Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer Reader

Rabbi Yehudah says: On that night the Holy One, blessed be He, was revealed to him and said to him, "Abraham, take now your son" (Genesis 22:2). And Abraham had pity on Isaac, and said before Him: "Master of all the worlds, concerning which son do You decree to me? The uncircumcised son or the circumcised son?" He said to him: "Your only one." He said to Him: "This one is an only son to his mother, and this one is an only son to his mother." He said to him: "Whom you love." He said to Him: "I love them both." He said to him: "Isaac." "And offer him there for a burnt offering" (Genesis 22:2). He said to Him: "Master of all the worlds, on which mountain did You tell me?" He said to him: "In whatever place you see My glory standing and waiting for you there, and saying: This is Mount Moriah," as it is said, "upon one of the mountains which I will tell you" (Genesis 22:2). On the third day they reached the lookout point, and as soon as they reached the lookout point he saw the glory of the Divine Presence standing upon the top of the mountain, as it is said, "On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes and saw the place from afar" (Genesis 22:4). And what did he see? A pillar of fire standing from the earth up to the heavens. And Abraham understood that the lad was found acceptable as an unblemished burnt offering.

THE BINDING OF ISAAC ON THE ALTAR THE tenth trial was (as follows): "And it came to pass after these things, that God did prove Abraham" (Gen. 22:1). He tried Abraham each time in order to know his heart, whether he would be able to persevere and keep all the commandments of the Torah or not, and whilst as yet the Torah had not been given, Abraham kept all the precepts of the Torah, as it is said, "Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my Torah" (Gen. 26:5). And Ishmael went repeatedly from the wilderness to see || his father Abraham.

Rabbi Jehudah said: In that night was the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed unto him, and He said unto him: Abraham! "Take now thy son, thine only son, whom thou lovest, even Isaac" (Gen. 22:2). And Abraham, having pity upon Isaac, said before Him: Sovereign of all worlds! Concerning which son dost Thou decree upon me? Is it concerning the son lacking circumcision, or the son born for circumcision? He answered him: "Thine only son." He rejoined: This one is the only son of his mother, and the other son is the only son of his mother. He said to him: "The one, whom thou lovest." He said to Him: Both of them do I love. He said to him: "Even Isaac."

"And offer him there for a burnt offering" (ibid.). He spake to Him: Sovereign of all worlds! On which mountain hast Thou told me (to offer him)? (God) answered him: In every place where thou dost see My glory abiding and waiting for thee there, and saying, This is Mount Moriah; as it is said, "Upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of" (ibid.).

Abraham rose up early in the morning, and he took with him Ishmael, and Eliezer, and Isaac his son, and he saddled the ass. Upon this ass did Abraham ride. This was the ass, the offspring of that ass which was created during the twilight, as it is said, "And Abraham rose early in the morning, and saddled his ass" (Gen. 22:8). The same ass was also ridden upon by Moses when he came to Egypt, as it is said, "And Moses took his wife and his sons, and set them upon the ass" (Ex. 4:20). This || same ass will be ridden upon in the future by the Son of David, as it is said, "Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy king cometh unto thee: he is just, and saved; lowly, and riding upon an ass, even upon a colt, the foal of an ass" (Zech. 9:9).

Isaac was thirty-seven years old when he went to Mount Moriah, and Ishmael was fifty years old. Contention arose between Eliezer and Ishmael. Ishmael said to Eliezer: Now that Abraham will offer Isaac his son for a burnt offering, kindled upon the altar, and I am his first-born son, I will inherit (the possessions of) Abraham. Eliezer replied to him, saying: He has already driven thee out like a woman divorced from her husband, and he has sent thee away to the wilderness, but I am his servant, serving him by day and by night, and I shall be the heir of Abraham. The Holy Spirit answered them, saying to them: Neither this one nor that one shall inherit.

On the third day they reached Zophim, and when they reached Zophim they saw the glory of the Shekhinah resting upon the top of the mountain, as it is said, "On the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off" (Gen. 22:4). What did he see? (He saw) a pillar of fire standing from the earth to the heavens. Abraham understood that the lad had been accepted for the perfect burnt offering. He said to Ishmael and Eliezer: Do ye see anything upon one of those mountains? || They said to him: No. He considered them (as dull) as an ass. He told them: Since ye do not see anything, "Abide ye here with the ass" (Gen. 22:5), with such who are similar to the ass.

He took the wood and placed it upon the back of his son Isaac, and he took the fire and the knife in his hand, and they went both of them together. Isaac said to his father: O my father! Behold the fire and the wood, where is the lamb for the burnt offering? He replied to him: My son! Thou art the lamb for the burnt offering, as it is said, "And Abraham said, God will provide for himself the lamb" (Gen. 22:8).

Rabbi Simeon said: The Holy One, blessed be He, pointed out the altar with a finger to Abraham our father, and said to him: This is the altar. That was the altar whereon Cain and Abel sacrificed; it was the same altar whereon Noah and his sons sacrificed, as it is said, "And Abraham built the altar there" (Gen. 22:9). "And Abraham built an altar there" is not written here, but "And Abraham built the altar there." That was the altar whereon the first ones (of old) had sacrificed.

