זָכוֹר אֵת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ עֲמָלֵק. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: יִזָּכֵר עֲוֹן אֲבוֹתָיו אֶל ה' וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל תִּמָּח (תהלים קט, יד). וְכִי אֲבוֹתָיו שֶׁל עֵשָׂו רְשָׁעִים הָיוּ, וַהֲלֹא צַדִּיקִים הָיוּ אַבְרָהָם זְקֵנוֹ וַיִּצְחָק אָבִיו, וְאַתְּ אוֹמֵר, יִזָּכֵר עֲוֹן אֲבוֹתָיו אֶל ה' וְגוֹ'. אֶלָּא מָה, חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָא עֵשָׂו אֶל אֲבוֹתָיו. כֵּיצַד, אַתְּ מוֹצֵא יִצְחָק בָּא מִכֹּחַ אֲבוֹתָיו וְחָיָה מֵאָה וּשְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה, וְאַבְרָהָם לֹא חָיָה אֶלָּא מֵאָה וְשִׁבְעִים וְחָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים. וְלָמָּה כֵּן. שֶׁלֹּא יִרְאֶה חֶרְפָּתוֹ שֶׁל עֵשָׂו. אַבְרָהָם הוֹלִיד בֶּן מֵאָה שָׁנָה, וְיִצְחָק בֶּן שִׁשִּׁים שָׁנָה בְּלֶדֶת אוֹתָם, וַיִּגְדְּלוּ הַנְּעָרִים (בראשית כה, כז). שְׁנֵיהֶם הָלְכוּ לְבֵית הַסֵּפֶר וּשְׁנֵיהֶם בָּאִין. לֹא הָיָה אָדָם מַפְרִישׁ בֵּין זֶה לָזֶה כָּל חָמֵשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה. אָמַר רַבִּי לֵוִי, לָמָּה הָיוּ דּוֹמִין. לַהֲדַס וּלְעַצְמוֹנִי. כָּל יָמִים שֶׁהֵם קְטַנִּים, לֹא הָיָה אָדָם מַפְרִישׁ בֵּין זֶה לָזֶה. הִגְדִּילוּ, זֶה הָפַךְ אֶת קוֹצָיו וְזֶה הֵרִיחַ אֶת רֵיחוֹ הַטּוֹב. כָּךְ, כָּל הַיָּמִים שֶׁהָיוּ עֵשָׂו וְיַעֲקֹב קְטַנִּים, לֹא הָיָה אָדָם מַפְרִישׁ בֵּין זֶה לָזֶה. הִגְדִּילוּ, וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו אִישׁ יוֹדֵעַ צַיִד אִישׁ שָׂדֶה וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם יוֹשֵׁב אֹהָלִים (שם). וְהָיָה עֵשָׂו יוֹצֵא וְגוֹזֵל וְחוֹמֵס, וְהָיוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם מְאָרְרִין אוֹתוֹ, וּבְתוֹךְ חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים אֵלּוּ שֶׁנִּמְנְעוּ מֵחַיֵּי אַבְרָהָם, עָבַר עֵשָׂו שְׁתֵּי עֲבֵרוֹת קָשׁוֹת, בָּא עַל נַעֲרָה מְאוֹרָשָׂה וְהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וַיָּבֹא עֵשָׂו מִן הַשָּׂדֶה וְהוּא עָיֵף (שם פסוק כט). וְאֵין שָׂדֶה אֶלָּא נַעֲרָה מְאוֹרָשָׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאִם בַּשָּׂדֶה יִמְצָא הָאִישׁ וְגוֹ' (דברים כב, כה). וְאֵין עָיֵף אֶלָּא הוֹרֵג נֶפֶשׁ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אוֹי נָא לִי כִּי עָיְפָה נַפְשִׁי לְהֹרְגִים (ירמיה ד, לא). רַבִּי זַכַּאי רַבָּה אָמַר, אַף גָּנַב, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אִם גַּנָּבִים בָּאוּ לְךָ וְגוֹ' (עובדיה א, ה). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֲנִי כְּבָר הִבְטַחְתִּי אֶת אַבְרָהָם אוֹהֲבִי וְאָמַרְתִּי לוֹ, וְאַתָּה תָּבוֹא אֶל אֲבוֹתֶיךָ בְּשָׁלוֹם וְגוֹ' (בראשית טו, טו). וְעַכְשָׁו יוֹצֵא לַחוּץ וְרוֹאֶה אֶת בֶּן בְּנוֹ יוֹצֵא לְתַרְבּוּת רָעָה וְשׁוֹמֵעַ בְּנֵי אָדָם מָה הֵן אוֹמְרִים עַל בֶּן בְּנוֹ, מְגַלֶּה עֲרָיוֹת וְשׁוֹפֵךְ דָּמִים, וְהוּא מְהַרְהֵר וְאוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ הֵן הַתְּנָאִים שֶׁהִתְנָה עִמִּי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. וְקוֹרֵא תִּגָּר, וְאֵין זוֹ שֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה. מָה אֲנִי עוֹשֶׂה לוֹ, אוֹסְפוֹ מִן הָעוֹלָם. טַב לֵיהּ לְצַדִּיקָיָא דְּאִיתְכְּנַשׁ בִּשְׁלַם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: כִּי טוֹב חַסְדְּךָ מֵחַיִּים (תהלים סג, ד). הֲרֵי חָטָא עַל זְקֵנוֹ. חָטָא עַל אָבִיו, שֶׁגָּרַם לוֹ שֶׁכָּהוּ עֵינָיו