Pesikta de-Rav Kahana Reader

"Your God will say" (Isaiah 40:1). Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon. Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa said: Israel said to Isaiah, Our master Isaiah, do you mean that you came to comfort only that generation in whose days the Temple was destroyed? He said to them, I came to comfort all the generations. It is not written here "your God has said," but "your God will say" (Isaiah 40:1). Rabbi Simon said: Israel said to Isaiah, Our master Isaiah, do you mean that all these things you invent from your own heart? He said to them, It is not written here "your God has said," but "your God will say" (Isaiah 40:1). Rabbi Hanina son of Rabbi Abba said: In eight places it is written "your God will say," corresponding to the eight prophets who prophesied after the Temple, and these are they: Joel, Amos, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi, Ezekiel, and Jeremiah.

"Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call to her" (Isaiah 40:2). They sinned with the head, were stricken in the head, and are comforted in the head. They sinned with the head, "Let us appoint a head and return to Egypt" (Numbers 14:4). They were stricken in the head, "The whole head is sick" (Isaiah 1:5). They are comforted in the head, "Their king passes before them, and the LORD at their head" (Micah 2:13). They sinned with the eye, "With wanton eyes" (Isaiah 3:16); were stricken in the eye, "My eye, my eye runs down with water" (Lamentations 1:16); are comforted in the eye, "For eye to eye they shall see when the LORD returns to Zion" (Isaiah 52:8). They sinned with the ear, "They made their ears too heavy to hear" (Zechariah 7:11); were stricken in the ear, "Their ears shall be deaf" (Micah 7:16); are comforted in the ear, "Your ears shall hear a word" (Isaiah 30:21). They sinned with the nose, "Behold, they put the branch to their nose" (Ezekiel 8:17); were stricken with af, "I also (af) will do this to you" (Leviticus 26:16); are comforted with af, "And yet (af) for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them" (Leviticus 26:44). They sinned with the mouth, "Every mouth speaks vileness" (Isaiah 9:16); were stricken with the mouth, "They devour Israel with open mouth" (Isaiah 9:11); are comforted with the mouth, "Then our mouth was filled with laughter and our tongue with song" (Psalms 126:2). They sinned with the tongue, "They bend their tongue" (Jeremiah 9:2); were stricken in the tongue, "The tongue of the suckling cleaves" (Lamentations 4:4); are comforted with the tongue, "And our tongue with song" (Psalms 126:2). They sinned with the heart, "They made their heart like adamant" (Zechariah 7:12); were stricken in the heart, "The whole heart is faint" (Isaiah 1:5); are comforted in the heart, "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem" (Isaiah 40:2). They sinned with the hand, "Your hands are full of blood" (Isaiah 1:15); were stricken in the hand, "The hands of compassionate women boiled their own children" (Lamentations 4:10); are comforted in the hand, "On that day the LORD will again set His hand a second time" (Isaiah 11:11). They sinned with the foot, "With their feet they jingle" (Isaiah 3:16); were stricken in the foot, "Before your feet stumble on the mountains of dusk" (Jeremiah 13:16); are comforted in the foot, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the herald" (Isaiah 52:7). They sinned with "this," "For this Moses, the man" (Exodus 32:1); were stricken with "this," "For this our heart is faint" (Lamentations 5:17); are comforted with "this," "And it shall be said on that day, Behold, this is our God" (Isaiah 25:9). They sinned with "he," "They denied the LORD and said, It is not He" (Jeremiah 5:12); were stricken with "he," "He turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them" (Isaiah 63:10); are comforted with "he," "I, I am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12). They sinned with fire, "The children gather wood and the fathers kindle the fire" (Jeremiah 7:18); were stricken with fire, "From on high He sent fire into my bones" (Lamentations 1:13); are comforted with fire, "And I will be to her, says the LORD, a wall of fire round about, and I will be for glory in her midst" (Zechariah 2:9). They sinned double, "Jerusalem has sinned grievously" (Lamentations 1:8); were stricken double, "For she has received from the hand of the LORD double for all her sins" (Isaiah 40:2); are comforted double, "Comfort, comfort My people" (Isaiah 40:1). Finished.

"I remember my music in the night; with my heart I commune, and my spirit searches" (Psalms 77:7). Rabbi Aybo and Rabbi Yudah son of Rabbi Simon. Rabbi Aybo said: The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He, Master of the worlds, I remember the breaking I was broken among the kingdoms, as it says, "who delivered your foes into your hand" (Genesis 14:20). And Rabbi Yudah son of Rabbi Simon said: The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, Master of the worlds, I remember the songs I sang before You in the nights, as it says, "and we will play my songs all the days of our life upon the house of the LORD" (Isaiah 38:20). "In the night" (Psalms 77:7): this is the night, and the night of Pharaoh was a night, that of which it is written, "And it came to pass at midnight" (Exodus 12:29). This is the night, and the night of Gideon was a night, of which it is written, "And it came to pass on that night that the LORD said to him, Arise, go down against the camp, for I have given it into your hand" (Judges 7:9). This is the night, and the night of Sennacherib was a night, of which it is written, "And it came to pass on that night that an angel of the LORD went out and struck in the camp of Assyria one hundred eighty-five thousand" (II Kings 19:35). This is a night, and that is a night. "With my heart I commune, and my spirit searches" (Psalms 77:7): I speak with my heart, and it examines its deeds and says, "Will the LORD reject forever?" (Psalms 77:8). Heaven forbid, He has not forsaken and will not forsake, "For the LORD will not reject forever" (Lamentations 3:31). "And will He never again be favorable?" (Psalms 77:8): in the past she would appease others on My behalf. Moses was angry, and you appeased him on My behalf, "and he returned to the camp" (Exodus 33:11). Elijah was angry, and you appeased him on My behalf, "Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus" (I Kings 19:15). And now, no favor and no favor? "Has His mercy ceased forever? Is His word at an end for generation after generation?" (Psalms 77:9). "Has His mercy ceased forever," Rabbi Reuven said it is a Greek word, as one says apis ["ceased"]. "Is His word at an end for generation after generation," Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon. Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa said: Has that word ended which You spoke to Moses at Sinai, "And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I will show mercy" (Exodus 33:19)? And Rabbi Simon said: Has it ended, and does it agree with Jeremiah who said, "For I have taken away My peace from this people, says the LORD, the loving-kindness and the mercy" (Jeremiah 16:5)? "Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has He shut up His compassion in anger? Selah" (Psalms 77:10). Have You forgotten that You are gracious, "The LORD, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger" (Exodus 34:6)? "Has God forgotten to be gracious," have You forgotten Your encampments, O God, the Tent of Meeting and Gilgal and Nob and Shiloh and Gibeon and the eternal House twice? "Has He shut up His compassion in anger? Selah," even though He is angry, His mercies draw near. And Zion says, He has abandoned me, He has forgotten me, "And Zion said, The LORD has abandoned me, and the Lord has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14).

"And I said, This is my sickness, that the right hand of the Most High has changed" (Psalms 77:11). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Because we did not entreat Your face in repentance, the right hand has changed. Rabbi Alexandri said: That oath which He swore to us at Horeb has become weakened, and the right hand has changed. Rabbi Simon said: Have you ever in your days heard that the sphere of the sun is sick and cannot rise and serve, or that the sphere of the moon is sick and cannot rise and serve? For His servants there is no sickness, yet before Him there is sickness? Rabbi Yitzhak said: It is like a champion who dwelt in a province, and the people of the province trusted in him, that when troops came there he would go out and show himself to them and at once they would flee. When the troops came there he said to them, My right hand troubles me. But the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so; rather, "Behold, the hand of the LORD is not too short to save" (Isaiah 59:1), "but your iniquities have separated between you and your God" (Isaiah 59:2). "The years of the right hand of the Most High" (Psalms 77:11): Rabbi Resh Lakish said, If they are sicknesses there is hope, for one who suffers in the end is healed; if it is a change of the right hand there is no hope. This is the view of Resh Lakish, for Resh Lakish said: "For if You have utterly rejected us, You are exceedingly angry with us" (Lamentations 5:22): if it is rejection there is no hope, but if it is anger there is hope, for one who is angry is in the end appeased. And Zion says, He has abandoned me, He has forgotten me, "And Zion said, The LORD has abandoned me, and the Lord has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14).

