בראשית רבה מ״דBereshit Rabbah 44

Section 1א׳

אַחַר הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הָיָה דְבַר ה' אֶל אַבְרָם בַּמַּחֲזֶה לֵאמֹר וגו' (בראשית טו, א), (תהלים יח, לא): הָאֵל תָּמִים דַּרְכּוֹ אִמְרַת ה' צְרוּפָה מָגֵן הוּא לְכֹל הַחוֹסִים בּוֹ, אִם דְּרָכָיו תְּמִימִים, הוּא עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, רַב אָמַר לֹא נִתְּנוּ הַמִּצְווֹת אֶלָּא לְצָרֵף בָּהֶן אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, וְכִי מָה אִיכְפַּת לֵיהּ לְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לְמִי שֶׁשּׁוֹחֵט מִן הַצַּוָּאר אוֹ מִי שֶׁשּׁוֹחֵט מִן הָעֹרֶף, הֱוֵי לֹא נִתְּנוּ הַמִּצְווֹת אֶלָּא לְצָרֵף בָּהֶם אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, הָאֵל תָּמִים דַּרְכּוֹ, זֶה אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (נחמיה ט, ח): וּמָצָאתָ אֶת לְבָבוֹ נֶאֱמָן לְפָנֶיךָ. אִמְרַת ה' צְרוּפָה, שֶׁצֵּרְפוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא בְּכִבְשַׁן הָאֵשׁ. מָגֵן הוּא לְכֹל הַחוֹסִים בּוֹ, (בראשית טו, א): אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם אָנֹכִי מָגֵן לָךְ.

“After these matters, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying: Fear not, Abram, I am a shield for you; your reward is very great” (Genesis 15:1). “After these matters, the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision, saying…” “The Almighty’s way is faultless; the word of the Lord is refined [tzerufa]. He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him” (Psalms 18:31) – if His ways are faultless, all the more so that He Himself is. Rav said: The mitzvot were given only to refine [letzaref] people through them. After all, why should the Holy One blessed be He care whether one slaughters an animal from the throat or he slaughters it from the nape? Thus we learn that the mitzvot were given only to refine the creations with them. Another interpretation, “the Almighty’s way is faultless” – this refers to Abraham, as it is stated: “You found his heart faithful before You” (Nehemiah 9:8). “The word of the Lord is refined” – as the Holy One blessed be He refined him in the fiery furnace. “He is a shield for all who take refuge in Him” – “fear not, Abram, I am a shield for you.”

Section 2ב׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַחַר הַדְבָרִים וגו', כְּתִיב (משלי יד, טז): חָכָם יָרֵא וְסָר מֵרָע וּכְסִיל מִתְעַבֵּר וּבוֹטֵחַ. חָכָם יָרֵא, אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם. (משלי ג, ז): אַל תְּהִי חָכָם בְּעֵינֶיךָ יְרָא אֶת ה' וְסוּר מֵרָע. אַל תְּהִי חָכָם בְּעֵינֶיךָ, בַּמֶּה שֶׁאַתְּ רוֹאֶה בְּעֵינֶיךָ, תֹּאמַר שֶׁאֲנִי מוֹלִיד, תֹּאמַר שֶׁאֵין אֲנִי מוֹלִיד, יְרָא אֶת ה', אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם. רַבִּי אָבִין בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי חֲנִינָא פָּתַח (משלי יא, יח): רָשָׁע עֹשֶׂה פְעֻלַּת שָׁקֶר וגו'. רָשָׁע עֹשֶׂה פְעֻלַּת שָׁקֶר, זֶה נִמְרוֹד שֶׁהָיוּ פְּעֻלּוֹתָיו עַל שָׁקֶר. (משלי יא, ח): וְזֹרֵעַ צְדָקָה, זֶה אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית יח, יט): וְשָׁמְרוּ דֶּרֶךְ ה' לַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וּמִשְׁפָּט. (משלי יא, יח): שֶׂכֶר אֱמֶת, אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם וגו'.

Another matter, “after [these] matters…” – it is written: “A wise man fears and turns from evil, but the fool becomes enraged and overconfident” (Proverbs 14:16). “A wise man fears” – “fear not, Abram.” [And God said to him,] “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and turn away from evil” (Proverbs 3:7). “Do not be wise in your own eyes” – with what you see with your eyes, thinking: ‘Perhaps I will produce offspring, perhaps I will not produce offspring.’ [Rather,] “fear the Lord” – “fear not, Abram.” Rabbi Avin in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina began: “The wicked man performs acts of falsehood…” (Proverbs 11:18). “The wicked performs acts of falsehood” – this is Nimrod, whose actions were based on falsehood. “And he who sows righteousness [has a true reward]” (Proverbs 11:18) – this refers to Abraham, as it is stated [concerning Abraham]: “[For I have known him, because he will command his children…] and they will observe the way of the Lord, to perform righteousness and justice” (Genesis 18:19). “Has a true reward” (Proverbs 11:18) – “fear not, Abram…[your reward is very great].”

