Midrash sobre Gênesis 14:24

(Fol. 89) Raba said further: "As a reward to Abraham for what he said (Ib. 14, 23) I will not take a thread nor a shoelatchet, his children were privileged with two commandments — T'cheleth and the straps of the phylacteries." It is quite understood that the straps of the phylacteries is a privilege, for the passage says (Deut. 28, 10) And all the nations of the earth shall see, that the name of the Lord is called upon thee, and we are taught in a Baraitha that R. Eliezer the great, says: "The above passage refers to the phylacteries of the head"; but in what consists the privilege of the T'cheleth? As we are taught in the following Baraitha that R. Mair says: "Why was the blue color preferred to all other colors? Because blue resembles the sea, and the sea resembles heaven, and heaven resembles the sapphire stone and the sapphire stone resembles the Divine throne, as it is written (Ex. 24, 10) And they saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet the like of a paved work of sapphire stone. And it is also written (Ez. 1, 26) As the appearance of a sapphire-stone; and upon the likeness of the throne." R. Abba said: "It is difficult [to return] robbery which is already consumed; for even the perfect righteous could not return it, as it is said (Gen. 14, 24) Save only that which thy men have eaten."

(Numb. 13:24:) “That place was called Wadi Eshcol.” This text is related (to Is. 46:10), “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from of old, things that have not yet happened,” in that everything is foreseen by the Holy One, blessed be He.³⁴Numb. R. 16:16. Eshcol (according to Gen. 14:24) was Abraham's friend, and he was called Eshcol because of the grape cluster (eshkol), which Israel was going to cut from his place in his name. (Numb. 13:26-28:) “Then they went and came unto Moses and unto Aaron…. And they recounted to him and said, ‘We came unto the land …. However [the people who dwell in the land] are strong….’” Such is the way of those who recount slander.³⁵Numb. R. 16:17. They open with what is good and finish with what is ill. (Numb. 13:29:) “Amalek dwells in the land [of the Negeb].” What [reason] did they see for opening with Amalek?³⁶Numb. R. 16:18. A parable: To what is the matter comparable? To a child who misbehaves and is beaten with a strap. When they wanted to intimidate him, they reminded him of the strap. Similarly Amalek had been an evil strap for Israel. What [reason] did he see to post himself upon the border in the way of Israel’s entrance into the land? It is simply because his ancestor, Esau, had so commanded him in order to forestall them in their way. So he uprooted [himself] from his place and posted himself on the way, as stated (Numb. 14:45) “And there went down the Amalekite, and the Canaanite, who dwelt in that mountain.”³⁷On this reading, Amalek used to dwell in the mountains, but came down to block Israel’s passage. (Numb. 13:29, cont.:) “And the Canaanite dwells by the sea and along the Jordan.” These are the mighty ones dwelling on the way. Therefore the spies intended to break the heart of Israel, as stated (in Numb. 32:9), “they turned away the heart of the Children of Israel.”

(Numb. 13:24:) THAT PLACE WAS CALLED WADI ESHCOL. This text is related (to Is. 46:10): DECLARING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING, [AND FROM OF OLD, THINGS THAT HAVE NOT YET HAPPENED], in that everything is foreseen by the Holy One.⁴⁰Tanh., Numb. 4:9; Numb. R. 16:16. Eshcol (according to Gen. 14:24) was Abraham's friend, and he was called Eshcol because of the grape cluster (eshkol), which Israel was going to cut from his place in his name.

16 (Numb. 13:24) “That place was called Wadi Eshcol”: This text is related (to Is. 46:10), “Declaring the end from the beginning, and from of old, things that have not yet happened,” in that everything is foreseen by the Holy One, blessed be He. Eshcol (according to Gen. 14:24) was Abraham's friend, and he was called Eshcol because of the grape cluster (eshkol), which Israel was going to cut from his place.