Midrash Aggadah Reader

"Milch camels, etc." Because the camel is modest in its mating, therefore Scripture did not specify [the number of males]. "Forty cows and ten bulls" — they [the cows] require [ten bulls]. "Twenty she-asses" — they require ten he-asses.

"And he gave [them] into the hand of his servants" (Genesis 32:17). And why did he not bring them in all mixed together? In order to satiate the eye of that wicked one. "And you shall put a space between drove and drove" (Genesis 32:17). Jacob said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, if troubles come upon my children, do not bring them upon them except this one after that one, and put a respite for them from their troubles.

"And his eleven children" (Genesis 32:23). Where was Dinah? He placed her in a chest and locked it before her. He said: "This wicked one"—that is, Esau—"his eye is haughty, lest he see her and take her from me." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "To one who withholds kindness from his fellow" (Job 6:14)—you withheld kindness from your brother, for you placed her inside the chest, and you did not give her to him in marriage so that he might be brought to circumcision. By your life, behold, she will be married to an uncircumcised one! You did not seek to have her married by way of the permitted; behold, she will be married by way of the forbidden. This is what is written: "And Dinah the daughter of Leah went out" (Genesis 34:1). From where did she go out? From the chest. It is said here "and she went out," and it is said elsewhere "and Noah went out" (Genesis 8:18). Just as there, from the ark, so too here, from the chest.

"And Jacob was left alone" (Genesis 32:25). And why did he remain? Because he had forgotten some small jars. This teaches you that the righteous cherish their money more than their bodies. "And a man wrestled with him" (Genesis 32:25) — this was the prince of Esau. "And he wrestled" (vaye'avek) — for the dust (avak) of their feet rose up as far as the Throne of Glory.

"And Moses saw the people, that it was exposed (parua)" (Exodus 32:25) — that the Shekhinah had departed from them, and leprosy shone forth upon their forehead, as it is said: "And the leper in whom the plague is, his garments shall be rent and his head shall be exposed (parua)" (Leviticus 13:45). "For a derision among those who rise against them" — for the generations to come, for the nations of the world would taunt Israel concerning the deed of the calf. Immediately he cried out to the sons of Levi and said to them, "Thus says the Lord [the God of Israel: Put every man his sword upon his thigh...]," that you should slay the worshippers of the calf. And from here we have learned that the tribe of Levi did not worship idolatry.

"And he said, 'Let me go, for the dawn has risen' (Genesis 32:27). Jacob said to him: "Are you then a thief, that you are afraid of the dawn?" He said to him: "I am the prince of Esau, and from the day the world was created, the time has never come for me to recite song before the Omnipresent, blessed be He, until this day." In Bereshit Rabbah: "And he said, 'Let me go, for the dawn has risen.'" Rav Huna said: The angel said, "In the end I will reveal it to him; and if he says to me, 'Master of the worlds, why did you reveal it?', I will say to him, 'Master of the worlds, your children make decrees and you do not annul their decrees, yet I am able to annul their decrees.'" The angel said to Jacob: "The Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to reveal Himself to you [at Beth El] and to change your name, and I will be standing there." This is what is written, "He will find him at Beth El, and there He will speak with us" (Hosea 12:5) — it is not written "with you," but rather "with us." R. Berekhiah in the name of R. Levi said: What is the meaning of "who confirms the word of His servant and fulfills the counsel of His messengers" (Isaiah 44:26)? We would not know that He "fulfills the counsel of His messengers," except that one angel revealed himself to Jacob and said to him, "He is destined to reveal Himself to you at Beth El and to change your name, and I am standing there," as it is said, "He will find him at Beth El, and there He will speak with us." And the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to him to fulfill the word of the angel. "And he said, 'I will not let you go,' etc." (Genesis 32:27). Jacob said to him: "Since you are the prince of Esau, I will not leave you until you concede to me concerning the blessing with which my father blessed me." He said to him: "And who complains against you?" He said to him: "Because Esau said to me, 'Is he not rightly named Jacob (Yaakov)? For he has supplanted me (vayaakveni) these two times' (Genesis 27:36)."