Isaac said to his father Abraham: O my father! Bind for me my two hands, and my two feet, so that I do not curse thee; for instance, a word may issue from the mouth because of the violence and dread of death, and I shall be found to have slighted the precept, "Honour thy father" (Ex. 20:12). He bound his two hands and his two feet, and bound him upon the top of the altar, and he strengthened his two arms and his two knees upon him, and put the fire and wood in order, and he stretched forth his hand and took the knife.

Like a high priest he brought near his meal offering, and his drink offering; and the Holy One, blessed be He, was sitting and beholding the father binding with all (his) heart and the son bound with all (his) heart. And the ministering angels cried aloud and wept, as it is said, "Behold, the Erelim cry without; the angels of peace weep bitterly" (Isa. 33:7). The ministering angels said before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the worlds!

Thou art called merciful and compassionate, whose mercy is upon all His works; have mercy upon Isaac, for he is a human being, and the son of a human being, and is bound before Thee like an animal. "O Lord, Thou preservest man and beast"; as it is said, "Thy righteousness is like the mighty mountains; thy judgments are like a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast" (Ps. 36:6).

Rabbi Jehudah said: When the blade touched his neck, the soul of Isaac fled and departed, (but) when he heard His voice from between the two Cherubim, saying (to Abraham), "Lay not thine hand upon the lad" (Gen. 22:12), his soul returned to his body, and (Abraham) set him free, and Isaac stood upon his feet. And Isaac knew that in this manner the dead in the future will be quickened. He opened (his mouth), and said: Blessed art thou, O Lord, who quickeneth the dead.

Rabbi Zechariah said: That ram, which was created at the twilight, ran and came to be offered up instead of Isaac, but Sammael was standing by, and distracting it, in order to annul the offering of our father Abraham. And it was caught by its two horns in the trees, as it is said, "And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold, behind him a ram caught in the thicket by its horns" (Gen. 22:13). What did that ram do? It put forth its leg and took hold of the coat of our father Abraham, and Abraham looked, saw the ram, and he went and set it free. He offered it up instead of Isaac his son, as it is said, "And Abraham went and took the ram, and offered it up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son" (ibid.).

Rabbi Berachiah said: The sweet savour (of the ram) ascended before the Holy One, blessed be He, as though it were the sweet savour of Isaac, and He swore that He would bless him in this world and in the world to come, as it is said, "By myself have I sworn, saith the Lord, because thou hast done this thing"; and it says, "That in blessing I will bless thee, and in multiplying I will multiply thy seed, as the stars of the heaven" (Gen. 22:16, 17). "That in blessing" (refers) to this world; "I will bless thee," in the world to come; and "I will greatly multiply thy seed," in the future that is to come.

Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa said: From that ram, which was created at the twilight, nothing came forth which was useless. The ashes of the ram were the base which was upon the top of the inner altar. The sinews of the ram were the strings of the harp whereon David played. The ram's skin was the girdle (around) the loins of Elijah, may he be remembered for good, as it is said, "And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins" (2 Kings 1:8).

The horn of the ram of the left side (was the one) wherein He blew upon Mount Sinai, as it is said, "And it shall come to pass, that when the ram's horn soundeth long" (Josh. 6:5). (The horn) of the right side, which is larger than that of the left, is destined in the future to be sounded in the world that is to come, as it is said, "And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great trumpet shall be blown" (Isa. 27:13); and it is said, "And the Lord shall be king over all the earth" (Zech. 14:9).

The night of the day of Passover arrived, and Isaac called Esau his elder son and said to him: My son, on this night the whole world recites the Hallel, and the storehouses of dews are opened on this night. Make me savory food, so that while I am yet alive I may bless you. And the Holy Spirit answers and says: "Do not eat the bread of one who has an evil eye" (Proverbs 23:6). He went to fetch it and was delayed there. Rebecca said to Jacob: My son, on this night the storehouses of dews are opened, the heavenly beings recite song. On this night your children are destined to be redeemed from the hand of servitude. Make savory food for your father so that while he is yet alive he may bless you. Jacob was learned in the Torah, and his heart feared on account of his father's curse. His mother said to him: My son, if blessings, they are upon you and upon your seed, and if curses, they are upon me and upon my soul, as it is said: "Upon me be your curse, my son" (Genesis 27:13). He entered and said to him: Arise, please, sit and eat of my game. Isaac said: The voice is the voice of Jacob in the proclaiming of the Unity of the Name, the voice is the voice of Jacob in the study of Torah, but the hands are the hands of Esau in all manner of shedding of blood and in all manner of evil death. Rabbi Judah says: With ten blessings Isaac blessed Jacob, concerning the dews of heaven and concerning the grain of the earth, corresponding to the ten utterances by which the world was created, as it is said: "And may God give you of the dew of heaven" (Genesis 27:28). And when Jacob went out from the presence of Isaac his father, he went out crowned like a bridegroom and like a bride in her adornments, and the reviving of dew came down upon him from heaven, and his bones were made fat, and he too became a man mighty in valor and strength. Therefore it is said: "From the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob, from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel" (Genesis 49:24).

