Jerusalem Anthology - Jeremiah

Avot d’Rabbi Natan version 1 ch. 35 Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: in the future all the nations and all the kingdoms will gather together in Jerusalem, as it says “…and all nations shall gather to it in the name of the Lord, to Jerusalem…” (Jeremiah 3:17) And before this it says “Let the water that is beneath the heavens gather into one place…” (Genesis 1:9) Just as the word gather there means that all of the waters of creation were brought together in one place, so too the word gather here means to bring all of the nations and kingdoms together within her, as it says “and all nations shall gather to it.”

Midrash Tehillim mizmor 50:1 “A song of Asaph; God, God the Lord, spoke and called to the earth…” (Psalms 50:1) The heretics asked R’ Simlai: what is the meaning of the verse ‘God, God the Lord, spoke’. He replied to them: it is not written ‘they spoke’ or ‘they called’ but rather ‘he spoke’ and ‘he called’. He students said to him: our teacher, you pushed them off with a broken reed, but what will you reply to us? He said to them: all three words are one name, as a man who says ‘artisans, builders, architects’. And why is the name of the Holy One mentioned three times here? To teach that the Holy One created His world with three names parallel to three positive attributes through which the world was created – with wisdom, with understanding and with knowledge as it says “The Lord founded the earth with wisdom, established the heavens with understanding. With His knowledge the depths were split…” (Proverbs 3:19-20) Parallel to these the Tent of Meeting and the Tabernacle were built, as it says “I have imbued him with the spirit of God, with wisdom, with insight, with knowledge, and with all manner of craftsmanship.” (Exodus 31:3) Similarly, “For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a zealous God.” (Deuteronomy 4:24) And so to “God, God, the Lord, God, God, the Lord, He knows…” (Joshua 22:22) Why did the verse mention the Name twice ‘God, God, the Lord’? Parallel to the three with which the world was created. ‘God, God, the Lord’ those through which the Torah was given, as it says “…I, the Lord your God, am a zealous God…” (Deuteronomy 5:9) Therefore it says “God, God the Lord, spoke and called to the earth…” (Psalms 50:1) Perhaps each one was created by itself? No, they were created together as it says “Even My hand laid the foundation of the earth, and My right hand measured the heavens with handbreadths; I call them, they stand together.” (Isaiah 48:13) “…from the rising of the sun until its setting…” (Psalms 50:1) When a creature of flesh and blood makes a form, he begins at the head and finishes at the feet or he begins at the feet and finishes at the head. With the Holy One this is not the case, rather when He formed man he formed him all at once, this is what it says “…for He is the One Who formed everything…” (Jeremiah 10:16) This is ‘from the rising of the sun until its setting’. And from where do we learn that He created it from Zion? As it says “From Zion, the finery (miclal) of beauty…” (Psalms 50:2) From out of (m’clal) the beauty of the world. What does ‘appeared’ mean? Illuminated. Appearance always refers to light, as it says “…and causes the light of His cloud to appear.” (Job 37:15) From where do we learn that this is speaking of the world? It says here miclal and it says elsewhere “Now the heavens and the earth were completed (vay’chulu)…” (Genesis 2:1) And when He destroys it, He will start from Zion, as it says “And I will make Jerusalem heaps of ruin…” (Jeremiah 9:10) and afterwards “All the land shall be a desolation…” (Jeremiah 4:27) And it says “And the land shall become desolate with its inhabitants…” (Micah 7:13) And at the time when the Holy One renews His world He will renew it from Zion, as it says “…the mountain of the Lord's house shall be firmly established at the top of the mountains…” (Isaiah 2:2)

Radak Jeremiah 9:18 For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion – It is heard from all the other places as well, it is just that before Zion was conquered they thought to take refuge in Zion and Jerusalem. If Jerusalem had remained to them, then the other cities which had been conquered would have been rebuilt and resettled as they were in the days of Sancheriv who conquered everything except Jerusalem. That time, since Jerusalem remained, everything remained - they were not exiled and they did not abandon the land of Israel. Now since Jerusalem has been conquered there is no more hope for the situation to be fixed. Therefor then the voice of wailing was heard and they said ‘'O how we are ruined! We are very much ashamed, because we have left the land.’ The land (eretz) is written with a kometz zakaf which is one of the fourteen places that eretz is written so.