"And the sun rose for him" (Genesis 32:32). But did it rise for him alone? Did it not rise for the whole world? Rather, [it rose for him] to heal his thigh; but for others it was fire and flame. Another interpretation: "And the sun rose for him." The sun that had set on his account rose on his account, as it is said, "And the sun rose for him."

"Then the handmaids drew near, they and their children" (Genesis 33:6). But concerning Joseph it is written, "And afterward Joseph and Rachel drew near" (verse 7). And why? Joseph said: This wicked man, his eye is haughty — so that he should not cast his eyes upon her. And Joseph raised up his stature and covered her. And for this reason the evil eye does not rule over the seed of Joseph.

"And Moses would take the tent" (Exodus 33:7) — Since Moses saw that Israel had been placed under ban before the Omnipresent, he at once distanced himself from them. Why? Because one who is banned to the master is banned to the disciple. Immediately Moses distanced his tent from the camp of Israel, four mil. And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: "Moses, I have separated from them, and you have separated from them. You have made them like orphans who have no father, and now they have no recovery." Moses said: "Master of the Universe, You are merciful, You are gracious, You are enduring, You relent concerning the evil — act for the sake of Your Name." He said to him: "Moses, return your tent into the midst of My children, and I will return with you." This is what is written: "And the LORD would speak to Moses face to face" (verse 11).

"As one sees the face of God," and so forth. And why does Jacob mention the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, here? In order to make him fear and to terrify him. Esau said: the Holy One, blessed be He, has drawn near to him with this honor — I cannot prevail against him. A parable: of a companion who seeks to kill his fellow. They chanced to come together at one feast. The one said: the taste of this dish is like the taste of a dish that I tasted in the king's house. That man said: is it indeed so, that this one is a familiar of the king's house? Immediately he became afraid of him.

"And he said, 'Let us journey and let us go'" (Genesis 33:12). When that wicked one saw Jacob's wealth, he reflected in his heart and said: What is this world — and it is not his portion — yet my brother is at this eminence; the World to Come, how much more so! Immediately he requested of Jacob that he would inherit half of this world, and that Jacob would inherit half the World to Come.

"And he said to him: My lord knows that the children are tender" (Genesis 33:13). This refers to Moses and Aaron. "And the flocks and herds are giving suck" — these are Israel, as it is said, "And you, My flock, the flock of My pasture" (Ezekiel 34:31). And were it not for the mercy of the Holy One, blessed be He, had they driven them hard for one day, all the flock would have died — in the days of Hadrian Caesar. Another interpretation: "for the children are tender" — and they are unable to bear the yoke of Gehinnom; and if they were driven hard for one day, they would have no hope.

"Let my lord pass over" (Genesis 33:14) — because you are not afraid of anything. "And I will lead on gently" — for the commandments are not performed in bundles upon bundles. "Until I come to my lord to Seir" — We searched through all of Scripture and did not find that Jacob went to Esau at Mount Seir. And is it possible for Jacob to deceive him? Rather, when will he come to him? In the time to come, as it is said, "And saviors shall come up on Mount Zion to judge the mount of Esau" (Obadiah 1:21).

"So [Esau] returned that day on his way [to Seir]" (Genesis 33:16), and so forth. Where did they go? This teaches that when the angels saw that [Esau] was saying to them, "Who are you?" and the angels answered, "We are messengers in the name of Jacob," they would strike them, and each one went on his way. They said that there was none who would not be scorched by the coal of Jacob.

