Midrash su Proverbi 15:30
מְֽאוֹר־עֵ֭ינַיִם יְשַׂמַּֽח־לֵ֑ב שְׁמוּעָ֥ה ט֝וֹבָ֗ה תְּדַשֶּׁן־עָֽצֶם׃
La luce degli occhi rallegra il cuore; E un buon rapporto rende le ossa grasse.
Eikhah Rabbah
“Her adversaries have become the head, her enemies are tranquil, for the Lord has tormented her for her abundant transgressions; her infants are led into captivity before the adversary (Lamentations 1:5).
“Her adversaries have become the head.” Rabbi Hillel ben Rabbi Berekhya said: Anyone who comes to oppress Israel becomes a leader. What is the source? “Her adversaries have become the head.” You find that until Jerusalem was destroyed, there was no province that was at all significant.99No city inhabited by non-Jews in the Land of Israel was significant. When Jerusalem was destroyed, Caesarea became a metropolis and a fortified city.
Another matter, “Her adversaries have become the head,” this is Nebuchadnezzar. “Her enemies are tranquil,” this is Nevuzaradan. Alternatively, “Her adversaries have become the head,” this is Vespasian. “Her enemies are tranquil,” this is Titus. For three-and-a-half years, Vespasian surrounded Jerusalem. There were four governors with him: The governor of Arabia, the governor of Africa, the governor of Alexandria, and the governor of Palestine. Regarding the governor of Arabia, there are two amora’im, one says that his name was Kilus and one said that his name was Pangar. There were four noblemen in Jerusalem: Ben Tzitzit, ben Guryon, ben Nakdimon, and ben Kalba Savua. Each and every one was capable of providing sustenance for the city for ten years. There was also ben Batiaḥ,100Ben Batiaḥ was the leader of the zealots. the son of the sister of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai, who was appointed over the storehouses, and he burned all the storehouses.101The zealots wanted to confront the Romans militarily, and burned the storehouses so that the people would be so desperate that they would have to fight. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai heard and said ‘woe [vai].’ They went and told ben Batiaḥ: ‘Your uncle said woe.’ He sent and had him brought and said to him: ‘Why did you say woe?’ He said to him: ‘I did not say woe. Rather, I said va.’102This is an exclamation of joy. He said to him: ‘You said va; why did you say va?’ He said: ‘Because you burned all the storehouses, and I said: As long as the storehouses are intact, they will not risk their lives to engage in battle.’ Between vai and va Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai escaped.103He would have been killed if he had been known to have criticized the zealots. They applied to him the verse: “The advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its possessors” (Ecclesiastes 7:12).
Three days later, Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai went out to walk in the marketplace. He saw that they were boiling straw and drinking its broth. He said: ‘Are people who boil straw and drink its broth capable of standing against Vespasian’s troops?’ He said: ‘The priority is to get me out of here.’ He sent [a message] to ben Batiaḥ saying: ‘Get me out of here.’ [Ben Batiaḥ] said to him: ‘We have agreed among us that no person may emerge from here unless he is dead.’ He said: ‘Get me out in the guise of one who died.’ Rabbi Eliezer carried his [bier] from the head and Rabbi Yehoshua from the feet, and ben Batiaḥ walked before them. When they arrived they sought to stab him.104When they arrived at the gate of the city, the zealots standing guard sought to stab him to ensure that he was, in fact, dead. Ben Batiaḥ said to them: ‘Is that what you want, that they will say that their rabbi died and they stabbed him?’ When he said that to them, they let him go. When they went out of the gate of the wall, they carried him and placed him in a certain tomb and they returned to the city. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai went to walk among Vespasian’s troops. He said to them: ‘Where is the king?’ They went and said to Vespasian: ‘A certain Jew wishes to inquire after your wellbeing.’ He said to them: ‘Let him come.’ When he came he said: ‘Long live my lord, the emperor.’ He said to him: ‘You greeted me with the greeting of a king, but I do not reign [as king], and if the king will hear of it, he will kill me.’105Literally, “he will kill that man.” Vespasian was referring to himself, as it was considered an act of rebellion to allow oneself to be treated as a king. [Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai] said to him: ‘If you are not [yet] the king, ultimately you will reign, as this Temple will be destroyed only by a king, as it is stated: “The Lebanon will fall by a mighty one”’ (Isaiah 10:34). They took him and placed him behind seven partitions.106They placed him in detention in a place where there was no daylight. They would ask him: ‘What hour of the night is it?’ He would tell them. ‘What hour of the day is it?’ He would tell them. How did Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai know? It was from his studies.107Based on the amount of material that he covered, he was able to calculate the time that elapsed (Etz Yosef).