"Why should a living man complain, a man for his sins?" (Lamentations 3:39). Rabbi Abba bar Yudan said: Why should a man complain when he is alive? It is enough for a man that he is alive. Rabbi Berekhiah said: "My life is in Your hand," and he yet lives and complains! Rabbi Levi said: Why should a man complain against the One who lives forever? Rather, if a man wishes to complain, let it be "a man for his sins" (Lamentations ibid.). Rabbi Yudan said: Let him stand like a mighty man and confess his sins, and let him not complain. Rabbi said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: They are grumblers, the children of grumblers. With Adam, the first man, I was occupied to make him a helper - "I will make him a helper corresponding to him" (Genesis 2:18) - and he grumbled before Me, "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave to me" (ibid. 3:12). Jacob too did the same to Me: I was occupied with his son, to make him king over Egypt - "And Joseph was the ruler over the land" (ibid. 42:6) - and he grumbled before Me and said, "My way is hidden from the LORD" (Isaiah 40:27). His children too did the same to Me in the wilderness: I was occupied with them to select for them light bread, in the manner that kings eat, so that none of them should be coarse and afflicted by looseness of the bowels, and they grumbled before Me and said, "Our soul loathes this light bread" (Numbers 21:5). Zion too does the same to Me: I am occupied with her to remove the kingdoms from the world - have I not already removed Babylon and Media and Greece, and am I not destined to remove this wicked kingdom? - yet she grumbles before Me and says, He has abandoned me, He has forgotten me, "And Zion said, The LORD has abandoned me, and the Lord has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14).

"My anger shall be kindled against him on that day, and I will forsake them, and I will hide My face from them, and they shall be devoured, and many evils and troubles shall befall them" (Deuteronomy 31:17). Rabbi Aha said: The kindled anger of the Holy One, blessed be He, lasts but a single day; had they repented, it would have cooled. Rabbi Tanhuma said: He pacifies and is pacified [reading the verse as measure-for-measure]. They acted, and I acted. They acted: "And he will forsake Me and break My covenant" (Deuteronomy 31:16). And I acted: "And I will forsake them and hide My face from them, and he shall be devoured" (Deuteronomy 31:17). "My anger shall be kindled against him"—this is in Babylon. "And I will forsake them"—in Media. "And I will hide My face from them"—in Greece. "And he shall be devoured"—in Edom [Rome], as it is said, "it devoured and broke in pieces, and stamped the remainder with its feet" (Daniel 7:7). "And many evils and troubles shall befall them"—these are the ninety-eight admonitions in the Torah. "And he shall say on that day, Are not these evils come upon me because my God is not in my midst?" (Deuteronomy 31:17)—had He been within me, they would not have come upon me; had He been within me, I would not have gone into exile. Yet Zion says, He has abandoned me, He has forgotten me, as it is written, "And Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, and the LORD has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14).

"If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget [its skill]" (Psalms 137:5). Bar Kappara said: My end is in your hand and your end is in My hand. My end is in your hand—"and your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God" (Deuteronomy 8:14). Your end is in My hand—"If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let My right hand forget" (Psalms 137:5). Rabbi Dosa said: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let My right hand forget" to work miracles. Rabbi Azariah, Rabbi Abbahu in the name of Resh Lakish: You find that when the sins caused it and the enemies entered Jerusalem, they seized the mighty men of Israel and bound their hands behind them. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: It is written, "I will be with him in trouble" (Psalms 91:15)—My children dwell in distress while I am at ease? As it were, "He has drawn back His right hand from before the enemy" (Lamentations 2:3). In the end He revealed it to Daniel: "But go your way to the end" (Daniel 12:13). He said to him, To give account and reckoning. He said to him, "and rest" (Daniel 12:13). He said, And is it well for the world? He said, "and stand" (Daniel 12:13). He said before Him, Master of the worlds, with whom—with the righteous or the wicked? He said, "to your lot" (Daniel 12:13)—with the righteous, who are like you. He said, When? He said, "at the end of the days [keitz ha-yamin]" (Daniel 12:13). He said before Him, Master of the worlds, at the end of the days [yamim] or the end of the right hand [yamin]? He said, At the end of the right hand—at the end of that right hand which is enslaved. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I have set an end for My right hand; as long as My children are enslaved, My right hand shall be enslaved. When I redeem My children, I redeem My right hand. This is what David says, "That Your beloved may be delivered; save with Your right hand, and answer me" (Psalms 60:7). David said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the worlds, when Israel has merit, act for them for the sake of Your beloved Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and when Israel has no merit, act for them for the sake of Your right hand—"save with Your right hand, and answer me." David said before the Holy One: Master of the worlds, why are all who love You delivered from prey, their deeds at ease, as it is said, "and deliver us" [ve-hahlitzenu]? From here the sages established "deliver us" on the Sabbath. David said: why are all who love You, though poor, made rich, as it is said, "He delivers the poor in his affliction" (Job 36:15)? David said: why are all who love You, though weak, made strong, as it is said, "and He shall strengthen your bones" (Isaiah 58:11)? Rabbi Elazar in the name of Rabbi Yose bar Zimra: A heavenly voice is destined to burst forth on the mountaintops and say, "A song, sing to the LORD a new song" (Psalms 96:1). Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Hama bar Hanina: A heavenly voice is destined to burst forth in the tents of the righteous and say, "The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous" (Psalms 118:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, said: My right hand is destined to do all these miracles for you, yet Zion says, the LORD has forsaken me, has forgotten me—"And Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me, and the LORD has forgotten me" (Isaiah 49:14).

"And Zion said, The LORD has forsaken me" (Isaiah 49:14). The Assembly of Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the worlds, have You forgotten that strength my children proclaimed before You at the sea, "the LORD is my strength and song" (Exodus 15:2)? Another interpretation of "the LORD has forsaken me" [azavani]: like the forgotten sheaf, as it is said, "you shall leave [ta'azov] them for the poor and the stranger" (Leviticus 19:10). Another: the LORD leaves me exposed before the eyes of the nations of the world. Rabbi Hanina interpreted the verse of the daughters of Zion themselves: "The LORD says, Because the daughters of Zion are haughty and walk with outstretched necks" (Isaiah 3:16). "Because the daughters of Zion are haughty"—they walked with arrogance. "And walk with outstretched necks"—when one of them adorned herself, she would tilt her neck this way and that to show off her jewelry. "And wanton eyes"—Rabbi Nisa of Caesarea said they painted their eyes with red dye; Resh Lakish said with red eye-paint. "Walking and mincing as they go"—when one was tall she would bring two short women and walk between them so she would seem to float above them; when one was short she would wear thick clogs and walk between two short women so she would look young. "And making a tinkling with their feet" (Isaiah 3:16)—Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said one of them would draw the shape of a dragon on her sandal. The Rabbis said one of them would take a bladder of a hen, fill it with balsam, and place it between her heel and her sandal; when she reached a group of young men she would stamp on it so it burst, and the scent would spread among them and stir desire in them like a serpent's venom. The Holy One, blessed be He, would say to Jeremiah: Jeremiah, what are these doing here? Let them be exiled from here. Jeremiah would go about among them and say: My daughters, repent before the enemies come upon you. And what would they say? "Let Him make speed and hasten His work, that we may see it" (Isaiah 5:19)—a duke will see me and take me for a wife, a prefect will see me and take me for a wife. "And let the counsel of the Holy One of Israel draw near and come, that we may know it" (Isaiah 5:19)—that we may know on whose word it stands, ours or His. When the sins caused it and the enemies entered Jerusalem, the daughters went out before them adorned like harlots; a duke saw one and took her for a wife and seated her in his chariot, a prefect saw one and took her for a wife and seated her in his chariot. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: His word stood and Mine did not stand? What did He do to them? Rabbi Elazar said: He struck them with leprosy, as it is written, "the Lord will smite with a scab the crown of the daughters of Zion" (Isaiah 3:17); sapahat means nothing but leprosy, as it is said, "for a rising, and for a scab [sapahat], and for a bright spot" (Leviticus 14:56). Rabbi Dosa bar Hanina said: He raised lice upon their heads in colonies. Rabbi Hiyya bar Abba said: He made them into bound maidservants—that is, their mothers were enslaved. Rabbi Berekhiah, Halfo bar Zavud in the name of Rabbi Yassa: it is written sippeah—He guarded their families [mishpehoteihem] so that holy seed would not mingle with the people of the lands. Even so they did not turn back. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: I know that the nations of the world do not abstain from issue or from leprosy; what did He do to them? "And the LORD will lay bare their secret parts" (Isaiah 3:17). What is "will lay bare"? The Holy One gave a sign to their fountains, and they flowed with blood, and it filled his chariot with blood; when one of them saw this, he would pierce her with a sword and cast her beneath his chariot, and the chariot passed over her and cut her in two, and they said to one another, Turn aside from them, they are unclean. This is what the prophet rebukes them, saying, "Depart, unclean! they cried to them; depart, depart" (Lamentations 4:15). Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa and Rabbi Simon: Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa said: Israel was not exiled until they spurned the Holy One. And Rabbi Simon said: They were not exiled until they became, as it were, masters who could command the Holy One [by their insolence].

