Midrash Aggadah Reader

"Where he is" (Genesis 21:17). Because the ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, the descendants of this one are destined to kill Your children with thirst, and yet You perform a miracle for him, bringing him a well of water!" And from where do we know that the descendants of Ishmael killed Israel with thirst? As it is said, "To meet the thirsty bring water" (Isaiah 21:14). For when Israel went into exile, they went from them to Ishmael. They said to them: "Give us water and bread to eat and to drink, for you are our brethren." They said to them: "Eat first, and afterward you shall drink water." They brought them kinds of salty foods, and empty waterskins, inflated and dipped in water, and they would bring the waterskins near their mouths so that they would drink, but the air would enter their mouths, and they would die. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the angels: "Now, what is he — righteous or wicked?" Therefore it is said, "for God has heard the voice of the lad where he is" (Genesis 21:17).

"Then Israel sang" — they uttered song before the Holy One, blessed be He, over the miracle, and they praised the Holy One, blessed be He, for the good things He had done for them by means of the well, from beginning to end. They began to recall how the Creator had given [it] from beginning to end. This is what is written: "A well the princes dug" (verse 18) — this is Moses and the elders of Israel, as you say, "Take with you of the elders of Israel, etc.; behold, I will stand before you there on the rock" (Exodus 17:5–6) — the master preceded the disciple. And so with Ezekiel: "Arise, go out to the valley, and there I will speak with you," "And I arose and went out to the valley, and behold, there the glory of the LORD" (Ezekiel 3:22–23). And what is "dug"? Like "and they searched out for us the land" (Deuteronomy 1:22) — for Moses did not know which rock it was, until the Holy One, blessed be He, told him the sign of that rock, that the Shekhinah had appeared upon it; then he knew that it was the rock.

"And from Mattanah to Nahaliel" (Numbers 21:19) — for that goodness with which He gave them drink in the wilderness by means of the well. And it went down with them to the valleys of Arnon, and from the valleys of Arnon it went up with them to the high places (bamoth) of the mountains, and from the high places it went down with them to the valley that is in the field of Moab, for that valley looked out from the high places upon the face of the wasteland (Jeshimon). Another interpretation: "And from there to Beer" (Numbers 21:16) — when Israel reached settled land, the well was taken away from them, and Israel spoke a song over it, as it is said, "Then Israel sang" (Numbers 21:17). And why was the name of Moses our teacher not mentioned over the well? Because he was punished through it, for the Holy One, blessed be He, swore on account of it that Moses would not enter the Land. Israel began to speak the praise of the well. Another interpretation: "A well that the princes dug" (Numbers 21:18) — this is the Torah, which was kept by Abraham and Jacob, as it is said of Abraham, "And he kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5), and of Jacob it is said, "And Jacob was a plain man, dwelling in tents" (Genesis 25:27). "That the nobles of the people delved" — these are Israel, who received it from Sinai, and through it they are called nobles, as it is said, "The nobles of the peoples are gathered together" (Psalms 47:10). And because they were blessed through its voice, they therefore merited kingship, as it is said, "And you shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests" (Exodus 19:6). "With the lawgiver (mehokek)" — by means of Moses, who is called lawgiver. "With their staffs (mish'anotam)" — for they leaned (nish'anu) upon Moses, in that they accepted everything he told them from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He, to keep, as it is said, "Speak you with us, and we will hear" (Exodus 20:19). "And from the wilderness, a gift (Mattanah)" — whoever makes himself like the wilderness, the Torah is given to him as a gift. For this reason the Torah is likened to water: just as water cannot stand in a high place, and goes only to a low place, so too the Torah endures only in one who makes himself like the wilderness. "And from Mattanah to Nahaliel" — since the Torah was given to him as a gift, he inherited God (nahalu El). "And from Nahaliel to Bamoth (the high places)" — since he inherited God, he rose to greatness, as it is said, "And from Nahaliel to Bamoth." But if he exalts himself, the Holy One, blessed be He, brings him low, as it is said, "And from Bamoth to the valley" (Numbers 21:20).

"The seven ewe-lambs of the flock" (Genesis 21:28). Our Rabbis said: Because Abraham gave Abimelech seven ewe-lambs, he was therefore punished, and the Ark of God stood in the field of the Philistines for seven months. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Abraham, you gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, his sons will make war with your sons and will be victorious." Another interpretation: He said to him, "You gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, his sons will slay among your sons seven righteous ones." And these are they: Samson, Hophni and Phinehas, and Saul and his three sons. Another interpretation: He said to him, "You gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, his sons will destroy seven sanctuaries." And these are they: the Tent of Meeting, Gilgal, Nob, Gibeon, Shiloh, and the Eternal House [the Temple] two times. Another interpretation: He said to him, "You gave him seven ewe-lambs — by your life, my Ark will be abandoned in the field of the Philistines for seven months," as it is said: "And the Ark of the LORD was in the field of the Philistines seven months" (I Samuel 6:1).

