Midrash Tanchuma Reader

"You will decree a thing, and it will be fulfilled for you" (Job 22:28). The Holy One, blessed be He, spoke to the righteous one: If you have done My will, I too will do your will more than My own. "You will decree a thing, and it will be fulfilled for you," etc. Rabbi Berekhyah the Priest said: What is the meaning of "and it will be fulfilled for you"? The Holy One, blessed be He, said to the righteous one: I say a thing and you say a thing; as it were, I annul Mine and uphold yours. This is "and it will be fulfilled for you." When did this come about? When they did that deed (the golden calf). What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He said to Moses, "Go, descend, for your people have acted corruptly" (Exodus 32:7). What is written? "And now, let Me be" (Exodus 32:10). Immediately Moses stood in prayer and supplication, as it is said, "And Moses entreated," etc. (Exodus 32:11): "O LORD God, do not destroy Your people and Your inheritance," etc. (Deuteronomy 9:26), "for they are Your people and Your inheritance," etc. (Deuteronomy 9:29). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: I cannot. He said to Him: Just as You have borne with them from Egypt until now, so bear with them: "Pardon, I pray, the iniquity of this people" (Numbers 14:19). "And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to your word" (Numbers 14:20). Immediately, "And the LORD relented of the evil" (Exodus 32:14). "You will decree a thing, and it will be fulfilled for you." Jacob too vowed words before the Holy One, blessed be He. Where? As it is said, "And Jacob vowed a vow, saying," etc. (Genesis 28:20), "and I return in peace to my father's house" (Genesis 28:21). He said to Him: My father Isaac sought to go abroad, and You did not permit him, because he was a burnt offering; You revealed Yourself to him and said to him, "Do not go down to Egypt" (Genesis 26:2). But I am not going out for my own benefit, but rather from before my brother, lest he kill me. I have taken permission from You and from my father; do not forsake me. "And Jacob vowed a vow," etc. (Genesis 28:20).

“So Joseph recognized his brothers” (Genesis 42:8), when they fell into his hand; “but they did not recognize him”, when he had fallen into their hand. David said, “Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, who leads Joseph like a flock” (Psalms 80:2). Thus did Rabbi Tanchuma expound: “Go down (redu) there”, for he saw that they would go down and be enslaved in Egypt two hundred and ten (RD"U) years. Another interpretation: “Go down (redu)”, to teach you that whoever buys produce from the marketplace, it is a going down for him. “And Joseph’s ten brothers went down”: it is not written here “the children of Israel,” but rather “Joseph’s brothers,” because at first they did not act toward him with brotherhood, in that they sold him; and in the end they regretted it, and said, “When shall we go down to Egypt and return Joseph to our father?” And when their father told them to go down to Egypt, they all went of one mind to bring him back. Therefore it is written, “And Joseph’s brothers went down.” And why ten? Because it was within their power to bring the punishment to an end and to annul the decree. Thus you find with Sodom that Abraham went down from fifty to ten; and once he did not find ten, Abraham the Righteous fell silent. And because there were not ten in the generation of the Flood, they were not saved, for there was no one there except Noah and his three sons and their wives, that is, eight.

(Gen. 37:35:) "FOR I WILL GO DOWN MOURNING TO MY SON, TO SHEOL." What is "mourning, to Sheol"? Perhaps I am to die the death of the wicked in this world and in the world to come. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, had promised me that He would give me twelve tribes, and behold, one of them has died. Perhaps I have not merited them, and I am to die in two worlds. Therefore he said, "For I will go down mourning to my son, to Sheol." What is "mourning, to Sheol"? Perhaps I am to die the death of the wicked in this world and in the world to come. Why? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, had promised me that He would give me twelve tribes, and behold, one of them has died. Perhaps I have merited them, yet I am to die in two worlds. Therefore he said, "For I will go down mourning to my son, to Sheol." Do you wish to know what he said when he saw that he was alive? (Gen. 46:30:) "AND ISRAEL SAID TO JOSEPH: NOW LET ME DIE." And what did he see fit to say, "Now let me die"? Rather, he said: When they came and told me Joseph was dead, I said, "I am to die in two worlds." Now that I have seen that you are alive, I have good tidings that I am not to die, except one time. "Now let me die."

One [instance] was in the days of Ezra. At the time when they came up from Babylon, the Holy One, blessed be He, wished to release them from the tithes. What did they do? They arose and decreed upon themselves that they would tithe, as it is said, "And [that we would bring] the first of our dough, and our heave-offerings, and the fruit [of every tree, wine and oil]" (Nehemiah 10:38). What did they do? They wrote it in a book and placed it in the Sanctuary. What happened? The next day they entered and found it sealed, for the Holy One, blessed be He, had agreed with them, as it is said, "And because of all this we make a firm covenant, and write it; and upon the sealed [document our princes, our Levites, and our priests are signed]" (Nehemiah 10:1). And one was in the days of Mordecai and Esther, as it is said, "They confirmed and took upon themselves" (Esther 9:27) — they confirmed above what they had accepted below. And one was in the days of Joshua, when Israel entered the Land. Joshua said to them, "And [that] city [shall be] devoted [to the Lord]" (Joshua 6:17). And you do not find that the Holy One, blessed be He, told him this thing; rather, he did it of his own accord. And from where [do we know] that the Holy One, blessed be He, agreed with him? As it is said, "Israel has sinned" (Joshua 7:11).

Another interpretation (of Psalms 11:5): "The Lord tests the righteous." Rabbi Isaac said: With what does He test the righteous? With the pasture. David was tested with the pasture, as it is said, "From following the nursing ewes He brought him" (Psalms 78:70-71). Amos was tested with the pasture, "And the Lord took me from following the flock" (Amos 7:15). Moses too was tested with the pasture, as it is said, "And Moses was shepherding..." (Exodus 3:1).

Another interpretation (of Ecclesiastes 10:18): "Through slothfulness the beam sinks down," etc. It speaks of Israel at the time they came to Rephidim. Why was it called Rephidim? Because there their hands grew slack from the transgressions. What is written? "The earth trembled, the heavens also dripped," etc. (Judges 5:4). When did all these things take place? On the day of the giving of the Torah.

You find that everything that was in the Tabernacle was made in proper order. First he made the boards and joined them together. Then afterward he made the tent-sheets, which he spread over them, as it is said, "And you shall make sheets of goats' hair" (Exodus 26:7). Then afterward he made the veil, which was placed before the Ark. Then afterward he made the Ark. Then afterward he made the gold cover (kapporet) upon the Ark. Rabbi Eleazar son of Rabbi Yose said: I saw it in Rome, and upon it were several drops of blood. I asked them, "What is this blood that is upon the kapporet?" They said, "It is from the blood of the Day of Atonement, when the High Priest would enter and sprinkle." Why is its name called kapporet? Because it would atone (mekhapper) for the sins of Israel. Then afterward he made the table, upon which was the showbread. Then afterward he made the menorah, which gave light above the table. Behold, he made it like the ceremonial array of kings. Therefore, "And Bezalel made" (Exodus 37:1).

