Midras Yesaya 46:11: Otzar Midrashim, Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Bereshit Rabbah & Aggadat Bereshit

One Torah... (Exodus 12:49). And it is written "You shall not eat any carcass; you shall give it to the stranger in your gates and he shall eat it" (Deuteronomy 14:21). You find the Holy One Blessed Be He shows affection for converts and commands about them everywhere. And here He says to give the carcass to the stranger? Rabbi Bunai said in the name of Rabbi Nehorai: In forty-eight places the Holy One Blessed Be He warned about converts, and commanded them [correspondingly] in forty-eight places about idolatry... Rabbi Antonikius said in the name of Yehuda ben Simon: The Holy One Blessed Be He said: I take vengeance upon... the idolater, and this one separated from it and came to convert. Therefore I warn about him [to Israel] corresponding to idolatry. Until now... wise Haman "The stranger" (that is Abraham, see below) (Psalms 88), and similarly "I called an eagle from the east" (Isaiah 46:11). "You shall not eat any carcass; you shall give it to the stranger in your gates and he shall eat it" - the verse does not speak about a convert who converted, but about a stranger who is outside... You find that one who is doubtful about converting... Therefore it says "to the stranger in your gates" - one who comes and goes through your gates. You find four types of converts: One corresponds to the Levite, "And you shall give to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan, and to the widow" (Deuteronomy 26:12). One corresponds to the poor, as it says "And you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger" (Leviticus 19:10). And one corresponds to an animal, as it says "Both your animals and the stranger in your gates" (Exodus 20:10). And one corresponds to the maidservant, as it says "so that your manservant and stranger may rest" (Exodus 23:12). Why? For these four converts convert for the sake of something different each. And therefore He compares each one to that thing he converted for the sake of. The Holy One Blessed Be He said: There is nothing beloved before Me like one who converts for the sake of My holy name. Just as among all the tribes there is nothing as beloved to Me as the tribe of Levi, so among all converts there is nothing as beloved before Me as you. Therefore He compares him to Abraham, as it says "The stranger shall be like the native" (Leviticus 24:22).

