Midrash sur La Genèse 32:10

(Gemara) What is the reason for such punishment for Niddah? R. Isaac said: "Because she committed corruption in the inner part of her womb, therefore should she be beaten in the inner part of her womb." This may be true regarding Niddah, but what is the reason for Challa and the lighting of the candles? It is as a certain Galilean expounded before R. Chisda: Thus said the Holy One, praised be He! "One fourth of a Log of blood did I put in your body; concerning blood (menstruation) have I warned thee. (Fol. 32a) I have called ye the first product and have charged ye concerning the first of your dough; the soul which I have put in you is called Ner (light) and I have charged ye concerning Ner (the Sabbath light); if you observe these things then it is well, but if not I shall take your souls." And why just at the time of childbirth? Rabba said: "When the ox has already fallen down, sharpen the knife for him." Abaye said: "Let the maid continue her rebellion, it will go under one rod." R. Chisda said: "Leave the intoxicant alone, he will fall by himself." Mar Ukba said: "The shepherd is lame and the goats are running away swiftly. [When they appear] at the gate of the fold, there are words (bargaining), but in the stalls (where the sheep are delivered), strict account is taken." R. Pappa said: "At the gate of business [you have] many friends, but at the gate of disgrace, no friend." And when are the sins of men investigated? Resh Lakish said: "When they pass over a bridge." A bridge and nothing else? But he intended to say all dangerous places like a bridge. Rab would not embark on a ferry where there were any heathen; he said: "His time to be punished may happen to be due [while on the boat] and I may be seized with him." Samuel [on the contrary] would not embark on a ferry unless there was also a heathen abroad, for he said: "Satan has no power over two persons of different nationalities." R. Janai always examined the ferry first and then he embarked on it. For R. Janai followed his own principle, and he said: "A man should never expose himself to danger expecting that a miracle will be wrought for him; for it may be that such a miracle will not be wrought, and even if a miracle be wrought for him, it will be deducted from the rewards due him for his merits." R. Chanin said: "What is the Biblical passage for this? I am not worthy of all the kindness, and of all the truthfulness that Thou hath done unto thy servant. (Gen. 32, 11)." R. Zeira never walked under date-trees on a day when the Shutha wind blew. Our Rabbis taught: "For three sins women die of childbirth." R. Elazar says: "Women die prematurely" [instead of child birth]. R. Acha said: "For the sin of washing the dirt of their children on the Sabbath"; and others say, "Because they call the holy ark. The chest." We are "taught that R. Ishmael b. Elazar says: "For two sins common people die; because they call the ark, The chest, and because they call the synagogue The people's house.'" We are taught that R. Jose says: "Three breaches through which death enters were created for a woman. Others say three causes of premature death were created for woman; Niddah, Challa and lighting the lamps." One is in accordance with the opinion of R. Elazar and the other is in accordance with the opinion of the Rabbis.

Rabbi Huna interpreted the verse regarding the Jordan. “Your hair is like a flock of goats” (Song of Songs 4:1) – the flocks that crossed the Jordan crossed only due to the merit of Jacob our patriarch. That is what is written: “You shall inform your children, saying: Israel crossed [this Jordan] on dry land” (Joshua 4:22). Rabbi Huna said: Israel the patriarch.³⁵The fact that the verse mentions Israel instead of the more common term for the nation, “children of Israel,” is meant to hint to the fact that they crossed in the merit of Israel, i.e., Jacob. Rabbi Yudan [said] in the name of Rabbi Yoḥanan: We find in three places, in the Torah, in the Prophets, and in the Writings, that Israel crossed the Jordan due only to the merit of Jacob our patriarch. In the Torah: “For with my staff I crossed this Jordan” (Genesis 32:11); in the Prophets: “You shall inform your children, saying: Israel crossed this Jordan on dry land” (Joshua 4:22) – Israel the patriarch; in the Writings: “What is it, sea, that makes you flee? The Jordan, [that you turn back?]” (Psalms 114:5). [It retreats] “from before the God of Jacob” (Psalms 114:7).
“That streams down [shegaleshu] from Mount Gilad” (Song of Songs 4:1) – the mountain from whose midst you took away [shegelashten], I rendered it a memorial for the nations of the world. Which is this? This is the Jordan. What is it that you took away from its midst? “Your teeth are like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2) – the plunder of Siḥon and Og.³⁶The midrash understands the reference to ordered ewes as referring to the rows of soldiers who fought against Siḥon and Og (Etz Yosef). This occurred before the Israelites crossed the Jordan.
