Bereishit Rabba 42 Core Texts Use with https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/401646

And it came to pass in the pays of Amraphel, etc. (xiv, i). R. Joshua commenced his discourse in the name of R. Levi: The wicked have drawn out the sword, etc. (Ps. xxxvn, 14).

R. Liezer's brothers were once ploughing in the plain, while he was ploughing on the mountain, when his cow fell and was maimed. It proved fortunate for him that his cow was maimed, for he fled to R. Johanan b. Zakkai. 1 He ate there clods of earth 3 until his mouth emitted an offensive odour,

and when they went and told R. Johanan b. Zakkai that the breath from R. Eliezer's mouth smelt foul, he said to him: 'As the smell of your mouth became unpleasant for the sake of the Torah, so will the fragrance of your learning be diffused from one end of the world to the other.' After some time his father came up to disinherit him, and found him sitting and lecturing with the greatest of the land sitting before him. Ben Zizzith Hakeseth, Nikodemon ben Gurion, and Ben Kalba Shabua. He was expounding this verse : ' The wicked have drawn out the sword, and have bent the bow'; this alludes to Amraphel and his companions ; To cast down the poor and needy (ib.)— to Lot; To slay such as are upright in the way (ib.) — to Abraham. Their sword shall enter into their own heart (ib. 15), as it is written, And he fought against them by night, he and his servants, and smote them, etc. (Gen. xiv, 15). Said his father to him, 'My son, I came up only to disinherit thee; now, however, all my property is given to thee as a gift.' 'Behold,' he replied, 'let it be her em [accursed] to me 3 ; I will take only an equal share with my brothers/ (Another interpretation: * The wicked have drawn out the sword' alludes to Amraphel and his allies, as it is written, And it came to pass

2. R. Samuel commenced his discourse: And this also is a grievous evil, that in all points as he came, so shall he go (Eccl. v, 15). Said R. Samuel: As he comes with slops, so he goes with slops. 1 R. Abin said: Just as he commenced with four kings, so will he conclude with four kings. 2 [He commences with four kings, viz.] : With Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim, and Amraphel king of Shinar, and Arioch king of Ellasar (Gen. xiv, 9) ; so he ends with four kingdoms: the kingdom of Babylon, the kingdom of Media, the kingdom of Greece, and the empire of Edom [i.e. Rome]. R. Phinehas quoted in R. Abin's name : But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they His counsel, for He hath gathered them as the sheaves to the threshing-floor (Micah iv, 12). Thus, why Came all these as allies (Gen. xiv, 3)? In order that they might come and fall by the hands of Abraham; hence it is written, And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel, etc.

(3) Another [understanding]: And it was in the days of Amrafel: Rabbi Tanchuma in the name of Rabbi Chiya and Rabbi Berakhiya in the name of Rabbi Elazar [all] said, "This midrash came up to our hands from the exile - 'Any place that it is stated, "and it was in the days of," it is nothing but a term of grief.'" "And it was in the days of Amrafel" (Genesis 14:1): What grief was there over there? They made a war. Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachmani said in the name of Rabbi Natan, "And there are five": (1) [It is comparable] to a dear friend of a king who entered a province, and on his account was the king [concerned] about that whole province. [Then] barbarians came and grappled with him. And when he wanted to leave, they all said to him, "Woe that the king will no longer be concerned about the province as he was": So [too,] was Avraham a dear friend of the Holy One, blessed be He - as it is written about him (Isaiah 41:8), "the seed of Avraham, My dear one"; and it is written (Genesis 12:3), "and through you shall all the families of the world be blessed." And when the barbarians came and grappled with him, they all said, "Woe that the Holy One, blessed be He, will not be concerned with the world as He was; since He was concerned with the world for his sake."

This is [the meaning of] that which the verse stated (Genesis 14:7), "And they came to Ein Mishpat (which can be understand as the eye of justice)" - Rabbi Acha said, "They sought to grapple with no less than the eyeball of the world." They said, "They sought to blind the eye that [suppressed] the trait of [strict] judgment in the world." [The verse continues -] "It (hee) is Kadesh," [but] it is written, "he (hu) is Kadesh"; meaning to say, he sanctified (hu kidesh) the name of the Holy One, blessed be He and went down to the fiery furnace. When they saw that the things were like this, they cried out. (2)

"And it was in the days of Achaz the son of Yoshiah, King of Yehudah" (Isaiah 7:1). What grief was there over there? "It is what is stated by the verse (Isaiah 9:11), "Aram is in front and the Philistines are behind, etc." [It is comparable] to a king that gave his son over to a mentor, and the mentor hated him. He said, "If I kill him, I will become liable for death. Rather, I will take away his nourishment from him and he will die on his own": So did the evil Achaz say, "If there are no goats, there will be no rams; if there is no flock, there will be no shepherd, [and] where will the world be?" So did he say, "If there are no masters, there will be no students; if there are no students, there will be no sages; if there is no Torah, there will be no synagogues and study halls." What did he do? He passed all the synagogues and study halls and sealed them. And this [is the meaning of] that which the verse states (Isaiah 8:16), "Bind up the message; seal the instruction with My disciples."....