"Can a woman forget her suckling child?" (Isaiah 49:15). Iko said: "Can a woman forget her suckling child"—have You forgotten those offerings we used to bring before You? Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aha said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said: The evil deeds I forget, but the good deeds I do not forget. The evil deeds I forget—what you said concerning the calf, "These are your gods, O Israel" (Exodus 32:4). And the good deeds I do not forget—what you said to Me at Sinai, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and obey" (Exodus 24:7).

Rabbi Abbahu said: Two things Israel requested before the Holy One, blessed be He, and the prophets told them, You did not ask as is fitting. Israel requested, "And He shall come to us like the rain, like the latter and former rain to the earth" (Hosea 6:3). The prophets said to them: You did not ask fittingly, for this rain—travelers are distressed by it, those who plaster roofs are distressed by it, those who tread winepresses and threshing floors are distressed by it. Rather, if you wished to ask, [you should have said,] "I will be as the dew to Israel, he shall blossom as the lily" (Hosea 14:6). And again they requested, "Set me as a seal upon Your heart" (Song of Songs 8:6). The prophets said to them: You did not ask fittingly, for this heart is sometimes uncovered and sometimes covered. Rather, if you wished to ask, [you should have said,] "You shall be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God" (Isaiah 62:3). Rabbi Simon bar Kavi in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: Neither you nor your prophets asked fittingly; rather, if you wished to ask, [you should have said,] "Behold, I have engraved you upon the palms of My hands; your walls are continually before Me" (Isaiah 49:16). Just as it is impossible for a person to forget the palms of his hands, so "these may forget, yet I will not forget you" (Isaiah 49:15). The end.

"O afflicted one, storm-tossed." "Sons of man, how long will my glory be turned to shame?" (Psalms 4:3). "Sons of man"—these are Doeg and Ahitophel. And why does he call them sons of man? Because they are sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and "man" means none other than our father Abraham, as it is said, "Now therefore restore the man's wife, for he is a prophet" (Genesis 20:7); and "man" means none other than our father Isaac, as it is said, "Who is this man that walks [in the field]?" (Genesis 24:65); and "man" means none other than our father Jacob, as it is said, "And Jacob was a plain man" (Genesis 25:27). "How long will my glory be turned to shame?" (Psalms 4:3)—David said: How long will you shame my honor and call me son of Jesse: "Why has the son of Jesse not come?" (1 Samuel 20:27), "I have seen a son to Jesse" (1 Samuel 16:18), "will the son of Jesse give to you all?" (1 Samuel 22:7)—have I no name? "You love vanity" (Psalms 4:3)—you pursue empty things; let it go, forget it, the kingship will not return to him from now on; "and seek after falsehood, selah" (Psalms 4:3)—do you suppose that because My kingship is taken from Me for an hour it is gone forever? "But know that the LORD has set apart the pious for Himself" (Psalms 4:4)—He has already announced to me through Nathan the prophet and said to me, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die" (2 Samuel 12:13). Another interpretation of "sons of man" (Psalms 4:3)—these are the nations of the world. And why does He call them sons of man? Because they come from the children of Noah, and "man" means none other than Noah, as it is said, "And Noah was a righteous man" (Genesis 6:9). "How long will my glory be turned to shame?"—this is the Temple. The Holy One said: How long will you shame the glory of My house, spitting in it, defiling it, committing your transgressions in it? "You love vanity"—you pursue empty things; let it go, forget it, the Divine Presence will not return to it from now on; "and seek after falsehood, selah"—do you suppose that because I have removed My Presence from it for an hour it is gone forever? "But know that the LORD has set apart the pious for Himself"—I have already announced through Isaiah the prophet and said, "O afflicted one, storm-tossed, not comforted" (Isaiah 54:11).

"Afflicted" (Isaiah 54:11). Afflicted of the righteous, afflicted of words of Torah, afflicted of commandments and good deeds. "Storm-tossed" [so'arah] (Isaiah 54:11)—uprooted; a nation whom the nations of the world have torn down, as it is written, "Remember, O LORD, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem" (Psalms 137:7). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: [they cried] "Demolish it, demolish it [pagaru]," as it is said, "the broad walls of Babylon shall be utterly broken [ar'er tit'ar'ar]" (Jeremiah 51:58). Rabbi Levi said: [they cried] "Empty it, empty it [panun]," as it is said, "and she hastened and emptied [va-te'ar] her pitcher into the trough" (Genesis 24:20). According to the view of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana, who said "demolish, demolish": "until they reached its foundation"—down to the foundation in it. According to the view of Rabbi Levi, who said "empty, empty": "until they reached its foundation"—down to the foundation in it.

"Not comforted" (Isaiah 54:11). Rabbi Levi said: Every place where it says "she has none [ein lah]," in the end she had. "And Sarah was barren; she had no child [ein lah valad]" (Genesis 11:30)—and in the end she had, "Sarah has nursed children" (Genesis 21:7). "And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children [ein yeladim]" (1 Samuel 1:2)—and in the end she had, "for the LORD visited Hannah, and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters" (1 Samuel 2:21). "This is Zion; no one seeks her [ein doresh lah]" (Jeremiah 30:17)—and in the end she had, "And a redeemer shall come to Zion" (Isaiah 59:20).

"Behold, I will set your stones in fair colors" (Isaiah 54:11), like this eye-paint, as it says, "and she painted her eyes" (2 Kings 9:30). And three things were said about eye-paint: it makes the hair of the eyelids grow, it stops tears, and it makes one beloved as a king's daughter [enhances beauty]. "And I will lay your foundations with sapphires" (Isaiah 54:11), with sapphire stones. Rabbi Yudan and Rabbi Pinchas. Rabbi Yudan said: Every single decree that is destined to be issued in Jerusalem will be as beautiful as this sapphire. Rabbi Pinchas said: Would you say that this sapphire is soft? There was an incident with a man who went down to Rome to sell a sapphire. The buyer said to him, "On condition that I may test it." He said to him, "On that condition, yes." What did the buyer do? He took it and placed it on the anvil and struck it with a hammer. The anvil split, the hammer broke in two, and the sapphire was not diminished at all.