"And we shot at them; Heshbon is perished" (Numbers 21:30). Israel said: We judged them through Sihon, and therefore Heshbon perished. They said: Heshbon, their city, and we laid waste the land "even unto Nophah, which reacheth unto Medeba." Another interpretation: "Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say: Come ye to Heshbon" (Numbers 21:27). And who are these "rulers" (moshlim)? This is Balaam and also his father; and therefore Scripture called them moshlim, after the manner of "and he took up his parable (mashal)" (Numbers 23:7). For Heshbon was a heavy and strong and lofty city, and even had it been guarded by gnats Sihon would not have been able to conquer it, until he hired Balaam and his father; and Balaam cursed them, and no man of valor found his hands to guard it. And concerning this matter Balak sent to Balaam to curse Israel, and concerning this Balak said, "for I know that he whom thou blessest is blessed, and he whom thou cursest is cursed" (Numbers 22:6). He blessed Sihon and cursed Moab, and they said to Sihon, "Come ye to Heshbon." Moses began to set forth how Balaam cursed Heshbon and also Moab, and blessed Sihon. Another interpretation: "Wherefore they that speak in proverbs say." These are the rulers over their evil inclination: "Come to Heshbon" — come and let us reckon the accounting of the world, the loss of a commandment against its reward, and the reward of a transgression against its loss; "let the city be built and established" — for the life of the World to Come, together with the righteous who recount the greatness of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "ye that walk by the way, tell of it (sichu)" (Judges 5:10). "For a fire is gone out of Heshbon" — a fire shall go forth from those who reckon the loss of a commandment against its reward, and the reward of a transgression against its loss. "A flame from the city of Sihon" — just as the righteous recount the Torah, so it shall consume those who deal treacherously with the Lord to do all their wickedness. "The lords of the high places of the Arnon" — these are the haughty who do the deeds of the proud. Another interpretation: "the lords of the high places of the Arnon" — this is he who casts off from himself the yoke of Heaven, and they place upon him the yoke of the kingdom and the yoke of the way of the world. "Woe to thee, Moab! thou art undone, O people of Chemosh" — every people that serves idolatry, its end is to be destroyed; this is what is written, "But if thy heart turn away, and thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; I declare unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish" (Deuteronomy 30:17-18). "To Sihon king of the Amorites" — for he is like a shoot (siach) in the wilderness; this is what is written, "The Lord shall bring a nation against thee from far" (Deuteronomy 28:49). "And we shot at them" — woe to the wicked, and woe to his neighbor. "Heshbon is perished" — they lost the accounting of the world, and said, "there is no judgment and there is no Judge," because they said of some of them: their end is to come unto Dibon — that we shall judge their soul then; "and we have laid waste even unto Nophah" — and afterward their soul shall come to the end, that it be burned and come unto Gehinnom, which is a fire that needs no blowing (nippuach). "Which reacheth unto Medeba" — its end is to be judged in Gehinnom, and the Holy One, blessed be He, shall do with them what He wishes; this is what is written, "until He have executed, and till He have performed the purposes of His heart; in the latter days ye shall consider it" (Jeremiah 23:20).

"And he planted an eshel in Beer-sheba" (Genesis 21:33). Eshel ( ") is an acronym for "eating" (akhilah), "drinking" (shtiyah), "escorting" (levayah). And some say it was an actual tree, and from it was made the middle bar, and our father Jacob brought it down to Egypt when he went down there. "And he called there in the name of the LORD" (Genesis 21:33). He made an inn, and all who passed and came would enter there, and our father Abraham would give them bread and meat and wine to eat and to drink. After they had eaten and drunk, Abraham would say to them: "Bless the God of the world, for you have eaten from what is His." They would say: "We will bless none but you." Abraham would say: "If so, give me the money for what you have eaten." Once each one saw his distress, he would bless the Holy One, blessed be He, the One who is God of the world.

"And Og came out." And why was he called by the name Og? After the name of the cakes (ugot) of unleavened bread, for at that time, when Lot was taken captive, it was Passover, and Og came and told Abraham, as it is said, "And the fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew" (Genesis 14:13). And he did this only for evil. For thus he said in his heart: Abram has dealt kindly with Lot, and he loves him; and when he hears that Lot has been taken captive, he will immediately go out to wage war against them and be killed, and I will take Sarah his wife. And why is it said, "And the Lord said to Moses: Do not fear him" (verse 34)? And why did Moses fear, what he did not fear from Sihon? Were not Sihon and Og the sons of Achiah and Hiyya, the sons of Shemchai and Uzza, and the two of them equal in greatness and in might? And concerning them it is said, "To Him who smote great kings; and slew mighty kings: Sihon king of the Amorites, and Og king of Bashan" (Psalms 136:17-19-20). And why did he fear Og more than Sihon? Rather, Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, was doing well. Moses said: Perhaps a merit will stand for him on account of his having told Abraham that Lot had been taken captive, as it is said, "And the fugitive came and told Abram the Hebrew" (Genesis 14:13). And therefore the Holy One said to him: "Do not fear him, for into your hand I have given him" — and the matter about which you fear concerning him, fear not, for at that time as well he intended for evil and not for good; and even so I gave him his reward, that I multiplied his days and his years until this day. But his deeds and the thought that he thought, I will requite him, that I will deliver him into your hand; this is what is written, "for into your hand I have given him" (verse 34).

