God Guards the Honor of the Righteous More Than His Own

Midrash Shmuel 8:3

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: I said indeed (that your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever)" (1 Samuel 2:30). Rabbi Yehoshua son of Rabbi Nechemiah in the name of a certain rabbi — Rabbi Miyasha was sitting before Rabbi Abahu — said: "I said" is stated two times. By whom was it stated two times? "Your house and the house of your father should walk before Me forever," "and now [the LORD declares] far be it from Me" (1 Samuel 2:30). Rabbi Yirmiyah in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzhak said: The Holy One, blessed be He, was more stringent concerning the honor of the righteous than concerning His own honor. Concerning the honor of the righteous it is written, "And I will bless those who bless you (and the one who curses you I will curse)" (Genesis 12:3). Concerning the honor of the Holy One, blessed be He: "for those who honor Me I will honor" — I Myself will honor them; "and those who despise Me shall be lightly esteemed" — by means of others.

Themes

RighteousnessHumorWitCreationAdam Eve

Biblical References

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