"And I will make your battlements of rubies [kadkod]" (Isaiah 54:12). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Read it as "this and that" [each according to its kind]. Rabbi Levi said: Carbuncle stones. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Stones of carbuncle. Rabbi Yehoshua stood with Elijah, remembered for good, and said to him, "Will my master not show me those carbuncle stones?" He said, "Yes." He showed them to him by a miracle. There was an incident with a ship sailing the Great Sea, and all aboard were gentiles except for one Jewish child. A great storm came upon the sea. Elijah revealed himself to that child and said to him, "Go on my errand to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi and show him those carbuncle stones, and I will rescue this ship for your merit." The child said, "Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi is the great one of the generation, and he will not trust me." Elijah said, "Yes he will, he is humble, he will trust you. And when you show them to him, do not show them to him before any other person, but lead him to the cave that is three miles distant from Lod, and show them to him there." At once a miracle was done and the child went out from there in peace. The child went to Rabbi Yehoshua and found him sitting in the great academy of Lod. He said to him, "Master, I have a private matter to tell you." Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi arose. See the humility of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who walked behind him a distance of three miles and did not ask him, "What do you want of me?" When they reached the cave, the child said, "Master, these are the carbuncle stones." When Rabbi Yehoshua saw them, they blazed with their light, and he cast them to the earth and they were hidden away. "Your suns" (Isaiah 54:12), your walls. "And your gates of carbuncle stones" (Isaiah 54:12). Rabbi Yirmiyah in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzchak: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to make the eastern gate of the Temple, it and its two wickets, of a single pearl-stone. Rabbi Yochanan was sitting and teaching in the great synagogue of Sepphoris: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to make the eastern gate of the Temple, it and its two wickets, of a single pearl. A certain heretical disciple was there and said, "We cannot even find one the size of a small dove's egg, and this man sits and says such a thing!" Some time later, while he was sailing the Great Sea, his ship sank, and he went down to the depths of the abyss and saw the ministering angels chiseling, engraving, and shaping a stone. He said to them, "What is this?" They said, "This is the eastern gate of the Temple, it and its two wickets, of a single pearl." At once a miracle was done for him and he went out from there in peace. The following year he came and found Rabbi Yochanan sitting and teaching this very matter, that the Holy One is destined to make the eastern gate of the Temple, it and its two wickets, of a single pearl. He said to him, "Elder, elder, whatever you can roll out, roll out, whatever you can praise, praise, for had my eyes not seen it, I would not have believed it." He said to him, "And were it not that your eyes saw it, you would not have believed the words I expound in the Torah?" He raised his eyes and gazed at him, and at once the man became a heap of bones. There was an incident with a certain pious man who was walking along the cliff of the sea of Haifa, and he pondered in his heart and said, "Would you say that the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to make the eastern gate of the Temple and its two wickets of a single pearl?" At once a heavenly voice went out and said to him, "Were you not a wholly pious man, the attribute of judgment would already have struck this man. I created the whole world in six days, as it is written, 'In six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth' (Exodus 31:17), and you say the eastern gate of the Temple cannot be made of a single pearl?" At once he begged mercy for his soul and said before Him, "Master of the worlds, even so, I only pondered it in my heart and did not utter it with my lips." At once a miracle was done for him and the sea split before him, and he saw the ministering angels chiseling, engraving, and shaping it. He said to them, "What is this?" They said to him, "This is the eastern gate of the Temple, it and its two wickets, of a single pearl."

"And all your border of precious stones" (Isaiah 54:12). Rabbi Binyamin ben Levi said: The boundaries of Jerusalem are destined to be full of precious stones and pearls, and all Israel will come and take their needs from them. For in this world Israel marks its boundaries with stones and hewn rocks, but in the time to come they will mark them with precious stones and pearls, as it is written, "And all your border of precious stones" (Isaiah 54:12). Rabbi Levi said: The boundaries of Jerusalem are destined to be full, twelve mil by eighteen mil, of precious stones and pearls. For in this world a man owes his fellow, and the fellow says to him, "Let us go and be judged before the judge." Sometimes the judge makes peace between them and sometimes he does not, and the two parties do not leave satisfied. But in the time to come, a man owes his fellow, and the fellow says, "Let us go and be judged before the King Messiah in Jerusalem." When they reach the boundaries of Jerusalem they find them full of precious stones and pearls, and the debtor takes two of them and says to his creditor, "Did I owe you more than these?" And the creditor says, "Not even this much. It is released to you, it is forgiven you." This is what is written, "He makes your borders peace" (Psalms 147:14). "And all your children shall be taught of the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isaiah 54:13). There are four great peaces: "In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace till the moon is no more" (Psalms 72:7); "Great peace have they that love Your Torah" (Psalms 119:165); "But the humble shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundance of peace" (Psalms 37:11); and this one, "And all your children shall be taught of the LORD, and great shall be the peace of your children" (Isaiah 54:13). The end.

"I, even I, am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12). "Reproach has broken my heart, and I am sick; and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none" (Psalms 69:21). "Reproach" refers to the reproach with which Ammon and Moab reproached us. You find that when the sins caused it and the gentiles entered Jerusalem, Ammon and Moab entered with them. They went into the Holy of Holies and took the cherubim and put them in a cage, and they carried them around through all the streets of Jerusalem, saying, "Did the Israelites not say that they do not worship idols? Look what they were doing!" This is what is written, "Because Moab and Seir say, Behold, the house of Judah is like all the nations" (Ezekiel 25:8). And what were they saying? "Woe, woe," all of them together. From that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I have heard the reproach of Moab and the revilings of the children of Ammon, with which they have reproached My people and magnified themselves against their border. Therefore, as I live, says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, surely Moab shall be as Sodom and the children of Ammon as Gomorrah" (Zephaniah 2:8-9). "And I am sick" (Psalms 69:21), a mighty blow has come upon me and weakened me. "And I looked for some to take pity, but there was none, and for comforters, but I found none" (Psalms 69:21), the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I, even I, am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12).

"They have heard that I sigh; there is none to comfort me" (Lamentations 1:21). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi explained the verse concerning Aaron the High Priest. You find that when Aaron the High Priest died, the Canaanites came and attacked Israel, as it is written, "And the Canaanite, the king of Arad, who dwelt in the south, heard that Israel came by the way of Atharim" (Numbers 21:1). What is "by the way of Atharim"? That the great explorer [tayar] had died, namely Aaron, who used to scout out the way for them. "There is none to comfort me" (Lamentations 1:21), Moses was in mourning, Eleazar was in mourning. "All my enemies have heard of my trouble and are glad" (Lamentations 1:21), they said, "Now is the time to go up and attack them, now is the time to go and destroy our enemies." And the rabbis explained the verse concerning the nations of the world. You find that when the sins caused it and the gentiles entered Jerusalem, they decreed that wherever Israel fled, they would hand them over. They sought to flee south and were not allowed, "Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Gaza, and for four, I will not turn away its punishment" (Amos 1:6). They sought to flee east and were not allowed, "Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Damascus, and for four" (Amos 1:3). They sought to flee north and were not allowed, "Thus says the LORD: For three transgressions of Tyre, and for four" (Amos 1:9). They sought to flee west and were not allowed, "The burden upon Arabia" (Isaiah 21:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, "You have turned your faces against Me." They said before Him, "Master of the worlds, was it not You who did this?" A parable: to what is the matter like? To a king who married a noblewoman and commanded her, saying, "Do not converse with your neighbors, do not lend to them, and do not borrow from them." One time she angered him and provoked him, and he sent her out of his palace. She went around to the houses of her neighbors, and not one of them would take her in. The king said to her, "You have turned your face away." She said to him, "My lord king, was it not you who did this? Did you not command me, saying, Do not converse with your neighbors, do not lend to them and do not borrow from them? Had I lent to them or borrowed from them, which of them, seeing me pass before her house, would not have taken me in? Therefore, You have done it" (Lamentations 1:21). So too Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the worlds, was it not You who did this? Did You not write for us in the Torah, You shall not intermarry with them; you shall not give your daughter to his son, nor take his daughter for your son (Deuteronomy 7:3)? Had we married into them or married them to us, which of them, seeing my son or daughter standing at her gate, would not have taken him in? Therefore, You have done it" (Lamentations 1:21). "You have brought the day You proclaimed, and they shall be like me" (Lamentations 1:21), like me in trouble but not like me in ease. "There is none to comfort me" (Lamentations 1:21), the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I, even I, am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12).