"And they struck him and his sons and all his people" (Numbers 21:35). They said concerning Og that he devised a plan and said: "How large is the camp of Israel? Three parsangs. I will go and uproot a mountain three parsangs wide and hurl it upon them." He went and uprooted the mountain, and it was three parsangs across, and he carried it upon his head and came. The Holy One, blessed be He, sent a raven — and some say an ant — and it bored through it, and it descended onto his neck. When he sought to remove it, his teeth stretched out this way and that way, and he was not able to remove it. So too you find with the teeth of the wicked in the time to come, as it is said: "You have broken the teeth of the wicked" (Psalms 3:8) — do not read it "shibbarta" (you have broken) but "shirbavta" (you have stretched out). And when Moses our teacher saw that he was standing, what did he do? Moses was ten cubits tall, as it is said: "And he spread the tent over the Tabernacle" (Exodus 40:19), and the Tabernacle was ten cubits. He took an axe ten cubits long and leaped ten cubits and struck his ankle and killed him. From this they say: That mountain which Og was bringing to hurl upon Israel — Moses our teacher, peace be upon him, pronounced the Ineffable Name and held it in the air, so that it would not fall upon Israel. Then they said: May the hands that throw thus be cut off, and may the mouth that holds it up thus be blessed.

"And it came to pass after these things" (Genesis 22:1). Everywhere that "after" is stated, it is set apart. What is "after"? That the angels said to the Holy One, blessed be He: This Abraham, You graced him with a son at one hundred years, and he made a great feast on the day Isaac was weaned, yet he did not have to offer before You a single turtledove or a young pigeon. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to them: If I were to tell him to offer up his son before Me, he would offer him. Therefore it is written, "And God tested Abraham." Another interpretation: That Ishmael said to Isaac: I am greater than you, for I received circumcision when I was thirteen years old, and it was in my power to protest, yet I did not protest; but you, when you received the circumcision, were eight days old, and you had no strength to protest, and therefore you did not protest. Isaac said to him: With one limb you make me afraid? Were the Holy One, blessed be His name, to say to me that I should offer up myself, I would offer it and I would not refuse. Therefore it is said, "And God tested Abraham."

"And He said: Take now your son, your only one." Abraham said: I have two sons, and I do not know which son You are telling me to take. He said to him: "Your only one." Abraham said: this one is the only one of his mother, and this one is the only one of his mother. He said to him: "Whom you love." He said to Him: this one I love and this one I love. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Isaac." And why all this? In order to make him beloved in his eyes; and even so, Abraham received the words of the Holy One, blessed be He, with joy. "Moriah" — from there went forth instruction, as it is said, "For from Zion shall go forth Torah" (Isaiah 2:3). And Rabbi Yannai says: from there shall go forth fear of Heaven to the world. Another interpretation: that from there speech goes forth to the world. Another interpretation: that from there the commandments go forth to the world.

"And Abraham rose early in the morning" (Genesis 22:3) — for all the deeds of the righteous are in the morning; and from here we learn that the zealous hasten to perform the commandments. "And he saddled his donkey" — love disrupts the [proper] order. "His two young men" — these are Ishmael and Eliezer. From here the Torah taught proper conduct: that a person should not set out on a journey with fewer than three men, so that if one of them needs to relieve himself, two will remain.

"On the third day." Why did he tarry three days, seeing that the place was near? Rather, this teaches that Ha-Satan came and made himself like a river before him. Abraham said, "I will enter the river and see whether the water is deep," and Abraham was nearly drowned. He lifted his eyes to the Holy One, blessed be He, that He save him from the water, that he not drown in it. Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked Ha-Satan, and Abraham was found standing on dry land. "And he saw the place from afar." Abraham said to Isaac, "Do you see anything?" He said to him, "I see a cloud bound upon the top of the mountain." And Abraham knew that the lad had consented to be a burnt offering. Abraham said to his lads, "Do you see anything?" They said to him, "No." He said to them, "Stay here with the donkey," for you are like the donkey: just as a donkey sees nothing, so too you see nothing.

"And Moab said to the elders of Midian" (Numbers 22:4). When they saw that Sihon and Og had been slain, they were astonished and said: Who can by his strength subdue them or stand against them? And when they saw that they were vanquishing the whole world, they did not know wherein their strength lay. They brought the elders of Midian and inquired of them, and they said: This nation has neither sword nor spear, and all their strength is in their mouth, and they prevail over all the nations only with their mouth. "Now will this assembly lick up all that is around us" — for they did not wage war, but imposed forced labor upon them, and plundered all that they brought outside the city. "As the ox licks up" — and why an ox? To tell you: just as that which the ox licks has no sign of blessing forever, so Israel — all that they take, they leave no remnant or survivor. "And Balak son of Zippor was king of Moab at that time" — for he was not fit for kingship, but according to the time the Moabites made him king over them.