Rabbi Isaac said: Nothing has been created except by the merit of worship. Abraham returned from Mount Moriah only through the merit of worship, as it is said, "We will worship, and come again to you" (Gen. 22:5). The Temple was fashioned only through the merit of worship, as it is said, "Exalt ye the Lord our God, and worship" (Ps. 99:5).

THE DEATH OF SARAH AND THE STORY OF ISAAC AND REBECCA SIX (people) were called by their names before they were created, and they are: Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Solomon, Josiah, and King Messiah.

How do we know (this with reference to) Isaac? Because it is said, "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac" (Gen. 17:19). Why was his name called Isaac? Because Yad (the first Hebrew letter of Isaac indicates) the ten trials wherewith our father Abraham was tried; and he withstood them all.

Zaddi (the second letter indicates) the ninety (years), for his mother was ninety years (at the birth of Isaac), as it is said, "And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?" (Gen. 17:17). Cheth (the third letter points to) the eighth (day), for he was circumcised on the eighth day, as it is said, "And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old" (Gen. 21:4). Ḳuf (the fourth letter of the name marks) the hundred (years), for his father was an hundred years old (at Isaac's birth), as it is said, "And Abraham was an hundred years old" (Gen. 21:5).

Whence do we know about Ishmael? Because it is said, "And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child,… and thou shalt call his name Ishmael" (Gen. 16:11). Why was his name || called Ishmael? Because in the future the Holy One, blessed be He, will hearken to the cry of the people arising from (the oppression) which the children of Ishmael will bring about in the land in the last (days); therefore was his name called Ishmael.

Whence do we know about Moses? Because it is said, "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not abide in man for ever in their going astray" (Gen. 6:3). What is the implication (of the expression), "In their going astray"? Retrospectively his name was called Moses. For the life of Moses was one hundred and twenty years, as it is said, "His days shall be an hundred and twenty years" (ibid.).

Whence do we know concerning Solomon? Because it is said, "Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest,… for his name shall be Solomon" (1 Chron. 22:9). Why was his name called Solomon? Because his name was called Solomon in the Aramaic language, as it is said, "I will give peace (Shalom) and quietness unto Israel in his days" (ibid.). ||

Whence do we know about Josiah? Because it is said, "Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name" (1 Kings 13:2). Why was his name called Josiah? (Because he was as acceptable) as an offering upon the altar; she said: A worthy offering let him be before Thee. Therefore was his name called Josiah, as it is said, "And he cried against the altar," etc. (1 Kings 13:2).

Whence do we know concerning King Messiah? Because it is said, "His name shall endure for ever. Before the sun his name shall be continued (Yinnon)" (Ps. 72:17). Why was his name called Yinnon? For he will awaken those who sleep at Hebron out of the dust of the earth, therefore is his name called Yinnon, as it is said, "Before the sun his name is Yinnon" (ibid.).

When Abraham returned from Mount Moriah in peace, the anger of Sammael was kindled, for he saw that the desire of his heart to frustrate the offering of our father Abraham had not been realized. What did he do? He went and said to Sarah: Hast thou not heard what has happened in the world? She said to him: No. He said to her: Thy husband, Abraham, has taken thy son Isaac and slain him and offered him up as a burnt offering upon the altar. She began to weep and to cry aloud three times, corresponding to the three sustained notes (of the Shophar), and (she gave forth) three howlings corresponding to the three disconnected short notes (of the Shophar), and her soul fled, and she died.

Abraham came and found that she was dead. Whence did he come? From Mount Moriah, as it is said, "And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah" (Gen. 23:2).

Rabbi José said: Isaac observed mourning during three years || for his mother. After three years he married Rebecca, and forgot the mourning for his mother. Hence thou mayest learn that until a man marries a wife his love centres in his parents. When he marries a wife his love is bestowed upon his wife, as it is said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and he shall cleave unto his wife" (Gen. 2:24). Does a man then leave his father and mother with reference to the precept, "Honour"? But the love of his soul cleaves unto his wife, as it is said, "And his soul clave (unto Dinah)" (Gen. 34:3); and it says, "And he shall cleave unto his wife" (Gen. 2:24).

Rabbi Jehudah said: Rebecca was barren for twenty years. After twenty years (Isaac) took Rebecca and went (with her) to Mount Moriah, to the place where he had been bound, and he prayed on her behalf concerning the conception of the womb; and the Holy One, blessed be He, was entreated of him, as it is said, "And Isaac intreated the Lord" (ibid. xxv. 21). The children were contending with one another within her womb like mighty warriors, as it is said, "And the children struggled together within her" (ibid. 22).

The time of her confinement came round, and her soul was nigh unto death owing to her pains. And she went to pray in the place whither she and Isaac had gone, as it is said, "And she went to inquire of the Lord" (ibid.). What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? Jacob took hold of the heels of Esau to make him fall, as it is said, "And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel" (ibid. 26).