"As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion" (Psalms 103:13). Like which father? Rabbi Chiyya taught: like the most compassionate of the fathers. And who is the most compassionate of the fathers? Rabbi Azaryah in the name of Rabbi Acha said: this is our father Abraham. You find that before the Holy One, blessed be He, brought the flood upon the people of Sodom, our father Abraham said before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the worlds, You swore that You would not bring a flood upon the world." And what is the reason? "For this is like the waters of Noah to Me, as I have sworn" (Isaiah 54:9). "A flood of water You will not bring, but perhaps You will bring a flood of fire? And how can You evade the oath? Far be it from You to do such a thing" (Genesis 18:25). Rabbi Levi said: "Shall the Judge of all the earth not do justice?" (Genesis 18:25). If You seek strict justice, there is no world, and if You seek a world, there is no strict justice. Why do You grasp the rope at both ends, desiring a world and desiring justice of truth? If You do not relent a little, the world cannot endure. Rabbi Yehoshua bar Nechemyah explained the verse concerning our father Jacob: "And he himself passed over before them and bowed himself" (Genesis 33:3). What is "and he himself"? While he was still in distress, he said, "Better that the trouble strike me and not my children." What did he do? He armed them within and clothed them in white garments without, and he prepared himself for three things: for prayer, for a gift, and for war. For prayer, "Deliver me, I pray, from the hand of my brother" (Genesis 32:12). For a gift, "And the present passed over before him" (Genesis 32:22). For war, "And he said, If Esau comes to the one camp and strikes it" (Genesis 32:9), from here onward we will make war with him. Rabbi Shmuel said: It is the way of a father to have compassion, "As a father has compassion on his children" (Psalms 103:13), and it is the way of a mother to comfort, "As one whom his mother comforts" (Isaiah 66:13). The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I will do what a father does and I will do what a mother does. I will do what a father does, As a father has compassion on his children (Psalms 103:13). I will do what a mother does, As one whom his mother comforts (Isaiah 66:13)." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "I, even I, am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12).

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: A parable to a king who betrothed a noblewoman and wrote her a generous marriage contract, "Such and such bridal canopies I will make for you, such and such ornaments I will give you, such and such treasuries I will give you." Then he left her and went off to a distant province, and he stayed there many years. Her companions taunted her, saying, "How long will you sit waiting? Take yourself a husband while you are still young, while your strength is upon you." She would go into her house, take out her marriage contract, read it, and be comforted. After many days the king came back from the distant province and said to her, "My daughter, I am amazed that you waited for me all these years." She said to him, "My lord king, were it not for the generous marriage contract you wrote me, my companions would already have turned me away from you." So too, because in this world the nations of the world taunt Israel and say to them, "How long will you die for your God and give your lives for Him and be killed for Him? How much suffering does He bring upon you, how much contempt does He bring upon you, how many afflictions does He bring upon you? Come over to us and we will make you generals and governors and commanders." And Israel enter the synagogues and study houses, take a Torah scroll, and read in it, "I will walk among you and be your God... and I will increase you and multiply you and establish My covenant with you" (Leviticus 26:9), and they are comforted. When the End arrives, the Holy One, blessed be He, will say to Israel, "I am amazed that you waited for Me all these years." And Israel will say before the Holy One, blessed be He, "Master of the worlds, were it not for the Torah scroll You wrote for us, the nations of the world would already have turned us away from You." This is what is written, "This I recall to my heart, therefore I have hope" (Lamentations 3:21). And so David said, "Unless Your Torah had been my delight, I would have perished in my affliction" (Psalms 119:92).

Another interpretation: "I, even I, am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12). Rabbi Avun in the name of Resh Lakish: A parable to a king who grew angry with a noblewoman and drove her out of his palace. After some days he wished to bring her back. She said, "Let him double my marriage contract, and then he may bring me back." So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, "My children, at Sinai I said to you one time, I am the LORD your God (Exodus 20:2), but in Jerusalem in the time to come I will say to you twice, I, even I, am He who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12). Rabbi Menachma in the name of Rabbi Avin: From that comfort with which you comforted Me at Mount Sinai when you said, "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will hear" (Exodus 24:7). "Who are you that you should be afraid?" (Isaiah 51:12), are you not the one who said to Me at the sea, "Who is like You?" (Exodus 15:11). "That you fear man who shall die" (Isaiah 51:12), or rather, "and the son of man who shall be made as grass" (Isaiah 51:12). Rabbi Berekhyah in the name of Rabbi Chelbo, Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman in the name of Rabbi Yonatan: Israel deserved to be destroyed in the days of Haman, had they not relied on the opinion of the elder [Jacob], who said, "If our father Jacob, whom the Holy One, blessed be He, assured, saying, Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go (Genesis 28:15), was afraid, how much more are we." This is why the prophet rebukes them and says, "And you have forgotten the LORD your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth" (Isaiah 51:13). You have forgotten what He said to you, "If the heavens above can be measured and the foundations of the earth searched out below, then also I will cast off all the seed of Israel for all that they have done, says the LORD" (Jeremiah 31:36). Have you seen heavens that were measured or earth that collapsed? From the stretching out of heaven and earth you should have learned. Instead, "You are afraid continually all the day because of the fury of the oppressor" (Isaiah 51:13). Rabbi Yitzchak said: troubles oppressed them one after another. "And where is the fury of the oppressor?" (Isaiah 51:13), that is Haman and his crew. "Who prepared to destroy" (Isaiah 51:13), "in the first month, which is the month of Nisan" (Esther 3:7). "The captive in chains shall speedily be released, that he should not die and go down to the pit" (Isaiah 51:14). Rabbi Abbahu said: this is one of six things that are a good sign for a sick person, sneezing, sweating, sleep, seminal emission, a dream, and the working of the bowels. Sneezing, from where? "His sneezings flash forth light" (Job 41:10). Sweating, from where? "In the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread" (Genesis 3:19). Emission, from where? "He shall see seed and prolong his days" (Isaiah 53:10). Sleep, from where? "I would have slept, then it would be at rest for me" (Job 3:13). A dream, from where? "You restored me and made me live" (Isaiah 38:16). The working of the bowels, from where? "The captive in chains shall speedily be released, that he should not die and go down to the pit" (Isaiah 51:14). Rabbi Chaggai said: provided that his bread is not lacking.

"And I am the LORD your God, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar; the LORD of hosts is His name" (Isaiah 51:15). And what did the sea see that it fled? Rabbi Judah and Rabbi Nehemiah differed. Rabbi Judah said: it saw the staff of Moses and fled. And Rabbi Nehemiah said: the Ineffable Name was engraved upon it, "the LORD of hosts is His name," the sea saw it and fled. "And I have put My words in your mouth, and with the shadow of My hand have I covered you" (Isaiah 51:16). There we learned: Simeon the Righteous was among the last survivors of the Great Assembly. Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Aha said: those who passed through the sea explained it. "In Your steadfast love You led the people whom You redeemed" (Exodus 15:13), this refers to deeds of loving-kindness. "You guided them by Your strength to Your holy dwelling" (Exodus 15:13), this refers to the Torah, "the LORD will give strength to His people; the LORD will bless" (Psalms 29:11). And still the world was tottering. And when was the world made firm? When they came to Your holy dwelling. There we learned: Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel says: upon three things the world endures, and all three are in one verse, "These are the things that you shall do: speak truth to one another, render true and peaceful judgment in your gates" (Zechariah 8:16). And the three are one thing: when judgment is done, truth is done, peace is done. Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: "And I have put My words in your mouth" (Isaiah 51:16), these are the words of Torah. "And with the shadow of My hand have I covered you" (Isaiah 51:16), this refers to deeds of loving-kindness, to teach you that whoever occupies himself with Torah and with deeds of loving-kindness merits to take shelter in the shadow of the Holy One, blessed be He. This is as it is written, "How precious is Your steadfast love, and the children of men take refuge in the shadow of Your wings" (Psalms 36:8). "To plant the heavens and to lay the foundations of the earth" (Isaiah 51:16), these are the sacrifices. "And to say to Zion, You are My people" (Isaiah 51:16), Rabbi Hanina bar Pappa said: we searched through all of Scripture and we did not find a place where Israel is called Zion, and where do we find it so? "And to say to Zion, You are My people" (Isaiah 51:16). The end.