"And we will worship and return to you" (Genesis 22:5). He prophesied that the two of them would return. Ten people prophesied and did not know what they prophesied, and these are they: One: Abraham prophesied and did not know, as it is said, "And we will worship and return" — he prophesied that he and his son were destined to return. Two: Jacob prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "And may He send back to you your other brother" (Genesis 43:14) — "your brother," this is Simeon; "the other," this is Joseph; "and Benjamin" (ibid.), as its plain meaning. Three: Laban prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "And they blessed Rebekah" (Genesis 24:60) — they were found to be cursing themselves and blessing Rebekah. Four: the tribes prophesied and did not know what they prophesied, as it is said, "and behold, the youngest is with our father this day" (Genesis 42:13) — they prophesied that Joseph was standing among them. Five: Joseph prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "and let not your eye spare your vessels" — he prophesied that they were destined to plunder Egypt. Six: Pharaoh prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "Come, let us deal wisely" (Exodus 1:10) — he prophesied that they would make war with him and go up from the land. Seven: Job prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "shall we also receive the good?" (Job 2:10) — he prophesied that the Holy One, blessed be He, was destined to restore to him all the good. Eight: our forefathers prophesied and did not know what they prophesied, as it is said, "You will bring them in and plant them" (Exodus 15:17) — they prophesied that their children were destined to enter the land while they themselves would not enter. Nine: Gehazi prophesied and did not know what he prophesied, as it is said, "As the Lord lives, I will run after him and take from him something [me'umah]" (2 Kings 5:20) — "a blemish [mumah]," that is, leprosy; he prophesied concerning himself. Ten: Hannah prophesied and did not know what she prophesied, as it is said, "and I also have lent him to the Lord all the days that he lives, he is lent to the Lord" (1 Samuel 1:28) — Hannah said, all the days that Samuel my son endures, the kingdom of Saul endures.

"And the elders of Moab went" (Numbers 22:7) — the elders of Moab too took divinations in their hand. Another interpretation: Why did He say to him at first "Do not go," and at the end say to him "Arise, go"? Rather, at first Balak inquired of the diviners. He said to them, "What do you say — will Balaam come, or not?" They divined divinations and said, "He will come." Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, annulled their divinations and said to him, "Do not go with them." And the second time they divined and said, "He will not come." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "Arise, go" — "He frustrates the signs of the liars, and makes diviners mad" (Isaiah 44:25). And so too the wicked Balaam thought in his heart and said: Just as He said to me the first time "Do not go," and the second time said to me "Go," so He has said to me "Do not curse," but in the end He will say to me "Curse." Concerning this: "And God's anger was kindled because he was going" (Numbers 22:22). And what were the diviners saying? If we tell Balaam, "Come with us," we succeed; but if He puts a delay upon him, there is nothing in his words. And when they heard that he said to them, "Lodge here this night" (Numbers 22:8), they said: Is there a father who hates his son? So the Holy One, blessed be He, is a father to Israel and loves them — would He, for the sake of Balaam's curse, hate them? Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Balaam, "Who are these men with you?" (Numbers 22:9). He made Himself as though He knew nothing — this is what is written, "He enlarges the nations and destroys them" (Job 12:23). And when Balaam heard this, he said: Now I am able to go and to understand, for at times He knows and at times He does not know, and therefore I will be able to do all that I desire. And he was one of three whom the Holy One, blessed be He, tested and found to be a chamber-pot of urine; for he ought to have said, "Master of the worlds, You know, and You are the One who knows all, and no scheme is withheld from You — yet do You ask me, 'Who are these men?'" But he did not do so; rather he said, "Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab, has sent to me" (Numbers 22:10). It was taught: Between Midian and Moab there was no peace, but because they were afraid they made peace between themselves so that each would help the other. Once a wolf came against one of them; the dog went to the dog and said to him, "Come and help me against the wolf, lest he devour both of us." They were reconciled, and the two of them came against the wolf. Another interpretation: "Balak son of Zippor." Balaam said to him: Even though you do not honor me, the kings honor me, for they send to me. "And now, come, curse for me" (Numbers 22:11). The hatred with which Balaam hated Israel was greater than the hatred with which Balak hated. Balak said, "Come, curse (arah) for me," but Balaam said, "Curse (qabah) for me." Balak said, "Perhaps I shall be able to fight against him and drive him out from the land of his kingdom" — and so he says, "and I shall drive him out" — but Balaam meant: from the world.

"And he took the knife" (Genesis 22:10). From here we learn that ritual slaughter must be done with a detached implement. And as they were walking, Ha-Satan came to Abraham and said to him: "Old man, where are your wits? A son whom the Holy One, blessed be He, graciously granted you at a hundred years old, and you are going to slaughter him? I am the one who led you astray and said to you, 'Take now your son, your only one.'" Abraham said to him: "Heaven forbid! It is God who spoke to me." When Ha-Satan saw that Abraham would not listen to him, he went at once to Isaac and said to him: "Isaac, where are you going?" He said: "My father is taking me to study Torah." Ha-Satan said to Isaac: "It is not to study Torah that you are going; rather, your father is taking you to slaughter you." Isaac said to him: "Even so, I rejoice in this, if the Holy One, blessed be He, desires me, and furthermore that I shall do my father's will." When he saw that Isaac would not accept it from him, he went to Sarah and said to her: "Where did your son go?" She said to him: "His father took him to study Torah with Eber." Ha-Satan said to her: "Alas, poor wretched woman, it is not to study Torah that he is taking him; rather, he is taking him to slaughter him." When she heard this, she cried out, groaning first and then wailing, and her soul departed from the abundance of grief. Therefore it is said: "And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah and to weep for her" (Genesis 23:2).

"And he said: Do not stretch out your hand." Abraham said to him: Perhaps you are Ha-Satan, and you seek to deceive me. He said to him: No, rather I am an emissary of the Holy One, blessed be He, who does not desire a human sacrifice. And so Ha-Satan said to Abraham: Thus I heard from behind the curtain — "a lamb for the burnt offering," and not Isaac for the burnt offering. Abraham said to him: All the dealings of a liar are such that even when he speaks the truth, he is not heeded. Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself to him and said, "By Myself I have sworn," and so forth. "And do not do anything to him." Abraham said: Let me bring forth from him a drop of blood, and it will be reckoned as though I had slaughtered him. The angel said to him: But does the Holy One, blessed be He, not know that Abraham feared the Lord? Rather, "now I know" — I have made known to all the world that you have done My will, until they will say: It is just that He cut a covenant with Abraham and with his seed; and all will know that everything I do well for Abraham, I do in justice.