Hence thou mayest learn that the descendants of Esau will not fall until a remnant || from Jacob will come and cut off the feet of the children of Esau from the mountain of Seir, as it is said, "Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands" (Dan. 2:45). Another Scripture text says, "Vengeance is mine, and a recompence, at the time when their foot shall slide" (Deut. 32:35).

Rabbi Tanchuma said: The two lads grew up; the one went by the way of life, and the other went by the way of death, as it is said, "And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter" (Gen. 25:27). Jacob went on the way of life, for he was dwelling in tents, and he studied the Torah all his days. Esau went on the way of death, because he slew Nimrod and his son Chavir, and he almost sought to kill Jacob his brother, as it is said, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and I will slay my brother Jacob" (Gen. 27:41).

Rabbi Simeon said: In the hour when Isaac was bound, he lifted up his eyes heavenwards and saw the glory of the Shekhinah, as it is written, "For man shall not see me and live" (Ex. 33:20). Instead of death his eyes grew dim in his old age, as it is said, "And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, that his eyes were dim, so that he could not see" (Gen. 27:1). Hence thou mayest learn that the blind man is as though he were dead.

The night-fall of the festival day of Passover came, and Isaac called unto Esau his elder son, and said: O my son! To-night the heavenly ones utter songs, on this night the treasuries of dew are opened; on this day the blessing of the dews (is bestowed). Make me savoury meat whilst I am still alive, and I will bless thee. || The Holy Spirit rejoined, saying to him: "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties" (Prov. 23:6). He went to fetch it, and was delayed there. Rebecca said to Jacob his (other) son: On this night the treasuries of dew will be opened, and on this night the angels utter a song. Make savoury meat for thy father, that he may eat and whilst he still lives he may bless thee.

Now (Jacob) was skilled in the Torah, and his heart dreaded the curse of his father. His mother said to him: My son! If it be a blessing, may it be upon thee and upon thy seed; if it be a curse, let it be upon me and upon my soul, as it is said, "And his mother said to him, Upon me be thy curse, my son" (Gen. 27:13). He went and brought two kids of the goats.

Were two kids of the goats the food for Isaac? But he brought one as a Paschal offering, and with the other he prepared the savoury meat to eat; and he brought it to his father, and he said to him: "Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison" (Gen. 27:19). Isaac said: "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (Gen. 27:22). Jacob (declares) the unity of God.

"The voice is the voice of Jacob" (ibid.) in the meditation of the Torah. "And the hands are the hands of Esau" (ibid.), in all shedding of blood and in every evil death. Not only this, but also when they proclaim in heaven, "The voice is the voice of Jacob," the heavens tremble. And when they proclaim on earth, "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (ibid.), every one who hears will make his portion with "The voice which is the voice of Jacob."

And every one || who does not hear and does not act (obediently), his portion is with "The hands, which are the hands of Esau."

Rabbi Jehudah said: Isaac blessed Jacob with ten blessings concerning the dews of heaven and the corn of the earth, corresponding to the ten words whereby the world was created, as it is said, "And God give thee of the dew of the heaven" (Gen. 27:28); "Let peoples serve thee, …" (Gen. 27:29). When Jacob went forth from the presence of his father Isaac, he went forth crowned like a bridegroom, and like a bride in her adornment, and the quickening dew from heaven descended upon him, and refreshed his bones, and he also became a mighty hero; therefore it is said, "By the hands of the mighty Jacob, from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel" (Gen. 49:24).

ELISHA AND THE SHUNAMMITE WOMAN "AND Isaac sowed in that land" (Gen. 26 12). Rabbi Eliezer said: Did Isaac sow the seed of corn? Heaven forbid! But he took all his wealth, and sowed it in charity to the needy, as it is said, "Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap according to love" (Hos. 10:12). Everything which he tithed, the Holy One, blessed be He, sent him (in return) one hundred times (the value) in different kinds of blessings, as it is said, "And he found in the same year an hundredfold: and the Lord blessed him" (Gen. 26:12).

Rabbi Simeon said: Owing to the power of || charity the dead will be quickened in the future. Whence do we learn this? From Elijah the Tishbite. For he betook himself to Zarephath, and a woman (who was) a widow received him with great honour. She was the mother of Jonah, and they were eating and drinking his bread and oil; he, she, and her son, as it is said, "And she did eat, and he also" (1 Kings 17:15).

"He and she" (indicate that it was) by the merit of Elijah that they had to eat. After (a period of) days, the son of the woman fell sick and died, as it is said, "And it came to pass after these things that the son of the woman fell sick" (1 Kings 17:17). The woman said to him (Elijah): Thou didst come unto me for coition, and thou wilt bring my sin to remembrance against me, and my son is dead. Now take away all that which thou hast brought to me, and give me my son. Elijah, may he be remembered for good, arose and prayed before the Holy One, blessed be He, and said before Him: Sovereign of all the worlds! Is it not enough (to endure) all the evils which have befallen me, but also this woman; for I know that out of sorrow for her son has she spoken of a matter which has not occurred, which she has brought against me to vex me. Now let all the generations learn that there is a resurrection of the dead, and restore the soul of this lad within him; and He was entreated of him, as it is said, "And the Lord hearkened unto the voice of Elijah" (1 Kings 17:22). Another Scripture text says, "And Elijah || took the child… See, thy son liveth" (1 Kings 17:23).

