Midras Kejadian 26:13: Bereshit Rabbah, Midrash Tanchuma Buber & Aggadat Bereshit

“God said: Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water” – the Rabbis say it in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina, Rabbi Pinḥas, and Rabbi Yaakov bar Avin in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: When the Holy One blessed be He said: “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the water,” the middle drop [of water] congealed and thereby the lower heavens and the upper highest heavens came about. Rav said: Their substance on the first day¹When God “created the heavens” (Genesis 1:1). was damp, and on the second day they congealed. “Let there be a firmament” – let the firmament harden. Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi Simon said: Let there be a lining for the firmament [rakia], as it says: “They flattened [vayraku] the sheets of gold” (Exodus 39:3). Rabbi Ḥanina said: Fire emerged from on High and passed over the surface of the firmament.²Drying it, in accordance with the opinion of Rav. When Rabbi Yoḥanan would reach this verse: “With His wind, the heavens are enhanced” (Job 26:13), he would say: Rabbi Ḥanina taught me well. Rabbi Yudan ben Rabbi Shimon said: The fire emerged from on High and burnished the surface of the firmament. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Abba bar Kahana: The act of Creation came to teach something about the giving of the Torah, but ultimately learned something from it. “Like [the day of] a splitting fire” (Isaiah 64:1)³The verse is speaking of the giving of the Torah, and describes that day as being like another day, one of fire splitting something in two. – when did fire split between what was above and what was below, was it not at the giving of the Torah?⁴And the verse compares that day to another day, one of a splitting fire – namely, the day of the creation of the heavens. That is a rhetorical question. So it was at the creation of the world.

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.

Chapter 33 Writings: [1] "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord" (Psalm 112:1). This means that in the end, everything will be heard by God: "Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man" (Ecclesiastes 12:13). How does one ultimately succeed? Nothing is more beloved than one who fears the Almighty, as it is written, "In the end, everything will be heard," etc. In the custom of the world, one person says to his friend, "I am rich and have plenty of wheat, oil, and wine." His friends tell him, "You have everything, where will you put it? If you have no storage, you have nothing." Similarly, one who is rich and wise in knowledge, but does not have fear of sin, has nothing, as it is written, "In the end, everything will be heard," etc. For this reason, David said, "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord." This refers to Abraham, as it is written, "Now I know that you fear God" (Genesis 22:12). "He delights greatly in His commandments" (Psalm 112:1). This refers to Abraham, as it is written, "Because Abraham obeyed Me and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5). "His descendants will be mighty on earth" (Psalm 112:2). This refers to Isaac, as it is written, "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Genesis 21:12). What is written afterwards? "And the man waxed great, and went forward, and grew until he became very great" (Genesis 26:13). "The generation of the upright will be blessed" (Psalm 112:2). And Abraham was old and well-stricken in age; and the Lord had blessed Abraham in all things" (Genesis 24:1). Similarly, God blessed Isaac after Abraham's death, as it is written, "And after the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son" (Genesis 25:11). Therefore it is said, "The generation of the upright will be blessed."