בראשית רבה ס״דBereshit Rabbah 64

Section 1א׳

וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ (בראשית כו, א), (תהלים לז, יח): יוֹדֵעַ ה' יְמֵי תְמִימִם, זֶה יִצְחָק. (תהלים לז, יח): וְנַחֲלָתָם לְעוֹלָם תִּהְיֶה, (בראשית כו, ג): גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, (תהלים לז, יט): לֹא יֵבשׁוּ בְּעֵת רָעָה, בְּרָעָתוֹ שֶׁל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ. (תהלים לז, יט): וּבִימֵי רְעָבוֹן יִשְׂבָּעוּ, וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ.

“There was a famine in the land, besides the first famine that was during the days of Abraham, and Isaac went to Avimelekh king of the Philistines, to Gerar” (Genesis 26:1). “There was a famine in the land.” “The Lord knows the days of the faultless” (Psalms 37:18) – this is Isaac. “Their inheritance will last forever” (Psalms 37:18), “Reside in this land [and I will be with you, and I will bless you]” (Genesis 26:3), “They are not put to shame in difficult times” (Psalms 37:19) – the difficulty of Avimelekh. “And in days of famine they are sated” (Psalms 37:19) – “There was a famine in the land.”

Section 2ב׳

לֹא יַרְעִיב ה' נֶפֶשׁ צַדִּיק (משלי י, ג), זֶה יִצְחָק, (בראשית כו, ג): גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת. (משלי י, ג): וְהַוַּת רְשָׁעִים יֶהְדֹּף, זֶה אֲבִימֶלֶךְ. וַיְהִי רָעָב, עֲשָׂרָה רְעָבוֹן בָּאוּ לָעוֹלָם, אֶחָד בִּימֵי אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן (בראשית ג, יז): אֲרוּרָה הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּרֶךָ. אֶחָד בִּימֵי לֶמֶךְ (בראשית ה, כט): מִן הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר אֵרֲרָהּ ה', אֶחָד בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם (בראשית יב, י): וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ וַיֵּרֶד אַבְרָם מִצְרַיְמָה. וְאֶחָד בִּימֵי יִצְחָק, וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ. וְאֶחָד בִּימֵי יַעֲקֹב (בראשית מה, ו): כִּי זֶה שְׁנָתַיִם הָרָעָב. וְאֶחָד בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשּׁוֹפְטִים, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (רות א, א): וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ. וְאֶחָד בִּימֵי דָּוִד (שמואל ב כא, א): וַיְהִי רָעָב בִּימֵי דָּוִד. וְאֶחָד בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ (מלכים א יז, א): חַי ה' אֱלֹהִים וגו'. וְאֶחָד בִּימֵי אֱלִישָׁע (מלכים ב ו, כה): וַיְהִי רָעָב גָּדוֹל בְּשֹׁמְרוֹן. וְאֶחָד שֶׁהוּא מִתְגַּלְגֵּל וּבָא לָעוֹלָם, וְאֶחָד לֶעָתִיד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (עמוס ח, יא): וְהִשְׁלַחְתִּי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ לֹא רָעָב לַלֶּחֶם וְלֹא צָמָא לַמַּיִם וגו'. רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן אָמַר עִקַּר אַוְתֶּנְטְיָאָה שֶׁלּוֹ הָיָה בִּימֵי דָוִד וְלֹא הָיָה רָאוּי לָבוֹא אֶלָּא בִּימֵי שָׁאוּל, אֶלָּא עַל יְדֵי שֶׁהָיָה שָׁאוּל גְּרוֹפִית שֶׁל שִׁקְמָה, גִּלְגְּלוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא וֶהֱבִיאוֹ בִּימֵי דָּוִד. שִׁילֹא חָטָא וְיוֹחָנָא מִשְׁתַּלְּמָא, אָמַר רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה מָשָׁל לְזַגָּג שֶׁהָיָה בְּיָדוֹ קֻפָּה מְלֵאָה כּוֹסוֹת וּדְיַטְרוֹטִין וּבְשָׁעָה שֶׁמְבַקֵּשׁ לִתְלוֹת אֶת קֻפָּתוֹ הָיָה מֵבִיא יָתֵד וְתוֹקְעָהּ וְנִתְלָה בָּהּ וְאַחַר כָּךְ הָיָה תּוֹלֶה אֶת קֻפָּתוֹ, לְפִיכָךְ כֻּלָּם לֹא בָאוּ בִּימֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם שְׁפוּפִים, אֶלָּא בִּימֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם גִּבּוֹרִים שֶׁיְכוֹלִים לַעֲמֹד. רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה הֲוָה קָרֵי עֲלֵיהֶן (ישעיה מ, כט): נֹתֵן לַיָּעֵף כֹּחַ. רַבִּי חֶלְבּוֹ אָמַר שְׁנַיִם בָּאוּ בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם. רַב אַחָא אָמַר אֶחָד בִּימֵי אַבְרָהָם, וְאֶחָד בִּימֵי לֶמֶךְ. וְרָעָב שֶׁבָּא בִּימֵי אֵלִיָּהוּ רָעָב שֶׁל בַּצּוֹרֶת הָיָה, שָׁנָה עָבְדָא וְשָׁנָה לֹא עָבְדָא. רָעָב שֶׁבָּא בִּימֵי אֱלִישָׁע רָעָב שֶׁל מְהוּמָה הָיָה (מלכים ב ו, כה): עַד הֱיוֹת רֹאשׁ חֲמוֹר בִּשְׁמֹנִים כֶּסֶף. רָעָב שֶׁבָּא בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשּׁוֹפְטִים, רַבִּי הוּנָא בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי אַחָא אָמַר אַרְבָּעִים וּשְׁתַּיִם סְאִין הָיוּ, וְנַעֲשִׂים אַרְבָּעִים וְאַחַת, וְהָא תָּנֵי לֹא יֵצֵא אָדָם לְחוּץ לָאָרֶץ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָיוּ סָאתַיִם שֶׁל חִטִּים הוֹלְכִים בְּסֶלַע, אָמַר רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן אֵימָתַי בִּזְמַן שֶׁאֵינוֹ מוֹצֵא לִקַּח, אֲבָל מוֹצֵא לִקַּח אֲפִלּוּ סְאָה בְּסֶלַע לֹא יֵצֵא לְחוּץ לָאָרֶץ, וּלְפִי שֶׁיָּצָא אֱלִימֶלֶךְ לְחוּץ לָאָרֶץ נֶעֱנַשׁ שֶׁמֵּת הוּא וּבָנָיו.