"For how then shall it be known" to all the nations that You have been reconciled to us? "Is it not in that You go with us, so that we are distinguished, I and Your people" (Exodus 33:16). Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish said: Three things Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, asked from the mouth of the Gevurah, and the Holy One, blessed be He, granted him his request. He asked that the Shekhinah dwell upon Israel; and he asked that the holy spirit depart from the nations; and he asked that He show Himself in the attribute of mercy. And from where do we know that he asked that the Shekhinah dwell upon Israel? As it is said, "Is it not in that You go with us" (Exodus 33:16). And from where do we know that he asked that the holy spirit depart from the nations? As it is said, "so that we are distinguished, I and Your people" (Exodus 33:16). And from where do we know that he asked that He show Himself in the attribute of mercy? As it is said, "And he said, Show me, I pray, Your glory" (Exodus 33:18). And from where do we know that the Holy One, blessed be He, did them all for him? As it is said, "I will also do this thing that you have spoken" (Exodus 33:17). Behold, these are three.

"And He said: You cannot see My face" (Exodus 33:20). Because he had asked, "Show me, I pray, Your glory" (Exodus 33:18), the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "You cannot see My face," and so forth. This teaches that Moses sought to see why there is a righteous person for whom it goes ill, and a wicked person for whom it goes well. He said to him: You cannot fathom the depth of the attribute of justice. Another interpretation: He sought to see and to gaze upon the appearance of the Shekhinah, and permission was not granted to him, as it is said, "for no human shall see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20). And from here we have learned that at the hour of death all human beings shall see Him, as it is said, "before Him shall bow down all who go down to the dust, and the one whose soul He does not keep alive" (Psalms 22:30). Another interpretation: "for no human shall see Me" — this refers to the one taken from the four elements. "And live" — these are the angels, who live forever, for they too are not able to see the face of the Shekhinah.

"Carve for yourself" (Exodus 34:1). This was on Rosh Chodesh Elul, for on the seventeenth of Tammuz the tablets were broken, and for forty days Moshe our teacher, peace be upon him, cast himself down in prayer over the forgiveness of the deed of the calf, and for forty days he labored at the receiving of the last tablets. We find that on Yom Kippur the last tablets were given, and the Holy One, blessed be He, established it as a day of pardon and forgiveness in every single year. Therefore they have practiced to sound the shofar on Rosh Chodesh Elul, on account of the beginning of the last tablets, for Moshe our teacher proclaimed, when he went up upon Mount Sinai, that Israel should not return to their corruption as at the first. "And I will write upon the tablets the words" (Exodus 34:1). Because on the first tablets the letter tet was not written in them, until tet was written in the last tablets. "Which you broke." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "May your strength be firm, that you broke them; for had they not been broken, the enemies of Israel would have been condemned to destruction."

"And he lay with her" (Genesis 34:2): This teaches that one transgression drags along another transgression. "the daughter of Leah" — and not "the daughter of Jacob"? Rather, just as Leah was a goer-out, as it is said, "And Leah went out to meet him" (Genesis 30:16), so too Dinah was a goer-out. "And he lay with her" — in the normal manner. "And he afflicted her" — in an abnormal manner.

"And two of Jacob's sons took [Simeon and Levi]." From the implication of what is said, "Simeon and Levi," do I not know that they are the sons of Jacob? Rather, [it teaches that they are] the sons of Jacob who did not take counsel one from the other. "The brothers of Dinah." Now, was she the sister of these two and not the sister of the rest? Rather, because they gave themselves over on her behalf, she is called by their name. "And they came upon [the city] securely." They were secure in the strength of the old man. Jacob said: I will not leave my sons, that they should fall into the hand of the nations of the world who would join together against them; I will fight against them. This is what is written: "Which I took out of the hand of the Amorite with my sword and with my bow" (Genesis 18:22).

"And the LORD said to Moses: Write for yourself" (Exodus 34:27) — these are the Ten Commandments. "the" [et] — to include the rest of the commandments. "these words" — this is the entire book of the Torah. "For according to these words" — these are the rulings of the Talmud, for the essence of the covenant was cut over the interpretations of the Torah, as it is said, "and teach it to the children of Israel, put it in their mouths" (Deuteronomy 31:19). For anyone who expounds a verse according to its plain form, without midrash and without the thirteen principles by which the Torah is expounded, of him Scripture says, "and the fool walks in darkness" (Ecclesiastes 2:14).

