Midrasz do Rodzaju 11:3

R. Samuel b. Nachmeni in the name of R. Jonathan said: "What is the meaning of the passage, Happy is the man that hath not walked, etc., i.e., happy is the man that hath not walked in the council of the wicked, refers to Abraham our father, who hath not walked with the generation which witnessed the separation of races because that generation was wicked, as it is said (Gen. 11, 3) Come, let us make brick. Nor stood in the way of sinners, i.e., who did not stand in the circle of Sodomites, concerning whom the passage says (Ib. 13, 13) Now the men of Sodom were wicked and sinners; nor sat in the seat of the scornful, i.e., who did not associate himself with the Philistines, because the latter were scorners, as it is said (Jud. 16, 25) Call for Samson, that he may make us sport."

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM. This text is related (to Job 41:8 [16]): ONE IS SO NEAR TO THE OTHER THAT NO AIR CAN COME BETWEEN THEM. This refers to Judah and Joseph, for in whatever Joseph prided himself, Judah came and vanquished, as stated (in Gen. 45:1): JOSEPH COULD NOT RESTRAIN HIMSELF. To what were they comparable?⁹Tanh., Gen. 11:3. To a bull that went out; and, when all the beasts fled from him, he kicked (rt.: B'T) at one and gored at another. Then came the lion, but he did not stand up to him. Rather, when the lion appeared and sought out the bull, he was not to be found. So Joseph is likened to the bull, as stated (in Deut. 33:17): LIKE A FIRSTLING BULL HE HAS MAJESTY. The tribes also have been likened to beasts, and Joseph was priding himself as being over them and despising (rt.: B'T) them. (According to Gen. 42:7) HE BECAME A STRANGER TO THEM. Then goring at a particular one, (according to Gen. 42:24) HE TOOK SIMON FROM THEM. He acted so only until the lion came, < for > (according to Gen. 49:24) JUDAH IS A LION'S WHELP. He sought him out as the bull, but he was not to be found. Rather (according to Gen. 45:1): JOSEPH COULD NOT RESTRAIN HIMSELF. Why? (Prov. 30:30:) THE LION IS THE MIGHTIEST AMONG THE BEASTS, AND RETREATS BEFORE NONE, even because it is written of him (in Gen. 47:12): AND < JOSEPH > SUSTAINED < HIS FATHER AND HIS BROTHERS >.¹⁰One would expect some saying about Judah. Buber’s note here suggests that SUSTAINED be read as two words, apart from the biblical context, and interpreted as “All in all,” i.e., the lion is “all in all” in the world of beasts. Cf. Tanh., Gen. 11:3: “Who has stood facing a bull? The lion, as stated (Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM.” Also in the world to come a fighting Messiah is going to arise from Joseph, but a Messiah who is to arise from Judah will be stronger than he, as stated (in Zech. 10:6): I WILL STRENGTHEN THE HOUSE OF JUDAH, < BUT THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH I WILL SAVE >.

(Deut. 25:17:) “Remember what Amalek did to you.” R. Tanhum bar Hanila'i opened [his discourse] (with Job 13:12), “Your remembrances are proverbs of ashes; your responses are responses of clay”:²⁴3:2; cf. 12:4; PR 12:2. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “These two remembrances are what I have mentioned to you in the Torah, you are to be mindful of them. (Deut. 25:19:) ‘You shall blot out the remembrance of Amalek.’ [And (Deut. 25:17), ‘Remember what Amalek did to you.’” (Job 13:12:) “Proverbs of ashes,” [meaning] those compared to ashes. If you are worthy, you shall be children of Abraham who compared himself to ashes, where it is written (in Gen. 18:27), “for I am dust and ashes.” But if [you are] not [worthy], (according to Job 13:12), “your responses are responses of clay.” [Then] prepare yourselves for enslavement in Egypt, as stated (in Exod. 1:14), “And they made their lives bitter with hard labor [at clay and bricks].” (A different version: [Then prepare yourselves] for the subjugation of the kingdoms, as stated (Ps. 129:3), “Plowmen plowed across my back.”) Another interpretation (of Job 13:12), “Your remembrances are proverbs of ashes”: Why are you misleading the creatures that see you and think about you that you are righteous like Avraham, as is stated about him (in Gen. 18:27), “for I am dust and ashes.” But you, “your responses are responses of clay,” like the generation of [the Tower of Babel], about whom it is written (in Gen. 11:3), “and the clay was mortar for them.”