"Sing, O barren one." [1] "He sets the barren woman of the house as a joyful mother of children" (Psalms 113:9). There are seven barren women: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, and Leah, and the wife of Manoah, and Hannah, and Zion. Another interpretation: "He sets the barren woman of the house" (ibid.) refers to our mother Sarah, "And Sarai was barren" (Genesis 11:30). "A joyful mother of children" (Psalms ibid.) refers to "Sarah has nursed children" (Genesis 21:7). Another interpretation: "He sets the barren woman of the house" (Psalms ibid.) refers to Rebekah, "And Isaac entreated the LORD for his wife, because she was barren" (Genesis 25:21). "A joyful mother of children" (Psalms ibid.): "And the LORD was entreated of him, and Rebekah his wife conceived" (Genesis ibid.). Another interpretation: "He sets the barren woman of the house" (Psalms ibid.) refers to Leah, "And the LORD saw that Leah was hated, and He opened her womb" (Genesis 29:31) -- from here that Leah was barren. "A joyful mother of children" (Psalms ibid.): "for I have borne him six sons" (Genesis 30:20). Another interpretation: "He sets the barren woman of the house" (Psalms ibid.) refers to Rachel, "and Rachel was barren" (Genesis 29:31). "A joyful mother of children" (Psalms ibid.): "the sons of Rachel, Joseph and Benjamin" (Genesis 35:24). Another interpretation: "He sets the barren woman of the house" (Psalms ibid.) refers to the wife of Manoah, "And the angel of the LORD appeared to the woman, and said to her, Behold now, you are barren and have not borne" (Judges 13:3). "A joyful mother of children" (Psalms ibid.): "and you shall conceive and bear a son" (Judges ibid.). Another interpretation: "He sets the barren woman of the house" (Psalms 113:9) refers to Hannah, "And Peninnah had children, but Hannah had no children" (1 Samuel 1:2). "A joyful mother of children" (Psalms 113:9): "and she conceived and bore three sons and two daughters" (1 Samuel 2:21). Another interpretation: "He sets the barren woman of the house" (Psalms ibid.) refers to Zion, "Sing, O barren one who did not bear" (Isaiah 54:1). "A joyful mother of children": "and you will say in your heart, Who has borne me these, [and the rest]" (Isaiah 49:21).

Rabbi Reuben opened: "Sing, O barren one" (Isaiah 54:1), behold now, barren. Rabbi Meir said: "barren" means uprooted, a nation that the nations of the world uprooted. This is as it is written, "Remember, O LORD, against the children of Edom the day of Jerusalem, who said: Strip it bare, strip it bare, down to its foundation" (Psalms 137:7). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: it means tear it down, tear it down, as you say, "the broad wall of Babylon shall be utterly overthrown" (Jeremiah 51:58). The rest of this section is like the parallel passage. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: the bulk of those reclining at the meal were of Leah, yet they made Rachel the principal one, as you say, "and Rachel was barren" (Genesis 29:31). Rabbi Isaac said: Rachel was the foundation of the house, as you say, "and Rachel was barren" (Genesis 29:31), the essence. Rabbi Simeon ben Yohai taught: because all matters depended on Rachel, therefore the children were called by her name, "Rachel weeping for her children" (Jeremiah 31:14). And not only by her name, but even by the name of her son, "perhaps the LORD of hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph" (Amos 5:15). And by the name of her grandson, "Is Ephraim my dear son?" (Jeremiah 31:19).

"That did not bear" (Isaiah 54:1). Rabbi Levi said: in every place where it says "she has none," she came to have. The rest of this section is like the parallel passage.

"Break forth into singing and shout, you who did not travail" (Isaiah 54:1). By ten terms is gladness called: gilah, simhah, sisah, alisah, alitzah, pitzhah, rinah, tzahalah, hedvah, har'ah. And there are those who omit har'ah and bring in ditzah, "and before him sorrow leaps for joy" (Job 41:14), prancing like this little creature.

"For more are the children of the desolate than the children of the married wife, says the LORD" (Isaiah 54:1). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: it is written, "and your speech is comely" (Song of Songs 4:3). Even when the dwelling is made a wilderness, one is liable for its boundary when it is destroyed just as one is liable for its boundary when it is built. Rabbi Levi said: in its building it raised up for me wicked ones, such as Ahaz, Manasseh, and Amon. In its destruction it raised up for me righteous ones, such as Daniel and his company, Mordecai and his company, Ezra and his company. Rabbi Aha in the name of Rabbi Yohanan: it raised up for me in its destruction more righteous ones than the righteous it raised up in its building.

"May there be abundance of grain in the land; on the tops of the mountains may its fruit wave like Lebanon" (Psalms 72:16). And what was that tree from which the first man ate? Rabbi Meir says: it was wheat. Rabbi Judah son of Rabbi Ilai said: it was grapes. Rabbi Abba of Acco said: it was a citron. Rabbi Yose said: it was figs. And all of them bring a reason for their words. The reasoning of Rabbi Meir who said it was wheat: it is the way of the world that of a person who lacks knowledge, people say, "this one has never eaten bread of wheat in his life." Rabbi Zeira asked before Rabbi Samuel bar Rav Isaac: it is written "tree" concerning it, and you say it was wheat? He said to him: they grew tall like the cedars of Lebanon and let their seed fall to the earth. The reasoning of Rabbi Judah son of Rabbi Ilai who said it was grapes: "their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter" (Deuteronomy 32:32), those clusters brought bitterness into the world. The reasoning of Rabbi Abba of Acco who said it was a citron: "and you ate of the tree" (Genesis 3:17), a tree whose wood is eaten like its fruit, and which is that? This is the citron. The reasoning of Rabbi Yose who said it was figs: "and they sewed fig leaves and made themselves girdles" (Genesis 3:7). Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: it is like a king who had a son and had many maidservants, and he would command him, saying, "My son, take care that you do not touch any of these maidservants." What did the son do? He went and sinned with one of them. When his father became aware of him, he drove him out and expelled him from the palace, and he went around to all the houses of those maidservants, and not one of them would take him in. You find that the very one with whom he had sinned, she opened her doors and took him in. So too, when the first man ate from that tree, all the trees heard them saying, "Here is the thief, here is the thief who deceived his Creator," who deceived his Master, "Let not the foot of pride come against me" (Psalms 36:12), that foot which stretched out in pride, let it not come against me, "and let not the hand of the wicked drive me away" (Psalms 36:12), do not shake me by hand, do not take leaves from me. You find that the tree that gave him its fruit gave him its leaves, "and they sewed fig leaves and made themselves girdles" (Genesis 3:7). What was the name of that fig tree? Rabbi Levi said: bar Eli, for it brought wailing and weeping into the world. Rabbi Berekhiah in the name of Rabbi Simon in the name of Rabbi Joshua ben Levi: that tree from which the first man ate, the Holy One, blessed be He, did not reveal it and is not destined to reveal it. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: it is written, "and you shall kill the woman and the beast" (Leviticus 20:16). If the human sinned, what did the beast sin? Rather, because a stumbling came to the human through it, therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said let it be stoned. Another interpretation: so that the beast should not pass through the marketplace and people say, "this is the beast on account of which so-and-so was stoned." The Holy One said: if I spared the honor of His children, it is fitting that I spare His honor.

