Midrasz do Samuela II 3:20
וַיָּבֹ֨א אַבְנֵ֤ר אֶל־דָּוִד֙ חֶבְר֔וֹן וְאִתּ֖וֹ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים אֲנָשִׁ֑ים וַיַּ֨עַשׂ דָּוִ֧ד לְאַבְנֵ֛ר וְלַאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֖וֹ מִשְׁתֶּֽה׃
Gdy tedy przybył Abner, w towarzystwie dwudziestu ludzi, do Dawida do Hebronu, wyprawił Dawid Abnerowi i ludziom, którzy mu towarzyszyli, ucztę.
Esther Rabbah
Rabbi Ḥiyya had a gentile friend in Ashna, who prepared a feast for him, during which he served him everything that had been created in the six days of Creation. He said to him: ‘What is your God going to prepare for you in the future that is more than this?’ He said to him: “Your feast has a limit; however, the feast that our God is going to prepare for the righteous in the future has no limit, as it is written: “No eye has seen, besides You, God, what will be done for one who awaits Him”’ (Isaiah 64:3).
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai had a friend who lived near his residence in Tyre. One time he came to him and he heard his servant saying to him: ‘What are we eating today, [thin] lentil soup or [thick] lentil stew?’ He said to him: ‘Lentil soup.’ He began speaking to him [the servant], and he [the friend] sensed him [that Rabbi Shimon overheard the conversation]. He sent and told the members of his household: ‘Set for me all these fine vessels.’ He said [to Rabbi Shimon]: ‘Will the Rabbi agree to drink with us today?’ He [Rabbi Shimon] said: ‘Yes.’ When he entered the house, he saw the fine vessels and wondered; he said to him: ‘Does a person who has all these possessions eat lentil soup?’ He said to him: ‘Rabbi, you, your Torah accords you honor; however, we, were it not for our belongings, there would be no person who would honor us.’
Bar Yoḥani sought to make a feast for the prominent people of Rome. Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei was there; he said: Let us consult with the resident of our city [Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei]. He came to him and said to him: ‘If you wish to invite twenty, prepare for twenty-five. And if you wish to invite twenty-five, prepare for thirty.’ He went and prepared for twenty-four and invited twenty-five. It was found that there was a portion missing from before one of them; one said it was a kindas [an edible thistle], and one said it was unripe dates.6Both of these are particularly inexpensive, low-quality foods. He brought gold and placed it before him [the guest who had not received his portion]. He took it and cast it in his face; he said to him: ‘Do I eat gold; do I need your gold?’
He [Bar Yoḥani] came before Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei and related the incident to him. He said to him: ‘By your life, Rabbi, I shouldn’t have related it to you, as I did not do what you told me. For this reason I told you – to determine whether the Holy One blessed be He revealed to you [only] the intricacies of Torah, or perhaps the intricacies of feasts as well.’ He said to him: ‘Yes, even the intricacies of feasts He revealed to us.’ He said to him: ‘From where do you know this?’ He said to him; ‘From David, as it is written: “Avner came to David, to Hebron, and with him were twenty men. And David made for Avner, and for the men who were with him, a feast” (II Samuel 3:20). He made a feast is not written here, but rather: “for the men who were with him a feast.”’7He made the feast for all the men who might come with Avner. Here [at Aḥashverosh’s banquet], however, the last day was like the first day [and no one lacked for anything].
“Upon the completion of those days, the king made for all the people who were present in the Shushan citadel, great and small, a banquet for seven days, in the courtyard of the garden of the king's palace” (Esther 1:5).
Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai had a friend who lived near his residence in Tyre. One time he came to him and he heard his servant saying to him: ‘What are we eating today, [thin] lentil soup or [thick] lentil stew?’ He said to him: ‘Lentil soup.’ He began speaking to him [the servant], and he [the friend] sensed him [that Rabbi Shimon overheard the conversation]. He sent and told the members of his household: ‘Set for me all these fine vessels.’ He said [to Rabbi Shimon]: ‘Will the Rabbi agree to drink with us today?’ He [Rabbi Shimon] said: ‘Yes.’ When he entered the house, he saw the fine vessels and wondered; he said to him: ‘Does a person who has all these possessions eat lentil soup?’ He said to him: ‘Rabbi, you, your Torah accords you honor; however, we, were it not for our belongings, there would be no person who would honor us.’
Bar Yoḥani sought to make a feast for the prominent people of Rome. Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei was there; he said: Let us consult with the resident of our city [Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei]. He came to him and said to him: ‘If you wish to invite twenty, prepare for twenty-five. And if you wish to invite twenty-five, prepare for thirty.’ He went and prepared for twenty-four and invited twenty-five. It was found that there was a portion missing from before one of them; one said it was a kindas [an edible thistle], and one said it was unripe dates.6Both of these are particularly inexpensive, low-quality foods. He brought gold and placed it before him [the guest who had not received his portion]. He took it and cast it in his face; he said to him: ‘Do I eat gold; do I need your gold?’
He [Bar Yoḥani] came before Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei and related the incident to him. He said to him: ‘By your life, Rabbi, I shouldn’t have related it to you, as I did not do what you told me. For this reason I told you – to determine whether the Holy One blessed be He revealed to you [only] the intricacies of Torah, or perhaps the intricacies of feasts as well.’ He said to him: ‘Yes, even the intricacies of feasts He revealed to us.’ He said to him: ‘From where do you know this?’ He said to him; ‘From David, as it is written: “Avner came to David, to Hebron, and with him were twenty men. And David made for Avner, and for the men who were with him, a feast” (II Samuel 3:20). He made a feast is not written here, but rather: “for the men who were with him a feast.”’7He made the feast for all the men who might come with Avner. Here [at Aḥashverosh’s banquet], however, the last day was like the first day [and no one lacked for anything].
“Upon the completion of those days, the king made for all the people who were present in the Shushan citadel, great and small, a banquet for seven days, in the courtyard of the garden of the king's palace” (Esther 1:5).
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