Midrasch zu Bereschit 26:36

And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go (Exod. 13:17). The word let go (shallah) indicates “to escort,” as in the verse Abraham went with them to bring them (leshalleham) on the way (Gen. 18:16). Similarly it states; And Isaac sent them away (vaye-shallehem), and they departed from him in peace (ibid. 26:31). Why does this scriptural portion open with this verse? Because the mouth (i.e., Pharaoh) that had declared: And moreover, I will not let Israel go (Exod. 5:2), now retracted and said: I will let you go (ibid. 8:24). This explains why this portion of Scripture begins with the words When Pharaoh had let the people go. What was his reward for doing so? Thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian (Deut. 23:8), for the mouth that had said: I know not the Lord (Exod. 5:2) reversed itself and declared: The Lord is righteous (ibid. 9:27). What was his reward for saying this? He gave them a burial place, as it is said: Thou stretchest out Thy right hand—the earth swallowed them (ibid. 15:12).

And these are the names of the Sons of Israel that came into Egypt with Yaakov, every man came with his household – There it is written (Mishlei 13, 24): “He who spares the rod hates his son; but he who loves him disciplines him in his youth.” Ordinarily in the world, if a person says to his friend: “So-and-so hit your son”, he would be ready to reduce his livelihood. And why is it taught “ He who spares the rod hates his son”?! In order to teach you, that anyone who refrains from disciplining his son in the end causes him to fall into evil ways and will hate him. This is what we have found with Yishmael, who behaved wickedly on Avraham his father but did not rebuke him, with the result that he fell into evil ways and he hated him and he left from his house with nothing. What did Yishmael do when he was fifteen years old? He started to bring idols from the market and he would play with them and worship them as he had seen others do, immediately (Bereishit 21, 9) “And Sarah saw the son of the Egyptian Hagar that she had given birth for Avraham was fooling around etc…” And there is no fooling except for idol worship, like that it says (Shemot 32,6): And they rose up to fool around. Immediately (Bereishit 21,10): And she said to Avraham , Send out this maid-servant and her son, perhaps my son will learn from him. Immediately, (Bereishit 21,11) And this thing was very bad in the eyes of Avraham etc...on account of his son because he had become evil. (Bereshit 21,12) And G-d said to Avraham, do not let it be evil in your eyes etc... From here you can learn, that Avraham was secondary to Sarah in prophecy, following on, (Bereishit 21,14): And Avraham got up in the morning and he took bread and a bottle of water, to teach you, that he hated Yishmael because of his evil ways, and sent him and his mother Hagar empty-handed and expelled them from his house because of this. Do you really think that Avraham, of whom it is written (Bereishit 13,2): And Avraham was very rich in cattle etc... that he would send his wife and his son from his house empty-handed, without clothes or means of a livelihood?! Rather, this is to teach you, since he turned evil, he stopped thinking about him. What was his end? After he had been expelled, he sat at the cross-roads and was a bandit, as it says (Bereishit 16,12): And he was a wild man. And similar to this (Bereishit 25,28): And Yitzchak loved Esav, therefore he turned to evil ways, because he was not rebuked, like we were taught: Five transgressions the evil Esav transgressed on that day: He seduced an engaged lady, and killed a man, denied resurrection, and rejected the fundamentals of religion and spurned his birthright, that he desired the death of his father, and sought to kill his brother, as it says (Bereishit 27,41):May the days of mourning for my father be brought close etc.. And he forced Ya'acov to flee from his father. And he even went with Yishmael, to learn from his evil ways and to add to his wives, as it says (Bereshit 28,9): And Esav went to Yishmael. Similarly with David, that he did not rebuke or chastise his son Avshalom, he turned to evil ways and sought to kill his father, and he lay with concubines, and becoming the cause if his wandering, bare-footed and crying, and many thousands and myriads of Israelites were slaughtered, and he caused much suffering upon them which did not end. As it is written (Psalms 3,1): A song of David, when he fled from Avshalom his son, just as it was written after (Psalms 3,2) How great in number have my enemies become etc. And cultural evil is harsher on one's home than the war of Gog and Magog, for regarding the war of Gog and Magog it says: (Tehilim 2:1) "Why do the nations stir?" and later it is written: (Tehilim 3:2) "God, how many my enemies are!" And similarly David behaved with Adoniyah, he did not beat him in punishment, and did not get angry at him, and therefore he left to cultural evil, as is written: (Kings 1 1:6) "And his father never scolded him...and she bore him after Avshalom." Wasn't Avshalom the son of Maacha, while Adoniyahu was the son of Chagit? What does it mean, "she bore him after Avshalom"? Instead- since he [Avshalom] left to cultural evil, and his father never beat him, and it is written about Adoniyahu "his father never scolded him," he too left to cultural evil, and therefore it is written: "and she bore him after Avshalom." (Proverbs 13:24) "But he who loves him disciplines him in his youth" refers to the Holy Blessed One, who loves Israel, as it is written (Malachi 1:2) "I have loved you, says God," who increases their suffering. One can find three good gifts that the Holy Blessed One gave to Israel, and they were each given only by means of suffering: the Torah, the Land of Israel, and life in the World to Come. The Torah, as it is written: (Psalms 94:12) "How lucky is the man who You discipline, God, and to whom You teach Your Torah." The Land of Israel, as it is written: (Deuteronomy 8:5) "Bear in mind that the LORD your God disciplines you just as a man disciplines his son." What is written next? (Deuteronomy 8:7) "For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land..." The World to Come, as it is written: (Proverbs 6:23) "For the commandment is a lamp, the teaching is a light, and the way to life is the rebuke that disciplines." And when anyone rebukes his son, the son increases his love for his father, and he honors him, as it is said: (Proverbs 29:17) "Discipline your son and he will give you peace." And it says: (Proverbs 19:18) "Discipline your son while there is still hope." And he increases his love for him, as it says: "But he who loves him disciplines him early," meaning because he disciplines him early, therefore he loves him. You find that Abraham disciplined Isaac his son and taught him Torah and guided him in his ways, as is written about Avraham: (Genesis 26:5) "In return for Avraham's obedience to my voice" and it is written: (Genesis 25:19) "These are the descendants of Isaac, son of Abraham," which teaches you that he was similar to his father in all ways- in beauty, in wisdom, in wealth, and in good deeds. You should know that he [Isaac] was thirty-seven years old when his he was bound by his father, and it is written: (Genesis 24:1) "And Abraham was old, advanced in age" and yet he bound him and positioned him like a lamb, and he did not refuse. Therefore: (Genesis 25:5) "Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac," Which is to say, "he who loves him disciplines him early." In the same manner, Isaac would discipline Jacob early, for Isaac taught him Torah and disciplined him in his house of study, as it says: (Genesis 25:27) "but Jacob was a mild man who stayed home." And he learned what his father taught him, and then he separated from his father and hid in the house of Ever to study Torah. Therefore he merited blessing and inherited the land, as it says: (Genesis 27:1) "Jacob lived in the land of his father's residence, in the land of Canaan." And even our Patriarch Jacob disciplined his sons, and beat them and taught them his ways, so that none of them would be disposable, as it is written: (Exodus 1:1) "These are the names of the sons of Israel who arrived to Egypt..." The verse equates them all to Jacob, for they were all righteous as he had been. This resolves: "But he who loves him disciplines him early."

(Gen. 12:1:) NOW THE LORD SAID UNTO ABRAM: GO…. {Let our masters teach} [Let our master instruct us]: What does it mean for one to take upon himself the Kingdom of Heaven (i.e., recite the Shema' while he is walking?¹yBer. 2:1 (4a); cf. Ber. 13b; Tanh., Gen. 3:1. Rav Idi and Rav Huna in the name of R. Jose bar Judah said in the name of R. Samuel:²Since R. Jose bar Judah flourished somewhat earlier than R. Samuel, the text here presents a chronological problem. Variant readings to this text represent attempts at a solution. It is forbidden for a person to take upon oneself the yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven while he is walking. Rather let him stand < still > upon his feet and give the recitation of the Shema'. Then, when he arrives at "Blessed be the name of his glorious majesty forever and ever," let him immediately begin to walk < while > reciting the We'ahavta (= Deut. 6:5) with no fear (of sinning). You find that whoever is meticulous about the commandments receives much reward. Now Abraham was meticulous about the commandments.³On Abraham keeping the Mosaic Law, see Syriac Baruch 57:1-2; cf. Jubilees 23:10; Damascus Document (CD) 3:2; Qid. 4:14; Yoma 28b; Ned. 32a (bar.); Gen. R. 49:2; 95:3; also below, 3:14. R. Aha said in the name of R. Alexandri and R. Samuel bar Nahmani in the name of R. Jonathan: They even kept eruvim of cooked foods in Abraham's house,⁴Yoma 28b; Gen. R. 49:2; 64:4; M. Pss. 1:13. as stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE [AND KEPT MY CHARGE: MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY TORAHS]. But is there not a single Torah? < The plural usage here > simply < indicates > that he was meticulous with all commandments which are in < oral and written > Torah.⁵See below, 3:14; 11:12. The Holy One said: You are meticulous with my commandments; so should you dwell with those who serve idols? Go out from among them. {Thus it is stated} [Where is it shown? Where they read on the matter] (in Gen. 12:1): NOW THE LORD SAID UNTO ABRAM: GO.

(Gen. 25:19:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF ISAAC BEN ABRAHAM.¹Except for most of the last section (# 24), Toledot is not found in Buber’s Oxford MS. Buber has filled in the gap mostly from Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. This text is related (to Prov. 17:6): GRANDCHILDREN ARE A CROWN FOR ELDERS, AND THE GLORY OF CHILDREN IS THEIR PARENTS.²Cf. Gen. R. 63:2; Tanh., Gen. 6:4. Who caused Abraham to be magnified? Jacob, as stated (in Is. 29:22): THUS SAYS THE LORD UNTO THE HOUSE OF JACOB, WHICH REDEEMED ABRAHAM. Why? Because, if one is meritorious as a Torah scholar together with his son and his grandson, it will never again be cut off from him. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 4:9f.): AND MAKE THEM (the statutes and ordinances) KNOWN TO YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AS ON THE DAY THAT YOU STOOD < BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD AT HOREB >. Just as the gift of < the > Torah did not become cease on the day it was given; so for one who teaches his son and his grandson Torah, it shall never again depart from him. And so it was when the Holy One saw Abraham was busy with the Torah. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE < AND KEPT MY CHARGE: MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY LAWS >. It is also written (above, in 18:19): FOR I HAVE KNOWN HIM. Then Jacob arose up and did not move from the Torah, as stated (in Gen. 25:27): BUT JACOB WAS A PERFECT MAN WHO SAT IN THE TENTS (i.e., in the academies).³For this interpretation, see Gen. R. 63:10; Targum Onqelos, Gen. 25:27; PRK 5:7. What stipulation did the Holy One make with them? (According to Josh. 1:8:) < THIS > BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART < FROM YOUR MOUTH >…. It is also written (in Prov. 10:1): A WISE SON SHALL MAKE A FATHER GLAD. This is Isaac, since it is stated (in Gen. 21:12): FOR IN ISAAC SHALL YOUR SEED BE NAMED. (Prov. 10:1, cont.:) BUT A FOOLISH SON. This is Ishmael. Thus it is written (in Gen. 25:12): NOW THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF ISHMAEL BEN ABRAHAM. There are children who suffer disgrace through their parents. Josiah suffered disgrace through his father, as stated (in II Chron. 33:23): FOR AMON INCURRED A LOT OF GUILT. Hezekiah suffered disgrace through < his father > Ahaz, as stated (in Is. 8:16): BIND UP THE TESTIMONY.⁴According to Gen. R. 42:3; Lev. R. 11:7; Ruth R., proem 7; and Esther R., proem 11, this verse alludes to Ahaz, who had seized (ahaz) the synagogues and the academies. There are also parents who suffer disgrace through their children. Eli suffered disgrace through his sons, [as stated (in I Sam. 2:12): NOW ELI'S SONS WERE SCOUNDRELS. And Samuel also suffered disgrace through his sons], as stated (in I Sam. 8:3): BUT HIS SONS DID NOT WALK IN HIS WAYS. It did not, however, turn out in this way for Abraham. Instead he was magnified through Isaac, as stated (in Gen. 25:19, cont.): ABRAHAM SIRED ISAAC. Did he sire no one but Isaac? Now look, it is written {(in Gen. 25:19): THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF ISHMAEL.} [(in Gen. 16:15): SO HAGAR BORE A SON TO ABRAM.] And in addition < there are > the sons of Keturah: Zimran and Jokshan, < etc. > (cf. Gen. 25:2). But it does not say that Abraham sired anyone but Isaac, simply because Isaac was righteous. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 25:19): ABRAHAM SIRED ISAAC.

(Lev. 25:14:) “When you sell property to your kinsman.” This text is related (to Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth, [and he does not know that loss will come to him].” This verse speaks about many people. “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth.” This was Cain. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “You moved quickly to inherit the world. By your life, you shall have a loss [in the matter].” Ergo (in Prov. 28:22), “and he does not know that loss will come to him.” And what happened to him? That he wandered about the world, as stated (in Gen. 4:12), “you shall become a ceaseless wanderer on the earth.” Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth”: This was Ephron the Hittite.¹See Tanh. (Buber), Exod. 6:5; and the parallels listed there; and Tanh. (Buber), Deut. 4:4. When Abraham's wife Sarah died, Abraham went to Ephron for him to sell him the cave. Ephron said to him, “Give me its price.” He said to him (in Gen. 23:15), “What is a piece of land worth four hundred shekels of silver between you and me?” Abraham began piling up the silver for Ephron, as stated (in Gen. 23:16), “So Abraham heeded Ephron, and Abraham weighed out […].” Ben Ma'ma said, “Although R. Hanina has said, ‘All the shekels in the Torah are sela'im,’ these [shekels] are an exception, since they are centenaria.²The word is Latin. One centenarium was worth 100,000 sesterces. According to a fourth-century inscription of northern Africa, a centenarium was a hundred pieces (e.g., of gold). See A. Souter, A Glossary of Later Latin to 600 A.D. (Oxford: Clarendon, 1957). [So it was] four hundred centenaria [that] Abraham piled up before Ephron.” When Ephron saw the silver, he moved quickly and hastily, as stated (in Gen. 23:6), “bury your dead in the choicest of our tombs.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “You have moved quickly after money. By your life, you shall have a loss in the matter.” And what was his loss? R. Judah bar Shallum the Levite said, “Every [mention of] Ephron which is written here [in Scripture], before he took the silver from Abraham, is written plene as 'prwn (i.e., with the vowel o represented by the Hebrew consonant w); but this [usage] (in Gen. 23:16) is deficient (hsr), ‘and Abraham weighed out the silver for Ephron ('prn). It is written with the w missing (hsr).” Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth”: This is the one who lends at interest, because he is anxious to become wealthy. He lends in order to receive interest from the borrower and becomes wealthy from the interest. But a curse is given through his riches, as stated (ibid., cont.), “and he does not know that loss will come to him.” Another interpretation (of Prov. 28:22), “An evil-eyed person moves quickly after wealth”: This represents those who engage in business in the sabbatical year, in that they move quickly to become rich. They do not observe the sabbatical year, and think they will become rich. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “By your life, you shall have a loss in the matter.” Since he did not observe the sabbatical year, the curse began entering into his money, and he sells [all that he had]. What is written above the matter (in Lev. 25:2), “the land shall observe a Sabbath for the Lord.” And after that it is written (in vs. 14), “When you sell property.” R. Eleazar Haqappar said, “It is written (in Cant. 5:15), ‘His legs are pillars of marble, set upon sockets of fine gold.’ This column has a capital above and a pedestal³Gk.: basis. below.”⁴See Lev. R. 25:8. R. Samuel ben Guriah said, “You have no section in the Torah which does not have a capital above and a pedestal below.⁵The parallel in Lev. R. 25:8 explains that each section can be expounded with reference to what precedes and follows it. What is written above of the matter (in Lev. 25:1-2)? ‘Then the Lord spoke unto Moses on Mount Sinai, saying, “Speak unto the Children of Israel [….] ‘the land shall observe [a Sabbath for the Lord].’”’ Then after that [comes] the section on the jubilee (in vs. 8), ‘And you shall count seven [Sabbaths of years].’ If one has not observed the sabbatical year and the jubilee, or [even] one of them, in the end, I will make it that he will sell his land, [as stated] (in vs. 14), ‘When you sell property to your kinsman.’⁶T’Arakh. 5:9; below, 9:8. [If] he repents, [all] is well; but if not, he will end up selling his field, as stated (in vs. 25), ‘When your relative becomes poor and sells some of his property.’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up selling his house, as stated (in vs. 29), ‘And when someone sells a dwelling house.’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up going around [begging] at doorways, as stated (in vs. 35), ‘And when your relative becomes poor [… you shall maintain him as a foreigner and sojourner and let him live near you].’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up being sold to you, as stated (in vs. 39), ‘And when your relative becomes poor] near you and is sold to you.’ [If] he repents, that is preferable; but if not, he will end up being sold to the gentiles, as stated (in vs. 47), ‘And when a foreigner and a sojourner near you becomes wealthy, [while your relative near him becomes poor and is sold to a sojourning foreigner near you….].’ Now it is not merely the individual himself [at issue here], but that person and all Israel; for so you find in the days of Jeremiah, because they profaned the sabbatical year, they were sold to the gentiles, as stated (in II Chron. 36:17-18), ‘So He brought up the king of the Chaldeans upon them [….] And all the vessels of the house of God […] and the treasures of the house of the Lord […].’ Behold the case of [all] Israel.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses, “See how they will be sold to the gentiles because they profaned the sabbatical year.” He said to him, “Master of the world, did You not say this (in Lev. 25:35), ‘And when your relative becomes poor, and his strength fails near you, [you shall maintain him as a foreigner and sojourner and let him live near you]?’ Fulfill what You said to them and called them, ‘My relatives (ah) and friends,’ as stated (in Ps. 122:8), ‘For the sake of My relatives (ah) and friends’: (Lev. 25:35:) ‘And when your relative becomes poor, and his strength fails near you,’ [i.e.,] when their strength fails before Nebuchadnezzar, the Divine Presence, as it were, will be with them. It is so stated (in Is. 43:14), ‘for your sake I have sent to Babylon.’ (Lev. 25:35, cont.:) ‘You shall maintain (literally, hold on to) him.’ Hold them (i.e., Israel), lest they perish. But how? (Lev. 25:35, cont.:) ‘As a foreigner and sojourner and let him live near you.’ Although they became foreigners and sojourners in Babylon, if You do not give them grace, they will perish, [so just] ‘let him live near You.’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “Because of their sins I have sold My house to the Chaldeans.” It is so stated (in Lev. 25:29), “And when someone sells a dwelling house.” This is the house of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Ps. 132:13), “For the Lord has chosen Zion; he has desired it for His dwelling.” And what happened [to it]? (II Kings 25:9 = Jer. 52:13:) And he burned the house of the Lord [...].” (Lev. 25:29, cont.:) “A walled city.” This is the city of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated] (in II Chron. 36:19), “and they broke down the wall of Jerusalem […].” That is what the Holy One, blessed be He, says (in Lev. 25:47), “And when a foreigner and a sojourner [near you] becomes wealthy.” This wealthy foreigner is Nebuchadnezzar, and this sojourner is the Median Empire. (Ibid., cont.:) “And is sold to a sojourning foreigner.” This [sojourning foreigner] is the Greek Empire. (Ibid., cont.:) “Or to a foreigner's family.” This is the Edomite Empire (i.e., Rome). Moses said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, why were they sold to these empires?” He said to him, “Because they profaned the sabbatical year.” It is so stated (in II Chron. 36:20–21), “Then he carried off unto Babylon those left from the sword,” and the end of the Scripture is “[until the land made up] its Sabbaths; as long as it lay desolate, it observed Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years.” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses at the end of all of these sections, “Is it your wish that they do not go into exile? [Then] warn them concerning the sabbatical years and the jubilees.” That is what He has said at the end of all the sections (in Lev. 26:2), “You shall observe My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary. I am the Lord.” What is the meaning of “I am the Lord?” I am the one who is going to give you a good reward, if you observe them; but if not, I am going to exact retribution from them through the Empires. Therefore, say to them to be careful about the sabbatical year. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 25:2), “the land shall observe a Sabbath for the Lord,” so that they do not attain [the punishments in] those sections written below (in Lev. 26:14-45). (Lev. 25:14:) “When you sell property to your kinsman or buy from your neighbor's hand, do not deceive.” [Thus] you shall not deceive one another. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “For I also sold the whole world to Abraham and did not deceive him. He [then went back and sold it to Me,” as stated (Genesis 14:19), “the Buyer⁷Qoneh. A more traditional rendering of this word here would be MAKER. of heaven and earth.” When? When Abraham observed the commandments of the Holy One, blessed be He. Before the Torah was given to Israel, our father Abraham kept it [and observed all the commandments that are in the Torah]. R. Samuel bar Nahman said in the name of R. Alexandra, “Abraham even observed the [rabbinic precept of] eruvim of cooked foods.”⁸See Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 3:1, and the notes there. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:5), “Because ('qb 'shr) Abraham heeded [My voice and kept My charge: My commandments, My statutes, and My Torahs].” What is the meaning of 'qb?⁹Gen. R. 95:3; Cant. R. 5:16:1; PR 21:12; cf. Ned. 32a. R. Simeon ben Laqish said, “At the age of three years Abraham recognized the Holy One, blessed be He.”¹⁰So also Numb. R. 18:21. According to other traditions Abraham recognized his creator at the age of forty-eight (Gen. R. 30:8; 46:2; Cant. R. 5:16:1), at the age of fifty (PR 21:12), or at the age of one (Gen. R. 95:3). How is this shown? 'Qb is a number. (I.e., 'ayin) is seventy, q (i.e., qof) is one hundred, [and] b (i.e., bet) is two, for a total of one hundred seventy-two. Now (according to Gen. 25:7) Abraham lived one hundred seventy-five [years]. Deduct from them. [The result is] three, when he was little. Ergo, at the age of three years Abraham recognized the Holy One, blessed be He. When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw how Abraham loved the commandments, He began buying heavenly and earthly [places] for him, as stated (in Gen. 14:19), “Blessed be Abram of God most high, Buyer of heaven and earth.” So also it says (Gen. 13:15), “For all the land (or earth) which you see, to you I will give it.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “All the world is wholly Mine; and I bought it for Abraham, because he has observed My commandments. But you, through your sins, have caused him to be [like] an alien who rents a house from its owners, for so Jeremiah has said (in Jer. 14:8), ‘why are you like a foreigner in the land […]?’ When you sinned before Me, I sold you, as stated (in Ps. 44:13), ‘You shall sell Your people for no money […].’ For that reason, if someone has to sell a house, a field, or [some] article, you shall not deceive one another.” It is therefore written (in Lev. 25:14), “shall not deceive his brother.” (Lev. 25:15-18:) “According to the years after the jubilee […]. According to the multitude of years, you shall increase […]. A man shall not deceive his brother […]. So you shall carry out my statutes and judgements.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Just as I sold my people and returned again to reinstate them, as stated (Jer. 3:14), ‘”Turn back, faithless children,” says the Lord; “for I am a master to you.”’ It is also written (in Is. 52:3), ‘For thus says the Lord, “You were sold for free, and you shall be redeemed for no money.”’ So too you should not sell the land absolutely, as stated (in Lev. 25:23), ‘[it] shall not be sold permanently.’ The Land [of Israel] is dear to me because I have made it holier than all the [other] lands in the world.” You yourself know, when the Land of Israel was distributed to the tribes, it did not pass from tribe to tribe. Rather [it was distributed] to each tribe separately. You yourself know. Look at how many lawsuits the daughters of Zelophehad brought, so that their inheritance would not pass from one tribe to another. Moreover the Holy One, blessed be He, conceded to their words, as stated (in Numb. 27:7), “The daughters of Zelophehad speak what is right.” (Numb. 36:9:) “Thus no inheritance shall be transferred from one tribe to another.” Therefore, if a redeemer is found for it, fine; but if not, whoever buys it acquires it until the jubilee. Then on the jubilee he releases it. Thus it is stated (in Lev. 25:41), “Then he shall depart from you, he and his children with him and he shall return to his family.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “When the year of the redemption draws near, I will redeem you, as stated (in Is. 63:4), ‘For a day of vengeance was in My heart, but there came My year of redemption.’”

{(Gen. 26:1:) NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE. This verse is related (to Prov. 18:3): WHEN A WICKED ONE COMES, THERE IS ALSO DESPISING. Who was this < wicked > one? This was Esau the Wicked, who came upon his feet to Abbadon (i.e., to hell, the place of damnation). What is written?} ⁵As these braces indicate, Buber believed the whole paragraph to be superfluous.

You find that anyone who observes the commandments meticulously is rewarded fully. For example, because Abraham observed the commandments meticulously, he was called the beloved of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: The seed of Abraham, My beloved (Isa. 41:8). R. Samuel the son of Nahmani quoted R. Jonathan as saying that in Abraham’s home, even the commandment prohibiting the preparation of the Sabbath meals on a holy day that occurred on a Friday was carefully observed,²A dish prepared on Thursday is allowed to lay over until eaten on the Sabbath. By this legal fiction all the cooking for the Sabbath performed on a Friday that is a holy day is considered a continuation of the preparations started on Thursday. as it is said: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws (Gen. 26:5). Are there a variety of laws that Scripture should say My laws? Has it not already been stated: One law shall be to him that is home born, and to the stranger that sojourns among you (Exod. 12:49), and was it not previously written: One law and one ordinance (Num. 15:16)? The word My laws employed in the above verse refers (solely) to the minutiae of the law which Abraham observed meticulously. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Though you do observe My laws scrupulously, yet you dwell amongst idolaters; Get thee out of thy country.

If a man should dare say to a person more important than himself, “Why did you treat me so badly?” he would be held guilty of a serious offense, yet Moses said: For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people (ibid., v. 23).¹Moses expresses doubt as to God’s ability to save the people from further anguish and is rebuked. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Alas for those who have perished but are not to be found! I revealed myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the Lord Almighty, but I never disclosed to them that My name is YHWH,²The name employed when speaking of God’s merciful aspect. as I did to you, yet they never criticized My ways. To Abraham I said: Arise, walk through the land in the length thereof (Gen. 13:17), yet though he searched for a burial place for Sarah, and was unable to obtain one until he paid four hundred shekels of silver for it, he did not disparage My ways. I told Isaac: Sojourn in this land …for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands (ibid. 26:3), but even when he sought water to drink and was unable to find any, And the herdsman of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying: “The water is ours” (ibid., v. 20), he did not criticize My ways. I told Jacob: The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (ibid. 28:13), yet when he sought a place to pitch his tent, and could not obtain any land until he purchased it with a hundred lambs, he found no fault with My words.

If a man should dare say to a person more important than himself, “Why did you treat me so badly?” he would be held guilty of a serious offense, yet Moses said: For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in Thy name, he hath dealt ill with this people (ibid., v. 23).¹Moses expresses doubt as to God’s ability to save the people from further anguish and is rebuked. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Alas for those who have perished but are not to be found! I revealed myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as the Lord Almighty, but I never disclosed to them that My name is YHWH,²The name employed when speaking of God’s merciful aspect. as I did to you, yet they never criticized My ways. To Abraham I said: Arise, walk through the land in the length thereof (Gen. 13:17), yet though he searched for a burial place for Sarah, and was unable to obtain one until he paid four hundred shekels of silver for it, he did not disparage My ways. I told Isaac: Sojourn in this land …for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these lands (ibid. 26:3), but even when he sought water to drink and was unable to find any, And the herdsman of Gerar strove with Isaac’s herdsmen, saying: “The water is ours” (ibid., v. 20), he did not criticize My ways. I told Jacob: The land whereon thou liest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed (ibid. 28:13), yet when he sought a place to pitch his tent, and could not obtain any land until he purchased it with a hundred lambs, he found no fault with My words.

“There was a famine in the land.” Ten famines came to the world. One during the days of Adam; one during the days of Lemekh; one during the days of Abraham; one during the days of Isaac; one during the days of Jacob; one during the days of Elijah; one during the days of Elisha; one during the days of David; one during the days when the judges judged; and one that is yet progressing and coming to the world.
One during the days of Adam, as it is stated: “Accursed is the ground because of you” (Genesis 3:17); one during the days of Lemekh, as it is stated: “From the ground that the Lord had cursed” (Genesis 5:29); one during the days of Abraham, as it is stated: “There was famine in the land and Abram descended to Egypt” (Genesis 12:10); one during the days of Isaac: “There was a famine in the land, beside the first famine” (Genesis 26:1); one during the days of Jacob, as it is stated: “For these two years there has been famine in the land” (Genesis 45:6); one during the days of Elijah, as it is stated: “There will not be dew or rain these years, except by my word” (I Kings 17:1); one during the days of Elisha, as it is stated: “There was a great famine in Samaria” (II Kings 6:25); one during the days of David, as it is stated: “There was a famine during the days of David, three years” (II Samuel 21:1); one during the days when the judges judged, as it is stated: “There was a famine in the land” (Ruth 1:1); and one that is advancing upon the world, as it is written: “I will send famine in the land, not famine for bread, not thirst for water” (Amos 8:11).
Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Shmuel: It would have been appropriate for the main manifestation of them³⁹The years of famine during the days of David. to have been during the days of Saul, and it was not appropriate for them to have been during the days of David. [But] because Saul was an offshoot of a sycamore tree,⁴⁰The sycamore tree is frail. and would have been unable to withstand it, the Holy One blessed be He transferred it and brought it to David, who is the offshoot of an olive tree⁴¹The olive tree is sturdy. and [he] was able to withstand it. A parable says: Shila sinned and Yoḥana⁴²Generic names of that period. pays for it? So, all of them did not come upon lowly people, but rather upon mighty people who could withstand them. Rabbi Ḥiyya in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Elazar: [It is analogous] to a glazier who had a basket filled with cups of cut glass. When he sought to hang his basket, he would bring a peg, hammer it [into the wall,] and then hang his basket. So, all of them did not come upon lowly people, but rather to mighty people. Rabbi Berekhya would read in reference to them:⁴³David’s generation. “He gives strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:29).
Rabbi Berekhya in the name of Rabbi Ḥelbo: Two [famines]⁴⁴That of Lemekh occurred while Adam was still alive. came during the days of Adam.⁴⁵In the parallel text of this midrash found in Bereishit Rabba 25:3 it says ‘Abraham’ instead of ‘Adam.’ Rav Huna in the name of Rav Aḥa: One was during the days of Abraham, and one was during the days of Lemekh. The famine that was during the days of Elijah was due to a drought. One year it produced [a harvest] and the other year it did not produce. But the famine during the days of Elisha was due to [economic] panic, as it is stated: “Until a donkey’s head was sold for eighty of silver” (II Kings 6:25). [Regarding] the famine that came during the days that the judges judged, Rabbi Huna in the name of Rabbi Dosa: They were forty-two se’a⁴⁶A measure of dry volume roughly equivalent to 8 liters. and they became forty-one se’a.⁴⁷The reference is to the amount of produce that could be purchased for one sela. Some commentators suggest that the text should be read: they were [sold] at a rate of two se’a [per sela] and became one se’a [per sela]. See Etz Yosef. But is it not taught: A person may not depart to outside the Land of Israel until two se’a⁴⁸Of wheat. are bought for a shekel?⁴⁹The reference is to the biblical shekel, which is the equivalent of the rabbinic sela. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: When is that so? It is when one cannot find anything [else] to buy. But if he can find [other food] to buy, even [at] one se’a for a shekel, a Jew may not leave the Land of Israel.⁵⁰Elimelekh was punished because his decision to leave the Land of Israel was not justified. But is it not taught: During a time of pestilence, a time of war, gather everyone inside, but during a time of famine, scatter? Why was Elimelekh punished? It is because he sank the hearts of Israel.
[It is analogous] to a prominent person who lived in a province, and the residents of the province would depend upon him, and would say that if drought years would come, he could provide food for the province for ten years. When a drought year came, his maidservant went out, and went into the market with her basket in her hand. The residents of the province said: This is the one who we relied upon, that if there would be a drought he could support us for ten years? His maidservant is standing in the market with her basket in her hand! So, Elimelekh was one of the prominent residents of the province, and one of the leaders of the generation. When the years of famine arrived, he said: ‘Now, all Israel will come around to my door, this one with his basket and that one with his basket.’ He arose and fled from them; that is what is written: “A man of Bethlehem of Judah went.”