“That have come up from bathing” (Song of Songs 4:2) – Rabbi Elazar said: The land of Canaan was conquered with sixty thousand.³⁷Commentaries struggle to explain how this is derived from the phrase of the verse cited here. Some suggest that the text should read “like a flock of ordered ewes” (Song of Songs 4:2). Rabbi Elazar then states that if this is an allusion to the army that conquered Canaan, they must have been sixty thousand, because if there were more they would not have been “ordered” and organized (Yefei Kol). This is the opinion of Rabbi Elazar, as Rabbi Elazar said: Every war that involves more than sixty thousand is a war of pandemonium. Rabbi Yehuda said in the name of Ḥizkiya: Wherever it states about ten, about twenty, about thirty, about forty, it is saying either more or less. There it is stated: “About forty thousand, the vanguard of the army” (Joshua 4:13), and here it is stated: “Forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty” (I Chronicles 5:18). Rabbi Aḥa said: They were complete thousands, and the rest perished on the way.³⁸Forty-five thousand soldiers actually went out to battle, but forty-four thousand seven hundred and sixty returned. The verse in Joshua refers to this number as forty thousand. Those fifteen thousand, where are they?³⁹The total number that went out to battle was forty-five thousand, whereas Rabbi Elazar said they would go out with sixty thousand. [Rabbi Elazar] said to them: They were guards of the equipment, and the verse did not include them in the tally. “That are all paired [matimot]” (Song of Songs 4:2) – as they were in the middle [metuamim] between the vanguard and the rearguard. That is what is written: “And the vanguard goes […and the rearguard goes]” (Joshua 6:9). “And there is none missing among them” (Song of Songs 4:2) – that not one of them was harmed.
“Your lips are like a scarlet thread” (Song of Songs 4:3) – when they said to Joshua: “Everything that you commanded us we will perform…” (Joshua 1:16). “Your speech is lovely” (Song of Songs 4:3) – as they said to him: “Anyone who will defy your word…will die” (Joshua 1:18). At that moment, Joshua began praising them: “Your temple [rakatekh] is like a pomegranate slice” (Song of Songs 4:3) – even the empty [hareikan] among you is packed with Torahs like this pomegranate. It goes without saying: “Behind your braid [letzamatekh]” (Song of Songs 4:3) – regarding the modest and the fervent [metzumatin] among you.
“Your neck is like the tower of [kemigdal] David” – how did David elevate [gidel] you in his book: “Who smote great kings” (Psalms 136:17)! “Built magnificently [letalpiyot]” – a book that was stated by many mouths [piyot].
“One thousand bucklers” – all those thousands and tens of thousands who crossed the Jordan and I defended them. I defended them only because of the merit of the one who came after one thousand generations.⁴⁰Moses You relied not only upon him, but rather, “all the shields of the mighty” – anyone who arises and controls and overcomes his inclination, like Moses in his time, David in his time, Ezra in his time; their entire generation depends upon them. Due to whom did Israel cross the Jordan? It was due to “your two breasts” (Song of Songs 4:5) – these are Joshua and Elazar.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 32:8 [7]): AND JACOB WAS < GREATLY > AFRAID. Our masters have said: His body became like wax.²²See Gen. R. 44:3; 65:19. Moreover, the Holy Spirit cries out (in Prov. 24:10): IF YOU ARE INDOLENT IN THE DAY OF DISTRESS (TsRH), YOUR STRENGTH IS WANTING (TsR). At that time the Holy One said to him (in Is. 41:10): FEAR NOT, FOR I AM WITH YOU; BE NOT DISMAYED, FOR I AM YOUR GOD. I STRENGTHEN YOU, I HELP YOU…. I STRENGTHEN YOU through Michael; I HELP YOU through Gabriel. (Ibid., cont.:) AND I ALSO UPHOLD YOU THROUGH MY VICTORIOUS RIGHT HAND. (Gen. 28:15:) SEE, I AM WITH YOU. At that time (according to Gen. 32:8 [7]) HE DIVIDED THE PEOPLE WHO WERE WITH HIM. What did he do? He armed them within and clothed them with linen without. He prepared himself in three things: in prayer, with a gift,²³Gk.: doron. and for war. Where is it shown < that he prepared himself > with a gift? (In Gen. 32:22 [21]:) AND SO THE GIFT (MNHH) PASSED ON BEFORE HIM…. Where is it shown < that he prepared himself > for war? (In Gen. 32:9 [8]:) IF ESAU SHOULD COME < TO ONE CAMP (MHNH) AND DESTROY IT >…. Where is it shown < that he prepared himself > in prayer? (In Gen. 32:10 [9]:) THEN JACOB SAID: O GOD OF MY FATHER ABRAHAM, AND GOD OF MY FATHER ISAAC…. What is written after that (in vss. 11-12 [10-111])? I AM UNWORTHY OF ALL THE KINDNESSES AND ALL THE FIDELITY…. PLEASE DELIVER ME FROM THE HAND OF MY BROTHER, FROM THE HAND OF ESAU. The Holy One said to him: You have called to me. By your life, I will save you, according to what is stated (in Ps. 89:27 [26]): HE SHALL CRY TO ME, YOU ARE MY FATHER, MY GOD, AND THE ROCK OF MY SALVATION.