וְגַ֨ם הֲקִמֹ֤תִי אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתָּ֔ם לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶ֖ם אֶת־אֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן אֵ֛ת אֶ֥רֶץ מְגֻרֵיהֶ֖ם אֲשֶׁר־גָּ֥רוּ בָֽהּ׃
И Я также заключил с ними Свой завет, чтобы дать им землю Ханаана, землю их пребывания, в которой они пребывают.
Shemot Rabbah
“I appeared to Abraham” – The Holy One blessed be He said to Moses: ‘Alas for those who are lost and are not present.13An expression of loss over the deceased. Many times I have revealed Myself to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as God Almighty, but I did not make known to them that My name is the Lord as I made known to you, yet they did not question My ways. I said to Abraham: “Arise, walk through the length and the breath of the land…” (Genesis 13:17). He sought to bury Sarah and did not find a place until he purchased it, and he did not question My ways. I said to Isaac: “Reside in this land… [for I will give all these lands] to you and your descendants…” (Genesis 26:3). He sought to drink water but did not find, but rather, “the shepherds of Gerar quarreled with Isaac's shepherds, [saying: The water is ours…]” (Genesis 26:20) and he did not question My ways. I said to Jacob: “The land on which you lie [I will give to you and to your descendants]” (Genesis 28:13). He sought a place to pitch his tent but did not find until he purchased one for one hundred kesita, and he did not question my ways, and did not ask Me what My name is, as you asked.’
‘But you, at the beginning of [receiving] My mission you said to Me: What is Your name? In the end, you said: “Since I came to Pharaoh [to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You did not deliver Your people]” (Exodus 5:23). Regarding that, it is stated: “I have also established My covenant…[to give them the land of Canaan…]” (Exodus 6:4), that it was given to them, as I said to them that I would give the land to them, and they did not question Me. “Moreover, I have heard the cry of the children of Israel” (Exodus 6:5) – because they did not question Me, even though Israel in that generation were not conducting themselves properly, I heard their cry because of the covenant that I had established with their ancestors.’ That is what is written: “And I have remembered My covenant” (Exodus 6:5).
“Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of Egypt ” (Exodus 6:6-7).
“Therefore [lakhen] say to the children of Israel” – lakhen is nothing other than the language of oath-taking, as it is stated: “Therefore [velakhen] I took an oath to the house of Eli” (I Samuel 3:14). The Holy One blessed be He took an oath that He would redeem them, so that Moses would not fear that perhaps the attribute of justice would delay their redemption.
“I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…” There are four redemptions here: “I will take out…I will deliver…I will redeem…I will take,” corresponding to the four decrees that Pharaoh decreed against them.14See Shemot Rabba 1:12. The four decrees are: 1) Hard labor to build the storehouse cities, 2) Killing the newborn males, 3) Casting the newborn sons into the Nile, 4) Withholding straw from brick production. Corresponding to them, the Sages instituted four cups on Passover eve, to fulfill what is stated: “I will raise the cup of salvation and call upon the name of God” (Psalms 116:13).
“And I will bring you into the land about which I raised my hand, to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am the Lord” (Exodus 6:8).
“And I will bring you into the land about which I raised my hand.” I will do for them what I said to your ancestors – that I would give them the Land, and they would inherit it by their [the forefathers] merit.
‘But you, at the beginning of [receiving] My mission you said to Me: What is Your name? In the end, you said: “Since I came to Pharaoh [to speak in Your name, he has harmed this people, and You did not deliver Your people]” (Exodus 5:23). Regarding that, it is stated: “I have also established My covenant…[to give them the land of Canaan…]” (Exodus 6:4), that it was given to them, as I said to them that I would give the land to them, and they did not question Me. “Moreover, I have heard the cry of the children of Israel” (Exodus 6:5) – because they did not question Me, even though Israel in that generation were not conducting themselves properly, I heard their cry because of the covenant that I had established with their ancestors.’ That is what is written: “And I have remembered My covenant” (Exodus 6:5).
“Therefore say to the children of Israel: I am the Lord, and I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will deliver you from their labor, and I will redeem you with an outstretched arm, and with great judgments. And I will take you to Me as a people, and I will be to you a God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brings you out from under the burdens of Egypt ” (Exodus 6:6-7).
“Therefore [lakhen] say to the children of Israel” – lakhen is nothing other than the language of oath-taking, as it is stated: “Therefore [velakhen] I took an oath to the house of Eli” (I Samuel 3:14). The Holy One blessed be He took an oath that He would redeem them, so that Moses would not fear that perhaps the attribute of justice would delay their redemption.
“I will take you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians…” There are four redemptions here: “I will take out…I will deliver…I will redeem…I will take,” corresponding to the four decrees that Pharaoh decreed against them.14See Shemot Rabba 1:12. The four decrees are: 1) Hard labor to build the storehouse cities, 2) Killing the newborn males, 3) Casting the newborn sons into the Nile, 4) Withholding straw from brick production. Corresponding to them, the Sages instituted four cups on Passover eve, to fulfill what is stated: “I will raise the cup of salvation and call upon the name of God” (Psalms 116:13).
“And I will bring you into the land about which I raised my hand, to give it to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob; and I will give it to you as a heritage; I am the Lord” (Exodus 6:8).
“And I will bring you into the land about which I raised my hand.” I will do for them what I said to your ancestors – that I would give them the Land, and they would inherit it by their [the forefathers] merit.
