When a lion roars, every animal in the forest freezes. Even the ones who have never been hunted. Even the ones too far away to be prey. The sound itself is the message: there is something here that can end you. Amos understood this when he wrote, "The lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord God has spoken, who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:8).
Aggadat Bereshit uses this image to talk about Israel's stubbornness — and not entirely as a criticism. When God offered to send an angel to lead them through the desert instead of going Himself, Moses refused. "You send an angel to all these nations, but not to us?" (Exodus 33:2-3). The rabbis read this refusal as boldness born from relationship. The nations trembled at the lion's roar and took what they could get. Israel argued for more. And God, according to the midrash, loved them for it.
The wicked fear the roar too — they cannot help it. Even those who have decided God cannot touch them feel the reverberation when the heavens thunder. But fear without relationship changes nothing. The rabbis make a distinction between the fear that paralyzes and the fear that transforms. The nations freeze. Israel argues. And arguing with God, in the rabbinic tradition, is itself a form of reverence — because it assumes the conversation is real.
Chapter 8: Prophets. [1] "The Lord's wrath I will bear, for I have sinned against him" (Micah 7:9).Just as when a lion roars, the animals tremble, so too does the Holy One, blessed be He, roar, as it is said, "The lion has roared, who will not fear? The Lord GOD has spoken, who can but prophesy?" (Amos 3:8). Come and see: how stubborn is this nation! When the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, "I will send an angel before you... and drive out [the Canaanites]" (Exodus 33:2), Moses said before Him, "Master of the Universe! You send an angel to all these nations, but not to us?" (Exodus 33:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "I swear by your life, if I sent an angel, when would I destroy them?" as it is said, "At what time do I send [an angel], and when do I destroy them?" (Exodus 23:27). It is said elsewhere, "roars like a lion" (Hosea 11:10), referring to the Holy One, blessed be He. However, regarding Israel, it is said, "and His will is like dew upon the grass" (Proverbs 19:12). Just as dew brings life to the world, so too does the Holy One, blessed be He, come like dew to Israel, as it is said, "I will be like the dew to Israel" (Hosea 14:6). Even when He is angry with them, He is still upon them like dew, as it is said, "and His will is like dew upon the grass." Israel said to Him, "For this reason we can stand, because You make Yourself like dew to us," as it is said, "And the remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples like dew from the LORD" (Micah 5:6). [2] Another thing about: "I will express the anger of the Lord." As it is written, "for I was ashamed to ask the king for soldiers and horsemen" (Ezra 8:22). The nations of the world said to Israel, "You say, 'I will be angry with the Lord,' but it is written, 'Who can withstand his indignation? Who can endure his fierce anger? His wrath is poured out like fire; the rocks are shattered before him'" (Nahum 1:6). Who can withstand His anger? No one can withstand His messengers, but you can withstand His anger. The sea was His messenger, yet generations of people stood against it, as it is written, "You who made the sea and its waves roar" (Amos 5:8). The flood was His messenger, but it did not prevail against the generation of the flood, as it is written, "He wiped out all living things" (Genesis 7:23). Fire and brimstone were His messengers, but they did not prevail against the people of Sodom, as it is written, "The Lord caused sulfur and fire to rain down" (Genesis 19:24). The locust was His messenger, but Pharaoh could not withstand it, as it is written, "The locusts came up" (Exodus 10:14). The stars were His messengers, but Sisera could not withstand them, as it is written, "The stars fought from heaven" (Judges 5:20). The angel was His messenger, but Sennacherib could not withstand him, as it is written, "And the angel of the Lord went out" (2 Kings 19:35).If no one can withstand His messengers and yet you can withstand His anger, why do you say, "I will carry the Lord's anger"? The Israelites said to themselves, "Why can't we withstand His anger when our messengers have prevailed against His?" But the answer is, the sea was the Lord's messenger, and yet it split for Moses and the Israelites to cross on dry land, as it is written, "The Israelites went on dry ground" (Exodus 14:29).And so the sea saw and fled (Psalms 114:3), the Jordan did not dry up for Joshua, as it is written "When all the nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 'Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight'" (Joshua 4:1-3). The angel sent to Jacob could not defeat him, as it is said "He struggled with the angel and overcame him" (Hosea 12:4). The sun and moon did not stand still for Joshua, as it is written "So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged itself on its enemies, as it is written in the Book of Jashar. The sun stopped in the middle of the sky and delayed going down about a full day" (Joshua 10:13). The angel sent to Aaron did not stop him, as it is said "He stood between the living and the dead" (Numbers 17:13), just as our messengers have triumphed over his messenger. Similarly, Phinehas subdued his anger, as it is said "Phinehas son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, the priest, has turned my anger away" (Numbers 25:11). Therefore, it is said "I will carry the Lord's wrath" (Psalms 77:10). And why can we withstand his anger? Because it comes upon us with mercy, as it is said "I will carry the Lord's wrath" and it is written "The Lord, the compassionate and gracious God" (Exodus 34:6). The sea did not stand up to His rebuke, as it is said "He rebukes the sea and dries it up" (Nahum 1:4), and likewise in the days of Jonah, the sea was angry but stood still, as it is said "The sea was calmed and quiet" (Jonah 1:15). But as for me, because he comes upon me with mercy, I can accept His anger, and therefore it is said "I will carry the Lord's wrath". [3] Another thing about: This is like a strong man who hits another person with a slap (like a strike that gives him 400 gold coins and he hits him with his hand on the cheek) and immediately kills him with a powerful blow (a deadly punch or strike). He goes back to his house and hits his wife with one slap from his hand, but she stands strong. They said to her, "The strength of your endurance is harder than that of all the athletes (soldiers) and all the mighty men who die from one powerful blow and one slap. How much more did you suffer from him, and yet you can stand?" She answered them, "The same one who strikes them with all his might also strikes me, but when he strikes me according to my strength, I can stand." This is what the Lord said, "For I, the Lord, do not change, and so you, O descendants of Jacob, are not destroyed" (Malachi 3:6). "I did not strike a nation twice, like the generation of man," as it is written, "He who calls to the sea and it roars, the Lord of Hosts is His name" (Amos 5:8), referring to the generation of the Flood, which destroyed the entire world (as it is written in Genesis 7:23). "Like the generation of the dispersion, whom the Lord scattered" (Genesis 11:8). "The Sodomites, of whom it is written, 'He stretched out His hand against their land'" (Job 28:9). "The Egyptians, of whom it is written, 'The waters returned and covered them'" (Exodus 14:28). "So shall all Your enemies perish, O Lord" (Judges 5:31). "They shall be turned back and utterly put to shame" (Psalm 6:11). "From the noise of the tumult, peoples shall flee" (Isaiah 33:3), but "you sons of Jacob are not consumed" (Malachi 3:6), as it is written, "Only against me have they sinned" (Lamentations 1:8). The Lord says: "The strength of Israel is severe, with half their strength gone you are not consumed" (Amos 3:2). As it is written, "I will heap disasters on them" (Deuteronomy 32:23) "[Half their strength] I will consume," but "you are not consumed." Therefore, the Lord says, "I will raise my anger." [4] Another thing about: "I will express the anger of the Lord." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Yonatan, the man from Jerusalem, that Israel said to God: "With what do we console ourselves, and why are we able to withstand His anger?" They said, "Because He strikes us and immediately heals us, creating us anew." As Isaiah said: "Who has given Jacob up for plunder and Israel to the robbers? Was it not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not follow his ways, they did not obey his law. So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war. It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand; it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart." (Isaiah 42:24-25) This means that they were destroyed and plundered, but immediately God created them anew, as it says: "And now this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel." (Isaiah 43:1) Therefore, Israel said in this matter, "We see and console ourselves that God creates us anew immediately," as Jeremiah said: "But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassion never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (Lamentations 3:21-23) And why are they new every morning? Because God renews them immediately, as it says: "And now this is what the Lord says— he who created you, Jacob, he who formed you, Israel." (Isaiah 43:1)
