כִּ֣י כֶ֜רֶם יְהוָ֤ה צְבָאוֹת֙ בֵּ֣ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדָ֔ה נְטַ֖ע שַׁעֲשׁוּעָ֑יו וַיְקַ֤ו לְמִשְׁפָּט֙ וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִשְׂפָּ֔ח לִצְדָקָ֖ה וְהִנֵּ֥ה צְעָקָֽה׃ (ס)
װאָרום דער װײַנגאָרטן פֿון גאָט פֿון צבֿאות, איז דאָס הױז פֿון ישׂראל; און די מענער פֿון יהוּדה, זײַן געצערטלטע פֿלאַנצונג; און ער האָט געהאָפֿט אױף גערעכטיקײט, ערשט עס איז שלעכטיקײט, אױף רעכטטוערײַ, ערשט עס איז אַ יאָמערײַ.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Deut. 12:29:) WHEN THE LORD GOD HAS CUT OFF THE GENTILES. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who planted a vineyard within his field, but within <that field> were great cedars and thorns.5Tanh., Deut. 4:9. The king went and cut down the cedars and left the thorns. His servants said to him: Our Lord King, the thorns, which catch our clothes, you have left <standing>; but you have cut down the cedars! He said to them: If I had left the cedars and cut down the thornbushes, how should I have {decreed} [fenced in] my vineyard. So also Israel is the vineyard of the Holy One, as stated (in Is. 5:7): FOR THE VINEYARD OF THE LORD OF HOSTS IS THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL. He brought Israel into the land and cut down the cedars that were in it, as stated (in Amos 2:9): YET I DESTROYED THE AMORITES [BEFORE YOU, WHOSE STATURE WAS LIKE THE CEDARS IN HEIGHT]; but he left their children and their children's children so that Israel would observe the Torah, as stated (in Jud. 3:1): NOW THESE ARE THE NATIONS WHICH THE LORD LEFT TO TEST ISRAEL. So when the vineyard stands in its place in the service of the Torah, THEN (according to Is. 33:12) THE PEOPLES SHALL BECOME BURNINGS OF LIME, THORNS CUT DOWN <THAT ARE BURNED IN THE FIRE>. It is also written (in Is. 40:17): ALL THE NATIONS ARE AS NOTHING BEFORE HIM. Look at how many hosts6Gk.: ochloi. Pharaoh sent out after Israel! When Israel saw them, they were terrified before them and said: Who can stand against these? The Holy One said to them: By your lives, all these are as unimportant before me as <if they were> [only] a single horse, as stated (in Exod. 15:19): WHEN THE HORSE (in the singular) OF PHARAOH CAME; they all died in a single breath (rt.: NShP), as stated (in Exod. 15:10): YOU BLEW (rt.: NShP) WITH YOUR WIND, <AND THE SEA COVERED THEM>. Similarly Gog and Magog are going to come against Israel, but the Holy One will carry out judgments against them (literally: against him), as stated (in Ezek. 38:22): I WILL ENTER INTO JUDGMENT AGAINST HIM WITH PESTILENCE AND WITH BLOOD…. At that time (according to Ezek. 38:23): SO I WILL BE MAGNIFIED, BE SANCTIFIED, AND BE MADE KNOWN BEFORE THE EYES OF MANY {PEOPLES} [NATIONS]; AND THEY SHALL KNOW THAT I AM THE LORD.
Midrash Tanchuma
Who perceiveth that her merchandise is good (Prov. 31:18). That was when the kings attacked them, as it is written: And he divided himself against them by night (Gen. 14:15). She stretcheth out her hand to the poor (Prov. 31:19), by giving food to passers-by. Yea, she reacheth forth her hand to the needy (ibid., v. 20); for she gave charity and clothed the naked. She is not afraid of the snow for her household (ibid., v. 21); that is, she did not fear Gehenna. And why not? Because her entire household possessed garments (shanim, punning on shnayim, “two”) (ibid.): Sabbath and circumcision. She maketh for herself coverlets (ibid., v. 22): These were the priestly garments. From the fruit of her hand she planted a vineyard (ibid., v. 16). This refers to Israel, as it is said: For a vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel (Isa. 5:7). Her husband is known in the gates (Prov. 31:23); that is, when he pleaded with the sons of Seth: Give me a possession of a burial place (Gen. 23:4). She maketh linen garments (Prov. 31:24) refers to the circumcision that took place, as it is said: The counsel of the Lord is with them that fear Him (Ps. 25:14). Strength and dignity are her clothing (Prov. 31:25) alludes to the clouds of glory that encircled her tent. She openeth her mouth with wisdom (ibid. 39:26). When was that? When she said to Abraham: Go, I pray thee, unto thy handmaid (Gen. 16:2). She looketh well to the ways of her household (Prov. 31:27) indicates that she watched every day for the return of the angel who had informed her: I will certainly return unto thee (Gen. 18:10).
Shemot Rabbah
“Moses and Aaron went and gathered all the elders of the children of Israel” (Exodus 4:29).
