מדרש אויף ישעיהו 8:7

Another matter, “it will be that instead…” – that is what is written: “Many waters cannot extinguish love” (Song of Songs 8:7), and it says: “If a man would give [all the wealth of his house for love, he will be scorned]” (Song of Songs 8:7). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: This verse is speaking of two loves; its beginning is referring to the love of Israel. Were all the nations of the world to assemble, to uproot the love that is between Him and Israel, they would be unable, as it is stated: “Many waters cannot extinguish love.” “Many waters” is nothing other than the nations of the world, as it is stated: “Woe, the uproar of many peoples, [like the roar of the seas will they roar; the din of nations will roar like the din of great waters]” (Isaiah 17:12). “And rivers cannot wash it away” (Song of Songs 8:7), these are their kings and their princes, just as it is stated: “Therefore, behold, the Lord is raising the mighty and abundant waters of the River [upon them, the king of Assyria and all his glory]” (Isaiah 8:7). Its end is referring to the love of Torah. Were all the nations of the world to assemble and say: ‘We are selling all our assets and fulfilling Torah and mitzvot,’ the Holy One blessed be He would say to them: ‘Even if you sell all your assets to acquire the Torah, it will be a disgrace [bizayon] for you’ – “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he will be scorned [boz yavuzu lo]” (Song of Songs 8:7). For which love? For the love of Torah, as it is stated: “How I love Your Torah” (Psalms 119:97). They said to Him: ‘Why do You not accept us?’ He says to them: ‘Because you are sinners.’ They said to Him: ‘Are Israel not sinners?’ Rabbi Berekhya said: What is written thereafter? “We have a little sister, [and she has no breasts. What shall we do for our sister on the day that she will be spoken for?]” (Song of Songs 8:8). The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘Just as this child when she is small’ and she offends her parents, her parents do not become annoyed at her, why, because she is small, so it is regarding Israel; when they sin, the Holy One blessed be He does not hold it against them.’ Know that it is so, as in the days of Hosea, they angered the Holy One blessed be He, and the Holy One blessed be He began intimidating them: “As they are the children of licentiousness…” (Hosea 2:6), “as she is not My wife” (Hosea 2:4), “call his name Not My People, as you are not My people” (Hosea 1:9). He uttered it with His mouth momentarily, although He did so only to cause them to repent, and [because] He could not bear it even briefly, Therefore while He was still in His place, He recanted: “It will be that instead […it will be said of them: Children of the living God]” (Hosea 2:1).
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘I am first for good and last for evil.’ First for good: “I will say to Not My People: You are My people” (Hosea 2:25), and then: “he will say: My God” (Hosea 2:25). But for bad, I am last: “For you are not My people” (Hosea 1:9), and then: “I will not be yours” (Hosea 1:9). ⁴¹God calls Israel his nation to restore them before they call Him "our God," but when they are cast off, only after they stop being His nation and reject Him, He says "I will not be yours."
Rabbi Ḥanina said: The unknowledgeable think that when He says: “I will not be yours,” He is saying that He is not a God for you. No, but rather, what is “I will not be yours”? Even though you are not My people, as you seek to separate from Me, “I will not be yours” – My thoughts are not the same as yours. Rather, perforce, you will be My people. Likewise it says: “What enters your mind will not be, that which you say: We will be like the nations…” (Ezekiel 20:32). Rather, what will I do to you? “As I live, the utterance of the Lord God, with a mighty hand, with an outstretched arm, and with outpoured fury, I will reign over you” (Ezekiel 20:33). You learn the love of Israel before the Omnipresent.

