וְאָמַ֣ר אֵלָ֔יו מָ֧ה הַמַּכּ֛וֹת הָאֵ֖לֶּה בֵּ֣ין יָדֶ֑יךָ וְאָמַ֕ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֻכֵּ֖יתִי בֵּ֥ית מְאַהֲבָֽי׃ (ס)
At may magsasabi sa kanya: “Ano ang mga sugat na ito sa pagitan ng iyong mga kamay?” At sasabihin niya: “Ito ang mga ipinalo sa akin sa bahay ng mga nagmamahal sa akin.”
Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael
R. Nathan says: "for My lovers and the keepers of My mitzvoth": the Jews who dwell in Eretz Yisrael, and give their lives for the mitzvoth. Why are you going out to be executed? Because I circumcised my son, the Jew. Why are you going out to be burned? Because I read in the Torah. Why are you going out to be crucified? Because I ate matzoh. Why are you being given a hundred lashes? Because I took the lulav. And (Zechariah 13:6) "wherewith I was beaten in the house of my Lover" — these lashes have caused me to be beloved by my Father in heaven.
Midrash Tehillim
The original text is in Hebrew and it is a conversation between two rabbis, Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Nechemia. Rabbi Yehuda says, "Around the wicked they will walk, as it says (Isaiah 66:24), 'And they shall go forth and look upon the carcasses of the men that have transgressed against Me.' At that time, the righteous will give thanks to God for the suffering that He brought upon them in this world, as it says (Isaiah 12:1), 'And in that day thou shalt say: I will give thanks unto Thee, O LORD; for though Thou wast angry with me, Thine anger is turned away, and Thou comfortest me.' The vineyard is written for the righteous, as it says (Psalms 80:15), 'The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel.' Rabbi Nechemia challenges Rabbi Yehuda's interpretation of the verse and says, "How long will you interpret the verse in this manner? Rather, the wicked will walk around the righteous, as it says (Psalms 92:8), 'When the wicked spring up as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they may be destroyed for ever.' When the wicked leave Gehenna and see the righteous in Gan Eden, their souls will diminish. This is what is written (Psalms 112:10), 'The wicked shall see it, and be vexed; he shall gnash with his teeth, and melt away.' When God announces the commandments that were belittled in this world, that is when shame will befall humans. God will say, 'Why should you be stoned for keeping the Sabbath? Why should you be burned for eating matzah? Why should you be killed for wearing tzitzit? Why should you be stabbed with a spear for fulfilling My will?' (Zechariah 13:6) And he shall say, 'These are the wounds with which I was wounded in the house of my friends.' These wounds caused me to love my Father in Heaven. Woe to those who belittle the commandments in this world." [Source: Babylonian Talmud, Tractate Brachot 10a.]
Vayikra Rabbah
“The son of an Israelite woman, and he was the son of an Egyptian man, went out among the children of Israel; and the son of the Israelite woman and an Israelite man fought in the camp. The son of the Israelite woman blasphemed the Name and cursed; they brought him to Moses. And the name of his mother was Shelomit, daughter of Divri, of the tribe of Dan” (Leviticus 24:10–11).
“The son of an Israelite woman…went out” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya: Rabbi Yehuda says: That is what is written: “Around the wicked will walk” (Psalms 12:9) – the righteous walk around the wicked. How so? When the righteous emerge from the Garden of Eden and see the wicked being judged in Gehenna, their soul is joyous within them. That is what is written: “They will emerge and see the corpses of the people who betray Me” (Isaiah 66:24). At that moment, they give praise and thanks to the Holy One blessed be He for the suffering that He inflicted upon them in this world.1The righteous thank God for having punished them for their sins in this world, so that they can receive reward in the World to Come. That is what is written: “You will say on that day: I thank You, Lord, that You were angry with me; Your wrath has turned against” (Isaiah 12:1) the nations of the world, and “You comfort me” (Isaiah 12:1) through them. When? “As lowliness is lifted up [kerum]” (Psalms 12:9) – when the Holy One blessed be He will exalt a lowly vineyard [kerem] in His world. The vineyard of the Holy One blessed be He is none other than Israel, as it is stated: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the people of Judah, the plant of His delight” (Isaiah 5:7).
