Midrash su Genesi 6:11

When the Lord cuts down (Deuteronomy 12:29): The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, "By your lives, I will conduct your wars and write about you that you killed them." Come and see, the acts of the Holy One, blessed be He, are not like the acts of a king of flesh and blood: [When] a king of flesh and blood goes out to war, his legions go out in front of him. If they are victorious, they come and make a crown and crown him. But the Holy One, blessed be He, does not do like this, but rather He conducts the war, and give the crown to Israel, as it is stated (Psalms 136:17-20), "Who struck down great kings, [...]. Sihon, king of the Amorites,[...]. Og, king of Bashan." But He gave the crown to Israel, as it is stated (Joshua 12:5), "Moshe, the servant of God, and Israel smote them." And so [too], with Yehoshua, what is written? "And the Lord hurled huge stones on them from the sky" (Joshua 10:11). And [yet] it is stated (Joshua 12:7), "And these are the kings of the land that Yehoshua and the Children of Israel slew." So that we inherit their land, He cut them down from the world, in order that we would enter and inherit houses filled with all good things. As all the days that Israel was present, they were swept and wandering in the wilderness for forty years. Yet they had been fitting to go up [to the Land of Israel] immediately, as it is stated (Exodus 3:17), "I will take you out of the misery of Egypt," to a good and spacious land. But they did not go in immediately. As when they left from Egypt, the seven nations [inhabiting the land] heard that [the Israelites] were coming to inherit [the land]. What did they do? They cut down the trees, stopped up the springs and destroyed the homes, such that if [the Israelites] would enter, they would find nothing [worthwhile there]. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, "If I bring them in right away, they will find it desolate, and I promised them that they would find it full of all of good things." What did He do? He held them up in the wilderness forty years, such that the Canaanites disregarded Israel, saying they are not coming. [Hence] they rose and planted trees, they fixed the wells and the cities, such that Israel would come when it was built, to fulfill that which is stated (Deuteronomy 6:11), "Houses full of all good things." This is [the meaning of] that which is written (Exodus 13:17), "God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines." Once they fixed everything, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moshe, "Why are you standing? 'Go up from here, you and the people' (Exodus 33:1). Make war with them and cut them down." And Israel said to Moshe, "When do we enter the land." [His answer was:] When the Lord, your God cuts down the nations within it shall you enter.

(Gen. 27:4f.:) AND MAKE ME DELICACIES…. NOW REBEKAH HAD BEEN LISTENING…. [THEN ESAU WENT TO THE FIELD]. When he had caught < some deer > and bound them, the angel went to set them free and drive them away.³⁵Gen. R. 67:2; see Tanh., Gen. 6:11. Again he caught them, but the angel set them free. And why so? Simply to drag out the hours until Jacob would go. So he would go, make < the meal >, enter in with his father, eat, and receive the blessings. Ergo (in Gen. 27:5): THEN ESAU WENT TO THE FIELD TO CATCH GAME TO BRING < HOME >.

(Gen. 27:30:) AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN ISAAC HAD FINISHED BLESSING JACOB, AND < JACOB > HAD JUST GONE OUT, GONE OUT.⁶⁶Such verbal repetition, with the first verb vocalized as an infinitive absolute, is common in biblical Hebrew and generally indicates emphasis. Two departures are recorded here: GONE OUT, GONE OUT. {Isaac said:} Isaac's gateway⁶⁷The Buber text reads “window” (hallon) here, but the word makes little sense. Buber himself suggests this emendation of “gateway” (pilon, from the Gk.: pylon). So Gen. R. 66:5. had two ends, a gate to the north and a gate to the south. Jacob left with the plate⁶⁸Gk.: diskos; Lat.: discus. in his hand. He saw Esau and hid behind the door. One who is in the light does not see {him. He forgets him.} [one who is in the darkness].⁶⁹See Tanh., Gen. 6:11. Ergo: JUST GONE OUT, GONE OUT. < He hid > because, if Esau had seen him, he would have killed him. R. Joshua ben Levi said: At the second hour (8:00 A.M.) he learned Esau had gone in to his father, and at the sixth hour (12:00 M.) he was going out. But, while Jacob was detained [for so long] over all this business, where was Esau during this time? R. Joshua ben Levi said: He was catching game and binding it, but an angel was setting it free and driving it away.⁷⁰See above, 6:10. That is what is stated (in Prov. 12:27): A DECEPTIVE ONE SHALL NOT ROAST HIS GAME, BUT A DILIGENT ONE IS A PERSON OF PRECIOUS WEALTH.⁷¹According to Targum Pseudo-Jonathan, Gen. 27:31, Esau deceived his father by serving him dog meat instead of the venison he had been unable to catch. It was not known to Jacob what miracles were performed for him, for, while he was going out, Esau was coming in. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 27:30): AND < JACOB > HAD JUST GONE OUT, GONE OUT…. Therefore, David has said (in Ps. 86:10): FOR YOU ARE GREAT, AND YOU PERFORM WONDERS (rt.: PL'), YOU GOD BY YOURSELF. You know what miracles and wonders (rt.: PL') you are doing with such a person, but he does not know. This person sleeps upon his bed < and > arises to put on his clothes. Unless they make a search (rt.: PL') for whether there is a snake or a scorpion there, he will cast them off without knowing about them and < so > be delivered from them. Therefore, David has said to him: < It is > for you alone to do wonders (rt.: PL'); < it is incumbent > upon us to be blessing you, as stated (in Ps. 72:18): BLESSED BE THE LORD GOD < OF ISRAEL, WHO ALONE DOES WONDERS (rt.: PL') >. In Egypt you did miracles for us, and we on our part uttered a song by the sea for you (in Exod. 15:1-18). The Holy One said to them: In this world I have performed wonders (rt.: PL') for you and redeemed you from the bondage of Egypt. Thus I am going to redeem you in the world to come from the bondage of Edom (i.e., of Esau) and perform wonders for you. It is so stated (in Micah 7:15): AS IN THE DAYS OF YOUR EXODUS FROM [THE LAND OF EGYPT], I WILL SHOW HIM WONDERS (rt.: PL').