"And will give me bread to eat and a garment to wear" (Genesis 28:20). Aquilas the convert came before Rabbi Eliezer and said to him, "Is this then the whole praise of the convert that He 'loves the convert, giving him bread and clothing' (Deuteronomy 10:18)?" He said to him, "And is a matter light in your eyes over which that elder [Jacob] struggled? 'And will give me bread to eat' this one [Aquilas] came and the matter was extended to him on a reed [that is, attained easily]." He came to Rabbi Yehoshua, who began to comfort him with words. "'Bread' this is Torah, as you say, 'Come, eat of my bread' (Proverbs 9:5). 'Garment' this is a prayer-shawl. Once a person merits Torah, he merits the commandments, and not only that, but they marry into the priesthood, and their grandchildren offer sacrifices upon the altar. 'Bread' this is the showbread; 'garment' these are the garments of the high priesthood." "And the LORD will be my God" (Genesis 28:21). The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, "You said, 'And the LORD will be my God.' By your life, every good thing and blessing and consolation that I give, I will give only with this expression 'And it shall be': 'And it shall be on that day that living waters shall go forth from Jerusalem'; 'And it shall be on that day that a man shall keep alive a heifer and two sheep' (Isaiah 7:21); 'And it shall be on that day that the LORD will set His hand a second time' (Isaiah 11:11); 'And it shall be on that day that the mountains shall drip sweet wine'; 'And it shall be on that day that a great shofar shall be sounded' (Isaiah 27:13)." (Genesis 28:22) Our Rabbis taught: One who is lavish [in charity] should not be lavish with more than a fifth, lest he himself come to need the help of others. There was an incident concerning one who wished to be lavish with more than a fifth, and his fellow did not permit him and they counted [named] him Rabbi Yeshevav; and some say it was Rabbi Yeshevav and his fellow did not permit him, and they named him Rabbi Akiva for Scripture says, "Of all that You give me I will surely tithe to You" but the first tithe is not equal to the second tithe. [The doubling] "I will surely tithe to You" indicates the second is like the first. "And of all that You give me I will surely tithe to You" (written at remez 75 and 133).
Bread and Garment Read as Torah and the Convert's Reward
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 123:1
וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכֹל וּבֶגֶד לִלְבֹּשׁ. עֲקִילַס הַגֵּר נִכְנַס אֵצֶל רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, אָמַר לוֹ, הֲרֵי כָּל שִׁבְחוֹ שֶׁל גֵּר, "וְאֹהֵב גֵּר לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה" אָמַר לוֹ, וְכִי קַלָּה הִיא בְּעֵינֶיךָ, דָּבָר שְׁנִתְחַבֵּט עָלֶיהָ אוֹתוֹ זָקֵן, וְנָתַן לִי לֶחֶם לֶאֱכֹל, בָּא זֶה וְהוֹשִיטָהּ לוֹ בְּקָנֶה בָּא לוֹ אֵצֶל רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, הִתְחִיל מְנַּחֲמוֹ בִּדְבָרִים, "לֶחֶם" זוֹ תּוֹרָה כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר (משלי ט, ה) "לְכוּ לַחֲמוּ בְלַחְמִי", "שִׂמְלָה" זוֹ טַלִּית זָכָה אָדָם לְתוֹרָה זָכָה לְמִצְוֹת, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָא שֶׁהֵן מַשִּׂיאִין לַכְּהוּנָּה וּבְנֵי בְּנֵיהֶן מַקְרִיבִים עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ. "לֶחֶם" זֶה לֶחֶם הַפָּנִים, "שִׂמְלָה" אֵלּוּ בִּגְדֵי כְּהֻנָּה גְּדוֹלָה. וְהָיָה ה' לִי לֵאלֹהִים. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ וְהָיָה ה' לִי לֵאלֹהִים, חַיֶּיךָ כָּל טוֹבוֹת וּבְרָכוֹת וְנֶחָמוֹת שֶׁאֲנִי נוֹתֵן אֵינִי נוֹתֵן אֶלָּא בַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה, "וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יֵצְאוּ מַיִם חַיִּים מִירוּשָׁלַםִ", (ישעיה ז, כא) "וְהָיָה בַּיוֹם הַהוּא יְחַיֶּה אִישׁ עֶגְלַת בָּקָר וּשְׁתֵּי צֹאן", (שם יא, יא) "וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יוֹסִיף ה' שֵׁנִית, "וְהָיָה בַיּוֹם הַהוּא יִטְּפוּ הֶהָרִים עָסִיס", (ישעיה כז, יג) "וְהָיָה בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִתָּקַע בְּשׁוֹפָר גָּדוֹל". (בראשית כח כב) תָּנוּ רַבָּנָן, הַמְבַזְבֵּז אַל יְבַזְבֵּז יוֹתֵר מֵחֹמֶשׁ שֶׁמָּא יִצְטָרֵךְ לַבְּרִיּוֹת. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּאֶחָד שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לְבַזְבֵּז יוֹתֵר מֵחֹמֶשׁ וְלֹא הִנִּיחוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ, וּמָנוּ רַבִּי יְשֵׁבָב, וְאִית דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְשֵׁבָב וְלֹא הִנִּיחוֹ חֲבֵרוֹ, וּמָנוּ רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא. דְּאָמַר קָרָא, "אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן לִי עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ" וְהָא לָא דָּמְיָא עִשׂוּרָא קַמָּא לְעִשׂוּרָא בַּתְרָא אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ לְבַתְרָא כְּקַדְמָא. וְכָל אֲשֶׁר תִּתֶּן לִי עַשֵּׂר אֲעַשְּׂרֶנּוּ לָךְ. (כָּתוּב בְּרֶמֶז עה וקל"ג).