Rav Isaac bar Samuel bar Martha said: There were two roads before him, one long and one short. The short one was full of pebbles, and the long one had no pebble in it. He left the long one and went by the short one on the Sabbath. Concerning him it is said, "And one who hastens with his feet is a sinner" (Proverbs 19:2). Our Rabbis taught: One commandment draws another commandment after it, and one transgression draws another transgression after it. A person should not be distressed over a transgression he committed unwittingly, but rather that an opening has been made for him to sin, even unwittingly, even deliberately. And a person should not rejoice over a commandment that has come to his hand, but rather that many commandments are destined to come to him. Therefore, if he sinned unwittingly, this is not a good sign; if he sinned deliberately, how much the more so. Concerning him it is said, "And one who hastens with his feet is a sinner." And likewise it says, "These six things does the LORD hate, etc.: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, etc., feet swift in running to evil" (Proverbs 6:16-18). This is Ahab ben Kolaiah and Zedekiah ben Maaseiah, who were sinning in Jerusalem. And this was not enough for them, but when they were exiled to Babylon they added sin. And what did they do in Jerusalem? They were false prophets, and they did not abandon their craft in Babylon; and they would procure for one another. Ahab would enter to one of the great ones of the kingdom and say to him, "I am so-and-so, a prophet; the Holy One, blessed be He, has sent me to say a thing to your wife." And he would say to him, "Here she is before you, enter." And he would seclude himself with her and say to her, "The Holy One, blessed be He, wishes to raise up prophets from you; only go and lie with Zedekiah and bear prophets from him." And he would come and lie with her. And likewise Zedekiah would procure for Ahab. And this was their craft for several years. Come and see how wicked they were. They made themselves a name in Babylon that they were great prophets. There was a certain woman who was pregnant, and she would see one of them and say to him, "Prophet, what is in my womb, a male or a female?" He would say, "A male." And he would go to her neighbors and say, "So-and-so will bear a female." If she bore a male, she would say, "So-and-so the prophet told me." If it was a female, the neighbors would say, "Thus did so-and-so the prophet tell us, but he did not want to distress you." And they kept doing thus until it reached the chamber of Nebuchadnezzar's wife. Zedekiah entered and said to her, "Thus says the LORD: Make Ahab listen," etc. What caused these wicked ones to be burned? Because they ran with their feet after the transgressions. Therefore it is said, "And one who hastens with his feet is a sinner." And nevertheless, "Also, a soul without knowledge is not good" (Proverbs 19:2). Therefore the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Say to Israel, "A soul, when it sins unwittingly" (Leviticus 4:2).

When Jacob died, "and Joseph's brothers saw that their father was dead" (Genesis 50:15) — what did they do? They went to Bilhah and said to her: Go in to Joseph and say to him, "Your father commanded before his death, saying" (Genesis 50:16). But Jacob never commanded any of these things at all; rather, they said this thing of their own accord. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel said: See how much ink is spilled, and how many quills are broken, and how many hides are prepared, and how many children are flogged, in order to learn a matter that was not in the Torah. See how great is the power of peace! And likewise you find in the case of Sarah: when the ministering angels came to Abraham and said to him, "At the appointed time I will return to you, when the season comes round, and Sarah shall have a son" (Genesis 18:14), at that moment "Sarah laughed within herself, saying" (Genesis 18:12), "and my husband is old." But the Holy One, blessed be He, did not say to Abraham, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that my husband is old?'" Rather, "Why did Sarah laugh, saying, 'Shall I indeed bear a child, now that I am old?'" (Genesis 18:13). And why all this? For the sake of peace.

Another interpretation of "He stood and measured the earth" (Habakkuk 3:6): He sought to return the world to the measure of its waters, when the nations did not wish to accept the Torah. Had it not been for Israel, who accepted it, the world would have returned to the measure of its waters, as it is said, "Who has measured the waters in the hollow of his hand?" (Isaiah 40:12). And once Israel accepted it, the earth was quieted, as it is said, "The earth feared and was quiet" (Psalms 76:9). And from there the nations received their sentence: "He looked and loosed the nations" (Habakkuk 3:6). What was it? Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan: He loosed their blood (of the seven nations), as it is said, "And the nations shall surely be destroyed" (Isaiah 60:12). Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai says: He loosed their blood (of the seven nations) and their possessions [otherwise, as in the matter that is said, "to spy out the land" (Numbers 13:16)]. Rabbi Acha said: He made them leap into Gehinnom, as it is said, "to leap with them upon the earth" (Leviticus 11:21). Rabbi Huna of Sepphoris said: He loosed their girdles, as in the matter that is said, "He looses the bond of kings, and binds a girdle on their loins" (Job 12:18). Rabbi Tanchum ben Chanilai said: He permitted to them the forbidden things, the abominable creatures and the creeping things. To what is the matter comparable? To a physician who went to visit two sick people. He saw that one of them was in danger; he said to the members of his household, "Give him to eat whatever he asks." He saw the one who was returning to life; he said to the members of his household, "Such-and-such food he may eat, such-and-such food he may not eat." They said to the physician, "What did you see between this one and that one [that to this one who is in danger you said, let him eat whatever he asks, and to this one who is returning to life you said, such-and-such he may eat and such-and-such he may not eat]?" The physician said to them, "To this one, whom I saw is unto death, I said, give it to him, for he is unto death; [but this one, in whom there is life, let him guard himself]." So too the Holy One, blessed be He, permitted to the nations who serve stars the abominable creatures and the creeping things and all the transgressions, because they are for Gehinnom. But to Israel, who are for the life of the Garden of Eden, He said to them, "Do not make your souls abominable" (Leviticus 11:43), "And you shall be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). This you shall eat and this you shall not eat. Why? Because they are alive, as it is said, "But you who cling to the Lord your God are alive, all of you, this day" (Deuteronomy 4:4). Thus, "He stood and measured the earth," etc.

[Another interpretation:] "Terrible and dreadful is he" (Habakkuk 1:7) — this is Edom, as it is said, "dreadful and terrible [and exceedingly strong]" (Daniel 7:7). "From him his judgment and his dignity proceed" (Habakkuk 1:7) — this is Obadiah {who was an Edomite proselyte}. [Rabbi Isaac said: He was an Edomite proselyte.] And he prophesied against him, "The vision of Obadiah. [Thus says the Lord God concerning Edom, etc.]" (Obadiah 1:1). {Rabbi Isaac said: This Obadiah was an Edomite proselyte.} Thus "terrible and dreadful is he" — this is Edom; "from him his judgment and his dignity proceed" — this is Obadiah.