(Gen. 47:30:) WHEN I SLEEP WITH MY ANCESTORS…. Why do all the ancestors search for and cherish burial in the land of Israel?¹⁵Gen. R. 96:5(7). R. Hananiah said: R. Joshua ben Levi said: There is a reason for this (in Ps. 116:9): I WILL WALK BEFORE THE LORD IN THE LANDS OF THE LIVING. Our masters have said two things in the name of R. Helbo: Why did the ancestors cherish the land of Israel for burial? Because the dead in the land of Israel shall be the first to revive in the days of the Messiah and enjoy the messianic years.¹⁶See above, 7:23, and the references noted there. R. Hama b. R. Hanina said: The one who dies outside of the land and is buried there has two deaths. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Jer. 20:6): YOU ALSO, PASHUR, AND ALL WHO DWELL IN YOUR HOUSE SHALL GO INTO CAPTIVITY. SO YOU SHALL COME TO BABYLON, WHERE YOU SHALL DIE AND WHERE YOU SHALL BE BURIED, YOU ALONG WITH ALL YOUR FRIENDS TO WHOM YOU PROPHESIED FALSELY.¹⁷The burial outside Israel is seen here as the second death. R. Simon said: If so, are the righteous who are buried outside the land at a disadvantage? So what does the Holy One do? He {goes back to} [bores through] the land before them and makes them like skin bottles¹⁸See yKet. 12:3 (35b); cf. the parallel in Tanh., Gen. 11:3: “He makes cavities for them in the land and makes them (the cavities) like these caverns….” Cf. also Ket. 111b. so that they come rolling < on through > until they arrive in the land of Israel. Then, when they arrive in the land of Israel, he puts the spirit of life in them; and they arise. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Ezek. 37:12): BEHOLD, I WILL OPEN YOUR GRAVES … < O MY PEOPLE, AND BRING YOU UNTO THE LAND OF ISRAEL >. Then afterwards (in vs. 14): AND I WILL PUT MY SPIRIT WITHIN YOU SO THAT YOU SHALL LIVE. Resh Laqish said: Scripture clearly states that, when they arrive in the land of Israel, the Holy One puts breath in them, as stated (in Is. 42:5): WHO GIVES BREATH TO THE PEOPLE UPON IT¹⁹The antecedent of IT is ha’arets, which is usually translated here as THE EARTH but can also mean THE LAND. AND SPIRIT TO THOSE WHO WALK THEREON.

R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Elazar b. R. Simon: "Wherever you find something said by R. Eliezer, the son of R. Jose, the Galilian, in the way of homeletics, make thy ear like the hopper [to receive his words]." (Deut. 7, 7) The Lord did not set His love upon you nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people, etc. The Holy one, praised be He! said unto Israel: "I love you, because at the time when I even overwhelm you with dignity, ye are belittling yourself before Me. For I gave dignity unto Abraham and he [in return] said (Gen. 18, 27) Who am I but dust and ashes. I did the same unto Moses and Aaron and they [in return] said (Ex. 16, 7) And what are we. Unto David, and he said (Ps. 22, 7) But I am a worm, and not a man. The other nations, however, behave differently; for when I gave dignity unto Nimrod, he then said (Gen. 11, 3) Come, let us build us a city. Unto Pharaoh, and he said (Ex. 5, 2) Who is the Lord? Unto Sennacherib, and he said (II Kings 18, 35) Who are they among all the gods of the countries, etc. Unto Nebuchadnezzar, and he said (Is. 14, 14) I will ascend above the heights of the clouds. Unto Chiram, King of Tyre, and he said (Ez. 28, 2) I sit in the seat of God, in the heart of the seas." Raba, and according to some authorities, R. Jochanan, said "The stand which the passage states was taken by Moses and Aaron is more [exhausting] than the one taken by Abraham; for concerning Abraham it is written, Who am but dust and ashes, while concerning Moses and Aaron, it is written, And what are we?" Raba, and according to others, R. Jochanan, said further: "The world would not have been in existence were it not for the sake of Moses and Aaron; for it is written here and what are we, and it is written elsewhere (Job 26, 7) He hangeth the earth over nothing."