Rabbi Joshua ben Ḳorchah said: Art thou astonished at this? Do not be astonished, come and see, (learn) from Elisha, the son of Shaphat, for no woman was able to gaze at his face without dying; and he went from mount to mount, and from cave to cave, and he went to Shunem, and a great woman received him with great honour. She was a sister of Abishag, the Shunammite, the mother of Oded, the prophet, as it is said, "And it fell on a day, that Elisha passed to Shunem" (2 Kings 4:8), and the woman said to her husband: This man of God is (holy), no woman is able to gaze at his face without dying; but, "Let us make, I pray thee, a little chamber on the wall; and let us set for him there a bed, and a table, and a stool, and a lampstand" (2 Kings 4:10).

And every time that he passes he can turn thither into the chamber, as it is said, "And it fell on a day, that he came thither, and he turned into the chamber" (2 Kings 4:11). And he called for the Shunammite, as it is said, "And he said, Call her. And when he had called her, she stood at the door" (2 Kings 4:15). Why did she stand at the door? Because she was unable to gaze at his face, so that she should not die. He said to her:

"At this season, when the time cometh round, thou shalt embrace a son" (2 Kings 4:16), the fruit of thy womb. She said to him: My lord is very old, and the way of women has departed from me, || and it is impossible to do this thing. "Nay, my lord, thou man of God, do not lie unto thine handmaid" (ibid.).

Rabbi Zechariah said: "He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him" (Ps. 145:19). The Holy One, blessed be He, fulfilled the desire of the prophet. She conceived and bare, and the child grew. He went forth to refresh himself, and to look at the reapers. A mishap overtook him, and he died, as it is said, "It fell on a day, that he went out to his father to the reapers" (2 Kings 4:18); this restrained them (from work) until he came (among them), and he died, as it is said, "And he sat on her knees till noon, and then died" (2 Kings 4:20).

The woman went to Mount Carmel, and fell on her face to the ground before Elisha, saying to him: Would that my vessel had remained empty! But it was filled, and now its contents are spilt. The prophet answered: Everything which the Holy One, blessed be He, doeth, He telleth to me, but He has hidden this matter, as it is said, "And when she came to the man of God… and Gehazi came near to thrust her away" (2 Kings 4:27).

What is the meaning of "to thrust her away"? To teach us that he put his hand upon (her) pride, which was upon her breasts, as it is said, "And the man of God said, Let her alone… and the Lord hath hid it from me, and hath not told me" (ibid.). He took the staff which was in his hand, and gave it to Gehazi, saying to him: Do not speak with thy mouth any word at all; know that thou goest and placest the staff upon the face of the lad, that he may live.

Now as for Gehazi, the matter was laughable in his eyes, and to every man whom he met || he said: Dost thou believe that this staff will bring the dead to life? Therefore he did not succeed until (Elisha) went on foot and put his face upon the face (of the child), and his eyes upon his eyes, and his hands upon his hands, and he began to pray before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of all the worlds! Just as Thou didst perform miracles by the hand of Elijah, my master, and brought the dead to life, likewise let this child live; and He was entreated of him, as it is said, "Then he returned, and walked in the house once to and fro; and went up, and stretched himself upon him" (2 Kings 4:35); "and the child sneezed seven times" (ibid.).

Rabbi Azariah said: Know thou the efficacy of charity. Come and see from the instance of Shallum, son of Tikvah, who was one of the important men of his generation, giving charity every day. What did he do? He filled the bottle with water, and sat at the entrance of the city, and he would give water to every person who came on the way, restoring his soul to him.

On account of the charity which he did, the Holy Spirit rested upon his wife, as it is said, "So Hilkiah the priest… went unto Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum, the son of Tikvah" (2 Kings 22:14). Originally his name was "the son of Sachrah"; just as thou dost say, "Merchandise is better than the circulation of money" (Prov. 3:14). One Scripture text || says, "The son of Sachrah." When her husband died, the charitable deeds of her husband ceased, and all Israel went forth to show loving-kindness to Shallum, son of Tikvah.

But they spied the band, and they cast the man into the sepulchre of Elisha, and he came to life, as it is said, "And as soon as the man touched the bones of Elisha, he revived" (2 Kings 13:21); and afterwards he begat Chanameel, as it is said, "Behold, Chanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee" (Jer. 32:7).

Rabbi Eliezer said: Know thou the power of charity. Come and see from (the instance of) Saul, the son of Kish, who removed the witches and the necromancers from off the earth, and once again he loved that which he had hated. He went to En Dor, to the wife of Zephaniah, the mother of Abner, and he inquired of her for himself by the familiar spirit, and she brought for him Samuel the prophet, and the dead saw Samuel ascending, and they ascended with him, thinking that the resurrection of the dead had come, and the woman beheld, and she became very much confused, as it is said, "And the king said unto her, Be not afraid: for what seest thou?" (1 Sam. 28:13). Some say: Many righteous men like (Samuel) came up with him in that hour.

