Pesikta de-Rav Kahana Reader

Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi opened: "A wise servant shall rule over a son who acts shamefully, and shall share the inheritance among the brothers" (Proverbs 17:2). "A wise servant" - this is Jeremiah. "Shall rule over a son who acts shamefully" - this is Israel, who shamed themselves before idolatry. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: It is written, "You were not even like a harlot, scorning hire" (Ezekiel 16:31). Let the child of the corrupt woman who mended her deeds come and reprove the child of the upright woman who corrupted her deeds. You find that everything written of Israel for disgrace is written of Rahab for praise. Of Rahab it is written, "Now then, swear to me by the LORD" (Joshua 2:12), and of Israel it is written, "surely they swear falsely" (Jeremiah 5:2). Of Rahab it is written, "and you shall keep alive my father and my mother" (Joshua 2:13), and of Israel it is written, "father and mother are treated with contempt in you" (Ezekiel 22:7). Of Rahab it is written, "and she brought them up to the roof" (Joshua 2:6), and of Israel it is written, "and those who bow on the rooftops to the host of heaven" (Zephaniah 1:5). Of Rahab it is written, "and she hid them with the stalks of flax" (Joshua ibid.), and of Israel it is written, "who say to the wood, You are my father" (Jeremiah 2:27). Of Rahab it is written, "and she said to them, Get to the hills" (Joshua 2:16), and of Israel it is written, "on the tops of the mountains they sacrifice" (Hosea 4:13). Of Rahab it is written, "and give me a true sign" (Joshua 2:12), and of Israel it is written, "and they do not speak truth" (Jeremiah 9:4). Thus everything written of Israel for disgrace is written of Rahab for praise. "And shall share the inheritance among the brothers" (Proverbs ibid.) - this is Jeremiah. It is written of him, "And Jeremiah went out of Jerusalem to go" (Jeremiah 37:12). Rav said: He went out to take his portion. Rabbi Binyamin ben Levi said: To the encampment there. There are many prophecies; "the prophecy of Jeremiah" is not written here, but rather "the words of Jeremiah." Therefore Scripture requires "The words of Jeremiah" (Jeremiah 1:1).

Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman opened: "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you" (Numbers 33:55). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: I told you, "you shall utterly destroy them, the Hittite and the Amorite" (Deuteronomy 20:17), and you did not do so. Rather, "and Rahab the harlot and her father's household and all that she had, Joshua kept alive" (Joshua 6:25). Behold, Jeremiah comes from the descendants of Rahab the harlot and makes for you words that are like "pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides" [cf. Numbers 33:55]. Therefore Scripture requires "The words of Jeremiah" (Jeremiah 1:1).

Rabbi Yudah son of Rabbi Simon opened: "A prophet I will raise up for them from among their brothers, like you" (Deuteronomy 18:18), and it is written, "And there arose no prophet again in Israel like Moses" (ibid. 34:10) - and yet you say "like you"? Rather, "like you" in rebukes. You find that everything written of this one is written of that one. This one prophesied forty years and that one prophesied forty years; this one prophesied concerning Judah and Israel and that one prophesied concerning Judah and Israel; against this one the men of his own tribe rose up and against that one the men of his own tribe rose up; this one was cast into the Nile and that one was cast into a pit; this one was saved by a maidservant and that one was saved by a servant; this one came with words of rebuke and that one came with words of rebuke. Therefore Scripture needs to say, "The words of Jeremiah" (Jeremiah 1:1).

Rabbi Tanchuma said it [in the name of] Rabbi Lazar in the name of Rabbi Meir; Rabbi Menachma and Rabbi Bibi [reported] Rabbi Lazar in the name of Rabbi Meir: Wherever it says "davar," "divrei," or "devarim" [word, words], they are curses and rebukes. It is written, "These are the words [devarim] that Moses spoke to all Israel" (Deuteronomy 1:1); what is written there [later]? "Wasting of hunger and consuming of fever" (ibid. 32:24). It is written, "The word [davar] of the LORD that came to Hosea son of Beeri" (Hosea 1:1); what is written there? "For you are not My people" (ibid. 1:9). It is written, "The words [divrei] of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah" (Jeremiah 1:1); what is written there? "Whoever is destined for death, to death; and whoever is for captivity, to captivity" (ibid. 43:11).

Rabbi Tanhum bar Hanilai said: In three places the Holy One, blessed be He, lodges a complaint against the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, in the book of Jeremiah, in the book of Kings, and in the book of Chronicles. Like a man who says to his neighbor, See what so-and-so, that ground-up corpse, did to me, so too the Holy One, blessed be He, said, See what the dwarf of Babylon did to me. Another interpretation: Jeremiah [Yirmeyahu] hints at the laments of Jeremiah, How does she sit solitary (Lamentations 1:1), How has He clouded over in His anger (Lamentations 2:1), How is the gold become dim (Lamentations 4:1). Another interpretation hints at the death [mavet] of Jeremiah, Those for death, to death (Jeremiah 43:11). Another interpretation: Jeremiah. The Holy One said to Jeremiah, Go say to Israel, do repentance, and if not, behold, I will destroy My holy Temple. They said, if the destroyer destroys, it is not his own that he destroys. Rather thus said the Holy One, blessed be He, Behold, I will destroy My Temple and My word will be confirmed through Jeremiah. Another interpretation: Jeremiah. The Holy One said to Jeremiah, I seek My words [divrai] back from them, Jeremiah. I said to them, I am the LORD your God (Exodus 20:2), and they did not do so but said to the wood, You are my father (Jeremiah 2:27). I said to them, You shall have no other gods (Exodus 20:2), and they did not do so but bowed on the rooftops to the host of heaven (Zephaniah 1:5). I said to them, You shall not take up the name of the LORD your God in vain (Exodus 20:7), and they did not do so but indeed swear falsely (Jeremiah 5:2). I said to them, Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8), and they did not do so but, You have despised My holy things and profaned My Sabbaths (Ezekiel 22:8). I said to them, Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12), and they did not do so but, Father and mother they have made light of within you (Ezekiel 22:7). I said to them, You shall not murder, you shall not commit adultery, you shall not steal (Exodus 20:13), and they did not do so but, stealing and murdering and committing adultery (Jeremiah 7:9). I said to them, You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:13), and they did not do so but, they bend their tongue, their bow of falsehood (Jeremiah 9:2). I said to them, You shall not covet (Exodus 20:14), and they did not do so but, they covet fields and seize them, and houses and carry them off (Micah 2:2).

Another interpretation: Jeremiah. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jeremiah, Either go down with them to Babylon and I will be here, or you be here and I will go down with them. Jeremiah said before the Holy One, blessed be He, Master of the worlds, if I do not go down, what benefit am I to them? Rather, let their Creator go down with them, for He benefits them. Three things did Nebuchadnezzar command Nebuzaradan concerning Jeremiah. He said to him, Take him and set your eyes upon him, do him no harm at all (Jeremiah 39:12). And Jeremiah would see a company of young men bound in iron collars, and he would go and put his hand in among them; and again he would see a company of elders bound in iron collars, and he would go and put his hand in among them. Nebuzaradan said to him, One of three things is in you: either you are a false prophet, or you scorn sufferings, or you are a shedder of blood. Either you are a false prophet, for here you have stood for so many years prophesying that this corner would be destroyed, and now I am destroying it, and it grieves you. Or you scorn sufferings, for I wish you no trouble and chains are reckoned as nothing to you. Or you are a shedder of blood, for if the king should hear what you are doing to yourself, and I have done nothing to you, he will send and lift off the head of this man. Rather, If it seems good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, hold off, and so forth (Jeremiah 40:4). And while he had not yet turned back (Jeremiah 40:5), the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him. This is what is written, The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan had let him go (Jeremiah 40:1). And he was bound in chains (Jeremiah 40:1). What is the meaning of and he [ve-hu]? Rabbi Aha said, As it were, he and He [were bound together]. What was that word? Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Yohanan. Rabbi Eleazar said, He who scattered Israel will gather him and keep him as a shepherd his flock (Jeremiah 31:9). Rabbi Yohanan said, For the LORD has ransomed Jacob and redeemed him from the hand of one stronger than he (Jeremiah 31:10). And on the way back he would see fingers of hands and feet, cut off and flung along the roads, and he would take them up and embrace them and kiss them and place them inside his cloak, and say to them, My children, did I not say this to you: Give glory to the LORD your God before it grows dark and before your feet stumble, and so forth (Jeremiah 13:16). Before the words of Torah grow dark upon you, before the words of prophecy grow dark.