Rabbi Neḥemya said to him: Until when are you going to distort the Bible for us? Rather, the wicked walk around the righteous, as it is written: “Around, the wicked will walk” (Psalms 12:9). How so? When the wicked ascend from Gehenna and see the righteous sitting tranquilly within the Garden of Eden, their soul diminishes within them.2Meaning, they will be consumed with grief. That is what is written: “The wicked one sees and is angered” (Psalms 112:10). When? “As lowliness is lifted up ” – when the Holy One blessed be He will exalt the mitzvot that are treated with contempt. ‘Why are you going out to be stoned?’ ‘Because I circumcised my son.’3The reality of this world has often caused conversations such as to this to take place between Jews, when one is sentenced to death by the ruling authorities for having observed mitzvot. ‘Why are you going out to be burned?’ ‘Because I observed Shabbat.’ ‘Why are you going out to be beheaded?’ ‘Because I ate unleavened bread.’ ‘Why are you being lashed with a whip?’ ‘Because I made a sukka, because I took a palm branch, because I donned phylacteries, because I placed sky-blue wool [on my garment], because I performed the will of my Father in Heaven.’ That is what is written: “One will say to him: What are those wounds?” (Zechariah 13:6). [He will answer:] ‘These wounds caused me to be beloved to my Father in Heaven.’
Another matter: When is “as lowliness is lifted up [kerum]” – when the Holy One blessed be He will publicize the origin [karman] of the mamzerim.4In this sense, “lifted up” means they will be separated from the rest of the congregation. They were already publicized by Moses, as it is stated: “Take out the blasphemer” (Leviticus 24:14).5The blasphemer was of illegitimate lineage, and he was eventually executed and thereby removed from the congregation.
“The son of an Israelite woman…went out” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya: Rabbi Yehuda says: That is what is written: “Around the wicked will walk” (Psalms 12:9) – the righteous walk around the wicked. How so? When the righteous emerge from the Garden of Eden and see the wicked being judged in Gehenna, their soul is joyous within them. That is what is written: “They will emerge and see the corpses of the people who betray Me” (Isaiah 66:24). At that moment, they give praise and thanks to the Holy One blessed be He for the suffering that He inflicted upon them in this world.1The righteous thank God for having punished them for their sins in this world, so that they can receive reward in the World to Come. That is what is written: “You will say on that day: I thank You, Lord, that You were angry with me; Your wrath has turned against” (Isaiah 12:1) the nations of the world, and “You comfort me” (Isaiah 12:1) through them. When? “As lowliness is lifted up [kerum]” (Psalms 12:9) – when the Holy One blessed be He will exalt a lowly vineyard [kerem] in His world. The vineyard of the Holy One blessed be He is none other than Israel, as it is stated: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel and the people of Judah, the plant of His delight” (Isaiah 5:7).
Rabbi Neḥemya said to him: Until when are you going to distort the Bible for us? Rather, the wicked walk around the righteous, as it is written: “Around, the wicked will walk” (Psalms 12:9). How so? When the wicked ascend from Gehenna and see the righteous sitting tranquilly within the Garden of Eden, their soul diminishes within them.2Meaning, they will be consumed with grief. That is what is written: “The wicked one sees and is angered” (Psalms 112:10). When? “As lowliness is lifted up ” – when the Holy One blessed be He will exalt the mitzvot that are treated with contempt. ‘Why are you going out to be stoned?’ ‘Because I circumcised my son.’3The reality of this world has often caused conversations such as to this to take place between Jews, when one is sentenced to death by the ruling authorities for having observed mitzvot. ‘Why are you going out to be burned?’ ‘Because I observed Shabbat.’ ‘Why are you going out to be beheaded?’ ‘Because I ate unleavened bread.’ ‘Why are you being lashed with a whip?’ ‘Because I made a sukka, because I took a palm branch, because I donned phylacteries, because I placed sky-blue wool [on my garment], because I performed the will of my Father in Heaven.’ That is what is written: “One will say to him: What are those wounds?” (Zechariah 13:6). [He will answer:] ‘These wounds caused me to be beloved to my Father in Heaven.’
Another matter: When is “as lowliness is lifted up [kerum]” – when the Holy One blessed be He will publicize the origin [karman] of the mamzerim.4In this sense, “lifted up” means they will be separated from the rest of the congregation. They were already publicized by Moses, as it is stated: “Take out the blasphemer” (Leviticus 24:14).5The blasphemer was of illegitimate lineage, and he was eventually executed and thereby removed from the congregation.