For reproof leads to peace. And thus do you find with Abraham, viz. (Bereshith 21:25) "And Abraham reproved Avimelech because of the well, etc." And what is written (of this)? (Ibid. 28) "And the two of them made a covenant." And thus with Israel, viz. (Ibid. 26:27) "And Isaac said to them: Why did you come to me when you hate me and you sent me away from you!" And (Ibid. 31) "And they departed from him in peace."

And he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes (Prov. 13:24). This alludes to Abraham, who punished Isaac, taught him the law, and guided him in his ways, as it is written of him: Because that Abraham harkened to My voice, and kept My charge (Gen. 26:5). And it is also written elsewhere: And these are the generations of Isaac, Abraham’s son: Abraham begot Isaac (ibid. 25:19). This teaches us that he resembled his father in every respect; in beauty, wisdom, strength, riches, and (the performance of) good deeds. You know this to be so from the fact that though Isaac, at the time of the sacrifice, was thirty-seven years of age, and Abraham was an old man, yet he bound him and tied him as though he were a sheep, and Isaac did not resist. Scripture states: And Abraham gave all that he had unto Isaac, but unto the sons of the concubines that Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts (ibid., v. 5); that is to say, he distanced them from Isaac (so that he would have undisputed possession of the land). Hence, And he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.

Similarly, (Bereshith 26:20) "And he called the name of the well 'Esek' because they strove ('hitasku') with him." And it is written (Ibid. 33) "And he called it 'shivah,' etc."

Rabbi Abba bar Kahana began: “Raise your voice, Bat-Galim, [listen, Layish; destitute is Anatot]” (Isaiah 10:30). Isaiah said to Israel: Instead of reciting songs and psalms before idols, raise your voice in words of Torah, raise your voice in synagogues. “Bat-Galim” – just as these waves [galim] are conspicuous in the sea, so their ancestors were conspicuous in the world.
Another matter: “Bat-Galim” (Isaiah 10:30) – bat golim, daughter of exiles: daughter of Abraham, the one of whom it is written: “There was a famine in the land and Abram descended to Egypt [to reside there]” (Genesis 12:10); daughter of Isaac, of whom it is written: “Isaac went to Avimelekh, king of the Philistines, to Gerar” (Genesis 26:1); daughter of Jacob, of whom it is written: “He went to Padan Aram” (Genesis 28:5). “Listen” (Isaiah 10:30), listen to My commandments, listen to words of Torah, listen to words of prophecy, listen to perform acts of righteousness and good deeds.
“Layish [Laisha]” (Isaiah 10:30) – and if not, laisha,¹This is one of the biblical terms for lion. the lion will ascend upon you. This is the wicked Nebuchadnezzar, in whose regard it is written: “The lion has ascended from its lair” (Jeremiah 4:7). “Destitute [is Anatot]” (Isaiah 10:30) – destitute of righteous individuals, destitute of prophecy, destitute of mitzvot and good deeds. “Anatot” – and if not,²If you do not listen to all these warnings. “Anatot,” – that resident of Anatot will come and prophesy in your regard, as it is written: “The words of Jeremiah son of Ḥilkiyahu, of the priests who were in Anatot…” (Jeremiah 1:1). When the punishment arrived, he lamented over them, eikha.³Eikha means “how,” and is the opening word of the book of Lamentations, which begins: “How does the city that was full of people sit solitary?” (Lamentations 1:1). Eikha is also the Hebrew name of the book of Lamentations. The prologue to Eikha Rabba records how different Sages would begin their study of Lamentations. They would often begin by expounding a verse that in their view encapsulated the essence of the book, before beginning with the first verse. Thus, many of these introductions conclude with the word eikha, which is used as an expression of lamentation, as well as a reference to Lamentations 1:1 and a transition from the Sage’s introduction to his actual recitation or study of Lamentations (see Etz Yosef).

(Gen. 32:4:) THEN JACOB SENT….] This text is related (to Prov. 26:17): A PASSER-BY WHO MEDDLES IN A QUARREL NOT HIS OWN IS LIKE ONE WHO SEIZES A DOG BY THE EARS.³Cf. Gen. R. 78:3. Who is this person? This is Jacob. When he had set out from his father's house, what is written (in Gen. 28:20)? THEN JACOB VOWED A VOW. What did he say (ibid., cont.]:)? IF GOD IS WITH ME < … > Thus did the Holy One respond to him (in vs. 15): SEE I AM WITH YOU.⁴Gen. R. 70:4 reports a discussion between R. Ayyevu and R. Jonathan over whether vss. 15 and 20 are disarranged or whether the Holy One simply anticipated Jacob’s vow. Our masters have said: He responded to him on every < point > except for sustenance.⁵Gk.: pronoos (“thinking beforehand”). Gen. R. 69:6. R. Osha'ya said: He also responded to him for sustenance, since it is stated (in Gen. 28:15): FOR I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU UNTIL ('D 'ShR) I HAVE DONE WHAT ('ShR) I PROMISED YOU. Why did he say two times: ('ShR 'ShR)? He spoke, as it were, something difficult. R. Osha'ya said: The Holy One said to him: Blessed (rt.: 'ShR) am I and blessed (rt.: 'ShR) are you when I do this thing for you. Again he demanded < as a condition > (in Gen. 28:21): AND IF I RETURN SAFELY. He said to him (in vs. 15): AND I WILL BRING YOU BACK < UNTO THIS LAND >. R. Hanina b. R. Isaac said: Blessed (rt.: 'ShR) is one born of woman who has heard this from his Creator. See, whatever he demanded from his Creator he promised him. Then, with these promises, he sends and says (in Gen. 32:5 [4]): THUS YOU SHALL SAY TO MY LORD ESAU. Ergo, it is well stated (in Prov. 25:26): < A PASSER-BY WHO MEDDLES IN A QUARREL NOT HIS OWN IS > LIKE ONE WHO SEIZES A DOG BY THE EARS.⁶The text from Proverbs seems to assume a situation like this: Jacob’s welfare was a matter between himself and his Creator; so why should he get involved with Esau.

(Lev. 9:1) “And it came to pass on the eighth day….” This text is related (to Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry….’” What is the meaning of [the words], “I say to the merrymakers (rt.: hll), ‘do not make merry (rt.: hll)?’”⁴This root can also mean “act with abandon” and is to be taken in that sense here. For another interpretation of the word, see Lev. R. 20:2. [The verse refers] to whoever sings in a mahanaim dance (mahol),⁵As in Cant. 7:1 [6:13]. In comparing these two words, the midrash assumes that both words come from the root HLL and ignores the fact that in the first case the H is a he while in the second case the H is a het. and so it says (in Jud. 21:21), “to dance (lehol) in the dances.” [Because no happiness endures for a mortal] (Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry (rt.: hll).’” Why? The one who is happy today shall not be happy tomorrow; and the one who is depressed today shall not be depressed tomorrow. And so it says (in Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad (rt.: hll)….’”⁶Cf. PRK 26:2–3. Are you willing to understand? As behold, even the happiness of the Holy One, blessed be He, did not endure. When? When the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world. He was very happy, as stated (in Ps. 104:31), “the Lord shall be happy in His works.” It also says (in Gen. 1:31), “Then God saw everything which He had made; and behold, it was very good.” [These verses are] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, found pleasure in and took pride in His works. Then He gave the first Adam an easy commandment, but he did not fulfill it. Immediately He rendered him a verdict⁷Gk.: apophasis. [of death], as stated (in Gen. 3:19), “for dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.” So He, as it were, did not remain in His happiness but said, “I created everything only for the human, and now he dies. What pleasure is there for Me? [Now surely if the Holy One, blessed be He,] did not remain [happy], how much the less shall people [remain happy! It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘do not make merry.’”] How happy Abraham was! He was blessed in the world, magnified, slew some kings and handed over heaven and earth to the Holy One, blessed be He. Also when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him a son at age one hundred, he circumcised him and reared him. Then finally he was told (in Gen. 22:2), “Please take your son, your only son…, [and go unto the land of Moriah,] and offer him there as a burnt offering.” So he made a three-day journey, as stated (in Gen. 22:4), “On the third day….” When he returned from Mount Moriah, he buried Sarah. He did not find a place to bury her until he bought one for four hundred silver shekels. Then after that, old age came upon him. Now surely if such was the case with Abraham the righteous, how much the more is it the case with the wicked! Isaac did not remain in his happiness: He escaped from the sword and from the men of Gerar. And [God] informed them about who he was, so that they came to him. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:26, 28), “Then Abimelech came unto him from Gerar […. And they said, ‘We have clearly seen that the Lord is with you.’]” But he did not remain in his happiness. Rather (according to Gen. 27:1), “Now it came to pass, that when Isaac was old and his eyes were too weak to see.” So just as [this loss of happiness] happened in the case of Isaac the burnt offering of the Holy One, blessed be He, (according to Gen. 22:2), how much the more does it happen in the case of the wicked! Jacob was the first-born of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 4:22), “Israel is My first-born son.” How happy he was! He saw a ladder, and (according to Gen. 28:12-13) “the angels of god were ascending and descending [….] And behold, the Lord stood upon it and said, I am the Lord….” Then he went to Laban, fled from Esau, became Laban's servant for twenty years and in the end became wealthy, sired children and returned in peace. He also met Esau and was saved from him, and paid his vow. But in the end he did not remain in his happiness. Instead (according to Gen. 34:1), “Now Dinah [the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob] went out…,” and was raped]. There also came upon him the trouble over Joseph. Now surely if Jacob the righteous – one to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, had said, “In whom I will be glorified,” as stated (in Is. 49:3), “Israel, in whom I will be glorified” – did not remain in his happiness, how much the less will the wicked [so remain! It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry.’”] How happy Joshua was! He slew thirty-one kings, gave Israel the land to possess, and distributed it. In addition all Israel gave him a [helping] hand and said (in Josh. 1:18), “Anyone who disobeys your command… [shall be put to death.” Such an honor was] something of which [even] Moses our master did not merit. Still he (i.e., Joshua) did not remain in his happiness, but rather died childless. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry.’” How happy Eli was, when he was king, chief justice, and high priest! It is so stated (in I Sam. 1:9), “now Eli [the priest] was sitting on the throne by the doorpost of the Temple of the Lord.” “Now Eli the priest was sitting on the throne,” because he was king. [He was] “by the doorpost of the Temple of the Lord,” because he was chief justice. Still he did not remain in his happiness. Instead (according to I Sam. 4:18), “And it came to pass that when he (i.e., a messenger) mentioned the ark of God, he (i.e., Eli) fell backward from off the throne….” Moreover, his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas died. So just as this [shift in fortune] happened with Eli the righteous, how much the more [does it happen with] the wicked! You find neither man nor woman who saw joys like Elisheba bat Amminadab, [the wife of Aaron, as stated (in Exod. 6:23), “And Aaron took for a wife Elisheba bat Amminadab”].⁸PRK 26:2; Zev. 102a; Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 6:2. She saw her husband become high priest serving in the high priesthood and [as a] prophet. In addition, Moses, her husband's brother, was king and prophet. Moreover, her sons were deputies [to the high priest] in the priesthood, and her brother Nahshon was head of all of the princes of Israel.⁹According to Numb. 10:13, Nahshon was in command of the troops of Judah, and the troops of Judah headed those of the other tribes. See also Numb. 2:3; I Chron. 2:10. Still she did not remain in her happiness. Rather, when two of her sons went in to offer a sacrifice, (according to Lev. 10:2,) “Fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, so that they died before the Lord.” It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry.’” And so Solomon said (in Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad.’” There is a story about one of the great Babylonian [scholars], who married off his son,¹⁰PRK 26:2; Lev. R. 20:2. and made a great banquet for the sages. He said to his son, “Go up and bring us a jar of such and such a wine from the attic.” He went up to the attic. [There] a snake [from] among the jars bit him, and he died. His father remained with those who were reclining [at his table]. So he delayed and did not come. [Finally,] his father said, “Let me go up and see what my son is doing.” His father went up [and] found him cast down dead among the jars. What did that saint do? He waited by himself until the guests had eaten and drunk sufficiently. When they had finished, he said, “You came to say a bridegrooms' blessing over my son. [But instead] say a mourners' blessing over him. You came to bring my son to the wedding canopy. [Instead] bring him to [his] grave.” They said about R. Zakkay of Kabul and they opened about him (in the words of Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad; and what does joy do?’”

(Lev. 9:1) “And it came to pass on the eighth day….” This text is related (to Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry….’” What is the meaning of [the words], “I say to the merrymakers (rt.: hll), ‘do not make merry (rt.: hll)?’”⁴This root can also mean “act with abandon” and is to be taken in that sense here. For another interpretation of the word, see Lev. R. 20:2. [The verse refers] to whoever sings in a mahanaim dance (mahol),⁵As in Cant. 7:1 [6:13]. In comparing these two words, the midrash assumes that both words come from the root HLL and ignores the fact that in the first case the H is a he while in the second case the H is a het. and so it says (in Jud. 21:21), “to dance (lehol) in the dances.” [Because no happiness endures for a mortal] (Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry (rt.: hll).’” Why? The one who is happy today shall not be happy tomorrow; and the one who is depressed today shall not be depressed tomorrow. And so it says (in Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad (rt.: hll)….’”⁶Cf. PRK 26:2–3. Are you willing to understand? As behold, even the happiness of the Holy One, blessed be He, did not endure. When? When the Holy One, blessed be He, created His world. He was very happy, as stated (in Ps. 104:31), “the Lord shall be happy in His works.” It also says (in Gen. 1:31), “Then God saw everything which He had made; and behold, it was very good.” [These verses are] to teach you that the Holy One, blessed be He, found pleasure in and took pride in His works. Then He gave the first Adam an easy commandment, but he did not fulfill it. Immediately He rendered him a verdict⁷Gk.: apophasis. [of death], as stated (in Gen. 3:19), “for dust you are, and unto dust you shall return.” So He, as it were, did not remain in His happiness but said, “I created everything only for the human, and now he dies. What pleasure is there for Me? [Now surely if the Holy One, blessed be He,] did not remain [happy], how much the less shall people [remain happy! It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘do not make merry.’”] How happy Abraham was! He was blessed in the world, magnified, slew some kings and handed over heaven and earth to the Holy One, blessed be He. Also when the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him a son at age one hundred, he circumcised him and reared him. Then finally he was told (in Gen. 22:2), “Please take your son, your only son…, [and go unto the land of Moriah,] and offer him there as a burnt offering.” So he made a three-day journey, as stated (in Gen. 22:4), “On the third day….” When he returned from Mount Moriah, he buried Sarah. He did not find a place to bury her until he bought one for four hundred silver shekels. Then after that, old age came upon him. Now surely if such was the case with Abraham the righteous, how much the more is it the case with the wicked! Isaac did not remain in his happiness: He escaped from the sword and from the men of Gerar. And [God] informed them about who he was, so that they came to him. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:26, 28), “Then Abimelech came unto him from Gerar […. And they said, ‘We have clearly seen that the Lord is with you.’]” But he did not remain in his happiness. Rather (according to Gen. 27:1), “Now it came to pass, that when Isaac was old and his eyes were too weak to see.” So just as [this loss of happiness] happened in the case of Isaac the burnt offering of the Holy One, blessed be He, (according to Gen. 22:2), how much the more does it happen in the case of the wicked! Jacob was the first-born of the Holy One, blessed be He, as stated (in Exod. 4:22), “Israel is My first-born son.” How happy he was! He saw a ladder, and (according to Gen. 28:12-13) “the angels of god were ascending and descending [….] And behold, the Lord stood upon it and said, I am the Lord….” Then he went to Laban, fled from Esau, became Laban's servant for twenty years and in the end became wealthy, sired children and returned in peace. He also met Esau and was saved from him, and paid his vow. But in the end he did not remain in his happiness. Instead (according to Gen. 34:1), “Now Dinah [the daughter whom Leah had borne to Jacob] went out…,” and was raped]. There also came upon him the trouble over Joseph. Now surely if Jacob the righteous – one to whom the Holy One, blessed be He, had said, “In whom I will be glorified,” as stated (in Is. 49:3), “Israel, in whom I will be glorified” – did not remain in his happiness, how much the less will the wicked [so remain! It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry.’”] How happy Joshua was! He slew thirty-one kings, gave Israel the land to possess, and distributed it. In addition all Israel gave him a [helping] hand and said (in Josh. 1:18), “Anyone who disobeys your command… [shall be put to death.” Such an honor was] something of which [even] Moses our master did not merit. Still he (i.e., Joshua) did not remain in his happiness, but rather died childless. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry.’” How happy Eli was, when he was king, chief justice, and high priest! It is so stated (in I Sam. 1:9), “now Eli [the priest] was sitting on the throne by the doorpost of the Temple of the Lord.” “Now Eli the priest was sitting on the throne,” because he was king. [He was] “by the doorpost of the Temple of the Lord,” because he was chief justice. Still he did not remain in his happiness. Instead (according to I Sam. 4:18), “And it came to pass that when he (i.e., a messenger) mentioned the ark of God, he (i.e., Eli) fell backward from off the throne….” Moreover, his two sons, Hophni and Phinehas died. So just as this [shift in fortune] happened with Eli the righteous, how much the more [does it happen with] the wicked! You find neither man nor woman who saw joys like Elisheba bat Amminadab, [the wife of Aaron, as stated (in Exod. 6:23), “And Aaron took for a wife Elisheba bat Amminadab”].⁸PRK 26:2; Zev. 102a; Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 6:2. She saw her husband become high priest serving in the high priesthood and [as a] prophet. In addition, Moses, her husband's brother, was king and prophet. Moreover, her sons were deputies [to the high priest] in the priesthood, and her brother Nahshon was head of all of the princes of Israel.⁹According to Numb. 10:13, Nahshon was in command of the troops of Judah, and the troops of Judah headed those of the other tribes. See also Numb. 2:3; I Chron. 2:10. Still she did not remain in her happiness. Rather, when two of her sons went in to offer a sacrifice, (according to Lev. 10:2,) “Fire came forth from before the Lord and consumed them, so that they died before the Lord.” It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5), “I say to the merrymakers, ‘Do not make merry.’” And so Solomon said (in Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad.’” There is a story about one of the great Babylonian [scholars], who married off his son,¹⁰PRK 26:2; Lev. R. 20:2. and made a great banquet for the sages. He said to his son, “Go up and bring us a jar of such and such a wine from the attic.” He went up to the attic. [There] a snake [from] among the jars bit him, and he died. His father remained with those who were reclining [at his table]. So he delayed and did not come. [Finally,] his father said, “Let me go up and see what my son is doing.” His father went up [and] found him cast down dead among the jars. What did that saint do? He waited by himself until the guests had eaten and drunk sufficiently. When they had finished, he said, “You came to say a bridegrooms' blessing over my son. [But instead] say a mourners' blessing over him. You came to bring my son to the wedding canopy. [Instead] bring him to [his] grave.” They said about R. Zakkay of Kabul and they opened about him (in the words of Eccl. 2:2), “Of laughter I said, ‘It is mad; and what does joy do?’”

(Lev. 26:3:) “If you walk in My statutes….” This text is related (to Hos. 9:17), “My God will reject them because they did not heed Him….” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I have said that you would be set in security, as stated (in Amos 9:15), ‘And when I plant them in their land, [they shall never again be uprooted]….’ When? (Lev.: 26:3, 5:) ‘If you walk in My statutes […] You shall eat your fill of bread.’ But you did not so act.” Instead (according to II Kings 17:9), “The Children of Israel attributed things which were not right to the Lord.” [So] I have also set upon you things which I did not write in My Torah. [It is so stated] (in Deut. 28:61), “Moreover [the Lord will bring upon you] every disease and every plague which is not written [in this book of the Torah].” Now what were the “things they attributed, which were not right to the Lord?” As Isaiah said (in Is. 1:4), “They have forsaken the Lord […];” do not say, “They have forsaken ('zbw) [Me],” but “They,” as it were, “have made me worth forsaking ('yzbw) (i.e., caused me to be cruel).” Now I was called (in Exod. 34:6), “The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God.” But through their sins, they have made Me cruel and changed My trait of mercy to cruelty, as stated (in Lam. 2:5), “The Lord has become like an enemy, He swallowed Israel.” It also says (in Is. 63:10), “But they rebelled, and grieved His holy spirit; then He became their enemy, and Himself made war against them.” Therefore, Hosea said, “Who has brought this about for you? [It was] because you did not heed Him, (in Hos. 9:17), ‘My God will reject them because they did not heed Him.’” It is also written (in Deut. 28:65), “And among those nations you shall find no peace. Another interpretation (of Lev. 26:3, 4, 14, 19) “If you walk in My statutes…, then I will give you your rains in their season…. But if you do not heed Me…. I will make your heavens like iron”: It also says so (in Hag. 1:10), “For that reason the heavens over you have withheld dew, and the earth has withheld its produce.” Because of your sins, the nations are also afflicted. R. Joshua ben Levi said, “If the nations had known that they are afflicted because of the sins of Israel, they would have raised two armies²Gk.: stratiai. to guard each and every person of Israel in order that they keep the Torah and not sin. However, it was not enough for the nations that they were not watching over Israel, but in addition they stopped them from [fulfilling] the commandments.” As when Israel sins, all the whole world is afflicted, as stated (in Hag. 1:10), “For that reason the heavens over you have withheld dew.” But if [the Israelites] do not sin, all the world is blessed on their account, as stated (in Gen. 26:4), “and through your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses (in Exod. 20:19-20), “You yourselves have seen that I spoke with you from the heavens. Along with Me you shall not make gods of silver, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.” So if you sin [and pray to me], I will not answer you, as stated (in Zech. 7:13), “And it came to pass that, as He called, and they did not heed; ‘So let them call, and I will not heed,’ [says the Lord of hosts].” Therefore (according to Exod. 20:20), “Along with Me you shall not make gods of silver.”

… And thus (that rebuke leads to peace) do we find with Abraham, viz. (Ibid. 21:28) "And Abraham rebuked Avimelech, etc.", followed by (27) "and the two of them made a covenant." And thus do we find with Isaac, viz. (Ibid. 26:27) "And Isaac said to them: Why have you come to me when you hate me and you sent me away from you?" followed by "… (31) "and Isaac saw them off and they went from him in peace."

 E nem Itzhak, permaneceu em sua felicidade: Ele escapou da espada, dos homens de Guerar. E [a Divindade] lhes informou sobre quem ele era, de modo que vieram a ele. Tal qual foi declarado (em Bereshit 26: 26, 28) Então, Avimele’h veio a ele de Guerar ...e lhe disseram “Vemos claramente que HaShem está com você” mas, ele não permaneceu nesta felicidade. Em vez disso [tal qual foi dito, em Bereshit 27: 1] Aconteceu que, quando Itzhak estava idoso, seus olhos eram fracos demais para enxergar...

[(Gen. 37:1:) NOW JACOB DWELT < IN THE LAND >.] This text is related (to I Chron. 29:15): FOR WE ARE SOJOURNERS BEFORE YOU [AND TRANSIENTS LIKE ALL OUR ANCESTORS]. So are the righteous. The Holy One had made them the essential thing, but they make themselves subordinate. In the case of Abraham, the Holy One had magnified him, as stated (in Gen. 12:2): I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAGNIFY YOUR NAME. And so (in Gen. 13:17): ARISE, WALK ABOUT THE LAND < THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH AND BREADTH, FOR I AM GIVING IT TO YOU >. < Yet > he says to the children of Heth (i.e., to the Hittites, in Gen. 23:4): I AM AN ALIEN AND A TRANSIENT AMONG YOU. So also with Isaac, the Holy One magnified him, as stated (in Gen. 26:12): SO ISAAC SOWED ON THAT LAND < AND REAPED IN THAT YEAR A HUNDREDFOLD, FOR THE LORD HAD BLESSED HIM >. It also says (in Gen. 26:6): SO ISAAC {SOJOURNED} [DWELT] IN GERAR. And so with Jacob (according to Gen. 36:6): NOW JACOB DWELT IN THE LAND WHERE HIS FATHER HAD SOJOURNED. It is therefore stated (in I Chron. 29:16): FOR WE ARE SOJOURNERS BEFORE YOU AND TRANSIENTS LIKE ALL OUR ANCESTORS.

(Deut. 7:12:) “And it shall come to pass if you heed [these statutes].” What is written above the matter (in Deut. 7:7)? “It is not because you are the most numerous of all the peoples [that the Lord desired you and chose you. Rather you are the least of all the peoples].” It is not because you are the most numerous of all the nations,” and it was not because you fulfilled more commandments than they; for the nations do more commandments that they were not commanded than you, and they magnify My name more than you. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:11-12), “For from the rising of the sun until its setting My name is great among the nations, [and in every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation; for My name is great among the nations]…. But you desecrate it when you say the table of the Lord is defiled, and its special food is treated with scorn [like ordinary] food.” (Deut. 7:7:) “Rather you were the least of all the peoples.” Rather, because you diminish yourselves for Me, therefore I love you.’ And so it says (in Mal. 1:2-3), “’I have loved you,’ says the Lord …. ‘But I have hated Esau….’” It also says (in Hos. 14:5), “I will heal their veering and love them voluntarily….” My soul has volunteered to love them, even though they were not worthy; and so it says (in Deut. 7:8), “Because the Lord loves you […].” It is written (in Is. 2:2), “And it shall come to pass that in the latter days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains….” This text is related (to Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), [your end shall greatly flourish].” [This verse is here] to teach you that everyone who is troubled (rt.: ts'r) from his beginning will have it well at his end. You have no one who was more troubled (rt.: ts'r) than Abraham, who was cast into a fiery furnace and went into exile from his ancestral home. Moreover, sixteen kings pursued him. He also stood the test of ten trials and buried Sarah. Yet in the end he had rest, as stated (Gen. 24:1), “Now Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the Lord blessed [Abraham in all things].” So too was Isaac troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, for the Philistines were jealous of him, [as stated] (in Gen. 26:16), “And Abimelech said unto Isaac, ‘Go away from us, [for you have become have become too powerful for us].’” But in the end they begged him [for mercy], as stated (in vs. 27-28), “And Isaac said unto them, ‘Why have you come unto me…?’ And they said, ‘We have clearly seen….’” Jacob also was troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, as stated (in Ps. 129:1), “’They have harassed me greatly from my youth,’ let Israel now say.” While he was in his mother’s belly, Esau sought to kill him, as stated (in Gen. 25:22), “But the children struggled [within her].” [Moreover,] when he received the blessings (according to Gen. 27:41), “Then Esau hated Jacob …, and Esau said in his heart, ‘Let the days of mourning for my father come, [and I will kill my brother Jacob]’.” So he fled to Laban and was troubled (rt.: ts'r) over his daughters, and after that Laban sought to kill him, as stated (in Deut. 26:5), “An Aramean would have destroyed my ancestor.”⁹This is required sense by the midrash. A more usual translation would read: A WANDERING ARAMEAN WAS MY ANCESTOR. He went away from him and encountered Esau, as stated (in Gen. 33:1), “Now Jacob raised his eyes and saw Esau coming….” There came upon him the trouble over Dinah, the trouble over Rachel and the trouble over Joseph. But in the end he had rest, [as stated] (in Gen. 47:12), “And Joseph sustained his father [and his brothers]….” Ergo (in Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), your end shall greatly flourish.” Another interpretation (of Is. 2:2), “the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains… and Mount Tabor shall become very tall.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the palace¹⁰Palterin. Gk.: praitorion; Lat. praetorium. children of a king. They went down from the city and killed lions, tigers, and bears in the forest. Then they brought them and hung them opposite the city gate, so that all the people in the city were amazed from those lions. The Holy One, blessed be he, did so with Sisera. [When] Sisera came against Israel on Mount Tabor; (according to Jud. 5:20), “The stars fought from the heavens; from their courses they fought with Sisera.”¹¹Cf. Pes. 118b, according to which the stars descended and heated the iron implements in Sisera’s army. All began to be amazed, for there had never been an event like this, when the stars came down from the heavens to make war with flesh and blood. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world the stars have fought on your behalf, but in the world to come (according to Zech. 14:3-4), ‘Then the Lord will come forth and fight with those nations [as when He fights in the day of battle]. And His feet shall stand in that day [upon the Mount of Olives]….’ And [so on through] all that section (of Zechariah).” Then everyone will see and point Him out with the finger, as stated (in Is. 25:9), “In that day they shall say, ‘See, this is our God; [we waited for Him, and He delivered us. This is the Lord; we waited for Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation].’”

