וְאָנֹכִ֤י תִרְגַּ֙לְתִּי֙ לְאֶפְרַ֔יִם קָחָ֖ם עַל־זְרֽוֹעֹתָ֑יו וְלֹ֥א יָדְע֖וּ כִּ֥י רְפָאתִֽים׃
At Ako ang nagturo kay Efraim na lumakad, kinarga sila sa kanyang mga bisig; ngunit hindi nila kinilala na Ako ang nagpagaling sa kanila.
Eikhah Rabbah
“How the Lord has clouded [ya’iv] the daughter of Zion in His wrath.” Rabbi Ḥama bar Rabbi Ḥanina said: How did the Lord condemn in His wrath the daughter of Zion?8Rabbi Ḥama interprets the word ya’iv as to condemn rather than clouded. There are places where they call one who is liable [ḥayava], ayava. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: How did the Lord cause pain [kayev] in His wrath? There are places that call pain [keiva], eiva. The Rabbis say: How did the Lord cloud in His wrath the vision of the daughter of Zion?
“He cast the splendor of Israel from the heavens to the earth.” Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Aḥa, in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina son of Rabbi Abahu: This is analogous to a king who had a son. [The son] wept and he placed him on his knees. He wept and he placed him in his arms. He wept and he placed him on his shoulders. He made a mess upon him and he immediately cast him to the ground. His descent was not like his ascent. His ascent was in increments, but his descent was all at once. So too, “I have coddled [tirgalti]9This is from the root reish gimmel lamed, and is an allusion to placing the child on his knees, as the Hebrew word for leg is regel. Ephraim, taking them by their arms” (Hosea 11:3). Then, “I have elevated10This is an allusion to placing the child on his shoulders. Ephraim; Judah has plowed, Jacob has harrowed for him” (Hosea 10:11). Then, “He cast the splendor of Israel from the heavens to the earth.”
Another matter, “He cast the splendor of Israel from the heavens to the earth.” Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Naḥman said: This is analogous to residents of a province who crafted a crown for the king. They provoked him and he tolerated them. They provoked him and he tolerated them. Then the king said to them: ‘Are you not provoking me only due to the crown with which you crowned me? Here it is, thrown in your faces.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Are you not provoking Me only due to the image of Jacob that is engraved on My throne? Here it is, thrown in your faces.’ That is: “He cast [the splendor of Israel]11According to this interpretation, “the splendor of Israel” is a reference to that image of Jacob, who was also called Israel. from the heavens to the earth.”
“He cast the splendor of Israel from the heavens to the earth.” Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Aḥa, in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina son of Rabbi Abahu: This is analogous to a king who had a son. [The son] wept and he placed him on his knees. He wept and he placed him in his arms. He wept and he placed him on his shoulders. He made a mess upon him and he immediately cast him to the ground. His descent was not like his ascent. His ascent was in increments, but his descent was all at once. So too, “I have coddled [tirgalti]9This is from the root reish gimmel lamed, and is an allusion to placing the child on his knees, as the Hebrew word for leg is regel. Ephraim, taking them by their arms” (Hosea 11:3). Then, “I have elevated10This is an allusion to placing the child on his shoulders. Ephraim; Judah has plowed, Jacob has harrowed for him” (Hosea 10:11). Then, “He cast the splendor of Israel from the heavens to the earth.”
Another matter, “He cast the splendor of Israel from the heavens to the earth.” Rabbi Yehoshua ben Rabbi Naḥman said: This is analogous to residents of a province who crafted a crown for the king. They provoked him and he tolerated them. They provoked him and he tolerated them. Then the king said to them: ‘Are you not provoking me only due to the crown with which you crowned me? Here it is, thrown in your faces.’ So too, the Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘Are you not provoking Me only due to the image of Jacob that is engraved on My throne? Here it is, thrown in your faces.’ That is: “He cast [the splendor of Israel]11According to this interpretation, “the splendor of Israel” is a reference to that image of Jacob, who was also called Israel. from the heavens to the earth.”
Pesikta Rabbati
... [What about all] the praise of Joseph, who exceeded in the honor of his father? And yet he did not enter into him all the time, such that were it not that they came to tell him, "Your father is sick," he would not have known! Rather this is to inform you of his righteousness. For he did not want to be alone with his father, lest he say to him, "How did your brothers act with you?" And [then] he would curse them.... Hence he did not go to his father all the time.)
Aggadat Bereshit
[2] "And another explanation: Ephraim is a dear son to me. As it says (Hosea 11:3), "I taught Ephraim to walk." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I carried him and held him by his arms. When Jacob took him between his arms, as it is said (Genesis 48:13), "And Joseph took them both." Now what is written afterwards (Genesis 48:8)? "And Israel saw Joseph's sons, and said, 'Who are these?'" What did Jacob see that he asked, "Who are these?" He already knew them, as it is said (Genesis 48:5), "And now your two sons." Rather, our father Jacob foresaw that a descendant of Ephraim, namely Jeroboam son of Nebat the Ephraimite, would make two golden calves, as it is said (1 Kings 11:26), "And Jeroboam son of Nebat, an Ephraimite, took his stand." He would then say (1 Kings 12:28), "These are your gods, O Israel." Therefore, Jacob said, "Who are these?" And Joseph replied (Genesis 48:9), "These are my sons." What did Joseph do? He removed his crown from his head and released his belt (or "girdle") before Jacob, as it is said (Genesis 48:12), "And Joseph took them both." He said to him, "Do you see what sins they will commit?" Jacob answered, "I do not." Once he heard this, Joseph said to him (Genesis 48:9), "Bring them to me and I will bless them." Immediately Joseph took them both (Genesis 48:13), and Israel stretched out his right hand. When Joseph saw this, he was displeased, as it is said (Genesis 48:17), "And Joseph saw that his father was placing his right hand." He said to him, "Do you think that I have no strength left in my old age? By your life, I still have as much strength as they do." But his father refused (Genesis 48:19)." "And from Menasheh fell [to] David, etc. (I Chronicles 12:20). However, his brother etc. (Genesis 48:19), this is Yehoshua who stands from Ephraim, as it says, "from the tribe of Ephraim, Hoshea, son of Nun" (Numbers 13:8), who erected the wall, and all the nations of the world look and see. Therefore, "and his seed shall become a multitude of nations" (Genesis 48:19). The Holy One Blessed be He said, "I have seen how good Ephraim is; take them on my arms" (Hosea 11:3). When The Holy One Blessed be He said said, "Bring them to me" (Genesis 48:9), I was there and revealed a mystery to Jacob about Ephraim and Jeroboam, although they did not know that I had healed them (Hosea 11:3). Ephraim, the beloved son, is dear to me.