Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 32

English · Gerald Friedlander

THE DEATH OF SARAH AND THE STORY OF ISAAC AND REBECCA SIX (people) were called by their names before they were created, and they are: Isaac, Ishmael, Moses, Solomon, Josiah, and King Messiah.

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English · Gerald Friedlander

How do we know (this with reference to) Isaac? Because it is said, "And God said, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son indeed; and thou shalt call his name Isaac" (Gen. 17:19). Why was his name called Isaac? Because Yad (the first Hebrew letter of Isaac indicates) the ten trials wherewith our father Abraham was tried; and he withstood them all. Zaddi (the second letter indicates) the ninety (years), for his mother was ninety years (at the birth of Isaac), as it is said, "And shall Sarah, that is ninety years old, bear?" (Gen. 17:17). Cheth (the third letter points to) the eighth (day), for he was circumcised on the eighth day, as it is said, "And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac, being eight days old" (Gen. 21:4). Ḳuf (the fourth letter of the name marks) the hundred (years), for his father was an hundred years old (at Isaac's birth), as it is said, "And Abraham was an hundred years old" (Gen. 21:5).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Whence do we know about Ishmael? Because it is said, "And the angel of the Lord said unto her, Behold, thou art with child,… and thou shalt call his name Ishmael" (Gen. 16:11). Why was his name called Ishmael? Because in the future the Holy One, blessed be He, will hearken to the cry of the people arising from (the oppression) which the children of Ishmael will bring about in the land in the last (days); therefore was his name called Ishmael.

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Whence do we know about Moses? Because it is said, "And the Lord said, My spirit shall not abide in man for ever in their going astray" (Gen. 6:3). What is the implication (of the expression), "In their going astray"? Retrospectively his name was called Moses. For the life of Moses was one hundred and twenty years, as it is said, "His days shall be an hundred and twenty years" (ibid.).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Whence do we know concerning Solomon? Because it is said, "Behold, a son shall be born to thee, who shall be a man of rest,… for his name shall be Solomon" (1 Chron. 22:9). Why was his name called Solomon? Because his name was called Solomon in the Aramaic language, as it is said, "I will give peace (Shalom) and quietness unto Israel in his days" (ibid.).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Whence do we know about Josiah? Because it is said, "Behold, a child shall be born unto the house of David, Josiah by name" (1 Kings 13:2). Why was his name called Josiah? (Because he was as acceptable) as an offering upon the altar; she said: A worthy offering let him be before Thee. Therefore was his name called Josiah, as it is said, "And he cried against the altar," etc. (1 Kings 13:2).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Whence do we know concerning King Messiah? Because it is said, "His name shall endure for ever. Before the sun his name shall be continued (Yinnon)" (Ps. 72:17). Why was his name called Yinnon? For he will awaken those who sleep at Hebron out of the dust of the earth, therefore is his name called Yinnon, as it is said, "Before the sun his name is Yinnon" (ibid.).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

When Abraham returned from Mount Moriah in peace, the anger of Sammael was kindled, for he saw that the desire of his heart to frustrate the offering of our father Abraham had not been realized. What did he do? He went and said to Sarah: Hast thou not heard what has happened in the world? She said to him: No. He said to her: Thy husband, Abraham, has taken thy son Isaac and slain him and offered him up as a burnt offering upon the altar. She began to weep and to cry aloud three times, corresponding to the three sustained notes (of the Shophar), and (she gave forth) three howlings corresponding to the three disconnected short notes (of the Shophar), and her soul fled, and she died.