Another interpretation (of Gen. 44:18): THEN JUDAH DREW NEAR UNTO HIM. He drew near to fight with him. Now this language is nothing but the language of warfare. Thus it is stated (in II Sam. 10:13): SO JOAB AND {ALL} THE PEOPLE < WHO WERE WITH HIM DREW NEAR TO THE BATTLE >….¹⁹Gen. R. 93:6. Our masters have said: When Judah was filled with wrath, his hairs²⁰Tanh., Gen. 11:3, specifies: “Two hairs growing out from his heart.” would stand up and break through his garments. There are also those who say that he would take iron beans, put them in his mouth, and crunch them in it when his wrath would arise. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 44:18): THEN < JUDAH > DREW NEAR {AND SAID: PRAY (bi), MY LORD, you are bringing injustice (biyah) upon us.²¹Above, 11:5. Yesterday you told us: You shall bring your younger brother unto me; so we have brought him. Now you have taken him. Is this not injustice?}

Woe to the kingdom of Esau when the Holy One sees its works and arises to exact retribution from it. We have found in the case of Egypt that, when the Holy One exacted retribution from them, he exacted retribution from them in the early morning. Thus it is stated (in Exod. 14:24): THEN IT CAME TO PASS IN THE MORNING WATCH < THAT THE LORD LOOKED DOWN AT THE HOST OF THE EGYPTIANS FROM THE PILLAR OF FIRE AND THE CLOUD AND CONFOUNDED THE HOST OF THE EGYPTIANS >. What is written about Assyria (in II Kings 19:35)? < SO IT CAME TO PASS IN THAT NIGHT > THAT THE ANGEL OF THE LORD WENT OUT AND SMOTE < ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY-FIVE THOUSAND > IN THE CAMP OF ASSYRIA…. In the case of Media it was at the hands of Mordecai and Esther. In the case of Greece it was at the hands of Mattathias and his sons. But in the case of Edom the Holy One said: There is no creature who will exact retribution from it. I myself will exact retribution against it. Where is it shown? (In Obad. vs. 1-2:) THE VISION OF OBADIAH. THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD TO EDOM: WE HAVE HEARD TIDINGS FROM THE LORD…. < BEHOLD I WILL MAKE YOU SMALL AMONG THE NATIONS >…. R. Berekhyah said: What did Obadiah see exacting retribution from Edom? He saw that, < if > the Holy One gives back recompense to those who love him, how much the more < would he do > so for those who hate him. So the Holy Spirit says through Eliphaz the Temanite (in Job 4:1-2): THEN ANSWERED ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE³²Eliphaz is identified as Esau’s eldest son in Gen. 36:4, 10-12, 15; 1 Chron. 1:35-36. Teman was a district of Edom. AND SAID: IF ONE TRIES YOU IN SOMETHING, DO YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH?³³This translation fits the context here better than a more traditional one, which would read, IF ONE VENTURES A WORD WITH YOU, WILL YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH? Eliphaz said to Job: Here you say: In what way am I not like Abraham? Thus have you said (in Job 30:19): < GOD > HAS CAST ME INTO THE MUD, AND I HAVE BECOME LIKE DUST AND ASHES.³⁴Cf. Gen. 18:27, according to which Abraham said: AND I AM DUST AND ASHES. Do you think that he is comparing you to him? R. Berekhyah said: Transpose the text and interpret it. (Job 30:19a:) AND I HAVE BECOME LIKE DUST AND ASHES < means >, "And he judges you like the generation of the dispersion (i.e., of the Tower of Babel), of which it is written in Gen. 11:3): NOW THEY HAD BRICKS FOR STONE < AND BITUMEN FOR MORTAR >. (Job 30:19a:) < GOD > HAS CAST ME INTO THE MUD. Eliphaz said to him: Are your works like < those of > Abraham? Abraham was tried in ten trials and endured all of them, but you < have only been > in one trial. (Job 4:2-3:) IF ONE TRIES YOU IN SOMETHING, DO YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH? < … > HERE YOU HAVE INSTRUCTED MANY. You would comfort all