(Job 5:19) promises: "From six woes He shall save you, and in the seventh, evil shall not reach you." The midrash asks which six woes — and Solomon in Proverbs provides the list: "Six things the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to Him" (Proverbs 6:16-19). Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run swiftly to evil, a false witness who pours out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.
David in the Psalms takes each of these and declares himself clear: "My heart is not haughty, my eyes are not lofty" (Psalm 131:1). "My soul is saved from deceitful lips and tongue" (Psalm 120:2). "Hands that shed innocent blood" — David responds that his hands were clean in the specific ways the accusation would have mattered. He builds his declaration of righteousness not in abstract terms but by specifically denying each item on God's list of abominations.
The man who is free from these six is free from the six corresponding woes — which the midrash maps precisely. Famine, the sword, slander, plague, wild beasts, the destroying angel — each matched to a corresponding sin. The righteous person who has cleared the six items on God's list walks through the world unafraid of the six forms of destruction. Not because they are protected by luck, but because the connection between moral life and cosmic safety is real, structural, written into the order of things.
Chapter (67) 68: Prophets [1] "In the second year of King Darius, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai" (Haggai 1:1). Like the scriptures say: "A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level,the rugged places a plain. And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all people will see it together. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:3-5) [also look: Eikhah Rabbah 1:23]. "A voice calls out [in the wilderness]" [edit: ] . Rabbi Levi said: "Why is it called 'in the wilderness'? Rather, it is in accordance with the practice of the world. Just as someone who lost a valuable object does not search for it in the place where it was lost, but rather in a public place where many people pass through, so too the Holy One, blessed be He, caused Israel to be lost in the wilderness, as it is said, 'In this wilderness they shall be consumed, and there they shall die' (Numbers 14:35), and there He goes and seeks them. A voice calls out in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way.' What should we prepare? He said to them, 'Remove the obstacles from among you.' As Laban said to Eliezer, 'Do not be delayed by me, now that the Lord has granted success to your journey. Let me see you off and send you on your way to my master' (Genesis 24:56). Laban had already uprooted [Rebecca] from here [Haran] for Eliezer's sake, as it is said, 'And I have set my face towards the Lord' (Genesis 24:27). And what about the place for the camels? He said to him, 'Rebecca does not steal in this place. And I have set my face towards the Lord.' And who will steal [the idols]? Rachel, who is destined to stand up [to Laban], will steal them and put them among the camels, as it is said, 'And Rachel took the teraphim * [*תְּרָפִים m.n. pl. a kind of household idols. Of uncertain origin. According to Neubauer and others, related to רֽפָאִים ᴵ (= shades, ghosts ).], and put them in the camel's saddle' (Genesis 31:34). Alternatively, 'And I have set my face towards the Lord' is a reference to the statue of Manasseh. And when was it [that it was hidden]? When Nebuchadnezzar went out to destroy it, as it is compared to a camel, as it is said, 'The burden upon beasts of burden' (Isaiah 21:7). The burden upon beasts of burden is the Messiah, and the burden upon a camel is Nebuchadnezzar. On the day that Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple, the Messiah was born, as it is said, 'And Lebanon shall fall by a mighty one' (Isaiah 10:34), and 'a shoot shall grow out of the stock of Jesse' (Isaiah 11:1). Therefore, 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God' (Isaiah 40:3), straighten yourselves like those whom I straightened out in the wilderness who were crooked, 'and let every valley be exalted, and every mountain and hill be made low' (Isaiah 40:4), so that you will no longer be afraid of sin, as it is said, 'Look at your way in the valley' (Jeremiah 2:23)." Alternative interpretation: "All valleys will be exalted. I will carry Moshe, who was buried in a valley, as it is written 'And He buried him in the valley' (Deuteronomy 34:6). This can be compared to a wise man who entrusted his son to a scribe to learn Torah laws and teachings. When they came to appoint him as a wise man, he said, 'I swear that my son has not yet been appointed a wise man until his teacher comes and sanctifies him.' Similarly, Hashem entrusted Israel to Moshe and taught them everything, as it is written, 'See, I have taught you statutes and laws' (Deuteronomy 4:5). And the Messiah will come to redeem them, and Hashem says to him, 'I swear that my children will not be redeemed until Moshe Rabbeinu comes,' as it is written, 'I saw his beginning and ending' (Isaiah 41:4). Why do I carry