וַתֵּ֣לֶד ל֗וֹ אֶת־זִמְרָן֙ וְאֶת־יָקְשָׁ֔ן וְאֶת־מְדָ֖ן וְאֶת־מִדְיָ֑ן וְאֶת־יִשְׁבָּ֖ק וְאֶת־שֽׁוּחַ׃
Она родила ему Зимрана, Иокшана, Медана, Мадиана, Ишбака и Шуаха.
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Gen. 25:19:) THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF ISAAC BEN ABRAHAM.1Except for most of the last section (# 24), Toledot is not found in Buber’s Oxford MS. Buber has filled in the gap mostly from Codex Vaticanus Ebr. 34. This text is related (to Prov. 17:6): GRANDCHILDREN ARE A CROWN FOR ELDERS, AND THE GLORY OF CHILDREN IS THEIR PARENTS.2Cf. Gen. R. 63:2; Tanh., Gen. 6:4. Who caused Abraham to be magnified? Jacob, as stated (in Is. 29:22): THUS SAYS THE LORD UNTO THE HOUSE OF JACOB, WHICH REDEEMED ABRAHAM. Why? Because, if one is meritorious as a Torah scholar together with his son and his grandson, it will never again be cut off from him. Thus it is stated (in Deut. 4:9f.): AND MAKE THEM (the statutes and ordinances) KNOWN TO YOUR CHILDREN AND GRANDCHILDREN AS ON THE DAY THAT YOU STOOD < BEFORE THE LORD YOUR GOD AT HOREB >. Just as the gift of < the > Torah did not become cease on the day it was given; so for one who teaches his son and his grandson Torah, it shall never again depart from him. And so it was when the Holy One saw Abraham was busy with the Torah. Where is it shown? Where it is stated (in Gen. 26:5): BECAUSE ABRAHAM HEEDED MY VOICE < AND KEPT MY CHARGE: MY COMMANDMENTS, MY STATUTES, AND MY LAWS >. It is also written (above, in 18:19): FOR I HAVE KNOWN HIM. Then Jacob arose up and did not move from the Torah, as stated (in Gen. 25:27): BUT JACOB WAS A PERFECT MAN WHO SAT IN THE TENTS (i.e., in the academies).3For this interpretation, see Gen. R. 63:10; Targum Onqelos, Gen. 25:27; PRK 5:7. What stipulation did the Holy One make with them? (According to Josh. 1:8:) < THIS > BOOK OF THE LAW SHALL NOT DEPART < FROM YOUR MOUTH >…. It is also written (in Prov. 10:1): A WISE SON SHALL MAKE A FATHER GLAD. This is Isaac, since it is stated (in Gen. 21:12): FOR IN ISAAC SHALL YOUR SEED BE NAMED. (Prov. 10:1, cont.:) BUT A FOOLISH SON. This is Ishmael. Thus it is written (in Gen. 25:12): NOW THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF ISHMAEL BEN ABRAHAM. There are children who suffer disgrace through their parents. Josiah suffered disgrace through his father, as stated (in II Chron. 33:23): FOR AMON INCURRED A LOT OF GUILT. Hezekiah suffered disgrace through < his father > Ahaz, as stated (in Is. 8:16): BIND UP THE TESTIMONY.4According to Gen. R. 42:3; Lev. R. 11:7; Ruth R., proem 7; and Esther R., proem 11, this verse alludes to Ahaz, who had seized (ahaz) the synagogues and the academies. There are also parents who suffer disgrace through their children. Eli suffered disgrace through his sons, [as stated (in I Sam. 2:12): NOW ELI'S SONS WERE SCOUNDRELS. And Samuel also suffered disgrace through his sons], as stated (in I Sam. 8:3): BUT HIS SONS DID NOT WALK IN HIS WAYS. It did not, however, turn out in this way for Abraham. Instead he was magnified through Isaac, as stated (in Gen. 25:19, cont.): ABRAHAM SIRED ISAAC. Did he sire no one but Isaac? Now look, it is written {(in Gen. 25:19): THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS OF ISHMAEL.} [(in Gen. 16:15): SO HAGAR BORE A SON TO ABRAM.] And in addition < there are > the sons of Keturah: Zimran and Jokshan, < etc. > (cf. Gen. 25:2). But it does not say that Abraham sired anyone but Isaac, simply because Isaac was righteous. It is therefore stated (in Gen. 25:19): ABRAHAM SIRED ISAAC.