Another interpretation (of Lev. 26:3, 4, 14, 19:) IF YOU WALK IN MY STATUTES…, THEN I WILL GIVE YOU YOUR RAINS IN THEIR SEASON…. BUT IF YOU DO NOT HEED ME…. I WILL MAKE YOUR HEAVENS LIKE IRON. It also says so (in Hag. 1:10): FOR THAT REASON THE HEAVENS OVER YOU HAVE WITHHELD DEW, AND THE EARTH HAS WITHHELD ITS PRODUCE. Because of your sins, the nations are also afflicted. R. Joshua ben Levi said: If the nations had known that, when Israel sinned, they also would be afflicted, they would have raised two armies⁵Gk.: stratiai. in order to keep each and every person of Israel [from sinning.⁶The bracketed portion continues to the end of the section. Since the passage is lacking in Buber’s main Oxford ms., he has drawn on Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. However, it was not enough for the nations that they were not watching over Israel, but in addition they stopped them from < fulfilling > the commandments. Thus because Israel sins, all the whole world is afflicted, as stated (in Hag. 1:10): FOR THAT REASON THE HEAVENS OVER YOU HAVE WITHHELD DEW. But if < the Israelites > do not sin, all the world is blessed on their account, as stated (in Gen. 26:4): AND THROUGH YOUR SEED SHALL ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH BE BLESSED. The Holy One said to Moses (in Exod. 20:19–20 [22–23]): YOU YOURSELVES HAVE SEEN THAT I SPOKE WITH YOU FROM THE HEAVENS. ALONG WITH ME YOU SHALL NOT MAKE GODS OF SILVER, NOR SHALL YOU MAKE FOR YOURSELVES GODS OF GOLD. So if you sin and pray to me, I will not answer you, as stated (in Zech. 7:13): AND IT CAME TO PASS THAT, AS {I} [HE] CALLED, AND THEY DID NOT HEED; SO LET THEM CALL, AND I WILL NOT HEED, SAYS THE LORD OF HOSTS. Therefore (according to Exod. 20:20 [23]): ALONG WITH ME YOU SHALL NOT MAKE GODS OF SILVER….]

(Deut. 7:12:) “And it shall come to pass if you heed [these statutes].” What is written above the matter (in Deut. 7:7)? “It is not because you are the most numerous of all the peoples [that the Lord desired you and chose you. Rather you are the least of all the peoples].” It is not because you are the most numerous of all the nations,” and it was not because you fulfilled more commandments than they; for the nations do more commandments that they were not commanded than you, and they magnify My name more than you. Thus it is stated (in Mal. 1:11-12), “For from the rising of the sun until its setting My name is great among the nations, [and in every place incense is offered to My name, even a pure oblation; for My name is great among the nations]…. But you desecrate it when you say the table of the Lord is defiled, and its special food is treated with scorn [like ordinary] food.” (Deut. 7:7:) “Rather you were the least of all the peoples.” Rather, because you diminish yourselves for Me, therefore I love you.’ And so it says (in Mal. 1:2-3), “’I have loved you,’ says the Lord …. ‘But I have hated Esau….’” It also says (in Hos. 14:5), “I will heal their veering and love them voluntarily….” My soul has volunteered to love them, even though they were not worthy; and so it says (in Deut. 7:8), “Because the Lord loves you […].” It is written (in Is. 2:2), “And it shall come to pass that in the latter days the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains….” This text is related (to Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), [your end shall greatly flourish].” [This verse is here] to teach you that everyone who is troubled (rt.: ts'r) from his beginning will have it well at his end. You have no one who was more troubled (rt.: ts'r) than Abraham, who was cast into a fiery furnace and went into exile from his ancestral home. Moreover, sixteen kings pursued him. He also stood the test of ten trials and buried Sarah. Yet in the end he had rest, as stated (Gen. 24:1), “Now Abraham was old, advanced in years, and the Lord blessed [Abraham in all things].” So too was Isaac troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, for the Philistines were jealous of him, [as stated] (in Gen. 26:16), “And Abimelech said unto Isaac, ‘Go away from us, [for you have become have become too powerful for us].’” But in the end they begged him [for mercy], as stated (in vs. 27-28), “And Isaac said unto them, ‘Why have you come unto me…?’ And they said, ‘We have clearly seen….’” Jacob also was troubled (rt.: ts'r) in his youth, as stated (in Ps. 129:1), “’They have harassed me greatly from my youth,’ let Israel now say.” While he was in his mother’s belly, Esau sought to kill him, as stated (in Gen. 25:22), “But the children struggled [within her].” [Moreover,] when he received the blessings (according to Gen. 27:41), “Then Esau hated Jacob …, and Esau said in his heart, ‘Let the days of mourning for my father come, [and I will kill my brother Jacob]’.” So he fled to Laban and was troubled (rt.: ts'r) over his daughters, and after that Laban sought to kill him, as stated (in Deut. 26:5), “An Aramean would have destroyed my ancestor.”⁹This is required sense by the midrash. A more usual translation would read: A WANDERING ARAMEAN WAS MY ANCESTOR. He went away from him and encountered Esau, as stated (in Gen. 33:1), “Now Jacob raised his eyes and saw Esau coming….” There came upon him the trouble over Dinah, the trouble over Rachel and the trouble over Joseph. But in the end he had rest, [as stated] (in Gen. 47:12), “And Joseph sustained his father [and his brothers]….” Ergo (in Job 8:7), “Though your beginning was trifling (rt.: ts'r), your end shall greatly flourish.” Another interpretation (of Is. 2:2), “the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the highest of the mountains… and Mount Tabor shall become very tall.” A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To the palace¹⁰Palterin. Gk.: praitorion; Lat. praetorium. children of a king. They went down from the city and killed lions, tigers, and bears in the forest. Then they brought them and hung them opposite the city gate, so that all the people in the city were amazed from those lions. The Holy One, blessed be he, did so with Sisera. [When] Sisera came against Israel on Mount Tabor; (according to Jud. 5:20), “The stars fought from the heavens; from their courses they fought with Sisera.”¹¹Cf. Pes. 118b, according to which the stars descended and heated the iron implements in Sisera’s army. All began to be amazed, for there had never been an event like this, when the stars came down from the heavens to make war with flesh and blood. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “In this world the stars have fought on your behalf, but in the world to come (according to Zech. 14:3-4), ‘Then the Lord will come forth and fight with those nations [as when He fights in the day of battle]. And His feet shall stand in that day [upon the Mount of Olives]….’ And [so on through] all that section (of Zechariah).” Then everyone will see and point Him out with the finger, as stated (in Is. 25:9), “In that day they shall say, ‘See, this is our God; [we waited for Him, and He delivered us. This is the Lord; we waited for Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation].’”

(Lev. 25:14:) AND WHEN YOU MAKE A SALE TO YOUR NEIGHBOR, [OR BUY FROM YOUR NEIGHBOR'S HAND,] LET NONE OF YOU DECEIVE HIS FELLOW. Thus you shall not deceive one another, for I also have sold. When? When Abraham observed the commandments of the Holy One. Before the Torah was given, our father Abraham kept it [and observed all the commandments that are in the Torah. R. Samuel bar Nahman said in the name of R. Alexandra: Abraham even observed the eruvim of cooked foods.⁸See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 3:1, and the notes there. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ('QB 'ShR) ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE AND KEPT MY CHARGE: < MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY TORAHS >. What is the meaning of 'QB?⁹Gen. R. 95:3; Cant. R. 5:16:1; PR 21:12; cf. Ned. 32a. R. Simeon ben Laqish said: At the age of three years Abraham recognized the Holy One.¹⁰So also Numb. R. 18:21. According to other traditions Abraham recognized his creator at the age of forty-eight (Gen. R. 30:8; 46:2; Cant. R. 5:16:1), at the age of fifty (PR 21:12), or at the age of one (Gen. R. 95:3). 'QB is a number. ' (i.e., 'ayin) is seventy, Q (i.e., Qof) is one hundred, < and > B (i.e., bet) is two, for a total of one hundred seventy-two. Now (according to Gen. 25:7) Abraham lived one hundred seventy-five < years >. Deduct from them. < The result is > three, when he was little. Ergo: At the age of three years Abraham recognized the Holy One.] When the Holy One saw how Abraham loved the commandments, he began buying heavenly and earthly < places > for him, as stated (in Gen. 14:19): BLESSED BE ABRAM OF GOD MOST HIGH, [BUYER¹¹Qoneh. A more traditional rendering of this word here would be MAKER. OF HEAVEN AND EARTH. So also it says (Gen. 13:15): FOR ALL THE LAND WHICH YOU SEE, TO YOU I WILL GIVE IT.] The Holy One said: All the world is wholly mine; and I bought it for Abraham, because he has observed my commandments. But you [through your sins] have cause me to be [like] an alien who rents a house from its owners, for so Jeremiah has said (in Jer. 14:8): WHY ARE YOU LIKE A FOREIGNER IN THE LAND? When you sinned before me, I sold you, as stated (in Ps. 44:13 [12]): YOU SHALL SELL YOUR PEOPLE FOR NO MONEY…. For that reason, if someone has to sell a house, a field, or < some > article, you shall not deceive one another. It is therefore written (in Lev. 25:14): LET NONE OF YOU DECEIVE HIS FELLOW. (Ibid., vs. 17) AND LET NO ONE DECEIVE HIS NEIGHBOR.

[(Gen. 37:1:) NOW JACOB DWELT < IN THE LAND >.] This text is related (to I Chron. 29:15): FOR WE ARE SOJOURNERS BEFORE YOU [AND TRANSIENTS LIKE ALL OUR ANCESTORS]. So are the righteous. The Holy One had made them the essential thing, but they make themselves subordinate. In the case of Abraham, the Holy One had magnified him, as stated (in Gen. 12:2): I WILL BLESS YOU AND MAGNIFY YOUR NAME. And so (in Gen. 13:17): ARISE, WALK ABOUT THE LAND < THROUGHOUT ITS LENGTH AND BREADTH, FOR I AM GIVING IT TO YOU >. < Yet > he says to the children of Heth (i.e., to the Hittites, in Gen. 23:4): I AM AN ALIEN AND A TRANSIENT AMONG YOU. So also with Isaac, the Holy One magnified him, as stated (in Gen. 26:12): SO ISAAC SOWED ON THAT LAND < AND REAPED IN THAT YEAR A HUNDREDFOLD, FOR THE LORD HAD BLESSED HIM >. It also says (in Gen. 26:6): SO ISAAC {SOJOURNED} [DWELT] IN GERAR. And so with Jacob (according to Gen. 36:6): NOW JACOB DWELT IN THE LAND WHERE HIS FATHER HAD SOJOURNED. It is therefore stated (in I Chron. 29:16): FOR WE ARE SOJOURNERS BEFORE YOU AND TRANSIENTS LIKE ALL OUR ANCESTORS.

R. Levi stated: Abraham’s first trial was similar to his last. The first trial began with the words Get thee out of thy country, and the last began with the words Get thee into the country of Moriah (Gen. 22:2). R. Hanina said: Come and see how much Abraham loved his Creator. When he was only a child of three,⁵Abraham was forty-eight years old according to Nedarim 32a; Buber Tanhuma, Lekh Lekha 4. Cf. Bereshit Rabbah 30:8. he recognized his Creator, as it is said: Because Abraham hearkened to my voice (ibid. 26:5). The letter ayin in the word akeb (“because”) equals seventy, the letter kaf equals one hundred, and the letter bet equals two, totaling one hundred and seventy-two in all. Since Abraham lived one hundred and seventy-five years, you learn from this fact that he must have been only three years old when he first recognized the Creator.

{Isaac did not remain in his happiness.} [In the case of Isaac also, how happy he was!] The Holy One saved him from the sword and from {burning} [the fire] {and from the men of Gerar}. He also delivered him from the men of Gerar and informed them [about who he was, so that they came to him]. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:26, 28): THEN ABIMELECH CAME UNTO HIM FROM GERAR […. AND THEY SAID: WE HAVE CLEARLY SEEN THAT THE LORD IS WITH YOU.] But he did not remain in his happiness. Rather (according to Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD AND HIS EYES WERE TOO WEAK TO SEE. So just as < this loss of happiness > happened in the case of Isaac, (according to Gen. 22:2) the burnt offering of the Holy One, how much the more does it happen in the case of the wicked! [It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5 [4]): I SAY TO THE MERRYMAKERS: DO NOT MAKE MERRY.]

{Isaac did not remain in his happiness.} [In the case of Isaac also, how happy he was!] The Holy One saved him from the sword and from {burning} [the fire] {and from the men of Gerar}. He also delivered him from the men of Gerar and informed them [about who he was, so that they came to him]. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:26, 28): THEN ABIMELECH CAME UNTO HIM FROM GERAR […. AND THEY SAID: WE HAVE CLEARLY SEEN THAT THE LORD IS WITH YOU.] But he did not remain in his happiness. Rather (according to Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD AND HIS EYES WERE TOO WEAK TO SEE. So just as < this loss of happiness > happened in the case of Isaac, (according to Gen. 22:2) the burnt offering of the Holy One, how much the more does it happen in the case of the wicked! [It is therefore stated (in Ps. 75:5 [4]): I SAY TO THE MERRYMAKERS: DO NOT MAKE MERRY.]

Another interpretation (of Gen. 12:1): GO (LK LK). The Holy One said to him: I sought (rt.: ShHR) you (LK) early. Thus R. Joshua ben Qorhah said: David said (in Ps. 110:3): YOUR PEOPLE ('MK) OFFER THEMSELVES WILLINGLY IN THE DAY OF YOUR WARFARE (rt.: HYL)… < FROM THE WOMB OF THE DAWN (rt.: SHHR). > YOURS (LK) IS THE DEW OF YOUR YOUTH.¹³Cf. Gen. R. 39:8. The Holy One said to him: I was with you ('MK) on the day that you armed your forces (rt.: HYL). What is the meaning of THE DEW OF YOUR YOUTH? R. Aha said: R. Hanina said: At the age of three years Abraham recognized his Creator.¹⁴See Gen. R. 30:8; 46:2; 64:8; 95:3; Cant. R. 5:16:1; PR 21:12; below, 5:6. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ('QB) ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE. By gematria¹⁵Gk.: geometria or grammateis. Gematria is an exegetical method in which an interpretation is reached from the sum of the numerical value of the letters in a word. 'QB = 172 < years >, and all the days of Abraham are 175 < years >. Hence¹⁶By understanding Gen. 26:5 to mean: 172 YEARS ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE. you learn that at the age of three years Abraham knew his Creator. The Holy One said to him: I am making all the evil deeds which you did in those three years like this dew. Ergo (in Ps. 110:3): THE DEW OF YOUR YOUTH.

(Gen. 25:34:) SO ESAU DESPISED < HIS BIRTHRIGHT >. (Prov. 18:3:) WHEN A WICKED ONE COMES, THERE IS ALSO DESPISING. This refers to Esau, about whom it is stated: SO ESAU DESPISED. (Prov. 18:3, cont.:) {AND WHEN DISGRACE COMES}, [AND WITH DISGRACE, SHAME], since the famine came in his footsteps. Thus it is stated (immediately after the verse about Esau despising his birthright, in Gen. 26:1): NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND.

And a desparate struggle ensued between Esau and the two men that were with Nimrod, and ‎they yelled terribly at Esau; when Esau turned suddenly upon them smiting them to death ‎with his sword. And all the great men of Nimrod, who were out hunting with Nimrod in the ‎wilderness, when they heard the terrible yelling recognized at once the voices of those two ‎men, and they hastened to ascertain the cause thereof, and behold the king and the two men ‎that were with him lay dead in the wilderness. And when Esau saw from a distance the mighty ‎men of Nimrod coming towards him, he fled and escaped; and Esau took along with him the ‎costly garments of Nimrod, bequeathed to Nimrod by his father, and by virtue of which ‎garments Nimrod prevailed over all the people of the earth; and Esau ran hastily and ‎concealed those garments in his house. And Esau ran very swiftly with those garments. ‎towards the city, to escape Nimrod's men, and when he reached his father's house Esau was ‎wearied and exhausted and almost dead with excitement, as he approached his brother, ‎Jacob, and sat down before him; and he said unto his brother Jacob: Behold, I shall surely die ‎this day, and what profit shall this birthright do to me? And Jacob acted cunningly with Esau in ‎this matter, and Esau sold his birthright unto Jacob, for thus it was the pleasure of the Lord. ‎And the share of Esau in the cave, which is in the field of Machpelah which Abraham had ‎bought from the Hittites for the possession of a burying place, Esau sold unto Jacob likewise, ‎and Jacob became the owner thereof for a consideration. And Jacob wrote down the whole ‎transaction in a book, and he had it testified to by witnesses and he annexed a seal thereto, ‎and the book remained in Jacob’s possession. And when Nimrod, the son of Cush, was dead, ‎his men took him up and carried him away midst great consternation, and they buried him in ‎his city. And all the days that Nimrod lived were two hundred and fifteen years when he died, ‎and the days of his reigning over the people of the earth were one hundred and eighty five ‎years. Thus Nimrod died by the sword of Esau in shame and disgrace, and his death was ‎caused by the seed of Abraham, as he himself foresaw it in his dreams. And after Nimrod's ‎death his kingdom became divided into many provinces, and all the countries ruled over by ‎Nimrod were restored to their previous kings who recovered them after Nimrod's death. And ‎all the people of Nimrod's household were enslaved for many days by the other kings of the ‎earth.

[(Gen. 26:1:) NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND.] This text is related (to Ps. 33:18): BEHOLD, THE EYE OF THE LORD IS ON THOSE WHO FEAR HIM.¹⁹Gen. R. 40:1. It is speaking about Abraham, of whom it is read that he feared God. Thus it is stated (of Abraham in Gen. 22:12): THAT YOU FEAR GOD. (Ps. 33:18, cont.:) ON THOSE WHO WAIT FOR HIS STEADFAST LOVE, since < Abraham > was waiting for the Holy One, for this reason: (Ps. 33:19:) TO DELIVER THEIR LIFE FROM DEATH, < i.e., > from his execution by Nimrod. (Ibid., cont.:) TO KEEP THEM ALIVE IN THE FAMINE, the one which came in his days, as stated (in Gen. 26:1): NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 28:10): AND JACOB SET OUT. It is written (in Is. 26:20): GO, MY PEOPLE, ENTER INTO YOUR CHAMBERS AND SHUT [YOUR DOORS] BEHIND ME.¹⁶The MT reads BEHIND YOU. HIDE JUST FOR A MOMENT UNTIL MY ANGER PASSES. When you see a fateful hour, do not stand against it but give way to it. Thus it is stated: GO, MY PEOPLE, ENTER INTO YOUR CHAMBERS. Look at me, as it were, for I have perceived an hour < made > fateful through your sins. I did nothing. Instead I gave way to it, as stated (in Lam. 2:3): HE HAS WITHDRAWN HIS RIGHT HAND…. So also you, GO MY PEOPLE. Thus, the one who stands against the hour will fall into its hand; but whoever gives way to the hour will have the hour fall into his hand. Naboth stood against the hour {and stood against it} [and fell into its hand]. When Ahab said to him (in I Kings 21:2): GIVE ME YOUR VINEYARD SO THAT I MAY HAVE IT FOR A VEGETABLE GARDEN. What did he do? He said (in vs. 3): THE LORD FORBID < THAT I SHOULD GIVE YOU MY ANCESTORS' INHERITANCE >. What happened to him? He fell into the hand of the hour, as stated (in vs. 13): AND THE MEN OF BELIAL TESTIFIED AGAINST [NABOTH BEFORE THE PEOPLE…. AND THEY STONED HIM TO DEATH WITH STONES]. Abraham gave way to the hour and fled from Nimrod, the king of the Chaldeans. So the hour returned and fell into his hand when he killed sixteen kings. It is so stated (in Gen. 14:15): THEN HE DEPLOYED < HIS FORCES > AGAINST THEM BY NIGHT. Isaac also gave way to the hour when the Philistines said to him (in Gen. 26:16): GO AWAY FROM US. Immediately < the passage continues > (in vs. 17): SO ISAAC WENT AWAY FROM THERE. Then the hour returned and fell into his hand, as stated (in Gen. 26:26-28): THEN ABIMELECH CAME UNTO HIM FROM GERAR…. SO ISAAC SAID UNTO THEM: WHY HAVE YOU COME UNTO ME …? AND THEY SAID: WE HAVE CLEARLY SEEN THAT THE LORD IS WITH YOU…. Joseph also gave way to the hour. When his brothers sold him, was he not able to say: I am your brother? But he gave way to the hour, and the hour returned and fell before him, as stated (in Gen. 50:18): THEN HIS BROTHERS ALSO WENT AND FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM. Moses gave way to the hour, as stated (in Exod. 2:15): BUT MOSES FLED FROM PHARAOH. So the hour returned and fell into his hand, as stated (in Exod. 11:3): {AND} [ALSO] THE MAN MOSES WAS VERY GREAT IN THE EYES OF PHARAOH'S [SERVANTS] AND IN THE EYES OF HIS PEOPLE. David also gave way to the hour, as stated (in I Sam. 20:1): BUT DAVID FLED FROM NAIOTH. It is also written (in Ps. 3:1): WHEN HE FLED FROM HIS SON ABSALOM. And it is written (in Ps. 57:1): [WHEN HE FLED] FROM SAUL IN THE CAVE. So the hour returned and fell into his hand when Saul said to him (in I Sam. 24:21 [20]): [PLEASE] LOOK, I KNOW THAT YOU SHALL SURELY REIGN AND IN YOUR HAND THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL SHALL ARISE. So < it was > also < with > Jacob, who fled from the hour. (Hosea 12:13 [12]:) THEN JACOB FLED TO THE LAND OF ARAM. And the hour fell into his hand, as stated (in Gen. 36:6): THEN ESAU TOOK HIS WIVES < … > AND WENT INTO A LAND AWAY FROM HIS BROTHER JACOB. Ergo (in Is. 26:20): GO, MY PEOPLE, ENTER INTO YOUR CHAMBERS.

It is written (in Is. 2:2): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT IN THE LATTER DAYS THE MOUNTAIN OF THE HOUSE OF THE LORD SHALL BE ESTABLISHED <AS THE HIGHEST OF THE MOUNTAINS>…. This text is related (to Job 8:7): THOUGH YOUR BEGINNING WAS TRIFLING (rt.: Ts'R), <YOUR END SHALL GREATLY FLOURISH>. <This verse is here> to teach you that everyone who is troubled (rt.: Ts'R) from his beginning has rest at his end. You have no one who was more troubled (rt.: Ts'R) than Abraham, who was cast into a fiery furnace and went into exile from his ancestral home. Moreover, sixteen kings oppressed him. He also stood the test of ten trials and buried Sarah. Yet in the end he had rest. (Gen. 24:1) NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD, ADVANCED IN YEARS, AND THE LORD BLESSED ABRAHAM <IN ALL THINGS>. Isaac was troubled (rt.: Ts'R) in his youth, for the Philistines were jealous of him, [as stated] (in Gen. 26:16): AND ABIMELECH SAID UNTO ISAAC: GO AWAY FROM US, FOR YOU HAVE BECOME HAVE BECOME TOO POWERFUL FOR US. In the end they begged him for mercy, [as stated] (in vs. 27): AND ISAAC SAID UNTO THEM: WHY HAVE YOU COME UNTO ME…. Jacob also was troubled (rt.: Ts'R) in his youth, as stated (in Ps. 129:1): THEY HAVE HARASSED ME GREATLY FROM MY YOUTH, LET ISRAEL NOW SAY. While he was in his mothers belly, Esau wanted to kill him, as stated (in Gen. 25:22): BUT THE CHILDREN STRUGGLED WITHIN HER…. [Moreover, when he received the blessings, (according to Gen. 27:41:) THEN ESAU HATED JACOB …, AND ESAU SAID IN HIS HEART: <LET THE DAYS OF MOURNING FOR MY FATHER COME, AND I WILL KILL MY BROTHER JACOB>. So he fled to Laban and was troubled (rt.: Ts'R) over his daughter, and after that Laban wanted to kill him, as stated (in Deut. 26:5): AN ARAMEAN WOULD HAVE DESTROYED MY ANCESTOR.¹³This is required sense by the midrash. A more usual translation would read: A WANDERING ARAMEAN WAS MY ANCESTOR. He went away from him and encountered Esau, as stated (in Gen. 33:1): NOW JACOB RAISED HIS EYES AND SAW ESAU COMING…. There came upon him the trouble over Dinah and the trouble over Joseph. Yet in the end he had rest, [as stated] (in Gen. 47:12): AND JOSEPH SUSTAINED HIS FATHER <AND HIS BROTHERS>…. Ergo (in Job 8:7): THOUGH YOUR BEGINNING WAS TRIFLING (rt.: Ts'R), <YOUR END SHALL GREATLY FLOURISH>.

"To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53). And who are they? The ones standing on the Plains of Moav. And was the land not apportioned to those that left Egypt? As it is written (Exodus 6:8), "and I will give it to you as a possession." [So] for what reason was it [actually] apportioned to [the ones standing on the Plains of Moav]? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that six families from [those that left Egypt] would be destroyed. And who are they? [Of] those written above (Genesis 46:10), "And the children of Shimon were Yemuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tsohar and Shaul," when you read "to Nemuel, the Nemeulite family" (Numbers 26:12-13), neither Ohad or Tsohar are there. Rather they were lost. And so [too,] with Binyamin: "Bela, Bekher, etc." (Genesis 26:21), behold there are ten. But when you come to count them [you read], "to Belaa, the Belaaite family [etc.] (Numbers 26:38-40), they are only seven. Behold [those missing] were lost. And so [too,] with the "children of Gad. Tsifion, Chagi, Shuni, Etsbon [etc.]" (Genesis 26:16); but when you count "to Tsafon, the Tsafonite family [etc.]" (26:15-17), Etsbon is not there. Behold six families got lost from the licentiousness of the counsel of Bilaam. And there is no licentiousness that does not accomplish its [end]. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "[Why should] I apportion the land to people who will be destroyed in the future?" And [so] He [rather] apportioned it [only] to the one that stood resilient. Hence it is stated, "To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53).

"To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53). And who are they? The ones standing on the Plains of Moav. And was the land not apportioned to those that left Egypt? As it is written (Exodus 6:8), "and I will give it to you as a possession." [So] for what reason was it [actually] apportioned to [the ones standing on the Plains of Moav]? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that six families from [those that left Egypt] would be destroyed. And who are they? [Of] those written above (Genesis 46:10), "And the children of Shimon were Yemuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tsohar and Shaul," when you read "to Nemuel, the Nemeulite family" (Numbers 26:12-13), neither Ohad or Tsohar are there. Rather they were lost. And so [too,] with Binyamin: "Bela, Bekher, etc." (Genesis 26:21), behold there are ten. But when you come to count them [you read], "to Belaa, the Belaaite family [etc.] (Numbers 26:38-40), they are only seven. Behold [those missing] were lost. And so [too,] with the "children of Gad. Tsifion, Chagi, Shuni, Etsbon [etc.]" (Genesis 26:16); but when you count "to Tsafon, the Tsafonite family [etc.]" (26:15-17), Etsbon is not there. Behold six families got lost from the licentiousness of the counsel of Bilaam. And there is no licentiousness that does not accomplish its [end]. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "[Why should] I apportion the land to people who will be destroyed in the future?" And [so] He [rather] apportioned it [only] to the one that stood resilient. Hence it is stated, "To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 28:10): AND JACOB SET OUT. It is written (in Is. 26:20): GO, MY PEOPLE, ENTER INTO YOUR CHAMBERS AND SHUT [YOUR DOORS] BEHIND ME.¹⁶The MT reads BEHIND YOU. HIDE JUST FOR A MOMENT UNTIL MY ANGER PASSES. When you see a fateful hour, do not stand against it but give way to it. Thus it is stated: GO, MY PEOPLE, ENTER INTO YOUR CHAMBERS. Look at me, as it were, for I have perceived an hour < made > fateful through your sins. I did nothing. Instead I gave way to it, as stated (in Lam. 2:3): HE HAS WITHDRAWN HIS RIGHT HAND…. So also you, GO MY PEOPLE. Thus, the one who stands against the hour will fall into its hand; but whoever gives way to the hour will have the hour fall into his hand. Naboth stood against the hour {and stood against it} [and fell into its hand]. When Ahab said to him (in I Kings 21:2): GIVE ME YOUR VINEYARD SO THAT I MAY HAVE IT FOR A VEGETABLE GARDEN. What did he do? He said (in vs. 3): THE LORD FORBID < THAT I SHOULD GIVE YOU MY ANCESTORS' INHERITANCE >. What happened to him? He fell into the hand of the hour, as stated (in vs. 13): AND THE MEN OF BELIAL TESTIFIED AGAINST [NABOTH BEFORE THE PEOPLE…. AND THEY STONED HIM TO DEATH WITH STONES]. Abraham gave way to the hour and fled from Nimrod, the king of the Chaldeans. So the hour returned and fell into his hand when he killed sixteen kings. It is so stated (in Gen. 14:15): THEN HE DEPLOYED < HIS FORCES > AGAINST THEM BY NIGHT. Isaac also gave way to the hour when the Philistines said to him (in Gen. 26:16): GO AWAY FROM US. Immediately < the passage continues > (in vs. 17): SO ISAAC WENT AWAY FROM THERE. Then the hour returned and fell into his hand, as stated (in Gen. 26:26-28): THEN ABIMELECH CAME UNTO HIM FROM GERAR…. SO ISAAC SAID UNTO THEM: WHY HAVE YOU COME UNTO ME …? AND THEY SAID: WE HAVE CLEARLY SEEN THAT THE LORD IS WITH YOU…. Joseph also gave way to the hour. When his brothers sold him, was he not able to say: I am your brother? But he gave way to the hour, and the hour returned and fell before him, as stated (in Gen. 50:18): THEN HIS BROTHERS ALSO WENT AND FELL DOWN BEFORE HIM. Moses gave way to the hour, as stated (in Exod. 2:15): BUT MOSES FLED FROM PHARAOH. So the hour returned and fell into his hand, as stated (in Exod. 11:3): {AND} [ALSO] THE MAN MOSES WAS VERY GREAT IN THE EYES OF PHARAOH'S [SERVANTS] AND IN THE EYES OF HIS PEOPLE. David also gave way to the hour, as stated (in I Sam. 20:1): BUT DAVID FLED FROM NAIOTH. It is also written (in Ps. 3:1): WHEN HE FLED FROM HIS SON ABSALOM. And it is written (in Ps. 57:1): [WHEN HE FLED] FROM SAUL IN THE CAVE. So the hour returned and fell into his hand when Saul said to him (in I Sam. 24:21 [20]): [PLEASE] LOOK, I KNOW THAT YOU SHALL SURELY REIGN AND IN YOUR HAND THE KINGDOM OF ISRAEL SHALL ARISE. So < it was > also < with > Jacob, who fled from the hour. (Hosea 12:13 [12]:) THEN JACOB FLED TO THE LAND OF ARAM. And the hour fell into his hand, as stated (in Gen. 36:6): THEN ESAU TOOK HIS WIVES < … > AND WENT INTO A LAND AWAY FROM HIS BROTHER JACOB. Ergo (in Is. 26:20): GO, MY PEOPLE, ENTER INTO YOUR CHAMBERS.

R. Simeon explained: A king never stands in his field while it is being sowed or plowed or hoed, he does so only while the grain is being stacked. Abraham hoed, as it is said: Arise, walk through the land (ibid. 13:17), and Isaac sowed, as it is said: And Isaac sowed in the land (ibid. 26:12). The King did not stand beside anyone until Jacob came, for he stacked the first fruits, as it is said: Israel is the Lord’s hallowed portion, and the first fruits of the increase (Jer. 2:3). Then the Holy One, blessed be He, stood beside him (Gen. 28:13). Therefore, Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God (Ps. 146:5). Resh Lakish declared: Whose hope is in the Lord his God refers to Joseph, who was the hope of the world while dwelling in Egypt. The Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to Jacob that his hope was in Egypt, as it is said: Now Jacob saw that there was hope in Egypt (reading sever, “hope,” for shever, “grain”).