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Abraham came and found that she was dead. Whence did he come? From Mount Moriah, as it is said, "And Abraham came to mourn for Sarah" (Gen. 23:2).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Rabbi José said: Isaac observed mourning during three years for his mother. After three years he married Rebecca, and forgot the mourning for his mother. Hence thou mayest learn that until a man marries a wife his love centres in his parents. When he marries a wife his love is bestowed upon his wife, as it is said, "Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and he shall cleave unto his wife" (Gen. 2:24). Does a man then leave his father and mother with reference to the precept, "Honour"? But the love of his soul cleaves unto his wife, as it is said, "And his soul clave (unto Dinah)" (Gen. 34:3); and it says, "And he shall cleave unto his wife" (Gen. 2:24).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Rabbi Jehudah said: Rebecca was barren for twenty years. After twenty years (Isaac) took Rebecca and went (with her) to Mount Moriah, to the place where he had been bound, and he prayed on her behalf concerning the conception of the womb; and the Holy One, blessed be He, was entreated of him, as it is said, "And Isaac intreated the Lord" (ibid. xxv. 21). The children were contending with one another within her womb like mighty warriors, as it is said, "And the children struggled together within her" (ibid. 22). The time of her confinement came round, and her soul was nigh unto death owing to her pains. And she went to pray in the place whither she and Isaac had gone, as it is said, "And she went to inquire of the Lord" (ibid.). What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? Jacob took hold of the heels of Esau to make him fall, as it is said, "And after that came forth his brother, and his hand had hold on Esau's heel" (ibid. 26). Hence thou mayest learn that the descendants of Esau will not fall until a remnant from Jacob will come and cut off the feet of the children of Esau from the mountain of Seir, as it is said, "Forasmuch as thou sawest that a stone was cut out of the mountain without hands" (Dan. 2:45). Another Scripture text says, "Vengeance is mine, and a recompence, at the time when their foot shall slide" (Deut. 32:35).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Rabbi Tanchuma said: The two lads grew up; the one went by the way of life, and the other went by the way of death, as it is said, "And the boys grew, and Esau was a cunning hunter" (Gen. 25:27). Jacob went on the way of life, for he was dwelling in tents, and he studied the Torah all his days. Esau went on the way of death, because he slew Nimrod and his son Chavir, and he almost sought to kill Jacob his brother, as it is said, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand, and I will slay my brother Jacob" (Gen. 27:41).

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Rabbi Simeon said: In the hour when Isaac was bound, he lifted up his eyes heavenwards and saw the glory of the Shekhinah, as it is written, "For man shall not see me and live" (Ex. 33:20). Instead of death his eyes grew dim in his old age, as it is said, "And it came to pass, that when Isaac was old, that his eyes were dim, so that he could not see" (Gen. 27:1). Hence thou mayest learn that the blind man is as though he were dead.

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English · Gerald Friedlander

The night-fall of the festival day of Passover came, and Isaac called unto Esau his elder son, and said: O my son ! To-night the heavenly ones utter songs, on this night the treasuries of dew are opened; on this day the blessing of the dews (is bestowed). Make me savoury meat whilst I am still alive, and I will bless thee. The Holy Spirit rejoined, saying to him: "Eat thou not the bread of him that hath an evil eye, neither desire thou his dainties" (Prov. 23:6). He went to fetch it, and was delayed there. Rebecca said to Jacob his (other) son: On this night the treasuries of dew will be opened, and on this night the angels utter a song. Make savoury meat for thy father, that he may eat and whilst he still lives he may bless thee.

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Now (Jacob) was skilled in the Torah, and his heart dreaded the curse of his father. His mother said to him: My son ! If it be a blessing, may it be upon thee and upon thy seed; if it be a curse, let it be upon me and upon my soul, as it is said, "And his mother said to him, Upon me be thy curse, my son" (Gen. 27:13). He went and brought two kids of the goats. Were two kids of the goats the food for Isaac? But he brought one as a Paschal offering, and with the other he prepared the savoury meat to eat; and he brought it to his father, and he said to him: "Arise, I pray thee, sit and eat of my venison" (Gen. 27:19). Isaac said: "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (Gen. 27:22). Jacob (declares) the unity of God. "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (ibid.) in the meditation of the Torah. "And the hands are the hands of Esau" (ibid.), in all shedding of blood and in every evil death. Not only this, but also when they proclaim in heaven, "The voice is the voice of Jacob," the heavens tremble. And when they proclaim on earth, "The voice is the voice of Jacob" (ibid.), every one who hears will make his portion with "The voice which is the voice of Jacob." And every one who does not hear and does not act (obediently), his portion is with "The hands, which are the hands of Esau."

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English · Gerald Friedlander

Rabbi Jehudah said: Isaac blessed Jacob with ten blessings concerning the dews of heaven and the corn of the earth, corresponding to the ten words whereby the world was created, as it is said, "And God give thee of the dew of the heaven" (Gen. 27:28); "Let peoples serve thee, …" (Gen. 27:29). When Jacob went forth from the presence of his father Isaac, he went forth crowned like a bridegroom, and like a bride in her adornment, and the quickening dew from heaven descended upon him, and refreshed his bones, and he also became a mighty hero; therefore it is said, "By the hands of the mighty Jacob, from thence is the shepherd, the stone of Israel" (Gen. 49:24).

Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 32

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