Midrash sa Zacarias 3:1: Shir HaShirim Rabbah, Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition) & Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer

“I arose to open for my beloved; my hands were dripping with myrrh, and my fingers with myrrh passing onto the handles of the latch” (Song of Songs 5:5).
“I arose to open for my beloved” – I arose, and not the nations of the world. Rabbi Yaakov bar Avuna interpreted before Rabbi Yitzḥak: It is written: “[Then arose] the heads of the patrilineal families of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and the Levites…[to go up to build the house of the Lord, which is in Jerusalem]” (Ezra 1:5); “of Judah” – as he is king; “and Benjamin” – as the Temple is in his portion; the priests because of the Temple service; and the Levites because of the platform.²⁵The verse specifies these groups for the reasons mentioned above, but in fact Israelites of all types went up to build the Second Temple. This is in contrast to the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin (see Ezra 4:2), who presented themselves as wanting to assist in building the Temple but in fact had malicious intentions. “To open for my beloved” – in repentance.
“My hands were dripping with myrrh [mor]” – bitterness [merarim]. Cyrus issued a decree: Whoever has crossed the Euphrates has crossed, and whoever has not crossed shall not cross. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: It is written: “The sun will be dark when it rises” (Isaiah 13:10) – if only it had been dark on that day and did not shine. Cyrus emerged to walk in the province, and he saw that the province was deserted. He said: Why is this province deserted? Where are the goldsmiths, where are the silversmiths? They said to him: Are you not the one who decreed and said: Let all the Jews go out and build the Temple? It was they who were the goldsmiths and the silversmiths, and they have ascended to build the Temple. At that moment he decreed: Whoever has crossed the Euphrates has crossed, and whoever has not crossed shall not cross.
Daniel and his associates and his comrades ascended. At that time they said: It is preferable for us to eat a meal of the Land of Israel and recite the blessing of the Land of Israel. Ezra and his associates and his comrades did not ascend at that time. Why did Ezra not ascend at that time? It was because he needed to clarify his studies before Barukh ben Neriya. So let Barukh ben Neriya ascend. Rather, they said: Barukh ben Neriya was a large, elderly man, and he could not even be loaded onto a sedan chair.
Reish Lakish said: It was due to the sanctity of the Temple that Ezra did not ascend at that time, as had Ezra ascended at that time, the accuser would be able to incite strife and say, it would be preferable to have Ezra serve in the High Priesthood rather than have Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak serve as the High Priest.²⁶The heavenly accuser was already accusing Yehoshua (see Zechariah 3:1), and this would have added to his accusations. But Yehoshua ben Yehotzadak was a High Priest son of a High Priest, and although Ezra was a righteous man, he was not as worthy to serve in the High Priesthood as [Yehoshua] was. Rabbi Simon said: Abolishing hereditary rights is problematic before the Holy One blessed be He. “Onto the handles of the latch” – it was from there that the Euphrates was blocked before them.
Another matter: “I arose to open for my beloved” – I arose and not the nations of the world. “To open for my beloved” – in repentance. “My hands were dripping with myrrh [mor]” – bitterness [merarim], this is the sin of the Golden Calf, “this is your god, Israel” (Exodus 32:4). “And my fingers with myrrh passing” – nevertheless “myrrh passing [mor over],” He overlooked my bitterness [avar al merari], as it is stated: “The Lord reconsidered the evil…” (Exodus 32:14). “Onto the handles of the latch” – it was from there that it was locked before them so that they would not enter the Land of Israel.

(Jer. 29, 21, 23) Thus hath said the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, concerning Achab, the son of Kolayah, and of Zedekiah, the son of Maasseyah, who prophesy unto you in my name of false-hood… . And of them there shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah who are in Babylon, saying: May the Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Achab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire. "It does not read (Sarfam), whom he burned, but it says (Kalan) whom he roasted," said R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: Infer from this that they were roasted as people roast grain. (Ib. ib, 23) Because they have done scandalous deeds in Israel, and have committed adultery with the wives of their neighbors. What had they done? They went to the daughter of Nebuchadnezzar. Achab said to her: "The Lord has commanded me to tell thee that thou shalt listen to Zedekiah." And the latter said the same — that she should hearken to Achab. And she straightway went and told this to her father. To which he answered: "It is known to me that their God abhors incest. When they shall come to you again, send them to me. When they did come, she sent them to her father; Nebuchadnezzar asked them: "Who told you to do so?" The Holy One, praised be He!" they said. "But Chananyah and his colleagues told me that such a thing is prohibited," said he. And they answered: "We are also prophets as they are, and this command, although not given to them, was, nevertheless, given to us." Then said the king: "I would try you as I did Chananyah and his colleagues." And to their claim, "They were three, and we are only two," he said: "You may choose a third one, whomever you like." And they selected Joshua, the high-priest, thinking that his merit was so great that it would save them also. Joshua was then brought, and all three were thrown into the kiln. They were burned, but Joshua was saved; only his garments were singed. And this is what is meant by the passage (Zech. 3, 1-3) And he showed me Joshua the high-priest standing before the angel of the Lord. And the Lord said unto the accuser, the Lord rebuke thee, O accuser, etc. Satan said to him: "I know that you are an upright man, but why did the fire affect your garments, which was not the case with Chananyah, Mishael and Azaryah?" And he answered: "They were three, and I one." "But was not Abraham the patriarch also only one when he was thrown into the kiln," Satan asked. "With Abraham," said he, "there were no wicked whom the fire was granted permission to affect, but with me were two wicked, and such permission was given to the fire." And this is what people say: "If there are two dried pieces of wood, and a green one between, the green piece will burn with the dry ones." But why was he punished? R. Papa said: "Because his sons married such wives as were not fit for the priesthood, and he did not protest against it; and this is what is meant by the passage (Ib. 3, 3) And Joshua was clothed with filthy garments. Was it then the habit of Joshua to wear filthy garments? But infer from this that his sons married such wives as were not fit for the priesthood and he did not protest agninst it."

Rabbi Tachanah said: Israel was exiled to Babylon, and did not forsake their evil deeds. Ahab, son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah, son of Maaseiah, became lying healers, and they healed the wives of the Chaldeans, and came unto them for coition. The king heard thereof, and commanded that they should be burnt. They both said: Let us say that Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, was with us, and he will save us from the burning with fire. They said to him: O our lord, O king, this man was with us in every matter. The king commanded that the three should be burnt by fire. And the angel Michael descended and saved Joshua from the fiery flames, and brought him up before the throne of glory, as it is said, "And he shewed me Joshua, the high priest" (Zech. 3:1); and the other two were burnt by fire, as it is said, "And of them shall be taken up a curse…. The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire" (Jer. 29:22). It is not written here "whom the king of Babylon burnt with fire," but "whom he roasted," hence we learn || that his hairs were singed on account of their sins, as it is said, "In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued" (Ps. 10:2). Whence do we know that he was delivered? Because it is said, "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan.… Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Zech. 3:2).