[Another interpretation (of Ps. 33:18): BEHOLD, THE EYE OF THE LORD < IS ON THOSE WHO FEAR HIM >.] This is Isaac. (Ibid., cont.:) ON THOSE WHO WAIT, since he was waiting for the Holy One. (Ps. 33:19:) TO DELIVER THEIR SOUL FROM DEATH, when Ishmael sought to kill him, as stated (in Gen. 21:9): THEN SARAH SAW THE SON OF HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN PLAYING. Now PLAYING can only mean "killing." Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 2:14): PLEASE LET THE YOUNG MEN ARISE AND PLAY BEFORE US.²²The result of their “playing” was that they all killed each other. See below, Exod. 1:24. (Ps. 33:19, cont.:) TO KEEP THEM ALIVE IN THE FAMINE, since the famine did come in his days, as stated (in Gen. 26:1): NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE IN THE LAND.

And it came to pass in those days, after the days of Abraham, that the Lord brought, in the ‎same year, a very heavy famine upon the earth; and when the famine was in the land of ‎Canaan, Isaac arose to go down unto the land of Egypt on account of the famine, as Abraham, ‎his father, once did. And in that night the Lord appeared unto Isaac, saying: Do not go down to ‎Egypt; arise and go unto Gerar, to Abimelech, the king of the Philistines, and remain there until ‎the famine is over. And Isaac arose and went to Gerar, according to the command of the Lord, ‎and he tarried there a whole year. And when Isaac came to Gerar the inhabitants of the land ‎saw Rebekah, his wife, and behold she was very beautiful in appearance. And the people of ‎Gerar made inquiries of Isaac concerning his wife, and he said: She is my sister, for he was ‎afraid to acknowledge her as his wife, lest the people of the land might slay him on her ‎account. And the princes of Abimelech went and praised the woman to the king, yet he made ‎no reply, nor did he listen unto their words. And when he heard them say that Isaac ‎proclaimed her to be his sister, the king kept that within himself. And when Isaac had dwelt in ‎the land for three months, Abimelech looked out through the window and behold Isaac was ‎very affectionate to Rebekah, his wife; for Isaac dwelt in one of the king's out-houses, which ‎was opposite to the king's own house. And the king said unto Isaac: What is this thou hast ‎done unto us? one of the people might lightly have come near thy wife and thou shouldest ‎have brought guiltiness upon us. And Isaac replied unto Abimelech: Because I was in fear lest I ‎die for her, therefore I proclaimed her to be my sister. And at that time Abimelech charged all ‎his princes and nobles to take Isaac and his wife Rebekah, and to bring them unto the ‎presence of the king. And the king gave orders to dress them in royal garments, and cause ‎them to ride through the streets of the city, and to call out before them: This is the husband ‎and this is his wife, and whosoever will touch this man or his wife shall surely be put to death. ‎And Isaac returned unto the king's house, and the Lord was with Isaac and he continued to ‎grow in greatness, and he lacked nothing. And the Lord caused Isaac to find favor in the eyes ‎of the king and in the eyes of all his servants, and Abimelech did well with Isaac, for Abimelech ‎well remembered the covenant which was cut between his father and Abraham. And ‎Abimelech said unto Isaac: Behold the entire land is before thee, dwell wherever it seemeth ‎good in thine eyes until thou returneth unto thy land. And Abimelech gave unto Isaac fields ‎and vineyards and the best land of Gerar, to sow and to reap and to eat of the fruit of the ‎ground until the famine should cease.

(Gen. 26:1, cont.:) AND ISAAC WENT TO ABIMELECH…. He had wanted to go down to Egypt, < but > the Holy One immediately appeared to him. He said to him (in vs. 2): DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT. Abraham went down < there >, but Isaac did not go down. Now why did he say, not to Abraham, but only to Isaac: DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT? R. Hosha'ya said: The Holy One said unto Isaac: Because your father came to the land from abroad, he went down to Egypt; but, since you were born in the land of Israel and < represent > a pure burnt offering, how could you be going down?²³Gen. R. 64:3. Ergo (in Gen. 26:2): DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT.

(Gen. 26:1, cont.:) AND ISAAC WENT TO ABIMELECH…. He had wanted to go down to Egypt, < but > the Holy One immediately appeared to him. He said to him (in vs. 2): DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT. Abraham went down < there >, but Isaac did not go down. Now why did he say, not to Abraham, but only to Isaac: DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT? R. Hosha'ya said: The Holy One said unto Isaac: Because your father came to the land from abroad, he went down to Egypt; but, since you were born in the land of Israel and < represent > a pure burnt offering, how could you be going down?²³Gen. R. 64:3. Ergo (in Gen. 26:2): DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT.

Another comment on I have been young, and now am old. This verse suggests that the Holy One, blessed be He, will never abandon the righteous during a time of famine, neither they nor their descendants. In fact, when a disaster envelops the world, the Holy One, blessed be He, decrees how they will survive. You find this to be so in the case of Elijah, whom He told how to survive, as it is said: Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Sidon, and dwell there; behold, I have commanded a widow there to sustain thee (I Kings 17:9). Similarly you find: Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide by the brook Cherith, that is before the Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there (ibid., vv. 3–4). And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine (Gen. 26:1); and there was a famine in the land; and Abraham descended (ibid. 12:10). Similarly, when the famine came upon Jacob, the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed to him that Joseph would feed him in Egypt, as it is said: And Joseph fed his father and his brothers (Gen. 47:12). Hence, Now Jacob saw that there was grain in Egypt.

(Gen. 26:3:) RESIDE IN THIS LAND. R. Hanan said in the name of R. Samuel b. R. Isaac: Why < was such a command necessary >? He would not have wanted to become unclean outside the land. < He wanted to leave > because a decree had been issued, as stated (in Gen. 26:1): NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE. It therefore says (in vs. 3): RESIDE IN THIS LAND. R. Joshua ben Levi said: In this world the righteous have been rejected (rt.: TRP), as stated (in Ps. 111:5): HE HAS GIVEN teref (rt.: TRP)²⁴In the context of Ps. 111:5, teref should be translated as FOOD, but here the context requires something with a negative meaning, such as REJECTION. TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM; but in the world to come, (ibid., cont.:) HE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HIS COVENANT.²⁵Gen. R. 40:2.

(Gen. 26:3:) RESIDE IN THIS LAND. R. Hanan said in the name of R. Samuel b. R. Isaac: Why < was such a command necessary >? He would not have wanted to become unclean outside the land. < He wanted to leave > because a decree had been issued, as stated (in Gen. 26:1): NOW THERE WAS A FAMINE. It therefore says (in vs. 3): RESIDE IN THIS LAND. R. Joshua ben Levi said: In this world the righteous have been rejected (rt.: TRP), as stated (in Ps. 111:5): HE HAS GIVEN teref (rt.: TRP)²⁴In the context of Ps. 111:5, teref should be translated as FOOD, but here the context requires something with a negative meaning, such as REJECTION. TO THOSE WHO FEAR HIM; but in the world to come, (ibid., cont.:) HE WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER HIS COVENANT.²⁵Gen. R. 40:2.

“Was [haya] [a Judean man in the Shushan citadel]….” Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Everyone about whom “haya” is stated, it is he at the beginning and it is he at the end.⁹ He was righteous from beginning to end. They objected to him; but isn’t it written: “One was [haya] Abraham” (Ezekiel 33:24)?¹⁰ Abraham began his life as an idolater; he wasn’t the same at the beginning and the end. He said to them: That is not, in fact, a refutation, as Rabbi Ḥanina and Rabbi Yoḥanan said: At age three Abraham identified his Creator. That is what is written: “Because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice” (Genesis 26:5). The number of years that Abraham heeded the voice of his Creator is the equivalent of ekev (172),¹¹Ayin – 70, kof –100, beit – 2 and he lived one hundred and seventy-five years. [If one does not accept this explanation,] how do I find expression for haya about him? It means that he was fated from the beginning to guide the entire world to repent.¹²Although Abraham was not a believer in God his whole life, he had the potential from the beginning.
“[The Lord God said:] Behold, the man has become [haya] [like one of us, knowing good and evil]” (Genesis 3:22) – he became fated to die. “The serpent was [haya] more cunning” (Genesis 3:1) – he was fated for punishment. “Cain was [haya] a cultivator of the ground” (Genesis 4:2) – he was fated for exile, as you say: “Cain departed from the presence of the Lord” (Genesis 4:16); saying that he would be “restless and wandering” (Genesis 4:12). “There was [haya] a man in the land of Utz” (Job 1:1) – he was fated for suffering. “Noah, a righteous man, was [haya] faultless” (Genesis 6:9) – he was fated to acknowledge his Creator. “Moses was [haya] herding (Exodus 3:1) – he was fated for salvation. Mordekhai was fated for redemption.
Rabbi Levi and the Rabbis: Rabbi Levi said: Anyone about whom haya is stated witnessed a new world. Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: They are five.
Noah – yesterday “Water eroded stone” (Job 14:19), as Rabbi Levi said in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: Even millstones were dissolved during the flood, and now [after the flood] it says: “The sons of Noah who emerged from the ark…” (Genesis 9:18),¹³Immediately following this verse, the Torah relates how the earth was repopulated by Noah’s sons while Noah was alive. indicating that he witnessed a new world.
Joseph – yesterday “they tortured [his feet] with chains” (Psalms 105:18), and now “And Joseph was [haya] was the ruler over the land” (Genesis 42:6); that is, he witnessed a new world.
Moses – yesterday he was fleeing from Pharaoh and now he is drowning him in the sea; that is, he witnessed a new world.
Job – yesterday “He spills my bile onto the ground” (Job 16:13), and now “and the Lord gave Job double what he had had” (Job 42:10); that is, he witnessed a new world.
Mordekhai – yesterday “he wore sackcloth and ashes” (Esther 4:1), and now “he emerged from before the king in royal garments” (Esther 8:15).
“And his name was Mordekhai” (Esther 2:5). Just as myrrh [mor] is first of all the spices,¹⁴It is first on the list of ingredients of the sacred oil of anointment (Exodus 30:23). so was Mordekhai first among the righteous in his generation.

Another interpretation: What is the meaning of IN EVERYTHING? By virtue of the tithes. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 14:20): AND HE GAVE HIM A TITHE FROM EVERYTHING. Isaac also [was blessed] by virtue of the tithes. [Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:12): SO ISAAC SOWED ON THAT LAND AND REAPED IN THAT YEAR A HUNDREDFOLD, FOR THE LORD HAD BLESSED HIM. He also says (in Gen. 27:33): AND I HAVE EATEN OF EVERYTHING BEFORE YOU CAME AND HAVE BLESSED HIM. Jacob also was blessed by virtue of the tithes.] Thus it is stated (in Gen. 28:22): AND OF ALL THAT YOU GIVE ME, I WILL SURELY SET ASIDE A TITHE FOR YOU. Ergo (in Gen. 21:1): AND THE LORD HAD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN EVERYTHING.

And I appeared to Avraham - The Holy One of Blessing said to Moshe: a pity on those who disappear and are not remembered, many times I revealed to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov as E-l Shadai and I did not make Myself known that My name is Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey as I told you, but (also) they did not search for My attributes. I said to Avraham, "rise, walk through the land, its width and breadth" (Gen. 13:17), he wanted to bury Sarah and did not find a place until he bought with money, and he did not search for My attributes. I said to Yitzchak "live in this land, because it will be for you and your seed", he searched for water and did not find it, rather "the shepards of Gerar fought with the shepards of Yitzchak" (Gen. 26:20) and he did not search for My attributes. I told Ya'akov "this land that you lie on etc" (Gen. 28:13), he searched for a place to put up his tent and did not find it until he bought it for 100 coins, and he did not search for My attributes, he did not ask Me My name as you did. You, at the beginning of My sending you, asked what is My name, and at the end you said: "And since I came to Pharaoh" (Ex. 5:23). And regarding this it is written "And I also will maintain My covenant" that was given to them as I said that I will give the land to them, even though they did not search for Me....

And I appeared to Avraham - The Holy One of Blessing said to Moshe: a pity on those who disappear and are not remembered, many times I revealed to Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov as E-l Shadai and I did not make Myself known that My name is Yud-Hey-Vav-Hey as I told you, but (also) they did not search for My attributes. I said to Avraham, "rise, walk through the land, its width and breadth" (Gen. 13:17), he wanted to bury Sarah and did not find a place until he bought with money, and he did not search for My attributes. I said to Yitzchak "live in this land, because it will be for you and your seed", he searched for water and did not find it, rather "the shepards of Gerar fought with the shepards of Yitzchak" (Gen. 26:20) and he did not search for My attributes. I told Ya'akov "this land that you lie on etc" (Gen. 28:13), he searched for a place to put up his tent and did not find it until he bought it for 100 coins, and he did not search for My attributes, he did not ask Me My name as you did. You, at the beginning of My sending you, asked what is My name, and at the end you said: "And since I came to Pharaoh" (Ex. 5:23). And regarding this it is written "And I also will maintain My covenant" that was given to them as I said that I will give the land to them, even though they did not search for Me....

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord ‎blessed him. And the man waxed great, for he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of ‎herds, and great many servants; and when the days of the famine had passed by the Lord ‎appeared unto Isaac, saying unto him: Arise and leave this place and return unto thy land, ‎even to the land of Canaan. And Isaac arose and returned to Hebron, which is in the land of ‎Canaan, he and all that were his, according to the command of the Lord. And soon after, ‎Shelach, the son of Arpachshad, died, in the eighteenth year of the lives of Jacob and Esau. ‎And all the days of Shelach were four hundred and thirty-three years when he died. At the ‎same time Isaac sent his youngest son, Jacob, unto the house of Shem and Eber to acquire the ‎knowledge of the Lord, and Jacob remained in the house of Shem and Eber for thirty-two ‎years. And Esau, his brother, went not with him, for he refused to go, and he remained in his ‎father's house in the land of Canaan. And Esau was always hunting in the field, bringing home ‎whatsoever he could procure. Such was Esau’s occupation all the time; and Esau was a man ‎cunning and deceitful, prevaricating, and “stealing the minds” of the people, yet he was very ‎courageous in the field, being on the hunt most the time, and going as far as Seir, which is ‎Edom. And he tarried in the land of Seir hunting in the fields for one year and four months. ‎And Esau saw in the land of Seir the daughter of a Canaanite, and her name was Judith, the ‎daughter of Beeri, the son of Epher, from the families of Heth, the son of Canaan; and Esau ‎took her to be his wife and he came unto her. And Esau was forty years old when he took her, ‎and he brought her to Hebron, which was the land of his father's dwelling-place, and he dwelt ‎there. And it was in those days in the one hundred and tenth year of Isaac’s life, which was the ‎fiftieth year of the life of Jacob that Shem, the son of Noah, died in that year; and Shem was ‎six hundred years old when he died. And when Shem died Jacob returned unto his father, to ‎Hebron, which was in the land of Canaan. And in the fifty-sixth year of Jacob’s life some ‎people arrived from Haran, bringing Rebekah tidings concerning her brother Laban, the son of ‎Bethuel. For Laban's wife had been barren in those days without any off spring, nor did the ‎maid-servants of Laban bare children unto him. And after some time the Lord remembered ‎Adinah, Laban's wife, and she conceived and bare two daughters, twins, and Laban named his ‎daughters, calling the name of the oldest one Leah, and the name of the youngest one Rachel. ‎And when those people arrived and told Rebekah these things, Rebekah rejoiced greatly that ‎the Lord had remembered her brother and that he had been blessed with children.

Then Isaac sowed in that land, and received in the same year a hundredfold, and the Lord ‎blessed him. And the man waxed great, for he had possessions of flocks, and possessions of ‎herds, and great many servants; and when the days of the famine had passed by the Lord ‎appeared unto Isaac, saying unto him: Arise and leave this place and return unto thy land, ‎even to the land of Canaan. And Isaac arose and returned to Hebron, which is in the land of ‎Canaan, he and all that were his, according to the command of the Lord. And soon after, ‎Shelach, the son of Arpachshad, died, in the eighteenth year of the lives of Jacob and Esau. ‎And all the days of Shelach were four hundred and thirty-three years when he died. At the ‎same time Isaac sent his youngest son, Jacob, unto the house of Shem and Eber to acquire the ‎knowledge of the Lord, and Jacob remained in the house of Shem and Eber for thirty-two ‎years. And Esau, his brother, went not with him, for he refused to go, and he remained in his ‎father's house in the land of Canaan. And Esau was always hunting in the field, bringing home ‎whatsoever he could procure. Such was Esau’s occupation all the time; and Esau was a man ‎cunning and deceitful, prevaricating, and “stealing the minds” of the people, yet he was very ‎courageous in the field, being on the hunt most the time, and going as far as Seir, which is ‎Edom. And he tarried in the land of Seir hunting in the fields for one year and four months. ‎And Esau saw in the land of Seir the daughter of a Canaanite, and her name was Judith, the ‎daughter of Beeri, the son of Epher, from the families of Heth, the son of Canaan; and Esau ‎took her to be his wife and he came unto her. And Esau was forty years old when he took her, ‎and he brought her to Hebron, which was the land of his father's dwelling-place, and he dwelt ‎there. And it was in those days in the one hundred and tenth year of Isaac’s life, which was the ‎fiftieth year of the life of Jacob that Shem, the son of Noah, died in that year; and Shem was ‎six hundred years old when he died. And when Shem died Jacob returned unto his father, to ‎Hebron, which was in the land of Canaan. And in the fifty-sixth year of Jacob’s life some ‎people arrived from Haran, bringing Rebekah tidings concerning her brother Laban, the son of ‎Bethuel. For Laban's wife had been barren in those days without any off spring, nor did the ‎maid-servants of Laban bare children unto him. And after some time the Lord remembered ‎Adinah, Laban's wife, and she conceived and bare two daughters, twins, and Laban named his ‎daughters, calling the name of the oldest one Leah, and the name of the youngest one Rachel. ‎And when those people arrived and told Rebekah these things, Rebekah rejoiced greatly that ‎the Lord had remembered her brother and that he had been blessed with children.

Thus has R. Tanhuma interpreted (Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD < AND HIS EYES WERE TOO WEAK TO SEE >. You find that there are twenty generations from Adam to Abraham, and there is no < mention of > old age written about < any of > them except Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 24:1): NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD.²⁶For parallel accounts, see above, 5:4. Isaac arose, < and > it is also written (in Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD. Jacob arose, < and > it is also written (in Gen. 48:10): NOW ISRAEL'S EYES WERE DIM WITH AGE. This text is related (to Ps. 90:16): LET YOUR WORK BE WORTHY FOR YOUR SERVANTS AND YOUR GLORY ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN. Now GLORY can only be old age and gray hair, as stated (in Prov. 20:29): THE BEAUTY OF THE YOUNG IS THEIR STRENGTH; BUT THE GLORY OF THE OLD IS GRAY HAIR. Ergo (in Ps. 90:16): AND YOUR GLORY ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN. < These words mean > that Abraham endowed Isaac with five things. Thus have our masters taught (in 'Eduy. 2:9): A FATHER ENDOWS HIS SON WITH FIVE THINGS: WITH BEAUTY, WITH STRENGTH, WITH WEALTH, WITH WISDOM, AND WITH < LENGTH OF > YEARS. How is it shown about BEAUTY? In that Isaac was as handsome as Joseph. It is written of Joseph (in Gen. 39:6): NOW JOSEPH WAS WELL BUILT. Also, when he went to his brothers, they said (in Gen. 37:19): HERE COMES THIS (hallazeh) DREAMER. It is also said of Isaac (in Gen. 24:65): WHO IS THIS (hallazeh) MAN < WALKING IN THE FIELD TO MEET US >? Thus Isaac was as handsome as Joseph. How is it shown that Isaac was mighty in STRENGTH? Look at how many wells he dug! Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:18-22): THEN ISAAC REDUG < THE WELLS OF WATER >…. AND ISAAC'S SERVANTS DUG…. AND THEY DUG ANOTHER WELL…. THEN HE MOVED FROM THERE AND DUG < ANOTHER WELL >…. Look at the power which he had! Where is it shown about WEALTH? Where it is stated (in Gen. 26:13): AND THE MAN GREW < RICHER AND RICHER >…. It also says (in vs. 14): AND HE POSSESSED FLOCKS < AND HERDS >…. Where is it shown about WISDOM? Where he said to his father (in Gen. 22:7 at the time of his being bound): HERE ARE THE FIRE AND THE WOOD…. [How is it shown] about < LENGTH OF > YEARS? In that he was one hundred and eighty years old < when he died >, while Abraham was < only > one hundred and seventy-five. On account of these five things {through which he had attained merit}, five years more than his father's were added to him. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 90:16): LET YOUR WORK BE WORTHY FOR YOUR SERVANTS…. Anyone who has merit is meritorious in these five things, and anyone who does not have merit is not meritorious and receives five retributions that correspond to them.²⁷See yQid. 1:7 (61a). And who is this anyone? This is Joab, of whom it is stated (in II Sam. 3:29): MAY IT (Abner's blood) FALL UPON THE HEAD OF JOB AND HIS SON;²⁸Masoretic Text: ALL HIS FATHER’S HOUSE. [MAY THE HOUSE OF JOAB NEVER LACK ONE WITH A DISCHARGE, A LEPER, A MALE WHO HANDLES THE SPINDLE, ONE WHO FALLS BY THE SWORD, AND ONE LACKING BREAD]. ONE WITH A DISCHARGE corresponds to STRENGTH. In the case of one who has a discharge, there is no one weaker than he. A LEPER corresponds to BEAUTY. In the case of one who is a leper, even a young < leper >, there is no one more ugly than he. A MALE WHO HANDLES THE SPINDLE corresponds to WEALTH; for he [is one] {like a poor woman is one} who, if not spinning flax, has nothing of which to eat. ONE LACKING BREAD corresponds to WISDOM, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where Wisdom says): COME AND EAT OF MY BREAD. And ONE WHO FALLS BY THE SWORD corresponds to < LENGTH OF > YEARS. The one who sins is afflicted by them, but the one who is meritorious receives, as did Isaac. David also gave praise (in Ps. 45:17 [16]): INSTEAD OF YOUR PARENTS THERE WILL BE YOUR CHILDREN.

Thus has R. Tanhuma interpreted (Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD < AND HIS EYES WERE TOO WEAK TO SEE >. You find that there are twenty generations from Adam to Abraham, and there is no < mention of > old age written about < any of > them except Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 24:1): NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD.²⁶For parallel accounts, see above, 5:4. Isaac arose, < and > it is also written (in Gen. 27:1): NOW IT CAME TO PASS, THAT WHEN ISAAC WAS OLD. Jacob arose, < and > it is also written (in Gen. 48:10): NOW ISRAEL'S EYES WERE DIM WITH AGE. This text is related (to Ps. 90:16): LET YOUR WORK BE WORTHY FOR YOUR SERVANTS AND YOUR GLORY ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN. Now GLORY can only be old age and gray hair, as stated (in Prov. 20:29): THE BEAUTY OF THE YOUNG IS THEIR STRENGTH; BUT THE GLORY OF THE OLD IS GRAY HAIR. Ergo (in Ps. 90:16): AND YOUR GLORY ON BEHALF OF THEIR CHILDREN. < These words mean > that Abraham endowed Isaac with five things. Thus have our masters taught (in 'Eduy. 2:9): A FATHER ENDOWS HIS SON WITH FIVE THINGS: WITH BEAUTY, WITH STRENGTH, WITH WEALTH, WITH WISDOM, AND WITH < LENGTH OF > YEARS. How is it shown about BEAUTY? In that Isaac was as handsome as Joseph. It is written of Joseph (in Gen. 39:6): NOW JOSEPH WAS WELL BUILT. Also, when he went to his brothers, they said (in Gen. 37:19): HERE COMES THIS (hallazeh) DREAMER. It is also said of Isaac (in Gen. 24:65): WHO IS THIS (hallazeh) MAN < WALKING IN THE FIELD TO MEET US >? Thus Isaac was as handsome as Joseph. How is it shown that Isaac was mighty in STRENGTH? Look at how many wells he dug! Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:18-22): THEN ISAAC REDUG < THE WELLS OF WATER >…. AND ISAAC'S SERVANTS DUG…. AND THEY DUG ANOTHER WELL…. THEN HE MOVED FROM THERE AND DUG < ANOTHER WELL >…. Look at the power which he had! Where is it shown about WEALTH? Where it is stated (in Gen. 26:13): AND THE MAN GREW < RICHER AND RICHER >…. It also says (in vs. 14): AND HE POSSESSED FLOCKS < AND HERDS >…. Where is it shown about WISDOM? Where he said to his father (in Gen. 22:7 at the time of his being bound): HERE ARE THE FIRE AND THE WOOD…. [How is it shown] about < LENGTH OF > YEARS? In that he was one hundred and eighty years old < when he died >, while Abraham was < only > one hundred and seventy-five. On account of these five things {through which he had attained merit}, five years more than his father's were added to him. It is therefore stated (in Ps. 90:16): LET YOUR WORK BE WORTHY FOR YOUR SERVANTS…. Anyone who has merit is meritorious in these five things, and anyone who does not have merit is not meritorious and receives five retributions that correspond to them.²⁷See yQid. 1:7 (61a). And who is this anyone? This is Joab, of whom it is stated (in II Sam. 3:29): MAY IT (Abner's blood) FALL UPON THE HEAD OF JOB AND HIS SON;²⁸Masoretic Text: ALL HIS FATHER’S HOUSE. [MAY THE HOUSE OF JOAB NEVER LACK ONE WITH A DISCHARGE, A LEPER, A MALE WHO HANDLES THE SPINDLE, ONE WHO FALLS BY THE SWORD, AND ONE LACKING BREAD]. ONE WITH A DISCHARGE corresponds to STRENGTH. In the case of one who has a discharge, there is no one weaker than he. A LEPER corresponds to BEAUTY. In the case of one who is a leper, even a young < leper >, there is no one more ugly than he. A MALE WHO HANDLES THE SPINDLE corresponds to WEALTH; for he [is one] {like a poor woman is one} who, if not spinning flax, has nothing of which to eat. ONE LACKING BREAD corresponds to WISDOM, as stated (in Prov. 9:5, where Wisdom says): COME AND EAT OF MY BREAD. And ONE WHO FALLS BY THE SWORD corresponds to < LENGTH OF > YEARS. The one who sins is afflicted by them, but the one who is meritorious receives, as did Isaac. David also gave praise (in Ps. 45:17 [16]): INSTEAD OF YOUR PARENTS THERE WILL BE YOUR CHILDREN.

"Command the Children of Israel" (Numbers 34:2:). This is what is stated in the verse (in Numbers 23:19), "God is not a man to be deceitful," [meaning] a man will not make God deceitful; "nor the son of" Amram (this is a play on words, as the verse reads, the son of man, "Adam") to make Him "change His mind." As [only after God] said, "Let Me go," did the son of Amram stand and make Him change His mind, as stated (Exodus 32:14), "And the Lord rescinded the evil that He was saying to do to His people." Another interpretation (of Numbers 23:19): "God is not a man to be deceitful," with the good. When He speaks to bring good - even if the generation is liable - He does not go back on it, [as] "God is not a man to be deceitful." But when He speaks to bring evil, He does go back on it, as it is stated (Numbers 23:19), "He said it but does not do [it]." You should know that He said to Avraham (Genesis 15:5), "Look toward heaven and count the stars...." And He did it, as stated (Deuteronomy 1:10), "The Lord, your God, multiplied you, and behold you are today...." [But when] He said to Avraham (Genesis 15:13), "Know well that your offspring shall be strangers [... four hundred years]," they were oppressed for only two hundred and ten years. That is [the meaning of], "God is not a man to be deceitful" - with the good. But with the evil, "He said it but does not do [it]." [In this vein,] He said to Israel, "as you are not My people" (Hosea 1:9). But He went back and said, "and I will say to Not My People, 'You are My people'" (Hosea 2: 25). That is [the meaning of], "He said it but does not do [it]." He said to Avraham, "As I will give [the land] to you and your offspring" (Genesis 26:3), and He did not go back [on it]. As it is stated (Numbers 34:2), "when you come to the Land of Canaan," and He brought them into the Land.

[(Exod. 37:1:) THEN BEZALEL MADE THE ARK.] This text is related to (Prov. 9:9): GIVE TO ONE WHO IS WISE, AND HE WILL BE STILL WISER; INFORM ONE WHO IS RIGHTEOUS, AND HE WILL INCREASE IN LEARNING. <The verse> speaks about Noah.³²Tanh., Exod. 10:6; Exod. R. 50:2. When he made the ark, the Holy One said to him (in Gen. 7:2): OF EVERY CLEAN BEAST [YOU SHALL TAKE SEVEN PAIRS….] When he left <the ark>, he sacrificed some of the clean < animals >. He said: Did not the Holy One increase the clean animals simply so that I might sacrifice some of them?³³Gen. 26:1; 34:9. Ergo (in Prov. 9:9): GIVE TO ONE WHO IS WISE…. This is Noah.

(Numb. 8:6:) “Take the Levites.” This text is related (to Ps. 11:5), “The Lord tests the righteous.” The Holy One, blessed be He, does not elevate a person to an office until He first tests and examines him.¹Numb. R. 15:12. When he withstands his test, He elevates him to the office. And so you find in the case of our father Abraham; when the Holy One, blessed be He, tested him with ten temptations, he withstood his trials. Then after that He blessed him, as stated (in Gen. 24:1), “And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things.” So also in the case of Isaac, when He tested him with the days of Abimelech, he withstood the trial. Then after that He blessed him, as stated (in Gen. 26:12), “So Isaac sowed on that land […] for the Lord had blessed him.” So also in the case of Jacob, when He tested him by means of all those tribulations with Esau, with Rachel, with Dinah, with Joseph, with Simeon, with Benjamin and [with the tribulation of] how he departed from the house of his father and his mother (in Gen. 32:11), “for with [only] my staff did I cross [this Jordan].” Then after that He blessed him. It is so stated (in Gen. 35:9), “Now God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-Aram, and blessed him.” So also in the case of Joseph, He tested him with all of those tribulations, with the wife of Potiphar and he was imprisoned for twelve years. Then after that he came out and became king because he had withstood his trial. Ergo (in Ps. 11:5), “The Lord tests the righteous.” So also in the case of the tribe of Levi, they laid down their lives for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, (i.e. for martyrdom), so that the Torah would not be set aside. Now when Israel was in Egypt, they had rejected the Torah and circumcision and all of them had become worshipers of idols, as Ezekiel has demonstrated where it is stated (in Ezek. 20:5), “And you shall say unto them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “In the day that I chose Israel […].”’” Then what is written at the end (in vs. 8)? “But they rebelled against Me and did not come to hearken unto Me; each man did not cast away [the abominations of their eyes nor did they forsake the idols of Egypt].” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought darkness upon Egypt for three days, and during those [days] he killed all the wicked ones of Israel. For this reason it says (in Ezek. 20:36-38), “[As I brought your ancestors to judgment in the desert of the land of Egypt….] So will I remove from you those who rebel and transgress against Me.” So also it says (in Cant. 2:13), “And the fig tree sheds²Heb.: hanetah. Although the biblical context suggests a translation such as “puts forth” or “ripens” the context understands this rare verb in a more negative sense. See above vol. 2, p. 62 Tanh. (Buber); Exod. 3:7). its green figs…,” these are the wicked who are in Israel; (ibid. cont.) “and the vines in blossom give off fragrance,” these are the rest who have repented and been accepted; (ibid. cont.) “arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away,” for behold the time of redemption has arrived. However all those in the tribe of Levi were righteous and carried out the Torah. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:9), “For they observed Your word,” i.e., the Torah; (ibid. cont.) “and kept Your covenant,” i.e., circumcision. And not only that, but when Israel made the calf, the tribe of Levi did not participate there, as stated (in Exod. 32:26), “So Moses stood up on the gate of the camp and said, ‘Whoever is for the Lord come to me,’ and all the Children of Levi gathered unto him.” When Moses said (in vs. 27), “Each [of you] put his sword on his thigh…,” they immediately did so. Moreover they did not show partiality. And so Moses blesses them, [namely (according Deut. 33:9)], “The one who says of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them’ and his brother….” When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they all were righteous, that He had tested them and they had withstood their trial – as stated (of Levi in Deut. 33:8), “[Your faithful one,] whom You tested at Massah” – the Holy One, blessed be He, immediately said (in Numb. 8:14), “And the Levites shall belong to Me,” to fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 11:5), “The Lord tests the righteous.” In the case of the wicked, however, it is written of them (ibid. cont.), “but His soul (i.e. The soul of the Holy One, blessed be He,) hates the wicked and the lover of injustice.” David said (in Ps. 128:1), “Fortunate is everyone who fears the Lord and walks in His ways.”

