The Torah teaches us about showing appreciation for the benefits we receive, and this sentiment is beautifully explored in Bereshit Rabbah, the classic rabbinic commentary on the Book of Genesis.
Our story begins with the verse, "And he encamped [vayiḥan] before the city" (Genesis 33:18). The rabbis, with their characteristic brilliance, see layers of meaning in this seemingly simple phrase. One interpretation is that Jacob, upon arriving near Shechem, "graced [ḥanan]" the leadership of the city by sending them gifts. Another, perhaps even more relatable, is that he began establishing markets and selling goods at low prices. Why? Because, as the rabbis wisely state, "a person must show gratitude to a place from which he benefits."
But the idea of showing gratitude takes on a deeper, more dramatic turn with the tale of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai and his son, Rabbi Elazar. During a time of persecution, they were forced to hide in a cave for thirteen long years. Imagine that! Their only sustenance was withered carobs, which eventually led to sores. Ginzberg, in his Legends of the Jews, paints a vivid picture of this difficult period.
After thirteen years, Rabbi Shimon emerged from the cave, a changed man. He witnessed a hunter trapping birds. He noticed something fascinating: when a Divine Voice announced "Freedom, freedom," the bird would escape. But when the voice declared "Killing," the bird was doomed. "Were it not for Heaven," Rabbi Shimon declared, "a bird would not be hunted; the soul of a person, all the more so!" This experience profoundly impacted him.
Eventually, Rabbi Shimon and his son learned that the edict against him (the one calling for his death!) had been lifted. They journeyed to Tiberias and bathed in its heated bathhouse. His son, Elazar, recognized that "Tiberias has afforded us so much benefit, and we are not purifying it from the dead?" Remember, in those days, ritual purity was paramount. Unidentified graves could render areas off-limits to priests.
Rabbi Shimon, remembering the principle of gratitude, decided to act. "We must perform an act of good just as our ancestors would, as they would establish markets and sell at low prices," he declared. But instead of commerce, he chose purification. He employed a mandrake root, a plant believed to have magical properties, to locate hidden corpses. He cut the mandrake, cast the cuttings, and scattered them in the street. Where a corpse lay, it would rise, allowing for its removal. Where there was no impurity, the mandrake remained.
Now, enter a mischievous Samaritan. According to the story in Bereshit Rabbah, this "ignoramus" sought to discredit Rabbi Shimon. He secretly buried a corpse in a purified street and then challenged Rabbi Shimon's claim. But Rabbi Shimon, through divine insight, saw through the deception. In a moment of intense justice, he decreed, "I decree that the one who is above shall descend, and the one who is below shall ascend!" Instantly, the Samaritan died and was buried, while the corpse he had hidden came back to life and rose from the grave! Talk about a plot twist!
The story continues with more tests of Rabbi Shimon's authority. In one instance, we see him confronting Nakai the scribe. In another, he encounters someone gathering forbidden produce (sefichin) during the Sabbatical year. In both cases, Rabbi Shimon's unwavering commitment to Jewish law and the authority of the Sages is emphasized.
The narrative concludes with a final interpretation of "and he encamped before the city," suggesting that Jacob observed Shabbat (the Sabbath) even before it was officially given. This reinforces the idea that our patriarchs intuitively understood and lived by principles that would later become formal commandments.
What can we take away from this rich tapestry of stories? It's more than just a collection of anecdotes. It’s about recognizing the blessings in our lives and finding ways to give back. It’s about honoring tradition, upholding justice, and living with integrity. And perhaps most importantly, it’s about remembering that even in the face of adversity, we have the power to create positive change and show gratitude for the gifts we've been given.
“And he encamped [vayiḥan] before the city” – he graced [ḥanan] the leadership of the city, he began sending them gifts. Another matter, “and he encamped [vayiḥan] before the city” – he began establishing markets and selling at low prices. That is what they say, that a person must show gratitude to a place from which he benefits. Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai and Rabbi Elazar his son were hiding in a cave for thirteen years during the days of persecution. They would eat withered carobs until they broke out in sores. After thirteen years, he [Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai] emerged and sat at the cave entrance. He saw a certain hunter standing and hunting birds. When Rabbi Shimon would hear a Divine Voice from Heaven: ‘Freedom, freedom,’ it would escape. But when he would hear a Divine Voice saying: ‘Killing,’ it would be hunted and trapped. He said: ‘Were it not for Heaven, a bird would not be hunted; the soul of a person, all the more so.’ He went out and found that matters were calm, and that the edict10The edict that Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai should be killed. had been abrogated. They came and bathed in that heated bathhouse in Tiberias. His son said to him: ‘Tiberias has afforded us so much benefit, and we are not purifying it from the dead?’11There were areas of Tiberias in which priests could not go because there unidentified graves there. Purifying Tiberias would allow the priests to go to those places. He said: ‘We must perform an act of good just as our ancestors would, as they would establish markets and sell at low prices.’ He said: ‘We need to purify Tiberias.’ What did he do? He took a mandrake. He would cut the mandrake, cast the cuttings, and scatter them in the street. Every place where there was a corpse, it would rise, and they would move it and take it out of the city. And every place where there was no impurity, the mandrake would remain, and it would indicate which was a place of purity and which was a place of impurity until the time that they purified it from all the corpses. A certain Samaritan ignoramus saw him and said: ‘Will I not go and mock this Jewish elder?’ Some say it was in the wicker basket market, and some said it was the sack market. He took a corpse and concealed it in one of the streets that had been purified. In the morning, he went and said to them: ‘You said that ben Yoḥai had purified Tiberias. Come and see this corpse.’ Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai saw through the Divine spirit that he placed it there.12That the Samaritan had placed the corpse there. He said: ‘I decree that the one who is above shall descend, and the one who is below shall ascend,’ and so it was.13The Samaritan who was above died and descended to the grave, and the corpse that he had buried came to life and rose from the grave. He14Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai. ascended and sat in his house. He passed by the Tower of Colors and heard the voice of Nakai the scribe. He said: ‘Did you not say that bar Yoḥai purified Tiberias? But they say that they found a corpse.’ He said:15Rabbi Shimon bar Yoḥai. ‘Let him come to me, if I do not have at my disposal halakhot as numerous as the hair on my head regarding Tiberias, that it is pure, with the exception of this-and-that place. You were not with us in the quorum when it was purified. You breached the fence of the Sages, and in your regard it is written: “One who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him”’ (Ecclesiastes 10:8). He [Nakai the scribe] immediately became a pile of bones. He [Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai] passed in the Beit Nekofa Valley. He saw a person standing and gathering the sefichin16Vegetables which grow during the Sabbatical year are called "sefichin." It is forbidden to eat sefichin. of the Sabbatical year. He said to him: ‘Is this not the sefichin of the Sabbatical year?’ He said to him: ‘But is it not you who permitted it? Did we not learn: Rabbi Shimon says: All the sefichin are permitted except for the sefichin of cabbage, as there is nothing like it in the vegetables of the field.’17Mishna Shvi'it 9:1. He said to him: ‘But do my colleagues not disagree with me? You breached the fence of the Sages, and “one who breaches a fence, a serpent will bite him.”’ And so it was for him. Another matter, “and he encamped before the city” – he entered on Friday near sunset, while it was still day, and established Shabbat boundaries while it was still day. That is to say: Jacob observed Shabbat before it was given.
