How God Repaid Reuben, Judah, Moses, Rahab, and Hannah Measure for Measure

"From the fruit of a man's mouth he shall be satisfied with good, and the recompense of a man's hands shall be returned to him" (Proverbs 12:14). Rabbi Simlai said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Reuben: You began with the saving of lives first—"And Reuben heard, and he delivered him from their hands" (Genesis 37:21). By your life, the cities of refuge shall not be set apart at first except from your territory! This is what is written: "Bezer in the wilderness, in the land of the plain, for the Reubenites" (Deuteronomy 4:43). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Judah: You saved four souls for Me—three from the fire and one from the pit: Tamar and her two sons from the fire, and Joseph from the pit. By your life, I will save for you Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah from the fire, and Daniel from the lions' pit. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: You said, "And you shall know this day, and lay it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God" (Deuteronomy 4:39). By your life, I will write concerning you, "And there arose no prophet again in Israel like Moses" (Deuteronomy 34:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Rahab: You said, "For the Lord your God, He is God in the heavens above and upon the earth beneath" (Joshua 2:11). It is well "upon the earth"—you were there; but "in the heavens above," you said what your eyes did not see. By your life, your son shall stand and see what the prophets did not see! This is what is written: "The heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God" (Ezekiel 1:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Hannah: From the beginning of the creation of the world, no flesh and blood praised Me with this expression, "Lord of Hosts" (1 Samuel 1:11), except you. By your life, your son shall stand and open with it! This is what is written: "Thus said the Lord of Hosts: I have remembered that which Amalek did to Israel" (1 Samuel 15:2).