Midrash su Genesi 27:27

(Fol. 37) (Songs 7, 3) Thy navel is protected like a round goblet which lacketh not the mixed wine. Navel refers to the Sanhedrin. And why were they called navel? Because they used to sit in the centre (navel) of the world. Is protected — i.e., it protects the whole world. Round goblet — i.e., the Sanhedrin sat in a circle. Which lacketh not the mixed wine — i.e., if one wished to leave, it must be seen that there would remain twenty-three, corresponding to the number of the small Sanhedrin; then he was able to leave. But if there were less, he could not leave. Thy body is like a heap of wheat fenced about with lilies; i.e., just as from a heap of wheat all derive benefit, so all were pleased to hear the reasons given by the Sanhedrin in their discussions. Fenced about with lilies — i.e., even a fence of lilies was not broken by them to go out of it. This is what was said by a certain heretic to R. Cahana: "Your law permits a man to stay alone with his wife during the days of her menstruation. Is it possible that flax and fire should be together and should not burn?" And he answered: "The Torah has testified for us, fenced about with lilies — i.e., even a fence of lilies is sufficient for us — and it will never be broken." Resh Lakish said: "This is inferred from (Ib. 6, 7) Like the half of the pomegranate is the upper part of thy cheek — i.e., even thy lowest are full of meritorious acts — like the pomegranate." R. Zera said: "From (Gen. 27, 27) And he smelled the smell of his garments, etc. Do not read b'gadav (garments), but read bogdav (his transgressors)." There were insolent fellows in the neighborhood of R. Zera, who nevertheless associated with them and showed them respect, so that they should repent. The Rabbis, however, were not satisfied with this. When R. Zera died the insolent fellows said: "Hitherto there was the little man who prayed for us, but now who will do so?" Whereupon they repeated and became righteous.

(Gen. 27:6, 8, & 9:) AND REBEKAH SPOKE UNTO JACOB…. AND NOW MY SON, HEED ME IN WHAT < I CHARGE YOU >. PLEASE GO TO THE FLOCK…. As soon as Esau had gone to get < the venison >, he (Jacob) went to his father, as stated (in Gen. 27:18 & 19): THEN HE WENT UNTO HIS FATHER…. AND JACOB SAID UNTO HIS FATHER: < I AM ESAU, YOUR FIRST-BORN >…. So he blessed him (in Gen. 27:27). Even though you may say Jacob lied, he did not lie. Balaam said (in Numb. 23:21): NO ONE HAS BEHELD FALSEHOOD IN JACOB. [He said] merely (in Gen. 27:19 &. 20): I am Jacob; ESAU [IS] YOUR FIRST-BORN….³⁶It is possible to interpret Jacob’s words to his father as follows: IT IS I. ESAU IS YOUR FIRST-BORN. Cf. Gen. R. 65:18. PLEASE ARISE; SIT UP < AND EAT >…. THEN ISAAC SAID UNTO HIS SON: < HOW IS IT THAT YOU WERE SO QUICK > … ? He said to him (in Gen. 27:20, cont.): BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR GOD MADE IT HAPPEN FOR ME. Then in addition he said to him:³⁷Cf. Gen. R. 65:19. When you were bound upon the altar, the angel said (in Gen. 22:12): DO NOT RAISE YOUR HAND AGAINST THE LAD. Perhaps there was something there. The Holy One only caused < a sacrificial animal > to sprout forth for your sake, as stated (in Gen. 22:13): THEN ABRAHAM LIFTED HIS EYES < TO LOOK, AND THERE WAS A RAM BEHIND HIM >…. So also he said (here in Gen. 27:20): BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR GOD MADE IT HAPPEN FOR ME.³⁸Gen. R. 65:19 argues a fortiori that, if God would bless Isaac by making a sacrifice appear at the time of the binding, he certainly would expedite matters in preparing this meal. Now, when Isaac heard him say: BECAUSE THE LORD YOUR GOD MADE IT HAPPEN FOR ME, he said: This is not Esau. He said: Esau never mentions THE LORD YOUR GOD. He said to him (in vss. 21f.): PLEASE COME NEARER AND LET ME TOUCH YOU, MY SON…. SO JACOB CAME NEARER TO HIS FATHER ISAAC…. He said to him: Behold, in voice you are Jacob;³⁹Buber notes that his text here is garbled and suggests the reading translated here from MS 1240 of the De Rossi library in Parma. BUT (in vs. 22, cont.) THE HANDS ARE THE HANDS OF ESAU. R. Judah bar Il'ay said:⁴⁰yTa‘an. 4:8 (68d); Git. 57b; Gen. R. 65:21. In former generations one would ask: What is the meaning (of Gen. 27:22): THE VOICE IS THE VOICE OF JACOB? The voice of the Emperor⁴¹Lat.: Caesar. Hadrian, < who > [killed] eight thousand myriads (80,000,000) in Bethther.⁴²This town in Southern Israel is also known as Bithter or Bettar. The present Greek spelling is that adopted by Y. Aharoni and M. Avi-Yonah in The Macmillan Bible Atlas (New York: Macmillan, 1968. R. Johanan said: The voice of Jacob was crying out < over > what the hands of Esau did to him in Bethther.