For the mountains I will take up weeping and wailing, and for the pastures of the wilderness a lament (Jeremiah 9:9). For the high and lofty mountains that became wilderness I will take up a lament. For they are laid waste so that no man passes through, and they do not hear the sound of cattle [mikneh] (Jeremiah 9:9). It was not enough for you that you did not listen to His voice, but you provoke [maknim] Me with your idolatry. Even so, from the birds of the heavens to the beasts, they have fled and gone (Jeremiah 9:9). Rabbi Yose bar Halafta said: For fifty-two years no bird was seen flying over the land of Israel, to fulfill what is said, From the birds of the heavens to the beasts they have fled and gone (Jeremiah 9:9). Rabbi Hanina said: Forty years before Israel was exiled to Babylon, they planted date palms in Babylon, because Israel craved sweetness, which trains the tongue for Torah. They taught in the name of Rabbi Judah: For seven years brimstone and salt held sway, a burning over all its land (Deuteronomy 29:22), as it is said, And he shall confirm a covenant with the many for one week [seven years] (Daniel 9:27). The Samaritans who were there, what would they do? It was burned in patches and patches; they would sow here and it would be burned, sow here and it would be burned. Rabbi Zeira said: Come and see how brazen is the land of Israel, that it still produces fruit. And why does it produce fruit? Two Amoraim. One said, because they manure it. The other said, because they turn over its soil, like one who empties a measure, so that what is above goes down and what is below comes up. There was an incident with a certain man who was plowing in the valley of Arbel, and his plow-point went deep, and burning earth came up and scorched the seed. Rabbi Hanina son of Rabbi Abbahu said: Seven hundred kinds of clean fish, and eight hundred kinds of clean locusts, and birds without number, and all of them went into exile with Israel to Babylon. And when they returned, all of them returned with them, except for the fish called shibuta. And how did the fish go into exile? Rabbi Huna in the name of Rav Yose said: By way of the deep they went into exile, and by way of the deep they returned.

Another interpretation: Jeremiah [Yirmeyahu] means Ram Yah [exalted is God]. The Shekhinah journeyed ten journeys: from cherub to cherub, from cherub to the threshold of the House, from the threshold of the House to the cherubim, from the cherubim to the eastern gate, from the eastern gate to the court, from the court to the altar, from the altar to the roof, from the roof to the wall, from the wall to the city, from the city to the Mount of Olives. From cherub to cherub: And the glory of the God of Israel went up from the cherub on which it had been (Ezekiel 9:3), onto the second cherub. From cherub to the threshold: And the glory of the LORD lifted from the cherub onto the threshold of the House (Ezekiel 10:4). From the threshold to the cherubim: And the glory of the LORD went out from the threshold of the House and stood over the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:18). It says went out, but it should only have said came; rather they offered a parable. To what is the matter like? To a king who was leaving his palace, and he kept kissing the walls and embracing the pillars and saying, Be at peace, my house, be at peace, my palace. So too the Shekhinah kissed the walls and embraced the pillars and said, Be at peace, my house, be at peace, my palace. From the cherubim to the eastern gate: And the cherubim lifted their wings and rose from the earth before my eyes (Ezekiel 10:19). From the eastern gate to the court: And the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of the LORD (Ezekiel 10:4). From the court to the altar: I saw the LORD standing upon the altar (Amos 9:1). From the altar to the roof: Better to dwell on the corner of a roof (Proverbs 21:9). From the roof to the wall: Thus He showed me, and behold the LORD was standing upon a wall made by a plumb line (Amos 7:7). From the wall to the city: The voice of the LORD calls to the city (Micah 6:9). From the city to the Mount of Olives: And the glory of the LORD went up from the midst of the city and stood upon the mountain (Ezekiel 11:23). Rabbi Yonatan said: For three and a half years the Shekhinah dwelt upon the Mount of Olives and proclaimed three times each day, saying, Return, backsliding children, I will heal your backslidings (Jeremiah 3:22). And since they did not return, the Shekhinah began to soar in the air and said this verse, I will go and return to My place until they acknowledge their guilt and seek My face; in their distress they will seek Me earnestly (Hosea 5:15).

Another interpretation: Jeremiah, in whose days the Temple became a ruin [arimon]. Another interpretation: Jeremiah, in whose days the measure of strict judgment was raised up [nitromemah]. Son of Hilkiah (Jeremiah 1:1): Rabbi Judah son of Rabbi Simon said, from that same tribe of which it is written, I am your portion [helkekha] and your inheritance (Numbers 18:20). Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said: There are four who come from a scorched [disreputable] family, and these are they: Phinehas, and Uriah, and Ezekiel, and Jeremiah. Phinehas: you find that when he came to reckon the lineage of Israel, they said to him, You come to trace our lineage? Eleazar, to whom was he married? Was it not to the daughter of Putiel? Is it not written, And Eleazar son of Aaron took for himself one of the daughters of Putiel (Exodus 6:25), and you come to trace our lineage? And when the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were demeaning him, He began to trace his lineage: Phinehas son of Eleazar son of Aaron the priest (Numbers 25:11), priest son of priest, zealot son of zealot. Uriah: Israel was demeaning him and saying, Is he not a Gibeonite? And there was also a man prophesying in the name of the LORD, Uriah son of Shemaiah of Kiriath-yearim (Jeremiah 26:20); and it is written, And their cities were Gibeon and Kephirah and Beeroth and Kiriath-yearim (Joshua 9:17). So Scripture had to trace his lineage: And I will take for Myself faithful witnesses, Uriah the priest (Isaiah 8:2). Ezekiel: Israel was demeaning him and saying, Is he not from the descendants of Rahab the harlot? So Scripture had to trace his lineage: The word of the LORD surely came to Ezekiel son of Buzi the priest (Ezekiel 1:3). Jeremiah: Israel was demeaning him and saying, Is he not from the descendants of Rahab the harlot? So Scripture had to trace his lineage: The words of Jeremiah son of Hilkiah (Jeremiah 1:1).

Of the priests who, and so forth (Jeremiah 1:1). Rabbi Berekhiah said: Jeremiah said, My name is oppressed among the priests. In the days of Moses, May the LORD bless you (Numbers 6:24); and in my days, And from them shall be taken up a curse (Jeremiah 29:22). In the days of Moses, And keep you (Numbers 6:24); and in my days, Those for death, to death (Jeremiah 15:2). In the days of Moses, May the LORD make His face shine upon you (Numbers 6:25); and in my days, He has set me in dark places like those long dead (Lamentations 3:6). In the days of Moses, And be gracious to you (Numbers 6:25); and in my days, For I will show you no favor (Jeremiah 16:13). In the days of Moses, May the LORD lift up His face to you (Numbers 6:26); and in my days, A fierce nation that will not lift up the face to the old (Deuteronomy 28:50). In the days of Moses, And grant you peace (Numbers 6:26); and in my days, For I have gathered in My peace from this people, says the LORD, the lovingkindness and the mercy (Jeremiah 16:5).

In the land of Benjamin (Jeremiah 1:1): the portion of Benjamin was given in the Land. Just as Benjamin: our father Jacob was not blessed that he should be the begetter of the twelve tribes until Benjamin was born; so too, of all the prophets who prophesied concerning Jerusalem, their prophecy was not made clear until Jeremiah arose. Or just as Benjamin: all the days he was in his mother's womb she did not die, and once he came out of her she died, this is what is written, And it came to pass as her soul was departing, for she died (Genesis 35:18); so too, all the days Jeremiah was within Jerusalem it was not destroyed, and once he went out of it, it was destroyed. This is what Jeremiah says, You have enticed me, O LORD, and I was enticed (Jeremiah 20:7); You persuaded me, O LORD, and I let myself be persuaded; You brought me out of [Jerusalem] and destroyed it. Yesterday You said to me, Behold, Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you to say, Buy my field (Jeremiah 32:7); and now, You have overpowered me and prevailed (Jeremiah 20:7). Or just as Benjamin was last of all the tribes, so too Jeremiah was last of all the prophets. But did not Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi prophesy after him? Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman. Rabbi Eleazar said, they were prophets of brief span. Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said, the prophecy was already entrusted, deposited in the hand of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Yohanan. Rabbi Eleazar said: all the prophets opened with words of rebuke and closed with words of comfort, except for Jeremiah, who closed with words of rebuke and said, Thus shall Babylon sink and not rise (Jeremiah 51:64). Rabbi Yohanan said: he too closed with words of comfort, for he was returning to prophesy about the destruction of the Temple. You might think he closed with the destruction of the Temple; therefore Scripture teaches, Thus far are the words of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 51:64), he closed with the downfall of those who destroyed it.