Rabbi Eliezer said: All the dead will arise at the resurrection of the dead, dressed in their shrouds. Know thou that this is the case. Come and see from (the analogy of) the one who plants (seed) in the earth. He plants naked (seeds) || and they arise covered with many coverings; and the people who descend into the earth dressed (with their garments), will they not rise up dressed (with their garments)?

Not only this, but come and see from Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who went down into the fiery furnace dressed in their garments, as it is said, "And the satraps… being gathered together, saw these men, that the fire had no power upon their bodies… neither were their hosen changed" (Dan. 3:27). Learn from Samuel, the prophet, who came up clothed with his robe, as it is said, "And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a robe" (1 Sam. 28:14).

Rabbi Jochanan said: All the prophets prophesied in their lifetime, and Samuel prophesied in his lifetime, and after his death, because Samuel said to Saul: If thou wilt hearken to my advice to fall by the sword, then shall thy death be an atonement for thee, and thy lot shall be with me in the place where I abide. Saul harkened to his advice, and fell by the sword, he and all his sons, as it is said, "So Saul died, and his three sons" (1 Sam. 31:6). Why? So that his portion might be with Samuel the prophet in the future life, as it is said, "And to morrow shalt thou and thy sons be with me" (1 Sam. 28:19). What is the meaning of "with me"? Rabbi Jochanan said: With me in my division in heaven.

Hillel, the Elder, said: Samuel spake to Saul, saying, Was it not enough for thee that thou didst not hearken || unto His voice, neither didst thou execute His fierce anger upon Amalek, but thou dost also inquire through one possessed of a familiar spirit, and thou seekest (to know the future). Woe is the shepherd, and woe is his flock! For on thy account has the Holy One, blessed be He, given Israel thy people into the hands of the Philistines, as it is said, "Moreover, the Lord will deliver Israel also with thee into the hand of the Philistines" (ibid.).

Rabbi Tachanah said: Israel was exiled to Babylon, and did not forsake their evil deeds. Ahab, son of Kolaiah, and Zedekiah, son of Maaseiah, became lying healers, and they healed the wives of the Chaldeans, and came unto them for coition. The king heard thereof, and commanded that they should be burnt. They both said: Let us say that Joshua, the son of Jehozadak, was with us, and he will save us from the burning with fire.

They said to him: O our lord, O king, this man was with us in every matter. The king commanded that the three should be burnt by fire. And the angel Michael descended and saved Joshua from the fiery flames, and brought him up before the throne of glory, as it is said, "And he shewed me Joshua, the high priest" (Zech. 3:1); and the other two were burnt by fire, as it is said, "And of them shall be taken up a curse….

The Lord make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire" (Jer. 29:22). It is not written here "whom the king of Babylon burnt with fire," but "whom he roasted," hence we learn || that his hairs were singed on account of their sins, as it is said, "In the pride of the wicked the poor is hotly pursued" (Ps. 10:2). Whence do we know that he was delivered? Because it is said, "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan.… Is not this a brand plucked out of the fire?" (Zech. 3:2).

Rabbi Jehudah said: When Nebuchadnezzar brought a false accusation against Israel to slay them, he set up an idol in the plain of Dura, and caused a herald to proclaim: Any one who does not bow down to this idol shall be burnt by fire. Israel did not trust in the shadow of their Creator, and came with their wives and sons and bowed down to the idolatrous image—except Daniel, whom they called by the name of their God, and it would have been a disgrace to them to burn him in fire, as it is said, "But at the last Daniel came in before me" (Dan. 4:8).

And they took Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, and put them into the fiery furnace, and the angel Gabriel descended and saved them from the fiery furnace. The king said to them: Ye knew that ye had a God who saves and delivers; why have ye forsaken your God and worshipped idols which have no power to deliver? But just as ye did in your own land and destroyed it, so do ye attempt to do in this land, (namely) to destroy it.

The king commanded, || and they slew all of them. Whence do we know that they were all slain by the sword? Because it is said, "Then said he unto me, Prophesy… O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live" (Ezek. 37:9).

Rabbi Phineas said: After twenty years, when all of them had been slain in Babylon, the Holy Spirit rested upon Ezekiel, and brought him forth into the plain of Dura, and called unto him very dry bones, and said to him: Son of Man! What dost thou see? He answered: I see here dry bones. (The Spirit) said to him: Have I power to revive them? The prophet did not say: Sovereign of all the worlds!

Thou hast power to do even more than (this) here; but he said: "O Lord God, thou knowest" (Ezek. 37:3), as though he did not believe; therefore his own bones were not buried in a pure land, but in an unclean land, as it is said, "And thou shalt die in a land that is unclean" (Amos 7:17). "Prophesy over these bones" (Ezek. 37:4). He said before Him: Sovereign of all the worlds! What! will the prophecy bring upon them flesh and sinews and bones?