For idolatry, how do we know it? That at the moment they made the calf, they were stricken with leprosy, as it is said, "And Moses saw the people, that it was broken loose (parua)" (Exodus 32:25); and it is written concerning the leper, "his head shall be let loose (parua)" (Leviticus 13:45). And for blaspheming the Name, how do we know it? From Goliath, as it is said, "Choose for yourselves a man (ish)" (I Samuel 17:8) - and "man" (ish) is none other than the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said, "The LORD is a man (ish) of war" (Exodus 15:3); and it is written, "This day He will shut you up (yasgircha)" - and "shutting up" (segirah) is none other than leprosy, as it is said, "And the priest shall shut him up (ve-hisgiro)" (Leviticus 13:5). And for forbidden relations, as it is written, "And the LORD will smite with a scab (ve-sipach) the crown" (Isaiah 3:17); and it is written, "and for the rising, and for the scab (la-sapachat), and for the bright spot" (Leviticus 14:56). For thefts and for a false oath, as it is said, "I have brought it forth, says the LORD [of hosts], and it shall enter into the house of the thief and into the house of him who swears falsely by My name; and it shall lodge in the midst of his house and consume it, both its timbers and its stones" (Zechariah 5:4). And what is the thing that consumes timbers and stones? You must say this is leprosy, as it is written, "And he shall break down the house, [its stones and its timbers]" (Leviticus 14:45). And for slander (lashon ha-ra), from Miriam, [as it is written, "and behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow; and Aaron turned toward Miriam, and behold, she was leprous"] (Numbers 12:10); and it says, "This shall be the law of the leper (ha-metzora)" - the one who brings forth evil (ha-motzi ra). And for those who give false testimony - for Israel testified concerning the Holy One, blessed be He, and said, "These are your gods, O Israel" (Exodus 32:4), and they were stricken with leprosy, as it is written, "And Moses saw the people, that it was broken loose (parua)" (ibid. ibid. 25). And for the judge who corrupts judgment, as it is said, "And it shall be, as a tongue of fire devours stubble, and as the chaff sinks down in the flame, their [root] shall be as rottenness, and their [blossom] shall go up as dust; because they have rejected the law of the LORD of hosts, and spurned the word of the Holy One of Israel" (Isaiah 5:24) - and "their blossom" (parcham) is none other than leprosy, as it is said, "If the leprosy breaks out (paroach tifrach)" (Leviticus 13:12). And for one who enters a domain that is not his, from Uzziah, who entered the domain of the priesthood, as it is said, "and the leprosy broke out (zarcha) on his forehead" (II Chronicles 26:19). And for one who sows strife between brothers, as it is said, "And the LORD plagued Pharaoh" (Genesis 12:17) - because he took Sarah from Abraham.

Another interpretation of (Ecclesiastes 2:5) "And in them I planted, etc.": Just as this navel is set in the middle of a person, so the Land of Israel is the navel of the world, as it is said (Ezekiel 38:12), "Who dwell upon the navel of the earth." The Land of Israel sits in the middle of the world, and Jerusalem is in the middle of the Land of Israel, and the Temple is in the middle of Jerusalem, and the Sanctuary is in the middle of the Temple, and the Ark is in the middle of the Sanctuary, and the Foundation Stone is before the Sanctuary, from which the world was founded. Solomon, who was wise, stood upon the roots that go out from it to all the world, and planted in them all kinds of trees. Therefore he said (Ecclesiastes 2:5), "I made for myself gardens and orchards."

Another interpretation of (Numbers 16:5) "In the morning." Moses said: The Holy One, blessed be He, apportioned boundaries within His world. Are you able to mix morning into evening? And this is what is written at the beginning (Genesis 1:5): "And there was evening and there was morning," and (in the same passage) "And God separated between the light and the darkness." Just so did He separate Israel from the nations, [as it is said] (Leviticus 20:26): "And I have separated you from the peoples." And just so did He separate Aaron, [as it is said: "And Aaron was separated"] to consecrate him as most holy, he and his sons (1 Chronicles 23:13). If you are able to mix together those separations by which He separated between the day and between the night, then you are able to nullify this one. Therefore he said to them, "In the morning the LORD will make known the one who is His" — he is already designated — "and the one whom He will choose He will bring near to Him."

Another interpretation of (Psalms 97:7): "Bow down to Him, all you gods." The nations of the world say to their gods: Come, let us bow down before the Holy One, blessed be He, for you have led us astray. Immediately (Isaiah 2:18), "And the idols shall utterly pass away." And the Holy One, blessed be He, brings the nations of the world down to Gehinnom. Therefore it is said (Psalms 97:7), "Let all who serve images be put to shame," and so forth. (Zechariah 13:8) "And it shall come to pass throughout all the land, says the LORD, that two parts in it shall be cut off and perish, but the third shall remain in it." These are Israel, who are a third of the world, the children of three patriarchs. Another interpretation of "but the third shall remain in it": that they will only settle in their land in the third redemption. The first redemption is the redemption from Egypt; the second is the redemption of Ezra; the third has no interruption. Rabbi Simlai said: Six hundred and thirteen commandments were spoken to Moses at Sinai. David came and established them upon eleven, as it is said (Psalms 15:1-2), "LORD, who shall sojourn in Your tent?... He who walks blamelessly," and so forth, until (Psalms 15:5), "He who does these things shall never be moved." Isaiah came and established them upon six, as it is said (Isaiah 33:15), "He who walks in righteousness, and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands free from holding a bribe, [who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed,] who shuts his eyes from looking upon evil." And it is written after it (Isaiah 33:16), "He shall dwell on the heights; the strongholds of the rocks shall be his refuge; his bread shall be given him, his water shall be sure." Micah came and established them upon three, as it is said (Micah 6:8), "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: only to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God." Amos came and established them upon two, as it is said (Amos 5:4), "For thus says the LORD... Seek Me and live." Habakkuk came and established them upon one, as it is said (Habakkuk 2:4), "But the righteous shall live by his faithfulness."

"And Rebekah spoke unto Jacob" etc., "And now, my son, heed my voice as to that which" etc., "Go now to the flock" etc. (Genesis 27:6, 8, 9). When he had gone and brought it, he went to his father, as it is said, "And he came unto his father" etc., "And Jacob said unto his father" etc. (Genesis 27:18, 19), and he blessed him. And even though you say that Jacob lied, he did not lie. Balaam said, "He has not beheld iniquity in Jacob" (Numbers 23:21). Rather [he said], "I am Jacob; Esau [is] your firstborn" etc. "Arise now, sit" etc. "And Isaac said unto his son" etc. (Genesis 27:21). He said to him, "Because the LORD your God caused it to happen before me" (Genesis 27:20). And further he said to him: When you were bound upon the altar and the angel said, "Do not stretch out your hand against the lad" (Genesis 22:12), was there perhaps anything there? The Holy One, blessed be He, only made it sprout forth for your sake, as it is said, "And Abraham lifted up his eyes" etc. (Genesis 22:13). And so too he said, "Because the LORD your God caused it to happen before me." And when Isaac heard that he said, "Because the LORD your God caused it to happen before me," he said: This is not Esau; Esau does not mention "the LORD your God." He said to him, "Come near now, that I may feel you, my son" etc. "And Jacob came near unto Isaac his father" etc. (Genesis 27:21, 22). He said to him: You are acting with your voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau. Rabbi Judah bar Ilai said: In the earlier generations one would expound: What is "the voice is the voice of Jacob"? The voice of Hadrian Caesar, [who] killed eighty thousand myriads in Betar. Rabbi Yohanan said: The voice of Jacob cries out over what the hands of Esau did to him in Betar.

