Midrash sur La Genèse 22:14

R. Elazar said: "What is the meaning of the passage (Micha 4, 2) And many nations shall come, and say. Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob. The God of Abraham and Isaac, is not stated here, but that of Jacob; i.e., neither like that of Abraham, who described it as a mountain, as it is said (Ex. 22, 14) On the mount of the Lord it shall be seen; nor like that of Isaac, who described it as a field, as it is said (Ib. 24, 63) And Isaac was gone out to mediate in the field; but like that of Jacob, who described it as a house, as it is said (Ib. 35, 7) And he called the name of that place Beth-El (the house of God)." R. Jochanan said: "The day on which the reunion of the exiled will occur, will be as great as the day on which heaven and earth were created; for it is said (Hos. 2, 2) Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and they will appoint for themselves one head, and they shall go up out of the land; for great shall be the (Yom) day of Yisre-el. Behold, it is written (Gen. 1, 5) And it was morning and it was evening one (Yom) day."

(Fol. 6'2b) If the Lord hath instigated thee against me (I Sam. 26, 19). R. Elazar said: "Thus spoke the Holy One, praised, be He! unto David, 'Art thou calling me instigator? I will cause thee to stumble even with that which school children know'; for it is written (Ex. 30, 12.) When thou takest the sum of the children of Israel of those who are to he numbered, then shall each man pay a ransom for his soul [which means that Israel should not be counted unless a ransom is given for that act]. Immediately after this it happened (I Chr. 21, 1.) And Satan moved against Israel and enticed David. It is also written (II Sam. 24, 1.) He instigated David against them to say ' Go number Israel and Judah,' and since he counted them without taking a ransom from them, it is written immediately thereafter And the Lord sent a pestilence into Israel from morning even to the time appointed. What is meant by From morning even to the time appointed? Samuel, the senior, and son-in-law of R. Chanina. said in R. Chanina's name: "From the time of the slaughter of the perpetual-daily-morning-offering until the sprinkling of its blood." And R. Jochanan said: "Until noon," And He said to the angel, that destroyed among, the people great (Ib. ib. 16). What is meant by great? R. Elazar said: "Thus said the Holy One, praised be He! 'Take me the greatest of them in whom there is [merit enough] with which to pay their debts (sins). At that moment Abishai b. Zeruyah. who was the equal of the majority of the Sanhedrin, died. But as he was destroying, the Lord looked on and bethought Himself (I Chr. 21, 15). What did He see? Rab said: "He saw our father Jacob," for it is written (Gen. 32, 3.) And when Jacob saw them (Ra'ah) he said, etc. Samuel said: "He saw the ashes of Isaac, for it is said (Ib. 22. 8.) God will show us the lamb for them." R. Isaac Napbcha said: "He saw the atonement money [which was donated for the construction of the Tabernacle], for it is said (Ex. 31, 16.) And thou shall take the atonement money"; and R. Jochanan said: "He saw the Temple, for it is written (Gen. 22, 14.) On the mount of the Lord it shall he seen." Upon the same point R. Jacob b. Ide and R. Samuel b. Nachmeini differ. One said, "He saw the atonement money,"' and the other said "He saw the Temple." The following statements will prove the correctness of the opinion of the one who said that "He saw the Temple"; for it is said (Ib. ib.) As it is said to this very day. On the mount of the Lord it shall he seen.

(Exodus 12:13) "And the blood shall be for you as a sign": for you as a sign, and not for Me as a sign; for you as a sign, and not for others as a sign. "on the houses": What is the intent of this? Is it not already written (Ibid. 7) "on the lintel of the houses where they shall eat it"? This tells me only of the houses in which they eat it. Whence do I derive (the same for) the houses in which they sleep? From (here) "the houses where you are" — in any event. "and I shall see the blood": R. Yishmael was wont to say: Isn't everything revealed to Him, viz. (Daniel 2:22) "He knows what is in the darkness, and light dwells with Him," and (Psalms 139:12) "Darkness, too, is not dark for You." What, then, is the intent of "And I shall see the blood"? In reward for the mitzvah that you do, I shall reveal Myself with compassion to you, as it is written (Ibid.) "ufasachti upon you," "pesichah" connoting life, as in (Isaiah 31:5) "As birds that fly, so will the L rd of hosts shield Jerusalem, shielding and saving, paseach and rescuing." Variantly: "And I shall see the blood": I shall see the "blood" of the binding of Isaac, as it is written (Genesis 22:14) "And Abraham called the name of the place 'The L rd will see.'" And elsewhere it is written (I Chronicles 21:15) "But as he was about to destroy, the L rd saw and He repented Himself of the evil." What did He see? The blood of the binding of Isaac.