בְּחַיָּיו. לָמָּה, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא יוֹצֵא לַחוּץ וְהַבְּרִיּוֹת אוֹמְרִים: זֶה צֶמַח רָשָׁע, לְפִיכָךְ כָּהוּ עֵינָיו בְּחַיָּיו. מִכָּאן אָמְרוּ, כָּל הַמַּעֲמִיד בֶּן רָשָׁע אוֹ תַּלְמִיד רָשָׁע, גּוֹרֵם לוֹ שֶׁיִּכְהוּ עֵינָיו מֵרְאוֹת בְּחַיָּיו. מִנַּיִן אַתָּה לָמֵד, בֵּן רָשָׁע, מִיִּצְחָק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיְהִי כִּי זָקֵן יִצְחָק וְגוֹ' (בראשית כז, א). תַּלְמִיד רָשָׁע, מֵאֲחִיָּה, דִּכְתִיב: וַאֲחִיָּהוּ לֹא יָכוֹל לִרְאוֹת כִּי קָמוּ עֵינָיו מְשִׁיבוֹ (מל״א יד, ד). מִפְּנֵי מָה. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֶעֱמִיד לְיָרָבְעָם הָרָשָׁע. הֲרֵי חָטָא עַל אָבִיו. וּמַה חֵטְא חָטָא עֵשָׂו הָרָשָׁע עַל אִמּוֹ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה וְרַבָּנָן. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, כְּשֶׁיָּצָא מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ, חָתַךְ מִיְּתֵרִין שֶׁלָּהּ שֶׁלֹּא תֵּלֵד, הֲדָא הוּא דִּכְתִיב: עַל רָדְפוֹ בַחֶרֶב אָחִיו וְשִׁחֵת רַחֲמָיו (עמוס א, יא), רַחְמוֹ כְּתִיב. וְרַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה אָמַר, לֹא תֹּאמַר אַחַר שֶׁיָּצָא מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ, אֶלָּא עַד כְּשֶׁהוּא יוֹצֵא מִמְּעֵי אִמּוֹ זֵרִיתֵיהּ מְתוּחָה לְקִבַּלְיֵהּ. מַה טַעַם. זֹרוּ רְשָׁעִים מֵרָחֶם (תהלים נח, ד). וְרַבִּי נְחֶמְיָה אָמַר, גָּרַם לָהּ שֶׁלֹּא תַּעֲמִיד שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים. דְּאָמַר רַב הוּנָא, רְאוּיָה הָיְתָה רִבְקָה שֶׁתַּעֲמִיד שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר ה' לָהּ, שְׁנֵי גּוֹיִם בְּבִטְנֵךְ (בראשית כה, כג), הָא תְּרֵי. וּשְׁנֵי לְאוּמִּים (שם), הָא אַרְבְּעָה. וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ (שם), הָא שִׁיתָּא. וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר (שם), הָא תְּמַנְיָא. וַיִּמְלְאוּ יָמֶיהָ לָלֶדֶת וְהִנֵּה תְּאוֹמִים בְּבִטְנָהּ (שם פסוק כד), הָא עֲשָׂרָה. וַיֵּצֵא הָרִאשׁוֹן (שם פסוק כה), זֶה אֶחָד עָשָׂר. וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יָצָא אָחִיו (שם פסוק כו), הֲרֵי תְּרֵי עָשָׂר. וְאִית דְּמַיְתִי לָהּ מֵהָכָא, וַתֹּאמֶר אִם כֵּן לָמָּה זֶה אָנֹכִי (שם פסוק כב). זֶה, בְּגִימַטְרִיָּא שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר. וְרַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי, גָּרַם לָהּ שֶׁלֹּא תֵּצֵא מִטָּתָהּ בָּרַבִּים. אַתְּ מוֹצֵא כְּשֶׁמֵּתָה רִבְקָה, אָמְרִין מָאן יִפּוֹק קַמָּהּ. אַבְרָהָם מֵת. יִצְחָק יוֹשֵׁב בַּבַּיִת, עֵינָיו כֵּהוֹת. יַעֲקֹב הָלַךְ לוֹ לְפַדַּן אֲרַם. יִפּוֹק עֵשָׂו רַשִׁיעָא קַמָּהּ, וְיֵמְרוּן לַיְטוּן בִּרְיָאתָא בִּזְיָתָא כְּדֵין יַנְקִין. מֶה עָשׂוּ. הוֹצִיאוּ מִטָּתָהּ בַּלַּיְלָה שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא עֵשָׂו יוֹצֵא לְפָנֶיהָ וְיִהְיוּ הַכֹּל אוֹמְרִים אֲרוּרִים שָׁדַיִם שֶׁהֵנִיקוּ רָשָׁע זֶה. אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹסִי בַּר רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, לְפִי שֶׁהוֹצִיאוּ מִטָּתָהּ בַּלַּיְלָה, לְפִיכָךְ לֹא פֵּרְשׁוּ הַכְּתוּבִים מִיתָתָהּ אֶלָּא מִן הַצַּד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַתָּמָת דְּבוֹרָה מֵינֶקֶת רִבְקָה וְגוֹ' וַיִּקְרָא שְׁמוֹ אַלּוֹן בָּכוּת (שם לה, ח), שֶׁבָּכוּ שְׁתֵּי בְּכִיּוֹת. עַד שֶׁיַּעֲקֹב יוֹשֵׁב וּמְשַׁמֵּר אֵצֶל מֵנִקְתָּהּ, בָּאָה לוֹ בְּשׁוּרַת אִמּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וַיֵּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֶל יַעֲקֹב בְּפַדַּן אֲרָם וַיְבָרֶךְ אוֹתוֹ (בראשית לח, ט). מַה בְּרָכָה בֵּרְכוֹ. בִּרְכַּת אֲבֵלִים בֵּרְכוֹ. לְכָךְ כְּתִיב: וְחַטַּאת אִמּוֹ אַל תִּמָּח (תהלים קט, יד). אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֲבוּהִי שַׁלִּים לֵיהּ בִּישׁ, אִמֵּיהּ שַׁלִימֵיהּ לֵיהּ בִּישׁ, אֲחוּהִי שַׁלִּים לֵיהּ בִּישׁ, סָבֵיא שַׁלִּים לֵיהּ בִּישׁ, אַתּוּן שֶׁלִּימִין לָהּ בִּישָׁא, וַאֲנָא אַשְׁלֵים לֵיהּ בִּישׁ שֶׁהֶחֱרִיבוּ בָּנָיו אֶת בֵּיתִי. אֲנִי וְאַתֶּם נָקוּם עָלָיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: קוּמוּ וְנָקוּמָה עָלֶיהָ לַמִּלְחָמָה (עובדיה א, ב). אָמְרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אֵין אָנוּ יְכוֹלִין בּוֹ. אוֹמֵר לָהֶם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, תִּהְיוּ אַתֶּם מַזְכִּירִין שְׁמוֹ מִלְּמַטָּה, וַאֲנִי מוֹחֵק שְׁמוֹ מִלְמַעְלָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: יִהְיוּ נֶגֶד ה' תָּמִיד (תהלים קט, טו), כָּל מַה שֶׁעָשָׂה לְנֶגְדִּי, וְיַכְרֵת מֵאֶרֶץ זִכְרָם (שם). הֱוֵי, זָכוֹר אֶת אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וְגוֹ'. (Deut. 25:17:) “Remember what Amalek (Esau's grandson) did to you.” This verse is related (to Ps.109:14), “May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered before the Lord […].” Were the fathers of Esau wicked?11PRK 3:1; cf. 12:4; PR 12:4. In note 16 on PR 12:4, W. G. Braude, Pesikta Rabbati (“Yale Judaica Series”; New Haven; Yale, 1968) p. 221, n. 16, suggests that the verse was understood as referring to Esau, because vs. 17 in the psalm identifies him as one who DID NOT FIND PLEASURE IN A BLESSING. And were they not righteous? His grandfather was Abraham. His father was Isaac. Yet are you saying (in Ps. 109:14), “May the iniquity of his fathers be remembered?” [The verse is] simply [referring to] a sin that he sinned against his fathers.12The Hebrew of Ps. 109:14 can also be understood in this sense. And how?13Above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 6:3; Gen. R. 63:12. You find that Isaac got his vitality from Abraham; yet he lived a hundred and eighty years, while Abraham only lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Why so? So he would not see Esau’s shame. Abraham had [Isaac] when he was a hundred years [old]. (Gen. 25:26-27:) “And Isaac was sixty years old when they were born. And the lads grew.” Both of them went to the elementary school, and both of them were equal until the age of fifteen. R. Levi said, “To what were they comparable? To a myrtle and a thorny plant. As long as they are small, no one [can] distinguish one from the other. After they have grown up, the one gives off its pleasant smell, but the other brings forth its thorns. Thus, so long as Esau and Jacob were small, no one distinguished between them. After they were grown up (in Gen. 25:26, cont.), ’Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the outdoors; but Jacob was a mild man who stayed in camp.’” And Esau would go out and rob and extort, and people would maledict him. And during the five years [that were withheld from Abraham's life], Esau committed two serious transgressions: He violated a betrothed maiden, and he took a life. The one is what is written about (in Gen. 25:29), “then Esau came from the field, and