Midrash for Genesis 12:3

(Fol. 49) We are taught in a Baraitha concerning the passage (Num. 6, 23) On this wise ye shall bless the children of Israel. R. Ishmael says: "We learn from here that the blessing upon Israel comes through the priests, but we have not learned from where comes the blessings upon the priests themselves? Since the verse says (Ib.) And I will bless them, it should be understood that the priests will bless Israel and the Holy One, praised be He! will bless the priests." R. Akiba says: "We learn from the above passage that the blessing upon Israel comes only through the priests, but not from the Almighty. Since, however, the passage says, And I will bless them, it is understood that the priests bless Israel and the Holy One, praised be He! gives His consent to it." But whence does R. Akiba infer the blessings for the priests themselves? Said R. Nachman b. Isaac: "From (Gen. 12, 3) And I will bless them that bless thee." And thy sign [not to exchange R. Akiba's opinion for R. Ishmael's], is R. Ishmael, who is a priest himself, supports the priest [contending that the last part of the blessings refers to the priests instead of to Israel].

(Gen. 47:29, cont.:) HE SUMMONED HIS SON JOSEPH. Why did he not call Reuben and Judah?¹²Tanh., Gen. 12:3; Gen. R. 96:5. Reuben was the first-born, and Judah was a king; yet he left them alone and called Joseph. < It is > simply because the power to act was in his hand. Therefore: HE SUMMONED HIS SON JOSEPH.

Now he dwelt in Sepphoris seventeen years.²⁷Cf. yKil. 9:4 (32b); yKet. 12:3 (35b). For thirteen years he suffered toothache; but for all those thirteen years no animal died in the land of Israel, and no pregnant woman miscarried in the land of Israel. Then, at the end of thirteen years Our Holy Rabbi became angry with R. Hiyya the Great. Elijah, of blessed memory, came to Our Holy Rabbi in the likeness of R. Hiyya. Then he put his hand on his tooth, and immediately it was healed. The next day R. Hiyya came to him. He said to him: Rabbi, how is that tooth of yours doing? He said to him: From the time that you put your hand upon it yesterday, it was healed. R. Hiyya said: Woe to you animals in the land of Israel; [woe to you pregnant women in the land of Israel]. Even so, he said to him: I did not put my hand on your tooth. Immediately Our Rabbi knew that it had been Elijah. From that hour R. Hiyya began to treat him with respect.²⁸For a reading that makes better sense, see the parallels in Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34 and Tanh., Gen. 12:3: “He began to treat Rabbi Hiyya with respect.” Similarly Gen. R. 96:5(9) in some MSS (on p. 1199 in the supplemental section with smaller print in the Theodor-Albeck edition).