Another interpretation (of Gen. 27:27): LIKE THE ODOR OF A FIELD.⁴⁵See Gen. R. 65:23. He foresaw that he was going to build Zion and offer sacrifices in its midst; so he blessed him. Now A FIELD can only be Zion, since it is stated (in Micah 3:12): ZION SHALL BE PLOWED AS A FIELD. (Gen. 27:27, cont.:) < A FIELD > WHICH THE LORD HAS BLESSED. That is what he wrote about (in Ps. 133:3): LIKE THE DEW OF HERMON < WHICH COMES DOWN UPON THE HILLS OF ZION >.

“Honey and milk are under your tongue” – Rabbi Berekhya said: There is no beverage that is more disgusting than a beverage that is under the tongue, and you say: “Honey and milk are under your tongue”? Rather, if the halakhot that are dull under your tongue¹²⁹The halakhot that are unclear to you. are honey and milk, the halakhot that are fortified, all the more so. Rabbi Levi said: Even one who reads a verse in its pleasantness and in its melody, the verse says in his regard: “Honey and milk are under your tongue.”
“And the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon” – it is written: “He came near, and he kissed him. He smelled the scent of his garments” (Genesis 27:27). Rabbi Yoḥanan said: You have no item whose odor is fouler and harsher than washed goatskin, and it says: “He smelled the scent of his garments”? Rather, when Jacob our patriarch entered, the Garden of Eden entered with him. That is what he said to him: “See, the scent of my son is as the scent of a field that the Lord blessed” (Genesis 27:27). When the wicked Esau entered to his father, Gehenna entered with him. What is the reason? “With the arrival of malice, disgrace has arrived” (Proverbs 11:2). That is what he said to him: “Who then [efo]” (Genesis 27:33), who is baked [ne’efeh] in this oven? The Divine Spirit answered him: “The one who hunted game” (Genesis 27:33).
Rabbi Elazar ben Rabbi Shimon asked Rabbi Shimon ben Rabbi Yosei ben Lakonya, his father-in-law: ‘Did weaving utensils depart with Israel to the wilderness?’ He said to him: ‘No.’ He said to him: ‘From where did they have what to wear all those forty years that Israel spent in the wilderness?’ He said to him: ‘It was from what the ministering angels clad them.¹³⁰After they said: “We will perform and we will heed” (Exodus 24:7). That is what is written: “I clad them in embroidery”’ (Ezekiel 16:10). Rav Simi said: A purple woolen garment. Akilas translated: A multi-colored embroidered garment. He said to him: ‘But did they not grow worn?’ He said to him: ‘Have you never studied Bible? “Your garment did not grow worn from upon you”’ (Deuteronomy 8:4). He said to him: ‘But did they not grow?’ He said to him: ‘Go out and learn from the snail, for as long as it grows, its shell grows with it.’ He said to him: ‘Did they not require laundering?’ He said to him: ‘The cloud would rub them clean and iron them.’ He said to him: ‘But would they not burn?’¹³¹From contact with the cloud that was fire. He said to him: ‘Go out and learn from this garment made of stone fibers, which is ironed only in fire.’ He said to him: ‘But did they not grow lice?’ He said to them: ‘If in their deaths they did not,¹³²The bodies of everyone who heard the voice of God at Sinai were not infested with worms and maggots after their deaths (Pirkei deRabbi Eliezer 41). did they in their lifetimes?’ [Rabbi Elazar asked:] ‘Did they not give off a foul odor from the perspiration of their bodies?’ He said to him: ‘They would roll in the grass [produced due to the water of] the well. That is what is written: “He has me lie down in green pastures” (Psalms 23:2). Their fragrance would waft from the end of the world to its end. Solomon came and articulated: “And the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.”’

