Three Times Heaven Ratified What Israel Decreed Below

One [instance] was in the days of Ezra. At the time when they came up from Babylon, the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to release them from the tithes. What did they do? They arose and decreed upon themselves that they would tithe, as it is said, "And [that we would bring] the first of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit [of every tree, wine and oil]" (Nehemiah 10:38). What did they do? They wrote it in a book and placed it in the Sanctuary. What happened? The next day they entered and found it sealed, for the Holy One, blessed be He, had agreed with them, as it is said, "And because of all this we make a firm covenant, and write it; and upon the sealed [document our princes, our Levites, and our priests are signed]" (Nehemiah 10:1). And one was in the days of Mordecai and Esther, as it is said, "They confirmed and took upon themselves" (Esther 9:27) — they confirmed above what they had accepted below. And one was in the days of Joshua, when Israel entered the Land. Joshua said to them, "And [that] city [shall be] devoted [to the Lord]" (Joshua 6:17). And you do not find that the Holy One, blessed be He, told him this thing; rather, he did it of his own accord. And from where [do we know] that the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him? As it is said, "Israel has sinned" (Joshua 7:11).