Three days later, Vespasian went to bathe in the Gafna spring. After he bathed and put on one of his shoes, tidings reached him informing him that Nero had died and that the citizens of Rome had crowned him king. He sought to put on his other shoe, but it did not fit. He sent and had Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai brought and he said to him: ‘Are you not able to tell me? All these days I would wear two shoes and they would fit me, now one fits and one does not fit.’ He said to him: ‘You received good tidings, as it is written: “Good tidings fatten the bone”’ (Proverbs 15:30). He said to him: ‘What shall I do so it will fit?’ He said to him: ‘Is there a person whom you hate or who wronged you? Let him pass before you and your flesh will recede, as it is written: “A depressed spirit dries bones”’ (Proverbs 17:22).
They began telling parables before him: ‘What should one do to a barrel in which a snake has nested?’108Their point was to trap him into admitting that he should have fought against the zealots of Jerusalem. He said to them: ‘One brings a snake charmer, charms the snake, and leaves the barrel intact.’ Pangar said: ‘One kills the snake and breaks the barrel.’ ‘What should one do to a cabinet in which a snake has nested?’ He said to them: ‘One brings a snake charmer, charms the snake, and leaves the cabinet intact.’ Pangar said: ‘One kills the snake and burns the cabinet.’ Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai said to Pangar: ‘All neighbors who perform evil perform it in their own neighborhood. Not only do you fail to plea in our favor, you speak to our detriment.’109Pangar was the governor of Arabia, which is near the Land of Israel. By inciting Vespasian to deal harshly with the Jews, Pangar made it more likely that Vespasian would also deal harshly with Arabia. He said to him: ‘I want only what is best for you. As long as that Temple is intact, the kingdoms will confront you; if that Temple is destroyed, the kingdoms will not confront you.’ Rabban Yoḥanan said to him: ‘The heart knows whether it is constructive [laakal]110Literally, a woven basket. A play on words; literally, for a basket. or crooked [laakalkalot].’111This phrase literally means “whether it is for a woven basket [laakal] or crooked [laakalkalot].” This was a common expression based on the play of words, and simply means the heart knows its real intent.
Vespasian said to Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai: ‘Make a request and I will grant it.’ He said to him: ‘I request that you leave this city and go on your way.’ He said to him: ‘Did the citizens of Rome crown me so I would leave this city? Make a [different] request and I will grant it.’ He said to him: ‘I request that you leave the gate of the western gate, which points toward Lod, so that anyone who emerges for four hours will be saved.’ After [Vespasian] conquered it, he said to him: ‘If you have someone who is beloved to you or someone with whom you are close, send and bring him before the soldiers enter.’ He sent to Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua to take out Rabbi Tzadok. They went and found him at the city gate. When he came, Rabban Yoḥanan stood before him. Vespasian said to him: ‘You stand before this repulsive old man?’ He said to him: ‘By your life, if there was another like him, and you had double the [number of your] soldiers, you would not be able to conquer [the city.’ He said to him: ‘What is his strength?’ He said to him: ‘He eats one gamzuz112A fruit similar to a fig (Arukh). and from it studies one hundred chapters.’ He said to him: ‘Why is he so emaciated?’ He said to him: ‘It is due to the effects of fasts and abstinences.’ [Vespasian] sent and brought physicians and they would feed him a little at a time and would give him to drink a little at a time, until his body was restored [to good health]. Elazar, his son,113The son of Rabbi Tzadok. said to him: ‘Father, give them their reward in this world, so that they will have no merit with you in the World to Come.’ He gave them [a method for] mathematical calculations with fingers114This was a method of using the fingers to aid in easy computations of multiplication tables from six to nine (Yefei Anaf). and scales.115He introduced to them a new type of scale for weighing.