"And it came to pass, when Moses came down." From here the Sages said: One who gives a gift to his fellow, and it is a thing that is destined to be revealed, need not inform him of it, for behold today or tomorrow it will become known to him, as it is said, "and Moses knew not that the skin of his face shone." And on what account did the skin of his face not shine with the first tablets? Because the first ones were the writing of God, as it is said, "written with the finger of God" (Exodus 31:18); but the second ones, Moses wrote them from the mouth of the Almighty. Therefore the skin of his face was made to shine. And so the wise man said, "the wisdom of a man makes his face shine" (Ecclesiastes 8:1).

"And there was a terror of God" (Genesis 35:5), so that they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob to cut them off and to kill them. This was because the Holy One, blessed be He, split open the earth that was beneath them down to the depth of the earth, and a fire stood between the camp of Jacob and the camp of the Perizzite. Therefore it is said, "and they did not pursue after the sons of Jacob."

"The nurse of Rebekah" (Genesis 35:8). The mother of Rebekah. "Allon" is Greek. While he was observing the mourning of Deborah, the news of his mother came to them. This is what is written, "And God appeared to Jacob... and blessed him" (Genesis 35:9). And what blessing did He bless him with? This is the blessing of mourners. And why was the death of Rebekah not stated? Because of her son Esau. And she was also buried at night because of Esau, so that they would not say: "Such and such shall come upon the womb in which such a man was formed." And what did Deborah seek with Jacob? Rather, at the time when Rebekah said to him, "And I will send and take you from there" (Genesis 27:45), Jacob did not wish to move from Laban. What did Rebekah do? She sent Deborah to Jacob to bring him.

"I am El Shaddai, be fruitful and multiply, etc." And where do we find a being-fruitful-and-multiplying that Jacob our father did after this? Rather, because Benjamin was in his mother's womb, He said to him, "Be fruitful and multiply." "A nation" — this is Benjamin; "and a company of nations" — this is Manasseh and Ephraim. "And kings shall come out of your loins." This is Jeroboam and Jehu.

"And she was buried on the road to Ephrath" (Genesis 35:19). What did Jacob our father see, that he buried Rachel on the road to Ephrath? Rather, Jacob foresaw by the Holy Spirit that the exiles were destined to pass by there. Therefore he buried her there, so that she might plead for mercy. This is what is written: "Rachel weeping for her children" (Jeremiah 31:15).

"And he lay with Bilhah his father's concubine" (Genesis 35:22). Heaven forbid that he touched her. Rather, when Rachel died, Jacob took his bed and set it down before the couch of Bilhah. Reuben came and was zealous for his mother's honor, and because Jacob did not set his bed before Leah his mother, he disturbed her bed. Therefore Scripture accounted it to him as though he had lain with her. This is what is written, "And he lay" and so forth. And even so, Scripture made him equal with his brothers, as it is said, "And the sons of Jacob were twelve" (Genesis 35:22). [This teaches that all of them were of equal weight as one.] And it called him firstborn, for he is the firstborn with regard to conception, the firstborn with regard to inheritance, the firstborn with regard to service, and the firstborn with regard to repentance.

However, for the sake of their paternal tribe, they shall be married within their own tribe. Advice was given to them that if they wish to marry men who are suitable from their paternal tribe, they should not marry others.