"And behold, a ram." This is the ram that was created at twilight on the very day that Adam the first man was created, and it was created for the need of Isaac. "Caught in the thicket by his horns." Because it tarried and was not running toward Abraham so that Abraham might offer it, it said: "I will go from here without an offering"; and Satan came and caught it in the thicket so that it could not go. Another interpretation of "in the thicket": At the time when Israel are caught in the thicket of the iniquities of all the days of the year, they are delivered by the blowing of the horn of a ram. Another interpretation: At the time when Israel are caught in the thicket of the kingdoms, He is destined to redeem them by the horns of a ram, as it is said, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the great trumpet shall be blown" (Isaiah 27:13). The ram had two horns. With one of them He blew on the day that the Torah was given to Israel, as it is said, "And the voice of the shofar" (Exodus 19:19); and with the right horn the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to blow at the ingathering of the exiles. Therefore he called it "great," because it is the one of the right. "And offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son." When he was offering it, Abraham said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "May it be Your will that this ram be reckoned before You as though I had slaughtered my son." Abraham said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "You said to me that I should slaughter Isaac my son, and now You say, 'Do nothing to him.' Is it not written, 'God is not a man, that He should lie' (Numbers 23:19)?" The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Did I say to you, 'Take now your son, your only one, and slaughter him before Me'? I said to you only, 'And offer him up there' — I brought him up, bring him down." And so it is written, "which I commanded not" — Abraham, that he should slaughter his son before Me.

"And Abraham called the name of that place 'The LORD will see'" (Genesis 22:14) — that the Omnipresent should see [it] as if I had slaughtered my son before You. "This day, on the mountain the LORD will see" — tomorrow, when the children of Isaac come to pray before You, You will forgive them for their iniquities. "Will see" — may it be seen before You as if the ashes of Isaac were heaped before You, and You will forgive them. From here they said that Rosh Hashanah was at the time when Isaac was bound.

"For I will surely bless you" (Genesis 22:17) — a blessing for the father and a blessing for the son; and "I will surely multiply" — abundance for the father, abundance for the son. "As the stars of the heavens" — when they are on high. "And as the sand which is on the seashore" — just as the sand is a fence for the sea, and at every time that the sea rages, when it comes to the sand the waves are broken, so too Israel: however much the nations of the world raise themselves up over Israel, in the end they are broken before them. And so you find with Pharaoh, and with Sisera, and with Babylon, and with Haman, and with the Greeks. And so too the children of Edom are destined to fall before them, as it is said: "And I will lay my vengeance upon Edom" (Ezekiel 25:14).

"And in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." Had Israel not accepted the Torah, the world would have been laid waste; and likewise, all the good things that come into the world come for the sake of Israel, who accepted the Torah. "Because [ekev] you have hearkened to My voice" — to the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He. From here you learn that at three years old Abraham recognized the voice of the Holy One, blessed be He, and knew his Creator. For he was only one hundred and seventy-five years old, and he did the will of the Holy One, blessed be He, for one hundred and seventy-two years — corresponding to the numerical value of "ekev" (ekev).

"And Abraham returned to his young men" (Genesis 22:19) — Ishmael and Eliezer were disputing with one another. Ishmael was saying: Abraham will slaughter Isaac, and I will inherit him. And Eliezer said to him: You will not inherit, for he has already driven you out; but I am the son of his house, and I will inherit him. When Abraham returned to his young men, to the place where he had left them, and they did not see Isaac, they supposed that he had slaughtered him. They said to him: Isaac — where is he? He said to them: I have brought him to the house of Eber his teacher, to study Torah. Therefore it is said, "And Abraham returned" — that is to say, alone, and he did not mention Isaac. "And they rose up" — because he had said to them, "Stay here," therefore it says, "and they rose up." "And they went" — just as it was in Abraham's heart that Isaac was alive, so too they knew that Isaac was alive, for they believed the words of Abraham, since they knew that he does not lie.

"And it came to pass after these things" (Genesis 22:20). "After" (aharei) is adjacent; "after" (ahar) is removed. "After these things [devarim]" — there were musings of words [hirhurei devarim] there: Ishmael and Eliezer were musing, for they supposed that Isaac had been slaughtered; and the tidings came that his son's mate had been born.

"And God's anger was kindled because he was going" (Numbers 22:22) — because he went toward destruction, for the Holy One, blessed be He, does not desire the destruction of the wicked. "In the way as an adversary against him" — to kill him. "And his two servants were with him" — such is the way of the world, that an important person does not set out on the road with fewer than three people. For two reasons: so that one will not go off to another place and he be left alone; and further, that if the two of them quarrel, the third will stand up and make peace between them. Rabbi Meir would do thus: if he saw one man going out on the road, he called him "two: death"; two — "of the manner of strife"; three — "of the manner of peace." This is what is written, "Two are better than one" (Ecclesiastes 4:9), and it says, "And the threefold cord is not quickly broken" (Ecclesiastes 4:12). And so too with our father Abraham, it says, "And he took his two young men" (Genesis 22:3).

