THERE WERE TEN GENERATIONS FROM NOAH TO ABRAHAM. What need is there for mankind to [know] this? It is to teach that all those generations were provoking Him, and there was not one man who would walk in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, until Abraham our father came and walked in His ways; as it is stated, Because that Abraham hearkened to My voice, [and kept My charge, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws.]1Gen. 26, 5. The verse does not say ‘law’ but laws. But whence did he learn them?2In the plural. So according to a variant reading. V reads, ‘Did he keep one law? Surely he kept many laws!’ It teaches you that the Holy One, blessed be He, provided Abraham with two reins which, like two Sages, instructed him, counselled him, and taught him wisdom all the night long, as it is stated, I will bless the Lord who hath given me counsel; yea, in the night seasons my reins instruct me.3Ps. 16, 7. Cf. above XXXI, 3, p. 148f., where the kidneys are said to act as counsellors. Moreover, our father Abraham was wont to practise righteousness first and justice afterwards, as it is stated, For I have known him, to the end that he might command [his children and his household after him, that they may keep the way of the Lord, to do righteousness and justice].4Gen. 18, 19. In this description of Abraham righteousness precedes justice. Whenever two disputants came before our father Abraham with a lawsuit, the one claiming a mina from the other, he would take out a mina, give it to the defendant, and say to him, ‘Argue your case before me’. After their case had been argued, if [he found that] one was in debt to the other, he would say to the defendant in whose hand was the mina, ‘Pay the mina to your companion’; but if [the claim was] not [proved], he would say to them, ‘Divide it between you and depart in peace’. King David, on the other hand, did not act so; he was wont to do justice first and righteousness afterwards, as it is stated, And David executed justice and righteousness unto all his people.52 Sam. 8, 15. When disputants came before king David with a lawsuit, one claiming a mina from the other, he said to them, ‘Argue your case’. After their case had been argued, if [he found that] one owed a mina to the other, he would take out a mina of his own and give it to the claimant; but if [the claim was] not [proved] he would say to them, ‘Depart in peace’.6In V the text reads, as with Abraham, ‘Divide it between you and depart in peace’. This is an obvious error, because where the case was not proved, king David made no gift of money. Consequently the words ‘divide it between you’ are incorrectly interpolated.
WITH TEN TRIALS WAS ABRAHAM OUR FATHER TRIED BY THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, AND HE WAS FOUND STEADFAST IN THEM ALL.7The version in Aboth 5:4 (Sonc. ed., V, 3, p. 59) is ‘and he stood firm in them all’. They are: twice when he had to leave his home,8The first time when he was bidden to leave his native land (Gen. 12, 1), and the second time when he set out for Egypt because of a famine in the land (ibid. 10). twice with his two sons,9First when he was induced to drive his son Ishmael out of the house (ibid. XXI, 10), and then in the supreme test of the binding of Isaac (ibid. XXII). twice with his two wives,10When Sarah was taken to Pharaoh’s palace (ibid. XII, 15), and when he was induced to send Hagar from his home (ibid. XXI, 10). Alternatively, the second trial was the occasion when Sarah was taken by Abimelech (ibid. XX, 2). once [when he fought] against the kings,11ibid. XIV. once at the Covenant between the Pieces,12ibid. XV, 7ff. once in Ur of the Chaldees13According to a tradition, Abraham had been thrown by Nimrod into a fiery furnace because of his belief in God, from which he came forth unharmed. The name Ur means ‘fire’ in Heb. and once at the Covenant of Circumcision.14Cf. ibid. XVII, 10. [30a] Why [was he subjected to these trials]? So that when our father Abraham will come to claim his reward, the angels15GRA reads ‘all will say’. There is a variant ‘the nations of the world will say’. will say, ‘Far more than all of us is our father Abraham worthy of claiming his reward’; as it is stated, Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart.16Eccl. 9, 7. Midrash Rabbah, Ecclesiastes, ad loc., applies the verse to Abraham when, after his many trials, he was steadfast in his faith.Corresponding to the ten trials with which our father Abraham was tried, in all of which he was found steadfast, the Holy One, blessed be He, performed ten miracles for his children in Egypt.17The children of Israel were immune from the ten plagues which afflicted the Egyptians. On account of them He brought ten plagues [upon the Egyptians]; so, too, on account of them ten miracles were wrought for Israel at the Red Sea;18These are enumerated in the passage which follows, each miracle being introduced by the formula ‘we will not cross until’. and also on account of them He brought ten plagues upon the Egyptians at the Red Sea.19Implied in the ten expressions used in Ex. 15 describing the complete destruction of the Egyptians.The Egyptians thundered against Israel with their voices; so did the Holy One, blessed be He, thunder against them with His voice at the Red Sea, as it is stated, God thundereth marvellously with His voice.20Job 37, 5. The Egyptians advanced towards the Red Sea with bow and arrow; and the Holy One, blessed be He, likewise revealed Himself to them with bow and arrow, as it is stated, Thy bow is made quite bare,21Hab. 3, 9. and it is also stated, And He sent His arrows, and scattered them.22Ps. 18, 15. The Egyptians advanced towards the Red Sea with swords; and the Holy One, blessed be He, also came against them with swords and spears, as it is stated, And He sent out His