(Devarim 1:8) "which the L-rd swore to your fathers": Why need it be mentioned (in addition to this) "to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob"? (To stress that) each one was worthy of this in himself. An analogy: A king gives his servant one field as a gift, as it is. The servant goes and improves it, not leaving it as it is, but planting a vineyard and bequeaths it to his son — who does not leave it as it is, but improves it and bequeaths it to his son — who does not leave it as it is, but improves it. Thus, when the Holy One Blessed be He gave the land to our father Abraham, He gave it to him only as it was, viz. (Bereshith 13:17) "Arise, walk in the land in its length and its breadth, for to you shall I give it." Abraham arose and improved it, viz. (Ibid. 21:33) "And he planted a fruit grove in Beersheva." Isaac arose and improved it, viz. (Ibid. 26:12) "And Isaac sowed in that land and he found in that year a hundredfold." Jacob arose and improved it, viz. (Ibid. 33:19) "And he bought the part of the field where he had pitched his tent." If so, why need "to your fathers" be written? If in respect to the oath to the fathers, this is already written. This refers to the covenant with the tribes, viz. (Habakkuk 3:9) "the oaths to the tribes, an enduring word."

(Numb. 6:22–23:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto Aaron and unto his children, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel.’” Let our master instruct us: In the case of priest with a blemish, is it right for him to raise his hands (in the priestly blessing)? Thus have our masters taught (in Meg. 4:7): A priest whose hands are blemished may not raise his hands. But Rabbi taught, “A priest who has blemishes anywhere at all may not raise his hands.” R. Judah says, “Also whoever has his hands stained with woad,⁴⁸Buber’s note suggests emending satim to satis, and the translation follows his emendation. On satis, see the Gk. and Lat. word, isatis, which denotes a plant producing a deep blue dye. madder, or rubia may not raise his hands. Why? Because it is customary for people to be looking at him.” R. Joshua the Great taught, “If the majority of the men in the town are in that business (i.e., of dying cloth), he is permitted to raise his hands; in the same way that in the South, there are [many] hides that are tanned purple and their hands [with which they bless] are dyed.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “From the beginning I have blessed My people; from now on the blessings are transmitted to you. You are to bless My children,” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless Israel. How is this shown? From what they have read [on the matter] (in Numb. 6:23), “Speak unto Aaron and unto his children, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless.’” (Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Deut. 26:15), “Look down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless Your people.” The congregation of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, You tell the priests to bless us.⁴⁹Numb. R. 11:2. We only need You to bless us, as stated (Deut. 26:15), ‘Look down from Your holy dwelling, [from the heavens, and bless Your people].’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “Although I have told the priests to bless you, I am standing along with them and blessing you.” For that reason the priests spread their hands.⁵⁰See Sot. 7:6 for details about how the priests are to hold their hands. [They do so] to say, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is standing behind us.” So also it says (in allusion to the Holy One, blessed be He, in Cant. 2:9) “there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice,” [i.e. “gazing through the windows,”] from between the fingers of the priests; “peering through the lattice,” when they extend their hands. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 6:23), “Thus shall you bless.”

When the Lord cuts down, etc. (Deuteronomy 12:29): "Look to the Lord and keep to His way" (Psalms 37:34). As they were thinking to enter the Land immediately. [Moshe] said to them, "You are thinking to inherit their land. [So] keep the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated (Psalms 37:34), 'Look to the Lord and keep to His way, and He will raise you high that you may inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it.'" That is [the meaning of] that which Moshe said, "When the Lord, your God, cuts down." What is [the meaning of] "When (ki, which can also mean, if) He cuts down?" It is on condition; such that if they keep the Torah, they will enter the Land. And in every place that you find ki, it is conditional: "Ki along the road, you chance upon a bird’s nest [...]. You shall surely send" (Deuteronomy 22:6-7); "Ki you take up the head (make a census) of the Children of Israel, each man shall give a ransom" (Exodus 30:12);" Ki you build a new house, you shall make a parapet" (Deuteronomy 22:8). Here too, the Holy One, blessed be He stipulated with them that He would only cut down the [Canaanite] nations on condition that [the Israelites] would keep the Torah. Beloved is the Land of Israel, as the Holy One, blessed be He, chose it. You find that when He created the world, He apportioned the lands to the ministering angels of the nations, and He chose the Land of Israel [for Himself]. From where [do we know this]? As so did Moshe say (Deuteronomy 32:8), "When the Most High gave nations their inheritances, etc." And He chose [the people of] Israel as His portion, as stated (Deuteronomy 32:9), "For the Lord’s portion is His people, Yaakov His allotment." The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "Let Israel, who has come to be My portion, inherit the land that has come to be My portion." Hence it is written, "When the Lord cuts down." Yirmiyahu the prophet cried out and said (Jeremiah 3:19), "I had resolved to adopt you as My child, and I gave you a desirable land," a land that the fathers of the world desired. Avraham wanted it, as so does it state (Genesis 15:8), "And he said, 'O Lord God, how shall I know that I am to possess it?'" Yitschak wanted it, as it was stated to him (Genesis 26:3), "Reside in this land, and I will be with you and bless you, for I will assign all these lands to you and to your seed." And Yaakov wanted it, as it is stated (Genesis 28:20-21), "If God will be with me, etc. I will return to my father’s house." Rabbi Yehudah said, "Moshe also wanted it, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 3:23-25), 'I pleaded with the Lord at that time, "[...]. Let me, I pray, cross over and see, etc."' And also David wanted it, as it is stated (Psalms 84:11), 'I would rather stand (histofef) at the threshold of [my God’s] house.'" What is [the meaning of] histofef? Rabbi Tanchum beRabbi Chanilai and Rav [differed on the matter]. One said, "David said in front of the Holy One, blessed be He, 'Master of the world, even if I have palaces and a castle outside of the Land, and I only have a veranda (saf) in the Land of Israel, I would rather stand [there].'" And [the other] said [that David said], "Even if I only have lateling (sifsuf) carobs to eat in the Land of Israel, I would rather stand [there]." Hence, "and I gave you a desirable land," a land that the fathers desired. "An inheritance of beauty (tsvi, literally, a gazelle)" (Jeremiah 3:19). Just like a gazelle is light in its running, so does the Land of Israel run its fruits, such that it gives fruit first. Another interpretation: Just like the skin of a gazelle cannot hold its flesh, so [too], when Israel merits, the Land of Israel cannot hold its fruit. "Of the beauties (tsivaot) of the nations" (Jeremiah 3:19). That the delights (tsivionot) of the nations are in it. It is written (Joshua 12:9), "The king of Yericho one; the king of Ai, near Bethel, one." There is only three [mil] between the one and the other, and it states, "The king of Yericho one; the king of Ai, etc., one?" Rabbi Parnakh said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, "Any king that was outside the Land that did not acquire a city in the Land of Israel was not called a king. See what is written about Akhan (Joshua 7:21), 'I saw among the spoil a fine Shinar mantle.' [That is] Babylonian velvet. And from where was there Babylonian velvet in Yericho? Rather it was that the King of Babylonia was there and acquired a city in the Land of Israel." Hence, the land that the delights of the nations of the world are in it. And He gave it to Israel. Therefore, it is written, "When the Lord, your God, cuts down, etc."

And his eyes were dim (Gen. 27:1). And when Esau was forty years old, he took to wife Judith the daughter of Be’eri the Hittite, and Basemath the daughter of Elon the Hittite. And they were a bitterness of spirit unto Isaac and to Rebecca (Gen. 26:34–35), and this is followed by the verse And his eyes were dim. Hence, they must have become dim because of his unhappiness.

And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old (Gen. 27:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: Instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons, whom thou shalt make princes in all the land (Ps. 45:17). R. Eliezer the son of R. Yosé the Galilean maintained: The descendants born to every Israelite in the future will be as numerous as those who departed from Egypt, as it is said: Instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons. This verse refers to our patriarchs Isaac and Abraham. Abraham was blessed, as it is said: And the Lord blessed Abraham with everything (Gen. 24:1), and Isaac was likewise blessed, as is written: And the Lord blessed him (ibid. 26:12). Abraham begot both a righteous and a wicked son, Isaac and Ishmael; and Isaac begot both a righteous and a wicked son, Jacob and Esau. Abraham’s wife was barren (at first), and Isaac’s wife was also barren (at first).

(Lev. 22:27:) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat.” This text is related] (to Eccl. 3:15), “That which is has already happened.” R. Judah and R. Nehemiah [differ].⁴⁸PRK 9:4; Lev. R. 27:4; Eccl. R. 3:15 (1). R. Judah says, “If someone says to you that if the first Adam had not sinned, he would have remained alive forever, you say to him, ‘Look at Elijah. Since he did not sin, he has remained alive forever.’ (Ibid., cont.:) ‘And that which is to be has already happened.’ If someone says to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, will be raising the dead, say to him, ‘Look, He has already done so through Elijah, through Elisha, and through Ezekiel.’” [But] Rabbi Nehemiah says, “If someone says to you that the whole world was water within water, you say to him, ‘The ocean is all water within water.’ (Ibid., cont.:) ‘And that which is to be has already happened.’ If someone says to you that the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to make the sea into dry ground, say to him, ‘He has already done so in the days of Moses, as stated (in Exod. 14:29), “But the Children of Israel went through the sea on dry ground, and the waters were a wall for them to the right and to the left.”’” [Moreover,] R. Aha said in the name of R. Samuel bar Nahman, “Everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to do in the world to come He has already anticipated and partly done at the hands of the righteous in this world. In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to raise the dead; He has already done so at the hands of Elijah, at the hands of Elisha, and at the hands of Ezekiel. In the future, He is going to make the sea into dry ground; He has already done so (ibid.), “But the Children of Israel went through the sea on dry ground.” In the future, He is going to open the eyes of the blind; He has already done so, as stated (in II Kings 6:17), ‘so the Lord opened the eyes of the servant [and he saw].’ In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to going visit barren women; He has already done so through Abraham and Sarah, as stated (in Gen. 21:1), ‘Then the Lord visited Sarah […].’ The Holy One, blessed be He, said, (in Is. 49:23), ‘Kings shall be your guardians [… they shall bow down before you, nose to the ground, and lick the dust of your feet].’ It has already happened at the hands of Daniel, when the wicked Nebuchadnezzar bowed down to Daniel, as stated (in Dan. 2:46), ‘Then king Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, [paid homage to Daniel].’” This is what Scripture stated (in Eccl. 3:15, cont.), “then God seeks the pursued.” R. Huna said in the name of R. Joseph, “In the future, the Holy One, blessed be He, is going to claim the blood of the pursued from the hand of those who pursue them.⁴⁹Lev. R. 27:5. When a righteous person pursues a righteous person, God seeks the pursued. When a wicked person pursues a wicked person and when a wicked person pursues a righteous person, then God seeks the pursued. It comes out that you will say that even when a righteous person pursues a wicked person, in any case, then God seeks the pursued.”⁵⁰Cf. PR 48:2. You know that this is so. Note that Abel was pursued by Cain; and therefore (in Gen. 4:4), “and the Lord paid heed unto Abel and unto his offering.” Noah was pursued by his generation, but (according to Gen. 6:8), “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.” Abraham was pursued by Nimrod; and it is written (Neh. 9:7) “You are the Lord, the God who chose Abraham […].” Isaac was pursued by the Philistines; and it is written (Gen. 26:28), “And [they] said, ‘We see plainly that the Lord has been with you […].’” Jacob was pursued by Esau; and it is written (Ps. 135:4) “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself.” Joseph was pursued by his brothers; and it is written (Gen. 39:2) “And the Lord was with Joseph […].” Moses was pursued by Pharaoh; and it is written (Ps. 106:23), “therefore He said He would destroy them, had not Moses His chosen [stood in the breach before Him…].” Israel is being pursued by the nations of the world; and it is written (Deut. 7:6), “the Lord your God has chosen you […].” R. Judah bar Simon said in the name of R. Nehoray, “Here also (in the case of sacrificial animals), the bull is pursued by the lion; the sheep is pursued by the wolf; the goat is pursued by the leopard. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘You shall not bring me a sacrifice from the pursuer but from the pursued.’ [Thus it is stated] (Lev. 22:27), ‘When a bull or a sheep or a goat […].’”

(Exod. 23:20:) BEHOLD, I AM SENDING AN ANGEL <BEFORE YOU TO GUARD YOU ON THE WAY>…. This text is related (to Jer. 3:19): THEN I SAID: HOW WOULD I⁴¹This translation fits the context of the midrash. PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN,… !⁴²Tanh., Exod. 6:17; see below, Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 4a:15. R. Eleazar ben Pedat says: What is this <expression>: WOULD I PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU? It had occurred to me that we, I and you, would be < alone > in the world.⁴³Tanh., Exod. 6:17, adds, “I as father and you as children.” How did you manage for me to bring the peoples of the world in among you?⁴⁴Cf. Tanh., Exod. 6:17: “How did you manage to bring the peoples of the world in between me and you?” This expression is nothing but an expression of setting apart (as in Gen. 30:40): AND HE PUT (rt.: ShYT) HIS OWN FLOCKS <APART>…. R. Hama bar Hanina said: What is the meaning of WOULD I PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU?⁴⁵Cf. Exod. R. 32:2. There was a great love between me and you.⁴⁶Below, Tanh. (Buber), Lev. 7:12; Numb. 4a: 15; Exod. R. 32:2. How did you manage that I should hate you? (Jer. 3:19:) HOW WOULD I PUT (rt.: ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN! This expression is nothing but an expression of hatred, as used (in Gen. 3:15): I WILL PUT (rt.: ShYT) ENMITY <BETWEEN YOU AND THE WOMAN>. Another interpretation (of Jer. 3:19:) HOW WOULD I PUT (ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN ! R. Joshua ben Levi said: I spoke in <your> defense.⁴⁷Gk.: synegoria. You behaved toward me so that I denounced you and pronounced you guilty (rt.: HYB). The expression (rt.: ShYT) is nothing but an expression of guilt (rt.: HYB), as used (concerning one guilty of negligence in Exod. 21:30): IF A RANSOM IS PUT (rt.: ShYT) UPON HIM, <HE SHALL GIVE WHATEVER IS PUT (rt.: ShYT) UPON HIM TO REDEEM HIS LIFE>. Another interpretation (of Jer. 3:19:) HOW WOULD I PUT (ashit; rt.: ShYT) YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN! R. Berekhyah the Priest said: You were as dear to me as someone who has a single field, which he fertilizes, cultivates, and weeds. So dear were you to me. Your behavior toward me was for you to commit lawlessness. Now this word (ashit) is nothing but an expression for lawlessness, as used (in Is. 5:6): AND I WILL MAKE (ashit) IT (i.e., the Holy One's vineyard) A DESOLATION. (Jer. 3:19, cont.:) AND GIVE YOU A DESIRABLE LAND, a land that the great ones of the world (i.e., the patriarchs) desired.⁴⁸Below, Tanh. (Buber), Numb. 4a: 16. Abraham said to the Hittites (in Gen. 23:4): GIVE ME A BURIAL SITE. The Holy One also endeared it to {the children of} Isaac, as stated (in Gen. 26:3): RESIDE IN THIS LAND, <AND I WILL BE WITH YOU AND BLESS YOU>…. Jacob said (according to Gen. 50:5): IN MY GRAVE WHICH I DUG FOR MYSELF <IN THE LAND OF CANAAN, THERE YOU SHALL BURY ME>. Ergo (in Jer. 3:19): A DESIRABLE LAND. (Ibid., cont.:) <THE MOST> [BEAUTIFUL HERITAGE] <OF ALL THE NATIONS>. What is the meaning of <THE MOST> BEAUTIFUL (tsevi) HERITAGE? Just as in the case of a deer (tsevi), when one slaughters it, strips off its hide, and tries to return the flesh into the hide, it does not contain it, so the land of Israel does not contain its produce. What is written (in Is. 30:24)? AS FOR THE OXEN AND ASSES THAT WORK THE GROUND, THEY SHALL EAT FERMENTED FODDER, WHICH HAS BEEN WINNOWED WITH SHOVEL AND PITCH FORK. First they winnow with the SHOVEL and after that with the PITCH FORK. Why? Because there was more grain than straw. Even so there was produce in <further> winnowing the straw. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (ibid.): FERMENTED MASH, WHICH HAS BEEN WINNOWED WITH SHOVEL AND PITCH FORK. Mashes are from produce. Ergo (in Jer. 3:19): [A DESIRABLE LAND,] <THE MOST> BEAUTIFUL (tsevi) HERITAGE (understood in the sense of THE MOST DEERLIKE HERITAGE), a land which does not contain its produce, a land which was so good that all the kings of the world desired it. It is written (in Josh. 12:9): THE KING OF JERICHO, ONE; THE KING {FOR AI} [OF AI WHICH IS BESIDE BETHEL], ONE. Now there are only three miles⁴⁹Lat.: mille. between Jericho and Ai; yet it says: THE KING OF JERICHO. It is simply that whoever has a possession outside of the land without having a possession in the land of Israel was not called a king.⁵⁰Sifre, to Deut. 7:12 (37); Gen. R. 85:14. Why? Because they longed for the land of Israel. R. {Isaac} [Johanan] said: What is written (in Josh. 7:21): I SAW AMONG THE SPOILS A <FINE> SHINAR MANTLE, <i.e.> a Babylonian⁵¹Gk.: Babylonikon; Lat.: Babylonicum. robe of royal purple,⁵²Gk.: porphura; Lat.: purpura. which the king of Babylon wore to rule in Jericho. Ergo (in Jer. 3:19): THE MOST BEAUTIFUL HERITAGE OF THE NATIONS.⁵³According to this reasoning, the various kingships were so close to each other in Israel because every king needed a seat in Israel in order to be regarded as a king. (Ibid., cont.:) AND I SAID YOU SHALL CALL ME FATHER. Just as a father is obliged <to provide > for his daughter's enjoyments, so did I bring down rain for you. (Exod. 16:14:) WHEN THE LAYER OF DEW HAD GONE UP, <THERE ON THE FACE OF THE EARTH LAY SOMETHING FINE AND FLAKY>…. (Jer. 3:20:) SURELY AS A WOMAN BREAKS FAITH WITH HER LOVER <SO YOU HAVE BROKEN FAITH WITH ME, O HOUSE OF ISRAEL>. R. Judah bar Simon said: Oh that <you were> like an unfaithful wife. This <kind of> a woman, who has a lover, gives him food, drink, and love. When his power is diminished, she leaves him and goes away. SURELY AS A WOMAN BREAKS FAITH WITH HER LOVER. I have not done so to you. The manna came down for you, and the well rose up. I did not deprive you of anything when you were unfaithful with me. See, I gave you an angel who watched over you. (Exod. 23:20:) SEE, I AM SENDING YOU AN ANGEL <TO WATCH OVER YOU>. When you became worthy and received the Torah, I went before you in person. But now, when you have been found guilty, here I am <merely> (ibid.:) SENDING AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU. [Another interpretation:]⁵⁴Tanh., Exod. 6:18. The Holy One said to Moses: I am sending <an angel> before you but not before them. He said: If you send <him> out before me, I do not want <him>; but Joshua saw the angel and fell down before him. What did he say to him (in Josh. 5:13)? ARE YOU FOR US OR FOR OUR ADVERSARIES? When he said to him: ARE YOU FOR US? he began to cry in great anguish.⁵⁵Literally: “From under the nails of his feet.” (Ibid., vs. 14:) Then he said: NO, BUT [I] AM THE CAPTAIN OF THE LORD'S HOST. NOW I HAVE COME.⁵⁶Gen. R. 97:3 (traditional text only). Here are two times that I have come to give Israel an inheritance. I am the one who came in the days of your master, Moses; but he rejected me. (Ibid., cont.:) NOW I HAVE COME. THEN JOSHUA FELL ON HIS FACE. He saw him and fell on his face, but when Moses saw <him>, he rejected him. The Holy One said (in Exod. 23:20): SEE, I AM SENDING AN ANGEL BEFORE YOU, to you and to whomever observes the Torah [as you <do>. Resh Laqish said: It is written (in Ps. 91:4): HE WILL COVER YOU WITH HIS PINIONS AND YOU WILL FIND REFUGE UNDER HIS WINGS, <i.e.> all who observe the Torah.] (Ibid., cont.:) HIS FIDELITY IS A SHIELD AND BUCKLER. Therefore (in Exod. 23:20): < I AM SENDING MY ANGEL BEFORE YOU > TO GUARD YOU ON THE WAY….

(Job 22:28:) WHEN YOU DECREE SOMETHING, IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU. The Holy One has spoken to the righteous (tsaddiq) one: If you have done my will, I also will put your will ahead of my own. (Ibid.:) WHEN YOU DECREE SOMETHING, IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU…. R. Berekhyah the Priest said: What is the meaning of IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU? The Holy One has said to the righteous one: When I say something and you say something < else >, I abrogate mine, as it were, to make yours come to pass. Ergo: IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU. When was the pronouncement? When < Israel > committed that act (i.e., of the golden calf). What did the Holy One do? He said to Moses (in Exod. 32:7): GO AND GET DOWN, FOR YOUR PEOPLE < WHOM YOU BROUGHT UP FROM THE LAND OF EGYPT > HAVE ACTED BASELY. What is written (in vs. 10)? SO NOW LEAVE ME ALONE < SO THAT MY ANGER MAY BURN AGAINST THEM >…. Moses immediately rose up in prayer and supplication, as stated (in vs. 11): BUT MOSES IMPLORED < THE LORD HIS GOD >…. (Deut. 9:26, 29:) O LORD GOD, DO NOT DESTROY YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR HERITAGE…. FOR THEY ARE YOUR PEOPLE AND YOUR HERITAGE…. The Holy One said to him: I cannot < endure them >. He said to him: Just as you have endured them from Egypt up to now, so endure them < this time >. (Numb. 14:19-20:) PLEASE PARDON THE INIQUITY OF THIS PEOPLE < ACCORDING TO YOUR GREAT STEADFAST LOVE, EVEN AS YOU HAVE PARDONED THIS PEOPLE FROM EGYPT UP TO NOW >. THEN THE LORD SAID: I HAVE PARDONED THEM AS YOU ASKED. Immediately (according to Exod. 32:14): THE LORD REPENTED OF THE EVIL WHICH HE HAD PLANNED TO DO TO HIS PEOPLE. (Job 22:28:) WHEN YOU DECREE SOMETHING, IT SHALL COME TO PASS FOR YOU. Jacob also vowed things before the Holy One. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 28:20-21): THEN JACOB VOWED A VOW, SAYING: < IF GOD IS WITH ME, PROTECTS ME ON THIS WAY THAT I GO, AND GIVES ME FOOD TO EAT AND CLOTHING TO PUT ON >, AND IF I RETURN SAFELY UNTO MY FATHER'S HOUSE, < THE LORD SHALL BE MY GOD >. He said to him: My father, Isaac, wanted to go abroad, but you did not permit him because he was a whole burnt offering. You appeared to him and said to him (in Gen. 26:2): DO NOT GO DOWN TO EGYPT. Now I am going away, not for my benefit, but < from > before my brother lest he kill me. I have received permission from you and from my father. Do not forsake me. (Gen. 28:20:) THEN JACOB VOWED A VOW, < SAYING >:

(Devarim 1:11) "May the L-rd, the G-d of your fathers, add to you, such as you, a thousand times!" They said to him: Our teacher, Moses, we do not want you to bless us. The Holy One Blessed be He promised Abraham our father (Bereshith 22:17) "… and multiply, will I multiply your seed as the stars of the heavens, and I will make your seed like the sand on the seashore" — and you set a limit to our blessing! He answered: This is my (blessing). An analogy: A king had many possessions and a young son, and he (the king) had to go abroad. He said: If I leave my possessions in the hand of my son, he will squander them. So saying, he appointed a caretaker (for his possessions) until his son would grow up and he (the caretaker) gave him (his son) enough of his own for his sustenance — whereupon the son cried: Is this all the silver and gold that my father has left me? And the caretaker: Everything I have given you is mine. What your father left for you is in keeping for you. Thus did Moses say to Israel: "May the L-rd, the G-d of your fathers, add to you, such as you, a thousand times." This is my (blessing to you). As far as yours is concerned, (Ibid.)_ "and may He bless you as He spoke to you" — as the sand of the seas, and the dust of the earth, and as the fish of the ocean, and as the stars of the heavens, in abundance.

After these things the word of the Lord came unto Abram (Gen. 15:1). Scripture says elsewhere in reference to this verse: He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous; He is a shield to them that walk in integrity (Prov. 2:7). What is the meaning of He layeth up sound wisdom for the righteous? It means that the Holy One, blessed be He, stored the Torah away, prior to the creation of the world, until Abraham came to fulfill it, as it is said: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My Laws (Gen. 26:5).

And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Jacob sent Judah before him to establish an academy wherein he might teach the Torah as he had previously done for the tribes. You know that he taught his sons earlier from the fact that Jacob remembered the chapter of the Torah that Joseph was studying with him at the time of his disappearance. When Joseph’s brothers returned and told him: “Joseph is yet alive” … his heart fainted, for he believed them not (Gen. 45:26). Jacob recalled the chapter of the Torah that Joseph was studying at the time of his departure, and he said to himself: “I know that he was studying the portion devoted to the beheaded heifer.”¹³See Deut. 21:1–9. Whereupon he turned to them and said: “If he gave you something to indicate the chapter he was studying when he departed from here, I will believe you.” Joseph had also remembered the chapter he was studying when he was separated from his father. What did Joseph do? He gave them wagons (ibid., v. 21). When Jacob saw the wagons (‘agalot), the spirit of their father revived forthwith.¹⁴Word-play relating ‘agalot (“wagons”) to kelayot (“kidneys”), stated in the next paragraph to be the organ through which Abraham learned and retained the law. This teaches us that wherever Joseph went, he devoted himself to the law, as his ancestors had done before him, even though the Torah itself had not yet been given. And thus it is written: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My laws (Gen. 26:5).

(Prov. 6:20:) MY CHILD, KEEP YOUR FATHER's {TORAH} [COMMANDMENTS], <AND DO NOT FORSAKE THE TORAH OF YOUR MOTHER>. Our earliest ancestors separated out terumot²⁹I.e., the priestly tithes on produce, sometimes called “heave offerings.” and tithes.³⁰Tanh., Deut. 4:14, cont.; PRK 10:6; see PR 25:3, cont. Abraham separated out a great terumah, as stated (in Gen. 14:22): <THEN ABRAM SAID UNTO THE KING OF SODOM:> I HAVE LIFTED UP MY HAND UNTO THE LORD, GOD MOST HIGH. A lifting up is nothing but a terumah (rt.: RWM), since it is stated (in Numb. 18:26): <NOW YOU SHALL SPEAK UNTO THE LEVITES AND SAY UNTO THEM: WHEN YOU RECEIVE TITHES FROM THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL, THE TITHE THAT I HAVE GIVEN YOU AS YOUR PORTION,> YOU SHALL LIFT (rt.: RWM) OUT OF IT A TERUMAH OF THE LORD, <A TITHE FROM THE TITHE>. Isaac separated out a second tithe, as stated (in Gen. 26:12): SO ISAAC SOWED ON THAT LAND AND REAPED IN THAT YEAR A HUNDREDFOLD, <FOR THE LORD HAD BLESSED HIM>. R. Abba bar Kahana said: Is it not true that a blessing does not rest on what is measured, on what is weighed, or on what is counted? So why did he measure them? In order to tithe them. This is what is written (ibid.): FOR THE LORD HAD BLESSED HIM.³¹See Deut. 14:24, which mentions a blessing in the context of the second tithe; therefore, the blessing of Gen. 26:12 must have been the result of Isaac’s second tithe. Jacob separated out a first tithe, as stated (in Gen. 28:22): AND OF ALL THAT YOU GIVE ME, I WILL SURELY SET ASIDE A TITHE FOR YOU.