Devarim Rabbah
“The Lord, God of your fathers [shall add to you one thousand times as you are…]” (Deuteronomy 1:11) – Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov said: In considering Moses’s blessings, they contain [unlimited blessing] from one end of the world to the other. What is written? “One thousand times [pe’amim]” – “one thousand times [paam]” is not written here, but rather, “one thousand times [pe’amim].”32The plural term pe’amim is employed, rather than the singular paam. This is expounded to mean one thousand times one thousand.
Another matter, “shall add to you…as you are” – Rabbi Aḥa said: Israel could have said to him: ‘Our master Moses, are we responsible for any of the matters regarding which you are rebuking us?’33They could have responded to him that he was rebuking them for the sins of their parents, for which they were not responsible (Etz Yosef). Nevertheless, they accepted his rebukes and were silent.34Translation based on the textual emendation suggested in Etz Yosef. That is why it says: “As you are” – righteous like you, who receive rebukes and are silent.
Another matter, why did he bless them with an expression of addition? It is because the addition of the Holy One, blessed be He, is larger than the principal. The way of the world is that a person takes from another a litra of meat, and says to him: ‘Add more for me.’ How much does he add for him? One ounce. But the Holy One blessed be He, His addition is larger than the principal. How so? Isaac was the principal son for Abraham. But what He added for [Abraham] was more numerous than the principal, as it is stated: “Abraham took an additional wife” (Genesis 25:1).35Abraham’s additional wife, Keturah, bore him six sons (see Genesis 25:2); many more than the one son, Isaac, who was his principal son.
Joseph was the principal son for Rachel, Benjamin was an addition. From where is this derived? As it is written: “May the Lord add another son for me” (Genesis 30:24). What is written? “And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Bekher, and Ashbel…” (Genesis 46:21) – they are more than Joseph.36Benjamin had ten sons, many more than Joseph, who had only two sons.
Hezekiah’s principal reign was fourteen years. What the Holy One blessed be He added for him was more numerous than the principal. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5) – the addition of the Holy One blessed be He was more numerous than the principal. That is why [Moses] blessed them with an expression of addition.
“And He will bless you” (Deuteronomy 1:11) – Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who told the commander of his army to distribute to each of his soldiers a litra of gold.37There are one hundred gold pieces in a litra. He went and gave some of them five gold pieces and some of them ten gold pieces. They said to him: ‘The king told you to give each of us a litra of gold, and you gave each of us five gold pieces?’ He said to them: ‘These are from what is mine; when the king comes, he will give you from what is his.’ So Israel said to Moses: ‘The Holy One blessed be He did not set a limit for our blessings, and you said one thousand times?’ He said to them: ‘What I blessed you, I blessed you from my own; the Holy One blessed be He will bless you “as He spoke to you”’ (Deuteronomy 1:11).
Another matter, “shall add to you…as you are” – Rabbi Aḥa said: Israel could have said to him: ‘Our master Moses, are we responsible for any of the matters regarding which you are rebuking us?’33They could have responded to him that he was rebuking them for the sins of their parents, for which they were not responsible (Etz Yosef). Nevertheless, they accepted his rebukes and were silent.34Translation based on the textual emendation suggested in Etz Yosef. That is why it says: “As you are” – righteous like you, who receive rebukes and are silent.