"And his sword drawn in his hand." Now, could he not have slain him even if his sword were not drawn in his hand? And why did he come against him with a sword? Because the craft of Israel is in the voice, and the craft of the nations is the sword. And this wicked Balaam exchanged his craft and took up the craft of Israel, which is the voice, in order to curse them with his voice. Therefore the angel came against him with a sword, to make known to him that if he seizes the craft of Israel, he will fall by the sword — for Israel will take his craft and fell him by the sword. And so it was for him, for thus it is written, "And Balaam son of Beor they slew with the sword" (Numbers 31:8). "And the donkey turned aside from the way." In three places the angel stood. And why so? At first he stood for him on a wide road, where the donkey was able to go to every side, and he hinted to him that if he sought to curse the seed of Abraham, he would have to curse from two sides: the sons of Ishmael and the sons of Keturah. The second time, he stood in a path of the vineyards, a wall on this side and a wall on that side — that if he came to curse the worthy seed of Isaac, he would find there Abraham on one side and Isaac on one side; but it was wide enough that she was pressed to the wall, so that if he sought to curse the seed of Isaac, Esau and Eliphaz he was able to curse. The third time, the angel stood for him on a narrow road, where there was no way that he could turn aside, neither right nor left — that is to say, that if he came to curse Israel he would not be able, for the merit of Abraham and Isaac is on one side, and Jacob and Levi on one side, and the Holy One, blessed be He, from above.

"And his concubine, whose name was Reumah" (Genesis 22:24). Just as the sons of the concubines are four, so too the sons of the maidservants are four. Tebah — that the Holy One, blessed be He, slaughtered them. Gaham — that He comforted them out of the world. Tahash — that He hastened them. Maacah — that He crushed them, so that they were neither nations nor families, for He destroyed them from the world. Another interpretation: "After these things" (Genesis 22:20). There were musings of words there. And who mused? Abraham mused, saying: Had Isaac died on Mount Moriah, he would have died without children; but now a miracle has been done for him. I shall marry him to the daughters of Aner, Eshkol, and Mamre, who are righteous women — and what do I care about lineage? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You have no need, for his mate has been born, as it is said, "Behold, Milcah also has borne" (Genesis 22:20). What is "she also"? Just as this one is the son of a noblewoman, so she too is the daughter of a noblewoman. Another interpretation: He feared the sufferings. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Do not fear, there is one who will receive them — "Uz his firstborn" (Genesis 22:21), and it is written elsewhere, "There was a man in the land of Uz" (Job 1:1).

"And the angel of the Lord said to him: Why have you struck [your donkey these three times]?" The angel said to him: Know for what reason I have come. I did not come to claim the quarrel of the donkey, but to claim the quarrel of an entire nation, which you are going to curse, and which is destined to behold the face of the Shekhinah three times in the year. Therefore [it is said] "three regalim" (pilgrimage-feet), and it did not say "three times" (pe'amim). "Because the way 'yarat' (is perverse) before me." From here we derive a notarikon: 'Y' she feared (yare'ah), 'R' she saw (ra'atah), 'T' she turned aside (natetah). Another interpretation: "Because the way 'yarat' before me" — it is none other than a term of revealing, as it is said, "that it may have brightness, it is made bare (morattah)" (Ezekiel 21:15); for it was revealed and known to me that you are going to curse Israel, and therefore I went out to slay you, since [the way] is before me. Another interpretation: "Because 'yarat'" — a term of fear, as it is said, "trembling (retet) has seized [her]" (Jeremiah 49:24); for at the time when the angel goes and stands in the way, even though the person does not see it, his constellation (mazal) sees it, and the constellation dreads, as it is written, "a great trembling fell upon them, and they fled into hiding" (Daniel 10:7).

"And Balaam said to the angel of the LORD, I have sinned" (Numbers 22:34). Balaam the wicked one leaped to confession, for he knew that there is none who can stand before fierce wrath except confession. "Now therefore, if it displease thee, I will get me back again" (ibid.). Balaam said: It is thus, that the Omnipresent says a thing and the angel reverses it — for He said to Abraham, "Take now thy son etc." (Genesis 22:2), and an angel reversed His command, as it is said, "And the angel of the LORD called unto him [a second time] out of heaven, and said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad etc." (ibid. 22:11–12). He too said to me, "Rise up, and go with the men" (Numbers 22:20), and now you wish to turn me back. If it displease thee because I am going, I will get me back — that is to say, even if it be not to go, that He may do all His own will. Therefore the angel said to him: Do you suppose that if you go, you will be under your own authority? No. And moreover, all these things that I did to you, I did only for your good; but since I see that you wish to go and to destroy yourself, "Go with the men" (Numbers 22:35) — that is to say, your portion shall be with them.

"And the life of Sarah." Why did it say "and the life of Sarah"? Rather it is to teach that she did not truly live until Isaac was born. From where do we know this?

From the numerical value of "and they were (vayihyu=37, Isaac's age when Sarah died)". From here we learn that anyone who does not have children does not have life. Not only that, rather that person is considered like one who is dead, as it is stated, "give me children." (Genesis 30:1) Another interpretation: "And the life of Sarah." When she was 100, she was like 20 in sin, and when she was 20 she was like a 7 year old in beauty.