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You have testified concerning Me that I was with you, as it is said, "But the God of my father has been with me" (Gen. 31:5). "And will keep me" (Gen. 28:20) — and I kept you from Laban. "And will give me bread to eat" (ibid.) — "And God took away your father's cattle and gave them to me" (Gen. 31:9). "And a garment to wear" (Gen. 28:20) — "And on that day he removed the he-goats, etc." (Gen. 30:35). "And I will return in peace, etc." (Gen. 28:21) — "And Jacob came in peace, etc." (Gen. 33:18).

"And his father wept for him" (Genesis 37:35). What is written after it? "And the Medanites sold him into Egypt" (Genesis 37:36). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Judah: You have no children, and therefore you do not know what the grief over children is. You misled your father and said to him, "Your son is dead." By your life, you shall take a wife and bury your sons, so that you may know the grief over children. What is written after it? "And it came to pass at that time, etc." (Genesis 38:1). And it is written, "And Er and Onan died" (Genesis 46:12). And all those years that Joseph was away from his father, the mind of Jacob was upon Judah. From where do you learn it? From Benjamin, for Judah said to Joseph, "For your servant became surety for the lad" (Genesis 44:32). And once he set his mind upon Benjamin and Joseph made himself known, Judah was found innocent, as it is said, "And the jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, etc." (Isaiah 11:13). Therefore, "And Judah he sent before him, etc." (Genesis 46:28).

And in the world to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, returns the exiles to Jerusalem, He returns them in peace, as it is said (in Psalms 122:6), "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." And so it says (in Isaiah 66:12), "Behold, I will extend peace to her like a river."

[Another interpretation] (of Habakkuk 1:7): "TERRIBLE AND DREADFUL" — this is Sennacherib, as it is said (in II Kings 19:24): "With the sole of my feet I have dried up all the streams of Egypt." And he said (in II Kings 18:35): "Who among all the gods of the lands has delivered their land out of my hand?" [And likewise it says] (in Isaiah 8:8): "And the spread of his wings shall fill," etc. One sixtieth of his troops was enough to supply the Land of Israel, as it is said: "And the spread of his wings" — this "spread" (muttah) of a single cock is one sixtieth of its wings. When he came to enter Jerusalem, he said to his troops: "Lie down, and in the morning we will throw our signet rings into it and stone them with them." Thus, "TERRIBLE AND DREADFUL" — this is Sennacherib. "HIS JUDGMENT AND HIS DIGNITY PROCEED FROM HIMSELF" — these are his sons. When he went up to destroy Jerusalem, it did not succeed in his hand, [as it is said]: "And the angel of the LORD went forth and struck in the camp of Assyria," etc. (II Kings 19:35). And it is written: "And he returned with shame of face to his own land, and entered the house of his god, and those who came out of his own bowels [there struck him down by the sword]" (II Chronicles 32:21). [He entered to pray before Nisroch his god. His sons said: This one is deceiving himself. He ought to have remained standing when all his troops were burned, and they were sickening, and they killed him], as it is said: "And it came to pass, as he was worshiping in the house of Nisroch his god, that Adrammelech and Sharezer his sons struck him down by the sword" (II Kings 19:37). Thus, "TERRIBLE AND DREADFUL" — this is Sennacherib; "HIS JUDGMENT AND HIS DIGNITY PROCEED FROM HIMSELF" — this is his sons.

And concerning the evil eye (stinginess): Rabbi Isaac said, when a person's eye is too evil to lend out his belongings, a man goes and says, "Lend me your scythe," "Lend me your axe," or any object, and he says to him, "I have none." What does the Holy One, blessed be He, do to him? He strikes his house with leprosy. He comes to the priest and says to him, "Something like a plague has appeared to me in the house," and the priest commands, and "he shall break down the house" etc. (Leviticus 14:45). And everyone sees his utensils as they drag them out and bring them outside, and they publicize his utensils, and everyone says, "Did he not say, 'I have no scythe, I have no axe'? Behold, he has such-and-such an object, and he did not want to lend it, and his eye was stingy"—and so he is exposed. Where is this shown? Where it says, "The produce of his house shall depart, poured out in the day of His wrath" (Job 20:28). And some say leprosy comes also for arrogance, from Naaman, for "Naaman, commander of the army of the king of Aram, [...and the man was a mighty warrior, a leper]" (II Kings 5:1), because he was arrogant. And leprosy comes also upon one who speaks a word against his fellow. So you find it with Moses our master, when he said, "But they will not believe me" (Exodus 4:1). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: They are believers, children of believers—believers, "And the people believed" (Exodus 4:31); children of believers, as it is said, "And he believed in the LORD" (Genesis 15:6). Rather, you must be afflicted in your body, for one who suspects the innocent is afflicted in his body, as it is said, "And the LORD said to him again, 'Put now your hand into your bosom.' [And he put his hand into his bosom, and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous as snow]" (Exodus 4:6). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel: See the difference between you and the nations of the world. When they sin, I strike their body first and afterward their houses, as it is said, "And the LORD afflicted Pharaoh with great plagues, and his house" (Genesis 12:17). But if you sin, I strike your houses first. Where is this shown? From what they read on the matter: "When you come into the land of Canaan, which I give you for a possession, and I put a plague of leprosy in a house of the land of your possession" (Leviticus 14:34).

Another interpretation of "He brought me to the house of wine" (Song of Songs 2:4): Rabbi Hunya said: In former times, anyone who would point at the likeness of the king with his finger was put to death. Yet the children go to the schoolhouse and point at the Divine Names with the finger. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "And his banner over me is love" (Song of Songs 2:4).

(Genesis 27:23) "And he did not recognize him, because his hands were [hairy like the hands of Esau his brother], etc." He (Isaac) foresaw that wicked ones were destined to arise from him, and he did not wish to bless him. (Once he foresaw Yakum: when Jerusalem was conquered, the nations were afraid to enter the Temple. What did he do? He entered and brought out the menorah. When he saw him, he did not wish to bless Jacob on his account, and "he did not recognize him.") And once he foresaw that he would repent, immediately (Genesis 27:27) "and he smelled the scent of his garments and blessed him, etc." When Jacob entered, the Garden of Eden entered with him, as it is said, "like the scent of a field which the LORD has blessed." When Esau entered, Gehinnom entered with him, as it is said (Genesis 27:33), "And he said, Who, then (eifo)?" And "eifo" is nothing other than Gehinnom, as it is said (Isaiah 22:16), "For you have hewn here (poh) a grave for yourself, etc."