he was exhausted.” Now field can only be a reference to a betrothed maiden [of whom it is stated (in Deut. 22:25), “If in the field the man finds [a maiden who is betrothed, and the man seizes her and lies with her…].” Moreover, exhausted can only be a reference to a murderer, of whom it is stated (in Jer. 4:31), “woe to me, now; for my life is exhausted before those who kill.” Rabbi Zakkay said, “He also stole, as stated (in Obad. 1:5), ‘If thieves have come to you.’”14The Midrash, of course, is identifying the Edom of Obadiah with Esau. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “I had already promised my beloved Abraham (in Gen. 15:15), ‘And you shall go unto your ancestors in peace; [you shall be buried at a good old age].’ But now he would see his grandson go to bad culture and hear what people say about his grandson; [that he was] transgressing sexual prohibitions and shedding blood. He would [then] wonder and say, ‘Are these the stipulations that the Holy One, blessed be He, being fulfilled with me?’ And he would voice a complaint, ‘And this is not “a good old age.”’ What should I do for him?” [So] He gathered him from the world. It is better for the righteous man to be gathered (to his ancestors) in peace, as stated in Ps. 63:4), “For Your steadfast love is better than life.” Behold, he [thus] sinned against his grandfather. He sinned against his father, as he caused his eyes to become dim during his lifetime. Hence they have said, “Whoever produces a wicked son or a wicked disciple causes his [own] eyes to grow dim during his lifetime.” From where [in Scripture] do you learn [this]? A wicked son, from Isaac, as stated (in (Gen. 27:1), “And it came to pass that when Isaac was old [and his eyes were too dim to see].” [In regard to] a wicked disciple, [we learn] from Ahijah, as it is written (in I Kings 14:4), “now Ahijah could not see, because his eyes were dim from old age.” Why? Because he produced a wicked disciple in Jeroboam. [(Ps. 109:14:) “And let not the sin of his mother be blotted out.”] But how had he sinned against his mother? R. Judah, R. Nehemiah, and [our] masters [differ]. R. Judah says, “When he left his mother's belly, he severed her uterus,15Metrin: Gk.: metra; cf. Lat.: matrix. with the result that she would not bear [any more children]. This is what is written (in Amos 1:11), ‘because he (i.e., Edom, which is Esau) pursued his brother with the sword and repressed his pity (rachamiv),’ as it is written, ‘his uterus (rechemo).’”16I.e., the womb from which he had been born. The Masoretic text here reads WOMB in the plural. As such, an idiomatic reading of the text would be rendered: BECAUSE HE PURSUED HIS BROTHER WITH THE SWORD AND REPRESSED HIS PITY. Moreover, R. Berekhyah says, “You should not say [this] in reference to when he had left [his mother's uterus].17Gen. R. 63:6. Rather, as he was leaving his mother's uterus, his zerta'18The Aramaic word means “fist” or “hand,” as the bracketed explanation correctly translates. The reason for this rather unusual word here is to play on the word zoru from Ps. 58:4, which he is about to cite. [i.e., fist] was stretched out against him (i.e., against his brother Jacob).” What is the reasoning? (Ps. 58:4:) “The wicked go astray (zoru) from the womb.” R. Nehemiah says, “He was the cause of her not producing twelve tribes.” As Rav Huna has said, “Rebekah was worthy of producing twelve tribes, as stated (in Gen. 25:23), ‘And the Lord said to her, “Two nations are [in your womb].”19See above, Tanh. (Buber), Gen. 12:16. Here are two. (Ibid., cont.:) “and two peoples.” Here are four. (Ibid., cont.:) “And one people shall be stronger than the other.” Here are six. (Ibid., cont.:) “And the elder shall serve the younger.”’ Here are eight. (Vs. 24:) ‘And behold there were twins in her womb.’ Here are ten. (Vs. 25:) ‘The first came out ruddy.’ That is eleven. (Vs. 26:) ‘And afterward his brother came out.’ Here are twelve.” And there are some who bring this [idea] from here (vs. 22); “and she said, ‘If so, why am I here (zh)?’” By gematria20Gk.: geometria. z (=7) + h (=5) [for a total of] twelve. But [our] masters have said, “He caused her bier to not go forth publicly [to her funeral]. You find that when Rebekah died, they were saying, ‘Who will go before her? Abraham is dead. Isaac's eyes are dim, and he is sitting at home. Jacob has gone to Paddan-Aram. Should Esau the wicked go before her? Then people would say [in Aramaic],21Much of this paragraph is in Aramaic. “Cursed be her breasts for suckling this man.”’ What did they do? They brought out her bier at night, so that Esau not go out in front of her, and all say, ‘Cursed are the breasts suckled this evil man.’” R. Jose bar R. Hanina said, “Because they brought out her bier at night, the text only explained about her obliquely. Thus it is written (in Gen. 35:8), ‘Then Rebekah's nurse, Deborah, died [and she was buried under the oak below Bethel] and its name was called Weeping Oak (Allon-Bacuth)],’ as they wept two weepings (bekhiot).”22Bacuth, of course, means “weeping,” and allon can be understood as a Greek adjective in the neuter that means “other” or “another.” Thus the name can be read as “another weeping” and imply a second weeping. So PRK 3:1; Gen. R. 81:5; cf. Eccl. R. 7:2:3. While Jacob was seated in observance [of mourning] for her nurse, the news about his mother came to him, as stated (to Gen. 35:9), “Now God appeared unto Jacob again […,] and blessed him.” With what blessing did He bless him? He blessed him with the blessing of [consolation given to] mourners.23The blessing informed Jacob that his mother was dead. The Holy One, blessed be He, said, “Did his father pay him (i.e. Esau) back with evil? Did his mother pay him back with evil? Did his brother pay him back with evil? Did his grandfather pay him back with evil? Did you pay him back with evil? I shall pay him back with evil, as his children destroyed My house. You and I shall rise against him, as stated (Obad. 1:1), “Rise, and we shall rise up against her for war.” Israel said to him, “Master of the world, we cannot [overcome] him.” [So] the Holy One, blessed be He, says to them, “You mention his name below, and I shall blot out his name above, as stated (Ps. 109:15) ‘Let them (the iniquity against his fathers and the sin against his mother) always be before (neged) the Lord.’ Whatever he has done, he has done against (neged) Me.” [Therefore] (ibid., cont.), “and may He have their memory cut off from the earth.” Ergo (in Deut. 25:17), “Remember what Amalek (Esau's grandson) did to you.”