Therefore, they said 100 and 20 and 7 years. Another interpretation: "And the life of Sarah." Why is this parsha next to the verse above, as it is stated: "Milcah has borne?" This is what that sage said: "The sun rises and the sun sets." (Ecclesiastes 1:5) That the sun of Rebecca rose before the death of Sarah, our mother.

Another interpretation: "And the life of Sarah etc." Therefore they counted out Sarah's years of life to tell you that it was due to the merit of Sarah who lived 127 years, that Esther would rule over 127 provinces. Another interpretation: "And the life of Sarah." Why is Sarah's death placed after the binding of Isaac? To tell you that when Abraham came from Mount Moriah, he found Sarah had died because of the words of the Satan.

Therefore they blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah in order that Sarah's death can serve as atonement for them, since the shofar blast is a cry and a wail.

"In Kiriat Arbah." Because she had four masters/husbands. Another interpretation: That in it were buried four pairs: Adam and Eve, Abraham and Sarah, Isaac and Rebecca, Jacob and Leah. "It is Hevron." Named for that same friend who bought the cave, and that was Abraham.

"For from the top of the rocks I see him" (Numbers 23:9): from Abraham, who is called a rock, as it is said, "Look to the rock from which you were hewn" (Isaiah 51:1), for the Patriarchs are called a rock. Just as the rock supports and bears the whole house that a person builds, so the merit of the Patriarchs bears and stands over their children. Another interpretation: "For from the top of the rocks I see him" — for from the top of the rocks I see them, who preceded the Creation. When the Holy One, blessed be He, sought to create the world, He would sit and gaze and contemplate the generation of Enosh, and of the Flood, and of the Sodomites, and He would say: How shall I create the world on account of these wicked generations, who provoke Me to anger? When He saw and foresaw that Abraham was destined to arise and to declare the unity of His name, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: Behold, I have found that upon which I may establish the world. And this is what is said, "Look to the rock from which you were hewn." "And from the hills" — these are the Matriarchs. "Lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone" — that is to say, they are destined to inherit the world. "And shall not be reckoned among the nations" — even though they are called among the nations, it is not reckoned a people like the rest of the nations, as the verse says, "All the nations are as nothing before Him" (Isaiah 40:17); and it says, "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket" (Isaiah 40:15).

"And Ephron was sitting" (Genesis 23:10). [The word] "sitting" (yoshev) is written defective, lacking a vav. At that hour they advanced him to be king. When they heard Abraham, who says, "and entreat for me to Ephron the son of Zohar" (Genesis 23:8), [they did this] so that one as great as Abraham should not be purchasing from a lowly man. And from where did Abraham know of the cave? From the ox that ran and entered there.

"Who has counted the dust of Jacob." These are the commandments that they perform with dust, and these are they: "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together" (Deuteronomy 22:10) — behold, a commandment of dust; and further, "You shall not sow your vineyard with diverse kinds" (ibid., ibid. 9). That is to say: since these commandments shield them, for they heeded the words of the Creator, the curses shall not take hold upon them. Another interpretation: "Who has counted the dust of Jacob." Who is able to curse them and to entice them so that they might be able to count them? And the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob their father, "And your seed shall be as the dust of the earth" (Genesis 28:14). "And the number of the fourth part of Israel." The leapers of Israel, who are a fourth part — that is to say, that no man is able to curse them so that they should be diminished, so that they should fall to the earth in number. Another interpretation: "the fourth part (rova) of Israel" — the seed of Israel, as they say "the first rainfall (revi'ah)," and Scripture says, "You shall not mate your animal with diverse kinds" (Leviticus 19:19). "Let my soul die the death of the upright, and let my end be like his." That wicked one set a sign for himself: that if he should die the death of the upright — that he should die upon his bed in the way of the world — and that his end should be like their end, that is to say, that he should have a portion in the world to come.

"Four hundred shekels." He said: The land is worth four hundred kantarin (talents) of silver, yet in my eyes they are not worth anything because of my love for you; so bury your dead. And concerning this it is said, in my intention that I say, "I will give it to you."

"Take it from me." If you wish, take it as a gift; and if not, but you wish to buy it, this is its price. And when Abraham heard that this was Ephron's answer, that he said, "Such is the price of my field," neither less nor more, immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, had compassion upon Abraham, and he weighed out the silver that Ephron had named and gave it to him, as it is said, "And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron, and Abraham weighed to Ephron." Thus said the Sages: All the shekels mentioned in the Torah are sela'im, except for these, which are kantarin (talents). And thus said our Sages, of blessed memory: Every "Ephron" in this portion is written full (plene), except for "And Abraham hearkened unto Ephron" and "And Abraham weighed to Ephron," which is missing a vav. And why? Because Abraham was weighing out the silver to Ephron, while Ephron was stealing from the coins; and for this reason it is missing a vav.

"Current with the merchant." That he gave him money of the kind that all the merchants would carry about, and there was lacking from its value not a single perutah.

"And the field of Ephron rose up" (Genesis 23:17). It had a rising up, for it went out from the hand of a commoner and came into the hand of a king. Another interpretation: "And the field of Ephron rose up" — that it was higher than the ground that was around it by about half a cubit, so that it would be distinguishable from the other fields. "Ephron" is written deficient of a vav, because he took from Abraham all those centenaria; and concerning him it is said, "He that hastens to be rich is a man of an evil eye, and knows not that want shall come upon him" (Proverbs 28:22) — for one letter was diminished from his name.