Thus, "You will decree a thing, and it will be fulfilled for you, and upon your ways light will shine" (Job 22:28). Twice, for the Holy One, blessed be He, made the sun set out of its time when he wished to go forth and when He wished to speak with him. "And Jacob went out from Beersheba" (Genesis 28:10). What is written there? "And behold, the Lord stood over him" etc. (Genesis 28:13). And when he came, He made the sun rise for him out of its time, "And the sun rose for him" (Genesis 32:32). And over all the world the sun does not rise, but only over Jacob alone, but it was in order to heal him, as it is said, "And there shall rise for you who fear My name a sun of righteousness" etc. (Malachi 3:20). Rabbi Berekhyah the Priest said: What is "And the sun rose for him"? That He made the sun rise for him out of its time [three hours], just as it had set for him out of its time. Jacob said: Five things did the Holy One, blessed be He, stipulate with me, and He performed them; and I, shall I not perform what I spoke and vowed? Immediately, "And he set up there an altar, and called it El, God of Israel" (Genesis 33:20). When Israel arose, the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: Moses, the five things that I did with Jacob, I have done for his children,

Another interpretation: "I shall call to God Most High" (Psalm 57:3). This speaks about Jacob. When his sons came in to him for him to bless them, he began to distribute to them prokopai (that is, gifts). And from where is it shown that the Holy One, blessed be He, concurred with him? You find that all the blessings with which our father Jacob blessed the tribes, so did Moses bless them, for the Holy One, blessed be He, concurred with him concerning each and every blessing. Hence, "Then Jacob called his sons" (Genesis 49:1).

[Another interpretation:] "Dreadful and terrible" (Habakkuk 1:7) — this refers to Nebuchadnezzar, as it is said, "And you said in your heart, 'I will ascend to the heavens'" (Isaiah 14:13). "From him his judgment and his majesty proceed" — this is Evil-merodach. Our Rabbis said: When Nebuchadnezzar was driven out, as it is written, "And they shall drive you out from among men" (Daniel 4:29), all that time Evil-merodach served in his place. And when he returned, he imprisoned him in the prison house. And everyone who was imprisoned by his hand never came out of the prison house ever, until the day of his death, as it is said, "(And) he did not open the house for his prisoners" (Isaiah 14:17). When Nebuchadnezzar died, they sought to make Evil-merodach king. They came in to him, but he did not accept. He said to them: At first I listened to you, and for that I was imprisoned; and now shall I listen to you? Perhaps he is alive and will rise up against me and kill me. They went over to Nebuchadnezzar and dragged him from his grave and brought him out, and he saw that he was dead, and they made him king — to fulfill what is said, "But you were cast out of your grave like a loathsome branch" (Isaiah 14:19). Thus, "Dreadful and terrible" — this is Nebuchadnezzar; "from him his judgment and his majesty proceed" — this is Evil-merodach.

[Rabbi Issachar said: What is the meaning of "and his banner over me is love" (Song of Songs 2:4)? Even when a person sits and occupies himself with the Torah, and skips [medaleg, from the root DLG] from one halakhah to another and from one verse to another, the Holy One, blessed be He, says: He is dear to Me, and "his banner [diglo, from the root DGL] over Me is love," and his skipping [dilugo, from the root DLG] over Me is love.

(Numbers 27:12:) (And the LORD spoke) [And the LORD said] unto Moses [saying]: "Go up onto this Mount Abarim," and so forth. What reason was there for this to be written after the section on inheritances? It was only that, when Moses heard from the mouth of the Holy One, blessed be He (in Numbers 27:7), "You shall surely give them," he supposed that the Holy One, blessed be He, had been reconciled to him. He said: "Behold, I am giving Israel its inheritance." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "My decree stands in its place. 'Go up onto Mount Abarim,' and so forth — you are no finer than your brother."

This is "like the scent of a field" (Genesis 27:27): he foresaw that he was destined to stand and build Zion and to offer sacrifices in its midst, and so he blessed him. And "a field" can mean nothing other than Zion, as it is stated, "Zion shall be plowed as a field" (Micah 3:12). "Which the LORD has blessed" (Genesis 27:27) — that is the one of which it is written, "like the dew of Hermon" and so forth (Psalms 133:3).

(Gen. 28:20:) IF GOD WILL BE WITH ME — (this corresponds to Exod. 13:21:) AND THE LORD WENT BEFORE THEM BY DAY. (Gen. 28:20:) AND WILL GUARD ME — for I guarded them from Pharaoh and his companions, and I shook off Pharaoh and all his army; and likewise Amalek, (as it is said, Exod. 17:13:) AND JOSHUA WEAKENED AMALEK AND HIS PEOPLE. (Gen. 28:20:) AND WILL GIVE ME BREAD TO EAT — (this corresponds to Exod. 16:4:) BEHOLD, I AM RAINING DOWN FOR YOU BREAD FROM THE HEAVENS. (Gen. 28:20:) AND CLOTHING TO WEAR — (this corresponds to Deut. 8:4:) YOUR GARMENT DID NOT WEAR OUT UPON YOU. (Gen. 28:21:) AND I WILL RETURN IN PEACE — (this corresponds to Exod. 18:23:) AND ALSO ALL THIS PEOPLE WILL COME TO ITS PLACE IN PEACE.

Another interpretation: "Terrible and dreadful" (Habakkuk 1:7) — this refers to man, who rules over everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created in His world, as it is said, "You have given him dominion over the works of Your hands…" (Psalms 8:7). "His judgment and his dignity proceed from him" (Habakkuk 1:7) — for at the moment when he sins, He brings upon him sufferings from his own body. Why? Because His measures are not like the measure of flesh and blood. Flesh and blood, when he wishes to chastise his servants, brings whips and chains and chastises them and torments them; but the Holy One, blessed be He, is not so. Rather, from a man's whole body He chastises him and strikes him. From where do we know this? From what we have read on the matter (Leviticus 13:2): "When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh…"

And afterward he [Jacob] took His [God's] kingship upon himself, as it is said (Genesis 33:20): "And he set up there an altar, etc." And they [Israel] too took His kingship upon themselves, as it is said (Exodus 20:2): "I am the LORD your God." What did they say? They all answered with one mouth and said (Exodus 24:7): "All that the LORD has spoken we will do and we will obey." This is the meaning of (Job 22:28): "You shall decree a thing, and it shall be established for you."

