Another matter, “these are the ordinances,” that is what is written: “A king upholds the land with justice” (Proverbs 29:4), this is the Holy One blessed be He, who created His world with justice, as it is stated: “In the beginning, God created” (Genesis 1:1). “The Lord created” is not stated, but rather “God created.” It does not say: ‘The Lord said: Let there be a firmament,’ but rather, “God” (Genesis 1:6).
The same is true of all of them.52In each stage of creation, the verses refer to “God” rather than “the Lord.” According to the midrash, verses employ the name “God” when He acts with the attribute of justice, and “the Lord” when He acts with the attribute of mercy (see, e.g., Bereishit Rabba 12:16). Likewise, David said: “For God is Judge” (Psalms 50:6), to teach you that the world was created with justice.
“But a man of donations [terumot] will destroy it” (Proverbs 29:4); this is Adam. Just as it is the way of a woman when she seeks to separate her ḥalla, she kneads the flour and then takes ḥalla, so God did. He kneaded the world and then took Adam, as it is stated: “Mist would ascend from the earth” (Genesis 2:6), and then: “[The Lord God] formed [man of the dust of the ground]” (Genesis 2:7).53The comparison here is based on the fact that ḥalla is also referred to as teruma; see Numbers 15:20).
When he sinned, God said to him: “The land is cursed because of you” (Genesis 3:17). That is why it is stated: “But a man of donations [will destroy it].” Another matter, “a king upholds the land with justice,” this is Yehoshafat, as it is stated: “Yehoshafat said to the judges: Consider what you are doing” (II Chronicles 19:6). “But a man of donations will destroy it,” this is a Sage who knows halakhot, midrash, and agadot, and an orphan and a widow go to him so that he will implement justice for them, and he says to them: ‘I am preoccupied with my studies, I am not available.’
God says to him: ‘I consider it as though you destroyed the world.’ That is why it says: “But a man of donations [terumot] will destroy it.”54Such a Sage is referred to as a man of terumot because he is involved in endeavors that are sacred, just as teruma is sacred, and he removes [merim] himself from involvement in justice. Another matter, “a king upholds the land with justice,” this is Israel, as it is stated: “You shall be for Me a kingdom of priests” (Exodus 19:6).
“But a man of donations [terumot] will destroy it,” this is the generation of the flood, which did not implement justice.55They separated [herimu] themselves from justice. See what is written in their regard: “They drive the donkey of orphans…. They turn the indigent from the way” (Job 24:3–4). Rabbi Aḥa said: The Holy One blessed be He sought to give them four matters: Torah, suffering, the rite of offerings, and prayer, but they did not seek it, as it is stated: “They say to God: Turn away from us” (Job 21:14), this is the suffering.
“We do not desire the knowledge of Your ways” (Job 21:14), this is Torah. “What is the Almighty that we should worship Him?” (Job 21:15), these are the offerings. “What good will it do if we encounter Him?” (Job 21:15), this is prayer. The Holy One blessed be He said to them: ‘What caused you to be eliminated from the evening of this world and from the morning of the World to Come?56This world is compared to evening or night, and the World to Come is compared to morning.
It is because you did not accept the Torah in which there is justice,’ as it is stated: “From morning to evening they are broken” (Job 4:20). Why? “Forever unaware [mesim], they perish” (Job 4:20), and mesim is nothing other than justice, as it is stated: “These are the ordinances that you shall place [tasim] before them.”