After he conquered it, he distributed the four sides to the four governors. The western gate was in the portion of Pangar. It was decreed from Heaven that it would never be destroyed. Why? Because the Divine Presence is in the west. They destroyed theirs, he did not destroy his. [Vespasian] sent and had him brought and said to him: ‘Why did you not destroy yours?’ He said to him: ‘By your life, I did so for the glory of the kingdom. Had I destroyed it, people would not know what you destroyed. When the people will see [the remaining wall], they will say: Look at the power of Vespasian, what he destroyed.’ He said to him: ‘By your life, you have spoken well; however, because you violated my command, that man116The reference is to Pangar himself. will ascend to the roof and cast himself from it. If he lives, he lives; if he dies, he dies.’ He ascended, cast himself, and died. The curse of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai came upon him.117Rabban Yoḥanan had implied that if Pangar’s intentions were malicious toward the Jews, he should be cursed.
“Her adversaries have become the head.” Rabbi Hillel ben Rabbi Berekhya said: Anyone who comes to oppress Israel becomes a leader. What is the source? “Her adversaries have become the head.” You find that until Jerusalem was destroyed, there was no province that was at all significant.99No city inhabited by non-Jews in the Land of Israel was significant. When Jerusalem was destroyed, Caesarea became a metropolis and a fortified city.
Another matter, “Her adversaries have become the head,” this is Nebuchadnezzar. “Her enemies are tranquil,” this is Nevuzaradan. Alternatively, “Her adversaries have become the head,” this is Vespasian. “Her enemies are tranquil,” this is Titus. For three-and-a-half years, Vespasian surrounded Jerusalem. There were four governors with him: The governor of Arabia, the governor of Africa, the governor of Alexandria, and the governor of Palestine. Regarding the governor of Arabia, there are two amora’im, one says that his name was Kilus and one said that his name was Pangar. There were four noblemen in Jerusalem: Ben Tzitzit, ben Guryon, ben Nakdimon, and ben Kalba Savua. Each and every one was capable of providing sustenance for the city for ten years. There was also ben Batiaḥ,100Ben Batiaḥ was the leader of the zealots. the son of the sister of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai, who was appointed over the storehouses, and he burned all the storehouses.101The zealots wanted to confront the Romans militarily, and burned the storehouses so that the people would be so desperate that they would have to fight. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai heard and said ‘woe [vai].’ They went and told ben Batiaḥ: ‘Your uncle said woe.’ He sent and had him brought and said to him: ‘Why did you say woe?’ He said to him: ‘I did not say woe. Rather, I said va.’102This is an exclamation of joy. He said to him: ‘You said va; why did you say va?’ He said: ‘Because you burned all the storehouses, and I said: As long as the storehouses are intact, they will not risk their lives to engage in battle.’ Between vai and va Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai escaped.103He would have been killed if he had been known to have criticized the zealots. They applied to him the verse: “The advantage of knowledge is that wisdom preserves the life of its possessors” (Ecclesiastes 7:12).
Three days later, Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai went out to walk in the marketplace. He saw that they were boiling straw and drinking its broth. He said: ‘Are people who boil straw and drink its broth capable of standing against Vespasian’s troops?’ He said: ‘The priority is to get me out of here.’ He sent [a message] to ben Batiaḥ saying: ‘Get me out of here.’ [Ben Batiaḥ] said to him: ‘We have agreed among us that no person may emerge from here unless he is dead.’ He said: ‘Get me out in the guise of one who died.’ Rabbi Eliezer carried his [bier] from the head and Rabbi Yehoshua from the feet, and ben Batiaḥ walked before them. When they arrived they sought to stab him.104When they arrived at the gate of the city, the zealots standing guard sought to stab him to ensure that he was, in fact, dead. Ben Batiaḥ said to them: ‘Is that what you want, that they will say that their rabbi died and they stabbed him?’ When he said that to them, they let him go. When they went out of the gate of the wall, they carried him and placed him in a certain tomb and they returned to the city. Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai went to walk among Vespasian’s troops. He said to them: ‘Where is the king?’ They went and said to Vespasian: ‘A certain Jew wishes to inquire after your wellbeing.’ He said to them: ‘Let him come.’ When he came he said: ‘Long live my lord, the emperor.’ He said to him: ‘You greeted me with the greeting of a king, but I do not reign [as king], and if the king will hear of it, he will kill me.’105Literally, “he will kill that man.” Vespasian was referring to himself, as it was considered an act of rebellion to allow oneself to be treated as a king. [Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai] said to him: ‘If you are not [yet] the king, ultimately you will reign, as this Temple will be destroyed only by a king, as it is stated: “The Lebanon will fall by a mighty one”’ (Isaiah 10:34). They took him and placed him behind seven partitions.106They placed him in detention in a place where there was no daylight. They would ask him: ‘What hour of the night is it?’ He would tell them. ‘What hour of the day is it?’ He would tell them. How did Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai know? It was from his studies.107Based on the amount of material that he covered, he was able to calculate the time that elapsed (Etz Yosef).