"For the land into which you are entering to possess it" (Deuteronomy 11:10). This was said as an inducement to Israel at the time they went out of Egypt, for they were saying: Perhaps we will not enter into so fair a land as this one? The Omnipresent said to them: "For the land into which you are entering to possess it is not like the land of Egypt." This teaches that the Land of Israel is more praiseworthy than it. Does Scripture speak in praise of the Land of Israel, or in praise of the land of Egypt? Therefore the verse states: "And Hebron was built seven years before Zoan of Egypt" (Numbers 13:22). What was Zoan? A place of royalty, and so it says: "For his princes were at Zoan," and so forth (Isaiah 30:4). What was Hebron? The refuse of the Land of Israel, as it is said: "Mamre, the city of Arba, which is Hebron" (Genesis 35:27). And behold, the matter is an inference from minor to major: if Hebron, the refuse of the Land of Israel, is more praiseworthy than the praise of the land of Egypt, which is more praiseworthy than all lands, then how much more so for the praise of the Land of Israel! And so you find in the ways of the Omnipresent that whatever is more beloved precedes its fellow: the Torah, because it is more beloved than all, was created before all; the Holy Temple, because it is more beloved than all, was created before all; the Land of Israel, which is more beloved than all, was created before all, as it is said: "Before He had made the earth and the open fields" (Proverbs 8:26). Rabbi Shimon ben Yohai says: "Tevel" (the world) refers to the Land of Israel, as it is said: "Rejoicing in the world (tevel), His earth" (Proverbs 8:31). Why is its name called Tevel? Because it is seasoned (metubelet) with everything, for all the lands have in this one what is not in that one, and have in that one what is not in this one; but the Land of Israel lacks nothing, as it is said: "You will lack nothing in it" (Deuteronomy 8:9).

"These are the generations of Jacob: Joseph..." (Genesis 37:2). All these generations came about only through the merit of Joseph. Did Jacob go to Laban for any reason other than for the sake of Rachel? "Joseph, being seventeen years old." Yet you say, "and he was a lad (na'ar)"? Rather, he used to do youthful deeds: he would primp and curl his hair. "And Joseph brought their evil report" and so forth. He said to him: Your sons eat a limb from a living animal. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: By your life, even at the time of their wrongdoing they eat only by ritual slaughter, as it is written, "and they slaughtered a kid of the goats" (verse 31).

"And Israel loved Joseph" — because his likeness, his form, and his resemblance were similar to his own. Another interpretation: because all the laws that had been transmitted to Jacob, he transmitted to him. "A coat of pasim" — A person should never distinguish [his son] among his sons, for on account of the coat of pasim that Jacob made for Joseph the matter unfolded and our ancestors went down to Egypt. "Pasim" — because it reached to the sole (pas) of his foot. Another interpretation: "pasim" — that they cast lots (hefisu) over it, as to which of them would bring it to their father. Another interpretation: "PaSIM" is a notarikon (acronym) for the troubles that came upon him: P — Potiphar; S — the officer (saris) of Pharaoh; Y — the Ishmaelites; M — the Midianites.

"Hear now." He said to them: the prophets will likewise rebuke you, as it is written, "Hear now, you rebels" (Numbers 20:10); "Hear now, O house of David" (Isaiah 7:13); "Hear now what the LORD says" (Micah 6:1).

"And his father rebuked him" (Genesis 37:10). He said to him: Is this how you will rebuke prophets? As it is written, "Why have you [not] rebuked Jeremiah the Anathothite" (Jeremiah 29:27). "And he said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed?" Thus Jacob supposed that the resurrection of the dead would take place in his own days. "Shall we indeed come, I and your mother and your brothers?" But behold, Rachel your mother has died, and yet you say "the sun and the moon." And Jacob our father did not know that the matter referred to Bilhah, Rachel's handmaid, who raised him as his mother.

"And Israel said to Joseph, etc.; and he said to him: Here I am" (Genesis 37:13). He conducted himself toward his father with honor and reverence. Jacob said to him: Joseph, you know that your brothers hate you, and yet you say, "Here I am"? He said to him: Father, I know that they hate me, but even if they were to kill me, I will not turn your word back empty.

