R. Ahawa bar Ze'era opened (with Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps from its place.” What is the meaning of “and leaps?”33PRK 26(27):5; Lev. R. 20:5. Jumps, as [Scripture] says (in Lev. 11:21), “[which have knees above their feet] with which to jump upon the earth.” Moreover, we translate [the word as] "to jump" (in the Targum Onqelos of Lev. 11:21). When Titus the wicked entered the holy of holies and cut [open] the curtain,34So Sifre, Deut. 32:38; (328); Git. 56b; Gen. R. 10:7; Lev. R. 22:3; Eccl. R. 5:8:4; Josephus, Contra Apionem 2:82; Ant. 20.250; plus the parallels mentioned above. Cf. Exod. R. 51:5, according to which Hadrian committed the sacrilegious act, and M. Pss. 121:3, according to which it was Titus’ nephew. he entered in peace and came out in peace; but the sons of Aaron entered to offer sacrifice and came out destroyed by fire. It is so stated (in Lev. 16:1), “in their approaching in front of the Lord.”
רַב אַחָא בַּר זְעִירָא פָּתַח, אַף לְזֹאת יֶחֱרַד לִבִּי וְיִתַּר מִמְּקוֹמוֹ (איוב לז, א). מַהוּ וְיִתַּר, מְקַפֵּץ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: לְנַתֵּר בָּהֶם עַל הָאָרֶץ (ויקרא יא, כא), וּמְתַרְגְּמִינַן, לְקַפְצָא בְּהוֹן עַל אַרְעָא. אָמַר אִיּוֹב, לֹא הָיוּ דּוֹמִין בָּנָיו שֶׁל אַהֲרֹן לְמַטֵּהוּ. מַטֵּה אַהֲרֹן, נִכְנָס יָבֵשׁ וְיוֹצֵא לַח, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיּוֹצֵא פֶּרַח וַיָּצֵץ צִיץ (במדבר יז, כג). טִיטוּס הָרָשָׁע, נִכְנַס לְבֵית קֹדֶשׁ הַקָּדֳשִׁים, גָּדַר אֶת הַפָּרֹכֶת, נִכְנַס בְּשָׁלוֹם וְיָצָא בְּשָׁלוֹם. וּבְנֵי אַהֲרֹן נִכְנְסוּ לְהַקְטִיר וְיָצְאוּ שְׂרוּפִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: בְּקָרְבָתָם לִפְנֵי ה'.
R. Ahawa bar Ze'era opened (with Job 37:1), “At this also my heart trembles and leaps from its place.” What is the meaning of “and leaps?”33PRK 26(27):5; Lev. R. 20:5. Jumps, as [Scripture] says (in Lev. 11:21), “[which have knees above their feet] with which to jump upon the earth.” Moreover, we translate [the word as] "to jump" (in the Targum Onqelos of Lev. 11:21). When Titus the wicked entered the holy of holies and cut [open] the curtain,34So Sifre, Deut. 32:38; (328); Git. 56b; Gen. R. 10:7; Lev. R. 22:3; Eccl. R. 5:8:4; Josephus, Contra Apionem 2:82; Ant. 20.250; plus the parallels mentioned above. Cf. Exod. R. 51:5, according to which Hadrian committed the sacrilegious act, and M. Pss. 121:3, according to which it was Titus’ nephew. he entered in peace and came out in peace; but the sons of Aaron entered to offer sacrifice and came out destroyed by fire. It is so stated (in Lev. 16:1), “in their approaching in front of the Lord.”