כִּ֤י זָֽנְתָה֙ אִמָּ֔ם הֹבִ֖ישָׁה הֽוֹרָתָ֑ם כִּ֣י אָמְרָ֗ה אֵלְכָ֞ה אַחֲרֵ֤י מְאַהֲבַי֙ נֹתְנֵ֤י לַחְמִי֙ וּמֵימַ֔י צַמְרִ֣י וּפִשְׁתִּ֔י שַׁמְנִ֖י וְשִׁקּוּיָֽי׃
Sapagkat nakiapid ang kanilang ina; gumawa ng kahiya-hiya ang nagdalang-tao sa kanila; sapagkat sinabi niya, “Susunod ako sa aking mga mangingibig, na nagbibigay sa akin ng aking tinapay at ng aking tubig, ng aking lana at ng aking lino, ng aking langis at ng aking inumin.”
Ruth Rabbah
Rabbi asked Rabbi Betzalel: What is that which is written: “For their mother has committed harlotry” (Hosea 2:7)? Is it possible that Sarah our matriarch was a harlot? He said to him: ‘Heaven forbid; rather, when are matters of Torah rendered contemptible before the common people? It is when their owners debase them.’ Rabbi Yaakov bar Avdimi came and rendered it a [midrashic] dictum: When do matters of Torah become like harlots before the common people? When their owners debase them. Rabbi Yoḥanan derives it from here: “The poor man’s [misken] wisdom is contemptible” (Ecclesiastes 9:16). Was the wisdom of Rabbi Akiva, who was poor, contemptible? Rather, what is a misken? It is one who is contemptible in his words, like an elder who sits and teaches: “You shall not pervert justice” (Deuteronomy 16:19), and he perverts justice; “you shall not show partiality” (Deuteronomy 16:19), and he shows partiality; “you shall not afflict any widow or orphan” (Exodus 22:21) and he afflicts them. Samson followed his eyes, as it is stated: “Take her for me, as she is fitting in my eyes” (Judges 14:3). Gideon worshipped idols, as it is stated: “Gideon made it into an ephod” (Judges 8:27). Woe to a judge who shows partiality in judgment.
Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: “You shall not do injustice in judgment” (Leviticus 19:15) – this teaches that a judge who corrupts judgment is called by five names: unjust, hated, detestable, proscribed, abomination. The Holy One blessed be He calls him five: wicked, blasphemer, violator of the covenant, one who infuriates, and defiant. He causes five results in the world; he defiles the land, desecrates the Name, expels the Divine Presence, causes Israel to fall by the sword, and exiles them from their land. Woe to the generation that is corrupted in this way.
Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: “You shall not do injustice in judgment [in measure, in weight, or in volume]” (Leviticus 19:35) – in a judicial ruling. If it is about judicial rulings, it is already stated about judicial rulings!35In the verse cited above, Leviticus 19:15: “You shall not do injustice in judgment.” If so, why is it stated, “…in judgment in measure [in weight, or in volume]”? It teaches that one who measures is called a judge, and if he falsifies, he is called five names and he causes five results. Woe is the generation whose measures are false, as Rabbi Benaya said in the name of Rabbi Huna: If you see a generation whose measures are false, a kingdom comes and besets that generation. What is the reason? “Scales of deceit are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 11:1), and it is written: “Pride comes, shame comes” (Proverbs 11:2).
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abba: It is written: “Will I find merit with scales of wickedness, [or with a pouch of deceitful weights?]” (Micah 6:11). Is it possible that a generation whose measures are false will find merit? Rather, “in a pouch of deceitful weights.”36They will be left with a purse filled with counterfeit coins. The midrash is reading the second half of the verse, “or with a pouch of deceitful weights” not as the continuation of the rhetorical question, but as the answer to “Will I find merit with scales of wickedness?” Rabbi Levi said: Moses indeed alluded this to Israel in the Torah: “You shall not have in your purse [alternate weights]” (Deuteronomy 25:13); “you shall not have in your house alternate measures” (Deuteronomy 25:13), and if he did so, ultimately, a kingdom will come and beset them, as it is written: “As it is an abomination to the Lord anyone who does [oseh] so, anyone who does [oseh] injustice” (Deuteronomy 25:16), and it is written: “Remember what Amalek did [asah] to you, on the way, as you were leaving Egypt” (Deuteronomy 25:17).
Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: “You shall not do injustice in judgment” (Leviticus 19:15) – this teaches that a judge who corrupts judgment is called by five names: unjust, hated, detestable, proscribed, abomination. The Holy One blessed be He calls him five: wicked, blasphemer, violator of the covenant, one who infuriates, and defiant. He causes five results in the world; he defiles the land, desecrates the Name, expels the Divine Presence, causes Israel to fall by the sword, and exiles them from their land. Woe to the generation that is corrupted in this way.
Rabbi Ḥiyya taught: “You shall not do injustice in judgment [in measure, in weight, or in volume]” (Leviticus 19:35) – in a judicial ruling. If it is about judicial rulings, it is already stated about judicial rulings!35In the verse cited above, Leviticus 19:15: “You shall not do injustice in judgment.” If so, why is it stated, “…in judgment in measure [in weight, or in volume]”? It teaches that one who measures is called a judge, and if he falsifies, he is called five names and he causes five results. Woe is the generation whose measures are false, as Rabbi Benaya said in the name of Rabbi Huna: If you see a generation whose measures are false, a kingdom comes and besets that generation. What is the reason? “Scales of deceit are an abomination to the Lord” (Proverbs 11:1), and it is written: “Pride comes, shame comes” (Proverbs 11:2).
Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abba: It is written: “Will I find merit with scales of wickedness, [or with a pouch of deceitful weights?]” (Micah 6:11). Is it possible that a generation whose measures are false will find merit? Rather, “in a pouch of deceitful weights.”36They will be left with a purse filled with counterfeit coins. The midrash is reading the second half of the verse, “or with a pouch of deceitful weights” not as the continuation of the rhetorical question, but as the answer to “Will I find merit with scales of wickedness?” Rabbi Levi said: Moses indeed alluded this to Israel in the Torah: “You shall not have in your purse [alternate weights]” (Deuteronomy 25:13); “you shall not have in your house alternate measures” (Deuteronomy 25:13), and if he did so, ultimately, a kingdom will come and beset them, as it is written: “As it is an abomination to the Lord anyone who does [oseh] so, anyone who does [oseh] injustice” (Deuteronomy 25:16), and it is written: “Remember what Amalek did [asah] to you, on the way, as you were leaving Egypt” (Deuteronomy 25:17).
Devarim Rabbah
Another matter: This what the verse said: “As they increased, so they sinned against Me; I will change their honor into shame” (Hosea 4:7). What is “as they increased”? Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: It means that everything that the prominent individuals perform, the generation performs.37The term “as they increased [kerubam]” is thus understood in the sense of “like their leader [kerabam].” How so? If the Nasi permits something and the president of the court prohibits it, [the president of the court will say:] ‘If the Nasi permits should I prohibit? The judges will say: If the president of the court permits, shall we prohibit? The rest of the generation says: If the judges permit, shall we prohibit? Who caused the entire generation to sin? It was the Nasi, who sinned first.
Rabbi Simlai said: It is written: “For their mother committed harlotry; she who conceived them acted shamefully” (Hosea 2:7) – as they put their own words to shame before the masses. How so? The Sage sits and lectures in public: ‘Do not lend with interest,’ and he lends with interest. He says: ‘Do not rob,’ and he robs. He says: ‘Do not steal,’ and he steals. Rabbi Berekhya said: There was an incident involving a certain person whose garment was stolen, and he went to file a complaint about it with the judge, and he found it spread on his bed. And Rabbi Berekhya said: There was an incident involving a certain person whose kettle was stolen, and he went to file a complaint about it with the judge, and he found it on his stove. That is, “as they increased, so they sinned against Me.”