[7] A question. Rabbi Lazar ben Azaryah and Rabbi Lazar ha-Moda'i were sitting and occupying themselves with this verse: "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD" (Jeremiah 3:17). Rabbi Lazar ben Azaryah said to Rabbi Elazar ha-Moda'i: And can Jerusalem hold them? He said to him: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to say to her: Lengthen yourself, widen yourself, receive your multitudes -- "Enlarge the place of your tent," etc. (Isaiah 54:2). Rabbi Yochanan said: Jerusalem is destined to reach as far as the gates of Damascus. And what is the reason? "The burden of the word of the LORD in the land of Hadrach, and Damascus shall be its resting place" (Zechariah 9:1). What is Hadrach? Rabbi Yudah and Rabbi Nehemiah dispute. Rabbi Yudah said: This term Hadrach refers to none other than the King Messiah, who is sharp [had] toward the nations and tender [rakh] toward Israel. And Rabbi Nehemiah said: It is a place that is called Hadrach. Rabbi Yosi ben Dormaskit said: By the Temple service, I am from Damascus, and there is a place there called Hadrach. He said to him: And how do you uphold "and Damascus shall be its resting place" (there)? Rather, just as this fig is narrow below and broad above, so Jerusalem is destined to widen and rise upward, and the exiles come and rest beneath it, to fulfill what is said: "and Damascus shall be its resting place" (there); and "resting place" refers to none other than Jerusalem, as you say: "This is My resting place forever; here I will dwell, for I have desired it" (Psalms 132:14). He said to him: And how do you uphold "and the city shall be built upon its own mound" (Jeremiah 30:18)? He said to him: That it is not destined to move from its place, but rather it widens and rises on all its sides, and the exiles come and rest beneath it, to fulfill what is said: "For you shall spread out to the right and to the left" (Isaiah 54:3). That is for the length; from where do we know the width? "From the tower of Hananel to the king's winepresses" (Zechariah 14:10). Rabbi Berekhiah said: As far as the ocean. Rabbi Zakkai the Elder said: As far as the swamp of Jaffa. And they do not disagree: the one who said "as far as the ocean" -- the winepresses that the King of the kings of kings, blessed be He, dug; and the one who said "as far as the swamp of Jaffa" -- the winepresses that King Solomon dug. That is for the length and the width; from where do we know the height? "And it widened and wound upward higher and higher to the side chambers," etc. (Ezekiel 41:7). Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov taught: Jerusalem is destined to be high and to rise until it reaches the throne of glory, and it says to the Holy One: "The place is too narrow for me; make room for me that I may dwell" (Isaiah 49:20). Yosi son of Rabbi Yirmiah Dostai said in the name of Rabbi Levi: And you still do not know what the praise of Jerusalem is; rather, as it is written: "And I will be to her, says the LORD, a wall of fire all around, and I will be for glory in her midst" (Zechariah 2:9). From this you know the praise of Jerusalem. Concluded.

"Arise, shine" (Isaiah 60:1). "Therefore honor the LORD in the regions of light" (Isaiah 24:15). With what do they honor Him? With these lanterns. Rabbi Abbahu said: with two luminaries, "and God made the two great lights" (Genesis 1:16). How is this? The sun shines and we bless over it; the moon shines and we bless over it. And the rabbis say: the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, since My light is your light and your light is My light, I and you, let us go and give light to Zion. "Arise, shine, for your light has come" (Isaiah 60:1).

Rabbi Aha opened: "I am the LORD, that is My name" (Isaiah 42:8), which I stipulated between Myself and the ministering angels. "And My glory I will not give to another" (Isaiah 42:8), Rabbi Menahma in the name of Rabbi Abin: these are the goat-demons. "Nor My praise to graven images" (Isaiah 42:8), the Holy One, blessed be He, said: My glory I do not give to another, yet you give My praise to graven images. And to whom do I give it? To Zion, "Arise, shine, for your light has come" (Isaiah 60:1).

"For with You is the fountain of life; in Your light do we see light" (Psalms 36:10). Rabbi Yochanan and Resh Lakish discussed this. Rabbi Yochanan said one teaching, and Resh Lakish said two. Rabbi Yochanan said: This is like a man walking on the road at twilight. Someone came and lit a lamp for him, and it went out. Another came and lit a lamp for him, and it went out. He said: From here on I will wait only for the light of morning. So Israel said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the worlds, we made You a lampstand in the days of Moses and it went out; ten lampstands in the days of Solomon and they went out. From here on we wait only for Your light, as it is said, "in Your light do we see light" (ibid.). And Resh Lakish said two teachings. Resh Lakish said: This is like a king who had a son and invited guests for him. The king said to his son: My son, do you wish to dine with the guests? He said: No. He said to him: With whom do you wish to dine? He said: With you. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, do you wish to dine with the nations? They said before Him: Master of the worlds, "Do not incline my heart to any evil thing, to busy myself with deeds of wickedness" (Psalms 141:4). He said to them: Because they are wicked deeds, you do not wish to dine with them? They said before Him: Master of the worlds, "and let me not eat of their delicacies" (ibid.) -- we do not desire their pleasant and beautiful gifts. And in whose portions do we desire? In Your pleasant and beautiful portions. And Resh Lakish said another. Resh Lakish said: This is like a king who had a daughter. One came and sought her hand, but he was not worthy of her; another came and sought her hand, but he was not worthy of her. When one came who was worthy of her and sought her hand, he said: Arise, shine, for your light has come. So the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, since My light is your light and your light is My light, I and you shall go and give light to Zion. "Arise, shine, for your light has come" (Isaiah 60:1).

Rabbi Pinhas said in the name of Rabbi Reuven: In time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring Sinai, Tabor, and Carmel, and will build the Temple upon their summits. And what is the proof text? "And it shall come to pass in the end of days, that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established as the highest of the mountains" (Isaiah 2:2). Rabbi Huma said: And is this enough for you? Rather, the Temple will recite song and the mountains will respond after it. And what is the proof text? "And it shall be exalted above the hills" (Micah 4:1). And this expression "exalted" means nothing other than song, as it is proved: "And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was over the carrying; he instructed about the carrying, because he was skillful" (1 Chronicles 15:22). Rabbi Hoshaya said in the name of Rabbi Aphes: Jerusalem is destined to become a lantern for the nations of the world, and they will walk by her light. And what is the proof text? "And nations shall walk by your light" (Isaiah 60:3). Rabbi Aha said: Israel is compared to an olive tree, "a leafy olive tree, fair with goodly fruit" (Jeremiah 11:16), and the Holy One, blessed be He, is compared to a lamp, "the lamp of God is the soul of man" (Proverbs 20:27). Just as it is the way of oil to be placed in a lamp, and the two of them give light as one, so too the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, since My light is your light and your light is My light, I and you, let us go and give light to Zion: "Arise, shine, for your light has come" (Isaiah 60:1).

[4] Rabbi Pinhas in the name of Rabbi Reuven said: The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to bring Sinai and Tabor and Carmel, and to build the Temple upon their tops. And what is the reason? "And it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of the LORD shall be established at the head of the mountains" (there, 2:2). Rabbi Huma said: Is this enough for you? Rather, the Temple says song and the mountains answer after it. And what is the reason? "And it shall be lifted up above the hills" (Micah 4:1). And this expression "lifted up" means nothing but song, and what is the reason? "And Chenaniah, chief of the Levites, was in charge of the lifting up of song; he directed the lifting up, for he was skilled" (1 Chronicles 15:22). Rabbi Hoshaiah in the name of Rabbi Aphes: Jerusalem is destined to become a lantern for the nations of the world, and they will walk by its light. And what is the reason? "And nations shall walk by your light," and so forth (Isaiah 60:3). Rabbi Aha said: Israel is likened to an olive tree, "a leafy olive tree, fair with goodly fruit" (Jeremiah 11:16), and the Holy One, blessed be He, is likened to a lamp, "The lamp of God is the soul of man" (Proverbs 20:27). Just as it is the way of oil to be placed in a lamp and the two of them give light as one, so too the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: My children, since My light is your light and your light is My light, I and you, let us go and give light to Zion. "Arise, shine, for your light has come" (Isaiah 60:1).