Three days later, Vespasian went to bathe in the Gafna spring. After he bathed and put on one of his shoes, tidings reached him informing him that Nero had died and that the citizens of Rome had crowned him king. He sought to put on his other shoe, but it did not fit. He sent and had Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai brought and he said to him: ‘Are you not able to tell me? All these days I would wear two shoes and they would fit me, now one fits and one does not fit.’ He said to him: ‘You received good tidings, as it is written: “Good tidings fatten the bone”’ (Proverbs 15:30). He said to him: ‘What shall I do so it will fit?’ He said to him: ‘Is there a person whom you hate or who wronged you? Let him pass before you and your flesh will recede, as it is written: “A depressed spirit dries bones”’ (Proverbs 17:22).
They began telling parables before him: ‘What should one do to a barrel in which a snake has nested?’108Their point was to trap him into admitting that he should have fought against the zealots of Jerusalem. He said to them: ‘One brings a snake charmer, charms the snake, and leaves the barrel intact.’ Pangar said: ‘One kills the snake and breaks the barrel.’ ‘What should one do to a cabinet in which a snake has nested?’ He said to them: ‘One brings a snake charmer, charms the snake, and leaves the cabinet intact.’ Pangar said: ‘One kills the snake and burns the cabinet.’ Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai said to Pangar: ‘All neighbors who perform evil perform it in their own neighborhood. Not only do you fail to plea in our favor, you speak to our detriment.’109Pangar was the governor of Arabia, which is near the Land of Israel. By inciting Vespasian to deal harshly with the Jews, Pangar made it more likely that Vespasian would also deal harshly with Arabia. He said to him: ‘I want only what is best for you. As long as that Temple is intact, the kingdoms will confront you; if that Temple is destroyed, the kingdoms will not confront you.’ Rabban Yoḥanan said to him: ‘The heart knows whether it is constructive [laakal]110Literally, a woven basket. A play on words; literally, for a basket. or crooked [laakalkalot].’111This phrase literally means “whether it is for a woven basket [laakal] or crooked [laakalkalot].” This was a common expression based on the play of words, and simply means the heart knows its real intent.
Vespasian said to Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai: ‘Make a request and I will grant it.’ He said to him: ‘I request that you leave this city and go on your way.’ He said to him: ‘Did the citizens of Rome crown me so I would leave this city? Make a [different] request and I will grant it.’ He said to him: ‘I request that you leave the gate of the western gate, which points toward Lod, so that anyone who emerges for four hours will be saved.’ After [Vespasian] conquered it, he said to him: ‘If you have someone who is beloved to you or someone with whom you are close, send and bring him before the soldiers enter.’ He sent to Rabbi Eliezer and Rabbi Yehoshua to take out Rabbi Tzadok. They went and found him at the city gate. When he came, Rabban Yoḥanan stood before him. Vespasian said to him: ‘You stand before this repulsive old man?’ He said to him: ‘By your life, if there was another like him, and you had double the [number of your] soldiers, you would not be able to conquer [the city.’ He said to him: ‘What is his strength?’ He said to him: ‘He eats one gamzuz112A fruit similar to a fig (Arukh). and from it studies one hundred chapters.’ He said to him: ‘Why is he so emaciated?’ He said to him: ‘It is due to the effects of fasts and abstinences.’ [Vespasian] sent and brought physicians and they would feed him a little at a time and would give him to drink a little at a time, until his body was restored [to good health]. Elazar, his son,113The son of Rabbi Tzadok. said to him: ‘Father, give them their reward in this world, so that they will have no merit with you in the World to Come.’ He gave them [a method for] mathematical calculations with fingers114This was a method of using the fingers to aid in easy computations of multiplication tables from six to nine (Yefei Anaf). and scales.115He introduced to them a new type of scale for weighing.