And the Lord said unto him: “Therefore, whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.” and the Lord set a sign for Cain (Gen. 4:15). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Four families were destined to descend from Abel, but since you have eliminated them from the face of the earth, the earth will open up and devour four families that will descend from you: these are Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, and Methushael.

How was Cain slain? For one hundred and thirty years, Cain became an angel of death, wandering and roaming about, accursed. Lamech, his descendant in the seventh generation, who was blind, would go hunting led about by his young son. At the sight of game, the lad would apprise his father of its whereabouts. One time the lad said to his father: “I see some kind of beast in the distance.” Lamech sent his arrow in that direction, and Cain was slain. As they approached the corpse, the lad saw a horn protruding from the forehead of the slain creature, and he said to his father: “The corpse resembles a man, but a horn protrudes from its forehead.” Thereupon, Lamech cried out: “Woe is me, it is my grandfather.” In his grief, he clasped his hands together, and accidentally struck the child’s head, killing him. As it is said: I can slay a man by a wound of mine and a child by a strike of mine (Gen. 4:23).

The three remained where they were: Cain dead, the child slain, and Lamech blind. At nightfall his wives went out to search for them and found their grandfather dead, their son Tubal-cain slain, and Lamech. It was then that the earth swallowed up the four families: Enoch, Irad, Mehujael, and Methushael. Thereafter, Lamech served as the Angel of Death in fulfillment of the verse: Cain was avenged sevenfold, and Lamech seventy and seven (Gen. 4:24).

Upon returning home, Lamech said to his wives: “Let us go to bed.” They replied: “You have slain our ancestor and our son Tubal-cain; we shall no longer go to bed with you.” He retorted: “Cain received his punishment only after seven generations, surely mine should be postponed for seventy and seven generations.” “We shall not listen to you,” they insisted. “Why should we give birth to one who will be dishonored?” Thereupon, he said: “Let us go to the court for a decision.” They went to Adam, and Adah and Zillah cried out: “Oh, lord Lamech, our husband, has slain our grandfather.” Whereupon Lamech declared: “Did our grandfather kill unwittingly?” Adam replied: “Wives of Lamech, hearken to my words! Lamech says: Have I have slain a man intentionally? (Gen. 4:23). Therefore I say to you: Go and obey your husband.” They retorted: “O physician, heal your own lameness. You have not had sexual intercourse with your wife for one hundred and thirty years, yet you command us to do so.” Hence it is written in Scripture following this incident: And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years and begot his son in his own likeness (Gen. 5:3).

Lamech lived a hundred and eighty-two years and begot his son (Gen. 5:28), through whom the world was to be reestablished. He called him Noah (lit. “comfort, ease”), saying: This one will comfort us in our work and in the toil of our hand (Gen. 5:29). How did he know that this one would comfort us in our work? Was Lamech a prophet? R. Simeon the son of Yehozadak said: There was a tradition that when the Holy One, blessed be He, told Adam: Cursed be the ground for thy sake; in toil shalt thou eat of it (Gen. 3:17), Adam inquired: “Master of the Universe, how long will the ground be cursed?” He replied: “Until a man-child already circumcised shall be born.” When Noah was born circumcised, Lamech understood immediately that this was the one concerning whom the Holy One, blessed be He, had said: This one will comfort us in our work (ibid. 5:29).

What do the words in our work and in the toil of our hands (ibid.) imply? Prior to Noah’s birth, men did not reap what they sowed. They would sow wheat and reap thorns and thistles, but when Noah was born, the world reverted to normal: Wheat was sown and wheat was reaped; barley was sown and barley was reaped. Furthermore, prior to Noah’s birth, men performed all their labor by hand, as it is written: And in the toil of our hands, but after Noah was born, plows, scythes, axes, and other implements were introduced.

Another explanation of go forth from the ark. David said: Bring my soul out of prison (Ps. 142:8). Noah, while in the ark, prayed continually: Bring my soul out of prison, and it is said elsewhere: For this let everyone that is godly pray unto Thee in a time when Thou mayest be found; surely, when the great waters overflow, they will not reach unto him (ibid. 32:6).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: Noah, I have decreed that you are not to depart from this ark until twelve months have elapsed. And thus Isaiah declared: Thus said the Lord: In an acceptable time have I answered thee; and in a day of salvation have I helped thee … saying to the prisoners: “Go forth”; to them that are in darkness, “Show yourselves” (Isa. 49:8–9).

To say to the prisoners go forth implies that they were enjoined from sexual intercourse. Why was that? When the world is overwhelmed by suffering and destruction, men are forbidden to (fulfill the command to) increase and multiply (Gen. 6:28) Surely, while the Holy One, blessed be He, is engaged in destroying the world, men should not strive to populate it. Joseph behaved accordingly. He indulged in intercourse with his wife only prior to the years of hardship, as it is said: And unto Joseph were born two sons (Gen. 41:50). When were they born? In the years preceding the famine.

That is why Job declared: They are lonely in want and famine (Job 30:3). That is, when want and famine come into the world, be lonely; abstain from sexual intercourse. Noah acted accordingly. When he entered the ark, it is said: And Noah and his sons came, and after that is written: His wife and his sons’ wives (Gen. 7:7). However, when he was about to depart from the ark, the Holy One, blessed be he, told him: Go forth from the ark, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives (Gen. 8:16). Thus we learn that Noah and his sons were forbidden to indulge in sexual intercourse while in the ark.

Scripture states in reference to Noah, that thou mayest say to the prisoners “Go forth,” and to them that are in darkness, “Show yourselves” (Isa. 49:9). Say to the prisoners; that is, say to those who are forbidden to have sexual intercourse, Go forth from the ark. To them that are in darkness, show yourselves. Show yourselves refers to the beasts, the animals, and the birds. Thereupon, He told them: And you, be ye fruitful and multiply; swarm in the earth, and multiply therein (Gen. 9:7).

Forthwith, Noah said: Master of the universe, will you retract the promise you made, and bring another flood? He replied: I promise that I shall not bring another flood. As it is said: And the Lord smelled the sweet savor, and the Lord said in his heart: “I will not again curse the ground,” etc. (Gen. 8:21); and it says elsewhere: For this is as the waters of Noah unto me; for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go forth over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee (Isa. 54:9).

You find that from that time until Solomon erected the Temple, it rained continuously for forty days each year as a reminder of the waters of the flood that lasted forty days. After Solomon completed the Temple, he pleaded for mercy in behalf of them (Israel), and the continuous rains ceased, as it says: And in the eleventh year, in the month of Bul (I Kings 6:38). What is the meaning of the words In the month of Bul? It refers to the month when the cattle are given mixed fodder which was stored inside the house (because of the rains).

Another comment upon In the month of Bul. It was named Bul because He selected it as the month for the forty days of the flood (mabul).

