he assembled all the priests and said to them: “Call in a great voice…as he is a god” (I Kings 18:27). What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He muted the entire world and silenced the heavenly and earthly beings. The world was emptiness and disorder as though there was no creature in the world, as it is stated: “There was no voice, no respondent, and no listener” (I Kings 18:29). Had anyone spoken, they would have said that Baal responded. All the more so, when the Holy One blessed be He spoke on Mount Sinai, He silenced the entire world, so that the creatures would know that there is no one other than He. He said: “I am the Lord your God.” Regarding the future it is written: “I, it is I who is your Comforter” (Isaiah 51:12).
This is analogous to a usurer who filled his purse with gold coins, and he was standing and shouting: Whoever wants should come and borrow. Everyone would hear and flee, saying: When he comes to collect his debt from the borrower, who can withstand him? So too, as it were, the Holy One blessed be He descended to Sinai to give the commandments so the world would not collapse, as it is stated: “The earth quaked, the heavens rained [before God, this is Sinai]” (Psalms 68:9), and likewise: “The mountains flowed before the Lord; [this is Sinai]” (Judges 5:8), and likewise: “The pillars of the heavens sag” (Job 26:11). And Israel was trembling, as it is stated: “and all the people [who were in the camp] trembled” (Exodus 19:16). And the mountain was trembling, as it is stated: “The entire mountain trembled greatly” (Exodus 19:18). Why was all this? It is only because He spoke commandments of life. The prophet shouts: “A lion has roared; who will not fear?” (Amos 3:8). Rabbi Yirmeya said: If at a time when He gives life to the world, “the earth quaked,” when He comes to exact retribution against the wicked who violated the words of the Torah, all the more so, as it is stated: “Who can stand before His fury” (Nahum 1:6), “Who can endure the day of His coming?” (Malachi 3:2). If when He is appeased no person can withstand His power, when He rises in His enflamed wrath, who will stand before Him? That is, “who would not fear You, King of the nations?” (Jeremiah 10:7).
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – that is what is written: “They will follow the Lord; He will roar like a lion” (Hosea 11:10). Rabbi Simon said: This is analogous to a king who entered his palace; his queen heard, made room for him, and was trembling. If the queen is afraid, what will the maidservants and slaves do? So too, when the Holy One blessed be He revealed himself to give the Torah to Israel, they heard the sounds and died, as it is stated: “My soul departed as He spoke” (Song of Songs 5:6). If it is true for Israel, for the idolaters it is all the more so.
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – the Rabbis say in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: Baltza asked Rabbi Akiva, he said to him: ‘From where was the noise generated?’ [Rabbi Akiva] said to him: ‘When the Holy One blessed be He looks at the houses of idol worship and its worshippers, how they are situated in serenity and tranquility in the world, and He sees His Temple destroyed and given into the hands of idolaters, as it were, He is jealous and roars. Immediately, the heavens and the earth quake, as it is stated: “[The Lord] will roar from Zion, and from Jerusalem He will project His voice” (Joel 4:16). What does Israel do? As it were, He defends them, as it is stated: “But the Lord is shelter for His people” (Joel 4:16).
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – come and see, the Temple is called lion [arye], as it is stated: “Oh Ariel, Ariel” (Isaiah 29:1). The royal house of David is called a lion, as it is stated: “[Take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel and say:] How your mother was a lioness; among lions she crouched” (Ezekiel 19:1-2). Israel is called a lion, as it is stated: “Judah is a lion cub” (Genesis 49:9). Nebuchadnezzar is called a lion, as it is stated: “A lion rose from its thicket” (Jeremiah 4:7), and he destroyed the Temple, seized the kingship of the house of David, and exiled Israel. The Holy One blessed be He says: “Where is the lions’ den?” (Nahum 2:12). Where are My children? At that moment: “He will roar over His abode” (Jeremiah 25:30).