“Much water cannot extinguish love, and rivers cannot wash it away; if a man would give all the wealth of his house for love, he would be scorned” (Song of Songs 8:7).
“Much water cannot extinguish love”; “Much water” – these are the nations of the world, as it is stated: “Ah, the uproar of many peoples” (Isaiah 17:12). “Cannot extinguish love” – the love that the Holy One blessed be He has for Israel, as it is stated: “I loved you, said the Lord” (Malachi 1:2). “And rivers cannot wash it away” – these are the nations of the world, just as it says: “On that day, the Lord will shave with a great razor those who are from across the River…” (Isaiah 7:20); “therefore, behold, the Lord is raising [upon them] the waters of the River, [mighty and many, the king of Assyria]” (Isaiah 8:7).
“If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love” – even if all the nations of the world open all their treasuries and give their money for the sake of one matter of the Torah,¹⁶Even if they would donate all their money in an attempt to gain atonement for causing Israel to fail to fulfill even one mitzva (Rabbi David Luria). they will never thereby gain atonement.
Another matter: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love” – even if all the nations of the world open all their treasuries and give their money for the sake of one matter of the Torah, and give all their money for the blood of Rabbi Akiva and his colleagues,¹⁷Even if they would donate all their money in an attempt to atone for the execution of Rabbi Akiva and others by non-Jewish authorities in times of persecution. they will never thereby gain atonement.
Rabbi Yoḥanan was strolling and ascending from Tiberias to Tzippori, and Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba was next to him. They arrived at a certain agricultural estate. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘This agricultural estate was mine, and I sold it in order to engage in Torah study.’ They arrived at a certain vineyard. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘This vineyard was mine and I sold it in order to engage in Torah study.’ They arrived at a certain olive grove. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: ‘The same is true regarding this.’ Rabbi Ḥiyya bar Abba began crying. [Rabbi Yoḥanan] said to him: ‘Why are you crying?’ He said to him: ‘I am crying because you did not leave anything for your old age.’ He said to him: ‘Ḥiyya my son, is it inconsequential in your eyes what I did, that I sold something that was given in six days, as it is stated: “For in six days the Lord made” (Exodus 20:11)?¹⁸Was it not worthwhile to sell something created in six days in order to gain something far more valuable? But the Torah was given in forty days, as it is stated: “He was there with the Lord forty days” (Exodus 34:28), and it is written: “I remained on the mountain forty days”’ (Deuteronomy 9:9). When Rabbi Yoḥanan died, his generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,” the love that Rabbi Yoḥanan had for the Torah, “he would be scorned [boz yavuzu lo].”¹⁹He will gain a portion of the plunder [biza] of the war of Gog and Magog (Yefe To’ar).
When Rabbi Oshaya of Teraya died, they saw his bier floating in the air. His generation read in his regard: “If a man would give all the wealth of his house for love,” that the Holy One blessed be He loved Rabbi Oshaya of Teraya, he would be scorned.²⁰He would be scorned for thinking that money is sufficient to attain this love.

R. Jochanhan said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Prov. 3, 33) The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked, but the habitation of the righteous will be blessed? i.e., the curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked refers to Peckach b. Remalyahu, who used to consume forty s'ahs of pigeon as a dessert. But the habitation of the righteous will be blessed, refers to Hezekiah, King of Judah, whose whole meal consisted of a litra of meat. (Isa. 8, 7)… . The king of Assyria … and he shall penetrate into Judah, overflood and flood over, even to the neck shall he reach. Now [since he acted in accordance with the prophecy] why then was he punished? The prophet prophesied concerning the ten tribes, and he himself made up his mind to go to Jerusalem. Then came the prophet and said (Ib. ib. 23) And no fatigue overtaketh him that oppresseth them. R. Eleazar b. Breakhya explained the above passage thus: "A people who are occupied with the study of the law will not be delivered over to their oppressor." What is meant (Ib.) In the first time, he made light of the land of Zebulun and of the land of Naphtali, and at the last he will deal hard, with the way by the sea, on the other side of the Jordan (up to) the Galilee of the nations — i.e., Not like the first [exiled] who threw off the yoke of the Torah, but like the latter, who tolerated the heavy yoke of the Torah, and therefore deserved that a miracle should happen to them as it had happened to those who passed the Red Sea and to those who stepped over the Jordan. Hence if he will retract from turning away from Jerusalem, well and good, but if not, I will make him contemptible among the nations.