We find that the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Noah: Neither shall there anymore be a flood (Gen. 8:11). Isaiah later explained that this was an oath, as it is said: For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah shall no more go over the earth (Isa. 54:9), and that this promise will be fulfilled everlastingly. How much more so, then, will He keep the three oaths that He explicitly swore to Israel. The first oath was: So have I sworn that I would not be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee (ibid.); the second was: The Lord God has sworn by His holiness (Amos 4:2); and the third was: The Lord God has sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength: Surely I will no more give thy corn to be food for thine enemies (Isa. 62:8).

The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength (Isa. 62:8). By his right hand refers to the Torah, as it is said: His right hand was a fiery law unto them (Deut. 33:2). And by the strength of His arms alludes to the tefillin (phylacteries), as it is said: The Lord will give strength unto His people (Ps. 29:11). Surely I will no more give thy corn to be food for thine enemies … in the courts of My sanctuary (Isa. 68:8–9) refers to Jerusalem. What oath did He proclaim in reference to Jerusalem? He vowed that He Himself would build it, as it is said: The Lord doth build up Jerusalem; He gathered together the dispersed of Israel (Ps. 147:2).

R. Samuel the son of Nahmani stated: There is an aggadic tradition which states that Jerusalem will not be rebuilt until the dispersed of Israel are gathered together. However, if one should tell you: The exiles are already gathered together and Jerusalem still hath not been rebuilt, believe him not, for it is written: The Lord doth build up Jerusalem, and after that Scripture says: He gathered together the dispersed of Israel (ibid. 147:2).

Israel said to the Holy One, blessed be He: Master of the universe, has not Jerusalem already been rebuilt and destroyed? And He replied: It was destroyed and you were exiled from it, because of your sins, but in the future I will rebuild it and it will never be destroyed again, as it is said: When the Lord hath built up Zion … He hath appeared in His glory (Ps. 102:17).

"After these things the word of the LORD came." This is what Scripture says: "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright, a shield for those who walk in integrity" (Proverbs 2:7). What is the meaning of "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright"? Before the world was created, the Holy One, blessed be He, stored away the Torah, until Abraham came and fulfilled it, as it is said: "Because Abraham obeyed My voice and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws" (Genesis 26:5). Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahman said: Nine hundred and eighty generations the Holy One, blessed be He, folded back in order to give circumcision to Abraham, as it is said: "He has remembered His covenant forever, the word which He commanded for a thousand generations" (Psalms 105:8). Yet it was given only after twenty generations: from Adam to Noah, ten; from Noah to Abraham, ten; behold, twenty, and it was given to Abraham. And Rabbi Yohanan in the name of Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: Nine hundred and seventy-four generations the Holy One, blessed be He, folded back in order to give the Torah to the generation of the wilderness, because they were upright, as it is said: "He stores up sound wisdom for the upright." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nahmani said: Abraham even observed the combining of cooked dishes, as it is said: "Because Abraham obeyed My voice." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You have occupied yourself with My Torah; by your life, I am a shield for you. Just as the shield holds the sword, and even if they throw arrows and stones at it, the shield receives them, so too I am a shield for you. And not for you alone, but even for your children: if they occupy themselves with My Torah just as you have occupied yourself, so too I will become for them like a shield, as it is said: "The word of the LORD is refined; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him" (2 Samuel 22:31). Therefore it is said: "a shield for those who walk in integrity."

And the two angels came to Sodom … and he said: “Behold now, my lords, turn aside, I pray you, into your servant’s house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet” (Gen. 19:1–2). There is a proverb which says: Associate with a greasy man and you too will become greasy. Because Lot associated with Abraham he learned to welcome travelers. And they said: “Nay” (ibid.): From this episode our sages taught that one may refuse the request of one’s inferior but not of one’s superior.

It is written concerning Abraham that he said: And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and stay ye your heart … and they said: “So do as thou hast said” (ibid. 18:5), but in reference to Lot it is written: And he urged them greatly; and they turned into his house … and they ate (ibid. 19:3). Surely, ministering angels do not partake of food. This was done only in order to teach us that proper behavior requires that no man should deviate from the custom of the land. You learn this lesson from Moses as well. It is written that after he ascended the mountain: And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights, and he did neither eat bread nor drink water (Exod. 34:28).

If it was customary to eat and drink there, he would have done so. Therefore concerning the angels who came to visit Abraham, to destroy Sodom and to rescue Lot, it is written: He made them a feast and baked them unleavened bread, and they ate (Gen. 19:3).

And Isaac trembled very exceedingly (Gen. 27:33). What is written before this? Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac, his father (ibid., v. 30). This indicates that as one withdrew, the other entered. How could this happen? A person standing in a lighted area is unable to see a person standing in a dark place, while a person standing in a dark place can see one standing in a lighted area. Thus Esau, who came from the marketplace, was unable to see Jacob, who was inside the house, but Jacob could see him as he hid behind the door. As soon as Esau entered the room, Jacob slipped out, as it is said: And Jacob was yet scarce gone out … that Esau, his brother, came in from his hunting (ibid.).

How did Jacob know when to go in to his father so that Esau would not precede him and receive the blessing? As soon as Esau went out to hunt, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent Satan after him to keep him from catching anything until Jacob had received the blessing, as it is said concerning Esau: Set thou a wicked man over him, and let an adversary stand at his right hand (Ps. 109:6).

How did he do that? When Esau caught a deer, he would tether it and then set out to catch another deer. In the meantime Satan would release the deer that had been caught and permit it to escape. When Esau returned, he was unable to find the deer. He repeated this a second and a third time. And thus it says: A slothful man shall not catch his prey (Prov. 12:27). He was forced to roam about for hours while Jacob received the blessings. Hence, Scripture states: And Jacob was yet scarce gone out from the presence of Isaac, his father, that Esau, his brother, came in from his hunting. When the wicked Esau entered, he called out to his father impudently: Let my father arise, and eat of his son’s venison (Gen. 27:31). It is of him that Scripture states: When the wicked cometh, there cometh also contempt (Prov. 18:3). The words Let my father arise sound as though he were issuing a decree. Jacob did not speak like that. He spoke gently, saying: Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison (Gen. 27:19).

Three words in this one verse are expressions of pleading, humility, and meekness. The wicked one, however, said merely: Let my father arise, and eat. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Jacob: Inasmuch as you said Arise, I pray thee, your descendant Moses will say to Me: Rise up, O Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered (Num. 10:35). Inasmuch as you said sit (shevah), your descendants will say: Return (shuvah), O Lord, unto the tens of thousands (ibid., v. 36). However, because Esau said Let my father arise, I will exact retribution from him through that very expression, as it is said: Let God arise, let His enemies be scattered (Ps. 68:2). Let my father arise. At that moment Isaac recognized his voice and began to tremble. Who art thou? (Gen. 27:32), he asked. When Jacob entered the room, a fragrance from the Garden of Eden accompanied him; a fragrance so pleasant that the righteous one’s mind was set at ease, as is said: See, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed (ibid., v. 27). However, when Esau entered, Gehenna was revealed to him. Hence, it says: Isaac trembled very exceedingly (ibid., v. 33). Isaac was astonished and cried out: I see Gehenna and Esau is causing the flames to rise.