arrows, and scattered them; and He shot forth lightnings and discomfited them;23ibid. ‘lightning’ indicates nothing else than the sword, as it is stated, A sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also furbished; it is sharpened that it may make a sure slaughter, it is furbished that it may be as lightning.24Ez. 21, 14f. The last words of the quotation are rendered as in the Revised Version. The Egyptians gloried in shield and buckler; and the Holy One, blessed be He, did likewise, as it is stated, Take hold of shield and buckler, and rise up to my help.25Ps. 35, 2. The Egyptians advanced with spears; so, too, did the Holy One, blessed be He, as it is stated, At the shining of Thy glittering spear.26Hab. 3, 11. The Egyptians advanced with stones and slings; and the Holy One, blessed be He, triumphed over them with great hailstones, as it is stated, At the brightness before Him, there passed through His black clouds, hailstones and coals of fire.27Ps. 18, 13.At the time when our ancestors stood at the Red Sea, Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until the Sea appears to us as yawning holes’.28Here are enumerated ten miracles which God wrought for Israel at the Red Sea. Cf. on this passage Mekilta, Beshallaḥ, on Ex. 14, 16. Moses took his staff and struck the Sea so that it became like yawning holes, as it is stated, Thou hast stricken through with his own rods the head of his rulers.29Hab. 3, 14. The verb naḳabta, Thou hast stricken through, is of the same root as neḳabim, ‘holes’. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until the Sea will become before us like a valley’. Moses struck the Sea and it became before them as a valley, as it is stated, He cleaved the sea and caused them to pass through;30Ps. 78, 13. The verb baḳa’, He cleaved, is of the same root as biḳ‘ah, ‘valley’. and it is also stated, As the cattle that go down into the valley.31Is. 63, 14. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will be divided before us into parts’.32i.e. into lanes, a separate lane for each tribe. [Moses struck the Sea so that it was divided into parts,] as it is stated, To Him who divided the Red Sea into parts.33Ps. 136, 13. E.V., in sunder. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will become for us like clay’.34Or, ‘like a heap’. Moses took his staff and struck the Sea so that it became for them like clay, as it is stated, Thou hast trodden the sea with Thy horses, the clay of the mighty waters.35Hab. 3, 15. E.V., the foam of the mighty waters. The noun, ḥomer, is the same as for ‘clay’. According to the alternative rendering, ‘heap’, the end of the verse should read, ‘the heap of the mighty waters’. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will become for us as a wilderness’. Moses took up his staff and struck the Sea [and it became for them as a wilderness], as it is stated, And He led them through the depths, as through a wilderness.36Ps. 106, 9 Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will crumble into pieces before us.’ Moses took his staff and struck the Sea [so that it crumbled into pieces], as it is stated, Thou didst break the sea in pieces by Thy strength.37ibid. LXXIV, 13. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will turn into rocks for us’. Moses took his staff and struck the Sea [and it turned into rocks], as it is stated, Thou didst shatter the heads of the sea-monsters on the waters,38ibid. and you must say that the heads of sea-monsters can only be shattered on rocks. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will become dry land for us’. Moses took his staff and struck the Sea [and it became dry land], as it is stated, He turned the sea into dry land,39ibid. LXVI, 6. and it further states, But the children of Israel walked upon dry land in the midst of the sea.40Ex. 14, 29. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will stand up before us like walls’. Moses took his staff and struck the Sea [so that it stood up like walls], as it is stated, And the waters were a wall unto them on their right hand, and on their left.41ibid. Moses said to them, ‘Rise up and cross’; but they replied, ‘We will not cross until it will stand up for us [as in] bottles’. Moses took his staff and struck the Sea [so that it stood up as in bottles], as it is stated, The floods stood upright as in bottles.42ibid. XV, 8. E.V., as a heap. The noun נד is homiletically read as נאד, ‘bottle’. And whence do we know that from between the several divisions a fire came forth which licked them up?43The sea lanes were licked dry by the fire so that Israel might walk in comfort along the paths. For it is stated, As when fire kindleth melting waters, and the fire causeth the waters to boil; to make Thy name known to Thine adversaries.44Is. 64, 1. E.V., kindleth the brush-wood. The bottles produced a flow of oil and honey into the mouths of the infants from which they drew nourishment, as it is stated, And He made him to suck honey out of the crag.45Deut. 32, 13. Some say that fresh water issued for them from the Sea which they drank when they were in the sea-lanes, because sea-water is salty, as it is stated, the floods [nozelim],46Ex. ibid. The Heb. word signifies ‘flowing streams’. and by nozelim sweet water is meant, as it is stated, A well of living waters, and flowing streams [nozelim] from Lebanon.47Cant. 4, 15. Above them were clouds of glory that the sun should not overpower them, and so Israel passed through that they might suffer no discomfort. R. Eliezer said: He arched the deep over them like a vault, and Israel passed through that they should suffer no discomfort. R. Eliezer and R. Simeon said: The upper and lower waters [combined] to overthrow the Egyptians, as it is stated, And the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea.48Ex. 14, 27.