Why God Appeared to Jacob After Deborah's Death

(Gen. 35:9:) "AND GOD APPEARED TO JACOB AGAIN, etc." This is what Scripture says (Eccl. 7:2): "IT IS BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING, etc." Rabbi Shimon bar Abba said: There are two qualities of those who perform acts of lovingkindness, to perform lovingkindness with the bride and with the dead. If both of them come together into your hands, you do not know which of them to take hold of first. Solomon came and explained: "IT IS BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING, etc." We find people who went to the house of feasting and their names were not specified, and people who went to the house of mourning and were rescued from Gehinnom and their names were specified and they prophesied through the Holy Spirit. And who were these who went to the house of feasting? It is written (Gen. 21:8): "AND THE CHILD GREW AND WAS WEANED, AND ABRAHAM MADE A GREAT FEAST." What is "GREAT"? This teaches that Shem and Eber and Abimelech were there, and their names were not specified. But these who went to the house of mourning—their names were specified (Job and his companions), and they were rescued from Gehinnom, and the Holy Spirit rested upon them, as it is said (Job 4:1): "AND ELIPHAZ THE TEMANITE ANSWERED." And "answered" is nothing but an expression of prophecy, as it is said (Exod. 19:19): "MOSES WOULD SPEAK, AND GOD WOULD ANSWER HIM WITH A VOICE." Thus: "IT IS BETTER TO GO TO THE HOUSE OF MOURNING, etc." And who first showed his face [to the mourner]? You must say: the Holy One, blessed be He. When? When Deborah died, as it is said (Gen. 35:8): "AND DEBORAH DIED, etc." And it is written (ibid. v. 9): "AND GOD APPEARED TO JACOB AGAIN, etc."