Midrasz do Rodzaju 2:22

(Gen. 18:1:) THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM…. Let our master instruct us: How many blessings does one pray every day?¹Tanh., Gen. 4:1. Thus have our masters taught (in Ber. 4:3): ONE MUST PRAY THE EIGHTEEN BENEDICTIONS.²The Mishnah cited attributes the teaching to R. Gamaliel. And why eighteen?³TBer. 3:25; yBer. 2:4 (5a); 4:3 (7d-8a); yTa‘an. 2:2 (65c); Ber. 9b; 28a; Gen. R. 69:4; Lev. R. 1:8; M. Pss. 20:2. < They > correspond to the eighteen references to the Divine Name which are written in (Ps. 29) ASCRIBE TO THE LORD, O HEAVENLY BEINGS. They reply to R. Levi:⁴The correspondence between the Eighteen Benedictions and Ps. 29 is attributed to R. Levi in yTa‘an. 2:2 (65c). But does not one say nineteen in Babylon? He said to them: That also is from references to the Divine Name, as stated (in Ps. 29:3): THE GOD (El) OF GLORY THUNDERS.⁵This mention of El, when added to the psalm’s eighteen repetitions of the Tetragrammaton, results in nineteen references to the Holy One. R. Simon said: < The Eighteen > correspond to the eighteen vertebrae which are in the spine, since when one stands to pray, it is necessary to bend over with all of them. Thus it is stated (in Ps. 35:10): ALL MY BONES SHALL SAY: LORD, WHO IS LIKE YOU? The Holy One said: Be strictly observant in prayer, for you have no finer way than that. And even though a person is not worth answering, I shall show him loving-kindness, since all my ways are loving-kindness. R. Simlay said: Do you want to know that all the Holy One's ways are loving-kindness?⁶See below, 4:4; 5:2; Gen. R. 8:13; M. Pss. 25:11; Eccl. R. 7:2:2; also Sot. 14a. At the beginning of Torah he has adorned the bride, as stated (in Gen. 2:22): THEN THE LORD GOD BUILT THE RIB < WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM THE HUMAN INTO A WOMAN >.⁷According Gen. R. 18:1, the point here is that “to build” can mean “to plait” hair. Thus the verse implies that God adorned Eve as a bride by plating her hair. See also below, section 4, and the note there. Also at the end of < the Torah > there is loving-kindness in that he buried the dead, as stated (in Deut. 34:6): THEN HE (THE HOLY ONE) BURIED HIM (MOSES) IN THE VALLEY. Moreover, in the middle < of the Torah > he visited the sick, as stated (in Gen. 18:1): THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM. As soon as Abraham had circumcised < himself > (in Gen. 17:24), the Holy One and his entourage⁸Lat.: familia. came to visit him. {It is so stated} [Where is it shown? Where they read on the matter] (in Gen. 18:1): THEN THE LORD APPEARED UNTO HIM.

R. Simlai declared: You know that all His ways are merciful from the fact that at the very beginning of the Torah He adorned (kishet) the bride, as it is said: And the Lord God formed (vayiben) the rib, etc. (Gen. 2:22). In towns situated on the seacoast, a bride is called buneh (“well-adorned”). And at the conclusion of the Torah, He buried the dead, as is written: And He buried him in the valley (Deut. 34:6). In the middle of the Torah, He visited the sick, for after Abraham was circumcised, He and His angels visited him, as we read in the chapter: And the Lord appeared unto him (Gen. 18:1).

