מדרש אויף תהילים 11:7

Another interpretation (of Gen. 6:9): THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF NOAH; NOAH WAS A RIGHTEOUS MAN.¹⁸Cf. Tanh. Gen. 2:5. Why is he given the name RIGHTEOUS? Inasmuch as he fed the creatures of the Holy One, he became like his Creator. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 11:7): FOR THE LORD IS RIGHTEOUS; HE LOVES RIGHTEOUS DEEDS. So also Joseph. Inasmuch as he fed the creatures for seven years, he was called righteous, as stated (in Amos 2:6): BECAUSE THEY SELL A RIGHTEOUS < ONE > (i.e., Joseph) FOR SILVER. {Thus, because he fed the creatures for seven years, he was therefore called righteous.}

Blame God. This is spoken about the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed the Temple and later suffered, as it is said (Daniel 4:29-30) "and from mankind you will be driven away." Rabbi Berachiah and Rabbi Chalbo in the name of Rabbi Samuel said that everything that David specified in the Book of Psalms, the wicked Nebuchadnezzar is included in one verse (Psalm 37:35) "I have seen a wicked, ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree." And David said about praising Jerusalem and God (Psalm 147:12) "Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Zion!" and he said about God (Psalm 11:7) "For the Lord is righteous, he loves justice; upright men will see his face." But that wicked man said (Daniel 4:34) "All his acts are just and his ways are right." And similarly, you find in the words of our master Moses, peace be upon him, at the end of his song (Deuteronomy 32:4) "The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice." So that all the people of the world should not say that the attribute of justice did not apply to him and that he did not enter the land of Israel, heaven forbid, without punishment. But "The Rock, his work is perfect" applies to him. And why was that wicked man considered righteous? Because "All his acts are just." And Hannah also said (1 Samuel 2:6-7) "The Lord brings death and makes alive; he brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; he humbles and he exalts." But that wicked man said (Daniel 4:37) "And those who walk in pride he is able to humble." God said to him, "Yesterday you said (Daniel 3:15) 'And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?' And now you say, 'I do not want you or your punishment.' And who will make me contemptible among the people of Israel? As it is said (Isaiah 43:21) "the people I formed for myself that they may proclaim my praise."

"For the Lord is righteous, He loves righteousness; the upright will see His face." Rabbi Judah bar Simon said, "Everyone hates his profession, but the Holy One, blessed be He, does not hate His profession, for the Lord is righteous, and He loves the righteous." And who are those who will see His face? Seven classes who are destined to stand in the future before the Holy One, blessed be He. And what is the excellent class among them who receive the divine presence? It is the class of the upright, as it is said, "The upright will see His face." And it is written elsewhere, "The upright shall sit before Your face." It should have said, "The upright will see Your face." What is the meaning of "The upright will see His face"? Before the world was created, the upright saw the divine presence. Another interpretation: "The upright will see His face" - these are the seven classes of the righteous, as it is written, "And the wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament," like the sun and moon, like the stars, lightning, roses, and torches. "Like the sun," as it is said, "And His lovers are as the sun when it goes forth in its might." "Like the moon," as it is said, "And as the moon is established forever." "Like the stars," as it is said, "And they that are wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament." "Like lightning," as it is said, "They shall run like the lightning." "Like roses," as it is said, "To the chief Musician upon Shoshannim." "Like torches," as it is said, "Their appearance is as torches." And the first class sits before the King and sees the King and His face, as it is said, "The upright shall sit before Your face." And it says, "The upright will see His face." The second class is "Happy are they that dwell in Your house." The third is "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?" The fourth is "Happy is the man whom You choose." The fifth is "Lord, who shall abide in Your tabernacle?" The sixth is "Who shall dwell on Your holy hill?" The seventh is "And who shall stand in His holy place?" And all... "And opposite them are seven apartments in Gehinnom, and these are: Sheol, Abaddon, the Valley of Similarity, Tzelmoth, the Netherworld, and the Land of Dryness. Behold, there are seven apartments for the wicked and the righteous, each according to their deeds in their own apartments. They said that Ish Tzrorot, the nephew of Rabbi Yosi ben Yo'ezer, was a man of Tsoridah who rode on a horse and went before the king and went out to execute criminals. He said to his horse, "Some of you, my horse, are ridden by a master who is harsh, and some of you are ridden by a master who is gentle." He said to his provokers, "All the more so for those who do His will." He said to him, "But does not man do His will more than you?" He said to him, "All the more so for those who do His will." The matter entered him like the straw of an innkeeper, and he went and fulfilled four death sentences of the court by himself. What did he do? He brought a beam, planted it in the ground, tied Nimah to it, set up wood, surrounded it with a stone fence, and made a furnace in front of him. He stuck the sword in the middle, lit the fire under the stones, hung on the beam, strangled, and Nimah fell into the fire and the sword turned over the stone fence. Rabbi Yosi ben Yo'ezer was surprised and saw his bed floating in the air. He said, "Behold, they have prepared a place for me in the Garden of Eden.