“The Lord will not starve the soul of the righteous” (Proverbs 10:3) – this is Isaac. “Reside in this land.” “And He averts the devastation of the wicked” (Proverbs 10:3) – this is Avimelekh. “There was a famine” – Ten famines came to the world. One during the days of Adam the first man – “accursed is the ground because of you” (Genesis 3:17); one during the days of Lemekh – “from the ground that the Lord had cursed” (Genesis 5:29); one during the days of Abraham – “there was famine in the land and Abram descended to Egypt” (Genesis 12:10); one during the days of Isaac: “there was a famine in the land”; one during the days of Jacob – “for these two years there has been famine” (Genesis 45:6); one during the days when the judges judged – “It was in the days when the judges judged, there was a famine in the land” (Ruth 1:1); one during the days of Elijah, as it is stated: “As the Lord God of Israel [lives…there will not be dew or rain these years, except by my word]” (I Kings 17:1); one during the days of David – “there was a famine during the days of David” (II Samuel 21:1); one during the days of Elisha – “there was a great famine in Samaria” (II Kings 6:25); and one that is progressing and coming to the world and one in the future, as it is stated: “I will send famine in the land, not famine for bread, not thirst for water…” (Amos 8:11). Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman said: The primary brunt of them was during the days of David, but it would have been appropriate for them to have been during the days of Saul, but because Saul was an offshoot of a sycamore tree the Holy One blessed be He transferred it and brought it during the days of David. Shila sinned and Yoḥana is punished? Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba said: This is analogous to a glazier who had a basket filled with cut, ornate glassware. When he sought to hang his basket, he would bring a peg, implant it into the wall, and then hang his basket. Therefore, all of them did not befall lowly people, but rather, mighty people. Rabbi Berekhya would read in their regard: “He gives strength to the weary” (Isaiah 40:29). Rabbi Ḥelbo said: Two [famines] came during the days of Abraham. Rabbi Aḥa said: One during the days of Abraham and one during the days of Lemekh. The famine that came during the days of Elijah was a famine of drought; one year it produced and one year it did not produce. The famine that came during the days of Elisha was one of panic – “until the head of a donkey was sold for eighty silver pieces” (II Kings 6:25). The famine that was during the days that the judges judged – Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Aḥa: Forty-one se’a were sold for the price of forty-two se’a. But was it not taught: A person may not leave the Land of Israel unless two se’a of wheat go for one sela. Rabbi Shimon said: When? It is at a time that one cannot find any to acquire, but if he can find any to acquire, even if it is one se’a for a sela, he may not leave the Land of Israel. Because Elimelekh left the Land of Israel, he was punished that he and his sons died.

