“Avimelekh commanded all the people” – Rabi Aivu said: No person should even cast a rock at them; that is what is written: “They lie in wait in their dwelling places; they watch my footsteps in hopes of taking my life” (Psalms 56:7). “The man grew wealthy, and continued to grow until he became very wealthy” (Genesis 26:13). “The man grew wealthy, and continued to grow” – Rabbi Ḥanin said: To the extent that they would say: The manure of Isaac’s mules, and not Avimelekh’s silver and gold.18The manure from Isaac's mules was worth more than the Avimelekh’s gold and silver.
“He had livestock of flocks, and livestock of cattle, and a great household, and the Philistines envied him” (Genesis 26:14). “He had livestock of flocks, and livestock of cattle, and a great household [vaavuda].” Daniyel the tailor said: Ve’avda is written – if a person does not render himself like a slave with his slave, he does not acquire it,19If he does not oversee the work of his slaves and workers, he will not see a benfit from the property he has. as it is stated: “Better to be lightly esteemed with a slave” (Proverbs 12:9).20It is better to work like a slave when you have a slave, otherwise you will only lose from having a slave.
The way of the world is that a person must toil and seek the expenditures of his household, and they sit in his home.21The slaves sit idly at home. Avimelekh said to Isaac: Leave us, for you have grown much mightier than we” (Genesis 26:16). “Avimelekh said to Isaac: Leave us, for you have grown…mightier than we” – he said to him: ‘All that growth that you have grown, did it not come to you from us? In the past you had only one flock and now you have many flocks.’