The Seers (i.e., the prophets) were the ones who said the doubled letters, mantzepakh (mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf, which are the letters that have a different form when they appear at the end of a word). [The doubling of kaf that is found in Genesis 12:1,] "Lekh lekha (Go for yourself)," hints to Avraham that he will father Yitschak at one hundred years [of age] (as the numerical value of these two words is one hundred). [The doubling of mem that is found in Genesis 26:16,] "ki atsamta memenu (as you have become more powerful than us)" is a hint [to Yitschak] that hints that he and his seed will be powerful in both worlds. The doubling of nun [that is found in Genesis 32:12,] "Hatsileini na (Save me)" [is a hint to] Yaakov, [that] he will be saved in both worlds. The doubling of peh [that is found in Genesis 50:24,] "pakod yifkod (He will surely remember you)" [is a hint to] Yosef, [that] He will remember you in this world, and He will remember you in the world to come. The doubling of tzadi [that is found in Zachariah 6:12,] "hinei eesh, Tsemach shemo, ou'metachtav yitsmach (behold, a man called Branch shall branch out from the place where he is,)" is [referring to] the messiah. And so is it stated (Jermiah 23:5), "vahikimoti leDaveed tsemach tsadeek (and I will raise up a true branch of David)." ["The leader of fifty" (Isaiah 3:3)] ("Sixty were the queens" [Song of Songs 6:8]). Twenty-four books (of the Bible), and add to them eleven of the thirteen [books of the minor prophets] - besides Yonah which is by itself - and six orders of the Mishnah and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim, behold ["The leader of fifty"] ("Sixty were the queens"). "[Sixty were the queens] and eighty were the concubines" (Song of Songs 6:8). Sixty tractates and eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem corresponding to its gates. "And maidens without number" (Song of Songs 6:8). The study outside. "Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty warriors" (Song of Songs 3:7). [This] corresponds to the [number of] letters of [the priestly blessing,) "May the Lord bless you and keep you, etc." (Numbers 6:24-26). The Satan (HaSatan) has the numerical equivalent of the count of the days of the solar year, as he rules over all the year to slander, except for Yom Kippur. Rabbi Ami bar Abba said, "Avraham was missing five organs before he was circumcised and [before he] fathered. The [letter] hay (with a numerical value of five) was added [to his name] and he became complete and fathered, and he was called Avraham [corresponding to the complete set of organs, two hundred and forty-eight], the numerical count of his letters." [Regarding] Sarai, two Amoraim (later rabbinic teachers) differed. One said, "The [letter] yod [with a numerical count of ten that was taken from her] was divided into two, [to give] a hay to Avaraham and a hay to Sarah." And [the other] said, "The yod that was taken from Sarah raised a protest until Yehshoua came and had a yod added, as it is stated (Numbers 13:16), "and Moshe called Hoshea [...], Yehoshua." And it saved him from the counsel of the [other] spies. [The significance of the letters in the name,] Yitschak [is as follows]: Yod [with a numerical count of ten] corresponds to the ten trials [of Avraham]. [The letter] tsadi [with a numerical count of ninety, as] Sarah was ninety when he was born. [The letter] chet [with a numerical count of eight, as] he was circumcised on the eighth day. And the letter kof [with a numerical count of one hundred, as] Avraham was a hundred years old when he was born. Yaakov was called according to [the significance of the letters of] his [own] name: Yod [corresponds to] the tenth of his offspring going backwards, Levi. Count from (the last son), Binaymin to Levi - there are ten sons, and Levi was the tenth. And he gave him as a tithe to the Omnipresent to fulfill [what he said] (Genesis 28:22), "all that You give to me, I will surely tithe it to You." [The letter] ayin [with a numerical count of seventy corresponds to the number of offspring he took to Egypt], "with seventy souls" (Deuteronomy 10:22). Kof corresponds to the [number of the] letters of the blessing [that he received], "And may He give you [etc.]" (Genesis 27:28). Take away the name [of God] from there, and one hundred [letters] remain. [The letter] bet [with a numerical count of two] corresponds to two angels [that he saw on the ladder in his dream] rising. Yehudah was called according to [the significance of the numerical count of the letters of] his [own] name: Thirty, corresponding to the thirty virtues of the monarchy. There were six hundred and thirteen letters on the tablets - from "I am" (Exodus 20:2) to "to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14) - corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments. And they were all given to Moshe at [Mount] Sinai; and in them are statutes and judgments, Torah and Mishnah, Talmud and aggadah. "The fear of the Lord is his treasure" (Isaiah 33:6). There is no greater characteristic than fear and humility, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 10:12), "And now Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you [besides to fear Him]." "The fear of" (Yirat) has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven; along with Torah and circumcision, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. [The numerical value of] fringes (tsitsit) is six hundred. [Add] eight strings and five knots, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. "[The man (David)] raised on high" (II Samuel 23:1) - [high (al)] has a numerical value of one hundred, corresponding to one hundred blessings. As on every day, one hundred men of Israel were dying. [So] David and ordained [the daily saying of] one hundred blessings. "And now Israel, what (mah) does the Lord, your God, ask of you" - read it as one hundred (meah), these are the hundred blessings. Once he ordained it, the pestilence ceased. "This is the law of the burnt-offering (olah), it is the burnt-offering" (Leviticus 6:2), [meaning] the yoke (ulah) of Torah and the yoke of repentance. "Two anointed ones" (Zechariah 4:14). These are David and Aharon who were anointed with the anointing oil, such that their anointing was for [all] the generations. With Aharon, it is written (Numbers 25:13), "It shall be for him and his descendants after him, a pact of priesthood for all time." With David it is written (Ezekiel 37:25), "and My servant David as their prince for all time." "Forgive all guilt and take the good (tov)" (Hosea 14:3). Israel said, "Master of the world, at the time that the Temple existed, we would offer a sacrifice and be cleansed. But now all we have in our hand is prayer." The numerical value of tov is seventeen. Prayer [consists of] nineteen [blessings]. Take away from them the blessing for the malfeasers that was composed at Yavneh, and "Let the sprout of David blossom," which they ordained for the sake of "Probe me, Lord, and try me" (Psalms 26:2). Rabbi Simon says, "'Forgive all guilt and take the good (tov).' The numerical value of tov in at-bash (matching letters based on how close they are to the center of the alphabet) is [the same as] soul (nefesh). Israel said, 'Behold the fat from us, from our souls. May it be Your will that it be atonement for us and "that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3).'" "And the Lord gave her conception (herayon)" (Ruth 4:13). [Herayon] has a numerical value of the [number of the] days of the nine months of birthing (two hundred and seventy one). The name of the angel that is appointed for conception is night, as stated (Job 3:3), "and the night [that it was] said, 'A man was conceived." The measure of the water of a mikveh (ritual bath) is forty seah corresponding to the [forty mentions] of well, written in the Torah. And [the volume of] how many eggs is the measure of the mikveh? Five thousand seven hundred and sixty. And a seah is a hundred and forty-four eggs. Forty-three and a fifth eggs is the measure of [what is required for] hallah [tithe]. And from where [do we know] that a mikveh requires forty seah? As it is written (Isaiah 8:6), "Since this nation has rejected the waters of Shiloach that flow gently (le'at)." The numerical value of le'at is forty. Behold the measure of a seah is a tefach by a tefach with the height of [sixteen] tefach [and a fifth]. And one who separates the measure of the hallah [tithe] must separate [one part in forty three] and a fifth [from Torah writ like the numerical value of hallah]. Forty lashes (which are actually thirty-nine) is from Torah writ, as it is written (Exodus 35:1), "These (eleh) are the things which the Lord commanded." [The numerical count of] "eleh" is thirty-six; "things" (being plural) is two; "the things" [indicates an additional] one - behold, forty minus one (thirty-nine). "He shall strike him forty, he shall not add" (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponds to the forty curses received by the snake, Chava, Adam and the ground, and the sages lessened one, because of "he shall not add." A Sanhedrin is twenty-three, so [that it is possible for] those advocating innocence to have one more (than twenty), and those advocating guilt to have two more. It is best for the two to come and push off one. The numerical value of anathmea (cherem) is two hundred and forty-eight. And Shmuel said, when it takes force it takes force on [all] two hundred and forty-eight organs, and when it leaves, it leaves from two hundred and forty-eight limbs, as it is written (Habakuk 3:2), "in anger, remember to have mercy (rachem, which is made up of the same letters as cherem)." It is written,"tirash," but we read it [as] tirosh. [If] he merits, he becomes a rosh (leader); [if] he does not merit, he becomes a rash (poor person). Our rabbis, may their memory be blessed said, "A man is recognized by three things: by his purse, by his glass and by his anger. Tavel is Ramaliah. Seshach is Bavel (Babylon) [according to] its numerical value of in at-bash. The numerical value of Gog and Magog is seventy, as they are the seventy nations [of the world].

And it shall be when the Lord shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanite (Exod. 13:5). (Scripture mentions) five nations though there were (in fact) seven nations.¹⁷Cf. Mekhilta (Lauterbach), p. 161. Which he swore unto thy fathers to give thee (ibid.). Where did that occur? When he assured Abraham: In that day the Lord made a covenant with Abraham, saying: “Unto thy seed have I given this land” (Gen. 15:18). When he swore unto Isaac: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, etc. (ibid. 26:3), and when he swore unto Jacob: The land whereupon thou liest, to thee will I give it (ibid. 28:13). Thou shalt keep this service (Exod. 13:5). That is, just as you performed this service in Egypt, so you must perform it in the generations to come. Where did He assure us that it would be? And I will bring you in unto the land, concerning which I lifted up My hand (ibid. 6:8). Into the land of the Canaanite (ibid. 13:11). Why did Canaan deserve to have the land called by his name? When Canaan heard that the Israelites were approaching, he departed from that place. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Because you left that place, the land will be called by your name, and I will give you a land as beautiful as your own. What land was this? Africa. And it shall be given to thee (ibid.). This is written lest one should claim: “I inherited it from my ancestors.”

(Gen. 46:28:) NOW HE HAD SENT JUDAH AHEAD OF HIM UNTO JOSEPH TO TEACH BEFORE HIM.³⁹This interpretation is assumed in the midrash. What is the meaning of < TO TEACH BEFORE HIM >? R. Nehemiah said: To establish an academy for him where he would teach Torah so that the tribes might study Torah.⁴⁰Gen. R. 95:3; Tanh., Gen. 11:11; also Gen. R. 94:3. You know that this is so; < for >, when Joseph had left him, Jacob knew at what chapter he had left him because he had taught him. When Joseph's brothers came and said to him (in Gen. 44:26): JOSEPH IS STILL ALIVE < … > HIS HEART GREW FAINT, because he did not believe it, as stated (ibid.): FOR HE DID NOT BELIEVE THEM. Jacob recalled at what chapter Joseph had left him. He said to them: Did he give you a sign⁴¹Gk.: semeion. < indicating > at what chapter Joseph left me? Jacob said in his heart: I know that he left me at the chapter on the heifer ('GLH, i.e., Deut. 21:1-9). He said to them: Say at what chapter he left me, and I will believe you. Joseph also recalled at what chapter he had left him. What did Joseph do? He gave them wagons ('GLH in the singular), as stated (in Gen. 45:21): SO JOSEPH GAVE THEM WAGONS. < This verse is > to teach you that in every place that he went he was busy at Torah, just as his ancestors had been, even though the Torah had not yet been given. Ergo, it is written of Abraham (in Gen. 26:5): AND HE KEPT MY CHARGE: MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY TORAHS. From where did Abraham learn the Torah? R. Simeon ben Johay says: < His > two kidneys became like two full vessels which spouted forth Torah. And where is it shown? Where it says so (in Ps. 16:17): EVEN IN THE NIGHTS MY KIDNEYS ADMONISH ME. R. Samuel bar Nahman said in the name of R. Jonathan ben Eleazar Ish haBirah: Our father Abraham even knew the eruvim of cooked foods.⁴²See above, 3:14; also 3:1. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ('QB 'ShR) ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE, < AND KEPT MY CHARGE >…. Now at the age of three Abraham recognized his Creator, as stated (through the first word of this verse): 'QB (with a numerical value of 172). Since all the days of Abraham were one hundred and seventy-five, from here (Gen. 26:5) you learn (by simple subtraction) that at the age of three he had recognized him and that he was even keeping the fine points of Torah. He also taught his children, as stated (in Gen. 18:19): FOR I HAVE CHOSEN HIM SO THAT HE MAY CHARGE < HIS CHILDREN AND HIS HOUSEHOLD AFTER HIM TO KEEP THE WAY OF THE LORD, TO PRACTICE RIGHTEOUSNESS AND JUSTICE >…. The Holy One said to him: You have taught your children Torah in this world, but in the world to come I in my glory will teach them the Torah, as stated (in Is. 54:13): AND ALL YOUR CHILDREN SHALL BE TAUGHT BY THE LORD, AND GREAT SHALL BE YOUR CHILDREN'S PROSPERITY.

(Eccl. 3:15:) THEN GOD SEEKS THE PERSECUTED. R. Huna said in the name of R. Joseph: The Holy One is going to claim the blood of the persecuted from the hand of those who persecute them.⁵⁸Lev. R. 27:5. When a righteous person persecutes a righteous person, GOD SEEKS THE PERSECUTED. When a wicked person persecutes a wicked person, GOD SEEKS THE PERSECUTED. [When a wicked person persecutes a righteous person, THEN GOD SEEKS THE PERSECUTED. Even if you come back and say: When a righteous person persecutes a wicked person, in every case, THEN GOD SEEKS THE PERSECUTED.]⁵⁹Cf. PR 48:2. You know that this is so. Note that Abel was persecuted by Cain; therefore, it is stated (in Gen. 4:4): AND THE LORD PAID HEED UNTO ABEL AND UNTO HIS OFFERING. Noah was persecuted by his generation, BUT (according to Gen. 6:8): NOAH FOUND FAVOR < IN THE EYES OF THE LORD >. As for his generation, (cf. Gen. 7:23): AND HE BLOTTED OUT ALL EXISTENCE. Abraham was persecuted by Nimrod; (cf. Neh. 9:7:) YOU ARE THE LORD, THE GOD WHO CHOSE ABRAHAM. Isaac was persecuted by Philistines; (cf. Gen. 26:28:) AND THEY SAID: WE SEE PLAINLY < THAT THE LORD HAS BEEN WITH YOU >. Jacob was persecuted by Esau; (cf. Ps. 135:4:) FOR THE LORD HAS CHOSEN JACOB FOR HIMSELF. Joseph was persecuted by his brothers; (cf. Gen. 39:2:) AND THE LORD WAS WITH JOSEPH. Moses was persecuted by Pharaoh; (cf. Ps. 106:23:) THEREFORE HE SAID HE WOULD DESTROY THEM, HAD NOT MOSES HIS CHOSEN < STOOD IN THE BREACH BEFORE HIM >. Israel is being persecuted by the nations of the world; (cf. Deut. 7:6:) THE LORD YOUR GOD HAS CHOSEN YOU. R. Judah bar Simon said in the name of R. [Jose bar] Nehoray. Here also (in the case of sacrificial animals) the bull is persecuted by the lion; the sheep is persecuted by the wolf; the goat is persecuted by the leopard. The Holy One said: You shall not bring me a sacrifice from the persecutor but from the persecuted. Thus it is stated (Lev. 22:27): WHEN A BULL OR A SHEEP OR A GOAT….

Another interpretation (of Numb. 8:6): TAKE THE LEVITES. This text is related (to Ps. 11:5): THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS. The Holy One does not elevate a person to an office until <first> he tests and examines him.³⁷Tanh. Numb. 3:8; Numb. R. 15:12. When he withstands his test, he elevates him to the office. And so you find in the case of our father Abraham, when the Holy One tested him with ten temptations, he withstood his trial. Then after that he blessed him. It is so stated (in Gen. 24:1): AND THE LORD BLESSED ABRAHAM IN ALL THINGS. So also in the case of Isaac, when he tested him in the days of Abimelech, he withstood the trial. Then after that he blessed him, as stated (in Gen. 26:12): SO ISAAC SOWED ON THAT LAND [ … FOR THE LORD HAD BLESSED HIM]. So also in the case of Jacob, when he tested him by means of all those tribulations with Esau with Dinah, with Joseph, and <with the tribulation of> how he departed from the house of his father and his mother (in Gen. 32:11 [10]): FOR WITH <ONLY MY STAFF DID I CROSS <THIS JORDAN> …, he blessed him. It is so stated (in Gen. 35:9): NOW GOD APPEARED UNTO JACOB AGAIN, [WHEN HE CAME FROM PADDAN-ARAM, AND BLESSED HIM]. So also in the case of Joseph, he tested him with the wife of Potiphar, and he was imprisoned for twelve years. Then after that he came out and became king because he had withstood his trial. Ergo (in Ps. 11:5): THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS. So also in the case of the tribe of Levi, they laid down their lives for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One (i.e. for martyrdom), so that the Torah would not be set aside. Now when Israel was in Egypt, they had rejected the Torah and circumcision and all of them had become worshipers of idols as Ezekiel has demonstrated where it is stated (in Ezek. 20:5): AND YOU SHALL SAY UNTO THEM: THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD, IN THE DAY THAT I CHOSE ISRAEL…. Then what is written at the end (in vs. 8)? BUT THEY REBELLED AGAINST ME AND DID NOT COME TO HEARKEN UNTO ME. [INDIVIDUALLY THEY DID NOT CAST AWAY THE ABOMINATIONS OF THEIR EYES NOR DID THEY FORSAKE THE IDOLS OF EGYPT]. What did the Holy One do? He brought darkness upon Egypt for three days, and during those <days> he killed all the wicked ones of Israel. For this reason it says (in Ezek. 20:36, 38): AS I BROUGHT YOUR ANCESTORS TO JUDGMENT IN THE DESERT OF THE LAND OF EGYPT….] SO WILL I REMOVE FROM YOU <THOSE WHO REBEL AND TRANSGRESS AGAINST ME>. So also it says (in Cant. 2:13): AND THE FIG TREE SHEDS³⁸Heb.: hanetah. Although the biblical context suggests a translation such as “puts forth” or “ripens” the context understands this rare verb in a more negative sense. See above vol. 2, p. 62 Tanh. (Buber); Exod. 3:7). ITS GREEN FIGS…. These are the wicked who are in Israel. (Ibid. cont.:) AND THE VINES IN BLOSSOM GIVE OFF FRAGRANCE. These are the rest who have repented and been accepted. (Ibid. cont.:) ARISE, MY BELOVED, MY FAIR ONE, AND COME AWAY, for behold the time of redemption has arrived. However all those in the tribe of Levi were righteous and carried out the Torah. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:9): FOR THEY OBSERVED YOUR WORD, i.e., the Torah; AND KEPT YOUR COVENANT, i.e., circumcision. And not only that, but when Israel made the calf, the tribe of Levi did not participate there as stated (in Exod. 32:26): SO MOSES STOOD UP ON THE GATE OF THE CAMP AND SAID: WHOEVER IS FOR THE LORD COME TO ME. THEN ALL THE CHILDREN OF LEVI GATHERED UNTO HIM. When Moses said (in vs. 27): EACH <OF YOU> [PUT HIS SWORD ON HIS THIGH, they immediately did so. Moreover they did not show partiality. And so Moses blesses them, <namely> the one (according Deut. 33:9) WHO SAYS OF HIS FATHER AND MOTHER: I DO NOT CONSIDER THEM …, FOR THEY (the Levites) OBSERVED YOUR WORD AND KEPT YOUR COVENANT. When the Holy One saw that they all were righteous, that he had tested them and they had withstood their trial, as stated (of Levi in Deut. 33:8): <YOUR FAITHFUL ONE,> WHOM YOU TESTED AT MASSAH, the Holy One immediately said (in Numb. 8:14): AND THE LEVITES SHALL BELONG TO ME to fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 11:5): THE LORD TESTS THE RIGHTEOUS. In the case of the wicked, however, it is written of them (ibid. cont.:) BUT HIS SOUL (i.e. the soul of the Holy One) HATES THE WICKED AND THE LOVER OF INJUSTICE. David said (in Ps. 128:1): BLESSED IS EVERYONE WHO FEARS THE LORD AND WALKS IN HIS WAYS.

Our Rabbis were taught: During a prosperous year in Israel, a space wherein a S'ah of seed is sown would produce five myriad Khor of grain. In the tilled districts of Z'oan, one measure of seed produced seventy Khor; for we are taught that Rabbi Maier said: "I myself have witnessed in the vale of Beth She'an an instance of one measuse of seed producing seventy Khors." And there is no better land anywhere than the land of Egypt; for it is said (Gen. 13) As the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt. And there is no better laud in all Egypt than Zo'an, where several kings resided; as it is written (Is. 30, 4) His princes were in Z'oan!" In all Israel there was no other stony soil than Hebron, for this reason it was devoted for a burying place: and yet Hebron was seven times more prolific than Zo'an, as it is written (Num. 13, 22), Now Hebron was built seven years before Zo'an in Egypt. What does that mean? Shall we assume that it means literally? How is it possible that one should build a house for his smallest son at first? Since it is said (Gen. 10, 6) And the sons of Ham, Cush, Mizriam (Egypt), Phut, and Canaan. It must therefore mean that it was seven times more prolific than Zo'an, This is only in the stony soil of the land of Israel, but in the suitable soil [the increase] is five hundred times. All this applies to a year of average return; but in one of special prosperity it is written (Gen. 26, 12) Then Isaac sewed in that land, and received in the same year a hundred-fold.

Another explanation (of Deut. 14:22), “You shall tithe, tithe.” This is related to the verse (in Is. 24:5), “And the earth was distorted under its inhabitants, because they transgressed Torahs;¹⁷Torot. Such a literal translation is required by the midrash. In the biblical context the word denotes something more general, such as teachings. they violated a statute; [they broke an eternal covenant].” R. Isaac said, “You have already been false to it, and [so] it is distorted for you. It [may] show you standing grain, but it does not show you a shock of sheaves. It [may] show you [a shock of sheaves, but it does not show you a threshing floor]. It [may] show you a threshing floor, but it does not show you a winnowed heap. Why [not]? (Ibid.:) ‘Because they transgressed Torahs; they violated statutes,’ in that they did transgress two Torahs, the written Torah and the oral Torah; (ibid.) ‘they violated a statute,’ the statute of tithes; (ibid.) ‘they broke an eternal covenant,’ an ancestral covenant.” For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22), “You shall surely tithe.” (Prov. 6:20:) “My child, keep your father's commandments, [and do not forsake the Torah of your mother].” R. Huna said, “Our earliest ancestors separated out terumot and tithes.” Abraham separated out the great terumah, as stated (in Gen. 14:22), “[Then Abram said unto the king of Sodom,] ‘I have lifted up my hand unto the Lord, God most high.’” A lifting up is nothing but a terumah (rt.: rwm), as you say (in Numb. 18:26), “[Now you shall speak unto the Levites and say unto them, ‘When you receive tithes from the Children of Israel, the tithe that I have given you as your portion,] you shall lift (rt.: rwm) out of it a terumah of the Lord, [a tithe from the tithe].’” Isaac separated out the second tithe, as stated (in Gen. 26:12), “So Isaac sowed on that land and reaped in that year a hundredfold, [for the Lord had blessed him]”; R. Eiba bar Kahana said, “Is it not true that a blessing does not rest on what is measured, on what is weighed, or on what is counted? So why did he measure them? In order to tithe them. This is what is written (ibid.), ‘for the Lord had blessed him.’”¹⁸See Deut. 14:24, which mentions a blessing in the context of the second tithe; therefore, perhaps the blessing of Gen. 26:12 would have been the result of Isaac’s second tithe. Jacob separated out the first tithe, as stated (in Gen. 28:22), “and of all that You give me, I will surely set aside a tithe for You.” A certain Cuthean (i.e., a Samaritan) came and questioned R. Meir. He said to him, “Do you not say that indeed your ancestor Jacob is truthful?” He said [back] to him, “Yes, as it is written (in Micah 7:20), ‘You give truthfulness to Jacob.’” [The Cuthean] said to him, “He separated out the tribe of Levi [as a tithe] for the tribes, [i.e.,] one out of ten. Should he not have separated out [a tithe] from two more [tribes]?” R. Meir said to him, “You have said that there were twelve, but I say that there were fourteen, as stated (in Gen. 48:5), ‘Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine like Reuben and Simeon.’” He said to him, “So here you are supporting me. You have added flour. Have you added water?” He said to him, “Do you not admit that there are four matriarchs that had four first-borns? Take away from [the fourteen] the four firstborn (of Jacob's four wives), since the firstborn is not tithed. Why? Because he is holy, and something holy does not redeem for use something [else that is] holy.” He said to him, ‘It is good for your people that you are among them.” Hence it is written (Prov. 6:20), “and do not forsake the Torah of your mother (immekha),” [i.e.,] your people (ummatekha). That is what David said (in Ps. 40:9), “To carry out Your will, my God, is my desire, [for Your Torah is within my belly].” R. Aha bar Ulla said, “Is there Torah within the belly? And is it not so written (in Jer. 31:33), ‘and upon their heart (not their belly) I will write it?’ It is simply that David said, ‘May [a curse] come upon me, if something goes down into my belly, except when it is tithed.’ This is what is written (in I Chron. 27:25), ‘And over the treasuries of the king was Azmaveth ben Adiel; and over the treasuries in the country in the cities, in the villages, and in the towers was Jonathan ben Uzziah.’”¹⁹In other words, David was concerned enough about tithes to appoint overseers. For that reason Moses warned Israel (in Deut. 14:22), “You shall surely tithe.”

And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of speaking (Exod. 31:18). R. Tanhuma began the discussion with the verse: Unto Thee, O Lord, belongeth righteousness, but unto us confusion of face (Dan. 9:7). R. Nehemiah declared: Even though we believe that we have acted righteously before You, if we examine our actions we are abashed. There is no time at which we may come before You with confidence except when we bring our offerings to Your house, as it is said: When thou hast made an end of tithing all the tithes of thine increase (Deut. 26:2). This entire subject is explained in the section Look forth from Thy holy habitation … and bless Thy people Israel (Deut. 26:15).

Another interpretation (of Gen. 15:1): AFTER THESE THINGS. This text is related (to Prov. 2:7): HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT.⁶⁷Tanh.,Gen. 3:11. [What is the meaning of HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT?] Before the world was created, the Holy One reserved the Law for Abraham, as stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE < AND KEPT MY CHARGE: MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY TORAHS >. < This > teaches that Abraham kept all the commandments and all the Torahs. R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: R. Jonathan said: Our father Abraham also maintained the 'eruvim of cooked foods.⁶⁸Thus the use of torah in the plural indicates that Abraham knew even the oral Torah. See above, 3:1; below, 11:12. For a full description of the ‘eruvim of cooked foods, see Maimonides, Yad, Yom Tov 6:1-3. Thus it is stated (ibid.): BECAUSE ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE. For that reason, Solomon stated (in Prov. 2:7): HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT, [A SHIELD FOR THOSE WHO LIVE BLAMELESSLY]. The Holy One said to Abraham: You have been occupied with my Law. By your life, I am a shield for you, as stated (in Gen. 15:1): FEAR NOT, ABRAM! [I AM A SHIELD FOR YOU]. Just as, when one grasps the shield, even if darts and stones are thrown at him, he is not afraid; [so I am doing for you], as stated (in Gen. 15:1): I AM A SHIELD FOR YOU; YOUR REWARD SHALL BE VERY GREAT—not for you alone, but also for your children, if they are occupied with my Law just as you have been occupied. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 30:5): [EVERY] UTTERANCE OF GOD IS PURE, A SHIELD FOR {ALL} WHO TAKE REFUGE IN HIM. It is therefore stated (in Prov. 2:7): HE RESERVES UNDERSTANDING FOR THE UPRIGHT, [A SHIELD FOR THOSE WHO LIVE BLAMELESSLY].

“…seventy shekels according to the holy shekel…” (Numbers 7:13) Seventy in parallel to the seventy nations which descended from him (from Adam). Another explanation. Why seventy? In parallel to the seventy verses from the beginning of the book of Genesis to the curse of the snake. R’ Pichas said: there are two enemies who were not cursed until seventy verses had been completed about them – the snake and Haman the wicked. Regarding the snake, from “In the beginning…” (Genesis 1:1) until “…cursed be you more than all the cattle…” (Genesis 3:14) is seventy verses. Regarding Haman, from “After these events, King Ahasuerus promoted Haman…” (Esther 3:1) until “And they hanged Haman…” (Esther 7:10) is seventy verses. For the purpose of seventy he was hanged on fifty (cubits of wood). Another explanation. In parallel to the seventy holy names from ‘In the beginning’ until the story of the snake. And if you say there is one more (than seventy) “…and you will be like gods…” (Genesis 3:5) is not a holy name. Another explanation. In parallel to the seventy years before Terach gave birth to Avraham, as it says “And Terach lived seventy years…” (Genesis 11:26) Two people lived in two generations for seventy years. Kenan in the first generation, “And Kenan lived seventy years…” (Genesis 5:12) and Terach in the second generation. Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy days which they wept over Yaakov the pious, as it says “…and the Egyptians wept over him for seventy days.” (Genesis 50:3) Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy days of goodness which the Holy One gave to Israel – seven days of Passover, eight days of Sukkot, Rosh HaShanah, Yom Kippur, Shavuot and the fifty two days of Shabbat in the solar year make seventy. Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy names of the Holy One, the seventy names of Israel, the seventy names of the Torah, the seventy names of Jerusalem. Another explanation. Parallel to the seventy years that Adam took away from his life and gave to David ben Yishai. It was fit that he live for a thousand years, as it says “…for on the day that you eat thereof, you shall surely die.” (Genesis 2:17) And a day to the Holy One is a thousand years, as it says “For a thousand years are in Your eyes like yesterday, which passed, and a watch in the night.” (Psalms 90:4)

“What has been, already is, and what will be has already been; and God seeks the pursued” (Ecclesiastes 3:15).
“What has been, already is” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda says: If a person says to you: Is it possible that the entire world was water [and the world’s water was gathered] into water?⁶⁵God gathered the water that covered the land into the oceans (see Genesis 1:9); but how is that possible given that there was already water in the oceans? Say to him: ‘It “already is.”’ The ocean is entirely water in water.⁶⁶Even though it is full of water, rivers stream into it and it does not overflow.
“And what will be has already been…” – if a person will say to you: ‘Is it possible that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to transform sea into dry land?’ Say to him: ‘It “has already been.”’ Did He did not do so by means of Moses, as it is stated: “The children of Israel went on dry land” (Exodus 14:29), and it is written: “Now raise your staff…” (Exodus 14:16), and it is written: “And the children of Israel will come into the sea on dry land” (Exodus 14:16).
If a person will say to you: ‘Is it possible that had Adam, the first man, not sinned, he would have lived and endured forever?’ Say to him: ‘It “already is,”’ – Elijah, may he be remembered for good, who never sinned, lives and endures. “And what will be has already been” – if a person will say to you: ‘Is it possible that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to revive the dead?’ Say to him: ‘It “has already been,”’ He already revived the dead by means of Elijah, by means of Elisha, and by means of Ezekiel.
Rabbi Aḥa [said] in the name of Rabbi Ḥalafta: Everything that the Holy One blessed be He is destined to perform and to innovate in His world in the future, He has already performed partially by means of a prophet in this world. It is I⁶⁷This phrase, and the coming phrases, are stated from the perspective of God. who am destined to turn the sea into dry land; I have already done so in this world, [as it is stated]: “Now raise your staff…” (Exodus 14:16), It is I who am destined to remember the barren; I have already remembered by means of Abraham, as it is stated: “God remembered Sarah…” (Genesis 21:1).⁶⁸God informed Sarah of this fact through a prophecy granted to Abraham (Maharzu). It is I who am destined to revive the dead; I have already revived by means of Elijah, Elisha, and Ezekiel. It is I who am destined to cause kings to prostrate themselves to you; I have already done it for you by means of Daniel, as Nebuchadnezzar prostrated himself to Daniel, as it is stated: “Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face, and he prostrated himself to Daniel” (Daniel 2:46). It is I who am destined to open the eyes of the blind in the future; I have already done so by means of Elisha, as it is stated: “The Lord opened the eyes of the lad” (II Kings 6:17).
“And God seeks the pursued” – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Yosei: God will always seek [to save] the pursued. You find a righteous man pursuing a righteous man; “and God seeks the pursued.” A wicked man pursuing a righteous man; “and God seeks the pursued.” A wicked man pursuing a wicked man; “and God seeks the pursued.” God seeks the pursued in any circumstance.
Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi Simon, in the name of Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Nehorai: The Holy One blessed be He always seeks the blood of the pursued from the pursuers.⁶⁹He holds the pursuers accountable for their actions, and He grants favor to the pursued. Know that it is so; Abel was pursued by Cain, and the Holy One blessed be He chose only Abel, as it is stated: “The Lord turned to Abel and to his offering” (Genesis 4:4). Noah was pursued by the members of his generation, and the Holy One blessed be He chose only Noah, as it is stated: “For you I have seen righteous before Me” (Genesis 7:1). Abraham was pursued by Nimrod, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Abraham, as it is stated: “You are the Lord God who chose Abram” (Nehemiah 9:7). Isaac was pursued by the Philistines, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Isaac, as it is stated: “They said: We have seen that the Lord has been with you” (Genesis 26:28). Jacob was pursued by Esau, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Jacob, as it is stated: “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for Himself, Israel as His treasure” (Psalms 135:4). Joseph was pursued by his brothers, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Joseph, as it is stated: “He established it as testimony for Joseph when he went out over the land of Egypt” (Psalms 81:6).
Moses was pursued by Pharaoh, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Moses, as it is stated: “Were it not for Moses, His chosen, who stood in the breach before Him” (Psalms 106:23). David was pursued by Saul, and the Holy One blessed be He chose David, as it is stated: “He chose David His servant and took him from the sheepfolds” (Psalms 78:70). Saul was pursued by the Philistines, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Saul, as it is stated: “Have you seen the one whom the Lord has chosen?” (I Samuel 10:24). Israel was pursued by the nations, and the Holy One blessed be He chose Israel, as it is stated: “[For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God] has chosen you as a treasured people” (Deuteronomy 7:6). Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra said: The same is true regarding offerings. The Holy One blessed be He said: A bull is pursued by a lion, a goat by a leopard, a sheep by a wolf; do not sacrifice the pursuers before Me, but rather the pursued, as it is stated: “A bull, a sheep, or a goat…[it shall be accepted as a fire offering before the Lord]” (Leviticus 22:27).