And when they saw that the things were like this, they all started to cried out, "Woe that the world is being destroyed" - when [study of] the Torah was negated, that was in the days of Achaz. (3)

"And it was in the days of Yehoyakim the son of Yoshiyahu" (Jeremiah 1:3). What grief was there over there? "I looked at the earth, and behold it was empty and void; at the heavens and their light was not" (Jeremiah 4:23), [It is comparable] to edicts of the kings that were were brought to the province. What did the people of the province do? They tore them up and burned them. This is what the verse stated (Jeremiah 36:23), "And it was when Yehudi would read three columns or four" - meaning to say, he read four verses - and in the fifth verse, he read, "And her tormentors became the head" (Lamentations 1:5) - and it is is written (Jeremiah 36:23), "he would tear it with a scribe's blade and throw it into the fire until the end of all of the scroll." And when they saw this, everyone began to cry out, "Woe for the decree that is hanging over us."

(4) "And it was in the days when the judges ruled" (Ruth 1:1) - there was famine there. [And to what is the matter comparable?] To a province that was liable a tax to the king. [So] he sent collectors to collect it. The people of the province rose and smote the collectors and hung them. The judgment that they were liable - as they appointed other judges for themselves - they did to the collectors. So did they do at that time.... (5)

"And it was in the days of Achashverosh" (Esther 1:1). What grief was there over there? [It is comparable] to a king that had a vineyard, and he had three enemies. What did they do? One cut the small berries, the second ripped the clusters and the third uprooted the vines: So did Pharaoh began with the small berries, as it is stated (Exodus 1:22), "Any son that is born, throw him into the river." Nevukhadnetsar [ripped the clusters,] as it is stated (Jeremiah 29:2), "the craftsmen and the smiths"....

Haman [then] came [to] uproot the vines, as it is stated (Esther 3:13), "to annihilate, to kill and to destroy." Everyone began to cry out, "Woe." Rabbi Shimon ben Abba said in the name of Rabbi Yochanan, "Any place that it is stated, 'and it was (vayehi),' it is used for grief and it is used for joy. And when for grief, there is no grief like it, and when for joy, there is no joy like it." Rabbi Shmuel bar Nachman came and divided it, "Any place that it is stated 'it will be,' it is used for joy; [but] 'and it was' [is for] grief." The Sages responded, "Behold 'And God said, "Vayehi (here used as a command form, and not past tense) light"' [is] joy!" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as the world did not merit to use that light. As so did Rabbi Yehudah bar Simon say, '[Regarding] the light that the Holy One, blessed be He, created on the first day, Adam [could] look and observe from [one] end of the world to the [other] end. [But] since the Holy One, blessed be He, saw the deeds of the generation of Enosh and the generation of the flood, He arose and hid it from them. That is [the meaning of] what the verse states (Job 38:15), "From the wicked is their light withheld." And to where is it hidden? [It is] in the Garden of Eden, for the righteous ones, as it is stated (Psalms 97:11), "Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the straight-hearted."'" They responded to him further, "It states, 'And it was evening and it was morning, one day.'" He said to them, "On that day too, it is not of joy, as all the acts of the first day are destined to wither, as it is stated (Isaiah 51:6), 'when the heavens melt away like smoke and the earth wither like a garment.'" They responded to him, "Behold, the [acts of] the second day, the third day, the fourth day, the fifth day, the sixth day." He said to them, "They too are not of joy, as all the acts of the six days of creation require further action - for example, wheat needs to be ground; mustard needs to be mellowed; lupine need to be mellowed." They responded to him, "[And what about,] 'And it was that the Lord was with Yosef and he was a successful man' (Genesis 39:7)?" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as that 'bear' chanced upon him from this, as it is stated in the verse, 'after' - 'And it was after these things, and the wife of his master raised, etc.' (Genesis 39:7)...."

