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The Midrash Rabbah · Bereshit Rabbah

בראשית רבה ס״הBereshit Rabbah 65

Parashah 65 of 100 in Bereshit Rabbah — 23 sections

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Section 1א׳

וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה (בראשית כו, לד), הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים פ, יד): יְכַרְסְמֶנָּה חֲזִיר מִיָּעַר, רַבִּי פִּינְחָס בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי סִימוֹן, מִכָּל הַנְּבִיאִים לֹא פִּרְסְמוּהָ אֶלָּא שְׁנַיִם, משֶׁה וְאָסָף. משֶׁה אָמַר (דברים יד, ח): וְאֶת הַחֲזִיר כִּי מַפְרִיס פַּרְסָה הוּא. אָסָף אָמַר, יְכַרְסְמֶנָּה חֲזִיר מִיָּעַר. לָמָּה הוּא מוֹשְׁלָהּ בַּחֲזִיר, אֶלָּא מָה חֲזִיר הַזֶּה בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁהוּא רוֹבֵץ הוּא מְפַשֵׁט אֶת טְלָפָיו כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאֲנִי טָהוֹר, כָּךְ מַלְכוּת הַזֹּאת הָרְשָׁעָה גּוֹזֶלֶת וְחוֹמֶסֶת נִרְאֵת כְּאִלּוּ מַצַּעַת אֶת הַבִּימָה. כָּךְ עֵשָׂו כָּל אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה צָד נְשֵׁי אֲנָשִׁים וּמְעַנֶּה אוֹתָם, וְכֵיוָן שֶׁהִגִּיעַ לְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה דִּמָּה עַצְמוֹ לְאָבִיו, אָמַר מָה אַבָּא נָשָׂא אִשָּׁה בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה אַף אֲנִי נוֹשֵׂא אִשָּׁה בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה.

“Esau was forty years old, and he took as a wife Yehudit, daughter of Be'eri the Hitite, and Basmat, daughter of Elon the Hitite” (Genesis 26:34). “Esau was forty years old” – that is what is written: “The swine from the forest gnaws at it” (Psalms 80:14). Rabbi Pinḥas in the name of Rabbi Simon: Of all the prophets, only two of them publicized it – Moses and Asaf. Moses said: “The pig because it has a split hoof” (Deuteronomy 14:8). Asaf said: “The swine from the forest gnaws at it.” Why does he analogize it to a pig? Just as this pig, when it lies, it extends its hooves, saying: ‘I am pure,’ so, this evil empire robs and takes forcibly, [yet] it appears as though it is arranging the courtroom. So, Esau, all forty years, would ensnare married women and violate them. When he reached forty years of age, he likened himself to his father. He said: ‘Just as Father took a wife at forty years of age, I, too, will take a wife at forty years of age.’ That is what is written: “Esau was forty years old.”

Section 2ב׳

וַיִּקַּח אִשָּׁה אֶת יְהוּדִית (בראשית כו, לד), רַבִּי יוּדָן פָּתַח (תהלים סח, ז): אֱלֹהִים מוֹשִׁיב יְחִידִים בַּיְתָה וגו', הִיא דַעְתֵּיהּ דְּרַבִּי יְהוּדָה, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אֲפִלּוּ מַמְזֵר אֶחָד בְּסוֹף הָעוֹלָם וּמַמְזֶרֶת אַחַת בְּסוֹף הָעוֹלָם הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא מְבִיאָן וּמְזַוְּגָן זֶה לָזֶה, מַאי טַעֲמֵיהּ אֱלֹהִים מוֹשִׁיב יְחִידִים בַּיְתָה, כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב (דברים כ, יז): הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם הַחִתִּי וְהָאֱמֹרִי, יֵיתֵי הָדֵין מְחֵיק שְׁמָא וְיִסַּב לַהֲדָא מְחִיקַת שְׁמָא.

“He took as a wife Yehudit” – Rabbi Yudan began: “God settles the lonely in a home…” (Psalms 68:7). This is the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, as Rabbi Yehuda said: ‘Even if there is a mamzer at the end of the world and a mamzeret at the end of the world, the Holy One blessed be He brings them and matches them with one another.’ What is its source? “God settles the lonely in a home.” So, because it is written: “Rather, you shall destroy them: The Hittite, the Emorite” (Deuteronomy 20:17) – let this one, may his name be blotted out, come and marry that one, may her name be blotted out. “Esau was forty years old, and he took…”

Section 3ג׳

וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה וַיִּקַּח וגו' (בראשית כו, לד), (ויקרא יא, טו): אֵת כָּל עֹרֵב לְמִינוֹ, בִּימֵי רַבִּי חִיָּא רַבָּה עָלָה זַרְזִיר אֶחָד לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֲתוֹן טְעִינִין לֵיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, אֲמָרוּ לֵיהּ מַהוּ דְּנֵיכְלִינֵיהּ, אֲמַר לוֹן אַזְלוּן יַהֲבוּ יָתֵיהּ עַל אִגָּרָא, וְכָל עוֹף דְּשָׁכַן עַל גַּבֵּיהּ מִן מִינֵיהּ הוּא, אֲזַלִין יַהֲבוּ יָתֵיהּ עַל אִגָּרָא וַאֲתָא הָדֵין עוֹרְבָא מִצְרָאָה שְׁכַן עַל גַּבֵּיה, אֲמַר מְסָאַב הוּא דְּמִן מִינֵּיהּ הוּא דִּכְתִיב: וְאֵת כָּל עֹרֵב לְמִינוֹ. אָמֵרוּ לֹא הָלַךְ עוֹרֵב אֵצֶל זַרְזִיר אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא מִינוֹ. כָּךְ לְפִי שֶׁכָּתוּב בּוֹ (דברים כ, יז): כִּי הַחֲרֵם תַּחֲרִימֵם, יֵיתֵי הָדֵין מְחִיק שְׁמָא, וְיִסַּב לַהֲדָא מְחִיקַת שְׁמָא, וַיְהִי עֵשָׂו בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה.

“Every raven after its kind” (Leviticus 11:15) – in the days of Rabbi Ḥiyya Rabba, a certain starling ascended to the Land of Israel. They took it and carried it to him. They said to him: ‘Is it permitted to eat it?’ He said to them: ‘Go and place it on the roof; any bird that comes and alights next to it, it is of that species.’ They went and placed it on the roof and an Egyptian raven alighted next to it. He said: ‘It is impure, as it is of that species. That is what is written: “Every raven after its kind.”’ They said: ‘The raven went to the starling only because it is of the same species.’ So, because it is written: “Rather, you shall destroy them” (Deuteronomy 20:17) – let this one, may his name be blotted out, come and marry that one, may her name be blotted out. “Esau was forty years old.”

…and 18 more sections in this chapter.

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