12 (Numb. 8:6) “Take the Levites”: This text is related (to Ps. 11:5), “The Lord tests the righteous […].” The Holy One, blessed be He, does not elevate a person to an office until He first tests and examines him. When he withstands his test, He elevates him to the office. And so you find in the case of our father Abraham; when the Holy One, blessed be He, tested him with ten temptations, he withstood his trials. Then after that He blessed him, as stated (in Gen. 24:1), “And the Lord blessed Abraham in all things.” So also in the case of Isaac, when He tested him with the days of Abimelech, he withstood the trial. Then after that He blessed him, as stated (in Gen. 26:12), “So Isaac sowed on that land […] for the Lord had blessed him.” So also in the case of Jacob, when He tested him by means of all those tribulations with Esau, with Rachel, with Dinah, with Joseph, and [with the tribulation of] how he departed from the house of his father (in Gen. 32:11), “for with [only] my staff did I cross [this] Jordan.” Then after that He blessed him. It is so stated (in Gen. 35:9), “Now God appeared unto Jacob again, when he came from Paddan-Aram, and blessed him.” So also in the case of Joseph, with the wife of Potiphar and he was imprisoned for twelve years. Then after that he came out and became king because he had withstood his trials. Ergo (in Ps. 11:5), “The Lord tests the righteous.” So also in the case of the tribe of Levi, they laid down their lives for the sanctification of the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, (i.e. for martyrdom). Now when Israel was in Egypt, they had rejected the Torah and, as Ezekiel had rebuked them where it is stated (in Ezek. 20:5), “And you shall say unto them, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “In the day that I chose Israel […].”’” Then what is written at the end (in vs. 8)? “But they rebelled against Me and did not come to hearken unto Me … and I resolved to pour out My fury upon them.” What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He brought darkness upon Egypt for three days, and during those [days] he killed all the wicked ones of Israel. For this reason it says (in Ezek. 20:36-38), “[As I brought your ancestors to judgment in the desert of the land of Egypt….] So will I remove from you those who rebel and transgress against Me.” So also it says (in Cant. 2:13), “And the fig tree sheds¹⁸Heb.: hanetah. Although the biblical context suggests a translation such as “puts forth” or “ripens” the context understands this rare verb in a more negative sense. See Tanh. (Buber); Exod. 3:7). its green figs…,” these are the wicked who are in Israel; (ibid. cont.) “and the vines in blossom give off fragrance,” these are the rest who have repented and been accepted; (ibid. cont.) “arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away,” for behold the time of redemption has arrived. However all those in the tribe of Levi were righteous and carried out the Torah. It is so stated (in Deut. 33:9), “For they observed Your word,” i.e., the Torah; (ibid. cont.) “and kept Your covenant,” i.e., circumcision. And not only that, but when Israel made the calf, the tribe of Levi did not participate there, as stated (in Exod. 32:26), “So Moses stood up on the gate of the camp and said, ‘Whoever is for the Lord come to me,’ and all the Children of Levi gathered unto him.” When Moses said (in vs. 27), “Each [of you] put his sword on his thigh…,” they immediately did so. Moreover they did not show partiality. And so Moses blesses them, [namely (according Deut. 33:9)], “The one who says of his father and mother, ‘I do not consider them’ and his brother….” When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they all were righteous, that He had tested them and they had withstood their trial – as stated (of Levi in Deut. 33:8), “[Your faithful one,] whom You tested at Massah” – the Holy One, blessed be He, immediately said (in Numb. 8:14), “And the Levites shall belong to Me,” to fulfill what is stated (in Ps. 11:5), “The Lord tests the righteous.” In the case of the wicked, however, it is written of them (ibid. cont.), “but His soul (i.e. the soul of the Holy One, blessed be He,) hates the wicked and the lover of injustice.” David said (in Ps. 128:1), “Fortunate is everyone who fears the Lord and walks in His ways.”

And the Lord remembered Sarah (Gen. 21:1). Scripture states elsewhere in reference to this verse: That confirmeth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers. That saith of Jerusalem: “She shall be inhabited”; and of the cities of Judah: “They shall be built” (Isa. 44:26). That confirmeth the word of His servant refers to Abraham, for the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I opened his womb (Abimelech) on account of Abraham, My servant, who prayed in his behalf, as it is said: And Abraham prayed unto God (Gen. 20:17). Performeth the counsel of His messengers alludes to the angels who informed Abraham that he would have an offspring, as it is said: I will certainly return unto you when the season cometh around (ibid. 18:10).

Jer. 3:19): <HOW I WOULD PUT YOU AMONG THE CHILDREN> AND GIVE YOU A DESIRABLE LAND, a land that the ancestors of the world³³Literally: “fathers of the world.” According to Ber. 16b and Rashi, ad loc., the title father should be limited to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Similarly the title mother should apply only to Sarah, Rebekah, Leah, and Rachael. found desirable. <The first of these ancestors was> Abraham, of whom it is stated (in Gen. 12:9): THEN ABRAM JOURNEYED AS HE WENT ON AND TRAVELED TOWARDS THE NEGEB. And so it says (in Gen. 23:4): I AM AN ALIEN AND TRANSIENT AMONG YOU; GIVE ME A BURIAL PLACE AMONG YOU. <The second was> Isaac. {He also found it desirable when he was departing from <this> world. What did he say to his children (in Gen. 49:29)? BURY ME WITH MY ANCESTORS IN THE FIELD OF EPHRON BEN ZOHAR THE HITTITE.}³⁴Note that Gen. 49:1, 28 attributes these words to Jacob. [The Holy One also endeared it to Isaac (in Gen. 26:3): RESIDE IN THIS LAND, <AND I WILL BE WITH YOU AND BLESS YOU>…. ] <The third was> Jacob. This <is what> he commanded (in Gen. 50:5): IN MY GRAVE WHICH I DUG FOR MYSELF IN THE LAND OF <CANAAN, THERE YOU SHALL BURY ME>…. Ergo (in Jer. 3:19): A DESIRABLE LAND, THE MOST BEAUTIFUL (rts: TsBH TsB') HERITAGE OF THE NATIONS, in that it is a land of delights (rt.: TsBH) for the peoples of the world.

“His palate is sweet and all of him is delightful. This is my beloved, and this is my companion, daughters of Jerusalem” (Song of Songs 5:16).
“His palate is sweet” – it is written: “For so said the Lord to the house of Israel: Seek Me and live” (Amos 5:4). Is there a palate that is greater and sweeter than that?⁸⁸Is there any statement sweeter than this statement by God? It is written: “As I live – the utterance of the Lord God – I do not desire the death of the wicked, [but that the wicked repent from his way and live]” (Ezekiel 33:11). Is there a palate that is greater and sweeter than that? “For I do not desire the death of the one who dies, the utterance of the Lord God; facilitate repentance and live” (Ezekiel 18:32). Is there a palate that is greater and sweeter than that? “If the wicked man turns away from his wickedness [that he did] and performs justice and righteousness, he will cause his soul to live” (Ezekiel 18:27). Is there a palate that is greater and sweeter than that?
Reish Lakish said: This is only if one has remorse for his previous actions. How so? Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai taught: If there was a person who was completely wicked all his days and ultimately he became completely righteous, in his regard the verse states: “The wickedness of the wicked person, he will not stumble over it on the day of his repentance from his wickedness…” (Ezekiel 33:12). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Moreover, all the transgressions that he performed, the Holy One blessed be He tallies them for him as merits. That is what is written: “Myrrh, aloe, and cassia were on all your garments [bigdotekha]” (Psalms 45:9). All the betrayals [begidot] that you betrayed Me, they are like myrrh and aloe before Me.
It is taught: How old was Abraham when he recognized his Creator? Rabbi Ḥanina and Rabbi Yoḥanan both say: At the age of forty-eight Abraham recognized his Creator. Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: He was three years old, as it is stated: “Because [ekev] Abraham heeded My voice” (Genesis 26:5) – the numerical value of ekev.⁸⁹Ayin – 70, kof –100, bet – 2 = 172. He died at the age of one hundred and seventy-five and heeded God’s voice for one hundred and seventy-two of them. Thus, he recognized God at the age of three. Rabbi Levi said: When he was able to lift his heel [ikva] off the ground.

(Exodus 13:17) "And it was, when G d sent ("shalach") the people": "sending" in all places is accompaniment, viz. (Genesis 18:16) "And Abraham went with them to send them," (Ibid. 26:31) "And Israel sent them." The mouth (of Pharaoh) that said (Exodus 5:2) "Israel, too, I will not send," it is that (mouth) which said (Ibid. 10:10) "I will send you and your children." How was he rewarded for this? (Devarim 23:8) "You shall not abominate an Egyptian." The mouth which said (Exodus 5:2) "I do not know the L rd," it is that (mouth) which said (Ibid. 14:25) "I will flee from before Israel, for the L rd wars for them against the Egyptians." How was he rewarded for this? (Isaiah 19:19) "On that day there will be an altar to the L rd in the midst of the land of Egypt and a pillar at its border to the L rd." The mouth which said (Exodus 5:2) "Who is the L rd that I should hearken to His voice," it is that mouth which said (Ibid. 9:27) "the L rd is the Tzaddik, and I and my people are the wicked" — wherefore He gave them a place for burial, as it is written (Ibid. 15:12) "You inclined Your right hand — the earth swallowed them up." (Ibid.) "that G d did not lead them ('nacham')." This "nichum" connotes leading, as in (Psalms 77:21) "You have led (nachitha) Your people like sheep," and (Ibid. 78:4) "And He led them (vayanchem) with a cloud by day, and all the night with a light of fire." "by way of the land of the Philistines, for it was near": Near (i.e., "close") is the thing of which the Holy One Blessed be He spoke to Moses (Exodus 2:12): "When you take the people out of Egypt, you will serve G d on this mountain." Variantly: "for it was near": It afforded easy return to Egypt, viz. (Ibid. 5:3) "Let us go a three days' distance in the desert." Variantly: "for it was near": Close (in time) was the oath that Abraham had sworn to Avimelech, viz. (Genesis 21:23) "And now, swear to me here by G d that you will not deal with me falsely (by trespassing on my land), or to my son or my grandson," and his grandson was still alive. Variantly: "for it was near": The first war (that with Egypt) was too close to the second (that with Canaan). Variantly: "for it was near": The Canaanites had only recently acquired the land, and (Genesis 15:16) "And they (the Israelites) shall return here in the fourth generation, for the sin of the Amorites is not yet complete." Variantly: "for it was near": The Holy One Blessed be He did not bring them directly to Eretz Yisrael but by way of the desert, saying: If I bring them there now, immediately each man will seize his field, and each man his vineyard and they will neglect Torah study. Rather, I will keep them in the desert forty years, eating manna and drinking from the well, and the Torah will be absorbed in their bodies. From here R. Shimon would say: The Torah was given to be expounded only by the eaters of manna, and, like them, the eaters of terumah (i.e., the Cohanim). Variantly: "for it was near": The L rd did not bring them in directly. For when the Canaanites heard that the Israelites were coming, they arose and burned all the vegetation and cut down all the trees, and razed the buildings, and stopped up the springs — whereas the Holy One Blessed be He said: I did not promise their fathers to bring them to a ruined land, but one full of all good things, viz. (Devarim 6:11) "and houses full of all good." Rather, I will keep them in the desert until the Canaanites arise and restore what they have destroyed. (Ibid.) "for the L rd said: Lest the people bethink themselves when they see war": This is the war of Amalek, viz. (Numbers 14:45). "Variantly: "for the L rd said, etc.": This is the war of the sons of Ephraim, viz. (I Chronicles 7:20-21), and (Psalms 78:9-72). They transgressed the appointed time (for the redemption) and the oath, viz. (Genesis 50:25). "for the L rd said, etc.": So that they not see the bones of their brethren strewn in Philistia and return (to Egypt). Now does this not follow a fortiori, viz.: If, when He took them in a circuitous way, they said (Numbers 14:4) "Let us make a head and return to Egypt," how much more so if He would take them in a straight way!

And give thee a pleasant land (Jer. 3:19). It was a land greatly coveted by all the mighty men of the world. Abraham said of it: Give me a possession of a burying-place with you (Gen. 23:4). Similarly, the Holy One, blessed be He, made it precious to Isaac, as it is said: Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee and will bless thee (ibid. 26:3). And Jacob said: In my grave which I have digged for me in the land of Canaan, there shalt thou bury me (ibid. 50:5). Hence it says: And give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the deer (Jer. 3:19). What is indicated by the use of the word deer? Just as the flesh of a deer cannot be restored into its skin when they attempt to recover it after it has been slaughtered and its skin has been stripped away, so the land of Israel is not able to contain its fruit (when it is worthy). A proof of this is written in the verse: The oxen likewise and the young asses that till the ground shall eat savory provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan (Isa. 30:24). At first they winnowed the grain with a shovel, but later they winnowed it with a fan. Why? because the grain was more plentiful than the straw, though the grain grows within the straw. Whence do we know this was so? For it is written: Shall eat savory provender. The savory provender was the fruit (of the straw). Hence, And give thee a pleasant land, the goodliest heritage of the deer indicates that like the deer the land of Israel could not contain its fruits.

Another interpretation (of Numb. 15:2): WHEN YOU COME UNTO THE LAND OF YOUR HABITATIONS…. R. Zakkay of Sha'av (in Galilee) said: Israel said: Sovereign of the World, in every <other> place you call this [the Land of Canaan, but here (in Numb. 15:2)] <it is> THE LAND OF YOUR HABITATIONS.⁴³Numb. R. 17:3. The Holy One said to them: By your life, I gave it to your ancestors, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob: To Abraham I said (in Gen. 24:7): TO YOUR SEED I SHALL GIVE THIS LAND.⁴⁴Cf. Galatians 3:16. To Isaac I said (in Gen. 26:3): RESIDE IN THIS LAND, AND I WILL BE WITH YOU AND BLESS YOU, FOR TO YOU AND TO YOUR SEED I WILL GIVE ALL THESE LANDS…. To Jacob I said (in Gen. 28:13): THE LAND ON WHICH YOU ARE LYING I WILL GIVE TO YOU AND TO YOUR SEED. Since the son inherits from the father, he therefore said unto them (in Numb. 15:2): WHEN YOU COME UNTO THE LAND OF YOUR HABITATIONS.

21 The Seers (i.e., the prophets) were the ones who said the doubled letters, mantzepakh (mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf, which are the letters that have a different form when they appear at the end of a word). [The doubling of kaf that is found in Genesis 12:1,] "Lekh lekha (Go for yourself)," hints to Avraham that he will father Yitschak at one hundred years [of age] (as the numerical value of these two words is one hundred). [The doubling of mem that is found in Genesis 26:16,] "ki atsamta memenu (as you have become more powerful than us)" is a hint [to Yitschak] that hints that he and his seed will be powerful in both worlds. The doubling of nun [that is found in Genesis 32:12,] "Hatsileini na (Save me)" [is a hint to] Yaakov, [that] he will be saved in both worlds. The doubling of peh [that is found in Exodus 3:15, is a hint to] Israel, to Moshe,"pakod pakadeti etchem (I have surely remembered you)." The doubling of tsadi [that is found in Zachariah 6:12,] "hinei eesh, Tsemach shemo, [ou'metachtav yitsmach] (behold, a man called Branch shall branch out from the place where he is,)" is [referring to] the Messiah. And so is it stated (Jermiah 23:5), "vahikimoti leDavid tsemach tsadeek [...] (and I will raise up a true branch of David [...])." "The leader of fifty" (Isaiah 3:3). Twenty-four books (of the Bible); add to them eleven of the thirteen [books of the minor prophets] - besides Yonah which is by itself - and six orders of the Mishnah and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim, behold fifty. "Sixty were the queens," (Song of Songs 6:8), sixty tractates; "and eighty were the concubines," eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem corresponding to its gates.; and maidens without number," the study outside. "Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty warriors" (Song of Songs 3:7). [This corresponds to] the sixty letters of the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). Three hundred and eighteen [souls mentioned in Genesis 14:14 is the numerical equivalent of] Eliezer. "Inasmuch (ekev) as Avraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My commandments, My laws, and My teachings" (Genesis 26:5) - he recognized him when he was three (the numerical equivalent of ekev, being three less than that of Avraham). The Satan (HaSatan) has the numerical equivalent of three hundred and sixty-four, the count of the days of the solar year that he rules over all of them to slander, excepting Yom Kippur. Rabbi Ami beiRabbi Abba said, "Avraham was missing five organs before he was circumcised and [before] he fathered. The [letter] hay (with a numerical value of five) was added [to his name] and he became complete and fathered [corresponding to the complete set of organs, two hundred and forty-eight], the numerical count of his letters." "A woman of valor is the crown of her husband" (Proverbs 12:4) - that is Sarah. Her name had been Sarai. Two Amoraim (later rabbinic teachers) differed. One said, "The [letter] yod (with a numerical count of ten that was taken from her) was divided into two, [to give] a hay to Avaraham and a hay to Sarah." And [the other] said, "The yod that was taken from Sarah raised a protest until Yehoshua came and Moshe added to him a yod - the Lord save you from the counsel of the [other] spies. [The significance of the letters in the name,] Yitschak [is as follows]: Yod (with a numerical count of ten) corresponds to the ten trials [of Avraham]. [The letter] tsadi (with a numerical count of ninety), [as] Sarah was ninety when he was born. [The letter] chet (with a numerical count of eight), [as] he was circumcised on the eighth day. And the letter kof (with a numerical count of one hundred), [as] Avraham was a hundred years old when he was born. Yaakov was called according to [the significance of the letters of] his [own] name: Yod [corresponds to] the tenth of his offspring going backwards. Count from (the last son), Binaymin to Levi - there are ten sons, [and Levi] was the tenth. [The letter] ayin (with a numerical count of seventy corresponds to the number of offspring he took to Egypt), "with seventy souls" (Deuteronomy 10:22). Kof corresponds to the [number of the] letters of the blessing [that he received minus the name of God, "And may He give you etc." (Genesis 27:28)]. [The letter] bet (with a numerical count of two) remains, corresponding to two angels (that he saw on the ladder in his dream) rising. There were six hundred and thirteen commandments in the tablets - corresponding to the letters from "I am" (Exodus 20:2) to "to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14) - corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments - no less and no more. And they were all given to Moshe at [Mount] Sinai; and in them are statutes and judgments, Torah and Mishnah, Talmud and aggadah. "The fear of the Lord is his treasure" (Isaiah 33:6). There is no greater characteristic than fear and humility, [as it is stated] (Deuteronomy 10:12), "And now Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you besides to fear Him [...]." "The fear of" (Yirat) has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven; and Torah has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven - and Torah and fear [of God] along with them, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. [The numerical value of] fringes (tsitsit) [is six hundred] - the rabbis taught: [Add] eight [strings] and five [knots], behold that is six hundred and thirteen. The days of Avraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, [of] Yitzchak were one hundred and eighty years [and of] Yaakov were a hundred and forty-seven years. When you put them together, it is found to be five hundred and two years. And so is the distance of the the heavens to the earth, "like the the days of the heavens above the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:21). "[The man (David)] raised on high" (II Samuel 23:1) - [high (al) has a numerical value of one hundred] corresponding to one hundred blessings. As on every day, one hundred men of Israel were dying. [So] David came and ordained [the daily saying of] one hundred blessings. Once he ordained them, the pestilence ceased. High (al) [corresponds to] the yoke (ulah) of Torah and the yoke of suffering. "Forgive all guilt and take the good (tov) that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3). Israel said, "Master of the world, at the time that the Temple existed, we would offer a sacrifice and be cleansed. But now all we have in our hand is prayer." The numerical value of tov is seventeen. Prayer [consists of] nineteen blessings. Take away from them the blessing for the malfeasers that was composed at Yavneh, and "Let the sprout of David blossom," which they ordained after it for the sake of "Probe me, Lord, and try me" (Psalms 26:2). Rabbi Simon says, "Take tov [in at-bash (matching letters based on how close they are to the center of the alphabet), which is the same] as the numerical value of soul (nefesh). Israel said, 'At the time that the Temple existed, we would incinerate the fats and the innards and be cleansed. But now behold our fat, our blood and our souls. May it be Your will that it be atonement for us and "that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3).'" "And the Lord gave her conception (herayon)" (Ruth 4:13). [Herayon] has a numerical value of two hundred and seventy one (the number of the days of the nine months of birthing). The measure of the water of a mikveh (ritual bath) is forty seah [corresponding to the forty mentions] of well water, written in the Torah. And [the volume of] how many eggs is the measure of the mikveh? Five thousand seven hundred and sixty. Each seah is a hundred and forty-four eggs. Forty-three and a fifth eggs is the measure of [what is required for] challah [tithe]. And from where [do we know] that a mikveh requires forty seah? As it is written (Isaiah 8:6), "Since this nation has rejected the waters of Shiloach that flow gently (le'at)." The numerical value [of le'at] is forty. And one who separates the measure of the challah [tithe] must separate one part in forty three and a fifth from Torah writ like the [numerical] value of challah. The main categories of work [on Shabbat] are forty minus one (thirty-nine), as it is written (Exodus 35:1), "These (eleh) are the things which the Lord commanded." [The numerical count of] "eleh" is thirty-six; "things" (being plural) is two; "the things" [indicates an additional] one - behold, forty minus one. "He shall strike him forty, he shall not add" (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponds to the forty curses that the snake, Chava, Adam and the ground were cursed - and the sages lessened one, because of "he shall not add." Those [judges] advocating innocence are more those advocating guilt. [For] it is best for the two to come and push off one. Seshach is Bavel (Babylon) [according to] its numerical value in at-bash. Tavel is Ramlah [according to] its numerical value in al-bam (another numerical scheme). "Thus (bezot) shall Aaron enter the shrine; with a bull of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering" (Leviticus 16:3). Bezot (which has a numerical count of four hundred and ten) is a hint to the first Temple that stood for four hundred and ten years.

21 The Seers (i.e., the prophets) were the ones who said the doubled letters, mantzepakh (mem, nun, tzadi, peh, and kaf, which are the letters that have a different form when they appear at the end of a word). [The doubling of kaf that is found in Genesis 12:1,] "Lekh lekha (Go for yourself)," hints to Avraham that he will father Yitschak at one hundred years [of age] (as the numerical value of these two words is one hundred). [The doubling of mem that is found in Genesis 26:16,] "ki atsamta memenu (as you have become more powerful than us)" is a hint [to Yitschak] that hints that he and his seed will be powerful in both worlds. The doubling of nun [that is found in Genesis 32:12,] "Hatsileini na (Save me)" [is a hint to] Yaakov, [that] he will be saved in both worlds. The doubling of peh [that is found in Exodus 3:15, is a hint to] Israel, to Moshe,"pakod pakadeti etchem (I have surely remembered you)." The doubling of tsadi [that is found in Zachariah 6:12,] "hinei eesh, Tsemach shemo, [ou'metachtav yitsmach] (behold, a man called Branch shall branch out from the place where he is,)" is [referring to] the Messiah. And so is it stated (Jermiah 23:5), "vahikimoti leDavid tsemach tsadeek [...] (and I will raise up a true branch of David [...])." "The leader of fifty" (Isaiah 3:3). Twenty-four books (of the Bible); add to them eleven of the thirteen [books of the minor prophets] - besides Yonah which is by itself - and six orders of the Mishnah and nine chapters of Torat Kohanim, behold fifty. "Sixty were the queens," (Song of Songs 6:8), sixty tractates; "and eighty were the concubines," eighty study halls that were in Jerusalem corresponding to its gates.; and maidens without number," the study outside. "Behold the bed of Shlomo, sixty warriors" (Song of Songs 3:7). [This corresponds to] the sixty letters of the priestly blessing (Numbers 6:24-26). Three hundred and eighteen [souls mentioned in Genesis 14:14 is the numerical equivalent of] Eliezer. "Inasmuch (ekev) as Avraham obeyed Me and kept My charge: My commandments, My laws, and My teachings" (Genesis 26:5) - he recognized him when he was three (the numerical equivalent of ekev, being three less than that of Avraham). The Satan (HaSatan) has the numerical equivalent of three hundred and sixty-four, the count of the days of the solar year that he rules over all of them to slander, excepting Yom Kippur. Rabbi Ami beiRabbi Abba said, "Avraham was missing five organs before he was circumcised and [before] he fathered. The [letter] hay (with a numerical value of five) was added [to his name] and he became complete and fathered [corresponding to the complete set of organs, two hundred and forty-eight], the numerical count of his letters." "A woman of valor is the crown of her husband" (Proverbs 12:4) - that is Sarah. Her name had been Sarai. Two Amoraim (later rabbinic teachers) differed. One said, "The [letter] yod (with a numerical count of ten that was taken from her) was divided into two, [to give] a hay to Avaraham and a hay to Sarah." And [the other] said, "The yod that was taken from Sarah raised a protest until Yehoshua came and Moshe added to him a yod - the Lord save you from the counsel of the [other] spies. [The significance of the letters in the name,] Yitschak [is as follows]: Yod (with a numerical count of ten) corresponds to the ten trials [of Avraham]. [The letter] tsadi (with a numerical count of ninety), [as] Sarah was ninety when he was born. [The letter] chet (with a numerical count of eight), [as] he was circumcised on the eighth day. And the letter kof (with a numerical count of one hundred), [as] Avraham was a hundred years old when he was born. Yaakov was called according to [the significance of the letters of] his [own] name: Yod [corresponds to] the tenth of his offspring going backwards. Count from (the last son), Binaymin to Levi - there are ten sons, [and Levi] was the tenth. [The letter] ayin (with a numerical count of seventy corresponds to the number of offspring he took to Egypt), "with seventy souls" (Deuteronomy 10:22). Kof corresponds to the [number of the] letters of the blessing [that he received minus the name of God, "And may He give you etc." (Genesis 27:28)]. [The letter] bet (with a numerical count of two) remains, corresponding to two angels (that he saw on the ladder in his dream) rising. There were six hundred and thirteen commandments in the tablets - corresponding to the letters from "I am" (Exodus 20:2) to "to your neighbor" (Exodus 20:14) - corresponding to the six hundred and thirteen commandments - no less and no more. And they were all given to Moshe at [Mount] Sinai; and in them are statutes and judgments, Torah and Mishnah, Talmud and aggadah. "The fear of the Lord is his treasure" (Isaiah 33:6). There is no greater characteristic than fear and humility, [as it is stated] (Deuteronomy 10:12), "And now Israel, what does the Lord, your God, ask of you besides to fear Him [...]." "The fear of" (Yirat) has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven; and Torah has a numerical value of six hundred and eleven - and Torah and fear [of God] along with them, behold that is six hundred and thirteen. [The numerical value of] fringes (tsitsit) [is six hundred] - the rabbis taught: [Add] eight [strings] and five [knots], behold that is six hundred and thirteen. The days of Avraham were one hundred and seventy-five years, [of] Yitzchak were one hundred and eighty years [and of] Yaakov were a hundred and forty-seven years. When you put them together, it is found to be five hundred and two years. And so is the distance of the the heavens to the earth, "like the the days of the heavens above the earth" (Deuteronomy 11:21). "[The man (David)] raised on high" (II Samuel 23:1) - [high (al) has a numerical value of one hundred] corresponding to one hundred blessings. As on every day, one hundred men of Israel were dying. [So] David came and ordained [the daily saying of] one hundred blessings. Once he ordained them, the pestilence ceased. High (al) [corresponds to] the yoke (ulah) of Torah and the yoke of suffering. "Forgive all guilt and take the good (tov) that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3). Israel said, "Master of the world, at the time that the Temple existed, we would offer a sacrifice and be cleansed. But now all we have in our hand is prayer." The numerical value of tov is seventeen. Prayer [consists of] nineteen blessings. Take away from them the blessing for the malfeasers that was composed at Yavneh, and "Let the sprout of David blossom," which they ordained after it for the sake of "Probe me, Lord, and try me" (Psalms 26:2). Rabbi Simon says, "Take tov [in at-bash (matching letters based on how close they are to the center of the alphabet), which is the same] as the numerical value of soul (nefesh). Israel said, 'At the time that the Temple existed, we would incinerate the fats and the innards and be cleansed. But now behold our fat, our blood and our souls. May it be Your will that it be atonement for us and "that we pay with the words of our lips" (Hosea 14:3).'" "And the Lord gave her conception (herayon)" (Ruth 4:13). [Herayon] has a numerical value of two hundred and seventy one (the number of the days of the nine months of birthing). The measure of the water of a mikveh (ritual bath) is forty seah [corresponding to the forty mentions] of well water, written in the Torah. And [the volume of] how many eggs is the measure of the mikveh? Five thousand seven hundred and sixty. Each seah is a hundred and forty-four eggs. Forty-three and a fifth eggs is the measure of [what is required for] challah [tithe]. And from where [do we know] that a mikveh requires forty seah? As it is written (Isaiah 8:6), "Since this nation has rejected the waters of Shiloach that flow gently (le'at)." The numerical value [of le'at] is forty. And one who separates the measure of the challah [tithe] must separate one part in forty three and a fifth from Torah writ like the [numerical] value of challah. The main categories of work [on Shabbat] are forty minus one (thirty-nine), as it is written (Exodus 35:1), "These (eleh) are the things which the Lord commanded." [The numerical count of] "eleh" is thirty-six; "things" (being plural) is two; "the things" [indicates an additional] one - behold, forty minus one. "He shall strike him forty, he shall not add" (Deuteronomy 25:3), corresponds to the forty curses that the snake, Chava, Adam and the ground were cursed - and the sages lessened one, because of "he shall not add." Those [judges] advocating innocence are more those advocating guilt. [For] it is best for the two to come and push off one. Seshach is Bavel (Babylon) [according to] its numerical value in at-bash. Tavel is Ramlah [according to] its numerical value in al-bam (another numerical scheme). "Thus (bezot) shall Aaron enter the shrine; with a bull of the herd for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering" (Leviticus 16:3). Bezot (which has a numerical count of four hundred and ten) is a hint to the first Temple that stood for four hundred and ten years.