"To Abraham as a possession." For he made for himself a deed, and the children of Heth signed the document that Abraham wrote, so that his children would not inherit Jebus, as it is said, "And the inhabitants of Jebus said to David, 'You shall not come here'" (1 Chronicles 11:5), because of the oath that Abraham made to them; and they sealed the oath with "Tzalmon Noach Shet." Eight times are the children of Heth written in this passage, and why? Because of the kindness they did with Abraham; and therefore "Heth" is called eight times. "Among all who came in at the gate of his city." This teaches that they all sat in mourning on behalf of the righteous woman.

"God who brings them out of Egypt." They make use neither of demons nor of angels, and they call to mind none but their God; and there is nothing upon their lips when they lie down and when they rise up except the name of God. And if so, how can any creature attach itself to them, if God is with them? Therefore it is said, "God who brings them out of Egypt." "He has as it were the strength of a wild ox (ke-to'afot re'em lo)." "To'afot" — these are the angels, as it is written, "and with two he flies" (Isaiah 6:2). "Re'em" — these are the demons, as it is said, "they fly upward" (Job 5:7), for they lift themselves up to fly. Another interpretation: When the weak is above and the strong is below, a man cannot join battle; how much more so when the strong is above and the weak is below. And their God has the might; therefore it is said, "He has as it were the strength of a wild ox." As you say, "and the heights of the mountains are His" (Psalms 95:4) — the strength of the mountains is His. And He sits above all the creatures, as it is said, "I dwell on high and holy" (Isaiah 57:15). And who can join battle with Him? Therefore it is said "re'em," denoting exaltation (romemut).

"For there is no divination in Jacob" (Numbers 23:23). Israel is not like the rest of the nations of the world, for the nations go after diviners and soothsayers, as it is written: "For these nations that you are dispossessing hearken to soothsayers and to diviners" (Deuteronomy 18:14), "and because of these abominations the LORD your God is driving them out before you" (Deuteronomy 18:12). But Israel, when they seek to know a matter, they have prophets who tell them what the Holy One, blessed be He, is destined to do. Therefore it is said: "in due time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel what God has wrought" (Numbers 23:23). And as you say: "But as for you, the LORD your God has not given you so; a prophet from your midst, from your brethren, like me, the LORD your God will raise up for you" (Deuteronomy 18:14-15). Because Israel did not go after diviners and soothsayers, they merited a new world, where they all sit before the Divine Presence, they and the angels outside of them, and the angels ask them: "what has God wrought?" And because there is in him neither divination nor sorcery, but rather they go according to the word of the Holy One, blessed be He, therefore they are a people that "rises up like a lioness" at the first and "lifts itself up like a lion," and in the end "it shall not lie down" and shall not enter the land until it enters and slays the nations who are there, and devours their prey, which is of their kind, as you say: "and you shall devour all the peoples" (Deuteronomy 7:16). "And drinks the blood of the slain" (Numbers 23:24) - that they will leave them slain upon the face of the field, and not one of them shall remain. When Balak saw that Bilam had added a second time to speak of their greatness, and a third time he began to bless them - that is to say, he spoke the words to them in the language of blessing - Balak said to Bilam: I called you to curse them, not to bless them; and since I see that you cannot curse them, leave yourself be, that you neither curse them nor bless them. Therefore it is said: "And Balak said to Bilam: neither curse them at all, nor bless them at all" (Numbers 23:25).

"And Abraham was old, advanced in days" (Genesis 24:1). "Old" (zaken) — this is one who has acquired wisdom. "Advanced in days" — for the Holy One, blessed be He, gave him a taste of a foretaste of the World to Come. And there were three who tasted of a foretaste of the World to Come, and these are they: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Of Abraham it is said, "And the LORD blessed Abraham in all things." Of Isaac it is said, "and I ate of all" (Genesis 27:33). And of Jacob it is said, "and of all that You give me I will surely set aside a tenth for You" (Genesis 28:22). Another interpretation: "and because I have all" (Genesis 33:11).

"The elder of his house" (Genesis 24:2): The elder — the radiance of the visage (ziv ikonin) of Abraham resembled Eliezer. "Who ruled over all that he had": who ruled in the Torah of his master. "Place now your hand under my thigh" (Genesis 24:2): For all who take an oath must grasp an object in their hand. And what was the matter concerning which Abraham told Eliezer that he should swear to him by the circumcision? And why did he have him swear by the circumcision? Because he had suffered greatly through the circumcision. One verse says, "And I will make you swear by the LORD, God of heaven and God of earth" (verse 3), and another verse says, "God of heaven" (verse 7), and it does not say "God of earth." And why did it mention "God of earth" in one verse, and in another verse it did not say "God of earth"? Rather, because Abraham established an inn (pundak) and made it so that all would recognize the Holy One, blessed be He. And why so? Rather, Abraham said: At the time when He took me from my father's house, He was only "God of heaven," for there was no one on earth who recognized Him; but now He is "God of earth," because Abraham established an inn and did everything so that they would recognize the Holy One, blessed be He. And so it says, "and the souls that they had made in Haran" (Genesis 12:5), and it says, "and he called there in the name of the LORD, God of the world" (Genesis 21:33).