Who, then, is he that hath trapped venison? (ibid.). Why is the word trapped repeated in the text? Isaac said to Esau: “You went out to trap, and you were trapped.” “Why are you upset?” Esau asked. He replied: I have eaten of all (ibid.); that is, everything that the Holy One, blessed be He, created during the six days of creation was contained in the food I ate before you entered, and I blessed him. Isaac desired to withdraw the blessing he had conferred upon Jacob and to declare instead: “Cursed shall ye be,” but the Holy One, blessed be He, rebuked him, saying: What are you doing? You are, in fact, cursing yourself, for you said to him: Cursed be everyone that curseth thee, and blessed be everyone that blesseth thee (ibid., v. 29). He changed his mind and confirmed the blessings, saying: Yea, and he shall be blessed (ibid., v. 33).

Return unto the land of thy fathers, and to thy kindred (Gen. 31:3). What is written above concerning this? Lift up now thine eyes, and see, all the he-goats which leap upon the flock are streaked (ibid., v. 12), and it is also written there: And Jacob sent and called Rachel and Leah to the field unto his flock, and said unto them: “I see your father’s countenance,” etc. (ibid., vv. 4–5). This teaches us that he was not slothful, but that he labored with all his strength.

And your father hast mocked me, and changed my wages ten times (ibid., v. 7). What is meant by ten times (aseret monim), and why is the (usual) word pe’amin not used instead of monim? R. Abba said: Ten monim actually indicates one hundred times, that is, ten times ten. R. Hiyya stated: It was actually a thousand times, ten times a hundred.

He would change his wages in the following manner. If he said thus: The speckled shall be thy wages; then all the flock bore speckled; and if he said thus: The streaked shall be thy wages; then bore all the flock streaked (ibid., v. 8). When Laban saw that they changed from streaked to speckled, and from speckled to streaked, he cried out: “Is there a God or not?” That is to say, Laban asked: “Did God do this or not?”

What did Laban do when the sheep conceived? He would tell Jacob: “This kind shall be yours,” and whatever kind he mentioned would be born, for the Holy One, blessed be He, changed the streaked to speckled and the speckled to streaked, as it is said: And he changed my wages ten times. Laban reversed his decision so that none would belong to Jacob. And so, after Laban had made his final decision, the Holy One, blessed be He, would tell the angel: Let them be born in accordance with his last decision. Thus Scripture says: But God suffered him not to hurt me (ibid., v. 7).

What did they respond after Jacob told them this? Rachel and Leah answered and said unto him: “Is there yet any portion or inheritance for us in our father’s house? Are we not accounted by him strangers? For he hath sold us” (Gen. 31:14–15).

And Jacob outwitted Laban (ibid., v. 20), so that Laban would not become incensed with him: Then Jacob arose, and set his sons and his wives upon camels … and carried away all his cattle…. And it was told Laban on the third day that Jacob had fled. And he took his brethren with him, and pursued after him (Gen. 31:17–18, 23). The Holy One, blessed be He, immediately appeared before him and slit his ear.

And he sent Judah before him (Gen. 46:28). Jacob sent Judah before him to establish an academy wherein he might teach the Torah as he had previously done for the tribes. You know that he taught his sons earlier from the fact that Jacob remembered the chapter of the Torah that Joseph was studying with him at the time of his disappearance. When Joseph’s brothers returned and told him: “Joseph is yet alive” … his heart fainted, for he believed them not (Gen. 45:26). Jacob recalled the chapter of the Torah that Joseph was studying at the time of his departure, and he said to himself: “I know that he was studying the portion devoted to the beheaded heifer.” Whereupon he turned to them and said: “If he gave you something to indicate the chapter he was studying when he departed from here, I will believe you.” Joseph had also remembered the chapter he was studying when he was separated from his father. What did Joseph do? He gave them wagons (ibid., v. 21). When Jacob saw the wagons (‘agalot), the spirit of their father revived forthwith. This teaches us that wherever Joseph went, he devoted himself to the law, as his ancestors had done before him, even though the Torah itself had not yet been given. And thus it is written: Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice and kept My laws (Gen. 26:5).

From what source did Abraham learn the law? R. Simeon the son of Yohai declared: His two kidneys (kelayot) became like two pitchers filled with water, from which the law flowed forth, as it is said: In the night season my kidneys instruct me (Ps. 16:7). R. Levi maintained: He studied the law by himself, as it is said: The dissembler from his heart shall have his fill from his own ways; and a good man shall be satisfied from himself (Prov. 14:14). He taught the law to his sons, as it is said: For I have known him, to the end that he may command his children (Gen. 18:19).

The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Him: You have taught your sons the law in this world, but in the world-to-come I shall teach them the law, as Scripture states: And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children (Isa. 54:13).

Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea (Gen. 49:13). Zebulun was mentioned before Issachar even though Issachar was the elder. Why? Zebulun was engaged in commercial activity, while Issachar devoted himself to the study of the Torah, and they had agreed that Zebulun’s earnings would be shared by Issachar. That is why Moses blessed them: Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going out, and Issachar in thy tents (Deut. 33:18). Rejoice, Zebulun, in going about to do business, for Issachar is in your tents studying the Torah. Why should he rejoice? Because the Torah is a tree of life to them that lay hold upon her, and happy is everyone that holdeth her fast (Prov. 3:8). Therefore Zebulun preceded Issachar. If it had not been for Zebulun, Issachar could not have studied the Torah. Since Issachar engaged exclusively in the study of the Torah, and was not concerned with business nor did any kind of work, it is written about him: And the children of Issachar, men that had understanding of the times (I Chron. 12:33).

Issachar is a large-boned ass (Gen. 49:14). That is, he bears the yoke of the Torah like an ass that bears its load, while Zebulun brings his wares in ships. Crouching down between the sheepfolds (ibid.). This refers to his disciples, who spread the knowledge of the Torah before the wise throughout the land, as it is said: When ye lie among the sheepfolds, the wings of the dove are covered with silver (Ps. 68:14). For he saw a resting place that it was good (Gen. 49:15). This refers to the Torah, as it is said: I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest (Jer. 45:3). That it was good alludes to the Torah, since it is said: For I give you good doctrine (Prov. 4:2). And he bowed his shoulders to bear (Gen. 49:15) the yoke of the Torah. And he became a servant under task-work (ibid.). Task-work refers to the law. Whenever the people erred in the law, they would seek a decision from him, as is said: And the princes of Issachar were with Deborah; as was Issachar, so was Barak; into the depth they rushed forth at his feet (Judg. 5:15); for he would search deeply into the law.