At the hour when the three of them went out to be killed, they justified the judgment of Heaven upon themselves. He said: "The Rock, His work is perfect" (Deuteronomy 32:4). His wife said: "A faithful God and without iniquity" (Deuteronomy 32:4). His daughter said: "Great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the children of men" (Jeremiah 32:19). Rabbi said: How great are these righteous ones, that there came to them three verses of the justification of judgment at the very hour of the justification of judgment.
The Flying Letters
Avodah Zarah 18a
בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁיָּצְאוּ שְׁלָשְׁתָּן, צִדְּקוּ עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת הַדִּין, הוּא אָמַר: ״הַצּוּר תָּמִים פׇּעֳלוֹ״, וְאִשְׁתּוֹ אָמְרָה: ״אֵל אֱמוּנָה וְאֵין עָוֶל״, בִּתּוֹ אָמְרָה: ״גְּדֹל הָעֵצָה וְרַב הָעֲלִילִיָּה אֲשֶׁר עֵינֶיךָ פְקֻחוֹת עַל כׇּל דַּרְכֵי״. אָמַר רַבִּי: כַּמָּה גְּדוֹלִים צַדִּיקִים הַלָּלוּ, שֶׁנִּזְדַּמְּנוּ לָהֶן שָׁלֹשׁ מִקְרָאוֹת שֶׁל צִדּוּק הַדִּין בִּשְׁעַת צִדּוּק הַדִּין.
Themes
Original Sources
- B. Avodah Zarah 18a
- Avot de-Rabbi Natan 2
- Targum Pseudo-Yonathan on Exodus 32:19
- Zohar l:216b-217a
- Pseudo-Philo, Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum 12:5.