Another matter: “As they increased, so they sinned against Me” (Hosea 4:7) – Rabbi Tanḥuma said: The more lands I provided for them, the more they sinned against Me. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Their altars too will be as heaps on the furrows of the field” (Hosea 12:12).38They built altars for idol worship on the furrows of all the fields that they had.
Another matter: The more I increased their wealth, the more they sinned against Me. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Their silver and gold they made into idols for themselves” (Hosea 8:4).
Another matter: The more I increased their kings, the more they sinned against Me. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “All their kings have fallen; no one among them calls to Me” (Hosea 7:7).
Another matter: The more I increased their children, the more they sinned against Me, as it is stated: “When you will beget children…”
Rabbi Simlai said: It is written: “For their mother committed harlotry; she who conceived them acted shamefully” (Hosea 2:7) – as they put their own words to shame before the masses. How so? The Sage sits and lectures in public: ‘Do not lend with interest,’ and he lends with interest. He says: ‘Do not rob,’ and he robs. He says: ‘Do not steal,’ and he steals. Rabbi Berekhya said: There was an incident involving a certain person whose garment was stolen, and he went to file a complaint about it with the judge, and he found it spread on his bed. And Rabbi Berekhya said: There was an incident involving a certain person whose kettle was stolen, and he went to file a complaint about it with the judge, and he found it on his stove. That is, “as they increased, so they sinned against Me.”
Another matter: “As they increased, so they sinned against Me” (Hosea 4:7) – Rabbi Tanḥuma said: The more lands I provided for them, the more they sinned against Me. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Their altars too will be as heaps on the furrows of the field” (Hosea 12:12).38They built altars for idol worship on the furrows of all the fields that they had.
Another matter: The more I increased their wealth, the more they sinned against Me. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “Their silver and gold they made into idols for themselves” (Hosea 8:4).
Another matter: The more I increased their kings, the more they sinned against Me. From where is it derived? It is as it is stated: “All their kings have fallen; no one among them calls to Me” (Hosea 7:7).
Another matter: The more I increased their children, the more they sinned against Me, as it is stated: “When you will beget children…”
Midrash Tehillim
Another thing about the death of Levan. Solomon said (Song of Songs 8:4): "I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem, that you not stir up or awaken love until it pleases." I am sick with love, a love that is not of the bowels or of the head. From what do I suffer? "For I am love-sick" (Hosea 2:7). And not just love, but also death, as it says (Song of Songs 8:6), "For love is strong as death." As it says (Song of Songs 1:3), "Your oils have a pleasing fragrance, your name is like purified oil; therefore the maidens love you." What nation in the world did God tell to "descend to the sea"? Only the Jews, as David said (Psalms 27:10), "When my father and my mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up." Similarly, Nebuchadnezzar said (Daniel 3:15), "And who is the god that will deliver you out of my hands?" And it is written (Daniel 3:16), "We will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." But to deny God, Nebuchadnezzar and the dog are the same. They even have the same fate as the frogs, as it says (Exodus 8:3), "And the river shall swarm with frogs, and they shall go up and come into your house and into your bedchamber and onto your bed and into the houses of your servants and your people, and into your ovens and into your kneading bowls." And even if God does not save us, we will not abandon Him. What did Nebuchadnezzar say when they came out of the furnace? "Nebuchadnezzar answered and said, 'Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who has sent His angel and delivered His servants who trusted in Him and set aside the king's command and yielded up their bodies rather than serve and worship any god except their own God'" (Daniel 3:28). They did not give themselves up in order to be saved, but in order to be burned. Why "For love is strong as death" (Song of Songs 8:6)? A song to be sung over the death of Levan.