After he conquered it, he distributed the four sides to the four governors. The western gate was in the portion of Pangar. It was decreed from Heaven that it would never be destroyed. Why? Because the Divine Presence is in the west. They destroyed theirs, he did not destroy his. [Vespasian] sent and had him brought and said to him: ‘Why did you not destroy yours?’ He said to him: ‘By your life, I did so for the glory of the kingdom. Had I destroyed it, people would not know what you destroyed. When the people will see [the remaining wall], they will say: Look at the power of Vespasian, what he destroyed.’ He said to him: ‘By your life, you have spoken well; however, because you violated my command, that man116The reference is to Pangar himself. will ascend to the roof and cast himself from it. If he lives, he lives; if he dies, he dies.’ He ascended, cast himself, and died. The curse of Rabban Yoḥanan ben Zakai came upon him.117Rabban Yoḥanan had implied that if Pangar’s intentions were malicious toward the Jews, he should be cursed.
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Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
Abba Sikra, the leader of the rebels in Jerusalem, was the son of R. Jochanan b. Zakkai's sister. The latter sent word to the former: "Come in secrecy unto me." When he came, R. Jochanan said to him: "How long are you going to commit these things which cause death unto the entire population?" His nephew answered him: "What can I do, should I say a word against them, they will execute me?" "Find a way," said R. Jochanan to him, "so that I should be able to get out of this town and try to see the enemy. Perhaps there will he a little help." His nephew then advised him and said: Feign sickness and let the people come in and visit you as a sick person. Procure something that causes a bad odor and leave it with thee over night, and let the Rabbis announce that you have died. Your disciples shall then enter to carry you, but none else shall enter, so that they should not thereby feel that you are light in weight, and understand that you are alive, for a live person weighs less than a dead one." He did so. R. Elazar entered on one side and R. Joshua on another, and began to carry him away. When they came to the gates, [and waited to take the body out for burial,] the watchmen wanted to stick their spears into the body. Whereupon Abba Sikra said to him: "The Romans will say: 'Their own Rabbi have they pierced with spears.' " They then wanted to throw him over the gate. Whereupon he again said to them: "The Romans will say, 'Their own Rabbi have they thrown over the gate.'" Consequently they opened the gate for the [dead body] and they left… . When R. Jochanan b. Zakkai appeared before Vespasian, he said: "Peace unto thee king, peace unto the king." The latter said to him: "You deserve twice execution; firstly, because I am no king and you are calling me king. Secondly, had it been true that I am king, why have you not come unto me until now?" R. Jochanan then said to him: "As to your statement, that you are no king, (Ib. b) I claim that you are a king, for had you not been a king then Jerusalem would not have been surrendered into your hands, for it is written (Is. 10,34) And the Lebanan shall fall by [means of] a mighty (Adir), and mighty refers to no one else but a king, as it is written (Jer. 30, 21) And the Leader [Adir] shall be of themselves. And Lebanan refers to none else but the Temple, as it is said (Deut. 3, 25) This goodly mountain and the Lebanan. As to your question; that if you were a king why then did I not come to you before; I will answer that the rebels who are among us prevented me from doing so." Vespasian then said to him: "If there is a barrel full of honey and a serpent is around it, is it not proper to break the barrel on account of the serpent?" R. Jochanan remained silent. R. Joseph and other authorities say R. Akiba applied the following passage to this incident (Is. 44, 25) That turneth the wise backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish. Why, he should have said to him: "The proper thing is to take a pincer and remove the serpent from the barrel and kill it, but the barrel should be left alone." While they were so discussing a courier that was dispatched from Rome came and said: "Arise, because