"To whom the word of the LORD came in the days of Josiah king of Judah... until the end of the eleventh year of Zedekiah son of Josiah king of Judah, until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month" (see Jeremiah 1:2, 3). Rabbi Avun said: a lion came up in the constellation of the lion and destroyed Ariel [Jerusalem]. "A lion came up": this is the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, of whom it is written, "A lion is gone up from his thicket" (ibid. 4:7). "In the constellation of the lion": "until the exile of Jerusalem in the fifth month" (ibid. 1:3) [the month of Av, whose sign is Leo]. "And destroyed Ariel": "Woe to Ariel, Ariel, the city where David encamped" (Isaiah 29:1). On condition that a lion shall come in the constellation of the lion and build Ariel. "A lion shall come": this is the Holy One, of whom it is written, "The lion has roared, who will not fear?" (Amos 3:8). "In the constellation of the lion": "And I will turn their mourning into joy" (Jeremiah 31:12). "And shall build Ariel": "The LORD builds up Jerusalem, He gathers together the dispersed of Israel" (Psalms 147:2). Finished.

Hear. Therefore, men of understanding, hear me: far be it from God to do wickedness, and from the Almighty to do wrong (Job 34:10). Rabbi Azariah and Rabbi Yonatan bar Haggai in the name of Rabbi Samuel bar Rabbi Yitzhak: the boldness of the fathers and not the meekness of the sons. The boldness of the fathers, from our father Jacob: And Jacob was angry and quarreled with Laban, and Jacob answered and said, and so forth (Genesis 31:36). And not the meekness of the sons, from David: And David fled from Naioth in Ramah and came and said before Jonathan, What have I done? What is my guilt and what is my sin before your father, and so forth (1 Samuel 20:1), mentioning bloodshed in his plea for peace. Rabbi Simon said: It is the way of the world that a son-in-law dwells with his father-in-law, and when he goes out from his father-in-law's house, it is impossible that not even some small thing be found in his possession. Yet of this one, not even a needle, not even a knife, was found in his possession, this is what is written, For you have felt through all my belongings, and what have you found of all your household goods, and so forth (Genesis 31:37). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, in the same language with which you rebuked your father-in-law, in that very language I will rebuke your children, Thus says the LORD, What wrong did your fathers find in Me that they went far from Me (Jeremiah 2:5).

"But whoever listens to me shall dwell secure, and shall be at ease" (Proverbs 1:33). There are four kinds of listeners. There is one who listens and loses, one who listens and gains, one who does not listen and loses, and one who does not listen and gains. One who listened and lost: this is Adam, of whom it is said, "Because you listened to the voice of your wife" (Genesis 3:17). And what did he lose? "For dust you are, and to dust you shall return" (there, 3:19). One who listened and gained: this is our father Abraham, of whom it is said, "In all that Sarah says to you, listen to her voice" (Genesis 21:12). And what did he gain? "For through Isaac shall offspring be called yours" (there). One who did not listen and gained: this is Joseph, "and he did not listen to her, to lie beside her" (Genesis 39:10). And what did he gain? "And Joseph shall lay his hand upon your eyes" (Genesis 46:4). Those who did not listen and lost: this is Israel, "but they did not listen to me, nor incline their ear" (Jeremiah 7:26). And what did they lose? "Those for death, to death; and those for the sword, to the sword" (Jeremiah 15:2). Rabbi Levi said: the ear is to the body as the wick-spout [funnel] is to the vessels. Just as with a wick-spout, when it is filled the vessels beneath it are filled and all of them feel it, so too "incline your ear and come to me; listen, that your soul may live" (Isaiah 55:3).

"If you are willing and you listen, you shall eat the good of the land; but if you refuse and rebel" (Isaiah 1:19, 20), you shall eat carob-pods. Rabbi Aha said: Israel needs the carob in order to repent. Rabbi Akiva said: poverty becomes the daughter of Jacob like a red strap on the neck of a white horse. Rabbi Samuel bar Nahman said: when the capital sinks low it is still called "capital," and when the dunghill rises up it is still called "dunghill." When the capital sinks low it is still called "capital," as in "Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob and all the families" (Jeremiah 2:4) [the meaning: even in their descent He calls them the house of Israel]. And when the dunghill rises up it is still called "dunghill," as in "Behold the land of the Chaldeans, this is the people that was not" (Isaiah 23:13) [the meaning: would that it had never been]. Rabbi Levi said: it is like a noble lady who had two escorts, one a villager and one a city-man. The one who was a villager would speak words of comfort to her: "are you not of good stock, are you not of noble lineage?" But the one who was a city-man would speak words of provocation to her: "are you not the daughter of poor wretches, are you not the daughter of the destitute?" So too Jeremiah, because he was a villager from Anatot, would enter Jerusalem and speak to Israel words of comfort: "Hear the word of the LORD, O house of Jacob" (Jeremiah 2:4); these are the abominable things your fathers used to do. But Isaiah, because he was a city-man from Jerusalem, would speak to Israel words of provocation: "Hear the word of the LORD, O rulers of Sodom" (Isaiah 1:10); are you not from the remnant of the people of Sodom? Rabbi Levi said: Amotz and Amaziah were brothers, and because Isaiah was the son of the king's brother he would speak to Israel words of provocation, as it is said, "and the rich answers harshly" (Proverbs 18:23).

Rabbi Levi said: it is like a noblewoman who brought the king two myrtle branches and lost one of them, and she was distressed over it. The king said to her: keep this one as though you had kept both of them. So too, when Israel stood at Mount Sinai and said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will listen" (Exodus 24:7), they lost "we will do," for they made themselves a molten calf (Exodus 32:8). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: keep "we will listen" as though you had kept both. And when they did not listen, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: "Hear the word of the LORD" (Jeremiah 2:4). Before you must hear the words of Jeremiah, hear the words of Torah; before you must hear the words of prophecy, hear the words of Torah; before you must hear words of reproof, hear the words of prophecy; before you must hear words of provocation, hear words of reproof; before you must hear "the sound of the horn and the pipe" (Daniel 3:15), hear words of provocation; hear while in the land, before you must hear outside the land; hear while alive, before you must hear among the dead; let your ears hear, before your bodies must hear; let your bodies hear, before your bones must hear, for "the dry bones, hear the word of the LORD" (Ezekiel 37:4). Rabbi Aha in the name of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi said: nearly eight times Israel became as one shoulder [united] in Egypt; and what is the reason? "Come, let us deal shrewdly with him" (Exodus 1:10); from this He sprang upon them and redeemed them, "and I have come down to rescue him from the hand of Egypt" (Exodus 3:8). Rabbi Avin, Rabbi Hiyya in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: it is written, "My mother's sons were angry with me; they made me keeper of the vineyards" (Song of Songs 1:6); who caused me to be a keeper of the vineyards? "Because my own vineyard I did not keep" (there). Who caused me to have to set aside two portions of dough-offering in Syria? Because I did not set aside one portion of dough-offering properly in the land of Israel. I imagined I would receive reward for two, but I receive reward only for one. Who caused me to have to keep two festival days in Syria? Because I did not keep one festival day properly in the land of Israel. I imagined I would receive reward for two, but I receive reward only for one. Rabbi Yohanan would read concerning them, "And I also gave them statutes that were not good" (Ezekiel 20:25).

