And they found solace and hope in unexpected places, like Psalm 146. Midrash Tehillim, the classical commentary on the Book of Psalms, dives deep into its verses, unearthing profound teachings about God's compassion and the promise of a future redemption. Let's take a look at one small piece of it.
The verse says, "He makes a sentence for the oppressed…" But what does that even mean? The Midrash doesn't shy away from asking the tough questions. It asks, who are the oppressed? Who are the hungry?
The Midrash answers by giving us a very specific example: Elijah. Remember Elijah, the fiery prophet? Even he experienced hunger. But, as the story goes in 1 Kings 17:6, God provided for him. "The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook." So, when the verse says God "gives bread to the hungry," it’s not just a nice sentiment. It's a testament to God's active involvement in the lives of even his most devoted servants.
But here's where it gets really interesting. The Midrash then tackles the phrase, "He permits what is forbidden." What could that possibly mean? This is where the rabbis really start to explore the boundaries of Jewish law and the possibilities of the messianic age.
One interpretation offered is that, in the future, all animals that were deemed impure will become pure. The Midrash references Ecclesiastes 1:9, "What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again." Remember back in the time of Noah? God said (Genesis 9:3), "Every moving thing that lives shall be food for you. I have given you all." Everything was permitted! So why the later restrictions? The Midrash suggests it was a test. "To see who accepts His words and who does not." But in the future, perhaps those restrictions will be lifted.
Or… maybe not. The Midrash doesn’t shy away from presenting conflicting opinions. It cites Isaiah 66:17, which speaks of those who "eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things" and warns that "they will meet their end together." So, will the forbidden become permitted? The Midrash leaves us with a question mark hanging in the air.
Then the conversation shifts to niddah (Niddah 3:7), the laws surrounding menstruation. This is considered one of the most significant prohibitions in Jewish law. During a woman's menstrual cycle, she is considered ritually impure, and sexual relations with her husband are forbidden, as Leviticus 18:19 states: "And to a woman in the impurity of her menstruation." But could even this change in the future?
The Midrash offers a bold suggestion: Perhaps in the messianic era, even the laws of niddah will be transformed. To support this idea, it points to the story of the revelation at Mount Sinai. Before God revealed the Torah to Israel, He forbade marital relations for three days (Exodus 19:11). The Midrash argues that just as there was a temporary restriction before that initial revelation, perhaps the opposite will occur in the future when the Shekhinah, the Divine Presence, dwells among us.
But even here, the Midrash offers another view: some say that even in the future, marital relations during menstruation will remain forbidden.
So, what is meant by "permitting the forbidden"? The Midrash concludes by suggesting that it refers to those prohibitions that carry the most severe penalties – death or Gehenna, hell.
What are we to make of all this? The Midrash isn't giving us easy answers. It's inviting us to grapple with the complexities of Jewish law, the nature of God's commandments, and the very possibility of a transformed future. It reminds us that even the most seemingly fixed rules are open to interpretation, discussion, and perhaps, even transformation. Maybe the point isn't to know for sure what the future holds, but to keep asking the questions, to keep wrestling with the possibilities, and to keep striving for a world where even the most oppressed find solace and redemption.