[(Gen. 24:1:) NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD.] This text is related (to Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH. The beginning of Torah is steadfast love, its middle is steadfast love, and its end is steadfast love.²See above, 4:1 & 4; Eccl. R. 7:2:2. Its beginning is steadfast love in that he has rendered steadfast love to bridegrooms and brides. He rendered steadfast love to Adam and Eve, as stated (in Gen. 2:22): THEN GOD BUILT THE RIB < WHICH HE HAD TAKEN FROM THE MAN INTO A WOMAN >. R. Abbahu said: In Arabia they call the plaited coiffure a "building."³Cf. Ber. 61a; Shab. 95a; Erub. 18a; Nid. 45b; ARN, A, 4; Gen. R. 18:1; M. Pss. 25:11. The Holy One adorned Eve and brought her to Adam.⁴Cf. Gen. R. 8:13. Do you suppose that he brought her to him under an olive tree? Or under a fig tree? Our masters have said: The Holy One made thirteen bridal canopies for Adam and Eve, as stated (in Ezek. 28:13): YOU WERE IN EDEN, THE GARDEN OF GOD; < EVERY PRECIOUS STONE WAS YOUR COVERING: CARNELIAN, CHRYSOLITE, AMETHYST, BERYL, LAPIS LAZULI, JASPER, SAPPHIRE, TURQUOISE, EMERALD, AND GOLD >. And the least of them is gold; for so it is written: EMERALD, AND GOLD (i.e., with gold in last place). Thus < there were > thirteen bridal canopies which were made for Adam and Eve.⁵Since Ezek. lists only nine stones plus gold, according to BB 75a there were only ten canopies; or perhaps eleven, with EVERY PRECIOUS STONE representing the extra one. Lev. R. 20:2 explains the tradition of thirteen by having EVERY PRECIOUS STONE represent three canopies. Similarly Gen. R. 18:2; Eccl. R. 8:1:2; PRK 4:4; PR 14:10. R. Levi said in the name of R. Hama bar Hanina: The Holy One adorned Eve with twenty-four ornaments. And not only that, but he took her by the hand and brought her to Adam. R. Abbin Berabbi the Levite said: Blessed is a provincial who has seen this: the king taking < his bride > by the hand and bringing her to the house for him.⁶Gen. R. 18:3. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 2:22, cont.): AND BROUGHT HER TO ADAM. Ergo (in Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH. Thus the beginning of Torah is steadfast love. Its middle also is steadfast love. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 35:8): THEN REBEKAH'S NURSE, DEBORAH, DIED. When she had died, what is written (ibid.)? AND ITS NAME (i.e., the name of her burial place) WAS CALLED WEEPING OAK, for Jacob was sitting there and weeping over her. The Holy One said: Jacob is sitting and grieving. He appeared to him visibly, as stated (in vs. 9): NOW THE LORD APPEARED UNTO JACOB AGAIN… < AND BLESSED HIM >.⁷Eccl. R. 7:2:3; see Gen. R. 8:13; 82:1. And its end is steadfast love, < as seen in the case > of Moses; for, when he passed away, he buried him. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 34:6): AND < THE LORD > BURIED HIM IN THE VALLEY IN THE LAND OF MOAB. Ergo (in Ps. 25:10): ALL THE PATHS OF THE LORD ARE STEADFAST LOVE AND TRUTH.⁸Cf. M. Pss. 25:11, which derives from the verse that the Holy One adorns brides (Gen. 2:22), visits the sick (Gen. 18:1), and buries the dead (Deut. 34:6). Abraham persisted in clinging to a measure of steadfast love. The Holy One said to him: This measure was mine and you have taken it. By your life, I am making you < old > like me. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Dan. 7:9): AS I LOOKED, THRONES WERE SET IN PLACE, AND THE ANCIENT OF DAYS TOOK HIS SEAT. HIS GARMENT WAS AS WHITE AS SNOW, < AND THE HAIR OF HIS HEAD WAS LIKE PURE WOOL >.⁹See Gen. R. 58:9. What is written elsewhere on the matter (in Gen. 23:19)? THEN AFTERWARDS ABRAHAM BURIED HIS WIFE SARAH.¹⁰In doing so, Abraham showed his steadfast love. He persisted in clinging to her. The Holy One said to him. You deserve a crown. Thus it is stated (in Gen. 24:1): NOW ABRAHAM WAS OLD (i.e., with a crown of white hair).