Midrash sa Mga Kawikaan 15:3: Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, Midrash Tehillim, Midrash Tanchuma & Bamidbar Rabbah

Know that the Shechinah is not revealed outside the land. For it is written (Jonah 1:3) "And Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish, etc." Now can one flee from the L–rd? Is it not written (Psalms 139:7-10) "Where can I flee from Your presence … If I ascend to heaven, You are there, etc. If I take wing with the dawn, there, too, Your hand will lead me," (Zechariah 4:10) "the eyes of the L–rd range the entire land," (Mishlei 15:3) "The eyes of the L–rd see the bad and the good," (Amos 9:2) "though they dig into Sheol, though they hide in the top of the Carmel, though they go into captivity (Job 34:22) "There is no darkness nor shadow of death, etc." Rather, Jonah's intent was: I will go outside the land, where the Shechinah does not repose and reveal itself. For the gentiles are close to repentance — so that they not make Israel (who do not repent) liable (by invidious contrast). An analogy: The bondsman of a Cohein flees from his master, saying: I will go to the cemetery, a place where my master cannot come after me. His master: I have (messengers) like you. Thus, Jonah said: I will go outside the land, a place where the Shechinah is not revealed. For the gentiles are close to repentance, (this, so as not to render Israel liable by invidious contrast.) The Holy One responds: I have many messengers like you, viz. (Jonah 1:4) "Then the L–rd cast a great wind on the sea, etc."

“For God knows the way of the righteous” (Psalms 1:6). This is what scripture said, “God’s eyes are everywhere, watching the bad and the good” (Proverbs 15:3). From where [did Solomon know this]? [From the verse]: “And God saw that Leah was unloved” (Genesis 29:31) [God saw Leah, even when she was feeling particularly unseen.] “But the way of the wicked is doomed [literally lost or destroyed]” (Psalms 1:6). Rabbi Eliyakim said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, destroyed the way of the wicked for the sake of the righteous, that they wouldn’t falter upon it.” Rabbi Elazar said, “Even though it was initially destroyed for the wicked, it was given [back] to them because they toiled at it, as it is said, “At scoffers [God] scoffs” (Proverbs 3:34).” Know that this is so; go out and learn from [the case of] Balaam, the wicked one, when Balak sent for him to curse the Israelites, what did [Balaam] say to him? “Even if Balak would give me a house full of silver and gold” (Numbers 22:18). He went to sleep, and the Holy One, blessed be He, appeared to him in a dream, as it is said, “And God came to Balaam, (Numbers 22:9). He said to him, “Don’t go with them.” Thereupon, Balaam said [to himself], “Because I’m so righteous [God] doesn’t want to bother me [by letting me go to curse the Israelites].” So [Balaam] said [to God], “I can curse [the nation of Israel] from here!” God said to him, “Do not curse the people.” Balaam said to him, “[Does that mean] to say that I should bless them?” God said to him, “We do not need you to bless it, because it is [already] blessed.” Rabbi Tanchuma said, we say to the bee, I want neither your honey nor your sting. Rabbi Berechia said, “When the Holy One, blessed be He, wanted to create mankind, He saw righteous and wicked [decedents] arising from him. He said, “If I create him, behold, the wicked will emerge from him, and if I don’t create him, how will the righteous emerge?” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He separated out the way of the wicked from before His face, and He partnered [with his] attribute of mercy, and He created him. This is what is written, “For God knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6) [God beheld the prospect of Adam’s righteous decedents and] destroyed [the way of the wicked, so to speak,] from His own [line of sight].” Another interpretation of, “but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6). You find that [the way of the wicked] was destroyed from Nimrod on behalf of Abraham; and [it was destroyed from] Avimelech on behalf of Isaac; [and from] Esau on behalf of Jacob. That [is what is meant by the Psalm] saying, “For God knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6). Another interpretation of, “but the way of the wicked is doomed” (Psalms 1:6). For so it is said, “God makes His hand known to His servants [[and He] rages against His enemies]” (Isaiah 66:14). When [does He make His hand known to His servants]? [At the time that] “He rages against His enemies.” Rabbi Yochanan said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, arose to sit in judgement over the righteous and the wicked. He judged the righteous, vindicated them, [and sent them] to the Garden of Eden. He judged the wicked and sentenced them to hell. The wicked say, “You didn’t judge us appropriately. Those He wanted to [vindicate] He vindicated, and those He wanted to [sentence] He sentenced.” And the Holy One, blessed be He, says, “[I had my reasons for finding you guilty, but] I didn’t want to publicize you [sins].” What [then] does the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He reads their indictment and they descend to hell.” Rabbi Pinchas said, “Anyone who is confirmed in sin isn’t able to repent, and he will never be forgiven. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to the wicked, ““You ignited the flame of hell.” [As it is said:] “Charcoal for embers and wood for a fire” (Proverbs 26:21), and I will exact punishment for [your infraction] of many laws.”” Rabbi Huna said in the name of Reish Lakish, ““They shall go out and gaze upon the corpses of those who rebel against me, for their worm shall not die” (Isaiah 66:24). This isn’t said of “those who rebelled” but only of those “who rebel;” who are continuing on in their rebellion.”