Section 3ג׳

דָּבָר אַחֵר, אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (ישעיה מא, ח ט): וְאַתָּה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַבְדִּי יַעֲקֹב אֲשֶׁר בְּחַרְתִּיךָ זֶרַע אַבְרָהָם אֹהֲבִי. אֲשֶׁר הֶחֱזַקְתִּיךָ מִקְצוֹת הָאָרֶץ, מִמֶּסְפּוֹטַמְיָא וּמֵחַבְרוֹתֶיהָ. וּמֵאֲצִילֶיהָ קְרָאתִיךָ, מִמְּפֻלָּשִׁין שֶׁבָּהּ. קְרָאתִיךָ, זִמַּנְתִּיךָ. בְּחַרְתִּיךָ וְלֹא מְאַסְתִּיךָ, בְּחַרְתִּיךָ, בְּאַבְרָם. וְלֹא מְאַסְתִּיךָ בְּאַבְרָהָם. (ישעיה מא, י): אַל תִּירָא כִּי עִמְּךָ אָנִי אַל תִּשְׁתָּע כִּי אֲנִי אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אָמַר רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָא בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁאָמַר יִצְחָק לְיַעֲקֹב (בראשית כז, כא): גְּשָׁה נָא וַאֲמֻשְׁךָ בְּנִי, נִשְׁפְּכוּ מַיִם עַל שׁוֹקָיו וְהָיָה לִבּוֹ רָפֶה כְּשַׁעֲוָה, וְזִמֵּן לוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שְׁנֵי מַלְאָכִים, אֶחָד מִימִינוֹ וְאֶחָד מִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ, וְהָיוּ אוֹחֲזִין אוֹתוֹ בְּמַרְפֵּקוֹ כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹא יִפֹּל, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: אַל תִּשְׁתָּע כִּי אֲנִי אֱלֹהֶיךָ, לֹא תִשְׁוָע. (ישעיה מא, י): אִמַּצְתִּיךָ אַף עֲזַרְתִּיךָ וגו', (ישעיה מא, יא): הֵן יֵבשׁוּ וְיִכָּלְמוּ וגו' אֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵם שׂוֹטְנִים בָּךְ. (ישעיה מא, יא): יִהְיוּ כְאַיִן וְיֹאבְדוּ אַנְשֵׁי רִיבֶךָ, אֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין עִמְּךָ מְרִיבָה. (ישעיה מא, יב): תְּבַקְּשֵׁם וְלֹא תִמְצָאֵם, אֵלּוּ שֶׁהֵן עוֹשִׂין עִמְּךָ מַצּוּת. (ישעיה מא, יג): כִּי אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ הָאוֹמֵר לְךָ אַל תִּירָא, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אַל תִּירָא אַבְרָם.

Another interpretation, “fear not Abram” – that is what is written: “But it is you, Israel, My servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, descendants of Abraham who loved me, whom I have taken from the ends of the earth” (Isaiah 41:8–9) – from Mesopotamia and its environs. “And from its noblemen I called you” (Isaiah 41:9) – from its prominent leaders. “I called you” – I designated you. “I chose you and did not reject you” (Isaiah 41:9). “I chose you” – when you were Abram; “and did not reject you” – when you became Abraham. “Do not fear, as I am with you; do not waver, as I am your God” (Isaiah 41:10) – Rabbi Hoshaya said: When Isaac said to Jacob: “Please approach so I may feel you, my son” (Genesis 27:21), his water spilled onto his knees and his heart became soft as wax. The Holy One blessed be He appointed two angels for him, one to his right and one to his left, and they grasped him by his elbow so he would not fall. That is what is written: “Do not waver [tishta], as I am your God” – do not be like wax [tishva]. “I strengthened you, even helped you…behold, [all who provoke you] will be ashamed and humiliated” (Isaiah 41:10–11) – those who are hostile to you. “They will be like nothing, and the people who quarrel with you will perish” (Isaiah 41:11) – those who incite quarrels with you. “You will seek them…but not find them” (Isaiah 41:12) – those who contend with you. “For I am the Lord your God…who says to you: Fear not” (Isaiah 41:13), as it is stated: “Fear not, Abram.”