the Kaiser died and the nobles of Rome decided to put you at the head of them." Vespasian was then putting on his shoes. One shoe he had on and was about to put on the other. He could not place his foot into it, nor pull off the one he had on. Whereupon R. Jochanan said to him: "Do not worry, it is because you received good tidings that this occurred to you, for it is written (Pr. 15, 30) And good report giveth marrow to the bones." "What is the remedy for it?" R. Jochanan advised him that a man with whom he was not satisfied should come and pass before him, as it is written (Ib. 17, 22) But a depressed spirit dieth up the bones. He did so, thus enabling him to put on the shoes. He again said to him: "Since you are so wise, why didn't you come to me until now?" Whereupon R. Jochanan replied: "Didn't I give you an excuse for it?" "But did I not tell you what you should have done," remarked Vespasian… . Vespasian then said to R. Jochanan b. Zakkai: "I will leave the city and I will send another one; nevertheless, ask some favor from me and I shall try to give it to you." He then said to him: "Give me the city of Jamnia with its sages and also the entire noble family of Rabban Gemaliel and sufficient doctors to cure R. Zaddak from his sickness." R. Joseph, and according to others R. Akiba, applied the following passage (Is. 44, 25) He that turneth the wise backward and maketh their knowledge foolish. He should have asked of Vespasian to leave the entire city. But R. Jochanan thought that perhaps he would not have been able to gain so much, thus even a little would not be saved.
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Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Ibid., cont.:) BUT RACHEL HAD A LOVELY FORM AND WAS LOVELY TO LOOK AT. Why? Because it is stated (in Prov. 15:30): GOOD NEWS PUTS FAT ON THE BONES. He (Esau) took no action. Rather (in Gen. 28:9): ESAU WENT TO ISHMAEL AND TOOK MAHALATH BAT ISHMAEL < BEN ABRAHAM, THE SISTER OF NEBAIOTH, FOR A WIFE >. Jacob said: Because of the blessings he wanted to kill me; so when I take his wife Leah, who knows if he will leave Mahalath bat Ishmael, come against me, and say: Was it not enough for you to take my birthright and my blessing, that you have taken my betrothed as well! He therefore said to Laban (in Gen. 29:18): I SHALL SERVE YOU SEVEN YEARS FOR < YOUR YOUNGER DAUGHTER > RACHEL. Apart from such a situation, would a man taking a wife leave the older and take the younger?35Since daughters inherit in the absence of sons (Numb. 27:8), the elder daughter would receive the double inheritance of the first-born. See Deut. 21:15-17. Rather < the story is > to teach you that, since Leah was sitting around because of Esau, Jacob said to Laban (ibid.): I SHALL SERVE YOU SEVEN YEARS FOR < YOUR YOUNGER DAUGHTER > RACHEL. Now, when Laban saw that, he said: See here, I am giving away the elder immediately. (Gen. 29:23:) AND, WHEN IT WAS EVENING, HE TOOK HIS DAUGHTER LEAH < AND BROUGHT HER TO HIM >. Jacob said to him: Now were these the terms?36Cf. Gen. R. 70:17. (Gen. 29:25, 26, 28:) DID I NOT SERVE WITH YOU FOR RACHEL? THEN LABAN SAID: IT IS NOT THE CUSTOM IN OUR PLACE…. SO JACOB DID THUS, < AND COMPLETED THE BRIDAL WEEK OF THIS DAUGHTER; THEN LABAN GAVE HIM HIS DAUGHTER RACHEL FOR A WIFE >. He began to love her more than Leah. The Holy One said: Look, I am giving Leah children so that she may be more beloved than Rachel. (Gen. 29:31:) WHEN THE LORD SAW THAT LEAH WAS HATED, HE OPENED HER WOMB.
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Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer
Rabbi Jehudah said: Isaac blessed Jacob with ten blessings concerning the dews of heaven and the corn of the earth, corresponding to the ten words whereby the world was created, as it is said, "And God give thee of the dew of the heaven" (Gen. 27:28); "Let peoples serve thee, …" (Gen. 27:29). When Jacob went forth from the presence of his father Isaac, he went forth crowned like a bridegroom, and like a bride in her adornment, and the quickening dew from heaven descended upon him, and refreshed his bones, and he also became a mighty hero; therefore it is said, "By the hands of the mighty Jacob, from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel" (Gen. 49:24).
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