Composed: Talmudic Israel/Babylon, 500 CE
Bereshit Rabbah is a talmudic-era midrash on the Book of Genesis. It covers most of the book (excluding genealogies and similar passages) with verse-by-verse and often word-by-word commentary. Written in Hebrew mixed with Aramaic and occasional Greek words, its style is simple and clear.
... רַבִּי יִצְחָק פָּתַח (תהלים מה, יא): שִׁמְעִי בַת וּרְאִי וְהַטִּי אָזְנֵךְ וְשִׁכְחִי עַמֵּךְ וּבֵית אָבִיךְ, אָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק מָשָׁל לְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה עוֹבֵר מִמָּקוֹם לְמָקוֹם, וְרָאָה בִּירָה אַחַת דּוֹלֶקֶת, אָמַר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהַבִּירָה הַזּוֹ בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו בַּעַל הַבִּירָה, אָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הַבִּירָה. כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁהָיָה אָבִינוּ אַבְרָהָם אוֹמֵר תֹּאמַר שֶׁהָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה בְּלֹא מַנְהִיג, הֵצִיץ עָלָיו הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וְאָמַר לוֹ אֲנִי הוּא בַּעַל הָעוֹלָם. (תהלים מה, יב): וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ כִּי הוּא אֲדֹנַיִךְ. וְיִתְאָו הַמֶּלֶךְ יָפְיֵךְ, לְיַפּוֹתֵךְ בָּעוֹלָם, (תהלים מה, יב): וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִי לוֹ, הֱוֵי וַיֹּאמֶר יי אֶל אַבְרָם.
“The Lord said to Abram: Go you, from your land, and from your birthplace, and from your father’s house, to the land that I will show you” (Genesis 12:1).
....Rabbi Yitzḥak said: This is analogous to one who was passing from place to place, and saw a building with a [candle] burning in it. He said: ‘Is it possible that this building has no one in charge of it?’ The owner of the building looked out at him and said: ‘I am the owner of the building.’ So, because Abraham our patriarch was saying: ‘Is it possible that this world is without someone in charge?’ The Holy One blessed be He looked at him and said to him: ‘I am the owner of the world.’ “The king will desire your beauty, as he is your master” (Psalms 45:12) – to show your beauty in the world. “And bow to him” (Psalms 45:12) – that is, “the Lord said to Abram.”
“The Lord said to Abram” – Rabbi Berekhya began: “By the fragrance of your good oils, your name is like poured oil” (Song of Songs 1:3). Rabbi Berekhya said: To what was Abraham our patriarch comparable? To a flask of balsam oil surrounded with a fastened cover, that was placed in a corner and its fragrance did not diffuse. When it was moved, its fragrance diffused. So, the Holy One blessed be He said to Abraham our patriarch: ‘Move yourself from one place to another place, and your name will be exalted in the world.’
.... אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ, מֵאַרְפַּכִּי שֶׁלָּךְ. וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ, זוֹ שְׁכוּנָתֶךָ. וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ, זוֹ בֵּית אָבִיךָ. אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ, וְלָמָּה לֹא גִּלָּה לוֹ, כְּדֵי לְחַבְּבָהּ בְּעֵינָיו וְלִתֵּן לוֹ שָׂכָר עַל כָּל פְּסִיעָה וּפְסִיעָה, הוּא דַּעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יוֹחָנָן, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן (בראשית כב, ב): וַיֹּאמֶר קַח נָא אֶת בִּנְךָ אֶת יְחִידְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ זֶה יָחִיד לְאִמּוֹ וְזֶה יָחִיד לְאִמּוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ אֲשֶׁר אָהַבְתָּ, אָמַר לוֹ וְאִית תְּחוּמִין בְּמֵעַיָא. אָמַר לוֹ אֶת יִצְחָק, וְלָמָּה לֹא גִּלָּה לוֹ, כְּדֵי לְחַבְּבוֹ בְּעֵינָיו וְלִתֵּן לוֹ שָׂכָר עַל כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר, דְּאָמַר רַב הוּנָא מִשֵּׁם רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר בְּנוֹ שֶׁל רַבִּי יוֹסֵי הַגְּלִילִי, מַשְׁהֶה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּמַתְלֶא עֵינֵיהֶם שֶׁל צַדִּיקִים, וְאַחַר כָּךְ הוּא מְגַלֶּה לָהֶם טַעֲמוֹ שֶׁל דָּבָר. כָּךְ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַרְאֶךָּ. עַל אַחַד הֶהָרִים אֲשֶׁר אֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ. (יונה ג, ב): וּקְרָא אֵלֶיהָ אֶת הַקְּרִיאָה אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי דֹּבֵר אֵלֶיךָ. (יחזקאל ג, כב): קוּם צֵא אֶל הַבִּקְעָה וְשָׁם אֲדַבֵּר אוֹתָךְ.
....
Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “Go you, from your land” – from your district; “and from your birthplace” – this means your neighborhood; “and from your father’s house” – this means from your father’s household. Why did he not reveal it [his destination] to him? It was to make it more endearing to him, and to give him a reward for each and every stride. That is in accordance with the opinion of Rabbi Yoḥanan [elsewhere], as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: “He said: Take your son, you're only one” (Genesis 20:2). He [Abraham] said to Him: ‘This one is the “only one” to his mother and that one is the “only one” to his mother.’ He said to him: “Whom you love” (Genesis 22:2). He said to Him: ‘Are there partitions in the innards?’ He said to him: “Isaac” (Genesis 22:2). Why did He not reveal it to him [immediately]? It was to make it more endearing to him, and to give him a reward for each and every statement.
As Rav Huna said in the name of Rabbi Eliezer son of Rabbi Yosei HaGelili: The Holy One blessed be He withholds [information at first] and keeps the eyes of the righteous directed toward Him, and only then does he reveal to them the particulars of the matter. So: “to the land that I will show you”; “upon one of the mountains that I will say to you” (Genesis 22:2); “proclaim the proclamation that I speak to you” (Jonah 3:2); “Go out to the valley and I will speak to you there” (Ezekiel 3:22).
כִּ֣י אִם־הַחֲרֵ֣שׁ תַּחֲרִ֘ישִׁי֮ בָּעֵ֣ת הַזֹּאת֒ רֶ֣וַח וְהַצָּלָ֞ה יַעֲמ֤וֹד לַיְּהוּדִים֙ מִמָּק֣וֹם אַחֵ֔ר וְאַ֥תְּ וּבֵית־אָבִ֖יךְ תֹּאבֵ֑דוּ וּמִ֣י יוֹדֵ֔עַ אִם־לְעֵ֣ת כָּזֹ֔את הִגַּ֖עַתְּ לַמַּלְכֽוּת׃
On the contrary, if you keep silent in this crisis, relief and deliverance will come to the Jews from another quarter, while you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows, perhaps you have attained to royal position for just such a crisis.”