It is written, "Thus says the LORD: What wrong did your fathers find in me, that they went far from me and walked after vanity and became vain?" (Jeremiah 2:5). Rabbi Yitzhak said: this refers to one who leaves a Torah scroll and goes out; concerning him Scripture says, "What wrong did your fathers find in me, that they went far from me" (there). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: my children, your fathers found no wrong in me, yet you found wrong in me. Adam found no wrong in me, yet you found wrong in me. To what was Adam comparable? To a sick man whom the physician visited. The physician said to him: eat such a thing and do not eat such a thing; and when he transgressed his words he brought death upon himself. His relatives came in to him and said: can it be that the physician applied to you a strict measure of judgment? He said to them: God forbid, it is I who brought death upon myself; thus he commanded me and said, eat such a thing and do not eat such a thing, and when I transgressed his words I brought death upon myself. So too all the generations came in to Adam and said to him: can it be that the Holy One, blessed be He, applied to you a strict measure of judgment? He said to them: God forbid, it is I who brought death upon myself; thus He commanded me and said, "Of every tree of the garden you may surely eat, but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat from it" (Genesis 2:17), and when I transgressed His words I brought death upon myself, as it is written, "for on the day you eat from it you shall surely die" (there). Pharaoh found no wrong in me, yet you found wrong in me. To what was Pharaoh comparable? To a king who went off to a country across the sea and deposited all that he had with his household steward. After some days the king came back from across the sea and said to him: give me all that I deposited with you. He said to him: I am not your servant, and you deposited nothing with me. What did the king do? He took him and hung him on the gallows. He said to him: I am your servant, and all that you deposited with me I will repay. So too at first the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "Now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh" (Exodus 3:10); that wicked one said, "Who is the LORD that I should listen to his voice? I do not know the LORD" (Exodus 5:2). And when He brought ten plagues upon him, he said, "The LORD is righteous, and I and my people are wicked" (Exodus 9:27). Moses found no wrong in me, yet you found wrong in me. To what was Moses comparable? To a king who handed his son over to a tutor and said to him: do not call my son a fool. What is the meaning of this term "moreh"? Rabbi Reuven said: in this language the Greeks cry out to a fool, "moros." Once the son provoked the tutor and he called him a fool. The king said to him: my whole concern was to command you and tell you, do not call my son a fool, and you call my son a fool; the clever man has no business going about with the foolish. So it is written, "And the LORD spoke to Moses and to Aaron, and commanded them concerning the children of Israel" (Exodus 6:13); what did He command them? He said to them, do not call my children fools. And when they provoked him at the waters of Meribah, Moses said to them, "Hear now, you rebels [fools]" (Numbers 20:10). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: my whole concern was to command you and tell you, do not call my children fools, and you call my children fools; the clever man has no business going about with the foolish. Therefore it is not written "you shall not bring" in the singular but "you shall not bring" in the plural (Numbers 20:12): neither you, nor your brother, nor your sister shall enter the land of Israel. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: your fathers in the wilderness found no wrong in me, yet you found wrong in me. I said to them, "Whoever sacrifices to the gods shall be utterly destroyed" (Exodus 22:19), and they did not do so, but rather "they bowed to it and sacrificed to it" (Exodus 32:8). After all the evils they did, what is written? "And the LORD relented of the evil that He had spoken to do to His people" (Exodus 32:14). Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon said: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: your fathers found no wrong in me, yet you found wrong in me. I said to them, "Six days you shall gather it, but on the seventh day, the Sabbath, there shall be none in it" (Exodus 16:26), and they did not do so, but rather "on the seventh day some of the people went out to gather, and they found none" (Exodus 16:27); had they found any, they would have gathered.

"That they went far from me" (Jeremiah 2:5). Rabbi Pinhas said in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya: they would drive away those who sought to return [repent], as it is said, "and I drove him from me" (Nehemiah 13:28).

"And they walked after vanity and became vain" (Jeremiah 2:5). Rabbi Yitzhak said: it is like the son of a goldsmith against whom a promissory note was issued, and he was afraid and said, can it be that this note is for a hundred gold pieces or two hundred gold pieces? His creditor said to him: do not be afraid, it is a measure of bran and of barley, whatever it is worth, that is what it is. So too the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: my children, the idolatry you are so eager after is not a matter of substance, but "they are vanity, a work of delusion" (Jeremiah 10:15). "Not like these is the portion of Jacob, for He is the maker of all, and Israel is the tribe of His inheritance; the LORD of hosts is His name" (Jeremiah 10:16). The end.

Eikhah [How]. Rabbi Abbahu in the name of Rabbi Yose bar Hanina opened: "But they, like Adam, transgressed the covenant; there they dealt faithlessly with me" (Hosea 6:7). "But they, like Adam" refers to Adam the first man. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Adam the first man, I brought him into the garden of Eden and commanded him, and he transgressed my command, and I judged him with banishment and I judged him with sending away, and I lamented over him, "Eikhah" [How]. I brought him into the garden of Eden, "and the LORD God took the man" (Genesis 2:15). And I commanded him, "and the LORD God commanded the man" (Genesis 2:16). And he transgressed the command, "have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you" (Genesis 3:11). And I judged him with banishment, "and He banished the man" (Genesis 3:24). And I judged him with sending away, "and the LORD God sent him out of the garden of Eden" (Genesis 3:23). And I lamented over him, "Eikhah": "and the LORD God called to the man and said to him, ayekah" (Genesis 3:9) [Where are you?]; it is written ayekah [which can be read as the lament eikhah, How]. So too his children: I brought them into the land of Israel and commanded them, and they transgressed my command, and I judged them with banishment and I judged them with sending away, and I lamented over them, "Eikhah." I brought them into the land of Israel, "and I brought you into a land of fruitful fields" (Jeremiah 2:7). And I commanded them, "command the children of Israel" (Leviticus 24:2). And they transgressed the command, "and all Israel transgressed your Torah" (Daniel 9:11). And I judged them with banishment, "from my house I will drive them" (Hosea 9:15). And I judged them with sending away, "send them from my presence and let them go out" (Jeremiah 15:1). And I lamented over them, "Eikhah": "How [Eikhah] she sits alone" (Lamentations 1:1).

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana opened: "I did not sit in the company of merrymakers, nor did I rejoice" (Jeremiah 15:17). The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the worlds, never in my days did I enter the theaters and circuses of the nations of the world and make merry with them and rejoice. "Because of your hand I sat alone" (there): the hand of Pharaoh touched me, and I did not sit alone; the hand of Sennacherib touched me, and I did not sit alone; but when your hand touched me, I sat alone, "How she sits alone" (Lamentations 1:1).

Another interpretation. Jeremiah. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jeremiah: Either go down with them to Babylon and I will remain here, or you remain here and I will go down with them. Jeremiah said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the worlds, if I do not go down, what benefit am I to them? Rather, let their Creator go down with them, for He is the one who benefits them. "The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan had sent him away" (Jeremiah 40:1). "And he was bound in chains" (Jeremiah 40:1). What is meant by "and he"? Rabbi Aha said: As it were, both he and He. And on the way back he saw fingers of hands and feet cut off and cast onto the roads, and he would gather them up and embrace them and kiss them and place them inside his cloak, and he would say to them: My children, did I not say this to you: "Give glory to the LORD your God before it grows dark, and before your feet stumble" (Jeremiah 13:16)? Bar Kappara opened: "And on that day the Lord, the LORD of hosts, called for weeping and for mourning, and for baldness, and for girding with sackcloth" (Isaiah 22:12). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the ministering angels: A king of flesh and blood, when he is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: He hangs sackcloth over his doorway. He said to them: I too will do so, "I clothe the heavens with blackness" (Isaiah 50:3). And He further asked them: A king of flesh and blood, when he is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: He extinguishes the lamps. He said to them: I too will do so, "the sun and the moon have grown dark" (Joel 4:15). And He further asked them: A king of flesh and blood, when he is in mourning, what does he do? They said: He walks barefoot. He said to them: I too will do so, "the LORD, His way is in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet" (Nahum 1:3). And He further asked them: A king of flesh and blood, when he is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: He sits in silence. He said to them: I too will do so, "Let him sit alone and keep silent, for He has laid it upon him" (Lamentations 3:28). And He further asked them: A king of flesh and blood, when he is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: He overturns the couches. He said to them: I too will do so, "I beheld until thrones were cast down" (Daniel 7:9). And He further asked them: A king of flesh and blood, when he is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: He sits and laments. He said to them: I too will do so, "How does she sit solitary" (Lamentations 1:1).

[3] Bar Kappara opened: "And in that day the Lord, the LORD of hosts, called to weeping and to mourning, and to baldness and to girding with sackcloth" (Isaiah 22:12). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the ministering angels: A king of flesh and blood who is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: he hangs sackcloth upon his entrance. He said to them: I too do so, "I clothe the heavens with blackness, [and the rest]" (Isaiah 50:3). And again He asked them: a king of flesh and blood who is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: he extinguishes the lamps. He said to them: I too do so, "the sun and moon are darkened, [and the rest]" (Joel 4:15). And again He asked them: a king of flesh and blood who is in mourning, what does he do? They said: he walks barefoot. He said to them: I too do so, "The LORD, His way is in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the cloud, [and the rest]" (Nahum 1:3). And again He asked them: a king of flesh and blood who is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: he sits and is silent. He said to them: I too do so, "He sits alone and is silent, because He has laid it upon him" (Lamentations 3:28). And again He asked them: a king of flesh and blood who is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: he overturns the couches. He said to them: I too do so, "I beheld until the thrones were cast down" (Daniel 7:9). And again He asked them: a king of flesh and blood who is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: he rends his purple robe. He said to them: I too do so, "The LORD has done that which He devised; He has carried out His word" (Lamentations 2:17). What is "He has carried out His word" [betza imrato]? Rabbi Jacob of Kefar Hanan said: He rends His purple robe. And again He asked them: a king of flesh and blood who is in mourning, what does he do? They said to Him: he sits and laments. He said to them: I too do so, "How does she sit alone" (Lamentations 1:1).

"Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider, and call for the mourning women, that they may come" (Jeremiah 9:16). Rabbi Yochanan, Resh Lakish, and the Rabbis each expounded this. Rabbi Yochanan said: It is like a king who had two sons. He grew angry at the first, took the rod, beat him, and exiled him, saying, "Woe to this one, from what ease he has been driven out." Then he grew angry at the second, took the rod, beat him, and exiled him, and said, "It is I who raised them badly." So too, when the ten tribes were exiled, the Holy One began to recite over them this verse, "Woe to them, for they have strayed from Me" (Hosea 7:13). And when the tribes of Judah and Benjamin were exiled, the Holy One said, as it were, "Woe is me for my hurt" (Jeremiah 10:19). Resh Lakish said: It is like a king who had two sons. He grew angry at the first, beat him with the rod until he convulsed and died, and the king began to lament over him. He grew angry at the second, beat him until he convulsed and died, and said, "I have no strength left to lament him myself; call the mourning women to lament over him." So too, when the ten tribes were exiled, the Holy One, blessed be He, began to lament over them with this verse, "Hear this word which I take up over you, a lamentation" (Amos 5:1). And when Judah and Benjamin were exiled, the Holy One said, as it were, "I have no strength to lament over them; call the mourning women to lament," as it is written, "Thus says the LORD of hosts: Consider, and call for the mourning women" (Jeremiah 9:16). It does not say "let them make haste and take up a wailing over them," but "take up a wailing over us" (Jeremiah 9:17) [the mourning is for Me and for them]. It does not say "that their eyes may run down with tears," but "that our eyes may run down with tears" (ibid.) [Mine and theirs]. It does not say "and their eyelids gush with water," but "and our eyelids gush with water" (ibid.) [Mine and theirs]. And the Rabbis said: It is like a king who had twelve sons, and two died, and he comforted himself with the ten. Two more died, and he comforted himself with eight. Two more died, and he comforted himself with six. Two more died, and he comforted himself with four. But when all of them died, he began to lament over them, "How does she sit alone" (Lamentations 1:1).

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana opened: "Who is the wise man that may understand this, and to whom the mouth of the LORD has spoken, that he may declare it: For what cause is the land perished?" (Jeremiah 9:11). Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai taught: If you see towns uprooted from their places in the land of Israel, know that they did not uphold the wages of the Scripture teachers and the wages of the Mishnah teachers. What is the reason? "For what cause is the land perished and laid waste like a wilderness?" (ibid.). What is written after it? "And the LORD said: Because they have forsaken My Torah" (ibid.). Rabbi [the Patriarch] sent Rabbi Yasa and Rabbi Ami to go out and inspect the towns of the land of Israel. They would enter a town and say, "Bring us the guardians of the town," and the people would bring the captain of the watch and the patrolman. They said to them, "These are the guardians of the town? These are the destroyers of the town. And who are the guardians of the town? The Scripture teachers and the Mishnah teachers, who keep watch by day and by night," as it says, "You shall meditate on it day and night" (Joshua 1:8), and it says, "Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain" (Psalms 127:1). Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeyah in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Rav Yitzchak said: We find that the Holy One overlooked idolatry, sexual transgression, and bloodshed, but did not overlook the rejection of Torah, as it says, "And the LORD said: For what cause is the land perished?" It does not say "because of idolatry, sexual transgression, and bloodshed," but "because they have forsaken My Torah" (Jeremiah 9:12). Rabbi Huna and Rabbi Yirmeyah in the name of Rabbi Chiyya bar Abba: It is written, "They have forsaken Me" (Jeremiah 16:11), as if to say, perhaps they kept My Torah. Would that they had forsaken Me but kept My Torah, for if they had forsaken Me yet kept My Torah, the leaven within it would have brought them back to Me. Rav Huna said: Study Torah even not for its own sake, for from studying it not for its own sake, once you are occupied with it, you will come back and do it for its own sake. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Every single day a heavenly voice goes out from Mount Horeb and proclaims, "Woe to the creatures for the insult to the Torah." Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: No philosophers arose among the nations of the world like Balaam son of Beor and Avnimos the Gardite. The nations of the world came to Avnimos the Gardite and said, "Can we contend with this nation?" He said to them, "Go and make your rounds of their synagogues and study houses. If you find children chirping aloud there, you cannot contend with them; if not, you can contend with them. For thus their father assured them and said, 'The voice is the voice of Jacob' (Genesis 27:22). As long as Jacob's voice chirps in the synagogues and study houses, the hands are not the hands of Esau, but whenever Jacob's voice does not chirp in the synagogues and study houses, the hands are the hands of Esau." Shmuel said: "And a host was given over to it against the daily offering through transgression" (Daniel 8:12) [means] through the transgression against Torah. As long as Israel casts the words of Torah to the ground, this wicked kingdom decrees and succeeds. What is the reason? "And it cast truth to the ground" (ibid.), and truth is nothing other than the words of Torah, as it says, "Buy truth and do not sell it" (Proverbs 23:23). Rabbi Yudah bar Pazzi said: "Israel has rejected the good; the enemy shall pursue him" (Hosea 8:3), and good is nothing other than the words of Torah, as it says, "For I have given you good doctrine; do not forsake My Torah" (Proverbs 4:2). And so it says, "Therefore as the tongue of fire devours the stubble" (Isaiah 5:24). Is there stubble that devours fire? Surely the way of fire is to devour stubble. So why does it say "as the tongue of fire devours the stubble"? Rather, "stubble" is the house of Esau, who is likened to stubble, as it is written, "and the house of Esau shall be stubble" (Obadiah 1:18); "tongue of fire" is the house of Jacob, who is likened to fire, as it is written, "and the house of Jacob shall be a fire, and the house of Joseph a flame" (ibid.). "Their root shall be as rottenness" (Isaiah 5:24) refers to the patriarchs, who are the roots of Israel; "and their blossom shall go up as dust" (ibid.) refers to the tribes, who are the blossoms of Israel. Why? "Because they have rejected the Torah of the LORD of hosts" (ibid.). Rabbi Yudan said: "Because they have rejected the Torah of the LORD of hosts" refers to the Written Torah, and "and despised the word of the Holy One of Israel" (ibid.) refers to the Oral Torah.

"How [Eikhah]" (Isaiah 1:21). Rabbi Yudah and Rabbi Nechemyah differed. Rabbi Yudah said: This word "How" is nothing other than a term of reproach, as it says, "How do you say, We are wise" (Jeremiah 8:8). Rabbi Nechemyah said: This word "How" is nothing other than a term of lamentation, as it says, "How does she sit alone" (Lamentations 1:1), "How has the Lord covered with a cloud in His anger" (Lamentations 2:1), "How is the gold become dim" (Lamentations 4:1). It is like a noblewoman who had three groomsmen: one saw her in her tranquility, one saw her in her recklessness, and one saw her in her disgrace. So too: Moses saw Israel in their tranquility and said, "How can I bear alone" (Deuteronomy 1:12). Isaiah saw them in their recklessness and said, "How has she become a harlot" (Isaiah 1:21). Jeremiah saw them in their disgrace and said, "How does she sit alone" (Lamentations 1:1).