Eicha Raba petichtot 8 R’ Yiztchak opened and said “For a sound of wailing is heard from Zion: 'O how we are ruined!” (Jeremiah 9:18) Do wood and stone cry that you say a sound of wailing is heard from Zion?! Rather, it is heard from He who causes His Presence to rest in Zion. ‘O how we are ruined’ Oh how they humiliated us. “We are very much ashamed, because we have left the land…” (ibid.) This refers to the land of Israel, as it says “A land the Lord, your God, looks after…” (Deuteronomy 11:12) “…because they have cast down our dwellings!” (Jeremiah 9:18) This refers to the synagogues and houses of learning. Another explanation. ‘We are very much ashamed, because we have left the land’ This refers to the words of Torah, as it says “Longer than the earth is its measure…” (Job 11:9) ‘because they have cast down our dwellings!’ This refers to the synagogues and houses of learning. Another explanation. ‘We are very much ashamed, because we have left the land’ This refers to the Holy Temple, as it says “And from the base on the ground (ha’aretz) to the lower ledge…” (Ezekiel 43:14) ‘because they have cast down our dwellings!’ The destruction of the First Temple and the destruction of the Second Temple. Since they sinned they were exiled, and once they were exiled Jeremiah begain to lament over them, “Oh how…” (Lamentations 1:1)

Avot d’Rabbi Natan version 2 ch. 48 There are ten portions of wisdom in the world - nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world, as it says “…and go away to the land of Moriah…” (Genesis 22:2) There are ten portions of hypocrisy in the world - nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world, as it says “…for from the prophets of Jerusalem has falseness emanated to the whole land.” (Jeremiah 23:15) There are ten portions of Torah in the world – nine in Jerusalem and one in the rest of the world, as it says “…for out of Zion shall the Torah come forth, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)

Midrash Tanchuma (Buber) parshat Toldot 2:2 “And the youths grew up, and Esau was a man who understood hunting…” (Genesis 25:27) R’ Berachia haKohen said in the name of R’ Levi: they both went to school and were both the same until age fifteen. To what can they be compared? To a myrtle and a thorny plant. So long as they are small no one can distinguish between them, but once they grow one becomes dusty and that will alright and the other grows thorns. So too, so long as Esau and Yaakov were young no one distinguished between the but once they grew up they separated. From where do we learn this? “And the youths grew up…” “…whereas Jacob was an innocent man, dwelling in tents.” (ibid.) ‘a man who understood hunting’ R’ Abahu said: what does ‘who understood hunting’ mean? That his sides revolved, he hunted in the house and he hunted in the field. ‘Jacob was an innocent man, dwelling in tents’ The Holy One said to him: You began to dwell in tents. By your life! When I return to Jerusalem, through your merit I will return, as it says “Behold I am returning the captivity of the tents of Jacob…” (Jeremiah 30:18) It does not say the captivity of Avraham, but rather the captivity of Yaakov.

Midrash Tanchuma (Buber) parshat Lech Lecha Another explanation. “…and you shall be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:2) The Holy One said to him: in the future I will raise up a tribe from you that will bless Israel. Which one is it? The tribe of Levi who blesses Israel. Avraham said before Him: master of the world! Who will bless that tribe? The Holy One replied to him: once they bless Israel I will bless them, as it says “They shall bestow My Name upon the children of Israel, so that I will bless them.” (Numbers 6:27) The Holy One said to Israel: in this world the tribe of Levi blesses you in My name, but in the world to come I in My glory will bless you, as it says “May the Lord bless You, dwelling of righteousness, holy mount.” (Jeremiah 31:22)