Why the Road Was Near and the Price of Abraham's Seven Lambs

"For it was near" (Exodus 13:17). Near was the punishment of wicked Pharaoh, that the Holy One, blessed be He, would exact retribution from them. Another interpretation: "For it was near": near was the punishment of the Egyptians, that the Holy One, blessed be He, would exact retribution from them. Another interpretation: "For it was near": near was the kindness that the Canaanites did with our father Jacob, this is what is written, "And when the inhabitant of the land, the Canaanites, saw the mourning" (Genesis 50:11). Rabbi Lazar said: Because they loosened their belts. And Rabbi Simeon ben Lakish said: Because they untied the knots of their shoulder-garments. And the Rabbis said: Because they stood up straight. Rabbi Yudan said: Because they pointed with their finger. And the matter is an argument from the lesser to the greater: if the Canaanites, who did kindness neither with their hands nor with their feet but only by pointing with their finger, were saved from punishment, then our brothers Israel, who do kindness with their great ones and with their small ones and with their sages, how much more so! Another interpretation: "For it was near": near was the oath that Abimelech made our father Abraham swear, this is what is written, "Now therefore swear unto me here by God that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son" (Genesis 21:23). For how many generations did he make him swear? For three generations did he make him swear: "that thou wilt not deal falsely with me, nor with my son, nor with my son's son", with me and with my son and with my son's son. "And Abraham set seven ewe lambs of the flock by themselves" (Genesis 21:28). Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi said: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You gave them seven ewe lambs; by your life, the Ark of the Covenant shall remain among them seven months, this is what is written, "And delivered his strength into captivity" (Psalms 78:61). "And delivered his strength into captivity": this is the Ark of the Covenant, "And the ark of the LORD was in the country of the Philistines seven months" (1 Samuel 6:1). "and his glory into the enemy's hand" (Psalms 78:61): these are the garments of the high priesthood, "And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty" (Exodus 28:2). Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You gave them seven ewe lambs; by your life, they are destined to slay seven righteous men of your descendants, and these are they: Saul and his three sons, and Eli, and Hophni, and Phinehas. And some say Samson and not Eli. Rabbi Joshua of Sikhnin in the name of Rabbi Levi: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: You gave them seven ewe lambs; by your life, they are destined to destroy seven sanctuaries of your descendants, and these are they: the Tent of Meeting, and Gilgal, and Shiloh, and Nob, and Gibeon, and the eternal Temple twice.