Another matter: “A lion has roared” (Amos 3:8) – the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Do you accept the Ten Commandments?’ They said to Him: ‘Yes,’ as it is stated: “With a ten-stringed lute [alei asor] and with harp” (Psalms 92:4). It is incumbent upon me [alai] to accept the Ten [eser] Commandments. What is “the Lord God has spoken; who will not prophesy” (Amos 3:8)? Rabbi Abbahu said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: When the Holy One blessed be He gave the Torah, no bird tweeted, no fowl flew, no bull lowed, no wheels11Of the Divine Chariot flew, seraphs did not say: “Holy, holy” (see Isaiah 6:3), the sea did not tremble, people did not speak, but rather, the entire world was quiet and silent. The voice emerged: “I am the Lord your God.”
Likewise it says: “These words the Lord spoke to your entire assembly…with a great voice, and it went on no more” (Deuteronomy 5:19) – Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: What is “and it went on no more”? When a person calls to another, his voice has an echo, but the voice that was emerging from the mouth of the Holy One blessed be He did not have an echo. If you are astonished by this, Elijah, when he came to Carmel, he assembled all the priests and said to them: “Call in a great voice…as he is a god” (I Kings 18:27). What did the Holy One blessed be He do? He muted the entire world and silenced the heavenly and earthly beings. The world was emptiness and disorder as though there was no creature in the world, as it is stated: “There was no voice, no respondent, and no listener” (I Kings 18:29). Had anyone spoken, they would have said that Baal responded. All the more so, when the Holy One blessed be He spoke on Mount Sinai, He silenced the entire world, so that the creatures would know that there is no one other than He. He said: “I am the Lord your God.” Regarding the future it is written: “I, it is I who is your Comforter” (Isaiah 51:12).
Midrash Tehillim
Psalm of David: "Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my plea," etc. Solomon said (Proverbs 20:8-9), "A king who sits on the throne of justice scatters all evil with his eyes. Who can say, 'I have cleansed my heart,' etc.?" Who can stand on the day of judgment and say, "I am pure, free of sin?" No one can stand, as it is written (Malachi 3:2), "And who can endure the day of His coming? And who can stand when He appears?" Similarly, Jeremiah said (Jeremiah 30:6), "Ask now and see, can a male give birth? Why then do I see every man with his hands on his loins like a woman in labor? And why have all faces turned pale?" No one on that day will have a pleasant face, as all faces will turn pale. Even Abraham over Ishmael, Isaac over Esau, and the Lord over Israel on their behalf, as it is said (Malachi 3:2), "And all faces will turn pale." David said to the Lord, "I beg of You, answer me and do justice with me on that day." Therefore it says, "Lord, hear my prayer," etc. And if You do not do justice with me, who can stand? Similarly, Job said (Job 14:13), "Oh that You would hide me in Sheol, that You would conceal me until Your wrath be past." The Lord replied to him, "Until judgment has passed, until anger has passed." (Job 14:13-14) "Until You put an end to me, until You call me and I will answer You." David also said (Psalm 143:2), "Do not enter into judgment with Your servant," etc. David said before the Lord, "At the judgment, You bring me, but there is a servant who comes to judgment with his master. And thus it is written (Psalm 119:94), "I am Yours, save me," etc. Why does everything belong to You, O Lord, and everything that belongs to him belongs to his Master? And so it is said (Psalm 39:13), "Turn Your gaze away from me, that I may recover," etc. (Psalm 102:11) "Take Your hand away from me and let me be, etc." (Psalm 10:14) "You have seen, for You behold mischief and spite." (Psalm 12) "You have done life and kindness, etc. And for all of these, you establish me for judgment. Why (Psalm 14:1) is man born of a woman? (Psalm 2) Like a flower, he comes forth, etc. (Psalm 3) Yet for all this, you have opened your eyes, etc. For your sake, do not bring your servant to judgment, etc. Therefore, it is said (Proverbs 20:9), "Who can say, 'I have made my heart clean, etc.' No one can vindicate themselves in judgment. Why (Kings I 8:46), "For there is no man who does not sin before you." And likewise it says (Ecclesiastes 7:20), "For there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins." (Job 15:15) "Even the heavens are not pure in your sight." (Psalm 25:5) "And even the stars are not pure in your sight." Therefore, it is said that no living being can be justified before you. What is "every living being?" Every living being cannot be justified before you, but the dead are vindicated. However, the living beings on high cannot be vindicated before you on the Day of Judgment. Therefore, it is said that no living being can be justified before you. ...