who were suffering. When a blind person came to you, you would say to him: The Holy One already knows what he is going to do. After all, he < was the one who > made that person blind. You also used to console him and say to him: If you had built a house and did not want to open windows, who would have protested your right? So the Holy One is going to be glorified in you, as stated (in Is. 35:5): THEN THE EYES OF THE BLIND SHALL BE OPENED. When a deaf person would come to you, [you would comfort him and say to him:] If you want to make a juglet,³⁵Gk.: kothon. < but > did not want to make ears for it, who would protest your right? So the Holy One is going to be glorified in you, as stated (in ibid., cont.): AND THE EARS OF THE DEAF SHALL BE OPENED. To a lame person you would say (in ibid., vs. 6): THEN THE LAME SHALL LEAP LIKE A DEER. So you would comfort him. (According to Job 4:4:) YOUR WORDS HAVE UPHELD THE STUMBLING. But now that it affects you, you are dismayed! (Job. 4:5:) BUT NOW THAT < TROUBLE > HAS COME UNTO YOU, YOU FIND IT TOO MUCH…. (Job 4:6:) IS NOT YOUR GODLY FEAR YOUR CONFIDENCE? After all, you have said: I am a righteous person; so why does he punish me? Have you ever seen a righteous person perishing? (Job 4:7:) PLEASE RECALL, WHAT INNOCENT ONE HAS PERISHED … ? Because Noah was righteous, he was saved from his generation. Abraham was saved from the furnace; Isaac was saved from the knife; Jacob was saved from the angel; Moses was saved from Pharaoh's sword. (Job 4:7:) PLEASE RECALL, WHAT INNOCENT ONE HAS PERISHED … ? He delivered Israel from Egypt, but he destroyed the Egyptians (according to Job 4:8): AS [I HAVE SEEN], THOSE WHO PLOW EVIL AND SOW TROUBLE, REAP IT. So what happened to them (according to vs. 9)? BY THE BREATH (NShMT) OF GOD THEY PERISH. It is so stated (in Exod. 15:10): YOU BLEW (NShMT) WITH YOUR WIND, AND THE SEA COVERED THEM. Also < with reference to > all the wicked who are going to arise, (according to Job 4:10) < there is > A LION'S ROAR AND A FIERCE LION'S VOICE. Job said to him (to Eliphaz): Please look at your father, Esau. He said to him: I am not concerned with him. (According to Ezek. 18:20): {THE} [A] SON SHALL NOT BEAR THE FATHER'S GUILT…. (Job 4:11:) THE STRONG LION PERISHES FOR LACK OF PREY. This < strong lion > is Esau in that he perishes for lack of < good > works. (Ibid., cont.:) AND THE OFFSPRING OF THE LIONESS ARE SCATTERED. These < offspring > are his chieftains. Job said to him: Now in your case, what do you have for yourself? (Job 4:12:) NOW A WORD WAS SECRETLY BROUGHT UNTO ME. I am a prophet. My only concern with him is to rebuke you (according to vs. 13) IN OPINIONS³⁶The Hebrew word here is a homonym of the reading in Masoretic Text, which denotes THOUGHTS. FROM NIGHT VISIONS. The Holy One said [to Eliphaz]: You have rebuked my servant Job through a vision. I am raising up a prophet from you who will exact punishment from your father's house (the Edomites) through a vision. [It is so stated (in Obad., vs. 1): THE VISION OF OBADIAH.] So R. Samuel bar Nahmani said: What did Obadiah see, since he only prophesied against Edom? The Holy One said: Esau grew up between two righteous people³⁷Jacob and Rebekah. So Sifre, Numb. 27:1 (133). without learning from their works; but Obadiah dwelt between two wicked people³⁸Ahab and Jezebel. So Sifre, Numb. 27:1 (133); Rashi on Sanh. 39b. See also Jerome’s introduction to his commentary on Obadiah. without learning from their works. Obadiah would come and exact punishment from Esau. Ergo (in Obad., vs. 1) THE VISION OF OBADIAH. And what is written in his prophecy (in vs. 18)? THE HOUSE OF JACOB SHALL BE FIRE, AND THE HOUSE OF JOSEPH A FLAME, AND THE HOUSE OF ESAU SHALL BE STRAW; THEY SHALL BURN IT AND CONSUME IT, AND THERE SHALL BE NO SURVIVOR TO THE HOUSE OF ESAU; FOR THE LORD HAS SPOKEN.