[(Gen. 24:1:) NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD.] This text is related (to Prov. 31:10): WHO CAN FIND A GALLANT WIFE?¹¹Cf. Tanh., Gen. 4:4. About whom were the words spoken? < They were spoken about Sarah > since it is written above (in Gen. 23:2): AND ABRAHAM PROCEEDED TO MOURN FOR SARAH AND WEEP FOR HER, < i.e., > he began to weep and eulogize. So he said: When shall I be able to get < another wife > like you?¹²The midrash is interpreting Prov. 32:10ff. as Abraham’s eulogy over Sarah. (Prov. 31:10:) A GALLANT WIFE. This was Sarah, as stated (in Gen. 12:11): SEE HERE NOW, I KNOW THAT YOU ARE A BEAUTIFUL-LOOKING WOMAN. (Prov. 31:10, cont.:) HER VALUE WAS FAR BEYOND THAT OF RUBIES, in that you came from afar. Thus it is stated (in Is. 46:11): SUMMONING A BIRD OF PREY FROM THE EAST, MY CONFIDANT FROM A FAR COUNTRY. (Prov. 31:11:) HER HUSBAND'S HEART HAD CONFIDENCE IN HER: This was Sarah, as stated (in Gen. 12:13): [PLEASE SAY YOU ARE MY SISTER] SO THAT IT MAY BE WELL WITH ME BECAUSE OF YOU. (Prov. 31:11, cont.:) AND HE HAS NO LACK OF PROFIT. This refers to our father Abraham, of whom it is stated (in Gen. 13:2): NOW ABRAHAM WAS VERY RICH. (Prov. 31:12:) SHE DID GOOD FOR HIM AND NOT EVIL. This refers to Sarah, since it is stated (in Gen. 12:16): AND BECAUSE OF HER, IT WENT WELL WITH ABRAHAM. (Prov. 31:13:) SHE LOOKS FOR WOOL AND FLAX, < in choosing > between < flaxen > Ishmael and < the pure wool of > Isaac. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 21:9f.): THEN SARAH SAW THE SON OF HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN … AND SAID TO ABRAHAM: CAST OUT THIS SLAVE WOMAN < AND HER SON >…. (Prov. 31:14:) SHE WAS LIKE THE MERCHANT SHIPS, in that she was moving from place to place and from country to country. Like such a vessel which goes from place to place on the sea (according to Prov. 31:14, cont.): SHE BRINGS HER FOOD FROM AFAR. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 20:16): THEN HE SAID UNTO SARAH: SEE, I HAVE GIVEN YOUR BROTHER A THOUSAND SILVER PIECES. (Prov. 31:15:) SHE ALSO AROSE WHILE IT WAS STILL NIGHT AND GAVE FOOD TO HER HOUSEHOLD. When? (In Gen. 22:3:) SO ABRAHAM AROSE EARLY IN THE MORNING…. (Prov. 31:15, cont.:) AND GAVE FOOD TO HER HOUSEHOLD, EVEN A STATUTE¹³The usual translation here is PORTION, but STATUTE better fits the Tanhuma context. FOR HER YOUNG WOMEN. (Gen. 17:26:) ON THAT VERY DAY ABRAHAM WAS CIRCUMCISED…. Now STATUTE can only mean circumcision, as shown (in Ps. 105:10): AND HE ESTABLISHED IT (i.e., Abraham's covenant) FOR JACOB AS A STATUTE, FOR ISRAEL AS AN EVERLASTING COVENANT.¹⁴Of course, Abraham’s EVERLASTING COVENANT meant circumcision. (Prov. 31:16:) SHE SET HER MIND ON A FIELD AND BOUGHT IT. Thus, while she was alive, she had her mind on obtaining the cave of Machpelah AND BOUGHT IT, for here she is buried in it (cf. Gen. 23). (Prov. 31:16, cont.:) FROM THE FRUIT OF HER HANDS SHE PLANTED A VINEYARD, as stated (in Gen. 21:33): AND HE PLANTED A TAMARISK TREE. What is the meaning of AND HE PLANTED? < It is > as you say (in Gen. 9:20): AND HE PLANTED A VINEYARD. (Prov. 31:17:) SHE GIRDED HER LOINS WITH VIGOR, when Abraham said to her (in Gen. 18:6): HURRY UP WITH THREE SEAHS OF FINE MEAL…. (Prov. 31:18:) SHE PERCEIVED THAT HER MERCHANDISE WAS GOOD; AND (in Gen. 21:7) SHE SAID: WHO WOULD HAVE SAID TO ABRAHAM THAT SARAH WOULD SUCKLE CHILDREN? (Prov. 31:18, cont.:) HER LAMP WOULD NOT GO OUT AT NIGHT. When? (In Gen. 14:15:) THEN HE DEPLOYED < HIS FORCES > AGAINST THEM BY NIGHT.¹⁵The verse assumes that Sarah was waiting up for Abraham to return from battle. (Prov. 31:21:) SHE WOULD NOT BE AFRAID FOR HER HOUSEHOLD BECAUSE OF SNOW. When? When the Holy One showed him Gehinnom (with its snow), she foretold that none of her children would go down into its midst. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 15:17): THERE APPEARED A SMOKING OVEN AND A FLAMING TORCH. Why? Because they fulfilled two commandments, (as shown in Prov. 31:21, cont.): BECAUSE ALL HER HOUSEHOLD ARE CLOTHED TWOFOLD,¹⁶The traditional text vocalizes TWOFOLD to mean CRIMSON. i.e., with the Sabbath and with circumcision. (Prov. 31:22:) SHE MADE COVERINGS FOR HERSELF. When? When they said to him (in Gen. 18:9): WHERE IS YOUR WIFE SARAH? He said to her: You have received good news that you are to bear < children >, and from them will go forth high priests who will serve in the Tent of Meeting. (Prov. 31:22, cont.:) HER CLOTHING IS LINEN AND PURPLE, as stated (in Exod. 26:31): < AND YOU SHALL MAKE A VEIL OF > {LINEN} [BLUE] AND PURPLE…. (Prov. 31:23:) HER HUSBAND WAS KNOWN IN THE GATES. When Sarah died, old age sprang upon Abraham and he was called elderly. Now it is stated (in Gen. 23:6, after the report of Sarah's death): HEAR US, MY LORD, YOU ARE A PRINCE OF GOD IN OUR MIDST. Ergo, HER HUSBAND WAS KNOWN IN THE GATES; < and the verse continues > immediately: AS HE SAT AMONG THE ELDERS OF THE LAND. He had become old; therefore, it is stated (in Gen. 24:1): NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD.

“He placed there [vayasem sham] [the man]” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: He elevated him, just as it says: “You shall set [som tasim] a king over you” (Deuteronomy 17:15). Rabbi Neḥemya said: He enticed him.¹⁶With all the comforts available in the Garden. This is analogous to a king who prepared a feast and invited a guest. So, too, the Holy One blessed be He invited Adam,¹⁷To the “feast” that had been prepared for him in the Garden. due to the merit of Abraham.¹⁸See Bereshit Rabba 14:6 That is what is written: “You know my sitting and my rising; You understand my thoughts from afar” (Psalms 139:2)¹⁹The midrash applies the verse to Adam. – “my sitting” in the Garden of Eden,” “my rising” – my expulsion from it. “You understand my thoughts from afar” – by what merit did You come to the decision to create me? It is by the merit of the one who came from afar, as it is written: “I summon a bird of prey from the east, the man of My counsel from a distant land” (Isaiah 46:11).²⁰This is a reference to Abraham, whom God summoned from the east.