Section 3ג׳

וַיֵּלֶךְ יִצְחָק אֶל אֲבִימֶלֶךְ גְּרָרָה (בראשית כו, א), לְגַרְדִּיקִי. רַבִּי דּוֹסְתָּאי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָן מִפְּנֵי מָה גָזְרוּ עַל הַנָּוֶה שֶׁבְּגַרְדִּיקִי, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהוּא נָוֶה רָע. וְעַד הֵיכָן, רַבִּי חָנִין אָמַר עַד נַחַל מִצְרָיִם. (בראשית כו, ב): וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' וַיֹּאמֶר אַל תֵּרֵד מִצְרָיְמָה שְׁכֹן בָּאָרֶץ, עֲשֵׂה שְׁכוּנָה בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, הֱוֵי נוֹטֵעַ, הֱוֵי זוֹרֵעַ, הֱוֵי נָצִיב. דָּבָר אַחֵר שְׁכֹן בָּאָרֶץ, שַׁכֵּן אֶת הַשְּׁכִינָה בָּאָרֶץ. (בראשית כו, ג): גּוּר בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת, אָמַר רַבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה אַתְּ עוֹלָה תְּמִימָה, מָה עוֹלָה אִם יָצָאת חוּץ לַקְּלָעִים הִיא נִפְסֶלֶת, אַף אַתְּ אִם יָצָאת חוּץ לָאָרֶץ נִפְסַלְתָּ. (בראשית כו, ג): כִּי לְךָ וּלְזַרְעֲךָ אֶתֵּן אֶת כָּל הָאֲרָצֹת הָאֵל, קָשׁוֹת, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמַר (יחזקאל יז, יג): וְאֶת אֵילֵי הָאָרֶץ לָקָח. דָּבָר אַחֵר, לָמָּה לֹא נֶאֱמַר הָאֵלֶּה, אֶלָּא הָאֵל, לוֹמַר מִקְצָתָן אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לָךְ, וְאֵימָתַי אֲנִי נוֹתֵן לָךְ אֶת הַשְּׁאָר, לֶעָתִיד לָבוֹא.

“Isaac went to Avimelekh [king of the Philistines], to Gerar” – to Gardiki. Rabbi Dostai in the name of Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥman: Why did they [not] decree impurity on the abode in Gardiki? It is because it is a poor abode. Until where? It is until the ravine of Egypt. “The Lord appeared to him, and said: Do not go down to Egypt; dwell in the land that I will tell you” (Genesis 26:2). “The Lord appeared to him, and said: Do not go down to Egypt; dwell [shekhon] in the land” – establish permanent residence [shekhuna] in the Land of Israel; plant, sow, graft branches on trees. Alternatively, “shekhon in the land” – cause the Divine Presence [haShekhina] to rest in the land. “Reside in this land, and I will be with you, and I will bless you, for I will give all these lands to you, and to your descendants, and I will keep the oath that I took to Abraham your father” (Genesis 26:3). “Reside in this land” – Rabbi Hoshaya said: [God said:] ‘You are an unblemished burnt offering; just as a burnt offering, if it goes outside the curtains, it is disqualified, you, too, if you go out of the Land of Israel, you are disqualified.’ “To you, and to your descendants, I will give all these [ha’el] lands – the mighty; just as it says: “He took the mighty of [eilei] the land” (Ezekiel 17:13). Another matter, why does it not state haeleh, but rather, ha’el? It is to say: I will give you some of them. When will I give you the rest? It will be in the future.