It's like a cosmic echo, a recurring theme of the powerful and the hungry, of oppression and redemption.
Vayikra Rabbah 28, a section of the ancient Midrash Rabbah, explores just that. It all starts with a seemingly simple verse from Job (5:5): “His harvest, the hungry eat… And put into baskets… The thirsty imbibe their wealth.” But what does that mean?
The Rabbis of the Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in their brilliant way, find layers of meaning within these words, seeing them as a key to understanding our people’s journey. They use this verse as a lens to examine moments of triumph over adversity, connecting them all to the omer offering, the first sheaf of the harvest brought to the Temple.
First, we see Nimrod, the archetypal tyrant, as "his harvest." And who are the "hungry" who eat of it? None other than Abraham, our patriarch! The Midrash alludes to the story in Genesis 14, where Abraham defeats the kings who captured Lot. But here’s the twist: it wasn't through brute force. The verse in Job says "ve’el metzinim" – "and put into baskets." The Rabbis cleverly interpret ve’el metzinim to mean ve’al tzina – "without a shield." Abraham didn't rely on weapons; he used prayer and supplication. As Reish Lakish says in the name of bar Kappara, Abraham went with only Eliezer, his servant, whose name has the numerical value of 318 (the number of men Abraham is said to have taken). And who "imbibed their wealth"? Abraham and his followers.
Then the pattern repeats. Pharaoh is "his harvest," and Moses is the "hungry" one. Again, not through might, but through prayer. Remember God's question to Moses at the Red Sea, "Why are you crying out to Me?" (Exodus 14:15). It was Moses, and those who followed him, who ultimately "imbibed their wealth."
And it doesn't stop there. We see the same dynamic with Sihon and Og versus Moses, Sisera versus Deborah and Barak (where "from the heavens they battled," (Judges 5:20), because of prayer), Sennacherib versus Isaiah and Hezekiah ("King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amotz prayed," II (Chronicles 32:2)0), Haman versus Mordechai and Esther ("Sackcloth and ashes were draped by the masses," Esther 4:3), and the thirty-one kings of Canaan versus Joshua ("The Lord said to Joshua: Arise," (Joshua 7:1)0).
In each case, the oppressed, through faith and prayer, overcome the powerful and inherit their wealth.
What's the connection to the omer? The Midrash concludes that Israel inherited the land because of the merit of the mitzvah, the commandment, of the omer. It’s written, “When you come [to the land]… you shall bring a sheaf [omer]” (Leviticus 23:10). The act of offering the first fruits, of acknowledging God's bounty, is tied to our ability to overcome our challenges.
So, what’s the takeaway? Is it simply a historical observation? Or is there something deeper? Perhaps it’s a reminder that true strength doesn't always lie in military might or political power. Sometimes, the greatest weapon we have is faith, prayer, and a deep connection to something larger than ourselves. It suggests that even when facing seemingly insurmountable odds, we have the capacity to overcome, to "eat the harvest" of those who seek to oppress us, not through violence, but through the power of our spirit.
Next time you feel overwhelmed, remember the story of the omer, and the enduring lesson of Vayikra Rabbah 28: the hungry can indeed eat the harvest, not by force, but by faith.
Another matter, “You shall bring a sheaf [omer]” – that is what is written: “His harvest, the hungry eat” (Job 5:5). “His harvest,” this is Nimrod. “The hungry eat,” this is Abraham our patriarch, of blessed memory.11The midrash is alluding to the story in which Abraham pursued and defeated the four powerful kings who had conquered Sodom and taken Lot captive (see Genesis 14). The Sages identify Amraphel, leader of those kings, with Nimrod (see Bereishit Rabba 42:4). “And put into baskets [ve’el metzinim]” (Job 5:5) – not with weapons and not with shields, but rather, with prayer and supplications.12Ve’el metzinim is expounded to mean ve’al tzina, meaning, without a shield. That is what is written: “Abram heard that his brother had been taken captive, and he marshaled his retainers, born in his house, three hundred and eighteen” (Genesis 14:14). Reish Lakish said in the name of bar Kappara: It was only Eliezer, as the name of Eliezer is three hundred and eighteen.13When the verse states that Abram took three hundred and eighteen men, it really means that he took only his servant Eliezer, as the numerical value of the name Eliezer is three hundred and eighteen. “The thirsty imbibe their wealth” (Job 5:5); who appropriated all Nimrod’s wealth? Abraham and all who joined him. Another matter, “his harvest,” this is Pharaoh. “The hungry eat,” this is Moses. “And put into baskets [ve’el metzinim],” not with weapons and not with shields, but rather, with prayer and supplications. That is what is written: “The Lord said to Moses: Why are you crying out to Me?” (Exodus 14:15). “The thirsty imbibe their wealth” – who appropriated all Pharaoh’s wealth? Moses and all who joined him. Another matter, “his harvest,” this is Siḥon and Og. “The hungry eat,” this is Moses. “And put into baskets [ve’el metzinim],” that is what is written: “The Lord said to Moses: Do not fear him” (Numbers 21:34).14Moses had been afraid of Og and had been praying for success in confronting him (see Maharzu). “The thirsty imbibe their wealth” – who appropriated all the wealth of Siḥon and Og? Moses, Aaron, and all who joined them. Another matter, “his harvest,” this is Sisera. “The hungry eat,” this is Deborah and Barak. “And put into baskets [ve’el metzinim]” – “from the heavens they battled” (Judges 5:20).15The fact that the heavens battled Sisera is a result of the fact that Deborah and Barak had prayed for success. “The thirsty imbibe their wealth” – who appropriated all the wealth of Sisera? Deborah and Barak and all who joined them. Another matter, “his harvest,” this is Sennacherib. “The hungry eat,” this is Isaiah and Hezekiah. “And put into baskets [ve’el metzinim]” – “King Hezekiah and the prophet Isaiah son of Amotz prayed” (II Chronicles 32:20). “The thirsty imbibe their wealth,” – who appropriated all the wealth of Sennacherib? Isaiah and Hezekiah and all who joined them. Another matter, “his harvest,” this is Haman. “The hungry eat,” this is Mordekhai and Esther. “And put into baskets [ve’el metzinim]” – “Sackcloth and ashes were draped by the masses” (Esther 4:3).16It was customary to wear sackcloth and ashes on days of fasting and prayer. “The thirsty imbibe their wealth” – who appropriated all the wealth of Haman? Mordekhai and Esther and all who joined them. Another matter, “his harvest,” these are the thirty-one kings [of Canaan]. “The hungry eat,” this is Joshua. “And put into baskets [ve’el metzinim]” – “The Lord said to Joshua: Arise” (Joshua 7:10).17Joshua had been praying to God for success (see Joshua 7:6–9). “The thirsty imbibe their wealth” – who appropriated all the wealth of the thirty-one kings? Joshua and all who joined him. By what merit did Israel inherit the land? One must say: It was due to the merit of the mitzva of the omer, in whose regard it is written: “When you come [to the land]” (Leviticus 23:10). Therefore, Moses cautions Israel and says to them: “When you come to the land…you shall bring a sheaf [omer].”