Three words in this one verse are expressions of pleading, humility, and meekness. The wicked one, however, said merely: Let my father arise, and eat. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob: Inasmuch as you said Arise, I pray thee, your descendant Moses will say to Me: Rise up, O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered (Num. 10:35). Inasmuch as you said sit (shevah), your descendants will say: Return (shuvah), O Lord, unto the tens of thousands (ibid., v. 36). However, because Esau said Let my father arise, I will exact retribution from him through that very expression, as it is said: Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered (Ps. 68:2). Let my father arise. At that moment Isaac recognized his voice and began to tremble. Who art thou? (Gen. 27:32), he asked. When Jacob entered the room, a fragrance from the Garden of Eden accompanied him; a fragrance so pleasant that the righteous one’s mind was set at ease, as is said: See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed (ibid., v. 27). However, when Esau entered, Gehenna was revealed to him. Hence, it says: Isaac trembled very exceedingly (ibid., v. 33). Isaac was astonished and cried out: I see Gehenna and Esau is causing the flames to rise.

Furthermore, our masters have also taught (in Zev. 14:4) BEFORE THE TABERNACLE WAS SET UP, THE HIGH PLACES WERE PERMITTED AND THE SACRIFICIAL SERVICE WAS PERFORMED BY THE FIRST-BORN.⁵⁰See above, 6:4, and the other references cited there. Therefore, the Holy One clothed Adam in garments of high priesthood, since he was the first-born of the world. Noah came [and passed them on to Shem; Shem] passed them on to Abraham; Abraham passed them on to Isaac; and Isaac passed them on to Esau, who was his first-born. Esau, however, saw his wives serving idols and deposited them (the clothes) with his mother. When Jacob arose and took the birthright of Esau, Rebekah said: Inasmuch as Jacob has taken the birthright from the hand of Esau, he has the right to put on these garments. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 27:15): THEN REBEKAH TOOK THE BEST GARMENTS OF HER OLDER SON ESAU, < WHICH WERE WITH HER IN THE HOUSE, AND HAD HER YOUNGER SON JACOB PUT THEM ON >. Jacob came in to his father Isaac and emitted an aroma on him. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 27:27): THEN HE SMELLED THE ODOR OF HIS GARMENTS AND BLESSED HIM…. How did he bless him? According to what they read on the matter (in Gen. 27:28): SO MAY GOD GIVE TO YOU….

