וַיֶּאֱהַ֣ל אַבְרָ֗ם וַיָּבֹ֛א וַיֵּ֛שֶׁב בְּאֵלֹנֵ֥י מַמְרֵ֖א אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּחֶבְר֑וֹן וַיִּֽבֶן־שָׁ֥ם מִזְבֵּ֖חַ לַֽיהוָֽה׃ (פ)
이에 아브람이 장막을 옮겨 헤브론에 있는 마므레 상수리 수풀에 이르러 거하며 거기서 여호와를 위하여 단을 쌓았더라
Bereshit Rabbah
“He built an altar to the Lord there” – Rabbi Elazar said: He built three altars; one for the good tidings of [being granted] the Land of Israel,56See Genesis 12:7. one for its acquisition,57See Genesis 13:18. and one so his descendants would not fall [in battle].58In this verse, Genesis 12:8. That is what is written [concerning the battle of Ai]: “Joshua rent his garments, fell on his face to the ground before the Ark of the Lord until the evening, he and the elders of Israel, and they put dust on their heads” (Joshua 7:6). Rabbi Elazar ben Shamua said: They began evoking the merit of Abraham our forefather, as it is stated: “I am dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27). Did Abraham not build an altar in Ai specifically so that his descendants should not fall [in battle] at Ai?
“And proclaimed [vayikra] the name of the Lord” – this teaches that he caused all the people to proclaim the name of the Lord. Vayikra59Literally, he called. – he began converting proselytes to bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence.
“Abram journeyed, steadily journeying to the Negev” (Genesis 12:9).
“Abram journeyed, steadily journeying to the Negev” – he directed his attention and charted his path toward the site of the Temple.
“And proclaimed [vayikra] the name of the Lord” – this teaches that he caused all the people to proclaim the name of the Lord. Vayikra59Literally, he called. – he began converting proselytes to bring them under the wings of the Divine Presence.
“Abram journeyed, steadily journeying to the Negev” (Genesis 12:9).
“Abram journeyed, steadily journeying to the Negev” – he directed his attention and charted his path toward the site of the Temple.
Bereshit Rabbah
“He planted a tamarisk in Beersheba, and he proclaimed there the name of the Lord, God of the universe” (Genesis 21:33).
“He planted a tamarisk [eshel] in Beersheba” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: Eshel is an orchard. [It means:] Request [she’al] whatever you would like to request – figs, grapes, and pomegranates. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Eshel is an inn. [It means:] Request [she’al] whatever you would like to request; a loaf of bread, meat, wine, eggs. Rabbi Azarya in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: Eshel is Sanhedrin,23Abraham set up a Sanhedrin in Beersheba. just as it says: “Saul was sitting [in judgment] in Giva under the tamarisk [eshel] in Rama” (I Samuel 22:6).
According to the opinion of Rabbi Neḥemya, who said eshel is an inn, Abraham would receive passersby. After they had eaten and drunk, he would say to them: ‘Say a blessing.’ They would say to him: ‘What shall we say?’ He would say to them: ‘Blessed is the God of the universe, whose food we have eaten.’ That is what is written: “He proclaimed there the name of the Lord, God of the universe.”
“Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines many years” (Genesis 21:34).
“Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines many years” – more years than he stayed in Hebron. In Hebron he stayed twenty-five years,24He was seventy-five years old when he arrived in the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:4), and settled in Hebron (Genesis 13:18). Up until the time of the upheaval of Sodom, when he was one hundred years old, the Torah does not mention anything about him moving away from there. and here he stayed twenty-six years.25Since our verse states that he resided “many years” in the land of the Philistines, the implication is that he lived there for longer than his twenty-five-year stay in Hebron. Since the verse does not specify how many years more, the assumption is that he was there just one year more than he resided in Hebron.
“He planted a tamarisk [eshel] in Beersheba” – Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Neḥemya, Rabbi Yehuda said: Eshel is an orchard. [It means:] Request [she’al] whatever you would like to request – figs, grapes, and pomegranates. Rabbi Neḥemya said: Eshel is an inn. [It means:] Request [she’al] whatever you would like to request; a loaf of bread, meat, wine, eggs. Rabbi Azarya in the name of Rabbi Yehuda bar Simon: Eshel is Sanhedrin,23Abraham set up a Sanhedrin in Beersheba. just as it says: “Saul was sitting [in judgment] in Giva under the tamarisk [eshel] in Rama” (I Samuel 22:6).