They responded to him, "[And what about,] 'And it was that the Lord was with Yehoshua, and his reputation was in all the land' (Joshua 6:27)?" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as he had to rend his garments." They responded to him, "And is it not written (I Samuel 18:14), 'And it was that David was successful in all of his ways and the Lord was with him'?" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as enmity descended into the heart of Shaul from this, as it is stated (I Samuel 18:9), 'And it was that Shaul eyed David.'" They responded to him, "And is it not written (II Samuel 7:1), 'And it was when the king sat in his house and the Lord allowed him rest from all of his enemies'?" He said to them, "It too is not of joy, as on that same day, Natan the prophet came to David and said to him, 'However you will not build the House' (I Kings 8:19)." They said to him, "Behold, we have said what is ours; [now] say what is yours - that 'and it will be' is joy." He said to them, "'And it will be on that day that the mountains will drip with nectar' (Joel 4:18), that will be in the days of the messiah, and there will be great joy for Israel. And so [too,] 'And it will be on that day that a man shall save alive a heifer of the herd and two sheep' (Isaiah 7:21). And so [too,] 'And it will be on that day that living waters will come out from Jerusalem' (Zechariah 14:8). And so [too,] 'And he will be like a tree planted over streams of water' (Psalms 1:3). And so [too,] 'And the remnant of Yaakov will be among many nations' (Micah 5:6)."

They said to him, "But behold, it is written (Jeremiah 38:28), 'vahaya (here used in the past tense, and not like the other examples) when Jerusalem was captured'!" He said to them, "It too is not of grief, as on that day was the verdict of Israel for their sins taken; as so is it written (Lamentations 4:22), 'Your sin has been completed, Daughter of Zion, He will not again exile you.'"

And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel. He was called by three names: Cush, Nimrod, and Amraphel.

Cush, because he was indeed a Cushite 1 ;

Nimrod, because he incited the world to revolt (himrid);

Amraphel denotes: he made a declaration (amar imrah), ' I will cast down (appilah).' 2

[Another interpretation is] that he made sport of (amar we-afle) the world, also that he made sport of Abraham ; again, that he ordered Abraham to be thrown (amar we-hippil) into the furnace. 3 Arioch king of Ellasar. R. Jose of Milhaya 4 said: Why are they [hazel-nuts] called elsarin? Because [they grow in the territory] of Ellasar. Chedorlaomer king of Elam, and Tidal king of Goiim. R. Levi said : There is a place which is so called there [sc. in Babylon], 5 and [its inhabitants] took a certain man and made him king over them. 6 R. Johanan said : And his name was Tidal. Another interpre- tation: And it came to pass in the days of Amraphel king of Shinar: this alludes to Babylon; Arioch king of Ellasar: that alludes to Greece; Chedorlaomer king of Elam: that is Media; And Tidal the king of Goiim [lit. 'nations']: this alludes to the wicked Power [i.e. Rome] which levies troops from all the nations of the world. R. Eleazar b. R. Abina said: When you see the Powers fighting each other, look for the coming [lit. ' feet '] of the King Messiah. The proof is that in the days of Abraham, because these Powers fought against each other, greatness came to Abraham.

They made war with Bera, etc. (xiv, 2). R. Meir used to interpret names :Bera signifies that he was an evil son {ben ra l ) ;Birsha, that he was a wicked son {ben rasha c )\ Shi nab, that he amassed wealth {sho'eb mammon) ; Shemeber, that he flew 1 and procured riches ; Bela, that its inhabitants were swallowed up {nith-bal¥u). All these came as allies unto the vale of S 1 d d 1 m (xiv, 3). This was called by three names : The vale of Siddim, the vale of Shaveh, and the vale of Succoth. 2 Siddim signifies that oak trees {saddanim) grew there; again, that it was divided up into fields {sadim) ; and finally, that it suckled its children like breasts {shadayim).

The vale of Shaveh : R. Berekiah and R. Helbo in the name of R. Samuel b. Nahman said: It was so called because there all the peoples of the world became unanimous {hushewu)* felled cedars, erected a large dais for him [Abraham] and set him on top, while uttering praises before him, saying: 'Hear us, my lord: thou art a prince of God among us; in the choice\ etc. (Gen. xxiii, 6). They said to him: 'Thou art king over us, thou art a god to us/ 4 But he replied : ' The world does not lack its king and the world does not lack its God/ 'Succoth/ implies that it was overshadowed {me-sukak) with trees. R. Tanhuma said: These were the vine, fig, pomegranate, nut, almond, apple, and peach-trees. 5 The same is the salt sea. R. Aibu said: There was no sea there, 6 but the rocky banks of the river [Jordan ?] were broken through 7 and a sea [lake] was formed, as it is written, He cutteth out channels among the rocks (Job xxviii, 10).

Twelve years, etc. (xiv, 4). R. Jose and R. Simeon b. Gamaliel disagreed. R. Jose said: Twelve years service] and thirteen years [rebellion], thus amounting to twenty-five. R. Simeon said: It means thirteen in all.