him? 'Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill shall be made low' (Isaiah 40:4). These are the kingdoms, as it is written, 'And I looked up and saw four chariots coming out from between two mountains' (Zechariah 6:1). And 'The crooked shall be made straight and the rough places smooth' (Isaiah 40:4). This refers to the evil inclination, as it is written, 'The heart is deceitful above all things' (Jeremiah 17:9). And 'The riders shall come down to the plain' (Isaiah 40:4). These are wicked people, as David says, 'You will hide them in the shelter of Your presence from the intrigues of men' (Psalms 31:21). Afterwards, 'And the glory of Hashem shall be revealed' (Isaiah 40:5), because in this world the prophets prophesy indirectly, saying, 'I saw Hashem standing by the altar' (Amos 9:1). Ezekiel says, 'The word of Hashem came to me and I saw visions by the river Kevar' (Ezekiel 1:1). Amos says, 'Behold, Hashem stood upon a wall with a plumb line' (Amos 7:7). "And the prophet Haggai prophesied about the Jews who were in Judah and Jerusalem" (Ezra 5:1), but in the future, everyone will see it, as it is said, "And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken" (Isaiah 40:5). [2] additional interpretation: In the second year of Darius, why did The Holy One, blessed be He, choose to mention Zion? It is because everything that happened to Joseph also happened to Zion, [and why mention] Joseph? "And Israel loved Joseph" (Genesis 37:3), and [Order of lines inverted for clarity.] "The LORD loves the gates of Zion" (Psalms 87:2). "Joseph's brothers hated him" (Genesis 37:5), and "Zion was hated for the voice of her groaning" (Jeremiah 12:8). Joseph, "Behold, we are binding sheaves" (Genesis 37:7), and Zion, "Let Zion come, let her rejoice in her king" (Isaiah 62:1). Joseph's brothers said to him, "Do you indeed reign over us?" (Genesis 37:8), and Zion says, "Your God reigns over you" (Isaiah 52:7). Joseph dreamed a dream (Genesis 37:5), and Zion says, "When the Lord restored the fortunes of Zion, we were like those who dream" (Psalm 126:1). Joseph said, "Here comes that dreamer" (Genesis 37:19), and Zion says, "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet" (Isaiah 62:1). Joseph said, "Come now, let me show you the kindness of my brothers" (Genesis 37:14), and Zion says, "Seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf" (Jeremiah 29:7). Joseph's brothers saw him from afar (Genesis 37:18), and Zion says, "The Lord appeared to me from far away" (Jeremiah 31:3). Joseph and before they approached him to kill him (Genesis 37:18). "They conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish." (Psalm 83:3). "And they stripped Joseph of his coat" (Genesis 37:23), "And they will strip off your clothes and take your fine jewelry" (Ezekiel 23:26). "And they threw him into the pit" (Genesis 37:24), "He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains" (Lamentations 3:7). "The pit where there is no water" (Genesis 37:24), "They threw Jeremiah into a cistern, where he sank into the mud" (Jeremiah 38:6). "They sat down to eat bread" (Genesis 37:25), "Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets" (Lamentations 4:5). "And they drew Joseph up and lifted him out of the pit" (Genesis 37:28), "And they pulled Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern" (Jeremiah 38:13). "And Jacob tore his clothes" (Genesis 37:34), "The Lord did what he had planned; he carried out his word" (Lamentations 2:17). Joseph put a sackcloth on his waist (Genesis 37:34), and Zion put on sackcloth, lamented, and girded herself with mourning (Isaiah 22:12). Joseph refused to be comforted (Genesis 37:35), and Zion said, "Do not comfort me" (Isaiah 22:4). Joseph was sold by his brothers to the Ishmaelites (Genesis 37:28), and Zion and the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem were sold to the Greeks (Joel 4:6). Behold, what happened to Joseph happened to Zion. The good things are also mentioned; "Now Joseph was handsome in form and appearance" (Genesis 39:6), and Zion, "This beautiful city, admired by all" (Lamentations 2:15). "Joseph is not greater in this house than I" (Genesis 39:9), but "The Lord is great in Zion" (Psalm 99:2). "The Lord was with Joseph" (Genesis 39:21), and "My eyes and my heart will be there always" (1 Kings 9:3). "And Joseph found grace in his sight" (Genesis 39:21), and "Therefore, Zion, you are redeemed by mercy". Joseph was taken out of the pit, his clothes were changed (Genesis 41:14), and Zion, "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow" (Isaiah 1:18). Joseph was clothed in fine linen* [*שש means = something "bleached white", byssus (Latin = cotton), linen, fine linen, also: alabaster, similar stone, marble. Also means number 6] (Genesis 41:42), and Zion, "Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion!" (Isaiah 52:1). Joseph was redeemed after two years, from the day he interpreted the dreams of the butler and the baker (Genesis 41:1), and it came to pass after two full years that Zion was redeemed in the second year of Darius (Haggai 1:1). Therefore, David said, "You have redeemed your people with your arm, the sons of Jacob and Joseph" (Psalm 77:16).