Or will the prophecy bring upon them all the flesh and bones which cattle, beast, and bird have eaten, and they (also) have died in the land? Immediately the Holy One, blessed be He, caused His voice to be heard, and the earth shook, as it is said, "And as I prophesied there was a thundering, and behold an earthquake" (Ezek. 37:7), || and every animal, beast, and bird which had eaten thereof and died in another land the earth brought together, "bone to his bone" (ibid.).

Rabbi Joshua ben Ḳorchah said: There came down upon them the quickening dew from heaven, which was like a fountain, which was bubbling and bringing forth water; so likewise (the bones) were moving and bringing forth upon themselves flesh, (other) bones and sinews, as it is said, "And I beheld, and lo, there were sinews upon them, and flesh came up, and skin covered them above" (Ezek. 37:8). He said to him: Prophesy unto the wind, as it is said, "Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind.… Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live" (Ezek. 37:9).

In that hour the four winds of the heaven went forth, and opened the treasure-house of the souls, and each spirit returned to the body of flesh of man, as it is said, "So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived,… an exceeding great army" (Ezek. 37:10); and it is written about Egypt, "And the children of Israel were fruitful,… and waxed exceeding mighty" (Ex. 1:7).

What is the meaning of "exceeding"? Just as in the latter case there were 600,000 (men), so in the former case there were 600,000 (men), and they all stood upon their feet except one man. The prophet said: Sovereign of all the worlds! What is the nature of this man?

He answered him: He gave out money for usury, and he took with interest. || As I live, he shall not live. In that hour the Israelites were sitting and weeping, and saying: We hoped for light, and darkness came. We hoped to stand up with all Israel at the resurrection of the dead, and now "our hope is lost" (Ezek. 37:11). We hoped to arise so as to be gathered with all Israel, and now "we are clean cut off" (ibid.).

In that hour the Holy One, blessed be He, said to the prophet: Therefore, say to them, As I live, I will cause you to stand at the resurrection of the dead in the future that is to come, and I will gather you with all Israel to the land, as it is said, "Behold, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves… and I will bring you into the land of Israel.… And I will put my spirit in you, and ye shall live" (Ezek. 37:12, 14).

