מדרש על בראשית 25:11

R. Chama b. Chanina said further: "What is the meaning of the passage (Deut. 13, 5) Before the Lord thy God shall ye walk. How is it possible that a man should walk after the Shechina, behold, it is said (Ib. 4, 24) For the Lord thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God. We must therefore say that this means walk after the standard habits of the Holy One, praised be He. Just as He clothed the naked; as it is written (Gen. 3, 21) And the Lord God made unto Adam and to his wife coats of skin and clothed them, so also shall you clothe the naked; just as the Holy One, praised be He, visits the sick, as it is written (Ib. 18, 1) And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre, so also shalt thou visit the sick. The Holy One, praised be He, buries the dead, as it is written (Deut. 34, 6) And he buried him in the valley, so also shalt thou bury the dead. The Holy One, praised be He, comes to console the mourner, as it is written (Gen. 25, 11) And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac, his son, so also shall thou comfort the mourners. (Ib. 3, 21) And the Lord God made unto Adam and to his wife coats of skins and clothed them. Rab and Samuel differ in the explanation of the above passage, one explains it that the coats were made of a thing that came from skin [wool] and the other says: "This means a thing which a man's body relishes when worn closely to the skin [linens]." R. Samlai lectured: "The Torah begins with meritorious deeds and ends with meritorious deeds; it begins with meritorious deeds, as it is written (Ib. 3, 21) And the Lord God made unto Adam and to his wife coats of skins and clothed them. And it ends with meritorious deeds, as it is written (Deut. 34, 6) And He buried him in the valley."

Rabbi Berekhya said: Performing acts of kindness is in the Torah at its beginning, in its middle, and at its end. It is at its beginning, as it is written: “The Lord God built the rib [that he took from the man, into a woman, and He brought her to the man]” (Genesis 2:22). [This verse] teaches that the Holy One Blessed be He braided Eve’s hair, and brought her to Adam, and he became the groomsman for them; as in the coastal towns, they call braiding, building. It is in its middle, as it is written: “The Lord appeared to him in the plains of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), teaching that He visited him.²⁸God visited Abraham, who was recovering from his circumcision. “God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), this is the blessing of the mourners.²⁹He came to console Isaac upon the death of Abraham. At its end, as it is stated: “He buried him in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6).³⁰God buried Moses.
Rabbi Ḥanin said: What is the measure of recompense [for acts of kindness]? Jacob died in the land of Egypt. For whom was it fitting to tend to him? Is it not the Holy One blessed be He, who said to him: “I will descend with you to Egypt [and I will also take you up]” (Genesis 46:4)? Joseph came and snatched the mitzva for himself, as it is written: “Joseph ascended to bury his father” (Genesis 50:7). Joseph died in Egypt. For whom was it fitting to tend to him? Is it not the tribes, to whom he administered an oath, as it is stated: “Joseph administered an oath [to the sons of Israel, saying: God will surely remember you, and you shall carry up my bones from here]” (Genesis 50:25). Moses came and snatched the mitzva for himself, as it is stated: “Moses took Joseph’s bones” (Exodus 13:19). Moses died, and the Holy One blessed be He, in His glory, repaid him, as it is stated: “He buried him in the valley” (Deuteronomy 34:6).

Another interpretation (of I Sam. 2:9): HE SHALL PROTECT THE FEET OF HIS SAINTS. When Jacob set out from his father's house, he set out with only his staff, as stated (in Gen. 32:11 [10]): FOR WITH < ONLY > MY STAFF DID I CROSS THIS JORDAN. The Holy One said to Isaac: Did your father, Abraham, do this to you? Did he not give you everything that he had? It is so stated (in Gen. 25:5): BUT ABRAHAM GAVE ALL THAT HE HAD TO ISAAC. < There is > also this (in Gen. 24:2): SO ABRAHAM SAID UNTO THE SENIOR SERVANT OF HIS HOUSE, THE ONE WHO RULED OVER ALL THAT HE HAD. R. Samuel bar Isaac said: What is the meaning of THE ONE WHO RULED? When he had made him a ruler over all that he had, he said: Even if you < must > give away everything that belongs to me, take a wife for my son from there. (Gen. 24:10:) THEN THE SERVANT TOOK TEN CAMELS FROM THE CAMELS OF HIS MASTER, AND WENT WITH ALL HIS MASTER'S GOODS IN HIS HAND. This refers to a diatheke⁸The Greek words means “covenant.” {gift certificate} which he carried in his hand.⁹See Gen. R. 59:11 and some versions of PRE 16. Both use the word diatheke in this context. Cf. Gen. R. 61:6. (Ergo, in Gen. 25:5:) BUT ABRAHAM GAVE ALL THAT HE HAD TO ISAAC. The servant began distributing earrings to one woman, necklaces¹⁰Lat.: catellae. to another, and rings to still another. This is what the text means (in Prov. 11:24): THERE IS ONE WHO DISPENSES LIBERALLY AND STILL INCREASES. The Holy One has blessed him. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 25:11): AND IT CAME TO PASS AFTER THE DEATH OF ABRAHAM THAT GOD BLESSED HIS SON ISAAC. But Isaac did not do so for Jacob. Instead he had him set out empty-handed. The Holy One said (in Prov. 11:24, cont.): ANOTHER HOLDS BACK FROM WHAT IS RIGHT, YET THE RESULT IS WANT. And what happened to him (Isaac)? The Divine Presence departed from him. So you find him (the Holy One) speaking with him only when he died. Come and see what Esau the Wicked did to Jacob. He saw him empty-handed and did not show him mercy. Instead he said: See, I am ahead of him, and he cannot pass me on the way. So I will kill him there. And where is it shown? Where the prophet said so (in Amos 1:11): < THUS SAYS THE LORD: FOR THREE TRANSGRESSIONS OF EDOM AND FOR FOUR I WILL NOT RESCIND IT (the punishment) > BECAUSE HE PURSUED HIS BROTHER WITH THE SWORD. Jacob knew < about it > and raised his eyes to the Holy One. Now he had performed miracles with him (Jacob); so he put {his staff for him in his hand} [his staff into the Jordan]. Then the Jordan divided for him, and he crossed. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 32:11 [10]): FOR WITH MY STAFF DID I CROSS THIS JORDAN. So Esau was waiting on the way, but Jacob did not pass on the way. When Esau perceived that Jacob had fled and crossed the Jordan, what did he do? He pursued him and found him in a cave, a place like the bath that is in Tiberias.¹¹Cf. Gen. R. 75:5. Jacob had said: There is no bread and no food at hand. I shall go in and get warm in the bath. Esau the Wicked came and had the bath surrounded the so that he would die in it. The Holy One said to him: < Since > you are the most wicked man in the world, are you to be paired¹²The verb is related to the Greek noun zeugos (“yoke of beasts”). against him? Immediately the Holy One said to Jacob: What are you afraid of? See, I am with you. Jacob said to him: Sovereign of the World, inasmuch as I am trusting you and you are making me a promise, I will have trust [and set out. (Gen. 28:10:) AND JACOB SET OUT FROM BEERSHEBA].