Rabbi Chiyya taught: From the very beginning of the creation of the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw the Temple built, destroyed, and rebuilt. "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" (Genesis 1:1) -- this is built. "And the earth was unformed and void" (ibid. 2) -- behold, destroyed. "And God said, Let there be light, and there was light" (ibid. 3) -- behold, built and perfected in the time to come. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman said: Because in this world people walk by the light of the sun in the day and by the light of the moon at night, but in the time to come they will not need to walk by the light of the sun in the day nor by the light of the moon at night. What is the reason? "The sun shall no longer be your light by day, nor shall the brightness of the moon give light to you" (Isaiah 60:19). By whose light will they walk? By the light of the Holy One, blessed be He. This is what is written, "But the LORD shall be your everlasting light" (ibid.). Rabbi Chanina said: There were windows in the Temple, and from them light went out to the world. What is the reason? "And he made for the house windows broad within and narrow without" (1 Kings 6:4) -- they were broad and narrow, narrow within and wide without, in order to send light out to the world. Rabbi Levi said: It is the way of the world that a person builds himself a hall and makes its windows narrow without and wide within, in order to bring light into it. But the windows of the Temple were not so; rather, they were narrow within and wide without, in order to send light out to the world. Rabbi Berachya in the name of Rabbi Betzalah: It is written, "and the windows belonging to it and its porches" (Ezekiel 40:25); it is not written like windows, but rather like the windows (ibid.) -- they were dimmed windows, narrow within and wide without, in order to send light out to the world. Rabbi Shimon ben Yotzedek sent and asked Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman, saying: Since I have heard that you are a master of aggadah, from where did light go out to the world? He said to him: The Holy One, blessed be He, wrapped Himself in a white robe, and the entire world shone from the splendor of His glory. He said this to him in a whisper. He said to him: It is an explicit verse, "He covers Himself with light as with a garment, He stretches out the heavens like a curtain" (Psalms 104:2), and you tell me in a whisper? He said to him: Just as it was told to me in a whisper, so I told it to you in a whisper. And had Rabbi Yitzchak not expounded it in public, it would not have been possible to say it. Before this, what did they say? Rabbi Berachya said: From the place of the Temple, light went out to the world. What is the reason? "And behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and His voice was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory" (Ezekiel 43:2). And glory means nothing other than the Temple, as it is written, "A glorious throne, set on high from the first, is the place of our sanctuary" (Jeremiah 17:12).

"For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples" (Isaiah 60:2). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana and the Rabbis. Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said: Darkness and gloom served in the land of Egypt for three days. The rest of the opening passage is as it is written, "And it came to pass at midnight" (Exodus 12:29). It is concluded.

"I will greatly rejoice." It is written, "Will You not revive us again, that Your people may rejoice in You?" (Psalms 85:7). Rabbi Acha said: Your people and Your city will rejoice in You. "And Sarah said, God has made laughter for me" (Genesis 21:6). Rabbi Yudan, Rabbi Simon, Rabbi Chanin, Rabbi Shmuel bar Yitzchak: Reuben rejoices -- what does it matter to Shimon? For Sarah our mother says, "Everyone who hears will laugh with me" (ibid.). Rather, it teaches that when Sarah our mother gave birth to Isaac, all the barren women were remembered, all the deaf were made to hear, all the blind were opened, all the mute were healed, and all the mad were made sane, and all were saying: Would that Sarah our mother be remembered a second time, that we might be remembered along with her. Rabbi Berachya in the name of Rabbi Levi: To add to the luminaries. "Doing" is stated here, "And the LORD did to Sarah as He had spoken" (Genesis 21:1), and "doing" is stated elsewhere, "And God made the two great lights" (ibid. 1:16). Just as the "doing" stated elsewhere was to give light to the world, so the "doing" stated here was to give light to the world. "Doing" is stated here, and "doing" is stated elsewhere, "And he made a release to the provinces" (Esther 2:18). Just as the "doing" stated there was to give relief to the world, so the "doing" stated here was to give relief to the world. Rabbi Berachya in the name of Rabbi Levi: You find that when Sarah our mother gave birth to Isaac, the nations of the world were saying, God forbid, Sarah did not give birth to Isaac, but rather Hagar, Sarah's maidservant, she gave birth to him. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He dried up the breasts of the wives of the nations of the world, and their noble ladies came and kissed the dust of Sarah's feet and said to her: Do a kindness and nurse our children. And our father Abraham would say to Sarah: Sarah, this is no hour for modesty; sanctify the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, and sit in the marketplace and nurse their children. This is what is written, "Sarah has nursed children" (Genesis 21:7); it is not written child but rather children. And are these things not a matter of inference from minor to major? If a human being, when joy comes to him, rejoices and gives joy to all, then when the Holy One comes to gladden Jerusalem, how much more so. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD" (Isaiah 61:10).

"This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it" (Psalms 118:24). Rabbi Avin said: We do not know in what to rejoice, whether in the day or in the Holy One, blessed be He. Solomon came and explained, "let us be glad and rejoice in You" -- in You, in Your Torah; in You, in Your salvation. Rabbi Yitzchak said: In You -- in the twenty-two letters that You wrote for us in the Torah. Bet is two, kaf is twenty. As we have learned there: If a man married a woman and remained with her ten years and she did not give birth, he is not permitted to neglect procreation. If he divorced her, she is permitted to marry another, and the second husband may remain with her ten years. If she miscarried, he counts from the time she miscarried. The man is commanded concerning procreation, but not the woman. Rabbi Yochanan ben Beroka says: Concerning both of them it says, "And God blessed them, and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply" (Genesis 1:28). There was an incident in Sidon concerning a man who married a woman and remained with her ten years and she did not give birth. They came before Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai to be divorced. He said to her: Any precious thing I have in my house, take it and go to your father's house. Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai said to them: Just as you were joined together amid food and drink, so you shall not part from one another except amid food and drink. What did she do? She made a great feast and got him very drunk and signaled to her maidservant, saying to them: Take him to my father's house. In the middle of the night he awoke from his sleep. He said to her: Where am I placed? She said to him: Did you not say, any precious thing I have in my house, take it and go to your father's house? And now I have no thing more precious than you. When Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai heard this, he prayed for them and they were remembered. The Holy One, blessed be He, remembers the barren, and the righteous remember the barren. And are these things not a matter of inference from minor to major? If a human being rejoices with joy and gives joy to all, then when the Holy One comes to gladden Jerusalem, how much more so. And Israel awaits the salvation of the Holy One, blessed be He, how much more so. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD" (Isaiah 61:10).

This is like a noblewoman whose husband, son, and son-in-law went to a country across the sea. They said to her: Your sons have come. She said to them: Let my daughters-in-law rejoice. Here are your sons-in-law. She said to them: Let my daughters rejoice. When they said to her: Here is your husband, she said to them: This is joy, joy that is complete. So the prophets say to Jerusalem, "Your sons shall come from afar" (Isaiah 60:4), and she says to them, "Let Mount Zion be glad" (Psalms 48:12). "And your daughters shall be carried at the side" (Isaiah 60:4), and she says to them, "Let the daughters of Judah rejoice" (Psalms ibid.). And when they say to her, "Behold, your king comes to you" (Zechariah 9:9), she says to them: This is joy, joy that is complete. "I will greatly rejoice in the LORD" (Isaiah 61:10).

This is like an orphan girl who grew up in a palace. When her time came to be married, they say to her: Do you have anything? She says to them: I have something from my father, I have something from my grandfather. So Israel has merit from Abraham, and they have merit from our father Jacob. "For He has clothed me with garments of salvation" (Isaiah 61:10) -- in the merit of our father Jacob, "and she put the skins of the kids of the goats upon his hands" (Genesis 27:16). "He has covered me with a robe of righteousness" (Isaiah ibid.) -- this is our father Abraham, "for I have known him" (Genesis 18:19). "As a bridegroom puts on a priestly diadem" (Isaiah ibid.) -- you find that when Israel stood at Mount Sinai, they contracted themselves like a bride, opening one hand and closing one hand.