Ein Yaakov (Glick Edition)
GEMARA: Why such a punishment [to him who says that the resurrection is not intimated in the Torah]? It was taught in a Baraitha: He denied resurrection, therefore as punishment he will not have a share in it; for all retributions of the Holy One, praised be He! are commensurate with man's doings." And R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said in the name of R. Jochanan: "Whence do we know that all the retributions of the Holy One, praised be He! are commensurate with man's doings?' It is said (II Kings 7, 1-2) Then Elisha said, Hear ye the word of the Lord; Thus hath said the Lord, About this time tomorrow a s'ah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two s'ahs of barley for a shekel, in the gate of Samaria. Then a lord on whose hand the king leaned, answered the man of God, and said, Behold, will the Lord make windows in heaven, that this thing shall be? And he said, Behold, thou shalt see it with thine eyes, but thereof shalt thou not eat. (Ib. b) And further it is written, And it happened unto him so; for the people trod him down in the gate and he died." But perhaps this was because Elisha cursed him? As R. Juda, in the name of Rab, said: "If a sage curses anyone, even for no cause, it nevertheless comes to pass?" If this were the cause, it should read: And the people trod on him and he died. Why "in the gate"? Because of [his protest which he made at] the gate. R. Jochanan said: "Where is the resurrection of the dead intimated in the Torah?" It is said (Num. 18, 28) And ye shall give thereof the heave-offering (T'rumah) of the Lord to Aaron the priest. Would then Aaron remain alive forever that Israel should give him heave-offerings? Infer from this that he will come to life again and Israel will give him heave-offerings. Hence here is an intimation in the Torah of the resurrection. The school of R. Ismael, however, explained the above passage in this manner: 'To Aaron,' means priests who are similar to him — viz., scholars as he was. And from this it is inferred that no T'rumah should be given to an ignorant priest. R. Samuel b. Nachmeni said: "Whence do we know that one must not give the heaveoffering to a priest who is an ignoramus? It is said (I Chron. 31, 4) To give the portion of the priests, and the Levites, in order that they might hold firmly to the law of the Lord. Hence the priest who knows how to hold firmly to the law has a portion, but not he who is ignorant of the law." R. Acha b. Ada said in the name of R. Juda: "Whoever gives T'rumah to an ignorant priest acts as if he threw it before a lion; just as in throwing it before a lion there is a doubt whether it shall be trodden upon and eaten or not, so is it doubtful whether the priest will eat it in Levitical cleanliness or uncleanliness." R. Jochanan said: "He may even cause death to the ignorant priest [by doing so] as it is said (Lev. 22, 9) That they may not bear sin through it, and die therefor, if they profane it." At the college of R. Eliezer b. Jacob it was taught that (Ib. ib. 16) also applies to him who gives heaveoffering to an ignoramus. There is a Baraitha: R. Simi said: "Whence is the Biblical intimation of the resurrection of the dead? It is said (Ex. 6, 4) And as I did also establish my covenant with them, to give unto them the land of Canaan." It does not read to you (lachem), but (lahem) to them — hence this is an intimation of the resurrection. The Sadducees questioned Rabban Gamaliel: "Whence do you infer that the Holy One, praised be He! would restore the dead to life?" And he answered: "From the Pentateuch, Prophets, and Hagiographa." However, they did not accept it. From the Pentateuch, — it is written (Deut. 31, 16) And the Lord said unto Moses, Thou shalt sleep with thy fathers (v-kam) and arise. And they answered: "Perhaps the word v-kam is connected with its succeeding words, and the people will go astray." From the Prophets, — it is written (Is. 26, 19) Thy dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise. Awake and sing, ye that dwell in the dust; for a dew on herbs is thy dew, and the earth shall cast out the departed. [They also rejected this explanation, saying] "Perhaps this refers to those dead who were revivified by Ezekiel (Ez. 36)." From the Hagiographa: — It is written, (Son. 7, 10) And thy palate like the best wine, that glided down for my friend, gently exciting the lips of those that are asleep. And they answered: "Perhaps only their lips moved [in the graves], as R. Jochanan said; for R. Jochanan said in the name of R. Simon b. Jehozadak: "Whoever reports a traditional law in the name of its author, [causes] his [the author's] lips to move in the grave, as it is said, Exciting the lips of those that are asleep." Thereafter, when Rabban Gamaliel mentioned to them (Deut. 11, 9) And the Lord hath sworn unto your fathers to give unto them, which does not read to you, but to them — hence it is an intimation for resurrection from the Torah — his explanation was accepted. According to others, he inferred from this passage (Deut. 4, 4) But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day, i.e., just as this day you are all alive, so also will you be alive in the world to come. The Romans questioned R. Joshua b. Chananiah: "Whence do you know that the Holy One, praised be He! will restore the dead to life and that it is revealed before Him all that will happen in the future?" And he answered: "Both things are inferred from the following passage (Deut. 31, 16) And the Lord said unto Moses, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers (v'kam) and arise." "Perhaps the word v'kam belongs to its succeeding words, And the people will go astray?" He rejoined: "Accept at least the explanation of the [half] of your question, that it is revealed before Him all that will happen in the future." The same was taught also by R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: "Whence do we infer that the Holy One, praised be He! will restore the dead to life and that it is revealed before Him all that will happen in the future? It is said, Thou shalt sleep with thy parents and (v'kam) arise."