R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel (Ibid. 41, 14). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that all the Gentiles have been placed by the Almighty under the charge of certain tutelary Chieftains, as already stated, and that they all follow their own gods, as it is written: “For all the peoples walk each one in the name of its god” (Micah 4, 5); and they are addicted to bloodshed and warfare, to robbery, violence, and fornication, and other kinds of wickedness, and use all their power to injure and do harm.
Israel, on their part, have no force or power to overcome them save in their mouth, like to the worm which has no strength or power except in its mouth, by which, however, it wears through everything. Hence Israel are called “worm”.
Or again, as the silkworm, that precious creature which produces from itself a fine thread out of which is woven the costliest kingly raiment, leaves behind before it dies a seed out of which it comes to life as before; so Israel, although they seemingly die, always re-emerge and persist in the world as before.
So Scripture says: “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel” (Jer. 18, 6). The term homer (clay) signifies in reality the material of glass which, when broken, can be refounded and made whole as before.
“Fear not… men of Israel”, they being the tree of life, for since the children have engrafted themselves on the tree of life, they will arise from the dust and will be established in the world as one united people to worship the Holy One, blessed be He, in harmony with the words: “That they may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent” (Zeph. 3, 9).’
רִבִּי יְהוּדָה פָּתַח וְאָמַר, (ישעיהו מ״א:י״ד) אַל תִּירְאִי תּוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב מְתֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲנִי עֲזַרְתִּיךְ נְאֻם יְיָ וְגֹאֲלֵךְ קְדוֹשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל. תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל עַמִין עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת דְּעַלְמָא, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא יָהַב לוֹן לִמְמַנָּן שָׁלְטָנִין יְדִיעִין כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. וְכֻלְּהוּ אָזְלֵי בָּתַר אֱלָהֲהוֹן, כְּמָה דִכְתִיב, (מיכה ד׳:ה׳) כִּי כָל הָעַמִּים יֵלְכוּ אִישׁ בְּשֵׁם אֱלהָיו. וְכֻלְּהוּ אוֹשְׁדִין דָּמִין וּמַגִּיחִין קְרָבָא גָּזְלִין קַפְּחִין וּמְנָאֲפִין, וְאִתְעָרְבֵי בְּכַמָּה עוֹבָדִין לְבִישׁ, וְאִתְתַּקָּפוּ בְּחֵילְהוֹן לְאַבְאָשָׁא.
R. Judah discoursed on the verse: Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I help thee, saith the Lord, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel (Ibid. 41, 14). ‘Observe’, he said, ‘that all the Gentiles have been placed by the Almighty under the charge of certain tutelary Chieftains, as already stated, and that they all follow their own gods, as it is written: “For all the peoples walk each one in the name of its god” (Micah 4, 5); and they are addicted to bloodshed and warfare, to robbery, violence, and fornication, and other kinds of wickedness, and use all their power to injure and do harm.
וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לֵית לוֹן תּוּקְפָא וְחֵילָא לְנַצְחָאָה לוֹן בַּר בְּפוּמְהוֹן, כְּתוֹלַעְתָּא דָא דְּלֵית לָהּ תּוּקְפָא וְחֵילָא אֶלָּא בְּפוּמָא, וּבְפוּמָא מִתְבַּר כֹּלָּא, וְעַל דָּא אִקְרוּן יִשְׂרָאֵל תּוֹלַעַת.
Israel, on their part, have no force or power to overcome them save in their mouth, like to the worm which has no strength or power except in its mouth, by which, however, it wears through everything. Hence Israel are called “worm”.
תוּ אַל תִּירְאִי תּוֹלַעַת יַעֲקֹב, מַה תּוֹלַעַת לֵית לִבְרִיָה דְעַלְמָא כְּהַאי תּוֹלַעַת דְּמֶשִׁי דְּסִיסְטְרָא, דְּמִנָּהּ נָפְקֵי כָּל לְבוּשֵׁי יְקָר טִיסְטְרֵי דְמַלְכִין, לְבָתַר זָרַע זַרְעִין וּמִית, וּלְבָתַר מֵהַהוּא זַרְעָא דְּאִשְׁתָּאַר מִנֵּיהּ אִתְקְיַּים כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין וְהָא אִיהוּ בְּקִיּוּמָא. כָּךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל אִינוּן כְּהַאי תּוֹלַעַת. דְאַף עַל גַּב דְּמֵתִין, יִתְהַדְּרוּן וְיִתְקַיְּימוּן בְּעַלְמָא כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין.
Or again, as the silkworm, that precious creature which produces from itself a fine thread out of which is woven the costliest kingly raiment, leaves behind before it dies a seed out of which it comes to life as before; so Israel, although they seemingly die, always re-emerge and persist in the world as before.
וְהָא אִתְּמָר (ד"א ל"ג דכתיב) (ירמיהו י״ח:ו׳) כִּי כַּחֹמֶר בְּיַד הַיּוֹצֵר כֵּן אַתֶּם בְּיָדִי בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַאי כַּחֹמֶר. אֶלָא דָא הוּא חֹמֶר דְּהַהוּא זְכוּכִית, דְּאַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתָּבַר אִתְתַּקַּן וְאִית לֵיהּ תַּקָּנָה כְּמִלְּקַדְּמִין.
So Scripture says: “Behold, as the clay in the potter’s hand, so are ye in my hand, O house of Israel” (Jer. 18, 6). The term homer (clay) signifies in reality the material of glass which, when broken, can be refounded and made whole as before.
מְתֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, דָּא אִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי, דִּבְגִין דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל אִינוּן אִתְדַּבָּקוּ בְּאִילָנָא דְחַיֵּי, בְּגִין כָּךְ יְהֵא חַיִּין לְהוֹן וִיקוּמוּן מֵעַפְרָא וְיִתְקַיְּימוּן בְּעַלְמָא, וִיהוֹן לְעַם חַד לְמִפְלַח לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (צפניה ג׳:ט׳) לִקְרֹא כֻּלָּם בְּשֵׁם יְיָ לְעָבְדוֹ שְׁכֶם אֶחָד.
“Fear not… men of Israel”, they being the tree of life, for since the children have engrafted themselves on the tree of life, they will arise from the dust and will be established in the world as one united people to worship the Holy One, blessed be He, in harmony with the words: “That they may call upon the name of the Lord, to serve him with one consent” (Zeph. 3, 9).’