How then do I explain, And the fourteenth year? 1 It means their rebellion. And in the fourteenth year came Chedor- laomer. The owner of the beam has to bear the weight of it. 2 And the kings that were with him, and smote the rephaim in ashteroth — karnaim: i.e. in Ashtarta lying between the horns. 3 And the Zuzim in Ham: that means the most illustrious of them {ziwtane ba-hem).* And the Emim in Shaveh — Kiryathaim: They were twin cities both called Shaveh. 5

And the Horites (xiv, 6): Eleutheropolis [Free- town]. 6 And why was it called Eleutheropolis? Because its inhabitants chose it and made themselves independent [free] in the generation of Separation. Unto El-Paran, which is by the wilderness; i.e. by the plain of Paran. 7

7. And they turned back, and came to En- Mi sh pat — the same is Kadesh (xiv, 7). R. Aha said : They came only in order to attack the eyeball of the world ; the eye which executed judgment in the world they desire to blind! The same (hi) is kadesh: R. Aha said: This is written hu (he): it was he [Abraham] that sanctified (kiddash) the name of the Holy One, blessed be He, in the fiery furnace. 1 And they smote all the country of the Amale kites. Amalek had not yet arisen, yet you say, And they smote all the country of the Amalekites ! But, He declareth the end from the beginning (Isa. xlvi, io).

2 And also the Amorites, that dwelt in Hazazon — Tamar: this means, in En-gedi of the palm-trees. 3 And there went out the King of Sodom . . . four kings against the five (xiv, 8 f.). Four kings waged war with five and defeated them. Now the vale of Siddim was full of slime pits — hem or (xiv, io): full of pits producing asphalt (hamor). And the kings of Sodom and Gomorrah fled, AND THEY FELL THERE, AND THEY THAT REMAINED fled to the mountain. R. Judah said: And they fell there refers to the troops, while And they THAT REMAINED FLED TO THE MOUNTAIN refers to the kings. R. Nehemiah said: And they fell there refers to the kings, while And they that remained fled to the mountain refers to the troops. Now on the view of R. Judah there is no difficulty. 4 But on the view of R. Nehemiah, R. 'Azariah and R. Jonathan in R. Isaac's name gave the following further explanation: When Abraham descended into the fiery furnace and was rescued, some of the nations believed [that it had happened], while others disbelieved. But when the King of Sodom descended into the slime and was rescued, then all believed in Abraham retrospectively.

And they took all the goods of Sodom and Gomorrah, and all their victuals (oklam), and went their way (xiv, n). R. Judah said: Was it not a big thing to take All their victuals? Said R. Nehemiah: What is meant is dry dates. 1 And they took Lot . . . and his goods, etc. They did this to Lot : they put him in a boat and took him with them. And why did he come to this? Because He dwelt in Sodom (ib.), thus fulfilling the verse, He that zvalketh with wise men shall be wise, but the companion of fools shall smart for it (Prov. xni, 20).

8. And there came one that had escaped, and told Abram, etc. (xiv, 13). R. Simeon b. Lakish said in the name of Bar Kappara : That was Og 2 ; and why was he called Og? Because he came and found Abraham sitting and engaged in the precept of [unleavened] cakes ('ugoth). 2 He did not act from a pious motive, but he said to himself: 'This man Abraham is vindictive: I will apprise him that Lot is captured ; then will he go out to battle and be slain, while I will take Sarah/ 'By thy life!' said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him, 'thou wilt receive reward for thy journey [footsteps] by living a long time in the world. 4 But because thou didst intend to slay that righteous man, thou wilt see myriads of his descendants and wilt ultimately fall into the hands of his sons/ as it is written, And the Lord said unto Moses : Fear him not ; for I have delivered him into thy hand, etc. (Num. xxi, 34). 5 And told Abram the Hebrew (ha-'ibri). R. Judah said : [ha-'ibri signifies that] the whole world was on one side ( c eber) while he was on the other side ('eber)* R. Nehemiah said: [It denotes] that he was descended from Eber. The Rabbis said: It means that he came from across the river 7 ; further, that he spoke in the language of the dwellers across the river.

NOW HE DWELT BE-ELONE (E.V. 'BY THE TERE- BINTHS of') Mam re, etc. R. Judah said: That means, in the plain of Mamra. R. Nehemiah said: In the palace of Mamre. On R. Judah' s view a place called Mamre is meant; on R. Nehemiah' s view, it refers to a person called Mamre. And why was he called Mamre? R. 'Azariah said in the name of R. Judah 1 : Because he rebuked (himrah) 2 Abraham. When the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded Abraham to circumcise himself he went and took counsel with his three friends. 3 Aner said to him: 'You are already a hundred years old, yet you would inflict this pain upon yourself?' Eshcol said to him: 'Why should you go and make yourself distinguishable to your enemies?' 4 But Mamre said to him: 'When did He not stand by you — in the fiery furnace, in famine, and in your war with the kings? Will you not obey Him then in this matter!' Said the Holy One, blessed be He, to him: 'Thou gavest him good advice, to circumcise himself: by thy life! I will reveal Myself to him only in thy palace.' Hence it is written, And the Lord appeared unto him in the palace of Mamre (Gen. xvm, i).