Midrash sa Genesis 28:20: Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Midrash Tehillim, Eikhah Rabbah & Midrash Tanchuma

(Gen. 32:4:) THEN JACOB SENT….] This text is related (to Prov. 26:17): A PASSER-BY WHO MEDDLES IN A QUARREL NOT HIS OWN IS LIKE ONE WHO SEIZES A DOG BY THE EARS.³Cf. Gen. R. 78:3. Who is this person? This is Jacob. When he had set out from his father's house, what is written (in Gen. 28:20)? THEN JACOB VOWED A VOW. What did he say (ibid., cont.]:)? IF GOD IS WITH ME < … > Thus did the Holy One respond to him (in vs. 15): SEE I AM WITH YOU.⁴Gen. R. 70:4 reports a discussion between R. Ayyevu and R. Jonathan over whether vss. 15 and 20 are disarranged or whether the Holy One simply anticipated Jacob’s vow. Our masters have said: He responded to him on every < point > except for sustenance.⁵Gk.: pronoos (“thinking beforehand”). Gen. R. 69:6. R. Osha'ya said: He also responded to him for sustenance, since it is stated (in Gen. 28:15): FOR I WILL NOT LEAVE YOU UNTIL ('D 'ShR) I HAVE DONE WHAT ('ShR) I PROMISED YOU. Why did he say two times: ('ShR 'ShR)? He spoke, as it were, something difficult. R. Osha'ya said: The Holy One said to him: Blessed (rt.: 'ShR) am I and blessed (rt.: 'ShR) are you when I do this thing for you. Again he demanded < as a condition > (in Gen. 28:21): AND IF I RETURN SAFELY. He said to him (in vs. 15): AND I WILL BRING YOU BACK < UNTO THIS LAND >. R. Hanina b. R. Isaac said: Blessed (rt.: 'ShR) is one born of woman who has heard this from his Creator. See, whatever he demanded from his Creator he promised him. Then, with these promises, he sends and says (in Gen. 32:5 [4]): THUS YOU SHALL SAY TO MY LORD ESAU. Ergo, it is well stated (in Prov. 25:26): < A PASSER-BY WHO MEDDLES IN A QUARREL NOT HIS OWN IS > LIKE ONE WHO SEIZES A DOG BY THE EARS.⁶The text from Proverbs seems to assume a situation like this: Jacob’s welfare was a matter between himself and his Creator; so why should he get involved with Esau.

“[Were you to] ask it of Me, I would set the nations [as your inheritance]” (Psalms 2:8). [In fact,] if [you were to request the] nations; they are already your inheritance, as it is said, “Let him rule from sea to sea [and from the river to the ends of the earth]” (Psalms 72:8). And if [you were to request until] the ends of the earth; they are already your possession, as it is said, “from the river to the ends of the earth” (ibid.). Rabbi Yochanan said that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to three persons, “[were you to] ask it of Me [I would grant it to you];” and they were – Solomon, Ahaz, and the King-Messiah. Solomon, since it is written, “Ask of me, what shall I grant to you?” (1 Kings 3:5). Ahaz, since it is written, “Ask for a sign [from the Lord your God, from the depths of hell, or the heights above. But Ahaz replied, “I will not ask, nor will I test God]”” (Isaiah 7:11-12). And why was he called Ahaz [literally: holding]? Because he held back good from coming into the world. Alternatively: he held back study halls from toiling in Torah. The King-Messiah, as it is written, “[Were you to] ask it of Me, I would set…” (Psalms 2:8). Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said, we derived two more examples by homiletical exegesis: Abraham and Jacob. Abraham, since it is written, “My Lord, God, what can You give me, [seeing as I go childless, and the one in charge of my household is Elizer of Damascus?]” (Genesis 15:2). This implies that [God] told him to make a request. Jacob, as it is said, “[Jacob made a vow, saying,] “If God remains with me, protecting me [on this journey that I am making, and giving me bread to eat and clothing to wear, and I return safe to my father’s house – then the Lord shall be my God]”” (Genesis 28:20-21). This implies that [God] told him to make a request. And so too it says [regarding David], “He asked You for life, and You granted it to him” (Psalms 21:5). And what did he ask? He asked of [God] that the Jewish people should live and thrive forever.

“The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, are silent. They have placed dust on their heads, have girded themselves with sackcloth. The virgins of Jerusalem have lowered their heads to the ground” (Lamentations 2:10).
“The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, are silent.” Rabbi Elazar said: Let the portion of vows not be insignificant in your eyes, as it is on account of the portion of vows that the Great Sanhedrin of Zedekiah were killed. When Yekhonya was exiled, King Nebuchadnezzar appointed him¹⁰⁶Zedekiah. over five kings. That is what is written: “Send to the king of Edom, to the king of Moav, to the king of the children of Ammon, to the king of Tyre and to the king of Sidon, in the hand of the messengers who come to Jerusalem to Zedekiah, king of Judah” (Jeremiah 27:3). He would enter and exit before him without permission.¹⁰⁷Zedekiah had unfettered access to Nebuchadnezzar. One day, he entered before him and saw that he was ripping the flesh of a hare and eating it raw. [Nebuchadnezzar] said to him: ‘Take an oath to me that you will not publicize this about me,’ and he took an oath to him. On what did he administer the oath to [Zedekiah]? Rabbi Yosei ben Rabbi Ḥanina said: On the inner altar. The five kings were sitting and maligning Nebuchadnezzar before Zedekiah and saying to him: ‘The kingdom is not suitable for Nebuchadnezzar, but rather it is suitable for you, as you are from the offspring of David.’ He, too, maligned Nebuchadnezzar and said: ‘I saw that he was ripping the flesh of a hare and eating it.’ Immediately, they sent [a message] to the king, saying: ‘This Jew who enters and exits before you without permission said about you: I saw that Nebuchadnezzar was ripping the flesh of a hare and eating it.’ That is what is written: “Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon” (II Kings 24:20).
Immediately, he¹⁰⁸Nebuchadnezzar. came and settled in Daphne of Antioch and the Great Sanhedrin went to greet him. When he saw that they were all men of noble form, he issued a command and had seats of honor brought for them, and he seated them. He said to them: ‘Teach me the Torah.’ Immediately they began reading each and every portion and translating it before him. When they reached the portion of vows: “A man who takes a vow” (Numbers 30:3), he said to them: ‘If he wishes to renege on it, can he or can he not do so?’ They said to him: ‘He can go to a Sage and [the Sage] can nullify his vow for him.’ He said to them: ‘It seems to me that you nullified for Zedekiah the oath that he took to me.’ Immediately, he decreed and had them placed down on the ground. That is what is written: “The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the ground, are silent.” “They have placed dust [on their heads],” they began mentioning the merit of Abraham, as it is written: “I am dust and ashes” (Genesis 18:27). “Have girded themselves with sackcloth,” they began mentioning the merit of Jacob, as it is written: “He placed sackcloth on his loins” (Genesis 37:34).¹⁰⁹The Sages began to pray to God for mercy in the merit of Abraham and Jacob, both of whom took oaths and were careful to fulfill them (Etz Yosef; see Genesis 14:22, 28:20). What did they do to them? They tied their hair to horses’ tails and had them run from Jerusalem to Lod. That is what is written: “The virgins of Jerusalem have lowered their heads to the ground.”¹¹⁰They did so in mourning for the Sages. Alternatively, the Sages are alluded to with the term virgins because of their purity.