(Numb. 5:12:) “If anyone has his wife go astray (tisteh).” Our masters have taught, “The adulterers do not commit adultery, until a spirit of madness (shetut)³¹In the unpointed Hebrew text, shetut and tisteh appear to have the same root. enters them. Thus it is stated (ibid.), ‘If anyone has his wife go astray.’” [Here] we have learned about the woman. Where is it shown about the man? Where it is stated (in Prov. 6:32), “The one who commits adultery with a woman is has no sense (literally, is lacking heart).”³²Cf. Numb. 9:6. Another interpretation (of Numb. 5:12), “If anyone has his wife go astray.” This text is related (to Jer. 23:24), “If someone hides in secret places, [shall I not see him?]” See, is it not already written (Psalms 16:3), “The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the bad and the good.”³³Numb. R. 9:9. And so too is it written (in Zech. 4:10; cf. II Chron. 16:9), “the eyes of the Lord; they roam around all the earth.” [So] what do we learn to say (in Jer. 23:24), “Shall I not see Him (ar'ennu)?” [Interpret these words³⁴In the Hebrew text this question and the one which follows each consists of the one word, ar’ennu. as follows:] Shall I not show him (ar'ennu) to the people and publish his works? (Jer. 23:24, cont.), “’Do I not fill the heavens and the earth,’ says the Lord.” I fill the realms above and the realms below, as stated (Is. 66:1), “The heavens are My throne and the earth is My footstool.” Another interpretation of (Jer. 23:24), “[If someone hides in secret places], shall I not see him? It is comparable to an architect³⁵Gk.: architekton; cf. Lat.: architectus. The parable appears in Numb. R. 9:1; Gen. R. 24:1. [who] went out as a katarikos (tax official) over a certain province. The inhabitants of the province began hiding their silver and gold within the very caves [that he had built]. The architect said to them, ‘I built the province, and I made the hidden treasuries. Will you hide [anything] from me?” Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, has said to adulterers, “Will you hide yourselves from me?” [It is as in (Jer. 23:24),] “If someone hides in secret places, I have created you and made your every cavity (mehilim mehilim).” [It is so stated (in Deut. 32:18),] “but you forgot the God who generated you (meholelekha).” Nothing will be useful to you, wherever you hide yourselves, because (according to Jer. 17:10:) “I the Lord search the heart, probe the kidneys, to render to each according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.” I am the one who brings (rt.: qrb) you to judgment, as stated (in Mal. 3:5), “Then I will draw near (rt.: qrb) unto you in judgment; and I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers […].” Therefore, you shall not go astray after the evil drive, so that none of you have his wife go astray, according to what is stated (in Numb. 5:12), “If anyone has his wife go astray.” Another interpretation (of Numb. 5:12), “If anyone (literally, if a man a man) [has his wife go astray].” [These words are] to teach you that she is going astray and being false with two, with the “Man of war” (as in Exod 15:3) above and with her man (husband) below.³⁶Numb. R. 9:2. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to her, “You lie to your husband, can you perhaps lie to Me? A parable: To what is the matter comparable?³⁷Numb. R. 9:9. To someone who was imprisoned within two houses, one inside the other. Now two guards were there, one on the inside and one on the outside. [The prisoner] opened [the door of] the inner [house] and left, and the guard did not notice him. When he came to leave the outer one, [the guard] did notice him. He seized him and said to him, “At that [guard] on the inside you laughed, but at me you cannot laugh.” Similarly the Holy One, blessed be He, has said to the adulterous woman, “At your husband you laugh, but at me you cannot laugh. Rather I sit and laugh at My creatures.” It is so stated (in Ps. 2:4), “The One sitting in the heavens shall laugh […].