“Moses and Aaron went and gathered…” – Rabbi Akiva said: Why was Israel analogized to the bird? Just as a bird flies only by virtue of its wings, so too, Israel is able to stand only by virtue of the elders [zekenim].17Zaken is an acronym for zeh shekana ḥokhma, one who acquired wisdom. Therefore, there can be both elderly Sages and young Sages. Great is Zikna; if it is in the elderly, they are beloved before the Holy One blessed be He, and if they are lads, their youth is their secondary [characteristic].18Their wisdom grants them maturity beyond their years.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: In several places we have learned that the Holy One blessed be He accorded honor to the elders: At the [burning] bush, as it is written: “Go and gather the elders of Israel” (Exodus 3:16); at Sinai, as it is written: “To Moses He said: Come up to the Lord, [you and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel]” (Exodus 24:1); at the Tent of Meeting, as it is written: “Moses summoned Aaron and his sons [and the elders of Israel]” (Leviticus 9:1); and likewise, in the future, as it is stated: “For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders will be glory” (Isaiah 24:23).
Rabbi Avin said: The Holy One blessed be He is destined to seat the elders of Israel like a threshing floor,19In a circle and He will sit at the head of all of them as the head of the court, and they will judge the idolaters, as it is stated: “The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people, and its princes” (Isaiah 3:14). It is not written: Of the elders of His people, but rather “with the elders of His people.” He will be sitting with them, and they will judge the idolaters. What does He say to [the idolaters]? “You have consumed the vineyard” (Isaiah 3:14) – this is Israel, as it is written: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). “The theft of the poor [he’ani] is in your houses” (Isaiah 3:14) – and it is written: “For the Lord had founded Zion, and in it the afflicted [aniyei] of His people will take refuge” (Isaiah 14:32).20This proves that the term ani in Isaiah 3:14 is referring to the Jewish people.
Likewise, it was the way of the kings to sit in the shape of a round threshing floor, as it is stated: “The king of Israel and Yehoshafat king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sat in a threshing floor” (II Chronicles 18:9). Were they sitting in a threshing floor? Rather, as we learned: The Sanhedrin would sit in a semicircular shape like a threshing floor so that they could see each other, and the two judges’ scribes were sitting before them…21Sanhedrin 36b. Solomon said: I saw Him sitting with them and judging in their midst, as it is stated: “Her husband is known at the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land” (Proverbs 31:23).22This chapter in Proverbs analogizes Israel and God as a wife and husband. The midrash states that King Solomon, the author of Proverbs, saw with divine spirit the time when God will judge together with the elders.
“Moses and Aaron went and gathered…” – Rabbi Akiva said: Why was Israel analogized to the bird? Just as a bird flies only by virtue of its wings, so too, Israel is able to stand only by virtue of the elders [zekenim].17Zaken is an acronym for zeh shekana ḥokhma, one who acquired wisdom. Therefore, there can be both elderly Sages and young Sages. Great is Zikna; if it is in the elderly, they are beloved before the Holy One blessed be He, and if they are lads, their youth is their secondary [characteristic].18Their wisdom grants them maturity beyond their years.
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: In several places we have learned that the Holy One blessed be He accorded honor to the elders: At the [burning] bush, as it is written: “Go and gather the elders of Israel” (Exodus 3:16); at Sinai, as it is written: “To Moses He said: Come up to the Lord, [you and Aaron, Nadav and Avihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel]” (Exodus 24:1); at the Tent of Meeting, as it is written: “Moses summoned Aaron and his sons [and the elders of Israel]” (Leviticus 9:1); and likewise, in the future, as it is stated: “For the Lord of hosts will reign on Mount Zion, and in Jerusalem, and before His elders will be glory” (Isaiah 24:23).
Rabbi Avin said: The Holy One blessed be He is destined to seat the elders of Israel like a threshing floor,19In a circle and He will sit at the head of all of them as the head of the court, and they will judge the idolaters, as it is stated: “The Lord will enter into judgment with the elders of His people, and its princes” (Isaiah 3:14). It is not written: Of the elders of His people, but rather “with the elders of His people.” He will be sitting with them, and they will judge the idolaters. What does He say to [the idolaters]? “You have consumed the vineyard” (Isaiah 3:14) – this is Israel, as it is written: “For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel” (Isaiah 5:7). “The theft of the poor [he’ani] is in your houses” (Isaiah 3:14) – and it is written: “For the Lord had founded Zion, and in it the afflicted [aniyei] of His people will take refuge” (Isaiah 14:32).20This proves that the term ani in Isaiah 3:14 is referring to the Jewish people.
Likewise, it was the way of the kings to sit in the shape of a round threshing floor, as it is stated: “The king of Israel and Yehoshafat king of Judah each sat on his throne, arrayed in their robes, and they sat in a threshing floor” (II Chronicles 18:9). Were they sitting in a threshing floor? Rather, as we learned: The Sanhedrin would sit in a semicircular shape like a threshing floor so that they could see each other, and the two judges’ scribes were sitting before them…21Sanhedrin 36b. Solomon said: I saw Him sitting with them and judging in their midst, as it is stated: “Her husband is known at the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land” (Proverbs 31:23).22This chapter in Proverbs analogizes Israel and God as a wife and husband. The midrash states that King Solomon, the author of Proverbs, saw with divine spirit the time when God will judge together with the elders.