8 "To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53) And who are they? The ones standing on the Plains of Moav. And was the land not apportioned to those that left Egypt? As it is written (Exodus 6:8), "and I will give it to you as a possession." [So] for what reason was it not apportioned to them? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, foresaw that families from [those that left Egypt] would be destroyed. And who are they? [Of] those written above (Genesis 46:10), "And the children of Shimon were Yemuel, Yamin, Ohad, Yakhin, Tsohar and Shaul," when you read "to Nemuel, the Nemeulite family" (Numbers 26:12-13), one is not there. And so [too,] with Binyamin: "Bela, Bekher, etc." (Genesis 26:21), behold there are ten. But when you come to count them [you read], "to Belaa, the Belaaite family [etc.] (Numbers 26:38-40), five of the sons are missing. Behold [those missing] were lost. Behold six families got lost from the licentiousness of the counsel of Bilaam. There is no [licentiousness] that does not accomplish its [end]. Hence the Holy One, blessed be He, said, "[Why should] I apportion the land to people who will be die in the future?" Once they came to the Plains of Moav, and they stood resiliently, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "To these apportion the land" (Numbers 26:53).

Our sages of blessed memory said: “Observe that the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not the way of man.” It is not man’s way to heal with what he wounds. If he wounds with a knife, he heals with a plaster, but the Holy One, blessed be He, heals with what He wounds. When He smote Job, He did so with a tempest, as it said: And multiply my wounds without cause (Job 9:17), and when He healed him He did so with a whirlwind, as it is said: Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind (ibid. 38:1). When He sent Israel into exile, He did so with clouds, as is said: How hath the Lord covered with a cloud (Lam. 2:1), and when He brought them back, He did so with a cloud, as it is said: Who are these that fly as a cloud? (Isa. 60:8). When He dispersed them, He scattered them like doves, as it is said: But they that shall at all escape of them, shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning (Ezek. 7:16). When He gathered them together, He did so as doves: As the doves to their cotes (Isa. 60:8). When He blesses them, He does so only while “looking forth,” as it is said: Look forth from Thy holy habitation (Deut. 26:15), and when He exacts retribution from their enemies, He does so while “looking forth,” as it is said: And it came to pass on the morning watch that the Lord looked forth through the pillar of fire and of cloud (Exod. 14:24). When the pillar of cloud descended it turned (the water) into mud, and the pillar of fire scalded them. The hoofs of their horses became entangled (and they fell), causing the horses to fall upon the mares that were beneath. Thus it says: Then did the horses’ hoofs stamp by reason of their prancings, the prancings of the mighty ones (Judg. 5:22). He confused and befuddled them. He took away their reasoning power, and they did not know what to do.

8 (Numbers 34:2) When you come to the Land of Israel: This is what is stated in the verse (in Numbers 23:19), "God is not a man to be deceitful," [meaning] a man will not make God deceitful; "nor the son of" Amram (this is a play on words, as the verse reads, the son of man, "Adam") to make Him "change His mind." As [only after God] said, "Let Me go and I will destroy them," did the son of Amram stand and make Him change His mind, as stated (Exodus 32:14), "And the Lord rescinded the evil that He was saying to do to His people." Another interpretation (of Numbers 23:19): "God is not a man to be deceitful," with the good. When He speaks to bring good – even if the generation is liable – He does not delay [it]. But when He speaks to bring evil, He does go back on it, as it is stated (Numbers 23:19), "He said it but does not do [it]." You should know that He said to Avraham (Genesis 15:5), "Look toward heaven and count the stars [...]." And He did it, as stated (Deuteronomy 1:10), "The Lord, your God, multiplied you, and behold you are today...." [But when] He said to Avraham (Genesis 15:13), "Know well that your offspring shall be strangers [... four hundred years]," they only did two hundred and ten years. That is [the meaning of], "God is not a man to be deceitful" – with the good. But with the evil, "He said it but does not do [it]." [In this vein,] He said to Israel, "As you are not My people" (Hosea 1:9). But He went back and said, "And I will say to Not My People, 'You are My people'" (Hosea 2: 25). That is [the meaning of], "He said it but does not do [it]." He said to Avraham, "As I will give [the land] to you and your offspring" (Genesis 26:3), and He did not go back [on it]. As it is stated (Numbers 34:2), "when you come to the Land of Canaan," and He brought them into the Land.

"cities great and fortified in heaven": R. Shimon b. Gamliel says: Scripture (here) speaks hyperbolically, as it does in (Ibid. 9:1) "Hear, O Israel, you are crossing over the Jordan this day." But when the Holy One Blessed be He says to our father Abraham (Bereshith 26:4) "And I will multiply your seed as the stars of heaven," and (Ibid. 13:16) "I will make your seed as the dust of the earth, so that if a man can number the dust of the earth, so will your seed be numbered" — this is not hyperbole. (Devarim, Ibid.)

“For to the man who is good before Him, He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy; but to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass, to give to one who is good before God. This, too, is vanity and herding wind” (Ecclesiastes 2:26).
“For to the man who is good before Him…”: “For to the man who is good before Him” – this is Abraham our patriarch, [to whom] “He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy.” “But to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass” – this is Nimrod. And of whom is it stated: “To give to one who is good before God”? This is Abraham, as it is stated: “The Lord blessed Abraham with everything” (Genesis 24:1).
Another matter: “For to the man who is good before Him” – this is Isaac, [to whom] “He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy.” “But to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass” – this is Avimelekh. And of whom is it stated: “To give to one who is good before God”? This is Isaac, as it is stated: “Isaac sowed in that land [and found in that year a hundredfold; and the Lord blessed him]” (Genesis 26:12).
Another matter: “For to the man who is good before Him” – this is Jacob, [to whom] “He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy.” “But to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass” – this is Laban. And of whom is it stated: “To give to one who is good before God”? This is Jacob, as it is stated: “Because I saw everything that Laban has done to you” (Genesis 31:12).⁷³The preceding verses described how a large number of Laban’s livestock were diverted to Jacob via divine intervention. See especially Genesis 30:43 and 31:9.
Another matter: “For to the man who is good before Him” – these are the Israelites who were in Egypt, [to whom] “He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy.” “But to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass” – these are the Canaanites. Rabbi Levi said: None of them would add even a drop of oil to his beans, and even if his egg would break, he would not taste it, but rather, he would sell it and turn it into money, so that the Israelites would enter the land and find it filled with blessings.⁷⁴Instead of consuming their resources, the Canaanites would sell them to outsiders and amass treasure, which the Israelites then took possession of when they entered the land. And of whom is it stated: “To give to one who is good before God”? These are the Israelites, as it is stated: “To these you shall distribute the land” (Numbers 26:53).
Another matter: “For to the man who is good before Him” – this is Hezekiah, [to whom] “He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy.” “But to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass” – this is Sennacherib. And of whom is it stated: “To give to one who is good before God”? This is Hezekiah, as it is stated: “He was exalted in the eyes of all of the nations” (II Chronicles 32:23).
Another matter: “For to the man who is good before Him” – this is Mordekhai, [to whom] “He gave wisdom, knowledge, and joy.” “But to the sinner He gave the task to gather and to amass” – this is Haman. And of whom is it stated: “To give to one who is good before God”? This is Mordekhai, as it is stated: “On that day, King Aḥashverosh gave to Queen Esther the house of Haman…[ And the king took off his ring, which he had taken from Haman, and gave it to Mordekhai. And Esther set Mordekhai over the house of Haman]” (Esther 8:1–2).

(Devarim 3:24) "to show Your servant": There are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." And there are those who call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He does not call "servants." And there are those who do not call themselves "servants," whom the Holy One Blessed be He calls "servants." Abraham called himself a "servant," viz. (Bereshith 12:3) "Do not now pass away from Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 26:24) "for the sake of Abraham, My servant." Jacob called himself a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 32:11) "I am too small for all of the lovingkindnesses and all of the truth that You have done with Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 41:8) "But you, Israel, are My servant, Jacob, etc." Moses called himself a "servant, viz. "to show Your "servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 1:2) "Moses My servant is dead." David called himself a "servant," viz. (Psalms 116:16) "Heed, O L-rd, for I am Your servant," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. ( II Kings 19:34) "for the sake of David, My servant." Isaiah called himself a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 49:5) "… who formed me from the womb to be a servant to Him," and the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Ibid. 20:3) "Isaiah, My servant." Samuel called himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant." Shimshon called himself a "servant," viz. (Judges 15:18) "You have given unto the hand of Your servant, etc.", but the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a servant. Solomon called himself a "servant," viz. (I Kings 3:9) "Give Your servant an understanding heart," and the Holy One Blessed be He did not call him a "servant," but wrought for his father's sake, viz. (I Kings 15:13) "for the sake of David, My servant." Iyyov did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," (viz. Iyyov 2:3) "Have you given heart to My servant, Iyyov"? Joshua did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Joshua 24:29) "and Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the L-rd, died." Calev did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Bamidbar 14:24) "But My servant Calev, etc." Elyakim did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be he called him a "servant," viz. (Isaiah 22:20) "And I will call My servant Elyakim, etc." Zerubavel did not call himself a "servant," but the Holy One Blessed be He called him a "servant," viz. (Chaggai 2:23) "Zerubavel ben Shaltiel, My servant." Daniel did not call himself a "servant," but Scripture called him a "servant," viz. (Daniel 6:21) "The king spoke and said to Daniel: Daniel, servant of the living G-d." Chananiah, Mishael, and Azaryah did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Daniel 6:23) "Shadrach, Meshach and Aved-nego, servants of the exalted G-d." The early prophets did not call themselves "servants," but the Holy One Blessed be He called them "servants," viz. (Amos 3:7) " … but He revealed His secret to His servants, the prophets."

Moses was pursued by Pharoah, and the Holy One chose Moses. David was pursued by Saul, and the Holy One chose David. Saul was pursued by the Philistines, and the Holy One chose Saul. Israel are pursued by the nations, and the Holy One chose Israel.

THE BINDING OF ISAAC ON THE ALTAR
THE tenth trial was (as follows): "And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham" (Gen. 22:1). He tried Abraham each time in order to know his heart, whether he would be able to persevere and keep all the commandments of the Torah or not, and whilst as yet the Torah had not been given, Abraham kept all the precepts of the Torah, as it is said, "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my Torah" (Gen. 26:5). And Ishmael went repeatedly from the wilderness to see || his father Abraham.

ELISHA AND THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN
"AND Isaac sowed in that land" (Gen. 26 12). Rabbi Eliezer said: Did Isaac sow the seed of corn? Heaven forbid ! But he took all his wealth, and sowed it in charity to the needy, as it is said, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to love" (Hos. 10:12). Everything which he tithed, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him (in return) one hundred times (the value) in different kinds of blessings, as it is said, "And he found in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him" (Gen. 26:12).

... Teach us o teacher: toward where should one who prays orient his heart? This is what our Rabbis taught: one should orient his heart toward the place of the Holy of Holies (Berachot 4:5). R’ Eliezer ben Yaakov says: if one is praying outside of the land, he should orient his heart to the land of Israel. If one is praying within the land of Israel, he should orient his heart to Jerusalem. If one is praying in Jerusalem, he should orient his heart to the Holy Temple. If one is praying in the Holy Temple, he should orient his heart to the Holy of Holies. R’ Avin the Levi said: “our neck is like the Tower of David, built as a model (talpiyot)…” (Song of Songs 4:4) What does talpiyot mean? The hill (tel) toward which all turns (peniyot) are directed. And after all this praise, it is written “Open your doors, O Lebanon, and let the fire consume your cedars.” (Zechariah 11:1) And so too they said “He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) Israel said to Him: Master of the World! How long will it be like this? Did You not write in Your Torah “…the one who ignited the fire shall surely pay” (Exodus 22:5)? And You are the one who ignited the fire, as it says “From above He has hurled fire into my bones…” (Lamentations 1:13) You need to rebuild it and to console us, not at the hands of an angel but You in Your glory. The Holy One said to them: by your life, so I will do! As it says “The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem; He will gather the outcasts of Israel.” (Psalms 147:2) And I am the one who consoles you. From where do we learn this? From that which they read in the prophets “I, yea I am He Who consoles you…” (Isaiah 51:12)

Rabbi ' Aḳiba said: Every place where our forefathers went, the well went in front of them, and they dug three times and found it before them. Abraham dug three times and found it before him, as it is said, "And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham" (Gen. 26:18). And Isaac dug in the land (of Canaan) four times, and found it before him, as it is said, "And Isaac's servants digged in the valley" (Gen. 26:19). And it is written about Jerusalem, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem" (Zech. 14:8). This refers to the well which will arise in Jerusalem in the future, and will water all its surroundings. Because they found (the well) seven times, he called it Shib'ah (seven).

Rabbi ' Aḳiba said: Every place where our forefathers went, the well went in front of them, and they dug three times and found it before them. Abraham dug three times and found it before him, as it is said, "And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham" (Gen. 26:18). And Isaac dug in the land (of Canaan) four times, and found it before him, as it is said, "And Isaac's servants digged in the valley" (Gen. 26:19). And it is written about Jerusalem, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem" (Zech. 14:8). This refers to the well which will arise in Jerusalem in the future, and will water all its surroundings. Because they found (the well) seven times, he called it Shib'ah (seven).

Rabbi ' Aḳiba said: Every place where our forefathers went, the well went in front of them, and they dug three times and found it before them. Abraham dug three times and found it before him, as it is said, "And Isaac digged again the wells of water, which they had digged in the days of Abraham" (Gen. 26:18). And Isaac dug in the land (of Canaan) four times, and found it before him, as it is said, "And Isaac's servants digged in the valley" (Gen. 26:19). And it is written about Jerusalem, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem" (Zech. 14:8). This refers to the well which will arise in Jerusalem in the future, and will water all its surroundings. Because they found (the well) seven times, he called it Shib'ah (seven).

Isaac made a covenant with the people of the land, when he sojourned in the land of the Philistines. He noticed that they turned their faces away from him. He went away from them in peace, and Abimelech and all his magnates came after him. He said to them: Ye turned aside your faces from me, and now ye come unto me, as it is said, "And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me?" (Gen. 26:27). "And they said, We saw plainly that the Lord was with thee" (Gen. 26:28). They said: We know that the Holy One, blessed be He, will give to thy seed in the future all these lands; make a covenant of an oath with us, that thy seed will not take possession of the land of the Philistines. He made a covenant of an oath with them. What did Isaac do? He cut off one cubit of the bridle of the ass upon which he was riding, and he gave it to them that it might be in their hands for a sign of the covenant of the oath.

Isaac made a covenant with the people of the land, when he sojourned in the land of the Philistines. He noticed that they turned their faces away from him. He went away from them in peace, and Abimelech and all his magnates came after him. He said to them: Ye turned aside your faces from me, and now ye come unto me, as it is said, "And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me?" (Gen. 26:27). "And they said, We saw plainly that the Lord was with thee" (Gen. 26:28). They said: We know that the Holy One, blessed be He, will give to thy seed in the future all these lands; make a covenant of an oath with us, that thy seed will not take possession of the land of the Philistines. He made a covenant of an oath with them. What did Isaac do? He cut off one cubit of the bridle of the ass upon which he was riding, and he gave it to them that it might be in their hands for a sign of the covenant of the oath.

Isaac made a covenant with the people of the land, when he sojourned in the land of the Philistines. He noticed that they turned their faces away from him. He went away from them in peace, and Abimelech and all his magnates came after him. He said to them: Ye turned aside your faces from me, and now ye come unto me, as it is said, "And Isaac said unto them, Wherefore are ye come unto me, seeing ye hate me?" (Gen. 26:27). "And they said, We saw plainly that the Lord was with thee" (Gen. 26:28). They said: We know that the Holy One, blessed be He, will give to thy seed in the future all these lands; make a covenant of an oath with us, that thy seed will not take possession of the land of the Philistines. He made a covenant of an oath with them. What did Isaac do? He cut off one cubit of the bridle of the ass upon which he was riding, and he gave it to them that it might be in their hands for a sign of the covenant of the oath.

And thus do you find, that wherever the righteous go, blessing comes in their wake. Israel went down to Gerar — blessing came to Gerar, viz. (Bereshith 26:12) "And Israel sowed in that land, etc." Jacob went down to Lavan — blessing came down in his wake, viz. (Ibid. 30:27) "I have found through divination that the L-rd has blessed me for your sake." Joseph went down to Potifera — blessing came in his wake, viz. (Ibid. 39:5) "and the L-rd blessed the house of the Egyptian for Joseph's sake." Jacob went down to Pharaoh — blessing came down for his sake, viz. (Ibid. 47:10) "And Jacob blessed Pharaoh." In what way did he bless him? In that years of famine were withheld from him. And after the death of Jacob they returned, as it is written (Ibid. 50:21) "And now, do not fear, I (Joseph) will feed you and your little ones," and (Ibid. 45;11) "And I will feed you there." Just as "feeding" there was in the (projected) years of famine, so, the "feeding" here (50:21) was in the years of famine, (the famine having returned with Jacob's death). These are the words of R. Yossi.

... “He does the will of those who fear Him…” (Tehillim 145:19) Meaning that Gd does not annul his prayers and gives him what he requests. This refers to David, of whom it is written “I am a companion to all who fear You…” (Tehillim 119:63) at the time when he was troubled over the Holy Temple, as it is written “Remember, O Lord, onto David all his affliction. That he swore to the Lord, he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob; That I shall not come into the tent of my house, and I shall not go up on the bed that was spread for me. I shall not give sleep to my eyes nor slumber to my pupils, Until I find a place for the Lord, dwellings for the Mighty One of Jacob.” (Tehillim 132:1-5) Since the Holy One saw that he stood there, troubled over the Holy Temple, He immediately sent Gad the prophet to him and showed him the place of the Holy Temple, as it is written “And Gad came to David on that day, and said to him, ‘Go up to erect an altar to the Lord in the threshing-floor of Aravnah the Jebusite.’” (Shmuel II 24:18) David went there immediately, as it says “And David went up according to the word of Gad, as the Lord had commanded. (Shmuel II 24:19) He found there the altar where Adam, the first man, made offerings, where Noach made offerings, where Avraham made offerings. Once he found it he began to measure, saying ‘from here to here will be the Courtyard, from here to here will be the Holy of Holies’ as it says “And David said, ‘This is the House of the Lord God…” (Divre HaYamim I 22:1) And how could he declare “…and this is the altar for burnt offerings for Israel” (ibid.)? This is what is meant that the Holy One does not nullify the desire of the righteous, but rather gives them what they seek in order to fulfill “He does the will of those who fear Him…” (Tehillim 145:19)

Rabbi Eliezer said: The five letters of the Torah, which alone of all the letters in the Torah are of double (shape), all appertain to the mystery of the Redemption. With "Khaph" "Khaph" our father Abraham was redeemed from Ur of the Chaldees, as it is said, (Lekh Lekha) "Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred… unto the land that I will shew thee" (Gen. 12:1). With "Mem" "Mem" our father Isaac was redeemed from the land of the Philistines, as it is said, "Go from us: for thou art much mightier (Memennu M'ôd) than we" (Gen. 26:16). With "Nun" "Nun" our father Jacob was redeemed from the hand of Esau, as it is said, "Deliver me, I pray thee, (Hazilêne na) from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau" (Gen. 32:11). With "Pê" "Pê" Israel was redeemed from Egypt, as it is said, "I have surely visited you, (Paḳôd Paḳadti) and (seen) that which is done to you in Egypt, and I have said, I will bring you up out of the affliction of Egypt" (Ex. 3:16, 17). With "Zaddi" "Zaddi" the Holy One, blessed be He, in the future will redeem Israel from the oppression of the kingdoms, and He will say to them, I have caused a branch to spring forth for you, as it is said, "Behold, the man whose name is (Zemach) the Branch; and he shall grow up (yizmach) || out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the Lord" (Zech. 6:12). These letters were delivered only to our father Abraham. Our father Abraham delivered them to Isaac, and Isaac (delivered them) to Jacob, and Jacob delivered the mystery of the Redemption to Joseph, as it is said, "But God will surely visit (Paḳôd yiphḳôd) you" (Gen. 1. 24). Joseph his son delivered the secret of the Redemption to his brethren. Asher, the son of Jacob, delivered the mystery of the Redemption to Serach his daughter. When Moses and Aaron came to the elders of Israel and performed the signs in their sight, the elders of Israel went to Serach, the daughter of Asher, and they said to her: A certain man has come, and he has performed signs in our sight, thus and thus. She said to them: There is no reality in the signs. They said to her: He said "Paḳôd yiphḳôd"—"God will surely visit you" (ibid.). She said to them: He is the man who will redeem Israel in the future from Egypt, for thus did I hear, ("Paḳôd Paḳadti") "I have surely visited you" (Ex. 3:16). Forthwith the people believed in their God and in His messenger, as it is said, "And the people believed, and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel" (Ex. 4:31).

And there stood Samuel before the Holy One, blessed be He, and he said: Sovereign of all the Universe ! Do not forget the sin which Esau did to his father, || for he took strange women (for his wives), who offered sacrifices and burnt incense to idols, to embitter the years of the life of his parents. Remember his sin unto his sons and unto his grandsons unto the end of all generations, as it is said, "Let the iniquity of his fathers be remembered with the Lord" (Ps. 109:14). Samuel heard the voice of Agag muttering with his mouth, saying: Perhaps the bitterness of the evil death has passed from me, as it is said, "And Agag said, Surely the bitterness of death is past" (1 Sam. 15:32). Samuel said to him: Just as the sword of Amalek thy ancestor consumed the young men of Israel who were outside the cloud, so that their women dwelt (as) childless women and widows, so by the prayer of the women all the sons of Amalek shall be slain, and their women shall dwell (as) childless women and widows. And by the prayer of Esther and her maidens all the sons of Amalek were slain and their women remained childless and widowed, as it is said, "And Samuel said, As thy sword hath made women childless, so shall thy mother be childless among women" (1 Sam. 15:33).

“Because Avraham hearkened to My voice…” (Bereshit 26:5) R’ Yochanan and R’ Chanina both said - Avraham came to consciousness of his Creator at age forty-eight. Resh Lakish said - Avraham came to consciousness of his Creator at age three. From where did they learn this? ‘Because (ekev, also meaning heel) Abraham hearkened to the voice of his Creator, “and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My instructions." (Bereshit 26:5) R’ Yonatan said in the name of R’ Yochanan – even the laws of mixing courtyards were known to Avraham, ‘My instructions (torati)’, Avraham kept two torahs, even the simple commandments of the oral law. R’ Simon said – even the new name which the Holy One would call Jerusalem in the future was known to Avraham, as it is written “And Avraham named that place, The Lord will see…” (Bereshit 22:14), and it is written “…and the name of the city from that day will be ‘The Lord is There.’” (Yechezkiel 48:35), and it is written “At that time, they will call Jerusalem ‘The Throne of the Lord’…” (Yermiyahu 3:17) R’ Berachia said in the name of R’ Yehudah: there is no day on which the Holy One does not innovate law in the heavenly court. What is his proof? “Hear attentively the noise of His voice and the sound (hegeh) that emanates from His mouth.” (Iyov 37:2) Hegeh only refers to Torah, as it says “…you shall meditate (hegita) therein day and night..” (Yehoshua 1:8)

... In the days of R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah the evil kingdom (Rome) decreed to rebuild the Temple. Papos and Lulianos (two brothers who were later martyred in Lod) set up tables from Akko to Antioch and supplied the pilgrims from the diaspora with silver, gold and all of their needs. Some Kuthites went [to the emperor] and said, "The king should know that if this rebellious city is built and its walls fortified, 'they will not pay tribute, poll-tax, or land-tax.'" He said to them, "What should I do, I have already made the decree?" They said to him, "Send to say to them [that] they either change the place of the Temple or add or remove five ells from it and they will recant on their own." And all of the [Jewish] people was gathered in Beit Rimon. When the king's edict arrived, they began to cry. They sought to rebel against the king. [The sages] said, "Let a wise man go up to quiet the assembled." They said, "Let R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah go up, as he is learned in the Torah." R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah went up and expounded, "A lion was devouring prey [and] a bone got stuck in its throat. It said, 'I will give a reward to anyone who comes and removes it.' An Egyptian heron with a long beak put his beak into the mouth of the lion and extracted the bone. It said to the lion, 'Give me my reward.' The lion said to it, 'Go and praise yourself, "I went into the mouth of the lion in peace and I came out in peace" - and there is no greater reward than that.' So too, it is enough for us that we entered into this nation in peace and came out in peace"...

... In the days of R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah the evil kingdom (Rome) decreed to rebuild the Temple. Papos and Lulianos (two brothers who were later martyred in Lod) set up tables from Akko to Antioch and supplied the pilgrims from the diaspora with silver, gold and all of their needs. Some Kuthites went [to the emperor] and said, "The king should know that if this rebellious city is built and its walls fortified, 'they will not pay tribute, poll-tax, or land-tax.'" He said to them, "What should I do, I have already made the decree?" They said to him, "Send to say to them [that] they either change the place of the Temple or add or remove five ells from it and they will recant on their own." And all of the [Jewish] people was gathered in Beit Rimon. When the king's edict arrived, they began to cry. They sought to rebel against the king. [The sages] said, "Let a wise man go up to quiet the assembled." They said, "Let R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah go up, as he is learned in the Torah." R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah went up and expounded, "A lion was devouring prey [and] a bone got stuck in its throat. It said, 'I will give a reward to anyone who comes and removes it.' An Egyptian heron with a long beak put his beak into the mouth of the lion and extracted the bone. It said to the lion, 'Give me my reward.' The lion said to it, 'Go and praise yourself, "I went into the mouth of the lion in peace and I came out in peace" - and there is no greater reward than that.' So too, it is enough for us that we entered into this nation in peace and came out in peace"...

... In the days of R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah the evil kingdom (Rome) decreed to rebuild the Temple. Papos and Lulianos (two brothers who were later martyred in Lod) set up tables from Akko to Antioch and supplied the pilgrims from the diaspora with silver, gold and all of their needs. Some Kuthites went [to the emperor] and said, "The king should know that if this rebellious city is built and its walls fortified, 'they will not pay tribute, poll-tax, or land-tax.'" He said to them, "What should I do, I have already made the decree?" They said to him, "Send to say to them [that] they either change the place of the Temple or add or remove five ells from it and they will recant on their own." And all of the [Jewish] people was gathered in Beit Rimon. When the king's edict arrived, they began to cry. They sought to rebel against the king. [The sages] said, "Let a wise man go up to quiet the assembled." They said, "Let R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah go up, as he is learned in the Torah." R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah went up and expounded, "A lion was devouring prey [and] a bone got stuck in its throat. It said, 'I will give a reward to anyone who comes and removes it.' An Egyptian heron with a long beak put his beak into the mouth of the lion and extracted the bone. It said to the lion, 'Give me my reward.' The lion said to it, 'Go and praise yourself, "I went into the mouth of the lion in peace and I came out in peace" - and there is no greater reward than that.' So too, it is enough for us that we entered into this nation in peace and came out in peace"...

... In the days of R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah the evil kingdom (Rome) decreed to rebuild the Temple. Papos and Lulianos (two brothers who were later martyred in Lod) set up tables from Akko to Antioch and supplied the pilgrims from the diaspora with silver, gold and all of their needs. Some Kuthites went [to the emperor] and said, "The king should know that if this rebellious city is built and its walls fortified, 'they will not pay tribute, poll-tax, or land-tax.'" He said to them, "What should I do, I have already made the decree?" They said to him, "Send to say to them [that] they either change the place of the Temple or add or remove five ells from it and they will recant on their own." And all of the [Jewish] people was gathered in Beit Rimon. When the king's edict arrived, they began to cry. They sought to rebel against the king. [The sages] said, "Let a wise man go up to quiet the assembled." They said, "Let R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah go up, as he is learned in the Torah." R. Yehoshua ben Chananiah went up and expounded, "A lion was devouring prey [and] a bone got stuck in its throat. It said, 'I will give a reward to anyone who comes and removes it.' An Egyptian heron with a long beak put his beak into the mouth of the lion and extracted the bone. It said to the lion, 'Give me my reward.' The lion said to it, 'Go and praise yourself, "I went into the mouth of the lion in peace and I came out in peace" - and there is no greater reward than that.' So too, it is enough for us that we entered into this nation in peace and came out in peace"...

And he did not listen to her to lie down with her - in this world. 'To be with her' in Gehena, in the world to come. And another opinion: 'He did not listen to her' he did not even touch her bed. A certain Roman Matron asked Rabbi Yosi: Is it really possible that Yosef, a young man of 17 resisted all his heat and did this? Rabbi Yosi took out the book of Bereshit and began reading for her the stories of Reuven and Bilhah, Yehudah and Tamar, and said: 'if with those, adults and under their father's authority the Scripture did not hide their misdeed, with this one, not an adult and by himself, all the more so it would have revealed the misdeed!

(Bamidbar 19:17) "and he shall place upon it living waters": Scripture speaks of spring waters. You say this, but perhaps the intent is "waters which are life to the world" (and all waters are valid)? Though there is no proof (that spring waters are meant), there is support for it in (Bereshit 26:19) "And the servants of Yitzchak dug in the stream and they found there a well of living waters." What is the intent of "and he shall place upon it (the ashes) living waters which are in a vessel"? We are hereby taught that all vessels are equated with earthenware vessels. For it would follow (otherwise), viz.: Since water and earth are consecrated in the instance of sotah (viz. Ibid. 5:12), and water and earth are consecrated in the instance of the (red) heifer, then if I have learned about sotah that all vessels were not equated with earthenware vessels, this should be the case too with the heifer; it is, therefore, written "in a vessel" (unqualified), whereby we are taught that all vessels were equated with earthenware.