Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel

"Remember Abraham, Isaac, and Israel" (Exodus 32:13). This is what Scripture says: "And when they say to you: Inquire of the ghosts and the familiar spirits who chirp and mutter; should not a people inquire of its God? On behalf of the living should they inquire of the dead?" (Isaiah 8:19). Who prophesied this verse to them? Isaiah son of Amoz said to Israel: If the nations say to you, Make for yourselves idolatry and inquire of the ghosts and the familiar spirits as we do, say to them: Inquire you of your gods and we of our God, "should not a people inquire of its God?" What is the meaning of "on behalf of the living of the dead"? Shall we leave the life of the world and inquire of the dead? Another interpretation: "on behalf of the living of the dead." Say to them: in the way of the world, the needs of the dead are inquired of through the living; shall the needs of the living be inquired of through the dead? Another interpretation: say to them: our dead are not dead, as it is said: "Let the pious exult in glory, let them sing for joy upon their beds" (Psalms 149:5). You find that when they did that deed, Moses arose in prayer and made mention of the dead, as it is said: "Remember Abraham, Isaac..." And how many righteous men were alive with him in the camp of Israel, yet he made mention only of the dead. Had it not been for this, they would have perished. Therefore Solomon said: "And I praised the dead" (Ecclesiastes 4:2). And what did he see fit to make mention of Abraham? Rather, when they did that deed and Moses sought mercy for them, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: How can I receive them back in repentance? Yesterday I gave them the Ten Commandments, and behold they have nullified them. Rabbi Simlai said: To what may the matter be compared? To a king who had a beloved friend, and the friend deposited with the king ten pearls, and then died. After a time the king arose and betrothed his friend's daughter with ten pearls, and she lost them. The king began to be angry with her and to say: I will kill her. Her best man heard and said to him: My lord the king, if she lost ten pearls of yours, remember that her father has a deposit with you of ten pearls, and let the ten go out against the ten. So too Moses said before the Holy One, blessed be He: If they have nullified the Ten Commandments, remember Abraham their father, whom You tested with ten trials, and let the ten go out against the ten. Therefore he made mention of Abraham. And what did he see fit to make mention of three patriarchs? Moses said: Master of the world, if they are liable to burning, remember Abraham, who gave his life to be burned for the sanctification of Your name in Ur of the Chaldeans. If they are liable to slaughter, remember Isaac their father, who stretched out his neck to be slaughtered for the sanctification of Your name. If they are liable to exile, remember Jacob their father, who went into exile to Haran. Therefore he made mention of the three patriarchs. "To whom You swore by Yourself" (Exodus 32:13). You did not swear to them by the mountains, nor by the hills, since these come to an end, but by Yourself. "And You said to them: I will multiply your seed." How can You repudiate the oath? They nullified the head of the utterance, "You shall have no..."; do You seek to nullify its end, "and shows kindness to the thousands"? And up to here Abraham has only seven generations: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Levi, Kohath, Amram, Moses. Where is "and shows kindness to the thousands"? Immediately, "and the LORD relented" (Exodus 32:14).