"How has the faithful city become a harlot" (Isaiah 1:21), a new city, a great city. Rabbi Pinchas in the name of Rabbi Hoshaya said: There were four hundred and eighty synagogues in Jerusalem, and each one had within it a Scripture school and a Mishnah school, a Scripture school for the Written Torah and a Mishnah school for the Mishnah, and Vespasian came up and destroyed them all, as it is written, "And he uncovered the covering of Judah" (Isaiah 22:8). "She that was full of justice" (Isaiah 1:21), such as the Mishnah of Rabbi Chiyya, the Mishnah of Rabbi Hoshaya, and the Mishnah of Bar Kappara. "Righteousness lodged in her" (ibid.). Rabbi Yudah son of Rabbi Simon said: In his days no one ever lodged overnight in Jerusalem with iniquity in his hand. How so? The morning daily offering would atone for transgressions committed in the night, and the offering of the late afternoon would atone for transgressions committed in the day; so no one lodged in Jerusalem with iniquity in his hand. What is the reason? "Righteousness lodged in her" (ibid.). "But now murderers" (ibid.) -- they became killers; they killed Uriah the priest, they killed Zechariah. Rabbi Yudan asked Rabbi Acha: Where did they kill Zechariah, in the court of Israel or in the court of the women? He said to him: Neither in the court of Israel nor in the court of the women, but in the court of the priests. And they did not treat his blood as the blood of a deer or the blood of a ram or the blood of a bird. There it is written, "Any man of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn among them, who hunts any beast or bird that may be eaten shall pour out its blood and cover it with dust" (Leviticus 17:13). But here, "For her blood is in the midst of her; she set it upon the bare rock" (Ezekiel 24:7). Why so? "That it might cause fury to come up to take vengeance, I have set her blood upon the bare rock" (Ezekiel 24:8). Seven transgressions Israel committed on that day: they killed a priest, a prophet, and a judge; they shed innocent blood; they profaned the Name; they defiled the courtyard; and it was the Day of Atonement that fell on a Sabbath. And when Nebuzaradan came up, the blood began to seethe. He said to them, "What is the nature of this seething blood?" They said to him, "It is the blood of bulls, lambs, and rams that we used to offer upon the altar." Immediately he sent and brought bulls, rams, and lambs and slaughtered them before it, and still the blood seethed. When they did not confess to him, he took them and hanged them on the gallows. They said, "Since the Holy One, blessed be He, seeks to demand this blood from our hand, it is the blood of a priest, prophet, and judge, who used to prophesy to us all the things you are doing, and we rose against him and killed him." Immediately he took eighty thousand young priests and killed them over it, until the blood reached the grave of Zechariah. What is the reason? "They break out, and blood touches blood" (Hosea 4:2). And still the blood seethed. At that moment he rebuked it, saying to it, "What do you want? Shall your whole nation be destroyed because of you?" At that moment the Holy One, blessed be He, was filled with mercy and said, "If this one, who is flesh and blood and cruel, here today and gone tomorrow, was filled with mercy upon My children, then I, of whom it is written, 'For the LORD your God is a merciful God; He will not fail you nor destroy you' (Deuteronomy 4:31), how much more so." At that moment the Holy One, blessed be He, gave a sign to that blood, and it was absorbed in its place.

"Your silver has become dross, your wine is mixed with water" (Isaiah 1:22). At first they used to deal with coins of silver, but when the cheats multiplied, they began to deal with coins of copper plated with silver. And one of these cheats would go to the silversmith, and the smith would be heard saying to his household servant, "Coppered it for him." That same man would also go to buy a measure of wine from the tavern keeper, and would hear him saying to his household servant, "Dilute it for him." This is what is written, "Your silver has become dross" (Isaiah 1:22). Why? "Your wine is mixed with water" (ibid.).

"Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves" (Isaiah 1:23). Bar Kappara said: chiefs of doves who armed thieves. "Your princes are rebellious" (ibid.) -- for they all loved robbery. "Companions of thieves" (ibid.) -- for they all associated with thieves. Rabbi Berekhyah said: It happened that a woman's kettle was stolen, and she went to the judge to lodge a complaint about it, and found it set upon his stove. It happened that a man's cloak was stolen, and he came to lodge a complaint about it before the judge, and found it spread upon his bed. Rabbi Levi said: It happened that a woman honored a judge with a silver lamp, and her adversary went and honored him with a colt of gold. The next day she came and found her case reversed. She said to him, "My lord, let my case shine before you like that silver lamp." He said to her, "What can I do for you? The colt has overturned the lamp." This is what is written, "Everyone loves bribes" (Isaiah 1:23) -- for they all loved robbery -- "and pursues rewards" (ibid.) -- pay me and I will pay you. "They do not judge the orphan, and the cause of the widow does not come before them" (Isaiah 1:23). Rabbi Eleazar and Rabbi Yochanan differed. Rabbi Eleazar said: At first, when a man would die in Jerusalem, they would appoint guardians over the orphans, and a widow would claim her marriage settlement from the orphans, and they would go to the judge and find him in collusion with the guardians. Rabbi Yochanan said: At first, when a man came up to plead his case in Jerusalem, the judge would say to him, "Split me two logs of wood, fill me two jars of water," and his resources would be used up, and he would leave there crushed in spirit. The widow would meet him on the road and say to him, "What was done with your case?" And he would say to her, "My resources are spent and I gained nothing." And she would say, "If this man, who is a man, gained nothing, how much more so I, who am a widow," to fulfill what is said, "They do not judge the orphan, and the cause of the widow does not come before them" (Isaiah 1:23).

"Therefore says the Lord, the LORD of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel" (Isaiah 1:24). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Wherever it says "says the Lord [ha-Adon]," He uproots tenants and brings in tenants. The prime example among them all: "Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passes before you into the Jordan" (Joshua 3:11) -- He uproots the Canaanites and brings in Israel. "The Mighty One of Israel" (Isaiah 1:24). Rabbi Tanchum bar Chanilai said: their strength. And the Rabbis said: "the Mighty One of Israel" -- before the nations of the world.

"Ah, I will be eased of My adversaries, and avenge Me of My enemies" (Isaiah 1:24). Rabbi Yudah and Rabbi Nechemyah differed. Rabbi Yudah said: It is like a man who had ten gold pieces, and you scheme against him and take them from him. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is upon Me to repay him his due and to exact payment from that man. Rabbi Nechemyah said: "Ah, I will be eased of My adversaries" (ibid.) -- two; "and avenge Me of My enemies" (ibid.) -- two: these are the four kingdoms. "And I will restore your judges as at the first, and your counselors as at the beginning" (Isaiah 1:26). "And I will restore your judges as at the first" -- this is Moses and Aaron. "And your counselors as at the beginning" -- this is David and Solomon. "And afterward you shall be called the city of righteousness" (ibid.), "Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her returnees with righteousness" (Isaiah 1:27). Finished.

"Comfort." (Isaiah 40:1) "Shall mortal man be more just than God? shall a man be more pure than his Maker?" (Job 4:17). Now is there any man more righteous than his Creator? Rather, read it: shall a man be purer than his Maker. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: Boaz comforts, and shall I not comfort? Boaz comforts, as it is written, "And Boaz answered and said to her, It has fully been told me" (Ruth 2:11). And why "told, told" two times? He said to her: It was told to me at home and it was told to me in the field. "All that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband" (ibid.); there is no need to mention what you did in your husband's lifetime. "And how you have left your father and your mother" (ibid.); your father and your mother, certainly. "And the land of your birth" (ibid.), this is your neighborhood. Another interpretation: "And how you have left your father and your mother" (ibid.), this refers to your idolatry, as it says, "They say to a tree, You are my father, and to a stone, You gave us birth" (Jeremiah 2:27). "And the land of your birth" (Ruth ibid.), this is your province. "And have come to a people that you did not know before" (ibid.). He said to her: For had you come to us before, we would not have received you, since the law had not yet been newly established that an Ammonite man but not an Ammonite woman, a Moabite man but not a Moabite woman is forbidden. "The LORD recompense your work" (Ruth 2:12). He said to her: He who is destined to give the reward of the righteous, may He give your reward. "And may your wages be full" (ibid.); it is written "complete" [pointing toward the name Shelomo, Solomon]. Rabbi Yose said: He said to her, Solomon shall arise from you. "From the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to take refuge" (ibid.). Rabbi Abun said: There are wings to the earth, wings to the dawn, wings to the sun, wings to the cherubim, wings to the living creatures, wings to the seraphim. Wings to the earth, as it is written, "From the wing of the earth we have heard songs" (Isaiah 24:16). Wings to the dawn, as it is written, "If I take the wings of the dawn" (Psalms 139:9). Wings to the sun, as it is written, "And to you who fear My name the sun of righteousness shall arise with healing in its wings" (Malachi 3:20). Wings to the cherubim, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the cherubim" (Ezekiel 10:5). Wings to the living creatures, as it is written, "And the sound of the wings of the living creatures" (ibid. 3:13). Wings to the seraphim, as it is written, "Seraphim stood above Him; each one had six wings" (Isaiah 6:2). Rabbi Abun said: Great is the power of those who perform acts of lovingkindness, for they take refuge neither in the shadow of the wings of the earth, nor in the shadow of the wings of the dawn, nor in the shadow of the wings of the sun, nor in the shadow of the wings of the cherubim, nor in the shadow of the wings of the living creatures, nor in the shadow of the wings of the seraphim. And in whose shadow do they take refuge? In the shadow of the Holy One, blessed be He. This is what is written, "How precious is Your lovingkindness, O God, and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings" (Psalms 36:8). "And she said, Let me find favor in your eyes, my lord, for you have comforted me" (Ruth 2:13). "And Boaz said to her" (ibid. 14): He said to her, Do not say so, God forbid, that you are reckoned among the maidservants; you are reckoned only among the matriarchs. And the matter follows by an argument from minor to major: if Boaz, who spoke to the heart of Ruth good words, comforting words, words of consolation, then when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to comfort Jerusalem, how much more so! "Comfort, comfort My people, says your God" (Isaiah 40:1).

