God's Addition Is Always Greater Than the Original

From where does this thing that people say derive: "sixty pangs reach the teeth of one who hears his fellow eat and does not eat"? As it is said, "but me, even me your servant, and Zadok the priest" and so forth (1 Kings 1:26). He said to him: you say it from there, and I say it from here, "And Isaac brought her into the tent" (Genesis 24:67), and it is written after it, "And Abraham took another wife." Rabbi Shimon ben Lakish in the name of Bar Kappara: the addition of the Holy One, blessed be He, is greater than the original. Cain was the original, and Abel, because he was an addition, was born together with his two twin sisters. Joseph was the original, and Benjamin, because he was an addition, produced ten sons, as it is said, "and the sons of Benjamin: Bela" and so forth (Genesis 46:21). Er was the original, and Shelah, because he was an addition, produced ten houses of judgment, as it is said, "the sons of Shelah son of Judah: Er the father of Lekhah, and Ladah the father of Mareshah" and so forth (1 Chronicles 4:21). The original years of Job were only two hundred and ten, and one hundred and forty years were added to him, as it is said, "And Job lived after this a hundred and forty years" (Job 42:16). The original days of Hezekiah's reign were only fourteen years, and fifteen years were added to him, as it is said, "Behold, I will add to your days fifteen years" (Isaiah 38:5). Ishmael was the original, and the children of Keturah, because they were an addition, "And she bore him Zimran" and so forth. Since the prophets saw that the addition of the Holy One, blessed be He, is greater than the original, they arose and blessed Israel with an addition: "May the LORD add to you, as you are, a thousand times more" (Deuteronomy 1:11); "May the LORD add to you, you and your children" (Psalms 115:14). And even in the time to come it is written, "The LORD will set His hand again a second time to recover the remnant of His people" (Isaiah 11:11). "Zimran" (Genesis 25:2): that they made music in the world; "Yokshan": that they grew hard in the world. And the rabbis say: "Zimran," that they played music on the drum for idolatry, and "Yokshan," that they struck the drum for idolatry. "And Yokshan begot Sheba and Dedan" (Genesis 25:3): even though they are rendered as merchants and traders and heads of peoples, they are all heads of peoples.