"See now that I, even I, am He" (Deuteronomy 32:39). Rabbi Eliezer says: And what did Scripture see fit to say two times, "that I, even I, am He"? Rather, the Holy One, blessed be He, said: I am He in this world and I am He in the world to come. I am He who redeemed Israel from Egypt, and I am He who is destined to redeem them at the end of the fourth kingdom. Therefore He said, "I, even I, am He." Anyone who says that there are other gods, I will put him to death with a death from which there is no resurrection; and every nation that says there is no God but Me, I will revive it after the second death to the life of the world to come. For I put to death and give life, therefore it is said, "I kill and I make alive" (Deuteronomy 32:39). I have wounded Jerusalem and her people on the day of His fierce anger, and with great mercy I will heal them; therefore it is said, "I have wounded Jerusalem, and I will heal." And no angel or seraph will rescue the wicked from the judgment of Gehinnom, as it is said, "And there is none who delivers from My hand" (Deuteronomy 32:39). Rabbi Yehonatan says: All the dead rise to the resurrection except for the generation of the Flood, as it is said, "The dead shall not live" (Isaiah 26:14). These are the nations, who are like the carcass of a beast, who shall arise on the Day of Judgment; but the generation of the Flood, even on the Day of Judgment, do not arise, as it is said, "the shades shall not rise" (Isaiah 26:14). And all their souls become spirits and harm a person of Israel. Further, as it is said, "Therefore You have visited and destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish" (Isaiah 26:14). Rabbi Zechariah says: The sleep of the night is like this world, and the waking of the morning is like the world to come. And what is the sleep of the night? A person lies down and sleeps, and his spirit roams about the whole earth and tells him in a dream all that will be, as it is said: "In a dream, in a vision of the night... then He opens the ears of men and seals their instruction" (Job 33:15-16). So too the dead: their spirits roam about the whole earth and tell them all that was; but they give praise and song to the Holy One, blessed be He, who is destined to revive them, as it is said: "Let the faithful exult in glory; let them sing for joy upon their beds" (Psalms 149:5). And the waking of the morning is like the world to come, as it is said: "Satisfy us in the morning with Your steadfast love, that we may sing for joy and be glad" (Psalms 90:14), and so on. Five sounds go out from one end of the world to the other, yet the sound is not heard. At the time they cut down a tree that bears fruit, the sound goes out from one end of the world to the other yet the sound is not heard; and at the time the serpent sheds its skin; and at the time a woman is divorced from her husband; and at the time the child comes out of the body, until it sees the Divine Presence. Rabbi Azaryah said: All the souls return and are gathered, each to the generation of his fathers and to his kin, the righteous with the righteous and the wicked with the wicked. For so the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Abraham our father: "And you shall come to your fathers in peace" (Genesis 15:15). From here we learn that Terah his father did repentance. And is it the case that when the soul leaves the body this is peace? Rather, the righteous come forth to greet him in peace, as it is said: "He enters into peace; they rest on their beds" (Isaiah 57:2). And another verse says: "And you shall be gathered to your grave in peace" (2 Kings 22:20). Rabbi Hanina says: All Israel who die outside the Land, their souls are gathered into the Land, as it is said: "And the soul of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living" (1 Samuel 25:29). And all who die of the nations within the Land, their souls are flung by a sling outside the Land, as it is said: "And the souls of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the hollow of a sling" (1 Samuel 25:29). In the time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, will take hold of the corners of the earth and shake it of all impurity, like a person who shakes out a garment and casts out all that is in it and throws it outside, as it is said: "To take hold of the corners of the earth, that the wicked might be shaken out of it" (Job 38:13). A person has three friends in his life, and these are they: his children and the members of his household, his money, and good deeds. And at the hour of his departure from the world, he calls to his children and the members of his household and says to them: "I beg of you, take me out of this evil judgment of death!" And they say to him: "Have you not heard that there is no authority over the day of death? And is it not so written, 'No man can by any means redeem his brother' (Psalms 49:8)?" And even his money, which he loves, cannot redeem him, as it is said: "Nor give to God a ransom for him" (Psalms 49:8). Why? "For the redemption of their soul is costly, and must be let alone forever" (Psalms 49:9). Afterward he brings in his good deeds and says to them: "Come and rescue me from this death, and strengthen yourselves with me, and do not let me go out from the world, for you still have hope in me if I am saved." And so his good deeds answer him: "Go in peace; before you go there we will go ahead of you," as it is said: "And your righteousness shall go before you" (Isaiah 58:8). During the seven days of mourning the body begins to be infested with worms, and the body returns to dust as it was, as it is said: "And the dust returns to the earth as it was" (Ecclesiastes 12:7). And from where do we learn that the soul was given from heaven? Come and see: when the Holy One, blessed be He, formed the human being, what did He do? He breathed into his mouth and a soul was cast into him, as it is said: "And He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life" (Genesis 2:7). Rabbi Yishmael says: All the dead become like the dust of the earth, until nothing remains of the body except as much as a spoonful of decay, and it mingles with the dust as leaven mingles with the dough. In the time to come, when the Holy One, blessed be He, will command to give over the deposits of all the bodies, He mingles it in the earth like dust, beautifying it and increasing it. Immediately the whole earth quakes and the mountains tremble and the graves open. Rabbi Azaryah says: All the souls are in the hand of the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is said: "In whose hand is the soul of every living thing" (Job 12:10). To what may the matter be compared? To one who was walking in the marketplace with a key in his hand. As long as the key is in his hand, all his money is in his hand. So too the Holy One, blessed be He: the key of the burial place and the key of the storehouses of the soul are in His hand. In the time to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, opens the graves and opens the storehouses of the soul, and returns each and every spirit into the fleshly body of a man, as it is said: "You send forth Your spirit, they are created, and You renew the face of the earth" (Psalms 104:30). The soul resembles its Maker. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, sees and is not seen, so the soul sees and is not seen. Just as before the Holy One, blessed be He, there is no sleep, so the soul does not sleep. Just as the Holy One, blessed be He, bears His world, so the soul bears the whole body. And all the souls are His, as it is said: "Behold, all souls are Mine" (Ezekiel 18:4). Rabbi Yehudah says: From the day the Temple was destroyed, the land languishes from the wickedness of all its inhabitants, like a person who is ill and has no strength, as it is said: "Every man is brutish" (Jeremiah 10:14), and the land is defiled under its inhabitants and has no strength to stand and yield its fruits. In the time to come the Holy One, blessed be He, brings down the dew of resurrection and revives the dead, as it is said: "Your dead shall live, my dead bodies shall arise" (Isaiah 26:19). "Your dead shall live" these are Israel who died trusting in His name. "My dead bodies shall arise" these are the nations who are like the carcass of beasts, who shall arise before the judgment but shall not live. "Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust" (Isaiah 26:19) these are the righteous who are dwellers in the dust of the earth.

THE RESURRECTION OF THE DEAD "SEE now that I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me" (Deut. 32:89). Only the Holy One, blessed be He, said: "I am" in this world, and "I am" in the world to come; I am the one who redeemed Israel from Egypt, and I am the one who, in the future, will redeem them at the end of the fourth kingdom; therefore it is said, "I, even I, am he, and there is no God with me" (ibid.).

Every nation who say that there is a second God, I will slay them as with a second death || which has no resurrection; and every nation who say that there is no second God, I will quicken them for the eternal life. And in the future I will slay those (first mentioned) and quicken these, therefore it is said, "I kill, and I make alive" (ibid.). I have wounded Jerusalem and her people on the day of My anger, and in great mercy I will heal them, therefore it is said, "I have wounded, and I will heal" (ibid.).

Neither any angel nor any seraph will deliver the wicked from the judgment of Gehinnom, as it is said, "And there is none that can deliver out of my hand" (ibid.).