[2] "I spoke with my heart, saying, Behold, I have grown great and increased in wisdom, [and the rest]" (Ecclesiastes 1:16). From here they said: the heart sees, the heart hears, the heart speaks, the heart knows, the heart stands, the heart falls, the heart walks, the heart cries out, the heart rejoices, the heart is comforted. The heart sees, "and my heart saw much wisdom and knowledge" (ibid.). The heart speaks, "And I spoke with my heart" (ibid.). The heart knows, "the heart knows the bitterness of its soul" (Proverbs 14:10). The heart hears, "Give to Your servant a hearing heart" (1 Kings 3:9). The heart stands, "Can your heart stand, or can your hands be strong" (Ezekiel 22:14). The heart falls, "Let no man's heart fall upon him" (1 Samuel 17:32). The heart walks, "And he said to him, Did not my heart go" (2 Kings 5:26). The heart cries out, "their heart cried out to the LORD" (Lamentations 2:18). The heart rejoices, "therefore my heart rejoiced and my glory exulted" (Psalms 16:9). The heart is comforted, "Comfort, comfort My people, says your God; speak to the heart of Jerusalem" (Isaiah 40:1, 2).

[3] "What shall I take to witness for you, and to what shall I liken you?" (Lamentations 2:13). "What shall I take to witness for you" -- how many prophets I caused to testify among you. Rabbi says: one prophet in the morning and one prophet at evening, this is what is written, "And the LORD testified against Israel and against Judah by the hand of every prophet, every seer" (2 Kings 17:13) -- "prophets" is written. And Rabbi Nathan says: two prophets in the morning and two prophets at evening, "rising early and sending" (Jeremiah 7:25) in the morning, "rising early and sending" (ibid.) at evening. Another interpretation: "What shall I take to witness for you" (Lamentations ibid.) -- how many adornments I adorned you with [reading aidekh, "witness," as "adorn"], for Rabbi Yohanan said: on the day that the Holy One, blessed be He, descended upon Sinai to give the Torah to Israel, six hundred thousand ministering angels descended with Him, and each and every one of them had a crown in his hand to crown Israel. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: one million two hundred thousand, one to clothe him with a crown and one to gird him with weapons. Rabbi Huna the Great of Sepphoris said: to gird him, as you say, "He looses the bond of kings and binds a girdle upon their loins" (Job 12:18). Another interpretation: "What shall I take to witness for you" (Lamentations 2:13) -- how many spoils I gave you: the spoil of Egypt, the spoil of the Sea, the spoil of Sihon and Og, the spoil of the thirty-one kings. Another interpretation: "What shall I take to witness for you" (ibid.) -- how many appointed meetings I appointed for you [reading aidekh as "appointed meetings"]: the Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, and Shiloh, and Nob, and Gibeon, and the eternal House, twice. "And to what shall I liken you?" (ibid.) -- to which nation did I liken you? Which nation did I redeem with a mighty hand and bring upon its enemies ten plagues? For which nation did I split the Sea? For which nation did I cause the quail to rush? Which nation did I bring near before Mount Sinai and give it My Torah? Which nation did I surround with clouds of glory? "O daughter of Jerusalem" (ibid.) -- the daughter who is in awe of Me and makes whole for Me. "That I may comfort you" (ibid.), as Rabbi Jacob bar Avuna said: when I make you whole, then I will comfort you. "O virgin daughter of Zion" (ibid.) -- children who are marked for Me by circumcision, and by the head-shaving, and by the fringes. "For your breaking is great like the sea; who can heal you?" (ibid.) -- Rabbi Halfai said: He who is destined to heal the breaking of the sea, He will heal you. Rabbi Joshua son of Rabbi Nehemiah said: He of whom you said at the sea, "Who is like You" (Exodus 15:11), He will heal you. Rabbi Abin said: "Who can heal you?" -- "your prophets have seen for you false and foolish visions" (Lamentations 2:13, 14). And the Rabbis say: "Who can heal you?" -- your prophets.

[4] "You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows" (Psalms 45:8). Rabbi Azariah in the name of Rabbi Aha explained the verse as referring to our father Abraham. You find that before the Holy One, blessed be He, brought the Flood upon the men of Sodom, our father Abraham said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the worlds, You have sworn that You will not bring a flood upon the world. And what is the proof? "For this is to Me like the waters of Noah, when I swore that the waters of Noah should no more go over the earth" (Isaiah 54:9). A flood of water You do not bring — but perhaps a flood of fire You bring? How are You evading the oath? "Far be it from You to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked" and so forth (Genesis 18:25). "Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?" (ibid.). If it is justice You seek, there is no world; and if it is the world You seek, there is no justice. Why are You grasping the rope at both its ends? You desire Your world and You desire judgment of truth. If You do not relent a little, the world cannot stand. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Abraham, "you have loved righteousness and hated wickedness" (Psalms 45:8) — you have loved to justify My creatures, and "you have hated wickedness," you have hated to condemn them; "therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows." What is the meaning of "above your fellows"? The Holy One said to him: From Noah until you, I have not spoken with a single one of them; with you alone do I speak first. This is what is written: "After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, saying" and so forth (Genesis 15:1). Rabbi Azariah in the name of Rabbi Yudah son of Rabbi Simon explained the verse as referring to Isaiah. Isaiah said: I was walking about in my house of study, and I heard the voice of the LORD saying, "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" and so forth (Isaiah 6:8). He said: I sent Amos, and they would call him "the stammerer." Rabbi Pinhas said: Why was his name called Amos? Because he was stammering [pesilos] in his speech. They said: The Holy One, blessed be He, has set aside His whole world and has caused His Presence to rest upon none but this stammerer, this one cut off in tongue. I sent Micah, and they would strike him on the cheek: "with a rod they strike upon the cheek the judge of Israel" (Micah 4:14). Henceforth, "whom shall I send, and who will go for us?" (Isaiah 6:8). At once, "And I said, Here am I; send me" (ibid.). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Isaiah, My children are obstinate, they are troublesome; do you accept upon yourself to be beaten and disgraced by them? He said to Him: On that condition. "I gave my back to those who smite, and my cheeks to those who pluck off the hair" and so forth (Isaiah 50:6), and yet I am not worthy that I should go on Your mission to Your children. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Isaiah, "you have loved righteousness" (Psalms 45:8) — you have loved to justify My children, "and you have hated wickedness" (ibid.), you have hated to condemn them; "therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness above your fellows" (ibid.). What is the meaning of "above your fellows"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, all the prophets who prophesy, a prophet prophesies from the mouth of a prophet. The spirit of Elijah rested upon Elisha (II Kings 2:15); the spirit of Moses rested upon the seventy elders, "and he took of the spirit that was upon him, and put it upon the seventy elders" (Numbers 11:25). But you prophesy from the mouth of the Almighty: "The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me" and so forth (Isaiah 61:1). And not only that, but all the prophets who prophesy, they prophesy simple prophecies, but you prophesy doubled prophecies: "Awake, awake" (ibid. 51:9), "Rouse yourself, rouse yourself" (ibid. 51:17), "I will greatly rejoice" (ibid. 61:10), "I, even I" (ibid. 51:12), "Comfort, comfort My people" (ibid. 40:1).

[5] "Oh that you were as my brother, who nursed at my mother's breasts" (Song of Songs 8:1). As which brother? Like Cain to Abel? Cain killed Abel. Like Ishmael to Isaac? Ishmael hated Isaac. Like Esau to Jacob? Esau hated Jacob. Like the brothers of Joseph to Joseph? Joseph's brothers hated Joseph. Rather, like Joseph to his brothers. You find that after all the evils they did to him, what is written concerning him? "And now, fear not; I will sustain you and your little ones. And he comforted them, and spoke to their heart" (Genesis 50:21). Rabbi Simlai said: He said to them, You are the head and I am the body; if the head goes, of what good is the body? Another interpretation: He said to them, You have been compared to the dust of the earth, and to the sand of the sea, and to the stars of heaven. Behold, I will go and make war against them: if I can prevail against them, then I can prevail against you; but if I cannot prevail against them, I cannot prevail against you. Another interpretation: He said to them, How shall I become the adversary of Father? Father begets and I bury? Another interpretation: He said, How shall I become the adversary of the Holy One, blessed be He? The Holy One blesses and I slay with the sword? Another interpretation: He said to them, You are the established order of the world: twelve hours in the day and twelve hours in the night, twelve months, twelve constellations, twelve tribes — can I abolish the established order of the world? Another interpretation: He said to them, Before you came down here, the Egyptians treated me as a slave; once you came down here, you made known my noble lineage. Another interpretation: He said to them, If I kill you now, the Egyptians will say, A band of young men he saw, and he said, These are my brothers — and as proof of this, after a time he found a pretext against them and killed them. Another interpretation: He said to them, If I kill you now, the Egyptians will say, With his brothers he does not keep faith, yet with us he keeps faith? Therefore, "and he comforted them, and spoke to their heart" (Genesis 50:21). And these matters are a fortiori: If Joseph, who was speaking good words and comforting words to his brothers, comforted them, then when the Holy One, blessed be He, comes to comfort Jerusalem, how much more so! "Comfort, comfort My people, says your God" (Isaiah 40:1).