In this instance each man said to his neighbor, Cush to Put, and Put to Canaan: Come, let us make brick (Gen. 11:3). The Holy One, blessed be He, thereupon declared: You evil men, because you have sinned with the words Come, let us, I shall confound you through those very words, as it is said: Come, let us go down there and confound their language (ibid., v. 7). R. Hiyya the son of Abba said: One third of the tower they erected was consumed in fire, another third was swallowed into the earth, and the remainder was left standing. Yet if one climbed to the summit of the remaining third, the palm trees in Jericho below appeared no larger than grasshoppers.

(Gen. 11:3:) THEN THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER. What is the meaning of TO ONE ANOTHER?¹⁰³Cf. Gen. R. 38:8. Ethiopia to Egypt, [Egypt to Put (of Libya)], Put to Canaan.¹⁰⁴The listing follows Gen. 10:6.

(Gen. 11:3:) THEN THEY SAID TO ONE ANOTHER: COME, LET US FORM BRICKS. The Holy One caused everything that they made to prosper in their hands in order to laugh at them in the end. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 2:4): THE ONE SITTING IN THE HEAVENS SHALL LAUGH. Now had they not built, they would have said: If we had built the tower, we should¹¹⁰“We should” follows Tanh., Gen. 2:18. The Buber text, which translates, “They would,” lacks the letter (nun). have ascended to the heavens and fought with him.¹¹¹Cf. Sanh. 109a. What did the Holy One do? He made things prosper in their hands to make known that those in the world are nothing. Then after [that] he laughed at them and banished them, as stated (in Gen. 11:8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM OUT OF THERE. [(Gen. 11:4:) THEN THEY SAID: COME, LET US BUILD OURSELVES A CITY AND A TOWER WITH ITS TOP IN THE HEAVENS TO MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES.] R. Simeon bar Johay said: They took an idol and put it on top of the tower. [They said:] If the Holy One issues decrees against it, it will be against him and inhibit him. This expression, MAKE A NAME FOR OURSELVES, is nothing but an expression of idolatry. Thus is stated (in Exod. 23:13): YOU SHALL NOT MENTION THE NAME OF OTHER GODS.¹¹²Mekhilta de Rabbi Ishmael, Kaspa 4; see Sanh. 109a; Gen. R. 38:8. The Holy One said to them: You say (in Gen. 11:4, cont.): LEST WE BE DISPERSED. I am dispersing you. Thus it is stated (in vs. 8): SO THE LORD DISPERSED THEM. < This dispersing was > to fulfill what is stated (in Prov. 10:24): WHAT THE WICKED ONE FEARS SHALL COME UPON HIM.