Our story begins with the verse: "It was after the death of Abraham, God blessed Isaac his son, and Isaac lived beside Be’er Laḥai Ro’i" (Genesis 25:11). Be’er Laḥai Ro’i, meaning "Well of the Living One Who Sees Me," is a place of solace and divine encounter. But Rabbi Simon, in Bereshit Rabbah 62, sees something deeper in the phrase, "It was after the death..."

He suggests that whenever the Torah uses this phrase – "it was after [the death]" – it signals a regression in the world. A decline, a loss. Think about that for a moment.

He gives a series of powerful examples. "It was after the death of Abraham" – and immediately, "All the cisterns…the Philistines sealed them after Abraham’s death" (Genesis 26:15, 18). Water, life itself, becomes scarce.

"It was after the death of Moses, servant of the Lord" (Joshua 1:1) – and what vanishes? According to Rabbi Simon, the well that provided water in the desert, the protective clouds of glory, and even the miraculous manna, the food from heaven. All gone.

Then, "It was after Joshua’s death" (Judges 1:1) – and suddenly, the "pegs of the Land" waged war against them. Now, what are these "pegs"? The rabbis, drawing on Numbers 33:55, interpret this as the Canaanite nations, those whom the Israelites failed to fully displace. They become "pegs in your eyes and thorns in your side," a constant source of irritation and conflict.

And finally, "It was after Saul’s death" (II Samuel 1:1) – and "the Philistines were waging war against Israel" (I Samuel 31:1). War and strife follow loss.

Pretty bleak picture, right? It’s like the world mourns the loss of these great leaders by…falling apart a little.

But then, the students raise a question, a challenge to Rabbi Simon's idea. What about this verse: "After the death of Yehoyada, the princes of Judah came and prostrated themselves to the king" (II Chronicles 24:17)? Where's the regression there?

Rabbi Tanhuma clarifies that Rabbi Simon's observation applies specifically to the phrase "it was after [the death]," where those crucial words "it was" are present. A subtle but significant distinction.

Rabbi Yudan offers a more hopeful perspective. He suggests that the phrase "it was after the death" signals that the world would have regressed if God hadn’t stepped in to establish new leaders and blessings in their place. It's not just about loss, but about resilience and divine intervention.

He points out that "It was after Abraham’s death," and then "Isaac dug anew" (Genesis 26:18), restoring the vital source of water. "It was after the death of Moses, servant of the Lord," and then "the Lord said to Joshua son of Nun" (Joshua 1:1), providing new leadership. "It was after Joshua’s death…the Lord said: Judah will ascend" (Judges 1:1–2), again, directing the people forward.

And "It was after Saul’s death and David had returned from smiting the Amalekites, and David had stayed in Tziklag [two] days" (II Samuel 1:1). Even before this, as we see in I Samuel 17:12, "David was the son of a nobleman…," already positioned to rise.

So, what does it all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that loss is a part of life, but it doesn't have to be the end of the story. The world may falter, but it can also find a way to rebuild, to renew, to move forward. The key, according to the rabbis, is that God provides, establishing new leaders, new blessings, and new opportunities even in the face of profound loss. The world might regress, but it also regenerates. And maybe, just maybe, that regeneration is itself a form of blessing.