Another interpretation (of Gen. 27:33): THEN ISAAC TREMBLED EXCEEDINGLY GREATLY. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina:⁸⁸See Tanh., Gen. 6:13. One does not say: EXCEEDINGLY GREATLY unless there was another < event > before it (for it to exceed). So what were the two tremblings that Isaac had? One was on Mount Moriah when his father bound him and took up the knife to slaughter him. The Holy One appeared above the angels and opened up the firmament. When Isaac raised his eyes and saw the chambers of the chariot, he trembled and shook. But here he trembled, and his trembling was greater than the first time! There he trembled when he saw the Holy One, the chambers of the chariot, and the angels. But here, because Jacob had entered and taken the blessings, his trembling was greater than that < former > trembling. But why did he tremble? Nathan the Haver said in the name of R. Aha and R. Judah b. R. Shallum the Levite < who said > in the name of R. Johanan: When Jacob entered, the Garden of Eden entered with him, as stated (in Gen. 27:27): THEN HE SMELLED THE ODOR OF HIS GARMENTS….⁸⁹See above, 6:16; Gen. R. 65:22; Cant. R. 4:11:2. And note that he did not put on anything but clothes of goat's hair, as stated (in vs. 16): THEN SHE CLOTHED HIS ARMS < AND THE HAIRLESS PART OF HIS NECK > WITH THE SKINS OF GOAT KIDS. And you do not have a worse odor in the < whole > world than goatskins washed smooth. But what is the meaning (of vs. 27): THEN HE SMELLED THE ODOR OF HIS GARMENTS? Some interpret it to say: The Holy One blew on the clothes of Isaac the odor of the incense which was going to be used in the Temple. When Esau the Wicked entered, however, < the result was as > R. Aha and R. Johanan have said: Gehinnom entered with him. Thus it is stated (in Prov. 18:3): WHEN A WICKED ONE COMES, THERE IS ALSO DESPISING; AND WITH DISGRACE, SHAME. When Esau arrived, Isaac perceived the house becoming hot and < so > perceived Gehinnom.⁹⁰See above, 6:1, 4. He began to scream and tremble, as stated (in Gen. 27:33): THEN ISAAC TREMBLED < EXCEEDINGLY GREATLY >.

... Another explanation. Why does the verse (Psalms 81:2) mention Yaakov and not all of the forefathers? Our rabbis taught: a man is measured with the measure by which he measures, as it says “In that measure (b’saseah), when they sent them out, it strove with it…” (Isaiah 27:8) A seah with a seah. I only know seah, from where do I learn tirkav and a half tirkav, kab and a half kav, rovah and a half rovah, a tuman and an uchlah? Scripture says “For every victory shout (s’on soein) sounds with clamor…” (Isaiah 9:4) Here there are many measures. I only know about something which comes by measure, from where do I learn little bits that add up to a large amount? Scripture says “…adding one to another to find out the account.” (Ecclesiastes 7:27) This is like a king who had three people that loved him, and sought to build himself a palace. He brought the first one and said to him: I want to build a palace for myself. His love replied to him: I recall that it was a mountain in the beginning. He called to the second love and said to him: I want to build a palace for myself. He replied: I recall that it was a field in the beginning. He called to the third love and said: I want to build a palace for myself. He replied: I recall that it was a palace in the beginning. He said to him: by your life! I will build that palace and call it by your name. So too Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov were lovers of the Holy One. Avraham called the Holy Temple ‘mountain,’ as it says “On the mountain, the Lord will be seen.” (Genesis 22:14) Yitzchak called it field, as it says “…the fragrance of my son is like the fragrance of a field…” (Genesis 27:27) Yaakov called it ‘house’ even before it was built, as it says “This is none other than the house of God…” (Genesis 28:17) The Holy One said to him: by your life! You called it a house before it was built and I will call it by your name, as it says “Come, let us go up to the Lord's mount, to the house of the God of Jacob…” (Isaiah 2:3) So too Jeremiah said “So said the Lord: Behold I am returning the captivity of the tents of Jacob…” (Jeremiah 30:18) So too Asaf decorated his words and only recalled the God of Yaakov with a trumpet blast, as it says “…sound the shofar to the God of Jacob.” (Psalms 81:2)