Midrasz do Rodzaju 26:15

(Gen. 32:4:) THEN JACOB SENT….] This text is related (to Prov. 26:17): A PASSER-BY WHO MEDDLES IN A QUARREL NOT HIS OWN IS LIKE ONE WHO SEIZES A DOG BY THE EARS.³Cf. Gen. R. 78:3. Who is this person? This is Jacob. When he had set out from his father's house, what is written (in Gen. 28:20)? THEN JACOB VOWED A VOW. What did he say (ibid., cont.]:)? IF GOD IS WITH ME < … > Thus did the Holy One respond to him (in vs. 15): SEE I AM WITH YOU.⁴Gen. R. 70:4 reports a discussion between R. Ayyevu and R. Jonathan over whether vss. 15 and 20 are disarranged or whether the Holy One simply anticipated Jacob’s vow. Our masters have said: He responded to him on every < point > except for sustenance.⁵Gk.: pronoos (“thinking beforehand”). Gen. R. 69:6. R. Osha'ya said: He also responded to him for sustenance, since it is stated (in Gen. 28:15): FOR I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU UNTIL ('D 'ShR) I HAVE DONE WHAT ('ShR) I PROMISED YOU. Why did he say two times: ('ShR 'ShR)? He spoke, as it were, something difficult. R. Osha'ya said: The Holy One said to him: Blessed (rt.: 'ShR) am I and blessed (rt.: 'ShR) are you when I do this thing for you. Again he demanded < as a condition > (in Gen. 28:21): AND IF I RETURN SAFELY. He said to him (in vs. 15): AND I WILL BRING YOU BACK < UNTO THIS LAND >. R. Hanina b. R. Isaac said: Blessed (rt.: 'ShR) is one born of woman who has heard this from his Creator. See, whatever he demanded from his Creator he promised him. Then, with these promises, he sends and says (in Gen. 32:5 [4]): THUS YOU SHALL SAY TO MY LORD ESAU. Ergo, it is well stated (in Prov. 25:26): < A PASSER-BY WHO MEDDLES IN A QUARREL NOT HIS OWN IS > LIKE ONE WHO SEIZES A DOG BY THE EARS.⁶The text from Proverbs seems to assume a situation like this: Jacob’s welfare was a matter between himself and his Creator; so why should he get involved with Esau.

(Numb. 6:22–23:) “Then the Lord spoke unto Moses, saying, “Speak unto Aaron and unto his children, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless the Children of Israel.’” Let our master instruct us: In the case of priest with a blemish, is it right for him to raise his hands (in the priestly blessing)? Thus have our masters taught (in Meg. 4:7): A priest whose hands are blemished may not raise his hands. But Rabbi taught, “A priest who has blemishes anywhere at all may not raise his hands.” R. Judah says, “Also whoever has his hands stained with woad,⁴⁸Buber’s note suggests emending satim to satis, and the translation follows his emendation. On satis, see the Gk. and Lat. word, isatis, which denotes a plant producing a deep blue dye. madder, or rubia may not raise his hands. Why? Because it is customary for people to be looking at him.” R. Joshua the Great taught, “If the majority of the men in the town are in that business (i.e., of dying cloth), he is permitted to raise his hands; in the same way that in the South, there are [many] hides that are tanned purple and their hands [with which they bless] are dyed.” The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “From the beginning I have blessed My people; from now on the blessings are transmitted to you. You are to bless My children,” Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, told Moses to caution Aaron and his children to bless Israel. How is this shown? From what they have read [on the matter] (in Numb. 6:23), “Speak unto Aaron and unto his children, saying, ‘Thus shall you bless.’” (Numb. 6:23:) “Thus shall you bless.” This text is related (to Deut. 26:15), “Look down from Your holy dwelling, from the heavens, and bless Your people.” The congregation of Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He, “Master of the world, You tell the priests to bless us.⁴⁹Numb. R. 11:2. We only need You to bless us, as stated (Deut. 26:15), ‘Look down from Your holy dwelling, [from the heavens, and bless Your people].’” The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them, “Although I have told the priests to bless you, I am standing along with them and blessing you.” For that reason the priests spread their hands.⁵⁰See Sot. 7:6 for details about how the priests are to hold their hands. [They do so] to say, “The Holy One, blessed be He, is standing behind us.” So also it says (in allusion to the Holy One, blessed be He, in Cant. 2:9) “there he stands behind our wall, gazing through the windows, peering through the lattice,” [i.e. “gazing through the windows,”] from between the fingers of the priests; “peering through the lattice,” when they extend their hands. It is therefore stated (in Numb. 6:23), “Thus shall you bless.”

Our sages of blessed memory said: “Observe that the way of the Holy One, blessed be He, is not the way of man.” It is not man’s way to heal with what he wounds. If he wounds with a knife, he heals with a plaster, but the Holy One, blessed be He, heals with what He wounds. When He smote Job, He did so with a tempest, as it said: And multiply my wounds without cause (Job 9:17), and when He healed him He did so with a whirlwind, as it is said: Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind (ibid. 38:1). When He sent Israel into exile, He did so with clouds, as is said: How hath the Lord covered with a cloud (Lam. 2:1), and when He brought them back, He did so with a cloud, as it is said: Who are these that fly as a cloud? (Isa. 60:8). When He dispersed them, He scattered them like doves, as it is said: But they that shall at all escape of them, shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them moaning (Ezek. 7:16). When He gathered them together, He did so as doves: As the doves to their cotes (Isa. 60:8). When He blesses them, He does so only while “looking forth,” as it is said: Look forth from Thy holy habitation (Deut. 26:15), and when He exacts retribution from their enemies, He does so while “looking forth,” as it is said: And it came to pass on the morning watch that the Lord looked forth through the pillar of fire and of cloud (Exod. 14:24). When the pillar of cloud descended it turned (the water) into mud, and the pillar of fire scalded them. The hoofs of their horses became entangled (and they fell), causing the horses to fall upon the mares that were beneath. Thus it says: Then did the horses’ hoofs stamp by reason of their prancings, the prancings of the mighty ones (Judg. 5:22). He confused and befuddled them. He took away their reasoning power, and they did not know what to do.