Another matter, why did he bless them with an expression of addition? It is because the addition of the Holy One, blessed be He, is larger than the principal. The way of the world is that a person takes from another a litra of meat, and says to him: ‘Add more for me.’ How much does he add for him? One ounce. But the Holy One blessed be He, His addition is larger than the principal. How so? Isaac was the principal son for Abraham. But what He added for [Abraham] was more numerous than the principal, as it is stated: “Abraham took an additional wife” (Genesis 25:1).35Abraham’s additional wife, Keturah, bore him six sons (see Genesis 25:2); many more than the one son, Isaac, who was his principal son.
Joseph was the principal son for Rachel, Benjamin was an addition. From where is this derived? As it is written: “May the Lord add another son for me” (Genesis 30:24). What is written? “And the sons of Benjamin: Bela, Bekher, and Ashbel…” (Genesis 46:21) – they are more than Joseph.36Benjamin had ten sons, many more than Joseph, who had only two sons.
Hezekiah’s principal reign was fourteen years. What the Holy One blessed be He added for him was more numerous than the principal. From where is this derived? As it is stated: “I will add fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5) – the addition of the Holy One blessed be He was more numerous than the principal. That is why [Moses] blessed them with an expression of addition.
“And He will bless you” (Deuteronomy 1:11) – Rabbi Levi said: To what is the matter comparable? To a king who told the commander of his army to distribute to each of his soldiers a litra of gold.37There are one hundred gold pieces in a litra. He went and gave some of them five gold pieces and some of them ten gold pieces. They said to him: ‘The king told you to give each of us a litra of gold, and you gave each of us five gold pieces?’ He said to them: ‘These are from what is mine; when the king comes, he will give you from what is his.’ So Israel said to Moses: ‘The Holy One blessed be He did not set a limit for our blessings, and you said one thousand times?’ He said to them: ‘What I blessed you, I blessed you from my own; the Holy One blessed be He will bless you “as He spoke to you”’ (Deuteronomy 1:11).
Midrash Tanchuma Buber
(Gen. 25:1:) THEN ABRAHAM TOOK AN ADDITIONAL39Again the translation of the verse has been changed to fit the midrashic context. WIFE. This text is related (to Job 8:7): THOUGH YOUR BEGINNING WAS TRIFLING, YOUR END SHALL GREATLY FLOURISH. R. Simeon ben Laqish said in the name of R. Eleazar: You learn from here that an addition of the Holy One is more than the original.40Below, 7:20; see Gen. R. 61:4. Abraham had previously sired no one but Isaac. When the Holy One made an addition for him, he made his addition < even > more, as stated (in Gen. 25:2): AND SHE BORE HIM < ZIMRAN, JOKSHAN, MEDAN, MIDIAN, ISHBAK, AND SHUAH >. Thus you find in the case of the first Adam that when < Eve > gave birth, she bore Cain (Gen. 4:1). Then afterwards (in Gen. 4:2): AND IN ADDITION SHE BORE < HIS BROTHER ABEL >. And so you find in the case of Rachel that she bore Joseph and said (in Gen. 30:24): MAY THE LORD ADD ANOTHER SON FOR ME. He added Benjamin for her and his twin sister. Where is it shown to be so? Here (in Gen. 35:17), < where > "This is a son for you" is not written, but FOR THIS ALSO IS A SON FOR YOU. And so you find in the case of King Hezekiah, all the days of his reign were fourteen years; but when the Holy One made an addition for him, he added fifteen years. (Is. 38:5; cf. II Kings 20:6:) SEE, I AM ADDING [FIFTEEN YEARS] TO YOUR LIFE. Now when the prophets saw that an addition of the Holy One was more than the original, they began to bless Israel with an addition. Moses said (in Deut. 1:11): MAY THE LORD [GOD OF YOUR ANCESTORS] ADD TO YOUR NUMBERS A THOUSAND TIMES [MORE THAN YOU ARE]…. David said (in Ps. 115:14): MAY THE LORD ADD TO YOUR NUMBERS. Also in the world to come the Holy One has procured an addition (rt.: YSP) for his people, as stated (in Is. 11:11): AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS IN THAT DAY, THE LORD WILL EXTEND (rt.: YSP) HIS HAND A SECOND TIME < TO PROCURE THE REST OF HIS PEOPLE >.