According to the opinion of Rabbi Neḥemya, who said eshel is an inn, Abraham would receive passersby. After they had eaten and drunk, he would say to them: ‘Say a blessing.’ They would say to him: ‘What shall we say?’ He would say to them: ‘Blessed is the God of the universe, whose food we have eaten.’ That is what is written: “He proclaimed there the name of the Lord, God of the universe.”
“Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines many years” (Genesis 21:34).
“Abraham resided in the land of the Philistines many years” – more years than he stayed in Hebron. In Hebron he stayed twenty-five years,24He was seventy-five years old when he arrived in the land of Canaan (Genesis 12:4), and settled in Hebron (Genesis 13:18). Up until the time of the upheaval of Sodom, when he was one hundred years old, the Torah does not mention anything about him moving away from there. and here he stayed twenty-six years.25Since our verse states that he resided “many years” in the land of the Philistines, the implication is that he lived there for longer than his twenty-five-year stay in Hebron. Since the verse does not specify how many years more, the assumption is that he was there just one year more than he resided in Hebron.
Bereshit Rabbah
“Sarah died in Kiryat Arba, which is Hebron, in the land of Canaan; Abraham came to lament for Sarah, and to weep for her” (Genesis 23:2).
“Sarah died in Kiryat Arba” – it was called by four names: Eshkol,9See Numbers 13:22–24. Mamre,10See Genesis 13:18. Kiryat Arba, Hebron.
Why does it [the Torah] call it Kiryat Arba? It is because four [arba’a] righteous men resided there: Aner, Eshkol and Mamre, and Abraham, and four righteous men were circumcised there: Abraham, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Alternatively, it is because four righteous men, patriarchs of the world, were buried there: Adam the first man, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Alternatively, it is because four matriarchs are buried there: Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah. And [it is called this also] after its lords, who numbered four, the giant and his three sons.11See Joshua 15:14.
Rabbi Azarya said: It is [so named] because it was from there that our patriarch Abraham departed when he pursued [the armies of] the four kingdoms, who were world leaders.12See Genesis chapter 14. It is [so named also] because it fell by lottery to four parties: Initially to Judah, then to Caleb, then to the Levites, and then to the priests.13See Joshua 15:13, 21:10–11, 21:13.
Also, it is one of the four undesirable places in the Land of Israel. What were they? Rabbi Yitzḥak and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Dor, the Dor District, Timnat Seraḥ, and Hebron. The Rabbis say: Dana, Kiryat Sana, Timnat Seraḥ, and Hebron.
“Sarah died in Kiryat Arba” – it was called by four names: Eshkol,9See Numbers 13:22–24. Mamre,10See Genesis 13:18. Kiryat Arba, Hebron.
Why does it [the Torah] call it Kiryat Arba? It is because four [arba’a] righteous men resided there: Aner, Eshkol and Mamre, and Abraham, and four righteous men were circumcised there: Abraham, Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre. Alternatively, it is because four righteous men, patriarchs of the world, were buried there: Adam the first man, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Alternatively, it is because four matriarchs are buried there: Eve, Sarah, Rebecca, and Leah. And [it is called this also] after its lords, who numbered four, the giant and his three sons.11See Joshua 15:14.
Rabbi Azarya said: It is [so named] because it was from there that our patriarch Abraham departed when he pursued [the armies of] the four kingdoms, who were world leaders.12See Genesis chapter 14. It is [so named also] because it fell by lottery to four parties: Initially to Judah, then to Caleb, then to the Levites, and then to the priests.13See Joshua 15:13, 21:10–11, 21:13.
Also, it is one of the four undesirable places in the Land of Israel. What were they? Rabbi Yitzḥak and the Rabbis, Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Dor, the Dor District, Timnat Seraḥ, and Hebron. The Rabbis say: Dana, Kiryat Sana, Timnat Seraḥ, and Hebron.