"Go now, see" (Genesis 37:14) — this is like the matter of "And Aaron saw" (Exodus 32:5). And what did he see? He saw Hur slain. From where do we know this? As it is said, "and he built an altar" (Exodus 32:5) — from the one slaughtered (mi-zavuach) before him. And this one [Joseph] understood it in his mind, yet did not refrain from going. "And the welfare of the flock" — from here we learn that a person must inquire about a thing from which he derives benefit. "And he sent him from the valley of Hebron" (Genesis 37:14) — but is not Hebron set upon a mountain, yet you say "from the valley of Hebron"? Rather, he went to fulfill the deep counsel (the deep plan) that the Holy One, blessed be He, set between Himself and his forefathers — that is, Abraham our father, who is buried in Hebron.

"And a man found him" (Genesis 37:15). Three kings were joined to him. "And a man found him" — that is one. "And the man asked him" — that is two. "And the man said" — that is three. "And a man found him" — this is Gabriel, as it is said, "the man Gabriel" (Daniel 9:21).

"And it came to pass at that time, that Judah went down" (Genesis 38:1). [This teaches] that they excommunicated him. And they said to him: When you said to us, "What profit is it if we slay our brother" (Genesis 37:26), we listened to you; had you said to us, "Let us return him to his father," we would have listened to you. Therefore the [section] "And it came to pass at that time," etc., was placed next [to it], in order to place "Recognize, I pray" (there, 38:25) beside "Recognize, I pray" (Genesis 37:32). Another interpretation: Anyone who begins [a commandment] and does not complete it buries his wife and his sons. Whence do you [learn this]? From Judah, as it is said, "And Judah said unto his brethren," etc. (Genesis 37:26). He ought to have carried him upon his shoulders to his father, and he did not do so; therefore he buried his wife and his sons. "Unto a certain Adullamite, [whose name was Hirah]" (Genesis 38:1). This is Hiram who was in the days of Solomon and David, as it is said, "for Hiram was ever a lover [of David]" (I Kings 5:15). Hiram was accustomed to be a lover of the tribe of Judah.

"And she sat at the entrance of Enaim (the opening of the eyes)" (Genesis 38:14). We have searched through the entire Scripture and have not found a place named Petach Enaim; rather, this teaches that she lifted up her eyes to the One upon whom all eyes are dependent, and she said before the Holy One, blessed be He: "May it be Your will that I not go out empty from this entrance." Another interpretation: this teaches that she opened up arguments before him, and said to him, "I am pure, I am unmarried." Judah saw her and did not take notice of her. He said, "Since she has covered her face, this one is not a harlot; for if she were a harlot, she would not cover her face." He sought to pass by, but the Holy One, blessed be He, summoned for him the angel who is appointed over desire. He said: "Judah, where are you going? From where shall kings arise? From where shall redeemers arise?"

"Your seal and your cord and your staff." The holy spirit flashed within her. "Your seal" — this is kingship, as it is said: "As I live, says the LORD, though Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, etc." (Jeremiah 22:24). "And your cord" — these are the Sanhedrin, who wrap themselves in their prayer-shawls. "And your staff that is in your hand" — this is the Messiah, as it is said: "The LORD will send forth the staff of your strength out of Zion, etc." (Psalms 110:2).

"And it came to pass about three months after" (Genesis 38:24) — not three complete months, but rather the greater part of the first, the greater part of the last, and the middle one complete. "Behold, she is with child by harlotry" — this teaches that she was patting her belly and saying, "I am pregnant with kings! I am pregnant with redeemers!" Tamar was the daughter of Shem, as it is said, "And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the harlot, she profaneth her father; she shall be burnt with fire" (Leviticus 21:9). And therefore Judah said, "Bring her forth, and let her be burnt."

"She was being brought out" (Genesis 38:25). This teaches that she had lost the signet, the cords, and the staff, and the Holy One, blessed be He, provided her with others like them in their place — as in the matter that is said, "or has found that which was lost" (Leviticus 5:22). "And she sent to her father-in-law, saying" — he sought to deny it. She said: "They are yours and your Creator's." "Recognize, please" — the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "By the measure with which you measured to your father, they measure out to you."