"All your lovers have forgotten you; they do not seek you, for I have struck you with the wound of an enemy" (Jeremiah 30:14). Read not "the wound of an enemy" (makkat oyev) but "the wound of Job" (makkat Iyyov) have I struck you. For concerning Job it is written, "The Chaldeans formed three bands" (Job 1:17), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "The city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans" (Jeremiah 32:24). Concerning Job it is written, "The fire of God fell from heaven" (Job 1:16), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "From on high He sent fire into my bones and it overcame them" (Lamentations 1:13). Concerning Job it is written, "He took a potsherd to scrape himself with it" (Job 2:8), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "How are they reckoned as earthen jars of potsherd" (Lamentations 4:2). Concerning Job it is written, "They sat with him on the ground seven days" (Job 2:13), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground in silence" (Lamentations 2:10). Concerning Job it is written, "I have sewn sackcloth upon my skin" (Job 16:15), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "They have girded on sackcloth" (Lamentations 2:10). Concerning Job it is written, "I have laid my horn in the dust" (Job 16:15), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "They have cast dust on their heads" (Lamentations 2:10). Concerning Job it is written, "Pity me, pity me, you my friends" (Job 19:21), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "I will not grant you pity" (Jeremiah 16:13). Concerning Job it is written, "For the hand of God has touched me" (Job 19:21), and concerning Jerusalem it is written, "For she has received from the hand of the LORD double" (Isaiah 40:2). Rabbi Yehoshua son of Rabbi Nehemiah said: If Job, who was stricken double, was given his reward double, then Jerusalem too is comforted double, "Comfort, comfort My people" (Isaiah 40:1).

"Surely He will not stretch out a hand against the ruin-heap, though in His disaster they cry for help" (Job 30:24). Rabbi Abbahu said: The Holy One, blessed be He, does not strike a nation and leave it lying on its side; rather He brings calamity upon this one and diverts it with that one, He brings calamity upon this one and diverts it with that one. He brought calamity upon Assyria and diverted it with Egypt: "Are you better than No-Amon?" (Nahum 3:8). He brought calamity upon Egypt and diverted it with Assyria: "Behold, Assyria was a cedar in Lebanon" (Ezekiel 31:3). Rabbi Yassa said: Why did the ten tribes go into exile first and only afterward the tribe of Judah and Benjamin? So that these might be comforted by those. Therefore, "Comfort, comfort" (Isaiah 40:1).

"How then do you comfort me with emptiness, while in your answers there remains only treachery?" (Job 21:34). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Your words need scouring. And the Rabbis said: Your words contradict one another. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the prophets: Go and comfort Jerusalem. Hosea went to comfort her. The Holy One said to her through him, He has sent me to you to comfort you. She said to him, What do you have in hand? He said, "I will be as the dew to Israel" (Hosea 14:6). She said, Yesterday you told me, "Ephraim is stricken, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit" (Hosea 9:16), and now you say this; which shall we believe, the first or the second? Joel went to comfort her; the Holy One said, He has sent me to comfort you. She said, What do you have in hand? He said, "On that day the mountains shall drip sweet wine" (Joel 4:18). She said, Yesterday you told me, "Awake, you drunkards, and weep, for the sweet wine is cut off from your mouth" (Joel 1:5), and now you say this; which shall we believe, the first or the second? Amos went to comfort her; she said, What do you have in hand? He said, "On that day I will raise up the fallen booth of David" (Amos 9:11). She said, Yesterday you told me, "Fallen, no more to rise, is the virgin of Israel" (Amos 5:2); which shall we believe? Micah went to comfort her; he said, "Who is a God like You, bearing iniquity and passing over transgression" (Micah 7:18). She said, Yesterday you told me, "All this is for the transgression of Jacob and for the sins of the house of Israel" (Micah 1:5); which shall we believe? Nahum went; he said, "The wicked one shall no more pass through you; he is utterly cut off" (Nahum 2:1). She said, Yesterday you told me, "From you came forth one who plots evil against the LORD, a counselor of wickedness" (Nahum 1:11); which shall we believe? Habakkuk went; he said, "You went forth for the salvation of Your people, for the salvation of Your anointed" (Habakkuk 3:13). She said, Yesterday you told me, "How long, O LORD, have I cried out and You do not hear" (Habakkuk 1:2); which shall we believe? Zephaniah went; he said, "At that time I will search Jerusalem with lamps" (Zephaniah 1:12). She said, Yesterday you told me, "A day of darkness and gloom, a day of cloud and thick darkness" (Zephaniah 1:15); which shall we believe? Haggai went; he said, "From this day on I will bless you" (Haggai 2:19). She said, Yesterday you told me, "You have sown much and brought in little" (Haggai 1:6); which shall we believe? Zechariah went; he said, "With great wrath I am wroth against the nations that are at ease" (Zechariah 1:15). She said, Yesterday you told me, "The LORD was very wroth with your fathers" (Zechariah 1:2); which shall we believe? Malachi went; he said, "All the nations shall call you blessed, for you shall be a land of delight" (Malachi 3:12). She said, Yesterday you told me, "I have no delight in you, says the LORD of Hosts" (Malachi 1:10); which shall we believe, the first or the second? The prophets went back to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said to Him, Master of the worlds, Jerusalem would not accept comfort. The Holy One said to them, You and I will go and comfort her. Thus, "Comfort, comfort My people" (Isaiah 40:1): comfort her, you on high and you below; comfort her, the living and the dead; comfort her in this world and in the world to come; comfort her over the ten tribes and over the tribe of Judah and Benjamin.

Rabbi Avin said two teachings. Rabbi Avin said: This is like a king who had a palace, and enemies entered it and burned it. Who needs to be comforted, the palace or the owner of the palace? Surely the owner of the palace. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said: The Temple is My house, as it is written, "Because of My house that lies in ruins" (Haggai 1:9). Who needs to be comforted? Is it not I? Thus, "Comfort, comfort My people" (Isaiah 40:1), read as "comfort Me, comfort Me, My people." Rabbi Avin said another. Rabbi Avin said: This is like a king who had a vineyard, and enemies entered it and cut it down and ruined it. Who needs to be comforted, the vineyard or the owner of the vineyard? So the Holy One said: Israel is My vineyard, "For the vineyard of the LORD of Hosts is the house of Israel" (Isaiah 5:7). Who needs to be comforted? Is it not I? Rabbi Berekhiah said two, one in his own name and one in the name of Rabbi Levi. Rabbi Berekhiah said: This is like a king who had a flock, and wolves entered it and tore it apart. Who needs to be comforted, the flock or the owner of the flock? So the Holy One said: Israel is My flock, "You are My flock, the flock of My pasture" (Ezekiel 34:31). Who needs to be comforted? Is it not I? Rabbi Berekhiah in the name of Rabbi Levi: This is like a king who had a vineyard and handed it over to a tenant. When the tenant made good wine, the king would say, How good is the wine of my vineyard; and when he made bad wine, he would say, How bad is the wine of my tenant. The tenant said to him, My lord the king, when the wine is good you say it is the wine of your vineyard, and when it is bad you say it is the wine of your tenant; but good or bad, it is yours. So at first the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "Now go, and I will send you to Pharaoh, and bring forth My people the children of Israel out of Egypt" (Exodus 3:10). But once they did that deed, what is written there? "Go down, for your people have become corrupt" (Exodus 32:7). Moses said before the Holy One, Master of the worlds, when they sin they are mine, and when they are worthy they are Yours? Whether sinful or worthy, they are Yours, as it is written, "They are Your people and Your inheritance" (Deuteronomy 9:29); "Do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance" (Deuteronomy 9:26); "Why, O LORD, should Your anger burn against Your people?" (Exodus 32:11). Rabbi Simon said: He did not budge from cherishing them until He called them "My people," "And the LORD relented of the evil He had said He would do to His people" (Exodus 32:14).